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NOTES ON A SCORECARD

May 20, 2013 By

Before the season began, I predicted a Spurs-Heat Finals, with San Antonio winning and giving Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan their fifth World Championship since 1999. I still think the Spurs will defeat Miami, but both teams have a lot of work ahead….

In the West, the Grizzlies are big on the inside, quick on the wings, have an underrated and athletic point guard in Mike Conley and the confidence of having taken out San Antonio in the first round two years ago. But in the end it will be the Spurs advantage in experience and coaching which will get them through….

In the East, the Pacers are really up against it, for reasons on and off the court….

Without their best player, Danny Granger, it’s going to be very tough for Indiana. Sure they have a lot of size inside and Paul George is blossoming into a star, but it’s LeBron James they’re going up against….

So even if the series were on the level, I’d give Miami a slight edge; because of the great LeBron and the Pacers missing Granger….

But the biggest reason Indiana is going on vacation is the prospect of an all small market Finals of either the Grizzlies or Spurs against the Pacers….

Despite the fact San Antonio has always been a good offensive team, averaged over 100 points per game, extremely well coached and fun to watch, their Finals appearances have been among the lowest rated in NBA history….

Which means David Stern will never allow the Pacers to win their series….

With ratings guarantees to sponsors and a huge new television deal to be negotiated in the off season, a Pacers-Spurs/Grizzlies series would be financial Armageddon for Stern, the owners and ABC….

The Pacers making the Finals would literally cost the NBA tens of millions of dollars and it can’t happen….

This year’s playoff ratings have fallen off the cliff, down at least 25% cross the board; which means the NBA desperately needs Miami and LeBron in the Finals….

If the Pacers go up 2-0, or 3-1, maybe we’ll see Stern playing the Jimmy “Mouth of the South” Hart role; running around the court cheering for the Heat and screaming into his megaphone. And if we’re lucky, maybe Stern distracts the referees, runs onto the court and cracks one of the Pacers on the back of the head with said megaphone….

As I said earlier, without Granger I’d pick the Heat anyway; even if things were fair and square. But with the amount of money the NBA could lose, any chance the Pacers have is gone….

The Pacers players should make their Jamaican reservations now, because they’re going on vacation in about 10 days….

With rumors continuing about Albert Pujols being at least three years older than he claims, an interesting legal question arises….

If Pujols really is 36, instead of his stated 33, can the Angels void his contract and save themselves about $200 million over the next eight years?….

I said when the Angels signed Pujols it might go down as the worst contract in baseball history; because Albert has been in decline the past few years and in the steroid testing era you do not give 10-year deals to 32-year-olds….

But if Pujols was really at least 35, it makes the contract even worse; if that’s possible….

So can the Angels legally claim fraud and void the deal, or was it up to them to exercise due diligence and make sure everything was official?….

Maybe one of you lawyers out there can clear this up for me….

I keep hearing Magic Johnson is a great businessman, but you couldn’t tell by the way he’s run the Dodgers so far….

In the first major move since purchasing the team, Earvin got suckered by the Red Sox, who unloaded all of their bad contracts on him in a trade last season….

Now, with hundreds of millions owed to the former Red Sox players, the Dodgers have a firm grip on last place, while the financially unburdened Red Sox have been in first place most of the season and currently a game behind the Yankees….

So the Magic Man took on a few hundred million in salaries and sits in last place, while the team who pawned them off on him fights for first place….

Sounds like Magic got bamboozled….

Speaking of bad business decisions, how about the Angels spending $250 million on Pujols, who’s hitting .241, and $125 million on Josh Hamilton, who’s hitting .214?….

And the team who wisely allowed Hamilton to walk, the Rangers, are running away with the division and already 12 games ahead of the Angels….

And the Cardinals? They brilliantly allowed Pujols to leave via free agency, found a pigeon to give him $250 million and are in first place in their division….

Remind me to call the Angels or Dodgers the next time I want to unload a bad investment….

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FLOYD MAYWEATHER AGAINST THE GREATS OF THE 1980′s

May 14, 2013 By

There is no denying Floyd Mayweather has great skills, reflexes, hand speed and arguably the best fighter of his era; but he’s also managed to avoid tough fights, doesn’t take unnecessary risks and been allowed to get away with it….

Years ago he signed a huge money deal with HBO, who foolishly gave him control of whom he was going to fight and when. And like any good businessman, Mayweather took very little risk for the most reward….

HBO took a bath on the deal, couldn’t wait for it to end and hopefully learned their lesson….

Now Showtime has given Floyd a colossal deal for six fights and already produced a dud; Money’s easy win over outclassed Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero….

Now, with a September date up next and the boxing world clamoring for Floyd to fight dangerous and strong Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Team Mayweather seems to be looking for an easier opponent to make their next $30 million….

The word is Mayweather wants Alvarez to come all the way down to the Welterweight limit of 147 lbs, which means Floyd doesn’t want the fight….

And Showtime is going to be stuck with another one-sided, glorified workout for Money come September….

Is Floyd a good businessman? Yes. Is he a great fighter? Yes. Should he be listed among the All-Time greats? Absolutely not, because of his hand picking inferior opponents and avoiding the likes of Manny Pacquiao and Canelo….

It’s too bad, because I think Floyd would have outboxed Pacman and would do the same to Alvarez, even at a weight higher than 147….

But Floyd referring to himself as the greatest fighter of all time is absurd; because he hasn’t faced the level of competition other great fighters have….

The 1980′s were a Golden Era, with Sugar Ray Leonard, Tommy Hearns, Roberto Duran, Wilfred Benitez, Pipino Cuevas, Aaron Pryor, Alexis Arguello, Pernell Whitaker, Donald Curry and Marvin Hagler hovering around Mayweather’s weight class….

Of this group. I think Mayweather would have knocked out Cuevas and Arguello; who were both easy to hit not nearly as gifted as Floyd….

Against the rest, now it gets tough for Money….

There is no doubt in my mind the 6’2″ Hearns would have knocked out the 5’7″ Floyd. Tommy is the hardest punching fighter I’ve ever seen and he would have caught Floyd early with his patented right cross and gotten him out of there. Mayweather is simply too small….

Leonard was an All-Time great, a better fighter than Hearns and also would have stopped Floyd. It wouldn’t be as devastating and sudden as what Tommy would do to Mayweather, but Sugar Ray was way too much and would give him a beatdown before stopping him late….

As for Duran, he always had trouble with slick boxers such as Floyd and this would have been a difficult fight for him. But Floyd also doesn’t deal well with pressure, evidenced by him losing his 2003 fight against Jose Luis Castillo. JLC outworked Floyd over 12 rounds and won 116-112 on my card….

Mayweather has never been in a war and Duran’s relentless pressure and power would have put Floyd in a place he’s never been before; fighting for his life. Roberto Duran by unanimous decision….

As for Benitez, he was as crafty and skilled a boxer as you’ll ever see; but didn’t punch enough and had a tendency to get outworked. Mayweather by a close decision over him. But this one could go either way, because Wilfred was really, really good….

The Hagler fight probably wouldn’t have happened, because Marvelous Marvin was a Middleweight and one of the greatest fighters of all time. Obviously, this would be an easy win for Hagler….

Aaron Pryor was a favorite of mine, because every second of every round he threw punches and pressured his opponent. His knockout win over Arguello in 1982 is one of the greatest fights of all time and he was truly great before drug use ruined his career….

In my opinion, Pryor would have been all over Floyd from the opening bell and not allowed him to pick his shots and pace himself. Aaron delivers a beating and wins by unanimous decision….

Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker was the slickest boxer I’ve ever seen, but this would have been a boring fight; because both Whitaker and Mayweather were safety first, defensive fighters who depended on their enormous reflexes and boxing skill to make fights look easy….

This is a tough call, but I’m going with Sweet Pea by decision. As good a boxer as Floyd is, there was never anyone as slick and as hard to hit as Pernell….

A lot of people don’t remember Donald “The Cobra” Curry, but in the early and mid-80′s he was the undisputed Welterweight Champion, undefeated and considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world….

After cleaning out the Welterweight division, he was set to move up to Middleweight and challenge Hagler; and a lot of experts believed Curry could win….

That’s how good he was in his prime….

But before he got the Hagler fight, Curry went to Sugar Ray Leonard for career advice and Leonard convinced him to stay at Welterweight for another fight or two….

What Donald didn’t know was the Ray was planning a comeback and took the Hagler fight for himself; costing Curry millions….

On April 6, 1987, the day if the Hagler-Leonard fight, Curry sued Sugar Ray for $1 million; claiming Leonard defrauded him by talking him out of the Hagler fight and stealing it for himself….

In the meantime, Donald was having huge managerial, personal and health problems, lost his title to Lloyd Honeyghan and sadly never did make the huge money everyone thought he would….

But in his prime he was a truly great fighter and I like him by unanimous decision over Floyd. Too big, too strong and Curry wins handily….

So there you have my predictions: Floyd Mayweather beats Pipino Cuevas, Alexis Arguello and Wilfred Benitez; but loses to Tommy Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler, Aaron Pryor, Pernell Whitaker and Donald Curry….

So let me know what you think, @davesportsgod on twitter….

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NOTES ON A SCOREBOARD

May 10, 2013 By

After Game 1 of the Warriors-Spurs series, when Golden State blew a 16-point lead with four minutes left and lost in double overtime, I predicted the Warriors had their hearts ripped out and would proceed to get swept….

I agreed with Charles Barkley, who stated losing such gut wrenching game was equal to two losses and Golden State was done….

But instead of folding, the Warriors showed tremendous resiliency and made me look like a dumb ass; winning Game 2 and going back to the Bay Area with a good chance to win the series….

One thing I overlooked in the Game 1 collapse was the absence of Klay Thompson, who fouled out before the Spurs went on their late run. He’s developed into an All-Star caliber player and his tremendous performance in Game 2 showed how valuable he is to this team….

Coming out of high school, Klay was overlooked and not recruited by either USC and UCLA; despite his father Mychal imploring the Trojans and Bruins to take him….

The knock on Klay was he was a step slow and not athletic enough, which was and still is ridiculous….

So he went to Washington St. and became an All-American an NBA lottery pick; while USC and UCLA looked like complete morons by not recruiting a star player in their own back yard….

During the Warriors 1st round series against the Nuggets, head coach Mark Jackson said that Stephen Curry and Klay were “the best shooting backcourt in the history of the NBA.”….

At first, I disagreed and thought Curry and Thompson hadn’t been around long enough to be declared the best ever; especially when I grew up watching Gail Goodrich and Jerry West….

But having watched them play consistently, I now agree with Jackson; they are the best shooting backcourt I’ve ever seen….

No disrespect to CP3, Tony Parker, Rajon Rondo, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, Deron Williams or any of the elite point guards; but Curry is my choice as the best in the NBA….

Not only is Steph maybe the best shooter I’ve ever seen, he’s also developed tremendous point guard skills, has excellent handles and doesn’t turn the ball over….

Every time I see Curry knock down another three point shot, my first instinct is to double team him and force him to give up the ball. But with Steph surrounded by teammates who can make plays and finish, it’s actually worse to double him….

He sees the floor beautifully, is unselfish and absolutely picks you apart for dunks and lay-ups if you leave his teammates open….

I agree with Sir Charles, who said after Game 1 that it’s better to live with Curry scoring 44 points than trying to double him, thus leaving the floor spread and his teammates unguarded….

Steph is an absolutely amazing talent and rapidly becoming my favorite player in the NBA….

And Coach Jackson is brilliant to spread the floor, go small and bring out the best in him….

If the Warriors manage to get past the Spurs, they play in the Western Conference Finals against either the Thunder, playing without Russell Westbrook, or the Grizzlies; who have never been on this big a stage before….

It sounds ridiculous, but Golden State could very well be in the NBA Finals if they find a way to beat San Antonio….

Even though I don’t think it’s going to happen this September, and maybe never the way Floyd Mayweather tends to negotiate, it was interesting to read that talks have begun for a Mayweather-Canelo Alvarez fight….

A factor working in favor of the fight being made is Golden Boy promotes Alvarez and works closely with Floyd’s promotional company….

Factors working against the match-up are that Alvarez is the 154 lb. champion and Floyd will almost certainly demand a catch weight of 150 lbs….

Mayweather has never fought over 151, cherishes his undefeated record and will not fight Canelo at 154. He’s going to want every advantage possible….

Alvarez is a big, strong kid who is growing and probably won’t stay at 154 for long. He’s also stated publicly he has no interest in a catch weight and Mayweather can come to 154 lbs. if he wants a fight….

Logically, with a $30-40 million payday awaiting both of them, Floyd and Canelo will come to their senses and work something out….

Of course, I said the same thing about Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, and they were looking at $60 million each for possibly the biggest fight in boxing history….

And despite the massive paydays and public demand, that fight never happened….

But that was with mortal enemies Oscar De La Hoya and Bob Arum trying to come together on a deal, not an easy task….

Hopefully, with Mayweather and Canelo working with the same people, we can do this….

My prediction?….

If they fight at 150, 154, 160 or 200 lbs, Floyd is going to school the kid and win a decision….

True, Alvarez is no Robert Guerrero and it’s a tougher fight for Maayweather; but superior speed, experience, reflexes and boxing skill will lead to a Money victory….

It will be more difficult for Floyd at 154, but he wins either way….

I kept reading before the Ghost fight that Floyd was 36 and any day now age was going to catch up with him….

Tell that to Bernard Hopkins, who remains a World Champion at the age of 48….

Floyd and Bernard are similar in a lot of ways….

Both of them stay in supreme condition and never go to camp out of shape and needing to lose a bunch of weight. They stay at their fighting weight year round, thus greatly increasing their longevity….

Nothing ages a fighter more than partying and gaining a bunch of weight between fights; just ask De La Hoya, Fernando Vargas and Ricky Hatton. Ballooning up and down in weight is hard on the body and shortens careers….

Like Hopkins, Mayweather fights once or twice a year; another reason to believe he can continue to be elite for several more years….

And while Floyd has tremendous speed and reflexes, he’s also a brilliant defensive fighter and once his speed starts to decline, he has the technical skills to continue to dominate the sport….

The biggest reason Hopkins is still a World Champion at 48 is because none of his opponents have been taught how to fight. They might have good skill and quick hands, but Bernard is so technically sound and so tricky that he continues to win….

Fortunately for guys like Floyd and Bernard, none of their opponents know how to fight; giving them a huge advantage….

Another guy who could have been winning World Championships until he was 50 is James Toney; who has no equal when it comes to technical skill, craftiness and controlling the action in the ring. Unfortunately he also has no control when it comes to eating and his lack of conditioning has hurt him….

But even when James is 50 lbs. overweight, he can go 12 rounds without breathing hard; because he knows how to fight, knows how to pace himself and is a master at boxing technique….

I have no doubt that if Toney had stayed in shape year round and had Mayweather and Hopkins’ discipline outside the ring, he’d still be a World Champion….

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WEEKEND NOTES

May 6, 2013 By

Going into Saturday night’s fight, I thought Floyd Mayweather would give Robert Guerrero a boxing lesson and win an easy unanimous decision….

The Ghost is a tough kid, but he’s slow, stands right in front of you and easy to hit; three things you do not want to be when you’re facing a fighter the caliber of Mayweather….

So there was no reason to watch since the result was a foregone conclusion….

Now the question is what’s next for Money….

The obvious choice is Canelo Alvarez; who is young, strong, powerful and fun to watch. He’s also extremely popular in Mexico, which means good PPV sales. Combine this with fighting Mayweather and you have a box office jackpot….

This one should be held at Cowboys Stadium, because if the promoters don’t greedy and overprice the tickets, it will sell out the 100,000 seat stadium….

As for the fight, if Canelo makes Floyd come up to 154 it works to his advantage; but he still won’t win. Alvarez
is obviously better than Guerrero, but he doesn’t have the speed, reflexes or boxing skill to deal with Floyd….

Speed kills and a unanimous decision for Money Mayweather….

Sergio Martinez:

If Sergio makes Floyd come all the way up to 160, which Mayweather will not do, Martinez will lose a unanimous decision but win a few rounds. But if it’s a catch weight under 160, Martinez won’t win a round….

Too slow, too predictable and easy pickings for Floyd….

Juan Manuel Marquez:

A few years ago JMM was a small guy who looked tiny next to Mayweather and lost a lopsided decision. It was a mismatch and a fight nobody wanted to see again….

But that was before the remarkable transformation of JMM’s body….

In his recent fight against Manny Pacquiao, Marquez looked like an Adonis, almost unrecognizable from the JMM of just a year before. And at 39, JMM suddenly developed knockout power and starched Pacman with a Tommy Hearns-like right cross….

When I saw Marquez at the weigh-in and in the ring for the fight, I thought was he was using PED’s, because it’s almost impossible to transform your body and power so dramatically at 39 years of age….

But in JMM’s defense, he passed his post-fight drug test and has denied using any kind of steroids….

And obviously, I’m not a part of Team Marquez and can’t prove anything. Again, must one man’s opinion….

As for the fight, it’s going to be difficult to make because Mayweather will demand around the clock, 24/7 drug testing, because they suspect he’s not clean; just as they thought with Pacquiao….

But if Marquez agrees to the terms, passes the tests and comes into the ring looking the same way he did against Pacman, it’s going to be a much mire competitive fight and he’ll push Floyd….

JMM still won’t win, but he’ll hit Money, make him work and lose a much closer unanimous decision….

Despite the new size and strength, JMM still can’t match Mayweather’s speed and boxing skill….

Andre Ward:

The 168 lb. champion is the wild card in this whole scenario, because he’s much bigger and stronger than Floyd….

But since Ward has great difficulty making 168 and already announced plans to move to light heavyweight, this fight is unlikely to happen….

But since nobody outside of boxing has ever heard of Andre Ward and he can’t make any real money at 175, Ward would be wise to try and get down to 160 for a Mayweather fight….

If Andre can make 168, he could get a team of nutritionists and fitness experts to take off another eight lbs….

And it would be worth it, because Andre would make more money in one night against Floyd than he would make in the rest of his career combined….

But even if Ward agrees to diet down to 160, will Floyd risk losing his undefeated record by coming up all the way from 147?….

And if Ward somehow does get down to 160 , you know he’ll come into the ring at 180 the next night; strong and ready to do some damage….

Andre is a hell of a fighter and in my opinion, this is the fight Mayweather would lose. Ward by unanimous decision….

By the way, there was a Heavyweight Championship fight over the weekend and nobody cared….

Hell, I’m a boxing fan and didn’t know Wladimir Klitschko was defending his title….

Remember the old days, when the world would stop for a heavyweight championship fight? It was always the biggest sports story of the day, no matter who Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Mike Tyson or Evander Holyfield were fighting….

But in 2013? If a tree falls in the forest does anybody hear it?….

If anyone cares, I hear Klitschko knocked out the bum in six rounds….

The only way to generate interest in the heavyweight division is forcing the Klitschko brothers to fight each other….

They are obviously the two best heavyweights in the world and should be forced to either fight or be stripped of their belts and their boxing licenses….

In what other sport could siblings refuse to face each other?….

Could the Williams sisters refuse to play in a Wimbledon or U.S. Open Final?….

What if brothers refused to take the basketball court because they didn’t want to comptete?….

Can you imagine Tiki Barber breaking through the line of scrimmage and his twin brother Ronde refusing to tackle him?….

In all of the above scenarios, they would be suspended and face heavy fines….

But for some reason, the Klitschkos are allowed to hurt the sport by refusing to settle the heavyweight championship….

And it would be a great fight, because nobody knows who would win….

Wladimir is younger, hits harder and a more skilled fighter; but Vitali is bigger, tougher, has a better chin and excellent defensively….

I think Vitali would win based on his defense and better chin, but Wladimir could easily knock him out if he catches him….

It would be a great night for boxing and save the heavyweight division, but unfortunately it will never happen….

We have two heavyweights dominating their sport, but we’ll never see who is the better man and the real champion….

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NOTES ON A SCORECARD

May 2, 2013 By

With the Thunder missing Russell Westbrook and the Spurs still dealing with injuries to Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, the Clippers have been presented with the greatest opportunity in the history of their sorry franchise; a chance to make it to the NBA Finals….

Knowing this, you’d think they’d go out and take care of business in Game 5 against the Grizzlies and take a commanding 3-2 series lead….

But the Clippers being who they are, we should have expected what happened; a home court loss and a injury to Blake Griffin….

Now the Clips must travel to Memphis, where they got hammered in Games 3 and 4, without Griffin and with Chris Paul nursing an injured left thumb….

They also have another seemingly insurmountable obstacle; Vinny Del Negro’s coaching….

I’m not sure how Blake injured his ankle during a practice before Game 5, only that he came down on Lamar Odom’s foot and turned his ankle….

There have been some reports, unsubstantiated, that Del Negro was conducting a full contact practice; and if this is true Vinny should not only be fired, but get s***-canned immediately and not allowed to coach Game 6….

Again, we don’t know what happened and it easily could have been a freak accident; but if the Clippers were practicing full speed it’s one of the biggest coaching blunders in NBA history….

A week ago, with the Clippers up 2-0 and rolling, the talk was Del Negro returning and CP3 signing a multi-year extension. Now, with the wheels coming off, Del Negro is certain to be fired and Paul might leave via free agency….

If the Clippers lose Game 6, exit in Round 1 and VDN is jettisoned, here’s what they should do….

I would contact Phil Jackson the day after Game 6 and offer him the same kind of deal Pat Riley received in Miami: 10% ownership and a $10-15M a year job as the head coach and President of Basketball Operations….

This would put enormous pressure on the hated Lakers, who are thinking of bringing back Phil as their coach….

The last thing the Lakers would want is Jackson creating enormous buzz for the Clippers, making them the talk of the sports world and possibly taking over the town….

I like the Clippers roster and think they have the most talent in the NBA 1-10. Their problem is coaching and I could see the Zenmaster winning an NBA championship with this group….

If I’m Donald T. Sterling, I’m not waiting to see if the Lakers make an offer to Phil. I hand over the Riley-style offer and make the Lakers respond….

Phil could then walk into Jim Buss’ office, put the contract on the table and say “Okay, now what are you going to do?”….

I know most of you reading this are saying “But he’s getting married to Jeanie; who is now an owner of the team along and would never allow it”….

But if the decision is made by Mitch and Jim to bring back Mike D’Antoni as coach, there’s not much else out there for Phil; who has recharged his batteries and wants to coach again….

Jeanie has stated publicly that she wants Phil to coach again and was all for him taking the Knicks job if it were offered….

So if there isn’t a job with the Lakers, wouldn’t this be a good situation? Big Chief Triangle stays in Los Angeles, he and Jeanie remain in their beautiful beach house and the greatest rivalry in the NBA is born….

Can you imagine the electricity inside Staples Center as Phil walks onto the floor and takes a seat on the Clippers bench? I can’t imagine the excitement and drama….

The Clippers would be the talk of the sporting world and for the first time take the play away from the Lakers in Los Angeles….

Sadly, this makes too much sense and The Donald is too cheap and too short sided to make it happen. He’s more likely to bring back Del Negro on the cheap….

Reportedly, Phil is being offered a Riley-style deal in Toronto, but there’s no way in hell he’s moving to Canada to oversee a horses*** team with no chance to draw top notch free agents….

There was also talk of Jackson running the new Seattle SuperSonics, but it looks like the Kings are staying in Sacramento….

So put yourself in Sterling’s shoes: The greatest coach in the history of the NBA, with 11 championship rings, is rested, healthy, has recharged his batteries, wants to coach again and lives in Los Angeles….

What more incentive does The Donald need to go after the Zenmaster? How smart do you have to be to offer Phil anything he wants to take your Clippers to respectability and possibly a World Championship….

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WEEKEND NOTES

April 29, 2013 By

I’ve never been a huge Dwight Howard fan, because I’ve always believed he was immature and didn’t work hard enough on his game. Sure, he could block shots and rebound; but after all these years in the NBA he still didn’t have a signature post move and misses more easy shots than any player in the league….

But when the Lakers dealt for him in the offseason I was excited; especially when they got him for Andrew Bynum, someone who might never play in the NBA again….

Sure, he was a crybaby and a diva in Orlando by getting his coach fired and being a locker room cancer; but when he came to the Los Angeles this would change. After all, the Lakers are the glamour franchise of the NBA and Dwight would be grateful and humble….

Sadly, just the opposite was true; as he sulked his way through most of the season….

True, he was coming off back surgery and not 100%, but all the complaining about Kobe not passing him the ball and the behind-the-scenes texting to Phil Jackson regarding his role with Mike D’Antoni showed he was still the same immature kid….

So when Kobe went down, it was a golden opportunity for Howard to show he was a leader and ready to accept the torch being handed to him….

With Bryant out, the excuses about not getting the ball and being left out of the offense were done; it was time to dominate games and show he was worth the five year, $117M contract….

After the Lakers lost Game One to the Spurs, one of the strangest things I’ve ever seen happened in Game 2….

Howard was in foul trouble the entire game, but not because of power moves to the basket, aggressively attacking on defense or because of a corrupt officiating crew….

All five fouls came from Dwight taking both hands and shoving his opponent in the back while he was just a few feet from the referee….

Normally I’m all over the officials for not allowing the players to decide games and making too many touch calls, but in this case the zebras had no choice. All five fouls were blatant and seemed intentional….

And with the season on the line, it was inexplicable to see your best player picking up one stupid, brain dead foul after another. It seemed he was tanking the game and trying to get his coach fired….

Kind of a silly thing to do when you want a $117M contract, isn’t it?….

After getting blown out in Game Three with a cast of NBADL players, it was a mere formality the Lakers were going to lose Game Four; but that didn’t mean we didn’t expect 100% effort….

In the 3rd quarter of Game Four, with around nine minutes left, Dwight did one of the most immature and selfish things I’ve ever seen….

After some physical play in the post, D12 got two technicals and was thrown out of the game. Sure the Lakers were down by 20 and had very little chance of winning, but to get yourself thrown out at that point is a knife in the back to his teammates, the organization and the fans….

Who knows? Maybe Dwight makes a few blocks, starts some fast breaks and the Lakers make a couple of threes. Maybe he gets a lob dunk or two and the Lakers make a run….

Unlikely, but in a close out game you have to stay composed and play hard for 48 minutes….

Instead, this guy gets himself kicked out at the time they needed him the most? And he wants a $117M deal?….

As for the Lakers coaching situation, they have to make a decision immediately. If they’re going to fire D’Antoni and bring back Phil, do it now. If they’re going to bring back MDA next season, make the announcement today. Because allowing this to fester is going to affect their offseason….

If D’Antoni is back, they need to get to work on trading Pau Gasol, get more athletic and bring in some shooters; and going into the final year of his contract, Gasol will never again have this kind of trade value….

But if Phil returns, he’ll probably want to keep Pau, run the triangle and get back to two big guys in the low post….

But none of this stuff can get going until a decision is made on the coach….

Here’s another option: Try and re-open the three way deal which was discussed last season: Dwight to the Nets, Brooke Lopez to the T-Wolves and Kevin Love to the Lakers. This gives D’Antoni the stretch 4 he covets for his system and he could move Gasol to center….

Another scenario: Can you get Love without giving up Dwight? Obviously Minnesota would never do a Gasol for Love trade, even though Pau has an expiring, $20M deal….

It won’t be easy, but the way to do this is to get a third and possibly a fourth team involved. This way the T-Wolves get some players to replace Love, someone gets an expiring $20M deal to create cap space and the Lakers get Love. It wouldn’t be easy, but a creative and smart GM might be able to pull it off….

If Phil returns, however, he might be the one guy who gets through to D12 and gets the maximum out of him….

One more thing Laker fans need to remember: It was Dr. Jerry Buss who hired D’Antoni, not Jim Buss….

Jim was on board with re-hiring Phil, as was Mitch Kupchack, but Dr. Buss was adamant about bringing back Showtime and bringing excitement back to the franchise….

Now that Jim and Jeanie are in charge, I believe the chance of Phil returning are increased….

One thing the organization should not do is bring back the Zenmaster in the role of President/GM and hire someone else to coach. This is a really bad idea, because Phil has shown in the past he’s not good at player personnel, drafting or free agent signings….

He’s the greatest coach in NBA history, but that doesn’t make him a good executive….

In Chicago, he fought GM Jerry Krause tooth-and-nail on almost every decision he made; and Phil was wrong nearly 100% of the time….

Krause was a brilliant GM and made one excellent move after another, most of which were questioned and ridiculed by Phil and Michael Jordan….

I’d pay Phil Jackson $15M a year to coach my team and be glad to do it; but I wouldn’t give him two cents to run my franchise….

He comes back as the coach, not the head of personnel….

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NOTES ON A SCORECARD

April 26, 2013 By

I often talk about how the Dallas Mavericks laid the blueprint for defeating the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals; zone LeBron, keep him from getting to the basket and turn him into a jump shooter….

And even though Thunder coach Scott Brooks was too stubborn and stupid to learn from this and do the same, it’s still the best way to play King James and the Heat….

Another example of a team laying a winning blueprint was the San Antonio Spurs against the Clippers last year in the Western Conference semi-finals….

Instead of letting the Clips to run pick-and-roll and allowing Chris Paul to make play after play late in games, Gregg Popovich challenged CP3′s teammates to beat him; and the result was a Spurs sweep….

In that series it became painfully obvious the Clippers don’t have another player capable of making plays, so Popovich simply ran double teams at Paul, forced him to give up the ball and watched his teammates screw up….

Obviously Coach Pop watched the previous series closely, when Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins sat there for seven games with his thumb up his ass; never making an adjustment on the Clips screen-and-roll and allowing CP3 to turn the corner and pick them apart….

You’d think Hollins would have learned a valuable lesson from this and installed the San Antonio philosophy of defending the Clippers; but in the first two games of this series CP3 once again had the ball in his hands and made one play after another as Los Angeles took a 2-0 series lead….

Finally, with his team on the brink of elimination, Hollins aggressively attacked Chris in Game 3 and the result was holding the Clips to 82 points and CP3 to only eight points and six assists….

Now the question is whether Hollins is smart enough to continue this strategy; or once again sit there like a lump and watch Paul go crazy….

When you run a double team at CP3, who on this Clippers team is capable of making a play on his own and beating you? Blake Griffin? DeAndre Jordan? Caron Butler?….

Almost all of Paul’s teammates need to be set up to make shots, so obviously this is what the Grizzlies need to do….

To me, game planning the Clips is pretty simple:

1) Slow down the pace, because the Clippers are a horrible half court team. All they have is CP3 running high pick-and-roll, and if you take that away they’re in trouble.

2) Once you succeed in slowing them down, it forces Vinny Del Negro to actually make adjustments and do some coaching. Two things which are not his strengths.

3) When the Clips run the high screen-and-roll, get that second defender on Paul before he turns the corner. Jump the screen before it gets there, make him pick up his dribble and pass the ball. Then the Clips are in the half court with someone incapable of making a play.

It’s not complicated. Now let’s see if Hollins is smart enough to figure this out….

As for the Lakers, they’re down 2-0 to the Spurs and it’s time to get out the brooms; because with all the injuries this series is over….

Unless you think a starting backcourt of Chris Duhon and Darius Morris will lead the Lakers to a stunning comeback victory….

Going into this series, I thought the Lakers were going to win; because of injuries to Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili….

Unfortunately for me and Lakers fans, Manu and Tony are much healthier than I thought and playing extremely well. And with Steve Nash hurt, Steve Blake out and Kobe done for the season, I have a better chance of winning this series by getting my old high school team back together….

I know Lakers fans are desperately calling for the firing of Mike D’Antoni and the return of Phil Jackson, but here’s the harsh reality: With this injured, short handed team the exact same result would happen with Phil, John Wooden, Red Auerbach, Jerry Tarkanian or any other great coach you can think of….

Wasn’t it just two years ago the Lakers were embarrassed, blown out and swept by the Mavericks as Phil sat on the bench like a lump; sleeping through the games without making a single defensive adjustment?….

Despite no training camp, an incredible amount of injuries and almost never having his starting line-up healthy, D’Antoni guided the Lakers to a 28-12 record over the second half of the season, the 4th best record in the NBA….

They also finished the season 20-8 and went from being out of the playoffs to a #7 seed….

Sure, they’re going to lose this series, but it’s not D’Antoni’s fault….

One thing’s for sure, though; the Buss family needs to make a decision quickly after the season. If they’re going to fire MDA and re-hire Phil, do it right away so the Zenmaster can assemble the kind of team he likes….

This means Pau Gasol returns, the Lakers go back to the triangle and Gasol and Dwight Howard will be in the low post….

If the decision is made to bring back D’Antoni, then Pau is most likely gone; and going into the last year of his contract at $20M makes him a valuable commodity to teams who want to create cap space….

You move Pau for some younger, more athletic players who can shoot; hopefully a stretch 4 which is essential to MDA’s system….

The Lakers would then need to sign some young players who can shoot, taking the pressure off Howard….

Here’s what I would try and do if I were Mitch Kupchack/Jim Buss; assuming MDA returns:

This is not going to be easy and it would take some shrewd maneuvering, but I’d try and get Kevin Love from the Timberwolves without giving up D12….

Obviously, the T-Wolves aren’t going to trade K-Love straight up for Gasol, which is why it’s going to take a three or four team deal to make this happen. Pau’s expiring contract makes him coveted around the NBA, especially under the new CBA with tighter salary caps and higher luxury taxes….

Expiring $20M deals for 33-year-old players are like gold these days….

I know it’s going to be very difficult to get Love without giving up Dwight, but it can happen if you get enough teams involved and have a creative, bold personnel staff….

Love has been injured a lot lately, doesn’t like playing for the T-Wolves and would like nothing better than to return to L.A….

Maybe Minnesota gets a few good players for him, maybe they get Pau’s expiring deal and clear a lot of cap space. And they could also unload K-Love’s huge deal before he demands a trade….

This could be very interesting….

Now to Dwight Howard:

There is absolutely no excuse for his performance in Game Two and it makes me wonder just how smart it would be to give him the 5-year, $117M extension he wants….

He’s already proven to be a coach killer and locker room cancer in Orlando and his child like behavior this season makes me doubt he’s ever going to mature….

Wednesday night in San Antonio, I’d like to know what was going through his mind as the game was slipping away….

Howard had five fouls, and all of them were of the brain dead, stupid variety….

All five of them were Dwight taking both hands and shoving his opponent in the back; with a referee standing right next to him….

Normally I’m tough on NBA officials and rip them for all the ticky-tack fouls, but in this case all five of D12′s fouls were richly deserved and the refs had no choice but to blow the whistle….

With the Lakers short-handed and their season on the line, this guy goes out and intentionally makes ridiculous fouls right in front of the referees?….

All Dwight did this season was complain about Kobe not passing him the ball, then when he finally gets the chance to be a leader and carry the team on his shoulders he responds this way?….

It was essential Dwight dominate the game last night, especially with Tiago Splitter and Matt Bonner guarding him, and he failed miserably….

He’s still immature, still a crybaby, still an emotional mess and not nearly ready to be handed the torch as the next great Laker….

And not only did he make five dumb ass, non-sensicle fouls, he also picked up a technical after cursing the referee after a two hand shove in the back which sent his opponent flying….

This guy let down his teammates, his coaches, the organization and the fans….

Either he doesn’t want the $117M or he’s once again trying to get his coach fired….

Is the NFL draft over yet? Holy s***, what a bore this night is….

I’ve don’t know 90% of the players, the damn thing goes on for a week and in between picks we have Chris Berman and Mel Kiper talking for 15 minutes about an offensive lineman from Central Michigan nobody’s ever heard of….

On and on it goes, with another anonymous player being selected and Berman and Co. droning on and on and on….

Zzzzzzzzzz….

Someone wake me up when it’s over….

Filed Under: Dave Smith Tagged With: ,

WEEKEND NOTES

April 22, 2013 By

Going into their first round series with the Spurs, I thought the match-up was pretty good for the Lakers and picked them to win in six games….

At full strength, of course, the Lakers have no chance; but with Tony Parker hurting and Manu Ginobili limited to 20 minutes per game due to a hamstring injury, the Lakers, even without Kobe, can pull off an upset….

But if they don’t make shots from the perimeter and Pau Gasol continues to play 20 feet from the basket, it’s going to be a quick and early exit….

I liked Mike D’Antoni’s decision to start Steve Nash and Steve Blake together, because both of them are excellent shooters and will make the Spurs pay if they decide to double team Gasol and Dwight Howard in the post….

With Pau drifting around the top of the key and shooting jump shots, however, you’re playing right into San Antonio’s hands….

Another problem is Parker looks pretty good and Ginobili looked to be 100% on Sunday. Very, very difficult to beat them if those two are healthy….

What the Lakers need to do to win Game 2 and the series:

-Play a double low post with Gasol and Howard and punish the undersized Spurs down low.

-Have Gasol go right at Tim Duncan and try and get him into early foul trouble. Because you’re sure as hell not going to draw any fouls on Duncan by shooting 20 footers.

-Keep Nash and Blake playing together and hope they make the open shots they missed on Sunday. Nash is arguably the greatest shooter in the history of the NBA and Blake can also knock them down, so it’s imperative they make their open looks.

-Remove Jodie Meeks, Darius Morris and Earl Clark from the game if they launch a three-point shot without first going inside to the two big men.

-When you have two quality big men, you must play inside-out. Get the ball down low, wait for the double team and then pass it back out for an open jump shot. If the double team doesn’t come, go strong to the basket and punish Duncan, Tiago Splitter and Matt Bonner. And those double teams will go away if the Steves are knocking down shots.

That’s it….

Double low post, attack the Spurs undersized front line and surround the perimeter with shooters to make them pay for double teams….

Let’s see if anyone is listening….

Going into Saturday night’s fight, I liked slick boxing Austin Trout to win a unanimous decision against hard hitting sensation Canelo Alvarez….

I like Canelo, but my father gave me some very sound advice when I was a kid: “Whenever you’re picking a fight, always go with the better boxer.”….

And that has served me very well over the years….

I remember back in 1974, when George Foreman was dominating the heavyweight division and nobody gave Muhammad Ali a chance against him….

Except my dad, who made bets with everyone he knew on Ali. When I asked him why, he said “Son, this is going to be easy for Ali. Foreman’s a big bully and Ali will stay away from him for a few rounds, outbox him and get him out of there in eight rounds.”….

Not only did my father call the upset, he called the round….

As he lit up a cigar and counted his money after the fight, he said it again: “Son, you’ll make a lot of money betting on the boxer.”….

Obviously Trout is no Ali, but he was clearly the more skilled boxer, which is why I picked him to win….

Unfortunately the judges seemed to have this one decided before the fight and Canelo might as well have been handed the championship belt in the ring before Round One….

The fight was very competitive and Alvarez is better than I thought; and Canelo winning was by no means a robbery….

I had it scored 115-113 for Trout, because I think he out boxed him and controlled the fight….

But it was close, a few rounds could have gone either way, and I have no problem with those who had it scored 115-113 or 114-113 for Canelo….

My problem is with the one judge who had it 116-111 for Alvarez and especially that other one who somehow had it 118-109 for Canelo. To score that fight 10 rounds to two for Alvarez is criminal, smacks of a fix and that judge should never work another fight….

What makes it more suspicious is Canelo is the cash cow of boxing and will make himself and the networks hundreds of millions over the next five years….

Nobody outside of hard core boxing fans have ever heard of Trout, and a win over Alvarez would have been a financial disaster….

Was it a robbery? No. Could you legitimately say Canelo won? Yes. Was the fight rigged? Based on those two scorecards, I’d have to say yes….

By the way, they’ve tried open scoring in the past and it was a disaster; taking all the suspense out of the late rounds and causing the fighter in the lead to go into the four corner offense and quit fighting….

So why did Showtime and the promoters bring back this abomination for Alvarez-Trout?….

It made absolutely no sense and the judges insane scoring took all the excitement out of the late rounds….

In Round 12, when I had it scored 95-94 for Trout, Alvarez got on his bicycle and gave the round away; knowing the only way he could lose was by knockout….

Without open scoring, Canelo would have gone all out in the last round and we would have had one hell of a finish….

Instead, the corrupt judges already had it in the bag for Alvarez and he knew it….

Open scoring is a lot like the Republican Party, who keep doubling down on their bad ideas and keep losing elections….

Open scoring has been a disaater every time they’ve tried it, yet some dumb ass in charge doubled down on stupid and tried it again….

Filed Under: Dave Smith Tagged With:

LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE

April 17, 2013 By

I know it’s not the playoffs, but I can’t remember a time when a regular season game meant so much to the Lakers. A win tonight against the Rockets and they get a #7 seed and a first round matchup with the banged up, beatable Spurs….

If they lose and the Jazz lose to the Grizzlies, the Lakers are a #8 seed and get eliminated quickly by the Thunder….

But if the Jazz win and the Lakers lose, Los Angeles misses the playoffs and the future of the franchise changes overnight….

Does Mike D’Antoni get fired? Does Dwight Howard get his extension? Is Phil Jackson the coach next season? All hell could break loose….

So here’s my prediction about what happens in all three scenarios:

Scenario #1: The Lakers beat the Rockets and get the #7 seed.

-If this happens, the Lakers draw San Antonio and I’m going to make a bold prediction: They upset the Spurs and advance to the second round. Yes, they won’t have Kobe, but Steve Nash should be back and the Lakers have a significant advantage inside with Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard going against Tiago Splitter and Tim Duncan.

Tony Parker is hobbling and Manu Ginobili is also hurt, so the Spurs are reeling and ripe to make a first round exit.

A Lakers win also means Howard signs a maximum extension and D’Antoni will be the coach for at least the next two years.

Scenario #2: The Lakers and Jazz both lose and L.A. gets the #8 seed.

-This means a first round match-up with the Thunder and the Lakers get swept. This is a horrible match-up for the aging Lakers and they wouldn’t beat OKC even with a healthy Kobe. The Thunder are young, healthy and will run the Lakers out of the gym four straight times.

And after getting embarrassed, D’Antoni might be gone, despite making the playoffs. And Howard’s status will be up in the air if he doesn’t play well.

Scenario #3: Jazz win, Lakers lose and L.A. misses the playoffs.

If this happens, D’Antoni will certainly be fired and Phil Jackson will be the coach next season.

Now to Howard….

If the Lakers lose to the Rockets tonight and Howard doesn’t play well, management will have a very tough decision to make. Do you reward a guy with a 5 year, $117M contract after he doesn’t come through for you in the biggest game of the season? My money says the Buss family will give Dwight the benefit of the doubt and give him his extension based on their belief the Zenmaster will bring out the best in him.

I’ve always thought D12 was overrated, even in his most productive years with the Magic, because he never had any post moves, misses more easy shots than any player in the league and never seemed interested in adding variety to his low post game….

Now would this change with Phil? It could, because the Zenmaster has a knack of bringing out the best in certain players….

But I don’t think there is a Dwight/D’Antoni problem, I think it’s a Dwight/Kobe problem….

With Kobe out of the line-up on Sunday, Howard looked better than I’d seen him all season; 26 points, 17 rebounds, several blocked shots and he was active and happy….

He was getting the ball in the post, making things happen and looked like he was thoroughly enjoying life without Bryant….

And D’Antoni was on the sideline….

All season, D12 has been frustrated by Kobe dominating the ball and shooting too much, and because Dwight is immature and fragile, he allowed it to affect him….

This shouldn’t matter, of course, and if Howard wants the ball more he should get more rebounds and blocks. Of course, that’s easy for me to say, because big men are notorious for not playing hard if they’re not getting the ball….

During one of his many appearances on my show, Jerry Tarkanian and I were discussing Shaquille O’Neal’s refusing to play defense or get in shape because of Kobe’s ball hogging. When I told Tark that Shaq was making $30M a year and had an obligation to play hard and be in shape regardless of his feelings for Kobe, Jerry said the following….

“You’re right, of course, and in a perfect world everyone plays hard and gives 100% all the time. But you have to understand something about big guys: When they get the ball they run faster, jump higher, play better defense and play harder. When they’re not getting the ball they loaf and say the hell with it. I’ve been trying to change this for 40 years in coaching, but bigs are a different breed. As a coach, you have to get them involved early in games or they’re not going to play well.”….

As usual, Tark was correct….

So with Kobe out, look for Dwight to play his best basketball of the season….

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WEEKEND NOTES

April 15, 2013 By

I used to play a lot of golf and always had fun drinking and hacking the ball around. We always realized golf wasn’t really a sport, but it also was an almost impossible game to master and extremely difficult….

A perfect example of this is Argentina’s Angel Cabrera, who won the Masters a few years ago and came within an inch of winning another green jacket on Sunday….

For those of you who don’t know, Cabrera is a fat, middle aged, chain smoker with rapidly receding hairline; and he also happens to be a great golfer….

Which is why golf is a game, not a sport….

And the low amateur? A 14-year-old kid from China who actually made the cut and finished at +12….

Both of them play golf at a level I could never dream of, but in no other sport could they be this successful….

Can you imagine a 14-year-old or overweight chain smoker playing in the NBA or NFL? It could never happen….

As for Tiger Woods, what happened to him is a combination of terrible luck and a group of over officious Masters officials who didn’t know the rules of golf….

On Friday, El Tigre was playing well and hit a beautiful approach shot on the 15th hole. It looked for all the world like it was going right at the stick and he would make birdie, but instead the ball hit the flag and rolled into the water….

I’ve never seen anything like it….

After taking a penalty stroke Tiger was instructed to take a drop, then hit a nice approach and saved bogey….

Nothing seemed wrong with the drop, as Woods held the ball out for the world to see, dropped it to the ground and then hit his approach….

There were dozens of Masters officials and marshalls right next to him, and not one of them called a penalty….

This wasn’t like Dave Smith with his buddies; when I used to cheat all the time by kicking the ball out from behind a tree, drop a new ball into play after the old one went out of bounds or claiming it was a practice swing when I’d whiff; this was a professional golfer in front of millions making a drop….

And not a single official said a word….

But some a**hole watching from his easy chair at home thought something was wrong, called the Masters officials and claimed a penalty….

Now this in itself is a joke; because in no other sport can a drunken fan call the league office to discuss a call. And to have them actually listen and change the ruling would be shocking….

In golf, however, it happens all the time….

So the next morning, before his Saturday round, Tiger was informed that he would receive a two-stroke penalty; based on some ridiculous rule called 33-7. Evidently Woods was accused of making his drop two yards behind the spot he was supposed to, which could result in a DQ….

But since no official, marshall or anyone involved with the Masters thought it was a violation when it happened, it should have been over and done with right there….

Even if Tiger violated the rules, which is in doubt, there was every opportunity for the Masters officials to call it on the spot and either penalize him two strokes or disqualify him….

Evidently none of them know the rule or El Tigre did nothing wrong, because no penalty was called when the drop was made….

And that should have been the end of it….

On Sunday night I looked at side-by-side pictures of Tiger’s two shots on 15: One was his approach which hit the pin and the other was his shot after the drop. They looked like they were from the exact same spot and the writer claimed there was no violation and Tiger did nothing wrong….

Is that true? I don’t know enough about golf to make an informed decision….

What I do know is there should never be a penalty assessed 24 hours after the fact….

Then some Masters official claimed in a press conference the decision to penalize Tiger was made right after the drop, yet somehow there was a lack of communication and Tiger was not told….

Obviously, this bean counter in a green jacket was lying through his teeth, yet nobody in the press corps called him on it….

He actually expected us to believe nobody thought to inform Woods he’d received a two stroke penalty at the time? Which is why it took 24 hours to tell him?….

The truth, of course, is the Masters officials didn’t know the rules and were embarrassed it blew up in their faces. So instead of admitting a terrible mistake, they attempted a cover up….

And like all cover ups and attempts to lie, it backfired and they made asses out of themselves….

And then they made it worse by issuing a stupid ass penalty 24 hours after the fact….

So instead of Woods, Cabrera and Adam Scott going into the final few holes tied for the lead, we had Tiger three shots back and running out of time….

Not only was it unfair to Woods, it deprived us of a truly great finish with the biggest draw in golf history involved….

Even without Woods, however, it was a spectacular finish; with Scott taking the Green Jacket on the second playoff hole with an incredibly clutch putt from 30 feet….

Seconds before that, Cabrera made a beautiful putt from about the same distance which looked certain to drop. Somehow the ball stopped an inch from the hole and Cabrera was robbed….

I still can’t believe that putt didn’t go in….

Earlier, Scott made a beautiful putt on 18 which seemed to win the tournament; until Cabrera hit an unbelievable approach to within three feet….

After tapping in, Scott had to return from the scorer’s tent to play sudden death….

Again, it was a fantastic finish; but Tiger should have been right there with them for the playoff….

Hell, he would have won had he not gotten that crazy bounce off the flag on 15 and the resulting two stroke penalty. That cost him five strokes in a Masters he finished three back….

The best part of the day was Adam Scott finally bringing a green jacket home to Australia. Despite all of the great players OZ has produced, not one had broken through at Augusta until Scott on Sunday….

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