Go Greece Lightnin' Go

Game got crazy

2005-08-02T18:09:00.000-07:00

New job means little free time to blog it up (Jeezy's album is helping me stay trill), I'll be back on the weekend.

The Prophecy is Fulfilled

2005-07-14T08:06:00.000-07:00

Jerome James is a New York Knickerbocker. It was only a matter of time. I would like to thank Isaiah for making it a short wait.

In L.A., Mitch Cupcake is trying to knock off Pete Babcock as worst G.M. in the league. Bringing in Kwame isn't a bad move, but giving up Caron Butler and Devean George or Chucky Atkins to get him? While he's at it, I think DeSagna Diop might be available.

Just stumbled onto this great site, although it's been around for a little while. As a follow-up to yesterdays post, he has the entire Trapped in the Closet video up for download.

Greece Lightning Reloaded

2005-07-13T13:47:00.000-07:00

Finally getting around to discussing R. Kelly's new album. Everything that I hadn't already heard was pretty underwhelming, but most people will get it for Trapped in the Closet anyway. The other standout tracks remain, Playa's Only and In the Kitchen (which is even unintentionally funny than TitC).

The big reason to pick the CD up is for the bonus DVD, that includes a great driving scene and the removal of a weave. Noticed a big change in the song on the CD/DVD that gave away the twist ending about the cop flicking a cigarette as he gave him the ticket. In the original, the line was "I said this is some bullshit/as he handed me the ticket" Also disappointed that they only showed a condom wrapper, and not an actual rubber, guess they couldn't go all the way.

With chapters 6-10 coming soon, and more rumored to come down the road, I'd say just wait for the compilation DVD. Oh and can we get a DVD of the Mr. Big videos already?

On a sidenote, couldn't Dave Chappelle have easily done a whole episode with his take on the Closet saga? We're really missing out on something big here.

Mandatory Slim Thug blog picture.

Also picked up the new Slim Thug album yesterday (be sure to get the version with the bonus Chopped and Screwed disc). Unlike the Mike Jones album (which was shitted on heavily), Slim Thug does Houston proud with a solid disc. Full of tracks to get you amped. Thug raps angrily without coming off as forced or petty (see the Game/50 feud). Slim also does 50 one better on The Interview using the same tired concept used in 21 Questions, but delivering something fresh.

Like A Boss is the best solo track by far, but there are plenty of great collabos to make up for it. The Bun B tracks (3 Kings also with T.I. and the I Ain't Heard Of That Remix) are bangers and the title track Already Platinum with Pharrell was a nice surprise (no "Beautiful" here).

It also looks like Slim is coming out with a group of his own called Boyz N Blue. They have one track on the main album, and are featured throughout the bonus disc.

Digital Crack - July Edition

2005-07-11T14:34:00.000-07:00

Good month to go cold turkey for DVD addicts, but the show must go on.

July 5th

Pick of the Month

Point Blank - Lee Marvin's best film (which says a lot) is in the spotlight this month. Marvin (Walker) is left for dead after a successful heist, by his wife and the gangster she has been cheating on him with. Walker comes back for revenge but the viewer isn't told if it's him or his angry ghost (also see: High Plains Drifter). Recently there was a Mel Gibson movie (Payback) that was based on the same source novel but do you want to see that or the Lee Marvin spaghetti western/crime flick hybrid?

July 12th

Bill & Ted’s Most Excellent Collection (Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure/Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey) Forget War of the Worlds, this is the interpretation of H.G. Wells that I'm down with. San Dimas High School Football still rules.

JSA: Joint Security Area First great work of Chan-wook Park (Oldboy) revolving around the murder of two soldiers in a neutral zone between North and South Korea. Of course it is being remade by Hollywood.

Rubber Johnny - I don't know what the hell to expect, but just seeing pictures and the trailer, makes me need to see it.

Sealab 2021 - Season 3 - I believe this is the last season with Captain Murphy (voice actor Harry Goz passed away during production), so it's the last release from the series worth checking out.

July 26th

Gate of Flesh - The Criterion Collection & Story of a Prostitute - The Criterion Collection - Two new releases by director Seijun Suzuki that concern the oldest profession in the world.

Gate of Flesh revolves around a group of prostitutes who band together following World War II. They have set a strict code (think the hookers in Sin City) that forbids pimps, outside streetwalkers stepping on their turf and falling in love.

The second release strays away from Suzuki's usual gangster fare, and is about a soldier and the prostitute who loves him.

The Jerk - 26th Anniversary Edition Classic Steve Martin ish.

Perestroika

2005-06-29T14:59:00.000-07:00

"I think we can trust the president of Russia, Mr. Kraft" chuckled Tom Brady.

So Bob Kraft took a business trip to Mother Russia and got his Super Bowl ring swiped by Putin. If it was any other team but the Pats, I'd be somewhat upset, instead I find it pretty funny. This whole scenario reminds me of the episode where Fidel Castro steals a trillion dollar bill from Mr. Burns. I think we have a plot for Rocky 6, Rocky versus Drago II: Quest for the Ring.

-Some loose ends from the draft recap. Dijon Thompson is headed to Phoenix in the Q/Kurt Thomas deal, it was Martell Webster's great aunt that was wearing that tremendous hat, and I somehow forgot to mention Deron Williams' hot as hell girlfriend.

-This isn't going to make Joey happy. Greg Oden commits to the Ohio State University.

Draft Fallout

2005-06-28T21:31:00.000-07:00

Man, ESPN's draft coverage was pretty horrid, even David Stern didn't bring his A-Game tonight.

Speaking of not bringing the A-Game, the less said about my mock draft the better. Now let's see what teams helped themselves out and what fans got the Jeremy Roenick treatment from their team's GM.

Big Winners

Atlanta: Marvin Williams has tons of potential and scoring Salim Stoudamire 31st overall adds a great scorer to the mix.

Boston: Steal of the draft with Gerald "Celtic" Green falling to them at 18, and then landing Ryan Gomes 50th. Great night for Boston fans.

Charlotte: I won't fawn over the UNC duo as much as the announcers did, but the Bobcats cleaned up adding a PG, a competent big man and a boost to their season ticket sales. (Good to see someone taking note of the Wizards strategy of drafting local guys.)

If this night wasn't big enough for Robert Johnson, the BET awards were highly entertaining. Highlighted by a Fugees reunion with a sub-Ashlee Simpson Lauryn Hill, a T.I./Sheila E. collabo, and half the award winners not being in attendance. Can someone get Jada a sammich?!

Frenchmen: This year teams were wild about the French, especially Seattle who took two of them.

Indiana: The Pacers will be back with a vengeance after the addition of Danny Granger to go along with a returning Ron Artest.

Milwaukee: Bogut will be one of the better players out of this draft, the Bucks also picked up a solid player in second round selection Ersan Ilyasova.

New Orleans: They added their Point guard of the future in Chris Paul along with a great second round pickup of Brandon Bass.

New York: Got the big man they wanted, a sparkplug PG to come off the bench and a high energy big man. Second rounder Dijon Thompson could also end up making the team.

University of North Carolina: 4 Lottery picks and Jawad Williams will end up on someone's roster for next season.

Jury's Still Out

New Jersey: Didn't get the power forward they needed, but Antoine Wright will add depth to a bench that provided little relief last season. Mile Ilic could end up with the team down the road after some seasoning ala Nenad Krstic.

Orlando: Fran Vazquez has a ton of potential, but can he play the 3? Second round picks of Travis Diener and Martynas Andriuskevicius could pay dividends.

Portland: Traded down to the six spot and had the opportunity to take Gerald Green, but ended up with Martell Webster. Webster could end up a fine pro, but the team will regret not taking Green. Jarret Jack keeps them from landing in the losers section. Also big kudos to Martell's Grandma for the awesome hat, more than made up for the lack of bright colored suits.

Utah: Deron Williams was a great pick for them, but added nothing in the second round. C.J. Miles didn't sign with an agent so he can go back to school.

Big Losers

Denver: Could have had Francisco Garcia, then traded away the 22nd pick (Jack) for a couple of stiffs.

Detroit: Heard rumors of them taking Maxiell, but didn't take them seriously. Still doesn't make sense.

High-Schoolers: Weak showing in the final draft before the age limit kicks in. Even the player with the most potential fell out of the lottery. Who wins? The NBDL and And 1 Tour.

L.A. Clippers: Korolev could end up being a player, but Rick Brunson breathed a sigh of relief when the team took Daniel Ewing in the second.

L.A. Lakers: Just a great pick from a comedy standpoint. Can't you just picture Phil's reaction when he gets back from smoking doobies in Montana? We got a high schooler? Can't believe Gerald Green fell to.....Andrew Bynum? Followed by Phil slamming his hemp sandals repeatedly over his head.

(Bonus Link: Andrew Bynum's MySpace page.)

Toronto: The other big laugher of the night. Pete Babcock is trying to make Zeke look like a genius. First the Vince Carter debacle, and after drafting a bust last year, he drafts a guy who plays the only position the team has covered. Even the solid picks of Joey Graham and Roko Ukic later on aren't enough to overcome such a boneheaded move.

Other Thoughts

Postdraft, I don't think we'll feel the after-effects for a few seasons. However a few playoffs teams helped themselves out big time. Boston, Indiana and New Jersey helped themselves out. A couple of teams I didn't put up top, Houston (Luther Head), Memphis (Hakim Warrick) and Sacramento (Francisco Garcia), also made great picks. Detroit has it's core in tact, but a lot of Eastern teams improved, should make things in the East way more interesting next year.

I feel a draft

2005-06-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

Hubie knows upside when he sees it.

No sure things, but there is plenty of upside potential for tonight's NBA draft.

Some rumors about a Portland/Utah trade, (Portland at 3 is a mock draft killer), but nothing official yet.

Edit: ESPN reporting it as official now, Ruben Patterson in Utah is almost too good to be true.

I'll throw in some attributes next to each pick (TUP = tremendous upside potential, FA = freakish athlete, PS = potential stiff, HC = headcase)

1. Milwaukee - Andrew Bogut (PS) - I'm in the pro-Bogut camp, and as long as Michael Redd is around he won't have to be a go-to guy right away. It will also let Bogut display his great passing ability. The potential return of T.J. Ford should also mean plenty of buckets for the Aussie as well.

2. Atlanta - Marvin Williams (TUP) - Hawks like him enough to trade away last years lottery pick Childress or Baby Al. Most upside of any college player.

3. Utah - Deron Williams - Most NBA-ready PG available and drawing comparisons to J. Kidd although I must have missed something while watching him all year. Should provide stability at the PG that was lost when Stockton retired.

4. New Orleans - Chris Paul (TUP) - Likely to go to whoever trades for Portland's 3 spot, NO could use Paul to fill the void left by Baron Davis departure. A Paul/J.R. Smith backcourt would be a joy to watch.

5. Charlotte - Danny Granger (FA) - Strong workouts helped him jump up, nice consolation for missing out on Paul and D. Williams .

6. Portland - Gerald Green (FA/TUP) - Young Gunz duo of Sebby and Green could mean megawatt bright future for Portland.

7. Toronto - Channing Frye (PS) - Deal for Magloire might be on the horizon, tons of holes to fill, Frye could make up for last year's bust Araujo. Felton also a possibility.

8. New York - Fran Vazquez (TUP) - If Frye is gone, Knicks will have to settle for the best Euro in the draft.

9. Golden State - Martell Webster (TUP) Team is full of talent, could invest for the future if they choose to depart with Dun Jr.

10. L.A. Lakers - Raymond Felton (HC) - With Phil back, PG might not be as big a need in the triangle O, but the Lakers aren't going anywhere with Chucky Atkins at the point. I think Felton is the pick unless someone else drops.

11. Orlando - Hakim Warrick - Should be able to handle the 3 spot and have an immediate impact in the Magic Kingdom.

12. L.A. Clippers - Andrew Bynum (PS/TUP) - Made a huge leap following workouts and looks to be a lock for the lottery, heard one comparison to Robert Swift though. However, this is the Clippers. Also rumored to love McCants.

13. Charlotte - Charlie Villueneva (TUP/HC) - He's there physically, work ethic could be question, Okafor should have a good effect on him.

14. Minnesota - Antoine Wright (HC) - Replaces Sprewell, KG will need his outside shot. Garcia makes more sense, but Wright has better pro potential.

15. New Jersey - Sean May - May has lottery potential, but I don't see where he fits, if he is still around at 15 the Nets will snatch him up.

16. Toronto - Rashad McCants (HC) - The SG they could use, a draft of Granger and McCants should be able to turn the Raps fortunes around sooner than later.

17. Indiana - Jarret Jack - Tinsley has fallen out of favor in Indy, while Jack is turnover prone, he could end up as a solid pro. Francisco Garcia is also a possibility.

18. Boston - Joey Graham - Celtics would be very grateful to have a guy like this fall to them, another solid piece to the puzzle.

19. Memphis - Chris Taft (TUP/HC) - Was a lock for the top a year ago, an extremely mediocre season at Pitt drops him out of the lottery. Grizzles need a replacement for the departing Stro Swift.

20. Denver - Francisco Garcia - The gunner Denver is missing, also a tough kid (no fugazi) who will fit in with the Nuggets rugged play.

21. Phoenix - Ike Diogu (FA)- Don't know if he last this long, but the Arizona State product would be a fan favorite and add even more size to the Suns.

22. Denver - Yaroslav Korolev (TUP) - Athletic backup for Melo.

23. Sacramento - Ersan Ilyasova (TUP) - Struck Turkish gold once, could it happen again?

24. Houston - Johan Petro (TUP/PS) - Sleeper center, can be brought along as a backup to Yao.

25. Seattle - Mile Illic (PS) - Another Euro big, Sonics could use another seven foot presence as they prepare to take the next step.

26. Detroit - Luther Head - After the big name PG's are gone, Head will fall into someone's laps (no homo). Pistons could use a scoring guard off the bench after Hunter had proven he can only be trusted for defense.

27. Portland - Roko Ukic (TUP) - Should provide depth at PG behind Telfair, big sleeper potential.

28. San Antonio - Mickaël Gelabale (TUP) - Another draft, another Euro diamond in the rough.

29. Miami - Salim Stoudamire (HC) - Miami won't have to worry about lack of scoring when Wade needs a rest. Best shooter in the draft.

30. New York - Andray Blatche (PS) - Isaiah is looking deep into the future, investing in a young big man would make sense.

If this isn't enough draft coverage for you, Sports Guy has a couple of good articles up. I'll have my draft recap up tomorrow.

Zeke Strikes Again

2005-06-23T14:42:00.000-07:00

Make room for Brandy at the Garden this Fall.

Isaiah Thomas has once again helped bolster the future of a team, and once again it is not his own. In his latest deal, the mad scientist has sent Kurt Thomas (his biggest trading chip) and a conditional first round pick to the Suns for gunslingin' Quentin Richardson.

Similar to his deal with the Spurs at the deadline earlier this season, Thomas added to the Knicks' exorbitant payroll for a player at a position the team already had covered (undersized PF/ballhog SG). The move will go a long way towards the Suns resigning Joe Johnson and getting Amare a contract extension.

At least it will be entertaining to watch Starbury, Crawford and Q try to share the rock. Can Mike Sweetney lead the league in offensive rebounding with all the bricks those three will get?

-I'll stick with the Spurs tonight, hopefully we get a repeat of Game 5 and get the best out of both teams.

-The Stormin' Mormon is about to hang them up.

-Got the new SLAM in the mail today, with Ron-Ron on the cover. Along with columns on Marvin Williams, Ben Gordon and JR Smith, this looks like a good issue to kick off the offseason.

Lifesaver

2005-06-20T10:27:00.000-07:00

Spur of the moment

-So the Spurs came through like I thought they would, in a highly entertaining game, but it took a herculean effort from Big Shot Rob to get it done. Tim D. put up good numbers (26 and 19 is nothing to scoff at), but was atrocious down the stretch in a '98 Finals Karl Malone type performance. Thanks to an even bigger gaff by Rasheed Wallace, Duncan's legacy remains spotless for now.

Some other thoughts:

When I did my series predictions, I gave the slight bench edge to the Spurs, mostly because of the Rasho factor dragging San Antonio down, but with Horry the Spurs will always have the better bench (except if they sign Keith Van Horn).

A sixth ring has sparked Hall of Fame talk for Horry, but his career numbers are just too weak (7.5 and 5 in 13 seasons) for serious consideration.

After the game Manu said the play was drawn up for him, but unlike Rasheed, I'm not buying it. Ginobili was a decoy and would only have shot had it been a clear lay-up.

Looking further back, isn't it weird that Glenn Robinson will end up with a ring before Grant Hill and Jason Kidd, and that his one will be more than they have combined.

-In baseball news, the Mets continued their slide by getting swept by the horrid Mariners. I haven't had any beefs with Willie Randolph so far, but yanking Heilman when he was cruising after only 2 2/3 was just plain dumb.

On a related note, David Wright's stage dive catch into the crowd the other night was just insane. Eff a Derek Jeter. Oh and it's time to move Wright up in the order full-time, he's the truth.

-Still putting together that R. Kelly piece, but I'm going to save it for when the album drops in a couple of weeks.

-Also, Yahoo has started fantasy football signup, I'm thinking of setting up a league for the blogging community (Joey, Brendan I'm looking at you) if anyone else is interested let me know so we can start discussing draft dates.

Loose Ends

2005-06-19T11:40:00.000-07:00

-Halfway point of the Finals (looks like it's going 7) and while it could have been worse, it hasn't lived up to my hopes. Game 5 tonight has a lot of promise though, the Spurs will be trying to get the momentum back as the series shifts back to San Antonio. Detroit, behind a resurgent Ben Wallace will attempt to continue their dominant play.

Nice of Big Ben to show up, and on a weird side note, it really sounded like the announcer said he was from Vagina Union during the game 3 line-ups. Maybe that's what woke him up.

The main thing to watch out for tonight is the refs, I'm hoping for some objectivity since the series is guaranteed to go 6 now. The difference in calls between games 1/2 and 3/4 was like night and day. Expect Tim Duncan to put the team on his shoulders as Manu is still likely banged up and the Pistons have finally started getting physical with MEL. I'll take the Spurs in a close one.

Now let's hit the links like Retief Goosen.

-The People's champ has landed in KC.

-Ronnie from The Shield gets his blog on.

-Ever wondered what type of salaries TV dad's were pulling in?

-Chris over at Lemon-Red is trying to raise funds. He's selling off a lot of his CD's and DVD's. Got my order within a week, so if you see anything you like don't hesitate to buy it.

Digital Crack

2005-06-15T18:24:00.000-07:00

Back on my grind, here is the DVD report for June. I'll go with Digital Crack for now, unless someone wants to suggest a new name.

June 7th

Dead Ringers - Cronenberg ish, already out on Criterion but this release has a couple of extras cut out to make it much more affordable.

The Driver - Walter Hill (currently directing Deadwood) made this right before The Warriors. Cat and mouse game between a pro getaway driver and the detective set on catching him.

The Machinist - Eff a Charlize Theron, this is the type of physical transformation that should get praised. Christian Bale is a superstar in the making.

Rescue Me - The Complete 1st Season - Worried about Shield withdrawal? Nip/Tuck can't start soon enough? Try this other FX drama out, just in time for Season 2 next week.

Stripes - Extended Cut - Another classic Bill Murray comedy. This cast is just crazy, Harold Ramis, John Candy, John Larroquette, and the immortal Warren Oates.

June 14th

PICK OF THE MONTH

Casino - Anniversary Edition - Scorcese classic gets a proper DVD release, just a great film top to bottom. Joe Pesci's last great role (although his love scene with Sharon Stone will likely cause you to gouge your eyes out Oedipus style.)

Danger: Diabolik Spy flick by the legendary Mario Bava, really looking forward to checking this one out.

Jaws - 30th Anniversary Edition - Only recommended for those who didn't buy the 25th anniversary disc, this is basically the same except for a full documentary.

WWE - The Greatest Wrestling Stars of the '80s - 3 disc collection of the classic wrestlers from your childhood. Macho Man Randy Savage approved, OH YEAAAAAH!

June 21st

American Psycho - Killer Collector's Edition (Uncut Version) - Another Christian Bale release to cash in on Batman Begins (Joey's review here). Really enjoyed the original but felt it lacked in the gore department, hopefully the uncut version will improve on that. Don't just stare it, eat it....er, buy it.

Oz - The Complete 5th Season I'm not into most HBO dvds, they are overpriced like a mofo, but this is the last great season of Oz before the very disappointing finale.

June 28th

The Daily Show - Indecision 2004 - Relive the hilarious coverage of last year's election by Jon Stewart and his cronies.

Gunner Palace - The film that fought the MPAA rating system and won. Hear the F bombs fly in this PG-13 documentary about the experiences of soldiers in the Iraqi war.

The Ren and Stimpy Show - Season 3 and a Half-ish - Happy happy joy joy, more Ren and Stimpy hijinx on dvd.

Tetsuo: The Iron Man - Asia Extreme Collection - One of the great mindfuck films of all-time. I recommend it for fans of Cronenberg and David Lynch.

It's that time again

2005-06-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

First let me just say that anyone saying this will be a horrible Finals is likely a Heat fan (formerly known as Lakers fan). Those worried about Detroit/San Antonio resembling the classic Miami/New York rugby games need to realize that those teams were not offensively gifted and had to play rough to have any chance to win. The talent level on these two teams alone make it worth watching. OK, on to the series breakdown and prediction.

The owner of the Spurs will have reason to celebrate when the Finals are over.

PG: Chauncey should have his way with Parker in the post, and despite MEL's speed I think Detroit's D (Seattle and Phoenix have creampuff D) will be able to throw him off his game. Advantage: Detroit

SG: What Bowen lacks in offense, he makes up for with (questionable) tight defense. He made Ray Allen mutter many a curse word in the Western semi's. However, Rip is perpetual motion and will be able to get his coming off screens. Advantage: Detroit

SF: My favorite matchup of the series, Manu vs. Prince. Tayshaun's length should help him contain Ginobili but I much like Rip will get his on Bowen, Manu will find a way to create. Slight Advantage: San Antonio

PF: Rasheed is one of the few defenders Duncan has said gives him problems, however this is the Finals and Duncan would end up getting 30 and 12 on anyone. Rasheed will need to step up like he did in the Miami series, but he's probably out of guarantees. Advantage: San Antonio

C: Big Ben has yet to show the tenacious play he did in last year's playoffs, and while Nazr is not on Shaq's level. This matchup isn't as lopsided as you might think. Advantage: Detroit

Bench: Spurs come with the deep veteran presence of Robert Horry, Brent Barry and their own Darko, Rasho. Detroit counters with Lindsey Hunter (more trouble for Parker), McDyess, and Elden Campbell. Horry will be valuable come 4th quarter, while I think Hunter will be the only one to have an impact off Detroit's bench. Slight Advantage: San Antonio

Coaches: The two best coaches in the leagues (Pop gets no love, mostly because he's not into the drama like Jax and Larry Brown) that always have their teams prepared. Usually I'd give Detroit the edge, but the Cleveland saga will have to be weighing down on LB. Advantage: Draw

Prediction: Although I'm giving Detroit a few advantages, I think the Spurs will end up being too much. San Antonio have home court, the two best players in the series, and most importantly the killer instinct. Detroit has the tendency to let games slip away believing that they'll just regroup and get the next one. Spurs in 6

Time for some plugs

2005-06-07T15:02:00.000-07:00

Finally kicked things off at Baseblog. Check it out for the latest happenings in beisbol.

Be back soon with a DVD report for June, thoughts on R. Kelly's Trapped in the Closet, and an NBA Finals preview. For now I'm off to Shea to catch Pedro vs. Roy Oswalt.

Basketball loses a legend

2005-06-02T13:05:00.000-07:00

The Original Man in the Middle

I had just written about George Mikan's financial woes last month. Yesterday, the first dominant big man passed away at the age of 80. Mikan's influence on the game is as impressive as the five titles he won. Before Wilt and Shaq, Mikan was the first player to force major rule changes in basketball. His dominant play brought on the goaltending rule and an expansion of the painted area. As ABA commissioner, he was also partly responsible for the advent of the 3-point line.

Mikan's passing is also a reminder of how young a sport basketball is and how quickly the sport has evolved. Take baseball, its icons like Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb passed away decades ago. Looking back on last night's Suns/Spurs game, it's amazing how quickly we have gone from the roots of the game to having someone like Amare Stoudemire (that baseline dunk in the 4th had me dumb-founded). But much like Amare today, Mikan also had people shaking their heads in disbelief.

San Francisco Treat

2005-06-01T16:24:00.000-07:00

Finally updated my links, look to the right to check 'em out.

Think he can't wait for next season?

Breaking News: The 49ers P.R. disaster is pretty damn funny. I'm a little disappointed it didn't happen a year earlier. Couldn't you picture Jeff Garcia in the role of cross-dressing seductress? (NO HOMO!)

Speaking of California kookiness, first he spazzes out on Oprah, now this.

When I turn my hat around it's like a switch.

2005-05-31T11:03:00.000-07:00

DVD Report

I think I'm going to switch over to monthly installments starting next week.

The Complete James Dean Collection (East of Eden/Giant/Rebel Without a Cause)

Although it's probably lost on today's youth, at one time if you looked in the dictionary you would find Dean's picture next to the word "cool". Sadly, today we'd probably have Ashton Kutcher or the guy from One Tree Hill. The boxset has the 3 classics he made before dying in a car crash.

Danger Mouse - Seasons 1 & 2 Grey Album not included.

PICK OF THE WEEK

The Essential Steve McQueen Collection (Bullitt/The Getaway/The Cincinatti Kid/Papillon/Tom Horn/Never So Few)

The second gangsta boxset out this week. Get this for Bullitt, Papillon, and The Getaway (unless you're Robert Evans), the rest is just gravy.

Over the Top Let me just turn my hat backwards before I start this. Don't think of it as the greatest film about arm-wrestling ever made, it's also a sweeping dramatic opus about a man trying to pick up the pieces of his shattered life....that happens to revolve around arm-wrestling.

Submerged More direct-to-video goodness from (no guns, break arms, break necks, break backs) Steven Seagal. This time he has to stop terrorists in a submarine. No rapper in this one, but it does have former soccer thug Vinnie Jones.

Linkage

Phil at Veteran Presence shares not-so-fond childhood memories of Mike Pagliarulo. Includes link to a site where you can purchase Pag's pants for the low low price of $999.99.

Lamps don't count.

Joey says "Eff a Larry Brown" in his latest End of the Bench post. Cleveland should enjoy LeBron while they still have him.

Looks like we still have a series in the East, Detroit up big with a few minutes to go....and now the Heat start a mini-comeback....OK, Detroit put an end to that. I'm off to watch the reairing of The Shield.

TGIF

2005-05-27T15:47:00.000-07:00

No NBA games for a second night in a row, but the show must go on.

-Quick plug: The fine folks over at Baseblog, including my main man Mr. Kamoji, have brought me on board.

-Finished up the stack of comics I picked up recently, including Felt #1, the companion piece to the upcoming Felt 2 album by Murs and Slug. Worth a look if you're a fan of theirs or hip-hop and comics in general. Find out more about the books creator, Jim Mahfood, here.

-For the Deadwood fanatics, here is a follow up to the Wyatt Earp rumor I mentioned yesterday. Possible future storylines?

Wyatt explored the hills the following spring, and confirmed that all likely looking gold claims were already staked. It is rumored that the reason Wyatt left was that he and DeadwoodÃ’s sheriff Seth Bullock did not see eye to eye on an issue.

You know Seth is gonna be all ornery until he starts tappin' Alma again. Read more here.

-Curse you, Adam Sandler! Eddie Albert, who played the warden in the original Longest Yard, passed away yesterday. Coincidentally, Sports Guy just put up an article on his #3 sports movie of all-time earlier today.

-Onto another sad topic, I would like to join those mourning the new cringe-inducing Lindsay Lohan. What's even sadder is how quick she flamed out. That Harry Potter sketch seems like only yesterday. Why, oh why couldn't she have taken a cue from Mariah and gotten even sexier following her breakdown? How is she supposed to "sing" a farewell tribute to LeBron at his last All-Star game now?!

That's it for now, catch y'all on the flipside.

You'll Never Walk Alone

2005-05-26T15:17:00.000-07:00

So I somehow forgot to mention the insane Liverpool/AC Milan game in last night's post. Crazy game and must-see (even if you're not into soccer). After a comeback straight out of Victory, the game ended up going to penalty kicks. After a couple of insane saves at point blank range in OT, Liverpool's goalie Dudek shimmied and shaked to distract Milan's kickers and lead his team to victory. There is supposed to be a replay tonight at 10pm EST on ESPN Classic, try to catch it. Special Bonus: You get to hear the announcer's say Brazilian player Caca's name repeatedly throughout the game.

NBA Mock Draft v. 1.0

I'll stick with just the lottery for now, this is just a test run anyway. This version is who I think teams should take, not who they will take. Hopefully, this won't be as bad as NBADraft.net's or Chad Ford's mock.

1. Milwaukee - Andrew Bogut (have to make Michael Redd happy, instant gratification (no homo))
2. Atlanta - Chris Paul (Hawks get a young general to lead a possibly explosive offense with Josh Smith, Childress and Baby Al)
3. Portland - Marvin Williams (too good to pass up here, higher upside than Gerald Green even though SG is a bigger need)
4. New Orleans - Deron Williams (Dickau is cool and all, but Deron could turn out to be the best PG in the draft)
5. Charlotte - Gerald Green (another piece for the future)
6. Utah - Fran Vazquez (Utah loves them some foreign big men)
7. Toronto - Danny Granger (could be a nice guy to have playing alongside Bosh)
8. New York - Martynas Andriuskevicius (and not just for the crowd's reaction, replaces the void left by Nazr Mohammed)
9. Golden State - Joey Graham (defensive presence for a young team on the rise)
10. Los Angeles Lakers - Raymond Felton (Lakers fill a need with a solid pg, won't have to worry about handling the rock too much with Kobe so that should help his transition to the pro's)
11. Orlando - Channing Frye (could do well as backup and eventual replacement for the injury prone Kelvin Cato)
12. Los Angeles Clippers - Chris Taft (disappointing year drops him, big body off the bench and gets to learn from Elton Brand)
13. Charlotte - Hakim Warrick (seems like a great fit for the Bobcats)
14. Minnesota - Sean May (right guy for a team looking to change direction, gets to learn by playing with KG)

Feedback is welcome.

What's the story, Robert Horry?

2005-05-25T16:20:00.000-07:00

Can anyone stop the Spurs? Despite big numbers from Amare and more ESPN Classic performances by Steve Nash, San Antonio has just toyed with the Suns/I wonder if Shawn Marion has to do a double take to make sure he's playing with Steve Nash and not Matthew Fox, money looks lost/Always knew D'Antoni reminded me of someone. Sunday's season finale might have been a sign of things to come for Phoenix's playoff run/Big Shot Rob continues to astound and provide a valuable veteran presence. Whether it was drawing a charge, goading Stoudamire into a T, or draining a clutch three, Horry was all over the place last night/Burning question: Does Zeke get a ring? Nazr has been a beast.

-Deadwood rumor mill: Garret Dillahunt (Jack McCall/Francis Wolcott) could be back next season in his third recurring role, that of Wyatt Earp.

-In other TV news, 90 minute Shield last night was pretty great, but a whole lotta buildup just to set up future episodes. Shane and Army look like they could be going down next week, long time coming for a Strike Team member to crash and burn.

-Lost season finale on tonight as well, tonight could be the night we find out what's in the hatch, what's in the effin haaaaatch!?!

OK, channeled Se7en there, time to wrap up. Be back soon with an early mock NBA draft.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming

2005-05-23T19:03:00.000-07:00

Getting this out a little late, I'll push back the basketball and movie chatter for another time.

DVD Report

The Aviator Latest Scorsese collabo with Leo Dicaprio. Missed this in the theaters and am looking forward to it, no Bill the Butcher to carry Leo this time, but I still have high hopes.

Batman: The Animated Series Vol. 3 Another installment in the best superhero cartoon ever made.

Pick of the Week

Chappelle's Show Seaon 2 Uncensored After a few delays, Season 2 finally sees the light of day. Includes a couple of unaired Charlie Murphy stories and an extended Rick James interview, giving hipsters everywhere a chance to spew more catchphrases.

NewsRadio: The Complete First and Second Seasons Another delayed release, the much slept on NewsRadio brings more of Phil Hartman's comedic genius into the DVD world. If that's not enough others on the cast include Dave Foley of Kids in the Hall fame, pre-Fear Factor Joe Rogan, and Stephen Root, who can do no wrong.

Superfriends Vol. 2 More superhero goodness, this one is for the older fans looking for a nostalgia fix.

Linkstigator

It’s fo’ fos’, Tyrone Calicos, and desert eagles. Getting frisky in the backseat.

Bonecrusher promotional rap for the new season of Gilligan's Island on TBS. FAAAAAAAAANTASTIC!

That's it for now, I'm out like Jim O'Brien.

When I breeze past, breathe fast, point like Steve Nash

2005-05-22T19:39:00.000-07:00

Hey sorry for the long absence, be back tomorrow with thoughts on Steve Nash, Tim Duncan, this week's DVD releases and a couple of movies that I watched recently.

Just passing through.

2005-05-17T16:32:00.000-07:00

DVD Day

The Adventures of Pete & Pete Season 1

Scrubs Season 1

Seinfeld Season 4

Team America: World Police - Uncensored and Unrated

Links

Rex don't discriminate, he regulate every shade of that ass.

MLB's All-Porn Moustache Team.

That's all for now, caught Oldboy before, I'll try to tag a mini-review along with the much ballyhooed Hoop Dreams review. I would have linked to a trailer but the one I saw was a joke and doesn't do the film justice.

Evertime I try to get out, they keep pulling me back in

2005-05-12T13:28:00.000-07:00

Looks like I spoke too soon last night. Indy closed the gap so I stayed tuned to TNT for the rest of the night.

Detroit/Indiana: Tale of two halfs, Detroit's 4th quarter O was horrible even by their standards/Jeff "Dreamy Eyes" Foster just killed Detroit, coming up with offensive boards, tip in baskets and a big block at the end. Definite Jerome James/Andres Nocioni "where did that come from?" performance/I know Plastic Man is taken, but Tayshaun needs a nickname. How 'bout Mr. Fantastic? Keeping with the Fantastic 4 theme, who would be the Thing? We already have a Johnny Storm (Gordon) and an Invisible Girl (Peja come playoff time).

Phoenix/Dallas: For those who complain about Nash's lack of ppg in the MVP debate, last night showed that he can score when he has to. Picking up the slack for the injured Joe Johnson (get well soon), Nash dropped 23 to go with a Vorhees of assists (13 if that ref was too esoteric)/Dirk was ghost until he hit the game winner. Second time that has happened these playoffs/Mike Finley stepped up with his best game of the year, just when Dallas needed him the most/Mavs also got bailed out by a 1 in 10,000 alley-oop dunk miss by Amare at the end.

Welcome Russ Bengston to the blog game.

Next Yao? More like next Ha Seung-Jin.

Jerry Sloan keeps on keepin' on. Hopefully Kirilenko has better luck next year.

Best Damn Sports Blog

2005-05-11T17:09:00.000-07:00

-Breaking News: T.I. just announced on Hot 97 that he will be appearing on Entourage. First the O.C., now Entourage, Tip's blowing up.

-In other news straight out of Page Six in the NY Post, she really is desperate:

The man-eating actress was spotted smooching shortish fashion photographer Jim Macari at Cain just last week — and now comes word that she was "full-on making out" with 7-foot-tall former NBA star John Salley at L.A. nightclub Chi.

A spywitness tells PAGE SIX that Hatcher and the gigantic co-host of Fox Sports Net's "Best Damn Sports Show, Period!" strolled into the Justin Timberlake-owned hotspot Monday night together and settled in a back booth with some friends.

After partaking from a bottle of Grey Goose vodka on the table, Hatcher and Salley took a spin on the dance floor to — we kid you not — Beyonce's "Crazy in Love," at which point Salley proceeded to score a slam dunk with one of TV's sexiest babes.

"They were full-on making out," says our spy. "They were kissing while they were dancing right in front of everyone."

The head-turning twosome apparently met earlier that night at a Cartier-sponsored benefit for Project A.L.S. that also drew Lindsay Lohan, Tori Spelling, Matt Dillon, Kristin Davis and Marisa Tomei.

The Brooklyn-born Salley, a notorious smooth talker who won the "Best Interview in the NBA" award from the Associated Press three times, is the only player in league history to win championships with three different teams.

He triumphed with the Detroit Pistons in 1989 and 1990, the Chicago Bulls in 1996 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000. In addition to co-hosting "Best Damn," Salley has dabbled in acting, appearing in "Bad Boys" and "Bad Boys II" and has lately been trying to produce black independent films.

Despite her recent make-out sessions in nightclubs, the 40-year-old Hatcher revealed that she's looking for more than just amorous action these days.

"I feel like I'm too old to just have sex," she told InStyle magazine. "I mean, I want to have sex, but with somebody who really loves and gets me."

Reps for Hatcher and Salley did not return calls last night.

I guess Dennis Rodman was out of town.

-With that I'm off to watch a dvd, stupid day games. Hoop Dreams review coming soon.

Stay on the grind

2005-05-10T18:15:00.000-07:00

DVD Day

Pretty good week, I'm sticking with IMDB links, since I don't get paid to shill like other people.

12 Monkeys Special Edition

Fun Terry Gilliam flick starring Brad Pitt & "Lohan groper" Bruce Willis.

Entourage Season 1

Great HBO show, starring Adrian Grenier as up and coming movie star Vincent Chase. The supporting cast are the real reason to watch. Jeremy Piven (Vincent's agent Ari Gold) and Kevin Dillon (in an example of art imitating life, plays Vincent's brother Johnny Drama) steal every scene.

Hoop Dreams Criterion Collection

My favorite documentary, highest recommendation. Includes a commentary track with Arthur Agee and William Gates.

In Living Color Season 3

When the Wayans were still funny and before Jim Carrey was making 20 mil a picture.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou Criterion Collection (1 & 2 discer)

Not Wes Anderson's strongest work (first film that he's done without Owen Wilson's writing) but still a really good film. A must have for fans of his work.

The Longest Yard Lockdown Edition

Catch the original starring Burt Reynolds before seeing the (most likely terrible) remake.

Links

Who's the Boss now?

Free Frosties at Wendy's this weekend. Holla!

Guess What's back?! Not that I won't just watch with the mute on, and use WFAN for the audio.

Ch-Ch-Changes

2005-05-09T12:14:00.000-07:00

Rough weekend for basketball fans with a pair of Game 7/Game 1 blowouts. I thought Seattle had no chance with Ray Allen and Vlad Rad but now the series could be unwatchable.

Now that the first round is over, I'll hit you off with forecasts for the first round castaways, broken down into how bright their future seems.

The sun will come out tomorrow:

Chicago Bulls: The Bullies might have the brightest future of any team in the league. I think Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry will both return. Luol Deng had his offseason start early and should come out guns blazing next year. Most importantly, the backcourt of Hinrich and Gordon will have another year to mature and improve.

New Jersey Nets: The sky is the limit for the Nets and they should become the Eastern version of this years Suns. Nenad Krstic has a bright future. Their main needs are landing a big man in free agency (Donyell Marshall or Shareef Abdur-Rahim?) or in the draft (Sean May?) and acquiring a new backup PG.

Denver Nuggets: Without the horrible start, the Nuggets would have avoided the Spurs and likely still been playing. The addition of a solid 2 guard could only help and for now I have them pegged in as next years 4 seed in the West.

Outlook hazy:

Philadelphia 76ers: The trio of Iverson, Iguodala and Webber is enough to keep the Sixers in the playoff mix in the East, but who will be playing alongside them? Philly gets Jamal Mashburn's contract off the books. Sammy Dalembert and Ashton Korver are free agents. I see Korver back, and Dalembert should return unless a team like Atlanta throws an absurd amount of money at him.

Houston Rockets: Disappointing finish for the Rockets, but T-Mac and Yao will be back. The beef between Van Gundy and Das Fuhrer seems to have died down after JVG backed down. Come draft time the Rockets should be looking to invest in a big man to replace the aging Dikembe Mutombo and Juwan Howard.

Lottery Bound:

Boston Celtics: Say goodbye to Toine and the Glove, maybe Pierce too. Ainge might have to go all out with this youth movement and build around Al Jefferson. Rumors swirling that Ainge is smitten with Travis Outlaw from Portland, so Pierce for Outlaw and a #1 pick could happen.

Sacramento Kings: Still an extremely talented team, but chemistry could be a problem. The main problem is the current supporting cast, and it might be time for Bobby Jackson to find a change of scenery.

Memphis Grizzles: After getting swept out of the playoffs, the Grizzles are another team that will likely overhaul its roster. Jason Williams Kwame'd his future with the team after his postgame 4 runin with a reporter. Bonzi, Stro will also most likely be gone. Can't see them making the playoffs next year, but it should be fun to see what the Logo can pull off in the summer.

*Superfriends Voice* MEANWHILE...

-Where is the Sports Guy? Looks like the Sports Gal has given birth to Thea Epstein Simmons.

-If you missed M.I.A. on Jimmy Kimmel, Chris Lemon-Red has put it up in mp3 form, saves you from having to see Kimmel's puffy face.

-Reminder: Hoop Dreams Criterion drops tomorrow.

Blame Canada

2005-05-06T16:57:00.000-07:00

Would have had this up sooner, but your boy was celebrating his birthday yesterday and the celebration continues later tonight.

So if Marc Stein is right, Steve Nash is your NBA MVP. Shaq seemed like a mortal lock, because of the Heat's success and the Lakers downfall, but Nash was just as strong a candidate after the Suns' great success. I have no beef with the way the voting went, good to see PG's get some dap after J-Kidd got denied a few years back.

ESPNEWS had Greg Anthony on commenting about it and he basically defecated on Udonis Haslem while talking up Shaq's case. He made it seem that the Heat won in spite of Haslem starting, going on to state that he wouldn't start for 75-80% of the league (Seattle, Houston, Sacramento, New Orleans, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Chicago, New York, New Jersey, Cleveland and Golden State could all use his services). If I was a Cavs fan I would be afraid as he is supposedly a GM candidate.

The most intriguing factor here is that Shaq is set up to play the role of scorned athlete who was denied an MVP trophy and gets a chance at revenge. Previous incarnations include Michael Jordan against the Jazz and MVP Karl Malone and Hakeem Olajuwon against the Spurs and MVP David Robinson.

-All-Rookie First Team was also released, no surprises here, folks. Emeka Okafor, Dwight Howard, Andre Iguodala, Ben Gordon and Luol Deng make up the list. Would have liked to see Josh Smith slip in but Deng was a ROY candidate until he went down.

-What's a birthday without a cake. Waxing poetic about Cookie Puss.

-Coming soon: Forecasts for the playoff castaways.

Under Pressure

2005-05-04T18:05:00.000-07:00

Breaking News: I blame Kwame. Chappelle Season 3 Delayed Again. No word on how this affects the release of Season 2 on dvd, just put it out already!

Jersey sale over at Finish Line.

Rule with an Iron Fist

2005-05-03T13:09:00.000-07:00

100K fine for Jeff Van Gundy, that buys a whole lotta Diet Coke cans. This is only the beginning according to Fuhrer Stern, who said that Van's coaching career may be in jeopardy if he doesn't play ball with the leagues investigation. I'm guessing Stern just wants to get Van back announcing after hearing Tom Tolbert one too many times.

What can be said about Sacramento that hasn't already been said? They continued their run of horrid defense Sunday and handed the series to Seattle. Ray Allen scorched them for 45, Jerome James still looked like a perennial all-star, and Nick Collison was all over the place in the 4th, taking three charges.

MEL (Mr. Eva Longoria) Parker took over in OT last night to put the Spurs up 3-1. Unlike Sacramento, Denver still has some hope left.

Interesting piece on Sportscenter about George Mikan concerning the pension of players who retired before 1965. Mikan who currently needs dialysis only receives 20k a year, 25k less than players who retired after 1965. Widows of players who retired before 1965 only get half of that. ESPN couldn't get word from the commish or the Players association because of the ongoing collective bargaining. It seems really effed up that the league won't provide parity, legal loopholes or not, for the guys (under 100 are still alive) who built the foundation for the sport professionally. Something to keep an eye on in the offseason, hopefully they'll get their just dues. Maybe they can use some of that 100k Stern jacked JVG for.

Ben Gordon gets the Sixth Man of the Year, while Emeka cops the Rookie of the Year. Meanwhile, Ben Wallace gets another Defensive Player of the Year. I would have went with his teammate Tayshaun Prince or possibly Shawn Marion. Next year, it's AK-47's award to lose.

DVDs out today:

Pretty slow week, here is what's worth checking out.

The Big Red One - The Reconstruction

Dogtown and Z-Boys - Deluxe Edition

The Entity

And finally...

Peter: Everybody I've got bad news...we've been cancelled!

Lois: Oh No Peter how could they do that??

Peter: Well unfortunately Lois there just no room on the schedule, we've just got to accept the fact that FOX has to make room for terrific shows like Dark Angel, Titus, Undeclared, Action, That 80's show, Wonderfalls, Fastlane, Andy Richter Controls the Universe, Skin, Girls Club, Cracking Up, The Pitts, Firefly, Get Real, Freakylinks, Wanda at Large, Costello, The Lone Gunmen, A Minute with Stan Hooper, Normal Ohio, Pasadena, Harsh Realm, Keen Eddie, The Street, The Embassy, Cedric the Entertainer, The Tick, Luis, and Greg the Bunny.

Lois: Is there no hope?

Peter: Well I suppose if all those shows go down the tube we might have a shot.

Welcome back Family Guy.

New stuff tomorrow

2005-05-02T22:02:00.000-07:00

I was working on something to put up earlier, but got invited to see the Mets game and Pedro was pitching so I accepted. Rain delayed the game about 2 hours, and of course it stopped as I had just left the arena and swiped my Metrocard to take the train back home. Head back and watch Pedro pitch a 1 run, 7 inning gem, Jose Reyes go 4-5 with 2 stolen bases and Carlos Beltran jack a 3 run homer that broke the game open for the Metropolitans. Now it's late and I'm exhausted. This Spurs/Nuggets game is heating up. So I'll get back to you on Ray Allen's big night, George Mikan's current troubles and a bunch of other stuff.

Send it in Jerome!

2005-04-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

Isaiah's next target?

Sacramento finally made it a series last night as Mike Bibby got out of his funk. Tough game to analyze because the Kings could have easily lost had Rashard Lewis been on. The bigger story was not the outcome, but the continued dominance of Jerome James who dropped 22 and 9 on the Kings. For the series, James is averaging 19.3 ppg on 56% from the field to go with 11 rebounds.

I think we have the early favorite for Worst Contract of the Summer on our hands. Not only is James in a contract year, the Kings are his former team who cut him, and have perhaps the worst defense in the league. Of course I'm not an NBA GM, so someone like Zeke, Chris Mullin (Adonal Foyle, STAND UP!), or Seattle's Rick Sund will probably give him a comical Jon Koncak type deal.

Ewing, A-Rod......Sports Guy?!

2005-04-29T15:26:00.000-07:00

Ewing Theory: 1. A player whose presence costs their team success. 2. When a team performs better after their star player is injured/departs the team.

Examples: The New York Knicks reach the '99 Finals without Patrick Ewing, the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers records improve following the departure of Alex Rodriguez. (Also see Chris Webber, Nomar Garciaparra)

Bill Simmons, better known as the Sports Guy, introduced me to the Ewing Theory and now it appears that he might be holding back his own Boston Celtics. In his predictions, he picked the C's to win in 5. Nothing wrong here, Jermaine was banged up and C's had homecourt. Plus he followed proper fan etiquette by not predicting a sweep and jinxing his team.

Trouble started brewing after Indiana evened up the series. Simmons compared it to a "15 seed squeezing out a victory over a 2 seed with 4 All-Americans." Now the result was an upset, but that was a bit of a stretch. SG went on to disclaim Reggie Miller's status as a superstar going to great lengths to prove his point. While he had a strong argument, it's never wise to diss an opponent that early in a series, especially an assassin like Reggie.

Heading into Game 3, things looked like they would return to Boston's favor, despite being on the road in Indy. Stephen Jackson, the man assigned to guard Paul Pierce, was added to the list of walking wounded. Jermaine O'Neal was still nowhere near 100% and Anthony Johnson, career backup, was still Indiana's point guard. End result, Boston gets torn a new one and Toine got a little too gully (suspended for Game 4). Reggie scored a karmic 33 and the momentum had swung Indiana's way.

Today we got my favorite Sports Guy-ism, underestimating the coaching matchup, but Rick Carlisle wasn't the guy he was badmouthing after Game 1. Now the Ewing comparison is in jest, but Simmons' braggadocio couldn't have helped.

Swamp Music

2005-04-28T20:16:00.000-07:00

Best game of the playoffs so far as the Heat outlasted New Jersey in double OT. Great shot at the end of OT Vince, but you're just not feeling it when you end up with more FGA (37) than points (36). RJ shook off the rust to deliver an impressive 23 along with Nenad Krstic (18 & 8). Damon Jones finally cooled off, but Keyon Dooling was big in the first half and Udonis Haslem grabbed a man-sized 19 boards to pick up the slack for Shaq who is nowhere near 100% yet.

By the way, I don't know what has bothered me more so far, Vlad Radmanovic's braids or Zo imitating Mark Cuban after every play. Calm down killer, don't want to get those kidneys overheated.

Boston got wrecked in Indy as Reggie turned back the clock again. Bill Simmons has brought this upon himself.

Houston up after three, things should start getting interesting. Dirk needs to step up, Keith Van Horn being out can only make it easier for him to do so.

Captain Kirk saves the day

2005-04-28T11:11:00.000-07:00

A couple of good showdowns last night in the association, with Kirk Hinrich getting the best of Gilbert Arenas in Game 2. The Wiz just can't let guys like Antonio Davis, Adrian Griffin and Jannero Pargo take over a game. Hinrich was just huge, hitting dagger threes and coming up with steals whenever Washington chipped away at the score.

In the desert, the Suns/Grizzlies games had two different battles going on as Nash and J. Dub went at it, Williams had his Hinrich on in the first going 6-6 for 13 in the first but only ended up playing 30 minutes. In the other matchup, Amare put up solid numbers (going to the line for a robust 22 FTA) but could not contain Pau Gasol on the other end. The Suns started doubling, turning him into a passer. Smart strategy as Pau went scoreless in the last 4 minutes. His only scoring opportunities resulted in two misses from the charity stripe and getting swatted by Q down the stretch.

Epilogue: No surprise Arenas went off, but most would have expected a Wizards win to come with it. Washington should play better at home but the Bulls are finding different ways to win. (Gordon/Nocioni in game 1, Kirk & the bench in Game 2). Will someone outside of Hughes and Arenas step up for the Wiz? Nocioni is embarassing Jamison, while Dixon, Jeffries and Haywood are getting thoroughly trounced by their Bulls counterparts.

Outside of the first quarter of Game 1, the Suns have looked very beatable and the series is far from over. Czar has barely used Bonzi or Stro (who sat out last night with an apparent sore ankle) so if he can find a lineup that works and stick with it then this could go 6 or 7.

The boys over at Veteran Presence bring the goods. The Week That Was is a great read, even if they do hate on basketball.

How did he get into NBA Jam?

In other news the Land of the Dead trailer is up.

All-Isaiah Playoff Team

2005-04-27T12:19:00.000-07:00

There was a nice piece on the renaissance of Antonio McDyess over at Straight Bangin' that got me thinking about all the ex-Knicks Zeke gave up on that are currently on playoff contenders.

G DerMarr Johnson (Denver): Another great comeback story, after his career was almost ended in a car wreck DJ ended up in NY at the end of last season. With the acquisitions of Jamal Crawford and Trevor Ariza, his services were "no longer needed", despite being a 6'9 guard who was only 24. Johnson headed to Denver for a bench spot on their promising team. Voshon Lenard blows out his knee in Game 1 of the campaign and after a half season of Greg Buckner as the starting 2, George Karl is hired to save the sinking ship. The miracle run pops off and DJ replaces Buckner in the starting lineup for the upset minded Nugs.

F Antonio McDyess (Detroit): Moved in the deal that got Starbury, McNasty moved to Motown in the off-season to fill the void left by the departing Mehmet Okur and Corliss Williamson. Dyess is currently providing excellent minutes off the bench for the defending champs and showing flashes of his old self, averaging 13.5 and 8 in the first 2 games.

FC Michael Doleac (Miami): Dubbed the "best backup I ever had" by Shaq, Doleac seemed to have good chemistry with Steph, cleaning up on the open midrange jumpers Marbury found him on. Currently getting minutes stolen by this years Desperate Big Man (see Karl Malone last year) Alonzo Mourning, but hey, at least he got a line in that commercial where Shaq gets miniaturized.

C Dikembe Mutombo (Houston): Moved in the sign & trade that got Jamal Crawford and Junk Yard Dog (undersized PF, holla!). Deke got moved once more to Houston and currently backs up Yao Ming, providing solid defense and offensive rebounding.

C Nazr Mohammed (San Antonio): One of the better acquisitions Zeke made, Nazr never got the chance to play a full year in NY after being moved for Malik Rose's contract and a late first round draft pick. After injuries to Rasho Nesterovic, Nazr is currently starting for the Spurs.

Left off: Keith Van Horn, Shandon Anderson

Introduction

2005-04-27T11:54:00.000-07:00

What's up, finally got around to putting one of these together after some inspiration from a few sites. Chris from Lemon Red, Joey from Straight Bangin, the Shrimp boys, and Brandon Funwrecker take a bow. Anyway, forgive me if I suck early on, be back with my first real post shortly.