It all happened so fast!

Here's what has gone on since my last post:
The Jackets picked up Scott Howson as their new GM
The Ducks win the Stanley Cup
The draft is just three days away
I got a job! Downtown even!

I feel like I missed the boat on a lot of these events, so I'm not going to dig too deep in hindsight. Here's my thoughts in a few sentences:
I'm disappointed about the Sens' performance in the finals, but Anaheim proved to be the better team on both ends of the ice. Despite that, I thought for sure that Alfredsson, Heatley and the rest of Ottawa could put on an offensive clinic and keep it close.

Scott Howson seems to be an alright guy. He's only a year removed from a Stanley Cup run, and has been fully exposed to the pressure of a major franchise. This is unlike MacLean, who came from Florida where hockey isn't a mainstream sport. Howson has worked in the front office for over ten years, including working in the NHL since 2000. Only time will tell how Howson will perform for the CBJ organization, but we should see start to see his impact immediately. With the draft just a few days away, the Jackets' front office will need to select their picks and then make some moves over the summer to turn this team around.

And I got a job. I'm working in the IT department for a mental health facility downtown, just a few blocks from the arena district. I smell trouble for my pocketbook as soon as hockey season starts. I'm going to want to attend every game...

The Jacket Times will Return 6/18

Tomorrow afternoon I'll be heading to Europe to do some pre-draft scouting for the Jackets.

Ha! I wish. I'll be overseas, but it won't be because of some dream job for the team. Instead, I'll be goofing around with some college buddies. I'll be back on the 18th at which point we'll start the Draft coverage. Yoder and I will be attending this year's festivities.

In the mean time, stay tuned to End of the Bench and Army of the Ohio for Blue Jackets news. Also, these other bloggers and myself are planning a draft meet-up for hockey bloggers and fans. Details to follow. (For you out-of-towners coming to Columbus for the draft, see this post for some additional information.)

If you're looking for something to read, why not check out how I increased my gas mileage to 38mpg and it cost me nothing.

The King Earns His Crown

Let me preface this by saying that I don't really follow the NBA. I've never been a big fan of professional basketball, but I've followed it through watching/listening to Around the Horn and Pardon the Interruption. Through these means, I generally stay current regarding what's going on in the league enough to speak intelligently of it, but I'm certainly not a regular fan.

That said, Go Cavs!

Last night, I watched more professional basketball than I had the whole season. I tuned in for one of the most impressive performances of basketball that have happened in recent years. In case you missed it, the Cleveland Cavaliers edged out the Detroit Pistons in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. In double overtime, LeBron James scored the final 25 points (holy crap.) for his team, giving him a total of 48. Unreal.

The sports pundits have been calling for LeBron's "coming of age" for a while. They blamed #23 for not taking more initiative in the first two games of this series. After the last 3 wins, you can be assured that LeBron has redeemed himself. Just check out that picture. You can see all five Detroit players and LeBron floating to the basket- with no other Cavs players in sight. Seriously, where are they? From the perspective of this photo you can see pretty much the whole court. Where'd they go?

Photo from Getty Images via Deadspin