whitesoxfan101

Now the Bruins know what that Blackhawks and their fans knew: the Canucks are garbage. For them to have had their names on the Stanley Cup would have been a disgrace to the greatest trophy in sports. THANK YOU Boston for not allowing that to happen. The Canucks and their whining, biting, diving, hooking, and so on didn't deserve the Stanley Cup. And the fact is, their rioting fans didn't deserve it either. I know the minority are the ones rioting, but most cities in this day and age can avoid such activities. But not Vancouver! It's sad though, people are being hurt and likely killed. I still (obviously) wish the United States had won the gold medal game last year, but my question now is what would have happened in that city if they had? Back to the topic though: the Bruins are a very worthy Cup winner. The 371 day time period with the Blackhawks as the Cup winners is over (although it really ended in the 1st round, but you know what I mean), and I'm glad a worthy Cup winner is taking the reigns. Tim Thomas had one of the 5 greatest goaltending seasons in NHL history, the team won three game 7's and rebounded from the disaster that was the end of their season a year ago, and they played and won the right way. Also, I'm with IlliniKrush, it was unique watching the Stanley Cup ceremony and knowing how it feels. Much better than the feeling was not knowing.

Well, we kept sanity with the NBA Title. Hopefully, the Stanley Cup follows suit. I have full faith Boston can force this to a 7th game, and at that point you never know. Especially with Vancouver, who I still think could meltdown at any moment.

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Jun 12, 2011 -> 10:49 PM) No way. This Miami Heat thing is so incredibly risky from a legacy perspective, who knows how long these guys will stick together if they dont win? Does an old ass Phil Jackson really want to deal with it? Not to mention the Eastern Conference in the coming years is not going to get any easier. The Bulls are probably going to make a lot of improvements from a player development perspective, the Knicks could work on that roster more and become a contender and then you have the Dwight Howard/Chris Paul mess coming up that could spring Orlando (or someone else) into a position much better than the Heat's. The more you look at it this was the Heat's shot to establish themselves. If Phil were younger, I think he'd go to Miami (I agree with the idea that it's a Phil kind of move). But not now, I really think he's done, due in large part to his health. As for this series, what happened tonight didn't shed any new light on this series. Dallas had lesser talent (I honestly think they had lesser talent in all 4 series), but pulled it out. Rick Carlisle deserves so much credit. To win a title with this squad, and without Butler, and without Haywood at most of the key moments in The Finals is amazing. Having Cardinal and that big guy whose name I already forgot play more than 10 minutes tonight? Wow. To me, the only coach in the league right now you could say is better is Pop in San Antonio. And to be honest, I think Carlisle would have just as many rings had he been put in that situation. I'm also happy for Dirk, Kidd, Marion, Terry, even Chandler and Cuban. Mark Cuban can finally be called a very good owner. I think all of the guys I mentioned really deserved this moment. As for the Heat, I think Bosh might be scapegoated. Either he or Coach Spo. What the Heat do personnel wise depends on how the new CBA looks. They might be stuck like this even if they want to deal Bosh. I personally think dealing Bosh would be idiotic, I mean they win this series IMO if they don't collapse in game 2. They are that close. I think it's clear that you can't win a title trusting LeBron to be your best player in the playoffs. At times, he can be, but the moment just seems to overwhelm him as soon as things go bad. To me, the Heat Title window is only open as long as Dwyane Wade is great. And who knows with his health. But, I think that'll last long enough for the group they have now to win a title or two. But, I hope I'm wrong and either way, it was great to see them taste humble pie like that tonight. The next big issue is the lockout, and how long it will last. I am hoping not long, but I doubt it. As I've said before, I could see an entire season being lost. No matter what happens, I hope the next deal fixes a lot of the problems the NBA has. The NHL lost an entire season due to the lockout, but the league came back a lot better. I'm hoping no matter how long the NBA lockout lasts, it too comes back a lot better. Because as well as the NBA did this year, improvements are needed.

Vancouver did what they always do when scared tonight. We know it's a team full of p*****s with the diving, biting, grabbing, etc. But we've especially seen it the last few years in that when they get scared, they do everything they can to fall into a shell and pray for a bounce. Happened tonight, happened in games 6 and 7 against the Hawks earlier this year, even happened in game 4 in 2009. I'd love to see Boston win game 6. I'd bet anything Vancouver won't win game 7 if it happens.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jun 10, 2011 -> 09:12 PM) They stole one last night actually. Dinked and dunked about 4 runs without a hit into the outfield. You can't start 11-22, lose games like this, and make the playoffs. That's why starting 11-22 almost always leads to an October at home, there's no margin for error. When you start like a major league team, then an occasional loss like this can be absorbed. But with the start this team had, every single loss like this is a major step closer towards the teams typical failed season that ends after 162.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jun 10, 2011 -> 09:11 PM) They are 7-3 in their last 10. WTF They've been under .500, comfortably, the entire season since week 2 ended. And they're blowing a great chance to do something on this homestand.

I can't think of a single part of this franchise that doesn't suck right now. Our general manager sucks, our manager sucks, and our players perform below expectations/suck. Meanwhile, the owner continues to sleep as the team tumbles deeper and deeper into irrelevance. I wonder what it'll take for change.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jun 4, 2011 -> 04:22 PM) Yes, get over the fact that LeBron did not sign with the Bulls last summer. That's where 99% of the hate comes from. He went to Miami. Let it go. My issue with the NBA has little to do with LeBron. He's not a good guy at all, but whatever. My only problem with him is that for all of his gifts, he still underachieves (which shows how great his gifts are, he's still the best player in the world) and tends to have moments where the moment feels too big for him (like game 4). But that's not a problem with the league, it's more an issue where I think LeBron could be greater. I stand by the fact that the hateable figure on that team, clearly, is Dwyane Wade. Even though nobody agrees with me. My NBA issues are with the fradulent officiating, apparent lack of transparency, the fact that the first 3 quarters of about 90 percent of game are completely meaningless, the entire system of the league (the joke of a "salary cap", complete lack of control that teams have, etc) is set up poorly, and so on. I'm hoping that through the long lockout we'll have next season, some aspects of the league will be fixed. But that will be a challenge.

QUOTE (IowanSoxFan @ Jun 8, 2011 -> 02:56 PM) Sometimes I forget we are stuck with Huet :lolhitting I love Bolland's quotes: "Typical, pulling hair and biting people. Sort of like a little girl." If only we could have had Bolland for the beginning of the series. Only one more year! Also, I think Cheveldayoff will do a good job in Winnipeg. Although I think Rick Dudley would have too.

QUOTE (He_Gawn @ Jun 8, 2011 -> 01:59 PM) Actually it is. You see, the brand Indiana University has in this state from a basketball standpoint is unmatched. Kids still grow up dreaming to play for Indiana, you wouldn't know that if you're not from here. It's a very easy selling point when the program has a rich tradition. These kids we're getting aren't dumb, poor, kids. These are kids who's parents are doctors, lawyers, and business owners. They're sold on IU and Crean. He's never had this much incoming talent before. If he doesn't do anything with it, you know Brad Stevens will. I'll buy that IU is still the top brand in that state and kids can be sold on that, based on long historical ties. I don't see why they wouldn't be. But they haven't won a National Title in a quarter century, and their coach doesn't have an overwhelming resume at all. So they are being sold on the brand and longtime history, not the coach or recent history. For the record, I don't think they are doing anything shady to get these kids. After what happened with Sampson, I'm sure they are taking extra caution to steer clear of such things. Also, does being the kid of poor parents make you dumb/bad, or being the kid of doctors, lawyers, and business owners somehow make you better? I don't see how who the kids parents are is relevant at all. That statement confused me. QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 8, 2011 -> 01:55 PM) And it's pretty hard to do more than that in your first 4 years when you start with a loss of a scholarship, 3 years of recruiting sanctions, and a roster consisting of 1 sophomore and a walkon. My statements on Crean have almost nothing to do with what he's done at Indiana. I would have expected a bit more progress on the floor by now, but I get he inherited an epic mess. He just never impressed me all that much at Marquette. His crowning moment as a coach was when Dwyane Wade went crazy, and a lot of coaches could have taken that team to the Final Four and then watched them quit against Kansas.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jun 8, 2011 -> 04:26 PM) Ah yes, back to my team of course. Actually OSU's investigation is what turned up the emails that showed Tressel lied to the NCAA. If they did it half assed, they wouldnt have. Ohio State DIDN'T half ass their investigation? I'm just going to assume you're joking, because such a statement can't be made in any other fashion. The fact that their investigation came up with anything just shows how deep and far all of this went.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 8, 2011 -> 06:29 PM) He's bigger than Carlos boozer for crying out loud. If he gave a s*** about his post game, he could get himself close to all time greatest territory. But he never has, and I doubt he ever will. Which is a bit of a waste.

QUOTE (He_Gawn @ Jun 8, 2011 -> 01:38 PM) It's pretty easy to sell winning championships at a traditional program in your home state, playing with your best friends. Not that easy to sell when your program hasn't won a National Title since years before the kids they're recruiting were born, and your coach has a grand total of one Conference Title and one NCAA Tournament that lasted past the first weekend.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jun 8, 2011 -> 12:37 PM) Will the media start digging around in Austin? http://bleacherreport.com/tb/b9N5P If their coach tries to hide this for months upon months, and then their athletic department puts together a half-assed, short investigation that covers a lot of things up? Then I would say they probably will.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jun 7, 2011 -> 11:38 PM) No 8???? Lebron still the GOAT!!! He's the GOAT in this series. But not like the greatest of all time, more like the goat as in the old definition of the blameworthy figure. I'm not sure what more Miami could have done last night in regards to him. I agree he needs to get more shots and such since he's the best player in the series. But he was not engaged at all last night, just standing off to the side and passing the ball off when it came to him.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Jun 7, 2011 -> 10:25 PM) The NBA. Where "You Only Have To Watch The Last 90 Seconds" happens. Haha well this has been true for a long time. But, I agree. As far as I'm concerned, the winner of game 5 wins this series. It'll be tough for either side to win games 6 and 7 with as evenly matched as the teams seem.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=6637444 I'd love to know how Ohio State football is not a case of lack of institutional control. For the record, I don't think they'll end up being sanctioned for that. But it wouldn't be hard to argue they should. The policies and procedures seem to have been in place, but it doesn't seem like they were being monitored or enforced.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 3, 2011 -> 07:09 AM) Oh this ought to rattle some people... Ozzie is, ugh, right. Ozzie and Greg Walker both deserve credit for Lillibridge. *insert blind squirrel/nut cliche here*

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jun 4, 2011 -> 12:25 AM) Can we now stop b****ing about his last 40 ABs vs. LHPs and look at the 1600 at-bats against lefties before that??? Umm no. He's not going to continue sucking like this, but the trend says he's inept against lefties right now. Nobody is saying don't let him hit against them ever, we're just saying don't let him hit against them in close and late scenarios. Particularly as a pinch hitter.

QUOTE (Anderson Cooper's Quivering @ Jun 3, 2011 -> 11:44 PM) Morel in May: .283 .309 .377 Needs to hit more than singles... but.... he was always a slow starter in the minors. Every promotion he got, he struggled, then set the world on fire. He needs to draw some freaking walks. I can live with his lack of power that we all knew about if he just gets on base at a decent clip and plays very good defense.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jun 3, 2011 -> 12:08 PM) Apparently at least two current Buckeyes are suing Sports Illustrated for defamation because they were "named" as players that have traded items for tats. One player, Storm Klein, doesnt even have a single tattoo. http://ohiostate.scout.com/2/1076671.html SI should be ashamed of that article. It's sloppy journalism as is, and putting the name of a guy in there with no tats? Not to mention, the article really didn't have any huge new developments in it, just some quotes from shoddy characters and expansion on the tat stories, some of which may not be true. A program like Ohio State isn't exactly difficult to get dirt on and run through the mud right now, yet they come up with that article. Brutal.

QUOTE (Brian @ Jun 3, 2011 -> 10:27 AM) Simmons had a writer on a few weeks ago who talked about Bosh not being all that close with Lebron and Wade off the court. Those two like to party but Bosh likes to stay home, read, and go to different restaurants and is a lot more mellow. I gained a tad of respect for Bosh after hearing that. I would never put Bosh in the same category as Wade and Lebron but it seems he joined those guys purely to win while Wade and Lebron got together to win, but also party and live a famous lifestyle. I honestly think Bosh would be thrilled if the Heat won the championship this year, and traded him during the summer. He gets his ring, and perhaps can spend the rest of his career attempting to regain some semblance of likability, while also trying to win one without those guys. I've heard a lot about Bosh being traded after the season, and I'd guess a combination of him being a different guy off the court than Wade and LeBron, his salary being so large while being the 3rd best player on the team, and the looming CBA bringing in stricter cap rules is why. I personally think trading Bosh would be a mistake because Wade isn't going to hold up much longer, and you end up with the same problems LeBron had in Cleveland if Bosh leaves and Wade isn't Wade anymore. Unless of course, you have a significant replacement lined up for Bosh, but that brings back all of the same cap issues if you do. Not to mention, trading one of your best players after winning a title is quite the risk. QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jun 3, 2011 -> 08:36 AM) I get the Heat hate. But to stop watching the NBA if they win it all? lol. That's kinda babyish. I guess the 2011-2012 NBA Thread will be about 200 replies next year. We'll be lucky if there even is a 2011-2012 NBA thread. I don't think it's babyish at all. I need to see the new CBA, whatever it is, before I really give up on it. And I don't think I could ever give up on the Bulls specifically (especially after sticking with them from 1999-2004), just everybody else. I stand by the fact that I think a Heat title plus a long lockout is going to equal an enormous amount of lost fans.

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Jun 2, 2011 -> 10:32 PM) Blue Chips is a great movie Agreed. It's over a decade and a half old now, yet so many points in it ring true too.

QUOTE (Palehosefan @ Jun 2, 2011 -> 10:07 PM) Even with LeBron and Wade's stupidity, this one falls on Bosh yet again. The p**** is shooting 9-34 in the first two games so far. Would be great to see Spoelstra, Wade, or LeBron call him out in the media. But Bosh is too fragile mentally to handle it. I have to admit, even as a Heat fan, I wouldn't be upset to see Dirk and Kidd get a title. Umm, no. If you're going to put it on one guy (and you shouldn't), it falls on LeBron. He went invisible in the fourth quarter (2 points, no field goals), and stood by as an epic collapse happened. A collapse like that is really a team effort, though. All Miami had to do was luck into a shot or two during the run Dallas went on to tie it, and it would have been enough. They just completely fell asleep. Dallas obviously deserves a ton of credit too though, as they took full advantage. Coach Spo had a rough end of the game too, putting Bosh on Dirk (lol) and running out of timeouts, but that's no surprise. Dallas needs Barea and Peja to wake up if they want any real shot at winning the series, and they're not going to win all 3 in Dallas (and thus, 4 in a row) against this opponent. But they needed a miracle win or two to get this series, and also needed to get something in Miami, and now they've done both. They have to figure out a way to get the majority of the games in Dallas. If they somehow win all three and thus four in a row, it'd be about as shocking as the comeback tonight was IMO, but 2 of 3 is possible if they play really well. Game 3 is unique, I don't think Dallas can win the series, but I think a loss would just about lose it for them. QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Jun 2, 2011 -> 09:49 PM) I literally came here to post "The NBA just lost a fan" and then the Mavericks did that..... The NBA is going to lose A TON of fans like you (and me) if Miami wins this series. Not to mention what the lockout next season is going to do. They need a miracle series win by Dallas and a miracle agreement on a CBA.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 2, 2011 -> 08:22 PM) Which is exactly what will happen if the bulls try putting a scorer in at sg for 30 min/game. But keeping those guys in there means you are going to keep scoring 80 and keep losing.. This team needs offense at the 2 spot if it wants to beat Miami. But, they need somebody that can also guard. Going to be a tough find.