End Times or Times Ending?

May may not have been the end of the world, but it will be the end of the NBA Conference Finals. We are on a crash course for the second ugliest Final in NBA history! Yes, time is ending for the 2010-2011 NBA season. 1986 produced the ugliest NBA Conference Finals, and Championship Finals ever for me. The Western Finals saw my beat up Lakers take on the Twin Towers of Houston. I am glad now that Jerry West was the GM for the Lakers instead of all of the naysayers that suggested Ralph Sampson over James Worthy. The Rockets, and Ralph Sampson unfortunately downed my Lakers in the Western Conference Finals that year. It was sad times for me and the Laker Nation in 1986. The Finals of 1986 saw the Houston Rockets and Boston Celtics get pretty nasty! That NBA Finals ranks numero uno for me in the ugly department. I have a very bad feeling that the ratings, and the Finals this year have the potential to be the second worst Finals match up in NBA History! Hold tight, will Dirk, and LeBron have a moment of their own? Will will see, but as I have predicted to this point, the young guns still just do not have enough star power, to push them to the finals...

There is a prettier picture however, if history really repeats itself, then next year the Lakers will be World Champions again, and  have back to back Championships! It will also mean that we will lose Abdul-Jabbar again. No, I am not predicting the end of Kareem's life, just his good standing with the Lakers. Magic again will have to pull through for the big fella, and get him a statue to go along with his five rings. Mr. Abdul-Jabbar is still ticked off about the whole non-existence of a statue in his likeness in front of the Staples Center thing.

Tommy Heinsohn, a former Celtic, is calling the game in the video above, and gives blow by blow details on the "fist-a-cuff" that breaks loose when Ralph Sampson takes the initial swing that would clear both benches! What is it with the Rockets and fighting! Rudy T (an innocent by stander) was cold cocked by Kermit Washington (is it just me, or do you laugh while reading that name as well?) Then there was a not so innocent Vernon Maxwell. Vernon was coached by the above named Rudy Tomjanovich in the franchises only championship years (1994 - 1995)and unlike Coach Tomjanovich he was not so innocent, and had his fair share of skirmishes. When someone mentions belligerence and ugly basketball in the same sentence, Houston is the city that comes to my mind first. New York, and Indiana run a tight second. Not because the number of brawls, but what led to the brawls. NOTHING!

No, to you Bulls fans, The Worm (Dennis Rodman) kicking a totally innocent camera man in the crotch, or head butting a referee do not count. Rodman was a not a brawler he was a mentalist/mental case, a very fit mentalist/mental case, that should have taken one to the noodle himself!

Charles Barkley didn't win a championship, but played in one. He wasn't a brawler per se, just a tough basketball player with a dirty boxers mentality.  Plus Charles didn't play or get involved in a game or brawl as ugly as the Rockets - Celts series. Charles as a member of the Suns was a tough team leader. Charles as a Sixer was a bully. NOthing in the paint was the motto of a young Charles Barkley. He intimidated players and is partly responsible for the flagrant foul rule that is now a part of the league rule book. As commentator Charles is somewhat a bully with Ernie Johnson. But Ernie tolerates Charles, doesn't run from him but doesn't speak as freely as I am sure that he would like to and does as well as anyone when it comes to putting up with Sir Charles. Only Kenny Smith has more fun with Charles, and can talk trash back to him, and do so without being the least bit timid. Charles is a riot in the booth, and is finally learning to control his outburst, and not talk over other commentators. I should say controlled to a degree which to this point has allowed him to remain on National Broadcasts. I think he has more control and is a better team player in the booth than he manifested on the court. Not to take anything away from him, because love him or hate him, he was a beast on the court. Mr. Barkley, has a humor and passion for the game, and most of it's players that have grown on me. His battle with ethnicity, and attitude are to be desired, however. I think his book, "Whose Afraid of the Big Black Man," has had ten more readers than my blog. My money may not speak as loudly as Mr. Barkley's, but my spirit does! Money I may not be able to take w/ me when I die, nor can Sir Charles, but my spirit, yeah I can take that with me. ;) And where we take it next is either a very level playing field with a Righteous Judge, or a hot one that has no balance at all. I love ya Charles, and pray that you, and your brother now both have a lasting relationship with "The Righteous Judge." Brother Cahill (former Auburn University teammate of Charles Barkley, Author, and Evangelist), can you give Charles another call?

On that note, May 21st was not the end time, the false prophets were wrong, but it is very near to the end of another NBA season, and that is a definite! May it end well, and in Stanley Cup fashion!

What A View!

I set out later than I wanted on the cloudless Saturday morning. It was already a warm Southern morning with the dew burning off quickly, and the sun muscling its way through the cool morning breeze. I knew the climb would be tough enough, and now I also had a feeling that the heat would be a factor as well. 77 degrees can feel like 107 when you are fatigued and early in a season, and especially when you are not used to the temps rising. Mild temps or high temps, I wanted to be in more than just survival mode, I wanted to be a conqueror! My endeavor this Saturday morning was to test the legs to see what we had left. My analysis: the heart is still good, and according to many, the mind has always been questionable, but they both begged the legs to get us all to the top of the mountain. Six thousand, six hundred, and eight....y - four (6,684) feet to the summit at Mt. Mitchell, the highest point east of the Mississippi, with a new bike, old legs, and the same frame of mind! I tried to stay hydrated, I had two bottles of H2O, and a small 12 oz. bottle of (Blue)Berry Gatorade. For nutrition I took a couple of energy bars (a Power Bar and Zone bar) for an extra boost, and fared well. I put my empty bottles back in the cages, and my empty wrappers back in my under the saddle carrier. I was amazed at how others had not done the same thing! There were empty water bottles, and nutrition bar wrappers left after the ride (The Assault on Mt. Mitchell) this past weekend, all along the road side. I understand that this is a competition, but I also understand that cyclist leaving trash behind gives biking a blackeye! Yes it was consistent enough to confidently evidence to all others that the trash was left on the roadside by riders. If you are that close to the front, or if you are well off enough to ditch a bottle, then you should be well off enough to have a clean up crew as well. If you just don't care, then you shouldn't be too uptight with my wishing your being banned from future Parkway events.

I witnessed a few other irritating things along the way... first and foremost "horseflies!" Count all things joy the Bible says, so I can say that the horseflies were motivators, and encouraged me to pedal a bit faster, to rid myself of them. I saw several little green garden/field snakes dead on the road, and one ginormous Black snake, that appeared to be toting around five baby rabbits that she had for breakfast!  The Black snake was slithering off the road into the high grass, and looked to be approximately thirty-six or thirty eight inches long, and as big in diameter as a mountain bike tire. I am not a fan of snakes, so needless to say, this too creeped me out! If I had been mowing, this snake would have been a dead one as well.

THEN, yes a big then is very necessary for this one, THEN a playful Black Bear cub came wandering out of the woods! I nearly had a coronary, but as I stated before the heart is still good, and the will to live even better! I stopped, we looked at each other for a second, and I asked Kert what we should do next. Kert turned back downhill, and said he may not eat me, but I don't want your blood on my conscious, or my mangled frame. Kert is such a loser sometimes, but I love him, he's the most awesome bike I've ever had! At that point I prayed that the cubs mother was somewhere far enough away to give me a shot at a forty (40) mph downhill. I don't think that a Black Bear can run that fast, and even if they can, I am skinny enough to hopefully be a waste of time for one to expend that much energy. The playful cub then ran up the mountain side, and watched me from the ridge top. I was thankful that he observed from a distance, and all alone.

The ride in the the Blue Ridge mountains are beautiful. The Parkways dark tunnels, the views down into the valleys below, the mountain tops, it's so serene, and peaceful, that it truly leaves you with a sense being just a mile below heaven. I was in a head down, keep spinning, groove when I took a quick I look up and just at a glimpse noticed something round the curve slightly ahead of me. My initial thought, "Oh great what now, a rabid coyote!?" But this time it was a rider, and he was on the same quest. He too had his family trailing him, and was fighting to stay hydrated as well. He told me later that the last twenty-five (25) miles of the Assault from Hwy 80 up to Hwy 128 were much tougher than the seventy-five (75) miles from Greenville to Marion. After the climb to the summit, I am inclined to believe him! I also met a rider from Florida that said the same. He didn't like the decent as much. He said, "You don't have drops, and mountains like this where I'm from!" I am a downhill junkie myself! fifty (50) mph and more if I can get it!

The fire tower is a welcome sight. You know you have one last downhill after the watch tower, and that you are getting ever so close to THE mountain top.

I had finally arrived! I could see the sign for the State Park, and my heart went from a heavy beat to a flutter! Knowing that I was only three and half miles, or roughly just under four miles away from the top was encouraging. On the flip side knowing that my quads had started to tighten, and nearly seize after the twenty-eighth mile were a slight discouragement. I honestly didn't know that I would be able to climb Hwy 128 to the summit. My middle son, looked out the window and said, "You can do it!" I can't begin to tell you how that hit my heart! My wife was also yelling out encouraging words, "Come on old man!" Not really, she may have inside, but she yelled out, "You can do it baby!" My baby girl in the back seat yelling, "GO DADDY GO!" I knew at that point the only thing that would keep me from the top was the Rapture really taking place, or my legs just completely seizing up, and not churning the cranks to push me to the top. I would not quit, and would simply not turn back. The quads knotted, the hamstrings knotted, and I chugged a Strawberry Gatorade, and just kept pushing! I am one blessed fella to have a family stick behind me, and encourage the old man, to push to the finish. A twenty miler on Sunday is possible, but it will not involve a gradual three thousand foot gain! To God for sparing me one last climb, hopefully the first of many, to my family, to all cyclist, and my boy Kert, and Trek Bicycles, this blogs for you!

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What's Scarier Than Thunda & Big Bears?

What's scarier than Thunder and Big Bears? A couple of things.

1. Hearing Mark Cuban say, "Maverick" like Sarah Palin.
2. The Heat that strikes like lightning!

OK my bold, but humble Lakerless, prediction goes as such:

The Grizzlies match up better with the Mavs. I think Randolph mirrors Nowitzki better than Kendrick Perkins or Serge Ibaka. The backcourt match up is a bit better defensively with the Grizzlies too. Offensively the Thunder with Westbrook can put up some big numbers. Now it's just a matter of whether or not the Thunder can take care of that home cooked meal and advance. My prediction is a comfortable margin of victory for the home team (the Thunder).

Overall the Mavs take the West. Often times youth and zeal are no match for age and treachery. Jason Terry, Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion, and Jason Kidd have all been around and still get up and down pretty good, so they will be tough.

A look at the beasts in the East. Rose is becoming one of my favorite watches, but the Bulls are sadly enough stacked with too many Dookies for my liking. And again I have to refer to age and treachery in this match up, but also add one other small detail... star power! Who gets the call, Joakim Noah or Chris Bosh? I'm going to give Bosh a slight edge over the newby. Now how about D Wade and Derrick Rose? Wade still has star power but Rose is the Kia NBA MVP. Three letters in the last three words and acronyms, hmm... would a three letter, three word answer be impressive? OK here goes: Dee has him! I almost can't lose there, you pick which D it is. Oh wait Wade is D3! It's that whole basketball omen, so Wade it is. Then there's the no brainer. Carlos Loozer or Lebanon James? Nuff said. Enjoy watching the NBA Star Power, sadly enough I believe it's going to decide this years champ.

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Carried Away?

Aircraft Carrier Deck Will Host College Basketball Game | Playbook

Rumor has it that this is the ship from which Bin Laden's body was cast and buried. Freaky for some to think about that and honorable to others to have the game played on a vessel that was a part of making the world a safer place, and ridding the civilized world of the body of a mass murderer.

The game is scheduled for my wifes birthday! So she may get her trip to the coast after all. Not really, but it sounded good. They are playing in San Diego so the imperfect one will miss this one. Not that I could get on board the USS Reagan in September anyway. The Big Ten team will be Michigan State rather than Wisconsin, so the missus wouldn't be an easy sale on this one. Which is more than likely a good thing because they will be playing against the 2011/12 National Champs, my North Carolina Tar Heels. Approximately 7500 will be able to attend, the Nationally televised game and attendees will consist of mainly military personnel. The game marks the Tenth Anniversary of 9/11, one of our nations most tragic events. It is bitter sweet because it is also one of my more favorable memories, as it is also the week after my eleventh Anniversary, and my celebrating my wifes birthday for the eleveth time with her. Should be very interesting and well secured so unless you have a pass I suggest you not attempt to attend. No tickets will be sold. It is said that if there is inclimate conditions, that the game would be held below deck. An amazing story, so what's your take? Feel free to leave comments below.

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What Just Happened!?

 

 

What happens when you take a group of guys that can bang in the paint, but do not play the transition game as well? You go to the low block right? Well what happens when the opposition collapses into the paint and forces the tough shots inside? You kick it outside right? What happens if the back court doesn't knock down the open J? Then you put in the slashers, and let them penetrate right? What if none of that works either? Wait, let's also throw in the biggest, "What Happens... What happens if you play poor perimeter defense, and the other team shoots lights out! Then you go home defeated! Phil thanks for the excitement in Tinseltown. It was a great run. Kobe, I hope you retire a Laker and your attitude changes for the better, as you look for positive ways to motivate your teammates, but just know that I am not holding my breath, for that, or for Koach K, to coach my beloved Lakers. I have heard that Byron Scott was content with where he is, but would consider being back in LA again, this time as head coach, and that would be a beautiful thing! So Mitch, what say you? You got another, "What Just Happened" in you for the NBA community? I hope so! Mitch "I Make It Happen" Kupchak, do it to it Mr. GM!

It would not bother me a bit to see the next generation in a tough, high flying, up and down, shoot two hundred and twenty shots between the two teams, at a very high percentage, fire fest! Bring on the Bulls and Grizzlies! Then let all the front runners ask, "What just happened!" I am not a fan J. Noah, but I would take them in 7 against the Grizzlies, although, I would be pulling for the Grizzlies, if I had to choose a team. Jerry West has them where they are today, like it, or believe it or not... Happy Mother's Day Hoop fans of the motherhood sorority!

I Saw The Light

I was happy and somewhat eager to see the final score of the Lakers and Mavs. I had anticipated that the Lakers would play with a hunger that would lead to a blow out. Kobe had 32 points and Bynum, Odom, and Gasol all had double - doubles. The bench out played the Mavs bench, and the Lakers won by 19.

Then the Dodgers, Andre Ethier had another hit and extended his hit streak to 30 consecutive games! What a perfect sports night. All this is great because I haven't jynxed him yet, and I am believing in his surpassing D'Maggio's major league record by three (3) games. Yes, I called it here first! Fifty-seven straight!

Well in an imperfect world, an imperfect Christian realizes that the perfect nights sleep is calm and ends well with a joyful wake up call. I was up on and off all night concerned about a sick mate and then ridely awakened too early by reality. I picked up my phone checked the Dodgers page and Ethier had safely reached base for the 30th consecutive time! That was great news, then came the not so great. The Lakers had dropped Game #2 at home to fall behind in the series by as many games. Am I panicking? No. I feel that they can still win this thing, but next year will be a reconstruction like no other, and I think it will be ugly. Beginning with a replacement for Coach Jackson. But in the mean time will Pau come thru in this series against Dallas, and can Mr. Ego refrain from taking that one nasty momentum shifting shot that turns the game around in favor of the bad guys? You know the double coverage, off balance, man open in the corner - but I'm a selfish non- passing shooter - shot.

Time will tell. But what changed my whole outlook on the playoffs was something by far bigger than the playoffs. I really believed with my entire being that the Lakers would be victorious in the game last night. I was nearly sick at my stomach when I saw the score. Frustrated I moved on to check my email,and that's when I received a prayer request that brought me back to earth. A request for intecessory prayer. A friend concerned for another friend, and it all hit me... it was sobbering actually. This is just a game, but today is a day that you have experienced life in. It was not guaranteed, nor was it promised, but it is here and so are you. As a Christian and a sports lover we should strive to face each challenge head on and help someone else make the best of their day and challenges along the way. So, needless to say I got over the loss quickly enough, and prayed. However, I'd be a liar if I said that I wasn't thinking hours after the prayer request about Game 3. Thinking about it with confidence and hopeful for another victorious series both on and off the court. Life is not just a game, but we should make it just as fun!

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