O what a night

Wow.  I have been an NBA fan for as long as I can remember and I can guarantee I have never seen a night like last night (15 trades!!!!).  It’s going to take a few weeks for me to catch my breath so discussing everything that happened would take far too long (and no one needs that on a Friday afternoon).  So what I decided to do was pick out three teams I thought drafted well and three teams that I think have to be questioned.

I'm also staying away from the blockbuster Nets-Celtics trade from last night in this post.

(Frankly, I need more time to figure out my thoughts on the trade.  However, I am happy Danny Ainge took my advice from earlier this week!  If you need somebody to help you out in the front office, I’m available, Danny.  Just wanted to let you know.)

An open letter to Danny Ainge

Last night, I sat down and wrote a letter to Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge about the current state of my favorite team.  Since then, things have gotten a bit cray cray, and the message of my missive (presented after the jump) has become all the more relevant.  -Dave

Starting from the bottom

Starting over.

Some people love it, others can’t handle it.  All of us have to do it at one point or another, and yet so few people truly embrace it.

Starting over is scary.  I get it, but sometimes it can be the best thing for you.  Whether it’s in a personal relationship, a job or a new home, starting over gives you a blank slate to work from.

Rebuilding is a word that gets thrown around a lot in sports.  Believe me, I know.  The Mets and Bills have been “rebuilding” for more or less my entire life.  Sometimes it seems the rebuilding process is a tunnel without a light at the end of it.

But it’s a phase every team needs to go through.

Talkin' 'bout their generation

If the Spurs beat the Heat in tonight's decisive game 7, Tim Duncan will add another NBA title to his long-solidified Springfield credentials.  It will come 14 years removed from his first title back in 1999, tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the longest span between rings earned in league history.  And it will also, as you may have heard, tie him with another Laker great in another category.

Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant will have five championships apiece.

A question with no answers

One disclaimer before we really get into this.  There will be no answer provided to this question because I honestly don’t know.  Nobody does.

That question is: Why don’t our sports evolve and change with the times? 

It’s coming folks and it’s coming soon.  An event will take place in one of our four major sports that we are not going to be able to ignore and this event will shift our entire sports landscape.  And I assure you this event will be tragic and something that far outreaches any Tim Tebow or MLB steroid story.

Falling in Love: June 14, 1994

You can’t explain love. Sure, you can rationalize reasons to explain all the extreme feelings that you have, but you can never truly explain the inexplicable connection that you have with someone or something. You can’t really make someone else understand the butterflies in your stomach, the excitement you get from being reunited after not seeing each other for a while or the feeling of pure bliss in a shared perfect moment.

I’ve been asked many times during my life why I love hockey and aside from giving clichéd answers about how great the game is, I can never verbally explain my relationship to the sport. I can, however, recount the moment that I fell head over heels in love with hockey and with the Broadway Blueshirts.

A Measure of Endurance: Stanley Cup Final Game One Chat

(Editor's Note: As two avid hockey fans, Paul and Scott try their best to catch as many televised games as possible, especially during the chase for Lord Stanley's Cup.  They are also known to text each other back and forth with their own little commentary of the game's action.  We here at Four Guys thought it would be best to help usher in the new blog with a nice in-game conversation for the opening night of the Stanley Cup Finals.  Little did we know they'd witness a historic triple-overtime game.  The following is that epic conversation.  Before you begin, Paul would like to mention how well he can tap into the mind of an NHL coach, with Joel Q seemingly responding to all of Paul's proposed adjustments to the Blackhawks strategy as the game progressed.  Never to be outdone, Scott would like the readers to pay careful attention to his suggestions for the pre-game "players to watch" and then, of course, his prediction for the overtime hero.)

Paul:  So Scottie, we are moments away from puck drop of the most glorious championship in professional sports...who do you have winning Lord Stanley's Cup?

 Sent at 8:06 PM on Wednesday

 Scott:  I can't wait.  This is going to be a great series.  I'm going Chicago in 6 (not totally confident in this by the way).  From what I gather, neither is Vegas.  The book is giving the 'Hawks a slight edge too.

 Paul:  That's funny since most media members, including the entire Puck Daddy staff, is picking the Bruins.

But, I'm right there with ya. I picked Chicago to win the Cup coming in the playoffs and nothing has changed my mind since. Hawks in six.

The Mets Hoist a Tin Cup...and That's Fine With Me

It’s hard not to get romantic about sports.

It is hard however to be a fan of the New York Mets.  The team’s woeful lineup rivals most minor league teams, the offensive numbers are practically anemic, the team’s promising first baseman, Ike Davis, has been sent down to Triple-A Las Vegas, and oh yeah, the team’s lackadaisical owners haven’t really spent much time talking to media at all this season nor have they shown the fans they actually care about their ball club.

Addicted to fiction

So this is kind of tough for me to write but it’s something I really need to get off my chest because frankly, I need help.

(Deep breath)

I have an addiction.  I know, I know.  Intense, right?  The only way I am going to get past this is with the help of others, so please help me if you can.  

So here it goes:  I, Kevin Dugan, am addicted to soccer transfer rumors.