A Sports Post

Creative title, you must admit. ;)

A sports post is long overdue on this blog, and so I've decided to get creative and talk about someone that no one else is talking about.

Jeremy Lin.

[I'm kidding. Tickle yourself. -.-]

Anywaaaays, getting serious.

If you don't know the story of Jeremy Lin, I'll give you a quick overview:

The New York Knicks are supposed to be good.

But a third or so into the season, it's evident they're not. (They had the same record as the Toronto Raptors.)

One of their biggest problems? No point guard.

So they're signing any point guard out there. Just so happens, there's this guy named Jeremy Lin who the Houston Rockets just waived. So the Knicks are like, "What on earth, who cares if he's asian and asians don't stereotypically play ball? We're taking anyone we can get!" So they sign him and send him to the D-League. (Development League, ie. the Minors)

Then Amar'e Stoudemire's brother dies so Amar'e takes some time off and the Knicks are down a few players (including one of their stars, Amar'e) so the Knicks decide to play Jeremy.

Probably the best decision ever. Because they proceeded to go on a 7 game winning streak, and they've only lost three out of their last 12 games.

All because of the asian kid no one thought could play ball. ;)

And so now, he's like, uber-famous.

And instead of getting a big head or something like that, he's using the platform for his faith. :)

{Love this interview. :) Skip to 3:17 to hear about why he thinks his story is "a miracle from God".}


He's kinda cool. ;)

Watch any of his interviews and you'll see he's a humble, down-to-earth, Godly guy, and he's not afraid to show it. Love that.

I also love the mysterious ways God works. Jeremy went though a lot of teams, and all of them passed him up over the years. No one would've guessed a year ago, or even a month ago, or even 2 and a half weeks ago, that he'd be headed to the All-Star game this weekend. But here he is. God chose NOW to press what I'm calling the "activation button". ;) In other words, he chose NOW to put everything in place for Jeremy to shine.

He's the most unlikely one. Like not being racist AT ALL (I'm asian too, anyways), he's asian. Asians don't really {stereotypically} play ball. He's the first Asian-American in the NBA. And aside from Yao-Ming, what other asian baller can you name anyways {other than me, of course. ;)}? He wasn't recruited out of high school. He went to Harvard, so stereotypically, he should be a nerd, not an athlete. He wasn't drafted.

But God always chooses the most unlikely one, doesn't he?

I think that's an amazing story, don't you?



And last but not least...

This is what they call "Linsanity". ♥

The-Day-After-The-Superbowl Mania

Don't you just love "everyday" days? The days where nothing crazy-spectacular happens, nothing that will make you remember this day for the rest of your life happens, but it's still just a good day.

A good day because I open my wallet and I see Bell Bradley's beautiful face staring back and I'm reminded why I'm really here. A good day because I can eat lunch with some of my best friends. A good day because I did better than I thought I would in gym class.

A good day because God gave it to me and filled it with his grace and love. :)

That said, yesterday, and even today are not "everyday" days for either Eli Manning or Tom Brady, or any of their teammates. Who watched that game last night? My mom had the Giants picked out from Week 16 of the regular season, so she's quite happy. I can't say I had the same confidence in Eli and the gang THAT early, but yes, they were my team going in. ;) Sorry Pats fans, but you kicked out my Broncos. :P

Oh, and, did any of you hear what the price tags on those commercials were? Yikees! Some (or most) companies (ahem, GoDaddy, AHEM...) really should've skipped showing us that disgusting-ness and used the money to feed starving kids... Honestly. But some were clever. Like the Doritos one with the grandma and the baby. I laughed so hard. Serves that kid right. ;)

Anyways, I've totally rambled long enough, I hope you all had a fabulous weekend and have an amazing week! :)



Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness and honour. -Proverbs 21:21

It's Monday

Again, I am SO sorry for being a blog-ignore-er right now! :( And it's only going to be worse for the next two weeks because of exams, but I promise after that I'll be blogging so much you'll be sick of me - because I have a lot of stuff to blog about - just no time! :P

And Monday comes again, my last full week of my first semester of grade nine. That was fast. :S

Oh, and shout out to Tim Tebow, because we still love him no matter how hard he loses (And who can blame someone for getting kicked out of the playoffs by the New England Patriots anyways?!) because at the end of the day he's still loving God and loving others - way more important than winning football games! :)



And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose. -Romans 8:28

Why Did You Doubt?

Happy Monday!

So I'm watching hockey, and I remember how James Reimer has a bible verse reference on the back of his helmet, but I forgot what it was. So I google it and it says "Matt 14:31" with a picture of Jesus walking on water underneath. [Side note: I think it's SO COOL how Reims is so out there with his faith!] So I then googled "Matthew 14:31" [I love google, don't you?] and I get the verse. I had been totally stumped on what to share with you guys today, and finally I was looking through the songs on my iPod and found today's song, and I remembered Reim's helmet... And this week's Monday Mania was created in my head. :)

Today's song is "Walk on the Water" by Britt Nicole. It's a really encouraging song and I absolutely love it! A great reminder: "Your faith is all it takes and you can walk on the water too!"

And the verse. I love it. I feel like Jesus needs to ask me that sometimes... "You of little faith... Why did you doubt?!"

Both the verse and the song remind me: Faith - faith as small as a mustard seed - can move mountains, can let humans walk on water. Faith is all it takes.

You look around and staring back at you
Another wave of doubt
Will it pull you under
You wonder
What if i'm overtaken
What if i never make it
What if no one's there
Will you hear my prayer?

When you take that first step
Into the unknown
You know that he won't let you go

So what are you waiting for
What do you have to lose
Your insecurities
They try to hold to you
But you know you're made for more
So don't be afraid to move
Your faith is all it takes
And you can walk on the water too

So get out and let your fear fall to the ground
No time to waste, don't wait
And don't you turn around, and miss out on
Everything you were made for
I know you're not sure
So you play it safe, you try to run away

If you take that first step
Into the unknown
He won't let you go

So what are you waiting for
What do you have to lose
Your insecurities
They try to hold to you
But you know you're made for more
So don't be afraid to move
Your faith is all it takes
And you can walk on the water too

Step out, even when it's storming
Step out, even when you're broken
Step out, even when your heart is telling you,
telling you to give up
Step out, when your hope is stolen
Step out, you can't see where you're going
You don't have to be afraid
So what are waiting, what are you waiting for

So what are you waiting for
What do you have to lose
Your insecurities
They try to hold to you
But you know you're made for more
So don't be afraid to move
Your faith is all it takes
And you can walk on the water,
walk on the water too

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "Why did you doubt?"

October's Here, and That Means...

Hockey season!!! :D

And my Leafs are 2 wins, 0 losses! :)

Anyways, game one was pretty. Two - Nothing shutout [Did I mention it was against the Habs?! :D], all's good. [WE'RE GONNA WIN THE STANLEY CUP!]

And then game two against the Sens, after 40 minutes, we we're like, "Four - Nothing?! Yeah, we're DEFINITELY winning the cup now! ;D" and "Looks like another shutout for Reims!"

Well, in chinese we call that "kim tswee" AKA "golden mouth" AKA "Wow, thanks for jinxing that, man! -.-"

LOL, so ANYWAYS.

Start of the first.

4-1.

Then 5-1 [We're safe now. Not.].

5-2. but that's okay, cuz 3 goals is still a good lead. [But we're all secretly thinking... It's the Leafs. And the Sens. You never know.]

Then 5-3, then 8 seconds later 5-4. Cue freak out.

Then good ol' Phil Kessel scores his third of the night. 6-4. [I admit, I was thinking we got it in the bag.]

25 seconds later it goes 6-5. Cue freak out, take two.

Longest 114 seconds of hockey ever. :P

Oh, boy. But like they say: "A win's a win, 2 points is 2 points."

Yeah, but at the cost of a heart attack? Hmmm.

Anyways. I'm gonna do what no one ever really does one week in because they long for accuracy: I'm just gonna straight up predict the playoff teams right now. This is gonna be the farthest thing from accurate, and probably kinda biased, just a warning. ;) I just wanna see how close I get come April. Here it goes:

East:
1 Pittsburgh
2 Boston
3 Washington
4 Philadelphia
5 Buffalo
6 Montreal
7 Toronto
8 Winnipeg
Just missed it: Carolina, NY Rangers and Tampa

West:
1 Vancouver
2 Detroit
3 San Jose
4 Nashville
5 Chicago
6 Dallas
7 Anaheim
8 Calgary
Just missed it: Minnesota and Pheonix

Yeah, I put the Habs over my Leafs. Cuz I'm trying to be a BIT realistic here, cuz even I'll admit, the Habs are better ON PAPER. And Winnipeg making it? YES. I'm a shameless optimist. :P Vancouver winning the West, sure why not? Calgary making it, obvi! ;) Oh, and Toronto playing Boston isn't the BEST thing that ever happened, but whatever. Anything is possible in Leafsnation. :D [To see the ACTUAL standings, click here.]

Anyways, we shall see how this holds up against the final April standings.

And so starts the NHL season. Hopefully the NBA season starts but... stupid lockout. :( Kobe's playing in Italy!! :( LOL. Anyways, don't expect much sports stuff from me during the regular season... Just an exciting game or two here or there. :) Y'all know playoffs is the best time of year! [Good thing I'll be in what I'm calling my "party sem" by then. ;) [Don't worry, not actually partying. It's just reaaaaallly light. 'Specially compered to this one.]]

I've rambled on long enough - thanks for reading, guys! :) <3

Just Read, Cuz I Have No Title for A Post Like This...

Sad news hits the NHL last night as we heard the news of Wade Belak's death.

The opening line of one report I read sums it up: "Not again."

But really, when I heard about Derek Boogaard's death, it was sad, tragic, shocking, but I'd never really heard of the guy. Then Rick Rypien, a little closer to home because he plays for a Canadian team. But again, sad, tragic, shocking, but never heard of him.

Wade Belak hits home. He's a former Leaf, and like I heard on the radio this morning, with Leafsnation, although you've never met them, you feel like you know the players. That's just the way it is with the most passionate sports fans in North America.

He was a funny guy. My dad and I always laughed when we were reminded of the joke he made: He said he's way better than Gretzky, because every time he scored, his team won. No, it didn't matter that he only scored eight goals in his career, he was 100%. Gretz couldn't say that.

I can't imagine what his wife and two daughters, six-years-old and eight, are going through right now. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

Now, I could blog about the fighting and the effects of it. I really could. Everyone's talking about it. And I agree it needs to be talked about. Same as the head shots, and all other violence in the NHL. And maybe one day I will do a piece on it. I mean, the NBA has tough guys, but none of them really fight with their fists.

But let me ask a different question: Why did society let this guy who was so loved by everyone, a guy that made millions, a guy who has "everything," lose hope?

Be hopeless enough to take his own life?

[Before I continue: I've been hoping like never before that Wade Belak did not hang himself. But I'm continuing this post assuming that he did. Some places have reported that. It looks a lot like that. It could come out that it wasn't suicide, and a small glimmer inside me wants that and hopes that is true. But I highly doubt it, so this post continues under the very tragic circumstances and sickening reality, even though I still believe in that 0.00001% chance that it's not true. [Update: It was confirmed soon after this went up that Wade Belak's death was a suicide. Just terrible.] Another "disclaimer": Sorry if this doesn't make much sense, just letting it all out at almost the same time I'm thinking.]

Jeremy Roenick said forget about the money. But I blog a lot about poverty, so I'm gonna talk about it.

Our world - the North American world - says that more money = more happiness = more options/future = hope.

Obviously not. Wade Belak made $9,000,000+ in the NHL, but he obviously had no hope left.

I've seen people living in shacks, with way, way more hope than this.

Wade was living the life. He was famous, rich and "happy." You're not supposed to be hopeless with that kind of life.

So, I come to this conclusion, the one I had years ago, the one I've always had, the one that proves itself to me time and time again:

Hope. True, real hope, only comes from God. I've seen the some bad, bad poverty. But because God was there, there was hope.

And another thought: Economic poverty is terrible. Don't get me wrong. But I think the very worst kind of poverty is the poverty where you have no hope, no faith, no love. That's the worst. Economic poverty is just a very common way to fall into this kind of poverty.

But you don't have to be poor, to suffer from this kind of poverty. In fact, the rich suffer from it just as much. Probably even more.

And the only solution?

It's Jesus.

The difference is Jesus.

Totally Botched on my Promise. . . :P

Like, a week ago I promised pictures... Sorry! :$ Here you go, our trip so far: :)

Taal Volcano.

NBA All-Star Team (Kobe, Rose, Durant, Fisher, Paul, etc.) vs. Philippine National Team. NBA-ers won... :) This pic is of Durant shooting, and Kobe (#24) going for the rebound. :)

At the Compassion International office in Manila. Let me tell you, impressive. They run the Compassion program like a very well oiled machine. From picking churches to partner with, to getting letters to kids, to organizing Advocate Tours and Sponsor Visits... It's pretty good. They're way awesome.

Justin, who lives in Pasig City, just outside of Manila. My cousin has a store there, and he knows Justin. He's a street kid. I guess he just gave a name and face to "street kid" for me. My cousin helps him out a bit. :)

Basketball again! Way better seats this time. Basically court side, for PHP500 which is about $10. We were watching PBA, which is basically the NBA of the Philippines. I was like, WHAAAT? And, it was for two games! LOL... :) We only payed attention to the second game though: My dad's fave team from his childhood, Ginebra, was playing!!! It was a heart attack and very good game, but Ginebra lost. :(

Then we flew to Masbate, where we would meet Florianlyn!!! We were greeted by these accommodations. :P As you can see, my lil bro is swatting those ever-present mosquitoes [or something way bigger... :S] away. And then we went inside and found the lizards. No joke. Like, legit.

But, the beach at the resort was beautiful!

And then we met her. She came to the resort where we spent the morning talking with her, her mom, and her tutor. Then we visited the project and church, and then her house, which this is a picture of. She's the one behind the little girl in red. The girl in red is her sister, Cerelyn. They have another sister, in their mom's arms, Ashlyn. :) I'm gonna post a full post on the visit after this one... :)

And these are the ever present tikis a.k.a. lizards in the Philippines. Then there's the tokus a.k.a. geckos. I've only seen one... In my grandparents' kitchen. :$ Ew. I'm getting slightly used to them though... :P They don't go on the floor, which is good. Oh, and my grandpa has pet snakes... :/ Oh, and there's the stray and really annoying dogs, and the chickens, and goats and... It goes on and on.

There you have it! My trip so far, and I will post about the visit right after this goes up! :) Thanks for reading! <3

T-47 hours and 43 minutes...

...Until I'm on my Compassion Trip.

The other countdown that's going on: Philippines. 13 days, 1 hour and 43 minutes until I'm on the plane! :) EXCITEMENT!!! :D

So this is why it's been quiet on my blog for the past few days: packing, laundry, shopping and compiling pictures for Ankong [that's chinese for grandpa! ;)], Florianlyn, and a presentation I'm doing for a youth group in the Philippines! It's been a busy few days for my fam!

So this is gonna be one of those random blog posts:

1. You might be wondering about the title of the post. Well, the "T-" part. [That's "minus" not "dash" BTW. :P] This morning I watched shuttle Atlantis take off for the last time. I wouldn't have watched it if my brother hadn't been so excited and determined to watch it, or I would've totally forgot about it... Actually, not known about it at all! :P I have to admit, it was pretty cool. But let me tell you, it takes patience. They'd be like, "T-9 minutes to launch!" and I'm like, "Can't you just press the gas pedal and go NOW...?" :P

2. I never really did a sports post about NHL free-agency or the draft, but let's just say my Leafs kinda underachieved in July 1st. No Brad Richards. No Max Talbot... No one, really. We signed ZERO people on July 1st. But it gets better[ish]. We got Tim Connolly and Matt Lombardi in terms of centres, resigned Bozak [he's a centre too, but he won't be our #1 centre this year with Connolly here.], resigned Clarke MacArthur, which was good, Riems got resigned [YEAHHH!], but that was a long time ago. Anyways, we have a shot at the 7th or 8th seed this year. [Okay, I say that every year, but still. I mean it this year.] Go Leafs Go! :D

3. Saw Lady Antebellum's music video for "Just a Kiss," and I thought it was SO good and way cute, so here it is:

Isn't it sweet? ;)

4. My parents found out this week that the plane we're were supposed to take to go see Florianlyn got cancelled... So now we're taking this bush plane thing... :S Maybe I'll just sleep the whole way there to avoid throwing up...! :P LOL... Maybe I'll be okay, I usually do okay with planes. As long as we don't have to take a boat, I'm good. :P

So, this is goodbye for at least a week, because I have a basketball tournament all weekend, and there is no iPods on my Compassion trip! :( So I will tell you guys all about it when I'm back on Saturday! So until then, au revoir and please keep me and the team in your prayers! It means a lot, thanks everyone! :) <3

The Stanley Cup Has Been Presented. . . To The Americans. . . Again.

Okay, okay, I'm not as bitter as the title of this post suggests, but really. The last time Canada - the country who this sport belongs to - has had a team win the Stanley Cup was in 1993. I was not born then.

A Canadian NHL team has NOT won a Stanley Cup in my lifetime. Sad.

I really though this was our year.

Guess not.

I guess the President's Trophy really is jinxed... ;P

But I'm not rioting. [That was dissapointing, 'Nucks "fans." [Fans is in the quotes cuz real fans don't riot. They stick with their team 'til the very bitter end. Learn from the Leafs fans.] Rioting. How... Canadiens-fans-like. :P]

Anyways, enough with the sad stuff, even though Canada did lose out this time.... Congrats to the Boston Bruins, who played 3 game 7's to earn this championship and, I am also quite happy to see this sight:

That is Tomas Kaberle receiving the Cup from Tim Thomas. Yes, that's right. Tomas Kaberle. [I didn't recognize him in the pic either.] The dude was a Leaf 4 months ago. Woulda been nice to see him lift it in the B&W [BLUE and white, not black and white!], but all is good, and I'm happy for the guy. He deserves it, after suffering all those years as a Leaf, and now the Leafs are starting a new, er, dynasty, one filled with countless Stanley Cups and Presidents' Trophies! [So I hope.]

Anyways, both playoffs are over. Now what's there to talk about?! :O LOL, j/k, my blog will still be full don't worry. And anyways, free agency and draft day is coming up...! ;)

Guess it's back to being a Leafs fan, which is WAY more fun than cheering for these other teams. My beloved Leafs will bring 'er home to Canada for 2012, don't worry. ;)

Thanks for reading! :)

And We Have a Champion!

2010-2011 NBA Champions: The Dallas Mavericks!!!

It was exciting, for sure. It was a very back and forth game, exchanging 12 point leads. There was even a fight... :/ Who fights in the finals? Anyways... My prediction was off by one game, but I'm okay with that... The Mavs won!!! :D Dirk struggled from the field in the first few quarters, but had 10 points in the fourth, and 21 in total, and he won Finals MVP. Jason Terry went off. He had 27 points (the most any player had all night) and he was 69% from the field. Barea had 15 points, and Jason Kidd had 8 assists.

Here's the highlights:

Go Mavs Go! :D Oh, and Mark Cuban just cracks me up. He's so hyper... :P Oh, and Jason Terry gave all the glory to God after the game again! :) Love it.

So... season's over. :( Sucks. Oh, well, now the off seasons drama comes. But I doubt there'll be as much drama as last year, when the ahem... "New Big Three" was formed. Who knows? Maybe Miami will just trade off all three of them?! LOL, doubt that! :P Hopefully though, the Raptors do something. Anything. I'm excited to see who they'll hire as coach. Maybe they should just hire me! :D LOL.

Stay tuned... The Stanley Cup gets presented on Wednesday night. Who will it be...?! "History Will Be Made." ;)

Thanks for reading!

Game 6 Mini-Movie [It's pretty awesome... :)]:

This Is Gonna Be One of Those Random Ones...

So, I asked LeBron for a dollar, but he only gave me 75 cents... Apparently he doesn't have a fourth quarter.

So, that joke right there wins "Funniest Of The Week" for me this week, creds to my cousin.

Anyways, you might've missed it, so here's game 5 of the NBA Finals, and this is a pretty epic mini-movie:

Yeah. Go Mavs! (: <3

Oh, yeah, and you're gonna love this. [At least, I do.] 16 seconds worth watching. Jason Terry after the game [Bad quality, sorry guys!]:

All glory to God. LOOOOOOOVE IT! :D

Okay, switching topics. Who's still in school?! Cuz I am! I so can't believe I'm almost done though. This year sped by. I'm gonna miss it. <3

Oh! Went and saw X-Men: First Class this week with my fam. It was so good! :) [Mini-Spoiler here! Skip this paragraph if you don't want it!] For those people who say it's not X-Men without Wolverine/Hugh Jackman: Hugh gets about 5 seconds of screen time. So he's in it. So, "Hugh's not in it." isn't an excuse anymore. And it's a pretty sick movie. But I was gonna punch Professor X at the end for telling Mystique... Nevermind. Watch it and you'll get what I wanted to punch him for. [Okay, I'll tell you, but MAJOR SPOILER in these brackets. Don't say I didn't warn you. I wanted to punch him for telling her to go with Magneto. Like, I really liked her thru the movie, and was like "How does this girl turn bad?!" And then I found out it was Professor X that told her to go?!?! WHAT?! NO!!! I really was starting to like the girl I didn't like in the original movies! :(] Anyways, it was actually a really really good movie. I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars if I was one of those movie critics... ;)

Anyways, have a super weekend if I don't blog this weekend! Thanks for reading! (:

Roberto Luongo, Dirk Nowitzki, And Two Series Locked At Two.

Now. This is exciting.

This is the finals!

So, let's label our series with Twitter hashtags...

#VanBos and/or #StanleyCup:

Okay... So, Vancouver, you win both at home, then go to Boston and have a breakdown. WHAT'S GOING ON?!?! Luongo. You only let in 2 goals in the first two games. The next two games, you let in 12. You're kidding me right? Luongo has to prove he's a good goalie. A Vezina Trophy goalie. He's lost in the playoffs, a lot. He needs to NOT choke. And hey, some offence from his teammates might be helpful too. 5 goals in this whole series, while Boston has 14. Not a pretty stat. I think this one will go to game seven, with Vancouver bringing it home to where the Cup belongs. :)

#NBAFinals:

I'm LOVIN' this series. By far the most entertaining in the playoffs this year. All the games are so close, like 2 or 3 point differences most of the time. Only the first game was 8 pts, but that game was closer than the score portrays it. Dallas rocks. Dirk. Is. So. Good. Winning games for his team. And the dude had like, a fever over 100 degrees the other day and still played insane. And other people are stepping up, like Mr. Shorty J.J. Barea. Oh, but Jason Terry, play some D. Please. I'm saying this one goes to 7 too. And Dallas wins, obvi.

There you have it. I'll be back to wrap up after game 6 or 7! :) Thanks for reading!

In Case You Missed It...

The Mavs pulled off one of the BEST comebacks in NBA Finals history last night. A full post on the finals will be coming in the coming week, but in case you missed it: [And hey, it's totally worth watching a second time.]

Dirk, that was insane. Miami Heat-Dallas Mavericks... We have ourselves a series, people!

Thanks for reading, and just another reminder to keep the Compassion Bloggers in your thoughts and prayers!!!

NBA/NHL Finals, Already?

So another way to tell me that school's almost out, that time is going by way to fast. It's finals time!

NBA

So, I've come to this conclusion: Whenever I cheer for a team they lose. So, I've decided that I should cheer for Miami, and maybe they'll lose?? What? This is my final and last resort. If this doesn't work, then they deserve the championship. Because any team that can with the title with me cheering for them, is worthy of the title. Ask anyone I know. Seriously. Anyways... No one can guard Dirk on Miami. The Matrix will guard LeBron, no matter what any Miami fans say. Dallas is gonna win. Oh, no, what ever will my Miami-fan-ness do? [Can you hear the sarcasm?? LOL.] You know what, I changed my mind. I'm cheering for Dallas. Dallas, 4-3.

NHL

Come on Canada, we're so close. We don't even have to wait for Winnipeg to win it for us! Let's go Canucks!!! I think this one could come down to the goalies. Tim Thomas vs. Roberto Luongo. It could also come down to whether or not each team's top guns can score. I want the cup back in Canada. 'Nucks, 4-2.

There you have it. After this, it'll be sports-drought time until September! D: LOL. Thanks for reading!

NBA and NHL: Round 2 Wrap, Semis Preview...

It's the semi-finals in both sports already!!! Round Two was actually kinda disappointing. Let's start with the NHL: There were two sweeps in what were supposed to be pretty exciting series (especially the Boston-Philly series, my little bro was pretty convinced Philly was trying to pull "another one" (3-0 comeback...)). Vancouver finally figured out that they don't ACTUALLY have to go to game seven in every series and took Nashville out in 6 games, in a pretty exciting series, I guess. And the one really exciting part was the almost-3-0-comeback by Detroit. So are we gonna get comeback-teases in every round?

Then there was NBA, and there was another sweep. My Lakers got the broom! :( Then Miami-Boston was a big disappointing 5 game series. But the other two were pretty good. Atlanta gave Chicago a run for their money, but DRose and the Bulls pulled it off. And lastly, Memphis-OKC... I really wanted Memphis to pull the Cinderella, but they fell short this afternoon... :( So sad.

Okay here's your round three preview:

NHL:

Boston-Tampa Bay: ...That awkward moment when you go to Florida to play hockey and you find out there's no negative temperatures there. LOL. But seriously, Stamkos is good, but I don't think Tampa can fend of the giant Chara and his gang. Boston, 4-2.

Vancouver-San Jose: I'm biased, but still, San Jose are known as the playoff chokers... Although, they're desperate to prove themselves otherwise, so this should be a close series. Vancouver, 4-3.

NBA:

Miami-Chicago: So I might be slightly biased... lol. Chicago 4-3.

Dallas-Oklahoma City: This one is gonna be so fun! I'm thinking game 6/7, how 'bout you guys??!! Anyways, I kinda like Oklahoma City now cuz today after they won Kevin Durant gets asked a question about basketball or something and he says instead: "Well, hold on. First off, the Lord is so good. The Lord is good." When any famous person says that in an interview, they get my respect. :) Glad he's so out-there with his faith! :) OKC, 4-3

It's bound to be exciting (for real, this time) so don't miss it! :) Thanks for reading!

Whoa! Uhhh... Where did the second round go?

So, it seems that I kinda missed the second round...? What?!?! I was busy, but it's also going by real fast...

NHL:

The East:

Washington-Tampa Bay: Let's just go with "Alex Ovechkin is playing for Russia at worlds, and he doesn't want to be yet." Caps get the upset broom from Tampa!

Philedephia-Boston: Upset sweep again! I was crying after this one, for sure. It was sad. Not much to say about these east series, they were over before you could even say "second round."

The West:

San Jose-Detroit: Now, the west has stuff to talk about! Detroit was down 3-0, just like last year, then 3-1, just like last year, then 3-2, not like last year. Can they pull off the "History Will be Made" moment? Maybe. Nick Lindsrtom isn't quite ready for the last game yet. I even think he'll come back next year.

Vancouver-Nashville: C'mon Carrie!!! Wait... Nashville's down 3-2 right now, fighting off elimination for the 2nd time in the series tonight. They're down 2-0 as I'm writing this, but they just might force game seven. You never know, nowadays.

NBA:

The East:

Chicago-Atlanta: The NBA has slightly more to talk about... So my dad still has his money on an Atlanta-Memphis final. That's not looking too far-fetched right now... This series is tied 2-2 just as DRose gets his MVP.

Miami-Boston: You all know where I stand on this one. I'm so biased I don't even think I'm allowed to comment. I'll just say one thing: Rajon Rondo, that was nasty. Ew. And then he goes back into the game and dunks. Like, really? I have a newfound respect for the guy. (Don't know what I'm talking about? Dislocated elbow. Pops it back in, plays again. 'Nuff said.)

The West:

Los Angeles-Dallas: WAAAAAH! :( Kobe, Phil, WHAT HAPPENED??!! :( I have no excuse for my Lakers... That was terrible.

Oklahoma City-Memphis: I'll tell ya, Memphis is leading. I personally wanna see them finish this Cinderella fairy tale, so GO GRIZZLIES!!! :)

So as you can see, this round is going fast, out of all eight series there's 3 sweeps and 2 that could end in the next 2 days... Thanks for reading! :)

NBA: Round One Wrap, Round Two Preview

Upsets, nervous superstars, only one sweep when there should've been three or four... boy was this one exciting! :D Both Memphis and Atlanta pull off the upsets, Memphis being the more impressive of the two, beating out the team with the best record of the regular season. Dwight Howard went OFF against Atlanta, to no avail, probably those three point shooters to blame. Oh yeah, and Turk. No, Orlando, us Canadians do not want him back in TO. New Orleans had Kobe squirming a bit, but Lakers still pull it off it 6 games. Dallas beats Portland 4-2, no big upset there. Miami, Chicago and Oklahoma City would all take down their respective opponents 4-1, and the only team to sweep would be the Boston Celtics the true big three, with a nice addition to that 3 with a fourth: Rajon Rondo.

Round Two is fast approaching so here it goes...

The West:

Oklahoma City-Memphis: Memphis, what a fairy tale, eh? Your the eighth seed and still standing!!! This is a true test of how much you want it, because I'm pretty sure Kevin Durant really wants it too, and the Durantula is eating anyone in his way. OKC, 4-2.

Los Angeles-Dallas: So apparently, Dallas almost beat LA last year... But then LA won the championship. I wouldn't really mind repeating history... LA, 4-3.

The East:

Chicago-Atlanta: Here's a good one! Can Atlanta continue their sudden success in the playoffs or will D.Rose be too much for them? 'Cuz have you seen this dude's highlights? Wow. Chicago, 4-2

Miami-Boston: The best for last. LeBron called Boston his "Lunch" in an interview the other day. I think I'd be totally funny if the big 4 showed up to game 1 dressed-up as sandwiches and other parts of a lunch... :P I have a feeling LeBron's still gonna be "hungry" (Get it? Yeah, I hear you groaning...) for a championship... and his "lunch"... after this one. Boston, 4-3.

There you have it. It's gonna be an exciting one, so don't miss it! :)

Thanks for reading!

NHL: Round One Wrap, Round Two Preview

Round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is over, and what an exciting one it was! 4 game 7's, 2 game 6's, an almost comeback from 3-0, and lots of excitement. Detroit was the only team to sweep, while Washington came close with a 4-1 win. Nashville and San Jose would both win 4-2. Then came the game sevens... I love game sevens, because all the rest of the series doesn't matter anymore, it all comes down to the one game, do-or-die. ...Draaaaaaama! :P Game seven #1: Philly-Buffalo. Buffalo came one game short from pulling off the major upset, but nope. Philly takes it 5-2. Game seven #2: The majorly dramatic one where Chicago woke up somewhere between game 3 and 4, but the rest didn't last them all the way to win game seven. They sold their tickets though, so all's good. ;) Vancouver wins game seven in OT, 2-1. Game seven #3: I was going absolutely crazy for OT of this one, and when Boston scored, or rather I found out Boston scored (switching between The Voice and Hockey...) I went nuts!!! LOL. It was a good one, and as much as I dislike him, I admit PK Subban's goal was legit. Game seven #4: :'( Pittsburgh lost, drowning out my happiness for Boston winning. :( Sad stuff. It was an exciting round one!

Now for round two...

The West:

Vancouver-Nashville: This always happens to me. The teams I'm cheering for play each other!!! Like seriously?! Now I have to pick one. So, Team Canada or Team Carrie Underwood? ACK! Can't decide!!! This one's really the battle of the Vezina Trophy nominees: Roberto Luongo vs. Pekka Rinne. The difference with the two teams though, is the offence. The 'Nucks definetley have the edge there. I'm going Vancouver, 4-2.

San Jose-Detroit: The playoff underachievers vs. the playoff overachievers. San Jose the playoff chokes vs. Detroit the "the-playoffs-are-easy" winners. I'm thinking Detroit, 4-3.

The East:

Washington-Tampa Bay: So, Washington I already disliked. Tampa just kicked out my Pens... I'm not really likin' this series. *Sigh...* I guess personal opinion can't really affect this one, 'cuz I don't really care, so this is probably gonna end up being the most reasonable prediction? Washington, 4-2.

Philadelphia-Boston: The teams I'm cherring for play each other AGAIN!!! This one's gonna be a good one, because we all remember last year's Philly-Boston series. But as Zdeno Chara said, last year is last year, and gotta put that behind us and look at this like a new season, 'cuz it is. But you can't help but think about last year. Philly, 4-3.

It's bound to be an exciting one, starting tonight with the 'Nucks and Preds! Thanks for reading! :)

Continued Playoff Coverage... ;)

Three guesses: What am I doing right now?

You only needed one.

I'M WATCHING HOCKEY!!! :)

But this post isn't NHL, it's NBA's turn, my delayed "One Week In" post for the NBA playoffs. So without further-ado...

The East:

Chicago-Indiana (My prediction - Chicago, 4-0): The only surprise here is that Indy actually won one. A bit scary for the Bulls going forward though: D.Rose - INJURED!!! This could be BAD going on for them, but hopefully he'll be out of this walking cast soon. I don't really see Indy coming back from 3-1.

Miami-Philidelphia (Miami, 4-1): I was actually SO HAPPY when Philly won yesterday! LOL. You all already know my stand on Miami. Though it's unlikely that Philly will come back from 3-1, it would be funny. Hilarious. That's all I'm gonna say on that one... :P

Boston-New York (Not sure, game 6 or 7): This one ended before I could even say anything about it! Boston pulls out the brooms and sweeps New York away! My prediction was slightly off...

Orlando-Atlanta (Orlando, 4-2): Sniff, sniff, sniff. Atlanta is up 3-1?!?! What?!?! NOOOOOO! Ah, well, Orlando's not called "the Magic" for nothing... But seriously, Orlando, that magic can't come any sooner.

The West:

San Antonio-Memphis (San Antonio, 4-0): Wrong again, me! Memphis is leading this one 2-1!!! I really don't know about this one... I'm starting to doubt the team with the best record of the regular season... But like they say, the playoffs is a fresh start, the regular season is G-O-N-E! So, you decide, will San Antonio come back or is Memphis set for the upset?

Los Angeles-New Orleans (Los Angeles, 4-1): LA, I know everything's a huge show where you come from, but this show you're putting on is just making me nervous. JUST WIN ALREADY!!! 2-2 is scary. This is a best of three now, people, one to watch.

Dallas-Portland (Dallas, 4-3): Also tied 2-2, and I didn't even know that before NBA.com told me... :P Not really following this one, LOL.

Oklahoma City-Denver (Denver, 4-3): This is a huge disappointment of what should've been an exciting series. OKC is getting ready to sweep Denver, should they come up with the win tonight. Yikes. Kevin Durant was just too much for the Nuggets.

My dad's comment: "It's gonna be a finals nightmare! The Memphis Grizzlies vs. the Atlanta Hawks for the championship!" Well, it's looking something like that right now... :P

Quick comment on Hockey: Vancouver-Chicago: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Freaking. Out. Vancouver's up 3-0 and you blink. And then it's 3-3. Game seven set for tomorrow, and OHHH BOY! It's gonna be a good one. Did I jinx it with my predictions?!?! (See previous predictions.) I hope not. This Canadian girl wants Vancouver!!!! Please, please, please.... :S It's gonna be a good one tomorrow night. Don't miss it. (Although I'll probably have to, since it's set for 10PM, and there IS school on Wednesday (School? What's school? LOL, I had a good long weekend. :P) so, watch it for me if you can!) Go 'Nucks Go!!!

Thanks for reading!

One Week Later. . .

. . . I've been proved hopelessly wrong in some series, and not-too-bad in others.

Here to break down the first week of the NHL playoffs, please welcome... Yours truly.

[Disclaimer: I DID use NHL.com this time. I seriously didn't memorize all this. Promise.]

The West:

Vancouver-Chicago (My prediction - Chicago, 4-3): Boy, was I WRONG! Before last night, Chicago didn't have a win in the series, three games in. Things are looking up now, as it's now 3-1 Vancouver instead of 3-0, but only 4 teams in the history of the world have come back from 3-0... But ya just never know in these "History Will Be Made" playoffs. :)

San Jose-L.A. (San Jose, 4-2): San Jose leads 2-1. That all I got for ya, cause there is NOTHING exciting going on in this one. Nothing discussion worthy like head shots or something...

Detroit-Pheonix (Detroit, 4-2): Detroit leading 3-0 = My dad is happy. Though he's not really following first round, 'cause Detroit seems to get an automatic ticket to round two every year...

Anaheim-Nashville (Not sure, game 7): The players I know of on Nashville's roster: ...Carrie Underwood? Wait. Nevermind. Anaheim: Yikes. I got nothing. :/ My point: I'm not really paying attention to this series much. I'm cheering for Nashville though, If y'all were wondering. :) NHL.com says Nashville is leading the series 2-1, so it's all good. :)

The East:

Washington-New York (New York, 4-3): Hey, I'm not totally wrong yet. My prediction still has a chance! It's Washington 2-1 right now, but if NYR wins tonight, it's a whole new ball game. No. Puck game. Whaaaaaat? :S

Philadelphia-Buffalo (Philly, 4-1): I admit, I got scared when Buffalo won the first one. But it's all good now, and Philly's got into the groove after the game-one-jitters and their leading 2-1.

Boston-Montreal (Boston, 4-0): Okay, I know. My prediction wasn't even realistic... But I just really dislike the Habs... and some of their fans. I mean, boo-ing the other country's national anthem? Really? Anyways, my prediction got blown outta the ballpark (I mean, rink) when the Habs won their first two. Then Boston won one, and I began breathing again. It's obviously not going to be a Boston blowout, but game seven in this series would be sweet. :)

Pittsburgh-Tampa Bay (Pittsburgh, 4-2): This might be my most accurate prediction so far! There have been two suspensions in this series... Need I say more? Tampa didn't score a goal in the first game, but made up for it in the second, scoring 5 goals and holding the Pens to one. It's Pittsburgh 2-1 right now, which means if both teams double their current wins, I'm right on for the prediction! :) Game four goes tonight!

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for my week-one assessment of the NBA, coming soon! :)