Mike O'Connell

Watching the Golden State Warriors yesterday do their thing even without their brightest star made me realize I should triple-double down on whatever bets I can take for them to win the NBA championship. Lock it up.

I wish I could say the same for the Caps, Caps, Caps, though I proceed with the cautious optimism growing among the vast wilds of suburban D.C. Look for tonight’s matchup to be a tone setter.

And in the game of base… how about the delightful assortment of aces on parade yesterday throughout MLB? They say baseball doesn’t market its stars; by divine or planned intervention yesterday’s pitching performances were a treat for the most casual or diehard fan. Leading the charge, of course, was a certain Mr. Kershaw of Los Angeles, who not only pitched a shutout while fanning 14 and surrendering zero walks—compiling a game score of 95 for those of you interested in such things—but knocked in the game’s only run!

Then there were my friends visiting Fenway Park. For once I was not envious of those sitting in the rain and cold of Boston in May. A classic Yankees-Red Sox affair, no doubt, won unfortunately by the home team to complete their sweep of my beloved and recently hapless Bronx Bombers. Proof again, though, why these teams deserve to play on the national stage every night of the week.

And now we commence the silly part of the day known to some as “work,” and to others, “no sports happening yet.”

You’ve got to hand it to truTV. You know truTV—that other station that shows NCAA Tournament games? All through March I intended to watch some of their other programming but never got around to it. Well, better late than never.

If you want to watch something good before more episodes of Better Call Saul roll around, check out Adam Conover’s Adam Ruins Everything. A few episodes in I’m already hooked. (You should be able to see a bunch on demand.) Without giving too much away, Adam’s got the exact show I’d put together were I doing a TV show again, so yeah, thanks, Adam. Now I don’t have to. Ruined that too

Sort of a Freakonomics brought to the screen, few have presented the “dismal science” so cleverly. Adam’s energy and enthusiasm for his topics is contagious, and he ruins otherwise happy thoughts like charity and democracy with great flair. I don’t think he’d ever admit to being a Republican, but it’s hard to watch without feeling at least pro-free market.

Nice work, truTV. See you again in March.

The true King of All Media in 2016 is conservative radio host, editor, and author Mark Levin. As of last month Levin added “TV” host to his resume, with his new offering broadcast at www.levintv.com. What does one call a video podcast at one’s own website?

“TV.”

(Aside: we are now one step closer to your TV and your computer being the same thing.)

In general I think Levin’s “TV” show is good. The only trouble is I’ve seen it before. Every Tuesday from 2004-2011. It was called Politics After Dark.

Yup, Levin’s show is a complete ripoff of the show I hosted for 318 episodes over seven years, right down to the stairs and fake fireplace.

Commercial free? Comfortable armchairs? Long-form interviews?

Check, check, and check.

Levin lives just up the road from me, and a few years ago when I lived even closer I ran into him several times at a restaurant we both frequented. (I’ll admit part of the appeal of going there was that one had about a 10% chance of running into Mark Levin.) We talked at length several times and I’m sure I would have mentioned the show.

You’re welcome, Levin. You’re welcome.

My hometown of Binghamton, New York, is somehow the new Mecca of all political campaigning, with recent appearances by Bernie Sanders, Ted Cruz, Sean Hannity, and the Campaigner himself, Bill Clinton. My question is, where did these people think they were actually going that they thought a Binghamton stop would be worth their time? It boggles the mind.

I don’t pay much attention to Binghamton politics anymore, but when something unusual comes up it does tend to catch my attention. My Facebook newsfeed, after all, is still mostly Binghamton people, and recently I’ve seen more than a post or two about Dorollo Nixon.

Mr. Nixon is the Republican candidate for New York Assembly District 123, which includes Binghamton and its surrounding area. The seat has been held for 12 years by Mrs. Donna Lupardo, a woman who’s up to at least four government gigs by my count: Broome County Legislature, State Assembly, SUNY instructor, and “community mental health educator,” whatever that is. Her “efforts” have overseen the general decline of the area into that which we affectionately call Little Detroit.

Ordinarily I’d be happy to see any Republican put up a real challenge to Mrs. L.—she hasn’t seen one in years—but this is Binghamton, and what passes for a Republican there would vote for Bernie Sanders over Abraham Lincoln.

But the most amazing thing about the contest? I’d never heard of Dorollo Nixon in my life. I lived in Binghamton for 30 years and paid pretty close attention to local politics for about 25 of those, yet I had to go to the guy’s website to find out anything about him. Some type of attorney, apparently. He seems to say the right things, but out of context Tom Libous used to accidentally say some conservative things too. (Speaking of Libous, I’d always thought that the Binghamton-area GOP sort of laid down for Lupardo in exchange for their laying down for Libous. Now with Libous gone that arrangement might be off the table.) This Nixon fellow apparently has at least tacit support from Binghamton’s Republican crime family, as evidenced by the group of familiar dorks standing behind him at his campaign’s press event.

Nixon’s main argument for running seems to be that he wants to “give something back.” This is an old Libous line too. Give something back? What did you take? Why do you feel the need to reimburse me? Why must you seek a position of power and authority over those to whom you feel such debt? Have you found no charitable causes to which to contribute? Will you be working for free?

Mental note: contact Nixon and Lupardo campaigns with questions.

Er, maybe not.

Obviously I have nothing invested in the Warriors’ winning their record-setting 73rd game of the season tonight, but for whatever reason gosh darn I hope they do. The novelty of such a thing, perhaps. And if any group of guys deserves it, somehow I think it should be them. Someday psychologists will be explaining our collective love affair with the Golden State Warriors.

Prediction: Golden State… 73 wins, followed by championship.

Add Washington Capitals Stanley Cup to complete the spring trifecta.

Yeah.