Saturday, May 31, 2008

5/31: Celtics/Lakers, Jim Calhoun, etc.

  • Boston moves on in impressive fashion in Detroit.....The Celtics came from 10 down in the 4th on the road last night to put away the Pistons in their own building...pretty impressive stuff.....a couple things stood out to me....one was that KG made a couple incredibly athletic ball-handling/slashing plays that went unnoticed by the 3-man announcing team (which has been atrocious).....another was that that Paul Pierce 4-point play...mhm i mean....offensive foul was the 2nd worst call I've seen in these playoffs behind the Pierce/Lebron block-charge in the last round....it could've conceivably been a traveling violation...but not an offensive foul....Ray Allen is alive again, and I'm starting to believe that Cleveland just did a really nice job on him and he lost a little confidence....he looks like the old Ray Allen minus a step...and that's okay....same goes for Chauncey Billups who some people buried earlier in the series...he was huge in the last 2 games....and one last thing....if you didn't know that Paul Pierce is the unquestioned go-to-guy in Boston...you know now....
  • That brings us to the widely yearned for Boston/LA NBA Finals which has reports of the possibility to "save the league"....#1) I have no idea what that really means.....and #2) It may save the TV ratings to a more reasonable number than last year's debacle....but the league doesn't need saving...it's in great shape....That said, I'm going to pick the Mamba in 6....put me on the record
Now to non-NBA material.....
  • Royce Ring should have never been on the Braves 25-man roster....and thus shouldn't have been allowed to give yet another game away.....Jay Bruce seriously looks ridiculous....he went 4-5 in the same game...
  • My prayers go out to Jim Calhoun who is battling yet another bout with Skin Cancer.....good luck sir
  • There's apparently a bit of a smoking gun in the OJ Mayo case stemming from an official credit card that Rodney Guillory apparently used to buy him things.....keep an eye out
  • Both Williams sisters lost at the French Open in the same day....I don't know that anyone cares....And that's not a shot at them...it's a shot at the sport's relevance
There's a basketball lull until Thursday so it may result in a slight decrease in content volume here...but I'll try and keep things moving

Friday, May 30, 2008

The Spurs "Dynasty"

I'll be honest...I'm a huge fan of what the Spurs have done in the Popovich/Duncan era....I would never call them a dynasty simply because they never went back-to-back, and never seemed to be the dominant force I equate with that word.....that said, I think the "dynasty" has come to an end with the roster as currently constructed....I wouldn't put it past RC Buford and Pop to pull some strings and get younger/better off the bench and come back and do it again....but I don't see the same level as they once were at....Historically, I think the Manu/Parker backcourt will probably be a bit overrated because they won 3 titles together...but it's the same thing as the Pistons' guys....they seem underrated because they aren't big names...but I think they almost become overrated b/c they get all the "clutch" type of love, etc.....After all that....I believe Tim Duncan is the best Power forward ever (and one of the best 3 players of decade after MJ with Shaq and Kobe), Pop is a top 10 coach ever, and this team is STILL not receiving the love a team that wins 4 rings in 9 years should receive....So I'll give them a little...

Thursday, May 29, 2008

5/29: Lots to talk about....

I'll start with all things NBA....
  • The Celtics take the 3-2 lead behind KG and Ray Allen....it was great to see Ray Allen really find the stroke (although he'd already been playing better) and there is news that Cleveland's entire focus in that series was to take Ray Allen away....so maybe he's got more juice left than we thought (Ryan rejoices).....KG was big-time with 33 despite a smaller-than-usual rebound total mostly caused by Kendrick Perkins grabbing everything in sight.....series not over by any stretch as Detroit is a great road team at times and could easily go into Boston in Game 7 and win....or lose at home in Game 6....I have no idea anymore
  • The Bulls are set to hire Doug Collins out of the broadcast booth to head coach....This is a weird one since he already coached there in the MJ days and hasn't coached since....He's very good on TV but I don't know much of him as a coach....seems okay though....
  • The Hawks just made a GM hire...and no one even knows....it never appeared on ESPN's frontpage....or yahoo's......but former Sonics GM Rick Sund is the new man...I don't mind the hire (and I certainly liked it more than Chris Grant who they previously offered the job to) but anytime you get your 3rd (or more) choice....not good....but hey, he can't be worse than his predecessor....
  • Please leave the Barry/Fisher no-call alone...the Spurs did...so should you....and you..and you....
  • Fines for flopping?! According to Stu Jackson, the league will now implement a fine for "clear cases" of flopping....whatever that means....good luck judging that
  • Byron Scott gets a new deal...he earned it...well, with some help from that Paul guy...
  • Reportedly John Paxson has "settled on" Michael Beasley....even if he had....he wouldn't tell you....
Other stuff....
  • MLB: Erik Bedard is alive....a 7 inning gem from him makes Seattle fans (Ryan included) rejoice....Chase Utley has 17 bombs.....Remember when the Rays (or D-Rays what have you) got ripped for dealing Delmon Young for Matt Garza? I do.....The miserable Braves couldn't chalk a run against the washed-up Jeff Suppan last night....falling to 0-11 in 1-run games on the road and 2-14 in them overall...coupling that with the worst road record in the majors.....pulling my hair out over here....
  • James Blake lost at the French Open...he's always the best shot for the US over there....and he has no shot either....
  • Pittsburgh rebounds to cut the Red Wings series lead to 2-1....I won't pretend to have watched it...but Sidney Crosby had 2 goals.....
  • Last thing....The Spelling Bee isn't a sport....please stop covering it like it is ESPN, Yahoo, Sporting News...whoever else.....Cover it like you do poker....show it on TV b/c you get ratings...but don't try to dissect it on your websites/blogs....these kids are 11 and 12 (and reportedly 8 this year)....let them be

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

5/28: Spurs on the Ropes, Tiger, etc.

  • Tim Duncan and the Spurs are clearly on the ropes now down 3-1....I won't get into the last play too in-depth, but I will say 2 things....1) I wouldn't have called the foul (and Barry shouldn't have pump-faked anyway) and 2) Joey Crawford shouldn't have been involved.....How can anyone think it's a good idea to have the ONLY publicly held team/player/ref rivalry be put centerstage in the conference finals by putting Joey on a Spurs game? I don't understand the line of thinking.....Kobe was fantastic again I thought (equally good was Tim Duncan who got no help from his other stars) and Lamar Odom played well down the stretch when they put it away.....Kobe decided to make a bonehead play and try and shoot a layup instead of pulling out and being fouled...didn't cost them the game, but it could've helped.....I won't bury the Spurs yet (as everyone else is) because if anyone can do it, it's them....but It's not looking good
  • MLB: Jay Bruce is already ballin....no surprise here as I've been hearing about him for years....and he's the sole reason they're shopping Griffey (I'd keep Griffey and bench Patterson myself)....My boy Josh Hamilton is back in the boxscores with 5 RBI to lead the league with 58 and a pace for around 170....Cleveland pulled off a triple steal last night...so sick....Bobby Cox imploded a bit last night....leaving Tim Hudson in late after he had just allowed 2 baserunners and already had well over 100 pitches....rare for Bobby who usually has a quick trigger....
  • Tiger will be ready for the US Open...and he'll win it...and it doesn't matter that he hasn't played since Augusta.....It's Torrey Pines and he could play the course in his sleep
That's all for now...

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

5/27: Pistons Dominate, etc.

Low on time/resources today....here we go...
  • Detroit dismantles Boston at home throughout in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicated.....Boston was absolutely dreadful offensively throughout and I need alot less Sam Cassell from Doc Rivers....Jason Maxiell is a freak athlete and that block from behind on KG was a special play....Anytime Detroit can get 21 and 16 boards from the artist formerly known as 'Dyess, their opponent is in big trouble....and I think he had all 21 in the 1st 3 quarters.....Going back to Boston at 2 apiece is a good thing for the league...unless the games continue to be bad like last night's
  • Willie Randolph...the whole situation is nuts...either fire him or leave him alone I'd say....
  • Must-win for San Antonio tonight at home vs. LA....if they lose they're down 3-1 with 2 of the last 3 on the road....and even the Spurs can't do that....we think...
  • Clayton Kershaw looked good to me....but I really wanna see this Jay Bruce kid that Cincinnati has (and who is causing them to market Griffey)....he's gotta be legit or Griffey stays....

Monday, May 26, 2008

5/26: Holiday Fun...

Thank you to all the veterans...even if none of them ever read this....

  • The Spurs show some fight at home with a strong win.....Manu led the way with 30, but how bout Tim Duncan fighting through what started as a pretty bad shooting performance and ending up 8-17 for 22 points with 21 boards....very Duncan-like...Kobe ended with 30....somehow...but I didn't think he played particularly well/aggressively.....All this win does is set the stage for another must-win for SA in Game 4....half-way there though...
  • I saw the highlight at least 3 times yesterday...and if I don't look it up I don't know who won the Indy 500....I just know who didn't (Danica) and that's not a good thing for your sport...unless it's golf...and you have a top 5 athlete of all time as that person....
  • Joakim Noah smokes weed??!? NOOOO!!!! laughter....
  • MLB: Aaron Cook of Rockies fame is looking to be quite a good arm....another CG yesterday....Welcome to the bigs Clayton Kershaw...and how long til it becomes "Clay"?.....Jon Lester fails to join Johnny Van Der Meer for back-to-back no hitters...securing his predecessor's fate as the only guy who has and will ever do this....
  • Phil Mickelson storms back through a decent field at the Colonial....not a Phil fan....but he can certainly put some shots together....
  • Chauncey Billups claims he's going to fight through the leg injury he's been suffering from....has he been doing this thus far? If this is all he's got...they should go with Stuckey....We'll know more this evening....

Sunday, May 25, 2008

5/25: A Short Weekend Post

Not alot of time....
  • LA shellacks the Spurs on Friday night to the tune of a 30 point win....not alot to even say here....SA got nothing out of Manu and it wouldn't have necessarily mattered if they did....just wasn't a competitive outing from SA
  • Boston wins...on the road? Yes...You read that right....Boston led wire-to-wire in Detroit in Game 3 last night and held on for dear life late as they finally chalked on the road....Chauncey Billups was the worst I've ever seen him....well at least since he was in Boston....any time Paul Pierce and Ray Allen can combine for only 25 and Boston wins by 14 on the road...problems....and alot of that Allen/Pierce output was very late....Oh yea, Rodney Stuckey had 17 again off the bench...."Why did Rodney Stuckey fall to #15 in the draft?......Because Billy Knight was picking #11"....heard that one this weeekend, chuckle....
  • Barry Zito won a start!
  • Jeff Francoeur...hometown boy of Lilburn, GA where I am from, and alum of my high school only 2 years before me hit a walk-off for the Braves yesterday....high-fives all around
  • Indy 500 today...who you got? laughter
  • College Lacrosse is fantastic....Duke went down yesterday to say bye-bye to the "controversy" of them with a whole lot of players granted a 5th year of eligibility by the NCAA due to them cancelling a season and all.....Johns Hopkins is now the favorite...
An absolute must-win for the Spurs tonight....should be compelling TV...and the Mamba's playing...

Friday, May 23, 2008

5/23: Pistons/Celtics, MLB Replay, etc.

Pretty light day...let's get started...
  • Detroit went into Boston and finally toppled the Celtics in the new "garden"....It was a typical Detroit game in which they put it all together on the road in that "us against the world" type of atmosphere....6 guys in double figures (led by Hamilton with 25) in a balanced effort.....The lone bright spot Boston can take is the return of Ray Allen's Pulse as he woke up in the 2nd half and ended with 25....but now they must win a road game for the first time in the playoffs.....that said, if there's a beatable team on the road left in these playoffs, it's Detroit who still has that penchant for laying home eggs when they (namely Sheed and Billups) are prone to taking nights off....103 points is totally inexcusable for Boston to allow at home, and they shouldn't lose games where the Big 3 have 75 points.....Final note: Rodney Stuckey impressed me quite a bit last night...boy, he'd look good in that Hawks #4 uniform that currently says "Law" on the back.....
Other things...
  • MLB was discuss and possibly implement a test trial of Home Run instant replay for the fall league in Arizona....it's about time....there's literally not one reason this shouldn't be in now...not balls and strikes....not calls at bases....simply where home runs land....it's not rocket science
  • OJ Mayo and his agent part ways....didn't see this coming honestly...but I guess it makes sense given the recent circumstances...I don't think he'll have trouble finding capable representation
  • MLB Stuff: Dice-K is 8-0 and cruising...he has some interesting splits (numbers) but has managed to get to 8-0 alot b/c of that offense......Ken Griffey Jr. hits #598...in my mind he's the best baseball player I've ever seen in his prime....no one will ever convince me that he wouldn't have broken Hank's (not Barry's, lol) record if healthy for those first 3-4 years in Cincy....The Tigers live! A sweep of lowly Seattle may get them going....
  • Game 2 of San Antonio/LAL tonight....tune in....do it for me.....

Thursday, May 22, 2008

5/22: Lakers/Spurs, Soccer?

To the association...
  • The Lakers come back late and drown out the Spurs at home.....San Antonio led throughout and that fact makes this loss a little harder to swallow if you are a Spurs fan....Tim Duncan was huge for SA with 30 and 18 but the absence of Manu Ginobili (just 3-13 shooting) was a big factor down the stretch....and that leads us to Kobe Bean Bryant....who somehow only converted 1 FG in the first half...and ended up with 27 points in a vintage "To shoot or not to shoot" performance from the sometimes heady Bryant...A very interesting to what should be a great (and long) series....
Other stuff....
  • I watched soccer yesterday....wanted to see what the fuss was about in the UEFA Champions League Final....I was entertained only by the PK situation at the end of the game...so that should tell you something
  • MLB: Brandon Webb goes down....can't be undefeated forever although he pitched pretty well again....The Braves have now won the 1st 3 of the 4-gamer with the Mets setting up the huge Hudson/Santana battle tonight.....Jermaine Dye bombed twice for CWS...Bartolo Colon lives and breathes! with a Win no less....doesn't mean that his spot shouldn't be held by Justin Masterson however....I have a sneaking suspicion it might be Tim Wakefield that loses his rotation slot for late in the year.....
  • Jason Taylor reportedly nearing the outs in Miami....he deserves to play for a contender anyway....and I still maintain it's one of the ballsier things I've seen for him to just not show up for off-season program because of Dancing with the Stars....just hilarious if you sit back and think about it
  • USC officials maintain they had no knowledge of improper benefits to OJ Mayo....Oh, you mean the flat-screens and new clothes for the kid you knew was dirt poor when he signed there? What else were they going to say?

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

5/21: East Game 1, Lottery, etc.

The 2 Big stories from yesterday are both in the NBA....I love this game!
  • I'll lead with the on-court stuff....Boston holds serve at home to take the 1-0 lead in the East Finals....KG was very, very good throughout and Pierce was his usual self (though not the 40+point variety)...Ray Allen is still not right (3-10 for 9 pts) but at least Doc is trying to get him going by running some additional things through him....I was really impressed with Rajon Rondo's bounceback, as Billups is a notoriously difficult matchup for him....It was a balanced, yet unsuccessful effort from Detroit and I'll go ahead and say they're gonna need better than 3-12 from Sheed...like every night....This series is a still a toss-up, and one thing's for sure, if anyone can win in Boston, it's probably Detroit....
  • The Draft Lottery went down last night with Chicago getting the #1 pick somehow with Miami and Minnesota to follow....Now's a good time to plug my favorite NBA draft site....nbadraft.net.....go there to see regularly updated mocks now that the lottery is set, those guys do a great job....now to my analysis....If I was John Paxson, I would go.....Michael Beasley....for the simple fact that they've been in need of a legit front-court scorer for like...years....and he fits that bill obviously...At the risk of full disclosure, I am an unabashed Kirk Hinrich supporter and I feel like he's an above-average point guard, and that puts this pick over the edge to me UNLESS they can get fair value in a deal for Hinrich...if they somehow could, I'd go the Rose route b/c I feel like he is the better prospect overall....Miami will be dancing in the streets either way I have a feeling, but I think Pat Riley would rather have Rose....Minnesota gets the unenviable task of sorting through the rest of the draft of guys like Brook Lopez, Jerryd Bayless, OJ Mayo, and whatever Europeans appear....Good luck to you all NBA gms....
  • Spurs/Lakers begins tonight in the better of the 2 series I'd imagine....I'm going to take the Lakers, but once again, it's the Spurs people, don't kill them yet....This one's going at least 6, and I'll take Kobe going berserk in Game 7 for the win...
Other things....
  • All this Carmelo/Nets trade talk is pretty premature....or so it seems....
  • MLB: Braves sweep a double-header against the hated Mets....:pumps fist:....Justin Masterson was sick yet again for Boston and for the life of me, I can't figure out why the keep sending him back down to AAA to make room for guys like Bartolo Colon...or the corpse of Bartolo Colon....ludicrous.....Doug Davis has a planned return to the D-Backs rotation after having cancer surgery...like during THIS season....crazy...good luck Doug
  • Cue the over-reactions when the NFL owners opt out of the current CBA early.....they'd been widely expected to do this for months so I'm not shocked/worried....I just can't for the life of me see how they could let a work stoppage go down with as healthy as the league (and it's profit margins) currently are....
  • Matt Ryan is officially a Falcon...signing the richest Rookie deal in history (as the 3rd pick??? huh???) with 6 yr/72 million with over 34 million guaranteed....Wow, that seems steep, but undoubtedly worth it if he's good....but do we know that? absolutely not
  • Final thing for today....Mike Piazza retires....I was never a huge fan, but he is definitely one of, if not the, best hitting catchers of all-time...so that deserves a mention...and oh yea, he made it perfectly clear he's not gay...for whatever reason

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

5/20: Spurs, Jon Lester, etc.

  • Well there went the Hornets.....San Antonio was its usual methodical self in disposing of the Hornets in a do-or-die (on the road no less) to the surprise of....I'd hope no one...the Spurs do this for a living and it shouldn't surprise you....I thought Chris Paul was masterful despite facing constant 3-defender programs and Tyson Chandler played very well but they were overpowered elsewhere (sidebar...Jannero Pargo was JACKING last night like Eddie House style)....especially with an inability to curtail Manu Ginobili at any point last night...The Spurs move on...and they could beat the Lakers....the lesson as always....do not count out the Spurs....
  • Jon Lester threw a no-no last night...oh, you've heard? Yea, it led every single sporting show for a solid 1o hours last night and this morning so it's pretty big news....I applaud him for the effort, not alot else needs to be said...
  • MLB: Jake Peavy goes to the DL...bad news for an already-struggling SD (and his fantasy owners).....A-Rod scheduled to return tonight to help the Yanks.....I'm as excited as I get about pre-summer baseball today because the Mets and Braves play 2 at Turner....yes, I hate the Mets....so this will be fun....Go Bravos
  • Draft Lottery Tonight! As an NBA head, this is a monumentous occasion for the league as usual with Rose/Beasley/etc. out there to be had...but I still don't love the lottery system....that said, I'll be watching
  • Anybody catch Charles Barkley on Inside the NBA last night? That was some interesting TV....He actually flip-flopped a couple times moderately...but came off pretty real

All for now....

Monday, May 19, 2008

5/19: Shortened but here nonetheless...

On my lunch break...
  • Boston/Cleveland was likely the 2nd best game of the playoffs thus far last night (behind PHX/SA Game 1) and it's about time....Paul Pierce lives and breathes again (even when Ray Allen isn't) and Lebron was every bit as good as he's supposed to be last night but just didn't get any help and couldn't do it alone....On the record quickly, I'm taking Detroit over Boston but hopefully it's a 7-game classic...Oh yea, and it's good to see Doc go to Pierce as the #1 option as he has the better makeup to do so than Garnett does....
  • I'm picking New Orleans tonight at home vs. the Spurs but this could be an epic battle...I just think Chris Paul is good enough to carry them....just my gut
  • Come on John Smoltz...I need you back....even if you're closing...
  • Not alot else went down this weekend other than baseball...and don't have time to break it down right now....
Will tack some more on later

Sunday, May 18, 2008

5/18: Really slow day in sports....

Yesterday was likely the slowest weekend sports day since the beginning of football season last year....That being said....A few things only...

  • Candace Parker debuts with 34 for the Sparks....she's good but you already should've known that...
  • MLB: Dice-K still undefeated as he was great in another win bringing himself to 7-0....Alfonso Soriano's bat is more than alive; He has 7 HRs this week(!) and has hit safely in 20 of his last 37 at-bats...crazy numbers...
  • Great, now the entire nation lives in fear of an NFL Lockout in 2011.....Thanks, Gene Upshaw....Oh yea, there's literally no chance of this...I'll go on record now....The NFL is too strong compared to everyone else to have this happen
  • Some horse named Big Brown won 2 legs of the Triple Crown...alert me when he wins all 3....
Enjoy your sunday

Saturday, May 17, 2008

5/17: Lakers, Celtics, Josh Hamilton, etc.

Let's get right to it...
  • LA goes on the road and puts away Utah....I watched this one wire-to-wire and it wasn't nearly as close as the score indicated...I have to give it to Utah for coming on strong late with their season on the line, showed some heart but too late....I was at a SportsBar without the benefit(or crutch) of sound, and had a brief moment of, "Why is Carlos Boozer not out there down the stretch?"...He fouled out though....whew.....My coaching moment of the day was Jerry Sloan inexplicably leaving CJ Miles on the floor for over 6 consecutive minutes while just jacking....had nothing here...come on Jerry....This was also a rare game where both teams had 6 guys in double figures....and the Lakers had this with 4 minutes left...in the THIRD....but the difference was Kobe (duh) and the 11-39 for only 28 points from Boozer and Okur...LA moves on....
  • Boston lays yet another road egg in Cleveland....welcome to the series Lebron with 32 in a game that featured only 4 guys TOTAL in double figures (versus 12 in the other game) and the 2nd leading scorer for Cleveland was Delonte West with a uninspiring 10...so it was truly the Lebron show scoring 32 of the 74 and holding off Boston late.....now to this....Likely the worst call of the playoffs so far....happened late in a block/charge situation where Lebron got the benefit of being Lebron and it being in Cleveland on a play that really wasn't close and swung the tide...Doc Rivers was at mid-court.... incensed.....KG was good/great yet again for Boston but the Artist Formerly Known as Ray Allen (what I'l call him til he wakes up) and Paul Pierce (who's been nearly as bad) are killing their chances at winning the title (not the series simply because Cleveland isn't good enough on the road to be a favorite).....Should be a big-time game 7 on Sunday....
Other things....
  • To Baseball....where Josh Hamilton went a crazy 5-5 with 2 HR, 3B, 5 RBI and 4 runs....he's really, really good...with a ludicrous 49 RBI to lead the AL by 15 and the league by 6 as well....and he upstaged Jayson Werth who hit 3 HR and had 8 RBI as a guy with less than 50 career HR....gotta love when flukes like this happen, it's entertaining....The Braves won a 1-run game! That makes 2...versus 11 losses...it's great to be an Atlanta sports fan....
  • Tim Donaghy is in the news again....the Feds are saying he bet on 100+ games that he refereed over the years....that's incredible....
  • One Recommendation today....the WNBA starts today with Candace Parker's debut against former UCONN Star Diana Taurasi...3:30 ABC...watch it...yes, I just recommended professional Women's basketball
That's it for today as I was very focused on the NBA....enjoy the weekend

Friday, May 16, 2008

5/16: Back again....

Had no internet for the duration yesterday (anger) but here I am again....
  • San Antonio pretty much dominates New Orleans last night....Duncan woke up a bit and they got a huge lift from Ime Udoka off the bench with some hot shooting....the X-factor for Game 7 is suddenly David West's back, but he gets 3 full days off so he should be okay and set it up for a big-time game 7 in NO on Monday....
  • Cleveland and Utah both have home dates to try and push their respective series to Game 7 tonight....and Game 7's are always a good thing....so go home team! lol
Other things...
  • Charles Barkley gambles alot...and says as much...this is news?
  • MLB: Brandon Webb is 9-0 in 9 starts...are you kidding me? Oh yea, he's won 13 straight (in only 14 starts) and is officially the best pitcher in the league if you ask me....Cole Hamels baffled my Braves last night with his first ever CG shutout...yay...oh yea and Lance Berkman is smashing the ball....15 homers...
  • Baseball continues to baffle me with its contract numbers...Hanley Ramirez previously got what I believe is under market value...and now Ryan Braun signs for 5.5 mill a year? The guy is a top 5 young slugger in the league....and they just locked him up for what amounts to his entire youth for 5.5 mill a year....a steal for Milwaukee
  • Terry Porter and Kurt Rambis apparently emerging as the leading candidates in Phoenix...I admittedly have no idea what either is like as a coach....so I won't comment
  • Anyone see Billy Wagner go nuts? I think he was semi-justified....simply because he's not playing...other guys are...interview them...I heard the excuse today that the Mets have too many foreign players who prefer to avoid English interviews....don't buy it..
All I got today...

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

5/14: Back in Full....

Here we go...full-length, no less
  • New Orleans pounds the Spurs in the 2nd half en route to a big win.....Control of this series is now firmly in the hands of CP3 and the Hornets behind David West's ludicrous 38 and 14 performance (with a bad back even) and Paul was his usual fantastic self....The Spurs couldn't hit the jumpshots necessary to hang in there late, and looked old down the stretch when the offense stagnated...The series isn't over simply b/c it's the Spurs on the other end and no one can put it past them...but New Orleans is seemingly about to cruise to the West Final...
  • Detroit puts away Orlando....any time you can win on the road in Game 4 without your floor leader probably means you're in total control...and they were, winning without Chauncey again, and allowing themselves a long rest to get him healthy while they wait on the Boston/Cleveland series that has to go at least 6 games (and likely 7)...Should be a good one
Other stuff...
  • Yea, we know Spygate was a joke....but now the media wants to run 100,000 stories on how it was a joke! Just leave it...now....
  • MLB: How bout those Rays (or D-Rays) winning the AL East this late in the year? It was only a matter of time until their record caught up to the talent level...Jered Weaver was DEALING last night....combining on a 3-hitter with that crazy delivery working nicely...The hometown Braves still can't win a road game as they blow a 3-0 lead behind Jo-Jo Reyes and strand 2 in the Ninth, the pain continues....Back-to-back shutouts for Cleveland this time with Paul Byrd leading the way instead of the suddenly unhittable Cliff lee...Can someone schedule it so King Felix never has to go to Texas ever again? He has a +7.00 ERA lifetime there....yikes
  • Annika Sorenstam retires...yes, I know no one cares about women's golf (at least that I know) but I follow it somewhat lightly and know she is likely the greatest player ever in the sport....that deserves some props on its own..Ride off into the sunset Annika
  • Stop killing Billy Gillespie for recruiting young players....everyone does this...just not this publicly, he just shows his balls by not hiding it...
  • Myles Brand states they will turn up the heat on the OJ Mayo story...they must have alot of smoking guns here since the NCAA is notoriously slow to act on this kind of thing, and lightning fast on this one...not a good sign for USC
  • Barry Bonds is in trouble.....in case you didn't know....the initial 4 Perjury counts he was facing are now listed as 14 counts....my goodness, they must have him pegged
More later...

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

All-Rookie Team and A Request for the NBA Voters...

Today, the All-Rookie team was announced for the NBA....When I first heard this, the only portion of the team/story I was informed of was that Al Horford was the only unanimous pick...cool, I thought....Then after seeing the team it read like this....

Al Horford
Kevin Durant
Luis Scola
Al Thornton
Jeff Green

At first glance, this may seem like the best 5 rookies (although I'd go Thaddeus Young and Jamario Moon over Green and Thornton) until you realize that there isn't a single guard on the team.....Durant comes the closest as he started many games at the 2, but he's 6'9 and not a guard....This brings me to a general complaint I have with the voting process....

If you are going to make a team supposedly made up of the best players at their respective positions, shouldn't said team include players of all positions? My personal belief is that they should go PG, SG, SF, PF, and C on every single of these teams...but if that can't be done (for some unexplained reason)....at LEAST give me 2 guards, 2 forwards, and a center.....it's ridiculous...

My All-Rookie team by My rules

C-Al Horford
PF-Luis Scola
SF-Jamario Moon
SG-Kevin Durant
PG-Rodney Stuckey (edging Mike Conley who came on strong late)

5/13: Lebron and The Cavs, etc.

This is will be quite short, as I am still adjusting to my new internship/job that requires waking up....yea...
  • Lebron and the Cavs hold off Boston late to even the series....Lebron was hmmm okay, and showed flashes of his brilliant self, still seems a bit off to me...Paul Pierce's face in the locker room post-game was wow, he looked outright furious....It's a series to the end now I'm thinking
  • Really ESPN? we're LEADING with Matt Walsh visiting NFL Headquarters....you gotta be kidding me right now...
  • Kobe set to play in game 5 despite back trouble...umm duh?
Sorry I don't have much today...will hopefully get something up tonight

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Maddux wins #350

I somehow glossed over this earlier in my attempt at a speedy post....but Greg Maddux won his 350th game yesterday matching a number that will likely never be matched again when judging by the 5-man rotations, and decreasing number of starts/wins per year by the top pitchers.....Congrats to the Mad Dog on his fantastic 1st-ballot HOF career and I believe him to be the best pitcher of this generation regardless of Roger Clemens' steroids, etc....And he did it all without the blessing of an upper-90's fastball or a devastating breaking pitch...he did it as the smartest, craftiest guy around who perfected his craft of drilling the corners of the plate with high-80s heat and a great change-up and oh yea...he won 15 games or more SEVENTEEN straight years (another record that is going nowhere).....Congrats again sir

5/11: Abbreviated bullets....

Little shorter than usual due to time constraints....and we're off...
  • Orlando goes down again.....After having a double-digit lead no less...That's a game they couldn't afford to lose to have any sort of chance to win this series...and Hedo's gotta finish late....
  • Cleveland blows Boston out early and often....this is only somewhat shocking b/c Lebron shot terribly AGAIN with a 5-16, and they still managed to win that easily....Boston showing a Utah-like chink in the armor as they cannot win on the road all the sudden....Where is the team that went into Texas swept all the West playoff teams?? Seems like a distant memory...
  • The Knicks hire Mike D'Antoni....I hate this move not b/c D'Antoni can't coach but b/c they don't have the talent to run his system as it renders their 2 highest-profile players (Randolph and Curry) patently useless as they can't run like he'd want....They could really use a point guard too, so Donnie Walsh has his hands full trying to resurrect this roster to a shape that D'Antoni can use...
  • News that OJ Mayo took gifts at USC is not only the opposite of surprising...but almost expected....Kind of explains how the kid ended up at USC over all the places he could've gone, but the fact that this kid has basically been a pro since he's 10th grade year should take away the surprise here...
  • Hanley Ramirez signs a 6yr/70 mill extension.....this is actually a steal for the Marlins as I think Ramirez is a top-5 player in the game and probably the best young guy in the whole league at a premium position of SS....

All i got for now....Enjoy Mother's Day

Saturday, May 10, 2008

5/10: Utah awakes, Rick Carlisle, etc.

Only one NBA game last night....
  • Carlos Boozer and the Jazz wake up a bit...hold serve....27 and 20 for Boozer in an impressive outing with a couple big-time jumpers late to put the Lakeshow away....Kobe managed a ho-hum 34-6-7 line that would be ludicrous for most but seemed average for him...except for the crazy toss off the backboard play to himself.....a sportscenter moment if I've ever seen one....Deron Williams was very good throughout I thought and ended up with 18 and 12 dimes....It's still a series as long as Utah holds serve at home...but they don't have homecourt so they'd have to win one in LA...and I don't see that going down
All things non-playoff related....
  • Rick Carlisle and the Mavs come to terms....deal reportedly 4yr/16 million in range....seems like alot for Rick Carlisle since he didn't have any other real offers...but I stand by the hire as a reasonable one....
  • MLB: James Shields was out-of-this-world good last night in a complete game 1-hitter in which he faced only 28 batters......and the game was still tied when he was through 9 innings....until Evan Longoria pounded his first career walk-off...congrats kid....Jimmy Rollins is back....bad news for a Braves fan like myself but good news for the game...and he almost hit for the cycle last night....Jonathan Papelbon blows 2 saves in a row now? That's gotta be the first time that's happened...he has been inhuman, so I guess it had to go down sometime....The Braves bullpen implodes again, paging Bobby cox....move Jeff Bennett to the rotation and stop this 1 batter-at-a-time madness in the 9th inning....just pick someone and throw them out there.....Lance Berkman is hitting the cover off the ball...we all should recognize that...how bout 16 for his last 20 (.750 BA) with 3 HR and RBI? And season #'s of .380, 12 HR, 35 RBI, and a league leading 38 Runs scored....let it sink in
  • Florida Gator safety Jamar Hornsby allegedly used a dead woman's credit card....like, alot....not just once....you get the idea...that's absolutely ludicrous...he deserves jail
Kind of a light sports day unless you're a hockey fan....so I end here

Friday, May 9, 2008

The Links!

I'm ripping off Bill Simmons here and posting links that I think you should go to.....Let me first state that you MUST acquire a google reader account immediately to more decisively and easily read your favorite blogs/writers on a daily basis....just a shameless plug

If you are an NBA head like myself, and love to see the future check out:
  • http://www.draftexpress.com
  • http://www.nbadraft.net
For a little peak into my own personal google reader, here are a list of blogs/writers that I read daily
  • http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com
  • http://www.deadspin.com
  • http://www.danshanoff.com
  • http://mgoblog.blogspot.com (Michigan fans only will have interest here)
  • http://indiesports.blogspot.com
Also, check out ESPN's truehoop blog by Henry Abbott and anything Bill Simmons has ever written.....

Washingtonpost.com carries Michael Wilbon almost daily as it is his home paper, and he's one of the best

Let me say (another shameless plug coming) that Yahoo! is simply the place to go if you want quick, simple stats/scores/etc. as it is day-in and day-out the most accurate, easily-loaded, and quickest sports site out there for this type of information....And they even give you +/- in basketball! hahaha jokes kids...

If this helps anyone...I'll post more links/writers that I read regularly....if not, I won't...let me know

5/9: CP3 vs. The Spurs, Lebron, Brandon Webb.....

To the hardwood...
  • The Spurs awaken to find a hungry Hornets team....but hold them off anyway.....getting a combined 62 (31 each) from Parker and Manu Ginobili, the Spurs managed to combat another ludicrous effort from Chris Paul (35 points and 9 dimes); These games are the reason people can't pick against the Spurs with any sort of ease, but don't forget the Hornets are still in control here with homecourt and a 2-1 series lead....
  • Lebron with ANOTHER stinker last night....I'm a little surprised by him going 6-24 yesterday just b/c great players usually don't lay back-to-back eggs....I have a feeling he has a ridiculous game in him for this series, but I also have a feeling they are going home soon...
Elsewhere....
  • The Atlanta Braves win their 6th straight behind some clutch hitting and a nice little comeback....they hold the league's best home record....but an atrocious 4-11 road record....eh....Brandon Webb has 8 wins already, he's pretty good....after another CG win yesterday, no less....Richie Sexson charging the mound is scary sight....just imagine him with a metal bat in his hands (an inside joke for a very few people if they are reading)....A great story: Doug Davis pronounced Cancer-free; Congrats Doug....I wish you luck on your return to the mound as well
  • All-NBA teams are out....First team is exactly who it should be (Paul, Kobe, Lebron, KG, Dwight) but then it gets a bit dicey....I'm on the record for hating putting 2 PGs on the 2nd team and zero on the 3rd team so I won't rant on that....Holding back....
  • Mike Vick back in the news...hilarity...he now owes a Canadian bank 2.4 million dollars for defaulting on a loan, etc.....good to hear you're still going strong Mike, your jersey is collecting dust in my closet as we speak

Thursday, May 8, 2008

5/8: Kobe Bean, Chauncey goes down, etc.

As usual, the NBA Playoffs....
  • Kobe and the Lakeshow cruise again and go up 2-0....Kobe was outstanding yet again with 34 and 8; He just controlled the game on both ends and impressed me even more than usual...Deron Williams had a great 2nd half and ended up with 25 and 10, but was pretty bad (allong with Boozer who was worse b/c of foul trouble) in the first half and that cost them a chance to steal a road game.....The Lakers are in firm control, but Utah does love to go home....we'll see
  • Orlando smacks Detroit around a bit and gets a win....Had a feeling Detroit would lay an egg at some point in the series, and it was assisted by their floor leader Billups going down early in the game....Rasheed Wallace has been pretty much abysmal lately....wake up Sheed....good to see Rashard Lewis justify that deal at least for 1 day out of 365....Still clearly Detroit's series, but it evens the playing field if Billups misses extended time (although I like Rodney Stuckey, who the Hawks should've taken ahead of Acie Law it seems)
Moving on....
  • MLB: Cliff Lee is just beasting the entire MLB right now....another dominant performance (6-0, 0.83 ERA); he's gotta cool down soon...?....Joey Votto smacks 3 HR yesterday, and that's enough to get you mentioned here....almost as easily as the Cycle that Carlos Gomez hit for....it seems like outstanding events like 3 HR and cycles occur on the same day more often than not...maybe i'm nuts....The Braves stay hot behind Tim Hudson, keep it goin' boys...Barry Zito was respectable! Only 2 ER, but he lost...again....his bad performances aligned with the worst offense in the majors may ensure he loses 20 if they keep putting him out there....
  • Richard Jefferson charged with Assault....any time a guy is charged this long after the event (supposedly in January) I become skeptical, but that said, this is another seemingly squeaky-clean guy getting charged/questioned/etc. and that's a little troubling....
  • Here come the Knicks after Mike D'Antoni....I have a feeling if they wanted Mark Jackson they would've hired him by now, but maybe that's misguided reasoning....
  • A normally hyped PGA Tour event this weekend (TPC) has become an afterthought simply because Tiger isn't playing...that's a little ludicrous to me, but it shows that his impact on his sport is 2nd to nothing I've ever seen
More later...

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

5/7: Celtics over Cavs, Billy Knight, etc.

Gonna go against my bias and still lead with the game last night...
  • Boston hangs on for dear life at home....This was one of the ugliest playoff games I can remember since the late 90's Heat/Knicks matchups....it was a trainwreck throughout....Lebron played what I think was probably his worst game (at least since his rookie year) shooting 2/18! and making a ridiculous 10 turnovers......Also, for the life of me I can't understand why he can't make a layup late in a game lately....gotta get that corrected....Despite Ray Allen's scoreless game and Paul Pierce being quite bad himself, Boston had enough behind KG's 28 and some clutch play around him....was impressed to see KG go to the rim with the game on the line......Had one issue with Doc Rivers last night....Rajon Rondo had 10 in the 1st quarter and he inexplicably buried him while he was looking unstoppable off the dribble...didn't get that....Should be an interesting series as I expect Lebron to go at least semi-nuts soon
Other things....
  • Billy Knight RESIGNS! The much-maligned Atlanta Hawks GM has to decided to leave his job effective July 1 and....good riddance.....His personnel choices have been famously bad without even mentioning the Paul/D-Williams/M-Williams debacle (how bout Shelden Williams at 5?) but he actually did a reasonable job with the cap (sans the Speedy Claxton sighting) so I'll be at least slightly fair to him there.....that said, the list of guys with more ridiculously awful draft picks/FA signings is really short...like maybe one name short (Isiah).....And the reign is over...maybe we can break that 20-year NBA draft stigma now.....probably not...
  • MLB: Gavin Floyd was straight ballin last night....no-no through 8.1 IP and a W....When is it too early to realize that Josh Hamilton is a legit star and not just a story of drug rehab? Barry Zito's back! Nice to see you starting games Barry....now win! lol...The Braves have suddenly won 4 in a row and are playing outstanding ball at home....Jair Jurrjens is the real deal as a rookie with his 4th win..
  • Dominic Rhodes back to the Colts....normally I would never mention this...but they just drafted my boy Mike Hart...and I hope he makes the team....This isn't the best news
  • These reporters gotta stop jerking around this D'Antoni story....first he was definitely out in Phoenix....then he was definitely in Chicago....now he's still weighing NY (who interviewed Avery Johnson today) and it's all a mess....what kind of situation is D'Antoni in? He's still gainfully employed by Phoenix but they just say...."Umm, Mike....we want you to interview elsewhere" huh? I don't get this whole thing....
  • Last thing, if you haven't seen Rick Ankiel throw the ball from the CF wall to 3rd on a line to get the very fast Willy Taveras tagging up....check that out.....he's battling Francoeur, Vlad, Ichiro, and the like for "best arm" honors
More later....

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Michael Boley and a rant....

Michael Boley, the Falcons leading tackler and probably the best player on the entire roster (with apologies to John Abraham and Roddy White) was charged with battery against his wife over the weekend....until the facts come out, you never wanna make snap judgments of what happened or what the punishment should be so I'll leave it here.....but that brings me to this discussion.....

Why on earth is it the NBA that has the supposed "image problem" when the NFL dwarfs the NBA in terms of shear volume of run-ins with the law, steroids, etc.? I don't understand why the NFL is indestructible in this area, and while I chalk it up to the fact that America loves football.....it should at least be talked about more, and on a similar, if not, higher level than the NBA whose problems have actually lowered lately....The most interesting study to me is the simulated correlation between the NBA and the "thug" image compared to the NFL and the lack of this same thought process....Personally, I think much of it has to do with the uniform difference, and the fact that NBA guys have their tattoos and hair styles displayed and they can rock their uniforms however they choose; whereas the NFL has all these guidelines and unless you have Rasta-hair like Al Harris, you can't stand out at all.....As one of the biggest NBA fans that I recognize around me, I can't stand the notion of the league, when put against the NFL, is so scrutinized for its image when the NFL trumps it 2-fold in the amount of indisgressions...ludicrous

5/6: CP3 and The Hornets, Clock Madness, etc.

Leading with the association (a shocker)....


  • Chris Paul and the Hornets go up 2-0 on the defending champs.....and do it easily....led by yet another 30+ and 10+ assist game from Paul (and despite a bad game from David West), they cruised by double digits...CP3 is playing out of his mind (the picture above says it all) and the Spurs look disoriented; I'd never bury them just yet b/c they haven't played a homegame and after all, they're the Spurs, but I'm not picking them either....

  • Detroit wins again at home against Orlando and goes up 2-0.....Obviously, you have seen the clock malfunction at the end of the 3rd quarter...I don't think it won the game for Detroit or anything, but it was certainly a big play, and should've been handled differently...run the whole thing again instead of making the refs do the "eye test" on what is 4.8 seconds...ludicrous....That said, I don't think Detroit sweeps but Orlando is in deep trouble....

  • Mike D'Antoni reportedly to fill the Chicago job.....well, now that Phoenix job is up for grabs and that's an interesting fill for sure....D'Antoni will do well in Chicago, they have athletic bigs and some intelligent guards to run that system....that said, I'm interested to see how he'd use Sefalosha and whether he just leaves Ben Gordon in the Barbosa role or changes things up a bit....

Other stuff....

  • MLB: Ervin Santana joins Joe Saunders at 6-0...and they pitch right after each other....alot of back-to-back wins for them so far eh? lol.....Max Scherzer will be nasty, but not quite yet....Ozzie Guillen is certifiably nuts if you didn't know already...but his latest tirade made a little sense to me....just a little....Jamie Moyer is STILL pitching well.....it's unbelievable to me that his stuff still gets it done, but thats just pure craftyness I'd assume...

  • This whole Marvin Harrison thing gets crazier every time news comes out....waiting on his public statement...

  • Rashard Mendenhall (Illinois RB and Pittsburgh 1st-round pick) robbed at gunpoint....this happens alot lately, but not as much as it could....people with guns can get what they want usually, good to see him just turn the stuff over and get out of there...he's got plenty of money, no need to fight it...

  • Man, it's getting harder and harder to dislike Tim Tebow...seems like a genuinely great guy....and he can definitely play the game...just overhyped (on the field, not off)

Monday, May 5, 2008

5/5: Hawks Embarassment, Lakers, etc.

Short version again today as I'm still on bad internet, etc.
  • My beloved Hawks put up the stinker of the playoffs thus far yesterday in losing by 34 (could've been 50) in Boston yesterday.....no chance from the tip....Josh Smith and Al Horford both played their worst game of the playoffs, and the others weren't much better....Now attention turns to Mike Woodson/Billy Knight and their collective fates...
  • Kobe and the Lakers run by Utah....Kobe with a big-time 38 in an indicator of what we all expected...Utah has no one on the roster to throw at Kobe that can stand in his way...that coupled with the fact that Utah is awful on the road pretty much assures (to me at least) that LAL is in no danger in the series...
Non-NBA....
  • Cedric Benson arrested on DWI, etc.....Draft Matt Forte earlier in your fantasy leagues....Benson can't play anyway but he's showing his true colors lately...
  • Mavs expected to hire Rick Carlisle....I still don't hate the move, but also don't think he puts them over the top or anything...
  • Roger Clemens issued an apology for "personal mistakes"....I don't even know what that means, why issue a statement that says nothing?
More later...

Sunday, May 4, 2008

5/4: Real quick...

Just a couple things....
  • Hornets take it to the Spurs 101-82...Well if they get 30 and 9 from D-West combined with 5 and 3 from Tim Duncan, this will be a sweep, lol.....They got the worst of Duncan and I doubt that happens again but a good start for New Orleans
  • Detroit pounds Orlando....if the real Detroit shows up all series, they should make quick work...just too much manpower against Orlando...but ya know Orlando is gonna go bombs away at least once....
  • Oscar De La Hoya reportedly smokes Steve Forbes....setting up a bout with Floyd Mayweather again....you should watch...
  • Remember me saying that Chien Ming Wang at 6-0 was crazy? How bout Brandon Webb at 7-0 now? He already has the Cy Young stranglehold on and its May...if he gets offense, he'll win 20+ and since no one wins 20+ anymore....yea...
All I got...Go Hawks! "Shock the World" hahahaha

Saturday, May 3, 2008

5/3: Couldn't leave this one alone....

Okay, I'm back for a minute or 2....gotta touch on the Hawks...
  • Not OVERLY shocked by the Game 6 win but I was picking against them for various reasons...Honestly, they are winning to spite Mike Bibby's late game incompetence and only b/c Boston has somehow been even worse in late-game execution (including the last few sequences last night that were inexcusably bad)....I still love Josh Childress, he's a fantastic glue-guy.....And I'm just guessing...but I think maybe if Portland had to pick between Greg Oden and Al Horford at this very moment, I'm not sure it's clear-cut anymore...Al's been a man in this series...
  • So, Game 7 is Sunday..aka in the middle of my father's wedding reception/dinner....kill me now....not that I'm not looking forward to the reception, but the timing is quite bad....anyone who wants to text updates, feel free to do so...My pick: Celtics by 12...just can't see this team winning a big road game, it just doesn't happen...that said, Go Hawks!

Quickly to other stuff...

  • Lebron closes out the Wiz with a triple-double...the game 5 win by Washington caught me off-guard but this one didn't...Lebron was just too much and if they get 20+ from Wally, look out....They gotta be loving that Boston is going to 7 with Atlanta too...
  • Utah finally puts Houston away despite McGrady's best shot...nothing he can do...and I can't hate on him for this one at all, the talent wasn't equal and he played out of his mind in a few of those games (including last night with reckless abandon)...so props to him...and Utah moves on...
  • I don't care about Horse Racing and don't know one person who would care if they weren't betting on it...get it off my tv and radio....and espn frontpage...and anything else please
  • This Marvin Harrison shooting story got a huge "wow" from me when I heard about it...just like the last guy you'd expect to be involved in anything like this...just goes to show that either we don't know the players like we think (obviously true) or the fact that guys can just be put in bad spots regardless of how great they are (debatable)....or both?
  • MLB: Tim Hudson was incredible last night with a 2-hit shutout...and he better be if Smoltz is going to the closer role again....I don't like it, but if they don't think he can go on 4 days rest, I like it better than a 6-man rotation....Chien-Ming Wang is 6-0...that's pretty ludicrous this early...still doesn't impress me but he's overly solid....Anybody see Shaun Marcum yacking between innings and throwing a gem anyway? Love that kind of stuff....
  • Ryan Perrilloux off the team at LSU...one thing too many for this clown....LSU's in trouble without him though....
  • The Mavs could do worse than Rick Carlisle....and the Knicks could do worse than Avery Johnson....no problem with either one
  • Reportedly Kobe wins the MVP...just heard as I am writing this...no shock from me at all as he is the most talked about guy in the league in the media (outside of maybe Lebron) and it's a bunch of media people voting....deserving guy though

That's it for now....will try to get content up when time allows

Thursday, May 1, 2008

5/1: Break in the action...

Okay, so here's the deal....My dad is getting married this weekend and I'm staying at a house with little to no internet....this stuff combined will likely produce a couple days off...for anyone that cares