Blogsifting: Bring out your dead

Sheesh… really starting to heat up here.  Bring on some days at the beach!

But, as I can’t get there for now, I’ll tell you what you should be reading around the traps:

1. I agree with Kelly Dwyer over at BDL that the rumored Ron-for-Lamar deal is a bad idea for LA.
2. Awful Announcing has a look at what’s inside the ESPY’s gift bags…
3. Will Brinson explores the situation surrounding NBA referee Scott Foster…
4. Rebirth of Josh Hamilton? Deadspin…
5. Heh… Interesting times on Chilean Subways via The Angry T…
6. They’re tearing down the Spectrum… Epic.
7. Scuba diving!  If you haven’t tried it, you should.  Or, at least look at these pictures from the Bahamas – via One Diver’s Perspective.

That’s all for now… enjoy.

Blogsifting: Hot summer nights

Hot here, at least the rainy season’s past. Baseball’s in full flow, and it’s nearly time for the summer barbecues…

Anyway, in sports blogs at the moment:

1. Nuh-uh chicken lil’… you got it wrong. The Sky is not falling – Five Tool Tool (you might want to check out DMtShooter’s take on the A-Rod divorce too – quite the unexpected!).
2. Blake Murphy has a look at the salary cap woes for free agents in the NBA… Hoops Addict.
3. Seriously… Brett Favre is looking like a bit of a bum at the moment – he’s in danger of damaging something that’s oh-so-important to athletes: his legacy. Signal To Noise asks him to stay away.
4. Sabathia heads off to the Brewers. The Cub Reporter explores the trade’s significance… especially to post-game buffets.
5. The Angry T looks at the years of Tiger Stadium.
6. Blog-a-Bull rips into Chris Duhon to Knicks.
7. On a slightly different bent, And One‘s Carolyn has an interview with artist Joey Kimmel.

Blogsifting: The Truth is Out There (and it’s not Paul Pierce)

Wow… a helluva lot going on in the NBA – finals, fixing, Stern vs Donaghy… riveting stuff.

Can the Lakers get up in game 4? Will the Celtics get a step closer? Does David Stern really expect Tim Donaghy to come up with a cool million?

Check out some of the better pieces on the interwebby at the moment:

1. Postcards from LA – an excellent summation of what one fan believes LA must do to win. Empty The Bench (not the suggestion, just the blog!).
2. Lists? We all love lists… here’s one from Epic Carnival – Top 10 Upcoming Tim Donaghy Allegations (penned by the excellent DMtShooter)…
3. eTrueSports breaks the story that has the NBA no longer keeping score. I dunno… a lil’ skeptical on that one…
4. Heh… some levity amongst it all. Brahsome shows Kobe dropping an obscenity on ESPN. Whoops.
5. LABallTalk takes a look at game 3 in ‘Lakers Survive, Kobe Astonishes‘.
6. The ever-astute Awful Announcing calls out JVG.
7. Inevitable… at least, that’s how Hardwood Paroxysm sees it. I agree.

Stay tuned… lots more sports (especially NBA) to come…

Blogsifting: The Eve

Imminent.

Should not even have to say what I’m talking about… if you’re reading this – you came here, you know.

Some stuff worth reading on the only thing I’m really thinking about at the moment…

1. An absolutely phenomenal piece on Kobe by Kelly Dwyer over at Ball Don’t Lie.  Sheesh… would that I could write like that!
2. This was fun, over at Cuzoogle.  No prizes for guessing which way they’re leaning…
3. eTrueSports are always good for a laugh – The Battling Bakers is no different!
4. LABallTalk will be hosting a live-blog of game 1.  As good a place as any to get your yap on.
5. MVN Lakers Library‘s Ed Ziti explores what he sees as the Celtics Game Plan…
6. Forum Blue & Gold explores the formation of the rivalry that exists between Boston & LA… good read.
7. Hardwood Paroxysm has their Finals Preview up – Parts 1 & 2… Definitely – as always – a worthwhile destination…

Blogsifting: Balls To You

Hell… it’s been an amazing week huh?
Boston makes it to the Eastern Conference Finals – just – then proceeds to beat a well-rested Detroit, this despite Ray Allen continuing his best Claude Rains impersonation.
Then, just when San Antonio looks like doing a pretty good Boston mimic, LA gets back in and takes game #1.
Life’s good.

Anyway, basketball thematic this week (surprised?):

1. Straight up serious look at game 1 of the Spurs/Lakers over at MVN’s Lakers Library, courtesy of “Fast Eddie” Ziti.
2. CelticsBlog ponders game 2 of Boston/Detroit.
3. First time I mentioned Denver trading Melo, I was an idiot (apparently)… Denver Stiffs (formerly FireGeorgeKarl) takes a look at what’s going on now with Melo-trade-rumors.
4. If a more visceral response to LA/SA game 1 is what you’re after, look no further than Five Tool Tool.
5. Awesome piece on Ira Newble up earlier this week at the LA Times – get their via Signal To Noise.
6. Kurt from Forum Blue and Gold responds to Game 1 of LA/SA.
7. Blog Don’t Lie – check out the Live Blogging of Pistons/Celtics.

Blog-sifting: NBA-Free Zone!

Ok, given the time of year, it’s really easy to get intensely focused on the NBA. In order to remember that there are other things happening in the world of sports, here’s some stuff you should look at:

1. Need a laugh? The oh-so-irreverent Epic Carnival lists the Top 12 Reasons the Jays Released Frank Thomas…
2. Itching for the latest on Eric Gagne??? I knew you were! Head over to Babes Love Baseball!
3. Danica Patric finally wins. Read about it over at Deadspin.
4. Bo’ Sox fan One More Dying Quail over at Awful Announcing discusses Jacoby Ellsbury’s hot girlfriend…
5. College Baseball? Cleverly named so you’d never know, The College Baseball Blog has you covered.
6. JLPGA Golf over at Mostly Harmless.
7. Are you a real man? Yes? Then you’ll want to know about round 5 of the Aussie Football. Courtesy of aflfooty.blog!

Blogsifting – Going Nuts!

NBA Finals JUST around the corner, so this long-overdue episode of Blogsifting goes out to other NBA blogs (sorry, keep forgetting I’m not an NBA blog, With Malice… just resembles one sometimes):

1. First up – a blog with something that’s close to my heart, Forum Blue & Gold. Celebrating the same thing as I am at the moment…
2. CelticsBlog runs out their version of the season’s Awards – no surprises who gets their MVP!
3. The Hawks are in the playoffs – go yap about it with FOULEDOUT!
4. Or… you could discuss April 15th‘s state of play at Give Me The Rock.
5. Hardwood Paroxysm explores the opportunities that avail themselves to the Philadelphia 76ers in the playoffs…
6. Irish Warriors – a glance into The End.
7. Carolyn over at And One (Cleveland Cavaliers) explores the game that ended messily: 76ers vs Cavs.

Blogsifting: Southward Bound

This’ll be the last link-dump coming to you from Honshu. The next will be from the more-Southern island of Kyushu. Pretty much organised, just gotta do it.

Anyway – some great posts out there at the moment, and a reminder that April 5th is Unsung Player Day.

Out there in Blogfrica:

1. The On Deck Circle managed to land an interview with Carl English, a Canadian basketballer pursuing the NBA dream…
2. Veteran pitcher Vargas has been dumped released by the Brewers – more on it from Sooze at Babes Love Baseball…
3. Tom Ziller over at AOL Fanhouse hits us all with news on the Oklahoma sonics Name-Not-Designated…
4. I Want To Be A Sports Agent explores the what the Dolphins are doing…
5. Miami Heat. So bad they’re actually good. Give Me The Rock explains that one.
6. What’s Up Doc? Looking at Doc Rivers over at CelticsBlog…
7. Done. Dusted. Chris Webber calls it quits. Hear more over at FOULEDOUT!

Blogsifting: Dancing, & Other Stuff

Been busier than a three-legged dog trying to bury a bone on a marble floor… but I have had time to have a look around. Here’s what you should be reading (other than stuff here!):

1. J.E. Skeets asks the important questions. This time, the question asked is: “If the playoffs started tomorrow, which opponent would you most (and least) want to see in the first round?” Ball Don’t Lie…
2. CelticsBlog.com reports on a TwinCities report on KG Tanking… ouch.
3. Awesome, awesome piece on Lance Allred over at Hardwood Paroxysm…
4. Over at MVN Lakers Library, Ed Ziti wraps up the Lakers win over the Mavs (my take on that later)…
5. Oh wow… a blog that never disappoints to come up with quirky stuff – Pyle of List. 2008 Tournament of Villainy: Cartoon Bracket. Where do they get this stuff?
6. Storming The Floor ranks the chances of the Big East in the NCAA Tournament…
7. Making The Dance – Sleepers, Upsets and Odds to win it all…

Blogsifting – Setting Suns & High Rises

Well, some nice hits on my NBA TV Redux bit (thank you SI.com).  More NBA: raise your hand if you think Phoenix made a mistake trading to get Shaq?  Man… getting hammered by Denver today (126-113) doesn’t really make ’em look that good, huh?  Supposedly got him to shore up their defense, but losing 5-out-of-8… and each time scores being above 116 (3 scores over 120) – not looking too hot on the D.  And LeBron’s 50/10/8???  He musta felt ripped off when Kobe went for 52 the other night…

Anyway, time to show some link-lovin’!

1. Over at The World Of Isaac – 5 Tips for a Good Meltdown…
2. Throwing into Traffic offers us A Personal Message From From Aaron Rodgers to Brett Favre
3. Tony Riazzi writing at PRAY FOR MOJO waxes eloquent on Tropicana Field naming rights…
4. DMtShooter writing at Epic Carnival (same guy from Five Tool Tool) calls it like it is on the Oakland A’s.
5. Kurt over at Forum Blue & Gold – the pre-eminent Lakers blog out there – discusses the need for ‘The One Big Piece’
6. I find it poignant that the most excellent FOULEDOUT! puts up a vid-clip of Dirkus Circus on the day his suspension was given!  FO has such a sense of irony!
7. The AFL Footy Blog gives us a preview of the final of the pre-season competition…

Err… yibbidah yibbidah, that’s all folks!