There's A Tarantula On The King's Court

From charity games to championship games,
LeBron James and Kevin Durant's battle for the best in the NBA
has unfolded in front of our eyes. [Credit: Brett Deering/AFP]

Welcome to the NBA finals.

To state the obvious, the Celtics put up a valiant fight.  They took the Heat to the edge.  The Heat had to find themselves in two elimination games to triumph.  It took LeBron's superhuman performance in Game 6 and a comeback in Game 7 to knock off this Celtics team.

The one thing we all knew about this game at the start of Saturday is that it will trigger a paradigm shift.  The popular prediction is that the original "Big Three" (as opposed to this "Big Three") will be disbanded.  With Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen looking at expiring contracts, pay cuts are necessary to keep Garnett and Allen in Boston.  Even so, are the Celtics to old to win another title?  Can the Celtics build around Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo?  Was this to them what 1988 was to the Chicago Bears?  These are all questions that will be answered in the coming months and perhaps next couple of seasons.

The Miami Heat are the potential Seventh Coalition to the Celtics.  With LeBron starring as Duke of Wellington and Dwayne Wade cast in the supporting role that is Gebhard von Blucher, the Heat will charge out of Waterloo to take on the Thunder.

Now that LeBron and Friends have triumphed over their foes in the Eastern Conference, the matchup that David Stern wants is in place.  Honestly, it is a matchup a lot of us secretly wanted.  The two best players are playing in the NBA Finals.

This is no slight to Kobe.  Kobe is the second best player that I have got to privilege to watch during his career.  The first is a player I do not feel the need to mention in an article that involves LeBron or even Kevin Durant.  However, Kobe is past his prime and I would consider LeBron and Durant better players this year.  I will even go as far as to say that LeBron is the greatest physical specimen that this game has ever seen.

However, there will always be a knock on LeBron.  One of the knocks on LeBron was and to an extent is his poor performance in the clutch.  LeBron singlehandedly won Game 6 and contributed 31 points 12 rebounds and a 30-foot jumper that Doc Rivers described as "backbreaking" in Game 7.  Well the knock on LeBron now is that he has not won a title yet.  He is what I would consider one of five "Golden Boys of Professional Sports" that was drafted in the last 10 years to a "Big Four" American sports team.  Yet, he has not won.  That will haunt him like it haunted Peyton Manning.  If LeBron wins this title, the knock on him will be that he needed "help."  People will say that the NBA is more rigged than boxing.  The Kobe fans will still dog LeBron.  The fans of a certain NBA player in the 90's will dog LeBron.

Whatever LeBron does will never be enough for a large portion of the NBA's fanbase.

Now this polarizing athlete will take his friends to play four to seven games of basketball against Kevin Durant and his friends.  With this title could easily go the title of "NBA's Best."

This will play out like a comic book.  We have a classic good guys vs. bad guys battle.  The Thunder are considered by many to be the good guys while the Heat, particularly Lebron, will play the part of the bad guys.  This is a type of series that we never got to see in the 90's or the aughts.  The two best players in the NBA are squaring off.  We never got Kobe/LeBron.  Durant/LeBron is the best Finals matchup since Bird and Magic.

Miami vs. America

Let's play basketball.

What's Boxing On?

This picture will serve as a momento of boxing's lost credibility
[Credit:  Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images]

If you are one of the people who watched the events of the WBO Welterweight Title Fight in Las Vegas unfold, you may be asking the same question.

Anybody with a twitter account and a few jock friends are tweeting out how stunned they are.  Grantland's Bill Simmons has gone as far to allude that this fiasco will be a future 30 for 30.  Manifest Destiny's Tyler Greever had gone as far as to express his disgust with tweets using the hashtag "MoneyTeam" and that he would "root for [Pacquiao] against Mayweather" as a result of this debacle.

Now let me back up a bit.

Manny Pacquiao fought Timothy Bradley at the MGM Grand earlier tonight for the WBO Welterweight title.  The vast majority of viewers and analysts would agree that Pacquiao won the fight after watching the twelve rounds.

Bradley won on a split decision.

The decision has caused an outcry in the sports world.  The decision, in my eyes, appeared to be almost as obvious of a fix as the Montreal Screwjob.  We can all say that boxing is dead and that is has been dead.  However, there will most likely be a rematch.

We will all watch.  We are all whores.

More will watch the next fight and we will all watch an impending Mayweather/Pacquiao fight in the unlikely event that it ever comes to fruition.

Boxing is not dead.  If anything, you can argue that it took a chapter out of the NBA book.  Controversial decisions and borderline robbery will make us all watch and make us all talk.  We will buy merchandise and purchase pay-per-view events.  Oh, we love boxing now.

Boxing is not dead.  Boxing is no longer dying.  The sport was resuscitated tonight by a bogus decision.

If you still do not agree with me, I want you to consider this entire day.  The Belmont Stakes was ran today after I'll Have Another, the winner of Preakness and the Kentucky Derby, retired due to an injury.  LeBron James and the Miami Heat won the Eastern Conference today and will take on Kevin Durant and the Thunder.  The New Jersey Devils extended the Stanley Cup Finals.  Interleague baseball was on all day.  Maria Sharapova won the French Open to complete her career Grand Slam.  The Death Group in Euro 2012 played today.  Six pitchers combined to throw a no-hitter in the wee hours of last night.

...And we're talking about boxing.

Millwood and Friends No-Hit Dodgers

Kevin Millwood, no stranger to no-hitters, pitched the first
six innings of tonight's no-hitter in Seattle.

If you're reading this, there's a decent chance you remember the last time six pitchers were used in a no-hitter.  In June of 2003, the Yankees were no-hit by the Astros.  Roy Oswalt, Pete Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel and Billy Wagner were used.  Two months earlier, Kevin Millwood of the Philadelphia Phillies had no-hit the San Francisco Giants.

Tonight I was in attendance to watch said Phillies team take on the Baltimore Orioles in Camden yards.  Jimmy Rollins and Jim Thome were the only players in their lineup who were also in the lineup for Millwood's first no-hitter.  The Phillies Left Fielder that day was Bobby Abreu.  Abreu started in left tonight for the Dodgers as they were no-hit by a six pack of Seattle Mariners tonight in Seattle.

Kevin Millwood pitched the first six innings before leaving with a mild right groin strain.  Charlie Furbush, Stephen Pryor, Lucas Luetge, Brandon League and Tom Wilhelmsen finished the job.  In the process, Pryor recorded his first win.

The hats of all six participating pitchers, Wilhelmsen's glove,
the ball used to record the last out and the lineup
card of tonight's game courtesy of the Seattle Mariners.

Joe Torre's protege Don Mattingly joined Torre as managers who have been on the losing end of a no-hitter thrown by six pitchers.  The Yankees third baseman for that game was Robin Ventura.  He was the manager for Phil Humber's perfect game against these same Mariners two months ago.  Brian Runge was the plate umpire tonight, and for Humber's perfect game.

Kyle Seager drove in the game's only run.  His brother, Corey Seager, was selected by the Dodgers in this year's draft.


The irony in tonight's game is very clear.

The takeaway from this game is that an exciting Seattle Mariner team is getting some national media coverage.  This team is a collection of kids growing up.  There's no bold predictions to come with this.  No Royal or Cub-eque "World Series by 2015" proclamations to make.  Just a fun team with a lot of kids making some national headlines.

Sooner or later, Ichiro will retire and Felix Hernandez will be the elder statesman of the Seattle Mariners.  While this transition happens, we get to watch Dustin Ackley, Jesus Montero, Justin Smoak, Kyle Seager and perhaps Carlos Triunfel grow up in front of our eyes.  We get to see a surprisingly solid bullpen that starts with Brandon League and Tom Wilhelmsen.  We get to see a team that I would personally love to see more of in October.



---


NOTES:
-The Nats called up Tyler Moore, the Twins called up Chris Parmelee and the White Sox called up Jordan Danks.  I'm excited for all three, but I'm still waiting on the Royals to call up Will Myers.

-Former White Sox reliever Scott Linebrink was released by the Cardinals.  Apparently the Cards injury problems were so bad, they just had to start sending guys home.

Jason Kipnis and Other Names You Need To Know

Jason Kipnis has helped the Indians
remain competitive in 2012

Now that we are through two months of the season, I've decided to fill out my first All-Star ballot this year.  While looking up the numbers this season, I figured I should take the time out to fill you in on five guys at the plate that you need to know about.


1. Jason Kipnis - 2B Cleveland Indians
His 9 Home Runs and 34 RBI are tops for second basemen in Major League Baseball.  The Glenbrook North grad was the Tribe's top prospect going into 2011 and made his ML debut last July.  Kip has a reputation as a gamer.  He's a tough out and his effort at the plate translates to the field.

2. Kyle Seager - 3B Seattle Mariners
While all of the preseason hype surrounded Blue Jays 3rd Baseman Brett Lawrie, Seager has charged it up at the plate.  Last week he banged out four hits en route to a 21-8 victory over the Rangers.  His 32 RBI are tied for 5th among 3rd Basemen and have helped add to the young core of the Mariners once nonexistent offense.

 3. Dayan Viciedo - LF Chicago White Sox

Kyle Seager has helped put a charge in to the
Mariners offensive attack.

The Cuban import, Viciedo has finally come up to be a major contributor to this White Sox club.  He has combined a solid presence at the plate with some stellar plays in the field.  His arm is growing in reputation and his numbers at the plate are similar to those of Jay Bruce and Corey Hart.  As a person who lives in the Sox market, I can attest that the "Tank" is a 100% percent improvement in the field over Juan Pierre.

4. Lucas Duda - RF New York Mets
While he has not made the biggest splash this season, Duda is starting to have the makings of a player who can start in this league for the better part of the next decade.  His presence in the lineup has helped the Mets to the occupation of first place in June.

5. Tony Campana - CF Chicago Cubs
Camapana made his debut last May and has swiped 42 bags in 132 games since then.  All Campana is going to do is get on first base and steal second.  In 2012, he has 26 singles and 18 Stolen Bases.  His lone career Home Run was an inside the park homer last season.  Campana will be a major part of the Cubs offense, when and if Epstein can build them to compete for a pennant.




Now before I go, here's my first All-Star ballot.
American League
C - A.J. Pierzynski - White Sox .291 BA 9 HR 35 RBI
1B - Paul Konerko - White Sox .366 BA 11 HR 33 RBI
2B - Jason Kipnis - Indians .280 BA 9 HR 34 RBI
3B - Miguel Cabrera - Tigers .318 11 HR 44 RBI
SS - Derek Jeter - Yankees .336 BA 6 HR 20 RBI
OF - Josh Hamilton - Rangers .348 BA 21 HR 57 RBI
OF - Adam Jones - Orioles .315 16 HR 34 RBI
OF - Curtis Granderson - Yankees .261 17 HR 33 RBI
DH - Adam Dunn - White Sox .222 BA 17 HR 38 RBI

National League
C - Carlos Ruiz - Phillies .368 8 HR 32 RBI
1B - Joey Votto - Reds .346 9 HR 33 RBI
2B - Jose Altuve - Astros .316 3 HR 18 RBI
3B - Hanley Ramirez - Marlins .276 11 HR 37 RBI
SS - Starlin Castro - Cubs .305 4 HR 32 RBI
OF - Melky Cabrera - Giants .364 4 HR 27 RBI
OF - Carlos Gonzalez -Rockies .329 14 HR 45 RBI
OF - Andre Ethier - Dodgers .314 9 HR 46 RBI

Feel free to disagree with these picks or to suggest anybody else I should keep my eyes on.