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2011 NBA Finals Pick

Despite David Stern’s best efforts to stretch out the playoffs into perpetuity, the NBA Finals begin tonight. And they may be the perfect time for me to get back into making picks as I’m 3-0 picking the Finals on this blog. After an atrocious stretch, I took a breather from making picks. I finally took a break after ending an extended losing streak, and it’s time to get back into it. Normally, I love one team in the Finals, but I just can’t say that this year. I think this could be a really good series – possibly the first truly good series in the playoffs. But in the end, I think the Miami Heat will take the NBA championship. Ironically, after all the talk about Miami’s “Big 3,” I like them because I think they are deeper than the Dallas Mavericks. LeBron James is closing games better than anyone thought he would. Dwayne Wade is still one of the best players in the game. And as a third option, Chris Bosh has been surprisingly effective. But I think Udonis Haslem seems to have

10th Anniversary of Casey Martin Ruling Against PGA Reminder of What's Wrong with Golf

A decade later, the arrogance of PGA officials and the so-called legends of the game of golf are just as outraging as ever. Ten years ago this coming Sunday, May 29, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Casey Martin, who sued the PGA under the Americans with Disabilities Act for the right to use a golf cart while playing on the PGA Tour. Martin lives with Klippel Trenaunay Weber syndrome, which makes walking a golf course essentially impossible. In a despicable display, the leaders of this so-called sport lined up to protect the elitist nature of the game they clearly love far more than any notion of what is right. Their words left no doubt about the country club nature of golf that says only the select few are welcomed. Golf is about more than the ability to hit a golf ball into a hole in fewer strokes than anybody else, they said loud and clear to anyone listening. I never liked golf. It is a slow, absolutely boring game to watch. I’ve been told that my own inability to play it

Hump Day Distractions: Singler Rivals Bird

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Mike Jensen called the below video possibly “most entertaining three minutes you waste today.” Well, that was good enough for a Hump Day Distraction on the Ink. Check out Kyle Singler of Duke humbling those McDonald’s commercials featuring Larry Bird making trick shots – though I’m guessing Singler needed a few takes on some of these shots (but no film editing like Larry Legend).

The Utley Effect?

Chase Utley makes his season debut and the Phillies score 10 runs in a win. They scored 10 runs in the week of games. That’s 10 total runs in seven games. Have the bats come alive now that “the man” is back? Is this just a coincidence? Better pitches for others in the lineup? Wishful thinking that it means anything? The last option is probably the most reasonable thought for now. After all, Utley did go 0-5 despite at least one solid drive. But I would give some credence to the thought that everybody else was perked up by Utley’s presence in the lineup. And Placido Polanco hitting just his fourth home run of the season in the first inning batting right after Utley . . . call that a coincidence if you want, but I can’t ignore the likelihood that he was seeing better pitches batting in-between Utley and Ryan Howard. Regardless of how you explain it, watching the Phillies with Chase Utley in the lineup for the first time was a lot more fun than it was during the rest of this sea

Opening Day, Part Deux

At long last Chase Utley is making his season debut tonight, batting second in the lineup behind Jimmy Rollins. Finally, Phillies fans can stop wondering if the offense will turn around when Utley returns and start finding out. I’ve always said Utley is the key to this most recent era of Phillies baseball, but no one really knows what he will be coming back from a knee injury that will have to be managed for the rest of his career. In my opinion the most telling stat in measuring Utley’s impact this season will be the Phillies average runs per game . They currently rank 12th in the National League, which seems incredibly high after the last couple of weeks, with 3.8 runs per game. Obviously, there will be plenty of other factors that play a role in whether or not that number improves (or gets worse), and this is a major simplification. But it’s a safe bet that if Utley is anything close to his old self that number will be significantly higher by September.

Rapid Fire Week-in-Review: Phillies, Utley, Trade an Ace? more

They say the end is near, so I’ll make this quick: • Am I the only one wondering how the Phillies got to the point of being absolutely anemic at the plate? The roster is frightening. The infielders are currently listed as Ross Gload, Ryan Howard, Pete Orr, Placido Polanco, Jimmy Rollins, and Wilson Valdez. The outfield is Ben Francisco, Raul Ibanez, Michael Martinez, John Mayberry, and Shane Victorino. Rollins looks old, Victorino is headed to the DL, and Ryan Howard may not see a good pitch until Chase Utley gets back. Who else is there? Ibanez caught lightning in a bottle for a while. Polanco is nothing special in a bad lineup. Mayberry is still a huge question mark. The rest of the guys are barley worth mentioning. • Utley has reportedly played nine innings in the minors and still feels ok. So, why is he still in the minors? The Phillies are doing nothing offensively – nothing. Whatever Utley needs to work out, let him do it on the active roster. • I would say the same thing

Streak Stopper

At this point, a winning week is a winning week. I finally broke a ridiculous 19-game losing streak and eked out a 2-2 week for +3.86 points. The NBA playoffs have just baffled me in terms of the picking games. Here’s the breakdown of the week: Friday NBA Pick: OKC +1.5 over Memphis -5 points Sunday MLB Pick: Red Sox -128 over Yankees +5.86 points NBA Pick: Heat +105 over Bulls -20 points Wednesday NBA Pick: Heat +115 over Bulls +23 points

Pining for Chase

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After the last two nights in St. Louis, I don’t think there’s a Phillies fan alive that doesn’t pine for Chase Utley. Maybe not in the freakishly awkward way as the character in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but . . . Posted by ryda91 .

Thoughts on the NBA Conference Finals

I will not be making a series pick on either NBA Conference Finals, but that won’t stop me from offering an opinion. If you follow me on Twitter , you know my inability to pick a winner lately has simply been astonishing. A case in point was my pick on Sunday on the Miami Heat over the Chicago Bulls. Despite the blowout and my playoff preview in which I had the Bulls in the Finals, I still think the Heat win this series. I just don’t think the Bulls have enough offense, and, as much as I hate it, LeBron James looked great in big moments during the series against the Celtics. I should note that most people apparently disagree with me since the Heat went from -200 to even in the series after Game 1. The Western Conference Finals start in a few hours, and I think Dallas will win the series. I just don’t see how Oklahoma City, a team stretched to the limit by the Memphis Grizzlies, beats the team that swept the Lakers. I know, I know, in-depth analysis, eh?

Steroids Versus Gambling

I’ll admit I have next to nothing today. The Phillies aren’t hitting, but it’s a marathon season and I think the season might hinge on the return of Chase Utley. The winter teams are in moth balls, and the lockout in the NFL is just one big bore. So, today I heard 97.5’s Harry Mayes with Brian Baldinger and Larry Bowa comparing Pete Rose betting on baseball versus the steroid users in the game. I was surprised to hear Mayes say he thought gambling on a game by a manager affected the outcome of a game more than a player using steroids. In fact, I tweeted him just to make sure I heard him correctly. I included my disagreement, suggesting the offenses equally affected outcomes. He confirmed that I had heard correctly, adding that pitchers were on performance enhancing drugs as well as hitters during the steroid era. I thought his second point that Rose could manipulate a game easier as a manager than a player on steroids was actually a better argument. Bowa made the point on the air

Rapid Fire Week-in-Review: Utley, Lockout, Heat, Moyer, Hopkins

Here’s an abbreviated Rapid Fire Week-in-Review: • Chase Utley has finally started his official rehab, which means he could be back with the Phillies soon. Unfortunately, it seems likely that he’ll never have the career he seemed destined for just a couple years ago due to what’s being termed a chronic knee injury. It makes getting excited for his return a little difficult. • The NFL lockout is now longer than the players strike in the ‘80s. Of course games aren’t being missed yet, which now seems like the only thing that might motivate the two sides to actually make a deal. • I’d like to rip the Heat players for acting like they won the championship by beating the Celtics to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, and it certainly was classless. But I have to admit that I don’t think they’ll have much problem that the rest of the way. Of course, I’ve had a ridiculously bad stretch with playoff picks, so that could be the kiss of death. • Talking about his charitable efforts

Reviewing Last Week’s Picks 5/12/11

The Celtics series loss to the Heat capped off a miserable three weeks of picks. I took a couple games this week knowing Boston was done after they went down 3-1, and ended the week at 0-3 for -110 points. Picks on the Phillies and the Hawks were both 5-point losses on Tuesday. No excuses – my picks have been awful in the NBA playoffs, usually a very easy time of year in that league. For 2011, I’ve dropped like a rock to 80-82-2 for -98.42 points after 18-straight losses. I couldn’t have lost that many in a row if I tried to lose.

What’s the best Philadelphia sports blog?

At the risk of putting a poll question out there that doesn’t get any response, I thought I’d try something new for a Hump Day Distraction. What’s the best Philadelphia sports blog? a) The 700 Level b) Beerleaguer c) Crossing Broad d) We Should be GMs e) Where’s Weems? f) Other I’ve tried to list the “big boys” and a few others. Obviously, your comments are invited. I was going to set up a Blogger poll, but last time I checked they don’t last very long. There’s no way for me to offer an opinion without those who write the other blogs scoffing at me, but screw it. Yes, I’ve asked for a link on all of the blogs listed and would take their traffic in a heartbeat. I’d also work for Comcast or CBS or whatever entity that wants the Ink. And readers will notice I haven’t added the Ink as a choice, so this isn’t some weak attempt to put myself in their category. Satisfied? Honestly, I think the overall feel of “fan” blogs has been lost with many of the blogs being bought by bigg

Iguodala Named to NBA All-Defensive Team

Andre Iguodala was named to the second team of the NBA all-defensive team. While it seems to go with the message that the Sixers are constantly putting out in the media about him, I really wonder where his reputation as a great defensive player comes from. I’ll admit that the stats I found made a better case for Iguodala than I thought they would – as a shooting guard. I understand that is the position in which he’s officially, but just from watching him play I think most people view him as a small forward. Iguodala’s defensive stats seem ok. For the season he averaged 1.5 steals and 0.57 blocks per game. But that’s 109th in the league for blocks, and would be 20th for small forwards per espn.com. They list him as a shooting guard, which actually puts him fifth. He’s 4th in steals as a shooting guard, but would be 39th as a small forward. His 5.8 rebounds per game put him 3rd in the league as a shooting guard, and would actually tie him for 7th as a small forward. If you want to

Criticism of Oswalt Justified

Roy Oswalt went home to check on his family after their area was struck by the devastating tornadoes that were recently in the news. No one questioned the team for giving him the time off, nor Oswalt for taking it. Even after he missed a second start, few raised an eyebrow. Now Oswalt has returned and is going directly on the disabled list. Apparently, Oswalt did a lot more than check on the family and got directly involved in rebuilding projects. He also let everyone know how far down his list of priorities baseball sits, suggesting he could walk away from the game tomorrow. Maybe he should. Obviously, Oswalt is tucked safely behind the “family comes first” line that no one will question. But his actions just don’t cut it. Oswalt has not walked away from baseball. He’s still getting a better paycheck than most people ever dream of. He has an obligation to his teammates, organization, and, yes, Phillies fans, to pitch every fifth game, and he will be failing to meet that obli

Week-in-Review: Random Thoughts Edition

Let’s call it a random thoughts edition of the Week-in-Review: • I can’t believe the Flyers have survived this long. They obviously don’t have a starting goalie, let alone a good one. • I never did a Sixers season review, but despite being one of the most optimistic people about the team all year I really question where the next step comes from. They still can’t move Andre Iguodala, nor sign a big time free agent. Jrue Holiday was getting plenty of national praise, but I’m not totally convinced that he’s the point guard of the future. Elton Brand is looking better and better, but I question of the resurgence going to last considering his age. Thaddeus Young could sign elsewhere. Even Doug Collins’ health seems like a question mark. • Raul Ibanez has snapped out of a season long slump to being red hot. I don’t know if that’s good or bad. I would have rather seen a slow, steady improvement. I just fear it’s a fluke. • I heard a Jody Mac sound drop on Baldy and Mayes Middays on 97

NBA Odds Makers Clean Out Previous Wins

As Kenny Rogers once said, you’ve got to know when to fold ‘em. The NBA playoffs have simply kicked my butt this year. I have a pending pick on the Celtics +155 over the Heat in their series for 100 points. I will be taking a break from picks at least until that series is over. I’ll still be playing ESPN’s Streak for the Cash and maybe checking out some other fantasy sports as I take a breather. Luckily, I was playing in the “black” for the year at 80-79-2 for +11.58 after this week. All-time I’m still at 269-256-10 for +422.45 points on the blog. Here’s the review of the week: NBA Championship Pick: Spurs +700, -20 points NBA Playoff Series Parlay Pick: Bulls -3500, Magic -600, Celtics -400, Spurs -400, Lakers -2200, -50 points NBA Playoff Series Parlay Pick no. 2: Heat -2000, Trail Blazers +180, Thunder -220, -10 points NBA Pick: Celtics +4.5 over Heat -15 points NBA Pick: Thunder -7.5 over Grizzlies -7.50 points

What Werth was Really Thinking?

Did we really need to give Jason Werth a standing ovation last night? I guess a kinder, gentler Philadelphia wouldn’t be all bad. Werth said all the right things upon returning to Philadelphia for the first time with the Washington Nationals. But I’m guessing that the below is a little closer to what he was really thinking. (Work alert: language may be an issue for some.) Posted by mld5254 .

Responding to Mendenhall

Another athlete has proven that Twitter can allow them to make fools of themselves easier and faster than any other outlet. Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall has become an unexpected center of controversy in a side story about the killing of Osama Bin Laden. Yesterday, he tweeted , “What kind of person celebrates death? It's amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We've only heard one side...” He later added, “We'll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style.” If he had stopped after the first sentence, I wouldn’t have had a major problem with it. I don’t object to people celebrating the death of Bin Laden, but I question some of the scenes that have been shown on television, especially those that played out on college campuses. To me, they weren’t about much more than college kids grabbing an excuse to drink. I understand the cheering at the Phi

Just a thought . . .

I don’t want to over reach on a day like today, but waking up hearing 97.5 The Fanatic allow people to react to the news that Osama Bin Laden is dead brought back many memories, as I’m sure it has for many. But one caller to sports talk who I heard shortly after 9/11 seems the most relevant for my sports blog. The woman, justifiably emotional, was screaming at the hosts and really all sports fans, enraged that people were even discussing when sports should return. It should never come back, she said. To even care about it seemed blasphemous to her. Yet, today and during that time almost 10 years ago, the mechanism that allows so many people to talk about the nonsense that can be sports has become a vehicle for much more. It’s a comfortable place that people are already familiar with to go and have an easy outlet for thoughts and emotions they otherwise wouldn’t know what to do with. It’s something sports does on a regular basis, whether for the individual or the masses. And it’s