The questions have seemed endless in the days leading up to the creshendo that was the Spurs 4th title in 9 years last night.  Are they a dynasty? 

To understand if they are or not, we must first understand what a "dynasty" is.

Webster defines "dynasty" as a succession of rulers of the same line of descent, or a powerful group or family that maintains its position for a considerable time.  The world of sports obviously uses the second definition when throwing around such a powerful word.  Are the Spurs a dynasty?  They are not even close according to Webster.

The key phrase in this definition is "maintains its position for a considerable time".  The Spurs have never even maintained their position as champions for two consecutive seasons.  San Antonio supporters may point out the overall depth and toughness of the West as support for their claim.  The mere fact that they've won the West so many times should count for something shouldn't it?  It does count toward their historical significance in NBA lore, but a dynasty they are not.

Sports fans and writers throw this word around as if it meant, "really good for more than a couple of seasons".  That only cheapens the few real dynasties the sports world has seen.  These are the only true dynasties in sports history:

1 - 1956-1969 Boston Celtics won 13 championships in a 15 year span including eight in a row from 1958-1966.  Loaded with Hall of Fame players, and the NBA head coach of all coaches, the Celtics defined dynasty for the NBA for all time.

2-  1936-1943 New York Yankees won 6 championships in eight years.  This stretch saw the end of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, and the beginning of Joe DiMaggio.  Featuring Murder's Row and legendary pitching, the Yankees claimed the fans of New York from the Giants and Dodgers, never to give them back.

3-  1947-1962 New York Yankees won 10 titles in 16 years including five in a row from 1949-1953.  This era of Yankee dominance brought about Mickey Mantle, Maris' 61, Larson's no-hitter, and other moments that live forever in the annals of baseball history. 

4-  1964-1975 UCLA men's basetball cut the nets down 10 times in a 12 year span including seven consecutive titles from 1967-1973.  Jabbar, Walton, Johnson, Wooden, and others decorate the college basketball history books like no one has before or since.  They tought the people of Lexington, KY and the rest of the country what dominance really was.

5- 1956-1960 and 1976-1979 Montreal Canadians won five and four straight Stanley Cups respectively.  "Toe" Blake led the early version to success behind legends like Rocket Richard,  Jacques Plante, and Henri Richard.  Scotty Bowman raised the Cup behind the "new blood" of Guy LeFluer, Ken Dryden, and Rick Chartraw.  The Canadians and Yankees are the team with the best arguement of haveing two seperate dynasties, since some of the players carried over for the Yankees.

That's it.  That's the list.  Any attempt to include others only lessons the greatness of the aforementioned teams.  Many will try to include the Bulls of the 1990's, but the arguement would be better to support Jordan as an individual more than the team.  The two great Houston teams between their three-peats eliminates them from the conversation.  The Rockets were great in the middle, thus ending their run of a "considerable time". 

(Information was gathered from nhl.com, nba.com, mlb.com, and ucla.edu)

Beantown is still trying to recover from the shock that was the NBA draft lottery, sponsored by the Pacific Northwest.  Each time the NBA's most historically significant team looks as if it cannot get any worse, the four-leaf clover finds yet another way to yield bad luck.  The death of Reggie Lewis, the injury plagued end of Larry, McHale, and the Chief, the selling of the proverbial soul for Pitino, trading Chauncey Billips, and the loss of the Oden/Durant sweepstakes are all events that any franchise would struggle to over come.  Adding them all up, the sum is utter NBA disaster and disarray.  Then 30+ year old NBA fans things back to his/her childhood and views the present state of the Celtics as "unfathomable".  How could the 16 time World Champs have possibly fallen this far?  How could the karma have changed so suddenly and so violently?  The end of every dynasty has a dramatic event, a turning point, a singular event that may seem innocent at the time, but proves to be the undoing of the seemingly immovable object.  Enter Len Bias.

Just eleven days prior to the untimely and tragic death of Maryland legend Len Bias, the Celtics had won their 16th NBA Championship, far and away the most in NBA history at that time.  The Celtics happend upon the #2 pick in the upcoming draft in a trade that sent Gerald Henderson to Seattle.  This was truly "the best of times" for a franchise that had seen better times than any team in league history.  Bird, McHale, and Parrish were in their respective primes, Jabbar was nearing the end in Los Angeles, and Celtics were primed to get a player who could work into the rotation slowly and take over for Bird when he decided to pass the torch. 

The draft featured two "sure-fire" NBA stars.  The first was the 7'0" center from North Carolina, Brad Daugherty, while the second was a tremendously gifted 6'8 swingman from Maryland, Len Bias (if this begins to sound eerily familiar. . .).  Cleveland, with the first pick, did what any team would do, taking the safer pick in the center.  This left Boston with the player that some publications at the time called the best forward prospect of all time.  The Celtics were set. . .so they thought.

The newly selected Bias celebrated his fame and fortune with his friends.  An evening of crack-cocaine later, Bias is no longer with us, and the wheels of age, injuries, and other unexplainable turns of misfortune lead the Celtics to, what Dickens' calls, the "worst of times". 

Outside of the drafting of Paul Pierce, and the historic comeback win in game 3 of the 2002 playoffs vs. the Nets, it's hard to find anything good that has happened for Red's bunch.  Nothing remains of the Celtic dynasty.  Red, the Garden, and Hall of Fame rosters seem closer to the Devil Rays future.  The Celtics have even watched the Miami Heat, who didn't exist at the time of their last title, and the Red Sox. . .THE RED SOX win world championships since.  Oh how the mighty have fallen.

As the last few days and weeks have rolled by in the world of sports, I have made two observations.  The first is that some of the most amazing things have been happening.  Things that a true sports fan lives to see.  We've had fantastic finishes, great team and player stories, as well as historically significant individual efforts.  There has also been things that have dominated headlines that are nowhere near "newsworthy".  The crime in this is that many fans' attentions are being diverted to this garbage, and missing these wonderful events in sports. 

As a teacher, I always assume that when people behave inappropriately it's because they don't know what the appropriate action is.  Therefore you, the fan, will no longer need to miss the unmissable.  I, XEA76, will help you navigate your way through the trash and find the treasure.

Worthy:  Derek Fisher

This guy flies 2/3 of the way across the U.S. to pray for his potentially dying child, support the mother of his child, and be there when a man needs to be there most.  When he knows all is safe, he flies back to Utah, suits up, and inspires his team to a huge OT win. 

Not Worthy:  Racially biased NBA officiating

You have to ask what the agenda is of any organization that would even support such a study.  Anyone who actually saw the raw numbers knows that the illedged discrepency of calls of officials to players of another race were not statiscally significant.  Translated, this is why all polls have a "margin of error".  The statistics were not so skewed that there appeared to be a problem, but there was a SLIGHT descrepency.  If you really want to help the racism problem, don't make it the issue everytime people that don't look the same are in the same room.

Worthy:  Barry Bonds

I started this blog over a year ago because of this man.  Barry is a jerk.  Barry MAY be a cheater (probably).  Having said that, Barry is the greatest baseball player I've ever seen, BAR NONE!  Baseball fans live their whole lives wanting to see records broken.  He's already broken the big one.  Now he's going for the #2 record in all of baseball, the all-time HR mark.  Don't miss this because of a stupid grudge.  This is what you want to tell your kids about.  If you ignore him, you make him a mystery to the next generation. Educate yourself about him.  Teach the kids why he's so good.  Explain why cheating is bad.  However, do not miss one of the most amazing feats by one of the five greatest baseball players of all time.

Not Worthy:  Curt Schilling

Speaking his name in public is difficult to do.  This is a guy who gives the media the quotes they want, so he gets a pass on being an ####.  He is not a Hall of Fame player.  That's right, being an outspoken member of the 2004 Red Sox doesn't make you one.  Sorry Kevin Millar.  I'm not sure any person in sports is less socially significant while being oblivious to that fact at the same time.  He thinks he's important.  He speaks for political candidates.  He's a social commentator.  And frankly, all the Beanbrains want him to do is get people out.  That's right Curt.  If you make the country less dependent on oil and have an ERA over 5.00, then Boston will hate you.  I promise.

Worthy:  Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dale Jr. is leaving the company his father founded.  NASCAR's biggest star with it's biggest sponsor is officially a free agent (at the end of the year).  This event really has no other worthy comparison.  There is no other athlete more popular, in his prime, and about to be persued by about 15 Nextel Cup teams, the idea of starting his own team, or even other racing outfits like the IRL or Formula One.  Junior is the biggest free agent in the history of American sports. 

Not Worthy:  Car of Tomorrow

NASCAR made it.  NASCAR uses it now.  NASCAR wants it full time in 2008.  That settles it.  Shut up and drive it.

Worthy:  Tiger Woods

Tiger is on another dominating run.  He's winning almost every tournament he signs up for.  He's back to his dominating form with his 15th different swing.  He got to the point in 2000 when he decided to compare himself to himself, and not to the other players.  Now he's back to being so far ahead of the field it's almost laughable.

Not Worthy:  Mike Vick

He's the biggest bust since Ryan Leaf.  He's a punk who's popularity so far supercedes his accomplishments that it's obsurd.  He's a great athlete who can't play QB.  He's a spoiled brat who has robbed me of the 60 seconds of my life that it took to write this blurb.  I'm out!

Here are just some casual observations of the present NBA season so far:

• The New York Knicks (19-26) are only one game worse than the defending champion Miami Heat (19-24) while being closer (3 games) to first place than the champs (6 1/2)
• The present #1 seed in the Eastern Conference, Washington Wizards, would be the #7 seed in the Western Conference
• Steve Nash has won two consecutive MVPs and is playing his best basketball this season.  Will voters be afraid to vote Nash into the pantheon of 3 time MVPs along side Chamberlain, Jordan, Jabbar, Bird, Magic, Moses Malone, and Bill Russell?
• Gilbert Arenas recently said he'd give up an NBA season to go back to school and score 85 against Duke in response to Coach K cutting him from team USA.  Wouldn't it be easier for Duke to join the NBA's Eastern Conference?  That way we could see Agent 0 go for 85 a few times in the Conference Finals against Cameron's Crazies.
• Jerry West, an all-time legend as a player, GM, and most notably the logo, cannot go out like this! 
• If David Stern ever has an inferiority complex when trying to compete with the NFL this time of year, he should consider the fact that it could be worse.  He could have to play his All-Star Game on a Wednesday night up against American Idol.
• Isiah Thomas isn't THAT bad of a coach.
• As sad as it is to say, Shaq may be done.  He looks. . . well . . .we don't know how he looks.  He never plays anymore!
• Just how bad is it for Miami?  They beat the Knicks on Monday without Shaq and Wade, then proceeded to lose to the Knicks on Friday WITH Shaq and Wade.
• If the Grizzlies (11-34) could use just their winning percentage against Eastern Conference teams, they would be playing .315 ball which would still put them in last place in both the Central and Southeastern divisions in the East.
• Phoenix has had 2 winning streaks that each total more wins than Memphis, Boston, and Philadelphia have all season.
• When is someone going to finally realize that fans have no business voting for the All-Star starters.  Steve Nash coming off the bench would be like having Elvis Pressley as an opening act for Kenny Loggins. 
• Kevin Garnett has fallen from "best player in the league" to "NBA star" faster than any player I can ever remember.
• Luol Deng is one of the most underrated players in the league.
• This A.I. /  'Melo thing may work.

Yesterday the New York Knicks officially said goodbye to the disaster that was the 2005-2006 NBA season.  After financially settling with Larry Brown and cutting Jalen Rose, the New York Knicks are officially ready to turn to page toward Wednesday's opener against Memphis and the rest of the NBA season.

In order to fix any problem, one must first diagnose the problem.  The laundry list of Knicks problems is both long and distinguished.  However, I have narrowed the Knick problem down to three major statistics.  Today's fan love stats, well here are some that may just blow your mind, especially considering that little or nothing was done to correct these problems. 

Problem stat #! -  The Knicks are notorious for having too many "shoot now and ask questions later" guards.  There is no question that Jamal Crawford, Steve Francis, and of course, Starbury himselt fit this description to a "T".  To further this point, the Knicks only had one player rank in the top 50 in the NBA in assist-to-turnover ration.  This statistic is the single most accurate in determining a players ability (especially a point guard) to run the offense efficiently and get his teammates involved.  Stephon Marbury ranked 27 (which is still extremely low for a starting point guard getting his minutes) in the league, which was NY's only top 50 representative.    Conclusion - Someone MUST step to the plate and get this surprisingly talented roster involved without sending half of the passes to Spike Lee and friends in the stands.

Problem stat #2 -   Jamal Crawfork averaged .5 steals per turnover last season.  That ranks 45th in the NBA in that stat.  Sound bad?  It is, especially when you consider that he actually led the Knicks in this stat.  This tell us many things about the offense.  First is that big men are turning the ball over way too much.  A solid big man should have good numbers in this category, not because of his high number of steals, but his low number of turnovers.  For example, some of the names ahead of Crawford are:  Shawn Marion, Rasheed Wallace, Shane Battier, Rashard Lewis, Antawn Jamison, Kevin Garnett, Chris Webber, Michael Redd, Stephen Jackson, and Andrei Kirilenko to name a few.  Not necessary people known for steals (some are), but rank high in this category due to a lack of turnovers.  Conclusion - the Knicks have to maximize on stealing the basketball to capitalize on the open-court talent that they have while limiting the turnovers that obviously plague them severely.  Basketball is more like football than one might think here.  The team that wins the turnover battle usually wins the game.

Problem stat #3 - Somethings in basketball take little effort and can be mastered by people who have the work ethic to make it happen.  To me, blocked shots are one such stat.  Eddy Curry led the Knicks in blocks last year.  I know what you're thinking!  "Curry doesn't play any defense."  You're right!  Fourty-five players in the NBA blocked more shots per game than did Curry, unfortunately none of those 45 play their home games in Madison Square Garden.  This screams to a lack of defensive hustle and effort.  Solution - The Knicks must get more serious about defending their own basket.  They did address this somewhat with the acquisition of Jared Jeffries, but he's out until December so someone else will have to step-up until then.

Outlook for the Knicks.  People that are enthusiastic about the Knicks this season rationalize that by saying that the Eastern Conference is so bad that New York can "talent" its way into playoff contention.  That's a dangerous line of thinking because people who say that are underestimating how bad the Knicks can be at times.  Others believe that the Knicks would love nothing more than to rub a playoff run right into Larry Brown's $50 million face.  While this maybe true, Isiah Thomas doesn't exactly lead to insomnia to any opposing coach I've heard of.  The 2006-2007 Knicks will be better than last year simply because they can't be worse.  Will they be good enough to make the playoffs or at least contend?  I think they might.  Why you ask?  That's the question I can't answer, but if they turn the ball over less, steal and move the ball more, and get more aggressive on the defensive end, they will be the story of the upcoming NBA season. 

As the days are marching on toward the opening of another brutally long, however exciting NBA season, the NBA preview/prediction blogs are coming out of the woodwork.  That's great.  Everybody loves predictions, and the best thing about them are, when you're wrong, no one remembers except for you.  They are risk-free.  However, please spare us, the reading public, the same boring information time after time after time.  So, I've gone to not-so great lengths to come up with just a few sets of criteria for you before you post an NBA preview.

Rule 1 - Whatever you decide to list, make it original.  If you think the Heat, Mavericks, Spurs, or Suns are going to win the NBA title, save it!  We can read these previews on ESPN, Fox Sports, the Sporting News, or countless other media outlets that hire better writers than you to make better points than you that come to the same boring conclusion.

Rule 2 - Don't tell us how good LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are.  We already know.  You can't give us a stat we haven't already heard, and even if you can, it won't change our opinion.  If you want to slurp someone, pick Kobe, Tim Duncan, or better yet Elton Brand or some other fresh face.  Yes, we've heard Kobe and T.D. before too, but its certainly not as played out.  We all watched the playoffs last year.  Wade and LeBron are good.  Next!

Rule 3 - If you picked the Dolphins to go to the Super Bowl, then don't bother trying to convince me that the Bulls are going to the Finals.  While its better than picking the Heat, not much.  The sheik pick isn't much more appealing than the defending champs.  Heaven help us when we've come to the point that talking about the Pistons would be a refreshing change. 

Rule 4 - Don't pick on the Knicks.  I know.  I know.  It's your favorite, not-so-secret little dirty, but it's over.  The Knicks are a dead story (but please still read my Knicks preview coming soon :-).  Starbury and Franchise have enough to worry about without some other amateur ripping them for the 728,458th time.  Please, give it a rest!

Rule 5 - If you're going to "break-down" the conferences, then BREAK THEM DOWN!  I don't want to read two sentences about how I should watch out for the Middle American Hornets because Chris Paul is better than the sophomore jinx.  I'd rather read one analysis about one team that teaches me something than a blurb about every team with information I could get from clicking on NBA.com. 

Rule 6 - Finally, have the bias of a fan, unless you're not.  The thing that seperates amateur bloggers from professional sportswriters is our (amateurs) unwillingness to give in to what we're "supposed to say" and lay it on the line like, dare I say, a fan.  We're fans for P.J. Carlisimo's sake!!  We say what we want.  If you think Steve Nash sucks, then say it (please provide some data to back up your claim, but in this day and age you can make stats say whatever you want).  Don't be afraid.  So what's the worst that can happen?  Steve Nash will win a third MVP and you look like an ####?  Relax and read my introduction.  Everyone will forget anyway. 

With that in mind, 

New York Knicks over the Memphis Grizzlies in 6 games!

MVP - One word. . . STARBURY

As is always true this time of year, many NBA personalities have reached the top of their personal and professional mountain.  These deserving people will be so honored.

Shaq – Shaq has done it.  He has achieved the post-Kobe title that he has so desperately longed for, really since Kobe title #2.  The Diesel was so desperate for such a ring that he encouraged his own diminished role, allowing Dwyane Wade to lead the Heat to the trophy.  Shaq is not any higher on the all-time centers list now than he was before, but this was personal for him.  Many players cannot humble themselves from their once-great status to be a second option.  Shaq has openly and more than willingly done just that.  No one is a bigger winner here than Shaq.

Dwyane Wade – MeanD has already said it all about Wade.  He effectively moved from one the best to the best player in the NBA.  Congrats to D-Wade.

Pat Riley – The biggest historical winner of all.  Riles is now on the Mount Rushmore of NBA coaches with Phil and Red.  There is something special about winning championships in two locations.  Now he is the third coach to achieve such a status.  Pat Riley effective made a team full of former #1 or #2 options and convinced them that their diminished roles would lead them to the Promised Land.  The only thing missing on this Heat team was a 12^th man Charles Barkley holding on for a ring.  Maybe Patrick Ewing can be an assistant coach in Miami next year?

Gary Payton, Alonzo Mourning, and Antoine Walker – They have their rings.  Maybe they’ll go away now.  Unfortunately, we’re not that lucky.  I wouldn’t mind Alonzo hanging around.  I don’t like Payton but it’s not physically painful to watch him play like it is with ‘Toine.  It amazes me that in all of his years in basketball, he still doesn’t know that he can’t shoot, finish near the basket, play defense, or really bring anything positive to the table other than enthusiasm, decent ball handling out of the #4 spot, and an occasional good pass.  World Champion Antoine Walker should encourage people like Steve Francis.  If you surround yourself with enough talent, you can be a champion.  Greg Oestertag did play in the NBA finals after all.  Keep your head up Steve.  You just need to change your nickname to “Stevie Role” because “Stevie Franchise” will continue to make you “Stevie Trade Deadline Move Because I’ve Led My Team To Yet Another Lottery Pick”.

Isaiah Thomas – It’s official.  Everything Isaiah has been working for all of these years has finally happened.  Isaiah is back on an NBA sideline (as much as the Knicks can be considered an NBA team).  Someone please explain the thought process that makes someone believe, “I think we’ll be better of if Isaiah Thomas coaches our team instead of Larry Brown.  In fact, I’ll pay Larry $50 million to not be our coach.  That way I can hire Isaiah.  This is a great idea; I’ll do this today.”  MeanD’s “BDG” series may have inspired me to write my own, “Why I should run the Knicks” series.  Anyway, congrats to you Isaiah, you are now the Head Basketball Coach of the New York Knickerbockers basketball franchise. 

With so much going on in the last 72 hours, I feel like a guy with a big bag of Lay's potato chips in his lap.  I can't eat just one.  

Taylor vs. Wright fight - What a fight on Saturday night!  Extremely entertaining with the two contrasting styles of fighters.  I would've given the fight to Taylor if I had to pick a winner.  Calling it a draw was justified however.  If there is a rematch, look for Taylor to be more mindful of protecting himself against the jab.  That will lead to a clear-cut Taylor win. 

Stanley Cup Finals - We know that nobody is watching this so I'll spare you the "while you were sleeping" joke.  Edmonton has come out of nowhere to grab all the momentum in this series going into Game 7 tonight.  It should be a law that sports fans must watch any game 7 regardless of sport or interest.  The NHL always provides the best game 7's anyway.  Look for Carolina to turn the tide tonight on their home-ice and take the cup to . . .Raleigh?!?

U.S. Open - Is it really that surprising to everyone that an Open defined by the course would see someone in the clubhouse take home the championship because someone was defeated by the aforementioned course?  I was surprised at the winner, but not at how it took place.  This was still not as bad as Vandevelde!  Personally, I love to see the course get the best of these guys.  Every course gets the best of me.  Payback baby! 

World Cup - I want to say that I don't care so bad I could scream.  However, whenever nations are involved, I want the U.S. to do well.  Having said that, the dream is over.  There is no way that everything happens that needs to happen for the U.S. to advance.  Watch if you want to on Thursday, but I'm telling you its not worth it.  After all, it is just soccer.

I also have grown tired of soccer fans who say that because its the world's favorite game , we Americans are unenlightened because we don't "get it".   I don't get it.  I don't want it.  You can have Ronaldhino.  I'll take Tom Brady.

NBA Finals - Last but not least, the main event.  These finals have been incredible!  I would tell you that the Heat will win in six, but if you haven't heard that pick from me yet then you just weren't listening.  If you didn't know how big the NBA playoffs were, let me clue you in to what we've learned.

The NBA season ending with a 6 man race for MVP.  With that confusion comes the natural debate of who the best player in the league is.  There were people in the corners of Kobe, LeBron, D-Wade, Duncan, Nowitzki, Nash, maybe Garnett.  Now we are down to two.  I don't know anyone that has watched these playoffs that does not believe the two best players in the NBA are LeBron and D-Wade. 

Wade is performing on a level only seen in my life by the all-time greats.  How a man can shoot as poorly as he did for three quarters, then "flip the switch" like he had been red hot the whole game, and carry his team to a huge game 5 win is what legends are made of.  Great players don't have to score 50 every game.  They have to get the buckets when their team is in the most deperate need of them.  This was obviously D-Wade's major at Marquette. 

Dallas fans, please save the drama of the timeout, Stackhouse suspension, and phantom foul on Wade.  The timeout was obviously called by Josh Howard on the floor.  Period.  End of discussion.  Stackhouse should not have been suspended for the game.  The NBA must find a way to punish the officials who make a mistake instead of the players who benefit from the mistake.  The NBA presently does everything except change the final score in this regard.  Terrible.  Finally, Wade wasn't fouled.  However, Wade gets that call.  So does Dirk.  Tell your guy to go to the basket with the tenacity and passion that Wade does, and he'll be in that position to.  However, something tells me Dirk would've choked and missed the free throws.  I don't know why I feel that way?  

For the record, again, Heat finish the deal in Dallas in game six.  Can you still dig it? 

After what feels like 6 months of the NBA playoffs, the finals start tonight.  After what feels like 6 months of blog-silence, xea76 is back in business.  I'm excited about these finals because it brings us back to the old "east vs. west tempo" series.  Miami will try to grind it out while the Mavs, however not as much as in years past, will try to push the tempo as much as possible.

The HOT factor:  Between the two teams, Miami is definately playing the best basketball right now.  Dwayne Wade has vaulted himself into the "best post-MJ player" category.  Boy I wish ESPN would not remind us of MJ so much.  I remember him.  He was great, probably the greatest.  He's gone now.  I'm over it.  You should be too!  Shaq is still dominating in spurts.  If Shaq can do that against Rasheed plus the double and Big Ben, he won't exactly be sitting up nights worrying about the Diop, Van Horn rotation.  Advantage:  Miami

The Home Court factor:  The general feeling is that this only factors in if the series goes seven games.  However, Dallas is an amazing home team.  Not only did they tie San Antonio with the best record in the West this season but they have shown the amazing ability to respond on the road when they do lose at home.  If you are an honest, non-Mavs fan, there is no way you thought Dallas would respond after losing a closeout game at home against San Antonio.  They did just that.  They are the better home team, and the better team when playing venue is the criteria.  Advantage:  Dallas

The Coaching factor:  This is the hardest for me even though its the easiest on paper.  As great as Pat Riley has been, I can't find Magic Johnson on this Miami roster.  I can't get over the fact that all of his finals success came with one group of players.  Obviously Avery is a newcomer, but how can you not love the difference you see in the post-Nellie Mavs.  These are hardnosed, athletic, tough guys that get after like . . . well . . . a Pat Riley team!  I'm giving the edge to Riles here, but as Lee Corso would say, "It's closer than the experts think".   Advantage:  Miami

 The Best Player factor:  The bottom line on this element of the series is this:  No Heat player is playing better than Dirk Nowitzki.  No Mavs player is better than Dwayne Wade.  Dirk can shoot his team to the title.  I have no doubt.  However, Wade can make the play on the defensive end that creates the ability to win the game on the offensive end.  In my opinion, LeBron James is the only player that even belongs in the same sentence with Wade.  If Kobe can get his mind right, he's right there too.  Advantage:  Miami 

In the end, this series is going to come down to a few factors beyond the ones mentioned above.  Who will be more productive, Antoine Walker or Josh Howard?  Can Shaq avoid foul trouble (both committing too many and missing too many when he's fouled"?  WIl Jason Williams contribute anything?  If Dallas has to double Shaq, will they double with "bigs" or "smalls"?  Can Miami make shots if Shaq is doubled?

I have one simple philosophy when it comes to the NBA finals predicitons.  If Shaq is in it, I'm taking his team.  I can honestly say I developed that montra after his early career encounter with Hakeem!  Shaq is not the Shaq of old, but there is still no answer for him in the league.  I would like to present to you the 2005-2006 NBA World Champion Miami Heat.  Can you dig it!?!

Critics of the NBA have said that the league is nothing more than five games of one-on-one on the same court with one ball.  More than any other league, the NBA is driven by its individual players.  More than any league, a game or series can be “taken over” by one player.  Anti-NBA sports fans complain that the days of the 1970’s Knicks are over.  There are no more teams, just teams with a great player that carries his team on his back.  However, today’s game between Cleveland’s Cavs and Detroit’s Pistons offers every sports fans dream.  This game offers us the extremely unique opportunity to watch the game’s ultimate player try to lead his team past the league’s ultimate team in sports’ ultimate game.  When was the last time we got to witness the league’s best player try to overcome the league’s best team in a game seven scenario?  Today’s game is the ultimate sports experience.  Enjoy.

Is there anything more played out in pro sports than the “guarantee”.  Guarantees have gone from the brazen upstart “Broadway” Joe to the average Joe popping off at any opportunity.  It all comes down to the fact that we live in a different era.  The Super Bowl III story of Namath and the guarantee are legendary.  After that, Mark Messier comes to mind with his hat trick following a guarantee over the Devils.  At this point, the rest is garbage.  America and pro athletes were completely different then.  In 1969, people did what their bosses, teachers, police, and other authority figures did because they were the authority.  Americans went to work, did the job, and went home.  That was it.  Now, we live in a much more arrogant age.  Namath’s guarantee was legendary because people didn’t do that back then.  This was the pre-McEnroe era of sports.  Athletes were invisible.  Athletes weren’t more respectful of the opponent.  They were just more publicly respectful.  Now, confidence bordering on arrogance is viewed as being essential for an athlete to reach the upper-echelon of professional sports.  Every athlete believes his/her team is going to win every game.  If they don’t then you don’t want them on your team.  Let’s also not forget how much of an underdog the Jets were.  The Namath guarantee most closely compares to the Monty Brewster claim that he could get anybody out for three innings in the movie “Brewster’s Millions”.  He then paid the Yankees to scrimmage he and his Hackensack Bulls to a three inning exhibition in which Monty was proven wrong.  It was not a guarantee from the third option on the NBA’s best team speaking about a second round playoff game in which the opponent’s number two scorer is out on bereavement leave.  The bottom line is that there is, has been, and always will be only one “guarantee” in sports history.  With that in mind, shut up Rasheed!

It seems that just about everyone complains about media bias.  Conservatives hate all of the major news media outlets because they are too liberal.  Liberals hate Fox News and talk radio because it is too conservative.  Moderates hate them both because both are too over-the-top for them.  Everyone agrees that there is media bias no matter what side of the political isle they are on.  However, why do the sports media get a pass?   Outrageous statements, foolish predictions, and pointless comparisons have become par for the course for the sports fan who is simply trying to keep up with the happenings in his/her favorite hobby.  The U.S. government knows that competition in our economy is good, and a company having a monopoly is bad for the consumer.  Knowing this, I wish someone, anyone, would step-up and challenge the “worldwide leader in sports”.  I’m so sick of that network I could scream.  However, what other choice do I have to keep up with the only hobby I’m truly passionate about, sports?  Every night, during that “news” program that they air at 6 p.m., I must watch a stupid top-ten list that I, nor anyone I've ever met, care anything about.  I have to listen to speculation about who had the best draft, who will pitch to Barry, and will Kobe score 60 points tonight.  I have to listen to Sean Salisbury talk about how foolish the Texans are to draft a defensive end over Reggie Bush.  Then, literally 45 seconds later, he is asked "what is the most important position on an NFL team other than QB", and he answers a pass-rushing defensive end.  Doesn’t anyone see how stupid these people are on this channel?  Sure they do, but what other choice do they have?  Earlier this week, the “worldwide leader” had a link to a story on their website that read, “Jeter is no Honus Wagner”.  Who cares?!?  Can we please just watch these guys play and not put them in a historical context?  Derek Jeter is in the prime of his career.  Why do we have to put him in the Hall of Fame already?  Let the man do his job.  Comparing players across generations is impossible.  Sure it’s fun to talk about with your friends, but I don’t want to read or hear about it when this program is supposed to be informing me.  If ESPN was a newspaper, the news would be on one page and rest would be a bunch of bloviating editorial garbage.  So please, someone, anyone, compete with these people.  Fox, CBS, NBC, or someone, give us an alternative.  We need it.  We want it.  If they can support five different channels, I’m sure you can support one.