This Blog Has a New Name & Home

There are a lot of reasons why I have renamed and relocated the blog, but the main reason I because I wanted to.

New name: Son of Dad
New URL: http://sonofdad.wordpress.com

I hope you'll follow me...

LeBroom

Behind the spectacular play of that Frenchman with the American name, the Spurs swept the Cavs and their French-named American superstar, capturing their fourth championship (so far) in the process. Congrats to Tony Parker on his hard-earned and well-deserved Finals MVP.

You just know every player on the Spurs is already becoming laser-focused on finally putting together the back-to-back titles that have eluded them thusfar. It's really the only microscopic flaw in what could only otherwise be described as a true NBA dynasty!

But for now, just smile and wave, boys...just smile and wave.

Winning BUTT-UGLY

I've never been more relieved for a game to finally end. Not because my team won, but because I didn't want to have to sit through another second of that stinking pile of poop disguised as an actual NBA Finals game. It was pure, unmitigated torture. Neither team ever really seemed like they wanted to win, and my favorite player would have been labeled "Gin-0-bili" right here, if not for his three late free throws removing the goose egg from his box score.

There's really no point in analyzing this game, or discussing it any further, than to just let out a huge sigh of relief and hope for LeSweep on Thursday.

Sacre blur!

Tony Parker was truly a flying Frenchman in Game 2, blowing by Cav defenders time and time again for 30 points. After putting up 27 in a similarly electric Game 1 performance, Parker has got to be considered the front-runner for Finals MVP, even though three-time winner Tim Duncan has had two very good games of his own.

This was one of the finest performances the Spurs have ever put forth...at least it was until that absolutely miserable 4th quarter, when the Cavs cut a 27-point lead to as little as eight on several occasions. This near catastrophe will either be the turning point that lets the Cavs back into the series by finally providing them with the confidence they've sorely lacked so far, or will intensify the Spurs resolve to go for the throat and end this series as quickly as possible.

I am certainly hoping for the latter!

LeBr-off

Today's official Game 1 wallpaper from Spurs.com sums up the opening Finals clash between the Spurs and Cavs in one word: Defense.

Not even I, the world's biggest (or at least heaviest) Spurs fan, thought in a million years they would shut down LeBron the way they did. He finished with a mere 14 points on 4-16 shooting, and dished out a paltry four assists. It actually took a couple of wild, off-balance threes late in the game to even get him into double-digits. This may have been the best defense the NBA's best defensive team has ever played.

But it's not as if the Spurs didn't bring a little offense to the table, as well. Duncan and Parker (especially Tony) were phenomenal from start to finish. Even Elson emerged from the doghouse in which he began residing during the WCF to contribute. And what can you say about Bowen? Last night was him proving to the rest of the league and national media why he should not be without at least one Defensive Player of the Year award.

My main concern is the late run Cleveland made, and the ability of Sideshow Bob Varejao to repeatedly grab offensive boards and convert them into put-backs. Boobie and Sasha, aside from sounding like a hit duo from the disco era, both made significant contributions last night, as did Gooden and that crazy soul patch on the back of his head.

Aside from LeBron's off night, the main things to doom the Cavs last night were poor play by the usually reliable Ilgauskas and the obviously injured Larry Hughes, who probably belongs on the DL more than the starting lineup. Game 2 will be huge in determining whether Cleveland can make this a series, or if it could be LeBroom for LeBron.

Greatest Record Label of All Time

Happy 50th Birthday to Stax!!!

Out of the Park-er

Following the right-from-the-opening-tip aggressive play of Tony Parker, the Spurs obliterated Utah in one of the most one-sided closeout games you'll ever see this late in the playoffs. The Jazz are definitely the future of the Western Conference, but they were no match for the present in Game 5.

Michael Finley also helped set the tone early, and Tim Duncan finally returned to his normal self, after a two-game on-court hiatus. But when it's all said and done, the MVP of this series just might be that nutty Argentine with the rubber-banded hair and the beef-jerkyed name: Fabricio Oberto...Oh boy, Oberto! I've never been much of a fan of his prior to these playoffs, but now can truly appreciate what he brings to the table.

In addition to the fact that the Spurs won in five games, the other thing that really made this series enjoyable for me was the ESPN/ABC booth. While Mike Breen is pretty generic, I absolutely love the chemistry between Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy! If Van Gundy was smart, he'd give up coaching forever and stay in the broadcast booth, because he is GREAT! And it's probably time for him to face facts that, well, he's not really an upper-echelon coach, is he?

Ginobi-LEADING the Way

When Timid Dun-CAN'T shockingly appeared for the second straight game, it took a different Spur to save the day and lead the way: Manu Ginobili. While Duncan spent yet another night fumblin', bumblin' and stumblin' on the low block, Ginobili attacked the basket repeatedly, earned trip after trip to the foul line, and just about single-handedly triggered the implosion of Utah, as both Jerry Sloan and Derek Fisher were unable to control their frustration at Manu's mastery, leading to their respective ejections.

Meanwhile, the Jazz got solid contributions from Williams and Boozer, but not many others. The Eastern Bloc dynamic duo of Okur and Kirilenko were once again pretty much nothing but NYET, as the two have now combined to average 15 points per game so far this series. The Spurs need to get this closed out in Game 5, because the longer they keep the Jazz alive, the greater the odds those hardwood Festrunk Brothers finally find their stroke.

The Big FUMBLE-Mental

I fully expected the Jazz to win Game 3. They hadn't lost a home playoff game this year. The Spurs have never won a playoff game at Utah. If the Jazz went down 3-0, they were going to get swept, and they're too good a team to be swept. So, I'm not surprised at all that Utah won.

What I am absolutely shocked at is how incredibly AWFUL Tim Duncan was in this game. It was as if he had never picked up a basketball in his life. He couldn't hold onto the ball and he couldn't stay out of foul trouble the entire game. And though it took a half, the Jazz finally capitalized on Duncan's rarest of egg layings.

The Spurs will be in big, BIG trouble if they lose Game 4. It will be up to Duncan to get it together and make sure that doesn't happen.

And while on the subject of what aggravates me, I cannot STAND that new Wendy's commercial where everyone's out in the forest kicking trees while some nutjob in a bright red Wendy Thomas shock wig (complete with the patented Pippi Longstocking pigtails) leads these idiots in yell practice. Who are the AD WIZARDS who came up with THAT one?!?

Jack to the Future

Well, that certainly was a mind-bending season finale of Lost! We actually got the first-ever non-Desmond flash FORWARD, where we learn that Jack is more of a train wreck than ever before. Not only does he nearly attempt suicide, but he's a pill-popping alcoholic hell-bent on self-destruction. At the end, we learn that both he and Kate are off the island, but the real question at this point is whether or not anyone else is still back at the island.

I'm almost positive that MOST of our beloved castaways remain stranded there, and that's one of the things that's torturing Jack the most. The biggest mystery to me right now is who was in that casket? Locke? Sawyer?? BEN??? I don't know if I can wait until NEXT FEBRUARY to find out!!!

17 and Counting...

When does 1+1+1=17? That would be the combination of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili leading to 17 straight home victories over their opponents in the Western Conference Finals, the Utah Jazz. Time was, back during The Robinson Era, Utah always ended up sending the Spurs home packing. And though there's still a chance that could happen here, the aforementioned 17-game streak along with the outcome of Game 1 leads me to think that's probably a long shot.

Game 2 is tonight, so we'll have a better idea of what's in store. The Jazz will win in San Antonio eventually, let's just hope it's not during this series!

SPF 21

The three brightest stars on the Spurs all came through in Game 6, with Parker, Ginobili and Duncan each delivering 11 baskets and tons more clutch rebounds, assists and all-around hustle plays. But as has so often been the case during their previous three title runs, it is #21 who once again proved to be the greatest of them all.

More than any other single stat in this entire series, the one that proved to be the ultimate difference maker was the blocked shot total put up by Duncan: nine. That's not only one short of giving TD a triple-double, it's one short of the NBA's all-time single-game playoff record. While Amare Stoudemire proved his equal on the offensive end and on the boards throughout the series, just as he did in 2005, Duncan emphatically proved his defensive superiority over his younger, more athletically spectacular counterpart.

In the end, it probably can even be further distilled to a significant gap between the two in the oft-referenced "Basketball IQ." Duncan still knows how to play through foul trouble, whereas Stoudemire repeatedly dug himself an even deeper hole by not adjusting his game whenever the refs whistled him for contact. So, even as he approaches the twilight of his illustrious career, Tim Duncan remains the Superior Playoff Finisher.

Sun Block

Though tonight is not technically a Game 7, it will serve the same purpose, as it will decide the outcome of the series. Obviously, if the Spurs win, they advance to the Western Conference Finals. But even though a Suns victory would "only" knot the series at three games apiece, there just doesn't seem to be any conceivable way the Spurs could win Game 7. They've already won twice at Phoenix during this series, so the odds are stacked heavily against them doing so a third time in four opportunities. It would also be only the second time at Phoenix this series the Suns would be at full-strength, with the other being a 20-point Suns win. And anytime a team coughs up a 3-2 lead to let the opponent off the canvas to force a Game 7, the momentum swing is so violent it can snap a team's collective neck.

As much as I hate to admit it, I think there is a tremendous amount of pressure on the Spurs tonight. If the Suns lose, people will give them credit for a hard fought series and will hold David Stern more accountable for their playoff exit than anyone on the Phoenix roster. But if the Spurs lose, especially given the late meltdown in Game 4, there will be enough goats in San Antonio to line both sides of the Riverwalk. And given their advancing age, this just might be the Spurs' last great chance at winning their fourth championship.

They absolutely need to follow the lead of their greatest player, as pictured above, and derail the potent Suns attack with the brand of smothering defense that garnered San Antonio their previous three titles. When it's all said and done, if the Spurs are to win and advance, it's once again going to be on the enormous wings of Tim Duncan.

Ga Ga for "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga"

I've been a huge Spoon fan since the first time I heard Girls Can Tell. In fact, to this day, A Series of Sneaks (which I went back and bought immediately after hearing Girls Can Tell) remains my all-time favorite album. It took me a bit longer to fully absorb Kill The Moonlight, but I eventually grew to love it, as well. But even though Gimme Fiction was pretty good, I never was as fully immersed in it as I had been with all previous Spoon albums, so I wasn't sure what to expect from their upcoming release, the bizarrely-titled Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga.

Well, before I was even finished with my first complete listen to this new Spoon album, I was more than hooked. The first song to absolutely blow me away from this fantastic record is "Don't You Evah," the fourth track on the album, and the second in an absolutely amazing five-song run of audio perfection from tracks three ("You Got Yr Cherry Bomb") through seven. But it is that seventh track, "The Underdog," which just may be the breakout hit Spoon has flirted with for years (see, "Way We Get By, The") but never quite consummated.

Out of the 10 songs comprising the entirety of Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, only "The Ghost of You Lingers" is less than stellar. I might even consider it Spoon's weakest track ever, though that's probably not something I'd like to admit within an otherwise glowing review. Still, credit Britt Daniel for being his typical bold self and releasing this seemingly inaccessible song as the album's advance track. Never one to take the conventional route, Daniel's genius lies in his willingness to take such daring risks. It pays off in spades nine times out of 10 on Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, which in all likelihood will end the year as my #1 album of 2007.

Reconnecting After 30 Years

Actually, it's "only" been 29 years, but I figured it would be OK to round up in this instance. I just got back from lunch with an old friend I had not seen since he moved away after 6th Grade in the Summer of 1978. Holy "Wayback Machine," Mr. Peabody!

So, how exactly did this come about? Well, I recently stumbled upon my yearbooks from 5th and 6th Grade while cleaning out the garage, and started looking through them to see who signed their names. One of the guys who signed them -- my aforementioned friend, Chuck -- has a pretty unique last name, so I employed the miracle of Google.

Sure enough, said Internet miracle provided me with Chuck's e-mail address, and it turns out he works maybe 15 miles away from me. Given the fact that we both now live more than 300 miles from where we went to 6th Grade, this definitely falls into the "Small World" category.

I'm still in awe at how quickly we were able to comfortably converse during lunch, especially when you consider we had not spoken to each other since before the 28-year-old lady in the cubicle next to me WAS BORN. Boy, does THAT ever put it into perspective!

Chuck's still the same great guy I remember, and he certainly doesn't look 41. I have to admit being especially relieved by this fact, because right before Chuck showed up at the restaurant, I saw another man I thought might be him, but who looked to be in his mid-50s at the absolute youngest. It's good to know we at least don't SEEM like we're approaching middle age just yet!

I forgot to bring the yearbooks with me to lunch, so there were some names neither of us could quite remember to bring up, but that will give us something to do the next time we have lunch. As for today, we just caught up on what we've done career-wise since school, and also fondly recalled The Great Webelos Spring Break Trip to Big Bend of 1976.

I'm really looking forward to meeting up with Chuck again soon. It just goes to show you that sometimes faded memories can be quickly brought back into focus when you find someone to help you piece them together.

Cheap Shot Rob

The only thing that disappointed me more than the Spurs blowing a crucial Game 4 they controlled most of the night, was the ridiculous hit Robert Horry put on Steve Nash late in the game. Yes, they needed to foul, but there was no call whatsoever for something that flagrant. Not only have the Spurs relinquished momentum, they've relinquished their reputation. I still HOPE they win the series, but I am starting to doubt whether it will actually happen.

Thanks for the fuel, Amare!

Amare Stoudemire is a great player, but he's young, and he let his gum flapping get the best of him. No, he's not solely to blame for the Suns losing Game 3 to the Spurs, but there's no doubt it sure seemed to charge up the primary targets of his "play dirty" allegations: Bruce Bowen and Manu Ginobili. Tonight's game is HUGE, because if the Spurs can go up 3-1, it's all but over.

Locke-d Away

WOW!!! That very well may have been the best episode of Lost ever last night! So much great stuff, not the least of which was Napoleon Dynamite's "Uncle Rico" playing the role of Ben's dad. "How much you wanna bet I can throw this coconut over that volcano?" LOL

And how great was it to see Locke beat the snot out of "Patchy" Mikhail? The whole Jacob scene was so surreal. It's going to be fascinating to see how all this unfolds in the weeks to come...

MANU-facturing Defect

What's wrong with Manu Ginobili? He was arguably the Spurs' best playoff performer during their 2005 title run, and other than the last few seconds of Game 7 vs. Dallas last year, he had another strong showing during the 2006 playoffs. So why has he been playing so poorly this postseason -- especially against the Suns???

I wish I knew the answer, but unless he finds it -- and soon -- things could start going south quickly for the Spurs. And we simply can't have that!

Spurs Win Round 1 by TKO

Behind the brilliant play (and powerful forehead) of Tony Parker, the Spurs won a hard-fought Game 1 of the Western Conference Semis 111-106 over the bruised and bloodied Phoenix Suns. DeLaHoya-Mayweather had NOTHING on this!