General

Shanoff’s Wake-Up Call: Playoffs, 22, More

Apr 18, 2008, 12:40 PM UTC

Today’s Calls: Celtics vs. the West, Rockies vs. Padres, Isiah vs.â†µUnemployment, David Ortiz vs. Manny Ramirez, Chipper Jones vs. Chrisâ†µCoste, Carlos Silva vs. Greg Maddux, Miguel Tejada vs. Father Time,â†µDucks vs. Oblivion, Kevin Love vs. Al Horford, Jake Long vs. Draftâ†µMisdirection, Steve McNair vs. Brett Favre and More!â†µâ†µThe Opening Pitch: The Celtics are in a bit of a bind. Despite the epic turnaround from a season ago, expectations are high:â†µ

â†µâ†µAnything less than an NBA title this season is a failure.â†µ

â†µâ†µWinning the East? Sure, it would be nice. But I haven’t seen anyâ†µself-respecting NBA title contender care about a mere conferenceâ†µchampionship.â†µ

â†µâ†µMaybe for a career-long playoff choker like Kevin Garnett,â†µfinally winning a conference title might matter; I have toâ†µbelieve, though that for Celtics fans used to banners, that’s not enough after this past season’s success.â†µ

â†µâ†µ“Title or bust” is a brutal standard; just ask Pistons fans from theâ†µpast few seasons. (There is something quaint about the contentment ofâ†µCavs fans a year ago, so happily stunned by winning the East.)â†µ

â†µâ†µIn the West, there is no such expectation: What makes the West playoffs so best-ever is that any of the eight teams could win theâ†µconference title.â†µ

â†µâ†µHeck, surviving the first round is cause for celebration -- either the Spurs or Suns, Rockets or Jazz, Mavs or Hornets and Nuggets orâ†µLakers... won’t.â†µ

â†µâ†µNo West team’s fans can claim to have “title or bust” expectations for winning their conference, let alone the championship.â†µ

â†µâ†µHowever: The West champ will head into The Finals knowing itâ†µexceeded expectations -- and the most arduous conference playoff routeâ†µin league history. After that, the Celtics will seem as ominous as theâ†µSunday-morning game at the Y.â†µ

â†µâ†µMeanwhile, the Celtics -- if they even make it to the title game -- have to play knowing that anything less than a ring is a failure of their grand experiment in superstardom.â†µ

â†µâ†µGiven that Boston’s Big Three aren’t exactly known for their playoffâ†µmettle, I’ll take the team from the West to win it all -- whoever itâ†µis.â†µ

â†µâ†µNBA East Playoff Picks:
â†µ(1) Celtics over (8) Hawks in 4
â†µ(2) Pistons over (7) 76ers in 5
â†µ(6) Raptors over (3) Magic in 6
â†µ(5) Wizards over (4) Cavs in 7
â†µEast Semi 1: Celtics over Wizards in 7
â†µEast Semi 2: Pistons over Raptors in 6
â†µEast Finals: Pistons over Celtics in 6â†µ

â†µâ†µNBA West Playoff Picks:
â†µ(1) Lakers over (8) Nuggets in 7>
â†µ(2) Hornets over (7) Mavs in 7
â†µ(3) Spurs over (6) Suns in 7
â†µ(5) Rockets over (4) Jazz in 7
â†µWest Semi 1: Lakers over Rockets in 7
â†µWest Semi 2: Spurs over Hornets in 6
â†µWest Finals: Spurs over Lakers in 6â†µ

â†µâ†µNBA Finals: Spurs over Pistons in Zzzz.â†µ

â†µ

â†µâ†µ

â†µâ†µRockies edge Padres in 22-inning, six-plus-hour marathon: I got up at 4 this morning, one of those 4 a.m. wake-ups where you say toâ†µyourself: “Wow, I wish there was some live baseball on TV.” â†µ

â†µâ†µAfter 22 innings and 6 hours-16 minutes -- the longest MLB game since 1993 -- the visiting Rockies won 2-1 on Troy Tulowitzki’s run-scoring double. Kip Wells closed things out at 1:21 a.m. local time -- that’s 4:21 a.m. ET -- in his fourth inning of relief. (In a 22-inning game, that’s called “short relief.”)â†µ

â†µâ†µLeft way, way, way behind were two outstanding performances fromâ†µstarters Jake Peavy (8.0 IP, 4 H, O ER, 11 K) and Jeff Francis (7.0 IP,â†µ3 H, 0 ER, 7 K). But honestly: 8 innings? Wusses. (Really, if not forâ†µthe solid pitching throughout, including a team-record 20 Ks thrown byâ†µPadres pitchers, 6:16 could have easily cracked 7.)â†µ

â†µâ†µ“Fire Isiah!” ... or “FIRED Isiah!” Could it be? Finally?â†µReally? No kidding around? You wouldn’t mess around with fans on this,â†µwould you? YES! At least, that’s what the New York Daily News is saying: Isiah Thomas is out as Knicks coach. I’ll take it. (Instantâ†µreplacement speculation: Mark Jackson, who would be an amazingâ†µfit.)â†µ

â†µâ†µMore MLB: Who needs David Ortiz and his woeful .111 averageâ†µ(0-for-5, 3 LOB last night vs. NYY) when you’ve got Manny? (More onâ†µManny below) ... Prince Fielder finally hit his first HRâ†µof the season, this one helping the Brewers side-step a sweep by theâ†µCardinals ... Stud: Chipper Jones (4-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI) ... Carlos Silva! ... So: Who had Chris Coste activated on their fantasy roster last night? Anyone? ... Last point on the 22-inning game: You know it’s a long game when a 14-inning Mets win over the Nats on a walk-off wild pitch seems fairly tame â†µ

â†µâ†µJust when you think things can’t get much worse for Miguel Tejada, now it turns out that he is two years older than everyone thought -- 33, instead of 31.â†µ

â†µâ†µHe and Astros GM Ed Wade say Tejada is playing like he is 25 -- doesâ†µthat mean that he is really playing like he is 27? (Tejada didâ†µhit a HR last night, his third of the season.)â†µ

â†µâ†µFrankly, given that Tejada just lost two years of production (at least on paper), that’s a heck of a lot more troubling than his allegedâ†µsteroid use.â†µ

â†µâ†µMLB Milestone Watch: Manny Ramirez hits No. 494 to pass Lou Gehrig and Fred McGriff, and then hits No. 495 for good measure; when all is said and done, it is very possible Manny Ramirez will be viewed as the greatest (clean) hitter of our generation. (OK, maybe Ken Griffey, who had his own milestone yesterday: HR No. 596.)â†µ

â†µâ†µAnd on the pitching front Greg Maddux goes for career win No. 350 tonight. Think nine innings will suffice tonight?â†µ

â†µâ†µOne Thing To Know About the NHL Playoffs: Alex Ovechkin, theâ†µmost exciting scorer in the sport, is nearly out. He was shut outâ†µfor the third straight time since Game 1; unsurprisingly, the Flyersâ†µwon their third straight to take a 3-1 series lead, which is often known as “a commanding lead.”â†µ

â†µâ†µ(Speaking of 3-1, the defending champ to the Stars, with a potential close-out in Dallas tonight.)â†µ

â†µâ†µKevin Love going pro: My national CBB Player of the Year throws the best outlet pass since Wes Unseld and will instantly turn a late-lottery team into a marginal playoff team, not unlike Al Horford (like Love, the best post player of his draft class).â†µMore NBA draft early-entries: Brandon Rush and Darrell Arthur,â†µboth of champ Kansas. Rush’s brothers don’t make his NBA potentialâ†µparticularly interesting; most think Arthur will be one of thoseâ†µplayers who is much better in the NBA than he was in college.â†µ

â†µâ†µNFL Draft Quote of the Week: “This is the first pick in theâ†µdraft. This guy is going to be -- you hope that he’s a pillar of yourâ†µdefense for a long time.” (Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland)â†µ

â†µâ†µGiven that the Fins are reportedly in negotiations with offensiveâ†µtackle Jake Long, either they just admitted they’re faking it or theyâ†µare trying to fake people out. I’m guessing the latter. But it allâ†µseems like Vizzini vs. Westley in The Princess Bride.â†µ

â†µâ†µSteve McNair retires: Will be remembered mostly for three points in his career: (1) “Air McNair” at little Alcorn State in theâ†µearly ‘90s, where he was a cult hero ... (2) Leading the Titans toâ†µSuper Bowl XXXIV, within 1 foot of the immortality of a title ...â†µ(3) His NFL “Co-MVP” award with Peyton Manning in 2003.â†µ

â†µâ†µNFL: Who wants the reigning sack champ? Kansas City’s Jared Allen is on the trading block. The Chiefs want a first- and second-rounder; good luck with that. They’ll get a second-rounder ... if they’re lucky.â†µ

â†µâ†µMore NBA Firings: Pity Larry Krystkowiak of the underachieving Bucks and Jim Boylan of the dysfunctional Bulls. Their firings will be lost amid the reports that the Knicks fired Isiah. (Watch out for John Calipari rumors -- given Cal’s cozy new relationship with China, coaching Yi in Milwaukee doesn’t seem out of the question.)â†µ

â†µâ†µThe Last Word: Back to this 22-inning marathon. Here’s theâ†µquestion: It’s a Thursday night. If you’re a fan at the game, how manyâ†µinnings do you go before you go home? 10? 14 (after both teams finallyâ†µscored)? 18? The distance? Be honest! You know you wouldn’t have, butâ†µyou also know that the idea of participating in THREE 7th-inningâ†µstretches (after 7, 14 and 21) sounds awesome.â†µ

â†µ

â†µDan Shanoff writes The Wake-Up Call every weekday morning forâ†µSportingNews.com and blogs daily atâ†µDanShanoff.com. Got anyâ†µcomments, questions or feedback? E-mail Dan atâ†µshanofftsn-[at]-gmail-[dot]-com.â†µ

â†µ

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.

See More: