So the Bulls and the Celtics series has FINALLY ended with the good guys coming out on top!!! With Boston winning and the Hawks pulling out the “W” over Miami, the door has opened to the glorious second round of the playoffs. As I love to do, I am going to force feed you all my theories on how these series will play out and then when I am horribly wrong, I will blame it all on you!!!
Orlando vs. Boston
If Kevin Garnett were able bodied (don’t they have cortisone in Boston?) I wouldn’t even waste my massively valuable time writing up this synopsis but since he isn’t, here I GO!!! After a long series with Chicago we learned a few things about the “new” Celts, #1 Paul Pierce isn’t as good as he thinks. Sure he made some big shots but he also effed up a lot, i.e) fouling Noah on a bonehead play that probably cost them the game if not another over time. #2 Boston can get REALLY thin, REALLY fast up front (I am really trying to get a Big Baby joke in here but I am tired) and #3 Brian Scalabrine and Tony Allen are part of an elaborate rouse by Ashton Kutcher to Punk the whole world into thinking these 2 DUDS could actually make and NBA squad. As for Orlando, I think they are way too big for the Celts but not too deep for them. If they can get O Town in foul trouble, I think they will be able to pressure their back up players into a big enough hole that they can’t recover but that is a LOOONG stretch….Magic in 6
Atlanta vs. Cleveland
If you skipped the first match up to get to this one you may want to go back to the first sentence and read slowly. My time is valuable and the Cavaliers time is too. I mean how is LeBron going to celebrate being MVP at 24 years old when he has to play these damn playoff games. Cavs = good, Hawks = not good enough. Cavs in 4
Lakers vs. Rockets
I think this is a match up I am anticipating more than most people. One of 2 of the worlds best players (depending on who you like better) vs. one of the worlds best defenders and piss off artists. And if you don’t know who I am talking about, its Yao Ming and Sasha Vujacic…..No seriously, earlier in the year Kobe vs. Artest was AWESOME and gave me my favourite clip of the year which I posted on the site here. I think people are MAJORLY looking past the Big Man and his band of merry men and just thinking LeBron/Kobe finals. Houston is here for a reason, they have a deep team filled with role players that just come to play basketball. Sure they don’t have T-Mac but T-Mac doesn’t have knees or a back so he would only slow them down. What I think this series will come down to is how well Ming can play Gasol and how bad Artest can piss off Kobe. If Ming gets in foul trouble consistently, Houston loses. If Artest can piss Kobe off enough to make him shoot 50 times and forget his teammates, I think LA loses. But…LA in 6
Denver vs. Dallas
I have previously stated my disdain for the Mavericks and their style of play and nothing afforded me more happiness then seeing them get beat on Sunday while I was nursing a WICKED hangover (THANK YOU PACQUIAO). I think Denver is WAY too deep, too dirty and too well rounded to even get sucked into the Diggler’s one man band act. Billups is better than Kidd (at this point in their career), anyone is better than JJ Barea, JR Smith is Jason Terry with attitude, Melo and Dirk are fairly even, Martin is a real thug as opposed to Josh Howard and Nene is a REAL beast as opposed to Ericka Dampier (shout out to the Big Shaqtus). I can see the Mavs lulling the Nuggets to sleep for a game or two so I will say….Denver in 6
Let me know what you guys think in the comments section….PROVE ME WRONG CELTICS!!!
Written on March 30th, 2009 by goatdieselno shouts
Ever since I can remember people have been telling me that “Lamar Odom would be one of the best players if he could just stay consistent”. With Odom being a nightly triple double threat, I never really agreed, then I started to pay a bit more attention. Sometimes you get the feeling Lamar might not only be drinking Gatorade at halftime. Check out the look on Phil Jacksons face…..
The clever people over at The Basketball Jones have uncovered a mysterious lost tape from the Houston vs. L.A. game on March 11th, 2009. The video clearly shows the level of trash talking that Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest were involved in during the game.
“I am not a role model!” That famous slogan was the theme of a marketing campaign for Charles Barkley’s Nikes, and back in 1993 it created quite a controversy. 16 years (plus millions of dollars in gambling losses, the financial settlement given to the guy who Barkley tossed through a glass window, and the money needed to make bail after drunk-driving “to go get a blowjob”) later, and it turns out Sir Charles was right. If he’s anyone’s role model, then that person better be as rich as Barkley or they’re sure to end up in jail or on the streets.
Today, if a superstar athlete promoted himself with the same unapologetic indifference to the impression he makes on young sports fans, we would not see the same controversy that we saw with Barkley in ’93. Times have changed for athletes in the spotlight. While some sports stars still welcome the perceived responsibility of giving kids someone to look up to, a growing number of them ignore that it even exists. Barkley’s reasoning was that parents shouldn’t turn to him to raise their kids; they should be the role models themselves. The argument makes sense. But even if Barkley is right, his attitude isn’t doing anyone any good. Just because kids shouldn’t look up to athletes doesn’t mean they won’t. Unfortunately, it’s so much easier for these young millionaires to plead the fifth on this issue because it frees them of any additional responsibility outside the sport in which they perform. As long as they aren’t committing serious crimes, they can do whatever they want in their personal lives without having to think twice about the message they’re sending to the impressionable youth. Concerns about reputation and moral influence are fading in a time where access to the private lives of professional athletes is growing like never before.
Take Michael Jordan, for example. Sure, we know some details about his compulsive gambling and extramarital affairs, but a lot of his personal issues flew under the radar during his playing days. Now imagine if Jordan was starring in the current era, rather than in the late ‘80s and ‘90s. With the emergence of the internet and the unquenchable thirst for celebrity gossip, Jordan would get ten times more bad publicity than he did back then. Just look at the scrutiny Kobe Bryant and Alex Rodriguez are constantly under; not only in the sports section, but in mainstream media. The vices of these two 21st century superstars are paraded around non-stop, yet Jordan managed to maintain a relatively clean image throughout his time of superstardom. Today, there’s not a chance he’d be able to hide all his dirty laundry.
Surely, many of us in our early-mid 20s can sympathize with pro athletes who have their reputations damaged when unflattering party photos somehow surface on the internet. For us, not only is it hard to blame them, it’s actually pretty cool to see how they’re just normal guys that go out and have a good time. We identify with that, but here’s also where the problem lies: as we celebrate the “outing” of star athletes’ personal lives in that funny, TMZ celebrity-gossip kind of way, we tend to overlook the troubling ways it sits with those who cannot relate. Kids haven’t gone through enough experiences to interpret these things harmlessly. If I look at the picture of Michael Phelps hooting a bong and think, “That’s funny,” wouldn’t it be worrisome if a 12-year-old kid had the same reaction?
There are plenty of kids who show a big-time interest in sports at a young age. They follow stories about star athletes just as much as anyone. The same media attention that allows pro athletes to become ridiculously rich also brings some social responsibilities that extend beyond the world of entertainment. Instead of being negligent, they should be mindful of the fact that in this age of digital media, there’s a much greater chance that the choices they make will become public knowledge, leaving a lasting impression on the younger generation of sports fans. For young adults, we like being able to think that these guys are just like us. Here’s the truth — they’re not like us. They are in a totally different position than you and me, making way more money, applying their trade with the most unique physical skills and living completely different lifestyles. They certainly deserve to enjoy the benefits, but it’d be beneficial to their young followers if they held themselves to a higher standard than the average party animal that never has to worry about seeing his drunk ass on the front page of Deadspin.com.
Written on February 10th, 2009 by Shaun Sinclair2 shouts
Kobe and LeBron
I don’t give a rat’s ass. That was Kobe Bryant’s response when a reporter asked him how he felt after Lebron James overtook his title of “youngest player in the history of the NBA to reach 12,000 career points” (Lebron reached the mark just after his 24th birthday, while it took Kobe until he was 25). This reaction fell perfectly in line with how I’m used to viewing Kobe – he’s an arrogant, self-centered megastar who can’t be bothered with the suggestion that another player might just be better than he is. To Kobe, he doesn’t owe it to anyone to give a more “politically correct” response. He’s not the type to give us one of these gems we’re so used to hearing from more humble athletes: “Uhh, yeah, you know, Lebron is a great player. I can’t believe how he’s so, umm, dominant at such a young age… I’m not sure who’s a better player, but, you know, individual stats don’t matter and it’s all about the team.” Like him or not, Kobe’s telling us how he actually feels. He doesn’t give a rat’s ass. He thinks/knows he is a better player than Lebron James, and he won’t beat around the bush just to seem like a nice guy. He’s too good for that. (more…)
Written on February 6th, 2009 by goatdiesel3 shouts
Thank GoatDiesel It’s the Weekend! Too many sports, not enough time? Let GoatDiesel solve your problems! Every Friday, I will let you know whats worth watching this coming weekend. So your girlfriend doesn’t make you watch Grey’s Anatomy for the third time because there’s nothing on!!!
Saturday Night:MMA -UFC Fight Night – Free on SpikeTV at 9pm ET! The fight card MIGHT not be anything close to last weekends GSP vs. BJ Penn but it’s free, there’s ring girls and Cain Velasquez is going to be a beast in this sport and this might be the last time you see him for free.
NHL – Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens, 7pm ET on CBC - Two of the NHL’s most storied franchises, one for winning the most championships and one for well…Not winning one in about 42 years but who’s counting? Plus you may get another free fight night when Mikhail Grabovski and Andrei Kostitsyn go at it for the Belorussian Featherweight title.
Sunday:NBA - San Antonio Spurs vs Boston Celtics,1pm ABC - Could this be the passing of the guard? Or the old dog showing the puppy who’s boss? San Antone used to be shoo-in’s for making the finals and always had a shot at winning it but lately, all we hear is the Celtics and Lakers are going to win. So let’s see how this plays out…
NBA – LA Lakers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 3:30pm ABC – East vs. West, Kobe vs. LeBron, potential finals match up, what else could you ask for? If you think this is going to be a regular Sunday game you are sorely mistaken. Nobody hates losing more than Kobe and nobody hates everyone talking about LeBron more than Kobe. Nobody hates losing more than LeBron and nobody hates being compared to Kobe more than LeBron, so let’s see who comes out on top.
Well that’s what GoatDiesel will be viewing this weekend, what are you all watching??? Let me know in the comment section…
Written on December 6th, 2008 by goatdieselone shout
1/4 Man, 1/4 Beast, 1/2 Superhuman
Let’s be honest, it’s JUST too easy for this guy! Blessed with a body from greek mythology, the smile of 5 year old kid about to steal some cookies and the althletic ability of well, a superhuman. It’s hard to believe there is anything Dwight won’t be able to achieve while in the NBA. Except maybe a 6th Man of the Year or Most Improved Player award.
Less than a month from his first career triple double (a nasty one at that: 30pts, 18rebs and 10 blocks). D12 hasn’t slowed down and the scary part is, he seems to be getting better. I haven’t seen lines in box scores like this since another overgrown manchild donned a blue and white jersey with Magic across the front. The difference between the two great centres in my mind, Shaq used his dominant size and undying hunger to eat rims and beast his way to massive box scores. While Howard uses a more fast paced, high flying, did you just fuc… see that approach to his game.
I think the difference in the end will be, while Shaq’s body eventually broke down carrying his massive size around and his pound, pound, pound attitude on the court. For Dwight, I think it will be how long can he continue to turn off a pick, jump through the roof and throw any ball lobbed in his general direction through the rim on his way down. I do believe his penchant for rebound will always be there, his timing on blocks is a inate ability, so as long as his superhuman ability to leap only decreases to human or above average human, he should continue to dominate. Don’t get me wrong, Shaq is a beast, in my opinion one of the 5 best centres ever and he’s having a great season this year. But for me, I think D12 represents the new breed of Shaq if you will.
Like the NBA Shaq first played in compared to the NBA they both play in now. D12 is leaner, faster and more high flying than Shaq was. When Dwight ends career will we still be able to compare the two? Will he be in the top 50 players of all time? Who knows, I would be crazy to make that claim but he does have the tools and time on his side (He’s 23 in his 5th year). Can he even come close to touching Shaq’s legacy of 4 championships? Again, who knows? If he was put in a position with players like Kobe and Dwyane Wade it is almost a given. The only thing I do know is the man is a freak of nature, a hell a lot of fun to watch, a great person and someone to keep your eye on.
Written on December 5th, 2008 by goatdieselno shouts
Sam Mitchell in his classic 4th quarter pose.
Salutations,
I apologize if I cannot hide my glee as I type these words but ITS ABOUT TIME. For those of you living under a rock or just not interested in Toronto sports, Toronto’s “other” team has finally severed ties with what felt like a 20 pound anvil tied to the ankles of the players and organization for the past two seasons.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not a Sam Mitchell hater. I really think he was a great motivator, player developer (if you’re not in his doghouse, see: Joey Graham) and team guy. But when it came to X’s and O’s, I don’t think there was a worse coach employed in the NBA. I only have some mid-level basketball experience and A LOT of basketball watching experience but I can say with complete confidence that I could out coach Sam in the last 5 seconds of any game. And let’s be serious, would you ever let a player score 81 on you? Sam just sat there with his usual “Oh well, here’s another loss” look with his hand rubbing his brow. I have an idea, don’t let Kobe isolate his defender, double team him or even FOUL him hard enough to make him think pass on his next wide open drive to the tin. But I digress, the past is the past, so let’s move on.
If you haven’t guessed by now I am a maple syrup drinking, beer chugging Torontonian. So it brings me great pleasure that we not only have a new coach but one of my favourite coaches, Jay Triano. I will never forget when he took team Canada to a 5 and 2 record at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Of course you can say this team had the services of back to back MVP Steve Nash but unless you’re Canadian or lived in Dallas in 2000, you probably hadn’t seen Nash much. And unless you went to highschool with anyone else on this squad you had never heard of these guys before or after. It came down to coaching. Triano had these guys believing they COULD win and he gave them the right system to do it. For Triano to turn this Titanic away from the iceberg I think he only has to tweak a few things.
First off, play your $5M dollar man (Kapono) A LOT more and when he does play, MAKE SURE HE ONLY SHOOTS. Show him some tapes of Dell Curry rocking that fade and jacking J’s in his purple dino jersey. He had no problem collecting cheques by shooting and pretending to play defence, why do you? You’re the greatest shooter in the world (sorry Damon Jones), dont try to be a slasher or a distributer…SHOOT!!!
Which brings me to Jamario Moon, talk about playing to your contract? Maybe he has a fear of 7 digits? Or the rim? It was only 12 months ago, Moon was slapping gravity in the face with his fuzzy walnuts on the way to the rim. He had people believing he could take off from a solid foot behind the chairty stripe. Now, he settles for his awkward J not even near the key, he doesn’t rebound well, he take DUMB fouls and it doesnt look like he cares. He needs to start attacking the rim or take over Joey’s spot on the pine because Kapono can at least shoot.
And last but not least, BALL MOVEMENT!!! I am lucky enough to have season tickets to the Raps, so I get to see first hand what ball movement can do. I say this because on TV it’s hard to get a grasp of how confused other teams are without hearing them yelling at each other when the Raps get into one of their ball movement grooves. There have been SOME glimpses that this year, 4 or 5 nice passes around the perimeter for an open J or to the open man inside for an easy deuce. Don’t get me wrong, Chris Bosh is and ANIMAL this year and derserves all the accolades and hype he is FINALLY receiving. He also deserves to not to settle for that 18 footer he is forced to take so often. Of course we can’t blame Mitchell for that totally but with more focus on ball movement and hustling it,will be a lot harder for Bosh to settle for that jumper when he’s trying to whizz the ball around to Parker or Kapono for a wide open trey.
At the beginning of the season I was thinking 45+ wins for this team, when J.O went down I was thinking 41 MAX. A lot of this just had to do with Smitch’s inability to utilize players properly and to put his pride aside when it came down to making the right decision. Now that he is gone with some tweaking to the system and maybe a minor trade, we can be top 5 in the East.
In closing I would like to say “So long Sam, thanks for memories”! (well most of them) and congratulations Jay make us proud. Now hopefully I won’t have to spend my days defending how a team can get blown out by 39 points, blowing a 13+ point lead late in the game or watching VC dunk my Friday night down the crapper.
“I am not a role model!” That famous slogan was the theme of a marketing campaign for Charles Barkley’s Nikes, and back in 1993 it created quite a controversy. 16 years (plus millions of dollars in gambling losses, the financial settlement given to the guy who Barkley tossed through a glass window, and the money needed to make bail after drunk-driving “to go get a blowjob”) later, and it turns out Sir Charles was right. If he’s anyone’s role model, then that person better be as rich as Barkley or they’re sure to end up in jail or on the streets. 
