Friday Quick Takes

It's Friday and here are some thoughts to get you going as we hit the weekend.

Seventh Heaven For Who?: That was one hell of a game last night between the Celtics and Bulls. I'll be honest. I was rooting for Boston (tough for a Knicks fan to admit). I just hated the way Chicago moaned and groaned after Game Five. But I'll give the Bulls credit for playing their asses off and coming up with a win in triple overtime in a game that will go down as one an instant classic.

Now we'll have a seventh and deciding game tomorrow. Please underestimate the Celtics. I want all the naysayers who said Boston couldn't win without Kevin Garnett to stick to their guns. I want all the critics who said the Celtics were too old to keep riding the Bulls bandwagon. Why? because I just don't see the Bulls winning tomorrow.

First of all the game is in Boston. If it was in Chicago I'd give the Bulls more of a chance. But it's in Boston.

The Celtics might not have KG, but they still have Pail Pierce, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo. Pierce has come up big in these kind of situations before (anyone remember last year's NBA Finals?). Rondo has blossomed into a star in his own right. And Allen - well let's just say the 51 he scored last night should have put everyone on notice. He is still a force to be reckoned with in this league.

And then there is the fact that I still don't like how the Bulls acted after Game Five. Whining and crying. Moaning and groaning. The players (Brad Miller, Ben Gordon) did it. Vinny Del Negro (the coach) did it. I don't want to see them rewarded by moving on to round two of the playoffs.

As much as it might pain me to say... GO BOSTON!

A-Rod Might Have Used Juice In High School: The New York Daily News released an excerpt of the forthcoming Alex Rodriguez biography. According to the book, A-Rod is suspected of having used performance enhancing drugs as far back as his high school days. The book also alleges that his steroid use might not have ended in 2003, despite his claims.

To me this isn't really big news. At first, I bought Rodriguez' story. I wanted to buy his story. But I guess I have been proven wrong. It's not the first time I've been wrong and it won't be the last time either.

Why don't I think these revelations are a big deal? It's actually fairly simple. At this point, does anyone really believe A-Rod only started using in 2001? Especially when you consider that the mid to late nineties was a free for all? And why shouldn't he have used the juice in high school? It had to start somewhere, and why not with impressionable teenagers?

I don't doubt the credibility of Selena Roberts, who is writing this book. I have known her for a long time. I know how good of a reporter she is. But, so far there doesn't seem to be much in the way of new facts as far as this book is concerned.

Pacquiao vs. Hatton: I'm a boxing guy. Maybe I'm not as into the sports as I was years ago, but I still get excited for big fights.

There is a fight coming up Saturday night between pound for pound champion Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton. HBO is doing their best to hype this fight. That's why you're seeing another edition of their series "24/7." The fight is going to be on HBO PPV. They have to do everything they can to get people to spend money to watch it.

The bottom line is I'm not going to spend a dime on this fight. I'll wait a week and watch it when HBO airs it. I don't think this is going to be competitive at all. In fact, I wouldn't be stunned if Hatton gets flattened within five rounds.

Pacquiao can punch. He also has some damn good boxing skills. He proved it when he knocked out Oscar De La Hoya in his last fight.

Hatton is a brawler. An entertaining brawler, but a brawler nonetheless. He might have changed trainers (to the flamboyant Floyd Mayweather Sr.), but he's still the same guy he's always been. He can punch, but that's really about it. When Pacquiao stuns him - and he will - Hatton will take everything his new trainer taught him and ignore it. His instincts will tell him to brawl. And that's not the way to beat Pacquiao. Only a complete fighter will have success against Pac Man, and Hatton is far from a complete fighter.

Besides, you have to question Hatton's jaw. Floyd 'Pretty Boy' Mayweather knocked him out when those two got together a couple of years ago. The younger Mayweather is a great fighter, but he will never be confused with a guy who can knock you out.

Actually, the fight I want to see is Pacquiao vs. Mayweather. Now that fight would be worth my PPV money.

The Derby: One of my favorite sporting events of the year is going to take place tomorrow. The Kentucky Derby is one of the three times I actually watch horse racing every year.

Why do I look forward to this race as opposed to the thousands of others that are run every year? I think it's kind of cool to watch the celebrities that come out of the woodwork to attend. I remember one year calling Bo Derek and Kid Rock in their hotel rooms and getting them to come on as guests at Sporting News Radio. If you're into celebrity watching, the Derby is one of the places to go.

And, if you ever have the chance to go to Churchill Downs, I suggest you take it. Don't sit in the stands. Watch from the infield. It can get VERY wild. I'm talking Mardi Gras wild. I've never seen it in person, but I know people who have. I've seen the pictures. It's a blast.

As far as my Derby pick is concerned, I'm not a horse racing aficionado. I pick my horse by name and which jockey is on board. So, I like Hold Me Back. I like the name. The jockey - Kent Desormeaux - knows a thing about winning big races. Hold Me Back gets my two bucks. (If you're looking for a trifecta, go Hold Me Back, Dinkirk, and I Want Revenge).

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