“We [don’t] Love This Team”

In this week’s Play Ball, we delve into the Bisons’ miserable April record.

Check it out!

Back in 2006, the USRT paid its official visit to St. Louis’ new Busch Stadium, which we will go out on a limb and name the final of the HOK “retro themed” cookie cutters which will ever be built. Admittedly, we were there when the ballpark was still pretty new - the left field outfield was still under construction, the old Busch Stadium site was a hole on the ground, and the bonehead things the front office did, like putting the retired numbers on an ad panel facing the outside of the stadium (among others), has been rectified.

Yesterday we got an email from someone named Scott Treiber (presumably from St. Louis), who very succinctly pointed out things we may have not expounded upon in our venue profile, and passionately defends his home venue. It’s very well put together by Scott…

Let me point out a few things that you may not know:

The brick facade is retro, but did you know that the color was picked from the famous and historic Wainright Building? A building that many architects consider the first true skyscraper in the world.

The old ballpark was famous for its arches. Did you know that the new one has them too? They aren’t the same, and in all fairness, it wouldn’t be right to copy the old design. The new arches are designed from St. Louis’ historic Couples Station.

Did you know that the Musial Bridge on the 3rd base side was designed after St. Louis’ historic Eads Bridge that was built in the ealry 1820’s and was the only way to cross the Mississippi River. This is part of what made St. Louis one of the three transportation hubs of the entire country.

Did you know that from the street level in center field down to the field is a 40 foot drop, which meant the scoreboard could be positioned lower and smaller to allow for dramatic views of the Gateway Arch?

You already know that they kept the old manually operated scoreboards.

Did you know that the ballpark’s brickwork is adorned with various versions of the Cardinals’ logos over their 120+ year history?

Did you know that we still have Big Mac Land?

Did you know that we still have one of baseball’s best organists, Ernie Hayes?

Did you know that the light standards were designed to have the lights in vertical columns instead of horizontal because it’s easier for outfielders to find a pop fly?

Did you know that each of the luxury suites and party suites is named after a Cardinal Hall of Famer or current Cardinal?

Did you know that outside the Cardinals Club behind home plate is a beautiful statue of Gussie Busch? The Cardinals once proud owner.

You already know that they still play the Budweiser Clydesdale’s “Here Comes the King”.

Did you know that after the Cardinals won their 10th World Series Championship, now their NL Penants and World Series Championships are proudly displayed above the league scoreboard outside the first base exterior?

I know that you liked the tributes to the hall of famers at the old ballpark…but you couldn’t see those flags anyway. Now they are permanently displayed below the main scoreboard (in larger lettering now) and the left field wall.

I know you don’t care for the position of Stan the Man, but when you walk across the street (Spruce Street) and look back at the Musial Bridge with his statue right below…it looks perfect and wouldn’t look good anywhere else!

I know that you think the video replay and other technology “failed the test” but in all honesty, we don’t need some oversized gawdy looking scoreboard. We have also seen ballparks that over-use the LED ribbon boards, and we just don’t think that baseball was meant for all of those electronics. People love Wrigley Field for that reason. I personally think that the Cardinals made a statement with their scoreboard. We don’t need something huge. Don’t forget that the league scoreboard is twice as large as it was in 2006.

I think you gave Busch Stadium a pretty poor rating when it didn’t quite deserve it. You visited the ballpark when it was still going through growing pains. And you may remember that the ballpark was even completed when you were there. Given the fact that the new one overlaps the old one, construction crews did an amazing job getting as much done as they did. Don’t forget, Busch Stadium is only 3 years old.

The new Busch Stadium is by far better than Petco Park, Camden Yards, Minute Maid Park, Miller Park, Great American Ballpark, U.S. Cellular Field, Safeco Field, Jacob’s Field, Texas Rangers Ballpark, Coors Field, Rogers Centre, Yankee Stadium, Wrigley Field, Fenway Park, Kauffman Stadium, and Angels Stadium.

I think you really missed the mark on this one!

Scott

For the record, Busch Stadium ranked 21 out of 30 in the USRT ratings. Hey, we’d be happy to do a return visit to St. Louis and see the place again - one of the cities we really like visiting again and again!

This one’s for all the diehards out there paying close attention to the NBA Playoffs.

Yeah, me and the other three of you out there. OK, maybe four or five.

For the past week or so I’ve done the following: Work in the daytime, come home and watch hoops until I go to sleep late at night. Little if any Stanley Cup Playoffs for me (just tell me how the Sharks are doing as I’ve got them in the pool), no visits to the downtown ballpark, and setting records for fastest click of the remote control to NBA TV anytime I hear or see the words “NFL Draft” coming out of my HD set.

Week one of the “most wonderful time of the year” is in the books and your unofficial(self appointed is more like it) WNYM NBA postseason correspondent is here with some offbeat commentary on the games that were. Maybe somewhat of an awards ceremony, if you will.

The “Why Home Court Matters” Award.

The Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks were manhandled in their first two games in Boston in losing by an average of twenty one points and were looking exactly like a young team with a losing record that hadn’t been to the postseason in nine years.

Enter Philips Arena into the equation and my oh my how quickly things change. The youthful Hawks overran the Celtics playing with a bundle of enthusiasm and energy led by the rim rattling exploits of Josh Smith. And voila! We have a series(maybe)! Tip of the hat as well to Michael Bibby for doing the nearly impossible and making the series interesting after calling out Celts fans for being “bandwaggoners”. Uh, Mike…you’re playing in the king city of bandwagon sports fans. Just sayin’

The “Hello America, Now You Know Who I am!” Award.

Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets. Chris has had an impressive career thus far in winning the ROY award in 2006 and has been mentioned as a prime MVP candidate this season with LeBron, Kobe, and KG. But let’s face it, spending your NBA career in Oklahama and New Orleans isn’t exactly going to get the word out about yourself, and not making the playoffs adds to that as well.

Enter Games 1 and 2 in New Orleans as Paul scores 69 points dished out 27 assists in two routs of the Dallas Mavericks and in the process completely outclassed future HOF point guard Jason Kidd. Paul leads a outstanding Hornet team that is solid in nearly all facets of the game. Shooters? Peja Stojakovic. Muscle underneath? Tyson Chandler, David West. Bench? Jannero Pargo, Bonzi Wells. If the Hornets stay together in the future, look out!

The “Funniest Moment of the Playoffs” Award.

This may be the best highlight of an otherwise dull series.

Honorable mention to Philips Arena going without the shot clock for much of the second half in game 3. Those time clock operators probably date back to the franchise’s days at Memorial Auditorium. (Yes, THAT Memorial Auditorium!) Speaking of the Aud….

A moment of silence to remember the passing of Darrell Garretson. He was a longtime NBA official working games for nearly thirty years also serving as NBA Supervisor of Officials for years as well.

But here in Buffalo he will always be the man whose whistle effectively ended the Braves 1974 season in Game 6 of their series against the Boston Celtics. His foul call on Bob McAdoo as time ran out in regulation of a tie game sent Jo Jo White to the free throw line for the series ending free throws. Very likely the most infamous referee whistle ever blown in Buffalo. Ever.

The “Ummm, Remember Us???” Award.

The San Antonio Spurs. Amidst all the hype of the stacked Western conference, the surging Lakers w/ Gasol… The reworked Suns w/Shaq… The Cinderella story in New Orleans…the 22 game win streak in Houston, the Spurs were admitttedly somewhat lost in the shuffle. The winning of the first two games of the Suns/Spurs series did help a bit, but it wasn’t until they annihilated the Suns on the road in Game 3 that eyebrows were raised. The Spurs raced out to a huge lead in the first quarter and never looked back with Tony Parker lighting up the LED board with 41 points. On another note….

The “Why You’ll Never Be Amongst the All-Time Greats” Award.

Shaquille O’Neal. Anybody who gets fouled intentionally at points of the game outside the final two minutes of play probably gets this award. But really, we’ve been hearing about this guy’s weaknesses at the charity stripe since the days of Kareem Abdul Jabbar and O’Neal is still a basket case when it comes to free throws.

That door you just heard slam shut could be one of two things(if not both). 1: The Suns’ championship window of opportunity, or 2: Steve Kerr packing his goods in Phoenix and headed back to being a televsion analyst.

The “Trends I Find Most Disturbing” Award.

Two share this award. First is the “fans wearing same color Tshirts for the playoffs” promotion that is sneaking its way into the NBA. Two major problems with this. One, this is a hockey thing, it simply doesn’t look right anywhere else and lets hope the trend doesn’t spread to the NFL or MLB. Also only the color white is acceptable. There have been some pretty hideous colors in the stands this past week taking focus away from the action.

Another trend somewhat unique to hockey is the whole “we gotta send a message to the other team” crap. In basketball it has appeared in the form of a hard and cheap foul in the final moments of a blowout. There couldn’t be a more utterly useless waste of energy than seeing Brendan Haywood knock LeBron James to the floor towards the end of Game 2, ditto Hornets/Mavs Game 3(the combatants’ names escape me right now). Leave that hockey stuff where it belongs.

The “We’re Trying to Build a Winner Like the Ottawa Senators Circa Late 90’s-00’s” Award:

The Toronto Raptors. If you love a bunch of stereotypical finesse Euros bombing three’s from the perimeter with Chris Bosh as the token inside guy, well then you’ve found nirvana at the Air Canada Centre. Carlos Delfino, Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon(k, he does have some toughness in him) and Jason Kapono(well he’s got a Euro sounding name!) fire away from downtown. When the shots go in, its a joy to watch. Otherwise….bleccchhh!

The “So THAT’S What Became of That Guy” Award:

Jameer Nelson. Remember him? The leader of the St. Joseph’s basketball team in ‘04 that had an undefeated regular season and wound up being the consensus player of the year? There he was Saturday in Toronto jamming the dagger into the heart of the Raptors season in scoring 12 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter on the way to giving the Magic a 3-1 series lead.

Runner up - JJ Redick, riding the end of the bench for the same Orlando club.

The “Schizophrenic, Playing to the Level of Our Competition Team” Award:

The Detroit Pistons. Is this the team that won fifty nine games during the regular season? Or is it the team that gave the lowly Knicks their two brightest moments of the season in defeating the Pistons twice? Seems like we’ve been seeing more of the latter here.

On a good note, an upset of the Pistons may be a good thing. If nothing else hoops fans won’t have to be treated to the ear-splitting - nails - screeching - across - the blackboard sound of the Pistons PA guy. DEEEEEEE-TROIT BAS-KET-BALL!!!!!

The “There’s a Reason I Haven’t Said a Word About This Series” Award.

The Utah Jazz/Houston Rockets.

Zzzzzzzzzzzz…..

No, I’m not insinuating that this has been a dull series and quite frankly far from it. The Z’s signify what I was doing when Houston rallied to win game 3 and Memo Okur made a critical rebound late in game 4. A novel concept would have been to have had at least ONE of these games begin prior to 10PM ET during this series.

Well, that wraps up this edition…..see ya as the playoffs progress!!!

There will be home playoff lacrosse at HSBC Arena after all.

The Buffalo Bandits concluded their 2008 regular season tonight with a 14-10 win over the Portland Lumberjax before an announced attendance of 18,325.

Thanks to Minnesota’s 12-11 win over the Chicago Shamrox, the Bandits have clinched home field advantage throughout the Champions Cup playoffs.

But even though the Lumberjax came into this game with a weaker 6-9 record and locked into a playoff spot in the anemic West Division, this one was no cakewalk for the Bandits.

Buffalo could have put this one away early. Roger Vyse struck twice for the Bandits, and the team took a 5-2 lead by the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter even Brent Bucktooth got in on the action, scoring his 3rd goal of the season since coming off the injury list. But Portland would get back into it, thanks to some shaky goaltending by goalie Mike Thompson. They scored the last two goals of the second quarter to bring it to within one, then drew even at 7 in the first minute of the third quarter.

The Bandits regained a two goal lead in the third with goals by Kevin Dostie and Bucktooth. Portland came back again to tie the score at 9 all with a pair by Pete Jacobs.

But then it was time for the John Tavares magic to kick in. The Bandits quickly regained control of the game with back to back goals by Tavares, the first one he was left wide open in the slot in front of the net, then 30 seconds later scored again on the power play with an over the shoulder shot. “He’s absolutely the best player I’ve ever coached and played with” commented Coach Darris Kilgour. “John Tavares with all the things he’s done lives for that big moment, excels in that moment.” Mark Steenhuis added “He’s a legend. The ageless wonder is what we like to call him. It’s just amazing for us to see it and be a part of it. To see him pushing 40 years old and see him taking over a game is just outstanding.”

Tavares explained that the go ahead goal was a version of the hidden ball trick. “Yeah that was an awkward play, called the hidden ball play” explained Tavares. “I didn’t even know it was happening. Like you said it kind of parted like the Red Sea and there I was. I though the goalie was baiting me. No way he fell for the hidden ball trick but there I was with the empty net. That was a big goal. We came back to take the quick lead and that was a breakdown on their part.”

With Buffalo up 11-9 heading into the fourth, the Bandit’s Chris White rightfully earned a very stupid 5 minute high sticking penalty and a game misconduct around the 4 minute mark of the period. “That’s part of the rule” explained Kilgour. “Any shot to the head earns an automatic game misconduct.” Kilgour hoped that White would not earn a suspension for his bad behavior and that he would be available for the playoffs.

The Bandits then went on to kill all five minutes, denying Portland any inside chances and using effective clock management. The team got a loud and noisy standing ovation as the final seconds of the penalty ticked away. Goalie Mike Thompson said that penalty kill was the turning point. “The defense played real well and I was able to see the ball the whole time.” said Thompson. “We managed to shut them down.”John Tavares would give Buffalo a 12-9 lead at the 10:50 mark with a laser shot from the right side. Less than a minute later, Mark Steenhuis finally got on the scoreboard with another laser, after receiving a lead pass from goaltender Mike Thompson. Steenhuis got decked following his goal, and that earned Portland player Brodie Merrill a 5 minute penalty and a game misconduct. Portland got one shorthanded, then with Portland pulling the goalie in and out for the extra attacker, Kyle Laverty got himself a (sorta) empty netter… Final score, Buffalo 14, Portland 10.

Kilgour explained his reasoning for starting Mike Thompson in net, despite a still sore groin injury. “I wanted to get him a start before the playoffs. We didn’t want to start him cold in the playoffs. It worked out well. Now we have two healthy goalies and we’re very happy with the situation we’re in going into the playoffs.”

It will be the Bandits and the Philadelphia Wings squaring off next Friday at 7:30PM at HSBC Arena. “I think Philly would be the best matchup for us” said Kilgour. They like an up tempo game and that’s what we want.”

All the players we spoke to tonight gave huge props to the faithful Buffalo fans, who helped will the team to victory there past two weeks. “These are the best fans in the league for sure” said Coach Kilgour. “We look up in the end zones at the top” said Tavares. “When we can’t see blue up there, it just pumps us up a little more, so it’s really nice to see.” And Mark Steenhuis added “Playing in this building is the best place to play in in the league. We have the best fans so anytime you can use them to your advantage gets the adrenaline going to be sure.”

So there you have it - tickets are on sale for next Friday’s first round game. The Bandits need a packed house of loud and boisterous fans to help them along to victory. See YOU there? Hope so!

Extra points —

-Had to suck being the contestant in the “win a Bandits jersey if the team scores in the next 60 seconds” contest. Some guy in a wheelchair got the nod, and before the game even resumed the Bandits get called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. They gave the guy the jersey anyway.

-Spotted in the corridor outside the locker room: a little tyke about three years old, wearing an orange t-shirt with “my dad #11″ hand painted on the back and holding a small lacrosse stick. Obviously John Tavares’ little boy. Cute kid… but dad would be smarter lacing him up with skates and handing him a hockey stick instead. If the kid has skill there’s a much bigger payday in his future.

-Annoying P.A. Guy was back, making up and more for his previous week’s absence. He never shut up all night.

-With the out of town games having huge implications on playoff seedings, several players and trainers repeatedly came out into the hallway after the game to ask for score updates. Thanks to Pete text messaging me updates on the Roc/NY and Minn/Chi games from his couch back home, USRT and WNYMedia were the ones keeping the Bandits locker room in the loop in real time. YaY for us!

-Think the Bandits don’t like The Rochester Knighthawks? Well then you’re right! The Rochester/New York final came first - the Knighthawks lead evaporated and they lost 11-10 late, knocking them out of playoff contention. That news earned a cheer among the Bandits players, even though the Rochester win would have clinched the first seed. Thankfully the Minnesota Swarm took care of business in their game, which ended 30 minutes later.

-No playoffs in Rochester’s Blue Cross Arena? Oh darn! That means a few more suppliers and vendors in Rochester will be seeing their money late, if at all. “Donner must go!”

Here it is… plain and simple:

The Buffalo Bandits have clinched a playoff berth in this year’s Champions Cup playoffs.

The team will clinch first seed overall and home field for the entire playoffs if the following happens:
Buffalo defeats Portland and one of the following - Minnesota defeats Chicago OR Chicago defeats Minnesota and Rochester defeats New York.

The team will earn second seed and a home playoff game if they defeat Portland.

If the Bandits lose to Portland, they can still clinch second seed and a home playoff game if Chicago defeats Minnesota and Toronto defeats Philadelphia.

Gametime at HSBC Arena is 7:30PM on Saturday.

I’ve got to admit that I was really entertained watching Channel 2 sports reporter Matt Pearl and Niagara Gazette Sports Editor Tim Schmitt go at it making their picks and prognostications for the first round of the NHL playoffs.

It wasn’t so much what actual picks they made, but the witty sarcasm and trash talk that surrounded this epic battle.

Schmitt:

(In best Cosell) “Down goes Pearl!”

Pearl:

Now I refuse to be bullied by a man whose profile photo shows him leaning against an imaginary chair.

Funny stuff!

Round 1 is in the books, and looks like Matt is the clear winner. Which I knew was gonna happen… “Sens in 6″… sorry Tim but what were you thinking?!

Now the boys move on to Round 2 and have posted their picks just in time for play to begin tonight. Here are Matt’s picks. Read on then, because Tim makes his selections here. Sprinkled in are a good dose of snarky comments, and they are clearly in disagreement over the eventual winners.

Good luck guys!

With all the neverending sadness and bullshit that defines the conflict between Israel and Palestine, how great it is to come across a story like this, proof again that the human spirit can triumph over all.

Would it not be awesome to see this guy actually win a medal, and see the flag of Palestine being hoisted at the awards ceremony?

Allow me to join in the chorus with his fellow Gazans - “Run Nader Run!”

This past week I received a communication from the Sabres regarding our season tickets. Basically, the letter listed the amount on account for moneys sent in for playoff tickets, then offered three options…

Have refund sent by check

Have refund applied as credit to credit card

Apply moneys towards 2008-09 season tickets

If we do not reply, the Sabres will automatically renew the season tickets and apply the credits towards the eventual bill.

Here is the problem… there is absolutely no 2008-09 pricing information with the letter. So if I ask for a credit, will they assume I am no longer interested in season tickets and give my seats to someone on their list? If I do nothing and they renew me, and my $31 tickets get raised to, say, $100, am I locked in and obligated to purchase?

I tried getting these questions answered and called account services, but could not get a live voice on two attempts.

Just for the record, we have been season ticket holders since the ‘93-’94 season and have always received top notch service from John Sinclair and his crew. Still, it would be nice if the Sabres could communicate pricing plans and their marketing push a little better than this.

If anyone else has pondered this same question and can offer some insight, please feel free to comment.

Umm…media credential that is.

Our good friend Nathan Strang is the tech heart and soul at WNYMedia; he was one of the guys from their posse who put the full court press on us a little over a year ago to bring USRT under the WNYMedia umbrella, and facilitated all the mechanics and tech support for us once we made that move.

He also has his own blog which is titled “Buffawhat”. (Disclosure time here about Buffawhat… “Some material may be inappropriate for younger viewers”. Actually, some material would get you beheaded in a few Islamic countries, but I digress.)

This past Saturday, Nate did his first sports assignment for WNYMedia, accompanying me to the Bandits game to shoot photos and video. Today Nate posted a whole bunch of photos and video clips on Buffawhat. It’s all good stuff! More poignant to me was that he shared in detail his sights and sounds of the whole experience as seen through his eyes.

It got me thinking of my media debut, when I attended a game as a member of the “credentialed media”. It was May of 2000, a Buffalo Destroyers arena football game at HSBC Arena. John Augustine, Quarterback of the Buffalo Gladiators and co-host of the Sportsblast public access TV show, was season credentialed by the team and invited Pete and to come along and attend the game as “reporters” to help him cover the game.

Nate’s story today brought back those memories of my “first time”… what i remember most was being able to stand on the field in the end zone and watch the game from that vantage point, and how cool it was to be able to do that. Bob Trimble of the defunct Empire Sports Network was down there with us, making us feel very welcome and at home. I also recall a miserable jackass by the name of Josh Gregory, the team’s media relations person who went out of his way to treat us like pieces of crap. Gratefully he was gone after that season, replaced by a very cool guy named Brendan McDaniels, who is still very much part of our sports media scene to this day. Being able to walk into the locker room to talk to players and attend the post game press conference made us absolutely giddy on that day.

Eight years later and we have graduated from silly Sportsblast to “real” media… but the media experience still does not get old. Walking into the media entrance at the Bell Centre, or Madison Square Garden… and there is a cool looking tag with your name on it waiting for you… and you walk through corridors off limits to regular folk… and there are murals and photos of moments from those teams and buildings and all of a sudden the ghosts come to life. Yeah it’s all good!

Postscript… after Saturday’s game Nate said “Well you brought me into your world so now allow me to bring you into mine.” So I accompanied him to his weekend job at Club Marcella’s, a nightclub in the Theatre District where he D.J.s and barbacks, the first time I had ever been to that place. On this night, they had a charity fund raiser going on… a full blown drag queen show. So I did what any good journalist on deadline would do… I ordered me up a Grand Marnier on the rocks, headed up to the sound and light booth above the dance floor, pulled put the laptop, and did my game story and posted photos (the club was wi-fied), all while watching fabulously dressed and sequined chix with dix strut their stuff onstage. I’ll bet the Buffalo News’ reporter Tom Borrelli, who covers the Bandits, had a far less eventful night!

The Buffalo Bandits took another step towards a playoff berth tonight at HSBC Arena, defeating the Chicago Shamrox 13-9 before a crowd of 13,633.

This one started brutally for the Bandits. The team displayed much of the rust and sluggish play which cost them dearly last week in Rochester, and the fans in attendance let the guys hear it with boos raining down, as the Bandits fell behind 3-0 in the first quarter. Chicago was scooping up loose balls, snatching rebounds and getting fresh shot clock opportunities, and controlling much of the play in the Buffalo end. “We were fortunate enough to keep the game close. But it’s not going to cut it next week or in the playoffs.” said Mark Steenhuis, who scored four goals tonight, including back to back goals in the 4th quarter.

Buffalo finally got on the board late in the 1st quarter on Mike Accursi’s first of four goals for the evening. “Sometimes it just takes on spark to start a fire” said Coach Darris Kilgour. “Mike Accursi was that spark tonight… That’s what we need.” Referring to that first goal, Accursi added “I thought there was a momentum shift”.

The Bandits began the second quarter with a 5 minute man advantage, and early on could not get control of the play. Until the third minute. That’s when the Bandits let loose with three straight goals in less than one minute’s time. Mike Accursi then made it 5-3 on a very odd goal, where Shamrox goaltender Matt Roik had pulled the net off its moorings, and Accursi plating the ball in the spot where the empty goalmouth stood. “I knew I was going to be able to get that wrap, because he (Roik) was out of position” said Accursi. “He’s not very patient and when he ripped that goal I knew all I had to do was get it over the line. I’m glad they actually counted that.” Has Accursi ever encountered a move like that? “No!” he replied while laughing. “I’ve never seen it but I don’t put it past Roik to do something like that.”

Buffalo took the lead for good at the 8 minute mark, with Accursi scoring at the edge of the goal crease, receiving a perfect feed pass from Mark Steenhuis. Said Accursi “We work on that in practice, that picking and rolling. Whenever we get together, we seem to work that pretty well.” Later in the quarter, goalie Ken Montour got in on the scoring, sending Roger Vyse on a long breakaway pass which Vyse connected.

In the 3rd quarter, the Bandits took complete control of the game, scoring three goals while holding the Shamrox scoreless. Two of the goals came off the stick of Mark Steenhuis. Chicago would not connect until the 5:05 mark of the 4th quarter to bring it to within six.

The Shamrox added three more to bring it to 12-9. Coach Darris Kilgour called a timeout with 5 minutes to go to try and settle the team down. Buffalo then killed off a 2 minute penalty where Montour made his best saves of the night. Mark Steenhuis added an empty netter in the last minute to seal the win.

After the game, Coach Kilgour gave props to Chicago’s goaltending and defense while expressing relief that that team overcame their first quarter snooze. “Yeah I could feel it on the bench and the guys could feel it. Once we got the one goal the weight came off the guys could relax a little bit and let the play come around instead of forcing it a little bit.”

Kilgour also indicated that if the team is locked into a playoff slot with little to play for next week, he plans to rest a few players to prepare for the playoffs. But if the team has a chance at clinching a home game? “If we have a shot at a home game I would definitely go for the win” Kilgour assured.

It all comes down to next week… Win and they’re in. Mike Accursi made some heartfelt comments to the fans after the game, and to the media he said “I love these fans. I love playing in Buffalo. I hope this is the last team I ever play for.” So there!

Gametime at HSBC Arena is 7:30 PM next Saturday against the Portland Lumberjax. See you there!

-Best sign: “Obama? Hillary? NO! Tavares for President.” Ummm… perhaps Prime Minister of Canada someday, but not U.S. Prez.

-Best gameday scratch: Annoying P.A. Guy was NOWHERE to be found tonight! We were treated to a sane announcer, some good music bumps and left the arena with our hearing intact.

-Making his media debut! Nathan Strang shot photo for WNYMedia tonight, his first sports credential evah! He reports that he enjoyed the media chair and will “absolutely” cover a game again. “It felt so weird walking on the field after the game to shoot video. I just followed the lead of the other camera guy and managed to stay out of the way while the team did their victory lap”.Some of Nate’s work tonight accompanies this story, and more shots and video clips will be posted soon on the WNYMedia main site.

-Shots on goal for the game: Buffalo 51, Chicago 49.

Photos by Nathan Strang

And now for the main event. With all due respect to the Celts and Pistons, the Western Conference reigns supreme once again. This year more than ever as the conference brings the greatest octet of clubs ever to come out of a conference….NHL included in that.
When your bottom qualifier wins fifty games and features two perennial All-Stars in Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony, what need more be said??

The West is balanced as well, as seven games separate the top seeded Lakers and eighth seeded Nuggets. Even crazier is that only three games divide the top from sixth. Simply put, any of these first round matchups could easily be confused with a conference final(well, maybe not Denver/Lakers).

Eight clubs with star power. It will be well worth staying up into the wee hours for the six weeks that it takes to do the NBA first round. The matchups as follows…..

(1) Los Angeles Lakers (57-25) vs. (8) Denver Nuggets

What a difference a season can make! The Lakers 2006-07 season ended in disgrace as they were hammered in five by the Phoenix Suns in the first round. Kobe Bryant spent the offseason and some of the current season whining to be traded elsewhere as he questioned the club’s commitment to winning.

Kobe, meet Pau Gasol. The seven footer from Spain was hijacked out of Memphis near the trade deadline and his presence has revitalized the club as they surged down the stretch to eke out the top seed over New Orleans. The play of late has Laker fans thinking another title. However, in this stacked conference the reward will be a fifty win Denver Nuggets team that will put points on the board better than anyone in the playoff field. The weakness of course is the inability to stop anyone on D, so expect plenty of Kobe Bryant posters in the coming season with him dunking on someone in a Nuggets uni.

The 8 seed took out the 1 seed in the West last year. I could see it happening if Denver plays D.

The pick(They won’t):Lakers in 6

(2) New Orleans (56-26) vs. (7) Dallas (51-31)

Unlike many who escaped the horrific devastation of Katrina, the Hornets were able to return to their home in the Crescent City this past season. After two non playoff seasons in Oklahoma the Hornets return to the postseason with a vengeance led by an emerging megastar point guard in Chris Paul. Toss in fellow All Star David West, sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic and a maturing Tyson Chandler and its no wonder that the Hornets have returned to postseason play.

Their opponent is the Dallas Mavericks. A team that must still be stinging from last year’s embarrassing elimination at the hands of the Golden State Warriors(48-34 this year, best record to miss playoffs since 1972). Also the Mavs added Jason Kidd at the deadline, and his presence is going to be half of the series’ most interesting matchup as he goes mano y mano with Chris Paul. Vet vs. youngster. Master vs. student. Will be interesting and how well Kidd plays Paul could decide things in this series.

Dallas is ticked from last season, but unfortunately that may have been the best shot for this franchise as far as a title goes. Paul>Kidd. Dirk = postseason nonperformer. Over/under on Cuban v. refs - at least two outbursts, three if series goes the distance.

Pick:Hornets in 7

(3) Spurs (56-26) vs. (6) Suns (55-27)

Parker/Kidd, Stoudemire/Shaq/Duncan. Horry v. Nash part II??? Suns v. David Stern?? Possibly the best first round matchup in history. Certainly the memories of last year’s epic series are fresh in the mind of all who were on the court last season, and that only adds to the drama of two teams worthy of the Finals.

This will be a matchup of two teams hitting their stride at the proper time. The Suns struggled in the immediate aftermath of the O’Neal trade, but the Big Aristotle has found his niche and with that opened up space for Amare Stoudemire in the open floor. The club isn’t quite the run and gun outfit of seasons past but still an entertaining team to watch. They’ll face the defending NBA Champs(thank you David Stern) who hammered a solid Utah club in the season finale and brings back the nucleus of their team. You know the names….Duncan, Parker(Longoria??), Ginobli.

Quick note….Grant Hill’s still in the NBA? A nice sight to see him play a full season in Phoenix for the first time in many a year.

For Phoenix, the Shaq trade was made for this team, for Duncan, to have a bonafide down low presence that they haven’t had in season’s past. Sure it slows them down at times, and that’s sad when you wonder if a true up tempo style can win in the postseason. But Shaq could be a big difference maker in the series. The Suns probably would have eliminated the Spurs last season were it not for the “Cheap Shot” Bob Horry/ Steve Nash incident. And with him, they advance.

Pick:Suns in 5

(4) Utah (54-28) vs. (5) Houston (55-27)

Houston was a headline grabber this season as they went on a 22 game win streak to rise from eighth to first in the conference standings. This despite losing all-star Yao Ming to a season ending injury. Meanwhile away from the bright lights of the bigger markets and the major headlines the Utah Jazz put together a division championship winning team. They’ve kept the momentum going that started last season’s surprise postseason run to the conference finals, and with it added the NBA’s best home record (37-4).

Utah’s a solid group with Boozer and Williams becoming a poor man’s Stockton/Malone. And newcomer Ashton Kut…errr Kyle Korver has proven a welcome addition from the perimeter.

Houston has homecourt, and they’re going to have to use it to the fullest to get past Utah. But the Rockets peaked with the big win streak they had frankly, and they couldn’t beat this team with Yao in the lineup in last year’s first round. Oh fer too. Rockets.

Pick:Jazz in 5

Versus network: it was good to know ya….

Don Cherry and Coach’s Corner: I might stop by and see ya before next October…..possibly.

Hello Ernie, Kenny, and Charles on TNT! Hello ABC and ESPN! I’ll be spending virtually every night with the tv on those channels from here til the first day of summer. And thanks to the most stacked octet of teams ever to qualify for a conference postseason I can forget about sleeping till the O’Brien Trophy is held aloft.

That’s right baby, the NBA Playoffs are set to arrive and with it comes the opportunity to watch the True American Game at its highest level. Thus, it’s time to give out my semi accurate and semi informed predictions about the postseason of the greatest game ever invented.

EASTERN CONFERENCE(JV DIVISION)

(1) Boston(66-16) vs. (8) Atlanta(37-45)

In the offseason, Celtics GM Danny Ainge took the bold step of bringing in Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen via trades to assist a club that had finished last in the Eastern Conference. The end result? A fourty two game improvement (greatest in NBA history) and best record in the NBA. In Atlanta they find a club whose fans must be celebrating like its 1999, since that was the last time the Hawks made the postseason.

Atlanta ya done good, and it’s so nice to see you back in postseason form. You’ve also got a pretty good backcourt in Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby and some nice youngsters in Al Horford and Josh Smith underneath. But seriously make your appearance, wave to the crowd, and exit stage right. Quickly.

Pick:Celtics in 5

(2)Detroit (59-23) vs. (7)Philadelphia (40-42)

Defense! Defense! Defense! That’s how the Pistons have done in recent years in making runs to the conference finals for the past five seasons and they brought the core of that success back again this season Billups, Hamilton, ‘Sheed, McDyess, and Prince are eyeing a third trip to the finals in a five year span.

They’ll be facing a surprising Philadelphia team that played well in the month of March to get into the playoff hunt before losing steam at season’s end and comes into this series on a four game slump. Who knew that the Sixers would go just one season out of the playoffs after the Iverson trade to Denver last season. Yet make it they did with a leading scorer initialed AI to boot.

No, Andre Iguodala isn’t going to remind anyone of the old AI but with Andre Miller playing point and Samuel Delambert patrolling the inside I believe they could be a tough out if Detroit doesn’t put the points on the scorebord.

Pick:Detroit in 6

(3)Orlando (52-30) vs. (6)Toronto (41-41)

Dwight Howard/Chris Bosh! Dwight Howard/Chris Bosh! Dwight Howard/Chris Bosh!

This has to be one of the more intrguing mano y mano matchups of the first round and quite possibly the only reason to pay much attention to it. That and I’m starting to hate all things TO with this Bills/Dolphins crap.(On a side note: I did plunk down for season tickets this year.) Anyhow, I cant figure out how the Raps stand much of a chance against the Magic. Killer middle man in Howard, great frontcourt players in Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu…..and Toronto has a two headed point guard in TJ Ford an Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani(find him in the dictionary under: slump, sophomore) , a Tony Parker impersonator, and what…..3pt champ Jason Kapono???

Of course, this means I probably just jinxed the Magic. Therefore:

Pick:Raptors in 6

(4)Cleveland (45-37) vs. (5) Washington (43-39)

Going to be the bestest and most intriguing first round series in the East, and given the option I may actually bail on staying up for a Western Confernce game to pay attention to this one. It’s the third consecutive season that these two clubs have met in the first round with Cleveland winning both of them. Last season was an easy sweep for the Cavs over a depleted Wizards club missing Caron Butler and Gilbert Arenas. Now both are back(though Arenas is still not quite up to speed with a bum knee) and we should see the type of series that these two clubs put on back in ‘06 that ended with LeBron James’ drive to the hoop in overtime of Game 6.

(See! I bet that’s the deepest that anyone has ever gone into a Cavs-related tidbit without mentioning LeBron James. Will someone put me through Guiness to see if that’s some sort of world record??)

The trash talking has gotten underway already, with Charles Barkley calling out the Wizards for describing LeBron James as “over rated” and he called them “the stupidest team in the NBA” for doing so.(Note to hockey fans/hoops haters: Watching Barkley on TNT in studio is the most entertaining schtick in sports outside of Don Cherry. Don’t be afraid, it’s ok to watch….)

Wizard Dujuan Stephenson fired back telling Barkley to “chill….do we really want to listen to someone who said that Yao Ming would never be an All-Star?”

It’s on, folks. I’d like to see the Cavs move on to round two and face Garnett and Co. in Boston, but beating the same team three years in a row??? Ain’t happenin’

Pick:Wizards in 5

Coming up next….the West(Varsity Division)

It’s still a work in progress, but in 22 months a seedy and tumbledown area of downtown Washington, DC has been transformed into what officials call the “Capitol Riverfront District”. Visitors attending a Washington Nationals game can see the fenced off lots, the cranes in the air and the construction everywhere. Today’s New York Times has a great article outlining all the progress being made.

Meanwhile, the Baltimore Sun does a food face off. Who has the best ballpark food, Nationals Park or Oriole Park at Camden Yards? Check out the article - you might be surprised at the answer.

USRT lands in the District on June 21-22!

The Oakland A’s have been selling the whole notion that their new ballpark… named Cisco Field and to be built in Fremont, would be ready in time for the 2011 baseball season.

Well not so fast, as they are now just starting on their environmental impact review, which should take 14-18 months to complete.

Says A’s co-owner Keith Wolff:

“If everything goes perfectly, 2012.”

Uh-oh… this doesn’t sound too promising now does it.

“Don’t Ask… Don’t Tell”

This week’s “Play Ball”. Check it out!