"I think I hate Ted Koppel!" ... and by 'Ted Koppel,' I mean 'The Celtics'

Going into these 2008 NBA Finals, I really thought I was going to cheer on the Celtics:

I think I'm going for the Celtics

...but then something happened. During Game 1, the Lakers trailed slightly throughout, and I found myself pulling for them. In Game 2, during a massive C's beatdown -- due to a mixture of good play and favorable calls -- I found myself opening rooting for L.A. to make a game out of it. At first I wasn't sure if I just wanted a good game or legitimately wanted the Celtics to lose, but two things really cemented my spot on the Laker bandwagon...

2) Celtics fans -- It's an odd sense of entitlement. I mean, everybody loves a loser-to-winner story in sports, but Boston didn't really do it conventionally. They weren't young up-and-comers (2008 Hornets), they weren't built through scouting and drafting and clever signings (2004 Pistons, Spurs dynasty). No, they basically just fleeced the Minnesota Timberwolves and got good immediately after. To me, it felt like they didn't really work for it -- though someone like Paul Pierce will rightfully tell you otherwise.

Now, if a team like the Hawks had a turnaround due to an unfair trade, it'd for sure be funny. But when it's a historically dominant team like Boston, something feels unfair about it.

1) James Posey -- Reached the Starks/Ewing level of hatred a few years ago with Bulls fans due to ridiculous and violent shenanigans as a member of the Miami Heat (seriously, who takes out Luol Deng?!). Seeing him succeed just kills me.

Hopefully the Lakers can turn it around in L.A. For my sake, for Kobe's sake, and for the NBA's sake.

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White Sox thoughts...

Helluva game today. I've reached a point -- that most fans should reach during such an offensive-fueled win streak like this -- where I won't exactly be upset when they lose. Will it be disappointing? Sure, but if your team is winning six out of every seven games, you can't be all that mad, right?

But the Sox weren't ready to call it at six, no, they slugged their way to their seventh win in a row via a 7-5 victory over the Twins for their first four-game sweep of Minny since 1979. The win capped a perfect home stand for the Sox. The Twins, coming in with high expectations, left two games under .500 and 6.5 games out of first in the division.

Today's player of the game was Nick Swisher, but Jenks, Linebrink, and Konerko also deserve some credit.

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Bears thoughts...

I hate Cedric Benson.

UPDATE (4:32PM): Benson = He gone! ... What a glorious, glorious time.

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Bulls thoughts...

Vinny Del Negro!

As Blog a Bull says "I'm at the point where I won't believe it until there's a press conference," but still, it seems like it's pretty much a lock.

More importantly, Tom Ziller at the AOL Fanhouse is referring to him as 'the Notorious V.D.N.,' and it's a nickname I hope will stick. Unless someone else has a better, funnier idea?