As I peer into many of my fellow bloggers respective blogs, I notice a peculiar thing about most but not all....are we so entrenched into our own hometown love that it clouds our actual view? Is someone that talks only about the town that they claim as home an actual sports fan? Of course we see this bias in our great sports writers today...I enjoy Mark Stein's basketball articles...but then he gets on these rants about his beloved Cal team...and Bill Simmons....will he ever run out of things to say about Boston? The list goes on and on and you can also see where the "hometown love" creates a vacuum of more biased than actual unbiased journalism.

I will tell you the truth, the second I read a blog about one certain team, I immediately check to see where the writer is coming from. I see at times that the "hometown love" takes over and the writer is more entrenched in writing on feeling that actual fact. That's when I stop reading. Because, if I wanted biased journalism, I'd listen to Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, and Ann Coulter more.

It's unavoidable, especially when a big city reporter or announcer talks more about their respective teams than most. That's the way it should be. What I can't stand though, is, say, when I'm watching an NBA game on a Foxsports channel from that respective city, and the color commentators are clearly showing more love to the Hometown team. I don't care how much love you feel for the Hometown team...but, during a game, and a ref makes a bad call, it's a bad call...plain and simple...for either team...not just for your beloved Hometown squad. It takes me back to the days when I watched Pro wrestling...and the "bad guy" color commentator always showed more love for the antagonist, and the "good guy" color commentator cheered on the protagonist. Totally biased...no true facts...just favoritism.

I love NBA basketball...all of NBA basketball...of course my heart belongs to the Chicago Bulls (thanks MJ). It's the city I'm closest to, even though I live in Michigan...(I'm in the southwest, so Chitown is 1 hour closer than Detroit)...but when I try to write these articles, I try to span the many aspects of NBA basketball. I once wrote an article about the Detroit Pistons, and immediately started getting trash from many different bloggers....all of whom were admitted Detroit fans, living in or around Detroit...the only ones that saw my point, were the ones not from Detroit or Michigan.

Being from Michigan, I was chastised by many people, friends and family, for saying that the Spurs were taking the title last season. So I was labeled the enemy. All I did was look at both teams, took an unbiased approach, and predicted that the Spurs would win. Many figured that since I am from Michigan, that I SHOULD be rooting for the Pistons. I think that's just hogwash if you are a true sports fan.

I'm a gambling man as well. And anyone who has lost money gambling on a team knows that when you place that bet, you must decide if you are betting with your heart or your head. If you're betting with heart, you're not actually gambling, your picking a favorite and HOPING that they win. A true gambler has no favorites...a true gambler looks at the stats, looks at the trends, and makes an unbiased guess. Most sports analysts have to go about it this way for the sake of keeping their job. And the same goes for nationwide sports writers as well.

So when your writing your umpteenth blog about your favorite team, remember that with this internet comes a broader audience. A worldwide audience that doesn't care about where you come from. It's great to love the "Hometown team". But to call yourself a Sports fan...means that you should love the sport....not just the particular team that is playing that sport.

And GO BULLS!!!...

Okay, this is plain ridiculous...is this all we can talk about when it comes to the NBA. Lebron this, Lebron that. Sure, he's a phenom. And sure, he can ball. But every sports website, and every other blog I see here is about Lebron "Coming Back to Earth" after his worldly performance in game one.

Let's talk about this triple double real quick. What I saw was Lebron going nuts against a Wizards team that has lacked defense all season long. What I also saw was Lebron obtaining said triple double with a rebound in the final minutes of what pretty much was a blow out. So after this "awesome game", we read about how impressed we were at how the "King" handled his first playoff experience...and now, after a dismal performance against the same Wizards team that still lacks the same type of defense, we keep being reminded of how young this "King" is. And he's gonna make mistakes...awwwww...pooooooorrr King....

I'm not hating, Lebron is an awesome player. The best player in the game...well, lets not jump to that conclusion just yet...when he can look at his ring finger and see the shining metal and diamonds glistening from his hand...then we can call him the greatest. And I like many others, believe that this will happen in due time.

All I'm trying to say is that there are 15 other teams going at it right now. That's 195 players involved in this year's playoff run. I see no talk in the change of strategy from Eddie Jordan (did ya know that he's the coach of the Wizards?) that pretty much was a brilliant adjustment....(hello playoffs)....of Gilbert Arenas and the 30 points that he plugged in game two...(in front of a Cleveland crowd)...of the defensive efforts of Jared Jefferies and Caron Butler, whom of which took turns in shutting Bron down...

But still Lebron is the headline on every NBA website I look at....and pretty much, the subject in most of these blogs I see....sheesh guys....its the NBA, not the NLA.

And with this, my Lebron article about the Lebron overkill is done...(now isn't that ironic!)

A few messages to certain NBA players during these wonderful playoffs....

To Kenyon Martin...dude, you've been hobbling around on one leg all season. Your playing against a team that has one of the biggest bruisers in the game today...I'm talking a 270 pound rebounding machine that loves mixing it up in the paint. If Furious George suggests you sit, and you can't go full bore in practice against the likes of Eduardo Najera and Francisco Elson...what makes you think you can play against Elton (MVP candidate) Brand and Chris (Will Eat Your Children) Kaman??? I guess you'll be resting now, huh?

To Kobe...24?...Your popularity is at a full upswing. The fans have come back in your corner and your jersey is one of the best selling this year because of your stellar play. Need I remind you that the fans shelled out no less than 40 bucks for that said jersey? Should I also remind you that that jersey has a big number "8" on it? For all the cheap ass, broke ass, rabid NBA fans everywhere that assess a player's "moveability" to another team before he/she purchases a certain jersey I ask you...why change your number now???

To Lebron...Welcome to the NBA Playoffs. You didn't think it would be as easy as it was in your first playoff game did ya? 10 turnovers...a handful of bad mistakes...and a loss at home to the Washington (Since when have they been known for defense?) Wizards. Here's to wishing you don't make out of the first round and have to play the Pistons next!

To Brent Barry...C'mon man...you know you wanna do it...just take your middle finger, raise it up, and walk up to Coach Pop and say, "So ya still wanna trade me now for an unproven player on a crappy team!!!???"...and then run over and give Manu a kiss for the sweet assist, and Timmy a big hug for the pick.

To Jalen Rose...You held your gameface, and kept it going through your segment while getting pelted by a barrage of towels from Nick Van Exel. Kudos....now lets see how well you do with a drunk ass Joe Nameth hanging all over you, telling you how pretty you are in a slurred, slobbered filled drawl.

Say what? Another blog competition? This time, revolving around the world of basketball? Well hot damn! I'm in. Lemme see, the last time this went on, I had no idea we were revolving around the world of football. So there I was, writing nothing but NBA articles. (I guess this time, I'll read the rules!)

And I'm honored and not just sucking up this time, but I've been a religous Dime Magazine supporter for quite sometime now. The guys at Dime actually stopped responding to my various emails....I guess I bugged 'em that much! It's cool that they are in on this too now. So the Flimflam man is back. Ready to kill your eyes with my many ramblings about the only time of the year where everything else is futile....The NBA playoffs.....ahhhh, what a joyous time it is...let the games begin!

Good luck to all, and I'll spare you of my sexy, half naked pics...we got bigger fish to fry...