Leave it to the Dodgers

The Associated Press


Vinny always knows what to say.
"Leave it to the Dodgers," LA's legendary broadcaster said after they beat the Angels 1-0 Saturday night without getting a hit.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Dodgers were technically not No-hit because they didn't get to bat in the ninth. I'm sure that doesn't phase them, since every win a light hitting team like the Dodgers gets in a light winning NL West is important. Despite their struggles all season, they find themselves just 2.5 games out of first place.

The pitching is beginning to resemble the dominance we expected at the beginning of the season. Though Brad Penny and Hiroki Kuroda are on the DL, Chad Billingsley (full disclosure: he's on my keeper fantasy team) has given up just 14 runs in his last nine starts, and has pitched at least five innings in every start this season except for his first.

The Dodgers are second in the NL in ERA and first in least home runs allowed.
After dropping five straight, they've won 7 of their last 11 games. In their last three wins, they've allowed a total of 0 runs.
That ERA would be even better if they got to face the Braves with strikeout artist Andruw Jones.
Jones is scheduled to begin his rehab assignments with the Dodgers triple A affiliate in Las Vegas on Monday unfortunately. On the bright side Fafael Furcal and Nomar Garciaparra are also set to play for the Vegas 51s on Monday. Also, Jason Schmidt reportedly threw as high as 91 miles per hour in 2 and 2/3 innings for the 51s against Fresno.
As the Diamondbacks continue to nosedive, and LA inserts players from the infirmary, the Dodgers have a chance to catapult themselves into the division lead before long.


For your education:
At the same stadium where the Euro Cup Final will take place on Sunday, a lot of atrocities were committed.

No flow
Kobe has no response to Shaq's rap.

Not so fast:
It appears the East Valley Tribune may have jumped the gun a little bit. According to a source close to the team, Jennings won't know if he passes the NCAA guidelines for eligibility until July 5th. The source said he's still hopeful Jennings will don an Arizona uniform in the coming season. Stay tuned.

Drafting for Dummies

Upset that they weren't getting calls in the playoffs, the Lakers went out and drafted Joe Crawford with the 58th pick of the NBA draft.
Informed that Crawford was a player from Kentucky and not an NBA referee, since owning the rights to a referee is illegal aside from that game 6 against the Kings in 2002, Mitch Kupchak asked for a draft do-over. He was denied.

Kupchak wasn't the only GM looking for a draft do-over. Crawford will most likely not even make the team, and the Lakers don't really need him. They got the No. 1 overall pick in this draft, and that's Andrew Bynum. 7-foot center, good in the low post, blocks shots, has improved every year. You may have heard of him.

The Lakers will be fine, but other teams won't. Let's take a look at draft and trade mistakes, not in any specific order.

No. 1 Chicago Bulls
They drafted Derrick Rose to fill a backcourt with Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon. Only there's two guard spots and last I checked Hinrich was a point guard. With a four years left on his deal and more than $11 million per year due, he won;t be easy to trade either. Before the Raptors got on the Jermain O'Neal sweepstakes, the Bulls could have pulled this off: Hinrich and Drew Gooden (expiring contract) for Jermaine O'Neal.
The Bulls still draft hometown favorite Rose and get the big man they've coveted.
The Pacers take a Larry Bird type player Hinrich, who's white and has proven to be a good citizen, exactly what the Pacers have been looking for since they put together a team full of troublemakers. Plus, wouldn't you rather have steady Hinrich than the oft injured T.J. Ford and the 17th pick in the draft with which they took Roy Stiffert...I mean Hibbert.

No. 2 Charlotte Bobcats
I understand Raymond Felton is no Chris Paul, but he's not terrible. Passing on Brook Lopez to take a future back up point guard in D.J. Augustin makes no sense. New head coach Larry Brown HATES rookies, and is notoriously tough on point guards. I almost feel bad for Augustin who will be yelled at every single day and than rewarded with no playing time. I know the Bobcats are shopping Felton but there's no way Augustin is ready to come in and start.

No. 3 Seattle Supersonics
Drafting the most overrated player in the draft, Russell Westbrook, isn't the answer to help Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Sonics. He might be a good defender but he can't shoot a lick and was arguably the third best player on his college team. That's enough to be the 4th pick in the NBA draft?
I'll take proven over potential any day.

No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers

They had to be on this list. I mean, no one has screwed up the lottery more time than Elgin Baylor and the Clip show. Eric Gordon averaged all of 2.4 assists per game at Indiana, can't handle the ball, and struggled in big games. And he's the answer at point guard. My money says the Clippers will be right back in the lottery next year. I do like DeAndre Jordan in the second round though, because if he ever figures out that being 7-feet tall alone won't make him good, he actually has the tools to be a solid NBA center. Big if, however.

Other thoughts:

The Raptors had to get rid of T.J. Ford and I applaud their move because Jose Calderon was head and shoulders above Ford. But I'm curious to see how Chris Bosh and O'Neal mesh together. Both love holding onto the ball for long periods of time and both like shooting 15 foot jumpers. On paper it looks great, especially if O'Neal stays healthy, which is never a guarantee, but on the court this isn't foolproof.

The Blazers will be a playoff team:
PG: Steve Blake/Jerryd Bayless.Sergio rodriguez/Rudy Fernandez
SG: Brandon Roy:
SF: Travis Outlaw
PF: LeMarcus Aldridge
C: Greg Oden

Plus they've been stockpiling assets including trading for Nicolas Batum this year, who I think will eventually turn into a solid NBA player.

I'm not completely sold on the T-Wolves/Grizzlies trade. I would have thought pairing Mayo and Jefferson together makes sense considering you always need a post threat and a perimeter threat. Instead they traded for Kevin Love and moved Al Jefferson to center. Getting Mike Miller, a proven veteran who can score is a nice addition and I would have done the deal if I was the Wolves also. Maybe the Wolves know something I don't about Randy Foye and Sebastian Telfair but for the time being, they are extremely weak at the point guard position. The Grizzlies meanwhile have a nice core with O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay, Mike Conley, and the steal of the draft Darrell Arthur. So overall, this has the potential to be a good deal for both sides. Mayo, though has a chance to be an All-Star while Love will be a solid player and most likely nothing more.

Starting lineup of guys I hate:
PG: Brevin Knight (Because if u play 15 years in the nba, u should be able to make a 10 foot jumper)
SG: Stephen Jackson
SF: Vince Carter
PF: Rasheed Wallace
C: Shelden Williams

Note: Stephon Marbury was once on this list, but his decision to sell his shoes at $20 a piece, a reasonable price, earned him some respect. Now, I think, he's just lost it, gone off the edge. I almost feel bad for him and his craziness. And he's still a horrible player, has never made his teammates better and is a perennial loser.

Starting lineup of guys I hate in this draft:
PG: Eric Gordon
SG: Russell Westbrook
SF: Mareese Speights
PF: Anthony Randolph
C: Roy Hibbert/JaVale McGee

Draft day highlight:

No question it was the Lopez brothers, although Dick Vitale opening and folding his hands while yelling came in at second place. Not only are they both goof balls and talk like they're from some cartoon, but Brook being wired was the most comical part of the draft. Also, Robin looked like Sideshow Bob from the Simpsons.

Here are a few of Brook's musings.

"Ryan just sent me a text message saying sit up straight."
"I'm gonna be like what's his name, Brady Quinn."
"Who's the management for the Nets?" Upon being informed that Lawrence Frank was the coach, Brook looked incredulous and with an OMG expression moved his head forward and said "Lawrence Frank," in his goofy voice. You really had to see it. I just watched it again since I tivoed draft. It's great every time.

Feeling the lows:

Just three days ago, I wrote that things are becoming to calm down in Tucson. With the shocking return of Chase Budinger, Arizona basketball had a chance to be good. Ummm... think again. Brandon Jennings did not qualify, reported the East Valley Tribune.
It looks now like the talk of him playing in Europe may actually come to fruition.
I also wrote about the Cats lack of depth. Without Jennings, Arizona not only loses a star, but barely has enough decent players to even compete in the Pac-10. It could be an ugly year.

Annual Mock draft

(Note: This is not what I think will happen, it's what I think should happen)

The Bulls are making a mistake if they don't select...

No. 1 Chicago Bulls - Michael Beasley F, 6-7 240 Kansas State

Everyone has jumped on Derrick Rose's bandwagon after the season even though Beasley appeared to be the consensus No. 1 during. Why? Because somewhere in the rumor mill, Rose's character is winning out over Beasley's immense talent.
Forget that Beasley put up ridiculous numbers against a tough Big 12 Conference despite seeing triple teams on a nightly basis and having arguably the worst guards in the league, guys who for some reason refused to give him the ball on every possession and instead jacked up wild threes. Forget that he had the best PER of any college player in the last six years according to John Hollinger.
Forget that he has huge hands, catches everything around the rim, and has a sweet stroke from three.
Forget that he was a model citizen at Kansas State even though he had Bill Walker on his team.
That all doesn't matter because he played a few pranks in high school.
So now, the Bulls who already have a point guard, and one that played for the USA team not too long ago, and who desperately need a scorer inside, the biggest reason they haven't gone anywhere in the last decade, are going to take another point guard.
This reminds me a lot of the Hawks draft three years ago. They took Marvin Williams, the best player on their board and passed up a need position in pg Chris Paul. Williams is going to be a very good player but Paul is great. The same scenario will happen here. Rose will be a very good player, maybe an all star, but Beasley will lead the league in scoring and possibly in rebounding at some point in his career, become a perennial All-Star, and be a great player.

No. 2 Miami Heat Derrick Rose PG 6-2 Memphis

This a two player draft. You can't go wrong with either Beasley or Rose, unless you have an obvious need for scoring inside and you take a point guard (see Bulls, above). Combine Rose with Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion, and you have a top 4 team in the East. The only concern would be control over the ball. Wade has it in his hands a lot and you'd want Rose with the ball a lot too, but neither of those guys can shoot so they really can't kick it to each other. The Heat need someone like James Posey or Jason Kapono. O wait, they let both of those guys go.

No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves O.J. Mayo G 6-4 USC
With all the character concerns surrounding Beasley, O.J. Mayo is getting a relative free pass. To me, Mayo is the biggest boom or bust example. He can be one of the next great players in the league or his off court issues could derail his career. The notion that he's capable of playing point guard is mind boggling. When was he ever effective running the point at any point in his college or high school career? He's a natural scorer with a lot of NBA moves, by all accounts a hard worker, has a chip on his shoulder, and is a very good defender (see his defense on Rose in the Memphis/USC game). Team him with Al Jefferson and the Wolves have a nice 1-2 nucleus to build around. Just don't rule out Mayo getting three DUI's in one month during the Minnesota winter, having a Reggie Bush type hoopla surrounding him, or getting in a Ron Artest type melee.

No. 4 Seattle Supersonics Jerryd Bayless G 6-4 Arizona
The Bayless/Kevin Durant pick and roll will be hard to stop. So long as Bayless isn't going left. The ultra competitive Bayless, I would hope has been dribbling the ball with his right hand tied behind his back, because he has all the tools but doesn't go both ways equally, a weakness that will be exploited to the fullest extent in the NBA. I'm still not sold on his ability to run a team yet either. He's a scorer just like Mayo. He plays like Ben Gordon. He struggled juggling scoring and distributing duties at Arizona. He was most effective when teamed with point guard Nic Wise. But out of the remaining combo guards, Bayless is head and shoulders above guys like Eric Gordon and Russell Westbrook.

No. 5 Memphis Grizzlies Kevin Love PF 6-8 UCLA
If you're scoring at home, that's three Pac-10 guys in the first five picks. If Memphis takes Love, they can just have Rudy Gay leak out every time, and have Love throw him a full court alley-oop. That can be their offense. With 94 point guards already on the roster, they have to go big, and Love is a sure thing, unlike Anthony Randolph, DeAndre Jordan, Javale McGee, or any of the other tremendous upside potential guys. He needs to shed a few pounds and get in better shape, but he's the most skilled player in the draft, and he'll be a contributor for a long time. He's the Shane Battier of power forwards. He will make your team better.

No. 6 New York Knicks Danillo Gallinari SF 6-8 Italy

How can one Italian Mike D'Antoni pass up another Italian? That'd be like reverse racism. Foreigners haven't really worked out for the Knicks. Remember Frederic Weis, aka the guy that Vince Carter jumped over. Yeah, he was Knicks property. Also, Milos Vujanic, who started over Marko Jaric on Serbia's national team had his rights held by the Knicks but never came over. I've never seen Gallinari play aside from youtube, but I wouldn't draft a combo guard here when you already have Nate Robinson, Jamal Crawford, and Stephon Marbury. What the Knicks really should do is make a trade.

No. 7 Los Angeles Clippers Joe Alexander SF 6-8 West Virginia

If Alexander is available here, the Clippers won't draft him. They have Elgin Baylor as the GM and Donald Sterling as their owner. Draft decisions aren't exactly their strengths, despite having a lot of lottery experience. I can see the Clips taking overrated Russell Westbrook here, who averaged 12 points a game in college and can't make a jump shot. Plus with Corey Maggette likely opting out, the Clips will lack depth at the three with Al Thornton and no one else.

No. 8 Milwaukee Bucks Eric Gordon SG 6-4 Indiana

I'm not high on Gordon or Westbrook but at this point with Alexander gone, the Bucks need an insurance policy for Michael Redd. I don't see Gordon as a point guard because he's not a very good passer, not a particularly good decision maker, and really regressed as the season went along. Maybe it was the tough coaching situation in Bloomington, or maybe Gordon just isn't as good as he was hyped. The Bucks already have young player along the front line with Andrew Bogut and Yi so I wouldn't take Brook Lopez, the best remaining player available.

No. 9 Charlotte Bobcats Brook Lopez C 7-0 Stanford

Brook Lopez will quickly find out that playing for Larry Brown is no fun. Especially when you're a rookie. But Brown will make Lopez even better, if he gives him a chance that is. Lopez is a good low post scorer, has more toughness than he's credited for, and will be a good shot blocker and defender. He's no 7-foot stiff like Roy Hibbert. Lopez can at least be as good as Kendrick Perkins, but more likely he'll be a 15 and 10 guy by year three. In the NCAA Tournament, Stanford went to Lopez every time down
No. 10 New Jersey Nets Russell Westbrook SG 6-4 UCLA

Westbrook reminds me a lot of Leandro Barbosa. He can kind of run the point guard like the rest of the combo guards but doesn't really look comfortable there. As a sixth man, he'll be able to contribute to a Nets team that will most likely lose Vince Carter to injury at some point in the season.

No. 11 Indian Pacers D.J. Augustin PG 6-0 Texas
Aside from Derrick Rose, Augustin is the second best point guard in this draft, and even he sometimes plays like a 2 guard. Augustin is a terrific shooter, but hasn't showed that he can finish around the rim. He has career backup written all over him, but should be a good backup and a solid shooter for years to come. He'll have a long NBA career, just don't expect him to be the big tease's (Jamaal Tinsley) long term replacement. Expect Tinsley to go down in game 32 and then come back and get hurt four more times, so Augustin will get a chance to play.

No. 12 Sacramento Kings Darrell Arthur PF 6-9 Kansas
Arthur is the sleeper in this draft. He's got a lot of the same skills David West had coming out of college. Good mid range shooter, athletic, understands how to score and rebound. Mario Chalmers, who's overrated got a lot of credit for Kansas' title, but Arthur was the most dominant player on that team and has the athleticism to contribute right away in the NBA.
No. 13 Portland Trailblazers Nicolas Batum SF 6-8 France

If David Stern doesn't come up to the podium and say "There has been a trade, the Portland Trailblazers trade..." I will be shocked. There's enough young players on this team to build around and it's time to add a few veteran pieces. The Blazers still lack a point guard but there's no one at this point who can help them right away or for that matter ever. No point guard remaining will be better than Jarret Jack or Steve Blake, or Sergio Rodriguez even. If the Blazers keep the pick, they might as well draft a Euro and keep him over there until he develops. Batum is athletic enough to play in the NBA and slid because of a poor season in Europe. But he has a lot of potential to be a very good player down the road. The French players have actually turned out very well in the NBA. Look at Tony Parker, Mikael Pietrus, Boris Diaw, and Ronny Turiaf.

No. 14 Golden State Warriors Donte Greene 6-9 SF Syracuse
The Warriors only play games at home, or so it seems, and they only take one kind of player. Athletic wing guys. Greene is that guy. A self-proclaimed great shooter despite taking a ton of bad shots and shooting 40 percent, Golden State is the one place that will allow him to jack it up and not think twice. He's one of the most athletic players in the draft and should fit right in with Cap Jack and Monta Ellis.

No. 58 Los Angeles Lakers Nikola Pekovic C 6-11 Serbia

Chad Ford has the Lakers taking Davon Jefferson of USC, who I think could have been a lottery pick next year without O.J. Mayo stealing the limelight. But Jefferson, who's a 21 year old freshman for a reason, proved that he was stupid again and decided to enter the draft. He could one day turn into a good defender and scorer at the NBA level or have a long NBDL career. At No. 58, you could gamble on him, but I'd rather not waste the 300 grand or so to take him and instead leave Pekovic in Europe for a few years until Vlade Divac convinces him to bring his strength to the NBA so he can be the Lakers version of Luis Scola.

The No. 1 quote of the NBA draft: "It's been a dream since I was a little kid."

Calming down in the desert

Arizona actually looks kind of good for a change. The Wildcats were No. 25 in the preseason rankings on CBS Sportsline, and just received a commitment from 2009 center/power forward Greg Smith, a real big man.

He's already 6-foot-8 and 220 pounds, and look at those actual muscles in the picture, but why is it no surprise that he has academic issues. Despite being a four star recruit and supposedly being recruited by big name programs, it came down to Fresno State and Arizona. Not exactly competing with UCLA or Duke, but anytime a bulky high school kid comes to Arizona, it's a good thing. It's too bad he still doesn't have a big man coach to develop him.

With Chase Budinger's shocking announcement that he is returning to school, and the optimism that Brandon Jennings doesn't go play in Europe (hope he passed that third standardized test),
Arizona's lineup could look like this:

PG: Jennings
SG: Nic Wise
SF: Budinger
PF: Jordan Hill
C: Jeff Withey

Bench:
Fendi Onobun
Zane Johnson
Jamelle Horne
Alex Jacobsen
Brandon Lavender
Kyle Fogg

It's obvious that depth will once again be a huge problem.
Jacobsen is nowhere near ready to play in a Pac-10 game, Lavender and Fogg are more mid-major players than power conference guys, and Johnson looked out of place a lot last season. Which leaves just Horne, who should develop into a top notch defender and good rebounder at least, and Onobun, who's solid when he has his confidence and is out of Olson's doghouse.
That's slim pickings if anyone gets hurt, especially along the front line. Once again, Arizona's is going to have to go small a lot.

It figures that one of the Dodgers in this embarrassing situation was the Dodgers first round pick.

I like the message of the 50 million pound challenge. However, for every one involved with losing the 50 million, I'll bet there's more people out there gaining it right back, plus another 50 million.
America is fat as fuck. Just look at Bartolo Colon.

Name Change

Pacman to Adam, from Thug to Jew.

I do actually have a full time job: Check out my story on Olympian Mike Day.

Look out
for my annual Mock Draft, coming soon.

The Truth Hurts

I always say the worst day of the year is the day when the Lakers lose their final game. This year that day came a lot later than expected at the beginning of the season.
For that delay, I am grateful. It doesn't mean the day hurts any less, however.

A lot of things hurt about the way the Lakers lost to the Celtics. First and foremost is The Truth.
As in Paul Pierce. He completely outplayed Kobe Bryant in this series and deserved the MVP. The Lakers had no answer for him, and that includes the times when Kobe defended Pierce.

Here are some other truths.

• I never thought I'd say this but the Lakers were outcoached...badly.
• Phil Jackson made no adjustments. The Lakers should have had Lamar Odom guarding Paul Pierce, put Vlad Radmanovic on Kenrdick Perkins or P.J. Brown and Gasol on KG. Or better yet, they should have benched Vlad and Luke Walton, and put in Trevor Ariza. They even could have gone big with Ronny Turiaf on Perkins, Gasol on KG, and Odom playing small forward. All those options would have worked better. It would have been worth a try, but Phil just sat on his ass. Pierce may still have won the series for the Celtics, but at least it would have been tougher. At least, Pierce wouldn't have been able to drive into the lane while pressing the Easy Button.
• The Lakers fans (or the people who went to the Laker games in the Finals) were an embarrassment to basketball fans and real Los Angeles Lakers fans.
• The Celtics crowd was terrific.
• James Posey was the X factor. When he wasn't hitting big 3-pointers, he was doing a great job defensively on Kobe.
  
• Pau Gasol was the negative X factor. Sure, Lamar Odom was inconsistent, but he didn't completely lay an egg like Pau who played softer than Charmin. Those sure hands that he had all season completely went away in the finals. At times, he looked like dare I say, Kwame Brown. He even missed an inordinate amount of free throws, a telltale sign that he was nervous.
  
• The game 4 loss was ten times more excruciating than the end of the series.
• Had the Lakers won game 4, they wouldn't have won the series anyway.
  
• Kevin Garnett was hilarious after the game. He was crying, screaming, laughing all at once. I thought he was going to have one of those Kenny in South Park moments where his head explodes.
• Nothing beat the comment "Michelle you look good tonight, girl," to ABC sideline reporter Michelle Tafoya.
  
• Chris Mihm playing a minute in this series is a testament to Phil Jackson having no clue how to beat the Celtics.
  
• I hope Jeff Van Gundy never coaches again. Because he's a great analyst.
• I hope Hubie Brown lands a job somewhere because he puts me to sleep.
• I hate ubuntu.
• Ubuntu worked for the Celtics, who played together all series and showed great passion and heart.
  
• Andrew Bynum will look good in a Lakers uniform standing next to Pau Gasol.
• I wish next season started tomorrow.
  

The Mustard is off the Hot Dog

The Lakers are in the Finals but Chick Hearn isn't there. It's odd. Chick was the ultimate regular at Laker games. He put the Iron Man (Cal Ripken Jr., not the movie character) to shame.
He would have loved this, his wife Marge told LA Times writer T.J. Simers in an article that had me choked up.
Just the other day at work, I was telling people how I think about Chick every game as I listen to one of the worst announcers in sports during regular season games, Joel Meyers.

"I think the kid that does the radio is tremendous and I think Chick would have thought so too," Marge said. Notice how she didn't say anything about the television announcer.

Chick's favorite saying was "since Hector was a pup." Marge's was the "bunny hop and the pea patch."
I liked the "Mustard is off the hot dog," and when people were "put in the popcorn machine."

I miss the words that accompany the game because no one said them better than Chick.
Chick loved the fans and the fans loved him back.
"And he was always proud of the fact that the person who could not afford a ticket could listen to the game and still enjoy it," Marge said. "Those were his kind of fans, those were the ones he loved."

As the Times said when he passed away,
"He always knew what to say, and now we are at a loss for words."

Keys to Game 2 today:

Kobe needs to make some shots. In all three games so far this season, Kobe has been awful. He's 24-72 for a shooting percentage of 33 percent.

Derek Fisher needs more rest so he can be fresh down the stretch. Having him play 41 minutes and Jordan Farmar just seven, didn't help the Lakers in the 4th quarter.

The bench needs to get going. Fifteen points from the Mob, like in Game 1 is not going to cut it.

Trevor Ariza has to play instead of Luke Walton. Walton, 14 minutes, 0 points, two rebounds and one assist in game is an understatement to how ineffective he really was.

Ultimately, with all that said, Kobe needs to knock down his open looks, and all the other factors can be put to rest.

Ray Allen is either pretty smart or is psychic.

"If Kobe doesn't see he needs two and a half good players to be a legitimate playoff contender or win a championship in about a year or two he'll be calling out to Jerry Buss that 'We need some help in here,' or 'Trade me,' " Allen said in 2004. "And we'll all be saying, 'I told you so,' when he says that."

Karma is a bitch. Matt Kemp found that out. He started a fight for no reason (he admitted it was out of frustration) and got his ass kicked by Yorvit Torrealba.

NFL Conspiracy

I usually don't believe in conspiracies but this definitely is a conspiracy.

Check it out:

My article for The Signal Newspaper on Michael Montgomery who was taken No. 36 overall in the Major League Baseball draft.

Stack that Cheese

The blog is back...again. It makes more comebacks than Roger Clemens, although unlike the Roided Rocket, it never misremembers.

I know what you're thinking. Be consistent, write more. I've heard all the criticism. "Did you quit?" one of my friends and loyal readers asked me last week. No, I have not. I've just been on a stacking cheese vacation. See, the problem with having a job where you write is that you're too lazy to write when you get home.

Laziness, it's a trait I share with Andruw Jones. Except, I actually go to the gym and run once in a while.

Anyways, what's been up in the sports world?

Oh yeah, the Lakers and the Celtics are in the NBA Finals. If this were the 80s, we'd be saying what else is new. But we're not. This rematch of the 1987 Finals is huge for the game of basketball. As Magic Johnson would say, the NBA is back.

Kobe's game 5 performance against the Spurs was one of the most amazing I have ever seen. It was Jordanesque. Remember, he scored at will against the best perimeter defender in the NBA. Kobe made Bruce Bowen look like a rec league player. At one point, with about two minutes left, Kobe rolled up his sleeve and then went to work, driving by Bowen and scoring over Tim Duncan.
Kobe is on a mission and he's not letting anyone get in his way. I've said it all year and I'll say it again. We're blessed to watch him play. He's unlike any player in the NBA, in terms of his dedication to basketball and the skill level he has. There's a great article in Sports Illustrated this week about Kobe's competitiveness that I unfortunately can't link because it's not available online.

In the article, it describes how Kobe used to challenge a 5-foot-7 kid named Rob Schwartz to one-on-one contests after practice in high school.
"We'd play games of one-on-on to 100," said Schwartz. "Sometimes he'd score 80 points before I got one basket. I think the best I ever did was lose 100-12."
It also talks about an 11 year old Kobe thinking he could beat Brian Shaw.
Great article and definitely a worthy read.

Like most geniuses or people who are supremely talented, Kobe comes off as a little crazy. His love of the game is over the top. That's what makes him great. There's something odd about the personalities of great people. Eminem is reportedly depressed and was afraid to leave his house despite being one of the greatest rappers of all time. Van Gogh cut off his ear.

So Kobe is obsessed with a sport.
Jerry West called Kobe the hardest worker he's ever seen. His dedication and work ethic is impeccable.
And when the Black Mamba wants to strike, no one can do anything about it.

Arizona basketball

What a mess for Arizona hoops.

Jerryd Bayless punching out Zane Johnson. Lute Olson hanging up on Emmanuel Negedu. Brandon Jennings still not being eligible. Nic Wise considering a transfer. Chase Budinger being brought to tears. The downfall continues.

Tubby Jones watch:
Tubby is out 4-6 weeks with a right knee injury. He's hitting a whopping .165 with two home runs. I feel bad for the Dodgers triple A team when Tubby begins his rehab assignment. He'll mess up their lineup also.

Do you know this man?

If you saw the general manager of a Major League Baseball team, would you recognize him?

I could not.

Last week, I was covering a high school baseball game which several dozen scouts attended. Their main target, Hart High pitcher Michael Montgomery was throwing and Cutter Dykstra (son of Lenny), who plays for Westlake was hitting.

So I cozied up next to the scouts. Maybe I'd hear something interesting in the chatter. And I started making small talk. I was standing next to a guy who looked like he was in his mid 30s, wearing khakis and a polo shirt. Nothing special. I asked him how many scouts he thought were at the game and what he through of Montgomery. I asked where he thought Montgomery would go and how much potential Dysktra had.

After about 15 minutes, a man and his son walked up to him.

Hi, Josh," he said as he turned to his son.

"Son, this is Josh Byrnes, general manager of the Diamondbacks."

At that point I must admit, I felt a little stupid. I had been talking to the GM of the D'Backs thinking he was some random scout.

When I told my buddies about this, they were not the least bit surprised. They had no idea what Josh Byrnes looked like. And so that got us to making a GMs we could recognize list.

It goes like this: Brian Cashman, Theo Epstein, Omar Minaya, and Ned Colleti.

That's it.

Yeah, if Angels GM Tony Reagins walked down the street, I couldn't tell him apart from the local ice cream driver.

By the way the D'Backs have the 26th and 43rd picks in the MLB draft on June 5th. Byrnes said he'd only been on 5-7 scouting trips this season, so I wouldn't be surprised if Montgomery goes 43rd to Arizona.

And as for Montgomery, who's signed with Cal State Fullerton.

"If I'm drafted where I want to be, I'm gonna go," he said.

Arizona blues

It seems like every time I post, there's another storm brewing over Arizona basketball. With all three assistants from last year gone, now come the players. Emmanuel Negedu wants out and Lute Olson does not want to release him. Negedu, one of Josh Pastner's recruits from Houston, is part of a recruiting class that also includes Brandon Jennings, Jeff Withey, and Branden Lavender. He was supposed to be the athletic wing to complement Withey down low and Jennings with the ball. Now he doesn't want to go to a school that no longer employs his lead recruiter.

Inevitably, he will get his wish and because Olson doesn't want to let him go, he's creating ill will in the recruiting community as well.

In addition, Nic Wise is considering a transfer, and Brandon Jennings has yet to qualify academically.

At this point, Oregon State almost looks like a better situation.

As Barry Bonds would say "This program is in shambles."

Not again Deron

The worst part about Deron Williams leading a crazy comeback against the Lakers in game 6 is that I had seen it all before. The 2005 Elite Eight against Arizona, when Williams' Fighting Illinois stormed from 15 down with four minutes to send Arizona home. You have confidence in your team, especially when Kobe Bryant is on the floor, and you have three free throw shooters who shoot over 80 percent (Bryant, Derek Fisher, Sasha Vujacic). But you better believe that "not again" feeling comes over you when you witnessed the destruction Williams can bring.

Williams had seven points and eight assists in the fourth quarter when the Jazz came from 17 down to make it a two point game. He assisted on the last four Jazz threes, and he made the five points before that when the Jazz were down 13. All I know is if my team has a lead and Deron Williams is on the other side, I'm nervous.

Random Laker of the Day: Jon Barry

It was too good to be true

Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

It was too good to be true.

The Lakers sweeping through the playoffs like they were the 2001 Lakers with Shaq and Kobe dominating meddling opponents. And OJ Mayo riding his bycicle around campus like he was a true student athlete. If it looks suspicious, often times there's a good reason.

The Lakers weren't going to shoot 52 percent from 3-point range all series. They weren't going to steamroll a Jazz team that lost just four times at home all season.

OJ Mayo wasn't going to leave his questionable decision making and surrounding posse just because he switched coasts.

All you had to do was go inside his dorm room find the plasma tv screen or check out his clothes and diamond studded earrings. His mom isn't a stockbroker, afterall.

It's been a fairy tale season for the Lakers, and it was one for OJ Mayo. Neither of the situations is surprising. It's not going to be an easy road for the Lakers with a stacked lineup of opponents waiting in line even if they get past the Jazz and you better believe Mayo won't soon get rid of this controversy that's only on the fringe of blowing up.

Jordan Farmar is struggling: The former Taft and UCLA star is starring in his own nightmare. He's shooting 1-16 and has four points in the first four games of the series. In the past three games, he has a +/- rating of -40, worst on the team.

What would Walton do? The man who leads the league in blocked layup attempts did it again. With no one near him, Walton took his sweet time, took a dribble and laid up a shot that was swatted out of the air by Ronnie Price. The only people in the league that would have missed that layup are Luke Walton and Luke Walton. Can you imagine if that was Trevor Ariza on that play instead of Walton.

Phil playing mind games:

"I was angry at his teammates for dropping the ball in his lap," Jackson said of Kobe Bryant's overtime strategy. "I felt guys just bailed out on him."

Kobe took seven shots and the rest of the Lakers took three in overtime. You think they bailed on him, or he just tried to take over, despite having a back injury that was obviously hampering his game? At the end of regulation, the Lakers got back into the game with Kobe dishing to his teammates. He had six assists in the fourth quarter. And then he went away from what was working. Usually he can just take over when he wants. But his back wouldn't allow that and he should have realized his teammates could get the job done. It was an uncharacteristic display of misjudgment on Kobe's part this year.

I think Phil is just trying to take the criticism off Kobe and that's a good thing. Kobe's teammates didn't necessarily agree with that assertion, however.

"I wasn't hesitant," said Pau Gasol. "I just tried to help out. The ball got stuck too much. We took too many jumpers."

"I don't know what to say to that," Sasha Vujacic said. "I know sometimes Kobe just likes to take the game in his hands. It's normal."

Ronny's ejection was bullshit: What were the referees reviewing when they watched the videotape? That Ronnie Price only started bleeding when his head hit the floor? That Ronny was going for the ball and Price was out of control? Where was the intent? It was a hard foul. It's the playoffs. This wasn't a Marvin Williams frustration foul or a Brendan Haywood sending a message foul. This was Ronnie Price, a 6-foot nothing backup guard against a 6-10 power forward.

Thankfull, the Lakers, after talking to the league, expect Ronny to not be suspended. If he is, that would be a travesty on top of a travesty.

Some thoughts from a non-Laker fan on the call:

Shane: oh my god
such bullshit
terrible, terrible, terrible call
just terrible
he's like the nicest guy on the lakers
he never EVER is chaep
he hit a guy that is a pussy
when did he become lebron?
i was pissed
flagrant two for that?

What happened to the officiating? After attempting more free throws than the Jazz in the first three games, the Lakers shot 20 less free throws than the Jazz. All of a sudden, the Lakers are being less aggressive, or did the officials call the game differently?

Jazz fans haven't learned:

You would think after all the negative publicity Utah has received for booing Derek Fisher, they would have learned their lesson. Even Jazz owner Larry Miller said there was no ill will in Fisher's decision to leave the Jazz. He took less money. Come on. It's a disgrace to boo a guy with Fisher's character and the situation that he's had to endure.

Kobe says he'll play on Wednesday:

His lower back is "sore, tight, and stiff" but you didn't really think he'd sit this out, did you?

Wholesale changes:
Josh Pastner makes it official, leaving Arizona to become an assistant coach at Memphis. One of Arizona's new assistants Mike Dunlap, a former Denver Nuggest assistant went to Pierce Community College. So that can't be a good sign. An avid runner, he did once run a 100 mile race. So I'll give him props for that.

Arizona now has yet another assistant coach opening. After filling the first two with names that lack recognition as well as guys who aren't big man coaches, I'll continue to lobby for former NBA and Arizona center Sean Rooks. Last seen as a coach in the Long Beach Summer League, Rooks obviously wants to get into coaching and there's no better opportunity than coaching big men at Arizona. Maybe the Wildcats will be able to finally recruit a good big man. It would help when the guy coaching the bigs isn't 5-10.

OJ Mayo likely won't suffer any consequences after the mess he's gotten himself into, but USC, the NCAA, and some others will. Yahoo sports discusses Who's to blame for the OJ Mayo situation.

You know it's coming:

I can't wait for the announcers to call game 5 "pivotal." This coming on the heels of a pivotal game 4 and preceding a pivotal game 6.

The Celtics need a psychological advantage apparently:

The Celtics brass thinks this will work to fix their road woes.

Andruw Watch
Last season, before the Dodgers signed him to that $36 million dollar deal, Andruw Jones hit .222 with 26 homers and 94 RBIs last season. Now, I wish he would put up those kind of numbers this year.

I went to the game on Saturday, the one in which the Dodgers mustered all of three hits and fell 5-0 to the Astros. I've never seen a Dodger crowd hate a player this much. And we were sitting in the good seats, not the pavilion or reserve section. Granted, we were a part of the yelling and berating Tubby Jones, but the crowd actually mockingly cheered every time he took a pitch. And there weren't a lot of those because in his first at bat, he swung and missed on three straight pitches.
Jones said he's embarassed by his production thus far.

Good, he should be.

And finally,
The most riveting and intense video ever. This blew me away. And it's not even sports related.

Our Team, Our time, Our MVP!

Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images


I'm happy for Kobe. I'm happy that he won the MVP because he deserved it. But more than that, I'm happy with the way he's handled the situation. The way he's constantly thanked his teammates. The way he's genuinely been nervous at his press conference and at the MVP ceremony. The way he thanked the fans. The way he promised he'd be a Laker for years to come. The sincere excitement he has for playing the game and for the moment.

I'm happy for the leader he has become. I'm happy that he picks up the check for his teammates. That he believes in them. That he actually enjoys their company. That he feels comfortable in their company. And that they feel comfortable in his. I'm happy that he calls them his brothers. I'm happy that he shared the moment with his family. I'm happy that they let the fans share in the moment also. And that Kobe gave them that chance by leading the Lakers past the first round.

I'm happy that the Lakers are back in the spotlight and that Kobe has matured into not just a great player but a good person. I'm happy that we get to watch him play in a Lakers uniform. And I hope he wears it forever.

"It was an emotional night for all of us," Kobe said. "It was special. I haven't seen Staples that electric. I had goose bumps running (onto the court before the game)...because of how the crowd jumped into it."

Don't blame D'Antoni

It's funny that I'm making the transition from Kobe to Mike D'Antoni. After all, Kobe wore No. 8 because that was D'Antoni's number in Italy where Kobe revered D'Antoni as a player.

At the beginning of the season, it was D'Antoni who was being revered as a terrific coach who brought the up tempo style back into the NBA and turned the Suns into a perennial contender. Kobe was putting his foot in his mouth, the Lakers were in disarray, the fans were turning on their star, and the Suns were hopeful that this was their year.

Oh, how the tables have turned!

Kobe's leading the championship contenders and D'Antoni looks like he's on his way out. It strikes me as odd how D'Antoni is being told not to let the door hit him on his way out.

A man who took a Phoenix team to at least 54 wins in the past four seasons. A man who changed the culture of Suns basketball and brought excitement into an arena that was lacking everything but empty seats.

And now all of a sudden, because the Suns couldn't win the championship, he's to blame?

Not Robert Sarver who refused to sign Joe Johnson in order to save a couple of bucks. Who traded all of his draft picks for cash. Who refused to help his coach by adding any contributors. D'Antoni did a great job in Phoenix and will do the same with the Bulls or whatever team is lucky enough to hire him. I'd bet my house, if I owned one that the Bulls will make the playoffs with D'Antoni at the helm.

You think Steve Nash wins back to back MVPs without D'Antoni? As Stephen A. would say...PLEASE!!

You think Shawn Marion would be the all star that he became without D'Antoni? Watch how he fizzles in Miami next year without constantly being fed for layups and dunks in transition. So D'Antoni wasn't a great defensive coach. Perhaps he had a point guard who didn't play a lick of defense and zero post players except Kurt Thomas who were capable of guarding anyone. D'Antoni was forced to play Boris Diaw at center at one point.

Aside from Greg Poppovich, Phil Jackson, Larry Brown, and maybe Byron Scott, I'd take D'Antoni to be my coach. Just as fast as Suns fans fell in love with him and his style they buried him as fast as they jump on and off the bandwagon. That joke of a fan base apparently blames him for an owner's mistakes and players' shortcomings. D'Antoni did all he could and fell just short. The least he deserves is a job well done.

I respect Steve Kerr but why are there rumors that he'll step in to be a coach? He hasn't coached an AAU team much less an NBA team. What make people think he's gonna be a good coach? The same goes for Mark Jackson. Why do people assume these men will be good coaches because they were smart basketball players and were good announcers? Isaiah Thomas had the same qualities and looked how that's turned out.

I don't understand the NBA sometimes when it comes to coaching changes. Everyone wants a quick fix. Bad coaches simply change teams and good coaches are routinely kicked out despite winning consistently. I guess it wasn't enough for the Suns. I have a feeling they're gonna regret it.

Green more important than black or white

For once Stephen A. Smith isn't dragging white people through the dirt. He says the NBA's flock of Europeans isn't about black and white, it's about green.

I agree. For one thing, many of these Europeans aren't white to begin with. Tony Parker, Johan Petro, Mikael Pietrus. Thabo Sefolosha, Ronny Turiaf, Luol Deng, just to name a few.

The other aspect of this is as SAS puts it: "The perception is that this is happening to appease white patrons exhausted by the behavior of 20-year-old millionaires gone bad—whose culture, and pigmentation, is different from their own."

For me, like I would hope most basketball fans, it's not about the color of the skin, it's about the attitude. It's about the culture. I can relate better to Tim Duncan than Chris Anderson, to Derek Fisher than Jason Williams. Fans want to see players who are appreciative of the gifts they've been handed. Eighty percent white audiences wouldn't pack arenas to see 80 percent black teams if they cared about the color of anything but the jersey.

All is not well at Arizona

Andy Katz reports (on his ESPN Insider blog) that Arizona will hire Denver Nuggets assistant Mike Dunlap:

"Lute Olson apparently got his top assistant. Whether or not he's a successor is an issue that will be debated.

But it would be highly unlikely that Arizona would make the same mistake twice and a tab a successor prematurely.

Denver Nuggets assistant Mike Dunlap is expected to be named associate head coach at Arizona. Multiple sources told ESPN.com late Tuesday night that Dunlap would accept the position. The Arizona Daily Star reported Tuesday night on its Web site that Dunlap would be Olson's top assistant. The paper quoted Dunlap that he "didn't anticipate any problems" but that nothing had been formally signed.

Dunlap is a highly respected coach within the business, coaching in Australia and winning a Division II national title at Denver's Metro State. He interviewed for multiple jobs in the West while at Metro State. But he chose to stay before going to the Nuggets two years ago as an assistant on George Karl's staff. He was also a candidate at Cal, Oregon State, Stanford, Rice and Loyola Marymount this spring. Dunlap interviewed for the Chicago Bulls opening, too.

But it would be surprising if the Wildcats made anything official about Dunlap's future after naming Kevin O'Neill as Olson's successor during his leave of absence last December. That news conference seems almost comical now that O'Neill was pushed out after the season, given a bogus administrative title within the athletic department and will likely be in the NBA by next season.

Olson is clearly looking for stability on his bench by bringing in Dunlap and former Arizona State assistant Russ Pennell to replace O'Neill and Miles Simon, who was forced out last week. Olson will likely have a third spot open, the top recruiting position, when assistant Josh Pastner leaves as he is expected to do for a similar post at Memphis. The Memphis job is going through a formal process, but all indications from sources at both schools is that Pastner will take the position.

Olson has said on many occasions since coming back last month that he intends on finishing his contract, which runs through the 2010-11 season. Olson, who will be 74 when the season begins, is clearly looking to reshape the direction of the program with a total cleansing of the staff. The only move, though, that isn't being forced is Pastner, who would be leaving on his own terms."

Miles Simon tells Doug Gottlieb (on ESPN Insider) he has received no explanation for his firing:

"Miles Simon now knows why the expression is "you cannot go home again." Simon's play in the 1997 NCAA tournament helped Lute Olson capture his only title, and Simon won the Most Outstanding Player for his terrific play in the Final Four. But Simon has never really been rewarded for coming back for his senior season.

Since deciding to come back to Tuscon more than a decade ago, Simon has sued the university for releasing his grades (a lawsuit that was dismissed by two judges), fell from a possible first-round pick had he left early in 1997 to a second round pick in 1998, hurt his foot and knee thus ending a short-lived professional career, returned to Arizona to earn his degree, worked on the Wildcats' staff for four years, and now has been essentially fired by a coach -- without the coach taking credit for the decision -- he has known for 15 years.

Simon was summoned to A.D. Jim Livengood's office a week and a half ago, after spending a week on the road recruiting with Olson, and was told his year-to-year contract with the university would not be renewed. Simon said that Livengood offered no explanation, only that the university was "going in a different direction."

Simon said he immediately went to see Olson, who acted surprised and wanted to help get him another job. Simon said he repeatedly asked for an explanation over the past week about his firing and one has not been given. In fact, Livengood told Simon that Olson was keenly aware of the proceedings and that he, Simon, should discuss it with Olson.

"It really hurts," Simon told me over the phone. "I bleed Arizona and this is how it ends? They have given me no explanation, no closure. … I have known Coach O since I was 17, and this is not a side of him that I know."

So ends a tumultuous year for the entire Arizona staff in which Olson took a leave of absence, Kevin O'Neill took over, O'Neill and several staff members clashed over every detail of the program (including Olson's involvement) and then Olson returned to take the helm again after the season ended.

Simon, who along with fellow assistant coach Josh Pastner, helped land top recruit Brandon Jennings from Los Angeles and just lost out on the Wear twins, David and Travis, who played at Simon's alma mater of Mater Dei High School but verbally committed to North Carolina. A source told me that the disappearance of Olson and the emergence of O'Neill was said to be a big factor in the Wear twins going elsewhere.

Simon was even more devastated by the loss of his grandmother, who raised him, to a long illness. At the same time, he suffered through his father having two stomach surgeries with complications, all of which came late during Pac-10 play.

So ends an embarrassing episode for Olson as well. If Olson loses Pastner to Memphis, as Andy Katz wrote in his blog on Monday, Olson would have completely cleaned house on a staff that he hand picked after getting rid of longtime assistant, Jim Rosborough, two years ago. And his last three former assistants to become head coaches were all fired this year. Jay John (Oregon State), Rodney Tention (Loyola Marymount) and Jessie Evans (San Francisco) all lost their jobs this past season, and none have arrived back in Tuscon.

In a profession in which loyalty is seemingly hard to come by, Lute Olson has shown and received very little of late. Meanwhile, Miles Simon, who was steadfast in his support of Olson all season long, has clearly been one the most loyal of Olson's men and was told to leave town. Olson at least owes Simon an explanation as to his termination. That would be the decent thing to do."

My thoughts:

I have a lot of respect for Lute Olson and how he has handled his program over more than two decades. But lately, his decision making and the way he has handled the process of making those decision has been questionable. The firing of highly respected assistant coach Jim Rosborough, the leave of absence without a real explanation, the public and unnecessary spat with the Arizona Daily Star, and now the shady firing of Miles Simon have put a black mark on a lot of years of doing things the right way. Maybe Olson needs a crash course in public relations or maybe the age factor is finally getting to him mentally, because he's still in great shape physically.

Miles wasn't the greatest coach by most accounts, but he's done a lot for the program. Olson owes not having the title of best coach without a championship in large part to Simon. It appears that loyalty in this program means very little lately. Why should players be loyal to Olson and Arizona when he has shown none of that? It's almost like Olson is completely afraid of confrontation. He refuses to back up the decisions he has made, instead deferring the firing of Simon to Livengood. Like Simon said, he's known Olson since he was 17 years old. And Olson couldn't even tell him like a man?

As for the assistant coaching carousel, it appears more and more likely that Josh Pastner will take a position at Memphis leaving Arizona with Russ Pennell, Mike Dunlap, and an assistant to be named later (possibly Rodney Tention or my

MVP, MVP, MVP

Luke Walton asks Kobe a question at his MVP press conference.

More from the most deserving MVP

Phil Jackson said he doesn't know "anybody who deserves this more, who's ever deserved it more."
See ten minutes of the press conference here, which was attended by Kobe's teammates, Jackson, Jerry West, and other team officials.

Yeah Good, Yeah Bad

Every day, I'm reminded why I love sports. But the sports world, unlike Disneyland isn't always the happiest place on earth. For every good, there's a bad. So here's just a sampling of the good and the bad from the past few days.

Good: Kobe finally winning the MVP he's long deserved. The announcement is expected at a news conference today.
At 29 years old and in his prime, Kobe has finally matured and realized how important he is to the team's chemistry. You can tell by his comments and the way he's interacted with his teammates, he's truly happy with the situation he's in.

"I didn't know if it was going to come in my career, but to have the moment come now is special, especially to share it with the group of guys we have here," Bryant told reporters Saturday. "We talked about [how] winning this MVP is extremely special because that means I'm doing good. I'm making my teammates better, putting them in a position to win."

Bad: The average fan not only continues to be priced out but is increasingly being disrespected and given less access. Stories like this about the Dodgers make me angry.

Good: Another reminder why Derek Fisher is not just a special player, but a special human being. He's the MVP of his family and will always be one of my favorite Lakers.

Bad: Cedric Benson and the drunk boat.

Good: Unselfish acts in sports never go unnoticed. From sac bunts to charges to taken, to stories like this one about a little softball game with about 100 spectators. But the sports world took notice.

Bad: Marvin Harrison, one of the few "good" wide receivers in the NFL getting mixed up in a shooting investigation.
Since he has done nothing wrong previously, I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt until all the facts are unturned but I'm saddened to hear his name in a negative light.

Good: Moves by Chris Paul that have you talking days later. Check this one out about 1:50 into the video.
He missed the layup and it didn't even matter. Made me think of Jason Williams highlights from his kings days when SportsCenter would show him on the top 10 even when he failed to finish the play.

Bad: The term student athlete is being made a complete mockery. One hundred and fifty teams are facing scholarship losses and another 26 may be banned from post- season play because they can't make the grade.

Good: The Rays, with about $150 million less on their payroll are tied in the standings with the Yankees.

Bad: I wonder what kind of signs Red Sox fans can come up with for this. A-Rod apparently can't the pressure in the delivery room either.

Good: PacMan Jones is getting a second chance with the Cowboys.

Bad: PacMan Jones is getting a second chance with the Cowboys.

Good: Blake DeWitt (.295, 1 HR, 14 RBIs, 10 BBs, 10ks, in shape, makes $390,000)

Bad: Andruw Jones (.158 1 HR, 4 RBIs, 15 BBS, 34 ks, fat, makes $14, 726, 910)

Dodgers are Rolling

Winners of six straight, the Dodgers are back in the playoff hunt. I know, I know, it's May 2. But that didn't stop me from looking at the Wild Card race where the Dodgers are currently two games behind. Better yet, the Dodgers offense is starting to click despite getting no production from that pudgy guy who plays center field. They even scored 10 runs in an inning last week and had another game with 13 runs. Rafael Furcal is having one of the best starts in Dodger history, hitting .371 and getting on base at a .459 clip. The Dodger pitchers, even Chad Billingsley who had a tough start, are getting it done. The only thing preventing the Dodgers from catapulting to the top of the NL West is the consistency and dominance of the D'Backs. They've put together an offense combined with a stellar pitching staff. The Dodgers might need to win 25 straight to catch up with Arizona who holds a five game lead in the division.

MVP, MVP, MVP:

On Lamar Odom's website, he tells a story about a Laker team dinner at a nice steakhouse recently.

When the check came, Kobe Bryant reached out his hand for it. "As soon as he picked up the bill," says Odom, "we all started chanting 'MVP MVP MVP!'"

"I thought that was pretty funny."

Andruw Watch:

Here's a scout's take on your main tubby Dodger.

"Scott Boras ought to be arrested -- for stealing. The way Andruw's playing right now, he [should be] a defensive replacement and right-handed bat off the bench.

take two -- "I don't think you could even call him a bat off the bench, because there's no bat there. You think there's one pitcher in his right mind who doesn't want to face that guy right now?"

(From Jayson Stark's Rumblings)

Early entry:

The official NBA draft early entry list.
Did you put your name in? Because Kamy’ta Terrell Davis did.

The Suns Have Set!

I've already alerted the police. Put the city of Phoenix on suicide watch.
When the going gets tough, Suns fans find something else to do. Well, the going has gotten tough. The Shaq trade was a disaster, Mike D'Antoni went from great coach to "let's fire him" practically overnight, and the Suns window for a championship is closing faster than you can say "Robert Sarver is cheap."

Steve Nash had a horrible series against San Antonio, posting numbers well below his season averages, especially in assists where he averaged 7.8 against 11.1. Shaq is clearly over the hill and the Suns found out what it's like to be Hack a Shaqed. General manager Steve Kerr reportedly wants a defensive team, so not only will the Suns be bad, they also won't be entertaining to watch. It almost appears that the Suns are on the verge of rebuilding. On the bright side, we won't be hearing from bandwagon Suns fans for at least several years. By the way, Luol Deng and Rajon Rondo would look pretty good right now in a Suns uniform but Sarver needed to stack that cheese.


I'm not sure how I feel about PacMan Jones. He's everything that I hate about sports.
Then again, I felt the same way about Terrell Owens and he's made me a fan. I'm all about rooting for a team, not necessarily for the players. There's always several players on my favorite teams who I can't stand (i.e. Andruw Jones, ex-Lakers Kwame Brown, Glen Rice, Brian Cook). But I can legitimately say that I've grown to like Owens on the Cowboys and cheer for him and I hope one day PacMan will make me say the same thing.

Must see video:

This 7-year old has already been suspended by Roger Goodell.

My favorite quote from the next Tank Johnson is, "I wanna do it because it's fun, it's fun to do bad things
As for what his punishment should be, "No videogames for a weekend," he said.

Andruw watch:

Hide the dog food, Andruw is coming after that also. BTW, someone called Andruw "Fatman Jones" in Bill Simmons chat today. Just wanted to let you know.

Season: .165, 29 ks, 4 RBIs.

Get out your brooms

Two things I never thought I'd see from the Lakers: Great defense and single digit turnovers. But that's what we got in game 3. The Lakers held a potent Denver offense to 84 points, frustrating them to the point that Carmelo Anthony said his team quit. Denver shot 37 percent on their home floor and Vladimir Radmanovic, of all people, forced Carmelo into a 5-22 performance.

"In a game like tonight, on our home court, us giving up as a whole is uncalled for," Anthony fumed. "Yeah. We quit. Everybody. From the coaches to the players, we quit. And I said it.

"I'm not blaming anyone. I'm not pointing the fingers at nobody. I didn't play worth a [expletive] tonight, and I can accept that. But as a competitor, there's no way that I should lay down and quit and lay down on my team like we did tonight."

Anthony said the Nuggets surrendered in the third quarter, although head coach George Karl didn't empty his bench until the fourth.

"You could just sense it," Anthony said. "I'm saying 'we,' because I'm part of this, too. I'm saying I quit. We all just gave up."

At least one teammate concurred.

"That's the way it seemed," Denver's Kenyon Martin said. "Everybody came out of the game. A.I. came out, and he leads the league in minutes. It's frustrating."

Congratulations to Antoine Cason who was drafted in the first round, No. 27 overall, by the San Diego Chargers. Based on all the mock drafts, Cason was a second round pick, but the Chargers looked past the scouting report that says he doesn't turn his hips fast enough and selected the Arizona grad.

With all the character issues the NFL has had recently, the Chargers couldn't have selected a better person. They got themselves a true professional, and a person who has already made a great impact in the community. I truly wish Cason the best of luck. No one deserves being taken higher than expected more than him.

Other Wildcats taken:

Larsen was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the sixth round (183rd overall), cornerback Wilrey Fontenot was taken in the seventh round by the Atlanta Falcons (212th overall) and defensive tackle Lionel Dotson was selected in the seventh round by the Miami Dolphins (245th overall).

Draft winners:

I think it's unanimous, the Chiefs came away with an offensive lineman at No. 15, when most predicted they'd take that same lineman at No.5 Instead, they got arguably the best player in the whole draft at No. 5, Glenn Dorsey, who could be the next Warren Sapp if he stays healthy.

The fans: The first round didn't take a week, so that was nice. The new 10 minute first round and seven minute second round went over well with everyone except maybe nervous general mangers who had the guy they wanted taken right in front of them. Also, having the first two rounds on day 1 instead of the first three rounds was a good move.

Draft losers:

The Jaguars traded their first round pick, two third round picks and a fourth round pick to reach for a defensive end Mel Kiper Jr. said doesn't always show up. So they made a bad trade for a reach.

Wide Receivers:

No wide receivers taken in the first round and I'll tell you why. This was the year of character. Like the Woodland Hills Park League, where I was an All Star for many years, character counts. Wide receivers tend to have "me first" attitudes and carry some baggage with them, see Owens, Terrell, Johnson, Chad, and Warrick, Peter. Thus, no team wanted to take a chance on a guy who would burn them rather than cornerbacks. That's why Devin Thomas slipped from top 15 to the second round.

No D in AI
You know what's sad, Kirk Hinrich is a better defender than Allen Iverson.
Allen Iverson is a HORRIBLE defender. Jordan Farmar beat him off the dribble like he's a practice dummy.

He plays really hard...with the ball in his hands. But the rest of the time he doesn't really play that hard. That's the biggest misconception about AI. Everyone talks about him being a warrior and I won't deny that, but for much of his career he has been one dimensional. He averages more assists than you would think, but many of those come after he's dribbled the ball for 20 seconds and his teammates are standing around. AI is a ball stopper on offense and a gambler on defense. You can post him up, you an get by him with the dribble and you can shoot over him. I'm not here to argue that he's overrated, I'm just here to argue that the notion that he plays hard in all facets of the game is false.

Just Saying:

• Pat Riley is a quitter.
• The Raiders have three running backs, but no quarterback.
• Darren McFadden will not get in trouble with the law.
• The Wizards need to stop talking to Lebron. That means you too Brandon Haywood.
• I'm shocked the Mavs are down 3-1. I thought they'd win the series and they're getting blown out.
• I'm even more shocked the Suns haven't really put up a fight against the Spurs. I know they won game 4 and held leads in games 1 and 2, but I really though this series would go to 7. And I doubt that happens now.

Andruw watch:

Hide the honey buns, Andruw Jones is coming to a town near you.

Season: BA: .159, 29 ks, 1 home run

Arizona Basketball Drama

Breaking News and Exclusive report

Just when you thought Arizona basketball couldn't get any crazier, Lute Olson is on the verge of revamping his entire coaching staff, according to one of my sources.

Miles Simon received his walking papers from Jim Livengood on Thursday and Josh Pastner will most likely resign from his position. Kevin O'Neill, because of another year left on his contract was not fired. Instead, he was reassigned to assistant athletic director helper. Or in other words, he will be doing a lot of nothing.

Olson will not bring back Rodney Tention according to the source, and Jay John has already signed on to be an assistant under Mike Montgomery at Cal.

Supposedly, the Wildcats are looking at a current Denver Nuggets assistant coach and Russ Pennell, a former ASU assistant.

It appears that Olson has decided the KO culture change did not work, so he's going with completely new faces. At one point it appeared that Pastner was primed for coaching stardom and that may still be the case one day, but Arizona's struggles have dropped him on the coaching food chain.

As for Simon, people in the program told me on numerous occasions that he wasn't a natural coach and didn't seem to fit in that role.

Note to the NBA: Change your slogan from "Where Amazing Happens" to "Where Kobe Happens." It's practically the same thing.

Note to ESPN.com editors: When you put a picture of Albert Pujols and the headline scary sight together, expect fantasy owners (including me) to have heart attacks and sue.

Only later was I able to breathe a sigh of relief after finding out the article was about Pujols being the scariest hitter in the game and not scaring me with his elbow injury.

Ka-Pau!

What is Pau Gasol doing? Someone please tell him he's not playing for a new contract.

I understand the 36 points... somewhat. But he dishes (8 assists) and goes to the boards (16 rebounds), and makes his teammates like Lamar Odom, who's been unbelievable since Pau's arrival, better.

Pau's just not that good.

The guy we gave up for him, on the other hand, was the first pick in the NBA draft and had tremendous potential. He was even drafted by His Airness, Michael Jordan.

And so now we have this Pau guy who flirts with triple doubles in the playoffs and causes Kobe to say he "absolutely" wants to be a Laker for life.

"I love the weather. I love my '63 drop-top Impala. I love the 405 [freeway]. I love my guys," Kobe said.

And he also said Mitch Kupchak went from an "F" to an "A-plus."

"He believed in the draft picks he made, he had the patience," Kobe said.

Quite the change in Kobe's demeanor, thanks in large part to this Pau guy.

Doesn't look like Andrew Bynum or Trevor Ariza will be joining the Lakers in the playoffs:

Phil Jackson called the possibility of Bynum playing in the playoffs a "remote thing."

TOL: Thinking out loud:

Not sure if I want to see the Suns lose in the first round, or get to the conference finals so they can potentially face the Lakers. Seeing them lose to the Spurs in game 1 just gave me so much joy, but a Lakers/Suns matchup, though risky, would be quite exciting.

I hate to give props to anyone on the D'Backs but this is worth mentioning:


Eric Byrnes promised to grow out a 'stache after every game in which he gets a hit, and won't cut it until he goes hitless.


So after every four or five game hitting streak, Byrnes will be rocking a stache. Here's to hoping he puts a nice 20 game string together.



What's the story with Kevin O'Neill?



Arizona fans rejoined recently when Lute Olson announced that O'Neill would not come back as an assistant coach. O'Neill, however, insists that he will be back, according to Bruce Pascoe of the Arizona Daily Star.



Basketball recruits Arizona is looking at:



Several Southern California guys are on Arizona's 2009 "wish list" including Van Nuys forward Victor Rudd, La Canada center Anthony Stover, and Compton Dominguez forward Jordan Hamilton.

Andruw Watch:

Despite still bordering on obese, Jones hit his first home run of the season Friday in Atlanta. Braves didn't know whether to cheer him or boo. I'm not sure why you would boo him. He gave your club his best years, helped you win a World Series, and then got fat and saved you money by signing with another team. It was a win win situation for Braves fans.

Monday 0-4, 1K
Season: .159, 22ks

Coming for that No. 1 Spot

AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian

The Lakers didn't even have to sweat it out in their final home game, taking the Western Conference Regular Season crown in a win over the Kings, a title few thought would be bestowed upon them at the beginning of the season.

No Brad Miller, no Kevin Martin, and no Ron Artest made it nice and easy, allowing the regulars to sit out the fourth quarter and the fans (including David Beckham who sat about 10 rows in front of me) to give Kobe a standing ovation as he sat down late in the third quarter.

Now comes the hard part, and realistically the only meaningful part of the season. The Dallas Mavericks had the best record in the West last year and all they had to show for it was a first round exit at the hands of the Golden State Warriors and tons of ridicule throughout the summer.

Upcoming for the Lakers is most likely series against the No. 8 Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets still have a chance to get the No. 7 seed with a win against Memphis and a Dallas loss to New Orleans. Sounds pretty plausible, but the Hornets are locked in to the No. 2 seed and have nothing to play for. The Mavs meanwhile would much rather face the Hornets than the Lakers so you better believe they'll be playing hard. Look for Chris Paul and Co. to sit much of the game.

Onto the matchup. The Lakers have beaten the Nuggets by an average of 16.3 points per game in three games this year. Two were blowouts, while one was a four point victory for the Lakers.

The Nuggets play 0 defense. None, nada, nunca. How's that for Spanish, Kobe?

I don't expect the Nuggets to win one game, as long as the Lakers keep their focus. There couldn't have been a better matchup for the Lakers out of the top West teams and that includes Sacramento, Portland, and Golden State, three teams who didn't make the playoffs.

Carmelo Anthony has bigger things to worry about than the Lakers:
According to KWGN TV in Colorado, Anthony's fiancee LaLa refused to pick him up from the police station and a police sergeant drove him back to his Ritz Carlton hotel. That launched an internal investigation into whether Anthony received preferential treatment.
DUI charges are pending toxicology results.

Are you a loyal fan?

How much money would they have to pay you for your favorite team to move out of town?

The $65,000 question (from MLB.com)

Whatever happened to Yhency Brazoban?-- Greg G., Fargo, N.D.
He's on the comeback trail after missing most of the last two seasons, first with Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery, then with a torn shoulder labrum. Brazoban reported to Spring Training with his typical weight problems, pitched impressively in one exhibition game and then had a setback.
Brazoban opened the season at Double-A Jacksonville, with the goal of rebuilding arm strength and, hopefully, dropping some weight. If he keeps it up, Brazoban's likely to show up in Los Angeles sooner than later.

--

Ken Gurnick Dodgers MLB.com beat writer

Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. hate each other:

Not only do they talking lik they are disgusted with each other on television, but McShay wrote this in his Mock Draft 7.0 in discussing the Chiefs probable selection of Branden Albert at No.5:

"As much as it pains me to admit it, Mel Kiper's info on this pick seems to be accurate. It feels like a reach to me but the Chiefs evidently think enough of Albert to take him if they are stuck here."

High Five

Andrew Bogut high fives himself

Andruw Watch:

Tuesday: 2-3, 2 runs, 1 BB
Season: 7-47 BA: .149

Whoopeee, the Dodgers' $36 million man is up to .149!

Making sense of race:

Recently an annual report came out and stated that African-American baseball players are down to 8.2% from 8.4% in the Major Leagues. The media quickly rose to the occasion, condemning the lack of African Americans in baseball and practically shouting racism.

Here's what I'm much more concerned about. African American doctors make up only 3.9 percent of doctors in America, yet that gets no publicity. African Americans make up about 12.4 percent of our entire population according to the US. Census in 2005, yet the media is concerned about a 4% difference in baseball players, and ignores a much more important 8.5 percent difference in doctors. Maybe if these same advocates put together a Doctors in the Inner City program rather than a Baseball in the Inner City program, our country would be better off.

For now, it appears a lot like baseball is just trying to get the African American sector involved in the game for financial purposes.