Sheep In The Herd

We've been looking for some outside insight here at 7 Up 17 To Go for awhile now, when it finally hit us over the head. Why not have someone who knows his sports and a little something about life too? The best we could do is ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd.

7 UP 17 TO G0: Pleasure to have you, Colin. You see, the blog community is quite accepting of you.

Colin Cowherd: Let me tell you something about “the blogging community.” The blogging community is a bunch of namby-pamby basement dwellers sitting around in their bathrobes and underwear. [30 second pause] Bloggers just sit around, in mom’s basement, eating Hot Pockets wearing their tighty-whities. The blogging community is useless. and could never generate the kind of content I’d use on this program. To do what I do every morning right here on ESPN Radio takes some real gumption, some real drive, and the blogging losers who sit at home, obsessing over ever minute detail of Battlestar Gallactica while they’re sitting in their mom’s basement lack that. They lack that drive, and that’s why they’re sitting in their mom’s basement, 30 years old, 40 years old with no job and no girlfriend because they’re losers.
Now, I’m glad to be here with you on the ONstar Hotline talking to the blog 7Up17ToGo.

7U17TG: We haven't seen any team truly establish itself as a powerful team in baseball this season, any chance we see a surprise team this year like the Rays or Rockies?

CC: The cold, hard facts are no one in baseball can compete with the Red Sox and Yankees. I’m sorry, but no one…no one else matters. Maybe the Dodgers…Fish, who is leading the AL East? The Red Sox? And the Yankees are second? OK then, case closed.
Look, the Red Sox and Yankees are all that matters. Period. That’s why they’re always on the Mothership, they just draw the ratings. I know when I get home from a long day at the office and I kick back in front of my 72-inch Vizio plasma TV – and let me tell you, Vizio makes a very fine television, nothing is better with my DirecTV hookup – all I want to see is a Yankees or Red Sox game. That’s just the fact.
If you’re a broker on Wall Street and you’re selling short on the baseball franchise that’s going to make you the most money, who are your taking? If you’re smart, you’re taking the Yankees the one and the Red Sox ain’t too far behind. But if you’re buying three, that’s a big drop-off. A big drop-off. I always say…this show is about more than sports. You’re going to be a well-rounded person you better know playing the stocks. Fish, what was that advice I gave you last year? 300 shares of Bear Stearns? Well that’s like buying the No. 3 team in MLB. It’s buying share of Bear Stearns and passing up on the Halliburton stock. It’s foolish…and anyone who does it is a fool. That’s just how it is. You can disagree with it…but you know I’m right.

7U17TG: Well anyway, let's go to your area of expertise, college football. Is this the year where Ohio State and the Big 10 turn it around?

CC: Let me tell you something about the Big 10, and more specifically Ohio State. Ohio State…Ohio State and Tressel are like a woman. They look sexy. They look sexy. Look like a great time! They win some games, they get some buzz going and win you over then when you least expect it…you’re spending 56 hours a week with a mediator deciding who gets to keep the 72-inch Vizio.
Fish, can we get a search on the Subway Fresh Take Line for the last time a Big 10 team won a BCS bowl? 2005? OK, so since 2005 the Big 10 is winless in BCS bowls and that means Ohio State is a big, fat bagel and three. They’re sexy, they sucker you in early, and when you get the ring on that finger of the bowl game in that schedule, they stop doing the things they did early on in the relationship and you’re stuck. You’re trapped, and the next thing you know you’re watching an entire season of The Sopranos on DVD by yourself and eating half a tub of cookie dough.
Ohio State goes from a Sports Illustrated supermodel in September…to our old friend Trina The Female Bodybuilder in January. *raspy voice* Hi I’m Trina The Female Bodybuilder…I’m like Ohio State football.

7U17TG: Chaz Weis is under serious pressure to put Notre Dame into championship contention, do the Golden Domers finally put themselves back in the picture or does Weis go back to the coordinator booth where he belongs?

CC: Look, it’s just good for the game if Notre Dame is good. Sorry, but that’s just the fact. Notre Dame is one of those institutions…you love to hate ‘em, and you love to watch ‘em. They get ratings. They bring in the viewers. But that Golden Dome is starting to look pretty aluminum…That dome is beat up, and Charlie Weis is on the hot seat…and we’re not talking the Budweiser Hot Seat.
Weis needs to win. And not seven games like last season, but we’re talking…monumental. Obama over McCain. I say to Fish all the time – this show’s about more than sports and we’re going to talk politics for a minute. Charlie Weis needs to win big like Obama won in the presidential election. Now, I’m not a liberal and I’m not a conservative…I just want to vote for whoever’s going to make ME money. And Charlie Weis needs to make Notre Dame money. He needs a big money bowl. College football…needs Weis and Notre Dame to succeed. Everyone…needs a villain. Notre Dame…college football just needs Notre Dame as its villain.

7U17TG: Do you think USC regains the crown this year despite having relative inexperience under center and the loss of their monster linebackers?

CC: OK, USC football is like Duke basketball. Everyone wants to be ‘em! Everyone wants to be ‘em! But nobody CAN be ‘em. So they seethe, they rage, but it’s just petty jealousy.
Look, Pete Carroll is just the guy. He is the guy. He’s in Hollywood, he’s hanging out with celebrities – he IS a celebrity. He’s got the great look, million dollar hair and a great smile. USC…they reload. The Pac-10 has some teams. They HAVE teams…but no one is on USC’s level. The only team that can beat USC…is USC. It’s just the truth. Hate them all you want…but you know I’m right.

Thanks, Colin, outstanding commentary. Good luck with the alimony and the real estate projects. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to put Jim Rome back on.



Special thanks to our friends over at Nerdy For Sports on this one, check them out at http://nerdyforsports.blogspot.com/

Orlando Brings In The Carter

In a surprising draft-day move, the Orlando Magic traded Courtney Lee, Rafer Alston and Tony Battie to the New Jersey Nets for Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson . Many expected the Magic to make a trade of some kind yesterday as they did not have a draft pick going into last night, but this was very much unexpected. I say that because it was only a week ago that the Magic front office said it would do everything in its power to retain Hedo Turkoglu and with Carter carrying $16.3 million this season, $17.3 million in 2010-2011 and an $18 million option for 2012, that option is probably gone as are the chances of resigning Marcin Gortat.

This leaves the Magic with a bevy of questions going foward: Who replaces Courtney Lee/Mickael Pietrus (most likely the starting SG now) coming off the bench? How do the Magic get another big man while keeping the luxury tax penalty down? Will the Magic bolster their bench?

When he first broke in, there wasn't a bigger Vince Carter fan than me. It's a strange in a way for me because the athletes I worshipped as a teen are now on my teams with Gary Sheffield on the Mets and Vinsanity coming to Orlando. I mean, what's next? Eddie George coming out of retirement to play for the Bucs? Joe Sakic to the Rangers? However, his antics at the end of his tenture in Toronto made me sour on him quite a bit, not to mention he's only won 2 playoff series in his career (then again, I am a T-Mac fan, so I guess it cancels out).

All that aside, the Magic needed to get tougher. Keeping Hedo and getting another inside presence along the lines of say Drew Gooden or Joe Smith would've fit perfectly. Instead, they got an older, shorter version of Hedo, except Carter can't play point like Hedo occasionally can. Sure, Carter can create his own shot and is a more profilic scorer than Turkoglu, but why break off a part of the core of a team that came within 3 wins of a championship? And yeah, you can argue that Hedo is soft, but toughness and leadership have not exactly been two of Carter's most noteworthy traits as a pro, have they?

Sending Battie off is fine and trading Alston is an assessable loss because of the salary issue and it's still Jameer's job to lose and it was quite apparent in the Finals that got into Skip to My Lou's head, but trading Courtney Lee could be a huge mistake. Some say this is a move for the right here and now, but I disagree. You can look at the missed layup at the end of regulation in Game 2 all you want, but Lee was a big reason why the Magic got to the Finals and was certainly not a rookie by the time the calendar turned to June. His defense was good for a rookie and will continue to grow in the coming years and it will be missed next year when Pietrus needs help checking LeBron for 48 minutes for at least 4 regular season games. His offensive production as a 4th option in the postseason was underappreciated and I can guarantee he will take off playing alongside Devin Harris in New Jersey/Brooklyn.

With a healthy lineup, which outside of one season Carter has largely done, they will certainly contend for the top spot in the East and will push 60 wins once again, the question is does this make them a championship team? I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think so.

R.I.P. King Of Pop

For a little while yesterday, time ceased when the news of Michael Jackson's death hit.

While I wasn't around for when Michael was only the biggest pop star in the world and I've seen him only as the circus celebrity that he was for the end of his career, it's still a sad day. The thing is though, as long as my generation has been around, he's been the biggest star in the world. Everyone knows his name and anywhere he goes, everything stops.

While he certainly had his issues and demons, he was a musical revolutionary, whose impact is still felt in the industry today as the Omarions, Chris Browns and other young R&B/pop artists show MJ's influence on them. Even 26 years later, you can put on Thriller and people my age can groove out to it.

R.I.P. Michael Jackson 1958-2009

Paradise Lost and Found

The Orlando Magic's incredible run came to a sad conclusion Sunday night with a loss in Game 5 and in a strange turn of events, I'm okay with that. Now I know what you're thinking "Jerry's not acting like it's the end of the world when his team loses? There must be a guest editor." But stick with me, I'm truly not even close to the edge.

If you had told me going into the Philadelphia series that this team would come within 3 wins of a championship minus Jameer Nelson for the entire Eastern Conference playoffs and a healthy/effective Jameer in the Finals, I would've laughed. If you had told me that after Game 3 of the Philly series, Games 4 and 5 of the Boston series and after LeBron's miracle, I probably would've elbowed you like Sam Dalembert.

Given the numerous spectacluar chokejobs that seemingly all of my teams have pulled the last 2 and a half years, you couldn't have blamed me for going into defeatist mode at any of those particular points, but a funny thing happened, they kept winning.

At all the situations in the East playoffs where my teams normally fold like a tent in a tornado, the Magic kept finding ways to escape. Going into Game 6 of the Philly series minus Superman and Courtney Lee, I had all but resigned myself to an everything does happen Game 7 in Orlando, but the boys in blue boat raced the Sixers by halftime and it was never close.

Until the final 5 minutes of Game 5, they didn't even seemed remotely fazed by Big Baby Davis' Game 4 buzzer-beater and even after the meltdown in Boston and Dwight demanding the ball, they kept their heads. With relentless waves of the Celtics and the rep of the team hanging in the balance in Games 6 and 7, the Magic always found the shot or a play at the moment they needed to stem the tide.

The Eastern Conference Finals was the moment when they proved they belong. After the tests they faced in the first 2 rounds and the way the Magic have been able to measure up against the Cavs the last few years, a 22-point lead in Cleveland didn't seem so insurmountable and while Rashard's game-winning 3 was thrilling, it wasn't as shocking as it was to the national media, who I'd like to personally thank for not giving the Magic an ounce of credit at any point in the postseason because they were so bitter that their dream of a Celtics-Cavaliers east final and LeBron-Kobe finals didn't happen, you guys are outstanding.

As the series went on (and even during the Finals) you started to believe that no matter how poor the Magic were playing or how well Cleveland was playing, they were going to find a way to pull it off and it wasn't the least surprising when they did. It was the kind of confidence in a team I haven't had since the Mets of 1999-2001 made spectacular comebacks an art form.

Even after LeBron's miracle 3, it wasn't a momentum-draining play, they had proved the Cavs couldn't put them away, even in the building where they had gone 39-2. Watching the Magic winning in transition and at the arc in Game 1 and then in a grind-it-out style in Game 3 proved this team could do whatever it takes to win a championship. Game 4 was the most intense basketball game I've watched since Game 7 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals and the most intense experience as a fan since Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS.

As the 4th quarter went on, the belief that they could actually win this series grew only to be met with each retaliatory strike from LeBron (who, say what you want about his sportsmanship, played the greatest individual series I've ever watched), followed by the sheer elation of Rashard's 3 and then the fear that maybe they had left too much time on the clock as they had in Game 2 (you gotta love the fact that LeBron's only strategy on the final play of regulation was either get fouled or lose the game), then the sheer anger on the no-call to end regulation. The back and forth pace of overtime, the final play/lebron's half-court heave seeming to take a half hour to unfold and then the sigh of relief/pure joy after the miss.

When Game 6 became determined, it was an indescribable feeling. I could say it was the thrill of finally watching a team of mine close in a big spot after the heartbreak that has been continuous since October 2006, but it's a lot deeper than that.

Over the last few months I've dealt with the detoriating health of my father, one of my grandmothers battling breast and bone cancer and the passing of my other grandmother, so it's been a nice distraction. Being able to immerse myself for 2-3 hours every other night for the last 2 months and forget the chaos of my life has been a welcome element. Each of the playoff games were experiences, you rode the highs and whethered the lows. And yes, if the Mets had gone on a roller-coaster run like this, I probably would’ve had an ulcer. Despite them falling short of the ultimate goal, they rank just behind the '02 Bucs and '99 Mets as my favorite team of all-time.

Sure, there are plenty of what-ifs that pundits and Magic fans alike will debate as to what kept them from a winning a championship, but that's not what this is about. Until last season, the Magic hadn't won a playoff series since 1996. Now, should the window already be closed, armchair quarterbacking is certainly allowed, but I think this team has staying power.

Dwight Howard dedicated himself throughout the playoffs to making his free throws and the misses at the of Game 4 aside, shot nearly 70% at the line. You don't think he's going to absolutely kill himself the next 3 and a half months to get himself some post moves and change the opponent's defensive schemes next season? I sure do. You can look at his Finals Game 5 no-show if you want, but Rashard Lewis silenced those who called him overpaid over the span of these last 2 months, hitting nearly every big shot. Jameer Nelson, who will be conviently blamed for the Finals loss, had finally figured it out when he went down with the shoulder injury in February. Most importantly, the front office is willing to go all-out to keep Hedo Turkoglu to keep the contending core intact, something one of the prior regimes half-heartedly attempted to do with Shaq (who has gone back to enemy status with his recent sour grapes tweeting).

Some can dwell on the loss to the Lakers, but that would be dismissing all the accomplishments leading up to that. In 1995, we expected them to win and were were stunned when the Rockets embarassed them on the biggest stage. This time around is different, we have not heard the last of this team as a championship contender. I hope as Magic fans move further away from this moment in the years to come, we look at this not as an opportunity lost, but a 2-month thrill ride that none of us will ever forget.

Living The Dream.....for a little while longer

As Magic fans continue to bask in the afterglow of the stunning (to everyone except Magic fans such as myself who knew the boys in blue had flexed their muscle against Cleveland over the past 3 years) over the Cavaliers, the usual noise from bitter Celtic and Cavs fans about the bandwagon fans infiltrating Amway Arena can be heard. While I will have none of that, here's a list of things for the Magic fans who deserve an NBA title:

- If you had a life-size Shaq cut-out as a kid or bought the size 22 Shaq shoes even if you were better off wearing flippers.

- If you started wearing goggles all the time because you thought Horace Grant was awesome.

-While Kenny Smith is an integral part of the best NBA studio show, his shot against the Magic in the 1995 Finals still makes you crings (same goes for Robert Horry). Thank you TNT for having him re-create that Tuesday night.

- You remember exactly where you were when you heard Shaq skipped town....and a little part of you died that day.

- While they probably wouldn't start for most teams, Darrell Armstrong and Bo Outlaw are legends.

- Lil' Penny is the puppet Kobe and LeBron wishes they could be.

- Deep down, you still hold a little bit of resentment towards the Milwaukee Bucks for beating the Heart and Hustle team of 2000 on the final day of the season to knock them out of the playoffs.

-You know that the Magic would've beaten the Lakers in the finals once in this decade with a core of T-Mac, Grant Hill and Tim Duncan. *sigh*

- David Vaughn, Brian Evans, Johnny Taylor, Courtney Alexander, Steven Hunter, Jeryl Sasser, Curtis Borchardt, Reece Gaines are not just NBDL legends....they're first round draft picks since 1996.

- Fran Vazquez...'nuff said.

- From 2001-2003, you always got to the set for the 4th quarter to see what T-Mac was gonna do next.

- You also know that Magic management surronded him with Pat Burke, Jeryl Sasser, Olumide Oyedeji, Andrew DeClerq, Ryan Humphrey, Patrick Ewing and Shawn Kemp's bloated carcasses, Chris Whitney and Don Reid.....yet it's his fault he's never been out of the 1st round. Well, at least those three years were excusable.

- You know the rules....no touching the railings at the O-Rena.

- You caught a stub from that mini-blimp thing.

- You've been this close to catching a t-shirt at least 3 times.

- When Paul Porter says staaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnd and cheer.....you shout "YOUR ORLANDOOOOOOOOOOO MAGICCCCCCCCCCCCCC!!!!!!!!" right back at him.

- You kept watching even with John Weisbrod and Steve Francis prominently involved

- You KNEW Jameer Nelson would be a star.

- You remember that Darko Milicic wasn't half bad.

- You were thrilled when Billy Donovan took the money and ran back to mediocrity and bandwagon jumpers in Jortville.

-Most of all, you'll shed a tear when the O-Rena closes next season. Hopefully with a 2009 NBA Champions banner flying from the rafters.

This run is for those of us who know these all too well.

Preview later in the week.

Back when referees carried out the boss's orders

7 years ago today.....please no re-runs for the next 2 weeks. Genius platoon reference for Part 6 by the way

Another Best Of....

By now, you've heard everybody wax poetic about the epic 7- game series between the Bulls and Celtics and where it stands amongst the all-time list of playoff series. Without all the usual palaver, here are, in my opinion, the 10 best playoff series of the last 25 years:

10. 2005 West Semis: Phoenix over Dallas in 6

This was the year of the coming out party for The :07 Seconds or Less Era and never was it more apparent than in this series. Under then interim coach Avery Johnson, the elements of NellieBall were still in effect, as neither team scored less than 102 points in any of the 6 games.

Also in full effect was Steve Nash's F You to the Mavs for letting him walk the previous summer. He had 3 30+ point games in the series including a 48-pointer in Game 4 and 39 in the Game 6 OT clincher including a 3-pointer to force OT in the final seconds of regulation.


Unfortunate side of this series was Joe Johnson's eye injury early in the series which kept him out of the West Finals against the Spurs which the Suns would lose in 5. The 05-08 Suns rank atop the list of "What If?" teams.

9. 1989 East 1st Round: Chicago over Cleveland in 5

Each game decided by single digits, the final two decided by a combined 4 points and of course this.....



8. 2002 East Finals: New Jersey over Boston in 6

Sort of forgotten in the shuffle of the blockbuster that was the West finals, this one had some mothers too.

There was of course the Celtics' memorable 24-point 2nd half comeback in game for a 94-90 victory which, until last year, was Paul Pierce's defining moment in Boston. Two days later on Memorial Day (the day after the Lakers did nearly the same), the Celtics came back from 14 down in the 4th to tie the game, but Lucious Harris hit two free throws in the waning moments and neither Pierce nor Tony Battie could convert to tie.

The Nets would take Games 5 and 6, the latter including a mini 4th quarter rally of their own to put the bow on one of the most improbable turnarounds in NBA history.

7. 1990 West Semifinals: Portland over San Antonio in 7

As you'll see later, having a Game 7 go to overtime certainly helps your case.

The heroics of Clyde Drexler and a thin Rod Strickland doing his best Damon Jones impression for the spurs seals the win for Portland, who would advance to their first of 2 NBA Finals appearences in 3 seasons.

6. 1987 East Finals: Boston over Detroit in 7

A Game 7 decided by 3 points and of course......

"Annnnnnnd......Now there's a steal by Bird! Underneath to DJ who lays it in!!...Right at one second left!! What a play by Bird! Bird stole the inbounding pass, laid it up to DJ, and DJ laid it up and in, and Boston has a one-point lead with one second left! OH, MY, THIS PLACE IS GOING CRAZY!!!"

5. 1993 East Finals: Chicago over New York in 6

While the Knicks would get over an MJ-less Chicago bunch the next season, this was the peak of the rivalry.

The two had faced off in a 7-game semifinal the year before and the Knicks revamped the roster during the offseason solely to top the budding dynasty. They would take the first 2 games at home, including John Starks' poster of Air Jordan and Horace Grant. The Bulls returned the favor at Chicago Stadium including Jordan going off for 54 on Memorial Day in Game 4. While the series progressed, the allegations of Jordan's gambling habits made their way into the media.

Game 5 was a back and forth epic that culminated in the Bulls swatting Charles Smith several times under the basket in the final moments as the Bulls snapped the Knicks' 27-game winning streak at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks were still mathematically alive in Game 6, but for all intents and purposes, after the Bulls stunned the New York crowd 2 nights earlier, it was over.

4. 2000 West Finals: Lakers over Portland in 7

Not only a great series, but altered the fortunes of two franchises in dramatic fashion.

The Lakers took a 3-1 lead in the series, only to have the Blazers led by the veteran leadership of Scottie Pippen and the fire of Rasheed Wallace, storm back to tie the series and led 75-60 in the 4th quarter of Game 7 with just under 10 minutes to play. What happened next, changed two teams forever.

Portland went 1 for its next 18 as the Lakers outscored the Blazers 29-9 to finish.

Consider this: If Portland makes even two shots during that fatal stretch, maybe the Shaq/Kobe dynasty never happens. Instead, even Met fans consider that fourth quarter by the Blazers to be one of the purest chokes in sports history. Though I suppose Steve Smith being Shaqtastically hip-checked on the way to the hoop late and not having Dick Bavetta call it didn't help matters either.

With the exception of the '05 rebuilding and first-round losses to Phoenix in 06 (an epic series in its own regard) and '07, the Lakers have been a title contender every year of the decade. Portland has only just begun to recover.

3. 2009 East 1st Round: Boston over Chicago in 7

This series had it all: The coming out party of Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo going toe to toe with the rookie and just about anybody else wearing red, Ben Gordon and Ray Allen having their own version of Home Run derby, Joakim Noah finally earning his keep in the NBA (and thankfully losing), two teams matching shot for shot and making one big play after another, two racous crowds that didn't need gimmicks to get wild, the Celtics valiantly defending their crown with pride minus their best player AND an unexpected Game 7 hero.

Side note To Kevin Garnett: we get it, you're intense and you can drop more 4-letter bombs than the average VH1 reality show, it's looking less and less like you care that much and more and more like you have an act to uphold. And did we see you mimicking running through the phone book the other night? Quit while you're ahead.

2. 2002 West Finals: Lakers over Sacramento in 7

Games 4 through 7 all decided by 6 points or less. Game 4 decided on Robert Horry's buzzer-beater to cap a 24-point rally over the course of 2 halves. Mike Bibby made the game-winning shot with 8 seconds remaining in Game 5. That Game in a moment. The finale featured four of the best words in sports: Game Seven in overtime. Ultimately, the Lakers would flex their championship muscle and pull away in OT on the road but......

The only reason this series isn't #1 is because of Game 6. Without the alleged fix, that epic Game 7 may have never happened. If you don't believe me, check out Parts 5, (especially) 6 and 7 of The Greatest Tragedy In Sports on youtube.

1. 2006 West Semifinals; Dallas over San Antonio in 7

Game 7 going to overtime was just the icing on the cake for this series.

Game 1 was decided on a missed final shot by Dallas, the Mavs won Game 3 by 1, Game 4 in OT. Game 5 went to the Spurs by 1 and featured a scrum in which Jason Terry gave Michael Finley the business, which cost him the Game 6 defeat to the San Antone 91-86.

The deciding game saw Dallas race out to a 20-point lead, only to have the Spurs take a 104-101 lead on a Manu Ginobili lead for the first lead of the night with 32 seconds and the prospect of a double choke (a 3-1 lead and the Game 7 lead) adding to the notion that Cuban's Employees couldn't close seemed to ring truer than ever. Dirk then went hard to the hole and converted a 3-point play after Manu commited a puzzling foul( just think how close the Spurs were to a 5-peat if not for 2 freak plays). The OT was all Dallas and for for a few weeks, put the postseason demons to rest.

Honorable Mention: Phoenix-LA 2006, Indiana-New Jersey 2002, Toronto-Philadelphia 2001, New York-Miami 2000, New York-Miami 1999, Utah-Houston 1997, Indiana-New York 1994, Seattle-Phoenix 1993, Boston-Atlanta 1988 and New York-Detroit 1984.