Go White Boy Go!

Phoenix wins last night and Steve Nash is one step closer to collecting a NBA championship and a Playoff MVP. The sad fact is, even if he does that, he'll lose the Lou Marsh Award to Cindy Claussen, who the 5 medals notwithstanding, only infact did win one gold.

3 down, 1 to go

Now this is the way you celebrate your team getting into the Stanley Cup finals!

Congrats to the Oilers. Just one more series to win boys. Bring it home.

Indy 500

Can she do it? That's the question and the storyline for Sunday's Indianapolis 500. At BetBug, she's a juicy 15:1.

I leave it up to you to decide as to whether or not that is good value...

RAPTORS WIN! RAPTORS WIN!

Well ok, so they haven't exactly really won anything yet, but they were awarded the right to draft first overall. Naturally this is an off year for consensus #1's (Hi Lebron...grrr), but nonetheless, it's always better to be first than 5th.

Here at www.BetBug.com, we have come up with a little NBA First Overall Draft market for everyone's favourite prehistoric avian descendants that goes like this:

Andrea Bargnani -150
Tyrus Thomas +250
La Marcus Aldridge +300
Adam Morrison +800 (next year's most overrated player...just watch)
Rudy Gay +2500

A Rant

Is David Stern insane? Does he actually want to keep interest in his sport?

Did anyone else notice this past week what occured. Phoenix and the Clippers played game 6 of their series on Thursday night and then did not play game 7 until FOUR nights later!!!

Does this make sense to anyone?

It kills the momentum of the series for the players. It completely kills the interest of the series for the fans. I will never, ever understand why the NBA does not simply do what the NHL does.

Here's a tip Stern, you jack ass.

EVERY SECOND NIGHT. Like clock work.

That is how you run a playoffs.

Idiot.

End of rant.

The French Open

The denizons of chez Paris will forgive me if I don't refer to it as Roland Garos, as much as they would like that.

This has always been my favourite Grand Slam. I love the terre batu (red clay). And I love watching the big boys fight it out for hours on end.

The first question to ask this year is simply: Is this really just a two man tournament. Nadal and Federer appear to be so far out in front of the rest of the field that one wonders why they are even playing the first 6 rounds. Well I'll tell you why. Because over the course of 14 days, 5 sets each, and countless hourse, anything is possible on this surface.

I do like Nadal to live up to his seed and take his place in the final, but I worry for my boy Roger. There are SOOOO many Spaniards, or Argentines, or Italians, who on their best day (and it only takes one in 6 of them to have that) could give Federer all sorts of trouble.

www.BetBug.com has Nadal as the -125 favourite with Federer the clear second choice at =180. Given that the two of them take up far more than half the market, that certainly leaves open some big prices on the others. Nalbandian at 15-1, Safin at 35-1, even Ljubcic at 65-1, these are not no hopers.

We shall see. The fortenight (plus 1 this year) begins on Sunday.

DAL/SAN & LAC/PHX

With the East finishing last night, our focus shifts to the West.

You would be forgiven for assuming that Dallas had their shot and blew in in Game 6. And that now the champs, at home, will be able to hold off the Mavs. I don't think that's how it will play out. The Mavs may just actually be the better team, home court be damned. And it's not like this spread is huge. Just 4 points. In the NBA that's really just a refection of who's place they're playing in. With then East suddenly not looking as imposing, the Mavs must know this could be their one real shot. I like the Mavs. Outright. Gimme the +170 baby!

Also tonight, Phoenix faces it's second straight Game 7. I have been all set to write off the Suns in both series but they keep scratching away and coming up with just enough to get by. And I think they'll do it again tonight. I have a feeling the occassion may get to the alot of the Clippers, meanwhile I KNOW the occassion will not impact Steve Nash's preformance whatsoever, unless it's to heighten it.

I think we're looking at the ultimate Grude Western Conference Final. Nash vs Cuban.

And fyi, in that, as much as I have thought they would not make it that far, I LOVE PHOENIX.

7th Heaven!

THREE SEVENTH GAMES!

Damn.

This is going to be a great next two days.

First, so we all know what we're talking about, let's run down the odds here at BetBug:

Cavs at Pistons: Pistons -8.5 -105
Mavs at Spurs: Spurs -4 +100
Clipps at Suns: Suns -4.5 +100

So who wins? Or more specifically, who covers? Obviously the Pistons will probably win, but can they get to a 10 point margin of victory. I think not. I like Lebron and the very under-rated Cavs to keep it close. Everyone is going to think that Game 6 was their shot and now that they messed it up (GET A REBOUND...good heavens!), they will get bombed in Game 7. Well for that I say simply look back to Game 5. The same scenario was supposed to playout. The upstart Cavs had their little run in Cleveland but the big bad Pistons would easily re-assert themselves at home. Didn't happen did it? I can't see Cleveland winning, although I would love for that happen, but I surely see them in this game right till the bitter (probably for them) end.

Tomorrow the other two.

Black Eyed Susans go down easier than Mint Julips

Will he or won't he? Pretty simple question really. Do you think Barbaro can repeat his Derby form on two weeks rest at Pimlico. If so then the others are probably running for 2nd.

As it happens I do, and hence I quite like the YES at BetBug for -130 as to whether or not Barbaro wins today.

More importantly, the beverage of choice this weekend in Maryland is not some heinous rye concoction, but instead relies upon the succlence that is that greatest of all alcohols...Vodka.

Your Black Eyed Susan will consist of:
1&1/14 cup vodka
4 cups orange juice
1&1/4 cup light rum
ice ring
3/4 cup triple sec.
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
4 cups pineapple juice

Chill, float ice, garnish, and serve. Copious is the word that comes to mind with this fine beverage.

Do enjoy.

The Winston

Ok so it's not called that anymore. It ought to be. Damned anti smoking zealots.

Indeed this week's NASCAR stop is a non-points bearing race, in Charlotte, with the world's worst ever race moniker: The NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge.

The Winston was both easier and more memorable.

But who am I do argue with the moral majority.

BetBug has Jimmie Johnson as the pre-race favourite and considering his success, both recent and historical here, one finds it hard to argue with the betting. But you're certainly not going to pay off any mortgages at 6:1. Instead let's look for something a bit more juicy. If I were a betting man...one could do worse than having a gander at Ryan Newman and his rather more pleasing 20-1

A damn fine show

If you're not catching Costas Now every week on HBO, you're missing out.

38 years old, never kissed a girl

Ok so this joker isn't quite 38 (he's actually 25), and I assume he has indeed shared liplock with some unlucky lady.

But what he certainly has not done is the final act.

According to this story if he gets 5 million hits to his little webpage by May 30th, his formerly platonic friend Jen will in fact put the young man out of his misery.

Now normally I'm not one to look kindly on such a basket case. For God's sake man if you want to get laid: Get off your Ass! Get to the gym! Shape up! and Focus!

However Geoff here is just so pathetic that I think we should all lend him a helping hand (or hit as it were) by logging onto his page and pushing his hits total up to the magic number.

His site can be found at: avirginsplea.com.

I'll give the young man credit for one thing. At least his friend is worth the effort.



If BetBug were going to open up this proposition for wagering (and we're NOT!) I'd have to assume people would make him around a -500 favourite as he seems to have already eclipsed the 3 million hit mark with half a month to go.

Good luck dude. You clearly need it.

Could the Knicks actually get worse?

The answer to that question is a resounding...YES.

Especially if they dump Larry Brown as has been rumoured.

Replacing Brown with Thomas would be just about the most idiotic move possible for the Knicks to make. And when you talk about the Knicks and idiotic moves, well that is saying something.

Consider this. In a salary capped league, the New York Knicks payroll next year will be...ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE MILLION DOLLARS!!!!

Good Lord Almighty. That is tough to do, especially when with that same payroll and roster, you accumulated the staggering total of 23 wins last season

The Great American Race

At least it will be great, if it ever stops raining.

IRL and Champ Car are still at odds and while they have completely and utterly killed the golden goose that once was open wheel racing in the USA and Canada, once a year there is still interest in this form of motor vehicles if only because the Indianapoplis 500 is such a fixture on the American sporting landscape.

But to say it's lost a bit of it's lustre would be like mentioning the US dollar has lost a "bit" of it's value lately.

Nonetheless, www.BetBug.com has your odds for the great race up. To me the only real point of interest is in how the chick performs. I'd venture to say in fact, that with out Miss Patrick you would see the ratings for this driving contest cut in half.

Which means she is indeed fullfilling her end of the bargain. Getting more eyeballs onto the sport.

Whether or not the sport itself can keep it's own end up, well that is the question.

The King

Well, they're still going to lose the series and the Pistons are still going to win the Championship, but I think we saw a little example yesterday of why this man is going to make everyone forget about MJ in a few years.

Pistons are -5.5 -105 for Monday night's game at BetBug and even with Mr. James' rather large contributions I just don't see the Cavs winning another game in this series.

But he surely will be winning many more playoff games in years to come.

Too bad they didn't change ownership as well

Regardless of how good a coach Paul Maurice is, and I happen to think he is very good, you still need the players.

So the quote I am most reminded of today is:

"You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear"

The Clippers

Raise your hands, everyone, who saw that last game's score coming. IN PHOENIX no less.

So tonight, we see if something dramatic is really happening in this series. But then,perhaps we should not be surprised. Phoenix struggled to get by the Lakers and the Clippers are a damned sight better than the Kobes. I would like to see the Suns win tonight as I do enjoy our good Canadian boy Mr. Nash, but it would not suprise me a bit if the Clipps continue to give the Phoenix everything they handle and more.

In fact you can get the boys from LA at -120 on the series line right now at BetBug and that is surely not the worst bet ever seen.

Dodge Charger 500

Ohhh...right...we're talking about the race...not the car.

Ooops.

It is a sweet ride.

At any rate, this week the Nascar Nation stops at one of my favourite old school tracks, Darlington. Greg Biffle is the pre race betting favourite at www.BetBug.com at 7-1. But Stewart, Johnson, Kenseth, and Gordon, all between 8-1 and 12-1, should certainly give him a (pardon the pun) run for his money. I like Double J myself.

Still can't believe Jr. won a short track event last weekend though. That in and of itself should be the big shocker of the week.

Lupol

4 goals???!!! 4 goals...in ONE PLAYOFF hockey game. Back in the dark old dead puck era it would have taken an entire playoffs, let alone a series, let alone a single game for someone like Lupol to accumulate such a staggering offensive output.

This kid is the real deal. All the Ducks kids are the real deal. And the Ducks are the real deal.

Mighty they may no longer be after this season. But for the nonce, said appelation certainly applies.

And yet not a single question about steroids...hmmm...

Couldn't be because he's a nice, decent guy with the media as opposed to a certain rather more surely person could it? Nah...the press would never be the parochial and/or biased would they?

Christ.

If he keeps hitting HR's at this rate, there won't be any worry about that other guy's records. And wouldn't Selig and MLB just love that.

I wouldn't put it past them to juice the Cards' balls just for that very purpose.

+700 may not seem like much for the Cards to win it all at www.BetBug.com, but if he keeps lighting it up in this manner, it could be the overlay of all time.

Lions and Tigers and Bears

Well really just the middle one. Don't look now but the Detroit Tigers actually appear to be for real. And 30-1 on them at BetBug is starting to look like an awfully good little wager.

The New Paradigm in Sports Wagering