Anyway the agenda for today is the usual basketball. The Heat finished off Indiana making me look like a complete fool which is awesome. I rather sell my favorite team short than overhype them so its cool with me. The Celtics have sold me short and now will see a Game 7 after I thought Boston would win Game 6. Also will get into the Western Conference finals since it starts Sunday. The other main topic today will be UFC 146 which is a crazy event. This could be one of the best cards in history with all heavyweights even though it has lost some star power with Alistar Overeem not being on the card due to steroids. Thats a shame because Overeem is in another league compared to heavyweights and he would have owned that division. I'm a Frank Mir fan though so I'm all for it. Thats about it today also will bring up the Chris Jericho incident. I'm pretty heated by it because I'm a major Jericho fan and I was hoping to see him when I go to the PPV next month. If this suspension is true (it could be a work), well that really stinks.
Playoff Playout
Lets get it started!
2. Heat vs 3. Pacers- It was an incredible effort by Miami to win last night without Udonis Haslem. I'm aware that the Heat have two players that are playing phenomenal right now but what team can with a big man rotation of Joel Anthony, Ronny Turiaf, and Juwan Howard. Things got so bad that Eddy Curry was being mentioned to possibly play. Thankfully he didn't play and played his role of sitting on the bench to sweat. Indiana has loads of potential though to be a serious threat in the future with their talent. The tale of the series has been the third quarter performances. That tells you who's going to win between both teams and has been the difference maker. It was great to see Mike Miller play well because he's shown how old he's getting ever since signing with Miami. He hasn't lived up to that contract but if he's hitting threes that's good enough for me. He did that last night and made some nice defensive plays. Miller played a big part along with Joel Anthony and Mario Chalmers with there timely efforts on both ends. The story is obviously about the dynamic duo and they delivered like usual. Dwayne Wade is playing like he has something to prove these days and it has shown. He put 42 points in a huge effort while shooting 17 for 25. You won't see players like Kobe Bryant shooting at a level like that. LeBron did his usual 28 points and creating plays while rebounding. It was a typical game for LeBron James and its nothing new for him. With the way Wade was playing after the first three games, I never thought this would happen. Despite the gutsy performance, Miami is still in desperate need of Chris Bosh. David West had a field day going up against Shane Battier and had 24 points. West was getting to wherever he wanted on the court and Miami was at a serious disadvantage. Despite out rebounding Miami by 11, the Pacers had 20 turnovers and that played a big part in the loss. Miami feeds off turnovers and they get on the fast break like no other team. Indiana played very sloppy but at least they went to their front court players. Hibbert and West were getting the ball more than usual which is what Indiana should have done all series. It was too late and the two major stars weren't going to be stopped. Paul George has shown promise and will develop into a possible star, but this was a tough experience for him. He made some big shots but he didn't stand a chance defensively against Wade and he tends to take too many jump shots. Indiana will be back though because young guys like George and Hibbert will develop into more consistent players. Miami moves on and I'm still in awe of the last three games. They sure rubbed it in my face when I said Indiana was winning in six after Game 3. My original prediction was a sweep then my prediction before it started was five games. I can't predict anything these days, where's Rasheed Wallace?
4. Celtics vs 8. 76ers - It somehow has gone to seven thanks to some awful shooting by Boston. It was another tough defensive game between both teams with not much scoring. It was like watching basketball on NBC in 1998 when if you scored 85 points, it would be an achievement. Boston simply didn't play efficient and made some poor decision making in the 4th quarter. The 76ers remembered who Brandon Bass is and made sure to defend him on the outside. Ray Allen looks even worse than he did last year at this time when the Heat shut him down. Rondo struggled with his shot most of the game and Garnett needed 20 shots to score 20. It was a tough night all around for Boston despite out rebounding Philadelphia by 11. It could be a case of Boston feeling drained by a team with much more youth and athleticism. Jrue Holiday had a solid game and has been the most consistent player all series for them. They have their possessions when they have nothing going for them, but Philadelphia has the case of doing just enough to win. They make the small plays with their array of talent to win the game but it doesn't mean that this is a great team. Philadelphia has caught a lot of breaks right now and could be the weakest team going into the conference finals. They don't shoot the ball well from outside and still have problems scoring in a half court set. The wins in the series by Philadelphia have been scrappy and a case of playing great defense. I give them their due but this team will get dismantled by Miami if they go through. That won't happen though because Boston doesn't lose in Game 7 in their arena ever. The place will be rowdy and a young team like Philadelphia will have serious problems. If they win, it will be a legit upset and Heat fans should rejoice at getting a team that they'll probably beat in five games. It won't happen though like I said because Boston is too good even though the loss of Avery Bradley will hurt. Boston has no bench to begin with so this hurts even more because Ray Allen starts. Boston will do just enough to win here.
1. Spurs vs 2. Thunder- Before I get into the series, I had to look back at my predictions before the playoffs and I had the Thunder in 5. That's not going to happen and I'm pretty ashamed of myself. I've rated the Spurs poorly all season and they continue to shove it in my face. I've given them a lot of praise like everyone should but I still feel bad. Anyway I'm not going back on my prediction on who's going to win but it will be longer. People seem to really love the Spurs and I do but they have played very flawed teams. They are going to be playing a team that doesn't have many flaws other than post scorers which is a bit overrated because I think Ibaka can be a decent scorer. Another huge factor in this series is who's going to guard Durant? I'm a fan of Kawai Leonard but can you really put a rookie on a superstar in the playoffs? I like the odds of Serge Ibaka forcing Tim Duncan into rough shooting nights over Leonard frustrating Durant. Both teams got studs at point guards even though Westbrook gets the advantage over explosiveness. Parker is more creative but Westbrook will give him problems with speed. Both teams have their ace off the bench with Ginobili and Harden, who can score ten points in two and half minutes. It will be a really fun series and it will be great to see the Spurs actually tested. Even though their depth is outstanding, the Thunder have a solid bench and they can hold their own. People are selling the Thunder short and that will come back to bite them you know where. They may take too many jump shots and struggle to get players like Ibaka involved but they are tough to beat with those kind of superstars. You can rip on the Lakers all you want, but the Lakers are a tough team to beat and they did it in five short games. This series will remind me of the classic late 90's series or the early 2000 series. I'm going to pick the Thunder in 6 games because Durant will be close to unstoppable, Westbrook is going to be a tough matchup for Parker, and the Spurs haven't been tested like this. I really like their depth but you will see players like Stephen Jackson, Gary Neal, and DeJuan Blair have a tough time.
UFC 146
When I was sitting in a classier version of KFC at 2:30 in the morning watching people stuff their face with drunk people, I was looking into this. It was something to look forward rather than talk to girls that were too busy yelling about guys. Anyway this card is absolutely stacked with monster heavyweights and I couldn't be more excited. My favorite division is light heavyweight because of the talent but the heavyweight division is a concern right now. Brock Lesnar is gone, Alistar Overeem is likely finished, and Shane Carwin is still hurt. The heavyweight division needs star power so this is the night where possible stars could be seen. Its time for the Dave Herman's, Stipe Miocic's, and Shane Del Rosario's to become stars and be known.
That Gonzaga guy doesn't belong there but awesome poster.
Lavar Johnson faces Stefan Struve which is a strong start. Johnson just recently fought three weeks ago but he's such a beast that he's back at it again. Even though Johnson has a great look, he's still very sloppy at times. You may look like a beast and have a face that looks like The Rock, but that doesn't mean you have the legit skills. Stefan Struve is an absolute machine when it comes to using his fists and his submission ability is underrated. People forget that about him and it will catch Johnson off guard. They will try to have mostly a boxing match at first but eventually Struve will realize that his best bet is to make Johnson submit. Struve is coming off a nice win against Dave Herman who ironically is higher than him on the card which doesn't make much sense but they needed someone to replace Gabriel Gonzaga against Roy Nelson. I'm going with Struve in the 2nd round by submission to catch Johnson making a mistake on the ground. The next fight is a favorite of mine with a new Croatian heavyweight moving to the main card in Stipe Miocic against Shane Del Rosario. This fight really intrigues me because this is Del Rosario's first fight in over a year when he made Lavar Johnson submit. Del Rosario created some buzz when he said in a interview that he doesn't know who Miocic is. Stipe is a calm guy and didn't get too riled up. He's a focused professional that most people have great respect for well except Del Rosario apparently. He's a young up comer going up against someone that looks to rejuvenate his career. I'm pretty worried about this fight because Del Rosario is no joke and I could easily see him win in the first round. I think Miocic stretches this out though with his striking power. He's a mystery man that hasn't really been tested on the ground so this fight will be Miocic's break through or possible down fall. I'm not sure what to expect from him but he's very disciplined and I don't see him getting knocked out. He could shock me but I'm going to be the goat here and pick against my Croatian favorite. I'm obviously pulling for him but this is a really hard test and this is his first time getting on the main card. He's going to rattled a bit and Del Rosario might pick him apart at times. Del Rosario wins via decision not in dominant fashion but in obvious fashion. The next fight is Roy Nelson vs Dave Herman which is going to be hard to watch because I'm not a fan of either guy. Herman hasn't been in UFC for too long while Nelson is just a good laugh to watch these days. I wish Fabrico Werdum was on the card but they couldn't do Nelson vs Werdum again because that would be slaughter. Nelson has lost three out of his last four fights and really needs a win here to maintain his spot in UFC. I know people love him, but it's getting to the point where he's only fun to watch to see how much his jaw can take. Nelson's jaw is considered unbreakable with Junior Dos Santos and Frank Mir not being able to knock him out even though they easily took the decision. I personally think that Nelson is finished and Herman will take this fight. I don't know much of Herman but he's very skilled in both punching and kicking which is a huge asset against a guy with such a wide frame in Nelson. I'm going with Herman to win via decision because Nelson doesn't get knocked out.
Now its time to get to the fights that make the PPV really special. Cain Velasquez faces Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva with possible number one contender possibilities from this fight for the title. This is the debut of Silva in the UFC after fighting in strike force all these years. Silva is known for literally beating you down to a bloody mess with relentless striking ability. He's very dominant including beating one of the greatest of all time in Fedor Emelenikeno. I'm very excited to see him finally join UFC because he could be a star that the heavyweight division needs. He could be someone that people can believe could be a champion. Then you have Cain Velasquez who seems very determined to shake off losing the belt to Junior Dos Santos in quick fashion. Velasquez has been pretty quiet over the past few months and it will be very interesting to see how he has recovered from that loss. With all the news about Lesnar jumping to WWE, Overeem getting suspended, and Dos Santos being champion. People have forgotten about Cain Velasquez who was the poster boy about a year ago. He was on top of the world after destroying Brock Lesnar. Both guys have something to prove which will make this fight even better than its shown on the card. I'm really torn on this one and it's really a toss up but I'm going for Velasquez. I think Silva will have success in the UFC even at age 32 but he's going to have problems with Cain's quickness. People underrate how quick Cain can be and how athletic he is for someone that's as big as him. I'm going to go with another decision victory which sounds lame but these two are so closet that I can't see a knockout. Silva could win though because Velasquez is now getting questions for having a weak jaw so I'm not too sure if he can last three rounds. Nothing will surprise me in this one other than being boring which probably won't happen but I'm going with Velasquez winning a war.
The main event is finally here with Frank Mir facing Junior Dos Santos. I'm a fan of both guys with their great styles and their intelligence in interviews but I'm becoming a huge Mir fan. I used to hate him for some odd reason probably because he knocked Mirko Cro Cop to obscurity which is stupid on my part. I'm older now and wiser which helps when talking about sports. It's a shame that people don't develop like me and say stupid things like "MMA is stupid, it's like gay porn going on top of each other". People these days, don't have a clue what they're talking about. Anyway back to the fight, which I don't think will last long. I love Frank Mir and think he's one of the greatest heavyweights in history with his amazing submission ability and his striking. The guy is the complete package but he's older now and he's going up against someone that is lethal in Junior Dos Santos. This guy has scary knock out power and can beat you to a pulp which is going to happen. I don't give Mir much of a chance here even though you never know if he can lock in an arm bar or hit a huge knee on Dos Santos. Dos Santos is just too imposing and that will lead to a 2nd round knockout which could be a bit too generous. This reminds me of a Jon Jones fight against a very good veteran but not an elite fighter anymore. Mir has declined with his age even though his kamora against Big Nog still blows my mind. Dos Santos wins with a knockout in the 2nd round and he'll remain champion. I'm not sure if Mir will retire after this but I really hope not. He has so much pride and I don't want him going out like that. He's going to have to try to take down Dos Santos which will be difficult because of how imposing Dos Santos can be and his quickness. It will likely turn into striking and Dos Santos wins no contest in that category. This should be an incredible PPV that has must watch implications so I won't be missing it. Thank god the Heat won last night, so I wouldn't miss the beginning.
Jericho/ Final Word/Plugs
I don't want to do a huge thing on it because I got plans and need to get going but Chris Jericho is a hero to me and I want to discuss it briefly. Jericho has recently been suspended indefinitely for stomping on a flag in Brazil. This was during his match with CM Punk on an international tour. Now people know wrestling is scripted and the villains (heels) try to get heat from the crowd with their actions. Jericho stomped on the flag to get his boos and the whole usual thing. Apparently thats illegal and he was close to getting arrested. He apologized like the classy man that he is because apparently Brazil thinks this is all real. Jericho gets out of going to prison but they get him out of the country immediately and now he's suspended. Now I don't know if this is legit or just a work (fake) but this is absolutely ridiculous. Jericho is a 22 year veteran and you're going to suspend him for this. House shows or international tours whatever you want to call it is known for doing funny stuff like this. JBL did a Nazi salute on the apron on a tour in a 2004 and what did that get him? He got an 8 month title reign not a suspension and it was pretty funny. Shawn Michaels crumpled a Canadian flag and wiped it with his balls in 2005 on national television and nothing happened. CM Punk just last year called someone a homo in Australia and nothing happened. Now we punish someone like Jericho who's one of the greatest of all time? If this is legit going to happen, then this makes me sick and I'll be even more heated. I'm going to two shows in June for No Way Out then Raw the next night. I've never seen Jericho live and if he's not appearing, I'll make sure to be rowdy as possible and create problems because I can't stand people who don't realize that this is an act and Jericho had no idea it was illegal. I'm not going to ramble on any longer about this but just realize that this is entertainment where their good guys and bad guys. Jericho is a bad guy and wants you to hate him yet were going to possibly attack him for trying to be a great character? Wrestling is weird yet I love this stuff. I'm just looking for some justification and logic here which is a problem for WWE sometimes. Until then whoever made the suspension and whoever would attack this man is something that you will see below this paragraph.
2003 Jericho is always approved!
That's all for today because I need to go check out the friendly for Croatia versus Estonia. Euro Cup is coming pretty fast and its almost time for big tournament. My full Euro Cup preview will be up a few days before June 8th, not sure about the date but I'll keep you posted. I'll be back for Memorial Day because I want to preview the Heat series against the Celtics or 76ers. Also I want to recap UFC 146 so Monday their will be a new edition coming out. Despite not having school anymore, I'm sticking to two editions a week so I'm not sure how schedule will be like next week. Until then enjoy your day and I'll be back Monday.
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