Tim Duncan, NBA Draft Notes and some baseball thoughts
The NBA Finals seemed to come and go faster than John Goodman works at the Sizzler buffet. Othe surface it appeared to be the most boring playoff series of our generation. Oh heck, it was the bost boring playoff series of our generation!!!! But buried beneath all of that dreary boredom is a player who has placed himself among the greatest to ever play the game and that player is Tim Duncan.
Tim Duncan IS the Spurs. He is the best player on 4 different championship teams. Yet, because he has the personality of a paper plate, it seems as though the media wants to give everyone around him more credit. Tony Parker is my first example. He is a good NBA player, not a great NBA player. He gets extra credit for the Spurs success because of two factors. Firstly, his status as Mr. Eva Longoria. Secondly, he exists in Duncan's wake. Replace Tony Parker with Leandro Barbosa and the Spurs still win the same amount.
Two much lesser examples are Manu Ginobili and Greg Popovich. Its tough to be critical of these two because they are both very good at what they do. Popovich is smart enough to know that his star shines as long as Duncan's does and he rides it. And the only real criticism you can make of Ginobili is his hygeine. But these two still would never have ascended to the pinnacle of the sport if they were not saddling up Tim Duncan.
At this stage of history the only NBA legends I would rank ahead of Duncan are Russell, Wilt, Jordan, Kareem, Bird, and Magic. Thats it. And you can't give me Shaq. Shaq is certainly a top 10 player in history, but he always had much more help than Duncan. Shaq won 3 titles with Kobe, and one with Dwyane Wade. The best player Duncan had next to him was an over the hill David Robinson. As much as I love Ginobili, he can't win a series single handedly like Kobe or Wade. Shaq could rest on offense for long stretches and Kobe and Wade made it very hard to double him. Duncan is the focal point of everything all the time and he's always double teamed. But he rarely makes a bad decision. The guy is a legend, even if it seems like no one really cares!!!
One of my favorite events of the year is the NBA Draft. Mostly because I generally believe that the majority of NBA general managers are woefully inept at their craft. With that said, here are some random thoughts about the draft.
Can't say i'm surprised about the Celtics moronic acquisition of Ray Allen for the first round pick and Delonte West. if Ainge's goal is to be the 6 seed in the East for two years before he drops back in the lottery, he's right on track.
I have dental floss with more bulk than Kevin Durant.
What are the Milwaukee Bucks doing? Yi Jianlian, the dude from China, declared he didn't want to go to Milwaukee because there are 6 Asians in the whole state. Then when you keep in mind that no one has ever seen him play against anybody, is he the right pick at #6 in one of the deepest drafts ever????
And while I'm at it, Sacramento butchered their first rounder as well. I guess because Brad Miller was out for much of the year that the fans missed having a big white stiff to boo. So the Kings leave two players on the board who go top 5 any other year (Julian Wright and Al Thornton) to fill their big white stiff quota with Spencer Hawes.
The Atlanta Hawks did very well. They got a developed high quality big player in Al Horford and a savvy NBA ready point guard in Acie Law. All they need is a decent head coach and this team could actually be interesting. Rick Carlisle would turn that program around.
The Charlotte Bobcats made a great trade. They didn't need another rookie, unless it was Oden, Durant, or maybe Horford. Jason Richardson is one of the more underrated players in the league. And you can't love Brandan Wright when he had effort issues as a freshman. You always trade a maybe for a sure thing. They also made a great pick at #22 in Jared Dudley.
The Knicks made a good trade. Channing Frye is a dog. He can't defend and he's a physically weak player. Zach Randolph may be nuts, but he can score and he really can rebound. The Knicks would be smart to install metal detectors at Randolph's home, their practice facility, and the Garden, you know, just in case.
And maybe just maybe, this trade is the pre-cursor to Isiah having a fleeting fit of sense and deciding to package Eddy "Shrek" Curry and get in the mix for Kevin Garnett, Kobe, or Jermaine O'Neal. Please read that last line again and note how stupid it sounds.
My favorite picks of the first round, besides Oden and Durant of course, are Jeff Green at 5 to Seattle via Boston, Joakim Noah at 9 to Chicago, Al Thornton at 14 to the Clippers, Jared Dudley to Charlotte @ 22, and the steal of the draft, University of Wisconsin's Alando Tucker to Phoenix @29. Reminds me of a late first rounder the Suns selected, also from Wisconsin, named Michael Finley.
My favorite picks of the 2nd round are Glen Davis to Boston via Seattle, Chris Richard to Minnesota, Derrick Byars to Philly via Portland, Taurean Green to Portland, and Demetrious Nichols to the Knicks via Portland.
And to close this evening, a few random baseball thoughts:
The Yankees are no where close to being done yet, with that said, Joe Torre looks like he's aged 8 years before the All-star break.
The Tigers are a better team this year than last. They loom as the scariest team to face in the playoffs.
When does Ozzie Guillen get blamed for the disaster the White Sox have become.? Lots of squandered talent normally translates into the need for a new voice in the dugout. But Guillen may skate because he's got himself a World Series ring.
The Seattle Mariners are the best team no one pays attention to. Imagine how yough they'd be if Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre played up to their contracts.
As a New York Met fan, I'm much more worried about having to face the Phillies in the playoffs than I am having them take over the division.
As bad as the NL Central looks, the Cardinals are still shot. The emotional hangover of the unlikely World Series victory combined with the death of Josh Hancock have given them the look of a team thats praying for the season to end and we're not even at the All-Star break.
No one is beating Milwaukee in the NL Central. They do the best job of beating up on their division weaklings, and that will be what enables them to hold off the Cubs.
The Dodgers have underachieved in the West. They clearly have the most talent, but the volume of older players could crush them in the end. They've already lost Jason Schmidt and they're counting on grey beards Jeff Kent, Luis Gonzalez, and Nomar Garciaparra to stay healthy. That and Juan Pierre looks like the worst free agent signing of the decade.
The team that has the best chance to win the NL West is the Arizona Diamondbacks. They have a young lineup thats getting better each day, a veteran pitching staff anchored by reigning Cy Young award winner Brandan Webb and a very good closer in Jose Valverde. Where the veteran squads of the Padres and Dodgers will try to hang on and stay healthy to finish the season, the Diamondbacks will only get stronger.
Giddyap.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Random Thoughts
This stream of consciousness rant I'm about to embark will be an occassional theme for this space.
Whats with all of the criticsm of the Sopranos finale? Isn't a little nervy to trash David Chase, who brought us the permanent piece of American culture, for ending HIS show in a way HE sees fit??
With all due respect to LeBron James and Tim Duncan, the most entertaining part of the NBA finals is the announcers. How much do you think it would cost to rent Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson for my living room? Those two are clearly the only watchable aspect of this final.
The best thing that could have happened to the Yankees is Giambi getting hurt. It opened up the DH which takes Johnny Damon out of the field. Melky Cabrera is a much better defensive outfielder and is a tough out. Damon is a player who counts on his legs and his legs look shot. And did I mention that the Yankees owe him $26 million in the two years after this year. But its okay because thats what Roger Clemens makes in a half season.
Don't try to argue with me about the Sopranos. I'm the only person you know who named their kid Meadow.
Has Billy Donovan explained to anyone why he pulled out of the Orlando job. Or more importantly, why he took it in the first place? The biggest beneficiary of Donovan's little 360?? The Orlando Magic and their fans. They're going to like Stan Van Gundy running their show. This team will be competitive faster with Stan than they ever would have been with Donovan.
If the Jaguars end up signing Daunte Culpepper, he'll get a chance to be the starting quarterback for his 3rd NFL team. Something tells me if he doesn't get it right this time, there will be no 4th job. With that said, Nick Saban did a lousy job rushing him back last year, then leaving him for dead.
If a team won the Stanley Cup and no one watched, did they really actually win it?
If Chase does a Sopranos movie, wouldn't Eric Mangini be perfect as Tony's consigliere?? You've got to admit he'd be better than Belichick, even if Paulie showed up with a truck filled with oversized hooded sweatshirts.
Speaking of Belichick, by a show of hands, who would laugh if Tom Brady went down with a season ending injury in the Patriots first game of the season?? My hand is currently in the air.
Michael Vick, Pacman Jones, Tank Johnson. I bet the NFL is thrilled to have become a year round phenomenon.
So whcih brilliant NBA GM will be the first in this year's draft to pass on a sure thing to use a high pick on unknown Chinese center Yi Jianlian? My money is on Danny Ainge and the Celtics. Call it Pitino envy, if you will.
Does anyone have the phone number of Manny Ramirez' barber??
Is there a professional athlete with a nose as big as Nomar Garciaparra??
Isn't the U.S. Open a more entertaining event when the players are starts as oppossed to the golf course? With that said, its a little fun watching professionals hack it up like duffers on a municipal course.
Did anyone else notice that the girl who chased around John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever turned up in the Sopranos finale as Patsy's wife? It might have passed you by because she had striking resemblance to Ginny Sack.
Giddyap.
This stream of consciousness rant I'm about to embark will be an occassional theme for this space.
Whats with all of the criticsm of the Sopranos finale? Isn't a little nervy to trash David Chase, who brought us the permanent piece of American culture, for ending HIS show in a way HE sees fit??
With all due respect to LeBron James and Tim Duncan, the most entertaining part of the NBA finals is the announcers. How much do you think it would cost to rent Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson for my living room? Those two are clearly the only watchable aspect of this final.
The best thing that could have happened to the Yankees is Giambi getting hurt. It opened up the DH which takes Johnny Damon out of the field. Melky Cabrera is a much better defensive outfielder and is a tough out. Damon is a player who counts on his legs and his legs look shot. And did I mention that the Yankees owe him $26 million in the two years after this year. But its okay because thats what Roger Clemens makes in a half season.
Don't try to argue with me about the Sopranos. I'm the only person you know who named their kid Meadow.
Has Billy Donovan explained to anyone why he pulled out of the Orlando job. Or more importantly, why he took it in the first place? The biggest beneficiary of Donovan's little 360?? The Orlando Magic and their fans. They're going to like Stan Van Gundy running their show. This team will be competitive faster with Stan than they ever would have been with Donovan.
If the Jaguars end up signing Daunte Culpepper, he'll get a chance to be the starting quarterback for his 3rd NFL team. Something tells me if he doesn't get it right this time, there will be no 4th job. With that said, Nick Saban did a lousy job rushing him back last year, then leaving him for dead.
If a team won the Stanley Cup and no one watched, did they really actually win it?
If Chase does a Sopranos movie, wouldn't Eric Mangini be perfect as Tony's consigliere?? You've got to admit he'd be better than Belichick, even if Paulie showed up with a truck filled with oversized hooded sweatshirts.
Speaking of Belichick, by a show of hands, who would laugh if Tom Brady went down with a season ending injury in the Patriots first game of the season?? My hand is currently in the air.
Michael Vick, Pacman Jones, Tank Johnson. I bet the NFL is thrilled to have become a year round phenomenon.
So whcih brilliant NBA GM will be the first in this year's draft to pass on a sure thing to use a high pick on unknown Chinese center Yi Jianlian? My money is on Danny Ainge and the Celtics. Call it Pitino envy, if you will.
Does anyone have the phone number of Manny Ramirez' barber??
Is there a professional athlete with a nose as big as Nomar Garciaparra??
Isn't the U.S. Open a more entertaining event when the players are starts as oppossed to the golf course? With that said, its a little fun watching professionals hack it up like duffers on a municipal course.
Did anyone else notice that the girl who chased around John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever turned up in the Sopranos finale as Patsy's wife? It might have passed you by because she had striking resemblance to Ginny Sack.
Giddyap.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
LeBron, Sweet Lou, and the Top 10 Sopranos Episodes
If you've been paying attention to these NBA playoffs, and believe me, plenty of people haven't been, you are getting to watch something special. No matter what happens in the upcoming NBA finals, this year's playoff will be known for the monumental performance of 22 year old LeBron James.
In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, LeBron James scored 29 of his team final 30 points leading his team to a two point overtime victory. He got hot in a big spot in a fashion that we've only seen from all-time superstars with championship resumes. He led them to the finals with a supporting cast that resembles Police Academy 5. In these playoffs, he's shown a will to win and an enjoyment for the game that we have never seen from him. But probably the most underrated part of what James has done is who he did it against.
Since the Eastern Conference finals it has been en vogue to trash the Detroit Pistons. From the early stages of the season straight through to the first two games of the Eatern Conference Finals, it was the general consensus that the Pistons would cruise into the NBA finals. Obviously, LeBron James had other plans and executed them in grand fashion. There is a chance that this ends a 5 year run of virtual dominance in the Eastern Conference. When you look at the players that LeBron conquered, there are some pretty impressive track records. Tayshuan Prince is in his prime and he completely shut down Kobe Bryant in the 2004 finals. Richard Hamilton , if used correctly, is an extremely difficult player to contain. Rasheed Wallace is on the back nine of his career, but he still is a very valuable two way threat. And Chauncey Billups is a playoff tested championship point guard who has a knack for hitting big shots. The only significant weakness the Pistons have is that their head coach Flip Saunders seems to coach the playoffs with two hands wrapped around his own neck. Think about how many times Hamilton was run off screens the year they won the title with Larry Brown as coach. About the same amount of time that Saunders started Hamilton with the ball at mid court to beat his defender on his own, but I digress. Against the Cavs, Saunders' deficient coaching wasn't much of a disadvantage because Mike Brown doesn't outcoach anybody. The bottom line being is that any talk denigrating the Pistons is just diminishing a historical individual effort by LeBron James in addition to being a foolish dismissal of an excellent group of players.
Has anybody else noticed that the entire landscape of managerial post game press conferences has really changed for the positive in major league baseball. The sole reason for this is the return to the dugout Of Sweet Lou Piniella as manager of the Chicago Cubs. No manager in the history of baseball does a press conference like Lou. He yells at everyone about virtually anything. He is eminently entertaining, especially when he is at his angriest. But somehow, I don't think that Cubs management is as entertained with Lou as I am.
This past offseason, Cubs management made a major financial commitment to turn around the fortunes of Chicago's lovable losers. They invested $300 million in player contracts signing players such as Alfonso Soriano, Ted Lilly, and Jason Marquis in additon to retaining Aramis Ramirez. Piniella himself got a 3 year deal worth $10 million. The suits at the Tribune Co. , the company that owns the Cubs, cannot be too happy with a 27-32 record as a current return on their investment. And to add insult to injury, the Cubs appear to play better baseball without Lou Piniella.
Piniella is just completing a 4 game suspension for kicking dirt all over an umpire, then admitted in his post game press conference that the umpire made the right call and he " was getting kicked out fo the game no matter what." This Piniella tirade was preceded the day before by an ugly dugout brawl. Cubs ace ( and we use the term loosely these days) Carlos Zambrano and Cubs catcher Michael Barrett reenacted the Frazier-Ali thriller in Manilla in the dugout and clubhouse at Wrigley Field. These incidents highlighted the fact that the talented Cubs play tighter than Paris Hilton's hand cuffs ( hey now!). The point is especially underscored by the fact that the Cubs won 4 in a row without Piniella.
Now don't get me wrong. Lou is one of the best managers in the game. But he doesn't exactly have a stellar history of handling media and fan pressure, which is an unfortunate circumstance of being the Chicago Cubs manager. Cubs GM Jim Hendry and the Tribune Co have furnished Lou with a talented ballclub, despite the fact that their bullpen stinks. If Lou doesn't take his foot off the gas for a little while, the Cubs whole season could go up in smoke. History has taught us that Lou will handle it correctly. The Cubs are lucky enough to play in the worst division in baseball, so it would be an upset if they didn't hang around.
This Sunday is the last episode ever of HBO's hit mob drama, The Sopranos. The show was certainly one of the most unique viewing experiences to ever hit the small screen. I fancy myself as somewhat of a Sopranos afficionado which is a kind way to rationalize all the time I've spent rewatching episodes like a mental patient. So in the spirit of self indulgency, I've created a top ten list of the best Soprano episodes ever with an honorable mention list of 5. I figured it was easier and more fun than trying to read series creator David Chase's mind. So without further ado, here is my list.
Honorable Mention
Pine Barrens(Season 3 Episode 11)- Paulie and Christopher chasing the Russian in the woods. A very fun episode highlighting the tension between Paulie and Christopher but gave very little plot development and did not tell us anything we didn't know about these two characters.
Funhouse (Season 2 episode 13)- In this one, Tony, Slivio, and Paulie whack Pussy. Tony gets arrested for stolen airline tickets right after the murder. Very dramatic episode, but I always felt it was a stretch that Tony figured out that Pussy was a rat during a hallucinating dream.
Members Only (Season 6 Episode 1) - Gene Pontocorvo commits suicide after Tony and the Feds won't release him from the life and Junior shoots Tony in the gut during a delusion. A very dramatic episode that was powerful at the time, partly because it was the 1st episode off a 20 month hiatus. And watching Tony attempt to call 911 with a belly full of lead was one of the more riveting moments the show ever has had.
Stage 5 (Season 7 Episode 2) - Johnny Sack gets a terminal prognosis and quickly dies. Cleaver premieres as Carmela points out to Tony that the movie is Christopher's revenge fantasy. And Phil Leotardo lays down the law that he is taking no prisoners with one line, "No more of this Butchie. " This episode sets the stage for the events leading up to the finale. And the acting job done by Vince Curatola, who plays Johnny Sack, is the best performance you'll see from someone not named Gandolfini or Falco.
The Weight ( Season 4 Episode 4)- This is the Ginny Sack 90 pound mole episode. A unique combination of suspense and comedy. The tension of two hits being planned simultaneously keeps you guessing until the end. And watching the joke being explained to senior citizens Uncle Junior and Carmine is absolutely priceless.
And now the Top 10
10) I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano ( Season 1 Episode 13) In the season 1 finale, Tony learns that Uncle June and his mom plotted to have him killed. Tony pops Junior's whole crew, but Junior gets arrested before Tony gets to him. Tony forces Melfi into hiding for her own protection. And Tony is forced to admit to his crew that he sees a shrink. This episode stands up historically because when Chase wrote it, he didn't know he was going to get a second season.
9) Kaisha (Season 6 Episode 12) This episode was the beginning of the end for Christopher and Tony. Many say it was the killing of Adriana, but I disagree. This episode was the first time Tony realized that Christopher would readily lie to him. In this episode, Chrisopher has an affair with Tony's wannabe goomar, Julianna, brilliantly played by Julianna Margulies. Her and Chris met in Narcotics Anonymous and it doesn't take them long to start using together. So Chrissie has to let the cat out of the bag to keep Tony off the trail of him using, especially after Tony catches them talking. Also in this episode, Phil has a heart attack and him and Tony share their infamous "moment of friendship". Carmela also gets her spec house back becomes she is ready to hire a private detective to find out what happened to Adrianna. Another interesting footnote of this episode is Julianna being the first one to point out that the boss in Cleaver is intended to portray Tony. This episode makes this list because it accurately parralels the beginning stages of Tony's downward spiral with the deterioration of his relationship with Chris by highlighting a recurring series theme, Tony's hypocrisy.
8) Whoever Did This (Season 4 Episode 9)- Ralphie's son ends up in a coma in a bow and arrow accident. And Tony consoles him by accusing him of killing their racehorse and then beats him to death when he won't admit it. The most relevant development of this episode is Tony catching Chris high on heroin while they're taking care of the body, but Tony can't say boo because he needs Chris to cover for him for killing Ralph. This episode has a great ending as Tony touches the picture of the stripper Ralphie killed in the dressing room at the Bada Bing. (see below)
7) University ( Season 3 Episode 6) - This is the episode where Ralphie beats to death his stripper girlfriend for mouthing off and gets a taboo ass kicking from Tony for his trouble.
The writing in this episode is tremendous. The episode focuses on Ralph's stripper goomar who happens to be the same age as Meadow as we see Meadow's life at Columbia University. I remember this episode as being the first that made me feel as if I was Tony as I watched his daughter's boyfrined have sex with her. A lot of people were appalled by the graphic nature of the stripper's death, but scenes like that are symptomatic of the message David Chase is delivering to us.
6) Irregular Around the Margins (Season 5 Episode 5) - This is the episode where Tony and Adriana are involved in a late night car accident and the rumor mill starts pumping that her and Tony were engaged in a sex act at the time of the crash. The tension in the scene while Tony pointed a gun at Christopher's was enormous. It also established a premise that Tony B was the only one who had the power to reason with Tony and Christopher. The acting and directing are tremedous in the sex tension scene with Tony and Adriana playing darts. They are not really a believable pairing yet it didn't seem far fetched as the secenes were acted out.
5) College ( Season 1 Episode 5) - The most critically acclaimed of all Sopranos episodes. Tony encounters an old associate who is currently in witness protection while visiting colleges in New England with Meadow. So Tony drops Meadow off for an interview at Bowdoin University, then finds and strangles his old associate. This is also the first episode where Tony explains his "business" to Meadow. An underrated portion of this episode is the establishment of Carmela as a hypocritical sinner as she attempts to seduce her priest after he gets stranded at her house during a rain storm.
4) Whitecaps ( Season 4 Episode 13)- This is the episode where Carmela and Tony separate. The arguing scenes between Carmela and Tony are some of the most well acted scenes any of us will ever see in our lifetime. Can never forget how Tony shoves his fist through the wall as Carmela taunts him about Furio. This episode also starts the decline of the Tony/Johnny Sack relationship when Tony calls off the hit on Carmine. This episode ranks as high as it does on nthis list because of the pleasure I got watching James Gandolfini and Edie Falco practicing their craft to perfection.
3) The Second Coming ( Season 7 Epsiode 7)- This is the AJ suicide attempt, which stands as the singuilarly most dramatic scene the show has ever produced. We also see Tony's ego get the best of him one too many times as he beats a made NY guy within an inch of his life for approaching Meadow. Tony can't make this one right with a peace offerring towards Phil and it eventually leads to dire conseuences for Bacala and Silvio in the next episode. This is also the episode where Melfi is made aware of the painful fact that Tony has been playing her all along. An amazing stroke of writing surfaces in this episode as AJ reveals that his dismal view on life came from comments Tony's mother made to AJ in a scene at her nursing home in Season 1.
2) Long Term Parking ( Season 5 Epsiode 12 )- This is the Adriana episode. The feds squeeze her to a point where the only choice she has is to recruit Christopher into witness protection. It almost seems to work until Christopher spots a poor schook with shoppoing bags tied to the top of his old Toyota while he's is filling his Hummer with gas. The drama in the Adriana death scene as Silvio pulls her from the car is nerve racking, mostly because Adriana was written brilliantly as a lovable idiot. Also in this episode, Tony and Carmela reconcile and Tony tells Johnny Sack to take a long walk off a short pier when John refuses to kill Tony B. quickly. As we end up seeing later, another example of Tony's ego interfering with business decisions.
1) The Knight in White Satin Armor ( Season 2 Episode 12 ) I picked this as the best episode because this episode shows us Tony exactly as we want to see him, a hero. He raises Carmela's ire by leaving in the middle of the night to go help his Russian goomar who tried to kill herself. He then rescues Janice after she put two slugs in Richie's chest as retribution for a punch in the face. He enlists Chris and Furio to dispose of Richie's body and he sends Janice back to Seattle.
This episode also shows us Uncle Junior at his best as he plays Tony and Richie off each other to see who could get support to lead the family. He chooses Tony and tips him off of Richie's plan to dispose of the "current leadership." Also, in this episode, we see Tony in his mother's presence for the first time in Season 2. It is the only time in the series we see Big Bad Tony Soprano intimidated by anybody as he falls down the steps running from his mother. And lastly, this episode contains three fo the best quotes in series history.
1) As Tony and Silvio ponder Richie's immediate demise Silvio utters, ' I don't think there's much to be gained by keeping him around. "
2) As Tony lectures Richie about not selling drugs on the garbage routes, Tony quite accurately tells him, "Those that want respect, give respect."
3) As Tony is putting Janice on a bus back to Seattle the morning after she offs Richie, " So all in all I'd say it was a pretty good visit. "
Just one man's opinion.
Giddyap
If you've been paying attention to these NBA playoffs, and believe me, plenty of people haven't been, you are getting to watch something special. No matter what happens in the upcoming NBA finals, this year's playoff will be known for the monumental performance of 22 year old LeBron James.
In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, LeBron James scored 29 of his team final 30 points leading his team to a two point overtime victory. He got hot in a big spot in a fashion that we've only seen from all-time superstars with championship resumes. He led them to the finals with a supporting cast that resembles Police Academy 5. In these playoffs, he's shown a will to win and an enjoyment for the game that we have never seen from him. But probably the most underrated part of what James has done is who he did it against.
Since the Eastern Conference finals it has been en vogue to trash the Detroit Pistons. From the early stages of the season straight through to the first two games of the Eatern Conference Finals, it was the general consensus that the Pistons would cruise into the NBA finals. Obviously, LeBron James had other plans and executed them in grand fashion. There is a chance that this ends a 5 year run of virtual dominance in the Eastern Conference. When you look at the players that LeBron conquered, there are some pretty impressive track records. Tayshuan Prince is in his prime and he completely shut down Kobe Bryant in the 2004 finals. Richard Hamilton , if used correctly, is an extremely difficult player to contain. Rasheed Wallace is on the back nine of his career, but he still is a very valuable two way threat. And Chauncey Billups is a playoff tested championship point guard who has a knack for hitting big shots. The only significant weakness the Pistons have is that their head coach Flip Saunders seems to coach the playoffs with two hands wrapped around his own neck. Think about how many times Hamilton was run off screens the year they won the title with Larry Brown as coach. About the same amount of time that Saunders started Hamilton with the ball at mid court to beat his defender on his own, but I digress. Against the Cavs, Saunders' deficient coaching wasn't much of a disadvantage because Mike Brown doesn't outcoach anybody. The bottom line being is that any talk denigrating the Pistons is just diminishing a historical individual effort by LeBron James in addition to being a foolish dismissal of an excellent group of players.
Has anybody else noticed that the entire landscape of managerial post game press conferences has really changed for the positive in major league baseball. The sole reason for this is the return to the dugout Of Sweet Lou Piniella as manager of the Chicago Cubs. No manager in the history of baseball does a press conference like Lou. He yells at everyone about virtually anything. He is eminently entertaining, especially when he is at his angriest. But somehow, I don't think that Cubs management is as entertained with Lou as I am.
This past offseason, Cubs management made a major financial commitment to turn around the fortunes of Chicago's lovable losers. They invested $300 million in player contracts signing players such as Alfonso Soriano, Ted Lilly, and Jason Marquis in additon to retaining Aramis Ramirez. Piniella himself got a 3 year deal worth $10 million. The suits at the Tribune Co. , the company that owns the Cubs, cannot be too happy with a 27-32 record as a current return on their investment. And to add insult to injury, the Cubs appear to play better baseball without Lou Piniella.
Piniella is just completing a 4 game suspension for kicking dirt all over an umpire, then admitted in his post game press conference that the umpire made the right call and he " was getting kicked out fo the game no matter what." This Piniella tirade was preceded the day before by an ugly dugout brawl. Cubs ace ( and we use the term loosely these days) Carlos Zambrano and Cubs catcher Michael Barrett reenacted the Frazier-Ali thriller in Manilla in the dugout and clubhouse at Wrigley Field. These incidents highlighted the fact that the talented Cubs play tighter than Paris Hilton's hand cuffs ( hey now!). The point is especially underscored by the fact that the Cubs won 4 in a row without Piniella.
Now don't get me wrong. Lou is one of the best managers in the game. But he doesn't exactly have a stellar history of handling media and fan pressure, which is an unfortunate circumstance of being the Chicago Cubs manager. Cubs GM Jim Hendry and the Tribune Co have furnished Lou with a talented ballclub, despite the fact that their bullpen stinks. If Lou doesn't take his foot off the gas for a little while, the Cubs whole season could go up in smoke. History has taught us that Lou will handle it correctly. The Cubs are lucky enough to play in the worst division in baseball, so it would be an upset if they didn't hang around.
This Sunday is the last episode ever of HBO's hit mob drama, The Sopranos. The show was certainly one of the most unique viewing experiences to ever hit the small screen. I fancy myself as somewhat of a Sopranos afficionado which is a kind way to rationalize all the time I've spent rewatching episodes like a mental patient. So in the spirit of self indulgency, I've created a top ten list of the best Soprano episodes ever with an honorable mention list of 5. I figured it was easier and more fun than trying to read series creator David Chase's mind. So without further ado, here is my list.
Honorable Mention
Pine Barrens(Season 3 Episode 11)- Paulie and Christopher chasing the Russian in the woods. A very fun episode highlighting the tension between Paulie and Christopher but gave very little plot development and did not tell us anything we didn't know about these two characters.
Funhouse (Season 2 episode 13)- In this one, Tony, Slivio, and Paulie whack Pussy. Tony gets arrested for stolen airline tickets right after the murder. Very dramatic episode, but I always felt it was a stretch that Tony figured out that Pussy was a rat during a hallucinating dream.
Members Only (Season 6 Episode 1) - Gene Pontocorvo commits suicide after Tony and the Feds won't release him from the life and Junior shoots Tony in the gut during a delusion. A very dramatic episode that was powerful at the time, partly because it was the 1st episode off a 20 month hiatus. And watching Tony attempt to call 911 with a belly full of lead was one of the more riveting moments the show ever has had.
Stage 5 (Season 7 Episode 2) - Johnny Sack gets a terminal prognosis and quickly dies. Cleaver premieres as Carmela points out to Tony that the movie is Christopher's revenge fantasy. And Phil Leotardo lays down the law that he is taking no prisoners with one line, "No more of this Butchie. " This episode sets the stage for the events leading up to the finale. And the acting job done by Vince Curatola, who plays Johnny Sack, is the best performance you'll see from someone not named Gandolfini or Falco.
The Weight ( Season 4 Episode 4)- This is the Ginny Sack 90 pound mole episode. A unique combination of suspense and comedy. The tension of two hits being planned simultaneously keeps you guessing until the end. And watching the joke being explained to senior citizens Uncle Junior and Carmine is absolutely priceless.
And now the Top 10
10) I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano ( Season 1 Episode 13) In the season 1 finale, Tony learns that Uncle June and his mom plotted to have him killed. Tony pops Junior's whole crew, but Junior gets arrested before Tony gets to him. Tony forces Melfi into hiding for her own protection. And Tony is forced to admit to his crew that he sees a shrink. This episode stands up historically because when Chase wrote it, he didn't know he was going to get a second season.
9) Kaisha (Season 6 Episode 12) This episode was the beginning of the end for Christopher and Tony. Many say it was the killing of Adriana, but I disagree. This episode was the first time Tony realized that Christopher would readily lie to him. In this episode, Chrisopher has an affair with Tony's wannabe goomar, Julianna, brilliantly played by Julianna Margulies. Her and Chris met in Narcotics Anonymous and it doesn't take them long to start using together. So Chrissie has to let the cat out of the bag to keep Tony off the trail of him using, especially after Tony catches them talking. Also in this episode, Phil has a heart attack and him and Tony share their infamous "moment of friendship". Carmela also gets her spec house back becomes she is ready to hire a private detective to find out what happened to Adrianna. Another interesting footnote of this episode is Julianna being the first one to point out that the boss in Cleaver is intended to portray Tony. This episode makes this list because it accurately parralels the beginning stages of Tony's downward spiral with the deterioration of his relationship with Chris by highlighting a recurring series theme, Tony's hypocrisy.
8) Whoever Did This (Season 4 Episode 9)- Ralphie's son ends up in a coma in a bow and arrow accident. And Tony consoles him by accusing him of killing their racehorse and then beats him to death when he won't admit it. The most relevant development of this episode is Tony catching Chris high on heroin while they're taking care of the body, but Tony can't say boo because he needs Chris to cover for him for killing Ralph. This episode has a great ending as Tony touches the picture of the stripper Ralphie killed in the dressing room at the Bada Bing. (see below)
7) University ( Season 3 Episode 6) - This is the episode where Ralphie beats to death his stripper girlfriend for mouthing off and gets a taboo ass kicking from Tony for his trouble.
The writing in this episode is tremendous. The episode focuses on Ralph's stripper goomar who happens to be the same age as Meadow as we see Meadow's life at Columbia University. I remember this episode as being the first that made me feel as if I was Tony as I watched his daughter's boyfrined have sex with her. A lot of people were appalled by the graphic nature of the stripper's death, but scenes like that are symptomatic of the message David Chase is delivering to us.
6) Irregular Around the Margins (Season 5 Episode 5) - This is the episode where Tony and Adriana are involved in a late night car accident and the rumor mill starts pumping that her and Tony were engaged in a sex act at the time of the crash. The tension in the scene while Tony pointed a gun at Christopher's was enormous. It also established a premise that Tony B was the only one who had the power to reason with Tony and Christopher. The acting and directing are tremedous in the sex tension scene with Tony and Adriana playing darts. They are not really a believable pairing yet it didn't seem far fetched as the secenes were acted out.
5) College ( Season 1 Episode 5) - The most critically acclaimed of all Sopranos episodes. Tony encounters an old associate who is currently in witness protection while visiting colleges in New England with Meadow. So Tony drops Meadow off for an interview at Bowdoin University, then finds and strangles his old associate. This is also the first episode where Tony explains his "business" to Meadow. An underrated portion of this episode is the establishment of Carmela as a hypocritical sinner as she attempts to seduce her priest after he gets stranded at her house during a rain storm.
4) Whitecaps ( Season 4 Episode 13)- This is the episode where Carmela and Tony separate. The arguing scenes between Carmela and Tony are some of the most well acted scenes any of us will ever see in our lifetime. Can never forget how Tony shoves his fist through the wall as Carmela taunts him about Furio. This episode also starts the decline of the Tony/Johnny Sack relationship when Tony calls off the hit on Carmine. This episode ranks as high as it does on nthis list because of the pleasure I got watching James Gandolfini and Edie Falco practicing their craft to perfection.
3) The Second Coming ( Season 7 Epsiode 7)- This is the AJ suicide attempt, which stands as the singuilarly most dramatic scene the show has ever produced. We also see Tony's ego get the best of him one too many times as he beats a made NY guy within an inch of his life for approaching Meadow. Tony can't make this one right with a peace offerring towards Phil and it eventually leads to dire conseuences for Bacala and Silvio in the next episode. This is also the episode where Melfi is made aware of the painful fact that Tony has been playing her all along. An amazing stroke of writing surfaces in this episode as AJ reveals that his dismal view on life came from comments Tony's mother made to AJ in a scene at her nursing home in Season 1.
2) Long Term Parking ( Season 5 Epsiode 12 )- This is the Adriana episode. The feds squeeze her to a point where the only choice she has is to recruit Christopher into witness protection. It almost seems to work until Christopher spots a poor schook with shoppoing bags tied to the top of his old Toyota while he's is filling his Hummer with gas. The drama in the Adriana death scene as Silvio pulls her from the car is nerve racking, mostly because Adriana was written brilliantly as a lovable idiot. Also in this episode, Tony and Carmela reconcile and Tony tells Johnny Sack to take a long walk off a short pier when John refuses to kill Tony B. quickly. As we end up seeing later, another example of Tony's ego interfering with business decisions.
1) The Knight in White Satin Armor ( Season 2 Episode 12 ) I picked this as the best episode because this episode shows us Tony exactly as we want to see him, a hero. He raises Carmela's ire by leaving in the middle of the night to go help his Russian goomar who tried to kill herself. He then rescues Janice after she put two slugs in Richie's chest as retribution for a punch in the face. He enlists Chris and Furio to dispose of Richie's body and he sends Janice back to Seattle.
This episode also shows us Uncle Junior at his best as he plays Tony and Richie off each other to see who could get support to lead the family. He chooses Tony and tips him off of Richie's plan to dispose of the "current leadership." Also, in this episode, we see Tony in his mother's presence for the first time in Season 2. It is the only time in the series we see Big Bad Tony Soprano intimidated by anybody as he falls down the steps running from his mother. And lastly, this episode contains three fo the best quotes in series history.
1) As Tony and Silvio ponder Richie's immediate demise Silvio utters, ' I don't think there's much to be gained by keeping him around. "
2) As Tony lectures Richie about not selling drugs on the garbage routes, Tony quite accurately tells him, "Those that want respect, give respect."
3) As Tony is putting Janice on a bus back to Seattle the morning after she offs Richie, " So all in all I'd say it was a pretty good visit. "
Just one man's opinion.
Giddyap
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