And then there was ONE

One game. One goal. One dream. One more chance. Winner take all. Game SEVEN. Are you ready?



The National Hockey League, where we are finally off of life support happens! The NHL could not have scripted a better ending....except maybe an overtime to go with the game? The Detroit Red Wings trying to repeat as champions and bring some hope and joy to the city (like Michigan State failed to do) against the Pittsburgh Penguins and superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Gary Bettman has to be the happiest he has been in a LONG time.

Each team or city can claim their own fame with a victory tonight:

Detroit: Where we still have the Red Wings to cherish.
Pittsburgh: The city of champions (plus the Pirates).

If you want a recap from the previous six games, check out this article by Scott Burnside by clicking here! Or if you would rather get a game seven preview, check out this one.



This is truly what hockey needs. Two great teams going at each for sixty minutes (maybe more) to be crowned a champion. If the Red Wings play like they have at home all season and the playoffs, it should be a breeze. They need to come out early and push the Penguins around and establish their dominance on the home ice. The Penguins need to get a big game out of Crosby or Malkin or both. Neither have scored a point during the past two games. The biggest x-factor in this game will be Marc Andre-Fleury. If the Penguins goalie can fight off the Red Wings attack on the net, the Penguins might come out on top, if not, it will be another championship in Detroit.



The NHL: Where game SEVEN in the Finals happens. (Penguins 3-2)

Now, THAT is a ring!

Just stare at them. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. I guess that's what happens when you become World Champions for a SIXTH time! Anyways, if you want the full story about the rings go here: http://news.steelers.com/article/105667/ or if you want to read the story from the Post Gazette, visit: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09161/976217-66.stm

5 things that will fix the Cubs

Alrighty, this .500 record garbage is making me sick. This team should be winning more than it is losing. With that in mind, here are five things the Cubs can do to take control of the NL Central and get to the playoffs again.

1. The easiest and most obvious is get healthy. When Rich Harden comes back, it will instantly upgrade our rotation and our bullpen. With him, Z, Dempster, Lilly and Wells, our bullpen can now go in order of 9th inning backwards: Gregg, Marmol, Guzman, Heilman, Marshall, and Ascanio. Sorry, the Patton experiment should be over. That should solve some of our bullpen issues.
2. If something still fails in that bullpen, go and find a left handed reliever. There are two lefties out there that might be available for the right price. Jeremy Affeldt from the Giants and Dan Meyer from the Marlins. The Giants are looking for another batter and when Miles and Ramirez come back, we would have some extra infielders at our exposal. The Marlins always are looking for pitching as we have found out with many trades.
3. In my mind, I still think we do not have an everyday second baseman. Look, Mike Fontenot is a great player. I just don't think you can play him a full week and especially against lefties. He can fill it at third and second when the Cubs are facing some tough righties. Rumor is Dan Uggla might be available and it would get the Cubs another right power bat. Another option might be Felipe Lopez from Arizona with the D'Backs falling mightily this year.
4. TRADE for Jake Peavy. Look, Peavy will give up his no trade clause for the right team. That right team is the Chicago Cubs! Put together a package that would be acceptable for the Padres and snatch him up for the next four years!
5. Don't do anything. What? Confused yet? Okay, when and if the Cubs stay healthy, we have already seen what their pitching will look like.

• OF's -- Soriano, Kosuke, Bradley (Johnson & Hoffpauir)
• IF's -- Ramirez, Theriot, Fontenot, Lee , Soto (Blanco, Scales, Freel, Hill)

This is a lineup if used properly can win games. Sori, Theriot, Fukudome, Ramirez, Bradley, D-Lee, Soto, Fontentot...or if Kosuke struggles like he did last year, switch him with D-Lee and go from there.

Don't panic Cubs fans. There is still plenty of time left in this season to win some more games!!

Lakers vs. Magic, who ya got?

THE NBA: "Where our dream match-up failed happens". Okay, so there is no Kobe vs. LeBron in this years NBA final like 95% of the watching public and David Stern wanted to happen. But, we still have a couple of intriguing things between the Los Angeles Lakers and the surprising Orlando Magic. Okay, maybe the Magic are just "happy to be here", but maybe not. If they play like they have since game 5 of the Boston series, Orlando will wrap up this series easily.

Here are the biggest storylines heading into the series.

1. Can Kobe Bryant win a title without Shaq? Kobe is 3-2 in the NBA Finals. The three wins came when Shaq was the best player on the team and that is indisputable. The two losses, Kobe was the best player and what did he do in those two series? In 2004 vs. Detroit, he averaged some great numbers (24-4-3, along with a 38% FG and 17% 3Pt) and last year against Boston he came away with (26-5-5, 40.5%, 32% and 4.7 TO's per game). Kobe needs a title without Shaq to defend his legacy and he is running out of time.
2. Can Dwight Howard become the next great big man? Look, Dwight Howard is Superman, but is he more than that? All season, critics asked if he could be more mean and not have so much fun. If he plays like he did against the Cavs, he could be on his way to getting more than his share of NBA titles.
3. Can Orlando continue to shoot the way they have the last 10 games and can L.A. defend them? Orlando has been shooting at a 45% clip from beyond the arc. Absolutely ridiculous and if it continues they will win this series. The Lakers have the players to match up with Orlando. Odom can check Lewis, Ariza checks Turkoglu, and Kobe can defend Alston. The Magic will no longer have 6'3 and 6'1 guards on them like they did in the Cleveland series.
4. Can Jameer Nelson be effective? If Nelson plays and plays well, he will be the X-factor. Nobody on the Lakers can defend Nelson's quickness and getting him back is going to be a HUGE difference for Orlando.
5. Can somebody else step up for Los Angeles? Andrew Bynum, this is for you! Derek Fisher? How about anybody coming off the bench? The Lakers would like you to play now.
6. Will the referees continue to make dumb calls? Does this question really need to be asked?
7. Last and most important...it is the individual match-up that we have been waiting for since 2006. We FINALLY get to see....J.J. REDICK vs. ADAM MORRISON with a championship on the line!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, who you got?

I have Lakers in six.