How dope have the NBA Finals become? So much for the pundits who claimed the series was over (ahem....uhh....yeah, like me....) The Miami Heat sacked up big time and won all three games at home (the first team to win the "middle three" since the league adopted the format.) Game 3 was big for Miami because going down 3-0 and expecting to come back is like waiting on Paris Hilton to become the President of UNICEF. It ain't happenin'. Dallas could've put the scews to Miami in a big way with a win in game 3, particularly with a a big second half lead. The Heat win a blowout in game 4 and an unbelievable game 5 puts the series at 3-2 Miami. The game last night was a classic. Dallas again can't hold a late lead and Dwyane Wade puts Miami on his back with 43 points, including two huge late free throws; (though, I have to say it, that was not even remotely a foul. Horrible call.) Josh Howard had a great game for the Mavs. Unfortunately he made two gargantuan mistakes in crunch time. First, he misses two free throws that would have put Dallas up 3 late. Then he went Chris Webber and called a ridiculous timeout with 1.9 left and Wade's second free throw still pending. Bottom line is Miami stepped up. I still think Dallas can and will win the series (no one has proven they can win a road game) but only if Dirk Nowitzki steps up a la D. Wade. He must do better than 20 points, 8 boards (as in game 5.) Dirk needs to be in the mid-thirties in points and grab 12 rebounds, Jason Terry (the Mavs MVP, I say again) must continue his scoring tear, and Jerry Stackhouse (DNP in game 5) needs to provide clutch buckets off the bench for Dallas to continue the series. Miami must close out in game 6 in Dallas to have a chance. You do not want a game 7 in Big-D with that crowd and Mark Cuban lurking.
How about Phil Mickelson doing his best Greg Norman impersonation? Lefty blew a two-shot lead with three holes to play to lose the U.S. Open in regulation to, of all people, Geoff Ogilvy. Mickelson had a chance to win three majors in a row and have an opportunity to go for the Grand Slam at the British Open. But he played awful down the stretch and double-bogeyed 18 to give the win to Ogilvy at 5. Yes, 5 over. How ridiculous is a golf course that yields a winning score of 285 (280)? But Lefty can't feel too bad. Tiger didn't even make the cut.
Many people are praising the United States for their "gutty" performance against Italy, eeking out a 1-1 draw. True, they played almost half the game with only 9 men (courtesy of two unwarranted red cards, each yielding a player ejection.) But the only goal the U.S. put up was an own-goal from the Italians. Through 180 minutes of play the Yanks have yet to put a ball in the net (themselves.) Thanks to a shocker, Ghana over the Czechs, the U.S. is still alive, but barely. Hey guys, go ahead and mix in a goal or two. A side note: I love the flopping that takes place on "fouls" in international soccer. They truly take it to an art form. See also, Manu Ginobili.
I have to give special recognition to a couple of particularly sick commercials on tv right now. One is the Pepto Bismol "break dance" commercial, including the hilarious "nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea" jingle set to hip-hop. Classic. The other is the new Axe spot for it's newest "flavor" called "clix." It features Nick Lachey with a hand counter keeping track of all the looks he gets from the ladies (and one dude in a funny twist.) Axe commercials have always been great (so good they get blatantly bitten by rival Tag) and Nick Lachey seems like a cool guy who got a raw deal in the Jessica Simpson soap opera. Props to both ads.
Quote of the Week:
"For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were realities, and are often more influenced by the things that seem than the things that are." -Niccolo Machiavelli.
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