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The best player was no match for the best team. Kobe “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over” Bryant couldn’t do it alone.

Regardless, the renewed Boston-LA basketball rivalry definitely had viewers tuned in. According to network giant ABC, viewership for the first five games of the finals was up 57 percent over last year.

Bryant finished with 22 points but only shot 7 of 22 from the field. Bryant was averaging 31.9 points through the first three rounds of playoffs but the Celtics defense held him to 25.7 points per game and 40% shooting.

Or maybe it wasn’t the hard work of superstars like Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce, who took home the NBA Finals MVP Award. Maybe the success of the Celtics last night can not even be accredited to the genius of coach Doc Rivers who kept Kobe and the Lakers from earning yet another championship ring. Maybe it was the National Basketball Association.

In various polls released today, a little less than half of the fans who responded think it’s either very likely or somewhat likely that the NBA alters the outcome of games.

If you’re a true die-hard Boston fan then you’re probably already out sporting your green and white in celebration of the bringing home of a second national title in the last year. However, if you’re like so many newly converted NY Giants fans out there, you might just want to hop on this championship bandwagon, too. Here is where you can stock up on the coolest of cool 2008 NBA Champs Gear.

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While reading the newest issue of Creativity Magazine, an article entitled “Refacing Facebook” caught my eye. In light of recent MySpace renovations, I guess Facebook finally decided to step its game up and make some changes to its popular social networking site. Unfortunately, the introduction of new tools like “Stalker” may prove to be the downfall of obsessive ex-boyfriends and girlfriends worldwide, who will soon be able to “stalk” any friend they wish with the click of a button. Gee, thanks Zuckerberg, now that creepy dude I talked to once in high school can see exactly where I’m going, how I’m doing and what I’m doing every second of the day. 

The digital restraining order Facebook plans on pairing with the new stalker tool is cute, but let’s hope it’s not a feeble attempt to cater to conflicted, on-again-off-again users like myself who think the “social networking” site went off the deep end long ago with the introduction of mini-feeds and the glorified buddy icons they pawn off as “gifts.” By the way, new limited edition gifts by companies like Burberry, Gucci and Prada will also be available for $5. Adios brand exclusivity.

A popularity index cataloguing friends and unique visitors to member profiles is the final feature that will be introduced to the hordes of insecure Facebookers who think people actually give a sh*t about how many people viewed their profile that day. Regardless of how much stalking members plan on doing on the site’s new interface, anyone who spends enough time “socializing” on Facebook can’t deny the site’s infinite marketing potential.

 You were an accident - Durex.——————————————————————————————— 

For years now, McDonalds has stood high atop the business world; as one of the most widely recognized brands, it’s no surprise. Even after Super Size Me, a film documenting director/guinea-pig Morgan Spurlock’s transformation from hard ass to lard ass courtesy of a 30-day, all-McDonalds diet, the fast food chain still remains the world’s most popular restaurant.

And even though brands like Subway helped create a new, albeit fictional, demographic of health-conscious fast food eaters, riding the health wave forced McDonalds to reconstruct their public persona. So to whom do those high atop the Mickey D’s food chain owe such impeccable brand resilience?

Their advertisers.

Whereas competitors like Carl’s Jr. seem to have fallen asleep at the wheel with the introduction of their new chili cheeseburger – a newer, more advanced breed of sh*t — can we say the same for McDonalds, who consistently dominates the competition?

With their most recent campaign promoting their Southern Style Chicken Biscuits, the newest in their long line of watered-down advertisements, it seems like McDonalds is playing it safe. But in a world full of progressive advertising, it seems as though many forget the effectiveness of a simple spot. Though adhering to cliches and trying to convince us that a chicken sandwich is “non-conformist” may be pushing it, with competitors like Carl’s Jr pushing turd-burgers to the masses, it’s no wonder McDonalds produces lame (yet effective) ads.