A little bit of everything
Cameron Blair
Issue date: 4/24/08 Section: Sports
It's a good time to be a sports fan. At least for me, anyway. It's so good that I found it impossible to restrict myself to one topic this week. So here are some observations I garnered from the past couple weeks in sports.
On Sunday, the Holy Father himself gave a mass at Yankee Stadium. Yes, Pope Benedict XVI held court in the "house that Ruth built." Sources say he chose the location because the Yankees need all the divine intervention they can get with Hank Steinbrenner now running the show.
After the mass, the younger Steinbrenner was overheard saying, "Catholicism? What a load of (expletive) that is."
I am, of course, referencing Steinbrenner's tirade against Red Sox Nation. I have no idea about how the man feels about the Catholic Church.
Moving on, the first weekend of the NBA Playoffs is in the books and has lived up to the hype thus far. On Saturday, Lebron James took over down the stretch in game one against Washington, scoring six points in the final minute of play giving the Cavs the win. James is the most exciting player in the league to watch late in the game. Watching him dominate was the human equivalent of watching a lion take down a gazelle.
In the Western Conference, Phoenix and San Antonio kicked off what may be the best first-round series ever with a thrilling double-overtime win for the Spurs. Tim Duncan scored 40 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. It was reported the normally reserved Duncan went wild after the game, adding an extra scoop of vanilla ice cream to his post-game hot fudge Sunday.
Here is my only beef with the NBA. In the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks made the playoffs with a record of 37-45. Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, Golden State won 48 games and did not make the postseason. Something's not right there. It's like seeing a pretty girl with a guy who gels his hair and pops his collar. It's just not right.
In non-playoff NBA news, new New York Knicks General Manager Donnie Walsh fired Head Coach Isaiah Thomas, who led the Knicks to a franchise-record 59 losses this season. ESPN reported this as breaking news. Yeah, Thomas' firing was about as surprising as Rosie O' Donnell coming out of the closet.
On Sunday, the Holy Father himself gave a mass at Yankee Stadium. Yes, Pope Benedict XVI held court in the "house that Ruth built." Sources say he chose the location because the Yankees need all the divine intervention they can get with Hank Steinbrenner now running the show.
After the mass, the younger Steinbrenner was overheard saying, "Catholicism? What a load of (expletive) that is."
I am, of course, referencing Steinbrenner's tirade against Red Sox Nation. I have no idea about how the man feels about the Catholic Church.
Moving on, the first weekend of the NBA Playoffs is in the books and has lived up to the hype thus far. On Saturday, Lebron James took over down the stretch in game one against Washington, scoring six points in the final minute of play giving the Cavs the win. James is the most exciting player in the league to watch late in the game. Watching him dominate was the human equivalent of watching a lion take down a gazelle.
In the Western Conference, Phoenix and San Antonio kicked off what may be the best first-round series ever with a thrilling double-overtime win for the Spurs. Tim Duncan scored 40 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. It was reported the normally reserved Duncan went wild after the game, adding an extra scoop of vanilla ice cream to his post-game hot fudge Sunday.
Here is my only beef with the NBA. In the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks made the playoffs with a record of 37-45. Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, Golden State won 48 games and did not make the postseason. Something's not right there. It's like seeing a pretty girl with a guy who gels his hair and pops his collar. It's just not right.
In non-playoff NBA news, new New York Knicks General Manager Donnie Walsh fired Head Coach Isaiah Thomas, who led the Knicks to a franchise-record 59 losses this season. ESPN reported this as breaking news. Yeah, Thomas' firing was about as surprising as Rosie O' Donnell coming out of the closet.