Baby Bruin Boom

Seguin has the Bruins back on track with his Game 2
performance that netted 2 G and 2 A.

Once again, the NHL playoffs continue to feed fans with ravishing hockey and a nice cold dish of refreshing youth as dessert. One young superstar in the East, Steven Stamkos, was slow out of the gates in the first round against the Pittsburgh Penguins, but picked up his play against the Capitals and again scored last night versus the Bruins.  That's not a shock seeing as he followed up his 51 goal 2009-2010 campaign with 46 more this year.  Best part is, he's 21 years old.

However, the most surprising youth movement is occuring in Boston. Tyler Seguin, the 2nd pick in last year's draft, watched the first two rounds of the playoffs from seats high above the rink.  More impressive is that Seguin took that slice of humble pie and used it as a learning opportunity. It allowed him to view the game that had been taken away from him, and regain that hunger for playing hockey at a high level. For a player that is only 19, that could have been career suicide, but his mental strength is nearly as important as his physical tools. 


It was that same mental strength that helped him through a challenging first year in the Bruins sweater. Seguin appeared in 76 games, but only tallied 11 goals and 11 assists and a minus 4.  The expectations were undoubtedly high, but with his skill set those expectations weren't unwarranted because of the numbers he put up in the Ontario Hockey League.

Now, through the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals, Tyler Seguin has been the brute force behind the Bruins bite, especially as we saw in Game 2 last night. In Game 1, Seguin was no slouch as he had a hand in  both of the Bruins goals (1 goal, 1 assist) even though the Bruins lost 5-2. Eddie Olczyk made a comment in Game 1 that Seguin looked to have the freshest legs for any player on both teams. Now obviously that would be the case because Seguin hadn't played in the first two rounds, but I think Eddie was saying more so that it'd be ridiculous for this kid not to be in the lineup from here on out.  Figure that he only totaled 7 minutes in Game 1. I know Claude Julien has a lot of talent in his lineup, but I also think Eddie was pointing to the decision to play him more in Game 2.

As we found out, Patrice Bergeron was once again out of the lineup for Game 2 because of the concussion he sustained at the end of the Flyers series which meant Sequin would dress. Again, Seguin looked like a waterbug that flys across the water as he took a pass, split two defensemen, and went in calmly and beat Roloson on his backhand. That was the spark the Bruins needed as they proceeded to pour in five goals in the second period. While that is impressive, consider that Seguin had his quick hands, and mighty slapshot, in on three of the next four goals. He finished the night with 2 Goals and 2 Assists. Those numbers sounds like they would come from someone who played 20-22 minutes in the game. Now that I told you Seguin only banked 13 minutes, what do you think the result will be in Game 3?

There is no doubt it will be tremedously hard for Seguin to keep up this pace, but Julien would have to be buzzed up on Sam Adams not to find a spot in the lineup for him, even when Bergeron, who was the Bruins leading points getter thus far in the playoffs, returns. For now, let the freshness of the youth movement cleanse your palate, and allow your eyes to feast on more great hockey.

-Pat

RISP: The Scariest Acronym For A Brewer Fan

As a fan, you hate to see things keep happening every year.  For Marquette, it is that they never have a big man who can make an impact on the game.  For the Green Bay Packers, they have played down to their opponent way too many times, take the 7-3 loss to Detroit for an example.  For the Milwaukee Brewers, it's scoring with runners in scoring position. 

The Brewers went 2 for 23 over the last two games in the split against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and right now, they are hitting .21l with RISP on the road.  That is a sign that this team is nowhere near being a team who can challenge for the National League Central.  The Brewers have had this problem for what seems like my entire life. I cannot tell you how many times I can remember the Crew leaving the bases loaded with less than one out. Their other specialty is having one or two in scoring position with two out, Ryan Braun on deck, and they strikeout to end of the inning. 

I cannot decide what's more frustrating in baseball... having a team whose bullpen blows every game (see Houston Astros) or having a team who cannot deliver the big hit. I think that's asking if I would rather drink gasoline or antifreeze, both suck. The other thing with the lack of clutch hitting is it doesn't seem to just randomly appear so I think the RISP will be the root of most problems for the Brewers this season on the road because it sure as hell isn't pitching. Randy Wolf had one bad inning where he made a mistake with Matt Kemp, and was able to maintain his composure through five. 

Hopefully, the bats come out in Petco Park but that place is a house of horrors for the Crew. I believe the Crew gets going around nine tonight.  

-Charlie. 

Pondering About The NBA Lottery

I have a real love/hate relationship with the NBA Draft Lottery.  I like that they do not use the traditional worst team picks first, but I hate how people make such a big deal out of it.  Especially since there is a good shot, the NBA will be heading to a lockout (love that word, pysch.).  Add also to the fact, this could be one of the least memorable draft classes in a long time.  The Milwaukee Bucks only have a 1.1 percent chance so it would be their luck that they get a high draft pick in what appears to be an irrelevant draft. But these are all assumptions, so until we watch these guys play, how are we certain they are all destined to be Stromile and Robert Swift?  Not related, I know shocking.  

Now, I am not NBA historian, but I decided to look at past drafts starting in 1997 to see if this really has the potential to be uglier than The Terminator's divorce.  Sometimes I think draft insiders look too much into things, and freak out when in reality, some of these guys are winners and it translates into good things at the next level.  I decide to look at guys who have all made key contributions to playoff teams, or been solid starters for teams. I end in 2009 because last year remains unclear.  


1997: Tim Duncan, Chauncey Billups, and Tracey McGrady
1998: Antwan Jamison, Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, and Paul Pierce
1999: Elton Brand, Steve Francis, Baron Davis, Lamar Odom, Richard Hamilton, Andre Miller, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry

2000: Kenyon Martin and Jamal Crawford (reaching a bit there) 
2001:  Tyson Chandler, Pau Gasol, Jason Richardson, Joe Johnson, and Richard Jefferson
2002:  Nene, Amar'e Stoudamire and Caron Butler
2003: LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Kirk Heinrich, and Nick Collison
2004: Dwight Howard, Devin Harris, Luol Deng, and Andre Iguodala
2005: Andrew Bogut, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Raymond Felton, and Andrew Bynum
2006: LaMarcus Aldridge, Brandon Roy, and Rudy Gay
2007: Kevin Durant, Al Hortford, Mike Conley, and Joakim Noah
2008: Derrick Rose, O.J. Mayo, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, and Eric Gordon
2009: Blake Griffin, James Harden (we think), and Brandon Jennings

If i peer into my crystal ball, I think the 2010 class has a chance to be similar with John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins for sure, and plenty of guys I wouldn't sleep on like Gordon Hayward or Paul George.  Basically, people believe this will be as worst as 2000 or 2002. I think 02' is more realistic because a lot of the busts in that draft were college-experienced players rather than high schoolers and foreign-born players. The likes of DaJuan Wagner and Chris Wilcox to name a few. 

For whatever it's worth, I love the way Derrick Williams plays and said in March, he would be an awesome piece to have for any team in the lottery.  I also think Kemba Walker and Brandon Knight could be pretty solid point guards in the league plus Jimmer Fredette will be great off the bench for a team who is on the cusp of making the playoffs. So if your team gets the first pick tonight carry a glass-half full approach and tell yourself it adds to your team plus he can contribute in the future.

-Charlie.

The Southwest Showdown

I have to tell you I am conflicted on who to pick for the Western Conference Finals.  The reason? Well there are so many tasty story lines for each team, we could serve them as a huge plate on an episode of Man v. Food.   There is so many things that interest me about this individual series, and then the series after it if either the Oklahoma City Thunder or Dallas Mavericks advance.  I don't care if I am the 2414th blogger to say this, but I am so happy to not see the same teams in the Conference Finals. It's a great change of pace, and either team in the NBA Finals will be a breath of fresh air. Hopefully I can figure out the pick by the end of this post.





NBA Playoffs 2011: Where
everyone including me jumped
back on the Dirk bandwagon



Dirk v. KD-  I trust Marc Stein of ESPN.com when he talks about Dallas, and he discussed at great length how Dirk isn't as bad of a defender that people make him out to be.  He says that he is a good team defender. I know he will not guard Kevin Durant, nor will Dirk guard KD, but he is one of the only players who can look Durant in the eye each time down the court. The funny thing is both of these players should guard each other, but worry about getting tired on the defensive end. I predict both guys have huge series unless they start matching up with each other. Also both of these players need to hammer the lane, and try to find the other so rack up the fouls early.

Old Fellas v. Young Gunnas- This is like watching a YMCA adult league where you see the older men maybe some former college stars taking the young, upbeat college kids for the championship. The Mavericks have a great number of players from my time growing up an NBA fan like Jason Kidd, Peja Stojakovic, Shawn Marion, Jason Terry, and even Dirk. All of these guys are ring-less, and everyone of them minus Dirk knows this is their last shot at an NBA title.

In the other corner, Durant ready to put himself on the next level of superstars in the NBA, Russell Westbrook making the argument for either being the best second banana in the NBA, or the next Stephon Marbury, and Serge Ibaka on the cusp of being an All-Star player on both ends of the court. I can almost guarantee you there will be some chippy play in the first two games as a way for each side to establish themselves, just like in Y ball. The old men want to show these 'kids' who owns the court.

J-Kidd v. Russ- I heard Kidd's quote yesterday saying Westbrook is the second-fastest point guard he faces in the league right now, other than NBA MVP Derrick Rose.  Kidd is a crafty veteran, but I find it hard to believe he will be able to keep up with Westbrook for the entire series. Although Kidd is drinking from the fountain of youth that Mark Cuban bought his team before the playoffs so who knows maybe he can do it.  I do believe unlike the Memphis series, this could be a Westbrook-first series.  I think my biggest beef with Westbrook's shooting has been his lack of finishing near the paint therefore it looks like a shittier shot than it actually was.  Also it's not his fault Scott Brooks coaches with a children book instead of a playbook.

Mark Cuban- Notice how Cubes (people who are cool with him can call him that) is barely doing any interviews during the playoffs?  Just giving emphatic gestures from his seat like a proud father at his son's high school game.  He isn't giving any quotables to the opposing team or bitching about the officials.  I figured out  the reason why... Cuban has been burned before by David Stern, and he will be damned if it happens again to him.  Cuban knows like the players do, they have a great opportunity to win the whole thing, and Cubes opening his mouth will cause more trouble than anything else.

Every and I mean every NBA conspiracy theorist knows that's true, and would also feel it is poetic justice if Stern hands Cuban, the Larry O'Brien Trophy after the Miami Screwjob.  In case you are wondering, this would rank 2nd in Awkward Sports Moments, only thing higher will be when Tiger Woods is set to win a major championship with his porn star girlfriend looking on.

Fear the Beard:  If I didn't mention James Harden, then I should not be discussing the NBA. Harden has finally stepped up to the plate and been the player we all expected him to be out of college. I have been very impressed with the way he has become a great role player for a playoff team. Also, if you are a regular reader here, you know I enjoy tremendous facial hair because I cannot grow a good beard to save my soul. The power of beard in sports has worked in mysterious ways this year with Brian Wilson's beard beginning the momentum then Brett Keisel's beard getting to the Super Bowl losing to one of the only things that can stop an epic beard.... the Green Bay Packers.  Also my buddy Microwave would probably pour a drink on me if I didn't add, he grew a Harden-like beard where I concluded he will be only non-Amish white guy to pull off this look.

Prediction: Originally in the latest Snotap pissing match also known as the NBA Bracket Challenge, I took the Thunder to the NBA Finals. So I would have to take them to win this series right?  Nope, I also took Dallas to lose in round 1 too, I think the Mavericks win because they have better coaching, not because they are more experienced, or Dirk is better than KD.  The Thunder will lose Game 5 or Game 6 because Scott Brooks gets outcoached by Rick Carlisle. After watching the three overtime game and other instances in the past month, I cannot trust Brooks any longer in this NBA Playoffs.


Dallas Mavericks in Six.

-Charlie.

First Taste: New Bon Iver

Bon Iver also known as Justin Vernon, the pride and joy of Eau Claire, Wisconsin released his first single off his new album, which drops in about a month. This is a good jam, and you can download it for free at pitchfork.com. Definitely something to put in your study mix this week if you still got finals like this poor sap.  I have one more thing to post, then I am done for the day.  More from me this week though, school's out.. blogs increase greatly.

-Charlie.

Closing Time: Sleeping With Reality

Some of you might find it interesting that I've been playing drums since the seventh grade. I've been a part of a band called In The Company of Wolves (something Big Cat can make fun of me for and be a smart ass about until the end of time) since January and it's been pretty fun to been with guys who take it very seriously.

We finally have some sort of music out there. I'm not actually in the audio here because it's an acoustic version of our song "Sleeping With Reality" and there isn't any percussion. It was done in one take and isn't Capitol Records studio quality by any means, but give it a listen.

 Sleeping With Reality (Acoustic Version) by Mike Holloway

Thanks.

-Mitsy

Western Conference Finals: Sharks Swim Together

Alright, I'm a day late but SU had me slaving all day yesterday. It won't change my prediction on the Sharks-Canucks series at all.

In the Western Conference Semis, we saw two great series go right down to the wire. The Preds put up a decent fight against the #1 seeded Vancouver Canucks but in the end the better team came out on top.

The Sharks jumped out to a 3-0 series lead on the Detroit Red Wings but Hockeytown wouldn't go down without a fight and came all the way back (a la the Chicago Blackhawks) to tie the series at 3-3 before the Sharks finished them in the seventh game at HP Pavilion. I had the Red Wings winning in decisive fashion but the Sharks proved me wrong.

This brings me to where we are now. The Western Conference Semi-finals.


#1 Vancouver Canucks vs. #2 San Jose Sharks

The Sharks blew a third period lead in Vancouver last night but still played well enough to win on the road against the #1 seed in the West. The success of the Sharks relies on the play of Antii Niemi. He has the deep playoff experience that can get the Sharks to the Stanley Cup finals. Virtually the entire squad of the Vancouver Canucks have no experience this deep in NHL post-season play.

I think the Sharks are a deeper team than the Canucks. The Sharks first two lines are nearly untouchable. Having said that, don't think for a second that former Shark defenseman turned Canuck Christian Ehrhoff will want to get a good shot in on Heatley or Marleau as they move into the zone.

I feel confident that the Sharks will get to the cup on the wings of their offense. Devin "The Canasian" Setoguchi has had a good post-season. He's no Sean Bergenheim but he's still playing well. Sharks win 4-3.


Those Bay Area sports fans are spoiled.


-Mikko

Time To Solve The Road Woes

The Milwaukee Brewers had a successful home stand going 5-1, putting their record at home at 13-6. The Crew has been nearly untouched when they tap the keg at Miller Park. But when they leave the friendly confines of Miller Park, they struggle like a Double A Baseball team with a record of 6-15.  I am one not to worry about things too early, but I really think the Brewers need to start showing some promise on the road in the upcoming four games on the West Coast. To me, it would be a sign that this team isn't average and inconsistent at best.

I know the Crew does not play well on the west coast, I really cannot explain it either. I don't know if the players get caught up in nice weather, the strippers, or the Sunset Strip, but they cannot seem to lock down on the West Coast. With their record currently at 18-21, winning the last five of six, the last thing the Brewers could afford to do is lose 3 of 4 and then be back where they started at the beginning of May. The NL West right now is garbage, and the Brewers take advantage of it this week.

They did last week against the San Diego Padres who they play again for two later this week. I mean excuse the Wednesday afternoon implosion, they played pretty solid against the Spanish Fathers. The Brewers send out Shaun Marcum tonight who is the Brewers best pitcher right now, and Randy Wolf goes the following night who has been a mixed bag all year. But Wolf has always seem to pitch well in his home state of Californina.  I also know these two guys need to have solid starts to try to preserve this bullpen. The rate we are going, I think Kameron Loe's arm will fall off the mound in a horrifying scene at some ballpark in the middle of June.

My dad and I talk all the time about how the Brewers are a team of mental giants.  They overthink everything, and I do believe they think they cannot hit the ball outside of Miller Park. Both of these stadiums are tough to get the balls into the bleachers so it will take a string of singles for the Brewers to get victories this week before heading back to Miller Park for another large home stand. If the Brewers could say get three out of four, the Brewers could be looking at a great month of May. 

-Charlie.

DOY: Taj Gibson!

I really think I need to go to the gym when I watch sports because something cool happens all the time. This happened in the gym, and the Big Cat working out next to me, I went absolutely bananas.  Big Cat looked at me like I was a Leper.  Seriously, just an awesome dunk. I love Dwyane Wade's attitude about the whole thing saying "I have done that 90 times to people, and it happened to me once."  "I will take the 90 to 1 ratio."

-Charlie.

First Taste: Houston's Superhero

Wow.  I have to assume that this guy was drunk because you can do some special shit with a nice buzz working like superhuman stuff.  If he did not have anything to drink, my next assumption is this guy is a parkour warrior, and he bet his friends he could escape Minute Maid back.  What an American hero. I got a couple things ready to go, but then I will be on my No Days Off flow for the rest of the day.      

-Charlie. 

NBA Bracket Challenge Second Round Update

NBA Bracket Challenge: My table isn't going into Blogger right now, but basically as you can see the first number is the first round numbers, then the next number is the second round. The final number is the total amount of points. Mike Fant doing it big with Eric falling from 1st to 5th.
Mike Sant 32 34 66
Patrick 25 34 59
Charlie 26 30 56
Mitzy 27 22 49
Rocky 26 20 46
Easy E 32 12 44
Jordan T 25 12 37


If you forgot the rules here they are.  If someone feels I messed up the math, let me know.

Heat-Bulls Preview

If you were to rank the NBA Playoffs right now from the best teams to the worst remaining, BCS style, would the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat get the top spots?  I mean it might be crazy to think but if a team like Memphis or Oklahoma City gets into the NBA Finals, I will believe whoever loses this series got robbed at an opportunity to play for the Larry O'Brien Trophy.  People have jumped back on the 'Heat are unstoppable bandwagon,' and some are even calling for a quick series. I don't see that, and nor do I think the Heat are winning this series as I am taking the Chicago Bulls in seven games.

The first reason is obvious, Derrick Rose. The Heat has no point guard that can keep up with D-Rose in an enduring playoff series such as this one. Dywane Wade will do his best, but I do think a la Paul Pierce, his offensive numbers will fall off by exerting so much on the defense. Even though Wade is a top notch defender, Rose is so much quicker than anyone else on the court and find his way to the basket efficiently.  I think he learned a lot after losing game four by shooting over 30 times that he needs to do his best to get everyone involved in the offense.

While I was wavering on who to pick for this expected great series, Michael Wilbon of ESPN and noted Chicago fan made a great point about Luol Deng and Keith Bogans.  He said 'They are defensive-minded guys first, Deng and Bogans would rather being doing that then scoring on offense.'  That earned a complete co-sign from me and think Chicago's man to man defense is going to cause the role players of the Heat to step up in ways we haven't seen all year.  If the Heat's much criticized bench lives up to this challenge, they deserve to win because as I have said before, I will doubt something until you make me a believer.

The point about Deng and Bogans also means Chris Bosh needs to play at another level in this series for the Heat to win. We haven't seen it out of Bosh all playoffs, but with the Bulls' only defensive liability in Carlos Boozer, Bosh might get his opportunity to put his stamp on this team. Also trust that the Bulls will give him his shots, just like no one forgets the kid who peed his pants in the 6th grade, no one forgets Bosh's woeful 1 for 18 performance against the Bulls earlier this season. I assume the Bulls attempt to shut down LeBron and DWade, and make the other players beat them. Call it the Anti-Dwight Howard if you will. 

The Heat are playing at the highest level, so are the Bulls, this usually equates to a great series. I think you are going to see LeBron get his chance to close out a pivotal game (Game 5 did speak volumes to me personally).  You also will see a bunch of great defense, and I will be shocked if either team gets over 100 points in regulation. There is a lot of things to like in this series and I for one cannot wait for tip off in the Windy City tonight.

-Charlie.

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Eastern Conference Finals

A sharp glance at the finalists in the Eastern Conference and you are likely to catch a few raised brows from NHL experts to casual fans.  The Washington Capitals seemed poised for a deep run in the playoffs.  We knew the Flyers had goaltender issues, but a red-hot offense had masked that flaw in the previous series against the Sabres. However, little did we know that two veteran goaltenders, Tim Thomas and Dwayne Roloson, would dominant the series' like they did.  To recap, I had taken Boston in 6 and Washington in 6.  Boston would instead sweep the Flyers and the Lightning quickly removed of the Capitals with a sweep of their own. 

Therefore, it's the Tampa Bay Lightning versus the Boston Bruins for the chance to win Lord Stanley's Cup.  In an effort to freshen up the experience I'll give a brief scouting report on the offense, defense, and goalies of the respective teams and who I think has the advantage.


Offense

The Lightning offense is quick to strike.

The Tampa Bay Lightning unquestionably carry the more recognizable weapons in this category.  Stamkos has picked his game up, Marty St. Louis leads the East in points, and Sean Bergenheim has been on a torrid pace putting him in a tie for goals thus far in postseason play.  Not to mention a stable that houses Vinny Lecavalier, Steve Downie, and Simon Gagne who is returning from an injury.  The Bruins on the other hand, rely on contributions from a supporting cast that consists mostly of young talent.  They will be without Patrice Bergeron which could spell trouble for the B's in this series. The burden will then be placed on the shoulders Brad Marchand, Nathan Horton, and David Krejci.  With the goaltender play on each team, goals could be at a premium. Time to see if the young guns on Boston can get timely goals or the Lightning simply overpower the Bruins with that explosive core.

Advantage: Tampa Bay Lightning

Can Chara's phyiscal play keep Tampa at bay?

Defense
The Bruins have a blue line group that is anchored by big man Zdeno Chara. He is supported by Dennis Seidenberg, Andrew Ference, and Johnny Boychuk. They are a big, physical group that loves to stand in front of their goaltender and block shots.  Keep an eye on any adjustments Claude Julien might make with his defensive pairings throughout the series to try and neutralize the Lightning.  The Lightning's defensive unit will take a hit depending on how long they expect Pavel Kubina to be out. The Lightning defense also was key in shutting down the Capitals power play. Expect lots of hitting from each team on the blue line.

Advantage: Boston Bruins

Goaltending
They play thus far by Roloson and Thomas speaks for itself here. Roloson posts marginally better statistics with a 2.01 Goals Against Average and .941 Save Percentage compared to Thomas' numbers at 2.03/.937 respectively. They are the best in the playoffs so far in keeping the puck out of the net and I don't expect a change in this series.  Each goaltender realizes the importance that one mistake can make in a series which is why every minute of every period is so crucial in the Conference Finals. 

Advantage: Push

I think this series will maintain the excellent play that we've seen in the playoffs this year. Hopefully, that includes a few OT games and maybe another Game 7 in what would be a rocking TD Garden crowd anxious for one of its teams to beat a team with Florida zip code. I think that the 'X-Factor' in this series is Dwayne Roloson because he doesn't have quite the defense that Tim Thomas camps behind. Sometimes the pressue can get to a goalie, but with a veteran like Roloson he should be up to the task.

Tampa Bay Lightning win 4-2

Oh My Michigan

While the NBA and college basketball provide memorable highlight reel dunks and game winners, there is something to be said about hockey goals that require so much skill and coordination, that only a few times have they been performed in elite level competition.  Many kids growing up have seen what is dubbed as "The Michigan" hockey move. That goal tied the game in the '96 NCAA West Regional and Michigan would go on to defeat Boston University that year in the Frozen Four Championship Game.  Compare that video to this gem that I believe trumped "The Michigan:"

 Mikael Granlund, who hails from Finland, added a twist to the move that resembles a lacrosse style goal.  As he skates behind the net, you'll notice he brilliantly pops the puck up onto the blade of his stick.  What makes this goal greater than "The Michigan" is that fact that Granlund, a draft pick of the Minnesota Wild, never stops his forward motion.  There are a lot of filthy goals floating around on YouTube, but the attention to detail and display of advanced hockey skill, makes this one my favorite.

-Pat

Derek Boogaard Found Dead

One of the most feared fighters in the NHL today was found dead in his Minneapolis apartment on Friday. There still aren't any details as to the exact cause of death, but he was found at 6:10 pm CDT.

He played in just 22 games this year. He missed the rest of the year and the post-season action that the Rangers were part of with a concussion stemming from this fight with Ottawa's Matt Carkner:



Some are speculating that Boogaard's death came from symptoms of this concussion but I'll wait for autopsy results before I pass judgement on it.

Despite being an enforcer on the ice, Boogaard was regarded to be one of the nicest guys in the league. Several teammates and even counterparts have tweeted about his death, sending regards to the family of the Saskatchewan native. He also was very active in the communities of the two teams he played for: the Minnesota Wild and now the New York Rangers.

You know what they say, only the good die young. Boogaard was 28.

Brewers-Pirates Preview

I don't know what to think about the Milwaukee Brewers' season so far. It is like a bad season of Entourage right now where you get a couple good episodes here and there, but it's really just a shit season.  The Brewers have been far too inconsistent for me to consider them worthy of challenging for the NL Central crown.  They have owned the Pirates like I do with life so hopefully that trend continues for the both of us.



Friday
James McDonald (2-2 5.65) v. Yovani Gallardo (3-2 5.11)- Don't let McDonald's numbers fool you, he has pitched very well in his past three starts. He is a guy who a lot of people expected to make some noise for Buccos so the Brewers could have their hands full. Yovani takes the rubber after a near no-hitter on Saturday afternoon. I swear my motivation post inspired him to do great things. Yovani needs another good start in an attempt to get on track.

Saturday
Jeff Karstens (2-1 3.61) v. Chris Narveson (1-3 4.38)- So happy to see that asshole Karstens take the mound on Saturday afternoon.  I think it's fair to say that Karstens has been the chief instigator for a lot of the Brewer-Pirate bad blood. I hope for 4 long balls from Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder.  Narvie needs to get on track quickly or I would recommend Marco Estrada take some of his starts. He is having problems again with the big inning, and it's hurting the Brewers.

Sunday
Kevin Correia (5-3 3.25) v. Zack Greinke (1-1 5.40)- Correia had the Dave Bush Disease where he blew up in the sixth inning against the Brewers earlier this season in April.  He has good stuff and has pitched well this season therefore you cannot expect another bad start. Greinke tows the rubber for his second-straight home start. With the Sunday crowd, you always get a good atmosphere, and I assume it will be even better for him.

-Charlie.

Only Acceptable Heat Rant

I don't like the Miami Heat whatsoever. If you read my work on the NBA, you know that. But this is epic. Dan LeBatard did something along these lines for the New York Jets, but this is even better. He just comes at with line after line.  One word to say to you on this Friday... BAM!

-Charlie.

What If Dirk Played For The Milwaukee Bucks?

Jason McIntyre who is a fantastic writer for The Big Lead posted a question on Twitter yesterday afternoon about if people remembered that Dirk Nowitzki got traded on draft day. As a Milwaukee Bucks fan, I sure as hell do, the Bucks traded Nowitzki away for Robert 'Tractor' Traylor, that's like dealing Kate Upton for Kristie Alley. My buddy Bails pointed out that the Mavs were the only team who went overseas to scout Dirk so this trade was pretty much inevitable, but here is my question… why the hell didn't the Bucks scout Dirk? If you think about Dirk is perfect for Milwaukee. He is German and Milwaukee is a German-based city. The man would have had a beer named after him by the third year plus so many more endorsements from the Brew City.




Whenever we talk about these what-if situations, people always wonder if a player would be the same if he played elsewhere. My answer would be yes for Nowitzki because I truly believe he is a top 20 player of all time right now, and will climb up that ladder if the Mavs win the NBA Finals. I think a majority of the NBA teams could have drafted Dirk, and he would have been a great player. I believe 1998 was the last year that the Bucks picked in the lottery for a long time because Ray Allen hit his stride, Sam Cassell was brought in, and Glenn 'Big Dog' Robinson had already been in his prime at the time of drafting him. Nowitzki would not have any pressure in Milwaukee, and been allowed to grow in the first couple years. Let's also remember the Bucks missed out on Paul Pierce who was drafted a spot below Dirk, got to love the Bucks in the NBA Draft! 


If the Bucks kept Dirk, they would have easily been in the NBA Finals. The 2001 team that should have been in the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first place if it wasn't for David Stern playing the role of Vince McMahon guaranteeing the Philadelphia 76ers and Allen Iverson would be playing the Lake Show. It was a screw job, and everyone who watches basketball knows that. Sorry my rant is over about that, but Dirk would have played the four with a monster lineup that would have been the best team in the Eastern Conference. 


That team would have had Cassell-Allen-Big Dog-Nowitzki-Tragic Johnson with Tim Thomas coming off the bench as a vital sixth man. The other question I have, would Ray-Ray have played in Milwaukee for another 10 years? The naïve side of me that has purple jersey hanging in my childhood bedroom would like to think that could have been a possibility. To me, Dirk would have been the first basketball superstar the city of Milwaukee has seen in over 30 years. They had some great players in the 80s and in the 90s but no one at the level of Dirk. I do hope that Brandon Jennings or Andrew Bogut becomes that guy for a franchise that seems to be stuck in neutral.


The other side of this would be what if Dallas never got Dirk? I still think they find their superstar somewhere down the road because with Mark Cuban's money, they really were able to afford anyone. They might have kept Steve Nash and paired him up with another player. It's fun to play these sorts of games and wonder what if sometimes. Because these dreams will never be realities, rather just a wish that something better would have happened for your team. 

 
-Charlie.

First Taste: Falling Star (R3K Remix)

This is a pretty awesome mash-up. It has a funky beat plus includes two artists I enjoy very much in Kid Cudi and Florence and the Machine. A good jam to play outside today when working on homework, or when you get done with your finals. I will be away from the Tap today sadly after the 10 AM, so enjoy me while you can a-holes.

-Charlie.

Closing Time: Andrei Kirilenko Channels His Inner-Birdman

(Props to Ball Dont Lie) Seriously, this might be the scariest thing I have seen since the Betty White Sex Tape (kidding, thank God). Like what the hell is that? Gotta love Russians though, just pour AK47 some vodka and give him this tat in full. I bet he didn't even move a muscle for this enormous tattoo. Another thought... he has to have mirrors on his ceiling because that's the only way, this makes sense. He can watch his tattoo give his 'I don't care if you sleep with other women' smokebomb wife the business. Obviously, I await the Chris 'Birdman' Anderson counter. Your move Mr. Birdman.

-Charlie.