THE GOLDEN AGE IS UPON US

For all of you that have been hiding under a rock for the past day, the Lakers are back in the Finals and Kobe is poised to become the new MJ. Doug Collins even attested to that since MJ (and Pippen, but as more of a #2 in both regards) won a Larry O'Brien and then an Olympic Gold later in the summer, and Kobe will have a chance to do so this summer. But why do we consider Kobe the new MJ? Answer: Clutch. Kobe dropped 39 and made Bruce Bowen look pretty terrible before his year-end performance review. Duncan had a triple double, but he was just plain frustrated at the end of the game, even cheapshotting Gasol with an elbow on a terrible hook attempt that missed the rim.

So now the Lakers wait for either Boston or Detroit, and their wait should be the longest possible, as the Palace will be rocking tonight and will not be satisfied with a Pistons season ending in the Conference Finals again. Neither Our question is what will happen in Boston on Sunday, as for the first time, a good TEAM will be their opponent in TD Banknorth as opposed to a good player on a mediocre team (Cavs) or a plain mediocre team (Hawks). Most expected Boston to be the ones waiting for a foe in the Finals as the West was won in a gigantic skirmish of Game 7s, but the exact opposite happened. Kobe and the Lakeshow made quick work (quicker than the normal of these here playoffs) to get the Finals, and will definitely be at an advantage.

Lakers over whomever in 6.

(Also, a Golden Age analogy entry will be coming shortly.)

Link of the week: AJ Daulerio spells out the funniest shit ever in this examination of probabilities at the National Spelling Bee.

Video of the week: This

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Orange News of the Week: Look who's playing in Israel! As I am going off next semester, I hope my dog's namesake, one Otis Hill, is still playing in the North, moving from Ironi Nahariya to Hapoel Galil Elyon, a club based out of a kibbutz. The first chance I get to see him play, I will, wearing a 'Cuse article of clothing, and mention to him that we named our dog after him. On second thought, maybe I shouldn't mention that...