Alex Kreitman - Stealing signs

The Staples Center was jam packed with celebrities for Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday night and I’m sure tonight’s Game 4 will be no different.

Jack Nicholson, Eddie Murphy, Fergie, Stephen Spielberg, Toby McGuire, Hillary Duff, the list goes on. To be honest, if I were an average Lakers fan, like I am an average Celtics fan, I’d be a little ticked off that all the celebrities get to go and I don’t. But I guess so goes professional sports.

No longer are these big-game events meant to take you son to, they’re expensive spectacles.

I just looked on StubHub.com and the cheapest ticket is $334 to sit up in the highest level behind one of the baskets, not exactly a great seat. If you want to sit in the lower level, or loge section, the cheapest ticket I could find was $1,028, also behind the basket.

If you want to sit where the celebs are sitting, most of the regulars anyway, like Nicholson, it’s going to cost you $19,143. But get it fast because it was the only ticket courtside available which probably means that Kobe Bryant gave Nicholson a heart attack in Game 3 and has to watch tonight’s game from his hospital bed.

A courtside seat for the next game in Boston, which is still starred with an “if necessary,” is $7,059 with a floor seat, basically the same, going for $10,000. These seats aren’t as expensive as the ones in L.A., but they’re still way too much for any average fan to afford.

So I guess will just have to watch guys like Leonardo DiCaprio and Curt Schilling take the good seats as we stay glued to our cheap TV sets. Good enough for me as long as the C’s win. But I guess it’s the same for all sporting events now.

OK Tiger Woods isn’t literally back in town, but he’s back on the PGA circuit.

Woods and the rest of golf’s finest are at Torrey Pines this week for the second major of the season, the U.S. Open.

Woods has been away from golf the last few months after having knee surgery following a disappointing non-winning effort at The Masters. Woods says he’s ready to go despite some soreness in his knee.

Phil Mickelson will welcome his rival back on the course as the two play together in Thursday’s opening round. The gallery for this pair is guaranteed to be huge all day following the biggest fan favorites on tour.

Woods and Mickelson don’t exactly get along, but they seem too much more civil these days. I wish they were best friends because they are my two favorite guys to watch. I always pull for both of them to do well.

With an attempt at the grand slam already over for Woods, the U.S. Open won’t hold as much glamour, but it’s still a huge event. I’m looking forward to watching some competitive golf again because since Woods has been away from the game it hasn’t been all that appealing.

Woods is still the favorite but with a big question for that recovering knee.

After watching Game 3 of the NBA Finals I imprinted in my brain a topic to write about today. I’d been meaning to touch on how embarrassing the NBA officials have become, but I keep forgetting to write about it. But here goes.

The NBA has no sense for what the rules written for their game stand for. None whatsoever. The referees make calls based on whoever the home team is and it’s getting ridiculous. If you look across the entire postseason you’ll see that the home team wins almost all the time. It’s been difficult for road teams to scrape out victories in single games, let along a series. That’s the main reason the two teams left standing are No. 1 seeds.

The bogus calls go both ways. In Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals, especially Game 2, the Celtics got most of the calls while at home at TD Bank North Garden. Boston shot 38 free throws compared to just 10 for L.A. That’s a ridiculous difference. Part of that is a credit to Boston’s defense for forcing the Lakers to take jump shots, but that’s still not right.

Game 3 in L.A. was quite different. The Celtics got to the line 22 times as a team while Kobe Bryant got to the stripe 18 times on his own. That stat seems lopsided because it is.

Being at home seems to be a major advantage which isn’t a good image for a league that’s dealing with allegations that it fixed playoff games in the past.

Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy, who is facing charges for betting on the game, came out Tuesday and said the league told referees to call playoff games a certain way. Whether this is true or not we might never know, but now isn’t a good time to be favoring any teams like the refs are doing now with home teams.

I grew up idolizing Ken Griffey Jr. I can remember my brother and me gawking at his unbelievable catches over the fence and the bone-crushing home runs he hit out of the old Kingdome in Seattle.

That seems like ages ago and in some ways it was. I was just a kid then and so was Griffey, hitting his first homer as a teenager. Griffey is 38 now and finally reached the 600 home run mark Monday afternoon.

As Griffey came up in the majors I had no doubt he’d break Hank Aaron’s home run record and Roger Maris’ single-season mark. He’s done neither. He skyrocketed to 300 homers, then 400 and 450, but after that his career slowed. Griffey battled injuries for much of his 30’s which has kept him from reaching his potential.

But by reaching 600 Griffey is back on the radar and national stage where he belongs. I’ve felt bad for Griffey during his quest for 600 because he’s received such little attention. This man survived the steroid era without using or being accused. He truly is one of the greatest to ever play the game. But somehow along the way his name got lost in the shuffle of needles and syringes.

We forgot a man who brought entertainment and amazement to the ball field night after night and was clean while doing it. Why don’t we hold Griffey in higher regard? We should. 600 is special and he’s the first in a long time to do it without a question mark or even though of an asterisk next to his name. I applaud Griffey and hope he stays healthy and can reach more milestones.

Of course I have to discuss the NBA Finals again because I’m counting down the hours until tonight’s Game 3. Today I’d like to talk about how Phil Jackson isn’t as good of a coach as everyone thinks. For this I will give one recent piece of evidence to support this wild claim.

Boston’s Leon Powe had the game of his life Sunday and dominated the Lakers, driving through the line and dunking of the Lakers defense over and over. His name is pronounced Po. After the game, Jackson was asked about Powe’s performance and Jackson referred to him as Pow, totally mispronouncing his name.

How do you not know the name of a player on the opposite team in the NBA Finals? That right there says to me that the Jackson’s Lakers aren’t prepared. Lucky for L.A. the players know his name. Jackson is just foolish for getting that name wrong. I hope Powe comes back and has another monster Game 3 and shoves it in Jackson’s face.

Also, Jackson is one of the greatest coaches all-time, resume wise, but he’s won with superstars. Every team he’s had has been filled with studs. I mean who couldn’t win championships with Michael Jordan? There’s no coaching involved on that team. Then Kobe Bryant and Shaq put together, it’s the same story. This is the weakest Laker team and I honestly don’t think coaching plays much of a role. I think it’s all Bryant all the time with this squad. Kobe has devloped as more a of a leader and I think his performance impacts the team. He is the reason the Lakers are in the finals, not Jackson. He’s just a name with a legacy.

I am officially banning myself from watching any more NBA Finals games alone.

I left my girlfriend’s place in the middle of a movie Sunday night to head home and watch Game 2 of the Celtics vs. Lakers. I’d been pumped about the game all day, which is a long time seeing that the games don’t start until 9 p.m.

I had a Celtics t-shirt on and plopped on the couch to watch the big game. The Celtics were playing great, led by a heroic effort by Leon Powe, a backup player who hadn’t seen a lot of playoff minutes. By the end of the third quarter, Boston had produced a 22-point advantage and was blowing L.A. out of the Garden.

With 7 minutes remaining in the game, the lead was still huge and at this point my screaming, yelling and cheering at the TV with no one around to witness it had stopped. I was now laying comfortably watching Boston cruise to a 2-0 series advantage, or so I thought.

Apparently the loud cheering, clapping and shouts of “Yes!” “Nice shot baby,” had kept me awake and lively. Now I was getting sleepy and finally I dozed off on the couch only to wake up with the score 104-102. I thought I was having a nightmare. No way could the Celts have let L.A. climb back into a game that was out of reach and with their defense. I was stunned.

You know when you fall asleep for like five minutes and it feels like hours or even the entire night? That was the feeling I got, except instead of being pumped to have six more hours to sleep, I had to wake up and watch the end of a nail-biter in which Boston should have had wrapped up.

The good news is that Pierce was at the line and he sank both free throws. Then James Posey got to the line and hit another pair and the Celts hung on to win, but not without scaring the crap out of my tired old man self. I should be ashamed I know.

The Boston Celtics took Game One of the NBA Finals from the L.A. Lakers on Thursday night, but not without a scare.

After starting the third quarter red hot, Paul Pierce came down awkwardly with teammate Kendrick Perkins and hit the floor in pain. Pierce remained on the ground for several minutes and had to be carried off the court by teammates and trainers. Pierce was examined in the locker room and about 15 minutes later, walked back out onto the court on his own power. The entire TD Bank North crowd erupted. Click here for game highlights.

Any sports fans, except if you’re rooting for the Lakers, had to think that re-entrance was awesome. It was exciting and dramatic, but what made it even more special is that just minutes after returning, Pierce hit two back-to-back 3’s that put the Celtics on top, pretty much for good.

After the first game I feel confident that Boston will win the series. The Big Three dominated the game, especially Kevin Garnett. He looked unbeatable in the paint and his jump shot is lights out. He’s one of the best jump shooters for a big man in NBA history.

Also, Kobe Bryant didn’t look sharp. He missed tons of shots, mostly because he wasn’t used to the swarming defense of Pierce and James Posey. The shots he did make were because he’s one of the best. He made a few jumpers that I thought he’d hit the ceiling he jumped so high over everyone.

It was an exciting start to the series though and I’m so pumped that the finals are back in Boston.

I hate to dedicate an entire blog to Boston sports, OK no I don’t, but the Red Sox made headlines last night too. Perhaps trying to steal the spotlight from the Celtics, the Sox were involved in a bench-clearing brawl against the Tampa Bay Rays. Click here to watch.

First off, I need to back up my boy Coco Crisp who started the altercation by charging the mound after being intentionally hit by a pitch. With that said, I wished he hadn’t charged the mound and he was out of line by doing so. I’m still going to back him up though and say he had some reason to charge the mound and definitely had reason to be upset, especially after.

As Crisp arrived to the mound, pitcher Scott Shields swung, but Crisp dodged the punch and the two went at it. Then Rays players Johnny Gomes and Carl Crawford jumped on the pile, apparently clawing and scratching at Crisp and pulling his hair.

It was an ugly brawl and I doubt the bad blood is over. Tampa Bay and the New York Yankees are also not the closest of friends. I applaud the Rays though for sticking up to the bullies. They’ve been the bottom of the A.L. East since their existence, but are now standing up and fighting back. Maybe it’d seem like they did a better job standing up for themselves if they didn’t play so dirty and they actually won a few games during the series. The Sox swept the Rays to retake first place.

The Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh Wednesday night, sealing the series in six games.

Detroit has won the Cup four of the last 11 years and proved again it is won of the best franchises in all of professional sports.

I hope people tuned in because it was an exciting game. I think that this year’s ratings should be up for the NHL because of the presence of Penguins sensation Sidney Crosby in the finals. Also, with a big hockey town like Detroit involved, ratings should soar. OK, probably not soar because America still isn’t on the hockey train, but they should be a lot higher than last year.

I think the break in the NBA playoffs probably helped the NHL. It was going so well at the beginning of the Stanley Cup Finals because the Pistons and Celtics were battling it out on the same night in the Eastern Conference Finals. Luckily, Boston closed out Detroit and the NHL was able to take back the stage.

I guess I’ve got to go ahead and make my prediction for the NBA Finals since they start tonight. It’s no surprise that I’m going to pick the Celtics over the Lakers and I’m picking them in six games.

I think both are great teams obviously and I think we truly have the two best matching up. The reason why I’m picking the C’s, other than being a homer, is that I think Boston’s defense is too much for L.A.

The Western Conference hardly plays any defense and I think that finally the Eastern Conference will rise up and take down the West again despite the Western Conference dominating the East in recent years.

The two conferences have very different styles of play. All throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs we’ve seen classic defensive battles and low scoring games. In the West scores peaked at well over 100 for each team and shooters scored at will.

Kobe Bryant is an amazing player, but so was LeBron James and Paul Pierce did a good job with him. I think that the Celtics will be able to limit Kobe and if L.A.’s other players don’t play big, then I think the Celtics will win.

My only concern is Boston’s offense which hasn’t sizzled yet in the postseason. The Celtics have turned in low scoring efforts most of the playoffs, but hopefully Ray Allen is starting to finally feel his stroke. Allen played great at the end of the Pistons series.

Kevin Garnett is also no match for any of the Lakers’ defenders and should have a field day on the boards and in the paint.

One thing that is ridiculous about the series though is the time off. The Lakers have had seven days off and the Celtics six, since the end of the Conference finals. After playing Game One tonight the teams will get three days off. This series will be so long and dragged out its stupid. I hate how a bunch of morons schedule the playoffs. Don’t they know how stupid playing one game in 10 days is?

I know that most of the country doesn’t follow the NHL, but I’m always one that says they should.

The Stanley Cup playoffs are wrapping up, but there’s still time to catch the end of the series. The Detroit Red Wings travel to Pittsburgh for Game 6 tonight. The Penguins face elimination down 3-2.

If you missed Game 5, your loss. The Penguins won in three overtimes and what a thrilling finish it was. I’ve said it before, but there’s nothing more exciting to me than a sudden death finish to a game although a walk-off home run is pretty amazing too.

But having been on hand for a few sudden death finishes in the Stanley Cup playoffs myself, I know how exciting it is. The final goal is scored and it’s game over. If it’s a home game for the winning team the site is unbelievable. The cheering is wild and endless with a sea of the team’s color filling the arena.

Pittsburgh has a chance to force Game 7 and I hope they do. Just wanted to get in a little plug for hockey.

I’m sure my blog for the next few weeks will be all about the Celtics vs. Lakers in the NBA Finals so get used to it.

I watched an interview with Boston legend Larry Bird this morning and he is of course pulling for his old team to beat the Lakers. It was great to see Bird again on TV; he often hides in Indiana’s front office. Bird said he wouldn’t miss a minute of any of the games which was cool to hear.

It’s Bird himself that helped rekindle the rivalry in the 1980’s along with Magic Johnson. I know I’m looking forward to watching some ESPN clips of past games between the two teams.

The series does have a different feel to it though with fresh blood and less bad blood. These two teams have been on opposite ends of the success scale in recent years so it’s hard to know who will win.

The Celtics have top talent in the Big Three, but Kobe Bryant is one of if not the best player in the league. I can’t wait for tip-off Thursday night.

There’s only one thing to write about today and that is the NBA Finals.

OK, I have about 25 things to write about since it has been a week since I’ve last posted, which my friend Ricky kindly reminded me of Monday evening. But the most important and today’s topic is Game One of the NBA Finals.

The NBA has new life with the rebirth of a great finals matchup. The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers will clash in a battle for the title. These two teams have such a storied history, battling across the years, most recently with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson providing countless classic games in the 1980’s.

And when I say most recently I’m lying because the Celtics haven’t been in the finals since losing in 1987 to the Lakers. Wait no longer because after having an ugly record last season and just 24 wins, the Celtics have the best record in the NBA and are looking to return to the top.

I was in Boston over the weekend for my sister’s high school graduation and I watched the Celtics clinch the Eastern Conference title in a friend’s apartment in the city. It was awesome as we sat around and watched the trophy presented to Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and the rest of the team. Then Pierce and the team began chanting “Beat L.A.,” a chant I’d heard of many times before, but had never been a part of. Then a few of my friends began chanting and so did I.

When speaking with my Dad the next day about where he watched the game, he said the same chant broke out in a bar/ restaurant that about a dozen family members had gone to that night. That feeling from the 80’s, the passion of Celtic green has returned to Beantown.

We’re in for a treat with this series. Kobe Bryant, probably the best player since Michael Jordan will lead the Lakers back where they belong against a team that hasn’t belonged in the finals for 21 years. Both teams earned their conference’s No. 1 seeds, but only one will hoist the trophy at the end of it all. Game One is Thursday night and I can’t wait.

Kasey Kahne won Sunday’ Coca-Cola 600 and Greg Biffle finished second. Sound familiar? It should.

The pair finished first and second in last week’s All-Star race, also at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte. What are the odds?

If you really think about this it seems unlikely that the same two drivers would finish first and second in consecutive weeks at the same tracks. I guess they just have the track mastered and their pit crews did nice work in keeping their cars ready.

I had a great week in my fantasy NASCAR league even though I didn’t start either driver. Instead I started Dale Earnhardt Jr. who finished fifth and Kyle Busch who ended up third, both good finishes in terms of points for my league. My picks helped me leapfrog from third to first place.

A recurring issue in Major League Baseball has come to the front of conversations around the diamond this season. That’s the issue of instant replay and whether or not baseball should adopt it.

My opinion is that the league absolutely should. It is a shame when we’ve seen several incorrect calls made about home runs. Was it over the wall was it not? Why not just use instant replay to make sure it’s right. Teams are losing games over these bad calls. I don’t want it to be used for everything, but I think fair and foul balls and home run is a good line to draw.

I hope commissioner Bud Selig hurries up and gets this done. I don’t want to have to see any more blown calls that decide games.

I attended Elon University’s NCAA Tournament Selection Show viewing party Monday and it was pretty cool watching the seeds unveiled on ESPN.

Of course the room erupted when Elon was announced as the No. 3 seed in the Cary region, hosted by the North Carolina Tar Heels, but not as loud as you’d think.

The vibe was that the Phoenix wanted to go elsewhere, somewhere more exotic and exciting, but it’ll settle for Cary. And one would have to think Elon would be disappointed in a No. 2 seed seeing that it won the regular season and conference tournament titles. But, either way, it stands a good shot at making some noise since it beat the top seed in the region 2-0 earlier this year in Cary.

Elon opens with UNC Wilmington, the No. 2 seed on Friday at 2 p.m. The Phoenix split the season series with the Seahawks 1-1 with each team winning on the road.

I think I’ll actually tune in or check to see who wins the Coca-Cola 600 this weekend after my awesome racing adventure last weekend.

I now care amore about the sport and understand the passion that fans have for the sport. Knowing that, I’ve got to root for and pick Dale Earnhardt Jr., the fan favorite around here, to win the race Sunday.

Kyle Busch took the poll and looked as fast as lightning last week. His car cruised out front early, but he didn’t end up winning after having some car trouble. He’s also been hot all year and received the most boos during last week’s race.

I wish I was going to the race again this weekend, but I’ve got other plans. It’s Elon’s graduation weekend and a group of friends is in town to support our friend Reggie in his quest for academic excellence.

We’ve known Reggie since our sophomore year of college when he was a random freshman placed in a suite of close friends. Not ideal for any college newcomer, but Reggie fit right in and we’ve known him ever since.

It took Reggie an extra year to finish college, hence the delay in graduating, but we’ll all be under the oaks Saturday to cheer and support him which is much more important than any NASCAR race.