Your NBA Champions/Game Of Thrones Mashup

This isn't a beating. It's The Red Wedding, NBA style. #GoSpursGo

— The Huntress (@HuntressInSoCal) June 16, 2014

There is no other way for me to put it. Tonight’s title-clinching game was the most brutal ending of a season since The Red Wedding on Game of Thrones. It wasn’t just another 20+ victory for the San Antonio Spurs. It was the annihilation of a Miami Heat team that was not only overhyped, but could only go as far as LeBron James could carry them. We remember how that worked out in 2007, don’t we?

Five titles in fifteen years is an amazing accomplishment in the modern era of the NBA. Even more amazing is that head coach Gregg Popovich has reworked his game plan over the years to adapt to the times. Once upon a time, the offense ran through David Robinson. Then it was The Big Three – Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili – and a commitment to team defense that carried the team to an NBA title what seemed like every other year. Now The Big Three are considered role players, and youngsters like Patty Mills and Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard will lead the team through the rest of this decade with an offense that is reminiscent of Showtime in L.A..

What’s scary about the Spurs isn’t their scoring or their commitment to play together as a team. It’s that after nearly two decades of winning basketball, they have kicked the NBA title window back open years after many people thought it was closed forever.

Will this team be back for a third straight NBA Finals appearance in 2015? A repeat title? If The Big Three and Coach Pop come back, I’m betting on it.

How are you spending this Father's Day

First off, this doesn't have to be a sports related post and your comments don't have to be sports related.  I'd truly like to know how you're spending this Father's Day.  Secondly, you don't even have to be a dad to comment.
My daughters have moved on to lives of their own.  One is married with two young children and will be spending this Father's Day with her husband, the father of her children.  My youngest daughter just moved to Dayton, Ohio within the last week, taking the big leap on her life's journey.  I did get two wonderful phone calls today.

So my adopted son, Todd above, are going to be spending this Father's Day watching some sports, of course.  There is plenty to watch on this particular Father's Day but there could have been even more to watch had the Stanley Cup Finals gone more than five games.  If we had three games out of five go to overtime, with the Kings winning it all in 2OT in game 5, imagine how much fun games 6 or 7 might have been?
But today is still the U.S. Open golf tournament, which I always enjoy watching, although I'd enjoy it much more if Lefty were actually in contention.  Mixed in with watching that I will be watching the Nascar race from Michigan, where the #43 is starting 4th?  I'd take a Petty blue car in victory lane for a Father's day gift...that would be awesome.  Then every four years the World Cup happens.  So I'll be keeping an eye on that a little today since the U.S. isn't playing until tomorrow.  Too bad a good U.S. team is in the Group of Death but, hey, if you want to be the best, what better way to start than beating a couple of the best.
The Red Sox, who have been playing better of late during their roller coaster, less than good season, will be playing this afternoon.  Very few things are better on Father's Day than watching the Sox.  Then tonight is game 6 of the NBA Finals with the Spurs leading 3 games to 1.  I will peek in on that a little tonight.
I hope you all have a great Father's Day, enjoying it in whatever way you like best.

R.I.P. Malcolm Glazer

Thank you Mr. Glazer. You purchased my favorite NFL team and made them a power for the late 1990s until the mid 2000s. We won a Super Bowl with you at the helm of the team. May you rest in peace. And us Bucs fans do forgive you for purchasing that English football team that shall not be named.

The NFL Pinkiller Lawsuit

8 players have filed a new lawsuit against the NFL for giving them painkillers without telling them all the side effects that the medicine could do to them. Allegedly. Also alleged is that the team doctors gave them the medicine without a prescription and that team doctors did not take good enough care of injured players, with the most serious allegations being that the doctors allowed players to play with broken bones. The doctors knew that the bones were broken, but fed the players painkillers so they could play and did not worry about the broken bones, like Jim McMahon's neck or Keith Van Horne's leg. Allegedly.

Found On Twitter: Baltimore Ravens

Janay Rice says she deeply regrets the role that she played the night of the incident.

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) May 23, 2014

In case the official Baltimore Ravens delete this tweet, it states “Janay Rice says she deeply regrets the role that she played the night of the incident.

So, Janay Rice regrets being (allegedly) abused by Ray Rice? Or just being in the same elevator as him?

Keep it classy, Baltimore. #sarcasm

The Beautiful Game

I’m not sure who did this video, but it is beautifully done. It’s hard to make me forget my Spurs heroes like George Gervin and David Robinson, but the next (almost) seven minutes make me appreciate the past seventeen years.

Enjoy this team while you can – even if ESPN/ABC refuses to broadcast them until they have no choice.

Go Spurs Go!

Well, if she's a Red Sox fan...

If this lady is a Red Sox fan, what's that tell you about the Red Sox and how beloved they are?

This clip is of the daughter of Babe Ruth sitting in the TV booth talking to the Cub announcers after she threw out the first pitch as part of their 100 year celebration of Wrigley Field.

My Addition to Fenway 2014

This trip, as stated in a prior blog, started with Zeb's purchase of tickets to a Red Sox game. I was excited to share his love of sports, namely his love of the Red Sox with him. This being my first game there were several items on the agenda. We arrived early enough to take a stroll down Yawkey Way and visit the store for my first Red Sox t-shirt. I didn't wear it at the game but did wear it for Zeb last weekend... it fits well and I wore it out of the store! 





 

After a quick exit from Yawkey Way while management set up for game entrance we ate a bite for lunch at Game On! Then off to the game!
Our walk around the park would not be complete without a visit to his family's brick.  They truly

are a Red Sox family! I was told, early on in our relationship, to never speak the 'Y' word in a

favorable light... and I never have.  LOL

 

A few more photos of us both and off to our seats...

Once at our GREAT seats we took a selfie (not very good one)  LOL and then let the game begin!

Zeb always gets caught with an awkward expression

Zeb refreshed my memory, he taught me at a minor league game in Portland, for taking score (simplified version).  Below is a picture of the score sheets.  It helped me to understand the game a little better as well as helped me to concentrate on what was going on.  God forbid I started people watching and not get the score right.  :-)  It was great fun and wouldn't mind going again, although I was told I saw a highly active game.  The Bruins information in the background was pretty neat.  One thing I learned was the Boston fans are a unique group!

Thank you, Zeb, for a wonderful time at my first MLB game!

Petco Park, San Diego, Friday, May 9, 2014 (A Woman's Viewpoint of a Baseball Game)

Can you tell by the photo that my husband Ted loves the Padres?  He has been a Padres fan forever!  He has season tickets, but I only go with him once or twice a season.  The decision to go to the Friday night game was made that day, and I'm so glad I decided to go because we had a great time!

We traded in our tickets to get closer to the field, and we ended up in the second row by first base next to the Padres' dugout.

Ted wanted to sit close to the field because Miami's pitcher, Fernandez, was the National League's Rookie of the Year last season.  Well, he must have had an off night because the Padres won the game 10-1.  Jedd Gyorko hit a two-run homer in the second inning.  And later in the sixth inning, the next thing you know old Jedd's a millionnaire 'cause he hit a grand slam!

The Padres pitcher, Ross, almost had a shut out, but a Marlin hit a homer in the seventh.

All in all, I picked a great game to attend because there were lots of hits and homers!  And the Padres won (and that doesn't happen too often)!  Haha! (A little humor!)

Also this weekend, Petco Park is already celebrating their tenth anniversary!  This park is really worth seeing. It is so neat and clean!  And did you know that San Diego is the craft brewery capital of the world?  Well, it is!  You can get about a dozen different craft brews at the stadium.  Ted and I had a Green Flash Pale Ale and a Mission Pale Ale.  I was worried about drinking so much beer when I had a big marathon training run the next day, but I can't go to a ballgame without having a beer -- I repeat -- I can't go to a ballgame without having a beer!

TALLEDEGA, IS IT JUST ME, OR IS NASCAR MAKING THE BIGGEST AND THE BEST BORING?

Denny Hamlin got a well deserved win at the 2.66 mile restrictor plate track at Talledega on Sunday. Now I know plate racing is a different animal and fans have to be ready for changes NASCAR has put in place over the years in the name of safety and speed suppression. A lot of the changes are good, the return of pack racing compared to the two car draft that was in place the last few years, of which there are penalties levied if cars lock or basically touch for extended time is one I found in the whatever category. But some of the racing now appears boring now compared to the short track, mile, and mile and a half tracks. I've always loved Talledega and Daytona, but I'm starting to wonder if some of the changes are giving us an inferior product, well that is just my opinion, we will see after the race at Kansas, now back to the race on Sunday. Denny won the race on a last lap caution which some felt maybe didn't let the best win but I didn't feel that way, I think he had it and it would have taken more than a green, white checkered to change it. Greg Biffle drove a good race giving him second, Clint Bowyer is showing some speed if not wins with a third place finish, Brian Vickers and AJ Almendinger rounded out the top five. Events started early with Brad Keselowski causing a crash on the 15th lap by driving down into Danica Patrick and causing a crash that caused him and Jamie Macmurray losing ground by seven laps when they returned. Keselowski also caused another crash deep into the race on the 137th lap, this one causing problems for many drivers a few of which were wondering where Keselowski was hiding his brain by racing so hard when he was down by six laps. Now I know the opinions of some are he is a race car driver and no matter where he is on the lap board it is his job to race hard and try to get those laps back, and this writer grants this fact, as Jamie Mc. came within one lucky dog of doing just that and getting back onto the lead lap, but after watching replays,(that is why this is so late as I was watching replay after replay for this blog) I felt he was overdriving and did damage where it wasn't warranted. I give the boss his due with Kasey Kahne in the #5 coming in 8th, and Aric Almirola #43 coming in 13th. Is Jimmie Johnson in a slump? Is Tony Stewart slow? I'm going to leave you with those questions and maybe we will have some answers after the first night race this Saturday night Kansas City.