Go Bucks

So, it’s over. As expected, last night, the Brooklyn Nets beat the Boston Celtics to win their first round playoff series. The outcome, while annoying, I don’t have a problem with. The Nets are great, and when they are healthy, they are beyond great, and unfortunately, for the Celtics and their fans, they were both in this series. If you’re the Celtics, you tip your cap to them and get healthy. Also, maybe say a prayer, Kemba’s knee isn’t too gone and then get a veteran big who can defend and maybe score a bit.

Again. The fact that the Celtics lost doesn’t bother me….The following does both, bother miss and piss me off!!!!

Per Kevin Durant’s Twitter: ‘this is a spirtual experience’. REALLY?!? I can accept being a world class athelete and basketball player, I can accept being soooo damm good at what he does, but, I as a sports fan, can’t accept this. Was it ‘a spirtual experience,’ leaving OKC for Golden State? You won two titles and Finals MVP, sorry it wasn’t spirtual. Was it ‘spirtual’ leaving Golden State after you had won 2 titles to go to Brooklyn and ball with your boy Kyrie and pal James? Kevin, we call that a business decision. What was best for you and your brand? You made a great choice for you and your brand. But please don’t tweet spirits and destiny because it’s total bullshit.

And I hate to bust up the arm and arm singalong, but Giannis Antetokounmpo is comin! And he’s hungry. Enjoy guarding The Greek Freak for a bit and trying to score against him…..

And oh look, Danny Ainge quit, Brad Stevens quit as coach assumed the former’srole, and the Celtics keep find matches to add to their dumpster fire, instead of trying to find water to extinguish it. Do they go for an experienced coach who has won in college or the pros? Do they go with the wild card, like Stevens was a few years? Somwhere, Rick Pitino is smiling. God….(internal monologue, ‘somehow this is gonna work’….exhale…..wheezy breath, ‘somehow they will be conpetitive next year’. Get a veteran big who can move and shoot a bit, then draft a need, rather than a fit’.

On the plus side, the Yankees won and the Red Sox lost. Good for Clint. Back tomorrow. Thanks for the views.

Kyrie’s a jerk

Ok. I can accept the Nets when healthy are better. I can accept that. I can’t excuse the fan and the water bottle, you are better than that, and playing into Kyrie’s mind games.

What I can’t accept is HIM. HIS actions. Kyrie had a great game last night. He was part of a Big 3 that was just, man, fantastic. Win the game, but do it with class.

All his words of social reform and needing societial change are bullshit. Stepping on a logo after a win? His true colors were shown. I hope they lose and never win anything till he gets cranky and bolts to play with Lebron because ‘it felt right’.

End of rant. Happy Memorial Day all.

A lost weekend for the locals

Oof. Folks, it’s tough being a Yankee fan these days. They can’t hit, the have guys out of position, and their one consistent player is a starting pitcher. Unfortunately, unless Aaron Boone can clone Gerrit Cole a la Bugs Bunny against the Gashouse Gorillas, (I like cartoons), it’s going to be tough fot a bit. n

The next 7 are against the Rays and Red Sox, at home but against teams they are behind in the standings, so they have no choice but to win before this spirals. And to make matters worse, the Mets are in first place, (despite playing fewer games), so their fans are predictabily, insufferable.

The Knicks lost again, same problems as last game. Julius Randle is a nice complementary piece, but he can’t be your best player. Watching these games has shown a glaring weakeness: If Randle isn’t great, and the other guys don’t step up, this is where they end up, down 3-1 and scuffling. They, at least are going home, protect your home court and get back to Atlanta for game 6.

Lastly, the Islanders lost, which brings me joy. The Lakers are losing too, but they’ll just use Davis’ injury as an excuse, if they don’t fight back. Now, if, and it’s a big ask because I can see Durant and Hardin being great and Kyrie making a shot late. But, if the Celtics can beat Brooklyn, my Sports Sunday can be salvaged.

Enjoy your rainy Columbus Day weekend. (Yes, I know it’s Memorial Day, but it feels like October with it being a cold rain)

Back tomorrow with my Views from my Recliner.

Jason Tatum, A Big Performance and a Tough Night for the Locals

In yesterday’s blog, I was very critical of Kyrie Irving, and alluded to the fact that, if Kyrie or one of his teammates dropped 50 on the Celtics, it’d be devasting, but you tip your cap and move on to Sunday.

Well, between them, Brooklyn’s Big Three had 96 points between them, including a pedestrian 16 by lightning rod, Kyrie Irving. What is I told you, Brooklyn was the team who was devastated, and having to move on to Sunday?

See, and this point brings me immense joy, Jason Tatum, one of Boston’s young stars, amongst all of Brooklyn’s swagger and bravado, he dropped 50 and got Boston back into the series with Game 4 Sunday in Boston.

The Celtics withstood Kyrie’s nonsense, an early shooting clinic from the Nets, which included some ball-washing analysis of the Nets from Marc Jackson, ‘that’s some beautiful basketball by KD’, umm Marc? He got open and made a mid-range jumper, kinda easy to do at 7 feet tall and something Durant does all the time!!!! a

Now,the Celtics are back in this series. Tatum and Co. showed Kyrie and the Nets they aren’t done. As a Celtics fan, it feels pretty good this morning. Maybe Sunday will finally be just about basketball.

In other news. The Knicks got beat, they got outplayed. They need to be better in Game 4 against a bigger, louder crowd in Atlanta. The Yankees lost on a tough extra inning homerun. Aaron Boone’s managing comes into question again, electing not to us Aroldis Chapman, instead going with Justin Wilson, who hasn’t been lights out this year.

Be better today, Aaron, be smarter. Another coach in New York, David Quinn went with the ‘everybody plays’ mentality for the New York Rangers, the Rangers were mediocre this year, no playoffs again and Quinn was recently fired. In short, Aaron, don’t be like Mr. Quinn.

Back tomorrow with more NBA and NHL playoff thoughts, and hopefully a Yankees victory and Mets….well Mets whatever if they actually play a game.

Enjoy this soggy Saturday, thank a veteran and enjoy the freedoms we are afforded. Thanks for stopping by and the viewership. Be good to

Kyrie’s Return

Disclaimer: If you are a fan of Kyrie Irving, turn back. You won’t like my words to follow.

Well folks, it’s the Friday before Memorial Day. If you are working like I am in 40 minutes, get thru today, I hope it goes fast, and enjoy Monday off.

It’s also a big sports night with the Knicks game three, as well as Brooklyn and the Celtics from Boston.

This brings me to my old friend Kyrie ‘I’ll re-sign with Boston, tease a move to the Knicks, but then sign with Brooklyn because KD’s there and I don’t bave to be the guy, I mean I’m gonna sign with Brooklyn because I want to go home’ Irving.

Irving said in a recent interview he ‘hopes to and hopes Boston and its fan keep it about hoop‘

Okay. I think we all hope that. And given the social climate of the past 12 to 18 months, I, in this way agree with him. If you are at a basketball game, a privlege for anyone, and you decide to throw racism in, just because Kyrie burned your team, there’s no place for you or that on the court.

So, yes, we hope the game is just that, a game. As a fan, you want a competitive game, you hope the under-manned Celtics hang in there, but if Kyrie or KD or Harden go full Lebron or MJ and drop 50, you tip your cap and get ready for Sunday.

Kyrie, so yeah, we’ll keep it about hoop, but my question is, can you? Let me explain….

Now, I’ll take social justice and social reform out of my argument, much of what the players have to say, I agree with. We need to continue the social reform initiative, because it’s vitally important, but that’s not was my writing today is solely about.

‘Im gonna stay in and sign with Boston’

Before the 2019 season began, speculation ran rampant, where would Kyrie go? Would he, ultimately remain in Boston? Would he go home to one of the New York teams? Would he go to one of the New York with a guy, or guys and take of the basketball world? Nobody knew.

So, before the season began, in a media event at Boston, Kyrie proclaimed to a big crowd ‘I’m gonna resign in Boston, with Boston’, and fans ate it up! ‘Yes! We got Kyrie, Tatum and Brown are starting to emerge, he can mentor them, this will be great!’

Fast forward to the 2019 season, Kyrie is hurt off and on, and Tatum and Brown emerge as budding stars, and the Celtics would eventually make an early playoff exit. All of this was less than ideal, but he’s staying, right? They’ll be fine.

Fast forward to the opening minutes of NBA Free Agency, it was a Sunday night, and ESPN had it covered. Durant goes to Brooklyn, ok, not a surprise. Then Kyrie went to Brooklyn. You say ‘nah, that’s wrong he’s on record as saying ‘I’m gonn stay in Boston’.

See, that’s just it. Kyrie wants to be the guy, the face of the franchise, but, he can’t be that because once he is, he gets overwhelmed, but then when other guys emerge, it’s ‘hey this is my team!!!’

Look at his history. He wins a championship in Cleveland with Lebron. Kyrie was the best player in that Finals series, no question. So, he wants a bigger role, his star to shine brightest. Problem is, you are a team with Lebron James and, its Lebron’s home town team and its Lebron’s team!

So Kyrie, does Kyrie and forces a trade to Boston. He was good for a while, but then some nagging injuries happened, and Tatum and Brown emerged, it was slowly going from Kyrie’s team to not.

So he bolts to Brooklyn, and he’s comfortable. Of course, having KD and James Harden helps, because again he doesn’t have to be THE guy, and he can focus on other things and use injuries or other ezcuses when he doesn’t play well.

So again, Kyrie, speaking as a Celtics fan and fan of the city of Boston, yeah, we’ll keep it about purely basketball. My question is, can you? Can your massive ego be just about basketball?

Back tomorrow. Go Boston

A Much Needed Win

Watching the first half of the Knicks last night was rough. They’d pull close and make some plays, then Atlanta would go on a mini run and go back up by 10, Reggie Bullock went full thug and tripped a Hawks player, it looked bleak. I, who at my main job worked till 7, began battling my eyelids and sinking into my chair, and after a diet soda and mini ice cream sandwich, my wife suggested going to bed, which Pearl totally agreed with, in fact I still have the memory of her jumping in my lap, licking my face like I was in fact, the aforementioned mini ice cream sandwich, and looking at me longingly like ‘Dad, it’s bedtime.’ So, off we went.

I mentioned earlier, the Reggie Bullock trip? I woke up this morning to this tweet that soneone retweeted FROM REGGIE BULLOCK:

‘Run in back in the A….we wit da shits’.

After shaking my head in a chuckle at the silliness of the tweet, I thought ‘ok, they lost, and probably got smoked, so he’s trying to mask it and save face, that, that’s his right’

I went downstairs and was met by Pearl, who was amped. I go to sit in my chair to blink and fire up the CBS Sports App. ‘Easy Babygirl, I know you were rooting for the Knicks’ (as she legit seemed annoyed and barked and whimpered when Trae Young would get the ball,) ‘lets see how they did’

Holy Shit. The Knicks won by 9!

Apparently, Julius Randle remembered to relax, Derrick Rose, was Derrick Rose in his current form, which was good enough. Reggie Bullock had some big 3s. There was even an Obi Toppin dunk that made the crowd go nuts, to the point his mother cried, out of the crowd’s appreciative reaction. The series is tied 1-1, with game 3 set for Friday evening.

This is exactly what the Knicks needed. But. They can’t let up. They are going to Atlanta, a city and building, that hasn’t seen much winning basketball, since the author of this blog led them to a NBA Title in NBA2k14 as a rookie. (I do recall being pretty good and a big piece of the championship run.)

My point is, they can’t let up, and circling back to Bullock’s tweet, they can’t get cocky. They won a game they needed to, guys stepped up, great. But they can’t get cocky and lose by 18 and have Trae go for 40.

Back tomorrow, I’ll devote some words to the Stanley Cup playoffs, which I have neglected, a Lakers game 2 recap and probably some Mets and Yankees.

Thanks for stopping by. Appreciate any views, comments or suggestions.

Words about Mr. Mayne

So tonight for my blog, I’m steering away from my daily sports recap, laughing at the Mets, or my verbal cringing at tonight’s potential Celtics loss.

Tonight, it’s about Kenny Mayne. As most of you probably don’t know, last night was Kenny Mayne’s last SportsCenter. Let that sink in: Kenny Mayne’s last SportsCenter! Kenny, a fixture on ESPN for well over 2 decades is leaving ESPN after his contract expired. That, to me, a guy who from about 1994 to 2008, woke up to Kenny Mayne giving highlights and talking sports, it is sad. Sad that one of the better ones in his field, is leaving a place you’d never expect him to leave.

Kenny came to ESPN during a time when ESPN was shifting from strictly a budding place where sports was reported, to a media giant. Guys around that time were beginning to move from sports guys to sports and entertainment guys. The anchors were louder and a bit bombastic, and Kenny could be that, but mostly, Kenny was just good at his job, damn good.

It seemed that whatever situation he was in, he just would nail it. Whether it was commenting on highlights from a 2 game Wednesday night preseason NBA slate in October to covering The Travers Stakes at Saratoga, Kenny just had it, Kenny made likng sports and wanting to be a sports reporter fun.

Speaking of Saratoga….

For years, Kenny was a fixture at Saratoga Race Course for ESPN’s coverage of some of the bigger prep races for the Travers, and The Travers itself. Anyways, this one particular Travers Saturday, it went from cold and rainy to start the day, to ungodly hot in the late afternoon. And, as was custom, my mom and I had left after The Travers. Now, by this point, I’m over the mystique of The Spa. It’s like 5:30, my head is thinking ‘we’ve been eating small things all day..,we need food and soda and lots of food and soda’. Bodily, I’m power walking to keep up with my mom, whom at the time may have been related to Usain Bolt, while trying to dodge people and keep my footing on crowded, uneven sidewalks, then it happened.

I had looked to my left to rub sweat off my forehead, did I mention the heat? Anyways, I looked to my right, and I saw the set. ESPN had sent a crew to cover the prep races and Travers. There they were, LIVE on TV, and there he was, a back view of Kenny Mayne, LIVE in Saratoga Springs New York!

‘M- ‘Mom!’ I said in a quiet whisper, while still trying to breathe and keep the Olympic record pace, ‘Kenny Mayne, SportsCenter, they’re here!’ ‘That’s-‘ ‘AND he’s a MASSIVE PEARL JAM FAN’, my voice now louder, not giving a shit about breathing or much else. Mom just smiled ‘Nice to see you smiling, bud.’

I (we) spent the car ride to dinner singing Pearl Jam loudly (some things NEVER change, ask my loving, very understanding of my Pearl Jam fandom, wife, Erica).

A few nice words and a very long story in nice memory form. Aren’t you glad you stayed to read it? I’ll write more soon about Kenny’s actual last broadcast and more sports stuff. Thanks for reading

But for now in keeping with the Pearl Jam theme in regards to Kenny, I wish him well, nothing but the best, and may ‘whispering hands, gently lead him away’.

The Knicks and Good for the Bruins

First off, congrats to the Bruins for having a really terrific series and outplaying Washington. I am asking you, imploring you to beat the Pens/Islanders winner. Thank you. I’ll cosign this for Rangers fans everywhere.

Next, the Knicks. Now, admittedly, I am a Celtics fan, and normally, the Knicks losing would bring me a level of joy, but, my venom, hate and rage has shifted to a different borough, Brooklyn. I hate the Brooklyn Nets….anyways, that’s a battle for another day and blog. Back to the Knicks.

First, tough loss, at home, the venue, the crowd, I get it. It’ll sting till Wednesday. But, the loss could have been prevented. You guys were leading in the fourth quarter and you let it slip. A bunch of good, young players, that have never been in that moment before, and your first option, Julius Randle, great story, but he was awful last night.

And that last position…oy. How can you let Trae Young just dribble by you and get a shot off, let alone the game winner?

Situationally, and again, I’m just a fan watching from a comfy chair, playing catch with our dog, but, in my head I’m screaming foul! Foul him! You make him earn it from the free throw line. Fouling does two things : 1) Again, you make him earn it. Young’s a great free throw shooter, but he could miss. Plus, he’s a rookie, keyed up, big moment, he could miss on adrenaline alone, and 2) Fouling gives you time. Time to catch your breath, time for one last play and shot. How unglued would The Garden have become if RJ Barrett, or better yet, Julius Randle, hit a jumper to tie it and end regulation?

The one thing you cannot do is, let the clock wind down, then let their young star beat you with a floater, where he went untouched in the lane. But, that’s exactly what happened. The Knicks are down 1-0, in a huge game 2 at home on Wednesday, which brings me to my last point.

The Knicks need to get angry. Trae Young ‘quieting’ the crowd, he made the shot, and the showboating at the end was extra salt in a fresh wound. I hate that about sports today in general, we root for teams, but it’s becoming an’ ‘I’ thing, guys take credit for doing things they are paid millions for an supposed to do.

I miss the days of the Knicks of the early 90s, Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley and Anthony Mason. I guarantee you, if Young drove last night, and Oakley or Mason was there, he would have gotten clobbered. That’s what the these Knicks need to do, play with a fire and intensity that hasn’t been seen in these parts for quite some time.

Wednesday will be interesting.

I’ll be back tomorrow with a hockey recap, some words on the Celtics’ game 2 and maybe some Mets talk. Enjoy your Monday and be good to yourselves and one another.

Views from my chair, during an action packed Sports Sunday

The Good; Yankees finding a way again. Remember when Yankee fans were panicking? Well folks, sound the alarms…here come the Yankees rolling! They swept a good White Sox team and have been playing better overall. Hopefully, it continues. I’m just smiling a bit knowing the Mets are struggling….especially since they have the new owner and now have money to spend. How’s that worked out so far?

Other thoughts. The Celtics lost a tough one against a healthy Brooklyn team. Not having Jaylen Brown hurts. But, the Celtics have been injured a lot this year, so it not be their year. They can lose, I’m okay with that, just don’t get swept fellas, please! The league wide love fest that has been the Brooklyn Nets 2021 would be that much more insufferable.

Hockey: No real thoughts. The Rangers are a dumpster fire. I hope the Penguins and Islanders kill each other. So, go Boston or Washington to win the Cup.

Football: Kinda a lull Right now. Hoping Saquon is rehabbing well and hoping no injuries for the next round of OTAs

Golf: Incredible. What Phil Mickelson did this weekend was incredible. Good for Lefty.

That’s all for now. See ya next time

O