Sports Agenda For Monday (5/23/11)
Big Story:
So, it wasn't just the game that was exciting last night, it was also the post game show on TNT and the comments from Joakim Noah that really lit a fire in the Eastern Conference Finals.
So we've got Charles Barkley versus the Miami Heat fans, Joakim Noah versus good taste, and the Miami Heat defense cutting off the supply of oxygen to Chicago Bulls they're covering them so close.
Plus, the Marlins get blanked at home to continue their home woes.
So let's hit this agenda like Barkley hits a buffet.
Miami Heat: (next game – Tuesday vs. Bulls, Game 4, TNT, 8:00 p.m.)
Wow, where do I start with this one.
Let's get to the game first.
The Heat, led by Chris Bosh's 34 points completely dismantled the Chicago Bulls offense again in Game 3. From limiting Derrick Rose to completely frustrating Joakim Noah, the Heat's defense is, well, suffocating.
Derrick Rose is learning something that LeBron could have told him, you can't win a championship on your own. Especially when you're shooting below 50 percent and only dishing out 5 assists in most games.
The Bulls' shooting percentage of 42% isn't that bad per se. But when you factor in that Joakim Noah and Luol Deng combined for 15 points, you can see where trouble started.
But back to the Heat.
Chris Bosh went absolutely off the chart last night. He hit 13-18 from the field and 8-10 from the line while also grabbing 5 rebounds and 2 assists.
Carlos Boozer of the Bulls said the Heat have two good players in LeBron and D-Wade….hey, anyone think he may have been Boozing when he said that?
It's hard to argue with results and head coach Erik Spoelstra is dialed in with this team now and they seem re-energized with Udonis Haslem back in the lineup.
Big U-D gave them 27 minutes last night and scored 6 points and pulled down 3 rebounds. He was a physical presence on the court and kept the Bulls' bigs from getting comfortable or getting in the game.
It was another impressive defensive performance, especially considering the Bulls outrebounded the Heat 41-32.
We'll get more into the numbers in an article later on CBSMiami.com.
Now, let's get to some of the "other" things that happened in and around the game last night.
We'll start with Joakim Noah.
He really showed that he's not quite ready for prime-time last night when he got into it with a fan. After picking up his second foul early in the first quarter, he got into it with a Heat fan and called him a "f***ing f***ot."
Look, we know it was in the heat of the moment, but c'mon man. You're in the playoffs, in the conference finals, you better be ready to have the fans get after you. Period. But Noah's outburst epitomized the frustration felt by the entire Bulls team.
You could see all night that the Heat are in the Bulls' heads and now the Bulls are questioning themselves and their game and they don't have an answer for the Heat's defense or offense right now.
And speaking of getting frustrated (how's that for a segue), perhaps the most entertaining part of the game last night happened after the final buzzer.
TNT analyst Charles Barkley, never one to not say what he's thinking regardless of consequences, was live on stage for the TNT post-game show last night.
Note to TNT, this was a bad idea from the beginning, but at least put something up between you and the crowd like ESPN does for College Gameday.
Okay, so Chuck has been critical of the Heat from the outset and the Heat fans know it. So, they began the "Chuck You Suck" and "Barkley Sucks" chants. The Chuck Wagon, being of such high moral values, decided to tell the Heat fans they were number one in his heart.
Click here to see the picture
Naturally, the Heat fans reacted like a bunch of fans would and really got after Chuck. Some Heat fan eventually threw a towel or t-shirt at Charles during the broadcast. Charles threatened to come down into the crowd.
Hmmm…looks like someone got up on the wrong side of his T-Mobile bed.
Look, Chuck should've expected it, but fans shouldn't throw things either. Come up with some good chants to really get after him and make him look like the Round Mound of Idiot he can sometimes be.
I like Chuck, always have, it'll be interesting to see what happens since fans caught him giving them the finger.
So TNT, put up a screen behind your announcers and let it rip. It's great television. And Miami fans, show some class and chant him down.
Remember TNT, look on the bright side, it could've been Philadelphia!
Marlins: (off Monday)
The Fish took the series from the Rays, despite getting blanked at home on Sunday.
But, Josh Johnson headed to the Disabled List and that spells TROUBLE with a capital T.
Johnson is the engine that keeps the team running.
If the Fish want to keep pace with the Phillies, Johnson is desperately needed for the season, so shutting him down for a few weeks is a good idea at this point in the season. The Fish are just 1.5 games behind the Phillies coming into the final week of May. I think any Marlins fan would take that at the beginning of the season.
NFL Update:
Well, the owners are having their spring meetings in Indianapolis starting Monday.
There's still no movement on labor front and it's going to sit in the deep freeze for at least a few weeks. The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear the appeal of the lockout being lifted on June 3. They likely will not get a quick decision, so don't expect football free agency or anything before mid-July at the earliest.
Note to NFL and NFLPA from football fans and media everywhere….you guys suck…now get back to work you overpaid babies, owners and players!!!!!
