Ahhhhhhhhhh….Memorial Day

The last Monday in May brings warm breezes, red, white, ‘n’ blue flapping, grills sizzling, and beverages all around.

This unofficial opening to summer has roots way back to the Civil War era. Forty-two years ago President Johnson officially declared Waterloo, New York the birth place of Memorial Day – just another reason to appreciate the Empire State.

If you haven’t had the chance to visit the tiny hamlet in upstate New York, it is worth the trip. Waterloo possesses that classic Main Street U.S.A. appeal where the streets roll up every night after dark.

Upstate New York represented itself well in the recent NCAA lacrosse tournaments. Syracuse’s Orange topped Johns Hopkins in the D1 tourney. Lemoyne’s Dolphins advanced to the D2 final before bowing to New York Tech. Finally, Cortland State lost the D3 final to Salisbury of Maryland.

Monroe Community College’s baseball team, coached by Mike Kelly (the Thrilla to Clipboarders), advanced in the NJCAA D2 tourney. The Tribunes topped Western Oklahoma State Community College yesterday by an 11-2 count. The eight team tournament takes place in Millington, Tennessee. On a side note – one Danny Almonte – THE Danny Almonte played in right field for the Oklahoma nine. MCC plays this afternoon against Elgin CC or LSU-Eunice.

Clay Bucholz tossed some rehab innings for the Pawtucket Red Sox last night as they hosted the Rochester Red Wings. Last time Bucholz pitched against the Wings his next outing was a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles. You don’t suppose…nahhhhhh!!! – actually…the Sox do have a series coming up against Baltimore.

While the calendar reads only May, it is still surprising to see the AL Central with the fewest teams above .500 (the Twins won last night to draw even) – especially the Indians, who recently endured an inter-league sweep at the hands of ‘the little red engine that could’. Don’t look now Paul Byrd better get on the internet and find the Wahoos some B-12 or HGH or lidocaine or whatever it’s gonna take to get some mojo.

Stats to consider: Kobe scored 25 of 27 points in game 1 of the Western Conference finals AFTER Bruce Bowen picked up his third foul of the game.
When Ray Allen has scored 20 or more in the playoffs, the Boston Celtics are 0-3.
The Tampa Bay Rays are currently out-drawing the New York Yankees on the road by 3,000.
The Pistons are the only team with a winning road record during the NBA playoffs.

Since we now know the order of the NBA lottery, mock drafts will reign for the next month. Temptation will get the best of a few GMs.

Is flash most important? Or is it substance?

What seems like the best player, is not always the right fit for a team. Yeah Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley look great. But there’s always a Shaun Livingston or Sebastian Telfair or Dajuan Wagner or Joseph Forte or William Avery looking to cash a check before they’re ready.

Joe Smith and Jerry Stackhouse are two more prime examples of players that have never quite reached their potential. Both looked dominant in college and left after two years. Both have bounced from team to team in the NBA.

Da Bulls have some decisions to make. First, they gotta find a coach. Then they need the right fit. Rose showed flashes of brilliance playing for the Memphis Tigers. Beasley looked dominant at times in a Kansas State uniform. Can they help Chicago? Or will either one of them simply add to the immaturity of the young Bulls that was front and center again recently when Joakim Noah was arrested for drug possession?

More NBA
Can Chauncey Billups step up the way Manu Ginobili did last night? The two guards and their injuries have played a role in the conference championships. Ginobili refused to make excuses for his poor performance in games one and two and dropped thirty as the Spurs topped the Lakers in game 3. While Billups’s hamstring problems kept him on the bench in game three, rookie Rodney Stuckey looked comfortable running the Piston offense.

Props to the Celtics who showed enough resiliency to overcome a home loss to the Pistons in game two. At times the Pistons looked unstoppable. At one point late in the third and early in the fourth Detroit scored on eight of nine possessions. The Celtics had to be wondering how to stop the Pistons. The Green figured it out for game three.

Should have mentioned this a couple of weeks ago: How much satisfaction did Byron Scott get when his Hornets knocked the Mavericks from the playoffs? Especially when Jason Kidd, who had Scott run out of New Jersey, looked rather feeble against Chris Paul.

A tale of two coaches:
Couldn’t help thinking as I watched Duke play in the national lacrosse semi-finals, of Mike Pressler. The college’s former head coach stepped down in the wake of the 2006 scandal. Pressler recruited most of the guys on the field this weekend, but left when allegations were wrongfully brought upon his program.
Avram Grant learned a lesson in high expectations. After guiding Chelsea to the UEFA Champions League final Grant found himself without a job. The Blues lost in PKs to Manchester United.

Maybe USC should have as high of expectations – at least with their athletic compliance office. With news breaking of OJ Mayo receiving cash gifts, the recent history of Reggie Bush also receiving gifts, and a long list of other infractions at the University one would have to wonder how much work actually takes place in the USC compliance department.

Not that I have any interest in Arena football, have ever watched an AFL game, will ever watch an AFL game, but the New Orleans Voo Doo has gotta be one of the coolest names in all of sport.

Still wondering how Detroit earned the moniker of ‘Hockey Town’? Does all a city need is some paint to get such a title? Hockey Town? Methinks the fine people of Toronto or Montreal have earned that title. For that matter, Western New York does a better job of supporting the Sabres who have yet to win a Cup than the Wings who have won ten.

Hard to believe that for all the winning he has done, Roger Federer’s trophy case does not hold the French Open prize. I always knew clay courts could neutralize many talents.

Earlier this week the NFL announced the end of its labor agreement with the players’ union. On the same day they also announced intentions to add a 17th game to the schedule. Anyone else find this strange? Wouldn’t another game mean more labor?

Looking forward to Ed Norton as The Incredible Hulk. Can Norton be the reincarnation of Bill Bixby?

Keep the faith. And always, always take your B-12 orally.

Casey