MACHINE IS BACK!!

Okay, so I know that the Los Angeles Lakers are dominating the NBA right now, but it was not so long ago that these very same Lakers were being run out of their own building by the Celtics in the Finals last year. Needless to say the Lakers have come a far ways since that point, but Sasha Vujacic still hasn't gotten over it. Here, listen to Sasha tell it as it happened:

I still just can't get over how funny these videos are. From the voice acting to all of the other reference clips in there, it's all very well put together. But hey, it wouldn't be a true NBA post if we didn't have any clips from the recent All-Star Game, one that featured former-Laker Shaquille O'Neal:

Again, Shaq shows off his ability to capture the crowd with his clownish antics, yet amazingly personable style. He was also pretty good during the game:

Who knows, maybe in the world of A-Rod's 'roids and Michael Phelps' controversy we just need to step back and appreciate all that is fun and exciting about sports. Because at the end of the day, that is all that really matters.

Basketball is Interesting Again

Yes I know the Warriors suck. Yes I know that NBA refs haven't been able to improve on the Tim Donaghy model of corruption. Yes I know that JJ Redick still isn't getting any playing time from Grump of the Year candidate Stan Van Gundy. But it doesn't matter, because LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are going at each other. And it is getting pretty entertaining.

Two days after Kobe lit up the New York Knicks for 61 points, LeBron fired back with an equally brilliant performance against the same team: 52 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds for the first 50-point triple-double since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar prowled the paint. The performances, their proximity, and the building in which they occurred only add to the glory of the legend. It is the first time we have seen two greats of the game take clear aim at each other since Michael Jordan and Larry Bird.

Yet the two performances have also given insight to the different aspects of each player's games. Kobe's performance was one in which he put his team on his back and carried them. He was looking for his shot from the beginning of the game, and ended up taking 31 shots (making 19 of them) and going 20 for 20 from the free throw line. He tallied no rebounds and just three assists, but the offensive dominance was impressive, even leaving Spike Lee's jaw dropped. 

LeBron's dominating performance, however, shaped up in a completely different way. He started out firing at the same pace as Kobe and had 20 points at the end of the first quarter. But then he cooled off, and as the game got closer, began to look more for his teammates while continuing to crash the boards. The end result was impressive, the triple double legendary. But more importantly, it began a rivalry that will last for the rest of the season, and into the future. So for now, we might as well watch Kobe and LeBron go at it, because they're the only entertaining part of the NBA season so far.

Picture Courtesy of the AP

Superbowl Pick

So, seeing as this is a sports blog and it is Superbowl Sunday, I figured it is time to make a predicting about who is going to win the Superbowl. It's common sense, like running away if you're being attacked by a grizzly bear, like eating food when you go to a restaurant, or like pulling out your camera-phone if Shaquille O'Neal starts to rap in a nightclub.

As it turns out, picking the Pittsburg Steelers to win the Superbowl is just as intuitive.

I mean, come on, if the Prez is throwin' it up then you have to roll with it, right? Seriosly though, the Steelers are led by a tough-nosed, hardball defense that plays as a unit. They force turnovers, limit scoring opportunities, and will beat the life out of your offense. Granted that the Arizona Cardinals, who are in the Superbowl by virtue of an improbable run, have a high-flying offense, the saying, "Defense wins championships" exists for a reason.

I'm not saying that it's 100% foolproof. Certainly the Indianapolis Colts beating the Chicago Bears a couple of years ago in the Superbowl is a good indication of an offensive team thoroughly outplaying a defensive team.

But Kurt Warner (as much praise as the media has been giving him) is no Peyton Manning and Nathan Vasher is certainly no Troy Polamalu. The Steelers "D" is too strong for the Cardinals inconsistent and young offensive line, and they will dominate the trenches by mixing up blitz packages to confuse the young blockers. Kurt Warner will have less time to sit in the pocket and wait for deep routes to develop from his wide recievers, so even if he gets the ball out, it will be for a relatively short gain.

On the other side of the ball, Pittsburg's offense matches up well with Arizona's defense. Neither unit is outstanding, but I think that the playmakers that Pittsburg has in the form of Willie Parker and Santonio Holmes will overcome the agility of the Cardinals' defense in order to bust some long gains. We all saw what Willie Parker did the last time he was in the Superbowl (for those of you who weren't watching, it was a Superbowl record 72-yard touchdown run) and there is no reason why he can't do it again against a relatively mediocre Cardinals' "D".

So in the end, it's going to be the Steelers: I'm guessing a final score of 23-17. Anyone who wants to mess with me can take it up with my man Barack.

A couple of other predictions: no wardrobe malfunction for Bruce Springsteen (thank God), another really shallow, yet steamy ad from "Go Daddy" (extremely awkward if watching game with parents), and a really awesome episode of "The Office" after the game. Oh, and 3 tons of chips and salsa will be consumed by the population of America by the end of the game.

I hope you all enjoy the game, not only for the excessive consumption and consumerism that it promotes, but also for the unity and oneness that it can create in a time of hardship. That said, let's play some football!