Break up the Dallas Mavericks. With their victory over the Heat last night, the Mavs are now up 2-0 in the NBA Finals. So much for the many "experts" who predicted Miami to not only win the series, but to sweep Dallas. Shaq, who had been rejuvenated of late, is back to looking like he should; broken-down and oft-ineffectual. Jason Terry has probably been the Mavericks MVP in the playoffs and Dirk Nowitzki continues to hit seemingly every tough, contested shot he throws up. I think Miami bounces back at home, but don't expect the series to last much longer. Speaking of Dallas, I have to comment on Mavs' owner Mark Cuban. I concede that if you own something (in this case, a professional team) you can do with it as you like. The dude's a self made billionaire and he seems like a cool guy; I respect that. But an owner should never sit on the bench and high five players. There's an old expression, "The officers don't drink with the enlisted men." Cuban should be less about being players' buddy and more about being professional. Ditto to Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones who, though not as animated, needs to allow more buffer space (stay in the luxury box, you're not needed on the sideline after every game.) And, lastly, shout to Hubie Brown. He is truly a joy to listen to as an announcer. Hubie's forgotten more basketball than most of us will ever know.
Baseball's steroid cloud continues to darken with the revelations of now-former Diamondbacks pitcher Jason Grimsley. Grimsley contends that the majority of major leaguers are using performance enhancing drugs of some sort, particularly human growth hormone, which MLB has no current test for. And since Grimsley is a pitcher, steroids are no longer reserved for homerun hitters. This is a huge problem that needs to be cleaned up. Every record of this generation, hitting or pitching, needs to be looked at cautiously. That includes the expoits of not only the Barry Bonds' of the world (how hard it must be for Bonds to procure his necessary 12 1/4 hat size, very rare,) but Albert Pujols (say it ain't so!) and Roger Clemens. Remember, Clemens is also at an age where he should be breaking down, not getting better. (And as a sidenote, who cares if the guy's coming back or not. How old did the "Rocket Watch" become? And this just in Rocket, the Astros are bottom-feeders in the NL with or without you.) Sure, everyone loves offense and majestic homeruns (no bigger Mark McGwire fan than yours truly) but when does it stop? When will we as fans realize we're no longer watching sport but farce? And with steroid use so pervasive, and with undetectable drugs, when, if ever, can the problem be curtailed? As a baseball lover it is difficult to embrace a product of questionable verity.
Quote of the Week
"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forego their use."-Galileo Galilei.
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