Lakers in limbo, but the week ahead looks bright

dwilson

We all like a good sequel. Look no further than X-Men 2, or The Matrix Reloaded, which debuts this week. There are things in life we just can't get enough of the first time, like the all-you-can-eat free ice cream at Dexter Barbeque. But how do you stay hungry after the first bowl? And when is it enough?

The same question can be posed to a defending champion. The Lakers struggled to reach the playoffs this season (to the delight of the haters), and no one questions their hunger now. But it seems the team that has probed our minds with intrigue of a fourth straight title is melting.

After Rick Fox went down for the rest of the playoffs, the Lakers' hopes looked bleak. Devean George stood-in valiantly for Fox in the Minnesota series, but he isn't a healthy 100 percent either. Now the Lakers are missing their leader, Phil Jackson, after an angioplasty revealed 90 percent blockage in an artery.

Shaq and Kobe have tried to take it upon themselves to lead the Lakers out of the freezer, but it's resulted in foul trouble for Shaq and shooting woes for Kobe. The players are still hungry, but sometimes the manager comes out and closes the ice cream machine and says, "Guys, that's all you can eat."

Even though the Lakers have come back with two straight wins to tie the series with the Spurs, they're still in trouble. But, like the headline says, it's just the opposite for your week ahead:

Today

I always thought Tony LaRussa looked like a bobblehead doll in the dugout. LaRussa's grimaces and body language make it seem that he lives and dies with every pitch. Someone else must be thinking the same thing because LaRussa gets his own bobblehead day when Memphis hosts the Nashville Sounds at 7:05 p.m.

Tuesday

Central Municipal Pool is host to the SEMO Conference girls' swimming meet at 4 p.m. Poplar Bluff, Notre Dame and Central will compete for the title. Notre Dame won the boys' meet earlier in the school year.

Wednesday

Nurses and their families can get Cardinals tickets for $10 courtesy of First Team Day at the ballpark 7:10 p.m.

Thursday

Scott City at Central; North County at Notre Dame; Sikeston at Jackson. All at 4 p.m. This is the final tune-up for the district tournaments that begin Monday. All three teams are at home on the same day for only the second time this year (the other was April 5).

Farmington visits Notre Dame for the last regular-season girls soccer game of the year at 7 p.m.

Friday

The River City Rascals play a preseason game against Gateway at 7:05 p.m. The staff at T.R. Hughes Ballpark will sell beer and soda for 50 cents during the game. In case you're wondering (like I was), the Rascals play in O'Fallon, Mo., 35 miles west of downtown St. Louis. For tickets: (636) 240-BATS or (888) 762-BATS

Saturday

Since we last visited the Memphis Xplorers, they've lost two straight games -- 17 of their last 19 dating back to last season. But on the bright side, receiver Kevin Prentiss had six TD catches and 192 yards receiving in a loss to Tulsa last week. By comparison, Terrell Owens led the NFL last year with 13 touchdowns for the 49ers. The fast, furious, offensive-dominate arena football is back in Memphis at 7 p.m. against Louisville.

Sunday

I said that if Dusty Baker could win in Chicago, he would be a god, not an icon. The Cubs are in first place, but so are the Royals, and it's only May. The Cards could change that this weekend and in this game at 1:10 p.m. when they host the Cubs. All fans 15 and under will receive a set of 27 baseball cards featuring the 2003 team and will be allowed to run the bases after the game.

David Wilson is a sportswriter for the Southeast Missourian and a student at Central High School. His column appears every Monday.