Get out the Broom: The Lake Show Cancelled Early

What a series. For the Dallas Mavericks at least it was. The two time defending champs found themselves to be helpless against a much improved Dallas squad led by an extremely motivated Dirk Nowitzki and reborn Jason Terry. But as much of a rout the series appeared to be, there was not a single national analyst- with the exception of Charles Barkeley- who thought the Lakers would fall in usch spectactular fashion. Very few expected a Dallas win, much less a sweep, and for the anti Kobe Bryant crowd the emphatic sweep gave them even more ammunition. The Mavericks seemed like a team firing on all cylinders, dropping in 3s, playing timely defense, and executing their deadly pick and roll offense to perfection. But as much as this series proved to be a statement for Dallas- tagged with the unfortunate label of playoff "choke artists"- it was a powerful indictment of the Los Angelos Lakers, flying high not so long ago. What does it all mean?



1) Forget the notion of Dallas being too "soft" to make a run to the title this year. Amidst the chippy play of the Lakers, and the absolutely brutal clothesline of Barea by Ron Artest, the Mavs held their own on the defensive  end as they held the defending champions to 88 points per contest and did not wilt in the spotlight of the playoffs as they have in the past few seasons. This was not a team that shot their way to an unlikely upset, but rather a deep and talented squad dominating on both ends of the court against the two time defending champions.



2) Dirk Nowitzki may be the best power forward in the league. With the decline of Tim Duncan, and Nowitzki's continued brilliance- Ten straight seasons of 20+ points per game with the 10 time All Star forward never missing more than a handful of games in any season during his career- has him at least in the conversation, if not the favorite, for the best power forward in the game. A position, unlike center, which has no lack of talent around the league with perennial All Star candidates Amare Stoudamire of the Knicks, Pau Gasol of the Lakers, and Zach Randolph of the Grizzlies all qualifying at the position. If he leads the Mavericks to their first title in franchise history, there will be a very strong argument for Nowitzki as one of the best power forwards perhaps in all of NBA history. But that is a matter for an entirely different article. But just as intriguing is...

3) The decline of Kobe Bryant. Maybe this statement is a knee jerk response to the Lakers' loss to Dallas, but does anyone else think the great Black Mamba is nearing the end of his reign at the top of the league? There are already strong arguments for LeBron James and Dwayne Wade as better players, and even more shocking was the fact that for much of the past series Nowitzki, not Bryant, often looked and acted the part of the best player on the court for either team. Its been quite awhile since anyone has challenged Kobe Bryant in the playoffs when he had the level of supporting cast of the current Lakers- say what you want but Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Andrew Bynum still compose the best front court trio in the league- and it was a damning indictment of the five time champion as he clanged a deep three off the rim to end Game 1, and perhaps giving the Mavericks all the momentum they needed to easily handle the struggling Lakers.

4) Something is clearly WRONG with the Lakers right now. How can a team boasting arguably the best player of our generation, thought to be in his prime still, the most versatile player in the game (Lamar Odom), and two All Star caliber bigs in Bynum and Gasol and still get swept out of the playoffs by a talented, but inferior, Dallas Mavericks squad? There are so many questions marks with this Lakers team, and why their vaunted defense and dangerously efficient triangle offense was made to seem inept by a Dallas team that was not even considered a strong bet to advance past Portland in the first round. They did not have the look of two time defending champions, and now Phil Jackson will most likely ride off into the sunset with 11 championships. Without the Zen Master at the helm, what will happen to the increasingly erratic team on the floor for Los Angelos? Will Bynum ever live up to his potential? What has happened to Pau Gasol? And what to do about an aging superstar (Kobe Bryant), and a pair of underachieving former All Stars (Ron Artest and Lamar Odom)? Not to mention an absolute black hole at the point guard position, headed up by the plodding Derek Fisher and one trick pony Steve Blake. It seems impossible that a team as talented and seasoned as the Lakers can have so many question marks, but a four game sweep at the hands of a team they have dominated in recent years has opened the door to such inquiries.

NBA PLAYOFFS: The Year of the Grizzly?

Watching this year's NBA playoffs should have led you to several conclusions, with the most probable (or improbable depending on your own views) finish awaiting us at the end of it all.

1) The San Antonio Spurs, who finished with the second best record in the NBA at 61-21, led by the aging trio of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili are not the Spurs of years past. Watching the Grizzlies tank the last few weeks of the season in order to set up a first round match up with the Spurs seemed to many like an emboldened move, but not only did Memphis beat San Antonio- the first time that an 8th seed has defeated the 1 seed since the opening round has expanded to a seven game format- but they completely outclassed a banged up San Antonio squad running on fumes.

2) Chris Paul, coming off a disappointing season during which he averaged a career low 15.9 ppg and under 10 assist per game for the first time in 4 seasons, proved that he is still in the conversation for the best point guard in the game. Without fellow All Star teammate David West and surrounded by a group of misfits and castoffs (Marco Belinelli, Willie Green, etc.) CP3 had his way with the vaunted Lakers defense, pushing the defending champions to 6 games on his own willpower. While this provides an indictment of Derek Fisher's increasingly eroding skill set, it also provides a strong argument for Chris Paul as the best pure point guard in the NBA today.

3) The Grizzlies are the REAL DEAL. They score over 50 ppg in the paint, leading the league, and often win the battle of the boards night in and night out. Led by the rejuvenated Zack Randolph, an undersized power forward with questionable athletic ability, the self proclaimed underdogs easily handled the Spurs in the first round and stopped the surging OKC Thunder in Game 1 of the ongoing second round. The names do not jump off the page, and on paper they seem over matched and undermanned especially considering the season ending injury to second leading scorer Rudy Gay. With talent and youth at every position, the Grizzlies seem poised to make a deep run in this year's post season. My bold prediction? Memphis will advance to the Western Conference Finals against Los Angelos and push the Lake Show to 7 games in an instant classic.

4) Joe Johnson has been belittled, criticized, and repeatedly questioned about his supposed lack of production after signing the HIGHLY CONTROVERSIAL max contract extension in the off season. While he has yet to live up to his massive contract's expectations, during these playoffs Joe Johnson has showcased the talent that led to the Atlanta Hawks luring the former 6th Man of Year award winner away from Phoenix. Indeed the Hawks are 5-0 in the post season thus far when Johnson scores over 20 points, including last night's stunner on the road against a sputtering Chicago team when he scored a game high 34 points on an insane 66.7% from the field including 5 for 5 from deep range. While he disappointed many throughout the season, averaging only 18.4 ppg and leading an underachieving Hawks squad to an unsatisfying 5th place finish in the regular season, a deep run in this year's playoffs will go a long way to appeasing the same fans who booed him off the the court in Atlanta not too long ago.

5) When its all said and done, can we not say the Miami Heat are poised to capture an NBA championship in just the first season of the Lebron Wade Bosh experiment? They obliterated the Philadelphia 76ers in just 5 games, and out-muscled a Boston Celtics team built on its tenacity in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. Where does this leave the rest of the NBA? Can any of the remaining playoff teams match up defensively with the three headed monster of Miami? With two of the best players in the league working in harmony, there is no doubt that this superstar and veteran laden team is championship or bust. There is little doubt in my mind that the Heat will represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals this season, and their potential opponents (Lakers, Mavericks, Grizzlies, or the Thunder) do not match up very well on paper at least. My pick? Heat over the Lake Show in 6 not so very close games.

Rebuilding Project

A few years ago Hurricane Katrina ripped through the heart of New Orleans, bringing the once proud, tradition rich city to its knees. Across the nation, as well as the rest of the world, we all watched as an inept federal government simply watched as an entire city was nearly washed away. By the time help arrived it was nearly too late, and it was only by a nation wide collective effort that New Orleans was salvaged. One of the long lasting images of the Katrina tragedy were the thousands of refugees huddled in a ravaged Superdome, massive holes gaping in the roof, with any real hope of rebuilding seemingly infinitely far off.

This is why Super Bowl 44 in Miami will be special. It is not because the match up features arguably the two best QBs in a quarterback league, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. And while

Dolphin Stadium in Miami should be a worthy Super Bowl host, perfectly capable of hosting such a gala event, the city of Miami will not, and should not, be the focal point of the 2010 edition of the biggest sport event of every year. Amidst the still continuing recovery of New Orleans from Katrina has been the New Orleans Saints, going to their first Super Bowl in franchise history. It seems almost right that they will be facing the best quarterback of our generation, maybe of all time, and perhaps begins the final chapter of the rebuilding of New Orleans.

The Saints have become more than just a football team. The city of New Orleans has rallied around this team, a constant throughout the tragedy, and the payoff is now, complete with a trip to the Super Bowl. But the storybook ending will by no means be a guarantee. The Saints face the best QB in the league, as well as the fastest defense they have seen all season. And if they can keep Peyton Manning and the prolific Colt offense out of the end zone, as well as keeping Brees' jersey clean, they will hoist the Lombardi trophy, and perhaps begin a step in the right direction for a city so desperate for any progress.

But in football terms I am hard pressed to see the Saints overtaking the Colts. While both teams feature high powered offenses, both with MVP caliber QBs and Pro Bowl players at nearly every offensive position, but the Colts boast the fastest defense in the NFL. Will Brees be able to avoid the rush? And even if he does, will Shockey, Colston, and Thomas have enough left in the tank to find holes in the Indianapolis D? My bet is no. The Colts are clear favorites in this match up, and Vegas seems to agree as the Colts opened as 4 point favorites. This number is still climbing, and perhaps it would be insane to bet against Peyton Manning and the Colts. But it would also be insane to think that the Superdome would be hosting a conference championship just 4 years removed from the most destructive hurricane to strike American soil. And last Sunday was a testament to the insanity which has defined these New Orleans Saints. A packed house of nearly 73,000 fans witnessed a great moment in the history of the city, and it seemed only right that Drew Brees and his comrades would pull out the gut wrenching victory from Brett Favre and the visiting Vikings. So no matter who your allegiances may lie with, on Super Bowl Sunday we can all be Saints fans.

Deal with the Devil

The Yankees boast a team payroll of $208, 097, 414. This obviously being the highest payroll in professional baseball. The second highest? The prize goes to the New York Mets at roughly $145 million. The difference is an astounding $63 million. Lets repeat that number. $208, 097, 414. This number being higher than the GDP of the island nations of Palau, Sao Tome and Principe, the Marshall Islands, and Kiribati. Their highest paid player, Alex Rodriguez, boasts a salary equal to that of the Pittsburgh Pirates team payroll. And yet this franchise is making its first World Series appearance since 2003, when the Yankees lost in 7 games to the Florida Marlins.

Much has been made of the Yankees' bloated payroll, but the consequences are clear. The New York Yankees have sold their soul to the devil for a championship. They have officially given a new definition of the concept of "buying a championship". But the Yankees will not win the 2009 World Series, currently being played. Not saying this is a bad team. That couldn't be further than the truth, but there are numerous indications pointing to an imminent defeat.

1) The Yankees lost Game 1 at home.

Not only did they lose at home, but they lost in convincing fashion (6-1). Since 1903, Game 1 winners have gone on to win the World Series at a 62% clip. The 2001 and 2003 Yankees also lost Game 1 in the World Series. Luis Gonzalez and Josh Beckett anyone?

2) Now A.J. Burnett starts Game 2. He of the 4.42 ERA in the playoffs with no decisions. The Yankees could easily fall into a 2-0 hole, requiring them to win at least 2 of the 3 games in Philadelphia to bring the series back to the Bronx.

3) And Cliff Lee is too good. To put it more eloquently, Cliff Lee has gone 4-0 with a .54 ERA in 4 post season starts. He will likely be the Game 4 starter, and the Game 7 starter if necessary. Bad news for the Bronx Bombers.

4) Then even if the Yankees get a lead going into the later innings, they give the ball to Phil Hughes in the 8th. Hughes was great in the regular season as Mariano Rivera's setup man, going 8-3 with a 3.03 ERA and 96 Ks in 86 innings pitched. His playoff numbers: 0-1, 9.64 ERA, with batters hitting .391 against him.

5) And once they get to Philly? No DH in Philadelphia. Not only will the Yankees enter arguably the most hostile environment in MLB, but they will lose the DH. Here we go Joe Girardi, lets see those managerial skills.

6) Most of all the Yankees need their best player, A-Rod, to produce. Alex Rodriguez has had a tremendous post season (.389, 5 HR, 12 RBI), but went 0/4 with 3 Ks in Game 1. With a choke job in the World Series, his label of playoff bust will stay firmly affixed.

7) Oh by the way, the Phillies are the defending champs. Not the Yankees. Reason being the Phillies are good. Damn good. Much better than Minnesota and Los Angelos at least.

But who knows? The Yankees could win the World Series, easily even. But New York made a deal with devil, and he has come to collect his due.

The Evolution of Sports Commercials

Similar to the evolution of dance (a must watch by the way), sports commercials have also undergone radical changes since its infancy. From Mean Joe Greene to Terry Tate Office Linebacker, professional sports and television advertising have been staples of American culture for decades. Therefore it only seems fit that it remains an impossibility to foresee a future in professional sports without advertising. And in particular television commericials.

This one is a classic. Mean Joe Greene drinks the Coke, and throws the little boy his jersey. Gets me everytime.

The best part about this Nike commercial? It was 100% real. He's that good.

Another classic. This McDonald's ad has a distinct late 80s, early 90s feel to it, and every kid who has ever played HORSE can connect with the essence of the video. Even if the whole expressway part was a bit much.

Sir Charles got a ton of heat for this controversial ad, but he stood by his declaration that, "I am not a role model." The man did throw a man out of a window of a restaurant once so I think he might have a point there.

Terry Tate. The Office Linebacker. Hilarious. A bit disturbing at times. But nonetheless a modern classic already.

Looking back, this commercial was either really bad or awesome. And the song...

Y2K. Pretty stupid huh? But back in 2000 everyone was talking about it. Even ESPN.

All those Budweiser commercials with the Clydesdale horses? This one started it all during the '96 Super Bowl. And no I don't think the Clydesdales should play the Detroit Lions because it would be an awful game. The Lions would get creamed.

Who doesn't like the Go World Visa commercials? Visa did a great job putting together off colored videos, Morgan Freeman, and inspirational Olympic moments into the best commercials during the '08 Beijing Games.

Yao Ming and Yogi Berra. That makes sense right? Still cracks me up after all these years.

I honestly can't imagine a world without Monday Night Football. The ad connects with us all. Mondays suck. MNF is awesome.

Great message. But when your the greatest person to ever walk onto a basketball court this ad starts to ring hollow. Nonetheless a classic Nike spot.

The second ad is an actual commercial by the NBA as part of the Amazing Happens ad series. The first is a spoof by ESPN columnist Bill Simmons. I honestly thought both were fairly accurate.

WHY THE FALCONS WILL GO TO THE SUPER BOWL

No, this isn't a joke article. And no I am not a Falcons fan (Love the Chicago Bears). Rather these are sincere observations from a dedicated observer of the NFL game. Sure the Falcons got torched in Phoenix last season by Arizona. Rookie QB Matt Ryan looked the part, flustered by an underrated Arizona D while Kurt Warner led the eventual NFC champion Cardinals to an easy win in Atlanta's first playoff berth since the Michael Vick era.

This is a new year, and let me say just this. This a stacked team. Say what you wish about the suspect defense, which did lose All Pro safety Lawyer Milloy, perennial fan LB Keith Brooking, and the polarizing, but extremely talented cornerback, DeAngelo Hall, but the Falcons have the make up of a Super Bowl contender. They have a coach in Mike Smith, the 2008 NFL Coach of the Year, who, as a rookie head coach last season, took a rookie QB (Matt Ryan) and a career backup at RB (Michael Turner) to 11 wins and a playoff berth. Not only that, but this coming off a 4-12 debacle the prior year.

But of course coach Mike Smith alone isn't going to take the Falcons to the Super Bowl in January. Its their high octane offensive unit which can hang with any team in the league. QB Matt Ryan, only a second year QB in the league, is the real deal, and he now has multiple weapons to throw to. Tony Gonzalez, a game changer at the tight end position, was Antonio Gates before Antonio Gates. Roddy White has blossomed into a Pro Bowl WR, and worthy of a cover by the opposing teams best corner. And Michael Turner, once LaDainian Tomlinson's backup in San Diego is now a All Pro runner himself, with 1699 yards and 17 TDs on the ground last season. Which also happened to be his first as a starting RB in the NFL as well as his debut with the Falcons. Fullback Ovie Mughelli cleared the way for Jamal Lewis all those seasons in Baltimore, and anchored an elite running attack there before signing with the Falcons to clear holes for Michael Turner and Jerius Norwood, who now fills the role Michael Turner himself played in San Diego as the change of pace back.

This is a squad that has all the weapons on offense and defense, as well as one of the

greatest kickers of our generation (Pro Bowl K Jason Elam) anchoring the special teams unit. With an owner, Arthur Blank of Home Depot fame, firmly behind the players and the personnel, the Falcons have all the tools necessary to make a run in these playoffs. Not to mention they play in the Georgia Dome, the second largest domed structure in the world (The Millenium Dome in London is the largest).

But even with all these factors, good coaching and talented players alone don't gauruntee a Super Bowl appearance. Just ask the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, or the San Diego Chargers, who have been to the Super Bowl a total of 0 times in the last decade despite high payrolls and even higher expectations.

5 REASONS WHY ITS GOING TO HAPPEN

1) Michael Turner. Remember how the Falcons led the league in rushing all those years with TJ Duckett and Warrick Dunn? Turner is those two backs combined into an elite All Pro RB. Not only will he rip off a 60 yard run, but he'll punch it in for you as well. The man is absolutely ridiculous.

2) Matt Ryan is the real deal. Nobody knew how he was going to do fresh out of Boston College, but Matty Ice was the main reason the Falcons went from 4-12 to 11-5 in the span of a single season. Also, he threw only 11 picks, only the second time a rookie QB started all 16 games and threw under 16 INTs. Not to mention he won a 2009 ESPY (Best Breakthrough Athlete) over a field that included gold medal gymnast Shawn Johnson, NBA Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose, and MLB's AL Rookie of the Year Evan Longoria.

3) The NFC South. The Falcons will play their NFC South brethren 6 times this season, and needless to say a 5-1 or even 6-0 record in their division does not seem out of the realm of possibility. The Panthers look like a complete mess so far in the early going, with QB Jake Delhomme throwing 4 INTs along with a lost fumble last week against the Philadelphia Eagles. Tampa Bay boasts a strong running game with Cadillac Williams and Derrick Ward, but little else of note on a rebuilding franchise. The Saints are a good team. Let me rephrase that. The Saints are a good offensive team. While they dropped 45 on the Lions last week, they also gave up 27 points to an absolutely horrendous Detroit offense in the process.

4) The '09 Falcons are a helluva lot better than the '98 squad, the Dirty Birds, who made it to the Super Bowl against the John Elway and the Denver Broncos. Chris Chandler and Jamal Anderson will always be heroes in Atlanta for their memorable Super Bowl run, but with all due respect the former have nothing on the latter day combo of Matt Ryan and Michael Turner.

5) Week 1 against Miami. The Miami Dolphins went from 1-15 in 2007 to 11-5 last season, and won the AFC East in the process. They also introduced the Wildcat to the NFL, and often caught offenses off guard with RBs Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown running roughshod over opposing defenses. At the Dome, the Falcons limited the Dolphins and their vaunted Wildcat package to 259 total yards and forced 4 turnovers in their 19-7 romp over the defending AFC East division champs.

The Falcons are now 1-0 with their immediate schedule reading as follows: home vs. Carolina, @ New England, @ San Francisco, home against the Chicago Bears, and @ Dallas. All of those games are very winnable, even the New England game as Brady and Co. looked very out of sync against the heavy underdog Buffalo Bills, and there is no reason why these Falcons can not manage easy wins against Carolina, San Francisco, and Chicago, with New England and Dallas being toss ups. If the Falcons can end up 4-2 or even 5-1 in their first 6 games, this sets them up in a huge game against division rival New Orleans on ESPN Monday Night Football.

And once again, do not underestimate the no respect angle. Even after a 11-5 season last year, the Falcons are flying, once again, under the radar. Vegas pegs the over/under on Atlanta's number of wins this season at 8.5, the same system which had that same number at 5.5 last season. And before you call me crazy remember this: Remember all those people who thought the Patriots were going to cream the Giants in the Super Bowl in '07? And you would be lying to yourself if you thought the Cardinals would be playing in their first Super Bowl in franchise history last season. Crazier things have happened, and in Atlanta the times seem ripe for a suprise run from an under the radar team.