Category: Sports

The sixth game of the 2013 NBA Finals was the best in the series. The level of play was crazy high, there were a ton of dramatic shots at the end of regulation, there were some key rebounds and blocks at the end of overtime, and it was a game to remember. Here are some random thoughts on this classic game, as well as a photo gallery from RPadholic 1ceman. As always, I want to hear your thoughts on the event that had many of us shouting, “I love this game!!!”

The Return of the King: For the first three quarters, LeBron James was in Duke James mode. He was playing better than 99 percent of the NBA, but not at a level that would make you think that he was among the best players ever. In Q4, it was as if he remembered that, “Hey, I’m the best player in the frickin’ league and one of the greatest of all time!” He went into King James mode and pretty much beat the Spurs by himself. It was a stellar performance, offensively and defensively. He seemed especially effective after Tim Duncan knocked his headband off. Speaking of which….

Duncan Turns Back the Clock…For Two Quarters: Wasn’t Timmy just breathtaking in the first half of the game? He wanted this one badly and left everything on the floor. Unfortunately, his game dropped in the third quarter and he looked gassed in the fourth quarter. These things happen when you’re a 37-year old man in professional sports. That first half though…man. He obliterated Bosh (and anyone else that dared to challenge him with their primitive skills) in the post and snatched up rebounds like a Dyson vacuum cleaner. It was an amazing effort from the player many writers have dubbed “The Best of His Generation,” but I wonder how much he’ll have left in game seven. Yes, he has the heart of a champion (which you’re never supposed to underestimate according to Rudy Tomjanovich), but did he use the last of his powers in game six?

Living Here in Allentown: Pat Riley looks like a genius for signing Ray Allen and Ray Allen looks like a genius for bailing on the Celtics, don’t you agree? His fantastic game five (two four-point plays!) was overshadowed by Danny Green’s ridiculous shooting and a loss (duh). Last night he showed exactly why the Heat wanted him and gave more ammo to those that call him the best pure shooter in the history of the NBA.

Mike Miller’s Shoe: I got a kick out of Miller hitting a three with only one shoe on. Too bad he’s not overly superstitious. I would have liked to have seen him play the rest of the game with one shoe.

Manu’s Turnovers: After a fantastic performance in game five, Ginobili had eight turnovers in game six. You can’t do that in the NBA Finals.

Dwyane Wade and Flow: It’s interesting that LeBron was able to go into full eff-you mode while Wade was on the bench. It’s also interesting that the game tightened up in Q4 when he played again. Yes, he’s old and injured, but there are many times when he hinders the Heat’s flow.

The No-Call Conspiracy: Manu Ginobili was fouled towards the end of the game and it wasn’t called. Danny Green was fouled at the very end of the game and it wasn’t called. Conspiracy theorists believe that these no-calls were part of a David Stern mandate to ensure a game seven. Other people believe that the referees just sucked last night. Then again, Joey Crawford was part of the referee crew and he does have a shady history with Tim Duncan. Hmmmm….

Call It: In addition to your thoughts on the game, I want your pick for game seven. Will the Heat’s talent and home-court advantage win the day? Or will the Spurs’ system, poise, and experience win the 2013 NBA Championship? Shout it out in the comments section (please)!

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After missing the last two games of the 2013 NBA Finals because of that E3 thingie, basketball has my full attention once more. Game five was a fantastic game to come back to. It was full of exciting runs, improbable performances, and Manu Ginobili’s glorious bald spot/receding hairline. Here are some random thoughts on last night’s game between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs. As always, I’d love hear what you thought about the game.

Manu Rises: After sucking for the first four games of the series, Ginobili errupted for 24 points, 10 assists, two rebounds, and a steal with a +/- of +19. He kicked things off with a three-pointer and it was all classic Manu from there. At times he was out of control and at other times he was glorious. He had several drives and shot attempts that had fans going, “No! No!! No!!!” just before the shot and, “Yes!!!” when it went in. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker had strong games too, but it was reemergence of Manu that made the difference. Well, that’s not entirely true. Danny Green had a monster night too.

Danny Green’s Night in Pictures: Green continued his torrid three-point shooting, going 6-for-10 from downtown. In the process, he broke Ray Allen’s record for three-pointers made in an NBA Finals series. It went something like this:

Next, Ray Allen’s face went like this (GIF by @cjzero):

Spurs fans around the world felt like this:

It was glorious.

Tony Parker’s Quiet Excellence: Aside from some bursts in the third quarter, I didn’t notice Tony Parker doing anything too noteworthy. His hamstring is obviously bothering him and he isn’t his usual 48-minute jitterbug self. Ginobili starting helped alleviate some of his ball-distribution responsibilities, allowing him to pick his spots to put the pedal to the metal. Still, I was shocked to see that he finished with 26 points on 10-for-14 shooting. It sure didn’t seem like it. It’s impressive when someone has a great game and you barely notice it. If Ginobili doesn’t start game six, I wonder if the added ball-handling pressure (*giggle*) will lower his efficiency, given his ailing wheel.

Duke James: 25 points, eight assists, and six rebounds would be a stellar playoff game for 99 percent of the league. For LeBron James, it’s not enough. After being monstrously efficient for most of the year, his 8-for-22 shooting was poor. He seemed too deferential. His first rebound came in the third quarter. His team needed him to go into eff-you mode, but he was determined to play unselfishly. We’ve seen him take over several playoff games this year and James needed to be in best-player-in-the-league form in Q4, but it just wasn’t there. Most all-time greats seem to have an on-off switch when it comes to raising their level of play. Was LeBron’s broken last night?

Chris Bosh: Dude had two strong playoff games in a row. Let’s go crazy!

Favorite Stat of the Night: Udonis Haslem played for nine minutes and had a +/- -20 for those nine minutes. That’s so bad it’s impressive…and also makes you wonder why Chris Andersen was glued to the bench.

Your Take: Now it’s your turn! Please let me know what you thought of last night’s game. Any predictions on game six? (And no, copying Mr. T’s prediction of, “Pain….” doesn’t count.) Will the Spurs wrap it up? Or is this series going to a game seven?

I totally missed the second game of the NBA Finals due to E3 2013 networking activities (i.e. drinking and eating)…in that order, but thankfully RPadholic 1ceman was on the scene! Below are some excellent photos that he snapped. From what I understand, the Spurs shot poorly and Mario Chalmers played out of his ass. Using Bill Simmons’ terms, Chalmers is one of the best “Irrational Confidence Guys” in the NBA, following a tradition established by Vernon Maxwell. For the majority of the year, Irrational Confidence Guys think that they’re the best player on the floor. On a handful of nights each year, it happens to be true. Apparently last night was one of those nights for ‘Rio.

When you have a chance, post your thoughts on game two of the NBA Finals (please!). Prop to 1ceman for his great photos!

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Game one of the NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs was fantastic. It had drama, beautifully executed basketball, and one of the silliest plays I’ve ever seen in a finals game. RPadholic 1ceman was on the scene and snapped some excellent photos that you can see in a gallery below. Naturally, I want your thoughts to the start of the NBA Finals. Let’s do this!

Tony Parker’s Shot: His shot at the end of the game was ridiculous. He dribbled around like a dick for 20 seconds, fell down, got up, and managed to hit an awkward bank shot with 0.1 seconds left on the clock. While that’s impressive on its own, LeBron James was draped all over him. Just…wow.

While I admire Parker’s game, I don’t trust him. He’s French and sleeps with married women. That said, the French thing, getting dumped by Eva Longoria for sending naughty text messages, and getting his eye damaged in the crossfire of the Team Chris Brown vs. Team Drake battle royal aren’t enough to negate how crazy that shot was. If the Spurs win this series, Parker’s “The Shot” will be replayed for decades to come. Even if they lose, it will get a fair amount of play.

Underrated stat that’s not getting enough play: Parker had 0 turnovers in the game.

Kawhi Leonard’s Hands: While LeBron James had a great game (18 points, 18 rebounds, 10 assists), he’s had more spectacular playoff games and the Heat really needed one of those spectacular performances last night. It’s not unusual to be loved by anyone for James to shoot over 50 percent, but last night he was under that mark and Kawhi Leonard was a big reason why. He played some nice defense on James, which is especially impressive considering that he’s only 21 and this is his first NBA Finals. His unusually large hands help his defensive game. Put on a pair of oven mitts and you’ll understand what it’s like to have Kawhi Leonard-sized hands. They remind me of Tom and Jerry cartoons when Jerry would cause Tom’s hand to get slammed by a door and it would comically balloon. Leonard’s paws are comically ballooned 24/7.

Fourth Quarter Woes: The game was really tight for the first three quarters. It was wonderfully executed basketball, with only a few breakdowns (most noticeably the Spurs’ transition defense). In the fourth quarter, the Spurs defense got a little bit better and the Heat tightened up just a bit. Miami made some poor decisions and sloppy plays that resulted in a bunch of Q4 turnovers. Miami had four turnovers through three quarters and four in Q4 alone. As amazing as Parker’s aforementioned shot was, it was the defense and turnovers that decided the game. It’s fascinating that it came down to subtle elevation by one team and subtle decline by the other.

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Chris Bosh Sucking: Poor Bosh. He’s been getting slammed for his 2013 playoff run and his 6-for-16 game last night added fuel to the fire. I haven’t read much about Mario Chalmers’ 3-for-10 performance, but he gets a pass for not being one of the “Big Three” and getting paid a lot less. I’m a fan of Bosh; he’s one of the nerdier and more interesting players in the NBA. I’d like to see him do better. The upside of Bosh sucking is that it leads to a lot of dinosaur-related jokes on ESPN.com. Those crack me up.

Your Take: Now it’s your turn! Kindly leave your thoughts on game one and predictions on game two in the comments section.

According to ESPN, there’s an enormous performance-enhancing drug scandal set to explode. Roughly 20 players have been connected with a clinic called Biogenesis of America. Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Braun, Nelson Cruz, Gio Gonzales, Melky Cabrera, and Jhonny Peralta are some of the athletes that allegedly received PEDs from the clinic. Biogenesis founder Tony Bosch is reportedly assisting MLB in its investigation. According to the site, “Major League Baseball will seek to suspend about 20 players connected to the Miami-area clinic at the heart of an ongoing performance-enhancing drug scandal.”

As a lifelong baseball fan, I’m bummed by the news. While I know that a few of you feel that PEDs should be allowed in sports, there are many that don’t. Millions of fans feel that steroids, HGH, greenies, etc. ruin the purity of the game. No matter your stance, the scandal will be a black eye for baseball and cast a shadow over what has been accomplished in the sport for the last 20 years.

The one silver lining I see is the possibility Alex Rodriguez getting severely punished. I’ve never been a fan of A-Rod and wouldn’t mind seeing him slapped with a 100-game suspension. In a perfect world, he would also be found guilty of killing baby seals for leisure and burning down acres of rainforest for kicks; those crimes would justify the cancellation of his ridiculous contract.

On a random but related note, if I ever get rich, one of the first things I would do is commission a painting of myself as a centaur smashing a baseball bat into the head of an Alex Rodriguez centaur.

What do you think, sports fans? Do you think the Biogenesis scandal will be a huge deal? Or will it just be a blip on the radar? Will MLB get away with 100-game suspensions? Or is the players’ union too strong? Shout it out in the comments section (please)!

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Performance-enhancing drugs have been part of sports for decades, though the problem has become more scientifically advanced in the last 20 years. The big uproar started in baseball, with Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Barry Bonds launching home runs to the moon (and breaking cherished records) with the help of performance enhancers. More recently, Alex Rodriguez has been accused of cheating, after he supposedly stopped using steroids. While MLB has a better drug testing program than most sports, the pharmacists seem to be several steps ahead of the commissioner.

The PED issue is a concern in multiple sports. Boxer Juan Manuel Marquez became incredibly ripped at age 39, with the help of a known steroid coach; he showed new knockout power on his way to demolishing Manny Pacquiao. Cyclist Lance Armstrong finally admitted medicinally-enhanced cheating that enabled him to win multiple Tour de France titles. At age 37, Super Bowl champion Ray Lewis recovered from a torn triceps in 10 weeks — an injury that normally takes six months to deal with.

In some cases, the cheaters have been caught. In others, the athletes are merely suspected cheaters. For some fans, drugs have tarnished modern sports, while others feel that they’re just part of today’s game. How do you feel about the matter?

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Bill Simmons wrote an outstanding column on PEDs in sports and how the issue isn’t really being dealt with. He wrote, “I don’t even know what I am watching anymore.” And while the issue is quite complicated, it can really be summed up in that one sentence for many sports fans.

While performance-enhancing drugs are rapidly becoming more advanced, the governing bodies of most major sports are moving at a much slower pace. Let’s use boxing as an example. Most drug testing is handled by state commissions and a simple urine test is used. Organizations like VADA have exponentially more advanced techniques that cover a wide array of performance enhancers, yet most fights use tests that are easily beat. Off the top of my head, I only know of one boxer (Nonito Donaire) that subjects himself to random VADA testing 365 days a year. VADA is great for the sport and is relatively inexpensive, but due to politics and greed it isn’t being used for more fights.

Then there are the sports journalists. The issue of PEDs is covered every now and then, but it’s often handled with a gentle touch. On one hand, writers and broadcast journalists don’t want to offend the people and sports that they’re covering. Losing access would make their jobs incredibly difficult. On the other hand, the issue is arguably so big that more journalists should be doing more to help clean up sports.

Some fans dismiss modern PEDs as simple evolution. They point to the fact that many hall-of-fame athletes used amphetamines, commonly called “greenies,” from the ’60s on. They believe that steroids and HGH are modern-day tools that athletes use to get an edge, no different from the use of greenies back in the day.

Others feel that advanced medicine has tainted sports. Like Simmons wrote, many fans feel, “I don’t even know what I am watching anymore.” Cynical fans believe that most athletes cheat and that modern sports are tarnished.

I’d love to hear your take on the issue. Kindly vote in today’s poll and leave a comment with your view on PEDs in today’s sports.