It's Time to Flip the House that LeBron Built

Tony Parker scored 30 points, Manu Ginobili had 25 and Tim Duncan added 23 as the Spurs showed the Cleveland Cavs how championship basketball is played for 3½ quarters, overpowering the young Cavaliers 103-92 in Game 2 on Sunday night to take a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals.

San Antonio clearly illustrated just how superior they are in almost every way conceivable -- building a 29-point lead and then cruising in the fourth quarter -- when the Cavaliers stormed back within eight points before the Spurs finally put them away late in the game.

"That's why sometimes I don't like to have a 20-point lead," Parker said. "I'm not going to complain. I'll take it." The Spurs, playing team offense and stepping up on defense, were up by 28 in the first half and were embarrassing the Cavaliers, who are in their first finals but didn't show up until it was too late.

"I think they just took their foot off the gas pedal," Cavs center Zydrunas Ilgauskas said.

The Spurs' Big 3 of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili combined for 43 points -- 10 more than the Cavs -- in the first half. From that point on, it was academic. Those in the know are now predicting a sweep.

One sign in San Antonio said, “Bring out LeBroom!”

The bottom line is that the Cavaliers are not yet a championship caliber team. They have LeBron James, arguable the best player in the NBA, but the rest of their squad consists of players who are washed-up, slightly injured, completely inexperienced or just plain mediocre.
Drew Gooden is a promising player and will continue to improve for the Cavs. Larry Hughes (who didn’t make one field goal last night) has a foot injury, but even when he’s healthy he’s no solution. After that, it’s a cast of pretenders and wannabes who are either several years away or past their prime. Some of these guys never even had a prime, at least not in the NBA.

Until the powers-that-be get a supporting cast for LeBron, this team will never get closer to an NBA championship than they are right now. The good news is that King James is the best building block any team can have. He’s the foundation, but right now the rest of the House That LeBron built is falling apart.

Will Tony Get Whacked Tonight?

With the final episode of The Sopranos airing tonight, viewers all over the world are speculating how the carnage, confusion and betrayal will come to an end. Arguably the most popular cable series ever, The Sopranos never completely jumped the shark, although it dig bog down for short periods of time during the third and fourth seasons, in my opinion. But, if this evening’s episode is a good one, and packs any kind of wallop, all will be forgiven. If it isn’t, bodies could start showing up – most likely those belonging to HBO executives.

Creator David Chase has continually frustrated many fans by not feeding them the formulaic television that they’ve grown accustomed to. Plot lines are left hanging, characters come and go inexplicably and things aren’t always clearly explained. But, that’s the way life is. We’ve grown to expect neatly packaged story lines where issues get resolved. Where good guys triumph and bad guys get their due. But, that’s not reality and David Chase refuses to give in to network pressure. HBO has given him final cut from the beginning and he’s done it his way from day one.

Some people who have watched the series from the start -- back when Tony was skinny -- might be frustrated by all of the questions that have been left unanswered. For instance, is Andriana really dead? We never actually saw the body. What happened to the Russian in the woods? And isn’t there money hidden somewhere in the original Soprano home; the one Tony grew up in?

The burning question right now is how the series will finally end. Who will get whacked? Is there another rat in our midst? Has anyone been cooperating with the FBI that we don’t know about? Will there be any surprises or plot twists? Or will Chase do exactly what he’s done in the past, and give us some silly dream sequence episode that tells us nothing? Will Chase go completely off his rocker and make the finale a musical? (That would be awesome!)

I looked online earlier and I have never seen so many people speculating about how the final show will end. There must be 500 so-called “spoilers” out there. There are some hints from earlier trailers that Phil Leotardo gets whacked, but that might just be an attempt to misdirect viewers. One guy claims that he was on the set when they filmed the last episode and goes into great detail about what happens. He says that the Soprano house gets blown up and that Meadow is the victim of a car bomb. One couple came up with an interesting scenario where Tony turns on the family and becomes an FBI informant. Supposedly, by the end of the episode, he’s living a legitimate life under the name of Kevin Finnerty, the same moniker he dreamt about when he was in a coma after getting shot by his uncle earlier this season. Still other speculate that Paulie Walnuts is either a rat or a double agent.

My personal opinion is that Tony Soprano gets whacked. James Gandolfini doesn’t want to come back and do this show again. He’s been quoted as saying that he wants to make movies and spend some time relaxing. To give the series some closure and make sure that no one attempts to do a Sopranos reunion show in a few years, Tony will have to go.

It will work out well for several reasons. A lot of folks didn’t like the way Tony killed Christopher and he hasn’t been making a lot of friends for the past two seasons with his impulsive and selfish behavior. Not whacking Phil Leotardo earlier was a sign of weakness. Every tragic hero has a flaw and Tony Soprano has several, so it’s going to be adios Antonio tonight. At least that’s my theory. And until someone sends me a fish wrapped in newspaper, I’m going to write what I think!

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Will Someone Please Help Me?

My delightful fiancee Angelina loves to re-arrange everything. Every single piece of furniture has migrated in and out of each room in this spacious three-story house. Couches, tables, every single chair, cabinet, desk and bed -- nothing is safe. Now I know how the people who worked for Sarah Winchester felt. I'm living in a modern day version of the Winchester Mystery House. Help!!

No More Sexy Time for State's Cats & Dogs?

On Wednesday night, the state Assembly passed a bill requiring Californians, with a few exceptions, to have their dogs and cats spayed or neutered – or pay a $500 fine. As the bill moves on to the state Senate, people with pets have plenty to say about the pros and cons of spaying their pets.
The bill, proposed by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys (Los Angeles County), would allow some breeders and owners of guide dogs and purebreds to get an exemption by paying a fee.
The bill poses serious problems for public safety and disaster preparedness, said Mark Herrick, a search-and-rescue dog handler with the California Rescue Dog Association and the Alameda County Sheriff's Search and Rescue K9 Unit. He noted that 95 percent of search dogs come from home and hobby breeders who won't be able to get an exemption.
“I think it is a bad move,” said Irma Barth, a 66-year-old bag lady in San Francisco’s Mission District who has two Chihuahuas. “My dogs should be able to get freaky with other mutts and enjoy the same kind of sexual freedom that I experience. My little one Mackie likes to hump cats. Why should that pleasure be taken from him? It’s not fair.”
Many people think that the bill will make it almost impossible to find good-quality, genetically sound working dogs. "If we don't have good dogs who can work eight to 10 hours a day to go through the rubble, how many lives will be lost?” Herrick said. “Only the puppy mills will be breeding dogs -- and they breed really inferior dogs."
He also added that canines that have been neutered lose interest in life and end up lying around the house; overeating and reading Dog Fancy magazine or watching reruns of The Dog Whisperer on cable. "If they're neutered, they just don't have the same zip and drive," he said. (I would say that’s probably true for everybody – human or beast.)
What will happen if this bill passes? Will we have more control over our pets and limit the numbers that end up at the Human Society? Or will we end up with a bunch of sexually frustrated, angry animals? Stay tuned.

Working Hard: It Sucks, Doesn't It?

I haven't had a chance to post these last couple of days because I've been on the road working. My parents always told me that there is no substitute for hard work, but there is -- it's called leisure! Every time I get tired or stressed out, I tell myself that it's not that bad. I could be a coal miner, a crab fisherman or even worse -- a Muni driver in San Francisco. That helps me keep my sanity and gets me through the day!

Forge a Great Vacation at Pigeon Forge

There’s a great place called Pigeon Forge in Tennessee that is a beautiful vacation spot. If you can’t afford to go to the more expensive vacations destinations – like Vegas, California, Florida, Chicago, Hawaii or New York – why not consider the beauty and serenity of a place like Pigeon Forge. Pigeon Forge vacation rentals are a cost-effective alternative and will still provide you and your family with an unforgettable experience! These log cabin rentals have Jacuzzis, pool tables, huge decks from which you can view Mt. Le Conte, the highest peak in the Smoky Mountains, fireplaces, big comfortable rooms and more. When you’re considering the vacation possibilities for this summer, consider Pigeon Forge!

Bugliosi Says Oswald Acted Alone in New Book

I saw Vincent Bugliosi speak at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco this week. He was in town to talk about his new book that claims Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. For the last eight years, Bugliosi has worked on the book, entitled “Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy.”

In his book, Bugliosi laughs at all of the conspiracy theories associated with the JFK assassination. "Pure moonshine," he calls them.

Mr. Bugliosi, 72, the former Los Angeles County deputy district attorney who won a conviction of Charles Manson in 1970 and then wrote the best seller “Helter Skelter,” says he's written the definitive account of Dallas' darkest day. Over the span of more than 1,600 pages, he works with a prosecutor's skill to disassemble every conceivable theory and has allegedly proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Lee Harvey Oswald alone killed the president.

But many of us, including myself, aren’t convinced. The most recent Gallup Poll, taken in 2003 on the 40th anniversary of the president's death, found that 75 percent of Americans believe in a conspiracy. Only 19 percent believe the Warren Commission, which, in my opinion, was a kangaroo court of the highest magnitude. Is the public completely deluded or is there something to this conspiracy thing?

Mr. Bugliosi says his book "settles all questions about the assassination once and for all."
"No reasonable, rational person – and let's italicize those words – can possibly read this book and not be satisfied beyond all reasonable doubt that Oswald killed Kennedy and acted alone,” Bugliosi writes. “So, the vast majority of reasonable conspiracy theorists are going to be swayed by this book. But those on the jagged margins of the conspiracy community are allergic to the truth, and they will not agree with this book."

I think Bugliosi must not be thinking clearly. For him to completely discount all of the conspiracy theories just isn’t logical. There is more proof now than ever before that someone fired shots from the grassy knoll; that Oswald was a patsy; that Ruby had mob connections; that the autopsy was tampered with and that more than one type of bullet was fired at JFK.
Bugliosi reminds me of someone who gets rolling in one direction and works so hard to come up with a particular conclusion that he becomes blind to all of the other credible evidence that exists.

As forensics become more sophisticated and people delve even more deeply into this mystery, I truly believe that we’ll eventually know who killed John F. Kennedy on that tragic day in Dallas. And we’ll be able to use Bugliosi’s book for something useful – like a big paperweight or a door jam.

Kissimme is a Great Vacation Spot for the Whole Family

Kissimmee in Florida is a totally excellent place to take a vacation. There isn’t anything actually like a Kissimmee vacation, believe me. Travelers in enormous numbers have sought out Kissimmee since its earliest days as a center for agriculture and cattle ranching, and today the region’s popularity as a destination at the center of immense leisure, business and sporting pursuits is unmatched. If you’re looking for the complete package – somewhere where families, single people, male, female, young and old can really have an unforgettable experience, no other place has it all like Kissimmee, Florida.

He Wrote "Bang the Drum Slowly"

Mark Harris passed away recently. He was a great writer and a good friend. I met him through my membership with The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). His most famous book was “Bang the Drum Slowly,” which was later made into a wonderful film starring Robert De Niro. Here is his obit. The man will be greatly missed.

Mark Harris, author of the acclaimed baseball novel "Bang the Drum Slowly," which he adapted for the 1973 movie starring Michael Moriarty and Robert De Niro, has died. He was 84.Harris, a retired Arizona State University professor of English who lived in Goleta, Calif., died of complications related to Alzheimer's disease Wednesday at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, said his son, Henry Harris.The author of 13 novels and five nonfiction books, Harris was best known for his four baseball novels narrated by Henry Wiggen, the ace left-handed pitcher for the fictional New York Mammoths: "The Southpaw" (1953), "Bang the Drum Slowly" (1956), "A Ticket for a Seamstitch" (1957) and "It Looked Like For Ever" (1979)."Bang the Drum Slowly," named one of the top 100 sports books of all time by Sports Illustrated, was the most popular of the four.The tragicomic tale of Wiggen and catcher Bruce Pearson, who is dying of Hodgkin's disease, "Bang the Drum Slowly" was adapted for a live 1956 segment of "The U.S. Steel Hour," starring Paul Newman as Wiggen and Albert Salmi as Pearson. In the movie version, Moriarty played Wiggen and De Niro played Pearson. The novel also was adapted as a stage play."Bang the Drum Slowly" has been praised for succeeding on two levels."Henry's deadpan vernacular account of life in the dugout is refreshing, lively, and often uproariously funny," a critic for the New York Herald Tribune Book Review wrote. At the same time, "his reactions to his doomed friend are poignant and profoundly touching."Cordelia Candelaria, the author of "Seeking the Perfect Game: Baseball in American Literature," has rated Harris' "The Southpaw" and "Bang the Drum Slowly" among the top five baseball novels ever written.Candelaria, who taught creative writing at Arizona State University at Tempe, said that Harris' contribution to American literature was not limited to his baseball writing, though his greatest influence, she said, was through the character of Wiggen."He's every bit as permanent and important as Huckleberry Finn, as Ishmael and Ahab in 'Moby Dick,' and as Nick Adams in Hemingway's short stories," Candelaria said. "Henry Wiggen struggles with his individuality, his place in society and the moral dilemmas he faces. All of those struggles are as much about him as an American character as they are about baseball."Harris, who played baseball as a boy and often wrote nonfiction pieces about baseball, was known for writing realistically about the sport in his novels."I can't stand fantasy, especially in baseball," he told The Times in 1994."It has to be real for me. I think people make fantasy of it who don't know how it works realistically. That is a demand I made when I was a kid — that baseball has to be done right.""Diamond," a collection of Harris' baseball essays written between 1946 and 1993, was published in 1994.Although his father was "most widely recognized for his baseball literature," Henry Harris said Thursday, "there are other novels in his canon that he felt were equally validating of what was important to him: He was a lifelong pacifist and proponent of racial justice."Harris' first novel, "Trumpet to the World," about a young black man who marries a well-to-do white girl, was published in 1946.Added Henry Harris: "I think he expressed his pacifism in a uniquely dark way through a novel called 'Killing Everybody' in 1973, which was about the suffering of parents who had lost a child in a war."Born Mark Harris Finkelstein in Mount Vernon, N.Y. on Nov. 19, 1922, Harris legally changed his name in the 1940s when, his son said, "he was advised that his career as a writer would take better root if he did not go by a Jewish name." After serving in the Army during World War II, Harris worked as a newspaper and wire service reporter and as a writer for Negro Digest and Ebony magazines. He earned a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Denver in 1950, followed by a master's in English a year later. He received his doctoral degree in American Studies from the University of Minnesota in 1956.He taught in the English departments at the University of Minnesota, San Francisco State University, Purdue University, California Institute of the Arts, USC and the University of Pittsburgh, among others.Among his nonfiction books are "City of Discontent: An Interpretive Biography of Vachel Lindsay," "Mark the Glove Boy, or The Last Days of Richard Nixon," and "Saul Bellow: Drumlin Woodchuck."Harris was a professor of English at Arizona State University at Tempe, where he also taught creative writing, from 1980 to 2001.In addition to his son Henry, Harris is survived by his wife of 61 years, Josephine Horen; his daughter, Hester Harris; another son, Anthony; a sister, Martha Harris; and three grandchildren.