This is the worst weekend of the year. No football. No NASCAR. Just wall-to-wall hoops (although there were some EXCELLENT games today), some golf, and the NHL All-Star Game. Just because there is no football or NASCAR doesn't mean that fans can't vent and throw the objects of their ire Under The Bus this week! I have a few teams that I'd like to throw under the Bus.

NBA

Indiana Pacers: why, oh why, did you have to go out and LOSE to the hapless Miami Heat? The Heat had lost umpteen games in a row prior to facing the Pacers. Yet the Pacers allowed the Heat to play like the 2006 version of the Heat. For that, not only do you get thrown under the Bus, you should be demoted to the D-league.

Phoenix Suns: once again, they fatten up on the bottom feeders of the league by beating the Bulls. I will stop throwing them under the Bus once they face some QUALITY competition. I was happy to see that they had lost to the T-wolves earlier in the week. I'm not worried--they won't win the NBA championship because of the lack of a true big man. Amare Stoudemire is a 4 playing at the 5. He'll be worn down come playoff time. On a related note, I throw the NBA schedulers under the Bus as well.

The roof inspectors at the Staples Center: these geniuses proceeded to cause a 12 minute delay in the first quarter of the Lakers-Cavaliers game because of some rain-soaked clothing they had left on a catwalk above the north basket. Naturally, the water dripped through the slats to the floor behind the basket. That 12 minute delay allowed LeBron James a critical rest period, as he was playing with his usual high energy. He didn't come out at all in the second half. Whatever happened to going to floor level to change clothes in the bathroom? For this act of intelligence, the roof inspectors get thrown under the Bus.

NFL

Oakland Raiders: if the ESPN report is true, and the Raiders are preparing to replace Lane Kiffin with Dennis Green, the Raiders brass should be thrown under the Bus, then the Bus backs up and runs them over again, then moves forward to run them over again, then repeat the process until the Bus runs out of gas. WHY the #### would you do something like that? Especially when the Raiders were being praised league-wide for going in the RIGHT direction? I thought the head coach had the right to hire and fire his own people? As head coach, Kiffin SHOULD have the right to fire Rob Ryan; it's his prerogative.

San Francisco 49ers: for hiring Mike Martz as offensive coordinator. Yes, it's a few weeks late to be doing this, but better late than never. It's a BAD fit. They have a stud TE in Vernon Davis. Martz is DEATHLY ALLERGIC to tight ends. Cam Cameron would have been a better fit in San Francisco. At least his offense goes to the TE at least once a game! The Niners' brass gets thrown under the Bus for hiring Martz.

The League: for scheduling the San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints to play in London in late October. Scheduling a regular-season game overseas is a BAD idea. Schedule a preseason game in Week 3 of the preseason in London instead. Week 3 is the week of the preseason that closely mirrors Week 1 of the regular season. NFL, I love ya, you're my favorite sport, but a bad idea deserves to be called out and thrown under the Bus.

Ben Roethlisberger: Big Ben gets thrown under the bus for implying that the Steelers' WR corps isn't good enough. No wonder Hines Ward is pissed. I'd be pissed, too. You just threw your All-World stud WR and stud human being under the bus. Big Ben said, "I'd like a taller WR." Instead of meeting with the Steelers' brass behind closed doors to make his request, he opted to air it out through the media. Big Ben, when you won Super Bowl XL as a member of the Steelers, who were your receivers? Was Plaxico Burress among your WRs that season? Yes, it doesn't suck for a QB to have a 6'5" WR that makes plays in the Red Zone. Yet Hines Ward made HUGE plays in the Red Zone game after game that season, including some in said Super Bowl. Hines Ward is closer to 5'10" than 6'5". I'll let Hines Ward drive the Bus that Big Ben is to be thrown under. 

MLB

The Media: more specifically, the media that think there are only two teams--the Yankees and Red Sox. Yes, the two teams have a long and bitter rivalry. Yes, they're both very good teams. But it hasn't always been this way. For a long time, the Red Sox sucked while the Yankees ruled baseball. When the Yankees sucked, the Sox were good. There are OTHER teams besides the Yankees and Red Sox. The Myopic Media gets thrown under the Bus. 

NCAA

Alabama Crimson Tide: actually, I don't have the heart to throw the Tide under the bus because they're coming hard after Fresno State OC Jim McElwain. And I have a soft spot in my heart for the Tide. Naturally as a Bulldogs fan I want McElwain to stay at Fresno State, but if he does decide to go to Alabama, I wish him the best. The Tide will be getting one of the nation's best college OC's. Tide fan, be very thankful that Nick Saban has a close friendship with Fresno State coach Pat Hill from their Cleveland Browns days under Bill Belichick. 

Those are my nominees for this week. Your comments and nominees are welcome.         

I bet somewhere in Pistonland, Piston Fan (and/or Player) is shaking his head wondering, what the hell just happened? I'll tell you what happened: Daniel "Boobie" Gibson shot the lights out of Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena, aka "The Q" to the tune of a career-high 31 points, most of those in the second half when it was crunch time. Now LeBron has a running mate he has wanted since he arrived in C-town.

With the Pistons determined, er, obsessed with stopping LeBron James it was Gibson that stepped up and hit huge shot after huge shot. Not only was he hot from the outside, he attacked the basket with fervor and set up several free throw opportunities and he nailed every free throw he attempted. The Pistons unintentionally set themselves a Boobie Trap that they were ultimately unable to escape from.

Where do the Pistons go from here? They will still be a formidable team although they have a little wear and tear on the tires. Chauncey Billups is a free agent, but the Pistons may re-sign him. They will need to build depth along their front line, as Chris Webber is aging, Rasheed Wallace is getting up in years, as is Antonio McDyess. I think they may have one or two good years left before the rebuilding process begins. They will still be a playoff team but their dominance of the Eastern Conference is over.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals is set for Thursday night in San Antonio. While I like Cleveland's youth and energy, ultimately I have to go with the Spurs to win in six games. The Spurs are battle-tested and well-rested. If anything they may be rusty in Game 1 due to their early shellacking of the Utah Jazz.