Tony E

With the Angels announcing this morning they signed both Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson, the Lakers, not wanting to be outshined in their own town, went out and traded for Chris Paul (losing Pau and Lamar.) Los Angeles sports is in the news a lot today, but what is the biggest LA story today?

A. The signing of Pujols & Wilson

B. The trade for Chris Paul

C. The Dodgers in McCourt again

D. Matt Barkley not making his announcement about the pros yet

E. The Clippers signing Carron Butler

F. The Duck beating the Kings when they played

G. The Galaxy not doing anything.

H. UCLA breathing a sigh of relief that they are no longer in the LA spotlight searching for a coach.

Every once in a while (read twice a day), we see a question about what is the most unbreakable record in baseball. I thought it would be interesting to hear the prognostications of the most breakable records in the next 5 years. Could it be the Yankees (bleh) winning 121 games? Someone hitting 275 hits in a season? 400 strikeouts in a season (not likely)? 62*? What do you think?

Here's an article:

http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story/_/id/7118541/2...

Apparently, 4 US Senators and the Anti-smoking groups from Arlington and St. Louis are urging players to go tobacco free during the World Series and then outlaw tobacco all together in the next collective bargaining agreement. What's your thoughts?

According to Back to the Future II, the Chicago Cubs beat the "Miami Gators" in the 2015 World Series. Well, next year the Florida Marlins change their name to the Miami Marlins but they are National League as well as the Cubs. This leaves the possibility of the other Florida team, the Tampa Bay Rays, to be the representative in the 2015 World Series against the Chicago Cubs. Do you think that Theo can make that much of a difference by 2015 to keep up the Cubs part of the deal? And then can the Rays stay a powerhouse until 2015?

In the second inning, I believe Ordonez was on second, Verlander started his motion then put his foot down and turned towards second base. It didn't look like he made a turn towards second in a normal pick-off move but nothing was called. I had to rewind it 4 times to see if I missed a missed balk call.

Did you see a balk there?

There have been some pretty epic collapses in baseball history. There's this CNN list of the 13 greatest collapses in baseball history as of 2007: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/baseball/mlb... . Where does this year's happening rank on this list?

Mariano Rivera just notched his 602 save but does that make him the greatest closer ever? Sure, the closer roll wasn't really created until the late 60's, early 70's, and really made it's mark in the 80's with Sutter, Quisenberry and Lee Smith. Thigpin was an amazing closer for that one year.

But let me throw this another way also: Would you consider Cy Young the greatest closer ever as he closed 749 of his own starts as complete games? How about Jack Taylor who pitched 187 consecutive complete games between 1901 and 1906? Mike Marshall and his 106 relief appearances in 1974?

Rivera is definitely the most dominant post-season reliever of all time as Torre and now Girardi have used him well. Do you consider him the greatest closer ever?

I have it in a query where the formula is:

Time Total: [Time Out]-[Time In]

Then it sums time total. This gets me the hours, but resets after 24 hours to 0 again. It is in the short time format.

Thanks for your help.

I'm trying to fit this trade through my brain right now. What do you think of the rumors currently going around about this? What about the provisional trade with the SuperSonics for #7 for #4? How will this affect that trade?

This can go for any player on the team. When the team is announced on Monday and one of your least favorite players is on the team, will you cheer them on while they strive for the gold or will you hope that they do horribly and hope the other 11 players pick up the pace and cover for their shortcomings? Will your desire for one of the players not to get a gold medal so they will not be compared with dream teamers be there?

Yeah, I'm reposting this, but now that the team is confirmed, we may get better results.

does win another title without Shaq? Don't say, "It'll never happen." This is a theoretical question, meaning it is not important if it is likely or not.

Will you admit that you were wrong or will you find another reason why Kobe won the title? Is it going to be, "he wouldn't win it without Andrew Bynum/Pau Gasol" or that the refs cheated for him so that the NBA could have another Jordan? If it happens, what is going to be your response?

This can go for any player on the team. When the team is announced on Monday and one of your least favorite players is on the team, will you cheer them on while they strive for the gold or will you hope that they do horribly and hope the other 11 players pick up the pace and cover for their shortcomings? Will your desire for one of the players not to get a gold medal so they will not be compared with dream teamers be there?

I admit it. I said Lakers in 5. I changed to Lakers in 6 when 5 was no longer possible. I said Lakers in 7 after game 4. But tonight, the Celtics proved that they were the better team. They earned their rings and they are good representatives of what the NBA title is about. Experience and passion beat out youth and fervor. Props to the Celtics and their fans for a great season. I hope our teams meet again next year so the Lakers can extract our revenge. :)

This should be a good rebirth of the rivalry for years to come. Lakers in 8... ok, I know it's over. Bummer.

Ok, Lakers have 100. Celtics have 95. If its still the same way, if the Lakers score 100+ and the opponents get less than 100, everyone gets two free tacos from Jack In The Box. Are we going to get the taco chant? "We Want Tacos!"

Ok, let me come up with 4 reasons why I've seen people cheering for the Celtics around here:

1) You have been a Celtic fan since you were a little kid and have been with them through the bad years and the good years.

2) You cam back to them this year because they finally decided to put a winning team back on the court.

3) You started liking basketball this year and chose the Celtics as your team because they are good.

4) You hate the Lakers and/or Kobe Bryant.

So, honestly, which one are you?

Answering another question, I was thinking about how far it went back. Was Willis Reed's comeback and win fixed? How about the 33 games in a row? How about keeping Larry Bird in the NCAA and getting Magic/Bird in the finals, stretching this down to the colleges too?

Personally, if I had to choose a moment, I guess the most logical would be 1984 when David Stern became commissioner of the NBA. Of course, it could be a few years later, namely 1991, for David Stern to get into gear and figure it out completely.

Looking back in baseball history, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis came in and cleaned baseball up immediately from gambling, something that threatened to make baseball into hockey. He suspended the Black Sox 8 and said that anyone who ever bets on baseball or works with gamblers will ever be associated with baseball again (which is why Pete Rose hasn't gotten back in the game yet.) Of course, he let a scandal by Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker slide in 1925 for fear that the game couldn't handle another scandal so soon, but he was pretty straight arrow.

David Stern is no Judge Landis. He's a slick PR guy but his integrity is shot too. So what does the NBA need to do? Do they need to get someone independent to take Stern's job? Do they get a third party to be in charge of the refs? Do they just hope a "Babe Ruth" shows up (or create one)? What does the NBA need to do?

I'm disillusioned. People I grew up watching and liking as ballplayers are all coming up as 'roiders. I'm even at the point now of giving up on professional baseball all together. I grew up playing, I love the game, but the disappointment is starting to hurt. I already don't have favorite players anymore, just teams.

Umm... question:

Who would have to come up as dirty for you to give up on the whole thing or at least temper your enthusiam?

Since MichaelW with the rifle avatar decided to delete his question, I thought it would be good to continue his commentary on how great the Bulls of the 90's were. How could you deal with a lineup like this, afterall:

C: Hakeem Olajuwon

PF: Patrick Ewing

SF: Charles Barkley

SG: Michael Jordan

PG: John Stockton

I mean, the Bulls had it all. With Pippen and Rodman coming off the bench, I don't know why they still aren't winning. If anyone disagrees that this wasn't the greatest team of all time, you must be high!

(End Sarcams Mode)

Last night, in the first quarter of the game, a San Antonio Spurs fan came on and wrote a well worded question about how Laker fans should just turn off their TV because the game was over. She offered her condolences to the Laker fans. When I came back this morning to check on the responses, someone had deleted it (I'm guessing it was her due to not wanting that embarrassing question on her profile from now on.) Why did you delete it!? I wanted to see it on the front page.

That's the third time in their history that the Lakers have come back in the playoffs from 20 points down. Don't count them out. Ever.