The recipe

Sports channels and magazines and web sites hire people they consider experts to analyze teams, dissect matchups and predict the results for games and series and seasons. It's part of the fun of sports: seeing if you know as much or more than the next guy or gal.

The thing is, no one ever knows for sure. Take Golden State's "upset" over Dallas in the first round, for instance. Every ESPN analyst had the Mavs in 5 or 6. I had 'em in 5. But the Warriors played a style of ball the Mavs had not anticipated, nor could they handle. Now, after six games, to say Golden State is the better team is not really an overstatement. Dallas had no successful counter to the Warriors' run-and-gun attack. Baron Davis did what he wanted, when he wanted, and he did it for the entire series. And it didn't help that Dirk Nowitzki played like a 7-year-old mädchen. (If he gets the MVP award after that sad performance -- he was 2-for-13 in Game 6 -- it will only my add fruit to my argument that the MVP should be awarded after the Playoffs are complete.) I guess that's why they play the games ...

... And speaking of games, it's about time the Pistons took the floor again. I'm less lively when they're idle. Saturday at 7, bet on the Palace to be rocking for Game 1 against the Bulls. To me, it was a huge surprise that Chicago had the talent and the strategy to take down the champs from Miami -- and even more of a surprise that the Bulls did it with brooms. That's why I expect this series between the former rivals to be a barnburner. The Pistons need to find whatever chips they had on their shoulders in 2004 and play like they're the underdogs. If they're overconfident, look out. Ben Gordon and Luol Deng could turn the Eastern champs into mincemeat. Do I think they will? No. I like the Pistons in 6. I'm simply offering a warning ...

... The 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby is tomorrow, and if you've never seen it, try to be around a TV between 4 and 7 p.m. (The exact start time always varies depending on how fidgety the horses are.) Each year, I like to make my pick based on the horse names. Here are my five favorite from this year's field:

Storm in May
Imawildandcrazyguy
Liquidity
Scat Daddy
Circular Quay

Not a terribly creative field of names this year, but a few good ones nonetheless. Liquidity, as of right now (11 a.m. Friday), is a 30-1 shot. But that's my favorite name, so that's my horse ...

... I'm not a boxing guy, but the name Floyd Mayweather just screams out "Champ," doesn't it? I like him to KO Oscar De La Hoya in Round 3.