Lakers are NBA Champions; Kobe finally "gets his"

By Brendan Hall
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Let the floodgates open. Let the overkill, and the overexposure, commence.

The Los Angeles Lakers quickly overcame a nine-point deficit to build a 10-point cushion early in the second quarter of game five of the NBA Finals. The Orlando Magic were never able to cut into it cleanly, and the Lakers went on to win their 15th title in franchise history.

I theorized before this series that the Lakers were soft on the interior, and they proved to me that they’ve come a long way since the 2008 Finals. The combination of Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza, and with Lamar Odom coming off the bench, was lethal enough to outlast Dwight Howard and Co. in the frontcourt. More importantly, everyone knew their role on this team – Kobe see, Kobe do – and didn’t get in the way.

And now, since SportsCenter now conveniently operates directly across from the Staples Center, we shall be reminded every day for the next three months the following:

-- Kobe finally won one without Shaq.

-- Phil Jackson has now won more championships in any North American professional sport than anyone else – more than Scotty Bowman, more than Red Auerbach – which means he must now be the greatest coach since Knute Rockne. Phil Jackson is of Deity status (Woj already beat me to the punch, though he’s not tongue-in-cheek).

-- Pau Gasol has evolved into a mecha-beast on the low post.

-- Kobe finally won one without Shaq.

-- Kobe finally won one without Shaq.

-- Shaq, will you go to Cleveland please?

-- Lebron. 2010.

And they're probably going to promote the heck out of those "MVPuppets" and their neighbor "Lil' Dez". It’s going to be a beautiful disaster of a summer. By mid-August we’re going to know everything about these cool, hip bunch of yuksters that we’re going to be screaming for the NFL season to start. I can’t wait.

But I digress. Here are my game balls for the series:

Kobe Bryant
The Finals MVP played like someone with a chip on his shoulder in this series, averaging more than 33 points per game, to stamp himself as the world’s greatest player. He made difficult shots look easy, and didn’t take for granted the open looks he got. In the force-fed “Kobe or LeBron?” debate, I officially want Kobe taking the last shot.

Trevor Ariza
A question now arises as to what the long-term plans are for the upstart forward. It’s not a question of whether they keep him or not – they’d be stupid to even contemplate it – but how much to throw at him. Jackson entered Ariza into the starting lineup full-time for the Finals, and he played like a bona fide veteran. He was the best defender in this series, and provided key long-range shots when needed. Rack 'em.

Derek Fisher
Just for his shot in game four alone, you have to give the man some sort of merit. But more importantly, he played with an even-keeled, smooth tempo, and quietly had a very consistent series. This is why Kobe likes him – he never gets in the way, and hardly makes a mistake. When you need him to score, he scores.

I will have a season wrap, and look ahead to the future, in tomorrow’s entry. Until now, enjoy this championship.

Fantasy Baseball: Chin Music

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

I know you want to hit the panic button, Johan Santana owners.

Go ahead and do it because I'll be the owner that pounces on your sell theory and have an ace in my pocket for the rest of the season.

Granted, Santana's last performance on Sunday against the Yankees where he worked only 3 innings, allowing 9 hits, 9 earned runs, 2 walks and 3 strikeouts would make any owner want to barf, but this is Johan Santana people.

I know, I know ... but he allowed a career-high 9 runs. Big deal. There's plenty of pitchers who get roughed up from time to time, and even the elite don't always have their best stuff.

Santana still has the ability to be lights-out at any point.

He hasn't done it recently, however.

In his previous start, he allowed 5 earned runs to the Phillies and give up 3 runs both times against Pittsburgh and Washington on June 2 and May 27, respectively.

That's not ace material, I know.

So what, Santana's in a mini-funk. So trade him and they'll all laugh at you.

His stat line (3.29 ERA, 8-4 record, 1.22 WHIP, 94 Ks in 82 innings) so far isn't anything to cry about, either. 

I'll say it again, DO NOT SELL ON SANTANA.

Mind you, if you get a great deal do it, but don't do it because you're simply reacting to a bad start or a mediocre stretch of four so-so starts.

If you do, owners will pounce and take advantage of you. Plus, who really wants to be laughed at for the rest of the season?

MONTH OF MANY RETURNS

Here's a look at who's been red hot for the last month, with aces mixed in with some surprise arms that have been delivering the goods.

Tim Lincecum (3 wins, 1.19 ERA, 0.98 WHIP), Josh Beckett (4 wins, 1.91 ERA, 0.91 ERA), Justin Verlander (4 wins, 1.25 ERA, 0.97 WHIP), Matt Cain (6 wins, 1.73 ERA, 1.15 WHIP), Chris Carpenter (3 wins, 1.98 ERA, 0.73 WHIP) and Jered Weaver (4 wins, 1.67 ERA, 1.07 WHIP).

CAN YOU GET SOMEONE OUT, PLEASE

Boy, White Sox closer Bobby Jenks has been a real killer in the last month, posting a dismal 6.30 ERA and 1.50 WHIP while nailing down 6 saves. Those numbers just aren't getting it done!

Don't you expect more from a front-end closer? Maybe Jenks isn't that good and should only be considered a middle-tier guy?

Better luck next year?

By Brendan Hall
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Orlando Magic Thursday night, 99-91, to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals (and I do mean commanding); and while the Magic could realistically force a Game 7, what with their unorthodox style and hot shooting, you have to wonder if their fourth quarter quasi-rally was the last gasp.

Orlando was completely blown out in the third quarter, getting outscored, 30-14. The Magic endured a quarter like that in the first game of this series, and made the score respectable towards the end, but I didn't come away convinced that they've got alot of fight left in them.

For a team that loves to shoot from the perimeter, their three-point percentage -- 7 for 21 -- is kind of startling. Hedo Turkoglu -- a guy who has established himself as a 3-point assassin this postseason -- took just three attempts, nailing one. Dwight Howard had an average night on the floor (5-12 fg, 6-14 ft) despite his 16 rebounds and Finals-record nine blocks. Ironically, they outrebounded the Lakers, 41-39, something they have not done well in the past two series.

Tonight, I'm looking for several things to happen:

-- At some point, Stan Van Gundy is going to go back to running that lineup with Mickael Pietrus, JJ Redick and no point guards, running plays through Hedo Turkoglu. You have to put the ball in the hands of your most consistent scorer when you're climbing a hill this steep.

-- Trevor Ariza is going to have three or four big defensive rotations early, and the Lakers will run off four or five straight baskets. How the Magic respond in the rest of that quarter will tell you all you need to know.

-- Pau Gasol will get fouled, will get in somebody's face, bark a few inaudible syllables and turn away realizing that, as long as he bears the resemblance to a llama, he will intimidate nobody.

-- If the Lakers start the game off cold, I predict that Phil Jackson will get out of the triangle set earlier than usual (around the start of the fourth quarter, if you notice, he lets go of the leash on Kobe Bryant).

-- We will no doubt hear 2,479 mentions of either "Phil or Red?" or "Kobe finally gets his" should the Lakers build a blowout lead at the half.

But for all intents and purposes, this one could be over tonight.

Penguins did some growing up on the way to the Cup

By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

I'll be the first to admit it when I'm wrong.

The NHL indeed saved the best for last.

The series had everything you could possibly ask for in a playoff championship in any sport, including an underdog winner. While the Penguins always had the talent to defeat the mighty Red Wings, there was nothing but doubt surrounding their ability to pull off the series, especially after they got dominated in back-to-back 3-1 losses to start the series, then were trounced, 5-0 in Game 5.

There even had to be doubt when Sidney Crosby was unable to play most of Game 7 with an injury. But still, the Penguins showed that youthful resiliency that was the reason they made to the post season in the first place. Let's not forget that this was a team that was not assured a playoff spot with three quarters of the season done.

While the spotlight will go to the kids - Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury, this championship would not have been possible without the timely leadership of some of the veterans.

Maxime Talbot's two goals propelled the Pens to victory in Game 7, but let's not forget his other two-goal performance in a must-win Game 3 for Pittsburgh. And let us not forget the defensive heroics of Rob Scuderi, without which there would not have been a seventh game.

The knock on the Penguins going into the series was that it was Sid the Kid and Malkin and who else? Against a more complete team like Detriot, how did they stand a chance? With just Crosby and Malkin, they didn't. But the role players did the little things and they won the way you're supposed to win championships - as a team.

Lester takes a tough no decision as the Sox win in 13

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

As Chad would tell you, there's nothing worse than having your story all ready to go only to see the game sent to extra innings. Good bye story, and hello late night ballgame. That's what happened last night. John Lester was dominant for the 3rd straight start. He struck out 11, which made it the 3rd straight game he struck out at least 10 batters. He allowed 1 run on 2 hits in 7 innings. I was going to talk about how he out dueled Joe Blanton in a great 2-1 pitching duel. Thanks to Ramon Ramirez, I had to "rip" up that article and start from scratch. That's two straight bad outings for Ramon allowing 3 home runs over those two appearances.

The game was a good ol' fashion National League game though. Double switches galore, 4 pinch hitters, and12 total pitchers. It's one of the reasons why I love the Senior Circuit. It takes a better game manager to run an NL team. As you all know by now, last nights' game ended in 13 innings after the Sox scored 3 runs in the top of the 13th. You watched the game, so I don't need to run a full recap for you. What I would like to touch on are a few observations I had from the game.

- Red Sox pitchers held the Phillies scoreless for 11 of the 13 innings.

- Despite a few wildness problems, Daniel Bard had little to no trouble running down Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino. He is the closer of the future.

- Dustin Pedroia should be moved back to the 2nd slot in the batting order. This is not just because he went 0 for 7 last night. He's batted in the lead off spot for 11 games this season. He's only 8 for 47 with a .170 batting average at the lead off spot. He has an OBP of only .272. That is .147 points lower than his OBP in the number two slot. It's time to move Ellsbury back to lead off, Pedroia to 2nd and move Drew, Youkilis and Bay down to 3, 4, 5.

- I can't stand Shane Victorino, a.k.a. The Flyin' Hawaiian. He's such a pesky player that always seems to get a big hit or make a great catch. He didn't come through with the big hit in the 13th, but made an outstanding diving catch robbing Drew of a sure fire double or triple.

Fantasy Baseball: Frozen Ropes

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

The Good

If you decided to drop Ian Stewart after an awful start, most people wouldn't give you crap about it. I have Ian Stewart on two of my teams, and have finally been rewarded for holding onto him. Despite his awful batting average to start the season, he was still hitting homers and driving in runs. That is why I kept him, and now he's the hottest fantasy player in the land. His .323 average, 4 home runs and 10 RBI this week show that he's finally settled in at the major league level. David Wright may still be struggling with power, but a .652 average this week is nothing to scoff at. His average is now up to .362 on the year. One must hope his homers and RBI will start to increase as well. My boy, Andre Eithier, has finally start to hit the ball. He's really struggled since the suspension of Manny Ramirez, but got hot once again will two straight walk off hits last weekend. For the week he's hit.429 with 4 HR & 7 RBI. The offense is operated very differently in Manny's absence and they need Eithier to continue his hot streak. Ryan Braun, a.k.a. The Hebrew Hammer, is having a quiet, but productive year. His .313 average, 13 HR & 42 RBI are very good for the 1st place Brew Crew. He's been on fire with 3 homers and 8 RBI this week. The Rays' super utility man, Ben Zobrist, rounds out the top five this week. With injuries to Jason Bartlett & Akinori Iwamura, Zobrist is finally getting plenty of playing time. He continues to pound the ball and has hit .450 this past week with another 2 home runs. That brings him up to 12 on the year

The Bad:

It seems like I've put him here the last 5 weeks so it's no surprise to see Vernon Wells struggling again. He's one of the most overrated players in the majors and has hit only .182 this past week. Alfonso Soriano has been a pain in my but all year long. He only hit .185 this He may have 14 home runs, but is only hitting only .236 on the season. Is BJ Upton ever going to hit this season? Good questions, and if you have him, trade him for as much as you can right now. He's only hitting .212 on the year and it looks like he'll not be healthy at all until next season. Despite hitting a home run in yesterday's game, Evan Longoria is only hitting .077 on the week. His production has been slowing down, but is still on pace for over 40 home runs and 140 RBI. I doubt he'll reach those numbers, but is having a great season nonetheless. Hanley Ramirez is another superstar struggling at the plate. He's only 4 for his last 25. It also hurts because he never walks so you can't even get extra stolen base numbers.

Under the Radar:

Over the past month, Mark Reynolds is the 6th ranked fantasy hitter. His stats are .282, 7, 22. His average is sure to go down, but he does hit for power. You may be able to get him on the cheap in the trade market. Adam Kennedy is owned in only 20% of Yahoo leagues and has been the 19th hottest fantasy player the past month. He's hit .342, 5, 20 and 6 stolen bases. He's eligible at both 2B & OF. He's a very good addition in many deep leagues. I picked him up last week and inserted him at 2B for the time being. Aaron Rowand is another under the radar guy who's tearing the cover off the ball the past month. A .377 average, 4 HR & 15 RBI are great for a guy only owned in 31% of leagues. Willy Aybar has been getting a lot more playing time of late. He's been helping himself out by hitting .375, 2, 6 this past week. He also has 5 homers and 17 RBI the past month. He also happens to be eligible at 1B, 2B & 3B. I believe that Jose Lopez has finally turned his season around. He hit .320, 3 & 7 this week. He's been struggling for some time, but has finally looked to turn the corner.

Well, I hoped this help. Until next week!

(Check out Chin Music on Monday by Chad Garner)

Tough Titan: Durand focused on making team

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Rookie guard Ryan Durand is wearing his Tennessee Titans garb with pride.

But his dad, a diehard New England Patriots fan, won't put on the Titans' team colors -- at least for now.

"My dad's got some stuff but he refuses to wear it until I make the team," Durand said. "He doesn't want to jinx me."

Durand's still got a long way to go in order to truly call himself a Titan, but so far so good.

"I'm going out there and showing them what I can do and I try to get better every day," said the hard-working Durand, who was drafted in the 7th round. "You have to be confident at all times, it's a huge part of football. You have to be confident in your abilities."

Durand, who wore jersey No. 75 in high school at St. Bernard's in Fitchburg and Syracuse University, is now wearing No. 77 in Tennessee.

"Seventy-seven is cool," he said. "It's definitely the least of my concerns."

Currently, Durand and the rest of the Titans are going through typical workouts -- 7:30 a.m. in weight room, 9:30 a.m. team running, then karate or yoga and finish with various meetings -- before Organized Team Activities (OTAs) begin on Tuesday for two more weeks. OTAs are on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. 

"It's not that bad, it's basically typical summer conditioning for football," Durand said. "It's pretty much what I'm used to."

It's also a nice little break from the grind of full-contact football.

"They try to get less contact in the NFL," Durand said. "There's a time and a place for hitting -- in college we used to bang a lot. Here, they try to save your body; I think it's smart."

After those two weeks of OTAs, Durand will be back home for four weeks, before reporting back to Tennessee on July 30 for the start of official training camp on July 31.

"It's not 24/7, I was up at 6:30 and we're done at 2," he said. "We have the afternoons to ourself."

Durand has spent some of his off time "cruising around Nashville" and studies up on his playbook for at least 30-45 minutes per day.

"I feel like I've got a pretty good grasp of the playbook," Durand said. "It has come pretty easy to me."

The only news on television concerning the Titans is about who will be the starting quarterback -- athletic youngster Vince Young or veteran Kerry Collins.

So who will start this season?

"I don't worry about that, I'm worrying about me," Durand said. "They'll make the right decision."

Durand's just concerned on working hard and giving himself the best shot possible to officially call himself a Tennessee Titan.