Out of the Closet

Good Lord, I just can't stop writing this week! IT'S AN EXTRAVAGANZA!!!!! But I think this must be addressed, so here we go...

So Sheryl Swoopes has come out of the closet and admitted to being a lesbian. Some sportswriters are jumping all over this and heralding it as a new day in professional sports. They're wondering if this will translate into men's sports and make it okay for gay men to come out. They're also wondering if more lesbians will step forward in more female pro sports. They're wondering if straight women will be offended because it makes it harder for them to be straight in a female pro sport. That's what I'm reading from the pundits, who we all know I hold in such hire regard. So here's what I'll do: I'll tell you what I think will happen because of this news. Now what I think is right, not what I believe should happen, not what I want to happen, just what will happen:

! Most people will still assume that the vast majority of female pro athletes
(and remember, college is pro) are lesbians.
! People still will not care about the WNBA.
! This will not affect gay men in male pro sports in the least.

Sorry kids. That's it. I'm not trying to be mean here; I love Sheryl Swoopes. I remember when she won the NCAA tournament--and I do mean she, she singlehandedly carried that Tech team. She was/is incredible. She is by far the female basketball player I respect most in the world; probably by far the female athlete I respect most in the world. I think she's great. But what does this really change? Like it or not, people assume that all the women in the WNBA are lesbians. So why is it hard for a star to say she is one? You're just validating people's assumptions. And it's not like Swoopes was trying to hide this fact: she even thanked her partner (albeit by referring to her by the gender neutral name of "Scotty", though everyone knew who she was talking about) in her last MVP acceptance speech. So this is hardly earth-shattering news. I just don't see how this news changes the world around us that much--especially when the mainstream world doesn't really care about this niche very much (sorry WNBA fans).

Two more issues remain, the first being heterosexual women who are frustrated that the "lesbian" stereotype will still be applied to them in pro sports. To this I say...sorry. We live in a world of stereotypes, especially in sports. I've been stereotyped as a white basketball player, I've been stereotyped because I'm tall, I've been stereotyped as a student for being an athlete, and I've watched countless other stereotypes applied to others because of a variety of sports related issues. Like it or not, it's the way the world works. If you're going to play sports, you're going to be stereotyped, in one way or another. I must say that I question how much of a "problem" this issue really is. You can't play a sport well unless you're strong mentally, and I think this holds true even more so for the women who have helped bring female sports to acceptance in the world in the last what...ten years? Fifteen years? Anyway, I've got faith in the many girls out there who do excel in sports to not let something like "oh no, the boys might think I'm a lesbian" stop them. They're better than that, they're stronger than that. And besides...this may sound like a cliche, and it is, but it's also absolutely true: if some ass won't talk to you because he thinks that might be true, he's not worth your time anyway. You can all make fun of me for saying that now, but I stand by my statement.

The second issue is the question of gay men. Will this announcement encourage gay men in professional sports to step forward? In a word: no. In two words: Hell no. Sorry. Let's look at the situation: A star in a league that almost no one cares about stepped forward and confirmed what everyone had suspected about her in regards to an expected and accepted (yes accepted; the reason people don't watch the WNBA isn't because some of it's members might be lesbians) practice in the league. Now let's look at a gay man's "coming out": a star in the most popular sporting league in the world (any of the Big 3 could fit that) has come forward and admitted to one of the most controversial and taboo practices in his sport, and the rest of the world is in shock as they have chosen to believe for a long time that such a practice does not happen in that sport.

Look at those two situations. Is that even in the same ballpark? I'm not trying to lessen what Sheryl Swoopes has done...I'm just saying it will be immeasurably harder for the first gay male star to come out in the NFL, NBA, or MLB. Will he site Sheryl Swoopes as an inspiration? Of course. But I promise you that none of the gay male athletes are sitting at home thinking, "Well Sheryl Swoopes has opened the door; thank God! Now I can come out! I'll announce it next week." Just like one league is on a whole nother level physically, it's on a whole nother level socially, as well.

So that's what I think will happen. How has this news changed me, personally, you might ask? Not at all. I still think Sheryl Swoopes is probably the best female basketball player ever. I still admire her game, and am a bit in awe of her skill. I've never heard any bad things about her as a person, so I've always felt she was a good person. Her being lesbian does absolutely nothing to change my opinion of her as a person. I'm glad she's got this issue that was weighing her down personally off her chest, and that she feels she can move on with her life normally now. More power to her.

So talk, you pundits. Girls will still keep playing sports; predjudiced people will continue to act on there prejudices; people will still be gay or straight or both in the world; people will still not watch the WNBA. Life goes on, and in the end, the problem's of two people in this world don't amount to a hill of beans.

Happy Birthday to Me!!!!

No, not me as in Michael Pondrom. Me as in PJ's Place. Today the blog is one year old! We've had some good times together: we've laughed; we've cried; we've yelled; we've cheered. But through it all, I'd like to think we've all done one thing that is most important, o faithful readers and I: we've had fun. I've had a blast; I didn't imagine how much fun this would be. Thanks for such a great year, because this is only fun when you guys are reading and letting me know what you think. You all are the best! Happy birthday to me!

Now of course, we have to do something special for my birthday. So here's what's on the menu here at PJ's Place today: my picks for the best columns of the past year. I went through and picked out some I thought stood out, and have listed the links below. I'm curious as to which ones you like the best, or if you feel I left any out, so please feel free to let me know.

Enjoy the celebration everyone! Happy Birthday to me!

11/3/2004: Thoughts on the Election...and the coverage therein

11/17/2004: KMart Buys Sears...or How The Might Have Fallen

11/21/2004: The Fight: Pacers versus Pistons

2/14/2005: Valentine's Day

3/2/2005: The First Annual "Itoldyouthatbitchwascrazy" Awards!

3/8/2005: Women's televised basketball

3/15/2005: Tournament Time

3/23/2005: Coupla things...

4/10/2005: I love...

4/18/2005: The Definition of "Necessary Evil"

6/28/2005: NBA Mock Draft

The Europtrips
6/8/2005: Eurotrip, Part 1: The Plane and Jolly Old London Town
6/9/2005: Eurotrip, Part 2: Ah, Gay Paris.
6/14/2005: Eurotrip, Part 3A: Sieg Heil, Mother Fuckers.
6/25/2005: Eurotrip, Part 3B: Once More Into The Trenches, Dear Friends.
7/6/2005: Europtrip, Part 4: Hail the Conquering Hero

7/22/2005: The Wright Amendment

If Hamsters are involved, I'm interested.

From my good friend Linda, who included the comment "Why I hope I never have boys."



You know what? Boys are still better.

Things You Can Count On At Weddings

First, congrats to the McAfees, who are on their Honeymoon in the Grand Camans as we speak. Obviously they got married this weekend, and God bless and good wishes to the best of their life. Well, while at the reception, my buddy Mike at one point snapped his fingers and yelled out excitedly, "There he is! The Guy in jeans!", at which point we got a good laugh out of the guy in jeans at the wedding. Now that got me to thinking...what other things can you count on at weddings? I wonder...

* The Guy In Jeans: That's right. There's always one guy who decides, "No, it's cool if I just wear jeans and a dress shirt/polo to their wedding." Well guess what dude? You're wrong. Hey, I hate dressing up as much as the next guy: if I had my way, I'd wear basketball shorts, a wife beater (I'm sorry, an "athletic tee" :-) and Nikes to everything. If it's warm enough, flip flops. But unfortunately, in our civilized society, you have to look nice. So put on a pair of slacks for the wedding; when you wear jeans, all you're saying is "Hi bride and groom, I dont' give a shit about you, I just wanted the free food."

BTW...at a hick wedding where lots of people wear jeans, then this guy moves up a level and becomes one of my all time favorites: the "Redneck Tuxedo Guy". Nothing is funnier than him. As Bob put it, "If only they made Denim shoes..."

* The Obnoxious Couple Who Keeps Dancing And Is Showing Off How In Love They Are: We get it. Okay? You never stop touching each other, you're dancing all the time (and I know you think that being in love makes you good at this, but you don't know how to fucking dance), you're walking around the room talking to everyone about when you two are getting married, and you stop to stare into each other's eyes in the middle of the room. Here's what pisses me off about these people: the number 1 rule about a wedding is it's the couple's day. They are the absolute and total center of attention. The only exception is when the Best Man and Maid of Honor give their toasts. Now this couple, all they're doing is showing off. They are trying to show everyone how in love they are, and how they're just like the couple getting married, and they appreciate weddings so much because they're so in love, too. Well fuck you. It's the bride and grooms day. Quit showing off.

* The Bride & Groom Getting Pissed At The Wedding Planner And DJ: Why can't we bet on things like this? Shouldn't Vegas put odds on things like this? If they did, it would be a "when do they get angry" not "if". First of all, I've got to say I'm not on board with a wedding planner. I'm really starting to believe that they are there simply to be a fall guy; anything that goes wrong, the bride and/or mother of the bride can just blame it on the wedding planner and be absolved. If it's the bride's day, and she makes all decisions for how anything is done, then what do you need a wedding planner for? Next, the DJ. The DJ always ends up being given a list of songs, and is insulted because he wants to play his list of songs for a wedding, so he starts with their list, then ends up blowing it off, so then the bride or groom have to go yell at him to start playing their list.

Here's the problem with wedding planners and DJ's: they're professionals, and want to be treated as such. Here's the problem with that: they're not really professionals, and doing it "right" isn't the right way to do a wedding. Yes, you know how to do it "right". We acknowledge your expertise. But the real "right" way to do it is however the bride wants to do it. The smart ones excpet this fact, nod their heads at whatever the bride says, and go home a lot richer and with less stress.

* Side Note: Candy Corn. Just what the Hell is Candy Corn? And am I crazy for thinking it causes cancer?

* The Older Family Member Who's Had A Little Too Much To Drink: Is there anything better than this guy? He's really happy about the wedding, he's a little red-cheeked, he's talking to and hugging everybody, and isn't plastered but is just a little bit too drunk. You always feel better after this guy makes his way over to you. Love this guy.

* The Guy Who Is Obviously On The Prowl: Another one of my favorites. He's not even pretending; he's looking for some ass tonight. He's drinking constantly; if it's a dry wedding he's got a flask in his jacket or a bottle in the car, and he's not really hiding the fact that he's doing that; he's talking to every cute girl there and throwing a little bit different game each time (to the first girl he's a tough guy, the next girl he's really sensitive, the next one he's emotional about the wedding). He's practically holding up a huge sign that says, "Have Hotel Room Will Fuck". Hilarious.

* The Bitter Lonely Girl Who's Also Looking To Hook Up: She's not at every wedding, but she's there a lot--and she's at damn near every wedding with booze. Not much to say here: she's bitter at either the couple or her "pathetic" (as she would describe it) love life, she's lonely, and any guy who throws some halfway decent game and a couple of drinks her way is in there.

The highest of high comedy: when The Guy Who Is Obviously On The Prowl finally meets the The Bitter Lonely Girl Who's Also Looking To Hook Up, ESPECIALLY after you've watched him go through a couple other girls before he got to her. Watching his face light up and watching the look of sad resignation on her face gets me every time. Did I mention I like people watching at weddings? Did I also mention I'm going to Hell?

* The Bad Toast From The Maid Of Honor: Women, why can't you toast? Seriously. I don't know if I've ever seen a good wedding toast from a woman. I'm sorry. I'm sure I've seen one or two that I'm forgetting, but this is damn near ironclad. Let me give you a piece of advice ladies: saying "I just love you both so much" does not make it a good toast. I don't think I've ever heard a woman not say that exact line during a toast. It's like a diehard Southern Baptist asking you, "HaveyouexceptedJesusChristasyourLordandSavior?" You're not quite sure when it's coming...but you know it's going to be in there somehwere.

I think it's just that they don't care as much about this as men do, but women really do suck at making toasts. Come on ladies, step it up here! This is an important part of the wedding!

* Watching The Guys Jump Out Of The Way When The Garter Is Tossed: The best is when it actually lands on the floor, and everyone just looks at it for a minute. Superman doesn't run away from Kryptonite this fast. And yes, I do this too. I hate this tradition; it's so tacky. But I will say this: grooms, if you're going to do this, be a pimp and use your teeth.

* The Attendant Who Wants To Have A Little Too Much Fun The Night Before: This is the one who's usually trying to hide it, but they really want the guys/girls (depending) to get plastered and head to the strip club. What's funny is this person is almost always married; a wedding is the only opportunity for them to get away with doing this without their significant other getting angry at them. Let me put it to you this way: if you have an attendant who is married and is either a little bit of a redneck or was a player/party girl before they were married, I guarentee you they are dying to party like a rock star the night before.

Ahhh weddings. You've got to love them; anything can and will happen. If I left anything off, please feel free to chime in in the comments. Salud!

2005 NBA Western Conference Preview

Once again, the West is vastly superior to the East. I'll give the East this though: they have closed the gap this season. Good for them. Now onto the Wild Wild West.

Well, somebody's got to suck...

15. New Orleans Hornets: Damn. New Orleans, don't look for any signs of hope from these guys. Good thing OSU basketball isn't as good this year as last year, otherwise the people in OKC might actually have a decent debate about which team would win if the two played.

14. LA Clippers: Remember a few years back when Lamar Odom, Andre Miller, Michael Olowakandi, Quentin Richardson, and Darius Miles were all going into free agency at the same time, and so they all were pissed at the team, and all just looked out for themselves and were all just gunning so they could get fat contracts? Well, this team is going to make those guys look like one big happy family. Sam Cassell, Cutino Mobley, Corey Maggette, Chris Wilcox...wow. Whoever brings the ball up past halfcourt gets to shoot. Elton Brand, get out while you still cannnnnnnnnnnnnnnn..............

13. Portland Trailblazers: Some days, this team will be able to beat the best team in the NBA by 20. Most days, they will get spanked. They're young, their headstrong, and they have no veteran PG. Not a good sign of things to come. They'll be entertaining though: they'll play fast and loose, and you'll never know what exactly can happen with the crazy Blazers.

12. Memphis Grizzlies: This is the year I see it all going horribly wrong for the Grizzlies. Hey, on paper, they're not that bad. But this team has been making it on hard work and good chemistry for three years now, and that only works for so long in today's NBA. It all started to unravel last year. This year, they've lost Stromile Swift, added Damon Stoudamire--who gives whole new meaning to team cancer--and are counting on Eddie Jones, who is some finished I can't even use my D-U-N DUN joke on him. Talentwise, they should be better. But someone has to suck in the West, and I've just got a feeling they're going to do it.

11. LA Lakers: Man the Lakers are going to suck this year. I mean, seriously, I think this is way too high for them. I'm assuming that Kobe and Lamar Odom can do something with this team, but man...Aaron McKie is their starting point guard. A) He's a fricking small forward, not a point guard. B) He was a good small forward...FIVE YEARS AGO!!!!! Wow.

But don't worry. Kwame Brown is going to save the day! Here's a quote from Kwame, and I swear to God I'm not making this up: "This is my first summer [with] no trouble. I ain't go to jail for speeding. Didn't go to jail for DUI. I didn't break my foot. I didn't break my other foot. I'm one step ahead of the game already."

Ahhh...and just remember Kobe...THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED!! YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW! THERE IS JUSTICE IN THE WORLD, SCUMBAG!!!!!

Sorry about that.

I'm not sure about these teams...they could go either way.

10. Golden State: This team could finish about three spots lower or actually fight for a playoff seed. They've got a legit star in The Baron--who I still can't believe they traded for last year for ABSOLUTELY NOTHING--and have some quality players. However, they don't seem to have enough talent, and most importantly, it is the Warriors. I've got faith in them to find a way to screw it up.

9. Minnesota Timberwolves: It pains me to write this. Seriously, it pains me. But to be blunt--this might be too high. The Wolves have nothing. NOTHING. Their second best player by far is Wally. That's not good. They're starting Marko Jaric at the point. That's not good. Olowakandi isn't just their starting center, he's their only option. Poor KG...I mean, they have NOTHING. I think Rashad McCants is their third best player, and you have no idea how much that sentence scares me.

How did it all go so wrong?

8. Utah Jazz: This team could--and probably should--be even better than this. However, this falls under the "fool me once" category. I really thought the Jazz would be a tough team to contend with last year, but once AK went down, they dropped faster Bush's second term approval ratings. Okay, that wasn't very good, but the point is they really disappointed me. However, they got a good point in the draft, which is what they sorely missed. Kirilenko should be back and 100% this year, as should Matt Harpring, and they've had a year to get to know each other after wholesale changes made last offseason. 8th is not too much of a stretch to ask for from this team.

7. Seattle Supersonics: The darling teams of one season ALWAYS drop. Always. Write it down. It's one of the laws of the NBA. The overachieving team that plays an unconventional style one year will always do worse the next year. The only question is how much.

I've just got a bad feeling about the Sonics. They lost key pieces like Reggie Lewis and Antonio Davis; "upset" doesn't even quite cover how Vladimir Radmanovic feels about his contract; I just don't like a Nick Collison/Vitaly Potapenko combo at PF/C. I think Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis will keep them from falling too far, but if either one misses significant time due to injury, watch out.

Better than average, but definitely have some questions

6. Your Dallas Mavericks!: I can't tell you how worried I am about this season. Things were going so well last year...and then the playoffs started. Dirk turned into a whiny little bitch, Dampier made Tim Duncan look like a clutch player by comparison, and Finley proved without a shadow of a doubt that while he could have an incredible game every once in a while, his career was basically over. I worry about Avery Johnson too; at first I was happy to have him, but I worry that his "yell at the players in that wierd voice of his" approach is going to get real old, real fast with the team.

There's talent on this team still, but adding Doug Christie was about the worst move any team could have made in the offseason, but not only did they do that but they're trying to call him a starter! Yeah, that won't last. It all rests on Dirk. He needs to reassert himself as a true team leader, not as a whiny little bitch.

5. Phoenix Suns: There were a million questions about the Suns before Amare went down with his knee injury. Now that he's gone for four months, all bets are off. This team is going to have to start playing an entirely different style of basketball, now that they've lost Q Rich and Joe Johnson for Kurt Thomas and Brian Grant. The Suns will still be good, even without Amare, and will probably be the "team no one wants to play at the end of the season", but they won't be near as great or as fun to watch as they were last season. They are basically starting from scratch this season, and have a lot of questions to answer this season.

4. Denver Nuggets: Talent wise, the Nuggets should be much higher. They have one of the best starting fives in basketball, are well coached, and can excel at several different styles of basketball. However...which team is going to show up? Is it going to be the team who played the first half of the season last year, or the second half? What did Carmelo Anthony do this off season? Will Nene play hard and well in spite of the fact that there is apparently bad blood between him and management? Here's a statement, not a question: they still have a huge whole at shooting guard. When a guy coming off a ruptured Achilles tendon--who was good but wasn't THAT good to begin with--is by far your best 2, that's not good.

The Nuggets must get a better 2 to move into the league's elite, but this is a team that can still dominate--if they show up in the right frame of mind.

These guys are GOOD

3. Sacramento Kings: The Kings have one of the deepest teams in the league. They easily run ten deep, and not only that but I like the way they are built: solid role players, guys with talent who have something to prove, some young players who bring some spark to the table. My biggest problem with this team is their lack of a star, and no, before you even say anything, The Peja does not count as a star. This is a team that will play hard, play smart, play tough, and wear a lot of teams down on both ends of the court. The X Factor here is Bonzi Wells. If he shows up in a good frame of mind and plays up to his potential, then they will have a chance to get the 2 seed in the West. If he plays like he has his entire career, then they won't be as good. This team has a very high ceiling.

2. Houston Rockets: You know, I'm shocked to be ranking the Rockets this high, to be honest. But when I started looking at their lineup...I mean, this team can do some damage. Time for a list!

PG: Rafer Alston, Bob Sura. I'm not actually a Rafer fan, but I do like him to take some minutes away from one of my favorite players who did fantastic last year, Little Bobby Sura. You don't want him playing too many minutes. Losing Mike James does hurt though; he was clutch for them last year.
SG: David Wesley, Derek Anderson. LOVE the Derek Anderson pickup. He's a guy who can score and defend, in as many amounts as you need him to. Since Wesley can go stone cold from the field for a month, they can spend time swapping out as the starting 2 guard.
SF: Tracy McGrady, Ryan Bowen. You had to be impressed with the TMac put the Rockets on his back during the playoffs. What a fantastic job.
PF: Juwan Howard, Stromile Swift. Great pickup for the Rockets. Now they have the savvy veteran who knows how to play smart and hard in Howard when they need that, and also have the athletic kid who goes in and mixes things up in Swift (I realize he's not a kid anymore, but he's still dumb like one). Great combo at the PF.
C: Yao Ming, Dikembe Mutombo. I still say Yao is never going to be the number 1 guy that everyone wants him to be...but with TMac around, he doesn't have to be. They've even got a good backup center in Mutombo.

Beware the Rockets.

1. San Antonio Spurs: They kept their championship team...and added to it. HOWEVER, don't give them the rings just yet. Remember, this team was one play (Rasheed Wallace covering Robert Horry on the inbounds) away from losing the championship series, and Tim Duncan likes to piss all over himself during crunch time, especially at the free throw line. Finley is all washed up, so don't get too excited about him, and Van Exel can be a great addition--and can also be a team cancer.

The Spurs are still the by far favorites, but it's not as foregone a conclusion that they will win the title as some of the Shaq/Kobe teams were. And even some of those can't miss teams ended up missing.

So remember kids...the NBA...it's FANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNTASTIC!!!

2005 NBA Eastern Conference Preview

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The NBA is back. Yes, I am excited. Another season of basketball thrills is upon us! Once again the best athletes in the world take to the court to decide who is the most dominant. The NBA enjoyed one of it's most exciting seasons since Jordan's prime last year; can they follow it up again? Probably. The style of play won't be as uptempo as it was last year--the Suns definitely won't run as much, though the Wizards will and the Cavs will probably run more--but the competition should be stiffer. I'm pumped to see how things shake out.

One quick note off before the East Preview: I do the worst conference first, which is why we're doing the East today. I'm not doing the East first because I'm waiting to see how the Amare Stoudamire situation shakes itself out. Real quick let's see a timeline of these events:

1) Amare said he's thought of playing for the Lakers and would love to do so when his current contract is up, though he still wants to be a Sun.
2) Phoenix (the city & the org) starts panicking.
3) Amare suddenly signs a huge extension.
4) Amare's knee suddenly starts hurting the day Training Camp breaks.
5) Amare's gonna have surgery, should be out only a month.
6) Whoops! Knees worse than we thought. He's out for four months now. The Suns season is over before it begins.

Does anybody else think that's a pretty funny story? Anyway, on to the East.

Well, at least they won't be as bad as the Hawks were last year...

15. Charlotte Bobcats: There's actually a decent chance that Charlotte will have a worse record this year than they did last year. The more I think about their draft, the more I don't like it. Felton was an okay pick, I'm fine with that, but I'm really wary about May. He needs a strong veteran presence to keep him from going Stanley Roberts on us, and the Bobs definitely don't have that. If Felton struggles at all--which he will--the Bobs will be in trouble. But since they're not supposed to be good anyway, it's okay.

14. Atlanta Hawks: Congratulations Atlanta. You RIDICULOUSLY overpaid for Joe Johnson...but hey, you did add talent to your team. I just can't shake the feeling that Marvin Williams will be a huge bust, and the fact that he SUCKED in the summer league did little to assuage my fears.

13. Toronto Raptors: It's only out of respect for OSU alum Joey Graham that I put them ahead of the Hawks. Another bumbling offseason by Ron Babcock has crippled this team. I would not be surprised at all if they end up dead last.

12. Boston Celtics: Is there any way that Paul Pierce finishes the year with this team? I vote "no". I think the Celts are content to absolutely trash this season and let the rookies gel. I like the Dan Dickau pickup though...he's got a little something, if he improves he might be a nice point for this team.

11. Orlando Magic: There's something that just doesn't feel right with this whole situation in Orlando. I see this going from bad last year to worse this year. Whereas last season I felt like they were a team that could slide up, this season I feel like this team might slide even further down from where I have them. Dwight Howard will have a great season, but I'll be surprised if Steve Francis finishes the season with this team. Everything here just feels wrong. Grant Hill, get out while you can!

10. Philadelphia 76ers: Philly managed to finish 7th last season--and that's after the best season of AI's career. He's not going to do that well this season. Chris Webber is too much of a pussy to ever do well in Philly. They've already lost Willie Green, one of their big offseason resignings, to the year to an ACL tear. Plus there will be an adjustment phase to yet another new coach.

Hey, if they gel, they could make it all the way up to #6 or 7. But I doubt it.

9. New York Knicks: Then again...maybe I'm being to harsh on the Sixers. Why am I choosing the Knicks this high? I loathe Larry Brown. I think he's a scumbag, and I can't stand him. But...he wins. You can't argue that. And there is something to this team; they're a bunch of ballhoggin, mefirst players, but there is some talent there. As long as Jerome James and Eddie Curry find a way to keep their combined weight under a metric ton (that might be harder than it sounds), then the Knicks should at least flirt with a playoff spot. Or Brown will have a heart attack and die, and I would probably laugh at that, too.

Well, somebody has to make the playoffs...

8. Milwaukee Bucks: And you wonder why they call this the Leastern Conference. Now don't get me wrong: I want to like the Bucks. They have Desmond Mason, you have to root for TJ Ford to come back, and you've got to love Bobby Simmons after working hard and having a great year with the Clips last year. There's talent on this team...again, I just wonder how it's all going to fit together. Will Bogut completely suck? (Almost assuredly.) Will TJ Ford make it back? (Hopefully...) Will Desmond Mason and Bobby Simmons be able to play well together, being they play the same position? (Probably.) Will Michael Redd be able to handle being the man, and living up to his ridiculous contract? (Probably.) I'm voting for the Bucks to be all right, and get better as the season goes on. But this team could crash and burn at the same time.

7. Chicago Bulls: Chicago is a team that played out of it's mind last year and GROSSLY exceeded expectations. Unfortunately for them, the track record for the NBA is not to do nearly as well the following year. Fortunately for them, they're in the East, so they don't have that much competition to fight off. Losing Curry hurts, but getting a healthy Deng back helps them out even more. They have a couple of nice pieces, and provided Chandler, Deng, Heinrich, and Gordon continue to improve, they'll stay competitive.

Getting better...

6. Washington Wizards: Okay, can we stop the "Shit on Larry Hughes" parade please? Yes, you did a good job adding Caron Butler, Chucky Atkins, and Antonio Daniels to take his spot. But people are VASTLY underestimating the job he's done in Washington the last two years. People were too busy ga gaing over Gilbert Arenas to notice how phenomenal Hughes was. So to all the "it was just a contract year" (Hughes took it to the next level 2 seasons ago) and "he wasn't worth that much money" (I would have offered Hughes more than Michael Redd, and Hughes singed for almost $25 mil less), please shut the fuck up.

Back to the Wizards: they still have a very deep, talented team. If Caron Butler can finally take it to the next level and become the player I thought he would be coming out of the draft, then this team will be phenomenal, and will easily overtake the Nets and possibly even the Cavs. If he's just above average like he's been the rest of his career, then they will be just above average, and finish 6th.

5. New Jersey Nets: Man, for the sake of the Nets, I hope they're right about this Shareef thing. I really do. Because he would have been PERFECT for this team. He could have really put them over the top. As it stands now, however, they're just an above average to slightly good team led by a good group of guards and a horrible group of big men. However, as long as they stay healthy--a big if--the guards are REALLY good.

Okay, these guys can ball...

4. Cleveland Cavaliers: Finally. Lebron has a cast he can do something with. Adding Damon Jones, Donyell Marshall, and Larry Hughes was masterful. All are great additions to play with on the team. Lebron finally has another good scorer and defender, has some good perimeter shooters, and has a good do everything forward. Hell, they can even use Drew Gooden as trade bait if they decide they need something else. This TEAM--not just one player--is finally ready to explode.

3. Miami Heat: I want to rank the Heat higher. I really do. Hell, I'll be honest: I want them to win the title. I'd love to see this Shaq (the one I like) win a title, and I'd love to see DWade win one. But I just don't see it happening, and for one reason:

Antoine Fucking Walker.

Why? Why Pat Riley? Why are you intentionally trying to ruin this team? You make a good trade in the Eddie Jones deal to get James Posey and Jason Williams. All you have to do is resign Damon Jones--Hell, you even did a good job drafting Wayne Simien--and you're set.

Nope. You let Jones go, and bring in Gary Payton, who I love but is D-U-N DUN, and then bring in Antoine Walker to take too many shots and poison the team. I don't understand it. Oh, and then you start fucking with the Coach's mind, leaking news to the media that you want to take over as coach. Good call there boss.

Hey, this team will still be a force to contend with. James Posey was still a great pickup, JWill could be a good pickup, and most importantly they still have Shaq and DWade. But Walker will keep this team from meeting its full potential.

2. Detroit Pistons: The more things change...the Pistons will be a great team once again. Don't worry about Larry Brown going; it was time, and Flip Saunders is a great coach. He'll do a good job replacing him. The Pistons will be good as usual.

1. Indiana Pacers: Of course, this is all very subjective. However, do you realize this team runs about 12 deep? TWELVE? And somehow that doesn't seem to bother them that much. As long as we don't have another brawl this year, the Pacers should win the East, and fairly easily. I'm sorry, but I still say I would trade Ron Ron right now and go with Danny Granger. But either way, this team will be great, and fun to watch--because you never know what might happen...

Political Stuff, or A Social Commentary on the Various Issues Affecting American Politics Today

I know you'll be shocked to hear this...but I'm pissed off.

Not at one person mind you; it seems I'm mad at pretty much everybody. I'm mad at George Bush. I'm mad at the media. I'm mad at "Conservative Christians". I'm mad at a topic.

So it's time to replace Sandra Day O'Connor as a Supreme Court Justice. Whoopee. Who does Bush pick? Harriet Miers, White House counsel and friend of the president for years. She has an impressive resume, with one very minor exception:

SHE'S NEVER BEEN A FUCKING JUDGE BEFORE!!!!!!!!

You're kidding me, right? She's never served as a judge? Ever? Never in her life? She's going to go from never having been a judge to suddenly becoming one of the most powerful people in the country, deciding law and national policy, being set in this position for life, and she's never done the job before on any level? How is this even possilbe? How can you possibly defend this?

Is our legal system that fucked up? Is our legal system in such bad shape that out of all the judges in the country, there wasn't ONE qualified candidate? One single person who had worn the robes on any level who can say, "You know, I do have some job experience for this position you're looking to fill."

Now don't get me wrong. I hate the Senate Judicicial hearings that review the candidate, because it's not the Senate's job to choose a candidate. It's the President's. It's his power, and all that crap is is a chance for the two parties to take shots at each other and try to gain 15 minutes of fame and maybe a small bit of political power. I respect the President's right to choose anyone he wants for the Supreme Court.

However, I would think that when you are choosing someone to work in the highest court in the land, someone who has final say in all legal matters for the rest of their life, you'd want someone who had just a bit of experience. Call me crazy.

But you know the worse part? That's not what seems to bother anyone, even though it should. It's God Damn Mother Fucking abortion that bothers everyone.

I hate abortion, with all my heart and soul. I wish abortion was a person, so I could find them, and slowly torture them, as this issue has tortured me. This issue is driving me crazy. Why is this the most important issue our country is facing? Why? There's nothing that tops this? War, terrorism, the economy, the oil crisis, the environment, none of these can hold a candle to abortion? Why is this apparently the only issue that is affecting the Supreme Court right now?

Go do some research on Miers. I went to several popular news sites to find out more about her, and all they fucking talk about is abortion! I'm sorry, that's not fair: one of them mentioned how much the conservative christians (sorry, I refuse to capitalize their names anymore; they are not true followers of Jesus Christ; yeah, I fucking said it) hate her because she doesn't want to kill gay people. Can you imagine the nerve of her? But that was one, maybe two paragraphs at the most, and then it was back to abortion, apparently the only problem/issue facing our country today. Thank God we live in such peaceful, prosperous times!

Here's what I want: I want a President who's not all of the sudden acting like a ball-less pussy. I want a President who realizes it's his second term, he's doesn't need to worry about running for re-election or his popularity polls ever again because after this term, he's done, he's out, he's living the high life on his ranch and making crazy money on the lecture circuit. I want the President who was an outstanding Governor of the state of Texas, and did a lot of good for the state while he was down here. I don't want the guy who is letting the oil companies rip us off mercilessly, and who suddenly seems weak and timid when dealing with any issue.

I want a President who does what he thinks is right, justifies it, and moves on with his life. If everybody doesn't agree, fine. I want a President who doesn't nominate someone from the Supreme Court because she's a woman, because she's a friend, and because he thinks it will appease some of his detractors. I want a President who nominates someone for the Court because they are most qualified for the job, not because of their opinion on one issue that is not nearly as important as we are making it out to be.

I want a leader, not a coward. I want a Supreme Court Justice who is qualified and will follow the law, regardless of personal feelings. I want Bush's performance his second term to improve, because it has been a complete and total failure thus far. I want people to use their heads and think and not just react to anything ultraconservatives, ultraliblerals, or sensationalists in the media say is important.

Is that to much to ask for? Because if it is, we've got some serious problems here folks.

Peace.




BTW...this is post number 100. Thanks everyone for reading! You're the best, I appreciate your comments, time, and attention.