Not the exit we were hoping for…

HOOK:

“Tonight.”

LeBron loves closing out teams in six games and avoiding potential pitfalls of a 7th game.  And, he is very, very good at it (8-1 total).  When the Cavs went up 2-0, we ALL thought it might go 5 games tops.  Then, the Raptors did their thing.  I don’t know HOW they will beat the Cavs tonight, and I don’t think they will, BUT those two home games DO mandate I watch.  I will even root for the Raptors.

-I think Game 6 of the Western Conference is one of the most intriguing playoff games in years.  Donovan’s strategies will be challenged and one other thing will happen next game.  We will see one of THOSE things.  One of those maddening shooting sprees where the basket looks like an ocean.  Given that I HAD the Thunder in 6 originally and then CHANGED my pick to the Warriors in 7?  I have to go with the Warriors winning three straight.

LINE:

“Cup.”

Checking and a more solid first line against depth, star power, and speed.  Give me the latter in a seven game, fantastic series.  I think the Pens win and Crosby makes a late run at the Conn Smythe (won’t win it most likely though due to slow start of postseason).  Crosby now knows how hard and far between it is to get here.  He won’t let the chance get away from him.

For the 50th time this playoffs, I said the winner of the Caps-Pens series would win the whole thing.  That opinion hasn’t changed.

SINKER:

‘Nadal.”

Nadal withdrew before his match with a wrist injury.  Unless you are just a tennis hater and don’t care about anything, this is not the exit we wanted him to have.  Losing a tough late match while being healthy or winning was what we all wanted.  He still is the greatest clay court player ever with only Borg being IN the conversation.  Happy trails, Nadal.  You were the man there.

THE RIVER:

-Interesting week in college football.  Two schools were in the news who SUDDENLY popped in the top 10 in recruiting years ago and we raised our eyebrows and moved on.  I wrote in this thing two years ago that Ole Miss was up to shady stuff and they would be famous later.  Briles is out because he got bad kids in house, and Ole Miss has rules violations galore.  Sometimes a school comes along that rises to the top in the right way, but there aren’t many of those stories.

-The Sixers have leaked to the media that they plan on looking at trades for the draft.  Needing a PF or anything remotely similar in your frontcourt?  Give them a call.  My gut tells me that Noel is the one to get rid of, but I can’t make a watertight case to keep any of them over the others.  Tough because two of them haven’t even played yet.

-Chris Berman will step down from his duties at ESPN.  Three things.  If this IS the end, he revolutionized the spot.  Two, put in Trey Wingo for him.  Three, since his contract actually is at its end, we don’t really know if this is a “retirement,” so this might be a short lived end.

That’s it for today.  Will I blog tomorrow?  That is a CLOWN question, bro.  Peace.