For the second year in a row we tried a live NBA draft chat. It turned out to be myself, Dan and Josh, and Martin oh so briefly. I could only imagine he had smelly diapers or something to go change, see what you have to look forward to Josh. Without further adieu, here are portions of the chat:
Martin’s brief, yet amusing appearance
Twinkie: What did I miss so far?
josh: they need a post up guy
FiloDan: Everyone except for NO, Utah, Phoenix, and Philly need a PG
Kris: Martina all you missed was us discussing the size od Doris Burks penis
FiloDan: Oh, and Detroit, and maybe Boston. All teams need PGs.
josh: if it wasnt for the upside potential of the families saying something ridiculous I would be utilizing the mute button
Kris: how long before one mother looks at someone and says "who is this crazy white lady?"
josh: is it really unimagineable that beasley was picked in the top 2?
Twinkie: Doris Burke's junk? About 7.5 inches with a slight tilt to the left if I remember correctly
Twinkie: I was stoned on PCP and Miller Lite at the time
Kris: good call, I love PCP
More Doris Burke Inuendos
josh: and she has a great burst like d rose
FiloDan: Her spurtability is off the chart
FiloDan: She can really get up and down the court, if you catch my meaning
The Knicks pick is fast approaching
FiloDan: Bilas: "he wants to be a basketball player" Thanks for that insight, captain
FiloDan: Mayo is awesome. I was hoping he slipped to the Knicks
Kris: by the way, speaking of the Knicks if they draft the foreign dude I may have to due my home closing from a mental health hospital tomorrow
FiloDan: I'm still on record that if they take a Lopez, I quit.
Russell Westbrook goes way to early
Kris: WORST PICK OF ALL FUCKING TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FiloDan: Wow. That's high for Westbrook.
josh: was mbah a moute not available?
Kris: wow, he stinks
FiloDan: "stinks" is strong. the guy plays good D.
Kris: this is such a bad pick, go Seattle, have fun with all that
Kris: STINKS
FiloDan: Can the Knicks get Bayless, then?
FiloDan: And elaborate on "stinks" then
Kris: he cant play the game good
More of Knicks fans lamenting
josh: frederic mfing weis
Kris: I will buy Grizzlies season tickets if the take Mussolini (Galinari)
FiloDan: How about the trifecta year: John Wallace, Walter McCarty, Dante Jones
Kris: that was the best draft ever
FiloDan: Mussolini had good hang time
FiloDan: Off a lamp post
Kris: rreally we coudl re-hash any Knicks pick since Rod Strickland, that was the last productive NBA guy they selected
josh: john wallace had a good season
FiloDan: David Lee much?
josh: jerrod mustaf
josh: who was the guy from notre dame
josh: monty williams
FiloDan: Ooh, Monty Williams. He blew
You guess what just happened
Kris: fuck
Kris: fuck
Kris: fuck
Kris: fuck
Kris: fuck
Kris: fuck
Kris: fuck
Kris: fuck
josh: better than lopez
Kris: fuck
Kris: fuck
Kris: fuck
FiloDan: I agree with the crowd. Boo
Kris: fuck
Kris: fuck
Kris: fuck
FiloDan: But, yeah, better than Lopez
Kris: they just mentioned freddy weis
josh: fran fraschilla
Kris: I pine for the days when we draft Channning Frye and Wilson Chandler, fucking a, what the hell is wrong with this team
Kris: someone fucking kill fraschilla
Dan is still angry
FiloDan: I never got the "not a good athelte, but he can play"
FiloDan: Seems like the two are closely related
josh: how can you root against a guy who plays for the armani jeans team
FiloDan: It's easy. Watch.
FiloDan: (not rooting)
Jordan sucks, still
Kris: Charlotte could use Lopez, they need a true big, make Emeker a 4 man which is what he is
FiloDan: That would make a lot of sense for Charlotte.
FiloDan: But Jordan is in charge, so they'll take a guard
Kris: Jordan will clearly draft DeAndre Jordan
FiloDan: (no relation)
FiloDan: I told you Charlotte would take a guard.
FiloDan: My smart is smarter than your smart.
I just realize Martin is gone, nobody else cares
Kris: Jordan is the fucking worst, he really is
Kris: I bet screamin A hasnt seen any of these guys play
FiloDan: Stephen A is annoying, but does like basketball, and knows what he's talking about when he calms down
Kris: What happened to Martin?
josh: tougher and more physican doesnt equal lpez
FiloDan: Mark Jackson, on the other hand, has no idea what he's talking about
Some guy from Rider gets picked, early
FiloDan: "Jason is not here"
Kris: he doesn play very "big"
josh: thats at least the fourth, "not a great athlete"
Kris: in case Jay hasnt noticed the league is all about athletes
josh: reggie theus thinks he still coaching the team on hang time
FiloDan: Theus was a good coach for a rookie
josh: that maac tournament is grueling
FiloDan: They had a bunch of injuries
Kris: "great motor" that is usually reserved for white defensive players in college football
Better than the NFL draft, but stillt he Knicks took some foreign dude
josh: less than 90 min in and already 14 picks, if this was the nfl we'd be at pick 6
Kris: by the way we are getting to random foreign guy time
Kris: Nicolas Batum could go any minute now
Kris: Dick Vitale is actually makign a good point about foreign losers, go get em Dicky V
josh: but he wont go all the way
josh: and say gallinari is a bad pick
josh: he is the king of hedging
josh: who gets stuck with kosta koufos
FiloDan: Chad Ford says Gallinari is an Italian Tony Kukoc
Dan doesn’t like me so much
FiloDan: Speights is a good pick for Philly
FiloDan: They could use a big who has some offensive skills
Kris: he doesnt have offensive skill
Kris: he has super athleticism, and the lognest arms ever
Kris: but Philly drafted the great Thaddeus Young last year, I think you coudl look back last year and I discussed the awfulness of that pick
FiloDan: Are you kidding? Thaddeus Young was fantastic this year.
FiloDan: Did you watch any 76er games?
FiloDan: I just spent the last few minutes looking up Thaddeus Young's numbers on Basketball-Reference.com
FiloDan: His PER was 16.5, in only 21 minute a game. He's good.
Kris: Thaddues Young blows, I can make a stat say anything
FiloDan: You're also wrong most of the time
Kris: good point, but that doesnt stop me from having my opinion
Kris: GO ELI MANNING!!! (pointing out how I was the driver of the Eli bandwagon even though Dan still doesn’t think he is any good)
Things get out of control, but there are some funny lines in here
josh: if you were terry porter would you hire kevin duckworth to tutor shaq
Kris: on what, how to suck
Kris: Shaq has that down in his career
josh: how to play as a fat mess
FiloDan: Terry Porter, tell me how my ass tastes
FiloDan: "JaVale is not here"
josh: where's nick fazekas
FiloDan: What about Douglas-Roberts to Cleveland?
Kris: no
josh: cdr can play
Kris: Douglas Roberts was awful in workouts with effort, skill and conduct/character
josh: agent 0 should go to the cavs
FiloDan: Why not? He can score. No one else on Cleveland besides LBJ can score.
josh: here come the trades
FiloDan: Portland!
josh: jarett jack baby
FiloDan: Jack isn't bad, but he wasn't the answer for them at PG
Just looking ahead to random foreign guy time
Kris: I cannot wait for the second round, I love random guys
FiloDan: Serge Ibaka
FiloDan: "J.J. is not here"
FiloDan: Good times.
MJ is on the clock, god he sucks big time
FiloDan: May and Morrison: busts, or horrific busts?
Kris: horrific busts
Kris: May I dont think anyone thought would be great, Morrison has been hurt but this year he better produce and in a hurry
Kris: Yes
Kris: Foreign guy time!!!!
josh: frederic weis reference coming
FiloDan: At least we weren't the only team to take a foreigner in the first round
josh: is may that bad?
Kris: Fran just said big and long, that is special
josh: tonights buzz word is wing span
Kris: that is a fancy term for length
FiloDan: Weis: http://youtube.com/watch?v=xp6qJ7LZNlg
FiloDan: You know who's got a good wing span? Condors.
Lets go NETS, N-E-T-S, NETS, NETS, NETS
FiloDan: Why not draft two busts in the same draft? Good times for the Nets
josh: is devin harris a true one
josh: who the fuck is ryan anderson
Kris: yeah, he is barely a one
FiloDan: I actually like that pick. I think Anderson is good.
josh: didnt they already draft a tall scrubby white guy
Kris: The Nets blow, they better make a huge run at LEBron
josh: speaking of austin croshere
FiloDan: What's wrong with Croshere? He had some good years in Indiana
Kosta Koufos, what else can I say
FiloDan: They'll love Koufos in Utah. White guys!
Kris: Jay Bilas is gonan go crazy if someone doesnt take Koufos soon
FiloDan: CDR?
FiloDan: Good call, Josh.
Kris: I am telling you, I heard directly from various NBA workouts that nobody likes CDR
josh: the next ostertag
josh: koufos greek?
FiloDan: Family is greek, but Koufos is American.
Everybody do the Congo line
Kris: yes
FiloDan: Unbelievable! Ibaka!
josh: serge is here
Kris: the second Congoneses guy to play in the league baby
FiloDan: Ibaka's agent wanted him to get picked in the second round so he could play in Spain
FiloDan: and not have to deal with the first-round salary restrictions
Kris: well sucks for Ibaka
josh: in 3-4 years he could be a shot blocker, definitely a better pick than arthur
Random Foreign guy time
Kris: I love this guy
FiloDan: Batum! Batum!
Kris: 7yes Fran tell us how great this guy is
FiloDan: (sounds like the name of the horse whose head got cut off in Godfather)
Kris: ohyeah, he is great, well why does he suck balls Fran?
Kris: Fun Fact about Batum: "Won MVP of the 2006 Albert Schweitzer Tournament”
Soccer, Will Ferrell, Isaiah….this thing got out of hand in a hurry
josh: in an unrelated issue, brad guzan might sign with aston villa
josh: will ferrell is turning into eddie murphy
Kris: I am telling you Guzan is a fucking beast, he will be our starting Goalie in the next World Cup
FiloDan: what's all this soccer talk doing here?
FiloDan: Who takes Bill Walker?
Kris: I cant understand why Ferrell is dragging John C Reily down with him, he can actually act
Kris: teams that want a guy who cant shoot from 3 point range and likes to fight with his teammates
FiloDan: So, the 2002 Blazers, then.
Kris: Guzan played here at South Carolina and after two years left school and was the 1st pik int he MLS draft but I didnt here people screaming about how soccer players needed to saty in college
FiloDan: DJ White off the bench with Maxiell and Amir Johnson. Nice.
josh: didnt realize he was that big
Kris: dumars ia a fucking GM, that is how you make a team
Kris: did Stu just say dont boo Isaiah, Stu did you see what he has done to our once proud franchise?
FiloDan: I don't even say that guy's name anymore, let alone boo him. Booing is too easy, too pedestrian for what that guy did to us.
FiloDan: I'd rather burn him in effigy
A little final analysis
FiloDan: Best? Blazers and Bulls.
Kris: worst
FiloDan: Worst? Denver.
FiloDan: No draft picks? Dumb.
Kris: I got Blazers and I like the Cavs pic of Hickson
josh: disappointed in the nets
FiloDan: Very good? Pistons. White takes Theo Ratliff's minutes.
Kris: worst, NJ and NY
josh: i like hibbert to ind
FiloDan: I don't like Charlotte's draft, Ajinca and Lopez
josh: is that rodney giddens' brother?
Kris: yeah, well it is Jrodan doing the drafting. That is an awful pick to end this thing. Its been real, it been fun, but it aint been real-fun. Now I must go
Friday, June 27, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
2008 NBA Draft Preview, 1
This year is proving to be very different for me. Normally there are a host of Euro-trash bastards who I cannot stand (save for 2003 when I fell in love with every foreigner including Knicks selection Maciej Lampe) and crappy college players who sucked there and will suck in the pros. However, this year the tide has turned, there aren’t a slew of random foreigners (thanks to guys like Maciej Lampe) and every college player I am absolutely in love with. Well I shouldn’t say everyone. I still think the Lopez twins suck balls, JoeAlexander is vastly overrated (can’t wait for the Bucks to draft him) and Roy Hibbert is going to be a relative stiff in the league (Yes Martin deal with it, just like when I told you he was not one of my pre-season All-Americans and how the Hoyas would succumb to Davidson).
Like I said I am in love with every college player, I think they will all be super-mega stars in the league, though that is unlikely. So here is a list of guys I really, really like, a lot:
Derrick Rose, Memphis- Okay, so I sound stupid saying this, but this guy has greatness written all over him. He is a combination of the street thug game with the intelligence and savvy of guys like Deron Williams and Chris Paul. In a year or two he will be right along side these guys ushering in the PG era of the NBA.
Anthony Randoloph, LSU- I saw this guy up close and personal twice this year, as well as countless times on film, he is a fucking freak. He is every bit of 6’10 and has the skills of most 2 guards. I am now going to make the Vitale-esque outrageous comparison of the draft when I tell you he is in the Chris Bosh/Kevin Garnett mold. I am not just trying to psyche myself up for the fact that the Knicks may pick him, I truly mean everything I said. When the dust has cleard he can possibly be the best player in this draft.
OJ Mayo, Southern Cal- Again this sounds stupid to state an obvious guy like Mayo, but he can flat out score the basketball. He has the total package when it comes to NBA scoring ability. I have no idea if he can lead or how much he will win, but I know this, he is going to get his. I guess he would be George Gervin or Bob McAdoo when it comes to that respect. He can fill it up from NBA 3-pt range, has a tremendous mid range game and can finish at or above the rim.
Brandon Rush, Kansas- I have always thought his game was more suited for the NBA than college. He will be able to play the 2 or the 3 spot in the league and already has an NBA body. He plays the game with a relative ease and smoothness that will suite him well in the league. He can shoot the basketball from deep a lot better than people think. I just have an unhealthy obsession with Rush and his game.
Courtney Lee, Western Kentucky- Alright, so I am toeing the company line here a little bit (Lee’s college coach Darrin Horn is my new boss for those who are unaware). But Lee is an NBA ready 2 guard with smarts, maturity and savvy to join an established team and mesh well into his role. Word his the Spurs fell in love with him at a recent workout, workouts where he has continually outplayed Chris Douglas-Roberts. Also some people have the Celtics taking him with the last pick of Round 1, these scenarios would be perfect for Lee and those teams.
Jamont Gordon, Mississippi State- Why this guy isn’t talked about as a first round pick is completely beyond me. Since he was a senior in high school at Oak Hill he has had an NBA ready body and game. I guess his lack of shooting ability may hurt him in the league, but his ability to use his broad muscular frame both offensively and defensively will be a tremendous asset. He can go by anyone at aytime with his quickness and finish in traffic with his muscle. And lastly don’t underestimate his explosiveness of the floor, this is a guy who average almost 7 rebounds a game for his career as a PG.
Like I said I am in love with every college player, I think they will all be super-mega stars in the league, though that is unlikely. So here is a list of guys I really, really like, a lot:
Derrick Rose, Memphis- Okay, so I sound stupid saying this, but this guy has greatness written all over him. He is a combination of the street thug game with the intelligence and savvy of guys like Deron Williams and Chris Paul. In a year or two he will be right along side these guys ushering in the PG era of the NBA.
Anthony Randoloph, LSU- I saw this guy up close and personal twice this year, as well as countless times on film, he is a fucking freak. He is every bit of 6’10 and has the skills of most 2 guards. I am now going to make the Vitale-esque outrageous comparison of the draft when I tell you he is in the Chris Bosh/Kevin Garnett mold. I am not just trying to psyche myself up for the fact that the Knicks may pick him, I truly mean everything I said. When the dust has cleard he can possibly be the best player in this draft.
OJ Mayo, Southern Cal- Again this sounds stupid to state an obvious guy like Mayo, but he can flat out score the basketball. He has the total package when it comes to NBA scoring ability. I have no idea if he can lead or how much he will win, but I know this, he is going to get his. I guess he would be George Gervin or Bob McAdoo when it comes to that respect. He can fill it up from NBA 3-pt range, has a tremendous mid range game and can finish at or above the rim.
Brandon Rush, Kansas- I have always thought his game was more suited for the NBA than college. He will be able to play the 2 or the 3 spot in the league and already has an NBA body. He plays the game with a relative ease and smoothness that will suite him well in the league. He can shoot the basketball from deep a lot better than people think. I just have an unhealthy obsession with Rush and his game.
Courtney Lee, Western Kentucky- Alright, so I am toeing the company line here a little bit (Lee’s college coach Darrin Horn is my new boss for those who are unaware). But Lee is an NBA ready 2 guard with smarts, maturity and savvy to join an established team and mesh well into his role. Word his the Spurs fell in love with him at a recent workout, workouts where he has continually outplayed Chris Douglas-Roberts. Also some people have the Celtics taking him with the last pick of Round 1, these scenarios would be perfect for Lee and those teams.
Jamont Gordon, Mississippi State- Why this guy isn’t talked about as a first round pick is completely beyond me. Since he was a senior in high school at Oak Hill he has had an NBA ready body and game. I guess his lack of shooting ability may hurt him in the league, but his ability to use his broad muscular frame both offensively and defensively will be a tremendous asset. He can go by anyone at aytime with his quickness and finish in traffic with his muscle. And lastly don’t underestimate his explosiveness of the floor, this is a guy who average almost 7 rebounds a game for his career as a PG.
Things On The Internet You Should Know About
- If you haven't seen the video of Shaq freestyle rapping and making fun of Kobe, you need to go do that right now. "Kobe, tell me how my ass tastes." Yeah, he says that. A lot.
- A blogger goes to an athletic training facility, does combine drills. Poorly. A great read on why we are not athletes.
- Quotemonger on SLAM online is excellent and funny.
- King Kaufman's Sports Daily on Salon.com is always a good daily read. A good sample? His column on the Tim Donaghy claims during the Finals was the best one I read.
- Rod Benson, formerly of the NBA D-League, hopefully soon to be NBA contributor, writes a great blog for Yahoo. He's honest, especially considering how athletes rarely are in this media age, and he's pretty funny. Also see the videos here. You better believe I've got a Boom Tho shirt.
- George Carlin, on baseball and football. RIP.
- A blogger goes to an athletic training facility, does combine drills. Poorly. A great read on why we are not athletes.
- Quotemonger on SLAM online is excellent and funny.
- King Kaufman's Sports Daily on Salon.com is always a good daily read. A good sample? His column on the Tim Donaghy claims during the Finals was the best one I read.
- Rod Benson, formerly of the NBA D-League, hopefully soon to be NBA contributor, writes a great blog for Yahoo. He's honest, especially considering how athletes rarely are in this media age, and he's pretty funny. Also see the videos here. You better believe I've got a Boom Tho shirt.
- George Carlin, on baseball and football. RIP.
Stuff, and what I think about it
A lot of things have happened over the past few weeks in sports which my collegues have covered so well. I am glad I didn’t weigh in on the NBA Finals, because boy the Celtics would have made me look fucking stupid. But that is over and done with, so for further amusement read what’s below:
MY ATHLETIC PROWESS
Here in the South Carolina athletic department at the end of our “year” we like to do something fun usually involving some kind of mediocre athletic competition. A few years ago we had a bowling tournament, which of course my team emerged victorious. This year we had a little field day and then a kickball game for those interested. Having starred many an afternoon at both the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Nathaniel Hawthorne Grammar Schools I decided to throw my name in the hat. Of course I was an early round selection when it came to shit talking about who would win the game. The day of the big game it was time to put up or shut up. My first at bat I popped up routinely to center field, but I knew I could getter better wood on the ball. Well in the last inning with my team up 3-1 I strolled to the plate (for some reason two guys in the department picked music for everyone when they were batting and mine was “Hanging Tough” by NKOTB). Scanning the field I picked my spot, I was going to right center if I got a good pitch. By the way the person on the mound was one of the most accomplished athletes of all time in her sport, none other than 3 time Olympic Gold Medalist Dawn Staley, whose list of accomplishments are too numerous for this blog. I got my pitch and ripped away, at first I saw another routine pop up but the ball was carrying so I need to turn on the afterburners. When the dust cleared I was on third base with a stand up triple. As the PA Announcer said I took a Homerun and stretched it into a triple. Soon after I was knocked in giving my team a 4-1 one lead and we went on to win the game by that score. I was voted Co-MVP of the game and I rocked a triple off of one of the best female athletes in the last 20 years, so basically I am great
A BRUSH WITH BEAUTY
As I think I have mentioned Columbia South Carolina has now become a hotbed of b-list movie productions. Last year we had the Kevin Bacon thriller Death Sentence filmed here. More recently we have a terrible comedy being filmed in Columbia called Nailed (look it up on IMDB, it looks awful). The two major stars of this piece of trash are Jessica Beil and Jake Gyllenhal, it co stars Tracy Morgan as well. Of course in a town like Columbia these are huge stars, and Beil has been spotted all over the place; and on a few occasions with boyfriend Justin Timberlake. Gyllenhal spends most of his time at the USC Wellness center working out and playing pick-up basketball. One night I saw Morgan walking by a Mexican restaraunt where I was dining. But just the other night my friend and I were at a bar. There was a big table of people, who clearly looked out of place in Columbia when two ladys showed up and seemed to cause a scuttlebutt. For some reason I kept staring at the one girl, who couldn’t have been more than five feet away from me, and I kept looking at her face thinking “Damn, she is gorgeous.” I then realize that it was indeed Ms. Beil enjoying some drinks with people who presumably work on the movie set; they were all very “artsy” type. Listen there are a lot of very attractive women here in the south but when you see someone like that she is on a different level and you realize that is why people like that are in movies and on TV. She was dressed very down and didn’t have real makeup on or anything and she was strikingly more beautiful than anyone around.
COOPERSTOWN
Curt Schilling’s career appears to be over, and I for one couldn’t be happier. Really, career ending shoulder surgery couldn’t happen to a nicer guy, hopefully the doctors botch the surgery and his testicles don’t work anymore. All that aside the debate now begins about Schilling’s Hall of Fame credentials. I guess maybe this is a biased opinion, since I hate the guy, but I don’t see him as a Hall of Famer. Now I don’t see Jim Bunning as one either, but he is already in the Hall. Was there a period where Schilling was undoubtedly one of the handful of best pitchers in the game, and that answer is no. He had a few dominating seasons here and there. He had 16 seasons as a full time starting pitcher and for one reason or another in 7 of those seasons he won 11 or less games, that stinks when you look at it objectively. Only 4 times did he finish in the top ten of the Cy Young balloting and he has a total of 216 wins over 20 years, that is not good either. What he does have going for him is his postseason accomplishments which were outstanding, but at the end of the day people have to be judged on their entire body of work. And his body speaks for itself, he is a borderline Hall of Fame pitcher, who in the time we live in now will unfortunately get in because we like to be nice to everyone, except Jim Rice, Jack Morris and Bert Blyleven.
FEAR DOES NOT EXIST IN THIS DOJO
This weekend I spent a lot of time sitting around doing absolutely nothing. Luckily VH1 provided me with an opportunity to watch Karate Kid both Friday and Saturday. While sitting around watching Daniel-son get his ass beat for the better part of two hours I realized that this may be on of the top ten movies of all time. Seriously, what isn’t to love about the Karate Kid? You have a Mr. Miyagi, played by the late great Pat Morita who was nominated for and Academy Award for best supporting actor for the role. It has the great 80’s villain William Zabka (that is the blonde guy). The sensai from the Cobra Kai’s is the meanest SOB alive and I believe that he might actually eat children (no offense Iron Mike). And then there are Elisabeth Shue’s magnificent breasts. All in all it has everything one would want in a picture; classic lines, classic scenes, great villains and great breasts.
I NEVER FUCKED A 10, BUT ONE NIGHT I FUCKED FIVE 2’S
The legendary George Carlin died yesterday at the age of 71. Now from time to time I have been known to give a great obituary on this blog, but I couldn’t even think of where to begin with Carlin. He was a giant in the world of comedy and counter culture. He brought new light into a dark world and pointed out the hypocrisies we live with everyday. His routines will live on for every comedian to study on how to be a thinking mans comic. He was more than a comedian, that definition is too narrow for him. He was cultural observationalist, a satirical commentater, and a social realist. And now the world will never hear his voice again. Luckily for me, I own all three of his best selling books and had the absolute pleasure of seeing him twice in person.
GEORGE DENNIS CARLIN 1937-2008
MY ATHLETIC PROWESS
Here in the South Carolina athletic department at the end of our “year” we like to do something fun usually involving some kind of mediocre athletic competition. A few years ago we had a bowling tournament, which of course my team emerged victorious. This year we had a little field day and then a kickball game for those interested. Having starred many an afternoon at both the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Nathaniel Hawthorne Grammar Schools I decided to throw my name in the hat. Of course I was an early round selection when it came to shit talking about who would win the game. The day of the big game it was time to put up or shut up. My first at bat I popped up routinely to center field, but I knew I could getter better wood on the ball. Well in the last inning with my team up 3-1 I strolled to the plate (for some reason two guys in the department picked music for everyone when they were batting and mine was “Hanging Tough” by NKOTB). Scanning the field I picked my spot, I was going to right center if I got a good pitch. By the way the person on the mound was one of the most accomplished athletes of all time in her sport, none other than 3 time Olympic Gold Medalist Dawn Staley, whose list of accomplishments are too numerous for this blog. I got my pitch and ripped away, at first I saw another routine pop up but the ball was carrying so I need to turn on the afterburners. When the dust cleared I was on third base with a stand up triple. As the PA Announcer said I took a Homerun and stretched it into a triple. Soon after I was knocked in giving my team a 4-1 one lead and we went on to win the game by that score. I was voted Co-MVP of the game and I rocked a triple off of one of the best female athletes in the last 20 years, so basically I am great
A BRUSH WITH BEAUTY
As I think I have mentioned Columbia South Carolina has now become a hotbed of b-list movie productions. Last year we had the Kevin Bacon thriller Death Sentence filmed here. More recently we have a terrible comedy being filmed in Columbia called Nailed (look it up on IMDB, it looks awful). The two major stars of this piece of trash are Jessica Beil and Jake Gyllenhal, it co stars Tracy Morgan as well. Of course in a town like Columbia these are huge stars, and Beil has been spotted all over the place; and on a few occasions with boyfriend Justin Timberlake. Gyllenhal spends most of his time at the USC Wellness center working out and playing pick-up basketball. One night I saw Morgan walking by a Mexican restaraunt where I was dining. But just the other night my friend and I were at a bar. There was a big table of people, who clearly looked out of place in Columbia when two ladys showed up and seemed to cause a scuttlebutt. For some reason I kept staring at the one girl, who couldn’t have been more than five feet away from me, and I kept looking at her face thinking “Damn, she is gorgeous.” I then realize that it was indeed Ms. Beil enjoying some drinks with people who presumably work on the movie set; they were all very “artsy” type. Listen there are a lot of very attractive women here in the south but when you see someone like that she is on a different level and you realize that is why people like that are in movies and on TV. She was dressed very down and didn’t have real makeup on or anything and she was strikingly more beautiful than anyone around.
COOPERSTOWN
Curt Schilling’s career appears to be over, and I for one couldn’t be happier. Really, career ending shoulder surgery couldn’t happen to a nicer guy, hopefully the doctors botch the surgery and his testicles don’t work anymore. All that aside the debate now begins about Schilling’s Hall of Fame credentials. I guess maybe this is a biased opinion, since I hate the guy, but I don’t see him as a Hall of Famer. Now I don’t see Jim Bunning as one either, but he is already in the Hall. Was there a period where Schilling was undoubtedly one of the handful of best pitchers in the game, and that answer is no. He had a few dominating seasons here and there. He had 16 seasons as a full time starting pitcher and for one reason or another in 7 of those seasons he won 11 or less games, that stinks when you look at it objectively. Only 4 times did he finish in the top ten of the Cy Young balloting and he has a total of 216 wins over 20 years, that is not good either. What he does have going for him is his postseason accomplishments which were outstanding, but at the end of the day people have to be judged on their entire body of work. And his body speaks for itself, he is a borderline Hall of Fame pitcher, who in the time we live in now will unfortunately get in because we like to be nice to everyone, except Jim Rice, Jack Morris and Bert Blyleven.
FEAR DOES NOT EXIST IN THIS DOJO
This weekend I spent a lot of time sitting around doing absolutely nothing. Luckily VH1 provided me with an opportunity to watch Karate Kid both Friday and Saturday. While sitting around watching Daniel-son get his ass beat for the better part of two hours I realized that this may be on of the top ten movies of all time. Seriously, what isn’t to love about the Karate Kid? You have a Mr. Miyagi, played by the late great Pat Morita who was nominated for and Academy Award for best supporting actor for the role. It has the great 80’s villain William Zabka (that is the blonde guy). The sensai from the Cobra Kai’s is the meanest SOB alive and I believe that he might actually eat children (no offense Iron Mike). And then there are Elisabeth Shue’s magnificent breasts. All in all it has everything one would want in a picture; classic lines, classic scenes, great villains and great breasts.
I NEVER FUCKED A 10, BUT ONE NIGHT I FUCKED FIVE 2’S
The legendary George Carlin died yesterday at the age of 71. Now from time to time I have been known to give a great obituary on this blog, but I couldn’t even think of where to begin with Carlin. He was a giant in the world of comedy and counter culture. He brought new light into a dark world and pointed out the hypocrisies we live with everyday. His routines will live on for every comedian to study on how to be a thinking mans comic. He was more than a comedian, that definition is too narrow for him. He was cultural observationalist, a satirical commentater, and a social realist. And now the world will never hear his voice again. Luckily for me, I own all three of his best selling books and had the absolute pleasure of seeing him twice in person.
GEORGE DENNIS CARLIN 1937-2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
It's All Said And Done
Let us say goodbye to the NBA season, with a quick Finals wrap-up:
The Celtics turned out to be the better team, and by a wider margin than most expected.
Kevin Garnett goes from "can't get it done in the clutch" to "can (sometimes) get it done in the clutch."
Paul Pierce goes from "excellent player" to "top 20 or 30 of his generation."
Rajon Rondo goes from "enigma" to "awesomely talented enigma."
Kobe Bryant goes from "maybe like Mike" to "maybe like Dwyane Wade."
Doc Rivers goes from "cosmically inept" to "my unbuntu trumps your Zen."
Lamar Odom stays exactly like Lamar Odom.
And Dan Filowitz needs to find something else to occupy his time. A frightening thought.
So instead of thinking about that, let's just watch this video, and remember that while this was a truly awesome NBA year, next year stands to be even better (and, shhhh, the Knicks might even be a part of it.)
(Thanks for the video, Odenized)
The Celtics turned out to be the better team, and by a wider margin than most expected.
Kevin Garnett goes from "can't get it done in the clutch" to "can (sometimes) get it done in the clutch."
Paul Pierce goes from "excellent player" to "top 20 or 30 of his generation."
Rajon Rondo goes from "enigma" to "awesomely talented enigma."
Kobe Bryant goes from "maybe like Mike" to "maybe like Dwyane Wade."
Doc Rivers goes from "cosmically inept" to "my unbuntu trumps your Zen."
Lamar Odom stays exactly like Lamar Odom.
And Dan Filowitz needs to find something else to occupy his time. A frightening thought.
So instead of thinking about that, let's just watch this video, and remember that while this was a truly awesome NBA year, next year stands to be even better (and, shhhh, the Knicks might even be a part of it.)
(Thanks for the video, Odenized)
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Free Willie
In case you haven't heard, and judging by the Mets timing of this whole thing, you likely didn't, Willie Randolph has been fired as the manager of the second-best team in the City that never sleeps.
He was fired after the Mets' 9-6 win over Anaheim of Los Angeles and it would seem after the New York tabloids would have already gone to press, so the headlines this morning won't scream about it as loudly as the websites likely do...
I was out for a job with my XM when I heard the news this morning, but really I heard the news weeks ago, months ago even. Willie was fired by the fans and the media when this team didn't jump out to a 15-game lead in the division from the start of the season.
He was fired when Jose Reyes started off slowly and all the old players GM Omar Miniya signed got injured. He was fired when someone in the organization didn't make Ryan Church go on the DL after he was kneed in the head and he was fired when Billy Wagner forgot how great a season he was having (for my fantasy team as well) and blew three straight games...
But let's all be honest here. Willie was fired for two reasons: 1) 2006 NL Championship series Game 7 and 2) September 2007.
In one, he should have told Beltran to swing at that curve ball. No wait, he should have told El Duque to quit his act and get on the mound so we don't have to pitch Steve Traschel. No wait, he should have told Aaron Heilman that despite being a great late inning guy all year to stay in the bullpen and not give up a home run to a Molina. No wait, he should have...
The point is, when the Mets didn't make it to the World Series in a year when they were the best team (Doesn't matter that John Maine and Oliver Perez, two unproven starters at the time would start big games in that series), Willie was officially put on the hot seat because another manager would have found a way to win.
As for September 2007, that was the biggest collapse ever and he should have been let go right there. I wouldn't have liked the move or necessarily agreed with it, but I would have understood it. It would have been justified and no one would have blasted the Wilpons.
Instead, they strung him around and instead of making the organization better, they made the team look better on paper for one year. It was basically asking a manager with little experience to take one last gasp at it before we pull the plug. It was a move you make with a Bobby Cox or jim Leyland at the helm, a veteran manager who's been through it all before. Willie, who wasn't that bad a manager, was dealt a bum hand and was asked to play it out.
Doesn't matter that an old team has been asked to make four different trips out west in their first 70 games. Doesn't matter that injuries and players not performing to expectations (from David Wright to Carlos Beltran to John Maine to the entire bullpen). None of that matters, not when you play in New York and there are 8 to 12 daily papers that send reporters and you're an image-worried franchise getting ready to open a new stadium next year on a rather new TV network with little else besides baseball.
It means the manager goes and takes all those under-performing players with him.
What's that? They're still on the team?
And most of them have long contracts that no one in their right mind would take off your hands (I'm looking at you Luis Castillo).
And your best trade bait starter is a power left-hander with a Jeckly and Hyde complex (Hi Oliver).
And while trading Beltran seems like a smart move on paper, you're gonna have to eat some of that contract and that's only if he waives his no-trade clause?
And there's really absolutely nothing at the AAA level? Nothing?
Wow, it almost sounds like Willie Randolph made out like a genius. He gets the rest of his contract to not have to deal with all this crap for the next three months. Good for him and a bad day for Mets fans, those that wanted this especially...
On second thought, maybe it was done this way to turn Willie from a marked man into a martyr. Not like I can spell that word, but you get the point. Instead of the usual focus on how horrible a coach he was, Willie is now being looked on as a great man done wrong by a horrible organization...
He was fired after the Mets' 9-6 win over Anaheim of Los Angeles and it would seem after the New York tabloids would have already gone to press, so the headlines this morning won't scream about it as loudly as the websites likely do...
I was out for a job with my XM when I heard the news this morning, but really I heard the news weeks ago, months ago even. Willie was fired by the fans and the media when this team didn't jump out to a 15-game lead in the division from the start of the season.
He was fired when Jose Reyes started off slowly and all the old players GM Omar Miniya signed got injured. He was fired when someone in the organization didn't make Ryan Church go on the DL after he was kneed in the head and he was fired when Billy Wagner forgot how great a season he was having (for my fantasy team as well) and blew three straight games...
But let's all be honest here. Willie was fired for two reasons: 1) 2006 NL Championship series Game 7 and 2) September 2007.
In one, he should have told Beltran to swing at that curve ball. No wait, he should have told El Duque to quit his act and get on the mound so we don't have to pitch Steve Traschel. No wait, he should have told Aaron Heilman that despite being a great late inning guy all year to stay in the bullpen and not give up a home run to a Molina. No wait, he should have...
The point is, when the Mets didn't make it to the World Series in a year when they were the best team (Doesn't matter that John Maine and Oliver Perez, two unproven starters at the time would start big games in that series), Willie was officially put on the hot seat because another manager would have found a way to win.
As for September 2007, that was the biggest collapse ever and he should have been let go right there. I wouldn't have liked the move or necessarily agreed with it, but I would have understood it. It would have been justified and no one would have blasted the Wilpons.
Instead, they strung him around and instead of making the organization better, they made the team look better on paper for one year. It was basically asking a manager with little experience to take one last gasp at it before we pull the plug. It was a move you make with a Bobby Cox or jim Leyland at the helm, a veteran manager who's been through it all before. Willie, who wasn't that bad a manager, was dealt a bum hand and was asked to play it out.
Doesn't matter that an old team has been asked to make four different trips out west in their first 70 games. Doesn't matter that injuries and players not performing to expectations (from David Wright to Carlos Beltran to John Maine to the entire bullpen). None of that matters, not when you play in New York and there are 8 to 12 daily papers that send reporters and you're an image-worried franchise getting ready to open a new stadium next year on a rather new TV network with little else besides baseball.
It means the manager goes and takes all those under-performing players with him.
What's that? They're still on the team?
And most of them have long contracts that no one in their right mind would take off your hands (I'm looking at you Luis Castillo).
And your best trade bait starter is a power left-hander with a Jeckly and Hyde complex (Hi Oliver).
And while trading Beltran seems like a smart move on paper, you're gonna have to eat some of that contract and that's only if he waives his no-trade clause?
And there's really absolutely nothing at the AAA level? Nothing?
Wow, it almost sounds like Willie Randolph made out like a genius. He gets the rest of his contract to not have to deal with all this crap for the next three months. Good for him and a bad day for Mets fans, those that wanted this especially...
On second thought, maybe it was done this way to turn Willie from a marked man into a martyr. Not like I can spell that word, but you get the point. Instead of the usual focus on how horrible a coach he was, Willie is now being looked on as a great man done wrong by a horrible organization...
As I Remember It, I'm Always Right
Despite Martin's protestations otherwise, the outcome of Game 5 of the NBA Finals was just about preordained.
Of course the Lakers were able to pull out one more home playoff win.
These teams are very evenly matched - all the games have been pretty close, with both teams showing themselves capable of going on big runs.
Boston made more mistakes in this game then they had in any previous game - more turnovers, missed assignments on defense, bad fouls (especially by KG.) That cost them the game, ultimately.
Those same mistakes likely won't pop up as they play in Boston, where they've only lost 7 times this entire season, including the playoffs. The Lakers didn't look like they finally figured out the Boston defense in this game, which would lead me to believe that this ends Tuesday night.
Unless, that is, Boston can't handle the pressure of closing it out. Should be interesting to see how they cope with it in Game 6. Can KG keep it together, or will his incredible intensity get the best of him? Can the rest of the team execute if it's close towards the end, as it typically has been in this entire series? It's probable, but not definite. So we'll see.
-----------------------
On Saturday night, I went to see Swervedriver at the Metro here in Chicago.
Swervedriver plays what I like to call a more muscular kind of shoegaze - it has the swirling guitars and the feedback but there's also songs about cars.
Swervedriver also hasn't released an album in about 10 years. I used to listen to them a lot back in high school - my friends Greg and Eric turned me on to them. In particular, Eric used to have the CDs in his car, and we'd listen to it driving around northern Jersey, which we would do often.
So, yes, this was a reunion show. I was going out on Saturday for a bit of nostalgia.
Greg had gone to see them in Seattle a few weeks before. He was extremely disappointed. He wrote us all a short and depressing email that ended with "wish i had left that band as a memory."
My expectations for the show were low, to say the least.
As it turned out, I had a great time. The Metro was nicely packed on this Saturday night, and it is one of the better places to see a show here in Chicago (it's where the Smashing Pumpkins famously got their start way back in the early 90s.) Especially since the smoking ban.
The band sounded great. I recognized about 80% of the songs, and it was cool to hear them played live right in front of me - and I was standing fairly close to the front of the stage.
Yet while I enjoyed it thoroughly, I also saw the problem, and where Greg got left so cold. Because, sure, it was fun, but it certainly wasn't as exciting as hearing something brand new, experiencing it all in that particular moment. I was happy, but I wasn't taken to some new height.
Nostalgia isn't as visceral as we'd like it to be.
It got me thinking about the NBA Finals (shockingly enough) with all the Lakers-Celtics history that's been force-fed to us for the last month.
Everyone was going off of this idea of "hey, remember how awesome it was then? I bet it will be even MORE awesome now!"
That never works. It's never more awesome now. Because we only choose to remember the good parts of what happened back then. We don't remember if there was a game or two of one of those "classic series" that were absolute blow outs or unwatchable bores. We remember the overall outcome, and the parts that were classic.
Just like with bands that we fell in love with long ago. You're never going to get to re-hear them for the first time, and experience that full-body wow that happens with the stuff that's truly transcendent. But that's the part you remember - the intense pleasure you felt when you were first getting into it all.
It can't be repeated. You can't feel it like you remember. Like Johnny Thunders said, you can't put your arm around a memory.
Which doesn't mean you can't enjoy these things in their own right, for what they are right now. That's what I've been feeling about these Finals, which have generally pleased me with the back-and-forth between Pierce and Kobe, the incredible Boston defense, the surprisingly good coaching of Doc Rivers, the rebirth of Jesus Shuttleworth, the Leon Powe Game, and especially the comeback game. Who cares that this isn't a replay of the 1987 Finals? I like this one just fine.
And that's what I felt about Swervedriver on Saturday. Sure, it wasn't a life-altering experience (not like the High on Fire show I saw last year). But I've seen plenty of crappy bands play crappy shows, and plenty good bands play mediocre shows. This was an excellent band, with a surprising number of songs that I really like (I need to start listening to them again more often) playing an excellent show. What else could I have wanted?
Of course the Lakers were able to pull out one more home playoff win.
These teams are very evenly matched - all the games have been pretty close, with both teams showing themselves capable of going on big runs.
Boston made more mistakes in this game then they had in any previous game - more turnovers, missed assignments on defense, bad fouls (especially by KG.) That cost them the game, ultimately.
Those same mistakes likely won't pop up as they play in Boston, where they've only lost 7 times this entire season, including the playoffs. The Lakers didn't look like they finally figured out the Boston defense in this game, which would lead me to believe that this ends Tuesday night.
Unless, that is, Boston can't handle the pressure of closing it out. Should be interesting to see how they cope with it in Game 6. Can KG keep it together, or will his incredible intensity get the best of him? Can the rest of the team execute if it's close towards the end, as it typically has been in this entire series? It's probable, but not definite. So we'll see.
-----------------------
On Saturday night, I went to see Swervedriver at the Metro here in Chicago.
Swervedriver plays what I like to call a more muscular kind of shoegaze - it has the swirling guitars and the feedback but there's also songs about cars.
Swervedriver also hasn't released an album in about 10 years. I used to listen to them a lot back in high school - my friends Greg and Eric turned me on to them. In particular, Eric used to have the CDs in his car, and we'd listen to it driving around northern Jersey, which we would do often.
So, yes, this was a reunion show. I was going out on Saturday for a bit of nostalgia.
Greg had gone to see them in Seattle a few weeks before. He was extremely disappointed. He wrote us all a short and depressing email that ended with "wish i had left that band as a memory."
My expectations for the show were low, to say the least.
As it turned out, I had a great time. The Metro was nicely packed on this Saturday night, and it is one of the better places to see a show here in Chicago (it's where the Smashing Pumpkins famously got their start way back in the early 90s.) Especially since the smoking ban.
The band sounded great. I recognized about 80% of the songs, and it was cool to hear them played live right in front of me - and I was standing fairly close to the front of the stage.
Yet while I enjoyed it thoroughly, I also saw the problem, and where Greg got left so cold. Because, sure, it was fun, but it certainly wasn't as exciting as hearing something brand new, experiencing it all in that particular moment. I was happy, but I wasn't taken to some new height.
Nostalgia isn't as visceral as we'd like it to be.
It got me thinking about the NBA Finals (shockingly enough) with all the Lakers-Celtics history that's been force-fed to us for the last month.
Everyone was going off of this idea of "hey, remember how awesome it was then? I bet it will be even MORE awesome now!"
That never works. It's never more awesome now. Because we only choose to remember the good parts of what happened back then. We don't remember if there was a game or two of one of those "classic series" that were absolute blow outs or unwatchable bores. We remember the overall outcome, and the parts that were classic.
Just like with bands that we fell in love with long ago. You're never going to get to re-hear them for the first time, and experience that full-body wow that happens with the stuff that's truly transcendent. But that's the part you remember - the intense pleasure you felt when you were first getting into it all.
It can't be repeated. You can't feel it like you remember. Like Johnny Thunders said, you can't put your arm around a memory.
Which doesn't mean you can't enjoy these things in their own right, for what they are right now. That's what I've been feeling about these Finals, which have generally pleased me with the back-and-forth between Pierce and Kobe, the incredible Boston defense, the surprisingly good coaching of Doc Rivers, the rebirth of Jesus Shuttleworth, the Leon Powe Game, and especially the comeback game. Who cares that this isn't a replay of the 1987 Finals? I like this one just fine.
And that's what I felt about Swervedriver on Saturday. Sure, it wasn't a life-altering experience (not like the High on Fire show I saw last year). But I've seen plenty of crappy bands play crappy shows, and plenty good bands play mediocre shows. This was an excellent band, with a surprising number of songs that I really like (I need to start listening to them again more often) playing an excellent show. What else could I have wanted?
Friday, June 13, 2008
Filowitz's Friday Five
1) Shock, noun, a disturbance in the equilibrium or permanence of something (like a seemingly insurmountable 24 point lead by the Lakers disappearing into a 6 point defeat); a sudden or violent mental or emotional disturbance (what the Lakers have to be feeling after losing a 24 point lead); a state of being so disturbed (what the Lakers fans sounded like after losing this game.)
2) In the second half, Paul Pierce played some of the best individual, one-on-one defense I've ever seen, and he did it against arguably the most difficult guy to defend in the league in Kobe Bryant. Pierce was able to keep Kobe out of the lane most of the time. He contested shots, including an incredible block on an attempted turn-around by Kobe (have you ever seen one of these elite guys have their turnaround jumper blocked cleanly like that?) He forced Kobe to give the ball up when he drove (and the Lakers other players, especially The Machine, didn't shoot well.) Paul Pierce is by far the MVP of the series so far, and it has as much to do with his defense as his offense.
3) Eddie House was HUGE for the Celtics. Not so much because he made a ton of shots, but because of a couple of other reasons:
a- the threat of his shot helped spread the floor and keep LA's defense more honest, as opposed to when Rondo is in the game, since Rondo can't shoot and thus the Lakers can help off of him. This helped Paul Pierce and James Posey and Kevin Garnett score more easily, which was key to the comeback.
b- Eddie House played 24 minutes and did not turn the ball over at all, and his individual +/- was +20. He did not do anything stupid from the point guard position, and if he did Boston would not have won. Rondo looked to be playing hurt, so putting in the effective House was a key move for Doc Rivers - it actually makes him look smart, especially since House stepped up so huge.
Bottom line for tonight, no Eddie House, no comeback win for the Celtics (and who would have thought you'd be writing THAT sentence ever, let alone in the NBA Finals?)
4) The only thing more improbable than this huge comeback by the Celtics on the road is the fact that Ray Allen, who looked all but washed up not two weeks ago, has played at a ridiculously high level in every game this series. In Game 4 he had 19 points on only 11 shots, 9 rebounds (not a typo - Ray Allen had NINE rebounds), 2 assists, and 3 steals. And he's playing really solid defense, which is just as shocking. All I could talk about before the series was "who will Ray Allen be able to guard?" Who knew the answer was, "anyone he wants, including Kobe." I don't know where this Ray Allen was earlier these playoffs, but this Ray Allen is awesome to watch.
5) Can you picture the Lakers being able to beat the Celtics three times in a row, including two in Boston? I can't. I'd pick the Lakers to win Game 5 at home, and the Celtics to take it in Game 6. And I have to admit, I wouldn't have guessed this series to go anything like this (which is why I like to watch it, after all - who the hell wants to watch the inevitable unfold?) As much as some of these games haven't been that 'great' I've still found this to be an incredibly compelling Finals (history having nothing to do with it.) I've loved watching the story unfold as it has, unexpectedly, confusingly, with heroes coming from all sorts of odd places. I can't wait to see how it ends.
2) In the second half, Paul Pierce played some of the best individual, one-on-one defense I've ever seen, and he did it against arguably the most difficult guy to defend in the league in Kobe Bryant. Pierce was able to keep Kobe out of the lane most of the time. He contested shots, including an incredible block on an attempted turn-around by Kobe (have you ever seen one of these elite guys have their turnaround jumper blocked cleanly like that?) He forced Kobe to give the ball up when he drove (and the Lakers other players, especially The Machine, didn't shoot well.) Paul Pierce is by far the MVP of the series so far, and it has as much to do with his defense as his offense.
3) Eddie House was HUGE for the Celtics. Not so much because he made a ton of shots, but because of a couple of other reasons:
a- the threat of his shot helped spread the floor and keep LA's defense more honest, as opposed to when Rondo is in the game, since Rondo can't shoot and thus the Lakers can help off of him. This helped Paul Pierce and James Posey and Kevin Garnett score more easily, which was key to the comeback.
b- Eddie House played 24 minutes and did not turn the ball over at all, and his individual +/- was +20. He did not do anything stupid from the point guard position, and if he did Boston would not have won. Rondo looked to be playing hurt, so putting in the effective House was a key move for Doc Rivers - it actually makes him look smart, especially since House stepped up so huge.
Bottom line for tonight, no Eddie House, no comeback win for the Celtics (and who would have thought you'd be writing THAT sentence ever, let alone in the NBA Finals?)
4) The only thing more improbable than this huge comeback by the Celtics on the road is the fact that Ray Allen, who looked all but washed up not two weeks ago, has played at a ridiculously high level in every game this series. In Game 4 he had 19 points on only 11 shots, 9 rebounds (not a typo - Ray Allen had NINE rebounds), 2 assists, and 3 steals. And he's playing really solid defense, which is just as shocking. All I could talk about before the series was "who will Ray Allen be able to guard?" Who knew the answer was, "anyone he wants, including Kobe." I don't know where this Ray Allen was earlier these playoffs, but this Ray Allen is awesome to watch.
5) Can you picture the Lakers being able to beat the Celtics three times in a row, including two in Boston? I can't. I'd pick the Lakers to win Game 5 at home, and the Celtics to take it in Game 6. And I have to admit, I wouldn't have guessed this series to go anything like this (which is why I like to watch it, after all - who the hell wants to watch the inevitable unfold?) As much as some of these games haven't been that 'great' I've still found this to be an incredibly compelling Finals (history having nothing to do with it.) I've loved watching the story unfold as it has, unexpectedly, confusingly, with heroes coming from all sorts of odd places. I can't wait to see how it ends.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
NBA Finals: Game 3
There isn't much to say about Game 3.
The home team won, as expected.
The home team got more foul calls, as expected.
Kobe had a big game, as expected.
What was unexpected was how bad Pierce, KG, Gasol, and Odom all played. Of those four, only KG scored in double figures, and that was only 13 points.
Actually, only four guys scored in double figures for the entire game: KG, Kobe, Ray Allen (Jesus is reborn!), and Vujacic. That's pretty bad for an NBA Finals game.
Plus, there was atrocious foul shooting for both teams (Boston: 68%, LA: 62%) which is inexcusable.
The overall point here, though, is that there is nothing really to take away from this game. It wasn't particularly well played, except for a few stretches in the third and fourth quarter, and the outcome was more or less inevitable.
It does set us up for a perfectly awesome Game 4, though. I can't wait for that.
The home team won, as expected.
The home team got more foul calls, as expected.
Kobe had a big game, as expected.
What was unexpected was how bad Pierce, KG, Gasol, and Odom all played. Of those four, only KG scored in double figures, and that was only 13 points.
Actually, only four guys scored in double figures for the entire game: KG, Kobe, Ray Allen (Jesus is reborn!), and Vujacic. That's pretty bad for an NBA Finals game.
Plus, there was atrocious foul shooting for both teams (Boston: 68%, LA: 62%) which is inexcusable.
The overall point here, though, is that there is nothing really to take away from this game. It wasn't particularly well played, except for a few stretches in the third and fourth quarter, and the outcome was more or less inevitable.
It does set us up for a perfectly awesome Game 4, though. I can't wait for that.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Pitch counts are silly
Pitch Count are two of the silliest words associated with baseball and there's a ton that would qualify for that list.
More than Nelly being a successful rapper or Jason Sehorn being able to pull the stunning Angie Harmon after showing only a glimspe of true potential on the football field (Yes, I'm saying that if you're a New York Giant and come up young on the field, you shouldn't be allowed to pull amazing females like Ms. Harmon.)
But I digress...
It's a movement that has now been championed from the bottom (Little League baseball) to the top with announcers and TV directors routinely flashing just how many pitches so and so has thrown so far.
I'm smart enough to realize that much smarter men have written much more on this topic than I have, including Rob Neyer and Bill James and Steve Treder's great article on The Hardball Times, so I won't bore you by repeating what they've said. I'll just spout my two cents and leave it alone...
These articles deal with the major leages, but the problem starts before these kids make it that far. Players twenty years ago didn't worry about a pitch count, at that time it was a concern for innings but that shouldn't matter either.
Any capable catcher, whether he's 29 or 9 years old, can tell when the pitcher on the mound doesn't have "it" anymore. Any coach worth his weight in chewing gum and cliche phrases should be able to see when a pitcher doesn't have "it" anymore. And the same way a hitter gets better with more and more swings, the only way a pitcher is going to have a strong arm is to throw and throw.
Granted, it's important to have proper mechanics and that's where you're likely getting all these arm injuries from at an early age. If you let kids throw however they want, then ask them to throw with more weight, power and pressure but they've been straining their elbow from the beginning, it's asking for an injury regardless how many pitches they throw...
More than Nelly being a successful rapper or Jason Sehorn being able to pull the stunning Angie Harmon after showing only a glimspe of true potential on the football field (Yes, I'm saying that if you're a New York Giant and come up young on the field, you shouldn't be allowed to pull amazing females like Ms. Harmon.)
But I digress...
It's a movement that has now been championed from the bottom (Little League baseball) to the top with announcers and TV directors routinely flashing just how many pitches so and so has thrown so far.
I'm smart enough to realize that much smarter men have written much more on this topic than I have, including Rob Neyer and Bill James and Steve Treder's great article on The Hardball Times, so I won't bore you by repeating what they've said. I'll just spout my two cents and leave it alone...
These articles deal with the major leages, but the problem starts before these kids make it that far. Players twenty years ago didn't worry about a pitch count, at that time it was a concern for innings but that shouldn't matter either.
Any capable catcher, whether he's 29 or 9 years old, can tell when the pitcher on the mound doesn't have "it" anymore. Any coach worth his weight in chewing gum and cliche phrases should be able to see when a pitcher doesn't have "it" anymore. And the same way a hitter gets better with more and more swings, the only way a pitcher is going to have a strong arm is to throw and throw.
Granted, it's important to have proper mechanics and that's where you're likely getting all these arm injuries from at an early age. If you let kids throw however they want, then ask them to throw with more weight, power and pressure but they've been straining their elbow from the beginning, it's asking for an injury regardless how many pitches they throw...
Where We Praise The Awesomeness Of Jeff Van Gundy
The NBA announcing team of Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy has been good all year.
Breen is a solid and generally capable play-by-play guy. Not spectacular, but never bad.
Mark Jackson, well, he has a tendency to sound kind of dumb.
And Jeff Van Gundy will not hesitate to point it out. Like in this video below, after Mark Jackson compares Leon Powe to Dr. J in a dunk contest. Seriously.
(H/T Ball Don't Lie)
Thank you, Jeff Van Gundy. For being awesome.
Breen is a solid and generally capable play-by-play guy. Not spectacular, but never bad.
Mark Jackson, well, he has a tendency to sound kind of dumb.
And Jeff Van Gundy will not hesitate to point it out. Like in this video below, after Mark Jackson compares Leon Powe to Dr. J in a dunk contest. Seriously.
(H/T Ball Don't Lie)
Thank you, Jeff Van Gundy. For being awesome.
Monday, June 9, 2008
NBA Finals: Game 2
Some thoughts from Game 2:
-- The officiating was pretty bad. The refs decided early on that they were going to call some cheap fouls (on both sides, Lakers fans - the early fouls on Perkins were BS, too) so as not to let the game get too physical. Unfortunately, the early foul trouble had too much of an impact on the game, in terms of taking players out and affecting the rhythm of both teams. The refs aren't supposed to be a main focus of the game, and they were this time far too often.
-- The Lakers defense was not good because they couldn't stop Rondo, Pierce, and Allen from penetrating. Because of that penetration, they were able to move the ball so that either someone (Allen, Pierce, Garnett) got an open jump shot or that there was a dump off in the paint for someone (like Leon Powe) to get an easy layup or get fouled.
-- Conversely, the Boston defense once again was terrific at keeping the Lakers guards from penetrating. Kobe did not have a single dunk in the game, and only attempted a couple of layups. Everything else was jump shots, many of them contested. This is where not having a real point guard hurts the Lakers (Derek Fisher is more of a two-guard in my opinion.)
-- Kevin Garnett doesn't get taken out of his overall game when he's shooting poorly. He only shot 7-19 in the game, but he still only took shots within the offense, rebounded effectively, and played great defense (as per usual.) This should be more notable - we all know there are some stars that lose their entire game when their shots aren't falling. KG plays through it, and it helps his team win.
-- Radmanovic has to play less if the Lakers are going to win. His stats ended up looking pretty good for this game (13 points and 10 rebounds) but it just seems like he's outclassed by anyone he's guarding. I'd rather see Turiaf get more minutes at the 4, see if he can bring something to the table.
-- Likewise, Lamar Odom has to show up at home if the Lakers have any hope. He's looked terrible in both games so far. He's not getting enough rebounds, and he's getting eliminated on the offensive end. He should be a tougher matchup for either Pierce or Garnett, since Odom is a big guy with quickness and the ability to take people off the dribble. He simply hasn't been yet (which is the knock on him his whole career.)
-- I'm finding the ESPN/ABC production to be very good. I'm rarely annoyed by the announcers, the studio hosts, or how they decide to show us the game (camera angles, replays, stats shown, etc.) The worst thing is the choice of music as they go to commercials (really, guys, More Than A Feeling every single night? We get it, we get it, it's by Boston, and they're playing Boston. Great.)
-- The officiating was pretty bad. The refs decided early on that they were going to call some cheap fouls (on both sides, Lakers fans - the early fouls on Perkins were BS, too) so as not to let the game get too physical. Unfortunately, the early foul trouble had too much of an impact on the game, in terms of taking players out and affecting the rhythm of both teams. The refs aren't supposed to be a main focus of the game, and they were this time far too often.
-- The Lakers defense was not good because they couldn't stop Rondo, Pierce, and Allen from penetrating. Because of that penetration, they were able to move the ball so that either someone (Allen, Pierce, Garnett) got an open jump shot or that there was a dump off in the paint for someone (like Leon Powe) to get an easy layup or get fouled.
-- Conversely, the Boston defense once again was terrific at keeping the Lakers guards from penetrating. Kobe did not have a single dunk in the game, and only attempted a couple of layups. Everything else was jump shots, many of them contested. This is where not having a real point guard hurts the Lakers (Derek Fisher is more of a two-guard in my opinion.)
-- Kevin Garnett doesn't get taken out of his overall game when he's shooting poorly. He only shot 7-19 in the game, but he still only took shots within the offense, rebounded effectively, and played great defense (as per usual.) This should be more notable - we all know there are some stars that lose their entire game when their shots aren't falling. KG plays through it, and it helps his team win.
-- Radmanovic has to play less if the Lakers are going to win. His stats ended up looking pretty good for this game (13 points and 10 rebounds) but it just seems like he's outclassed by anyone he's guarding. I'd rather see Turiaf get more minutes at the 4, see if he can bring something to the table.
-- Likewise, Lamar Odom has to show up at home if the Lakers have any hope. He's looked terrible in both games so far. He's not getting enough rebounds, and he's getting eliminated on the offensive end. He should be a tougher matchup for either Pierce or Garnett, since Odom is a big guy with quickness and the ability to take people off the dribble. He simply hasn't been yet (which is the knock on him his whole career.)
-- I'm finding the ESPN/ABC production to be very good. I'm rarely annoyed by the announcers, the studio hosts, or how they decide to show us the game (camera angles, replays, stats shown, etc.) The worst thing is the choice of music as they go to commercials (really, guys, More Than A Feeling every single night? We get it, we get it, it's by Boston, and they're playing Boston. Great.)
Friday, June 6, 2008
Filowitz's Friday Five
NBA Finals edition!
1) Sure, I didn't write a preview of the Lakers-Celtics Finals. Mostly because everyone and their mother wrote a preview, and what was I going to tell you that you didn't read elsewhere a thousand times? If you want to know what I thought before the series started, you can listen to the Disciples of Clyde NBA Podcast (which you should be doing anyway.) Basically, I picked the Lakers in 6, and thought that the various defensive matchups were going to be intriguing.
2) Game 1, Boston winning 98-88, was awesome. Played at an incredibly high level by both teams. If this is indicative of how the series is going to be, then we are in for one of the best Finals in a long time. They're evenly matched, they each have more than one star player, and they both play well on both sides of the court. This is what we've been waiting for all playoffs - for a series to live up to the promise of what we saw in the regular season. So far, so great.
3) Who played well in Game 1?
KG. He was unstoppable in the first half on offense. He was strong on the boards all game. His defense was impeccable, as always. And he came up with some huge plays down the stretch, most memorably the putback dunk over Gasol off the missed Posey three. Also that crazy save of the backcourt violation. KG came up huge.
Pierce. We'll get to the injury thing in a second. But after struggling with fouls in the first half, he was huge in the second half. He started out the third quarter with 8 points in 1:20. He also played fantastic defense on Kobe down the stretch, forcing Kobe to take tough, contested shots.
Ray Allen. 19 points, 8 (!) rebounds, 5 assists. This was not the washed-up-looking Ray Allen we saw for most of the playoffs. This was more like the man we know as Jesus Shuttleworth.
The Celtics defense. They kept Kobe out of the paint. He had only one dunk, and maybe one layup all game. If Kobe is forced to be a jump shooter, the Celtics are going to win the series.
Gasol. His numbers weren't huge, but he did what he was supposed to do. And his defense on Garnett was much better than I thought it could be.
PJ Brown. You won't see it in the numbers, but he played fantastic defense, and came up with some huge rebounds. Exactly what they needed out of him.
4) Who didn't play well in Game 1?
Sam Cassell. Don't be fooled by the shots he hit - most of those were shitty, selfish jumpers too early in the shot clock that happened to go in. Most of the time, those shitty jumpers aren't going to fall. He also played awful defense, and made some terrible decisions in the fourth quarter. If I was a Celtics fan, I'd want Cassell to have the DNP-CD in Game 2, not Eddie House.
Lamar Odom. He didn't rebound well, he didn't really assert himself on either end. He was pretty much a non-factor, which is not what the Lakers need.
I'm not going to say Kobe. Kobe played okay. But when the rest of the team isn't playing awesome, the Lakers can't win with only an "okay" game from Kobe. And keep in mind, his okay game means he scored 24 points to go with 6 assists and 3 rebounds.
5) So, the Pierce injury. For those that didn't watch the game, in the third quarter, Paul Pierce goes down after Kendrick Perkins collides with his leg as they both try to block a shot. Pierce has to be carried off the court, and put in a wheelchair to be taken back to the locker room.
At that moment, the entire Boston crowd went eerily quiet. Me, sitting at home, I immediately thought "if he's done, we're getting robbed of a great Finals." Because the game to that point had been incredible, but if Pierce is out, then the series is over. Boston doesn't win without Pierce.
A few minutes later, Pierce comes jogging back out of the locker room. As soon as the crowd sees him, they go crazy. Pierce immediately goes back in the game, and then hits two threes in a row not much longer after that.
Now, people might say "Willis Reed moment." Stop that. It had a parallel, in that a star player everyone thinks is injured comes back unexpectedly, and both happened against the Lakers. But this wasn't Game 7. It wasn't as serious an injury (sprained knee for Pierce.) Willis Reed had a torn muscle in his right thigh.
Regardless, it was a dramatic moment in this game, adding to what was already a competitive and compelling Game 1. Game 2 is on Sunday, and I can barely wait that long.
1) Sure, I didn't write a preview of the Lakers-Celtics Finals. Mostly because everyone and their mother wrote a preview, and what was I going to tell you that you didn't read elsewhere a thousand times? If you want to know what I thought before the series started, you can listen to the Disciples of Clyde NBA Podcast (which you should be doing anyway.) Basically, I picked the Lakers in 6, and thought that the various defensive matchups were going to be intriguing.
2) Game 1, Boston winning 98-88, was awesome. Played at an incredibly high level by both teams. If this is indicative of how the series is going to be, then we are in for one of the best Finals in a long time. They're evenly matched, they each have more than one star player, and they both play well on both sides of the court. This is what we've been waiting for all playoffs - for a series to live up to the promise of what we saw in the regular season. So far, so great.
3) Who played well in Game 1?
KG. He was unstoppable in the first half on offense. He was strong on the boards all game. His defense was impeccable, as always. And he came up with some huge plays down the stretch, most memorably the putback dunk over Gasol off the missed Posey three. Also that crazy save of the backcourt violation. KG came up huge.
Pierce. We'll get to the injury thing in a second. But after struggling with fouls in the first half, he was huge in the second half. He started out the third quarter with 8 points in 1:20. He also played fantastic defense on Kobe down the stretch, forcing Kobe to take tough, contested shots.
Ray Allen. 19 points, 8 (!) rebounds, 5 assists. This was not the washed-up-looking Ray Allen we saw for most of the playoffs. This was more like the man we know as Jesus Shuttleworth.
The Celtics defense. They kept Kobe out of the paint. He had only one dunk, and maybe one layup all game. If Kobe is forced to be a jump shooter, the Celtics are going to win the series.
Gasol. His numbers weren't huge, but he did what he was supposed to do. And his defense on Garnett was much better than I thought it could be.
PJ Brown. You won't see it in the numbers, but he played fantastic defense, and came up with some huge rebounds. Exactly what they needed out of him.
4) Who didn't play well in Game 1?
Sam Cassell. Don't be fooled by the shots he hit - most of those were shitty, selfish jumpers too early in the shot clock that happened to go in. Most of the time, those shitty jumpers aren't going to fall. He also played awful defense, and made some terrible decisions in the fourth quarter. If I was a Celtics fan, I'd want Cassell to have the DNP-CD in Game 2, not Eddie House.
Lamar Odom. He didn't rebound well, he didn't really assert himself on either end. He was pretty much a non-factor, which is not what the Lakers need.
I'm not going to say Kobe. Kobe played okay. But when the rest of the team isn't playing awesome, the Lakers can't win with only an "okay" game from Kobe. And keep in mind, his okay game means he scored 24 points to go with 6 assists and 3 rebounds.
5) So, the Pierce injury. For those that didn't watch the game, in the third quarter, Paul Pierce goes down after Kendrick Perkins collides with his leg as they both try to block a shot. Pierce has to be carried off the court, and put in a wheelchair to be taken back to the locker room.
At that moment, the entire Boston crowd went eerily quiet. Me, sitting at home, I immediately thought "if he's done, we're getting robbed of a great Finals." Because the game to that point had been incredible, but if Pierce is out, then the series is over. Boston doesn't win without Pierce.
A few minutes later, Pierce comes jogging back out of the locker room. As soon as the crowd sees him, they go crazy. Pierce immediately goes back in the game, and then hits two threes in a row not much longer after that.
Now, people might say "Willis Reed moment." Stop that. It had a parallel, in that a star player everyone thinks is injured comes back unexpectedly, and both happened against the Lakers. But this wasn't Game 7. It wasn't as serious an injury (sprained knee for Pierce.) Willis Reed had a torn muscle in his right thigh.
Regardless, it was a dramatic moment in this game, adding to what was already a competitive and compelling Game 1. Game 2 is on Sunday, and I can barely wait that long.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Random thoughts at random times
I was watching a commercial last night for the special 2 disc DVD set of the movie Semi-Pro, starring the oft terrible but sometimes funny Will Ferrell. I don't know a single person who actually saw this movie, and I know people who have seen both Tomb Raiders. I was thinking to myself who in their right mind would by this DVD set, I mean seriously I would rather buy a 2 disc set of Can’t Hardly Wait. Hey Will we get, your schtick has been done to death, by you. Think about if every movie Adam Sandler kept making was like Billy Madison, that is basically Ferrell at this point. He is like the Hilary Clinton of movies, he can’t go away fast enough.
By the way, most of America missed some good hockey. Now I am not going to pretend to be a huge hockey fan anymore but the Stanley Cup is still cool. The three overtimes the other night was amazing and then last night was maybe the best final two minutes in the history of the Stanley Cup. Again I don’t pretend to be a historical expert on Stanley Cup games but in a clincher to have a team down two goals with 2 to go and almost tie it was awesome. The Penguins scored on a power play and then had two shots in the final 4 seconds to tie the game and send it into overtime. The puck trickling across the goal line as time expires is like Kevin Dyson getting stopped at the goal line in the Super Bowl.
Hey the NBA Finals start tonight. Do yourself a favor, watch. If not for anything than the joy that is Kobe Bryant on a basketball court. As the finals plod a long over the next few weeks I am sure we will have more analysis and historical perspective.
I think I have to go to church confession this week, why you ask? Breaking the 11th Commandment; Thous shall not watch “Living Lohan.” I confess I watched about 7-10 minutes of this god awful television show, why, I have no idea but I may have to go to therapy.
Again a subject we will shed more light on as November draws closer, but let us not ignore the nomination of Barack Obama and the historical signifigance. Yesterday myself, one of our assistant coach’s and head coach Darrin Horn sat around discussing Obama and if any of our student athletes truly understood the magnitude of what just happened. Hopefully young people, and ignorant people all over this country understand where we are as a country and how much things like this actually improve our country and the claim that we are the greatest nation in the world.
By the way, most of America missed some good hockey. Now I am not going to pretend to be a huge hockey fan anymore but the Stanley Cup is still cool. The three overtimes the other night was amazing and then last night was maybe the best final two minutes in the history of the Stanley Cup. Again I don’t pretend to be a historical expert on Stanley Cup games but in a clincher to have a team down two goals with 2 to go and almost tie it was awesome. The Penguins scored on a power play and then had two shots in the final 4 seconds to tie the game and send it into overtime. The puck trickling across the goal line as time expires is like Kevin Dyson getting stopped at the goal line in the Super Bowl.
Hey the NBA Finals start tonight. Do yourself a favor, watch. If not for anything than the joy that is Kobe Bryant on a basketball court. As the finals plod a long over the next few weeks I am sure we will have more analysis and historical perspective.
I think I have to go to church confession this week, why you ask? Breaking the 11th Commandment; Thous shall not watch “Living Lohan.” I confess I watched about 7-10 minutes of this god awful television show, why, I have no idea but I may have to go to therapy.
Again a subject we will shed more light on as November draws closer, but let us not ignore the nomination of Barack Obama and the historical signifigance. Yesterday myself, one of our assistant coach’s and head coach Darrin Horn sat around discussing Obama and if any of our student athletes truly understood the magnitude of what just happened. Hopefully young people, and ignorant people all over this country understand where we are as a country and how much things like this actually improve our country and the claim that we are the greatest nation in the world.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
The fattest thing I've ever heard
I'm not proud of it, but as a married man with little control of the remote control when my wife is home, there have been times when I've been forced to watch what she says.
Sometimes that's a good thing, like my discovery of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gilmore Girls with Lauren Graham's sexy ass and the hilarity that was Paris Gellar.
Other times, it's painful like when she watches American Idol, Degrassi the Next Generation or Instant Star on The N.com (Canadian TV for teens), old episodes of ER and 7th Heaven (although it's nice to see Jessica Biel grow into that body) and of course Oprah.
9 times out of 10, I can't stand Oprah but occasionally, she'll have something worth mentioning to the masses. Like yesterday's episode about morbidly obese people losing weight and the fat sow pictured below takes the cake, literally...
Check here if you don't believe me, but before she got down to a weight where she could walk down a flight of steps (and I wish it wasn't true so I could make fun of her fat ass for that...)
BTW, if I'm so fat that I can't get down a flight of steps in a burning building, then I don't think I deserve to live. Sorry, that's called survival of the fittest...
Anyway, Cathi was 530 pounds fat to the point that she ORDERED A THREE-TIER WEDDING CAKE WITH TWO FAKE NAMES, THEN ATE THE WHOLE THING WITH A GALLON OF MILK OVER TWO DAYS.
And that, my friends, is the fattest thing I've ever heard. Beats competing in a grilled cheese sandwich-eating contest, I'll tell you that much.
Sometimes that's a good thing, like my discovery of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gilmore Girls with Lauren Graham's sexy ass and the hilarity that was Paris Gellar.
Other times, it's painful like when she watches American Idol, Degrassi the Next Generation or Instant Star on The N.com (Canadian TV for teens), old episodes of ER and 7th Heaven (although it's nice to see Jessica Biel grow into that body) and of course Oprah.
9 times out of 10, I can't stand Oprah but occasionally, she'll have something worth mentioning to the masses. Like yesterday's episode about morbidly obese people losing weight and the fat sow pictured below takes the cake, literally...
Check here if you don't believe me, but before she got down to a weight where she could walk down a flight of steps (and I wish it wasn't true so I could make fun of her fat ass for that...)
BTW, if I'm so fat that I can't get down a flight of steps in a burning building, then I don't think I deserve to live. Sorry, that's called survival of the fittest...
Anyway, Cathi was 530 pounds fat to the point that she ORDERED A THREE-TIER WEDDING CAKE WITH TWO FAKE NAMES, THEN ATE THE WHOLE THING WITH A GALLON OF MILK OVER TWO DAYS.
And that, my friends, is the fattest thing I've ever heard. Beats competing in a grilled cheese sandwich-eating contest, I'll tell you that much.
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