World cup is in full swing as we prepare for the upcoming single-elimination tourney ahead, but other than that there is not much else in the sporting world that brings much excitement to the table. So, the only thing I have to turn to at this point is the Minnesota soap opera, which is the Brett Favre saga. I sat down with an avid Vikings fan to discuss their current situation and the outlook on their 2010-11 campaign. Our friend from up north wanted to be kept anonymous so we will refer to him as JK.

DM : So after a strong regular season and a heartbreaking loss to the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints, how do you feel about the upcoming season and your chances?

JK : First off, in all actuality, the Minnesota Vikings are the defending Super Bowl Champions. The only reason why we aren’t blingin’ rings is because someone greased up the football while we were on offense making AP fumble the ball like eighteen times.

DM : Interesting conspiracy theory, but what about the pick to end the game?

JK : 12 men on the field? Had to be..

DM : Don’t think so. Let’s move on. Your team is still returning a good amount of talent, but as it has been the past few years, Brett Favre is a question mark to return next season. What are your feelings on this situation?

JK : Well I think after all the hard work and dedication he puts in during the regular season, I think he is well deserved of a long vacation. I mean, the guy is at least a hundred years old and still throwing a million touchdowns passes a season. He will return in refreshed and in stunning form, just wait.

DM : Just wait.. Yes I think we will all be waiting a long time for his decision as always. The dude needs to quit horsing around with his generic buddies out in the yard, throwing no look passes and wearing wranglers because I read a recent article in a local Minnesota newspaper about a young QB that is turning heads in minicamp. Is he threatening to take over the job?

JK : You must be talking about Joe Webb. He is a stud that we drafted as a receiver that killed it at the combine. And get this… the player personnel are especially excited about the size of Webb’s hands, which are 11 inches long, an excellent attribute for a quarterback.

DM : Wow… so because the guy has freakish hands, he is automatically the Vikings QB of the future. This must be Brad Childress’ idea of being a progressive coach. Ignorant. It even sounds a little homoerotic to me. “Ooo, Joe Webb. Look at those hands. You know what they say about… large… masculine hands. Long….. deep… uh passing abilities.” So what if the guy is a workout freak. That means nothing at the quarterback position. I guess you want him to be the next Marcus Vick? Eric Crouch? TAVARIS JACKSON!? I mean what is your thought process? Sure he can throw the deep ball, has a fast forty times, and good vertical leap. But what is he going to do, throw the ball run under it and catch it for the TD and jump through uprights? Future MVP. And Brad, what is with the little headset on the sidelines? I assume that is progressive too. Wearing a Bluetooth doesn’t make you a good coach, it makes you a douche bag. What’s next jorts and a rat tail?

JK : Um… you done?

DM : Yes… Rant ended.

When it is all said and done, if Brett Favre returns, the Vikings will have a good shot at the Super Bowl. Their defense will still be strong, but they need a bit of help at linebacker and in the secondary. Also, AP needs to hold on to the football. I would still take him #1 or #2 on my fantasy team though. Look for the Packers to make a push for the NFC North title this season as the defense enters its second year in the 3-4 under Dom Capers and their once struggling o-line gets stronger. The Pack is potent offensively and are only getting better next season. These two teams should once again make for an appealing rivalry.

This afternoon’s game against Slovenia was meant to take place with England having six points and a second round sport in the bag. However, things could not have gone much worse for England or employers who now are faced with the question of weather or not they should let their employees watch the match.

The so called ‘Golden Generation’ of Terry, Lampard, Gerrard, Ashley Cole and so on know that they have to get it right against Slovenia. But it will not be an easy game, Slovenia has a population of only two million but it is certainly a country that punches above its weight they reached EURO 2000, the World Cup in 2002 and now the 2010 African World Cup, compare this to a nation like Scotland who have been unable to qualify for a major tournament despite boasting a league of reasonable standard and a population for 5 million.

The fact that England need to win while Slovenia just need a draw and the disappointing prformances so far mean that Capello needs to make changes. A talking point this week has been the comments John Terry made in which he called for Joe Cole to be inculded and too many undermined the authority of Capello and Steven Gerrard. However, what John Terry did was nothing wrong he stated at the start of the conference that it is up to the manager to pick the team but when he spoke of ‘Winning it for England’ he showed the one thing this team has been criticised for lacking, passion and desire. English football faces the biggest game in recent history and what Terry did might just spur the players on to beat Slovenia and if this happens will anyway be claiming Terry is a disruptive influence.

Terry said what most of England knows that changes need to be made. Joe Cole has to be one of the most unrated players in England, he may appear as the saviour now but back in May when the squad was to be announced many pundits were writing off Cole because of the lack of games he has had this season. Terry was spot on when he said ‘Cole can unlock defences’, Cole can provide the creativity that has been missing in the USA and Algeria games and solve the left midfield position which has dogged England for years. His position in the team would also allow Gerrard to be moved to a role playing just behind Rooney as a lone striker.

The advantage of this is that Gerrard and Rooney play this role at their clubs to great effective, what Capello had to ask himself is when did Gerrard ever play of the left hand side of midfield for Liverpool? and why waste one of the best players in the world by playing him out of position? It would also, led to Emile Heskey being dropped who has to be one of the worst strikers at the World Cup, one is hard pressed to try and remember when he last scored a goal for Aston Villa nevermind England. He missed a good chance against the USA and nearly fell over the ball while trying to dribble against Algeria and although Capello may like the physical presence he brings kicking balls up to Heskey is certainly not the kind of football Platini likes and referees often punish him for being over physical,

Basically Capello would be wise to play a 4-4-1-1 formation with the team as follows:
James, Johnson, Terry, Upson, Ashley Cole, Joe Cole, Lampard, Barry, Milner, Gerrard, Rooney. By inculding Milner it would sure up the right hand side which is vulernable if Lennon or Wright-Philips plays not because of their lack of end product but because Glen Johnson is suspect defensively. The final selection deliemma is over the partner for John Terry due to King’s injury and Carraghner’s suspension, the role has to go to Upson who partnered Terry throughout the qualifers and therefore has some understanding. Despite Dawson having a outstanding season for Tottenham a game of this magnituide is not for a rookie at international level.

A change of attitude would also be useful to England, a more positive approach is needed to create the chances that have been lacking in the last two games. Many have said England look frearful and are under too much pressure, this pressure is only going to increase with such massive game unless a different mental approach is taken. The England Rugby team reached the World Cup Final in 2007 by changing how they played and the England Cricket team won the Twenty/Twenty World Cup in May with a totally different approach to previous years. Granted Rughy and Cricket are a world away from Football but the pressures that professional sportsmen face are similar. England have to realise this is their last chance and believe in themselves to win which they should given they have some world class players in their side.

However, Slovenia will certainly fancy their chances of stopping England. This game is in many ways a knock out game and Slovenia have experience of this as in November they beat Russia 1-0 at home in the second leg of their playoff to go through despite Russia being the favourites. Slovenia are a team that reley on the hard work of each other and a solid understanding on each others role in the side, they lack the indvidual stars England have but are more then the sum of their parts. Their captain is Robert Koren who was released by West Brom which would suggest his not much of a threat but he appears to be one of those players who leaves there best for their country, while playmaker Birsa showed a touch of class with a supurb strike against the USA. And Novakovic will be a danger upfront he scored a well taken goal against the States and scored five goals in qualifying. And their keeper Handanovic has been hailed as on of the best by Buffon and is a excellent shot stopper who Rooney and co will need to get past.

June 23rd is a date with destiny for England, reputations of the players and manager rest on 90 minutes in which England can achieve redemption or condemn themselves to a almighty bashing in the papers. England will have enough if they play at their best to defeat Slovenia who will give it there all but showed against the USA that they can be got at. Whatever happens at least things cannot get worse for England then they are for France but then again a handball did not get England into the World Cup.

The wall-charts are being completed by football fanatics before a ball has even been kicked, a post-mortem on England’s failure is inevitable and the hand of Mr. Thierry Henry is still as popular as a dentist’s drill around the Emerald Isle. The 2010 World Cup in South Africa will bring anger, tears and heartache for players…..and punters alike.

It’s never an easy task to pick an outright winner of such a competition; however this year’s World Cup will most likely follow the growing pattern of ‘high profile’ countries getting their hands on the coveted Jules Rimet trophy. The last 40 years have quite astonishingly only produced five different triumphant nations and with this year’s host being a somewhat minnow in world football, you would be crazy to dismiss the current ‘big boys’ of international football.

Bookmakers nationwide are undoubtedly running scared of the wealth of talent Vincent del Bosque has at his disposal, by pricing Spain up at a slender 7/2. The European Champions boast arguably the worlds best strike force in Liverpool’s Fernando Torres and Barcelona’s new £34m arrival David Villa, while their midfield is packed with talent who continually dine at the top table of club football. However, up until their successful Euro 2008 campaign, the international record of Spanish football has been somewhat abysmal. They have been unable to get past the Quarter Final stages of the World Cup since colour TV was introduced to the United States in 1950. Spain may well have finished top of their qualifying group while boasting a 100% record, but a closer look will show that their closest rivals tend to concentrate more on events such as the Eurovision song contest, namely Bosnia-Herzegovina. Throw into the bargain the fact that the Spaniards scraped by poor opposition such as Armenia, Belgium and Turkey (twice) by one goal margins, it soon makes the 7/2 on offer not so attractive.

Most coaches, players and pundits all believe that the altitude of venues throughout South Africa will prove to be each team’s most difficult opponent therefore avoiding the South American heavyweights of Brazil and Argentina are major no-no’s in a competition which stops their football-mad countries. Fabio Capello will have a job on his hands trying to keep the English players in-check, however the reverse can be said about the Argentinean Football Association. If the ever colourful Diego Maradona can keep the spotlight off himself and his superstars while concentrating on playing the beautiful game, the likes of Javier Mascherano, Carlos Tevez and the best player on the planet in Lionel Messi, they can bring the most prestigious prize in world football back to their homeland for the third time in history.

World Cup’s are rarely won through the brilliance of individuals, therefore a line can promptly be put through the likes of Portugal, Ivory Coast and the Three Lions as it doesn’t take world class opposition long to learn that the likes of Ronaldo, Drogba and Rooney can be thwarted somewhat easier in international football as this competition is a far cry from skipping past a couple defenders at Fratton Park, Molineux or Hull’s DW Stadium.

Italy, Germany and Holland share similar tactical and battling qualities yet they lack those individuals who can land the knockout blow at the business end of the tournament. Raymond Domenech is the envy of every European manager in football as the talent in his French squad on paper is arguably the most potent. Arsenal’s contingent of Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy and William Gallas join up with Manchester United’s Patrice Evra and Eric Abidal of Barcelona to form a wealth of talent and experience at the back. The French have the flair of Franck Ribery and Florent Malouda, while goals should not be scarce with the likes of Nicolas Anelka and Thierry Henry around the penalty box. The main worry for the French nation is the lack of trust in their coach, illustrated so evidently in Paris on the night when the Irish were robbed as a result of the infamous ‘Hand of Henry’. The slightest hint of distress in the French camp could lead to all sorts of distractions therefore any money placed on Les Blues is out of hope rather than expectation.

So then, who will win the World Cup I hear you ask? Step forward the most successful and exciting footballing nation in the world; Brazil. The five-time winners tick all the boxes and the 9/2 current price will not hang around for long. This inflated price is due to the so-called ‘Group of Death’ which consists of the over-rated Ivory Coast and Portugal, along with no hopers North Korea. Expect to see Brazil as short as 3/1 when they qualify from their group therefore waste no time in lumping on ante-post. Their relatively new coach Dunga is basically their defensive co-ordinator while, as usual, the Samba Boys up front will devastate their opposition with power, class and expertise without any coaching assistance. Kaka, Robinho and Luis Fabiano have an ability to raise their game for the biggest competitions and they don’t come much bigger than the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

If you are an ever optimist and would rather get some extra value for your money, there are various other bets that are attractive. For instance, the runners-up in the South American Qualifying Group, Chile are over priced at 7/1 to make the Quarter Final stages. They should be good enough to finish second to Spain in their group as Switzerland and Honduras will not cause much concern. Come the last 16 anything can happen and soon your 7/1 could be a nice little earner.

The top goalscorer market usually attracts some support but is usually won by a player of a team who reaches the final. Brazil and Spain could contest the fixture in Johannesburg on 11th July and with the help of a comfortable group and top class service, Fernando Torres may begin to practice his goal celebrations sooner rather than later. At 14/1 you are leaving yourself with a great chance.

It’s painful watching England play without having a bet on and due to the ease of which they should qualify there is nothing attractive jumping off any coupon. Yet should things run according to plan, Fabio Capello’s men will meet Lionel Messi and co in the Quarter Finals, leaving the 15/2 price of the Argies sending the English back home hard to resist.

Outright Winner – Brazil @ 9/2 (Betfred)
Top Scorer – Fernando Torres @ 14/1 (Totesport)
Chile to make Quarter-Finals @ 7/1 (Stan James)
Argentina to knock England out @ 15/2 (Paddy Power)

Brendan Quinn- 3rd June 2010

On 22nd May 2010, Estadio Santiago Bernabeu hosts a mouth-watering Champions League Final between two giants of the current game, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich.
Everybody will be focused on the match hoping for a very good game of football and won’t really care whoever wins the trophy.
But this is certainly worth noting down.
This is the fact that if Inter win the trophy without the match having to go to penalties, then Serie A would retain its 4 Champions League places. However, if Bayern win, then they would increase their Champions League places from 3 to 4 and Serie A would then only have 3 places. We all knew Serie A was in decline, but we never knew it was this bad!
The concequences for Serie A will be severe. One of its top 4 sides will miss out on Champions League each season. This includes historic sides such as Inter, AC Milan, Roma and Juventus. Any one of these sides missing out each year will cause Serie A to fall even further down UEFA’s coefficient rankings. Already the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Kaka have moved elsewhere and even more stars will want to play elsewhere knowing that they’re not playing in the Champions League.
However, the case is much different for Bundesliga. This league has slyly crept up towards the top 3 leagues mainly thanks to the stature of Bayern and the many suprises it springs each year such as unfancied Wolfsburg winning the Bundesliga in 2009. It has also had 5 different winners since 2000/01 season so suprises are very common and this makes it very popular. It is popular despite having few superstars of the world with Franck Ribery being the only one who springs to mind. If the Bundesliga are able to gain 4 champions league clubs, clubs will have more money to spend and attract more quality players over to Germany.
On 22nd May, every fan who supports a Bundesliga club will want Bayern to win and every fan who suppports a Serie A club will want Inter to win. Whoever wins can change the course of their respetive leagues. If Inter fail, Serie A could fall into freefall but if Bayern win, Bundesliga could threaten the Premier League and La Liga dominance in the not so distant future.
IT’S THAT SERIOUS.

After last season’s stunning performances, Liverpool were tipped by many pundits to lift the Premier League Trophy this season. What went wrong?
Well, looking at how much Benitez has spent on new signings over the last few seasons has been lower to the likes of Spurs, Villa and City. So of course those three were going to finish higher if they have spent more, right. Liverpool’s net spending on transfers over three years has been £42.15m. This was mainly made up from the signings of Fernando Torres, Javier Mascherano, Robbie Keane, Glen Johnson and Alberto Aquilani. Plus, the sales of Peter Crouch and Xabi Alonso helped lower this value. The £42.15m figure is lower than the net spending of Spurs, Villa and City over the last three years. Spurs have spent £53.2m, Villa £68.2m and City a whooping £255.8m. So surely, 7th place was expected. Well…
Compared to the net spending of the top 3 teams, United, Chelsea and Arsenal, Liverpool’s is higher in the last three years and also much higher than United and Arsenal since Rafa took charge in 2004. Obviously, Chelsea has been bankrolled by Roman Abramovich being able to sign anybody they want enabling them to build a solid first eleven and squad and Manchester United’s net spending figure has been boosted by the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo, but Rafa’s spending has been quite poor to say the least…
From Josemi to Aquilani, there’s a very long lists of poor signings made by Benitez. This has caused them to get rid of so many players and buy brand new players which are slowly increasing the net spending. Sir Alex’s net spending figure is much lower because he has the ability to get the best out of players who are out of form meaning there’s no need to replace them with more expensive flops. A notable example is Nani. He was destined to leave in January, but Ferguson has suddenly transformed him into their best form player bar Rooney. Can Benitez do this? No. Can Benitez get the best out of players? No. Here’s why…
Firstly, credit is where credit is due. Benitez performed a miracle at Liverpool to win the champions league. He beat one of the best AC Milan sides ever with a Liverpool side containing Traore, Biscan, Kewell and Baros who were instrumental in guiding Liverpool to this fantastic achievement. However, since then Rafa has been unable to get the best out of players, particularly younger players. Ryan Babel arrived from Ajax for £11.5m with a massive future ahead of him. Three seasons later, he hasn’t improved at all. Poor man management and poor tactics involving Babel have ruined his career and reputation. He is rarely given a long run of games and yet sticks with Lucas Leiva every match even though he produced a rare good match per season and is one of the most average players in the Liverpool squad. To be honest, Benitez has turned most of the Liverpool squad into average players.
Finally, the net spending figure of Liverpool is all done because of Rafael Benitez and his constant habit of replacing established players with very expensive flops which aren’t necessary at all. John Arne Riise was a very useful utility player down the left, and then Benitez sold him to Roma and replaced him with the useless Andrea Dossena. Alvaro Arbeloa was a very consistent full-back who could do a decent job in either full-back positions was sold for a measly sum and replaced with Glen Johnson for an overpriced £17.5m. To be fair, Johnson has been a decent signing, but this money was better off spent elsewhere. When Xabi Alonso left for £30m, Benitez was allowed to spend £35m. Johnson was signed. OK, is a right-back going to help our team improve significantly? Well then, this leaves £17.5m to spend, let’s blow the entire lot on an injury-prone midfielder who won’t be able to play the first three months of the season and has never completed a full injury-free season at Roma. Nice one. It was pretty obvious that a striker was needed to partner or back Torres up because David Ngog isn’t ready yet.
In conclusion, Rafa has got to go. There are too many bad points associated with Benitez. But who could replace him? The obvious choices would be Jose Mourinho, Kenny Dalglish or Guus Hiddink. However, my choice would be Frank Rijkaard. He’s currently at Galatasaraay and has one year left on his contract so compensation wouldn’t be a problem and with a new £20m a season sponsorship with Standard Chartered beginning at the start of next season, some sort of sponsorship towards Benitez can be easily paid as well as to Galatasaraay for Rijkaard’s services.
With no money available, players will have to be sold to make funds. The likely candidates to be sold will be Diego Cavalieri, Albert Riera, Philipp Degen, Nabil El Zhar, Charles Itandje, Mikel San Jose Dominguez and perhaps Martin Skrtel, Yossi Benayoun and Alberto Aquilani. This could free up a maximum £45m. Now, at Barcelona, Rijkaard built a fantastic team with magnificent signings. He was the one who turned Ronaldinho into the best in the world and he was the one who introduced Messi to the world. I would trust Rijkaard with £45m to spend much more than Benitez based on past dealings.
So, who could Rijkaard sign? Well, Benitez has already made signings for next season. Highly rated Jonjo Shelvey joined from Charlton for a potential £3m and Milan Jovanovic will join when his contract at Standard Liege expires next month. A left-back is desperately needed especially if Fabio Aurelio leaves as Insua is too young and inexperienced to be playing week in week out. Taye Taiwo would be a good choice from Marseille. £9m will be enough to take him to Anfield. That leaves Rijkaard £30m to spend. Rijkaard will no doubt go for Galatasaraay captain Arda Turan who has been outstanding this season. Turan will jump at the chance to join Liverpool as it would fulfil a dream come true for him. £14m should be enough, leaving Rijkaard with about £16m to spend. A striker should be signed with this remaining amount. Edin Dzeko would be an ideal choice partnering Torres up front. Perhaps a few Liverpool fringe players could go to Wolfsburg to help sweeten the deal as they will be competing against champions league clubs such as Chelsea and AC Milan for his signature. Already, a good starting eleven with more options on the bench is what Liverpool needs and is the correct way forward for them.
As well as a much stronger team, Liverpool could be involved in a title race next season as they have no Champions League to be preoccupied with and they can fully concentrate on the league. The Europa League will help improve the youngsters at the club. Players like Martin Kelly, Daniel Ayala, Jay Spearing, Daniel Pacheco and Krisztian Nemeth will be given the opportunity to prove they are worthy. Imagine Liverpool competing for the league, cementing a Champions League place and youngsters from the academy given a decent run of games improving their games.
All of this can be achieved with the new optimism created by the appointment of Rijkaard. Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres will believe they can actually win trophies as Liverpool’s style of play will be more attacking and attractive. Under Benitez, it’s always been high hopes but low end results. Under Rijkaard, imagine a team with Reina solid as ever, Johnson and Taiwo providing assist after assist, Carragher and Agger rock-solid defensively, Maxi and Turan providing much needed width, Gerrard and Mascherano controlling the game and Torres and Dzeko banging in the goals. Liverpool fans, this doesn’t have to be a dream, it can be reality. Changes have to be made NOW. Rijkaard can improve the team and once new owners are found and funds are able to be provided, players like Franck Ribery and Angel Di Maria will be rejecting Chelsea and Man United to join Liverpool.

After coming off injury reserve for almost two months(High ankle sprain), Michael Leighton was called upon early in the second period after Brian Boucher was plummeted by Ryan Parent falling in to him causing Boucher to leave the game with two sprained MCLs in both of his knees (left game early).

Flyers fans hearts dropped watching Boucher lay on his back in agony holding his leg. Now with another Flyer added to the long injury list along with Ray Emery (hip injury), Jeff Carter (Foot injury), and Ian Laperriere (brain contusion), players have to step up to fill the gaps.

Michael Leighton took the ice nervously and anxious with the Flyers ahead of the Bruins 1-0 early in the second period. After Boucher saved 9 shots earlier, Leighton finished strong with 14 saves and keeping the shutout alive ending the game with Philadelphia 4, Boston 0.

With Boston leading the series 3-2, game six comes home to Philadelphia Wednesday with the Flyers once again playing to keep their season alive. Flyers look to Leighton to once again be a reliable netminder as he was earlier in the season with a strong record of 17-9-2.

The Momentum spark is back with Scott Hartnell stepping up scoring two big goals in game 5 and Simon Gagne coming off injury reserve and putting up big points scoring the game winning goal in game 4 in overtime.

Flyers fans once again put on their rally caps back on and back up their team coming home Wednesday night to watch their Flyers take on the Bruins in game 6 with Boston leading series
3-2.

Bottom of the 9th at Fenway Park. Frank Francisco on the mound for the Rangers. Kevin Youkilis lines one of Francisco’s forearm and ends up on 1st. After some mis-communication between the pitcher and catcher, a pass ball is thrown and Youkilis advances to 2nd, halfway there to ending the game. Bill Hall lays down a perfect sacrifice bunt which moves Youk to 3rd. 90 feet away. After Francisco intentionally walks Mike Lowell, recently added Adrian Beltre pops out to the First Baseman. First and third, 2 outs, bottom of the 9th. Jason Varitek stands at the plate. He didn’t have to move his bat. 4 straight balls, and now the bases are loaded for Darnell McDonald who was just brought up from Pawtucket (Redsox AAA farm team). He’s already hit a 2-run homer earlier in the game. He stands and delivers again. High pop-fly off the Green Monster to end the game. What a rough start to 2010 for Frank Francisco.

Game 2 for the Heat was a must-win. It didn’t happen. After the buzzer of the first quarter rang, it wasn’t even close. A 21-0 run in the 2nd quarter knocked the Heat down. And then an 18-0 run in the 3rd quarter kept them there. Glen Davis had big shoes to fill coming into this game, as he was taking the position of Kevin Garnett. I think you can declare those shoes filled. 23 points to go along with 8 rebounds was what Big Baby brought to the table. After a rough Game 1, Ray Allen responded with 25 points, shooting 7-9 from beyond the arc. Not a bad way to rebound. Pierce also had 13. Kendrick Perkins had 13 and grabbed 9 boards. And Rajon Rondo dished out 12 assists, as well as scored 8 points. Boston shot a great 48% from the field, as well as an amazing 60% from 3 (12-20). Miami was another story. In the 2nd quarter they scored 10 points, which set a franchise low for points in a quarter in a playoff game. That’s just embarrassing. Dwyane Wade was the only bright spot in this game. He went 5-8 from 3, for 29 points, as well as 5 assists. They did a good job not turning the ball over, but it’s not good enough when it seems like the basket you’re shooting at has a lid covering it. The next two games will be held in Miami, and are both must-wins for the Heat.

Brandon Jennings is a rookie, and right now is without a doubt the best scorer on Milwaukee. When he gets held to 9 points and 2 assists, there is a slim-to-none chance that the Bucks are going to come out on top. Atlanta proved that tonight. Joe Johnson led the way with 27 points, and 6 assists, but Josh Smith deserves the player of the game. 21 points, 14 rebounds, 9 assists. He continues to prove that the Hawks may not be getting the credit that they deserve. The big man Al Horford added 20 points, and 10 boards as well. All 5 starters (Johnson, Smith, Horford, Mike Bibby, Marvin Williams) were in double-digits. I would have to say that these two series’ are wrapped up. I’m going to say that the Hawks and Celtics both win in 5 games. The Celtics will get snubbed by the Cavs, but I think the Hawks will beat Orlando in 6. We’ll wait and see.

Let me start this article off by saying kudos to Jeff Green. The Thunder guard doesn’t get nearly enough praise for the exceptional defense that he applied on the best basketball player of this past decade, Kobe Bryant. He held Bryant to 20 points, 7 less than his season average, as well as only 6-19 from the floor, 14% less than his season average. It also must have been hard for him to score because whenever Kevin Durant got the ball he’d take a garbage shot. Durant who shot a terrible 29% from the field, 13% from beyond the arc, still managed to score 24 points. That’s how much he shot the ball. When you shoot that bad, and still score in the 20s, you know your a major ball-hog. He had 2 assists, which seemed like 2 too much. It made me sick to my stomach watching him take awful shots. And it’s not like he was barely missing. He threw up brick after brick, and even a couple airballs. If that’s what Oklahoma City is paying him millions of dollars to do, they are better off paying me to go out there and play. Even I can take horrendous shots, and embarrass myself in front of millions. But seriously, when you dish out 2 assists, and that’s barely lower than your season average, you know that none of your teammates like it when you have the ball in your hands. Even Kobe Bryant, whom everyone thinks doesn’t pass enough, averaged 5 on the season. So hears a big “You Suck!” to you Kevin Durant. Start sharing the ball. In case you didn’t notice, your teammates saved your ass in Game 1 to keep it close. Also just pointing out that the Thunder, minus Durant, shot 47% from the field. To switch gears, the Lakers clearly showed how much bigger they were as Gasol had 19 and 13, and Bynum gave them 13 and 12. And even though Ron Artest looked like a younger Eminem, I have to give him props on the how good his defending was. If Durant doesn’t start taking better shots, and sharing the ball more, this series isn’t going to go past 4 games.

Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat want another NBA Championship. They certainly aren’t going to get that championship if they continue to play as poorly as they did in the 4th quarter this past Saturday night. Even with Wade’s game-high 26 points, team-high 6 assists, and 8 rebounds the Heat still came up 9 points short of the Mean Green. Celtics’ team leader, Kevin Garnett took mean to a whole new level after getting ejected from Game 1, and suspended from Game 2 for jarring with Heat guard, Quentin Richardson in the 4th quarter. Richardson had a solid showing with 15 points. One reason for the Heat loss should be turnovers. Wade and forward Michael Beasley alone committed 12, while the entire Boston team gave only 17 away. Some key players for Boston were Paul Pierce who had a team-high 16 points to go along with his 5 rebounds. Garnett had a solid 15 points, and 9 rebounds. Point guard Rajon Rondo had his usual reliable showing of 10 point, 10 assists, 7 rebounds. The top two players off the bench for the Celtics were guard Tony Allen, and Forward Glen Davis. Allen had 14 points, and also played great defense with 3 steals, and 2 blocks. Davis gave the team a solid 8 points, and 8 boards. One thing the Heat have got to do tonight is to get to the line. They only shot 13 free throws, compared to the Celtics’ 28. Another key would be to commit fewer fouls, as they committed more than 2 times the amount the Celtics committed. The Heat are in need of a Game 2 victory. They cannot allow the Celtics to go up 2-0 in the series. The task will be slightly easier, though, as the Boston big-man Kevin Garnett will not be playing tonight.