Before I begin, I think I have to clear up a matter that confused at least one of the people who reads this blog regularly. He wondered whether I intended to demean Bill Russell and KC Jones when I said that Prince and Ben Wallace are their evolutionary versions. If I did demean the two Celtics' legends, I apologize. I intended to criticize the way the NBA allows its players to play, at times, a full contact brand of a non-contact sport.

A certain amount of phyiscal contact is inevitable on a basketball court. Every play shouldn't be whistled, but the level of physicality should be controlled a bit more than it is. The thing that bothers me the most is the late whistle. A play is either a foul or it isn't. It doesn't suddenly become a foul merely because the shot in question didn't fall.

Another practice that ought to be regulated is the nasty habit certain players have (among many, I have noticed Kobe, King James, Rip Hamilton and even my man Toine doing this) of picking up the basketball and carrying tucked in their elbow like they were Jerome Bettis plowing for the goal line. I'm pretty sure that is illegal. There probably should be a better definition of what is and isn't continuation. In game 5, I swear Prince was fouled at least two steps and one dribble before he dunked. And yet it was still ruled a 3 point play situation.

To make a long and meandering story short, basketball has indeed come a long way since the rugby scrums of the 1990s, but a few minor practices must be curtailed in the interest of playing a better team game. That's why Prince and Wallace are the evolutionary KC and Russell. If the Celtics dynasty teams could get away with what NBA players get away with now, they might have let up 25 points a game and scored in the 130s.

On to the stated purpose of this site...

The Red Sox took 2 of 3 from the Tigers, so it's fairly safe to assume that they'll be celebrating their 2nd championship in 3 years this fall. The Tigers do have the best record in MLB right now (4 months before the season ends, let's not forget). And they beat that kid Spurling, whose name I only remember because it called to mind that bald tool who was not only the president of the Hair Club for Men, but also a client.

They did win game one thanks to the late night heroics of the man with the worst soul patch since that theoretical tool with the soul patch of many colors who appreciates art from a recent post. But there are some alarming signs, Kenny Rogers handled the mighty Sox pretty well, until Doug Jones got into the charity business in the 9th. Imagine if the Sox had faced Maroth or someone not making his first career start today. SO don't get too optimistic Sox fans.

Also, since the Last Boy Scout is on TNT and I must go watch it because I have no life, there are three things that will be discussed in this space in the ensuing weeks. First is the fact that you have to pay for the privelige of official citizenship in Red Sox Nation. Second is the mystery of the hairlines of the NESN broadcast crew. And as for the third, well I guess I won't ruin the surprise...