May 16, 2005
Rasheed Wallace:
Backed up "guarantee" with 16 pts and 13 reb in a Game 4 win that tied up the Pistons-Pacers series, 2-2. (Hey, why not guarantee a SERIES victory?)
The Lead Item
Two Words For You:

Three NBA series tied at 2-2 creates more questions than answers.

Which team looked worse: The Suns losing to the Mavs, or the Spurs losing to the Y pickup team known as the Sonics? (Take today's poll.)

Question for Larry Brown: Does belief in "old school" values include griping about the refs? (Notice no whining after a win.)

Is Luke Ridnour a "poor man's Steve Nash?" (Only if you're simple-minded. Try to stretch for the analogue that isn't based on race.)

(Follow-up: Who needs Rashard Lewis?)

What's scarier for the Pistons: At least two more games vs. the inspired Pacers ... or Shaq sitting around getting healthy?

When did Phoenix's innovative offense turn into "stand-around-and-watch-the-MVP," like the Suns were suddenly Philly West?

(Follow-up: What happened to Amare?)

How bad does last week's "four sweeps" prediction look now? (But how good does it feel to be wrong?)

(Follow-up: What's the deal with no games tonight?)

Heat Sweep
Everybody loves Dwyane: Forget Raymond; Wade is the hottest name on every NBA fan's mind.

He's having the best individual playoff run in a generation (capped by that 42), and he has vaulted into the debate as one of the NBA's top 5 players.

The most remarkable (and likeable) thing? His humility in the face of stardom. He proves that real players don't have to preen.

Yankees: .500!
Won their 8th straight game on the strength of two (more) Tino HRs and a clutch Giambi double. (Say what?!)

That's right: Giambi's clutch double, which helped him avoid winning the debate "Who's the Bigger Jerk: Giambi or the Beer-Dump Guy?"

Dwyane Wade: 42 in close-out game vs. Wiz; rep rocketing
Manny: 400th HR (5th-fastest ever to reach plateau)
Winky Wright: Best name in boxing obliterates F. Trinidad
Lakers roster (acc. to P. Jackson): "Not appealing at all"
Joe Johnson: PHX G not expected to return for Game 5
Jeff Bagwell: Set for shoulder surgery; career in balance?
As for the Beer Jerk: He may have followed through on something so many of us might have wanted to do, but he's foolish, deserving the charges that will be thrown at him.

Streaks Snapped
Tiger Woods: 142 straight cuts is the "56" of golf. Anyone can win a major (or 18); Woods' kind of consistency is even rarer.

White Sox: Never held a lead in 6-2 L to the O's, ending a record 37-game streak where they held a lead. (Signal of season-long success?)

Syracuse lacrosse: Lose in first-round of NCAA tournament, snapping a 22-year streak of making the semifinals. The UCLA of college LAX.

NBA Draft
"Exploring options": The cavalcade of mediocrities who have declared for the NBA draft but won't hire an agent (so they can return to school) is worse for college hoops than bolting early itself.

Players use the opportunity to find out from scouts what they need to do to become better "NBA material"; consequently, they return to school selfishly focused on themselves, not on the team's success.

If NBA scouts tell Duke dud Shavlik Randolph to shoot more, will he be more committed to winning games ... or upping his individual averages?

"Relegation" Mania
Happened to catch something on TV yesterday that I'd never seen before.

"Relegation," English Premier League-style: Relegation is where the last three teams in the league are banished to the equivalent of AAA.

I caught fans of a team (West Bromwich Albion) whose team avoided relegation, thanks to a tie between two other bottom-feeders.

The fans stormed the field like they just won the title. Insanity.

Who wouldn't love to see that kind of losers' passion in U.S. sports, because there is no comparison. (Let's put the Rockies up for relegation!)

Malcolm Glazer:
Makes Tony Blair look well-liked, as Glazer's bid to control ownership of Manchester United creates a storm of protest among fans in England.
Today on ESPN.com
Quickie live!
NBA Daily Dime
Gammons on baseball
NBA Sunday Chokery
Amare Stoudemire
More fouls than FGs (3)
Jermaine O'Neal
4-15 FG: All of 4 FTs
9-23 FG, 7 turnovers
Steve Nash
9 TOs offset 48 points
Jamal Tinsley
7 TOs: What home-court?

End of "Raymond": For a seemingly milquetoast family sit-com, it was surprisingly funny. Here's a toast on the end of its run.

Indy Pole: Tony Kanaan, but it should have gone to rookie star Danica Patrick, who recorded the day's fastest lap. She's the one to watch.

White Sox split with O's: No clarity about who the best current team in the AL is; in the NL, the Dodgers finally lost their grip on the West.

Need a hockey fix? Czech Repub. upended Canada to win the World Championships. Who needs the NHL when you have nationalism?

Condolences to the family and friends of the Boston College rower who died of a heart attack after winning a race at the college championships.

Coming TUESDAY in SportsNation's Morning Quickie Show (9-10 a.m. ET): A very special guest host, Page 2's Eric Neel. Be there!

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