Exit From LA - Mike Brown Fired

The Lakers have let coach Mike Brown go after a 1-4 start. After the death stare that Brown got from the unquestionable leader and face of the franchise Kobe Bryant the writing may just have been on the wall. When Brown was hired, Kobe came out and stated that he was a little surprised that he was not only not consulted or asked for input before Brown was hired in the first place. That was a big mistake and it has proven to be the case. Most players should not have a voice on who the coach of a team is, Kobe is not one of those players. He is special, he is the face of the team the team leader and holds A LOT of power in the organization. I am she that the Bulls GM  gave a quick call to Michael Jordan before hiring his coaches.

Now the question is who come in? Jerry Sloan? maybe. Mike D'Antoni? maybe. Bring back Phil Jackson? Doubt that he would have any interest in coming back but that would be very interesting. Kobe wants a ring, Steve Nash wants a ring, I am sure Pau Gasol wants another ring...Dwight Howard, he may be more interested in having fun and that can't sit well with Kobe. One might wonder if the Lakers are rethinking if it was such a good idea to drop Andrew Bynum this off season.

The Princeton offence just didn't get any traction and just never fit with the personnel  It is basically a ball movement offence, a half court offence and one that essentially drains skill from the game. That is why Princeton used it. It was used by a team that used that style because they were not good and needed to drain the skill from the game. When you have players that are by all accounts superstars that are athletic and skilled why would you try to restrict them. Maybe it is time to bring back the triangle offence! With that said the overall offensive rating was not that bad. What seemed to be the bigger problem was the defense and that is odd since Mike Brown is/was a defensive minded coach. That's what makes it all so confusing.

Maybe the Lakers need to bring in 2 coaches or co-ordinators...like in football. Have one Offensive Coordinator that can put it in Steve Nash's hands when he comes back healthy and run a high octane pick and roll offence and then another Defensive Coordinator that can lock down the other teams. Kobe and Dwight are 2 of the better defenders in the NBA when the want to be and Ron Artest is a hard worker and like to crash the boards. There is no reason that they should not be able to lock it down.

This should be another interesting saga to watch play out. After Showtime and The Late Show It will be interesting to see what this turns into...for the sake of Lakers Fans hopefully it doesn't turn into the Magic Johnson show (for those who may not know, I am speaking of the talk show from Magic, not his time on the court)!

The Weekend That Was

It is too bad that the weekend produced nothing to talk about around the water cooler today, a rare miss for the sports world. Unless you count; Game 1 of the Stanley Cup that was a game full of mistakes but was by all accounts a very open game that, if you are a fan of goals you loved this game. 6-5 is not what anyone expected going into the game. You would have thought that with all the time between the Conference Finals and the finals you would have thought that there would be some rust on the teams, or at the very least some close checking as the teams felt each other out...Not So. It was high flying and high scoring, maybe game 2 will settle things down but if the goals still are netted at the rate they were in game one, however and whom ever wins the games will be sure to be great.

Oh, then there was game 6 of the NBA Western Conference Finals where the good Canadian Steve Nash all but guaranteed that the Suns would take Game 6 and force the Series back to LA. That did not sit well with the Lakers as a team but perhaps more importantly Kobe Bryant. He was not going to allow that kind of talk to come true, not on his watch. Kobe dropped 37 points in guiding his team to a road victory to clinch the West and set up a match up versus the Boston Celtics. When your teammates say things like teammate Lamar Odom said; "Kobe’s so good," "He makes incredible normal for us." It is hard to argue that he is the straw that stirs the drink in the City of Angles. The Black Mamba may once again be on the loose and have his eyes set on the Celtics.

Not enough drama yet? Ok, lets factor in former Ace of the Blue Jays staff, Roy Halladay. We all know that he was one of the best pitchers in the game, a horse, a guy you want on the mound for you. This guy eats up innings as well as opposing batters. It is only fitting that he of all people secured his place in history as one of the greatest by throwing only the 20th Perfect game in Major League history. Zero Hits, Zero runs, Zero Errors and Zero base runners...he faced the minimum 27 batters and none reached first base. Thankfully the currently offensively struggling Phillies managed to put up 1 run for their teammate and even it was on a misplay by the Marlins defence. After all the years in Toronto I guess Doc Halladay learned that without a lot of run support, sometimes you have to do things yourself, and he did! Well done!

Sticking with baseball. Most of us when we were kids imagined being up in the ninth inning with the bases loads looking for a chance to win the game with a walk off - just imagine that dream coming true as a major leaguer. Wouldn’t it be awesome, wouldn’t it feel great!? You bet it would, unless you are Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim first baseman Kendry Morales (not to be confused with Esai or Bob Morales) who, after hitting his first career grand slam, fractured his lower left leg, landing awkwardly on home plate while being mobbed by teammates. Maybe this will change the dog pile mentality that teams have after teammates do something to win a game. Maybe stick with the high 5 and not "Jump Around" like they are featured in a House of Pain Video!

The potential for a tragedy was nearly avoided in the Indy 500 when Mike Conway was flown to an Indianapolis hospital for evaluation following a horrific crash at the end of the Indy 500. Conway was battling Ryan Hunter-Reay for position between turns three and four when the two collided. The 24 car flew up into the catch fence then fell back toward the track the car disintegrated while he was strapped into the "fuselage" and managed just a leg injury. It was horrible looking and for the car that drove under the air born 24 nearly taking out that drivers head. It is a wonder that there was no fatalities after this crash.

To Honor Or Retire?

LeBron James wants NBA players to give up their No. 23s to honour Michael Jordan. "King" James has worn 23 since he was a high school sophomore and stated recently that he believes players should pay tribute to Jordan for the Hall of Famer’s impact on the game. I have no issue with that. There is no denying that Jordan was the force that has marketed the game of basketball internationally and grown the NBA in popularity so If players want to honour that he is probably the greatest player even then so be it. Do I think that the number should be retired? NO.

He may be at the top of the mountain now but to be fair the only reason there is a mountain to be on top of is because of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. That 1on1 rivalry and the Lakers-Celtics rivalry all but saved a league that was in major trouble and in need of a major image change. If their numbers 32 & 33 aren’t retired 23 should not be either.

Lebron is not the first to either change a number or even think about doing so. For years you would see #8 Bryant Lakers jerseys everywhere. Then as part of his image re-birth after his off court - court issues he re-invented himself and his image and boom now he is 24. Lebron has said that if he were to change his number it would be to 6. That Maybe not the best idea either as Bill Russell was #6 and he has the most rings and is regarded as one of the best team players of all time...can you honor one and snub another and not be a hypocrite? I guess if anyone can it is the King. Also lets be clear, he will change his number. That is the beauty of merchandising, all the Lebron followers will be ready to make the switch too. They will embrace the change and purchase the new swag.

What is the true motivation, a tribute to MJ or a padding to Lebron’s increasingly rising pocketbook? Probably a little from column A and a little from Column B.

Pigskin Thursday

It may not be a marquee match up like Colts and Patriots but tonight kicks off the NFL mid week game with the Bears and 49ers facing off. Granted that these games are scheduled on Thursdays on the NFL Network so they can help bolster the ratings for a station that on the whole doesn’t get a whole lot of viewership. In Canada, even though we have that channel we can’t watch it there, we get it on Sportsnet. I will leave that alone for now as every time there is some sort of TV availability issue I get a little riled up about the lack of options that Canadians are given. It has become a big pet peeve for me, so I will drop it...for now and just this time.

Having this Thursday match up just means that we are getting close to the American Thanksgiving and the Lions and cowboys traditional double header. Good times.

It makes for a nice option to have on a Thursday, there will be lots of flipping with football, plenty of hockey (Sens-Flyers), some good NBA games (LA Lakers & Phoenix) and if there is time between periods and quarters mix in some of the comedy shows on NBC. One thing for sure is more football is not a bad thing. When you can get Pro Games on Monday, Thursday and Sundays and some NCAA games on Saturdays, that ain’t not bad. You know you are going to miss it when it is gone in February.

Thankfully the CFL is in playoffs and not eating up valuable TV time on Friday nights (however the only good thing about the CFL, the Grey Cup will be happening soon).

Tee Up To Tip Off

T- minus 8 hours and counting. NBA you are on the clock.

The 2009/2010 season is almost here and is set to get started. There has been a lot of off season changes throughout the league by many of the teams. It looks on the surface that the rich have gotten richer and more then likely the powerhouses that you saw last year will remain the same or may be even better. The defending champion Lakers effectively swapped forwards in bringing in defensive shut down man Ron Artest from Houston and Houston has taken Trevor Ariza, That leaves the Lakers with Kobe, Lamar, Ron-Ron and then throw in a Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynam (health permitting) plus whom ever you choose to run the point. The Spurs picked up Richard Jefferson in a solid move and the West will once again be tight and loaded with talent. The Rockets without Artest, Yao Ming and depending on how Tracy McGrady comes back could be in the worst shape.

In the East there is probably more of a gap between the top tier teams and the lower but the ones at the top should prove to be right there with some of the best from the West. Shaq has joined with Lebron in Cleveland so it will be interesting to see how that marriage works out and if Shaq can keep up with the speed of the game that the Cavs are used to playing. In a sneaky move the Celtics picked up Rasheed Wallace and that can only make the team deeper. A lot of people think that ‘Sheed is too emotional but there is no dispute that he is a winner and a talent. If Boston gets a healthy Kevin Garnett back they will be one of the favorites to come out of the conference. The Magic pick up an older Vince Carter so it will be interesting to watch what they do in Orlando. Last year they had a great run but time will tell if the chemistry has changed for the better. What will also be interesting to see, as we look close to home is how a completely revamped lineup will come together and if they can gel enough to put up some good numbers and secure a solid playoff spot. Into the mix with All Star Chris Bosh is returnee Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon and in his first full year Head Coach Jay Triano are newcomers Hedo Turkoglu, Demar DeRozan, Reggie Evans, Antoine Wright, Sonny Weems, Amir Johnson and Jarrett Jack.

It is going to be nice to have another pro sport up and going to complement the Baseball and World Series and NASCAR and the Chase who are in the home stretch. The NHL is a month into it’s season, and the NFL and NCAA football is in full force. Right now is not a bad time to be a sports fan. Enjoy!!

Lakers In The Primetime Era?

First it was Showtime led by Magic, then The Late Show with Kobe and Shaq and now maybe it will be Primetime with Kobe, Gasol and Lamar Odom. Looks like Lamar is staying with the Los Angeles Lakers. This is probably the best case scenario for all involved. Odom appears ready to sign a four-year deal worth $33 million, with the fourth year at the Lakers’ option. After watching last years playoffs Odom made himself a very important member of the team and allows for some potential match up problems when playing other teams. Lamar Odom as a Laker greatly increase their chances of repeating as champs tremendously. He is a big man who is strong enough to play against a power forward but is quick enough to guard a smaller player as well. Odom is a good ball handler and can jack up a 3 ball if need be or go down in the post and grab you a rebound or post up.

Him going back to LA gives the Lakers so many more options and so much more versatility and has to make them one of the favorites to win the NBA Championship and have a chance to repeat. With a core that has Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Ron Artest and Odom they are set up well. It will be interesting to see if the loss of Trevor Ariza and the addition of Ron Artest makes a difference one way or another. Ariza may be better offensively but played good D, Artest is a lock down defensive player who can score if called upon. The bonus of having Ron Ron instead is that he can play the role of stopper which frees up Kobe to focus on scoring and distributing while helping keep him fresher (he has a lot of miles on those legs already).

It will be interesting to see how things progress involving the other teams in the league. The Cav’s added Shaq, always interesting when there is a chance that Kobe and Shaq will meet up, The Celtics look interesting if KG can return, Orlando is still strong but what will Vince do? Toronto made major moves but it is doubtful that they will get to that class, even with Hedo Turkoglu. San Antonio got sneaky good bringing in Richard Jefferson (100+ pounds lighter after dropping his fiance late in the 4th quarter) There is an array of teams in the West that could be good just because they are in the West.

LA is poised for a good run at least but they do need to get as far a possible away from Adam Morrison. It is just not right that he have any championship rings when Barkley, Reggie and Malone not have one. At the very least someone buy him a bic or a Mach 3 Turbo to get rid of that terrible joke of a 'stache.

Best And Worst Of The Weekend

Best
Marc-André Fleury save at the end of Game 7 diving in front of the puck shot from Nick Lidstrom like he was a Secret Service agent protecting Obama. Then that being followed by his interview with Scott Oake when asked what he was thinking in the dying seconds of the game with the Red Wings applying pressure and Fleury responded ‘Oh Shit’ and the 7 second delay was not in effect. Then Oake’s response was basically ‘fair enough’.

Worst
Jimmie Johnson leading the race in Michigan for 146 laps of the 200 lap race, leading at the end then with less then 2 laps left running out of gas and being forced to pit for gas after the race and cross the finish line on pit row. To his credit he did finish but to fall from 1st to 22nd is a tough pill to swallow when you clearly had the most dominant car on the track.

Best
Alex Rodriguez pops up to Louis Castillo of the Mets, a routine pop up to end the game.....then dropping it. To Mark Teixeira credit he actually ran the play out as was rewarded with a win. Then they actually interviewed A-Rod. What do you say? ‘I popped up, should have cost the team a win, but he dropped it and we won’.

Worst
Rumor has it that the Five-time Wing Bowl champion Bill "El Wingador" Simmons will take on Jose Canseco in a boxing match. Just when you think that Jose can’t fall any lower this come to light. Guess his knee has recovered from getting pummeled by that large Korean dude.

Best
Black Mamba Kobe Bryant and The Zen Master Phil Jackson along with the LA Lakers win the NBA Championship. Kobe gets #4 and first without Shaq, Phil gets his 10th and becomes the winningest coach in NBA history. ‘Zen-Sational’, ‘10-4 Ko-Jack’, ‘Shaq, tell me how my Brass Tastes’, ‘Kobe: I Did It My Way’, ‘4 for 24’ or maybe ‘Purple Reign’...and so on

Worst
It was reported that eight officers have suffered minor injuries during downtown disturbances that erupted amid street celebrations of the Lakers’ NBA championship victory over the Orlando Magic. Even if you lose there is not reason to act like a jackass. It makes less sense that if your team wins you hit the streets and instead of celebrating you decide to set fires, vandalize store fronts and throw rocks and bottles at police. Of the 18 people arrested 3 were juveniles.

Best
Milton Bradley Losing the ball in the sun and it dropping in for a hit, then even better he forgot any math that he learned and thought there was 3 outs when there was only 2 and runners on base who came in to score. It was almost shocking that he didn’t have a huge Bradley style melt down.

Fishing For A Championship

Derek Fisher once again did what he does and that is make clutch shots at clutch times. After slumping during the season and early in the playoffs and I guess even in game 4 last night it was great that Phil Jackson as well as his team still had faith in him. One could compare his shot in game 4 of the NBA Championships to any number of shots made in the past by other playoff magicians like Robert Horry...or Derek Fisher. For those who can remember it was Fisher who hit that amazing shot versus the Spurs with 0.3 seconds left in the game. This time Fisher had a little more time to work with and got a great assist from Jameer Nelson who’s terrible decision making and questionable defence allowed Fisher to make a shot he never should have even had a look at taking. That being said he hit it and forced the game to overtime. In overtime he also made a shot in the home stretch to seal the deal and put the Lakers in the drivers seat with 99-91 to capture a 15th NBA Championship. Kobe is still the straw that stirs the drink, Pau, Lamar and Trevor Ariza, are a great supporting cast members but it is Fishers calm and experience that helps bring the team together.
One can’t overlook either another major reason on why that shot was able to be made and that was the dreadful free throw shooting from the Magic. Between Hedo Turkoglu and Dwight Howard at the line, it opened up the door so wide for the Lakers to steal that game and effectively end the Magic’s season. Game 5 goes Sunday night and that could very well be the end of the line for the NBA season and the Gold and Purple can get ready for the parade.

Oh Dany Boy

So for a day that was supposed to be full of excitement and the potential to crown a champion it could not have fallen any shorter then what it did. There was bad news sprinkled in with worse news with a dash of terrible news. Just like they say, it came in 3’s.

First off the Pittsburgh Penguins decided not to roll over as they should have and won game 6 at home. Sure in a small way it is good to see a game 7 but now it looks like Pittsburgh is going to complete the comeback and take game 7 on the road in Detroit and become the Stanley Cup Champions. Not that I am cheering for one side over the other but more I didn’t want Pittsburgh to win. No real reason one way or another...just because.

2nd in the line of disappointments was the Magic-Lakers game. Again I was looking for LA to take a strangle hold on the series and basically put it out of reach with a win and go up 3-0. That didn’t happen and the Magic got right back into the mix as they held serve at home with a 4 point victory 108-104. The magic shot the ball with an unbelievable percentage throughout the game but it was also tight the whole way. If the Lakers can continue to play the team game they have been and Kobe manages to get out of the shooting slump he hit from the 2nd quarter through the end of the game.

Last and maybe the most difficult to swallow was the News that Dany Heatley has requested to be moved by the Ottawa Senators. It was like getting hit by a sledge hammer, running into a brick wall. Professional athletes often ask to be moved or request trades but this one is a little too close to home. If it was just about any other player I would not have an issue with it but we’re talking about Dany here. He is my favorite player on my favorite team and so I am doubly affected. My team takes a hit and now I am without a favorite player on the team. I will remain a Heatley fan, I was not just a fan because of the team but it sure made things a l lot easier. On the bright side I should be able to get a Heatley jersey on sale now. It is now up to Bryan Murray to work out a deal to bring in someone I can throw my weight behind and support, maybe I should be consulted on possible deal proposals.

To try and put a positive spin on this is that there is the potential for the team to get a new look and build in another direction and open up some space to be able to make some moves, whether it be through draft picks, prospects and/or an established player/players. If Murray can get a decent return then this could be a good thing for the TEAM going forward....but on a personal level, this sucks and I am now torn.

Best and Worst of the Weekend

Best
Roger Federer wins 14th Grand Slam and completes the career grand Slam.
Can retire the voodoo doll of Rafael Nadal he recently had made.

Worst
The performance that the Penguins showed in game 5 in Detroit.
After getting shellacked 5-0 and looking completely outmatched they will need to do what they did in games 3 & 4 at home or summer will be coming earlier then expected.

Best
Tiger Woods wins for the 4th time at Jack Nicklaus’s Memorial Tournament.
Not only did he come from well back but made yet another career shot in the process. The man must have ice water in his veins. Guess the cooling strip on those Gillette Fusion razor blades really are working for both him and Federer.

Worst
Bad luck on a yellow flag pit stop for Jimmie Johnson and a gamble on fuel by Tony Stewart shoved Jimmie to a 7th place finish at the 500 mile race at Pocono.
Jimmie had a dominant car and deserved the win. I would feel bad for him but I have seen the money he makes the 3 consecutive Cup Championships, being one of the best NASCAR drivers and of course I have seen his wife...now that I think of it, maybe I don’t like Jimmie anymore.

Best and Worst
Kobe and the Lakers defeated the Magic in Game 2 in overtime to take a 2-0 Lead in the series. Kobe is taking not only his leadership but also his play to another level. Not only is he a player he is a coach on the floor.
It was good to see a close fought basketball game but at times it was just dreadfully painful to watch how inept the teams were when shooting. Good defence is one thing but to not be able to hit open jump shots or layups as a professional basketball player should be more then a little embarrassing. Maybe it is just the culture where flash and street ball moves at the development level is more focused upon then fundamentals.

Worst
Brett Favre apparently has recently had arthroscopic surgery on his throwing shoulder, This could be a sign that the former Falcon, Packer and Jet is considering coming out of retirement.
Is this yet another case of Brett crying wolf? Usually it is a guys play at the end that tarnishes the legend or the legacy, not his soap opera style "will he or won’t he" saga that Brett seems to forever be in. I won’t be able to look at another pair of Wrangler Jeans the same again. At least when one of the top running backs left, Barry Sanders it was other people speculating that he would come back and not him but even that got old fast.

Magic Show vs Late Show - Game 1 Set To Go

The Match up is set. The teams are ready. The players are hyped up and prepared for battle. The NHL is nervous. On the line - an NBA World Championship and a piece of history.

Game 1 is slated to get going at the Staples Center in LA- Home of the Lakers (even if there are no lakes anywhere near the place) at 8:30 on ABC. Which should be interesting to see how the ratings are on Versus for the Stanley Cup Finals after they were boasting on how well they did on NBC over the Weekend.

The Orlando Magic come into the series as the decided underdogs but after disposing of the Cavaliers is short time they are surely not to be taken lightly. This has all the makings of being a very fast paced series with a lot of quick transition play and even more 3pt shot attempts. One thing that these two teams can agree upon is that shooting 3’s is fun.

Which superstar will impose his will on the other team? Is Dwight Howard going to be Superman or Clark Kent? Is Kobe going to be the Black Mamba or play a more passive facilitator role and get his team involved first and then just pick his spots? I guess that is for the coached to decide.
That is another interesting match up, the Zen Master Phil Jackson who is very laid back and usually has little to say while on the court, saving is strategies for the locker room and Stan Van Gundy who is usually screeching at a level so high that only dogs can here him. So if the Magic look out of sorts at times it is probably because they missed the play call. These two coaches are the perfect 2 to play the NBA’s version of the odd couple, with their styles as different as night and day.

Ding Dong LeBron is Gone.

In an unlikely and unforeseen turn of events Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic did a disappearing act. It wan’t Copperfield and the Statue of Liberty, it was LeBron James and the Cavaliers from Cleveland. After going 39-2 at home on the season and being the #1 seed going into the playoffs “ LeBron (King) James just didn’t get enough help from the rest of his teammates to keep up with the red hot Magic and there inside man and 3 point threats.

Orlando was just on fire from 3 point land in the close out game (not to mention wight Howard imposing his will inside) and made 3pt shooting the backbone of their attack through the whole series. When they meet up with the Lakers they will no doubt keep with that same approach and if they are as good as they have been it could be a long series for Kobe and his Lakers. Now LA isn’t shy about jacking up the 3’s either but at first glance they aren't nearly as consistent. Kobe does have a lot more help then Lebron did. If Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom play up to potential they should be able to match the Magic’s offense if not it will be a lengthy series that will probably go 7 long games. Odom if on could be the X factor, if health and execution are there, watch out. It has the potential to be great for the viewers and fans of the NBA but very stressful for the 2 teams involved.

Everyone had it almost a lock that it would be a LeBron-Kobe final and I am sure the NBA wanted it that way for rating purposes. At least this championship game will have 2 superstars pitted against each other, they just won’t be guarding each other. The veteran Kobe against the young “Superman” Dwight Howard.

In any event the NBA Finals should prove to be a very exciting high paced and a showcase of talent and team depth. Who will come out the victor, only time will tell. ENJOY!

King's Court - Pass It To LeBron

The Cleveland Cavaliers were down to their last second, down in the 4th quarter and in jeopardy of being down 0-2 and faced with going on the road to Orlando in a huge hole but someone forgot to tell the King that. As if it was the plan all along a cool LeBron James took the ball off the inbounds from behind the ark and raised up and dropped a 3 ball right in the face of the Orlando defender. It will surely be played on replay for years and years of NBA promos... it was almost Jordan esque. May have even had a hint of Christian Laettner to it.

If you have seen any of the highlight shows either on TSN or Sportsnet there always seems to be a clip of Lebron, in practice with no shirt on hitting ridiculous shots from half court, behind the backboard or even sitting down. This time all he needed was 1 second to catch and shoot a conventional shot and ti was MONEY! If it were an episode of Fresh Prince of Bel Air it would have had an announcer over-dubbed “In your Face” Hedo Turkoglu!!

Funny thing is this was just how the game ended, the rest of the game was as entertaining...maybe more entertaining...no as entertaining. After being down 14 after 1 the Magic mounted a comeback over the course of the next 3 quarters and that is what set up the epic ending.

Had that shot not dropped the Cavs would have been in some serious trouble. For a team that was nearly perfect at home this year it would have been beyond devastating to loose 2 games. Guess that MVP trophy that LeBron grabbed is in fact well deserved.

Going down 2 games on home court and faced with that deficit going to Orlando had the potential to de-rail the collision course of the much anticipated and much hoped for Cleveland LA Lakers final. Now things are getting interesting, going to have to keep and eye on the NBA now

Layn’ The Smack Down

The WWE and the NBA’s Denver Nuggets have a bit of a problem. Both are slated to be in Denver next Monday. The Nuggets are to host the LA Lakers in the Conference finals while the WWE has booked the arena for their show Monday Night Raw. There does not seem to a clear direction on how this is going to end but you get the feeling that it should end with a steel cage match rather then any litigation or legal involvement.

Any PR for the WWE is good PR and this is all good for them. There have been many statements put forth by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon that have called out Stan Kroenke (owner of the Nuggets and the Pepsi Centre). The WWE who reserved the Pepsi Center on Aug. 15 and had already sold more than 10,000 tickets for its the Monday Night Raw event. It would appear that Yanni has more power then the WWE as the NHL bowed to him whereas the NBA has said that the playoff date is not movable and for the Nuggets to figure it out themselves, but basketball was going to be played in Denver that night.

So far McMahon has stated "Quite frankly, it's my view that Stan Kroenke should be arrested, should be arrested for impersonating a good businessman, because he's not a good businessman," McMahon said on ESPN. "A good businessman doesn't book a World Wrestling Federation live televised event on Monday night realizing that his team in all likelihood would not make the playoffs." and McMahon blamed Kroenke for not believing his team was good enough to still be playing in mid-May.

"The fans in Denver had a lot more faith in making the playoffs than the owner." Ironically it sounds just like an interview you would see on RAW.

Rest assured they will come to a resolution and the WWE will come out ahead in the public opinion poll and will no doubt be well compensated. Worse case scenario McMahon said he needs to fulfill his obligation to the USA network and put on a card...even if it means putting on a show in a parking lot. (And don’t think for a second that he would do it and it would probably be a success.

Here is a great Idea for a match - a Battle Royal between the Nuggets Cheerleaders and the WWE Divas....then everyone is a winner.

Sunday Bloody Sunday

At least it was for the Blackhawks Adam Burish who took a teammates skate in the neck. He was very lucky that it was just a glancing blow and was just a flesh wound and he was able to stay in the game. It could have been a very bad situation as we have seen with Richard Zednik not that long ago.

Beyond that it was a very busy Sunday with a little something for just about any sports fan.
~There was the Game 1 in the NHL Playoffs between the Red Wings and the Blackhawks.The Wings managed to outwork the Hawks and take Game 1 at home.

~Then there was The game seven in the NBA between the LA Lakers and the Houston Rockets. This was a series that became a lot closer then most thought it would be. With a depleted Houston team missing 2 of its stars they managed to give the Lakers a scare. This was essentially a series of home court advantages. It seemed that the visiting team could never get going and the home team just played with a swagger. It is crazy that the home court in the NBA seems to carry so much more weight then in any other sport. LA had home court advantage and rolled to an easy win. Now they have to turn their focus to the Denver Nuggets. Hmmm, Kobe in Colorado again this could go bad but the potential for jokes may prove to be epic!

~Want more hockey? Then there was the Memorial Cup with Rimouski playing Windsor. In what figured to be a game that Windsor should have the advantage in turned out to not be that way. The home crowd may have been an extra player for Rimouski and they played with a lot of emotion and managed to knock off the OHL champs 5-4. The loss could prove to be an exit ticket for the Spitfires and sets Rimouski up to go further then you would have thought after game 1 versus Kelowna. In a crazy finish with the Windsor goaltender out the Oceanic managed to hold off the furious attack until the clock struck 0:00.

~ Again a game 7 in the NBA. This was the defending champion Boston Celtics in tough versus the Orlando Magic. The Garnett-less Celtics couldn’t keep up with the 3 point shooting of the Magic and wound up falling to the younger team from Orlando. The game was never that close and the end result was never really in doubt as the “Truth” Paul Pierce just didn’t have it on this day and Dwight Howard and crew rolled for the right to face LeBron James in the Conference Finals.

~Roger Federer beat Rafael Nadal to end his 33-match winning streak on clay 6-4, 6-4. This is either a great sign going into the French Open that Federer may actually be able to upset Nadal in Paris. Either that or he has just opened Nadal’s eyes and have re-focused him and only make him stronger and more dangerous.

~ Usain Bolt, the worlds fastest man, ran the world's fastest 150 metres to win a soggy street sprint in England. He won the race 14.35 seconds, breaking Canadian Donovan Bailey's 12-year-old world best of 14.99 in the rarelyy run150 m. This was also his first race since being sidelined after a car crash that required him to have foot surgery.

And this doesn’t include any of the baseball games or touch on any of the events of Saturday which saw the less then impressive return to the pool by Olympic hero Michael Phelps after his suspension and questionable behaviour of late and Rachel Alexandra becoming the first filly to win the Preakness since 1924,doing so with the Kentucky Derby winner and feisty Mine That Bird nipping at her heels in the final stretch. If she does run in the Belmont she may be considered one of the greatest of all time.

Quick Hits

A Florida high school pitcher came up short in his bid to throw a fifth straight no-hit game. Patrick Schuster had thrown 4 straight no hitters in high school play. Any time you can throw1 let alone 4 no hitters in a row at any level above t-ball you must be at least pretty good. He is currently ranked the 79th best prospect -- the 42nd best high school prospect in the nation.

Six Olympic athletes have tested positive for doping in a re-testing of Beijing samples. It was told to The Associated Press Tuesday that tests caught three track and field athletes, two cyclists and one weightlifter. 2 of the athletes are medalists one on the track and the other a cyclist. Just when you thought that things from the summer Olympics could be considered over and done with these new allegations have cropped up. It is almost at the point that there is no reason to believe that anything you see is actually happening. Sports may be becoming the equivalent to going to Vegas and watching a magic show...all smoke and mirrors. Well at least it is entertaining if nothing else.

Reasons to root for the Blackhawks during the NHL Playoffs. 1. The youth that is leading the team like Toews, Kane and Havlat can be electrifying and bring you out of your seat. 2. The Ice Crew in Chicago will do exactly the same but in a different way and for different reasons. To see the auditions click here.

Tennis player Andy Roddick has won a Grand Slam and it has nothing to do with tennis. Roddick has married fashion model and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit sensation Brooklyn Decker. I think it is safe to say congratulations Andy....and we all hate you (but in a nice way).

A message to Carrie Underwood, when you are on TV or on a video screen at a sporting event, don’t duck down and hide, just take a page from Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel. When appeared on the jumbotron at the Staples Center last week during an LA Lakers game, they didn't duck their heads but started making out instead. Lets just hope that Jack Nicholson doesn’t try to follow Justin’s lead. We don’t need Jack to try to bring Sexy Back.

In a smart move the New York Yankees have decided to cut the cost on more than 40 percent of their front-row seats by up to 50 percent and announced many of those who bought tickets closest to the field for $325-$2,500 will be eligible for additional free seats. There were hundreds of empty seats in “Premium” areas that have gone unfilled at New Yankee Stadium. Maybe if people in Toronto would do the same thing for Leafs games they may not raise ticket prices every year despite not making the playoffs since the lockout. At least with the Yankees they will win every now and again.