Paul Pierce is having an interesting offseason. Celebrating his title, almost getting arrested in Las Vegas and then proclaiming himself the world’s greatest basketball player. Pierce said that in Madrid when asked if Kobe Bryant is the best player in the world. “I don't think Kobe is the best player. I'm the best player,” Pierce said, according to yahoo.com. “There's a line that separates having confidence and being conceited. I don't cross that line but I have a lot of confidence in myself." On the one hand, a person like Pierce probably should feel that he’s one of the better players in the league. He was simply outstanding in the Finals. On the other, until this season I don’t know that many people would have put him in the top three, four, five players. Finally, he misses the point. Actually, the questioner does as well. Because, well, you see the best player in the world is neither Kobe or Paul Pierce, it’s LeBron James.

Of all the many unforgettable moments provided by Heath Ledger in the Dark Knight, the best has to be when Ledger, made up as the Joker, hair askew, makeup all over, wears a nurse’s dress as he sits down to face the man he tried to murder. He looks at a man he put in a hospital bed, says hi with an impish grin and (remember, wearing a nurse’s dress) asks: “Do I really look like a guy with a plan.” Classic. Not quite, “I am shocked, shocked to learn there is gambling going on in here,” but classic nonetheless. It’s also not quite the same as Slim Pickens telling a whole bunch of cowboys “Somebody has to go back and get a (boatload) of dimes” in Blazing Saddles, but it was good. And don’t forget from Airplane — “A hospital, what is it? … It’s a big building with patients, but that’s not important right now.” Ledger ranks in there somewhere.

Devoe Torrence wound up joining Akron’s football team – after he was acquitted of charges he had sex with a 12-year-old-girl. Had Torrence had any other previous issues in high school he would not be with the Zips now. And the fact that Torrence was judged innocent enabled the team to add him. Torrence is a talented back who went to Canton South for three years, then to Massillon. But right now he’s running fourth team for the Zips. I wrote a lot about him in Wednesday’s Beacon Journal, but the thought of him sitting in court going testimony against testimony with a 12-year-old is pretty unsettling. Here’s what I wonder: Yes he may have been judged innocent, but how in the world does someone put themselves in the situation where they are charged with such a crime?

Memo to Alan T, one of my loyal readers. Appreciate the complimentary photo; it actually shows my better side. And Alan … as for Adriana … can’t we live with one unreal image in our lives? At least, can’t I in my pathetic little life? I mean, we’re just trying to have a little bit of fun here. Without a plan, of course.

“I’m like a dog chasing a car. Wouldn’t know what to with one if I caught it. I just do things.” Classic.

Next starting question on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? “Place the following in order of duration, shortest to longest.”
A) The 100 Years War
B) The time it took the British to navigate to the Falklands
C) The time I will wait for Adriana Lima’s call
D) The death of Francisco Franco
E) The Brett Favre Retirement-Unretirement Saga

Let’s see … Devin Hester signed a new contract for $40 million. It took Joshua Cribbs how long to ask for a new deal? Guess that six-year deal Cribbs signed in November of 2006 doesn’t count. In truth, Cribbs is underpaid. But the problem is it was him putting his signature on his contract, a document that is legally valid in 48 of the 50 states. The proverbial ball is the proverbial court of the proverbial team on this one.

Here’s a couple more pictures from my friend Bob, a fellow St. Ignatius alum, from his travels in Alaska, the great state of bears, glaciers, mountains and snow.

Why did James Posey go to New Orleans instead of back to Boston or to Cleveland? New Orleans gave a 31-year-old role player a four-year contract. The Celtics and Cavs were not willing to go that far. Was it right? Well, Danny Ferry constantly stresses the need to be flexible in his contracts, and adding that much money for a guy who would be 35 in the final year would reduce flexibility. Many folks believe that NBA guys are on borrowed time when they get to 33. Posey is a very good player for what he does, which is be a part-time backup who can shoot and defend. He's also an excellent pregame hugger, he wrote, rolling his eyes. He would be valuable on the Cavs, no doubt. But it does not seem like losing him now means the Cavs championship hopes are dashed. It would have been a nice get, but it’s not a gigantic loss.

I heard some folks on the radio chattering that the Indians could get back in the race after the All-Star break. Well, never say never, but let’s do the math. Cleveland was 41-53 at the break. That’s 94 games, meaning there were 68 left (impressive math, eh?). If the Indians won 40 of 68, they’d finish at 81-81. That would not get them back in the race. Ninety-one wins would, which only means the Indians would have to go 50-18 after the All-Star break. And since they lost the first game in Seattle, they now have to go 50-17. It can happen, yes, but the math indicates just how slim the chances really are.

Paul Pierce seems to be enjoying his celebrity.

Fox’s Charlie Rosen assesses the Lebron James-will-sign-with-New-Jersey saga here.

And … let’s go back to Yellowstone … hope this does not offend anyone, but here are some animals and their … umm … young. First elk, then antelope. Can anyone explain why it’s so interesting to see animals in their natural environment?

Finally, here is a sunset view (hope it comes out) in Lamar Valley, which has to be one of the most beautiful spots in the United States of America. The first one looks into the sun. The folks in the foreground are looking up the hill at a pack of wolves.

This one points in the direction the sun is shining. The colors continue to amaze me, but then again I've got a pretty simple mind. When I die, though, I want to come back as a buffalo in the Lamar Valley. There simply are very few places where it would be better to wander aimlessly and eat grass for the rest of eternity.

Today's blog is presented by Larry King, the multi-married talk-show host …

The Indians won two in a row! … Must let the lovely Dyan Cannon know of that. … She’s a huge Tribe fan. … Jack looked great last night, didn’t he? … But who was the guy with the hat and sunglasses? … With two in a row, it could be time for the Indians to get themselves untracked. … Lot of injuries though. … Two pitchers, three and four hitters hurt or hurting. …. Yikes. … My good friend Mark Shapiro will address the media today. … Mark remains a baseball bright light. … Still, nobody in Dubuque will send him any sympathy cards. … Love those valet parking commercials on the NBA Finals. … “Let me get warm here. You are HOT.” … Not quite as good as the E*Trade baby who answers the Blackberry and says, “Hey girl. Can I hit you back?” … Every time Tim Donaghy opens his mouth, NBA folks must cringe. … Donaghy has some fiery claims in his latest court filing. Specifically that a 2002 playoff series between the Lakers and Sacramento was … umm …affected by calls. … Fans have cried conspiracy in the NBA for years. … Don’t think my dear friend David Stern would allow that though. … That being said, the news is enough to make a person scratch his forehead. … And think about those phantom calls that affected a game. … That’s the problem with a crook like Donaghy – his actions smear others just by association. … Not sure about you, but I’ll take Caribou over Starbucks any day of the week. … Clutch game by Paul Pierce eh? … AC in the car was out recently when it was in the 90s and will be fixed today when it’s 72 and lovely. … Great timing there eh? … Felt for all the folks who were within noseshot when the car door opened over the weekend. … Said the parking lot guy: “You were like a zombie!” … Kind of cracks me up. … Memo to ask Jack: What exactly makes you a fan? … LeCharles, love ya and the comeback. … But it still seems like a long road ahead. … Wouldn’t it be great to have The Thing from the Addams Family reside in the house? … If the Indians are to get going, now is the time to do it. … They play Minnesota (31-34), San Diego (28-38) and Colorado (29-39), the Dodgers (31-33), San Francisco (29-36) and Cincinnati (31-35) the next few series. … That’s six teams, all below .500. … They don’t come out of it by the end of this stretch, which coincidentally is June 30, it’s time to start making some serious decisions. … Time to go look for wife number seven to complete marriage number eight. … Oh gosh, forgot I’m not even divorced yet. … Angie, you look beautiful on that Vanity Fair cover. … Call me. … Who in the world gets married seven times to six different women? … See ya around.

Paul Pierce’s saga continues today. The guy who was so injured he couldn’t walk the other night in Game 1 in Boston might or might not play tonight. Pierce needed to be carried off the court and wheelchaired to the dressing room after he hurt his knee in Game 1. Bill Plaschke, a friend and columnist for the LA Times, said Pierce was weeping on the court at the severity of his knee injury. One minute and 45 seconds later Pierce was back on the court, sinking threes and leading the Celtics to the win.

All this led some to question the authenticity of the injury. Plaschke called it chicanery, which led to Boston fans writing Plaschke and telling they hoped he’d get cancer. Nice. Lakers coach Phil Jackson smirked about Pierce’s miracle comeback, then said this on Saturday: "I don't know if the angels visited him at halftime or in that timeout period he had or not," Jackson said. "But he didn't even limp when he came back out on the floor. I don't know what was going on there. Was Oral Roberts back there in their locker room?"

Call that a direct shot to Pierce, the Celtics and their credibility. And Jackson is the son of a minister.

Now, I’m not going to question Pierce’s injury. When the Finals are said and done, we may learn he played the rest of the series with an MCL tear or something. But the entire drama in Game 1 was a bit much. The guy was crying, he could not stand, could not put weight on his knee, then he trots back on the court? For crying out loud, he was in a wheelchair, and two minutes later he trotte back on the court. Celtics fans went nuts. There are the same fans, of course, who howled every time LeBron James reacted after getting hit in the face in their series. James was a baby, or so I was told. Pierce, because he plays for Boston, is a hero. Please. Even Pierce admitted being carried off was almost embarrassing.

To compare it to Willis Reed’s situation in 1970 is downright insulting to Reed, who played the first four games of the Finals against Wilt Chamberlain and scored 37, 29, 38 and 23 points. And averaged 15 rebounds. He tore a muscle in his hip the next game and missed Game 6. Prior to Game 7, he had to take three shots just to play – Jackson, a teammate, called them “horse shots.” And when he dragged his leg as he ran on the floor, he was coming back from an injury, a torn muscle. He was not trotting back on from something he thought was an injury.

In terms of drama and being dramatic, Reed’s actions were Shakespearean and Pierce’s were High School Musical. I wrote that here as well, and I stand by it.

All this also points out the sense of entitlement that Celtics fans have carried themselves with since the playoffs started. That by virtue of wearing Celtic green their team deserves the championship. They act so entitled they would make the Clintons blush. Let’s be honest, they were so bad last year Pierce thought he’d be traded. Then Danny Ainge made a nice move getting Ray Allen on draft day. Then Kevin McHale helped his old team and old friend out by shipping Kevin Garnett to Boston. The Celtics are good. Very good. They play defense with a vengeance. If they win the title they are deserving. But this team is hardly home-grown.

Come to think of it, getting Garnett is actually comparable to the Lakers getting Pau Gasol for a ballrack and dirty jerseys in midseason. Perhaps these guys deserve each other in these Finals. (Yes, it’s best to go now — before Cleveland sports bitterness totally engulfs this ridiculous blog.)

The Indians scored 35 runs the last three games in Texas, which either means that park is the ultimate hitter’s park, or the Indians may be breaking out of their hitting slump. Or have broken out. If they are, it’s good. But the prognosis for Jake Westbrook does not sound good. Any time a guy goes to see an expert on Tommy John surgery, it does not sound good. Sounds possible, perhaps likely, the Indians will lose Westbrook for the season, if not longer. Which means that this season the Indians have lost their No. 2 and No. 3 starters for periods of time (Fausto Carmona and Westbrook) and gotten next to nothing from their No. 3 and 4 hitters (Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez). There’s still time in a season, and the Indians do have pitching depth – though minor leaguer Adam Miller is done for the year following surgery on his finger – but given these facts is it any wonder the Indians have struggled?

Excellent story in the Boston Globe about Paul Pierce, a guy I had questions about prior to this postseason. It details how Pierce grew up this year. Seems easy to grow up when you’ve got two All-Stars on your team, but that’s the take from Boston .In the story, it says the Celtics figured things out against Detroit after playing two “inferior teams.” Ahem. One of those teams would be the Cleveland Cavaliers. On the one hand, anyone can say that, because the Celtics beat the Cavs. But on the other, let’s be honest … the Celtics squeezed out a Game 7 win over the Cavs by four points in a game the Cavs easily could have won had they made a shot at the end. This is sort of like the guy I once knew who used to say he hit the perfect putt, it was just three feet to the right. Which of course means the putt was not perfect. So the Cavs missed their shots and lost. Which means the Celtics deserved to win. But it hardly seems like that series proved the Cavs were an “inferior team.” Boston just happened to win.

Always interesting what motivates players. Pierce apparently was made he was drafted 10th. The story relates: “In his early years, Pierce regularly engaged in a solo shooting drill in which he would rotate from the perimeter, left to right, swishing a 3-pointer and hollering the name of each man drafted ahead of him.”

Could the NBA possibly drag out the start of these Finals a little more? When did the last series end? A week ago Tuesday?

Finally found the best use of HDTV – Stanley Cup hockey. You can actually see the puck!