WHAT…A…GAME!!!

Holy Moly!!!  WHAT A BALL GAME!!!  For those of you that didn’t watch the Celts/Bulls game, LEAVE NOW!!!  Ok, just kidding, STAY PLEASE!!!  If you missed last nights game, unfortunately I can’t describe all the excitement, let down, what the fuck and HOW DID HE DO THAT moments. But I can give you a quick run down of what I saw and what you can watch for in the HUGE game 7 tomorrow night.  If you saw something I missed, let me know in the comments.

Things I learned

• Tony Allen is a good basketball player and very smart - Sorry, if you didn’t get that, I meant I learnt sarcasm last night.  He is by FAR neither of those things.
• Ray Allen is a robot - He was sent from a planet where all the inhabitants have ice in their veins and thie nerves are made of steel. Oh and they also have granite in their scrotum’s in place of testes.
• Paul Pierce gives me hope to play basketball until im 45 - There isn’t a player that looks less mobile in the league but scores as many points or gets to the line more than Pierce.  He’s basically the EXACT opposite of Tony Allen.
• Kirk Hinrich is a little bit Gangsta –  After Rondo gave him the Irish Whip into the scorers table he looked like he could have been an extra in The Wire.
• Big Baby can hit big shots – With Pierce and Allen doubled and tripled teamed consistently someone needed to step up and it was the big man again and again.
• Derrick Rose is going to be GOOD, like REAL GOOD - The kid is good now but win or lose this series, he is going to have some of the BEST playoff experience under his belt and that’s going to make him that much better.  Remember, he is ONLY a rookie.
• Doc River and Vinny Del Negro might be good coaches – WOW!  You think as many minutes as these teams have played against each other that they would have seen it all.  But time after time these coaches pull some unreal play out of their book and it almost always works.
• Overtime is FUN! – I like the Celtics always have but I must admit as soon as overtime hits I just want the game to go on forever.  Its fast, exciting and good damn is it fun.  PLEASE LET TOMORROW GO INTO OT!!!
• I scream like a girl- Last night, my apartment must have sounded like a Justin Timberlake concert every time Ray Ray nailed a big shot.
• Joakim Noah is Ugly – STRAIGHT UP!!!

Game 7 goes tomorrow night at 8pm in Boston…GO CELTS!!!

Peace!

Rajon Rondo: Stu Jackson’s…Son?

OK, I have NO evidence to back that up but Jackson must REALLY like Rondo.  For those that don’t know, Jackson is the NBA’s fun police.  Anything goes wrong, Jackson slaps your ass with the proper suspension, for example, Dwight Howard’s “people’s elbow” on Sammy Dalembert which Jackson thought warranted a 1 game suspension. (So did I, for the record).

As I mentioned/showed before, Rondo Bruce Lee’d Brad Miller on a pivotal play in OT on Tuesday and wasn’t penalized by Stu Jackson like D12 was for his mishap.  Then last night during the best basketball game I have watched  EVER, Rondo and Kirk “the Hobbit” Hinrich got in a wee skirmish in the first quarter.  During a rebounding scenario, Hinrich and Rondo were out near the 3 point line when they got “tangled” up, so Rondo deciding he didn’t like the manwich he was making with Kirk decided to toss him into the scorers table.  Rajon was assessed a flagrant foul and it was said the league was going to look at the play again.  Last night, Stu Jackson reviewed the tape and proclaimed there would not be any additional penalties assessed to either Hinrich or Rondo.

I know the foul on Miller was tic-tac and this foul wasn’t necessarily ALL Rajon’s fault.  But I can only imagine the penalty a guy like Artest or even ‘Sheed would receive if they pulled this move off, especially, two days after they went after a dudes head!  I am posting the video below so you guys can let me know what you think.  Does Stu have a man crush on Rajon or is he just the victim of wrong place wrong time all the time???

P.S  I like how Hinrich responds after he bounces off the scorers table.  I didn’t expect him to be so GANGSTA, he gets some street cred from me for that move and subsequently I lose TONS of street cred for admitting that in a public forum.

Peace!

William Spencer: Skate Ninja

I know the quality isn’t that great and its not as cool as the MacAskill vid but you HAVE to stick around to the VERY end to see the last trick he pulls off,.it’s pretty amazing. The video shows skater William Spencer doing very unorthodox tricks with and without his skateboard. Spencer seems like quite the unique fellow, as you will see in the first few seconds of the video, constantly yelling at himself (Yes! That’s him yelling at the start) and just the stuff he thinks of doing with the skateboard is…well…pretty unique itself. Check the video out below and MAKE SURE YOU STICK AROUND TILL THE END..AND DON’T SKIP FORWARD…I’M WATCHING!!!

Peace!

To Suspend Or Not To Suspend? That Is The Question

Last night during two pretty intense bball games a couple of fouls transpired that caught attention.  First off I will talk about Dwight Howard’s elbow to Sammy Dalembert dome in the Orlando vs. Philly game.  During the first quarter of the game D12 and Dalembert were battling under the basket for position on a Rashard Lewis 3 pointer.  When Lewis sank/sunk the 3, Dalembert went to walk under the basket to pass the ball in.  Instead, Howard grabbed his arm and brought him in for a nice elbow to the back of the head.  After reviewing the play the NBA has suspended Howard for game 6 . 

In final seconds of OT in the Celtics/Bulls game, Brad Miller had a WIDE open lay up to tie the game and essentially bring the game into double OT.  On his way to the basket, Miller was met by 3 Celtics, Rondo, Pierce and Perkins.   Both Perkins and Rondo fouled Miller but Perkins was legitimately going for the ball, while Rondo was WAY behind Miller and went for his head..  All Rondo could really do to prevent the lay up at that point was slap Miller in the face and that is exactly what he did. 

Now this where I have a problem with the Howard suspension.  Should D12 have been suspended?  Most definitely!  Everyone knows Dwight is one of the biggest dudes on Earth and a cheap shot to the head by him or anyone else should not be tolerated. With that being said, why wasn’t Rondo assessed a game suspension as well?  As far as I know, the NBA states that any blow to the head its considered a flagrant and then the league reviews the play and decides if any further action should be taken.  I have heard that the league reviewed both plays but I would really like to know the difference?  Is it because Rondo is a smaller person or because it looked “less lethal”?  I watched both things happen and it really looked like Miller was worse for the wear compared to Dalembert? 

So what do you think?  Below is a video of both incidents, so let me know if you think either, neither or both deserved the punishment they got.  Try and watch this ASAP as the NBA loves to take their videos down randomly.

Peace!

NHL Playoffs Round 2: FIGHT!!!

First things first, whoever taped that fake Rangers game last night and somehow transferred it to my PVR, GOOD ONE!!!  I thought for a minute there, the Rangers actually lost to Caps last night Ha Ha Ha….Ok, so maybe it wasn’t a big joke but that slimy goal Semin scored sure was a big joke.  Ovechkin may be the best player in the game but god damn can he please start wearing a full visor and tint that mothereffer blacker than tar.  Because if I have to stare at that putrefying mug while he celebrates for at least another 4 games, I either have to stop eating 6 hours before a game or just listen to games on the radio instead.

Sin City had his choices for the first round and did pretty damn good, going 5/8 and he was 1 goal from being right in the Rangers series (think I’m bitter???).  Well since my computer was pooched I never got to call my picks for the first round (I was 7/8 by the way…that was a blatant lie) now I will give you my 2nd round choices and I encourage Sin City and even our baseball guru The Sheik to get in on the fun, HECK, all of you should chime in too!!!

ROUND 2, LET’S GET IT ON!!!

Vancouver vs. Chicago- Let me tell you first off, this series is my favourite and my least favourite at the same time. Favourite because I love both the teams and least because I want them both to be in the Western finals, which is obviously impossible.  Both Chicago and Vancouver looked fairly sexy in their respective first round series with goaltending as opposed to goal scoring being the difference in both series. But in this series, I like the ‘Nucks.  Better goalie, more experience and the only Canadian team left.  Vancouver in 7.

Anaheim vs. Detroit - What can you say about Anaheim?  No one in their right mind thought they would actually help fulfill San Jose’s destiny as playoff choke artist but they did!  What does that mean in their next series against the boys from Motown?  The same thing War means to Edwin Starr, “ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, HUH!!!”.  Detroit in 5

Pittsburgh vs. Washington – Let me tell you right now, if the NHL was a 13 year old boy, the series would be Miley Cyrus in a shower.  Gary Bettman must be harder than a slab of marble tile right now just thinking of having Sid the kid vs. Ugly Alex for a possible 7 games.  As for me, I will get a bucket ready for all the close ups of Ovey and a pillow ready for all the interviews with Sidney Crosby.  Either way, this series will be great for the young NHL superstars and for creating some excitement for hockey in the States in a time that it desperately needs it.  Pens in 7

Boston vs. Carolina – Two teams with two very different first rounds will be meeting in this match up.  Boston will have been off for over a week before their first game on Friday, while Carolina will only have 2 days off.  So I guess this story comes down too, who do you think has the bigger advantage?  The team who came back from a 3-2 series deficit to beat the favoured team at their own rink?  Or the team who swept a team that squeaked in the playoffs?  For me, when it comes to the playoffs and hockey, I gotta believe the more rest the better. 

Peace!

Danny MacAskill: Will You Be My Friend???

Those of you that know me, know that I have the knees of a octogenarian with a degenerative bone disease. And for those of you that don’t, I am built like Gerard Butler in 300.  Needless to say, my knees limit me to pretending to be good at sports such as basketball and soccer but one sport I can scratch off that list is biking.  Since I can’t peddle for more then 15 minutes without taking a 15 day break, I like to pretend I’m Danny MacAskill.  Who you ask? Danny MacAskill is one of the world’s best trial riders.  Whats a trial rider you ask?  Oh forget it, just watch the video below and prepare to have your mind blown.  There are seriously NO camera tricks here and you may have to watch this video a few times before you realise exactly what it is he is doing.  And as an added bonus, the soundtrack is pretty rad too…DANNY MACASKILL, YOU’RE MY HERO!!! 

If you thought the video was cool, check out Danny’s website here!

Peace!

Will The Real Anderson Silva, Please Stand Up???

****Since I first wrote this, it has been disclosed that Anderson Silva will replace Thiago Silva and fight Forrest Griffin at UFC 101 on August 8th****

As a massive MMA (mixed martial arts) fan, I am constantly defending the sport to people who are either uninformed or just looking to bust my balls.  Either way, I usually get pretty riled up and some how always end up just calling the person a name. Yes, my tactics haven’t changed since kindergarten.  One of my friends, Darkman, is a HUGE boxing fan and is only somewhat interested in MMA and more than anything just LOVES the fact he can rile me up whenever he wants.  One of his big complaints is the fact that anyone can beat anyone and usually 80% of the fights are just dudes laying on each other doing nothing.

 So coming into the fights a few weekends ago, I invited the DarkMan over to my mansion to take in  the fights on my 150″ HD TV. (See: one bedroom shoebox apartment and 32″ tube TV) and after checking with EVERYONE else and seeing there were just no other options, he obliged to join me.  After a few beers and some less than impressive fights, he started in about guys just laying on each other blah blah blah…That’s when I really stepped in it, “Wait till Anderson fights, then they be some excitement”.  He agreed and said that was the only fight he was looking forward too, were we EVER wrong.

In his first fight back since his weird, jitterbugging fight against Patrick Cote, I figured Anderson would have to just come in and decimate Thales Leites to shut everyone up and show them who’s boss.  Instead Anderson just sort of proved he seemed to like doing the jitterbug a hell of a lot more.  Sure, every time he tried to engage his opponent, Leites would just drop to his ass and lay there in the “GoatDiesel Defensive Position” but for me that is no excuse.  If you are the “pound for pound” best fighter in the world, shouldn’t you be able to hang with anyone, anywhere in the cage, including the ground?  I have NEVER seen another fighter stay away from another fighter the way Leites did but I have also never seen a fighter who was supposed to be the best stay away as well.  I truly think if that was GSP, he would have given up and engaged Thales on the ground, I would say the same for BJ Penn AND Fedor and those 3 have to be the other guys on tops of anyone’s list.

So what is the problem with Silva then?  I’m glad you asked.  I honestly think he is both bored and pissed off.  Bored with having to deal with completely inferior opposition just so fans can watch him fight every few months.  And pissed off for, having to deal with completely inferior opposition just so fans can watch him fight every few months.  Why the UFC doesn’t wait a few months and give ”Spider” some real competition at Middleweight is a mystery to me!  It’s not as if the division is empty, they gave Rich Franklin 2 shots at him, why not Nate Marquardt or Okami?  Sure he fought Nate the Great before but it was 2 years ago and Nate truly looks like a new and far better opponent now a days.  Okami is an very interesting fight as well because he was the last person to “beat” Anderson Silva.  I used quotations because it was actually a disqualification for an illegal kick that DQ’ed Silva and gave Okami the win.  Both of these guys are by far the best in the weight class in the UFC, besides Silva of course, so why keep throwing him guys that aren’t even in the Top 10 of the weight division?  Because, I believe the UFC does get greedy and figures as long as you throw a guy of Silva’s calibre you are going to get fireworks and you are going to get ratings.  Unfortunately for the fans, there was no gun powder on Montreal on the 18th.

Now it has been disclosed that Anderson Silva will face Forrest Griffin at 205lbs on August 8th.  WHY?  Sure, its probably going to be the 3rd most anticipated fight that has been official announced to take place this year, GSP vs, Thiago Alves and Brock vs. Frank Mir) but to me it doesn’t make sense.  If Anderson’s last two fights were at 185lbs and he either decimated top contenders or had a couple of wars, this fight makes sense.  But coming off of two of the weirdest fights I have ever witnessed?  Doesn’t make sense to me to put him up at 205lbs.

 For those of you that don’t know, the UFC, unable to find Silva formidable competition at his “natural” weight class of 185lbs, let the very talented fight move up to 205lbs, while they went searching for anyone who would give the champ a challenge.  In his only fight at the 205lb weight class, Anderson looked pretty impressive. In his debut he took on the very heavy handed James “the Sandman” Irvin that has unreal KO power.  That fight lasted a total of 61 seconds before Silva caught a kick from Irvin with one hand and then knocked him out with his other hand.  Yes, he is THAT GOOD.

Make NO mistake, Forrest Griffin is no Thales Leites or James Irvin, this man is a legit ex-champion at 205lbs and VERY GAME.  I will bet the farm you don’t seem Forrest dropping to his ass unless its either a joke or because Anderson puts him there.  Forrest is a serious striker with a concrete chin and with his debut in the UFC, a war with Stephan Bonnar, he helped put the UFC and MMA in the mainstream with his heart and determination.  The winner of season 1 of The Ultimate Fighter, Griffin is a VERY popular fighter and is no doubt very excited to be the guy who gets to make Silva actually HAVE to fight someone.

If Silva beats Griffin, the UFC almost HAS to give him a title shot or at least a fight with Rampage Jackson or the loser of Lyoto Machida and “Sugar” Rashad Evans.  If Silva loses, keep him at 185lbs, throw him a good challenge and if he handles them easily then throw him and GSP together and let’s truly find out who the best pound for pound fighter in the world is.

Peace!

The Goat Is Back In Town….

Ladies and Gentleman, introducing a now virus free (online anyway) GOAT…DIESEL!!!  My man D.A.G came out of the wilderness and tried a few things for me but like everything in life it was the last resort that solved our problem. At first, we thought it was our versions of Word that needed to be updated but when that didn’t work, I thought I was done for good.  So I get an email yesterday that says I need to update my anti-virus and BAAAM like a bottle of penicilin, Norton stopped that burning feeling my got when he tried to perfrom simple tasks…My computer now virus free I am ready to roll. (I can’t believe I made it through all that without a swine flu crack)

Some of you may ask, “How did you post about the playoffs and the Jays, if you computer was ‘broken’ “.  And then I’d be all “I know you are but what am I”.  (Sorry, I haven’t been on here in a while and I am excited OK)  This is something I actually had lined up before my comp went down but never really got to it.  We have ghostwriter, who has actually been with us from damn near the start.  Sin City (I just made that nickname up) he has posted about 6 stories on here and we are slowly going through the old stories and marking them. That way you all don’t get confused and think I learned how to write actual, entertaining story with structure as opposed to, well, THIS I guess…

Upcoming stories that you can look forward to being disappointed in: Anderson “The Sleep inducing Spider” Silva: What happened and what’s next?, GoatDiesel and Bryan Colangelo Sitting in A Bar…D-R-I-N-K-I-N-G, NHL Mock Draft, NBA Mock Draft, Playoff predictions and much much more….

LET’S GO RANGERS…GAME 7 IN WASHINGTON…ITS ALL YOU!!!

Peace!

No Room For Haters: Time To Jump On Blue Jays’ Bandwagon

“Hollywood is crazy… ‘The Last Samurai’ starring…Tom Cruise? He’s the last samurai? Give me a break … First they had ‘The Mexican’ with Brad Pitt and now they have ‘The Last Samurai’ with Tom Cruise. Well I’ve written a film, maybe they’ll produce my film: ‘The Last N****r On Earth’ starring Tom Hanks… how about that?” – Comedian Paul Mooney from a 2004 episode of Chappelle’s Show

Things don’t always have to make sense in order for us to enjoy them. The fact that the Toronto Blue Jays hold down the best record in Major League Baseball makes about as much sense as Paul Mooney’s casting choice for his prospective movie. The Jays starring as front-runners in the AL East? That role is supposed to be filled by the Red Sox or Yankees every year. But baseball can be crazy too. Who could have predicted the Tampa Bay Rays winning the American League pennant after finishing dead last nearly every season prior to last? Herein lies the beauty of sports, and this is why Jays’ fans should not be embarrassed to showcase their optimism going forward.

Baseball experts like to point to the “bigger picture” as if they have a good sense of what will unfold over the course of 162 games. In that respect, I’m glad I’m not a baseball expert, because as a fan, all I can do is look at the evidence through the first 20 games of the season:

• #1 in the entire league in runs scored with 124 (9 more than 2nd place St. Louis).

• #1 in hits with 218 (26 more than 2nd place St. Louis)

• #2 in home runs with 29 (behind only Texas).

• 3rd best ERA in the American League.

• Best mustache in the entire league (Brian Tallet, pictured below).

The realists (or haters, as I like to call them) will start running their mouths about why this can’t continue for the Jays, but right now, they’re just being annoying. Here are some arguments for why the early-season success could continue:

• A full season of Aaron Hill will continue to make a huge difference from last season. Until now, I never realized how good the guy is and how valuable he is to the team.

• Travis Snider and Adam Lind aren’t just blue-chip prospects anymore; they appear to be potential all-stars.

• The 14-6 start was accomplished without significant contributions from Alex Rios. Wait until he gets going…

• The Jays are 65-43 since Cito Gaston took over last June (a .602 winning percentage). Consider that the Rays won the AL East last year with a .599 mark.

There are plenty of reasons to suggest that the Jays’ great start is purely a mirage and that they’ll fall back down to earth once the usual balance of power in the American League takes its shape. I’m choosing to ignore them and simply enjoy the ride. We’re all used to seeing our Toronto teams suck the bag anyway, so setting ourselves up for more disappointment shouldn’t scare us too much. I like to think we’ve been beaten down so many times before that we’ve developed really thick skin no matter what happens. From that perspective, there is nothing left to lose. Go Jays – this is the year! Who’s with me?

Written by: Sin City

2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs: First Round Predictions

Unlike the degenerate gamblers who read this stuff so they can make well-informed betting decisions, sports writers aren’t risking all that much when making predictions. When we turn out to be right, we get to brag about it and our credibility increases in the minds of our readers. When we’re wrong, it gets swept under the rug and rarely does anyone care enough to remember (unless you’re one of the degenerates who lost a lot of money… soooooo sorry). If someone does call me out on making a foolish pick, I can always claim “Opposite Day!” and leave it at that. So here we go with my Stanley Cup Playoff predictions for the first round:

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) San Jose Sharks vs. (8) Anaheim Ducks

What’s worse – being a fan of a team that sucks every year no questions asked, or being a fan of a team that always does well in the regular season only to frustrate the hell out of you with one playoff failure after another? The San Jose Sharks are the hockey equivalent to a girl you meet at a bar who seems like a sure thing all night, but brings you nothing but disappointment in the end. The Sharks’ playoff failures have been attributed to a lack of mental toughness (the girl could be crazy), injuries (she could have a STD), or the belief that the team is just better suited for regular season success and doesn’t have the complete package necessary to win when everything’s on the table (she’s a tease). The Sharks have grown more impressive with each passing season of dominant play over the 82-game schedule… the question is – how thick are your beer goggles this time around? Personally, my standards are never that high anyway. Sharks in 6.

(2) Detroit Red Wings vs. (7) Columbus Blue Jackets

Columbus making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history is the feel-good story of the NHL season thus far. Unlike your typical Adam Sandler movie, however, this one will not end with the underdog on top. Instead, picture Billy Madison being sent to a madhouse after he’s diagnosed with schizophrenia, thus preventing him from passing the 12th grade and allowing Eric to take over Madison Hotels. It was, indeed, much too hot for a penguin to be just walking around. Or let’s say instead of surviving the hit-and-run on the 9th hole and going on to win the gold jacket, Happy Gilmore dies in a much more violent accident orchestrated by that same hit man hired by Shooter McGavin. Turns out Shooter took the hit man up on his offer to buy dinner at Red Lobster, and they upped the anti on Happy’s head over some shrimp cocktails. Grandma doesn’t get her house back, and the Wings will win in a sweep.

(3) Vancouver Canucks vs. (6) St. Louis Blues

These are the two hottest teams in hockey heading into the playoffs, but that’s where the similarities end. The Canucks have overcome the consistency issues that plagued them in the first half of the season, and they’re the team I’m picking to go all the way. The Blues, on the other hand, have shocked everyone just by making the playoffs and are another one of those feel-good stories. This is one of those series where many of the so-called experts will try to look like geniuses by calling for an upset. Don’t be fooled. Having avoided injuries late in the season, Vancouver boasts the deepest lineup from the goaltender on out heading into round 1. How many teams can match the Canucks in goal right now? Not to mention Pinky & the Brain (the Sedin twins), who have been absolutely tearing it up the past couple months. The Blues have better luck seeing a normal-sized ass when Keith Tkachuk shows up for training camp next year than seeing the 2nd round. Canucks in six.

(4) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (5) Calgary Flames

This strikes me as the most intriguing matchup in the West, because I don’t know what to expect from either team. The Flames are an enigma to this point, having cruised their way to a 13 point lead on the Northwest Division in the first half before playing horribly down the stretch and surrendering the division to Vancouver. The Blackhawks are an up-and-coming team to be sure, but this will likely go down as nothing more than a learning experience for first-timers Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. What’s more important for Chicago (and the NHL) – the Blackhawks led the entire NHL in attendance this season, averaging 22,247 fans per game. Also notable: former Maple Leaf great Anders Eriksson is expected to suit up for Calgary in game 1. Flames in six.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Boston Bruins vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens

As a diehard Habs fan, this is tough for me to say, but based on what I’ve witnessed throughout the season, I cannot come up with a realistic angle or scenario from which I can see Montreal winning this series (believe me, I’ve tried). I’m having an easier time believing that, after finishing 1st in the entire Eastern Conference no less than a year ago, the Canadiens are trying to hustle the Bruins, hoping Boston will take them lightly due to their lackluster play over the 2nd half. Maybe I’ve been inspired by an episode of Fresh Prince I saw recently, where Uncle Phil hustles the pool shark that won money off Will. Bob Gainey might just have some Uncle Phil in him. Bruins in 6.

(2) Washington Capitals vs. (7) New York Rangers

The Capitals have the best player in the NHL in Alexander Ovechkin and a strong supporting cast highlighted by other rising superstars like Alex Semin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green. Despite this wealth of talent, people aren’t sold on the Caps for one reason – Jose Theodore. Before he was wheeling Paris ‘ilton and partying his way out of Montreal, Theodore was one of the best goalies in the league who stole a couple series for the Habs over the heavily favored Bruins. Many would be surprised to learn he is still the last goalie to win the Hart Trophy as league MVP, which he did back in 2002. Theodore’s performance in recent years, however, makes it tough to picture Washington coming out of the East. The Rangers aren’t being given much of a chance in this series due to their lack of offence (Nik Antropov led the team in scoring with 59 points), but they do have some savvy veterans with good playoff resumes (Chris Drury, Scott Gomez). Don’t overlook Henrik Lundqvist either. Sources tell me he’s the handsomest goalie in the league and he’s got the ability to win games on his own. Rangers in 7.

(3) New Jersey Devils vs. (6) Carolina Hurricanes

“OOOOWWWAAAAAAAHHHHHHH…” (…Your basic fake yawn move right there, which is always obnoxious more often than it is funny, because the person who is expressing their boredom usually holds it for too long and they look like an asshole pretending to stretch). Unless you’re David Puddy (“gotta support the team”), this series is hands down the least interesting of the first round. It’s never easy to bet against Brodeur, but look for Cam Ward to be the difference for Carolina. Hurricanes in 7.

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Philadelphia Flyers

This should turn out to be the best series of them all. Philly is very well balanced up front and has tremendous scoring depth, while the Pens unquestionably have the two best players in the series and the better goalie. After puzzling the hockey world with their inconsistent play for most of the season, the Pens seemed to find their groove right when they needed to. They surged up to 4th place all the way from 10th, and another deep run in the playoffs seems likely. Sports fans who’ve been around for a few years love to look back on the greatest players of all-time and celebrate the success they had in their prime. We saw Jordan and Gretzky do many special things during their championship dynasty years with the Bulls and Oilers. More recently, how awesome was it when Lebron James scored 29 of the Cavs’ final 30 points in a Conference Finals win over the Pistons 2 years ago? The great ones all have their moments, and Sidney Crosby has the ability to put up 5 or 6 points on some nights. I think we could be in store for some legendary performances on the big stage. Penguins in 6.

FINALS PREDICTION (take one) – Vancouver Canucks defeat Pittsburgh Penguins in 7 games.

Written By: Sin City