In my lifetime, I've been fortunate enough to say I've seen three #8 seeds knock off the top seed in the first round of the playoffs. In 1994, I'm not sure how the Sonics got that top spot, but they clearly were NOT the best team that year as Denver proved in 5. In 1999, the Knicks were a #4 or 5 seed POSING (this word will be used often) as an 8 seed. This year, we saw a #8 flat out play the way everyone thought the #1 would, only it never happened. Of all the numbers I can throw out at you right now, this one says it all for me...

2 for 13, 8 points. 1-11 in the first half, 0-2 in the second.

To be perfectly honest with you, if there was ever a statistic that backed up my ranting on how overrated Dirk Nowitzki is, this is it. If there was ever a statistic that backed up my claim that Dirk should NOT win the MVP award this year from Big Stevie Cool, this is it. If the mere fact that the league's supposed Most Valuable Player is going home in 6 games before the Conference Semis and Steve Nash is gearing up for another playoff tilt with the Spurs doesn't say it all, nothing will. I sat through the second half last night, expecting the Mavs to make a run to get back in the game and then accelerate to silence the crowd and finish this series in Dallas. I sat through thinking that Dirk would ignite and flat out prove me wrong. He'd put his team on his back and take them to Dallas where they'd run the Warriors into the ground in Game 7.

He never did.

So that said, I'm volunteering the institution of a new rule that will hopefully go into effect for ALL sports. We'll call this The Dirk Rule. If you are an MVP winner and you cannot get your team out of the first round/first playoff game without being humiliated and sent home, you lose the award by default and the runner-up wins it in your place. Simple. By this premise, LT21 would've lost the award by virtue of the Chargers losing in the Divisional Round to the Pats.

Why?

He was an MVP who could not win a single playoff game ergo; he did not show traits conducive with what a Most Valuable Player is all about. LT21 was in essence, the Most Valuable Poser of the NFL. If Dirk is given the MVP trophy, as I've said all year long, he does NOT deserve it and the fact he's going to be sitting on his German ass with that heart of his pumping that nice Maverick blue flavored Kool-Aid while Cubes tries to find someone or thing other than his "Franchise Poser" to blame for being a part of postseason dubicity (my way of saying dubious to the nth power) is sad. David Stern should not be angry that for the first time in 8 years, an 8th seed has sent a top seed home early for the summer. I mean, he changed the seeding around to ensure that the best teams wouldn't meet until the Conference Finals. That didn't work, as we're getting Pistons/Bulls tomorrow night (old school) and the Suns/Spurs on Sunday. So what now?

As for Cubes, he's rapidly becoming my favorite owner to watch lose. For those of you who missed it earlier this morning, he basically told the camera to piss off as they tried to get a shot of him. Too bad we didn't get the Most Valuable Poser kicking over any equipment this time out, but it's the first round so we don't really care as much for the losers so much as we do the winners. And Dirk, while being unable to bring his team back from the brink of humiliation and absolute devastation, brought celebrities to Oakland to see the Warriors play. Snoop D-O-Double G, Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, and Woody Harrelson are among the multitudes hopping back on the bandwagon as ole Nellie, Baron and yes, Stephen Jackson are heading the charge. And what's more is, they might be playing into early June at this rate.

As for the Mavs, the question is "where do they go from here?" My answer's a really simple one. They go to where most good teams who have great regular seasons go once the regular season ends. Home for a long and depressing summer vacation.

It's easy to remedy a problem when your Franchise Player needs some help on the floor, as is the case with Kobe in Los Angeles and maybe to a lesser extent, Melo in Denver. But when your Franchise Player IS the problem, and there's not another person on that team who can't seem to nut up if their season depends on it, that's something that will inevitably hinder your franchise for years to come.

I mean, what does it say about your franchise when some random guy they bring in has more heart than the guy who's supposed to be the face of it? Did the Bulls in the 90s ever bring in a guy who had more heart than Jordan? Hell no. The Spurs did so because simply put, The Admiral was not cold enough to get San Antonio where it had to go. Duncan was the answer and unfortunately for Dallas, there's nobody out there that Cubes can get to be that guy for the Mavs. So Dirk will, barring something along the lines of a small miracle will end up being the Most Valuable for the 2006-2007 campaign. Nash, will have to settle for basically being that guy who was more than good enough to win it only to see a less deserving mook take it from him because obviously being a basketball playing German is more acceptable than being a Canuck who can ball with the best of them.

So to Steve Nash I say this...you want true revenge? Beat the Spurs and get that ring. Sounds great, eh? Have fun watching the rest of the playoffs Dirk, the Most Valuable Poser for the NBA. :)