Morning Brew: NBA, Premier League disappoint

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By Andrew Wiebe

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Cristiano Ronaldo surveyed the stunned crowd and just nodded his head. Ronaldo is only 24 years old, but nights like Tuesday’s 3-1 victory against Arsenal at Emirate Stadium are beginning to become old hat for the world’s best player.

Once again, Manchester United is poised to capture the Champions League title after Tuesday’s victory — complete with two Ronaldo goals — sent it to the final on May 27 in Rome. Once again, the Reds are in the Premier League drivers seat. Once again, Ronaldo and his sublime skills are the subject of transfer rumors.

And, frankly, I am a little bored with it all. Bored with Sir Alex Ferguson’s side’s complete dominance. Bored with the Champions League’s nearly all-English semifinals for the second straight year. Bored with the three-ring media circus in which Ronaldo is always the center of attention.

Luckily, there is still something to look forward to today. Barcelona and Chelsea clash at Stamford Bridge for the right to play Manchester United in the final. Chelsea will play for a return to the big stage that burned it in 2008, but both will play for the right to take United and Ronaldo down a peg or two.

Tune in to ESPN2, or ESPN360 if you are on campus, at 1:45 p.m. to see the second leg.

NBA PLAYOFFS NOT QUITE AS GOOD AS THEY SEEM

For the past week and a half all that NBA fans have talked about is Bulls-Celtics, the series that kept every last one of us on the edge of our seats and left us shaking our heads the next day.

But for all the overtime drama, general animosity and star power bouncing back and forth between Boston and Chicago, there wasn’t much else to go around in the first round.

None of the Western Conference series were ever really in doubt. Atlanta and Miami went to seven games, but only the diehards really seemed to care. Dwight Howard was suspended for a game, but Orlando still blew out Philadelphia.

King James and Kobe? Unchallenged. Dallas over San Antonio? Those old legs had to falter sometime. Even Houston finally making it out of the first round was no big deal.

So even though Bulls-Celtics may have been one of the most entertaining playoff series of all time the NBA still has a ways ago to make this postseason truly special.

WEDNESDAY YOUTUBE SESh

The name Danny MacAskill probably means nothing to the average reader. It doesn’t really mean that much to me either. All I know is MacAskill makes dominating urban terrain on a trial bike look exceedingly easy.

Search “Inspired Bicycles — Danny MacAskill April 2009” on Youtube and take a couple minutes to watch MacAskill tear up Edinburgh, Scotland.

The soundtrack — “The Funeral” by Band of Horses — is pretty sweet, too.

— — Edited by Chris Hickerson

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