#24, Kobe Bryant

It was announced Wednesday that Kobe Bryant will be changing his uniform number next year, from his current #8, to #24. Kobe wearing #24 will be like if Wayne Gretzky decided midway through his career that he wanted to be #14. It's just not right. Why didn't Kobe choose #24 when he entered the League? I'm not 100% sure if another player had it or not at that time Kobe entered the League, but that's irrelevant, because another player, Jim Jackson, currently wears the number, and will have to give it up for Kobe anyway. A number is a player. Wayne Gretzky IS #99, Michael Jordan IS #23 (sorry LeBron, I think you need a new number), Mickey Mantle IS #7. To think of these players as anything else is ridiculous, and to think of Kobe as anything but #8 is also ridiculous.

So why the sudden change for Kobe? How come after 10 years, he suddenly decides #24 is the way to go? The same reason the rest of the NBA has other jerseys. Why do you think teams have been wearing third jerseys, Sunday jerseys, alternate Sunday jerseys, throwback jerseys, semi-throwback jerseys, jersey's from when the team was in another city, jerseys from...Where ever they are from? Money is the only reason. Every new jersey is profit. A fan sees the new jersey, and instantly wants to be cool, and to have that jersey. Every new jersey that is available, there will be fans to purchase it.

Fan #1 - "The Laker's colors aren't even baby blue and white!"
Fan #2 - "Who cares, I gotta get the new jersey, it's only $75!"

The Los Angeles Lakers have worn essentially the same home and road jersey's since Kobe entered the league 10 seasons ago. A few minor changes here and there, but if you put two fans side by side, one with a 10-year-old jersey, and one with a one-year-old jersey, most people could not tell the difference. The Lakers jerseys are classic, and they can't be changed without creating an uproar. So what do the Lakers and Kobe do to make more money from jersey sales? Change Kobe's number. Now you aren't cool unless you have the new #24 Kobe jersey. Every fan of Kobe now feels obligated to go buy another jersey, to give the League more profits from it's sale. If they don't have the #24 jersey, they aren't a real fan.

The idea is stupid, and the players and the League are greedy. Fans support the athletes enough without having to buy a new jersey every night, just because a team decides to wear their alternate-third-Sunday-of-an-odd-month-when-it's-raining-outside jersey. Stop exploiting your fans for a few extra dollars.

Western Conference Prediction Update

ESPN hasn't called to hire me yet, but I'm expecting that call to come any day now. A week ago, I predicted the exact opposite of EVERY SINGLE "expert" in the two "upset- potential series'." A 3-seed vs. a 6-seed and a 4-seed vs. a 5-seed could, and should always be open to go either way, so I can't argue with the so-called "experts" in the Calgary/Anaheim and San Jose/Nashville series', because either team they pick has a decent chance. However, a 2-seed should almost always beat a 7-seed, and a 1-seed should always beat an 8-seed, so I call those the "upset-potential series'." A so-called "expert" should know when to pick the lower seed, and not just pick the higher seed because they are ranked higher. Anyone ever heard of George Mason?

Like I've been saying over and over, Detroit's regular season record was decieving. They acquired all their points against awful teams, which made them look ten times better than they actually are. Edmonton is exposing this weekness, and as of now has a 2-1 lead in the series. Only one "expert" picked the Oilers to win, and only one of the "experts" is going to be correct. Nice pick, Amber.

Dallas won 12 of their games because of shootouts. Guess what? No shootouts in the playoffs. The Avalanche have dominated the Stars in every aspect of every game, and will continue to do so. The only change I would make on this prediction is changing it to Avs in 5 instead of Avs in 6, and that's only if the Stars can get lucky enough to win one game.

The "experts" are awful. They need to hire me next year.

Where are the East updates?

I know I said I would have Eastern Conference predictions about a week ago, but unfortunently I live in Phoenix. Why is that a problem? Phoenix is in the middle of the desert, and they don't care about hockey down here. They don't even really care about the Coyotes. What that means for me is I had no chance to watch any Eastern Conference team all season, because they don't show national hockey games on any channel (Cox Cable doesn't include OLN). All I've been able to watch all year is Western Conference games on Fox Sports Arizona, so unfortunently, I can only make predictions on the Western Conference.

Western Conference Predictions (Quarterfinals)

The Western Conference is officially done with it's regular season. Detroit won the Western Conference, along with the Presidents Trophy for having the best regular-season record. Dallas came in second, followed by Calgary, Nashville, San Jose, Anaheim, Colorado, and Edmonton. The playoffs start Friday night; here are my first round Western Conference predictions.

Edmonton over Detroit in 7 games.
Almost everyone thinks that Detroit is going to breeze through the playoffs. I don't think that will happen. Like I've said many times before, yes, Detroit is a good team; however, the way the NHL is set up now, with so many inter-division games, Detroit's 124 points is impressive, yet it is deceiving, because a good chunk of those points came against St. Louis, Columbus, and Chicago, who are the three worst teams in hockey. Take any team from the Northwest division, and switch them with Detroit, and that team would have also ended up with 124 points. Edmonton beat Detroit the same amount of times as Nashville, Columbus, St. Louis and Chicago (Detroit's entire division) combined. Detroitis so used to playing bad teams, that when they have to play so many in a row against a much better team, they will struggle. Edmonton will hang in there the first couple games, and then after Detroit gets tired from playing a good team night after night, Edmonton will dominate and take the series.

Colorado over Dallas in 6 games.
Dallas is good in shootouts. Colorado isn't. Good thing there are no shootouts in the playoffs. The Avalanche and Stars split the regular season 1-1 in regulation games. The only reason Dallas won the series overall 3-1 is because of two shootout victories. The Avalanche have a better-conditioned team, which helps them out in the long run when it gets down to the end of the games, and down to double or triple overtime. A majority of the Stars losses this season came after they were up by a goal or tied, and lost the lead or gave up a goal late in the game. In the playoffs, games go down to the very end, and Colorado is better suited for staying alive into overtime.

Calgary over Anaheim in 6 games.
Both teams proved themselves this year, Calgary a little more though. Calgary has had to battle against 4 of the top teams in the conference regularly throughout the season (the entire Northwest Division), and has more strength and momentum coming into the playoffs. Anaheim split the series with the Flames, including a win in the regular-season finale, but Calgary had already known their playoff situation, and weren't in top form. They have too much momentum and too much talent to go down to the Ducks.

San Jose over Nashville in 6 games.
Just like with Detroit, Nashville's points are a deceiving number. The only reason that Nashville doesn't have as many as Detroit, is because they had to play Detroit. They did get off very easy playing the three worst teams in the West, however, they are still a very good team. San Jose hasn't really proven themselves that well in what is probably the 3rd best division in hockey, behind the Northwest and the Atlantic. They have a losing record against the Northwest division, which Nashville dominated. Joe Thorton, the Sharks leader, doesn't have any Western Conference playoff experience, which is a lot different than the experience he has from the Bruins. Paul Kariya has enough playoff experience with the Avalanche and the Ducks to know the situation of the West, but San Jose's Cheechoo and Thorton are amazing together, and will dominate a goalie-less (Vokoun is still out) Nashville, leading the Sharks into the next round.

NHL Prediction Updates

I made some predictions earlier in the season. For the most part, I have been correct. I predicted 4 teams from the Northwest would make the playoffs, and I was damn close with that. If Vancouver wouldn't have slacked off, I would be right. As for the East, I was right in saying "New York is New York." Sure, they made the playoffs, but as of right now, they lost the 12 point lead they had on both New Jersey and Philadelphia, and are on the verge of having a possible #6 seed in the playoffs, instead of the #2 seed they were gunning at a month ago. I'll just have to wait until tomorrow to see what happens there.

"Detroit's Power Surge Keys 4-0 Start"

"Detroit's Power Surge Keys 4-0 Start"

That's the AP's headline for todays baseball news. Are you fucking kidding me? The Tigers have played Kansas City and Tampa Bay. They are not having a god damn power surge. They are playing the worst two teams in Major League baseball. Ahh. Stupid AP writers. In order to be considered a good team, you need to beat some good teams, not just hit a few homers off the worst teams since the 2002 Devil Rays. Wait a few weeks before writing about shit like this.

Colorado Rockies: 2006 World Series Champions?

Believe it or not, my hometown, Denver, is home to the team who is tied for having the best record in Major League Baseball. That is correct. You read it right. The Colorado Rockies have the best record in all of baseball. Not just the National League West (which is the worst division in baseball). Not just the National League. The Entire League. Live it up, Coloradans, because it won't last more than a week, and will probably never happen again. But for now, we can celebrate!

The Best Losers in the NBA

Congratulations Houston Rockets, you are the best losers in the NBA. On Sunday afternoon's game in Los Angeles, the Rockets, down by 16, did something for the fans; not their fans, the Lakers fans. With around 8 seconds left, and the rockets with the ball, they picked up the ball, and held if for the remaining 8 seconds. No drive to the net. No three point shot. No effort at trying to make the score a little bit better.

Every night is a potential free taco night in LA. If the Lakers hold their opponents to under 90 points, everyone in the crowd receives two free tacos from Del Taco. With six minutes left, the Rockets had scored 80 points. With three minutes left, they were up to 84. With two minutes left, they were up to 86. With one minute, they were up to 88.

"Lets go tacos, lets go" was all that could be heard from the fans. It got so intense, that the announcers on TV started to comment how they could only hear chants for tacos. When the camera focused in on Houston's players on the bench, you could see them mouthing the word "tacos" to each other, with a questionable look on their face.

A few missed shots later, the Rockets had the ball with 8 seconds left in LA territory. The chants for tacos were getting louder and louder. Enter Stormile Swift, Lakers fans savior. Swift picked up the ball, and held it for the remaining 8 seconds. The crowd went wild. Swift smiled. Free dinner for Mr. Nicholson and his Lakers faithful, courtesy of the best losers in the NBA.