http://www.nypost.com/seven/05302007/news/regionalnews/hes_a_yankee_doodle_randy_regionalnews_dan_mangan.htm
Eight games under .500? Icing, meet cake.
This guy is a clown. Someone please explain how every professional athlete does stuff like this, but Arod is the only one that gets caught in the act. Front page of the New York Post?? Are you kidding me??
STKAFI
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Alphabet Soup 2.0
Due to the slow sports landscape going on right now, I will copy fellow blogger Certane and I submit to you an alphabet post. I have switched days with Ice Cold this week.
A-American's went 0-8 Tuesday at the French Open (could have used Agassi)
B-Barry Bonds sits out game 1 at Shea, almost mocking the extra 150 media personnel on hand
C-College lax was amazing the last two games, Duke winning at the buzzer after blowing a 8 goal lead in the semis, then losing by one in the championship
D-Dunk you very much, Lebron ON 'Sheed
E-Eric Clapton, only man in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 3 times (twice with bands, once solo)
F-Federer... cruises in first match
G-Ginobili has been DOMINATING 4th quarters the past two games, taking a lot of the pressure off of Duncan
H- He Del Got it... 4 home runs in the past two games (thank God I dropped him)
I-I love this website http://www.tv-links.co.uk/ i am 6 episodes into Rome, and two into Jericho
J-Jordin Sparks!!!
K-Kevin Garnett needs to be traded, anywhere, Bulls, Celtics, Suns, LA... it doesn't matter
L-Lottery winner Blazers and Sonics
M-Milwaukee Brewers 5-13 and fading after a hot hot start
N-Never try and outsmart a GPS navigation system, you'll lose everytime
O-Over, as in the AL East race, the Western conference finals, Tyson's waist line and 46, Devon's chances of closing a hot chick
P-Prince Fielder hit his 17th home run, his father left a big shadow but it may be fading
Q- Quickly my favorite 5 players in basketball in no particular order Jason Kidd, Dwayne Wade, Steve Nash, JJ Redick, Deron Williams/KG (subject to change by the day)
R-Red Sox on pace to win 115 games or so, Beckett 8-0... can anyone stop these guys... please
S- Sheffield offering life guidance to Dukes, right up there with Sprewell not being able to feed his family on $7 million a year
T-Tough to watch? Summer television is already hurting, no 24, Entourage, Sopranos, Lost, American Idol this past week... hopefully Sopranos will be good enough the last two episodes to take up discussion time
U-Under review... Murph's blog status
V-Vick, better be praying Commissioner Goodell doesn't take this dog fighting to heart, I'm actually guessing when all is said and done, he will... I foresee suspension
W-Williams as in Deron making a case for Team USA pg, and even talks of claiming stake as the second best pg in basketball
X-X-factor Daniel Gibson with 21 pts may have found a new role as second fiddle to LBJ sicne Larry Hughes couldn't cut it when healthy or when banged up.
Y-Yankees, just plain embarassing... don't expect Clemens to make a difference, don't expect Hughes to make a difference... every person in the organization should be playing for their job right now. I think Cashman is gone, Torre is gone, Long is gone, Abreu, etc
Z-Zack Randolph for Richard Jefferson, can the Nets please make this happen
A-American's went 0-8 Tuesday at the French Open (could have used Agassi)
B-Barry Bonds sits out game 1 at Shea, almost mocking the extra 150 media personnel on hand
C-College lax was amazing the last two games, Duke winning at the buzzer after blowing a 8 goal lead in the semis, then losing by one in the championship
D-Dunk you very much, Lebron ON 'Sheed
E-Eric Clapton, only man in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 3 times (twice with bands, once solo)
F-Federer... cruises in first match
G-Ginobili has been DOMINATING 4th quarters the past two games, taking a lot of the pressure off of Duncan
H- He Del Got it... 4 home runs in the past two games (thank God I dropped him)
I-I love this website http://www.tv-links.co.uk/ i am 6 episodes into Rome, and two into Jericho
J-Jordin Sparks!!!
K-Kevin Garnett needs to be traded, anywhere, Bulls, Celtics, Suns, LA... it doesn't matter
L-Lottery winner Blazers and Sonics
M-Milwaukee Brewers 5-13 and fading after a hot hot start
N-Never try and outsmart a GPS navigation system, you'll lose everytime
O-Over, as in the AL East race, the Western conference finals, Tyson's waist line and 46, Devon's chances of closing a hot chick
P-Prince Fielder hit his 17th home run, his father left a big shadow but it may be fading
Q- Quickly my favorite 5 players in basketball in no particular order Jason Kidd, Dwayne Wade, Steve Nash, JJ Redick, Deron Williams/KG (subject to change by the day)
R-Red Sox on pace to win 115 games or so, Beckett 8-0... can anyone stop these guys... please
S- Sheffield offering life guidance to Dukes, right up there with Sprewell not being able to feed his family on $7 million a year
T-Tough to watch? Summer television is already hurting, no 24, Entourage, Sopranos, Lost, American Idol this past week... hopefully Sopranos will be good enough the last two episodes to take up discussion time
U-Under review... Murph's blog status
V-Vick, better be praying Commissioner Goodell doesn't take this dog fighting to heart, I'm actually guessing when all is said and done, he will... I foresee suspension
W-Williams as in Deron making a case for Team USA pg, and even talks of claiming stake as the second best pg in basketball
X-X-factor Daniel Gibson with 21 pts may have found a new role as second fiddle to LBJ sicne Larry Hughes couldn't cut it when healthy or when banged up.
Y-Yankees, just plain embarassing... don't expect Clemens to make a difference, don't expect Hughes to make a difference... every person in the organization should be playing for their job right now. I think Cashman is gone, Torre is gone, Long is gone, Abreu, etc
Z-Zack Randolph for Richard Jefferson, can the Nets please make this happen
Where's the Beef?
I have recently been told that Certane, my blogging persona, has been made a permanent part of this blog. While I cannot speak to whether or not I am replacing individuals or simply being added, it is certainly an honor and a privilege that I will not take lightly. This post may not be the longest of entries but I just want to clean up some of the sports stories out there that are important to me. Apologies to Katz' article today(YOU CAN FIND IT UNDER THIS ONE) as I was unable to post this yesterday.
First off, I take offense to Da Bocker's remarks regarding the Celtics. I don't like the Yankees and from a competitive standpoint, I would prefer they did not trade for Todd Helton and Brian Fuentes(a recent rumor on ESPN) but to "despise" an entire city's sports based on the A-hole fans is stupid. As a Red Sox fan, I strive to not be a blind fan, and to a certain extent, I pride myself that I am not a stereotypical Red Sox fan. The anger in the words about Celtics fans "finding Durant as if they knew him" is just stupid and misplaced; perhaps a bit of jealousy because Bocker has been on the Bandwagon, following the guy for months. Don't get me wrong, I don't like Yankee fans, I find them, for the most part, to be elitist douchebags. Only informed fans are worth talking to, similar i am sure to Boston fans. But I don't root against them because of those fans, I root against them because of the competive nature of the rivalry. Which is exactly why I don't root against the Knicks, there is no real rivalry there at this moment. Sure Boston fans are overzealous based on love of sports but honestly; name me a professional sports team or fan that would not talk about a new acquisition at that talent level with great pride. I, myself, have adopted Reggie Bush in a similar fashion, just as the casual New York fan has latched onto Phillip Hughes or David Wright as if they had been dropped onto the face of the earth. Sure, Boston fans can annoy, in some cases, they have mastered the art but the whole paragraph, the whole reason given for the hatred of Boston sports fan is exactly how sports fans that do not have the time to follow college sports or check the minor league rosters are SUPPOSED to react and feel, Boston just has a knack for annoyance. There are casual fans, there are passionate fans, there are douchebag fans(quite a few of these can be found in Boston), there are informed fans. There is a difference and to despise the Celtics and root for them to miss out on the lottery based on the fans and not from a competitive stand point puts a person on the track to join the ranks of douchebag fans. C'mon its called following sports, Boston is annoying, say it and move on.
Then again maybe I am wrong. Maybe it is only Celtics Fans that root for guys like that. Because I'll bet Knick fans weren't obnoxious when they got Ewing. Each and every fan in New York already knew all about him. I'm sure no one reacted "as if he just popped onto this planet and they knew all there was to know about him"
Anyway, as far as the Celtics are concerned; it is devastating. I'm not going to play the unlucky card because as far as the Saints and Red Sox are concerned (screw the pats) I am in a good place sports wise. And also, I like the current Celtics team, they aren't terrible they just need one piece and a new coach / gm. Obviously Oden or Durant could have been that piece, now, its time to look elsewhere and get this team back on track. Lets get that guy outta Minny. I hear he can play a little bit.
And if Garnett comes over with Ricky Davis . . . so be it.
The Red Sox are on fire, they are dominating and Manny isn't even Manny yet. Basically they are gravy for right now, the Yanks may have taken 2 out of 3 but they just don't have that intimidating presence anymore. Its worse for them now than it was after blowing the 3-0 lead. I am just not afraid anymore; what happened to the Yankees? Was it all injuries? Was it poor planning? It is a little disappointing when my team loses 2 of 3 in the greatest rivalry ever and it doesn't concern me at all.
An Alphabet's worth of points on the recent NFL draft, the NFL, and other loose topics, I tried to Live Running Diary it but I got drunk and fell asleep half way through.
A) I really like JaMarcus Russel, everything I saw from him was impressive. Not very mobile though, I was confused when they compared him with McNabb.
B) Calvin Johnson was a stupid choice.
C) That isn't enough, if I hear one more person say that it was the right choice, I am going to vomit. They have wasted pick after pick on WR while the rest of their team decomposed. Peter King applauds Matt Millen; Kiper thought they finally found the right receiver to take. Every single analyst thought they had a fine draft. Are you serious? Their QB is Jon "Perennial Backup" Kitna. There defense is the epitome of terrible. Their Offensive line is a disgrace. Last year, they had Roy Williams and Mike Furrey (who was great for them). If you don't like the value trade down and take someone who is a better fit. The Lions barely improved in this draft and with LaRon Landry, Brady Quinn, and Joe Thomas on the board, the Lions made the wrong choice.
D) How does Matt Millen still have a job?
E) I am extremely jealous of the Redskins situation with Safeties, love LaRon Landry
F) Buffalo: Good Pick Marshawn Lynch : Great Pick Paul Poluszny
G) J E T S : I don't like the Revis pick, I loved Revis going into the draft but I think Brady Quinn should have been the pick. You might like Chad but he isn't the long term future
H) Though I like David Harris a lot
I) Tough not to love what the Pats pulled. Even if they did draft the off field reincarnate of Ray Lewis.
J) Did not see anything that I liked about Chicago's new Tight End. Not impressed, really glad the Saints didn't draft him
K) Not impressed with anything the Giants did for the second year in a row.
L) If I was starting an NBA franchise and could take either one at the beginning of their career, I think I would take Shaq over TD but I don't believe there is a wrong answer.
M) I couldn't be less excited for the NBA playoffs right now.
N) Robert Meachem is not Joe Horn, but I think he is good. And yes I know everything there is to know about him even though he just fell into my world. I have been following his career since High School, I swear.
O) Hockey grew on me just a tiny bit over the last few months. It is now just behind, all college sports, NFL, NBA, MLB, WTA, PGA, NFL Europe, NBDL, and Soccer (non American). Congrats, you passed MLS!
P) Its tough to call either Durant or Oden, "not a good fit" for any team. They are that good.
Q) Would have liked Hibbert for the C's over that Chinese guy. Oh well
R) I have just completed the greatest run in the history of reality TV. It can be confirmed by many. I picked Jordin Sparks before she sang a note, the first day of American Idol and never swayed. Thank You. Thank You.
S) I still hate Arod but I respect Jeter
T) I don't like Curt Schilling's blog even though I am a Schilling fan
U) If you haven't read Gilbert Arenas' blog, you don't know what you are missing. http://www.nba.com/blog/gilbert_arenas.html
V) I am really greatful that the Saints did not move. If they had, based on the fact, that I couldn't root for a San Antonio team, I had planned on following Donte Stallworth until something stuck. Rooting for the Pats would be unbearable.
W) Patriots are going to be too good next year. Anyone that believes Randy can no longer dominate is kidding themselves
X) But what do I know. I'm just an ignorant sports fan from Boston that has been following Yi Jingjingjaroo since he was a small child
Cashman's Memorial
Memorial Day weekend, a typically strong sports weekend was surprisingly quiet and uninteresting (unless you like NASCAR and Indy Car racing, in which case, why are you reading this blog?). The Cavs and Jazz both won earlier, making both series semi-interesting for about .5 seconds. The Jazz promptly lost at home last and acted like 5-year old children at the end of the game, and Larry Hughes is out for at least game 4 with a torn heal muscle, quickly making both series irrelevant again.
One piece of news that did come out over the weekend, but was not much of a surprise was George Steinbrenner participating in a formal interview and saying that Brian Cashman is on the hot seat and if the Yankees don't start turning it around and start winning, he could see the door.
I was discussing this whole situation with a buddy and we both agreed that this would be the right move. 99% of the time, when teams aren't winning, it's because the players aren't producing on the field. This situation is no different. However, the roster that Cashman has put together, combined with the massive contracts and no-trade clauses most of the stars on the Yankees have, it is nearly impossible to blame a player or two, shake things up, make trades, etc. This is New York though, and someone has to take the blame and be the scapegoat. In this case, it is the person who put the team together, General Manager Cashman.
I believe the blame is being put on the right person in this particular case (besides the players of course, but not much can be done there). Cashman wanted full reign and authority to put together the team he wanted and he got it. I'm not going to get into the details of the questionable moves he pulled, but he asked for the responsibility and George's dough, and hasn't done much with it. After the most recent sweep of the Yankees at home to the LAA Angles, resulting in the Bombers trailing the Red Sox by 13.5 games, I could see a dramatic move being made as early as this week.
Next in line is Joe Torre himself. Steinbrenner has stated that he is behind Torre, but at the same time mentioned that Don Mattingly, is indeed, being groomed to become the Yankees next Manager. Is he ready? Absolutely not. But as we have seen in the past, Torre and Steinbrenner have not always seen eye to eye, yet have always seemed to get past the rough patches. However, having not been to a World Series since 2003, or won one since 2000, George might just be fed up and wanted to implode the front office and start from scratch. The Yankees have a handful of young prospects, both hitters and pitchers, but it would be a tough move to swallow for Steinbrenner and the fans having a payroll upwards of $200 million.
Personally, I believe that Cashman should be fired, but Torre should be able to leave when he wants and finish out the year. If Torre had accomplished what he has for the Yankees in any other city (4 championships in 6 years), he would have an automatic lifetime contract. Again, this being New York, that is not the case, and anything less than a championship every year is a failure. That being said, although I do believe Torre has lost a little bit of his in game managerial skills, he is in the last year of his contract, and I still feel he should be able to ride off into the sunset after this year.
One piece of news that did come out over the weekend, but was not much of a surprise was George Steinbrenner participating in a formal interview and saying that Brian Cashman is on the hot seat and if the Yankees don't start turning it around and start winning, he could see the door.
I was discussing this whole situation with a buddy and we both agreed that this would be the right move. 99% of the time, when teams aren't winning, it's because the players aren't producing on the field. This situation is no different. However, the roster that Cashman has put together, combined with the massive contracts and no-trade clauses most of the stars on the Yankees have, it is nearly impossible to blame a player or two, shake things up, make trades, etc. This is New York though, and someone has to take the blame and be the scapegoat. In this case, it is the person who put the team together, General Manager Cashman.
I believe the blame is being put on the right person in this particular case (besides the players of course, but not much can be done there). Cashman wanted full reign and authority to put together the team he wanted and he got it. I'm not going to get into the details of the questionable moves he pulled, but he asked for the responsibility and George's dough, and hasn't done much with it. After the most recent sweep of the Yankees at home to the LAA Angles, resulting in the Bombers trailing the Red Sox by 13.5 games, I could see a dramatic move being made as early as this week.
Next in line is Joe Torre himself. Steinbrenner has stated that he is behind Torre, but at the same time mentioned that Don Mattingly, is indeed, being groomed to become the Yankees next Manager. Is he ready? Absolutely not. But as we have seen in the past, Torre and Steinbrenner have not always seen eye to eye, yet have always seemed to get past the rough patches. However, having not been to a World Series since 2003, or won one since 2000, George might just be fed up and wanted to implode the front office and start from scratch. The Yankees have a handful of young prospects, both hitters and pitchers, but it would be a tough move to swallow for Steinbrenner and the fans having a payroll upwards of $200 million.
Personally, I believe that Cashman should be fired, but Torre should be able to leave when he wants and finish out the year. If Torre had accomplished what he has for the Yankees in any other city (4 championships in 6 years), he would have an automatic lifetime contract. Again, this being New York, that is not the case, and anything less than a championship every year is a failure. That being said, although I do believe Torre has lost a little bit of his in game managerial skills, he is in the last year of his contract, and I still feel he should be able to ride off into the sunset after this year.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Ponies, Ping Pong, Pop Diesel
Preakness:
Katzo Relaxo did a great recap of the trip, but I felt the need to say something about it. I mean there can't be another scene like this on earth. No id check, cops wave you in at the front gate no matter what your age, no matter what you're carrying. You are permitted to piss all over the fence which entraps you inside the field while police officers and army dudes watch you from the other side. Fights are permitted until it gets out of hand, then the event staff runs in and breaks it up as if they just got there. If someone really misbehaves the cops take him away, meanwhile everyone throws beer cans at the cops and handcuffed kid. Eventually girls start pissing near this now infamous fence and guys walk past them saying "ew she's pooping", I happen to find this somewhat funny. Anyway it's certainly a scene that is hard to do justice unless you experience it.
Ping Pong Balls:
I was somewhat torn going into the Lottery. The longer I live in Boston the more I despise their teams. So for me, the last thing I wanted was for the Celtics to get a top two pick so that I could hear non stop for the next 4 months from the Sawwwx fans all about Kevin Durant as if he just popped onto this planet and they knew all there was to know about him. On the other hand, being in Boston i would have certainly been able to go watch a few of his games, which would have been great. Also, I would have preferred an Eastern Conference team to get one if not both of the top picks. I actually like the fit for Oden in Portland though. Ice Cold mentioned this earlier in the week, but Roy, Aldridge, Oden, Webster and Randolph (for now) form a great nucleus. One great thing I heard this year, while so many teams were tanking Roy was going out there putting up 28 pt second halfs, and playing his heart out for victories. This was a guy who was doing everything in his power to get a W, no matter if it was costing his team ping pong balls or not (Celtic fans, remember when you could have had this guy... no cheap shot Knick comments)
On the other hand, Durant in Seattle I don't love. First their is the team's instability and probably won't be in Seattle past this season. I guess this allows them to let Rashard Lewis walk, but this team is more then a few pieces away.
DUNCAN V. SHAQ
For arguments sake, let's assume for the moment the Spurs win the title and Duncan wins finals MVP. These are the two most dominant players of the past decade, and I wanted to take a look about who has had a better career.
Rookie of Year:
Duncan (1998)
Shaq (1993)
MVP:
Duncan (2002, 2003)
Shaq (2000)
NBA Finals:
Duncan (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007*** for arguments sake***)
Shaq (2000, 2001, 2002, 2006)
NBA Finals MVP's:
Duncan 3 (4*** this year)
Shaq 3
ALL NBA:
Duncan (10) 9-1st, 1-2nd
Shaq (13) 8-1st, 2-2nd, 3-3rd
All Defensive Team:
Duncan (10) 7-1st teams
Shaq (3)- 3-2nd teams
Others:
Duncan- 10 all star games
Shaq- 2 scoring titles, 14 time all star
Now I dont know who has had a better career and Duncan is five years behind Shaq. One stat that I heard recently, is that Shaq has been swept out of the playoffs 6 times. I also agree with a comment someone said (may have been Simmons), KG has missed the playoffs 2 or 3 straight years, there is just no way I could ever see a healthy Duncan led team in his prime missing the playoffs. I think this argument about who is better is a great one. Both sides have a formidable argument.... now for who is a better interview, that would make for a lousy post.
And a few more Shaq ones, sorry for any repeats
* I got somebody, that other guy, who is just as lethal. He's a little bit younger, he got a lot of proving to do, but he's just as lethal. It's my job to make him lethaler, it's my job to make him the lethalest, if that's a word ...
* "They shot the ball well early. What comes out of the microwave hot doesn't always stay hot. I know, because I eat bagels in the morning."
* I wouldn't. I would just go home. I'd fake an injury or something.
* "They would all say, 'You’re not like we thought you would be. You’re not as smart as we thought that you would be.'"
* [Erik] Dampier is soft. Quote it, underline it, tape it and send it to him. Don't ask me about that guy, ever. You can tell him I said it. You guys try to compare him and rate him and match him up against me, but I'm telling you there's nothing there.
* I'm sorry, who?
* I can't really remember the names of the clubs that we went to.
Katzo Relaxo did a great recap of the trip, but I felt the need to say something about it. I mean there can't be another scene like this on earth. No id check, cops wave you in at the front gate no matter what your age, no matter what you're carrying. You are permitted to piss all over the fence which entraps you inside the field while police officers and army dudes watch you from the other side. Fights are permitted until it gets out of hand, then the event staff runs in and breaks it up as if they just got there. If someone really misbehaves the cops take him away, meanwhile everyone throws beer cans at the cops and handcuffed kid. Eventually girls start pissing near this now infamous fence and guys walk past them saying "ew she's pooping", I happen to find this somewhat funny. Anyway it's certainly a scene that is hard to do justice unless you experience it.
Ping Pong Balls:
I was somewhat torn going into the Lottery. The longer I live in Boston the more I despise their teams. So for me, the last thing I wanted was for the Celtics to get a top two pick so that I could hear non stop for the next 4 months from the Sawwwx fans all about Kevin Durant as if he just popped onto this planet and they knew all there was to know about him. On the other hand, being in Boston i would have certainly been able to go watch a few of his games, which would have been great. Also, I would have preferred an Eastern Conference team to get one if not both of the top picks. I actually like the fit for Oden in Portland though. Ice Cold mentioned this earlier in the week, but Roy, Aldridge, Oden, Webster and Randolph (for now) form a great nucleus. One great thing I heard this year, while so many teams were tanking Roy was going out there putting up 28 pt second halfs, and playing his heart out for victories. This was a guy who was doing everything in his power to get a W, no matter if it was costing his team ping pong balls or not (Celtic fans, remember when you could have had this guy... no cheap shot Knick comments)
On the other hand, Durant in Seattle I don't love. First their is the team's instability and probably won't be in Seattle past this season. I guess this allows them to let Rashard Lewis walk, but this team is more then a few pieces away.
DUNCAN V. SHAQ
For arguments sake, let's assume for the moment the Spurs win the title and Duncan wins finals MVP. These are the two most dominant players of the past decade, and I wanted to take a look about who has had a better career.
Rookie of Year:
Duncan (1998)
Shaq (1993)
MVP:
Duncan (2002, 2003)
Shaq (2000)
NBA Finals:
Duncan (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007*** for arguments sake***)
Shaq (2000, 2001, 2002, 2006)
NBA Finals MVP's:
Duncan 3 (4*** this year)
Shaq 3
ALL NBA:
Duncan (10) 9-1st, 1-2nd
Shaq (13) 8-1st, 2-2nd, 3-3rd
All Defensive Team:
Duncan (10) 7-1st teams
Shaq (3)- 3-2nd teams
Others:
Duncan- 10 all star games
Shaq- 2 scoring titles, 14 time all star
Now I dont know who has had a better career and Duncan is five years behind Shaq. One stat that I heard recently, is that Shaq has been swept out of the playoffs 6 times. I also agree with a comment someone said (may have been Simmons), KG has missed the playoffs 2 or 3 straight years, there is just no way I could ever see a healthy Duncan led team in his prime missing the playoffs. I think this argument about who is better is a great one. Both sides have a formidable argument.... now for who is a better interview, that would make for a lousy post.
- "Just say I’m from Somalia and I need food." — Stephen Jackson, describing his passion for winning.
- Dampier is soft. Quote it, underline it, tape it, send it to him. Don’t ask me about that guy ever again." – Shaq
- "And (Reggie) Evans — you talk about Vlade being a flopper? This guy is taking it to a whole new level. He goes down when the air conditioning comes on." – Rick Adelman
- “I don’t think anything of Laura Frank. You heard me — Laura Frank. Not Lawrence. Laura . . . It’s not that I blame him, I just wish he’d go to a manly tactic and just fight me. Don’t whine. When he whines, that’s when I change his name of Lawrence Frank.” – Shaq
- “When you are 60, hang out with 60-year-olds, not 20-year-olds. That is all I got to say about Jerry Buss.” – Shaq
And a few more Shaq ones, sorry for any repeats
* I'm like the pythagorean theorem. Not too many people know the answer to my game.
* I got somebody, that other guy, who is just as lethal. He's a little bit younger, he got a lot of proving to do, but he's just as lethal. It's my job to make him lethaler, it's my job to make him the lethalest, if that's a word ...
* I knew I was dog meat. Luckily, I'm the high-priced dog meat that everybody wants. I'm the good-quality dog meat.
* Me shooting 40% at the foul line is just God's way to say nobody's perfect
* "They shot the ball well early. What comes out of the microwave hot doesn't always stay hot. I know, because I eat bagels in the morning."
- After a 25 point comeback victory against Boston on March 16, 2006.
* I had an awful first quarter but I picked it up. To all you single guys out there, it's not how you start the date, it's how you finish it sir. A lot of people can, you know, start the date with flowers and candy, but if you don't finish the date … you know what I mean?
* I wouldn't. I would just go home. I'd fake an injury or something.
- When asked how he would defend against himself.
* "They would all say, 'You’re not like we thought you would be. You’re not as smart as we thought that you would be.'"
- When describing his MBA classmates' reaction to him.
* [Erik] Dampier is soft. Quote it, underline it, tape it and send it to him. Don't ask me about that guy, ever. You can tell him I said it. You guys try to compare him and rate him and match him up against me, but I'm telling you there's nothing there.
* The difference between those three is the Godfather trilogy. One is Fredo, who was never ready for me to hand it over to him. One is Sonny, who will do whatever it takes to be the man, and one is Michael, who if you watch the trilogy, the Godfather hands it over to Michael. So I have no problem handing it over to Dwyane.
- On his relationship with Penny, Kobe, and Dwyane respectively
* I'm sorry, who?
- When asked about his relationship with Kobe Bryant
* I could always go and have a conversation with Mr. Gates or Mr. Trump. But now that I have this (MBA), I can really have a conversation with them on the same level that they have their conversations.
- On receiving his MBA
* I can't really remember the names of the clubs that we went to.
- On whether he had visited the Parthenon during his visit to Greece
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Crossroads
So the NBA Draft Lottery just went down and the first overall pick went to the Portland Trailblazers. Not only that, but the second overall pick went to the Seattle Supersonics. This is the first time I (or anyone else for that matter) has ever thought this, but the sports Gods are shining on the Pacific Northwest tonight. When you look at this draft, the Western conference has three of the top four picks and the top two overall. This is the same conference where the five sees this playoffs might have been favored over the one seed in the East.
Since the end the Chicago Bulls dynasty, the West has won six of the eight championships (not including this season). When you look at this season, five out of the best six teams reside out West. As far as young talent goes, while the East has Lebron, Wade and Dwight Howard, the West has Carmelo, Amare Stoudamire and two of the best young point guards to come into the league in a long time in Deron Williams and Chris Paul. Now you go and put Greg Oden and Kevin Durant in the West. Tim Duncan and KG are still only in their prime, as are Kobe, T-Mac and Dirk. Unless something drastic happens, the NBA will be dominated by the West for the next 10 years.
The Blazers all of the sudden go from a team with some nice young pieces, to a future dynasty. Oden fits perfectly onto that roster. His presence will allow Aldridge to score and Roy/Jack to create. In addition, he will bring that young team together defensively. Now all they have to do is wait for Darius Miles contract to expire and figure out what to do with Zack Randolph. Right now though they are filled with young players both on the perimeter and down low. They caught an incredible break with this pick, and are set up to reap the benefits for years to come.
Durant in Seattle is a much weirder fit. To me, that roster has long been one of the weirder put together in the league. They don't really have a great point guard and are soft inside. Ray Allen is a perennial all-star, while Rashard Lewis seems to be stuck on that all-star cusp. Do I think Durant can come in and all of the sudden this can be on of the most exciting teams in the league? Without a doubt. Can they win? I am not so sure. Allen is no youngster, and the rest of the roster is a mish-mosh of talent. Durant will definitely have a chance to succeed in Seattle, but it is not set up nearly as nicely as it is for Oden in Portland.
The biggest losers from tonight? Boston, Memphis and Phoenix for sure. Memphis dropped from one to four, Boston dropped from two to five and Phoenix went from possibly having a top 10 pick, to no pick at all since Atlanta rose into the top three. The biggest winners are obviously the top three. Seattle and Portland will get Durant and Oden, while Atlanta keeps their own pick, while also gaining Indianas' pick at #11. It will be very interesting to see what Atlanta does, whether they take Conley Jr at three, wait to take Acie Law IV at 11 or figure out some sort of a trade scenario.
Like most of my NBA thoughts, I will bring this all back to the New York Knicks. With the West looking like it will continue its dominance, my Knicks will have a better chance of getting into the playoffs next year (Heat a year older, Indiana deeper into rebuilding, Boston losing out on top 2 pick, questions in Jersey, etc.). With that I will get to hear more about how Isiah is on the right track with the Knicks to get them back to "championship level". Shoot me now. See Celtic fans, at least you won't wake up tomorrow and still have Isiah as your coach/GM. You will have Ainge though as your GM tho, so you can kill yourselves as well.
One last thought....Can someone tell me why the Bulls were at the lottery instead of the Knicks? I know the Knicks traded them their pick, but it was the Knicks pick. How much better would it have been to have Isiah Thomas sitting there while he waited to see how the ping-pong balls fell? If somehow the Knicks (Bulls) moved up in the draft we could have seen Isiahs' snakeinthegrass smirk increase as it got closer to number one. It probably would not have mattered because MSG would have put some ridiculous spin on that it was a positive, etc, etc, bullshit, etc.
Anyway, the lottery was more fun than usual because of the tremendous talent on top and the potential heartbreak of teams like the Celtics, which turned out to be reality. Now I can look forward to a another fluff filled offseason for my Knicks. Whoopie.
STKAFI
Since the end the Chicago Bulls dynasty, the West has won six of the eight championships (not including this season). When you look at this season, five out of the best six teams reside out West. As far as young talent goes, while the East has Lebron, Wade and Dwight Howard, the West has Carmelo, Amare Stoudamire and two of the best young point guards to come into the league in a long time in Deron Williams and Chris Paul. Now you go and put Greg Oden and Kevin Durant in the West. Tim Duncan and KG are still only in their prime, as are Kobe, T-Mac and Dirk. Unless something drastic happens, the NBA will be dominated by the West for the next 10 years.
The Blazers all of the sudden go from a team with some nice young pieces, to a future dynasty. Oden fits perfectly onto that roster. His presence will allow Aldridge to score and Roy/Jack to create. In addition, he will bring that young team together defensively. Now all they have to do is wait for Darius Miles contract to expire and figure out what to do with Zack Randolph. Right now though they are filled with young players both on the perimeter and down low. They caught an incredible break with this pick, and are set up to reap the benefits for years to come.
Durant in Seattle is a much weirder fit. To me, that roster has long been one of the weirder put together in the league. They don't really have a great point guard and are soft inside. Ray Allen is a perennial all-star, while Rashard Lewis seems to be stuck on that all-star cusp. Do I think Durant can come in and all of the sudden this can be on of the most exciting teams in the league? Without a doubt. Can they win? I am not so sure. Allen is no youngster, and the rest of the roster is a mish-mosh of talent. Durant will definitely have a chance to succeed in Seattle, but it is not set up nearly as nicely as it is for Oden in Portland.
The biggest losers from tonight? Boston, Memphis and Phoenix for sure. Memphis dropped from one to four, Boston dropped from two to five and Phoenix went from possibly having a top 10 pick, to no pick at all since Atlanta rose into the top three. The biggest winners are obviously the top three. Seattle and Portland will get Durant and Oden, while Atlanta keeps their own pick, while also gaining Indianas' pick at #11. It will be very interesting to see what Atlanta does, whether they take Conley Jr at three, wait to take Acie Law IV at 11 or figure out some sort of a trade scenario.
Like most of my NBA thoughts, I will bring this all back to the New York Knicks. With the West looking like it will continue its dominance, my Knicks will have a better chance of getting into the playoffs next year (Heat a year older, Indiana deeper into rebuilding, Boston losing out on top 2 pick, questions in Jersey, etc.). With that I will get to hear more about how Isiah is on the right track with the Knicks to get them back to "championship level". Shoot me now. See Celtic fans, at least you won't wake up tomorrow and still have Isiah as your coach/GM. You will have Ainge though as your GM tho, so you can kill yourselves as well.
One last thought....Can someone tell me why the Bulls were at the lottery instead of the Knicks? I know the Knicks traded them their pick, but it was the Knicks pick. How much better would it have been to have Isiah Thomas sitting there while he waited to see how the ping-pong balls fell? If somehow the Knicks (Bulls) moved up in the draft we could have seen Isiahs' snakeinthegrass smirk increase as it got closer to number one. It probably would not have mattered because MSG would have put some ridiculous spin on that it was a positive, etc, etc, bullshit, etc.
Anyway, the lottery was more fun than usual because of the tremendous talent on top and the potential heartbreak of teams like the Celtics, which turned out to be reality. Now I can look forward to a another fluff filled offseason for my Knicks. Whoopie.
STKAFI
Road Trip
PIMLICO Race Track - Baltimore, Maryland. The 132nd running of the Preakness Stakes.
What a scene.
I had heard stories, and I thought I knew what I was getting into, but when you finally get to the track and stand on the outside of it looking in towards the infield, you have no idea how big it really is and what actually takes place on the inside. Here's the rundown:
We left NYC after work on Friday around 5:30pm. I learned many new things on this trip, the first being never, under any circumstances, try to fit five grown men into a luxury sedan for more than ten minutes, let alone a 4 hour ride, my back and neck probably won't be the same, ever.
Right off the bat, the GPS system we were using was a little shady. Instead of taking us to the Holland or Lincoln tunnel, we were heading down the FDR drive south into the financial district, going through Brooklyn and Staten Island, etc. However, this segways into the second lesson I learned from this trip, always trust the GPS system, but we'll get into that a little later. After sitting in traffic for about an hour or so, and a couple prank phone calls here and there, we were finally on our way to Philadelphia to make the "Carey exchange". Seems like a pretty simple task, drive from NYC to Philly, drop off one Carey to pick up another. Wrong.
The GPS system, ever since we got on the Jersey Turnpike, was telling us to get off each and every exit. This can't be right, we all thought, and decided to completely under mind anything the GPS was telling us. I mean, it's a bunch of satellites and we are all fairly intelligent humans, man over machine, obvi. As we are getting close to Philly, the first Carey is calling Cannoli face every 5 minutes or so. "Just get on I-676" he says, every time. Fine. Philly is getting pretty close on the map according the the chicks voice on the GPS who sounds hot but we continue to ignore. We decide to call the second Carey, whom we will be picking up shortly and tell him to order a couple pizzas and some wings because we have not eaten all night and things could start to get rowdy. Luckily for me, my neck, lower back, and entire ass are completely numb by this point so I have no complaints.
"Uh, Cannoli Face, we are getting really close to Philly on the map and I see no I-676 anywhere". Turns out there was no I-676, unless you were on a different highway going down. (Little known fact, the I-95 Philly uses is completely different from the I-95 everyone else uses. And if you were ever wondering if the Jersey Turnpike and I-95 are the same, they're not, trust me). After we pass the last exit that would lead us to Philly, we just decide we will take the next exit and turn around. Luckily for us, the next exit was about 15 miles away and if we decided to do that we would be wasting about 45 minutes. Unanimous decision, we are skipping Philly (and the pizzas and wings), the other Carey would hop a ride with Cannoli Face and Co. (the kids the Carey in our car were going to ride with), and meet up with us in Delaware.
By the time we had decided where we would meet in Delaware, we had already driven through it, what a stupid state. Finally, we decide we absolutely have to eat and get off the third or fourth exit in Maryland and hop into Sluggers sports bar attached to a La Quinta. Speaking of scenes, I could describe to you the people inside this place, but again, that's a whole other post. About 30 minutes later, Cannoli Face and Co. show up, and we are finally united with the rightful Carey (and just 30 minutes outside Baltimore no less).
The next morning, we wake up at the butt crack of dawn to drive over to our buddies house who lives "walking distance" from the track. Ha! To pregame. Funnels and Black Eyed Susan's (the official Preakness drink) all over the place. We decide to head over to the track around 11:30, and because it's "walking distance" Ha! from the track, carrying 30 racks and coolers shouldn't be a big deal. Thank God the kid lives in a Hasidic Jewish community and everyone is returning from Sabbath while we are walking around drunk with beers and coolers. One of the nicer gentlemen even stopped to scold us and possibly have us arrested, but I won't get into that either. Our Carey decides that this is ridiculous, so we start to hitchhike. Personally, I never thought this would work in a million years but lo and behold, a nice 50 year old man who was obviously thinking it was a good idea to pick up four drunk idiots with beers and coolers and bring them to the track (he was the man) stopped and gave us a lift.
Getting out of the car, I was in awe. Again, I can't describe for you how big this thing but the race is 1 3/8 miles, and is only a single lap. So think about an oval with a circumference of 1 3/8 miles and having the entire middle area filled with people (I say at least 75,000-10,000 rowdy drunk college kids). It was the ultimate tailgate. The people are treated like cattle. You are herded into the fenced-in infield and there is no re-entry. We arrived around noon and the big race didn't start until about 5pm. Cops and security people are all around the perimeter of the infield on the outside of the fence just watching people urinate (sometimes into 30 rack boxes, oddly enough).
More funnels and Black Eyed Susan's continue and a couple food stand stops, bathroom breaks, and multiple table tops later, and its time to make my bets just a few minutes before the race starts. I'll save you the suspense, I lost all of them, but because I got to watch the race up close and personal it was all worth it. Kidding, that's actually impossible from the infield. We were on the last turn and the only way we knew a) that the race was going on, or b) where the horses were, was hearing the crowd cheer from the right, slowly make its way to us, suddenly hear the thunderous galloping of the pony's and seeing them for about 2 seconds. Suddenly the race was over (I guess) and I had to call a couple people back in NY to find out who won and what happened because I had no idea what was going on. Turned out to be one of the closest finishes in Preakness history, whatever.
After that, the rest of the day/night is somewhat blurry and it began to rain a little (the rain had held off for most of the day and it turned out to be absolutely perfect weather for this type of debauchery). Fights and fires were being started left and right, everyone finally spilled into the streets and we somehow finagled a cab back to our hotel.
All in all it was a great trip, and before you get too old, I strongly recommend you give Preakness a try, you will not regret it.
What a scene.
I had heard stories, and I thought I knew what I was getting into, but when you finally get to the track and stand on the outside of it looking in towards the infield, you have no idea how big it really is and what actually takes place on the inside. Here's the rundown:
We left NYC after work on Friday around 5:30pm. I learned many new things on this trip, the first being never, under any circumstances, try to fit five grown men into a luxury sedan for more than ten minutes, let alone a 4 hour ride, my back and neck probably won't be the same, ever.
Right off the bat, the GPS system we were using was a little shady. Instead of taking us to the Holland or Lincoln tunnel, we were heading down the FDR drive south into the financial district, going through Brooklyn and Staten Island, etc. However, this segways into the second lesson I learned from this trip, always trust the GPS system, but we'll get into that a little later. After sitting in traffic for about an hour or so, and a couple prank phone calls here and there, we were finally on our way to Philadelphia to make the "Carey exchange". Seems like a pretty simple task, drive from NYC to Philly, drop off one Carey to pick up another. Wrong.
The GPS system, ever since we got on the Jersey Turnpike, was telling us to get off each and every exit. This can't be right, we all thought, and decided to completely under mind anything the GPS was telling us. I mean, it's a bunch of satellites and we are all fairly intelligent humans, man over machine, obvi. As we are getting close to Philly, the first Carey is calling Cannoli face every 5 minutes or so. "Just get on I-676" he says, every time. Fine. Philly is getting pretty close on the map according the the chicks voice on the GPS who sounds hot but we continue to ignore. We decide to call the second Carey, whom we will be picking up shortly and tell him to order a couple pizzas and some wings because we have not eaten all night and things could start to get rowdy. Luckily for me, my neck, lower back, and entire ass are completely numb by this point so I have no complaints.
"Uh, Cannoli Face, we are getting really close to Philly on the map and I see no I-676 anywhere". Turns out there was no I-676, unless you were on a different highway going down. (Little known fact, the I-95 Philly uses is completely different from the I-95 everyone else uses. And if you were ever wondering if the Jersey Turnpike and I-95 are the same, they're not, trust me). After we pass the last exit that would lead us to Philly, we just decide we will take the next exit and turn around. Luckily for us, the next exit was about 15 miles away and if we decided to do that we would be wasting about 45 minutes. Unanimous decision, we are skipping Philly (and the pizzas and wings), the other Carey would hop a ride with Cannoli Face and Co. (the kids the Carey in our car were going to ride with), and meet up with us in Delaware.
By the time we had decided where we would meet in Delaware, we had already driven through it, what a stupid state. Finally, we decide we absolutely have to eat and get off the third or fourth exit in Maryland and hop into Sluggers sports bar attached to a La Quinta. Speaking of scenes, I could describe to you the people inside this place, but again, that's a whole other post. About 30 minutes later, Cannoli Face and Co. show up, and we are finally united with the rightful Carey (and just 30 minutes outside Baltimore no less).
The next morning, we wake up at the butt crack of dawn to drive over to our buddies house who lives "walking distance" from the track. Ha! To pregame. Funnels and Black Eyed Susan's (the official Preakness drink) all over the place. We decide to head over to the track around 11:30, and because it's "walking distance" Ha! from the track, carrying 30 racks and coolers shouldn't be a big deal. Thank God the kid lives in a Hasidic Jewish community and everyone is returning from Sabbath while we are walking around drunk with beers and coolers. One of the nicer gentlemen even stopped to scold us and possibly have us arrested, but I won't get into that either. Our Carey decides that this is ridiculous, so we start to hitchhike. Personally, I never thought this would work in a million years but lo and behold, a nice 50 year old man who was obviously thinking it was a good idea to pick up four drunk idiots with beers and coolers and bring them to the track (he was the man) stopped and gave us a lift.
Getting out of the car, I was in awe. Again, I can't describe for you how big this thing but the race is 1 3/8 miles, and is only a single lap. So think about an oval with a circumference of 1 3/8 miles and having the entire middle area filled with people (I say at least 75,000-10,000 rowdy drunk college kids). It was the ultimate tailgate. The people are treated like cattle. You are herded into the fenced-in infield and there is no re-entry. We arrived around noon and the big race didn't start until about 5pm. Cops and security people are all around the perimeter of the infield on the outside of the fence just watching people urinate (sometimes into 30 rack boxes, oddly enough).
More funnels and Black Eyed Susan's continue and a couple food stand stops, bathroom breaks, and multiple table tops later, and its time to make my bets just a few minutes before the race starts. I'll save you the suspense, I lost all of them, but because I got to watch the race up close and personal it was all worth it. Kidding, that's actually impossible from the infield. We were on the last turn and the only way we knew a) that the race was going on, or b) where the horses were, was hearing the crowd cheer from the right, slowly make its way to us, suddenly hear the thunderous galloping of the pony's and seeing them for about 2 seconds. Suddenly the race was over (I guess) and I had to call a couple people back in NY to find out who won and what happened because I had no idea what was going on. Turned out to be one of the closest finishes in Preakness history, whatever.
After that, the rest of the day/night is somewhat blurry and it began to rain a little (the rain had held off for most of the day and it turned out to be absolutely perfect weather for this type of debauchery). Fights and fires were being started left and right, everyone finally spilled into the streets and we somehow finagled a cab back to our hotel.
All in all it was a great trip, and before you get too old, I strongly recommend you give Preakness a try, you will not regret it.
Friday, May 18, 2007
I'm Carrying Underwood right now...
Some links for your Friday enjoyment:
Boy do I miss TonyHomo.com
Philadelphia is classy!
Boy do I miss TonyHomo.com
Philadelphia is classy!
So is this guy with the mustache
Hard to argue withAnd speaking of...
Nooooo!
Pirates Gold!
October 16th, mark it on your calendar
In case you were wondering, SmurphBaggins is camping this weekend...yeah, I don't care where he is either.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
My Wish List
25 Things I Hope Happen in Sports:
1.) The Bulls come back from 3-0
2.) Federer wins the Grand Slam, including a win over Nadal in the French Open final
3.) Roger Clemens actually protects a Yankee and beans someone in retaliation
4.) We have another subway series
5.) The Suns win in 7
6.) Someone can actually give me an answer to who is better Boozer or Brand
7.) Someone can explain to me how Tyson was number 124 at the Top 100 camp he attended
8.) 4 of the last 6 Derby winners have won the Preakness... I hope the same happens this year
9.) I hope the NBA changes the bench rule to a case-by-case basis
10.) I hope Bowen gets caught and punished for all the cheap shit he does
11.) I hope Duncan goes down as the best PF of all time
12.) I hope Garnett gets traded to LA
13.) I hope Jermaine O'Neal become a Knick
14.) I hope the Nets are still playing when I get there
15.) I hope we have a AL pennant race when I come back to Boston at the end of the summer
16.) I hope Derek Fisher never comes off the cloud he's playing on
17.) I hope I hit the trifecta at Preakness
18.) I hope we don't have a Piston-Spurs finale
19.) I hope I win my first fantasy title
20.) I hope Phil the Phenom is the real deal
21.) I hope my subletter doesn't end up being a criminal
22.) I hope Drew Gooden shaves that patch of hair
23.) I'm watching the Nets game right now, and Lebron just got hurt, I hope he's out for the series (sorry)
24.) I hope the Knicks win a title in my lifetime
25.) I hope we have a new White American basketball player to replace Heinrich as the current best in the near future
1.) The Bulls come back from 3-0
2.) Federer wins the Grand Slam, including a win over Nadal in the French Open final
3.) Roger Clemens actually protects a Yankee and beans someone in retaliation
4.) We have another subway series
5.) The Suns win in 7
6.) Someone can actually give me an answer to who is better Boozer or Brand
7.) Someone can explain to me how Tyson was number 124 at the Top 100 camp he attended
8.) 4 of the last 6 Derby winners have won the Preakness... I hope the same happens this year
9.) I hope the NBA changes the bench rule to a case-by-case basis
10.) I hope Bowen gets caught and punished for all the cheap shit he does
11.) I hope Duncan goes down as the best PF of all time
12.) I hope Garnett gets traded to LA
13.) I hope Jermaine O'Neal become a Knick
14.) I hope the Nets are still playing when I get there
15.) I hope we have a AL pennant race when I come back to Boston at the end of the summer
16.) I hope Derek Fisher never comes off the cloud he's playing on
17.) I hope I hit the trifecta at Preakness
18.) I hope we don't have a Piston-Spurs finale
19.) I hope I win my first fantasy title
20.) I hope Phil the Phenom is the real deal
21.) I hope my subletter doesn't end up being a criminal
22.) I hope Drew Gooden shaves that patch of hair
23.) I'm watching the Nets game right now, and Lebron just got hurt, I hope he's out for the series (sorry)
24.) I hope the Knicks win a title in my lifetime
25.) I hope we have a new White American basketball player to replace Heinrich as the current best in the near future
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Denial Ain't Just a River..
The New York Times recently published an article about an academic paper that was written concerning the connection between NBA officiating and race. To be very vague, the study essentially showed that there was a statistically significant (I hate you econometrics) correlation between fouls calls and the race of the player. There was an immediate response from the NBA disputing the results and the there was a number of high profile players (Kobe, Lebron, etc) that refuted the claims of racism as well. In my mind, the numbers speak for themselves. While officials may not be purposely trying to bring racism into their job, there are some things that occur subconsciously. Read Blink by Malcom Gladwell if you want to read more into this. It is not something I want to dwell on right now.
What I do want to focus on though is the fact that race is still very prevalent in sports. Bottom line is unless you live with your head in the clouds you must recognize that racism is still very evident in society and sports. What has triggered this topic for me is this ridiculous rule that players can not leave the bench to go onto the floor during an NBA game. I look at sports like the NHL and MLB. These two sports are known, amongst other things, for having fist fights and bench clearing brawls. While these events are not encouraged (in baseball at least) they are allowed to occur. Once they do, it is up to the umpires/referees to "squash" it. Both the NHL and MLB league offices have faith in the people they employ. Baseball allows an entire team, bullpens and dugouts included) to rush the field.
Now look at the NBA. If there is even the most minor infraction of the rule concerning coming off the bench the player is automatically suspended one game. It is utterly ridiculous. Don't tell me about the Pistons/Pacers brawl because this rule was instituted 10 years before that. In addition, the problem with that was players going into the stands, not coming onto the court! The fact is that the NBA does not trust its players to diffuse the situation. Instead, they penalize players for barely leaving the bench. For every Ron Artest or Stephen Jackson though, there are 10 Jaque Vaughns and Richard Jeffersons. If you think race does not come into the equation here at some level, you are clueless. The fact that the league is predominantly black definitely influences this.
The fact is that this rule is just an offshoot of the underlying culture of how the players are treated. For example, look at recently deceased Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock. He was drunk, driving, on the phone with a woman (some say hooker) and have almost an ounce of weed in the car. How is the media covering this? They are making him out to be a victim and a tragic figure. Now, I am not saying that he should not be remembered as a victim or any of that. I am just saying that if this was a black man would he be viewed the same way? Would he instead be viewed a careless individual who was into late nights, good pot and beautiful women? In the same respect, look at Josh Hamilton. He is being made out to be a hero for overcoming drugs and making to the big leagues. While he is a champion over drugs, Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden were recovering junkies. I am sorry, but this is how I have seen it.
The bottom line is that racism is still alive (props Mr. Kanye West). Instead of buying into this reality that is hyped by the overwhelmingly old white male media, these leagues should do a better job of protecting and defending their players. Rules like this where it shows a clear lack of trust in its (black) players does not accomplish this. While you you may not change the minds of the people, at least you can honestly say that you are doing everything possible to eliminate race from your thoughts and intentions.
Addendum:
The argument is made that this leaving the bench rule is because the fans are so close to the court, while other sports have more of a barrier between fans and players. This is true, but the benches are also much closer. It is that much tougher to just stand there while your teammate gets hit with a cheap shot when it is 10 feet away and there is nothing between you and the altercation.
To be fair, I have a personal beef with this rule as a result of Game 5 of the 1997 Eastern Conference Semifinals. At the end of the game, Charlie Ward of the Knicks was bodyslamed by PJ Brown of the Heat. The Knicks basically stormed the court, while the Heat did not such thing (it was right next to the Heat bench and they did not have to). As a result the Knicks had to deal with suspensions to Patrick Ewing, John Starks, Larry Johnson, amongst others. The Knicks lost the series as a result. I still believe that was the best Knick team of the 1990's (thats for another post).
Oh, and just for good measure take a look at that bodyslam by PJ Brown and then what Robert Horry did to Steve Nash. You tell me what is worse. They both got a two game suspension.
STKAFI
What I do want to focus on though is the fact that race is still very prevalent in sports. Bottom line is unless you live with your head in the clouds you must recognize that racism is still very evident in society and sports. What has triggered this topic for me is this ridiculous rule that players can not leave the bench to go onto the floor during an NBA game. I look at sports like the NHL and MLB. These two sports are known, amongst other things, for having fist fights and bench clearing brawls. While these events are not encouraged (in baseball at least) they are allowed to occur. Once they do, it is up to the umpires/referees to "squash" it. Both the NHL and MLB league offices have faith in the people they employ. Baseball allows an entire team, bullpens and dugouts included) to rush the field.
Now look at the NBA. If there is even the most minor infraction of the rule concerning coming off the bench the player is automatically suspended one game. It is utterly ridiculous. Don't tell me about the Pistons/Pacers brawl because this rule was instituted 10 years before that. In addition, the problem with that was players going into the stands, not coming onto the court! The fact is that the NBA does not trust its players to diffuse the situation. Instead, they penalize players for barely leaving the bench. For every Ron Artest or Stephen Jackson though, there are 10 Jaque Vaughns and Richard Jeffersons. If you think race does not come into the equation here at some level, you are clueless. The fact that the league is predominantly black definitely influences this.
The fact is that this rule is just an offshoot of the underlying culture of how the players are treated. For example, look at recently deceased Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock. He was drunk, driving, on the phone with a woman (some say hooker) and have almost an ounce of weed in the car. How is the media covering this? They are making him out to be a victim and a tragic figure. Now, I am not saying that he should not be remembered as a victim or any of that. I am just saying that if this was a black man would he be viewed the same way? Would he instead be viewed a careless individual who was into late nights, good pot and beautiful women? In the same respect, look at Josh Hamilton. He is being made out to be a hero for overcoming drugs and making to the big leagues. While he is a champion over drugs, Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden were recovering junkies. I am sorry, but this is how I have seen it.
The bottom line is that racism is still alive (props Mr. Kanye West). Instead of buying into this reality that is hyped by the overwhelmingly old white male media, these leagues should do a better job of protecting and defending their players. Rules like this where it shows a clear lack of trust in its (black) players does not accomplish this. While you you may not change the minds of the people, at least you can honestly say that you are doing everything possible to eliminate race from your thoughts and intentions.
Addendum:
The argument is made that this leaving the bench rule is because the fans are so close to the court, while other sports have more of a barrier between fans and players. This is true, but the benches are also much closer. It is that much tougher to just stand there while your teammate gets hit with a cheap shot when it is 10 feet away and there is nothing between you and the altercation.
To be fair, I have a personal beef with this rule as a result of Game 5 of the 1997 Eastern Conference Semifinals. At the end of the game, Charlie Ward of the Knicks was bodyslamed by PJ Brown of the Heat. The Knicks basically stormed the court, while the Heat did not such thing (it was right next to the Heat bench and they did not have to). As a result the Knicks had to deal with suspensions to Patrick Ewing, John Starks, Larry Johnson, amongst others. The Knicks lost the series as a result. I still believe that was the best Knick team of the 1990's (thats for another post).
Oh, and just for good measure take a look at that bodyslam by PJ Brown and then what Robert Horry did to Steve Nash. You tell me what is worse. They both got a two game suspension.
STKAFI
Cheap Shot Charlie
Luckily for Robert Horry, his birth name isn't actually Charles, or Chuck, for if it were, his nickname would be forever known as Cheap Shot Charlie after last night.
Most casual fans of the NBA (which I consider myself) are big Robert Horry supporters. He always seems to be on elite teams that go deep into the playoffs. Once there, he tends to be in the right spot at the right time and more often than not hits not big, but HUGE clutch shots in the most important and dramatic moments.
I, on the other hand, have never been able to stand the guy. He was good on the Rockets in the mid-90's, but besides that, I don't see him as anything more than a smug, average role player, at best, who gets traded or signed to really good teams and has continually reaped the benefits. I can't deny the fact that he is clutch. Time and time again he amazes me with some of the shots he hits in big spots. Besides that though, what does he do? What does he bring to an NBA team? For his career he has averaged 7 pts and 5 rebs per game! On top of that, he always seemed, at least to me, that he was a little too big for his britches.
Unfortunately, up until last night, there was no evidence or anything I could say about him which lead him to be a bad guy. I had no legitimate reason to tell people not to like him, and couldn't really argue against being his fan. However, after last night's game, I now have some ammunition for this argument. Is he serious with that hip check? I mean, come on. I understand your team just blew a 10 point lead in a critical game 4 of a series, in all likelihood, the NBA Champions will come out of. But to make it that obvious, in the open court, to the smallest guy on either bench who has taken hit after hit in this serious (cheap or not) and not said a word. Not to mention, the two-time reigning MVP. The more I watch of Nash the more of a fan I am becoming, but that's a whole other post. Horry has now become a legitimate punk/bad guy and I couldn't be happier.
Last night's game was the icing on the cake for me when it comes to these Spurs. I hate them, I can't stand them, and I wish someone/some team would finally stick it to them (LOVED it last year when Dirk single handily took Game 7 away from them, but that should never had happened in all honesty because Ginobli should have never fouled Dirk, but I'm just being picky).
Finally, the boring, dirty Spurs are being exposed. Teams and individual players have complained in the past about the Spurs being a dirty team, but there was no concrete evidence for this. It looked like the complainers were just being bullied around fairly in playoff style basketball they weren't used to. Now, with Bruce Bowen (don't even get me started on him), who has already admitted to clipping Amare Stoudamire from behind in Game 2, and his knee to Nash's groin being upgraded to flagrant foul, to go along with Horry's antics from last night, maybe these teams and individuals in the past had a point.
Horry is looking at at least a 2-3 game suspension with that obvious dirty play, as well as the elbow to the face of Raja Bell in the scrum after. But I am interested to see how the league treats Amare and Boris Diaw for coming off the bench to defend their superstar after being checked into the boards (ironic how that works with Nash being from Canada and all). I know it is an automatic one game suspension for leaving the bench, but I think everyone would agree no harm was done and they didn't even end up getting involved. I personally don't think they should get suspended, particularly after how lenient the league has been with Bowen admitting to his dirty play and his knee to the groin. However, a rule is a rule and honestly don't know how the league will handle it.
I don't know how this series is going to turn out, but I do know, as always, I will be rooting for the team that is trying to knock off the "mighty" Spurs. Fortunately, Cheap Shot Charlie (formally Big Shot Bob) will most likely be in street clothes for the upcoming critcial moments throughout the rest of this series.
Most casual fans of the NBA (which I consider myself) are big Robert Horry supporters. He always seems to be on elite teams that go deep into the playoffs. Once there, he tends to be in the right spot at the right time and more often than not hits not big, but HUGE clutch shots in the most important and dramatic moments.
I, on the other hand, have never been able to stand the guy. He was good on the Rockets in the mid-90's, but besides that, I don't see him as anything more than a smug, average role player, at best, who gets traded or signed to really good teams and has continually reaped the benefits. I can't deny the fact that he is clutch. Time and time again he amazes me with some of the shots he hits in big spots. Besides that though, what does he do? What does he bring to an NBA team? For his career he has averaged 7 pts and 5 rebs per game! On top of that, he always seemed, at least to me, that he was a little too big for his britches.
Unfortunately, up until last night, there was no evidence or anything I could say about him which lead him to be a bad guy. I had no legitimate reason to tell people not to like him, and couldn't really argue against being his fan. However, after last night's game, I now have some ammunition for this argument. Is he serious with that hip check? I mean, come on. I understand your team just blew a 10 point lead in a critical game 4 of a series, in all likelihood, the NBA Champions will come out of. But to make it that obvious, in the open court, to the smallest guy on either bench who has taken hit after hit in this serious (cheap or not) and not said a word. Not to mention, the two-time reigning MVP. The more I watch of Nash the more of a fan I am becoming, but that's a whole other post. Horry has now become a legitimate punk/bad guy and I couldn't be happier.
Last night's game was the icing on the cake for me when it comes to these Spurs. I hate them, I can't stand them, and I wish someone/some team would finally stick it to them (LOVED it last year when Dirk single handily took Game 7 away from them, but that should never had happened in all honesty because Ginobli should have never fouled Dirk, but I'm just being picky).
Finally, the boring, dirty Spurs are being exposed. Teams and individual players have complained in the past about the Spurs being a dirty team, but there was no concrete evidence for this. It looked like the complainers were just being bullied around fairly in playoff style basketball they weren't used to. Now, with Bruce Bowen (don't even get me started on him), who has already admitted to clipping Amare Stoudamire from behind in Game 2, and his knee to Nash's groin being upgraded to flagrant foul, to go along with Horry's antics from last night, maybe these teams and individuals in the past had a point.
Horry is looking at at least a 2-3 game suspension with that obvious dirty play, as well as the elbow to the face of Raja Bell in the scrum after. But I am interested to see how the league treats Amare and Boris Diaw for coming off the bench to defend their superstar after being checked into the boards (ironic how that works with Nash being from Canada and all). I know it is an automatic one game suspension for leaving the bench, but I think everyone would agree no harm was done and they didn't even end up getting involved. I personally don't think they should get suspended, particularly after how lenient the league has been with Bowen admitting to his dirty play and his knee to the groin. However, a rule is a rule and honestly don't know how the league will handle it.
I don't know how this series is going to turn out, but I do know, as always, I will be rooting for the team that is trying to knock off the "mighty" Spurs. Fortunately, Cheap Shot Charlie (formally Big Shot Bob) will most likely be in street clothes for the upcoming critcial moments throughout the rest of this series.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Oh Ricky
What do Will Ferrell in Zoolander and Ricky Williams have in common? They both have a prescription for heavy doses of crazy pills.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2867381
Listen pal, I know you have an anxiety disorder or whatever and, use marijuana to self-medicate, and I'm cool with that.
Just keep thinking about the $8+ million you owe the Dolphins, how it's going to be impossible to pay off unless you stop smoking pot, and get back into the Heisman trophy, NFL leading rusher shape you used to be in. Then realize this is never going to happen, get anxious about that, and light up another doobie to calm yourself down...sounds like a vicious cycle.
Ricky, seriously, give it up. You're not playing another down in the NFL...ever.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2867381
Listen pal, I know you have an anxiety disorder or whatever and, use marijuana to self-medicate, and I'm cool with that.
Just keep thinking about the $8+ million you owe the Dolphins, how it's going to be impossible to pay off unless you stop smoking pot, and get back into the Heisman trophy, NFL leading rusher shape you used to be in. Then realize this is never going to happen, get anxious about that, and light up another doobie to calm yourself down...sounds like a vicious cycle.
Ricky, seriously, give it up. You're not playing another down in the NFL...ever.
What's a Beer Sandwich?
For those of us who don't watch Scrubs, can someone please explain what the hell a beer sandwich is?
Now to the important stuff. I'm not gonna get into whether or not Dirk deserved to win the MVP this year. I personally don't think he did but it looks like there are a lot of people out there who believe that he was worthy. Kobe is clearly the most valuable player in the league, without him the Lakers don't make the playoffs. However, the question is how is Steve Nash, a unanamious first-team All NBA selection, not your MVP. I'm not saying he deserved it, but he was the only player that every single media member voted on the first team. I'm not totally clear on how the process works, but common sense dictates that Nash should be the MVP again. He got the most votes for the All-NBA team, quid pro quo he's the top player in the game today in the eyes of the media. I don't get understand it.
I'm not completely against the Clemens signing, but I think it sets an awful precedent. A-Rod will likely ask for the world now that Clemens almost got it. Let's say Clemens stays healthy and makes about 20 starts and throws around 100-110 pitches on average. It works out to about $7,000 a pitch, so the guy gets $28,000 to walk somebody. The only way this move is worth it is if they win the whole thing. Do I think it's possible with the team they have now? Yes, as long as the pitching staff holds up. I think Mussina, Pettitte, Clemens, and Wang match up with any staff in baseball. I'm very worried about the bullpen. If there are any closers available at the trade deadline like Chad Cordero, I make the move. It strengthens the bullpen this year and also is insurance for Mo possibly leaving after the year is out.
I'm on the Blake bandwagon in Idol. He's got every little 12 year old girls vote in America as well as this entire blog. He's different than anyone in the past, something that can't be said about Jordin and Melinda.
The Office last night was hysterical. Easily the best of the season, do yourself a favor and watch it.
Now to the important stuff. I'm not gonna get into whether or not Dirk deserved to win the MVP this year. I personally don't think he did but it looks like there are a lot of people out there who believe that he was worthy. Kobe is clearly the most valuable player in the league, without him the Lakers don't make the playoffs. However, the question is how is Steve Nash, a unanamious first-team All NBA selection, not your MVP. I'm not saying he deserved it, but he was the only player that every single media member voted on the first team. I'm not totally clear on how the process works, but common sense dictates that Nash should be the MVP again. He got the most votes for the All-NBA team, quid pro quo he's the top player in the game today in the eyes of the media. I don't get understand it.
I'm not completely against the Clemens signing, but I think it sets an awful precedent. A-Rod will likely ask for the world now that Clemens almost got it. Let's say Clemens stays healthy and makes about 20 starts and throws around 100-110 pitches on average. It works out to about $7,000 a pitch, so the guy gets $28,000 to walk somebody. The only way this move is worth it is if they win the whole thing. Do I think it's possible with the team they have now? Yes, as long as the pitching staff holds up. I think Mussina, Pettitte, Clemens, and Wang match up with any staff in baseball. I'm very worried about the bullpen. If there are any closers available at the trade deadline like Chad Cordero, I make the move. It strengthens the bullpen this year and also is insurance for Mo possibly leaving after the year is out.
I'm on the Blake bandwagon in Idol. He's got every little 12 year old girls vote in America as well as this entire blog. He's different than anyone in the past, something that can't be said about Jordin and Melinda.
The Office last night was hysterical. Easily the best of the season, do yourself a favor and watch it.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
De Facto Champion
Is the only meaningful series left Spurs-Suns? I guess you could throw in the NBA finals where the Piston will have a legit shot of winning, but I'm still going with the winner of Spurs-Suns. For one thing, helping both these teams is they don't have to go through the Mavs. The winner will have home court in the next round and finals and sure Jazz will beat you up and Warriors will run you up and down, but neither one presents the problems that the Mavs do.
Tuesday night we saw why Nash is the two time defending MVP The guy plays with a chip on his shoulder, he knows exactly how to work the game to his advantage. He drives that baseline, looks for a cutter and if not, he draws out whichever big man is closer. I mean besides Jason Kidd, nobody else comes close to having the overall effect on the game from the point guard position as Nash. I notices Bill Simmons wrote today about Duncan being underrated and I have not read the article yet but I share the same sentiments. The guy just goes out there and does exactly what he's suppose to. Sure, Amare gets his on the offensive end but Duncan is giving him a clinic on the other end. It's so bad that D'antoni only lets Kurt Thomas guard Duncan now. He can't afford Amare to pick up the obvious fouls he will by guarding Duncan.
My favorite players in the NBA are Kidd, Wade, Nash, etc, but Barbosa is threatening to crack in there. Im not familiar with his contract situation but teams should be breaking the bank for him when he's a free agent. I'm a little perplexed about Tony Parker. Is he a premier NBA point guard or not. Sometimes I think he is, but other times im not so sure. I know he's surrounded by Duncan and Ginobili and going up against Nash, but I never feel like he's taking over the game.
In other NBA news, I hate Vince Carter. Not even for bailing on Toronto which was messed up, but the way he doesn't use his talent. This is a guy who should be a top tier NBA player and is lucky to be considered in the second tier. Time after time you see Lebron bull his way to the rim, get fouled or get a good shot off. VC settles for these jump shots! Drive, jump and finish! No one can keep him from that rim and he's not a good enough shooter to be hanging out there like he does. Jefferson is doing what he can, Kidd does what he does, but VC lacks that killer instinct. He lacks that drive and flair for the game... and it's killing me. The Cavs are garbage, Pavlovic is shutting down VC and Lebron is doing enough to get them victories. I dont think the nets are that good by any strecth of the imagination but they can beat these Cavs.
*** Nuts and Bolts***
Hughes back in 3.5 weeks well ahead of projected return
Yanks in a nice little groove now, but yes Rivera appears to no longer be The Hammer of God (best nickname in sports)
Just watched idol... I'm supporting Blake Lewis and then Jordin Sparks... glad to see Lakisha go home and would love to see Dolittle (Mr. Ed) go home next, but prob not going to happen
I'm slacking right now with my blog effort but I will be back in full force come next week.
Welcome back Rocket, for $1 million a start he needs to be as good as advertised.
Tuesday night we saw why Nash is the two time defending MVP The guy plays with a chip on his shoulder, he knows exactly how to work the game to his advantage. He drives that baseline, looks for a cutter and if not, he draws out whichever big man is closer. I mean besides Jason Kidd, nobody else comes close to having the overall effect on the game from the point guard position as Nash. I notices Bill Simmons wrote today about Duncan being underrated and I have not read the article yet but I share the same sentiments. The guy just goes out there and does exactly what he's suppose to. Sure, Amare gets his on the offensive end but Duncan is giving him a clinic on the other end. It's so bad that D'antoni only lets Kurt Thomas guard Duncan now. He can't afford Amare to pick up the obvious fouls he will by guarding Duncan.
My favorite players in the NBA are Kidd, Wade, Nash, etc, but Barbosa is threatening to crack in there. Im not familiar with his contract situation but teams should be breaking the bank for him when he's a free agent. I'm a little perplexed about Tony Parker. Is he a premier NBA point guard or not. Sometimes I think he is, but other times im not so sure. I know he's surrounded by Duncan and Ginobili and going up against Nash, but I never feel like he's taking over the game.
In other NBA news, I hate Vince Carter. Not even for bailing on Toronto which was messed up, but the way he doesn't use his talent. This is a guy who should be a top tier NBA player and is lucky to be considered in the second tier. Time after time you see Lebron bull his way to the rim, get fouled or get a good shot off. VC settles for these jump shots! Drive, jump and finish! No one can keep him from that rim and he's not a good enough shooter to be hanging out there like he does. Jefferson is doing what he can, Kidd does what he does, but VC lacks that killer instinct. He lacks that drive and flair for the game... and it's killing me. The Cavs are garbage, Pavlovic is shutting down VC and Lebron is doing enough to get them victories. I dont think the nets are that good by any strecth of the imagination but they can beat these Cavs.
*** Nuts and Bolts***
Hughes back in 3.5 weeks well ahead of projected return
Yanks in a nice little groove now, but yes Rivera appears to no longer be The Hammer of God (best nickname in sports)
Just watched idol... I'm supporting Blake Lewis and then Jordin Sparks... glad to see Lakisha go home and would love to see Dolittle (Mr. Ed) go home next, but prob not going to happen
I'm slacking right now with my blog effort but I will be back in full force come next week.
Welcome back Rocket, for $1 million a start he needs to be as good as advertised.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Thanks Isiah!
With us being in full swing of the NBA Playoffs, I figured that I would devote a post to the most notorious executive in the league, Mr. Isiah Thomas. Why, you ask? Well, the Knicks are not in the playoffs this season (obvi) so why would we bring up this guy (loser). Well if you follow the NBA with any regularity, you would know that Isiah is not only the most influential basketball decision-maker in New York, but in the league as a whole. He has managed to have a critical impact on the championship fortunes on a number of playoff teams. While a couple of the teams I will name are already out of the playoffs, they still finished better than those Knicks (highest NBA payroll ever)! Without further ado...The Isiah Thomas All Stars:
1. Phoenix Suns: I have to start with this team considering this is where my Knicks got their franchise player (yeah right), Stephon "Best Point Guard in the League " Marbury. The Knicks traded a combination of expiring contracts and draft picks for the longterm (very) contract of Stephon Marbury and the two years left on Anfernee "1949 Penny" Hardaway. Basically in one trade, the Suns went from being over the salary cap for probably another two years, to being far enough under the cap to sign Steve Nash and trigger their electric run of excitement that still resides in the Desert. For good measure, Isiah decided to trade Kurt Thomas to the Suns for Quentin Richardson. While I like Q for what he brings to the locker room, he has a worse back than my Grandmother, who passed away two years ago. Oh, and in keeping with the theme, Q had an extra year on his contract for good measure. Right now the Suns have home court advantage for the rest of the playoffs and have a great crop of young players and draft picks. Thank you Isiah!
2. Orlando Magic: After two years of poor basketball under the Zeke Regime, the Knicks decided to trade for another shoot first, pass fifth, think 20th point guard. And just like Marbury, this player (Stevie Franchise, more like Stevie Role or Bench) was in the middle of a long term deal paying him an exorbitant amount of cash. This time, the Knicks decided to not only take a ton of wasteful salary, but they also traded a 21 year old small forward (Trevor Ariza) who became one of the most improved players in the league this year. The Magic los tin the first round, but have a young nucleus and a ton of salary cap space due much in part to those tricky tricky Knicks (and Grant Hills contract expiring). Thank you very much Mr. Thomas!
3. Chicago Bulls: I have to say, this past offseason must have been very weird for Chicagoans. This was the first one of the Isiah Thomas Knick Era that the Knicks did not "steal" one of those Chicago Bull cornerstones. First it was Jamal Crawford and then came Eddy Curry. No point in going into detail of each trade, they both basically breakdown the same way. The Bulls got salary cap space, draft picks and young players. The Knicks? They got two players who love to shoot, can't pass and refuse to play defense. Sounds fair to me. I can't wait to see the NBA Lottery on TV in a couple weeks. The only thing that would make it sweeter would be to be next to Isiah while it was happening. Right now the Bulls are in the second round of the playoffs and have possibly the best crop of young players in the league. You da man Zeke!
4. Toronto Raptors: The surprise of the league. Toronto went to an NBA doormat the past couple of years, Atlantic Division champs. There is no way Isiah helped a team in his own division right? Wrong. He decided to take Jalen Rose off of Torontos' hands, who had two years left at $18 million for each season. I would not say it was the most important aspect of this Toronto team, but clearing $18 million off their books to sign guys like Anthony Parker definitely did not hurt. To be fair it didn't hurt the Knicks either. They decided to buy out Roses' contract at the beginning of the 06-07 season. Toronto now has payroll flexibility, young players, and are a team on the rise. I love you I-Man!
5. This last one is more of a compilation. I mean, you have Matt Barnes in Golden State for starters. He has been a integral part of their Cinderella run so far, after being cut after a season with he Knicks. I guess paying Jared Jefferies for $30 million is more bang for your buck than Matt Barnes for the league minimum. Jackie Butler signed with San Antonio in the offseason. The Knicks had a chance to match the deal, but the extra $2 million was too rich for Isiah's (evil) blood. Why not let the Spurs add a 21 year old center to their team who showed promise for the Knicks a year ago? It's not like the Spurs have not had success ripping off Isiah or the Knicks in the past with big men (Nazr Mohammed for Malik Rose). While Mohammed helped lead the Spurs to a title, the Knicks have DNPd Rose for half his games, but he is still on the same long term deal making $6 million a year. Lastly, the Utah Jazz. The Knicks still owe them a first round pick in the next couple of years. The way Isiah is going though, at least this will be a low first rounder (no chance). Isiah, can you help me lobby for same sex marriage so we can be together?
I don't wanna hear the bullshit excuses (i.e., Larry Brown, Scott Layden, New York impatience, etc). I actually just don't wanna hear Isiah talk. Well at least its better than hearing Baby Dolan stammer. What did we do to deserve this New York?
http://iloveisiah.com/
Leading Men.
Best Manager in Baseball
1. Mike Scioscia
2. Tony LaRussa
3. Bobby Cox
4. Joe Torre
5. Jim Leyland
Best Coach in the NBA
1. Phil Jackson
2. Gregg Popovich
3. Pat Riley
4. Mike D'Antoni
5. Scott Skiles
Best Coach in the NFL
1. Bill Belichik
2. Mike Shanahan
3. Mike Holmgren
4. Tony Dungy
5. Jon Gruden
No coach was considered if he has coached less than three years. The only pick I am going to defend right now is Torre at #4. While he has the most championships, there is one major aspect that places him there in my mind. He managed at three other places before the Yankees (Mets, Braves, Cardinals) and had no success. To me that can not be overlooked when assessing him. He is still an all-time great manager, but the men in front of him are or will be as well.
STKAFI
1. Phoenix Suns: I have to start with this team considering this is where my Knicks got their franchise player (yeah right), Stephon "Best Point Guard in the League " Marbury. The Knicks traded a combination of expiring contracts and draft picks for the longterm (very) contract of Stephon Marbury and the two years left on Anfernee "1949 Penny" Hardaway. Basically in one trade, the Suns went from being over the salary cap for probably another two years, to being far enough under the cap to sign Steve Nash and trigger their electric run of excitement that still resides in the Desert. For good measure, Isiah decided to trade Kurt Thomas to the Suns for Quentin Richardson. While I like Q for what he brings to the locker room, he has a worse back than my Grandmother, who passed away two years ago. Oh, and in keeping with the theme, Q had an extra year on his contract for good measure. Right now the Suns have home court advantage for the rest of the playoffs and have a great crop of young players and draft picks. Thank you Isiah!
2. Orlando Magic: After two years of poor basketball under the Zeke Regime, the Knicks decided to trade for another shoot first, pass fifth, think 20th point guard. And just like Marbury, this player (Stevie Franchise, more like Stevie Role or Bench) was in the middle of a long term deal paying him an exorbitant amount of cash. This time, the Knicks decided to not only take a ton of wasteful salary, but they also traded a 21 year old small forward (Trevor Ariza) who became one of the most improved players in the league this year. The Magic los tin the first round, but have a young nucleus and a ton of salary cap space due much in part to those tricky tricky Knicks (and Grant Hills contract expiring). Thank you very much Mr. Thomas!
3. Chicago Bulls: I have to say, this past offseason must have been very weird for Chicagoans. This was the first one of the Isiah Thomas Knick Era that the Knicks did not "steal" one of those Chicago Bull cornerstones. First it was Jamal Crawford and then came Eddy Curry. No point in going into detail of each trade, they both basically breakdown the same way. The Bulls got salary cap space, draft picks and young players. The Knicks? They got two players who love to shoot, can't pass and refuse to play defense. Sounds fair to me. I can't wait to see the NBA Lottery on TV in a couple weeks. The only thing that would make it sweeter would be to be next to Isiah while it was happening. Right now the Bulls are in the second round of the playoffs and have possibly the best crop of young players in the league. You da man Zeke!
4. Toronto Raptors: The surprise of the league. Toronto went to an NBA doormat the past couple of years, Atlantic Division champs. There is no way Isiah helped a team in his own division right? Wrong. He decided to take Jalen Rose off of Torontos' hands, who had two years left at $18 million for each season. I would not say it was the most important aspect of this Toronto team, but clearing $18 million off their books to sign guys like Anthony Parker definitely did not hurt. To be fair it didn't hurt the Knicks either. They decided to buy out Roses' contract at the beginning of the 06-07 season. Toronto now has payroll flexibility, young players, and are a team on the rise. I love you I-Man!
5. This last one is more of a compilation. I mean, you have Matt Barnes in Golden State for starters. He has been a integral part of their Cinderella run so far, after being cut after a season with he Knicks. I guess paying Jared Jefferies for $30 million is more bang for your buck than Matt Barnes for the league minimum. Jackie Butler signed with San Antonio in the offseason. The Knicks had a chance to match the deal, but the extra $2 million was too rich for Isiah's (evil) blood. Why not let the Spurs add a 21 year old center to their team who showed promise for the Knicks a year ago? It's not like the Spurs have not had success ripping off Isiah or the Knicks in the past with big men (Nazr Mohammed for Malik Rose). While Mohammed helped lead the Spurs to a title, the Knicks have DNPd Rose for half his games, but he is still on the same long term deal making $6 million a year. Lastly, the Utah Jazz. The Knicks still owe them a first round pick in the next couple of years. The way Isiah is going though, at least this will be a low first rounder (no chance). Isiah, can you help me lobby for same sex marriage so we can be together?
I don't wanna hear the bullshit excuses (i.e., Larry Brown, Scott Layden, New York impatience, etc). I actually just don't wanna hear Isiah talk. Well at least its better than hearing Baby Dolan stammer. What did we do to deserve this New York?
http://iloveisiah.com/
Leading Men.
Best Manager in Baseball
1. Mike Scioscia
2. Tony LaRussa
3. Bobby Cox
4. Joe Torre
5. Jim Leyland
Best Coach in the NBA
1. Phil Jackson
2. Gregg Popovich
3. Pat Riley
4. Mike D'Antoni
5. Scott Skiles
Best Coach in the NFL
1. Bill Belichik
2. Mike Shanahan
3. Mike Holmgren
4. Tony Dungy
5. Jon Gruden
No coach was considered if he has coached less than three years. The only pick I am going to defend right now is Torre at #4. While he has the most championships, there is one major aspect that places him there in my mind. He managed at three other places before the Yankees (Mets, Braves, Cardinals) and had no success. To me that can not be overlooked when assessing him. He is still an all-time great manager, but the men in front of him are or will be as well.
STKAFI
Why do I gamble?
In all honesty, I cannot remember for the life of me the last time I won a bet, a poker game, even a simple game of Rock, Paper, Scissor (and I used to be NASTY at RPS). Now that I really think about it, I believe the last time I actually made a correct call was some random Colts game in the middle of the NFL season last fall.
Yet, no matter how many times in a row I lose, I continually think I know what the outcome of a certain sporting event, game or random bet will be. The most recent incident was the Oscar De la Hoya/Floyd Mayweather fight this past Saturday.
Truth be told, I had the winner the entire time up until the morning of the fight. That was my first mistake. For weeks leading up to the fight I was in Mayweather's corner, he was the badass, he was the punk, he was the favorite, he was undefeated, and in my gut he was going to win. All characteristics of a winning bet.
Then, the morning of the fight, hungover, me and a buddy of mine went through the entire De la Hoya/Mayweather 24/7 mini series on HBO and I got caught up in the fake, intentional hype. De la Hoya had been there before, he had fought big fights, won and lost to bigger opponents, as well as faster, quicker ones. Mayweather was the one moving up a weight class which is more difficult than some people give credit for, and De la Hoya was much bigger, stronger, and had more experience. In addition, Oscar was the underdog in this fight which means more bang for my buck. The show portrayed De la Hoya as the professional, and Mayweather as a scared, inexperienced fighter. After being artificially influenced by HBO, I now felt the smart money was with Oscar. Plus, it was on Cinco de Mayo...how could a Mexican lose? Oh and by the way, I know nothing about boxing.
As for the fight, we all know what happened. After pregamming with Coronas, margaritas, tequila shots, nachos, and quesadillas during the under cards, we were all very much into it. The fight was pretty entertaining but at the same time, for the most hyped fight in five years, it was also somewhat uneventful. Mayweather controlled the pace for most of the 12 rounds. De la Hoya obviously packed a much more powerful punch but had a difficult time connecting. No knockouts, no blood, and eventually came down to a split decision with Mayweather taking home his newest belt along with some of my money.
Number one rule in gambling, always go with your gut. You would think I would have learned this by now. Fortunately, I know I won't making another wager until I head down to Baltimore for the Preakness in a couple weekends. What, you don't think I can make it till then? Wanna bet?
Yet, no matter how many times in a row I lose, I continually think I know what the outcome of a certain sporting event, game or random bet will be. The most recent incident was the Oscar De la Hoya/Floyd Mayweather fight this past Saturday.
Truth be told, I had the winner the entire time up until the morning of the fight. That was my first mistake. For weeks leading up to the fight I was in Mayweather's corner, he was the badass, he was the punk, he was the favorite, he was undefeated, and in my gut he was going to win. All characteristics of a winning bet.
Then, the morning of the fight, hungover, me and a buddy of mine went through the entire De la Hoya/Mayweather 24/7 mini series on HBO and I got caught up in the fake, intentional hype. De la Hoya had been there before, he had fought big fights, won and lost to bigger opponents, as well as faster, quicker ones. Mayweather was the one moving up a weight class which is more difficult than some people give credit for, and De la Hoya was much bigger, stronger, and had more experience. In addition, Oscar was the underdog in this fight which means more bang for my buck. The show portrayed De la Hoya as the professional, and Mayweather as a scared, inexperienced fighter. After being artificially influenced by HBO, I now felt the smart money was with Oscar. Plus, it was on Cinco de Mayo...how could a Mexican lose? Oh and by the way, I know nothing about boxing.
As for the fight, we all know what happened. After pregamming with Coronas, margaritas, tequila shots, nachos, and quesadillas during the under cards, we were all very much into it. The fight was pretty entertaining but at the same time, for the most hyped fight in five years, it was also somewhat uneventful. Mayweather controlled the pace for most of the 12 rounds. De la Hoya obviously packed a much more powerful punch but had a difficult time connecting. No knockouts, no blood, and eventually came down to a split decision with Mayweather taking home his newest belt along with some of my money.
Number one rule in gambling, always go with your gut. You would think I would have learned this by now. Fortunately, I know I won't making another wager until I head down to Baltimore for the Preakness in a couple weekends. What, you don't think I can make it till then? Wanna bet?
Monday, May 7, 2007
AHHHHH!!
http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/423733.php?contentType=4&contentId=471930
Do yourself a favor and listen to Suzyn Waldman as Roger Clemens is announced to the fans as the newest Yankee. Sounds like the most excitement she has had in her life for a while....
STKAFI
Do yourself a favor and listen to Suzyn Waldman as Roger Clemens is announced to the fans as the newest Yankee. Sounds like the most excitement she has had in her life for a while....
STKAFI
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Bitch in You
Watching the Yankee game. Not to go into too much detail, but basically there has been some bad blood between these two teams (Yanks/Mariners). People were hit in Friday and Saturdays games. Today, after Josh Phelps of the Yankees ran over the Mariner catcher (very unnecessarily) he has hit with a pitch an inning or so later. What I have a major problem with is the Yankee pitcher Scott Proctor. He threw behind Mariner shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt. Do I think Proctor had a right to protect his teammate? Yes. That is something that has been missing on the Yankee teams of the past couple years. My issue is this: Proctor waited to face the smallest guy on the Mariner team before hitting someone. The first batter in that inning was Jose Guillen. Guillen has a reputation of having a huge temper. Lets see Proctor show some balls and throw at him. Proctor knew going into the inning that he was going to throw at someone. Why wait for the little shortstop to show your toughness? Not only that, then he is yelling at Betancourt to charge at him. What a punk.
Oh, by the way....Roger Clemens just announced from the owner's box at Yankee Stadium that he is returning to the Yankees. It will definitely add some more fun to the Red Sox rivalry. It will be interesting to see what kind of flexibility the Yankees provide him and what kind of money they gave him. It will also be interesting to see how he reacts to the New York media when he is named latest steroids report (http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/04/10/the-most-undercovered-aspect-of-the-roger-clemens-love-in-2007-edition/). Holler!
STKAFI
Oh, by the way....Roger Clemens just announced from the owner's box at Yankee Stadium that he is returning to the Yankees. It will definitely add some more fun to the Red Sox rivalry. It will be interesting to see what kind of flexibility the Yankees provide him and what kind of money they gave him. It will also be interesting to see how he reacts to the New York media when he is named latest steroids report (http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/04/10/the-most-undercovered-aspect-of-the-roger-clemens-love-in-2007-edition/). Holler!
STKAFI
Friday, May 4, 2007
THE Final Word on the Ticket Debate
Father is hands down #1 choice . The offer at least has to be made. However in Jordan's case, if one of his illegitimate children finally come out of the blue(which I fully expect to happen within the next couple years), they get first dibs.
#2 choice comes down to a judgement call. It's partly how close a friend you are with someone, partly how big a fan of your team they are, and partly if they're fun to watch a game with. Under no circumstances should you offer it to a best friend in this postion if he's a fan of the other team. I would ask all Jets fans before I'd think of asking any Giant fan to a Jet-Giant game.
Next comes a friend or family member who just enjoys watching the sport. Somone who might not care about who wins but just has a good time watching the game, not just drinkin some beers.
In no way does a girl come before the first 3, even if there's the possibilty of something happening. It's a last option. And I'd love to hear Jordan explain how takes girls to games to get "affection".
Those Yanks looked good yesterday. Having a healthy Mussina, Pettitte and Wang could be huge for the Yankees in the playoffs, but they first have to worry about getting there. 10 starting pitchers in their first 30 games. That's a ridiculous number. However, by the end of the June, the Yanks rotation could consist of Mussina, Pettitte, Wang, Hughes, and Clemens. That would be the best staff in baseball and hard to bet against in the playoffs. Now if they can just hold it together until everyone comes back.
About 5 years back when the Hornets were still in Charlotte, Baron Davis and Jason Kidd went head-to-head in a playoff series. Much of the talk centered on how Davis was the next Kidd. After the Nets went on to beat the Hornets, Kidd went onto maintain his level of play even at his old age, while Baron has never raised his game to an elite level. Well after leading the Warriors to the win last night while gutting out a 20, 10 and 6 performance, I think Davis might finally be maturing later in his career, much like Kidd did with the Nets. It'll be very interesting to see if Davis dedicates himself in the offseason into continuing what he's started in these playoffs. He has the potential to be the best point guard in the league and if he puts the time in, the Warriors could be the next team out of California to win a title.
Who cares about the NHL? I read in the paper that the Ranger playoff game was going to be televised on Versus. Is that a real channel?
Not sure if anyone caught Blake's performance on American Idol, but no way it was better than Phil's. And Jordin Sparks is just getting by on her early performance, much like her father in his later years with the G-Men.
#2 choice comes down to a judgement call. It's partly how close a friend you are with someone, partly how big a fan of your team they are, and partly if they're fun to watch a game with. Under no circumstances should you offer it to a best friend in this postion if he's a fan of the other team. I would ask all Jets fans before I'd think of asking any Giant fan to a Jet-Giant game.
Next comes a friend or family member who just enjoys watching the sport. Somone who might not care about who wins but just has a good time watching the game, not just drinkin some beers.
In no way does a girl come before the first 3, even if there's the possibilty of something happening. It's a last option. And I'd love to hear Jordan explain how takes girls to games to get "affection".
Those Yanks looked good yesterday. Having a healthy Mussina, Pettitte and Wang could be huge for the Yankees in the playoffs, but they first have to worry about getting there. 10 starting pitchers in their first 30 games. That's a ridiculous number. However, by the end of the June, the Yanks rotation could consist of Mussina, Pettitte, Wang, Hughes, and Clemens. That would be the best staff in baseball and hard to bet against in the playoffs. Now if they can just hold it together until everyone comes back.
About 5 years back when the Hornets were still in Charlotte, Baron Davis and Jason Kidd went head-to-head in a playoff series. Much of the talk centered on how Davis was the next Kidd. After the Nets went on to beat the Hornets, Kidd went onto maintain his level of play even at his old age, while Baron has never raised his game to an elite level. Well after leading the Warriors to the win last night while gutting out a 20, 10 and 6 performance, I think Davis might finally be maturing later in his career, much like Kidd did with the Nets. It'll be very interesting to see if Davis dedicates himself in the offseason into continuing what he's started in these playoffs. He has the potential to be the best point guard in the league and if he puts the time in, the Warriors could be the next team out of California to win a title.
Who cares about the NHL? I read in the paper that the Ranger playoff game was going to be televised on Versus. Is that a real channel?
Not sure if anyone caught Blake's performance on American Idol, but no way it was better than Phil's. And Jordin Sparks is just getting by on her early performance, much like her father in his later years with the G-Men.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Rules and Regulations of the Great Ticket Debate
Alright, my brain is fried from a 3 hour exam followed by a 9 hour library session but Im going to give this a try
Golden Rule #1 whether playoffs or regular season, if dad wants to go, he goes
Rule #2- if you have a clear cut best friend who also likes the team, he goes
Rule #3- if you have a group of friends who would equally enjoy going to the game, you make sure not to invite the same one twice in a row*
*exceptional circumstances may apply (favorite player, returning a favor, etc)
Rule #4- you can invite a girl if none of your top tier friends can make it or want to go
Rule #5- you can invite a girl before your male friends if its an initial date where there can be a direct benefit from taking her (ass, affection, etc)
Rule #6- you scalp/sell/go yourself before bringing someone that doesn't deserve it
Now, for playoffs you do not bring a girl under any circumstances unless she would truly appreciate the experience
Also for playoffs you may elevate a friend's status based on his team's preference
I think thats all I have to say on this topic
Nuts and Bolts:
Yes Phil the Phenom is for real.. be patient Yankee fans, his time will come
Yanks fired their new conditioning coach today... got to laugh at that one.. i mean these guys are professional athletes not 5th graders, i understand why he had to go, but does anyone really believe he did anything to specifically affect the Yankee players hamstrings?
From day 1 i picked Phil Stacey to win idol... now he is eliminated (along with Chris Henderson)
Watching the Kobe Bryant show right now... can we get him jermaine o'neal for next season.. or even better KG??? Please
Anybody else looking forward to a Spurs-Suns EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINAL ... are u serious.. if the Warriors beat the Mavs that becomes the de facto NBA Finals
So me and a few other of our readers have committed ourselves to atending this year's Preakness... i am a rookie to horse races, anyone have any suggestions?
I have to admit I was ready to move Dirk from my first tier to my second... I dont want to hear about matchups or anything else, if you are the MVP, and you are on a 67 win team, and your team is healthy THERE ARE NO EXCUSES... find a way... and wow did he ever the other night.. down 112-103 with 3 min left.. unreal
Rangers (cheaply or not) tied 2-2
Good read is the Tiger-MJ article, they just played in a pro-am together... can you imagine being the 3rd guy in that group
Golden Rule #1 whether playoffs or regular season, if dad wants to go, he goes
Rule #2- if you have a clear cut best friend who also likes the team, he goes
Rule #3- if you have a group of friends who would equally enjoy going to the game, you make sure not to invite the same one twice in a row*
*exceptional circumstances may apply (favorite player, returning a favor, etc)
Rule #4- you can invite a girl if none of your top tier friends can make it or want to go
Rule #5- you can invite a girl before your male friends if its an initial date where there can be a direct benefit from taking her (ass, affection, etc)
Rule #6- you scalp/sell/go yourself before bringing someone that doesn't deserve it
Now, for playoffs you do not bring a girl under any circumstances unless she would truly appreciate the experience
Also for playoffs you may elevate a friend's status based on his team's preference
I think thats all I have to say on this topic
Nuts and Bolts:
Yes Phil the Phenom is for real.. be patient Yankee fans, his time will come
Yanks fired their new conditioning coach today... got to laugh at that one.. i mean these guys are professional athletes not 5th graders, i understand why he had to go, but does anyone really believe he did anything to specifically affect the Yankee players hamstrings?
From day 1 i picked Phil Stacey to win idol... now he is eliminated (along with Chris Henderson)
Watching the Kobe Bryant show right now... can we get him jermaine o'neal for next season.. or even better KG??? Please
Anybody else looking forward to a Spurs-Suns EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINAL ... are u serious.. if the Warriors beat the Mavs that becomes the de facto NBA Finals
So me and a few other of our readers have committed ourselves to atending this year's Preakness... i am a rookie to horse races, anyone have any suggestions?
I have to admit I was ready to move Dirk from my first tier to my second... I dont want to hear about matchups or anything else, if you are the MVP, and you are on a 67 win team, and your team is healthy THERE ARE NO EXCUSES... find a way... and wow did he ever the other night.. down 112-103 with 3 min left.. unreal
Rangers (cheaply or not) tied 2-2
Good read is the Tiger-MJ article, they just played in a pro-am together... can you imagine being the 3rd guy in that group
Serious Concern
Today, Major League Baseball decided to deny the Cleveland Indians protest of their game against the Baltimore Orioles game this past Saturday, and I thought it was important to pass along some terrific points made by Buster Olney regarding the matter.
You might need to be an ESPN insider to read the blog article (under the title "Protest should go Indians' way"). If you are a fan of baseball or any other sport where human error comes into play (that would be all of them people) I would suggest reading up on this scenario because as Mr. Olney writes, this could open up some pretty serious issues down the road.
http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=olney_buster
If you are not an ESPN Insider and cannot read the entry, I will sum up the situation, citing Mr. Olney (mostly because I don't have the time or feel like writing the whole thing up):
"The Orioles had runners at first and third and one out in the second inning. After Grady Sizemore made a diving catch of Ramon Hernandez's line drive, Nick Markakis tagged up and raced home. At the same time, Miguel Tejada was far off first base, and Sizemore threw to first and Tejada was doubled off -- but after Markakis crossed home plate. Markakis' run should have counted.
But home-plate umpire Marvin Hudson waved off the run. And the Orioles said nothing, at that time, as the Indians noted in their letter of protest.
Two innings later, Baltimore bench coach Tom Trebelhorn walked out on the field to talk to Ed Montague about the decision -- and in the sixth inning, the umpires ordered that a run be added to the Orioles' score. "
The game ended in a 7-4 Orioles victory, and the run ended up not being the difference in the game. But think about the repercussions of Major League Baseball turning down the protest, and at least not playing the game over again where the umpires error was made.
I won't get into the different scenarios and details that Buster Olney did, but the bottom line is, according to the protest denial, the MLB has now, essentially set a precedent for umpires to retroactively change the score of a Major League Baseball game. This ruling may very well open a Pandora's Box for the MLB in the future.
Bottom line is, it seems as the Major League Baseball might be skating on some very thin ice and heading into dangerous territory.
You might need to be an ESPN insider to read the blog article (under the title "Protest should go Indians' way"). If you are a fan of baseball or any other sport where human error comes into play (that would be all of them people) I would suggest reading up on this scenario because as Mr. Olney writes, this could open up some pretty serious issues down the road.
http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=olney_buster
If you are not an ESPN Insider and cannot read the entry, I will sum up the situation, citing Mr. Olney (mostly because I don't have the time or feel like writing the whole thing up):
"The Orioles had runners at first and third and one out in the second inning. After Grady Sizemore made a diving catch of Ramon Hernandez's line drive, Nick Markakis tagged up and raced home. At the same time, Miguel Tejada was far off first base, and Sizemore threw to first and Tejada was doubled off -- but after Markakis crossed home plate. Markakis' run should have counted.
But home-plate umpire Marvin Hudson waved off the run. And the Orioles said nothing, at that time, as the Indians noted in their letter of protest.
Two innings later, Baltimore bench coach Tom Trebelhorn walked out on the field to talk to Ed Montague about the decision -- and in the sixth inning, the umpires ordered that a run be added to the Orioles' score. "
The game ended in a 7-4 Orioles victory, and the run ended up not being the difference in the game. But think about the repercussions of Major League Baseball turning down the protest, and at least not playing the game over again where the umpires error was made.
I won't get into the different scenarios and details that Buster Olney did, but the bottom line is, according to the protest denial, the MLB has now, essentially set a precedent for umpires to retroactively change the score of a Major League Baseball game. This ruling may very well open a Pandora's Box for the MLB in the future.
Bottom line is, it seems as the Major League Baseball might be skating on some very thin ice and heading into dangerous territory.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
The Choice Is Yours
- Get absolutely hammered when all ur boys are goin out for a bigtime night? Or take it easy because you have to get up at 7AM for work and you know you will be ridiculously hungover? Remember, it is ur boys' birthday and he got a table at (insert "hottest" bar/club here). Also remember that ur hangover will be the pounding headache, nauseous, diarrhea kind.
- Chow down on (insert greasy, nasty, but really tasty food here) on a Sunday night watching Sopranos/Entourage? This will most likely lead to you waking up at 3AM with stomach pains and "the poops". Or watch ur friends stuff their faces while you "eat light"?
- What if you had the ability to have sex with any girl you wanted for six months? The only condition is that after that six month period, you can't get laid for a year. Would you do it?
- Do you take that job that pays you 100k a year with a chance to be a millionaire in five years if you will be working 80 hours a week?
Lastly...do you take a championship if it means mediocrity for the foreseeable future?
Right now it looks like that is just what the Miami Heat have done. Two seasons ago, the Miami Heat were a team on the brink. They had Shaq, Wade, and a solid supporting cast. If it wasn't for Wade and Shaq both suffering through injury problems in the playoffs, they may have made the Finals and had a chance to win it all. Instead though, they lost that series and Pat Riley gutted that solid supporting cast. He brought in a bunch of veterans, two of which (Antoine Walker and Jason Williams) were either signed to or already had hefty long-term contracts. What happened last year? Well, after the entire regular season which seemed to have more drama than success, the Heat stormed the Eastern Conference and shocked the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. Riley's risk paid off and it was all worth it. The Heat had their title that Shag promised him when he arrived in the summer of 2004.
Last offseason, the Heat did not do much. They stood pat (notice the great pun). This season, instead of looking like NBA champs, they looked slow for much of the season and flat out old in the playoffs. What do they do now? If I was a betting man (I am), I would say that Alonzo Mourning and Gary Payton will retire. James Posey and Jason Kapono are both free agents. I would have no use for Posey, and Kapono might be pricey considering his development this year. Jason Williams has one more year left on his deal. In my mind, Wade is a top five player in the League. While Shaq is still one of the better NBA centers, he is way past his prime and not nearly worth the $20+ million a year he makes. Wade is still young, so the Heat will have the chance to rebuild around him to make another run. How long will that take though? I would be very surprised if Riley made it though next season without taking another vacation in the middle. That is being generous. I could see him walking away all together from coaching.
Would you rather be a fan of the Jason Kidd era Nets or the Shaquille O'Neal era Heat? The Nets have had 6+ years of being a contender in the East, while making two NBA Finals. The Heat have had three seasons of being a contender, winning one title. The way it looks now, the Heat need to make a lot of improvements to be a contender next year. They are already over the salary cap. They have a sold power forward in Haslem, a top five player in Wade, and a player in Shaq that can dominate on any given night, but will definitely miss at least 20 games and will have minimal impact on 40% of the games he does play. Oh, and Shaq is signed for two more years I believe. The Nets have never won a title, but they have been financially responsible, produced young players and been continually exciting. The Heat have their title, but in another year or two will it have still been worth it?
Unfortunately, I do not really have a basis of argument here. The only championships I remember well for my teams were the 1990 Giants and the 1994 Rangers. I was too young to fully understand how bad the Giants became after 1990. With the Rangers it did not seem that bad after since they had gone 54 years before that title. Personally, I'd take the title, but as a fan things can get ugly quick. A classic Catch-22.
- Yankee fans might not want to hear the name I about to bring up, but take it with a grain of salt. Jared Wright. That is who Phil Hughes reminds me of. Not the Wright of this decade, but the Wright that pitched against the Yankees in 1997. Both are big righties, who throw hard with good off speed stuff. They have similar throwing motions as well (kind of shorter arm rotation). Remember, Wright was a bigtime prospect who (along with Bartolo Colon) was supposed to lead the Indians pitching staff for the next 10 years. Let's just hope Hughes can do what Wright could not and that is STAY HEALTHY. I just watched the kid pitch. His fastball is only being clocked around 91-92 on TV, but it is exploding on the hitters. Showed a couple great hooks and had control of the game (obviously, he was pitching a no-no when his hamstring acted up). I was impressed at how he shook Posada off. A lot of young pitchers are afraid to take control like this. Hughes knows what he wants to do out there and executed perfectly against the Rangers.
- Top five clutch playoff shooters of my generation (post Magic/Bird)...MJ, Kobe, Reggie, Big Shot Bob, Stockton. Thoughts?
- Interesting anomaly....They say the rookie/young QB has the most trouble winning on the road. With the young starting pitcher, teams often like to start him on the road to get the jitters out of the way before coming home to the young crowd. At least that is what everyone was saying about the danger of pitching Phil Hughes at home last Thursday.
- I feel bad for Jamarcus Russell. Not really, since hes gonna get a ton of dough, but he has no weapons on offense at all. I mean no wideouts, running backs, offensive line, nothing. Brady Quinn is in the opposite situation, but I fear an "Eli Manning" scenario. I am not talking about sucking his first couple of years, but instead having to deal with two huge egos (Edwards-Winslow/Shockey-Burress). The QB needs to lead. I hope Quinn has the chance, as so far Eli has not.
- Anyone else notice that every sports website (including this one) you went to this past week there was something on the late David Halberstam? Not only that though, but every article talked about a different sports book he wrote that was "the best ever." On my list is Breaks of the Game, October '64 and Playing For Keeps.
- We all know I hate the Yankees. Even I though do not wish James Dolan to be their owner. I can see it now....Art Howe being hired to manage the Yankees and getting extension after extension for winning 85 games. Good luck Yankee fans. I hope you don;t have to suffer as bad in baseball as many of you have had to in basketball.
- If I did not hate Isiah enough, I have to watch Matt Barnes play so well with the Warriors. Barnes was one of the guys who was rumored to be a supporter of Larry Brown last season. Obviously, Isiah got rid of him and now he is a key contributor to this feel good Warrior story. Gotta love Jared Jefferies!!
STKAFI
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