California Dreamin

For Your Viewing Pleasure - Earlier this week my boy C-los and I made a last minute trip to Cali in hopes of making it in time for the Laker Parade. Although we got lost three quarters of the way there and ended up somewhere deep in the heart of Hollywood, or in other words LOST, we found ourselves at a friendly gas station that proved to be not so friendly after all. After failing to get directions time and time again by the store clerks, we decided to turn around. By the time we made it to our destination (granny's house) in the wee hours of the night (4:00a.m.) we had enough time to take a 4 hour nap in preparation for the big day. After those 4 hours of sleep were cut short due to my father's ridiculously loud snoring that kept us up a majority of the time, we were off to Tinseltown. Other than its palm trees, sandy beaches, and celebrities of coarse, Los Angeles is notorious for it's traffic. With that in mind, we took the scenic route along the coast and found ourselves in Malibu. As for the parade itself, we made perfect timing...At least we thought.

Less than a mile away from Staples Center where the Parade was set to begin, we were some 45-minutes early before the scheduled starting time of 11 o'clock. However, it would be another 40-minutes until the parade actually kicked off resulting in sun burnt skin and aching ears due to the countless fog horns that were blown inches away from my ears. Once the hundreds of police officers approached the perimeter and readied themselves with their heavy duty riot guard equipment, the anticipation finally set in and it all fell into place. After talks of fantasizing and one day hoping to attend a championship parade, it was then that I realized we were actually there. As Los Angeles Fire Department trucks kicked off the parade with the Laker girls riding atop of them, the big moment slowly began to inch closer.

Finally the out-stretched semi with '2010 NBA Champions' written across it approached us. NBA Hall of Famer Ervin 'Magic' Johnson, Josh Powell and Derek Fisher were all visible, but no Kobe. Then finally out came Pao Gasol who looked directly at us and began hoisting the trophy as they drove past. But once again, still no sight of The Black Mamba. Driving several hundred miles in hopes of seeing your favorite NBA player of all-time and coming up short was quite the buzz kill. But knowing the fact that we were still there was quite the rush. Never in my life have I been surrounded by so many people that share the same interest and love in a team as I do. The 60-second moment that we all waiting hours for, was over in a blink of an eye. After making our way back to the car as soon as possible, hoping to avoid the dreadful L.A. traffic, we were front and center of some good 'ol L.A. vandalism as seen here:

After beating traffic and stopping for gas, we drove back towards Malibu where we kicked back and had a couple of beers. The rest of the trip was spent relaxing and enjoying the beautiful Cali weather. Also taking up a majority of our time away from home, was some of the bomb eateries we dined at which included The Habit which specializes in burgers similar to that of In-N-Out, El Pollo Norteno which is similar to El Pollo Loco and my personal favorite Japanese Cuisine, Maki Yaki! Aside from a few Laker items to add to my collection, the only souvenir I came home with was the aforementioned sunburn I received while at the parade. Something I don't understand considering I'm yet to receive a sunburn here in Vegas where the weather is some 30-degrees warmer. All in all the trip was fun and well worth it. But as usual, the stay wasn't long enough. Oh how I miss you already Cali, I promise to be back soon.


Some other photos that didn't make the cut:

We Are The Champions...Again!

Sweet Sweet Revenge - After losing to the arch rival Boston Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals, it seemed as if Kobe Bryant was never going to get over the hump of winning a tittle without former teammate Shaquille O'Neal. But just one year later, the 2008 MVP would have another chance to rise from the shadows of his 7-foot companion as the Lakers went on to defeat the Orlando Magic in 5-games. The tittle would be Kobe's 4th overall and Lakers head coach Phil Jackson's 10th, surpassing Boston's Red Auerbach who donned nine rings. However, both Bryant and Jackson would prove to be unsatisfied with their resumes as they eyed yet another tittle. After making it to the NBA Finals for the third straight season by defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder, Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns, only one team stood in their way -- The Boston Celtics.

With both teams set to add another chapter to the long history of the greatest rivalry in NBA history, the Lakers had one thing on their mind -- revenge. This time around opposed to the 6-game series Boston would eventually win in '08, the Lakers were the ones with home court advantage. But after splitting the first two games at the Staples Center thanks to a record setting performance by Ray Allen who set an All-Time mark for the most three-pointers made in an NBA Finals game with 8 surpassing the previous mark (7) shared by Kenny 'The Jet' Smith and Scottie Pippen, 2010 was beginning to look a lot like 2008 with three straight games set to be played at the TD Garden. But a big contribution from veteran point-guard Derek Fisher in game 3 would help L.A. steal back home-court advantage and give the Lakers a 2-1 lead.

The results of games 4 and 5 would end similar to one another as Boston came out on top by 7-points in game 4 and 6-points in game 5, despite a 38-point clinic put on by Bryant. With a trip back to L.A., the Lakers were in a do or die situation and were in need of a win to survive and force a game 7. With their backs against the wall, L.A. played their best defense of the series by allowing only 67-points in a blowout 22-point victory. Prior to game 7, it was learned that Boston would be without their starting center - Kendrick Perkins who left game 6 due to a torn PCL & MCL after leaping for a rebound and landing awkwardly. With Perkins sidelined, Celtics coach Doc Rivers had to fill the void and decided to go with veteran Rasheed Wallace due to his more lengthy playoff experience.

Out the gates, the Lakers found themselves trailing early and were down by as many as 13 after halftime. Kobe shot poorly from the field throughout most of the game which didn't seem to help much, and the rest of the Lakers couldn't hit free-throws to save their life. But Pao Gasol and Ron Artest who knocked down the biggest 3-pointer of his life, would steal the show and come up big when needed most. With some crucial free-throws coming late from Bryant and Sasha Vujacic, the Lakers overcame the deficit and held off the Celtics by a final score of 83-79. Bryant was named Finals MVP for the second consecutive season and hoisted his fifth NBA tittle, as did teammate Derek Fisher. For the Lakers franchise, the NBA Championship was the team's 16th overall and 5th in 11 seasons.

Although the 7 game series couldn't have made for a better story book ending for us Laker fans, it couldn't have worked out any better for ABC either as T.V. ratings sky rocketed through the roof. With the help of our international friends, this year's NBA Finals generated more viewers than ever before. The series was broadcast around the world in 215 countries and territories and translated in 41 different languages. But with the celebration of the victory came more rioting amongst the troublemakers in L.A. Then again, what more can you expect from the Laker faithful? Even though I'm a die hard Lakers fan, one thing I can never do is compare myself to the rest of the pack, as most Laker fans are known for being ignorant and extremely biased. As for the parade that took place a few days after the ruckus that filled the streets of Southern California, I was in attendance and took a few photos of my own that I will post later on along with my trip to Cali.

Golden Tate's Sweet Tooth

Have you ever heard the saying, 'I'd kill for a [fill in the blank] right about now' ? Well just last week, Golden Tate of the Seattle Seahawks put a new meaning to the expression. The newly drafted wide-receiver out of Notre Dame had a late night craving and decided to help himself to some stolen doughnuts by looting a nearby doughnut shop located on the third floor of his apartment building in Bellevue, Washington. His doughnut of choice? The ever-popular maple bar. Top-Pot Doughnuts, who serves as a sponsor of the Seattle Seahawks and their home of Quest Field fell victim to the pillage. Funny enough, Top-Pot supplies the Seahawks with free doughnuts and coffee during the NFL season. However, it seems the 21-year old wide-out couldn't wait until the season started.

After police arrived, Tate was not arrested, cited or criminally charged. Instead he was issued a warning for trespassing the closed Doughnut shop. Tate published an apology soon after the incident stating, "They're irresistible. It was kind of a foolish mistake that won’t happen again, but if you ever want some maple bars, that's the place to go.” Many major media outlets which included the Seattle Times among others, believe the entire incident was more of a publicity stunt than anything. And it didn't help that Tate's statement was viewed more so in the form as an endorsement. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll who has his own endorsement deal with the company, also chimed in by giving Top-Pot Doughnuts a shout out via his Twitter account - "A great maple bar is a great maple bar, right golden?? They don't come along everyday ... a classic TopPot temptation!"

As for the owner and co-founder of Top-Pot, Mark Klebeck was not angered about the security breach Tate had made for his late night snack. In fact, he embraced him and said he hopes to meet Golden Tate and sign him to an exclusive endorsement deal after the Seahawks win the Super Bowl. The deal of coarse would mean free maple bars for life, but considering the Seahawks are yet to add a Lombardi Trophy to their trophy case, Tate has better chances of looting the nearest Dunkin' Donuts.

Baseball on the Clock

Although the sport of Baseball is known as 'America's Favorite Pastime' and has been around since the 18th century, it's not rare hearing or reading about fans or critics and sometimes umpires *cough Joe West* complaining about the game's length. But now, the SEC (SouthEastern Conference in College sports) is doing its best to try and fix the problem. How? The conference is subject to experiment a pitch clock similar to Basketball's shot clock or Football's play clock. How does it work? The pitcher will have 20-seconds to pitch when the bases are empty. If the pitcher happens to take longer than the given 20-seconds, an automatic ball will be given by the umpire. But don't think these rules only apply to the pitcher. If a batter steps out of the batters box or calls for time in the last 5-seconds of the clock, an automatic strike will be given. Also, after a third out each team is expected to be back on the field, ready and in their positions within 108-seconds. A ball or strike will be given to whichever side violates the time period.

I'm sure I'm not alone on this, but the unpredictable length of a baseball game is something I like best about the sport. Mainly because it separates the game of Baseball from just about every other sport out there. But at the same time there's a million others who are disinterested in the sport due to the game's length that can last anywhere from 1 hour to 8 hours. Something that seems to be the case with many of my peers. With college players playing by these rules, it's likely pitchers will grow accustom to the much quicker paced game and transcend it to the big leagues. And although it's been talked about for years, it's unlikely the MLB will adopt similar rulings according to Commissioner Bud Selig. And for the game's sake, I hope the MLB continues to blow off the idea of adding a pitch clock. You've seen them above the glass in the NBA and behind the end-zone in the NFL, but behind the backstop? No thank you...

A Double Dip in History?

Florida's Get Rich Quick Scheme - Just 20 days after Oakland's Dallas Braden threw his magical Mother's Day masterpiece, one of the game's best put his name in the hat to become a potential future Hall of Famer. On the road against the Florida Marlins in Miami, Roy Halladay pitched the 20th perfect game in Major League history by taking a much different approach than that of Braden. While the Oakland A's southpaw earned his perfecto by mainly getting batters to pop up or fly out, Halladay owned the strike zone by compiling a total of 11 K's compared to Braden's 6. The former 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner for the Toronto Blue Jays added to his already lengthy resume which includes 6-All-Star appearances and 49-complete games. The only thing missing? A World Series ring.

With only half of the seats in Florida's Land Shark Stadium filled with fans to witness the remarkable feat, the Marlins are hoping to make money off of the fans that weren't in attendance. How so? Through the stadium's box office and website, the team will be reselling tickets to the game that featured Doc Halladay's no-hit performance which took place on Saturday May 29th. The cost? Tickets will be sold at face value from the cheap seats -- $12, to the field-level -- $25 and of coarse, those much closer to the action and behind home plate -- $300. As an amenity, they'll even count you in the game's official attendance. What better way to brag to all your buddies than lie to them and not only tell them you seen Roy Halladay's perfect game in person, but also have the proof of a ticket stub. Talk about the ultimate souvenir.

Keep in mind the Marlins are doing this despite their 1-0 loss and their own team being blanked. If it was a Marlins pitcher who threw the gem and not the opposing team's pitcher, it would be a little bit more understandable. If you asked me, I'd say it's sort of a cheesy strategy to profit money and would usually oppose the whole idea. But given it's the Florida Marlins, the team who's currently at the bottom of the NL in attendance and always seem to be struggling to fill seats regardless of how well or poorly they're playing, I can't knock their hustle. In fact, I encourage them to take similar action in the future. This isn't the first time this has been done however. After Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle pitched his perfect game last July, the team sold the remainder of the tickets as souvenirs. With two perfect games and one no-hitter already in the books this early on in the season, could this be proof of the post-steroid era?


The Perfecto Bandito - Considering there's never been a time in the modern era of Major League Baseball where two pitchers threw perfect games in a single season prior to Halladay's gem, how crazy would it be if there three in a single season? And if that's not crazy enough, how about all three of those perfect games taking place within a single month? Although the third never happened, it should have.

Bad calls have become somewhat symbolic in all of sports, but none as bad as those made or not made in baseball. One call in particular that will forever be remembered above all others is the one that took place most recently. Last Wednesday in a game against the visiting Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga was just one out away from making the history books. That was until Indians rookie Jason Donald hit a ground ball to first baseman Miguel Cabrera who underhanded the ball to the covering Galarraga in what looked to be the 27th out of the ball game. However, first base umpire Jim Joyce called the runner safe in what would go down in the history of bad calls. This wasn't just any other wrong call, instead it cost the right-handed Venezuelan born pitcher a perfect game.

Just how bad was the call you ask? After viewing the replay from the clubhouse, Joyce admitted his wrongdoing soon after. As for the man who was robbed of a spot in the record books, Galarraga was a class act about the whole thing and didn't complain or throw a fit like I know most pitchers would do nowadays. Although umpire Jim Joyce missed the call, commissioner Bud Selig had all the power in the world to overturn the mistake and decided not to. But I bet if it was a Brewer who pitched the gem, Selig would've thought otherwise considering he's a Milwaukee native and was once upon a time the owner of the Brew Crew. A day after the mess, Joyce was scheduled to serve as the home plate umpire where he received boo's from the Detroit crowd when being introduced over the stadium speakers. Tigers skipper Jim Leyland who argued the call that cost his pitcher a place in Cooperstown, had Galarraga hand Joyce the game's starting line-up. Joyce was then seen with tears running down his face as the two patted one another on the back and shook hands.

Even though he was robbed of becoming the 21st pitcher in Major League history to throw a perfecto, Galarraga didn't come out empty handed. Given Detroit is the Motor City, GMC honored the 28 year old pitcher and donated a 2010 Corvette. Days after discussion and reviewing the film, Commissioner Selig continued to stick to his guns and said he was pleased with how his decision to not honor Galarraga with a perfect game worked out. He went on to say expanded instant replay is unlikely this year if at all. The decision to not expand instant replay is something I actually agree with that has come from the brain of Bud Selig. As for the unlucky Jim Joyce, he's fortunate enough to keep his job in my opinion. He's also probably the most hated man in the Motor City now, dethroning the spot of Ron Artest who took place in the infamous 'Malice in the Palace'. Galarraga later forgave Joyce and called him a nice man. But although he's forgiven, I think someone better keep an eye on Mr. Joyce, he's definitely on suicide watch.

England's No Shag Rule

Shag Now or Shag Later? - Just how bad does England want to win the World Cup? Fabio Capello, coach of the England soccer team is banning sex and limiting the visits his players can have with their wives and girlfriends. Telling them not to have sexual intercourse is one thing, but spying on their every move is another. Capello has even gone as far as putting hidden cameras in the TV's of the hotels his players will be staying at. Capello is doing such after having blamed the team's past of high hopes and major disappointment on the players' boozy antics of too much partying and not enough commitment. All of which cost them in their try at the 2006 World Cup according to Capello.

With such high expectations that comes with English soccer comes the sacrifices that the coaches and players are willing to take. The U.S. will get first dibs on the highly talented and much more disciplined British squad. As both teams get set to face each other to open the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Landon Donovan and the United States will find out first hand just how much if at all England's sex-ban has payed off for the Brits come Saturday June 12th. The kick-off to the 2010 FIFA World Cup will begin however on Friday June 11th as Mexico takes on the hosting country of South Africa. For those of you who know me personally know I'm not the biggest fan of soccer, but when it comes to the World Cup, I make an exception and become somewhat of an avid fan. With that being said, GO USA!

The Cuban Missile Crisis

Consequences and repercussions often occur after a celebration. Take a wild night of drinking and partying for example. Whether it means waking up naked in the same bed as someone you don't know or waking up in a puddle of your own vomit. Although this story brings a much different circumstance, they can all relate.

Another case of the ridiculous surfaces as L.A. Angels slugger Kendry Morales will likely be out for the rest of the season after his walk-off celebration which ended in the most bizarre of ways. While rounding the bases after hitting his game-winning grand slam and 11th home run of the season against the division rival Seattle Mariners, Morales was seen leaping onto home plate awkwardly and being dog piled by his teammates. But the celebration went from happy to worrisome in a matter of seconds as Morales went from trotting around the field to being carried off of it on a stretcher. Since losing former Angels first baseman Mark Texiera last year to the Yankees in free agency and deciding not to bring back veteran DH Vladamir Guerrero, Morales has become the teams main source on offense.

After positive x-rays revealed a fractured lower left leg, it was learned that the injury would require surgery and keep the Angels' offensive leader sidelined for at least 3-months. With an important player to his team like Morales going down to injury, could we be in store for a different approach on how teams celebrate walk-off victories in the mere future? According to Angels manager Mike Socia, the incident will not only change the way his team celebrates, but also the way every team in the league celebrates. Whether or not that's true, it didn't take long to find out if Socia's Angels were true to their word and made adjustments to their game-winning routines. One day after Morales' freak accident, the Angels had another walk-off win, this time off the bat of second baseman Howie Kendrick and this time much more cautious.

Walk-off celebrations such as Morales' go back to as early as the 1950's when the most memorable walk-off celebration took place when the New York Giants' Robby Thompson hit what went on to be known as 'The Shot Heard Round the World' which sealed the deal and won the team the pennant over the archrival Brooklyn Dodgers. And speaking of the Dodgers, just two nights after Morales' freak accident, the Angels' southern California neighbor and cross-town rivals won in walk-off fashion by a Matt Kemp home run. After rounding third base, Kemp began to tip toe his way to home plate and slowly creeped to the box as if he was mocking Morales and poking fun at the incident while trying to avoid a similar injury. So let this be a lesson learned to all you kiddies out there, always wear protection while celebrating no matter the occasion!

Here's a video of the walk-off celebration/injury and the chaos leading up to it from a fan's point of view:

Polly Pocket

Philadelphia Flyers veteran defenseman Chris Pronger has created quite the controversy despite the 0-2 deficit his team has fallen in to start the Stanley Cup Finals. After losing both games on the road in Chicago to the Blackhawks, Pronger was seen pocketing the puck as the final seconds of the clock ran out and the opposing team hit the ice to begin celebrating. While hoping to tick off the opposing Blackhawks personnel and prevent the organization from enshrining the pucks as souvenirs, many followers of hockey think Pronger is overreacting. Granted it's usually common courtesy to let the winning team keep the puck after a big games such as those played in the Stanley Cup Finals, similar to baseball's cardinal rule when giving the ball back to a player after their first big league hit or milestone, what Pronger did was Bush League.

Personally, I think Pronger is acting a bit childish, especially after speaking out to the media. Then again he could just be living up to the Flyers moniker 'The Broad Street Bullies'. When being asked in a post-game interview what he did with the pucks Pronger answered, "I threw them in the trash where they belong." Definitely something no one expected from one of the game's better known veterans. But unlike the first two games, there was no need to steal the puck in games 3 and 4 as Pronger's Flyers went on to tie up the series at 2-games a piece. Although his actions are definitely something I don't condone in, it would've been hilarious if someone from the Blackhawks stole a page out of Pronger's book and keistered the puck at the end of games 3 and 4 just to keep the drama going.

If you haven't been following the series already, I suggest you watch game 5 along with the rest of the Stanley Cup Finals as both teams hope to bring home the Stanley Cup for the first time in decades. While the Flyers have been Cup-less for 35 years now, the Blackhawks own the longest cup drought in the NHL at 49 years and the second longest drought in NHL history only behind the New York Rangers (54 years). With both teams hungry for another championship, I say the series goes 7 games.

Throwback Thursday x It's Lima Time

Recently, Major League Baseball lost one of its more colorful characters as it was learned that Jose Lima was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead at the young age of 37 years old. Lima spent 13 seasons in the big leagues and played for several different ball clubs. The Detroit Tigers (1994-1996), Houston Astros (1997-2001), Detroit Tigers (2001-2002), Kansas City Royals (2003, 2005), Los Angeles Dodgers (2004) and most recently the the New York Mets in 2006. Better known by his teammates for his dashing spirit and provocative behavior by his opponents, the Dominican born right-hander pitcher had a career year in 1999 with the Houston Astros where he went on to win 21-games and made his first and only All-Star appearance.

Despite his mediocre career numbers of a 89-102 win-loss record and a 5.26 ERA, Lima was a fan favorite due to his animated emotion he had while on the mound as his starts became better known as 'Lima Time'. Not only was he an athlete, he was also an entertainer. And although baseball was his main occupation, Lima didn't always have his eyes set on the sport. Growing up as a child, Jose had plans to become a singer. That was until his father convinced him to put down the mic and pick up a glove and a ball. While pursuing a different career, Lima was still an accomplished singer in his native country as well as on the field and in the clubhouse. During his tenure with the Dodgers in '04, Lima often sang the National Anthem prior to the start of the game. And although his presence on the baseball diamond won't live on, his spirit and voice will.

R.I.P José Desiderio Rodriguez Lima
September 30, 1972 - May 23, 2010

New Faces in New Places

Goodbye Russell, Hello Campbell - Continuing a busy NFL offseason that has consisted of blockbuster trades, surprising draft choices, interesting controversies, head shrugging suspensions, mind boggling scandals (see Big Ben's Big Mistake) and the constant Brett Favre talks and never ending updates that have become a daily thing by now, comes another batch of goodies. From Big Ben returning to camp and being allowed to resume in team activities, to the Oakland Raiders releasing their 2007 number 1 overall pick -- JaMarcus Russell. Less than two weeks before Russell's release, the Raiders acquired QB Jason Campbell from the Washington Redskins in exchange for a 4th round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. This of coarse coming weeks after Washington welcomed former Eagles QB Donovan McNabb. Alongside Ryan Leaf, Russell will go down as one of the biggest busts in NFL history.


Cincy takes a Gamble - Also making headway, is the Cincinnati Bengals who signed CB Adam 'Pac-Man' Jones to a 2-year contract. Like Russell, a lot was expected from Jones when being drafted in 2005 by the Tennessee Titans as the first defensive player in the Draft and sixth player overall in the first round. But after countless incidents and suspensions, Jones' presence on the field is yet to be seen. In fact, Jones has made a bigger impact in the wrestling ring than he has on the football field. In 2007, Jones saw a brief stint on TNA Wrestling and was even a Tag Team Champion at one time before retiring from the sport. The Bengals however, are no strangers for signing players who are linked to controversy and known for having issues both on and off the field, as the team saw a total of nine separate player arrests in nine months back in 2007.


Damaged Goods - Making some of the bigger news thus far in the offseason, was the trade between the Denver Broncos and the Miami Dolphins (see Welcome to Miami). While the Dolphins dealt two draft picks to get the highly talented WR Brandon Marshall, they were unaware of the news they would receive soon after. Just weeks before the start of NFL OTA's, the Dolphins were looking forward to seeing their new star wide-out. Instead, they got word that Marshall would be out until training camp while recovering from hip surgery. Surgery the team knew nothing about when they made a trade for him just a month earlier. And it didn't help that Marshall himself didn't mention anything about undergoing surgery either. The real question is, did Denver know they were trading away damaged goods? Let's hope the Dolphins held onto their receipt...

The Zen Master x Charge!

The Ultimate Showdown - The table is set for another round of good 'ol Lakers-Celtics basketball as both teams look to once again renew their rivalry and add another chapter to the archive of never ending L.A.-Boston NBA Finals faceoffs. Something else both teams hope to add is another Championship to their trophy case. As the Celtics remain atop the list with 17-world tittles, the Lakers are in the rear-view mirror close behind with a total of 15-world tittles. But what's a good 'ol rivalry without adding a little spice to the mix? Adding fuel to the fire is something no man can do better than the Zen Master himself.

After commenting on the NBA officials and the superstar treatment they were giving Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, Lakers head coach Phil Jackson was fined $35,000 by the angel of NBA commissioner David Stern as PTI's Tony Kornheiser likes to say. Next on the list was Phoenix Suns veteran point-guard Steve Nash who was accused by Jackson for carrying the ball. After completing a four-game sweep of the San Antonio Spurs, Nash fired back by saying, "The best coach in the league Gregg Popovich didn't seem to complain about it." And when Phil's Lakers punched their ticket to the NBA Finals for the third consecutive year, it wasn't long before Jackson was back at his usual mind games. This time aiming at the Lakers archrival Boston Celtics and their star center Kevin Garnett, hoping to ploy the same problems that both Durant and Nash faced in rounds past.

After labeling the Celtics as a team with a smack down mentality, mainly referring to Garnett and his karate chopping of Dwight Howard's arm in game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Jackson made some comments that could influence the refs. "That's not our team, we don't go out there and smack people around." But unlike Phil's past victims, Garnett didn't fall into the trap of the almighty Zen Master. Instead, he called Jackson's bluff and said it was all part of Jackson's little game. But whether or not Garnett and the rest of the Boston three-party alongside Rajon Rondo decide to fall for any of Jackson's tricks that may be up his sleeve, they're going to have to look out for one thing and one thing only -- Charges.

The Lakers plan to attack the big bodied Celtics by taking and committing charges. And for every successful charge, a Laker will earn an extra $50 to their pay check. All Laker players seemed to get the memo, except for the trouble Ron Artest of coarse. Artest, the hero in game 5 of the Western Conference Finals told ESPN, "If you take a charge on the playground [in New York] and call it, someones getting stabbed." I'm not sure if Artest was the one threatening to do the stabbing, but I wouldn't doubt it. After all, this is the same guy that ran into the stands in Detroit and caused what would go down as the biggest brawl in NBA history -- the Malice at the Palace...

Game 1 of the NBA Finals starts tomorrow at 6 pm on ABC, Go Lakers!