Cavs stunning turn around...

The Cleveland Cavaliers ripped through the regular season while racking up 66 wins, coach of the year, and league MVP. Their first eight playoff games looked like a reprieve. Their last four has them staring at elimination tomorrow night. What happened? And more importantly, how so quickly? It reminds me of the first fight between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield. Tyson, up to that point, was the irresistible force and the immovable object. He destroyed his opponents with pure talent. Evander Holyfield was a tough and determined underdog. He was also the first fighter to make Tyson appear human. With surgeon like precision, Holyfield exposed and attacked weaknesses in Tyson's game. He was not intimidated. Tyson had no counter. The Cavs seem to be the ones on the rope with no counter. If not for a miracle buzzer beater, this would have been the most shocking collapse in NBA history. Swept? Yep, it was a second away from reality. I'm sure ESPN Classic would have had a field day with it. Holyfield went on to beat Tyson in that fight, and I'm not even going there with the rematch. I hope the Cavs, in the next twenty four hours, can develop a counter punch.

Hey Kobe...Don't Take the Bait

Kobe Bryant knows LaBron is watching. Kobe knows that Jerry West, a Hall of Fame Laker, stated publicly that LaBron has passed him as the best player on the planet. Kobe also knows that LaBron put up 49 points last night against Orlando. Message to Kobe...don't take the bait! We know you can score 50, 60, even 80 points in a game. We know you have the capabilities to surpass 50 points tonight, but don't take the bait. You have been longing for a supporting cast that can bring you a championship since Shaq was sent packing, and you have that now. We as fans have watched you mature into a team player, a facilitator who knows when to use your weapons and when to take over a game. You proved that in game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Nuggets that you can still take over a game....when needed. You have a great team and a very good chance to get to the NBA Finals. Remember your opponent is not LaBron James tonight, it's a tough and talented Denver Nuggets team who's looking to tie the series at a game a piece and take home court advantage. Hey Kobe, just play your game.....don't take the bait!

Lakers Resemble 08 Celtics

As the Lakers prepare for the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, Kobe and company should feel encouraged. Their path resembles that of the champion Celtics from a year ago. The 08 Boston Celtics lead the Eastern Conference pretty much wire to wire. They secured the number one seed without much resistance and coasted into the playoffs. Flat from a lack of meaningful games down the stretch, The Celtics struggled to put away so called inferior teams. Kobe Bryant was the reigning MVP, and the Lakers were rolling through the playoffs. Fast forward to 09, and the Lakers are the untested team who coasted to a number one seed. They clearly struggled to put away an undermanned Rockets team, and they are looking at the reigning MVP LaBron James cruise through the playoffs with relative ease. The Celtics of 08 went on to beat the MVP Kobe Bryant in the NBA Finals. Hopefully the world will get to see if the Lakers and Cavaliers can repeat history, or re-write it.

Game 7 Sunday

The NBA and their fans are holding their collective breath as we await the start of game 7 Sunday. In a few short hours, we can have a star studded powerhouse "final four" in Cleveland, Boston, Denver, and L.A. Or we can have the temporary satisfaction of a road team upset that will land Houston and Orlando in their respective conference finals. Now let's be honest, do we really want to see Denver vs Houston and Cleveland vs Orlando? Absolutely not!!! I'm sure the NBA front office would anonymously agree. Los Angeles has been the team to beat all season, but Denver has come on strong as the team to beat in the Western Conference playoffs. The Nuggets aggressive style of play allowed them to dominate Dallas. The Lakers play a similar style to the Mavs, but have superior athletes in the post. They also have some guy named Kobe. That would/should be an amazing series. Cleveland awaits the Boston/Orlando winner. And as much as I would like to see "amazing" happen, I'm rooting for Boston as if I just bet the mortgage on it. Cleveland is playing the best ball out of everyone. Boston is still the champ until someone knocks them off. LaBron James is MVP, but needs to beat the best in order to cement his status as the "King". Magic, Bird, and Jordan all had to knock off the champs on their way to the top spot. It would only be right to play the Celtics, who sent LaBron packing in 7 games on their way to the championship last year. So fans, let's ban together and root for tomorrow instead of today. Let's pray on this game 7 Sunday for no upsets.

Cowboys Draft Grade A+

Either you love the Dallas Cowboys or you hate them. The big blue star stirs up a passion in football fans that few teams in any sport can. So it came as no surprise when the early draft grade for the Cowboys was a D. No blockbuster trades, no first day pics, just a cast of "who is he?" and "where's that school?" The criticism seemed warranted, until Saturday.

These rookie players, and staff alike, showed courage in the midst of the horrific collapse of their practice facility. Cameras showed many players risking their own safety (and potential careers) to save an employer that will in all likely hood not hire them. Jerry Jones let go of all of his players with "character issues" in the off season. Judging from that standard, the Cowboys draft class gets an A+.

Our prayers go out to the injured and their families.

Future Looks Bright for Celtics

Now that I've had a chance to catch my breath from that epic Celtics Bulls series, I look to a future that seems pretty bright for Boston. The emergence of Rajon Rondo and Glen "Big Baby" Davis will have the Celtics going in the right direction as they transition out of the Big 3 era. Rondo was a couple of rebounds short of becoming the first player to average a triple double in a seven game series. A fearless point guard with game changing speed, Rondo edged out Ray Allen as my first round MVP. Davis, who is seeing an increased role due to the injury to Kevin Garnett, has played very well in his absence. Big Baby averaged 18.1 points per game in his first series as a starter. Garnett averaged 18.2 points per game in last year's NBA finals. The league is getting younger, just ask Detroit and San Antonio. The Chicago Bulls are one of the younger, more athletic teams in the league. Rondo and Davis's ability to match that youth and athleticism was a key factor in their victory. Regardless of the outcome of their series with the Magic, the Celtics should be encouraged by the fact their "window" has been propped back open.