After the Phoenix Suns were eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs in five games in the Western Conference finals in '05, it was apparent to the Suns management that a little more inside toughness was needed. Not necessarily a big scoring presence, but a presence nonetheless. During the subsequent off-season, Kurt Thomas was acquired in a trade with the New York Knicks for guard Quentin Richardson. (There were others involved, but these were the main players). And ever since, countless Suns fans have been waiting for Mike D'Antoni to show us Thomas' worth to the team. Oh we knew what it was; we were just waiting to see it firsthand.

(Oh, I almost forgot to mention this. One of the first things I learned in journalism class way back when I was an aspiring sportswriter was that timeliness was one of the most important ingredients of a successful article. Unfortunately, that was never my strong suit. I attempted to download edhardiman's avatar-you know, the one where it looks like he's scrambling around the newsroom trying to make the deadline with his sports article? At least, that's the mental picture I've always had. I thought that would help somehow. But alas, after several tries, I decided that I wouldn't do ed justice, so I abandoned the idea. Thus, you're stuck with this. If you've read all you care to read about game 2 of the Suns/Spurs matchup, with it now being a day old, you may find this a bit redundant. My apologies. By the way, did y'all have a good Easter?)

Before I go any further, my prediction for this series had the Suns winning in six games. I figure they'll split in San Antonio, followed by the Suns winning two straight. The Pistons of the '80s had a hard time getting past the Celtics, but they finally did. The Bulls getting past the Pistons followed the same scenario. And so it goes. So often it occurs that a team has to get to the doorstep and lose before they figure out how to get there and win. That is how I feel about this Suns team. As I mentioned in my post when the Suns were eliminated last year, it's not only the players who gained valuable playoff experience-the coaches did as well.

Okay, back to game 2. The main story that followed game 1, Nash's nose, quickly became a non-story in game 2. He had his full arsenal going early, and set the tone for the game. And yes, Duncan did get 29 in game 2, but he had to work very hard for almost all of them. He got 29 because, well, he's Tim Duncan. Kurt Thomas playing Duncan straight up was an excellent decision. I don't know why it didn't happen sooner, but at the same time, I can understand. Even if I didn't like it. The Suns have been effective with the same starting lineup for a long time. But replacing James Jones with Thomas was the right move at the right time. And forget the talk about Thomas slowing the Suns down. Last I checked, you must play defense and rebound in order to run your offense. I think it's called Basketball 101.

I loved Kenny Smith's analysis at halftime of the game. In short, he said that the Suns had adjusted and had the momentum going their way. They had done the necessary things to win this game, and he thought they would. And did you hear Magic Johnson? He compared Nash to Nowitzki, saying that the former had stepped up both verbally and physically to lead his team, something the latter has been unable to do. Ouch. Don't get me wrong. I love Dirk's game. If you are looking for a seven footer to play on the perimeter, that is. But you'd better have another one down low to clean up. Or at least that's what Magic said. And I concur. Which I'm sure will make Magic very satisfied.

I must take this opportunity to say that Amare had a leg up on Manu Ginobili. Or should I say a leg down. Oh what the heck, let's just tell it like it is. Ginobili held onto Stoudemire's leg during a pick and roll play. The foul was called on Amare, and I'll give him credit for not making an issue of it. The refs blew it. Move on. Which is what he did.

Kudos to Shawn Marion, who was told to play tough "D" on Tony Parker and not worry about scoring, which he did as well. Marion finished with only five points. In a twenty point victory. I'll take that, and I think the Matrix will, too.

Let's check in with Craig Sager. On second thought, let's not. I know Craig, it's not your fault. I doubt it was your decision to be annoying. You have a job to do. (Probably WAS you decision to wear loud suits, though. I haven't seen you wear purple yet. Are you saving that for game 5?)

I did find it funny how Steve Kerr brought up Duncan's patented look of shock after a foul call. Unlike Doug Collins, Kerr doesn't crap himself when forced to choose between saying the refs blew a call and tying his own shoes. And Collins is probably vomiting just reading this. The pressure is just too much.

The beauty of Kurt Thomas playing Duncan one-on-one, even if Duncan does score 29 hard-earned points, like he did last night, has a domino effect. It allows Stoudemire to play (fill in the blank here with another Spurs low-post scorer, if you can find one), man to man. It also allows Marion to play Parker, which allows Raja Bell to play Michael Finley or Ginobili. Which in turn allows Nash to play Bruce Bowen, who is not going to do a lot of damage with his outside shot, and seldom drives to the basket. Again, kudos to Thomas and Marion for their defensive efforts. Oh what am I saying, we all know the Suns don't play any defense, right?

The decision to have Marion concentrate on defense was especially crucial, I thought. The Suns have ample scoring sources. Marion is usually one of them, but in this series, he may prove to be more effective on the other end. Granted, Parker got 30-plus in game 1, but Marion only played him two of the four quarters. Marion had a purpose in game 2, and he is to be commended. Perhaps he didn't score like he is used to, but he'll be fine come June while being fitted for a ring. And perhaps he didn't care for the fact that he finished fourth in the Defensive Player of the Year balloting, yet failed to make either the first nor second team all-defensive squads. Perhaps that built a little chip on his shoulder. And perhaps he has a max contract with the Suns. And perhaps he is indispensable. And perhaps you can offer me a player that I'd trade you in a heartbeat for him. But don't hold your breath.

Thanks for taking the time to read. Game 3 is Saturday night. We'll see who goes head to head in that one.

With the fifth pick in the 2007 NFL draft, the Arizona Cardinals select offensive tackle Levi Brown, Penn State University. (6'5", 323 pounds). Presumably, the Cardinals wanted Joe Thomas of Wisconsin. Word is that the front office favored Thomas, but the new coaching staff, including O-line coach Russ Grimm, wanted Brown. Since Thomas went two picks earlier to Cleveland, the decision was made for them. Grimm had worked out Brown quite extensively prior to the draft, and Grimm liked what he saw.

 The Cardinals could have traded down a few spots and still possibly gotten Brown around number nine or ten, but reports are that no other team saw anything at #5 that they couldn't live without, so the Cards were locked in to the pick. Which is probably a good thing. There was no guarantee that Brown would have still been there at a later pick anyway. And if they had missed on Brown, they would have come up empty on addressing their biggest need. And while Brown may not have been worthy of a fifth overall pick in the eyes of many, the Cards couldn't risk missing on him once Thomas was taken. (Keep in mind last year's starter, Leonard Davis, was a free agent and signed with Dallas).

In the days leading up to the draft, Adrian Peterson's name was bandied about as a possibility if he was still available when the Cards picked. And while team vice president of football operations Rod Graves admitted after the pick they had Peterson rated higher overall than Brown, but he and new head coach Ken Whisenhunt felt that improving the offensive line was the top priority. Plus, with the signing of Edgerrin James before last season, it would be difficult to justify tying up that much money in one position when there were several other pressing needs for a team that finished 5-11 last season. The addition of Brown should allow Reggie Wells to move back to the guard position, where he is more effective, although he did fill in nicely the last few games of last season at the right tackle spot. Hopefully Grimm can upgrade the play of the unit as a whole. Former Steeler Oliver Ross signed with the Cards a couple years ago and has not lived up the expectations the team had for him. Having Grimm back as his line coach should change that and return Ross to the level he played at with Pittsburgh.

"Help, I'm falling. Somebody catch me. Help!" The Cardinals did just that to kick off the second round. With Michigan defensive tackle Alan Branch (6'5", 334 pounds) still available after the conclusion of the first round, Arizona traded up four spots to Oakland's first slot of round two and snatched Branch. Part of the deal called for the Cards to also give up their fourth round pick to the Raiders, a move which will raise at least a few questions due to Arizona's lack of depth in several areas. However, I applaud the move. Optimistically speaking, Branch could prove to be one of the legitimate steals of the draft. Only time will tell, as is obviously the case with each and every draft pick, but it's hard to fault the Cards aggressiveness in picturing Branch as a space-eating, run-stopping mainstay for years to come. The kind of player the team hasn't had since Eric Swann's very promising career was cut short by a serious knee injury in the late-90s. Run defense has been a soft spot for the Cardinals for many years, and Branch is worth the gamble to attempt to fix that problem. He is also a decent pass rusher for a big tackle, with nine sacks and 15 tackles for loss during his career at Michigan. Branch's slide in the draft no doubt expanded the size of the chip on his shoulder as well.

"Mel Kiper has been riding me the whole time," Branch said after being selected by the Cards. "After these next couple of years, I'm going to make sure he eats every word he said." For a player whose motivation was questioned by some, this can only help. Branch expressed his appreciation for the Cards interest in him, and I have a good feeling that this pick is going to work out quite nicely.

 Think Sam Mills. Think Zach Thomas. Think James (please call me "Buster," a nickname I've had since I was one year old) Davis. I'm a smallish linebacker (5'9", 239 pounds) who has heard enough of the "you're too small" evaluations. I play with a passion for the game. I am durable, instinctive, and a solid tackler. And we both know if I was 6'1" or better, I would have been picked long before the third round, so consider yourself lucky. You just got a steal. And I must say, nice pick. You did your homework. You obviously are aware of the fact that I was chosen as a first team all-ACC and second team all-American by no less than three college evaluating services after the 2006 season. Like I said, you just got yourself a steal.

Due to the aforementioned trade to move up and grab Branch, the Cards had no fourth round pick. In the fifth round, they selected Steve Breaston (brest-en). Although Breaston (6'0", 193 pounds) leaves Michigan as the fifth leading receiver of all time in catches with 156, this pick caught me off guard. For a minute. Then I quickly insuated, in my simple little, over analyzing mind, that he must be able to return kicks. I couldn't imagine the Cards drafting a receiver otherwise. Well, it turns out he can do just that. He averaged 12.6 yards on 12 punt returns while at Michigan. Twelve-point-six yards per return doesn't sound all that impressive, until you consider how many times a punt returner gets little or no yardage. A 12.6 average is pretty solid. Add to that the fact that he averaged 24.6 yards per kickoff return. In '06, he finished with a career high 58 receptions for 670 yards to boot. Okay, I'm sold. Sounds like a playmaker to me.

 With their final pick, the Cards took Ben Patrick, a 6'3", 252 pound tight end out of Delaware, by way of a transfer from Duke. He was the 'best player available' on Kiper's board when he was drafted. Which of course means squat when it come right down to it. But we do know he has great hands and is a solid route runner. On the downside, he has average speed at best, and is not a very good blocker. But his solid fundamentals just may find him a spot on the Cardinals roster. The annals of NFL history are full of fundamentally sound tight ends who turned nary a head at first. Until they were making a catch in traffic. Oh by the way, new Cards head coach was a tight end himself when he played in the NFL, and had a lot of similar qualities that Patrick has.

 I would like to present an accurate assessment on the Cards draft, but that's impossible right now. As with any draft, a team never knows for sure what they have until a couple seasons have gone by. On paper, they were not the best team when it comes to their draft picks, but then no one really knows for sure, do they? Yes, they addressed some of their needs. How accurate they were with regards to those needs will be monitored. I for one think they did quite well. But then, this is football's version of the hot stove league, isn't? When we all still think we have a chance.

Only 132 days until opening day. 

Thanks for taking the time to read.

Thanks to my good friend Miracle and his "Expletive Blog" posts for this idea. (I'm posting this at the risk of being sued by him for, um, 'borrowing' his format).

There has been lots of Suns/Lakers trash talking going on here lately, so I took it upon myself to save everyone the trouble and furnish a one-stop facility, so to speak, where Suns and Lakers fans can show up to rumble. I must publish this caveat, however; I would imagine much of what is said here may not make sense to anyone other than the most die-hard (read: blindly loyal) fans. Beware, and don't over-exert yourself trying to rationalize with someone who is clearly irrational. (cough, cough. J-Dizz, cough, cough . . .)

And now, without further ado (which would probably be too much, and about nothing), Let's get it on!!

This Saturday started casually enough. Morning sports page, coffee and a cigarette on the back patio. The same way all mornings start, pretty much. Well, except for the fact that Saturday means I get to sleep in, unless I have an early tee time. But roughly an hour later, (it would have been longer, but I don't shave on the weekends.-that's just me), my Better Half and I were headed to an air show at Luke Air Force Base. On the way, we met Kristen, a very close friend of our daughter's, and therefore ours, at her apartment. Kristen is in the Air Force, and has been for a couple years. Even though it's about an hour drive, Better Half and I jumped at Kristen's mention a few weeks ago of the air show. After an absolutely incredible display of flying talent, we all left in a state of awe. Thankfully, the weather was perfect. The day started out rather cool with a slight chance of rain in the forecast, but the rain never materialized. So we got to see the re-enactment of Pearl Harbor and the Thunderbirds' performance in all their glory. There were many other great pilots that performed as well, including Tim Weber and Ed Hamel, a couple pilots you should check out at an airstrip near you. I must say, the re-enactment of Pearl Harbor was very well done, and made even more meaningful since my father flew in WWII. Yes, I got misty eyed. As it turned out, there were lots of high clouds against a blue sky backdrop with temperatures in the mid 70s--perfect for the amazing men, and women, in their flying machines.

Naturally, upon returning home, and after ignoring all the messages on the answering machine, I settled in for some stuff which I knew would be somewhat secondary to what I had witnessed earlier-the day's events in the sporting world. Or more specifically, certain events I was interested in.

I see the Arizona State women's team advanced to the Elite Eight with a big win over Bowling Green. The Sun Devil ladies asserted themselves early in this one, after having to come from behind in double-digit fashion in their first two tournament games. ASU led by 16 at the half, didn't allow Bowling Green to get closer than nine in the second half, and won by 18. This sets up a Rutgers-ASU regional final, after Rutgers defeated top seed and top ranked Duke later in the day. Which fate must have played a hand in, since the two teams (Rutgers and ASU) were supposed to meet in December in a tournament champoinship game in the Virgin Islands. The game was cancelled after the 15-year old brother of ASU forward Aubree Johnson passed away in his sleep tragically and suddenly the night before the game. Since Duke had defeated Rutgers by 40 points on December 4th, the Rutgers victory certainly came as a bit of a surprise. But the Rutgers and Arizona State game will indeed take place on Monday in Greensboro. I guess it was meant to be.

Speaking of Arizona State, their baseball team pounded USC 10-0 last night, and won again 4-3 today. Nice way to open the Pac 10 season. Two-and-oh so far, with game three in the series coming tomorrow. Pat Murphy has his team ready for a long run this season. This is one of the best Sun Devil baseball teams since, well, since their unexpected run in the college World Series a couple years ago. But this could be a team that wins it all. (By the way, keep your eye on Josh Satow, a lefty who threw a six-hit shutout in the 10-0 win. He's now 7-1 on the season. Not overpowering by any means, but great stuff. Yes, I DO still love the game of baseball).  Incidentally, the women's softball team won both games they played yesterday, pushing their record to 31-7 on the season. They began ranked second, had a few bad games, and are now ranked fifth. For now.

I see where my alma mater, the University of North Dakota, won their hockey game today, beating Michigan 8-5. The Fighting Sioux (a name I may not be able to use for much longer) now advance to the regional championship against the hated Minnesota Gophers. The Gophers and Sioux play in the same conference, and UND was 2-1 vs. Minnesota this season, although the Gophers won the last meeting in the WCHA (Western Collegiate Hockey Association) championship game with an overtime goal. Folks, to this day, there are no sporting events I've ever attended that compare to the collegiate hockey I had the privilege of attending while in Grand Forks. Especially if Minnesota or Wisconsin were in town. They are everything a rivalry should be. (Jerks.   Sorry. Couldn't avoid a cheapshot there). 

On a final note, my NCAA men's tourney bracket has passed its expiration date. And it smells. Badly. The only saving grace is that I have North Carolina winning it all. If that comes to fruition, I'll daub a bunch of Tar Heel sauce on my stinking, moldy bracket bread, slop some horseradish on the meat to kill the bacteria, eat a late night sandwich, and hope for one shining moment.

If you got this far, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading. I'm guessing it wasn't easy.