While listening to “Mike and Mike in the Morning” on ESPN Radio this morning, I heard a very intriguing statistic from Jalen Rose, NBA analyst, about the NBA finals matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat.
Rose said that dating back to 1999, there have been only 3 teams to win the Western Conference. The Los Angelos Lakers have won it 7 times, with 5 championships. The San Antonio Spurs have won it 4 times, with 4 championships. And the Dallas Mavericks have won it the remaining 2 times.
Over that same period, there have been 9 different teams to win the Eastern Conerence! Only 3 of these teams have gone on to win the NBA finals: Detroit (2004), Miami (2006), Boston (2008).
What can we learn from this?
The Eastern Conference is WIDE OPEN! Surely Miami’s Big 3 saw this as an opportunity to dominate the conference for the foreseeable future which lead them to team up. If a team could be constructed like theirs was, they could be like the Lakers of the last decade.
The Western Conference IS TOUGH! Dallas having only come out of the West twice is more a testament to the excellence of the Lakers and Spurs as organizations than it is to the poorness of the Mavericks organization.
The Bottom Line: Perhaps over the next 10+ years, we’ll see a switch in the conferences. Can Miami dominate like the Lakers or Spurs? Will there be a variety of teams that come out of the West? I say yes!
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When the dejection over the blown leads in Games 4 and 5 wears off, one realizes the big picture remains blindingly bright for Oklahoma City. Looking forward, this is the most talented team in the Western Conference. They lost to a savvier team that excelled in the exact areas where the Thunder struggled, but they’ve also improved by leaps and bounds in this department every season.
There’s no guarantee they make it back here, obviously, but you have to like their chances. And when they do, experiences like this one — painful though it may be — might help push them over the hump.
” — John Hollinger, ESPN“
In the three games, Oklahoma City has been outscored 39-17 in the opening minutes of the first quarter until a reserve checks into the game. Overall, the deficit to begin each half is 57-31. Take those minutes away and the Thunder are comfortably outscoring Dallas.
To put a finer point on things, let’s replace the word “starters” with “Kendrick Perkins.” In his 82 minutes on the court, the Thunder have been outscored by a whopping 32 points. In his 62 minutes on the bench, the advantage has titled nearly as strongly the other way: The Thunder are plus-23.
” — John Hollinger, ESPN“Earlier this evening, President Obama called to inform me that American forces killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of the al Qaeda network that attacked America on September 11, 2001. I congratulated him and the men and women of our military and intelligence communities who devoted their lives to this mission. They have our everlasting gratitude. This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done.” — President George W. Bush
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I love sleeping in on Saturdays And I love college football games I love not acting my age And good barbeque
Yeah I’m a fan of all the books And anything my mama cooks Smallmouth bass have got me hooked On Sunday afternoon
Yes I love good cold beer And mustard on my fries I love a good loud honky tonk That rocks on Friday night
And hell yes I love my truck But I want you to know Honey I love your love the most
Man I love how Redman tastes And damn I love my Nascar race Any song sung by George Strait Is country at it’s best
Yes I love good cold beer And mustard on my fries I love a good loud honky tonk That rocks on Friday nights
And hell yes I love my truck But I want you to know Honey I love your love the most
Yeah I love scuffed up cowboy boots And broken tore up jeans A four wheel drive, eight point bucks And rocky road ice cream
And hell yes I love my dog And Jack D in my coke But honey I love your love Yeah I love your love I love your love the most
I love your love the most
” — “Love Your Love the Most” by Eric Church“A big reason fraternities come and go is lack of alum support and lack of individual drive for excellence.” — Debby Strickland
“In the seven games with Kendrick Perkins in the lineup, the Thunder have gone 6-1 while allowing just 91.1 PPG, more than 10 points fewer than before he was playing.” — ESPN Stats and Info
For some ridiculous reason politicians seem to believe that they are required to announce a run for the White House a year and a half or more before the election. By my count, that would mean that any day now, we’ll see a slew of candidates for the Republican nomination announce their intent to challenge the President. I have noticed one potential candidate in particular who seems to be positioning himself for a run.
Everyone knows who Donald Trump is (if nothing else, people know him by his hair). Despite that widespread popularity, Trump seems to be getting more and more face time on as many TV shows and other avenues as possible. He recently appeared on Letterman, his show, Celebrity Apprentice, is currently running on NBC, on Tuesday he’ll be roasted on Comedy Central, and I’m sure there are more. It just seems logical to me that all of this publicity is leading up to an entrance into politics.
So the question is, what do we think about that?
Naturally, recent history would lead us to discuss the economy first. Most people would agree that Trump has been successful, even in a down economy, and therefore may be able to provide some help to the rest of us.
What about his leadership? Is there any doubt that people in this country and around the world would listen when Trump speaks? I cannot imagine a scenario where Trump would or could be out debated by any world leader or business executive. He would get immediate credibility because of his past success as a business leader.
Where does he stand on social issues? First of all, I am of the opinion that it doesn’t matter what a person believes regarding abortion, gay marriage, etc. Beliefs one way or another on these issues will not affect the way a person governs the country. Perhaps the appointment of Supreme Court justices will be affect by these issues, however there are so many checks and balances of these appointments that I don’t see this as an issue.
The only problem that I can see is: would Trump take the pay cut to live in the White House? I can’t imagine this actually coming up in a debate, but the question is very real. Who knows how much Trump pulls down in a year, but I’ll bet it’s more than the President makes. Either way, I’m sure he’d be willing to do it.
The Bottom Line: If Trump does make a run and ultimately gets the nomination, it’s going to be hilarious when, in one of their debates, he says: “Mr. President, you’re fired!”
“No (wo)man needs sympathy because (s)he has to work. Because (s)he has a burden to carry far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” — Theodore Roosevelt
“The rules of the game are, given the cards that you get, figure out the most optimum way to play this hand that will enhance your chance to win.” — John Wang