They Are Playing Basketball

A beautiful Sunday here in Bel Air and Summer is just around the corner.

Things are getting better day by day raising three children and two that are infants. There never does seem to be enough time to sleep though.

If I can I hope to catch Game Two of the NBA Finals tonight. I do hope that it will be better than the Game One thrashing that Kobe put on the Magic. I've written before how its strange that I can love the game of basketball so much but watching NBA regular season contests have as much allure to me as cleaning the gutters.

I've only been to a few NBA games in the last twenty years and I can't remember too much about them other than overpriced seats, Manute Bol, and the games having the intensity of a Church league pick-up contest. Maybe I'd change my tune if Baltimore ever did decide to revamp that train wreck called the Baltimore Arena and make a serious run at a team.

Hey if Oklahoma City can have one, why not us?

So I'll try and stick with the game tonight in hopes of seeing or hearing one or all of the following:

• Mark Jackson calling Kobe Bryant the "best player in the world". It's hard to grasp sarcasm over a keyboard but Jackson used that phrase at least five times last broadcast. Yes, Kobe is the best right now and he's a total sumbag devoid of any true personality. Please stop the Jordan comparisions, he isn't in the same stratosphere.

• Dwight Howard breaking the entire backboard Jerome Lane style. It's harder with today's technology but the Man-child is an impressive specimen. One thing, work on your foul shots kid.

• Mike Breen will put me to sleep before 9 P.M. will his laid back cool style. I'm actually being nice by saying laid back cool, its more librarian like. In a game driven by the individual personalities in a team game he's the most unlikely guy to do the biggest series (Give me Marv Albert any day - YES! and it COUNTS!) for the league. He sounds as if he'd like to read you a book report on the evolution of wristbands in pro sports.

• Pau Gasol and his matinee idol good looks. No doubt he makes the girlies scream .. in horror. Watch if you dare or want to be turned into stone. Last time I saw a mouth like that it had a hook in it.
  

• The wildcard of the evening is Jeff Van Gundy. Milhouse is at least entertaining to listen to. He makes of fun of himself and he's honest. When asked if he wanted his brother's Magic team to win he said without hesitation, "Yes." He also may break into song at any moment, talk about what hot celbs are in the audience or even grab onto one of the player's legs and never let go.

• Speaking of the other Van Gundy. The comparison has been made a thousand times but it's still funny. Separated at Birth? Stan Van Gundy and "film star" Ron Jeremy. I just wish one of the announcers would go there but the only one likely is his brother, who knows if they tank again maybe he will bring up his resemblance to the "Hedgehog".
  

• Lastly I hope to the see some real Laker fans. Not Jack Nicholson and his courtside seats or Leo or even leathery old Dyan Cannon. I mean the people who aren't rich or famous but support the team from the upper deck.

Enjoy the Finals.