Shock The World

The deal was two posts a week. It's week two, and I'm already not keeping up. Well, life happens. We're going to bounce back strong and maybe try for three this week. I know what most of you are thinking right now. "OK Luke, sure. He's just talking again. He won't do this." For all of you haters who share in this line of thinking, I don't blame you. If you know me, then this would seem like another case of me saying something I won't do. I'll try to prove you wrong, but I doubt it.

Reaction from the fruitcake post was modest at best. My constant begging for comments worked, but not to the extent I had originally anticipated. I had thought a dozen comments wouldn't be too hard. Well, you guys got me half way there. Not bad, but just like my posts, it needs some work. Funny story about the comments, apparently an OU "lady" star posted a comment, which got my mom all riled up. I guess she clicked on her link, because, as my mom put it, "It was clickable." Wow, just shedding some light into my family. Oh, I have to give a shout-out to Joe for including me in his links section of his blog. I would return the favor, but I don't know how. I am also not sure on the pictures as well. Maybe next time. On we go.

Congrats to Steve Nash for "reportedly" winning the NBA MVP award. He deserved it, and you know he does. That might not have worked out well for the Suns, as Kobe and the Lakers are on their way to upsetting Phoenix in the 1st round. I've never seen Kobe play like this before. Not shooting as much has worked wonders for the rest of the Lakers. Hell, even the Laker girls don't mind rooting for Kobe now. I'm also glad in my decision to hold off on my predictions for the NBA playoffs. Let's just say I would have had the Suns winning a couple rounds, oh well, life happens. I'll get to my predictions in a second.

Our OUIM men's softball team, Cool Runnings shocked the world yesterday. Before I tell you that story, I'll tell you this one. We won our very first game of the year, 7-5. However, we found out one of our players was "ineligible" for the game. Meaning, we lost, and our playoff aspirations were slim. We bounced back and won our next game 5-2. With our record standing at an even 1-1, we went up against the best team in our league yesterday, by far. The "Knights" won their first game 210-3, and their second by about the same score. We honestly thought we might have a chance if our entire team showed up. Well, that didn't happen. Nope. Instead, with one minute until forfeit time, we had two players show up, to field a team .... of 8. This means when we reach the bottom of the order, we automatically get two outs. Not good. We had no second baseman, and two outs pegged on us about every other inning. How did we do? We shocked the world. Winning the game 9-3, behind great pitching, solid defense, and timely hitting, we prevailed in what was by far the best moment of my young IM life. With a full team on our way next week, the sky is the limit. We most certainly "felt the rhythm and the rhyme" last week. Moving on.

I think the Dallas Mavericks are going to win it all. I really do. Dirk Nowitzki (you should have seen my first attempt to write his name without looking it up) is playing better basketball than he ever has before. And you don't really think owner Mark Cuban was never going to win a NBA title do you? One of the best owners in sports is going to get his this year. Once again, write it down. I'm not going to go into who they are going to play in the championship and what not, cause that is boring. Instead, I am going to focus on how the NBA can fix what is wrong with their playoffs.

The knock is that the NBA playoffs take too long and that series drag on and on. Both are true. The NBA and commissioner David Stern don't need to look back too far to find their answers. Why is the first round of the playoffs a best of 7 series?? Can anyone answer that question without using the phrase "TV revenue?" You can't. That's the only reason they made it longer. What they have done is make people turn off their television when they see these games on. Here is my list of what the NBA can do to make the playoffs better.
1) First Round Series a Best of 5
Think of how entertaining the next couple of days would be for the NBA. You would have three series going to a final and decisive game. It is much easier to find teams tied at 2-2, then it is 3-3. You would probably watch the Bulls play the Heat in Game 5, if you knew the entire series was on the line. The shorter series means that more upsets can take place. I am certainly not a huge NBA fan by any means, but I can still remember where I was when the 8th seeded Denver Nuggets and Dikembe Mutombo pulled off the impossible by beating the top seed Seattle Supersonics. That is what the NBA needs, more moments like that.
2) A Shortened Format for off days
The playoffs were so much better back in the early 90's. Not just because players like Michael Jordan were there, but because the NBA had a good system in place for off days. Take a seven game series: First 2 days, you play the first two games at the top seeds home court. Day 3 is a travel day. Day 4 and 5, you play games three and four at the lower seeds court. Day 6, travel. Day 7, play game five. Day 8, travel. Day 9, game six. Day 10, travel. Day 11, the last game. With this schedule, the first round of the playoffs would take at most, one week. The Bulls and Heat have played four games, in 8 days. It'll be nine when they don't play tonight. Too long. Take my advice, it'll be much better. America has A.D.D, and my format works for them.
3) Seed the 8 teams in each conference based on record
This year the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs had the best two records in the Western Conference. They also play in the same division. Meaning, the winner of the division (Spurs) gets the top seed, with the second place team (Mavs) getting the fourth. They will more than likely end up playing each other in the second round. The best two teams in the Western Conference, playing each other in the second round. The NBA can't have that. By awarding the division winner a top 3 seed, it throws everything off. If the Mavs and Spurs meet up in the playoffs, it should be in the Conference Finals. They have the best two records in the West!! I can't be the only one who sees this.

Enough of the NBA, this post will be my last of simply rambling. For my next couple of issues I will show you my Top 35-40 sports figures of all time. It'll be a series of posts, with each one containing 5 figures. Here are the rules for this list. Which I will go over again at the beginning of my next post, just something to look forward to. First, all figures must have either played sports during my lifetime, or coach them. I must have seen these figures either live or on TV at one point. The list is not who I think are the top 35 figures, but rather, a list of who I liked the most and rooted for. It'll be a good list, with good times to be had by all who read it. That begins on Wednesday.

Anyone else as excited as I am for Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America?? This made for TV movie has big shoes to fill for me. I have experienced both Vampire Bats and Category 7: The End of The World. I can't wait. I am literally giddy.

CBS conducted a poll the other day asking which sporting event of the past week was the most surprising. One of the choices was Rafael Nadal beating Roger Federer. It happened at the finals of Monte Carlo. For you sports fans who decide not to follow men's tennis, you are missing out, believe me. Monte Carlo is played on clay. Nadal is the defending men's French Open Champion. Federer has never won the French. Nadal is ranked number two in the world. Nadal has won over 40+ matches on clay in a row. Where is the surprise? Am I missing something? Is CBS this ignorant of tennis? The surprise would have been Federer winning, as hard as that is to believe. Whatever, go Andre.

Congrats to the WNBA for making it 10 years. Awesome. Rumor is you can go to their website, which you can find through the “Oxygen’s” channel website I believe, and vote for the all-decade team. Here is who I would vote for: Vince Carter, Adam Morrison, Dick Vermeil, Larry Brown, and Pat Summit. That team would win some games. They would also get sponsored by Kleenex, in a heartbeat. Don’t lie, you would watch that team go up against the New York Liberty (only WNBA team I know). Especially if it was up against a 1st round NBA game.

Allright, that's enough from me this afternoon. Go Bulls, and "Read it, roll it, hole it."