NHL Playoffs Day 40 Live Blog (Finals Game 3)

Tonight's game.....

Detroit @ Pittsburgh 8:00 (Versus - Mike Emrick and Ed Olczyk, SR: Bob Harwood and Christine Simpson)) (CBC - Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson, SR: Elliotte Friedman and Scott Oake) (RDS)

Enjoy the game and as long as you're not a troll, feel free to leave comments in the blog down below!

Big Shocker: Sheldon Brown Is Still Disgruntled

This really should not come as a surprise. As we all remember, back in April, he demanded a new contract or be traded. In response to that, the Eagles have done neither, and instead, got Ellis Hobbs in a trade in a draft and they also drafted Victor "Macho" Harris. So the ever classy Brown decided that he will respond to that by not attending OTAs. Via CSN Philly

Discontented cornerback Sheldon Brown was absent from the Tuesday’s organized team activity, which is technically voluntary – but the rest of the team is participating.

Brown attended the team’s mandatory post-draft minicamp, but he could (would) have incurred fines had he skipped it.

Brown’s predicament has been well-documented since his public outcry in April. Shortly before the NFL draft, he publicly demanded that the Eagles either renegotiate his contract or trade him. The seven-year veteran has four years left on an extension signed in 2004.

Had this all been happening at this point a year ago, it would have been a disaster. Lito Sheppard was voicing his displeasure and even though the Eagles had recently gotten Asante Samuel, there would have been no one to play opposite of him. Now it's a completely different story. The Eagles are super-deep at corner with the emergence of Joselio Hanson last year, the trading for Ellis Hobbs, and the drafting of Macho Harris, the Eagles are in a good spot now at corner and by all means Sheldon Brown leaving at this point would be more of a good riddance than a sad farewell.

2009 Phillies Schedule: June

The Phillies may have a problem or 2 when it comes to starting pitching, but as of now, they are looking pretty good right now, up a half of a game on the Mets. Here's the schedule for June. (all times PM ET)

June 1: @ San Diego W 5-3
June 2: @ San Diego W 10-5
June 3: @ San Diego W 5-1
June 4: @ Los Angeles Dodgers W 3-0
June 5: @ Los Angeles Dodgers L 3-4
June 6: @ Los Angeles Dodgers L 2-3 F/12
June 7: @ Los Angeles Dodgers W 7-2
June 9: @ New York Mets L 5-6
June 10: @ New York Mets W 5-4 F/11
June 11: @ New York Mets W 6-3 F/10
June 12: vs. Boston L 5-2 F/13
June 13: vs. Boston L 11-6
June 14: vs. Boston W 6-11
June 16: vs. Toronto L 8-3 F/10
June 17: vs. Toronto L 7-1
June 18: vs. Toronto L 8-7
June 19: vs. Baltimore L 7-2
June 20: vs. Baltimore L 6-5
June 21: vs. Baltimore L 2-1
June 23: @ Tampa Bay W 10-1
June 24: @ Tampa Bay L 1-7
June 25: @ Tampa Bay L 4-10
June 26: @ Toronto L 1-6
June 27: @ Toronto W 10-0
June 28: @ Toronto W 5-3
June 30: @ Atlanta L 4-5 F/10

MLB Standings (as of the end of the games on 6/18)

NL East
Philadelphia 36-28
New York 3 GB
Florida 5 GB
Atlanta 5.5 GB
Washington 18 GB

NL Central
Milwaukee 37-29
St. Louis 1.5 GB
Cincinnati 3.5 GB
Chicago 4 GB
Pittsburgh 6 GB
Houston 6 GB

NL West
Los Angeles 44-23
San Francisco 9 GB
Colorado 10.5 GB
San Diego 14 GB
Arizona 15 GB

NL Wildcard
St. Louis 36-31
San Francisco 1 GB
New York 1.5 GB
Cincinnati 1 GB
Colorado 2.5 GB
Chicago 2.5 GB
Florida 3.5 GB
Atlanta 4 GB
Pittsburgh 4.5 GB
Houston 4.5 GB
San Diego 6 GB
Arizona 7 GB
Washington 16.5 GB

AL East
Boston 40-26
New York 3 GB
Toronto 4 GB
Tampa Bay 6 GB
Baltimore 11 GB

AL Central
Detroit 35-31
Minnesota 2 GB
Chicago4 GB
Kansas City 5.5 GB
Cleveland 7 GB

AL West
Texas 37-28
Los Angeles 1.5 GB
Seattle 5.5 GB
Oakland 9 GB

AL Wildcard
New York 37-29
Los Angeles 1 GB
Toronto 1 GB
Tampa Bay 3 GB
Minnesota 4 GB
Seattle 5 GB
Chicago 6 GB
Kansas City 7.5 GB
Baltimore 8 GB
Oakland 8.5 GB
Cleveland 9 GB

Can Jeff Van Gundy Be Impartial?

As we all know, Jeff Van Gundy is going to work along side Mike Breen and Mark Jackson calling the NBA Finals. And also as we all know, Jeff Van Gundy is the brother of Orlando Magic head coach, Stan Van Gundy. But the question is, can Van Gundy be a fair and impartial broadcaster with his brother on the other side of the court, coaching his team in an NBA Championship? It also adds fuel to the fire that no Van Gundy has an NBA Finals championship to their name. Michael Hiestand in the USA Today has a very interesting column on this matter.

Jeff Van Gundy says he last week asked his producer, who then talked to ESPN/ABC higher-ups, if he should be dropped from the on-air team — with analyst Mark Jackson and play-by-play announcer Mike Breen — scheduled to call ABC's NBA Finals. "I had absolutely no problems if they wanted to take me off games and put me in the studio or take me off altogether. It was right to discuss it. I'd be fine with anything. They're going to get criticized either way."

Undoubtedly. But Sunday, Van Gundy says he still has his assignment even after his sole sibling Stan coached Orlando to a win over Cleveland Saturday night and a berth against the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals.

Not that Jeff could watch that win. He couldn't bring himself to watch any of Orlando's playoff games live — "I take long walks and hope for the best" — and Saturday night went to a college baseball game "to kill time." He was ambling outside his house when he checked the score with 1:49 to play and felt Orlando's win was secure and thus the end was watchable.

Expect raw on-air emotion from Jeff if Stan's team clinches the title. In 2001, Fox's DarrellWaltrip choked up as brother Michael bore in on a Daytona 500 win. ABC's Bob Griese, who initially didn't call his son Brian's Michigan football games, was teary as Brian quarterbacked his team to a 1998 Rose Bowl win.

Van Gundy has hinted how he might react to an Orlando title, saying he might "cower" in a "fetal position." Don't laugh. "People take that as a joke. That's not a joke."

Jeff, who coached New York to the NBA Finals in 1999, says he won't be hard on Stan. Not because the coach is his brother. As an ex-coach open to returning to coaching — but not, says Jeff, "in the near future" — he's always easy on coaches on-air. "To think I'd sit there and go at my brother, that's just not happening. I was talking about this with Mark (Jackson). He said, 'You don't criticize coaches anyway.' And that's true."

Van Gundy will skip pregame talks with the Lakers — "I don't want them to be uncomfortable" — and isn't talking much during the playoff grind with Orlando's coach: Jeff and Stan usually talk every other day, but only about once per week during the postseason.

Van Gundy isn't promising on-air objectivity. "The myth of objectivity is just that. Everybody has their biases and prejudices. … I'm going to try to be objective, but I want my brother's team to win." Jeff, who says he and Stan figured they'd go into coaching "as soon as we hit high school," sounds almost protective: "The media has taken liberties with Stan. … They've taken shots at how he looks."

ESPN/ABC might have handled Finals coverage more creatively. Van Gundy works well with Jackson, whom he coached at New York and Houston. But Jackson could have moved to the studio to swap roles with Magic Johnson, the ex-Laker star who's now a team executive. Van Gundy and Johnson, on games, could then spar like two passionate fans — albeit ones with expertise. (Memo to ESPN/ABC: It's not too late.)

I would guess that not many people are giddy over JVG calling a championship series with his brother in it, but from the perspective of a sports fan who is borderline obsessed with announcers and not the biggest basketball fan in the world, I think this is interesting stuff and I am eager to hear Van Gundy on the call of the championship. It certainly won't be the most objectively called champinship there has ever been, and while that at some points could get irritating, the highs and lows and the emotions that Jeff Van Gundy will go through as he nervously and anxiously watches his brother could make for some rather compelling television and interesting moments in the broadcast booth. In a championship series that does not necessarily scream compelling at you, assuming Jeff Van Gundy stays with his assignments and calls the series throughout, this is definitley the type of thing that can keep me interested in the series throughout its duration and eagerly anticipating game days and the live blogs as this should make for some fun discussions.

More College World Series Regional Amazingness: 37-6!!!

Saturday night it was the 25 inning game. Last night, it was the epic blowout. And I mean epicly epic. The final score: Florida State 37, Ohio State 6. No typo exists in that scoreline. Here's a rather brief set of highlights (it's all I could find).



Just unbelieveable. And as far as Ohio State being on the receiving hand of that ass-whooping, all I can say is: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

And just to keep tabs with BC and Texas from last night, BC lost to Army in the afternoon game and in the late game from Austin that night, Texas beat Army to advance to the Super Regionals.

Great Moments In Sports, #4

The Zidane headbutt.



This next one comes in 2 videos. The 2002 wildcard game between the Giants and the 49ers. The Giants were up by 24, 38-14, at one point in this game. What followed was the 2nd biggest comeback in Playoff history and arguably one of the most controversial finishes in playoff history. First off, here is the 49ers final drive of that game.



And now, the final drive of the Giants with 1 minute left. (if you want to skip the drive and get to the moment of controversy, skip to the 7:30 mark)



The fact that the Giants had 3 men illegally downfield made offsets with the pass interference, and thus the end of the game. But that has not stopped debates and anger from Giants fans.

And lastly, we will end on a high note. Literally.

Song Of The Day: "Something In Your Mouth" By Nickelback And "Face Down" By The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

I do not understand how and why this song got played on the live speakers inside the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit last night.



Another song that I have frequently hear being played live at hockey games, although I did not hear it last night, is "Face Down" by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. Don't get me wrong, Face Down is a great song, but a song about that just has no business being played at sporting events where there are kids listening. And not that "Face Down" is graphic like the Nickelback song above, it just touches on a more mature subject, if you will that is not necessarily appropriate for the setting. And while I can't imagine you've never heard this song before, here is Face Down as well in case you don't know what I'm talking about.