Greetings, all--

My first blog post, so I suppose I should make it count...

...as you can see I'm an LA sports fan, so the Dodgers are my way to go. However, as the NBA season draws to a close, my lamentations throb in the absence of the Lakers in the Finals.  As such, the bane of my NBA vibe would be to see Shaq get a ring in Miami.  Yes, I'm one of the few who purport that we Angelinos got the better of the deal in the Shaq/Kobe war.  Recent events in the NBA post-season work to prove my point: that while Kobe got most of the blame for being a crybaby during the Shaq/Kobe years, the true teary-eyed whiner here is none other than Shaq (Bio-) Diesel. 

Two things...

First, the famous Ben Wallace block.  Ben got better position, a better hop on the ball, and better leverage in catching Shaq's shot attempt.  The net result? Shaq literally crumpled to the deck, and a jump ball resulted.  The block was as clean as the Board of Health.  Shaq's reply?  "That was a foul, young lady...don't ask stupid questions."  No, actually, Shaq got pimped and couldn't deflate his ego enough to give Ben Wallace props for a great defensive play.

Now, Shaq gets fined $10K for not wanting to face the press for a DISMAL performance in the Heat's second loss in the Finals.  Why?  Since he didn't talk to the press, I can only speculate, but let's try...Shaq got pimped again, and couldn't deflate his ego enough to admit it.  Can anyone see a pattern?

No doubt Shaq is THE preeminent center in the game.  But let's be real: The Heat would not be in the Finals were it not for the dazzling play from Dwayne Wade. Sounds familiar; just like a three-peat in Los Angeles while Shaq was paired with another dazzling guard named Kobe.  But perhaps more to the point is that Shaq has supplanted himself as the leader of that team.  True leadership means stepping to the mic and admitting it, even when you and/or your team has bricked, lost or just simply got punked.  The Heat certainly want to win this; and as the self-appointed Big Daddy, Shaq is the vessel thru which that winning attitude will arise.  

 It doesn't look good right now for the Heat...and as a self-appointed LA fan, I say Thank Goodness.