As promised here is an update of the Gunn Show’s first ever All in the Family NBA Prognostication challenge:

     After the Suns came back to defeat the Lakers, things got ugly for my mom. Her only chance of beating me was wiped out with the Suns victory. With that I will give you, my loyal readers, an update of how things look so far.

The Gunn Show 7,  The Gunn Show’s mom 5

     As you can see, although it is a very tight race, I still hold a two point advantage. But because my Mom has the Lakers making the Western Conference semis, two points are all I need to ensure my victory.

     What ended up hurting my mom the most were the close series between the Pacers-Nets, the Suns-Lakers and Wizards-Cavaliers. She got all three wrong, but in her defense, so did a lot of great basketball minds. Those match-ups could have gone the other way and she could have gone 8-0.

     My only slip up was my prediction that the Pacers would beat the Nets. I miscalculated and thought the Pacers would be a better playoff team this year not the Nets. Oh well, nobody is perfect.

     I will say, although the pick was ridiculous, it could have led her to the promised land in the form of a big victory over her son.

     Anyway, valiant effort mom, you still know more about sports than most of my friends.

Jon Gunnells is a journalism senior at Michigan State University who is pretty sure his mom knows more about baseball and college football than your mom, and probably your dad too. He can be reached at gunnell2@msu.edu

     Although she once referred to a hockey face off as a “jump puck” my mom is a pretty knowledgeable sports fan. Well, for a mom at least. She knows college football and Detroit Tigers baseball, and she’s been known to dabble when it comes to NBA basketball.      

    Two weeks ago, I asked my for her basketball picks for part of the first ever “Gunn” Show All in the Family Prognostication Challenge, where mother and son will square off in a battle of NBA playoff wits.After reading the selections, you may be surprised to see how a 20 year-old sports fanatic fares against his not so informed casual sports fan of a mother.

       The "Gunn" Show's basketball resume:

-Casual NBA fan, fairly large Detroit Pistons fan.

-Attended Vinnie “The Microwave” Johnson’s farewell game.

-Knows somebody who knows somebody who works for Joe Dumars.

-Owned a Bad Boys shirt in 1990.

 The “Gunn” Show’s Picks:

Eastern Conference:

Pistons over Bucks, Cavaliers over Wizards, Heat over Bulls and Pacers over Nets.

 Western Conference:

Clippers over Nuggets, Spurs over Kings, Suns over Lakers and  Mavericks over Grizzlies.

Conference Finals:

Pistons over Heat and Spurs over Suns.

NBA Finals:

Pistons over Spurs

 Pre-playoff MVP selection:

Kobe Bryant: Led the league in scoring for the second straight year, and helped the     hapless Lakers to a 45 win season.

 The “Gunn” Show’s Mom’s basketball resume:

-Has an Isiah Thomas autograph.

-Has seen White Men Can’t Jump numerous times

-Parks mini van in a garage sporting a basketball hoop

-Bought son a Bad Boys shirt in 1990

The “Gunn” Show’s Mom’s picks:

Eastern Conference:

Pistons over Bucks, Wizards over Cavaliers, Pacers over Nets and Heat over Bulls.

Western Conference:

Spurs over Kings, Nuggets over Clippers, Lakers over Suns and Mavericks over Grizzlies.

Pre playoff NBA MVP selection:

Chauncey Billups: “He has better hair than Steve Nash.”

Conference Finals:

Pistons over Heat and Spurs over Lakers.

NBA finals:

Pistons over Spurs (Larry Who?).

     With most of the playoff series winding down it looks like I currently hold a slight lead over my mom after the Clippers won their series last night. We also each picked up a win after the Mavericks swept the Grizzlies. So with two of eight first round playoff series completed the score is:

The “Gunn” Show 2, The “Gunn” Show’s mom 1

     While we still share many common picks including the Pacers over the Nets (I don’t know how that came about) and a Pistons Spurs final, there are some match-ups that are bound to shake things up. It looks as if the Suns don’t come back against the Lakers I could be in some serious trouble; especially if Kobe can help the Lakers win another series. If the Lakers do somehow, make it to the third round, I am more or less toast, and only able to pull out a tie, if the Cavaliers defeat the Wizards.

     I’m going to take a good guess that my mom is so removed from the Lakers recent controversies that she completely missed them being terrible, and made it back just in time for the wins again. But that doesn’t mean I can’t give her props for a great pick. At this point I’m going to go out on a limb here and say her Lakers upset may have been the best pick of the whole bunch excluding where she wrote “Larry Who?” next to her Pistons championship selection. With a quarter of the first round matches completed things are getting exciting in the first ever "Gunn" Show All in the Family Prognostication Challenge.

Jon Gunnells is a journalism junior at Michigan State University who could not fathom losing to his mom in a battle of sports wits. He can be reached at gunnell2@msu.edu. The Lakers though? Really?

                             

Welcome to the Gunn Show version 2.0 where CCW'S are always free

Overwhelming amounts of NBA playoff talk makes me hungry. So it should be understandable that I’m thinking about fast food at this critical first round juncture. The more I think about fast food and NBA teams, the more similarities I uncover.

Take the Chicago Bulls and McDonald’s for Example:

The year is 1991; if you don’t like the Bulls and you don’t like McDonald’s your basically dead to the world. Still, 15 years later, the Bulls and McDonald’s go together like lamb and tuna fish. Just like McDonald’s, the Bulls have their moments. They’ve got the old favorites- the nuggets, the Big Mac, the Fillet-O-Fish, but once you get deeper on the menu, and or depth chart, things change. Whereas you once thought the Dollar Menu McChicken was a formidable front office move, you also thought the Erik Piatkowski acquisition was something to write home about. Then all of a sudden, three bites into your bargain bin poultry you say, “Hey, I just gnawed into a chicken tendon, this is almost as disgusting as saving a roster spot for an eleven year veteran out of Nebraska.” 

            I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking Gunnells, you’re crazy. Piatkowski owns just about every record involving the three ball and the Los Angeles Clippers. But that my friend is when you get yourself in trouble. That’s the time you go back to McDonald’s and order the McChicken, only to be foiled once more by a grade-D slab of hen. If I haven’t already confused you, I’m going to use the Clippers as a segue to my next comparison

The New York Knicks and Long John Silvers

      I don’t make this comparison because Long John Silver’s and the New York Knicks are the worse fast food restaurant and basketball team this decade. I make this comparison because a fish stick could manage to build a better organization in New York than Isaiah Thomas.

 The Los Angeles Clippers and Sonic Burger

      Sonic Burger and the Clippers use the term good as loosely as possible. I see these Sonic Burger commercials up here in the original love glove, but never, excluding my trip to St. Louis for the Final Four, have I seen a Sonic Burger. Sonic Burger, which is heralded as not being just good, but being “Sonic Good.” Was so mediocre in fact, when I drove by after the Louisville-Illinois blowout, the eatery was closed. Similarly, the Clippers version of good involves getting the sixth best record in the Western Conference. Congratulations Clipps you’ve reached Detroit Pistons status circa 1998.

The Detroit Pistons and Wendy’s

 

I’ve always enjoyed a nice, tall, cold, and frosty. On it’s own it’s good, but by no means an All-Star like a Whopper or a Big Montana. But, when you put the frosty next to a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger, a side salad, and two- five piece chicken assortments, you’ve got yourselves a starting five about as impressive as the boys in blue.

PG- Chauncey Billups- Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger; the heart of the meal

SG- Rip Hamilton- side salad; the burger’s sidekick

SF- Tayshaun Prince- Frosty: tall and reliable

PF/C-Ben/Rasheed Wallace – the nuggets: filling but not overshadowing.

The Denver Nuggets and Taco Bell

If I need to go further than comparing Eduardo Najera’s hometown (Chihuahua, Mexico) to the former talking canine Taco Bell spokesman, you are clearly not a member of my target audience. But for sake of proving my point I will take my idea one step further. Is there anything more clutch than the Cheesy Gordita Crunch, or in basketball terms, Carmello Anthony? I think not.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Burger King

 

In the land of burger’s the Whopper is king. In the land of hardwood and high tops, Lebron James is King. No word yet if you can order King James without lettuce and tomato.

The Los Angeles Lakers (A.K.A. Kobe and the Misfits) and Arby’s

      There is nothing good to eat at Arby’s besides the roast beef. There is nothing good to watch on the Lakers besides Kobe. Glad we cleared that up.

The Miami Heat and Del Taco

     For those of you unfamiliar with Del Taco, you are truly missing out. This Mexican themed restaurant not only serves breakfast and top notch fish tacos, they also serve fries burgers and shakes, bringing together the best of both fast food worlds. In a similar fashion the Miami Heat brings together the best in both the backcourt and frontcourt world’s behind thunder-chunky center Shaquille O’Neal, and young team leader Dwayne Wade.

The Dallas Mavericks and Jack in the Box

      Although I’ve never seen a Jack in the Box restaurant, or the Dallas Mavericks defense, I am sure they both exist because I googled them earlier.

Jon Gunnells is journalism junior at Michigan State University who is competing in the NGS 2 and finally using a word processor. He can be reached at gunnell2@msu.edu.