I'm starting this post as the game goes into extra innings cuz I've got a couple to things to say regardless of the outcome.
Just quickly about the game, and this team in the early season at least, the Mets are leaving people on base in scoring position like they're getting paid to do just that. It's about as frustrating as possible, knowing that a timely hit would change the game. Then again, one must think with it being early in the season, they'll pick it up later on...
I read one preview that said the Yankees have the best rotation in the American League, to which I quickly raised my hand and called bullshit. Ask any of the Yankee fans that used to write on this site...
(Hello. Is there anybody out there? Just smile if you can hear me. Is there any one at all?)
Sorry about that, ask any of the Yankee fans that used to write on this site and they'll tell you that unlike some Mets fans, I have no ill will against the Boys from the Bronx.
I just questioned that statement for the sheer fact that it requires a lot of If's falling in the pinstripe direction.
The same could be said for most, if not every, team in the league. But let's run this down real quick. CC is good for similar stats to when he was an Indian. That means 17 to 19 wins. After that, the if's get obvious to me. A.J. has a great arm, IF it's healthy for a whole season. Wang is a top-flight pitcher IF he comes back 100 percent from the first major injury of his career. Andy Pettite is old and IF he can reinvent himself again, he could be a quality No. 4 starter and Joba. Joba? I mean seriously, you all know he should be in the pen, setting up Mo but IF he can stay healthy and complete a full season as a starter he could be great. I think he was up for eight weeks and he was great for four of them...
The Mets have similar IF's. Santana should have won the Cy Young last year, finishing tops in ERA, innings pitched and close to the top in strikeouts. It was just the lack of wins, but that's another post. IF Pelfrey continues to improve, he could be a great No. 2. Oli Perez is the definition of IF, depending on which version shows up that day. IF John Maine returns from injury, he's a decent No. 4 and Livian Hernandez can be a decent No. 5 IF he doesn't remember that he had an 8-plus ERA last year.
April is the month of IF's and IF the Mets don't start hitting better with runners in scoring position, comebacks against closers like Lindstrom will mean little when they can't close the door on Jorge Cantu in the bottom of the frame.
Can't wait to see who they send down to make room for Livian tomoro and do you think that Elton John's version of his name will be his walk-down music?
Friday, April 10, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Game 3 - Reds 8, Mets 6
I haven't even looked at the box score from this "Businessman's Special" 12:45 pm start. I know Oli Perez started and I know they were up 3-0, then fell behind 4-3.
I'm watching my alma mater, Boston University, in the Frozen Four against Vermont and remembering how compelling playoff hockey is on television. I can remember watching Hockey East contests on my TV freshman year, using the rabbit ears to pick up WABU-68, which played next to nothing...
Tiger is five strokes back, the Nuggets are the likely No. 2 seed in the west and the biggest story by far is the death of Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart.
I know little and there's not much more to say.
Maine goes today against the Fish.
I'm watching my alma mater, Boston University, in the Frozen Four against Vermont and remembering how compelling playoff hockey is on television. I can remember watching Hockey East contests on my TV freshman year, using the rabbit ears to pick up WABU-68, which played next to nothing...
Tiger is five strokes back, the Nuggets are the likely No. 2 seed in the west and the biggest story by far is the death of Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart.
I know little and there's not much more to say.
Maine goes today against the Fish.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Game 2 - Mets 9, Reds 7
Maybe it's just the uniform...
There are things to talk about, like Mike Pelfrey's struggles in the first or the fact he settled down and pitched long enough to earn the win.
How about Reyes and Murphy each going 1-for-4 with a walk. That means they're getting on base early in the season, which is nothing but a good sign. Same goes for Delgado and Beltran...
Or the bullpen debut of Bobby Parnell, throwing nothing but heat. Or the fact that everybody in the pen struggled, but got enough over to get it done including K-Rod.
Ah, K-Rod, walking the bases loaded with just one out. Thanks to the free preview, I was able to watch the game on the Extra Innings package, so I was able to hear Thom Brenneman and Jeff Brantley root on the Men In Red, waiting for K-Rod to blow up.
I will say this. I was in a rocking chair in my kid's bedroom but I still likely would have been swaying back and forth. Then again, Frankie didn't have his best stuff but he still managed to get outs when he needed it and that's all you can ask for.
I could ask for an explanation, but it would be silly, but I was all excited about the fact that my ITunes has a radio feature that includes WFAN, the Mets flagship radio station. I was thinking that I could listen to games, especially after listening to preseason games.
But that was the preseason. Tonight, when I was forced into my bedroom, I tried it out and listened to commercials for about 5 minutes before realizing they blacked out the game. Just means I'll have to watch Gameday since I can't seem to get a decent reception on my XM Radio...
Sucks to be me, especially since tomorrow's 12:45 p.m. start means I can try to listen at work but let's all be honest. I don't think they'll pay me for a 3-hour lunch break.
----------------
Now playing: WFAN
via FoxyTunes
There are things to talk about, like Mike Pelfrey's struggles in the first or the fact he settled down and pitched long enough to earn the win.
How about Reyes and Murphy each going 1-for-4 with a walk. That means they're getting on base early in the season, which is nothing but a good sign. Same goes for Delgado and Beltran...
Or the bullpen debut of Bobby Parnell, throwing nothing but heat. Or the fact that everybody in the pen struggled, but got enough over to get it done including K-Rod.
Ah, K-Rod, walking the bases loaded with just one out. Thanks to the free preview, I was able to watch the game on the Extra Innings package, so I was able to hear Thom Brenneman and Jeff Brantley root on the Men In Red, waiting for K-Rod to blow up.
I will say this. I was in a rocking chair in my kid's bedroom but I still likely would have been swaying back and forth. Then again, Frankie didn't have his best stuff but he still managed to get outs when he needed it and that's all you can ask for.
I could ask for an explanation, but it would be silly, but I was all excited about the fact that my ITunes has a radio feature that includes WFAN, the Mets flagship radio station. I was thinking that I could listen to games, especially after listening to preseason games.
But that was the preseason. Tonight, when I was forced into my bedroom, I tried it out and listened to commercials for about 5 minutes before realizing they blacked out the game. Just means I'll have to watch Gameday since I can't seem to get a decent reception on my XM Radio...
Sucks to be me, especially since tomorrow's 12:45 p.m. start means I can try to listen at work but let's all be honest. I don't think they'll pay me for a 3-hour lunch break.
----------------
Now playing: WFAN
via FoxyTunes
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Off-day thoughts
Just a couple of quick thoughts to fill my time before my wife finishes dinner...
Daniel Murphy in the No. 2 hole makes the most sense for any young hitter with a decent bat. He will have Jose Reyes in front of him, possibly on base to be moved over or disrupting the pitcher. Not to mention the fact that either David Wright or Carlos Beltran will be waiting in the on-deck circle. One has to assume that any pitcher in his right mind would rather challenge the rookie with fast balls than miss with breaking balls, walk him and put runners on in front of the "heart of the lineup".
There's an ad on my XM radio for some guy on the Mad Dog radio channel or something like that. Point is, he says that Kobe, LeBron and Wade are the best trio of wing players since Robertson, West and Baylor. It's the type of quick hit in the middle of a promo that you hear and I guess makes you want to listen to the rest of the point.
In my case, I want to call up and say, Are you drunk or high?
Last time I checked, Jordan, Nique Wilkins and Bird played in the same era as Cylde Drexler. I'll throw in Bernard King cuz he's got a cool "White Men Can't Jump" reference and say that while today's trio is great, I'll take the 1980's group against the world.
Also on XM, this time the MLB channel, they did a NCAA tournament style bracket with the greatest players from the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s. If I remember correctly, the No. 1 seeds were Pete Rose, Mike Schmidt, Barry Bonds and Albert Pujos (I think). Either way, there was one person that Rickey thinks got jobbed for a top seed and that's Rickey.
Mr. Henderson, if you're nasty, is the best overall player we'll likely see (right behind Bonds) that I'll ever see. He was a 2 seed and apparently lost to Tony Gywnn in the Elite Eight. Now when it comes to that matchup, I ask you this. If you were starting a franchise today and had a choice between the two in their prime, who would you take?
Rickey or Tony?
Did you know that despite his .338 average, Gwynn's career on-base percentage is only .388? Did you also know that in 1987, that chubby hitting machine stole 56 bases? Now that I take a look at the stats, it's a lot closer than originally thought. Gwynn's got four Gold Gloves to Rickey's one, but Rickey also has an MVP award, something Tony doesn't...
I'll stick with Rickey and bid you all a good night.
Daniel Murphy in the No. 2 hole makes the most sense for any young hitter with a decent bat. He will have Jose Reyes in front of him, possibly on base to be moved over or disrupting the pitcher. Not to mention the fact that either David Wright or Carlos Beltran will be waiting in the on-deck circle. One has to assume that any pitcher in his right mind would rather challenge the rookie with fast balls than miss with breaking balls, walk him and put runners on in front of the "heart of the lineup".
There's an ad on my XM radio for some guy on the Mad Dog radio channel or something like that. Point is, he says that Kobe, LeBron and Wade are the best trio of wing players since Robertson, West and Baylor. It's the type of quick hit in the middle of a promo that you hear and I guess makes you want to listen to the rest of the point.
In my case, I want to call up and say, Are you drunk or high?
Last time I checked, Jordan, Nique Wilkins and Bird played in the same era as Cylde Drexler. I'll throw in Bernard King cuz he's got a cool "White Men Can't Jump" reference and say that while today's trio is great, I'll take the 1980's group against the world.
Also on XM, this time the MLB channel, they did a NCAA tournament style bracket with the greatest players from the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s. If I remember correctly, the No. 1 seeds were Pete Rose, Mike Schmidt, Barry Bonds and Albert Pujos (I think). Either way, there was one person that Rickey thinks got jobbed for a top seed and that's Rickey.
Mr. Henderson, if you're nasty, is the best overall player we'll likely see (right behind Bonds) that I'll ever see. He was a 2 seed and apparently lost to Tony Gywnn in the Elite Eight. Now when it comes to that matchup, I ask you this. If you were starting a franchise today and had a choice between the two in their prime, who would you take?
Rickey or Tony?
Did you know that despite his .338 average, Gwynn's career on-base percentage is only .388? Did you also know that in 1987, that chubby hitting machine stole 56 bases? Now that I take a look at the stats, it's a lot closer than originally thought. Gwynn's got four Gold Gloves to Rickey's one, but Rickey also has an MVP award, something Tony doesn't...
I'll stick with Rickey and bid you all a good night.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Game 1 - Mets 2, Reds 1
I feel like Burgess Meridith in The Twilight Zone, all alone in the world...
I ended last year with this and I'll try to continue it to the best of my ability this time around, despite the cares of you all (which is likely dwindled to a non-existent number).
Opening Day should be a federal holiday and I shouldn't have to hope for an unpaid vacation like my friend Josh to take the day off and watch the National Past time.
But that's neither here nor there. I took lunch at 1 p.m. to listen to the first inning with Marty and Thom Brennaman and The Cowboy Jeff Brantley (who I actually saw in person while covering baseball in central Mississippi since he was an assistant coach at Clinton High, his alma mater.)
Well, the 1st inning started like I'm sure Jerry Manuel scripted it up. Jose Reyes gets on base with an infield single and steals second. Daniel Murphy, who works best in the No.2 hole, moves Jose over to third (although his grounder went to the left side).
This is the situation that David Wright was in countless times last year. Runner in scoring position with less than 2 outs and quality contact brings home a run. It's the reason he's a top 5 pick in anyone's fantasy league and despite 125 RBIs last year, it's his strike out against Aaron Harang that infuriates Mets fans.
The next time I was able to sneak out to my car was to hear the top of the sixth with Murphy at the plate, bases loaded and only one out. Marty Brennaman talked about a double play but Murphy's hard grounder to first would score Luis Castillo from third. That made it 2-0 and it wasn't until I got home to see that the rookie outfielders on my fantasy team homered.
I wouldn't get back to the radio until I got off my shift around 4:30, which was just in time for the ninth inning. Wright walked and then got picked off cuz I was hoping he would steal a base...
Needless to say, Brennaman informed me that J.J. Putz pitched a scoreless eighth (another one on my fantasy team and yes, I have a ton of Mets on my team). That led the way to K-Rod and for the first time in recent history, I didn't feel any trepidation headed into the final frame.
Let's think back and take a look. I'm not even gonna mention last September when it was a merry-go-round of pain in the pen after Billy Wagner was lost for the year. Speaking of which, Wagner wasn't the door-closing specialist we all believed him to be. He routinely would walk a batter and you always have to worry about someone making decent contact with his 97 MPH fastball.
Before that, it was Braden Looper (clearly better as a starter. Who woulda thunk it?) and Armando "Smoke" Benitez. Need I say more? John Franco came out of the pen prior to that and when your strike out pitch is a changeup and you're not named Trevor or Johan, things can get dicey.
I think the last time I wasn't worried about the ninth was Randy Myers and that was 1989.
So of course Frankie comes in, throw nothing but strikes and quickly and quietly ends the game.
They'll take a day off and now we'll see if Mike Pelfrey stands tall as the No. 2 we'll need to compete in the best division in the National League.
Read you on Wednesday.
I ended last year with this and I'll try to continue it to the best of my ability this time around, despite the cares of you all (which is likely dwindled to a non-existent number).
Opening Day should be a federal holiday and I shouldn't have to hope for an unpaid vacation like my friend Josh to take the day off and watch the National Past time.
But that's neither here nor there. I took lunch at 1 p.m. to listen to the first inning with Marty and Thom Brennaman and The Cowboy Jeff Brantley (who I actually saw in person while covering baseball in central Mississippi since he was an assistant coach at Clinton High, his alma mater.)
Well, the 1st inning started like I'm sure Jerry Manuel scripted it up. Jose Reyes gets on base with an infield single and steals second. Daniel Murphy, who works best in the No.2 hole, moves Jose over to third (although his grounder went to the left side).
This is the situation that David Wright was in countless times last year. Runner in scoring position with less than 2 outs and quality contact brings home a run. It's the reason he's a top 5 pick in anyone's fantasy league and despite 125 RBIs last year, it's his strike out against Aaron Harang that infuriates Mets fans.
The next time I was able to sneak out to my car was to hear the top of the sixth with Murphy at the plate, bases loaded and only one out. Marty Brennaman talked about a double play but Murphy's hard grounder to first would score Luis Castillo from third. That made it 2-0 and it wasn't until I got home to see that the rookie outfielders on my fantasy team homered.
I wouldn't get back to the radio until I got off my shift around 4:30, which was just in time for the ninth inning. Wright walked and then got picked off cuz I was hoping he would steal a base...
Needless to say, Brennaman informed me that J.J. Putz pitched a scoreless eighth (another one on my fantasy team and yes, I have a ton of Mets on my team). That led the way to K-Rod and for the first time in recent history, I didn't feel any trepidation headed into the final frame.
Let's think back and take a look. I'm not even gonna mention last September when it was a merry-go-round of pain in the pen after Billy Wagner was lost for the year. Speaking of which, Wagner wasn't the door-closing specialist we all believed him to be. He routinely would walk a batter and you always have to worry about someone making decent contact with his 97 MPH fastball.
Before that, it was Braden Looper (clearly better as a starter. Who woulda thunk it?) and Armando "Smoke" Benitez. Need I say more? John Franco came out of the pen prior to that and when your strike out pitch is a changeup and you're not named Trevor or Johan, things can get dicey.
I think the last time I wasn't worried about the ninth was Randy Myers and that was 1989.
So of course Frankie comes in, throw nothing but strikes and quickly and quietly ends the game.
They'll take a day off and now we'll see if Mike Pelfrey stands tall as the No. 2 we'll need to compete in the best division in the National League.
Read you on Wednesday.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Kris and Dan Answer NBA Questions
Question: Who is your least favorite player in the NBA?
Kris:
My least favorite NBA player? Hummm…that is a good question, the Knicks don’t really have a nemesis like back in the day when it was easy to root against the flat face retard Scottie Pippen. I am not sure if I just clearly don’t like anyone in the league ... Oh wait a minute, yes I do, Larry Hughes.
Now this hatred stems way back before he became a New York Knick. It comes from his overall terribleness.
A few years ago he literally dribbled Cavalier playoff games off of his foot. It was truly painful to watch him just ruin a complete season of NBA title chances for LeBron as he continually made a mockery of the game.
Muhammed Ali once said “I’m so bad I make medicine sick.” Well Larry Hughes is similar just not in the funny or ironic sense. Cancer wakes up everyday and prays that it doesn’t have Larry Hughes. Diabetes has yearly checkups to make sure it hasn’t contacted Larry Hughes…is that enough…one more, okay. Heart Disease has to get its prostate checked twice a year to make sure it doesn’t have Larry Hughes.
Dan:
Larry Hughes is a good choice, sure.
But my least favorite player in the NBA is my least favorite for no reason I can put my finger on.
I hate Earl Watson.
There is just something about Earl Watson - no, wait, there is just everything about Earl Watson - that makes me not just disgusted and annoyed but actually angry.
Maybe it's the look on his face. Maybe it's that really crappy thin mustache he has. Maybe it's that he played for UCLA, and I have a residual dislike for everything UCLA. Maybe it's his game, which is simply not very good, with the added fact of him carrying himself like a player who is good, which he isn't. He takes bad shots. He doesn't make enough of them. He doesn't pass as well as he should. He doesn't really play particularly good defense. When he does something positive, it strikes me as wrong, anwyay.
I don't really understand it completely, to be honest. But every time I watch him play, I start cursing uncontrollably.
In fact, in December 2007 I had the opportunity to attend a game in Seattle, while the Sonics were still there and Earl Watson was on that team. I wanted to go to the game for three reasons:
1 - To see a Sonics game before they left Seattle
2 - To see Kevin Durant in person (that was awesome, I saw him dunk on Rasho Nesterovic)
3 - To boo Earl Watson. Which I did, from when he was introduced to any time he did anything good or bad on the court. Loudly.
And I enjoyed it. I really felt good, booing Earl Watson.
My friend Greg, who was at the game with me, didn't understand it. Like I said, I don't really understand it. But there it is.
I hate Earl Watson.
I wish he would go away from the NBA forever, and not ruin my league with his craptitude and his mustache and his awfulness.
Kris:
My least favorite NBA player? Hummm…that is a good question, the Knicks don’t really have a nemesis like back in the day when it was easy to root against the flat face retard Scottie Pippen. I am not sure if I just clearly don’t like anyone in the league ... Oh wait a minute, yes I do, Larry Hughes.
Now this hatred stems way back before he became a New York Knick. It comes from his overall terribleness.
A few years ago he literally dribbled Cavalier playoff games off of his foot. It was truly painful to watch him just ruin a complete season of NBA title chances for LeBron as he continually made a mockery of the game.
Muhammed Ali once said “I’m so bad I make medicine sick.” Well Larry Hughes is similar just not in the funny or ironic sense. Cancer wakes up everyday and prays that it doesn’t have Larry Hughes. Diabetes has yearly checkups to make sure it hasn’t contacted Larry Hughes…is that enough…one more, okay. Heart Disease has to get its prostate checked twice a year to make sure it doesn’t have Larry Hughes.
Dan:
Larry Hughes is a good choice, sure.
But my least favorite player in the NBA is my least favorite for no reason I can put my finger on.
I hate Earl Watson.
There is just something about Earl Watson - no, wait, there is just everything about Earl Watson - that makes me not just disgusted and annoyed but actually angry.
Maybe it's the look on his face. Maybe it's that really crappy thin mustache he has. Maybe it's that he played for UCLA, and I have a residual dislike for everything UCLA. Maybe it's his game, which is simply not very good, with the added fact of him carrying himself like a player who is good, which he isn't. He takes bad shots. He doesn't make enough of them. He doesn't pass as well as he should. He doesn't really play particularly good defense. When he does something positive, it strikes me as wrong, anwyay.
I don't really understand it completely, to be honest. But every time I watch him play, I start cursing uncontrollably.
In fact, in December 2007 I had the opportunity to attend a game in Seattle, while the Sonics were still there and Earl Watson was on that team. I wanted to go to the game for three reasons:
1 - To see a Sonics game before they left Seattle
2 - To see Kevin Durant in person (that was awesome, I saw him dunk on Rasho Nesterovic)
3 - To boo Earl Watson. Which I did, from when he was introduced to any time he did anything good or bad on the court. Loudly.
And I enjoyed it. I really felt good, booing Earl Watson.
My friend Greg, who was at the game with me, didn't understand it. Like I said, I don't really understand it. But there it is.
I hate Earl Watson.
I wish he would go away from the NBA forever, and not ruin my league with his craptitude and his mustache and his awfulness.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Knicks Trade Deadline Aftermath
The NBA Trade Deadline has passed, and Your New York Knickerbockers were active.
First, they traded Tim Thomas, Jerome James, and Anthony Roberson to the Bulls for Larry Hughes.
Then, they traded Malik Rose and Cash Considerations (imagine if someone named their kid Cash Considerations, would that make the NBA more awkward?) to Oklahoma City for Chris Wilcox.
Net result for the Knicks:
- Chris Wilcox, 26 years old, and serviceable. Also, he only has a contract for this year.
- Larry Hughes. He's terrible, but he's equally as terrible as Tim Thomas, and at least he plays the 2, where the Knicks need a guy. His contract is the same length as Thomas'.
- Two open roster spots. They can fill these with D-League guys (Ewing Jr? Richard Hendrix? Rod Benson - bring the Boom Tho Movement to New York!)
- No more Malik Rose, Jerome James, and Anthony Roberson wasting space.
- David Lee and Nate Robinson are still on the team.
It's not going to do much for them this year, most likely. They'll still be competitive, more or less, and maybe will get the last seed in the playoffs, or a lottery pick and a good feeling for next year.
However, it gives them more roster space, doesn't mess up the 2010 plan, and doesn't give up anything worth worrying about.
All told, as a Knicks fan, you have to be pretty happy about today. Despite being forced to actually root for Larry Hughes for the next year or two.
First, they traded Tim Thomas, Jerome James, and Anthony Roberson to the Bulls for Larry Hughes.
Then, they traded Malik Rose and Cash Considerations (imagine if someone named their kid Cash Considerations, would that make the NBA more awkward?) to Oklahoma City for Chris Wilcox.
Net result for the Knicks:
- Chris Wilcox, 26 years old, and serviceable. Also, he only has a contract for this year.
- Larry Hughes. He's terrible, but he's equally as terrible as Tim Thomas, and at least he plays the 2, where the Knicks need a guy. His contract is the same length as Thomas'.
- Two open roster spots. They can fill these with D-League guys (Ewing Jr? Richard Hendrix? Rod Benson - bring the Boom Tho Movement to New York!)
- No more Malik Rose, Jerome James, and Anthony Roberson wasting space.
- David Lee and Nate Robinson are still on the team.
It's not going to do much for them this year, most likely. They'll still be competitive, more or less, and maybe will get the last seed in the playoffs, or a lottery pick and a good feeling for next year.
However, it gives them more roster space, doesn't mess up the 2010 plan, and doesn't give up anything worth worrying about.
All told, as a Knicks fan, you have to be pretty happy about today. Despite being forced to actually root for Larry Hughes for the next year or two.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Kris and Dan answer NBA Questions
Cleveland, the Lakers and Celtics are clearly the class of the league, but who is on that second tier and can any oft hem win the championship?
DAN SAYS:
Here are the teams I'd call "second tier" in each conference, and whether or not they have a chance to win the title:
EASTOrlando: if Jameer Nelson hadn't got hurt, I would have said maybe. It'll be hard to beat Boston or Cleveland, but Orlando has three top-level players in Howard, Turkgolu, and Lewis, and a fantastic coach. The role players are good, too, in Michael Pietrus, Courtney Lee, Anthony Johnson. But it was Nelson playing at a top level this year (I never thought he could, but he was) that made this team elite. With him playing at that level, they could have upset Boston or Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals. With Anthony Johnson and Tyronne Lue as their PGs, no, they can't win.
There are no other second tier teams in the East. Detroit fell off, Atlanta isn't quite there yet, and you can't count Philly or Miami as second tier, third tier at best.
WEST
San Antonio: They still have Duncan, Parker, and Ginobli, and are coached by Popp. So, yes, of course they can win the title.
New Orleans: They haven't been as good this year as they were last year, but they have Chris Paul. Chris Paul is that good that he could carry a team to the finals, and he has a good enough supporting cast in David West, Peja, and Chandler that they could win it. The odds are against it, I'd say, but they've got enough talent and the player that I think is 1d best player in the league (1a Kobe 1b Lebron 1c Duncan 1d Paul).
Denver: Only if the Lakers lose to someone else. They can't beat the Lakers. Other teams? Maybe. Billups, Anthony, Nene, Kenyon Martin, JR Smith, Kleiza. They've been playing incredibly well for most of this year. They have enough talent to do it. Probably not, but again, if the Lakers get upset by Houston in the first round (not impossible) Denver could beat anyone else in the West.
Part of me wants to say Houston, Utah, and Portland, but I can't quite put them at Tier 2 yet. Tier 2.5, with the potential to get there if they get healthy (Houston and Utah) or make another big trade (Portland.)The Suns fell off. Dallas is better then people think, but can't win a title with old Jason Kidd (he can't stop Billups or Paul or Parker.)
KRIS SAYS:
I hate when I let Dan go first and he steals my answers.
EAST:
Yes in the East I think Orlando with a healthy Jameer Nelson could have truly competed with Cleveland and Boston for Eastern Conference supremacy. The on reason I still think they can is they guard your butt in the half court. And as we know in NBA playoff basketball if you can get stops in the half court you always have a chance (see, San Antonio Spurs).
I would put the Hawks up there just because I think they are cool. They did play a great series last year against the Celtics and I don’t think that was a fluke. They have so much athleticism all over the court. A healthy Al Horford will be key going down the stretch. Defensively they aren’t great in the half court but Josh Smith can make up for those mistakes as a glass cleaner
The rest of the East I think is defiantly on a lower level.
WEST:
Obviously the Spurs always have a chance. It is crazy to watch Popp coach in the regular season like a few weeks ago when he just didn’t play Duncan, Parker, Manu or Finley and they were all dressed. That just shows you that that team cares only about one thing. This is an odd year too, which they seem to play better in.
I always have to put Houston in this category because of their three starters, McGrady, Yao and Artest. I know, anyone can point out that McGrady has never been out of the first round, and that is just a silly statistic for someone who is so good. I do think that having Artest is a big key, because in the past McGrady had to guard the other teams best player and be the star on offense, with Artest he can take that defensive role in a playoff series guarding a Brandon Roy, Manu Ginobili, or Carmelo Anthony.
I do think Portland is still a year or two away and I always don’t believe in Denver because of my half court defense theory.
DAN SAYS:
Here are the teams I'd call "second tier" in each conference, and whether or not they have a chance to win the title:
EASTOrlando: if Jameer Nelson hadn't got hurt, I would have said maybe. It'll be hard to beat Boston or Cleveland, but Orlando has three top-level players in Howard, Turkgolu, and Lewis, and a fantastic coach. The role players are good, too, in Michael Pietrus, Courtney Lee, Anthony Johnson. But it was Nelson playing at a top level this year (I never thought he could, but he was) that made this team elite. With him playing at that level, they could have upset Boston or Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals. With Anthony Johnson and Tyronne Lue as their PGs, no, they can't win.
There are no other second tier teams in the East. Detroit fell off, Atlanta isn't quite there yet, and you can't count Philly or Miami as second tier, third tier at best.
WEST
San Antonio: They still have Duncan, Parker, and Ginobli, and are coached by Popp. So, yes, of course they can win the title.
New Orleans: They haven't been as good this year as they were last year, but they have Chris Paul. Chris Paul is that good that he could carry a team to the finals, and he has a good enough supporting cast in David West, Peja, and Chandler that they could win it. The odds are against it, I'd say, but they've got enough talent and the player that I think is 1d best player in the league (1a Kobe 1b Lebron 1c Duncan 1d Paul).
Denver: Only if the Lakers lose to someone else. They can't beat the Lakers. Other teams? Maybe. Billups, Anthony, Nene, Kenyon Martin, JR Smith, Kleiza. They've been playing incredibly well for most of this year. They have enough talent to do it. Probably not, but again, if the Lakers get upset by Houston in the first round (not impossible) Denver could beat anyone else in the West.
Part of me wants to say Houston, Utah, and Portland, but I can't quite put them at Tier 2 yet. Tier 2.5, with the potential to get there if they get healthy (Houston and Utah) or make another big trade (Portland.)The Suns fell off. Dallas is better then people think, but can't win a title with old Jason Kidd (he can't stop Billups or Paul or Parker.)
KRIS SAYS:
I hate when I let Dan go first and he steals my answers.
EAST:
Yes in the East I think Orlando with a healthy Jameer Nelson could have truly competed with Cleveland and Boston for Eastern Conference supremacy. The on reason I still think they can is they guard your butt in the half court. And as we know in NBA playoff basketball if you can get stops in the half court you always have a chance (see, San Antonio Spurs).
I would put the Hawks up there just because I think they are cool. They did play a great series last year against the Celtics and I don’t think that was a fluke. They have so much athleticism all over the court. A healthy Al Horford will be key going down the stretch. Defensively they aren’t great in the half court but Josh Smith can make up for those mistakes as a glass cleaner
The rest of the East I think is defiantly on a lower level.
WEST:
Obviously the Spurs always have a chance. It is crazy to watch Popp coach in the regular season like a few weeks ago when he just didn’t play Duncan, Parker, Manu or Finley and they were all dressed. That just shows you that that team cares only about one thing. This is an odd year too, which they seem to play better in.
I always have to put Houston in this category because of their three starters, McGrady, Yao and Artest. I know, anyone can point out that McGrady has never been out of the first round, and that is just a silly statistic for someone who is so good. I do think that having Artest is a big key, because in the past McGrady had to guard the other teams best player and be the star on offense, with Artest he can take that defensive role in a playoff series guarding a Brandon Roy, Manu Ginobili, or Carmelo Anthony.
I do think Portland is still a year or two away and I always don’t believe in Denver because of my half court defense theory.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Yes, Yes, A Thousand Times Yes
Let's hope this is really, truly the end of it:
Favre retires
Remember, I didn't want him in the first place. And save for three or four games this year, he played like the washed up quarterback he was. Especially in December, when it mattered most.
New coach, new era, new quarterback.
At least he spared us the interminable drama of "will he, won't he." That's the second-most boring story in sports today, behind steroids.
So, goodbye, Favre. I never want to think about you in a Jets uniform again.
Favre retires
Remember, I didn't want him in the first place. And save for three or four games this year, he played like the washed up quarterback he was. Especially in December, when it mattered most.
New coach, new era, new quarterback.
At least he spared us the interminable drama of "will he, won't he." That's the second-most boring story in sports today, behind steroids.
So, goodbye, Favre. I never want to think about you in a Jets uniform again.
Monday, February 9, 2009
A Day of Hoops Diary (A SUPER-BLOG)
Today is Saturday February 6, now that football is over college basketball gets to take center stage in the sports world as we get ready for March Madness. So I have decided to sacrifice my entire Saturday and watch as much college basketball as I possibly can. My eyes may fall out of their socket by about 9 tonight, but I am willing to do that for the reader. We will evaluate teams and players, make some witty observations, but mainly just show you what a day in my pathetic life is like.
The slate of games:
12pm
Syracuse vs. Villanova
Cincinnati vs. Georgetown
Towson vs. Hofstra
1 pm
Tennessee vs. Auburn
Ole Miss vs. Vanderbilt
Miami vs. Duke
2pm
Colorado vs. Oklahoma
Texas vs. Nebraska
South Alabama vs. Western Kentucky
Pittsburgh vs. DePaul
George Mason vs. James Madison
3pm
Arkansas vs. Mississippi State
4pm
Indiana vs. Michigan State
Southern Illinois vs. Missouri State
Virginia vs. North Carolina
Utah vs. Wyoming
Providence vs. West Virginia
Kansas State vs. Texas A&M
App State vs. Elon
5pm
Georgia vs. South Carolina
6pm
Michigan vs. Connecticut
College of Charleston vs. Davidson
7pm
Florida State vs. Clemson
Xavier vs. Duquesne
8pm
New Mexico State vs. Nevada
Minnesota vs. Ohio State
UNLV vs. New Mexico
Baylor vs. Texas Tech
9pm
Memphis vs. Gonzaga
12:03- I hate the Villanova plays in the Sixers big antiseptic no atmosphere arena, takes away from a great matchup today.
12:08- This is my first time watching Nova, they are off to a quick start, as usual under Jay Wright they have great guard play and aren’t a big team.
12:13- Georgetown looks lethargic. Their recent lack of success may hurt this young team, JTIII has to get them to believe they still can be a big part of this Big East race.
12:18- Jim Boheim is one of the all time great whiners, now he has even more ammo as one official has hurt his Achilles and will be out for the game, so now there are only 2 refs left to do the balance of the game. Boheim is going to wear these two guys out
12:22- The big joke now in college basketball is how many suites are on each bench. Teams obviously have their coaching staff up front (some staffs vary from 3-6 people) and then on the end of the bench will be managers, graduate assistants, trainers, strength coach’s, team chaplains, fathers of the head coach (Bill Donovan Sr.), team doctor etc. Some teams have one or two people, some teams have 6 or 7. The rule is usually the bigger the school the more extemporaneous personnel they have. However, Hofstra has a total of 12 suites on the bench (4 up front & 8 on the end), simply miraculous.
12:31- Nova is up 28-11 with over 10 minutes left in the first half, the Cuse is on the verge of getting blown out
12:37- Georgetown has turned up the “D”, the Bearcats haven’t scored in almost 5 minutes.
12:41- Towson has a white kid that looks like he couldn’t make the team at Teaneck.
12:50- Georgetown closed the half nicely and takes a 7 point lead into the locker room
1:00- The Cuse finishes the half with only 3 players having made a field goal, what a bad first half.
1:05- The second slate of games gets ready to start, I will be paying close attention to Ole Miss/Vandy, mainly because Raff is on the call
1:11- The SEC has become a home team league. Auburn doesn’t have half the talent that Tennessee has yet they are out to a 15-6 lead, in Knoxville they would be down 17-0. Vanderbilt wins over 80% of their games in Memorial Gym.
1:43- All tied up in the nations capital between the Hoyas and Bearcats with 5 minutes to go.
1:47- The Dukies look to rebound from an embarrassing loss the other night to Clemson. You know they will play hard today. They are 140-4 since 1997 against unranked teams at home, so that doesn’t bode well for Miami
1:49- Auburn leads by two, 43-41, at the half and Vandy takes a 11 point lead, 31-19, into the locker room.
1:56- Hofstra an Towson tied with 3:45 to go, and Georgetown leads by 5 with 2:03 to go, a critical possession for the Bearcats.
1:57- See this is why I don’t like Georgetown. Cincinnati got a two and then Town had a huge possession to seal the game, but where do they go? They run around confused and then turn the ball over. The Bearcats come down and hot a 3 to tie the game going under a minute to go. Again, where do they go? Ballscreen and roll in the corner and Freshman Greg Monroe travels. Where does Town go in a big spot? OT in the nations capital
2:06- The Cuse again has the lead down to 11 with 4 to go. My favorite player in the country (sans Dominique Archie, my Gamecock guy) is Johnny Flynn from Syracuse. He hasn’t done much today for me to brag about, but maybe he will take over down the stretch.
2:11- Well maybe not, Nova keeps scoring at will, with 102 points and still 90 seconds to play.
2:12- This is the suckiest overtime ever. Nobody has a field goal in 3 minutes worth of play, just a bunch of FT’s.
2:19- Again Hoyas down 2, 13 seconds to go, who gets the ball? I don’t know, I guess it starts in Wrights hands and you look for Summers? Help me Martin.
2:22- The Hoyas take a wild looking three and get the loss at home. At the same time the Dukies struggle in the first half to stop Miami and go into the half down 13 and having given up 32 points at home, not good.
2:28- Tennessee and Auburn are in a battle. Ole Miss is trying to hang in there against Vandy, but It looks like Vandy is ready to pull away as they are up 12 with about 10 minutes to go.
2:30- The Sooners take a 5 point lead into the half, but Coach Jeff Capel looks frazzled; jacket off, sleeves slightly rolled up, and tie undone John Chaney-esque.
2:33- First time we check in on Pitt/DePaul and the Blue Demons lead by 3 with 7 minutes to go in the first half. Pitt will soon get the lead and pull away in this one, they have too much talent.
2:37- The road proves to be difficult early, Nebraksa leads Texas by 3 with about 5 to go in the first half. Also JMU leads George Mason late in the first half.
2:39- One of the best rivalries the past few years in college basketball has been South Alabama vs. Western Kentucky for Sun Belt supremacy. They are in a 1 point game late in the first half, meanwhile the Volunteers have a 4 point lead with 5 to go against Auburn and Vandy is pulling away as I suspected, up 18.
2:44- Stat of the Day. DeJaun Blair has his 5th offensive rebound of the day, it is still the first half and he averages 6 per game, that is gross, 6 O-boards per game? Oh yeah, Pitt leads by nine at the half. This one is over.
2:50- Auburn leading by one with a minute to go over the Vols. This is where it is Tyler Smith time. He is the most valuable all around player in the SEC, I have a feeling he will prove it down the stretch here.
2:52- Tyler Smith reverse layup to take a one point lead with 36 seconds to go. Tyler Smith will get a steal or defensive rebound here
2:55- Kyle Singler and Gerald Henderson are leading a run at Duke, they now have the game tied with 12 minutes to go. I have a huge man crush on Singler
2:59- Off of a scramble play Korvotney Barber laid the ball in to beat Tennessee. Even though it was on the road, that is a crushing loss for the Vols. They are squarely on the bubble now.
WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED THROUGH 3 HOURS
-Syracuse is still extremely inconsistent. I do like them when they are going well
- Villanova may be a team to be reckoned with, they have kept up a progression of steady improvement throughout the season
- I still don’t believe in Georgetown. I know Martin will be upset with this analysis but I just don’t like their makeup. As I stated, and proved correct today, who is their go to guy?
- The SEC is a home team league, as I suspected early on today. Vandy took care of business versus Ole Miss and Auburn upset Tennessee.
- Duke has responded well to their loss at Clemson. I am sure it wasn’t a pleasant few days of practice for the Blue Devils and they are finally playing like it.
3:14- Oklahoma and Pittsburgh continue to widen their leads in the second half. Both are final four contenders who always take care of business against inferior opponents
3:20- My mother is calling me, I have to answer
3:34- Oh crap, mom!! I have missed and awesome last 6 minutes of the Duke Miami game. Miami tied it on a miracle three and now we head to overtime, I see Duke winning this by 4.
3:44- What a surprise, Blake Griffin got his 20th double double of the year. He is a fucking machine, and undoubtedly the player of the year in my opinion and little will be done to change that.
3:46- Arkansas is the most enigmatic team in the history of basketball. They have wins over Texas and Oklahoma, then lost their first 5 SEC games and now on the road against a good Mississippi State team they have scored 51 points in the first half and lead on the road by 14.
3:52- Wow, Nebraska never went away and are actually up 2 with under 5 to go.
3:56- The Dukies win uneventfully, by 3, damn them for making me wrong!!!
3:57- The 4 o’clock hour has a full slate of games, so before this starts I need to take a bathroom break.
4:09- The ecstasy of college hoops is the best, in the last minute Nebraska upset Texas and JMU upset George Mason, both courts stormed by the student body, there is nothing like storming the court.
4:14- Even in the same game you don’t know what Arkansas team is going to show up. Mississippi State has opened the half on a 10-2 run and Arkansas has 3 turnovers.
4:15- I love teams that have a certain M.O. That is why certain coach’s and their programs are consistent. Uconn has lead the country in blocked shots the last 7 seasons, Duke is always among the national leaders in 3 pointers, and Michigan State again leads the country in rebounding, something they are always in the running for. It just shows the toughness the exude under Tom Izzo.
4:25- Yikes, just turned on the Utah vs. Wyoming game and had some bad flashbacks. We played out in Wyoming in 2002 and it was as awful as one would imagine Laramie to be. Honestly, it was the coldest place I have ever been (and I was in Minnesota in early January & Alaska in late November).
4:34- In 11 minutes of play Arkansas has given it all back. They have only 15 points in the second half and it is all tied up. John Pelphrey may kill himself.
4:41- Holy shit, Mississippi State is now leading by 7, they have made fifteen three pointers and there is 7 minutes to go.
PLAYERS YOU NEED TO SEE AND HAVEN’T
Jack McClinton, Miami
Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State
Alex Ruoff, West Virginia
AJ Ogilvy, Vanderbilt
David Huertas, Ole Miss
Luke Neville, Utah
4:46- North Carolina is struggling with Virginia at home. I am officially off the UNC bandwagon. They have struggled too mightily for me this year, with too many inferior teams. They are an upset special for me in the tourney.
4:58- Arkansas blew it, they freaking blew it. They are about to lose to Mississippi State. Absolutely unreal, to score 51 in the first half and be up 15 and blow it is a monumental collapse, the Razorbacks are now 1-6.
5:06- During the App State vs. Elon game the announcers discuss if Davidson can get an at larger bid if they don’t win their conference tournament. I say without a doubt they will get an at large, they have the most charismatic and dynamic player in the country in Stephen Curry, CBS and the NCAA will make sure this kid is on center stage again this March
5:14- The Providence Friars want to be taken seriously and believe they are a tournament caliber team, but trailing by fifteen on the road to West Virginia will not help their cause.
5:25- Just as I open my mouth the Tar Heels sprint out to an 18 point lead. I am still officially off the band wagon.
5:32- Georgia is the worst BCS conference team I have ever seen, ever, ever. The Gamecocks could win this game by 150 points if they really want too. This is dreadful.
5:36- Utah is the queerest team ever. Instead of having their names on the back of their jersey they have Utah written their, that deserves them a swift punch in the balls.
5:52- Just as things are getting boring, and my afternoon nap begins to set in, I check the end of the 4 o’clock games and whaddayaknow Texas A&M and K-State are in a nail biter. I just watched the most amazing possession ever, some big African for A&M blocked 4 shots in a single defensive stand.
5:55- Okay, so I was wrong, back to back 3’s for K-State and this nail biter is a 7 point game with 30 seconds to go, so congrats to the Wildcats on a nice road win.
5:57- UCLA blew the doors off of Notre Dame, basically knocking the Irish out of tournament contention, as predicted by yours truly as a pretender at the beginning of the year.
WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED THROUGH 6 HOURS
- Blake Griffin is great, he will be the POTY and the #1 pick.
- Providence and Notre Dame are pretenders from the Big East
- North Carolina still has work to do on the defensive end
- Duke may need to think about moving Greg Paulus back into the starting lineup, he was a huge key for them down the stretch.
- Kansas State and Mississippi State are two teams who are coming on strong in conference play and could make some noise in their respective conference tournaments and in the NCAA’s.
- Arkansas sucks, and will always suck, god, they are the suckiest bunch of suckers who ever sucked, to quote Homer J. Simpson
6:14- Nothing like watching Steph Curry play, I am telling you, he is as good a passer as he is scorer.
6:20- This is a big game for Michigan. They are trying to put together a tournament resume and Uconn is by no means unbeatable, but even a good close loss wouldn’t be bad for John Beleins squad. Oh, FYI, Hasheem Thabeet has 3 block already, 7 minutes into the game.
6:31- Michigan is exploiting Uconns biggest weakness, outside shooting. Uconn stinks from the preimeter and the Wolverines are throwing a variety of zones at them, good coaching by Belein
6:37- Remember what I was saying about Blake Griffin being the POTY, umm Steph Curry makes me fall in love with him more everyday. He plays the game with such pace, ease, smoothness. He lets the game come to him which is so refreshing in this era of “ME.”
7:00- Curry has 19 at halftime, and brought his team back from down 9 to lead by 2 at the half
7:09- Florida State has their chance to prove they are for real tonight in Littlejohn Coliseum. I personally think Clemson is gonna blow their doors off.
7:15- Two Final Four potential teams are playing right now that nobody is talking about, Clemson and Xavier, yes Final Four potential.
7:41- 10 minutes to go Davidson up 10, does C of C have anything left to make a run? Michigan trails by 3 with ten to go.
PLAYERS YOU NEED TO SEE AND HAVEN’T
Devan Downey, South Carolina
Andrew Goudelock, College of Charleston
Terrence Oglesby, Clemson
Trevor Booker, Clemson
Manny Harris, Michigan
BJ Raymond, Xavier
7:49- Xavier is down big, 14 in the first half. They had it down to 4 and then Duquesne ripped off a 10-0 run in about 35 seconds
7:51- It is Steph Curry time baby, Davidson only up 3 with 7 minutes to go. It may be tough for Curry, he is being guarded by one of the best Frohawks in all of college hoops on Charleston’s Antwaine Wiggins.
8:03- Hasheem Thabeet is becoming a true game changer. Defensively he just swats everything. He goes after rebounds even at his size and scores effectively inside the paint. He was the difference in this game versus Michigan. The Wolverines would not go inside the last 5 minutes of the game and were one and done on the offensive end.
The 8pm slate of games is the resume hour. Nevada, Minnesota, Baylor and UNLV all trying to add good wins to their resume, the last three teams all looking for road wins
8:10- This just in, Steph Currry is in fact human. He has missed his last 9 shots in the game and his team trails by 2 with 22 seconds to go.
8:25- Clemson cruising against Florida State, what a shocker, Leonard Hamilton and FSU are a joke. Xavier has closed the gap to 6 against Duquesne.
8:29- A typical Tubby Smith team, recovering from a bad loss the other night, playing tough defense on the road only allowing 12 points through 10 minutes.
8:38- You know who can really coach, Lon Kruger. He is out at UNLV doing an outstanding job. I hope that he gets one more chance in a power conference, he was a guy who made the NBA mistake, he should still be at Illinois kicking butt.
8:45- All these 8 o’clock games are superb, tied or close going into the half. Like I stated earlier teams needs these games as resume builders.
8:51- I am the kiss of death, after I brag about Xavier they have been down, and down big all game. However, they have it down to 5 at the under 4 timeout, trying to make me look like a genius.
8:54- Speaking of kisses of death, Clemson is trying to blow this game. FSU has dwindled the lead down to 4 with under 3 minutes to go.
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED AFTER 9 HOURS
- I am the kiss of death. After bragging on Xavier and Clemson they go out and lay eggs
- Florida State got a huge resume builder winning at Clemson
- Hasheem Thabeet has put himself among the nations elite, he is a first team All-American
- Clemson’s biggest weakness is a bonafide PG to help lead them to wins in close games like tonight’s.
9:07- I think Gonzaga has the best starting 5 in the country. Their backcourt with Jeremy Pargo and Matt Bouldin is so savvy.
9:20- Ummm….Texas Tech is awful. Time for the Pat Knight experiment to come to an abrupt end. Some people just don’t have it, and you have to cut the rope.
9:33- Minnesota has a white guy named Iverson, I love that. Oh yeah, they are down 10 too which isn’t good. A loss here would drop them out of the top 25 and put them on bubble watch
9:43- Some whitey from Minnesota has just ripped off 4 three’s in a row and has the lead down to 4
9:48- Told you the 8 pm games would be great. Minnesota/Ohio State and UNLV/New Mexico are tied at the under 4 timeout. New Mexico State leads Nevada by one at the under 4 and Baylor is up one on Texas Tech with 4:37 to go…..WOW
PLAYERS YOU NEED TO SEE AND HAVEN’T
Luke Babbitt, Nevada
Lawrence Westbrook, Minnesota
Tony Danridge, New Mexico
Curtis Jerrells, Baylor
Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga
10:03- Luke Babbitt missed a two at the buzzer to tie as Nevada went down to New Mexico State, as that happens Minnesota falls at Ohio State and seconds later Rutledge misses a two to win for UNLV as they and New Mexico go to overtime. And with 39 seconds to go Texas Tech somehow leads Baylor by 5.
10:11- Baylor losses by 7 to Texas Tech. Devastating loss to the tournament hopes. Still tied down in The Pit with a 1:53 to go in overtime.
10:15- Tony Danridge hit’s a runner with 5.6 seconds left to give New Mexico the game winning bucket.
10:22- I know it is hard to question Mark Few’s coaching, however the same thing plagues his teams over and over. Their inability to play man to man defense and get stops. In the past they may have lacked the same level of athlete as teams like Memphis but not anymore, and they have yielded 50 points and there are still 14 minutes left.
10:37- Well the Zags are giving no account of themselves, trailing by 24. So on that note we shall retire the super blog, but not before a few parting thoughts.
Teams whose resumes look good; New Mexico, Florida State, Kansas State, Mississippi State and Nebraska.
Work left to do; Nevada, Minnesota, UNLV, Michigan, South Carolina and Georgetown.
May be on the outside looking in; Notre Dame, Baylor, George Mason, Providence, and Tennessee.
29 games, 11 hours, 4lbs of cheese and 1 phone call, from my mother.
The slate of games:
12pm
Syracuse vs. Villanova
Cincinnati vs. Georgetown
Towson vs. Hofstra
1 pm
Tennessee vs. Auburn
Ole Miss vs. Vanderbilt
Miami vs. Duke
2pm
Colorado vs. Oklahoma
Texas vs. Nebraska
South Alabama vs. Western Kentucky
Pittsburgh vs. DePaul
George Mason vs. James Madison
3pm
Arkansas vs. Mississippi State
4pm
Indiana vs. Michigan State
Southern Illinois vs. Missouri State
Virginia vs. North Carolina
Utah vs. Wyoming
Providence vs. West Virginia
Kansas State vs. Texas A&M
App State vs. Elon
5pm
Georgia vs. South Carolina
6pm
Michigan vs. Connecticut
College of Charleston vs. Davidson
7pm
Florida State vs. Clemson
Xavier vs. Duquesne
8pm
New Mexico State vs. Nevada
Minnesota vs. Ohio State
UNLV vs. New Mexico
Baylor vs. Texas Tech
9pm
Memphis vs. Gonzaga
12:03- I hate the Villanova plays in the Sixers big antiseptic no atmosphere arena, takes away from a great matchup today.
12:08- This is my first time watching Nova, they are off to a quick start, as usual under Jay Wright they have great guard play and aren’t a big team.
12:13- Georgetown looks lethargic. Their recent lack of success may hurt this young team, JTIII has to get them to believe they still can be a big part of this Big East race.
12:18- Jim Boheim is one of the all time great whiners, now he has even more ammo as one official has hurt his Achilles and will be out for the game, so now there are only 2 refs left to do the balance of the game. Boheim is going to wear these two guys out
12:22- The big joke now in college basketball is how many suites are on each bench. Teams obviously have their coaching staff up front (some staffs vary from 3-6 people) and then on the end of the bench will be managers, graduate assistants, trainers, strength coach’s, team chaplains, fathers of the head coach (Bill Donovan Sr.), team doctor etc. Some teams have one or two people, some teams have 6 or 7. The rule is usually the bigger the school the more extemporaneous personnel they have. However, Hofstra has a total of 12 suites on the bench (4 up front & 8 on the end), simply miraculous.
12:31- Nova is up 28-11 with over 10 minutes left in the first half, the Cuse is on the verge of getting blown out
12:37- Georgetown has turned up the “D”, the Bearcats haven’t scored in almost 5 minutes.
12:41- Towson has a white kid that looks like he couldn’t make the team at Teaneck.
12:50- Georgetown closed the half nicely and takes a 7 point lead into the locker room
1:00- The Cuse finishes the half with only 3 players having made a field goal, what a bad first half.
1:05- The second slate of games gets ready to start, I will be paying close attention to Ole Miss/Vandy, mainly because Raff is on the call
1:11- The SEC has become a home team league. Auburn doesn’t have half the talent that Tennessee has yet they are out to a 15-6 lead, in Knoxville they would be down 17-0. Vanderbilt wins over 80% of their games in Memorial Gym.
1:43- All tied up in the nations capital between the Hoyas and Bearcats with 5 minutes to go.
1:47- The Dukies look to rebound from an embarrassing loss the other night to Clemson. You know they will play hard today. They are 140-4 since 1997 against unranked teams at home, so that doesn’t bode well for Miami
1:49- Auburn leads by two, 43-41, at the half and Vandy takes a 11 point lead, 31-19, into the locker room.
1:56- Hofstra an Towson tied with 3:45 to go, and Georgetown leads by 5 with 2:03 to go, a critical possession for the Bearcats.
1:57- See this is why I don’t like Georgetown. Cincinnati got a two and then Town had a huge possession to seal the game, but where do they go? They run around confused and then turn the ball over. The Bearcats come down and hot a 3 to tie the game going under a minute to go. Again, where do they go? Ballscreen and roll in the corner and Freshman Greg Monroe travels. Where does Town go in a big spot? OT in the nations capital
2:06- The Cuse again has the lead down to 11 with 4 to go. My favorite player in the country (sans Dominique Archie, my Gamecock guy) is Johnny Flynn from Syracuse. He hasn’t done much today for me to brag about, but maybe he will take over down the stretch.
2:11- Well maybe not, Nova keeps scoring at will, with 102 points and still 90 seconds to play.
2:12- This is the suckiest overtime ever. Nobody has a field goal in 3 minutes worth of play, just a bunch of FT’s.
2:19- Again Hoyas down 2, 13 seconds to go, who gets the ball? I don’t know, I guess it starts in Wrights hands and you look for Summers? Help me Martin.
2:22- The Hoyas take a wild looking three and get the loss at home. At the same time the Dukies struggle in the first half to stop Miami and go into the half down 13 and having given up 32 points at home, not good.
2:28- Tennessee and Auburn are in a battle. Ole Miss is trying to hang in there against Vandy, but It looks like Vandy is ready to pull away as they are up 12 with about 10 minutes to go.
2:30- The Sooners take a 5 point lead into the half, but Coach Jeff Capel looks frazzled; jacket off, sleeves slightly rolled up, and tie undone John Chaney-esque.
2:33- First time we check in on Pitt/DePaul and the Blue Demons lead by 3 with 7 minutes to go in the first half. Pitt will soon get the lead and pull away in this one, they have too much talent.
2:37- The road proves to be difficult early, Nebraksa leads Texas by 3 with about 5 to go in the first half. Also JMU leads George Mason late in the first half.
2:39- One of the best rivalries the past few years in college basketball has been South Alabama vs. Western Kentucky for Sun Belt supremacy. They are in a 1 point game late in the first half, meanwhile the Volunteers have a 4 point lead with 5 to go against Auburn and Vandy is pulling away as I suspected, up 18.
2:44- Stat of the Day. DeJaun Blair has his 5th offensive rebound of the day, it is still the first half and he averages 6 per game, that is gross, 6 O-boards per game? Oh yeah, Pitt leads by nine at the half. This one is over.
2:50- Auburn leading by one with a minute to go over the Vols. This is where it is Tyler Smith time. He is the most valuable all around player in the SEC, I have a feeling he will prove it down the stretch here.
2:52- Tyler Smith reverse layup to take a one point lead with 36 seconds to go. Tyler Smith will get a steal or defensive rebound here
2:55- Kyle Singler and Gerald Henderson are leading a run at Duke, they now have the game tied with 12 minutes to go. I have a huge man crush on Singler
2:59- Off of a scramble play Korvotney Barber laid the ball in to beat Tennessee. Even though it was on the road, that is a crushing loss for the Vols. They are squarely on the bubble now.
WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED THROUGH 3 HOURS
-Syracuse is still extremely inconsistent. I do like them when they are going well
- Villanova may be a team to be reckoned with, they have kept up a progression of steady improvement throughout the season
- I still don’t believe in Georgetown. I know Martin will be upset with this analysis but I just don’t like their makeup. As I stated, and proved correct today, who is their go to guy?
- The SEC is a home team league, as I suspected early on today. Vandy took care of business versus Ole Miss and Auburn upset Tennessee.
- Duke has responded well to their loss at Clemson. I am sure it wasn’t a pleasant few days of practice for the Blue Devils and they are finally playing like it.
3:14- Oklahoma and Pittsburgh continue to widen their leads in the second half. Both are final four contenders who always take care of business against inferior opponents
3:20- My mother is calling me, I have to answer
3:34- Oh crap, mom!! I have missed and awesome last 6 minutes of the Duke Miami game. Miami tied it on a miracle three and now we head to overtime, I see Duke winning this by 4.
3:44- What a surprise, Blake Griffin got his 20th double double of the year. He is a fucking machine, and undoubtedly the player of the year in my opinion and little will be done to change that.
3:46- Arkansas is the most enigmatic team in the history of basketball. They have wins over Texas and Oklahoma, then lost their first 5 SEC games and now on the road against a good Mississippi State team they have scored 51 points in the first half and lead on the road by 14.
3:52- Wow, Nebraska never went away and are actually up 2 with under 5 to go.
3:56- The Dukies win uneventfully, by 3, damn them for making me wrong!!!
3:57- The 4 o’clock hour has a full slate of games, so before this starts I need to take a bathroom break.
4:09- The ecstasy of college hoops is the best, in the last minute Nebraska upset Texas and JMU upset George Mason, both courts stormed by the student body, there is nothing like storming the court.
4:14- Even in the same game you don’t know what Arkansas team is going to show up. Mississippi State has opened the half on a 10-2 run and Arkansas has 3 turnovers.
4:15- I love teams that have a certain M.O. That is why certain coach’s and their programs are consistent. Uconn has lead the country in blocked shots the last 7 seasons, Duke is always among the national leaders in 3 pointers, and Michigan State again leads the country in rebounding, something they are always in the running for. It just shows the toughness the exude under Tom Izzo.
4:25- Yikes, just turned on the Utah vs. Wyoming game and had some bad flashbacks. We played out in Wyoming in 2002 and it was as awful as one would imagine Laramie to be. Honestly, it was the coldest place I have ever been (and I was in Minnesota in early January & Alaska in late November).
4:34- In 11 minutes of play Arkansas has given it all back. They have only 15 points in the second half and it is all tied up. John Pelphrey may kill himself.
4:41- Holy shit, Mississippi State is now leading by 7, they have made fifteen three pointers and there is 7 minutes to go.
PLAYERS YOU NEED TO SEE AND HAVEN’T
Jack McClinton, Miami
Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State
Alex Ruoff, West Virginia
AJ Ogilvy, Vanderbilt
David Huertas, Ole Miss
Luke Neville, Utah
4:46- North Carolina is struggling with Virginia at home. I am officially off the UNC bandwagon. They have struggled too mightily for me this year, with too many inferior teams. They are an upset special for me in the tourney.
4:58- Arkansas blew it, they freaking blew it. They are about to lose to Mississippi State. Absolutely unreal, to score 51 in the first half and be up 15 and blow it is a monumental collapse, the Razorbacks are now 1-6.
5:06- During the App State vs. Elon game the announcers discuss if Davidson can get an at larger bid if they don’t win their conference tournament. I say without a doubt they will get an at large, they have the most charismatic and dynamic player in the country in Stephen Curry, CBS and the NCAA will make sure this kid is on center stage again this March
5:14- The Providence Friars want to be taken seriously and believe they are a tournament caliber team, but trailing by fifteen on the road to West Virginia will not help their cause.
5:25- Just as I open my mouth the Tar Heels sprint out to an 18 point lead. I am still officially off the band wagon.
5:32- Georgia is the worst BCS conference team I have ever seen, ever, ever. The Gamecocks could win this game by 150 points if they really want too. This is dreadful.
5:36- Utah is the queerest team ever. Instead of having their names on the back of their jersey they have Utah written their, that deserves them a swift punch in the balls.
5:52- Just as things are getting boring, and my afternoon nap begins to set in, I check the end of the 4 o’clock games and whaddayaknow Texas A&M and K-State are in a nail biter. I just watched the most amazing possession ever, some big African for A&M blocked 4 shots in a single defensive stand.
5:55- Okay, so I was wrong, back to back 3’s for K-State and this nail biter is a 7 point game with 30 seconds to go, so congrats to the Wildcats on a nice road win.
5:57- UCLA blew the doors off of Notre Dame, basically knocking the Irish out of tournament contention, as predicted by yours truly as a pretender at the beginning of the year.
WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED THROUGH 6 HOURS
- Blake Griffin is great, he will be the POTY and the #1 pick.
- Providence and Notre Dame are pretenders from the Big East
- North Carolina still has work to do on the defensive end
- Duke may need to think about moving Greg Paulus back into the starting lineup, he was a huge key for them down the stretch.
- Kansas State and Mississippi State are two teams who are coming on strong in conference play and could make some noise in their respective conference tournaments and in the NCAA’s.
- Arkansas sucks, and will always suck, god, they are the suckiest bunch of suckers who ever sucked, to quote Homer J. Simpson
6:14- Nothing like watching Steph Curry play, I am telling you, he is as good a passer as he is scorer.
6:20- This is a big game for Michigan. They are trying to put together a tournament resume and Uconn is by no means unbeatable, but even a good close loss wouldn’t be bad for John Beleins squad. Oh, FYI, Hasheem Thabeet has 3 block already, 7 minutes into the game.
6:31- Michigan is exploiting Uconns biggest weakness, outside shooting. Uconn stinks from the preimeter and the Wolverines are throwing a variety of zones at them, good coaching by Belein
6:37- Remember what I was saying about Blake Griffin being the POTY, umm Steph Curry makes me fall in love with him more everyday. He plays the game with such pace, ease, smoothness. He lets the game come to him which is so refreshing in this era of “ME.”
7:00- Curry has 19 at halftime, and brought his team back from down 9 to lead by 2 at the half
7:09- Florida State has their chance to prove they are for real tonight in Littlejohn Coliseum. I personally think Clemson is gonna blow their doors off.
7:15- Two Final Four potential teams are playing right now that nobody is talking about, Clemson and Xavier, yes Final Four potential.
7:41- 10 minutes to go Davidson up 10, does C of C have anything left to make a run? Michigan trails by 3 with ten to go.
PLAYERS YOU NEED TO SEE AND HAVEN’T
Devan Downey, South Carolina
Andrew Goudelock, College of Charleston
Terrence Oglesby, Clemson
Trevor Booker, Clemson
Manny Harris, Michigan
BJ Raymond, Xavier
7:49- Xavier is down big, 14 in the first half. They had it down to 4 and then Duquesne ripped off a 10-0 run in about 35 seconds
7:51- It is Steph Curry time baby, Davidson only up 3 with 7 minutes to go. It may be tough for Curry, he is being guarded by one of the best Frohawks in all of college hoops on Charleston’s Antwaine Wiggins.
8:03- Hasheem Thabeet is becoming a true game changer. Defensively he just swats everything. He goes after rebounds even at his size and scores effectively inside the paint. He was the difference in this game versus Michigan. The Wolverines would not go inside the last 5 minutes of the game and were one and done on the offensive end.
The 8pm slate of games is the resume hour. Nevada, Minnesota, Baylor and UNLV all trying to add good wins to their resume, the last three teams all looking for road wins
8:10- This just in, Steph Currry is in fact human. He has missed his last 9 shots in the game and his team trails by 2 with 22 seconds to go.
8:25- Clemson cruising against Florida State, what a shocker, Leonard Hamilton and FSU are a joke. Xavier has closed the gap to 6 against Duquesne.
8:29- A typical Tubby Smith team, recovering from a bad loss the other night, playing tough defense on the road only allowing 12 points through 10 minutes.
8:38- You know who can really coach, Lon Kruger. He is out at UNLV doing an outstanding job. I hope that he gets one more chance in a power conference, he was a guy who made the NBA mistake, he should still be at Illinois kicking butt.
8:45- All these 8 o’clock games are superb, tied or close going into the half. Like I stated earlier teams needs these games as resume builders.
8:51- I am the kiss of death, after I brag about Xavier they have been down, and down big all game. However, they have it down to 5 at the under 4 timeout, trying to make me look like a genius.
8:54- Speaking of kisses of death, Clemson is trying to blow this game. FSU has dwindled the lead down to 4 with under 3 minutes to go.
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED AFTER 9 HOURS
- I am the kiss of death. After bragging on Xavier and Clemson they go out and lay eggs
- Florida State got a huge resume builder winning at Clemson
- Hasheem Thabeet has put himself among the nations elite, he is a first team All-American
- Clemson’s biggest weakness is a bonafide PG to help lead them to wins in close games like tonight’s.
9:07- I think Gonzaga has the best starting 5 in the country. Their backcourt with Jeremy Pargo and Matt Bouldin is so savvy.
9:20- Ummm….Texas Tech is awful. Time for the Pat Knight experiment to come to an abrupt end. Some people just don’t have it, and you have to cut the rope.
9:33- Minnesota has a white guy named Iverson, I love that. Oh yeah, they are down 10 too which isn’t good. A loss here would drop them out of the top 25 and put them on bubble watch
9:43- Some whitey from Minnesota has just ripped off 4 three’s in a row and has the lead down to 4
9:48- Told you the 8 pm games would be great. Minnesota/Ohio State and UNLV/New Mexico are tied at the under 4 timeout. New Mexico State leads Nevada by one at the under 4 and Baylor is up one on Texas Tech with 4:37 to go…..WOW
PLAYERS YOU NEED TO SEE AND HAVEN’T
Luke Babbitt, Nevada
Lawrence Westbrook, Minnesota
Tony Danridge, New Mexico
Curtis Jerrells, Baylor
Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga
10:03- Luke Babbitt missed a two at the buzzer to tie as Nevada went down to New Mexico State, as that happens Minnesota falls at Ohio State and seconds later Rutledge misses a two to win for UNLV as they and New Mexico go to overtime. And with 39 seconds to go Texas Tech somehow leads Baylor by 5.
10:11- Baylor losses by 7 to Texas Tech. Devastating loss to the tournament hopes. Still tied down in The Pit with a 1:53 to go in overtime.
10:15- Tony Danridge hit’s a runner with 5.6 seconds left to give New Mexico the game winning bucket.
10:22- I know it is hard to question Mark Few’s coaching, however the same thing plagues his teams over and over. Their inability to play man to man defense and get stops. In the past they may have lacked the same level of athlete as teams like Memphis but not anymore, and they have yielded 50 points and there are still 14 minutes left.
10:37- Well the Zags are giving no account of themselves, trailing by 24. So on that note we shall retire the super blog, but not before a few parting thoughts.
Teams whose resumes look good; New Mexico, Florida State, Kansas State, Mississippi State and Nebraska.
Work left to do; Nevada, Minnesota, UNLV, Michigan, South Carolina and Georgetown.
May be on the outside looking in; Notre Dame, Baylor, George Mason, Providence, and Tennessee.
29 games, 11 hours, 4lbs of cheese and 1 phone call, from my mother.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
This Was Not The Greatest Super Bowl Of All Time
The era of "everything I just saw was obviously the greatest thing that ever happened in history" has to stop.
Please.
The fourth quarter of this Pittsburgh-Arizona Super Bowl was extremely entertaining, and the Fitzgerald and Holmes TDs were amazing plays. But this wasn't a particularly well-played or well-coached game. The first half would have been 100% awful had it not been for James Harrison's 100-yard interception return.
This was not the greatest Super Bowl ever played.
Let me name Super Bowls in my lifetime that were better overall games than this one:
1) Pats-Giants
2) Giants-Bills
3) Rams-Titans
4) 49ers-Bengals (second one)
5) Pats-Panthers
6) Pats-Rams
I wouldn't rate this year's game above any of those six.
Also, in terms of entertaining quarters of football in a Super Bowl, this fourth quarter ranks high, but not necessarily higher than, say, the second quarter of the Redskins-Broncos game where the Redskins scored 35 points.
In terms of ends of games, this was up there, but not as good as the Rams-Titans end with the tackle one the one.
So, please, sports journalism and the internet, let's calm down and keep this game in perspective. A relatively bad game redeemed by an exciting fourth quarter.
Carry on.
Please.
The fourth quarter of this Pittsburgh-Arizona Super Bowl was extremely entertaining, and the Fitzgerald and Holmes TDs were amazing plays. But this wasn't a particularly well-played or well-coached game. The first half would have been 100% awful had it not been for James Harrison's 100-yard interception return.
This was not the greatest Super Bowl ever played.
Let me name Super Bowls in my lifetime that were better overall games than this one:
1) Pats-Giants
2) Giants-Bills
3) Rams-Titans
4) 49ers-Bengals (second one)
5) Pats-Panthers
6) Pats-Rams
I wouldn't rate this year's game above any of those six.
Also, in terms of entertaining quarters of football in a Super Bowl, this fourth quarter ranks high, but not necessarily higher than, say, the second quarter of the Redskins-Broncos game where the Redskins scored 35 points.
In terms of ends of games, this was up there, but not as good as the Rams-Titans end with the tackle one the one.
So, please, sports journalism and the internet, let's calm down and keep this game in perspective. A relatively bad game redeemed by an exciting fourth quarter.
Carry on.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
All the...Small Things
Okay, maybe these are a few small things, but here goes:
This is nothing against the political climate in our country or the election of Barback Omarx……I mean Obama, but can I go seven seconds without hearing the word hope in a sentence? Is that possible, please? It is not even people talking about politics, people just use the word all the time now, and personally I am fucking sick of it.
Now that that is out of the way, can we get rid of Tyler Perry? Is that possible? Those shows on TBS are dreadful, and so are most of the movies he has made. Give me “Do the Right Thing” any day over any Tyler Perry crap.
I no longer recognize the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton Ohio. Two words, CRIS CARTER!!!!!
Lastly, and this is the college hoops junkie in me, but all this weekend the Coachs Versus Cancer Organization had an initiative this weekend that they do every year called Suits and Sneakers. The idea is it brings awareness to the organization and raising money for the fight against cancer. The idea behind it is people to see the coach’s wearing a suite and sneakers and ask why? For some reasons 2/3 of the coach’s across the country use this as dress down day. That is not the point, the initiative is called Suits and Sneakers.
That’s all Folks!!!
This is nothing against the political climate in our country or the election of Barback Omarx……I mean Obama, but can I go seven seconds without hearing the word hope in a sentence? Is that possible, please? It is not even people talking about politics, people just use the word all the time now, and personally I am fucking sick of it.
Now that that is out of the way, can we get rid of Tyler Perry? Is that possible? Those shows on TBS are dreadful, and so are most of the movies he has made. Give me “Do the Right Thing” any day over any Tyler Perry crap.
I no longer recognize the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton Ohio. Two words, CRIS CARTER!!!!!
Lastly, and this is the college hoops junkie in me, but all this weekend the Coachs Versus Cancer Organization had an initiative this weekend that they do every year called Suits and Sneakers. The idea is it brings awareness to the organization and raising money for the fight against cancer. The idea behind it is people to see the coach’s wearing a suite and sneakers and ask why? For some reasons 2/3 of the coach’s across the country use this as dress down day. That is not the point, the initiative is called Suits and Sneakers.
That’s all Folks!!!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Kris and Dan Answer NBA Questions
"What is your favorite team to watch right now?"
I have always been a fan of explosive basketball players, the kind that compel you to loudly proclaim "damn!" while watching.
Plus they have Chauncey Billups (a big upgrade for this particular team over AI) competently running the show, and Carmelo Anthony (when he's healthy) is one of the best pure scorers in the league.
So they combine competence and power. They're good, and they do a lot of things during a game that make it fun to watch. They are also a George Karl team, so they're not going to all of a sudden start playing slow-down defense (though they're not as bad a defensive team as they get made out to be - you have to adjust for pace.) That means they're often going to be in a high-scoring game on both sides, so the best guys on the team they're playing are also going to look pretty good.If you're a fan of entertaining basketball, you have to be a fan of watching Nuggets games. I definitely am.
But to me this decision came down to two teams, the Lakers and Cavs. Mainly because I am a star kinda guy and these teams have the two biggest stars in the game. Yesterday finally mad the decision for me, it is the Lakers.
Kobe Bean Bryant is the number one reason for watching the Lakers play. He is such a joy to watch; he plays the game with a smoothness and effortless demeanor. It is to appreciate the game to watch it played so beautifully on the highest level. But it is not just Bryant who I enjoy watching.
The team has some other excellent players as well as role players who fit the puzzle perfectly. Pau Gasol is the modern day big man; the ability to move up and down the floor, shoot the ball with range and is an outstanding passer on both the perimeter and in the post. The emergence of Andrew Bynum (which I doubted coming out of high school) as a legit post presence in this league. He is big and strong, but light on his feet and has a variety of post moves. And lastly the other player that stands out to me is Lamar Odom. I have followed his star crossed career since I first saw him play as a sophomore in high school. He also, ike Gasol, for his size has such a great all court game, including his passing which makes him an asset to any team that he is on.
Along with those stars they have a slew of role players. Perimeter shooters Derek Fisher, Sasha Vujacic and Vlad Radmonovic help spread the court with their range. When healthy, Jordan Farmer along with Trevor Ariza help bring in a younger more up tempo second unit.
In all, because of Kobe’s immense talent and because of how the rest of the teams fits and plays their roles so well is why I enjoy watching the Lakers more than any team in the league.
DAN SAYS:
For me, it's the Denver Nuggets.
I have always been a fan of explosive basketball players, the kind that compel you to loudly proclaim "damn!" while watching.
Denver has a lot of these players right now. Kenyon Martin (he's back to his old, nasty form). Nene (he's healthy and playing the way people thought he could when he was drafted in the lottery and got his big contract). JR Smith (simply one of the most talented players in the NBA, if also one of the most frustrating.)
Plus they have Chauncey Billups (a big upgrade for this particular team over AI) competently running the show, and Carmelo Anthony (when he's healthy) is one of the best pure scorers in the league.
So they combine competence and power. They're good, and they do a lot of things during a game that make it fun to watch. They are also a George Karl team, so they're not going to all of a sudden start playing slow-down defense (though they're not as bad a defensive team as they get made out to be - you have to adjust for pace.) That means they're often going to be in a high-scoring game on both sides, so the best guys on the team they're playing are also going to look pretty good.If you're a fan of entertaining basketball, you have to be a fan of watching Nuggets games. I definitely am.
KRIS SAYS:
But to me this decision came down to two teams, the Lakers and Cavs. Mainly because I am a star kinda guy and these teams have the two biggest stars in the game. Yesterday finally mad the decision for me, it is the Lakers.
Kobe Bean Bryant is the number one reason for watching the Lakers play. He is such a joy to watch; he plays the game with a smoothness and effortless demeanor. It is to appreciate the game to watch it played so beautifully on the highest level. But it is not just Bryant who I enjoy watching.
The team has some other excellent players as well as role players who fit the puzzle perfectly. Pau Gasol is the modern day big man; the ability to move up and down the floor, shoot the ball with range and is an outstanding passer on both the perimeter and in the post. The emergence of Andrew Bynum (which I doubted coming out of high school) as a legit post presence in this league. He is big and strong, but light on his feet and has a variety of post moves. And lastly the other player that stands out to me is Lamar Odom. I have followed his star crossed career since I first saw him play as a sophomore in high school. He also, ike Gasol, for his size has such a great all court game, including his passing which makes him an asset to any team that he is on.
Along with those stars they have a slew of role players. Perimeter shooters Derek Fisher, Sasha Vujacic and Vlad Radmonovic help spread the court with their range. When healthy, Jordan Farmer along with Trevor Ariza help bring in a younger more up tempo second unit.
In all, because of Kobe’s immense talent and because of how the rest of the teams fits and plays their roles so well is why I enjoy watching the Lakers more than any team in the league.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Here Come The Warm Jets: The New Coach
Rex Ryan is the new coach of the Jets.
I have to say, I'm happy about this. Of all the candidates they were talking about, this one excites me the most. If Ryan can give the Jets even a reasonable facsimile of the Ravens defense, this Jets fan will be tickled.
Ryan also looks like he will change the culture of the team a bit. Mangini's unnecessarily secretive and paranoid regime wore on everyone. The assistant coaches couldn't talk to the media. Injuries couldn't be discussed. And so on.
Ryan doesn't seem to play that crap. He just says "we're going to build the best football team, so watch out." He's not going to dispassionately spout cliches and platitudes. He's going to be emotional, funny, and fully dedicated to winning. It's going to be a more open and fun environment, which will hopefully translate on the field.
I also like that he has a "fit the system to the players" mentality, and not a "fit the players to the system" approach that Mangini had, especially on defense.
Bringing on other Baltimore people as his defensive staff? Fine by me.
Keeping Westhoff as the special teams coach? Great.
Keeping on Schottenheimer as offensive coordinator? I'm fine with this, too. I don't think he was as much to blame for this past season's collapse as Mangini was. And I like that there will be some continuity on that side, especially given the personell. An established o-line, two above average RBs, some decent receivers, and the unsettled QB position. That screams for keeping the same OC, at least for one year.
There is a lot of work to be done. Can they bring in a few free agents, especially one of the LBs from Baltimore (Bart Scott would be my preference)? Can they get some help in the draft? And what about Favre?
For now, though, I can't be anything but pleased with this choice for coach. Granted, I said the same thing when they hired Mangini. So let's see how I feel in three years.
I have to say, I'm happy about this. Of all the candidates they were talking about, this one excites me the most. If Ryan can give the Jets even a reasonable facsimile of the Ravens defense, this Jets fan will be tickled.
Ryan also looks like he will change the culture of the team a bit. Mangini's unnecessarily secretive and paranoid regime wore on everyone. The assistant coaches couldn't talk to the media. Injuries couldn't be discussed. And so on.
Ryan doesn't seem to play that crap. He just says "we're going to build the best football team, so watch out." He's not going to dispassionately spout cliches and platitudes. He's going to be emotional, funny, and fully dedicated to winning. It's going to be a more open and fun environment, which will hopefully translate on the field.
I also like that he has a "fit the system to the players" mentality, and not a "fit the players to the system" approach that Mangini had, especially on defense.
Bringing on other Baltimore people as his defensive staff? Fine by me.
Keeping Westhoff as the special teams coach? Great.
Keeping on Schottenheimer as offensive coordinator? I'm fine with this, too. I don't think he was as much to blame for this past season's collapse as Mangini was. And I like that there will be some continuity on that side, especially given the personell. An established o-line, two above average RBs, some decent receivers, and the unsettled QB position. That screams for keeping the same OC, at least for one year.
There is a lot of work to be done. Can they bring in a few free agents, especially one of the LBs from Baltimore (Bart Scott would be my preference)? Can they get some help in the draft? And what about Favre?
For now, though, I can't be anything but pleased with this choice for coach. Granted, I said the same thing when they hired Mangini. So let's see how I feel in three years.
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