I imagine everybody is starting to get riled up for tonight’s ballgame. After all, tonight’s matchup is one of rivalry and intrigue (though OSLer Joe Jackson would argue the contrary). How can you not get up for this one? Come on, y’all. It’s BULLS vs. BLAZERS (and the rest of the ’92 Playoffs)!
First off, Derrick Rose, as you well know, is one of the most exciting players in the league. The Bulls are young, hungry, and can really rebound the rock when they want to. It’s always fun to watch Tyrus and LaMarcus go at each other, and the Blakey/Captain Kirk matchup is a true clash of the titans. Sprinkle in a little Vinny Del Negro and a healthy spoonful of Mike Rice, and you’ve got one hell of an evening in front of you. Before that battle is fought, however, it’s time to recap the weekend (and play a little catch-up on last week).
Manny Pacquiao is one dangerous hombre. If you missed the shellacking he dished out to Miguel Cotto, no need to worry. I hear they’ll be showing the replay on Animal Planet this week as part of their World’s Most Dangerous Predators miniseries.
Cotto never had a chance. Not even when he thought he had a chance did he have a chance. Pac Man was simply too fast, too elusive, and possessed too much punching power for Cotto to do anything but cover up and try to survive the 36 minutes of constant violence. Mercifully, he was not permitted to hear the final bell toll, as the referee saved him in the 12th and final round, awarding a TKO victory to the Filipino fighting machine and solidifying Pacquiao as one of the two best pound-for-pound boxers on the planet.
The other man who shares that distinction is “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather. One of the most talented small men of all time, Mayweather has been perfect in his career up to this point, dispatching the likes of Chico Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo, Arturo Gatti, and Zab Judah along the way. Both Mayweather and Pacquiao have recently defeated contemporaries Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and Juan Manuel Marquez. Now, all they have to do is face each other.
The fight likely represents the last true dream fight left in boxing. I’ve seen a lot of great fighters come and go, but it’s been a long time since I’ve gotten goose bumps over a boxing match-up. This one has me shivering already. Let’s hope they can make the numbers work and we get to see this fight sometime in 2010.
Sticking with physical brutality, both WEC 44 and UFC 106 went down in the last two weeks. My MMA awards for the events:
– The Steve Austin Better Stronger Faster Award: to Jose Aldo, for showing the world that Mike Thomas Brown isn’t the most freakish athlete at 145 pounds anymore. I had no idea that a featherweight could be that fast and that strong at the same time. As MMA fans know, Brown’s greatest strength at featherweight is his brawny build and typical power advantage. Not so against Aldo. The young lion from Brazil absolutely dwarfed the American champion and threw him around like a little brother.
– The John Travolta Once Again Relevant Award: to former featherweight champ Urijah Faber, who will undoubtedly receive a shot at Aldo provided he takes care of business against Rafael Assuncao in January. Faber had already lost twice to Brown. Had the champ retained his title, it might have been a long while before the kid from Cali got another shot at the belt. As it is, this is his version of Tarantino calling him up and asking him to star in Pulp Fiction at his best weight. Or something.
– The You Can’t Teach Old Dogs New Tricks Award: to Phil Baroni and Tito Ortiz. Baroni also took home the Perhaps Bodybuilding Was A Better Profession For You Award and the Least Deserving Nickname Award.
– The Saint Peter Golden Gatekeeper Award: to Forest Griffin, who is a solid scrapper and an entertaining personality, but will never see gold around his waist again. Sorry if you love the reality show and I just broke your heart. But that’s the way the scar tissue lacerates.
– The Master Thespian ACTING Award: to Josh Koscheck, for blocking an illegal knee strike and then pretending it crushed his orbital socket. Great performance, Josh.
– The Star Trek Vast Oversimplification Of A Much Larger Problem Award: to Anthony Johnson, who, after losing by rear-naked choke to Josh Koscheck, updated his Facebook status to say something along the lines of “I thought punches from the bottom would hurt him, but turns out they don’t.”
– The Jason Voorhees He’s Baaaaaccckkk Award: To Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, for decimating formidable striker and top-10 opponent Luis Arthur Cane. Look out for Little Nog. He’s gonna getcha. Light-heavyweights: you’ve been warned.
One final MMA note: I’d like to wish UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar a quick and easy recovery from surgery. Lesnar was hospitalized in Canada after he collapsed. Lesnar had been battling mono and was forced to withdraw from his UFC 106 title defense against Shane Carwin due to illness. Upon examination, it was learned that Lesnar had a bacterial infection in his intestine and would require surgery. Whether Lesnar will fight again is unknown, but it would be a shame if the champ were to lose his belt in a doctor’s office instead of the Octagon.
Shifting gears to the world of American football, for the first time ever, the Civil War is going to decide who will play in the Rose Bowl. Oregon fans, rejoice in this moment of delicious redemption, for whoever proves themselves worthy of smashing Ohio State in Pasadena will have bragging rights from now until the end of time.
That’s provided, of course, that there are any Duck fans who didn’t either die from pulmonary embolisms last week or are still resting in the cardiology wing of their nearest medical facility. In case you missed it, the Ducks squeaked out a 44-41 double OT victory in Tucson over a game Arizona squad.
The Beavs had it a little easier last week, stomping Wazzou and setting up the biggest Civil War in the state’s history. Make sure to stay tuned to OSL for what should be an onslaught of Ducks/Beavs content.
And don’t fret, hoops fans. We’ve got you covered, too. Come on back, now, you hear?