"Uh, No..."

Good afternoon everyone.  I've had WAY TOO BUSY of a day so far considering that it's my only day off this week and that it is the anniversary of the day that I graduated from high school a long, long, long time ago...  Haircut, bank, electric bill, Nike outlet store, phone bill, bookstore...  The Nike trip and the bookstore turned out to be a bunch of 'window shopping' mostly because my conscience got the best of me (I have to save my money for the move), and I got out of the two stores only blemished with the wristband that I bought at Nike.  Interesting (maybe) note:  When I started playing online poker, I began wearing a wristband anytime that I use my computer due to moving and clicking the mouse so often - that habit has stuck with me and I am now on my third wristband...  I'm going to get into this ramble with an apology to the baseball fans of LSU for a comment that I made on my facebook page this weekend.  While watching the 'super regional' from Baton Rouge on Saturday, the Tigers' fans were mercilessly booing the umpires on a call that an umpire got correct (see, I give officials their props when they get it right)...  ;)  An LSU baserunner was called out at second base after being tagged out by Stony Brook on a pitch that was actually ball four to the batter.  The problem was that the Tiger baserunner overslid second base (touching it, and then losing contact with it), so the free base that he was entitled to with the walk was moot when he broke contact with the bag, and he was clearly tagged out before he could re-establish contact.  Your friend 'Coach' made a comment on his facebook page to the effect of, "LSU baseball fans need to learn something about..., baseball...".  Well, last night when I returned home from work, I was watching the highlights of the third and deciding game in the super regional (LSU has always advanced to the College World Series when hosting a super regional).  Well, Stony Brook pulled of the upset of the Tigers and will be heading to Omaha, but the LSU fans seated along the wall, in a VERY CLASSY move, were high-fiving the celebrating kids from Long Island and they took a victory lap around the ballpark.  Very nice gesture...  With a lot of my last post focusing on the officiating in the Spurs/Thunder game six, it should be obvious to you that I cannot prove collusion by the NBA and its officials and I just said that the calls looked really suspect...  Speaking of really suspect, there was a Welterweight title fight in Las Vegas this past weekend...  I did not see the fight, but the OVERWHELMING public opinion is that Manny Pacquiao was robbed when he lost a split-decision to underdog Timothy Bradley in a fight that took place at MGM over the weekend.  Tsk, tsk, tsk...  Since we seem to be on the topic of sports, let me update my predictions and give you my call on the upcoming NBA Finals.  First to the world of hockey, where my New Jersey Devils (mine, because I predicted them to beat the Kings in seven games for the Stanley Cup) are now playing a HUGE game six in Los Angeles tonight.  If the Devils can somehow manage to win this game and erase the 3-0 deficit they were saddled with, and take this series back to New Jersey for a seventh game...  :)  That game will be shown on NBC at 7:00 CST tonight for you hockey fans.  In the world of basketball, I predicted that the San Antonio Spurs would defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games, and as you surely know by now, it was the Thunder downing the Spurs in a half-dozen games.  I was correct on my Eastern Conference prediction, down to the game, as the Heat eliminated the Celtics in seven games.


2012 NBA Finals     -----     Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Miami Heat


My Prediction      ------     Heat in 5 games


Just as I said about my Devils prediction against a red-hot L.A. Kings team, this prediction is also a hunch.  If you know me at all, you know that I will be rooting for the Thunder in this series.  I am not a LeBron James fan thanks to 'the decision' and the inane smokeshow introduction of the Heat's 'Big Three' when James arrived in Miami.  That being said, I still do not like the fact that OKC has so many young, inexperienced players.  Wade and James have been in the league for a lot of big games, and Wade has even won some...  :P  Okay, so has James.  I think that the experience of the Heat and the outside shooting ability of Wade and James (which the Spurs were SORELY missing in the last series - successful outside shooting) will test the Thunder.  If the Heat can steal one game in Oklahoma, and then return to Miami for three straight games, I think that it might be done - we will see...  Game one of that series is tomorrow night.

For those diehard ramble fans reading this, sorry about the extra paragraphs (Merry Christmas Grrouchie!). Chris Mannix, a writer for SI.com, was the guest host on 'The Dan Patrick Show' this morning.  One of his interviews was Rex Ryan, the head coach of the New York Jets.  Since Mannix was going to be interviewing Mark Paul Gosselaar (a former star on 'Saved By The Bell') later in the morning, Mannix asked Ryan, "did you watch 'Saved By The Bell'?"  Ryan's response - "Uh, no..."  CLASSIC...  :)  Ryan was also asked during the interview about his weight-loss...  Ryan has dropped over 90 pounds, going from 350 to 257...  Being the anniversary of the day that I graduated from high school, this got me thinking...  I remember growing up when we were taught that the United States was going to convert to the metric system.  Obviously, we never have, but I can tell you one thing FOR SURE - Americans completely understand what pounds are...  I hope that you have a great day and I'll see you again on Wednesday.