My apology

I would like to take this time to remind everyone that my predictions mean nothing and are almost always wrong. Hence when I predicted Detroit to win both games 5 and then game 6, if you were smart you would have realized I am an idiot and said, this guy knows nothing, Cleveland is going to the finals, but just so you all understand what my thinking was; Detroit had been in seven 3-2 deficits in the NBA playoffs since the 2003 season and had been 6-1 in those series with the one loss coming last year against the Heat. Last season they had been down 3-2 to an identical Lebron team and came back and won game 6 in the Quicken Loans arena before taking game 7 at the palace, but there was one problem. The Cavaliers this year were NOT identical to last year's team. A small point guard who had been one of my favorite college players the year before for Rick Barnes decided to show up for work and took all the offensive pressure off the King. Yes, Daniel Gibson, the Texas Longhorn point guard was truly sensational for the Cavs, and every time you expected him to cool off, he came back for more and hit every single big shot a second round rookie is supposed to miss, let alone get, in game 6 of the conference finals. It was not simply that he was making big three after big three but that he kept getting the oppurtunities and stepped up and made every one. He had one thing going for him, and that was that while the Cavaliers were busy getting taken by the Pistons in last year's playoffs, Gibson was busy trying to prove himself to NBA scouts who knocked him for his size and inability to be a true NBA Point Guard. Not having been around for last year's demise allowed him to come into this game with a free spirit and he came through in as impressive of a performance, to me, as Lebron's game five 48 point showcase.

NBA FINALS PREVIEW:(note this might be on the MSG.Com website)

Destiny or Dynasty?

Julian Gompertz was a witness. I saw Lebron’s game five and Daniel Gibson’s game six and one question remains: Destiny or Dynasty? I want to believe that Lebron can will Cleveland past San Antonio but it is difficult to pick the Cavaliers this year. The Spurs will counter Lebron James with Bruce Bowen who will get under his skin with his dirty play. The Cavaliers have no answer, on the other-hand, for Tim Duncan who is going to terrorize Drew Gooden and Anderson Varejao in the paint. Tony Parker is going to drive on Eric Snow, or Gibson, and Manu Ginobili and Michael Finley will get open looks outside when Mike Brown double-teams Duncan. The Spurs have handled Carmelo, AI, Nash, Amare, Boozer, and Deron. Now comes their greatest task yet. Stopping the future of the NBA. Cleveland is playing with house money while San Antonio is exactly where we presumed they would be, once Dallas was dispatched in round one, yet after all of that, I am still going to pick the Cleveland Cavaliers to win this series in six games because if Lebron James is going to be the next Michael Jordan, this is where it truly begins.

Now on to other sport topics:

Donovan “Dons” true Colors

Kudos to the Orlando Magic for being smart enough, and kind enough, to rid themselves of Billy Donovan. Is it a PR nightmare? Yes. Is it false hope for a fan base that has been mired with mediocrity since the days of Shaquille O'Neal and Anfrnee Hardaway? Yes. But why hire a coach who will constantly be asked if he really wants to be in the NBA as coach of the Magic? An NBA coach must be a motivator and earn the respect of his players, and admitting you are not committed to the NBA is not the way to get players to want to play for you. Instead, Orlando will get a nice financial sum and then will sign Stan Van Gundy who will jumpstart all the offensive talent the Magic have. Donovan meanwhile will please the fans, the boosters, the incoming recruits and the current Gators. Yet with all five starters departing, the chances of a three-peat seem slim regardless of the talent in his recruiting class. The biggest loser in this scenario is Virginia Commonwealth Coach Anthony Grant who I believe would have led this talented roster to the tournament.


-A-Rod's homerun last night has "the potential" to be the defining moment of the season. Once again, during the worst of times for the Yankees they have managed to take 4-of-6 from Boston in the last two weeks winning the rubber game in the Bronx and in Fenway. They are seven back of the wildcard and there are grumblings an Abreu for Dye swap could be put in place during this four game seires starting tonight. Let me be the first to say this would be a brilliant move for the Bombers as the one thing they need is a Right-Handed bat in the middle of the line-up. Damon, Abreu, Matsui and Cano are all lefties and Posada and Cabrera are much better left-handed hitters then right handed hitters. The Yankees are the worst hitting team in baseball when they face a left handed pitcher and getting Dye, who looks better this season, could be just what they need to revive the suddenly cold bats.

-Meanwhile, The Red Sox are sitting pretty and are the best team in baseball. They have everything going on all cylinders and come playoff time it is going to be tough to beat Schilling and Beckett on the Road and Dice-k (In Fenway) and Wakefield. Schilling and Beckett both have World Series MVP awards, if you were wondering, and I would take those four over most four man rotations in baseball.

On the Rise- The Oakland Athletics who have won two straight. They have survived and stuck at .500 with more injuries then the Yankees. Street, Swisher, Chavez, Harden, Bradley, Duchscherer are either hurt or are just returning and they have been surviving on the arms of Danny Haren, Joe Blanton and Chad Gaudin. As always, Billy Beane squeezes the most out of this lackluster bunch and they will unfortunately miss the playoffs simply because Detroit, Cleveland and New York are that much better then the A's.

On the Decline- The Chicago White Sox who have dropped two straight and have an awful bullpen and starting rotation. Ozzie Guillen's idea of throwing six guys in the pen with live arms and 98 MPH fastballs was a disaster and two of those arms David Aardsma and Mike Mcdougal are in AAA as of this afternoon. The bats have gone cold and relying on an aging Jim Thome is not the solution. Jermaine Dye has not been the same, Konerko, Crede and Iguchi are all struggling and the rotation has no ace as their frontline guys in Buerhle and Contreras sport ERA's of 3.66 and 4.29 respectively. Javier Vasquez and John Garland have 3.9 ERA's and John Danks, while having potential, is 3-5 with a 4.34 ERA. This team is aging and has no sign of reviving themselves in the near future, and yes this will signal the end of Ozzie Guillen's tenure in Chi-city just two years removed from a World Series victory.

Hope to get my MSG blog started so for all those fans of the Colonial Wiz Kid, be prepared for a more proffessional and up to date blog on MSG.Com