NBA Playoffs - Top 5 Things We Learned From Round 1

With all but the Memphis vs San Antonio Round 1 match-ups settled and Round 2 set to begin on Sunday, I thought now was a good time to review what we've learned.

Lesson #5:
It's the same old lesson we learn every year but seem to forget over the course of another regular season. NEVER, NEVER underestimate a team's chances to win.
Memphis is giving the Spurs all they can handle, New Orleans put a little scare into the Lakers, and the Atlanta Hawks pulled off a mild upset in beating Orlando.
We see this every year. Yet somehow we overlook the lower seeds at the start of the playoffs.

Lesson #4:
The Celtics are only as old as they think they are.
Dispatching the upstart Knicks in only 4 games is no small feat.
We all figured there would be a sweep or two in the first round.
But, NO ONE would have guessed the Celtics were going to get one.

Lesson #3:
The future is now in Atlanta, Memphis, and Oklahoma City.
Some of these markets have not won in the playoffs for a while.

I swear I wasn't making fun of your fugly arm sleeves!

Others are experiencing it for the first time.
These crowds are louder and rowdier than the boring crowds who are spoiled by past playoff success.
And I love it!

Lesson #2:
Stan Van Gundy needs to ask brother Jeff for a letter of recommendation.
We've seen Stan pacing the sidelines for the last time.
Orlando needs a new coach.
Stan needs a new gig.

Lesson #1:
The Dallas Mavericks are for real.
Real enough to exercise some post-season demons? Yes.
Real enough to shed that "soft" tag? Yes.
Real enough to get past the Lakers? Yes.
Real enough to win it all?......
Who knows -- If they can get past the Lakers, anything is possible.



BC Mafia is off the chain Foo!

Thank you Tony Larussa

I've never been a big fan of MLB Coach Tony Larussa.
As manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, he's always come across as an ass to me.
His coaching style bucks the trends, but it's not trendy.
Unconventional methods make you a  maverick when successful....they make you a fool when unsuccessful.

But, despite my feeling for T-Laru, he did do one thing right.
He fathered a beautiful daughter, Bianca.

Bianca is apparently just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside....I mean, a girl that loves football is "beautiful" isn't she?

Muy Caliente!

Bianca will be a Raidorette as a cheerleader for the NFL's Oakland Raiders this upcoming season.
ANOTHER reason why we should all pray NFL games will be played next season!!




BC in the hizzzaaaaaaaaaaaayyy Foo!

NBA Playoffs - Round 1 Predictions

Historically, NBA Playoff Round 1 winners are usually easy to predict.
Not so this year boys and girls.
What does this mean? That means the real winners will be the fans.
Prepare for some FANTASTIC Round 1 games.

Still.....the show must go on. Here are your winners:

WESTERN CONFERENCE

San Antonio Spurs

Oklahoma City Thunder

Portland Trailblazers

Los Angeles Lakers

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Chicago Bulls

Orlando Magic

Boston Celtics

Miami Heat

So let it be written...........Let it be done!

Yes! The cheerleaders are up for the Playoffs!

The BC Don't Play Foo!

MY NBA Playoff Bracket

Read 'em and weep....or celebrate...whatever the mood calls for!

Plan your parade Chicago....the trophy is yours.


The BC Mafia is Sucker-Free Foo!

COCO LOCO!

Hell yes! I will admit...I'm old school.

So, when Coco Crisp went out sporting this 'fro under his lid, I was a proud and happy man.

Just like George Jefferson doing the funky chicken.
It may not look right...but it's still cool as hell!

You do your thing Coco.
So what if you look like Lt. Jackson Flap from the Beetle Bailey comics?
 Let the haters hate!

I love it!

The Billycock Mafia is d-d-d-dangerous Foo!

Josh Hamilton - Get Your Heart In the Game

Texas Ranger Josh Hamilton is out of the line-up for several weeks due to a shoulder injury sustained during a head-first dive at home-plate.
The injury occurred during a game with the Detroit Tigers wherein Josh was sent home after tagging up for a foul-ball pop-up.
Reports are that Josh was sent by Ranger third base coach, Dave Anderson and against Josh Hamilton's inner instinct.

Hamilton called the decision to send him "stupid".
He claims that while he tagged up at 3rd base, and Dave Anderson was yelling at him to go for home since no one was covering the plate, all he (Hamilton) was thinking was "I don’t want to do this, something is going to happen."

What?!
"I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS"?!!
"SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN"?!!

The absurdity of these thoughts lends insight as to why Josh Hamilton is so often injured.
In the heat of a game, most professional athletes are probably not thinking about injury.

Josh Hamilton's concentration needs to be better.
His fear of injury needs to be overcome.

L.A. Kings Right-Winger Justin Williams is currently injured with a dislocated shoulder because he got checked into the boards during a game against Calgary.
L.A. Lakers Center Andrew Bynum hyper-extended his knee when he stepped on another player's foot while running back on defense during last night's game against the San Antonio Spurs.

What do the Williams and Bynum injuries have to do with Josh Hamilton?
Nothing.  These situations are very different from Hamilton's.
And that's the problem.

If L.A. King's coach, Terry Murray, had been barking at Williams to chase the puck and center it for a scoring attempt right before the injury inducing body-check, I assure you that Justin Williams wouldn't blame his shoulder injury on the coach.
And rest assured that Justin Williams was NOT thinking "I don't want to do this. Something is going to happen" as he chased down the puck at center-ice.

When Laker Andrew Bynum was running back on defense last night, do you think he was thinking, "I don't want to do this. Something is going to happen"?
Of course not.
Nor will he blame Coach Phil Jackson for the injury...even though I'm sure Coach Jackson often preaches the importance of running back on defense to his players.

C'mon Josh, man-up.
It's OK to be injury-prone.
Professional sports is hard on a body.
But, it seems to me that your problem is with your head and your heart.

What's next?
Is Josh Hamilton going to refuse to step on a base for fear of twisting an ankle?

"Kids, A ball-point is sharp. I don't want to sign this. Something's going to happen."

Make Way For The BC Foo!

Madden 12 - Get Your Curse On!

Alright, assuming there is going to be an NFL season next fall --- here's a chance to effect the games as never before.

EA Sports is preparing to release MADDEN 12; The latest in it's line of hugely successful Madden NFL games for video game systems.
And they're letting you pick the cover.

Game/NFL fans can VOTE HERE to decide who should grace the Madden 12 cover.
Here's your chance to play a roll in how the 2011-2012 NFL Season will unfold.

You and I know the Madden Curse is alive and well.
So choose your cover wisely.
Who stands as the greatest threat to the success of your team next season?
Adrian Peterson? Michael Vick?
PUT 'EM ON THE BOX!

I'm not one to wish injuries on anyone.
But, we don't make up the mo-jo rules...should fate decide to sideline our pick for the Madden cover, who are we to stand in her way?

Hmmm........is it possible to request a re-vote?
Maybe it's not too late to put a picture of all NFL owners on the cover..........just sayin'...

Bow to the Billycock Foo!

Manny Ramirez -- The Love-Hate Relationship

Manny, Manny, Manny.
You could have been something more....and something far worse.

I loved to watch you at bat.
The way you swung, no pitch was safe.
Any pitch within reach of your bat was a perfect pitch to hit...and hit it you did.
555 home-runs, 1831 RBI's, and a .312 career batting average.
Yeah, I loved watching your at bats.

I hated watching your effort.
The way you sometimes ran at half-speed, either to chase down a ball or reach first base.
Every time you gave less than your all, your hitting ability seemed less important.
Less important to your team. Less important to your fans.
Yeah, I hated your occasional half-ass effort.

I loved that you were human.
The way you often treated baseball for what it was...a game.
No player brought the fans to the park in a more playfull mood than you did over the last several years.
And the time you planted a flag in the outfield after becoming a U.S. citizen is still one of my favorite baseball moments.
What's not to love about that?

I hated that you made such poor decisions.
You fought with team-mates, put yourself before the team, and lied about injuries.
And, you cheated.
You cheated yourself, your fans, your team-mates, and the game of baseball.
I will always hate that.

And now you're gone...and I don't know if I should love you or hate you for quitting baseball.

Did we really need pee in a cup to know this guy was on drugs?

The BC Mafia por vida!

San Antonio Spurs

I get a kick out of the ignorant people claiming the Spurs are "too old" to win.
I especially hear this when discussing the possible Western Conference Finals match-up between the two powerhouses in the West, the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs.

I even heard Jim Rome claim the Spurs are "too old" in support of his belief that the Lakers will be fine in the playoffs despite their current losing streak.
I was a little surprised by his ignorance on this point.

I know, I know. The playoffs haven't even started.
But these two teams just look to be on a collision course to meet in the postseason.
So, let's take a look at the age of each roster....You may be surprised.

The average age of players on the Laker's roster: 29.7 years old
Average age of players on the Spurs roster: 27.4 years old

That's right!
The Spurs are actually younger than the Lakers.
Let's look deeper...

Spurs starters average age - 32
Lakers starters average age - 30

That's only a 2 year difference. Surprised?
If so, then this will really knock you off your feet:
The Spurs starting line-up average above is taken using Antonio Mcdyess as a starter at 36 years old.
When the 21 year old Dujuan Blair starts for the Spurs (which he has done this year), the starter average age for S.A. becomes 29.

AGAIN, younger than the Lakers!

Let's look deeper, still...

Most of us agree that Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant are the MVP's for their team.
So let's look at the age-issue regarding each MVP.

Kobe is 2 years younger than Duncan overall.
But, Kobe has the wear-n-tear of having played one more season than Tim Duncan.
Kobe came in the league in '96. Duncan in '97.
So, despite being younger than Duncan, Kobe has more NBA mileage on his body.
Yet, surprisingly, no one ever calls Kobe "old".

It's a Clash of the Titan's, Hoops-style Foo!

Those are the FACTS.
Ultimately, age may not make the biggest difference.
Talent will play a big role in deciding the winner should the Lakers and Spurs meet.
And the topic of "talent" is a whole other blog.......



BillyCock Mafia is bad for yer health!

Steve Nash -- Baby Momma Drama?

Child-Please!
I'm not going to link to any of the bull-shit stories making their rounds about Nash, his ex, and Jason Richardson.

But, here's the story in a nutshell...all claims are ALLEGED:
1. Nash seperated from his wife a few months before she gave birth to a son in December amid rumors that his wife was cheating.
2. Nash filed for divorce from her the day after she gives birth.
3. Stories claim the baby is African-American...and this is why Nash filed for the divorce immediately after the birth date.
4. Furthermore, claims are that the baby was fathered by former Sun, Jason Richardson, and this is why Jason was traded to the Orlando Magic in December.

One problem with all this....the baby is not African-American in appearance.
Though the web is on fire about Nash's ex giving birth to a "black baby", it's all BULLSHIT.
There is no way to claim the baby is African-American based on his appearance.

Judge for yourself:

Nash's ex and 2 daughters proudly show off the new addition

Is allegation #1 above true? Possibly.
Is allegation #2 above true? Definitely.
What about allegations #3 and #4? Child-Please!

Regardless of what may have happened between the ex-Mrs. Nash and J-Richardson (if anything), do we have to drag the kids into this?

Something tells me Suns fans won't be hearing the Timex Social Club hit at any games in the near future.




BC Mafia for life Foo!

You Go, Girls!

Like in most situations in life, the guys messed up and the ladies had to come in and show everyone how it's done.

Beauty, Brains, & Basketball Skills -- The Killer B's

This year's NCAA basketball title games were no different.

I made no secret about how pissed and disappointed I was at the men's NCAA national title game played on Monday night.

Yet, there we found ourselves, 24hrs later, watching the women make it right.

Thankfully, we got a game worthy of our time.

When the final horn sounded, Texas A&M had beaten Notre Dame 76-70.
But the real winners were the fans.

A&M and Notre Dame gave fans a more potent offense and better team defense than we saw during the men's national title Butler/UConn game the previous evening.

Congrats to Texas A&M.
Their title is well earned.

And thanks to both A&M and Notre Dame for giving us the quality NCAA title game we so desperately needed after Monday night's men's debacle.



The Billycock Mafia -- Rockin' our peers and puttin' suckas in fear!

Houston -- We Had A Problem

How disappointed was I with the NCAA B-Ball national title game last night?

VERY!

What had been a sensational NCAA Tournament from the get-go went out with a whimper.
This is how we cap the March Madness frenzy? Please say it ain't so.

For those who watched the game (as I did), I am sorry and share in your sadness.

For those who didn't watch the game, let me illustrate what you missed.

Most hoop fans expected this:

What we got was this:

'nuff said........I'm too pissed to type.




Hate the player...Hate the game...Just don't hate on the Billycock Foo!

Shaq -- Remember When?

Remember when Shaq was the Man of Steel?
Remember when his size created a presence in the paint so dominating his lack of mobility was no detriment?
Remember when he commanded a double team...and even an occasional triple team?
Remember when he seemed more than human?
Remember when he was the diesel?
Remember when he was something the league had never imagined?

For those of us who remember...yesterday was a sad day.
Shaq returned to the court after months of sitting out injured.
His returned marked the return of hope for Boston fans.
But, then it happened.
The man once thought invincible injured his right calf after only 5 minutes of game time.

Shaq always wore the coolest pajamas

What's worse he hunched over and hardly made it off the court under his own power, then collapsed shortly before making it into the locker room.

Now he's out again.
And the NBA lost something big...literally and figuratively.

For those of us that grew up watching him play, the moment Shaq needed help off the court was as deflating as life's other realizations:

Remember when you learned there was no Santa?
Remember when you realized dad was mortal?
Remember when you knew your first love was over?

Yeah, it was that bad.

We may see Shaq on the court again.
Maybe this season. Maybe next season.
But, the player we will see will be Shaq the man.
Shaq the myth is dead...and Father Time is the killer.

R.I.P. - Thanks for the memories.



BC for life Foo!