2010 NBA Playoff Picks UPDATED x3

This was what I wrote on my blog before the NBA season started:

NBA Finals: Celtics over Lakers (even though I want the Lakers to win, I think the Celtics bench is just too good. Celtics will win as long as they stay healthy. If not, then Lakers will win)

And wouldn't you look at that. We have the Lakers and Celtics in the Finals again. I didn't expect the Celtics to come through when the Playoffs began because I thought they had old legs and also the Cavs and Magic would be better than what they showed. But the Celtics are on a roll and they're still healthy for the most part.

The Lakers on the other hand have been exactly what I predicted. Top in the West with a dominant scorer (Kobe) and somewhat OK sidekick (Gasol) and lesser known bench. Throughout the West Finals against the Suns, the Lakers bench kept getting outplayed by the Suns bench. This showed me the weakness of the Lakers bench and unless they step up, the Celtics D will limit the Lakers to purely a Kobe-Gasol-Artest show. That would mean those 3 need to play out of their minds in order to win.

Therefore, I still stick with what I said at the beginning of the year. The Celtics will win, even though I want the Lakers to get their monkey off their back and beat the Celtics in this revenge match.

Celtics over Lakers in 6
NBA Finals MVP: Rajon Rondo

Chicago Saturday!!!

Earlier in the week, Mark (friend who also came along to this Illinois trip) and I decided to go out to Chicago for this Saturday. We wanted to go all out and go to as many sightseeing places as possible, and now that we're back at the dorm, my feet are hurting and we definitely went all out!!!

Our day started at 5am when we woke up to make the 6am bus from Champaign to Chicago. We got to Chicago Union Station by 8:15am and had breakfast and began our long day visiting the following places...
-Sears Tower (Willis Tower) Observatory
-US Cellular Field (outside)
-Field Museum (outside)
-Shedd Aquarium (outside)
-Soldier Field (outside)
-Buckingham Fountain
-Millennium Park
-Magnificent Mile (on our way, we watched parts of the Memorial Day Weekend parade)
-Navy Pier (so many people)
-lunch eating Chicago Style Hot Dogs
-bought some Chicago caps
-Lincoln Park Zoo
-Wrigley Field (outside)
-bought some Wrigley shirts
-John Hancock Center (outside)
-United Center (just steps away from Game #1 of the Stanley Cup Finals: Hawks vs. Flyers)
-and finally, back to Union Station for our 10pm bus back to Champaign

We got back to Champaign by 12:30am and went to Legends for our 6th drink in 6 days there. A good beer to cap off an amazing day! =)

Now I just gotta recover from the foot sores (23.2 km walking today!!!) and slight neck sunburn!!!

The real-life Sheldon Cooper?

So I'm in Illinois right now and I believe I've encountered the real-life Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory. OK...maybe more like a Sheldon-Raj-Howard combo because although this dude is really really REALLY smart (and obnoxious in a really nerdy way), he's also pretty dirty, and he's Indian, so hence, a mix of Sheldon, Raj, and Howard!

Here are some awesome quotes I've gotten from him so far:

"You are all genetically inferior."
-Speaking to the undergrads here

"If I'm not nasty enough, then I'm probably busy visualizing anal sex."
-That's a Howard right there

"There are no true limits to great achievements, and if you let your 'friends' tell you otherwise, you can bet you'll be sorry when you look back on how you lived your life."
-No friends...hm...SHELDON!

"I'm desperate to order the new Playboy June edition but its either that or groceries. Don't know which is worse: being sex-starved or simply starved."
-Pure Howard

"It's fashionable to be notorious."
-Howard?!

"I have a 'seventh' sense implant in my brain called the porn probe. It starts beeping if anyone in the room is sexually stimulated (if it's me, there's a stronger detection device between my legs). Right now, its beeping like crazy. Someone in this lab is sure as hell turned on, and it aint me."
-More dirty stuff

"You Americans are fat and obese because you eat hamburgers all day. We Indians are healthy because we eat basmati rice."
-Sheldon/Raj?

"I find as I grow older that I am only attracted to bionic women. Or vampires. And definitely metallic boobs."
-Howard

"Talent is like the flower that is never crushed by the rock. But that doesnt mean it can't stay hidden UNDER the rock."
-Sheldon

"I have within me components that defy all manner of human definition."
-Sheldon

"Differential equations turn me on. They are like mathematical simulations of diverse and debauch sexual acts. The opposite is true for C programs, however."
-So nerdy and dirty

"The only way to rid government of corruption is to place robots in the stead of human beings. Truth to tell, that would solve a lot of other problems as well."
-I think the actual Sheldon might have said something like that

"I was told today that I induce an inferiority complex in some people."
-Pure Sheldon

"Having a philosophic argument is like driving a Lamborghini at 190 and having sex at the same time on the Illinois freeway...u just don't know when it's gonna veer outta control."
-Pure Howard

"The American dream is to succeed through hard work and live happy, successful lives. The Indian dream is to be prosperous and make babies."
-Pure Raj haha

"Chairman Mao had it right: it's a good thing to be attacked by the enemy, else how are you gonna prove you're way better?"
-Pure Sheldon

2010 NHL Playoff Picks UPDATED x3

I'm not surprised the Habs lost. The Flyers were a physical team that the Pens and Caps were not. Halak wasn't superhuman...too bad. Ah well. The Hawks will destroy the Flyers anyway!

Blackhawks over Flyers in 5
Conn Smythe Trophy winner: Jonathan Toews

2010 NHL Playoff Picks UPDATED x2

OK, so I didn't expect the Habs to pull off the second upset, but now that they've drawn Philly (banged-up with so many injuries), they have a great shot at getting to the Stanley Cup Finals! I've stated that I'll only cheer for the Habs if they face a team that I hate more than the Habs, so for this 3rd round, I'm going to cheer the Habs on because I really hate the Flyers (I also hate the Bruins and the Capitals). The Habs have a great shot as long as Halak plays decent because I don't trust Leighton in net for the Flyers.

In the West, it's gonna be the Blackhawks - my original pick to win the West. No doubt about it. The Hawks are too balanced up front and will bully Nabokov just like Luongo.


Here are my picks:

Canadiens over Flyers in 6
Blackhawks over Sharks in 6

Blackhawks over Canadiens in 6 (I like the Hawks, but I'm gonna be cheering for Montreal because I REALLY HATE Marian Hossa....but I still think the Hawks will win.)

Just a hunch...

LeBron James and Chris Bosh --> New York Knicks for 2010-2011 NBA season

2010 NBA Playoff Picks UPDATED x2

I admit I'm one of those who initially underestimated the Magic, but now that I've seen them demolish the Bobcats and Hawks, I do think they have a great shot at winning this title. Even though I don't like Vince Carter and slowly dislike Dwight Howard, the Magic is now the team I believe will win the NBA Finals. Take into account the Celtics and Cavs destroying each other, the Magic will have a huge advantage.

In the West, I greatly underestimated the Suns and Steve Nash. That is why I'm going to pick against them again in hope he carries the Suns to the NBA Finals.


Here are my picks:

Magic over Cavs/Celtics in 5
Lakers over Suns in 6

Magic over Lakers in 6

2010 NBA Playoff Picks UPDATED

I'm still smiling over the fact that I made so many correct picks!!!
Cavs in 5, Magic (in 4, not 5 though), Hawks (maybe in 7), Celtics (in 5, not 6 though), Lakers in 6, Suns (in 6, not 5...but who would've imagined Brandon Roy coming back?!), and Jazz in 6.
I underestimated the Spurs!!! They're gonna be tough for the Suns!

Here are my picks:

Cavs over Celtics in 5
Magic over Hawks/Bucks (probably Hawks) in 5
Cavs over Magic in 7

Lakers over Jazz in 7
Spurs over Suns in 6
Lakers over Spurs in 7