With so many things going on in the world of sports, I couldn't focus on just one topic. So here's a look at several issues, and some non-issues ...
- There has been no shortage of criticism of LeBron James after his dud of a performance in Game 5 against the Celtics. There's no denying he played absolutely terribly. But cut the dude some slack. To insinuate that he tanked on purpose or he didn't care is absurd. He just had a bad game. Granted, the timing was poor, but I'd be stunned if he didn't light up the Celtics tonight. For the record, LeBron scores 40 and the Cavs force Game 7. I'm not supremely confident in this proclamation, but there it is.
- Most readers are well aware of my disdain for the New England Patriots, but I have to give them some credit. Lebanon (Conn.) Middle School thought it had won the opportunity to have members of the Patriots attend an assembly at the school. The team initially sent an intern, and not surprisingly, the kids were a little disappointed. So on Wednesday, Bill Belichick and center Dan Koppen, along with the mascot and a cheerleader, came to the school, proving that Belichick is not a robot and, indeed, does have a heart. The thought of Belichick interacting with kids reminds me of the scene in Terminator 2 where John Connor tries to explain to Arnold why people cry.
- The Philadelphia Phillies are under fire today after their bullpen coach was caught using binoculars to, allegedly, steal signs, during a game earlier this week. I'll file this with Ken Griffey Jr. napping under, "Who cares? It's baseball." In other sports, maybe this is a big deal. In baseball, it's not. Baseball teams try to steal signs and they always have. It's like counting cards at the blackjack table: it's frowned upon, but not illegal. Another sport's cheating is baseball's gamesmanship.
Beyond that, what's the advantage of stealing signs from the bullpen? Unless the hitters have earpieces in their helmets with the coach on the other end, how could they possibly tip the batter about the pitch?
- Home ice, apparently, means next to nothing in the NHL. How else do we explain the fact that so many lower-seeded teams are still alive in the playoffs? The defending Stanley Cup champions had a Game 7 at home in the arena's final game against a No. 8 seed, and the Penguins lost. Friday night, the Flyers and Bruins (7 and 6 seeds, respectively) will play for the right to face the No. 8 Canadiens in the Eastern Conference finals. At least things seem to make sense in the West, as No. 1 (San Jose) will play No. 2 (Chicago). But hockey plays a very long season, but that season means nothing as long as you get in the playoffs.
- We trash ESPN a lot on this blog, but I love the SportsCenter commercial with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Brian Kenny. For those who haven't seen it, Kenny walks by Mayweather's fictitious office at ESPN, where the boxing champion is working a heavy bag with Kenny's headshot on it. Kenny asks if there's anything Mayweather wants to talk about, and "Money" politely says he's good while hitting the bag, and Kenny's face. Maybe it's funny to me because I'd love to punch Brian Kenny.
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Brian Kenney is near the bottom of people at ESPN I'd love to punch in the face. It starts, obviously, with Stuart Scott, then Josh Eliott, then Jim Rome. After that, they all start to blend together.
I think LeBron wants out of Cleveland, and he wants out now. He's well aware that this team cannot win a title, and he's not intent on putting up a fight. I think he'll put up good numbers, but when you watch the game, they'll be the kind of points that make no difference (like A-Rod home runs).
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