Of eras and seats, movie and soaps. We've got it all

Sometime in our dotage, we’ll be sitting around before a dinner, nibbling on Gouda and sipping on a robust red, and we’ll harken back to last night as the end of an era, I’m sure.

A short era – four years is hardly a Ming Dynasty – but for all the talk about the Celtics wanting to come back and take one more run, with Doc Rivers surprising many with his unequivocal (for now) desire to return, that team in that form has to be done.

It was amazing, and in some parts sad, to watch them fumble and stumble down the stretch of the last two games, throwing the ball away, missing shots, giving up easy ones and looking like a team that had never been there before rather than one with a championship to its credit and another appearance in the final under its belt.

Give the Heat full credit for performing when it most mattered, that finish by LeBron last night was one for ages, just as Dwyane Wade’s first half was.

But that series was as much about Boston as it was Miami and it was stunning how poorly they finished. I don’t know if it was solely age catching up to them, or Rondo being a shadow of himself or their lack of depth finally being an issue but from the time they started playing Game 1, I don’t think there were many who felt secure that the Celtics had what it would take. Turned out they didn’t.

Now, I can see them having another good regular season – those veterans know how to play and Doc knows how to get the most out of them over the long grind – but as legitimate title contenders? Unless they find some youth and big men and athleticism, they are going to go farther downhill more quickly.

I would think that what has transpired since 2007 will have been worth it to the team’s fans and the franchise’s bottom line but I wonder how people will feel if a championship drought kicks in.

-

Know what made me laugh?

When I was listening to the live steam of the post-game stuff from Miami and I heard Chris lauding the fans for being great and thanking the city for being into the game.

Hope he wasn’t addressing the many, many empty seats we all saw at the start.

I know they mostly got filled and the audience was loud in the final couple of minutes but I guarantee that nowhere else – okay, perhaps Atlanta – would fans be that late getting to games.

Not sure how many of you remember or experienced, but there’s a greater “buzz” around an arena in the minute leading up to a basketball playoff game than there is for almost any other court.

It’s probably the size of the playing surface and proximity of the fans who stand around and watch warm-ups but it’s just more exciting than, say, hockey or baseball, the two other sports I have first-hand experience at.

-

Okay, confession time, don’t tell anyone.

Was glancing at the front page of our website sometime yesterday afternoon and in he “must reads” part this story about the daytime Emmys was featured prominently.

Now, these days my white-noise-afternoon-TV tends to focus on Criminal Minds (highly recommended) and CSI (highly over-acted in the Miami end of things) but there was a day way back in another universe that …

Well, let’s just say I wonder if the Dastardly and Dysfunctional Quartermains are still around and I don’t know that Kate and whatshisname have much on Luke and Laura when it comes to weddings.

-

So, they did the all-rookie teams yesterday (the official release is here) and I guess the coaches got it right.

I do know this, though: Ed Davis will use it for fuel someone.

He’s always been about the snub, somehow driven by slights real and perceived, and I bet when he gets wind of the fact he was left off even the second team, it’ll make that day’s workout just a little bit more intense.

Can’t imagine it’ll mean much once the season starts but it’ll bug him now.

-

Okay, if this works and you see what you want me to see, I’ve made giant strides figuring out this interweb thingy and who knows where we go from here.

I don’t do a lot of movies, this one I probably will.

-

Here’s one from the mail:

Q: Hi Dent is oug. Some high finance here. Just wanted to ask: when a team suspends a player, I assume it's to their discretion whether it is with or without pay, and in that case they would likely pocket the money (there's a whole rant here about why they don't suspend players like Alonzo Mourning who refuse to show up... but that's for another mail). But what happens when the league suspends a player? I know that fines go towards charity, but will Bynum's close to $700K that he will forego in salary be "savings” for the Lake-show or does it get paid out to the same league charity fund?

Cheers!

David T, Ottawa

A: Oh, no. The Lakers still have to fork out the money (it, like all fine money goes into a pot for charity administered by the league and the union) and it counts against all cap and tax calculations. They just write a cheque to a different spot.

-

Oh yeah, night off tonight; there are other pursuits to be taken care of here. Not sure about tomorrow, think that might be dead, too, but we’re on board for most, if not all, of the Eastern Conference final since I think I may actually be live in arenas.

Have a nice peaceful evening.

-

Is that it for the Grizzlies, who gave us a pretty good story for a round and a couple of games? (And, yes, the eyes were open for the entirety, although no real reason they were).

I think so.

I know they were tired after the triple-overtime Game 4 and they didn’t get the boost of energy from the home crowd that the Thunder did but I think we’re seeing what we thought all along: The team with the better talent is going to win.

I like the Thunder a lot, they defend, they’re great in transition, Kevin Durant can score in myriad ways if Russell Westbrook remembers he’s on the same team and I’m not sure even the Memphis crowd can make a difference on Friday night.

Zach Randolph (and I believe they stopped construction of the statue they were going to put up next to Elvis’s) looked old and beaten down last night, Marc Gasol was lumbering and labouring and I believe that one’s over.

-

RIP Robert Traylor.

Never knew him but people I know who did spoke well of him and no one should die at such a young age.

I guess the threat of heart issues goes hand-in-hand with the sheer enormity of these men and those who tend to let the weight go late in their careers or after they’re done would seemingly be more susceptible and it’s a very sad tale we hear too often.

-

 

 

Comments

[Kelsey]

@ John

I never commented so much in a while but im on a role today... I really cant believe people are saying Bosh tuned out..He had a ankle issue just after allstar break if I remember, then he had a FLIPPN BROKEN NOSE OR FRACTURE...If your in a contract year would you rush back!!! Raptors only had to win one more game to get into playoffs and they blew it Hedo, Bargnani and all other players!! Colangelo is a chump for talking those stuff in public...

So what he didnt tell everyone that he wasnt coming back, did you really think he would, look at the flippn team, the guy is a 5 time all star on a team re-building, why wouldnt he want to control his destiny.. How many of us only give our current employers 2 weeks notice, some just leave!!!!

@ John I like most of your comments and agree as a fan, but but, this is these guys jobs and its about money!!! yes some care more about money...But there is many who give it there all.

Why shouldnt they care about money!!... Most of these pro sports owners of stinking filthy rich!!! Players make them even more rich...As perspective of a fan sports must have been better when it was for mostly the love, but ask those players familes if they agree. Making owners rich rich rich . In turn players living shorter or not as good physical condition for the rest of there lives and there family living in financial turm oil.

-

[Kent]

I saw an interview with Pat Riley during the week of July 1, 2010 in which he said there were times during the wooing process when he thought he had all three of them but also times when he thought he had no one (i.e., even losing Wade to Chicago). This tells me that there was no prior agreement among the three of them to play together. Did they talk about it for fun when they were hanging out in Bejing? Probably. But a firm agreement? I doubt it.

[John]

Kelsey, its on the record that the 3 amigos admit that they planned this for 2 years previous. He knew where he was going and thought it was in the best interest of his next team that he remain as healthy as possible. Contract Shmontract. Since when does a five time all-star worry about his value on the market for the last month of a season! HA what a load of baloney. And even if the Raptors had won that game do you know that CB would have played?
-
Kent, what do you expect Riley to say? They were in my back pocket the whole time, I worked with D Wade on the details in order up to free up enough contract space for them and it was just a matter of getting D Wade to tidy up a few loose ends? They have gone on record that they made the arrangement ahead of time, why on earth are you suggesting they did not.
-
on another note, does anyone think CB is looking like an all-star in these playoffs and how long has CB been borrowing his knee brace from the Dolphins O line. That is one huge brace which leads me to believe his knee is worse than anyone thought.

[Michel G]

Memphis could really use Rudy Gay and his 40% three point shooting right about now (and the last few games).

[J]

Agree with Kent. I really don't understand how people can take one thing and then, after blowing it completely out of proportion, be so confident in their version of the "truth".

I'm sure all three of them had talked and considered playing together, just as other players probably have as well. But that's far from saying they all decided a year or two prior to take whatever pay cut was necessary to sign with Miami. Don't forget these guys are consummate businessmen, first and foremost, and not keeping their options open and checking out what teams have to offer is against their best interest.

The fact is that neither New York nor New Jersey presented very strong proposals. All they had was the lure of the Big Apple. Only Chicago looked to be actual contenders after signing 1 or 2 of the Big 3. They decided they'd rather build a team around the 3 of them than join Rose's existing team. I would too. Big crying deal.

[yertu damkule]

So...all-NBA results came out today. Bargnani rec'd two votes. Sad.

[Ben]

Doug, here's a link to the story involving the new 'National Basketball League of Canada' courtesy of the Halifax Chronicle-Harald, in case you haven't heard of it yet and people are interested.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Sports/1243124.html

Long story short, the Halifax Rainmen have done really well here for awhile now, and the owner got sick of dealing with fly by night leagues and poor ownership groups. So 3 teams from the now basically defunct PBL banded together, and the owners went on a trek to Ontario to sign up a few teams, with the end result looking pretty good.

Sam Mitchell was there to support Mike Evans (the Rainmen head coach for the latter half of last season) as an an unpaid consultant.