I usually agree with Ken Lavicka but this time he's gone a little over the deep end because there in NO REASON FOR BOSTON FANS TO PANIC!!! The Celtics will win the next two games against Atlanta probably in convincing fashion. Right now Boston is having what every team has during their first run together through the playoffs, they are still trying to find when and who needs to step up in playoff games.

If you think a one trick pony like Cleveland, who has a superstar that is just a likely to pass on a big shot as he is to take, can beat Boston.....you’re wrong! Don't think for one second that Lebron was "just playing good basketball" when he passed on the big shot on Sunday. The three series before that Lebron missed three crucial shots in a row and everyone knows he is a suspect free throw shooter when the game is on the line. My point is Lebron is not this cold blooded killer that he tries to make himself out to be and he's not this selfless player who trusts his teammates, what he is a guy who still gets rattled when the game gets to crunch time.

I know these are late, but unlike most people who make predications I've seen every team in the playoffs play in person at least one time this year.

In case you don't know the Miami Heat played basketball this year; they even had a Hall of Fame coach and I was there for every home game, so I have a first hand knowledge of how these teams play.

East 1st Round

Boston over Atlanta in 6

Philadelphia over Detroit in 7 [I'm not going to pretend I would have picked this from the start]

Orlando over Toronto in 5 [Yes, this is already decided but it's a no brainer]

Cleveland over Washington in 7

East 2nd Round

Boston over Cleveland in 6

Orlando over Philadelphia in 5

East Finals

Boston over Orlando in 7

West 1st Round

Los Angeles over Denver in 4 [Honestly I would have picked 5 games]

Houston over Utah in 7 [This is more of a hope because I love watching T-Mac play and he unfairly gets a bad rap]

San Antonio over Phoenix in 5

New Orleans over Dallas in 5

West 2nd Round

LA over Houston in 6

New Orleans over San Antonio in 7

West Finals

LA over New Orleans in 5

Finals

Boston over LA in 7

Finals MVP: Ray Allen

Davie - As Ken Lavicka mentioned in his blog we've had an exciting start to the day, as we strolled up to The Miami Dolphins compound we see multiple police cars and one jet black Mercedes sittin' on "Dubs." Logically we assumed it belonged to Wayne Huizinga, we were wrong, it belonged to Channing Crowder [apparently his yellow Dodge pickup truck hasn't returned from the shop].

Right now Ken and I are sitting in the draft auditorium with the host of The Sundays Sports Page Jeremy Marks Peltz [I'm happy because in this Entourage, I'm Vinny Chase]. We are sitting in the same place where the players watch game tape during the regular season, last year the walls of the room were bare. This year they are adorned with multiple giant plaques with various football related slogans.

If you're curious....

PROTECT THE BALL! Is the on the wall to my left, I’m not exaggerating the all capital emphasis.

"Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not." JFK.

TEAMWORK: The fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.

NO NEGATIVE PLAYS:

--Mental Errors

--Sacks

--Penalties

--Turn-Over’s

And I’ve just been informed that Parcells is in the building so mark it down 2 38 Parcells is in the War Room

I'm having so much fun with these blogs I've now decided to turn this into a three part series.

Below is the beginning of the Saturday Sports Page as you know it today. This is the transcript of an ACTUAL online conversation between me and Mike G... It started as 'Canes talk but turned into this beautiful work of art. Enjoy and please check out the links they make the blog.

Mike G: Seriously, how can anyone NOT like Journey?

  ????

Seriously!!!

Jim: Who doesn't like Journey? I will fight them right now

Mike G: Seriously……and I'll pile on!

Jim: Can we sing Journey songs while we do it.

Mike G:  Of course I think that's a must….."Separate Ways"? [Don't worry the real video is coming later.]

Jim: Don't stop believing I'm kicking your....

Mike G: hahaha... The wheel in the sky keeps kicking your.....

Jim: Anyway you want it I'll kick your.....

Mike G: Ok, ok, I have to tap out...that cannot be topped

Jim: Thanks I liked it too……I think you should bump will all journey music tomorrow

Mike G: I do have a greatest hits CD in my car, we'll have to save that for a special show or something seriously...I could do an hour on music.

Jim: Just an hour? I also think some solo Steve Perry could work

Mike G: I could do a whole show... and Steve Perry solo never happened you got that!

 NEVER

Jim: I’m downloading Journey songs right now

Mike G:  Well done

Jim: I think the station should get a journey cover band for the SSP party

Mike G: Oh, hell yes TREMENDOUS idea

Jim: Hey we might be able to actually get Journey

Mike G: hahaha

Jim: The Marlins got White Snake

Mike G: They can’t be busy right now. hell, the marlins got quiet riot

Jim: Journey's probably playing a State fair with Poison

Mike G: YES, Terrible! Here it is...that is the mother of all horrible journey videos

  So cheesy it's great

(I love the anguished/serious look on Perry's face and the girl's leather skirt... priceless)

Jim: So I really think that the station needs to have a street team with Bannanaramma, Journey and White Snake, but only if Tawny Kitaen shows up

Oh I know this video, it's great, and VH1 has it as one of its awesomely bad songs

Mike G: [Back to Journey Video] The song is great the video is hilarious

Jim: Great video, Perry makes me uncomfortable when he looks at the camera

I love when bands act out the lyrics

Mike G: Yeah really, hahaha

Jim: Why is their keyboard on the wall?

Mike G: Because the video is terrible?? They need tighter jeans

Jim: it’s very weird that their singing right next to her face

Mike G: The whole thing is uncomfortable

Jim: I like when their all in a row, it provides good depth of field

Mike G: I think the drummer is a wanted [criminal].

Jim: He looks the part

Mike G: That was horrible but I need to watch it again the only thing more hilarious and terrible is...

Jim: That’s timeless I always like songs about [women of the night] like this one...

I think I'm going to grow a mustache

Mike G: That's a killer red hat

Jim: FYI I'm wearing the Indian outfit tomorrow for [the] show

Mike G:  hahaha... nice! You know, you got to stick to you guns Jim

Jim: But I'm not wearing pants

Mike G:  haha... Oh good lord that's funny

Jim: Just the top with a fake mustache….my side hurts when I think about me people with mustaches.

Mike G: My side hurts thinking about you pant less with the Indian outfit on... with a mustache classic

Jim: It would be funny with me training [the interns] while wearing just an Indian outfit top

Mike G:  But of course you have to act completely natural and if they ask, it's like when someone asks about [?] "Oh yeah, I just run the board, I have no idea what that's about"

Jim: Ok, I can say “What I always wear this to board op it’s like on T.V. they don't wear any pants”…..or better yet, Mike asked me to wear this

Mike G: Yes! You need to wear something really strange one day like, really strange

 And tell them that it's what I like

Jim: I'm sure the other shows will love that….me in like a fishnet shirt and tennis shorts

  Or every week I can wear a different village person outfit

Mike G: Yes. Yes Village People

Jim: FYI I'm jamming to Cruel Summer

Mike G: Tight

Jim: It reminds me of Karate Kid

For all the fans of Saturday Sports Page I've decided to give a two part behind the scenes look at the preperations that go into the weekly show.

This is an email from a few months back it started as prep for the show but it somehow broke down into trying to find a new name for me.

MG= Mike Goldstein

JR= Jim Rutledge

MG

Jimi Edge?  that's the best last name you could come up with?  obviously i'm a big fan of the "Jimi" (because it was my idea).  how about something like Jimi Cruise?  or Jimi Starr.  or Jimi Fantana.  or Jimi Omega.  or Jimi Octagon.  or Jimi Odeon.  or Jimi Strong.  or Jimi Kickass.  Or Jimi Delicious.  or Jimi Rodriguez Montalbon.  or Jimi Santa-Maria.  or Doctor Jimi Glassfoot.

i think out of those that i just came up with, i like Jimi Strong the most.  (but some of those other ones are pretty kick-ass.)

------------

MG

upon further review:  i laugh the most at "Doctor Jimi Glassfoot" ... i dont know why.  it's not even the Doctor part... it's the "Glassfoot" last name.  Doctor Jimi Glassfoot.  Or Jimi Rodriguez Montalbon.  that's comedy gold.

------------

JR

I'm going to have to re-think my last name, but I think I'm going to go with Jimi.
 
Jimi Gladstone, Jimi Bobby, Jimi Trickle, Jimi Crowe, Jimi Aguilera, Jimi Bing, Jimi Ricardo, Jimi Smits, Jimi Franz, Jimi Sippowitz, Jimi Schnellenwhatever, Jimi Marks Pelts,

---------------

MG

Jimi Crouthers, Jimi Helix, Jimi Jackson, Jimi Suisam, Jimi Jenkins, Jimi Dylan, Jimi Page, Jimi Conchita-Martinez, Jimi Druckenmiller, Jimi Davis, Jimi Karter, Jimi Buffett, Jimi Stuart, Jimi Montana, (The) Jimi Fund, Jimi Koole, Jimi James, Jimi LeBron, Jimi Apollo, Jimi Mayflower, Jimi John, Jimi Jax.

i could go on.

from this most recent list, i think Jimi Koole and Jimi Page stick out as winners.  Jimi Karter was funny, i thought, for my ingenuity there.

-----------------

JR

Jimi Prince, the artist formaly known as Jimi, Jimi Stewert, Jimi Spears, Jimi Tubbs, Jimi Crockett, Jimi Phillips, Jimi Beluschi, Jimi Drums, Jimi Donovan, Jimi Idol, Jimi Martin, Jimi Crist, Jimi Zambrano, Jimi Wood, Jimi Thome, Jimi Cook, Jimi Woodcock,
 

 Jimi Nix

-----------------

MG

Jimi Thome, Jimi Nix, Jimi Woodcock -- all classic.
 
and the Crockett/Tubbs one are pretty dynamic as well.
 
speaking of which:  Jimi Dynamic, Jimi Dynamo, Jimi Bones, Jimi Bingo, Jimi the Greek.

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict the Miami Dolphins will take Jake Long with the number one draft pick...ha...seriously folks I'll be here all week.

A couple of things to watch out for with Long.

Is he athletic enough to block speed rushers in the NFL?

He struggled with the speedy Ohio State Defensive End Vernon Gholston in college and some scouts have wondered if he has the ability to play left tackle in the NFL. Ken Lavicka was at the Jake Long introductory press conference with me on Tuesday and after shaking the hand of Jake Long and getting an up close and personal view of the big tackle, he had a very interesting point. Ken, who has also met Joe Thomas in person, said that Long is much bigger and stockier than Thomas which prompted Ken to wonder if Long is as athletic as Thomas.

How sold are the Dolphins on Jake Long?

According to ESPN.com's Chris Mortensen, Dolphins Vice President of Football Operations Bill Parcells set an internal deadline to sign Jake Long. The deadline was Tuesday; if it was not met the Dolphins would have moved onto Chris Long. How sold on a guy are you if you're willing to bail on him so quickly?

Those questions aside I think the drafting of Jake Long was the right move by the Miami Dolphins. He's a safe pick at a position that allows him multiple chances to fail, if Long can't hang as a NFL left tackle he can move to the right side or even inside. That's not an ideal situation for Dolphans but it's better than drafting an over rated defensive player like Vernon Gholston or Chris Long.

I am convinced that the Dolphins will take former Michigan Quarterback Chad Henne with their first pick in the second round (32nd overall).

Former Dolphins GM Rick Spielman hates the NFL draft, six years after trading two first round draft picks and a third rounder for Ricky Williams he's traded away the Minnesota Vikings draft. Yesterday he traded a first and third rounder for Jared Allen a player, like Williams, who is dangerously close to being suspended for substance abuse.

If you want a physical representation of the mindset of the Florida Marlins just take a look at their media guide. Now I know most of you won't have access to a media guide so I will describe the cover for you.

Background: Dolphins Stadium

Top of the Cover: A picture of some random bad band performing at Dolphins Stadium on a Super Saturday.

Middle of the Cover: Marlins logo surrounded by a bunch of arbitration eligible players.

Below the Logo: Mermaids

Bottom of the Cover: A picture of children promoting Kids Nights.

Now for those of you that don't know that a MEDIA guide is a reference book for the media to use. All of the teams I've covered have used players, the arena, the city skyline, something that relates to the team or the city it's in. But not the Marlins they use it to promote their beloved promotional ideas....and you wonder why they spend 10 million on marketing and promotion and only 20 million for the on field product.

In case you are wondering, average attendance for the Marlins vs. Braves series 4,500 (although the Marlins like to announce 10,000).

Is the arm injury to Rick Vandenhurk Joe Girardi’s fault? You can bet it won't get blamed on Fredi Gonzalez. Good thing the Marlins didn't sign any veteran pitchers to protect their young arms

In lieu of halftime adjustments last night the Miami Heat decided to have Pat Riley and the current players join in on the halftime goodbye to trainer Ron Culp. I agree that Culp deserves all the attention in the world for taking care of the Heat players for 20 years and the Heat organization honored him with a leather jacket, autographed ball, a banner in the rafters, framed smock, a car and the NBA will take his blazer to the Hall of Fame in a few weeks.

Some random thoughts:

In the front row during the ceremony for Heat Trainer Ron Culp: Dwayne Wade, Alonzo Mourning, Marcus Banks, Shawn Marion, Dorell Wright, Udonis Haslem all injured.

Eric Reid was the master of ceremonies, Shaq was unavailable.

The Heat now have retired the jersey of Dan Marino and Michael Jordan and have now raised Ron Culp into the rafters yet no player in Heat history has their number retired.

Last member of the Miami Heat to wear number 23.....Former FAU Coach Rex Walters. What happens if they draft Derrick Rose, number 23 at Memphis?

Why did the Miami Heat retire Michael Jordan's jersey? Even worse it was Pat Riley's idea. Isn't that like framing the gun someone robbed you with? Every year Jordan bounced Riley and/or the Heat out of the playoffs. I'm actually furious right now, I wish Jordan would of have said no. It’s not a symbolic retirement  of Jordan's number because Riley said "nobody will ever wear number 23 for the Heat again."

Good Times!