NBA Playoffs Begin

Here are the matchups:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

(1) Boston (64-18) v. (8) Miami (46-36)

(4) Cleveland (48-34) v. (5) Orlando (47-35)

(3) Milwaukee (49-33) v. (6) Indiana (47-35)

(2) New York (50-32) v. (7) Philadelphia (47-35)

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

(1) Oklahoma City (57-25) v. (8) New Orleans (49-33)

(4) L.A. Clippers (57-25) v. (5) Dallas (50-32)

(3) Minnesota (56-26) v. (6) Phoenix (49-33)

(2) Denver (57-25) v. (7) L.A. Lakers (49-33)

According to Vegas, here are the odds to win the Eastern Conference:

Boston:  -250
Philadelphia:  +850

Milwaukee:  +1000

New York:  +1000

Cleveland:  +1900

Indiana:  +2300

Orlando:  +5000

Miami:  +8000

Given those odds, I don't think we're going to pay much attention to the Eastern Conference until the Celtics face a real challenge.

Here are the odds to win the Western Conference:

Denver:  +130

Oklahoma City:  +460

Dallas:  +650

L.A. Clippers:  +700

Minnesota:  +900

Phoenix:  +1000

L.A. Lakers:  +1500

New Orleans:  +6500

Again, I think we'll wait for awhile and see if anyone can give Denver a real contest.  No one could last year.

2024 Music So Far featuring Ariana Grande

Prelude to Ecstasy by The Last Dinner Party

Lonely Dancers by Conan Gray

Pretty by Artemas

Venus by Zara Larsson

American Romance by Michael Marcagi

What Now by Brittany Howard

Club Shy by Shygirl

Two Star & The Dream Police by Mk.gee

Eternal Sunshine by Ariana Grande

This is the first Ariana Grande album I've listened to since her 2018 album Sweetener.  It's like someone read my last review and said let's make a straight pop album that uses her vocal talents to the best of her ability.  Of course she's put out other albums since that 2018 release, but still this feels right on for where she should be as an artist.  It has the perfect vibe and carries it through the whole album.  Also, it's only 13 tracks with the first being an intro track and there is an interlude track, so it's right at the sweet spot in terms of length.  Could easily drop those two and you have a nice tight 11 track album.  

As I told my daughter, who was surprised how much I liked the album, it hits me right in my sweet spot.  Heavily influenced by the early 90's dance pop sound I so love, it does a great job of modernizing that sound.  

It doesn't have a bad song on it and stays true to the vibe and sound for the full album.  So nice when an artist creates an album and not just a collection of songs.  If you are looking for some solid pop music to help you get through the day, then give this album a listen.  If you were listening on vinyl I would say side A is the stronger side, but I'd still turn the album over to listen to side B.    

Champions' League Update

I quit watching Man City and Real Madrid once it went to extra time, because I knew it was going to penalty kicks and I cannot abide penalty kicks.  Sure enough, after dominating play for over 100 minutes, City made only three of its five penalty kicks -- and was eliminated when Real Madrid made four.  Meanwhile, Bayern Munich beat Arsenal 1-0 at home.

So the English clubs are out, and the only game I've wanted to watch all season was decided on penalty kicks.  Anyway, this sets up the following semi-finals:

Borussia Dortmund (GER) v. Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)

Bayern Munich (GER) v. Real Madrid (ESP)

I'm going to root for an all-German final.  But I'm pretty sure Real Madrid will be lifting the Cup for the 15th time overall, and the sixth time since 2014.

Champions' League Update

Borussia Dortmund beat Atletico Madrid 4-2 today, which means that it won 5-4 on aggregate.

Paris Saint-Germain was down 1-0 in Barcelona -- and down 4-2 on aggregate.  But in the 29th minute, one of the Barcelona players got a red card, and PSG ran wild after that.  Paris Saint-Germain hammered Barcelona 4-1, and won the quarter-final 6-4 on aggregate.

So we now have one of the semi-finals:

Borussia Dortmund (GER) v. Paris Saint-Germain (FRA).

1977

I got a book for Christmas23, just a bit late for my observance of MLB76.

I probably checked out this book from the Paducah Public Library 20 times when I was growing up, and I don't know that I actually ever read a word. I'm sure I did read the stuff about the A's and a paragraph here and there, but what I remember looking at over and over and over again were three things: the logos, ...

... the pictures and diagrams of the stadiums, ...

... and, of course, the baseball cards.

The cards are from the 1975 Topps set, and, even by the time this book came out in 1976, there were, of course, hiccups in terms of which teams the different players were now on. That bothered me even then, and now I think I would've replaced the 1975s with cards of from seasons in which the players had landmark seasons for that team. So, for example, in the case of the Padres, I might've replaced the '75 Willie McCovey, Dave Winfield and Johnny Grubb with 1970 Clarence Gaston (for his team-record-going-into-1976 .318 batting average that season), 1971 Clay Kirby (231 strikeouts) and 1972 Nate Colbert (111 runs batted in).

Yes, Wise Guy, I am aware that's actually a '72 Gaston, '70 Kirby and '70 Kellogg's Colbert. I didn't start collecting until 1975, so my collections are spotty before then. I'm not trying to pull a fast one on you.

Oh, by the way, I'd keep the 1975 Randy Jones, because he won a team-record 20 games that season. Or, if the Prentice-Hall publishing deadline would've allowed, I'd slip in his 1976 card, for the season he got 22 wins and broke his own team record.

Yes, this is a good plan.

But why all the Padres? Because I'm going to use this book to accompany me through MLB77 at the HP, at least when the stadium pictures and diagrams still line up with what the teams are using in 1977, and today 1977's YouTube game that I'm working to is Cincinnati and San Diego. Jones, in fact, is pitching for the Padres. 

16 Apr 1977, Sat The Cincinnati Post (Cincinnati, Ohio) Newspapers.com

Randy Jones was a really big deal in 1977--made one of the Street and Smith's covers and was the National League All-Star pitcher in the Topps set that year.

Somebody should really alert Randy Jones that he's getting so much love at the HP today. Oh, my gosh, he's on Twitter!

Just a note from your Neighborly Lefthander... The next time a team knocks down Fernando Tatis with a inside fastball and our pitcher doesn’t knock somebody on there ass, I’m going ballistic. I’m tired of this shit. Respect...
He deserves it.

— Randy Jones (@RJBBQ35) September 21, 2020