Ricki C. Turns Down a Roadie Job With The Replacements

Click here for previous Mats' article - "Tommy Stinson is the George Harrison of the Replacements"

It was the winter of 1984, I had just left my day-job at Ross Laboratories in January.  (Ross Labs, by the way, was simultaneously my highest paying AND easiest warehouse job ever, but also came with a boss who once called me into his office and told me, quote – “I am going to make it so you don’t have one single interest outside of this job.” – when I dragged-ass into work one too many Monday mornings after roadie-ing for Willie Phoenix & the Shadowlords all weekend.  He was wrong.  I quit.)  One cold morning in February I got a phone call from Curt Schieber, who was then the co-owner of Schoolkids Records on campus and local promoter of “alternative” rock shows.  (Curt is currently the host of Invisible Hits Hour Sunday nights on CD 102.5.)

It seems The Replacements were headed from Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Columbus for a show that week when their van broke down.  They had it towed to Krieger Ford on the West Side and the band was all crashing at Curt’s house.  (We should get Curt to write an entire separate blog about the amount of damage done to his home by the band that week.)  (Also the amount of drugs & alcohol ingested by said band.)  Anyway, the band’s manager – Peter Jesperson – needed to run errands that day, Curt knew I wasn’t working and asked if I wanted to make a quick $50 driving Jesperson around all day.  (Note: asking an unemployed West Side boy if he wants to make a quick $50 is like asking Colin if he wants a beer at a gig.)

I picked Jesperson up around 11 am at Curt’s house near campus.  The band was splayed around the living room in sleeping bags, sound asleep & snoring.  I don’t really remember all the places we had to go that day, but at one point we drove out to see how the van repair was coming along at Krieger.  Peter decided while we were there that we might as well get a load of laundry together so we could hit a laundromat.  When he slid open the side door of the van I couldn’t believe my eyes: EVERY SURFACE of that van was covered with beer cans, liquor bottles, fast-food wrappers, cigarette butts, porn magazines & other sundry garbage.  We literally COULD NOT TOUCH the actual floor of the van from the dashboard to the back door as Peter & I bundled around picking through the debris for articles of clothing: a flannel shirt here, some t-shirts there, jeans spread around everywhere.  (I wouldn’t TOUCH the underwear; that was their manager’s job, as I saw it.  I was only makin’ fifty bucks.) 

By that point, in 1984, I had been a musician since I was 16 years old in 1968, a roadie since 1978.  I had been in a LOT of band vans, and I had NEVER laid eyes on anything like the condition of that vehicle.

By the end of the day, Jesperson and I were getting along like old buddies from the war.  He mentioned that Curt had told him I was a roadie and a recovering alcoholic.  Jesperson said they were looking for somebody sober to drive the van and help roadie the shows, offered me the job.  My family was proudly Italian, I had started drinking wine with dinner at age 12, mixed-drinks by 14 with total parental approval.  I was solidly an alcoholic from 16 to 30.  And I just couldn’t get the sight of the floor of that van out of my head.  I KNEW I hadn’t been sober long enough, knew I wasn’t strong enough to counter that brand of temptation.  (I had moved from the West Side to up around Northland just to put some literal distance between me and my old drinking buddies.)  

The Replacements stayed at Curt’s house for a week on that tour – renting vans each day to make it to gigs in Ohio & Kentucky, and then driving back to Columbus to crash – until their van was repaired.  Looking back, I should have gone along on those short hauls just to see if my sobriety would hold up.  But I didn’t: shoulda, coulda, woulda.  

I have very few rock & roll regrets in this life: one of them is turning down a job writing for England’s New Musical Express in 1978; the other, perhaps bigger, regret is not being smart enough or strong enough to become a roadie for The Replacements in 1984. – Ricki C. / Sept. 10th, 2014.

ps. It's been brought to my attention that my contributions to Replacements Week here at Pencilstorm might lead people to believe that I'm not that crazy about Westerberg & the guys.  NOTHING could be further from the truth.  From the very first time I heard "I'm In Trouble" in some now-forgotten campus record store - remember when you could still discover great new music IN A RECORD STORE? - I was hooked.  And, as time went on and Westerberg's songwriting got better & better - from "Take Me Down To The Hospital" > "Unsatisfied" > "Kiss Me On The Bus" > "Left Of The Dial" > "Within Your Reach" > "Here Comes A Regular" > "I'll Be You" - CHRIST, what more are you gonna ask for than that from one guy from Minneapolis?  Plus the fact that Westerberg could move effortlessly from "Alex Chilton" to "Skyway" - from flat-out rocker to killer ballad - in the same breath and on the same album, put him in a league with Pete Townshend, Ray Davies, Ian Hunter & Bruce Springsteen, four of my other all-time favorite rock & roll songwriters.    

I just wish they'd've rehearsed a little more, or drank a little less, or tried a little harder when they played live.

pps. Apropos of the Replacements appearance on Jimmy Fallon's show earlier in the week, and the song "Alex Chilton" in general: The Westerberg line (which I love, make no mistake) "Children by the millions wait for Alex Chilton when he comes 'round" is either the hugest overstatement or the biggest lie ever rendered in a rock & roll lyric.  I would venture to say that even at the peak of the popularity of The Box Tops - when "The Letter" hit Number One in 1967 and was awarded a gold record - that children by the millions DID NOT, in fact, wait for Alex Chilton when he came 'round-'ound.  I think even Alex Chilton would have concurred.  But God bless Paul Westerberg for making the claim.  (Conversely, the bridge-statement/advice - "Never travel far / Without a little Big Star" - might be the TRUEST, MOST ACCURATE rock & roll lyric ever penned.) - Ricki C. / Sept. 13th, 2014.

Learn more about Ricki C. and other Pencilstorm contributors by clicking here.

I Just Saw The Replacements Play in Denver. Actually,.. by Colin G.

I just saw The Replacements play in Denver.   Actually, that isn't exactly true. I saw Tommy Stinson and Paul Westerberg play 23 Replacements songs with two other dudes in a dusty hole 80 miles east of Denver. And it was great.

Q: "Wait just a second, I read Hitless Wonder and I'm wondering how you and Mike "Biggie" McDermott ending up seeing this show in Denver when you could have caught it in Chicago the week before? Did you guys hit the Powerball or did Biggie just prefer driving the van an extra 1200 miles for the hell of it?"

Speaking for myself, it doesn't take an accountant to figure:  coffee sold + music royalties - real life expenses = way less $ than it takes to fly me to Denver for a rock show. But that is exactly what happened.

As Mats' guitarist Slim Dunlap use to preach to me at a very impressionable age, "God* takes care of his writers and musicians. He may not get you a new car, but he gives you little gifts every once in awhile to let you know that he appreciates you. The key is to notice those gifts and not get hung up on what everybody else is getting. If a pile of cash is important to you, work at a bank. Songwriters get different gifts."

So about a month before this show, I get a call out of nowhere from a longtime Watershed friend who happens to live in the Denver area that I haven't heard from for a  while. "Hey, you and Biggie need to get your asses out here to see the Replacements show. It wouldn't be the same without you. It's on me. I got your tickets and just booked your flight. See you there." (click)

Now that is an offer you can't refuse. And a pretty obvious gift from whomever doles out that sort of thing.  

Speaking of Slim, sadly, his illness is also the reason Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson ended up wearing pink skirts performing in a dust bowl for Biggie and myself. Slim had a serious stroke awhile back and a number of musicians released some music to help raise money for his health expenses. (Unfortunately, health care is not a gift typically given to musicians.) Anyway, Paul and Tommy reunited to release a single as The Replacements and I can only assume had enough fun to want to play a couple of gigs in the meantime. They paired up with Paul's original solo band compadres David Minehan (The Neighborhoods) on guitar and Josh Freese (everybody!) on drums to round out the line-up. The show in "Denver" was the third and final of a three show run as part of Riotfest. The previous two shows were in Chicago and Toronto.

The reason I write "Denver" is because although the flyers said "Denver" the actual show was 80 miles east of Denver at May Farms, which, to the naked eye, looked to be a dirt farm.  It would be like advertising a show in Columbus while setting up the stage in Tipp City. 

I'll write another post about the rest of the bands at the festival soon, but let's stick to The 'Mats for now. I was curious about the crowd make-up for the event, because even as an over-the-hill rocker myself, I would be on the young side for a typical Replacements fan. I had never even heard of them until Joe Oestreich showed up at the Watershed house on 65 E. Patterson with a copy of "Don't Tell A Soul" and said, "Somebody said we should check this new band out". We listened, weren't impressed, and if I recall correctly even went so far as to sell the record back. (Probably got a good trade on the latest Dokken or something.) 

But then two things happened that changed my life forever. I turned twenty-one, so I could now drink beer whenever I wanted and I purchased a used copy of The Replacements "Pleased to Meet Me" on cassette tape. The opening of "I.O.U." tore open my sheltered suburban soul and suddenly a world appeared where I could hang out at bars in the afternoon if I felt like it. Like Slim once said, "When Tom Petty stands behind a microphone everybody feels safe. When Paul Westerberg stands behind a mic, it feels dangerous." 

The Replacements gave me the guts to push the envelope a little bit. Not to the point of real trouble, but just enough to quit being such a pussy. You know, if you happen to stay up for a few days and make out with a stranger every once in awhile, the world isn't going to end. Embrace a little danger. And Paul's lyrics were like discovering a long-lost brother I never knew about. A really smart, older, crazy brother.  The songs of Ray Davies, Bruce Springsteen and Paul Westerberg shaped me, for better or worse, into the person I am today. And I am not talking about musicality, I am talking about my actual personality. 

So yes, I was quite excited to see Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson perform together again as I stood about 30 feet straight back from center-stage with a mouth full of dust and my ears still ringing from Iggy and The Stooges. 

I won't bore you with a review of the show as actual music writers do a very good job of that already. I will say that they looked and sounded great. The crowd was about 7,000 strong and knew every word. I was probably in the middle, age-wise. The younger kids are hip these days, so quite a few hung around to see what all the fuss was about. The ones I saw seemed to be digging it. 

I suppose some Albini types could knock the band for going on a nostalgia trip but I don't think that is fair in this case. I mean, they hadn't played in 22 years so it's not like they are out milking it, and, more important, these songs deserve to be played. To paraphrase Pete Townsend - "Write your own fucking songs and then you can choose not to play them. I'll do what I want with mine."

Speaking of songs, the set-list is as follows: Takin' a Ride, I'm in Trouble, Favorite Thing, Shiftless When Idle, Hangin' Downtown, Jingle Jangle Jingle (Tex Ritter cover), Color Me Impressed, Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out, Kiss Me On the Bus, Achin' to Be, Androgynous, I Will Dare, Maybelline (Chuck Berry), Merry Go Round, Wake Up, Borstal Breakout (Sham 69 ) , Little Mascara, Left of the Dial, Alex Chilton, I Don't Know, Hold My Life, Can't Hardly Wait, Bastards of Young. Encore: Hootenanny 

Having never seen The Replacements before, just Paul solo, it is always interesting to notice what songs the band seems to really enjoy playing. Maybe they aren't the best songs to listen to, but just fun songs for the band to play, dig? I would throw "Hangin' Downtown," "Tommy Get His Tonsils Out," and "I Don't Know" in that category. The version of "Androgynous," sans keyboard was stunning. I was mildly disappointed they blew off show-closer "I.O.U" after an inspired mess of "Hootenanny," but really, it was all I could have asked for and more. Okay, got to run. I hope to write another essay soon about the under-appreciated Tommy Stinson and some thoughts on the other bands at Riot Fest, but don't hold your breath. I've got a kid to raise, a coffee shop to run, songs to write and The Wire  to watch. Oh, and football & baseball. I'm swamped. 

* God, as in some mysterious higher power. Not the one made famous from the Bible. 

Colin Gawel writes stuff sometimes for Pencilstorm . Learn more about him and the other contributors by clicking here.

Below are my favorite three Youtube clips of the show. 

Somehow I ended up backstage and on stage for THE REPLACEMENTS in Denver. I hate people who take videos at shows, but it was THE REPLACEMENTS, when are you ever going to get this chance again? Here is a video of them playing BASTARDS OF YOUNG! Make sure to watch CAN'T HARDLY WAIT!

The Replacements playing "Androgynous" into "I Will Dare' live at Riot Fest 2013 in Byers (Denver), Colorado. 0:00 - Androgynous 3:53 - I Will Dare Filmed on my HTC One on 9/21/2013.

The Replacements' performance of "Takin' A Ride" on the Riot Stage at the Riot Fest Denver http://riotfest.org, September 21, 2013 in Byers, Colorado.

The First Time I Saw The Replacements by Ricki C.

The first time I saw The Replacements was autumn 1983 at Stache & Little Brothers – a 170-capacity hole-in-the-wall club in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio – that everybody here called Stache’s.  (I also later saw Richard Thompson, Joe Ely, Lucinda Williams, Soul Asylum, Dave Alvin and a fuckload of other acts there, but today we’re talkin’ Replacements.)

I know Hootenanny was already out, but I don’t know if Let It Be was.  I do know that Westerberg & company were being touted as The Next Big Thing in “alternative rock” after REM, so I wanted to check ‘em out.  The Replacements staggered up onto Stache’s “stage” – literally one step up from the floor – and lurched into some kinda unholy din that I think was supposed to resemble a song.  Bob & Tommy Stinson were cutting huge ragged swaths of guitar & bass noise through the Stache’s PA, but nobody was anywhere close to being in tune, nobody was changing chords at the same time (if indeed those WERE chords being played) and Westerberg was so drunk you couldn’t understand a single word he was singing – it was a MAJOR fucking train-wreck of a set.  The only person even close to being on the ball was drummer Chris Mars, who was striving manfully, single-handedly, to hold the songs together, and he was failing, badly.

I was standing at the back of Stache’s by the soundboard with local scenester Ron House that night, surveying the carnage that was The Replacements, and I shouted over the din, “These guys are supposed to be The Next Big Thing?  This is HORRIBLE.”  Ron, yelling back in my ear, concurred and Ron and I seldom agreed on ANYTHING.  Just at that moment – fully a half-hour into the set – the band launched into “Take Me Down To The Hospital” from Hootenanny and it was fucking FANTASTIC!  They were AMAZING.  It was really quite unbelievable.  From “Hospital” they went into the yet-to-be-released “Unsatisfied” and it was even better than “Hospital.”  They went from total indeterminate, out-of-time, out-of-tune noise to one of the greatest rock & roll bands I’d ever seen in the course of three songs.  “Can you believe this?  They must just have been getting warmed up before.” I yelled to Ron, unable to take my eyes off of them.

And then, after “Unsatisfied” they went right back to sucking.  Right.  Directly.  Back to sucking.  Ron and I just stared at the stage and then at each other as the band veered off-course back into The Rock & Roll Wasteland.  They did that at least two more times in the course of an hour & ten minute set.  They would be world-beaters for a song or two, and then go completely off-the-rails for four or five more.  It was the weirdest, most off-kilter set of rock & roll I have ever witnessed.          

I’ve said ad infinitum for years that all of my standards of rock & roll professionalism are based on the 1969 Who – nature’s most perfect rock & roll organism – and in all the times I saw The Replacements (four or five more shows, at least) they never even managed a competent live show, let alone the lofty heights of Townshend & Moon and company in 1969.  (Plus, it’s not like I don’t understand loose, sloppy & fun in rock & roll.  I saw Rod Stewart & the Faces a number of times and they were great.  The Replacements weren’t loose, sloppy & fun, they were just drunk & shambolic.)

The last Replacements show I saw – in 1991, with Slim Dunlap on lead guitar, at the Riverbend outdoor venue in Cincinnati, opening for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – the band was a defeated, downcast, worn-out, ghostly echo of its former self.    That show was just tough to watch.  Until his first solo tour, promoting 14 Songs in 1993 at Peabody’s Down Under in Cleveland, I never saw a Paul Westerberg song played competently.  (That first solo tour backing band, by the way, included David Minehan – drafted in from Boston’s superlative pop-punk assemblage The Neighborhoods – on lead guitar and Josh Freese on drums, who now reprise their roles as Bob Stinson & Chris Mars’ substitutes in the new Replacements.)  (Notice how I avoided an obvious bad pun, there?) 

The long and the short of it is; I should not have had to wait a full TEN YEARS – from 1983 to 1993 – to see justice done to the songs of The Replacements.  I should have seen it the first time I saw The Replacements.  I wish I could go along to see it this Saturday. - Ricki C. / September 7th, 2014.  

Next time: In 1985, Ricki C. turns down a job as a roadie for The Replacements. 

Tommy (Ramone) Erdelyi Talks About Producing The Replacements: Full Interview

It's Replacements week here at Pencilstorm. Along with my Watershed pals - Hitless Wonder author Joe Oestreich and the living literary legend, "Biggie" - I have been invited to St. Paul, Minnesota, to witness The Replacements' homecoming show on Saturday September 13th at Midway Stadium in St. Paul, MN. In honor of this we decided to knock out some 'Mats-related material for your enjoyment. 

Getting stoked for the show, I stumbled onto to this unedited footage of Tommy (Ramone) Erdelyi talking about producing the Mats' classic "Tim". The footage is so raw they even have to toss a few drunks out of the bar for interrupting the shoot. Bits of this were used for the unauthorized 'Mats bio pic "Color Me Obsessed" and if you haven't seen that movie, you should. Brian Phillips and I screened it one month awhile back for our Reelin' and Rockin' at the Gateway film series. Anyway, got to serve some more coffee. Enjoy!  - Colin G.

Tomorrow:  Ricki C. tells the tale of the first time he saw The Replacements. 

The complete unedited interview with Tommy Erdelyi (Ramone) for Gorman Bechard's documentary COLOR ME OBSESSED, A FILM ABOUT THE REPLACEMENTS. The deluxe 2-disc DVD edition is available everywhere. Buy it now: http://www.amazon.com/The-Replacements-Color-Obsessed-About/dp/B0091JJ24Q/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y Visit the Color Me Obsessed wesbite: http://www.ColorMeObsessed.com

The Replacements Perform on Jimmy Fallon. Click Here to Watch.

It's Replacements week here at Pencilstorm, as we are getting stoked for their big homecoming show in St. Paul, MN, Saturday, September 13th. Here they are performing "Alex Chilton" on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Keith Richards was a guest the same night. Wow. - Colin G.

Click here for link to our music page with more Mats' and even more than that.

Music guest The Replacements performs "Alex Chilton" for The Tonight Show audience in their first TV appearance together in 25 years.

NBA Playoffs Recap and Round Two Predictions by Ben Galli

Don’t Look Back in Anger - @Bengalli33

NBA Playoffs Round 1 Recap (Round 2 Preview below)

That Game 7 though.  Wow.  That might go down as one of the best Game 7’s in Playoff history.  It’s a pity it was in Round 1.  Would have much rather seen Warriors-Rockets and Clippers-Spurs as Second Round series.  Just the flow and closeness of the game was impressive. (there were 31 lead changes(12 in 4th, and 16 ties!) At halftime, the Spurs were shooting 53% from the field.  L.A. shot at a 51.9% clip from 3 point land for the entire game.  Blake Griffin had a triple double, Tim Duncan had 27 and 11 on 11/16 shooting, but this was Chris Paul’s masterpiece.  

The biggest game of his career and a legendary Hall of Fame performance.  When CP3 left late in the 1st quarter, grabbing his hamstring, you felt 2 things:  One, L.A. wasn’t winning without Chris Paul and Two, Chris Paul was gonna come back and play.  And play he did.  Paul had 5 points and 3 assists when he left the game.  He returned to the court near the end of the 2nd quarter and proceeded to add 22 more points and this remarkable shot over Tim Duncan.  Let no one doubt Chris Paul again.

Watch this!

Los Angeles Clippers:  4 San Antonio Spurs:  3 (My Prediction, Spurs 4-3)

From Hall of Fame, to Hall of Shame.  Nearly a week before Paul’s legendary performance, the infamous antics of Kelly Olynyk had enraged the Cleveland contingent.  Judge for yourself:

Watch This!

Perhaps the gangly Olynyk didn’t mean to sideline Love for 4-6 months, but his actions were surely not accidental.  No NBA player can be that uncoordinated.  And to think most people would root for the kid from Dazed and Confused all grown up.

Kendrick Perkins was put in later to do what Kendrick Perkins is put in games to do.  Be flagrantly surly.  Later, as is J.R. Smith’s MO, he took things a little too far in the 3rd quarter with his spinning backfist of Jae Crowder, earning J.R. a 2 game suspension for the beginning of the Cavs most important series to date (see below).  I doubt Kelly Olynyk will ever have as great an impact on the NBA Playoffs as he did with his dirty play that Sunday.  

Watch that bastard Olynyk do Satan's work against Cleveland.

Cleveland Cavaliers:  4 Boston Celtics:  0 (My Prediction, Cavs 4-0)

There were some surprises in the first round of this year’s playoffs, most notably the lack of competitive series for the most part.  Of course, everything was always going to be overshadowed by the Spurs and Clippers, two title contenders somehow having to face off in the 1st round but otherwise it was just kind of a ho-hum first round.

The Washington Wizards really took it to the North.  I really wasn’t sure which of these teams would have won this series but I definitely would not have predicted the Wiz in a sweep.  

Washington Wizards:  4 Toronto Raptors:  0 (My prediction, Wizards 4-3)

I wasn’t as surprised by the outcome of this series, but I was a little dismayed by how the Blazers let themselves get dominated for the most part.  Losing Wes Matthews was one thing, but your best player shooting 33% (career avg: 48%) and Dame Lillard’s defense getting exposed spells trouble for Portland’s future.  The whispers are getting louder about LaMarcus Aldridge going to San Antonio or Dallas. 

Memphis Grizzlies:  4 Portland Trail Blazers:  1 (My prediction, Grizzlies 4-2)

It wasn’t that I doubted the Warriors as much as I respected the greatness of the individual Anthony Davis when I predicted G State wouldn’t sweep.  I wrote about what happened here but the Warriors were always going to advance.

Golden State Warriors:  4 New Orleans Pelicans:  0 (My prediction, Warriors 4-1)

The only thing that told me anything from the Mavs-Rockets series, is that Dallas players voted to not give Rajon Rondo a share of their playoff bonus.  It wasn’t a money thing, as Rondo missed out on a little less than an estimated $14,000.  That guy is the current definition of high risk, high reward.  With many doubting how high that reward actually is.

Houston Rockets:  4 Dallas Mavericks:  1 (My prediction, Rockets 4-1)

The Hawks will be the Hawks will be the Hawks will be the Hawks.  Deron Williams prioritized basketball over the buffet line for 1 game and the Nets appeared a slight threat but only because few outside of the ATL give the Hawks a second glance.

Atlanta Hawks:  4 Brooklyn Nets:  2 (My prediction, Hawks 4-1)

The Bucks showed some spunk by taking this series to 6 games and they will definitely be a team to watch next year. I cannot remain silent however, on more important matters of justice.  We continue to live in a society where a “thug” from New Jersey will receive a 2 game suspension for an act of retaliation whereas an All American from Duke will receive no suspension for a similar act of actual aggression.  Obviously I’m exaggerating the social relevance but at the same time, sports and society are mirrors into truth, and worthy of at least some analysis.  Plus, I’m biased for Cleveland.  Dunleavy’s play below led him to getting absolutely decked by the Greek Freak who’s growing up fast before our very eyes.
 
Watch this!

Chicago Bulls:  4 Milwaukee Bucks:  2 (My prediction, Bulls 4-1)

Love Will Keep Us Together. Round 2 Preview

Each conference is down to their own Final Four.  As usual, the West has more intriguing matchups than the East but the most intriguingest one of them all is da’ Bulls versus Cleveland.  Let’s get to the other three first.

#1 Atlanta Hawks vs. # 5 Washington Wizards

One of the writing guidelines I adopted a long time ago was don’t waste too many words on the Atlanta Hawks.  Let people in Atlanta discuss them and root for them and suffer their inevitable disappointments.  Even with “team basketball” and “unselfishness” and “Popovich disciple” as catch phrases surrounding this team, does anyone else really give a damn?  I admit it is interesting to see if they can succeed against superstar laden teams but I feel I already know the answer to that.  

A good test will be John Wall’s Wizards.  Wall is as fast as a bullet and I can’t stop using bullets to describe Washington’s basketball team.  The Wizards have an intriguing team with young sharpshooter Bradley Beal, the always dangerous Paul Pierce, and the recent emergence of former 3rd pick in the draft, Otto Porter Jr.  Still they ended the season struggling majorly and it is always hard to pick a team to win 4 games against a team that won 14 more regular season games including 3 of 4 head to head.  But Atlanta doesn’t have a real go to guy especially with Horford not being 100%.  And I’m on the John Wall bandwagon.  

Pick:  Washington in 7

#1 Golden State Warriors vs. #5 Memphis Grizzlies

What happened to Mike Conley Jr’s face?  Guy had to get plates surgically inserted and has already missed 3 games in the playoffs including Game 1 of the Warriors series.  That must have been the hardest elbow ever.  With Conley at full go, the Grizzlies did pose a challenge to the Warriors because of the always difficult matchups that Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol pose both on offense and defense.  

Conley’s a gamer so I expect he’ll be back for Game 2 but the Warriors are playing really well right now.  Their comeback against the Pelicans, from 20 points down in the 4th quarter, may have given the team the indomitable confidence that leads some to magical postseason runs.  The Grizzlies will still be the toughest defense the Warriors play in the West and I still think they find a way to steal 2 games.  But deserved MVP Steph F’in Curry will get to his first Conference Finals. 

Pick:  Golden State in 6.

#2 Houston Rockets vs. # 3 Los Angeles Clippers

Clippers’ MVP Chris Paul will likely miss the first game of this series which gives Houston a great chance at taking advantage of a brief dip in the Clippers’ momentum.  Perhaps finishing 2nd to Steph Curry will give James Harden the extra motivation to take no prisoners and carry Houston to a Conference Finals showdown with the guy who stole his MVP in the 2nd half of the season.  Harden’s biggest challenges remain in his ability to get Howard and Josh Smith to play the playoff basketball they need to play.  They both showed they could contribute against the Mavs, but these Clips are far removed from that team talent wise.  With Doc Rivers at the helm and Chris Paul looking to advance to a Conference Finals for the first time in his career, Los Angeles looks too tough a matchup for Houston.  

Pick:  Los Angeles in 6

#2 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. # 3 Chicago Bulls

This is the series that all eyes will be on in Round 2.  So many questions raised by the unnecessary antics in the Cavs’ Game 4 clincher over Boston. (I really only mean Olynyk’s actions that led to everything else).  Losing Kevin Love, who the Cavs traded the Rookie of the Year for, really hurts, especially mentally.  Losing J.R. Smith for 2 games is not as bad but starts the series with Cleveland in an even deeper hole.  The fact that Derrick Rose has not gotten hurt again and Jimmy Butler is playing lights out ball recently, gives the Bulls a seeming advantage.  

But the Cavs have ability and versatility on the bench.  They can change up what positions some of their players play most notably because of the 4 position monster LeBron is.  They may not be able to stretch with Tristan Thompson playing more minutes, but he has been very solid on the glass.  If some combination of James Jones, Mike Miller, and gulp! Shawn Marion, can put in some quality buckets, the Cavs can overcome the absence of Love.  More than anything however, the Cavs know they all need to step it up with KLove out for the playoffs and that may be just the motivation they need to really come together as a true championship contender.  

Pick:  Cleveland in 7

And not to forget, the newest episode reflecting on this year’s playoffs:  

Game of Zones returns for the 2015 season with another spoof on HBO's hit show Game of Thrones.