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Uncle Kobe and Katchop.com want you to have a safe and happy Memorial Day (katchop)
Original Photos 4.bp.blogspot, adrants
Archive for May, 2010
Nate Robinson Gets His Pot Of Gold
Nate Robinson pushed the Boston Celtics into the 2010 NBA Finals.
Nate Robinson of the Boston Celtics still denies that he is a leprechaun (katchop)
“I told him almost every practice during the playoffs, at every single practice, I made a point of going over to him [to tell him to] stay engaged,” Rivers said. “ ‘At some point you’re going to win a game for us. I can’t tell you when. I can’t tell you when you’re going to play. I can’t tell you if you’re going to play, on what night at least, but at some point you’re going to win a game for us.’ ”
That night was Friday night in Game Six. Robinson scored 11 points during a 14-2 Celtics surge. He capped off the stretch with a 3-pointer that gave the Celtics their biggest lead of the first half, 48-27.
“The game could have gone either way at that point,” Boston captain Paul Pierce said. “Because at that point we were only up about six or eight, Rondo gets hurt, and he comes in as a huge sparkplug and really pushed this game up for us.”
Is Ubaldo Jimenez Even Human?
Ubaldo Jimenez of the Colorado Rockies has an unheard of ERA of 0.88, a 9-1 record and a no-hitter so far this season.
Ubaldo Jimenez of the Colorado Rockies has a really strong arm (katchop)
Jimenez has allowed just seven earned runs in 10 starts over 71 1/3 innings.
With about two-thirds of the season to go, Jimenez has himself some wriggle room in order to better Bob Gibson’s modern record of 1.12, set in 1968 with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Gibby’s 1.12 is a holy grail of sorts for pitchers. (That and the 30-victory plateau, at least until we figured out that decisions for pitchers are for saps).
The closest anyone has come to Gibson is Dwight Gooden’s 1.53 in 1985. The great Greg Maddux(notes) couldn’t beat Bob, either. Heck, it’s next-to-impossible for anyone to make 30 starts and keep his ERA under 2.00.
So, there’s pretty much no way Jimenez can do this. All he needs is one or two blowups — six earned runs here, seven there — and the chase is over. Ah, well. It happens to the best of them.
Unless, of course, it doesn’t.
Original Photo Zimbio
Celtics Feel Sense Of Urgency
The Boston Celtics don’t want to follow in the footsteps of the Bruins by losing a series that they led 3 games to none.
Glen Davis and the Boston Celtics were all wet in Orlando against the Magic, where Big Baby lost control of himself after a concussion (katchop)
If the Celtics drop game 6 at home and are forced to return to Orlando for game 7, they’ll be given the chance of a thumb stuck in an angry bee hive. Does New England — which endured the now-defunct Red Sox curse — still believe in omens? The Magic have been dressing in the same locker room the Flyers used when they broke the Bruins.
More to the point, do the Celtics believe any of the bad vibes swirling? Certainly not. But a strange twist it is, when an NBA team has to studiously ignore a result from the NHL.
“I would doubt that players get affected by what happened in another sport,” Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said in a Thursday press conference. “I don’t think most of our guys on any of our teams follow hockey very much.”
Lesson from the NBA Eastern Conference finals: How quickly public perception can change in 72 hours.
Original Photo Yahoo
Can The Suns Beat The Lakers in LA?
The Suns gave the Los Angeles Lakers all they can handle Phoenix, but can they do it in LA?
Amare Stoudemire of the Phoenix Suns used his Hulk strength at home against the Los Angeles Lakers (katchop)
The are not demonstrably smaller than they were a week ago. It just seems that way.
The zippy, zone-happy, 3-point-loving have overcome size and experience deficits to tie the Western Conference finals at 2-2. The Lakers claim not to be stunned or concerned. But a pair of road defeats left them a bit diminished in stature — figuratively, if not literally.
The Suns no longer seem intimidated by the Lakers’ lanky 7-footers, Gasol and Andrew Bynum, or bothered by Odom’s length, or in awe of the Lakers’ championships.
Original Photos Yahoo, goremasternews
Czech Republic Wins IIHF Championship
The Czech Republic defeated Russia in the Gold Medal game of the IIHF World Hockey Championship.
Members of the Czech Republic hockey team celebrate their upset win over Russia in the IIHF Hockey World Championship by interacting with Russian fans (katchop)
“There’s no way we should compete on an even level with the team we played tonight when you look at the players they have,” said Czech goalie Tomas Vokoun, who made 35 saves. “In one game, anything can happen. I highly doubt that we would beat them in a playoff series four times to knock them out.”
No one could have seen this coming for a Czech hockey program that had suffered quarter-final losses in four straight major international tournaments, including the Vancouver Olympics.
In fact, defenceman Petr Caslava said he didn’t start believing the team could win the title until Jakub Klepis converted a pass from Jagr just 20 seconds into the gold-medal game. The rest of the game felt like a dream.
“We weren’t a team with many stars but we play with heart,” said Caslava.
Original Photo Yahoo
Flyers Advance To Finals
The Philadelphia Flyers will face the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals.
The Philadelphia Flyers advanced to the Finals by defeating the Montreal Canadiens and goalie Jaroslav Halak, who seemed confused for most of the series (katchop)
The Flyers, sparked by a had-to-see-it-to-believe-it shorthanded goal by Mike Richards, won the Eastern Conference title tonight by defeating the Montreal Canadiens, 4-2, before a roaring, ole-ole-ole-singing crowd at the Wachovia Center.
The hard-earned triumph enabled the Flyers to win the conference finals, four games to one, and advance into the Cup Finals for the first time since 1987. They will face the Chicago Blackhawks starting Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Windy City.
One team is going to end a long drought. The Flyers have not won the Cup since 1975; the Blackhawks last won the title in 1961.
Blackhawks Sweep Sharks
The Chicago Blackhawks will be playing for the Stanley Cup after defeating the San Jose Sharks in 4 games.
Jonathan Toews and the Chicago Blackhawks completed a 4 game sweep of the San Jose Sharks to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals (katchop)
“I think today was one of those games where everything was kind of going against us,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “We give up a shorthanded goal [and] get hit in the face with the puck. I think we were in a little bit of a disarray for a few minutes.
“Seabs [Brent Seabrook] makes a real nice play on the first goal with good patience, good vision and awareness. And [Dave] Bolland scores a big one at the end of the second period. And all of a sudden it’s anyone’s game.”
At that point, was it really anyone’s game? Once it was tied, the Hawks were not going to be denied. A magnificent third period ensured that, but it was that first goal — reviewed and declared good — that jumpstarted the Hawks and the United Center crowd.
“Sometimes all you need is to see one go in,” Jonathan Toews said. “We had a lot of great opportunities early in the second. Giving up that goal on the power play wasn’t a good one. When you come back and get a break like that, it was great for our energy. It just showed us that if we work hard we’re going to get the results we’re looking for.”
Original Photos Yahoo, drexel.edu
Lakers Fans Want The Celtics
The Los Angeles Lakers won’t talk about the Finals, but their fans will.
Jack Nicholson and his Joker henchmen want Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers to play the Boston Celtics in the Finals. (katchop)
Fans in Los Angeles cheered “We want Boston!” at points during both Games 1 and 2 of the Western Conference Finals this week.
“I have zero reaction to that,” Kobe Bryant said when asked about the chant.
Lakers coach Phil Jackson says he didn’t know what was going on at the time, but was upset after learning of the chants.
“I didn’t understand it [at the time], I’m sorry, I’m not that good [at paying attention to cheers during the game] to understand it,” Jackson said. “But after the game I was disappointed when I heard it was [going on].”
Original Photos Yahoo, liveauctioneers
Canadiens Light Up Leighton
The Montreal Canadiens have figured out how to score.
Michael Leighton inspects his smoldering goalie glove for damage after the Philadelphia Flyers netminder was burned for 5 goals against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday (katchop)
The Canadiens also made a statement regarding Flyers goalie Michael Leighton, who is never to be confused as the second coming of Bernie Parent. They needed to quickly bring him back to his journeyman history. They did it, in part, by pressuring the Flyers’ defense the way they did the Caps and Pens and they shut down Philadelphia’s best playmakers as they had Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The Canadiens forced the Flyers to dump the puck and got it out of harm’s way quickly. Instead of crashing Leighton’s crease, however, they used their speed to get behind the Flyers’ defense and confront the goalie one-on-one, and they beat him.
Original Photo: Yahoo
Santana Moss Linked To HGH Doctor
Washington Redskins WR Santana Moss has allegedly been using HGH.
Santana Moss of the Washington Redskins gives back to the community by showing a group of youngsters the proper way to load a syringe with steroids. (katchop)
The Canadian sports doctor accused of unlawful distribution of human growth hormone, smuggling and other criminal charges this week supplied HGH to Redskins wide receiver Santana Moss, the Washington Post reported Thursday.
Tony Galea, the Toronto physician who has worked with Alex Rodriguez, Tiger Woods, Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran, was on his way to Washington to treat Moss for an injury in September when his assistant, Mary Anne Catalano, was arrested at the Peace Bridge border crossing in Buffalo, the Post said.
The Yankees Have Built An Empire
The New York Yankees sold $450 million dollars worth of official merchandise last year.
The New York Yankees have built an empire using the teachings of Darth Vader (katchop)
The Yankees brand is worth $328 million (21% of their $1.6 billion total team value), while we calculate the Man U name to be worth $285 million (16% of their $1.835 billion value). The two teams swapped spots as the Yankees saw a merchandising frenzy thanks to a 27th World Series title and the opening of their new stadium.
Gross sales of World Series and Yankees championship-emblazoned products totaled $450 million last year, while the new ballpark spurred 40% growth in sponsorship revenue. Local TV ratings on YES Network (Forbes is a partner in a show on YES) were up 11%, even as most baseball teams saw ratings decline. Also helping push the Yanks to the top was a strengthening U.S. dollar, which gained 17% on the British pound over the 12-month period we reviewed.
Original Photos Yahoo, soulcaliburuniverse
Is Jonathan Papelbon Toast?
People are wondering about Jonathan Papelbon of the Boston Red Sox.
Jonathan Papelbon of the Boston Red Sox foolishly attempts to run from the flames on his back, after the New York Yankees torched him on Monday (katchop)
What’s happened? Where’s the put-away splitter? Has he become so predictable that the notoriously patient Yankees jumped on first pitches when they were running out of outs? Is his velocity down? Is last October’s nightmare still haunting him? All these things happen to closers, often after just a few years on top of their game. Don’t go by Mariano Rivera – he’s the exception, not the rule.
Papelbon, too, is a high-maintainence character, a loose cannon in a clubhouse that likes to keep it all business. He has always seemed a little too concerned with what closer’s make, perhaps because he turned away from starting, which is where the biggest money is. And he will soon be a free agent.
Should the Red Sox explore Daniel Bard as the closer? Not that he has been perfect, but it may be his job sooner rather than later, who maybe it’s time to give him some save chances. Should the Red Sox look to deal Papelbon for help in other areas? They have made block-buster mid-season deals before – remember, they traded Manny and Nomar away at deadline time. Should they encourage Papelbon to work on other pitches by using him in non-save situations?
Original Photo zimbio
Dwight Howard Frustrated By Celtics
Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic thinks he fell right into the Celtics’ trap.
Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic thinks Rasheed Wallace of the Boston Celtics just wanted to wrestle during Game 1 (katchop)
Howard said he fell right into Boston’s game plan on how to defend him, and that’s why he struggled.
“I think I got into a little wrestling match with all of those guys,” Howard said. “Like I said earlier, that’s playing into their advantage. They want me to wrestle and fight with them. That takes me off my game. So I just have to not wrestle with them and just play.”
LeBron James, Chicago Bulls?
The LeBron James sweepstakes are underway, and the Chicago Bulls look like a possible destination.
Hey look, it's LeBron James in a Bulls jersey (katchop)
Any team that gets him along with Derrick Rose and [Joakim] Noah, you’re going to have a good team,” Van Gundy told ESPNChicago.com before Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. “A lot depends on how much they have to give up to get him. If it’s a sign and trade, what other moves they’d make, but I would not think they would be a championship-caliber team right away. But I think they’ll be a top-3 or -4 team.”
Original Photos lebronjamesdunks.net, fansedge
Jesus Loves The Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers must have a higher power on their side.
The Philadelphia Flyers have had some divine intervention lately (katchop)
This can’t be happening, but it is.
“This is like a storybook,” said Ed Snider, the man who brought hockey to Philadelphia. “How can you go down, 3-0, in their barn and come back and beat them, 4-3? How can you come back from 0-3 in games and beat them 4-3? These guys are unbelievable. They just won’t quit. They’re incredible.”
It happened because Simon Gagne chose team over caution, returning for Game 4 despite a surgically repaired toe. All Gagne did was score the overtime game-winner to avert a sweep in Game 4, net a pair of goals in Game 5, and then fire the series-winner past Boston’s Tuukka Rask in Game 7.
Original Photo sathyasaibaba
Roberto Luongo Under Fire
Robert Luongo has been facing criticism since the Vancouver Canucks were eliminated from the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo retrieves a Frisbee from his net after a fan threw it from the stands and Luongo, mistaking it for a puck, was unable to stop it. (katchop)
The $7 million netminder with the fail whale on his chest offered a stink-in-rink performance.
Yet he begins to collect a $3 million raise next fall from a franchise that has failed to deliver its fans a Stanley Cup after 39 seasons.
Luongo had the tenacity to say “improvement was made” because he allowed two fewer goals in the Canucks’ 2010 elimination game compared with exactly a year earlier.
Such an insult to the thousands of fans who spend millions of dollars on Canucks’ tickets and trinkets or watch on TV because they can afford neither!
Luongo has the rest of spring, all of summer and some of fall to think about it before he gets a chance for redemption. Until then, he remains another name in the long list of Canucks’ goaltenders who failed to backstop the team into the conference finals, including Felix Potvin, Kevin Weekes and Dan Cloutier.
Original Photo benchedwhale.com
Citi Field, Home Of Garbage
The home of the New York Mets has developed a problem with garbage blowing onto the field.
David Wright of the New York Mets takes a break from batting practice to feed Mookie, his newly adopted pet rat that was attracted to Citi Field due to blowing garbage (katchop)
Dave Howard, the Mets’ executive vice president for business operations, said the team had no plans to add more trash cans or extra workers to the 18-member crew to deal with the litter.
“It’s sort of good now that there is debris to be blown out there,” Howard said. “It shows people are spending some money and buying food and drink and enjoying themselves.”
Howard says there are hundreds of wastebaskets around the stadium. “But, typically, when people go to their seats, they just drop it on the floor, which is sort of a baseball tradition,” he added.
He said there were no adjustments the Mets could make in the stadium to cut off or redirect the strength of the breezes and noted that Philadelphia and Boston had similar problems recently.
Original Photos Yahoo, pet-care-portal
Alternate Logo: Pittsburgh Penguins
The Montreal Canadiens eliminated the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Pittsburgh Penguins were eliminated from the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs by Cinderella, fueling rumors that they will use an alternate logo featuring a choking penguin next year (katchop)
The Canadiens defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 in Game 7 of their NHL Eastern Conference semifinal on Wednesday night — moving the Canadiens into the conference final for the first time since 1993, last time the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup.
The Canadiens will meet the winner of the semifinal between Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins. The Bruins lead the best-of-seven series 3-2, with Game 6 on Wednesday night.
The Canadiens ran up a 4-0 lead and then relied on goaltender Jaroslav Halak to weather a furious comeback by the Penguins.
The Canadiens shocked the standing-room-only crowd of 17,132 at Mellon Arena by taking a 1-0 lead after only 32 seconds. Canadiens forward Brian Gionta scored his sixth goal of the playoffs on a power play when he deflected a backhand shot by rookie defenceman P.K. Subban. Gionta added an insurance goal on a power play in the third period.
Original Photo: flickr
NJ Nets: Meet The New Boss
Mikhail Prokhorov has been approved by the NBA as the new owner of the New Jersey Nets.
Russian Gazillionaire Mikhail Prokhorov was approved by the NBA as the new owner of the New Jersey Nets (katchop)
Prokhorov, the oligarch with interests in banking, precious metals, real estate, and media, is worth an estimated $13.4 billion, making him the second richest NBA owner behind Portland’s Paul Allen.
He will have numerous decisions to make right away, because the team will have arguably the busiest summer in its history following a 12-70 season under outgoing owner Bruce Ratner.
Prokhorov is expected to give team president Rod Thorn a contract extension sometime next week, and that will be followed by the NBA Draft Lottery in Secaucus — where Prokhorov himself will probably represent the team Tuesday night — and a free agent market in which the Nets hope to have at least $26 million to spend on new players.
Original Photo InStyle
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