Sporty Blog - The Sport Blog

The Phoenix Suns showed once again that the game one shellacking they endured in Phoenix may actually have been a fluke and not what is to be expected of them in the future.

The Suns, led by Amare Stoudemire and Jason Richardson showed the TrailBlazers that they are a force to be reckoned with.  Even on the road, the Suns were able to put the hurt on a reeling Portland team who is missing its best player, Brandon Roy.

Phoenix took off and never looked back racking up a 29 point lead at half time.  Portland clawed its way back in the second half getting withing about 15 points but the Suns were able to hold steady and show that they are the better team.

I look for the Suns to continue to dominate a team that is clearly inferior.

The Phoenix Suns showed that they still had some life left in them as they thoroughly trashed the Portland Trailblazers on April 2oth.  This second game of the series saw Phoenix come out with alot more energy.

Amare was able to play more like he has been down the stretch of the regular season.  Steve Nash was on his game too.  More importantly, Phoenix exuded the type of confidence that has made them such a tough team to beat in the late part of the regular season.

Phoenix looks to regain the edge in the series tonight as the Portland Trailblazers host the Phoenix Suns in Game 3 of the playoffs.

If Phoenix can take this game, it will definitely make many Suns fans breathe just a tad easier.

The Phoenix suns stumbled and then fell down as they lost a critical game 1 of the NBA playoffs to the Portland Trailblazers at home in Phoenix, Arizona on Sunday.

With this loss, Phoenix became the only home team to lose the first NBA playoff game this season.

Interestingly, the loss came against a Portland team who had just lost their best player, Brandon Roy, to a season ending injury.  Without Roy, the Trailblazers were expected by some to be a pushover for the powerful suns.

But is was not so as Marcus Camby and Andre Miller were able to shut down Amare Stoudemire and control Steve Nash to put the Suns at a distinct disadvantage for the rest of this series.

If the Suns are to stand any chance of redemption, Amare will need to start playing like he has been late this season and not let them take him out of the game so easily.

The Suns play tomorrow night in game two and I expect they should come out with a little more intensity.

JOIN KENTUCKY DERBY HANDICAPPERS FOR THE 10^TH ANNUAL “RUN FOR THE ROSES” FORUM AND FEAST AT GALLAGHER’S STEAK HOUSE ON TUESDAY, APRIL 27^th AT 12 NOON

Who:                Dan Illman and Mike Beer, handicappers, the Daily Racing Form; race caller extraordinaire Dave Johnson of Sirius Radio,  who will serve as Master of Ceremonies; John DaSilva of the New York Post; jockey agent Drew Mollica; Lucas Marquardt of the Thoroughbred Daily News; Anthony Stabile, a handicapper for NYC-OTB; and Marc Malusis, WFAN radio/SNY television personality.

 When:          Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 12PM Noon  

What:           10^th Annual Kentucky Derby Handicapping Seminar and Power Lunch

Where:        Gallagher’s Steak House, 228 West 52^nd St, west of Broadway, NYC

Price:           $60                                         

Reservations required: 212-245-5336 

Media Contacts/Press RSVP:   Cirillo World/John Cirillo, Jerry Milani, Kevin McCarthy, O: 212 972 5337, JC Cell: 914 260 7436, johnnycigarpr@aol.com, jerry.milani@yahoo.com, kevinmc.cirilloworld@gmail.com 

Join thoroughbred experts as they predict the “most exciting two minutes in sports” at the seminar sponsored by the Daily Racing Form. In preparation for the Kentucky Derby, racing experts will gather at Gallagher’s Steak House on Tuesday, April 27^th at 12 noon to offer their opinions on the first leg of the Triple Crown. Regional southern fare from Kentucky will highlight the three-course Power Lunch menu at the annual Kentucky Derby Handicapping Seminar. (Kentucky Derby is Saturday, May 1, at Churchill Downs in Louisville). Gallagher’s Steak House is located at 228 West 52^nd Street, just west of Broadway. Reservations are recommended by calling 212.245.5336. The seminar is priced at $60, and includes the Power Lunch, forum, the Daily Racing Form cap, a commemorative glass, and DRF advance program lines. All fans will receive The Daily Racing Form Cap, made of soft cotton and featuring an embroidered DRF logo, retail value $14.95.  The handicappers include: Racecaller extraordinaire Dave Johnson of Sirius Radio,  who will serve as Master of Ceremonies; John DaSilva of the New York Post; Marc Malusis, WFAN radio/SNY television personality; jockey agent Drew Mollica; Lucas Marquardt of the Thoroughbred Daily News; and Anthony Stabile, a handicapper for NYC-OTB.  The Derby Menu features:  Starting Gate: Choice of either Soup: Kentucky Burgoo: Slow cooked Soup with shredded chicken, pork, beef, veal and vegetables or Salad: Spinach Salad served with apple onion vinaigrette. The Stretch: Choice of Bourbon Glazed Double Cut Pork-Chops Served w/whipped sweet potatoes; or Blackened CAB Steak served with Bourbon molasses butter; or Slow roasted salmon with Jim Beam Kentucky bourbon sauce;  or Traditional Kentucky Hot Brown open-faced turkey sandwich with bacon and a delicate Mornay sauce, served with Louisville Hash Browns. The Finish Line: Warm Bread pudding, served with vanilla cream sauce

On March 22^nd, during the end of the third quarter of the Miami Heat vs. New Jersey Nets at the Meadowlands, the Nets CEO Brett Yormark got into a much publicized shouting match with an errant fan who’d decided to adorn a brown paper bag over his head in regards to the woeful NBA Basketball Team’s performance, who were on a 14 Home game losing streak and eight games overall, as the Nets continued to be on pace to break the league’s all time losing record of 73 games set in 1972-73 by the Philadelphia 76ers, as New Jersey fell to 7-63 after losing to the Heat 99-89.

Yormark pointed a crooked finger at the unidentified fan after exchanging words with him before getting into a vocal shouting match, which apparently was ignited when Yormark asked why the fan was wearing the paper bag, a la the once renowned New Orleans AIN’TS.

Thus Chris Lisi, the man wearing the paper bag sardonically retorted: “Because They’re so Good!” Referring to the woeful Nets who are hoping that new Russian Owner Mikhail Prokhorov, listed as No. 40 on the Forbes Richest Person’s list, will help enable the floundering Franchise to reinvigorate itself, as the Nets are set to move to Brooklyn’s Barclay’s Center in 2012, while the club will have $23 million dollars available underneath the Salary cap this summer.

Current interim Head Coach Kiki Vandeweghe hopes to ride out the remainder of the season before returning to his normal General Manager duties.

Lisi and his brother who were seated in the second row Courtside, oblivious to who Yormark was, continued their shouting match until Lisi pulled out a set of tickets and Yormark stomped away as Security approached the scene.

On March 30^th, Yormark set to right his much ballyhooed tirade by hosting a 30 minute Brown Bag lunch for Disgruntled Nets Fans Chris and (brother) Rob Lisi. The lunch comprising of Hamburgers, Fries and Salads was appropriately sent in Brown Bags courtesy of McDonalds for the five participants, as two New Jersey Nets Radio Broadcasters were also present.

And while still hesitant to apologize for his tyrant display courtside, Yormark’s antics seemingly have paid off, as the inspired Nets went on a mini-winning streak after the incident, taking three of its next four games to improve its record to 10-64 and thus insuring it won’t finish worse then the 76ers record of 9-73.

The lunch was held at the Nets Headquarters and streamed over the club’s website, which eventually shutdown due to the overabundance of people clicking onto it, which is probably the most traffic the site has received this year…