In Which The NHL Hates Itself And Will Lose Its Momentum

If this guy can't handle the lockout, there's no hope for the rest of us (photo via toromagazine.com)

As the clock strikes 12 am on September 16th, 2012, please welcome the latest edition of the NHL lockout. You might want to hurl your verbal stones at the ever lovable Bettman and his team of owners. Or those unfortunate players that make money playing a game. It doesn't matter how you shake it, they want their money and their "fair share". And the fans? Unless we can actually get the PSEC off the ground, here's your very quick survival guide until the NHL and NHLPA get their shit together:

NBA Commish David Stern Responds to Jim Rome's "Loaded" Question

NBA Commissioner David Stern made an appearance in "The Jungle" today, otherwise known as the Jim Rome Radio Show.

To say that things got testy during their discussion would be a gross understatement, as Stern took major offense to Rome's question about whether the NBA Lottery was "fixed."

Good on Romie for asking the question.  He meant no disrespect, and was throwing out a question on an issue that a lot of NBA fans (and sport fans in general) would love to get to the bottom of.

For the Commish to reply the way he did only showed his true character.

Shame on you Stern.

-Turnbull

11 Memes That Explain the Heat-Celtics Series

image via celticshub.com

Courtesy of Buzzfeed.  Click HERE to view.

-Turnbull

Jeremy Lin Has Knicks Fans Going 'Linsane'

image via blogs.canada.com

New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin is on fire as of late!

The second year player and Harvard graduate has been carrying the squad recently, as top stars Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire have been out of the lineup.

Shaquille O'Neal Drops S-Bomb On Live NBA Broadcast

image via blogs.thescore.com

Newly retired NBA big man Shaquille O'Neal is still getting his legs under himself as a TV analyst.  The four-time World Champion joined the NBA on TNT team this year, alongside former players Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith, and longtime sportscaster Ernie Johnson.

Some may have felt that the gregarious Shaq would've made a natural transition into such a career, but if the accidental "s-bomb" he dropped last night is any indication, he still has some work to do.

Kenny Smith's reaction to the gaffe?  Priceless.



-Turnbull

NBA Season to Launch on Christmas Day with 5-Game Sked

B-ball is back, but are Fans Ready to Forgive?

image via blog.betvega.com

The National Basketball Players Association and franchise owners have resolved their differences, ending the labour dispute that has resulted in an abbreviated regular season (66 games)

The season will kick off on Christmas Day with an unprecedented "quintuple header."

Action will start with the Boston Celtics visiting Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Knicks, followed by the Miami Heat heading to the Lone Star State for a showdown against the defending NBA Champions, Dallas Mavericks.

Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls will then square off against Kobe Bean Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.  The 8pm contest pits the Orlando Magic against the "youngry" Oklahoma City Thunder.

The final game of the day has the Los Angeles Clippers, with newly acquired point guard Chris Paul, and reigning Rookie of the Year award-winner Blake Griffin traveling to the Bay Area to battle against Monta Ellis and the Golden State Warriors.

I'm finding myself rather indifferent about the start of the season.  My attitude might change as the season progresses, and I get used to seeing basketball again.  But these sports labour disputes leave a bad taste in my mouth, especially when games are lost (at least the NFL got there shit together without losing games - not even in the preseason).

The NBA has it's work cut out for itself as it tries to regain the trust of its fans, myself included.

I'll start with the Christmas Day sked, then roll from there.

Click the jump below to check out a video preview of the opening day's games:

It's Not Broken...So Let's Fix It: NHL's Board of Governors Overhauls Conference Configuration, Eliminates Divisions

(Photo via thehockeynews.com)

What the fuck? What the mother fuckin' fuck, god damnit! (My apologies to all of our young readers) That was my reaction regarding the NHL's Board of Governors approving the new realignment for the 2012-13 season. Here's what it might look like:

Out Of The Turmoil That Is The NBA Lockout Comes the PSEC: Fans Fighting For Fans

Still waiting.. (Photo via swarmandsting.com)

The NBA lockout is 125 days old and this is the first time I rhyme off on it. I've been trying to approach this from the right angle, since all we're reading about is the greed vs greed argument. The real loser in all of this is the fan. The fan is sick of David Stern's villainous posturing and the NBPA's "they're losing more than we are" attitude. The real loss is the entertainment that the fan pays premium bucks to consume. So I'm offering you a solution with the creation of the PSEC (pronounced Pee-Seck): Professional Sports Enthusiast Collective. Together we can make them understand that the fan's need is imperative, and nothing else is of any importance.

Message To David Stern And The NBPA: Basketball Never Stops

You can always count on Nike to keep their brand strong in the middle of an NBA lock out. This promotional video features a who's who of players in the game(s): J. Cole, Stoudamire, Lebron James, Durant, Nowitzki, ?uestlove and Coach Krzyzewski. 

But the real stars of the video are the kids and adults that are playing ball for the love of the game. No lock out. No bargaining. No revenue splits. Nothing but love for the game. Even though the NBA's season is in jeopardy, basketball never stops.

-Paqman

Jay-Z Announces The Brooklyn Nets

photo via ap.org

Jay-Z announced this week that the New Jersey Nets will officially become the "Brooklyn Nets" as of the start of the 2012-13 NBA season.

Hov also announced that to celebrate the opening of the new Barclays Center that the Nets will call home, he will perform a series of concerts.

Click the jump for highlights of the press conference:

Ron Artest Now Known as Metta World Peace?

This is just plain WEIRD:



-Turnbull

NBA Madvillainy: The Miami Heat

photo kinda via thefanassociation.wordpress.com

In my recent posts about the NBA Playoffs, I've made mention of my ongoing disdain for the Miami Heat, so I felt it was necessary to delve deeper into what exactly it is that I don't like about this team. Then perhaps I might discuss exactly what I've grown to like and respect about this squad.

Let me start by pinpointing just what irks me about what has taken place in South Beach this season.

In Which Mike Miller Is Officially Inducted Into the P&B 'Player' Hall of Fame

Inspired by Ice-T's classic cut "M.V.P.S.", this will be a recurring post paying tribute to anyone that exemplifies a true Player, including but not limited to these attributes: dedication, leadership, drive, focus, or innovation.

(Photo via blog.eastbay.com)

Mike Miller is grit embodied. He's playing with a ruptured tendon in his right hand as the Heat are on the verge of eliminating the Bulls. He chipped in 9 points in the 4th quarter in game 4 and also grabbed 9 boards. Dude is tough as nails, like hockey player tough. In addition to what should be a season ending injury, his newborn daughter is in the hospital with an unspecified condition that may require surgery. Miller is going through some heavy emotional and physical pain, but continues to support his team. He says that what's happening to his daughter is putting his thumb injury in perspective.

Mr. Miller, your dedication to the Heat and fighting through major adversity makes you a Player.

-Paqman

Sorry Dudes...Take Kim Kardashian Off Your Wish List Thanks to Engagement To Humphries

(Photo via igossip.com)

Since we are getting sooooooooo much traffic from Turnbull's March post about the Kardashian/Humphries relationship, here is some news for you: they are engaged.

P&B's Mad Crystal Ballin':

- A reality show
- A ridiculously extravagant wedding
- V.I.P. invites to the nuptials for Turnbull and Paqman
- An eventual divorce...Come on!! Humphries is a baller!!
- Another reality show about the breakup

For those of you poppin' by for the first time, take a look at the other posts on our blog. Or even better, tell your boyfriends/husbands about us. Help us spread the P&B word!

Cheers!

-Paqman

The Worm Is Worthy: Dennis Rodman Elected to Basketball Hall of Fame!

The Worm during his Chicago Bulls tenure
(photo via ongo.com)

Dennis Rodman has been elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame ... whodda thunk it?

You don't picture a guy like Rodman getting a lot of consideration for such an honour, given his anti-conservative image and lack of flashy offensive skills during his playing days.  But the guy's resume is pretty damn impressive.

The Kardashian Effect

UPDATE: For those of you poppin' by for the first time, take a look at the other posts on our blog. Or even better, tell your boyfriends/husbands/partners about us. Help us spread the P&B gospel!

Hump and Dash ... steppin' out
(photo via socialitelife.com)

If you're only a "casual" NBA basketball fan, or if you don't watch Hoops at all, you may not know who Kris Humphries is.

However, if you're into celebrity news and Hollywood gossip, you may NOW know who Kris Humphries is!

The West is the Best: Stats (Like Hips) Don't Lie

This is the best picture that I can find that represents East vs West. Nuff said. (photo via smartassradio.com)

For those of you who don't know, I'm an Ottawa Senators fan. I don't need a shoulder to cry on or any type of consolation for this Club's luck (or lack of it) this year. 29th overall. Worse than the always crappy Islanders. Not doing much better than the young and rebuilding Oilers. And most painfully, the Leafs are in the hunt for that 8th seed in the home stretch while the Sens are planning their strategy for the 2011 Entry Draft. 1st or 2nd pick? Nugent-Thompkins, Laarsen, Landeskog, or Couturier? Not the kind of conversation you want your team to have at this point in the season. For more of my Sens ranting, check out my other blog Stranger In Leaf Nation.

The Race is On

I can't remember the last time the NHL Western playoff race was this tight. As of Saturday, March 12th, 8 points separate the 11th seed from 4th. Within that range we are looking at the Kings, Stars, Flames, Ducks, Predators, Coyotes, Hawks, and Wild. The top might change with Detroit, Vancouver and the Sharks sitting comfortably in the top 3 seeds, as the red hot Hawks are knocking on the door. The craziest part of the Western race has to be the 12th seeded Blue Jackets playing with a winning record at 31-26-8. Flip it to the East in the same spot, we're looking at the Devils at 31-32-4. The spread from 4th to 11th on the Atlantic side of the league is 18 points. The West continues to be the strongest side in the NHL year over year. But I've also noticed this trend in the NBA. Was Jim Morrison right all along? Is the West the best?

Mid-Season NBA MVP Report

We're just past the midway point of the 2010-11 NBA season. Let's take a moment and discuss who the Association's Best Player has been so far.

(photo via washingtonexaminer.com)