The Post Mortem: This One's For Chick

You can imagine that it got a little dusty at the THN headquarters when you stopped to ponder one thing.

Adam Morrison is now an NBA champion.

Only kidding. But this is the first true post-Chick Hearn championship that the Lakers have won. And something just doesn't feel right, but we're getting closer to healing.

To be honest, I don't have a big connection with this current Lakers squad. Though the car-flag honk in me became more enthused with a Lakers championship as it grew nearer. What can I say, a true Angelino at heart. But rolling down the 405 after the victory, the local 103.1 (yes, they still have local radio stations) blared, "I Love LA," "Another One Bites the Dust," "Dancing in the Streets," and an assortment of songs in celebration to the Lakers. The "I Love LA" was more fitting because it didn't really sing so much about this team, but about all of those great Lakers teams of the past. Winning in the Forum, the Boston Garden and Forum Blue. That moment gave a nod to those Lakers team that I loved in the past and helped me truly celebrate this championship.

And as Reader Matt P. put it, I can still hear Chick saying, "Your World Champion Los Angeles Lakers radio network." Yep, this is a good day to be a Lakers fan.

And imagine my chagrin when I was escorted out of the local Best Buy trying to boost a flat-screen television. I told them that I was rioting, but they weren't having any of it. This town sure doesn't know how to celebrate anymore. Though I did have a Randy Newman CD in my pocket.

The only thing really left to say now is suck it, Red. Hopefully Hitler and you shared a consolation cigar in hell watching Phil Jackson break your mark.

TORII HUNTER is the MVP of the league and there should be no debate about it. Whomever you think is more deserving, well, you are wrong.

THE STANLEY Cup Finals Game 7 was everything that you would want a finals to be. The only bummer is that most of my friends who still follow hockey are Red Wings fans. But that was the type of game hockey needs to get people fired up again.

And I am. In fact, I'm committed to following the NHL playoffs next year. If the Kings make it. So there you go. But I'll probably watch some regular season games and get back into it. Hey, baby steps here.

Speaking of local radio, I remember when KROQ played that Gary Glitter song that the Kings popularized in the 1990s (and was copied by every other team in the world after that) for an hour straight after the Kings defeated the Maple Leafs in the Campbell Conference finals.

BARRETT ROBBINS believes that if he didn't miss the Super Bowl, the Raiders would have beaten the Buccaneers. Yeah, not so much.

WHY WAS the Yankees victory over the Mets on Friday night considered one of the greatest games in MLB history? Because ESPN was certainly treating it that way. Holy Lord, it was a dropped pop fly. Does this mean that A-Rod is going to be considered clutch? Poor K-Rod, though.

THN PATRON Saint Jon Gruden is still spreading the word to youths at his recent football camp in Florida.

During a portion of the film session in which he was breaking down the skills of a series of quarterbacks, Gruden asked his audience whether anyone knew who drafted former LSU quarterback Jamarcus Russell.

"The Raiders,'' a few campers shouted. "That's right, the Raiders," Gruden said. "Anyone here like the Raiders?''

"No,'' the campers shouted back.

"Me neither,'' Gruden said.


AND FINALLY, the 1990s Cowboys still own Brett Favre. Check out this latest blast from Michael Irvin. The Hall of Fame receiver said that it was time for Favre to retire for good, while making the rounds promoting his new reality TV series "4th and Long" (via the Los Angeles Times):

"Listen, Favre's 100 years old; stop this already.

"This is what's killing everybody. Every time Favre says, 'I want to come back,' it's like everybody on ESPN says, 'Whatever team he says he wants to come to, he makes them automatically a Super Bowl contender.'

"They said that same stuff last year with the Jets, and Favre gave out toward the end of the season.

"I love Favre and I think he's been a phenomenal talent for a long time. But when I think about it now, I say, 'Stop it already.' I don't mind that you still want to play football, but do you want to play so much, and you want to get back at [Green Bay General Manager] Ted Thompson so much, that you're willing to go back into Lambeau and hurt those fans that supported you for so long?"

Irvin is the second member of the Hall of Fame to recently speak out against Favre. Hall of Fame QB Fran Tarkenton was recently critical of Favre joining the Vikings. And by critical, we mean kicked the dude in the junk.

Some of you might agree with Irvin, but Favre did get hurt at the end of the season. And really, he's better than Tarvaris Jackson. A Super Bowl contender? That remains to be seen, but he's better than most of the jabronies out there right now. Honestly, do you think Trent Green wouldn't be a better option at this point? Why don't the old guys continue to get a chance? Jeff Garcia in Oakland, another old guy better than a current guy.

These so-called coaching gurus are so eager to develop the next great quarterback, they ignore some pretty damn good quarterbacks already in the league.

Thanks to Scott over at Buc Stats for the link.