Umm...yeah...my bad...

So, umm, hi there...I got that one wrong, huh? Well, here's my Game 2 prediction...

Yeah...I'm not making a Game 2 prediction, because, well, my ass can't cash these kinds of checks.

On a lighter, much more sarcastic and ass-cracking note, my lovely wife directed me to this stolen archive of Nick Saban's itinerary. Enjoy.

Go Cavs...

LeBron...buddy...hate to say it, but the spotlight is glowing extra bright this week. I have faith...

Predictionitis

It's 11:20 pm...21 1/2 hours prior to tip-off between the Cavs and Spurs.

For the record, I want to cash in on my good sports mojo savings account and declare that I'm boldly predicting that Cleveland will steal Game 1 late in the 4th quarter in San Antonio and get things started proper style.

That's just my two cents...but we shall see...

To be continued...

So it's official...

The Cavs have done it. According to certain segments of the sports media world, they pulled off the single greatest miracle in the history of sports, the most amazing, stunning, shock-the-world win EVER.

Or did they?

All the spinning tops (I'm looking in your direction Woody Paige and Stephen A. Smith, et. al.) proclaimed two weeks ago that the Pistons were destined to advance to the NBA Finals, yet again...most assuredly in four games. Did I believe the prophecies of these modern day sports soothsayers?

Nope.

I'm no Nostrodamus, but I pulled my good sports mojo out of my back pocket (see Patriots, Braves, Orangemen) and said that the Cavs would give Detroit all that they had. Did I think, realistically, that Cleveland would win the series...no...but, I knew that they were bringing back the same team as last year, with a 100% Larry Hughes (and a young stud named Daniel "Boobie" Gibson), and Detroit was without Ben "watch-my-afro-grow-during-this-Craig-Sager-interview" Wallace. I liked the Cavs chances to hang. Guess what? I was right, and then some.

The real test is upcoming...the Spurs have the advantage in almost every category. However, the fact of the matter is this...it's June, there are only two teams left, and the Cavs are still alive. Who'd have thunk it? I for one, would not. I've seen the promised land...and it is painted in wine and gold. Here's to a fun couple of weeks yet to come.

It was 40 years ago today...

Cheers to my all-time favorite band, my idols, The Beatles, on the 40th anniversary of their release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. We all know what a breakthrough, iconoclastic album it is, so there's really no need for a lot of hyperbole. In the music world, There was pre-Pepper and there's post-Pepper. It changed the landscape of music, fashion, culture, and style forever.

Sgt. Pepper still resonates today with the same jaw-dropping amazement that I'm sure was felt in 1967. I've listened to Pepper hundreds of times, and it's just as fresh today as the first time I heard it. To go from Please Please Me in 1962 to Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite five years later blows my mind! The musical evolution of The Beatles in such a short span reinforces the level of genius manifested in the four lads from Liverpool...the four coolest dudes to ever walk the planet, in my humble opinion.

Happy Birthday Sgt. Pepper, Billy Shears, Mr. Kite, and the rest of the swirling circus of characters!

WITNESS!!

What was I a witness to last night? Am I worthy of such a thing?

As I wrote in a previous entry, I live for the drama of sports. Last night was a religious experience for me...the wonderment of which I'm still recovering. The mind-blowing performance of one LeBron Raymone James in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals has to rank up there as one of the most amazing spectacles ever put on in the world of professional sports.

The ridiculously stupid NBA commercials featuring David Blaine spouting the magical qualities of the stars remaining in the playoffs may, in fact, be right on target. LeBron pulled off Houdini-esque, no, David-Copperfield-making-the-Statue-of-Liberty-"disappear"-esque feats of wonder last night in Detroit. In a town that gave us "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", LeBron carried the weight of his team, his city, his state, and anybody who loves sports to an unprecedented height. If you watched the game, you know what I'm talking about...if you didn't, find a friend or loved one who DVR'd it, sit your ass down on the couch, and become a witness. I still can't believe what I saw.

This is a Pistons team that many predicted would sweep the Cavs. Hell, the Cavs could be up 5-0 right now (yes, I realize that it's best of seven). This is a veteran Detroit team, at home, playing against one baller and a bunch of pick-ups. End of story. The Cavs, on paper, should be back home watching reruns of "White Shadow", while the Pistons gear up for the Spurs. On paper. Ah...but we all know that games are not played nor won on paper. When you have an x-factor such as LeBron...game on.

Scoring the final 25 points of the game for the Cavs, and 29 of the final 30 (in double overtime, no less), on the road, with Kid Rock and Bob Seger staring you down like Black Bart to your sheriff, in basically a must-win situation...unbelievable. I'm having difficulties formulating my thoughts into words this morning. It was that amazing!

And what makes it even better is that LeBron is genuinely a team player, a guy that just wants to win, whether it's he alone, or with a supporting cast. Best quote of the night:

"If I did everything I did tonight and we lost, it means nothing," James said. "The win is the most important thing for us, and we need one more win to reach our goal."

For all the talking heads who criticized LeBron for not taking the shot at the end of Game 1, and criticized him for taking the last shot at the end of Game 2, the reporters and sports talk hosts who said he doesn't come through in the clutch, doesn't finish games, is overrated...that discussion is officially closed...over...finished. Just like the Pistons are, hopefully.