Since my attention span is about as big as this newspaper is thick, I am just going to bounce around and talk about whatever comes to mind.

To kick things off, lets talk about baseball, or to be more specific, the Chicago Cubs. Up until Tuesday, they sucked. But after winning the second game of a double-header against Pittsburgh, they went on to win four games in a row. The bats are finally starting to come around, and as long as the pitching holds up as it has so far, especially with the way Mark Prior debuted, the NL Central will be pretty interesting.

Another thing about baseball is the talk of a strike happening in August. If it does, the athletes of Major League Baseball might as well start looking for new jobs. The damage that the last strike did should be proof enough that a strike is a really, really bad idea. There will be no Sosa vs. McGwire to save baseball this time around. The closest thing we have now is Sosa vs. Bonds, and obviously no one likes Bonds anywhere near as much as they did McGwire.

Now let’s talk about the NBA. Regardless of what happened Sunday, the Kings are just too good. They have to spot their opponents a win at Arco Arena just to keep things interesting. They gave the Lakers game one in Sacramento, and then game four in L.A., but Arco is going to be wild for game five.

You just know that NBA Commissioner David Stern is praying for a seven-game series, since the Kings cut short the Dallas series. That series was an awesome series – like watching five All-Star games – and much like the Kings/Lakers series, because you know you aren’t going to see much defense.

Obviously, the best thing the Kings they ever did was trade Jason Williams for Mike Bibby. It was like J Will was a handicap for the Kings, like playing with one hand tied behind your back, while chucking up half court threes on a fast break. I’ll admit I liked watching it, but they were never going to win a title like that.

Now that they have Bibby, the Kings have shown just how good they are when they play with both hands free and have someone in control of the offense. Bibby has just been torching the Lakers.

What’s scary is that the Kings are playing this well without Peja Stojakovic. I pity the team who faces them in the finals.

Why can’t I catch a break when watching a Kings game? On NBC, I have to listen to Bill Walton give his “expert opinion” throughout the game. He will have a good point every so often, but for the most part, he is horrible. Then, on the weeknights, there is John Thompson. He’s useless. Both of these guys made great contributions to the sport when they were playing or coaching, but that doesn’t mean they need to be commentating. I’ll tell you who is the man – Charles Barkley. He has me cracking up every time I watch. Usually I’ll flip channels during halftime. But when Barkley is in the studio, I’m all ears. He and Kenny Smith ought to go on a comedy tour.

In the Eastern Conference, we have the Celtics against the Nets. This is just weird, seeing the Celtics playing in the conference finals again. I have an idea for the Celtics though. This summer, the Celtics should trade for Keith Van Horn, Wally Szczerbiak and Dirk Nowitzki, and then force them all to wear shorts at least six inches up from the knees, just to give fans a sense of nostalgia.

It’s pretty funny how we are not even two years removed from the great Rick Pitino era, and the Celtics are already playing for a shot at the NBA title.

My prediction for the NBA Finals: Sacramento over New Jersey four games to two.

The thing that sucks about the NBA Playoffs is the way the league spreads out the games. This is ridiculous. Half the time I forget who is still playing because the last game I saw was a week ago. This method has got to go. One day is enough rest for these guys – two at the most – like in the old days. It’s pretty funny how I’m going to be finished with my summer class about the same time the NBA finals are over.

For anyone expecting to see me talk about the hockey playoffs or auto racing, this about covers it.

The best thing to happen to golf since Tiger Woods is Tiger Woods 2002 for the Playstation 2. Even if you can’t stand watching golf on television, this game is addictive as hell. The graphics are unreal, and the game is easy to pick up on. I recommend it to anyone who has a whole Saturday afternoon of nothing to do.

Back to basketball. Shane Power is making college visits to figure out where he is going to transfer. I was as shocked as everyone else when I heard he was leaving. The reason why is still a mystery, as far as I know. It’s just not going to be the same watching the Cyclones with out Power on the floor for practically the whole game. Maybe he’ll realize that he made a mistake by leaving and will return to Ames, although it’s not real likely. All I have to say is, what’s up, Shane?

Rick Kerr is a junior in journalism and mass communication from Des Moines.