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I can tell it's the first week of "real" summer because the humidity and the temperature have finally risen, swimming pools are open and the kids are out of school, and the NHL playoffs are mercifully over. If you're looking for something to do this weekend besides the ever present yard work or going to watch a movie about an Israeli counterterrorist turned hairdresser, now's the time to sit back and relax, crack a few cold ones, and follow along as some great sports scenes begin to unfold.

The NBA finals (I predicted Boston in 7) started last night with a Boston victory and continue on Sunday, and Paul Pierce's pseudo Willis Reed impersonation gave everyone something to talk about and added to the overall history of the series between these teams. Even if the Celtics win game 2, it's hard to imagine them beating the Lakers in L.A., where games 3, 4 and 5 will be played, given Boston's horrible road playoff record so far. This should set up a great finish to the series with games 6 and 7 back in Boston, where the many ghosts of NBA finals past will surely be hanging around the rafters or under the parquet floor.

There's not much suspense on Saturday when the race for the Triple Crown finishes up at Belmont. Unlike the last Triple Crown champion 30 years ago, when Affirmed had a classic duel with Alydar, Big Brown doesn't have another horse in his league, so although the race itself isn't likely to be close, if we only get a Triple Crown winner every 30 years or so, make sure you're watching this one on Saturday.

With the official start of summer (see above), that means it's also time to start taking baseball seriously. At this point there are still enough teams that can be considered contenders for a division championship or wild card, including some real surprises like Tampa Bay, that even the casual fan can find a good excuse for wanting to watch a few games this weekend. There are also great individual stories like Josh Hamilton of Texas, coming out of nowhere and leading the league in home runs (17) and RBI's (68). Considering his 2008 salary is $396,830, this has to go down as one of the greatest values in the history of employment, not counting Pakistani sweatshops of course. If you need more reason to pay attention, try voting for the All Star team this year.

For those of you that just don't get into horse racing or baseball (or playing baseball on horses), the annual deluge of college and pro football magazines has begun. Stop by your corner bookstore and pick up a mag or two for some casual reading of which team will finish 37th this year, and which team has the best set of 3rd string linebackers. For what it's worth, my favorite for a few years now is Phil Steele's College Preview.

Finally, if nothing above floats your boat this weekend, at least try to get out and play some catch (find a neighborhood kid if you don't have one of your own), or even better, find a couple kids and get a friendly game of wiffle ball going in the nearest back yard. It just may be the most fun you'll have all weekend, unless of course you're an Israeli commando turned hairdresser.

Tags: daily take, triple crown