This was a great weekend for watching sports on TV and as fate would have it most of the best analysis came from friends of the column. So since this is my space I am going to showcase the insights of some of my friends who were spot on this weekend.
Lets ‘s start with ESPN NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy who summed up the Lakers’ Game 6 win over the Nuggets to clinch a spot the NBA Finals: “This is a vintage Phil Jackson game plan. You play lockdown defense and find the open man moving the ball around the triangle offense. What we have seen in both the Rockets series and the Nuggets series is that Kobe Bryant has learned to get as many of his teammates as possible involved in the offense and to play defense. It is Kobe and Phil being on the same page that has gotten them back to the finals.”
Hubie Brown, the lead analyst for the ESPN Radio coverage of Orlando eliminating LeBron James and Cleveland from the NBA playoffs in six games: “This not about LeBron James losing the series as it is Orlando winning it. Orlando posed a huge matchup problem for Cleveland that was evident from Game 1. Dwight Howard and the frontcourt of Orlando forced Cleveland to win by shooting from the outside. There was very little Cleveland could do inside. Add to that the pinpoint outside shooting that the Magic got and Cleveland simply did not have a chance. They did the same thing to Boston; many people simply did not give the Magic credit for being perhaps the best team in the East.”
John Fricke of Fox Sport Radio on his Saturday night radio show calling out LeBron James for blowing off the press after losing Game 6 to the Magic: “You can’t just be the face of the franchise when you are winning. Every great star in the NBA has had to sit there and take questions. Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan had to face the press after crushing losses. Tonight was LeBron’s turn and for a guy who is such a fine spokesman for Cleveland and the game he blew it by not speaking.”
The Tennis Channel for the best weekend coverage. Who knew my man Ian Eagle could do tennis?
You really have to see the round of 16 match between Andy Roddick and Frenchman Gael Monfils. It has the potential of being an epic match. Roddick is playing some his best tennis and Monfils is the most exciting player to watch in this year’s French Open. The Match is on ESPN2 but if you are at work checkout ESPN360 or the Tennis Channel Web site.
