Friday, June 30, 2006

Working For The Weekend

"Mmmmm...nothing like a smoke at recess.."
Well, a week of blogging has come to a close. Just a few more days to deal with me (unless the Sturminator really starts jonesing to get back to work).
By the way, I was robbed of the E-Brake. I think Barb is dyslexic or retarded or something...
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Rangers get swept out of San Francisco; head home to resume the Battle for the Silver Boot with the Astros. (preview)
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Looks like the Mavs don't plan to mess around when it comes to re-signing Jet...and extending Dirk's deal. This makes me happy...

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It's a tough thing: BaD Radio's little buddy Bill Guerin told to get his shinebox by the Stars.
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"Let's talk about me some more"
Another thing for Dale to bitch about: getting sued by Dallas Can Academy.
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Corby is happy: Adrian Peterson's dad to be released from the hoosgow.

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After getting torn up and knocked up (twice), Britney decides this would be the perfect time to get naked for everyone.

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This is how I want to remember Britney...boiiinnng!

Thursday, June 29, 2006

TGIT

"You toucha da ball, I breaka you face."
The NBA Draft is behind us...and Toronto goes for Italian stiff Andrea Bargnani with the first pick. Is he the next Dirk...or possibly the next Darko?
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As for the Mavs at #28, they get guard Maurice Ager From Michigan State...and hoping he can be the second-coming of Josh Howard.

Newest Mav Maurice Ager

A good night for UT basketball as they get 3 players drafted. Probably not so good if you're Daniel Gibson and PJ Tucker, who came out early thinking they'd be first round picks.

If I were the Sturminator, at this point, I would probably break down the entire first round of the draft. However, instead of whipping your arse like that, here's another guy that's already done it.

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Ray Durham's Grand Slam in the 3rd

Still no luck for the Rangers in San Francisco as they fall to the Giants again.

Afternoon baseball in the Bay Area Thursday as Texas tries to avoid the sweep. (preview)

Tom Hicks tells Bud the umps suck.

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We may have seen Jason Arnott in a Stars uniform for the last time.

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"My ho's getting audited!"

Pimpin' aint easy...and it soon could be taxable.

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May I pitch my tent in Jessica Alba?

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Norm's Big Day...



"He's an interesting kid."
NBA Draft day is upon us (finally, something to talk about). Some stuff to get you ready:
Mock Drafts:
Rumors:
Lots of good ones on HoopsHype
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Phillies pitcher Brett Myers getting an unscheduled vacation.
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Peter Gammons is in bad shape.
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Ah, the price of insane love
This guy's cure for heartache: cut his finger off.
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"Me like hockey."
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Elisha Cuthbert...me likey.

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Toos-Day


It's Tuesday and, believe me, the countdown is on for Cowboys Training Camp to get up-and-running! Still not a lot of stuff going on, but it is my duty to bring you something or somesuch...

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"Me take steroids? That's un-possible!"
More interleague play for the Rangers Tuesday as they begin a 3-game set with the Giants in San Francisco. (preview) No word yet if Barry Bonds will play as he recovers from an irritated hymen, I mean knee. Did I say hymen?
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Gay?

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With the NBA Draft set for Wednesday night, here are a couple of things to help get you ready:
First, still no rumors really swirling around the Mavericks concerning trade possibilities, but there is a slightly big one out of Phoenix involving Shawn Marion.

Secondly, here is a draft tracker so you can get up to speed on all the dudes whose name might be called out.
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Cyclist Cat Fight: Lance Armstrong says Greg Lemond has lost it. I say octagon...
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Since I am still bitter about the Mavs losing to Miami, I'll post this video of D-Wade giving it to Shaq...
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"I'm the star."

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The hot chick that I posted yesterday is Barbie BLANK (not Block, as I said earlier). Find more of her great work at barbieblank.com. I usually go to that website for about 15 minutes or so before strangely losing interest and getting sleepy...
Oh dear...

Monday, June 26, 2006

A Case of The Mondays...

Thanks to P-1 Brad for putting this pic together...

Now I know why Bob chose this time to take his vacation: there's just not a whole lot of SPOORRRRTTTS going on. Oh well, let's try to fight on, shall we?
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Rocky Mountain Low (insert Norm laugh here)...Rangers lose 2 of 3 in Colorado. Next up: 3 games in San Francisco with the Giants. Not sure if they'll see Barry Bonds, however, after he gets injured Sunday versus Oakland.

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England beats Ecuador 1-0 in World Cup round-of-16 play...David Beckham is greatness. (Here's the goal if you haven't seen it.)

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If it were up to college basketball coaches, just about everyone in Division I would be in the tournament...

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Former Ranger great John Rocker letting us all know what he thinks about the Ozzie Guillen situation. My question is: why the hell should we care about what John Rocker thinks anymore?

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You remember big fatso basketball coach Rick Majerus? Well, he is now telling the world that he is not a fan of the gay...

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If you want to go to the afterlife thinking about Dave Hostetler and Pat Putnam, get a casket with a Rangers logo on it.
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Check this out if you can: minor league manager goes insane. I'll take this dude over Buck Showalter any day.
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...and thinks the US will be looking for his help soon.

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So very very sweet...


Saturday, June 24, 2006

Stars Make a Trade at the Draft

Goodbye to Niko Kapenen as He and a 7th rounder are off to Atlanta for former Top Pick Patrick Stefan and D-Man Jaro Modry...

Interesting. Looks like they are squaring up the Center spot knowing that Arnott may not be back.

Friday, June 23, 2006

Three and Done for the US

Boy We Suck...
The US Soccer team gets knocked out of the World Cup...by the African Cinderella.
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Way to go, Rheins...
The Rangers bearded wonder bounces back, helps Texas salvages last game with Padres...
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"You will obey my beard"
Speaking of beards, Eddie Gossage wants to ease your Mavs pain with some free Nascar tickets...yeah, that will make me feel better.
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This dream job blows...
The total shocker: Larry Brown out as Knicks head coach, Isiah in. Bankruptcy soon to follow...
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Not that bad, comparatively speaking...
Our prayers have been answered. The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (and their bad logo) are now just the Anaheim Ducks.

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If you missed Lazer's performance at SummerBash last week, here's a clip...not great quality, but you get the point.
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"Kiss me Frodo..."
As if Lord of The Rings wasn't gay enough, I give you Lord of The Rings: The Musical.
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Yes, your favorite Ticker Lummox from 10-3 has been asked to sub in for Bob while he is on vacation. In case you still don't know who this is, it's The Powerdown Ty Walker. I'll do my best while the Sturminator is gone...and he has promised to contribute every now and then during his hiatus. I love you all...

Oh jeez...

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Vacation Time

OK- I am out until July 5th. I will still be calling the show, and posting on the blog, but out of the regular routine. In my place is Ty Walker on this site each morning. Lower your expectations and you will be fine, right, Ty?

Love You.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Win or Go Home, Yankees.



OK- I realize I have not done justice to the World Cup. Some of you are mad at me, and some of you are thrilled. Either way, we are almost done with group play. One game left for the Americans, but it is Win time for them (0-1-1) against African Giant Ghana. 9am on ESPN Thursday Morning, so don’t expect to see me in early, Tom…

US Must Beat the Black Stars


In order to qualify for the second round, the U.S. must defeat Ghana, and hope that the Italians defeat the Czechs. Any other result in the Italy-Czech match will see goal difference come into play, which would require the Yanks to defeat Ghana by a big enough margin to make up for their earlier, heavy loss to the Czechs. With a loss or a tie, the U.S. will head home, confirming the suspicion that their quarterfinal run in 2002 was a one-off that does not signal America's impending ascension.

Of course, such thinking ignores the fact that the Americans are in perhaps the most difficult group in this World Cup. While much attention has been placed on Group C, which contains Argentina, Holland, Serbia and Montenegro, and Ivory Coast, the fact is that the Americans' group has turned out to be much more competitive. Heading into the last round of games, not one team in Group E has clinched a spot in the second round, nor has a team been eliminated. No other group can make such a claim.

But head coach Bruce Arena isn't concerning himself with such trivia. His task is simple: Win the game. And that means having the U.S. come out with the same attitude they displayed against Italy.


Football world amused by US

Time Magazine breaks down the game


Roman Abramovitch, the George Steinbrenner-like owner of the big London soccer team Chelsea, so prized Ghana's exquisite midfielder Michael Essien that he splashed out 36 million pounds to pry the man loose from the French league champions, Lyon. Essien was worth the money, his presence on the pitch helping Chelsea to the Premiere League championship.

Let's see, converting to dollars at approximately $1.896 to the pound, he'd be worth exactly — well, more than the entire American team. And that's no knock on the U.S. players. Their star power is not the high-wattage variety, but as they proved against Italy last Saturday, when you combine all your team's skills with maximum effort, the result can often defy the betting line. That was the case in their scintillating 1-1 draw with Italy in Kaiserslautern, in which the Americans finished with 9 men on the field, (that would be 2 less than they started with, if you're keeping score) after Pablo Mastroeni and Eddie Pope were thrown out of the game for rough tackles. The Americans were thus forced to play a man short — Italy's Daniele DeRossi got the gate earlier for trying to rearrange Brian McBride's face with his elbow. McBride looked like a hockey player who took a stick in the mush, but he soldiered on as the U.S. played desperately to preserve the precious point that kept their hopes alive.

Controlled desperation is what it will take again on Thursday when the Americans play Ghana, the class team among the African entrants. It's very simple for the Yanks — if they don't win, they don't advance. And even if they do win, they'll need help from the Italy, who must beat Czech Republic. "We're alive, we know what we have to do, and there's no hiding the fact that we need to win," says U.S. coach Bruce Arena.


USA, USA, USA

Ballgame. Game 6: Miami 95, Dallas 92 (4-2)

Well, 105 games later and 59 days into the playoff run of 2006, it all ends without a payoff. It all ends with a thud that has everyone in the metroplex walking around like zombies today.

I heard Craig and George this morning assure me that before long I will be pleased about what the Mavericks accomplished this season, but right about now, I am anything but pleased.

The Heat came back and won 4 straight games. They are the NBA Champions, and despite the exciting and exhausting run of the 2006 NBA Playoffs, the Mavericks have a silver medal. One that I am guessing that they don’t care to display it.

I wish I could say this a better way, but I can’t. The Mavericks choked. They were the best team in the NBA this post-season (a highly debatable point now), and they demonstrated it several times. The most recent time they demonstrated it was when they beat the Heat senseless in games 1 and 2. Then, they fell in love with their press clippings, parade routes, and past accomplishments and let it all slip away with 6 minutes left in Game 3.

And the cold hard reality in sports is this: Once you let it slip away, there is no promise you will get another chance to grab it again. The Mavericks never recovered from their Game 3 meltdown. Oh, they tried. They left it all on the court. They should not be blamed for effort. But the ability to close the ultimate deal eluded them, and now they have a summer of wondering where it all went wrong.

Choked is a tough way to describe guys you really love. There is no question that we would like to say it a different way, but given how rare it is for a team to take a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals only to lose the series in 6, I see no other alternative.

Game Notes:

• Dwyane Wade is amazing. Yes, he does get every call, and yes, he does get treated as if he already in the Hall of Fame, but please don’t lose sight of what we are looking at. To put that display on for four games in a row with almost nobody having a chance to get in his way is very impressive. You have to wonder how that “window of opportunity” in Dallas is effected by young Wade, young Lebron, young Amare, and even young Yao and Carmelo. The rest of the league will not rest.

• Why, Why, Why did the Mavericks take several 3 pointers in a row in the most crucial moments of the game? At 7:21 to go in the 4th Quarter, Alonzo and Shaq both were on the bench. The Game was tied a few seconds later when Josh Howard hit 2 free throws, 79-79. Then, Jason Terry missed a quick 3, Dirk missed a quick 3, and Marquis missed a 3. Only on the 4th possession did anyone take it near the rim as Stackhouse got a baseline hoop to make it 83-81, Miami. At 4:25, Wade hit a free throw to up the lead to 84-81. and Shaq returned. Soon after Posey hit a 3 which was basically the kill shot, 87-81. That is right: No shot blocker in the game for 3 minutes in the 4th Quarter, and the Mavs jacked 3 3’s, and the game left them. For some reason, they went back to the perimeter game at exactly the wrong time. Is it Avery’s fault? Partially, but Dirk and JET have to recognize who is on the floor.

• Alonzo Mourning killed the Mavs last night. You know it is weird when you would rather see Shaq on the floor than Zo, but where did all of that defense come from? Holy cow, talk about a man on a mission.

• Jason Terry had the worst night he could possibly have when the Mavs needed him most. I believe he was 4-4 in the first quarter, and then went 3-21 the rest of the night. I would never have believed it. And, if you go back to that 1st Quarter, you may recall the amazing rolls he got off the top of the backboard on two of his shots.

• I am not sure how to summarize Dirk’s series. I guess it is similar to how I felt about the team. Moments of brilliance, but overall not enough. It surely wasn’t from a lack of trying, but he could never get rolling like we would like. I am certainly proud of the big fella, but it wasn’t enough. He is much improved, but he was not close to being the best player in this series.

• Yes, I am still annoyed at the City of Dallas. Yes, I am still annoyed at those who declared our parade plans. And yes, I think it is partially to blame for this debacle. Combine it with letting the Cowboys move to Arlington, and I have had enough of this anti-sports local government. Link ...

• If you would have told me that Shaq would average 13 points per game and the Mavs would still lose, I would have laughed at you. I am not laughing this morning.

• Was that the end of Keith Van Horn in Dallas? Yes. Darrell Armstrong? Yes. Marquis Daniels? Possibly. Who else? I will tell you I have already received 3 “how do we get Kevin Garnett” emails.

• I was truly amazed that Mavericks fans left so early last night. There were still 2 minutes left and the fans were leaving. I am sure those fans have seen lots NBA Finals decided on a shot with 8 seconds to go, but I kind of wanted to see how it ended. I guess traffic was bad, but come on.

• Not sure if any of this made much sense this morning, but it was the best I could come up with. Training camp begins in a few weeks, I guess.

• This sucks.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Protect This House

24 Hour Rule. Focus should be Game 6.

The day is here. The most crucial game ever played is here. For Dallas, it is a hope to carry the dream for 48 more hours.

Just Do it.

Here is a huge load of your emails (as I perhaps violate the 24 Hour rule):


Hey Bob,

I'm not happy about the call on Wade, but I'd like to point some things out to the Mavs fans, maybe you as you often are the voice of reason can echo these sentiments.

Maybe now we realize it's not a good idea to squander a 13 point lead late in the 4th quarter in a game 3 that might as well be game 4 for all practical purposes. It might have been nice for the Mavericks to bother to show up for game 4, just a thought there.

You throw 2 games away and than expect everything to go your way in game 5, on the Heat's home court you need to visit your psychiatrist because you're thinking straight anymore.

So let's do that. The Knicks couldn't go on the road and win that deciding game against Houston in 1994, and the Mavericks for the first time all series have the full roster available MBenga and Stackhouse, we're at home. Maybe Dirk will take that anger on the exercise bike out on the Heat for game 6, and we can look forward to a game 7!

Thanks,

Joshua
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You absolutely amaze me, and it makes me insane to hear your opinions on this, Mr. Sturm. I was just listening to your broadcast on my way in to the office.

First of all, the man is NOT Jordan. He makes a few baskets (hell, he made a LOT of buckets in the last 3- ok!) That does NOT make him a super-star.

Second, Dwyane Wade CANNOT go to the basket at will and change the game by himself. He simply could not have done what he did, without other players AND THE REFS interfering! Granted, he is a very good player, and his moves to drive the lane are very impressive. However, the man would be NOWHERE if he did not have Shaq's interior presence (as we saw in his mediocre performances in games 1 and 2).

Third, and what angers me most, is your notion that the referees are somehow drawn inseparably to the magnetic personality of Wade, that somehow there is this hypnotic force out there that is pulling them to "don't resist, all is well in Wade's World", and that makes them make every call in Dwyane's direction. "Use the force, Dwyane, right?" And all the while, they don't seem to have any regard for our very own Dirk Nowitzki. DIRK IS THE ALL-STAR HERE!!!! He is the player that ought to be getting ALL of the calls and ALL of the latitude from the refs. I have not seen that in a single game.

As a referee (I ref at the junior high and high school levels), I know that if there is ANYTHIHNG that is true in the waning seconds of games, it is that if you don't see an obvious foul call in those last few seconds, you SWALLOW YOUR WHISTLE!!!! I challenge you to find any official out there who does not call games with that in mind. The unspoken rule is that you NEVER blow your whistle and decide a game by a call that could be even remotely seen as ticky-tack or as tentative. Having said that, I don't see how you can make the case that the officials last night did any semblance of a good job.

Fourth, you mentioned that Wade had to get the ball in the backcourt in order to make sure that he got the ball. Even that goes back to the officials, because he had not established position in the backcourt when he received the ball. Watch the tape and prove me wrong- I dare you! The play should have been called dead immediately, Mavs ball, here we go- they score and it is GAME OVER!!!!

Having said all of this, all I can conclude from seeing the last three games is that there is definitely an anti-Dallas bias in the NBA, for whatever reason, whether it comes from David Stern's dislike of Cuban, or from a desire to see it go to seven, or what, I do not know. It is just disgusting. Just disgusting.


[ Unfortunately, I most probably will not hear the rest of your broadcast today, so I may not hear if you respond to this. If you have a chance to e-mail me back, I would like to hear what you have to say, as I usually agree with what you say on air. But on this one, Bob, you missed the boat! ]
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Bob,

Congrats to you... you are seeing game 5 and this series for what it is. Dwayne Wade is definitely a "star" and he is getting those calls that Jordan did in the 90's - anyone remember the push off Byron Russell in the clincher against Utah? Was there a foul on the final play - there was enough to call it. Should it have been on Dirk, probably not, but, does it really matter if it is Harris or Dirk? Also, Wade has been building this reputation for 3 years in the playoffs now, it didn't just happen in game 3, 4, and 5 of the 2006 Finals.

Also, remember the phantom foul that Dirk got during the San Antonio series - the calls balance out. Craig talked about that this morning.

Thanks for taking off the Mavs jersey and seeing things how they are. As much as you want the Mavs to win, you are able to see things how they are, and not get caught up in hype. Keep up the good work. And don't be surprised if the Mavs win 2 - the NBA works in strange ways.

Fellow Northern Transplant... Brad
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Sturm,

Don't fret about messing up the Mavs' chemistry when the circuit breaker blew....That had nothing to do with the Mavs losing Game 5.....nor did the fact that I decided to take a shower right before the end of the 3rd quarter....The outcome of these Finals was decided in Game 4 when Dallas chose to score only SEVEN FRICKING POINTS in the 4th quarter.....There is absolutely NO WAY the NBA Gods would EVER EVER EVER allow a team to win a championship after securing the dubious honor of setting an all time low for points scored in a quarter in the NBA Finals.

Gimme a Diablo sandwich and a Dr. Pepper and make it quick cause I'm in a @#$*&@#*$#@#& hurry.....

Unit
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Against Miami, the Mavs are 0-2 when Josh Howard scores 20+ points. The relationship between J-Ho’s 20 and a Mavs “W”,that was as consistent as gravity, has been reversed.

Jason Reed
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Bob,
Look at this NBA finals preview by the Sports Guy. He summed up the entire series right here. This was before the finals.

“And that’s the thing that bothers me about this series: No team depends on the refs quite like the Heat. When the refs are calling all the bumps on Shaq and protecting Wade on every drive, they’re unstoppable. When they’re calling everything fairly, they’re eminently beatable. If they’re not getting any calls, they’re just about hopeless. I could see the refs swinging two games in Miami’s favor during this series, possibly three.”

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/060608

Humble P1 Pat
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Here's why I'm not panicing about the Mavs still:

It occurs to me that it's good for the home team to win as often as possible.
Although the Mavs have had their chances to "steal" a game or two, it benefits the NBA to be more generous with the Heat in Miami for example.

But, the Mavs have long proven that they can beat anybody anywhere and won't need much of the same of the refs' generosity to beat the Heat at home.

This "fix", if you will, became incredibly obvious to me when more than a few camera shots late in the game showed Shaq not even sweating, and Wade cracking a smile or two.

I hate to blame anyone (like the refs) or anything else (like an away-crowd) but it was ultimately the Mavs lack of go-for-the-jugular mentality that proved to be their demise.

Paul in Flower Mound
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Bob,

Just wanted to say that given the recent events in the NBA finals I'm finding it amazing that you were one of the few to take the stance you did back after game 2. I'm not one to call in or email much, and I'm not a big follower of the NBA, but I was left talking to my radio a few times while listening to pretty much all the other shows on The Ticket after game 1 & 2.

I'm still shocked that somehow the fact that game 1 was actually pretty close and favored the Mavs because of bad free throw shooting yet by game 2 we had people on The Ticket saying things like "I can't see what Miami can hope to do against the Mavs". It was so bad after game 2 that I was suddenly reminded of two Saturday Night Live skits. The talk on The Ticket was pretty much like a cross between the Chris Farley celebrity interview skit and the old Bears Ditka skits. I kept hearing things like "Gee you're so awesome" and "What if Avery was as small as a toy soldier and he had to play against a team of 10 foot tall giants? .... Mavs win by 20".

I'm really cheering for the Mavs, and I'm not sure it's the basketball gods having revenge, but I'm still stunned that almost all the hosts at The Ticket were so caught up in Mavs fever that they saw no way for Miami to win at all.

Matt
Frisco, TX
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Let’s congratulate the Heat on being NBA Champions since the Mavs have shown nothing to even suggest they can beat the Heat 2 games in a row. Second of all, the only MVP chant I want to hear is for Wade. He personifies an MVP in that he can say when it matters, “Hey boys! Jump on my back and I will carry you to the championship!” All the while Dirk is pulling another 4 for 12 with 6 free throws attempted.

Have we at least learned that Harris cannot guard Wade, and in fact the Mavs have no one who can go one on one with him? I am tired of seeing Wade beat the Mavs single handedly. Can the Mavs at least double Wade? It’s to the point I would rather take the chance of Shaq beating the Mavs. At least it would be someone different.

Signed,
There’s always next year.
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no one has ever come back from down 2-0 in this format and no series has had the home team win all 7 in this format - so someone is going to do something for the 1st time
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You are being way too soft on the league and the officials in your blog. It is pretty typical of most of the media.......at least you state that you are writing in protest. That was one of the biggest travesties of sport by the officials I have ever seen. Of course the Mavs didn't do everything right, including the two missed free throws by Howard. But that doesn't matter. The Mavs did enough to win......more than enough. The officials/league actively handed the Heat this game, and there is no doubt about it. Let's think about this for a second some things that had to happen for the Heat to pull out a 1 point win.

1. Mavs 4th leading scorer is suspended for game 5 of THE NBA FINALS for a hard foul on SHAQ. If Stack fouls him "normally," Shaq dunks it, stack bounces off of him, and Shaq gets an and 1 (or an and .35 to be more precise.) so what is wrong with a hard foul? Terrible suspension that has way too much impact on the series for the offense committed. Shaq throws about 30 "suspension worthy" elbows per game but the one time someone balls up and fouls him hard they get suspended. No wonder Dirk is settling for jumpshots, he might be afraid that if he runs over shaq on a drive he might get suspended.

2. Mavs outshot 49-25 from the free throw line. This is an absurd discrepency. Everyone keeps praising Miami's agressiveness and defense. Even you say "I still think this series has changed to Miami's advantage because of the physical nature of these games. Miami has gone old school NBA, and turned the lane into a meat grinder."
I agree. If Miami's defense is turning the lane into a meat grinder, why are the Mavericks shooting so few free throws. The Heat shot 16 free throws to 0 in the third quarter, and committed their first personal foul with 2:40 or something left in the quarter. That is ridiculous. There is no possible way this can be rationalized.

3. Dwyane Wade shot as many free throws as the Mavs. I understand that Dwyane Wade drives a lot and therefore goes to the line a lot. But 25 free throws? He maybe deserved 10 of them. The insta whistle on Wade is not exactly consistent with the "meat grinder" the officials are apparently letting exist. It is pretty tough to win when your opponent is playing "meat grinder" defense and you are playing "insta whistle" defense.

4. Howard timeout. He said he Joe Crawford is lying about him asking for a timeout. You seem to beleive one of the most arrogant blowhard officials in the league over the Mavs second best player. That is kind of weak. If you watch the replay, it is pretty obvious that Howard is looking straight at Avery and isn't making a sound I am tired of people blaming this on Howard. Sure, after 47:58:01 minutes of getting screwed, you would think Howard would realize that he maybe shouldn't make the timeout signal knowing they are looking to screw us. But still, the riciulous lack of consistency on letting techinicalites go (i.e. lane violations when shaq shoots vs. anyone else) sometimes but not others is absolutely terrible.

5. Last play Dwyane Wade. A. May have been backcourt, overlooked....ok whatever B. charges terry, overlooked.....still ok C. gives a little shove to harris......once again, lets let them decide it D. Dirk arm on back. Completely legal. Putting your arm on a guy's back is a legal basketball play. E. No touch fouls at the end of the game right. Well, we all know how that turned out. Just look at Jason Terry's last shot to win in regulation. Wade (or someone) comes down pretty hard on JET's elbow. Live, I didn't think it was anything close to a foul, but Tivo shows that he got hit right on the eblow with no call, because they let the players decide it right?

I really was looking forward to reading your blog because I thought maybe you would be one of the few media members that has the balls to put the blame where it squarely lies. Sure, call me a whiner......I don't care. I refuse to sit here and watch my team that I have been a diehard fan of get completely screwed out of their first nba championship by a bunch of old guys who don't play. I won't just be quiet about it because of fear that someone will say I am just whining. We did more than enough to win that game, but instead of talking about Dirk's ridiculous fadeaway game winning shot, we are talking about how spectacular Dwyane Wade's selfish stupid 1 on 4 heave ended up giving the Heat a 3-2 lead over the Mavericks.

Anyway rant over, Mavs in 7.

Jackson
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Bob,

I think I'm even more embrassed by Avery & Mark Cuban's lack of class than I am about the Mavs meltdown in this series. Avery, a Christian guy, is making the Mav's beat reporter look stupid, telling him "don't stutter" and Cuban is throwing out f-bombs.

Have you read his blog today? http://www.blogmaverick.com/. I was hoping that there'd be some apoligizes issued but he's not really apologizing for anything. He's a big-time sore loser.

I'm thinking the Mavs may still win this series but the organization is an embarrassment and it's making Dallas fans look stupid. Could you imagine Jerry Jones acting that way?

Jay

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I have 500 more, too. But, I will save you all of them.
By the way, try to keep the cuss words out of the feedback, lest I be forced to dispose of that feature. We are all able to discuss without that, right?

Yes, there was a Hockey Cup raised, but we all require our focus here with the Mavericks.

Go Mavs.

Monday, June 19, 2006

Game 5: Miami 101, Dallas 100 (Miami 3-2)



Well, I considered no game notes today, which, of course, win or lose has not happened the entire playoffs. But, instead, I am writing today’s notes under protest. Just like many of you are going to work or class under protest today. When Jim McKay opened Wide World of Sports for decades telling us of the “Thrill of Victory, and the Agony of Defeat”, we might have thought it was just good writing. But, no. Today, we have way too much invested in the Dallas Mavericks all know the true meaning of the “Agony of Defeat”.

Dwyane Wade is willing his team to victory. And there appears to be almost nothing Dallas can do about it. Incidentally, if there is something you can do about it, Dallas, please feel free to do whatever that is immediately!

The guy had 43 points last night, including 21 in the 4th Quarter and Overtime. After 3 quarters of relative normal play, the dude just went off. There were attempts to stop him, but it reminded us all too much of those teams back in the 1990’s trying to stop MJ. They could try anything, they could blame the refs, they could double team, they could not double team; but at the end of the night, they were cursing themselves for not keeping 1 guy from beating them.

More Game Notes from Game 5’s heart breaker:

• The Mavericks were guilty of many unforced errors last night. The most obvious is Josh Howard calling the timeout at just the wrong time, but let’s not forget the others: Erick Dampier throwing an outlet pass to Terry, despite Wade sitting on it. Wade then takes the ball right at Dampier which drew a 3rd foul on Damp before halftime, and stopped the momentum on the run. Also, The Mavericks get Shaq to miss two free throws, then Mbenga and Dirk both assume the other guy is getting the board, meanwhile Posey grabs it and hits Shaq for a dunk and a foul. And Diop fouls out because Avery wanted Devin Harris to foul Shaq, Devin did not, so Diop oddly takes the 6th foul on the most unnecessary foul in NBA history. This is not even mentioning Dirk missing a Free Throw with 1:26 left in regulation, and Josh missing two free throws with :54 left in Overtime and holding a 1 point lead that should have been 3. All I am saying is that these are things that get you beat that you do control. You cannot control what the refs do on the final play, but you can control all of these…

• Jason Terry appears to be the only person who regularly takes the ball right at Miami in the paint. I think the Mavs played courageously, and therefore I am not here to point too many fingers, but you are only going to get fouled if you play with courage in the lane, and the Mavs are taking many jump shots. Terry played with a venom that got him a huge night. It is a shame to waste that performance.

• That camera on the wire that ABC and TNT insist on showing us is the most annoying camera angle in camera angle history. Lose it!

• Seriously, at what point do you spend a moment considering trying something other than Devin Harris on Dwyane Wade? I love Devin’s effort, but don’t you get the idea that no one person is going to stop Wade right now? Shouldn’t you consider playing two guys on him at any point of crunch time until he proves he can beat that, too? Don’t you want James Posey taking clutch shots more? Leave Posey unguarded. Leave Payton open (except on a layup). Leave any human being open if it means Dwyane Wade will not beat you. I am bitter right now about that. But I am also reminded that a guard like Wade is the single toughest guy to stop because unlike a post player, you cannot keep Wade from getting the ball.

• I am getting a lot of Dirk emails this morning, and trust me, I am happy to ask “where is Dirk?” when it is necessary, but he had two monster hoops last night on very difficult shots, and he also had a huge assist on the pass to Dampier with :09 in regulation. Three world class plays that will all be forgotten since they lost the game, but nevertheless, Dirk was clutch at clutch moments last night. And then he destroyed plenty of furniture in the tunnel.

• I love Adrian Griffin, but dude, why are you trying to take a charge when you should be guarding Wade with 3 seconds left in regulation? Did you really think the refs were going to call a charge on him? Play straight up defense and maybe you could at least make him miss the shot.

• To the topic of the refs: I know around the water cooler, the blame rests with the officials this morning, but aside from being annoyed that the final call on Wade’s drive seemed very generous, I still come down where I always do. The Mavericks put themselves in a bad position by making way too many unforced errors. I see it like this: The NBA Refs are always going to favor the superstar, and usually always going to favor the home team. So, to act surprised when Wade gets a call in overtime in a game in Miami is evidence that you aren’t paying attention. He is always going to get that call, so you have to either, A) figure out how to guard him without any contact at all, or B) have a lead that can sustain 1 basket from Wade with a few seconds to go. I know this is not a popular stance, but it is mine. Refs do not control the outcome of games, you do. So, make your free throws, and get 1 freaking stop at crunch time, and you win the game.

• I still think this series has changed to Miami’s advantage because of the physical nature of these games. Miami has gone old school NBA, and turned the lane into a meat grinder. The officials have seemed to allow this, and therefore Miami has been smart to do it. The Mavericks have been competing hard, but it still appears that the more physical the game gets, the less the Mavericks succeed.

• Josh Howard was really, really good last night. Those two free throws didn’t help, but I thought he really played like a star last night, and his hustle is really admirable.

• That Hack-a-Shaq seemed about as half-arsed as I have ever seen. They did it once, then didn’t do it for a while, then did it again. Then, in overtime, they fouled him twice, despite Miami not having the bonus. So, all it seemed to do is get Harris cheap fouls, and give Miami back the ball at mid-court. Between that and the timeout situation, it really looked like Avery and his staff made some poor decisions late.

• Well, in the history of the NBA Finals, no series has been 2-3-2 format and had all 7 games won by the home team. If this is going to end right, this will be the first time. The Mavericks have lost 3 straight games, and now must dig deeper than they ever have. This is their first elimination game, except for the mutual elimination of that Game 7 in San Antonio, and finally, the backs are squarely against the wall. Is this where the fairy tale ends?

• 24 Hour Rule applies today. Everyone feel sorry for themselves today, but at dawn Tuesday, it is time to focus on getting out of this mess. This is not over. You have invested 9 months, do not give in now!

Sunday, June 18, 2006

I don't want to talk about it.

You know what happened. Instead of complaining about stuff, I will write some less bitter material in the morning. Or, I might give up sports. Not sure.

Game 5 Beckons



I have no explanations for this, but I feel great about tonight.

Mavs 96, Heat 88.

Friday, June 16, 2006

Uh-Oh. Game 4: Miami 98, Dallas 74

Without much hesitation, I think we can all see now that we most definitely have a series on our hands. Game 4 was putrid on many levels, and now the Dallas Mavericks must question themselves in the biggest of fashions after being crushed in a game that we all agreed was crucial.

Usually, up top in my game notes, I focus on one particular item in the game that was noteworthy and spend a little time elaborating on the story of the night.

Well, I just am so dumbfounded at finding a particular reason for last night’s embarrassing meltdown that I may just skip it.

They were horrible. Dirk could not play worse. Josh Howard was missing.

I have no interest in telling anyone “I told you so” when I issued the most serious “tap your breaks” warning upon our arrival in Miami. I think everyone knows now that we have a serious problem in front of us here in Dallas.

Again, the Mavericks are a mentally tough bunch who responds very well to adversity. And now they can sit and ponder their adversity until Sunday. Are they letting the chance of a lifetime slip away? Are they on the verge of the biggest choke in Dallas Sports History? Are they about to lose to Freaking Finland after beating the Russians in Lake Placid? Are they about to make Spurs fans and Suns fans very happy for the rest of the summer?

Adversity, welcome to the Dallas Mavericks locker-room.

Notes from Game 4:

• Dwyane Wade is amazing. He also should be forbidden from claiming any sort of injury or illness for the rest of his career. Who plays possum better than Wade who has sucked the media into believing his limps, and then drops 78 points in 2 games? Perhaps, the Mavericks are put in the odd position of having to leave Shaquille to more straight up coverage, and send the double teams at Wade. Something tells me that Shaquille would then explode and begin to dominate from the inside, but I am not sure I see much other choice. You cannot let Wade get 40 and just demoralize you like he has. I have no idea what you try in Game 5 defensively, but what you did in Game 4 is laughable.

• This morning, the Sportcenter boys are convinced that Stackhouse will be suspended for his hit on Shaq. Make no mistake; it was an overly physical play that appeared to offer no play on the ball. But, it would seem that a suspension might be a bit strong. I guess we shall see, but I thought a flagrant was proper, and we shall see what the league office decides today. In other news, it is nice to see someone push back at the Heat physically, because it sure appears that some of the Mavs shrink when the pushing gets going.

• Basketball is a very simple game. You cannot win when you cannot shoot. The Mavericks cannot shoot right now, and I have no real explanation for the reason. Are the Heat playing great defense? Or, are the Mavericks just missing shots they normally knock down? It would seem to me that the poor shooting is more the product of the touch being a bit off, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter “why”. It just matters if it is going in the hoop or not. And for the better part of 4 games, the Mavericks are not shooting the ball well. This better change in a hurry.

• And what about the German? I refuse to knee-jerk like many emailers are; Here is one example from my email box: Flopping Dirk is no MVP! MVP's don't disappear in the Finals. But let’s all be honest: He has to find another dominating performance in a hurry, or this thing may slip away. He is getting out performed by a mile when you compare him to Wade, and he also is looking uncomfortable with Haslem and Posey in his jock. He has built up too much credibility with me in this post season for all of that to be forgotten because of a few rough games in Miami, but this isn’t about credibility. This is about what could be his only chance to win a title in his career. He has to rise above the bumps, bruises, and critics. He has to find at least one more signature effort to close the deal. And it needs to happen quickly.

• 7 points in the 4th Quarter.

• Given that he was one of the few players to get to a loose ball last night, I may consider a bigger dose of Adrian Griffin going forward.

• Lest we give Dirk all of the blame, would someone please remind Josh Howard that he can get to the rim anytime he wants? This Antoine Walker impression which seems to include a steady diet of 20-foot jump shots is not what the Mavs need right now, Josh. Be aggressive with the ball and stop launching shots that are not nearly as high a percentage. In fact, the whole team needs to stop launching jumpers. 22 three point attempts? C’mon!

• What really stinks about this outcome is that there was a period of the game where the Mavericks had cut the lead to 10, at 80-70, and they had 3 shots at getting it closer, but nothing would fall. During this same time, they received many calls. The Mavericks were actually getting all of the calls, and could do nothing with it. I am not saying the refs were trying to keep it close, but…

• Nothing is more irrelevant than pointing out Marquis Daniels looked absurd during garbage time with a few air-balls and a goofy turnover, but I really can’t help it. I have never seen anyone look like they have never played before every time he steps on the floor, quite like Marquis.

• The Heat deserve a lot of credit. What a response to two horrible performances in Dallas which had them left for dead. They have showed a ton of emotion and resolve and have taken over the role of getting to every loose ball and every rebound that is up for grabs. Pat Riley has kept them together, and now the players are starting to rise up. Wade and Shaq are playing like a title is right there to be had. That should scare us all.

• DJ MBenga returns Sunday. Secret Weapon???

• It appears someone explained to Antoine Walker what they needed from him. He took almost no stupid shots until garbage time.

• Well, they only needed to get one in Miami, right? It seemed like an easy task when they had 3 shots at it, and a reasonable assignment when they had 2 cracks left. Now, with only Sunday left, they know what they must do. But can they?

• Do we need to start researching whether the home team has ever won all 7 games in a NBA Finals? Don’t assume the Heat cannot win a road game.

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Holy Freaking Cow.



Do Not Anger the Basketball Gods! Now apologize, before it is too late.

More in the morning.

Mavericks Try To Grab Game 4


We have seen plenty of the Dallas Mavericks in this playoff run. We have seen the greatness of this team, and we have seen the moments of less than greatness.

In Game 6 against San Antonio, the Mavericks let their opponent back in the series.

In Game 7 they cut their throat.

In Game 4 against the Suns, the Mavericks let their opponent back into the series.

In Game 5 and 6, they cut their throat.

Well, after letting the Heat gain some momentum and confidence in Game 3, should we expect the Mavs are currently sharpening their knives?

I think so. I hope so. Otherwise, at 2-2, this thing is going to get pretty tense.
All the scribes in South Florida spend their time on Wade’s left knee


Less than 24 hours after lifting the Miami Heat to a dramatic come-from-behind victory against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Dwyane Wade limped into AmericanAirlines Arena Wednesday afternoon with yet another ailment -- a stiff and sore left knee.

Wade, who was just getting over the flu and a sinus infection, suffered the injury in the third quarter of Miami's 98-96 win Tuesday night when Shaquille O'Neal drew a charge and fell on top of Wade's knee.

''It's very stiff and very sore,'' said Wade, who was carted out of the AAA following the press conference. ``The only thing I can continue to do is a lot of icing and a lot massaging. I'm very confident in my training staff. They'll get me the closest they can get me at 100 percent tomorrow night.


Except Dallas isn’t buying it


Dwyane Wade can limp and grimace all he wants, because no one is buying it, least of all the Dallas Mavericks.

You can't claim hardship in one breath and then breathlessly rescue your team from a 13-point deficit in the final seven minutes of an NBA Finals game and expect anyone to believe you.

"He's been saying he's been hurt all series," says Mavs forward Josh Howard. "Like I said earlier in the series, nobody has legs, but at certain times, you're going to have your legs. He put his team on his back and won the game for them."


Meanwhile, Pat Riley and the Heat realize they got away with one in Game 3


“Eleven of the 20 turnovers that we had were unforced," coach Pat Riley said. "That's not counting two moving picks. That's not counting the three 3-second violations.

"They were just mindless, careless passes, fumbles, some of the things that we did in transition. Shaq threw it one time down the right side of the court; I don't know who he was throwing it to. Dwyane uncharacteristically was trying to get off the ball when normally he's attacking."

Not only were the passes off, but so was the Heat's timing. While the intentions were noble, the Heat too often searched for better shots at times O'Neal was planted beneath the rim in rebounding position.

"The three 3-second calls were when another guy should have shot the ball," Riley said. "The ball movement was good, it got to an open shooter, Shaquille was in the lane, he wasn't open, and the ball should have gone up.

"We definitely have to cut down the unforced turnovers. They only had four [of 16] turnovers that they really forced."

Haslem said the Heat continues to adjust to Dallas' penchant for double-teaming O'Neal with 7-footers. The Heat center has yet to take more than 11 shots in a game in this series and is averaging 8.3 through the first three. To put it in perspective, he averaged 13.6 shots during the regular season and 13.9 in the first three rounds of the playoffs.

Point guard Jason Williams said O'Neal's seven turnovers Tuesday night are overstated, with three of those for 3-second violations while fighting for space beneath the rim.

"We can't really fault Shaq for doing that, because that's what he does," Williams said, adding that there was plenty of blame to go around.

"Especially when you watch it on film," he said. "It's like, `What are you doing?'"

That leaves the Heat with a simple objective tonight.

"Be a strong basketball team," Payton said, "that doesn't make a mistake after mistake."





Edmonton lives to skate another day….Saturday actually



Goooooooaaaaaaaal! Pisani!

If this one wasn't a goal to be heard all over the world, it deserved to be.

Forget Francesco Totti and those Italian soccer players over at the World Cup.
Gooooooooooooooalll! Fernando Pisani!

With Steve Staios in the penalty box, the only hometown hero on the hockey club became a Stanley Cup hero for the ages to bring the Edmonton Oilers back home alive.
When Pisani, who scored 18 goals in the regular season, scored his second of the night and 12th of the playoffs to beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3, he became the first player in the history of the Stanley Cup final to score a short-handed goal in overtime.


In the regular season, 137 NHL players scored more goals this year than Fernando Pisani. In the playoffs, no one has scored more goals than Fernando Pisani.

Back in Arlington, Padilla shuts down White Sox, but in Chicago the story is the rookie who did not bean Hank


But that paled in comparison to the anger the White Sox displayed during an 8-0 loss at Ameriquest Field in the latest chapter of their rivalry with the Rangers.
Texas starter Vicente Padilla hit Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski twice, which prompted a warning to both sides from home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi in the fourth inning.

Suspicions of retaliation surfaced in the seventh when Sox rookie reliever Sean Tracey moved Texas cleanup hitter Hank Blalock off the plate with a high-and-tight first pitch.

Blalock took a big hack and missed at the next pitch before Tracey moved Blalock off the plate with a low, inside pitch.

The sequence ended when Blalock grounded out to second, but manager Ozzie Guillen immediately pulled Tracey in favor of fellow rookie Agustin Montero, who had been warming up as Tracey entered the game.

Television cameras caught Guillen yelling at Tracey in the dugout.

Tracey buried his head in his hands before covering his face with his jersey, and Guillen was shown spiking a bottle of water.

Guillen declined to elaborate on the incident after taking the blame for not having Montero ready to start the inning, adding Tracey "is one of our prospects." Guillen said he didn't want to make comments that could result in a suspension.

Tracey, who packed his bag after the game in an apparent demotion to Triple-A Charlotte, declined to comment.


Last night, Norm, Dan, and Bob checked out Marlins 6, Braves 5

England gets shrek back for TnT today


Wayne Rooney has been passed fit to play for England against Trinidad and Tobago later today.

The striker was examined this morning by Professors Angus Wallace and Chris Moran, from the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham, hours before the World Cup group game in Nuremberg. The specialists released a joint statement, saying: "It is our professional medical opinion that Wayne Rooney is now available to play in the World Cup.

"Wayne's recovery has been more rapid than expected over the past week, and this is due to the excellent care he has received since suffering the injury to his foot and because Wayne has worked so hard at his recovery. Due to this, we were invited back earlier than anticipated to reassess Wayne by Dr Leif Sward, the England team doctor.


To get you ready for the game, Footy, Footy, Footy, Footy, Footy, Footy, England, England!

The Magic Gopher



Here is a good email from Iraq:


BaD Radio,
Hey guys I have sent this similar email to morning show and the Hard Line as well, I have simply have asked them to send, A BIG SHOUT OUT, to route sales guys driving the big red trucks and to the rest of the gang at the Ozarka Spring Water office there in Fort Worth, I left in January and hope to be back in time for Halloween, so that I can get back into my truck and tune in to THE TICKET! Thanks a lot….

P1 in the desert,

CS2 GONZALEZ ,MARGARITO

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Game 3: Miami 98, Dallas 96 (Dal 2-1)



It all seemed to be going perfectly. The game was not necessarily in the bag, but up 13 points with just over 6 minutes to play is certainly a spot you love to be in. You have outscored Miami in the first 17:45 of the 2nd half by an absurd collective score of 46-24. And then, bad things started to happen.

Wade scores a bunch. James Posey hit his only basket of the game, which was a huge 3. Wade scores a bunch more. Shaquille hits 2 free throws in a row. Wade scores a bunch more. Gary Payton scores his first hoop of the season. Dirk misses a key free throw when he can’t. Wade scores again. Game over. Trophy taken back. Collars tighten in the Metroplex.

They finish you on a 22-7 run, and Game 1 vs. Phoenix is back in your head as another game that you had, and then gave back because of poor execution on both ends of the court. Its one thing to not be able to stop Dwyane Wade. Very few people can stop him when he gets in his groove, and he flat out willed his team to victory. But how can you not get better shots on offense? Why are the Mavericks in the equivalent of the prevent when they insist on shooting with :02 left on the shot clock?

Now the Mavericks can ponder that question, as they wait for Thursday; a night in which Miami can square this series at 2-2. Ouch.

Quick hits from Game 3 in Miami:

• Through 3 games, I would like to now make the bold claim that Udonis Haslem is guarding Dirk as well as anyone has in these playoffs. Not that Dirk has been stopped, but he has been thrown off his rhythm, and frankly, has not gone off for any extended spurts in this series thus far. He is best defended by making him uncomfortable, and if I am not mistaken, he has been made uncomfortable by Haslem, who honestly was a huge hero last night with his remarkable work on the offensive glass. Funny to remember before the series started that many (including me) thought Miami had no one to guard Dirk. I would like to change my thoughts on that one.

• Speaking of Dirk, that free throw he missed did not help his “national respect” score. I think we all know it, so it doesn’t need to be said, but your superstar really needs to make two free throws with 3 seconds left in a NBA Finals game when you are down 2. It would be nice if he would take one of these next two games by the neck at crunch time. Last night they kept going to him, and with help from Jason Terry, the Mavs best players did not get it done.

• Shaq is still quiet. Not as quiet last night, but still very quiet by Shaq terms. I believe that should now scare us even more knowing that if he erupts, this series will be tied. Whatever Erick Dampier is doing, he needs to keep doing it. Let sleeping dogs lie.

• It is official: After attending playoff games in San Antonio and Miami, I am now ready to say that EVERY NBA team has an over-the-top, annoying, worthy-of-a-Saturday-Night-Live-skit PA Announcer who screams at you. Not just Dallas. They are everywhere.

• One obvious goal by Miami was to take the ball to the basket over and over again. Dwyane Wade gets calls and baskets every time he goes, so why not? That is smart basketball, because nobody on the Mavs can stop him. In fact, it is starting to look like Devin Harris might be the best defensive option against him, but that isn’t saying much. Harris can’t stop him either.

• One good thing to come out of last night’s loss was this: We can stop hearing about that stupid stat of when Josh Howard scores 20 points or more, the Mavericks are undefeated. I will not name names, but I was sitting next to a media member who told me this game is in the bag at 71-66 because Josh just got his 20th point. And he was dead serious. Stats are for losers.

• One way to look at the game is this: If James Posey, Gary Payton, and Jason Williams are all going to hit shots that they normally would miss, and if Haslem and O’Neal are going to hit all of their free throws in that final 6 minutes then you just tip your hat to them and know inside that they were fortunate to beat you. You move on to Thursday and you execute them in front of their fans. But if you don’t….

• A typical game for Marquis Daniels: 1) Check into the game because the Mavericks really need a spark from you. 2) Contribute very little. 3) Throw an incredibly silly pass that will be recorded as your only stat of the night – a turnover. 4) Go back to the bench and enjoy the rest of the game with your warm-ups on

• So Dwyane Wade gets his 5th foul with almost 11 minutes to play, and you cannot get #6 on him? Easier said then done, partly because short of maiming someone to death, the refs weren’t going to get rid of him, but you would have liked to see the Mavericks expose him more on defense. He had to be guarding someone, but aside from Devin Harris’ drive to the hoop in the final minute, Wade stayed out of trouble very well.

• I swear, collectively, the Heat make too many stupid mistakes to win. 20 more turnovers last night and even in loss, you have to believe that it just delays the inevitable. I will maintain my stance that any team with Jason Williams and Antoine Walker consistently making poor choices cannot win a Title.

• Since I was quick to honor Jerry Stackhouse last game, let’s be fair. He was 1-9 last night, missed a dunk, and down the stretch committed a charge and missed an open jumper. Basically, when you needed help for Dirk and Terry, he offered very, very little. Score one for his critics.

• Avery is a genius. Except when his team has to draw up a play with less than 5 seconds to play. Those efforts in Game 1 vs Phoenix and last night left a bit to be desired. So, Dirk inbounds the ball which effectively takes him out of the play with 1 second to play? Very nice defensive move, but since he coaches Dallas and not Miami, I must wonder what the thinking was there.

• Pretty funny bit on the scoreboard last night as they had a parody of the Godfather. Mark Cuban woke up in his bed and pulled the covers back to find the Mavericks horse head under the sheets. He screamed, and the place when nuts. I giggled.

• The first road team to win a game is going to win this series. Will it be Dallas?