Hello friends,

While once again the NBA or professional sports league has apologized for another blown call after the fact. In this case it was Brent Barry being bumped and foulled at the end of Game 4 against the Lakers. The Spurs were down 93-91 with 2.1 seconds left . The pass went into Barry who some say traveled. Then he got bumped by Derek Fisher, threw the ball towards the basket before the buzzer about a 23 foot jumper, mised and then looked to the referee for the foul. Later classily Barry and Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said a foul wasn't likely to be called and while upset and disappointed there was acceptance UNTIL NOW! The NBA has issued another after the fact apology but in this case they could still do something that could still change the series.

I suggest before Game 5 tonight in Los Angeles in an empty arena with no competitive advantage to consitute San Antonio as the home team ha ha, Then have Brent Barry shoot the two free throws. If he makes them then overtime on an empty court so no Lakers crowd advantage ha ha to decide Game 4 before tonights Game 5. If the NBA is serious about it's apology then I want to see it. Remember when the Yankees and Royals came back to New York for a 12 minute game in the 1983 George Brett pine tar home run incident. Seriously though shooting these free throws is the best thing the NBA could do if they're sincere. But they WONT DO IT so all I as a diappointed Spurs and sports fan can do is talk about it. Let me know your thoughts friends and talk soon. Have a great and productive day. Best wishes. fenfan

Hello friends,

Well it looks like the Los Angeles Lakers and the Detroit Red Wings could be celebrating titles and re-establishing their long time dynasties again. The Lakers much to my chagrin as a San Antonio Spurs fan have proven to be the younger and more athletic team and they are gaining experience fast in this series and while it is only the Western Conference Finals they are on the way to dethroning the defebding champion Spurs and should be favored in the East against the PIstons or Celtics although they are good teams as well. They just havent beaten teams like the ones that the Lakers and Spurs face in the Western Conference. Kobe Bryant with help from Pal Gasol, Derek Fisher and Lamar Odom has reestablished this as his team and Phil Jackson is once again the ringleader as coach though he is brilliant as well.

The Detroit Red Wings are on their way to winning a fourth Stanley Cup in the last 11 years. This was supposed to be a dream matchup with Sidney Crosby and the young and upstart Pittsburgh Penguins. In a few years it might be once the Penguins get a little more experience. To this point it is a nice story for them and hockey but the Wings are also too dominant at this point. Of course at the time of this writing it is not over for either the Lakers or Red Wings but I look for both to be having championship parades in June. As always we'll see what happens. As for now it's almost time for a changing of the guard and watching the re-established champions in Detroit and Los Angeles come back to take their throne. Take care and best wishes friends. Have a great and productive day. fenfan

P.S. That being said I also give credit to the refs for the non call on the Brent Barry shot and possible foul at the end of Game 4 against the Lakers. There is always to much speculations with calls by referees in the NBA . Barry got bumped by Derek Fisher and then shot the ball afterward hoping it would go in to win the game or at the very least get the call. To Brent Barry's credit he said while he looked for the call as a player he didn't expect to get it and took it respectfully. I as a Spurs fan don't want to win cheaply and if the Lakers win the series as I said I'll be satisfied with the way the outcome happened and say congratulations.

Hello friends,

I  wanted to write my thoughts about Robert Horry and it pretty much is a judgement call depending how you look at his plays both last night when he slightly gave a legal bump to an already injured David West and last year when it looked like he closelined Steve Nash, but Nash who is from Canada and apparently had some good hockey exposure took a dive and acted appropriately as well.

Yes friends I am a Spurs fan and want them to win but I also have a lot of respect for Robert Horry who has made big shots earning him the name Big Shot Bob and teams he has been on have won seven championships and could be eight if the Spurs come back this year.

But his hard play shouldn't be mistaken for cheap shots. If you go back to the game in the 1970's when Maurice Lucas, Elvin Hayes and Wes Unseld played you saw basketball that was more like football/hockey fights. Remember Kermit Washington's sucker punch of Rudy Tomjonovich? When you look at those kinds of players and cheap shots you will see that Robert Horry's play is a lot softer. No that doesn't mean Robert Horry is soft. It just shows that the NBA doesn't quite have the enforcers it used to have and the action is more cleaned up although events like the brawl at the Palace between the PIstons and Pacers or the Knicks Nuggets melee with Carmelo Anthony can happen.

So as I said before we jump down Robert Horry's back for hard fouls and play and/or cheap shots, lets just take a look at the NBA's past history of hard.cheap play and then we'll make a judgement. In conclusion I want the Spurs to win but I also want fair and clean play, but unforunately sometimes that's a judgement call that will always be debated and makes good media coverage and sports talk like we're having here friends. Let me know your thoughts and we'll be in touch friends. Have a great and productive day and best wishes. fenfan

Hello friends,

Well I think we've got a nice finals set up in the NBA with King Lebron James and his court the Cleveland Cavaliers vs the established champions the three time champion San Antonio Spurs led by their star player Tim Duncan.

Now I'm a Spurs fan and I'm rooting for them but I think it's tremendous that a young superstar like Lebron James and a long struggling team like the Cleveland Cavaliers are finally in the finals against the established champion in the San Antonio Spurs. Now people will say Lebron is only in his third or fourth year so he'll have so many more chances to get back to this level but isn't that what they said after Dan Marino made the Super Bowl in his second year in the league, didn't win and never returned to that event.

You never know so enjoy it Lebron and Cleveland and we'll see where it goes from here. On another note I heard Lebron might be having a child during the finals and that's an extremely exciting personal time for him and his family and also a difficult decision considering his importance in the Finals. I don't know what to tell him That's an extremely tough personal and professional decision for him to make but I hope it works out best for him and his family. Just remember most of us don't have to go to work in front of the world spotlight and have all the hopes and dreams of him playing or not. But on the other hand his decisions as a father are just as important. Just ask Derek Fisher of the Utah Jazz who went through a similar family/basketball decision in these playoffs but it all worked out for him and his family and team.

As for the finals I think it will be a great finals but I think the Spurs will win methodically as they often do because they are the better team. But with Lebron James and his Cleveland youth and energy I won't count them out either. I'll say the Spurs will win in six or seven but good luck and welcome Cleveland and Lebron James. It's exciting to have them here as well.  Take care and talk soon friends and always have a great and productive day. Best wishes. fenfan

Hello Friends,

How are you doing? Well it's another Red Sox Yankees weekend at Fenway Park and the only thing missing is Roger Clemens isn't pitching and the Yankees are 13 1/2 back. So what happens next?  Does Clemens resurect the Yankees season every 5 days? Does A-Rod have another embarrasing moment on or off the field or do the Red Sox just start putting the nail in the coffin and praying it's not another 1978 season. Dont worry Red Sox fans it shouldn't be. These aren't those Yankees but they are still the high priced and talented George Steinbrenner Joe Torre led Yankees so who knows and the Yankees are always interesting and worth a headline so we'll see.

June is also time for the Finals in the NBA and the NHL Stanley Cup Finals as well. First the NBA. I'm happy to see the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals again. Kind of a boring team to watch but I love the way they play and win and I especially enjoy those parades down the Riverwalk the best championship celebration site in sports I think and after that Tony Parker gets to marry Desperate Housewives Eva Longoria sorry I don't have a picture of her but you can imagine her in France where they are getting married July 7. Anyway  back to basketball it would be nice to see Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli my favorite player on the Spurs and Parker and the rest of the team win again for Spurs fans that is. It's an odd numbered year and the Spurs aren't going for a repeat so things could be in their favor this year. I think it would be fun to play Lebron James and the Cavaliers for NBA fans watching and I get tired of the Pistons boring defensive style even if they aren't quite the Bad Boys of the 1980's. As I always say we'll see.

As for the NHL for those hockey fans who are watching the Anaheim Ducks are dominating so far at 2-0 in the series but I'm looking forward to the series going back to Ottawa and the Canadian fans spirit. That's what I think makes the games exciting for those who watch and I hope Ottawa can bring back the Stanley Cup to Ottawa and Canada although it looks like Anahiem is the better team at this poiint.

Finally a couple of things what do you all think of Kobe Bryant wanting a trade out of Los Angeles and the Lakers and where should he go if he gets out of his contract? Also just in Billy Donavon has decided to leave the University of Florida Gators and two national championships to go down the road in Florida to the NBA and the Orlando Magic. I think that could hurt his legacy bacause great college coaches aren't  often great in the NBA or NFL ala Steve Spurrier and Billy Donavon's legacy will be hurt because he won't have the same control he did in college and those coaches are often disappointed. Meanwhile the one's who go to college coaching like USC's football coach Pete Carroll often have great success.So good luck Billy Donovan, but my opinion is you'll be back in college coaching again like your mentor Rick Pitino and also John Calapari. So we'll see what happens and let me know what you think as always friends.Best wishes and have great and productive days friends and talk soon again.

Hello friends,

Today I wanted to talk about a couple of things. The San Antonio Spurs my favorite NBA team are in a tough second round series with the Phoenix Suns and I'd like to talk about their chances for another championship. And the big news of the week in baseball is of course the Rocketman Roger Clemens returning to New York and his "beloved" Yankees.

First the Spurs who are once again involved in another tough playoff series this time with the very talented fast paced Phoenix Suns who if they score 100 points automatically win. Wrong at least Sunday the Spurs showed they could play with the Suns pace and beat them 111-106 in Game 1. Of course they had a little unfortunate help from the Suns when Suns guard Steve Nash collided in a nasty head butt with Spurs guard Tony Parker and Steve Nash got the worst of it with an ugly bloody nose gash, but amazingly his nose wasn't broken and he returned to the game and hit a key three pointer although he lost some valuable time on the clock being out with the nose gash which ultimately cost the Suns although remember the Spurs got 32 points from superstar player Tim Duncan so that helped too in the Spurs win. There's several games left in the series though so we'll see what happens.

As much as I respect the Suns and the rest of the NBA I like the Spurs chances. They have a veteran well balanced team who's been there before. The Dallas Mavericks should take note of that. They also have a couple of intangibles which we'll see if it works for them again this year. It's an odd numbered year 2007 and they won their previous three championships in odd years 2005, 2003 and 1999 so maybe that's in their favor. They're also not trying to repeat as champion this year which for some reason they have trouble doing. Anyway I'd love to see them win again for nothing else they have the coolest championship celebration riding the gondolas down the Riverwalk in downtown San Antonio one of the more picturesque places to celebrate.

As for Roger Clemens good luck and congratulations on your decision to return to the Yankees except when he pitches against the Red Sox of course. I think he made the right move for himself and might be a better fit for the Yankees rotation who might need him much more than the Red Sox would. I've "divorced  myself"  from ever thinking he'll come back with the Red Sox because New York is obviously where he wants to be. He's won championships there, he's friends with manager Joe Torre, pitcher Andy Pettite and shortstop Derek Jeter and he even gets along with the Boss George Steinbrenner so yes I think he should retire a Yankee and go into the Hall of Fame with a Yankee cap even though he spent the first 12 years of his career in Boston, had two 20 strikeout games and won 3 or 4 of his 7 Cy Young awards there. So good luck Roger the Red Sox will be just fine without you and by the way you're 45 not 25 years old no matter how good you are. I also enjoyed seeing him pitch in Houston last year so that was a thrill as well.

One last thing I'd like to mention is the media's bias towards wanting big market teams to win. While I understand it's a business and there are more people in the big cities like New York and Los Angeles, it is not fair to the fans in the smaller cities to not be able to equally compete and or get equal coverage in the media's eyes. Otherwise it should be a big market's league. Finally to New England quarterback Tom Brady, it's ok to wear a Yankees cap in New York even though he plays in Boston home of the Red Sox. You see players wearing caps or jerseys of teams they like in other sports all the time so what's the big deal. I've heard Curt Schilling of the Red Sox is a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, but I don't hear him being criticized or ridiculed. Well those are my rants and raves today. We'll talk soon friends and have great and productive days always.

Hello Sports Friends,

I thought I'd try a blog on here today where I talk about the state of my favorite teams. I saw another blogger on here do this. I think he was from the Boston area. Anyways in this past month we've had the State of the Union, the NFL has the State of the NFL with the commisioner at the Super Bowl this week so this is the state of my teams, we'll do it with the pro leagues in this post and see where it goes.

Anyways my number one favorite pro team in sports is the Pittsburgh Steelers who are defending champions for a few more days. They had a rough season being Super Bowl champs, Ben Roethisberger's on and off field injuries, Bill Cowher leaving as coach and now hiring only their third coach in the last 38 years Mike Tomlin. Still as tough a year as it was they rebounded from a 2-6 start to finish 8-8 and I'm proud of them for that.

Number two would be the Boston Red Sox. After winning the World Seies championship in 2004 they have had some injuries and roster changes and of course always have to deal with the Yankees in the AL East. Still they have David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Jason Varitek and Curt Schilling from that team along with a core of good or young players and if they can find a way to get a closer or Jonathon Papelbon, then I think they'll be ok and contend in the AL East again. Matsusaka is also an X factor that we have to find out about.

Number three is the San Antonio Spurs. I'm not the biggest basketball  fan anymore but I like this team and their rivalry with the Dallas Mavericks. With Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli and the rest of the team they have won three NBA championships and still have a good veteran core that can contend although it's a lot tougher in the West with teams like Dallas, Phoenix and the two LA teams the Lakers and Clippers to deal with. Still if they stay healthy and play well in the playoffs they have as good a chance as any so we'll see.

Number four I'll pick the Dallas Stars, my local area team and the team in my second favorite sport after football,  hockey. I got to go to a Stars game a few years ago, I like following them as the local team and they have had a good contending team, changing every year of course but still in the mix every year since winning the Stanley Cup in 1999. Mike Modano is still there and they have a good mix of veterans and youngsters when their healthy. The only problem has been their lack of recent playoff success, but if goalie Marty Turco could turn it around and the team could stay healthy and play well then they could go a long way. We'll see wehat happens down the stretch and in the playoffs.

To round out my top five of teams I'll pick a team I like unconditionally the Milwaukee Brewers. I realize it is tough for them being a small market team in baseball withough any kind of salary cap which the players refuse so I root for them whether they're good or bad because they're my original hometown team from childhood, they play hard and I have memories of the 1982 World Series which they could have won if  relief pitcher Rollie Fingers among othyer things   had not been injured and I just like going out to the ballpark in the summer soI'll include them..

Anyways that's my top five teams in pro sports. Shortly my second five include the Chicago Cubs, Toronto Maple Leafs, Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Vikings who all can never seem to win the big one in a long team. Other teams I like are NFC North rivals the Chicago Bears who I'm rooting for in the Super Bowl, the Green Bay Packers who are my original home state team and who I take a lot of good natured grief from family and friends who want them to be my favorite team, sorry , but I still like and respect their team especially when they win. Other teams I like are the Canadian hockey teams because that is where the core of hockey fans is and finally the Texas Trio of the Rangers, Astros and Mavericks who have a good chance to win an NBA championship this year. We'll see. Well I hope you have enjoyed looking at my sports teams this week. We'll watch the Super Bowl and see what happens and we'll talk soon. I'm also excited to see how Wisconsin men's basketball does as they push for a possible #1 ranking and the NCAA tournament in March.Anyways have a great and productive day friends and we'll talk soon. Best wishes always. Fenfan67