I just read the article I had been wanting to read on Ken Dorsey, formerly of the University of Miami and now laboring to make a spot with the 49ers. The article says that he�s answered a lot of questions about the strength of his arm with one pass made to Tai Streets who was streaking down the sidelines and caught the perfect 50 yard spiral from Dorsey in stride.
The knock on Dorsey was his arm strength, but he�s been answering the bell since he came on at Miami and now he has to battle Brandon Doman formerly of BYU for the third spot on the roster.
Dorsey has a lot to learn being a newcomer in the 49ers� complicated system, but has handled it well according to his QB coach Ted Tollner and Jeff Garcia. I just can�t help but pull for the guy. Being smart, hungry and underrated is the usual formula for success in my book.
The talk on Rich Harden for the A�s is mind boggling. The A�s newest pitching phenom has writers and fans in a tizzy over his potential and his first three outings so far in the big leagues. Over 21 innings and three starts he is 2-0 and has given up only 2 earned runs.
Yesterday�s line: seven innings, no runs, three hits, nine strike outs, and all that without admittedly his best stuff. Ye gads!
The 17th round draft pick who says he didn�t get serious about pitching until he went to college is a soft spoken kid from an island off the British Columbia coast, but is now wowing sports writers and fans from coast to coast as the next pitcher in the best rotation in baseball. Ken Macha and Billy Beane have tried to fill that fourth spot in the rotation with John Halama, Ted Lilly and Aaron Harang who was just sent to Cincinnati for hopefully some consistent hitting from Jose Guillen who was hitting .337 with 23 home runs and 63 RBIs.
With the Yankees coming to Oakland for a big three game set this weekend, the A�s are starting to make their run at the playoffs. With all the starting pitching they have there is no question what their strength is. However, the questions surrounding their hitting, run production and middle relief must be resolved if the A�s are to even make the playoffs, let alone get to the World Series. Currently they are 1.5 games back of the Red Sox in the wildcard and the White Sox are 6.5 games back of the Red Sox as well. Wasn�t this the same race last year or the year before?
One thought on the trades before the deadline. I don�t like them. I think you dance with the horse that brung ya. Or something like that. Anyway, I don�t get it. The Yankees have the best record in the American League and their idea of getting better is breaking up the team? Well, of course the Red Sox have to follow suit and try to wrestle away as many players as possible from any team out there, including the lowly Pirates. I read the Yankees gave away their best pitching prospect, a young left hander, Brandon Claussen for Aaron Boone, who is hitting .273 this year and who is eligible for salary arbitration after this year. His only upside is more home runs hit than their old third baseman, Robin Ventura, who is in a nasty slump right now. But through it all, somehow the Yankees keep winning. I hate them so much.
The A�s made their deal knowing that they needed hitting and that one of their starters was expendable. Hence Harang is gone for a good hitter. But if you knew you needed hitting, why not trade earlier? I guess once Beane knew Harden was here to stay, that would then make one of his fourth and fifth starters eligible for trade.
I really get sick of the articles that come out of training camp about how everyone is optimistic. I mean who isn�t optimistic? Why don�t you hear stories like, �Once again, the team is looking forward to being mediocre at best� or �We certainly are looking for a high draft pick next summer?� But no, I hear that Amani Toomer is looking forward to another Super Bowl with the Giants and they have a �fresh outlook.� I mean, geez, how is it fresh? They have the same coach, the same quarterback, the same system, the same stadium, the same uniforms, etc. How will that make them better? Somehow, the routine is fresh because�it�s training camp again? I don�t get it. Some groups show promise, but the Giants topped out three years ago losing to the Ravens in the Super Bowl. I don�t see them getting better, especially with the Eagles (who are good), the Cowboys (who DO have a fresh outlook: new coach; young offense) and the Redskins (who are still fresh with a new coach, have a young QB and made lots of player moves in the off season) in their division. I would say they will be 7-9 at best. But I guess if there were no optimism in camp, there wouldn�t be any hope and thus no reason to play. Kind of like the atmosphere Marvin Lewis is trying to dispel in Cincinnati.
August 1, 2003
Kobe and others bring up some points in this busy off season
It�s time I weighed in on the Kobe Bryant thing. At first, I thought, �Gold digger.� Now I read a blurb that said there is still visible evidence of assault on the alleged victim. When I think of the life of a young, rich, famous and good looking basketball star, he must have it all. Perhaps he thought he could have it all no matter what. Oh well. It really hasn�t been a good summer for the NBA. Perhaps a timeline of NBA arrests would be good. I will try, but I�ll probably miss something, due to the fact that there were so many this summer.
June 13: Chris Webber charges of obstruction of justice dropped but still faces perjury charge.
July 6: News breaks that Kobe is out of jail in Colorado on $25K on July 4.
July 7: Damon Stoudamire arrested on marijuana charges.
July 7: Orlando Magic guard Darrell Armstrong was arrested early Monday after being accused of fighting with a female police officer outside a nightclub.
July 14: Chris Webber pleads to charge of criminal contempt on the eve of his perjury trial and won�t serve jail time.
July 15: Jerry Stackhouse was arrested Sunday on a misdemeanor assault charge.
July 18: Police have upgraded an assault charge against former Milwaukee Bucks teammates Gary Payton, Sam Cassell and Jason Caffey stemming from a fight in Toronto.
July 18: Kobe is charged with one count of sexual assault.
Okay, so maybe it isn�t the biggest laundry list. But it serves notice that the NBA is seemingly having serious problems with some of the high profile players getting in trouble. I don�t have the facts to know if it is disproportional compared to other leagues or society in general. Anecdotal evidence suggests that since I haven�t heard a lot of charges from the NFL or the NHL this off season, I think that they are more well behaved. I�m lazy, so I haven�t really done the necessary research to make any speculations at this point. So this isn�t the place to make sweeping grand accusations. But maybe it�ll be forthcoming. But I doubt it.
In other news, the hiring of one of my favorite entertainers, Rush Limbaugh, by ESPN is drawing fire from Left Coast sports columnists in Oakland and LA, at least those are the ones I�ve read. One said he has neither wit or humor. I must protest. The Rush Limbaugh show has the time to do the homework that the other shows which say they either inform or entertain do not. The research is first rate and the humor is very present.
In terms of football knowledge and love, there aren�t many entertainers who know more about football or love the game more than he. His show always has picks every Friday and his love for football is unquestionable.
Another Oakland Athletics pitcher Rich Harden from the minors has made his debut against the first place Royals and came off with a no decision after seven innings and one run given up. Not bad. ,why can�t the other teams come up with pitching and players form their farm system? Just to name some names, the A�s have grown these players which include AL MVP�s and Cy Young winners: Tim Hudson (All-Star), Barry Zito (Cy Young, All-Star), Mark Mulder (All-Star), Ramon Hernandez (All-Star), Eric Chavez (All-Star), Miguel Tejada (All-Star, AL MVP) and Jason Giambi (All-Star, AL MVP) now of the Yankees.
Name another team with that kind of farm system. Didn�t think you could.
And finally, now that the NFL training camps are opening, where is the buzz? Last year, all eyes were focused on Washington Redskins new coach Steve Spurrier. Now, well, let�s see, can the Bucs repeat? Um, can teams stay healthy? It�s make up the news time for NFL beat writers. Sorry.
July 22, 2003
Random thoughts for the week while I am trying to give this day some sense of meaning:
Dusty Baker, were he white, would know the true wrath of the liberal media for saying Latino and black players are better suited for playing in warm weather and white players are better in the cold. But since he is black himself, he is no racist. It�s the Jewish joke phenomenon: only Jewish guys can tell Jewish jokes. If someone from another race or culture tells a joke about another or points out some foible, it�s insensitive. By the way, did you hear about the Arab who tried to blow up a bus?
Why didn�t the NASA guys admit that the foam caused the wing on the shuttle to fail? All along they said there was no indication when it seemed obvious to everyone else, including myself. The test shown on TV making that big hole, kind of leaves no doubt.
Why is the media so concerned about Kobe�s image? That�s all I�ve heard about since the story broke yesterday. I don�t know how many polls I�ve voted in about Kobe�s image being tarnished form the allegations. I bet that he doesn�t even get charged. Note: I�m usually wrong about those kinds of bets. Personally I think it�s the bogus ramblings of a woman scorned.
Have we seen the next Michael Jordan type come back in Dominic Hasek? Can the 38 year old do it for one more season after having his battery �recharged.� Methinks not. Also, I found that I want to have some kind of recognizable name like �The Under Dog� so I can say stuff like, �TUG thinks not,� when I write sentences like the one above. Hmmm� The Under Dog. TUG. I like it. Maybe I�ll have to think about that one some more.
I am more of a Hemingway guy than a Steinbeck guy.
The NBA, which seems to have more than it�s fair share of trouble these days, has got the whole jail thang down. I�m sure the Player�s Association will come to the defense of any offending player to reduce suspensions and fines. I�m sure that the most recent charges and allegations will look real good at the old collective bargaining table too.
I love checking the NFL.com site for player moves. Speaking of NFL player moves, is there anyone better at player movement and possible contributions next year being put into the best light possible than Len Pasquarelli? Is he not the hardest working sports writer you�ve ever seen?
Being the stupid Miami Hurricanes fan that I am, I had read a little thing about Ken Dorsey being a better player than Gino Torretta and that he�s better in 49ers camp than anyone thought he would be. Immediately my little ears perked up. Bill Walsh said it and I looked for more info and couldn�t really track anything down. Why is it that I want Dorsey to succeed? I guess it was all the knocks he got coming out of college. He gets drafted in the final round of the draft by a team with a pretty much set QB rotation and hopefully he�ll make the practice squad or something.
By the way, I�m gone to Montana for 10 days July 10 through the 18th. Will try to update while I�m there.
7/8/03
Avs corner scoring market. Not that kind of scoring.
Paul kariya and Teemu Selanne together again. Only this time with Peter Forsberg, Milan Hejduk and Joe Sakic they probably don't need a goalie. But, just to be safe, better have me start in goal, to at least stop a few pucks from going in.
But seriously, wow. I think I read they took pay cuts to sign one year deals. I loved Kariya so much in the Finals last month. He was my hero. The little guy who got up after the jaw dropping collision at center ice with Scott Stevens in game six. The goal after that gave me tears.
I am very interested in who will be in goal. David Aebischer was good in terms of goals against, but his W-L percentage wasn't anything to hang your hat on. Free agent goalies are again plentiful and perhaps a quality netminder can be saved from another team by the Avalanche.
7/3/03
All-Star voting fiasco
Something is wrong with the Major League Baseball All-Star voting process. The problem, simply stated, is that Hideki Matsui has the same number of All-Star votes as Barry Bonds. This morning I got an email from MLB asking me to vote for the best of the boys of summer. I looked down the rankings and saw these stats:
AL Outfield
Suzuki, I. 1,618,015
Matsui, H. 1,038,784
Ramirez, M. 808,529
Hunter, T. 702,475
NL Outfield
Bonds, B. 1,157,384
Sosa, S. 894,156
Sheffield, G. 811,239
Pujols, A. 793,109
Here is the problem: Internet voting. What gives any Joe Shmoe, or in this case, Joe Honda Maker (Anyone in Kentucky), the right to vote for an all-star? What we see is Japanese player bias. Ichiro and Matsui are the most famous players in Japan. I guess it should come as no surprise that Ichiro is leading the voting. He has this strange aura about him. I would say that he is anointed by the media to be the greatest player on the planet or something. I wasn�t that impressed with his late season collapse last year and the lack of any real contribution in the last two months of the season. Probably why the Mariners didn�t make the playoffs. As I write this, Ichiro is third in batting in the AL at .340. He probably deserves to be an All-Star, but I wouldn�t have him start. I say, let the fans at the ball park vote alone again. It still is a popularity contest, but at least it'll be between players who have actually done something in the league previously.
When it comes to Matsui, I watched him play the Cubs on Fox earlier in the season and Joe Buck announced that Godzilla has more ground ball outs than any other player in the game. He is currently batting .300 (not bad) with nine home runs (average at best) and 62 RBI�s (Good for 11th in the AL). I can think of a lot more deserving players than Matsui, who, if he weren�t on the Yankees, wouldn�t have half the RBI�s he has.
The hole in my theory is that we don�t see the other Japanese non-pitcher Shinjo in the voting, but he�s not usually a regular. He also wasn�t famous in Japan where a hero gets the adulation of an entire country it seems.
My voting on MLB.com was very painstaking for me. I went and researched the players and voted on pure stats. Sometimes when stats were close, I would go by one stat or another, but my ideal player is an amalgamation of hitting for average and power. I generally looked at three stats: batting average, home runs and runs batted in. When those three are clicking, then I vote for that player. The most important stat for me was the batting average. I just can�t in good conscience vote for anyone who isn�t batting at least .300. The exceptions this year are A.J. Pierzynski of the Twins. He�s the best hitting catcher in the league. Mike Lowell of Florida, the best hitting third baseman in the NL, is the other exception to the .300 rule. He�s quietly leading the NL in home runs with 25.
I voted for Barry Bonds because he get about one quarter less chances to drive in runs that the average player gets. Sammy Sosa also has a ton of votes, but that�s the popularity thing again. Albert Pujols is leading the NL in just about everything and he still isn�t going to start according to dunderhead fans.
So without further ado, my picks for All-Star as of today:
AL
Position Name Team Avg. HR RBI
1B Delgado Tor .305 26 89
2B Boone Sea .313 22 66
SS Garciaparra Bos .338 12 56
3B Blalock Tex .332 12 46
C Pierzynski Min .291 9 47
OF Mora Bal .352 11 41
OF Anderson Ana .315 19 68
OF Wells Tor .310 20 76
The real tossup is in the outfield. It�s hard not to vote for Manny Ramirez. He�s just so good. But when someone is leading the league in batting such as Melvin Mora is, with a good amount of home runs and RBI�s, well, I want him to go to the game for having such a good year. Garrett Anderson and Vernon Wells are hitting so well, it�s hard to argue against them. I wanted really badly to vote for Eric Byrnes of the A�s as well. Hitting .335 with 11 home runs and 41 RBI�s, he just hit for the cycle the other day and is having a monster year. The only thing separating him from Mora is about .017 batting average. .352 just looks better, especially when it�s leading the league.
The pick at third base, Hank Blalock is another Mora pick. Troy Glaus has more home runs, but his average stinks. Same with Eric Chavez, even though it pains me to say that. I love Chavez and hope he turns it around in the 2nd half of the season like he usually does. It also really hurts not to be able to even think about voting for Miguel Tejada. The reigning AL MVP just hasn�t hit with any consistency this year and started just horribly.
NL
Position Name Team Avg. HR RBI
1B Helton Col .336 14 64
2B Kent Hou .313 11 50
SS Rentaria Stl .339 7 56
3B Lowell Fla .287 25 68
C Lopez Atl .313 23 48
OF Pujols Stl .386 23 72
OF Sheffield Atl .323 22 64
OF Bonds SF .302 22 47
At second base, the old Jose Vidro or Jeff Kent argument reared it�s head again. Though Vidro has a higher average and Kent is injured right now, I like Kent�s power and consistency at the plate when he is healthy. The shortstop position was harder a little earlier in the year, but Rentaria has established his hitting credentials and drives in runs as well without a lot of pop in his bat. There are catchers with higher averages like Mike Lieberthal of the Phillies, but Javy is having one heck of a year at the plate driving balls over the fence and generally being the hitter he used to be this year again. He�s probably batting better now than he ever has. I already talked about Barry. There are players who have better averages or more RBI�s, but they aren�t nearly the threat he is. Nor do they get walked as much as he does. I left off Sammy because of the miserable year he�s had and he cheated in a game, mistake or not.
Those are my picks. The MVP�s are easy: Pujols and Delgado. Both are the most productive hitters in their respective leagues. I want to see Carlos in the home run contest.
One last thought. The All-Star game is now determining who gets home field advantage in the World Series. I hope this is the last year this is done. Home Field advantage should be decided by the team that plays 162 games, not a group of guys who get together for one game. They represent the league�s best players, but not the league�s best team. Just drop it.
I wish I could say that baseball is the best sport. The league is floundering. It makes the NBA look healthy. It will never become the revered sport that it once was and the NFL has now become. It would take someone with brains and compassion to turn it around. One cannot see the game and remember the acrimony of the players and the owners now. They will be forever separated. Because of greed and shortsightedness, the league has become what it is now, a hollow shell of what it once was.
I was talking with a fellow A�s fan yesterday afternoon. He grew up watching the A�s of the early 70�s, when baseball was more of a sport and less of a home run hitting contest. (And yes, I realize the hypocrisy of selecting home run hitters over guys with higher averages.) We waxed poetic of the days before everybody tried to hit the ball out of the park and strategy mattered. The A�s and the Reds we said, baseball was maybe never better. But it�s a pipe dream. Those times were a precursor to what it has become. The bitter fruit is the league we have today, where a band-aid is supposed to garner fan interest in the All-Star game, but it only reveals the desperation of management gone awry.
July 1, 2003
Some NBA Draft notes:
Reading over the picks and ratings by Chad Ford of ESPN, I came across this note at the bottom of the page regarding the Washington Wizards� second round draft pick of Steve Blake:
�As for Steve Blake? So, let's see, Blake, Dixon ... How long before Chris Wilcox and Lonny Baxter end up in a Wizards uniform? Maybe the Wiz will win the Final Four next year.�
Best comment I�ve heard yet about the draft.
Seriously, the player I like the best is Carmelo Anthony. I love his game, his heart, his love of the game and that little smile he�s got when he�s out there doing his thing. I think that if I was a Denver fan, the other one, I would be very pleased with that pick. He�s got so much game. At 6�8� he can see the whole floor. His passing skills are underrated, but look at the assists he wracked up in the championship game. He�s a terrific rebounder and can play with his back to the basket or facing up. What a player. That year in college cemented his status as one of the best players out there.
So who can create more wins for their team, Melo or number one pick LeBron? It�s tough to say. For these perennially crappy teams, the one who either has the most talent now or can put the most around one of these two will win more games. More likely it will be James, as his team is in the East while Anthony has to battle Sacramento, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Minnesota, LA, Portland, Phoenix over and over again in the West. It�s sure to make a man out of Melo, but it�ll be tough until, and I can almost say this with a straight face, Ne Ne Hilario rounds into shape. (I�m sorry. I laughed as I wrote that.) And don�t tell me how the Brazilian wunderkind was almost there last season.
I�m interested in the Jazz first pick. What we have here is a slightly shorter Peja Stojakovic in Aleksandar Pavlovic. The 6�7� Serbian shooter was 60 percent form the field last year. After being in the NBA for a year, I wouldn�t be surprised if he shoots the lights out like Peja.
But who can say who will turn out to be the best player in the draft? I can�t, for the life of me, remember who was the number one pick last year. I�m pretty sure Kwame Brown went the year before, but I may be on drugs. Oh wait, wasn�t it Yao? He was good, wasn�t he? After the hype of the first couple games, I lost track while rooting for the Warriors. Oh well.
Speaking of the Warriors, I saw they drafted a couple guards. That�s what they needed, a couple guards. (Sarcasm) Their team just needs more time to gel and grow together. But they might not get the chance. Because it would be nice if they held on to their point guard Gilbert Arenas. He is scheduled for free agency and the previous rumors had him going to Denver of all places. The man who Bill Simmons said has the quickest fist step he�s ever seen when he�s on could go and play ball with Melo. Well, that could improve their chances of winning 30 games.
As for our heroes by the Bay, it looks like the best season in nine years will be the best season they had in ten.
6/27/03
Well, the NBA Finals brought me much joy in seeing David Robinson win that second title and go out on top. Almost reminded me of Jordan in his last game, but this time, I bet Robinson actually retires. I loved what Bill Simmons said, �I'm glad MJ went out the way we always hoped: Wearing a retro "BULLETS" jersey and playing for a sub-.500 team. That was fun.�
The recent debate on ESPN.com about age limits possibly being imposed in the NBA reminded me of the words of Gregg Easterbrook on the NBA. I had to get all the good stuff:
�One reason for the erosion in NBA quality is the ever-earlier age at which players join the league. Jumping from high school, or after one or two years of college, means players arrive with insufficient coaching in fundamentals -- equally important, with insufficient repetitions of the fundamentals. Callow, lightly-coached players arriving in the NBA must choose between patiently learning fundamentals, or going one-on-one and then jumping around pointing at themselves. Which option would the typical teenager be expected to select? TMQ's big argument against letting anyone below the age of 20 play in the NBA is that this is bad for basketball, killing the goose that lays the golden egg. Every year there are more younger, unpolished players and fewer golden eggs. Think about it.�
Easterbrook also goes on to compare the NBA with the NFL�
�If the NFL turned into the NBA, there would be no plays on offense; 11 guys would just run around doing whatever they felt like, calling for the ball. Each person who actually got the ball would immediately throw a 60-yard pass, then turn to the officials to scream for a foul. Players would refuse to speak to each other, and cover their ears when coaches spoke. Players would put tattoos on their helmets. Fans would start leaving while the game was still on the line, as the home fans did Sunday night in the Meadowlands. With a minute remaining and the Nets down three, there were already hundreds of empty seats throughout Continental Airlines Arena, while those moving up the aisles to exit blocked the view of those staying for the quaint reason of finding out who wins. Home fans streaming out in the final minute of a close championship game. Ye gods. You've got to have a pretty troubled sport to achieve that. Welcome to the NBA.�
I love David Robinson and Tim Duncan, but the quality of play is so down, that when one player actually uses some fundamentals, he becomes �The Big Fundamental� and wins two MVP�s in a row and a championship. What does this say about the quality of play in the NBA? It means that when Steven Jackson handles the ball and get four quick turnovers and clangs some three pointers in the beginning of the game and then swishes three at the end, he is a hero. I love this game!
The NFL has the age cap and it has kept the level of play higher, the quality of players who have actually been coached has remained consistent and the league is still on top of all leagues. The age cap isn�t the sole reason for it, but when younger, less disciplined and less coached and coachable players start to permeate the league, the level of play declines and the NFL ends up like the NBA, and nobody wants that. Perhaps the pitching on baseball is poorer because the youngsters drafted out of high school never pan out, while the college kids become more successful. Look no further than the big three of the A�s, all college men (Zito, USC; Hudson, Auburn; Mulder, Michigan St.). And the best player on the planet for the past three or four years, Barry Bonds went to Arizona St. I sense a trend.
6/20/03
Ramblings...
Well, it�s been a long time in coming, but finally I have some time to write a few things that are on my mind. First, I have been watching the NBA Finals. Barely. I mean, they are on, but through the first three quarters, I am playing on the computer, or with my daughter, or reading a book, or whatever. I mean, the games are usually close and they get �good� at the end, so that�s when I really tune in.
I never gave my prediction officially, but I picked the Spurs in 5. Well, now that that�s not going to happen, I want to try and break it down. What I�m seeing is very inconsistent basketball. I guess the shooting percentages have been getting consistently worse, but I blame the poor shooting for that. Anyway, the players are just not giving a level of effort that would set this Finals on a pedestal in any sense. I feel like this champion will have an asterisk next to their name in the books like the �99 season. (Which by the way, I sort of resent. Like the Spurs say, the playoffs weren�t shortened.) I feel like this Finals should be quietly swept under the rug, or hermetically sealed and frozen until someone who cares comes along in the far distant future to fight crime like Sly (Sly) Stallone or Mike Meyers. And I�m a Spurs fan! I was a lot more into the Stanley Cup Finals. I really wanted the Ducks to win, by the way. I got tears when Paul Kariya got up after being just crushed by a runaway truck and scoring that goal in Game 6. I couldn�t stop smiling, clinching my fist, pumping it and saying, �Yeah!� Yes, I really wanted the Ducks to win, but Martin Brodeur and Jeff Friesen were just better in Game 7 and so the Devils got another Stanley Cup.
Well, as I was saying, I am having a hard time caring. It shouldn�t be this way. I was more excited to see the Spurs play the Lakers. I think that�s the feeling of a lot of people. I don�t really hate the Nets like I do the Lakers or the Mavericks or the Kings. (How different would it be, by the way, had Chris Webber been fully functional? Would the Finals be a fleet footed affair, or would the Spurs have beaten the Kings too? Perhaps the Kings would have still lost to Dallas. Hmmm.)
Anyway, um, go Spurs. Um yeah.
In other news, I got to watch the A�s play the Braves yesterday. It was a business man�s special at the �Net. 12:35 start. I love those games. When I lived there I would sometimes get off work and take in the beauty of the Coliseum, the gorgeous green grass and watch baseball in the afternoon under the high California sky. I just can�t beat that. It�s a feeling and a dream, but in stunning Panavision. I love baseball. Too bad I hated living in California too bad to make up for the baseball, the city, and the absolutely gorgeous coastline.
I didn�t recognize a few of the A�s. I didn�t know where Tejada�s swing had gone, but I think he should have it FedEx�d to him from the Dominican, and fast. He must have left it on the mantle with his MVP hardware or something. Also, how about Zito getting rocked for two home runs? Did you see Sheffield�s shot? It was a straight line all the way over the wall, just to the left of the scoreboards in the gap. But it was nice to see the A�s, even though it was a loss. I get the poor man�s version of cable, only the first 20 stations on the dial. This includes TBS, but not TNT. So while I can watch the Braves, I didn�t see much playoff basketball. I wasn�t alone in my frustration, though. A local TV network in Salt Lake had an article on how people were being bugged by ABC�s refusal to show any basketball, despite paying the NBA the equivalent of the GDP of any number of European nations to show the blasted things.
After watching the Braves a number of time this season, what amazes me is the change in the team�s winning ways. Their offense is on fire so much, the numbers are staggering, while the pitching is really mediocre. How in the name of Sam Hill did that happen??? Well, it works. This weekend�s match up of the two best teams in baseball should be good, and a possible World Series precursor up in Seattle. The Braves are good, though. They could be good enough to win in the post season. They just haven�t, like the A�s, been able to get all three of the keys to winning in the post season, or any time for that matter. But it afflicted both in the post season after very successful regular seasons. The three are, of course, good pitching, good defense and timely hitting. One of the three was always missing the recent years for those teams in the post season. Don�t ask my why, but it has been that way.
The Braves-A�s series also highlighted one of my truly guilty pleasures: interleague play. I consider myself a baseball purist, which means I don�t like the designated hitter and I shouldn�t like interleague play. The DH is a sore spot for me because I am an American League guy, but I still don�t like that rule. But I see how it is good in a way, and will never go away, because it extends the career life of Edgar Martinez, the poster child for the DH. He is the example for any argument for the DH. Why would anyone want to take away the success he�s had just because he�s incapable of running faster than a home run trot. I mean just because he had his knees surgically removed, doesn�t mean that his job should be taken away. Of course the DH is why the stolen base doesn�t matter any more. Why send a runner into a risky situation when the guy batting behind him can just hit the ball out of the park on any given pitch?
So, back to my interleague play thing, I like it. Not only do I get to see the A�s play, but it gives me what I wanted as a World Series a couple years ago with the Braves and A�s. I like seeing how the one league fares against the other. Just because they never played before, doesn�t mean that the interleague experiment wouldn�t be successful. I fully recognize that it was a way to try and increase ratings and fan attendance. It doesn�t pollute the game, because the leagues are so similar now. The NL used to be a running-pitching-defense league, while the AL was a bunch of weekend softball players with a keg waiting at second base beer gut league. But now, through the magic of �performance enhancing� drugs, both leagues resemble the latter league. I�m only kidding about the drugs. A little.
Well, that about wraps it for now. I promise to write more. I wish I were a more motivated blogger. Some guys write everyday, and that�s great. I actually have a job.
6/13/03
Talkin' Back
I have to take back someof my comments I made regarding coaching. Bill Self is a good coach. Taking Tulsa to the Great 8 is remarkable. Winning the Big 10 title last year was a feat seeing the always tough regular schedule of the Big 10.
Also, Coach Williams is a great coach and his players love him to death. That he can't get over that hump of the National Title Game is really too bad, being one of the great nice guys and class acts of College Basketball.
Also, tonight is the end of an era in basketball. As the Jazz lose, think of all the baskets, wins, triumphs and disappointments of John Stockton and Karl Malone. Looking back at the tremendous stability and consistency of the pair, I remember the brilliant play of Michael Jordan is the only reason they don't have a pair of championship banners floating above the court in the Delta Center.
While Stock is set to retire at 41 years old, Malone is determined to either get a championship, break the all-time scoring record or die trying. He says he could go anywhere, but he'll have to take a real pay cut to get on a contender. I don't know if he's willing to do that. And on the other hand, I don't know if a team is willing to pay out the nose for an aging ex-superstar who's jump shot is no longer consistent.
So drink it in, sports fans. Stockton to Malone will only remain as a car dealership in Salt Lake City, while the memory will soon live permanently live in the Hall of Fame.
April 30.
NBA Playoffs are coming to destroy my marriage
As I sit in my wife's favorite chair and watch basketball, a few thoughts come to me. First, I watch a lot of sports. And if I had more sports channels, I would watch even more sports. Second, I am seen as the lazy pig that I am sitting there watching one sport after another in their oh so critical playoff games.
"But honey," I am constantly saying, "It's the playoffs." I am imploring her to let me partake of this rite of passage, and it works! Ha! At least this year. I think she's starting to catch on to the playoffs ploy. Fortunately for me, it's always the playoffs in some sport.
Anyway, I have some thoughts now that I realize that it's been a month since I posted to the site. This was spurred on by my only reader Mike who said to "Fear the ACC" because UNC got Roy Williams and Skip Prosser stayed at Wake Forest. Here is my response.
So Roy Williams goes to North Carolina. Big schmeel. I never saw what other people saw in Williams. He really reminds me of Jim Mora. A good coach, who in the right place would win a bunch of games, but when it comes to crunch time, always comes up short. Good luck �Heels. Better you than Kansas. And Kansas going after Bill Self? What�s he ever done? Sweet 16 a couple of times with a couple of teams. Whatever.
Man, if Syracuse (Whom I did take to the National Championship game) holds onto Anthony, they would be easily the best team in the nation next year. He�s probably the best player in the country, even better than LeBron James, mostly because of his experience banging in there with bigger guys. LeBron was always the biggest and the strongest. Anthony has the same skills, a better outside shot, and can play with his back to the basket. LeBron is probably a better passer (though not by much), more explosive above the rim and that�s it. I don�t know which one I�d draft. They�ll be one and two by the looks of it. I thought that Kansas had two players that would probably make it in the NBA, neither one named Kirk. And as for Jim Boeheim, he has cemented his position in the hall of fame. I didn�t know if Prosser stayed. Wasn�t he thinking about Pitt? I think I should�ve applied for the job at UCLA. With the automatic recruiting they get, I could�ve had the record that Slick Lavin had down there. If I recruited illegally, I could�ve had the championships like Herrick (and Wooden. Everyone forgets that he�s practically the reason there are scholarship limits with his 16-20 scholarships of blue chippers every year. It just wasn�t a violation then.).
Anyway, I�m glad college basketball is done. I am rooting for the Spurs again. My prediction of the Golden State making the playoffs was close but no seed. Finishing 10th really before losing 4 straight after being officially eliminated and finishing behind Seattle with 38 wins. Too bad a lot of people are saying that the team won�t last, what with Arenas rumored to be heading to Denver. I don�t see it happening, but I am blinded by hope.
After seeing Tim Duncan play against the Jazz, I am convinced he should be the league MVP again after leading the Spurs to the best record overall. KG will get the votes because he has nothing around him, like Duncan last year. I don�t see how the T-Wolves win games the way their offense is so inconsistent. I can�t even see them coming out of the first round this year again, especially since they are playing the Lakers. I like the Spurs. Last year, they were too dependent on TD. Now Tony Parker scores more and they run a lot more as a team. They are deep, talented, experienced and hungry. The Kings are tough and fast, but they�ll choke again. On to the rest of the predictions.
The Lakers will �upset� the Wolves and then lose in the 2nd round to the Spurs. The Kings will get by the Jazz, though the Jazz will make it tough, but heck what series in the West isn�t tough? Dallas and Portland is a tough series to call. The Mavs play more cohesively, but for some reason, I fear the Blazers. They can turn it on. When Rasheed Wallace goes off, he�s unstoppable. But if they get a few fouls called early on them, it�s a blowout. The Mavs are more consistent and will move on, though the Blazers will stretch out the series.
Then the Kings and the Spurs will battle for the title. I mean the Western Conference NBA championship. I pick the Spurs to win that based on the fact that the Kings are just so close, and yet they get outmatched at their positions most of the time. Bibby was huge last year, but how will he do against Parker. There�s only one guy who I feel truly outclasses Parker as a player at the PG position and it�s their first round opener against the Suns and Stephon Marbury. He�s like Wallace. When he goes, he can score 40 and dish out 8 assists. That is usually a win. I�m really surprised the Suns even made the playoffs, and now that they are here, I can see them winning one or two games against the Spurs based on their sheer talent alone.
In the East I see a lot of teams who would lose to the Suns and the Jazz were they in the East. Maybe the Nets again, possible Philly and even possibly Detroit which has the number one seed. Whatever. None of those teams has the depth of any of the top six teams in the West. So no matter who comes out of the East, they don�t stand one little chance against the best of the West. I think that�s San Antonio, but hey, I was wrong about Kentucky in the NCAA�s. Fortunately in the NBA, because it�s a series, the better team usually prevails.
Tournament time is here again!!!!!
Oh I gotta tell ya, I am getting so fired up for the NCAA Men�s Basketball Tournament. This is the best tournament in the world. And every year, I get so pumped to fill out the brackets and then watch as all my upset picks are, of course, upset.
Before I begin with my amazing analysis of the obvious, I just want to say: How come there is no similar thing for NCAA football????!!!!! The men�s basketball tourney is the most exciting tournament ever. Anybody can upset anybody. Just think of the possible match ups and tie breakers that can be broken if there was a legitimate shot for a number of good teams to win the NCAA football championship. Oh man! That would be so awesome. And for the teams that don�t make the tournament, there�s still the NIT-like Poulan Weedeater Bowl.
Anyway, thinking about the tournament and college basketball in general�
The trick to the tournament is to pick the upsets. The tournament seedings are about accurate a predictor of the action to come as I am, but with stunning inability to live up to the number. I remember every year the stupid Cincinnati Bearcats would raise holy heck about getting snubbed for the number one seed and then get beat in the second round by Iona. I think that happened for like five years in a row. And if they weren�t beat in the second round, it was the first.
I like to think that the number 1 seed is worth something. Wrong! Any team that is put anywhere has as good a chance as any other team. What does matter is the bracket as a whole. Some brackets are loaded with big time teams and big time talent. One year, the South has about 5 to 8 contenders and the West has 2 or 3 legitimate contenders. Bracket strength is a good indicator of who will win the championship. Of course, some years it doesn�t matter. A team will be so strong that it will crush all comers.
This year I see the top two teams in the land and everybody else. Arizona and Kentucky are that much better than everybody else. They have the ability to win anywhere. They both have a good inside and out combination of scoring with athletes and best of all: defense. I saw Kentucky shut down time after time a good team in Florida on Saturday. Arizona has been impressive at times, being able to win the close ones but sometimes just plain scary how dominating they can be.
So that�s the top two. I have my eye on a couple teams that I think can make it to the Final Four. (Can I write that? Maybe I should just say Big Dance. But that�s the tournament overall. Hmm� I�ll have to think about that one.) The two other teams I think will make it, without looking at any seedings and knowing the brackets may not allow it, are Oklahoma and Syracuse with Kansas right behind. Maybe a Pac-10 team could sneak in, but I like Syracuse and Oklahoma. Oklahoma because of Hollis Price and the experience of last year and Syracuse because I like the scoring potential of Carmelo Anthony, et al and the coaching of Jim Boeheim. Another team that�s so underrated right now, despite winning the ACC outright this year is Wake Forest. The last two champions have come from the ACC and they could make a number one seed by winning the ACC tournament. But we already talked about what the number one seed is worth.
To wrap it up, I watched Duke blow another Sunday game that I taped and watched later. Last week it was St. Johns and this week is was North Carolina. It was a great game and I think the UNC will be great next year. But I just have to say that Duke isn�t one of the great Duke team of yesteryear. With that said, they are very young and they resemble the 2000 team with one great senior and a lot of underclassmen. To this team Dahntay Jones is important, but so was Chris Carrawell. If you remember, the year after he left, they won it all. Watch for Duke and UNC to be in the top ten all next year and both making bog runs, with the usual caveat, barring injury.
One last thought. Do you have that Nike commercial beat going through your head constantly too? Man, I just have it in there. Wa wa w-w-WA! Wa wa w-w-WA! I wish I could play like those guys. I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller�whatever happened to Skee-Lo?
Golf: Coming my way soon
With spring approaching, I must say golf fever has a hold on me! That�s not just a tired clich�, but it�s a possible way of life.
You see, the last two years, at the end of the season, I dropped golf like an exploding toad. Both seasons ended in near tragedy for my clubs and my sanity. Two years ago, it was the golf on Sunday with my dad. Worst round of my life. I mean ever. Last year, I don�t remember, my brain won�t let me. Let�s just say, it was getting nasty, and our hero turned to the only escape I knew: death to driver! But it wasn�t to be. I was rescued from doing anything rash by a concerned family and wife who offered to spring for badly needed mental help.
But every spring, the weather turns agreeable and the clubs get their scrub down, loosening up the chlorophyll deposits and making the clubs ready for another summer of action.
And let�s just say, this could be the best summer for golf ever. Last spring I wrote that I expected my tour card by the end of the summer. Well this year, I add the addendum to that bold, and frankly stupid statement: no sweat! As in, �Tour card by August? No sweat!� I expect to add the next addendum to that phrase next March the word �baby.� The year after that, well, we�ll see what the Golf Gods drag in.
Lucky me, my grandfather-in-law has part ownership in a golf course. Translation: free golf at the price of seeing the in-laws. It's a horrible choice, I know. And my wife can use it over me, as in this exchange:
Wife: "I want to see my mother."
Matt, choking on pretzel: "Hummph (cough)?!"
Wife: "You can bring your clubs."
Matt, still choking: "Achhhh!"
Wife: "We never talk anymore!" and storms out of the room leaving me passed out on the floor.
So here I am, poised and fired up by watching (on tape delay) Tiger rule on Sunday and I figured out why I seem to not be able to get a lot on my shots. It turns out I wasn�t bringing my club high enough over my head at that nice consistent angle that everyone but me seems to have. I drape my club over my back too much. My arm isn�t straight. It all seems connected. I�m telling you, will prevail over the monster known as Par. I�m telling you, this is the year!
Oh, who am I kidding, I say that every year. I feel like a Cubs fan. But with more hope.
Heart is more than 0.1 seconds
I was reading about Rex Grossman, the former Florida quarterback who said he will, get this, throw in the coming NFL combine. Apparently, the top prospects don�t actually work out in the combine, they just go there to get measured for their new suits to wear on draft day.
Well, not really. They get a physical, but what�s the difference? Normally, it wouldn�t be much of a difference between being measured for an Armani and given a standard physical. But not at the NFL combine. The players are poked, prodded, examined, questioned and generally given a third-degree interrogation session normally reserved for Camp X-Ray Taliban prisoners. Probably with all that cold air being used as a torture device too.
The teams take measurements, draw blood, perform DNA testing, get samples of every conceivable fluid and then interview all past acquaintances. After that the players receive their Top Secret clearances. But that�s not enough to get an NFL playbook. Following the measurements and phlebotomy practices, they next get the workout.
I was reading John Clayton on ESPN.com (Article Link) what said that if Larry Johnson can run a 4.4 40 yard dash instead of the usual 4.5, he will probably be bumped up to an upper first round draft pick. I thought, one tenth of a second! I mean, if he ran a 4.6, he�d probably be executed instead of drafted.
This just brings me to my point, which is, you can�t measure heart. The thing about Grossman is that he�s six feet tall. this is small for a quarterback. But who knows what he�s got inside. Leaders have no set mold. I remember a kid from my home town. He had the height, skills, the big time college and the credentials to make it in the NFL. He could throw the ball a mile it seemed. He was drafted number two overall. He also has one of the if not the lowest QB rating ever for a quarterback. I�m talking of course of Ryan Leaf. He has no head, no heart and no future in the NFL.
Compare Leaf with a guy who is also from my hometown who is six feet tall soaking wet. He doesn�t have the big time arm, the big time college or a Rose Bowl game under his belt. He wasn�t drafted and had to earn his way into the league as a backup after playing in the CFL for a few years. The thing about him is that he has a good head, a big heart and that desire to play well. He has that desire to win. He is a leader. That�s why he�s still in the NFL, although as a backup third stringer for a few teams now. I�m talking of Dave Dickenson, currently of the Detroit Lions, and formerly of San Diego and Miami.
Heart can�t be measured. Two guys who had been waived and called washed up played in the Super Bowl this year. Rich Gannon and Brad Johnson never gave up even after being dumped by former teams. They were driven to succeed by a fire within. (Insert Olympic fanfare) It wasn�t that they had lost a step or some of their arm strength, which they both had. It was that they had a desire and it drove them to succeed.
So while we talk of prospects and physical skills, the race doesn�t always go to the swiftest, nor the match to the strongest, but to the strongest of hearts and the swiftest of thought, or something like that.
By the way, how about the new ESPN.com site? I mean, wow. I love the Motion page, even though I can only see it at work. I get redirected to the Lite site when I'm at home. I loved seeing the Sportcenter highlights and Kobe dunk over Yao that I missed. Oh man. Is there anyone better than Kobe right now? No way! Maybe Tim Duncan, whose Spurs continue to tear through the league.
One other thing. Tiger gave all the other golfers out there something to think about on Sunday. He told them (and us) that there is no better golfer, not one more creative golfer, no other golfer that can take the pressure quite like Tiger can. And though he may be a geek, (See Sportsguy's take on Tiger HERE) he is the best. I hope that Ernie Els had fun this year, because he hasn't hadd to face Tiger and wilt like everyone else (Els).
Later.
ME
2/19/03
I have to say, if I were choosing among the best basketball players ever to play the game, they would be it. But the best TEAM? I don�t know if what that group of players would constitute as the best team ever. I had more in mind the �96 Bulls with their 72 wins, or the 80�s Lakers and Celtics.
I mean, wow, those were teams. I think the true mark of a team is not how many stars, but how well they worked together. Did they win a championship that year? How dominating was their bench? How dominating was their star? Was it a complete team? How was the competition that year? Were they able to sustain the greatness over a number of years?
We saw the Super Bowl last month and immediately the arguments started about how good was the Bucs defense in terms of all time. Were they the best? Certainly they were the quickest. Experts said that what the Ravens did in 2001 with brute force, the Bucs did with speed. Not to mention the fact that they knew what was coming, but they were facing the prospect of the number one offense overall, even if they didn�t make any adjustments facing their old coach and a defense which knew the tendancies and plays of the offense beforehand. One might say that Marc Trestman, the offensive coordinator of Oakland, was the world�s dumbest coordinator for not making even the slightest adjustment or wrinkle for the Super Bowl against a defense that was ready for him. (Even now I can�t stop talking football. How will I make it until August? Someone please hold me.)
What I�m trying to say is that Bucs were a good team, but the best ever? Well, I don�t know about that. The best NBA team I ever saw was that Bulls team in 1996. They were amazing, just winning games, and nobody could stop them. You may recall that the best player for the first half of that season was Scottie Pippen. He was the leader that year, Jordan�s first full year back from baseball. Pippen carried that team for the first half and past the All-star break. When he got injured, Jordan took over and carried them to the title. But they were deep. They had a good bench. They had a great coach. They had great defense and rebounding. They couldn�t get beat, and were certainly the best team of the 90�s in my view.
If it weren�t for those latter Bulls teams, the Jazz would be like the Houston Rockets with back-to-back titles. But The Bulls were the best team, led by a star with the talent around him to get the job done. Interestingly, the last statement simply confirms the Bulls greatness by their fantasized absence.
But I am going to tip my hat to the great teams of the 80�s with Magic and Bird. Talk about your great starting lineups. Magic, Worthy, Kareem. Bird, Parrish, McHale. Names uttered in the hushed tones of reverence and awe. These were the great teams of all time. I don�t consider the Dream Team of 1992, because they were an Olympic team. They may have had the greatest starting lineup of all time, but it was temporary. The great teams stand the test of time: an 82 game season or sustained greatness through the years with consistently great play. The great teams are true teams and not just a collection of All-stars. Basketball is a team game and the greatest team of all time is not restricted to a bunch of famous names.
In other news, the Yankees have signed every player in baseball...Read about it HERE.
Carl played hockey for a living. He was the ultimate goon and this was his last game as a professional. Retirement after 21 years of bruises and cuts and open, running, pussy, infected sores. If only he had a nickel for every gallon of blood he has spilled on the ice either from himself or his opponent. Any one of the unlucky thousands who felt his unflinching elbow, or his harder than stone knee, or his blurred stick, or his razor sharp, always ready to cut blades, or his extremely rough gloves that have always been fortified by some illegal substance taped on, or most unfortunately his fists, any one of them would say that Carl was one stupid bastard.
They all hated and despised him. Even his own teammates. Especially his teammates. If they didn�t know the term defecate, they did after he left the team. The fetid, stinking mounds of stuff left in someone�s skates had always been, what he thought, the funniest thing on the planet. Of course, they took it out on him in one way or another. The thing they never realized was that it always just egged him on.
If he hadn�t been a hockey player, he could�ve been a professional fighter. Or one of those guys who gets beat up by a professional fighter. Either one, he was in the business of pain: giving or receiving, it made no difference.
But this night, Carl felt his whole world collapsing. He was suffocating, despite the happy mullet. That thing was always happy, and most of the time simply had a mind of its own, making up for Carl�s discrepancy. It loved hanging out from under the battered helmet. The long, stringy strand of unwashed mullet dangled happily in the breeze behind Carl�s immensely ugly back. It loved hockey as much, if not more than Carl. It also loved puppies and kittens and sappy love stories. But Carl didn�t know that. He didn�t know much of anything.
But something was nagging Carl in the back of his putrid little mind that he just couldn�t put his finger on.
Something was amiss.
�That�s it!� thought Carl. �I�m dead!�
As his body fell limp to the ice and continued sliding, the happy mullet and his head finally hit the ice after being removed from his short, pudgy neck. His mouth, which was always hanging open, somehow caught the puck which had been laying on the ice in front of Carl, and grabbed it securely in the molars, the only teeth left in the great, gaping, horrible mouth. His huge, scarred nose filled with snow from the ice as the shaggy head slid down the ice, all the way past the blue line and into the net.
He saw the red light twirl from behind the Plexiglass.
�Finally,� he thought with his last bit of cerebral energy, �I scored a goal.�
He would�ve laughed, but his body was about 30 feet behind him.
Also, the mullet was very happy too.
But that was it�s second goal.
Well, the unthinkable has happened. I was actually correct regarding the outcome of the Super Bowl. The score was off, but I was right in saying it would be a high scoring affair. Who knew? Well, I did...
Well, we didn�t see the best showing of Matt�s official Super Bowl picks on Sunday, what with the stomping of the Iggles. I was very impressed with the League�s best defense. Not only that, but Brad Johnson impressed me as well. He has a lot of receivers that are big and experienced. The weak link is of course the running game. That and Keyshawn Johnson. I can�t believe how many passes he drops in a game. Listening to Jimmy Johnson on the post game he said exactly what was correct about Gruden�s play calling. He talked about how the Bucs continued to run, keeping the defense honest, even though they gained like 49 yards on 32 carries. That was perfect. They needed to keep running the ball and that opened up the passing lanes.
In Oakland, that game went just about how I thought it would. The Raiders defense is good enough to stop the Titans eventually. And the offense is good enough to pull away from the banged up Titans defense eventually.
Against the Buccaneers, that won�t be good enough. Recently, the best defense has been winning games. Last year, the Patriots defense set the tone against the superior (supposedly) offense of the Rams. They played more physical and flew around the ball creating turnovers. The year before, the Ravens defense was clearly the dominant unit against the overwhelmed Giants. I see that trend continuing. If the Raiders ran the ball more, they would resemble the Broncos with their experienced MVP Gannon taking the place of John Elway. But their running game is used sparingly. That plays right into the hands of the Buccaneers. They love it when they can just pin their ears back and rush the passer. Against that monster o-line of the Raiders it will be daunting, but watch for penetration to start to occur early and often. The Bucs defense is very good and will lead the team to the title.
Bucs 31 � Raiders 27.
OH NO!!!!!!!!! I just watched Chris Berman pick Tampa as well!!! Talk about your curses. Well, seeing that Tampa Bay is now doomed. I will pick them anyway.
The time has come for Matt�s famously stupid NBA predictions!!! Insert fanfare here:
Every year I am wrong on just about every level except for last year when I said that New Jersey was a lock for the playoffs. Riding that success, I am now ready to unveil this year�s Playoff Pick of a Team That Did Not Make the Playoffs Last Year (PPTTDNMPLY) or simply Matt�s PIMPLE.
Drum Roll�
This years Matt�s PIMPLE Pick is: The Golden State Warriors.
Yes the Warriors are poised to win over half of their games. Infused with young talent and new life, the Warriors, (Warning: caveat coming!) IF they stay healthy, can win over half of their games and make the playoffs. I want to say the same thing about Memphis, and they are poised to make some kind of a leap. But not yet.
So, on to the rest of the worthless predictions.
Note: * Playoff Team
East
Atlantic
1 New Jersey 48-34*
2 Boston 47-35*
3 Orlando 44-38*
4 Philly 40-42*
5 Washington 36-46
6 Miami 34-48
7 New York 23-59
Central
1 New Orleans 54-28*
2 Toronto 47-35*
3 Milwaukee 46-36*
4 Atlanta 41-41*
5 Detroit 38-44
6 Chicago 37-45
7 Indiana 33-49
8 Cleveland 24-58
West
Midwest
1 San Antonio 56-26*
2 Dallas 55-27*
3 Minnesota 48-34*
4 Houston 42-40*
5 Memphis 38-44
6 Utah 35-47
7 Denver 22-60
Pacific
1 Sacramento 58-24*
2 LA Lakers 56-26*
3 Golden State 44-38*
4 Portland 43-39*
5 Seattle 37-45
6 LA Clippers 36-46
7 Phoenix 27-55
Finals:
New Orleans vs LA Lakers
LA Lakers win another stupid title. I�ll pick them until someone knocks them off.
I received my issue of Hawk Mail yesterday informing me of the decision to hire Bob Ferguson as GM of the Seattle Seahawks. Apparently, they like losers and wish to remain one.
Ferguson�s stellar resume includes stints with the Broncos and Bills, in their formative years as Super Bowl punching bags. And he spent the last seven seasons with none other than the Arizona Cardinals, most recently as their GM since 1999. The highlight of the Cards since then is that he picked up David Boston in the draft. Let�s see, how many drafts since 1999? That would be three. Let�s see, at seven rounds per draft multiply by three years�carry the one�oh! 21 draft picks in three years. Wow, David Boston is the highlight. Too bad he had Jake �the Garden Snake� Plummer throwing those �passes� and �spirals� to all the defenders, then Boston might really have had some success. I mean it�s like I was out there starting for an NFL team. If I were the quarterback of your team, wouldn�t someone like to get a real one out there trying to pick apart NFL defenses instead of mister less than 50 percent completion rate? The answer is an overwhelming yes! For these things Ferguson was fired. Not that I blame the Cards for this savvy move.
But I guess Ferguson was too good to pass up. I suppose Ferguson is one of those football �insiders.� I guess he was just too �juicy� to let go. I suppose they couldn�t have landed anyone �better.� (Why am I using so many quotation �marks?� Please help me.)
This brings me to my next point. Why is it that all coaches and management in the NFL are just recycled? They fail and somehow that makes them �experienced.� (There I go again with the quotations! Gahh! I can�t help it.)
Take Ray Rhodes for example. The Seahawks just hired him to be their defensive coordinator. That�s probably his best strength. Rhodes has worked for six clubs in the past ten years: Green Bay, Philadelphia, Washington, San Francisco Denver and now Seattle. Some have been good stints and some bad. As head coach in Philly he had one good year and then drove them into the ground. Last year in Denver his defense was ranked 5th in yards given up per game. Compared to Seattle, that was great. Seattle�s defense under Steve Sidwell (who probably won�t have long to wait for some kind of job offer, if he hasn�t received one already) was ranked 28th in the league, coincidentally one slot above Phoenix under Ferguson�s shaky executive hand.
What I�m trying to say is the NFL needs some kind of new blood. Look what hiring a young coach, Jon Gruden, did for the Raiders. He turned them around. Finally they got rid of him for �insider� Bill Callahan. That really turned around and bit them in the buttocks. Gruden isn�t some recycled coordinator, head coach or executive with experience.
What the Seahawks needed was someone who has new ideas. Perhaps someone who isn�t from the Cardinals, who are one level above the Cincinnati Bengals, which would be a good spot from which to distance oneself could be the answer. Hey, I�m just a Seahawks fan. One of those long suffering Seahawks fans who have had to sit and watch the Denver Broncos and the now the Tamp Bay Buccaneers win championships. When is it my turn to celebrate? I would hope sooner rather than later, but with all the recycled failures, that�ll be tough.
Of course if Ferguson somehow learned from his Phoenix debacle and leads the Seahawks to the Lombardi Trophy, then all of this is stupid and meaningless. But I have to tell you, I�m not too optimistic.
Feb 11, 2003
are about Tiger personally helping me with my golf game
And...
My take on the Jazz being more like Hornets and the Free Agent picks from last summer.