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San Jose Sharks Finally Eliminate Red Wings With 3-2 Win in Game 7

In a way, Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinal series between the San Jose Sharks and Detroit Red Wings bore an odd resemblance to the series itself. The Sharks took a solid lead early on, but the Red Wings refused to go away.

Well, the Sharks finally put a stop to that, winning Game 7 by the final of 3-2. It took a a little longer than they would have liked, but they are headed to the conference finals for the second year in a row.

Faced with the dread fate of becoming just the fourth team in NHL history to blow a 3-0 series lead, the Sharks came out guns blazing in the first period. Devin Setoguchi scored on a power play with a little less than eight minutes to go, and Logan Couture scored with less than a minute left to put the Sharks up 2-0.

As time expired in the first period, HP Pavilion was rocking. Clearly, the Sharks were on their way.

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Alas, it never was going to be that easy. The Red Wings cut the lead to 2-1 when Henrik Zetterberg scored in the second period, and they proceeded to outshoot the Sharks 17-6 in the period.

Thanks to some brilliant work by Antti Niemi, the Sharks weathered the stormed, and they would go up 3-1 in the third when Patrick Marleau scored on a rebound with 7:47 to play. It was his first point of the series.

Unfortunately, San Jose's two-goal lead didn't last long, as Pavel Datsyuk closed the gap to 3-2 less than two minutes later.

After that, things got increasingly crazier as the period raced to a close. Niemi was under constant attack, and knowing the Sharks, it seemed like it was just a matter of time before the Red Wings were going to tie the score.

Somehow, Niemi let nothing past him, and the period ended. Like that, the Sharks had survived a Red Wing attack.

In looking at the stat sheet, it's actually pretty amazing the Sharks didn't choke. The Red Wings took 10 more shots on goal, and they had one more power play opportunity than the Sharks. A single slip-up, and we're probably talking about the Red Wings making history.

Instead, we're talking about the Sharks not choking. Any day we get to do that is a good day.

Now, let's see if the Sharks can take the next step and actually make it to the Stanley Cup Finals. Game 1 against the Vancouver Canucks is on Sunday.

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Miami Heat Now Tasked With Getting Past East's Top Seed

In case you were confused at the conclusion of the series between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics, the answer is no. The Heat did not win the NBA Finals.

Given the way the Heat were celebrating, you have to think a lot of people were confused about that. But in retrospect, it was easy to see why LeBron James and the Heat were so jubilant after dispatching the Celtics. They had just slain the dragon they set out to slay.

However, the Heat are far from being out of the woods. The other Eastern Conference semifinal series has just wrapped up, and it was the top-seeded Chicago Bulls vanquishing the Atlanta Hawks.

Because the Bulls needed one more game than the Heat to finish up their series, it stands to reason that the Heat have a kind of built-in advantage heading into the conference finals.

That makes sense... but it's not necessarily true.

Listen, what we saw in the Heat-Celtics series was one team that simply wanted it way more than the other. We also saw a team that was too banged up to stand up for themselves.

The first team was the Heat, making the second the Celtics. Rough translation: the series went a little too perfectly for the Heat.

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This wouldn't be a problem, but you have to wonder about the swagger that the Heat developed in beating the Celtics. What would worry me is that swagger is something that has been kinda there-and-not-there for the Heat throughout the entire season. And when it's not there, they just haven't been very good.

The question is thus whether or not the Bulls can humble the Heat. If they can do so right away, they could have the Heat right where they want them.

Yes, the Heat definitely looked like champions in beating the Celtics. But the Bulls are a better, healthier team, and they also have the home-court advantage.

Put simply, the Bulls are no pushover. The Heat would be wise not to treat them like one.

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Carlos Boozer Finally Shows Up As Bulls Punch Ticket to Conference Finals

The search can be called off, folks. Carlos Boozer has finally shown up.

In case you missed it, Boozer came up with a fine performance in Game 6 of the Chicago Bulls' second-round series against the Atlanta Hawks. He led all scorers with 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, pacing the Bulls to a series-clinching 93-73 win.

Basically, it was just the kind of performance that Bulls fans have been hoping and waiting for ever since the start of the playoffs, and it came not a moment too soon. After all, the Hawks may be gone, but the Bulls are now set to face their toughest challenge yet in the Eastern Conference Finals: the Miami Heat.

Interestingly enough, Boozer will be matched up against Miami's own disappearing/reappearing power forward in Chris Bosh. He scored in single digits in two of the first three games of the Heat's series against the Boston Celtics, but he came on strong to score 20 points in Game 4 and 14 points in Game 5. He also grabbed 23 rebounds in the two games. Not bad for a guy who was matched up against Kevin Garnett.

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Indeed, what would have looked like a pretty boring and irrelevant matchup a couple days ago now looks like the lynchpin to the entire series.

If Bosh continues to play well and Boozer struggles, there's no way the Bulls are going to be able to overcome the Heat. Derrick Rose was good enough to singlehandedly beat the Pacers and Hawks, but he's not going to be able to beat LeBron James and Dwyane Wade on his own. 

Therefore, Rose is going to need Boozer to get the better of Bosh. If he does, you have to think that this series is not going to be over quickly. Shoot, it might even go seven games.

For the record, Game 7 would be in Chicago, where the Heat did not win a game during the regular season.

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As Long As They Can Play, Charles Barkley Has No Problem With Gay Athletes

It's been an interesting week for the gay athlete debate.

In case you missed it, New York Rangers enforcer Sean Avery made waves when he released a PSA in support of gay marriage a couple days ago. He was met with some pretty harsh criticism from assorted zealots, and the debate naturally turned to matter of homosexuality and sports.

As is usually the case when controversy hits the sports world, somebody decided to seek out the opinion of Charles Barkley. On Thursday, the former NBA player and TV analyst was asked during a SiriusXM Radio interview what he thought of openly gay athletes.

In Barkley's opinion, it's a simple matter of "whether he can play or not."

Courtesy of the USA Today:

If somebody is gay, that's their own business. But it bothers me how people try to say that jocks are not going to like a gay. ... I think gay people should be allowed to get married and God bless them, that's their own business. Listen, if a guy can't play that's the only time we don't want to play with him. We don't care about all that extracurricular stuff.

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Basically, when it comes time to do the job, sports is really no different from what you and I do for a living. The best idea is to check your personal life and the door and just get to work. As long as you get the job done, nobody's in a position to complain.

On balance, it's hard to imagine Barkley giving a better (or safer) answer than this. Seeing as how you never really known what you're going to get out of Sir Charles, I for one find that to be a relief.

If You Want Your Name To Be Linked With Anna Kournikova's, All You Need Is $9.4 Million

You know, it's funny that Anna Kournikova is back in the news. I was just thinking about her the other day.

And the day before that, and the day before that, and the day before that, if you must know.

In any case, the reason Anna Kournikova is grabbing headlines once again is because she is officially on the market.

Check that, it's because her house is officially on the market. Sorry, I get people and structures mixed up all the time.

Either way, this still means you have a chance to associate yourself with one of the most beautiful tennis stars in history. According to the official listing on FloridaMoves.com, all you're going to need in order to purchase her Miami Beach home is $9.4 million.

Of course, that's assuming that some other jerk isn't going to outbid you. Seeing as how you would essentially be owning a little (okay, big) piece of Anna, I wouldn't rule that out.

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So what would you be getting for your gigantic pile of cash, you ask?

For starters, you'd be getting over 6,600 square feet, eight bedrooms, and myriad views of the water. The property also includes a two-story guest house, a heated pool, a jacuzzi, and a sauna.

The one thing you won't be getting, however, is a tennis court.

No doubt you're thinking something along the lines of, "Well that explains a lot."

If you are, that's kinda mean. Good luck convincing Anna Kournikova to sell you her house, jerk.

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Dialed In Can Earn $6.1 Million in 2011 Preakness Stakes

Despite coming into the proceedings with a favorable post and the odds in his favor, Dialed In did not do so great at the Kentucky Derby this past weekend. He finished eighth, well behind derby winner Animal Kingdom.

But no matter. It's onto the Preakness Stakes for Dialed In and famed trainer Nick Zito. And in fact, the word is that Dialed In has a chance to earn a record purse.

According to the Associated Press, Dialed In can earn a $5.5 million bonus with a win at Pimlico. Combine that with the $600,000 winner's share, and you have a a $6.1 million haul, a North American single-race record. The previous record was set by Smarty Jones, who earned $5.884 million with a win in the 2004 Kentucky Derby.

The Preakness Stakes is a $1 million race, but Dialed In is eligible for such a big bonus because of his victories in the Holy Bull Stakes and the Florida Derby. MI Developments, the parent company of Pimlico and Gulfstream, is ponying up the extra cash.

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Naturally, the big purse out there for the taking is of little interest to Zito. In fact, he said he'd rather have won the Kentucky Derby.

"There’s no guarantees in racing, number one... the Derby, in my opinion, is worth three times that amount," said Zito.

Maybe so, but big purse or no big purse, the fact of the matter is that Dialed In is coming into the Preakness Stakes with plenty to prove after his showing at the Kentucky Derby. Of the 19 horses in the field, Dialed In was bringing up the rear at the three-quarter mark at Churchill Downs on Saturday, and he was unable to close the gap down the stretch despite a very fast finish.

The Preakness Stakes will be run on May 21.

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San Francisco Giants Take Over Sole Possession of First Place in NL West

After winning the World Series in 2010, the San Francisco Giants have had their ups and downs in the early goings of the 2011 season. For the most part, it's been two steps forward and two steps back, making it pretty hard for the Giants to gain any momentum.

This all changed in the past week. The Giants just finished up a 6-0 home stand with a 3-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday afternoon. And with the Colorado Rockies losing at home to the New York Mets, the Giants have taken over sole possession of first place in the National League West.

Because the Giants have been largely inconsistent season, you have to have your doubts whether or not this is going to last.

Either that, or you can buy into the notion that the Giants are over some sort of hump, and that it will be smooth sailing from hereon out.

Personally, I prefer the latter option. I don't know about you, but I like what I'm seeing from the Giants.

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And what's that, you ask?

Well, first and foremost, I think you have to dig the fact that they've scored a total of just 18 runs during their six-game win streak. That's obviously not ideal, but it speaks to how good the pitching has been. In fact, Giants starters have a combined ERA of 2.82 in the last six games, and the bullpen has not allowed a single earned run.

In a word, that is studly. But since these are the Giants we're talking about here, it is also typical.

Obviously, the Giants aren't going to be able to keep pitching like that for the entirety of the regular season. But given the division and ballpark that they play in, this is closer to par for the course than you might think. There isn't a whole lot of offense in the NL West, and it seems like the Giants always play close games at AT&T Park.

Because of this, the Giants' offensive problems are not as serious as they would be for another team. The Giants may not score a lot of runs, but they don't really need to. A timely hit here and there will do just fine, and the Giants do tend to get plenty of those.

Of course, as well as the Giants have played in the last week, they've gotten plenty of help from the Rockies. They're 3-9 in their last 12 games, and the only good team they've played in that span was the Giants.

So on balance, what's stopping the Giants from running away and hiding with the NL West?

Don't say Miguel Tejada. Too obvious.

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Celtics and Doc Rivers Working on a Multiyear Deal

By all accounts, the 2010-2011 season was going to be something of a last hurrah for the Boston Celtics and head coach Doc Rivers. The Celtics retained Paul Pierce and Ray Allen last offseason and then brought in players like Shaquille O'Neal and Jermaine O'Neal, moves that were custom-designed to give Rivers another shot at a second title in the last year of his contract.

That goal was ultimately derailed by the Miami Heat. As a result, it's looking right now like this past season is going to end up being a penultimate hurrah.

Yes, the word from ESPNBoston.com is that the Celtics and Rivers are working on a multiyear deal that will bring him back for yet another title run.

Said team spokesman Jeff Twiss:

Doc wants to be a Celtic and [president of basketball operations] Danny Ainge wants him to remain with the Celtics. Nothing is imminent. Nothing is going to happen today or tomorrow. But there has been progress made toward keeping Doc with the Celtics for a few more years.

If this is true, then it's apparent that Rivers wasn't lying when he when he told his players on Wednesday night that he would be returning nest season.

To be perfectly blunt, that was Rivers' first mistake. But if he does end up resigning with the Celtics, he will have made an even bigger mistake.

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I say this because the only reason Rivers is coming back is so he can win another championship, and  it's pretty obvious at this point that the Celtics are no longer a championship team. No matter how much Ainge goes out and improves the bench, the fact of the matter is that the Big 3 are over the hill. They're good enough to compete, but we all saw what happened to them against Miami's Big 3.

Because Rivers got an up-close look, he should know this better than anyone. The Eastern Conference doesn't belong to the Celtics anymore. It belongs to the Heat and the Bulls. If the Celtics couldn't hang onto the East this year, what makes Rivers think they can reclaim it next year?

As for the multiyear part, that makes even less sense. Assuming Rivers is actually planning on honoring each year of his new deal, why would he want to stick around after the eventual disbanding of the Big 3? Does he actually want to be part of an inevitable rebuilding process?

Unless there's a variable I'm not seeing here, it seems to me that Rivers is chasing a ship that has sailed. If this deal gets done, methinks he'll come to regret it.

Hayden Panetierre and Wladimir Klitschko Split After Two Years of Dating

There have been a lot of weird couples in sports history, but few of them have been as weird as Hayden Panetierre and Wladimir Klitschko. After all, she's a 21-year-old movie and TV star, and he's a 35-year-old heavyweight champion from Ukraine.

In case you're wondering, the weird part is that he's slightly more mountainous than she is.

In any case, it's all over now. Word came out from People earlier today that Panetierre and Klitschko have decided to call their relationship off after two years of dating.

Klitschko said he enjoyed their relationship, but the long-distance nature of it ultimately became too much.

"We had a great time together, but it's not that easy to manage a relationship between two continents," he said. "I have a lot of respect for Hayden as a person and as a friend, and I believe we'll keep our friendship even after the separation."

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No doubt the entertainment community is slightly more obsessed with this news than those of us in the sports community. Instead of gossiping, there's really only one question we can ask: is this a good thing or a bad thing for Klitschko?

This kind of inquiry is standard practice when it comes to athlete hook-ups and breakups, but it's actually quite relevant in Klitschko's case. He has a heavyweight title fight against David Haye scheduled for early July. If we can accept the notion that a big worry has been lifted from his shoulders, then it follows that Klitschko will have no trouble whatsoever winning his 14th straight fight.

Of course, if you were to ask Haye, it won't be that easy for Klitschko. Haye recently laid down all sorts of smack talk about Klitschko, saying that he needs every advantage he can get and that he doesn't even like to fight.

Bold talk. We'll find out soon enough if Haye can back it up.

Might the Chicago Cubs Go After Albert Pujols?

Let's go ahead and get this out of the way right off the bat. The hug shared by St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols and Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry on Tuesday might just be the biggest non-story of the year.

I know, I know. It's annoying when these things blow up, but the fact of the matter is that non-stories always tend to come on slow news day. And in the realm of sports media, the show must go on at all times.

In any case, no doubt you've caught wind of the essential implications of that hug. Pujols is going to be a free agent at the end of the season, and the Cubs are going to need a first baseman with Carlos Pena due to come off the books.

Clearly, one plus one equals Pujols in a Cubs uniform next season.

But in the words of Albert Pujols: "Are you serious? C'mon."

That's what he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and I think it sums up the whole situation quite nicely.

However, I also think now is as good a time as any to seriously discuss the idea of the Cubs signing Pujols.

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As I see it, there are really no reasons why the Cubs shouldn't consider signing Pujols. He's arguably the best player in baseball, and he's one of the most consistent producers in the history of the sport. Moreover, the Cubs are one of a small handful of teams that has the kind of large-market money that it's going to take to lure Pujols. And like I mentioned above, they're going to be in the market for the first baseman.

Outside of the actual pieces of the equation, there is also the potential impact Pujols would have on the Cubs if they brought him in. Baseball's most lovable losers would suddenly have themselves a born winner, a man with just the kind of personality and leadership qualities that a team can rally around. The same things were not being said about Alfonso Soriano when he signed his huge contract, and look how that worked out.

So what the heck, Hendry. As soon as Pujols hits the market, get out your biggest checkbook. After the deal is done, you are more than free to share a hug with your new slugger.

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LA Lakers Reportedly Interested in Rick Adelman as Phil Jackson's Successor

It's been just a couple of days since the Los Angeles Lakers were swept from the playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks, but the organization has no time to lose as far as getting ready for next season.

At the top of the Lakers' list of priorities is finding a successor to newly-retired head coach Phil Jackson, and the word around the campfire is that one of the top candidates is Rick Adelman.

This comes straight from Marc Stein and Dave McMenamin from ESPN.com, who have it on good authority that the Lakers are "very interested" in the former Houston Rockets head coach. Adelman coached the Rockets for four years before it was announced in April that the club would not be offering him a new contract.

The popular favorite to land the L.A. head coaching gig is assistant coach and former Laker Brian Shaw, who has been endorsed by Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher.

However, the one thing Adelman has working in his favor is that, unlike Shaw, he has plenty of head coaching experience. Moreover, the Lakers have noted that Adelman has done well with veteran teams, and that there are similarities between his motion offense and Jackson's triangle offense.

Sounds good. But does that make Adelman the best fit for the Lakers?

Well, he's obviously not the worst fit. And compared to candidates like Shaw, Mike Dunleavy and Jeff Van Gundy, Adelman looks pretty good.

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The obvious sticking point is whether or not Adelman would choose to keep the triangle offense, but that may not end up being that big of an issue anyway. General manager Mitch Kupchak hinted on Wednesday that the triangle may follow Jackson out the door no matter who they bring in.

"Quite frankly, there were many times this year where we ran the triangle and I couldn't recognize it," said Kupchak, according to the LA Tmes.

Instead, the big question here is whether or not Adelman would be able to handle all the different egos on the Laker roster, most notably Kobe Bryant's. After all, this is a guy that Jackson once deemed "uncoachable." And because Kobe apparently wants Shaw, it stands to reason that he would have to adjust to Adelman.

The good news is that Adelman is not totally devoid of experience dealing with superstars. He coached Tracy McGrady for a few seasons with Houston, and he coached Chris Webber in Sacramento.

So how about it, Laker fans. Is Adelman the right man for the job?

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Brock Lesnar Suffering from Diverticulitis Again

Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has been forced to withdraw from his bout with Junior Dos Santos at UFC 131.

The news comes straight from UFC president Dana White (courtesy of MMAJunkie.com), who announced on Thursday that Lesnar has come down with a second case of diverticulitis.

Lesnar suffered from a life-threatening case of diverticulitis, an intestinal illness, in 2009. He was hospitalized for 11 days and lost 40 pounds.

This new bout with diverticulitis is not supposed to be as serious, but Lesnar will have to decide whether he wants to have surgery or to put up with the disease for the rest of his life.

"I dodged a bullet about two years ago with diverticulitis. ... Diverticulitis is an illness that never goes away," said Lesnar, according to The Canadian Press.

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However, Lesnar has no plans on retiring from MMA.

"This isn't the end of Brock Lesnar," he said. "This is a speed bump in the road."

Taking Lesnar's place in the main event of UFC 131 will be Shane Carwin. The event will be held on June 11 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

Needless to say, this is a pretty tough break for Lesnar. He managed to come back pretty strong from his first bout with diverticulitis, but it sounds like his career is more in jeopardy than he is letting on. The best option for him is probably to have surgery, but you have to think he won't be the same fighter he was before either way.

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Magic Fans Dedicated to Keeping Dwight Howard Out of a Lakers Uniform

Sooner or later, Dwight Howard is going to end up in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform.

At least, that's what all those who prefer to spend their time speculating would have you believe. Howard himself made it clear that he thinks the Orlando Sentinel took things a little too far, and there certainly doesn't seem to be much substance to the idea.

However, that doesn't mean Orlando Magic fans have nothing to fear. They know that Howard is going to be a free agent after next season, and they know full well that the Magic could just decide to trade him.

That's exactly why some Magic fans started up StayDwight.com, a website dedicated to keeping "Dwight in Orlando where he belongs."

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In a clever stroke, the site's mission statement urges Howard to avoid being like Shaquille O'Neal (who left the Magic as a free agent in 1996) and LeBron James:

In an ego driven sports world, it's easy to jump ship and try to seek new opportunities. Shaq did it, LeBron did it..and there will be more. Orlando is one of the fastest growing cities in this country with some of the most loyal basketball fans in the world. We just built a state-of-the-art arena with the All Star Game coming in 2012 and are always looking to upgrade our team from year to year, building around a franchise player.

The website affords fans the opportunity to share their own story of what Howard means to them, and there is also photo contest that will net one lucky winner a signed Dwight Howard jersey.

Not exactly complicated stuff, but a good idea all the same. If it works, Cleveland fans will probably wish they had launched StayLeBron.com.

I kid, of course. But seriously, Cleveland, stop whining.

Serena Williams Posts and Removes a Sexy New Twitter Avatar

It's been a strange day for Serena Williams.

A few hours ago, it was announced that she will not be participating in the French Open. Around that same time, apparently, she posted a new avatar on her Twitter account that had enough people shouting at her to make her decide to take it down.

Too late. On the internets, nothing can be deleted for good , and this is especially true of sexy Twitter avatars (check out the uncropped version, courtesy of Yahoo! Sports).

As you can see, the picture is pretty suggestive. Serena is barely wearing anything, and there's no point in denying that the perspective is pretty stalker-ish.

That last part is what has people upset. After all, it was just last week that a stalker was arrested outside of Serena's Florida home. Making matters worse, he told police that he knew of Serena's whereabouts because of her tweets.

If nothing else, the timing of this new avatar is thus pretty bad. But does the picture itself go too far?

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Obviously, the answer to that question is going to vary depending on who you ask. But if you're asking me, I honestly don't think there's anything wrong with the picture itself. The sexiness of it is more implied than it is explicit. This is something that is actually pretty rare when it comes to Twitter (see Kardashian, Kim), and virtually nonexistent on the internet as a whole.

As for whether or not this picture is encouraging stalkers like the one that was just arrested, I don't think you can blame Serena for that. She has always owned her sexiness, yet she has always avoided crossing the line between good taste and bad taste. Why should we start censoring her now just because one bozo got an urge?

As I see it, all the hubbub surrounding this picture is much ado about nothing.

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Tiger Woods Returned to Action Too Soon

As you no doubt have heard by now, Tiger Woods did not last long at the first round of the Players Championship.

Playing for the first time since coming down with left knee and Achilles injuries at the Masters, Tiger was able to play just nine holes before the pain became too much. Thus, he withdrew from the action at TPC Sawgrass for the second year in a row.

“Everything started getting tight," said Tiger of his injures, according to The New York Times. "It was like a whole chain reaction.”

The nine holes Tiger did play were pretty ugly. He had three bogeys and one triple-bogey to finish off his front nine with a six-over 42. Instead of continuing, he threw in the towel and limped off the course.

As soon as Tiger's withdrawal was official, the media went crazy. Because of the rut Tiger's in, surely this hitch will spell doom for him immediate and long-term future. Shoot, he'll be lucky if he even comes close to Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 majors now.

In retrospect, however, Tiger's withdrawal from the Players Championship is not all that surprising. In fact, we should have seen it coming.

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If Tiger's return to action seemed a little sudden, that's because it was. After finishing tied for fourth at the Masters last month, Tiger did not hit a single golf ball until Monday. Already in a rut, he was heading into the Players Championship with plenty of rust.

Moreover, Tiger admitted on Tuesday that the main reason he decided to play at all this week was so he could get some work in before next month's U.S. Open.

"The whole idea is that I peak four times a year and I'm trying to get ready for [the U.S. Open] and I need some playing time," said Tiger, per ESPN.

The writing was on the wall that he was rushing his return. Right now, it's pretty obvious that he did.

Today, Tiger did say that he was surprised that he had to withdraw. But when he was asked if he should have withdrawn sooner in the day, he offered a one-word answer: "Probably."

If that's true, then he probably had no business stepping out onto the course in the first place. He said he was told he could play, but now the question is whether he will be able to play again. From the look and sound of things, it might not be for a while.

Funny. Tiger came into the Players Championship hoping to get ready for the U.S. Open. Instead, he may have ruined his chance to play in it.

So it goes for Tiger.