Tarantino Filmography, Reservoir Dogs

This past weekend I came across a fascinating article on Collider.com on the topic of the universal connection between all of Quentin Tarantino's films. And like much of Tarantino's work, the article left you thinking two things: 1) Wow, this man is a genius 2) I need to watch all those movies again. So that's what I am going to do. Over the next few weeks I will be viewing 10 Tarantino written and/or directed films to try and make some connections and prep for the much anticipated release of Django Unchained on Christmas. First up, Reservoir Dogs.

(Warning: Spoilers ahead)

Released in 1992, this crime thriller marked the debut of Quentin Tarantino's directing/writing career. With an all star cast of Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, and Lawrence Tierney, the film revolves around the events that occur before and after a deadly diamond heist. While the events of the actual robbery are never shown, how it goes down results in bullets flying, blood spilling, and a dude losing an ear. In the end, the robbery is successful, but not everything goes as planned when the police arrive alarmingly quick, which can only mean one thing, there is a rat in the group. From start to finish, the sequence of apparent accidents drive the violence between the characters further and further until everything comes to a climax in an intense, ironically unpredictable ending.

The most intriguing part of the film is the names of the characters and how they represent who they are personally as well as in the eyes of bossman Joe Cabot. Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen), aka Vic Vega, is a psychopath. He is responsible for shooting up the jewelry store before the police showed up as well as lopping the ear off a hostage cop to the tune of "Stuck in the Middle With You." To his colleagues, Mr. Blonde is a hot head, totally unpredictable, and a danger to everyone. However, Joe sees Vic as the golden boy. Its said he was just released from prison on a four year sentence for not leaking Joe's name to the police. Mr. Blonde is invincible. 

Then there is Mr. Pink. Played by Steve Buscemi, Mr. Pink, as he claims, is the only "professional" of them all. His pressing need to do everything by the book and question anything out of the ordinary defines his character. During the scene where Joe gives Mr. Pink his alias, there is an uneasiness on Pink's part in regards to the name. Joe says, "your Pink because your a fag." Now in reality, Buscemi's character isn't a homosexual, but that is not the context Joe meant it in. It seems in assigning names he was measuring everyone in relation to Mr. Blonde. He sees in Mr. Pink's personality that in the end he will get the job done, but it will be all by the book. He doesn't have the stones or the prerogative to bite the bullet like Mr. Blonde did, thus devaluing him in Joe's eyes.

Mr. White is the quintessential "good-bad guy who you want to root for and could see changing sides at any moment" character.  Of all the crooks, Mr. White is the only one to show honesty, compassion, and trust. He is seemingly the only one to have a conscience. That's why hes Mr. White. He is good clean thief, who in a pinch will do what it takes if someone gets in the way, but only if he has to. At one point he says to Mr. Pink in relation to Mr. Blonde's shooting spree, "I just don't understand how someone can loose their mind like that? I don't kill for fun. If someone gets in my way I will do what needs to be done but I wont go out of my way to do it." For the entire film, Mr. White cares for and vouches for the most polarizing character of them all, Mr. Orange.

The role of Orange is played by Tim Roth, who plays an undercover cop, and rat within the group. The color orange represents deceit and distrust, both traits Joe pinned on the cop he says. Before the final showdown at the end Joe notes, "I knew it. I knew it was him the whole time. He was the only one I wasn't 100% on." Again we see here Joe measuring the cop in relation to Blonde, as being a lesser soldier then Blonde is. The color orange also represents enthusiasm and creativity, which is what Mr. White saw in him. He often referred to him as "kid" or "young guy," someone with promise and a future. Not to mention how creative Orange needed to be to infiltrate this crime syndicate in the first place. But in the end, Mr. Orange is left soaking in a pool of his own blood with only his enthusiasm and determination for his job to keep him alive long enough for his assignment to be completed.

As a whole, Reservoir Dogs is a fantastic movie. But as a sequential progression of short intense clips, its a masterpiece. Tarantino sucks you in right from the start with an impeccable dialogue as the accomplices eat breakfast, and keeps you on the edge of the seat with each bullet fired as the day goes along.  The film is an excellent mesh of constant pop culture references, a social commentary on violence, and the inherent need within the human condition to trust. Next up, Pulp Fiction.

~ Shilz

Fire In The Bronx

Baseball is a game of streaks. If you notice, the best team doesn't always win the World Series. The team playing the best baseball in the last week of October wins the World Series. For no rhyme or reason a player can go 10 for 12 in a series or knock out five homers in three nights, and then go hit-less for the following five games in a row. That is just the way this cooky sport works. The guys who fail 70% of the time are in the Hall of Fame. So on May 22, 2012 when the Yankees were in fourth place in the AL East trialing Baltimore by 5.5 games, immediate perception was that this team was toast. Maybe they finally went over that hump and can be called, well, old. Or maybe they were built wrong from the start and would never win 90 games if all they did was hit home runs rather then play small ball and manufacture runs. Or maybe the Pineda/Montero deal was the warning sign that ownership actually doesn't have the ability to adapt and field a winning team in an ever-changing league. However, logic should have told us that they would bounce back. The Yankees, the team with the highest payroll in the league, All-Star infield, and the short porch in right would all come together to restore order to the baseball universe. Now, on Monday June, 18, they have.

Since May 22, riding a three game losing streak and a brutal 6-0 loss to the then last place Kansas City Royals, the Yankees have been by far the best team in baseball. They have won 19 of 23, taking 12 of 15 on the road against the A's, Tigers, Angels, and Braves, and have pieced together a current nine game win streak. This much needed mid-season run has vaulted them up the standings to gain sole possession of first place in the AL East by 1.5 games over Baltimore. What's comforting is, despite the teams incessant struggles when hitting with runners in scoring position, they are simply finding ways to win ballgames. If anything, the Yankees current run can be attributed mostly to outstanding pitching, Interleague play, and an onslaught of home runs.

The starting rotation especially has come up huge for the Yankees over the past three weeks. No question, the best performance has been put up by Ivan Nova. Having received a win in each of his last five starts, Nova leads the Yankee rotation with 9 wins, and has yielded only 2 earned runs total in his last 22.2 innings pitched. Oh by the way, Nova's ERA in the month of June, 0.81. Additionally, the acquisition the Yankees made from the Dodgers this winter, Hiroki Kuroda, has also been lights out since late May. In four starts, Kuroda has given up no more then two runs, including a 7 inning, one hit gem against the Mets on June 8. In this same time, Kuroda has pitched to an ERA of 1.29 and a WHIP of 0.92. As a whole, the Yankees have put together a 2.69 ERA over their last 23 games, while striking out an average of 7.8 batters per game and one complete game (Hughes, June 3 vs Detroit). The Ace and #2 will almost always step up big, but top flight contributions from a #3/4/5 starter are vital to a long streak like this and a deep run in the playoffs.

Inter-league play has always been a friend to the Yankees since its inception in 1997. With a 144-102 (.585) record, the Yankees hold the best all time Inter-league record.  So getting to dabble in the National League for the past three series has no doubt helped push the Yankees over the top. I'd argue the series against the cross town rival Mets was the tipping point for the club. Coming off a 7-3 loss to the Rays, the Yankees showed a break out performance in the face of Met Ace, and recent no hitter hurler, Johan Santana, as they hung a nine-spot on the stud. Good play continued through the weekend as they ended up sweeping the Mets... then the Braves... and finally the seemingly untouchable Washington Nationals. Winning Friday's match-up against Gio Gonzalez was especially impressive, as Gio has a past of dominating the Yankees back in his Oakland days. Looking ahead, the Yankees start another three game set against the Braves at the Stadium before finishing up Inter-league play at Citi Field against the Mets. Sure its a stretch, but the Yankees have a chance to go 15-0 in Inter-league games this year, plus extend their win streak to 15 consecutive games.

Finally, the theme of the 2012 Yankees is to live and die with the long ball. Of the Yankees 45 wins this season, only ONE has been without the help of a homerun. Think about that. Even during this 19-4 stretch, in the four games they lost, they all happened in games where they failed to hit a homerun. The Yankees currently lead the majors in homers with 99, and are ranked second in Slugging (.450), OPS (.785), and Run Differential (+56), just behind the Texas Rangers (.457/.799/+87). They have hit 36 HR in the last 22 game (1.6/game) and are averaging over 5 runs/game.

Now while tremendous power up and down the lineup is a huge advantage for the Yankees, it also poises a major flaw that might effect the success of the club in October. Homeruns can win you 90 to 100 game in the regular season, as well as the Derby, but come playoff time, the long ball is a scarce commodity as pitching elevates to a more refined level then compared to the regular season. The Fall Classic showcases the best of the best in the sport, and with that territory comes a strong aversion to giving up homeruns. Thus, the return of Brett Gardner to the line up in three weeks or so is crucial to the development of this team as far as creating runs. Gardner is a pesky hitter, who with a high On Base Percentage and lightning speed can cause mayhem on the base-paths for other teams. Gardner brings a diverse unique skill-set to the table that this current Yankee roster desperately lacks. Hopefully when he returns, more small ball wins will come just in time to mold the club into form for a deep playoff run.

All streaks come to an end. This one stops at 16 (Whitey Ford's number).

~Shilz

Tainting Perfect

Kids love candy. Everything from Starburts to Milkyways can almost be used as currency on the playground. Why do you think Halloween is the greatest holiday of the year? The day is 24 hours of insane amounts of free candy that not even your extra large Power Ranger pillow case can handle. After countless hours of tricking and treating, plus retying the crappy rubber band on your Red Ranger mask (I may or may not have a thing for Power Rangers), and essentially being kept awake by a day long sugar bender, you return home. And you remember what mom said? Don't eat all that candy at once, you'll upset your stomach. Did you listen? No. Before you knew it you were doubled over in pain the next morning trying to fake sick your way into not going to school.

Moral of the story: too much of a good thing is bad. (Insert Tim Kurkjian voice here) There have been a grand total of 22 perfect games in baseball history, 19 since the Live Ball Era. From 1888 to 1920, there were only four perfect games, each occurring an average of 3,824 days apart (number here is a bit skewed as two were pitched only five days apart. If outlier is omitted they occur on average every 5,098 days). Regardless, from 1920 to 1990, another nine perfect games were pitched, at a pace of one every 2,931 days (no perfect games recorded in the 1970s). From 1990 to 2004, there was a perfect game on average every 1,169 days. An originally conventional four year perfect game drought then happened from 2004 to 2008. But in 2009 something happened. Whether the steroids started wearing off or pitchers got a hold of Bradley Coopers pills from Limitless, the landscape changed. From 2009 to the present there have been five perfect games, coming once every 271 days!

The magic of twenty-seven up twenty-seven down used to be... well, magical. It used to be an achievement only a rare breed could achieve. The nature of a perfect game in itself, both random and unpredictable, is what makes it so special. It brought with it an aura godliness. Like the pitcher on the mound was more then what athletes call "in the zone" or "locked in," but rather, inhuman. I was lucky enough to watch both the David Wells and David Cone perfect games (1998 and 1999) live on TV, and to be very honest, they looked like they're playing a different game then everyone else. Every pitch was thrown effortlessly, with complete precision and control. Every pitch. It was special to watch during the game, but even better after it was over. For three hours and change, a unique energy buildt in the stadium, creating a buzz like nothing else in sports. Each pitch was received with a collective gasp as it hurtled toward the plate. And finally when the deal was sealed, the celebration on the mound rivaled that of winning the Pennant. It's a total "WOW" moment.

But as I woke yesterday morning, my first text showing was, "Giants P Matt Cain threw 1st perfect game in franchise history, struck out 14 in 10-0 win vs. Astros." I read it. Processed it. And the first thought I had was, "Really? Another one?" First of all congrats to Matt Cain, but does a perfect game mean as much as it meant 30 years ago? With five being pitched in the last three years, it seems like anyone, elite or average, can take the hill and toss one. Has the perfect game turned into the "morning after Halloween" candy?

What bothers me most is the fact that the stats just don't add up. We can all accept offensive numbers were bloated from the mid 80s to early 2000s due to steroids, but even then there was one perfect game about every three years. Looking at pitching numbers since the 2005, both ERA and WAR have flipped. From 2001 to 2011 only one pitcher finished the season with an ERA under 2.00 (Roger Clemens in 2005, 1.874). This gets a BIG asterisk. The closest anyone got aside from Clemens was Zack Greinke in 2009 with a 2.158. In comparison, from 1990 to 2000, four different players finished with an ERA under 2.00 (six years total), with Greg Maddux (94/95, 1.559/1.631) and Pedro Martinez (97/00, 1.902/1.742) doing it twice. As far as WAR is concerned, from 1990 to 2000, eighteen pitchers finished a season with WAR above 8.0, compared to just 11 from 2001 to 2011. Additionally, WHIP has remained relatively unchanged.

The bottom line is, perfect games are happening more often then ever before in the history of baseball. Normally, everything in baseball can be backed up by statistics; there is a number for everything. But for some reason, stats, and more importantly logic, cannot explain the recent spike in the frequency of perfect games. I guess worst case scenario, perfect games become Skittles. I can eat them til I am sick to my stomach. All day, every day, no problem.

~ Shilz

Must See Summer TV

I'll be the first to admit, fitting in a full schedule of sports, movies, television, and music isn't easy. There just aren't enough hours in the day. Stuff like work, school, family and the rest all get in the way from the dream of days on end of media overload and a bag of Cheetos. That's every nerds dream. Summer is on the doorstep as we speak, so if your not at the beach or your summer internship, if its raining out or that girl you like is inevitably not texting you back, add some value to your summer nights by checking out these shows.

Breaking Bad Season 5, Starts July 15, Sundays, 10pm on AMC

TV shows present us with unconventional partners all the time. That's how they create natural tension and intrigue for the characters. A few that come to mind are Felix and Oscar from the Odd Couple, or Will Smith and Carlton Banks on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Unfortunately, all duos past and future will forever be second to Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. As far as I am concerned, there has never been a more compelling crime thriller in television history as Breaking Bad. Developed by Vince Gilligan, who spent many years writing for the hit series X-Files, he has managed to transform a normal chemistry teacher, who in the first few episodes all you could do was pity, into a ruthlessly callous drug kingpin. Bryan Cranston, who plays Walter White, does an incredible job at mentally and physically displaying the consequences of right and wrong, good and evil. What does a high school chemistry teacher with cancer, a pregnant wife, disabled son, collapsing marriage, and no money do to make ends meet? Clearly the answer is cook meth. Now while Walt has slowly faded into black in seasons 1-4, his partner, former dead head drug addict Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) serves as the unpredictable balance in Walt's life. More and more, Jesse, who taught Walt how to cook meth in the first place, is questioning Walt's actions the more reckless he becomes. Each season so far has presented the two with bloodthirsty territorial disputes with existing dealers. Last season ended with a bang as Walt blew a taco selling, Volvo driving, Sesame Street shirt and tie wearing, drug kingpin to bits. This season, the Mexican cartel. You do the math. Shit it about to go down. If you don't believe me just check out this seasons poster released last week.

Workaholics Season 3, Tuesdays, 10:30pm on Comedy Central

From a duo in a thriller to a trio in a comedy, Workaholics is the funniest show on television. This show stars... no one you know. The series is written and acted by real life friends Blake Anderson, Adam DeVine, and Anders Holm, who play three recent college grads trying to carve out a living as telemarketers. But this show is hardly about work. More so, Blake, Adam, and "The Ders" live life through drug induced adventures, Juggalo parties, and filming rap videos dressed in wizard costumes. Most of the action is confined to the home or cubicle the three share, breeding hilarity in every form imaginable. It should be mentioned this is a "dude" show, and ironically is not safe for work. So on the night that girl doesn't call you back, turn on Workaholics, and turn off your brain for 30 minutes of weed, dick, and fart jokes.

True Blood Season 5, Sundays, 9pm on HBO

Based on Charlaine Harris's series of novels, The Southern Vampire Mysteries, True Blood provides fans of the Sci-fi genre the whole buffet; vampires, werewolves, fairies, shape-shifters, witches, and the list goes on. But these aren't your cheesy teenage Twilight heartthrob vampires, we are talking badass, blood-sucking, "we are going to mess your shit up and kill you if you piss us off" vampires. The deep underlying theme of the show is supposed to depict the trials and tribulations the LGBT community in society through the tense co-existence between vampires and humans. Basically, a minority trying to get equal rights. But don't worry. The show doesn't smother you with unnecessary homosexual subplots like Glee (not that there is anything wrong with that). True Blood is all about the crazy stuff network TV can't show you with the Sci-fi genre; vampires getting blown up by silver spikes, creepy demonic babies, and the occasional steamy sex scene bearing it all. The main cast of Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, and Alexander Skarsgard drive this horror drama from good to great, making True Blood must see TV for Sunday night.

In Case You Missed It - If your already watching all three of these awesome shows, kudos to you. So here are two more to find On-Demand or DVD to catch up on before they return later this year.

Homeland Season 2, September 30, 2012, Showtime

If anything, Homeland was the most "under the radar" show of last fall. Anchored by premier actors Claire Danes, Carrie Mathison, and Damian Lewis, Homeland brings all the fears of having a terrorist inside the White House to fruition. The show revolves around Claire Danes's character Carrie,  who is a CIA operative just returned from Iraq on probation after conducting an unauthorized operation. However before leaving, she finds out a juicy little detail that "an American prisoner of war as been turned by Al-Qaeda." Ok, good info, but so what? Well shortly after returning to the US, a Marine POW named Nicholas Brody (Lewis) who has been missing in action since 2003 is discovered after a terrorist base raid. Is Brody the turned POW? Or is he a national hero? I guess you'll just have to tune in to find out. This one is like 24, except realistic, and with the action and suspense meter turned ALL the way up.

Game of Thrones Season 3, February 2013, HBO

If you don't know about GOT, watch GOT, or already have your friends hampering you to watch GOT, come out from under the rock your living under and/or get new friends. I'm going to keep this short and sweet so I don't give anything away. Just start watching. And if you are up to date on the show, start reading the books. They are even better. George R.R Martin created a masterpiece in the GOT franchise. Don't be the only person missing out on the be-headings, dragons, and ice zombies.

~ Shilz

Good vs. Evil. OKC vs. Miami. Durant vs Lebron. NBA Finals Preview.

"Dude, I don't want to watch the Finals. The Heat can't win and Thunder can't win. Lose lose situation for me. Like I am seriously considering not watching. Seriously."

- Former Seattle Sonics fan and one of the biggest basketball junkies I know.

Seven months ago when the lockout finally ended no one knew what to expect out of this season. All we knew was Derek Fisher and David Stern concocted a fishy deal, the crammed shortened schedule was going to kill at least 17% of the players in the league, and Eddie Curry would still weigh 350 pounds. So many variables out of the norm would skew the outcome resulting in a random young deep team like the Pacers or Clippers to come out on top, rather then a veteran laden experienced squad. Picking chalk was stupid. Going Heat/Thunder made you a fool because it was improbable for the two best teams to stay healthy all year and meet in the Finals. It just doesn't happen that way. Opening odds in December had the Heat and Thunder one and two, at 20-7 and 15-2 respectively. In 2012 nothing was supposed to go right... except everything went exactly as planned.

The 2012 Finals, if for any reason, will go down in history as one of the most compelling player match-ups of all time. Durant/Lebron will rival Magic/Bird, West/Havlicek, Russell/Chamberlain, Jordan/Isiah, and the list goes on. It's classic sports. One you love. One you hate. There is no middle ground (except for Sonics fans, then you hate both). When Lebron left Cleveland for Miami, he changed the way an entire fan base thought of him. He was the Chosen One. The beyond human cyborg specimen high school phenom who was supposed to be the best ever, surpass Michael, and win not one... not two... not... you know the rest. But that never happened. In a blaze of glory, no pun intended, Miami and the Big 3 lost to Dallas to bring unimaginable ridicule to Lebron and his "legacy." Durant on the other hand lit up college hoops as a Freshman before being drafted #2 overall by the Zombie Seattle Sonics in 2007. The Sonics hadn't won a title since 1979, and after a 28 year drought they finally got their man. With Durant, coupled with the drafting of Russell Westbrook in 2008, Seattle was set... until the team was torn away from the city and moved to Oklahoma City for reasons I still don't even understand. It was a cruel injustice that the NBA will never be able to remedy, and for that reason Seattle fans will forever be bitter, but that is for another day.

Simply put, the Heat are incomplete. The Big 3, when playing at the top of their games, are close to unbeatable, but when they're not, blood is in the water. We've seen it the entire playoffs. Wade took over the Indiana series with a few 40 point games, Lebron put up his clutch (I use that cautiously) 45-15-5 in Game 6 in Boston, and Bosh showed how important he was to the Heat in Game 7 with three back-breaking three pointers to defeat the Celtics. Having Bosh healthy creates a mismatch not many teams can handle. Your best defender needs to be on Lebron, plus either Lebron or Wade needs a double team, leaving a wide open Bosh, Chalmers, or Battier waiting to bury a jumper. If all that goes right, the Heat win. No questions asked. But things don't always go as planned. Unfortunately for the Miami Heat, if Lebron or Wade get in foul trouble, or are shooting ice cold, or worse get hurt, they have no bench to pick up the slack. But what worries me most about the match-up against OKC is Miami's presence in the paint. They have none. While Lebron and Wade can drive to the hoop like no one else in the league, they do not have anyone to match up with Ibaka or Perkins down low consistently.

The Thunder on the other hand are a tantalizingly good basketball team. Durant's the 3x reigning scoring champion, clutcher then clutch, and thrives in the moment. He is flanked by possibly the most athletic point guard ever in Russell Westbrook, plus the shot block master Serge Ibaka. The Thunder are a team who thrive on efficiency and depth. This season they led the league in scoring with 102.3 PPG and a .835 FT%. Most importantly, they get contributions from bench players on a consistent and effective level. Nick Collison, Nazr Mohammed, and the "Brian Wilson of the NBA," James Harden make the Thunder the best team in the league. Not the best Big 3. The best team. The cherry on top of this OKC team though is confidence. No one on the Thunder ever shies away from the spotlight. Fear is not in their vocabulary. Down 2-0 to the seemingly unbreakable Spurs, this team won four big games in a row to reach the Finals. No team in the league can hit big time shots like the Thunder, and those are essential to winning the title.

Don't get me wrong, we are going to see at least three huge "Superstar" games this series; triple doubles, 40 pointers, and hopefully a buzzer beater or two. But when the dust settles, and the Larry O'Brien Trophy is raised, one of our two ring-less icons will no longer be left empty handed. If it's Durant, the Twitterverse will anoint him the new "top dog." The guy who took a controversial franchise from rags to riches, and will be back next year to start the dynasty conversation. On the other hand, if Lebron wins, he wont get cheers. He wont get praise. What he will get, unfortunately, is "what took you so long? You couldn't do it by yourself in Cleveland so you joined with Wade and Bosh to get the job done. It was a cop-out." Win or lose, Lebron always loses, and that's just not right.

Both Durant and James won Rookie of the Year. They both have NBA scoring titles. They both are All Star game MVPs. They both have at least three All NBA First Team honors. For all intents and purposes, the only thing separating the two is Lebron's three MVP trophies. However, despite all the accolades and honors, neither has an NBA Championship ring. And while MVPs and scoring titles are nice, championships are how the greats are measured.

Thunder in 5.

~Shilz

Change of Plans

April 1, 2012 was the day I predicted the future, or so I thought. While enjoying the single most chill-bro-tastic day of my life with my good buddy Tom, we proceeded to watch a full day of Sunday hoops, mixed with an eight hour binge of the newly released NBA 2K12, and nearly three pounds of wings between the two of us. Not to mention the monstrous care package box full of Easter candy we tackled. The day was an overload, most importantly a basketball overload. The big games for the day were Bulls at Thunder and Heat at Celtics. With a Westbrook 27 and a Rondo triple-double, the Thunder and Celtics won. But after some time, the virtual games drew more of our attention as Tom and I began to put together hypothetical match-ups for the NBA Finals. We thought of every combination. Mavs vs Knicks. Thunder vs Heat. Sixers vs Clippers. We played out everything. Yes, even the Minnesota Timberwolves made it one time... they lost to the Bucks. It was a long night ok! Regardless, after watching five full games, virtually playing close to twenty, and creating acidic holes in the lines of our stomachs', we decided to call it a night. However before the night came to an end we played one last game with our actual gut picks for the Finals. I was the East, he the West, and to be honest I didn't glace to his side of the screen when we were picking teams, and I don't think he did to mine either, but when the game started we were both in total agreement. The NBA Finals would be Spurs vs Celtics. 

For nearly two months we had it dead on the money. The Spurs seemed unbeatable through the end of the regular season and the first two rounds of the playoffs; snapping off a 20 game win streak (lets pause for a second... 20 games!!! Are you kidding me?!?!), and it seemed like they were more then just a group of super talented athletes playing basketball. No, they were a team. You saw it in how they carried themselves with one another and their coach. They hustled. They boxed out. They made the extra pass. Tim Duncan was playing like he never left his twenties, running the pick-n-roll like a magician with Tony Parker. The Spurs were the team to beat. And the Celtics. Many argued their age would catch up with them. It was widely accepted they played one of, if not the toughest schedule in the league this season. With so many questions surrounding the team and their Big 3, there were no talks of a title in April. In fact, Danny Ainge had his finger on the panic button at the trade deadline. This team was a heartbeat away from getting broken up. Rondo and Ray Allen trade rumors swirled through January and February creating a seemingly insurmountable stress and tension in the clubhouse. I am a strong believer in veteran leadership in the clubhouse, and in this situation, cooler heads prevailed because of just that. With Kevin Garnett at the helm, flanked by Pierce and Allen, the Celtics created a unity among its younger guys like Rondo and Bass, to bridge the gap. In the April 1 game against the Heat it was clear, they, like the the Spurs, were now a team.

Everything changed in the past 24 hours...

Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals proved to be the final push for Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder. For three seasons they have been "too young" and "too inexperienced" to make the jump and run with the big dogs. Kevin Durant put on a clinic Wednesday night, throwing up a 34 and 14, leading the Thunder in both points and rebounds. Most importantly, Durant did what every fan loves to see. He put the team on his back and took control. OKC trailed the entire game up until the third quarter. There was a moment though, with 1:35 left in the quarter, with the Spurs leading 77-76, Durant brought the ball down the floor, pulled up just beyond the arc, and drained a go-ahead tray right in his defender's face. At that moment it was clear. Forget all that, "too young to win, not mature enough yet garbage." That shot by Durant said one thing. "Yo, I got this. You want a piece? Come get it." Durant is a natural born scorer, no doubt. But he is also a leader. Last night he killed the Spurs and maybe the last chance Tim Duncan had to play in a NBA Finals.

Now onto the East. Game 6. In Boston. Miami on the brink of elimination in hostile territory. Lebron will cripple and KG and Rondo will have a field day right? Nope. Last night we, for lack of a better phrase, "were all witness." Lebron James put on the single most impressive playoff performance I have ever seen in my lifetime. It got to a point were I didn't think he was going to miss the entire game. He drained fade aways, contested jumpers, downtown threes; everything. In the end King James finished with 45 points-15 rebounds-5 asts. The only other person to put up those kind of single game playoff numbers? Wilt Chamberlain. Now I will be the first to admit, I am a bit of a Lebron hater (thats putting it lightly), but damn I respect him. His performance tonight was the reason we watch sports. Its the type of game you tell your kids about, and your grand-kids about. The Celtics were supposed to win. They had won three straight against Miami and had them on the ropes. The Heat were in the corner with their gloves up just waiting for the bell to ring. Except Lebron swung hard tonight; single-handedly willing his team to a win and forcing a Game 7 in Southbeach on Saturday for what should be one hell of a finale.

The past two nights have been everything a fan could want in a Conference Finals. Close games, great defense, and the big fellas stepping up to turn the game in their teams favor. Now I am not going to go back out on my original Celtic pick after this loss. I'm sticking with it. But my god, the look in Lebron's eyes tonight was the look the Twitterverse has ragged on him for not having for eight years now. "He's soft." "He can't close." "He can't play the big game." If you saw what I saw tonight, and I know you did, he meant business. Did we finally see the "man-child" who we assumed was the mature one just grow up tonight before our eyes? Wasn't that what Durant was supposed to be doing? Maybe we had it all wrong? Either way, the NBA is the best show in town right now, and the drama in store for Game 7 and the Finals is off the charts. I can't wait.

~ Shilz

Kings of the Hill Through 54/162

Believe it or not the 2012 baseball season is already one-third over. It seems like just yesterday we were gearing up for spring training, and Andy Pettitte was still sitting on his couch eating potato chips. In reality we are 52 games into a revolutionary season in baseball history. For years its been rumored the Commissioners Office was going to add an additional Wild Card team to the playoff mix, and this winter they did. So come October, ten teams, instead of eight, will get a ticket to the dance to compete for the title.

Now it may be cliche, but the age old saying in baseball still prevails, "Pitching wins championships." A 1-2-3 punch rotation backed up by a steel door bullpen will out-duel any murderers row of sluggers everyday of the week and twice on Sunday. An Ace pitcher is the best defense a team can have. The ability to roll your Stud out every five days to close out a series, or stop a losing streak, or even continue a winning streak, is the best asset you can have. Following 2011's surreal pitching performances around the league, a number of players have bridged the winter gap into 2012 to continue the trend. Others have picked up the pace to join the club. Without further ado, the top five pitchers for the first third of 2012.

Top Five

Brandon Beachy, ATL - 72.1 IP, 1.87 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 5-4

Beachy has been the best pitcher in the Majors to this point in the season. As we learned two years ago when Felix Hernandez won the Cy Young, wins aren't everything. Beachy leads the league in ERA and is tied for third in WHIP just behind Matt Cain's 0.92. He is 8 of 11 in quality starts and posts the best BABIP in the majors (.204) with no one even close to him. And while Beachy has a relatively average K/9 of 7.09, the 25 year old righty  is second in the majors in BAA (.179), OBP (.247), SLG (.265), and is tops in OPS (.515). In each of Beachy's four losses the Braves failed to score more then 3 runs in support, which gives him a win/loss record that masks just how good he has been... lights out.

Gio Gonzalez, WSH - 66.1 IP, 2.31 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 7-2

It was fun when all Washington had was Jordan Zimmerman, and were easier to beat then a blind man at checkers. Then Strasburg came up throwing fireballs and turned some heads. But now with the acquisition of Gio Gonzalez from Oakland this winter, the league collectively should be saying, "Oh shit..." Technically Gonzalez isn't the teams number one starter, but he has certainly pitched like an Ace. While the lefty posts top a ten ERA and WHIP, his real value is in advanced metrics. He leads the league in both BAA (.172) and SLG (.253); and is second only to Brandon Beachy in OPS (.515). Lastly, Gonzalez has been a strike-out machine this season, fanning 84 (second in the league) with a 11.40 K/9 (also second). The only negative, if you want to nit-pic, is his walk rate. Gonzalez has given up 28 walks in just 66.1 innings, which has inflated his WHIP and OBP just a bit. Other then that, his 2012 has been mint.

Fernando Rodney, TB - 26.1 IP, 1.03 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, 17 SV

Anyone who is a fantasy baseball addict such as myself knows the cardinal rule of the draft; don't pay for saves. Relievers are like a box of chocolates, you never know what your gonna get. One year they're untouchable, the next they're a wreck (ex. Brad Ligde), and visa versa. Fernando Rodney's career has been just that. Since coming into the Bigs in 2002, only once has his ERA been under 4.00 and WHIP under 1.25. Last year alone he had only 3 saves (4 blown) and a 4.50 ERA; that's struggling. However this season he very well may be the reason the Rays have a legit shot at the AL Pennant. Rodney is the league leader in Saves with 17 (in 18 opportunities). Also, he has been equally as good against righties as lefties, .184/12K and .164/13K respectively, with nearly a 9.0 K/9. All but once this season Rodney has been able to shut the door, and he doesn't seem to be slowing down.

R.A. Dickey, NYM - 73.2 IP, 2.69 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 8-1

Dickey doesn't look like much. He's a 37 year old journeyman knuckleballer who bounced around the Majors for eleven years until finally finding a home in Flushing last March. Last season R.A. was as  reliable as anyone for the Mets, and nothing has changed this season. Dickey leads the Majors in quality starts with 10 of 11, and currently sits in a three way tie with Cole Hamels and Lance Lynn for wins with 8. More importantly, Dickey's performance this season can be summed up in one word: Efficiency. He is second in the league in P/IP (14.2) and has not had a base stolen on him yet this season. He has 70K's with only 17 BB's as well. That is pretty impressive especially from a knuckleballer. Finally, Dickey has stepped up when the Mets needed him most. He is 4-1 within the division, with two of those wins coming against the rival Miami Marlins. R.A. provides the Mets with a rock solid number two starter to back up the big fella...

Johan Santana, NYM - 68.0 IP, 2.38 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 3-2

Johan's Met career is a broken record: no support. Santana has 43 wins and 27 losses in 99 starts for New York. This is downright shocking when you see that Santana as a Met has only posted a 3.00+ ERA and 1.20+ WHIP once in four seasons. When he is on the mound he does nothing but give the Mets a chance to win while his team gives him very little in return at the plate or from the pen. This season has been no different. While the run support has been a bit better (5.96 R/G), on five occasions this season, Santana has pitched 6.0+ innings, giving up two or less runs, which resulted in a No Decision or Loss. However there is a bright side. From the end of May to early June the Mets have been hotter then the sun...and so has Santana. In his last two starts, Santana has pitched 18.0 scoreless innings, giving up just four hits and striking out 16. Oh, and did I mention, his last outing on Friday night against St. Louis was the first no-hitter in the fifty year history of the Mets? No big deal. Like I said earlier this week, don't mess with the Johan.

Honorable Mention

Justin Verlander, DET - 87.2 IP, 2.67 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 5-4

The 2011 Cy Young Award winner has lived up to his billing in 2012. Verlander has been a major workhorse for the Tigers this season with 87.2 IP in his 12 starts (3 complete games, leads MLB). Now aside from leading the league in strike-outs (86), Verlander doesn't sit on the podium for any statistic in particular, but his numbers are top ten in nearly every category. Additionally, similar to Brandon Beachy, Verlander's win/loss record does not give his first third justice. In three of his four losses he pitched 8+ innings with a combined ERA of 1.11 with 21K's. All in all, Verlander has not pitched on the heavenly level he did last year, but has thrown well enough to earn himself an honorable mention in the top 5.

~ Shilz

PS. Watch out for Andy Pettitte. 30Ks in last 4 starts. Tonight - 7.1 scoreless, allows 2 hits in win vs Rays

Center of Attention

I don't understand the obsession the NBA has with Centers. Each year there are always one or two guys in the draft who dominated in college on skill, but really excelled  on sheer strength and size (ex. Greg Oden, Hasheem Thabeet) that are anointed "cant miss" guys. How can you argue drafting a seven footer who in college was an All American, an automatic double double, and led his team to the NCAA tournament finals. To Portland, taking Oden number one was a no-brainer based on logic. But sports are funny, and things don't always work out like they are supposed to. That's why we watch. As we all know, Oden has been plagued with injuries as a pro, playing only 82 games over his five year career. In drafting the "cant miss" Center Oden, Portland dug itself a hole it is still trying to dig out of.

Now with the NBA draft just a few weeks away on June 28, all the talk is about Kentucky phenom Anthony Davis. He of course is a Center (slash Power Forward) who outperformed the league in his one college year. Davis, in 40 games, averaged 14.2 PPG - 10.4 RPG - 4.7 BPG, and shot 63.3% from the field. He is a "can't miss" guy right? Every talking head, analyst, and their grandmother would argue yes. But if you look at drafts of the past five years and the role of Centers in the league today; the no-brainer to me seems to be that New Orleans should not take Davis number one. It's crazy talk, I know, but bare with me. 

Just look at the top 5 picks of the draft since 2007:

2007

1. Greg Oden, Ohio State, Center -Portland Trailblazers

2. Kevin Durant, Texas, Forward - Seattle Sonics/OKC Thunder

3. Al Horford, Florida, Forward/Center - AtlantaHawks

4. Mike Conley Jr., Ohio State, Guard - Memphis Grizzlies

5. Jeff Green, Georgetown, Forward - Boston Celtics (traded to Sonics)

2008

1. Derek Rose, Memphis, Guard - Chicago Bulls

2. Michael Beasley, Kansas State, Forward - Miami Heat

3. O.J. Mayo, USC, Gaurd - Minnesota T-Wolves (traded to Memphis)

4. Russel Westbrook, UCLA, Guard - Seattle Sonics/OKC Thunder

5. Kevin Love, UCLA, Forward - Memphis Grizzlies (traded to Minnesota)

2009

1. Blake Griffin, Oklahoma, Power Forward - LA Clippers

2. Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut, Center - Memphis Grizzlies

3. James Harden, Arizona State, Shooting Guard - OKC Thunder

4. Tyreke Evans, Memphis, Shooting Guard - Sacramento Kings

5. Ricky Rubio, Spain, Point Guard - Minnesota T-Wolves

2010

1. John Wall, Kentucky, Point Guard - Washington Wizards

2. Evan Turner, Ohio State, Point Guard/Shooting Guard - Philadelphia 76ers

3. Derek Favors, Georgia Tech, Power Forward - New Jersey Nets

4. Wesley Johnson, Syracuse, Small Forward - Minnesota T-Wolves

5. DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky, Center - Sacramento Kings

2011

1. Kyrie Irving, Duke, Point Guard - Cleveland Cavaliers 

2. Derrick Williams, Arizona, Small Forward/Power Forward - Minnesota T-Wolves

3. Enes Kanter, Kentucky, Center/Power Forward - Utah Jazz

4. Tristan Thompson, Texas, Power Forward/Small Forward - Cleveland Cavaliers

5. Jonas Valanciunas, Lithuania, Center - Raptors

For those of you keeping score at home, the draft has yielded only four centers in the past five years. Of those four, only one has had any notable NBA success as DeMarcus Cousins turned in his best performance this past season on a relatively unimpressive Kings team. My point is that drafting a Center will not save your franchise. That is the ultimate purpose of the number one pick; to save the franchise and build around that player. However, taking a natural born scorer or a floor leader who can single handedly win a game on his own is the guy you want to build around. Forwards Kevin Durant, Kevin Love and Blake Griffin; and Guards James Harden, Russel Westbrook, and Derek Rose have risen to the top of the league and turned their floundering teams into contenders.

Additionally, take a quick look at the teams with the best centers in the league right now. My top three are probably the Orlando Magic with Dwight Howard, LA Lakers with Andrew Bynum, and Memphis Grizzlies with Marc Gasol. Yes all three made the playoffs this year. But only one (Bynum) advanced past the first round. And now as the Conference Finals are being played, they are all sitting on the couch watching. Of the three, only Bynum has a ring. Bynum won in 2009 and 2010 with the Lakers... as he played alongside Kobe Bryant aaannnddd Pau Gasol aaannnddd Derek Fisher aaannnddd Ron Artest. Oh and did I mention he was coached by the greatest coach of all time Phil Jackson? Yeah exactly. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Having a high powered Center on your team is not a must; having a scorer and a floor general is. 

The Hornets right now have a formidable Point Guard Jarred Jack and Shooting Guard in Eric Gordon, so taking a Damian Lillard or Kendall Marshall wouldn't make a great fit. But why not spice things up and explode Twitter and all of the Internet on June 28 by taking Small Forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist or Power Forward Thomas Robinson? It's and unpopular opinion obviously, but they could be the franchise guy the already struggling (and possibly corrupt) Hornets team could build around for the next five years. 

I'm not saying don't take Davis. He's been everything and more through college and all the numbers says YES YES YES. Davis was an All American and won the NCAA title in his only college year. He is a "cant miss." But just like too much of a good thing is bad, too much hype over Davis might unjustifiably rule out players who might fit better with the Hornets. Who am I kidding, puppet master David Stern will get New Orleans to take Davis number one. I mean he already rigged the draft, can't be much more corrupt then that. Just don't be surprised when in three years a pairing of Kidd-Gilchrist or Robinson with Washington, Cleveland, or Sacramento produces a playoff team and more, a title contender.

~Shilz

Dont Mess With The Johan

Life is chock full of the "overdues." It took me five years instead of four to get an undergrad diploma. Martin Scorsese needed 25 years of masterfully crafted work before receiving his first Oscar. And we are still waiting for Jerry Seinfeld to produce something nearly as good as the epic nine season run his show had in the 1990s. But today the overdue of all overdues came through. Johan Santana tossed the first no-hitter in New York Metropolitan  history since the franchise began in 1962. 

A no hitter is special. There is no questioning that. But this one was different. A no hitter to a Met fan (which I am not) means so much more. It has taken 51 years. FIFTY-ONE! Imagine being a mouse stuck in a maze.  Every time you venture out to find that succulent block of cheese you end up lost. Time and time again you try, and time and time again you fail. But you persist. 8019 times go by with no avail. No signs point to future success, and yet, each day you set out in search for the golden brick that has eluded you for so long. And finally, on that 8020th try, you triumph.

What's amazing to me is the vast number of exceptional pitchers that have come through the Mets organization over the past 8019 majestic-less games. Names like Leiter, Cone, Gooden, Glavine, Seaver, and Koosman have all taken the mound for the Mets, yet none ever threw a gem like Johan did tonight. In fact, the more the "no-no" eluded this franchise and it's fans, the more it seemed improbable. "You Gotta Believe" seemed to apply to everything but the idea of a no hitter. Tonight all that changed.

Johan's performance at Citi Field this evening elevated the already remarkable 2012 Mets season to another level entirely. This could be it. The spark. Each year it is something new that puts the team into a tail spin. Last year it was the Ike injury around the All Star break. The year before that it was Johan himself as he needed to go under the knife for season ending surgery. And prior to that it was the Madoff madness. No matter what the situation, the negatives prevailed. However now, the team is young, home-grown, and a no doubt contender one game out of first place in the NL East. David Wright is off to a MONSTER start, Johan is back to being Johan, and the team is getting exceptional contributions from Kirk Niewenhuis, Lucas Duda, and Daniel Murphy to round out the offense. (For those front runners out there who wont realize you are Met fans til October baseball rolls around, get to know this team. Like I said they are young, and I have a hunch Sandy is going to keep them around for a while.) 

So congratulations all you Met fans out there. Its been a long time coming, but you finally got your cheese. You had your Ace on the hill, a call went your way on the Beltran hit down the third base line, and you got the quintessential "no-hit-bid game saving highlight catch" from Mike Baxter to round out an unforgettable night...

By the way, Dickey takes the hill tomorrow to vie for the Major League lead in wins. Buckle up for an exciting summer of New York baseball!!!

PS. Just read this cool stat on twitter. Johan had 8Ks and 8 walks. The Mets had 8 hits. Gary Carter wore the number 8. RIP.

~ Shilz