So, We Will Have A Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals

   

I've said it before and I'll say it again.  There is nothing better in playoff sports than Game 7 of a Stanley Cup series.  And this one will be for the cup, no less. 

The NHL has made a habit of this of late.  This will be the third straight [and 4th in five years] Stanley Cup Finals to go the full seven games.  In 2004, the Lighting beat the Flames in Game 7.  The previous year, the Devils downed the Ducks.  In 2001, the Avalanche beat the Devils in Game 7 [the lone exception was Detroit's beating of Carolina in five games in 2002].  

Odd, since the 13 years before that Aves-Devils series, only ONE Stanley Cup Finals series went the full distance.  That was the magical 1994 Rangers championship as they beat the Canucks in a wild Game 7 atmosphere in Madison Square Garden. 

The next four Cup Finals after that Rangers-Canucks series ended in sweeps. 

So this is an event we should all relish it.  Sure, the game will be played in - Raleigh?  But the crowd will be ready...the cup will be polished....the commish will be in his Sunday best.....and the hockey world will be watching.  History will be made.  Will the Carolina Hurricanes win their first championship?  Will the Edmonton Oilers win the Cup after entering the playoffs as the 8th seed in the West? 

                           

The two former WHA franchises [the first time that's happened in the Finals] will determine NHL's champion.  The Oilers, who are semi-NHL royalty......with five Cups and the homebase for the sport's greatest player, Wayne Gretzky.  Those 1980s Oiler teams were some of the greatest to grace the sport and what brought me to the game.  The Canes are on the other end.  They are a relatively new franchise, at least in Carolina, with a very new fanbase.  In their former life as the Hartford Whalers, they were the laughingstock of the NHL.  A sorta LA Clippers of their league.  Whe 16 of the 21 teams made the postseason, usually, the Whale wasn't one of them. 

Again, the game is in Raleigh.  Home ice advantage means nothing in the NHL.  Or does it?

The Carolina Hurricanes won Game 7, at home, of the Eastern Conference Finals against Buffalo.  But, in an earlier round, Anaheim won Game 7 in Calgary. 

Home NHL teams in Game 7s of best-of-7 playoff series have a 74-44 record in all rounds, and an 11-2 record in the Finals. In best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL Finals-round Game 7s, home teams are on a 17-game winning streak which started with the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1982 World Series and extends through the Spurs' win in San Antonio in the 2005 NBA Finals.

Four Stanley Cup Finals were won by the home team in Game 7 during that streak. 

Five times the Stanley Cup finals have reached Game 7 after a team had evened the series after having trailed three games to one. On only one of those five occasions has the team that had been trailing three games to one come back to win, and in that case, the Maple Leafs had come back from a three-games-to-none deficit to defeat the Red Wings in 1942.

In each of the four most recent cases in which teams that led three games to one were forced to a Game 7 in the finals, those teams bounced back to win: Toronto over Detroit in 1945, Detroit over Montreal in 1954, Edmonton over Philadelphia in 1987 and the Rangers over Vancouver in 1994.

The game should be electric....and I will be rooting for the Hurricanes to finally unwrap their prize.  Since Game 4 in Edmonton, Lord Stanley's Cup has followed the Canes to Raleigh....then to Edmonton....and now back to Raleigh in hopes of being revealed.

All we know now is that somebody will take that bad boy home Monday night. 

                           

Heels Beat Fullerton In Wild Extra Inning Affair

  

from SI.COM

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- When Cal State Fullerton couldn't score after having five men reach base in the 11th inning, North Carolina coach Mike Fox figured it must be his team's game to win.

Turns out, Fox was right.

Josh Horton broke a tie with an RBI single in the 13th inning to key the Tar Heels' 7-5 victory Friday night in the second-longest game in College World Series history at 4 hours, 53 minutes.

The only longer game in the CWS' 60-year history was Oklahoma State's 5-hour, 13-inning win over Arizona State in 1981.

The Tar Heels survived a quirky 11th that saw Cory Vanderhook's baserunning blunder take Fullerton out of a good scoring opportunity.

"As my assistant likes to say, we snatched victory from the jaws of defeat," Fox said. "It was true. We were very fortunate to win. We dodged a number of bullets big-time in extra innings."

North Carolina had four straight singles to open the 13th against Lauren Gagnier (14-5), Fullerton's No. 2 starter who was making a rare relief appearance.

Andrew Carignan pitched an inning of two-hit relief to earn his 14th save. Matt Danford (7-1) was the winner.

The Tar Heels (51-13) advanced to a Sunday game against Clemson, which scored all its runs in the eighth inning to rally for an 8-4 afternoon win over Georgia Tech. Fullerton (48-14), which saw its 12-game winning streak end, will meet the Yellow Jackets in a Bracket 1 elimination game.

North Carolina's Mike Cavasinni singled leading off the 13th, and Reid Fronk followed with hard grounder that bounced off second baseman Justin Turner for a single. Horton singled into right for the tiebreaking run, and the Tar Heels got an insurance run on Tim Federowicz's bases-loaded hit.

North Carolina gave Fullerton an opportunity to win in the 11th after two Titans reached base on dropped third strikes.

Vanderhook drew a leadoff walk, and Justin Turner struck out but was safe at first when catcher Federowicz's throw hit Turner in the back of his helmet. Vanderhook ended up on third on Blake Davis' grounder.

When Danford sent a pickoff throw to third, Vanderhook reacted slowly and was forced to take off down the line. Federowicz made the easy tag at home.

"He just got caught off third," Fullerton coach George Horton said. "Young kids get caught up in the emotion. We had information that they use that (pickoff) play. They put that play on, executed it and Cory fell asleep a little bit."

After Brett Pill struck out but reached when the ball got past Federowicz, Danny Dorn was intentionally walked to load the bases.

The Tar Heels escaped when Seth Williams made an adventurous catch on David Cooper's fly in short right.

"That inning was crazy, and the whole game was intense," Turner said. "Both teams played great baseball, and that's what everybody came to see."

Fox said he couldn't recall having an opponent go scoreless with so many baserunners in an inning.

"That was the inning where we were very, very fortunate," Fox said. "Once we got out of that inning, this might be our game to win. You don't do that very often."

The anticipated pitching duel between Fullerton's Wes Roemer and North Carolina's Andrew Miller didn't materialize until after the third inning.

The Tar Heels' four runs off Roemer in the first two innings were one more than he gave up in his previous 25 innings.

Fronk homered in the first and Benji Johnson's two-run homer in the second put the Tar Heels up 4-1.

Miller, who had given up one home run in a team-leading 110 2-3 innings, surrendered two homers in the first three innings against Fullerton.

Evan McArthur homered in the second to cut the Tar Heels' lead to 4-2, and Brandon Tripp ripped a three-run shot in the third to put the Titans up 5-4.

North Carolina tied it at 5 in the fifth, with Garrett Gore singling, moving up on a sacrifice and coming home on Horton's single.

Miller allowed one hit from the fourth through seventh innings. He left with one out in the eighth, having allowed five runs on six hits. The five runs matched the most against him this season. He walked three and struck out nine.

Roemer, who gave up five runs on nine hits in eight innings, walked none and struck out six. He retired the Tar Heels in order four out of five times between the third and seventh.

SPEAKING OF GOOD TAR HEEL NEWS

NBADraft.net informs the NBA draftniks of the world that David Noel, the lone senior on last year's UNC basketball team, rated #1 in athleticsm.  Hard to tell what that will mean for Noel's possible draft status or NBA future....but they wouldn't test him for nothing.  Currently, Noel isn't on NBADraft.net's board. 

 

Why Can Germany Build These Stadiums and We Can't?

This is the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.  Yep, the same place where Jessie Owens shoved a gold medal up Adolph Hitler's arse back in 1936.  Of course, it didn't look like it back then...as the country has renovated and rejuvinated it.

Germany can do it.....but Los Angeles can't??

Yeah, LA can't figure out how to make their Olympic Stadium, which is 10 years older that Berlin's venue, into a football friendly arena. 

Above is AOL Arena in Hamburg.  Nice, eh?  Nicer than that RCA Dome in Indy. 

This is Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt.  Whoa!  I guess when God isn't watching Dallas Cowboys NFL games....he's watching the pitch here.  And that big thing in the middle is a scoreboard....similar to what you might find in an NBA arena. 

Above is the arena in which the Americans got hammered by the Czech Republic.

Zentralstadion [left] and Seahawks Stadium [right] look as if they are long lost brothers. 

And here is Allianz Arena in Munich.  Looks like one of those inflatable rafts. 

Okay.  It isn't like we don't have nice stadiums.  Seahawks Stadium is awesome.  So is the new Arizona Cardinals field [above left].  And the new Colts Stadium [right].  Reliant Field in Houston is magnificant.  And that isn't even mentioning the great baseball parks new [AT&T, Oriole Park] and old [Fenway, Wrigley]. 

Miami Mauls Mavericks

       

There isn't much to breakdown in this game.  Miami whipped Dallas.  Game over.  But there is a breakdown of what really happened.

IF YOU ARE A MIAMI FAN....you should be proud to be tied 2-2 with all of the momentum heading into a pivotal Game 5 at home.  And that game isn't until Sunday, so the Mavs get two off days to sit and think about it.  Counting the last 6:34 of Tuesday's game, Miami has outscored Dallas 120-81.  Yeah, a 39 point differential.  Pat Riley has made the proper adjustments and the Miami stars are playing like stars.  You know they cannot stop D-Wade and that he's on a Finals MVP pace.  Shaq's confidence is back and just fouling him isn't working anymore.  The defensive intensity has been turned up and the zone has worked wonderfully.  Keep doing what you are doing...and you can go to Dallas with a 3-2 lead.

IF YOU ARE A DALLAS FAN....you can say, well, this is just par for the course.  We won two at home....they won two at home.  And while you are still kicking yourself for not being up 3-0, you know in your heart that you had these guys.  And you still can.  Erase Game 4 and fight for your life in Game 5.  Getting pounded sucks, but winning Game 5 means you are up 3-2 with the last two games at your crib.  As far as adjustments - yes some need to be made.  But in looking at the film, you know that you just messed up your chance.  Wade came out smoking, the Heat came out sizzling and your team couldn't hit the broad side of a barn.  It wasn't like Dallas was taking bad shots....they were just missing them.  Give them those same shots on Sunday....and they can go down.  You also know that despite these two games in Miami....you have done well in pressurized games on the road in these playoffs.  You clinched a series in Memphis.  You won a Game 7 in San Antonio.  And you won the Western Conference title in Phoenix.  Win this game in Miami on Sunday...and you have two shots at the title at home.

IF YOU ARE ME.....these Finals have been compelling as a whole, but the games as individually wrapped have been duds.  Aside from Game 3's comeback....there hasn't been great drama in this series.  Just storylines of Wade's "injuries", Shaq's free throws and Dallas' defense coming and going.  Games 2 and 4 have been major blowouts.  Dallas set an NBA Finals record for points in a quarter with 7.  This comes one week after Miami had just 12 in the final frame. 

We've also seen this before.  Last year's Finals were horrible in the first four games to.  In that Spurs-Pistons series, the margin of victory in the first four games were 15, 21, 17 and 31.  Yeah, the Pistons won Game 4 by 31 pts.  Then Game 5 was a masterpiece...with the road Spurs winning in overtime.  So, Dallas fans need not fret.  Maybe the extra day off will let the team forget all about their shortcomings and they can focus on winning that pivotal game.  Or maybe Miami's train is got too much steam. 

My Favorite NBA Finals

    

With the NBA Finals currently deadlocked....and now a best-of-three series....it could have a great finish to it.  Could.

And that gets me to thinking....what are my favorite NBA Finals??  In MY history....not all time.

I am but 30 years old [just 5 weeks from 31] so I haven't seen all of the Finals.  My first Finals experience was 1984....Lakers v Celtics.  Yeah, the C's won that series...but the Lakers won my heart and the NBA gained a lifetime fan.

Since that year, the Lakers won SIX NBA Championships and were in a total of TEN NBA Finals....so, obviously the Lakers series will mean a bit more to me.  But my best Finals memory isn't a Laker title. 

So, below is my rankings of the 22 NBA Finals that I have watched in my lifetime.

22-Celtics def Rockets 1986:  Of all the Finals in this 22 year span...I probably remember the least about this one.  I was a young NBA fan, moving to a new place [Charlotte] and for the first time since I've watched the NBA, my Lakers weren't in the dance. 

21-Pistons def Lakers 1989:  Magic and Byron Scott were hurt.  The Laker "threepeat" never got off the ground.  It became Kareem's swan song and an ugly sweep.  The only good thing to come from this series is that death of the Pontiac Silverdome as host to NBA basketball.  The Palace of Auburn Hills was opened in the fall.

20-Pistons def Blazers 1990:  Two teams I hated.  The Pistons ended the Lakers championship run....and the Blazers surplanted them as Western Conference and Pacific Division champions.  Then the Pistons went ahead and backended the Lakers' repeat with their own. 

19-Spurs def Knicks 1999:  Let's see.  A strike shortened season.  An 8th seed wins the East.  The Spurs got Tim Duncan by having a great David Robinson Spurs team tank after he was injured.  Sorry, I hated this series.  Only TWICE did any team break the 90 pt barrier.  In fact, in Game 4, neither team could break the 80 point barrier.  It was a snore to watch. 

18-Spurs def Nets 2003:  This was the worst championship basketball I think I have ever watched. 

17-Pistons def Lakers 2004:  A very hard series to watch.  Going in, the Lakers were widely regarded as being able to dominate the Pistons.  Only, it didn't happen that way.  If not for a Kobe Bryant effort in Game 2....this was a sweep.  And not the kind of sweep that the games were kinda close.  The Lakers got their butts spanked.  And then, the wheels fell off.  This series, to all Laker fans, marked the end of everything.  Shaq demanded out.  Phil walked off.  Kobe's trial was starting...and he was a free agent.  Everything sucked.  Heck, there were even rumors of Coach K of my hated Dook coming aboard to coach the team.  Just bad times, man.  Bad times. 

16-Bulls def Jazz 1997:  Honestly, I don't remember much of this series anymore.  1997 was such a bad year for me.  I think that I watched most of this series in a bowling alley. 

15-Bulls def Blazers 1992:  Only thing I remember from this series??  Well, I was at a billiards tournament during the series [at an FOP] and watched the series on a little old TV that was embedded near the ceiling.  I remember watching Jordan nailing all those threes and knowing that this wasn't a series. 

14-Bulls def Sonics 1996:  This was that Great Bulls team and they beat up those darn Sonics.  A buddy of mine was a huuuuuuuuuuge Shawn Kemp fan, so I had no one to root for, since I feel obligated to root against my friends. 

13-Rockets def Knicks 1994:  The thing I remember the most about this series is that I just got my first real job [one that had a paycheck and not just cash in an envelope] and as the new guy, was ashamed to be rooting for Houston while everybody else was a Knicks fan.  Oh, and John Starks' bad Game 7.  Oh, and some car chase involving a white Bronco. 

12-Rockets def Magic 1995:  I had just moved into my first apartment the week of these Finals....and we didn't have cable hooked up yet.  So me and my roomate went out and bought an antenna just to watch these Finals.  I recently watched Game 1 of that series on ESPN Classic which brought me back to watching that series in 1995 with a snowy reception. 

11-Bulls def Suns 1993:  I watched much of this series at a Hooters resteraunt...that doesn't exist anymore [the one on Independence near Idewild].  Sure, that Game 6 was a great game....but it was the epic Game 3 in Chicago that went into three overtimes that I will always remember.  The Suns won that Game 129-121...which kept them in that series [they had lost Games 1 and 2 at home]. 

10-Lakers def Nets 2002:  Sorry, but even though it was a Lakers title....it wasn't great to watch.  The Lakers weren't very dominant [aside from Game 2] and it had the feel of a regular season game in December. 

9-Spurs def Pistons 2005:  Not a "great" series...but pretty darn good.  It was the first time since...well the first time I watched the NBA finals in the mid-1980s that the Finals featured a matchup of teams who had won titles previously.  A 2-2 series that had a Game 5 like this series had is special.  Robert Horry found the fountain of youth for about a 30 minutesof real time that night.  Then Detroit goes into San Antonio and wins Game 6!  The great thing was that Game 7 was tied heading into the final quarter. Excellent drama.

8-Bulls def Jazz 1998:  A horrible series, actually.  I mean, one game ended 96-54.  GEEZ!  Only TWICE in this series did anyone break past 88 points [Bulls in Game 2 and 3].  It did end on a beautiful shot.  I watched this series at a BW3s across town.  A buddy named Andre and I went over there to chill with some wings and some hoops.  That was my final Finals in Charlotte.

7-Bulls def Lakers 1991:  Sure, LA was overmatched in this series, but the fact that they got there was unbelievable.  Though we didn't know it at the time, this would be Magic's final run in the NBA [his short comeback, nonwithstanding].  I had no expectation of the Lakers winning this series....until Sam Perkins nailed a 3-pt shot to win Game 1.  And that was about as close as we got.  Three moments stand out.  Perkins shot.  Jordan's "spectacular move".  Vlade cowering to Magic after a great play.  This series truly ended the Showtime Era for the Lakers. 

6-Lakers def Sixers 2001:  Iverson had a great series...and a super Game 1.  That was the only game the Lakers lost in those playoffs. 

5-Lakers def Celtics 1987:  In retrospect, this series has many memories.  It was the final Magic-Bird Finals.  Heck, it's the last time the Celtics have been in the NBA Finals.  And it contains my favorite Finals moment.....Magic's junior hook to beat the C's in the Gah-den. 

4-Lakers def Celtics 1985:  My first taste of NBA title.  See why at the #1 spot. 

3-Lakers def Pacers 2000:  This was great.  The return of the Lakers.  Shaq got his title and Kobe Bryant really began his legend.  That effort in Game 4 was unbelievable.  But, if you can ever find the highlights of this series....watch it.  This was Shaq at his greatest and it's hard to believe that any center has been better at any time in NBA history.   

2-Lakers def Pistons 1988:  I watched every second of this series like my life depended on it.  My uncle died during these Finals.  We went to Nashville for his funeral....and my sister and I had to stay at another aunt and uncle's house during Games 6 and 7 of that series.  You have to remember....it had been nearly 20 years since the last NBA team repeated as champions.  And in that playoffs....the Lakers had to win TWO Game 7s just to get to these Finals.  Games 6 and 7 were classics. 

1-Celtics def Lakers 1984:  Again, as I said, this was the series that brought me to the NBA.  I had no preferences to any NBA thing out there.  The Finals were on, and I was just into basketball.  In fact, I remember asking "where do the UNC players go once they leave college?"  Apparantly to LA.  That 1984 Laker team had THREE Tar Heels on their roster.  Bob McAdoo, Mitch Kupchak and James Worthy.  Now, I knew Worthy.  He was the man of the 1982 Heels title team....so I rooted for the Lakers in that series.  But it was watching Magic Johnson that solidified my Laker fandom.  I was in awe of him.....I wanted to be him.  And I remember being nervous watching Game 7 of that series....as if I had been a Laker fan for 25 years.  The Lakers lost that game...I was upset, angry and sad.  But 23 years later...I am here...a NBA fan to the core....thanks to that series. 

Michael Jordan and Charlotte Finally Unite

           

Michael Jordan is part owner of the Charlotte Bobcats.  Actually, Jordan is part owner in many of majority owner Robert Johnson's businesses. 

But it is the Bobcats in which Jordan will be the most involved.  He was named the basketball operations manager.   I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.

As the Wizards president, he made a lot of mistakes....and his eventual remedy for the mistakes was to put on the uniform and play.  Even that didn't help.  So, it remains to be seen if as the head of hoops for the Bobcats [essentially running the franchise] he has learned anything.  If he still thinks his on court basketball knowledge keeps him from trusting people with off court knowledge. 

The Bobcats are in a odd situation, a young expansion team with a new arena and a skeptical fan base.  After being burned by hometown George Shinn and the Hornets....many Charlotteans don't fully believe in the out-of-town Robert Johnson, even if he is one of the richest men in sports.  But Jordan....well that's a guy with some name recognition...especially in the state. 

Michael Jordan is still a God in North Carolina.  Jordan played high school ball in Wilmington....on the southeastern coast of North Carolina.  He then starred at the University of North Carolina....hitting the game winning shot in the 1982 NCAA Championship game.  The murder of his father in 1993 set off one of the biggest trials in the state's history. 

-----------------------------------------------------------

Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer [Charlotte Observer | 06/16/2006 | Jordan's touch not magic] wrote this:

So Michael Jordan has finally become a part owner of our local NBA team.

Seven years ago, we would have thrown him a parade. If Jordan and George Shinn hadn't butted heads in the final stages of their proposed deal in 1999, I believe the Charlotte Hornets would never have moved to New Orleans and the Charlotte Bobcats would not exist.

But seven years is a long time. There will be no parade for Jordan now that his close friend and Bobcats majority owner Bob Johnson has brought him aboard as the team's No. 2 stakeholder. Because of the way the Washington Wizards floundered under Jordan's stewardship, we all understand that his Midas touch has its limits. It's not automatic the Bobcats will be one bit better.

Is this a great thing for the Bobcats?

No. Finding the next Dwyane Wade would be a great thing.

But Jordan's arrival is a good thing.

Put it this way: The Bobcats have very little to lose.

Yes, they have a decent young nucleus of talent. But Charlotte hasn't embraced the team. The Bobcats' season ticket base is far too low. Their business side is in disarray.

As far as hoops, they aren't close to being a playoff team. They've got a coach in Bernie Bickerstaff whom everyone knows won't be the coach in a season or two.

They need help. Lots of help.

Jordan takes on the weirdly vague title of "Managing Member of Basketball Operations." Let's call it "MmBop" for short. I'm sorry if that old teenybopper song from Hanson is now running through your head.

What does an MmBop do?

"Michael is not a day-to-day employee," Johnson said Thursday night on a conference call with reporters. "He is an owner who I've given the authority to oversee all player personnel decisions."

What does that mean?

It means Bickerstaff just lost a chunk of power, though he gets to keep the "general manager" title. Previously, Bickerstaff basically had carte blanche as far as basketball decisions. Now you've got an MmBop whom we all know isn't going to stand back and watch.

In fact, Johnson said Jordan will help make the decision as to who the Bobcats pick at No. 3 in the June 28 NBA draft.

"Bernie, in the next several days, will be doing a download on Michael," Johnson said. The owner said Bickerstaff would tell Jordan about all the possible draft picks and their workouts and about any possible trades.

"Michael will be fully briefed and aid Bernie in making the best selection possible," Johnson said.

Jordan wasn't available for comment Thursday night. Johnson intimated that Jordan's appearances in the Bobcats' offices (and in Charlotte) would be only occasional. Johnson also said there was no chance Jordan, 43, would come out of retirement yet again to play for the Bobcats.

Jordan's most recent dream has been to own an NBA team. That hasn't happened. Three years ago, Johnson tried to talk him into partial ownership of the Bobcats and it didn't work. Now, it has. Johnson said the reason was basically that Jordan decided part of an NBA loaf was better than none.

Jordan provides immediate celebrity and credentials to a franchise that needs both. But will thousands of people suddenly line up to buy Bobcats season tickets because they might catch a glimpse of Jordan in the arena?

No way. This team won't engage this city until something happens like what is happening in Raleigh with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Jordan can't just be Jordan, making fans melt with a smile and a Sharpie.

He has to do much better than he did running the Wizards. There must be no Kwame Browns. He must help build a consistent winner.

If he doesn't, the new MmBop will be no more than a curiosity. And this relationship between Jordan and Charlotte, which holds such promise now, will not end well.

Carson Palmer Cornhole Classic

Let me just say this.

I grew up in the South.  I grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina....and despite many things you can say about Charlotte, it isn't as 'neck as people would love to think.

I thought so, until I moved on the Kentucky side of Cincinnati.  Here....whoa....Neck Central.

No more so than this little game called CORNHOLE.

Cornhole is a a derivation of horseshoes.  Instead of throwing shoes at a peg in a sand pit.....you throw bags of corn to a wooden board that has a hole in it.  The scoring is nearly the same as horseshoes.  Three points if you get one in the hole....one point if you land on the board.  First team to 21 wins.  And the game may be better since it is more portable.  To play horseshoes....there already has to be a pit made somwhere.  Cornhole players can take these boards anywhere.  You can learn more about this game at the ACA website.....yeah the American Cornhole Association [What is Corn Toss, Cornhole, Bean Bag and Bean Toss?]. 

The game is fine.  The name is dumb.  When I first moved up here and heard about this game....people up here didn't understand why I was laughing.  People "cornhole" in Kentucky????  Get outta here!  Much to my surprise....no sheep were involved in this sport.  This isn't some "prison secret".  This isn't the game they played with JJ Redick as he was in holding for his DWI incident in the Triangle.  And no drunks [well, okay....most people got a beer nearby].  Needless to say, my mother laughs when I mention the name of this game.

Some people do get the joke....but for some reason others don't.  I just don't understand why they don't use the name "baggo" - which is the name that is used nationally - instead of this, uh, shall we say, uh, homonymic name.  Baggo®.com! is a great place to go to get started up with this game. 

Why am I even talking about this??  Well, the Carson Palmer Cornhole Classic - Cincinnati Bengals will be held this Saturday....and just the title of the thing has me rolling.  If you are uninitiated to the game....heck, the name of the game....then the above "classic" seems like something that you might need to get Zed and The Gimp for...and pray that Chad Johnson isn't behind you with a samarai sword. 

So, if you ever come thru The Nati area and hear someone yell out "hey, anyone want to get in on some cornhole over here!"......you don't have to run.

Rocky, Hoosiers, Pride Go Up For AFI

AFI had it's "100 Years....100 Cheers" thing on CBS last night...and sports movies were well represented.  Here are the one's they used:

4-ROCKY (1976):  I'm not a Rocky nut....but I do love this movie [and, yeah, I'm a big Rocky IV guy too].  My dog's name is Mr Rocky Balboa.  But this is the true coming-from-no-where film where the underdog doesn't win on the scoreboard....but the effort alone makes him the champ.

8-BREAKING AWAY (1979):  It's about bike racing...so I've never seen it.

13-HOOSIERS (1986):  The best hoops movie ever made and one of the best underdog movies.  And when it's based on a true story...it makes it all the better. 

22-PRIDE OF THE YANKEES (1942):  Even non-Yankee fans love this movie

28-FIELD OF DREAMS (1989):  It is hokey, to me, but it still does a good job placing baseball, and life, back to it's simpler roots.  Ya know, when it was all about gambling and not about steroids. 

37-FORREST GUMP (1994):  Not a "sports movie", but he was an All American football player at Alabama in this flick. 

50-SEABISCUIT (2003):  I've never sat down and watched this movie...though I have seen bits and pieces of it.  Some of the scenes were shot close to where I live.

54-RUDY (1993):  Nothing is better than seeing Rudy run out there on that field.  Oh, well, until he gets that tackle for a loss.  Then nothing is better.  Well, until they carry him off the field. 

56-BEN HUR (1959):  Again, not a "sports movie", but the best race sequence ever recorded on film. 

98-THE KARATE KID (1984):  Anyone my age can recite about 50 snippets of dialogue.  The phrases "Daniel-san", "wax on, wax off" and "bonzai" still get play today.  It also features one of the best 80s sports montage songs in "You're The Best".  And we've all tried that crane move on someone.

Of the non-sports movies....here are just some comments on various other films

1-IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE:  Obvious top choice, though I won't watch it anymore.

3-SCHINDLER'S LIST:  It came out in 1993, but I didn't watch it until about 1998.  This movie is....eloquently....disturbing.  Everyone should be made to watch this.

10-SAVING PRIVATE RYAN:  The opening sequence brings home the horror of that day and of that war.  My mother's sister's father died there. 

Below is the entire list....

1	IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE	1946
2	TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD	1962
3	SCHINDLER'S LIST	1993
4	ROCKY	1976
5	MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON	1939
6	E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL	1982
7	THE GRAPES OF WRATH	1940
8	BREAKING AWAY	1979
9	MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET	1947
10	SAVING PRIVATE RYAN	1998
11	THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES	1946
12	APOLLO 13	1995
13	HOOSIERS	1986
14	THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI	1957
15	THE MIRACLE WORKER	1962
16	NORMA RAE	1979
17	ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST	1975
18	THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK	1959
19	THE RIGHT STUFF	1983
20	PHILADELPHIA	1993
21	IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT	1967
22	THE PRIDE OF THE YANKEES	1942
23	THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION	1994
24	NATIONAL VELVET	1944
25	SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS	1941
26	THE WIZARD OF OZ	1939
27	HIGH NOON	1952
28	FIELD OF DREAMS	1989
29	GANDHI	1982
30	LAWRENCE OF ARABIA	1962
31	GLORY	1989
32	CASABLANCA	1942
33	CITY LIGHTS	1931
34	ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN	1976
35	GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER	1967
36	ON THE WATERFRONT	1954
37	FORREST GUMP	1994
38	PINOCCHIO	1940
39	STAR WARS	1977
40	MRS. MINIVER	1942
41	THE SOUND OF MUSIC	1965
42	12 ANGRY MEN	1957
43	GONE WITH THE WIND	1939
44	SPARTACUS	1960
45	ON GOLDEN POND	1981
46	LILIES OF THE FIELD	1963
47	2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY	1968
48	THE AFRICAN QUEEN	1951
49	MEET JOHN DOE	1941
50	SEABISCUIT	2003
51	THE COLOR PURPLE	1985
52	DEAD POET'S SOCIETY	1989
53	SHANE	1953
54	RUDY	1993
55	THE DEFIANT ONES	1958
56	BEN-HUR	1959
57	SERGEANT YORK	1941
58	CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND	1977
59	DANCES WITH WOLVES	1990
60	THE KILLING FIELDS	1984
61	SOUNDER	1972
62	BRAVEHEART	1995
63	RAIN MAN	1988
64	THE BLACK STALLION	1979
65	A RAISIN IN THE SUN	1961
66	SILKWOOD	1983
67	THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL	1951
68	AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN	1982
69	THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS	1957
70	COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER	1980
71	COOL HAND LUKE	1967
72	DARK VICTORY	1939
73	ERIN BROCKOVICH	2000
74	GUNGA DIN	1939
75	THE VERDICT	1982
76	BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ	1962
77	DRIVING MISS DAISY	1989
78	THELMA & LOUISE	1991
79	THE TEN COMMANDMENTS	1956
80	BABE	1995
81	BOYS TOWN	1938
82	FIDDLER ON THE ROOF	1971
83	MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN	1936
84	SERPICO	1973
85	WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT	1993
86	STAND AND DELIVER	1988
87	WORKING GIRL	1988
88	YANKEE DOODLE DANDY	1942
89	HAROLD AND MAUDE	1972
90	HOTEL RWANDA	2004
91	THE PAPER CHASE	1973
92	FAME	1980
93	A BEAUTIFUL MIND	2001
94	CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS	1937
95	PLACES IN THE HEART	1984
96	SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER	1993
97	MADAME CURIE	1943
98	THE KARATE KID	1984
99	RAY	2004
100	CHARIOTS OF FIRE	1981

A Bengal Treasure.....Chris Henry

       

For the fourth time in 7 months, Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry has found himself afoul of the law.

-Chris Henry avoided jail time on marijuana charges from a December arrest in Kentucky after pleading guilty and agreeing to enter a drug rehabilitation program.

-Henry was charged in January with pulling a pistol on a group of revelers in downtown Orlando. He pleaded not guilty to a charge of carrying a concealed weapon and is set for trial Aug. 21.

-Henry was pulled over for speeding and driving drunk just last week.  Henry registered a blood-alcohol content of 0.092 on a breath test and was clocked at 82 miles per hour in a 65-mph zone. The legal limit is 0.08.

-Henry turned himself in late Wednesday afternoon on three counts of an unlawful transaction with a minor. Henry was released after posting a $2,500 bond.  The arrest warrant issued on Wednesday morning claims that Henry provided alcohol to three women all under the age of 21.  One of the women is identified as Monica Beamon [an 18 yr old who started this mess by filing a false police report claiming that Henry raped her] and the others are cited as unnamed 15 and 16-yr olds. The criminal affidavit charges that all three women were in Henry's car when he provided them alcohol, with the knowledge that all were under the legal drinking age of 21.

The Bengals declined comment.

Not A Good Day For JJ

                              

JJ Redick gets arrested for DWI in North Carolina in the morning.  In the afternoon, he's cancelling workouts.

Not because of a DWI....because of a bad back.  Redick failed a physical at the NBA pre-draft camp in Orlando.  His back could be bad enough to require surgery and there are rumors that he may be out for four months.

Not good to begin your NBA career with back issues.  Especially when shooting jumpers is your only meal ticket right now. 

Here is where the story broke:  DraftExpress - NBA Draft, NCAA/International Basketball Website.

Sorry if I don't act a bit concerned here.  There is no better time to be a Tar Heel right now.  You had Mr. Redick go thru his NCAA career with no title and huge flame outs in the dance.  Meanwhile, Carolina wins a title in 2005 and will be one of the top 2 teams in the nation this fall.  Also, the Heels will be in the College World Series, have a decent football team [which travels to Notre Dame] and had the #1 women's hoops team during the season [well, Dook's team was good too]. 

And Duke has this....and some issue with their lacrosse team. 

Miami Makes Season Saving Comeback

  

This was how the game turned completely upside down:

Shaq hit two huge free throws.  While Dwayne Wade and Dirk Nowitzki each missed a key one. 

The Dirk miss was the biggest....sending a game that would've been tied into a game that the Mavs trailed by a point with a second remaining.  After Wade hit one of two FTs.....the Mavs inbound play to try to tie the game went for naught, and the NBA Finals are now a 2-1 series. 

Miami did so by making a 13 point comeback in the 4th quarter.  With 6:33 left, Dallas was up 89-76.  Miami then went on a 22-7 run to end the game.  The Mavericks played like a soccer team [ha, I knew I could get the World Cup in there], just hanging onto the ball...waiting for the game to end.  They took long jumpers, made bad offensive fouls and just weren't as hungry as Miami was desperate.

But...let's not always dwell on what went wrong.  There was a lot of great plays in this game down the stretch.  Udonis Haslem's huge steal of a pass to Nowitzki.  Then calmly knocking down both free throws [he was 0-for-4 up to that point] and giving Miami the lead.  The great move by Devin Harris to tie the game again.  The big game winning shot by Gary Payton to put the Heat up two with 9 seconds left. 

Also, I've ripped Pat Riley in this series.  But he made what may be the Finals' biggest coaching decision.  Wade picked up his 5th foul right after the final quarter got underway.  Instead of taking Wade out, he kept him in there.  He had 12 points after that 5th foul [and zero fouls]...all 12 part of that closing 22-7 run. 

So "now we have a series".  We've had one all along....but we've now went from a possible "Miami may win Game 4 but the series is over" vibe on Thursday night into a "if Miami wins Game 4 then it is a best of three series".  Dallas may have kicked this series away with that bad 6 minute stretch.  They had their boots on Miami's throats and let up.  These are the Finals....you can't let up.  And though all those stats point to Dallas still having the big advantage....they still can lose.

            

JJ REDICK ARRESTED FOR DWI

The above picture is the best thing to come out of Maryland since Steve Francis. Ahhhhhh.  It never fails.  No matter how "great" the Dookie is [with the exception of Elton Brand] he is doomed to screw himself over once he leaves Coach K's nursery.... Here ya go, from ESPN.com JJ Redick, a likely first-round pick in this month's NBA draft, was arrested for driving while impaired early Tuesday and has was released on $1,000 bond, a Raleigh-Durham, N.C., television station reported. WTVD, citing a police report, said that Redick was arrested at 1:03 a.m. in Durham, N.C., after the former Duke star made an illegal U-turn to avoid a police checkpoint. The television station reported that Redick is scheduled to appear in a Durham court on July 17. The NBA draft is scheduled June 28 in New York City. How an arrest will affect Redick's draft status is unclear. "I think that these things hurt anybody's draft status," an Eastern Conference GM, who wanted to remain anonymous, told ESPN.com's Andy Katz. "They do in my eyes. I take these things seriously. That's too bad." Redick had previously pulled out of scheduled workouts with Orlando and Boston this week. Previously, he had worked out for Golden State, Utah, Houston and Seattle. Among the teams reportedly interested in Redick is Houston, which has the No. 8 pick. Redick, who won the 2006 Wooden Award as the nation's top college player, shot 47 percent from the field, 42 percent from 3-point range and 85 percent from the free throw line in leading Duke to a 32-4 record. He finished his career with 2,769 points and 457 3-pointers.

Watching "Cars", Turning Off World Cup, Seeing Falling Reds

                      

WELL, THAT WAS FUN:  For the last, what, two months ESPN, ABC and various other sporting outlets were trying to lure me into watching the World Cup.  Well, I caught a few minutes of the United State's game with the Czech Republic and came away with the same attitude that I brought into it....it sucked.  Sorry, I'm not a soccer fan.  I'm not a track and field fan, either....but I will watch when our national reputation is on the line [read: Olympics].  Well, that's gone now.  The soccer experts inform me that when a team loses it's first match in Group Play....they usually don't advance.  Those same experts inform me that the USA can't beat a European team in Europe.  Their next match is against Italy. 

This sorta has that feel like when you put your money in one of those crane things at the arcade.  You know it's a rip-off...but for some reason you think there may be a chance you get something.  Then, nope....the claw closes and that stuffed animal sits there as if it mocks you. 

                          

"CARS":  My wife and I took her 3-yr old cousin to see the new Pixar movie "Cars" on Saturday.  For sports fans, it has a take off of the Nextel Cup [though the film must have been started during the "Winston Cup" days since their trophy is the "Piston Cup"] and includes Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Darrell Waltrip.  It also has Michael Schumacher and Mario Andretti in cameos. 

The movie has several plot/moral tales in there.  The cocky rookie, Lightning McQueen [voiced by Owen Wilson], finishes a race in a three-way tie with The King [Petty] and Chick Hicks [Michael Keaton].  There will be a special race held the next weekend in California where those three cars will compete forthe Cup championship.  The King is old and retiring....with his sponsorship most likely to side with the winner of the race. 

The cocky little McQueen, on his way to Cali, gets stuck in a po-dunk town on old Route 66.  Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Cheech, George Carlin and others play cars who have businesses that are struggling in this once bustling town.  Larry the Cable Guy [who I normally loathe, but he works perfectly here] voices the tow truck, Mater, who befriends McQueen.  McQueen is sentenced to fix the main road in the town which he destroyed....and he can leave when he completes his task. 

From there, without giving away much more than that setup, it is typical Pixar magic.  Friends made, lessons learned and the computer animation is even more amazing than the aquatic world of Finding Nemo.  The attention to detail in the huge race crowds and the amazing race sequences stunned me.  If you got a kid around [especially boys], they should love this.  And if you like these kind of Pixar flicks....find a kid and take 'em!

             

"GLORY ROAD":  Also, this week, I watched Glory Road on DVD.  I liked it...which surprised me since I heard many other sports fans rip the movie.  Yes, there are things that I can rip it for.  The fact that there weren't as many games as I'd like to see....and their tournament run included just a few games.  In the championship game against Kentucky, you'd swear that the Wildcats' Pat Riley [who helped get the film made] was the Michael Jordan of his time.  Also, there was so many "main characters" in the movie....and really none of them were greatly developed.  Other than that....it was a good film.  Not as good as Hoosiers...but not as bad as Blue Chips.  But, I love any movie that depicts Adolph Rupp, coach of UKKK, in that light.  Classic scene is when a black Texas Western player dives for a loose ball and falls onto Coach Rupp.   

CAROLINA IS ONE WIN AWAY:  The Canes won a hard foughtgame over the Oilers in a bubbling Edmonton.  Now Carolina goes back to Raleigh to try to close the series out [they have a 3-1 lead].  My favorite comment:  "The Cup is coming back where it belongs.....the South".  Funny, until you realize that if the Canes do close it out....that makes two straight Cups won by southern teams over Canadian....heck, Alberta....teams.  The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Calgary Flames in the 2004 Cup Finals. 

GRIMSLEY SUSPENDED 50 GAMES:  Well, he'll never have a job in baseball again, anyways. 

MIAMI IS STILL IN THIS THING:  Miami is in trouble.  Miami must win Game 3.  But Miami isn't dead at all.  If they win Game 3, they are down 2-1 against Dallas and have two more at home.  They win Game 4, too....it's a tied series.  If they win Game 5 [Miami is 8-1 at home in these playoffs], then they leave Miami with a 3-2 lead and a chance to eliminate the Mavs.  I think Miami wins Game 3....and then they split with Dallas games 4 and 5....setting up a Dallas clinching win in Game 6. 

OH THOSE REDS:  After winning 8 straight games....and me writing about it here....the Cincinnati Reds have lost 4 straight.  After beating the Astros and Cardinals three times each....on the road...they've lost to the Cubs and Brewers.   Ah, to be a Reds fan!

 

Big Ben Gets In Big Crash

                              

Don't we all see this coming from miles away??

"Big" Ben Roethlisberger got into a wreck today.  While riding his motorcycle.  He's in the hospital.  Duh.

His bike collided with a car in Pittsburgh....and he flew into the car's windshied, head first.  He was said to have been bleeding and was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Still...he is an idiot.

He wasn't wearing a helmet.

If you remember, about a year ago, the story surfaces that Big Ben was a Big Bike Head and that he didn't care about people's concerns.  And that "Head" usually doesn't have a helmet on it.  Just a backward baseball hat. 

And, if you remember, the guy drafted five spots before him in the 2004 NFL Draft, Kellen Winslow, had the entire 2005 season gone after he wrecked his bike.  He was wearing a helmet.....an unfastened helmet.  And that the #2 pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, Jason Williams, got into a very bad motorcycle accident and hasn't played since. 

Maybe the Pittsburgh Steeler organization remembers Gabe Rivera.  Rivera was drafted in 1983....a few spots ahead of Dan Marino and Darrell Green....and wrecked his sports car during his rookie season and became paralyzed.  He still has never walked.  And that was in a car.  So was the Charlotte Hornets' Bobby Phills....who wrecked and was killed while racing his car on Tyvola Road. 

Sure.  Those were cars....and bike enthusiasts can say that "see, people who drive cars get hurt to....should athletes stop driving them too?"  Well, the chances of survival in a normal traffic accident....which is sounds like the case in Big Ben's wreck....is so much more in a car than on a bike.  You don't hear anything about the dude in the car Ben hit being harmed.

I just don't understand it.  Big Ben wears a helmet while playing a game in which the hardest he'd be hit would be, well, about 20 miles per hour.  I don't think any motorcycle goes less than 50. 

This is the winning quarterback of the last Super Bowl.  This guy has the world on a string and soon will have all the money he could want.  He is said to be alert and conscious....but lucky that he just got banged up a little.  When dealing with things like this....an inch here or there seperates a scrape from being in a wheelchair. 

Maybe he could use some of it to buy a helmet.  They sell them at the Steelers online gift shop.

                                    

World Cup: I Want To Care.....Really I Do

                     

I view the World Cup like that movie The Crying Game.  We all know about it....just none of us have watched it.

I am one of those people who only care about soccer when the World Cup rolls around.  I really want to watch.  I really want to be involved.  I just can't.

It's not like I am just some dumb American who thinks soccer is for wusses and that we Yankees and Cowboys are too macho for it.  In fact, from college to my adult life, I have been surrounded by soccer loving friends.  In college, I was friends with many Greeks [not the fraternity "greeks".....Greeks from Greece].  Those Greeks compromised most of my collegiate team.  I currently have a friend who played professionally for Serbia when it was part of the former Yugoslavia. 

I catch the highlights.  I want to be part of the entire pageantry of this event.  I just can't.  I am an American.

I won't miss work to watch the US team face off against the Czech Republic tomorrow.  Heck, I probably forget that it will come on around noon.  I have no idea what city they are playing in.  And I probably can't name one player on the team. 

I wasn't even aware of the World Cup until 1994 when the event was held in America.  The only reason it was here was to get us involved in the sports.  Since then, we've erected Major League Soccer which still hasn't resonated with most of the country.  We also had a very good showing in the 2002 Cup....but that tournament was held across the world in Japan and South Korea.  Most of America didn't watch because the games were live when they were asleep. 

These games are in Germany....smack dab in the middle of Europe which is soccer central.  I can watch them live....but I just don't really care. 

Well, I do care....just not enough to watch.  I want us to win....and that Czech game is a very, very big game for us.  At least, that's what I am told.  I probably will watch the Americans play....but have no interest in watching anything else....with maybe the exception of the championship match.   I just can't watch soccer.  It just doesn't interest me to see the game....no matter how popular or beautiful it may be.

Please don't be too angry, soccer people.  I have the same interest in hockey.  Well, except that I can watch hockey even if I have no stake in either team.  But I love football....and watched maybe 5 minutes of today's Arena Bowl XX.  I like baseball...but I think I've only watched one full baseball game all year long [Cubs-Reds a few weeks ago]. 

Maybe it isn't my fault.  It's my upbringing.  When I was a kid....we all played Little League.  As I grew up, Little League turned into recreational basketball leagues.  But now, soccer is the sport for kids.  I have no idea why?  Well, I have a theory.  It is the one sport that even unathletic kids can get away with.  You can stick that big lumbering kid as the goalie....or the two left-footed nerd somewhere out in the field.  They blend in and just kick the ball when it comes to them.  In baseball, balls are hit at you and you have to stand at a plate and hit them.  There is no hiding poor talent.  In basketball, you have to have some sort of hand-eye coordination out there.  In football, you could get really hurt.  In soccer....we all have fun!

And that's not a knock at the sport.  I am sure that these athletes put many of the other sports' athletes to shame.  And I am truly amazed at what they do. 

Maybe because, as an American, I can only root for one team.  I mean, why do I care about Portugal or Italy???  I did root against Iran today....just because.  And I will root a bit for England....since a friend of my dad's from the UK mailed a English soccer hat to my dad to give me.  But I don't really care who wins any other match.  Just as long as it ain't the French!

It dawns on me that maybe this isn't for us.  Sure, the soccer world would love the money that is sitting over here [why else would David Beckham ponder about coming to the MLS]....but maybe that just isn't our sporting lot.  We already plunder the best basketball players to come to our NBA.  We have an NHL full of players from all over Canada and Europe...despite having just a few of our own American players in a league which 24 of the 30 teams are in this country.  Major League Baseball is filled with players from Latin America and the Far East.  So why do we need the best soccer here?  We have good players and a decent soccer culture.....but there just isn't the national interest in it.  There is no shame in having our greats go over to Europe and South America to play in their leagues.

It isn't our sport, anyways.  Unlike football, baseball and basketball.....soccer wasn't our invention.  It is the world's game.  The world's sport.  The world's tournament.  It would go on even if we weren't invited. 

We are invited.  And we should care.  We should be in awe.

What other sport can have this following?  This event will be played and watched by people in America.....in Mexico....in Argentina....in England.....in Poland....in Angola....in Korea.....in Iran.  What other sporting event can really claim that?  No...not even the Olympics.  The Olympics are still dominated by the big countries who can have multiple entries in events [see:  USA].  Sure, an occassional small country story breaks thru....but not like soccer.  Even for the Super Bowl....you won't find the entire country gathered together to root for one common cause. 

And that's what makes this event truly special.  Every four years, countries who hate each other can find themselves on the same field in the name of sport.  Cultures divided can come together to root for one cause.  National pride is at it's highest.

We should be privleged to be part of it.

For real World Cup blogging....go to World Cup Football 2006 - Germany 2006 - FIFA - World Cup Soccer Blog