I just love the Opening Round of any playoffs....it doesn't matter what the sport is. It's within these first few games that you get exactly what this site was intended for. You get stellar teams like Marv Albert and Steve Kerr. And you get the odd ones like Dave Pasch and Dorris Burke (who were actually surprisingly good on Saturday).

Basically you get phrases like Wideopenshotability, and quotes ala "Steve Nash and Bill Russell are the same person!" (There's a reason I started this site during last year's playoffs). You get Hubie, Reggie, Chuck, Dick, and Magic. If the names on the shirt thing hadn't been played out 6 months ago I'd add this to the AA catalog (for now Free Harold! stands alone).

Well now we get to experience the Playoffs in a whole new way. Through TNT MySpace Blog! Today's entry comes from Associate Director Matt Kane. How goes it Matthew?

There is a different kind of energy in the studio for playoffs. You can definitely feel it from the highlights room to the control room, to the green room. Everyone is paying attention a little bit more.

Good....wouldn't want you not to do your job or anything. Hey Matt, I always wondered what you production people did during blowouts...any insight?

For example, Ace in the tape room might be watching The Planet Earth on the Discovery channel, completely enthralled as an anteater is consumed by a crocodile. The other tape operator, Gary, is screaming at Bobby Abreu for grounding into a double play, thus ending the Yanks rally against Dice K and the hated Red Sox. It's even not out of the question to get a pay-per-view now and again.

Okay okay...I'll give you Planet Earth. I'd rather watch that too than doing my job. But honestly, I'd really like to know where you guys want to go to cover the Eastern Conference Finals. No Way! You took a poll? Perfect.

(1) Miami vs anywhere (South Beach, baby!)
(2) Chicago vs Detroit (easy drive between cities and afternoon games at Wrigley on days off)
(3) Toronto vs Detroit (Great places to eat and hang out in Toronto, driving distance also)
(276) New Jersey vs anywhere

Poor Jersey. Is there a place on earth that gets made fun of more? Well thanks Matt glad to see you guys are all stepping up in the playoffs to give us the best product possible.

(P.S.- All jokes about Matt not doing his job are completely based on the fact that I "write this blog from a basement in my underwear" and do not have a "real" job. I would NEVER take time away from an actual job to say.....write this post. Never.)

Playoffs (TNT Basketball MySpace)