These teams are vying for the last spot in the NBA Playoffs, and both have one game left. The Nets have the tiebreaker advantage, which means they only need to beat Boston and they're in. Cleveland needs to beat Toronto at home and then hope for the Nets to choke.
- I watched the Cavs/Pistons game over the weekend, and it was obvious to everyone in attendance and watching it on television that Lebron James isn't happy with the situation in Cleveland. You really can't blame him. They got rid of his help in the frontcourt with Carlos Boozer, they got rid of a decent coach in Paul Silas in order to keep Jim Paxson happy only to end up firing him, and he's pretty much doing everything on the court by himself. On the last play of the game everyone stood around waiting for Lebron to make a play. No one stepped up to get the ball, or to set a pick, or do anything.
Lebron is a pretty cool guy, so he isn't going to trash his team like other primadonna superstars would. It also wouldn't make any sense because they still have a chance to make the playoffs. But I don't see Lebron staying in Cleveland after next season if they don't get him some help and show some kind of competence in their front office. If he leaves, he'll probably head to the Knicks, where he'll make even more money off of his endorsement deals (I recall Jay Mariotti saying he has a top market clause on that $94 million dollar Nike contract of his which will make him even more money)and they're willing to get him what he needs to contend for a NBA title. I wouldn't be surprised if Isiah Thomas hasn't started talking to Lebron already.
- On that same scoreboard, in baseball the Yankees fell to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 6-2. That loss placed the Yankees in a tie for last place in their division and in a three-way tie for the third worst record in the league.
This weekend, George Steinbrenner, aka The Boss, chewed them out another butthole over the weekend. And can you really blame him? You don't spend the kind of money Steinbrenner has thrown out to that team (over $200 million) for them to be last place at any time of the year. And considering he's probably still sore over their chokefest in the ALCS last year to the Red Sox, this was inevitable.
- Two very sad deaths this week. For the Panthers, legendary linebacker Sam Mills passed after a long-time bout with intestinal cancer. Mills fought it as long as he could, and was an inspiration to both Panther players and their fans. What was supposed to only be months for him to live ended up being two years.
If you were a Panthers fan from the beginning, you remember Sam Mills very well. He was one of the reasons the Panthers made it to the NFC Championship in only their second season of existence. It wouldn't be surprising to the ones that knew him that he was able to fight a very tough disease as long as he did.
- Just down the road in Winston-Salem, WSSU's legendary coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines died on Monday night after complications from a stroke.
Coach Gaines took over as WSSU's basketball coach in 1946, after coaching the football team three years prior. He went on to coach the team for the next 47 years, retiring in 1993. He's in fifth place for the most wins by any basketball coach with 828. He won one NCAA title, going 31-1 with NBA star Earl "The Pearl" Monroe in 1968. Another player he coached is ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith, who graduated from WSSU in 1991 (I don't know if that could be considered a claim to fame).
- Marion Jones was clowned royally on Monday after her embarrassing performance in the 400 meters over the weekend, running it in 55.03. Hell...I've ran the 400 in under 56 seconds. I don't know if she did used masking steroids, but right now things don't look good for her. And the pregnancy thing doesn't slide either, considering several female athletes coming back at or near the same level after the layoff.
That's it for now. I might have another roundup later this week.
This weekend, George Steinbrenner, aka The Boss, chewed them out another butthole over the weekend. And can you really blame him? You don't spend the kind of money Steinbrenner has thrown out to that team (over $200 million) for them to be last place at any time of the year. And considering he's probably still sore over their chokefest in the ALCS last year to the Red Sox, this was inevitable.
- Two very sad deaths this week. For the Panthers, legendary linebacker Sam Mills passed after a long-time bout with intestinal cancer. Mills fought it as long as he could, and was an inspiration to both Panther players and their fans. What was supposed to only be months for him to live ended up being two years.
If you were a Panthers fan from the beginning, you remember Sam Mills very well. He was one of the reasons the Panthers made it to the NFC Championship in only their second season of existence. It wouldn't be surprising to the ones that knew him that he was able to fight a very tough disease as long as he did.
- Just down the road in Winston-Salem, WSSU's legendary coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines died on Monday night after complications from a stroke.
Coach Gaines took over as WSSU's basketball coach in 1946, after coaching the football team three years prior. He went on to coach the team for the next 47 years, retiring in 1993. He's in fifth place for the most wins by any basketball coach with 828. He won one NCAA title, going 31-1 with NBA star Earl "The Pearl" Monroe in 1968. Another player he coached is ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith, who graduated from WSSU in 1991 (I don't know if that could be considered a claim to fame).
- Marion Jones was clowned royally on Monday after her embarrassing performance in the 400 meters over the weekend, running it in 55.03. Hell...I've ran the 400 in under 56 seconds. I don't know if she did used masking steroids, but right now things don't look good for her. And the pregnancy thing doesn't slide either, considering several female athletes coming back at or near the same level after the layoff.
That's it for now. I might have another roundup later this week.