Nets-Cavs: Dynasty vs. Dynasty

Back in 2004 Bruce Ratner bought the NJ Nets for $300 with the help of an investment team that included Jay-Z .

Make no mistake, this new management team has been making power moves. As well as I thought Jason Kidd meshed with Kenyon Martin, there is no doubt that Vince Carter is leagues better. Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson are an East coast version of the Phoenix Sun's run and gun style of play.

I have a feeling that Larry Hughes and Sasha Pavlovic are not suited defensively to play against Kidd and Jefferson, so I expect to see E. Snow and Anderson Varejao to produce some solid minutes off the bench. The Cavs have an advantage with their big man, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who averaged a double-double during the regular season - watch for the first play of the game to be Z. down and inside on the basket. Lebron James and Vince Carter should be playing each other up and down the court. That's the match-up to watch.


Speaking of LeBron, this is the sort of image that causes the hearts of Cleveland fans to stop for a moment.

For now Cleveland can breath a collective sigh of relief, since LeBron is locked into his contract for a few more years. But if the Jigga man moves the Nets to Brooklyn like he plans to do and Cleveland doesn't close the deal by the end of LeBron's contract...well, I got 99 Problems...

In any case, Cavs win this series in six to advance to the conference finals.

LeBron's Sprite Disaster

LeBron's Sprite commercial that's been playing every 35 seconds on TNT playoff coverage, and just came on as I'm writing this (let's see if I can finish the post before the commercial ends... awww crap), is just awful. It's painfully not funny. Like a dentist dressed as a clown, but who isn't being jolly and is scaling your gums without anesthesia.
You've seen it; it has Bronny shooting up a giant tongue with lemon and lime paint balls. The whole thing is supposed to be like subliminal messaging, only they club you in the face with all the images, so it doesn't really activate your subconscious... although I do feel like playing paintball. It feels like they were hedging their bets, thinking "either they'll think it's avant garde and cool, or they'll think it's ridiculous and funny."
I also take issue with their "lymon," ad campaign for two reasons. First, that's not ground breaking. Citrus sodas were founded on the concept of lemon and lime. They've always featured the mix. From 7Up through Mello Yellow, none of them were strictly lemon, or strictly lime. The fact that Sprite is unveiling the lemon and lime together in a drink like it's an SUV that runs on Tang is just insulting. Secondly, and this may be the most important factor, "lymon," purports to be a mix between lemon and lime, which is all well and good. But neither the word lemon, nor the word lime, feature the letter "Y."
And as I wrap this up, it comes on again... I'm buying stock in 7Up.