And the story of the month in the NBA is...

Brandon Jennings

            So how good is Brandon Jennings? This seems to be the question of the month right now with national media fawning over the young point guard who everyone questioned going into the draft. Both nba.com and espn.com have him listed as the top candidate at this early stage for rookie of the year and both also have him listed in their top 10 candidates for the MVP of the entire league. Early favourite for ROY I will agree with, but MVP candidate, I’m not sold on that. Don’t get me wrong, Brandon Jennings has proven, even in so few games, that he has the potential to be an elite player in the NBA. But let’s play devils advocate for a second and list three reasons why his stats might be a bit inflated and a little of patience may be in order.

1. Strength of Schedule

            I understand the concept that every team in the NBA is made up of high caliber athletes and its tough to win any game. However, much like people, not all teams are created equal. In other words Brandon Jennings is putting up impressive numbers – against some bad teams. The strength of schedule (SOS) of the Milwaukee Bucks through 12 games was an abominable .372. In other words the collective record of the teams they have played is atrociously bad. Lets give this some context – the next lowest SOS in the league going into Tuesday night’s action was .430. They have one quality win on their schedule which was Denver and it was at home with Nuggets on the second night of a back to back. Jennings is putting up big numbers but its been against bad competition. Now his team is winning which is the most important thing. But let’s see how high everyone is on Jennings when the Bucks start playing some tougher competition. (For a closer look at the SOS of all teams check out John Hollinger's power rankings. http://espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/powerrankings)

2. Michael Redd

            The second reason Brandon Jennings has exploded so far this season is the health of all-star caliber teammate Michael Redd. With Redd being injured the majority of the year there is no one in Milwaukee’s line-up who can score. Other than Andrew Bogut putting up reasonable numbers averaging 16 a game nobody else is a serious threat. With Redd out somebody had to pick up the scoring load for this team to be successful and Jennings has done. It is a testament to his skill that he has been able to step up but at the same time I would be surprised if he keeps putting up these numbers once Redd returns.

3. Being a Rookie

            The final reason I think Jennings is being a blown out of proportion is the simple fact that he’s a rookie. There are a couple of factors reasons that we should not let this seemingly obvious fact escape our attention. One a rookie putting up these gaudy numbers so early makes him intriguing to the media and thus a huge story. But also teams don’t know this kid yet. I understand that the NBA is a league of athletes but there is a certain level of scheming involved. In his last couple of games Jennings has been shut down. As the league starts to learn his tendencies I would look for Jennings to slow down a little bit.

            Let’s be clear, by no means do I think that Brandon Jennings is a one game wonder or flash in the pan. He is a very good basketball player with huge upside. I just felt compelled to point out that maybe we shouldn’t be crowning him the next Allen Iverson (J.A. Adande) and putting him in the MVP conversation when he hasn't even played a quarter of the season yet. Let’s wait a little while and in the meantime enjoy his development. Who knows maybe he’ll even surprise me.     

Indians fans must be feeling great about this Game 1 match-up. 

NBA Power Rankings (Season Preview Style)

Well we have returned. After over 125 plus days off, the draft, the summer league, a Ron Artest tribute album, a plethora of trades and signings, a lock-out (no not the players, the refs), the NBA is just a couple days away from its return. So here it is, a completely biased view of what teams to watch this year, power rankings style.

30. Sacramento Kings

Before I started writing this I was searching for one discernible reason to even write about the Kings this season much less watch them. The only one I came up with… if you manage to grab Kevin Martin in your fantasy draft.

29. Memphis Grizzlies

As has been pointed out multiple times by multiple writers this team could lead the NBA in least assists ever by a professional basketball team. A line-up where your center is arguably your most generous passer, no not Zach Randolph but Marc Gasol, your team is definitely in serious trouble.

28. New Jersey Net 

I thought it would be wrong to make a Nyets joke as they have been so prevalent recently so instead I will just say that this team is not very good. They have a couple of very nice pieces in Devin Harris and Brook Lopez but when you trade your leading scorer (Vince Carter) for a developing player (Courtney Lee) you might as well wave the rebuilding/getting rid of payroll flag. You’d be hard pressed to reasonably bet on this team to make the play-offs or even win 30 games for that matter.

27. Minnesota Timberwolves

The real story of this off-season was what in god’s name was David Kahn thinking when he drafted two point-guards with his 5^th and 6^th picks. If Ricky had come over would he have tried to ship out Jonny Flynn? I don’t know the answer to that question. All I know is that other than Al Jefferson, who should’ve been an all-star last year, this team is thin.

26. LA Clippers

Hey at least there’s hope with Blake Griffin.

25. New York Knicks

David Lee would be a great sixth or seventh man on the LA Lakers. I think that pretty much sums it up.  

24. Milwaukee Bucks

Possibly the most non-descript team in the NBA, I mean seriously who can name 5 players on this team? They lost Charlie V, and RJ and I don’t think Carlos Delfino is quite ready to fill those shoes. Beyond Michael Redd the only chance this team has of making the play-offs is the scrappy style of Scott Skiles.

23. Indiana Pacers

I tried to justify placing the Pacers higher in these rankings but ultimately could not do it. I mean they have finished 9^th in the east two years straight and seemed to play the elite teams well all of last year. However, this line-up did not get better, try and tell me Dahntay Jones is going to put them over the top. The Pacers seem to be destined to miss the play-offs… again.

22. Charlotte Bobcats

They are a well-coached team that has a lot of experienced athletic players. They may actually be scrappy enough to make the play-offs. Will they? Probably not but don’t be shocked if they give it a serious run. (This was written before Raja Bell went down with injury. Adjust accordingly)

21. Golden State Warriors  

I mentioned that this was a completely biased rundown of the league right? No one in their right mind has the warriors near this spot but I like them. Sure ex-Captain Jack is crazy and everyone on their team is in love with the jump shot but how can you not be a fan of Nelly Ball? Steph Curry has rook of the year potential, Monta Ellis is healthy, both Anthony’s, Morrow and Randolph, are bound to go for fourty at least once and Jack is well… Jack. In other words they’ll miss the play-offs in the west but be a very exciting team to follow.

20. Oklahoma City Thunder

You know the Casino Rama commercials claiming that they deal excitement BIG TIME. That is this year’s OKC Thunder. They’ll just be so exciting to watch. I can’t wait.

19. Detroit Pistons

Let’s not waste everyone’s time and just say that the Pistons spent a lot but probably didn’t improve very much.

18. Houston Rockets

I am genuinely scared to count out the Houston Rockets but it just seems so unlikely that they are able to beat the other 8 teams out west. I am going against every piece of my moral fibre when I bet against Rick Adelman – then again I am supporting every piece when I bet against T-Mac. 

17. Philadelphia 76ers

I currently have Philadelphia finishing out of the play-offs but they definitely could change my mind in short order. I love the hiring of Flip Saunders but I worry about how well they will fair with Lou Williams running the point rather than Andre Miller as I think they vastly underrated his worth. There opportunity to be good largely hinges on Elton Brand being healthy (potentially an oxymoron) and able to flow in the new system.

16. Chicago Bulls

So the Chicago Bulls lost future hall of famer Ben Gordon and you’re wondering why I still have them making the play-offs. The return of Luol Deng and a constantly developing Derrick Rose leaves me no choice but to put them in. The only thing I can see getting in their way, Vinny Del Negro’s nose. (Sidenote: Some people believe this team is going to get exponentially better than last year. I don’t see it. Play-off team yes but not that much better)

15. Miami Heat

One big trade from becoming really good and it is forever possible with J.O. and that monstrosity of a contract. If they make it happen and get D-Wade a sidekick who wasn’t in rehab for the summer they’ll be a top 4 team in the East.

14. Washington Wizards

Late April and the Wiz just dropped to 7^th in the Eastern standing drawing the Cavs in the first round. This will be said by Deshawn Stevenson, “I know y’all think Lebron is great and what not but I think we’re better. I know we’re better. I can guard him. No problem. I guarantee we’re gonna win this series. I guarantee it.” I am already excited by the prospect of this quote and Lebron putting up 60, 10 and 10 the next game. 

13. Toronto Raptors

See the summer recap. Maybe I’m a little bit of a homer. But I like this basketball team.

12. Phoenix Suns

Run and Gun is back in Phoenix. Thank the Lord. Only problem is they probably are still just barely a play-off team.

11. Dallas Mavericks

I know everyone thinks the Mavs will improve drastically and compete for top 4 in the west. But I just can’t. The Mavs are like the Spurs only older (I thought it was impossible but look it up) and not nearly as good at every position.

10. New Orleans Hornets

Chris Paul is really good. I think that explains why they are in the top 10.

9. Atlanta Hawks

Too many weapons to not be good but as many have said before me – you don’t get a prize for being the best of the rest in the East.

8. Utah Jazz

7. Denver Nuggets

6. Portland Trail Blazers

I wanted to say quite a few things about each team but I decided instead to rank them and just tell everyone to enjoy the race in the Northwest.

5. Boston Celtics

The top 5 are a toss up. Don’t read too much into where I place these teams. They are all very talented. The Celtics could possibly have the most talent of any team in the NBA with additions of Marquis Daniels and Sheed but ultimately if the C’s want a title this year it depends on KG’s knees.

4. San Antonio Spurs

These are pre-season rankings so the Spurs cannot be ranked higher. Having said that the San Antonio Spurs will win the NBA Championship this year. Tim Duncan wants it, Popovich wants it, Ginobili’s joints want it, Eva Longoria wants it. They’re gonna do it.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers

I know I’ll regret saying this but I just don’t see it. Lebron is still the only reason this team should win a championship. AP was a good pick-up, Shaq might work out, but I’m just not seeing a championship. 60 plus win team yes. Championship – they’ll have to sell me on it.

2. Orlando Magic

This team will be better without Hedo Turkoglu (as much as I like Turk) because Vince Carter (as much as I dislike him) is a better player. They’re gonna be scary good.

1. LA Lakers

One always has to respect the defending champs and put them first overall. It is just what one does. Are they good enough to repeat… yes. Will they… I don’t think so, for no other reason than that I love the San Antonio Spurs.

The real POB??!!??

This guy may be a twitter all-star but there is a better chance of the Leafs winning a stanley cup than POB making the cut this year.

Thursday's view from the couch.

The world of sport is a flutter (or should I say a-twitter) right now as this is obviously one the most exciting times of the year for sport. The MLB playoffs has obviously had some very intriguing story lines and A-Rod's performance has been nothing short of astounding. One could call Alex's performance Jordanesque (407 avg. 5hrs. 11 RBI) and by jordanesque I'm reffering to Jordan's play when it mattered most, at the end of Space Jam.

I think the Yankees are destined to win this year. They are the Rolls Royce of MLB franchises and will be incredibly difficult to beat (although if anyone can do it Philly can and I'm sure ill eat my words).

To the next matter at hand. I recently activated a twitter account ( Pete_mc if you care to follow). Twitter is an interesting medium through which to follow professional sports. It seems to me as though it has caught on best in the NBA where players of every calibre textually assault their followers upwards of 5 times an hour. For my money, the most interesting accounts to follow are those of NBA players slightly removed from the spot light an thus in no way censored by team/league PR personnel. For example, Raptors' reserve big man Patrick O'Bryant is constantly pushing to increase his following and has no reservation in sharing all of the minor details of his life with those who care to follow. Here is a list of things I have learned for following a handful of mediocre NBA players on Twitter.

1) All NBA players feel they are God's gift to X-box and have no reservation is posting their conquests over teammates in Madden 10.

2)They all like to nap. A lot.

3)They all like to "hit the mall"

4)They all like to attend a ridiculous number of movies. Paranormal Activity seems to be a recent favorite.

5)They all struggle with spelling and grammar.

Check back soon for more updates.
Ciao


btw. Here are my locks of the week: Sens over Preds tonight, Yankees over Angles tonight, Thunder over Kings tonight

and most importantly....

Pete over Pat in the fantasy basketball pool which drafts tonight.

Week 1 NFL Picks (The Appetizer)

 And so it begins. The NFL is back and so is the excitement that only my fellow blogger Pete can get from watching 350 pound men run around in tights hitting each other. The rest of the week 1 NFL picks for both Pete and myself will be posted tomorrow but to kick off the season we decided to begin with an appetizer and give you our picks for tonight’s game.

 Tennessee vs. Pittsburgh

Line: Pitt by 6.5

There are a multitude of reasons that could be hashed out to describe my pick. But I will stick with 10 words. Kerry Collins, Albert Haynesworth, Ben Roethlisberger, The Steelers and Kerry Collins.

Oh yeah I’m picking Pittsburgh by the way. And it wouldn’t be a two-person blog if there weren’t a little controversy. With the first pick of the season we already disagree as he who shall not be named picks the Titans (understandable) not only to cover, but to win the football game. Pete you need to return to the 416 immediately, the 613 is destroying your ability to judge talent. Anyways that’s it folks. Football season is back. Enjoy the view from the couch.    

Image of the week

This week, Michael Jordan and John Stockton will be inducted into the NBA hall of fame. Everyone knows who they were and that this day would come. Congratulations to both men, to Stockton, hope you're keeping the pounds off a little better than Michael is.

The Return of the Blog

The Ultimate Summer Recap

So it’s been a long hiatus from the world of writing for my fellow blogger and myself but after a long summer off its time to get down to business. Now I know what you’re thinking, “get down to business, you guys wrote like four articles”, but we’re serious now. And to prove it I’m going to recap the summer of sports as it was for a Toronto sports fan. So sit down, grab a cold one and relive the top 5 stories of the summer that was, who knows you might just remember why it is you’re a sports fan in the first place.

            First we must mention some of the sports stories that just missed out on the top 5. These included Real’s and thus Ronaldo’s landing in Toronto, Golf’s major championship’s including Tiger’s first loss in a major when leading going into the final round, and the unbelievable performance by Usain Bolt in the 100 and 200 at the Track and Field world championships. These stories were nice, if I had more time I would even elaborate on them, but its time to talk about what really matters in this sports fans eyes. Here are the top 5 stories of the summer.

5. The NFL Circus

5A. Brett Favre

            Is this guy kidding? If I wanted drama I would watch Desperate housewives not Brett Favre 24/7. That’s the next logical step for the summer of 2010. Put a live 24/7 feed in Favre’s house so that we can find out every time this guy changes his mind. To tell the truth Brett probably is an upgrade on Tavaris Jackson but the point is the Viking’s quarterback was freaking Tavaris Jackson. If that doesn’t tell you how far away they were from a championship you’re watching this franchise through rose coloured glasses. If I’m wrong about this I will eat crow in early February but until then I will say that Brett Favre’s return has a been a big waste of my time.

5B. Plaxico Burress  

            If there is one state where I do not want to own a gun in the U.S. it is New York. Two years in prison for shooting yourself in the leg, o sorry I mean possession of an unlicensed firearm, discharging an unlicensed weapon etc. Whatever happened to the right to bear arms? I’m kidding, but in all seriousness doesn’t this pale in comparison to the DUI manslaughter that Donte Stallworth received 30 days in prison for. I’m not saying what Plaxico did was right but 2 years seems like a lot. Regardless of what you think it is just another sideshow that the NFL has had running this summer.

5C. Michael Vick

            The saying is that if you do the crime, you do the time and Michael Vick served his time in prison. I’m actually really interested to see if he can make a genuine impact on the Philadelphia Eagles. Of all the odd stories out the NFL this summer Vick’s is the one that interests me the most. Two years ago the story was about what he did and although what he did was horrible its nice to think that maybe he’ll actually be making sports related news now. Sure there is still a circus that will surround him wherever he goes but at least Vick is back and playing football. Who knows he might actually make an impact.  

4. Jim Balsillie vs. The NHL

            I would love to comment on this major sports story. Really I would. But I wouldn’t even be beating a dead horse if I did. If I were to spend 250 words discussing this issue I would do some potentially disastrous things to the universe. The Nationals might have a winning season, we might go a month without having a name leaked from the 104 who tested positive in 2003, Lord Voldemort might return from the dead, Republicans might begin to accept the idea of healthcare for everyone. Since I have no desire of messing with the Universe’s balance I will not even dare to waste a paragraph on this topic. (As a side note, if it was possible for me to lose respect for Gary Bettman, I HAVE).

3. What’s up DOC?

            One of the more drawn out stories of the summer was the Doc Halladay saga. Honestly, any decent human being must just feel bad for the guy at this point. He has played with a piss poor organization for his entire career and not once have they shown signs of being anything better than average. And the entire time all he guy does is shut

his mouth, do his job, and just happens to be a top 5 pitcher in baseball. But this past July had to be the last straw. His GM puts him through the mental torture of being berated by questions at the all-star game over where he wants to go for absolutely no reason and drives the asking price up so high that he can’t even get a deal done. If Rogers really wanted to start saving money they’d ask for a loonie from J.P. Ricciardi every time he screwed up.  At the end of all this all I can hope for is that the Jays trade Doc for something this off-season and that they trade him to a winner, cause he seriously deserves it.

2. Colangelo’s Coup

            I know it’s easy to be pessimistic about the Raptors these days but lets here both sides of the story before we start egging Bryan’s house. The tagline for this section is not a mistake, what Mr. Colangelo has pulled off this summer was quite the coup. Not quite as big as what Jeff just pulled in the Big Brother house but pretty close. (As a side note I know what you’re thinking… this guy watches Big Brother. But I challenge you to watch the first 5 episodes of a season and not get hooked. Besides the summer is the only time when there is so few sporting events on that I am actually able to watch pointless TV. For those who think sports are pointless I would suggest that you are reading the wrong blog). Anyways, what Bryan did was address needs. Toughness and experience up front, see Reggie Evans and Rasho Nesterovic. A polished back up point guard who can step up if someone goes down, see Jarrett Jack. An athletic wingman that can jump out of the gym, see Demar Derozan. A player who can control the game down the stretch and create his own shot, see Hedo Turkoglu. Then fill out the roster with shooters and experience without crippling the team financially in the future. He did this by adding, Wright, Belinelli, Johnson and now what looks like Matt Carroll who is a functional player for the waste of space that was Marcus Banks. Now of course haters have legitimate complaints that can be made. This group is too soft and despite all this spending will this team really be able to compete with the elite? I don’t think so. But Colangelo has made his play. He wants to show Mr. Bosh what a strong supporting cast can do. Yes it is possible that Rasho is too old, Bargnani won’t continue to develop, Calderon had one good year, Bosh is too soft, Derozan is just a nice athlete and Turkoglu is an aging swingman whom was overpaid but I don’t see it that way. I’m cautiously optimistic that this team can finish fourth in the east. Only time will tell but I’m, dare I say it, excited for this upcoming Raptors season.

1. Burke’s Boys

            Possibly the biggest hockey story in the city of Toronto this summer has been Brian Burke’s revamping of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Now there have been many theories and all the pundits have weighed in on what Burke is doing. Some think he is tanking and others that he is starting to build a winner. Personally I think it is absurd to think that a guy as passionate and hard-nosed as Burke is tanking. In fact I’m sorry I even mentioned it due to its obvious absurd nature. Brian Burke has wasted no time in his total makeover of the team.  They might not pile up a lot of goals but they will play hard and probably finish with a ton of penalties. If I had to I would put the odds on them leading the league in penalty minutes and fighting majors at 1:1. Brian Burke has his guys and as a Leaf fan I’m excited. Some may ask who will score goals on this team and to be honest I don’t have a great answer to that question. What I will say is that last year the Leafs, with that pathetic offence, finished tied for 10^th in the league in goals scored. Professional hockey players will score goals and now we have a defense that can finally make an impact. Maybe, just maybe and I’m sure my fellow contributor to this blog would disagree, you’ll be seeing the blue and white make a return to the play-offs after their long and painful hiatus.

            That’s it folks, the top 5 stories of the summer for a T.O. sports fan. But I should add that the best part of the summer, despite the lack of action is the anticipation. Before you know it, footballs will be flying, the puck will have dropped and it will be raining threes. So from one sports fan to another, keep it locked on the blog all year long as we kick back, relax, and enjoy the view from the couch

   - POB

We are not worthy

All Hail Alexander the Gr8.

In honor of Ovie's goal of the millennium last night, here is the interview he did with ESPN. The interview is great for two reasons; it is extremely candid (his brother, his driving), and they make Sidney Crosby and Don Cherry look about as exciting a pair of lawn bowling mennonites. Also gotta love Lebron playing "witness" for once.

Ovechkin E60 Video Part 1

Ovechkin E60 Video Part 2

Closing Time

Maybe not anymore.


As the season progresses and Jays fans continue to wet their depends every time BJ Ryan trots out to the mound, it is time to talk about the percolating issue of closing for Toronto’s boys of summer.

BJ Ryan stinks. The man’s degeneration has been more confusing than the plot of Lost. With 12 saves by the end of May last year, Ryan seemed to have recovered well from his Tommy John surgery the year before. Fast forward twelve months and he now throws a batting practice fastball and gets lit up more than Patrick Lalime in the post season. In 16 games so far this season, BJ has managed to blow 2 saves.

With this in mind, how necessary is the position of a consistent and dominating closer for lasting success in the Major Leagues? Generally teams must be able to rely on their bullpen late in games to succeed (think Jonathan Paplebon. 35,37,41 saves in the last three seasons). Toronto’s management acknowledged this importance by signing Ryan to a deal paying him 12 million dollars this season. This is roughly 1 million dollars for each point in his abysmal 11.12 ERA. Championship teams need a reliable closer and unfortunately reliable is just about the last adjective one would use to describe BJ these days.

Whats frustrating about Ryan’s deterioration is that it has been essentially the only low light in a promising start for the Jays. It is a shame that with Toronto’s young bats producing as they have and spirited (albeit inconsistent) efforts from the starting rotation that the last three outs in a number of games have been hard to come by.

Hopefully Jays’ manager Cito Gaston can manage to get his team off the island. One would hope he has enough sense to stop sending Ryan to the mound simply based on the value of his contract. Performance should be the only factor in determining playing time. With that in mind, it is time for Scott Downs to establish himself.

So last night as I sat in the library staring at the different scores in sports i realized something. I don't have an exam tomorrow. Let's go watch the late games. I must say while San Jose laid an egg in periods two and three the Utah, L.A. game was phenomenal. Here are a few things that got me thinking.

"Choke" Thornton?

I know a lot has been said recently about Big Joe not showing up in the playoffs but I have always been a defender of the big man. He's a stand up guy, who in my opinion is always playing hard and you can't blame one person for the team underperforming. However, last night i was praying to god that he had at least 17 broken bones because he looked downright awful. He was -3 and looked genuinely scared to touch the puck. I mean seriously, if you got a chance to watch his third period giveaway to Ryan Getzlaf, he looks like an atom age player playing in his first game of hitting. He was absolutely terrified to have control of the puck. Here's hoping he can turn it around and make one of the best match-ups in this play-offs competitive once again.

A Shooter HAS to shoot!

I behooves me every time I watch a shooter in the NBA pass up an open shot. I mean seriously, you don't defend well, you don't rebound well, you can't even handle the ball very well and yet you defer open shots. Do they not understand that their job is to shoot a basketball. Nothing else. I go on this rant in reference to Kyle Korver yesterday doing his best Jason Kapono impression for the first three quarters. He missed a couple of open jump shots so he started passing. Now thank god for the Jazz that Jerry Sloan is a patient man and left him in to start the fourth as he was a key in their run. However, the man must've had an ulcer in the process. Just shoot the basketball. If Jerry wanted anything else from that position he would play Andrei Kirilenko. Kyle finally got the message in the fourth sparking the Jazz to an upset win.



Order Restored.

Now I don't know who it is wearing Trevor Ariza's jersey, but for the first two games and three quarters it was not Trevor Ariza. Trevor is a nice player with decent ballhandling skills who can jump out of the gym. However, his career three point percentage shot hovers just under 30% but he still feels inclined to take it. Sound familiar Toronto fans. Yes in case you were wondering he is the rich man's Jamario Moon. However, in the first two games and three quarters of the third it was raining threes for this guy. That is not a joke he was 8 of 9 from the land beyond at that point. 8 of 9 that is absurd. Finally in the fourth quarter order returned. As Kyle Korver was taking and making his jumpshot, so was Trevor Ariza throwing up bricks. All was right again.

And that folks, was last nights view from the couch.

- POB

0.2 Seconds

For any hockey fans out there last night was exactly what you were hoping for. 5 games, very little intermission time, and hence a general lack of kelly hrudey or James duthey which was easily one of the best parts of the evening. Now to be fair I focused on two games, Vancouver vs. St. Louis (no comment) and the late game between San Jose and Anaheim. I also caught glimpses of the Detroit, Columbus game, 6 minutes of New Jersey, Carolina and the Pitt Philly first period. A couple of quick observations.

Detroit's Dominance
Detroit is so much better than Columbus its really not worth talking about. I picked this series to last seven cause i thought Steve Mason would just stand on his head. I clearly was not thinking. Take two minutes and go through those two line ups player for player, they're not comparable. Detroit is so much better at every position. To anyone willing to play the goalie card, Chris Osgood has three cups the only other goalie in the playoffs with that many is that Brodeur fellow. Now i'm not trying to compare the two, just make the point that our good friend Ozzie ain't too shabby. (As a sidebar go to youtube and watch R.J. Umberger get crunched in the second period of this game and then ask yourself how did that guy, who was so clearly concussed come back and score for his team. I mean seriously, he looks more lost than Andrea Bargnani in his sophomore season and he was the only one on his team who could score).

A rivalry in California
I didn't know they actually cared about hockey in Cali but I guess the cup run made a difference for the ducks. We're talking about a fired up crowd and two teams who just do not like each other. Rivalries by proximity are pretty common in the NHL (see toronto, Ottawa - Philly , Pitt, - Edmonton, Calgary and countless others) but i wasn't sure it translated down there. Apparently it does and after the sharks win yesterday it might just be a seven game series. I would be happy to watch these two teams kill each other for seven games. It would be a treat.

0.2 seconds
I only watched 6 minutes of this Carolina New Jersey but it was the best 6 minutes i watched last night. The last six minutes of this game were end to end neither team giving an inch and the series seemed destined for a third straight overtime. Then with 0.2 seconds left the puck slipped past marty on a jussi jokinen tip. I have no personal attachment to this series but even I jumped off the couch when this went in. I can't even type a five letter word in 0.2 seconds and carolina just won a stanley cup playoff game with that much time remaining. For those who were wondering it does go down as the latest goal scored in regulation time in playoff history (thank you ESPN) and no that was not a penalty on Martin Brodeur with three seconds left (thank you to the referee who didn't blow that call and ruin a great playoff moment).

And that my friends was last nights view from the couch.

- POB

Ollie Jokinen. Trade deadline beauty or Sesame Street look-alike?

That C's game last night was awfully crazy.

Alright. With the world economy tanking like Edmund Fitzgerald and the resurgence of piracy (not napster) as a world issue, don't you think its time for a little levity? Lets get real. This is the best time of year to be a professional sports fan. The intensity and drama of playoff basketball and hockey, the promise of a new baseball season are enough to captivate even the most passive fan. Even if you watch sportscentre to catch a glimpse of Jennifer Hedger's neckline (to that end what ever happened to Hazel Mae?) there is no denying the how fun professional sports is right now.

I hate to be a sheep on this one but a Laker’s/Cav’s finals is all but official.

However. I have never seen a title so easily awarded to a franchise. The whole thing seems like the Clevland Cavalier’s to lose. My question is this… Don’t they have to win the requisite 16 games before they are awarded the title? To many analysts, the team’s victory and the subsequent confirmation of Lebron James as the crowned King of the NBA seem to be foregone conclusions. I am not saying that the Cav’s won’t win. Rather, they still need to earn it.

Whats on my mind right now is of course the NBA playoffs and its lack of competitive and compelling matchups. Even those with a semblance of excitement (See Houston/Portland) leave the winners as relatively easy fodder for the West’s dominant franchise.

On the other hand, the Bulls and Celtics are making me bite my tongue. For once a dominating Boston team is being asked to earn their victories by a fiery young Bull’s franchise. Playing without Kevin Garnett has dialed up the requisite intensity for Boston. Be sure to watch the EPIC battle at point guard between Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo.

I’m starting to believe that the NBA post-season really is where amazing happens.

"Is it probable, no," one team source told ESPN's Wendi Nix. "But when you are talking about Kevin Garnett, anything is possible."

This is possibly the quote of the year.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2009/news/story?id=4084614

Mission Statement.

As two students with hardly enough change to buy beer on weekends let alone pay to see professional sports in person, this is The View From The Couch. Welcome.

Launch

Hopefully this will become a running commentary on professional sports and popular culture through the eyes of a Toronto sports fan.

NBA playoff preview to come.