And we're back! I have decided to post now for two reasons. 1. I was going to post a few weeks ago, Danny came up with a post on our NFL picks that I lost when my computer restarted. 2. Because of the classic Game 2 Yankees-Twins game I witnessed last night. So without further ado, here we go:
-As I watched the game and saw Joe Mauer hit a ball down the left field line in the top of the 11th, I feared for the worst. When I saw that it landed fair and was called foul, I cringed thinking, "all my friends will put an asterisk around the victory." Let me just say this, if I were a Twins fan, I would be livid. However, I think it's inaccurate to say that the call cost them the game. The bottom-line is, we can't assume that the following hitters are pitched to the exact same way with a runner on second, that every thing would happen in the exact same order, or what would happen in the bottom of the 11th, who knows? I'm not justifying the bad call by any stretch of the imagination, I'm just saying you can't assume a Twins victory if the call goes the other way. At the very least, if everything played out the same, you have a tie game in the bottom of the 11th after Tex's bomb with A-Rod up and nobody out. Like I said earlier, at this point it is all speculation as to what could have happened, so I will stop the bad call discussion here.
-In reality, there's are two reasons why the Twins lost this game. Timely Yankee hitting and too many Twins mistakes. Here are some examples:
-Carlos Gomez's base running blunder. The Twins had an opportunity to take an early lead in the ballgame. With two outs and a runner coming to the plate, Gomez hesitated as he rounded 2nd and was thrown out before the runner could score, if Gomez just stayed at 2nd, the Twins have runners at 1st and 2nd with two outs and are up one run.
-The Twins left an astonishing 17 runners on base. That's at least 1 baserunner each inning. While A.J. Burnett struck out six last night, he also walked 5 and hit two batters. He GAVE the Twins seven base runners.
-Along the same line, the Twinkies left the bases loaded with no one out. This should never happen. What made it even worse was that Delmon Young and Carlos Gomez both swung at the first pitch, and paid for it.
-Joe Nathan, Joe Nathan, Joe Nathan. I can hear the announcers now comparing him to Rivera (in their defense, they did have similar regular season numbers) when he came into the game. Joe Nathan promptly got behind the first two batters and paid for that dearly when A-Rod took him deep and tied the game up. He got away with botching a pickoff play when he threw the ball into center field, but threw the ball to the wrong side of the bag and left the bases loaded when he left the game. Brett Gardner's base running blunder bailed him out.
Let me just say this. This Twins team is very likable. They play hard, they play the right way, and there are no overbearing personalities on that team. They've come a long way without Justin Morneau, but mistakes like last night are an example of why they will not be going very far this year.
In the NL, the Rockies made things interesting by beating the Philies in Game 2. With that being said, I don't see any way that the Rockies win this series. I like Pedro Martinez in Game 3 to make one more big start and give the Philies a big victory on the road.
I picked the Cards to come out of the NL in May, and realized that my prediction might go awry when Matt Holliday completely missed a fly ball that would have ended the game in Game 2. However, I have them taking Game 3 as I think the Cards will get the better of the Pinero-Padilla matchup. Game 4 will be crucial as no starter has been announced, Smoltz and Lohse are rumored, but MLB.com is reporting that putting Chris Carpenter back out there for Game 4 is an option. While it doesn't look good for the Cardinals, I think they can pull off winning three games in a row. If they can force it to game 5 without having to use Carpenter, you have the possibility of starting Carpenter and having Wainwright come in from the bullpen. I'll stick with my prediction, we'll see how it works out.
That's all I got for now, here's to an Angel's sweep of the Red Sox and the Yankee's taking home a 27th World Championship!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Heroes
Heroes. These are the ones we look up to, watch with admiration, the ones we aspire to be. Sports is no different. I remember first picking up a baseball bat in little league. My coaches sought to teach me sound fundamentals in order to hit the ball properly; I just wanted to look like Derek Jeter. What child didn’t emulate their favorite baseball player in little league? Or countdown as they shot a turn around jumper followed with a “AND THE CROWD GOES WILD” scream as the ball swished through the net? Our heroes seem to come through with superhero like feats, and their blend of unbridled athleticism and skill drew us in.
Having recently turned 24, I wonder if there are any more heroes in the world of sports. I watch the “My Wish” segments on ESPN and the Yankees’ “Hope Week” and while I think its admirable and love what they’re doing, I often wonder if this is forced on the players, or if they look for opportunities to serve? I tend to be skeptical with these things. After reading about A-Rod’s romantic escapades in the paper, Pacman Jones….being Pacman Jones, Michael Vick, and a slew of others, its hard to look up to most in the world of professional sports. For example, look at the recent death of Steve McNair. A respected leader in the community of pillar of the Tennessee Titans, he was always seen as a role model. Unfortunately, his death may have tarnished his legacy. Killed by a woman he was having affair with, whom he met when she was a waitress at a restaurant where he was eating……with his wife and children. I’m not trying to take away from anything the man did, but just repeating all the media coverage I saw such as panel discussions on ESPN 2 which debated whether or not they should even talk about the indiscretion out of respect to his family. Each person that commented on this situation seemed genuinely shocked, while they would expect this from most athletes they cover, they never would have suspected it of Steve McNair.
To be quiet honest, it sucked seeing one of the “good guys” go out like that. If he could not be looked up to, then who could? I found some encouragement watching a story on Albert Pujols. Pujols is having an incredible year for the Cardinals. Peter Gammons recently commented that he could be the best hitter we’ve ever seen by the end of his career. Pujols does missionary work in the off-season and is active in the community. When recently asked about steroids he said, “Why would I ruin my relationship with the Lord by using steroids?” He has also said that he refuses to enter an elevator with a woman alone, just to avoid the appearance of evil. I heard all this and while I was encouraged, I also thought, “what if he screws up?” As I thought this, I had a bit of an epiphany. A guy like Albert Pujols is one we should look up to, not because of the incredible rap sheet of things he does, but rather, because his actions show us that men are not worthy to be worshiped. Any public figure we look up to is prone to fail us, simply out of their human nature. While many of the headlines we see about those in the public square include crime, infidelity, and poor morality; Albert does things that cause us to look beyond the man.
So admire your favorite players on the field. Cheer for them as they take on their rivals, but remember that they are human beings and not objects of worship.
Having recently turned 24, I wonder if there are any more heroes in the world of sports. I watch the “My Wish” segments on ESPN and the Yankees’ “Hope Week” and while I think its admirable and love what they’re doing, I often wonder if this is forced on the players, or if they look for opportunities to serve? I tend to be skeptical with these things. After reading about A-Rod’s romantic escapades in the paper, Pacman Jones….being Pacman Jones, Michael Vick, and a slew of others, its hard to look up to most in the world of professional sports. For example, look at the recent death of Steve McNair. A respected leader in the community of pillar of the Tennessee Titans, he was always seen as a role model. Unfortunately, his death may have tarnished his legacy. Killed by a woman he was having affair with, whom he met when she was a waitress at a restaurant where he was eating……with his wife and children. I’m not trying to take away from anything the man did, but just repeating all the media coverage I saw such as panel discussions on ESPN 2 which debated whether or not they should even talk about the indiscretion out of respect to his family. Each person that commented on this situation seemed genuinely shocked, while they would expect this from most athletes they cover, they never would have suspected it of Steve McNair.
To be quiet honest, it sucked seeing one of the “good guys” go out like that. If he could not be looked up to, then who could? I found some encouragement watching a story on Albert Pujols. Pujols is having an incredible year for the Cardinals. Peter Gammons recently commented that he could be the best hitter we’ve ever seen by the end of his career. Pujols does missionary work in the off-season and is active in the community. When recently asked about steroids he said, “Why would I ruin my relationship with the Lord by using steroids?” He has also said that he refuses to enter an elevator with a woman alone, just to avoid the appearance of evil. I heard all this and while I was encouraged, I also thought, “what if he screws up?” As I thought this, I had a bit of an epiphany. A guy like Albert Pujols is one we should look up to, not because of the incredible rap sheet of things he does, but rather, because his actions show us that men are not worthy to be worshiped. Any public figure we look up to is prone to fail us, simply out of their human nature. While many of the headlines we see about those in the public square include crime, infidelity, and poor morality; Albert does things that cause us to look beyond the man.
So admire your favorite players on the field. Cheer for them as they take on their rivals, but remember that they are human beings and not objects of worship.
Monday, July 13, 2009
All-Stars and predictions.
This is a post from our good friend Danny Lamonte. Enjoy, I know I did.
July is my one of my favorite times of year---you have the baseball season in full swing, All-Star roster debates taking place, NFL Training Camp are about to start, the ThugBA is giving role players millions of dollars, and Global Warming is proving to be a true as Santa Claus.
With all this stated, I wanted to take the opportunity to name my own All-Star based on a combination of merit and contribution to their team, and make a Home Run Derby & All-Star game prediction.
AL All-Stars
1st Base- Mark Teixeira-NYY, Kevin Youkilis-BOS- “Tex” carried the Yanks for the month of May, is 2nd in HRs, and top 5 in RBIs, all while playing gold glove defense.
2nd Base-Aaron Hill-TOR, Ian Kinsler-TEX, Cano-NYY- I’m ready to hear the “no Pedoria?!?!? Are you kidding me?” And those thoughts would be justified; after all he is hitting almost .400 in the 8th inning and after, but you tell me who gets left off:
Player A: .295/20HRs/60RBIs
Player B: .253/20HRs/55RBIs
Player C: .309/13HRs/46RBIs
Player D: .300/4HRs/40RBIs
Player D, right? Well that’s Pedoria…the voted in starter by the fans. Hill is having an amazing year leading an upstart Jays team that is hanging tough in the best division in baseball.
3rd Base- Evan Longoria-TB, Russell Branyan- SEA- Basically, Longoria is playing in a different league than everyone else at his position both offensively and defensively. Branyan is showing signs of the ability he once displayed in the Indians farm system as a kid. Scott Rolen and your .324, I apologize there just isn’t room for you since I took 3 second basemen. Likewise, in my opinion, Young has not gotten enough attention this year after making a smooth transition from SS to 3B.
Side note: I find it interesting that A-rod was not voted in by the fans…yes, he was hurt and his numbers are down, but isn’t that the case of Josh Hamilton, the fan voted in starting CF? Maybe this shows how we view our heroes who come full circle with humility, and our villains who get caught and make excuses?
Shortstop- Derek Jeter-NYY, Jason Bartlett-TB - Jeter may be having the best year of his career (.320/10HRs/17SBs/108hits/56runs/40BB(on pace for a career high). Not bad for an “overrated SS”. Bartlett has been a surprising player this year batting just below .350.
Catcher- Joe Mauer-MIN, Victor Martinez-CLE- Mauer isn’t going for .400, but he may break the record for highest average ever for a catcher at .367. Martinez has tanked the past 3 weeks, but is the only Indian outside of Cliff Lee that even deserves as All-Star nomination conversation.
OF- Jason Bay-BOS, Tori Hunter-LAA, Carl Crawford-TB, Adam Lind-TOR, Ichrio Suzuki-SEA, Johnny Damon-NYY, Adam Jones-BAL, Ben Zobrist-TB- Bay is my mid-season MVP; he leads the AL in RBIs, has been unbelievably clutch for the Sox this year. Hunter continues to get better and defy everyone who says “this has to be the year he breaks down.” Crawford’s stolen base totals are amazing and cause he to place him slightly over Ichrio. Lastly, Damon makes the team with his 16HRs/.276/50RBIs/41BBs/8SBs out of the 2-hole. That’s better numbers than Inge, plus he has 4 walk-off hits for the Yanks so far this season has been there most consistent OF. Ben Zobrist has been an amazing surprise this year and, from his interviews, appears to be one of the nicest guys in the game. His 17HRs and 52 RBIs aren’t bad either. Adam Jones, though his numbers aren’t as deserving as other outfielders, represents Baltimore both now and for the future.
Starting Pitchers-Roy Halladay-TOR, Zach Greinke-KC, Tim Wakefield-BOS, Josh Beckett-BOS, Mark Buehrle-CWS, Justin Verlander-DET, Jared Weaver-LAA, Felix Hernandez-SEA- Now I believe Greinke deserves the start, but baseball cannot pass up the publicity by starting the hottest player on the trade market in Halladay.
Closers- Mariano Rivera-NYY, Brian Fuentes-LAA, Joe Nathan-MIN, Jonathan Papelbon-BOS, Andrew Bailey-OAK- Mo just got his 500th save and is the perfect lockdown closer for the AL.
NL All Stars (starters in bold)
1st Base- Albert Pujols-STL, Prince Fielder-MIL- Pujols is on another planet right now and is clearly the game’s best all-around player. Fielder has regained his power and average this year…he is going to need it in a tight division. I am only putting 2 1st basemen because I think Pujols should play the whole game in his home town.
2nd base- Chase Utley-PHI, Orlando Hudson-LAD -As much as it pains me to put Utley as a starter (I think he is a horrible example of a role model and he cussed at the Yankee Stadium faithful last year) I have to put him as a starter because there is no one else even close to his numbers. Though Hudson numbers aren’t great they aren’t bad either and his gold glove defense, hustle, and attitude put him on the team for me.
3rd Base- Pablo Sandoval-SF, Mark Reynolds-ARI, David Wright-NYM- Pablo is the only Giant that seems to be able to hit the ball, but he can hit it well. Pablo is batting .324 (higher than Wright) with 15 HRs & 55 RBIs. Reynolds is on pace for a 30HR/30SB year and 120 RBIs (his pace of 200 plus strikeouts is scray though). Wright is a fan favorite and his .323 and 20 SBs aren’t too shabby either.
Shortstop- Hanley Ramirez-FLA, Miguel Tejada-HOU- Hanley, playing through injuries, is in the running for the batting title, has 14 HRs, and carries a low payroll Marlins team. Tejada, at whatever age he is, is still playing good defense and batting .330.
Catcher- Brian McCann-ATL, Yadier Molina-STL- The All Star game is about rewarding players and giving the fans what they want. McCann didn’t see an inning in last year’s All-Star game so I want to make sure and reward him this year. Secondly, the fans of St. Louie deserve to get to see their defensive genius Molina play in the game as well.
OF- Raul Ibanez-PHI, Matt Kemp-LAD, Ryan Braun-MIL, Brad Hawpe-COL, Juan Pierre-LAD, Adam Dunn-WAS, Carlos Beltran-NYM, Shane Victorino-PHI, Justin Upton-ARI- HOW IS KEMP NOT EVEN ON THE ALL STAR TEAM?!?!?! Maybe I have a man-crush on Kemp but the dude’s numbers are unbelievable (11HRs/50RBIs/19SBs/.324) all while being on the best team in baseball. Meanwhile Ibanez was leading the league in HRs and RBIs before he got hurt, and Braun is solid all the way around. Hawpe is finally getting some recognition after Holliday left town. Pierre may seem like an odd selection since he doesn’t even start for his own team, but you can’t overlook a .323 average and 23 SBs. Dunn is an AL outfielder that just can’t seem to get to the AL and represents my lone National. Beltran is excellent both offensively and defensively when healthy, and lastly Victorino should not have had to be voted in but I think his own manager felt badly picking his own players.
Starting Pitchers-Tim Lincecum-SF, Dan Haren-ARI, Matt Cain-SF, Chad Billingsley-LAD, Adam Wainwright-STL, Jason Marquis-COL, Zach Duke-PIT, Josh Johnson-FLA- Lincecum is a “freak” of nature, a modern day Pedro who is a threat to throw a no-no each time he walks out on the mound. Zack Duke gets the nod despite a .500 record because of a 1.2 WHIP, and 3.29 ERA for an awful Pittsburgh team.
Closers- Ryan Franklin-STL, Heath Bell-SD, Francisco Cordero-CIN, Francisco Rodriguez-NYM, Kevin Gregg-CHC, Trevor Hoffman-MIL- Though Franklin doesn’t have the most saves in the league, his ERA is under 1 and you have to have the home town guy close the All-Star game if possible.
Predictions Sure to Not Come True
Home Run Derby Champ- Albert Pujols-STL- This would be another feel good story for the Cards, but beyond that Pujols is familiar with the parks background and will have momentum behind him. Secondly, can the real HR hitters please sign-up and drop the “it will hurt my swing” excuse. You are major leaguers for crying out loud!
All-Star Game Winner- NL 10-AL 5---NL has starting pitching to hold off the NL.
All-Star Game MVP- Chase Utley-just trying to curse him for the second half.
July is my one of my favorite times of year---you have the baseball season in full swing, All-Star roster debates taking place, NFL Training Camp are about to start, the ThugBA is giving role players millions of dollars, and Global Warming is proving to be a true as Santa Claus.
With all this stated, I wanted to take the opportunity to name my own All-Star based on a combination of merit and contribution to their team, and make a Home Run Derby & All-Star game prediction.
AL All-Stars
1st Base- Mark Teixeira-NYY, Kevin Youkilis-BOS- “Tex” carried the Yanks for the month of May, is 2nd in HRs, and top 5 in RBIs, all while playing gold glove defense.
2nd Base-Aaron Hill-TOR, Ian Kinsler-TEX, Cano-NYY- I’m ready to hear the “no Pedoria?!?!? Are you kidding me?” And those thoughts would be justified; after all he is hitting almost .400 in the 8th inning and after, but you tell me who gets left off:
Player A: .295/20HRs/60RBIs
Player B: .253/20HRs/55RBIs
Player C: .309/13HRs/46RBIs
Player D: .300/4HRs/40RBIs
Player D, right? Well that’s Pedoria…the voted in starter by the fans. Hill is having an amazing year leading an upstart Jays team that is hanging tough in the best division in baseball.
3rd Base- Evan Longoria-TB, Russell Branyan- SEA- Basically, Longoria is playing in a different league than everyone else at his position both offensively and defensively. Branyan is showing signs of the ability he once displayed in the Indians farm system as a kid. Scott Rolen and your .324, I apologize there just isn’t room for you since I took 3 second basemen. Likewise, in my opinion, Young has not gotten enough attention this year after making a smooth transition from SS to 3B.
Side note: I find it interesting that A-rod was not voted in by the fans…yes, he was hurt and his numbers are down, but isn’t that the case of Josh Hamilton, the fan voted in starting CF? Maybe this shows how we view our heroes who come full circle with humility, and our villains who get caught and make excuses?
Shortstop- Derek Jeter-NYY, Jason Bartlett-TB - Jeter may be having the best year of his career (.320/10HRs/17SBs/108hits/56runs/40BB(on pace for a career high). Not bad for an “overrated SS”. Bartlett has been a surprising player this year batting just below .350.
Catcher- Joe Mauer-MIN, Victor Martinez-CLE- Mauer isn’t going for .400, but he may break the record for highest average ever for a catcher at .367. Martinez has tanked the past 3 weeks, but is the only Indian outside of Cliff Lee that even deserves as All-Star nomination conversation.
OF- Jason Bay-BOS, Tori Hunter-LAA, Carl Crawford-TB, Adam Lind-TOR, Ichrio Suzuki-SEA, Johnny Damon-NYY, Adam Jones-BAL, Ben Zobrist-TB- Bay is my mid-season MVP; he leads the AL in RBIs, has been unbelievably clutch for the Sox this year. Hunter continues to get better and defy everyone who says “this has to be the year he breaks down.” Crawford’s stolen base totals are amazing and cause he to place him slightly over Ichrio. Lastly, Damon makes the team with his 16HRs/.276/50RBIs/41BBs/8SBs out of the 2-hole. That’s better numbers than Inge, plus he has 4 walk-off hits for the Yanks so far this season has been there most consistent OF. Ben Zobrist has been an amazing surprise this year and, from his interviews, appears to be one of the nicest guys in the game. His 17HRs and 52 RBIs aren’t bad either. Adam Jones, though his numbers aren’t as deserving as other outfielders, represents Baltimore both now and for the future.
Starting Pitchers-Roy Halladay-TOR, Zach Greinke-KC, Tim Wakefield-BOS, Josh Beckett-BOS, Mark Buehrle-CWS, Justin Verlander-DET, Jared Weaver-LAA, Felix Hernandez-SEA- Now I believe Greinke deserves the start, but baseball cannot pass up the publicity by starting the hottest player on the trade market in Halladay.
Closers- Mariano Rivera-NYY, Brian Fuentes-LAA, Joe Nathan-MIN, Jonathan Papelbon-BOS, Andrew Bailey-OAK- Mo just got his 500th save and is the perfect lockdown closer for the AL.
NL All Stars (starters in bold)
1st Base- Albert Pujols-STL, Prince Fielder-MIL- Pujols is on another planet right now and is clearly the game’s best all-around player. Fielder has regained his power and average this year…he is going to need it in a tight division. I am only putting 2 1st basemen because I think Pujols should play the whole game in his home town.
2nd base- Chase Utley-PHI, Orlando Hudson-LAD -As much as it pains me to put Utley as a starter (I think he is a horrible example of a role model and he cussed at the Yankee Stadium faithful last year) I have to put him as a starter because there is no one else even close to his numbers. Though Hudson numbers aren’t great they aren’t bad either and his gold glove defense, hustle, and attitude put him on the team for me.
3rd Base- Pablo Sandoval-SF, Mark Reynolds-ARI, David Wright-NYM- Pablo is the only Giant that seems to be able to hit the ball, but he can hit it well. Pablo is batting .324 (higher than Wright) with 15 HRs & 55 RBIs. Reynolds is on pace for a 30HR/30SB year and 120 RBIs (his pace of 200 plus strikeouts is scray though). Wright is a fan favorite and his .323 and 20 SBs aren’t too shabby either.
Shortstop- Hanley Ramirez-FLA, Miguel Tejada-HOU- Hanley, playing through injuries, is in the running for the batting title, has 14 HRs, and carries a low payroll Marlins team. Tejada, at whatever age he is, is still playing good defense and batting .330.
Catcher- Brian McCann-ATL, Yadier Molina-STL- The All Star game is about rewarding players and giving the fans what they want. McCann didn’t see an inning in last year’s All-Star game so I want to make sure and reward him this year. Secondly, the fans of St. Louie deserve to get to see their defensive genius Molina play in the game as well.
OF- Raul Ibanez-PHI, Matt Kemp-LAD, Ryan Braun-MIL, Brad Hawpe-COL, Juan Pierre-LAD, Adam Dunn-WAS, Carlos Beltran-NYM, Shane Victorino-PHI, Justin Upton-ARI- HOW IS KEMP NOT EVEN ON THE ALL STAR TEAM?!?!?! Maybe I have a man-crush on Kemp but the dude’s numbers are unbelievable (11HRs/50RBIs/19SBs/.324) all while being on the best team in baseball. Meanwhile Ibanez was leading the league in HRs and RBIs before he got hurt, and Braun is solid all the way around. Hawpe is finally getting some recognition after Holliday left town. Pierre may seem like an odd selection since he doesn’t even start for his own team, but you can’t overlook a .323 average and 23 SBs. Dunn is an AL outfielder that just can’t seem to get to the AL and represents my lone National. Beltran is excellent both offensively and defensively when healthy, and lastly Victorino should not have had to be voted in but I think his own manager felt badly picking his own players.
Starting Pitchers-Tim Lincecum-SF, Dan Haren-ARI, Matt Cain-SF, Chad Billingsley-LAD, Adam Wainwright-STL, Jason Marquis-COL, Zach Duke-PIT, Josh Johnson-FLA- Lincecum is a “freak” of nature, a modern day Pedro who is a threat to throw a no-no each time he walks out on the mound. Zack Duke gets the nod despite a .500 record because of a 1.2 WHIP, and 3.29 ERA for an awful Pittsburgh team.
Closers- Ryan Franklin-STL, Heath Bell-SD, Francisco Cordero-CIN, Francisco Rodriguez-NYM, Kevin Gregg-CHC, Trevor Hoffman-MIL- Though Franklin doesn’t have the most saves in the league, his ERA is under 1 and you have to have the home town guy close the All-Star game if possible.
Predictions Sure to Not Come True
Home Run Derby Champ- Albert Pujols-STL- This would be another feel good story for the Cards, but beyond that Pujols is familiar with the parks background and will have momentum behind him. Secondly, can the real HR hitters please sign-up and drop the “it will hurt my swing” excuse. You are major leaguers for crying out loud!
All-Star Game Winner- NL 10-AL 5---NL has starting pitching to hold off the NL.
All-Star Game MVP- Chase Utley-just trying to curse him for the second half.
Friday, June 26, 2009
My thoughts on the NBA Draft
Last night’s draft was one of the more interesting drafts in quite some time. Outside of the first pick there was a lot of mystery surrounding the draft. A lot of unknown players, and players who seemed to be sliding up and down the draft board depending on which mock draft you looked at. This won’t be an exhaustive list, but here are some observations that I made while watching the draft:
Pick 1: Blake Griffin-F-LA Clippers. While he’s the only can’t miss prospect of the draft, I can’t help but think that he’s been sentenced to Basketball purgatory where he can either play well enough to go elsewhere when his contract is up or where his career will ultimately perish. As of right now they have a crowded frontcourt including Chris Kaman, Zach Randolph, and Marcus Camby. If they’re able to get rid of one of those guys, then you’re looking at the Rookie of the Year.
Pick 2: Coming to a poster near you-Hasheem Thabeet! I’m sorry, but this guy has poster written all over him. He’s big, slow, has limited mobility, and won’t be able to camp out under the basket like he did in college. I can see the Lebron’s, Vince Carter’s, Jason Richardson’s of the league salivating when they see this guy under the basket. One of my least favorite sayings was said about Thabeet the other day, “well he’s 7’3 and you can’t teach height!” I wish this would apply to the work place as well, “Well you have your Master’s, you manage people well, you have plenty of experience, but that guy is tall so we’re going with him.” While that’s far-fetched, I just don’t understand why you take someone who isn’t skilled and whom Jay Bilas said the following, “I don’t think his offensive game is ever going to come around.”
Picks 5 and 6: Johnny Flynn and Ricky Rubio going to the T-Wolves. As I screamed in my apartment with innocent bystanders looking on, a few things came to mind with this pick: 1. The Wolves GM is drunk. 2. The Wolves GM lost a bet and had to take all point guard’s in the draft. 3. The Wolves GM was trying to win a bet and took all point guard’s in the draft. Whatever the case may be, there is not a snowball’s chance in Hades that this works. Granted, I think both are good players. I do think Rubio will be a standout point guard, maybe not right away, but it will come with time. Remember, he played very well in the Olympics last year at 17 years old. I also want Johnny Flynn to be a great NBA player, despite his size. However, these two guys will not be effective on the court at the same time. While they are different players (Rubio more of a passer, Flynn more of a scorer) they both need the ball to be effective. Also, you’re asking Rubio to guard the 2-guard on the other team when he’s scrawny for a point guard. I like these players individually, but can’t see them playing together effectively.
Pick 7: Stephen Curry-Golden St. Warriors. The Warriors ripped out the collective hearts of Knicks fans all over the country with this pick. I already had visions in my mind of Curry playing D’Atoni’s offense with open looks all night long. More importantly I had visions of Lebron driving to the basket in a Knicks uniform. As Lebron drew defenders, Curry would be waiting at the 3 point line, all by himself. It was not to be. If the Warriors are keeping this pick, I’m not sure I understand it, as they now have a very small backcourt of Curry and Monte Ellis, neither one of them being a true point and both of them around the same size. If the Warriors follow through with getting Amare and send this pick to Phoenix, Steve Nash will make Curry look like a million bucks for years to come.
Pick 8: Jordan Hill-Knicks. I feel bad for the guy, getting booed by a crowd that has just become your own fans, for no fault of your own. While I initially wanted Curry, Johnny Flynn, Ricky Rubio, or even Ty Lawson, there are a few reasons why I don’t think this is a bad pick. 1. They passed on Jrue Holiday. I can’t believe the Knicks were entertaining picking a guy who played one year at UCLA and averaged about 8 points a game to be their point guard, when he didn’t play point guard at UCLA. 2. Hill fits the Knicks system. He needs to work on post moves, but is an athletic big man who likes to run the floor, the prototype for the Knicks offense. Not what I personally wanted, but not a terrible pick.
Pick 10: Brandon Jennings-Milwaukee Bucks. I’m not quite sure yet about whether Brandon Jennings and whether or not he’ll be a great NBA player. He’s a few years away from being a starting NBA point guard in my opinion. I have to imagine David Stern cringed when Jennings advised more players to skip college and go play overseas.
Pick 11: Terrance Williams-New Jersey Nets. He’s my sleeper of the draft. His shot’s a little inconsistent, but he plays D, can take the ball to the hole, handle the ball, and is an excellent passer. Him, Devin Harris, and Courtney Lee may not win many games, but they’ll fly up and down the court and be fun to watch.
Pick 13: Tyler Hansbrough-Indiana Pacers. A little bit of a reach here, and a bit of a shock to me and a few others I was watching the draft with. I’ll be honest, I don’t like watching him play. His eyes bugging out and never blinking frightens me, the way he throws himself into defenders and tosses the ball up at the basket is not fun to look at, I had a friend who told me the only thing fluid about his game was sweat, I agree with this wholeheartedly. Despite all that, I’m rooting for the guy to make it in the NBA. He has a good work ethic and I’d like to see him rewarded for that.
Ramblings from the rest of the draft: I cannot believe how far Dejuan Blair fell in the draft. The rumor is that his knees are in pretty bad shape. Whatever the case may be, the Spurs got a steal in the 2nd round getting him. This may actually be a blessing in disguise as he’ll get to play on a great team and may actually get some playing time there next year.
These are my thoughts on the draft, let me know what you think.
Pick 1: Blake Griffin-F-LA Clippers. While he’s the only can’t miss prospect of the draft, I can’t help but think that he’s been sentenced to Basketball purgatory where he can either play well enough to go elsewhere when his contract is up or where his career will ultimately perish. As of right now they have a crowded frontcourt including Chris Kaman, Zach Randolph, and Marcus Camby. If they’re able to get rid of one of those guys, then you’re looking at the Rookie of the Year.
Pick 2: Coming to a poster near you-Hasheem Thabeet! I’m sorry, but this guy has poster written all over him. He’s big, slow, has limited mobility, and won’t be able to camp out under the basket like he did in college. I can see the Lebron’s, Vince Carter’s, Jason Richardson’s of the league salivating when they see this guy under the basket. One of my least favorite sayings was said about Thabeet the other day, “well he’s 7’3 and you can’t teach height!” I wish this would apply to the work place as well, “Well you have your Master’s, you manage people well, you have plenty of experience, but that guy is tall so we’re going with him.” While that’s far-fetched, I just don’t understand why you take someone who isn’t skilled and whom Jay Bilas said the following, “I don’t think his offensive game is ever going to come around.”
Picks 5 and 6: Johnny Flynn and Ricky Rubio going to the T-Wolves. As I screamed in my apartment with innocent bystanders looking on, a few things came to mind with this pick: 1. The Wolves GM is drunk. 2. The Wolves GM lost a bet and had to take all point guard’s in the draft. 3. The Wolves GM was trying to win a bet and took all point guard’s in the draft. Whatever the case may be, there is not a snowball’s chance in Hades that this works. Granted, I think both are good players. I do think Rubio will be a standout point guard, maybe not right away, but it will come with time. Remember, he played very well in the Olympics last year at 17 years old. I also want Johnny Flynn to be a great NBA player, despite his size. However, these two guys will not be effective on the court at the same time. While they are different players (Rubio more of a passer, Flynn more of a scorer) they both need the ball to be effective. Also, you’re asking Rubio to guard the 2-guard on the other team when he’s scrawny for a point guard. I like these players individually, but can’t see them playing together effectively.
Pick 7: Stephen Curry-Golden St. Warriors. The Warriors ripped out the collective hearts of Knicks fans all over the country with this pick. I already had visions in my mind of Curry playing D’Atoni’s offense with open looks all night long. More importantly I had visions of Lebron driving to the basket in a Knicks uniform. As Lebron drew defenders, Curry would be waiting at the 3 point line, all by himself. It was not to be. If the Warriors are keeping this pick, I’m not sure I understand it, as they now have a very small backcourt of Curry and Monte Ellis, neither one of them being a true point and both of them around the same size. If the Warriors follow through with getting Amare and send this pick to Phoenix, Steve Nash will make Curry look like a million bucks for years to come.
Pick 8: Jordan Hill-Knicks. I feel bad for the guy, getting booed by a crowd that has just become your own fans, for no fault of your own. While I initially wanted Curry, Johnny Flynn, Ricky Rubio, or even Ty Lawson, there are a few reasons why I don’t think this is a bad pick. 1. They passed on Jrue Holiday. I can’t believe the Knicks were entertaining picking a guy who played one year at UCLA and averaged about 8 points a game to be their point guard, when he didn’t play point guard at UCLA. 2. Hill fits the Knicks system. He needs to work on post moves, but is an athletic big man who likes to run the floor, the prototype for the Knicks offense. Not what I personally wanted, but not a terrible pick.
Pick 10: Brandon Jennings-Milwaukee Bucks. I’m not quite sure yet about whether Brandon Jennings and whether or not he’ll be a great NBA player. He’s a few years away from being a starting NBA point guard in my opinion. I have to imagine David Stern cringed when Jennings advised more players to skip college and go play overseas.
Pick 11: Terrance Williams-New Jersey Nets. He’s my sleeper of the draft. His shot’s a little inconsistent, but he plays D, can take the ball to the hole, handle the ball, and is an excellent passer. Him, Devin Harris, and Courtney Lee may not win many games, but they’ll fly up and down the court and be fun to watch.
Pick 13: Tyler Hansbrough-Indiana Pacers. A little bit of a reach here, and a bit of a shock to me and a few others I was watching the draft with. I’ll be honest, I don’t like watching him play. His eyes bugging out and never blinking frightens me, the way he throws himself into defenders and tosses the ball up at the basket is not fun to look at, I had a friend who told me the only thing fluid about his game was sweat, I agree with this wholeheartedly. Despite all that, I’m rooting for the guy to make it in the NBA. He has a good work ethic and I’d like to see him rewarded for that.
Ramblings from the rest of the draft: I cannot believe how far Dejuan Blair fell in the draft. The rumor is that his knees are in pretty bad shape. Whatever the case may be, the Spurs got a steal in the 2nd round getting him. This may actually be a blessing in disguise as he’ll get to play on a great team and may actually get some playing time there next year.
These are my thoughts on the draft, let me know what you think.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Our 10 Favorite Players in Baseball
We’re back! Finally we’ve come back with a new post. This new post is our top ten favorite baseball players. Disclaimer, this is not the top ten best players in the game, but our ten favorite players. Because of my friend Matt Toogood “2 be true” you will see an absence of Philadelphia Phillies players. Sorry Matt. Anyways, I’ll let Danny explain his list. Here’s mine, you’ll see a striking similarity between both our lists.
Chris’ Honorable Mention:
Dustin Pedroia: I’ll be honest here, if he plays on a different team, he’s on my list.
Joba Chamberlin: This is a tale of two different players. Bullpen Joba who fistpumps, screams, throws up around 100 mph and is feared is on my top ten list. Starter Joba, who throws too many pitches, and is gone by the 4th inning is nowhere close.
Roy Oswalt: Roy throws hard, has an intimidating demeanor, and throws at Carlos Delgado pretty consistently. Who wouldn’t like that?
Lance Berkman: Hits for power, a good team player, is “wholesome.” I like him and Carlos Lee.
Russell Martin: Russell Martin JUST missed the top 10. I became a fan during last year’s All-Star game when he put on a defensive clinic behind the plate.
Chris’ Top 10 in no particular order.
1. Derek Jeter: Consummate professional. Cry all you want about, “well he doesn’t hit 40 HR’s!” I’ll take hitting over .300, gold gloves, 4 World Series rings and the title “Mr. November” any day of the week. He plays hard and at least for me, Jeter diving into the stands against the Red Sox in 2004 is a highlight that defines his career.
2. Mariano Rivera: This man has become the best post-season closer of all time, using one pitch. He’s dared hitters to hit the fastball and may have set a record for breaking most opponents’ bats.
3. Mark Texiera: Tex is the Yanks MVP of this season so far. If you’ve read this blog so far, than you know it’s not just the power numbers that give Tex’s value. His catlike reflexes and defensive ability have saved an incredible amount of runs. Meanwhile, Jason Giambi’s feet are still stuck in cement.
4. Albert Pujols: What’s not to like about Pujols? He hits for power, average, and in the clutch. He isn’t a poster-boy for steroids (has always been big). He’s wholesome, and helps people out in need. His homerun against Brad Lidge in the 2005 NLCS will be remembered for years to come.
5. Jose Reyes: A few years ago Peter Gammons said the following, “Jose Reyes hitting a triple is one of the most exciting things to watch in baseball.” Can’t say that I disagree with him. Despite an injury plagued season this year, Jose is electrifying on the basepaths
6. Joakim Soria: I’m going with a wildcard here. Soria is the best closer you’ve never heard of. I’ll be honest, I hadn’t seen him pitch since last year’s All-Star game. I saw him blow it by the league’s best hitters in the high 90’s and then change speeds dropping a 12 to 6 curveball in the high 60’s to low 70’s mph. A star in the making.
7. Josh Hamilton: The feel good story of the year. He can hit for power, average, and defend. While I often wonder what could have been, he can still hit over .300, over 30 HR’s and 120 RBI’s after a history of excessive drug use. Who wouldn’t applaud that?
8. Tim Lincecum: Tim Lincecum is an enigma. He probably weighs about 120 pounds wet and looks like he belongs at an emo concert rather than starting on a Major League pitching staff. He blows it by hitters with ease and is leading the NL in strikeouts this year. He’ll be a perennial all-star.
9. David Wright: While Reyes may be my favorite to watch on the Mets, I feel like Wright is the leader of the Mets. He does nothing poorly.
10. Carl Crawford: I considered either putting Crawford or his teammate “the human highlight reel” BJ Upton on here. I went with Crawford here. While they both are fun to watch on the field, Crawford edges him out at the plate and is a terror on the base paths.
Now, unlike Chris, I have no experience in making lists (Chris enjoys making grocery lists of females he would like to date on a regular basis…hence why he’s single). On the other hand, after careful consideration here is my “Top 10 List” in order:
1. Derek Jeter: In an era where everyone is tainted by steroids, Jeter has put in consist number over the past 13 years, and is well on his way to 3,000 hits. Beyond that he seems to be having another career year this year with a .305/9/30.
2. Albert Pujols: No pub, takes less salary to play for his original team, strikes fear in every pitcher the way my dad did me when would leave an empty sweet tea jug in the fridge.
3. Josh Hamilton: Sad that this year has been stolen by injuries, but beyond the numbers he sets and explain for everyone to follow and has provide the leadership the Rangers have need since Pudge left in 2003.
4. Mark Texiera: It’s funny how you don’t really appreciate a player until you see him play 50 times. “Tex” has an amazing glove, plays with heart and passion, and can tear the cover off the ball.
5. Ian Kinsler: 2B is a position that gets overlooked often, but Kinsler has hit the ball anywhere on the field, plays gold glove defense, and does it all with a smile on his face.
6. Matt Kemp: Young, plays the game right….in 3 years you will be looking at .320/40/120. Mark it down.
7. Mariano Rivera: “Everyone can hit a fastball…” except Mo’s cut fastball. Never shows anyone up after a save, takes responsibility when he messes up (rarely), and has dominated for the past 13 years.
8. Dustin Pedroia: Obviously he must be a stud given that a Yankee fan would put a Red Sox in his top 10…but I am a baseball fan more than a Yankee fan so. My favorite Red Sox player since “Nommmaaahhhh”.
9. Tim Lincecum: 5’11” and 170 lbs (I weighed 170 in the 7th grade but was 5’4”) and he makes big league hitters look like I did when I was 10 and got struck out/owned by this huge 11 year old bearded kid named Rory.
10. Johann Santana: Never gets run support yet seems to always put his team in a position to win. Should have been a Yankee instead of a second class Met.
Honorable Mention:
Chipper Jones: Brought back the high-sock look and should go into hall as the best switch hitter since Eddie Murray.
Lance Berkman: From Houston, went to Rice, and plays for the Astros now who he carried though the 2005 playoffs. Closing in on 1,000 RBI’s and is a career .299 hitter who you NEVER hear about.
JJ Hardy: Played against him in High School (just a little pat on the back)
Joe Mauer: On another level than every other catcher in baseball right now…on pace to hit .425/41/131. Are you kidding me?
Grady Sizemore: Rough year this year, but move him to 3-hole and he would drive in 130 and steal you 30 bases at the same time….plus I may name my first born son “Grady.”
Chris’ Honorable Mention:
Dustin Pedroia: I’ll be honest here, if he plays on a different team, he’s on my list.
Joba Chamberlin: This is a tale of two different players. Bullpen Joba who fistpumps, screams, throws up around 100 mph and is feared is on my top ten list. Starter Joba, who throws too many pitches, and is gone by the 4th inning is nowhere close.
Roy Oswalt: Roy throws hard, has an intimidating demeanor, and throws at Carlos Delgado pretty consistently. Who wouldn’t like that?
Lance Berkman: Hits for power, a good team player, is “wholesome.” I like him and Carlos Lee.
Russell Martin: Russell Martin JUST missed the top 10. I became a fan during last year’s All-Star game when he put on a defensive clinic behind the plate.
Chris’ Top 10 in no particular order.
1. Derek Jeter: Consummate professional. Cry all you want about, “well he doesn’t hit 40 HR’s!” I’ll take hitting over .300, gold gloves, 4 World Series rings and the title “Mr. November” any day of the week. He plays hard and at least for me, Jeter diving into the stands against the Red Sox in 2004 is a highlight that defines his career.
2. Mariano Rivera: This man has become the best post-season closer of all time, using one pitch. He’s dared hitters to hit the fastball and may have set a record for breaking most opponents’ bats.
3. Mark Texiera: Tex is the Yanks MVP of this season so far. If you’ve read this blog so far, than you know it’s not just the power numbers that give Tex’s value. His catlike reflexes and defensive ability have saved an incredible amount of runs. Meanwhile, Jason Giambi’s feet are still stuck in cement.
4. Albert Pujols: What’s not to like about Pujols? He hits for power, average, and in the clutch. He isn’t a poster-boy for steroids (has always been big). He’s wholesome, and helps people out in need. His homerun against Brad Lidge in the 2005 NLCS will be remembered for years to come.
5. Jose Reyes: A few years ago Peter Gammons said the following, “Jose Reyes hitting a triple is one of the most exciting things to watch in baseball.” Can’t say that I disagree with him. Despite an injury plagued season this year, Jose is electrifying on the basepaths
6. Joakim Soria: I’m going with a wildcard here. Soria is the best closer you’ve never heard of. I’ll be honest, I hadn’t seen him pitch since last year’s All-Star game. I saw him blow it by the league’s best hitters in the high 90’s and then change speeds dropping a 12 to 6 curveball in the high 60’s to low 70’s mph. A star in the making.
7. Josh Hamilton: The feel good story of the year. He can hit for power, average, and defend. While I often wonder what could have been, he can still hit over .300, over 30 HR’s and 120 RBI’s after a history of excessive drug use. Who wouldn’t applaud that?
8. Tim Lincecum: Tim Lincecum is an enigma. He probably weighs about 120 pounds wet and looks like he belongs at an emo concert rather than starting on a Major League pitching staff. He blows it by hitters with ease and is leading the NL in strikeouts this year. He’ll be a perennial all-star.
9. David Wright: While Reyes may be my favorite to watch on the Mets, I feel like Wright is the leader of the Mets. He does nothing poorly.
10. Carl Crawford: I considered either putting Crawford or his teammate “the human highlight reel” BJ Upton on here. I went with Crawford here. While they both are fun to watch on the field, Crawford edges him out at the plate and is a terror on the base paths.
Now, unlike Chris, I have no experience in making lists (Chris enjoys making grocery lists of females he would like to date on a regular basis…hence why he’s single). On the other hand, after careful consideration here is my “Top 10 List” in order:
1. Derek Jeter: In an era where everyone is tainted by steroids, Jeter has put in consist number over the past 13 years, and is well on his way to 3,000 hits. Beyond that he seems to be having another career year this year with a .305/9/30.
2. Albert Pujols: No pub, takes less salary to play for his original team, strikes fear in every pitcher the way my dad did me when would leave an empty sweet tea jug in the fridge.
3. Josh Hamilton: Sad that this year has been stolen by injuries, but beyond the numbers he sets and explain for everyone to follow and has provide the leadership the Rangers have need since Pudge left in 2003.
4. Mark Texiera: It’s funny how you don’t really appreciate a player until you see him play 50 times. “Tex” has an amazing glove, plays with heart and passion, and can tear the cover off the ball.
5. Ian Kinsler: 2B is a position that gets overlooked often, but Kinsler has hit the ball anywhere on the field, plays gold glove defense, and does it all with a smile on his face.
6. Matt Kemp: Young, plays the game right….in 3 years you will be looking at .320/40/120. Mark it down.
7. Mariano Rivera: “Everyone can hit a fastball…” except Mo’s cut fastball. Never shows anyone up after a save, takes responsibility when he messes up (rarely), and has dominated for the past 13 years.
8. Dustin Pedroia: Obviously he must be a stud given that a Yankee fan would put a Red Sox in his top 10…but I am a baseball fan more than a Yankee fan so. My favorite Red Sox player since “Nommmaaahhhh”.
9. Tim Lincecum: 5’11” and 170 lbs (I weighed 170 in the 7th grade but was 5’4”) and he makes big league hitters look like I did when I was 10 and got struck out/owned by this huge 11 year old bearded kid named Rory.
10. Johann Santana: Never gets run support yet seems to always put his team in a position to win. Should have been a Yankee instead of a second class Met.
Honorable Mention:
Chipper Jones: Brought back the high-sock look and should go into hall as the best switch hitter since Eddie Murray.
Lance Berkman: From Houston, went to Rice, and plays for the Astros now who he carried though the 2005 playoffs. Closing in on 1,000 RBI’s and is a career .299 hitter who you NEVER hear about.
JJ Hardy: Played against him in High School (just a little pat on the back)
Joe Mauer: On another level than every other catcher in baseball right now…on pace to hit .425/41/131. Are you kidding me?
Grady Sizemore: Rough year this year, but move him to 3-hole and he would drive in 130 and steal you 30 bases at the same time….plus I may name my first born son “Grady.”
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Role Players and Predictions
Role Players. An undervalue aspect of the game of basketball that have severely impacted the Western Conference and Eastern Conference finals. Here’s the issue, no player ever grows up dreaming of being just another guy on the team who comes in for 10-15 minutes a game, hits a few shots and fulfills his assigned role. These players who fulfill all the little nuances of the game make it seem ordinary, something we all dread being. We all dream of being extraordinary, the one who hits the game winning shot, is adored by millions, has their own sneaker, and will be remembered for years to come. These stars are everything a child wants to be as they religiously practice Allen Iverson’s crossover on the playground, attempt Michael Jordan’s layup where he switches hands in mid-air, or daydream a scenario where they have the ball in a last second situation. In this day dream the role players are on the bench, rebounding their miss, or setting a screen for them, but they are not the center of attention. While these role players are not the players whose jerseys we wear or who we would pick in a fantasy draft, they have shaped both conference finals. In the east, Orlando leads their series not just because of the play of Hedo Turkgalou or Dwight Howard, but because their role players have answered the call. Rafer Alston, Michael Pietrus, Rashard Lewis (who’s not quite a role player, but still), Courtney Lee, and Anthony Johnson, have provided clutch shooting, defense and hustle when their team has needed it. They have made Cleveland pay for doubling Dwight Howard and for not recovering quick enough on defense. Conversely, Cleveland’s role players have turned this series in the Lebron show with their inability to provide help on offense. Mo Williams was an all-star this year, and carries himself with all-star like swagger as if to say, “that’s right, I’m Mo Williams” on the court but his inability to do the little things and hit open shots is a primary reason why his team is suffering from a 3-2 deficit.
Here’s the big issue, we live in a superstar driven society. Everyone wants to be the one hitting the last minute shot; no one wants to be the one defending it, making the pass or setting the screen. In baseball, we all want to hit the home run, but no one aspires to be the one bunting the runner over, being the situational reliever who’s come in to get the tough lefty, or be the Catcher studying the opposing hitters in order to call the game for the pitcher. The problem is, superstars don’t win championships, great teams do. Michael Jordan won 6 championships; however, it wasn’t until he got some help on offense (Pippen), big men to do the dirty work (Horace Grant/Rodman), some outsider shooters (John Paxson, Steve Kerr, B. J. Armstrong, etc.) and a coach to implement a winning system (Phil Jackson) that they won a championship. In 2004, the Lakers had one of the greatest teams ever assembled, with 4 hall of famers in starting lineup (Shaq, Kobe, Karl Malone, and Gary Payton). They squared off against the Pistons who featured Chauncey Billups (playing on his 6th or 7th team at this point, whom Rick Patino said would never be a good starting NBA point guard), Rip Hamilton (whom Michael Jordan traded out of Washington for an aging Jerry Stackhouse), Ben Wallace (played a D2 school and was not drafted), and Tayshaun Prince, whom prior to that year most people would have looked at and said, “that scrawny guy is an NBA player.” While the Lakers had the star power, they played selfishly. Detroit played defense, knew their roles, played within a system and had hustle players off the bench, they took the series in 5 games.
So we lift our glasses to the role players, the hard workers of the sport, who wait patiently for their opportunities but prepare for them with countless hours in the gym, shooting jump shots, studying game tape etc. You do not get the recognition you deserve, but great teams are built on your hard work.
Before I end, here are some predictions I’d like to make:
-the Lakers will take the NBA Finals in 5 games.
-Raul Ibanez will finish with less than 40 HR’s. He’ll stay hot, but teams will pitch differently to him in the second half.
-The Blue Jays will finish below .500.
-The Mets will get make a move to get some help on offense, but will fail to make the playoffs again.
-Stephen Curry will be taken by the Knicks with the 8th pick (I know this one is not a shocker). However, he will average somewhere 15-20 points per game. In D’Antoni’s offense he will always have the “green light” and will take full advantage of that, firing three pointer after three pointer.
-Write this one down, the Cardinals are my sleeper pick right now to appear in the World Series. They play smart baseball and have had great pitching so far. I’m interested to see how they play against the Phillies and Dodgers this year.
-Finally, the Magic will beat the Cavs tonight in Orlando. Home court and a burnt out Lebron will be too much for the Cavs to overcome.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
A REBUKE and Some Random Confessions
I must confess, writing a blog at this time of year is hard. It’s difficult to narrow down your topic with so many great ones out there: steroids, the surging Yankees and Rangers, the Canadian League playoffs (hockey), the NBA Lottery, the NBA playoffs, NFL mini camps. It’s like sending a fat kid (me) into Cold Stone Creamery and telling him he can only have one “mix-in.” I REBUKE this mindset and as a result here are my random thoughts /confessions:
• The recent revelation that Manny Ramirez took steroids has caused shock across the baseball world once again. Now, I am an optimist by nature, but one question popped into my mind: “Why are we shocked?” Manny completely fits the profile. And by profile I mean the following:
o A player who seems to defy his age by getting better as he gets older, or…
o A player who suddenly produces All-Star caliber numbers after year of futility, or….
o A player who seems to have an inability to stay off the disabled list (most likely with ligament problems, or….
o Players with sudden and drastic drop offs after random steroid testing began, or….
o Had a substantial physical change over a short period of time.
Don’t believe me…look at those players we KNOW used steroids:
o Clemens---Defied age
o Bonds--- Defied age, physical change
o Manny- Defying age
o Ken Caminiti- Ligament problems, physical change
o Palmerio- Defied age
o Giambi- Injuries
o A-Rod- Defying age
o Jason Grimsely- Sudden All Star
o Brett Boone- Sudden All Star---not to mention 144 RBI’s one year…WHAT?!?! And a physical change
With all this stated, many are throwing an asterisk on this era from 1994-200?, but I caution against that mind set. This era has given us some of the greatest players of all-time and in light of the fact that they played in a generation that was cheating, makes them all the more unbelievable. Players such as:
1. Ken Griffey Jr.---the mark of consistency (over 600 home runs)….got hurt in freak injuries (wrist in ’96, Knee in ’00-’02), and has had a physical change, but that’s because he looks more like The Pillsbury Doughboy now.
2. Cal Ripken Jr.- The Iron Man…over 3000 hits, 2 time MVP…age slowly wore him down rather than the other way around.
3. Greg Maddux- Please don’t tell me that 85 mph puss was on the juice as he rolled to 355 victories, while wearing some sweet spectacles: http://z.about.com/d/baseball/1/0/e/M/-/-/maddux96celeb.jpg
4. Derek Jeter- Like Cal, is slowly deteriorating from age and is considerably slower than he once was, but buy the end, he will amass over 3000 hits, 400 SBs, 2 Gold Gloves, and at least 4 World Championships.
5. Lastly, Albert Pujols---When his career comes to an end there is a realistic chance that we all will have witnessed one of the 5 greatest EVER to play the game. His number over his first 8 years are untouchable by EVERYONE, and he would probably have 3 more MVPs if it wasn’t for the aforementioned Bonds. Now I know what you are thinking…”Look at Albert, he’s huge, and didn’t he have elbow problems?” But if you go back to our criteria, Albert hasn’t had a physical change, has rebounded from the elbow, and has had consistent stats for his first 8 season. Like I said, I am an optimist….please Albert, don’t let me down…be for real.
• Next, The ThugBA Lottery
I want to thank Chris and Mark Cuban for pointing out that each TBA roster looks more like a lineup you would see at NYPD than a lineup you want to watch on your TV. How can ANY respectable league use a gimmick to determine its draft order? No seriously, imagine if the 11-5 Patriots who missed the playoffs would have “won” the first pick in the NFL draft, while the winless Lions got the 4th pick. No wonder the Clips, Raptors, Knicks, Grizzlies, etc. can’t seem to build a team. With that said, I would like to officially announce my favorite NBA team to be the Knicks.
• TBA Playoff Predictions:
o Nuggets over the Lakers in 7--- Denver is 26-3 at home over their last 29…they just to steal one game in LA. Look for Kenyan “Don’t talk to my Momma” Martin to put Gasol on his back.
o Cavs over Orlando in 5---Too much mojo going for the Cavs.
• Random side notes:
o Congrats to Kris Allen for winning American Idol. America my faith in you is restored. Adam Lambert your screaming will make you a star in “Saw XXV”
o Jack Bauer beaten by a comma…are you kidding me?
o The Biggest Loser inspires me to gain about 100 pounds eating Velveeta and then try to lose it on the show. Not sure that’s the goal of the show.
• The recent revelation that Manny Ramirez took steroids has caused shock across the baseball world once again. Now, I am an optimist by nature, but one question popped into my mind: “Why are we shocked?” Manny completely fits the profile. And by profile I mean the following:
o A player who seems to defy his age by getting better as he gets older, or…
o A player who suddenly produces All-Star caliber numbers after year of futility, or….
o A player who seems to have an inability to stay off the disabled list (most likely with ligament problems, or….
o Players with sudden and drastic drop offs after random steroid testing began, or….
o Had a substantial physical change over a short period of time.
Don’t believe me…look at those players we KNOW used steroids:
o Clemens---Defied age
o Bonds--- Defied age, physical change
o Manny- Defying age
o Ken Caminiti- Ligament problems, physical change
o Palmerio- Defied age
o Giambi- Injuries
o A-Rod- Defying age
o Jason Grimsely- Sudden All Star
o Brett Boone- Sudden All Star---not to mention 144 RBI’s one year…WHAT?!?! And a physical change
With all this stated, many are throwing an asterisk on this era from 1994-200?, but I caution against that mind set. This era has given us some of the greatest players of all-time and in light of the fact that they played in a generation that was cheating, makes them all the more unbelievable. Players such as:
1. Ken Griffey Jr.---the mark of consistency (over 600 home runs)….got hurt in freak injuries (wrist in ’96, Knee in ’00-’02), and has had a physical change, but that’s because he looks more like The Pillsbury Doughboy now.
2. Cal Ripken Jr.- The Iron Man…over 3000 hits, 2 time MVP…age slowly wore him down rather than the other way around.
3. Greg Maddux- Please don’t tell me that 85 mph puss was on the juice as he rolled to 355 victories, while wearing some sweet spectacles: http://z.about.com/d/baseball/1/0/e/M/-/-/maddux96celeb.jpg
4. Derek Jeter- Like Cal, is slowly deteriorating from age and is considerably slower than he once was, but buy the end, he will amass over 3000 hits, 400 SBs, 2 Gold Gloves, and at least 4 World Championships.
5. Lastly, Albert Pujols---When his career comes to an end there is a realistic chance that we all will have witnessed one of the 5 greatest EVER to play the game. His number over his first 8 years are untouchable by EVERYONE, and he would probably have 3 more MVPs if it wasn’t for the aforementioned Bonds. Now I know what you are thinking…”Look at Albert, he’s huge, and didn’t he have elbow problems?” But if you go back to our criteria, Albert hasn’t had a physical change, has rebounded from the elbow, and has had consistent stats for his first 8 season. Like I said, I am an optimist….please Albert, don’t let me down…be for real.
• Next, The ThugBA Lottery
I want to thank Chris and Mark Cuban for pointing out that each TBA roster looks more like a lineup you would see at NYPD than a lineup you want to watch on your TV. How can ANY respectable league use a gimmick to determine its draft order? No seriously, imagine if the 11-5 Patriots who missed the playoffs would have “won” the first pick in the NFL draft, while the winless Lions got the 4th pick. No wonder the Clips, Raptors, Knicks, Grizzlies, etc. can’t seem to build a team. With that said, I would like to officially announce my favorite NBA team to be the Knicks.
• TBA Playoff Predictions:
o Nuggets over the Lakers in 7--- Denver is 26-3 at home over their last 29…they just to steal one game in LA. Look for Kenyan “Don’t talk to my Momma” Martin to put Gasol on his back.
o Cavs over Orlando in 5---Too much mojo going for the Cavs.
• Random side notes:
o Congrats to Kris Allen for winning American Idol. America my faith in you is restored. Adam Lambert your screaming will make you a star in “Saw XXV”
o Jack Bauer beaten by a comma…are you kidding me?
o The Biggest Loser inspires me to gain about 100 pounds eating Velveeta and then try to lose it on the show. Not sure that’s the goal of the show.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Welcome Back
Hello friends. It seems as if my good friend Danny is not going to be faithful to this blog. I'm a little shaken by this, but will continue to post for my faithful readers. On today's agenda, the NBA playoffs, a Yankees update, and other topics. Here we go.
-Brett Farve. I'll be honest, I'm fine whether he stays or goes. I'm tired of what I will call the "Twitter Effect." I realize that 50 percent of my audience my very likely use Twitter and while I would hate to lose all 5.5 of you I ask that you hear me out. Twitter is a social networking tool used to give updates, much like a facebook status. While I don't mind Twitter, I'm tired of Sportscenter being used as Brett Farve's personal Twitter. For example, "Farve to meet with Vikings today," "Farve to meet with Dr. James Andrews today," "Farve feels good after throwing with high school team in Mississipi," "Farve to petition NFL to play in Wrangler jeans." As you could tell, I really could care less about the day to day activities of Brett Farve. Tell me if he's staying or going when he makes that decision. In the meantime, cover everything else going on in the World of Sports.
-Can I just say that I'm tired of owners being over involved in their teams? I realize that as a Cowboys and Yankees fan, my teams are arguably two of the worst offenders (that does not mean I endorse those owners actions). I just have a simple request for Mark Cuban: Just put the best team you can on the floor, support them, and get out of the way. Leave Kenyon Martin and his mother alone. Is Denver a bunch of thugs? Probably. Just remember during these times that you have Josh Howard on your team who apparently has no problem with smoking marijuana and not standing for the national anthem, and relax.
-On to the rest of the NBA. I predicted today that Clevland will sweep Orlando. Orlando did impress against Boston, but I still don't see them as a great team. Dwight Howard is still limited if you slow the game down in the post, they will not shoot the lights out from 3 every night, Rashad Lewis plays like he has a spine only 40 % (estimated) of the time, and I find it hard to believe that Hedo Turkgalou will have 25 pts and 12 ast being guarded by King James.
-As much as I'd like to see Denver win, I'm still calling for the Lakers in 7. They have great depth, have a lot of roll players, and I would not bet against Kobe in the 4th quarter. Carmelo must have the series of his life (as of this writing he has 39 pts in Game 1) not only on offense, but he must dig down deep and play some D against Kobe.
-Onto the Yankees. My good friend James left a massive comment on my last post on why I should be worried about the Yankees. Since then, they have won 7 straight, Tex has caught fire and made some clutch deffensive plays, A-Rod has homered in 4 games straight, Phil Coke has emerged from the bullpen, C.C. Sabathia has settled down, Johnny Damon is sitll on fire, oh and to make matters worse, Big Papi has become Big Poopy. James, while the Rays and Sox had great years last year, remember that the Yankees went most of that year without their 1st, 4th, and 5th starters, Joba got hurt in august, A-Rod was out for awhile, Posada and Matsui went down in May (Matsui was leading the league in batting average before he got hurt). While I'm not taking away anything from the Rays or Red Sox, injuries played a huge roll in the Yankees demise last season. Looking at the standings currently, it should be a very interesting August and Septemeber for the AL East. I'm not sure if I'm sold on the Blue Jays yet, but then again, I said that about the Rays this time last year. However, with C.C. settled down, Tex and A-Rod killing the ball, Johnny Damon playing out of his mind, and Brian Bruney and Chien Ming-Wang making their returns soon, I like our chances.
Until next time, these are my confessions......
-Brett Farve. I'll be honest, I'm fine whether he stays or goes. I'm tired of what I will call the "Twitter Effect." I realize that 50 percent of my audience my very likely use Twitter and while I would hate to lose all 5.5 of you I ask that you hear me out. Twitter is a social networking tool used to give updates, much like a facebook status. While I don't mind Twitter, I'm tired of Sportscenter being used as Brett Farve's personal Twitter. For example, "Farve to meet with Vikings today," "Farve to meet with Dr. James Andrews today," "Farve feels good after throwing with high school team in Mississipi," "Farve to petition NFL to play in Wrangler jeans." As you could tell, I really could care less about the day to day activities of Brett Farve. Tell me if he's staying or going when he makes that decision. In the meantime, cover everything else going on in the World of Sports.
-Can I just say that I'm tired of owners being over involved in their teams? I realize that as a Cowboys and Yankees fan, my teams are arguably two of the worst offenders (that does not mean I endorse those owners actions). I just have a simple request for Mark Cuban: Just put the best team you can on the floor, support them, and get out of the way. Leave Kenyon Martin and his mother alone. Is Denver a bunch of thugs? Probably. Just remember during these times that you have Josh Howard on your team who apparently has no problem with smoking marijuana and not standing for the national anthem, and relax.
-On to the rest of the NBA. I predicted today that Clevland will sweep Orlando. Orlando did impress against Boston, but I still don't see them as a great team. Dwight Howard is still limited if you slow the game down in the post, they will not shoot the lights out from 3 every night, Rashad Lewis plays like he has a spine only 40 % (estimated) of the time, and I find it hard to believe that Hedo Turkgalou will have 25 pts and 12 ast being guarded by King James.
-As much as I'd like to see Denver win, I'm still calling for the Lakers in 7. They have great depth, have a lot of roll players, and I would not bet against Kobe in the 4th quarter. Carmelo must have the series of his life (as of this writing he has 39 pts in Game 1) not only on offense, but he must dig down deep and play some D against Kobe.
-Onto the Yankees. My good friend James left a massive comment on my last post on why I should be worried about the Yankees. Since then, they have won 7 straight, Tex has caught fire and made some clutch deffensive plays, A-Rod has homered in 4 games straight, Phil Coke has emerged from the bullpen, C.C. Sabathia has settled down, Johnny Damon is sitll on fire, oh and to make matters worse, Big Papi has become Big Poopy. James, while the Rays and Sox had great years last year, remember that the Yankees went most of that year without their 1st, 4th, and 5th starters, Joba got hurt in august, A-Rod was out for awhile, Posada and Matsui went down in May (Matsui was leading the league in batting average before he got hurt). While I'm not taking away anything from the Rays or Red Sox, injuries played a huge roll in the Yankees demise last season. Looking at the standings currently, it should be a very interesting August and Septemeber for the AL East. I'm not sure if I'm sold on the Blue Jays yet, but then again, I said that about the Rays this time last year. However, with C.C. settled down, Tex and A-Rod killing the ball, Johnny Damon playing out of his mind, and Brian Bruney and Chien Ming-Wang making their returns soon, I like our chances.
Until next time, these are my confessions......
Thursday, May 7, 2009
The State of the Yankees
Emotional Overreaction. It's a staple in the sports world. For example, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant or Dwayne Wade having a phenomenal game and being called "the Next Jordan." The Detroit Tigers of 2008 being dubbed the "greatest offense ever assembled" and then finishing in 4th place in the AL Central. NY Giants fans calling for Tom Caughlin's and Eli Manning's head on a platter only to be worshiping the ground they walk on after winning them a Superbowl. Or even, the fan sitting in the bleachers in Major League 2, who loves the Indians when they're doing well and hates them when they're doing poorly, my friend Nate can sympathize.
It seems as if this same emotional overreaction is happening with my beloved Yankees. ESPN has called for Girardi's job, questioned the money spent in the offseason on Mark Texiera and C.C. Sabathia and have crticized their record, which is a game under .500. Despite all this, I'm not worried, and here's why:
-This happens every year. The Yankees as a whole tend to start out slow, and continued that trend by signing two slow starters who generally dominate in the second half. I'm reminded of an article I read on ESPN 2 years ago. The article was written in May and stated that mathmatically, there wold be no way the Yankees made the playoffs. They ended up going to the playoffs that year after a phenomenal second half.
-They are not at 100 percent. Sometime next week, A-Rod will be back in the lineup. Despite being a poster boy for the NY tabloids, the center of scandal, and being absolutley terrified of the post-season, the man produces runs and will allow Tex to have some protection in the lineup. Even if he starts out cold, the Yankees 3B combined have 0 home runs right now, the sky is the limit. Also, Posada will return from his injury and has put up good numbers so far. Not to mention Brian Bruney, who throws gas and settled into the setup role nicely and Demaso Marte, although I'm not sure how excited I am about that one.
-Joba showed signs of life the other night. I love Joba, however, I love him in the bullpen. With the lack of starting pitching right now, I understand that Joba will be kept in the rotation, while I don't think this is the ideal spot for him, I would love to see him succeed. A few nights ago, Joba gave up 4 runs in the first inning, but then rebounded by striking out the next 9 batters in a row. If he could put together consistent starts, (keeping his pitch count low, staying under control, etc.) I think I could be on board for him in the rotation.
I'll keep this post short, Danny has some reasons of his own as well. Anyways, I'm going to go on continuing my summer and have hope. These are my confessions....
It seems as if this same emotional overreaction is happening with my beloved Yankees. ESPN has called for Girardi's job, questioned the money spent in the offseason on Mark Texiera and C.C. Sabathia and have crticized their record, which is a game under .500. Despite all this, I'm not worried, and here's why:
-This happens every year. The Yankees as a whole tend to start out slow, and continued that trend by signing two slow starters who generally dominate in the second half. I'm reminded of an article I read on ESPN 2 years ago. The article was written in May and stated that mathmatically, there wold be no way the Yankees made the playoffs. They ended up going to the playoffs that year after a phenomenal second half.
-They are not at 100 percent. Sometime next week, A-Rod will be back in the lineup. Despite being a poster boy for the NY tabloids, the center of scandal, and being absolutley terrified of the post-season, the man produces runs and will allow Tex to have some protection in the lineup. Even if he starts out cold, the Yankees 3B combined have 0 home runs right now, the sky is the limit. Also, Posada will return from his injury and has put up good numbers so far. Not to mention Brian Bruney, who throws gas and settled into the setup role nicely and Demaso Marte, although I'm not sure how excited I am about that one.
-Joba showed signs of life the other night. I love Joba, however, I love him in the bullpen. With the lack of starting pitching right now, I understand that Joba will be kept in the rotation, while I don't think this is the ideal spot for him, I would love to see him succeed. A few nights ago, Joba gave up 4 runs in the first inning, but then rebounded by striking out the next 9 batters in a row. If he could put together consistent starts, (keeping his pitch count low, staying under control, etc.) I think I could be on board for him in the rotation.
I'll keep this post short, Danny has some reasons of his own as well. Anyways, I'm going to go on continuing my summer and have hope. These are my confessions....
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Get Real and thoughts on baseball....
DJ,
Judging by the title of my post you might see that I have some disagreements with your post. I have an issue with the aspect of the playoffs being "predictable." You refer to the 80's and 90's as the "glory days" of basketball. While I don't disagree with you, I feel like the playoffs were more predictable then. In the 90's, the Bulls went every year that Jordan played (much to my heart break, I hate watching that highlight of Jordan spinning around Starks and dunking on Ewing) In the 80's, the Lakers won 5 championships and the Celtics won 3. Call this year predictable with the Lakers and Cavs being picked by pretty much everyone, but you can't say its any more predictable than at least the 90's. Plus, the 2000's have provided plenty of memories of unpredictable momments, here are some:
-The Nets miracle runs in 2002 and 2003 to the Finals. Outside of Jason Kidd, name one player on that Nets team that has "Star" written on him. With that there was the outstanding Eastern Confrence Finals in 2002 between the Nets and Celtics, including Game 4, where Paul Pierce single handedly brough the Celtics back from down 20 in the fourth to win the game.
-The Pistons miracle finals victory over the Lakers in 2004. This team had Chauncey Billups, Tayshaun Prince and Rip Hamilton. Players who are stars now, but whom no one cared about back then, Billups was on his 6th team at this point and seemed destined to be an NBA journeyman. This team overtook a Kobe and Shaq Lakers who had just one 3 championships with the exact same team plus Gary Payton and Karl Malone.
-While one of our friends would hate these next two. First, there's Dwayne Wade, dominating the Mavericks in Game 3 of the Finals as the Mavs were up in the series 2-0, and up 13 in that game with 6 minutes to go. Closing out that game would have probably meant the end of the series for Miami. Second, there's the 2007 playoffs where the 8 seed Golden State Warriors (who clinched their spot the last day of the season) defeated a 68 win 1 seed and defending Western Confrence Champion Dallas Mavericks, only the 2nd time in NBA history this happened (First was the Knicks in 1999 over the heat).
-Also in the 2007 playoffs, was Lebron's coming of age against the Pistons. I'll let you Youtube Game 5 of the Eastern Confrence Finals that year. Where Lebron scored Clevland's last 25 points on the road and led them to victory in overtime.
These are just some I can think of off the top of my head. I laughed when I saw the Thug Basketball Association, but I still maintain this is a professional athlete problem, rahter than a baksebtall player problem. Last I checked, Rae Carruth, Lenoard Little, Marvin Harrison, Michael Vick, Ray Lewis (debatable), Juan Uribe, Urgeth Urbina, Lawrence Phillips, and Albert Belle have never played a minute in the NBA. Vick apparently isn't a fan of dogs. Belle and Phillips aren't a fan of children (Belle tried to run some down with his car, Phillips assaulted some after playing pickup football with them...unfortunatley, I'm not making this up), and the rest apparently aren't fans of the human race.
After a good conversation with my friend Jake, I agree with you about NBA rivalries. For some reason they have a short shelf-life. They seem to be white hot for about 5 years or so and then dissapear. Knicks-Pacers gave way to Knicks-Heat which gave way to the Knicks being the laughing stock of the NBA. Even the Cavs-Pistons, which had become such a good one in the past few years, has faded as the Pistons start to ride off into the sunset. (Although I will say, Bill Simmons did right an article about the current Bulls-Celtics series developoing into a rilvarly, you should check it out) This does prove that the NBA is much more of an "individualistic" sport, where there's a lot of one on one. Cowboys-Redskins, Yankees-Red Sox, Duke-Carolina, Ohio St.-Michigan, Texas-Oklahoma, and a few others will be blazing hot rilvalries, no matter which players play, or how much time goes on. Finally something we can agree on :)
Enough with the NBA. While I'm not in panic mode yet, there are some areas of the Yankees that have me worried:
1. Chien-Ming Wang pulling a Rick Vaughn at the beginning of Major League 2 and getting smacked around by everyone. A stint in the Minors would do him some good to work on his mechanics.
2. Joba Chamberlin being in the rotation. Here's a guy who's lights out in the bullpen, can hit triple digits in velocity when in the bullpen, and could be groomed to be the closer. As a starter, he's hit or miss, walks a lot of batters, and throws way too many pitches. Put him in the bullpen, let him get that ERA lower than his blood alchohol level and he'll dominate.
3. Brian Bruney. This guy may be one of the most talented releivers the common fan has never heard of. Why? Because he's ALWAYS getting hurt. Just when he was settling in as the setup guy, unbelieveable.
4. Xavier Nady getting hurt. While he's not an outstanding player. He did have 25 HR's and 97 RBI's last year and was in a contract year and he plays well under the pressure of NYC. It's a shame.
I will try to focus on the positive.....
1. The emergence of Nick Swisher. I'll be completley honest, I did not see this one coming. After an off year last year in Chicago, and being a bit of a strikeout king, he is killing the ball into New York, and has already seemed to become a "New York guy" the fans will latch onto this guy quick, they're still trying with A-Rod....
2. A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettite. Outside of yesterday's start agaisnt the Sox, both pitchers had been pretty consistent, Burnett's ERA is a bit inflated after yesterday's start, but through the first 4 innings his stuff looked excellent. If he can maintain that, he'll have a great year. Pettite right now has a 2.53 ERA and is 2-0, lets hope he can keep turning back the clock.
3. The return of A-Rod. This is more for the New York papers, they've gotten bored and need something fun to right about, A-Rod's personal life is good for that. Oh yeah, he's actually not that bad at the plate too.
4. Phillip Hughes? I put a question mark by his name because I'm not sure when we'll see him. Call me crazy, but I still believe he can be a great major league pitcher. He pitched hurt when he got to pitch last year, and the year before, it looked like he had the makings of being the next big thing. I'm looking forward to seeing him again.
These are my confessions, let me know what you think.....
Judging by the title of my post you might see that I have some disagreements with your post. I have an issue with the aspect of the playoffs being "predictable." You refer to the 80's and 90's as the "glory days" of basketball. While I don't disagree with you, I feel like the playoffs were more predictable then. In the 90's, the Bulls went every year that Jordan played (much to my heart break, I hate watching that highlight of Jordan spinning around Starks and dunking on Ewing) In the 80's, the Lakers won 5 championships and the Celtics won 3. Call this year predictable with the Lakers and Cavs being picked by pretty much everyone, but you can't say its any more predictable than at least the 90's. Plus, the 2000's have provided plenty of memories of unpredictable momments, here are some:
-The Nets miracle runs in 2002 and 2003 to the Finals. Outside of Jason Kidd, name one player on that Nets team that has "Star" written on him. With that there was the outstanding Eastern Confrence Finals in 2002 between the Nets and Celtics, including Game 4, where Paul Pierce single handedly brough the Celtics back from down 20 in the fourth to win the game.
-The Pistons miracle finals victory over the Lakers in 2004. This team had Chauncey Billups, Tayshaun Prince and Rip Hamilton. Players who are stars now, but whom no one cared about back then, Billups was on his 6th team at this point and seemed destined to be an NBA journeyman. This team overtook a Kobe and Shaq Lakers who had just one 3 championships with the exact same team plus Gary Payton and Karl Malone.
-While one of our friends would hate these next two. First, there's Dwayne Wade, dominating the Mavericks in Game 3 of the Finals as the Mavs were up in the series 2-0, and up 13 in that game with 6 minutes to go. Closing out that game would have probably meant the end of the series for Miami. Second, there's the 2007 playoffs where the 8 seed Golden State Warriors (who clinched their spot the last day of the season) defeated a 68 win 1 seed and defending Western Confrence Champion Dallas Mavericks, only the 2nd time in NBA history this happened (First was the Knicks in 1999 over the heat).
-Also in the 2007 playoffs, was Lebron's coming of age against the Pistons. I'll let you Youtube Game 5 of the Eastern Confrence Finals that year. Where Lebron scored Clevland's last 25 points on the road and led them to victory in overtime.
These are just some I can think of off the top of my head. I laughed when I saw the Thug Basketball Association, but I still maintain this is a professional athlete problem, rahter than a baksebtall player problem. Last I checked, Rae Carruth, Lenoard Little, Marvin Harrison, Michael Vick, Ray Lewis (debatable), Juan Uribe, Urgeth Urbina, Lawrence Phillips, and Albert Belle have never played a minute in the NBA. Vick apparently isn't a fan of dogs. Belle and Phillips aren't a fan of children (Belle tried to run some down with his car, Phillips assaulted some after playing pickup football with them...unfortunatley, I'm not making this up), and the rest apparently aren't fans of the human race.
After a good conversation with my friend Jake, I agree with you about NBA rivalries. For some reason they have a short shelf-life. They seem to be white hot for about 5 years or so and then dissapear. Knicks-Pacers gave way to Knicks-Heat which gave way to the Knicks being the laughing stock of the NBA. Even the Cavs-Pistons, which had become such a good one in the past few years, has faded as the Pistons start to ride off into the sunset. (Although I will say, Bill Simmons did right an article about the current Bulls-Celtics series developoing into a rilvarly, you should check it out) This does prove that the NBA is much more of an "individualistic" sport, where there's a lot of one on one. Cowboys-Redskins, Yankees-Red Sox, Duke-Carolina, Ohio St.-Michigan, Texas-Oklahoma, and a few others will be blazing hot rilvalries, no matter which players play, or how much time goes on. Finally something we can agree on :)
Enough with the NBA. While I'm not in panic mode yet, there are some areas of the Yankees that have me worried:
1. Chien-Ming Wang pulling a Rick Vaughn at the beginning of Major League 2 and getting smacked around by everyone. A stint in the Minors would do him some good to work on his mechanics.
2. Joba Chamberlin being in the rotation. Here's a guy who's lights out in the bullpen, can hit triple digits in velocity when in the bullpen, and could be groomed to be the closer. As a starter, he's hit or miss, walks a lot of batters, and throws way too many pitches. Put him in the bullpen, let him get that ERA lower than his blood alchohol level and he'll dominate.
3. Brian Bruney. This guy may be one of the most talented releivers the common fan has never heard of. Why? Because he's ALWAYS getting hurt. Just when he was settling in as the setup guy, unbelieveable.
4. Xavier Nady getting hurt. While he's not an outstanding player. He did have 25 HR's and 97 RBI's last year and was in a contract year and he plays well under the pressure of NYC. It's a shame.
I will try to focus on the positive.....
1. The emergence of Nick Swisher. I'll be completley honest, I did not see this one coming. After an off year last year in Chicago, and being a bit of a strikeout king, he is killing the ball into New York, and has already seemed to become a "New York guy" the fans will latch onto this guy quick, they're still trying with A-Rod....
2. A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettite. Outside of yesterday's start agaisnt the Sox, both pitchers had been pretty consistent, Burnett's ERA is a bit inflated after yesterday's start, but through the first 4 innings his stuff looked excellent. If he can maintain that, he'll have a great year. Pettite right now has a 2.53 ERA and is 2-0, lets hope he can keep turning back the clock.
3. The return of A-Rod. This is more for the New York papers, they've gotten bored and need something fun to right about, A-Rod's personal life is good for that. Oh yeah, he's actually not that bad at the plate too.
4. Phillip Hughes? I put a question mark by his name because I'm not sure when we'll see him. Call me crazy, but I still believe he can be a great major league pitcher. He pitched hurt when he got to pitch last year, and the year before, it looked like he had the makings of being the next big thing. I'm looking forward to seeing him again.
These are my confessions, let me know what you think.....
Saturday, April 25, 2009
"Playoffs?!?!?!"
Let me begin my post by stating that I am a basketball fan. I spent hours of my youth watching March Madness, Jordan dunking over Ewing, Malone & Stockton running pick-n-roles, and The Dream and Mount Mutombo blocking shots. I remember watching press conferences where Larry Legend explained that he had given his heart and soul to the Boston Celtics, Magic Johnson explain that he had contracted the AIDS verse, and Jordan retiring not once but twice. So keep that in mind as you reading the following:
Chris, your love for the “TBA” (Thug Basketball Association) is dually noted, but simply put this league just is difficult to connect with. Don’t believe me? This week’s ESPN SportsNation Poll ask people what they were most looking for too this weekend: 1) NBA Playoffs, 2) Yanks vs. Red Sox, 3) NFL Draft, 4) NASCAR (a subject for another day), or 5) the NHL playoffs. After 4 days and over 100,000 people voting the results of April 23rd where: 1) NFL Draft 30%, 2) NHL Playoffs 24%, 3)Yanks vs. Red Sox 23%, 4) NBA Playoffs 22%, 5) NASCAR 1%. I can understand the NFL Draft, with its endless promotion, dominate league, and one time a year status defeating the NBA Playoffs, but the rest?!?!?!? The “Yanks vs. Red Sox” will take place 19 times this year, and that’s during the regular season. How can that overshadow an entire league’s dramatic climax to its season? Here’s why:
1. There is no “drama”.
I have watched, and I am not exaggerating, 12 announcers predict who will play in the NBA Finals. ALL, and that’s A-L-L, of them have predicted the Lakers vs. the Cavs. Out of those 12, ten have predicted the Lakers to win it all. Where’s the excitement /drama in that? When things seem like a foregone conclusion or fact, there’s no point in watching. Chris, it’s when you Tivo the American Idol results show to watch it the next day, and then some babbling know-it-all comes into your office the next morning and say’s “man I can’t believe Anoop got eliminated last night, can you?” You then spend the next few hours trying to convince yourself that you should still watch when you get home. You come with reasons like: 1) That guy is pulling my chain, 2) maybe, they came up with the “Seacrest Save” save and Anoop was brought back into the competition, (side note: American Idol has come up so many different ways this year to make sure the judges favorites never get voted off, it is ridiculous. Anyway…) or 3) Nobody would be that dumb to just come in and say that. Eventually you get home pop in the tape, and in the end see Anoop singing as tears roll down his face, and you think to yourself man I just wasted an hour of my life. The NBA Playoffs are the same thing. Why waste the next 2 months, watching something that you know the conclusion of? Which leads me to number 2:
2. The NBA Playoffs take longer to complete than a ZZ Top bread takes to grow!
Seriously, these playoffs start in mid to late April and have the potential to not finish until mid-June. That’s longer than some people’s marriages (sadly). The reasoning behind this being that games as spread out with 2 to 3 days between contests. Why is is that every other sport doesn’t have this problem? Both baseball and hockey conduct their playoff series within 9-10 days if the series goes the distance…in basketball a 7-game series takes 2 weeks! Do you want to watch the Spurs bank shots off the glass for 2 weeks?
3. No complying rivalries this year.
Chris, I know you remember those epic Bulls vs. Knicks series of the 90s, or the Blazers-Lakers, Pistons-Bulls, Pistons-Celts, Bulls-Cavs, even the early 2000’s with rivalries like Lakers-Spurs and Spurs-Mavs. Now, with the injury to KG, there are no interesting “I think they may brawl,” every game comes down to the last shot rivals. Even if The Big Ticket was healthy, we still would only have 1 series out 14 that would draw that type of interest. Personally, seeing whether Kate will pick Jack or Sawyer sounds more interesting to watch.
Anyways, until June, I’ll get my TBA highlights while watching SportsCenter every morning while eating a bowl of Fruit Loops. You want a bowl?
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