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Best Damn Sports Show Period

Best Damn sports Show Period


Last Updated: 8/17/2009

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Gender: Male
Status: Single
Age: 101
Sign: Cancer

City: LOS ANGELES
State: CALIFORNIA
Country: US
Signup Date: 9/26/2006

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Sunday, October 18, 2009 

Current mood:  adventurous
Category: Sports
4:48 PM 
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Tuesday, June 30, 2009 

Current mood:  artistic
Category: Sports
The Best Damn Sports Show Period - A Look Back
By Chris, Best Damn Editor, Web Guy, and Podcast Producer

I edited my first piece for the Best Damn Sports Show Period before the show had even begun to air. I don't think the piece ever made the show. It shouldn't have. It was terrible. This was in the spring of 2001, and after working on that piece, my boss, Jay, asked me if I would like a permanent position on Best Damn. I asked how long a commitment the show had, and found out that it had only thirteen weeks guaranteed. I respectfully said no thanks, and kept my position on Fox Sports News, because I didn't think Best Damn would last, and they would never cancel the News.

Six months later, they cancelled the News.

Fortunately, the folks at Best Damn were there with open arms, willing to let me work on the show. The first piece I did on this second go-round with Best Damn was aiming an arrow at Leeann Tweeden's breasts, following the gaze of a Toughman competitor who just couldn't keep his eyes up. I thought it might just be time to start touching up my resume. However, as the crew of the show found their niche, the work became increasingly fun, though oftentimes stressful. Many a day, I would finish a comedy bit, only to have a producer take the tape from my hands and run, as Joan Cusack in Broadcast News, down to the tape room. I would turn in my chair, and find the piece was already on the air, just seconds later! What a rush!

I look back at those days and the pieces I edited: Robin Williams giving us a bike tour of San Francisco, a biography of Leroy Neiman, Leeann's Spring Training tour, a walk through the NFL Draft with Dan Cody, etc., and I feel great pride. We made some good television. Then, I look at the comedy pieces that I cut: The Roses-Way Beyond the Glory, Doyle Regan: Sanity Management, The Black Shadow, etc., and I can't help but laugh. No doubt, we had our fair share of bombs, but the pieces that were funny, were very funny.

You would think that after eight years, it would be hard to pick a favorite moment. Oddly enough, it's easy for me. My favorite moment on the show far and away is Pat Croce being bitten by a snake while playing a Fear Factor-style game. I have seen that clip hundreds of times, easily, and I laugh every single time. I had nothing to do with that moment, though; that happened live in-studio. My favorite moment that I had a hand in creating was following Kyle Turley as he brought supplies down to the victims and rescue workers of Hurricane Katrina. That piece was easily the most important work I've done here on Best Damn. Seeing Kyle Turley in tears after it ran let me know that I and producer Joel Santos had done it right, and when we read letters of thanks from our viewers on the air soon after, I shed more than a few tears of my own. Working on that piece was definitely one of the highest of highlights from my time on Best Damn.

Overall, though, when I look back at eight years of work on the Best Damn Sports Show Period, I think of how much I've learned from both our triumphs and our missteps (and there were many of both), of how a staff smaller than that of most local evening news programs managed to pull together and put up to two hours of television on the air every single weeknight, and most importantly, I think of the great friends I've made here, and how much I'm going to miss seeing them every day. I'm thankful for them. They've been the most important people in my life for some time now, and I love each and every one of them.

I wish we could do it for another eight years.
3:49 PM 
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Wednesday, June 24, 2009 

Current mood:  excited
Category: Sports
The Best Damn NBA Mock Draft Period
By Zach Johnson, Co-Host of the Best Damn Sports Show Podcast
 
Many experts are saying this year’s NBA Draft class is ho-hum, with only one can’t-miss prospect.  Barring a monumental Clippers debacle (not unheard of) the team from LA not celebrating a championship will be taking Blake Griffin.  Other than the first pick, the draft is really anyone’s guess.  Will this year’s draft end up being like the 2000 draft, which didn’t have a perennial All-Star in the bunch or the 1996 draft where future Hall of Famers (Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash) were picked in the middle of the first round?   It will probably be somewhere in between.  One thing NBA GMs seem to overdraft every year is size (see Michael Olowokandi) and unproven skilled Euros (See Darko Milicic).  Both should be represented early in this year’s draft.  Let’s get to it.


1. Los Angeles Clippers – Blake Griffin 6’10”, 250, PF, Oklahoma:  This is a no brainer and even the Clippers won’t screw this up. The last few years have had some drama over the number one pick, but not this year.  The Clippers have a storied history of high draft picks but only two, #1 overall picks, Danny Manning and Michael Olowokandi.  Let’s hope for the Clippers’ sake he’s more Manning and less Kandi-man.

2. Memphis Grizzlies – Hasheem Thabeet 7’3’, 265, C, Connecticut:  This is where it gets interesting.  The Grizzlies go big because they desperately need size, rebounding, and shot blocking, and the former Husky provides that.  Ricky Rubio cancelled his workout for Memphis indicating that he doesn’t want to go there, but the Grizzlies are known to thumb their nose at that—Steve Francis comes to mind.  Also, don’t be surprised if Minnesota packages #5 and #18 or #6 and #18 to move up and take the big man or Rubio.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder – James Harden 6’5”, 220, SG, Arizona State:  Oklahoma City has had two nice picks in a row with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. With Durant at the 3 and Westbrook at the 1, Harden makes the most sense.  Don’t be surprised if the Thunder try to trade this pick or even go after Rubio in a bit of an upset.

4. Sacramento Kings – Tyreke Evans 6’5”, 220, G, Memphis:  Evans has flown up the draft charts recently and the Kings decide to go with Evans over Rubio.  Although the big need for the Kings is PG, they go with Evans, a two with PG skills.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves – Ricky Rubio 6’5”, 180, PG, DKV Joventut, Spain: The T-Wolves would be thrilled with this scenario, getting possibly the player with the most upside in the draft.   Rubio is a playmaker playing high level pro ball.  A great passer, Rubio is the #1 Euro prospect and the player that sparks the most debate.  Just ask Brandon Jennings.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves – Stephen Curry 6’3”, 180, G, Davidson:  I know I have the T-Wolves taking a point the pick before but the guy they want, Tyreke Evans, is off the board and the Wolves desperately need outside shooting.  Derozan makes sense here as he is an athletic two but Curry’s shooting is too much for the Wolves to pass up.

7. Golden State Warriors – Jordan Hill 6’10”, 235, PF, Arizona:  We have seen this before…Brandon Wright and Anthony Randolph anyone?  The Warriors have a glut in the backcourt and Hill would fill a nice need at power forward, but will Don Nelson know how to use him?

8. New York Knicks – Brandon Jennings 6’2”, 165, PG, Lottomatica Roma, Italy: The Euro that is not really a Euro.  The Knicks will be disappointed that Stephen Curry is off the board but they need a playmaker.  Jennings has a ton of upside, and was a star at the 2008 McDonalds’ All-American game.

9. Toronto Raptors – DeMar Derozan 6’7”, 210, SG, USC:  The Raptors could go a number of ways here:  Holiday, Flynn, or Henderson. Toronto needs some excitement to convince Chris Bosh to stay.  (Some say his leaving is a forgone conclusion.)  So they opt for the athletic swingman that is still working on his shot, but has an NBA body and his athleticism is too much to pass up.

10. Milwaukee Bucks - Jrue Holiday 6’4”, 200, PG, UCLA:  The Bucks just sent their second leading scorer, Richard Jefferson, to the Spurs for some expiring contracts, freeing up some desperately needed cap space.  For this year’s draft, the Bucks are looking for the best player available and Jrue Holiday fits the bill.  The UCLA PG played out of position last year and was projected as high as #4 a few weeks ago.  He’ll be a solid pick here at #10.

11. New Jersey Nets – Terence Williams 6’6”, 215, SG, Louisville:  Vince Carter isn’t getting any younger and Williams is shooting up draft boards.  He is impressing teams with his shooting ability and athleticism.  Power Forward also makes some sense here but it’s too early for Hansbrough or Blair.

12. Charlotte Bobcats – Gerald Henderson 6’5”, 215, SG, Duke:  The Bobcats wanted either Williams or Henderson and this makes their choice easier.  Henderson is a nice scorer, who plays an all-around team game and plays solid defense.  But will Michael Jordan really draft a Dukie?

13. Indiana Pacers – Jonny Flynn 6’0”, 190, PG, Syracuse:  The Pacers are ecstatic that Flynn falls into their lap. A super-quick and athletic point guard who could have gone as high as #4 is a real steal here. This is the year of the point guard so far, with possibly as many as six point guards (counting Evans and Curry) going in the first thirteen picks.

14. Phoenix Suns – Earl Clark 6’10”, 225, SF, Louisville: Clark is a versatile tweener who likes to run the floor and face the basket, which works well in a Phoenix-type offense.  If the Suns are able to move Shaq this could be a big like Hansbrough or Mullens.

15. Detroit Pistons – James Johnson 6’8”, 255, PF, Wake Forest: Johnson is also a tweener that has some three point range.  He has the bulk and rebounding ability to settle into the 4 and the touch to play the 3. He would be a nice addition if the Pistons try to move some of their older players.

16. Chicago Bulls - DeJuan Blair 6’7”, 275, PF, Pittsburgh:  The Bulls could use some bulk inside and this would definitely fit the bill.  Blair has a nice post game and played a high level of competition in college.  There are some concerns about his knees, but Blair assured teams that won’t be a problem.

17. Philadelphia 76ers – Eric Maynor 6’3”, 165, PG, Virginia Commonwealth:  Maynor was one of the leading scorers in the NCAA last year; he has a good floor game and knows how to get to the line, which is something you just can’t teach.  However, he is a four-year college player and you know how GMs feel about them.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves – B.J. Mullens 7’1”, 260, C, Ohio State:  An athletic big man that is only the second true center taken off the board so far.  The Wolves need a big and if they still have this pick would probably take the raw Mullens.  My guess is they don’t have this pick, but Mullens still goes in this slot.

19. Atlanta Hawks – Ty Lawson 6’0”, 185, PG, North Carolina: A small but sturdy guard who was the floor general on a National Championship squad.  He likes to play up-tempo which would seem to be a good fit next to Joe Johnson and Josh Smith.  At the very least Lawson would be a nice change of pace behind Mike Bibby.

20. Utah Jazz – Tyler Hansbrough 6’9”, 230, PF, North Carolina:  We’ve got a run on Tar heels.  Doesn’t it just make a lot of sense for Hansbrough to play for Utah….think about it?  But, seriously it is some insurance for Carlos Boozer, who is most likely gone soon.

21. New Orleans Hornets – Austin Daye 6’11”, 195, PF, Gonzaga:  6’11” 195, are you serious?  Daye has a lot of potential and I think taking picks at this point of the draft should be based on potential.  Daye has a nice jumper and athleticism but needs to add about 50lbs.

22. Dallas Mavericks – Jeff Teague 6’2”, 180, PG, Wake Forest:  Teague is a natural scorer who kind of reminds you of Devin Harris. Does he have the quickness and PG skills to play the position?   If he does, the Mavs could atone for trading Harris to New Jersey. 

23. Sacramento Kings – Sam Young 6’7”, 225. SF. Pittsburgh:  Solid player that excelled against tough competition and does everything well, just not great. NBA ready player right now with not a lot of upside.

24. Portland Trailblazers – Darren Collison 6’0”, 170, PG, UCLA:  There is talk that Sergio Rodriguez is on the move and the Blazers could use another PG to fill their roster.  Collison has the high basketball IQ to stay in the NBA for a long time.

25. Oklahoma City Thunder – Chase Budinger 6’7”, 210, SF, Arizona:  Some experts projected Budinger as high as a top 10 pick after his freshman season, but he has slowly fallen since then.  The athletic wing still has a chance to develop into a solid contributor in the NBA.

26. Chicago Bulls – Wayne Ellington 6’5”, 190, SG, North Carolina:  The Bulls could use a scorer if Ben Gordon bolts, and Ellington—fresh off his NCAA tournament MOP—fills that need.  Don’t be surprised if the Bulls pull the trigger on Casspi instead.

27. Memphis Grizzlies – Jon Brockman 6’7” 255, PF Washington: A bit of a surprise here, but the tough, physical Brockman can score down low and rebound.  He plays bigger than his size.  Can anyone really argue with the Pac-10 after all these kids get picked.  Where is the Pac-10 love?

28. Minnesota Timberwolves – Omri Casspi 6’9” 210, SF, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel:  A tough player that a lot of teams are trying to move into the first round to get.  This makes sense for Minnesota who won’t have four first round rookies on their squad, so they trade the pick here or tell Casspi to stay in Israel for a couple years.

29. Los Angeles Lakers – Toney Douglas 6’2” 185, SG, Florida State:  Does this guy remind anyone of Derek Fisher?  An undersized 2 that can shoot and score and handle a little point when necessary.

30. Cleveland Cavaliers – Patrick “Patty” Mills 6’0”, 175, PG, St Mary’s:  Lightning quick point guard with experience against international competition. Can really penetrate and dish, with a nice shooting touch.  Lebron could use someone to take on a little of the ball handling load.
3:38 PM 
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Wednesday, June 03, 2009 

Current mood:  grateful
Category: Sports
With Father’s Day soon upon us, finding gifts for the sports nut in your family can be quite a challenge.  What do you get for the sports fan that already has all the jerseys, hats, and gear that they could possibly want?  The Best Damn Sports Show Period’s Twitter friend Books-A-Million gave us these suggestions for some sports-themed books that might fit the bill.

  • Frank Gifford pens an amazing account of the “Greatest Game Ever Played” in The Glory Game: How the 1958 NFL Championship Changed Football Forever.

  • In Urban's Way: Urban Meyer, the Florida Gators, and His Plan to Win, Buddy Martin recounts the life of the Gator coach from his childhood to today.

  • How Good Do You Want to Be?: A Champion's Tips on How to Lead and Succeed at Work and in Life gives readers Alabama coach Nick Saban’s tips for success at work and in life.

  • From Sports Illustrated, The College Football Book includes stunning pictures, award-winning articles, and more, spanning the sport's history from its infancy in the 1800s right up to the postseason showdowns of 2008.

  • In Beyond Belief: Finding the Strength to Come Back, Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton details his 4-year nightmare of drugs and alcohol; estrangement from friends and family; his eventual suspension from baseball; and his spiritual journey through pain and heartbreak that led to the rebirth of his major-league career.

    • Not to be outdone, the staff of the Best Damn Sports Show Period put their heads together and came up with their own list of books that might make your holiday shopping a little easier.  Here are their recommendations.

  • Alyssa Milano’s love letter to fandom, Safe at Home: Confessions of a Baseball Fanatic, delves into her relationship with her father and how sports brought them closer together, making it a perfect gift for fathers who share any degree of sports fandom with their children.

  • Pulitzer Prize-winning political commentator and baseball fan George F. Will gives readers the ultimate insider's look at the exacting technique of both baseball players and managers in his bestseller Men at Work: the Craft of Baseball.

  • In Moneyball: the Art of Winning an Unfair Game, Michael Lewis follows the 2002 Oakland A’s and their general manager, Billy Beane, as they try to field a competitive team with one of the league’s smallest payrolls.

  • At the other end of the payroll spectrum, Yankees fans can wax nostalgic with Yankee Stadium: a Tribute by Les Krantz, which comes with a DVD narrated by Reggie Jackson, highlighting 85 years of memories at The House That Ruth Built.

  • Former Yankees, Astros, and Pilots pitcher Jim Bouton’s bestselling Ball Four takes readers deep inside the world of baseball, a perspective only possible from a player’s point of view.

  • Current Dodgers Manager Joe Torre recounts his experiences at his former job in the Yankee Dugout in The Yankee Years.

  • An NFL player and former Best Damn Sports Show Period host reminisces about the difficulties of life in the deep south of the 1950s, and the obstacles black players once faced in the NFL in Headslap: The Life and Times of Deacon Jones.

  • Another former Best Damn host, Michael Irvin, plays a role in Boys Will Be Boys: the Glory Days and Party Nights of the Dallas Cowboys Dynasty, Jeff Pearlman’s tell-all account of the Dallas Cowboys in the notorious 90's.

  • Often called one of the “good guys” in the world of sports, running back Warrick Dunn tells his story of overcoming great loss to reach the NFL in his autobiography Running for My Life: My Journey in the Game of Football and Beyond. 

  • Jim Nantz writes about his rise to the pinnacle of sports broadcasting while watching his father succumb to Alzheimer’s disease in Always By My Side: A Father's Grace and a Sports Journey Unlike Any Other.

  • David Halberstam’s The Education of a Coach reveals Bill Belichick’s life-long journey to the top of the NFL coaching ranks, from boyhood to the super bowl.

  • Through his unsuccessful stint with the Boston Celtics; the loss of his best friend and brother-in-law on 9/11; and the depression that followed; Coach Rick Pitino gained a new perspective on life, which he shares in Rebound Rules: The Art of Success 2.0.

  • For his book Seven Seconds or Less: My Season on the Bench with the Runnin' and Gunnin' Phoenix Suns, Sports Illustrated writer Jack McCallum spent the 2005-2006 season with the Suns, gaining unparalleled, behind the scenes access to the inner workings of the NBA.

  • In The Punch: One Night, Two Lives, and the Fight That Changed Basketball Forever, John Feinstein uses the infamous Kermit Washington / Rudy Tomjanovich punch as a springboard to look at the two players’ lives, and to examine the pre-Magic/Bird NBA.

  • World Champion boxer Oscar De La Hoya details his rise to the top, the pain of losing his mother, and the pitfalls of stardom in his memoir American Son: My Story.

  • For NHL fans, Tales from the Farm and Ghost Stories, the first two volumes in Jeff Lemire’s brilliant Essex County graphic novel trilogy, deal heavily with hockey on both amateur and professional levels with tremendous emotion.

  • Hailed by Sports Illustrated as one of the top ten sports books of all time (as was Ball Four), Ken Dryden’s The Game provides an inside look at the game of hockey and the lifestyle of an NHL player in the 1970s.

  • For a look into the modern NHL, the memoir Jonesy: Put Your Head Down and Skate: The Improbable Career of Keith Jones by Keith Jones with John Buccigross depicts Jones’ ascent though the Junior ranks to the NHL, including anecdotes featuring superstars of the NHL.

  • In Missing Links by Rick Reilly, a fictional foursome of working-class golf buddies makes a bet to see who will be the first to play a round at the exclusive Mayflower Club, and the guys stop at nothing to win the wager.

  • Rick Reilly also takes on the golf world in Who's Your Caddy?: Looping for the Great, Near Great, and Reprobates of Golf, recounting his experiences caddying for both professional and celebrity amateur golfers.

  • Bob Smiley followed the consummate professional, Tiger Woods, throughout his dominating 2008 season in Follow the Roar: Tailing Tiger for All 604 Holes of His Most Spectacular Season.

  • Finally, for those just taking up golf, Peter Post explains the etiquette of the sport in Playing Through: A Guide to the Unwritten Rules of Golf.

    • Hopefully one of the books above will help you bring some joy to the dads on your shoping list.  All of them should still be in print and readily available at bookstores across the nation and online.  Happy Father’s Day from the Best Damn Sports Show Period!

    Follow the Best Damn Sports Show Period on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bestdamn!
    4:43 PM 
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    Saturday, May 30, 2009 

    Current mood:  excited
    Category: Sports
    STANLEY CUP FINALS - (4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (2) Detroit Red Wings

    Ladies and gentlemen, we have a rematch to see who gets to skate around with the most beautiful trophy in all of sport. Will it be Nicklas Lidstrom winning a 5th Cup to match a jersey number that will soon hang in the rafters of Hockeytown, USA? Or will it be Sidney Crosby adding a championship to his resume sooner than Wayne Gretzky was able to (The Great One first hoisted the cup at 23, The Next One won't turn 23 until August 7, 2010)? We won't have to wait long, as NBC has forced the NHL to schedule back-to-back games over the weekend, a move that's sure to please the ailing Red Wings. Speaking of injuries, that's the first of our 5-pronged preview attack:

    Injury Issues     - Lidstrom is expected to be back in the lineup for Saturday's Game One after sitting out the last two games against Chicago with an oh-so-specific "lower-body injury". Pavel Datsyuk might not be as fortunate; Coach Mike Babcock has said that he will make a decision on the Hart trophy-finalist minutes before they drop the puck. Even though Detroit is the deepest team in the league, having those two studs out of the lineup or at less than 100% would be tough to overcome. As for Pittsburgh, the sweep of Carolina allowed Sergei Gonchar an extra day of rest to continue recovering from his knee injury. Although the power-play-specialist played over 20 minutes in three of the four Conference Finals games (and 19:30 in the other), the Penguins want him back around the 25 minutes he averaged during the regular season. Either way, Pittsburgh has fewer injury questions as the series starts up.

    Between the Pipes     - I refuse to count myself among the group who continue to doubt Chris Osgood. True, he has never been amongst the league's best goaltenders, but chiseling his name onto Lord Stanley's Cup for a FOURTH time (3rd as a starter) will solidify his Hall of Fame resume (there, I said it). However, Marc-Andre Fleury has been playing fantastic for Pittsburgh. After surrendering a goal on the first shot of Game 4 against Carolina, Fleury was often spectacular in recording a shutout over the remaining 58:24. No disrespect to the oft-disrespected Ozzie, but Pittsburgh has the advantage in net.

    Star Power     - This series has plenty of it. Alphabetically, Adams (Pittsburgh's Craig, bear with me), Chelios (yes, he's still playing), Crosby, Datsyuk, Gonchar, Fleury, Hossa, Lidstrom, Malkin, Osgood and Zetterberg are a nice A-Z of recognizable names to even casual hockey fans. And if you go by hardware, how's 1 Hart (Crosby), 9 Norris [Norrii?] (Lidstrom has 6, Chelios 3), 3 Lady Byngs (Datsyuk), 2 Selkes (Datsyuk and Draper), and a Lester Pearson (Crosby again)? I'm tired already and I didn't even get to this year's nominees. I'll go with Pittsburgh's two superstars (Crosby and Malkin) over Detroit's small galaxy.

    Revenge Factor     - An inexperienced Penguins team was shell-shocked 4-0 and 3-0 in the first two games in Detroit last time around, but managed to regroup to split the remaining 4 games with a combined score of 10-10. Sure, they still lost the series, but if Crosby, Malkin and Fleury were able to rebound like that at the age of 20, 21 and 23 respectively, just think what they've learned now that all three can discuss hard losses over a can of Iron City. Don't expect the Red Wings to be scared by revenge in the eyes of the Pittsburgh players, but Crosby and Co. will be able to feed off a little extra motivation.

    Intangibles     - Here's where the Red Wings have a decided edge. They have something like 150 Stanley Cup rings to shine in the eyes of their opponents. There is nothing Pittsburgh can throw at them that they haven't seen many times before. They also have the support of the rabid Hockeytown fans, better uniforms, octopi and beards. The Penguins have Crosby's wispy moustache, Marc-Andre Fleury's D'Artagnan impersonation and an Igloo that they've been trying to abandon for years. Pittsburgh does, however, have the ability to win this category as well. If anyone in the Penguins' front office is reading, I give you this idea free of charge: how about a blackout instead of the played-out whiteout for home games? Now I understand white t-shirts are cheaper, but how intimidating would it be for the visiting Wings to skate in front of a crowd dressed dark and scary instead of white and weak?

    The Pick     - Pittsburgh's Big 3 and hunger are enough to overcome Detroit's experience and facial hair.  Penguins in 7.
    12:24 AM 
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    Friday, May 15, 2009 

    Current mood:  excited
    Category: Sports

    NHL Conference Finals Predictions
    by Charlie, Best Damn's Kreskin of the NHL

    EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS – (6) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (4) Pittsburgh Penguins

    Both of these teams will have to fend off the mental and physical fatigue that comes with battling through a 7-game series in the NHL playoffs.  Predicting who will win this series shouldn’t be that tough. 

    The only disappointing thing about that classic Penguins/Capitals series was the game 7 blowout, and that’s okay with Pittsburgh.  Sidney Crosby continues to live up to the hype (think he was a little motivated by the “Ovechkin has passed him” talk?), leading the playoffs with 12 goals and 21 points in 13 games.  Evgeni Malkin woke up after a rough couple of games against the Caps, and has 19 playoff points of his own.  Marc-Andre Fleury hasn’t been spectacular, but if the Penguins’ offense is firing on all cylinders, he doesn’t have to be.  The only question mark for Pittsburgh is the health of top defenseman and power play savant Sergei Gonchar.  Gonchar did play 15 minutes in game 7 (after missing 2 games following a knee-on-knee collision with Ovechkin) but is clearly not at 100%. 

    For Carolina to win this series, they need a hobbled Gonchar and more.  The Hurricanes escaped in 7 games against a very inconsistent Boston team thanks to sucker-puncher-turned-hero Scott Walker (why wasn’t he suspended again?).  Up front, Eric Staal has been helped by surprise performances from Jussi Jokinen (6 playoff goals after 7 in the regular season) and Sergei Samsonov, but Carolina will need greater production from Rod Brind’Amour (1 playoff goal) and Erik Cole (shut out so far in the playoffs) if they are to keep pace with the Penguins.  The one advantage for Carolina is between the pipes, where Cam Ward has returned to his Conn Smythe-winning form.  Our friends up north (that’s Canada for you non-hockey fans) are starting to whisper that he should get the nod over the used-to-be-untouchable duo of Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo for the 2010 Olympics.

    Ward might be able to steal a game or two but it won’t be enough.  Penguins in 5.

     
    WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS – (4) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (2) Detroit Red Wings

    Every valve of my heart is saying to go with the Blackhawks in this series – they’re young, hungry and fun to watch – just what the doctor ordered to bring hockey buzz back to the Windy City.  Unfortunately for the kids who have won over the United Center, the Red Wings haven’t satisfied their hunger even though this is their 3rd straight trip to the Conference Finals. 

    Detroit needed 7 games to thwart the Ducks in the Conference Semifinals, but Anaheim had the playoff experience and solid goaltending necessary this time of year.  Henrik Zetterberg has stepped his game up to another level with 6 points in his last 3 games, while Marian Hossa (just 3 points in the Anaheim series) and Pavel Datsyuk (only 1 goal and 4 assists in the playoffs) continue to struggle offensively.  Datsyuk (the reigning Selke Trophy winner as the NHL's best defensive forward) will be matched up against the Hawks’ Jonathan Toews, and will be valuable even without scoring a point if he can keep the young captain in check.  The Wings blue line corps is so consistent it’s probably not worth typing to say that they’ll continue to be solid (but I did it anyway).  And surprise, surprise, Chris Osgood is proving people wrong again, posting the 2nd best goals-against-average (2.06) in the playoffs thus far.

    The Blackhawks young trio of Patrick Kane (leading the team with 8 playoff goals, including a hat trick in the game 6 clincher vs Vancouver), Kris Versteeg, and Toews would love to give Ozzie’s critics more ammunition.  They are being supported by 28-year-old senior citizen Martin Havlat, who leads the team in playoff points with 13.  Chicago’s defensemen have been solid and (like their counterparts with the Red Wings) are not afraid to get involved in the offense, especially on the team’s playoff-leading power play (29.4%).  Nikolai Khabibulin hasn’t been stellar in net, but he has been good enough to win two series and still has a Stanley Cup ring to lean on.

    Like I said, I really really really want to pick Chicago in this series, and I’ll be rooting with my heart for the young kids to get it done.  My head just won’t let me make the pick.  Red Wings in 6.

    11:03 PM 
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    Friday, May 01, 2009 

    Current mood:  accomplished
    Category: Sports

    NHL Playoffs Round 2 Preview/Predictions
    by Charlie, Best Damn's NHL Guru

    Quick note for you casual hockey fans, remember that the NHL re-seeds after the first round of the playoffs so that the top remaining seed plays the lowest remaining seed and so on.  That, and not a Gary Bettman conspiracy, explains why the Bruins play the Hurricanes instead of disrupting the Crosby/Ove...er...Penguins/Capitals series.

    Eastern Conference

    Bruins (1) vs Hurricanes (6)

    This is a series of similar teams coming off very different first round series.  The Bruins overwhelmed an undermanned Canadiens team in 4 games, and have not played since April 23.  The Hurricanes just finished a dramatic series against the Devils in which they scored the tying and go-ahead goals in the last 1:20 of the 7th game.  Neither team has a crossover superstar like those names that will appear in the next paragraph.  What they do have is solid goaltending and offensive balance – two necessary ingredients for playoff success.  While Cam Ward vs. Tim Thomas will be a match up to watch, the real battle will take place between the Canes’ thoroughbred Eric Staal and the Bruins’ clydesdale Zdeno Chara.  Look for Chara to be matched up with Staal at every opportunity, and he should be up to the task of slowing down the former EA Sports cover boy.  Bruins in 6.

    Capitals (2) vs Penguins (4)

    This is the match up that Gary Bettman, Versus, NBC, Canada, Russia and hockey fans everywhere have been dying for.  Who’s ready for Pascal Dupuis vs. Milan Jurcina?  In all seriousness, Crosby-Ovechkin has the chance to be what Bird-Magic was for the NBA.  Cynics will argue that the NHL will never reach that level of popularity, but people who tune in for this series shouldn’t care.  Throw in Art Ross trophy winner Evgeni Malkin, top-scoring defenseman Mike Green and just-turned-21-year-old Simeon Varlamov and this series has star power to spare.  Unfortunately for the Caps, they didn’t have the time they should have had to prepare.  Washington was too complacent in dispatching the Rangers and will not have that luxury against a Penguins team that is finally playing like Pittsburgh fans wanted all season.  One person in particular who needs to step up is Mike Green.  The Caps’ blue liner scored only once in the first round, and he is not good enough defensively to bring that little to the offensive table.  Conversely, Varlamov was great against the Rangers, surrendering only 6 goals in his 6 starts.  But if the Rangers offense was struggling to procreate, Malkin, Crosby and co. are the OctoMom (gratuitous pop culture reference courtesy of BDSSP podcast host Zach Johnson).  Penguins in a classic 7.

    Western Conference

    Red Wings (2) vs Ducks (8)

    Just as expected, the Wings had little trouble with upstart Columbus in the first round.  As predicted here (sort of), the Ducks “upset” Joe Thornton (-3 in the series) and the San Jose Chokers.  Anaheim’s rugged top 3 of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and rookie Bobby Ryan, along with their playoff experience, will remind Detroit that this is not your typical 8 seed.  I doubt the Red Wings will care.  Their own top 3 (Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, and Marian Hossa) hardly needed to break a sweat against the Blue Jackets and will be ready to roll in this series.  Both goalies are sporting sub-2 goals-against averages, and both blue line corps have depth beyond the Norris Trophies (Detroit’s Lidstrom has 6 [and his TENTH nomination this season] to go along with one each for Anaheim’s Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer).  We’ll call it a push from the blue lines back, and the Wings depth up front will be the difference.  Red Wings in 5.

    Canucks (3) vs Blackhawks (4)

    The Blackhawks again find themselves on the short end of the experience stick heading into this series.  Vancouver’s Mats Sundin has appeared in 85 playoff games.  Pavol Demitra has played 81.  The Sedin twins - 47 apiece.  85+81+(47x2) = 260.  By comparison, when you add up the AGES of Chicago’s top TEN scorers this post season, you get 249.  Are you following me camera guy?  It probably doesn’t matter, as none of the Canucks listed above have played in a Stanley Cup.  You know who has?  'Hawks goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, and he has the ring to prove it.  Even though Roberto Luongo continues to prove that he is the best goalie on the planet (1.16 GAA, .962 save % in the first round), the sweep of St. Louis nearly doubled his playoff win total to 9.  That experience in net, along with the hunger of Chicago’s young forwards, will be enough to set up a dream Original Six Conference Finals match up between Chicago and Detroit.  Blackhawks in 6.

    12:03 AM 
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    Thursday, April 23, 2009 

    Current mood:  argumentative
    Category: Sports

    NFL Draft First Round Predictions
    by Joel, Best Damn Producer

    1 – Detroit Lions – The Lions need every pick in the first round to rebuild their franchise, not a new fierce logo!  Any team that has their kicker model their new uniforms for the public has issues.  New GM Martin Mayhew has his hands full with this pick.  We know one thing...he will not be selecting a WR!  The Lions are doing everything in their power to get a deal done before the draft, and the pick will come down to signability.  Pick = QB Matthew Stafford - Georgia  

    2 – St. Louis Rams - The Rams will look to replace Hall of Famer-to-be Orlando Pace at offensive tackle.  If Jason Smith is not the #1 pick he’ll go here.  Pick = OT Jason Smith - Baylor

    3 – Kansas City Chiefs - Trading down will be tough, so the Chiefs will take the best defensive player on the board. Curry may not be a perfect fit for the 3-4, but he'll instantly help this weak defense.  Pick = LB Aaron Curry – Wake Forest

    4 – Seattle Seahawks – Lots of posturing here!  Will the Seahawks really draft Mark Sanchez???  Or are they hoping to lure another team into a trade?  If Sanchez is there and the Seahawks can’t move out of the spot, then the air apparent to Matt Hasselback will be Sanchez.  Pick = QB Mark Sanchez - USC

    5 – Cleveland Browns – Defense...defense...defense.  The Browns could trade out of this spot and end up taking USC LB Clay Matthews later in the first round to follow in his father’s footsteps, but if the Browns can’t move down they’ll take the best player available.  Pick = DE/OLB Brian Orakpo - Texas

    6 – Cincinnati Bengals – Get Carson Palmer some protection!  The Bengals will waste no time here and pick one of the OT left on the board.  Pick = OT Eugene Monroe – Virginia

    7 – Oakland Raiders – Al Davis still believes in the vertical passing game as a means to winning a Super Bowl!  The only way the Raiders will ever return to “Greatness” (if you wanna call it that) is for Al to check himself into Shady Pines Retirement Home!  They’ll go with speed over playmaker.  Pick = WR Jeremy Macklin – Missouri

    8 – Jacksonville Jaguars – If somehow Mark Sanchez falls to this pick, then USC alum Jack Del Rio will not pass on him.  If he’s gone then they’ll go WR.  Pick = WR Michael Crabtree – Texas Tech

    9 – Green Bay Packers – Will Andre Smith prove to be a Tony Mandarich type bust for Green Bay?  They’ll take the chance on the off-field troubled Smith.  Pick = OT Andre Smith – Alabama

    10 – San Francisco 49ers – Yet another team hoping Mark Sanchez falls to them.  This will not happen!  The 49ers will go OL to protect the QB they don’t have.  Pick = OT Michael Oher – Mississippi

    11 – Buffalo Bills - They need help on the OL after Jason Peters was traded to the Eagles, but the big 4 OT’s will all be gone at this point, forcing the Bills to take the best player on the board.  Pick = DE Aaron Maybin – Penn State  

    12 – Denver Broncos – Denver worked out Mark Sanchez in the hopes that he falls to them, but they'll have to trade up to get him!  Not being able to make the trade will force them to draft on the side of the ball that they so desperately need help with.  Pick = DT BJ Raji – Boston College

    13 – Washington Redskins – This just in...Mark Sanchez holds the keys to this draft!  The Redskins want him badly, but it will take a lot to slide up to the top 5 of this draft.  Daniel Snyder will send his jet to Louisiana to pick up...  Pick = DE Tyson Jackson – LSU  

    14 – New Orleans Saints – Here starts the run on USC LB’s all going in order!  Pick = LB Brian Cushing – USC

    15 – Houston Texans – Clay Matthews will join his uncle Bruce Matthews who is on the Texans staff.  Pick = LB Clay Matthews – USC

    16 – San Diego Chargers – San Diego will hope to capture lighting in a bottle twice! First with Junior Seau out of USC and now...  Pick = LB Rey Maualuga - USC 

    17 - New York Jets - The Jets would rather get Mark Sanchez but they can’t move up, so they are stuck with soon to be the next QB bust Josh Freeman, a pure potential pick.  Why draft a QB that doesn’t even have a winning record in college, going 15-19 for his career at K- State?  Pick = QB Josh Freeman – Kansas State

    18 – Denver Broncos – Denver will go defense again and will be shocked that this guy is still on the board for them.  Pick = DE Everette Brown – FSU

    19 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – T-Bay will draft what they hope to be the next Warren Sapp.  At the end of the season this guy was a possible 3 - 4 rounder.  Pick = DT Peria Jerry - Mississippi

    20 – Detroit Lions – The Lions hope they’re will be an OT left, but the big four are long gone by this time, so they’ll pick the best player on the board.  Pick = CB Malcolm Jenkins - Ohio State 

    21 – Philadelphia Eagles – No-brainer here.  The Eagles have suffered every time Brian Westbrook is banged up throughout the season.  Knowshon’s hands in Philly’s pass-happy offense is what gives him the edge over Chris Wells.  Pick = RB Knowshon Moreno - Georgia

    22 – Minnesota Vikings – Anyone know if there are good trees in Minnesota???  Because this will help in the signability of the Vikings first pick.  Pick = WR Percy Harvin – Florida

    23 – New England Patriots – Mitch Mustain is rumored to be leaving early now that he won’t be playing ever at USC, and the Patriots will go for another QB that never started at USC.  Fiction!  The Pats wish they could have selected either Cushing or Matthews from USC to be the next Mike Vrabel but they’re gone so they’ll go offense and secure another weapon for Tom Brady.  Pick = WR Darrius Heyward-Bey – Maryland

    24 – Atlanta Falcons – The Falcons traded for TE in Tony Gonzalez, so now they'll look for defense and a pass rusher / OLB.  Pick = DE Larry English – Northern Illinois

    25 – Miami Dolphins – Bill Parcells loves drafting defense, and James Laurinaitus is staring right at him!  However, the last LB Bill took form “THE” Ohio State University was Bobby “Barbie” Carpenter, so Bill will go offense.  Pick = WR Hakeem Nicks - UNC  

    26 – Baltimore Ravens – The war room is in an uproar that both receivers they had slated are gone (Heyward-Bey and Nicks), but the Ravens are excited the drug rumors scared everyone away from the DB they wanted.  Baltimore feels the best pure corner in the draft is...  Pick = CB Vontae Davis – Illinois  

    27 – Indianapolis Colts - The Colts need to bolster the interior of the DL.  The guy they had slated is there.  Pick = DT Evander “Ziggy” Hood – Missouri

    28 – Buffalo Bills - The Bills will continue to surround Trent Edwards with weapons, and the guy they have targeted is on the board.  Pick = TE Brandon Pettigrew – Oklahoma State

    29 – New York Giants – They need help at WR with the loss of Plaxico, and they’ll go with the local kid.  Pick = WR Kenny Britt - Rutgers

    30 – Tennessee Titans – Defense is the focus for the Titans with this pick, even though I would go with a playmaker WR such as Brian Robiskie or Derrick Williams.  Pick = CB Alphonso Smith – Wake Forest

    31 – Arizona Cardinals – Edge is old and Hightower is not “Who the Cardinals thought he was."  Pick = RB Chris (we will not call him Beanie) Wells – Ohio State 

    32 – Pittsburgh Steelers - OL is the only need for the defending Super Bowl champs.  Pick = C Alex Mack – Cal

    5:30 PM 
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    Friday, April 17, 2009 

    Current mood:  intense
    Category: Sports
    NBA Playoffs – First Round Preview
    by Dimes, Best Damn's Resident NBA Expert

    WESTERN CONFERENCE

    (1) Lakers vs. (8) Jazz
    Carlos Boozer is broken, Andrei Kirilenko is about as mentally strong as the tape dispenser on my desk, and Ronnie Brewer is the only guy in the entire state of Utah that thinks about playing defense (apologies to the Utes football team). But it doesn’t really matter what the Jazz are doing, because these Lakers are on a mission (disclosure: I’ve been a fan since I was five years old). Getting Bynum back is HUGE, and if they can get anything at all from Fisher/Farmar (or even Shannon Brown), they’ll win it all. Kobe’s gonna be in “make-my-teammates-better” mode for this round, but there’s a 50-point game in him somewhere during round two. Lakers in 5.

    (2) Nuggets vs. (7) Hornets
    It’s just too tough to pick against Chris Paul. Chauncey made a huge impact on this Nuggets squad, and Melo has been great (and hasn’t appeared in any anti-snitching videos in quite some time), but they’re relying a little too much on guys named J.R. Smith, Kenyon Martin, and Chris Andersen for my liking. And having James Posey on your roster is good for at least one series win. I would say this is an upset, but in the West, only the Lakers losing really qualifies as such. Hornets in 6.

    (3) Spurs vs. (6) Mavericks
    They’ll obviously miss Manu, but Pop, Duncan and Parker are not going down in round one. Looking at the stats, the Mavs do have a decided advantage in free throw percentage, which should be real helpful, but sorry, Dirk—it’s another early trip back to Deutschland. Spurs in 7.

    (4) Blazers vs. (5) Rockets
    As a Laker fan, Portland is the only Western Conference team that even registers on the scare-me scale. Adelman has done a tremendous job with the Rockets (still waiting for the inevitable Artest implosion), but the Blazers are too deep and too athletic. Brandon Roy is as good a closer as there is, and while it might be a season too early for these guys, the Conference Finals are definitely not out of the picture. Blazers in 6.

    EASTERN CONFERENCE

    (1) Cavaliers vs. (8) Pistons
    How weird is it that these two teams are playing in the first round? Safe to say the Pistons won’t be making their seventh straight trip to the conference finals, and they might not even make it to the fifth game of this series. Joe D’s got some serious work to do in the off-season to get this Detroit team back on track, but this season’s version doesn’t stand a chance against LBJ & Co. LeBron averages a relatively quiet 26 in the series, because he’s on the bench for most of the fourth quarter. Cavs in 5.

    (2) Celtics vs. (7) Bulls
    The defending champs still don’t have KG back, which could definitely become an issue—just not in the first round. Watching Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo go at each other will be a lot of fun (though Rondo doesn’t need to score to win that match-up), and Ben Gordon might go off for 40 one night, but Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are still there, and the Celts have too much D to go down this early. Celtics in 6.

    (3) Magic vs. (6) Sixers
    This is by far my least favorite series. Orlando has lost to the Raptors , Knicks, Nets, and Bucks in the month of April and with Nelson out, Hedo and Lewis banged up, this team isn’t quite the contender many had hoped. The Sixers are quite balanced (and I do love Louis Williams, this notwithstanding), but who’s taking and making the big shot in a close game? Actually, forget I even asked—I’m not watching. Magic in 6.

    (4) Hawks vs. (5) Heat
    D-Wade won’t let Miami lose this series, right? Erik Spoelstra has gotten great point guard play from rookie Mario Chalmers, and fellow first-year guy Michael Beasley is definitely capable of breaking out after a sub-par regular season, so despite the complete lack of an inside game (don’t try to convince me Jermaine O’Neal is still any good), they’ve got enough to take care of business. Obligatory Hawks note: Joe Johnson is really, really good. Heat in 7.
    4:29 PM 
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    Thursday, April 16, 2009 

    Current mood:  satisfied
    Category: Sports
    Safe at Home: Confessions of a Baseball Fanatic
    by Alyssa Milano

    Hardcover, 229 pages (plus glossary)
    Published March 24, 2009
    by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins

    Part autobiography, part history, part primer, Safe at Home is Alyssa Milano's love letter to baseball. Starting with her enthusiasm for Yankees games as a youngster and progressing through her move to Los Angeles, subsequent disconnection from the sport and rekindled passion for the Dodgers, and ending with her recent involvement with Major League Baseball broadcasting and fashion, Milano depicts in great detail the experience of being a fan from a unique, yet familiar perspective. At the same time, the book takes an in-depth look at Milano's relationship with her family, describing how their shared enjoyment of baseball fostered a bond with her parents and brother that would provide comfort during difficult times, and joy throughout her life.

    At first blush, it may seem that Safe at Home would appeal only to those who share Milano's fanaticism. Not so. Part of what makes the book so enjoyable is its accessibility to fans of any degree, even non-fans. For the uninitiated, the book works as a bit of an introduction to baseball (even providing a glossary of baseball terms), and as a history of some of the sport's memorable characters and defining moments. Yet for the long-time fan, the book works on a different level. While written by a Dodger fan, Milano's description of her love of the game transcends mere team allegiance. She relates the intensity, the joys, the heartbreak, and the camaraderie of fandom in such a way that fans of any team can find similarities in their own experiences. Seasoned baseball enthusiasts will find many an occasion to laugh out loud as Milano's personal anecdotes reflect moments from their own lives.

    Milano also uses baseball as a springboard to delve into her personal life and examine the troubles, questions, and self-doubt that she has dealt with as she's grown up both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. Like the humorous moments of fandom, many readers will find similarities between their own trials and the personal issues that Milano deals with in the book. While perhaps exacerbated by living in Hollywood, the body issues, the questions of life's purpose and direction, and the failure of personal relationships that Milano describes are shared by many.

    Still, there's always that one shining beacon of hope: baseball.

    Safe at Home guides readers through the universal ups and downs of both life and baseball, celebrating every moment, even the tough ones. In the end, it makes for a thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying read.
    Currently reading:
    Safe at Home: Confessions of a Baseball Fanatic
    By Alyssa Milano
    Release date: 2009-03-24
    5:23 PM 
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