5 Things : Yuck Rant

checking in with ya after an un-planned break.  the NBA finals got me a little bored and sick (i think its actually "sick and bored") of sports hype.  especially since the actual basketball on the court has been not all that good (Kobe Bryant missed 20 shots last night as his team won.  in OT.  and the Lakers still didn't crack 100 points).

i'm trying not to complain.  really.  i'm trying not to complain in sports-blog form.  so, with my usual disregard for form (and punctuation) here are 5 Things:

1) the NBA Finals.  yes i just semi-covered them above but i feel it needs another mention.  and mainly because i can't seem to fully grasp why i'm so un-enthused by these Finals.  yes, i don't particularly care for Kobe Bryant's Lakers.  and i'm not an Orlando fan.  i was gonna pull for the Magic but you never know what you're gonna get one game to the next.  they're like an NCAA tournament team that lives and dies by the 3-ball.  in the early going, when the 3-point shot is workin', they look great.  then they have a game when its brick-city from that distance and they get creamed.  they have so many weapons but seem to also have so many ways to NOT use those weapons (did you see Rashard Lewis had 6 points in last nite's Game 4 loss?).  i guess what i'm trying to say is that both teams look flawed and, well, tired.  its the opposite of what a hoops fan would want from the Championship round.  but not all title fights are guaranteed to be glorious i guess.  LA could wrap this thing up with Kobe shooting 30% from the field.  or Odom scoring 5 points.  or Derek Fisher missing all of his shots until the final 10 seconds.  who knows?  both teams have shown an unusual penchant for inconsistent play.

let me just throw in that i think the refs have too much control.  i know, i know - everybody hates the NBA officiating (maybe even the refs themselves) but there seems to be no passion, no pushing, everybody WAY too quick to freak out about "things escalating" and nobody sure (players especially) when a Technical Foul, Flagrant Foul, Flagrant 2, or some other weird horse shit is gonna come out of a ref's whistle.  it all just adds to the inconsistent nature of these Finals.  let's just finalize things and move on to the draft and next year. 

signed, not a Lakers-Magic Finals Fan.

2) after that long rant at least we have the Stanley Cup Game 7 on tonite!  Detroit versus Pittsburgh!  and you know what?  despite being a sports fan and even attending a few NHL games in the past few years ... i don't really care.  sorry!  i feel a bit bad but NONE of these hockey playoffs have been on TV (well, maybe Game 5 was on TV or something) but none of the earlier rounds.  i even have cable TV and i can't find hockey.  so screw it.  i'd like to tune in to see who wins but i have no interest in seeing playoff hockey for virtually the first time just as it is ending.  plus if Detroit wins, and the Lakers win, then does that mean the Yankees will win the World Series?  the Pittsburgh Steelers already won the Super Bowl.  don't tell me that Michael Jordan is somehow involved in these NBA Finals too.

3) the UFC has an event tomorrow night from Germany (UFC 99).  and while the fight card has no titles at stake it does feature some interesting bouts.  too bad you can't see it unless you fork over 50 bucks.  too rich for my blood.  and is it me or do Wanderlei Silva and Rich Franklin both look a little rugged (beat up) these days?  man, i'm glad i'm not a fighter.  i do love the sport but i also like my bones not to break and my nose not to get crumpled.  i just went to the dentist yesterday and i'm not ready for any more pain.

4) baseball is happening (its true!).  but the Cubs are mired in another losing streak.  they sit at .500 and in 4th place in their division.  the time is coming when this is who the Cubs are this year and blame can't be put on "a slow start".  also we can't lose to Houston.

[photo for break in between #4 and #5 (rather, complaint #4 and complaint #5)]:

    

apparently there are two famous Jay Cutlers (i discovered during a google image search).  guess which one plays football?

yep, its the rapscallion in the cap!

5) i get ESPN magazine as a gift from my brother (thanks Adam) but i can't get over the "Buy Covers @ ESPNtheMag.com/covers".  really?  these covers are for sale?  or these?  or this one?  yuck.

this is not like classic Sports Illustrated.  that shit was gold.

COMING SOON: more UFC fight talk, less whining and, fittingly enough, less Jay Cutler.