SUNS-SET

Remember when I said "I still believe"?  

Yeah... about that.

I Still Believe.

So even after game 1 of the Western Conference Finals where the Lakers thoroughly mopped the floor with Los Suns... I still believe.

I've been a Suns fan my whole life and I've been a Suns addict more recently since 2007.  I took some time between 93' and 07' to morn the devastating loss to the Bulls that year in the Suns 2nd NBA Finals appearance ever.  I was only 8 years old but I remember crying like a baby.


It's funny how the Suns first ever NBA Finals appearance was in 1976, then 17 years later they showed up again with KJ, Barkley and company in 1993...  well it's 2010 - 17 years later. 

For me there couldn't be a better road of satisfaction to travel back to the finals this year - we swept our nemesis the Spurs who had dismissed us like 20 times in a row in playoffs past, and now we face our bitter division rivals, the Lakers.   I hate the Lakers.  They are pretty  much the Yankees of the NBA. I'm not just talking about their snobbish/stuck-up/arrogant attitudes accross the board -  take a look at their team salary, the highest in the league. Over $4M more than the team with the deepest pocketed owner in the league.  There is a $16,450,211 difference between their team salary and the Suns'.

I have no doubt that if we had an extra player for around that price we'd be the team everyone was calling 'long' and 'lengthy', especially if we had Dwight Howard (who makes $15,133,800) on top of all the guys we already had.

Or lets pretend we had LeBron James ($15,799,912) - Dwayne Wade ($15,799,912)?  How about Kevin Garnett ($16,400,00)?  OH BABY.  YOU THINK things would be different?  That's a giant affirmative.  But that's not how it works and you make do with what you have.

*Not that it played a huge role in last night's no-show from Phoenix* but to add insult to advantage there is an obviously different rule book the NBA officials pull out when super-stars like Kobe Bryant are on the floor.  That has always boggled my mind.   The fool is already insanely-talented... and now you want to go and make the game easier for him?  OH, that makes total sense.

Though my hatred for the Lakers runs thick - my confidence in the Suns is what keeps me believing.  They've shown tremendous heart and resolve the whole season - I still believe they can pull this off.

'Eutychus Falls'? WTH?

Here's the scoop behind the name - 

First off, Eutychus is pronounced  'yew-tee-cus'.
 
Now let's take a look the Good Book for a brief bio on who this fool was: 

ACTS 20: 7-12

7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

8 And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.

9 And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.

So Paul was preaching a SUPER LONG, like all-night kind of long sermon and Eutychus couldn't stay focused and died because of it... But that wasn't the end of it -

10 And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.

11 When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.

12 And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.

Paul then was able to demonstrate one of his many Gifts of the Spirit to the crowd by bringing the kid back to life.  This has always been one of my favorite stories in the New Testament because all too often I find myself in Eutychus' shoes - drifting to sleep and losing focus on the important lessons in life. 

My blog won't always be long-winded or talk about the important lessons of life - but there is a possibility that it might put you to sleep.  I'm just sayin'.