I will write a more about my thoughts on the Final Four soon, but here were the first three things thought in the last 3 minutes of the UNC-MSU game.
1- What?! A Big 10 team got routed in a title game?! Really?!
2- I wonder which team will win by more. UNC tonight or UConn tomorrow. Probably UConn. At least we got one championship...
3- That was a fun season. At least we got to the Final 4. And with the way UNC played, we would've had a tough time even with Dyson. I hope AJ and Thabeast come back.
Bonus- I can't wait for Opening Day!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
I'm Jim Calhoun, I'll do what I want!
Amid (probably true) allegations that UConn broke NCAA recruiting rules with their pursuit of Nate Miles, the Huskies have made the Final Four for the third time in school history out of the West Regionals, winning the title in each of their first two appearances. But the coverage on UConn hasn't focused on the fact that the Huskies have been playing their best ball of the season, it has been all about the recruiting violations and first-round dehydration, fair or not.
As for the dehydration, it's no longer an issue clearly as it didn't slow UConn at all. Calhoun has had a series of health issues over his career, so let's move on to the recruiting allegations.
First of all, just incase you weren't aware, true or not, UConn won't have to forfeit any wins because of said violations. This is because Miles never suited up for UConn as he was kicked out of school before the season started. Not all that surprising considering Miles played for five different schools in his high school career.
It's also no surprise that Calhoun went after a player like him. Incredible talent but a little thug criminal. The only thing is, most of those players have worked out for Calhoun as they've proven that their ill ways were in the past. Just look at players like Caron Butler, Taliek Brown, and AJ Price as examples of kids who have had tough pasts but moved on from them. I could list more, but I'm trying to keep this post on the shorter side...
But Calhoun makes an excellent point in his defense of himself and his program. I haven't nor do I plan on reading the rules and regulations on recruiting NCAA players (that is until Kentucky changes their mind on Callipari and choses to hire me...) but I would believe that they change every season. It is entirely possible that a mistake was made. Now wether it was an honest mistake or an intentional mistake, that is where the investigation comes into play.
I was discussing this with a friend at work and he made an excellent point about all of this. In the world of Blackberrys and iPhones, what's the difference between getting an email and a text? Point of origin? Length? The fact that those who are cheap can't get emails on their phone because their phone cost them $10? (That may or may not be in reference to me spending $10 on my new phone because I don't care about my phone.)
I ask this because there is no limit on the amount of texts an athlete can receive from a coach or program yet there is on emails and calls. Things like this are why the mistake may have been of the honest variety as that seems like a random set of rules from the NCAA, especially since texts have come to dominate modern communication.
I'm not saying it was or wasn't an honest mistake, just that it could be. And besides, I'm sure every school breaks recruiting rules at times, it's just that most of them don't get caught. Everyone cheats to some degree in every sport. The Patriots aren't the only team that tapes other teams signals, they're just the ones that got caught. Why else would every coach and co-ordinator cover their mouth while calling every play?
And do you think college athletes really aren't paid? I've heard stories of athletes getting $5,000 a semester from the school for books. I spent about $3000 over eight semesters through my college career, and I wasn't a communications major. Not to mention all the athletes get "college housing" which probably consists of a plush, huge apartment that's fully furnished and probably 10 times nicer then my apartment.
The same friend I have at work always jokes with me that Calhoun has made such a great program because he pays his players enough. But he just does that to bust my chops because he knows how much of a UConn fan I am. He knows everyone gets paid, he just likes picking on UConn to bust my balls.
Again, Calhoun or another UConn official probably broke some rules. I just am annoyed that for the second year in a row, a team I support is getting attacked while pursuing a championship when allegations could be made at any time. Remember how Randy Moss beat some woman last year and the allegations came out right before the Super Bowl? Remember how they tuned out to be made up? Glad that came out right when it did. Marvin Harrison though, and the possibility that he was involved in a shooting, nah, let's just sweep that under the rug and deal with it after the season. After all, it was just a shooting right?
But because of these allegations, combined with the season UConn has had, I wouldn't be surprised to see Jim Calhoun retire after this season. The man has nothing left to prove in the coaching world. He's already in the Hall of Fame. He has pumped out NBA All Stars, champions, and future HoF'ers. He recorded his 800th win earlier this season (imagine if Miles had played and he had to give back his 800th win). He turned a small, Yankee-conference team into a national power. The man is a god in Connecticut. But most importantly, he has coached two national champions and has a shot as a third. I'd say Calhoun's legacy is secure.
But he has also had his issues. He has yelled and sworn at the press. I mean, you can just look back a couple of months for one example, when Calhoun tells a reporter to "just shut up" when being asked about being the highest paid state employee in Connecticut. Calhoun has also had many health issues over his tenure at UConn including a few bouts with cancer. As I alluded to earlier, he missed the first round of the NCAA's this year while being in the hospital because of dehydration. Calhoun may be the model of coaching, but not so much in the health department.
So how surprising would it be to see Calhoun retire after this season? His contract has a couple years left on it, but with everything swirling around him, how nice would it be for him to go out on top? In talking with my dad and college room mate, both die-hard UConn fans, they both see it happening if UConn wins it all, and maybe even if they don't. I'm not 100% sure on it, mainly because of how competitive Calhoun is, but I sure wouldn't be surprised to see it happen.
Only time will tell if he actually leaves, but if he leaves, he could take the success of UConn with him. The man who replaces Calhoun will be under enormous pressure in the Northeast to repeat Calhoun's success. They will need to be able to recruit all those great New York guards Calhoun has been able to continuously get to come to Storrs.
But that is in the future, the Final Four is right now. The bad thing for MSU, UNC, and Nova fans is this. UConn now has the biggest 'we gotta win this for coach' chip on their shoulder in recent memory because of all that Calhoun and the program have gone through in just the last four games. But they play the games for a reason, and a chip on your shoulder doesn't mean anything if you can't execute.
And just for the fun of it, here's some great Calhoun press conferences.
As for the dehydration, it's no longer an issue clearly as it didn't slow UConn at all. Calhoun has had a series of health issues over his career, so let's move on to the recruiting allegations.
First of all, just incase you weren't aware, true or not, UConn won't have to forfeit any wins because of said violations. This is because Miles never suited up for UConn as he was kicked out of school before the season started. Not all that surprising considering Miles played for five different schools in his high school career.
It's also no surprise that Calhoun went after a player like him. Incredible talent but a little thug criminal. The only thing is, most of those players have worked out for Calhoun as they've proven that their ill ways were in the past. Just look at players like Caron Butler, Taliek Brown, and AJ Price as examples of kids who have had tough pasts but moved on from them. I could list more, but I'm trying to keep this post on the shorter side...
But Calhoun makes an excellent point in his defense of himself and his program. I haven't nor do I plan on reading the rules and regulations on recruiting NCAA players (that is until Kentucky changes their mind on Callipari and choses to hire me...) but I would believe that they change every season. It is entirely possible that a mistake was made. Now wether it was an honest mistake or an intentional mistake, that is where the investigation comes into play.
I was discussing this with a friend at work and he made an excellent point about all of this. In the world of Blackberrys and iPhones, what's the difference between getting an email and a text? Point of origin? Length? The fact that those who are cheap can't get emails on their phone because their phone cost them $10? (That may or may not be in reference to me spending $10 on my new phone because I don't care about my phone.)
I ask this because there is no limit on the amount of texts an athlete can receive from a coach or program yet there is on emails and calls. Things like this are why the mistake may have been of the honest variety as that seems like a random set of rules from the NCAA, especially since texts have come to dominate modern communication.
I'm not saying it was or wasn't an honest mistake, just that it could be. And besides, I'm sure every school breaks recruiting rules at times, it's just that most of them don't get caught. Everyone cheats to some degree in every sport. The Patriots aren't the only team that tapes other teams signals, they're just the ones that got caught. Why else would every coach and co-ordinator cover their mouth while calling every play?
And do you think college athletes really aren't paid? I've heard stories of athletes getting $5,000 a semester from the school for books. I spent about $3000 over eight semesters through my college career, and I wasn't a communications major. Not to mention all the athletes get "college housing" which probably consists of a plush, huge apartment that's fully furnished and probably 10 times nicer then my apartment.
The same friend I have at work always jokes with me that Calhoun has made such a great program because he pays his players enough. But he just does that to bust my chops because he knows how much of a UConn fan I am. He knows everyone gets paid, he just likes picking on UConn to bust my balls.
Again, Calhoun or another UConn official probably broke some rules. I just am annoyed that for the second year in a row, a team I support is getting attacked while pursuing a championship when allegations could be made at any time. Remember how Randy Moss beat some woman last year and the allegations came out right before the Super Bowl? Remember how they tuned out to be made up? Glad that came out right when it did. Marvin Harrison though, and the possibility that he was involved in a shooting, nah, let's just sweep that under the rug and deal with it after the season. After all, it was just a shooting right?
But because of these allegations, combined with the season UConn has had, I wouldn't be surprised to see Jim Calhoun retire after this season. The man has nothing left to prove in the coaching world. He's already in the Hall of Fame. He has pumped out NBA All Stars, champions, and future HoF'ers. He recorded his 800th win earlier this season (imagine if Miles had played and he had to give back his 800th win). He turned a small, Yankee-conference team into a national power. The man is a god in Connecticut. But most importantly, he has coached two national champions and has a shot as a third. I'd say Calhoun's legacy is secure.
But he has also had his issues. He has yelled and sworn at the press. I mean, you can just look back a couple of months for one example, when Calhoun tells a reporter to "just shut up" when being asked about being the highest paid state employee in Connecticut. Calhoun has also had many health issues over his tenure at UConn including a few bouts with cancer. As I alluded to earlier, he missed the first round of the NCAA's this year while being in the hospital because of dehydration. Calhoun may be the model of coaching, but not so much in the health department.
So how surprising would it be to see Calhoun retire after this season? His contract has a couple years left on it, but with everything swirling around him, how nice would it be for him to go out on top? In talking with my dad and college room mate, both die-hard UConn fans, they both see it happening if UConn wins it all, and maybe even if they don't. I'm not 100% sure on it, mainly because of how competitive Calhoun is, but I sure wouldn't be surprised to see it happen.
Only time will tell if he actually leaves, but if he leaves, he could take the success of UConn with him. The man who replaces Calhoun will be under enormous pressure in the Northeast to repeat Calhoun's success. They will need to be able to recruit all those great New York guards Calhoun has been able to continuously get to come to Storrs.
But that is in the future, the Final Four is right now. The bad thing for MSU, UNC, and Nova fans is this. UConn now has the biggest 'we gotta win this for coach' chip on their shoulder in recent memory because of all that Calhoun and the program have gone through in just the last four games. But they play the games for a reason, and a chip on your shoulder doesn't mean anything if you can't execute.
And just for the fun of it, here's some great Calhoun press conferences.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Thoughts on the Sweet 16
Two rounds are in the books in the NCAA Men's basketball tournament. And what a two rounds it's been. We've seen a double-overtime thriller between Ohio State and Siena (probably the best game so far), thirteen-seed Cleveland State upsetting the four-seed Wake Forest in the first round, and three of the four 12-seeds upsetting the five-seed they were paired with in their first round with one of those 12-seeds (Arizona) making it all the way to the Sweet 16.
What have we learned so far in the tournament? First off, it's good to be a top seed this year. For the first time ever, all 12 teams with a one-, two-, or three-seed made it to the Sweet 16. Of the two four-seeds not to make the second weekend, one was beaten by a five-seed, which isn't exactly a major upset. However, all the top-seeds haven't looked invincible, but they have won their games which will give them time to return to form.
Pittsburgh, everyone's trendy pick to win it all, hasn't looked good at all. Levance Fields' injury has to be way worse then anyone at Pitt thought it was or revealed to the press because he has looked terrible. His stats haven't looked too bad, but he just hasn't looked the player that helped lead the Panthers to their first ever #1 ranking in the polls.
It hasn't helped the Panthers that Fields' backcourt mate Jermaine Dixon has been terrible, shooting just 1-7 from the field in two games while racking up as many turnovers as assists. Not exactly what one would hope for from a player who averaged 8.7 ppg and 2.1 apg. Luckily for the Panthers, Blair has been his usual dominant self and Sam Young has been a stud in the first two games. That being said, the Panthers will need Fields to get better in a hurry and for Dixon to remember how to play ball if they want to cut the nets down in the Banknorth Garden and move on to Detroit.
UNC and Louisville have both looked impressive but somewhat vulnerable. UNC is still obviously hurting from Lawson's injury, but they've been able to overcome it. With Gonzaga on their plate however, they will need Lawson to return to form. They might have enough in them to beat the Zags with Lawson at less then his normal self, but they'll need him against the winner of Oklahoma and Syracuse.
Both Oklahoma and 'Cuse have looked pretty good in their weekend of games, but in different ways, or more, because of spectacular play from opposite positions. Blake Griffin doesn't look to be showing any lingering effects from his concussion (though that is one hard foul or dive after a loose ball from changing) and Johnny Flynn has played like he always does, great. Too bad 'Cuse still have Devendorf, otherwise I could really get behind this team.
And don't think I'm just a jaded UConn fan bashing Devendorf. In asking any of my friends what they think of Devendorf, I get one of two responses. The first is "I hate him" and the second is "Who's he? I don't care about college basketball at all. Why are you asking me this?" The second group actually I can't consider friends until March ends... I'm only half kidding. But included in the first group of Devendorf haters are Syracuse alumni. If the alumni even hate him, what chance does the nation have? Sorry Devendorf, but that's what you get for being a drug-dealer who beats women.
Duke still has yet to impress me. They were very close to being upset by Texas, and probably should have been. They have won the same way they have all year, being money from deep, but that won't last. It can't last. Can it?
I mean, Duke has gotten absolutely nothing from their front court except for foul trouble. If they go cold on a given night, their run will end. The one question remaining is, will they be able to stay hot? They've done it all season long, so how hard would it be to believe that they could keep hitting for four more games? They're still the hardest team for me to figure out because even more so then usual for a Duke team, this year's squad is entirely reliant on the deep ball.
I'm sticking with UConn, Louisville, Oklahoma, and Villanova to meet in Detroit though. You may have noticed it took me this long to mention UConn, even though they have become the clear favorites to win it all based on their domination of Chatanooga and Texas A&M. Frankly, I'm not surprised as even without Dyson I liked them to win it all, but that was before Stanley Robinson started playing to a level he is capable of athletically but has never really achieved. Plus, AJ Price has been down right nasty and is my new co-favorite to win the tournament MOP with Jeff Adrien.
But the reason I won't further discuss UConn beating Oklahoma in the finals is because UConn has already dominated the tournament, and not just because of their play. Between Jim Calhoun being in the hospital during the Chatanooga game because of dehydration and now the recruiting scandal, UConn has gotten enough publicity. Anyways, I'll probably add to that publicity anyways tomorrow...
But that's where we stand, about the same as we were a week ago. But what do you expect to happen in a tournament so devoid of upsets? The teams that were the best at the beginning are still the best (except Pitt which has lost its luster, which helps Duke, even if I don't know how they are winning) since they're all still in it. The door didn't open up randomly for anyone because all the better teams are still there.
After all, the only upset in the second round was #5 Purdue over #4 Washington. Arizona is the highest seeded team remaining at #12, but they beat #13 Cleveland State in round two. Still some great basketball being played, but the higher seeds have kept winning the nail biters. So, as this tournament advances to its second weekend with the clock past midnight on Cinderella, I still look forward to the last two weeks of the best month in sports. I suggest you do too.
What have we learned so far in the tournament? First off, it's good to be a top seed this year. For the first time ever, all 12 teams with a one-, two-, or three-seed made it to the Sweet 16. Of the two four-seeds not to make the second weekend, one was beaten by a five-seed, which isn't exactly a major upset. However, all the top-seeds haven't looked invincible, but they have won their games which will give them time to return to form.
Pittsburgh, everyone's trendy pick to win it all, hasn't looked good at all. Levance Fields' injury has to be way worse then anyone at Pitt thought it was or revealed to the press because he has looked terrible. His stats haven't looked too bad, but he just hasn't looked the player that helped lead the Panthers to their first ever #1 ranking in the polls.
It hasn't helped the Panthers that Fields' backcourt mate Jermaine Dixon has been terrible, shooting just 1-7 from the field in two games while racking up as many turnovers as assists. Not exactly what one would hope for from a player who averaged 8.7 ppg and 2.1 apg. Luckily for the Panthers, Blair has been his usual dominant self and Sam Young has been a stud in the first two games. That being said, the Panthers will need Fields to get better in a hurry and for Dixon to remember how to play ball if they want to cut the nets down in the Banknorth Garden and move on to Detroit.
UNC and Louisville have both looked impressive but somewhat vulnerable. UNC is still obviously hurting from Lawson's injury, but they've been able to overcome it. With Gonzaga on their plate however, they will need Lawson to return to form. They might have enough in them to beat the Zags with Lawson at less then his normal self, but they'll need him against the winner of Oklahoma and Syracuse.
Both Oklahoma and 'Cuse have looked pretty good in their weekend of games, but in different ways, or more, because of spectacular play from opposite positions. Blake Griffin doesn't look to be showing any lingering effects from his concussion (though that is one hard foul or dive after a loose ball from changing) and Johnny Flynn has played like he always does, great. Too bad 'Cuse still have Devendorf, otherwise I could really get behind this team.
And don't think I'm just a jaded UConn fan bashing Devendorf. In asking any of my friends what they think of Devendorf, I get one of two responses. The first is "I hate him" and the second is "Who's he? I don't care about college basketball at all. Why are you asking me this?" The second group actually I can't consider friends until March ends... I'm only half kidding. But included in the first group of Devendorf haters are Syracuse alumni. If the alumni even hate him, what chance does the nation have? Sorry Devendorf, but that's what you get for being a drug-dealer who beats women.
Duke still has yet to impress me. They were very close to being upset by Texas, and probably should have been. They have won the same way they have all year, being money from deep, but that won't last. It can't last. Can it?
I mean, Duke has gotten absolutely nothing from their front court except for foul trouble. If they go cold on a given night, their run will end. The one question remaining is, will they be able to stay hot? They've done it all season long, so how hard would it be to believe that they could keep hitting for four more games? They're still the hardest team for me to figure out because even more so then usual for a Duke team, this year's squad is entirely reliant on the deep ball.
I'm sticking with UConn, Louisville, Oklahoma, and Villanova to meet in Detroit though. You may have noticed it took me this long to mention UConn, even though they have become the clear favorites to win it all based on their domination of Chatanooga and Texas A&M. Frankly, I'm not surprised as even without Dyson I liked them to win it all, but that was before Stanley Robinson started playing to a level he is capable of athletically but has never really achieved. Plus, AJ Price has been down right nasty and is my new co-favorite to win the tournament MOP with Jeff Adrien.
But the reason I won't further discuss UConn beating Oklahoma in the finals is because UConn has already dominated the tournament, and not just because of their play. Between Jim Calhoun being in the hospital during the Chatanooga game because of dehydration and now the recruiting scandal, UConn has gotten enough publicity. Anyways, I'll probably add to that publicity anyways tomorrow...
But that's where we stand, about the same as we were a week ago. But what do you expect to happen in a tournament so devoid of upsets? The teams that were the best at the beginning are still the best (except Pitt which has lost its luster, which helps Duke, even if I don't know how they are winning) since they're all still in it. The door didn't open up randomly for anyone because all the better teams are still there.
After all, the only upset in the second round was #5 Purdue over #4 Washington. Arizona is the highest seeded team remaining at #12, but they beat #13 Cleveland State in round two. Still some great basketball being played, but the higher seeds have kept winning the nail biters. So, as this tournament advances to its second weekend with the clock past midnight on Cinderella, I still look forward to the last two weeks of the best month in sports. I suggest you do too.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
March Madness
Tomorrow marks the start of my favorite sporting event of the year; the NCAA Basketball tournament. Cinderella will stay at the dance just a little bit too long before her ride becomes a pumpkin. The mighty will fall and their fans will be left to ponder what might have been. Some are already concerned they will fall into that category because they lost key players for the season. I'm looking at you UNC (Lawson), Marquette (James), and, sigh, you UConn (Dyson).
Actually, before Dominic James went out with a broken foot, Marquette was my dark horse national champion. Between Jerel McNeal, Wesley Matthews, and James, Marquette had an incredible back court. It's still pretty good, which is why I still think they'll make some noise, but they can't fully recover without James. UNC and UConn still have enough talent even without Lawson and Dyson, plus Lawson should be back by the second weekend, which is about when UNC should need him anyways.
EAST REGION
This is a pretty top heavy bracket. After Louisville and Michigan State, I'm not all that impressed with the rest of the region. Kansas may have won the Big 12, but I don't feel like the Big 12 is all that great this season. Plus, if Blake Griffin doesn't miss games (including the Kansas game) with a concussion, Oklahoma wins the Big 12. Wake is the type of team that really annoys me come March.
Wake is hit or miss. I mean, they beat UNC, Duke, and Clemson twice. They also lost to Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Miami, NC State, and got knocked out of the ACC tourney by Maryland in their first game. Which Wake Forest will show up? I have no idea, but I always seem to pick teams like this the wrong way. I'd rather just err on the side of caution because even if they make it a bit further then I thought, they will still throw up a stinker sooner or later and get bounced.
I like Louisville to win this bracket. They won both the regular season and tournament in by far the best conference in America in the Big East. That counts for a lot. Against most teams in the bracket also they have a coach who's been there in Rick Pitino, but Tom Izzo at MSU negates that edge. I like Louisville to beat MSU in the Elite 8 to bring Pitino to yet another Final 4. After all, Magic Johnson and Mateen Cleaves aren't walking through the door for MSU.
1st round winners: Louisville, Siena, Arizona, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Kansas, USC, Michigan State
Sweet 16: Louisville, 'Zona, WVU, MSU
Elite 8: Louisville, MSU
Net Cutters: Louisville
WEST REGION
This bracket is UConn's bracket to lose. In fact, it's Calhoun's bracket to lose. For some reason, Calhoun keeps staying with his normal offense and keeps the balls in the hands of the guards. This is all well and good because UConn has some great guards, but they have Thabeat and Adrien down low. These two bigs should be unstoppable but they don't get the ball enough to dominate.
Just look at the 6 overtime game UConn and Syracuse played. 'Cuse's bigs had fouled out, yet Thabeat and Adrien weren't getting the ball. No one on the Orange could stop them, yet the guards were dominating the ball. If UConn gets the ball down low, no team in the nation can stop them, but if they don't, the Huskies are looking at another disappointing finish.
That's the thing that scares me the most about this UConn team. Jeff Adrien is the only player on the roster who has won a post season game. Adrien made it to the Elite 8 as a freshman and lost to George Mason when Denham Brown's 3 rattled out. The next year, UConn lost to Syracuse in the Big East tourney and didn't make the NCAA. Last year, UConn again lost in the first round of the Big East tourney, and got upset but San Diego State in the NCAA's after AJ Price tore his ACL.
But then, sometimes experience is over rated. How many games did that George Mason Final Four team win before those ones? How about OSU making the finals two years ago lead by freshmen? And UConn does have Jim Calhoun, who has been there before, both times coming out of the West, and beating Duke in the Final 4. I know beating Duke doesn't mean he has any more experience then if UConn had beaten someone like UNC, Texas, Michigan State, Louisville, etc, but I just like remembering they beat Duke.
But UConn should be able to ride Thabeast and Adrien all the way to the Final Four this season. No one in the region has anything special down low, and somehow UConn got the weakest bracket. I mean seriously, Memphis? When's the last time they played someone good? Though bringing up Memphis does scare me a little bit as UConn's biggest weakness is their free throw shooting. Oh well, they won it in 2004 with their point guard and best player (Taliek Brown and Okafor) both being 50-something free throw percentage shooters.
1st round winners: UConn, BYU, Purdue, Washington, Marquette, Mizzou, Cal, Memphis
Sweet 16: UConn, Washington, Marquette, Memphis
Elite 8: UConn, Marquette
Net Cutters: UConn
EAST REGION
This has to be the toughest region. Pittsburgh, Villanova, Texas, and a very hot FSU team make this division filled with tough outs. You might've noticed I skipped Duke and Xavier. Xavier has lost two of its last three games which isn't a good. Yes, I know UConn has lost its last two games, but they were in the Big East to a fellow #1 seed and in 6 overtimes. It's not quite the same as losing in the A-10.
Yeah, I know Duke is a 2 seed. Yes, I know they beat FSU twice in the last few weeks. And yes, I know they won the ACC tournament, but honestly, I don't think they are very good. I have seen parts of at least five Duke games this season and not once did I think they looked very impressive. They can hit threes, but that's about it. I honestly don't know how they keep winning games.
I know it was December, but when I watched Texas play someone earlier this year I thought one thing to myself. "Holy crap, this team could win it all." I don't think that as much anymore because they have underperformed all season, but on a talent level, they are a top-10 team, certainly better then Duke. I just see them playing two really good games and knocking out Duke in the second round, then losing their focus in their off days and losing to Nova.
Here's the thing about Pittsburgh. I think in a format like the NBA, they win the title. I can't see a team beating them in a best of seven series, but thats why March is so much fun. One game and your out. End of story. And that's all it will take for Pitt, is one game. More specifically, one game where the refs are calling ticky-tack fouls. If Blair gets in foul trouble in a latter round, Pitt will get knocked out. It's going to happen before the Panthers can win six games, there's no way around it.
I like Nova in this region. You may be noticing a little bit of a Big East Bias here, and I can accept that. But let's be honest, the Big East is the best basketball conference. Sure, it helps when you have over 200 teams in your conference, but the top teams are really the best in the country. I mean, it's tough to argue with having three #1 seeds (first conference to ever do this) and two #3 seeds. The top teams in the mega-conference that is the Big East are sick and battle tested, end of story.
1st round winners: Pittsburgh, Oklahoma State, Florida State, Portland State, UCLA, Villanova, Texas, Duke
Sweet 16: Pitt, FSU, Nova, Texas
Elite 8: Pitt, Nova
Net Cutters: Nova
SOUTH REGION
I hope hope hope that this region goes how I think it will. I would love to see an Elite 8 game with Blake Griffin playing against Tyler Hansborough. I also hope that Lawson is fully healed by then so UNC lovers won't have that "What if?" to fall back on when they lose to Griffin. You know Lawson will play, but to what level will he be back? I'm guessing somewhere 85%, which will be just a bit less then they need him to be.
There's something different about Hansborough this year to me this year too. I don't know exactly what it is, but its there. I mean, he'll still get his stats, but I just feel like this year, that's all he'll get. Last year I felt like he would just go off for 35 and 15 if everyone else was terrible on a night to keep UNC winning. This year, I'm not as convinced. I dunno, it could just have been that in the games I saw UNC play they didn't need those performances they needed last year, but something is a little different to me.
I've liked Griffin and Oklahoma all year to make the FInal Four. The only reason their not a 1 seed is because of those games they lost without Griffin, and the unexplainable loss to Ok. State in the Big 12 tourney. Still, this team is pretty stacked, and I like Griffin to lead the Sooners to the Final Four this year.
And hey, at least I didn't go with 'Cuse to give an all Big East Final Four. But then, how can you get behind a team with Eric Devendorf on it, even if Johnny Flynn is a stud?
1st round winners: UNC, Butler, Western Kentucky, Gonzaga, ASU, Syracuse, Clemson, Oklahoma
Sweet 16: UNC, Zaga, 'Cuse, Oklahoma
Elite 8: UNC, Oklahoma
Net Cutters: Oklahoma
FINAL FOUR
I like UConn and Oklahoma to make it to the championship game. UConn handled Louisville in Louisville earlier this year and again, Blake Griffin.
The championship game however is where Griffin's magic runs out. UConn has the bigs to slow him just enough. I see some foul trouble for Griffin plus him having trouble handling Adrien and Thabeet. And don't sleep on Gavin Edwards, who will get his time next season when Adrien and Thabeet are both gone. Kid always comes to play and makes some huge plays.
Also, the only big who has given Thabeet trouble is Blair. Blair does the one thing that troubles Thabeet. Blair is incredible physical. Griffin can be physical, but it's not the only thing he does. He's more of a finesse player, or at least, he tries to be. You can make up for a lot of mistakes against finesse when you're 7'3". Plus it's hard to play finesse when you're sitting on the bench.
Back in 2004 Calhoun took Okafor out of the Duke game because he had two fouls in the first and didn't let him back in. Then all of the Duke bigs got their 3rd foul in the first half and all fouled out so Okafor could dominate that game and get UConn to the title game. I see the same thing happening again.
The pick: UConn
MOP: Jeff Adrien
Actually, before Dominic James went out with a broken foot, Marquette was my dark horse national champion. Between Jerel McNeal, Wesley Matthews, and James, Marquette had an incredible back court. It's still pretty good, which is why I still think they'll make some noise, but they can't fully recover without James. UNC and UConn still have enough talent even without Lawson and Dyson, plus Lawson should be back by the second weekend, which is about when UNC should need him anyways.
EAST REGION
This is a pretty top heavy bracket. After Louisville and Michigan State, I'm not all that impressed with the rest of the region. Kansas may have won the Big 12, but I don't feel like the Big 12 is all that great this season. Plus, if Blake Griffin doesn't miss games (including the Kansas game) with a concussion, Oklahoma wins the Big 12. Wake is the type of team that really annoys me come March.
Wake is hit or miss. I mean, they beat UNC, Duke, and Clemson twice. They also lost to Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Miami, NC State, and got knocked out of the ACC tourney by Maryland in their first game. Which Wake Forest will show up? I have no idea, but I always seem to pick teams like this the wrong way. I'd rather just err on the side of caution because even if they make it a bit further then I thought, they will still throw up a stinker sooner or later and get bounced.
I like Louisville to win this bracket. They won both the regular season and tournament in by far the best conference in America in the Big East. That counts for a lot. Against most teams in the bracket also they have a coach who's been there in Rick Pitino, but Tom Izzo at MSU negates that edge. I like Louisville to beat MSU in the Elite 8 to bring Pitino to yet another Final 4. After all, Magic Johnson and Mateen Cleaves aren't walking through the door for MSU.
1st round winners: Louisville, Siena, Arizona, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Kansas, USC, Michigan State
Sweet 16: Louisville, 'Zona, WVU, MSU
Elite 8: Louisville, MSU
Net Cutters: Louisville
WEST REGION
This bracket is UConn's bracket to lose. In fact, it's Calhoun's bracket to lose. For some reason, Calhoun keeps staying with his normal offense and keeps the balls in the hands of the guards. This is all well and good because UConn has some great guards, but they have Thabeat and Adrien down low. These two bigs should be unstoppable but they don't get the ball enough to dominate.
Just look at the 6 overtime game UConn and Syracuse played. 'Cuse's bigs had fouled out, yet Thabeat and Adrien weren't getting the ball. No one on the Orange could stop them, yet the guards were dominating the ball. If UConn gets the ball down low, no team in the nation can stop them, but if they don't, the Huskies are looking at another disappointing finish.
That's the thing that scares me the most about this UConn team. Jeff Adrien is the only player on the roster who has won a post season game. Adrien made it to the Elite 8 as a freshman and lost to George Mason when Denham Brown's 3 rattled out. The next year, UConn lost to Syracuse in the Big East tourney and didn't make the NCAA. Last year, UConn again lost in the first round of the Big East tourney, and got upset but San Diego State in the NCAA's after AJ Price tore his ACL.
But then, sometimes experience is over rated. How many games did that George Mason Final Four team win before those ones? How about OSU making the finals two years ago lead by freshmen? And UConn does have Jim Calhoun, who has been there before, both times coming out of the West, and beating Duke in the Final 4. I know beating Duke doesn't mean he has any more experience then if UConn had beaten someone like UNC, Texas, Michigan State, Louisville, etc, but I just like remembering they beat Duke.
But UConn should be able to ride Thabeast and Adrien all the way to the Final Four this season. No one in the region has anything special down low, and somehow UConn got the weakest bracket. I mean seriously, Memphis? When's the last time they played someone good? Though bringing up Memphis does scare me a little bit as UConn's biggest weakness is their free throw shooting. Oh well, they won it in 2004 with their point guard and best player (Taliek Brown and Okafor) both being 50-something free throw percentage shooters.
1st round winners: UConn, BYU, Purdue, Washington, Marquette, Mizzou, Cal, Memphis
Sweet 16: UConn, Washington, Marquette, Memphis
Elite 8: UConn, Marquette
Net Cutters: UConn
EAST REGION
This has to be the toughest region. Pittsburgh, Villanova, Texas, and a very hot FSU team make this division filled with tough outs. You might've noticed I skipped Duke and Xavier. Xavier has lost two of its last three games which isn't a good. Yes, I know UConn has lost its last two games, but they were in the Big East to a fellow #1 seed and in 6 overtimes. It's not quite the same as losing in the A-10.
Yeah, I know Duke is a 2 seed. Yes, I know they beat FSU twice in the last few weeks. And yes, I know they won the ACC tournament, but honestly, I don't think they are very good. I have seen parts of at least five Duke games this season and not once did I think they looked very impressive. They can hit threes, but that's about it. I honestly don't know how they keep winning games.
I know it was December, but when I watched Texas play someone earlier this year I thought one thing to myself. "Holy crap, this team could win it all." I don't think that as much anymore because they have underperformed all season, but on a talent level, they are a top-10 team, certainly better then Duke. I just see them playing two really good games and knocking out Duke in the second round, then losing their focus in their off days and losing to Nova.
Here's the thing about Pittsburgh. I think in a format like the NBA, they win the title. I can't see a team beating them in a best of seven series, but thats why March is so much fun. One game and your out. End of story. And that's all it will take for Pitt, is one game. More specifically, one game where the refs are calling ticky-tack fouls. If Blair gets in foul trouble in a latter round, Pitt will get knocked out. It's going to happen before the Panthers can win six games, there's no way around it.
I like Nova in this region. You may be noticing a little bit of a Big East Bias here, and I can accept that. But let's be honest, the Big East is the best basketball conference. Sure, it helps when you have over 200 teams in your conference, but the top teams are really the best in the country. I mean, it's tough to argue with having three #1 seeds (first conference to ever do this) and two #3 seeds. The top teams in the mega-conference that is the Big East are sick and battle tested, end of story.
1st round winners: Pittsburgh, Oklahoma State, Florida State, Portland State, UCLA, Villanova, Texas, Duke
Sweet 16: Pitt, FSU, Nova, Texas
Elite 8: Pitt, Nova
Net Cutters: Nova
SOUTH REGION
I hope hope hope that this region goes how I think it will. I would love to see an Elite 8 game with Blake Griffin playing against Tyler Hansborough. I also hope that Lawson is fully healed by then so UNC lovers won't have that "What if?" to fall back on when they lose to Griffin. You know Lawson will play, but to what level will he be back? I'm guessing somewhere 85%, which will be just a bit less then they need him to be.
There's something different about Hansborough this year to me this year too. I don't know exactly what it is, but its there. I mean, he'll still get his stats, but I just feel like this year, that's all he'll get. Last year I felt like he would just go off for 35 and 15 if everyone else was terrible on a night to keep UNC winning. This year, I'm not as convinced. I dunno, it could just have been that in the games I saw UNC play they didn't need those performances they needed last year, but something is a little different to me.
I've liked Griffin and Oklahoma all year to make the FInal Four. The only reason their not a 1 seed is because of those games they lost without Griffin, and the unexplainable loss to Ok. State in the Big 12 tourney. Still, this team is pretty stacked, and I like Griffin to lead the Sooners to the Final Four this year.
And hey, at least I didn't go with 'Cuse to give an all Big East Final Four. But then, how can you get behind a team with Eric Devendorf on it, even if Johnny Flynn is a stud?
1st round winners: UNC, Butler, Western Kentucky, Gonzaga, ASU, Syracuse, Clemson, Oklahoma
Sweet 16: UNC, Zaga, 'Cuse, Oklahoma
Elite 8: UNC, Oklahoma
Net Cutters: Oklahoma
FINAL FOUR
I like UConn and Oklahoma to make it to the championship game. UConn handled Louisville in Louisville earlier this year and again, Blake Griffin.
The championship game however is where Griffin's magic runs out. UConn has the bigs to slow him just enough. I see some foul trouble for Griffin plus him having trouble handling Adrien and Thabeet. And don't sleep on Gavin Edwards, who will get his time next season when Adrien and Thabeet are both gone. Kid always comes to play and makes some huge plays.
Also, the only big who has given Thabeet trouble is Blair. Blair does the one thing that troubles Thabeet. Blair is incredible physical. Griffin can be physical, but it's not the only thing he does. He's more of a finesse player, or at least, he tries to be. You can make up for a lot of mistakes against finesse when you're 7'3". Plus it's hard to play finesse when you're sitting on the bench.
Back in 2004 Calhoun took Okafor out of the Duke game because he had two fouls in the first and didn't let him back in. Then all of the Duke bigs got their 3rd foul in the first half and all fouled out so Okafor could dominate that game and get UConn to the title game. I see the same thing happening again.
The pick: UConn
MOP: Jeff Adrien
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Courtney Paris out $64K
Oklahoma All-American Courtney Paris had a bit to say during the #3 Oklahoma Sooners senior night. Paris gave a guarantee that Oklahoma will not only win the title this year, but if they don't, she will pay back her scholarship for this year, which is said to be around $64,000.
"When you're good enough and don't do something, then you have to take accountability for that and that's your own fault. We can win a national championship. If we don't, I'll feel like I didn't earn my scholarship." Paris is quoted as saying.
There is just one little problem for Paris: UConn. The Huskies are 31-0, the unanimous #1 team in the country, and are head and shoulders above everyone else in the land. They beat Oklahoma by 28 back in November. They won by 30 in UNC when the Tar Heels were #2 in the nation. As I am writing this, UConn is up 50-24 in the championship of the Big East at the half, against the #5 team in the country.
UConn isn't getting stopped this season. Maya Moore, a sophomore, is the two-time reigning Big East player of the year, and will likely win national player of the year honors. UConn has the best players, one of the best coaches in the country, and they will not be denied this season.
Paris was bold but stupid in her prediction. Also, now her dad is backing up her claim, saying that with all the talent Oklahoma has had the past 4 years with the Paris sisters, that the coaches should be ashamed if they can't bring a title. Too bad for Oklahoma that they decided to put all this extra pressure on themselves when it's clearly UConn's year.
UConn is going to party like it's 1995 and 2002 this season as they go undefeated. And women's basketball should be afraid, Moore is going to be around for two more seasons. And oh, Louisville has only scored one point this half against UConn, a free throw, and over 10 minutes have passed. Good try Courtney Paris. Joe Namith you're not, which is probably a good thing, because then you might do this...
"When you're good enough and don't do something, then you have to take accountability for that and that's your own fault. We can win a national championship. If we don't, I'll feel like I didn't earn my scholarship." Paris is quoted as saying.
There is just one little problem for Paris: UConn. The Huskies are 31-0, the unanimous #1 team in the country, and are head and shoulders above everyone else in the land. They beat Oklahoma by 28 back in November. They won by 30 in UNC when the Tar Heels were #2 in the nation. As I am writing this, UConn is up 50-24 in the championship of the Big East at the half, against the #5 team in the country.
UConn isn't getting stopped this season. Maya Moore, a sophomore, is the two-time reigning Big East player of the year, and will likely win national player of the year honors. UConn has the best players, one of the best coaches in the country, and they will not be denied this season.
Paris was bold but stupid in her prediction. Also, now her dad is backing up her claim, saying that with all the talent Oklahoma has had the past 4 years with the Paris sisters, that the coaches should be ashamed if they can't bring a title. Too bad for Oklahoma that they decided to put all this extra pressure on themselves when it's clearly UConn's year.
UConn is going to party like it's 1995 and 2002 this season as they go undefeated. And women's basketball should be afraid, Moore is going to be around for two more seasons. And oh, Louisville has only scored one point this half against UConn, a free throw, and over 10 minutes have passed. Good try Courtney Paris. Joe Namith you're not, which is probably a good thing, because then you might do this...
TO to the Bills
Another post, another talented and troubled player finds a new home. This move kind of surprised me from TO's standpoint. Saying he has had trouble with drops would be an understatement as he has led the league in drops over the past two seasons. Here's a thought TO, instead of blaming Tony Romo for not getting you the ball enough, why not blame your own mitts? Just a thought.
Buffalo's offense should get a huge boost from this move as TO will still get his catches, and drops, but his presence will also open up the field for Lee Evans and Marshawn Lynch. The only thing is, how long will it be before TO opens up something else, specifically, the Bills locker room?
Everyone knows that TO is a terrible locker room presence, to say the least. But he has usually been at his best in his first year with a new team. Also, TO has some extra incentive to be on his best behavior as this is just a one year deal and he will be playing for his next payday.
That being said, I still see TO being a problem. From running his mouth twice a year before Patriots games (not exactly the team you want to give bulletin board material to), to having trouble getting deep routes thrown to him (due to Edwards arm strength, Buffalo's offense, and the weather in Buffalo), to eventually throwing some team mate under the bus (sorry Trent Edwards), TO will cause an issue at some point next season.
I thought it made more sense for TO to sign with Baltimore or Kansas City. Granted I have no way of knowing what teams had interest in TO, but those teams seemed to make sense to me. Kansas City already made a gigantic splash this offseason in getting Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel for a 2nd round pick, but having TO would make them a force to reckon with in the weak AFC West next year, probably the favorites.
Baltimore needs more on offense to compliment their dominant defense. The Ravens have the reigning Super Bowl champs in their division, they need something to get them over the hump against the Steelers, who they lost to three times last year. TO might just be that missing piece.
But, by that logic, you could argue TO signing in Buffalo is just what the Bills need to get over the hump in the AFC East. Miami is the reigning champ, the Jets are only going to get better with a new coach and sans Brett Favre (not even kidding), and the 11-5 Patriots are only getting back a HoF quarterback this year. Buffalo needed something to get them over the hump in the AFC East, and TO has the talent to get them over said hump. But based on TO's track record, I just don't see it happening. It was a risk the Bills felt they had to make, I just don't see it working out in Buffalo.
Buffalo's offense should get a huge boost from this move as TO will still get his catches, and drops, but his presence will also open up the field for Lee Evans and Marshawn Lynch. The only thing is, how long will it be before TO opens up something else, specifically, the Bills locker room?
Everyone knows that TO is a terrible locker room presence, to say the least. But he has usually been at his best in his first year with a new team. Also, TO has some extra incentive to be on his best behavior as this is just a one year deal and he will be playing for his next payday.
That being said, I still see TO being a problem. From running his mouth twice a year before Patriots games (not exactly the team you want to give bulletin board material to), to having trouble getting deep routes thrown to him (due to Edwards arm strength, Buffalo's offense, and the weather in Buffalo), to eventually throwing some team mate under the bus (sorry Trent Edwards), TO will cause an issue at some point next season.
I thought it made more sense for TO to sign with Baltimore or Kansas City. Granted I have no way of knowing what teams had interest in TO, but those teams seemed to make sense to me. Kansas City already made a gigantic splash this offseason in getting Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel for a 2nd round pick, but having TO would make them a force to reckon with in the weak AFC West next year, probably the favorites.
Baltimore needs more on offense to compliment their dominant defense. The Ravens have the reigning Super Bowl champs in their division, they need something to get them over the hump against the Steelers, who they lost to three times last year. TO might just be that missing piece.
But, by that logic, you could argue TO signing in Buffalo is just what the Bills need to get over the hump in the AFC East. Miami is the reigning champ, the Jets are only going to get better with a new coach and sans Brett Favre (not even kidding), and the 11-5 Patriots are only getting back a HoF quarterback this year. Buffalo needed something to get them over the hump in the AFC East, and TO has the talent to get them over said hump. But based on TO's track record, I just don't see it happening. It was a risk the Bills felt they had to make, I just don't see it working out in Buffalo.
Back at it...
I recently switched up what I do at work, which also meant my schedule has completely changed. Because of this, some things have fallen through the cracks, and unfortunately, theZarbReport was one of those. So, in an effort to get back into this, here are a few random thoughts on the events of the past couple of weeks. Hopefully I can find a good working schedule again for theZarbReport around my actual job.
STARBURY TO BOSTON
I still can't believe this happened. On a talent level, this move should help the Celtics. From what I understand about his contract, the C's can cut Starbury at any point, so he'll have to be on his best behavior so he can win a ring and have a job next year. I guess that is why the Celtics signed him, minimal financial risk while picking up a former two-time all-star.
So far, Marbury hasn't looked like anything special in Celtic Green. That is largely in part because his timing is off (since he hasn't played in forever) and he is playing with a new team. Part of it is also because Boston hasn't been whole in a while, ever since KG got hurt. It's tough to assess the impact of Starbury (and Mikki Moore for that matter) until the end of the season and the playoffs.
This move has the potential to make the Celtics bench dominant, but I am still not sold. Let's see how he fits in with the Boston Three-Party and how he accepts being a backup to both Rajon Rondo and possibly Eddie House. Let's see how he plays defense. In a game of NBA Live, this move would be spectacular, but in real life, there are adjustments, egos, defensive and offensive schemes and sets, all kinds of things that can derail any player, especially one with the history of Starbury. Let's see how Starbury helps the C's come playoff time, you know, when it matters.
STARBURY TO BOSTON
I still can't believe this happened. On a talent level, this move should help the Celtics. From what I understand about his contract, the C's can cut Starbury at any point, so he'll have to be on his best behavior so he can win a ring and have a job next year. I guess that is why the Celtics signed him, minimal financial risk while picking up a former two-time all-star.
So far, Marbury hasn't looked like anything special in Celtic Green. That is largely in part because his timing is off (since he hasn't played in forever) and he is playing with a new team. Part of it is also because Boston hasn't been whole in a while, ever since KG got hurt. It's tough to assess the impact of Starbury (and Mikki Moore for that matter) until the end of the season and the playoffs.
This move has the potential to make the Celtics bench dominant, but I am still not sold. Let's see how he fits in with the Boston Three-Party and how he accepts being a backup to both Rajon Rondo and possibly Eddie House. Let's see how he plays defense. In a game of NBA Live, this move would be spectacular, but in real life, there are adjustments, egos, defensive and offensive schemes and sets, all kinds of things that can derail any player, especially one with the history of Starbury. Let's see how Starbury helps the C's come playoff time, you know, when it matters.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
800 for Jimmy C
Lost amonst the shuffle of UConn losing to Pitt at home and Jim Calhoun telling a reporter to shut up is the fact that Calhoun needs one more win to become the 7th active coach D-1 coach to reach 800 wins. Syracuse's Jim Boeheim is also closing in on the mark and should get there early next season, or possibly this year if 'Cuse can make some deep runs in the Big East and NCAA tournaments.
Though he frustrates me sometimes in the way he runs the offense, namely having the guards pass it around and dribble for 10 seconds every possession, I can't argue with the results. UConn has won two national championships, and are on pace for a third this year (though losing Dyson might be their undoing, just as losing Dominic James might be Marquette's undoing). Calhoun's success also has to do with his excellent recruiting skills.
There are currently 12 former UConn players on NBA rosters, with Ray Allen, Rip Hamilton, Caron Butler, Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva and Rudy Gay being among the most notable. But that's not the only reason for UConn's success. Calhoun has a knack for getting great shot blockers to solidify the defense in the middle.
Because of this, UConn's guards can stay close on their man and can try to jump passing lanes as they know if they get beat, they have a security blanket. On top of from Okafor and Villanueva, Donny Marshall, Donyell Marshall, Josh Boone, Clifford Robinson and Hilton Armstrong all played for UConn (and through his first 3 years, no one thought Armstrong would become a pro, just goes to show you how much playing college ball can help an NBA career). Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien currently patrol the middle now. UConn has led the nation in blocked shots in each of the last seven seasons, and are currently second at 7.6 per game (Mississippi State is #1 with 8.1 per game).
Because of Calhoun's recruiting, UConn can play this defense, they can press a lot, and they know they have help behind them. Between the steals and recovered blocked shots UConn gets all game because of this defense, UConn gets into transition a great deal every game which results in a lot of easy points.
So here's to you Jim and the hope that you get to 800 against Marquette. And even if you don't against the Golden Eagles, getting it on Senior Night will be pretty special as well. Oh, and don't you think UConn will be fired up the rest of the way. Marquette is the chance for number 800. Then on Saturday they host Notre Dame on senior night. Then, the following week, they travel to Pittsburgh with a chance for revenge on Pitt's senior night. Oh, and UConn is playing for a #1 seed in the Big East and overall in the NCAA tournament as well.
And just incase you missed it, or just want to see it again, here is the video of Calhoun telling a reporter to shut up.
And just for the sake of it, here's anther great Calhoun press conference from a few years back.
Though he frustrates me sometimes in the way he runs the offense, namely having the guards pass it around and dribble for 10 seconds every possession, I can't argue with the results. UConn has won two national championships, and are on pace for a third this year (though losing Dyson might be their undoing, just as losing Dominic James might be Marquette's undoing). Calhoun's success also has to do with his excellent recruiting skills.
There are currently 12 former UConn players on NBA rosters, with Ray Allen, Rip Hamilton, Caron Butler, Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva and Rudy Gay being among the most notable. But that's not the only reason for UConn's success. Calhoun has a knack for getting great shot blockers to solidify the defense in the middle.
Because of this, UConn's guards can stay close on their man and can try to jump passing lanes as they know if they get beat, they have a security blanket. On top of from Okafor and Villanueva, Donny Marshall, Donyell Marshall, Josh Boone, Clifford Robinson and Hilton Armstrong all played for UConn (and through his first 3 years, no one thought Armstrong would become a pro, just goes to show you how much playing college ball can help an NBA career). Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien currently patrol the middle now. UConn has led the nation in blocked shots in each of the last seven seasons, and are currently second at 7.6 per game (Mississippi State is #1 with 8.1 per game).
Because of Calhoun's recruiting, UConn can play this defense, they can press a lot, and they know they have help behind them. Between the steals and recovered blocked shots UConn gets all game because of this defense, UConn gets into transition a great deal every game which results in a lot of easy points.
So here's to you Jim and the hope that you get to 800 against Marquette. And even if you don't against the Golden Eagles, getting it on Senior Night will be pretty special as well. Oh, and don't you think UConn will be fired up the rest of the way. Marquette is the chance for number 800. Then on Saturday they host Notre Dame on senior night. Then, the following week, they travel to Pittsburgh with a chance for revenge on Pitt's senior night. Oh, and UConn is playing for a #1 seed in the Big East and overall in the NCAA tournament as well.
And just incase you missed it, or just want to see it again, here is the video of Calhoun telling a reporter to shut up.
And just for the sake of it, here's anther great Calhoun press conference from a few years back.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Colts to Cut Harrison
So it seems the Colts are going to cut Marvin Harrison in the next few. The move is largely a financial one as it will save the Colts roughly $6 million this season. Even with Harrison's drop-off in production these past two seasons, I thought that he and the Colts would reach some sort of deal to keep Harrison in Indianapolis.
Harrison was drafted in the first round by the Colts back in 1996. He has played with Peyton Manning since 1998 (when Manning entered the league) and the two hold all kinds of records because of each other. They hold the record for the most touchdowns thrown between two players ever, though they're lucky Jerry Rice had his time with the Niners split between two quarterbacks.
Anyways, it's hard to imagine Marvin Harrison playing anywhere else but Indianapolis. But then, I suppose it was hard to imagine Brett Favre playing anywhere else but Green Bay, but he was in New York last year so clearly it can happen. Wait, didn't I write about how sick I was of hearing about Favre a little while ago? And here I am, bringing him back to relevancy. What have I done?
But Harrison will be gone. Early rumors have him possibly signing with his hometown Eagles to play alongside Donovan McNabb, whom Harrison played alongside with at Syracuse. I can see New England also making a fake run at him, if for nothing else then to freak out fans in Indy. I wouldn't put something like that past Belichick, would you? Arizona would also make some sense to me as they could use a compliment for Larry Fitzgerald next season and are likely to lose Anquan Boldin this offseason. This scenario though is unlikely as they are going to commit a lot of money to Kurt Warner (or at least they hope he'll take their money and stay) but it would give the Cards as a shot to make it back to the Super Bowl.
It would seem that Harrison moving on won't hurt the Colts so much on the field as they haven't relied on him as much the past few years. However, I think this is a huge loss for the Colts. I think Manning cares a whole lot about his public image. Why else would he do so many commercials save for trying to get people to like him? If the Colts start out 2-3, how will Manning react now lacking the other half of his dynamic duo? Add on to that the fact that the Colts also have a new coach (albeit from within their organization and the proclaimed successor to Tony Dungy) this season, and this could be a long season for Indy fans.
Aside from maybe New England and Pittsburgh where football is 100% business, a cohesive football locker room is huge. Look at what T.O. did in Dallas. Look at what Ocho Cinco did to Cincinnati, well that and the damage to Carson Palmer's knee. Harrison and Dungy are now gone. How will Indy's locker room react without two obvious team leaders? Check back around Week 8.
While I'm on the topic of recently cut face of the franchises, let's talk about Fred Taylor for a bit. When he was cut I remember seeing an interview with John Clayton saying he would likely sign with a contender that needs a feature running back. It took until the Patriots brought him in to workout for NFL experts to realize that he might end up in New England.
It took me and my room mate all of reading the scroll bar before seeing Clayton to realize he might end up a Patriot. What doesn't make sense about this? Chance at a ring. Ability to start, or at least, get a bulk of the carries. Kind of reminds me when the Pats picked up Corey Dillon at the end of his career and went on to win the Super Bowl.
Teams should be afraid of going against stars in the twilight of their career after they have been let go by the one team they are associated with, that is, unless said star is Brett Favre in the second half of a season (I'm Ok with bringing Favre up again if it is to mock him). You don't want to go against a star who still has some gas left in their tank and has a chip on their shoulder wanting to prove it. I expect big things from Harrison and Taylor next year.
Harrison was drafted in the first round by the Colts back in 1996. He has played with Peyton Manning since 1998 (when Manning entered the league) and the two hold all kinds of records because of each other. They hold the record for the most touchdowns thrown between two players ever, though they're lucky Jerry Rice had his time with the Niners split between two quarterbacks.
Anyways, it's hard to imagine Marvin Harrison playing anywhere else but Indianapolis. But then, I suppose it was hard to imagine Brett Favre playing anywhere else but Green Bay, but he was in New York last year so clearly it can happen. Wait, didn't I write about how sick I was of hearing about Favre a little while ago? And here I am, bringing him back to relevancy. What have I done?
But Harrison will be gone. Early rumors have him possibly signing with his hometown Eagles to play alongside Donovan McNabb, whom Harrison played alongside with at Syracuse. I can see New England also making a fake run at him, if for nothing else then to freak out fans in Indy. I wouldn't put something like that past Belichick, would you? Arizona would also make some sense to me as they could use a compliment for Larry Fitzgerald next season and are likely to lose Anquan Boldin this offseason. This scenario though is unlikely as they are going to commit a lot of money to Kurt Warner (or at least they hope he'll take their money and stay) but it would give the Cards as a shot to make it back to the Super Bowl.
It would seem that Harrison moving on won't hurt the Colts so much on the field as they haven't relied on him as much the past few years. However, I think this is a huge loss for the Colts. I think Manning cares a whole lot about his public image. Why else would he do so many commercials save for trying to get people to like him? If the Colts start out 2-3, how will Manning react now lacking the other half of his dynamic duo? Add on to that the fact that the Colts also have a new coach (albeit from within their organization and the proclaimed successor to Tony Dungy) this season, and this could be a long season for Indy fans.
Aside from maybe New England and Pittsburgh where football is 100% business, a cohesive football locker room is huge. Look at what T.O. did in Dallas. Look at what Ocho Cinco did to Cincinnati, well that and the damage to Carson Palmer's knee. Harrison and Dungy are now gone. How will Indy's locker room react without two obvious team leaders? Check back around Week 8.
While I'm on the topic of recently cut face of the franchises, let's talk about Fred Taylor for a bit. When he was cut I remember seeing an interview with John Clayton saying he would likely sign with a contender that needs a feature running back. It took until the Patriots brought him in to workout for NFL experts to realize that he might end up in New England.
It took me and my room mate all of reading the scroll bar before seeing Clayton to realize he might end up a Patriot. What doesn't make sense about this? Chance at a ring. Ability to start, or at least, get a bulk of the carries. Kind of reminds me when the Pats picked up Corey Dillon at the end of his career and went on to win the Super Bowl.
Teams should be afraid of going against stars in the twilight of their career after they have been let go by the one team they are associated with, that is, unless said star is Brett Favre in the second half of a season (I'm Ok with bringing Favre up again if it is to mock him). You don't want to go against a star who still has some gas left in their tank and has a chip on their shoulder wanting to prove it. I expect big things from Harrison and Taylor next year.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Phelps to Avoid Charges
You've probably all seen the photo of Michael Phelps smoking out of a bong at a party by now. You've probably also heard that he has been suspended for three months by USA Swimming and has lost his sponsorship deal with Kellogg's. Just incase you haven't seen it, or you want to see it again, here ya go.
http://extras.newsoftheworld.co.uk/downloads/phelps_big_0102.jpg
It's Ok with me that Phelps lost his endorsement deal with Kellogg's. They did what they had to do, and people have lost endorsement deals for less. Tiger Woods just lost his endorsement deal with Buick because GM is broke, not because of anything he did. Phelps smoked some weed and lost his endorsement deal because of it. Fine.
I'm also Ok with the three-month suspension USA Swimming leveled on Phelps. Sure, it's a meaningless penalty because Phelps won't miss any international competitions, but they did what they had to do. USA Swimming had to levy some sort of penalty on Phelps otherwise they would face immense scrutiny for condoning what Phelps did. A meaningless suspension is the perfect way to get around hurting the USA Swimming program while avoiding any scrutiny.
However, there is something I am not as Ok with. Leon Lott, the South Carolina sheriff who was trying to prosecute Phelps, has finally stopped going after the Olympic champion for smoking out of a bong. That, I am Ok with. The fact that Lott was going after Phelps from the beginning, that's not something I can condone.
The national debt is currently more then $10.8 trillion. According to an article on ESPN.com, the investigation involved two narcotics officers working over 25 hours over the course of a week. Isn't there a better way to be using tax payers money then going after an American sports hero? Couldn't those narcotics officers have been going after real criminals, not a 23-year old who did a few bong rips?
I mean, all they had really to go on was that photo, and photos or video are not a valid form of evidence in a drug case. If it was, how many Hollywood actors would be in jail for all the drugs they've "done" in movies? Granted they probably have done those drugs in real life, maybe even while filming (Pineapple Express much?) but that's not the point.
The point is going after Phelps, going after steroids in baseball, going after all of that kind of stuff, it's just not necessary. Ok, It is necessary, especially stopping the rampant steroid issue is baseball, but the government doesn't need to get involved. The sport should be able to govern themselves, and use the massive profits that the sports make to finance the investigations.
Yeah, sports have failed to regulate themselves, most clearly in baseball, but there are ways to make the sports regulate themselves, especially by threatening to take away the sports being exempt from anti-trust laws, something. There are better ways for the government to be spending the taxpayers money. We don't need to be using our hard earned dollars to fund government witch hunts into steroids and bong rips. We just don't.
I know Phelps is a role-model and because of that, he is held to a higher standard. That's why I'm Ok with him losing his endorsements. But wouldn't sending him to jail be even an even worse thing as it would completely destroy his public image over doing something that is legal is some countries? Why go after an American sports hero? It was never worth it to begin with from the beginning, and I'm glad there wasn't enough evidence to put Phelps away.
But I am not alone in thinking that Phelps was treated a bit to harsh for his smoking of weed.
http://extras.newsoftheworld.co.uk/downloads/phelps_big_0102.jpg
It's Ok with me that Phelps lost his endorsement deal with Kellogg's. They did what they had to do, and people have lost endorsement deals for less. Tiger Woods just lost his endorsement deal with Buick because GM is broke, not because of anything he did. Phelps smoked some weed and lost his endorsement deal because of it. Fine.
I'm also Ok with the three-month suspension USA Swimming leveled on Phelps. Sure, it's a meaningless penalty because Phelps won't miss any international competitions, but they did what they had to do. USA Swimming had to levy some sort of penalty on Phelps otherwise they would face immense scrutiny for condoning what Phelps did. A meaningless suspension is the perfect way to get around hurting the USA Swimming program while avoiding any scrutiny.
However, there is something I am not as Ok with. Leon Lott, the South Carolina sheriff who was trying to prosecute Phelps, has finally stopped going after the Olympic champion for smoking out of a bong. That, I am Ok with. The fact that Lott was going after Phelps from the beginning, that's not something I can condone.
The national debt is currently more then $10.8 trillion. According to an article on ESPN.com, the investigation involved two narcotics officers working over 25 hours over the course of a week. Isn't there a better way to be using tax payers money then going after an American sports hero? Couldn't those narcotics officers have been going after real criminals, not a 23-year old who did a few bong rips?
I mean, all they had really to go on was that photo, and photos or video are not a valid form of evidence in a drug case. If it was, how many Hollywood actors would be in jail for all the drugs they've "done" in movies? Granted they probably have done those drugs in real life, maybe even while filming (Pineapple Express much?) but that's not the point.
The point is going after Phelps, going after steroids in baseball, going after all of that kind of stuff, it's just not necessary. Ok, It is necessary, especially stopping the rampant steroid issue is baseball, but the government doesn't need to get involved. The sport should be able to govern themselves, and use the massive profits that the sports make to finance the investigations.
Yeah, sports have failed to regulate themselves, most clearly in baseball, but there are ways to make the sports regulate themselves, especially by threatening to take away the sports being exempt from anti-trust laws, something. There are better ways for the government to be spending the taxpayers money. We don't need to be using our hard earned dollars to fund government witch hunts into steroids and bong rips. We just don't.
I know Phelps is a role-model and because of that, he is held to a higher standard. That's why I'm Ok with him losing his endorsements. But wouldn't sending him to jail be even an even worse thing as it would completely destroy his public image over doing something that is legal is some countries? Why go after an American sports hero? It was never worth it to begin with from the beginning, and I'm glad there wasn't enough evidence to put Phelps away.
But I am not alone in thinking that Phelps was treated a bit to harsh for his smoking of weed.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Best Week in the NBA
We are currently in the midst of the most action packed week in the NBA's regular season. This past weekend was All-Star weekend, which in my opinion is the best All-Star event of any sport. Tonight marks the unofficial start of the second half of the season. And when Thursday afternoon rolls around, so too does the Trade Deadline. Like I said, this is a fully packed week.
I will write more about the Trade Deadline once it actually occurs. With all the rumors swirling around, it's tough to figure out which have any merit to them, which are just high hopes of fans, which will fall through when the two teams can't quite make the deal work even if they both want it to happen, and which trades will actually occur. But we can look at what has already happened in the NBA
First off, my favorite weekend in the NBA, the All-Star Break. Part of that is the Slam Dunk contest is my favorite non-playoff event of the sporting year. Over the past few years, it has only gotten better. The creativity on the dunks, not to mention the showmanship before and after the dunks is just incredible.
This year was no exception. Here, take a look at a quick video that has every dunk from this year in it:
The battle between Superman and KryptoNate was truly incredible. The depth of the showmanship was jaw dropping. Not only did Dwight bring out a 12 foot hoop, but he ran into the phone booth to transform into Superman. Then, Nate had the faith in his abilities that he would make it to the finals to hold of on transforming into KryptoNate. That transformation was enough to catapult him into the finals, but in holding off on it, he won the trophy.
Well, that transformation and Dwight's final dunk of the final round. Yes, dunking from the free throw line is impressive, but not when you are 6'11" and have just dunked on a 12 foot rim in a fairly easy manner. Maybe a windmill, a 180, a between the legs, something, and Superman goes back to back.
But the thing I am most looking forward to now is next years slam dunk contest. With LeBron preliminarily added to this new Superman/KryptoNate slam dunk rivalry, the sky is the limit. Imagine if they can convince Gerald Green or Andre Iguodala (a previous winner and someone who should have won) to be the fourth competitor next year? I can't wait.
LeBron is all but certain to incorporate some sort of King James act into one of his dunks. Imagine him coming out like this to make a dunk?
http://www.thisisandrewwright.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/burger_king_lebron.jpg
Or maybe he will grab a crown off of the top of the backboard (since according to the commentary on my NBA Live 2K5, LeBron can grab a quarter off the top of the backboard) and puts it on his head as he dunks. Or maybe he dunks over Kevin Garnett as the originator of the chalk toss shoots a cloud up in the air. Or how about repeating the 12-foot rim dunk the Dwight did, only throwing it off the glass to himself, or putting it between his legs, or a 360?
What if Dwight gets Nate to return the favor of letting him dunk over him, only Dwight jumps over Nate while Nate is standing on Wilson Chandler's back? Or how about raising the rim up another foot? Or how about dunking over Shaq, the original Superman?
I don't know what Nate can do to top this years performance, but here's the fun thing. Nate, LeBron, and Dwight all have a year to think of their dunks. I just came up with those ideas as quick as I could write them down. With a year, some video games to test things out, and friends and team mates talking into their ear, giving them ideas. Count me in.
But anyways, back to this year's contest. Dwight gave it away, both by allowing KryptoNate to dunk over him and in the order of his dunks. Had he led off with the free throw line dunk, he would have probably gotten something in the mid-40s, more then enough to advance once he threw down a 12-foot dunk.
Then, had Dwight done his first dunk, the one from behind the backboard, the 180-windmill, followed by the one where he bounced it off the side of the backboard to himself, he would've won. That side of the backboard dunk was one of the best I have seen in recent memory in the contest. That order would have likely given Dwight back-to-back titles. Oh well, it shows he just wants to have a good time, which I can respect.
The 3-point shootout was also a lot of fun. A first time champion winning in overtime, what's not to like? I was a little surprised however that Jason Kapono didn't dominate this year the way he has the past two years given a somewhat weaker group of opponents. Still, congratulations to Daequan Cook for winning the shootout, because no matter how weak the rest of the field may have been, he still beat the two-time defending champion.
Derrick Rose also deserves kudos for winning the Skills Competition. The group he went against was very weak, but still, he won, and he won in a very convincing way with a nice reverse dunk. Last year Chris Paul, Jason Kidd, Deron Williams, and Dwyane Wade were in the competition. I would love to see them expand the field to 6 players and have D-Rose, CP3, D-Wade (unless he is in the Slam Dunk Competition, which I'd be ok with), Deron Williams, Rajon Rondo, and Steve Nash in it. That'd be pretty fun.
The game itself was fun, as always. The NBA and the NHL have such superior All-Star games then do the NFL and MLB. In baseball, you see pretty much a normal game, just with more stars and more subbing. The game itself usually unfolds like any of the other 162 games you watch your favorite team play. The NBA and NHL are all about offense.
Also, don't get me started on the Pro Bowl. Who cares about a game after the season ends in a sport where you have to have the most cohesion with your team to be successful? Not me. Also, switching the Pro Bowl to the week before the Super Bowl in the city where the Super Bowl is to be played is a terrible idea. Not only will no one in the Super Bowl play in the game, but I wouldn't be surprised to see people who lost their conference championship game be less then interested in suiting up again for the Pro Bowl the next week. And what happens when the Super Bowl is in Indianapolis in a few years? Who wants to go to Indy in the middle of the summer, much less the end of January? Count me in!
But in the NBA and NHL all we get is offense, which is definitely very fun to watch. Sure, defense wins championships, but offense is way more fun to watch. That's why the NBA and NHL All-Star games are so much fun to watch. No defense, no hitting, nothing to stop the scoring. I love it. But the NBA gets a slight edge because it is broadcast on TNT while the NHL is shown on Versus. When things are close, the game that gets to be seen wins.
So there it is, but first, a quick look at the winners of all the major awards through the first half of the season.
MVP - LeBron James, Cavaliers. LeBron has been the best player on a team that may end up with the best record in the league. No one comes close to being as important to their team as LeBron has been to the Cavs. And unlike Kobe, he didn't take out one of his players for the season.
ROY - Derrick Rose, Bulls. Mayo will probably make a late push for the award, especially since the award is largely decided in the last month or two of the season, but as of now, it's Rose's award. Rose has ranged from a solid starter to dominant this season, and that should give him a ROY trophy so far.
Coach of the Year - Jerry Sloan, Jazz. Last year Kobe won the MVP trophy due to a lack of good candidates, winning a "lifetime" MVP award. Since CoY really depends a lot on final standings, and a late push or fall could decide the race, I will give Sloan the lifetime award. The Jazz are currently in the playoffs in the West despite Deron Williams not playing at the beginning of the season and Carlos Boozer having barely played at all.
6th Man - Lamar Odom, Lakers. Odom will likely lose his eligibility for this award now that he is starting in place of Bynum, but as of now, it's Odom's award. He has made the Lakers second unit one of the best, if not THE best second unit in the league. This is because of Odom's presence. But still, we'll see who is here at the end of the year eligibility wise.
Most Improved - Rajon Rondo, Celtics. Last season some experts were saying his inexperience would be the reason the Celtics would fail to win the title. This year, he has been the MVP of the Celtics. Not too shabby.
Well folks, get ready for a fun second half that will probably be capped off by us all becoming Witnesses as LeBron wins his first title. But then, let's see how Thursday affects all of that.
I will write more about the Trade Deadline once it actually occurs. With all the rumors swirling around, it's tough to figure out which have any merit to them, which are just high hopes of fans, which will fall through when the two teams can't quite make the deal work even if they both want it to happen, and which trades will actually occur. But we can look at what has already happened in the NBA
First off, my favorite weekend in the NBA, the All-Star Break. Part of that is the Slam Dunk contest is my favorite non-playoff event of the sporting year. Over the past few years, it has only gotten better. The creativity on the dunks, not to mention the showmanship before and after the dunks is just incredible.
This year was no exception. Here, take a look at a quick video that has every dunk from this year in it:
The battle between Superman and KryptoNate was truly incredible. The depth of the showmanship was jaw dropping. Not only did Dwight bring out a 12 foot hoop, but he ran into the phone booth to transform into Superman. Then, Nate had the faith in his abilities that he would make it to the finals to hold of on transforming into KryptoNate. That transformation was enough to catapult him into the finals, but in holding off on it, he won the trophy.
Well, that transformation and Dwight's final dunk of the final round. Yes, dunking from the free throw line is impressive, but not when you are 6'11" and have just dunked on a 12 foot rim in a fairly easy manner. Maybe a windmill, a 180, a between the legs, something, and Superman goes back to back.
But the thing I am most looking forward to now is next years slam dunk contest. With LeBron preliminarily added to this new Superman/KryptoNate slam dunk rivalry, the sky is the limit. Imagine if they can convince Gerald Green or Andre Iguodala (a previous winner and someone who should have won) to be the fourth competitor next year? I can't wait.
LeBron is all but certain to incorporate some sort of King James act into one of his dunks. Imagine him coming out like this to make a dunk?
http://www.thisisandrewwright.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/burger_king_lebron.jpg
Or maybe he will grab a crown off of the top of the backboard (since according to the commentary on my NBA Live 2K5, LeBron can grab a quarter off the top of the backboard) and puts it on his head as he dunks. Or maybe he dunks over Kevin Garnett as the originator of the chalk toss shoots a cloud up in the air. Or how about repeating the 12-foot rim dunk the Dwight did, only throwing it off the glass to himself, or putting it between his legs, or a 360?
What if Dwight gets Nate to return the favor of letting him dunk over him, only Dwight jumps over Nate while Nate is standing on Wilson Chandler's back? Or how about raising the rim up another foot? Or how about dunking over Shaq, the original Superman?
I don't know what Nate can do to top this years performance, but here's the fun thing. Nate, LeBron, and Dwight all have a year to think of their dunks. I just came up with those ideas as quick as I could write them down. With a year, some video games to test things out, and friends and team mates talking into their ear, giving them ideas. Count me in.
But anyways, back to this year's contest. Dwight gave it away, both by allowing KryptoNate to dunk over him and in the order of his dunks. Had he led off with the free throw line dunk, he would have probably gotten something in the mid-40s, more then enough to advance once he threw down a 12-foot dunk.
Then, had Dwight done his first dunk, the one from behind the backboard, the 180-windmill, followed by the one where he bounced it off the side of the backboard to himself, he would've won. That side of the backboard dunk was one of the best I have seen in recent memory in the contest. That order would have likely given Dwight back-to-back titles. Oh well, it shows he just wants to have a good time, which I can respect.
The 3-point shootout was also a lot of fun. A first time champion winning in overtime, what's not to like? I was a little surprised however that Jason Kapono didn't dominate this year the way he has the past two years given a somewhat weaker group of opponents. Still, congratulations to Daequan Cook for winning the shootout, because no matter how weak the rest of the field may have been, he still beat the two-time defending champion.
Derrick Rose also deserves kudos for winning the Skills Competition. The group he went against was very weak, but still, he won, and he won in a very convincing way with a nice reverse dunk. Last year Chris Paul, Jason Kidd, Deron Williams, and Dwyane Wade were in the competition. I would love to see them expand the field to 6 players and have D-Rose, CP3, D-Wade (unless he is in the Slam Dunk Competition, which I'd be ok with), Deron Williams, Rajon Rondo, and Steve Nash in it. That'd be pretty fun.
The game itself was fun, as always. The NBA and the NHL have such superior All-Star games then do the NFL and MLB. In baseball, you see pretty much a normal game, just with more stars and more subbing. The game itself usually unfolds like any of the other 162 games you watch your favorite team play. The NBA and NHL are all about offense.
Also, don't get me started on the Pro Bowl. Who cares about a game after the season ends in a sport where you have to have the most cohesion with your team to be successful? Not me. Also, switching the Pro Bowl to the week before the Super Bowl in the city where the Super Bowl is to be played is a terrible idea. Not only will no one in the Super Bowl play in the game, but I wouldn't be surprised to see people who lost their conference championship game be less then interested in suiting up again for the Pro Bowl the next week. And what happens when the Super Bowl is in Indianapolis in a few years? Who wants to go to Indy in the middle of the summer, much less the end of January? Count me in!
But in the NBA and NHL all we get is offense, which is definitely very fun to watch. Sure, defense wins championships, but offense is way more fun to watch. That's why the NBA and NHL All-Star games are so much fun to watch. No defense, no hitting, nothing to stop the scoring. I love it. But the NBA gets a slight edge because it is broadcast on TNT while the NHL is shown on Versus. When things are close, the game that gets to be seen wins.
So there it is, but first, a quick look at the winners of all the major awards through the first half of the season.
MVP - LeBron James, Cavaliers. LeBron has been the best player on a team that may end up with the best record in the league. No one comes close to being as important to their team as LeBron has been to the Cavs. And unlike Kobe, he didn't take out one of his players for the season.
ROY - Derrick Rose, Bulls. Mayo will probably make a late push for the award, especially since the award is largely decided in the last month or two of the season, but as of now, it's Rose's award. Rose has ranged from a solid starter to dominant this season, and that should give him a ROY trophy so far.
Coach of the Year - Jerry Sloan, Jazz. Last year Kobe won the MVP trophy due to a lack of good candidates, winning a "lifetime" MVP award. Since CoY really depends a lot on final standings, and a late push or fall could decide the race, I will give Sloan the lifetime award. The Jazz are currently in the playoffs in the West despite Deron Williams not playing at the beginning of the season and Carlos Boozer having barely played at all.
6th Man - Lamar Odom, Lakers. Odom will likely lose his eligibility for this award now that he is starting in place of Bynum, but as of now, it's Odom's award. He has made the Lakers second unit one of the best, if not THE best second unit in the league. This is because of Odom's presence. But still, we'll see who is here at the end of the year eligibility wise.
Most Improved - Rajon Rondo, Celtics. Last season some experts were saying his inexperience would be the reason the Celtics would fail to win the title. This year, he has been the MVP of the Celtics. Not too shabby.
Well folks, get ready for a fun second half that will probably be capped off by us all becoming Witnesses as LeBron wins his first title. But then, let's see how Thursday affects all of that.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Another #1 Falls
It's going to be a wide open tournament come March. UNC, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest, Duke, and now UConn have all lost games while being the top team in the nation. If Oklahoma can win at Texas this Saturday, they will likely become the 6th team to be #1 this season. Memphis has a shot at being the 7th team ranked #1 as they shouldn't lose until the Dance, and all the teams between them and #1 have very tough schedules due to the conferences they play in.
An 8th team could also end up ranked #1 when it matters most, in April, if one of those 7 teams doesn't win it all in March. But I think the latest #1 to lose will be the team to beat come March. Even in defeat, UConn showed me something tonight. They showed me a champions swagger.
I was lucky enough to have tickets to the game tonight against Pittsburgh in the first row behind the tunnel where UConn players enter and leave their locker room. I was sitting closer to the court then former UConn quarterback and the all time sack leader among NFL quarterbacks (running out of the endzone yourself counts as a sack on yourself, right?) Dan Orlovsky. But I could see every facet of the game, including players faces.
During a UConn run in the second half that resulted in a 5-point lead for the Huskies, Kemba Walker showed me something. Just after Walker made a layup to give UConn its first lead since 2-0, while he was about at half-court getting back on defense with the crowd getting louder and louder, he started clapping as well as yelling something at the Pitt point guard. He had the champions swagger, which is a good sign for UConn because he is going to have to step up in a major way this season due to the Dyson injury.
(Quick note about Dyson. A few minutes into the game he came out of the tunnel on crutches and dressed incredibly sharp. At the half, with UConn down three, I could see his face as he was going into the tunnel. He was pissed that UConn was losing and he couldn't do anything about it. You could see it. I'm sensing a huge year from him next year. He has the fire in him, I saw it tonight. If UConn doesn't win this year, I will always think back to what could've been...)
UConn will get better. They were just starting to really play well together when Dyson went out, and it will take a few more games for them to get their complete rhythm back. I feel that Walker is going to step up in Dyson's absence. He was a McDonald's All-American and this past summer he was named the MVP of the U-18 FIBA Americas Tournament. I also haven't seen anyone faster then him on the court in any game UConn has played this season, and I can't remember a player that was so quick in my recent cllege basketball memory. It also helps that UConn one force that no one else in the nation can match: Hasheem Thabeet.
Anyways, Thabeet did get dominated statistically by DeJuan Blair, as Blair had a 20-20 game, and Thabeet fouled out after only 23 minutes with just 4 points and 5 rebounds. The block Blair had on Thabeet with under a minute to play was the game. But that might have been the only time he stopped him cleanly.
Especially when I go to games, there are certain times I just watch a certain player. You can see things in person that you can't see on TV, like the swagger I was talking about with Walker. So on some of the plays I decided to just watch Thabeet. The thing I noticed more then anything was the fact that Blair was just holding Thabeet. There aren't any clips of Thabeet on offense being held by Blair, but trust me, it happened.
I know Pittsburgh is a physical team, I can respect that. But playing physical has to come within the rules. Once Pitt realized what they were going to get away with anything, they started doing everything. Fields realized he isn't fast enough to get past Walker or AJ Price on offense, so he started using his off arm to push off and get space to operate. Blair was doing the same thing with on Thabeet, lowering his shoulder and using his off arm to push Thabeet back. He even admitted as much in his post game interview, admitting he put his shoulder into Thabeet.
Here, watch the highlights if you don't believe me. It's ok, I'll wait.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=290470041
OK fine, if you're going to let that kind of play occur, you have to keep it consistent. You're telling me that was ok, but somehow Thabeet deserved to get whistled for standing his ground on defense on his fourth foul. So what, Thabeet was just supposed to let Blair get all the way under the hoop from the get go? That foul took UConn's best player out of the game. If you're going to let them play, then let them play.
Also, watch the play where Blair gets elbowed in the face. Maybe if he hadn't run in and pushed Stanley Robinson in the back then he wouldn't have gotten that blow. Also, after Blair got hit in the face, UConn ended up with the rebound and a 5-on-4 possession as Blair stayed on the Pitt end. Somehow though, the ref called a timeout for Pitt so they could replace Blair on the court.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought a ref could only stop a game for an injury when the team with the injured player has the ball, unless the player is in the way. Then, to top it off, after UConn scored a full strength basket, the refs stopped the game again to let Blair back in the game.
Also, I feel like Thabeet's first foul, the one where he gets flipped over Blair, should have been a jump ball. When Thabeet and Blair first grab the ball, there is no body contact, but the way in which Blair pulls the ball down, he flips Thabeet over him. I guess you kind of have to call a foul there, but I feel a jump ball was really the way to go, especially since it would've kept the ball in the Panthers' possession.
Also, when Blair gets an and-1 to tie the game at 56, he clearly pushes off of Jeff Adrien and Adrien has a pretty light foul on Blair. Then, those killer threes that Levance Fields hit to close out the game should have both been offensive fouls. Watch the person setting both picks on Walker. In case you didn't realize it, a screener's feet are supposed to be set for it to be a legal screen.
I'm not mad at Blair, he realized what he could do and he did it, he is an incredible talent, and he is clearly unstoppable when he gets so many liberties. I love watching him play because he is a beast, well, unless he's playing against my beloved Huskies.
But trust me, even in a home loss in mid-Febuary, UConn showed me something. In a better officiated game UConn walks away the victor. In a game that was supposed to be a showdown of two of the best big men in the country, one had to spend nearly half the game on the bench due to foul trouble while the other was allowed every liberty.
Jeff Adrien and Stanley Robinson also played terrible games on the offensive end, killing the entirety of the UConn offense. UConn runs a very solid inside-out combination, but with Dyson out for the year, and the Huskies' bigs doing nothing on offense, they had no chance. UConn will be there in March though, once they adjust to life without Dyson and when they play 5 on 5 ball, not 5 on 8.
But it wasn't the players complaining about the refs. It's just me. They still had a chance to win the game, even after Fields' devastating 3's. Walker stole the ball and cut the lead to four. After a stop, Robinson had a chance to cut the lead to 2 but he missed the front end of a one and one. He makes those, UConn just needs to make one stop and they have a shot to tie or win the game on the last possession.
But in the post game interviews I heard on the radio on my drive out of the stadium, all of the UConn players just said it was a physical game and they can't wait to play again March 7th. I know I can't wait for that game either and a chance to ruin Pitt's senior night. It's only fair as they knocked us from the top spot.
On a very different note, I am incredibly disappointed at ESPN for not putting Kemba Walker's sick reverse layup on SportsCenter. AJ Price threaded a beautiful pass to Walker who went up for the layup, saw two Panthers going up for the block, so he tucked it under, and did a windwill reverse layup, kissing it high off the backboard.
An 8th team could also end up ranked #1 when it matters most, in April, if one of those 7 teams doesn't win it all in March. But I think the latest #1 to lose will be the team to beat come March. Even in defeat, UConn showed me something tonight. They showed me a champions swagger.
I was lucky enough to have tickets to the game tonight against Pittsburgh in the first row behind the tunnel where UConn players enter and leave their locker room. I was sitting closer to the court then former UConn quarterback and the all time sack leader among NFL quarterbacks (running out of the endzone yourself counts as a sack on yourself, right?) Dan Orlovsky. But I could see every facet of the game, including players faces.
During a UConn run in the second half that resulted in a 5-point lead for the Huskies, Kemba Walker showed me something. Just after Walker made a layup to give UConn its first lead since 2-0, while he was about at half-court getting back on defense with the crowd getting louder and louder, he started clapping as well as yelling something at the Pitt point guard. He had the champions swagger, which is a good sign for UConn because he is going to have to step up in a major way this season due to the Dyson injury.
(Quick note about Dyson. A few minutes into the game he came out of the tunnel on crutches and dressed incredibly sharp. At the half, with UConn down three, I could see his face as he was going into the tunnel. He was pissed that UConn was losing and he couldn't do anything about it. You could see it. I'm sensing a huge year from him next year. He has the fire in him, I saw it tonight. If UConn doesn't win this year, I will always think back to what could've been...)
UConn will get better. They were just starting to really play well together when Dyson went out, and it will take a few more games for them to get their complete rhythm back. I feel that Walker is going to step up in Dyson's absence. He was a McDonald's All-American and this past summer he was named the MVP of the U-18 FIBA Americas Tournament. I also haven't seen anyone faster then him on the court in any game UConn has played this season, and I can't remember a player that was so quick in my recent cllege basketball memory. It also helps that UConn one force that no one else in the nation can match: Hasheem Thabeet.
Anyways, Thabeet did get dominated statistically by DeJuan Blair, as Blair had a 20-20 game, and Thabeet fouled out after only 23 minutes with just 4 points and 5 rebounds. The block Blair had on Thabeet with under a minute to play was the game. But that might have been the only time he stopped him cleanly.
Especially when I go to games, there are certain times I just watch a certain player. You can see things in person that you can't see on TV, like the swagger I was talking about with Walker. So on some of the plays I decided to just watch Thabeet. The thing I noticed more then anything was the fact that Blair was just holding Thabeet. There aren't any clips of Thabeet on offense being held by Blair, but trust me, it happened.
I know Pittsburgh is a physical team, I can respect that. But playing physical has to come within the rules. Once Pitt realized what they were going to get away with anything, they started doing everything. Fields realized he isn't fast enough to get past Walker or AJ Price on offense, so he started using his off arm to push off and get space to operate. Blair was doing the same thing with on Thabeet, lowering his shoulder and using his off arm to push Thabeet back. He even admitted as much in his post game interview, admitting he put his shoulder into Thabeet.
Here, watch the highlights if you don't believe me. It's ok, I'll wait.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=290470041
OK fine, if you're going to let that kind of play occur, you have to keep it consistent. You're telling me that was ok, but somehow Thabeet deserved to get whistled for standing his ground on defense on his fourth foul. So what, Thabeet was just supposed to let Blair get all the way under the hoop from the get go? That foul took UConn's best player out of the game. If you're going to let them play, then let them play.
Also, watch the play where Blair gets elbowed in the face. Maybe if he hadn't run in and pushed Stanley Robinson in the back then he wouldn't have gotten that blow. Also, after Blair got hit in the face, UConn ended up with the rebound and a 5-on-4 possession as Blair stayed on the Pitt end. Somehow though, the ref called a timeout for Pitt so they could replace Blair on the court.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought a ref could only stop a game for an injury when the team with the injured player has the ball, unless the player is in the way. Then, to top it off, after UConn scored a full strength basket, the refs stopped the game again to let Blair back in the game.
Also, I feel like Thabeet's first foul, the one where he gets flipped over Blair, should have been a jump ball. When Thabeet and Blair first grab the ball, there is no body contact, but the way in which Blair pulls the ball down, he flips Thabeet over him. I guess you kind of have to call a foul there, but I feel a jump ball was really the way to go, especially since it would've kept the ball in the Panthers' possession.
Also, when Blair gets an and-1 to tie the game at 56, he clearly pushes off of Jeff Adrien and Adrien has a pretty light foul on Blair. Then, those killer threes that Levance Fields hit to close out the game should have both been offensive fouls. Watch the person setting both picks on Walker. In case you didn't realize it, a screener's feet are supposed to be set for it to be a legal screen.
I'm not mad at Blair, he realized what he could do and he did it, he is an incredible talent, and he is clearly unstoppable when he gets so many liberties. I love watching him play because he is a beast, well, unless he's playing against my beloved Huskies.
But trust me, even in a home loss in mid-Febuary, UConn showed me something. In a better officiated game UConn walks away the victor. In a game that was supposed to be a showdown of two of the best big men in the country, one had to spend nearly half the game on the bench due to foul trouble while the other was allowed every liberty.
Jeff Adrien and Stanley Robinson also played terrible games on the offensive end, killing the entirety of the UConn offense. UConn runs a very solid inside-out combination, but with Dyson out for the year, and the Huskies' bigs doing nothing on offense, they had no chance. UConn will be there in March though, once they adjust to life without Dyson and when they play 5 on 5 ball, not 5 on 8.
But it wasn't the players complaining about the refs. It's just me. They still had a chance to win the game, even after Fields' devastating 3's. Walker stole the ball and cut the lead to four. After a stop, Robinson had a chance to cut the lead to 2 but he missed the front end of a one and one. He makes those, UConn just needs to make one stop and they have a shot to tie or win the game on the last possession.
But in the post game interviews I heard on the radio on my drive out of the stadium, all of the UConn players just said it was a physical game and they can't wait to play again March 7th. I know I can't wait for that game either and a chance to ruin Pitt's senior night. It's only fair as they knocked us from the top spot.
On a very different note, I am incredibly disappointed at ESPN for not putting Kemba Walker's sick reverse layup on SportsCenter. AJ Price threaded a beautiful pass to Walker who went up for the layup, saw two Panthers going up for the block, so he tucked it under, and did a windwill reverse layup, kissing it high off the backboard.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Please Stay Retired
Brett Favre finally hung up his cleats this week, again, after 18 seasons in the NFL. Personally, I couldn't be happier. It's has nothing to do with any resentment I have towards him as a player, I'm just sick of him. It was time for America to get over their love affair with Brett Favre.
Favre complained in an interview that he was mad at the Packers for trying to move in a new direction and start focusing on their future by allowing Aaron Rodgers to start this season. In an interview with ESPN's Ed Werder, Favre had the following to say.
"They wanted to go another direction & they wanted to choose my direction as well and that wasn't fair," Favre said. "[The] most disappointing thing is, 'We don't want you play here and we don't want you play certain teams,' " Favre continued. "That made me mad. If not good enough play here let me play against you & if I'm not that good don't worry about it. That's what angered me."
So basically, Favre was upset because he believed the Packers were jerking him around. Ok, sure, to some degree, they were, but I have no problem with the way in which they were doing it. What Favre either didn't get or just chose to ignore was the fact that trading him within the division or to a team that the Packers played against in the regular season (like Tampa Bay) is the public perception that would accompany such a move.
Imagine if Favre had been traded to the Bears or the Vikings this past off-season (both were at east rumored spots for Favre) and that team ended up sweeping the season series against the Packers. What would the fans reaction have been if Favre had something like 5 TDs and 550 yards against Green Bay in the two combined games? Fans would've bailed on the management like they were the Lions.
On top of that, Favre has no right to complain about what he feels as being jerked around. None whatsoever. I hate to break it to you Brett, but that is EXACTLY what you have done the past few years to Green Bay. Will he retire? Does he still want to play? He's saying no now, but what will he say once training camp starts up? The past few off-seasons have revolved around speculation on when Favre would finally hang it up. Because of this, Green Bay was handcuffed as they had to await the final say of the face of the franchise.
Eventually, the management said "enough is enough Brett, it's time for us to look to the future." The Packers made the right choice as Rodgers was playing well enough for a first year starter before he got hurt. Favre, despite making it to the Pro-Bowl on name recognition alone, had a fairly poor statistical season and ended up falling apart at the end of the season. Keep in mind the Jets were at one point 9-3 and holding the tie-breakers over both the Pats and Dolphins in the division. Then they went 1-4, mainly because of Favre's inept play.
It wasn't fair to the Packers, it wasn't fair to Aaron Rodgers (you know he played better this season then he would've otherwise knowing he was the starter this year and the organization was fully behind him), and it wasn't fair to anyone who just wanted to watch SportsCenter in the middle of February or March and want to hear about the NBA or March Maddness, hell, even spring training, and instead had to hear a story about how wishy-washy Favre was.
So Brett, I have no sympathy for you being jerked around by the Packers. The one constant thing I learned every year in elementary school was the golden rule. "Do onto others as you would have them do onto you." Well Brett, even a 2nd grader knows you got what you, for lack of a better word, deserved.
I just hope that he doesn't land a studio gig because honestly, I am sick of him. When I filled out my Christmas list this past year, I honestly asked for Madden '08, not '09, for my Wii because I didn't want a game with him on the box or the load screen.
Speaking of which, wasn't Favre supposed to get hurt this season per Madden Curse rules. Incase you don't know about the Madden Curse, read up here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madden_NFL#Madden_Curse
(that article doesn't include in 2000, when Barry Sanders was on the cover and then retired before the season started, crippling the Lions organization to a point where they went 0-16 this season, unlike Favre who was retired when put on the cover)
Sure, Favre got hurt, but he still played every game. I refuse to accept him leading the league in interceptions counts as a drop-off in production since he is the career leader in interceptions. But instead of Favre having a (serious) injury, the reigning MVP and best player in the AFC East, if not the whole of the NFL had his season ended eight minutes after it started. So much for the Madden Curse this year.
So please, for my sake, for the sake of all those like me, please Brett, please fade into retirement. Go play touch football in Wranglers with your buddies. We'll see you in five years when you make it to Canton. Until then, please stay out of my life and off of SportsCenter or any pre-game show on CBS, FOX, NBC, or ABC/ESPN.
Ok, I was a little harsh on Brett Favre in this post. If he stays away, there's no reason why he can't have a happy retirement. So Brett, don't let all these words I have written keep you down, because you've got it going on.
Favre complained in an interview that he was mad at the Packers for trying to move in a new direction and start focusing on their future by allowing Aaron Rodgers to start this season. In an interview with ESPN's Ed Werder, Favre had the following to say.
"They wanted to go another direction & they wanted to choose my direction as well and that wasn't fair," Favre said. "[The] most disappointing thing is, 'We don't want you play here and we don't want you play certain teams,' " Favre continued. "That made me mad. If not good enough play here let me play against you & if I'm not that good don't worry about it. That's what angered me."
So basically, Favre was upset because he believed the Packers were jerking him around. Ok, sure, to some degree, they were, but I have no problem with the way in which they were doing it. What Favre either didn't get or just chose to ignore was the fact that trading him within the division or to a team that the Packers played against in the regular season (like Tampa Bay) is the public perception that would accompany such a move.
Imagine if Favre had been traded to the Bears or the Vikings this past off-season (both were at east rumored spots for Favre) and that team ended up sweeping the season series against the Packers. What would the fans reaction have been if Favre had something like 5 TDs and 550 yards against Green Bay in the two combined games? Fans would've bailed on the management like they were the Lions.
On top of that, Favre has no right to complain about what he feels as being jerked around. None whatsoever. I hate to break it to you Brett, but that is EXACTLY what you have done the past few years to Green Bay. Will he retire? Does he still want to play? He's saying no now, but what will he say once training camp starts up? The past few off-seasons have revolved around speculation on when Favre would finally hang it up. Because of this, Green Bay was handcuffed as they had to await the final say of the face of the franchise.
Eventually, the management said "enough is enough Brett, it's time for us to look to the future." The Packers made the right choice as Rodgers was playing well enough for a first year starter before he got hurt. Favre, despite making it to the Pro-Bowl on name recognition alone, had a fairly poor statistical season and ended up falling apart at the end of the season. Keep in mind the Jets were at one point 9-3 and holding the tie-breakers over both the Pats and Dolphins in the division. Then they went 1-4, mainly because of Favre's inept play.
It wasn't fair to the Packers, it wasn't fair to Aaron Rodgers (you know he played better this season then he would've otherwise knowing he was the starter this year and the organization was fully behind him), and it wasn't fair to anyone who just wanted to watch SportsCenter in the middle of February or March and want to hear about the NBA or March Maddness, hell, even spring training, and instead had to hear a story about how wishy-washy Favre was.
So Brett, I have no sympathy for you being jerked around by the Packers. The one constant thing I learned every year in elementary school was the golden rule. "Do onto others as you would have them do onto you." Well Brett, even a 2nd grader knows you got what you, for lack of a better word, deserved.
I just hope that he doesn't land a studio gig because honestly, I am sick of him. When I filled out my Christmas list this past year, I honestly asked for Madden '08, not '09, for my Wii because I didn't want a game with him on the box or the load screen.
Speaking of which, wasn't Favre supposed to get hurt this season per Madden Curse rules. Incase you don't know about the Madden Curse, read up here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madden_NFL#Madden_Curse
(that article doesn't include in 2000, when Barry Sanders was on the cover and then retired before the season started, crippling the Lions organization to a point where they went 0-16 this season, unlike Favre who was retired when put on the cover)
Sure, Favre got hurt, but he still played every game. I refuse to accept him leading the league in interceptions counts as a drop-off in production since he is the career leader in interceptions. But instead of Favre having a (serious) injury, the reigning MVP and best player in the AFC East, if not the whole of the NFL had his season ended eight minutes after it started. So much for the Madden Curse this year.
So please, for my sake, for the sake of all those like me, please Brett, please fade into retirement. Go play touch football in Wranglers with your buddies. We'll see you in five years when you make it to Canton. Until then, please stay out of my life and off of SportsCenter or any pre-game show on CBS, FOX, NBC, or ABC/ESPN.
Ok, I was a little harsh on Brett Favre in this post. If he stays away, there's no reason why he can't have a happy retirement. So Brett, don't let all these words I have written keep you down, because you've got it going on.
Monday, February 9, 2009
A-Rod Talks. Or was that A-Fraud? Or A-Roid?
After a few days of silence after Sports Illustrated broke the story that Alex Rodriguez tested positive for performance enhancing drugs back in his days in Texas, A-Rod finally came clean in an interview with ESPN's Peter Gammons. In the interview, A-Rod admitted to doing banned substances from 2001-03, blaming the culture of baseball, being young and naive, and GNC.
In watching the interview, I didn't lose any respect for A-Rod, but that might be because I didn't have any respect for him as a person to begin with. Yeah, he loses points from me because he's a Yankee, but even when he was going to possibly be traded to the Red Sox I did not want him. Yeah, he is an incredibly talented player in the regular season, but I didn't want him on the Sox, largely in part because at the time, Nomar was my favorite player and I didn't want to lose him.
Once A-Rod agreed to switch to 3rd for the Yankees, he was forever dead to me. Had he been willing to do that for the Sox, Boston could very well have won the 2004 title with my favorite player and arguably the best player in the league manning the left side of the infield. Oh wait, the Sox did win that title, and they went right through A-Rod to do so. So between A-Rod being a mercenary, a Yankee, and us showing we didn't need him, why would I like A-Rod? Throw in the fact that he seems to only care about his public image, hence the A-Fraud name, and his fate was sealed.
A-Rod's concern for his public image is what surprised at first when I heard that this interview would be aired on SportsCenter today until I actually watched it. A-Rod passed the buck as much as possible while still admitting it was his fault, if that makes any sense. He accepted he did the substances while giving a host of excuses as to why he did the substances. He also questioned the creditability of Selena Roberts, the reporter who broke the story for SI, which really has no place in any apology.
I also like how A-Rod told Peter Gammons that he had to understand what baseball was like earlier this decade in order to understand what he did. As a quote that's fine, but the way A-Rod said it, it almost seemed like he was implying Gammons didn't understand the culture of baseball 6 years ago. Um, A-Rod, you're talking with Peter Gammons about understanding baseball and it's history. Gammons is probably the best and most trusted baseball mind writing today, or at least he should be because there isn't anyone better. You are not talking to a 12-year old Yankee fan who was 6 and probably didn't care about you while you were in Texas because honestly, how many 6-year olds follow teams other than their own? Know who you're talking too A-Rod.
But still, he did apologize, and people will move on because of it. Yeah, it will be brought up some in the future, especially when he passes Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, and Barry Bonds on the all-time home run list. And it will surely come up a lot in 14 years (at minimum, based on the 9 years left on his contract and 5-year waiting period of retirement) when A-Rod is eligible for Cooperstown.
But even if you just take the 156 HR, 395 RBI, and 382 runs scored from his three seasons in Texas, not to mention his MVP from 2003, A-Rod would still be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. I wonder if MLB would retroactively give the '03 MVP to Carlos Delgado, who finished second that season, since A-Rod has admitted to juicing and there are positive tests from him that year. Probably not for a few reasons.
One, I'm not sure what Delgado's deal looked like 6 years ago, but I know a lot of deals have a kicker in their contract for winning the MVP, so the Blue Jays might owe Delgado some more money, which may have been budgeted back then, but might handcuff the Jays now a bit today. Also, what happens if it turns out that Delgado is one of the other 103 players who tested positive in 2003, or if he tests positive in the future? What kind of backlash would that bring to MLB if they took an MVP away from one of the faces of the game (let's see if that continues next year) just to give it to another tainted player?
Quick side-note, here's a list of AL players since 2000 who have won the MVP. Jason Giambi, Ichiro, Miguel Tejada, Alex Rodriguez, Vlad Guerrero, A-Rod, Justin Morneau, A-Rod, and Dustin Pedroia. Only four of the eight winners have zero taint to them, and I am only 100% sure that two of them, Ichiro and Pedroia, haven't juiced. Tainted much?
Anyways, people will move on because of the A-Rod admission, but it will not completely ever go away. A-Rod will get a lot of abuse on the road, not that he didn't already, but the focus will be shifted. I can't wait until April 24th when the Yankees first play in Boston. The chants and jeers in Fenway will truly be fantastic. I just hope NESN and YES have the place miked up very well so it can be heard on TV.
Also, given that it is less then a week until Valentine's Day and I'm sure a lot of guys need to find a gift for their ladies, maybe Gammons could have asked A-Rod where he got that shade of lip gloss he was wearing for his interview. Could make for a good gift, some lip gloss that's poppin', even if A-Rod was once frontin'.
In watching the interview, I didn't lose any respect for A-Rod, but that might be because I didn't have any respect for him as a person to begin with. Yeah, he loses points from me because he's a Yankee, but even when he was going to possibly be traded to the Red Sox I did not want him. Yeah, he is an incredibly talented player in the regular season, but I didn't want him on the Sox, largely in part because at the time, Nomar was my favorite player and I didn't want to lose him.
Once A-Rod agreed to switch to 3rd for the Yankees, he was forever dead to me. Had he been willing to do that for the Sox, Boston could very well have won the 2004 title with my favorite player and arguably the best player in the league manning the left side of the infield. Oh wait, the Sox did win that title, and they went right through A-Rod to do so. So between A-Rod being a mercenary, a Yankee, and us showing we didn't need him, why would I like A-Rod? Throw in the fact that he seems to only care about his public image, hence the A-Fraud name, and his fate was sealed.
A-Rod's concern for his public image is what surprised at first when I heard that this interview would be aired on SportsCenter today until I actually watched it. A-Rod passed the buck as much as possible while still admitting it was his fault, if that makes any sense. He accepted he did the substances while giving a host of excuses as to why he did the substances. He also questioned the creditability of Selena Roberts, the reporter who broke the story for SI, which really has no place in any apology.
I also like how A-Rod told Peter Gammons that he had to understand what baseball was like earlier this decade in order to understand what he did. As a quote that's fine, but the way A-Rod said it, it almost seemed like he was implying Gammons didn't understand the culture of baseball 6 years ago. Um, A-Rod, you're talking with Peter Gammons about understanding baseball and it's history. Gammons is probably the best and most trusted baseball mind writing today, or at least he should be because there isn't anyone better. You are not talking to a 12-year old Yankee fan who was 6 and probably didn't care about you while you were in Texas because honestly, how many 6-year olds follow teams other than their own? Know who you're talking too A-Rod.
But still, he did apologize, and people will move on because of it. Yeah, it will be brought up some in the future, especially when he passes Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, and Barry Bonds on the all-time home run list. And it will surely come up a lot in 14 years (at minimum, based on the 9 years left on his contract and 5-year waiting period of retirement) when A-Rod is eligible for Cooperstown.
But even if you just take the 156 HR, 395 RBI, and 382 runs scored from his three seasons in Texas, not to mention his MVP from 2003, A-Rod would still be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. I wonder if MLB would retroactively give the '03 MVP to Carlos Delgado, who finished second that season, since A-Rod has admitted to juicing and there are positive tests from him that year. Probably not for a few reasons.
One, I'm not sure what Delgado's deal looked like 6 years ago, but I know a lot of deals have a kicker in their contract for winning the MVP, so the Blue Jays might owe Delgado some more money, which may have been budgeted back then, but might handcuff the Jays now a bit today. Also, what happens if it turns out that Delgado is one of the other 103 players who tested positive in 2003, or if he tests positive in the future? What kind of backlash would that bring to MLB if they took an MVP away from one of the faces of the game (let's see if that continues next year) just to give it to another tainted player?
Quick side-note, here's a list of AL players since 2000 who have won the MVP. Jason Giambi, Ichiro, Miguel Tejada, Alex Rodriguez, Vlad Guerrero, A-Rod, Justin Morneau, A-Rod, and Dustin Pedroia. Only four of the eight winners have zero taint to them, and I am only 100% sure that two of them, Ichiro and Pedroia, haven't juiced. Tainted much?
Anyways, people will move on because of the A-Rod admission, but it will not completely ever go away. A-Rod will get a lot of abuse on the road, not that he didn't already, but the focus will be shifted. I can't wait until April 24th when the Yankees first play in Boston. The chants and jeers in Fenway will truly be fantastic. I just hope NESN and YES have the place miked up very well so it can be heard on TV.
Also, given that it is less then a week until Valentine's Day and I'm sure a lot of guys need to find a gift for their ladies, maybe Gammons could have asked A-Rod where he got that shade of lip gloss he was wearing for his interview. Could make for a good gift, some lip gloss that's poppin', even if A-Rod was once frontin'.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Congrats Pat
I want to congratulate Pat Summitt on reaching her 1,000th career win tonight with a 73-43 rout of Georgia. Summitt has been coaching for 33 seasons, so to do this feat she has AVERAGED 30 wins a season over her career. Rediculous.
Personally, I don't like Summitt at all because I am a die-hard UConn fan, but I respect the hell out of her. What she has done is truly impressive, and while some coach(es) will probably duplicate this feat some day, no one can take away the fact that she was the first coach to achieve win number 1,000.
Tennessee has always been the lone team that I have been concerned about as a UConn fan, even if I don't follow women's basketball. UConn and Tennessee are women's basketball year-in-year out. If you put $10 on UConn and $10 on Tennessee to win the title every year for each of the next 10 years, I guarantee you would come out way ahead, especially considering the odd you would get on betting on the national champion 10 years from now.
But I wish all the best to Summitt and Tennessee, that is, until they go against UConn. In that case, Summitt can wait another game to add to her incredible total. Pat, you truly have reached the summit of coaching.
Personally, I don't like Summitt at all because I am a die-hard UConn fan, but I respect the hell out of her. What she has done is truly impressive, and while some coach(es) will probably duplicate this feat some day, no one can take away the fact that she was the first coach to achieve win number 1,000.
Tennessee has always been the lone team that I have been concerned about as a UConn fan, even if I don't follow women's basketball. UConn and Tennessee are women's basketball year-in-year out. If you put $10 on UConn and $10 on Tennessee to win the title every year for each of the next 10 years, I guarantee you would come out way ahead, especially considering the odd you would get on betting on the national champion 10 years from now.
But I wish all the best to Summitt and Tennessee, that is, until they go against UConn. In that case, Summitt can wait another game to add to her incredible total. Pat, you truly have reached the summit of coaching.
Monday, February 2, 2009
A Few Thought's on the Super Bowl
First off, that was one hell of a game. Had the Cardinals held on and not allowed a touchdown drive spanning the entire field to end the game, Arizona would have had the largest comeback in any Super Bowl to win, as they trailed by 13 at one point in the game.
Santonio Holmes won the MVP, deservedly so, but he almost cost his team the game as well with one of the best touchdown celebrations I have seen. Thanks to the No Fun League's strict rules, using the ball as a prop at all in any celebration is supposed to be a 15-yard penalty. I personally love touchdown celebrations as long as they are a spur of the moment kind of thing and are creative, not something like Joe Horn with the cell phone or Ocho Cinco with the HoF jacket, but Holmes' celebration was great. In case you missed it, here it is.
But the rules are the rules, and Holmes' should've been flagged. I'm glad he wasn't because as I said, it's too strict a rule, but it is a rule. And it wasn't the only time the Steelers benefitted from a non-call. On James Harrison's 100-yard interception that he returned for a touchdown, I was convinced the flag on the play was a holding because on plays like that, the flag is almost always for a holding (or a block in the back). Instead, the flag was against the Cards for hands to the facemask. Fine, that probably happened (don't remember seeing a replay of the penalty or not, doesn't matter since the half ended anyways) but there was a pretty big hold on that play.
That's the play, and there's a decent view of a huge hold on Kurt Warner (at about 35 seconds into the video) to the point where a Steeler just grabbed his jersey and pulled him around and out of Harrison's way. Should've been called back.
Still, the Cardinals should be ashamed of that play. You can't let a D-lineman run the entire length of the field on you, you just can't. Also, terrible play call. All they had to do was throw a fade to Fitzgerald and they would've gone into the half with a lead, not a 10-point deficit. At least they wised up and threw the fade to Fitzgerald the next time they were near the goal line.
Larry Fitzgerald had a tough break in the game. His defense let him down as he was clearly going to win the MVP had the Cards been able to stop the Steelers from going the whole length of the field. The Cards LVP? Mike Gundy who had three holding calls called against him. Kurt Warner also has some LVP votes for that pick to end the first half and for looking pretty ordinary on a lot of passes in the second, but overall had some good plays.
But it was a fantastic game. I always love a safety, and yeah, this one came via a penalty, but a safety is a safety. Plus it made the game much more fun to watch as it gave the Cards a chance, a chance which they almost capitalized on.
I'd have to say it was a down year for commercials though. I felt like there were a lot more local ads then usual, which is never a good thing. The Cash 4 Gold ad with Ed McMahon and MC Hammer was pretty good. I also really enjoyed the careerbuilder.com commercial where they punched a koala over and over again. I love koalas, they are adorable, but something about that commercial made me laugh a lot.
I also almost cried during the commercial where the two babies were talking. I'm not really even sure what product they were selling, which is a good thing for the company that "employs" them (child labor laws much?) because I would never buy their goods. Talking babies creep me out. I don't know why, they just do. Everyone I was watching the game with, you know, everyone who doesn't have an irrational fear of talking babies, seemed to think it was a great commercial, but I was just scared. Glad it didn't happen in the second half when I was a few more beers in, it might have killed me then.
There were two moments in the commercial that we had to re-watch over and over again (mmm, TiVo). One was Bruce Springsteen "bossing" his nuts on the power slide into the camera during a superb halftime show. The other?
Santonio Holmes won the MVP, deservedly so, but he almost cost his team the game as well with one of the best touchdown celebrations I have seen. Thanks to the No Fun League's strict rules, using the ball as a prop at all in any celebration is supposed to be a 15-yard penalty. I personally love touchdown celebrations as long as they are a spur of the moment kind of thing and are creative, not something like Joe Horn with the cell phone or Ocho Cinco with the HoF jacket, but Holmes' celebration was great. In case you missed it, here it is.
But the rules are the rules, and Holmes' should've been flagged. I'm glad he wasn't because as I said, it's too strict a rule, but it is a rule. And it wasn't the only time the Steelers benefitted from a non-call. On James Harrison's 100-yard interception that he returned for a touchdown, I was convinced the flag on the play was a holding because on plays like that, the flag is almost always for a holding (or a block in the back). Instead, the flag was against the Cards for hands to the facemask. Fine, that probably happened (don't remember seeing a replay of the penalty or not, doesn't matter since the half ended anyways) but there was a pretty big hold on that play.
That's the play, and there's a decent view of a huge hold on Kurt Warner (at about 35 seconds into the video) to the point where a Steeler just grabbed his jersey and pulled him around and out of Harrison's way. Should've been called back.
Still, the Cardinals should be ashamed of that play. You can't let a D-lineman run the entire length of the field on you, you just can't. Also, terrible play call. All they had to do was throw a fade to Fitzgerald and they would've gone into the half with a lead, not a 10-point deficit. At least they wised up and threw the fade to Fitzgerald the next time they were near the goal line.
Larry Fitzgerald had a tough break in the game. His defense let him down as he was clearly going to win the MVP had the Cards been able to stop the Steelers from going the whole length of the field. The Cards LVP? Mike Gundy who had three holding calls called against him. Kurt Warner also has some LVP votes for that pick to end the first half and for looking pretty ordinary on a lot of passes in the second, but overall had some good plays.
But it was a fantastic game. I always love a safety, and yeah, this one came via a penalty, but a safety is a safety. Plus it made the game much more fun to watch as it gave the Cards a chance, a chance which they almost capitalized on.
I'd have to say it was a down year for commercials though. I felt like there were a lot more local ads then usual, which is never a good thing. The Cash 4 Gold ad with Ed McMahon and MC Hammer was pretty good. I also really enjoyed the careerbuilder.com commercial where they punched a koala over and over again. I love koalas, they are adorable, but something about that commercial made me laugh a lot.
I also almost cried during the commercial where the two babies were talking. I'm not really even sure what product they were selling, which is a good thing for the company that "employs" them (child labor laws much?) because I would never buy their goods. Talking babies creep me out. I don't know why, they just do. Everyone I was watching the game with, you know, everyone who doesn't have an irrational fear of talking babies, seemed to think it was a great commercial, but I was just scared. Glad it didn't happen in the second half when I was a few more beers in, it might have killed me then.
There were two moments in the commercial that we had to re-watch over and over again (mmm, TiVo). One was Bruce Springsteen "bossing" his nuts on the power slide into the camera during a superb halftime show. The other?
Saturday, January 31, 2009
SuperBowl XLII
Well, tomorrow is the Super Bowl. Cardinals and Steelers in Tampa for all the marbles. The Steelers are the favorite in Vegas while the Cards are being picked by most experts. So in a game where both teams are the underdogs, who will come out top dog? Clearly not you, since I just had you read that sentence. Sorry, couldn't resist.
Anyways, I wrote about this game before, and I hate the over analysis of the Super Bowl. I know it's the biggest game of the year, but we don't need two weeks of non-stop coverage leading up to the game. We just don't. There are too many stories, too many articles written, too many blog posts about the game.
There are two other professional sports going on, including one All Star game. There's college basketball (quick shoutout to UConn for having the top ranked team in each gender). Pat Summitt is about to win her 1000th game as a head coach (not in Oklahoma though). Not that the Super Bowl doesn't deserve all the coverage it gets, it just doesn't need to be jammed down our throat as much as it is.
Anyways, I honestly have no idea how this game will pan out. After last season, with the Patriots being considered the greatest team of all time in the over coverage of the Super Bowl losing, how can anyone be that certain? I wouldn't be surprised to see the Steelers rout the Cardinals due to their stifling defense. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Cards rout the Steelers thanks to their fantastic passing game. But more likely, I see a game decided by 4-10 points.
I like the Cards so long as Warner doesn't have a terrible game throwing picks left and right. Larry Fitzgerald is unstoppable. He will have a monster game no matter what the Steelers defense does. But because of all the attention he will receive, Anquan Boldin will also have a huge game. I feel that both receivers could have hundred yard games.
Also, I'm just not feeling anything coming from Roethlisberger. He already set a record for having the lowest passer rating of any winning Super Bowl quarterback. Now, he doesn't have his best receiver at full health. Mike Tomlin is also the youngest head coach to ever coach a Super Bowl. The previous one? Bill Cowher in 1995, a Steelers loss.
I just feel the Cards will have a bunch of big plays and a bunch of 3-and-outs. However, I feel the big plays will lead to enough points to counter Roethlisberger's weak performance.
Steelers 17
Cardinals 23
Kurt Warner wins the MVP (and locks up a spot in Canton, though he probably should have already)
Anyways, I wrote about this game before, and I hate the over analysis of the Super Bowl. I know it's the biggest game of the year, but we don't need two weeks of non-stop coverage leading up to the game. We just don't. There are too many stories, too many articles written, too many blog posts about the game.
There are two other professional sports going on, including one All Star game. There's college basketball (quick shoutout to UConn for having the top ranked team in each gender). Pat Summitt is about to win her 1000th game as a head coach (not in Oklahoma though). Not that the Super Bowl doesn't deserve all the coverage it gets, it just doesn't need to be jammed down our throat as much as it is.
Anyways, I honestly have no idea how this game will pan out. After last season, with the Patriots being considered the greatest team of all time in the over coverage of the Super Bowl losing, how can anyone be that certain? I wouldn't be surprised to see the Steelers rout the Cardinals due to their stifling defense. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Cards rout the Steelers thanks to their fantastic passing game. But more likely, I see a game decided by 4-10 points.
I like the Cards so long as Warner doesn't have a terrible game throwing picks left and right. Larry Fitzgerald is unstoppable. He will have a monster game no matter what the Steelers defense does. But because of all the attention he will receive, Anquan Boldin will also have a huge game. I feel that both receivers could have hundred yard games.
Also, I'm just not feeling anything coming from Roethlisberger. He already set a record for having the lowest passer rating of any winning Super Bowl quarterback. Now, he doesn't have his best receiver at full health. Mike Tomlin is also the youngest head coach to ever coach a Super Bowl. The previous one? Bill Cowher in 1995, a Steelers loss.
I just feel the Cards will have a bunch of big plays and a bunch of 3-and-outs. However, I feel the big plays will lead to enough points to counter Roethlisberger's weak performance.
Steelers 17
Cardinals 23
Kurt Warner wins the MVP (and locks up a spot in Canton, though he probably should have already)
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Starbury in Celtic Green? Not w/o some of the Knicks' green
Stephon Marbury's recent claims that he reached a verbal commitment with with the Boston Celtics if he could achieve a buyout with the Knicks was rebuffed today in the Boston Herald citing an inside basketball source. I wonder if that source was called common sense? The Celtics have zero need for Stephon Marbury and the headache that comes with him. Obviously he would have to play for the veteran minimum as the Celtics are already above the cap and only have so much left on their mid-level exception to sign veterans who will be bought out later in the season, veterans they actually have a need for.
Any concerns Boston had last season about their point-guard play is gone as Rajon Rondo has taken a giant step forward. Boston has a plethora of guards at this point with Rondo, Ray Allen, Eddie House, Tony Allen, and Gabe Pruitt (who has been looking better as the year has progressed in his limited minutes). What Boston really needs is more depth up front. Big Baby Davis has taken a step forward this season, but that isn't enough. Kendrick Perkins has had shoulder issues all season, and who knows how long that will last. Brian Scalabrine, who has been somehow become a decent player for the C's this season, just suffered his second concussion in the last three days, so only time will tell what level he will be at when he gets back to the game.
Boston needs another PJ Brown type; a veteran big man in search of a ring who doesn't cause any issues in the locker room. The only part of that sentence that refers to Starbury is 'veteran.' If Starbury really wanted to leave the Knicks he wouldn't let it known that he is close to signing with the C's (currently the East's #1 seed, NY is only one game out of 8th, with Milwaukee being the 8 seed and sure to fall withouht Michael Redd) but more importantly, he would help facilitate the buyout more. By reports I have found, Marbury is not willing to take less then 95% of what he owed by the Knicks. The Knicks have no real reason to let him sign with Boston or more likely Miami, another Conference rival, if they still are going to be paying him almost everything they would owe him anyways.
There's still an outside shot the C's will sign Marbury, but the Heat will probably offer him a bit more money and playing time. It'll come down to Marbury if he would rather have a better shot at a ring or money/PT (assuming the C's have any interest in him at all). Since Starbury is reluctant to take less money from the Knicks so he can play somewhere else (and it's not like he or his great grandkids are gonna starve, he's been getting over $20 million from the Knicks annually), I see him going for the cash and PT in Miami (though him going to Europe wouldn't surprise me either with a big deal) instead of going to the Champs.
Any concerns Boston had last season about their point-guard play is gone as Rajon Rondo has taken a giant step forward. Boston has a plethora of guards at this point with Rondo, Ray Allen, Eddie House, Tony Allen, and Gabe Pruitt (who has been looking better as the year has progressed in his limited minutes). What Boston really needs is more depth up front. Big Baby Davis has taken a step forward this season, but that isn't enough. Kendrick Perkins has had shoulder issues all season, and who knows how long that will last. Brian Scalabrine, who has been somehow become a decent player for the C's this season, just suffered his second concussion in the last three days, so only time will tell what level he will be at when he gets back to the game.
Boston needs another PJ Brown type; a veteran big man in search of a ring who doesn't cause any issues in the locker room. The only part of that sentence that refers to Starbury is 'veteran.' If Starbury really wanted to leave the Knicks he wouldn't let it known that he is close to signing with the C's (currently the East's #1 seed, NY is only one game out of 8th, with Milwaukee being the 8 seed and sure to fall withouht Michael Redd) but more importantly, he would help facilitate the buyout more. By reports I have found, Marbury is not willing to take less then 95% of what he owed by the Knicks. The Knicks have no real reason to let him sign with Boston or more likely Miami, another Conference rival, if they still are going to be paying him almost everything they would owe him anyways.
There's still an outside shot the C's will sign Marbury, but the Heat will probably offer him a bit more money and playing time. It'll come down to Marbury if he would rather have a better shot at a ring or money/PT (assuming the C's have any interest in him at all). Since Starbury is reluctant to take less money from the Knicks so he can play somewhere else (and it's not like he or his great grandkids are gonna starve, he's been getting over $20 million from the Knicks annually), I see him going for the cash and PT in Miami (though him going to Europe wouldn't surprise me either with a big deal) instead of going to the Champs.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
NHL All Star Game 2K9
When I first walked into my living room tonight to watch the All Star game, I asked my house mate why he wasn't watching hockey. He told me that it was in fact the lead up to the game. Leave it to the French Canadians to combine the only sport that has breaks in the game for fights without suspensions with Cirque de Soleil. While Cirque de Soleil is incredible, it just doesn't fit in my mind with hockey. But the game was in Montreal, so I'm not surprised the two were combined.
Anyways, the game was incredible. Evgeni Malkin scored the goal of the night, flipping a shot between his legs into the net. It was a thing of beauty. Martin St. Louis also scored a beautiful goal that for some reason hasn't been on any of the highlights of the game. St. Louis had a pretty back-handed shot after wrapping around the goal. I guess when 22 goals are scored though, there's bound to be some pretty goals that don't make the SportsCenter highlight cut.
It's not surprising that Alexi Kovalev won the MVP trophy, but I felt that Tim Thomas probably deserved it more. Granted the people of Montreal might have started a riot if a Boston Bruin won the All Star game MVP, but he really earned it. Thomas made the save of the night when he read a 2-on-1 breakaway perfectly, knew what the offensive players were going to do before they did, and blocked the shot wide in overtime. The game should have ended there with a win for the Western Conference, but it didn't.
Instead the Eastern Conference won in a shootout, where Thomas stopped both shots he faced. Thomas is only credited with one save in the shootout, but if you watch the replay he read it right and knocked the puck even wider then it would've been had he just stood there. Thomas had 19 saves and allowed 3 goals, good for the best save percentage of all siv goalies who played in the second highest scoring All Star game in history. Thomas also stopped all the shots he faced in an overtime that included the first penalty in 9 years in the All Star game.
I'm not mad that Kovalev won the MVP, he is the local hero and was the captain of the winning squad, but he didn't do much to separate himself from the rest of the players in the game. Two other players duplicated the two goal and one assist feat that Kovalev had, though neither of them had a goal (or a chance) in the shootout. Seven other players also tallied three points in the game, one of them being Ovechkin who also had the game winning goal in the shootout. Also, both of Kovalev's goals came as the result of a breakaway.
Ok, I know it sounds like I am mad at Kovalev winning the MVP, but I'm not. It's what the fans of host Montreal wanted, the NHL wanted it, and it makes for a better story. The NHL has enough problems keeping their number of fans up, so pissing off a 100-year old fan base is probably not the best idea. It's too bad that a game that was this much fun to watch was on Versus and more people probably saw the game live then on TV.
Anyways, the game was incredible. Evgeni Malkin scored the goal of the night, flipping a shot between his legs into the net. It was a thing of beauty. Martin St. Louis also scored a beautiful goal that for some reason hasn't been on any of the highlights of the game. St. Louis had a pretty back-handed shot after wrapping around the goal. I guess when 22 goals are scored though, there's bound to be some pretty goals that don't make the SportsCenter highlight cut.
It's not surprising that Alexi Kovalev won the MVP trophy, but I felt that Tim Thomas probably deserved it more. Granted the people of Montreal might have started a riot if a Boston Bruin won the All Star game MVP, but he really earned it. Thomas made the save of the night when he read a 2-on-1 breakaway perfectly, knew what the offensive players were going to do before they did, and blocked the shot wide in overtime. The game should have ended there with a win for the Western Conference, but it didn't.
Instead the Eastern Conference won in a shootout, where Thomas stopped both shots he faced. Thomas is only credited with one save in the shootout, but if you watch the replay he read it right and knocked the puck even wider then it would've been had he just stood there. Thomas had 19 saves and allowed 3 goals, good for the best save percentage of all siv goalies who played in the second highest scoring All Star game in history. Thomas also stopped all the shots he faced in an overtime that included the first penalty in 9 years in the All Star game.
I'm not mad that Kovalev won the MVP, he is the local hero and was the captain of the winning squad, but he didn't do much to separate himself from the rest of the players in the game. Two other players duplicated the two goal and one assist feat that Kovalev had, though neither of them had a goal (or a chance) in the shootout. Seven other players also tallied three points in the game, one of them being Ovechkin who also had the game winning goal in the shootout. Also, both of Kovalev's goals came as the result of a breakaway.
Ok, I know it sounds like I am mad at Kovalev winning the MVP, but I'm not. It's what the fans of host Montreal wanted, the NHL wanted it, and it makes for a better story. The NHL has enough problems keeping their number of fans up, so pissing off a 100-year old fan base is probably not the best idea. It's too bad that a game that was this much fun to watch was on Versus and more people probably saw the game live then on TV.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Goodbye Tony and Herm
The Kansas City Chiefs just fired Herm Edwards as their head coach. This firing comes during the same offseason in which Tony Dungy retired from the Indianapolis Colts. The two coaches have been very close friends throughout their careers and any time that the two coaches teams played each other, they always had a very loving embrace on the field. So loving that in watching them, I often felt that I needed an adult. In fact, I'm a bit surprised that one of their post game embraces wasn't found here.
It's only fitting that these intertwined coaches stopped coaching the same offseason. I mean, they are basically the same guy. They look almost exactly the same. They are both mild mannered coaches who are loved by the media. And now, both are gone. I know I'm in the minority here, but I am glad to see them both gone.
A large part of my sentiment is the fact that they both coached for teams I don't like (Colts and Jets) but it's also because they are both incredibly boring. When you can't tell in a post game conference if the team won or lost based on the coaches body language, they are a boring coach. When a coach never does a single thing that is even slightly controversial, they are a boring coach.
Give me a coach like Mike Singletary and his pants-dropping rants. Give me any of the coaches in the Coors Lite commercials. Just don't give me a coach who says the most boring, P.C. things imaginable. People are just a little bit too sensitive in this day and age, and while sometimes its warranted, it makes for a far less fun life. So here's hoping their replacements are more fun on the podium, and that they have less man-love moments.
It's only fitting that these intertwined coaches stopped coaching the same offseason. I mean, they are basically the same guy. They look almost exactly the same. They are both mild mannered coaches who are loved by the media. And now, both are gone. I know I'm in the minority here, but I am glad to see them both gone.
A large part of my sentiment is the fact that they both coached for teams I don't like (Colts and Jets) but it's also because they are both incredibly boring. When you can't tell in a post game conference if the team won or lost based on the coaches body language, they are a boring coach. When a coach never does a single thing that is even slightly controversial, they are a boring coach.
Give me a coach like Mike Singletary and his pants-dropping rants. Give me any of the coaches in the Coors Lite commercials. Just don't give me a coach who says the most boring, P.C. things imaginable. People are just a little bit too sensitive in this day and age, and while sometimes its warranted, it makes for a far less fun life. So here's hoping their replacements are more fun on the podium, and that they have less man-love moments.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Mark McGwire, Steroid User?
According to Jay McGwire, Mark's brother, Mark McGwire used both HGH and steroids during his career. My first reaction in hearing about this can best be described with one word; REALLY?!
(I feel the same way about this athlete and drugs as Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers do about another athlete and another drug:
http://www.hulu.com/watch/1794/saturday-night-live-weekend-update-michael-vick-really
Also, wasn't it nice when that was Vick's biggest problems?)
Anyways, Jay wrote about this in a book and has been rejected by many publishing companies according to an article on ESPN.com. I have to believe this is because the story isn't that shocking, the book may not be well written, and also because the fact that the brothers haven't spoken in years hurts Jay's credibility, not that he really needs much credibility to have people believe that Mark did both substances.
Mark will probably never make the Hall of Fame despite being 8th all time in career home runs and having the second most homers in a season. I'm still not entirely sure on who I feel should be in the Hall from the Steroid Era, I feel like I need to see where all the dust settles once all the players from the era have retired, but he probably won't get in since his vote total has dropped between his first two years on the ballot.
These "allegations" are not earth shattering, not in the least, but they keep McGwire in the news. I just wish McGwire would admit what he did so that we can all just move on. In fact, if only all the prominent players who are under suspicion would just cop to what they did so we can move on.
Do you remember that last season Rodney Harrison on the Patriots tested positive for steroids and was suspended for the first four games of the season? I only do because I'm a die-hard Pats fan, but here's why you might not remember; he admitted he was in the wrong. Harrison said he was frustrated that he had been on and off the field the past few seasons because of injuries, he took steroids so he could get back on the field, he apologized, served his suspension, and everyone moved on. I wish baseball players could take his example so the baseball world can just move on and start a new era. Please?
So thank you Jay McGwire for your incredible insight and inside information in clearing up for us if your brother did steroids. Also, thank you for waiting this long to say anything about this. Had you said something when your brother was testifying in front of Congress, then this story would've been over by now. I love it when stories drag on forever, that's why Brett Favre is my favorite player in the history of the NFL. I love hearing about him for 36 straight months.
(I feel the same way about this athlete and drugs as Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers do about another athlete and another drug:
http://www.hulu.com/watch/1794/saturday-night-live-weekend-update-michael-vick-really
Also, wasn't it nice when that was Vick's biggest problems?)
Anyways, Jay wrote about this in a book and has been rejected by many publishing companies according to an article on ESPN.com. I have to believe this is because the story isn't that shocking, the book may not be well written, and also because the fact that the brothers haven't spoken in years hurts Jay's credibility, not that he really needs much credibility to have people believe that Mark did both substances.
Mark will probably never make the Hall of Fame despite being 8th all time in career home runs and having the second most homers in a season. I'm still not entirely sure on who I feel should be in the Hall from the Steroid Era, I feel like I need to see where all the dust settles once all the players from the era have retired, but he probably won't get in since his vote total has dropped between his first two years on the ballot.
These "allegations" are not earth shattering, not in the least, but they keep McGwire in the news. I just wish McGwire would admit what he did so that we can all just move on. In fact, if only all the prominent players who are under suspicion would just cop to what they did so we can move on.
Do you remember that last season Rodney Harrison on the Patriots tested positive for steroids and was suspended for the first four games of the season? I only do because I'm a die-hard Pats fan, but here's why you might not remember; he admitted he was in the wrong. Harrison said he was frustrated that he had been on and off the field the past few seasons because of injuries, he took steroids so he could get back on the field, he apologized, served his suspension, and everyone moved on. I wish baseball players could take his example so the baseball world can just move on and start a new era. Please?
So thank you Jay McGwire for your incredible insight and inside information in clearing up for us if your brother did steroids. Also, thank you for waiting this long to say anything about this. Had you said something when your brother was testifying in front of Congress, then this story would've been over by now. I love it when stories drag on forever, that's why Brett Favre is my favorite player in the history of the NFL. I love hearing about him for 36 straight months.
2009 NBA All-Star Starters
The starters for the 2009 NBA All-Star were announced today and the reserves are set to be announced next week. For now, let's look at the starters. Here they are at a glance really quickly.
EAST
G- Allen Iverson, DET
G- Dwyane Wade, MIA
F- LeBron James, CLE
F- Kevin Garnett, BOS
C- Dwight Howard, ORL
WEST
G- Chris Paul, NOR
G- Kobe Bryant, LAL
F- Tim Duncan, SAS
F- Amare Stoudemire, PHX
C- Yao Ming, HOU
Every year people say that some player isn't worthy of starting the All-Star game, or that another player was more deserving then a starter, but you know what, it happens. The All-Star game is for the fans anyways, so if the fans decide they want to watch a particular player start, then how is that the wrong choice. It's an exhibition game anyways, if people want to see stars, then let them see stars, just so long as the stars don't come from being beating by Ron Artest.
The starting lineup for the West is interesting as it has three players who work best closer to the basket. On top of that, Kobe and CP3 are so affective because they are always a threat to burn their defender and take it to the hole, but with this lineup, the middle might be a little bit clogged up. Good thing it's an All Star game and no one will be playing much defense anyways, because if these starting lineups went against each other in a game that actually mattered, the East dominate despite lacking a true point guard.
The East's lack of a point guard shouldn't matter as the game will all be isolations and three-point attempts anyways. With it being an All-Star game, I wonder who will have the sickest dunk. There's LeBron who "throws it down with no regard for human life" as said by the Cavs home television announcer. Then there's D-Wade who is clearly back to being the 2006 Finals MVP he once was and has had just a few SportsCenter Top Play dunks. And you can't count out last years slam dunk champion Dwight Howard. However, I feel like the best dunk might not come from any of these guys.
I have this feeling that Amare Stoudemire is going to have one spectacular dunk in this game on an alley-oop from CP3. It likely won't happen, but how far fetched is it that on that alley-oop would break a backboard? How incredible would that be, if Amare shatters the backboard on an pass from CP3? I think they might just have to cancel the All Star game for years to come if that happened, especially because the place would go nuts since the game is in Phoenix this season.
Anyways, onto the picks themselves. As I said before, I never have qualms with the fans choosing who they want to see be a starter, that is, just so long as the deserving starters get in as a reserve. And hey, they might not be the most deserving starters, but everyone starting is incredible at basketball and are all very fun to watch, that's what an All Star game should be anyways.
In the East, I would start either Devin Harris or Jameer Nelson over AI. As for the West, Amare has the talent to dominate the way Howard has this year, and should be putting up at least 20-10, but he isn't. Also, I know the roster's are set to have two forwards and a center, but the West basically has three centers starting, since Amare has been a center for the Suns a great deal of the time and Duncan basically is the Spurs center, even if he is listed as a power forward. Dirk Nowitzki or Kevin Durant (even though the Thunder are terrible) are both more deserving then Amare, and would actually make the West's starters resemble an actual team.
All in all the rosters are pretty close though to who the starters should be in the game. Good job fans. I know I can't wait for the game to occur, though the slam dunk contest will be incredible. It will be hard to top last year, but having two slam-dunk champs in the field as well as Rudy Gay (who will bring it way better then last year, trust me). I just wish the dunk contest was longer and with more people involved.
There's only one more thing I can ask for from All Star weekend since we have great starting squads, and that's for another announcer-referee challenge. Maybe Charles Barkley and Dick Bavetta having a rematch of last year, only this year, how about a drink-off? (Sorry Charles, too soon?)
EAST
G- Allen Iverson, DET
G- Dwyane Wade, MIA
F- LeBron James, CLE
F- Kevin Garnett, BOS
C- Dwight Howard, ORL
WEST
G- Chris Paul, NOR
G- Kobe Bryant, LAL
F- Tim Duncan, SAS
F- Amare Stoudemire, PHX
C- Yao Ming, HOU
Every year people say that some player isn't worthy of starting the All-Star game, or that another player was more deserving then a starter, but you know what, it happens. The All-Star game is for the fans anyways, so if the fans decide they want to watch a particular player start, then how is that the wrong choice. It's an exhibition game anyways, if people want to see stars, then let them see stars, just so long as the stars don't come from being beating by Ron Artest.
The starting lineup for the West is interesting as it has three players who work best closer to the basket. On top of that, Kobe and CP3 are so affective because they are always a threat to burn their defender and take it to the hole, but with this lineup, the middle might be a little bit clogged up. Good thing it's an All Star game and no one will be playing much defense anyways, because if these starting lineups went against each other in a game that actually mattered, the East dominate despite lacking a true point guard.
The East's lack of a point guard shouldn't matter as the game will all be isolations and three-point attempts anyways. With it being an All-Star game, I wonder who will have the sickest dunk. There's LeBron who "throws it down with no regard for human life" as said by the Cavs home television announcer. Then there's D-Wade who is clearly back to being the 2006 Finals MVP he once was and has had just a few SportsCenter Top Play dunks. And you can't count out last years slam dunk champion Dwight Howard. However, I feel like the best dunk might not come from any of these guys.
I have this feeling that Amare Stoudemire is going to have one spectacular dunk in this game on an alley-oop from CP3. It likely won't happen, but how far fetched is it that on that alley-oop would break a backboard? How incredible would that be, if Amare shatters the backboard on an pass from CP3? I think they might just have to cancel the All Star game for years to come if that happened, especially because the place would go nuts since the game is in Phoenix this season.
Anyways, onto the picks themselves. As I said before, I never have qualms with the fans choosing who they want to see be a starter, that is, just so long as the deserving starters get in as a reserve. And hey, they might not be the most deserving starters, but everyone starting is incredible at basketball and are all very fun to watch, that's what an All Star game should be anyways.
In the East, I would start either Devin Harris or Jameer Nelson over AI. As for the West, Amare has the talent to dominate the way Howard has this year, and should be putting up at least 20-10, but he isn't. Also, I know the roster's are set to have two forwards and a center, but the West basically has three centers starting, since Amare has been a center for the Suns a great deal of the time and Duncan basically is the Spurs center, even if he is listed as a power forward. Dirk Nowitzki or Kevin Durant (even though the Thunder are terrible) are both more deserving then Amare, and would actually make the West's starters resemble an actual team.
All in all the rosters are pretty close though to who the starters should be in the game. Good job fans. I know I can't wait for the game to occur, though the slam dunk contest will be incredible. It will be hard to top last year, but having two slam-dunk champs in the field as well as Rudy Gay (who will bring it way better then last year, trust me). I just wish the dunk contest was longer and with more people involved.
There's only one more thing I can ask for from All Star weekend since we have great starting squads, and that's for another announcer-referee challenge. Maybe Charles Barkley and Dick Bavetta having a rematch of last year, only this year, how about a drink-off? (Sorry Charles, too soon?)
Monday, January 19, 2009
Best in the NCAA
It's not often I really follow women's basketball. Growing up 15 minutes from Storrs, CT, I just sorta always expected UConn to win every title, but I wouldn't watch any game until maybe the second half of the Championship, assuming UConn was playing (which is often). But tonight I noticed that #1 UConn is playing at #2 UNC, with both teams being 17-0. Now I probably won't watch much of the game, but it did get me thinking about something else.
In the preseason rankings, both UConn and UNC boasted a #1 and a #2 ranked team with the Huskies being atop the women's poll and the Tar Heels topping the men's poll. Currently UNC has the #2 women's team and the #5 men's team while UConn has the top women's team and the #3 men's team. Duke also boasts strong programs in each as they are #2 in the men's rankings and #4 in the women's poll.
My question is, what school is the best basketball school in the country? In the last ten years on the men's side, UConn has two titles to it's credit while both Duke and UNC have one a piece. One thing that makes me very happy as a UConn fan as well who hates Duke is that the Huskies knocked Duke out of the tournament each time they won the title.
I do have to be honest however, even though UConn has more titles to their credit, UNC and Duke are title threats more often the UConn seems to be. That is not the case on the women's side however.
Every year it's UConn or Tennessee as favorites, then the rest of the field. Sure, UNC and Duke are usually good, but its UConn and Tennessee are always the teams to beat. In fact, since 1995 when UConn won the title and went 35-0, UConn or Tennessee has won the title in all but four years, with each team having five titles and a three-peat in that stretch. Four of the five titles UConn has won came against Tennessee. Side note to Bruce Pearl: elevate the men's program and stop focusing on singing Rocky Top for the women's game so you can get Tennessee into this debate).
In fairness, UNC won the title in 1994, and Duke has lost in the title game twice in the last ten years. One of those years was 1999, when the women's team lost to Purdue in the championship and UConn men beat the Blue Devils 77-74 (is it sad I didnt even have to look that up, I just have it memorized, and I always pick that score for my tie-breaker in my brackets every March?) in the championship game.
Duke came so close to achieving a feat that has only ever happened once, and it probably the strongest argument as to why UConn is the best men's and women's school in the country. In 2004, both the UConn men and the UConn women won the national title, and many a car was flipped in celebration. On the men's side, Duke and UNC usually have a better team year in year out, but the goal is to win titles when you're a top shelf program like all three of these schools are, and they have not delivered quite as much. On the women's side, it's no contest, UConn is the cream of the crop. In fact, as I write this I see that UConn is up by 16 at the half over UNC (gotta love GameCast) which just confirms my thought that the women Huskies are going undefeated this season. If the men put it all together like I know they are capable of doing this year, they should be the favorites come March, though it'd be tough to bet against Tyler Hansborough.
UConn has the best men's and women's basketball programs in the country in recent history and going forward. The worst? Mt. Holyoke
In the preseason rankings, both UConn and UNC boasted a #1 and a #2 ranked team with the Huskies being atop the women's poll and the Tar Heels topping the men's poll. Currently UNC has the #2 women's team and the #5 men's team while UConn has the top women's team and the #3 men's team. Duke also boasts strong programs in each as they are #2 in the men's rankings and #4 in the women's poll.
My question is, what school is the best basketball school in the country? In the last ten years on the men's side, UConn has two titles to it's credit while both Duke and UNC have one a piece. One thing that makes me very happy as a UConn fan as well who hates Duke is that the Huskies knocked Duke out of the tournament each time they won the title.
I do have to be honest however, even though UConn has more titles to their credit, UNC and Duke are title threats more often the UConn seems to be. That is not the case on the women's side however.
Every year it's UConn or Tennessee as favorites, then the rest of the field. Sure, UNC and Duke are usually good, but its UConn and Tennessee are always the teams to beat. In fact, since 1995 when UConn won the title and went 35-0, UConn or Tennessee has won the title in all but four years, with each team having five titles and a three-peat in that stretch. Four of the five titles UConn has won came against Tennessee. Side note to Bruce Pearl: elevate the men's program and stop focusing on singing Rocky Top for the women's game so you can get Tennessee into this debate).
In fairness, UNC won the title in 1994, and Duke has lost in the title game twice in the last ten years. One of those years was 1999, when the women's team lost to Purdue in the championship and UConn men beat the Blue Devils 77-74 (is it sad I didnt even have to look that up, I just have it memorized, and I always pick that score for my tie-breaker in my brackets every March?) in the championship game.
Duke came so close to achieving a feat that has only ever happened once, and it probably the strongest argument as to why UConn is the best men's and women's school in the country. In 2004, both the UConn men and the UConn women won the national title, and many a car was flipped in celebration. On the men's side, Duke and UNC usually have a better team year in year out, but the goal is to win titles when you're a top shelf program like all three of these schools are, and they have not delivered quite as much. On the women's side, it's no contest, UConn is the cream of the crop. In fact, as I write this I see that UConn is up by 16 at the half over UNC (gotta love GameCast) which just confirms my thought that the women Huskies are going undefeated this season. If the men put it all together like I know they are capable of doing this year, they should be the favorites come March, though it'd be tough to bet against Tyler Hansborough.
UConn has the best men's and women's basketball programs in the country in recent history and going forward. The worst? Mt. Holyoke
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