It is Their Home Lonn!!!

It wasn't that long ago that the New York Yankees had what every Major League Baseball team could only dream of...great, young ball players, a loaded farm system, a packed to the brim stadium and management that would make most Fortune 500 companies take notes. Now the team and the Steinbrenner family and its associates are agitating and alienating their legion of faithful fans.

First, they built a billion dollar cathedral with obstructed seats, then they asked people to refinance their mortgages to afford the best views in the house and now they aren't allowing fans to walk amongst those sections to catch BP before the game. To top it off, they announced yesterday that remnants of the old stadium...grass, seats, dirt, etc. will be auctioned off, some for outrageous prices. Who's giving these guys financial advice? Bernie Madoff???

Have any of the Yankee head honchos opened up a newspaper within the last few months to read about the economic crisis this country is facing? Did they forget that the people who sit in the Legends Suites a) don't show up till the bottom of the 3rd and b) usually don't show up at all because their wallets aren't fat enough. And if that's not enough, their PR Department appears to be getting advice from old friend Roger Clemens. At least The Rocket has convinced himself that his lies are truths though.

Yesterday, Yankees' Chief Operating Orifice Lonn Trost remained steadfast on fans not gaining access to the Legends Suites for BP. Trost didn't stop there though. He said and I quote, "If you purchase a suite, do you want somebody in your suite? If you purchase a home, do you want somebody in your home?" Ahhhh Lonn, last I checked your bandbox was financed partially by tax payer's dollars; by my calculations that would indeed make it their home sweet home.

For once, the Yanks should look to their New York counterparts for help...I Need a Bailout Field allows it's patrons to go down to field level for John Hancock's and batting practice.

Something for the Yankees brass to consider...you're hurting the real fan fellas, the fan that you should really care about, the fan that has and will forever remain loyal, the elementary school kid who's dying for a quick glance at Derek Jeter, the kid who's vocabulary doesn't include economic stimulus, thousand dollar seats or million dollar contracts. All he knows is that he can't get up close and personal with a game and team he loves because Mommy and Daddy can't afford the tickets.

The Yankees are heading down a very slippery slope, one that may lead a new generation of fans to opt for the 7 train instead of the 4.

The Biggest Baby of them All!

This is so incredibly ridiculous it's almost not believable...the father of the 12-year-old boy bumped by Celtics big man Glen "Big Baby" Davis after Sunday's game-winning shot is demanding an apology.

Ernest Provetti told the Orlando Sentinel that he wrote the NBA office demanding an apology from Davis for acting like a "raging animal with no regard for fans' personal safety." NBA spokesman Tim Frank confirmed the league received the e-mail but declined to comment on it.

Mr. Provetti a few things to ponder. Would you be feeling this way if that was Dwight Howard brushing away your fat-ass son after he hit the game winning shot? Would you have preferred Davis to steamroll your overweight offspring (which is where that was going if Big Baby didn't make an obvious effort to slip between your kid and the ref). Did you think for a second that the man just hit the biggest shot of his young NBA career to all but save the Celts season and perhaps was alittle fired up? And last but not least, you have courtside seats!!! Just like a fan at a baseball game can't sue if he gets hit by a line drive, sitting on the floor comes with a price...sweat, profanity, players diving onto your lap....deal with it boss, sitting courtside at a basketball game is without doubt the most intimate setting in sports...better than 50-yard line seats at a football game, better than behind the plate at a ball game.

If you don't like sex, drugs and rock and roll, don't get back stage passes to The Rolling Stones...if you don't want the possibility of a player interfering with your enjoyment of the game, go sit in the cheap seats my friend!

Emotion is a Good Thing

Baseball annoys the shit out of me sometimes...it's obsession with numbers (most of which mean nothing anymore thanks to PED's), it's litany of unwritten rules (i.e. no player is a unanimous first ballot Hall of Famer) and most of all, the old fashioned farts who complain about a player showing genuine emotion on the field. The game isn't played in a fucking church guys!

Yankees starter/reliever/Nebraskan Budweiser swigger Joba Chamberlain was again the point of controversy this weekend after his demonstrative style was shown up by Baltimore slugger Aubrey Huff. Huff hit a long ball off Chamberlain and as he rounded first base gave a first pump with eyes locked on Joba. Some members of the media reported that Huff shouted "touche!" as he strolled around the bases...ok maybe this didn't happen, but who gives a dump on a dump if it did?

Two questions? Why do we watch sports and what are we eager to see from our athletic heros? Emotion, enthusiasm, passion!! Fan is short for fanatic and when our favorite teams come up short on the field, the court or the ice, we are pissed, it ruins our day, the moments remain in our minds for years to come. But when one of our guys hits that ninth inning blast, buries that 20 footer as time expires, or catches that Hail Mary pass, we erupt into euphoria and we expect athletes to do the same.

We oftentimes question whether the childlike love our athletes have for the sports they play vanishes when the dollar signs flash before their eyes. We are offended when their pain and suffering doesn't mirror ours and we are turned off when they sport the fancy bling and ride the newest whips. We are dumbstruck when we hear that members of the Yankees and Red Sox are friends off the field. But when we see excitement on the field, we feel assured that they care as much as we do. Now don't get me wrong, there's a time and a place for emotion, and the emotion I'm referring to is the genuine, unpremeditated kind...the cornerback who does an Indian war dance after he makes a big hit, but gives up a 25-yard pass completion in the process need not apply.

So to the baseball buffs who shake their heads and say,"Players in my time never used to do that," when an athlete pumps his fist, go back to playing BINGO with the boys at the local YMCA. Emotion is what makes sport great...Jim Valvano searching for someone to hug after his Wolkpack upset heavily-favored Houston, Christian Laettner jumping for joy after hitting The Shot against Kentucky or any owner of a horse who's just won The Kentucky Derby.

Joba, perhaps you shouldn't be throwing air punches in the first inning, but next time you have the bases loaded and you blow a fast ball by the batter to get out of a jam in a big game, go fucking wild...pump your fists, scream to the heavens...it reminds me that you care as much about the outcome of the game as I do (and this from a Red Sox fan!).

A Shout Out to Moms and Mammary Glands

Ya know those little desk calendars everyone has? I have one entitled "Amazing But True Golf Facts." Most mornings the fact is about some guy hitting a crazy hole in one, shooting an incredibly low round or some ridiculous story about John Daly getting drunk at Hooter's. Yesterday's involved none of these, but it was noteworthy none the less, particular considering this is a weekend dedicated to Mom's.

So here it is verbatim...

LPGA star Laura Baugh, the mother of seven children, combined motherhood with a golf career. "I either had a baby with me or on me," said Laura, who nursed all her children. Once while she was in contention at the McDonald's LPGA Championship, her lactating breasts became visible through the padding in her bra and her blouse. What did she do to cover it up? "I walked to the water cooler at the back of the 16th tee and just drenched myself from my neck to my waist," she recalled.

Tremendous stuff!

Here's to all the mom's out there and any woman who's ever suffered from the terrible embarrassment of lactating in public!

I Thought You Were Clean

Manny, I’m disappointed in you. I know you don’t care how I feel, you don’t even know who I am. But I’m a Red Sox fan who despite the bullshit you pulled during your finals days in Beantown, still secretly harbored good feelings for you.

Sure you’re a nut case, an oddball, some might even say an aloof and selfish moron, but you were ours. Your personality is, was and what will continue to make the Boston Red Sox such a joy to rout for. Throwing the ball into the stands when there were only two outs, poking your head out of the Monsta’ scoreboard during a game with Baltimore, catching a flyball while simultaneously slapping five with a fan and of course, the infamous diving cut off of Johnny Damon’s throw to second base. As Sawx fans, we may have yelled, slammed our Sam Adams' and shook our collective heads in disbelief, but it would all vanish the next time you were up with runners in scoring position and sent one screaming onto Landsdowne Road.

I long believed that you were one of the very few that was clean, your 20/20 vision and natural power was all the juice that was needed. Quite frankly, you don’t even look like someone who lifts weights, but alas I forgot the world we live in today. Maybe it was a drug to help you out with those night into day games, a special caffeinated concoction to get you going in the morning or maybe it really was, as you say, something prescribed by a doctor. Whatever the reason, it really doesn’t matter because now you’ll just be lumped in with them…Clemens, Palmerio, Giambi, McGwire, Bonds, Sosa, Arod…just like them, you’ll be yet another bullet on Jose Canseco’s “I told you so list.”

If there’s a saving grace in this tale for me, it’s that you’re not in Boston right now. You’re in sunny LA wear fans care more about the surf report than the next opponent’s scouting report. We don’t need the saga that New York has acquired with Arod.

I guess this is just another example of Manny being Manny.

Manny Being Manny

Manny, on behalf of Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees we would like to say thank you!   Your new 50 game suspension based on what you claim was a prescription from a doctor, is just beautiful for the Empire.  

It's like the Yankees couldn't have planned this to be any sweeter.  I mean just as A-Rod is about to come back and be blitzed by the media about the new book, Manny stole the show.  Your a pal Manny, thank you!

Even if the banned substance was from a prescription from a doctor, you know that the word steroids will be floating around somewhere.  From here on out any time a player is suspended for a banned substance it will always be labeled steroids first!  Its just the way the cookie crumbles my man!  Regardless of it all the hype has now changed coasts.  

Once again, my hat is tipped and I've risen my glass, thank you my good sir, thank you. 

Biddy of the Week

Cheers, Who's the Boss, Saved By the Bell and of course, The King of Queens, this biddy has done it all. Sure, she's gone through her period of weight issues, but few chicks in the showbiz haven't.

Besides, who among us doesn't dig a Brooklyn accent!

A salute to Leah Remini.

Photo of the Week

DAMN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is the left hook that I mentioned in a previous post.

Do Us All a Favor and Stay Away!

Come on Brett, don't do this to us again.

The bass are biting, the summer sun is nearly shining and we have new quarterbacks whose future needs debating. Stop putting us in a time machine!

We all know why you're doing this, we all know why you left small town Mississippi for life in The Big City last year. It's not because you truly love the game and want to continue playing, it's because you want revenge.

Revenge on a team, a GM and a fan base that had your back through thick and thin, painkillers and alcoholism, atrocious interceptions and the death of your father. They stood by you when you flipped and then flopped one summer after another in your decision on whether or not to hang up the cleats, but selfishly you couldn't stand it when they finally bid their farewell. You're better than this Brett, you're the Gun Slinger, the guy who takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin', but those days are over.

You're coming off surgery, your velocity is down, you even looked cold in that NFC Championship Game against the Giants two years ago, it's not the Brett Favre we've come to know. That interception in overtime, it was almost pathetic to watch...you knew you didn't have the arm strength to throw that out pattern anymore, but you figured what the hell it'll only cost us a trip to the Superbowl? Heck, you're biggest fan John Madden even put done the mick and headset this offseason. Now is the time Brett!

Brett, truthfully, I'm not a big fan of you, but one thing I am a fan of is tradition...I love the thought of historic Lambeau Field, I love when a player only wears one jersey in his career, I love when teams and their fans have something instantly recognizable about them, even when it's a head of Limburger. You've tinted your legacy a bit already with your deplorable play down the stretch last season, but suiting up in purple would only exacerbate it further.

You have ever right to come back Brett....Jordan, Montana, Mays, Bourque...they all donned a different uni, but something just seems sacrilegious about you wearing a Viking jersey on the Frozen Tundra. You know you're only doing this for those two matchups, those two Sunday's when you can try to light up the franchise that waived goodbye. Stop being selfish, this league isn't only about you and the Viking's season is more than just those two dates with The Pack.

Before you make a final decision Brett, think back to last Saturday's Run for the Roses...the Derby favorite was an early morning scratch and now word is that the horse may never gallop again.

The horse's name?

I Want Revenge

Movie Recommendation - Wolverine

I have been a long time - Comic Book fan

Long Time X-men fan

Long Time Wolverine fan

When all of the X-men movies were coming out it was everything I wanted to see on the silver screen, coming to life since I was 8 years old.  No longer did I have to settle for shitty animation and amazing theme music

Theme music link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PrvRnjJ0HY&feature=related

The first two X-men movies were amazing, everything you could ask for and more, the third was lackluster and rushed, not holding true to the comic book roots and pushed out for money purposes.

All of these Comic book movies coming out starting with spiderman run a fine line of holding true to the true story line and capturing all of the geek's praise (who would probably see the movie anyway) and making the movie more diverse for the entire population to see (ex. take your girlfriend to the movie and she can follow it instead of fall asleep)

Well that is the deal with the Wolverine movie - it gives you some great action scenes and shows you a movie about Wolverine, you wanted more wolverine, well now you got him.  Be grateful for that and support the cause, because the rest of the story isn't exactly accurate to the old comic book story line.  I do not want to spoil the move for anyone.

What I am saying is the movie was made for the non comic book fan to be able to watch and follow and adapted from its original version because the comic book geeks would see it anyway, however now theses geeks will not hold it in as high regard as we do with the first couple of x-men movie or first two spider man movies. 

You want to see a good action movie, that if you didn't have any ties to the story previously you would thoroughly enjoy it, then I recommend Wolverine, good action, good fights, good plot....historically inaccurate.   

Next Round predictions

I know I was criticized for making predictions right after the first round started, and I said deal with it.  Now i am making my predictions just after the 2nd round started and once again I will say....deal with it.

I was on vacation and I am currently peeling and getting over the swine flu or trying to.

Cleveland Steam Rolls ATL in 5 games, Lebron s

hows a hint of the Jordan Factor, just by being able to close out two series in a row in convincing fashion.

Orlando beats Boston in 6 games strictly because they don't have the closer mentality and the scrappy celtics learned how to play ball, KG-less in the longest first round 

series ever.  Orlando is more talented and too athletic and big for the returning champs.

Lakers beat Houston in 6 (maybe 7) Kobe goes off 

for at least 36 tonight, and the lakers shut all the nay sayers mouths.  Kobe has the opportunity to show the Jordan Factor this series; lets keep an eye out.  The Rockets need Yao to take a page off of Amare Staudimare's menu and start eating children before the game because that is the only way they are going to 

win.  Yao needs to go off every single game, score 30 and take down atleast 12-15 boards.  Ron Artest needs to stay sane and cool headed as he is one of the only defenseman that can pester Kobe enough to get into his head

If you think back to the regular season, Ronny boy started a fight with Kobe in a blow out lakers win, he was starting to set it up then and we will see what happens the rest of this beginning bloody series.  

Denver beats Dallas in 6 - I was wrong about the no heart mav's last series - I will not be this time they are too old and not built for the playoffs, the new era (billips era) nuggets will take them down convincingly.  

Where will Amazing happen this year?

who will show the Jordan Factor and become Jordan-esque...

Another Pure Sport

Curling

I have to say that it really reminds me of running.......and about the same caliber of men play this "Grueling " sport

"Curling is a team sport with similarities t

o bowls and shuffleboard, played by two teams of four players each on a rectangular sheet of carefully prepared ice

. Teams take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones down the ice towards the target (called the house). Two sweepers with brooms accompany each rock and use timing equipment and their best judgment, along with direction from their teammates, to help direct the stones to their resting place. The complex nature of stone placement and shot selection has led some to refer to curling as "chess on ice."^[1]"

the above was taken from wikipedia, please follow the link to find out more

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curling

Sure I see guys like Brendan running marathons and I think to myself, hey I could do that any day of the week, make myself a big fat cheeseburger, lace up my timberlands and hit the road for the NYC marathon, but when I saw Curling on the olympics, i thought MAN! are those guys and gals athletes.

how many people do you know that can push a Granite slab, down a bunch of ice, and sweep in front of it vigorously until it lands on the other side, this is right up there with beer pong and darts, fine specimens these curlers are....I mean i was at burger king the other day and this guy was sweeping the floor and all i could think about was how much i admired his form, then hit hit me....he could be one of the greats and i could never know by looking at him.

Cougar of the week

This week for the Cougar of the week, by request of the fans we salute Kelly Ripa

Kelly Maria Ripa born October 2nd 1970 in New Jersey has starred on daytime soaps, but we all know her from Regis and Kelly.

She has also hosted SNL making fun of herself, what I am most impressed by is the work this 38 year old mom puts in at the gym

click the link below to see Kelly getting it done at the gym.

http://fabfitcelebmoms.wordpress.com/2008/08/21/fabfitmom-kelly-ripa/

with 2 kids Kelly Rips is getting it done at the gym!

Matt tells me that she is married to one of the sexiest men in america, i tell matt all she needs to do is stop appearing on SNL and come to 501 and get some TLC from the Huguenot boys

vote Yes or No for Kelly below

click link below for Kelly's IMDB page

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0727961/

Pissed Off

Lately I have been so pissed off at everything. I don't know what it is really, just know my blood is boiling! This has always really been a problem of mine, the Huguenot boys can tell you that I haven't always been the most patient sheep in the herd.

But the funny part is.....I like it! My rage has been making me feel like the old me. You see I really feel I need this to be my true self! I am a passionate person, I like how much and how strong I can possibly feel for things. What you see is what you get with me, never really been able to hide my self to well, always the easiest person to notice when something is wrong. I wear my hear on my sleeve G always says!

Even as I write this while listening to a little Eddie Vedder, I am growing increasingly irate! Just think what I might be like if I was on A-Rods...excuse me I mean steroids. I'd probably be able to punch through a goddamn brick wall.

Just thought I've give all of you an update, I really won't get into what variables are adding because this blog isn't a sob story, but just know the Yankees are not helping!

The Purest Sport of Them All

Boring, stupid, agonizing, painful, not a sport...all words I've heard other people use to describe running. This past Sunday, I competed in my second Long Island half-marathon, I ran my first in 2007 and tackled the full marathon last year. Overcast, steady rain at times, virtually no wind...perfect running conditions.

Since I joined my junior high school cross-country team in 1997, running and I, if I can borrow a line from New Balance, have had a love/hate relationship. I think every runner has. Some days you simply hate this sport, you hate putting your body through this torture, you ask yourself why am I doing this, you question whether or not to quit.

All these thoughts go through my head almost every race and Sunday was no different. It came around mile 8, right when the course turns off Jericho Turnpike and makes its way toward the Wantagh Parkway. Mile 9 and 10 have a couple of rolling inclines and it's an area where few spectators are there to cheer you on. Not much motivation to keep you going. (By the way, those of you that have driven on the Wantagh Parkway before, you have no clue how hilly it is until you have Nike's and not Goodyear's underneath you).

It's also right around this portion of the course that my hate turns to love though. I love that I put the training into this race that I did, I love picking people off who I know didn't put in the long runs that I put in, I love outwilling the person to my left and right when I see a hill approaching, I love knowing that I have the heart to trek through the next 3 miles, I love winning the mind over body mental battle, I love that non-runners think what I'm doing at that moment is self-punishment, I love the pain and soreness of the next day when I get out of bed...I love knowing that at the end of the day I have no one to blame but myself when I run poorly and no one to thank but myself when I run well.

Fortunately at the end of the 13.1 miles on Sunday, it would be the latter feeling. I finished in 1:34.31, 11 minutes faster than my 2007 time, and in 154th place out of 3493 competitors. I went out faster over the first 4 miles than I normally do, knowing that I did the training to have the stamina and endurance to fly on the last 4.

I think in a sports world full of egos, enormous contracts, muscle-boosters, and $1250 seats, running is as pure as it gets. No offensive lineman to blame for not pass blocking, no point guard to fault for not finding you in the post, no pitcher to accuse of missing signals, no equipment to claim was less than par...it's just you, the road and a passion to compete.

I am a sports fanatic and an athlete since I was in grade school, but no matter the sport I've competed in, basketball, baseball, rugby, lacrosse, soccer, running is different. It incorporates a mental aspect that I'd argue is greater than that faced by any quarterback, golfer or flyhalf.

At some point during every race, your body will tell you no, champions are crowned when they quickly turn their minds to yes.

Would You Rather.......

The question of the day is "Would You Rather......."

Hold a Banner pretending to be a fan of your most hated team at your favorite teams stadium
















or

Get kicked in the nuts

You're Next Floyd!

Filipino sensational Manny Pacquiao supplanted himself as the best pound for pound fighter in the world and added another knockout to his growing legacy with arguably the most devastating left hook in boxing history on Saturday.

Check out the video (the above photo is a punch from the first round)...it takes a while to load, but it's worth the wait. You can actually see the punch's effect ripple through Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton's head. Thankfully, the British brawler is doing ok according to his trainer, Floyd Mayweather Sr.

http://mixedmartialartvideos.com/

Undefeated (and nearly broke by the way) Floyd Mayweather Jr. should be up next for the 140lb Pacquiao. The semi-retired showboat fighter will return to the ring on July 18 in a fight against lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez. The challenger will move up two weight classes to get his share of the riches a Mayweather fight can reap. This will mark Mayweather's first bout since he stopped Hatton in the 10th round of their December 2007 clash.

I expected a bit more out of the tough as nails, street-fighter Hatton, but when Manny is being Manny, no one on this planet can match his punching prowess. The boxing community is now craving a Pacquiao-Mayweather brawl.

I predict that HBO would supersede the magic $50 price take for such a bout.

Maybe the boxing world will at last relax it's overwhelming desire for a heavyweight class loaded with big egos and household names, and finally embrace the quick, heart-pounding, electric boxing that the little guys give us!

A Wide-Open Run for the Roses

The twin spires, mint juleps, fancy hats and of course, the ever-exclusive Millionaire's Row, it could all mean only one thing, the first weekend of May is upon us and tonight at 6:45PM, the gate will drop for the most exciting two minutes in sports!

This year's Run for the Roses is as open as it's ever been. Just this morning, reports have surfaced that early line favorite I Want Revenge will be a scratch.

If you're a seasoned wager or just someone looking to throw down a few bucks on a guess, this is your race.

Here's where I'm putting my cash...

Chocolate Candy has been making a late push this week and is now at 9-1, look for jockey Mike Smith to make a late surge to place.

If you have two extra singles (but aren't heading to Billy Deans or Ricks) and want to make it $50,000 (hey that's a lot of lap dances!), take a flier on Nowhere to Hide, you can never go wrong with a Nick Zito trained horse.

Since my exacta box is now screwed with this morning's scratch, I'm looking for Dunkirk and Chocolate Candy to finish 1 and 2.

If you want to get your feet moving and your wallet grooving, drop a 2 spot on Join in the Dance to show.

No matter the results, Churchill Downs will again be buzzing as we ask ourselves yet again, "Will this finally be the year for a Triple Crown?"

With an incredibly even field, my money is on no.

Saturday's Showdowns

NBA: Celtics outlast the Bulls in regulation to win 98-97 as Paul Pierce comes through with a monster game. After the final whistle, David Stern declares this to be the greatest first round series of all-time in any sport!

NHL: Sid the Kid is fed up with all the press Ovie got in the Rangers series, the Penguins eek out a Game 1 victory.

Boxing: Fighting at junior welterweight proves to much for the pound for pound king, as England's Ricky Hatton derails Manny Pacquiao's bid for a sixth title. Hatton earns the TKO in Round 11.

The Jordan Factor

I hear the argument everyday

I HAVE the argument everyday it's a lot like...

Coke or Pepsi?

Chevy or Ford?

Burger King or McDonalds?

Chocolate or Vanilla?

Lebron or Kobe, there is even a vitamin water commercial about it. It all stems from the who is the next MJ that Brendan referred to in his earlier blog. I agree with Brendan when he said we are in an upcoming golden age of young talent that can be in the public eye, we are moving away from uber-talented born losers that will never win a ring because of contract woes, or contract worries (I.E. I need my payday, such as in increase in productivity the year of a contract extension)

Do not get me mistaken you do NOT have to win a ring to go down as one of the best to pick up a basketball, odds are unless your name was Jordan, Pippen, or Olajuwan you dont have a ring from the 90's era. We still enjoy classy, super human athletes such as Reggie Miller, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Patrick Ewing. I beleive I proved my point. Now the reason we look to these indivisuals as the best to do it.

They were team first, win at all cost athletes, you would never see Malone or Stockton increase productivity becasue their contract was coming to an end, they played every year to chase MJ, to chase the Championship trophy.

What does any of this have to do with Coke, Pepsi, or Lebron and Kobe?

David Steern and the rest of the NBA and it's followers have been looking for the next MJ since he left. I will help all of you right now and tell you, HE WILL NEVER COME.

That being said I maintain Michael Jordan was the best Basketball player to ever play in the NBA, not because of his offensive abilities, not because of his defensive prowess. He did posess deadly offensive ability and also (10 NBA scoring titles) and lock down defense (9 time NBA all defesnsive team) other players might be better at defense, some players like Kobe might be better offensivley (81 point game)

The one thing that made Michael Jordan that best that ever did it was "The Jordan Factor". The sheer ability to dominate, control and will a game to a win. Never has a guard on a court been able to completely dominate a game on both ends of the floor and control tempo and will the game to a win.

We have seen glimpses of this out of a few players since Jordan walked away from the game, AI brought his no talent sixers to the finals, with WARRIOR written on his back, he came up short for the ring against an inslanley talented lakers team. Kobe has been on a mision to prove he can win without Shaq, and almost proves so when he made it to the finals steam rolling the competition last year all the way to the final showdown against the celtics, he is a man on mission in the playoffs, but what Kobe was lacking in last years finals, was the "Jordan Factor".

Kobe Bryant never showed up to the Finials last year and the Veteran talent of the Celtics were too much, the team play, proved critical and Kobe never took over one game, and actually blew a 20 point lead to lose a game. Kobe might be the best offensive player to take the hardwood, he is still missing the ability to lift up the players around him, and to dominate a game on both ends of the floor when it matters most.

Now on to Lebron, who has been in the league about half the amount of time as Kobe. Lebron has shown glimpses of the "Jordan Factor" the most memorable would be his 4th quarter performance against the talented, crafty veteren (billupss era) Pistons when Lebron scored the Cavs final 25 points and was driking J-U-ICE from the parking lot and eating Rasheed wallaces children as a snack while posterizing him. This WAS the jordan factor. A young man taking his team to the finals. Unfaortunately Big Fundamantals was too much for young King James in the finals, since has not shown the jordan factor, until possibly this post season, the real season of the NBA.

I look to these playoff series with hope, I look to the future NBA stars with visions of a golden era, and dreams of what will come. I continue to look to the future to see what NBA Superstar will show me the Jordan Factor

Young talent such as Deron Williams, Brandon Roy, Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, Chris Paul and Dwight Howard spear head the youth movement.

Those players chase the juggernauts named Lebron and Kobe, two steam trains full throttle, headed for the finals.

How do you answer pepsi or coke indefintley, win a ring and show the Jordan Factor, no one can argue with hardware.

click the link below to view the Lebron or Kobe vitamin water commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-3KN3f3IBk

Thanks for Everything T-Mac

As the Rockets launched past the upstart Trailblazers last night to earn their first trip into the second round since Hakeem the Dream was patrolling the lane in Houston, what must have been going through walking medical clinic Tracy McGrady's head. Now in his 12th season in the Association, T-Mac, who's you guessed it!, once again out for the season, proved that his subtraction was the Rockets addition. Stifling defense, smart shooting and an unselfish approach, all qualities McGrady has and will never possess, were the squad's tickets to a showdown with the Lakers.

Year in and year out, the Rockets have been touted as the sexy pick to blast into the NBA Finals, and why shouldn't they be, McGrady is an all-world talent, Yao Ming looks up to no one and Houston's role players are some of the best in the league. But with last night's victory, maybe coach Rick Adelman and the Rockets' suits can finally say what has been on the tip of their collective tongue for so long...this team is better without Him.

T-Mac, who jumped straight from high school, came into the league at a time when David Stern was still searching for an air apparent to His Airness. He, along with cousin Vince, Kobe, Grant Hill, A.I. and a host of others were labeled The Next Great Thing. But what all these players (Hill excluded) have in common is that they all represent the NBA of the late 90's...a time when ballhogs ruled the court, winning was optional, ballers went from homeroom to the hardwood, scowls were free and Me came before We. That's why the Commish and NBA's fans like myself are thrilled with the players we see today...CP3, Deron Williams, LeBron, D-Wade, Dwight Howard...all great talents equipped with maturity, marketable personalities and an understanding of what it takes to win.

Notice we don't hear much about MJ's successor anymore. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to be like Mike as much as anyone growing up, but the league should never have been put on hold as we awaited for His Successor. Let the Rockets' berth into the second round be a lesson to all the Diaper Dandies out there that true success is found when a team comes together for a common goal and doesn't rely on one player to light up the scoreboard each night.

Ironically enough, Houston will battle Los Angeles beginning Monday. I wonder if T-Mac will look over at Kobe and wonder if that could have been him. Bryant was one of those carryovers from The Era of Selfishness who at last understood he couldn't do it all himself. Now Number 24 frequently isn't the highest scorer on his team, he allows Lamar Odom to play Scottie Pippen and only dons the Jordan Cape when it fits.

I believe the NBA is in the midst of its Second Golden Age and just like its first which was headlined by Magic, Bird and of course Michael, the name of the game will be team. Those who get it will prosper and be rewarded with jewelry, those like T-Mac who don't, will be left wondering what if.