If it should turn out to be Heat/Thunder, I think that would have a lot of appeal for younger fans. Both teams have players in, or just entering their prime. The Spurs and Celtics are both older teams perhaps on their last legs to reach an NBA finals. Each has Hall of Fame players But while they are still very capable players, except for Rondo the stars are past their prime. I want to see Celttics/Thunder most because I think the Thunder is the best team in the NBA and I hate the Heat. But I think a Heat/Thunder finals would be pretty damn entertaining.

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Go Cubs!!!!

"The Decision" rightly or wrongly has made Lebron James must see TV. I would watch the finals regardless because I like basketball and there are many interesting teams this year. Its a bit of a downer that the Bulls are not involved but there are good teams and the games have been good. It is not easy to dismiss basketball nor is it easy to hide behind the local angle regarding sports especially considering that the Cubs suck

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Come on, man. Do you really think that's what you do? I'm not raking you. It's your show. Do whatever the fuck you want. But you can't talk as much hockey and Purdue football as you do and claim to be "reflecting interest".

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Don't take it personally.

It is precisely the aging stars versus the young upstarts aspect which adds to the intrigue. There is nothing more interesting in sports than watching aging stars that have pride attempt to compete and show that they still have it. In both series you have that although the stars on Miami's team are not as young as OKC. Boston's veterans have a lot of pride as does San Antonio's and it is obvious that they love to compete. That is why the Finals are so interesting as well as the fact that Lebron James has not won a championship yet which may seem to invalidate "The decision"

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Agreed there have been numerous attempts by Mac to make basketball irrelevant this is but the latest attempt. Who is he crapping by suggesting that he reflects interest when it is obvious right now that most of America is interested in the NBA playoffs and he continues to make it a non issue on his show. It is his show and he can do what he wants but don't be disingenuous regarding your reasons McNeil .

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If that overhyped self-love fest made Lebron James permanent must see TV, then reports on the Kardashians should lead every news show, whether local or national.

Yep.

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Fire Phil Emery

I didn't listen to Mac up the dial. Has he ever been a big NBA talker?

Yeah he was up to like 250 i think, but he's lost all the weight since

No it wasn't the contrived ESPN garbage that made it must see TV it was the way he Wade and Bosh duped the media and fans to construct a team. It changed the way the NBA does its business. It affected potential trades the salary cap and the way player transactions in general would be constructed. It also may have an impact on how teams are built in the future and whether the whole big three thing is the wave of the future in the NBA. I did not care for the soap opera surrounding whom he would sign with that was of very little interest to me. He's just a basketball player. What was of interest was this notion that you need three superstars to win an NBA championship and the dynamic that talent no matter if the pieces fit or not will always trump teamwork. Also at stake is his all time legacy and the question regarding his greatness as a basketball player. I think the jury is still out on both and each has taken a hit because of the "the decision"

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viewtopic.php?f=128&t=34952&p=556292#p556292

Should have added #6: Won't be talking NBA, unless the Bool loses

On hockey: we've talked almost NONE since the Hawks were eliminated. Two guests have appeared to do non-Hawks playoff talk: Boomer Esiasson (who also talked NFL with us) and Eddie Olczyk, an ex-Blackhawk who still announces for the Hawks.

This whole thread is fucking ridiculous. There were two LOCAL baseball teams playing Tuesday night. I watched both and had many thoughts on both today.

Here's good news for those of you who love the NBA: Jason Goff is sitting in for Spiegel. Call him or text him between 9 and 1 and get your OKC Thunder chubby rubbed.

Something you need to share with the class, Goff?

I missed the show. Why in the world would Boomer Esiason be talking hockey?

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Why wouldn't he be? He hosts the morning drive show on WFAN in New York and is a lifelong hockey fan/Rangers season ticket holder.

I didn't know that. Just assumed he'd be all football, all the time.

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Boomer's an awesome guy. Really like him, on and off the air. And if I'm going to do out-of-town stuff in a peripheral sport like hockey, it's gotta be with a guy who has a huge recognition factor. He also have us some good stuff on the Bears that morning.

Are you serious? Consider it free market research, dickhead.

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Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Sorta like the Sandusky stuff, if I want Heat/Celts talk - I'll tune into whatever the sports station is in Miami.

Gimme Chicago based sports talk on my Chicago station.

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Dickhead. Oooh. Here's some market research: For the last 10 years, I've had better ratings and made more money than any sports yakker in Chicago. Fuck John Wall.

There's Dangerous Dan.

Still doesn't mean a "this is fucking ridiculous" comment isn't fucking ridiculous considering you were directing it at many people who listen to you daily, myself included, who were not making Gloop-esque personal attacks but giving you feedback on your profession. Toughen up.

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Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

I'm plenty "tough," Favre Fan. What's ridiculous is the accusation that I didn't commit time to an Eastern Conference finals game between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics on a night when the first-place White Sox were playing.... while the Cubs were trying to break a 12-game road losing streak. I have to prioritize. Out of town basketball ALWAYS is going to lose to local baseball. Had the Bulls been in a playoff game, of course I would have been watching it. I grow tired of explaining every little detail. Sorry I lost my cool. But I still have to say "fuck John Wall" one more time just 'cuz it feels good to say it.

Seriously did someone piss in Mac's wheaties this morning?

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I'm with you on the Fuck John Wall train. If Even Turner wasn't garbage he woulda caused me to lose my first ever Internet argument to boilermaker Rick. But I digress.


I made it a point in my initial response to Northside Dan in this thread to point out the fact that the Cubs and Sox were on at the same time and that's why I didn't have a problem with you not watching. I understand local baseball, even bad baseball in the Cubs case, will always beat out even entertaining NBA ball. And like Frank said, I've been listening to you for over a decade now so I know what to expect.

But there's a reason I'd prefer to not just turn the show off when I want to hear NBA or when you guys start talking about the NBA. Most analysts/talking heads are boring as hell. Spiegel isn't much better. I tuned in for a segment at the top of the 11:00 hour when you were talking to some guy about basketball(Btw, I enjoyed your joke about Thibs playing Bosh 40 minutes a game) and Spiegs analysis was about as bland/vanilla as it gets. At least you dont fake the funk when it comes to sports you don't like but I still feel the show would be better if you attempted to cover national sports when there's not much to talk about locally.

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Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

A lot of punch in his posts today...

In that case, I figured he'd be talking Purdue football.

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Don't take it personally.

Obviously its your show but Im going to go ahead and disagree that a June baseball game is more discussion worthy than an important , entertaining , semi-final playoff game featuring arguably the most polarizing player in the league since Jordan. Im not a NBA fan by any means but that was the game I was watching rather than watching the Sox get shellacked in a meaningless fucking June baseball game or the meaningless fucking Cubs shellacking the Brewers. Im sure you had tons of callers just champing at the bit to get on and discuss how important it was for the future of the Cubs to win that game.

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

Your definition of what good news is varies widely from what I consider it to be thats for sure.

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

Nah I do what I usually do, call up JORR to see if it sounded correct.

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.