Gettin the fever

The Klingons (for you Trekkies) have a saying: "Today is a good day to die." I'd like to do a different spin on that and say that today is a good day to be a DC sports fan.

What got me going? Well, for starters, I saw my Washington Capitals hockey team defy the odds and beat the defending Stanley Cup Boston Bruins in overtime in game seven of their first round series. The Caps actually beat the Bruins for the third time in their ice rink in the series. It's just a shame that the Bruin fans showed no class in the loss by hurling racial slurs at Joe Ward, who scored the winning goal, after the game.

My major league baseball team, the Nationals, are sporting a gaudy 14-4 record, the best in baseball. A Washington team hasn't had a start like this since the 1930's. The Nats, who currently have a five game winning streak, have been led by their pitching staff, which includes reinvented hurlers Gio Gonzales (2-0, 1.52 ERA) and home grown ace Stephen Strasburg, who is 2-0 and has a 1.08 ERA.

Even the Wizards have won their last five games, including wins over the junior varsity squads of the Heat and Bulls. The streak, which is their longest since 2007, is a win-win: while the team takes the momentum into the off-season, it also doesn't impact their place in the upcoming draft lottery. They will have the second best opportunity (20%) to get the number one pick. Here's a BreezyG prediction: If we get either Anthony Davis or Kidd-Gilcrest in this year's draft, look for the Wiz to make a pitch for Kentucky head coach Calipari.

 

The coup de grace is tonight when a new era in Redskins football begins when we take Robert Griffin III (aka RG3) with the second pick in tonight's NFL draft. The Heisman trophy winner will step right into Skins madness. In a recent blog (3/12), I said I was all in. Nothing changed. The crazy Skins fan in me is already planning for the Super Bowl party while the rational one just wants .500 for the year.

 

Now excuse me while I have some of this tasty kool-aid.

Thug Life

The Lake show took on a WWF feel this past weekend as Metta World Peace (aka Ron Artest) did a impressive Hulk Hogan pile driver impersonation by delivering a solid elbow to the side of James Harden's head, causing a concussion that he still has not recovered from as of yet. As I talked with my boyz yesterday, Peace didn't mean to hit him....but did mean to hit him. Sounds confusing, but that's Ron Artest. As a former athlete in a previous life, looking at the replay, if you played enough sports, you have a feel of when someone is near you in that situation. After all, he wasn't a teammate.

For his latest transgression (his 13th = 111 games) Peace earned a seven game suspension. This will cost him nearly $348,000 in salary and will keep him out for most of the Laker's first round matchup. Guess David "The Godfather" Stern laid down the law didn't he?

Let's talk about that. I think he gave his hitman a(nother) break. Yes, I am citing his past, which includes the famous rumble at the Palace in Detroit eight years ago as well as his seven game bid for his no contest plea on domestic violence charges in 2007. As one of my crew put it, if this was civil court, we would all be doing serious time. But in the world of athletic competition, talent is a mitigating factor. I also must say the he actually has cleaned up his act considerably. He won the league's top citzenship award last year even though he did give J.J. Barea a forearm during the playoffs last year, earning him a one game suspension. That aside, he has kept his nose clean.

Here's the hustle they didn't tell you about: while Peace loses that cash, that's only his regular season salery. According to a former NBA player, he doesn't lose any playoff money. So if the Lakers get through the first round in five games or more, that's all he pays. The league doesn't touch any playoff cash you earn.

My opinion, he should either get ten games or be out as long as Harden is out with his concussion, whichever is greater.

Peace.