Question: How do you know when a team REALLY doesn't want you?
Answer: When they are willing to pay 93% of your salary so that another team will take you off their hands.
Sounds impossible right?
Well that's reportedly what could happen on Wednesday if the Red Sox and Rockies can pull the trigger on a deal to send Byung-Hyun Kim, the worst Red Sox pitcher in recent memory, to Colorado for two minor league prospects, including the second overall pick in 2000 Jason Young.
Think about this. It's like breaking up with a girl that you just cannot stand any longer, but the only way to get your toothless perennially bottom feeding cousin to take her from you is if you agree to pay for 93% of all expenses incurred by the potential relationship.
I've definitely dated some loonies but this would be a stretch even for me.
Goobye and good riddance you Yankee fearing, obscenely gesticulating, teammate antagonizing waste of 6 million dollars. It will be worth the 5.6 mil to finally be able to put you in the John Wasdin category of wastes of space who we no longer have to worry will blow a 7 run lead in the 9th. You did nothing good here and I wish you all the success Mike Hampton had in Colorado.
Now if I could just find a boat and put Al Skinner, Pittsnogle, Kim, and Skip Bayless on it.....well nevermind.
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
AL East...Again...
Yes boys and girls, it's that time again, time to start looking 200 or so miles to the south at the broken Death Star in the Bronx, home of the former Evil Empire. It's not even April and yet here we are 5 days, 1 hour and 12 minutes away from the first offical pitch between the Sox and Yanks since the biggest choke in sports history was culminated at Yankee stadium 5 months ago. Doesn't it seem like just yesterday? I'm not sure I'm ready yet for the emotional investment necessary to watch the Sox in Yankee Stadium with Randy Johnson on the hill. But it doesn't matter if I'm ready because it's coming anyway.
So here we go with an AL East preview...
Let's be honest, the Yankees are loaded and if they don't win the division it will be because they underachieved. They are, on paper, superior to the Sox on both sides of the ball.
Randy Johnson, Mike Mussina, Jared Wright, Kevin Brown and Carl Pavano are theoretically better than Schilling, Pedro...oh right..., David Wells, Matt Clement, Tim Wakefield, and Bronson Arroyo. This is especially underscored by the fact that Wells and Clement have been rocked this spring with Wells giving up 10 earned runs in his last 12 innings and Clement touting a heavy 5.54 ERA in the pitcher friendly Grapefruit League where most sluggers are just working on contact and timing. And of course I don't need to tell anyone that the Sox ace will be out about a month. Wade Miller will add stability and push one of these 5 (probably Wakefield) to the pen in June, but that's a long way off.
However, the Yankee rotation is not without question either. Kevin Brown (10-6, 4.09 ERA) will probably get hurt because, well he always gets hurt. Mussina was lights out in the playoffs against the Sox but don't forget his struggles last season (12-9, 4.59 ERA). Randy Johnson (16-14, 2.60 ERA) will still be a force but he has been mired in the DH free light hitting NL West for the past few seasons and what he'll put up against the best power division in baseball remains to be seen. Not to mention you never know how someone who has never pitched under the brightest lights in sports, the bulbs of the New York media, like Pavano (18-8, 3.00 ERA) or Wright (15-8, 3.28 ERA) will respond to the constant pressure.
In the bullpen the advantage is actually with the Sox once you get past Rivera. And to be honest, I think it's finally fair and honest to say that the Sox own Rivera, at least as much as you can own one of the best closers ever. He's blown more playoff saves in his career to the Sox than he has to every other team combined, and that says something. Of course Keith Foulke is no slouch in his own right and that matchup comes out close to a wash anyway. After the closer the biggest advantage the Sox have is Allen Embree (2-2, 4.13 ERA), meaning a reliable left handed reliever which the Yanks are sorely missing. They reacquired Mike Stanton (3-6, 3.16 ERA in 83 games) who will be a question mark at best and beyond him their only other lefty is Alex Graman...exactly. Mike Timlin (5-4, 4.13 ERA) will once again be the horse of the Sox staff, and much of their success will rest on his performance. Similarly the Yanks will look to Tom Gordon (9-4, 2.21 ERA)to repeat his stellar season from a year ago. John Halama (7-6, 4.70 ERA) will bring another left handed arm to the Red Sox pen, but what they will get from him will likely be in the Stanton class. Matt Mantai and Mike Myers will swing the balance towards the Sox over Tanyon Sturtze, Paul Quantrill, and Steve Karsay.
On both sides there are also guys Sox and Yanks fans just don't want to see coming out of the bullpen in tight situations. For the Sox it's obvious, we don't ever want to see Byung-Hyun Kim ever again. He is the scurge of the pitching staff and it is the unending folly of the Red Sox front office that keeps him on the roster. For the Yanks, Felix Rodriguez strikes the same fear. On paper his numbers look good but situationally he's a nightmare.
Offensively the Yankees are modern day Bronx Bombers and even though the Sox led the league in runs scored the Yankees seem to have a clear advantage in terms of pop. Position by position it looks like this.
At first base New York has two potentially solid options with Jason Giambi, now off the juice, and the ageless Tino Martinez. Both COULD put up big numbers, Giambi especially, and he needs to in order to save his career. Martinez is 37 and only hit .262 last season but managed 23 homers and 76 RBIs on a terrible team. For Boston Kevin Millar will be the everyday guy with Kevin Youkilis likely backing up both first and third base. Red Sox fans love Millar, but we love him more than he deserves. .294 18 HR and 74 RBI are solid but should be eclipsed by the combination of Giambi and Martinez. D.O. may see some time over there as well, but he really does not count as a defender even when he's wearing a glove.
At second Mark Bellhorn will easily out power Tony Womack but he will be outpaced by Womack's average and speed. This comparison is essentially a toss up, if Bellhorn plays decent defense I'd rather have the 18 HR than Womack's 26 steals, especially in lineups that are constantly swinging for the long ball.
Shortstop is a touchy subject around here. Word on the street is the Yankees have some kid named Jeter who's decent at wacking it around, especially in the clutch. Former Cardinal, now the Sox replacement for Orlando Cabrera, Edgar Renteria can hit a little bit at .287 10 HR and 72 RBI but Jeter is a hall of famer who had a down year at .292 23 HR and 78 RBI, I can't see that happening again, even in my wildest dreams.
Things stay pretty bleak at third base. A-Rod, while probably the most obnoxious pompus ass this side of Barry Bonds, is still one of the best in the game and I fully expect another .296, 36, and 106 from him. (Haha...remember that slap play...oh that was great...the look on his face..."What! What did I do? Hey I'm freakin' A-Rod!") Bill Mueller will put up numbers and hopefully he'll play more than 110 games, but it'll be hard for even the combination of him and Youkilis to stack up. Look for Youkilis to have a monster year if Mueller goes down, he's ready to blow up.
Around the outfield things get a little more interesting. In left there's only one guy you would rather have than Manny Ramirez, and he plays in San Francisco. .308, 43, and 130 are huge numbers and Manny was flat robbed out of the MVP last year. Matsui is no Bubba Crosby but he just cannot hang with Ramirez at .298, 31, and 108.
In center Bernie Williams is 111 years old (okay 36, 37 in September) and not the player he once was. Johnny Damon needs to stop writing books and start playing baseball. Damon at .304, 20, and 94 had a case for MVP himself coming out of the leadoff spot. Those are unheard of numbers from the top of the order and if he comes close to those again he will blow Williams out of the water with his .262, 22, and 70. Not to mention Damon still has wheels and then some and is simply playing a much better overall game at this stage in his career.
In right Trot Nixon is a question mark having only played in 48 games last season and he has still not blossomed into the All-Star his draft status projected. However, Gary Sheffield is not completely left out of the steroid talks and with that lingering about if he gets off to a slow start the pressure could begin to mount. Regardless the advantage goes to the Yanks here, Sheffield's .290, 36, and 121 are better than Nixon's potential.
Behind the plate both teams have studs. Statistically Varitek at .296, 18, and 73 and Posada at .272, 21, and 81 are essentially even. Intangibles make the difference here and in that department Varitek gets a huge edge. A case can be made that he saved the entire season and sparked the post season run with his Plantation Street style bitch slap of A-Rod in the game that Bill Mueller ultimately won with a home run off of Rivera in the bottom of the 9th. Maybe I sound like a homer here but there isn't anyone, except maybe Pudge, that I would rather have as half my battery than Varitek. The Yankees have leaders but on or off the field Jorge the goofy Gonzo look-alike is no Jeter.
Now to the paragraph I've been waiting to write this whole time. The DH comparison. Well, there really is no comparison. David Ortiz v. 40 year old Ruben Sierra. D.O.'s 2004 stats are just insane for what they paid for him .301, 41, 139 and he was no doubt the clutch man in the playoff run. He's got to be one of the most feared hitters in the AL, especially among left handers. Sierra is a joke in comparison, .244, 17, and 65. While the Yanks have an edge in many of the positions none are is dramatic as this, and even if it's not Sierra whoever they trot out can't rake with D.O.
Defensively neither of these teams are going to wow you with their Gold Glovers, but ask the Devil Rays how having the best defense in the AL East has worked out for them so far. Neither Millar or Giambi will ever be confused with Doug Mientkiewicz, Womack can run circles around Bellhorn but Renteria is better than the mishap prone Jeter. A-Rod will be the best fielder on either team, especially with a year under his belt at third, but Mueller is no liability. In the outfield Johnny Damon is among the best in the game in terms of range although he has no arm whatsoever. Williams is over the hill and cannot get to nearly as many balls as he used to. Manny sometimes looks like a blind drunk on roller skates but generally he makes the plays, Matsui is comparable. In right Trot Nixon plays as hard as anyone and has the best arm on the Sox, but Sheffield has a cannon and some to spare. Varitek and Posada are both among the best at blocking balls and managing pitchers, although neither throw out a huge percentage of runners attempting to steal. All in all these teams stack up very evenly defensively and truth be told, the long haul of this AL East campaign is not going to be decided by who throws the most leather.
In terms of utility guys it's basically a blindfolded dart toss, you never know what you are going to get. I like the youth of the Sox with Youkilis, Adam Stern, and Hanley Ramirez (who will start the year in the minors but you'll see him soon) against the Yanks Rey Sanchez, Felix Escalona, Bubba Crosby, and Andy Phillips. Look for someone on this list to have to step in for an injury at some point on both teams. If I'm the Red Sox I love the idea of Youkilis as a spot fill in versus the options in the Yankee camp.
So after all that where do we stand? Well the problem with prognosticating baseball is that they have to play the games, all 162 of them, and as we all know, anything can happen.
I'd love to tell you that I think the Sox will win the division, but honestly I don't. Unless Schilling can repeat last season even with his bum ankle and Wells and Clement can make up for the loss of Pedro and then some I just can't see the Sox taking it in the end. However, if just a single thing goes wrong for the Yankees (i.e. Johnson, Jeter, Sheffield, or A-Rod go down, etc.) the balance could swing the other way. Make no mistake, both teams will be in it until the end, and the margin will be less than 5 games, and most importantly they are both going to the playoffs. And as recent history has taught us, being the Wild Card isn't necessarily a bad thing.
If you're looking for an X-factor here it is. The Baltimore Orioles. They will pound the ball all over the yard this year with Sosa, Lopez, and company and if they can find someone to get some people out they could make some noise. Both the Yanks and the Sox have to play them 19 times, and the record against the O's should be telling as to who will come out on top.
FINAL STANDINGS:
YANKEES 101-61
RED SOX 99-63
ORIOLES 85-77
DEVIL RAYS 70-92
BLUE JAYS 62-100
So here we go with an AL East preview...
Let's be honest, the Yankees are loaded and if they don't win the division it will be because they underachieved. They are, on paper, superior to the Sox on both sides of the ball.
Randy Johnson, Mike Mussina, Jared Wright, Kevin Brown and Carl Pavano are theoretically better than Schilling, Pedro...oh right..., David Wells, Matt Clement, Tim Wakefield, and Bronson Arroyo. This is especially underscored by the fact that Wells and Clement have been rocked this spring with Wells giving up 10 earned runs in his last 12 innings and Clement touting a heavy 5.54 ERA in the pitcher friendly Grapefruit League where most sluggers are just working on contact and timing. And of course I don't need to tell anyone that the Sox ace will be out about a month. Wade Miller will add stability and push one of these 5 (probably Wakefield) to the pen in June, but that's a long way off.
However, the Yankee rotation is not without question either. Kevin Brown (10-6, 4.09 ERA) will probably get hurt because, well he always gets hurt. Mussina was lights out in the playoffs against the Sox but don't forget his struggles last season (12-9, 4.59 ERA). Randy Johnson (16-14, 2.60 ERA) will still be a force but he has been mired in the DH free light hitting NL West for the past few seasons and what he'll put up against the best power division in baseball remains to be seen. Not to mention you never know how someone who has never pitched under the brightest lights in sports, the bulbs of the New York media, like Pavano (18-8, 3.00 ERA) or Wright (15-8, 3.28 ERA) will respond to the constant pressure.
In the bullpen the advantage is actually with the Sox once you get past Rivera. And to be honest, I think it's finally fair and honest to say that the Sox own Rivera, at least as much as you can own one of the best closers ever. He's blown more playoff saves in his career to the Sox than he has to every other team combined, and that says something. Of course Keith Foulke is no slouch in his own right and that matchup comes out close to a wash anyway. After the closer the biggest advantage the Sox have is Allen Embree (2-2, 4.13 ERA), meaning a reliable left handed reliever which the Yanks are sorely missing. They reacquired Mike Stanton (3-6, 3.16 ERA in 83 games) who will be a question mark at best and beyond him their only other lefty is Alex Graman...exactly. Mike Timlin (5-4, 4.13 ERA) will once again be the horse of the Sox staff, and much of their success will rest on his performance. Similarly the Yanks will look to Tom Gordon (9-4, 2.21 ERA)to repeat his stellar season from a year ago. John Halama (7-6, 4.70 ERA) will bring another left handed arm to the Red Sox pen, but what they will get from him will likely be in the Stanton class. Matt Mantai and Mike Myers will swing the balance towards the Sox over Tanyon Sturtze, Paul Quantrill, and Steve Karsay.
On both sides there are also guys Sox and Yanks fans just don't want to see coming out of the bullpen in tight situations. For the Sox it's obvious, we don't ever want to see Byung-Hyun Kim ever again. He is the scurge of the pitching staff and it is the unending folly of the Red Sox front office that keeps him on the roster. For the Yanks, Felix Rodriguez strikes the same fear. On paper his numbers look good but situationally he's a nightmare.
Offensively the Yankees are modern day Bronx Bombers and even though the Sox led the league in runs scored the Yankees seem to have a clear advantage in terms of pop. Position by position it looks like this.
At first base New York has two potentially solid options with Jason Giambi, now off the juice, and the ageless Tino Martinez. Both COULD put up big numbers, Giambi especially, and he needs to in order to save his career. Martinez is 37 and only hit .262 last season but managed 23 homers and 76 RBIs on a terrible team. For Boston Kevin Millar will be the everyday guy with Kevin Youkilis likely backing up both first and third base. Red Sox fans love Millar, but we love him more than he deserves. .294 18 HR and 74 RBI are solid but should be eclipsed by the combination of Giambi and Martinez. D.O. may see some time over there as well, but he really does not count as a defender even when he's wearing a glove.
At second Mark Bellhorn will easily out power Tony Womack but he will be outpaced by Womack's average and speed. This comparison is essentially a toss up, if Bellhorn plays decent defense I'd rather have the 18 HR than Womack's 26 steals, especially in lineups that are constantly swinging for the long ball.
Shortstop is a touchy subject around here. Word on the street is the Yankees have some kid named Jeter who's decent at wacking it around, especially in the clutch. Former Cardinal, now the Sox replacement for Orlando Cabrera, Edgar Renteria can hit a little bit at .287 10 HR and 72 RBI but Jeter is a hall of famer who had a down year at .292 23 HR and 78 RBI, I can't see that happening again, even in my wildest dreams.
Things stay pretty bleak at third base. A-Rod, while probably the most obnoxious pompus ass this side of Barry Bonds, is still one of the best in the game and I fully expect another .296, 36, and 106 from him. (Haha...remember that slap play...oh that was great...the look on his face..."What! What did I do? Hey I'm freakin' A-Rod!") Bill Mueller will put up numbers and hopefully he'll play more than 110 games, but it'll be hard for even the combination of him and Youkilis to stack up. Look for Youkilis to have a monster year if Mueller goes down, he's ready to blow up.
Around the outfield things get a little more interesting. In left there's only one guy you would rather have than Manny Ramirez, and he plays in San Francisco. .308, 43, and 130 are huge numbers and Manny was flat robbed out of the MVP last year. Matsui is no Bubba Crosby but he just cannot hang with Ramirez at .298, 31, and 108.
In center Bernie Williams is 111 years old (okay 36, 37 in September) and not the player he once was. Johnny Damon needs to stop writing books and start playing baseball. Damon at .304, 20, and 94 had a case for MVP himself coming out of the leadoff spot. Those are unheard of numbers from the top of the order and if he comes close to those again he will blow Williams out of the water with his .262, 22, and 70. Not to mention Damon still has wheels and then some and is simply playing a much better overall game at this stage in his career.
In right Trot Nixon is a question mark having only played in 48 games last season and he has still not blossomed into the All-Star his draft status projected. However, Gary Sheffield is not completely left out of the steroid talks and with that lingering about if he gets off to a slow start the pressure could begin to mount. Regardless the advantage goes to the Yanks here, Sheffield's .290, 36, and 121 are better than Nixon's potential.
Behind the plate both teams have studs. Statistically Varitek at .296, 18, and 73 and Posada at .272, 21, and 81 are essentially even. Intangibles make the difference here and in that department Varitek gets a huge edge. A case can be made that he saved the entire season and sparked the post season run with his Plantation Street style bitch slap of A-Rod in the game that Bill Mueller ultimately won with a home run off of Rivera in the bottom of the 9th. Maybe I sound like a homer here but there isn't anyone, except maybe Pudge, that I would rather have as half my battery than Varitek. The Yankees have leaders but on or off the field Jorge the goofy Gonzo look-alike is no Jeter.
Now to the paragraph I've been waiting to write this whole time. The DH comparison. Well, there really is no comparison. David Ortiz v. 40 year old Ruben Sierra. D.O.'s 2004 stats are just insane for what they paid for him .301, 41, 139 and he was no doubt the clutch man in the playoff run. He's got to be one of the most feared hitters in the AL, especially among left handers. Sierra is a joke in comparison, .244, 17, and 65. While the Yanks have an edge in many of the positions none are is dramatic as this, and even if it's not Sierra whoever they trot out can't rake with D.O.
Defensively neither of these teams are going to wow you with their Gold Glovers, but ask the Devil Rays how having the best defense in the AL East has worked out for them so far. Neither Millar or Giambi will ever be confused with Doug Mientkiewicz, Womack can run circles around Bellhorn but Renteria is better than the mishap prone Jeter. A-Rod will be the best fielder on either team, especially with a year under his belt at third, but Mueller is no liability. In the outfield Johnny Damon is among the best in the game in terms of range although he has no arm whatsoever. Williams is over the hill and cannot get to nearly as many balls as he used to. Manny sometimes looks like a blind drunk on roller skates but generally he makes the plays, Matsui is comparable. In right Trot Nixon plays as hard as anyone and has the best arm on the Sox, but Sheffield has a cannon and some to spare. Varitek and Posada are both among the best at blocking balls and managing pitchers, although neither throw out a huge percentage of runners attempting to steal. All in all these teams stack up very evenly defensively and truth be told, the long haul of this AL East campaign is not going to be decided by who throws the most leather.
In terms of utility guys it's basically a blindfolded dart toss, you never know what you are going to get. I like the youth of the Sox with Youkilis, Adam Stern, and Hanley Ramirez (who will start the year in the minors but you'll see him soon) against the Yanks Rey Sanchez, Felix Escalona, Bubba Crosby, and Andy Phillips. Look for someone on this list to have to step in for an injury at some point on both teams. If I'm the Red Sox I love the idea of Youkilis as a spot fill in versus the options in the Yankee camp.
So after all that where do we stand? Well the problem with prognosticating baseball is that they have to play the games, all 162 of them, and as we all know, anything can happen.
I'd love to tell you that I think the Sox will win the division, but honestly I don't. Unless Schilling can repeat last season even with his bum ankle and Wells and Clement can make up for the loss of Pedro and then some I just can't see the Sox taking it in the end. However, if just a single thing goes wrong for the Yankees (i.e. Johnson, Jeter, Sheffield, or A-Rod go down, etc.) the balance could swing the other way. Make no mistake, both teams will be in it until the end, and the margin will be less than 5 games, and most importantly they are both going to the playoffs. And as recent history has taught us, being the Wild Card isn't necessarily a bad thing.
If you're looking for an X-factor here it is. The Baltimore Orioles. They will pound the ball all over the yard this year with Sosa, Lopez, and company and if they can find someone to get some people out they could make some noise. Both the Yanks and the Sox have to play them 19 times, and the record against the O's should be telling as to who will come out on top.
FINAL STANDINGS:
YANKEES 101-61
RED SOX 99-63
ORIOLES 85-77
DEVIL RAYS 70-92
BLUE JAYS 62-100
Monday, March 28, 2005
I Thought...
...that the West Virginia v. Wake Forest second round game was one of the best I would see in my lifetime. I thought that Salim Stoudamire' s buzzer beating jumper to beat Oklahoma State would be the clutch shot of the tournament. I thought that Villanova's Allen Ray lost the Sweet Sixteen game against North Carolina, not the other way around. I thought I'd pull a Sean Salisbury and pick against the vastly superior favorites and I thought I'd be right.
I was wrong. (My Final Four: Duke, Illinois, Wake Forest, Florida)
A few weeks ago I suggested that Illinois would roll over and die after losing to Ohio State. Even more recently I prophesized that UNC would be upset in the tournament because they would forget to show up in an early round game (e.g. the ACC tournament). And after all that thinking and all that justifying here we are, exactly where we ought to be, poised for the two best teams in the country to meet in the NCAA final...if they take care of business. And here I sit, in the Sean Salisbury "Hypocrite Hall of Fame" with my mangled bracket and only the question, "What were you thinking?" to keep me company.
Back to the top. This past weekend has to be considered one of the great displays of amateur athletics to take place in our lifetime. While I thought that the WV v. Wake game would be the best of the year it was always possible for a great buzzer beater to top it but, no way in a million years did I think that it would be eclipsed by 3 of the greatest regional finals ever.
Just take the comebacks, Louisville from 20, Illinois from 15 in the last 4 minutes.
Or take Sparks' rim tickling double clutch (yes he was fouled as well) 3 at the buzzer to force overtime. (THE buzzer beater of the tournament, especially after his bricked free throw and airball just seconds earlier.)
How about West Virgina's 18 3's?
How about half the Michigan State bench coming over to shake hands with Chuck Hayes when he fouled out with time still on the clock in their matchup with Kentucky?
Or consider the defensive efforts put out by Michigan State and Illinois, holding Kentucky and Arizon without a shot when they needed it most.
How about Roy Williams making it to the Final Four in just his second season at Chapel Hill?
This truly was one of the most loaded tournament weekends we will ever see, and all of it is just leading up to the Final Four!
That being said, after the most physcially and emotionally exhausting games of their lives these kids have to go back out and do it all over again next weekend on an even bigger stage. That's right, after leaving it all and more on the court in the regionals the four winners earned nothing but the right to play another day. That's what makes this tournament so awesome, and what truly makes it an accurate and fair way to decide a champion (ah hem...BCS!) These teams have to bring it for 6 full games, not 3 games and 36 minutes Arizona, but 6 full games, and if you slip even a little bit you'll be joining the Blue Devils, the Huskies (both), the Wildcats, and all the other highly talented teams that didn't have the stuff for three weekends in March.
I won't even venture a guess at the outcome of next weekend's games, or try to predict a winner, but I will say this. I like North Carolina, if for no other reason than for the fact that they had the "easiest" Elite Eight game. They certainly did not blow out Wisconsin, but they were not forced to expend all they had and more just to scrape by like the other three winners. They also have Sean May, who is essentially unstopable inside and would be a man among boys against Augustine and the rest of the Illinois front line. But, how can I pick against a team that is 35-1 and that showed such fight against a stacked Arizona squad?
I don't know who's coming out of next weekend with the hardware, but I hope that it's half as exciting as what we just saw.
I was wrong. (My Final Four: Duke, Illinois, Wake Forest, Florida)
A few weeks ago I suggested that Illinois would roll over and die after losing to Ohio State. Even more recently I prophesized that UNC would be upset in the tournament because they would forget to show up in an early round game (e.g. the ACC tournament). And after all that thinking and all that justifying here we are, exactly where we ought to be, poised for the two best teams in the country to meet in the NCAA final...if they take care of business. And here I sit, in the Sean Salisbury "Hypocrite Hall of Fame" with my mangled bracket and only the question, "What were you thinking?" to keep me company.
Back to the top. This past weekend has to be considered one of the great displays of amateur athletics to take place in our lifetime. While I thought that the WV v. Wake game would be the best of the year it was always possible for a great buzzer beater to top it but, no way in a million years did I think that it would be eclipsed by 3 of the greatest regional finals ever.
Just take the comebacks, Louisville from 20, Illinois from 15 in the last 4 minutes.
Or take Sparks' rim tickling double clutch (yes he was fouled as well) 3 at the buzzer to force overtime. (THE buzzer beater of the tournament, especially after his bricked free throw and airball just seconds earlier.)
How about West Virgina's 18 3's?
How about half the Michigan State bench coming over to shake hands with Chuck Hayes when he fouled out with time still on the clock in their matchup with Kentucky?
Or consider the defensive efforts put out by Michigan State and Illinois, holding Kentucky and Arizon without a shot when they needed it most.
How about Roy Williams making it to the Final Four in just his second season at Chapel Hill?
This truly was one of the most loaded tournament weekends we will ever see, and all of it is just leading up to the Final Four!
That being said, after the most physcially and emotionally exhausting games of their lives these kids have to go back out and do it all over again next weekend on an even bigger stage. That's right, after leaving it all and more on the court in the regionals the four winners earned nothing but the right to play another day. That's what makes this tournament so awesome, and what truly makes it an accurate and fair way to decide a champion (ah hem...BCS!) These teams have to bring it for 6 full games, not 3 games and 36 minutes Arizona, but 6 full games, and if you slip even a little bit you'll be joining the Blue Devils, the Huskies (both), the Wildcats, and all the other highly talented teams that didn't have the stuff for three weekends in March.
I won't even venture a guess at the outcome of next weekend's games, or try to predict a winner, but I will say this. I like North Carolina, if for no other reason than for the fact that they had the "easiest" Elite Eight game. They certainly did not blow out Wisconsin, but they were not forced to expend all they had and more just to scrape by like the other three winners. They also have Sean May, who is essentially unstopable inside and would be a man among boys against Augustine and the rest of the Illinois front line. But, how can I pick against a team that is 35-1 and that showed such fight against a stacked Arizona squad?
I don't know who's coming out of next weekend with the hardware, but I hope that it's half as exciting as what we just saw.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Mid-Week News
* Note: All posts will be list format until I get my computer back. I can't try to type paragraphs without a g, h, or backspace key. It is driving me insane as it is. So get used to it kids.
- Tedy Bruschi may sit out next season for medical reasons. READ: Tedy, stay home! Seriously, don't even think about playing if they tell you it is risky. You almost died once, don't go for two. You had a stroke for Chrissake! You will lose your salary if you fail your physical, take the money and run.
- Tedy Bruschi may sit out next season for medical reasons. OH SHIT! The Patriots are losing Tedy too, the list of players lost off the Super Bowl team is getting awfully long and is becoming more distinguished. Get well Tedy, get well now! We need your crazy ass. (Sorry I guess I'm a little divided on this one.)
- Pat Summitt, the Tennessee women's basketball coach passed Dean Smith's mark for career wins in Division I last night with win number 880. The university responded by remaning the court, "The Summitt". (This IS sexist just warning you). I DON'T CARE!! I DON'T CARE AT ALL!!! I CARE ABOUT THE WESTMINSTER KENNELL CLUB DOG SHOW MORE THAN I CARE ABOUT THIS!!!! There is absolutely no comparison between the men's and women's college games. Dean Smith won 879 games in the ACC, the toughest conference in the country. The men's game is infinitely deeper than the women's. Every team has a stud and truly, just ask Kansas, anyone can win at any time. On the women's side the same 5 schools get all the top recruits because there is a huge gap between the stars and the utility players. As a result there is rarely a big upset in the early rounds of the tournament or anytime for that matter. Look at the scores from this past weekend, many of the games were decided by 30+. Pat Summitt achieving this feat is the equivalent of Dean Smith winning 880 games with NBA players while competeing in the WAC. Her longevity is impressive and her ability to recruit is astounding but don't get confused, Smith's 879 is a far more impressive number. Let her get to 1000 then we'll talk.
- The NFL season will open in Foxboro on September 8th, on ABC, with the champs taking on the Raiders. Proving that in fact the NFL is the most hypocritical organization on the planet. "We disapprove or Randy Moss' antics and he is bad for football,".... "Now, what will get us the biggest possible ratings opening night... Seems unfair to send Peyton to the woodshed again, can't send the Steelers on the road week one, hmmm... I got it! Let's send the walking, limping, fake mooning circus side-show of the NFL up there to start the year on a unsportsmanlike note, everyone will eat it up! We can do an opening 'Good Guy's / Bad Guy's' montage, it'll be like West Side Story!"
- Barry Bond's says he might hang it up, and that he's physcially and mentally exhausted. He says the media had been trying to hurt him forever, and that now they have finally done it. Does anyone actually buy this crap? Barry, the media attacks you because you are a reclusive asshole who imtimidates everyone with the dreaded race card, atagonizes reporters for doing their job, not to mention EVERYONE KNOWS YOU TOOK STEROIDS! I don't have the smallest iota of pity in my heart for Bonds, nor should anyone else. The media didn't hurt your knee, you did. You're 40 years old, your body breaks down especially when you precipitate it with steroid use. We didn't make your kids cry, you did when you cheated and you got caught. If you played by the rules you would have been a first ballot hall of fame inductee, now you will forever be the face of the asterix era. Stop bitching and moaning because no one feels bad for you you big baby.
- Somehow Lebron got his coach fired by dropping 56 the other night, maybe it was a bet. Owner: "Hey James, betcha Silas' job you don't drop 50+ tonight." Lebron: "You're on you crazy bastard."
- Bob Knight has already managed to make himself a bigger story than Texas Tech's sweet sixteen berth by blasting Mike Davis and the rest of Indiana saying, among other things that he was about to fire Davis before he himself was fired. What an asshole, he should be glorifying his players achievements not using the fact that he has finally accomplished something post-Indiana as an excuse to seek self-satisfaction by blasting his former employer and sucessor thereby turning the spotlight directly on himself . I would never play for him. You didn't hear Belichick after the Super Bowl saying, "You know it was a great team win...and I just want to say FUCK YOU CLEVELAND, look at me now bitches!"
Go UW-Milwaukee!!! Panther Pride!!!......PITTSNOGLE!!
- Tedy Bruschi may sit out next season for medical reasons. READ: Tedy, stay home! Seriously, don't even think about playing if they tell you it is risky. You almost died once, don't go for two. You had a stroke for Chrissake! You will lose your salary if you fail your physical, take the money and run.
- Tedy Bruschi may sit out next season for medical reasons. OH SHIT! The Patriots are losing Tedy too, the list of players lost off the Super Bowl team is getting awfully long and is becoming more distinguished. Get well Tedy, get well now! We need your crazy ass. (Sorry I guess I'm a little divided on this one.)
- Pat Summitt, the Tennessee women's basketball coach passed Dean Smith's mark for career wins in Division I last night with win number 880. The university responded by remaning the court, "The Summitt". (This IS sexist just warning you). I DON'T CARE!! I DON'T CARE AT ALL!!! I CARE ABOUT THE WESTMINSTER KENNELL CLUB DOG SHOW MORE THAN I CARE ABOUT THIS!!!! There is absolutely no comparison between the men's and women's college games. Dean Smith won 879 games in the ACC, the toughest conference in the country. The men's game is infinitely deeper than the women's. Every team has a stud and truly, just ask Kansas, anyone can win at any time. On the women's side the same 5 schools get all the top recruits because there is a huge gap between the stars and the utility players. As a result there is rarely a big upset in the early rounds of the tournament or anytime for that matter. Look at the scores from this past weekend, many of the games were decided by 30+. Pat Summitt achieving this feat is the equivalent of Dean Smith winning 880 games with NBA players while competeing in the WAC. Her longevity is impressive and her ability to recruit is astounding but don't get confused, Smith's 879 is a far more impressive number. Let her get to 1000 then we'll talk.
- The NFL season will open in Foxboro on September 8th, on ABC, with the champs taking on the Raiders. Proving that in fact the NFL is the most hypocritical organization on the planet. "We disapprove or Randy Moss' antics and he is bad for football,".... "Now, what will get us the biggest possible ratings opening night... Seems unfair to send Peyton to the woodshed again, can't send the Steelers on the road week one, hmmm... I got it! Let's send the walking, limping, fake mooning circus side-show of the NFL up there to start the year on a unsportsmanlike note, everyone will eat it up! We can do an opening 'Good Guy's / Bad Guy's' montage, it'll be like West Side Story!"
- Barry Bond's says he might hang it up, and that he's physcially and mentally exhausted. He says the media had been trying to hurt him forever, and that now they have finally done it. Does anyone actually buy this crap? Barry, the media attacks you because you are a reclusive asshole who imtimidates everyone with the dreaded race card, atagonizes reporters for doing their job, not to mention EVERYONE KNOWS YOU TOOK STEROIDS! I don't have the smallest iota of pity in my heart for Bonds, nor should anyone else. The media didn't hurt your knee, you did. You're 40 years old, your body breaks down especially when you precipitate it with steroid use. We didn't make your kids cry, you did when you cheated and you got caught. If you played by the rules you would have been a first ballot hall of fame inductee, now you will forever be the face of the asterix era. Stop bitching and moaning because no one feels bad for you you big baby.
- Somehow Lebron got his coach fired by dropping 56 the other night, maybe it was a bet. Owner: "Hey James, betcha Silas' job you don't drop 50+ tonight." Lebron: "You're on you crazy bastard."
- Bob Knight has already managed to make himself a bigger story than Texas Tech's sweet sixteen berth by blasting Mike Davis and the rest of Indiana saying, among other things that he was about to fire Davis before he himself was fired. What an asshole, he should be glorifying his players achievements not using the fact that he has finally accomplished something post-Indiana as an excuse to seek self-satisfaction by blasting his former employer and sucessor thereby turning the spotlight directly on himself . I would never play for him. You didn't hear Belichick after the Super Bowl saying, "You know it was a great team win...and I just want to say FUCK YOU CLEVELAND, look at me now bitches!"
Go UW-Milwaukee!!! Panther Pride!!!......PITTSNOGLE!!
Monday, March 21, 2005
Things I Learned, NCAA Weekend One:
- This year's Spring Break is, "Going to bite!" Ahhhhh sharks!!!!! Ahhhhh random girl from the OC!!!!!
- As the crowd at both MSG and the DCU Center infromed us all, "BC SUCKS, BC SUCKS, BC SUCKS!!!"
- The UW - Milwaukee basketball team is better than BC and Alabama, BUT is their hockey team destined to choke away a number one overall seed? I think not! HA! Wait...
- NCAA opening day + St. Patrick's Day in Boston = 1. no idea what happened in the late night games, 2. no chance of seeing the first half of Friday's games, 3. pain, lots of pain.
- If you are the mascot of a college hoops team God's sense of humor demands that a decade or so later when you are the head coach of a mid major commuter school in Wisconsin playing your former school that you will embarass them on national tv and force Sportscenter to dig up footage of your mascotting days to run 1,000,000,000 times over the next 12 hours, driving many of the people who pounded on you everyday in college for being "Baldwin" to hurl themselves off of rooftops.
- If you want to win your NCAA pool, take my bracket exclude the 1 v. 16 and 2 v. 15 games, flip it and reverse it and you've got a winner.
- If I were a blue chipper I'd be calling Tom Brennan right now begging him to get a job somewhere and to give me a scholarship, hell I'd pay to play for that guy, he's just cool with tons of class. Vermont beat Syracuse and almost beat Michigan State on guts and confidence instilled in them by their coach. An overachieving team is the ultimate measure of a great leader and Tom Brennan is ceratainly that.
- If I were Tom Brennan I'd pimp slap that whiny "Duke Arrogant" bitch Jay Bilas, take his job on ESPN, and subsequently up the ratings of College Game Night by a thousand percent. The guy's morning show in Vermont pounds on Howard Stern!
- Wake Forest is the late '90s Phil Mickelson of college basketball.
- Hakim Warrick: OUT, Craig Smith: OUT, Jarret Jack: OUT, Gerry McNamara: OUT, Charlie Villanueva: OUT, Wayne Simien: OUT.....Chris Gamsey: IN, Kevin Pittsnogle: IN, PITTSNOGLE!!!! IN!!!!! PITTSNOGLE!!!!!!!!!
- I absolutely loved to watch Gamsey from West Virginia, that kid has balls the size of watermelons. 19 in 2 overtimes against Wake players twice as athletic as him.
- Freakin' PITTSNOGLE who (twitch twitch) TORCHED BC in the Big East tournament, wasn't even on the floor for most of the overtimes against Wake. He's a damn scrub! Someone please fire Al Skinner, this is like BC-gate, he couldn't come up with a game plan for PITTSNOGLE!!!!!! Don't fire him, make him spend a day on the PITTSNOGLE ranch in West Virginia. You'll find him outside of Fenway passing out flyer's with the crazy "Convert or you will burn in Hell" guy. PITTSNOGLE!!!!!
- Hate 'em or love 'em Duke just gets it done. 8 straight sweet sixteens, the next longest streak is 2. They were supposed to finish 4th in the ACC, they won the tournament and ended the season 5th in the nation. You have to give it to them, Ewing finally hits the jumper, Reddick can take a mid range shot in traffic this year, and Williams is just a monster inside. They might not win it all but with no bench and the injury to Dockery what they've accomplished is really impressive.
- If UNC comes to play every weekend they will win this tournament. Illinois would have no answer for Sean May, he eats pieces of shit like Augustine for breakfast ("You eat pieces of shit for breakfast?" HA...sorry). Illinois guards are better, but not immeasurably and UNC has a longer bench. After week one it looks like they're the only two with a chance.
- Louisville can go a long way in this tournament, Garcia is a legit player and they are as fast as any team that isn't called the Illini. After what they did to the resurgent GTech team yesterday they look scary to anyone who has to face them.
- This just in, I don't know if you've heard, there's a show on CBS called "Everybody Loves Raymond". It flies under the radar because CBS never advertises it. Apparently there is also a show called "Survivor", also under-advertised.
- (inner monologue) "Wow what a great play...I will watch America's most watched network. CBS is my God I must know what America voted as the number one "Raymond" episode of all time, who will be the ultimate survivor, there is no tradition like the Masters, IwillnowbreakmyremotecontrolsoIcanalwayswatchCBS...."
- Find the highlights of the Hopkins I-AA playoff game. A Hopkins player hits the game winner sitting on his ass, literally. It's the most amazing buzzer beater you will ever see.
- Never cheer for a big time BC team, just forget it. This has to go down as one of the all time worst collapses in NCAAA history. 20-0 to 25-5, and out in the second round to a 12 seed. Yes this reflects badly on the players. Yes, they played shitty defense against Milwaukee. Yes, Marshall missed both free throws with 45 seconds to play with BC down 5. Yes, Nate Doornekamp is the most worthless 7 footer in the universe (and any coach with half a brain would have played Williams the entire second half). That being said, after 2 days to consider it I put this collapse on Al Skinner. As I said before, an overachieving team is a testament to a great leader, thus the opposite is also true, an underachieving team is a sign of weak leadership. For the last 5 weeks this team has looked unprepared and unmotivated with losses coming to inferior competition. They just laid down and died in front of Pitt, they forgot to show up for the first 23 minutes against West Virginia, and only played the first 3 minutes against Milwaukee. Their lack of focus and lack of heart is the reason they'll be watching the rest of this tournament and as a BC fan that makes me sick. It won't happen but Al Skinner should be out of the job right now for letting his team quit on him, and allowing them to think they could coast down the stretch and turn it on under the bright lights of the NCAAs. BC should start fresh in the ACC with a coach that can get the maximum out of his players for a 35 game season, not just the first 20.
- This years Spring Break is, "Going to bite!!!" Ahhhhh!!!!! Sharks!!!!! AHHHHH!!!!! Repeat Blog entries!!!!!!!!!
- As the crowd at both MSG and the DCU Center infromed us all, "BC SUCKS, BC SUCKS, BC SUCKS!!!"
- The UW - Milwaukee basketball team is better than BC and Alabama, BUT is their hockey team destined to choke away a number one overall seed? I think not! HA! Wait...
- NCAA opening day + St. Patrick's Day in Boston = 1. no idea what happened in the late night games, 2. no chance of seeing the first half of Friday's games, 3. pain, lots of pain.
- If you are the mascot of a college hoops team God's sense of humor demands that a decade or so later when you are the head coach of a mid major commuter school in Wisconsin playing your former school that you will embarass them on national tv and force Sportscenter to dig up footage of your mascotting days to run 1,000,000,000 times over the next 12 hours, driving many of the people who pounded on you everyday in college for being "Baldwin" to hurl themselves off of rooftops.
- If you want to win your NCAA pool, take my bracket exclude the 1 v. 16 and 2 v. 15 games, flip it and reverse it and you've got a winner.
- If I were a blue chipper I'd be calling Tom Brennan right now begging him to get a job somewhere and to give me a scholarship, hell I'd pay to play for that guy, he's just cool with tons of class. Vermont beat Syracuse and almost beat Michigan State on guts and confidence instilled in them by their coach. An overachieving team is the ultimate measure of a great leader and Tom Brennan is ceratainly that.
- If I were Tom Brennan I'd pimp slap that whiny "Duke Arrogant" bitch Jay Bilas, take his job on ESPN, and subsequently up the ratings of College Game Night by a thousand percent. The guy's morning show in Vermont pounds on Howard Stern!
- Wake Forest is the late '90s Phil Mickelson of college basketball.
- Hakim Warrick: OUT, Craig Smith: OUT, Jarret Jack: OUT, Gerry McNamara: OUT, Charlie Villanueva: OUT, Wayne Simien: OUT.....Chris Gamsey: IN, Kevin Pittsnogle: IN, PITTSNOGLE!!!! IN!!!!! PITTSNOGLE!!!!!!!!!
- I absolutely loved to watch Gamsey from West Virginia, that kid has balls the size of watermelons. 19 in 2 overtimes against Wake players twice as athletic as him.
- Freakin' PITTSNOGLE who (twitch twitch) TORCHED BC in the Big East tournament, wasn't even on the floor for most of the overtimes against Wake. He's a damn scrub! Someone please fire Al Skinner, this is like BC-gate, he couldn't come up with a game plan for PITTSNOGLE!!!!!! Don't fire him, make him spend a day on the PITTSNOGLE ranch in West Virginia. You'll find him outside of Fenway passing out flyer's with the crazy "Convert or you will burn in Hell" guy. PITTSNOGLE!!!!!
- Hate 'em or love 'em Duke just gets it done. 8 straight sweet sixteens, the next longest streak is 2. They were supposed to finish 4th in the ACC, they won the tournament and ended the season 5th in the nation. You have to give it to them, Ewing finally hits the jumper, Reddick can take a mid range shot in traffic this year, and Williams is just a monster inside. They might not win it all but with no bench and the injury to Dockery what they've accomplished is really impressive.
- If UNC comes to play every weekend they will win this tournament. Illinois would have no answer for Sean May, he eats pieces of shit like Augustine for breakfast ("You eat pieces of shit for breakfast?" HA...sorry). Illinois guards are better, but not immeasurably and UNC has a longer bench. After week one it looks like they're the only two with a chance.
- Louisville can go a long way in this tournament, Garcia is a legit player and they are as fast as any team that isn't called the Illini. After what they did to the resurgent GTech team yesterday they look scary to anyone who has to face them.
- This just in, I don't know if you've heard, there's a show on CBS called "Everybody Loves Raymond". It flies under the radar because CBS never advertises it. Apparently there is also a show called "Survivor", also under-advertised.
- (inner monologue) "Wow what a great play...I will watch America's most watched network. CBS is my God I must know what America voted as the number one "Raymond" episode of all time, who will be the ultimate survivor, there is no tradition like the Masters, IwillnowbreakmyremotecontrolsoIcanalwayswatchCBS...."
- Find the highlights of the Hopkins I-AA playoff game. A Hopkins player hits the game winner sitting on his ass, literally. It's the most amazing buzzer beater you will ever see.
- Never cheer for a big time BC team, just forget it. This has to go down as one of the all time worst collapses in NCAAA history. 20-0 to 25-5, and out in the second round to a 12 seed. Yes this reflects badly on the players. Yes, they played shitty defense against Milwaukee. Yes, Marshall missed both free throws with 45 seconds to play with BC down 5. Yes, Nate Doornekamp is the most worthless 7 footer in the universe (and any coach with half a brain would have played Williams the entire second half). That being said, after 2 days to consider it I put this collapse on Al Skinner. As I said before, an overachieving team is a testament to a great leader, thus the opposite is also true, an underachieving team is a sign of weak leadership. For the last 5 weeks this team has looked unprepared and unmotivated with losses coming to inferior competition. They just laid down and died in front of Pitt, they forgot to show up for the first 23 minutes against West Virginia, and only played the first 3 minutes against Milwaukee. Their lack of focus and lack of heart is the reason they'll be watching the rest of this tournament and as a BC fan that makes me sick. It won't happen but Al Skinner should be out of the job right now for letting his team quit on him, and allowing them to think they could coast down the stretch and turn it on under the bright lights of the NCAAs. BC should start fresh in the ACC with a coach that can get the maximum out of his players for a 35 game season, not just the first 20.
- This years Spring Break is, "Going to bite!!!" Ahhhhh!!!!! Sharks!!!!! AHHHHH!!!!! Repeat Blog entries!!!!!!!!!
Saturday, March 12, 2005
Schill on "The Grill"
I don't know if I'm the only person who thinks that this is a strange twist on baseball's steroid crisis, but why was Curt Schilling subpoened to the Congressional hearing? And why was he the only pitcher?
I really don't have an answer to that question, but its getting no media coverage whatsoever and I find that very curious. The rest of the current and former players called certainly weren't picked out of a hat. Sosa, McGwire, Palmeiro, Thomas, and Canseco among others were obviously called because they are suspected of using. Can we say the same about Schilling?
Schilling is a big guy, and if you look at him from the beginning of his career to now he's definitely gotten bigger, a lot bigger. But does it seem likely that someone of his sometimes excessive honesty would be cheating to such a gross degree? And would it even help? Power is one aspect of pitching, but it is definitely not the only thing. No steroid will give you Maddux-like control or Zito's 12-6 curve.
Maybe he was called to testify about changes he has witnessed in facing hitters during the steroid era, maybe because he is always so forthright and honest, even when he might be better off shutting up. Maybe the committee is simply trying to put on an unbiased face by not calling only sluggers, although one power pitcher does not make a particularly varied sample. Maybe they were afraid Clemens would freak out and go postal if they called his freakish size and stamina into question. Who knows?
I really have no idea what's going on with this situation, but it interests me and I want to know more. Did you hear that Bob Ley I want an "Outside The Lines" about this tomorrow!
I really don't have an answer to that question, but its getting no media coverage whatsoever and I find that very curious. The rest of the current and former players called certainly weren't picked out of a hat. Sosa, McGwire, Palmeiro, Thomas, and Canseco among others were obviously called because they are suspected of using. Can we say the same about Schilling?
Schilling is a big guy, and if you look at him from the beginning of his career to now he's definitely gotten bigger, a lot bigger. But does it seem likely that someone of his sometimes excessive honesty would be cheating to such a gross degree? And would it even help? Power is one aspect of pitching, but it is definitely not the only thing. No steroid will give you Maddux-like control or Zito's 12-6 curve.
Maybe he was called to testify about changes he has witnessed in facing hitters during the steroid era, maybe because he is always so forthright and honest, even when he might be better off shutting up. Maybe the committee is simply trying to put on an unbiased face by not calling only sluggers, although one power pitcher does not make a particularly varied sample. Maybe they were afraid Clemens would freak out and go postal if they called his freakish size and stamina into question. Who knows?
I really have no idea what's going on with this situation, but it interests me and I want to know more. Did you hear that Bob Ley I want an "Outside The Lines" about this tomorrow!
Thursday, March 10, 2005
PITTSNOGLE!!
...finally got the site to let me sign, I'll pick up my running commentary from here...
14:51 to play, in the second half, 50-32 West Virginia, and things have actually improved over the last 5 minutes. With a 12-3 run to start the half BC has pulled back within, that's right, 18. This team is playing like the overrated joke many people have said they are...
14:45 to play, did they just say that Sally isn't playing for at all today? How are we losing to an inferior team without their best player?
14:10 to play, Dudley is flying all over the place but no one can hit a shot. Hinnent just missed a huge three that would have gotten them to within 13, typical lack of clutch shooting.
13:00 to play, Marshall with a big dunk on a break, down 14.
12:40 to play, OH GOD Dudley just fouled a WV guard shooting a desperation 3 at the end of the shot clock. Dudley's 4th, what a sophmore move.
12:00 to play, Marshall just hit a three stole the inbound...then threw an airball and fouled the rebounder, way to negate a good play you ass.
11:30 to play, Craig just pulled a huge rebound made the put back and got fouled. Can we please get him the ball everytime down the court? Dance with the gal who brought you boys!WV up 13...make that 12.
10:52 to play, oh Watson what the hell are you doing!?
10:00 to play, 18-4 run by BC, down 10 with an eternity to play.
9:48 to play, Dudley's back in with 4 fouls. Play smart kid.
8:56 to play, Hailey just had a layup swatted into the first row by a 5'9" kid, get up you schmuck!
8:00 to play, Snagglepuss or whatever the kid's name from WV is just buried a dagger 3 to put WV up 14 again. Hey Nate, maybe you should try covering him, they've only hit like 10 3's today.
7:51 to play, Watson just bricked a free one badly, I thought he was like 83% from the line?
7:11 to play, Dudley a chance for a 3 point play. WV looks tired. 50-58, WV has 2 field goals in the second half.
6:44 to play, WV never misses free throws, they're already in the bonus, that's bad.
6:26 to play, Dudley is all over the place, ripping boards, playing like an animal, just got a steal, where has this been? Oh you gotta finish though!
6:12 to play, 60-53. There is actually a player on WV named Pittsnogle.
5:27 to play, Smith just got called for his 4th on a bad blocking call. He was totally set, I hate to say this but it looks like they're getting squeezed. Smith is getting pounded everytime he touches the ball and is getting bad touch fouls on D.
4:36 to play, 62-58, Marshall just nailed a huge 3. He looks real good from outside again.
3:07 to play, Snagglepuss just nailed a big three again. Doornekamp should NOT be on the floor, he can't cover that guy! Doornekamp on Pittsnogle, try to say that 3 times fast.
2:24 to play, BC back down 11, Snagglepuss just got a put back. Please stop the white kid named Pittsnogle! PITTSNOGLE!
2:10 to play, BC 69-60 WV, this might be over. That Pittsnogle kid is one ugly fucker, they might win but he's still gonna be WV ugly.
1:26 to play, 71-60 the crowd is chanting ACC and Overrated, the refs are listening. Marshall just mugged a WV guard and didn't get the call, so squeezed.
51.7 to play, 72-64, everyone in the crowd not affiliated with BC is ripping them right now, this is like a WV home game.
40.6 to play, Dudley just got fouled shooting a three. What an awesome play, he kind of wiggled his way in front of Nichols to get fouled as he tried to just go by. Bad explanation, great play, 73-67.
29.8 to play, Dudely did so much today but he just bricked an open 3 that they really needed, they just never have quite enough.
18.1 to play, ACC, ACC, ACC, ACC, ACC!!!
9.1 to play, Smith hit a three and Sean McDonough just said Smith is 8-8 from the floor today. How does your best player only get 8 shots? He made every shot he took for Chrissake!
That's it, it's over. BC goes down to an unranked WV team which was playing without its best offensive player. They are now 4-4 in since starting 20-0 and will likely get a 3 seed instead of a 2 which sets up an awfully tough second round game, especially for a team that has been unable to step up since the Syracuse game a month ago.
What a huge disappointment.
The difference in this game? 3 point shooting. The Mountaineers hit 10 of 19 while BC hit only 5 of 20. You cannot have a ratio like that and hope to overcome a 25 point second half defecit.
The other difference, WV has the irresistable force known only as Pittsnogle, PITTSNOGLE! How in the blue fuck do you lose to a guy named PITTSNOGLE? My God! PITTSNOGLE!
I have to go to work, PITTSNOGLE! More later, PITTSNOGLE!
P P P P PITTSNOGLE!! Put me out of my misery.
14:51 to play, in the second half, 50-32 West Virginia, and things have actually improved over the last 5 minutes. With a 12-3 run to start the half BC has pulled back within, that's right, 18. This team is playing like the overrated joke many people have said they are...
14:45 to play, did they just say that Sally isn't playing for at all today? How are we losing to an inferior team without their best player?
14:10 to play, Dudley is flying all over the place but no one can hit a shot. Hinnent just missed a huge three that would have gotten them to within 13, typical lack of clutch shooting.
13:00 to play, Marshall with a big dunk on a break, down 14.
12:40 to play, OH GOD Dudley just fouled a WV guard shooting a desperation 3 at the end of the shot clock. Dudley's 4th, what a sophmore move.
12:00 to play, Marshall just hit a three stole the inbound...then threw an airball and fouled the rebounder, way to negate a good play you ass.
11:30 to play, Craig just pulled a huge rebound made the put back and got fouled. Can we please get him the ball everytime down the court? Dance with the gal who brought you boys!WV up 13...make that 12.
10:52 to play, oh Watson what the hell are you doing!?
10:00 to play, 18-4 run by BC, down 10 with an eternity to play.
9:48 to play, Dudley's back in with 4 fouls. Play smart kid.
8:56 to play, Hailey just had a layup swatted into the first row by a 5'9" kid, get up you schmuck!
8:00 to play, Snagglepuss or whatever the kid's name from WV is just buried a dagger 3 to put WV up 14 again. Hey Nate, maybe you should try covering him, they've only hit like 10 3's today.
7:51 to play, Watson just bricked a free one badly, I thought he was like 83% from the line?
7:11 to play, Dudley a chance for a 3 point play. WV looks tired. 50-58, WV has 2 field goals in the second half.
6:44 to play, WV never misses free throws, they're already in the bonus, that's bad.
6:26 to play, Dudley is all over the place, ripping boards, playing like an animal, just got a steal, where has this been? Oh you gotta finish though!
6:12 to play, 60-53. There is actually a player on WV named Pittsnogle.
5:27 to play, Smith just got called for his 4th on a bad blocking call. He was totally set, I hate to say this but it looks like they're getting squeezed. Smith is getting pounded everytime he touches the ball and is getting bad touch fouls on D.
4:36 to play, 62-58, Marshall just nailed a huge 3. He looks real good from outside again.
3:07 to play, Snagglepuss just nailed a big three again. Doornekamp should NOT be on the floor, he can't cover that guy! Doornekamp on Pittsnogle, try to say that 3 times fast.
2:24 to play, BC back down 11, Snagglepuss just got a put back. Please stop the white kid named Pittsnogle! PITTSNOGLE!
2:10 to play, BC 69-60 WV, this might be over. That Pittsnogle kid is one ugly fucker, they might win but he's still gonna be WV ugly.
1:26 to play, 71-60 the crowd is chanting ACC and Overrated, the refs are listening. Marshall just mugged a WV guard and didn't get the call, so squeezed.
51.7 to play, 72-64, everyone in the crowd not affiliated with BC is ripping them right now, this is like a WV home game.
40.6 to play, Dudley just got fouled shooting a three. What an awesome play, he kind of wiggled his way in front of Nichols to get fouled as he tried to just go by. Bad explanation, great play, 73-67.
29.8 to play, Dudely did so much today but he just bricked an open 3 that they really needed, they just never have quite enough.
18.1 to play, ACC, ACC, ACC, ACC, ACC!!!
9.1 to play, Smith hit a three and Sean McDonough just said Smith is 8-8 from the floor today. How does your best player only get 8 shots? He made every shot he took for Chrissake!
That's it, it's over. BC goes down to an unranked WV team which was playing without its best offensive player. They are now 4-4 in since starting 20-0 and will likely get a 3 seed instead of a 2 which sets up an awfully tough second round game, especially for a team that has been unable to step up since the Syracuse game a month ago.
What a huge disappointment.
The difference in this game? 3 point shooting. The Mountaineers hit 10 of 19 while BC hit only 5 of 20. You cannot have a ratio like that and hope to overcome a 25 point second half defecit.
The other difference, WV has the irresistable force known only as Pittsnogle, PITTSNOGLE! How in the blue fuck do you lose to a guy named PITTSNOGLE? My God! PITTSNOGLE!
I have to go to work, PITTSNOGLE! More later, PITTSNOGLE!
P P P P PITTSNOGLE!! Put me out of my misery.
Monday, March 07, 2005
IS THERE...
...anything more annoying than trying to type a blog without the use of a "g" or an "h" key?
...any team other than the Patriots that could lose two starting receivers, a potential hall of fame corner back, a starting offensive lineman, and a linebacker and still be the odds on favorite to win the Super Bowl?
...any question, after watching the last two battles Wake Forest has had against G-Tech and NC State (two bottom feeders in the league this year) that the ACC is the best league in college basketball? Chris Paul's Tyus Edney (the kid who hit the runner for UCLA to win the tournament game a few years ago) impression last night was better than anything that's happened in a Big East game all season.
...anything you would rather watch in March than Duke v. UNC with both ranked in the top 10?
...any end to the coverage of the Sox v. Yanks rivalry, or anything funnier than watching Kenny Mayne ask Tanyon Sturtze why people from Boston are such morons to which he responds with a scowl, not at all getting the joke, "Dude, I'm from Boston."
...any final pairing you'd rather see than Tiger and Phil when they're both knocking it stiff? Sorry Vijay, you're wicked dull.
...anything worse than watching Mets spring training baseball when Pedro and Beltran don't play?
...any rapper more over exposed than 50 cent, the dude is in every song that comes out, why does he think its necessary to release 5 songs (that are all exactly the freakin' same!) at a time? He's almost as bad as Beyonce...almost.
...any doubt that Illinois is not going all the way after losing to Ohio State? They peaked too soon.
...any logical reason that the Pizzeria Uno in Harvard Square was showing the Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championships on Saturday afternoon, or any doubt that I was the only person who watched with interest?
...anything you don't want to hear more than, "It's not so bad," from a new addition to the Sox rotation when he's asked how it feels to wear the B after being rejected by the Yankees? Where's the enthusiasm you fat bastard?
...anyone who really thinks that Ron Artest should be allowed to play in the playoffs? Have we already forgotten that this wack job charged into the stands to pimp slap a 5'10" white kid?
...anyone who didn't think (even for just a second) after watching the Celts play with a renewed fire after reacquiring Antoine, "Hey, what if...?"
...anyone who after thinking such lunacy didn't immediately slap themselves on the forehead when they remembered that these are still the Celtics, who play in the East, and don't have Shaq?
...anyone you'd rather be that Matt Sylvester yesterday on the Ohio State campus? (He' the kid who hit the three to beat Illinois.)
...anything more annoying than a blog that uses a lazy list formula to make up for the fact that too much worthy of comment has happened since the author's computer decided to go off the deep end last week?
...any team other than the Patriots that could lose two starting receivers, a potential hall of fame corner back, a starting offensive lineman, and a linebacker and still be the odds on favorite to win the Super Bowl?
...any question, after watching the last two battles Wake Forest has had against G-Tech and NC State (two bottom feeders in the league this year) that the ACC is the best league in college basketball? Chris Paul's Tyus Edney (the kid who hit the runner for UCLA to win the tournament game a few years ago) impression last night was better than anything that's happened in a Big East game all season.
...anything you would rather watch in March than Duke v. UNC with both ranked in the top 10?
...any end to the coverage of the Sox v. Yanks rivalry, or anything funnier than watching Kenny Mayne ask Tanyon Sturtze why people from Boston are such morons to which he responds with a scowl, not at all getting the joke, "Dude, I'm from Boston."
...any final pairing you'd rather see than Tiger and Phil when they're both knocking it stiff? Sorry Vijay, you're wicked dull.
...anything worse than watching Mets spring training baseball when Pedro and Beltran don't play?
...any rapper more over exposed than 50 cent, the dude is in every song that comes out, why does he think its necessary to release 5 songs (that are all exactly the freakin' same!) at a time? He's almost as bad as Beyonce...almost.
...any doubt that Illinois is not going all the way after losing to Ohio State? They peaked too soon.
...any logical reason that the Pizzeria Uno in Harvard Square was showing the Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championships on Saturday afternoon, or any doubt that I was the only person who watched with interest?
...anything you don't want to hear more than, "It's not so bad," from a new addition to the Sox rotation when he's asked how it feels to wear the B after being rejected by the Yankees? Where's the enthusiasm you fat bastard?
...anyone who really thinks that Ron Artest should be allowed to play in the playoffs? Have we already forgotten that this wack job charged into the stands to pimp slap a 5'10" white kid?
...anyone who didn't think (even for just a second) after watching the Celts play with a renewed fire after reacquiring Antoine, "Hey, what if...?"
...anyone who after thinking such lunacy didn't immediately slap themselves on the forehead when they remembered that these are still the Celtics, who play in the East, and don't have Shaq?
...anyone you'd rather be that Matt Sylvester yesterday on the Ohio State campus? (He' the kid who hit the three to beat Illinois.)
...anything more annoying than a blog that uses a lazy list formula to make up for the fact that too much worthy of comment has happened since the author's computer decided to go off the deep end last week?
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Comings and Goings
The economic realities of the NFL have sent, "the ultimate team player," packing.
The NFL is a cruel, heartless, and unsympathetic business. The cap is king and sentimental attachments are frivolous and ultimately discarded. Thus, the release of Troy Brown by the New England Patriots, the prototypical "all business" franchise.
Brown was due 2.5 million next season in addition to a 2.5 million roster bonus. His release saves the team 5 million in cap room, hopefully bringing them under the cap before the opening of the free agent period this week.
This is a sad reality in New England, Brown is one of the most popular players in franchise history and in the era of the selfish athlete he epitomized the opposite. You would be hard pressed to find many other players willing to make the sacrifices made by Brown this past season especially in regard to his statistical bonuses. As most NFL contracts are, Brown's deal was based primarily on performance incentives which (since he was a receiver at the time) were based on his offensive performance. That means the majority of his salary would be triggered by factors like receptions, yards, touchdowns, etc. By agreeing to switch to defense he gave all that up. There were no incentives in his contract for interceptions, tackles, or deflected passes. In the NFL it is an era of very little guaranteed money. Brown guaranteed himself the smallest possible paycheck for a chance at another Super Bowl.
With only 17 catches and 1 touchdown this season it is unlikely that Brown triggered any of his bonus money but we never heard a single gripe about it. He was, as Tom Brady put it, "the ultimate team player." His only reward, a third Super Bowl championship. It makes you wonder how many players, if they were given the choice (money or ring) would make the same sacrifice.
And now he's gone, who knows where he'll land. He's probably over the hill as a top notch receiver, and while he did a phenomenal job at corner all things considered, he'll never be signed as a defensive player.
He gave the Patriots everything they asked of him and more. He sacrificed money (a pro athlete sacrificed money?) and played a position he probably hadn't played since high school because he understood the nature of the business. Winning is the only thing that matters and even on a dynasty team the window to do so is always closing.
We'll miss Troy Brown in New England, but until proven otherwise "In Belichick and Pioli we trust." That's business.
On the other side of the coin is Ty Law. It can never be said that he does not understand the business of football, but he looks at it differently. Regardless, he's on on his way out of town as well.
Law has always been a star, capable of shutting down a top receiver and sometimes a whole side of the offensive formation. But he knew it and it killed him to not see his name on top of the list of highest paid defensive backs. His major issue for the past two seasons has been compensation commensurate with his ability, which is never going to happen in New England. His wanted to be paid like a top corner and his last deal gave him that, but he was never willing to restructure (something the Pioli system LOVES to do) because he couldn't imagine not cashing the biggest checks at his position. His cap number heading into next season would have been 12 (that's 12 million) which is a monster number to be tied up in one player, especially in a diversified defensive system like the Patriots and he just wasn't worth it.
I personally was shocked he ever found himself in a Patriots uniform again after calling Belichick a liar and pulling the "I have to feed my family" card last offseason (Note to Ty Law: yes you have to feed your family but they don't have to use C-notes as napkins) but at that point the Patriots football people weren't sure that they could win without him. Now they've proven to themselves that they can and Law is on his way to a huge contract with a lesser team. Maybe he'll land in Dallas or Kansas City they're both shopping for corners, but wherever it is he'll be paid big and more than likely will watch his old team in the Super Bowl again next year. This time it'll be on TV, not from the sideline.
This offseason the Patriots have proven that they don't care what your attitude is towards the game. You can be the most unselfish team player in the league or the most overpaid primadonna, if keeping you doesn't make BOTH financial and football sense then you're gone. No hard feelings, that's business. And that's why they're the best in the business.
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