Los Angeles has long been known as the city with the enticing bright lights of Hollywood and its star-studded population, so it’s only natural that we’d be famous for loving winners. This brings us to what’s going on in the City of Angels right now with the LA Lakers holding a commanding 2-0 series lead in this year’s NBA Finals – citywide euphoria and anticipation for another championship parade with streets full of happy Purple and Gold fans.

When it comes to winning traditions, few franchises in sports as a whole – let alone the NBA – have one as longstanding and proud as the Lakers. Their hated rival Boston Celtics are the only team with more titles (17 to LA’s current 14), but the Lakers have the most Finals appearances with 30 and most playoff wins. Given that reputation, there’s not only an expectation of championships, but an almost cocky belief that title 15 is a done deal. Get in your car and drive any part of LA County from the Valley to Long Beach and you’re guaranteed to find hundreds of car flags, jerseys, hats, crazed fans and more, all gearing up for a new banner at the Staples Center.

Trust me when I say this contagious Laker-mania isn’t only affecting common fans. Celebrity fans like Jack Nicholson and Snoop Dogg are just a few of the notable names who root for Kobe and company, and the huge block party has already gotten started. That’s what’s great about Los Angeles, there’s no shortage of places to celebrate, and Snoop’s locale of choice was the Playboy mansion. The Doggfather hit Hef’s spot to perform his catalog of classics and I’m willing to bet that everyone singing along is more than just a little bit happier thanks to the prospects of a new parade in Southern Cali.

Even out of town ballers who’ve already fallen victim to the Lakers this year are in town partying it up, as Houston Rockets forward Ron Artest made clear in a few new videos that hit the net. You know Tinsletown is the new basketball hotspot when even the guy who got up in Kobe’s face and told him he’d “f*&k him up” a few weeks ago is ready to join in on the fun.

Another thing about sports pride in LA (for the Lakers and Dodgers) is that it unites the whole city in ways that most wouldn’t imagine. Everyone from the rich types out in the hills to the diehard fans in all the different neighborhoods can be seen representing for their city and team together. Be honest, what other time would you expect to see a Beverly Hills doctor dancing and screaming alongside a rapper?

Speaking of rappers, this year’s playoff run has inspired quite a few Laker fans with mic skills to show their love and affiliation to the team. Rising signed artists like Watts rapper Jay Rock (Warner Bros Records) and Spider Loc (G Unit) have recorded new anthems praising the team. (Jay Rock Lakers Song | Spider Loc Lakers Song) Others like Carson’s Roccett (Young Jeezy’s CTE West) have filmed themselves enjoying games on YouTube. Internet sensation Twitter has also regularly had keywords like “Kobe, Lakers, Go Lakers!” and more featured as popular trending topics on the site, with thousands of people across the web tweeting about the team every day.

The fanfare has even reached other states, as evidenced by the recent “Kobe Bryant” song by one of today’s most popular rappers and Louisiana native Lil Wayne. The musical ode to Kobe and his skills has garnered hundreds of thousands of combined views since its release last week and has been an instant favorite on LA radio. However, anthems and parade dreams alone don’t bring home titles, as seen by last year, which had a great anthem, but resulted in a humiliating loss against Boston.

And of course this is all happening with the Lakers only halfway toward their goal, and it isn’t completely unprecedented to fathom a Miami basketball team coming back from a 2-0 Finals deficit (Dwyane Wade against the 2006 Mavs ring a bell?), but the people of Los Angeles feel that this team is destined to bring another winner to the city of the stars. If that ends up being the case, get ready for a celebration worthy of LA’s reputation.

- Will.

It’s the first week of June and that means it’s time for the NBA Finals. (Full Schedule) Despite the universal assumption that a Kobe V. LeBron battle of the titans was going to happen, and much to the chagrin of David Stern and the Nike puppet campaign, the King and his jesters court were ousted by a hero turned super villain (at least in Cleveland) – Dwight “Superman II” Howard and his Orlando Magic.

The Magic have lived up to their name this postseason, surprising everyone outside of Florida by continuously beating teams that they were supposed to lose to and showing they weren’t afraid of a little adversity. They dealt with losing hard-fought games at the buzzer (LeBron, Big Baby, Iguodala and Thaddeus Young all did it to them these playoffs) that would have shaken most teams into losing confidence. They handled a semi-controversy when Dwight called out Stan Van Gundy and they went into two of the most difficult road arenas in the NBA and won critical games (games 1 and 7 in Boston, game 1 in Cleveland to break the Cavs 8-game undefeated streak.) So far the Magic have overcome every challenge placed in front of them, leaving them with just one last adversary: the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers have had their fare share of stumbles and troubles this postseason too. Just as vaunted a regular season team as LeBron’s, everyone expected LA to cruise to the finals and there was quite a commotion out West when they were taken to 7 games by the injury-ravaged Houston Rockets and pushed around by the Denver Nuggets. As one of the most talented rosters in the league and with last year’s MVP Kobe Bryant at the helm, they eventually took advantage of their experience and personnel to make all the right crunch-time plays and are looking to make up for last year’s 6-game embarrassment.

Which leads us to this showdown; seven possible games, two teams with two superstars and two coaches looking to break stereotypes and records, pushing to either create or cement their legacies. Make no mistake, just because it’s not 23 against 24 doesn’t mean there isn’t a whole lot on the line.

Phil Jackson can break his 9-championship tie with Red Auerbach and set a new coaching standard for titles. Kobe can finally start to get the giant “can’t win without Shaq” monkey off his back and prove he’s an actual champion level leader, while Van Gundy and Dwight can go a long way toward silencing all their own critics with yet another huge upset.

And that upset is far from impossible. As much as the Lakers have been tested so far, they might face their biggest challenge with Orlando, who not only boasts a ferocious interior presence in Howard, but gives LA some of the same match up nightmares that faced Cleveland and Boston. Word even has it that All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson will play. Who’s going to guard Lewis and Turkoglu? Gasol is too slow and Ariza can only stick to one of them. Walton? Please. If Odom is on his game (a huge if) then LA has a much better chance, but either way it’ll be tough. Especially when Dwight is dominating inside, which will create space for the endless supply of 3-point shooters on the Magic.

Of course that’s only if Orlando keeps hitting its threes, which so far they have been able to do with consistency. It’s hard to see Lewis, Turkoglu, Pietrus and Alston suddenly losing their touch, especially with all the confidence they’ve gained so far. They’re shooting a respectable 37% outside the arc so far as a team (down only one percent from their regular season stats) and Lewis and Pietrus are each shooting at or above 39%. Spacing the floor against a Lakers defense already prone to breakdowns could do wonders for the Magic.

On the flipside, Howard will face his most difficult frontcourt opponents yet as he’ll see something he hasn’t seen so far these playoffs – young, tall and athletic guys capable of staying in front of him and dishing out some hard hits. Bynum, although largely invisible thus far, has a chance to bother Howard and will definitely give out fouls. Odom and Gasol are nowhere near as strong, but their size and relative quickness shouldn’t be underestimated. The pressure will be on Howard to keep hitting his free throws and prove his worth as a go-to bigman.

Speaking of dominant centers, who do you think Shaq is going for? You know he doesn’t want Kobe to win a ring and tie his total, but I can’t imagine he wants the “Master of Panic” and Dwight to get the last laugh and do what he couldn’t in Orlando and win a ring. Anyone down to ask him?

For the Lakers, their keys to victory obviously involve great production from Kobe, but if they want to win their 15th championship they’ll need a lot more from everyone else. Here’s a nifty position by position breakdown of each team’s roster. Their struggles against Denver quickly changed when Odom decided to actually show up and Gasol’s extra touches and fouls blocks in the paint showed a side of them rarely seen. Whether Lakers fans want to admit it or not, their team is notoriously known for being soft, specifically Gasol, so if they want to beat Orlando they’ll need the Pau that doesn’t inspire these Kotex parodies.

In all seriousness though, one of the biggest keys to how the series will swing revolves around how Orlando defends Kobe. Pietrus is their best perimeter defender and in spite of LeBron’s amazing numbers, Pietrus did a great job on him in each game. If Pietrus can stay in front of Kobe and lure him into going solo into Howard and the Marcin Gortat/Tony Battie combo, then they have a good shot. The Magic swept the season series with the Lakers even though Kobe had a 41-point game and a 28-point, 13-rebound, 11-assist effort against them, so there’s a chance Orlando can use the same winning formula that Boston perfected last year.

Whether he admits it or not, this year is a monumental one for Kobe’s legacy. If he loses, he undoubtedly will take a big hit in the “greatest players” debate, and if he wins he moves toward joining the NBA’s all-time upper echelon. That’s a lot of pressure and physical play for anyone to handle, even Kobe, and his 13 years of wear and tear may play a factor.

Given the multiple matchup problems Orlando creates with their 3-point shooting and Dwight’s emergence as a true superstar, this series can and most likely will go at least six games. The Lakers are the favorite and should win it all if they play to their potential, but that’s apparently easier said then done for them, so don’t be stunned if the Magic are the first to four wins. It would only seem fitting if the team that plays not too far from Disney World could start their own NBA version of the popular slogan and bring a title home with them.

- Will.

So here we are in the middle of May, waiting for what most NBA fans figured was a guaranteed Finals showdown between LeBron and Kobe. As much as it seemed like destiny, there are still a few bumps in the road, especially with the way the Los Angeles Lacklusters, scratch that, Lakers have been playing.

If you would have asked most people which Western conference team would have coasted to the Conf. finals with a nearly flawless record behind a dynamic perimeter player and great production from its frontline, I highly doubt anyone would have envisioned someone other than the Lakers. Just look at the criteria: Kobe – great perimeter scorer, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom – great frontcourt.

There’s no doubt as to who would be the easy Western champion right?

Unfortunately for fans of the purple and gold, the answer to that question hasn’t been LA. Not by a long shot. Instead, much to the enjoyment of those in the mile high city, it’s been the Denver Nuggets.

Nene, K-Mart, JR Smith and Chauncey celebrate their run into the Western finals.

Yes, those Denver Nuggets. You know them. I’m sure you’ve heard of their selfish players, their underachieving coach, their “thug” image and their immaturity and lack of defense. If you’ve followed the league at all in the last five years, most likely all you’ve heard about the Denver Nuggets has been bad.

Carmelo Anthony and his coach, fighting or DUI troubles, JR Smith’s me-first attitude, Chris “Birdman” Andersen’s drug troubles, K-Mart’s history of tough hits, and the five consecutive first-round playoff exits all did a number on the Nuggets image. They are also probably the easy winners of Most Tattooed team, with a roster full of guys covered almost head to toe in ink.

In spite of all that criticism and poor reputation, the 2009 Nuggets have bonded around each other, accepted their roles and seemed to thrive in their underdog position. The first-round losing streak? Over.

They’re tough, they’re physical and they love to run. They’re amazing at home and not that far off on the road so far. If they get a chance to step on an opponent’s neck they don’t hesitate to do it. So far they are 8-2 in these playoffs, with both losses coming by only two points each. Only the Cavaliers have been as consistent or better than Denver.

Most importantly, this team looks like it loves to play with each other, the coach seems like he actually cares about his team’s fate (take note Phil Jackson) and it turns out that so far in these playoffs, Mr.Clutch doesn’t rock a 24 jersey, but rather a 15 or 7 instead.

‘Melo calmly stuck a dagger in the Mavs’ playoff hopes with this game-winning 3.

In what was once again supposed to be “the” year Kobe silenced critics of his leadership abilities and championship mettle, the self-proclaimed Black Mamba has seemed to be slinking away into a corner rather than ferociously disposing of his prey.

In his place we’ve seen ‘Melo light up the Hornets and Mavericks with game-winners and a ton of points night after night and watched Chauncey Billups further polish his “Mr. Big Shot” persona with extremely solid overall play.

Some people have called the Nuggets contending for the championship David Stern’s worst nightmare, and it many ways it is. Not only are they not the Lakers, which ruins the immensely marketable match up with LeBron, but these guys aren’t some soft Hollywood socialites either.

The Dallas series made that clear, with an ugly exchange initiated by Mavs owner Mark Cuban’s lack of class and anger boiling over to the point that he personally insulted Kenyon Martin’s mother. It’s a well-known fact around the NBA that Martin isn’t someone you really want to mess with, much less his mother, and the whole situation grabbed big headlines and didn’t end well at all. From K-Mart unleashing a barrage of insults at Cuban after game 4 in Dallas to several members of the Nuggets family having things thrown at them and being forced to leave, it’s obvious that Denver isn’t afraid of getting itself dirty.

K-Mart is one of many Nuggets who are not afraid of physical play.

To put it simply, they don’t exactly look like a team you want visiting the White House, and like it or not, that matters to the suits up in the NBA offices. Sadly, it also matters to many of the fans, as seen by the constant mention of the word “thugs” to describe the primarily black team full of tattoos and mean mugs. It might not be the easiest subject to talk about, but the very loose manner in which the word is thrown around has a not-so-subtle racist context to it. I’m not the only one that sees it either.

As we’ve seen through the first two rounds though, a bad reputation or checkered past doesn’t always mean you can’t succeed, and that’s something that the NBA should be eager to exploit. These Nuggets are the ultimate success story waiting to happen. A tale of a scrappy group of guys who had an endless supply of heart and a desire to win so strong that they overcame poverty, drugs, alcohol and so much more to being only four wins away from reaching the NBA’s highest stage.

Sure they’ve had their bad moments, both in and out of the public eye. But they’re also an example of maturity and growth, of shedding previous stereotypes and becoming better players, teammates and citizens. From K-Mart’s charity work to Chris Andersen’s great story of redemption and J.R. Smith’s evolution into a reliable sixth man, these Nuggets are worth rooting for.

The team’s resurgence has included a bevy of awards, with Billups winning the 2009 NBA Sportsmanship award and making 3rd-team all-NBA with ‘Melo, plus team VP of basketball operations Mark Warkentien was named the 2009 executive of the year, after trading away Marcus Camby. Let’s not forget they finished with the 2nd best record in the West either. Talk about a turnaround.

So even if they keep getting hated on, underestimated or ignored, I’ll take joy in watching the Nuggets push along their path toward a ring. Tattoos, scowls, Mohawks and all.

And if Kobe is lucky enough to get past Houston in game 7, he’ll yet again have a nightmare awaiting him in Colorado with his entire reputation on the line.

- Will.

The Baltimore Ravens pasted the Miami Dolphins 27-9 Sunday at Dolphin Stadium using their great defense led by Ed Reed. When the game was over the Ravens were greeted by the Olympic king and Baltimore native Michael Phelps. There’s even a brief Rachel Nichols cameo.

You know you’re the man if you’re a swimmer that gets treated like a rock star. Best question: “Where’s your medals?” Worst question:

Voice1: It’s Michael Phelps.
Voice2: Who?

It was cool to see Phelps got to meet Ed Reed (after making out with Todd Heap) since he was rocking Reed’s jersey and Ed had a crazy interception return.

The Ed Reed interception video comes courtesy of Black Sports Online who is Odenizing the video game right now.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMfXkMX0J-w[/youtube]

I was watching ESPN’s Monday Night countdown before the Dallas/Buffalo game when Ed Werder talked of a list that Bill Parcells gave to Tony Romo.. A list so powerful, that Romo reads it at the beginning of every season and the end of every season. Apparently, the information’s not quite as useful during the season… Anyways, ESPN gave Bill Parcells a segment to divulge the contents of the magical scroll, and he presented his quarterback commandments.

1. Press or t.v., agents or advisors, family or wives, friends or relatives, fans or hangers on, ignore them on matters of football, they don’t know what’s happening here.

2. Don’t forget to have fun, but don’t be the class clown. Clowns and leaders don’t mix. Clowns can’t run a huddle.

3. A quarterback throws with his legs more than his arms. Squat and run. Fat quarterbacks can’t avoid the rush.

4. Know your job cold. This is not a game without errors. Keep yours to a minimum. Study.

5. Know your own players. Who’s fast? Who can catch? Who needs encouragement? Be precise. Know your opponent.

6. Be the same guy everyday. In condition, preparing to lead, studying your plan. A coach can’t prepare you for every eventuality. Prepare yourself and remember, impulse decisions usually equal mistakes.

7. Throwing the ball away is a good play. Sacks, interceptions, and fumbles are bad plays..Protect against those.

8. You must learn to manage the game. Personnel, play call, motions, ball handling, proper reads, accurate throws, play fakes. Clock, clock, clock, don’t you ever lose track of the clock.

9. Passing stats and td passes are not how you’re gonna be judged. Your job is to get your team in the endzone and that’s how you’re gonna be judged.

10. When all around you is in chaos, you must be the hand that steers the ship. If you have a panic button, so will everyone else. Our ship can’t have panic buttons.

11. Don’t be a celebrity quarterback. We don’t need any of those. We need battlefield commanders that are willing to fight it out everyday, every week, and every season, and lead their team to win after win after win.

Video of Parcells Courtesy of Fanhouse

Gotta love Parcells having 11 commandments.. Take that, take that, God. Bill went on to say that Romo’s been paying attention.. There are plenty of quarterbacks that haven’t been paying attention though. Most notably Matt Leinart(#11), Jon Kitna (#7), and Jared Lorenzen (#3).

Tags: Bill Parcells, NFL, Monday Night Football, ESPN, Commandments, Tony Romo

Jason Whitlock interview. Courtesy of The Big Lead

These guys are 50 Centin’ their way into the game. I imagine this is how Lawrence Taylor feels…. Courtesy of Your Blog Blows

Roger Clemens was a waste of money. Courtesy of Larry Brown Sports

South Florida qb Matt Grothe hates Facebook. Courtesy of Sports By Brooks

Damn..Ron Zook got guns and he might be taking ‘em to the Rose Bowl. Courtesy of Deadspin

Some kickers that could have benifited from the lamest strategy of all time. Courtesy of 100% Injury Rate

C.C. Sabathia is trying to be like Doc Gooden. In a good way. Courtesy of One More Dying Quail

Karl Dorrell doesn’t care about black quarterbacks. Courtesy of Bruins Nation

Let’s slow down on all of the LaRussa to the Yankees talk. Courtesy of Signal To Noise

Golf Girl TV. Courtesy of Golf Girl’s Diary

Tags: Jason Whitlock Interview, New York Yankees, Black Quarterbacks, Sports, Facebook, Roger Clemens

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX5xM8EyCgE[/youtube]

There are three things men can do that will automatically call their sexuality into question. If we get busted in the men’s room trolling for sex, drive a convertible Volkswagen Rabbit, or are a member of a cheerleading squad, eyebrows are sure to be raised… Not that there’s anything wrong with any of those 3 activities, I’m just saying.

Tags: Male Cheerleader, Sports, You Tube, Cheerleader Blooper

I had no idea that beer pong or Beirut was such a big deal to so many people. I thought it was something you do in college and eventually grow out of. I was wrong. Brian Foley, of The College Baseball Blog, passed along this World Series of Beer Pong press release. I was interested from the start.

Sign ups begin this week for the third annual World Series of Beer Pong (WSOBP), a three-day competitive beer pong extravaganza with a $50,000 Grand Prize—the largest prize in the history of beer pong. This year’s event will be held January 1 – 5, 2008 at the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada.

$50k to drink beer and bounce balls in cups.. In Vegas. I might need to put together my own team… Email me if you’re down.. If you thought beer pong was just about getting drunk, you’re right, but you’re wrong. WSOBP co-founder Billy Gaines:

“What we’re trying to do with this event is diminish the potential negative aspects of beer pong so we can focus on the positive characteristics of the game: the competition, the socialization, and having a good time. Besides, the growing popularity of beer pong necessitated a national event, which, as fanatical beer pong players ourselves, we are happy to provide.”

And we wanna get drunk… If you think your squad’s got the skills to win it all, sign up at www.bpong.com by December 3rd. Until then you can practice on the Wii.

The College Baseball Blog

WSOBP Press Release. Courtesy of Bpong

Beer Pong on Wii

Tags: Beer Pong, WSOBP, Las Vegas, Drinking Games, Beirut Drinking Game, Wii Beer Pong,

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0IhG35q2RA[/youtube]

The play in the video happened against the Rams. If it had happened against Buffalo, the pass would’ve been intercepted.. 5 times.. I like how the Boys scrapped the punt in favor of the interception on Monday night. It resulted in points for Buffalo a few times, but overall pretty damn effective. Yes I’m hatin on Tony Romo and Dallas. You won the game. Big deal. First and foremost, I’m an Eagles fan so I have to hate Dallas. Secondly, I picked them to cover the 10 point spread in a classic trap game, so I’m pissed at them for me being an idiot. Third..

Third. Cowboys fans. Jeezus Christ. Shut up already. For all of my Eagle supporting life, I’ve had to hear it from the Dallas faithful. The Cowboys, Redskins, and Giants have all won Super Bowls. In the last 25 years, those 3 teams have gone to 9 Super Bowls, winning 7 of them. The Eagles have been to 1. The Birds are the NFC East championship ugly stepchild, and the Big D diehards don’t mind letting you know it…

And so, when Nick Folk’s 2nd last second 53 yard field goal sailed through the uprights, (Buffalo used a teh ghey, right before the kick, timeout to nullify the first kick. This tactic needs to yanked. Thanks Shanahan.) I stared at my cellphone. I knew the call or text was coming any minute… It took a little longer than I thought, but my buddy Newy Scruggs sent me a text message.

NS: How bout dem Cowboys!

HG: (typing dejectedly) I was expectin’ this text a while ago.

NS: I was in the locker room. America’s Team baby.

HG: F*** ‘em

This led to a phone conversation about bullshit victories, teams fighting to the end, Kanye West and the team plane. When I asked Scruggs what he thought about next week’s game against New England he said he couldn’t even think about Sunday yet. He was still enjoying Monday night… God I hope the Patriots beat the Cowboys by 50.

Tags: Tony Romo, Tecmo Bowl, Dallas Cowboys, You Tube, Sports, Monday Night Football

The golfer Tiger Woods has missed the baptism in Sweden of his three-month-old daughter, Sam, according to Swedish media reports. One source close to the family said: ““Everybody was very surprised over the fact that Tiger did not show up.”

Now, before you go off on Tiger, I’m sure he had a perfectly legitimate reason for not being at the baptism ceremony.. If being at a celebrity charity event in Los Angeles can be considered a perfectly legitimate reason… And to me it is.. He’s Tiger Woods, the world should adjust to his schedule. He can’t be expected to fly halfway around the world for some kiddy baptism when he can be out and about, partying with the likes of Terri Hatcher.

Tiger Woods misses daughter’s baptism. Courtesy of The Times Online

Uhhh… When Did Tiger Woods Get So Unattractive. Courtesy of Media Takeout

Tiger Woods Block Party. Courtesy of Waggle Room

Tags: Tiger Woods, Golf, Elin Nordegren, Baptism