Can you taste this for me?

How many times have I asked myself that question while dining in one of Saskatoon's many restaurants. Thirty, forty, maybe fifty times. And knowing full well that this trend will continue, I want to talk about how this has affected me, how dining in this city whether it be for lunch, dinner or even just for dessert and wine can be such a depressing ordeal, one that I can't stand for much longer. Therefore, before I continue, I would like to paint a familiar picture for you, one I'm sure we all have experienced countless times before.

Hey sweetie you hungry? You want to go for lunch?

Sure. Where to?

Oh I don't know, you pick?

No, I don't care, you pick?

Okay, okay I'll do it. How about that new place Bliss, wanna go there?

Sure, that sounds good.

Then you're off, you both trek down to Bliss.

You arrive and find that it looks nice, and I say that with caution. I mean it's clean, very open and very boring. If you're 80 you might enjoy it, but for me having my chef stare at me while I eat my food kind of got to me... Seemed a little creepy I might say. Any who, back to the food.

So we order, can't remember exactly what it was because it was that forgetable, however, I do remember getting some sort of pasta and chicken sandwich. Now here we are, my girl and I eating our lunch and I'm thinking "What the fuck!!!!, this is terrible, extremely bland, tasteless and something I could make ten times better".

I was so irritated. I wanted to walk up to the chef while holding my plate of food and ask him, "Hey retard, eat this! This is awful, why would you serve me this? Do you not have any pride? Seriously you can't be happy with this, I mean come on, when you were making the menu did you step back and go "hey this is great" or did you not give a fuck?"

I was so mad. I mean this is a BRAND NEW restaurant that the Planet S gave glowing reviews too, how could they be so clueless? By the end of it I walked out $40.00 poorer and much more disappointed and this wasn't even the first time something like this has happened to me, my girl or someone I know. Take for instance friends of mine who dined at The Barking Fish last night, a place they hadn't been to in months. Excited and hoping for something great, they quickly realized when their dinners arrived why they had stopped their patronage. The food was awful and sub par, end point.

Am I asking for a lot? Is it that hard to take pride in what you do? Fuck I don't know, as it stands I trust only a few places in this city. Sushiro, Amigos, Earls and Calories and that's about it. Everything else to me is either crap or dog shit. The food at Bliss seemed more catered to the taste of babies rather than adults. And to take this even further, my girl and I visited yet another Planet S recommendation a few day later called Octane. In short the food was atrocious, humongous food portions, food that had looked as if it came from a can or had been through a microwave, . This place Octane had such a huge menu it scared me. I mean how can a place stand to say they can make a great club sandwich, a ginger beef stir fry and have fresh LOBSTER? There was no direction in this place, no format, just a massive menu with items on it and the list goes on and on. I could destroy so many places it scares me, and I'm no food critic with a massive ego. I'm just a man who expects quality and I see no problem in declaring that, and neither should any of you.

Okay so maybe I'm ranting a little, but seriously should I settle for less just because it is being given to me? Saskatoon, we deserve better. We deserve a dining scene that can rival the big citys. We need to stand up and say "Hey we need to be better". We need establishments that take pride in what they do, that care, places that want to be better and strive for it. We have enough dry ribs, nachos and caesar salads restaurants to kill a fat kid, we need better, more creative and quality. And if they don't want to do it, fuck em' is what I say.

Any who, sorry for the language, I get emotional just thinking of this stuff, take this article for what you want, but I'm sure you all can agree with me that I'm not alone in thinking this, we need to stand up and say something.

Later.

My Predictions

East:

1. Boston
2. Cleveland
3. Orlando
4. Detroit
5. Philadelphia
6. Toronto
7. Milwaukee
8. Atlanta

West:

1. LA. Lakers
2. New Orleans
3. Utah
4. Houston
5. San Antonio
6. Phoenix
7. Dallas
8. Portland

Playoffs:

Cleveland over Boston in 7
LA Lakers over New Orleans in 7

Finals:

LA Lakers over Cleveland in 6

Awards:

MVP: Kobe
Coach: Phil Jackson
MIP: Al Thornton
Sixth: Lamar Odom
Exective: Billy King
Defensive: Kevin Garnett
Rookie: Michael Beasley

Let the games begin!

The 2008/09 NBA season is fast approaching, and well with that I felt compelled to quib and discuss a few things that have gotten me thinking.

I'll start with the Atlantic:

Boston: Should win 60 games if they remain healthy. I'd rest Allen more this season and play the rookies more. Garnett should take some tips from Duncan and save himself for the playoffs. This team should roll like last year. This division is theirs for the taking, they should have no issues getting back to the Conference Finals. I do predict Cleveland taking them out in 7 in the Conference Finals. I see one trick pony in their sails, last season will be their only title.

New York: The Knicks will be better under D'antoni, I see a 35-40 win total, they have talent it's whether they have the drive or wherewithal to use it. I'd rid Starbury as soon as possible, with Curry and Randolph closely followed. This team needs a complete overhaul. Playing a lineup of Lee, Crawford, Randolph, Duhon and Marbury could be entertaining, but this team will find itself looking on from the outside come playoff time, they'll be close but just a bit off.

Toronto: This team has potential, they have a star forward who can command a double team, they have a talented and underrated point guard, they have shooters and for the first time in 5 seasons they have an inside presence in O'Neal. If he can play 70+ games this team could be dangerous, 2nd round dangerous. They still have too many weaknesses and while expecting O'Neal to hold up for the long haul is asking a lot, this team is going to be better than last season. Trading Bargnani is a mush, he's a soft piece of nothing, packaging him and Parker for an athletic 2 would be a great upgrade. This team also has no bench, they should get the 5th or 6th seed. This is a good team that can shoot, but one big question still remains, can the defend? Only time will tell I guess.


Philadelphia: If you had to pick one team in the league to have a major breakout season, it would have to be this one. The sky is the limit for this young core of guys. Locking in Brand to a new contract was huge, having him positioned down in the low block for the next 6 years should greatly stabilize this team, they have a huge upside and very well could end up challenging the Cavs for the title of young team on the rise in the East.

New Jersey: With J Kidd and RJ gone, this team is in full rebuild mode. Not much to say, except that they will lose a lot of games, VC will be forced to hold the team afloat. They will miss the playoffs and hope LeBron is convinced that Brooklyn sounds nicer than Cleveland in 2010 when he has the option to re-up or bolt.

Central:

Cleveland: The days of Detroit running the show in this division are over, LeBron's crew should be poised to win away quite easily, that is if they can somehow stay healthy. Getting Mo Williams this summer should prove quite formidable, having someone who can distribute the ball outside of LBJ should give this team some new options. However, they still lack a true dominant inside presence which could hamper their chances to overthrow the Celtics.

Detroit: As much as I hate this team, Joe D. has them poised to transition quite well into a young and upstart team. With the likes of Rasheed, Chauncey and Rip on the downward slopes of their careers, Joe has brought in a nice nucleus of young players to help ease their burden during the long grind of the NBA season. With players like Stuckey, Afflalo, Herrmann and Amir Johnson vastly improving, this team does have a bright future. I don't see any titles in the near future, but this team will compete for a long time, while maintaining a top 4 seed in the conference.

Chicago: This team is a mess, Deng is overrated, Gordon is a one trick pony and a backup at best, Hinrich is too slow for the new NBA, Nocioni has talent but can't seem to stay on the floor long enough to show it, Hughes is soft and useless and with Rose coming in I don't see this team challenging for some time now. I find it for shame how Reinsdorf would let this team, the most popular team in the 90's fall so hard for so long. For shame, for shame, Chicago deserves better.

Indiana: This team, very much like Chicago is on the road to nowhere. Ridding themselves of O'Neal and his massive salary is a start in the right direction, but receiving Ford and Nesterovic in return isn't a step in the right direction. This team has but only one bright spot in Granger, who could blossom into a promising star given the right direction. Another year at the bottom is all I can see.

Milwaukee: Where Chicago and Indiana fail, Milwaukee could move in a different light. With a new coach in Skiles and the addition of RJ, this team could steal a 7th or 8th seed. A starting 5 of Ridnour, Redd, RJ, Villanueva and Bogut should compete with most teams, along with Skiles benchant for defence this team could surprise some. I see upside here.

Southeast:

Orlando: The magic have some tools to grow upon last season's success', they have the best big man in the game in Howard, a player who is still very raw, but one who should only get better. If he can just become a dominant defensive force and let his offence rest, this team could grow tremendously. Turkoglu is the motor to their offence, his penchant for big game plays and strong shooting is their best asset, along with Lewis (the most overpaid player in the league, followed closely by Arenas) and this team does have some weapons. What they lack is a true point guard, a player who can ignite this team and break down defences, and I mean no disrespect to Nelson, he's a fine player, however, he's too small and slow to compete as a starter. They should package a player or two and find themselves someone new to run their show, because if they don't they will only be a 2nd round team for the foreseeable future. They need veterans and they need them bad, a deal for Billups or Iverson would do them wonders.

Miami: This team will be better without even doing much, having Wade back and healthy will do wonders for the entire organization. Also getting lucky and drafting Beasley is nothing short of great luck, his upside is enormous, the kid can ball and should win rookie of the year quite handily. Marion is a punk and a me first player, but his talent is undeniable even if he has lost a step over the past few seasons. As for the rest, well there isn't much, they will be better and the 8th spot isn't out of reach, with a bit of luck this team will be back in the hunt sooner than most would expect. At least they better hope so or Wade can jump ship in 2010.

Washington: Signing Arenas the a ridiculous deal after he played so little the year before is ludicrous and now that he's out until Christmas should have the Wizards execs sweating and regretting signing him to that deal. He's not a leader and should never have been given that title, the true leader of this team is Butler, he's fierce, great on both ends and vastly underrated. Jamieson's injury shouldn't slow them too much, but this team is still in no where's land, their not bad enough to miss the playoffs and their not good enough to do anything once they are there.

Atlanta: The team with a lot to prove is this bunch, they made the Celtics sweat and should grow from that experience. Getting Smith back was huge and having Bibby for the whole season should come in handy down the stretch. If this team can continue to grow, the could do some damage, however, as NBA history suggests, young teams never win in the NBA and well I don't see that trend changing anytime soon. With that I see this team a few years away from challenging for the conference championship.

Charlotte: Hiring Larry Brown for this team is quite the gamble, with his penchant for not liking young players, his role with this team could be short lived. This team is not very good and likely not to change anytime soon. They need to draft well and hope Emeka and Wallace can stay healthy for any chance at making the playoffs. Not much to say really, this should be the worst team in the conference.

Now the West...

Northwest:

Portland: The Blazers are for me the team with one promising future, next to the Lakers and Hornets however, this team should be on the rise for the next decade. With a young and athletic core of Roy, Aldridge, Webster, Outlaw and Oden this team could take huge strides into making it into the elite 8 in the west. However, there is bad news for these young pups and that being that, they are young, very young. Youth never bleeds success in the NBA so as great a young core they might become, they need to influx some vets into the mix for any real and strong playoff aspirations for the foreseeable future. The sky is the limit for this team, a good 45 win season shouldn't be hard for them.

Minnesota: The remnants of KG have now been gone for over a year now and well they may be gone, his shadow will be hard to forget. This team is a mess and nowhere near respectability, Kevin McHale needs to go now, he's done nothing but crap for this team for over the past 15 years. The team does have some young talent in Al Jefferson, Mike Miller, Randy Foye, Ryan Gomes and possibly Kevin Love. The team does have a future, but so long as McHale and his un-magic wand stay this team will forever be haunted with failure. They might win 20 or so games but don't expect much from this team now or anytime in the future.

Denver: What a waste of talent, AI and Melo on the same team and all they have to show for it is mediocrity. There is no denying that this team can score with the best of them, but will they ever care to defend. Combat that with the recent defections of Camby and Najera and well this team hasn't set themselves up properly to move forward into the next decade. Trading Iverson soon has to become a possibility before his skills begin to erode. Trading him for a big or a promising young player needs to happen. This team should compete on most nights, however, I find it very unlikely that they will repeat last years 50 win performance. The 8th seed is the best I can see them achieving, but most likely a spot in the lottery is where they probably will end up.

Oklahoma City: Oh Seattle, how could you let your team go? For shame. First Vancouver, now you, the pacific northwest needs to wake up. Any who, Oklahoma City welcome to the NBA, you are now the proud owners of the worst team in the league. But with that you do have promise, Kevin Durant is a star and will be for a long time, the kid can play and should become a TMac type player soon, let's just hope he has KG's durability rather than TMac's with that slight frame of his. Outside of KD, well...there isn't much, Jeff Green might become a good role player one day, Chris Wilcox is a decent power forward and Joe Smith still has some game along with Earl Watson, but outside of that this team is building for the future. Not much else to say on that, 15 wins could be within reach.

Utah: By far the best team in this division, Utah will have a cake walk to the number 3 seed in the conference. With the promising duo of Deron and Carlos emerging and a great supporting cast in Kirilenko, Okur, Harpring, Korver and young players Millsap and Brewer this team has what it takes to compete and win. Head coach Jerry Sloan has taught them well, they run a strong pick and roll system, they're extremely physical and they play great defence. However, this team does lack that x factor player who can get them over the top. They will be great, but they need a player who can save them when the offence goes dry, a player who can go for 50 if need be, a guy who will not let them lose and unfortunately from what I can see this team does not possess such a player. Boston has Pierce, Cleveland has LBJ, LA has Kobe, San Antonio has Duncan, you need that guy. My prediction for this team is they will do well, they'll win the 3rd seed, play into the 2nd or even third rounds of the playoffs and that's about that. Unless Carlos Boozer or Deron Williams explodes into franchise game breaking players this season, this team will always remain one step short of their goal. Trading Kirilenko would be a great start at overhauling this team.

Southwest:

Memphis: Even though they got fleeced in the Pau trade last season, this team does have some bright spots. Having Rudy Gay, Hakim Warrick and O.J. Mayo is a great start at developing a strong and athletic nucleus and if Pau's little bro, Marc can overcome the rookie euro transition and become a dependable big, this team could surprise a few and win 20 games. However, that's all the good I can give these guys, having a team with Darko Milicic, Antoine Walker and Marko Jaric on it ain't a good start, especially if these three crap players are your three highest. Give Ivaroni credit for trying to install a new regime with this franchise, they need to develop with the draft and hope they can land a good young stud over the next few years. They'll suck for awhile, but hey at least they're not in Vancouver.

Dallas: Is Jason Kidd this team's saviour? As much as I would love to say so but no, J Kidd has game no doubt about that but this team has issues. First and foremost a team built around Dirk will always lose, he's too soft and not the killer he should be as the team's franchise guy. I compare him to Gasol, Bosh, Amare or even Garnett (when he was in 'Sota), great big men who can play and put up numbers, but who are not effective enough to will they're entire teams to victory. A player of Dirk's skill needs a Kobe or a Pierce or Wade or LeBron to be effective when the games get dirty down in the playoffs. Don't get me wrong, Dallas is a good team, they do have weapons in J Howard, J Terry, J Stackhouse but just not enough to gain a seed higher than 6th. I predict they'll either win the 7th or 8th seed this season, they'll win 47- 52 games and they'll compete, but just like they did this summer in firing Avery, before they can move up and compete with the upper echelon teams in the west they need to do some firing on the roster as well. Trading J Howard and someone for a good shooting guard would be first on my list, and knowing Cuban I'm sure he's thinking about it already.

San Antonio: As many other have questioned before, father time will catch up to this team eventually. Duncan is still the best big in the game and with Popovich controlling his minutes during the season I expect him to continue that reign for a few years. Tony Parker is still as good as ever and should have an excellent season. It's Ginobilli that has me worried, being out until December or longer could hamper this team for a bit and force Duncan to work harder than he should. Losing vets Horry and Barry shouldn't hamper their bench too much so long as Roger Mason, Michael Finley and Ime Udoka step up. This team still is a top 4 contender in the West, they'll continue to find ways to win and well who know's maybe they'll shock the world and win again, but to be honest my prediction for this team is a good solid season, 55 wins and out in the first round.

New Orleans: This is season 4 for CP3 and boy it should be a doosy, this kid can ball and this team can play. I expect the Hornets to challenge the Lakers for the best team in the conference and the league. They have depth, athleticism, experience (especially with the newly aquired James Posey) and most of all the best point guard in the league. Nothing short of a trip to the finals shouldn't be expected from these guys. Last season was great for them, however, they were from my recolection one of a few teams who didn't suffer many major injuries so if they can still have that kind of luck this season I see them going far. A championship wouldn't surprise me at all, but I will go with this, they will win 63 games and a trip to the conference finals, however, I see them losing ultimately to the Lakers in 7. Young teams have promise, but this group needs some seasoning before they can go all the way. The future looks bright.

Pacific:

Golden State: Oh how things have fallen since ousting the Mavericks two seasons ago. Baron is gone, Ellis and they missed the playoffs once again. There's not much to say about this team, they will not make the playoffs, Ellis' injury will cost them dearly until his return in January, Maggette will help some, but he's no savior, Stephen Jackson is overrated and a headache, Biedrins is a good role player and Al Harrington show up one day and not the next. This team reminds me of Denver and Dallas, two clubs with talent to compete and maybe make the playoffs, but who are ultimately in need of major changes. This will be a tough season out in Oakland.

Sacramento: If Golden State is an average team, then Sacramento is an awful team. However, the best thing this franchise has done in years is rid themselves of malcontent Artest, his negative attitude and aggresive demeanor were nothing but a drain on this franchise, his exit should help the growth and chemistry of its remaining players. If their is one good thing to be excited about is that Kevin Martin is a star in the making, the kid can play and boy can he score and with Artest gone he should find himself with a green light whenever he chooses. However, outside of Martin this team lacks any other bonafide great players, they have a befy of role players in Brad Miller, Kenny Thomas, Francisco Garcia, Bobby Jackson and such. The retirement of Abdur-Rahim will cost them little in terms of wins, look for them to be in a rebuilding and dumping salary year. Welcome to the bottom of the Pacific boys!

Los Angeles Clippers: First you sign Baron Davis, then you lose Elton Brand and Corey Maggette, then you trade for Marcus Camby; no one said life in LA wasn't busy. Mike Dunleavy has his job set out for him this season, losing Brand was a devastating blow to the franchise and his teams frontcourt. Adding Baron Davis will help his team to compete in the very competitive Pacific, but outside of him and Al Thorton (a star in the making mind you) this team hasn't much else. Mobley is past his prime, Kaman is a decent Center but nothing to run home about, Tim Thomas is well...crap and Ricky Davis should provide a little. The way I see it, if I Dunleavy I would play Thorton a ton and run the offence through him and Baron Davis. A combo of Camby and Kaman should solidify somewhat their frontcourt, at least defensively. The best I see for this team is a good fight for the 8th seed until february, but ultimately come April they'll be looking for golfing lesson rather than playoff seeds.

Phoenix Suns: A team with Shaq, Nash and Amare has to do well right? Right? Five years ago yes, now maybe not. Amare should dominate this season while he continues to benifit from Shaq huge size in the middle with more shots and open dunks. He's the second best big in the game and that's without playing defence, imagine that. Nash reminds me of Stockton, they both have tremendous smarts, excellent shots and a knack for staying healthy late into their careers. I see Nash still competing for the league lead in assists while sporting a healthy 15 ppg. If Shaq can continue to provide 15ppg and at least 10 boards his job will be done. Now onto the rest, we have G Hill a man with a heart but no ankle, moving him to a sixth man role might giv him a few more games going down the stretch, his shooting and playmaking abilities are invaluable. Barbosa should move into Hill's position, his speed alone brings much needs offence to this team. Diaw and Bell are both still very much sevicable. This team has weapons and could surprise some, a spot in the 5th or 6th seed shouldn't be difficult. If they can play their cards right and stay healthy they could upset someone. They may be old, but experience counts and well the way things have bounce their way over the past few seasons maybe this year they'll get some luck and well who know's, I never underestimate Shaq, however, I see second round as their ceiling.

Los Angeles Lakers: And now finally my boys them Lakers. Coming off such an up and down season a year ago, the Lake show should have more stability as a franchise this coming year. Kobe is the boy and reigning MVP, he should dominate quite soundly this year, picking his spots and truly leading this team. His continued maturation should enable this team to grow and mature after last season's stumble in the finals. A season with averages of 29ppg, 6 dimes, 6 boards, 2 steals, 48% and 85% shouldn't be hard for number 24. I expect him to win another MVP and Finals MVP this season. This team will win it all, they have all the parts. They have bigs in Andrew and Pau who both should benifit from each other, they have Lamar as their new sixth man, a player who can do it all and fill up a stat sheet. They have shooters in Radmanovic, Vujacic and Bryant. They have two points in Fish and Farmar, one with a tremendous amount of experience and another with a tremendous amount of enery. And let's not forget Trevor Ariza and Luke Walton. If all goes well this team has the highest ceiling of any in the league, they could win upwards of 65+ games. However, will all the positives they do possess, this team does have a tendency to get injured, something that could hamper their development and cohesion. I see this team getting better as the season progress' and winning the west and fighting the Cavs in the finals.

And so there you have it, all 30 teams, my thoughts, my predictions and such.