SportsCenter and NBA Thoughts

I'm sick of this.

Yes, that's Jeremy's post on why he hates the NBA Playoffs. I've never seen a series as good as this one between the Mavericks and Rockets, but I'll get to that in a second.

I get up between 6:25 and 6:30 in the morning, make a bowl of cereal, and watch 2 commercial to commercial segments of SportsCenter. I usually like it, but now, I'm not sure what to think. I want to see who won the NBA Playoffs from the night before, but most of the time they won't let me. Whether in a story or on the ticker, they have to show all 15 baseball games before any basketball makes the cut. It makes me sick. I like baseball as much as the next guy, but I don't care what happened in game 26 of their freakin' 162 game season! Whether a team is 83-79 instead of 84-78 because of a pivotal game in May, I don't care!! I want to see some NBA scores. These games matter. In October I like to see baseball scores. The NBA has the patience to start their season in November, so they don't overlap our "National Pasttime", but the MLB has to steal highlights. Thanks, guys. Not only are they all on steroids, now I have to watch them with my breakfast. And if it's not roided-ballplayers its NASCAR- and don't even get me started with that!

Which gets me to this mornings SportsCenter. We had 2 Playoff games last night, including an amazing buzzer-beater by Gilbert Arenas- yet here's the NBA coverage I saw at 6:30: The most boringest interview with Jerry Buss (owner of the "Mighty" Lakers) over who he will hire to be the new coach, if Kobe will have any say, etc. Talk about a bad interview!! Here's what went down: He hasn't decided who will coach his (Kobe's) team, he won't give a list of candidates (maybe Shaq could be a player/coach!), and Kobe will have no say (yeah, right!). Basically everything we already knew, in a stifflingly boring format. Who does the thinking around ESPN?!?!? There's a reason teams like Denver and Memphis outlasted the Lakers on the way to the last spots in the playoffs- they were better teams!! No one, absolutley no one except for a few actors in LA, cares about the Lakers. Most are just happy they are a bunch of losers. Memphis just blew up 2 days ago, why don't they guess what will happen to Jason Williams, Bonzi Wells, Stromile Swift, etc. Kwame Brown of the Wizards just got benched for the rest of the playoffs. Why don't they guess what'll happen to him? Yao commits 9 fouls a game and only gets called for 5 of them, why don't they comment on that?!?!?

Which brings me to my last point. If you haven't seen any playoff basketball this year, do yourself a favor and watch the Dallas/Houston game tonight at 8:30 central time. These games have been sensational!!! I don't have time to watch the other playoff series, and I really don't care to- this one has just been amazing!! I watch the occasional Boston/Indiana matchup, since they are usually on before the Mavs, but man. These Mavs rock and it's finally great to see them put something together. If the Mavs win tonight you have to watch the Phoenix/Dallas matchup. It should be some of the greatest team basketball we've seen in some time!!

As for this Yao controversy, take it from someone who's watched all the games and isn't a homer. Take it from Melissa, my wife. She usually doesn't get upset with things like ref calls, and she laughs at me when I do, but she sees Yao get away with foul after foul and she can't stand it. Whether he shoves someone out of the way for a rebound, commits an over-the-back, or sets a moving screen, all three happen- and the refs haven't called much of em. In fact, he has yet to get an over-the-back called against him!! It makes me sick. Then Van Gundy has the audacity to say that Yao gets to many calls called against him! Have they seen Erick Dampier?!?!? It's just a joke to have a clumsy big man in the NBA today. Just drive into the lane, hit them, and it's a foul. It's easy. Not just on Yao, but every big man. Yao needs to grow up, wipe the tears from his eyes, and bow to the power of the Dirk!!

In closing, I feel sorry for my neighbors. For a span of 2 and a half hours every few nights, I yell and scream for my Mavs. I tell almost every Rocket to "Eat it". I tell Yao to go back to China, McGrady to go back to High School, and Van Gundy and the "Self-Pleasuring Male Reproductive Organ" (edited down for the younger audience and mother-in-laws) to go back to the gay strip club. Is anyone else sick of their self-pleasuring 3-point signal?

Thanks to the Mavs tonight, we won't have to see it again!!! Do yourself a favor, and watch this game!!!