Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Last Second Strategy
In the NBA land of 7 foot trees and players who can drive to the hoop and do superhuman things why is it that late in the game with a chance to win and the ball teams will have their best player stand at the top of the key until a few seconds only are left to take a jump shot from 25 feet. Sometimes it works such as with Paul Pierce on Friday night but is that the best that can be had. It just seems to me an incredible lack of imagination.
NBA Playoffs
Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder have brought early excitement to the NBA Playoffs by splitting the first four games of their series with the Lakers. Now with the series down to a best of three with two of the games to be played in LA if it goes seven it still seems a stretch to think that the Thunder can pull off the upset. That said most of America that follows basketball is watching them. Kevin Durant is now a legitimate superstar, a couple more wins and people will mention him all the time with Kobe, Lebron and Dwayne, perhaps they already should.
So now on the afternoon before the crucial game 5 it is time to get on board the wagon if you are going to. I think that the Thunder WILL not win this series. In the end I am not sure that they can win a close game in LA and would guess that the series will end in six.
But would I like to see Durant conquer Kobe. I think all of us but Kobe's Mom would like that.
The rest of the playoffs thus far have had San Antonio taking a 3-1 lead on Dallas and Phoenix gaining a 3-2 lead on the Blazers. The Blazers Brandon Roy came back from knee surgery in just 10 days: remarkable but perhaps still not enough to allow them to defeat the resurgent Suns. Denver has faltered significantly since losing George Karl from the bench as he fights cancer. Watching an ESPN short on his situation and battle for his life makes the Nuggets another team you root for but it does not seem like they will succeed as they trail the Jazz three games to one.
In the East Milwaukee has found a way to take Atlanta to a 2-2 split thus far, Orlando swept Charlotte and the Celtics and Cavs both look to end their series tonight as they lead 3 to 1. For the Celtics who have played well this game tonight is a must as they need to have at least as much rest as the Cavs before the next round.
Go Celtics, Go Thunder...Nuggets lets win a few for George.
So now on the afternoon before the crucial game 5 it is time to get on board the wagon if you are going to. I think that the Thunder WILL not win this series. In the end I am not sure that they can win a close game in LA and would guess that the series will end in six.
But would I like to see Durant conquer Kobe. I think all of us but Kobe's Mom would like that.
The rest of the playoffs thus far have had San Antonio taking a 3-1 lead on Dallas and Phoenix gaining a 3-2 lead on the Blazers. The Blazers Brandon Roy came back from knee surgery in just 10 days: remarkable but perhaps still not enough to allow them to defeat the resurgent Suns. Denver has faltered significantly since losing George Karl from the bench as he fights cancer. Watching an ESPN short on his situation and battle for his life makes the Nuggets another team you root for but it does not seem like they will succeed as they trail the Jazz three games to one.
In the East Milwaukee has found a way to take Atlanta to a 2-2 split thus far, Orlando swept Charlotte and the Celtics and Cavs both look to end their series tonight as they lead 3 to 1. For the Celtics who have played well this game tonight is a must as they need to have at least as much rest as the Cavs before the next round.
Go Celtics, Go Thunder...Nuggets lets win a few for George.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Mickelson Wins Masters
Tiger Woods promised to show respect for the game. That lasted two days and on Saturday he fired off a few expletives.
One could write many words about the Masters.
Tiger Woods, whatever your opinion of his actions came back, had a good tournament but lost to----
Phil Mickelson. Phil in the last year has stood by him wife and mother with breast cancer. Phil is personable and in short " nice " to everyone.
Karma anyone
One could write many words about the Masters.
Tiger Woods, whatever your opinion of his actions came back, had a good tournament but lost to----
Phil Mickelson. Phil in the last year has stood by him wife and mother with breast cancer. Phil is personable and in short " nice " to everyone.
Karma anyone
NFL Draft
The NFL Draft is a marketing machine. Because of this people will watch the NFL Draft at the same rate they watch NBA and NHL Playoff games. We, in our house, watched quite a bit of the draft ourselves. Of course the big story was not the predictable picks but of course those that fell more than was thought they would.
Sam Bradford was the first pick. The quarterback, with the healed shoulder, and former Heisman winner quickly became the consensus first pick and he now will attempt to lead the St Louis Rams back to prominence. Bradford should be successful, his physical stature is what they call the prototype quarterback. However the Oklahoma system is not surely defined as a pro style offense and their are questions about the health if his shoulder.
What was most shocking was the fall of Jimmy Clausen to later in the second round. Carolina, who going in, had no idea that they would be so fortunate found themselves able to get what at least Mel Kiper thought was the number one quarterback on the board. if Kiper is right, then Carolina is fortune's favorite.
Early in the second round Mike Holmgren stated when asked that the Cleveland Browns wanted to get a quarterback but were sure it would have to be in the late rounds. Yet late in the third round they were able to pick Colt McCoy. There are plenty of detractors of McCoy in terms of his size and arm strength. But clearly he is a winner. And for a third round pick McCoy is a great try.
That brings us to Tim Tebow. I do not know what will become of Tim Tebow. I want him to succeed. I hope he turns out to be the next great quarterback. For many reasons he would be a great example. The fact that from the workout camps in January/February Tebow was considered less than stellar, he has since changed his arm slot and delivery. Something worked, Tebow now sits as a first round pick of the Denver Broncos. It will be very interesting to watch his progression.
Sam Bradford was the first pick. The quarterback, with the healed shoulder, and former Heisman winner quickly became the consensus first pick and he now will attempt to lead the St Louis Rams back to prominence. Bradford should be successful, his physical stature is what they call the prototype quarterback. However the Oklahoma system is not surely defined as a pro style offense and their are questions about the health if his shoulder.
What was most shocking was the fall of Jimmy Clausen to later in the second round. Carolina, who going in, had no idea that they would be so fortunate found themselves able to get what at least Mel Kiper thought was the number one quarterback on the board. if Kiper is right, then Carolina is fortune's favorite.
Early in the second round Mike Holmgren stated when asked that the Cleveland Browns wanted to get a quarterback but were sure it would have to be in the late rounds. Yet late in the third round they were able to pick Colt McCoy. There are plenty of detractors of McCoy in terms of his size and arm strength. But clearly he is a winner. And for a third round pick McCoy is a great try.
That brings us to Tim Tebow. I do not know what will become of Tim Tebow. I want him to succeed. I hope he turns out to be the next great quarterback. For many reasons he would be a great example. The fact that from the workout camps in January/February Tebow was considered less than stellar, he has since changed his arm slot and delivery. Something worked, Tebow now sits as a first round pick of the Denver Broncos. It will be very interesting to watch his progression.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Big Ben shut down
Big Ben of the Steelers gets a six game suspension today for his various misdeeds over the last year. It is a complicated and difficult situation for both the Steelers and the NFL. No charges have been filed in either of the cases that Ben has had. So what is the league to do.
The NFL has a personal conduct policy that allows the Commissioner a wide discretion to enforce the proper behavior of the players. It short, any conduct that brings negative attention to the league can be conduct that is disciplined.
The Steelers, long considered the crown jewel of the NFL, a franchise steeped in class owned by the legendary Rooney family, now face the choice of how to proceed. Some calls are being made for the Steelers to attempt to trade him prior to the draft.
In the end they probably will not, he is after all one of the Top 5 quarterbacks in the league. This will buy you alot of rope to hang yourself with. Perhaps in the end it would be better if Ben was a little less football talented so he would be more accountable for his actions. Anyone who has read the police report cannot be impressed with Big Ben. The mix of alcohol and ego in Ben's case had led to nothing but trouble.
Hopefully Ben will learn from this. Maybe it's the motorcycle accident. Whatever it is I would like for my sons to be able to watch Sportcenter without hearing the Law and Order music.
The coverage of Big Ben in the last few weeks has had me longing for Brett Favre to not be making up his mind again. I never thought I would says that.
The NFL has a personal conduct policy that allows the Commissioner a wide discretion to enforce the proper behavior of the players. It short, any conduct that brings negative attention to the league can be conduct that is disciplined.
The Steelers, long considered the crown jewel of the NFL, a franchise steeped in class owned by the legendary Rooney family, now face the choice of how to proceed. Some calls are being made for the Steelers to attempt to trade him prior to the draft.
In the end they probably will not, he is after all one of the Top 5 quarterbacks in the league. This will buy you alot of rope to hang yourself with. Perhaps in the end it would be better if Ben was a little less football talented so he would be more accountable for his actions. Anyone who has read the police report cannot be impressed with Big Ben. The mix of alcohol and ego in Ben's case had led to nothing but trouble.
Hopefully Ben will learn from this. Maybe it's the motorcycle accident. Whatever it is I would like for my sons to be able to watch Sportcenter without hearing the Law and Order music.
The coverage of Big Ben in the last few weeks has had me longing for Brett Favre to not be making up his mind again. I never thought I would says that.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Duke Wins Title
The NCAA title game last night proved to be one of the best we have seen in the last 20 years. Butler played poorly for much of the game, shooting less than 40 percent. It seemed that several times Duke should have been further ahead and sure enough late in the game Butler had a clear chance to win the game. Butler had the ball with 20 seconds to go and got a good look. The ball would not go in, Duke rebounds and Butler fouled.
Duke hit one of two free throws giving themselves a 2 point lead with 3 seconds to go. However the rebound on the second shot gave Butler the ball, but with no timeouts they had to go the length of the floor. Just inside half court the ball went up, the ball hit the backboard, the ball hit the rim and the ball....went out.
It could have gone in. If it had gone in it would have been the best ending that we could imagine.
So Butler lost.
Duke won.
Coach K has transformed his team into a physical, defensive minded team. Smith, Scheyer, and Singler led the Duke team to victory.
People hate Duke. At our house we do not. We were glad to see them win. With seniors and juniors it is clear that college teams that have talented players that will stay together for more than a drop in season can prosper. Northern Iowa, Butler and of course Duke are good examples of this.
The haters will never stop. But Coach K deserves all this post season has brought him. Go Duke
Duke hit one of two free throws giving themselves a 2 point lead with 3 seconds to go. However the rebound on the second shot gave Butler the ball, but with no timeouts they had to go the length of the floor. Just inside half court the ball went up, the ball hit the backboard, the ball hit the rim and the ball....went out.
It could have gone in. If it had gone in it would have been the best ending that we could imagine.
So Butler lost.
Duke won.
Coach K has transformed his team into a physical, defensive minded team. Smith, Scheyer, and Singler led the Duke team to victory.
People hate Duke. At our house we do not. We were glad to see them win. With seniors and juniors it is clear that college teams that have talented players that will stay together for more than a drop in season can prosper. Northern Iowa, Butler and of course Duke are good examples of this.
The haters will never stop. But Coach K deserves all this post season has brought him. Go Duke
A Thought on Pedro
Most think Pedro will end up in the Hall of Fame. Most are sure he will reappear sometime this season in baseball. Pedro, an outcast, until last July ended up winning playoff games for the Phillies and pitching on the big stage against the Yankees in the World Series. There is little doubt Pedro can still turn it on for short bursts. I would be interested to see him attempt to close somewhere.
What we do know is that someday Pedro will go into the Hall of Fame as a Red Sox player. Might a late signing be in the cards so that we could someday see Pedro's number retired up on the wall.
What we do know is that someday Pedro will go into the Hall of Fame as a Red Sox player. Might a late signing be in the cards so that we could someday see Pedro's number retired up on the wall.
Josh Beckett Signs Extension
Josh Beckett signed with the Red Sox yesterday, a four year extension worth 68 million which will keep Beckett in a Sox uniform through 2014. Beckett who has been good if not great since 2007 was happy to be in Boston and in truth probably took a discount to stay here. The market is odd however and as he well knows pitchers have no sure success in staying away from long term injuries.
Beckett when he is on is one of the best in the game, he has proven he can handle Boston, and pitching in the AL East. Beckett has a chip on his shoulder and is one of the few Red Sox players who has the fire we old timers miss against the Yankees.
More important or as important is that the Red Sox now have a clear idea of the expense of their pitching staff for the next few years. Beckett and Lackey now along with Jon Lester are under the Red Sox control through 2014. Not many teams can say this and certainly not with pitchers of this caliber. With Clay Bucholz also far away from free agency and Casey Kelly soon to arrive the Red Sox are built to last.
While we never can predict injury at age 30 another five years of Beckett should prove to be a great signing
Beckett when he is on is one of the best in the game, he has proven he can handle Boston, and pitching in the AL East. Beckett has a chip on his shoulder and is one of the few Red Sox players who has the fire we old timers miss against the Yankees.
More important or as important is that the Red Sox now have a clear idea of the expense of their pitching staff for the next few years. Beckett and Lackey now along with Jon Lester are under the Red Sox control through 2014. Not many teams can say this and certainly not with pitchers of this caliber. With Clay Bucholz also far away from free agency and Casey Kelly soon to arrive the Red Sox are built to last.
While we never can predict injury at age 30 another five years of Beckett should prove to be a great signing
Opening Day 2010: Red Sox VS Yankees
The Red Sox and Yankees opened the season on Easter Sunday at Fenway Park. The game originally scheduled for Monday was moved back to 8 PM Sunday night for the ESPN kickoff. The weather, which we feared, could be below freezing cooperated in a wonderful way as last weekend brought temps in the high 70's.
Opening Day is one of the most important days of the year in our house. Watching the game means that I can now allow for my schedule to now be filled with the routine of watching a game each night. The pace and pleasure of a ball game cannot be overstated.
The game itself was a good one, not much pitching as both teams were led by their offenses with the Sox winning late, led by Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia.
The highlight of the game may have been a young man of 5 by the last name of Sacco who gave the Herb Brooks " Miracle speech" to the crowd changing Russian references to Yankee references. It was wonderful. Johnny Pesky was present to say Play Ball and the first pitch was thrown by Pedro. Pedro, obviously thrilled to be invited back, milked it for all he was worth and walked in from left field but would have preferred to walk in from New Hampshire, and it was a wonderful moment. Perhaps even better was Pedro's heartfelt greeting for Mr Pesky.
Later Stephen Tyler came in to sing America the Bueatiful and Neil Diamond appeared to sing Sweet Caroline before Jonathan Papelbon sent everyone home happy.
161 more to go. Play Ball
Opening Day is one of the most important days of the year in our house. Watching the game means that I can now allow for my schedule to now be filled with the routine of watching a game each night. The pace and pleasure of a ball game cannot be overstated.
The game itself was a good one, not much pitching as both teams were led by their offenses with the Sox winning late, led by Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia.
The highlight of the game may have been a young man of 5 by the last name of Sacco who gave the Herb Brooks " Miracle speech" to the crowd changing Russian references to Yankee references. It was wonderful. Johnny Pesky was present to say Play Ball and the first pitch was thrown by Pedro. Pedro, obviously thrilled to be invited back, milked it for all he was worth and walked in from left field but would have preferred to walk in from New Hampshire, and it was a wonderful moment. Perhaps even better was Pedro's heartfelt greeting for Mr Pesky.
Later Stephen Tyler came in to sing America the Bueatiful and Neil Diamond appeared to sing Sweet Caroline before Jonathan Papelbon sent everyone home happy.
161 more to go. Play Ball
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