The NCAA Men’s BBall Tourney is often considered one of, if not the greatest sporting event. Other contenders I would offer are: The World Cup, The Rider Cup (golf match up between USA and Europe), and any game of college football.
Between this year and last, I’ve compiled a list of ways to make March Madness even better (who am I kidding…I really just want to gripe).
Here’s what I came up with (in a countdown style):
#10a: 35 Second Shot Clock
35 seconds is just too long. 24 seconds is just too short. For god’s sake, let’s just make it 30 seconds. It’s not like 30 seconds is some obscure measure of time.
Along with this, I also like the 8 seconds backcourt violation (as opposed to 10). I don’t think I saw a game this year or last when a team was called for a backcourt time violation. And while I’m ranting, shouldn’t this backcourt violation be “timed” by the clock, rather than some ref who’s walking to one tempo, watching the ball bounce at another tempo, and is then expected to keep perfect seconds with his hand. It would be easy to have a clock and buzzer for this infraction – similar to the shot clock (or even integrated into the shot clock).
#10b: Get the Coaches Off the Court
If any part of the coach’s shoe touches the inbounds line, automatic T! This gripe actually applies to accurate officiating of all “lesser” infractions, including: a player stepping on the line when guarding the inbounds pass, stepping in the lane before ball leaves the free-throw shooter’s hands, and of course, traveling. These violations are called in elementary school…so why aren’t they called in college?
#9: The Play-in-Game
Just try to remember as many play-in-game participants as you can. Now try to remember the losers of this game.
Even if a play-in-game winner went on to beat a no.1 seed, it would do more harm than good, because the one guy who picked the perfect bracket would have had to pick “TBD” to win! How is that legit?! You don’t even know who it is you’re picking to win.
By the way, having a #10a and #10b was a joke to illustrate how stupid the play in game is.
#8: Commercials
For the most part, the commercials are tolerable…but only for the first 5 showings. CBS and her advertising affiliates need to remember that the people who watch these games typically watch a lot of them, and airing the same commercial to the same people in the double-digit qtys is probably more likely to result in product boycotts than a successful advertising campaign.
Here’s a simple rule for commercial creators: don’t air your commercial until you’ve watched it 10 times on full volume while enduring a massive hang-over.
#7: Whining about the 66th – 70th Teams that Didn’t Make the Tourney
Here’s another simple rule: before making a claim that some team was neglected by the selection committee, you must list ALL of the teams that this “deserving” team lost to.
This rule also applies to any head coach before making a statement about how stunned and disappointed he is and how he must go tell his poor players that “life just isn’t fair.” Give me a break! If you wanted to get in that bad, then you shouldn’t have lost to all of those terrible opponents! Even with a shitty season, almost all teams at least have a chance to suck it up and win 3 or 4 straight games and win their conference tourney for an automatic bid. If you can’t even do that, then get the “f” off my TV!
And ESPN (especially Dickey V) just fuel this nonsense every year! After the bracket is released on Selection Sunday, there are 32 match-ups that they could be promoting, predicting, and giving insight too…which is 20 times more interesting than hearing about some poor team that didn’t make it. So why do they spend 60% of Bracketology whining about some poor small school that will never get its chance to go and get demolished in the first round?
#6: Letting a Shot’s Outcome Determine a Foul
Whether or not a player fouls another has nothing to do with whether or not the ball goes in the basket! So why do refs consistently wait until it’s clear that the ball won’t go in before calling a foul? It is absurd. It’s always been absurd. It will always be absurd.
#5 CBS – No Sister Network(s)
ABC has ABC, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN U, and ESPN Classic.
FOX has FOX, FSN, and FX
NBC has NBC, USA
CBS has CBS.
If any of the other broadcasters aired the tourney, we’d either see double, triple, or all of the games.
#4 Replay monitor
OK, I’ve had enough of this…and I’m not alone here. Seeing the large asses of 3 refs as they gather around an I-pod sized monitor with stopwatches trying to determine whether the ball went out of bounds with 3.3, 3.2, 3.1, or 1.2 seconds is outrageous. There was a game this year when they didn’t even give the ball to the right team – the replay showed that the ball went off of the other guy! But there they are, taking 6 minutes of real time to try to accurately determine how much time should be “fairly” put back on the clock before they give the wrong team one more chance to win.
#3 Show All Replays of All Fouls!
Yet another simple rule: If a foul was called and the action has stopped, show the replay.
This especially applies to shooting fouls. When a player is on the line, I have next to no interest to watch him wait for the ball, watch the ref tell the players “2 shots”, watch the coach pace, watch the players as they get into position outside the lane, or watch players check into the game for other players. For the love of St. Peter, just show the replay of the foul. There’s more than enough time to do it, and it’s not like we’d be missing real high octane action!
And when the replay is shown, I would like (just once) a commentator to wait until the replay is actually shown before telling us what the replay shows. Commentators always jump the gun on making their decision to support the ref’s call. As a replay is being shown, they will be saying how it was a good call, even though the replay clearly shows that it wasn’t! If they would just wait and watch the replay without pre-judgment that the ref was right, they would dramatically reduce their dumbassness.
#2 Too Many Time-Outs
Each team should have it’s qty of timeouts reduced by half (at least). Not only would this make close games more bearable to watch, but it would reward well-coached teams that actually prepare in advance for end-of-game situations.
#1 No Game Clock – Play to 80
Here’s what I propose:
· First team to reach 80 wins. You must win by 3.
· Automatic long TV timeouts would be scheduled for when the first team reaches 20, 40, 60 and 80 points…with the “40 point break” being equivalent to halftime.
· The shot clock still exists (30 seconds as mentioned above).
· Each team would still get a certain number of timeouts (probably 2 per team per half). Each timeout would be a long, TV timeout.
· If a team reaches 80 but has not won by 3, then (after the automatic TV timeout has taken effect) all remaining timeouts would be lost. Therefore, the 80+ action is completely timeout free.
For the most part, the game wouldn’t really be different. Teams are still equally motivated to play good offense, defense, shoot good shots, commit few turnovers, rebound, etc. The difference comes during end of game situations. This is how the end of games would be different:
1. No team is ever truly out of the game until it’s over. Teams would make furious comebacks, but rather than being fueled by the other team’s missed free-throws, comebacks must be fueled by furious defense.
2. The end of games would be fantastic. There are bound to be close games that end in back and forth epics of neither team being able to shake the other. If you’ve played ping pong before, you probably remember at least some games that went back and forth at the end.
3. No game would ever come down to who has the ball with less than 35 seconds left on the clock…which really just comes down to random, coincidental timing. This new system would be a much fairer and more entertaining.
Well, that’s it for my suggestions. And if you were curious…YES, my gripes do stem from bitterness of correctly picking only 2 of the Elite 8 and getting blanked on my Final 4 picks!
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Re: Star Treatment and "Dumb Rules"
I have NEVER seen such a blatant display of star treatment as I did in the Tennessee – Ohio State sweet 16 match-up.
With about 2 minutes left in the game, Greg Oden got cut on his chin and blood started noticeably dripping onto his white jersey. The officials then stopped the action and forced him to the sideline, presumably to stop the bleeding and change his jersey.
What happens next blew me away: He stood in front of his bench for about 3 seconds, and proceeded to calmly walk back onto the court. The scorers table buzzed him in, and the officials didn’t say a word. He didn’t change his jersey nor stop the bleeding. In fact, during all remaining timeouts during the final 2 minutes (roughly 27 of them), he went straight to the trainers who continued to clean his wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. New blood spots continued to appear throughout the game.
It is impossible to argue that the refs didn’t consciously ignore the rules to aid a star player in a big game. It’s one thing to not make a call during the final seconds of utter chaos…but this was a conscious decision made during a dead ball.
Maybe this is also a dumb rule, but the final 2 minutes of a sweet 16 game is NOT the time to make a stand against it.
Ironically, this year before the tourney, the officials announced that they would enforce the rules to the letter of the law…
With about 2 minutes left in the game, Greg Oden got cut on his chin and blood started noticeably dripping onto his white jersey. The officials then stopped the action and forced him to the sideline, presumably to stop the bleeding and change his jersey.
What happens next blew me away: He stood in front of his bench for about 3 seconds, and proceeded to calmly walk back onto the court. The scorers table buzzed him in, and the officials didn’t say a word. He didn’t change his jersey nor stop the bleeding. In fact, during all remaining timeouts during the final 2 minutes (roughly 27 of them), he went straight to the trainers who continued to clean his wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. New blood spots continued to appear throughout the game.
It is impossible to argue that the refs didn’t consciously ignore the rules to aid a star player in a big game. It’s one thing to not make a call during the final seconds of utter chaos…but this was a conscious decision made during a dead ball.
Maybe this is also a dumb rule, but the final 2 minutes of a sweet 16 game is NOT the time to make a stand against it.
Ironically, this year before the tourney, the officials announced that they would enforce the rules to the letter of the law…
Re: Best of the NBA
Agreed on the all-star commentating team.
While I have washed my hand since it’s glorious shaking of Sager’s, the moment will live forever in my heart – me telling him I’m his biggest fan, and him uttering “Jesus! How do these people find me!?”
Wouldn't Sager make the perfect Halloween costume! Easy, not too attention-grabbing, and absolutely hilarious to those who get it.
While I have washed my hand since it’s glorious shaking of Sager’s, the moment will live forever in my heart – me telling him I’m his biggest fan, and him uttering “Jesus! How do these people find me!?”
Wouldn't Sager make the perfect Halloween costume! Easy, not too attention-grabbing, and absolutely hilarious to those who get it.
Monday, February 05, 2007
ISU All-Century Team
Iowa State University is providing the public the privelage of determining the best Cyclone basketball players of the past century. Go here to vote. Thanks to Sport for the tip (and he'd tell you to be sure to check Paul Shirley's name).
In other news, ISU is leading the ESPN School Spirit national poll. I consider it just acknowledgement to be one of the 22 schools available and am glad to see Hilton Coliseum recognized as one of the toughest arenas in college hoops.
In other news, ISU is leading the ESPN School Spirit national poll. I consider it just acknowledgement to be one of the 22 schools available and am glad to see Hilton Coliseum recognized as one of the toughest arenas in college hoops.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
You Can't Make This Stuff Up...
Minnesota High School wrestling is being put on hold after 24 wrestlers contracted a type of herpes. No, this isn't taken from The Onion sports page. Already regarded by some as being a bit too homosexual of a sport for their taste, this can't help but add fuel to the wise-cracking fire. Here at "Just A Bit Outside" we value the great sport of wrestling and agree there is absolutely nothing gay about a bunch of dudes giving each other herpes. How'd I guess the original carrier was a Corn Husker?
More NBA Crackdowns
In its quest to purify the league, NBA officials are considering instituting penalties for defensive "flops." Although I agree with it on principal because flopping is rather unprofessional and it pains me to see poor defense (and poor acting) rewarded when nothing illegal was done, I would rather see the referees focus more on the other kind of flop. I get much more aggravated watching guys pump fake their opponent into the air and then attemp to draw a foul in order to get to the free-throw line. I'm not talking about down low on the blocks, or if one player jumps into another, but rather when a player is about to shoot a perimeter shot and the defender jumps straight up into the air to the side of the shooter in an effort to contest the shot but would clearly avoid contact and the shooter knowingly leans into the defender to make it appear like a foul. It drives me crazy to see it rewarded with a whistle because the offender created the contact.
For instance, look at Sunday night's game between the Lakers and Spurs. It was a two-point game and Kobe Bryant took the desperation shot at the buzzer. Kobe, being a master at the crime detailed above, put up the jump-shot and on his way down flailed his arms uncontrollably, absolutely clocking Manu Ginobili right in the face. Kobe was suspended for one game because it is NBA policy that "striking a player above the shoulders is an automatic one-game suspension." Of course Kobe is outraged and the Tuesday night NBA Courtside crew can't believe it because "he didn't intend to hit him in the face." Noone refutes that because Manu isn't even in Kobe's line of sight, but he DID intend to recklessly swing his arms. I don't think it was malicious and I don't think he even planned on doing it. I honestly think it was out of habit. But don't take my word for it. I encourage you to view the play for yourself and tell me whether or not it was a natural movement. You will clearly see him unnaturally swing his arm after he realized the shot wasn't going to go in. And THAT's the problem with offensive flopping.
Futhermore, why punish defensive flopping? Just don't call it! Every time you see a play let go in which a player flops there is a guaranteed defensive breakdown along with an offensive player immediately wide open. I'd bet about 80% of non-called defensive flops result in points for the offense. An offensive flop does the opposite, it gives the culprit points (usually at the free-throw line).
The solution? Just swallow your whistle and let 'em play. On second thought, if you stopped calling all flops it would actually force them to play.
For instance, look at Sunday night's game between the Lakers and Spurs. It was a two-point game and Kobe Bryant took the desperation shot at the buzzer. Kobe, being a master at the crime detailed above, put up the jump-shot and on his way down flailed his arms uncontrollably, absolutely clocking Manu Ginobili right in the face. Kobe was suspended for one game because it is NBA policy that "striking a player above the shoulders is an automatic one-game suspension." Of course Kobe is outraged and the Tuesday night NBA Courtside crew can't believe it because "he didn't intend to hit him in the face." Noone refutes that because Manu isn't even in Kobe's line of sight, but he DID intend to recklessly swing his arms. I don't think it was malicious and I don't think he even planned on doing it. I honestly think it was out of habit. But don't take my word for it. I encourage you to view the play for yourself and tell me whether or not it was a natural movement. You will clearly see him unnaturally swing his arm after he realized the shot wasn't going to go in. And THAT's the problem with offensive flopping.
Futhermore, why punish defensive flopping? Just don't call it! Every time you see a play let go in which a player flops there is a guaranteed defensive breakdown along with an offensive player immediately wide open. I'd bet about 80% of non-called defensive flops result in points for the offense. An offensive flop does the opposite, it gives the culprit points (usually at the free-throw line).
The solution? Just swallow your whistle and let 'em play. On second thought, if you stopped calling all flops it would actually force them to play.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
The Big XII-Pac 10 Challenge
Although long overdue, kudos for the Big XII and Pac 10 for finally getting this idea in motion. After annually keeping tabs on the Big Ten-ACC Challenge, I've thought for a long time the Big XII should consider approaching a conference to set up a similar matchup. I think it makes non-conference play more exciting and gives more opportunities for impressive wins on an NCAA Tournament resume. If anything, the Big Ten-ACC currently gets quite a bit of national exposure and it would be good for Big XII basketball. I also like the pick of hooking up with the Pac 10. The SEC might have been a bit more high profile, but this year the Pac 10 is arguably the best in basketball and I like the idea of one midwest conference taking on the east coast while the other midwest conference battles the west. Whereas the Big Ten has never beaten the ACC in the challenge, I think our two conferences are more evenly matched and it would be interesting. (This could also give us bragging rights over the Big Ten if we won our challenge.) Tune in next year.
Friday, January 26, 2007
The Mid-Winter Classic
I went online yesterday to see when NBA all-star voting ended (because I like to cast my ballot as close to the event as possible) and was shocked to see it already had days ago. I realize they need some preparation time, but an entire month in advance? A lot can happen in the span of a month. (Not to mention the ballots were opened three months in advance on Nov. 14th!)
Now, we've all expressed our disgust with ridiculous fan voting in the past, but I think this takes the cake: how the f *** could Shaquille O'Neal be starting?!?! As of the voting deadline, he had played in four games this season. Four. And he didn't even play well--his box score stats averaged per game:
Now, we've all expressed our disgust with ridiculous fan voting in the past, but I think this takes the cake: how the f *** could Shaquille O'Neal be starting?!?! As of the voting deadline, he had played in four games this season. Four. And he didn't even play well--his box score stats averaged per game:
14, 6.75, 1.25, 0.00, 1.00, 3.5 (pts, reb, ast, stl, blk, t.o.'s)
He could have played like that all year long and isn't near all-star worthy, let alone starting. Four f'ing games. I don't believe it.
On the other hand, it was great to see both Chris Bosh and Gilbert Arenas selected by the fans. I voted for Bosh last year because I think he is truly one of the most underrated guys in the league. Get some talent around him in Toronto and they will be on the rise. As for Gilbert, he's putting up ridiculous point totals while coming through in the clutch. The Wiz have the best record in the East and it's all owed to Agent 0.
In the West it is hard to see an all-star five-man team without Dirk or Steve Nash, let alone without both. The conference is so forward heavy, I could see Dirk getting barely edged out, but Nash should be in ahead of Tracy McGrady. The Suns have the best record in the league and Nash is playing towards a third consecutive MVP, whereas McGrady is putting up his usual big numbers but this season has been more successful because Yao has elevated his game. Between Duncan, Garnett, and Dirk, who do you leave out? I'd have to go with Duncan because he really hasn't been as dominant this year. Tough call, though.
Well, my ballot might not have been allowed to cancel out one injustice submitted by Mr. Fan-of-Big-Names, but here it is anyways.
Eastern Conference:
PG: Gilbert Arenas: solid scorer with much to prove.
SG: Dwayne Wade: Sub-.500 record, but he's about all they got right now.
SF: LeBron James: like Wade, not a lot of help, but team still thriving.
PF: Chris Bosh: a poor man's Kevin Garnett.
C: Dwight Howard: boards like an animal and has young Magic in playoffs.
Western Conference
PG: Steve Nash: and to think the Suns almost didn't sign him because of his age.
SG: Kobe Bryant: noone expected the Baby Lakers to look this good and he can still take over games by himself.
SF: Dirk Nowitzki: would have recieved my vote for MVP last year and, as of now, would get it this year.
PF: Kevin Garnett: leading the league in rebounds for the fourth year in a row.
C: Marcus Camby: with absence of Ben Wallace, time to reward hardnosed defense.
*Reserves will come at a later date...
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Non-Coast Bias
Throughout the entire college football season you hear the California sportswriters praise USC. Throughout the entire baseball season you hear the northeasterners speculate about the nations love of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. Everyone knows both West Coast and East Coast biases exist, but while they are preoccupied battling eachother, the Midwest has flown in under the radar and proven its stake as a dominant player in the sporting world.
I was prompted to write this post after seeing time and time again Around The Horn contestant Jay Mariotti harrassed every time he brings up his city of Chicago, the most recent being a reference to Michael Jordan. Yet Bill Plaschke and J.A. Adante voice their love of USC and think the NBA revolves around the Lakers, Bob Ryan considers Boston the hotspot of sports, and Tim Cowlishaw claims loyalty to about any team south of the 40-degree lattitude line-- all usually going without criticism of regional favoritism. Any mention of Chicago and the other writers let out groans as Reali often mutes Jay. I think he has the right to claim some midwest superiority; let's evaluate:
-The current Superbowl matchup is between Chicago and Indianapolis. People wrote off Peyton because he isn't clutch. People wrote off the Bears because they had no offense. ESPN is wondering if Rex Grossman is the worst quarterback in Superbowl history. Yet, both teams just keep on winning.
-Five of the last six World Series participants were from the two Central Divisions with the past two winners (White Sox and Cardinals) coming from the heart of the midwest. Like the Bears, St. Louis was given the least chance to win it all and were supposed to get swept by the mighty Mets. The ChiSox went 11-1 in the postseason--that's dominance.
-As of today, four of the six teams in the Eastern Conference with winning records are in the Central Division. (And this is after Milwaukee hit a losing streak after its two best players were injured.) The Bulls, Pistons, and Cavs are expected to make title runs in June. I think the east coast's representation in the NBA might be the most pitiful in sports.
-The Missouri Valley Conference is quickly becoming regarded as the seventh "major" conference in NCAA basketball.
Now, I'm not saying the Midwest is the greatest region in sports, nor am I saying it will stay like this. All I'm saying is it would be nice to see a little recognition for its recent accomplishments. I enjoy seeing our teams represent well, especially with the Big Ten and Big XII down this year. However, the east coast still owns the NCAA Tourney (last six champs) and the West is still the power conference in the NBA, but at least the little guys from the land-locked "heart" of the country still have a surprise or two. Go ahead, Jay, let 'em boo you and fight over ownership of the free world...we'll just keep on winning.
I was prompted to write this post after seeing time and time again Around The Horn contestant Jay Mariotti harrassed every time he brings up his city of Chicago, the most recent being a reference to Michael Jordan. Yet Bill Plaschke and J.A. Adante voice their love of USC and think the NBA revolves around the Lakers, Bob Ryan considers Boston the hotspot of sports, and Tim Cowlishaw claims loyalty to about any team south of the 40-degree lattitude line-- all usually going without criticism of regional favoritism. Any mention of Chicago and the other writers let out groans as Reali often mutes Jay. I think he has the right to claim some midwest superiority; let's evaluate:
-The current Superbowl matchup is between Chicago and Indianapolis. People wrote off Peyton because he isn't clutch. People wrote off the Bears because they had no offense. ESPN is wondering if Rex Grossman is the worst quarterback in Superbowl history. Yet, both teams just keep on winning.
-Five of the last six World Series participants were from the two Central Divisions with the past two winners (White Sox and Cardinals) coming from the heart of the midwest. Like the Bears, St. Louis was given the least chance to win it all and were supposed to get swept by the mighty Mets. The ChiSox went 11-1 in the postseason--that's dominance.
-As of today, four of the six teams in the Eastern Conference with winning records are in the Central Division. (And this is after Milwaukee hit a losing streak after its two best players were injured.) The Bulls, Pistons, and Cavs are expected to make title runs in June. I think the east coast's representation in the NBA might be the most pitiful in sports.
-The Missouri Valley Conference is quickly becoming regarded as the seventh "major" conference in NCAA basketball.
Now, I'm not saying the Midwest is the greatest region in sports, nor am I saying it will stay like this. All I'm saying is it would be nice to see a little recognition for its recent accomplishments. I enjoy seeing our teams represent well, especially with the Big Ten and Big XII down this year. However, the east coast still owns the NCAA Tourney (last six champs) and the West is still the power conference in the NBA, but at least the little guys from the land-locked "heart" of the country still have a surprise or two. Go ahead, Jay, let 'em boo you and fight over ownership of the free world...we'll just keep on winning.
Friday, January 05, 2007
Boo-Yah! Stuart, You Suck!
Lately I've been watching Stump the Schwab, the sports-based trivia game show, on a regular basis. It is a very educational show with some amazing displays of knowledge. However, it gets tougher to watch almost daily due to Stuart Scott and his horrible hosting job. He makes horrible jokes, feeds Schwabs ego to ridiculous proportions, and tries his damnest to act/talk black. Any one who reads ESPN.com regularly can tell you that Scoop Jackson plays the role of the "token angry black guy" who thinks everything is a racial issue, and I'm wondering why he hasn't gone up to Stuart and bitchslapped him and told him to knock that shit off. It sounds completely unnatural and downright embarrassing. He's also tried to patent the expression "boo-yah!" and exploding fist bump. (Yesterday during the second round, after a contestant scored, Stuart tried to be a comedic smart ass by asking him if he could add 4 and 11 together, and his sarcastic response was, "I went to college, Stu." Then, I guess because Stu thought the guy was trying to upstage him, said, in all seriousness, "So did I, except I make a paycheck with lots and lots of zeroes on it", making for possibly the most unwarranted and awkward game show moment I've ever seen.) Searching on the internet for "Stump the Schwab" resulted in an amazing number of blogs and websites really laying into him, so I know I'm not the only one. The game show aside, he says the same shit during Sportscenter and I don't know how he's lasted this long. If ESPN gets rid of excellent baseball analyst Harold Reynolds for a minor sexual harrassment accusation, surely they should drop Stuart on grounds he's a dumbass.
Star Treatment and "Dumb Rules"
I was disappointed last night when NBA on TNT featured Charles Barkley alongside Marv Albert as the colorman tagteam for the riveting Kings-Lakers game. I usually listen to what Charles has to say, as he sometimes gives a unique perspective and isn't afraid to say it as it is, but last night I got a bit fed up. In the past I've heard him complain about referees holding every player to the same standards because he is a true believer of giving superstars preferential treatment (just like he received during his playing days). The play in question:
The Kings go up by four after a big fourth quarter rally of good defense and solid pick-and-rolls. After the Lakers hit a quick three, Sacto tries to inbound the ball, specifically to Kevin Martin who is a 91% free-throw shooter this season. Kobe knows this, so to prevent Martin from getting the ball he wraps him up from behind with both arms blatently across his chest and holds him back. Dick Bavetta calls a dead ball foul which results in one free-throw plus the ball.
Of course this sends Kobe into a frenzy, but it was Barkley who just couldn't believe that foul was called. He went on about how out of line Bavetta was for calling a dead ball foul, especially on Mr. Kobe Bryant. After literally a couple minutes of Barkley complaining that the refs should have let the play go and then just call an ordinary two-shot foul like LA wanted and how it reminded him of college basketball when he hates seeing refs call an intentional foul, Marv finally had enough and said, "But Charles, isn't that the rule?" His response? "Yeah, it's a rule, but a dumb rule. Sports are full of rules that shouldn't be followed and that's one they shouldn't have called." I laughed at Marv's next sarcastic question: "Is that what you're doing tonight, rewriting the rules?"
I should note that this all comes shortly after Ron Artest fouled out of the game for grabbing Kobe's jersey and holding him back to prevent him from getting the ball. Charles comments, "Yeah, it's a foul. But that's tough to foul out Ron Artest with that call." Frankly, I don't care what name's on your jersey, and it's good to see the refs don't either.
(Rather than a new post, I'll take this time to express how absurd it is the new "stricter" technical foul policy just doesn't apply to Kobe Bryant. Yes, both Duncan and Nowitzki complain an awful lot and get away with it, but not as much as Kobe. It's almost comical how much he whines to the refs. In fact, last night with the Lakers down by two towards the end of regulation, he tried some out of control spin move (in which I don't think he ever even saw the basket) right into two defenders who just stood their ground, expecting the whistle, and when it didn't come he turned to the officials with his arms outstretched and started yelling, even though the ball was still very much in play and his team was still hustling after it. This happens all the time, whenever he misses a contested shot, gets stripped of the ball, or gets called for a hand-check. Again, am I biased? Yes. Does that mean I'm wrong? No.)
UPDATE: The Onion on Kobe.
The Kings go up by four after a big fourth quarter rally of good defense and solid pick-and-rolls. After the Lakers hit a quick three, Sacto tries to inbound the ball, specifically to Kevin Martin who is a 91% free-throw shooter this season. Kobe knows this, so to prevent Martin from getting the ball he wraps him up from behind with both arms blatently across his chest and holds him back. Dick Bavetta calls a dead ball foul which results in one free-throw plus the ball.
Of course this sends Kobe into a frenzy, but it was Barkley who just couldn't believe that foul was called. He went on about how out of line Bavetta was for calling a dead ball foul, especially on Mr. Kobe Bryant. After literally a couple minutes of Barkley complaining that the refs should have let the play go and then just call an ordinary two-shot foul like LA wanted and how it reminded him of college basketball when he hates seeing refs call an intentional foul, Marv finally had enough and said, "But Charles, isn't that the rule?" His response? "Yeah, it's a rule, but a dumb rule. Sports are full of rules that shouldn't be followed and that's one they shouldn't have called." I laughed at Marv's next sarcastic question: "Is that what you're doing tonight, rewriting the rules?"
I should note that this all comes shortly after Ron Artest fouled out of the game for grabbing Kobe's jersey and holding him back to prevent him from getting the ball. Charles comments, "Yeah, it's a foul. But that's tough to foul out Ron Artest with that call." Frankly, I don't care what name's on your jersey, and it's good to see the refs don't either.
(Rather than a new post, I'll take this time to express how absurd it is the new "stricter" technical foul policy just doesn't apply to Kobe Bryant. Yes, both Duncan and Nowitzki complain an awful lot and get away with it, but not as much as Kobe. It's almost comical how much he whines to the refs. In fact, last night with the Lakers down by two towards the end of regulation, he tried some out of control spin move (in which I don't think he ever even saw the basket) right into two defenders who just stood their ground, expecting the whistle, and when it didn't come he turned to the officials with his arms outstretched and started yelling, even though the ball was still very much in play and his team was still hustling after it. This happens all the time, whenever he misses a contested shot, gets stripped of the ball, or gets called for a hand-check. Again, am I biased? Yes. Does that mean I'm wrong? No.)
UPDATE: The Onion on Kobe.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Bowl Predictions
BCS disputes aside, I'm pretty excited for this year's bowl season. There are some good traditional matchups, as well as lopsided games that should result in upsets. Even though the entire nation is saddened by the absence of Iowa State, the Big XII is still represented well. After winning the 2005 Bowl Challenge without much fanfare, the Big XII can potentially repeat, while the Big Ten may be looking at another losing record. Here are my personal predictions:
*Biggest upset: Nebraska over Auburn
*Toughest call: Wisconsin vs. Arkansas
Poinsetta
TCU over Northern Illinois
Las Vegas
Oregon over BYU
New Orleans
Rice over Troy
Papajohns.com
South Florida over East Carolina
New Mexico
New Mexico over San Jose State
Armed Forces
Tulsa over Utah
Hawaii
Hawaii over Arizona State
Motor City
Central Michigan over Middle Tennessee
Emerald
Florida State over UCLA
Independence
Oklahoma State over Alabama
Holiday
California over Texas A&M
Texas
Rutgers over Kansas State
Music City
Clemson over Kentucky
Brut Sun
Missouri over Oregon State
Liberty
South Carolina over Houston
Insight
Texas Tech over Minnesota
Champs Sports
Maryland over Purdue
Meineke Car Care
Boston College over Navy
Alamo
Texas over Iowa
Chick-fil-A
Virginia Tech over Georgia
MPC Computers
Nevada over Miami
Outback
Penn State over Tennessee
Cotton
Nebraska over Auburn
Gator
West Virginia over Georgia Tech
Capital One
Wisconsin over Arkansas
Rose
Michigan over USC
Fiesta
Oklahoma over Boise State
Orange
Wake Forest over Louisville
Sugar
LSU over Notre Dame
International
Cincinnati over Western Michigan
GMAC
Southern Miss over Ohio
BCS Championship
Florida over Ohio State
And the conference standings:
ACC: 6-2
Big XII: 6-2
Big East: 4-1
Big Ten: 3-4
Pac 10: 2-4
SEC: 4-5
*Biggest upset: Nebraska over Auburn
*Toughest call: Wisconsin vs. Arkansas
Poinsetta
TCU over Northern Illinois
Las Vegas
Oregon over BYU
New Orleans
Rice over Troy
Papajohns.com
South Florida over East Carolina
New Mexico
New Mexico over San Jose State
Armed Forces
Tulsa over Utah
Hawaii
Hawaii over Arizona State
Motor City
Central Michigan over Middle Tennessee
Emerald
Florida State over UCLA
Independence
Oklahoma State over Alabama
Holiday
California over Texas A&M
Texas
Rutgers over Kansas State
Music City
Clemson over Kentucky
Brut Sun
Missouri over Oregon State
Liberty
South Carolina over Houston
Insight
Texas Tech over Minnesota
Champs Sports
Maryland over Purdue
Meineke Car Care
Boston College over Navy
Alamo
Texas over Iowa
Chick-fil-A
Virginia Tech over Georgia
MPC Computers
Nevada over Miami
Outback
Penn State over Tennessee
Cotton
Nebraska over Auburn
Gator
West Virginia over Georgia Tech
Capital One
Wisconsin over Arkansas
Rose
Michigan over USC
Fiesta
Oklahoma over Boise State
Orange
Wake Forest over Louisville
Sugar
LSU over Notre Dame
International
Cincinnati over Western Michigan
GMAC
Southern Miss over Ohio
BCS Championship
Florida over Ohio State
And the conference standings:
ACC: 6-2
Big XII: 6-2
Big East: 4-1
Big Ten: 3-4
Pac 10: 2-4
SEC: 4-5
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Best of the NBA
The all-star tandem of Marv Albert, Steve Kerr, and Craig Sager have to be the best in sports. A great mix of knowledge, humor, and style, their commentary is a welcome relief from dumbasses Bill Walton and Snapper Jones. Seth shook Sager's hand at a Timberwolves game four years ago and I bet he still hasn't washed it.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
A Frustrated Sunday
Alright, Chicago defense, you now have permission to snap. Tonight was After forcing five takeaways and holding New England to 17 points, including a recovered fumble on the final drive to deny the Patriots a score only to have Rex throw an interception on their first offensive play, you may let out the rage on Grossman (who had all four turnovers himself). You could see it in their eyes--the defense can't take it much longer...
Monday, November 20, 2006
You've Got To Be Kidding Me...
During a time when Major League Baseball is trying to escape the steroid era and get back to what baseball should be, the experts reward a power hitter with the MVP. Despite the black eye baseball has endured the past five years, I guess people are still awed by the longball, and I find it almost comical that two descriptors clarifying why Howard won were:
Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies was voted the National League's Most Valuable Player on Monday after leading the majors in home runs and RBI.
He had the most homers in the major leagues since Barry Bonds hit a record 73 in 2001.
Is it a good thing to be compared to Barroid Bonds? As I already analyzed, Albert Pujols was probably more deserving. This is the third time Pujols has finished second in the MVP vote, the first two times to Bonds. How many times this season did I hear an ESPN analyst claim Albert Pujols is "the best player in the game" (and more often, "best hitter in the game") only to then declare his support for Howard because of his particularly great season. Shouldn't "the best" usually win this award?
Stacking the two up next to each other yields these certainties:
-Howard's lead in home runs and runs-batted-in outweighed Pujols' higher finish in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, runs, and stolen bases.
-It went without much recognition that Howard finished second in the league in strikeouts with an incredible 181 whiffs. (Albert was 131st with 50 K's.)
-The often used argument of team success translating to player value did not come into play as the Cardinals made the playoffs with Rolen, Edmonds, and Eckstein fighting/sidelined by injuries. The Phillies failed to make the postseason.
-Defense isn't nearly as important as offense. Howard finished second in number of errors by all major league firstbasemen. Pujols won his first career Gold Glove Award.
Is it sour grapes? Yes. Am I still right? Yes.
UPDATE: Apparently this guy agrees with me completely. Wow, the numbers are very telling. It's not even really close; one of Howard's two statistical edges resulted in many more RBI opportunities, not clutch hitting.
NFL Surprises
1) As usual, I spent Sunday at my neighbor's place watching NFL games. He has two tvs side-by-side (a 42" plasma and a 17" LCD inside his fireplace) and the two midday games on air featured Houston and Seattle. My friends didn't understand why I was proud to sit there and watch both Seneca Wallace and Sage Rosenfels behind center on their respective teams. Sure, they might not have won, but they still represented ISU well.
2) On the flip side, it was horrible to sit there and watch Dallas beat Indy. Most Texans cheer excessively when Dallas makes a good play while losing, jump up and down and hollar the Cowboys' greatness when beating a lesser team, and will absolutely not let up when they knock of the lone undefeated, and nearly invincible, Colts. Although I had a hunch Indy would take a fall this week, due to recent subpar play, I still thought they were better than this. One thing's for sure: it's not Peyton's fault. Well, for the most part. He did overthrow recievers, particularly towards the end of the game when it would have made the difference, but the way he controls his team is unmatched. How many times did he approach the line and point out the blitz and bark commands regarding oncoming defensive formations only to have the offensive line let him down? Credit the Cowboys with fired up defense, but Peyton should have had more protection. The fact the Colts have won all their games by an average of less than a touchdown could be a bit worrisome, but I think P. Manning has replaced Tom Brady and an aging Brett Favre as the smart and talented quarterback to watch in the NFL; this just might be the Colts' year.
As for Dallas, I wished this season they had to play the Bears...
3) ...who are possibly a more all-around football team than people think. I still hear comments about how Chicago is one-dimensional with great defense and could be a better team if they got a 'real' quarterback. What these people don't know is that in addition to the #1 defense in the league, they are currently second in the league in points per game on offense. Grossman is third in the league in touchdowns (behind two guys named Manning and Brady) and happens to be first in TD %. The comeback against Arizona was an anomoly and Rex will be consistently reliable in time for the playoffs. But what really makes Chicago complete is their special teams. They lead the league in punt returns, kicking points, and last week had a record 108-yard missed field goal TD return for the second straight season. Robbie Gould is the hottest kicker in football right now having just broke the franchise record with 27 straight made field goals. He is the only kicker who hasn't missed (aside from Gramatica who is one for one on FG) with an amazing 10/10 on 40-yarders. Let's just hope they can keep this momentum going into the postseason and the Bears will be tough to beat.
2) On the flip side, it was horrible to sit there and watch Dallas beat Indy. Most Texans cheer excessively when Dallas makes a good play while losing, jump up and down and hollar the Cowboys' greatness when beating a lesser team, and will absolutely not let up when they knock of the lone undefeated, and nearly invincible, Colts. Although I had a hunch Indy would take a fall this week, due to recent subpar play, I still thought they were better than this. One thing's for sure: it's not Peyton's fault. Well, for the most part. He did overthrow recievers, particularly towards the end of the game when it would have made the difference, but the way he controls his team is unmatched. How many times did he approach the line and point out the blitz and bark commands regarding oncoming defensive formations only to have the offensive line let him down? Credit the Cowboys with fired up defense, but Peyton should have had more protection. The fact the Colts have won all their games by an average of less than a touchdown could be a bit worrisome, but I think P. Manning has replaced Tom Brady and an aging Brett Favre as the smart and talented quarterback to watch in the NFL; this just might be the Colts' year.
As for Dallas, I wished this season they had to play the Bears...
3) ...who are possibly a more all-around football team than people think. I still hear comments about how Chicago is one-dimensional with great defense and could be a better team if they got a 'real' quarterback. What these people don't know is that in addition to the #1 defense in the league, they are currently second in the league in points per game on offense. Grossman is third in the league in touchdowns (behind two guys named Manning and Brady) and happens to be first in TD %. The comeback against Arizona was an anomoly and Rex will be consistently reliable in time for the playoffs. But what really makes Chicago complete is their special teams. They lead the league in punt returns, kicking points, and last week had a record 108-yard missed field goal TD return for the second straight season. Robbie Gould is the hottest kicker in football right now having just broke the franchise record with 27 straight made field goals. He is the only kicker who hasn't missed (aside from Gramatica who is one for one on FG) with an amazing 10/10 on 40-yarders. Let's just hope they can keep this momentum going into the postseason and the Bears will be tough to beat.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
4 News In Brief
A few of my recent favorite pieces from The Onion Sports--all brutally true and hilarious. Honestly, who comes up with this stuff?
John Madden Reminds Viewers Of Importance Of Quarterback To NFL Teams
DENVER—Color commentator John Madden spent the third quarter of the San Diego Chargers-Denver Broncos game explaining exactly how important it is for an NFL team to have a quarterback. "You're definitely gonna need one of these guys on your team if you want to have any success in the NFL," Madden said, explaining how having somebody standing directly behind the center when the ball is snapped provides a feeling of stability and consistency. "If Denver, for example, didn't have a quarterback, they could maybe hand the ball off to the running back, but there's absolutely no way the Broncos could pass the ball to the receivers. Frankly, I don't know how the Raiders do it." Madden later went on to talk about how different football would be if there were no end zone and the field "just went on and on forever."
Lou Piniella's First Big Move As Cubs Manager Is To Resign
CHICAGO—During his formal introduction as Cubs manager Tuesday, Lou Piniella announced that his first and only managerial decision will be to step down immediately and permanently from his new position—a bold, unexpected move that he successfully carried out just moments later. "My time in Chicago has been great, and it feels like it was just yesterday that I started this job, but I truly believe that this move will give me a better opportunity to win," Piniella said at the press conference while ceremoniously removing a Cubs hat and jersey. "I'm very excited about leaving this team." After the announcement, Cubs GM Jim Hendry praised Piniella's sound judgment and pure baseball instinct, saying that "his ability to make quick, smart decisions like this one is exactly why we hired him."
Hideki Matsui Unable To Grasp Translator's Explanation Of Where Cory Lidle Is
NEW YORK—Hideki Matsui's interpreter Roger Kahlon has been unable explain to the Yankees' Japanese-speaking left fielder that former teammate Cory Lidle died instantaneously last Wednesday after flying his four-seat, SR20 aircraft into a high-rise apartment building in Manhattan's Upper East Side. "At this point, I'm pretty sure [Matsui] thinks Lidle is either in his four-bedroom apartment or on a 20-minute plane ride to upstate New York," Kahlon said, adding that in order to make Lidle's whereabouts clear to Matsui, he has even resorted to making one of his hands into a plane, the other into a building, crashing them together, and making explosion noises. "This kind of thing just doesn't translate very well." According to Kahlon, the last time he asked Matsui where Cory Lidle was, a confused Matsui answered, "The bullpen."
Larry Coker Fights For His Job By Swinging Helmet At Athletic Director, Chancellor
CORAL GABLES, FL—University of Miami head football coach Larry Coker, afraid of being scapegoated and fired in the wake of Saturday's brawl involving Hurricanes players and those from Florida International University, defended himself by suspending 13 players, taking full responsibility for disciplining his team, and swinging a Hurricanes football helmet at the heads of athletic director Paul Dee and chancellor Donna Shalala during a press conference Wednesday. "What happened was unfortunate and does not reflect our character as a team or my philosophy as a coach," said Coker, grasping the helmet by the faceguard and delivering repeated blows to Shalala's face and neck. "However, I believe that dismissing me at this time would in fact send the wrong message about discipline to our players and the wrong message about the University of Miami to the public." Dee was physically unable to comment or breathe after the press conference, but Shalala seemed to indicate that she would handle the matter internally as soon as she stopped bleeding internally.
John Madden Reminds Viewers Of Importance Of Quarterback To NFL Teams
DENVER—Color commentator John Madden spent the third quarter of the San Diego Chargers-Denver Broncos game explaining exactly how important it is for an NFL team to have a quarterback. "You're definitely gonna need one of these guys on your team if you want to have any success in the NFL," Madden said, explaining how having somebody standing directly behind the center when the ball is snapped provides a feeling of stability and consistency. "If Denver, for example, didn't have a quarterback, they could maybe hand the ball off to the running back, but there's absolutely no way the Broncos could pass the ball to the receivers. Frankly, I don't know how the Raiders do it." Madden later went on to talk about how different football would be if there were no end zone and the field "just went on and on forever."
Lou Piniella's First Big Move As Cubs Manager Is To Resign
CHICAGO—During his formal introduction as Cubs manager Tuesday, Lou Piniella announced that his first and only managerial decision will be to step down immediately and permanently from his new position—a bold, unexpected move that he successfully carried out just moments later. "My time in Chicago has been great, and it feels like it was just yesterday that I started this job, but I truly believe that this move will give me a better opportunity to win," Piniella said at the press conference while ceremoniously removing a Cubs hat and jersey. "I'm very excited about leaving this team." After the announcement, Cubs GM Jim Hendry praised Piniella's sound judgment and pure baseball instinct, saying that "his ability to make quick, smart decisions like this one is exactly why we hired him."
Hideki Matsui Unable To Grasp Translator's Explanation Of Where Cory Lidle Is
NEW YORK—Hideki Matsui's interpreter Roger Kahlon has been unable explain to the Yankees' Japanese-speaking left fielder that former teammate Cory Lidle died instantaneously last Wednesday after flying his four-seat, SR20 aircraft into a high-rise apartment building in Manhattan's Upper East Side. "At this point, I'm pretty sure [Matsui] thinks Lidle is either in his four-bedroom apartment or on a 20-minute plane ride to upstate New York," Kahlon said, adding that in order to make Lidle's whereabouts clear to Matsui, he has even resorted to making one of his hands into a plane, the other into a building, crashing them together, and making explosion noises. "This kind of thing just doesn't translate very well." According to Kahlon, the last time he asked Matsui where Cory Lidle was, a confused Matsui answered, "The bullpen."
Larry Coker Fights For His Job By Swinging Helmet At Athletic Director, Chancellor
CORAL GABLES, FL—University of Miami head football coach Larry Coker, afraid of being scapegoated and fired in the wake of Saturday's brawl involving Hurricanes players and those from Florida International University, defended himself by suspending 13 players, taking full responsibility for disciplining his team, and swinging a Hurricanes football helmet at the heads of athletic director Paul Dee and chancellor Donna Shalala during a press conference Wednesday. "What happened was unfortunate and does not reflect our character as a team or my philosophy as a coach," said Coker, grasping the helmet by the faceguard and delivering repeated blows to Shalala's face and neck. "However, I believe that dismissing me at this time would in fact send the wrong message about discipline to our players and the wrong message about the University of Miami to the public." Dee was physically unable to comment or breathe after the press conference, but Shalala seemed to indicate that she would handle the matter internally as soon as she stopped bleeding internally.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Re: More Bang For Your Buck
Cale Kassel said: I'd be very interested to see what these number are at the end of the season and see what, if anything changes...
Per request, here are the final standings regarding regular season wins per million dollars paid in team salaries. More teams changed position than expected. Even though it wasn't quite the all-star break when the first numbers were posted, it is still a good representation of how the teams performed in the second half of the season.
*Take note of the AL Central: two of the largest gainers were the Twins and Royals while the two biggest drops were the Tigers and White Sox.
Per request, here are the final standings regarding regular season wins per million dollars paid in team salaries. More teams changed position than expected. Even though it wasn't quite the all-star break when the first numbers were posted, it is still a good representation of how the teams performed in the second half of the season.
*Take note of the AL Central: two of the largest gainers were the Twins and Royals while the two biggest drops were the Tigers and White Sox.
2006 World Series Champions!
I would like to announce my triumphant return to blogging. Triumphant, of course, because I am still celebrating the Cinderella-story World Series victory by my St. Louis Cardinals. Or am I already celebrating next year’s repeat? Or am I getting a little ahead of myself…
Regardless, no one outside of Redbird Nation expected them to win (or even get into the playoffs, for that matter) and they epitomized the mentality that once you make the post-season the regular season *doesn’t matter*. It wasn’t a juggernaut lineup or potent starting rotation or dazzling defense—it was timely hitting and timely pitching. Suppan, Rolen, Weaver, Taguchi, Wainright, and last, but certainly not least, Little David Eckstein all stepped up in a huge way at the right times. Then combine that with LaRussa pulling the right strings from the foxhole.
I do realize that by now any one of our few readers must be sick and tired of my plugs for St. Louis and right now you must be rolling your eyes (if you’ve even read this far), but I tell you, it is a tremendous feeling when your team finally wins it all. I became a Bulls fan at the height of their success, amid the Jordan era while winning championships, and it almost became expected and certainly less thrilling. But if you’ve been waiting your entire life for your team to get to the top, especially after fear they may have missed their chance two years earlier and came into this October huge underdogs, it is so much sweeter. Cale, you know what I'm talking about. (I will admit their drought hasn’t been my entire life, as their last WS title was in 1982—twenty-three days after I was born. I also looked up the date of my birth and it happened to be the very day St. Louis won its very first division title. You see, being a Cardinal was my destiny.)
Anyways, I will cease gloating and just sit here with the permanent grin that will last me through the off-season. Come April we get to do it all over again, with new heroes and new villains and new underdogs, and I can’t wait. Maybe next year we’ll get that White Sox-Cardinals October matchup. Maybe it’ll be the Cubs. Riiight. Either way, baseball truly is a sport unlike any other.
UPDATE: I think The Onion speaks on behalf of all non-Cardinal fans.
Regardless, no one outside of Redbird Nation expected them to win (or even get into the playoffs, for that matter) and they epitomized the mentality that once you make the post-season the regular season *doesn’t matter*. It wasn’t a juggernaut lineup or potent starting rotation or dazzling defense—it was timely hitting and timely pitching. Suppan, Rolen, Weaver, Taguchi, Wainright, and last, but certainly not least, Little David Eckstein all stepped up in a huge way at the right times. Then combine that with LaRussa pulling the right strings from the foxhole.
I do realize that by now any one of our few readers must be sick and tired of my plugs for St. Louis and right now you must be rolling your eyes (if you’ve even read this far), but I tell you, it is a tremendous feeling when your team finally wins it all. I became a Bulls fan at the height of their success, amid the Jordan era while winning championships, and it almost became expected and certainly less thrilling. But if you’ve been waiting your entire life for your team to get to the top, especially after fear they may have missed their chance two years earlier and came into this October huge underdogs, it is so much sweeter. Cale, you know what I'm talking about. (I will admit their drought hasn’t been my entire life, as their last WS title was in 1982—twenty-three days after I was born. I also looked up the date of my birth and it happened to be the very day St. Louis won its very first division title. You see, being a Cardinal was my destiny.)
Anyways, I will cease gloating and just sit here with the permanent grin that will last me through the off-season. Come April we get to do it all over again, with new heroes and new villains and new underdogs, and I can’t wait. Maybe next year we’ll get that White Sox-Cardinals October matchup. Maybe it’ll be the Cubs. Riiight. Either way, baseball truly is a sport unlike any other.
UPDATE: I think The Onion speaks on behalf of all non-Cardinal fans.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
"Carelessness" doesn't describe it...
OK, so this will be my first “quick thought” blog.
I played tackle football for 5 years in my youth and was fortunate to be put at running back for most all of them. During my play, I came across a simple truth…and this truth was confirmed later during a brief career in intramural flag football at ISU:
Perhaps the best pleasure in the game of football, (challenged only by cleaning someone’s clock on a blindside Wagner-esque block) is to stand proudly in your opponents end zone, HOLDING the ball.
WHY DO PLAYERS INSIST ON DROPPING THE BALL JUST AS (or worse: JUST BEFORE) THEY UNCONTENDEDLY CROSS THE GOAL LINE?!?!
This happened again this week in the Alabama-Florida game and that makes 3 that I have seen this season. I’d say there is a close call on this exact play in roughly 5% of college football games. Sometimes the refs catch it and rule it a fumble and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes (as in today’s incidence) players are lucky enough to have truly broken the plane just a fraction of an instant before the carelessly drop the ball. But by dropping the ball just as you cross it, not only do you risk being the biggest goat and losing the game for all of your teammates, but you forfeit the greatest pleasure in the game.
-Confused in Tennessee
I played tackle football for 5 years in my youth and was fortunate to be put at running back for most all of them. During my play, I came across a simple truth…and this truth was confirmed later during a brief career in intramural flag football at ISU:
Perhaps the best pleasure in the game of football, (challenged only by cleaning someone’s clock on a blindside Wagner-esque block) is to stand proudly in your opponents end zone, HOLDING the ball.
WHY DO PLAYERS INSIST ON DROPPING THE BALL JUST AS (or worse: JUST BEFORE) THEY UNCONTENDEDLY CROSS THE GOAL LINE?!?!
This happened again this week in the Alabama-Florida game and that makes 3 that I have seen this season. I’d say there is a close call on this exact play in roughly 5% of college football games. Sometimes the refs catch it and rule it a fumble and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes (as in today’s incidence) players are lucky enough to have truly broken the plane just a fraction of an instant before the carelessly drop the ball. But by dropping the ball just as you cross it, not only do you risk being the biggest goat and losing the game for all of your teammates, but you forfeit the greatest pleasure in the game.
-Confused in Tennessee
Friday, September 15, 2006
National League MVP
It's that time again, kids...time to debate who is the real MVP? The Ryan Howard bandwagon has taken off like a giant, turbo, ESPN-fueled rocket while Albert Pujols is solidly putting together possibly the best season of his career (despite fighting an injury). Both are quite deserving and it makes for an interesting debate. As the season comes to a close, most analysts consider this to be a two-man race, but two good articles on ESPN and Fox Sports both have narrowed it down to a roster of five men who have put up big numbers:
Howard--Phillies
Pujols--Cardinals
Carlos Beltran--Mets
Lance Berkman--Astros
Miguel Cabrera--Marlins
Of course, my St. Louis bias conflicts with who I consider "most valuable" as I've watched The Great Pujols drag this team towards another division title all year. I also just really like the guy. To counteract my favoritism, I'll turn to my old friend Microsoft Excel (which I'm sure you've learned I enjoy playing with) and statistically determine who is top of the class.
It was difficult to determine exactly how to create a comparison that would result in clear evidence of who had a better season than who, so I simply began by comparing their places among the NL League Leaders in particular catagories that most would consider influential to a team's success. As an arbitrary numeric system, I rewarded the players for placing in the top ten in the individual catagories; the point allocation was linear, giving 10 for a first place through 1 for tenth place and no points awarded for placing outside of the top ten. Shown is the rankings and point total:
*All stats are accurate as of 9/14/06.
As you can see, Albert has the slight edge over Howard while both are significantly higher in total than the other three contenders. The major flaws with this comparison, though, is that it was near impossible to assign values to important catagories such as stolen bases, strikeouts, and defensive attributes. Neither ESPN.com or Fox Sports allows easy manipulation of fielding stats because it breaks each player down individually per position played and doesn't only include those players who qualify.
Since I am comparing a specific group of players to determine who had the best season among those five I think the better way to look at it is head to head rankings. For example: even though neither Howard or Pujols are in the top ten in the league in fewest strikeouts (and thus received zero points above), I certainly think the fact Pujols has only 43 K's (138th most in the NL) while Howard has 163 K's (2nd most in the NL!) should be considered. Five points were awarded for a first place rank and one point for a fifth place. I figured the following were the ten most useful statistics to use when determining an *all-around* value:
Howard--Phillies
Pujols--Cardinals
Carlos Beltran--Mets
Lance Berkman--Astros
Miguel Cabrera--Marlins
Of course, my St. Louis bias conflicts with who I consider "most valuable" as I've watched The Great Pujols drag this team towards another division title all year. I also just really like the guy. To counteract my favoritism, I'll turn to my old friend Microsoft Excel (which I'm sure you've learned I enjoy playing with) and statistically determine who is top of the class.
It was difficult to determine exactly how to create a comparison that would result in clear evidence of who had a better season than who, so I simply began by comparing their places among the NL League Leaders in particular catagories that most would consider influential to a team's success. As an arbitrary numeric system, I rewarded the players for placing in the top ten in the individual catagories; the point allocation was linear, giving 10 for a first place through 1 for tenth place and no points awarded for placing outside of the top ten. Shown is the rankings and point total:
*All stats are accurate as of 9/14/06.As you can see, Albert has the slight edge over Howard while both are significantly higher in total than the other three contenders. The major flaws with this comparison, though, is that it was near impossible to assign values to important catagories such as stolen bases, strikeouts, and defensive attributes. Neither ESPN.com or Fox Sports allows easy manipulation of fielding stats because it breaks each player down individually per position played and doesn't only include those players who qualify.
Since I am comparing a specific group of players to determine who had the best season among those five I think the better way to look at it is head to head rankings. For example: even though neither Howard or Pujols are in the top ten in the league in fewest strikeouts (and thus received zero points above), I certainly think the fact Pujols has only 43 K's (138th most in the NL) while Howard has 163 K's (2nd most in the NL!) should be considered. Five points were awarded for a first place rank and one point for a fifth place. I figured the following were the ten most useful statistics to use when determining an *all-around* value:
*Rankings for SO's and Errors are 1 for least and 5 for most.
Albert reigns once again, but this time Beltran's stock rises because his base stealing ability and high class defense are counted towards his total. I think this better reflects who is having the best all-around season and displays the players' versatility (or, rather, exposes Howard's dominant dimension of being a power hitter). You can see that the most consistent performer across the board is Pujols. I truly hope the voters consider defense when making their decision and don't lean towards Howard because of last year's outcome. Who knows, they still have a few weeks left and it will be a photo finish.
Verdict: Albert Pujols
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Cheap Wins for ISU
Pat Forde did the same analysis of college football teams that I did with baseball teams in regards to million dollars spent per wins. Check it out-- they make note of Iowa State's effectiveness. (Notice that we earn nearly three times the profit from football that Texas Tech does.)
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Post #100: The Andre Agassi Show!
If you missed his first-round performance Monday, you're in luck because he won and will be playing at least one more match on Thursday. The attendance at his first match set a new Open record and it was incredible to see everyone rally behind Agassi as Arthur Ashe Stadium exploded with every point won. He gave us a bit of a scare after losing the first set, rallying to win the second in tie-break, only to drop to 4-0 in the third set. Instead he came storming back to win the next five games and take the set in tie-break. It was all around great tennis. After the 3.5 hour match he looked more like a giddy, spry 21-year old rather than an aging 36-year old with back problems. He'll have quite a challenge next round against No. 8 Baghdatis but if he plays with this much fire the momentum should stay in his favor.
Again, I'll plead you tune in and witness the end of one of the greatest American eras in all of sports. If nothing else, the Open is a great event and Agassi is extremely fun to watch. Andy Roddick is also looking like he could make a deep run. But for at least two more days this is Andre's world and we're just living in it...
Again, I'll plead you tune in and witness the end of one of the greatest American eras in all of sports. If nothing else, the Open is a great event and Agassi is extremely fun to watch. Andy Roddick is also looking like he could make a deep run. But for at least two more days this is Andre's world and we're just living in it...
MLB Notes
-What a huge weekend for the NL Central (or should I say for St. Louis?). The Cards sweep the Cubs to make the season series somewhat respectable (8-11, respectively) while the Reds drop 5 straight. This just secures my belief that we will hold on to the division crown and restates why "Noone Knows If the Reds Will Win the Wild Card." (I must be the anti-Strader as of late because after my prediction about rookie Chris Duncan he hit a home run in all three games of the Chicago series.)
-Speaking of parity in Chicago, Baseball Tonight gave an update on the Cubs-Pirates game after a go-ahead RBI in the 11th from Derrek Lee in his first game back, only to be outdone minutes later after Ryan Dempster walked in the winning run. Ugh.
-I don't know which was funnier on SportsCenter tonight: Andruw Jones slipping and falling on his way to first base during a home run lap or Barry Bonds Kirby-esquely jumping to rob a HR and his bloated body getting a whole two inches off the ground. I can't believe it snagged the two spot in the Top Ten...
-The Cy Young races are far from over as it's extremely tight coming down the stretch. My AL pick changes daily between Halladay, Santana, and The Amazing Verlander. For most of the season I would have punched my vote for Brandon Webb in the NL, but Carpenter and Zambrano are both making a late season push while Josh Johnson came out of nowhere. Only September will tell.
-Here come the Marlins! If this upstart group of rookies can make the playoffs they just might replace Detroit as the new bandwagon. Only 1.5 games back--what a story...
-Ryan Howard is a stud. You bahlt!
-Speaking of parity in Chicago, Baseball Tonight gave an update on the Cubs-Pirates game after a go-ahead RBI in the 11th from Derrek Lee in his first game back, only to be outdone minutes later after Ryan Dempster walked in the winning run. Ugh.
-I don't know which was funnier on SportsCenter tonight: Andruw Jones slipping and falling on his way to first base during a home run lap or Barry Bonds Kirby-esquely jumping to rob a HR and his bloated body getting a whole two inches off the ground. I can't believe it snagged the two spot in the Top Ten...
-The Cy Young races are far from over as it's extremely tight coming down the stretch. My AL pick changes daily between Halladay, Santana, and The Amazing Verlander. For most of the season I would have punched my vote for Brandon Webb in the NL, but Carpenter and Zambrano are both making a late season push while Josh Johnson came out of nowhere. Only September will tell.
-Here come the Marlins! If this upstart group of rookies can make the playoffs they just might replace Detroit as the new bandwagon. Only 1.5 games back--what a story...
-Ryan Howard is a stud. You bahlt!
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Here Comes Lil' Duncan...
Here come the Reds...ha! I scoff at the idea that St. Louis will not win its sixth division crown in seven seasons. (I will at this time concede that I have absolutely no faith in any of our starting pitchers who aren't named Chris Carpenter.) What a gem-- four-hit shutout tonight. You bahlt.
That being said, it's time to give props to my man Chris Duncan as his surge into the major leagues has kept the Cards in contention and his continuing production will be required to make the playoffs. Edmonds is streaky, Eckstein is losing his mojo (.311 BA before All-Star break, .233 since), and teams will pitch around Albert. I've really noticed his big bat lately and wish he'd been slotted #2 all season. Let's measure his power hitting up to some other notable rookies.
That being said, it's time to give props to my man Chris Duncan as his surge into the major leagues has kept the Cards in contention and his continuing production will be required to make the playoffs. Edmonds is streaky, Eckstein is losing his mojo (.311 BA before All-Star break, .233 since), and teams will pitch around Albert. I've really noticed his big bat lately and wish he'd been slotted #2 all season. Let's measure his power hitting up to some other notable rookies.
If St. Louis does indeed hold on and fend off the Reds, his name must be mentioned at least once in the Rookie of the Year discussions.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
A Late Night of Boredom
So I'm sitting here watching latenight TV and the only decent thing on is The World Series of Pop Culture. The theme is fictional locales in tv shows and movies and contestants from neither team knew the name of the golf course in Caddyshack! The guy didn't even have a guess and the opposing female spit out "The Century Club?"... Now, maybe I'm over-estimating how many people out there are familiar with Bushwood, but have you ever seen that SNL skit where all the business men are quoting Caddyshack and the one guy gets left out because he hasn't seen it? I've come to understand that Caddyshack has a reputation that most young to middle-aged men should be familiar enough with the flick to quote it, let alone know the basics. I realize I'm a sucker for old 70/80's dry slapstick humor, but Caddyshack is in a league of its own. Great setting, hilarious script, phenomenal cast. Maybe we ought to add "skinny skiing" and "going to bull fights on acid" to our list of "real" sports...
UPDATE: The following question was "what is the name of the coffee shop the group frequents in Seinfeld?" Once again, blanks across the board. How can you possibly claim to be a master in pop culture trivia and know nothing about Seinfeld?
UPDATE #2: Four questions later they were asked to name the "floating" city that Lando Calrissian oversees in The Empire Strikes Back, which of course neither of them knew. That's it, I'm changing the channel.
UPDATE: The following question was "what is the name of the coffee shop the group frequents in Seinfeld?" Once again, blanks across the board. How can you possibly claim to be a master in pop culture trivia and know nothing about Seinfeld?
UPDATE #2: Four questions later they were asked to name the "floating" city that Lando Calrissian oversees in The Empire Strikes Back, which of course neither of them knew. That's it, I'm changing the channel.
Monday, August 07, 2006
Hidden Agendas and Cups of Piss
The Floyd Landis Saga continues as the cyclist stands by his claims that he is innocent of doping accusations. The whole situation seems curious but I really don't know enough about how chemical enhancers work to make a judgement. It has been reported that he took eight urine samples and three blood tests and only one came out positive (the infamous "A" sample). I would have to think this synthetic testosterone would be traceable in his system for a longer period of time, and he even points out the fact it doesn't work instantly if taken only once. In an interview shown today on ESPN he said he wanted to clarify that his testosterone level is actually low, not high, and that the discrepency is related to his ratio. I'm still waiting for SportsCenter to present a clear explanation of exactly what is illegal about his urine and how these synthetic substances work. For now, Landis is making this a larger issue by hinting at some form of conspiracy with the objective of his dethroning. At first I was in denial until the "B" results came out, then I sunk into extreme disappointment, but now I just don't know what the hell to think because he looked pretty convincing on tv. I hope this ends with a definite conclusion and doesn't leave us wondering what really went on in France.
Friday, August 04, 2006
Re: Definition of "Sport" 2
What timing: before I decided to switch and make my previous post, I began writing my two cents and below it said 5:33 p.m., the exact same time Scott started his response.
However, I'm afraid Mr. Strader and I don't meet eye to eye, but rather my definition would very closely resemble Seth's. (Not accidentally, I might add, as Seth and I have discussed this topic before.) I realize that there are many competitions that I would normally consider a "sport" just like anyone else, but I think that might change on a person to person basis. (i.e. I'm still waiting on Cale's rebuttal to our NASCAR bashing of late, something I do not consider a "sport.") I agree with the idea of setting a series of criterion and then placing competitions, much like Seth did. Assuming my definition would be structured the same, as I believe it would be, here are a couple alterations I would make.
First of all, I would not consider running a sport, and certainly not sprinting. I know, I know, I'm flirting with angering a bunch of people (this is where you refute me, Cale) but I have run for distance and for speed in years past. In regards to a marathon, endurance is the most prominant aspect (both physical and mental). It requires strength, power, and timing, but too many of the other factors are borderline. Frankly, running is a fairly natural ability--some people are simply naturally faster than others. It is that running is highly "skilled" that I take issue. Now, we're talking about professionally trained runners here, so this goes beyond the schoolyard, but if we are going to include how fast a person can run we must include how high a person can jump. The high jump is done by people who train to enhance an already existing natural ability (although I agree it lacks endurance). In addition, marathons barely include full-body agility, physical quickness, coordination, and strategy is minimal. Sprinting, on the other hand, is completely void of any strategy whatsoever. And realistically, the 100 meter dash lasts around ten seconds making it difficult to argue physical and mental endurance play much of a role.
I'm glad you brought up boxing, Strader, as it was the most evident omission from the list. I would absolutely consider boxing a sport as outlined by the criteria, but only if it lasts until knockout. I agree that boxing is otherwise a judged competition and should not be included. (Again, strictly adhering to the criteria regardless of how I would catagorize it in the back of my mind.)
Another addition to the list of sports, albeit fairly new and obscure, would be Ultimate Frisbee. It is tough to find a competition that is better described and fits the description of a "sport" so well. Read down the list of descriptors and doesn't it just scream Ultimate Frisbee? (The only one up for debate is requirement of strength.)
Despite recent public attention within the past five years regarding cheerleading a legitimate sport, I shall have to disagree. This goes back to my statement that the majority of participants will consider their competition a sport, just like your boxer, marathon man, and jockey, Strader. Cheerleading will never get my approval because, although it requires every single bit of Rule #2, it is purely subjective. Maybe I'll change my mind once ESPN starts airing competitions to see who can build the highest human pyramid or who can get tossed the farthest or who can sleep with the most high school quarterbacks. Just food for thought.
Maybe a different angle to look at this delimma is whether or not to consider the participant of said competition an "athlete." This whole premise started as defining an "athletic sport," as I often think of true, natural sport as being hunting, fishing, etc. Strader's dart player would certainly not consider himself an athlete. In fact, this summer I went to a recruitment function and asked the smallest, weakest looking kid if played in any athletic sports and he said, "I'm just a golfer." All of the track and field participants would surely call themselves athletes but would the ping pong player? I dunno, just thought I'd open another door...
However, I'm afraid Mr. Strader and I don't meet eye to eye, but rather my definition would very closely resemble Seth's. (Not accidentally, I might add, as Seth and I have discussed this topic before.) I realize that there are many competitions that I would normally consider a "sport" just like anyone else, but I think that might change on a person to person basis. (i.e. I'm still waiting on Cale's rebuttal to our NASCAR bashing of late, something I do not consider a "sport.") I agree with the idea of setting a series of criterion and then placing competitions, much like Seth did. Assuming my definition would be structured the same, as I believe it would be, here are a couple alterations I would make.
First of all, I would not consider running a sport, and certainly not sprinting. I know, I know, I'm flirting with angering a bunch of people (this is where you refute me, Cale) but I have run for distance and for speed in years past. In regards to a marathon, endurance is the most prominant aspect (both physical and mental). It requires strength, power, and timing, but too many of the other factors are borderline. Frankly, running is a fairly natural ability--some people are simply naturally faster than others. It is that running is highly "skilled" that I take issue. Now, we're talking about professionally trained runners here, so this goes beyond the schoolyard, but if we are going to include how fast a person can run we must include how high a person can jump. The high jump is done by people who train to enhance an already existing natural ability (although I agree it lacks endurance). In addition, marathons barely include full-body agility, physical quickness, coordination, and strategy is minimal. Sprinting, on the other hand, is completely void of any strategy whatsoever. And realistically, the 100 meter dash lasts around ten seconds making it difficult to argue physical and mental endurance play much of a role.
I'm glad you brought up boxing, Strader, as it was the most evident omission from the list. I would absolutely consider boxing a sport as outlined by the criteria, but only if it lasts until knockout. I agree that boxing is otherwise a judged competition and should not be included. (Again, strictly adhering to the criteria regardless of how I would catagorize it in the back of my mind.)
Another addition to the list of sports, albeit fairly new and obscure, would be Ultimate Frisbee. It is tough to find a competition that is better described and fits the description of a "sport" so well. Read down the list of descriptors and doesn't it just scream Ultimate Frisbee? (The only one up for debate is requirement of strength.)
Despite recent public attention within the past five years regarding cheerleading a legitimate sport, I shall have to disagree. This goes back to my statement that the majority of participants will consider their competition a sport, just like your boxer, marathon man, and jockey, Strader. Cheerleading will never get my approval because, although it requires every single bit of Rule #2, it is purely subjective. Maybe I'll change my mind once ESPN starts airing competitions to see who can build the highest human pyramid or who can get tossed the farthest or who can sleep with the most high school quarterbacks. Just food for thought.
Maybe a different angle to look at this delimma is whether or not to consider the participant of said competition an "athlete." This whole premise started as defining an "athletic sport," as I often think of true, natural sport as being hunting, fishing, etc. Strader's dart player would certainly not consider himself an athlete. In fact, this summer I went to a recruitment function and asked the smallest, weakest looking kid if played in any athletic sports and he said, "I'm just a golfer." All of the track and field participants would surely call themselves athletes but would the ping pong player? I dunno, just thought I'd open another door...
Definition of "Sport"
I think all of us have probably thought about this before, so I wanted to post my answer to the question: What determines if a sport is truly a “sport”?
Definition of an “Athletic Sport”:
A competitive game or event can be called an “athletic sport” if it satisfies the following (2) rules:
(1) The primary measure to determine success must be some objective, quantifiable measure other than:
-Beauty
-Form
-Style
-Aesthetics
-Emotion
(2) ALL of the following attributes must help facilitate success:
-Strength
-Power
-Agility (full-body)
-Physical Quickness
-Mental Quickness / Reaction
-Skill
-Timing
-Coordination
-Strategy
-Physical Endurance
-Mental Endurance
Making the cut:
-Baseball
-Soccer
-American Football
-Basketball
-Volleyball
-Racquet Sports (Tennis, Badminton, Racquetball, AND Ping Pong)
-Running
-Biking
-Rollerblading
-Wrestling
-Hockey
-All Downhill and Cross Country Skiing
Barely making the cut:
-Sprinting (possibly lacks endurance but I think 100 yard sprint is long enough to requir endurance)
-Air Hockey and Foosball (very close on full-body agility)
Missing the Cut:
-All judged events - Gymnastics, Dancing, Diving, Skateboarding, Rollerblading, Snowboarding, and Skiing for style (Rule # 1)
-Auto Driving, Hunting, “Sport” Shooting, Fishing, Archery (lack power and full body agility)
-Golf, Bowling, Billiards, Swimming, Darts (lack mental quickness/reaction)
-Power lifting (lacks mental quickness/reaction and endurance)
-One time events – Javelin, Shot-put, Pole Vault, High Jump, Long Jump, Ski Jump (lack endurance)
-All Card Games (lacks pretty much every criterion)
-Competitive eating or drinking (lack strength, power, full-body agility, mental quickness/reaction)
Comments: First I need to say that I tried to develop the criteria first and then apply it to the “sports” in question. I didn’t have a list of sports and non-sports and try to make criteria which would generate my pre-determined outcome.
Also, I’m not arguing that events lack merit simply because they don’t meet my criteria. I’m simply saying they should not be referred to as “athletic sports.” Many of the events and competitions that fell short are great “games”, “competitions”, or “arts”…just not “sports”. I’ve always felt that golf is one of the best competitions due to its combination of physical ability, mental ability, and skill.
I’m curious to hear differing opinions or suggestions.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Re: Seinfeld Rules of Volleyball
First off, well freakin’ done. The Seinfeld references were a nice touch, but mostly reading about the faux pas of sand volleyball was like reading gospel.
I’m not trying to one-up you here, as your Seinfeld knowledge far surpasses mine, but if I may be so presumptuous, I’d like to tack on one more…
The Low Talker: A low talker can cause a great deal of confusion – as Jerry discovered in the “Puffy Shirt” episode (“But I don’t want to be a Pirate”) – and the sand volleyball low talker (coincidentally usually a woman) is no exception. There are several situations where vocal restraint just adds confusion (or liability), so please do everyone a favor and open your throat, push from the diaphragm, and speak up. Call a ball that is in between “zones”, help a teammate judge if a ball will be long or short, tell the opponents if a ball was out of bounds, let your teammate know if you are ready to “kibosh” a good set, and above all, announce the score before you serve! It’s a simple rule really: Don’t serve the ball until you’ve (audibly) said the score. I really struggle to determine exactly what goes through a person’s mind when they fail to announce the score. If they in fact know the score, maybe they want to “keep it in the vault” so they can sneak in a few points later. Or maybe they don’t know the score and are counting on some revelation during the next point. Maybe they just figure that no one will ever bring it up again. Or maybe they are taking procrastination to the extreme with the attitude of “why figure it out know when we can figure it out later?” Well, I’ll tell you why: because it’s going to be a lot goddamn harder to figure it out after you play more points. I feel that failure to announce the score should be an automatic side out (or point in the new-age rally system).
I think we ought to add more rules as new situations arise (sort of a “living document”), but in the meantime, the Seinfeld Rules should ensure enjoyable, quality, fundamental sand volleyball. So study the rules, play all volleyball according to their will, and fearlessly go out into the world and spread their message.
News in the World of Sports
Jolting Joe in Danger?
Honestly, probably not. Considering that the closest anybody has ever been is 44 (Pete Rose) and Chase Utley is still 10 away from that. But who doesn't love the thrill of the chase. This is a great story and I hope he makes a run at Pete and Joe. Pay attention to Chase, he's not quite done.
Heartbreak in Sooner Nation
Rhett Bomar decided he needed some more money so he "sold" cars and pulled down $18000. The real problem of course is how does OU deal with this major setback. Many have the tabbed as a legitimate national title contender with a solid QB and now that is not the case. We saw what happens without a good QB in OU, maybe ISU can sneak one past the Sooners...
Honestly, probably not. Considering that the closest anybody has ever been is 44 (Pete Rose) and Chase Utley is still 10 away from that. But who doesn't love the thrill of the chase. This is a great story and I hope he makes a run at Pete and Joe. Pay attention to Chase, he's not quite done.
Heartbreak in Sooner Nation
Rhett Bomar decided he needed some more money so he "sold" cars and pulled down $18000. The real problem of course is how does OU deal with this major setback. Many have the tabbed as a legitimate national title contender with a solid QB and now that is not the case. We saw what happens without a good QB in OU, maybe ISU can sneak one past the Sooners...
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Even I've Been On the Trading Block
While sifting through my stacks of college/FH paperwork I came across the following email that had been printed out and given to me years ago. I found it humorous enough to post. Oh, how relieved I am this deal never actually occured. (And thanks for the vote of convidence, Strader.)
From: "Scott Strader"
Tue, 03 Jul 2001 03:44:34
Trade Talks
AMES (AP)--Apparently Luke Foster, FarmHouse rush chairman, was approached by the Alpha Sigma Phi rush chairman today asking if FH was rushing a Kelly Guiter, "because we want to rush him too." FH has currently forged a deal in which the Alpha Sigs would be allowed to retain the rights to Guiter along with Chris Gardner, Travis Mitchell, and a right-handed relief rushee to be named later. FH will receive a Homecoming General Co-Chair, a 6-foot-5 basketball player, a bass-baritone, and an undisclosed amount of cash rumored to be in excess of $10 million. Attempts to claim Ryan Satterly on waivers fell through because he is being sent to a rehab assignment at AAA-Iowa. Satterly's agent declined comment.
From: "Scott Strader"
Tue, 03 Jul 2001 03:44:34
Trade Talks
AMES (AP)--Apparently Luke Foster, FarmHouse rush chairman, was approached by the Alpha Sigma Phi rush chairman today asking if FH was rushing a Kelly Guiter, "because we want to rush him too." FH has currently forged a deal in which the Alpha Sigs would be allowed to retain the rights to Guiter along with Chris Gardner, Travis Mitchell, and a right-handed relief rushee to be named later. FH will receive a Homecoming General Co-Chair, a 6-foot-5 basketball player, a bass-baritone, and an undisclosed amount of cash rumored to be in excess of $10 million. Attempts to claim Ryan Satterly on waivers fell through because he is being sent to a rehab assignment at AAA-Iowa. Satterly's agent declined comment.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
The Seinfeld Rules of Sand Volleyball
It's been the summer of sand volleyball and I've thoroughly enjoyed it. The evening weather's been beautiful, the sand soft, *most* games are friendly and competitive. However, VB definitely contains the good, bad, and ugly, and it's far time someone stood up to all the schmucks out there who are unawares of their faux pas. While on a plane to Houston, I began by listing my personal pet peeves that arise during a typical sand volleyball game. I realized the list of things that bother me got pretty long. I then went to an anger management session to relieve some stress. Now I've trimmed the list and ready to teach the world what not to do when playing VB with your fellow peers--or at least not when playing with me. Considering a few of us have been discussing Seinfeld daily while playing recently, it became the outlet of my complaints (pardon the long post). All I ask is that you look in a mirror and if you realize you fall under one of these personas, knock it off. Let us meet the cast...
Jerry: this is that player that seems completely indifferent when the ball happens to pass by his or her way. Maybe they make a feeble attempt to bump a ball that is just out of reach, maybe they don't. I've always wanted to drag my foot through the sand and divide the court into as many segments as there are players and give ownership to each and every player to protect their rectangular section. The Jerry in the group will stand there stationary as the ball catches his corner, watching the player next to him desperately try to save a point while faceplanting into the sand directly at his feet and he'll simply look down at you and say, "That's a shame." Why lift a finger to help out his team when he knows in the end he'll be Even Steven? Jerry has never been one to actually care about anything, so why would volleyball be any different? After the score starts stacking against you and you begin preaching to your team that some points will come if only teamwork can pull off a bump, set, and spike in succession, he'll back away, wave his hands, and wish you "good luck with aaallll that..."
George: he was the most successful when he did the opposite of his instincts, but that only lasted a couple of episodes. George was always giving advice, but it was never anything he himself would be willing to do. This player is usually giving orders but succumbing to hypocrisy by not taking his own advice. He'll be the one yelling at you if you hit it over without utilizing all three shots, yet his first chance at the net he's trying to kill anything that comes close. He often gets annoyed when teammates make unforced errors via mis-hits, but it's ok when his serve return is a bump that struck his upper arm and bounced perpendicular out of bounds and over the fence. George is also a rather angry individual, never successfully hiding his rage. ("George is gettin' upset!") This player is typically bad for team chemistry, using petty comments or body language to let his teammate know he isn't pleased with their recent play. Don't let George "into the bloodstream" and "infect your staff" or he will suck the fun out of playing a friendly game and cause discontent among others. Besides, who wants to play with a "pear-shaped" loser?
Elaine: we all know how she dances, and that in no way translates into volleyball. Listen and listen closely: DO NOT KICK THE BALL. You know who you are out there, but you persist anyways. I have no bigger pet peeve out in the sand box than if Elaine and her "little kicks" show up. Pick up the damn ball and toss it to the next server. Not only does kicking the ball spray sand into the face of the person in front of you but it rarely goes where intended--a kicked ball more often than not ends up as wasted time while someone has to chase and corral what someone thought would be a more efficient way to transport the ball from the ground to the server. If you want to use your feet go join the US World Cup team--they could use the help.
Kramer: Michael Richards has made a living off physical comedy, using his body to generate memorable laughs. Hey, Mr. Purposefully-Throw-Yourself-Into-The-Sand-And-Roll-Around-Or-Fall-Into-The-Net-Guy, you aren't Michael Richards. You may lack coordination. You may lack speed. You may lack simple volleyball skills. However, acting the buffoon doesn't impress. Although the real Kramer's exaggerated behavior onscreen is hilarious, out in the sand a tough, well-fought point won will bring more smiles than an overdramatic point lost. More than once this summer a lengthy, exciting volley developed with people making incredible shots to keep it alive, going back and forth, the intensity growing as everyone wonders who will falter first, only to have it end by some moron (far too juiced from the excited cheering from the masses) run screaming at the ball and hammering it directly into the net or over the fence. The best is when he follows it up with a primitive yell, breaks into a laugh, and then realizes noone is laughing with him. And why is he usually on my team? Now, don't get me wrong, I love a good effort, and laying out into the sand is often necessary and complimented. The second type of Kramer is the one who makes a spectacular dig and manages to save the point, yet he remains laying in the sand until the appropriate props are given. As of late, I've almost began physically picking people up off the sand when this happens. Kudos to a great hit but keep playing, dammit. It's all in vain if the other team hits it right back to the spot where we have a man down (this is especially vital when playing 3-on-3 or 4-on-4). Yes, we saw it, you don't need to overdramatize it for "effect." The funny thing about the Kramer is that he shows up more often when the "femininas" are around. If you care more about generating a cheap laugh from the opposite sex than a friendly competitive, fundamental game get out. I'm sure any Latvian Orthodox Father would agree with me in that you don't have the Kavorka, but rather are a run-of-the-mill Hipster Doofus.
Kenny Bania: whether it be about Ovaltine or the shopping cart with one bad wheel, Bania is always a sure miss--much like the volleyball serve of a few hacks I know. Under normal VB point rules a failed serve eliminates any possibility to earn points, but under rally rules (which is how we play in sand) a failed serve gives the opponent a free point. I understand noone is flawless and bad serves do happen, but if you consistently cannot put the ball into play do something about it. I know a girl who serves it long 75% of the time; one time I decided to count and on her sixth rotation to the serve spot she finally managed to keep one in bounds. Amazing. (People still repeat the rhyme from a couple summers ago, "when in doubt, Stu's are out.") Personally, I think if you are even hitting one out of three out of play that is not effective. Too many Bania's try to put power behind the ball or crazy spin on the ball, but the reality is that aces only happen (rarely) by a lack of communication by the other team. And there is nothing worse than a serve into the net because at least sometimes serves that will most likely go out of bounds are still kept in play by the returning side. I can only imagine the response of a dude who insists on slapping it ineffectively overhand actually listening to my advice of giving underhand a chance, and upon discovering it is easier to complete serves turns to me, wide-eyed and excited, "that's gold, Kelly. Gold!" It's ok to try and improve your serve gradually, but begin with a style that provides consistent results. Every time someone rotates into the back-right corner and my expectations of a shitty serve are answered, it makes me want to puke. "Puke, that's a funny word. Mind if I use that?"
Tim Watley: have you ever noticed some guys are just all over the place? The Watley of the group starts the point as the server, then he's middle-left backrow, then he's at the net. "I think he converted to front row purely for the spikes." Read the Jerry description above and you'll know how I feel about every player having their own area of which they are responsible. Frankly, he just wants in on the action regardless of position much like Tim Watley wants "joke immunity." All too often the Watley will be out of position and the vacancy gets exposed. Amid points I often give friendly reminders to get back to his spot, but when he doesn't I usually have to cover his ass; there is nothing worse than when it ends with the opponent cleverly tapping it to my unoccupied spot and suddenly I'm the anti-dentite bastard. I realize most don't enjoy playing backrow and the net gets more action and setting and spiking can be fun, but that's why we rotate, jackass. And you ask if this offends me as a spiker? No, it offends me as a volleyball player.
Mickey: I'm not picking on little people, but I'm afraid to say some people just aren't built for spiking. I'm tall, but I also jump like a white guy, so I focus on placement and out-of-position defense and "hitting it where they ain't." If you are vertically challenged or lack power, just play it safe. I don't come across a Mickey very often, but when I see a short guy (or often, gal) continue driving it into the net with big swings I can't help but roll my eyes.
Man-Hands: sure the references are getting a bit obscure, but this character exists nonetheless. Do you know anyone who seems to punch the ball rather than bump with their forearms? How about one who uses hard swats with their palm to get the ball into the air rather than setting the ball with two hands gracefully with precision? This is Man-Hands. I'll bet if Jerry's "lobster-claw ripping date" was up for a game of volleyball, she'd also have a tough time keeping it in the yard. These players simply have no touch. I especially enjoy the breed that clamps their hands together to form one mighty fist of fury, pumping it outwards from their body directly into the ball. Now I'm no physicist, but I don't believe making contact with the ball with a row of knuckles at a 45 degree angle is the best approach with the goal of placing the ball anywhere with any sort of accuracy. Come on, Man-Hands, it's a women's sport to begin with--slap on some moisturizer and soften that form. "Would you rather her have no hands?" "Would she have hooks?" "Do hooks make it more attractive, Jerry?" "They'd be kind of cool lookin'..."
Maura: this is not in reference to those players you just can't get rid of (although I've known one or two in my day), but instead are those imbeciles that refuse to let points die. Even though the serve was short or the other team hit it four times Maura continues to hit it back over the net. This isn't like a submarine where everyone has to turn their keys for the point to be over. The only things this person accomplishes is wasting a bit of time and often leading to confusion as to whose turn it is to serve. The only explanations for this behavior are: 1) she honestly didn't realize they hit it four (or more) times because it was a cluster of people, 2) she wasn't paying any attention, 3) she doesn't know the most fundamental rule of volleyball, 4) she was just dicking around. All I ask is that when the ball is dead, simply catch it and toss to the next server. (And God help you if you kick it...) The worst situation is when two Maura's happen to meet across from each other at the net and we wait patiently while they play meaningless one-on-one for a few strokes before play may resume. Much like George did, I think I have an airtight case to end this relationship.
David Puddy: "nice work. High five! " Greasemonkey mannerisms are definitely allowed in the sporting world and volleyball is no exception. I enjoy a good compliment, high five, or heterosexual pat on the rear, but celebration is best served in moderate doses. Puddy drove others crazy with his face painting, obnoxious cheering, and incessant high fives. Volleyball is a game that is very back and forth, so keep the in-your-face celebration to a minimum. Remember, for every hard spike there is some one one the receiving end and letting out loud "woo!"'s or "yeah, baby!"'s can really piss people off. Next time maybe they'll aim right for that overconfident mouth of yours. I've seen friendly games go sour and this is often the cause; avoid excessive commentary and keep it modest. But I know, I know, you "gotta support the team." Try doing it with fundamentally sound play.
All in all, the keys to good volleyball are knowing how to handle yourself, being prepared by staying on your toes, and knowing your limits. I'm no pro by any means, but I've played enough to know some of the things you should avoid. Stay away from the above characters and you'll do great.
Jerry: this is that player that seems completely indifferent when the ball happens to pass by his or her way. Maybe they make a feeble attempt to bump a ball that is just out of reach, maybe they don't. I've always wanted to drag my foot through the sand and divide the court into as many segments as there are players and give ownership to each and every player to protect their rectangular section. The Jerry in the group will stand there stationary as the ball catches his corner, watching the player next to him desperately try to save a point while faceplanting into the sand directly at his feet and he'll simply look down at you and say, "That's a shame." Why lift a finger to help out his team when he knows in the end he'll be Even Steven? Jerry has never been one to actually care about anything, so why would volleyball be any different? After the score starts stacking against you and you begin preaching to your team that some points will come if only teamwork can pull off a bump, set, and spike in succession, he'll back away, wave his hands, and wish you "good luck with aaallll that..."
George: he was the most successful when he did the opposite of his instincts, but that only lasted a couple of episodes. George was always giving advice, but it was never anything he himself would be willing to do. This player is usually giving orders but succumbing to hypocrisy by not taking his own advice. He'll be the one yelling at you if you hit it over without utilizing all three shots, yet his first chance at the net he's trying to kill anything that comes close. He often gets annoyed when teammates make unforced errors via mis-hits, but it's ok when his serve return is a bump that struck his upper arm and bounced perpendicular out of bounds and over the fence. George is also a rather angry individual, never successfully hiding his rage. ("George is gettin' upset!") This player is typically bad for team chemistry, using petty comments or body language to let his teammate know he isn't pleased with their recent play. Don't let George "into the bloodstream" and "infect your staff" or he will suck the fun out of playing a friendly game and cause discontent among others. Besides, who wants to play with a "pear-shaped" loser?
Elaine: we all know how she dances, and that in no way translates into volleyball. Listen and listen closely: DO NOT KICK THE BALL. You know who you are out there, but you persist anyways. I have no bigger pet peeve out in the sand box than if Elaine and her "little kicks" show up. Pick up the damn ball and toss it to the next server. Not only does kicking the ball spray sand into the face of the person in front of you but it rarely goes where intended--a kicked ball more often than not ends up as wasted time while someone has to chase and corral what someone thought would be a more efficient way to transport the ball from the ground to the server. If you want to use your feet go join the US World Cup team--they could use the help.
Kramer: Michael Richards has made a living off physical comedy, using his body to generate memorable laughs. Hey, Mr. Purposefully-Throw-Yourself-Into-The-Sand-And-Roll-Around-Or-Fall-Into-The-Net-Guy, you aren't Michael Richards. You may lack coordination. You may lack speed. You may lack simple volleyball skills. However, acting the buffoon doesn't impress. Although the real Kramer's exaggerated behavior onscreen is hilarious, out in the sand a tough, well-fought point won will bring more smiles than an overdramatic point lost. More than once this summer a lengthy, exciting volley developed with people making incredible shots to keep it alive, going back and forth, the intensity growing as everyone wonders who will falter first, only to have it end by some moron (far too juiced from the excited cheering from the masses) run screaming at the ball and hammering it directly into the net or over the fence. The best is when he follows it up with a primitive yell, breaks into a laugh, and then realizes noone is laughing with him. And why is he usually on my team? Now, don't get me wrong, I love a good effort, and laying out into the sand is often necessary and complimented. The second type of Kramer is the one who makes a spectacular dig and manages to save the point, yet he remains laying in the sand until the appropriate props are given. As of late, I've almost began physically picking people up off the sand when this happens. Kudos to a great hit but keep playing, dammit. It's all in vain if the other team hits it right back to the spot where we have a man down (this is especially vital when playing 3-on-3 or 4-on-4). Yes, we saw it, you don't need to overdramatize it for "effect." The funny thing about the Kramer is that he shows up more often when the "femininas" are around. If you care more about generating a cheap laugh from the opposite sex than a friendly competitive, fundamental game get out. I'm sure any Latvian Orthodox Father would agree with me in that you don't have the Kavorka, but rather are a run-of-the-mill Hipster Doofus.
Kenny Bania: whether it be about Ovaltine or the shopping cart with one bad wheel, Bania is always a sure miss--much like the volleyball serve of a few hacks I know. Under normal VB point rules a failed serve eliminates any possibility to earn points, but under rally rules (which is how we play in sand) a failed serve gives the opponent a free point. I understand noone is flawless and bad serves do happen, but if you consistently cannot put the ball into play do something about it. I know a girl who serves it long 75% of the time; one time I decided to count and on her sixth rotation to the serve spot she finally managed to keep one in bounds. Amazing. (People still repeat the rhyme from a couple summers ago, "when in doubt, Stu's are out.") Personally, I think if you are even hitting one out of three out of play that is not effective. Too many Bania's try to put power behind the ball or crazy spin on the ball, but the reality is that aces only happen (rarely) by a lack of communication by the other team. And there is nothing worse than a serve into the net because at least sometimes serves that will most likely go out of bounds are still kept in play by the returning side. I can only imagine the response of a dude who insists on slapping it ineffectively overhand actually listening to my advice of giving underhand a chance, and upon discovering it is easier to complete serves turns to me, wide-eyed and excited, "that's gold, Kelly. Gold!" It's ok to try and improve your serve gradually, but begin with a style that provides consistent results. Every time someone rotates into the back-right corner and my expectations of a shitty serve are answered, it makes me want to puke. "Puke, that's a funny word. Mind if I use that?"
Tim Watley: have you ever noticed some guys are just all over the place? The Watley of the group starts the point as the server, then he's middle-left backrow, then he's at the net. "I think he converted to front row purely for the spikes." Read the Jerry description above and you'll know how I feel about every player having their own area of which they are responsible. Frankly, he just wants in on the action regardless of position much like Tim Watley wants "joke immunity." All too often the Watley will be out of position and the vacancy gets exposed. Amid points I often give friendly reminders to get back to his spot, but when he doesn't I usually have to cover his ass; there is nothing worse than when it ends with the opponent cleverly tapping it to my unoccupied spot and suddenly I'm the anti-dentite bastard. I realize most don't enjoy playing backrow and the net gets more action and setting and spiking can be fun, but that's why we rotate, jackass. And you ask if this offends me as a spiker? No, it offends me as a volleyball player.
Mickey: I'm not picking on little people, but I'm afraid to say some people just aren't built for spiking. I'm tall, but I also jump like a white guy, so I focus on placement and out-of-position defense and "hitting it where they ain't." If you are vertically challenged or lack power, just play it safe. I don't come across a Mickey very often, but when I see a short guy (or often, gal) continue driving it into the net with big swings I can't help but roll my eyes.
Man-Hands: sure the references are getting a bit obscure, but this character exists nonetheless. Do you know anyone who seems to punch the ball rather than bump with their forearms? How about one who uses hard swats with their palm to get the ball into the air rather than setting the ball with two hands gracefully with precision? This is Man-Hands. I'll bet if Jerry's "lobster-claw ripping date" was up for a game of volleyball, she'd also have a tough time keeping it in the yard. These players simply have no touch. I especially enjoy the breed that clamps their hands together to form one mighty fist of fury, pumping it outwards from their body directly into the ball. Now I'm no physicist, but I don't believe making contact with the ball with a row of knuckles at a 45 degree angle is the best approach with the goal of placing the ball anywhere with any sort of accuracy. Come on, Man-Hands, it's a women's sport to begin with--slap on some moisturizer and soften that form. "Would you rather her have no hands?" "Would she have hooks?" "Do hooks make it more attractive, Jerry?" "They'd be kind of cool lookin'..."
Maura: this is not in reference to those players you just can't get rid of (although I've known one or two in my day), but instead are those imbeciles that refuse to let points die. Even though the serve was short or the other team hit it four times Maura continues to hit it back over the net. This isn't like a submarine where everyone has to turn their keys for the point to be over. The only things this person accomplishes is wasting a bit of time and often leading to confusion as to whose turn it is to serve. The only explanations for this behavior are: 1) she honestly didn't realize they hit it four (or more) times because it was a cluster of people, 2) she wasn't paying any attention, 3) she doesn't know the most fundamental rule of volleyball, 4) she was just dicking around. All I ask is that when the ball is dead, simply catch it and toss to the next server. (And God help you if you kick it...) The worst situation is when two Maura's happen to meet across from each other at the net and we wait patiently while they play meaningless one-on-one for a few strokes before play may resume. Much like George did, I think I have an airtight case to end this relationship.
David Puddy: "nice work. High five! " Greasemonkey mannerisms are definitely allowed in the sporting world and volleyball is no exception. I enjoy a good compliment, high five, or heterosexual pat on the rear, but celebration is best served in moderate doses. Puddy drove others crazy with his face painting, obnoxious cheering, and incessant high fives. Volleyball is a game that is very back and forth, so keep the in-your-face celebration to a minimum. Remember, for every hard spike there is some one one the receiving end and letting out loud "woo!"'s or "yeah, baby!"'s can really piss people off. Next time maybe they'll aim right for that overconfident mouth of yours. I've seen friendly games go sour and this is often the cause; avoid excessive commentary and keep it modest. But I know, I know, you "gotta support the team." Try doing it with fundamentally sound play.
All in all, the keys to good volleyball are knowing how to handle yourself, being prepared by staying on your toes, and knowing your limits. I'm no pro by any means, but I've played enough to know some of the things you should avoid. Stay away from the above characters and you'll do great.
Floyd, Say It Ain't So
Well, Radar, here it is: for once the French might possibly be right. Floyd Landis is under investigation for high levels of testosterone during the Tour de France. Personally, I refuse to believe it until there is solid proof he knowingly took enhancers. However, what makes this story different from the accusations of Lance is that it was the American team that reported his test results, rather than a bunch of jealous, idiotic Frenchmen making ridiculous claims. This has the potential to make us look awful. I'll keep my fingers crossed while anxiously awaiting the verdict...
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Trade Deadline Move?
I was shocked at the latest trade deadline move the other day. No, not Odalis Perez being traded. I'm talking about Harold Reynolds being let go by ESPN as a Baseball Tonight Analyst. I was shocked, in fact, I didn't believe what I was reading. Harold is close second behind Peter Gammons in my book for baseball analyst. The ABC "Family" of networks refused comment as to why he was let go, but I'd sure like to hear them justify it. Rich Sutcliffe, John Kruk, no offense, just don't strike me as great minds in baseball. Buster Olney and maybe on some days Orel, but Harold will be missed.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Re: 3 Different Topics
"Is it just me, or is the whiniest major sport NASCAR?"
No, Stradabolt, it isn't you. While watching my nightly ESPN News they aired three separate interviews with crybabies Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. complaining about bumping and "unsafe driving" and how "he gave me the FINGER." (Yes, that last whine indeed happened.) Auto driving should be lucky it is even appearing on this blog as one of these days something will spark me to go into my rant about how ESPN should not even be showing NASCAR at all because of my lack of respecting it as a legitimate sport, and until these "athletes" can toughen up and handle the competition, I will continue to disrespect it. Hell, I saw worse accidents occur during the Tour de France. As Mr. Strader so eloquently phrased it, "kwitcher bitchin'!"
Saturday, July 22, 2006
"If You Get Hurt and Miss Work...
it won't hurt to miss work."
Every time I see that Aflac commerial with Yogi Berra I have to laugh.
"It's that one that you need. If you don't have it, that's why you need it."
Why aren't there more comedic ads featuring retired professional athletes? If I had to make a list of my all-time favorite sports commercials, this would be up there (right with the one where Jordan plays against his younger selves and the new catchy MLB-Chevrolet jingle.)
"And they give you cash, which is just as good as money."
Genious.
Every time I see that Aflac commerial with Yogi Berra I have to laugh.
"It's that one that you need. If you don't have it, that's why you need it."
Why aren't there more comedic ads featuring retired professional athletes? If I had to make a list of my all-time favorite sports commercials, this would be up there (right with the one where Jordan plays against his younger selves and the new catchy MLB-Chevrolet jingle.)
"And they give you cash, which is just as good as money."
Genious.
Monday, July 17, 2006
College Football
Watching the ESPY's last night really made crave some college football. There truly is nothing like it. When they showed highlights of the Rose Bowl, I was just giddy. Now granted we may never see another game like that for 20 years or more, but man. For those of you lucky enough to watch the whole thing, embrace it. I had to miss the whole third quarter and yes I am still bitter about that. Anyway, this year may lack the star power of last year without names like Young, Leinart, Bush, and Tate. Wait scratch that last one. But there is no clear cut favorite. Last year it was USC and Texas all year, but neither team is a lock for a National Title. I'm researching more about this fall so I can write some good pieces with picks and predictions.
Here's hoping ISU gets their defense worked out so we can, well, not suck.
Here's hoping ISU gets their defense worked out so we can, well, not suck.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
The World's Game
I just got back from Los Angeles, where the women are beautiful and the weather is perfect (some guy in the hotel elevator actually responded to my “what’s up?” with “nothing…just trying to deal with this heat” on a day that had a high in the 80s and no humidity). I stayed at the Embassy Suites in Downey, and they offer free drinks from 5:30-7:30 – some of you may recall my appreciation of open bars. So upon drinking my fill of Jack-and-Cokes and watching 2 hours of ESPNews, I started to realize how much of the sports world about which I’ve neglected to comment and started taking mental notes, which soon turned into written notes. I’m now going through my 18 pages of “Embassy Suites” notepads of scribblings and figured deciphering them and transforming them into a blog would make a good Sunday afternoon task.
The World Cup
Sorry this article turned into such a marathon, but I’ve a lot to say. To start, a co-worker forwarded me an article from the Quad City Times titled “We’ll Never be Good at Soccer.” The article and my responded comment can be found at:
http://www.qctimes.net/articles/2006/06/27/sports/doc44a0c8d6538a9517348897.txt
Most of this article is ridiculous (which is why I posted a comment) but the end is actually kind of fun to think about…if America’s best athletes played soccer. I especially like the thought of Kevin Garnett at Goal Keeper.
The truth is, (men’s) soccer in this country has a long way to go before we can be serious contenders for The Cup. But that’s a far cry from saying we will “never be good.” Our showing in 2002 was quite good. Since then, we climbed to 5th in the FIFA rankings. And although very little good can be drawn from this Cup, we did tie the champs…and please don’t say “yeah, but it was an ‘own goal’ by Italy” unless you watched it. Had the Italian not hit it, McBride would have scored. More importantly in that game than the own goal is that we that played the entire second half with 9 players to Italy’s 10.
As for The Cup in general, I think there are some major issues that need to be evaluated.
The flopping was absurd. At some points I half expected some smoke and pyrotechnics and some pro-wrestlers to run onto the field and flop around with the rest of them. I once had a discussion trying to answer the question: Which athletes would you least like to fight (wrestlers, boxers, hockey players, football players, etc.)? Well after watching this Cup, it’s pretty obvious which athletes I would most like to fight: you don’t even have to touch an international soccer player and he’ll end up rolling on the ground screaming. I say “international” because I never once saw a US player flop. Now I don’t really blame the players for this, but rather the referees. A flop should never be rewarded. A ref should only call a foul if he actually SAW a player foul another. That doesn’t happen in a flop, so I don’t understand how fouls were consistently called when untouched players go down screaming. It also seemed like the refs also would never call a foul if the player fouled didn’t go down. If he kept his feet, then they would let play resume, which only encourages players to go-a-flailing at the first hint of contact. The worst is when a player goes down screaming AND makes sure to grab the ball on the way down so the ref is forced to call a foul or a handball, which almost always results in a foul. I feel a flop should be an automatic yellow card. A flop in “the box” should be an automatic red card.
This Cup has been well publicized for its excessive cards. I’m not Mr. Soccer, so I’m always kind of learning as I watch. But after watching a ton of the games, I still don’t really have a good answer for: What determines if a hard foul should get a yellow card, red card or, the more unpopular option in this Cup, no card? It’s obviously discretionary, but to my amateur eye, it could be a lot more consistent with at least a somewhat clear criteria. During some matches I watched (USA-Italy specifically), it truly felt like the ref had some kind of bipolarity with the fouls he gave cards to, and the much more excessive fouls he didn’t. In my opinion, a yellow card should be reserved for the absolute worst/most dangerous fouls that happen in the play of the game and red cards should be reserved for Zidane-esque incidents.
I absolutely hate watching penalty kicks. I say that because in my very limited playing of soccer, I was put at goal keeper (can’t we just say goalie?) 90% of the time. The penalty kicks are just completely unfair to the goalie. He has no chance, except to be lucky and guess right. I especially hate when a player gets fouled in the box with no real chance to score, and is then essentially awarded a free goal through the penalty kick (i.e. USA-Ghana). I think after a foul occurs in the box, the ball should be placed at the point of the foul…just like it is after a penalty anywhere else. The only difference would be that no players may be between the shooter and the goalie. I also think they should do away with the penalty kicks deciding a match in the elimination round. If it gets to 90 minutes and the game is tied, then they should just keep playing until someone scores. I felt that in the Championship, Italy wasn’t even trying for a goal, but was instead just trying to stall until the pk’s. The game should never be set up to encourage teams to stall. I also felt that if they had played the game out until one team scored, France would have won, even without Zidane.
Ok, so about Zidane. I’m still stunned when I think about that head butt. It’s not the fact that it was about the cheapest of cheap shots – which could have had a much more serious result. Or the fact that the game was on the line (most likely the biggest game of his life). Or that a reaction like that to any spoken word is simply bizarre and never justified. It’s the fact that the audience of the game is over 1 Billion people (more than 10 times the audience of Super Bowl XL). If there was ever a time to keep your cool, that would be it! As for those who argue or even suggest that his response was justified based on any family insult or “ethnic slur” that Materazzi said, I eloquently respond with: ETHNIC SLUR MY ASS! I seriously challenge anyone to come up with an insult or “ethnic slur” which would cause ME to do something that outrageous in front of a billion people during the biggest night of my life. I actually feel grateful Zidane was exposed in front of the entire world for exactly what he is: a douchebag.
That’s pretty much it for The World Cup. I actually wrote notes about almost every sport, but this took more time than and turned into a larger article than I intended, so I’ll just leave it at that for now.
The World Cup
Sorry this article turned into such a marathon, but I’ve a lot to say. To start, a co-worker forwarded me an article from the Quad City Times titled “We’ll Never be Good at Soccer.” The article and my responded comment can be found at:
http://www.qctimes.net/articles/2006/06/27/sports/doc44a0c8d6538a9517348897.txt
Most of this article is ridiculous (which is why I posted a comment) but the end is actually kind of fun to think about…if America’s best athletes played soccer. I especially like the thought of Kevin Garnett at Goal Keeper.
The truth is, (men’s) soccer in this country has a long way to go before we can be serious contenders for The Cup. But that’s a far cry from saying we will “never be good.” Our showing in 2002 was quite good. Since then, we climbed to 5th in the FIFA rankings. And although very little good can be drawn from this Cup, we did tie the champs…and please don’t say “yeah, but it was an ‘own goal’ by Italy” unless you watched it. Had the Italian not hit it, McBride would have scored. More importantly in that game than the own goal is that we that played the entire second half with 9 players to Italy’s 10.
As for The Cup in general, I think there are some major issues that need to be evaluated.
The flopping was absurd. At some points I half expected some smoke and pyrotechnics and some pro-wrestlers to run onto the field and flop around with the rest of them. I once had a discussion trying to answer the question: Which athletes would you least like to fight (wrestlers, boxers, hockey players, football players, etc.)? Well after watching this Cup, it’s pretty obvious which athletes I would most like to fight: you don’t even have to touch an international soccer player and he’ll end up rolling on the ground screaming. I say “international” because I never once saw a US player flop. Now I don’t really blame the players for this, but rather the referees. A flop should never be rewarded. A ref should only call a foul if he actually SAW a player foul another. That doesn’t happen in a flop, so I don’t understand how fouls were consistently called when untouched players go down screaming. It also seemed like the refs also would never call a foul if the player fouled didn’t go down. If he kept his feet, then they would let play resume, which only encourages players to go-a-flailing at the first hint of contact. The worst is when a player goes down screaming AND makes sure to grab the ball on the way down so the ref is forced to call a foul or a handball, which almost always results in a foul. I feel a flop should be an automatic yellow card. A flop in “the box” should be an automatic red card.
This Cup has been well publicized for its excessive cards. I’m not Mr. Soccer, so I’m always kind of learning as I watch. But after watching a ton of the games, I still don’t really have a good answer for: What determines if a hard foul should get a yellow card, red card or, the more unpopular option in this Cup, no card? It’s obviously discretionary, but to my amateur eye, it could be a lot more consistent with at least a somewhat clear criteria. During some matches I watched (USA-Italy specifically), it truly felt like the ref had some kind of bipolarity with the fouls he gave cards to, and the much more excessive fouls he didn’t. In my opinion, a yellow card should be reserved for the absolute worst/most dangerous fouls that happen in the play of the game and red cards should be reserved for Zidane-esque incidents.
I absolutely hate watching penalty kicks. I say that because in my very limited playing of soccer, I was put at goal keeper (can’t we just say goalie?) 90% of the time. The penalty kicks are just completely unfair to the goalie. He has no chance, except to be lucky and guess right. I especially hate when a player gets fouled in the box with no real chance to score, and is then essentially awarded a free goal through the penalty kick (i.e. USA-Ghana). I think after a foul occurs in the box, the ball should be placed at the point of the foul…just like it is after a penalty anywhere else. The only difference would be that no players may be between the shooter and the goalie. I also think they should do away with the penalty kicks deciding a match in the elimination round. If it gets to 90 minutes and the game is tied, then they should just keep playing until someone scores. I felt that in the Championship, Italy wasn’t even trying for a goal, but was instead just trying to stall until the pk’s. The game should never be set up to encourage teams to stall. I also felt that if they had played the game out until one team scored, France would have won, even without Zidane.
Ok, so about Zidane. I’m still stunned when I think about that head butt. It’s not the fact that it was about the cheapest of cheap shots – which could have had a much more serious result. Or the fact that the game was on the line (most likely the biggest game of his life). Or that a reaction like that to any spoken word is simply bizarre and never justified. It’s the fact that the audience of the game is over 1 Billion people (more than 10 times the audience of Super Bowl XL). If there was ever a time to keep your cool, that would be it! As for those who argue or even suggest that his response was justified based on any family insult or “ethnic slur” that Materazzi said, I eloquently respond with: ETHNIC SLUR MY ASS! I seriously challenge anyone to come up with an insult or “ethnic slur” which would cause ME to do something that outrageous in front of a billion people during the biggest night of my life. I actually feel grateful Zidane was exposed in front of the entire world for exactly what he is: a douchebag.
That’s pretty much it for The World Cup. I actually wrote notes about almost every sport, but this took more time than and turned into a larger article than I intended, so I’ll just leave it at that for now.
Friday, July 14, 2006
Enough is enough...
Today I was mulling over college football previews and stumbled across some very disturbing news. If you go to ESPN.com and go to the college football section, you can a free peak at what Blue Ribbon has to say about Iowa's upcoming season. Two things jumped out at me while skimming the article. The first came in the early part of the article. They mentioned how great Kirk Ferentz is, which he is, but then started in on how great Iowa football has been and that they'd only been held to less then 20 points twice, against a very talented Ohio State team (my opinion) and Iowa State. But its okay, Drew Tate left with a self inflicted (my words again) concussion. Okay, so if everybody is healthy they're a great team, but if not, well they can lose every once and a while and make a Jan. 1st bowl game. I thought that was too much already, but it got better, I guess.
Later it discussed their potential for success and how they thought the season would play out (last few paragraphs). Let me give a little background information to prepare you for this. Iowa plays Montana, Syracuse, Iowa State, and Illinois their first four games. "Fortunately for them, the schedule provides relief with four likely blowouts before they play host to Ohio State." Blowouts, three I would believe, but one of those teams beat Iowa last year, pretty handedly. I hope Hawk fans look past Iowa State this year, which they probably won't because they know they got rocked last year, but if they do, they're in trouble. Iowa State may struggle a little this year because their schedule is awful tough, but against the Hawks they should be ready, we always are. So here's to you Hawk fans, may Drew Tate continuing winning games, for Iowa State...
NOTE: On the bright side, Blue Ribbon had Todd Blythe, Brett Meyer, and DeAndre Jackson (DB and KR) all on 1st team Big XII. Rankings weren't out yet for how we would fair in the North, but this is promising. No Curvey though, strange...
Later it discussed their potential for success and how they thought the season would play out (last few paragraphs). Let me give a little background information to prepare you for this. Iowa plays Montana, Syracuse, Iowa State, and Illinois their first four games. "Fortunately for them, the schedule provides relief with four likely blowouts before they play host to Ohio State." Blowouts, three I would believe, but one of those teams beat Iowa last year, pretty handedly. I hope Hawk fans look past Iowa State this year, which they probably won't because they know they got rocked last year, but if they do, they're in trouble. Iowa State may struggle a little this year because their schedule is awful tough, but against the Hawks they should be ready, we always are. So here's to you Hawk fans, may Drew Tate continuing winning games, for Iowa State...
NOTE: On the bright side, Blue Ribbon had Todd Blythe, Brett Meyer, and DeAndre Jackson (DB and KR) all on 1st team Big XII. Rankings weren't out yet for how we would fair in the North, but this is promising. No Curvey though, strange...
Thursday, July 13, 2006
The 5 Reasons Why Noone Knows If the Cincinnati Reds Will Win the Wild Card
I logged on ten minutes ago prepared to write a post entitled "The 5 Reasons Why the Cincinnati Reds Will Win the Wild Card." Then I decided to check out MLB.com only to find the headline coincidentally bearing news about an eight-player trade between the Reds and Nationals. Suddenly I'm not as confident. Sure it bolsters their bullpen, but they are losing a couple important bats. The combined stats for Felipe Lopez and Austin Kearns from the first half of the season:
BA-.271, OBP-.353, HR-25, RBI-80, BB-82, SB-30 (But 151 strikeouts. Yikes.)
Kearns helps protect Adam Dunn in the lineup, so it is that much more important Ken Griffey is healthy and productive. Royce Clayton (age 36) should fray part of the loss, but he will provide a mediocre output at best.
Hell, now I'm not so sure, so I've altered this entry to explain why I am completely clueless as to whether or not they are the real deal. (This is dedicated to our friends, the Lebo-Beyers, out in Ohio.)
1) It's hard to keep playing better than expected.
Bronson Arroyo, Aaron Harang, Scott Hatteberg, and Brandon Phillips are exceeding expectations by having higher than normal numbers. It'll be interesting to see if this pitching staff can continue balancing a potent offense. In recent years the Reds have had the most explosive offense but lacked pitching to keep them in games, and even with Bronson and Harang throwing great, they are both a measly 9-6. They do have a real deal in Edwin Encarnacion who is legitimatly having his breakout season after an average rookie year and should consistently get better. However, as the season moves on and Cinci becomes less of a suprise upstart team and becomes a favorite for second in the Central, the expectations will increase and the young players may buckle under the pressure during the final wild card push.
2) Team chemistry may change.
I'm not sure how much I buy into the "intangibles" of team sports, but I do know that having confidence in eachother and preaching teamwork can give guys a boost. Thus far, the Reds have been playing well *together* with a consistent lineup and a pitching staff that keeps challenging eachother. Integrating five new players, with the loss of a key component in Kearns, can shake up the good thing they had going.
3) It will be difficult to repeat a 11-3 record against Houston and St. Louis.
Their record against the rest of the NL Central is pretty typical (15-17), but to climb higher in the ranks they must begin taking more games from the lowly Cubs and Pirates. The Astros and Cards know what it takes to reach the playoffs and will be tougher wins the remainder of the season.
4) Ken Griffey is a perennial question mark.
Some days he looks like the old Griffey, some days he looks like the Tin Man before his joints were oiled. His 18 home runs and 50 RBI's definitely help the cause, but he isn't hitting for average (.255) or seeing the ball as well (8th on team in walks with 17). As mentioned above, if the Reds want to contend they need a healthy KG. He hits the DL, so does the team.
5) History has a way of repeating itself.
Nothing would make me angrier than if Houston goes on yet another late-season tear to squeak into the postseason. Clemens and Pettitte will begin winning games, Lance Berkman will keep up this pace, and Brad Lidge will regain his form (I hope not) making them a threat to take a run at the division. Experience may win out and those damned Astros, who are built like a playoff team, can turn on the afterburners. The Dodgers, Giants, and D-Backs will be amid the dogfight til the end while I'm rooting for the unlikely Rockies who are having a season very similar to the Reds. On the flip side, though, the trend of wild cards from the Central may continue and the Reds are ready to replace Houston in that role.
Overall, the NL race should be much tighter than the AL, and who the hell knows what's gonna happen? I suppose that's why they play the games. Fire up!
BA-.271, OBP-.353, HR-25, RBI-80, BB-82, SB-30 (But 151 strikeouts. Yikes.)
Kearns helps protect Adam Dunn in the lineup, so it is that much more important Ken Griffey is healthy and productive. Royce Clayton (age 36) should fray part of the loss, but he will provide a mediocre output at best.
Hell, now I'm not so sure, so I've altered this entry to explain why I am completely clueless as to whether or not they are the real deal. (This is dedicated to our friends, the Lebo-Beyers, out in Ohio.)
1) It's hard to keep playing better than expected.
Bronson Arroyo, Aaron Harang, Scott Hatteberg, and Brandon Phillips are exceeding expectations by having higher than normal numbers. It'll be interesting to see if this pitching staff can continue balancing a potent offense. In recent years the Reds have had the most explosive offense but lacked pitching to keep them in games, and even with Bronson and Harang throwing great, they are both a measly 9-6. They do have a real deal in Edwin Encarnacion who is legitimatly having his breakout season after an average rookie year and should consistently get better. However, as the season moves on and Cinci becomes less of a suprise upstart team and becomes a favorite for second in the Central, the expectations will increase and the young players may buckle under the pressure during the final wild card push.
2) Team chemistry may change.
I'm not sure how much I buy into the "intangibles" of team sports, but I do know that having confidence in eachother and preaching teamwork can give guys a boost. Thus far, the Reds have been playing well *together* with a consistent lineup and a pitching staff that keeps challenging eachother. Integrating five new players, with the loss of a key component in Kearns, can shake up the good thing they had going.
3) It will be difficult to repeat a 11-3 record against Houston and St. Louis.
Their record against the rest of the NL Central is pretty typical (15-17), but to climb higher in the ranks they must begin taking more games from the lowly Cubs and Pirates. The Astros and Cards know what it takes to reach the playoffs and will be tougher wins the remainder of the season.
4) Ken Griffey is a perennial question mark.
Some days he looks like the old Griffey, some days he looks like the Tin Man before his joints were oiled. His 18 home runs and 50 RBI's definitely help the cause, but he isn't hitting for average (.255) or seeing the ball as well (8th on team in walks with 17). As mentioned above, if the Reds want to contend they need a healthy KG. He hits the DL, so does the team.
5) History has a way of repeating itself.
Nothing would make me angrier than if Houston goes on yet another late-season tear to squeak into the postseason. Clemens and Pettitte will begin winning games, Lance Berkman will keep up this pace, and Brad Lidge will regain his form (I hope not) making them a threat to take a run at the division. Experience may win out and those damned Astros, who are built like a playoff team, can turn on the afterburners. The Dodgers, Giants, and D-Backs will be amid the dogfight til the end while I'm rooting for the unlikely Rockies who are having a season very similar to the Reds. On the flip side, though, the trend of wild cards from the Central may continue and the Reds are ready to replace Houston in that role.
Overall, the NL race should be much tighter than the AL, and who the hell knows what's gonna happen? I suppose that's why they play the games. Fire up!
Keys to the Second Half
Dayn Perry, a journalist I am less than fond of, wrote an article on questions for the second half. So here are my thoughts on these questions.
1. The AL East - Watch out Boston and New York, these Blue Jays are for real. The money the spent this offseason looks like it will pay off. Troy Glaus, Halliday, Rios (when he's healthy), Wells, etc. These guys can play and with the Yanks injuries I would not be surprised to see the Blue Jays and Bo Sox fighting it out for the title come Sept. This should be an exciting race, and I'm picking the Blue Jays.
2. The Cards - Yes, they can hold on. Is there any doubt? The NL Central is pretty week, considering the Red Birds only competition will be from the Reds and Brewers, I really don't foresee another division title being a problem. They've had their struggles, but La Russa knows what he's doing, he'll have this team ready for October.
3. The Trade Deadline - The joys of speculation. For the past few seasons it seems the build-up to the trade deadline never lives up to the hype. In fact, I think you could say the biggest trade made last year was the White Sox getting Geoff Blum from the Padres. He did win Game 3 for the Sox. I feel this year will be a bust again. Dontrelle WIllis is not leaving Florida. I would bet on that. Alfonso is the biggest name likely to move, since the Nationals failed to excel this year. Maddux will also be shipped out, as should most veterans on the Cub Scouts roster, change is needed. Expect a ho-hum trade deadline, again.
4. The Cubs - The first thing that needs to happen in Chicago is to kick some people in the ass. Seriously, this team is horrible. Dusty Baker shouldn't, thought likely will, take the fall for lack luster play from a less the stellar roster. The Cubs need to trade for Prior and Wood by sending some minor leaguers to the DL. The real question is, can a team so used to losing, change that?
5. AL Central - White Sox, two reasons. 1) Kenny Rogers always struggles the second half, and as the ace, if he goes down, so will the rest of the staff because...2) they're a young staff and fatigue and a few struggles will affect them more than the veteran staff of Chicago. Just look at the Sox rotation, besides Beurhle and Contreas, the ERA of Garcia, Garland, and Javier are very high, but their records and mindset are still good. Watch out if the South Side team gets hot, there could be trouble with Mo-Towns magical season.
Side note: How about the Twins, these guys really are playing lights out and don't look to stop anytime soon. My prediction, and it is a bold one, is that White Sox win the Division, and Minnesota takes the Wild Card. I think they get hot(ter) and with the aid of Chicago beat up on the Tigers who miss the playoffs.
6. NL Wild Card - I'm feeling crazy today, so here goes another off the wall prediction. The Braves will win the Wild Card. Yes, I know, crazy, but the GM has committed to winning even this year, their rotation has made great strides, and they can't keep swinging so poorly all year. The bullpen may need some help, but watch out, they always find a way, and why would this year be any different.
7. The A's - Will they stay healthy? Yes. Will they win the West? Yes. Will it piss me off how they will just go on a tear and take off with first in the West? Yes. There really is no better second half team than the A's (outside of Houston, but not this year).
8. NL West - The Dodgers win a close one, with San Diego not far behind. I know Brad Penny can't every game like he did in the All-Star game, but man, WOW.
9. The Royals - They have turned this year around, and by that I mean they're not the worst in baseball anymore (enter Pirates). They're making progress and if their young talent develops, they may be a threat in the next few years. Watch out, they'll make noise this year.
10. I feel like I addressed this one...
To recap, my picks are:
AL East: TOR
AL Central: CHW
AL West: OAK
AL Wild Card: MIN
NL East: NYM
NL Central: STL
NL West: LAD
NL Wild Card: ATL
This season should be one of the most exciting in a while, sit back and enjoy.
1. The AL East - Watch out Boston and New York, these Blue Jays are for real. The money the spent this offseason looks like it will pay off. Troy Glaus, Halliday, Rios (when he's healthy), Wells, etc. These guys can play and with the Yanks injuries I would not be surprised to see the Blue Jays and Bo Sox fighting it out for the title come Sept. This should be an exciting race, and I'm picking the Blue Jays.
2. The Cards - Yes, they can hold on. Is there any doubt? The NL Central is pretty week, considering the Red Birds only competition will be from the Reds and Brewers, I really don't foresee another division title being a problem. They've had their struggles, but La Russa knows what he's doing, he'll have this team ready for October.
3. The Trade Deadline - The joys of speculation. For the past few seasons it seems the build-up to the trade deadline never lives up to the hype. In fact, I think you could say the biggest trade made last year was the White Sox getting Geoff Blum from the Padres. He did win Game 3 for the Sox. I feel this year will be a bust again. Dontrelle WIllis is not leaving Florida. I would bet on that. Alfonso is the biggest name likely to move, since the Nationals failed to excel this year. Maddux will also be shipped out, as should most veterans on the Cub Scouts roster, change is needed. Expect a ho-hum trade deadline, again.
4. The Cubs - The first thing that needs to happen in Chicago is to kick some people in the ass. Seriously, this team is horrible. Dusty Baker shouldn't, thought likely will, take the fall for lack luster play from a less the stellar roster. The Cubs need to trade for Prior and Wood by sending some minor leaguers to the DL. The real question is, can a team so used to losing, change that?
5. AL Central - White Sox, two reasons. 1) Kenny Rogers always struggles the second half, and as the ace, if he goes down, so will the rest of the staff because...2) they're a young staff and fatigue and a few struggles will affect them more than the veteran staff of Chicago. Just look at the Sox rotation, besides Beurhle and Contreas, the ERA of Garcia, Garland, and Javier are very high, but their records and mindset are still good. Watch out if the South Side team gets hot, there could be trouble with Mo-Towns magical season.
Side note: How about the Twins, these guys really are playing lights out and don't look to stop anytime soon. My prediction, and it is a bold one, is that White Sox win the Division, and Minnesota takes the Wild Card. I think they get hot(ter) and with the aid of Chicago beat up on the Tigers who miss the playoffs.
6. NL Wild Card - I'm feeling crazy today, so here goes another off the wall prediction. The Braves will win the Wild Card. Yes, I know, crazy, but the GM has committed to winning even this year, their rotation has made great strides, and they can't keep swinging so poorly all year. The bullpen may need some help, but watch out, they always find a way, and why would this year be any different.
7. The A's - Will they stay healthy? Yes. Will they win the West? Yes. Will it piss me off how they will just go on a tear and take off with first in the West? Yes. There really is no better second half team than the A's (outside of Houston, but not this year).
8. NL West - The Dodgers win a close one, with San Diego not far behind. I know Brad Penny can't every game like he did in the All-Star game, but man, WOW.
9. The Royals - They have turned this year around, and by that I mean they're not the worst in baseball anymore (enter Pirates). They're making progress and if their young talent develops, they may be a threat in the next few years. Watch out, they'll make noise this year.
10. I feel like I addressed this one...
To recap, my picks are:
AL East: TOR
AL Central: CHW
AL West: OAK
AL Wild Card: MIN
NL East: NYM
NL Central: STL
NL West: LAD
NL Wild Card: ATL
This season should be one of the most exciting in a while, sit back and enjoy.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
"Awww. Is that it?"
It appeared Public Enemy #1, AJ Pierzynski, didn't notice the FOX Broadcasting camera looking him directly in the face. After a mix of cheers and boos upon his introduction (I'd say approx 40-60, respectively), he turns to his teammate and says the above smiling in a sarcastic tone for all the world to see. I honestly think he was disappointed.
Then again, perhaps he just couldn't see the camera due to poor vision, which seemed the case on Friday against the Red Sox when he slid far to the side of the bag and completely out of the basepath, taking out the shortstop and allowing the winning run to reach base. Man, he really oughta get those eyes check...
Then again, perhaps he just couldn't see the camera due to poor vision, which seemed the case on Friday against the Red Sox when he slid far to the side of the bag and completely out of the basepath, taking out the shortstop and allowing the winning run to reach base. Man, he really oughta get those eyes check...
Why I Love This Game
A modern day Moonlight Graham
"Son, if I'd only got to be a doctor for five minutes, now that would have been a tragedy."
"Son, if I'd only got to be a doctor for five minutes, now that would have been a tragedy."
Friday, July 07, 2006
The End of an Era
Risking taking attention away from the MLB all-star game, I thought I would share how sad I am to see Andre Agassi retire. For those of you who caught his final match at Wimbledon (I've seen it re-aired atleast three times now) you know what I'm talking about. He has been such a fantastic icon for the game of tennis over the past two decades and even though retirement was inevitable, it will be difficult to see him go. After his three-set loss to #2 Nadal on Centre Court, he gave one last trademark 'four corners bow' and a rare on-court interview. The crowd showed immense appreciation, Nadal was gushing over what it means to play a legend, and Andre himself had tears in his eyes while sharing how much he loved all the years spent at the All England Club, thanking the fans for all their support. It was one of those soul-touching moments that reminds me why I watch sports to begin with.
I absolutely can't wait until September to witness an entire country rally behind Agassi at the US Open for one final run. The 2002 US Open was magnificent as Pete Sampras won the last tournament he would ever play, fittingly against Agassi, and I hope this year we can send off the other half of this dominant American tandem victorious. I recommend you take this fleeting opportunity to see the end of a great American era.
I absolutely can't wait until September to witness an entire country rally behind Agassi at the US Open for one final run. The 2002 US Open was magnificent as Pete Sampras won the last tournament he would ever play, fittingly against Agassi, and I hope this year we can send off the other half of this dominant American tandem victorious. I recommend you take this fleeting opportunity to see the end of a great American era.
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