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Ref, Are You Blind?
The NBA finals don’t begin until June 4, but there’s one blanket statement that can be made right now. This is the worst officiated post-season in NBA history. No, there hasn’t been a miscarriage of justice like in 2002, where bad calls may have decided the Western Conference finals. But it wouldn’t be a surprise…
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Nothing to Be Cavalier About Tonight
Almost two weeks ago, the Orlando Magic were teetering on the brink of elimination, and big-time doubts rose about the structure of their offense. Now, with a win on Tuesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, they will be one game away from the NBA finals. It’s a dramatic turnaround, yet the Magic aren’t doing anything…
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Can Texas Hold 'Em?
Every year in baseball, there is a division that turns things on its head for a while; this season, the entire American League is break dancing. The National League is progressing according to expectations. All four of last year’s playoff teams—the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs—are in…
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Lakers Done in Six
Nike, Glaceau and everyone else betting on NBA finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers—a series between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James—are likely to be disappointed by the Conference finals. James and his Cavaliers are on target to make the finals, but Bryant and his Lakers, who flirted with disaster in the…
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Quarterback Draw
It’s the middle of spring, the nadir of the off-season for football junkies, yet all over New York City, if not all across the nation, Jets fans are laughing derisively at the Minnesota Vikings. Some even giggle at the mere sight of purple, the Vikes’ trademark team color. The reason is simple. The Brett Favre…
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Houston, You Are a Problem
Finally! It took four games, but the Boston Celtics second-round series with the Orlando Magic is no longer looking like a severe letdown. Most basketball fans have had the series circled since mid-April, when the Cleveland Cavaliers clinched the best record in the Eastern conference, and put Boston and Orlando, the teams with the third-…
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Mother's Play
One spring afternoon about 15 years ago, I was walking along a Manhattan street and spied an unusual scene. It was a woman and her teenage son, walking about half a block ahead of me. He was dribbling a basketball. She was coaching. She was critiquing the form on his shot, stressing that he needs…
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The King of the Lindy
Dancing With the Stars would never have happened without Frankie Manning. One of the greatest dancers in American history passed away last week at age 94, but the swing dance craze that he helped to inspire is a testament to his contribution to American culture. What is perhaps most remarkable about Manning is that he…
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Eye on the Ball
The first round of the NBA playoffs did little to dispel the notion that the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers are fated to meet in the NBA finals next month. But if you missed the games of the last two weeks, you might not be a big fan after all. The drama and…
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What Are You Doing This Summer?
A close inspection of the roadkill in the NBA playoffs so far reveals how quickly the mighty have fallen. The first three teams to clean out their lockers and make early summer plans—the Detroit Pistons, the Utah Jazz and the San Antonio Spurs—were three of the league’s four conference finalists two years ago. The fourth…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
