Oh My Michigan

While the NBA and college basketball provide memorable highlight reel dunks and game winners, there is something to be said about hockey goals that require so much skill and coordination, that only a few times have they been performed in elite level competition.  Many kids growing up have seen what is dubbed as "The Michigan" hockey move. That goal tied the game in the '96 NCAA West Regional and Michigan would go on to defeat Boston University that year in the Frozen Four Championship Game.  Compare that video to this gem that I believe trumped "The Michigan:"

 Mikael Granlund, who hails from Finland, added a twist to the move that resembles a lacrosse style goal.  As he skates behind the net, you'll notice he brilliantly pops the puck up onto the blade of his stick.  What makes this goal greater than "The Michigan" is that fact that Granlund, a draft pick of the Minnesota Wild, never stops his forward motion.  There are a lot of filthy goals floating around on YouTube, but the attention to detail and display of advanced hockey skill, makes this one my favorite.

-Pat

Derek Boogaard Found Dead

One of the most feared fighters in the NHL today was found dead in his Minneapolis apartment on Friday. There still aren't any details as to the exact cause of death, but he was found at 6:10 pm CDT.

He played in just 22 games this year. He missed the rest of the year and the post-season action that the Rangers were part of with a concussion stemming from this fight with Ottawa's Matt Carkner:



Some are speculating that Boogaard's death came from symptoms of this concussion but I'll wait for autopsy results before I pass judgement on it.

Despite being an enforcer on the ice, Boogaard was regarded to be one of the nicest guys in the league. Several teammates and even counterparts have tweeted about his death, sending regards to the family of the Saskatchewan native. He also was very active in the communities of the two teams he played for: the Minnesota Wild and now the New York Rangers.

You know what they say, only the good die young. Boogaard was 28.

Brewers-Pirates Preview

I don't know what to think about the Milwaukee Brewers' season so far. It is like a bad season of Entourage right now where you get a couple good episodes here and there, but it's really just a shit season.  The Brewers have been far too inconsistent for me to consider them worthy of challenging for the NL Central crown.  They have owned the Pirates like I do with life so hopefully that trend continues for the both of us.



Friday
James McDonald (2-2 5.65) v. Yovani Gallardo (3-2 5.11)- Don't let McDonald's numbers fool you, he has pitched very well in his past three starts. He is a guy who a lot of people expected to make some noise for Buccos so the Brewers could have their hands full. Yovani takes the rubber after a near no-hitter on Saturday afternoon. I swear my motivation post inspired him to do great things. Yovani needs another good start in an attempt to get on track.

Saturday
Jeff Karstens (2-1 3.61) v. Chris Narveson (1-3 4.38)- So happy to see that asshole Karstens take the mound on Saturday afternoon.  I think it's fair to say that Karstens has been the chief instigator for a lot of the Brewer-Pirate bad blood. I hope for 4 long balls from Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder.  Narvie needs to get on track quickly or I would recommend Marco Estrada take some of his starts. He is having problems again with the big inning, and it's hurting the Brewers.

Sunday
Kevin Correia (5-3 3.25) v. Zack Greinke (1-1 5.40)- Correia had the Dave Bush Disease where he blew up in the sixth inning against the Brewers earlier this season in April.  He has good stuff and has pitched well this season therefore you cannot expect another bad start. Greinke tows the rubber for his second-straight home start. With the Sunday crowd, you always get a good atmosphere, and I assume it will be even better for him.

-Charlie.

Only Acceptable Heat Rant

I don't like the Miami Heat whatsoever. If you read my work on the NBA, you know that. But this is epic. Dan LeBatard did something along these lines for the New York Jets, but this is even better. He just comes at with line after line.  One word to say to you on this Friday... BAM!

-Charlie.

What If Dirk Played For The Milwaukee Bucks?

Jason McIntyre who is a fantastic writer for The Big Lead posted a question on Twitter yesterday afternoon about if people remembered that Dirk Nowitzki got traded on draft day. As a Milwaukee Bucks fan, I sure as hell do, the Bucks traded Nowitzki away for Robert 'Tractor' Traylor, that's like dealing Kate Upton for Kristie Alley. My buddy Bails pointed out that the Mavs were the only team who went overseas to scout Dirk so this trade was pretty much inevitable, but here is my question… why the hell didn't the Bucks scout Dirk? If you think about Dirk is perfect for Milwaukee. He is German and Milwaukee is a German-based city. The man would have had a beer named after him by the third year plus so many more endorsements from the Brew City.




Whenever we talk about these what-if situations, people always wonder if a player would be the same if he played elsewhere. My answer would be yes for Nowitzki because I truly believe he is a top 20 player of all time right now, and will climb up that ladder if the Mavs win the NBA Finals. I think a majority of the NBA teams could have drafted Dirk, and he would have been a great player. I believe 1998 was the last year that the Bucks picked in the lottery for a long time because Ray Allen hit his stride, Sam Cassell was brought in, and Glenn 'Big Dog' Robinson had already been in his prime at the time of drafting him. Nowitzki would not have any pressure in Milwaukee, and been allowed to grow in the first couple years. Let's also remember the Bucks missed out on Paul Pierce who was drafted a spot below Dirk, got to love the Bucks in the NBA Draft! 


If the Bucks kept Dirk, they would have easily been in the NBA Finals. The 2001 team that should have been in the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first place if it wasn't for David Stern playing the role of Vince McMahon guaranteeing the Philadelphia 76ers and Allen Iverson would be playing the Lake Show. It was a screw job, and everyone who watches basketball knows that. Sorry my rant is over about that, but Dirk would have played the four with a monster lineup that would have been the best team in the Eastern Conference. 


That team would have had Cassell-Allen-Big Dog-Nowitzki-Tragic Johnson with Tim Thomas coming off the bench as a vital sixth man. The other question I have, would Ray-Ray have played in Milwaukee for another 10 years? The naïve side of me that has purple jersey hanging in my childhood bedroom would like to think that could have been a possibility. To me, Dirk would have been the first basketball superstar the city of Milwaukee has seen in over 30 years. They had some great players in the 80s and in the 90s but no one at the level of Dirk. I do hope that Brandon Jennings or Andrew Bogut becomes that guy for a franchise that seems to be stuck in neutral.


The other side of this would be what if Dallas never got Dirk? I still think they find their superstar somewhere down the road because with Mark Cuban's money, they really were able to afford anyone. They might have kept Steve Nash and paired him up with another player. It's fun to play these sorts of games and wonder what if sometimes. Because these dreams will never be realities, rather just a wish that something better would have happened for your team. 

 
-Charlie.

First Taste: Falling Star (R3K Remix)

This is a pretty awesome mash-up. It has a funky beat plus includes two artists I enjoy very much in Kid Cudi and Florence and the Machine. A good jam to play outside today when working on homework, or when you get done with your finals. I will be away from the Tap today sadly after the 10 AM, so enjoy me while you can a-holes.

-Charlie.

Closing Time: Andrei Kirilenko Channels His Inner-Birdman

(Props to Ball Dont Lie) Seriously, this might be the scariest thing I have seen since the Betty White Sex Tape (kidding, thank God). Like what the hell is that? Gotta love Russians though, just pour AK47 some vodka and give him this tat in full. I bet he didn't even move a muscle for this enormous tattoo. Another thought... he has to have mirrors on his ceiling because that's the only way, this makes sense. He can watch his tattoo give his 'I don't care if you sleep with other women' smokebomb wife the business. Obviously, I await the Chris 'Birdman' Anderson counter. Your move Mr. Birdman.

-Charlie.

Inside Miller Park: Greinke's Home Debut

Thanks to the sheer genius that is Curly, Murph, Seitz and I were able to attend last night's Brewer game for five dollars. As most of you know by now, it was newly acquired and fresh-off-the-DL Zack Greinke's home debut.

The Brewers' brass thought it would be a good idea to hand out white towels for the first 30,000 fans to cross the turnstyles last night. Unfortunately, there were only 27,000 and change in attendance but the atmosphere was pretty much there.


Greinke came out rolling with two Ks in the top of the first. Obviously, we were a little late arriving to Miller Park and kind of lost track of time while slamming beers and eating raw chicken in the parking lot so we missed the top of the first...barely. Zack made up for our stupidity though by striking out two more in the second inning on his way to 9 Ks for the night in six innings of work.

He was getting a little shaky by the sixth with his velocity dropping and things of that nature but he punched out the Padres' Brad Hawpe with men on with two outs in the sixth. At first, I thought they should have left him in but after thinking about it, Roenicke made the right decision getting him out. Of course, it's easy to say that when the bullpen holds up their end of the deal.

Kameron Loe got into a jam in the 8th when he immediate put men on the corners with no one out. Then Yuni Betancourt (a man not known for his leather) made the best play I've ever seen in person.

He tracked down a sharp grounder up the middle, did the ol' backhand flip to Weeks from his glove in which Weeks bare-handed and tossed to Prince at first for the double play. A run did score but he may have saved the game with that play. The crowd gave him a standing ovation for his web-gem.

It was nice to see John Axford come in and work a fairly clean ninth for the second time in three days. He worked around a one out single to earn his sixth save of the year in eight chances.

Greinke picked up his first victory (of many) and looked fairly sharp last night. You have to take it with a grain of salt since it was against the Padres who have been shutout 8 times this year and don't have any three-hundred hitters. It was good to see though.

Tell Tale Signs From Triple Overtime

Last night I thought it would be just a normal sports night with nothing going on and allow for my hiatus to continue from writing some lengthy posts.  Oh, how wrong I was as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Memphis Grizzlies in three overtimes last night 133-123. It was one of those games where there ended up being so many interesting story lines that came out of this game, and could define the rest of the NBA Playoffs.



The first thing the Tuesday Morning Point Guards have jumped on has been the lack of coaching that went on in this game, which made for a sloppy overtime period.  Now, I agree there were some horrific moments in this game, but when two teams play 63 minutes, it is obvious there are going to be a lot of flaws for us to nitpick.  Additionally, Lionel Hollins versus Scott Brooks is not like Phil Jackson versus Chuck Daly. Hollins made an obvious error by putting O.J. Mayo out there to foul when he had five, and don't even get me started with Mr. Brooks.

I tweeted yesterday that Brooks is the Ned Yost of the NBA.  The guy is absolutely clueless. There is no offense, and he has no idea how to manage his big guys. I understand Serge Ibaka's ankle is weak and had five fouls, but why did Ibaka only get in the game after Kendrick Perkins fouled out in the third OT?  It makes zero sense to me.  At least rotate him for defensive help, but BrooksYost babied his ankle way too much.  The other problem with Brooks' style is he forgot to tell Russell Westbrook to pass the ball.

Westbrook had 40 points, but it was a forced effort. He did not let the points come to him, instead Westbrook decided that he would have the ball at all times attempting to score each time down. He ignored the fact that he had Kevin Durant on his team who by the way, only shot 20 times compared to Westbrook's insanely high 33. Not to mention, Westbrook played six minutes less than KD making that number even more ridiculous.

The only fair defense of what happened last night would be Durant facing guys like Shane Battier and Tony Allen, two guys who are lock down defenders. Even so, I think KD can make things happen against those individuals. Durant not touching the ball for nine minutes is inexcusable. Westbrook's style of play reminded me of Allen Iverson or Stephon Marbury.  It was finally clear last night that Westbrook wants no part of being the second banana of this team.

I would like to see Westbrook dish it off to James Harden or Durant, and start to move around the court to create a better shot.  Westbrook has this theory about himself that he can do similar things to Derrick Rose, which he sure as hell cannot.  Oklahoma City isn't going to win a ton of games with Westbrook throwing up garbage at the rim. The worst thing about this all is that Brooks cannot handle these personalities so if this napalms on the Thunder, they will be split up like the Minnesota Timberwolves did back in the day when Marbury didn't realize his role of number 2.

-Charlie.

First Taste: Well This Is Awkward

Big Cat gave me this last night, and as a journalism student, I feel bad for the blonde who had to do the Shake Weight report then I feel bad when the anchor refers to South Park. That's when things got weird and the most sexual innuendo I have ever seen from a newcast. I am assuming they got in some trouble, but then again, it's Los Angeles. They live a fake life there.

-Charlie.

Closing Time: Jack Sparrow-The First Jam Of The Summer

Lonely Island has a new CD out this week. I don't know if I would recommend an entire CD by Samberg and the boys, but this song is golden. Michael Bolton who hasn't been relevant since Office Space absolutely kills it.  Oklahoma City-Memphis will be talked about tomorrow.

-Charlie.

NBA Hypocrisy

Someone please tell me the difference between these two plays...

vs.

Wade gets a technical and succeeds in getting Pierce ejected.  Odom gets handed a flagrant 2, gets tossed, and probably will be suspended for the first game or two of next season.  Both players clearly put a shoulder into the chest of a guy setting a screen.  The only difference is that the Lakers were clearly out of that game.  The NBA continues to be plagued by terrible officiating. 

First Taste: Live Jack Johnson To Start Your Monday

I know I haven't been around much to take care of my pride and joy SnoTap that it makes me sick, but just want to let you guys know that I am still around here.  Trust me, give me until next Wednesday and I will be back in full force for the summer. We do have Mitchy getting a press pass for Greinke Fest tonight (Sike! but really he is going).  Enjoy a nice Jack Johnson live tune I have been digging lately, and have a good one.

-Charlie.

Lakers Lose Their Cool

Apparently, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning...or they are just classless thugs misrepresenting the most proud franchise in the NBA.

Odom got the tension started when he threw a big shoulder into the chest of the Mavs' Dirk Nowitzki while Dirk was attempting to set a pick for J.J. Barea. Then, moments later, Andrew Bynum went into the ribs of a driving J.J. Barea with an elbow, not even looking at the ball. After he was immediately ejected, Bynum pulled off his jersey and was walked off the court by Mr. Rogers himself, Ron Artest. Artest was ejected at the end of Game 3 for putting his elbow in the face of J.J. Barea.


I always knew the Lakers were a bunch of hot-heads, but this is the ultimate way to disgrace the game of basketball. I now know why the only guy I like on the Lakers is Pau Gasol. He's the only one on the squad that isn't bitching about every last thing. Sure, he isn't the most care-free player on the team but he wouldn't do things like this:



Mike Tirico said it best, "You have to lose like a champion too." That's the complete opposite of what the Lakers showed today.

There will be no 3-peat and good riddance for that.

Motivating The Milwaukee Brewers

(Might be the greatest montage of all time)

The Milwaukee Brewers have lost seven straight games, and find themselves in last place in the National League Central.  They also have the worst record in the National League along with two other teams. While I am not ready to join the done club, I am starting to get worried. It feels like this losing streak will never end, and the Brewers are making all the wrong moves whether it be pitching, defense, offense, etc... I thought about doing this a couple beers deep tonight to really get fired up, but instead, I restored to coffee, heavy metal, and this montage to rally the troops right now.



As Bruce Boudreau said once upon time, "So shit's not going right?  It's not f---ing working the last 10 days, f---ing, get your heads out of your ass, fucking make it work by f---ing outworking the opposition."  Seriously, sums up how the Brewers are playing right now.  A couple things are not working in the Brewers favor in what will be known as The Road Trip From Hell...

1.) The bullpen is having trouble holding leads, thank Uecker the Crew sent Sean Green's corpse to Nashville, and hopefully the others can figure that shit out because if they cannot, Milwaukee will be looking up at the rest of the division for the entire year.

2.) When the Brewers get down in game, they give up. They don't think they can rally and make something happen. When I can tell in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that you have quit on that game, nothing is more effing frustrated than that.  That has to stop immediately. If the Brewers get down in the next couple of games, I would like to see Ron Roenicke get tossed out of game... just flip shit on an umpire.

 3.) If Yovani struggles this afternoon, put his ass on the Disabled List saying he has elbow tightness or as I like to call it, The Jeff Suppan Special. Surely, the Crew can find someone better than Yo right now.  I hope he finds a way to get shit done against the Cardinals this afternoon.

4.) Start playing small ball again. They were in the beginning of the year, and it's disappeared into thin air. Start manufacturing runs, instead of looking for the long ball.

If you want me to provide some optimism, they only play on the road seven more times this month. Currently, their record stands at 5-14 on the road, and 8-5 at home. Hopefully, the fans at Miller Park can rally around this team without the boos and start providing additional motivation.  I am holding out hope that this something we as fans can laugh at by August 1st. But who knows, it has to start today against Kyle Lohse. The Crew have to turn the corner in the upcoming 10 days, or it could be another disappointing Milwaukee summer.

In case, the Brewers continue to look like a Class-A ball club this afternoon.  Here is an awesome Kate Upton video that can make any man feel better.



-Charlie.

Lights Out In Los Angeles?

I am really trying to remember the last time I remember a seven-game series in any sport that has been more polarizing than the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers.  I mean I am stunned.  I thought it would be good series, and put my ass out there saying this would be the best series out of the four.  Now, the Mavs have the Lakers on the brink of getting bounced from the Western Conference Semifinals. Even though I am struggling this Saturday morning to find the words to talk about this series, I am going to do the best I can.  

Before we talk about the Lakers struggles, Dirk Nowitzki is playing out of his mind. There is no question who is the best player on the court in this series. It seems like no shot is impossible for Dirk right now. Last night watching the game with my friends, I think we thought every shot Dirk took down the stretch was going in. Funny thing, Dirk didn't miss. I have ragged on Dirk for his playoff misfortunes in the past couple of years, and I need to give a ton of credit when it's due.  

The Lakers are a mess.  Right now, they look like the model-thin hot girl who is celebrating her 21st birthday weekend.... Just a drunken mess. They have no team concept whatsoever. The Lake Show turned into the Shit Show. My friends and I could not believe that Kobe Bryant didn't touch the ball nearly enough in the final three minutes last night as Dallas went on a 17-5 run to close out Game 3. The crazy thing about it is Bryant didn't give up like he is sometimes known to do, rather every other player tried to get theirs. For example, Pau Gasol tried backing down Dirk then tried to hit him with a Dirk-like fade away, clank. Lamar Odom sized up a defender, and attempted to isolate with Kobe's hands failing in the air also a clank. This team's chemistry is destroyed.  

 The Lakers are like this long time cruise liner that used to be very luxurious, but has suddenly become old with holes. Those holes are Derek Fisher, Steve Blake, Matt Barnes, and Pau Gasol turning into Charmin again. This ship is sinking fast, and Kobe Bryant cannot save it. I don't think Kobe can no longer carry his team to victory.  He just doesn't seem to have the ability to do it anymore. It's crazy to say that, but I think the exorbitant amount of games has finally caught up to Mr. Bryant. 

A part of me wants to see the Lakers win Game 4 and then the possibility win Game 5 making this a series again. But the other part of me who hates dynasties wants to see this team just quit and give up get blasted by twenty plus tomorrow afternoon. Sunday, very well could end the latest era in the NBA. 

-Charlie.

Say It Ain't So

The NCAA tournament is changing again. Only this time it has nothing to do with the number of teams in the tourney. Gus Johnson will no longer be a play by play announcer for CBS, ending his 16 year run of calling NCAA tournament games. Gus and CBS could not agree on a new contract today, ending my dream of Gus replacing Jim Nantz calling the Final Four someday. Gus made watching the tournament games exciting as it always seemed he called all the nail biting finishes.



Hence the creation of the "Law of Gus." In his first year of calling the tournament, he was the announcer for the upset of #4 seed UCLA (the defending champs) by the hands of #13 seed Princeton. From that point on, the legend of Gus was created. Other noteable games that Gus has called during his tenure of the tournament include Vermont beating Syracuse in 2005, Ohio St.'s comeback versus Xaiver in 2007, Kansas St and Xaiver's epic double overtime game in 2010, and the famous UCLA comeback versus Gonzaga in the 2006 tourney.

March won't feel the same next year. The "Law of Gus" is no longer with us for the tournament. I am already disappointed (and I know that the fellow writers of this blog are as well) to know that Gus will no longer be with us in March with our brackets, highlighters, and shamrock shakes to call the tournament games. I hope someday that Gus will be back, and all will be alright in the world. I'll leave you all with this Gus tribute to help remember the epic moments from Gus.

First Taste: The Golden Age

This is a good tune that you might have heard on the Heineken commercial in the past couple of months. I was downloading some music from Barstool U, and this song came up, which sounded familiar. It is a good way to start your Cinco de Drinko.  This probably the worst fake drinking holiday in the 12th month calendar, I mean it's suppose to show Mexican independence and heritage, but college kids just get hammered. St. Patrick's Day is pretty much the same way.

-Charlie.

Closing Time: Grilled Cheese of Champions

These guys are blowing up recently. I have seen a bunch of these in the last six months, and so have you probably. But if you haven't, this needs to be shared.  I am big fan of grilled cheeses, I make them frequently for lunch and sometimes for a quick dinner. You are lying to yourself if you wouldn't at least have a bite of this awesomeness. The batter alone might be worth my time. Cheesy Puffs and Jaegermeister is all a man needs.

-Charlie.

Liriano's No-No Provides Hope

Last night, in Chicago, Francisco Liriano pitched the fifth no-hitter in Twins history.

In a season that has been disappointing to say the least, last night was a light from a crack of the tunnel. With all but a handful of the Twins roster batting in the .100’s, injuries and illnesses striking starters (Mauer, Nishioka, Morneau, Young) and AAA rosters being presented on a nightly bases due to these misfortunes, it is no surprise to me why we are currently cellar dwellers.

As the 9th inning approached I found myself on the edge of my seat and my heart pounding. It felt like a game 7 of the World Series. But why? The Twins hold the worst record in baseball and we only have a 1 run lead in the toilet bowl.



It wasn’t a perfect game, that’s for sure. Liriano threw 123 pitches, 66 of which were strikes. These numbers are a bit deceiving considering he is a breaking ball pitcher, but on the contrary he only recorded only 2 strike outs. Francisco walked 6 batters in the game, one of which was a 4 pitch walk to Juan Pierre in the bottom of the 9th. On the bright side it looked as though the Sisco kid is finally grasping the idea that pitching to contact isn’t necessarily a bad trait.

Liriano has struggled medially throughout this young season (ERA 6.61). Unable to locate his slider and pushing his fastball, he continually finds himself getting into deep holes in the count which ultimately leads to walks and crooked number innings. All of these variables have led to the demolition of his confidence and swagger as a pitcher. With the return of Kevin Slowey later this week, it was considered that he would replace Liriano in the rotation. Due to the no-hit performance yesterday I think it’s safe to say that Liriano has saved a spot in the rotation for at least one more week.

Hopefully this win can catapult the Twins in the winning direction.

Jordan T.