 May 14th, 2012  Stub.com
 Just before the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs began, there were two teams from each conference that were the favorites. Out West it would most likely be the Vancouver Canucks but if not, the St. Louis Blues also looked good for going to the Finals. In the East it would be either Philadelphia or Pittsburgh, even though neither held the number one stats to prove such a theory. Now, early in Round Three, none of those four teams are left. And it’s really anyone’s guess as to who’s to move on next.
No one’s been more surprising in the league than the Los Angeles Kings. They nearly swept the number one team in the league, the Vancouver Canucks, in the first round, defeating them in just five games. Moving on they then faced the other tough team in their conference — St. Louis, and that was a series in which they did in fact, get their sweep. Now facing the Phoenix Coyotes, they’ve already won the first game of Round Three and the two will face off against each other again tomorrow night.
The Phoenix Coyotes have had an easier run at the Cup, only needing to defeat the fourth, fifth, and sixth-seeded teams to get this far. Still, they took the Chicago Blackhawks in six games, and the Nashville Predators in just five. If anyone’s up to the challenge of knocking the Kings out of the running, they’ve definitely proven why they’re the ones.
In the East, things are just as chaotic with the New Jersey Devils, who had a fairly boring regular season and are on the rebound from not making the playoffs last year. Now they’ve made it to the third round and are facing the best team in the East, the New York Rangers. New Jersey’s post-season has been anything but boring. It took them the full seven to beat the Panthers in Roune One, yet they took out Philadelphia (remember, that team that had such a tough time beating the Penguins?) in just five games. Do they have what it takes to beat the Rangers? Hockey fans will find out tonight when the two face off for their first game.
Take out the top four favorite teams going into the playoffs, and you’re left with the Rangers to win. The top-ranked team in their division, and just a couple points shy of the Canucks’ season total. But, the road to Round Three has been anything but easy.
In Round One they faced the Ottawa Senators — a seemingly easy matchup between the first and eight-ranked team in the Eastern conference. But the Sens nearly dealt the Rangers an early blow, taking the series to seven games before the Rangers finally were the ones to emerge and move on to Round Two. There they faced the Washington Capitals, another seemingly easy series win, this time against the seventh-ranked team. Again the Rangers seem unprepared for the challenge, with another Game 7 being played at Madison Square Garden. Will the sixth-ranked team prove to be just as much of a challenge? We’ll see tonight in their game against the Devils.
Are you surprised by the teams in Round Three? Who do you think will go to the Finals?
May 13th, 2012 Stub.com
 The first round of the NBA Playoffs is generally pretty predictable. There’s often a large gap between the first and eight-seeded teams in both conferences and it often seems more like a formality than anything else. This year was not much different, but there was one huge surprise — and that was the ousting of the number one Chicago Bulls by the eighth-ranked team in the Eat, the Philadelphia 76ers. Now what will this team, and the others, do in Round Two?
Losing Derrick Rose in the first game of the first round was devastating for the Bulls, but it was what propelled the 76ers to Round Two. When facing the Boston Celtics this round though, they may not be as lucky. Then again, you never really know — especially after watching the first game between the two. On Saturday night the 76ers had a lead of 28-18 and, in full control, it looked as though they had the game wrapped up and that maybe it wasn’t just injuries on the part of the opposing team that brought them this far. But they quickly fell apart in the last few minutes and the Celtics took it 25-20. If Philly wants to get any of their momentum back, they’ll need to practice their stamina.
Next up in the East are the Miami Heat facing the Indiana Pacers and after yesterday’s game, they’re going to be doing it without Chris Bosch, at least for a little while. Even after suffering what’s being called an abdominal injury, the Heat were able to still rely on the other two of their Big Three and win the game with a 95-86 victory. The question is, how long can that last? With currently no word on Bosch’s condition, this could be another devastating blow for yet another team that was expected to go far in the post-season.
The Los Angeles Clippers are undoubtedly still counting their lucky stars that they’ve gotten it this far, after narrowly beating the Memphis Grizzlies out in the first round. But in Game 7 they pulled it out for an incredible finish and have now moved on to face the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs have a much better lineup than the Clippers, and when Clipper Chris Paul is compared with the San Antonio’s Tony Parker, he simply can’t compete.
And then there are the Los Angeles Lakers facing the Oklahoma City Thunder. This is a matchup that everyone’s waiting for — even if it’s only to see if there will be any repercussions on the court from the brutal elbow Metta World Peace’s delivered to James Harden’s head. But the Lakers won’t have time for any more distractions like that. The Thunder were a favorite to take the entire thing this year before the playoffs even started, or it was even known who they would face. After sweeping last year’s reigning champs, the Dallas Mavericks, there certainly seems to be some truth to that.
May 8th, 2012 Stub.com
 Miami was cloudy on May 6, 2012, as Miami Heat failed to put away the New York Knicks, losing 89-87. What made this defeat extra rainy was the fact that Miami had the advantage and the Knicks were clearly not playing at 100%, since they were short-handed on players. Still, Game 4 went to New York, who is now looking for another Play Off Series win on Wednesday.
Sadly, Miami is making history in a bad way. No other team has ever lost a Play Off Series game after starting with a strong 3-0 advantage. Miami owned this season, and yet lost the momentum right when they needed it. The contest was close, but clearly, Miami fans were hoping for a dominant victory. In fact, record enthusiasts know that Heat has failed to defeat the Knicks in a Play Off series game for years–even since 1997. Why is that? Is it the curse of New York? Was it merely that Miami was overconfident after playing so well for the rest of the season?
Much of the criticism was heaped on Dwyane Wade who tried desperately for a three-pointer that didn’t make it, just as time ran out. Wade’s error didn’t faze him, as he remained resolute that they had already accomplished their goals earlier on, winning two games at MSG. Many Miami fans are wondering why Lebron James was kept away from the ball, since he played so well in the last two minutes of the game. He even scored a great three pointer late in the game bringing the score up.
Nevertheless, Miami didn’t put the Knicks away, and this could be problematic. If they had won, they could have taken a few days off, waiting for the second round. Because of their loss, they now have to earn a spot by facing the Knicks again. Unfortunately for New York, they are not likely to win the Play Off series, since they are at a deficit and do not have a strong enough team to fight back towards a victory. If anything, this just complicates Miami’s schedule–and if they are worn out come Round 2, they may blow the whole series.
Still, Miami fans are convinced that the team merely proved themselves fallible, but that their momentum will continue to the NBA Playoffs and perhaps the Championship. What do you think?
May 7th, 2012 Stub.com
 Sure, Academy Award-winner Meryl Streep can sure belt out a tune, and yes, having Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth in one movie, is a great achievement. However, the film version of Mamma Mia still cannot compare to seeing and hearing this grand musical live and in person! Mamma Mia has been a smashing success as it has made over $2 billion dollars across the world since its debut in the year 1999. It has entertained an estimated 42 million audience members. There are plenty of reasons to put down the rental and pick up tickets to see the touring show when it stops in your neck of the woods!
The stage play follows the story of Sophie trying to find out who her real father is, and the hilarity that ensues when she invites three possible dads to her wedding. Major songs from the play include the well known “Dancing Queen”, as well as “Take A Chance On Me”, and “The Winner Takes It All”. If these songs seem familiar to you, it may be because they are all based on songs by the famous Swedish pop group ABBA. Judy Craymer was the one to fall in love with the music and decide that it would translate well into the theater scene. Catherine Johnson wrote the book for the musical and Phyllida Lloyd was picked up as the director. That means the big names behind this production are mostly all women, a rarity in theater success.
The musical currently has a North American tour planned, as well as a Spanish, South African, Dutch, Korean, Japanese and International tour! The international tour has made visits all over the globe, including Dublin, Newcastle, Helsinki, Auckland, Dubai, and almost every major city you can think of. As for the U.S., there was recently a Las Vegas production that ran until 2009. While you may miss the show in Vegas, just know that there is a Broadway production in the works, which will be back up and running for 2012.
Mamma Mia will be making stops in Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and many other states. Will it be stopping in a town near you? Look for tickets now before they sell out. It’s what Mamma would have wanted.
May 6th, 2012 Stub.com
 The St. Louis Blues were the second-ranked team in their conference going into the Stanley Cup playoffs; and the L.A. Kings placed eighth in that same division. So how did it come to be that the Kings were the ones to not only knock the Blues out of the post-season, but do so in a sweeping fashion? The same way they were able to take out the number one team overall, the Vancouver Canucks, last series. His name is Jonathan Quick.
Last night Quick made a total of 23 saves in the 3-1 win against the Blues; but throughout the series he’s stopped a total of 96 shots, and allowed just six shots to get past him. This post-season he has a save percentage of .949, and it’s thanks to Quick that the Blues had a lead for just over seven minutes in total throughout the entire series. It’s stats like those that have earned him a Vezina nomination this year, and those stats that have helped the Kings make some serious NHL history.
It’s the first time ever that the eighth seeded team has taken out the top two seeded teams in the same post-season; and it’s only the second time in Kings’ history that they’ve made it to the conference final. The first time was when Wayne Gretzky and Luc Robitaille took the team to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1993. And not only have the Kings not been to the finals or conference finals since that time, they’ve only one playoff series since. It’s also only the second time the Kings have swept a team out of the playoffs; the first time was in 1976 when they defeated the Atlanta Flames to move on.
Not bad for a team that barely made it into the playoffs this year.
So aside from Quick, where did the magic come from? “L.A. plays the way you have to play to win the Cup now,” explained Coach Ken Hitchcock of the St. Louis Blues. “Over the disappointments of the last three or four years, they’ve figured it out.” They certainly have, but there were many other factors working against St. Louis, too. After all, even though they took the victory, the Kings still gave their worst performance of the season.
The biggest factor for the Blues was the loss of goaltender Jaroslav Halak due to an ankle injury sustained against the Canucks in round one. Brian Elliott stepped in to take his place and while Elliott isn’t a terrible goalie, he’s proven in the past that he’s not a playoff goalie, either. The injury to Alex Pietrangelo early in this series was felt heavily by the Blues. Although he came back to finish the series, it was obvious he wasn’t the same.
Tonight the Nashville Predators will fight for their lives in an elimination game against the Phoenix Coyotes. With the Coyotes already up 3-1 in that series, it looks like that’s who the Kings will be facing in the Conference Final next round.
May 4th, 2012 Stub.com
 It’s downright Criminal just how long Fiona Apple has kept fans waiting for her new album! It has been seven long years since fans could listen to new tunes from the soulful voiced singer, but come June 2012 fans will be delighted once again. The unpredictable crooner is releasing her newest album entitled (in Fiona Apple style) “The Idler Wheel is Wiser than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords will Serve You More than Ropes Will Ever Do”, which is mostly being called the simpler “The Idler Wheel”. Of course, with a new album, comes a new tour!
Back in the late 1990′s, Apple’s first album was a smashing success, winning the 19-year-old a Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. The album, Tidal, went three times platinum by April 1999 and includes her biggest hits to date, including “Criminal”, “Shadowboxer”, “Slow Like Honey”, “Never Is a Promise” and many more.
Apple’s second album “When the Pawn” has an actual title so long that it ended up in the Guinness Book of World Records. The title was actually a poem that the singer had written after reading letter that appeared in a magazine about her. The albums hits included “Fast as You Can”, “Paper Bag”, and “Limp”. “Extraordinary Machine” was the singer’s last album, and though being released to a bit of controversy (including leaked songs, bootleg versions and a complete re-recording) it was still a fair success.
The singer’s newest album is scheduled to be released on June 18, 2012. The tour for the album will prove to be the first time the singer has performed outside of California in well over five years. For fans dying to see Fiona Apple live and in person in other states, this is the opportunity they have been waiting for!
Don’t miss hearing the brand new tracks off of the album, such as the first single “Every Single Night”, by booking your Fiona Apple tickets in advanced. Sold out shows are a tragedy and result when you forget to get your tickets early. It’s been years since we’ve heard Fiona…but with this upcoming tour, it will be worth the wait!
May 3rd, 2012 Stub.com
 Last night the most die-hard NHL fans got what they wait all season long for — a playoff game that was actually two hockey games in one. While not quite two games were played out between the New York Rangers and the Washington Capitals, it was pretty close to, as this one didn’t only go into triple OT — it went late into triple OT; and it wasn’t until there was just over five minutes left that Marian Gaborik shot one past Caps goaltender Braden Holtby and won it for the Rangers.
In a game like that, even one that reaches historic lengths, every single minute is exciting and neither teams disappointed. The scoreboard and the stats were almost identical for both teams throughout the entire game. The Rangers scored first in the second period, and then the Caps scored five minutes later. The Capitals won 51 face-offs, the Rangers won 49; New York blocked 41 shots, Washington blocked 40. It was a game that was well-fought by both teams and where neither team outplayed the other. However, that might not matter for Washington.
No one ever wants to lose. And really no one ever wants to lose in the playoffs. But losing in regulation and losing in OT, let alone triple OT, is something else entirely; and it’s extremely hard for teams to come back from. Holtby said after the game, “That’s extremely, extremely disappointing. Whenever you lose in overtime it sucks, but when you lose in triple overtime, it’s even worse.”
No, there’s nothing like losing in triple OT. And there may be nothing like winning, either.
“I felt like it was never going to end,” said Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist after the game. “It’s a feeling where, usually I scream and am so excited. I was just too tired.”
Both teams will have a chance to relax with a two-day break until their next game. We’re guessing that both teams probably have the day off today.
May 2nd, 2012 Stub.com
 Perhaps it was a bittersweet moment, when Andrew Lloyd Webber realized that his Phantom of the Opera stage musical was aging. After all, The Lion King just usurped Phantom’s title as the Broadway’s “All Time Highest Grossing Show”, making $853,846,062 since its debut in 1997. Phantom on the other hand, has been playing steadily since 1986. And while crowds still clamor to see the legendary chandelier and masquerade party, the popular Phantom movie (directed by Joel Schumacher) may have stilted the enthusiasm for the once, unique and groundbreaking production.
Nonetheless, Andrew Lloyd Webber is still updating his classic, keeping it relevant and a distinctive part of British-American pop culture. Why, just look at his Love Never Dies project, a sequel to the original stage play. While there have been no plans to release a film, there is a Blu-Ray release coming May 29th to home video. Universal Studios Home Entertainment is releasing a televised performance of an Australian production of Tomorrow Never Dies filmed in Melbourne. Viewers can expect a front row seat in their own home, as well as hi-definition picture and sound.
The live production actually had a limited run in London but received mixed reviews. For a time the project was halted. However, the good news is that interest in the Blu-Ray release may spark enthusiasm from Broadway. So there is a good chance Phantom and its sequel may be coming to New York.
The original Phantom, meanwhile, is still touring across the U.S. and in Las Vegas, in an abbreviated musical show. It’s nice to know that even if you miss the show coming to your home city, you can still drive out to Vegas and catch a live performance, with plenty of amazing visuals and effects. In fact, the production, new and familiar in its own right, was recently named as “”the #1 rated show in Vegas” by the Las Vegas Review Journal. Make plans to come see Phantom…so you’ll be ready to see the sequel when it inevitably comes to Broadway! Nothing is finalized yet…but how could producers possibly deprive American audiences of learning the final fate of Phantom and Christine?
April 30th, 2012 Stub.com
 This year’s 2012 NFL Draft held little surprises for the top two picks. But the other three that fell in the top five were shuffled around a bit, and some who were predicted to land in those spots didn’t make it at all. So who ended up where, and what does it mean for the teams that chose them?
#1 — Andrew Luck to Indianapolis Colts
No big surprise that Andrew Luck was chosen by the Indianapolis Colts, since that’s all Colts’ management talked about in the week leading up the draft. Luck will play out exactly as the Colts (and the rest of the world) expect him to — big things will happen from this kid and his is a name that’s going to get the Colts back on the map.
#2 — Robert Griffin III to Washington Redskins
When the Redskins traded with St. Louis for the #2 spot in this year’s NFL draft, it was known that it was because they wanted either Luck or Griffin — and for good reason. This team is desperate for a good quarterback and Griffin has proven that he can be just that. He’ll have to watch his turnovers and become a bit more polished if he ever hopes to turn into the franchise player that Luck will, but he’s definitely got tons of potential. And the fact that he’s already got the cool nickname of RG3 doesn’t hurt him either.
#3 — Trent Richardson to Cleveland Browns
It was thought that the Cleveland Browns would take Richardson as they’re looking for someone who can get them on the board with field goals and touchdowns. What wasn’t known was that the Browns had a master plan to trade up with the Minnesota Vikings, who originally held the #3 spot, in order to get him. It was definitely a good move on the part of the Browns. Richardson will be a solid player for them and definitely has a great career ahead of him.
#4 — Matt Kalil to Minnesota Vikings
Taking the fourth spot from the Browns, the Vikings still managed to get the one they went into the draft wanting in Kalil. Kalil’s biggest asset is his huge physical presence and that’s going to help him, and the Vikings, enormously in his left tackle position. If he wants to become one of the best he needs to become a bit more polished, but Kalil will add a lot to this team from the get-go.
#5 — Justin Blackmon to Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars surprised everyone when they not only took Justin Blackmon, but traded up from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in order to get him. Not to discredit Blackmon’s wide receiver talents, he could end up as a starter WR. But many, including us, thought that Morris Claiborne, who was ultimately chosen sixth in the draft, would be in the top 5 — especially with the Jaguars sitting in the spot.
April 29th, 2012 Stub.com
 With round one of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs seeing so many upsets, round two has some very unlikely matchups and some of them are already halfway through their series. So who currently sits where, and what’s to happen next? No one really knows the answer to that last question during the playoffs, but you can take a pretty good guess by looking at the current standings.
After beating out the best team in the league in five games, the Los Angeles Kings were one of the first teams to enter round two. Now they’re facing off against another one of the best teams during regular season, the St. Louis Blues, and beating them too. Having only played one game in the series so far, the Kings currently still lead the way at 1-0 with the second game to be played tonight in St. Louis. This is a tough one to call but based on stats alone, the Blues should take this one.
The other contest in the West during round two is the one between the Nashville Predators and the Phoenix Coyotes — two teams that were both expected to do fairly well during the first round, and both did. In a competition between the third (Coyotes) and fourth (Predators) placed teams in the West, this one is a very hard series to call. But considering that Phoenix has already won the first two games, it looks to be leaning their way.
The Eastern conference had its own surprises during the first round, and one of the biggest was that of the Pittsburgh Penguins. While the Rangers (and some others) had them beat for being best in the league, the Penguins were one team that most thought would do very well in the playoffs, but they met their match with the Philadelphia Flyers. After the Flyers won the series in six games, they moved on to face the New Jersey Devils — who were also a surprise when they beat out the Florida Panthers in their series. Philadelphia currently holds a 1-0 lead in the series over New Jersey, and they’ll probably win this one to move onto round three.
The first round series between the Washington Capitals and the Boston Bruins held its own surprises — with the Caps unseating the defending champions and knocking them out of the running for the Cup this year. It took them seven games to do and the series before them doesn’t look any easier. This time they’re playing the New York Rangers, who were first in the East, and the Rangers have already won the first game. The series continues tonight in New York, and it will most likely be another win along the way of the Rangers’ second round victory.
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