Cameron Diaz Bald!

I know Cameron Diaz movies' sell tickets. I think she makes something like $25 million per show. That's basically because she's an uber hot and fun blonde.

But I don't think men will be lining up with their girlfriends to see her new film, "My Sister's Keeper" currently in production.

Joba In The Starting Rotation

At first, I wasn't for idea of moving Joba Chamberlain into the starting rotation. Joba has been so dominant in the set up role for Mariano Rivera.

But why have one of the games premiere pitchers appear in maybe 3 or 4 innings a week?

Joba's always been a starting pitcher, a very effective one too.

Joba will give a huge boost to the Yankees starting rotation. The new setup man would most likely be Edwar Ramirez who has looked great so far, 14 innings, 15 K's and a 0.00 ERA.



Also, looking at next year, Mussina and Pettitte will more than likely be gone. So then you have Chien-Ming Wang, Joba, Darrell Rasner (3-1, 1.80 ERA), Phil Hughes and very much in doubt Ian Kennedy has your starting five.

With Moose, Pettite and Giambi gone, those departures clear up a huge chunk of the payroll so you can be sure the Yankees will be shopping for another All Star pitcher.

You can definitely expect to see the Yankees back at the top of division soon.

New York has a very favorable June schedule. A 4 game series at home against Kansas City. Then their interleague schedule consists of 3 games at Houston, a 6 game homestand with against San Diego (a whale's vagina) and Cincinnati, 3 at Pittsburgh, followed by another Subway Series with the Mets, including a Saturday double header between Yankee Stadium and Shea.

What The Deuce!

This morning I was watching ESPN and saw on the bottom line that Seattle had beat Boston 1-0. My first question, who were the starting pitchers? And who on the Mariners had shut out one of the best lineups in baseball?

Don't know because the final score was immediately followed by: M. Ramirez 1-3, 499 career homeruns. No shit Manny didn't homer last night! The Red Sox didn't score a run!

Since when does a players attempt for 500 home runs warrant their own bottom line?

How come ESPN's bottom line doesn't inform us that Ken Griffey Jr. has 598 home runs? The last I checked, 600 home runs is more impressive than 500.

By the way, Erik Bedard showed signs of his old self and the reason why Seattle paid so much for him by pitching 7 scoreless innings allowing only two hits.
Off and on again Tim Wakefield had his knuckleball motionless pitching 8 strong innings allowing 1 run and 5 hits in the losing cause.

Doc Rivers, Coaching Genius?

As Boston was turning in an epic collapse, letting a 15 point fourth quarter lead dwindle to a single digit, I thought Doc Rivers was once again going to blow the game for the Celtics.

But then out of nowhere, much to my surprise, Rivers might have made his best coaching decision ever, and one that very few coaches ever make. Up by three with under 20 seconds left, foul the opposing team! Rivers pulled it off not only once, but twice!

Maybe Doc watched the Memphis/Kansas Championship game and the idea was still fresh in his head? What really made the play work was that the Pistons were out of time outs and rookie Rodney Stuckey had the ball on each foul. You knew the inexperienced Stuckey was bound to choke under this amount of pressure.

So why didn't Detroit put the ball in the hands of Chauncey Billups? I mean the guy shoots something like 90% from the line. Also, with no timeouts, the Pistons never had a chance to regroup, draw up a play and inbound the ball from half court.

Another question. Why doesn't Detroit run that suffocating half court press defense more often? Boston was up 17 in the third, 15 in the fourth and finally Detroit put the pressure on by doing what has brought them to the Conference Finals so many times: Defense!

But Wow! Kevin Garnett! We all knew he could play defense, but some of the shots he hit! There's no defending that. He finished with 33 points on 11-17 shooting.



What really impresses me about Boston's defense is the fact they rarely allow easy baskets or any "and ones." How often do you see teams score fast break points on the Celtics? Anytime the opposing team has a break away layup, the Celtics foul. And foul hard, I mean like jump on the guy and pull him down to the ground. I never realized this was legal, but Boston has done it all year and especially in the playoffs.

With that being said, no way Detroit wins this series for the sole fact that David Stern wants the Lakers/Celtics Finals more than any fan.

And no way does Doc Rivers out coach the Zen Master. No Way!

Lakers in 5.

Tree Links

Now that I have your undivided attention...

Since it's the official start of summer, I'll start with the most visited tourist attractions in the United States.

Keeping with the theme, here's the weirdest attractions in the country, yes, literally the back roads. You know, if you happen to be road tripping through the U.S. and get caught in the middle of nowhere-the World's largest Ball of Twine, Carhenge, etc.

If you are currently unhappy with your place of residence? Here's the top 10 places to live in the U.S. I still will never see my ass moving to Tulsa.

I'm a huge fan of The Simpsons'. One of the consistent themes of the show has been its opening "Couch Gag" feature. This may be my all time favorite, evolution played out by Homer Simpson.

OK, let me really get your attention. 790 The Sports Animal here in Houston has a pretty cool website. Any website kicks ass when they feature the Thong of the Day!

What the deuce is up with the offensive production in the National League? With Chipper Jones and Lance "Big Puma" Berkman both flirting with the impossible notion of hitting .400, Sports Illustrated shows off its gallery of players who have flirted with .400 since 1980. Do you remember Carney Lansford?

Gotta give a shout out to my boy Johnny Utah, Smoking Trees in Belize. Nice post on some of the coveted intangibles in college football. Really like how Utah gives props to Cornhusker football and Boyd Epely.

Here's an early look at the American League voting for the MLB All Star Game at Yankee Stadium. Funny how the AL starters will all be either Yanks or Bosox.

Some great reads:

Sports Illustrated finally has a worthy Point After column since the exit of Rick Reilly. Chris Ballard asks, what if the sporting world was actually honest?

Also, I'm sure you all are aware of Big Daddy Balls, but his "Balls Deep" weekly article never ceases to humor. Always superb writing and worth checking out. This one's about being East Coast biased.

And the fact of women becoming regulars on covering sports, I couldn't have said it better myself. The best quote ever, "Choke on my ball hair!" If there's anyone who I've never met that I would most like to hang out with, it's Big Daddy Balls.

Oh! If I Met Her Last Night!

Boy was I wrong thinking there was no reason to watch the Season Finale of American Idol.

No, I'm not talking about who won. I didn't check, but I'm sure the Omaha World Herald front page headline claimed, "Omaha found the new American Idol!"

I know, it's a tough choice, the NBA Playoffs or Idol?

I would personally like to thank all my friends who called and sent me text messages letting me know I had to see Carrie Underwood!

Funny how my girlfriend failed to pass along this information.

But thank God for Tivo! and my girlfriend not deleting it.

Dam!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm falling more and more in love with Carrie Underwood.

I just hope my girlfriend doesn't find her down before I do.

In case you missed the real star of the show....

ESPN=Eastern Sports, Preferably NewEngland

There are a number of reasons why I can't stand Boston sports. One, talking to a buddy from the Boston area last night and hearing him once again exclaim "Boston is the place to be! We have everything! We have the Pats, the Sawx and Celts!" Another reason, ESPN. I know everyone labels ESPN as being East Coast Biased, but now, its all Boston sports all the time. You can watch an hour of Sportscenter, and I'd bet that 30 minutes is devoted to Boston.

First off, I would like to congratulate Jon Lester and his no hitter. It's an miraculous story for all cancer survivors.

But back to my ESPN bashing. ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut, is a short drive from the Boston area. So I'm guessing at least 75% of ESPN's staff consists of Boston fans.

Look at some of ESPN's reporters: You have Red Sox faithful Peter Gammons; Boston Globe reporter Bob Ryan appears on Around the Horn, PTI, Sports Reporters and Sportscenter; former Boston Globe reporter Jackie MacMullan is a regular guest on Around the Horn; and of course lets not forget "The Sports Guy" Page 2 columnist Bill Simmons, just to name a few.

At times, Simmons writes about a number of different topics in the sports world, but he just cannot resist boasting about his favorite franchises. When any of his articles start out with, "Tom Brady", "Why Kevin Garnett is the MVP", or his annual "B.S. Awards-Let me tell you about Rojan Rondo", you can stop reading right there. B.S. can stand for many things, but I now believe it's Boston Sports.

Last night's no hitter by Jon Lester is just one prime example. Not to take anything away from Lester's performance, but hey, did anyone outside of ESPN or Boston realize there was a NBA Playoff Game 7 going on? Of course they didn't. Why would they? There was already a Game 7 yesterday, and it was in Boston!

The no hitter is an inspirational story and all, but didn't Lester pitch and win the decisive Game 4 in last year's World Series? So obviously the guy is healthy and at full strength. Did this not show his remarkable comeback from cancer? Or was Boston so wrapped up in winning the Series everyone treated his gutsy Game 4 performance as a minor sidenote?

Jim Abbott pitched a no hitter having only one hand!

Bud, freakin, Smith pitched a no hitter!

I bet Jon Lester would like to be known as a great MLB pitcher who did something only a hand full of other pitchers had done. Not as "the guy who had cancer."



Oh Yes. Back to the Boston/Cleveland Game 7. The same Game 7 that ESPN could not pump up enough before the game and after the game. The same "epic" Game 7 which (with the help of Lebron James) ESPN constantly made comparisons to every other great Game 7 and most of all, the 1988 Game 7 between Boston and Atlanta. The same Game 7 ESPN glorified as Lebron and Pierce going back to back, trading shots throughout the fourth quarter. Yes the same 4th quarter that saw Paul Pierce score 6 total points and only 2 points in the last 6 minutes. (Those two points came on free throws). Yes, ESPN was comparing this "epic" quarter to Bird and Wilkins. I might be wrong, but I believe in that '88 Game 7 Bird scored 20 points in the final period. P.J. Brown had as many points in the 4th quarter as Pierce.

All day Monday, ESPN's coverage consisted mainly of recapping the "epic" Game 7. I even heard someone (Mike Wilbon) mention that the two best words in sports are "Game 7."

And of course, some on ESPN seemed a little excited that we were being treated to two Game 7's in back to back days.

But when Lester threw the NO-NO, the best words in all of sports quickly changed to "No Hitter."

Maybe you tuned in to Baseball Tonight to catch the highlights of your favorite team? Sorry! It was bad enough the Baseball Tonight spent 25 of 30 minutes recapping the no hitter (just about every out and the history of Boston no hitters), but of course there was Sportscenter opening up with the no-no. I think Sportscenter's first 10 minutes were about the no hitter. Ten minutes before you even talk about a Game 7! Come on!

By the way, the Spurs won Game 7 by beating the Hornets on the road. In the History of NBA Game 7's the road team has won 14 of 213 Game 7's. That's worth noting.



Imagine if Josh Beckett or Dice-K threw a no-no. Holy shit! We'd never hear the end.

I'm sure ESPN will sugar coat Lester's no-no for the remainder of the season. I'm sure ESPN has already looked into televising Lester's next scheduled start. Until then, I'm sure we'll hear Johnny Vander Meer's name as the idea of Lester throwing back to back no-no's will be mentioned.

And if you missed Lester's no hitter last night? Don't worry. I'm sure it will be playing all week on ESPN Classic.

Move on to Spygate. There always seems to be a new interesting development going on here. And now many are starting believe this Patriots franchise will forever be remembered as tainted (Bob Ryan included).



What I find funny is the fact everyone on ESPN complains about too much coverage on Spygate, "Enough of Spygate", "Can we finally close the book on this matter", etc. Well, it won't go away as long as ESPN features it everyday on everything from "Outside the Lines", "E:60", etc. The very same people complaining about the overexposure of Spygate are the ones constantly talking about it daily.

Let's journey a short time back to November. Remember all the non stop publicity ESPN gave on the Patriots pursuit for perfection? Heck, I even thing the subject had it's own section on the bottom line.

Of course ESPN was even comparing New England to greatest NFL teams of all time. How can we forget the mock computer simulated playoff of all time great teams?

And finally yesterday, ESPN paid some attention to the fact that Houston's Lance Berkman is putting up serious triple crown numbers. Maybe ESPN noted this rare feat because Big Brown will make an attempt at horse racing's triple crown. Or maybe because ESPN was televising the Cubs/Astros game on Monday Night Baseball, going up against TNT's Game 7. Nice tease.

One thing's for sure, if Manny or Big Papi happened to be putting up triple crown numbers three weeks into the season, the world would've have known right then. There would be nightly updates on their progress.

Heck, ESPN already crowned Manny Ramirez as this year's MVP about 3 weeks ago. No need to play out the rest of the season.



ESPN has a globalized monopoly on Sports. ESPN tries to tell you what to watch and who to root for. Look around you today. You can't go anywhere without seeing a BoSox, Patriots or Celtics jersey. Yeah Boston's sports franchises are near the top in three dominant sports, but you have to give a lot of credit to ESPN. After all, ESPN did say that it's Red Sox nation.

Look Ma! No Tats!

OK. So Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets' improbable ride ended tonight against the defending champion, always getting the cheap call, San Antonio Spurs.

As you all know, I love CP3! But there's one other thing I wanted to point to you and David Stern. Did you ever notice the lack of tatoos on Chris Paul?

Probably because he has no visible ink.

This might come as a shock (especially in the 21st century) and maybe a big reason why CP3 wasn't as popular coming into the Playoffs.

Not only does Paul not have ink all over his body, he doesn't have cornrows, doesn't wear a headband, doesn't wear the arm sleave, knee brace or the full cover leg tights and somehow manages to keep his jersey tucked in the entire game. No fashion show here.

On the court, you would think this guy would stick out more than Lebron James's lack of support.

CP3 doesn't sport any ink representing any of his dead homies, his baby's momma, his momma's baby, the complete novel of War and Peace on his arm, etc.



The only accesories CP3 shows is his Lance Armstrong like "Live Strong" wrist bands.

Wierd, huh?

If ever the NBA was really trying to clean up its' image and looking for a new marketing player, hey David Stern! Look no further.

2008 NBA All Rookie Team

Al Horford-Atlanta Hawks (Florida)


Kevin Durant-Seattle (Texas)



Luis Scola-Houston Rockets (Argentina)


Al Thornton-Los Angeles Clippers (Florida St.)


Jeff Green-Seattle (Georgetown)



2008 NBA All Rookie 2nd Team

Jamario Moon-Toronto Raptors (Meridian CC, MS)

Juan Carlos Navarro-Memphis Grizzlies (Spain)

Thaddeus Young-Philadelphia 76ers (Georgia Tech)

Rodney Stuckey-Detroit Pistons (Eastern Washington)

Carl Landry-Houston Rockets (Purdue)

2008 NBA All Rookie Team

NBA Playoffs

Now matter how the Boston/Cleveland Series ends....(I can't stand the Celtics by the way), would someone please give Lebron just one other decent scoring threat.

Lebron is constantly being murdered on live TV in front of millions and nobody is doing anything about it! I mean he's basically playing 1 on 5, and every time he goes to the basket the King is brutally mutilated. He has absolutely no supporting cast. It may be the 8th wonder of the world how this team is in the playoffs, let alone the second round and having won 2 games against the 66 wins Celtics, and the same Cavaliers team that was somehow in the Finals last year.

Every game Lebron is playing with an X on his jersey. How does he keep attacking the rim knowing his fate? How does this guy keep getting up? How has Lebron not won an MVP?

As for Kobe? I'm really get sick of everyone saying, "Look at the confidence Kobe has in his teammates!" "Look at the trust Kobe has in his teammates!"

Come on! How much longer can we keep sugar coating this?

I don’t have the stats, but I think in this Utah series the Lakers’ bench is on the plus side in points when Kobe is on the bench. But even when Kobe’s on the bench, just look at the confidence and trust he has on his teammates.

And Oh! My back hurts!

We all experience back pain. I guess even when we normal people have a bad day, we might even blame it on a sore back. But you know what? We normal people don't have professional masseuse on call, we don't receive electric shock treatment on our sore backs, and we get up every day and do our jobs.

Quit crying Kobe! Your freakin phonie!

I'm sure the Lakers' Game 5 win was because the heroic play of Kobe and nothing to do with Pau Gasol's dominant inside play.



And who is this guy Sasha Vujacic? Whoever he is, I don't think he should be talking smack to the opposing team until he shoots a little better than 1-11 from the field.

I don't really care. Just as long as you can beat the Celtics, if it comes to that.

And we all know the network executives are praying for a Lakers/Celtics Finals.

Who's Your Daddy?

The finals of American Idol is between David Cook and David Archuleta.

Archuleta's Dad has been in the news a lot, but who's really baby Archuleta's daddy?

A closer look...I think it's Wally Szerbiak!

You be the judge.






I'm hoping Archuleta wins American Idol. In this year of AI, we've heard nothing but the producers hyping how this year's contestants are the most talented. I've said it before, I would never pay any amount of money to see any of the top 12 perform.

My only question is? Who opens for David Archuleta? Barney or the Teletubbies?

The only way you'd get me to see any of this season's Idol contestants perform is if I had backstage passes to see Carrie Underwood.

Can we please see some more Carrie Underwood photos please?.....Ok!

NY Yankees 41 Games In

Last night, the Yankees wasted a decent outing by Chien Ming Wang (7 innings, 1 earned run) in his attempt to go 7-1. The Yanks lost in 11 innings 2-1 to the first place Tampa Rays.

Mariano Rivera took the loss while giving up his first run all year!

After Joe Girardi's 35 minute pregame (lets hope Hank Steinbrenner wasn't in attendance) meeting with the ball club, the Yankees got a little payback reversing the role and winning 2-1 tonight. Robinson Cano went 4-4 and is now above the Mendoza line.

Coming into the season, the question surrounding the Yankees was their pitching. So far Wang has been Cy Young worthy, Andy Pettitte has been up and down, Mike Mussina is rebounding nicely from his horrific 2007 and is now 6-3 with his ERA at 3.99.



Phil Hughes is out until at least the All Star break. Ian Kennedy isn't quite there yet. Darrell Rasner has come up with a big shot in the arm going 2-0, ERA 3.00 with wins over Seattle and Detroit.

All that being said, the Yankees are still lurking around, 20-21, 3 1/2 games out.

Their record last year at this time was 17-19, 8 games out.

Lets not forget last year June 4: the Yankees were 24-31 and 12 1/2 games out!

And of course Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada have been on the DL.
These two accounted for 74 homeruns last year, 54 and 20 respectively. That's a lot of pop out of your lineup.

You kind of start to see why A-Rod's a MVP.

Joba's been human with two losses and has also been under a lot of criticism lately. And now Goose Gossage! Who cares Goose! As long as Joba's still striking out opposing hitters. And maybe Goose is just jealous.



The Yankees bullpen has actually been the brightest spot this season.



Even the erratic Kyle Farnsworth's ERA is 2.84.
Joba's ERA-2.60
And Rivera, after giving up his first run all season-ERA 0.53.

Lets not get too excited kids. There's 121 games left!

Tree Links

Need a good laugh? Of course you do. It's always hilarious to hear someone drop the F-Bomb on live TV. Here's WNBC's Sue Simmons at her best. Warning: Careful where you play this video, not at work or around children.

Blender Magazine names it's 50 worse songs of all time.

Maxim Magazine lists the most inappropriate named sports teams.

Another one that's always a great topic for conversation: The Love of Sports makes an attempt to rank The Best Sports Movie Quotes of all time. CaddyShack and Major League just might be the best comedies ever written. Quotes from these two classics will last forever. Be sure to check all the user comments.

Thinking of taking a vacation? You might want to think twice if you plan on booking a flight with Jet Blue.

Sports Illustrated has always been known for it's great photo galleries. This one focuses on Baseball's All Scandal Team.

NBA Playoff Coverage: TNT Vs. ESPN/ABC. Not Even Close

Many argue this year's NBA Playoffs are finally bringing excitement since the Jordan era.

There are many great story lines.

In the West:

Kobe finally winning his first MVP and now, the condition of his back.

Will the hard luck Jerry Sloan finally win a championship as a coach?

The emergence of Chris Paul and the feel good New Orleans Hornets.

Can the Champion Spurs finally repeat?

As for the Eastern Conference:

Jameer Nelson gives his Orlando Magic the death penalty by guaranteeing a Game 5 win on the road.

Detroit looking again like a championship team, even without Chauncey Billups.

Lebron and the Cleveland Cavaliers, where to begin? Bron Bron's horrific shooting while tying the series up 2 games apiece by getting his lack of support involved.

The Boston Celtics? Was their miraculous turnaround season simply a mirage? The absence of the so called "Big Three?"

One things for sure. ABC network executives are praying for a Lakers/Celtics finals.
And I'm sure everyone's hoping for a non San Antonio Finals.

As the Playoffs flip-flop (no pun intended on the flopping) between TNT and ESPN/ABC, one thing's for sure, the coverage is miles ahead on TNT.



First off, I rarely find myself waiting to stay up for any post game coverage for any sport. But with TNT's studio crew of Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and the always off the wall antics of Charles Barkley, it's worth the lack of sleep.

How can you possibly compare ESPN's crew of Stuart Scott, Michael Wilbon and Tim Legler? How much NBA Playoff experience can these guys warrant? Who even cares?
I will give props to Greg Anthony.

As for play by play and commentary? Marv Albert's one of the best and a NBA staple. Kevin Harlan's voice sounds very similar to Marv Albert and brings the same intensity. Doug Collins is very informative and speaks from great experience. Reggie Miller, probably could still play and I bet the Celtics are wishing he was coming off their bench, has been a very nice addition breaking down the games. And even though his wardrobe may hurt your eyes, Craig Sager appears to have a credible relationship with all the players.

As for ESPN...Do they have any other play by play guy other than Dan Shulman? The guy is everywhere from college basketball, the NBA and MLB. You have to wonder how this guy has a family life, he's obviously never home. Or, how has this guy not killed himself? Monday Night Baseball he has to team up with Steve "bonehead" Phillips and then call a Playoff game next to Doris Burke. Doris Burke! What the hell is she doing giving commentary on a Primetime NBA Playoff game? I'm fine with women's rights and equality, but come on! I thought women played their role as the hot sideline reporter. And by the way, Doris Burke is not hot. She may be informative and know all her stats, but she has no experience playing in the NBA (don't anybody ever start to compare the NBA to the WNBA) and her voice hardly brings any excitement to to the game. Honestly, can anyone really take a NBA game, or any professional sporting event, seriously when there's a female voice calling analyzing the game? Can you say Suzyn Waldman?



As for TNT's studio crew, I always find myself watching the Pregame, Halftime and Postgame analysis. Ernie Johnson's great, and he has the awards to prove it. Kenny Smith is always insightful, and he has the rings to prove it. And Charles Barkley, soon to be Governor or Mayor of any town in Alabama, is just freakin hilarious.

I find myself watching just to see if Barkley will show up. Sometimes he's even late even though he's in the same building.

One of Barkley's best jokes, "I gonna have glaucoma tomorrow, cuz I can't see my ass coming into work."

Last night, while on live TV, Barkley has his T-Mobile phone out on the desk trying to figure out how it works. Eventually the phone rings, reminiscent of the D-Wade press conference commercial.

Sir Charles even went off on "The Boston Three Party" by asking, "Why do we refer to these guys as "the big three? We all know the "real big three" is Bird, Parrish and McHale."

When Lebron James was fouled hard by Paul Pierce, TNT was the first to note that the Lady in the front row going off on Pierce and Kevin Garnett was Lebron's mom.



The funniest thing about this whole episode, Lebron looks older than his Mom!

TNT's "Gone Fishin" piece is great.

We've all seen "The Anchorman" teleprompter prank they pulled on Charles.



And then there was the Kenny Smith/Kobe Bryant jumping over the car skit.






Well done TNT, way to take out ESPN. If only you guys had the NBA Finals.

Perfect Hollywood Ending?

"Hollywood Hero"

"Hollywood's Leading Man"

"Perfect Hollywood Ending"



These were just a few of the headlines from across the nation (mostly in Tinseltown) after Kobe Bryant received his first ever MVP award.

Kobe is definitely one of the best players in the NBA, but the 2008 MVP? I don't think so!

First off, we're talking about the same guy who less than 9 months ago called out his teammates, (yes, the very same teammates that embraced Kobe upon receiving the MVP) his coach and General Manager.

Rewind back to opening night. Bryant heard boos from the same Los Angeles crowd that went crazy for him Wednesday night. Talk about fair weather fans!

Lets talk about the media. The same media that brought Kobe down from his accused rape charge in Colorado. The same media that cost Bryant millions of dollars in endorsement money. Now, the same media expects us to embrace Kobe?

How soon we all forget.

Funny how Kobe has all the sudden become a media darling. Did you see him last week accepting the MVP Award. Bryant was all giddy and thanking his teammates who he vocally turned his back on before the season and wanted out of LA worse than any NFL Franchise.

Then before Wednesday night's game against Utah, Kobe was all dolled up wearing his white shoes, the arm band and knee brace while having his daughter run out to the court to hug this American Hero. Of course, Jack was court side wearing his MVP shirt. Only in Hollywood.


What a phony!

Kobe, not Jack.




OK, all the scrutiny behind...

Kobe won the MVP basically because "it was his turn." He won it as a lifetime achievement award. Isn't a lifetime achievement award being elected to the Hall of Fame?

What's even worse, listening to the commentators praise Kobe throughout Wednesday's 120-110 win over the Jazz. Even when Kobe didn't score, it was, "Just look at the confidence Bryant has in his teammates." Even when Bryant wasn't on the floor they still kept hyping the guy.

Who should have won the MVP?

That's easy. Chris Paul.



But wait....Everyone's still trying to figure out where Paul and the New Orleans Hornets came from.

Well, they have come from nowhere. Because no one's paid any attention to Paul and the Hornets until the Playoffs. They play in New Orleans, the part of the country this nation publicly forgot.

Just about everyone had Dallas beating the Hornets in the first round. No one has the Hornets beating the defending champion Spurs in the second.

And yet, after each impressive victory, no one seems to be a Hornets' believer.
They have no playoff experience, when did this guy Chris Paul become so good?

Like I said, the guys been doing it all year.

Kobe won the MVP because 3/4 of the Lakers' games are played on primetime in front of a national audience. I'm not sure New Orleans had any prime time games this year.

Kobe won the MVP because his Lakers' team finished with the best record in the tough Western Conference (only one game better than the non existent Hornets by the way).



Let's not forget, the Lakers' front office, the same front office Mr. MVP verbally attacked prior to the season, made a steal of a trade by acquiring Pau Gasol for next to nothing.

Kobe's Lakers were 22-4 with Gasol, 5-5 without Gasol.

The media has even said that without the addition of Gasol, the Lakers may not have even of made the playoffs.

Lets also include two consecutive Lakers' home losses to powerhouses Memphis and Charlotte without Gasol. Hhmmmm.

Heck, Kobe might not even be the MVP on the Lakers. Besides the addition of Gasol, what about Derek Fisher? Yes, the same Derek Fisher who was a part of the Lakers's dynasty with Shaq. Yes, the same Derek Fisher who played a pivotal role in helping the Utah Jazz reach the Conference Finals last year. Yes, the same Derek Fisher who came up big with 22 points in Game 2. Not just the scoring, but Fisher plays great defense. If the Lakers play the Hornets in this year's Conference Finals, expect him to somewhat contain Paul, but I'm sure Kobe will get all the credit.

What about Lebron James? Think about switching Kobe and Lebron? Lebron on this year's Lakers' team instead of Kobe? Are you kidding me! Lebron would probably have averaged a triple double for the season and put made a serious chase to Jordan's '95-96 Bulls season record. Lebron has never had a supporting cast in his young career. So don't be surprise when Lebron skips out on Cleveland and their horrific front office (Christian Laettner) and bolts to the Knicks or Jay Z's soon to be Brooklyn Nets.

Now in the playoffs, the nation finally gets to see the Hornets, and what's their reaction? Boy, this Chris Paul guy can play and is sure fun to watch. And Wow!, when did David West become such a great shooter.


Well, David West gets his props because Chris Paul creates open shots for West. Paul has West and one time Lotto bust Tyson Chandler playing like All Stars. Reggie Miller said it best going into the Spurs/Hornets Series: "Let Chris Paul get 35 points. It's when he gets his teammates involved is when he's most deadly." Hhmmm...MVP?

Paul just keeps getting better. Last year, the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets didn't make the playoffs. The Hornets didn't even have a legitimate home. Now, they're the number 2 seed in one of the toughest conferences in NBA history.

What's even more, Paul has better stats than the back to back MVP seasons Steve Nash had.

Even if you didn't (don't be ashamed, no one else really did either) see Chris Paul play this season, at least you could look at the box scores and see something special.

You're probably thinking I just jumped on Chris Paul's bandwagon now. Sorry, I've been pimpin the true MVP all year. Well, take a look.

And once again, here's CP3's website.

My 2007-08 MVP voting:

1. Chris Paul
2. Lebron James
3. Kevin Garnett
4. Kobe Bryant

Thank You!

All time NBA MVP's:

NBA POSTSEASON AWARDS
Most Valuable Player

Maurice Podoloff Trophy
2006-07 - Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
2005-06 - Steve Nash, Phoenix
2004-05 - Steve Nash, Phoenix
2003-04 - Kevin Garnett, Minnesota
2002-03 - Tim Duncan, San Antonio
2001-02 - Tim Duncan, San Antonio
2000-01 - Allen Iverson, Philadelphia
1999-00 - Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers
1998-99 - Karl Malone, Utah
1997-98 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1996-97 - Karl Malone, Utah
1995-96 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1994-95 - David Robinson, San Antonio
1993-94 - Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston
1992-93 - Charles Barkley, Phoenix
1991-92 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1990-91 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1989-90 - Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers
1988-89 - Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers
1987-88 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1986-87 - Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers
1985-86 - Larry Bird, Boston
1984-85 - Larry Bird, Boston
1983-84 - Larry Bird, Boston
1982-83 - Moses Malone, Philadelphia
1981-82 - Moses Malone, Houston
1980-81 - Julius Erving, Philadelphia
1979-80 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles
1978-79 - Moses Malone, Houston
1977-78 - Bill Walton, Portland
1976-77 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles
1975-76 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles
1974-75 - Bob McAdoo, Buffalo
1973-74 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee
1972-73 - Dave Cowens, Boston
1971-72 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee
1970-71 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee
1969-70 - Willis Reed, New York
1968-69 - Wes Unseld, Baltimore
1967-68 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia
1966-67 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia
1965-66 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia
1964-65 - Bill Russell, Boston
1963-64 - Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati
1962-63 - Bill Russell, Boston
1961-62 - Bill Russell, Boston
1960-61 - Bill Russell, Boston
1959-60 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia
1958-59 - Bob Pettit, St. Louis
1957-58 - Bill Russell, Boston
1956-57 - Bob Cousy, Boston
1955-56 - Bob Pettit, St. Louis