Wednesday, April 30, 2008

4/30: Tons of NBA, A little Baseball....

Let's recap the games last night...
  • The "Best Series of the Playoffs" ends in 5 games, as San Antonio beats down Phoenix....Tim Duncan was masterful as usual (29 and 17) and Tony Parker put up another 30+ point effort (and showed AGAIN that Steve Nash can't be taken seriously as the best player at his position since he can't defend a lick, but that's another day)....Despite Phoenix getting double figures from every starter, they still had a hard time putting points up, and generally aren't gonna win games when they score in the 80s....looks like there might be a change at the top (D'Antoni reportedly out, will discuss later) and the fun 'n gun, Nash-led, 100+ point/game Suns may be a thing of the past....
  • Say bye-bye to Dallas...New Orleans finishes them off in 5 behind a ridiculous 24/15/11 triple-double by CP3....Could be wholesale changes in Dallas if they can make the cap work (maybe Avery gone too?) but this team as currently constructed isn't winning anything....I'm gonna go out of my way to praise Dirk a bit since I'm always critical of him...he's not the reason they lost this series, he was great at times and consistently good...One more note: Tyson Chandler has perfected the maneuver of the tap-back on the offensive glass, I kid you not, he created 10+ offensive rebounds for his team by accurately tapping the ball back to Pargo and Paul and restarting the offense....a great asset that goes unnoticed to most I'm sure
  • Houston utterly blasts Utah to stay alive....This game is the reason people (including me) can no longer take Utah too seriously...you just can't get drilled like this on the road this many times during a season...that said, I think they finish Houston at home in Game 6 but LA will be their downfall in the next round (since they can't guard Kobe, etc.)
  • Detroit beats Philly to take control of the series back....After a shaky start (in typical Pistons fashion I'd say), Detroit is back in firm control up 3-2 and with a home game remaining...wouldn't be unlike Detroit to finish them off in Philly either if they decide they wanna play hard....Chauncey Billups played his first non-stinker of the playoffs last night (21 and 12 dimes) and when he plays to his top-level they feed off him...

More NBA....

  • To follow up on the Mike D'Antoni mention earlier....SI.com reporting that he is out in Phoenix...this is only mildly surprising until you realize the current Kerr/Sarver regime didn't hire him, and he doesn't necessarily fit their Shaq-included style....Let me start the chant now for Toronto (and his old boss Bryan Colangelo) to fire Sam Mitchell immediately and anoint D'Antoni with that job as he fits their style perfectly, and could use Jose Calderon (who it looks like will be the PG standing) in a much similar way to Nash in Phoenix....Just a thought...
  • The Boston/Atlanta series moves back to Beantown tonight with no suspensions as of now....The KG/ref incident is mildly intriguing, but there's no way David Stern is suspending KG if he can help it, and this is close enough where he can justify not doing it....Eh, the bench suspensions possible for Marvin Williams and Kendrick Perkins....not gonna happen and I agree with that as neither were anywhere near the play.....Well, the only way Atlanta has a chance in Boston is to shoot the lights out again, and hope Paul Pierce is really as injured as he seems to be lately...oh yea, and it would help if Doc kept Ray Allen 1-on-1 with Joe Johnson down the stretch again....Go Hawks
  • Cleveland should close out the Wiz tonight at home in 5....wouldn't shock me to see a full-out brawl if it gets out of hand late though...stay tuned

Baseball, etc.

  • My first mention of Max Scherzer as everyone in the universe has hyped young pitcher as the 2nd coming...well there's finally some evidence now as he was crazy-good with 7 Ks in 4 IP of long relief last night...maybe he's that good?
  • Other stuff: Greg Maddux falls short of 350 wins again, but not without a really good outing....Mike Cameron with 3 hits after his 25 game PED suspension (shouldn't these be longer?)...Roy Halladay throws ANOTHER complete game for his 4th straight...and loses again...allowing a run with 2 outs in the 9th...someone get that man some run support (Jon Lester was even better opposing him with 8 IP and 1 hit allowed)......A-Rod to the DL as fantasy owners cringe, oh well, I only have him on one team..... The Braves go down again as the bullpen (more specifically Blaine Boyer) implodes again, and now there is talk of Smoltz returning the bullpen (I presume as the closer) going forward to save his shoulder the hassle of starting....I'd really like this move...if we had starting pitching....right now it's the Hudson/Jurrjens show....and the Smoltz move only works if Glavine is healthy and there's at least 1 more productive starter....the other crazy rumor I have heard includes a new 6-man rotation, and the call-up of JoJo Reyes (and the moving of Jeff Bennett) to make it work....Who knows anymore?.....Last baseball note: Alfonso Soriano moves back to the leadoff spot for the Cubs upon return tomorrow, I can't get behind this move...how many times does it need to be seen that he can't hit leadoff? He's a 30-HR free swinger that lacks the intangibles, and contact necessary to hit leadoff....come on Lou
  • One non-hoops/non-baseball note....The BCS is back in the news as they meet today to discuss the possibility of the Plus-One model (among other things)....stop reporting this as news, until a vote passes, nothing's changing so don't tease the public with this nonsense....

More later

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

4/29: Hawks win! Larry Brown, Pat Riley, etc.

Well it should be clear what's first....
  • Hawks win! Hawks win! Okay, I got that out....Welp, another home victory for the suddenly scrappy Hawks as they come back in the 4th (wow) against Boston last night behind Joe Johnson's 35 and late-game heroics.....I'm mildly excited about the ball they are playing....if they can just win one...in...Boston? Ehhh, Not gonna happen...but I'm already on Ticketmaster trying to get tix for Friday's Game 6...The city is abuzz.....lol
  • Lakers sweep Nuggets....only sweep in the playoffs and Denver was embarassingly bad throughout...George Karl is probably my least favorite high-profile coach in the league...fire him please...
  • Dwight and the Magic close out Toronto...This is one of the 2 series (it looks like) that I'll be wrong about...The Raps couldnt get anything going and Howard was a monster...doesn't hurt to just be bombing away like Orlando was either...

Other things....

  • Larry Brown is back....with Charlotte? This immediately doesn't seem like a fit to me....bad roster, bad player personnel guy (Sorry 23), but then you see it and this is just the type of thing Larry does well....well, until he got to NY...maybe he can flip them, maybe he can't, but at least Charlotte will be in the news for the first time in their history....
  • Pat Riley out in Miami....replaced by Erik Spoelstra (who D-Wade loves) and who is the youngest HC in the league immediately...good luck to them....at least they have a good shot at Rose/Beasley....
  • Byron Scott wins coach of the year....no shock from me as he leads NO to the 2-seed behind CP3's greatness...job well done B-Scott
  • Not alot of MLB for me yesterday...but I did catch that Barry Zito is headed to the bullpen...my God....no injury and they send the $120+ million dollar man to the pen? He's just out of sorts...I really hope he gets it together but I fear he may be done...and this deal is now worse than that of Carl Pavano and Mike Hampton, just so you know
  • Oh yea, to answer Dan Shanoff's question over at danshanoff.com....Which big 3 is better between KG/Allen/Pierce and Joe/Horford/Smith? Get off the pipe Dan.....before yesterday you never would've mentioned it so why start now?

Monday, April 28, 2008

Breaking News: Riley Out in Miami

Pat Riley is out as Head Coach in Miami....one year too late if you ask me as he totally bailed late last year...It's a shame he's a much better coach than a GM and he's doing the wrong of the 2 jobs now...maybe he'll hire Stan Van Gundy back, hahaha.....Mike Woodson will be available if they want him I hope

4/28: Playoff Basketball, No more draft, etc.

To the association for starters....
  • Phoenix stays alive against the Spurs...sort of a yawnfest for me as it was clear the Spurs didn't have the juice yesterday...Raja Bell scoring 27 points made me laugh a bit...Phoenix is still on life support as they have to win 2 more games in SA to win the series...good luck to them on that
  • Cleveland takes command over Washington....A huge win for Lebron and the Cavs....Delonte West with an absolute dagger for the win...Gilbert is still not himself but he had a couple big-time clutch shots late and it's clear that Antawn Jamison can just be penciled in for 20 and 10....Lebron had another ludicrous 34, 12, and 7 but it seems like a normal day for him which is crazy
  • Philly loses the game they had to win at home vs. Detroit.....I was on record stating they had to win yesterday to actually win the series (subsequently going up 3-1) but now that it is 2-2 I don't see Philly winning the series, maybe they can take it 7 though...
  • New Orleans takes it to the Mavs....Haven't won in Dallas since 1998 (wow) but this one was big to give them a decisive 3-1 lead....I thought the Kidd foul wasn't Flagrant-2 worthy...looked worse than it was..
Other stuff....
  • I'm packing it in on the draft talk unless some huge trade happens....until then, no more analysis I can really do...hope it goes away on TV too
  • Tyler Hansborough coming back.....Don't blame him, maybe he can win a national title (if he can convince Lawson to come back who hasn't hired an agent) and his draft stock is never gonna really change b/c nobody sees an NBA star in him anyway
  • MLB: Nothing better in baseball than a great pitching matchup and I would've paid to watch Brandon Webb vs. Jake Peavy yesterday...adv. Webb for now....Man, I need Justin Verlander to be better than this...Just as Chipper Jones, Glavine, and Yunel Escobar are set to return, John Smoltz looks injured all the sudden...insert expletive laden tirade....
  • Last thing: Hedo Turkoglu gets the MIP in the NBA reportedly...this was my pick so I'm obviously cool with it.... 

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Falcons Draft update....

Logged on to find that the 3rd round was over and since the Falcons had 3 picks...here's what I thought...



Before the round, I thought we had to get at least 1 CB and at least 1 DT...that didnt happen

  • At 68, Falcons took Chevis Jackson, the CB from LSU....loved this pick as I thought he was a great college player, and we need a corner badly....That said, Pat Sims was on the board as a DT and I would've liked him
  • At 84, Falcons took...Harry Douglas? I actually played basketball with Harry in my very younger days in a couple pickup games and played against him in AAU...I like him alot as a receiver despite his small frame...that said, this isn't a need area....and if it was, I would've greatly preferred picking up Mario Manningham (who was somehow still available).....but I would've gone Andre Fluellen from Florida State (another DT)
  • At 98, the pick was Thomas DeCoud, a Safety from Cal....this screams special teams pick to me, but maybe he can develop into a nice fit when Lawyer Milloy calls it quits...

Generally, I can't believe they haven't taken a DT yet in this draft as there is currently ONE NFL-level DT on the roster (Jonathan Babineaux) on a team that plays a 4-3...unexplainable but maybe they have a free agent plan or something

4/27: NBA, NFL Draft, etc.

In keeping with tradition I'll lead with the NBA....

  • Hawks put chalk on the board at home vs. Boston.....Okay, I was there last night so I have all sorts of little insights.....1) The crowd was actually semi-loud...shocking to me...but an uninformed fan base lacks the knowledge to bring the team a lift when it needs it...I'm glad it wasn't a down to the wire type of game...2) Paul Pierce just utterly disappeared...I blame Doc for this but i'm almost positive he only attempted 1 shot in the 2nd half and there wasn't a guy on the floor that could guard him...inexcusable....3) Doc Rivers played 11 guys last night...in a competitive playoff game....there's literally no way that should happen....4) Josh Smith will take at least 6-7 threes in Game 4 just because he made 3 last night... never a good sign as a Hawks guy....5) In an end-of-quarter situation (8 seconds having to go the length of the floor, after a dead ball), Mike Woodson somehow allowed Solomon Jones at 6'11 to be matched up full court with Rajon Rondo who waltzed down the lane with no resistance for a layup...was my lowlight of the night (other than the belligerent drunk behind me who thought he was better than Mike Bibby, classic)...and 6) Kevin Garnett had the quietest 32 and 10 imaginable...he didn't even play that well...could've had 45 if he had the jump shot working....7) Was really pleased with the way Al Horford played...he's playing very maturely in the playoffs matched up against bigger guys and holding his own...big time intensity from him last night too (and a ho-hum 17 and 14)
  • Utah pretty much puts Houston away at 3-1....Not alot to be said here...6 guys in double figures for Utah in a balanced win....
  • LA ends Denver's season in theory going up 3-0...never had a shot...
  • Orlando goes up 3-1 but this is the series that doesn't feel like it's over for some reason....too evenly matched teams and no dominance at home for Orlando or anything...

To the draft....I'm gonna make this easy and divide into 3 sections...1st section is the Falcons...2nd section are picks I thought were reaches....3rd section picks I liked.....

  • Okay, the Falcons end up with Matt Ryan, Sam Baker, and Curtis Lofton....I'm okay with all 3 picks but not wowed with any...I thought Baker could be had about 10 picks later than he actually went, but we got a reasonably good deal to trade up and get him (having 3 3rd rounders now) and he fills a glaring need right away....Lofton should start or at least play alot right away in the middle with Boley and Brooking outside...At least I hope....Chris Redman starts the first 8-10 games....we go like 2-7 or something...insert Matt Ryan to get beat around the rest of the year...that's how I see it.....In the 3rd round we need to get at least 1 D-Tackle and 1 corner...anything less and I don't know what's happening......Just as a wrap, I think we would've been better off taking Dorsey at 3, sitting put at 34 and 37 and taking an OT (maybe even Baker) at 34, staying with Lofton at 37, and grabbing Brohm or Henne at 48 (both were available)...but that's just Monday Morning quarterbacking....I'm now a huge Matt Ryan fan.....dear God, let this work out...
  • Picks I thought were reaches: Sam Baker at 21 to Atlanta....Derrick Harvey at 8 to Jacksonville (and they went up 18 spots to get him....yikes)...Jerrod Mayo to NE at 10 (but he fills a huge need)....Joe Flacco at 18 to Baltimore (who traded up to get him when Brohm and Henne went literally 40 picks later)....Chris Johnson to Tennessee in Round 1...they've become the Lions of running backs (3rd straight 1st pick for them)....Eddie Royal over Deshaun Jackson....they're the same player and Jackson's better....
  • Picks I liked when I saw them: Kansas city getting Dorsey at 5 is highway robbery...I saw probably 20 mock drafts and he never went below 3 in any of them....Kansas City again with Branden Albert who is an absolute monster at 15.....Pittsburgh gets Mendenhall....hear me out here....he was the best player available and Pitt has no glaring needs...I liked it...strangely...Antoine Cason to San Diego at 27....playing opposite Cromartie they are just wildly athletic....Kenny Philips to NYG...their biggest need was safety and they got the best guy available.....Malcolm Kelly to Washington...he has concerns but Washington has no weapons and he was once the #1 WR on the board, worth a gamble in Round 2 Id say...Miami picks Henne late in Round 2...I actually like the concept of getting him this late and he can definitely push John Beck (I think Henne's the better prospect) maybe they'll hit on one of them?...

Other stuff...

  • I have no issue with Josh Howard admitting to off-season Pot use....alot of people in the league do it and he's being honest....No issue here...but it was a little dumb to say that publicly....
  • Darren Collison coming back...it's his show now and if the gamble works he'll greatly improve his draft stock if he proves he can be steady and a legit scoring option...
  • Forgot this earlier...Kevin Garnett is the most ridiculous physical specimen possible live....

Churned this out very quickly so any errors chalked up to that...enjoy

Saturday, April 26, 2008

4/26: Really short....

Like zero time today...here we go

  • Spurs take a commanding 3-0 lead in Phoenix last night....Dallas takes one back to cut the series lead to 2-1 and Philly pounds Detroit to take the 2-1 lead....no huge surprises sans the way Philly utterly dominated....
  • Falcons take Matt Ryan at 3....yawn....Hope he's good though, just hate the pick as it stands...
  • Stanford hires Johnny Dawkins...finally a good enough job offer to make Johnny leave Coach K's side...good luck to you sir

Will hit the draft at some point tomorrow....first in a line of crazy weekends

Friday, April 25, 2008

4/25: My ludicrous Braves experience, NBA Playoffs, NFL Draft, etc....

Okay, Before I get to real sports....My friend Josh had his 23rd birthday yesterday and...long story short....I ended up getting to go with him and his parents to sit in the brand new Suntrust seats right behind the plate at Turner Field...like I'm talking 3rd row in view of the TV cameras....It was the craziest sporting experience I have ever had that had nothing to do with the game....free food all night and the best seat I've ever sat in for everything...had to share....Thanks J...Moving on....

  • Rockets...WIN!???! In Utah.....Okay, let me be the first to say I thought this series was going to be a sweep after Utah won the first 2 in Houston....Utah was a ridiculous 37-4 at home this year and Houston wasn't playing well...but hey, it's the NBA....everybody makes a run right? lol.....People are making too much out of T-Mac's "improbable late explosion"...he scored 7 points in 3:30...not that crazy people....The story to me was Rafer Alston coming back with 20 and providing a huge lift....It's still Utah's series but last night caught me off-guard...
  • The Wiz pound the Cavs....This doesn't necessarily shock me (sans the margin of victory) because the Cavs notoriously lay eggs on the road and Washington is capable of big-time offensive outbursts....Agent Zero looks to be quite shaky though and his status going forward is uncertain...but as I've been saying for weeks....ESPECIALLY right now, I think they are a better team without him b/c they played without him all year, and Caron Butler looks lost when Gil's on the floor right now...just an observation...
  • Toronto holds serve on Orlando....Free Jose Calderon!!! 18 and 13 dimes is pretty good..in 25! minutes.....get him on the floor....more...now......Actually I can't hate on TJ Ford from last night and they got 39 and 16 from the PG position (wow) but I still think Calderon is the better option....if only they could play together....I maintain that they can against Orlando because whoever is playing the 2 for the Magic isn't gonna light Calderon up on the other end...but it would be an interesting experiment....not one you can just pull out in a playoff series though

Other stuff.....

  • Full NFL Draft Mode commences....I think literally year-long coverage of this is insane...but it's worth the hype when you get there if your team has significant picks because the top 2 or 3 rounds produce starters usually (except at QB) right out of the gate....And this is a huge one for my Falcons in that they have 6 picks in the first 98 and 4 picks in the top 48....conceivably could land 4 starters if they don't package the deals to move up.....On the record, I would do anything I could to NOT take Matt Ryan at 3 but if they do...man, I hope he works out.....
  • Do you think Brett Favre will contract a serious disease or something now that the Madden Curse has been passed to a guy who isn't currently playing? All kidding aside...it's crazy how the Madden Curse always seems to hit....as a conspiracy guy, no way am I ever doing it if I'm an active player...
  • MLB: Cliff Lee is a madman....another crazy CG Shutout and his ERA is...drumroll please....0.28!...wow....Chipper Jones is knocking the cover off the ball right now with another 3-3 with a HR last night...you can tell he's just seeing a beach ball up there right now (and a sidenote to the Braves win...is there any better looking young SS in the majors NOT named Ramirez or Reyes than Yunel Escobar? I don't think so)....Nobody looks more impressive in person than Hanley Ramirez....just for the record.....The Tigers' bats are still alive...8 more runs and they've won 8 of 11....just gotta get Justin Verlander going....Things are VERY wrong with Francisco Liriano...the former phenom rookie got pounded to the tune of 0.2 IP, 6 ER last night and fell to 0-3...I feel bad for the guy....always sad to see injuries derail a promising career....maybe he'll get it back....
  • Have you seen this story about Stanford offering their head men's basketball job to LARRY BROWN!? He reportedly turned it down anyway...but there's no way I'm offering a big-time college job to the guy who will leave in about 3/4 of a season....get outta here....
  • Last thing...I've heard blog criticisms of the Milwaukee Bucks trying to hire Kelvin Sampson as an assistant....I don't understand the outrage...The guy can flatout coach and since there are no recruiting violations to be had in the NBA, why doesn't he fit? For all the "character issues" he has....he didn't pay players or anything...he contacted recruits too much (the last time with text messages).....chill....he can coach, I'd hire him in the NBA too

Hiatus tomorrow as I have a ridiculously packed day of music and the first Hawks home playoff game in 9 years! Here's hoping I have a great sports day tomorrow....Come on Tom Dmitroff and the Playoff-Bound (well I guess we're there?) Hawks....

Thursday, April 24, 2008

4/24: Playoffs (Obv), Pacman, etc.

To the association (a nightly occurrence until June btw)....
  • Kobe and the Lakers blitz Denver.....This is the game of the night that I actually got to see in near entirety and it didn't disappoint...Kobe is a man in his own world (49! and 10 dimes) and was nearly unstoppable....if you're JR Smith, don't you just have to shut up? Yea, I know you had a good game (23 pts) but your team is done...and he's Kobe Bryant....it's like Deshawn Stevenson again....Oh well...Enjoy your summer Denver....
  • Celtics pound the Hawks...again...This doesn't shock anyone...even a Hawks fan like me...but they way they have done it with the Hawks having not been in either game...at any point...is semi-astonishing...the utter lack of fluidity to the Hawks offense can be attributed to bad PG play by Bibby through 2 games...adding to the fact that Boston has the best defense in the league (okay, SA is in the discussion)....and you have a series that is over...That said, I think the Hawks could possibly rise up and steal one...but if i was a betting man...no thanks
  • Detroit regains form....okay, THAT's the Pistons team that is really good...remember them? I have to admit this Jekyll/Hyde act is getting a bit old though....with the help of my most trusted basketball advisor, we decided that it's Chauncey Billups fault....just too non-shalant and overconfident for me in every situation...oh well, they were good....simply put, if Detroit plays the way they can play, Philly can't win the series...but can we be sure that'll happen? Philly has the homecourt now....but they can't afford to drop one at home....

Other stuff....

  • Pacman gets dealt to Dallas for a 4th rounder....I have no issue with Dallas going after him because he's a very, very good return man and an above-average corner...that said, they really needed to give a 4th rounder? What was Tennessee's bargaining chip? I don't get that...I was thinking 6th or 7th the whole time....a coup for Tennessee since they literally can't put him on the field again...
  • Jason Taylor is on the market....This shouldn't surprise anyone who's been following this story...he's up in age and Parcells doesn't really make too many exceptions for anyone...and rumor has it Miami is after another 1st round pick...this is an easy way to get one....
  • DJ Augustin and AJ Abrams declare....wow, I understand Augustin because he'll be a definite 1st rounder and top 3 PG...but Abrams? Stay in school sir....you're 5'11 and play the 2-guard...and no, you don't have Allen Iverson's speed/athleticism/grit/durability combo that you need to pull it off effectively...I can't see him going in the 1st round but he didn't hire an agent so maybe he'll come back and have it be his team in Austin next year....
  • MLB: The Tigers are mashing....still....the bats have awakened and 19 runs yesterday was no fluke....well, maybe a little...but this is a crazy good offense...Chase Utley has TEN home runs....TEN!! in 22 games....Greg Maddux should have 350 wins right now...he was masterful yesterday...it'll come....The Braves muster 12 hits...and only 2 runs in getting silenced by Andrew Miller...the bats have been very hit-or-miss so far and although the regulars all have good batting averages (and a 2nd in the NL team batting average to boot)...it hasn't been timely hitting....Roy Halladay has 3 complete games in a row....2 of them in losses! Does he think its 1968?....They're just leaving him out there to die but if he can handle it, I don't hate....

Okay...I'm done for now...might make a short return later today

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Bad karma for Justin Boren please...

Justin Boren, former top Michigan recruit and resident pansy, decided to transfer a few weeks ago citing a "depreciation of family values" in the Michigan program....Translation: I'm fat, and don't wanna work any harder as new conditioning coach Mike Barwis is an absolute tyrant and I'm scared.....Well, Boren has done the unforgivable...he is transferring to Ohio State! That seems beyond amazing to me how someone could change from that program to that program or the other way around....either way, I wish bad football luck upon him (initially it was bad luck in life, but I gathered my thoughts)...as sad as that is

4/23: Playoff Action, Shaun Alexander, etc.

Gotta lead with the playoffs...
  • Spurs take down the Suns....coming from behind...again....a 2nd half utter explosion propels the Spurs behind Tony Parker's 32 and 7 (even making some jumpshots too! lol)....I thought Pop made a great adjustment at halftime to clear the floor and let Parker (or Manu) go to work in the pick 'n roll game especially against Shaq...and the layup line was back in full effect last night late....The Suns just can't stop the pick 'n roll (especially without Grant Hill) and now that Pop has seen that, don't think he'll stop putting it out there....Boris Diaw was a trainwreck last night, repeatedly having Parker and Ginobili on him in the post and failing to score (even turning the ball over) and being a complete liability on the defensive end (usually his "strength")....Amare and Nash were both outstanding sans the lack of rebounding by Amare, but they'll need alot more from Barbosa and they could use Grant Hill healthy and back....
  • Hornets throttle the Mavs....Chris Paul was absolutely masterful....it was honestly a pleasure to watch him work at his craft last night...and no, I'm not insane...32 points...17! assists...and complete control of the game throughout...Now, the Hornets offense was clicking on every cylinder (David West was unconscious and the team shot 61% collectively) but most of that is due to CP3 just tearing up the defense...he was great....As good as Dirk was last night also, the Mavs just look overmatched...Kidd looks old (and is old) and in order for the Mavs to win in this series, Josh Howard has to be a legit #2 guy and he's failed to be that....
  • Magic hang on over Toronto....First of all, thanks to my good friends at Charter Communications in Carrollton, GA....I didn't get this game...I saw the live look-ins, etc. but have no real sense of what went down....I can tell you Dwight Howard just put up back-to-back 20/20 games (29 and 20 last night) and that Jason Kapono is "quickly becoming Ryan's favorite Raptor"....that's really all I have....if Bosh hits that jumper at the buzzer, it goes the other way...all there is to it....

Onto other things....

  • Shaun Alexander cut....well, we all saw this coming when they went and got TJ Duckett and Julius Jones (plus are talking about drafting a round 1 RB) so no shock here....but the mighty have fallen...I was always sort of down on Alexander but his productivity over a 5-year period can't be taken down.....I think he's done though....
  • Isiah banned from contact? I laughed...alot...when I heard this...Isiah Thomas has been banned from any CONTACT with any member of the Knicks organization (including players) except for Donnie Walsh....ummm, get out?
  • Jared Allen traded to Minny.... The Chiefs got a 1st rounder and an additional useful pick here for the All-pro here and its clear the chiefs are in full rebuilding....And I guess they think they can get Chris Long at 5 if the chips fall their way?
  • Baseball stuff: John Smoltz gets his 3,000th K last night...saw it live...nice moment....but the Braves lose because of 1) failure to chalk a run....and 2) ANOTHER bullpen implosion late that put it out of reach anyway.....I laughed aloud at the mention of Micah Owings as the D-Backs 2nd best starter...um Dan Haren please...but Brandon Webb is definitely the man there...5-0 start and a Cy Young does that to you....CC Sabathia is back (6 IP, 0 ER, 11K)....missed you big fella....Has anyone decided which Detroit team is which? The 2-10 start or the 6-3 since? No one?...me either...hoping it's the latter....
  • Last thing....Mike Bibby, who happened to lay a gigantic egg in game 1 the other night for Atlanta....now is somehow running his mouth about Boston fans being on the bandwagon or something....listen, Mike...you're a vet, you played terrible the other night, you're on the clearly inferior team...just stop talking...please? I beg you...anything that can get KG even MORE crazily fired up is a bad thing....

Oh yea...Go Hawks tonight....maybe we can steal one? Cough, cough...

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

4/22: NBA Playoffs, Chad Johnson, etc.

Sorry for the late writeup...car was dead...so morning of chaos....
  • The Cavs make quick work of the Wiz....Lebron and company take care of the Wiz to take both at home and make this series look very much in doubt for Washington...Gilbert didn't look right at all...and Brendan Haywood....ummm, prolly don't wanna mess with Lebron like that sir....Amending my pick in the series to Cavs in 5....
  • Utah puts away Houston...in the game...and the series....I all but called this series after Game 1 but now Houston would have to beat Utah in Utah at least twice...good luck to you on that...T-Mac came up small late (again) and cemented his legacy as a playoff underachiever (did have double-digit boards though)...
  • The Bengals turned down a first-rounder this year and at least a 3rd rounder next year for Chad...well, I guess they were serious? b/c they aren't getting a better offer than this...so Chad is either playing there or not playing at all....
  • Breaking news: Jake Long agrees to a deal and will go #1...wow that's early in the week for that to happen (earliest I can ever remember)...Good luck to Jake...Hail to the Victors
  • Scott Skiles to coach Milwaukee....I liked this hire until I heard the cons of it....I may have been swayed...need more time on this....
  • MLB: David Ortiz is mashing again (2-4, 3RBI).....The Braves have won 5 in a row and Tim Hudson returned to dominant form last night, let's keep it going shall we?...Wayyyy too early for the "We're going to the World Series" talk from the Cubs right?....
  • Billy Packer may get fired.....wayyyy too late here....but this is a dumb reason (the "game is over" thing from the Kansas/UNC game)...he's done too many ludicrously biggoted things in his career for THIS to be the undoing....
  • Kosta Koufous (Ohio State 7-footer) declares....and will be a bust....good luck to him....he's a 7-foot small forward without the handle or court feel to pull it off...he can shoot....that's it...
  • NFL Draft: The Falcons need QB, DT, LB, CB, entire O-Line.....if they can trade down (and they reportedly have offers for the #3 pick)....take the deal...especially if it involves a 1st-rounder next year like I've heard....look, you're not building for this next year...you aren't gonna be good no matter how many draft picks you hit on...keep stockpiling and take your QB in the 2nd round (or even trade up if you need to get one of the 2nd-tier QB guys) instead of taking Matt Ryan that I still have heard no one being totally sure on....Just my opinion....and if you don't trade out of the 3rd pick...take Glenn Dorsey b/c wait for it...you have ONE NFL D-Tackle on your roster...and you play a 4-3....you need at least 2.....laughter

More later...

Monday, April 21, 2008

4/21: NBA Playoffs, Frank Thomas, etc.

  • Gotta lead with Philly over Detroit.....This didn't necessarily even surprise me as Detroit is prone to lay an egg or 2 (especially at home) against an inferior opponent...but it's a good sign for the longevity and quality of the series that Philly took the open door and ran through it....Andre Miller's been huge all year and needs more love for it (even though he still isn't my favorite guy)
  • LA comes strong in the 2nd half to beat Denver...Pau was ENORMOUS with 36 and 16 (stunning really).....All the Pau talk seems to have overshadowed Kobe a bit but he somehow had 32 even with how bad he was (for him) in the first half...Denver has no shot in this series, but that's not really surprising.....Sidenote: I get a text early in the game saying that George Karl gave Kenyon Martin the Kobe assignment on defense....interesting choice George...that's all I'll say
  • Orlando pretty easily over Toronto...well that wasn't good for my Raptors pick...Dwight was the man as usual with a 20/20 in the playoffs (seems like Moses Malone territory doesn't it?)....Free Jose Calderon!!!....If the Magic can get 6 guys in double figures...long series (or a short one, in theory) for Toronto...
  • Hawks....lose...badly....Well that was an inspiring return to the playoffs....better luck next year haha....Al Horford was the lone bright spot with a promising 20 and 10 in his playoff debut...Can't expect to be competitive when you get 20 points COMBINED from your 2nd,  3rd, and 4th options....that's unbelievably bad....nothing spectacular from Boston, just a ho-hum balanced behind whooping (Rondo was very very good though)...
Okay, other stuff....
  • Danica Patrick wins an Indy Car race...that's a big moment for both her and the sport (as she's their #1 draw obviously)...Congrats to her...
  • Frank Thomas...released? Wow...that kinda came out of nowhere....But he's a bit of a malcontent and when he's hitting .170 and trying to get more ABs to clear a roster bonus....not that difficult a decision...
  • MLB: I really like Jair Jurrjens (who led the Braves to the victory yesterday) but Chipper Jones HAS to stay in the lineup (left with a strained quad, but hopes to play today)....David Ortiz is back (8 RBI in the series)....Can you guess who tied Ernie Banks and Eddie Mathews on the all-time HR list? I NEVER would've come up with Jim Thome but he's your answer....wow, that's awkward...never put him in that category.... 
  • Okay, NOW I can deal with some NFL draft talk....we're under a week away...I won't devote too much space to it here (because I don't know anything) but just saying.....
  • Last thing....Hank Steinbrenner is a complete moron....First of all, you know nothing about baseball...second of all, your rant about Jaba Chamberlain needing to start is both misplaced and ill-informed because his skill set is clearly that of a reliever (really a closer), he's not even with the team b/c he's with his ailing father....and once again, you know nothing....get out of the media....

Sunday, April 20, 2008

4/20: Great NBA Action, etc.

Mostly NBA Today....Not alot going on elsewhere of consequence...
  • I have to lead with Spurs/Suns....great game...Duncan with the dagger game-tying THREE was a great moment....Me and Ryan had a mini-exchange about the Manu game-winner late....He immediately says, "You gotta foul him" and I rebuked him initially...but it does make sense for Raja Bell to at least take a big swipe at the ball going for the block....worst case scenario is FTs and a stoppage of play, best case is a clean block or a foul that isn't called (refs tend to do that late)....Oh well....I had issues with Mike D'Antoni failing to get the ball to Steve Nash repeatedly and the ball ending in Boris Diaw's hands TWICE on huge possessions with the clock running down...unacceptable....we saw what Nash could do when he touched it (the fadeaway 3 to tie it from the left baseline)...he's gotta handle it every time late.....Duncan was unbelievable with a ridiculous 40 and 15 effort....Still the best big player in the league (sorry Dwight and KG) and STILL flying under the radar a decade later...
  • The other game I watched in full was Washington/Cleveland....a couple heated exchanges and some occasionally ugly basketball...but exceedingly watchable if not for Gilbert alone in the first half and some spectacular plays by Lebron....Gilbert hit a legit 35+ foot three in Delonte West's face down the stretch of the first half....Instant shock from me and Ryan....like jaw drop....Lebron's alley-oop finish was a play that like 3 people on earth can make...he just happens to be one of them.....Deshawn Stevenson, you can go away now (1-9 FG and repeatedly unable to stop Lebron who he trash-talked pre-series)...
  • Other NBA: Hornets over the Mavs....This one just got away from Dallas...when I turned it on in the 2nd half the Mavs looked to be in control...then CP3 decided to go berserk (35 and 10) and it never hurts to get timely shooting from Peja and the cast.....Utah obliterates Houston....never a doubt in my mind this is Utah's series...and honestly, I've pretty much written it off now because I just don't see Utah losing a home game against a Yao-less Houston...and now they have the home-court in the series...
  • MLB: Braves keep it going...with their 3rd straight win behind Chuck James (wow) going 5 and allowing only one...this is the type of thing they have to sustain to win without Glavine, Hampton and the bullpen being shot....D-Backs win again...13-4...man, I should've gone with my gut and picked them preseason...that rotation is slammin....Doug Davis to return soon....The guy just had thyroid cancer surgery and he wants to pitch MAY 9! That's a little ludicrous to me....but brave nonetheless\
  • BOXING ALERT: Joe Calzaghe stays undefeated after being knocked down early by Bernard Hopkins.....The executioner (Hopkins) may very well be done...but Calzaghe reportedly impressed...

All for now....check out the Association again today...and GO HAWKS!

Saturday, April 19, 2008

4/19: Early Entrants, Playoffs Start, etc.

Short today, yesterday slayed me....
  • Isiah officially out in New York...shocking...wait, no....This was the only move for Donnie Walsh but I think it's now official that Isiah has something on Jim Dolan...b/c he is still employed in an advisory role! Wow...how? Oh well...maybe they'll hide him
  • NBA Quadruple-header today....it's a beautiful thing....the first three games are all watchable even for the average viewer (the HOU/UTA game not withstanding) so settle in and watch!
  • MLB: Chipper Jones is going off....4 homers in his last 2 and he's still hitting around .450...just carrying the Braves on his back offensively....Glavine hits the DL ::winces:: we're running low on starters.....David Ortiz is alive? 5 RBIs (and a grand slam).....Cliff Lee is looking like he's back to form again in Cleveland (8 IP, 2 hits, 0 ER)...Torii Hunter with a sick catch to end the game and save the win last night, THAT'S the reason they paid him...and the bat helps too.... The Tigers win again to make 4 of 5....maybe they're good after all? No telling really...Baseball can drive you crazy....I know they had no bullpen left after Thursday's 22 inning game...but we're just leaving Greg Maddux out there to die? There's no acceptable circumstance to have him go 7 IP when he's getting shelled...9 earned? 13 hits? yikes....
  • NBA Early Entrees Yesterday: Chris Douglas-Roberts is gone....at 6'7 with all the tools he's probably a top-15 pick (currently going between 9 and 24 on the mocks i've seen)...this one doesn't shock me as Rose is leaving and his stock is at its peak after an all-american type year....Luc Richard Mbah a Moute gone too...this one is a little skeptical for me...He shouldve left after his big Freshman year (would've been a top 10 pick) but if anything, he's regressed on the floor and definitely has in the eyes of scouts....I would've advised him to come back and be the leader of the very young team they will have next year....
  • Oh yea...SAVE THE SONICS!
  • The Pacman Jones strip club shooting case has an arrest made...and it isn't Pacman! Congrats to him and his lawyer lol....

That's enough for now...the NBA is FANNN-TASTIC! I love this game!

Friday, April 18, 2008

NBA First Round Preview: East

No. 1 Boston vs No. 8 Atlanta
  • Well....here's your prize Hawks...the juggernaut that is Boston.....I'm on the record thinking the Hawks get swept here and I'm not going to waver....I don't see a single matchup that the Hawks can really exploit here across the board....That said, Joe Johnson could go ballistic and steal one at home...but I don't see it...too much intensity, too much focus from Boston to let one get away against a team that is this inferior.....Boston in 4
No. 2 Detroit vs No. 7 Philly
  • This is a good series surprisingly...Detroit is fully capable of taking an inferior opponent lightly and that'll be the case here....Philly plays up to their competition and should have trouble winning a game or 2...I think Philly wins one of the first 2 in Detroit...and Detroit turns it on a little after that...Detroit closes them out IN Philly.....in 6
No. 3 Orlando vs. No. 6 Toronto
  • Of all the series in the entire playoffs...this is the one no one can figure out....Both teams are sort of Jekyll and Hyde....Orlando is a very good road team and mediocre at home...Toronto will have a raucous home court that should provide an advantage...The keys to this series I think are....The guard play of Orlando (especially Nelson vs. Calderon/Ford) and The play of....Rasho Nesterovic? Not a misprint...he's been playing well and is in a contract year....That said, good luck with Dwight.....Toronto has the playoff experience edge and if they play Calderon enough (sorry Ryan) I think they steal the series.....Toronto in 6
No. 4 Cleveland vs No. 5 Washington
  • The best series in the East by far....the trashtalk is already going between Lebron and....Deshawn Stevenson? Shut up sir!!! Why are you angering the beast? This series is going 7 for sure....and really, I just think Lebron is gonna be too much late (plus he'll shoot about 30 FTs in game 7 if they get that far, paging Tim Donaghy)....Agent Zero and the boys will be very competitive and will be playing to avenge 2 years of buildup....and oh yea, I think they're the better team....but....I can't pick them while Lebron is breathing...seen it too many times already.....Cavs in 7
Enjoy Round 1! Analysis all the way through....

NBA First Round Preview: West

To the west first....

No. 1 LA vs No. 8 Denver
  • First of all, I think Denver was the team everyone wanted to play in Round 1...eh...maybe Houston...but Denver even with Melo and AI...no defense=no shot....The "we can't guard Kobe" thing probably doesn't help and is the first thing that comes into most people's minds when talking about this series.....I was going to pick a sweep but I can see like a 137-132 game in Game 3 (with JR Smith going for something in the high 30s) which favors Denver so I'll go with......LA in 5
No. 2 NO vs No. 7 Dallas
  • I haven't seen ONE PERSON pick the 2 seed Hornets here...so I will....CP3 will abuse Kidd and they have enough up front to give Dirk all he wants...I actually think the x-factor is the matchup up front with Chandler and Dampier...Dallas has exactly frontcourt depth so I think Chandler has a huge series and that with Paul (and a big series from Bonzi Wells) will get it done for New Orleans.......NO in 7
No. 3 SA vs No. 6 Phoenix
  • This is obviously the big one....and wow, why are they playing in round 1?...Oh well....Brace yourselves for this....I'm going to take Phoenix....I've been agonizing for days (literally) and have convinced myself somehow that Phoenix is winning this series...it goes against everything I believe (LOL) but there you are.....The Shaq addition was for one reason...beat the Spurs..and I think it gives them the edge...It neutralizes Duncan's defensive dominance because Shaq is a bad matchup for him (foul problems) and you don't want him guarding Amare 1-on-1...Also, Shaq usually does a good job on TD on the other end, and Duncan has to be huge for the Spurs to win.....All that said, Manu is the key to the series...he has to be the 27 a game scorer he's capable of for the Spurs to win and Raja Bell gets the assignment.....::Braces:: Suns in 6
No. 4 Utah vs No. 5 Houston
  • First a mini-rant....Utah is the 4 seed because they won the division...okay I get that....but Houston has a better record and gets homecourt....huh? Either get rid of the division winner seeding thing OR give them homecourt too....can't do it both ways.....OK! to the series....Houston is the team I'd never pick in these playoffs...just can't do it....Carlos Boozer is a bad matchup for Houston and even though McGrady is equally bad for Utah (Go Ronnie Brewer!).......Utah is a virtually unbeatable home team so they basically just have to win one in Houston....They will (especially when Alston is out as Deron Williams will run wild with or without Rafer)......Utah in 6

NBA Awards!

Sidenote....No daily bullet-like posting today....my apologies....And we're off!

First I'll do the All-NBA Teams:

All-Rookie Team
Mike Conley
Kevin Durant
Al Thornton
Luis Scola
Al Horford
Honorable Mention: Thaddeus Young

This is pretty easy actually...Although if I were going straight with the best 5 rookies I'd go with Young over Conley (b/c Conley didn't play at all early) but since there wasn't really a guard on the team I went with Conley......who has been playing quite well lately and for whom I am massively biased toward....Durant speaks for himself averaging 20-plus and going ballistic more than a few times lately...Thornton has sort of toiled in obscurity in LA with the Clips but has averaged a very respectable 12.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg this year and has been a stabilizing factor for the Clippers (I guess all that "most ready" talk from last year's draft was true and I mean, he just turned 24 in December).......Scola is the one guy who plays for a legitimate playoff team (sorry Al Horford) but also gets the "why is he considered a rookie again?" type of looks.....but any time you average a little over 10 and 6 while only playing 24 minutes a night as a rookie (even if he's 27 years old) you get included and oh yea, he's easily the best defender on the list and brings a mean streak.....Horford again sort of speaks for himself and really has been the only guy outside of Durant getting any real rookie hype....His averages of 10.1 ppg and 9.7 rpg are near double-double status and he's only averaging 31 minutes a game as Woodson has said repeatedly how much they don't want him to hit that rookie wall.....

Thought about doing the all-defensive team...but I'll tackle some guys when I do the Defensive POY...Moving on.....Okay, just to clarify....everyone does all-nba teams differently....just ride with me here....

1st team All-NBA
Tim Duncan
Kevin Garnett
Lebron James
Kobe Bryant
Chris Paul

That was easy to me...Duncan seems to be getting alot of mentions as 1st-team center....if they can do it, I can and if he qualifies, he's the automatic choice...the other 4 are absolute slam dunks...

2nd team
Dwight Howard
Amare Stoudemire
Dirk Nowitzki
Manu Ginobili (wow)
Deron Williams

Okay this was a little more challenging....Howard is the slam-dunk choice at Center and is my obvious 1st-teamer if Duncan isn't eligible at C.....The forwards are picking from a plethora but I went with Amare who has absolutely been ridiculous since the Shaq trade (averaging around 30 and 10)....As much as I ride Dirk, he's picked up alot down the stretch and his 23.6 and 8.6 is enough to get him here SLIGHTLY over Carlos Boozer....At first glance, Manu seems out of place here...but he isn't I assure you...His 6th man status (and his only 31 minutes a game) take his numbers a little down (around 19.5 and 5 rpg) but anyone who watches the league regularly can't find you many (if any) 2-guards that had better seasons.....Deron Williams over Steve Nash....controversial? Yes, definitely....the right choice? Yes, definitely....the numbers are very similar (Williams 18.8 ppg, 10.5 apg, 51/40/80 percentages, Nash 16.9 ppg, 11.1 apg, 50/47/91 percentages) and based on that alone....the slightest of edges to Nash....but on the floor I give it to Deron Williams....just watch him smother Chris Paul on defense one night....Steve Nash gives you the ability to draw a charge....and that's it on the other end...Deron Williams is a top 5 defensive PG and thus, gets the nod.....

3rd Team
Al Jefferson
Carlos Boozer
David West 
Allen Iverson
Steve Nash

This was the hardest one to me...Al Jefferson plays almost exclusively at Center in Minny and with averages like 21 and 11...not leaving him off with the lack of centers.....Boozer and West get the slighest of nods over Paul Pierce and Antawn Jamison...21 and 10 for Boozer and 21 and 9 for West while leading their front lines to top seeds in the West is enough for me....David West is a player...start talking about him....Just some love for Antawn Jamison (my toughest omission); He's never been a guy I loved but he's having a monster year and filled in admirably (at times by himself) without Butler and Arenas....21 and 10 can't be ignored....Iverson in a close one over Joe Johnson and Tracy McGrady....AI just keeps ticking...26 ppg and 7 apg is crazy for his size at his age...no sign of noticable decline yet either.....Talked about Nash above...no explanation needed...but good efforts from Baron Davis and the other top PGs


To the awards!!

ROY: Kevin Durant

Okay I have to do it....I had been riding the Al Horford for ROY train into late February/Early March and then Durant turned it on....since mid-March he has gone over 30 4 times and ended the year with a ridiculous 42 point, 13 rebound explosion in a win over Golden State....can't be ignored....Showing all the signs of his breakout next year...

COY: Maurice Cheeks

This has been a hotly contested battle this year...many deserving candidates...I'll go with Cheeks who has taken a Philly team that NO ONE liked going into the season and taken them to a respectable year, with some stand-out moments.....He's doing a world-class job there right now without a legit go-to-guy or really any depth to speak of up front....Byron Scott and Rick Adelman deserve mention....

6th man: Manu Ginobili

Okay so we may as well rename this the Ginobili award...it's obvious...so I'll talk about the other deserving guys....Josh Childress does special things in Atlanta and gets zero love because his numbers aren't glowing off the page...Kyle Korver has been HUGE in Utah providing the spot shooter they've always needed....Barbosa has still been good, just down a chunk from last year....Louis Williams blew up this year in Philly into a legit scoring guard....there were some guys...but let's be real...

Most Improved: Hedo Turkoglu

Wow this award is hard to give...too many different criteria...I'll go with Hedo...He took a huge jump up this late in his career to be a legit 20 a night scorer and passed Rashard Lewis as that team's 2nd option behind Dwight Howard....To steal from Marc Stein, he also is top 5 in the LEAGUE in 4th quarter scoring (which startled me initially) and that'll work.....Honorable Mentions: Rajon Rondo, Rudy Gay, Mike Dunleavy, Chris Paul (for Hollinger)

Defensive POY: Kevin Garnett

Me and Ryan go round and round about this (read him at indiesports.blogspot.com) because there aren't enough, if any, quantifiable defensive stats to use....Yes, Marcus Camby is averaging 0.8 more blocks than anyone...Yes, Josh Smith is top 3 in blocks and top 10 in steals....but are those guys really better defenders than KG? I don't think so...but hey, you can challenge me....KG's intensity and help defensive principles make him a terror down low in the NBA, and that coupled with the overall team resurgence (which he leads and architects) makes me lean that way....Room for error here though....

MVP: Chris Paul

Okay, now the fun one....There are 3 legitimate candidates for me....sorry, Lebron, your team is terrible.....Paul, Kobe, and KG all do different things for their teams...all possess different qualities of an MVP....so let's break it down....First the runners-up.....Kobe is doing it all in LA....leading his team to the best record in the craziest conference I've ever seen....His scoring is down to a meager 29 a game (chuckle) but his rebounds are up and he's one of the best perimeter defenders in the L....He's the unquestioned best all-court player in the league (Lebron is closing the gap but he's still there) and that speaks for itself.....Don't give me the Lifetime achievement stuff...every time that happens (like Barkley or Malone in the early-mid 90s) we go back and laugh that they didn't give the MVP to MJ every year...stop it....Garnett plays by far the least minutes of the 3 at 33....but only because they've had the East sewn up for months....his averages of 19 and 10 are not crazy....but the effect and VALUE he's had on his squad can't be measured.....take him off that team....are they winning 40 games with just Pierce and Ray Allen in their current state? I don't think they are...that means they are around 30 games better with KG...hmmm word? I've already spoke about the defensive impact and all....let it sink in.......And to the winner...CP3 is having the best statistical year for a point guard since at least Magic Johnson if not Oscar Robertson....averaging 21 ppg, 12 apg, almost 3 spg (leads the league) and shooting 48/37/85 in percentages as a 6-footer is incredible...That speaks for itself and then you factor in team impact...he's led a team with no legitimate off-guard or swingman and taken them to the West 2 seed THIS YEAR!! He's made Tyson Chandler and David West immeasurably better and oh yea...he's the best defensive point guard in the league right now....All those factors are good enough for me.....Somebody get Billy Knight on the line....,

Until next time....Full First Round Preview to come!


Thursday, April 17, 2008

4/17: Ramblings

One HUGE note....no NBA content today....but only because I'm doing a season wrap/playoff preview tomorrow....ok, you can breathe again

  • Kevin Love holding a presser today to announce his draft intentions....I've heard people (including the credible David Dupree) say they'd take him #1 overall...that's thoroughly ludicrous and I'm a big Love fan....he's by no means a Top 5 lock (or a top 10 lock for that matter) b/c of his athleticism concerns but I think he'll be a good pro.....don't know if he'll leave though
  • MLB: The Tigers are alive again...whew, that was a close one....still don't know if their pitching is good enough...Brandon Webb has been filthy so far (not shocking) on his way to the first 4-game winner in the majors....The Braves bullpen is TERRIBLE...yes, terrible...can't be understated....and oh yea, Barry Zito still sucks......CC Sabathia got pounded again, in a contract year...time to worry in Cleveland? Don't think so
  • Chad Johnson used to amuse me....and he can still play...but I'm all done with the offseason Chad saga....they aren't trading you...
  • Dan Shanoff stole my thunder on this....amid Mark Sanchez being named USC Starter (btw, this shouldn't be sportscenter worthy news in April but that's another rant)....Why in God's name did Mitch Mustain go there? Oh yea...that guy you forgot about...the #1 QB recruit in the same year as Tim Tebow and Matt Stafford....toiling in obscurity at USC...good decision making
  • Travis Ford to OK State....nice career choice...sure it's alot of money too....
  • A-Rod is already #15 on the all-time HR list....nothing short of a Griffey-like injury bug is keeping him from passing Bonds....well, unless Jose Canseco is right....
  • Save the Sonics! First Howard Schultz petitions to sue Clay Bennett for team rights again...then Senators from Washington ask for a delay on the vote to move them.....Let's go Seattle!!! Step up please....You'd be saving the NBA Fandom of at least one diehard I know....

One note for the NBA addicts (like me)...Bill Simmons writes a ridiculously in-depth 2-day MVP/NBA discussion article that chronicles 450 players from LVP to MVP...skipping some of course...but it's wildly thorough...check it out

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

4/16: Beasley/Durant, NFL Schedules, etc.

  • First thing today....I've read at least 3 places about how much better Michael Beasley is than Kevin Durant at this time....I just don't see it....Dan Shanoff even references Beasley being the next Dirk Nowitski and Durant being the next Rashard Lewis....huh? Also factors in Durant's rebound rate which is a joke since he's playing out of position at 2-guard, etc....Lets just say, I wholeheartedly disagree
  • Apparently we need 2 hour-plus long ESPN specials on the NFL schedule release? I know the NFL is king here...but that's just outta control....Side note...the Falcons don't play a single intriguing team at home....bleh
  • NBA Playoffs getting set finally tonight with a full complement of games....Houston realllyyyy needs homecourt against Utah to have a shot....That'll happen
  • A little MLB...the Braves just simply can't score runs...it's unbelievable...but at least Jair Jurrjens has looked quite good.....the Tigers look to be back....hurray....
  • Last thing, Keno Davis (coach of Drake) takes the job at Providence....seems to me he could've probably gotten a better job as the national coach of the year? Just an initial thought...
Be ready for my NBA awards tomorrow...and some playoff predictions before saturday

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Breaking News: Tiger Goes down....

Tiger Woods apparently had knee surgery today that will keep him out 4 weeks...Yes, I know most of you don't care about golf...and if you do, that will go away for about a month with this news....That said, he's supposed to be ready for the US Open at Torrey Pines (btw, he never loses there....ever) so sleep easily...

Nellie....

Meant to get to this earlier...was reminded by PTI....How in the world does a team's best player not play for an ENTIRE 2nd half of the final and utter must-win game for that team at the end of the year?? Ask Don Nelson...who somehow benched Baron Davis for the entire 2nd half in their series-ending loss last night to Phoenix and they, in turn, went down in flames late....It's just patently insane to me to have your MVP and only all-star sitting there for an entire half in a game you HAVE to win to stay alive...and then, the excuse made was..."He got some much needed rest"???? Well...he's resting now Nellie....for the entire summer

4/15: Carmelo, The Hawks, etc.

Let's get it poppin...
  • Carmelo Anthony arrested on suspicion of DUI.....totally inexcusable for me....Irresponsibility at it's greatest level and unfitting of a guy who is supposed to be one of the faces of an organization and even the league....I could rant here for pages but I'll lay off....Suspend him...I don't care if he gets off in the legal system...he failed MULTIPLE sobriety tests....which have to do with coordination...okay, I gotta stop
  • The Hawks clinch the 8th spot! Although they did it with an Indiana loss...bring on the Celtics....(can't say it with a straight face)
  • Michael Beasley gone....shocker
  • The playoff matchups almost set...expect a full breakdown when they are....

Crazy day today...will try and get some expanded coverage up later...

Monday, April 14, 2008

4/14: Masters Wrap, NBA, etc.

Let's get this outta the way...
  • Trevor Immelman holds on for dear life and wins the Masters by 3....can't help but think most people didn't care once Tiger was out of it and that's a shame really...Immelman played beautiful golf, especially with his driver and deserved to win...Tiger just couldn't make putts this week...that'll happen...Congrats to Trevor (who is a very good interview btw)
Onto other things...
  • The Lakers cruise past the Spurs yesterday by a wide margin....they looked good doing it from what I can see but the Spurs without Manu don't provide much of a challenge I wouldn't think...LAL now leads NO by a half-game for the top seed....
  • Every time I see the West standings I chuckle...does anyone NOT want to play Houston in the first round? I can't see them beating anyone in the top 9 outside of maybe Denver...it's funny to me
  • That said...Denver beat that same Houston team to all but seal the 8th spot...they now must lose at home to Memphis and have the Warriors win their last 2 to fall out....the field is nearly set
  • ESPN finally started covering the East playoff seeds to an extent this weekend including a couple front-page ESPN.com mentions of the seeding position...have seen more than a few people now talk about the Cavs-Wiz series in the opening round....I don't see the appeal really....I guess the Wiz with Gilbert is semi-intriguing but it's really just the right to lose in Round 2 isn't it?
Enough basketball for now....
  • Baseball doesn't really get fired up for me until the NBA isn't on all the time...but hey, that'll happen...it's clearly my 3rd sport (and really 5th if you split bball and football into college and pro) so that's that.....
  • The Braves get plowed by ANOTHER injury with Glavine going down early yesterday....They had 8 starters going into the season...now it's 5 with Hampton and Glavine down and Chuck James toiling in AAA...hurray beer! Oh yea...they lost the game too snapping the Nats 9-game losing streak
  • David Ortiz is 3-43 for the year....and there's still no way you can boo him if youre a Boston fan...I'm sorry...you just can't.....
  • The Gabe Kapler comeback story is either getting too much pub or not enough...I don't know which...definitely intriguing though....Baseball always comes with its share of great stories and right now Kapler, Rick Ankiel, and the like are carrying that torch
  • Francisco Liriano got roughed up in his return....no reason for alarm...guy hasn't pitched since '06...but anyone with crazily high expectations is likely fooling themselves...
Miscellaneous...
  • Michael Beasley's going pro today...even if media outlets are spinning it like it's a mystery...it would probably the biggest shock I've had in a while if he somehow came back...
  • Forgot this yesterday...really? We're showing the full Florida spring game on ESPN....I'd kind of understand this if it was the defending champion in LSU or even Ohio State or USC....but Florida? A 4-loss football team last year....hmmmm
  • Man I hope that Sonics game last night wasn't the last in Seattle....that would be patently insane
  • Lorena Ochoa qualifies for the LPGA hall of game...umm huh? What is she like 25? I can't get behind a HOF system that has a pure formula anyway...and definitely not one that can put you in the hall of fame before your 30th birthday....and by the way, I just talked about Women's golf...I need counseling
  • I almost feel bad not even mentioning the NHL playoffs...like...at all...since I'm a huge sports guy and all, but I honestly don't know ONE person in my life that follows the league regularly...I know a few that follow the Thrashers, like whether they won or lost and stuff....but no one that watches them consistently and definitely no one that follows the rest of the league...that seems crazy to me....The pre- season cancelling NHL was at least followable b/c I would catch mega-highlights on SC and formulate some sort of opinion and have a general knowledge of who was good, great players, etc....Now I hear about Alex Ovechkin, maybe Sidney Crosby...that's about it....Sad really

Sunday, April 13, 2008

4/13: Sorry for the hiatus, etc.

My apologies on the hiatus yesterday...during my prime blogging time aka the morning, I was playing basketball....that'll happen


  • NBA Recap (I'd go to the Masters but I have objections from prime readers...)- Hawks go down at home to Boston....I turned the TV on at 84-80 Hawks with about 7 minutes to go...next thing I know...91-84 Boston..no lie...Sam Cassell went ballistic late in typical Sam I Am fashion....Oh well....didn't hurt too bad because....Indy loses to Charlotte at home to bring the Hawks magic number to 1....Oh the hilarity of counting magic numbers for the 8 seed in the Eastern Conference...

  • More NBA: Utah pounds Denver and GS beats LAC at home....that erases that Denver lead....Still hope for the boys from Oakland...New Orleans loses in Sacto despite 30 and 15 from David West and now are tied with LAL for the #1 seed and homecourt...but LAL has the Spurs today....ever-changing situation in the west....Shoutout to Mike Conley who threw up a 25 pt, 5 dime effort...man-crush is back!

  • MLB Stuff: The Braves win their 2nd straight in Washington behind Jeff Francoeur (hometown boy...represent Lilburn) and his 2 HR, 7 RBI performance...that brings a smile to my face to say the least....the Tigers are still in turmoil getting bounced 7-0 in Chicago against the White Sox (and the inevitable DL visit by Dontrelle Willis but my expectations were low already).......Isn't it too early for Red Sox/Yankees overblown hype? Oh that's right...never too early for that bandwagon from the media to start....
  • Masters: Okay, now's the time....interesting weekend so far at the Masters...going into Sunday, Trevor Immelman leads at -11 and looks to be in great shape as he charted 3 rounds in the 60s without a big blowup to this point...I find it patently hilarious that everyone (including myself) refers to how far Tiger is from the lead rather than mentioning who's actually winning (including a ridiculous article from Gene Wojciechowski of ESPN stating him as "the leader" in the Masters somehow)...crazy what he's done for Golf...That said, the myth himself (lol) is 6 shots back after shooting a "bad" 68 yesterday (referencing how he said that was the worst number he could've shot with the way he struck the ball)....Should be an eventful Sunday Afternoon from Augusta....
  • Mini-rant....Can we please stop with the Pre-Preseason top 25's in college basketball? ESPECIALLY before the NBA draft is finalized...I mean you have to be kidding me....Nowhere does the jump to the professional ranks have the effect as it does in college basketball and teams are literally decimated yearly by defections...so just stop it

Until next time...

Friday, April 11, 2008

Masters Update

Tiger just played a ridiculous 18th hole involving playing his 3rd from the middle of the 10th fairway...and made par....ludicrous....7 shots back of the lead....who else ever would be a serious threat from 7 back? Crazy....

Tonight....
  • Hawks in a must-win in New York....win and almost assure the 8th seed....lose and leave the door wide open for Indy....::braces for crushing defeat::
  • Braves back to action behind Tim Hudson in DC tonight....I'm done with all this losing...let's go Huddy
  • Watching Lebron take it to Chicago as we speak...decent game....wait, naaa...not really....

4/11: Masters, Nuggets, etc.

  • The Masters is underway! Tiger shot a respectable if not turbulent 72 yesterday....Eagle chip-in was fantastic but not alot of other highlights....Justin Rose (who has led 3 times after the first round and always faded) and Trevor Immelman lead at 4-under 68...Good times ahead
  • Holy.....Have you seen Kobe jump over a car yet? Ridiculous....go to indiesports.blogspot.com for a direct link
  • Nuggets win IN Golden State in a game I was pretty confident GS would handle....This is absolutely huge for Denver as they now have a 1 game lead PLUS the tiebreaker (essentially a 2 game lead) with 3 to play...Golden State has 2 relatively easy home games with LAC and Seattle but there's a trip looming to Phoenix that could likely derail their necessary 3-0 finish...Denver finishes @ Utah (a likely loss) then home for Houston and Memphis.....Pretty much if I was GS, you gotta win all 3 and home Denver loses to Utah and Houston...Good luck
  • Bill Self officially staying....not shocked...at all
  • Umm college hockey?....I only mention this here because my Michigan Wolverines were the #1 overall seed in the Frozen Four...and went down 5-4 in OT last night...booooo
  • Clay Bennett (Sonics' Owner) is a snake and a weasel....that's all there is to that..
  • Cleveland Indians sign Fausto Carmona...no big deal....if CC Sabathia hadn't been negotiating...yikes
  • Braves got rained out last night...so no MLB content today..that put me off for the day...along with the Masters and the NBA games
  • NBA Recap: Dirk with a big-time 32 points including a clutch bucket late to beat Utah at home....I have to mention that the Big soft Euro managed to collect TWO rebounds at nearly 7 feet tall in almost 35 minutes of play....good effort....The only other game on the slate was LAL pounding the Clippers in a hallway matchup at Staples...gotta love that pseudo-home game for the Clips every year
  • The NHL Playoffs are going on....did you know that? I barely did...who ya got? I'll take Detroit...and I had to look it up to see if they were actually in the playoffs....go figure
More later

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Dolphins' Negotiating

Dolphins' negotiating with.....2 players? as many as 4? Huh?...I actually kind of like this strategy for the Dolphins who are currently negotiating with both Jake Long and Vernon Gholston reportedly and may stretch that to 4 players according to Chris Mortensen....They're in the catbird seat here, they can play each guy against each other, and since there is no clear #1 and they have so many holes, they could essentially bargain someone down to a "reasonable"(none of these rookie deals are reasonable) price.....That said, it could backfire on them if they are trying to deal out of the #1 spot and most people assume they are and don't have any takers....That said, I'm taking Jake Long if I am Miami (and choosing between the 2)...I just can't take a 3-4 OLB #1 overall (which is what Gholston will be) and I'm clearly a Jake Long fan....That said, there isn't a guy I feel comfortable drafting here so Parcells has an unenviable task

4/10: Short Bullets

Busy day at school today so this will be abbreviated...let's get it poppin'
  • The Masters kicked off today...at even money, I'll take Tiger....Can't wait to watch "the majesty, the splendor", etc.....definitely overblown about all that, but it's simply the best tournament in golf
  • Suns pull away from the Spurs late in a game I watched start to finish; Shaq looked good...and that's a bad matchup for San Antonio now b/c Duncan ends up having to guard Amare and it's just difficult for them up front...
  • NBA Draft: OJ Mayo declares...would've declared last year if he could...shoot, prolly 2 years ago...no shock here...UCLA guys both refute the earlier report, we'll see what they do (Any word from Russell Westbrook? Maybe the highest ranked of the 3)
  • NBA: Detroit goes down again...this time in Philly...not a bad loss and they are in full coast mode...Boston loses in Washington...pretty much the same but the Wiz impressed me....New Orleans wakes from the dead behind CP3's 19 and 16...and crush Minny on the road....not much else to speak of
  • MLB: Braves take it on the chin again..anger building....The Tigers win!! Off the schneid they go....Bad news for the Braves as Mike Pelfrey looked dominant for the Mets...Best pitching performance of the day was Zach Greinke throwing 8 scoreless against NYY...now that's impressive...

More to come possibly later..just a jampacked day

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Can you hear the piano?

I can....The Masters is here....Granted, I'm from Georgia and all...but this is the Golf event of the year no question and one of the great sporting events...I can't wait to follow it..and you should too....Having the Par 3 tourney on ESPN is both ridiculous and brilliant...it's kind of a joke of an event, but the ratings compared to normal afternoons will I would be assume be at least doubled, and it's fun to watch....but you know they hated it when Tiger said he wasn't playing....Tiger is what Reggie Jackson thought he was, "The Straw that Stirs the Drink"...and that's that....Go Eldrick Go

Trent Johnson to LSU...

Trent Johnson of Stanford is leaving to coach at LSU...really? I know you lose the Lopez twins...but this isn't just a lateral move, it's a step down...in program...in conference..everything...I assume he gets a raise, but it better be a huge one, and still doesn't justify it....rant over

4/9: Women's Title Game, Love/Collison, etc.

Alot to get to today....Let's go to the College Hardwood First...

  • Pretty much a good old-fashioned beatdown in the Women's title game last night...Tennessee laid the wood to Stanford from the jump....Candace Parker (in long sleeves!!!) was great as usual and Stanford (outside of Wiggins) looked overmatched...Oh well, was mildly entertained either way

  • Kevin Love and Darren Collison reportedly both bolting for the NBA and supposedly hiring agents...Collison doesn't surprise me but Love mildly does....No one (including a big fan like me) knows what to make of him as an NBA player....That said, his mom has maintained he hasn't decided yet, so we'll see how this plays out....Collison will be a top 3 PG taken most likely battling Augustin, etc. for the spot after Rose is gone
  • Well, College basketball is officially over...Oh, the humanity....more NBA and MLB now...and NBA draft talk..obv....Oh yea, Anthony Randolph (lottery), Chase Budinger (first round) and Marreese Speights all declare too
To the NBA...
  • CP3 held to FOUR points against Utah...and the Hornets held to 66....not a good way to end your MVP campaign Chris...let's pick it up...
  • The Hawks lay a classic Hawks egg on the road in Indy....I've spent the better part of today worrying about the most epic of epic collapses and missing the playoffs....somebody wake me when it's over...
  • Recap: New York wins in Detroit? What? hahaha...Vintage Pistons....Lakers go down in Portland despite Kobe's 34 and keep pace with NO...Golden State puts up 140 in beating Sacto...in regulation...man that's alot of points
Other things....
  • Matt Stover (Ravens' Player Rep) apparently leading the charge on trying to get Gene Upshaw ousted from the Players' Union Head....umm, random? I have heard things about him being bad...but this very public
  • Tigers fall to 0-7 losing in Boston as the BoSox get their rings....Same game, Boston gave a standing O and let Bill Buckner throw out the first pitch...bout time
  • Braves notes: Another close loss....Getting increasingly frustrated as we go here...and yes it's early....Also, Jordan Schafer (The Braves #1 Prospect overall) suspended 50 games for HGH....expletive.....He's supposed to be the guy Mark Kotsay is bridging to in Center Field....Not happy with this
  • Please stop with the Bill Self talk at least until there's a formal offer...or something to report...
  • Mario Manningham (the guy who's the reason why I care) and Aqib Talib reportedly admit to Marijuana use at the combine....Super Mario was an off-the-field nightmare at Michigan so no surprise here...but I've heard/seen multiple people say he's the most gifted WR in the draft in terms of route-running, deep threat, etc. so somebody will be taking a boom-or-bust flyer here...
  • Meant to mention this earlier...If the Yankees move A-Rod to SS...and Jeter gets back....Jeter's gotta be put back there....yes, 2B is probably where he should play...but you have Cano who is a top 8 2B right now and still very young....No discussion here
  • Last thing...I don't wanna get into the political aspects of it...but there should be no extinguishing of the Olympic torch..that's crazy....for the record, I'd cancel the outside-of-China legs of the Torch Relay and get it poppin' in China where they should be less resistance
More later...and a shameful plug for indiesports.blogspot.com....Some very good NBA insight on the award discussions (I'll post my own in between the end of the Regular Season and the Playoffs)...enjoy

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Can't believe I forgot this....

Meant to mention this in my first blog....Roy Williams is literally wearing a Kansas logo on his chest both during the game AND while giving a national TV interview?? This is just okay? I can't get behind it...I was semi-outraged when I saw this....They just beat you 48 hours before...Yea, We all know you're rooting for Kansas, I get that...but you seriously can't do this...Am I overreacting here?

4/8: Madness Recap, Some MLB, etc.


  • Above You will see a main reason why Memphis lost last night....any time your best 2 players (AND foul shooters) shoot a combined 1-5 in the last 90 seconds, including a front-end of a 1-and-1....that's a problem...All the other stuff (i.e. coaching decisions) are debatable, but that's not...make your FTs....The only point I'll make on the coaching (not fouling late or calling a TO) is that I just hope Calipari is consistent...it's a philosophy thing more than anything else...I'm always one that says foul up 3....others say play it out...differing opinions...I can't bash him unless he got tight and changed his philosophy...otherwise, cool

  • Big-time performance from the Kansas guards late....from the steal and kickout 3 that cut it to 4 and got them back in it to Chalmers hitting the dagger....real stepup performance....2 very evenly matched teams on a big stage...I really enjoyed it.....

  • Bill Self should just use the OK State stuff as leverage for a raise like everyone else does....that's at least 2 steps down in programs...get your money and stay

To Baseball....


  • Braves squander a Tom Glavine gem by allowing 2 runs in the 8th to lose 2-1....anger....was watching this split-screen at a sportsbar and cursing....hope the bullpen gets better...and fast

  • More: Baltimore utterly smashes the M's in 4 straight...trouble for like...all my division frontrunners....COME ON TIGERS AHHHHH....Jeter goes down with a groin/quad/whatever...hope its not serious for him...

Other stuff....

  • David Garrard gets $60 million...that says more to me about the QB market than about Garrard...he's a nice player...but wow, that seems high

  • Basketball HOF: Ewing, Olajuwon...duh....Adrian Dantley was that dude....and Dickie V...I love him....All I have to say is..."REWARD THE DEFENSE!! OHHHHH THE ALTERNATE POSSESSION!!!" Okay that's all..

  • WCBB champ. game tonight...tune in please...at least give it a shot....

  • NBA was off last night...terrible...at least give me one game....That said, Hawks with a must-win tonight @ Indy...at least for a possible run at the 7 seed...and Indy is the closest team to them....really not a game you wanna lose...I'll be tuned in to that, the braves and the WCBB game....you should too

Monday, April 7, 2008

4/7: The Return!

Sorry for my sketchiness the last couple days...back to civilization....and a big weekend that went down

To the College Hardwood....
  • Okay, okay...you all know who won the Final 4 games....and no, I didn't see them (anger) but I do know that I had 3 out of 4 possible matchups that would give me a chance to win my pool on Monday night.....and the 1 I didn't have (Mem/Kan) is what happened.....Unfortunate....However, I'll be locked in....don't worry about that....I'm gonna take Kansas, but I'm not convinced

  • Women's Tourney! Okay, I watched both games last night....pretty much in full...Candace Wiggins is nasty....and Candace Parker is dragging a shoulder...should be a good final on Tuesday

To the association once more....

  • The story was the huge Mavs comeback to beat Phoenix and hold down a place in the playoffs for now....Dirk with a big-time 32...but I say Phoenix collapsed more than anything (9 points in the 4th)....

  • Recap: New Orleans beats GS...bad times for the Warriors (despite Monta Ellis's 32 and 10 boards wow).....Seattle deflates Denver in 2OT behind Kevin Durant's ridiculous 37 pt, 8 board, 9 dime game....

Baseball..

  • Don't do a whole lot of standings watching this early...but checked in last night to catch up....the AL East is totally upside down (Boston and NYY at the bottom)....the Tigers are 0-6...yes, 0-6...my world series champ and favorite AL team....yikes.....Oh well, at least the Braves are winning the East...at 3-3 no less....Smoltz looked great yesterday but left early...ominous...

Other stuff....

  • Jerryd Bayless leaving early for Arizona...big blow to them...he's a legit top 10 prospect though...all the tools to be a big PG at the next level...
  • The NCAA and NBA are rumored to be announcing something soon....possibly an extended age limit....that would be huge news

Should be a big night tonight with nat'l title game and all....If it is a blowout though, not much to turn to since the NBA is off...at least I have the Braves

Saturday, April 5, 2008

4/5: Some content!

Well my sports info has been spotty the last day or so but here we are....
  • Cal gets Mike Montgomery....love this move...can recruit the west coast, runs a clean (as far as we know) program....Pac-10 experience...nothing to dislike here
  • Eric Gordon to the L....shocked? I'm not....
  • Tigers fall to 0-4...not quite panic mode...but something's wrong....
  • Final Four tonight....and I might miss both games....ridiculous...nonetheless, get fired up as the top 4 teams in the land square off...I'm gonna go ahead and pick UNC and UCLA and stick with my bracket....Go Bruins
  • NBA Recap: Hawks go down in a loss crushing to their (slim) chances to get a hold of the 7 seed...that dream is over...focus on now squandering the playoffs away now...Utah utterly pounds the Spurs in Salt Lake...man, they're good at home...Dallas goes down in LA....8 seed still a very fluid situation
More later....Hopefully after the games tonight

Friday, April 4, 2008

Sketchy....

Sketchy internet....Will hopefully get a post up later

Thursday, April 3, 2008

4/3 Injury Returns, MLB, Final 4.....

The headlines from last night came from the Association...
  • Agent Zero returns for Washington after missing 60+...looked healthy in the highlights I saw (and he had 17)....will be extremely interesting if he has time to mesh with the other 2 stars in an attempt to maybe overthrow Cleveland or Orlando in Round 1....
  • The other big returns were Dirk and Pau....unexpected at that as he was announced to not be playing earlier in the day...Dirk came back to lead Dallas to an (easy) win over Golden State....If he's back and healthy I might need to amend my playoff prediction....not quite yet though......Pau back after around a 10 game absence with the ankle....adds 10 in an easy win...ho-hum
  • And the return noone is talking about....Elton Brand! Yes, I know it's irrelevant b/c his team is terrible...but I like him and I'm glad he's back
  • Recap: Hawks win 5th straight and 9 of 11...in ANOTHER protested game....and listen....The scorekeepers were wrong again....The clock started early and TJ Ford's tip-in should've likely counted....but Lord, I hope they don't reverse another one.....Boston wins their 60th....jeez that's alot of wins...New Orleans pounds Miami....Lost in the Miami mess is Chris Quinn who is playing....wait for it...well.....18, 9 assists, 7 boards last night...he's somehow (insert laughter here) their most consistent player right now
  • Should Donnie Walsh fire Isiah? I say yes...but not because Isiah is a bad coach...he proved he can coach a little in Indiana years ago...but I can't see this situation resurrecting itself with him on the bench...they've quit on him..and for good reason....make the change

To Baseball....

  • Washington is 3-0...huh? why? They've been pitching well too which laugh out loud funny when you look at their rotation....cue me laughing aloud with Odalis Perez started opening day....
  • The Braves tally a win...was really impressed with Jair Jurrjens (the young stud they got for Edgar Renteria) and the bats awoke from their slumber.....
  • Pedro only out 4-6 weeks...I think this is actually good news for the Mets...whenever he's talking about hearing a pop and is only out a month...not too bad....JJ Putz goes down too but only placed on the 15-day..bad news for Seattle
  • Detroit starting very slowly...the bats seem dead...and they're playing KC....ewwwww

Other things....

  • Andre Allen (Memphis' backup PG and former starter) suspended for the Final Four...I think this actually HELPS Memphis....I think Allen is likely the worst rotation guy on any team in this final 4 (check the stats, percentages, etc.)...and this only allows MORE minutes for Derrick Rose....Allen is a long-time contributor so I'm sure Cal feels the need to play him minutes....not anymore....
  • Talk to me in August about NFL rule changes...until then? Thanks but no thanks
  • I did laugh when I heard Chris Henry was pending arrest again....add him to the list of guys who never learn....

I don't know my internet situation this weekend (will be outta town)...if it's good...expect alot of writeups...if it's semi-good...something at least...if it's bad...well....never know

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Well baseball's going well.....

Except the opposite....My team (The Braves) are 0-2...and my secondary team (AL/from Detroit/My Dad's team, etc.) the Tigers...are 0-2 as they just got 3-hit by Brian Bannister and the Royals....This puzzled me so I check out the box score...and Edgar Renteria (former Brave) had all 3 hits....yikes....I guess Bannister was that dominating? I hope that's the case

4/2 Pedro, NBA, Crean, etc.

Laughter.....
  • Pedro goes down in his 1st start with a Hamstring....I wonder who saw this coming....maybe everyone? I had Mike Hampton in my office pool but Pedro works for me....Trouble for New York in an already spotty rotation after Johan and Pedro....Good news for the Braves and Phillies
To the Association.....


  • Above is Donnie Walsh who the Knicks will be officially hiring today to run their franchise mostly....This is a very important man to the team (obvious) and really to the entire league going forward b/c as everyone including David Stern says...the league is better when the Knicks are relevant....It'll take a while for him to clean up Isaiah's mess but good luck to him....
  • NBA Recap: Spurs utterly pound the Warriors at home...coupled with Denver somehow edging Phoenix and the Nuggets are back in the playoffs again...man, this changes every day....
  • Some Injury news....Pau Gasol looks to be back tonight....need him full-strength if they wanna win the West (I feel like they can even without a healthy Bynum IF Pau is full-go)......Agent Zero (Mr. Arenas) is cleared but not yet playing...I've been saying for months I don't know if they are better with Gilbert in there....especially not a less than 100% Gilbert taking shots from Butler and Jamison....but if he's ready, put him in there....
Some college hoops...
  • I touched on the Tom Crean IU hire yesterday...but it's growing on me even more...really like him....IU made a steal here IF he can recruit...fast....
  • Sean Sutton resigns/was fired....You don't resign and still collect the rest of your money unless you're pushed out.....A quick trigger I'd say but they have been regressing so I guess I can see it....Bill Self is an alum but that's a big step-down in jobs even for a coach with ties....
  • Kevin O'Neill totally out at Arizona? No one really knows what went on here....he was announced as the heir apparent to Lute Olsen....now Lute comes back and O'Neill is totally off the staff? Huh? I'm sure they'll be details later....
  • WARNING WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CONTENT: Laughter....Terrible that I just did that...but I watched Women's ball alot last night...not that shocking....UConn/Rutgers is always entertaining...Epiphanny Prince is a baller....I watched Maya Moore play more than 10 times in high school so I have a little tie to watching her....Like everyone else, I'd like to see UConn and Tennessee in the final but I'm not sure LSU doesn't beat Tennessee...Sylvia Fowles is unstoppable....Would mention Candace Wiggins....but you can go to indiesports.blogspot.com to read about her....Enough of that....
More later



Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Tom Crean to Indiana...

This is a very good catch for Indiana...Crean is very good and can recruit to Marquette so Indiana should be easier...but that job isn't easy without a single starter returning (unless Gordon somehow stays or they reinstate the 2 they just kicked off)...tall task ahead but a great find for Indiana..

4/1 Baseball and some NBA

Baseball is underway!


  • The Braves and Pirates played a ridiculous extra-inning classic last night including the Braves scoring 5 in the 9th to tie it followed by another Braves-killer Xavier Nady (see above) hitting a 3-run HR a couple innings later and then the Braves coming back within 1 with men on and 2 out in the bottom half....crazy....
  • Was discussing Barry Zito last night...he's just fallen off the earth hasn't he? The guy isn't even turning 30 until May and it's like the wheels have come off (including a mid-80s fastball, yikes)....I hope he turns it...and oh yea, the Giants are gonna be awful

  • At least Eric Gagne and Kerry Wood battled to a draw as to who could start the year worse....good times
  • Anger if you picked Victor Martinez in multiple fantasy leagues like I did...Catchers with leg injuries=bad....

  • Interested to see more of the top-flight pitchers get underway today....King Felix! aka one of the only guys I'd watch a game to see pitch (Jake Peavy falls into that category and was great last night)

To the Association...


  • Don't look now ladies and gentlemen....the Hawks are coming! They cruised by Memphis (on the road somehow) behind Josh Smith's 28, have won 4 straight (gasp) and a ludicrous (by their standards) 8 of their last 10...to have a 3-game lead on the 8 spot and are only 3 behind Philly (who they get to play twice down the stretch)....Excitement abounds (for me anyway)

  • Recap: Dallas get a huge road win behind Kidd scoring(??) 27 to lead them over LAC....That win, coupled with Denver getting the doors blown off them in the 2nd half by Phoenix (led by 19 at half, lost by 15, ewwww) and suddenly Dallas is sitting in the 7 spot....it's a fluid situation.......Utah goes back to Salt Lake and wins by a meager 42...over Washington who is a middling Eastern playoff team....laughter

To College....

  • Both Lopez brothers declare for the draft....Brook should...Robin? ehhhh he'll be okay...a body in the paint and an energy guy at the next level....

  • The AP All-Americans are out....Couple of rant points for me....but not really with the 1st team...I get that Douglas-Roberts represents Memphis on there (and any mention of Derrick Rose on the 1st team should be met with hilarity....yea he has the most NBA hype but didn't have close to the best season)...Chris Lofton makes the 3rd team?....seriously? Okay, blindly look at his numbers....39.9% FG, 15.5 PPG, 1.8 assists (by a guy 6'2 maybe), 3.2 RPG.....seriously? All-American? Gotta love the hype machine...guy wasn't the best player on his team (easily Tyler Smith)....And another thing...

  • The 2nd team includes DJ White, Luke Harangody, AND Roy Hibbert (who shouldn't be anywhere near this list)....all 3 played center all year for their teams with Shan Foster and Stephen Curry.....the 3rd team includes Brook Lopez with Lofton, Darren Collison, Derrick Rose, AND Eric Gordon.....so one team has 3 centers and 2 shooting guards.....and the other team has 1 center, and 4 guards.....How bout some semblance of reason? No? Just checking....

Okay that's enough of that....more to come