Magic vs. Lakers 09 NBA Finals Take

The 2009 NBA finals are set, it will be the Orlando Magic and the Lakers battling it out for the rights to be crown Champions of the 08 - 09 NBA season.

The Magic advanced to the NBA finals, by winning series against teams in the Eastern conference round such as the likes of: Philadelphia, Boston, and the Lebron Cavaliers.

In comparison, the Lakers of the Western conference advanced to the NBA finals by way of winning series against teams such as the Utah Jazz, the Houston Rockets and the Denver Nuggets

For the first time in fourteen years, since the Shaq days the Orlando Magic will be making their second NBA finals in the team twenty year history. Orlando first time around was against the Houston Rockets in the 1995 NBA finals led then by star center at the time Shaquille O'Neal.

It should be noted that under the guidance of Shaq the Magic were swept in four games. What also should be noted for this up coming finals is that in the summer of the 1996, Shaq bolted from Orlando as a free agent to the Lakers and took the money and run.

Which leads me to my next point on this series. In 1996, Shaq singed a seven-year, $120 million dollar contract with the Lakers, and turn down a front loaded contract offer from Orlando of 115 million over seven years with 24 million alone in the first year.

Needless to say, from that point on the Lakers became the Magic hated rival while Shaq was playing for them against the Magic in Orlando. Magic fans would let Shaq know on how they felt about that move in he had made in the summer of 1996.

Payback would have too wait two years, till the day Shaq cane back as a member of the Lakers while playing in Orlando against the Magic.

All Magic fans including myself remember that date. It was a Sunday, in late February, the exact date was February 22, 1998.

Shaq was back, playing in Orlando for the first time since signing with the Lakers two years ago.

Every time, Shaq had the ball in the game weather it be he was passing or about to take a shot he was booed, and hollered at by the more then 17,000 plus at the then named Orlando Arena.

In that game, O’Neil totaled twenty points, but that alone did not help his Lakers win that game as the momentum was all Orlando as the Magic would ruin his return and beat his Lakers by a score of 94 - 96.

This season in the year 2009, Both teams have played one game at home against each other. the Orlando Magic have visited southern California once and the Lakers have visited Orlando once. During those games the Magic came away victorious in both games.

In the first game, the Magic defeated the Lakers in Orlando, by a score of 106- 103 defeating the Lakers by three points. In the second game, the Magic defeated the Lakers out west in California by a score of 109 - 103 defeating the Lakers by six points.

Enable for either the Lakers or the Magic to be crown champions they will both have to take advantage of their home court, as well as steal a win from each other arenas. In my view, if the Magic take either game 1 or 2 out in Los Angles, the Magic will win this series. Game one is on Thursday night at 9 pm EST all game are on ABC.

RJINTAMPAWSA@AOL.COM

Loyalty is absolute in today game of the NFL. 3/2/09 – 3/8/09

When your team has to move on with certain Iconic players; that have been the face of their respected franchise for a long time, it’s a tough decision.

As everyone generally wants that Iconic player to remain with the team till he retires from the game. The situation is this, either the team has a new head coach or the team has a player that is on the rise, and is ready take over the position of that iconic player.


Those two situations are what the fate of that player will came down to. Just with in the past two weeks the: Colts, Jaguars, and Buccaneers had to make the decision of letting go of their iconic players. First up, it was the Jacksonville Jaguars who parted ways, respectfully with the greatest Jaguar of all time in running back Fred Taylor.

It was respectfully done, as the Owner of the Jaguars Wayne Weaver flew down to Taylor house in south Florida, with General manger Gene Smith and Head Coach Jack Del Rio to tell Taylor in person of the decision before it was made public. The decision had been in the process slowly as the Jags had to move on with Maurice Jones – Drew as the starting running back.


Second up was the Indianapolis Colts who were in a sticky situation, the new head coach wanted the player who is wide out Marvin Harrison back, but Marvin did not feel as if the team wanted him back. As he wanted a new contract, the team said no at first and Marvin started going public about how he wanted to be released from the Colts, so the colts granted him his wish and now he will be looking for a new team this off season.


Finally, it was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers turn this past week. They have a new thirty two year old coach as well as a new young general manager. They said they wanted to get young and they did. They parted ways without a person-to-person talk, and let go of: Derrick Brooks, as well as Warrick Dunn and three others.


Derrick Brooks is an eleven time pro bowler with an almost certain first time ballot to the hall of fame. He was the player that not only brought back respect to the Bucs, but he also gave them a new life as an organization, that before him was the joke of the NFL.





Well not all Loyalty is lost, but you can be sure that when any team cuts an Iconic player, it was because of two reasons either it was time to move on or their was a new head coach involve. What are absolute in today game are not only players staying with one team, but Iconic ones staying with their original team their whole time while playing in the NFL.



RJINTAMPAWSA@AOL.COM

Guess whose back on the Greens? 2/23/09 – 3/1/09

Well since the question was “guess whose back on the greens?” By greens I am talking about golf course. So with that in my mind, who is the number one golfer in world? Well incase you still have not pictured who I am talking about I will tell you the answer right now. The person I am talking about goes by the name of Tiger Woods.


That’s right, Tiger Woods is back!! He will be swinging the clubs around for the first time since that incredible sudden death US Open win against Rocco. But the reason for his long absence from Golf was due to the fact that he had knee surgery after last year US Open.


There are some question marks about that surgically repaired knee. Like how will his knee affect his swing and will it hold up for 72 holes? Well these questions will be answered in the Accenture Match Play Championship, which starts this Thursday at 2pm on the Golf Channel.


For golf, when Tiger is playing he is the main attraction. In which everyone wants to see in action, even if it’s not in a major tournament. He brings something to golf that can’t be underscored in anyway or form. For the time being tiger is back and that is great news for golf fans worldwide.


RJINTAMPAWSA@AOL.COM

Quick Hits 2/17/09 – 2/22/09

Well sorry for the delay on these article, but this quick hits segment one should set things back into place from here on out. So with that here is my take on news from the weeks in the sporting world.
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Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Steelers for winning the super bowl with home field advantage during the game. ……


The Jaguars released Fred Taylor on Tuesday, and with that thank you Fred for all the memories you created for all the Jaguars fans threw out your 11 years of being a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars.


Alex Rodriguez took steroids with his cousin both according to Rodriguez did not know what they were taken, but still continued to take them for 3 years. Sounds pretty strange to me.

Well Dwight Howard should have won this past weekend Dunk contest. But instead lost for being nice to his competition, by letting Nate Robinson dunk over him. Which was the dunk that won it for Nate.



Well that does for this week article. Please send in your comments about it to:
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ALL CARDS IN - 1/26/09 – 1/31/09

Two weeks ago I had did an article explaining on why the Cardinals would beat the Philadelphia Eagles and land in Tampa for the Super Bowl.


This week I am going to tell you, “The Arizona Cardinals will shock the world” and beat those Steelers from Pittsburgh, to win their first Super Bowl title ever in franchise history that is unless you consider a championship game from 1947s as their first super bowl win.



At first, and like everyone I did think that the Steelers had already won the game; before the super bowl game had actually taken place.

But I am here to say that I highly doubt that notion today, and I will that is till the clock reads 0:00 on the score board at Raymond James Stadium (RJS).



Like I stated in my last article, the cardinals are on a “hot streak/ peak time ride”. As its so obvious to me, that the Arizona Cardinals have both going their way at the right time. So Steelers fans, give me the seven points and your Kleenex ready.



As I now have all cards in: on going with an Arizona win.


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ARIZONA CARDINALS ARE THE RAYS OF THE NFL. 1/12/09 – 1/18/09

As much as I would love to see an Eagles and Steelers Super Bowl here in Tampa, I don’t see it happening, reason being is because of the Tampa Bay Rays.


Did I confuse you now?


The reason is because of the so-called and the two most over used terms in sports, the terms are the hot streak/ peak time ones. You know, those words that that the so-called “ Professionals” use on television.

The experts use those two terms to explain on how a team, got to a point late in the season, in which no one had them their in the first place. Well using those terms you can clearly say, that no one had the Tampa bay Rays going to World Series at the start of the season, or for the record even the playoffs. Well I bet you can now tell what I am going to say next.

No one in their right mind had the Arizona Cardinals going to the playoffs, not even Cardinals fans for the matter. Everyone had the Seattle Seahawks winning the NFC West division title, at the start of the season. Same as in the Rays case as everyone had the Boston Redsoxs winning the American League East.


As in the Rays case everyone was waiting for the blocks to stumble, during the course of the last few weeks in baseball regular season. And now everyone is waiting for the Cardinals to stumble on this coming Sunday against the Eagles.

So if my logic is right, and I sadly think it will be. The Arizona Cardinals will be the ones flying into Tampa, after this Sunday game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

RJINTAMPAWSA@AOL.COM

The Game of Heisman’s - 1/5/09 -1/11/09

As most of you know their will be a College Football National Title game on Thursday night. This game will be different then some in recent memories, the reason on why the game will be different is because both of the schools, Oklahoma University and The University of Florida will each have a Heisman winner quarterback starting in the game.

For The University of Florida, their Heisman quarterback is Tim Tebow, who can run with the football and throw it at the same time. He is simply the Gators version of superman on the football gridiron.

Then for Oklahoma University their Heisman quarterback goes by the name of Sam Bradford. Sam moves around like Tebow but cant move as Tim can, but Sam has a much better release point, when throwing the football then Tebow does.

Both of these quarterbacks are great both on and off the field. They both do charity work and they don’t get into trouble. Tim was born in the Philippines, where his parents were serving at the time as Christian missionaries. Tim with his family makes annual trips to the Philippines for missionary’s trips in the summer. Sam was born in Oklahoma; he also has one – sixteenth Cherokee blood. Because of that Sam works with Native Americans on his off time to improve the lives of young Native Americans.

So as you can tell this college National football title game, will be a game of Heisman’s. No matter wins the game on Thursday night. These two men will showcase a game of true Heisman, something that not only college football could use more of but sports in general as well.


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