We Will Not Go Down Without A Fight

Well the Bulls lost. I had to go to work with 3 minutes left and the Bulls trailing but, fighting. Fighting for pride, fighting for respect, fighting for survival. Chicago loves teams and players that just won't give up. That is why Chicago loves this Bulls team, even if they don't win a Championship. When I came home this morning and checked ESPN.com, I was utterly saddened. I wasn't disappointed, just felt bad for them. I was proud of my Bulls when I was watching them last night and I am excited to see what develops next season as this young team matures a little more. As for the Pistons...we'll meet again.

Now, on to the Judge, I liked the beginning of your post. It's EXACTLY what Kobe is like and it really cements the reasoning behind the naming of this site. He can imitate Jordan on the court all he wants but, he just can't seem to get it off the court. Like you said, absolutely no class. As for the great duos references, least favorite: Stockton and Malone (you should know that); favorites: Rob and Big (naturally), Wennington and Kerr (still dream of the good ol' days of the Wennington and Kerr Bulls).

Speaking of the good ol' days, I think we have reached them once again. Basketball, more than any other sport, seems to be gaining lots of speed with no intentions of slowing down anytime soon. There's a good lot of superstars out there now but, that's not what intrigues me. It's the amount of teams that actually play team-oriented basketball. As exciting as it is too see one player completely dominate the game, it's that much more exciting to see a whole team do it. Let's hope this trend continues. And I'm with you on the Finals thing Judge. Hate to see the Spurs/Pistons match up again.

On Dirk, I think critics should tear him to shreds this off-season. Maybe then he will develop the fire that he needs to display more frequently on the court. Sure they had the best record in the league and I'm not trying to take anything away from the Warriors but, he just doesn't seem to have that intensity that will drive him to greatness. If people tear him down, one of two things will happen:

1. He'll come back next season with a renewed vigor. They'll break 70 wins next season, win the title, and Dirk will hold the regular season and Finals MVP Awards. Also, he'll get to say, "IN YOUR FACE MOTHER FU**A'S!!!!"
2. He'll come back next season with less drive than he had against the Warriors. They'll make the playoffs, carried by the rest of the team and great coaching but, again get eliminated in the first round...probably a sweep. Dirk will be written off after the season and people will talk about what a great player he should've been had he had that desire.

Not a big fan of Nowitzki, especially after the Finals last year, but I respect his game. Just needs that something extra to be considered a great player. Unfortunately, that something is usually built-in to people and he doesn't seem to have the right parts.

Last note, if the Judge decides to barrel down on me with that bus he better think twice. I'll pull an Indiana Jones from the Raiders of the Lost Ark when he gets drug by that truck, climbs up, beats the shit out of him and throws him out. Classic Indy.

P.S.-Welcome back, Good Ol' Days. Hope you can stay.