What do you do when you're lazy, yet want to post?

Just copy and paste from IM's, baby. Barcus had the following waiting for me when I got home from work today, and since I wanted to talk about most everything he included, it makes a nice little format.

Dear Dubs,

How are you? Here are few things we need to discuss:

1. Manu Ginobli's career will not be as illustrious as all of the analysts who just jumped on the Manu-train think it will be. Don't they realize that Manu scores because he basically ignores his and the safety of others and dives headlong into a crowd of giants? Sadly, Manu will get injured. I bet it'll be something along the lines of a broken shoulder or cheekbone when he eventually takes a Joe Johnson fall on his face/shoudler. I love Manu, you know I do...but I can't see him keeping his game at this level unless he seriously bulks up.

Manu is one of my favorite players in the NBA. Ever since 2003, when I realized not only how fun it was to scream “Manuuuuu”, but to also type it to Gina as he sliced and diced the Lakers. He was the only marginally exciting thing about a droll Spurs team, but I still supported him, rooting for him and Argentina harder than I did the ol’ US of A in the Olympic games. But now I officially can’t stand the Spurs, want them, need them to lose, and Manu’s caught in the middle.

As far as Manu’s health goes, I think he’s in a constant state of banged up, and his style of play certainly leads one to believe he’s a Ben Wallace elbow away from looking like he just went twelve rounds with Clubber Lang. But you have to realize, Manu’s played way over one hundred games in the last year, counting the NBA regular season and postseason, plus all the Olympic stuff, and he doesn’t look like he’s slowing down. I don’t think he’s made of flesh, but some South American wood that looks like flesh but is really some sort of indestructible material.

Two more things on the Spurs-Suns series:

1) The stupid Spurs are too damn smart. They don’t bother trapping Steve Nash the entire game, because that gives the Suns time to adapt to it. No, they wait until the last four or five possessions, then they don’t bring any double-team, but some combination of Duncan, Bowen, Horry and Ginobli, all long-armed, quick defenders. Greg Popovich should be president, and this isn’t a Bush crack, because he’d probably do better than anything the Democrats could throw out there as well.

2) Best-case scenario for the games in San Antonio: Joe Johnson returns in Game Three, sluggish, and the game is tight again. A couple of calls suspiciously go the Suns way – lets say, Manu, Tony and TD all have four fouls going into the fourth – and they close it to 2-1. In Game Four, Johnson finds his stroke, Marion breaks lose and it’s a rout, putting this thing right back on the map.

Sadly, it’ll probably be a sweep.

2. I missed Lost's 2-hour finale, but I am now trained to serve alcohol anywhere in America. It's a trade-off.

I watched most of the Lost finale last night, and I was left rather unsatisfied. I’d like to talk to someone who watched the show all season to know how they feel, but all I saw – and obviously, I’m missing all the little things having not watched the show all season – is that the little black kid is now going to be a slave, his dad, the Korean and the long-haired guy are all probably dead and they’ve now blown the hatch open, but you’ll be waiting all summer to see what’s underneath it. Another blatant cliffhanger from ABC – can someone who watched Lost all season please let me know if that was a suitable conclusion to season one for you?

there's more....

3. Dwayne Wade is the man....'nuff said.

Couldn’t have said it better myself. God forbid a guy have one bad game after a ten-day break and coming back against the defending NBA Champions. Everyone was so ready to jump off the bandwagon due to way Kobe, T-Mac, Vinsanity and LeBron have all faltered they forgot that Wade is the real deal. Forty points – 20 in the fourth – and he was still below .500 on his jumper and didn’t attempt a three. I’m still pretty sure the Heat would have been just fine – though not this good- without the Shaq trade last offseason.

4. Alonzo Mourning turns into the Incredible Hulk anytime he does anything of the smallest value for his team. Zo's ridiculousness is good because anytime a man with dying kidneys flexes all his muscles and "raises the roof" the crowd will go berzerk.

How scary is the Alonzo-Shaq combo Stan Van Gundy is throwing out there now? Two three-pointer shooters in the Jones Boys, two freakishly large black men and Dwyane Wade. Yeah, only two players on the floor with that five can hit a consistent jump shot, but nobody will be coming down the lane.

5. Garreth: Isn't Schlinder's List a brilliant movie?
Hot New Employee: I'm sorry what's this about?
Garreth: It's about the picture of David with the two blokes jizzin' on him.

Yeah, that’s an Office reference, so Pete, Matt and I are probably the only ones to enjoy that, and since Pete is opening a sweat shop in China right now – the foreman will be the little black kid from Lost - I’m the only one getting any joy out of that.

I also wanted to know what the general reaction to Carrie Underwood winning Idol last night was, and judging from the radio morning shows on the way to work, I guess it’s pretty much split down the middle. I went to the Official Blog American Idol Expert, Anna Pursley, for her reaction:

After a thoroughly enjoyable (and not drawn out) 2 hour mega-episode of American Idol, the suspense is over. America has spoken and Carrie Underwood is 2005's American Idol! But, did this result really surprise anyone? American Idol has always been a show of bubble-gum glittery pop music. Bo Bice might be a very talented faux-rocker, but who can resist Carrie's sweet country charm and bouncy blonde curls. Yep, America has our newest Idol.

Two things to consider. The first is that I don’t know how a two hour finale when everyone only cares about one five minute period at the end isn’t drawn out, and the second is that Anna just loves Carrie because she’s from Little Rock and loves country. She also, apparently, got the Idol monkey off her back by picking Carrie from the beginning, just like my sister. Tina has struck out with Clay, Carmen and Diana, so it’s nice for her to be right.

No OC tonight, no playoff games tonight and the Pirates are floundering on the road until Memorial Day. Fun night, to be sure, but a three-day weekend awaits.