Admit it.  You’re sucked into the NBA Playoffs.  You retired with Michael Jordan and blocked it out of your mind like a beer goggle wearing night in college….but now you’re back!  If you’re not back, it’s really too bad because you’re missing out on something special.  Just look at it like the time you decided to skip out on a trip to the lake with friends and you get to hear stories about it for the next three months (not that it’s ever happened to me).  You don’t get the inside jokes, can’t put faces with names, and will feel a little bit like you’re on the 10pm ABC Thursday night show.

After traveling this past weekend and feeling a little “Lost” myself, I dove head first back into the action on Monday night with the Hawks-Celtics, Lakers-Nuggets double dip.  Last night, I got caught up in New Orleans chumping out Dallas and the Spurs chumping out PHX (or fakes) yet again.  I’m so caught up that I scheduled my trip to Meijer for groceries around halftime of the first game.  If so many coupons hadn’t been used by the two ladies in front of me, I would have been out of there in about 12 minutes.  With the coupons, it turned out to be more like 34 (I’m not huge on the self-scan checkout lines yet). 

While watching the Hawks-Celtics game on Monday night, I texted a couple of friends that said Joe Johnson may soon be entering my fave five (favorite players in the NBA).  His 4th quarter performance would be legendary if the Boston defense wasn’t so horrible.  If you missed it, here is why Joe is monumentally close to entering my fave five.  Another reason is the fact that he single handedly was able to give me a subject for today’s blog:  My 2008 playoff fave five.  My main criteria for these is the hypeness level that players put me and the crowd on while watching.  This is an ever-changing list throughout the playoffs, but with nearly a round complete, here it is:

1 Chris Paul  - Maxwell told me about a human interest story on this guy while he was in high school that completely won me over after I saw it.  I followed him at Wake Forest, and his rise in the league has been unbelievable.  I had CP3 screen-printed on the back of a Wake Forest shirt that I own, which puts Paul at the top of my fave five.  Not only does he share the basketball, but he also shares money with friends to gain an advantage.

2 Kobe Bryant – If you watch an interview with Bryant, he’s by far the “coolest” player in the league.  His 49 on Denver in game two will go in his career highlight reel at the Hall of Fame.  The dude got MVP chants IN DENVER!!!  That tells you all you need to know.

3 LeBron James – I know what you’re thinking….”you’re picking your fave five like a 10 year old kid would pick it.”  Oh well.    LeBron makes the Cavaliers games semi-watchable.  Have you ever looked at that roster?  He may have entered my all time fave five with his performance last season in the playoffs versus Detroit.  With all the shenanigans Washington pulled, LBJ may drop 50 on them tonight.  You can’t deny, though, that the Washington trash talk makes the series watchable.     

4 Al Horford – Out of the Florida 04’s, this guy was my favorite.  I’m a big fan of winners and this guy has almost single handedly brought a winning attitude to the entire Hawks team.  He has never backed down, and even stepped up his game against Paul Pierce, which led to this.  Pretty ballsy for a rookie, and it got my hyped!  It’s just too bad it wasn’t against a player I didn’t like.

5 David West – I would have believe you more if you told me there was an earthquake in Indiana than David West being on my initial “Fave Five”.  That being said, West has the best mid-range game in the league, completely punked out Dirk Nowitzki in Game 1 (showing who was boss in the series).  Last night, in Game 5, he had Chris Paul’s back when Stackhouse freaked out a little bit.  With CP3 being my top dog, a guy who has his back has to make the top 5.

On the verge of moving in (dependent on play):  Joe Johnson, Kevin Garnett

Who’s in your fave five?

As Chris Wicky used to say, “Here I aaaaaaaaammmmmm!”.  I’m back on the grind after a relaxing 4 nights at the Smokey Hideaway, a “Cribs Edition” log cabin, in the sticks of Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  I’ve already coined a couple of cliches in my hour and half since being back at the office; “I wish it would have lasted longer” and “It was great, but it went too quick.”  I feel like these are common responses that I hear when anyone gets back from a vacation.  Thus, I’m going to spend the latter half of this AM thinking of more clever and original replies when answering how my days off were to other co-workers.  That is of course after the walk into every single office and ask the gem of a question, “You working hard or hardly working?” 

Friday in Tennessee was like a 7th grade dance with the guys spending the day golfing and the girls shopping.  Actually, it’s probably more like a normal weekend.  As announced last week, we had two rivaled teams squaring off in a little old fashioned best ball scramble.  Both teams were intense as a game of putt putt the following day was on the line (I actually had the keys to my apartment and car on the line in a side bet).  My team with Byrum and JVA ended up victorious on the overall score over Sears, Maxwell, and Arvin.  At the turn we spruced up the deal a little bit giving them three shots for the back nine (I guess I really had no input on that side deal) and we ended up pushing.  All in all, it might have been the best day of the trip.  Some highlights include:

 - Raindrops the size of golfballs after just three holes.  The “mountain” drops and lightning forced us into the clubhouse to engage in some “Track Dogs” discussion.  Play was resumed after twenty to thirty minutes.

- After the delay, we decided to go against course rules, and play as a 6-some.  This lasted from the 4th hole through the 12th, when…..

- Ranger Joe comes flying by us up the hill on the court, and then back down to us in the green on 12.  “Do I even have to say anything?” is all he says in one of the best voices I’ve heard in some time.  “Do I even have to say anything” is now my favorite introductory phrase to use at all events. 

- The 12th hole at the Gatlinburg Country Club was something that every golfer in America should be forced to see.  In fact, it may be something that every person in America needs to see.  Right after the teebox, there is literally a 200 foot dropoff straight down to the green.  I’ve never seen anything like it.  As we discussed, it was like one of those fictional courses on Tiger Woods Golf ‘08.  After the six of us tee’d off, we decided to have a little fun and had Byrum tee off with a driver to see how far he could take it.  I don’t even think this video does the hole justice.

- After that bomb, we split up to finish off the afternoon.  The hole of the day came when our squad saved par with our 2nd shot coming from 40 feet uphill in the woods.  If the guys hadn’t have caught up behind us, I’m pretty confident they would have thought we cheated. 

- I was just happy to have about three of my shots used.  I tried to look the part and even bought a sick Florida Gators Titleist hat.  My golf game is pretty brutal, but the beer cart girl said she really liked my shorts, so I guess that’s a plus!  We just couldn’t figure out if she was 25 or 45, which was debated throughout the round.

Great times all around, {Enter Cliche about Vacation Here} 

Hitting up the former cougar capital of the world in Gatlinburg, Tennessee this evening, so the blog will be on a little vacation.  I’ve been invited to participate in Real World: Gatlinburg with twelve other people.  Really, I’m just going to chill in a cabin for 4 days.  Big golf match on Friday at Gatlinburg Country Club, home of the 200 foot drop-off on Hole 12.  Byrum, JVA, and myself will be a taking on Maxwell, Sears, and Arvin in what many around the golf world are calling the best ball match of the month.  It is my hope that there will be a Bous Theory Production Crew snapping photos and maybe video of this prestigious event.

While I’m out, enjoy reading old archives of the Bous Theory, or pose random comments as I may be able to answer them, such as the fabeled, ”Can you jump as high as you want on a free-throw?”  If you’d also like to write in about how good Chris Paul is, I’ll accept that as well (By the way, I got a customized Chris Paul-Wake Forest shirt on Saturday).  

By the way, I just found out that the Bikers’ Show is down there this weekend.  Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez.  You’ll hear from me again this weekend.    

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles?  Yesterday ended up being more like Cars, Bikes, and Motorcycles.  Have you ever had one of those driving days where it just seems you end up in a lot of near misses?  Cars pulling in front of you, you pulling in front of cars, cars coming up in your rearview mirror at a red light just a little bit too quick. You know the times where you brace yourself to be hit from behind?  I lost a muffler in my Spirit due to this about five years ago.  I drove around Bloomington for three months with my car sounding like a 747.  Some of you may recognize the sound as it sounds like one of these ridiculous cars.   Yesterday seemed to be my day for that; all I was missing was John Candy and an ‘84 LeBaron.  Now that I think about it, one of those cars that went from 0-60 in 2.5 seconds just to hit another red light may have actually been driven by Paul Walker.  If I didn’t temporarily lose my hearing, I would have asked for an autograph.  Or to race.  This summer, I might as well go to the Kroger 300 and sit in the pits without earplugs.

Back to the driving adventures, I have to take some blame in part of this.  As I was pulling out of Kohl’s last night, I definitely turned in front of an SUV.  The Speedway Kohl’s doesn’t really have the best set-up as far as stop signs.  There are a couple of areas, where’s it should basically be about a 13 way stop, but there are no stop signs.  You also have to remember that in Speedway folks drive like they’re Emerson Fittipaldi, even in parking lots.  I definitely pulled out right in front of a dude, who in turn was pretty furious.  He saw me coming (which is good for me) but put his hands out and gave me a look like, “What are you doing??  Idiot!!?”  After receiving that look, I simply gave him the patented point, turned on a smile, and pounded my chest like I just took a bad shot in game 7 of the NBA Finals.  “My bad, my bad, my fault”.  Again, all of this with a big cheese on my face.  Folks, it’s amazing how quickly the pissed off guy turned into a laughing guy.  I hadn’t seen a turnaround like that since Lyla Garrity switched to Christianity on Friday Night Lights.  You never really know how much a smile can do for you.  He went from wanting to faceplant my head on a curb to a guy that would probably have a beer with my buddies and I.  If that guy is reading the blog, I say this again, “My bad, my bad”. 

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To the people in New Castle, what are you thinking trying to ban skateboards, bikes, and in-line skating on city streets?  My office neighbor alerted me that there was a poll about New Castle on the front page of theINDYchannel.com .  I decided I would go vote, especially thinking the question would be either, A.) Is the New Castle Fieldhouse the sickest gym in America?  (yes), B.) Is Coach Bennett the best coach in Indiana (yes), or C.) It’s probably about the European Soccer Club.  Again the question posed was, “New Castle’s city council is considering a ban on skateboarding, in-line skating and freestyle bicycles on public streets and sidewalks and in parks. Do you think this is a good idea?  I had a 2 second reply on this one, a resounding “No!” 

I just re-read the entry and it actually said Freestyle Bicycles.  I guess I was thinking all bicycles, but still you can’t be serious.  Because you have to pay $15 a month to read the Courier Times online (can you tell I also think that is senseless?), I have no details or reasoning why the City Council may look to go this direction.  On the surface it seems like an awful idea, unless you plan on building a trail similar to the Monon throughout the entire city.  Here’s what Indy is doing  (click link) and New Castle is wanting to ban these types of recreation?  From the age of 8 to the age of 15 3/4 I spent my summers riding my bike all over town.  We’d go to Taco Bell, McDonalds, and Captain D’s (they had back entrances where you could cut through lawns), cut through the HOBO woods like we were the Goonies, ride to the baseball diamonds, cruise around Baker Park, take a trip out Main Street and feel cool that you ended up by Tri High, or just riding from friends to friends house.  In fact, I didn’t stop riding until a friend and I ran into two female classmates, who both happened to be hot, and one of which already had her license.  At 15, that would make you do about anything.

Going back to the point, what is their reasoning for banning these activities?  There are issues in that city way worse than young kids getting exercise in the summer.  If kids are doing negative activities while doing a wheely down Main Street, or riding no-hands down Bundy, then get back at me.  Ban the illegal activities that take place if that’s the problem.  If they are out past curfew, damaging property, then ban that, but don’t kick them off the streets.  If the problem is worse than I think, please enlighten me, as again I can’t read the Courier Times.  I’m getting my mayoral platform ready as we speak. 

It’s tough out here in the streets!

Thanks again to all of those who entered the Bracket Challenge this season.  As you know, we spruced it up a little bit here by letting the winner go no holds barred on a blog of their own.  The inaugural winner this year is Matt Helwig.  Matt’s a self-proclaimed sports-a-holic and loves the Hoosiers, Raiders, Reds, and Lakers.  He listens to Colin Cowherd and if you don’t like Matt’s takes, he’ll punch you in the neck.  Matt also is a wizard on Excel, where he runs multiple pools and has compiled the 50 greatest college football teams of the past decade.  Without further adieu, here are Matt’s takes on two of the great Saturdays that sports have to offer.

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-Bracket Challenge Winner and Guest Blogger, Matt Helwig

When we think about great sports weekends, we often forget about the two that are coming up.  They are overshadowed by such well-known and loved events as the Super Bowl and the NCAA Final Four.  These are great events in their own right but have flaws.  I want to point you in the direction of two others later in this blog.  I am going to argue that there are no better days to have a party to enjoy a full day of sports.  They even happen to be on back to back spring Saturdays. 

 What makes a great sporting event?  For me they have drama, excitement, intrigue, and are pleasing to the eye.  I want some uncertainty of what is to come.  A great event has twists and turns, exciting moments, and shocks you from time to time.  In turn, this leads to great TV and entertainment.  These events always have me wondering what will happen long before they start.  I can make predictions and begin thinking about how one outcome will affect another.  This attribute of the event really makes it more captivating and special.  Finally, some sporting events are just better to watch; they are spectacles in their own right.  This is something few events have, but I know of a couple. 

Another thing I have noticed over the past few years is that having these events on a Saturday, truly help to make them “events”.  I am talking about an all day EVENT, where you can get setup around noon or early afternoon and be a part of it all day.  Saturday is the perfect day for a big party.  It’s a day you can celebrate all day if you want and then you have Sunday to recoup.  Friday’s don’t work well since you had to work all day and more often than not you already have plans to do things around the house or with the family.  Friday nights are for things other than sports even for a sportsaholic like me.  Sunday’s are for church and resting for the work week ahead.   Unfortunately, the powers that be are now putting championship games on Mondays…no chance of getting everyone together on a Monday.  Besides the two events I am going to discuss, the only exception I see for this is with the Indy 500 since Memorial Monday is the next day.

   The Super Bowl is gigantic event and I know people get together to watch it but it is just never really never a celebration.  (At least since I graduated from college)  People have things to do the next day in this busy world in which we live.  Not even the ratings monster that is the Super Bowl can get many of us to go out and truly celebrate the end of the NFL season the way we should.  It is without a doubt the greatest professional sport ever created and we all LOVE it or at the very least really LIKE it as one of our top 2 to 3 sports.  But I do think there is a little remorse there on Super Bowl Sunday for most of us.  We don’t want to see it go.  But from that day on we should be looking forward to one of the events I will detail in just a moment.  But just think if it were on Saturday and you could come over early in the afternoon to a friends place or have people to your place and start drinking, hanging out, & partying for the Super Bowl?  Sure there are exceptions but I really don’t know of anyone who does that now, at least to the extent I am talking.  I know they play on Sundays in the NFL and that is the perfect day for most of their games but, the Super Bowl needs to be moved to Saturday.

 The NCAA Final Four is on Saturday which I like but I believe it is overshadowed every year by the perfection that is the first two rounds of the tournament.  I hear people wanting to expand it and people wanting to add more play in games.  I think that is ridiculous.  64 not 65 is a perfect field.  Let’s get basketball people in to the war room to make sure the top 64 teams get in each year and quit worrying about it.  (Excuse me for one moment as I go off on a short tangent, since this is my one and possibly only Bous Theory blog entry… I feel terrible every year for the 2 teams who have to play in the so-called “opening round game” now.  But it is especially despicable, for the one that loses.  They had to play in Dayton this year, not even their actual tournament site.  No one watches on that Tuesday night either…it is as if they weren’t even in the tournament if they lose.  Just Awful!!)  Anyways, I’ve digressed; the Final Four games are fine but a little bittersweet and often anticlimactic. It’s good that they are on Saturday but people just don’t seem to get together like they do for the beginning of the tournament.  Maybe the magic is gone by that point; I just can’t quite put my finger on it.  I think the National Championship game as in college football being on a Monday, takes away from it in someway too.  That is the grand finale and should be on the weekend, if not Saturday at least on Sunday.  The other two weekends of games begin, why can’t the Final Four?  That way we get the Championship on Saturday.  I would love that change to be made, but as in all things in this world, money rules everything, unfortunately.  So I doubt we ever see a change if the powers that be think they will make the most money the way it is now. 

Well, after all that I bet you are wondering or maybe you have figured out by now that the two events I am putting on a pedestal are…The NFL Draft and The Kentucky Derby.  The next two Saturdays are full of things I was talking about earlier.  They both have all the excitement, intrigue, and drama you will crave in great sporting events.  I will start with the one which comes first chronologically; it’s the NFL Draft and it’s now the last Saturday in April.  I wasn’t always as into this event as I am today.  But as my love for College Football and the NFL has grown exponentially in the last six years, so has my affection for this diamond-in-the-rough sporting event.  I think I am on to something since ratings have been continually going up for it.   It is the collision of the two outstanding leagues in the sport of football.  You get your favorite college football stars being drafted by your favorite NFL teams.  Now, the NFL is becoming so big that most fans are thinking about it nearly year around anyway…except maybe a couple months in the summer when they need a short break.  The NFL is being built more and more by the draft.  If you want to know if your team is going to be good in the next 2 to 3 years…watch the NFL draft.  If you want to see the stars of the future…watch the NFL draft.  If you want the drama of trades…watch the NFL draft.  It’s got it all even the mystery that is Mel Kiper, Jr.’s hair.  (Trump and Kiper must go to the same barber.)  But you can really get into it, at least I do.  Mel has his Big Board and his top 5 by position.  Todd McShay from rivals.com has his mock draft.  Well, heck every sports site has a few mock drafts.  There is so much information on all these players out there now that can make this event even more relevant to you as you watch it.   To its credit, the NFL never settles or rests on its laurels.  In its wisdom it is always tweaking the rules to make it more competitive, fair, and watchable.  This year they changed the time limits for each round of the draft to make it more consumable.  The first round is now 10 minutes (was 15), the second round is now 7 minutes (was 10), and now the rest of the rounds are 5 minutes.  I know you won’t watch all 7 rounds of this thing, but the first two are great television and they are on Saturday now instead of the first three. Moving the 3^rd round to 2^nd day was another great decision that shows the NFL’s flexibility.  It starts at three now and goes into late night primetime TV.  You should watch it this year if you never have or if you already do usually watch it, get more involved with it. 

 Do your own first round mock draft with your buddies.  Be creative and enjoy it.  ESPN does a great job with it.  They have the best football analysts in the world and that helps make this event so special.  The last two years I have begun molding this into an all day party….maybe someday it will get to bash or extravaganza status.   If you can’t make it that big this year either, than at least invite over some close friends and possibly their significant others.  Sit around with them, talk sports, analyze & debate the picks, drink some Captain and Cokes and have a great day.   Remember it always better to eat and/or drink with someone than by yourself if you can.  And if nothing else, who couldn’t use another reason to throw a party. 

 The first Saturday in May is more well-known but I am not sure how many people make a day of it and truly give it the great event status it deserves.  The Kentucky Derby itself is the best 2 minutes in sports guaranteed every year.  There is no more excitement anywhere year in and year out.  I will debate anyone until I am blue in the face on this.  There is nothing as thrilling in sports as during those 2 minutes when you hear the race announcer say those famous words of, “…And Down the Stretch They Come!…”.  You can count on it to deliver just like Tom Hanks’ Fedex shipments in Castaway.  OK, maybe a bad example, his plane did go down in the ocean.  But anyways, not only do you have the Derby itself, there is a full day of races at Churchill Downs the day of the Derby, so you have all day to pick your winners and place your bets.  Sure gambling makes everything more interesting and fun, but it is not just that.  There are the big hats on all the women, celebs, mint juleps, the beautiful thoroughbreds, and all the pageantry and tradition.  But I still say this is the best day of the year for a full day of partying with your friends.  Indy 500 or maybe Little 5 (for those of us who were lucky enough to go to IU) come very close but I have to say I still love Derby Day a little bit more.  Churchill is gorgeous in the spring with everything in bloom which helps make it a spectacle much like the 500 is….maybe not in pure speed but in the way that the atmosphere and the sights are unduplicated except once a year while the event is going on.  Once the run for the roses is over, whether you lost your @$$ or hit the superfecta for 10 grand on your $1 bet you’ve got a story to tell.  The thoroughbreds in these races are magnificent animals that can really touch you and make you root for them as much as you would for your favorite football or basketball team and you have only known their name for a few minutes.  It is nearly indescribable how that connection happens but, it is very much apart of this whole experience.  Finally, if done correctly, it is easy to turn this into a full night of fun since most people are so excited from the race that they are ready to party the rest of the night too.

   What both of these events also have going for them is that that are in the spring.  There is nothing better than a beautiful spring day.  Usually they are on some of the first Saturdays of the year (at least in Indiana) to be able to get outside for awhile and enjoy the sun, barbeque, throw the football or baseball around, play flippy cup or beer pong, play some corn hole or washers, and the list goes on and on.  Neither the Draft nor the Derby is a sporting event that you have to sit in front of the TV for the whole time to appreciate.  You can go in and out as you please except for certain parts.  For the Draft that is the first five picks or so and for the Derby it is the actual running of the Kentucky Derby at the end of the day.  

But my hope, after reading this, some of you early adopters of the Bous Theory can get off your butts and get a big party together and celebrate what’s most important about sports, the people you experience it with.  So with any luck, you and all your friends will enjoy these next two spectacular sports Saturdays together.  Let these moments become great memories for you and them.  Life to me is all about moments.  Sometimes they are small, other times they are big.  Sometimes you seize them, other times you let them slide by.  I guess it depends on how you look at it, but don’t forget to dare to live them, ensconce yourself in them, enjoy them, and hopefully always remember them.