So I invested a lot of time into this series (I stayed up late for all these night games and still got up at 4:30) and I definitely did not get the return I wanted.
For the second straight year I'm sitting on my couch going, "Where are the real Pistons?" You know, the ones that showed their dominance against Philadelphia, and just absolutely steamrolled Orlando (even without their leader!). They are the true definition of a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde team and there's something about the Eastern Conference Finals that brings it out in them. Honestly, I don't get it.
There were many things that went wrong in this series, and it has little to do with the officiating. I know a lot of people want to pin it on the officials, but it was a poorly called series both ways. Paul Pierce's potential four point play last night that was called an offensive foul? Please. Kendrick Perkins phantom technical in Game 5? Right...Listen, some of the calls were bad for the P's, but I watched each game in its entirety, and they were bad for both squads. Boston was just more composed and handled them better. That's just the whole of it.
So I've been thinking for the past week, why is Boston the better team in this series, and what do we have to do to take control of this series? A moot question now, but I feel this series basically came down to two stats: Rebounding and second-chance points. Take a look at this breakdown:
Rebounds
Game 1: Boston 37, Detroit 37 (8-5 offensive rebound advantage Boston)
Game 2: Boston 39, Detroit 31 (13-9 offensive rebound advantage Boston)
Game 3: Boston 44, Detroit 28 (14-10 offensive rebound advantage Boston)
Game 4: Boston 38, Detroit 34 (11-9 offensive rebound advantage Boston)
Game 5: Boston 42, Detroit 25 (11-5 offensive rebound advantage Boston)
Game 6: Boston 38, Detroit 36 (Even on offensive rebounding)
We got dominated in practically every game. The Pistons did play relatively good defense throughout the series, but in my mind a defensive "stop" isn't just forcing the opposing team into a missed shot, it's playing a complete possession- tight defense for 24 seconds, good help and rotation, boxing out, rebounding, and gaining possession of the ball. We flat out didn't do the last three. As a fan it was very frustrating watching them go all-out on defense, only to let Boston get the ball back and have a second 24. And ultimately, in those close games, it ended up being the difference.
I sat watching last night, a thought dawned on me. The Pistons would be winning this series right now if we still had Ben Wallace. Okay, maybe not winning, but it would have been a little more competitive and at the very least closer. That's right, Ben fucking Wallace. The guy who couldn't hit a free throw to save his life.
But think about it. What was the one thing Ben Wallace did better than anyone on the floor? Rebound. That was his job. And when he wasn't rebounding, what was he doing? Causing havoc for offensive players- altering and blocking their shots, getting up in their faces, taking charges, etc. Throughout the series Ray Allen and Paul Pierce had a ton of drives into the lane and ended up with easy lay-ups, and after each one I was thinking back to when Ben Wallace's presence used to be enough to scare offensive players and make them think twice about driving the lane. What if we still had that? What if Ben Wallace held Kendrick Perkins to below double-digit rebounds? What if...
Like I said, he might not have made a difference in the ultimate outcome of the series, but he definitely would have made the way we played different, which with the way this series went, wouldn't have been a bad thing.
And fuck Boston. Seeing Sam Cassell hooting, hollering, and laughing it up on the sideline made me sick to my stomach. The fool comes over halfway through the year and contributes nothing to his team, but he's having the time of his life on the bench. A rookie I could see acting that way, but this veteran acts like he's made some difference in the series or made a contribution of some sorts. The only thing he did was pad Lindsey Hunter's steals per game stat. Fuck you Sam Cassell and your alien shaped head.
I think I'm just a little bitter/jealous right now...
~Mikey D
Pistons
You never give up on your team, right? True, but there are times when you know when you just aren't going to win. With ten minutes to go in the 3rd quarter, I knew the Pistons weren't coming back. Chauncey Billups was at the free throw line and just hit the first of his two free throws. He went to slap hands with his teammates, and only one of his four floormates slapped his hands (similar to Andrew Bogut, which Bill Simmons once pointed out in one of his old columns...kinda funny shit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc11PUnFgkQ). Chauncey ended up slapping air for the other three, but in my opinion, that said it all about how this game was going to be. We weren't together, there was no energy, and to put it bluntly, we weren't ready. For shame.
Interesting debate between Mark Jackson and Van Gundy: Should the home team fans be allowed to boo? Normally I would say no, and I cannot remember the last time Detroit fans booed the Pistons, but for tonight's game I think it was well deserved. I don't think the fans were booing the results of plays (missed shots, Celtic made shots, the score), but rather the effort of the team. I think the fans of Detroit are intelligent enough to recognize when their team is playing poorly and when they aren't trying. And tonight they weren't trying. And I would boo them too if I was there. I most certainly did from my couch.
The only positive I can take away from this game was the fact that they started to show life in the 4th quarter, and maybe that will carry over to game 4. Other than that, burn the tape.
Red Wings
While the P's were sucking, the Wings played a great game. I tried to take in as much of both games as I could, and it was certainly more fun to watch the Wings tonight. I really love this Wings team. I had a really good feeling about this team compared to other past Wings teams because I feel like they've started a new chapter of Wings hockey. The old guys- Shannahan, Hull, Yzerman (love you though)- are gone, and now the team is in the hands of Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and Franzen. They have the perfect blend of old with new, which I think is key for a deep Stanley Cup run, because as previous years have shown, having just old will not get you far.
But back to tonight's game. Samuelsson, Zetterberg, and Cleary with goals. Osgood gets a shut out. We shut down Crosby and Malkin. And we didn't even have Franzen! Could you have asked for a more perfect start? I think not.
And isn't playoff hockey wonderful? You hardly ever see teams give a lack of effort. I think that's what makes it so great, and one could argue that's what makes the playoffs in the NHL better than any other sport's playoffs.
Tigers
Oh yeah. They were playing in Detroit, too. A 19-3 victory nonetheless. I guess they wanted some attention in the papers as well. Two home runs for Magglio, which was surprisingly the only two home runs in the game for the Tigers (By the way, although the Tigers' season hasn't been that great thus far, Magglio has been the shit: .330, 9HR, 35 RBI. Vote for him on your All-Star ballot).
Nate Robertson got the win...but is anyone else ready to give up on him? He was terrible all last year and has been terrible this year. At some point you just have to give someone else a chance (anyone) and send Robertson down to figure himself out. Just saying.
So 2 out of 3 ain't bad, right? Except that one was really bad and it's leaving a sour taste in my mouth right now. Sigh.
~Mikey D
Now you will never have to worry about having it deleted again.
"We're going to make it, aren't we? We're going to be a couple that lasts. Do you get that feeling too?"
I love you baby.
~Mikey D
"My dick cost a late night fee, your dick got the H-I-V. My dick plays on the double-feature screen, your dick went straight to DVD. My dick bigger than a bridge, your dick look like a little kid's."
Truth be known, I do listen to some crappy music. I think more good than bad, but there are times I fall in love with a terrible song. Right now, my favorite song is by Mickey Avalon and it's called "My Dick". "My dick rumble in the jungle, your dick got touched by your uncle." There's no redeeming quality about this song except that it makes me laugh, and from what I hear, laughter is good sometimes.
Anyway, so I'm listening to the song on the way to work today and I got caught up in the following line:
"Oh, and P.S., we got dicks like Jesus."
Interesting. That really made me think...would it be good to have a dick like Jesus? This thought consumed me on my entire ride to work.
Let's start from a purely scientific standpoint. As humans we have grown as a species. Not just intellectually, but physically as well. It's fact that the average height of a man and woman nowadays is higher than in days gone by. And with taller peoples comes bigger and, cough cough, longer parts. Just saying. Now Jesus might have been a very well-endowed man, but there's no way of us knowing, especially a bunch of rappers singing a song called "My Dick" (I'm just assuming). But if we go by the law of averages from a scientific standpoint, well, Jesus probably had a smaller weenie than we do, and thus, it would not be good to have a dick like Jesus.
Maybe the song doesn't mean dicks like Jesus' in size, but rather they're taking the "savior" route- as in their dick is a pleasure savior to women. The curious thing is that Jesus was a virgin, as far as we think we know. So how could we conclude that Jesus would be an excellent lover? We can't! Sure there must have been opportunities. I mean, you'd think some horny ho must have at least tried to have sex with Jesus. He couldn't have been beloved by all and yet repulsed by all women, could he? So here's the only conclusion we can make...Jesus as a lover is no different than some virgin teenager. Untapped potential, but no factual evidence to support any ultra-orgasmic occurrences that would be worthy of 21st century rap lyrics. So a comparison to Jesus' talents in the bedroom is really unfounded, and thus not worth mentioning.
It is also possible that the artists thought their penises looked like Jesus. Although I'm pretty sure Jesus had two eyes, and not one, so I'm ruling this theory out.
In conclusion, I've decided to change the lyrics of this one line to, "Oh, and P.S., we got dicks like first century midget virgins." It doesn't fit with the song as well, but I feel it's more appropriate and avoids misinterpretation.
And I'm all about being more appropriate and avoiding misinterpretation.
And now I think I'll reread my post and take an opportunity to reevaluate what I'm doing with the time in my life. I'm sensing an eye-opening experience...
~Mikey D
I proudly report that I have reached my goal of earning $50 playing poker. And despite my recent successes, I have cashed out and will be going back to playing with play money just for fun.
As the title indicates, I am completely satisfied. Although my winnings really only get me one tank of gas nowadays...or Mario Kart...hmmmm...
~Mikey D
P.S.~ Adam and Kevin...poker game when we meet in June?
Now that Grace has started working at the airport her schedule is a little wacky, which means days she normally would have off she now has to work. Like today. Instead of our normal Sunday routines, I was left to my own devices.
I tried to get with my dad to go play golf, which we had been planning on doing for quite awhile, but it's been rainy down here in Maryland and my dad's been under the weather lately, so we ended up scrapping our golfing plans.
So what was I supposed to do with myself all morning and afternoon? Why set up a real money account and play poker for real, of course. Seriously Grace, you can't leave me alone for this long.
Like I said in a previous post, I've been playing poker a lot lately, and I've been a consistent top finisher- either in the money or close to it. I can't remember the last time I've finished in the bottom half of the top ten in a tournament. It's been awhile. I've turned my $1,000 in play money into $25,000. Not bad in about a month's work, eh? But that's just for pretend, playing for real is a whole new ballgame.
So I stepped up to the majors today. I figured I'd give it a whirl to see if I actually was improving my game. If I sucked, well at least I knew, right?
So I deposited my money at Full Tilt poker (it took me awhile to find a place I semi-liked), and began. In all I played seven tournaments over five hours. Yes, I am indeed tired of poker. It might be a couple of days before I play again.
In my seven tournaments I finished:
4th out of 18 (+$3.60)
2nd out of 9 (+$13.50)
3rd out of 9 (+$3.60)
2nd out of 9 (+$13.50)
1st out of 6 (+$19.50)
3rd out of 6 (+$0.00)
2nd out of 6 (+10.50)
So all in all I finished in the money in 6 out of my 7 tournaments. After all my entry fees, I came out a cool $32.20 on top. Not bad, yeah?
My goal is to get $50 and then cash out. If I reach my goal I will be happy, and I will be satisfied knowing that I can play when it matters.
Oh, and it's true: you remember your bad beats. The one tournament I didn't make any cash I was beaten on the river three times, and that's all I can think about right now. I don't remember a single hand from any of the other six tournaments. Stupid river with it's fucking 6 of clubs...then king of diamonds...and then nine of spades...grrr...
~Mikey D
The past couple of weeks on 'Mike and Mike' and other sports talk shows I've been listening to people go on and on about how The Masters and The Kentucky Derby are two sporting events you just have to go see in your lifetime. The pageantry...the tradition...blah blah blah. Look, I like golf, and my dad used to take me to Pimlico when I was a kid, so I'm not against either of those sports/events, but it got me thinking- what are five events that I would love to go to before I kick the bucket? It took me awhile to come up with a list, but I've narrowed it down to five.
I have to see these:
5) Olympics: There's not one event I prefer to see, or type of Olympic (winter or summer) that I want to attend. I want to take it all in and see as much as humanly possible. I think it would be fun to attend events with people from all over the world and root for your country instead of just a team. It's an experience, and a chance for me to feel patriotic, something, sadly, that I rarely feel.
4) World Cup Soccer Final (Anywhere but the U.S.): Okay Kevin, I know you are probably shocked. But every four years when the World Cup rolls around I am seriously interested. I don't know the first thing about soccer and won't pretend like I do, but for that month I am interested in all the games for some reason or another. What's even more interesting to me is the enthusiasm and passion that people outside the U.S. have for their country's team. I want to see that first hand. I want to be in the crowd during the World Cup Final in a country that's passionate about soccer and I want to feel the energy from the fans. I think it would be a unique sports experience, as well as eye-opening to how the world treats soccer, the world's game.
3) World Series of Poker: Alright, debate all you want about poker not being a sport and this and that. I hear you. I don't think it is either. Then again, I don't think NASCAR is or golf. So let's not argue about that. I put this on my list because there is an indescribable adrenaline rush when you sit at a card table with nine other men and you are playing for real money. Playing with friends is great. Playing for fun is what it is- fun. But can you imagine paying a $10,000 buy-in to play in the most prestigious poker tournament in the world? Can you imagine sitting down with the best of the best and pushing them all-in? I just want to do it once. I just want it to feel what it is like. I want that rush, and whether I win or lose it won't matter. That's another thing about the World Series of Poker- anyone can buy-in and play. While some may say that waters down the tournament, I think that is what makes it great. In no other "sport" can you decide to just sit and decide to play with the best. I would love to do this if I ever have an extra stack of high society just lying around.
2) Wimbledon: Golf has The Masters, and tennis has Wimbledon. The strawberries and cream, the lawn, the history...god, the history. Just to sit center court during one of those big time matches would be unbelievable. I know the Australian and French Opens are before Wimbledon, but this is the first tennis tournament of the year that I truly care about. It's the one I follow the closest. Huge serves and amazing volleys...it's the kind of tennis I love watching. Too bad there's not a great American tennis player I could hang my hat on, but you never know it the future.
1) World Series Game 7 (Tigers vs. Phillies): I experienced my first ever playoff game a couple years ago when the Tigers took on the A's in the ALCS- and it was amazing. To be at a game where the entire crowd was standing for virtually all nine innings, high-fiving each other after every hit and strikeout, and yelling, screaming, and cheering for everything the Tiger's did made me think that I got a bargain only paying $80 for my ticket. I had never been to a game like that before, and I could only imagine what it would be like if the Tigers were in the World Series...and were in a game 7...against my favorite National League team, Grace's Philadelphia Phillies. I probably wouldn't even be able to sleep the entire night before the game. Just to see a team celebrate after winning the World Series would be special, but to have it with two teams I love would be even more special. Number one, for sure.
But that also got me thinking. What if I could go back in time to any sporting event? Where would I go? Without explanations and order, here's my list:
1) Pacers-Knicks, Playoffs late 90's, Madison Square Garden, Reggie Miller vs. Spike Lee
2) Baltimore Orioles vs. Seattle Mariners, 1993, 25-minute brawl
3) 2131, Ripken passes Gehrig, September 6, 1995
4) Goran Ivanisevec vs. Patrick Rafter, Wimbledon Finals 2001
5) Red Wings-Avalanche, Rivalry Games
6) Murderer's Row Yankees, Ruth, Gehrig, etc., Any Game circa 1927
7) 1991 World Series, Twins vs. Braves, Jack Morris 10-inning game
8) 1992 NCAA Tournament, Duke vs. Kentucky, The Shot
9) 1996 Olympics, Kerri Strug, Women's Gymnastics
10) Fab Five, versus MSU or Indiana, 1991-1992
And then this list got me thinking some more...what events could you give me free tickets to and I still wouldn't go?
1) NASCAR
2) Drag Racing
3) Women's Golf
4) Bass Fishing Tournament
5) Division 7AA Football in Bumfuck, USA
I think I'm done thinking about lists.
~Mikey D
I checked ESPN.com this morning and they had my all-time favorite "front page" headline: Deeeeeetroit. Included were pictures of the Red Wings, Pistons, and Tigers celebrating.
It was a wonderful day for Detroit, and I wish everyday had a boxscore like lastnight's for the powers that be:
Detroit Tigers 8, New York Yankees 4- First sweep of the Yankees in the Bronx since 66'.
Detroit Pistons 100, Philadelphia 76ers 77- Buh-bye. Rip Hamilton 24 points, Chauncey 20.
Detroit Red Wings 8, Colorado 2- Done and done. How nuts is Franzen right now?
Beautiful.
~Mikey D
