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.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
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?
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