Diamond Dust: Power Players Edition, V. 2.0

Top Bats:

1. Lance Berkman-Ruth (2)-.381 (2)/16 HR (2)/46 RBI (1t)/.742 SLG (1)/.470 OBP (3)/18 2B (2)/10 SB (8t)
2. Josh Hamilton-Yastremski (NR)-.324 (4)/13 HR (2)/58 RBI (1)/.595 SLG (1)/.369 OBP (17t)/15 2B (8t)
3. Chipper Jones (1)-.418 (1)/12 HR (10t)/35 RBI (18t)/.674 SLG (2)/.495 OBP (1)
4. Chase Utley (NR)-.310 (15)/17 HR (1)/46 RBI (1t)/.638 SLG (4)/.394 OBP (17)/16 2B (8t)
5. Albert Pujols (NR)-.356 (3)/12 HR (10t)/34 RBI (20t)/.617 SLG (5)/.483 OBP (2)

-Guys to keep an eye on: Ryan Ludwick, Dan Uggla, Nate McClouth, Ryan Church, Brian McCann, Xavier Nady (4), Carlos Quentin, Magglio Ordonez

Top Arms:

1. Edinson Volquez (2)-7-2 (2t)/1.31 ERA (1)/76 K (1t)
2. Cliff Lee (1)-7-1 (3t)/1.50 ERA (1)/54 K (10t)/9 BB
3. Daiske Matsuzaka (NR)-8-0 (1t)/2.53 ERA (2)/55 K (9)
4. Tim Lincecum (NR)-7-1 (2t)/2.33 ERA (2t)/76 K (1t)
5. Mariano Rivera (5)-23 IP/1 ER/0.39 ERA/13-13 SVO/21 K

-Guys to watch: Adam Wainwright, Brandon Webb (3), Billy Wagner, Joe Saunders, Ryan Dempster, Francisco Rodriguez, Shaun Marcum

Diamond Dust: The Tigers and Mets are Making Me Look Like an Idiot, Part II

LWAL's preseason pick of Tigers over Mets in the 2008 World Series is in critical condition. Granted it is still May, but for how long can one continue to say "it's only April," "its only May," its only the All Star break?" Before breaking out today, the Mets had lost 5 in-a-row, falling to two games under .500 and 4.5 behind the super surprising Marlins. You know things are going bad when Fernando Tatis is starting in the outfield. Bad bullpen pitching and injuries in the outfield are seriously slowing down this offense. Also, Jose Reyes has not been able to evolve into the dominate lead-off hitter it seemed like he would be at this time last year. As for the Terrible Tigers, they still reside in the basement of the AL Central, 6.5 behind the White Sox (another surprise at the top). The only team with a worst team ERA in all of baseball is a team everyone expected to be there, the Pirates (5.05 compared to the Tigers robust 4.98). For the record, it does not matter how many runs you score if you give up five runs a game (Detroit is third in the AL in runs scored and team batting average). There is still a lot of time, but time is of the essence in Detroit and Queens.

The Not-So Crappy Cardinals have weathered a storm of bad play, winning 5 out of 6 and currently sit .5 game behind the Cubs for the best record in the league. The story for this team has been the play of Ryan Ludwick, which was chronicled here two weeks ago. Ludwick started the season splitting time with Skip Schumaker (who has also played surprisingly well). Currently, Ludwick is fourth in batting average (.347) and home runs (13) and fifth in RBIs (37). His play has been a pleasant surprise for those of us who thought this team would struggle mightily offensive outside of Pujols' normal production. Now for some random thoughts:

• Josh Hamilton-Williams and Lance Berkman-Ruth are playing out of their minds right now. Talking triple crown this time of year is about as productive as talking about Chipper Jones-Hornsby hitting .400 (.415 currently), but it is worth taking note of the way these guys are playing. Hamilton-Williams is currently tied for the league lead in average (.335) and home runs (12) and leads the league in RBIs by 13 (53). Berkman-Ruth is second in average (.387) and leads the NL in home runs (16) and RBIs (45). Somewhere Carl Yastremski is getting uneasy.
  
• Francisco Rodriguez has saved 20 of the Angels' 29 wins. Somewhere Bobby Thigpen is feeling uncomfortable.
• Brandon Webb is a loser.
  

To Be the Champ You Have To....

The Hornets proved they were more Michael Spinks than Buster Douglas when it came to a prize fight with the champs. The Spurs dismissed the youthful Hornets in easy order last night. The future is certainly bright in the Big Easy, but it was not to be for Paul and West this season. The Spurs victory sets up a dream Final Four for the NBA with the league's four best teams (yes, the Hornets were technically the number 2 seed in the West, but the Spurs were a better team). To date, LWAL has picked all playoff series winners correctly, which is not that impressive when one considers that outside of the Spurs beating the Hornets, the higher seed has won every series. A track record like this means I am due to be wrong. Without further adieu, Picks That Sure to be Wrong, Conference Finals Edition:

• Mighty C's over the Pistons, 4-2: The Celtics will win at least on game in Detroit in a series that will certainly be low scoring, as these are the two best defensive teams in the NBA. This nonsensical streak of wining at home and losing on the road cannot continue. It must be embarrassing for Ray Allen to lose minutes in the fourth quarter of a Game 7 to Eddie House. He must shoot better. All of these games will be close and come down to who executes best in the fourth quarter, also Billups' health could be an issue.
  
• Lakers over Spurs, 4-3: This should be a great series. Of course I said Spurs-Hornets would be great and it was the worst seven game series in the history of sports. These two teams have won 7 of the last 10 championships, thus their meeting in the Conference Finals is a dream match-up for basketball fans. I like Kobe playing the signature game of his career in a close Game 7 at home.

This of course will create an NBA Finals for those who's interest has waned since Larry and Magic retired. While the rivalry is not what it was, when the Lakers' starting five were the five sports figures I despised more than all others, this match-up might bring people back into the fold. My projection remains unchanged: Celtics over Lakers.

For an expert take, go here.

Jon Lester Beat Cancer, Won the World Series, Then No-Hit the Royals

It must be an amazing feeling when at the age of 24, throwing a no-hitter at the big league level ranks third in a list of life accomplishments. The story of Jon Lester's triumphant return to the super annoying Red Sox last season after being diagnosed with a treatable form of lymphoma was well-documented. Just pitching last season was not enough for young Lester, as he went on to pitch 5.2 innings of shutout baseball in Boston's Game 4 win over the Rockies in last year's World Series. With that being said, pitching a no-hitter last night against the Royals pales in comparison to being the winning pitcher in a World Series clincher, and more importantly, kicking cancer's ass. I would list all of the things I had accomplished by the age of 24, but I do not want to embarrass any who read this.

Yes We Can!!

The picture above is from Senator Obama's campaign stop in Portland, Oregon yesterday (read story here). An estimated 65,000 people showed up to see the Senator speak, the event has been dubbed the "Obama Mass" by Matt Drudge. A split in tomorrow's primaries (Obama will handily win Oregon and Senator Clinton will easily win Kentucky) added to the newfound civility being exuded by the Clintonistas and the continuous trickle of super delegates into the Obama column will make for a smooth landing at the top of the Democratic ticket for Senator Obama in the coming weeks.

Clash of the Titans

Clash of the Titans was terrible movie that anyone attending elementary school after its release in 1981 was forced to suffer through. While Hollywood is predictably remaking this movie (all movies will be remade one way or another) for release in 2010, a Clash of the Titans took place along the Ohio River with Cliff Lee battling Edinson Volquez on Sunday (numbers 1 and 2 on LWAL's power pitcher rankings). This game, like the original movie, did not live up to the "Epic Entertainment Spectacular" that we thought it might be. Going into Sunday's game Cliff (who's ERA was so low he could be Medusa and Kraken all in one) had allowed a mere 4 earned runs in 7 starts spanning 53.2 innings. On Sunday, the Little Red Machine scored 5 in only 5.2 innings, more than doubling his ERA from 0.67 to 1.37. Perseus Volquez slayed the beast, allowing 2 earned runs over 6 innings. Unfortunately for Volquez, there is no Princess Andromeda for him at the end of this epic struggle, but he might get the top spot in the next round of top pitchers...

It's About Time, Part II

For the second time in the month of May, the Mighty C's have been taken to a Game 7 by an inferior opponent and won, thus making the Celtics perfect at home and winless on the road in the 2008 playoffs. As a fan, this has been quite unnerving, especially with the Pistons and one the three best from the West on the horizon. The story of Sunday's game was Pierce and Lebron, with Cleveland living up to the moniker I game them here, the Cleveland LeBron James'. His team is pitiful. James scored 48.9 percent of the team's points. This guy is one Pau Gasol away from leading a bad team to an NBA title. In the end, it was Pierce's 41 that won the day (FYI-Larry Bird's career high in a Game 7 was 39), relinquishing Lebron to Dominique Wilkins status. Wilkins' 47 points and fourth quarter duel with the aforementioned Bird (34 for the game, 20 in the fourth quarter) in Game 7 of the 1988 Conference Semifinals in the Boston Garden is still the standard bearer for great performances in a losing effort in a Game 7. Pierce's performance was certainly one that will be remembered as one of the greatest in the storied playoff history of the Mighty C's. He has been the only constant on a team that has overachieved for most of his career (the 2002 trip to the Conference Finals exemplifies this point most clearly), thus as a fan, watching Pierce dominate a Game 7 on a great team is extremely gratifying. Worth noting is the performance of P.J. Brown in yesterday's game. He played 20 minutes, going for 10 and 6 on 4-4 shooting from the floor, including a super-clutch 17-footer in game's waning moments. I did not think the old man had it in him, but credit to Doc for acquiring him late and recognizing how effective he could be when provided the opportunity.

Another Game 7 tonight with the Pesky Hornets trying to KO the champs in the Big Easy. My prediction was Spurs in seven and I will stand by that pick, for I still cannot see this very talented young team taking out the veteran Spurs. Picks that are sure to be wrong, Conference Finals Edition coming tomorrow.

Diamond Dust: Version 8.00

Jason Isringhausen's season is spinning out of control. After being relieved of his closing duties, Tony LaRussa has inexplicably continued to use him in close games. This has not worked out. In his last five outings, the much maligned veteran is 0-3 with 3 blown saves. During this time, he has allowed 6 earned runs in 4 innings pitched. For the year, he has an ERA of 8.00 and 6 blown saves. Paging Tony LaRussa: Stop putting this guy in the game unless you are up by 10!! The Not-So Crappy Cardinals are playing a very crappy brand of baseball recently, losers of 7 of 9 and falling to third behind the Cubs and the surging Astros. Pitching has been a struggle as of late, which is not surprising considering the excellent start. All teams will struggle, the key is how does a team weather the struggling. This might require LaRussa's best coaching job yet, which begins with the immediate cessation of putting Izzy into close games. Some random thoughts from around baseball:

• The top pitchers from last week's power players continue to excel. Volquez pitched 6 innings, allowing one run in picking up his sixth win of the season on Tuesday. Brandon Webb got his ninth win in as many starts last night. Cliff pitched 9 scoreless innings on Monday in a no-decsion, lowering his ERA to an obscene 0.67.
• As for the hitters, Pujols was left off of last week's list to avoid claims of bias, but he currently ranks fourth in the league with a .357 average , first with an OBP of .503, and first in walks with 41. Experience tells us that the power numbers will come. The two biggest sticks are still Jones-Hornsby and Lance Berkman-Ruth. Chipper's season has been well-chronicled here, but Berkman-Ruth has been sensational. He ranks second in average at .391 (Chipper leads at .418), and is first in home runs and RBIs with 15 and 43 respectively (Nady is second in RBIs, nine behind).
• A quick look at the standings shows the Devil Rays as the story of the year thus far with the A's a close second, and the Marlins a distant third. New York baseball is not good right now, the Yankees are in the cellar and the Mets are in the middle. Cleveland is where most thought they would be, while LWAL's prediction for World Series champ, the Terrible Tigers, continue to inexplicably struggle. The two worst records in baseball belong to Seattle and San Diego, no one had this.

+Go here and consider the best players of this generation and here for thoughts on the sad state of veteran players from my childhood.

Desparately Seeking Scottie

If last night's Game 5 of the Boston-Cleveland series taught us anything, it taught us that LeBron James needs a sidekick. Guys named Boobie, Wally, and Zee need not apply. Despite James' 23 points in the first half, the Cavs only led by 3 (after squandering a 14-point advantage minutes earlier) at the intermission. James ended with 35, but was essentially a non-factor in the second half. At this stage in his career, James is Michael Jordan (Kobe is the best player, but too old to take the role). James plays on a team of fourth and fifth scoring options. The Celtics were not too heartbroken when they had to part with Delonte West, who is an exceptional backup point guard. In their first three trips to the playoffs (1985-1987), Jordan's Bulls won one game (this stretch included two sweeps by the Mighty C's). In the 1987 NBA draft they added Scottie Pippen and immediately began winning in the playoffs, including a trip to the conference semis in 1988 and consecutive losses to the Bad Boys in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1989 and 1990. We know what happened next. The point is, Jordan needed help to get over the hump. The Bulls might have won a title had the Sonics not traded the rights to Scottie Pippen for the rights to Olden Polynice, but they would not have gone on to be the second most dominating team in NBA history (a distant second at that to the 1960s Celtics). It is here where the parallel to James is clearly exhibited. Not to take away from the Cavs and their superstar, but they have over-performed the past three seasons. While Jordan was playing the likes of Larry, McHale, and Parrish in the first round, LeBron has faced the Wizards, a franchise that passed out t-shirts celebrating their making the playoffs in consecutive seasons. While teams that made the playoffs in the Eastern Conference in the 1980s deserved to be there, one can question the credentials of the playoff teams from the Least over the past three seasons. The fact remains, the Cavs will not win the championship until they get LeBron a guy who can score, run the offense, and play shut-down defense when required. That might be asking too much, but how about just a decent player...

Good Homecooking

There is nothing better than a good home cooked meal. Spaghetti made by Mom tastes so much better than that prepared by lesser acquaintances. She knows that good spaghetti involves the inclusion of Italian sausage in the sauce and avoids serving sauce that is laden with nasty hunks of tomato. Others don't know this, so it is just not as enjoyable to eat their sausage-less chunky tomato paste at their house. But, sometimes you just have to do it. This is my advice to all the teams still playing in the NBA playoffs, especially the Mighty C's of Boston. The only home team to lose in the second round at home is the team that is no longer playing, the Orlando Magic. The Hornets kept the exemplary home play going last night by easily dismissing the champs and sending them into the ropes. This has been the most boring 3-2 series I have ever watched. Despite the much hyped anticipation here, every game of this series has not been intriguing after halftime. I will reluctantly stay with my prediction of Spurs in seven. The play of the Celtics on the road has been baffling. This team lost 10 road games during the regular season and have already lost five in five tries during the playoffs. While the defense has been very good, the offense has been awful. I am still waiting for LeBron to go off for 40, which he is due for. The good news is that they have home court advantage throughout the playoffs, but I do not want to assume they will just win every time they play in the state of Massachusetts. They will win tonight and hopefully get that first road win on Friday. The Lakers night be in trouble. If Kobe Bryant cannot shoot from outside the paint they will be extremely vulnerable to the very good team from the Mormon State.

For expert analysis, go here.

_

My current projection-Celtics over Lakers

Do you believe in (the) Magic?

While each conference's respective top seed are making seemingly easy progress toward the conference finals, the other two series seem to be getting interesting:

• Boston/Cleveland-Defense and unselfish play on offense have been the story for the Mighty C's. After averaging 29.8 points on .483 shooting and less than 3 turnovers a game in round 1, King James is averaging a mere 16.5 points on .190 shooting with a ridiculous 8.5 turnovers a game. Who has filled the void offensively? Zydrunas Ilgauskas is the Cavs leading scorer at 20.5 per game. During the regular season he led the team in scoring 5 times and the team went 2-3 in those games. This team will not win a single game in this series if James does not get it together.
• Detroit/Orlando-In his first eight career playoff games, Dwight Howard is averaging 20.9 points, 16.1 rebounds, and 3.75 blocks a game. The fact that they were able to dominate the Pistons in Game 3 (and blowing an opportunity to win Game 2 in the waning moments) paired with the fact that Chauncey Billups might not be able to play in tomorrow's Game 4, the Magic might be able to work themselves back into the series. It is good for the psyche of young team to at least play well in a series they are supposed to get blown out in (see this year's first round performances by the Sixers and Hawks for examples). The future is bright for the Magic, even more so if they are able to push the Pistons to 6 or 7 games.
• Los Angeles/Utah-No one is playing better than the undefeated in the playoffs version of the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe Bryant is playing like a man on a mission. He needs that ring without Shaq to shake the stigma. He is averaging a ridiculous 36/7/6.5 for the series. Deron Williams is not enough to topple this team, his 19.5/6/9.5 has been exceptional but not enough. The Jazz should manage a split at home, seeing how tough they are in the state of Utah, but this series will not be coming back to the state, so Jazz fans should enjoy.
• New Orleans/San Antonio-The Spurs looked old in the first two games of this series, getting dominated in the third quarter of both games. They bounced back last night, flexing their championship quality muscle in the the second half, outscoring the pesky Hornets 56-43. In his first eight career playoff games, Chris Paul has averaged 25.6 points, 11.8 assists, and 2 steals a game. But the most amazing stat is that he has 94 assists and only 10 turnovers. I still like the guys with all the hardware in seven in this series, but if New Orleans manages a win in Game 4...

My current projection-Celtics over Lakers

Diamond Dust: The Power Players Edition

The Not-So Crappy Cardinals continue to play a brand of baseball that no one thought possible. Exceptional pitching and a solid offense has catapulted them into the league's elite through 36 games. Ryan Ludwick is the hottest player in the league, hitting .522 with 3 HRs, 7 RBIs, .538 OBP, and 1.087 SLG in the month of May thus far. This team's biggest problem right now is the right arm of Jason Isringhausen, who, despite leading the NL with 11 saves, currently has an ERA of 6.60 and four blown saves, which is somewhat unnerving. There are still several other teams playing either way above their expected level and many who are playing well below. The Devil Rays continue to keep their heads above .500, Minnesota and the Chi Sox are 1-2 in a terrible AL Central, the Oakland A's are eight games over .500, Florida leads the NL East, and no one thought the Diamondbacks were this good. As for the disappointing, the Pussy Cats from Detroit are playing like a Triple-A team, as are the new-look Seattle Mariners, who seem be just as terrible as last year's version. Both of these teams should be much better. The Indians are two games under .500 and the Yankees are playing .500 baseball. The Mets should not be in fourth place at any point, thus their slow start is a disappointment. And the Padres are 11 games below .500, two games behind the Giants. And now for the debut of power players, senseless rankings of pitchers and hitters done by yours truly:

Top 5 Pitchers:

1. Cliff Lee--6-0/.81 ERA/44.2 IP/2 BB
2. Edinson Volquez--5-1/1.06 ERA/42.1 IP/52 K
3. Brandon Webb--8-0/2.41 ERA/56 IP
4. Ervin Santana--6-0/2.02 ERA
5. Mariano Rivera--14 IP/0.00 ERA/12 K/5 H/2 BB

Top 5 Hitters:

1. Chipper Jones-Hornsby--.419/10 HR/29 RBI/.471 OBP/.718 SLG
2. Lance Berkman--.368/11 HR/33 RBI/.449 OBP/.752 SLG
3. Chase Utley--.345/13 HR/28 RBI//.423 OBP/.727 SLG
4. Xavier Nady--.349/5 HR/34 RBI/.411 OBP/.558 SLG
5. Geovany Soto--.345/6 HR/24 RBI/.447 OBP/.645 SLG
   

"The direct use of force is such a poor solution to any problem, it is generally employed only by small children and large nations."-David Friedman

Since posting the names of 19 more Americans who have perished in this country's Middle Eastern misadventures last Tuesday, 13 more have been confirmed dead since. This brings the total of Americans to have died in the month of April to 56 (reported earlier as 47), the most since 74 died last September. The last week in the media has been choke-full-of Indiana and North Carolina. Who will win these uber-important primaries in a race that is essentially over (see here)? The media has already dubbed today's new make-or-break contests as Super Tuesday (again?). Jeremiah Wright is like Senator Clinton, no matter how bad we want her to go away, she won't. There are approximately 515 polls that all say something different. Lost in the primary shuffle has been the service of the following individuals:

1. Staff Sgt. Shawn J. Whitehead of Commerce, Georgia was 24 when he encountered a makeshift bomb in Iskandariyah on April 24.
2. Pfc. William T. Dix of Culver City, California was 32 when he died in a non-combat related incident in Kuwait on April 27.
3. Sgt. Mark A. Stone of Buchanan Darn, Texas, 22, died when his unit's forward operating base in Baghdad was attacked on April 28.
4. Pfc. Adam L. Marion of Mount Airy, North Carolina, 26, died when his unit's forward operating base in Baghdad was attacked on April 28.
5. Sgt. Marcus C. Mathes of Zephyrhills, Florida, 26, died when his unit's forward operating base in Baghdad was attacked on April 28.
6. Spec. David P. McCormick of Fresno, Texas, 26, died when his unit's forward operating base in Baghdad was attacked on April 28.
7. Staff Sgt. Bryan F. Bolander of Bakersfield, California, was 26 when he died in an IED attack in Baghdad on April 29.
8. Staff Sgt. Clay A. Craig of Mesquite, Texas, was 22 when he died in combat operations in Baghdad April 29.
9. Sgt. 1st Class David L. McDowell of Ramona, California, 30, died by small arms fire when his unit was attacked in Bastion, Afghanistan on April 29.
10. Spec. Ronald J. Tucker of Fountain, Colorado was 21 when he died in an IED attack in Baghdad on April 30.
11. Cpt. Andrew R. Pearson of Billings, Montana was 32 when he died in an IED attack in Baghdad on April 30.
12. Staff Sgt. Chad A. Caldwell of Spokane, Washington was 24 when he died in an IED attack in Baghdad on April 30.
13. Sgt. 1st Class Lawrence D. Ezell of Portland, Texas, 30, died in combat operations in Baghdad on April 30.

To date, 4,057 Americans have died in Iraq and another 489 in Afghanistan. That is 4,546 individuals who have died for what exactly?

Hillary Clinton Is Desparate

I saw this headline and was confused:

"Clinton attacks Obama on guns..."

Was Senator Obama not as tough as I had already thought? The esteemed senator from New York has always been a staunch gun control advocate, as has her opponent in the never-ending race for the Democratic nomination. Of course there was Pennsylvania, where Senator Clinton told stories about duck hunting and seemed be a bit more conservative on the gun issue. But that was a mere aberration, she was exaggerating to get a couple more votes, right? All politicians do this. The Clinton campaign apparently is now attacking Obama's stance on gun control. Apparently, the senator from Illinois has been pandering too much on the gun issue and the time has come for the experienced senator to call him on it. Her campaign has been distributing mailers in Indiana to this effect (see story here). The ad also reminds people that Obama called those who are downtrodden in Pennsylvania bitter. I think there are bitter people in Indiana, which will make this brilliant ad quite effective. Or maybe not. Senator Clinton's candidacy jumped the shark right after Super Tuesday I (apparently every time there is primary it is now called Super Tuesday) and continues to grow more and more annoying by the day. It is important to remember that there is no way the senator can win the nomination. She is too far behind in pledged delegates and the popular vote and her lead in the super annoying super delegates has been dwindling since Super Tuesday I (now 17, down from 20 at this time last week, see here). My theory about the viability of her candidacy has seemed to gain an air of credibility with the "experts," as now we hear people wondering if Senator Clinton is softening up Obama for John McCain. An Obama loss means that she will have the opportunity to run in 2012. In other political news that no one should care about, Senator Obama got a huge W in the Guam primary. Why should we care about this? We shouldn't.

It's About Time

The only thing better than a Game 7 is a Game 7 where your team wins. The only thing better than a Game 7 where your team wins is when your team blows out its opponent by 34. I actually felt sorry for the cagey Hawks in the second half as the Mighty C's poured it on the overachievers from Atlanta en route to a second round date with the Cleveland LeBron James'. Throughout the series, the Hawks seemed out of their element when not playing at home and today's game was no exception. Now the second round can actually begin (unless you play in San Antonio, New Orleans, Detroit, and Orlando, where it started yesterday). All match-ups are intriguing. Hopefully the second round has a bit more excitment than round one (except for the heart attack the Hawks nearly caused yors truly). All first round picks made here were correct (teams that advanced, not the number of games it took), so now for the second round:

• Celtics over LeBron James, 4-2: The Cavs win two games because of James and nothing more. It is scary to think of how good this team will be when they find him a sidekick or at least stock the roster with at least one other decent player.
• Detroit over Magic, 4-1: This will be the series that convinces everyone that Detroit is the team to beat in the East. They dominated the magic in yesterday's Game 1. It is hard to see them competing unless Howard can average 22 and 18 as he did in the first round.
• Lakers over Jazz, 4-2: This could be a great series. Kobe versus Deron Williams is Must-see TV, but the Jazz are terrible outside of the state of Utah and the Lakers are good.
• Spurs over Hornets: This is potentially the best series of the entire playoffs outside of Boston versus Los Angeles. The upstart Hornets taking on the veteran Spurs, is the penultimate battle of youth versus experience. I like experience when it has won four titles in the last 10 years, but the Spurs will have to defend David West better than they did in a bad Game 1 loss.

My current projection-Celtics over Lakers

Mission Accomplished??

It was five years ago today that President Bush exclaimed that the mission had been accomplished in Iraq aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. According to the White House website, which houses all of the president's addresses and their related press releases, "President Bush Announces Major Combat Operations in Iraq Have Ended" (see here). The White House addressed this paradox yesterday with White House Press Secretary Dana Perino inanely uttering:

"President Bush is well aware that the banner should have been much more specific and said 'mission accomplished' for these sailors who are on this ship on their mission. And we have certainly paid a price for not being more specific on that banner. And I recognize that the media is going to play this up again tomorrow, as they do every single year."

Is that English because I do not understand. All signs seem to indicate that combat operations are still ongoing (see my chronicle of this fact here) and have been for five years. The number of U.S. troops that died in Iraq in the month of April was 47, the highest casualty rate in seven months. So much for decreased violence. I will argue that Dana Perino was right in saying that "we have certainly paid a price for not being more specific on that banner," but not for the same reason as the press secretary. She is of course talking about the political fallout related to the placing of that utterly moronic sign on a U.S. aircraft carrier while U.S. troops were still fighting and dying in two Middle Eastern countries (Pfc. Jesse A. Givens was killed in Iraq on the same day the president was taking a joyride in an S-3 in front of the cameras). We the people have lost 4,308 of our fellows citizens since this PR stunt. Imagine how many it might be if combat operations had not come to an end.