"Sorry Boston"

At least the Flames were fairly successful on the ice, the Thrashers were blessed with shitty ownership and play. But don't get it twisted, people are pissed the franchise moved.

Your 5 friends who are into hockey, and some of the newspaper writers. But the public at large didn't care for the product (or more accurately, are frontrunners) and they didn't make enough money so they moved.

I am still shocked that the NHL ever expanded into some of these markets and that they haven't retrenched to Canada and northern cities. I'd rather root for a random team up north than a watered-down version of a home town product. That's just me though.

As a rootless military brat, you can get away with that thinking. You already split your collegiate rooting between UGA (foobaw) & Kansas (hardwood). But Bloor is not so lucky.

The Hurricanes and the Lightning both have Stanley Cups. The Thrashers and Hawks were a package deal when the ASG bought them and never gave a shit about hockey. They're the only southern expansion team to have never won a playoff game (and made the playoffs ONCE and got swept by a lower seed). They had a small but loyal fan base here and the ASG never gave them chance.

Now, the Preds are a playoff staple as well. All of those other teams a wildly popular in their cities (particularly Carolina and Nashville). Granted, it's easier to have success when you're the only game in town but still, there is no reason hockey couldn't succeed here if we had had even decent ownership.

"it's a big boy game"

pop is bringing the soundbites

oh, and his team is bringing the nasty

also, this guy is damn near a senior citizen (AARPosterized)...



and, HULK SMASH...



KAWHI-BUNGA!!!

Spurs are straight ballin right now. I'll be surprised if this goes more than 5.

I wonder why I hate the Spurs. Especially Duncan. He's a fine young man. No reason to have this reaction ... His big goofy eyes, makes me wanna slap him.

Thunder will win one of the next two. Series is up in the air still, but, yeah, Spurs can keep up with the young high jumpin' Thunder really well for their age.

Completely true. Preds are a prime example. Their owner started stomping for the team grassroots style, and got involved with forming youth hockey. Sat up in the stands with fans, and overall just gave a crap. Now, like you said its paid off.

It's all DNA, harry - Lakers fans must hate the Spurs, and vice-versa. Logic never enters the equation.

Per Grantland's man in Paris, the four most important players in the Conference Finals are Tony Parker, Boris Diaw, Mickael Pietrus, & Ronny Turiaf.

&, I mean, they're averaged 32.9 pts per game. (21 of those being TP's.)

Damn. Sorry two guns. I feel your pain. Brutal.

Any takers on a backroom deal with Stern and Tom Benson the day he agreed to buy the Hornets?

Fucking NBA.

Oh, and I think the C's just blew their golden opportunity to win this series.

They may even win 2 in Boston but they may look back on last night as the moment that slipped past them.

I think they blew it when they allowed the Philly series to go seven.

[FT]Honestly, they weren't gonna win a championship this year anyways.[/FT]

correct

okc dominated tonight - total ass kicking

spurs had better figure things out asap, or they are done for

FT, your hair trigger of doom came out fast. But, just think, this fall, your Notre Dame Fighting Irish football side will include the son of your favourite, The Admiral, David Robinson.

Heartache to follow, I'm sure.

admiral, jr. is a great signing, if for no other reason that he brings some class to a roster suddenly filled with hoods and thugs

brian kelly is a sleazy cat, and he seems to target the same, for the most part

Anybody heard from FT?

Even with all my weight loss, the beam wasn't strong enough to support the noose.

1. OKC is a very, very, very good team. The Heat have ZERO chance against them. NADA.

2. Harden is an assassin. (In fact, with that beard of his it wouldn't surprise me to discover he's the long lost son of Sirhan Sirhan.)

3. Nothing - not the sudden demise of Tony Parker, not Sir Chewbacca's inexplicable transformation into the second coming of Pistol Pete Maravich - NOTHING is more shocking than how badly Popazit has been outcoached by Ray Combs, I mean, Scotty Brooks throughout this series. Any talk of Popazit being one of the all-time great coaches is ridiculous and laughable.

4. Ginobili has always been, and will always be, my favorite athlete of all time in any sport. He damn near single-handedly managed to win that totally unwinnable game last night. If only he'd made that last three...

5. Between this series and what's become of the Rangers over the past few weeks, I probably hate sports more right now than I ever have in my entire life. Just fuck it all.

The sudden demise of Parker, and Durant turning into early 90's Jordan for stretches have been the two things to jump out at me in the last two games.

I think your sudden downgrade of Pop is Dead Wrong, however--it's like saying Bellichik isn't a Hall of Famer because he lost to Eli and Coughlin in a couple of Super Bowls.

It's one thing to get outcoached.

It's a completely different thing to get outcoached by SCOTTY FUCKING BROOKS. I mean, c'mon!

Also, didn't we all know Durant was awesome before this series ever even started? LeBron WISHES he was Durant.

Better Scotty Brooks than Scottie Brooks.

(Don't Google that second one from work.)

(&, yes, I did find out about stag movie performer Scottie Brooks from reading Bill Simmons.)