R.G.'s Two Pennies: James Harden must be 'LeBron'-like vs Warriors in Game 7

Perennial All-Star and All-NBA First Team shooting guard James Harden led the Houston Rockets squadron to an amazingly successful 65-win regular season in 2017-18, scoring a little over 30 points and almost nine assists per game in 72 contests, and is the frontrunner for the league's Most Valuable Player award. But with the dramatic loss of veteran point guard and co-leader Chris Paul late in Game 5 due to a badly sprained hamstring, it's an urgent 'must' that Harden goes full-throttle in Game 7 against Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and the defending world champion Golden State Warriors in the friendly confines of their Toyota Center home court.

I think J.Hard must be at least 'LeBron James'-like in his approach to this pivotal seventh game of the Western Conference finals. That means playing 40+ minutes, producing a strong 'Triple Double' stat line and playing maniacal defense - along with of course the much-needed help from his Rocket teammates in order to have a chance to dethrone the mighty Bay Area b-ballers. If James Harden desires to put his stamp on his incredible individual season and solidify his MVP status, he MUST be in 'monsta-mode' and led the Houston Rockets to their first West Finals crown since winning it all in 1995 and face 'King' LeBron James and the defending four-time Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

R.G.'s Female Crush Of The Moment

Brilliant and stunnamazingly gorgeous NBC New York news anchor Jummy Olabanji.

2018 Oscars a success despite ratings drop

So many historic, entertaining and all-around awesome moments occurred on Sunday, March 5, 2018 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. Everyone looked quite good in their outfits and accessories - of course. For the second consecutive year as host, late night TV funny dude Jimmy Kimmel was in vintage form doing what he did throughout the entire telecast. The expressions of defiance against the policies of President Donald Trump - as well as the Women's Rights #MeToo movement were brought to the forefront by the various creatives in attendance. 'The Shape Of Water' won four Academy Awards, including capturing Best Picture and it's Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro winning Best Director. Jordan Peele became the first African-American male to win the Oscar for Original Screenplay to his debut, ground-breaking film 'Get Out.' Recently retired and future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant became the first former NBA player to win an Academy Award for his animated short film, 'Dear Basketball,' et cetera, et cetera. So why were only an estimated 26.5 million sets of eyeballs tuned in this year in comparison to last year? Well, for one thing, the Academy Awards are the only ceremonies that gives out awards to every single category live, therefore it tends to run for about four hours, max. Personally, I think giving out all the awards on TV will actually inspire many to push hard with their dreams - that the ones working behind-the-scenes get rewarded and acknowledged for their important works. So for me, the 90th edition of the Academy Awards was incredible, 'can't miss' programming in spite of the 20% decline in viewership.

Gang Green Still Alive: Jets stun struggling Chiefs to remain in playoff hunt

After falling into a gaping 14-0 hole early in the first quarter by way of two touchdown grabs by All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce, the New York Jets responded strongly with just enough defense, sloppy play by the opposition and a solid effort by their veteran starting quarterback Josh McCown the rest of the way to eek out a huge 38-31 victory over the free-falling Kansas City Chiefs in front of an energetically raucous 77,562 fans at MetLife Stadium. The Jets (5-7) remain alive for an improbable AFC wildcard playoff spot with four crucial games remaining on their schedule. McCown put forth a very much-needed efficient game under center, completing 26 of 36 pass attempts for 331 yards and a TD toss to running back Matt Forte, and also entered the end zone himself on two 1-yard sneaks. Also, big kudos to place-kicker Chandler Cantanzaro on his three big field goal makes in the 'W' over KC, who fell to the .500 mark at 6-6 after kicking off the season with a 5-0 start. Next up for head coach Todd Bowles and Team Gang Green are the equally struggling and underachieving Denver Broncos (3-9) on the road come Sunday, December 10.  

The managerial hiring of Aaron Boone an interestingly bold move by the New York Yankees

Since the Bronx Bomber's positively surprising 2017 regular season and postseason run to the A.L. Championship Series ended with release of manager Joe Girardi, there was oh so much speculation as to who would be the guy to replace him. Names such as former major leaguers David Cone, Carlos Beltran, and even Alex Rodriguez were all in the conversation for the highly coveted position of Yankees manager. So when GM Brian Cashman and the higher-ups decided that former pinstriper and ESPN baseball analyst Aaron Boone, 44, would be the successor to Giradi and the 35th field manager in franchise history - despite having 'zero' prior experience either coaching or managing on any level, I think it's a refreshingly exciting move. I think Boone will step into the dugout and do a reasonably good job with his coaching staff. Plus, I think he'll not only relate well with the players on the roster come Spring of 2018, but will be very accommodating to the New York media, most importantly. Boone is already a legend and fan favorite from his days as a player in the Bronx - most notably, of course, for his dramatic, ALCS-clinching walk-off home run off of Boston Red Sox reliever Tim Wakefield back in the Fall of 2003. Plus, it helps being part of the legendary Boone family legacy in Major League Baseball. With talented young building blocks such as reigning A.L. Rookie of the Year and MVP runner-up Aaron Judge, A.L. Cy Young third-place finisher Luis Severino, backstop Gary Sanchez and first baseman Greg Bird, a successful future is definitely in the cards for the new manager and the New York Yankees - with hopefully more World Series titles in mind.