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.
Monday, February 28, 2005
Worst Case Scenario
Worst Case Scenario 3: BC loses the game...CHECK.
Worst Case Scenario 2: BC loses the game badly, at home, silencing the fickle BC crowd, and humiliating themselves in front of a national audience especially the committee...CHECK.
Worst Case Scenario 1: BC loses the game by more than 20, shows a total lack of heart, fails to make any kind of comeback after getting behind, and ultimately puts their tails between their legs and bows to the physical Pitt defense...CHECK.
What happened? This is what happened, Pittsburgh showed everyone watching how to beat BC, and don't think for a second that everyone headed to the Big East and NCAA tournaments won't take note.
Rebound, rebound, rebound. It's a mantra basketball players hear from the minute they lace them up when they're 7 years old. The winner of the battle of the boards generally wins the game. Tonight Pitt: 49 boards, BC: 27 boards. While the difference in offensive rebounds was only 3 (16-19 Pitt) at crucial junctures they were the difference. On three occasions Pittsburgh outside shots actually failed to graze iron but were scooped up by unmolested Pitt interior players and laid in uncontested. That is unacceptable and Doornekamp, Smith, and Williams are clearly to blame.
Speaking of Doornekamp...well I'll get back to him later.
Defense wins championships, blah, blah, blah, but it's the team with the most points when the buzzer sounds that wins the game. Shooting percentage is not always a good indicator of the game's outcome but when the margin as dramatic as it was tonight it tells a story. BC shot a paltry 31.1% (19-61) while Pitt shot 48.3% (28-58). While the difference here is already indicative, take Craig Smith out of the BC shooting percentage and it falls even further to 26.8% (11-41). BC played good D, holding a top 25 opponent under 50% from the field is relatively impressive, but to shoot under 40% is awful and to tip-toe around 30% is a recipe for disaster. They couldn't throw it in the ocean from the beach.
While BC couldn't shoot a lick the swarming physical Pitt defense certainly came to play. They pounded the BC interior players and packed the lane all night long, making for difficult entry passes to Smith, forcing him to catch the ball further from the hoop than he would like. With the clogged lane Hailey, Hinnent, and Watson couldn't get closer to the hoop than the free-throw line and Dudley was smothered from the opening tip. They took away what BC does best and exposed their greatest weaknesses. Make it tough for Smith, take away Dudley with physical play, pack it in and force them to shoot the ball from outside, contest everything, and get up big. Once they did that it was over. BC has so little firepower and is so weak from 3 point range overcoming large deficits is nearly impossible and if Dudley doesn't show up there is just too much attention paid to Smith for him to be effective.
Speaking of Dudley, he simply forgot to get out of bed this morning. He was completely shut down all night long scoring only 4 points (16.5 season average) and pulling down only 3 rebounds. If this kid is allegedly the second option on the #5 team in the country he needs to show up in big games against tough defensive players. He showed an inability to do that tonight. It was a weak concerning performance for an allegedly big-time player. If they see Pittsburgh again the Big East tournament he has a lot to prove.
As long as we're blasting people, let's get on Doornekamp. Let's start with this, he is over 7 feet tall, by far the tallest Eagle and normally the tallest player on the court. He grabbed one rebound in this game...one. He was exposed tonight, for exactly what he is. He's tall. That's about the nicest thing I can say about his game tonight. He totally failed to show up defensively and while they don't rely on him for much on the offensive end he was almost more pathetic with the ball. First, defensively he was completely unable to keep Taft and the rest of the Pitt interior players off the boards. He was badly beaten on half a dozen occasions and was caught chasing his man through the lane only to not get there in time and ended up meekly waving as Pitt players made lay-ups. On the offensive end he actually provided some levity, probably the only thing I smiled at the whole game. Late in the first half he caught the ball on the block, tried half a drop step, knocked his man over, stood there for 3 seconds unable to move his cement block feet towards the unchallenged basket, eventually got moving towards the hoop, found the path blocked, and tried the most hilariously awful reverse lay-up in the history of the NCAA. He looked like a drunk Shawn Bradley on ice-skates. I say again, much more S. Williams, much less N. Doornekamp.
Finally, lost opportunities early buried BC. Pitt couldn't hit the broad side of a barn for the first 10 minutes. Unfortunately, neither could BC, had they been able to score a few quick points they could have easily pulled away at the beginning. At the 10 minute mark of the first half the score was 9-9 and BC looked so bad I would have gladly settled for a 36-36 score at the end of regulation and a fresh start in overtime. They survived a seven minute scoring drought in the first half, and went nine minutes without a field goal but entered the locker room only down 3. Twice in the second half they got within 2, but for all intents and purposes the game was over at 15:59 when Pitt went up 41-32. After that point BC never got closer than 9, never mounted a serious charge, and never looked like a top 5 team. Hell, they didn't look like a top 50 team.
I detract my previous statements about the Villanova game, it didn't resemble the Syracuse football game at all...at least not compared to tonight's game.
"All BC has to do is beat middle of the pack Big East team Syracuse for a trip to the Fiesta Bowl."
"All BC has to do is beat middle of the pack Big East team Pittsburgh for at least a share of the Big East Championship and a shot at a #1 seed."
"Oh crap, BC is getting blown out by Syracuse here in the beginning, gee whiz I sure hope they come back. They will right? They are the 'better' team...aren't they?"
"Oh crap, BC is getting blown out by Pittsburgh here in the beginning, gee whiz I sure hope they come back. They will right? They are the 'better' team...aren't they? Wait didn't this already happen in football...am I losing it?"
"Wow BC looks like they totally rolled over here in this huge, huge, huge game, guess we'll get 'em next year."
"Wow BC TOTALLY rolled over AGAIN on national TV on this HUGE stage with the tournament seed world watching. How are we this bad? Doornekamp would get wasted in a 40 yard dash by Dan Marino, no one can hit an outside shot, Dudley might be better off on the "And One" mix-tape, and how the hell am I supposed to keep these players straight if they keep changing from 'fros to rows every freakin' week!?" (just imagine what this will look like if the hockey team loses in the Frozen Four)
How can one school choke twice in 4 months in potentially season making games? How can they get blown out in both games...at home? They aren't even the same damn team! How? Because they're big time BC sports and they are destined to shut it down just when they need to show up the most.
Way to peak at the right time boys.
Worst Case Scenario 2: BC loses the game badly, at home, silencing the fickle BC crowd, and humiliating themselves in front of a national audience especially the committee...CHECK.
Worst Case Scenario 1: BC loses the game by more than 20, shows a total lack of heart, fails to make any kind of comeback after getting behind, and ultimately puts their tails between their legs and bows to the physical Pitt defense...CHECK.
What happened? This is what happened, Pittsburgh showed everyone watching how to beat BC, and don't think for a second that everyone headed to the Big East and NCAA tournaments won't take note.
Rebound, rebound, rebound. It's a mantra basketball players hear from the minute they lace them up when they're 7 years old. The winner of the battle of the boards generally wins the game. Tonight Pitt: 49 boards, BC: 27 boards. While the difference in offensive rebounds was only 3 (16-19 Pitt) at crucial junctures they were the difference. On three occasions Pittsburgh outside shots actually failed to graze iron but were scooped up by unmolested Pitt interior players and laid in uncontested. That is unacceptable and Doornekamp, Smith, and Williams are clearly to blame.
Speaking of Doornekamp...well I'll get back to him later.
Defense wins championships, blah, blah, blah, but it's the team with the most points when the buzzer sounds that wins the game. Shooting percentage is not always a good indicator of the game's outcome but when the margin as dramatic as it was tonight it tells a story. BC shot a paltry 31.1% (19-61) while Pitt shot 48.3% (28-58). While the difference here is already indicative, take Craig Smith out of the BC shooting percentage and it falls even further to 26.8% (11-41). BC played good D, holding a top 25 opponent under 50% from the field is relatively impressive, but to shoot under 40% is awful and to tip-toe around 30% is a recipe for disaster. They couldn't throw it in the ocean from the beach.
While BC couldn't shoot a lick the swarming physical Pitt defense certainly came to play. They pounded the BC interior players and packed the lane all night long, making for difficult entry passes to Smith, forcing him to catch the ball further from the hoop than he would like. With the clogged lane Hailey, Hinnent, and Watson couldn't get closer to the hoop than the free-throw line and Dudley was smothered from the opening tip. They took away what BC does best and exposed their greatest weaknesses. Make it tough for Smith, take away Dudley with physical play, pack it in and force them to shoot the ball from outside, contest everything, and get up big. Once they did that it was over. BC has so little firepower and is so weak from 3 point range overcoming large deficits is nearly impossible and if Dudley doesn't show up there is just too much attention paid to Smith for him to be effective.
Speaking of Dudley, he simply forgot to get out of bed this morning. He was completely shut down all night long scoring only 4 points (16.5 season average) and pulling down only 3 rebounds. If this kid is allegedly the second option on the #5 team in the country he needs to show up in big games against tough defensive players. He showed an inability to do that tonight. It was a weak concerning performance for an allegedly big-time player. If they see Pittsburgh again the Big East tournament he has a lot to prove.
As long as we're blasting people, let's get on Doornekamp. Let's start with this, he is over 7 feet tall, by far the tallest Eagle and normally the tallest player on the court. He grabbed one rebound in this game...one. He was exposed tonight, for exactly what he is. He's tall. That's about the nicest thing I can say about his game tonight. He totally failed to show up defensively and while they don't rely on him for much on the offensive end he was almost more pathetic with the ball. First, defensively he was completely unable to keep Taft and the rest of the Pitt interior players off the boards. He was badly beaten on half a dozen occasions and was caught chasing his man through the lane only to not get there in time and ended up meekly waving as Pitt players made lay-ups. On the offensive end he actually provided some levity, probably the only thing I smiled at the whole game. Late in the first half he caught the ball on the block, tried half a drop step, knocked his man over, stood there for 3 seconds unable to move his cement block feet towards the unchallenged basket, eventually got moving towards the hoop, found the path blocked, and tried the most hilariously awful reverse lay-up in the history of the NCAA. He looked like a drunk Shawn Bradley on ice-skates. I say again, much more S. Williams, much less N. Doornekamp.
Finally, lost opportunities early buried BC. Pitt couldn't hit the broad side of a barn for the first 10 minutes. Unfortunately, neither could BC, had they been able to score a few quick points they could have easily pulled away at the beginning. At the 10 minute mark of the first half the score was 9-9 and BC looked so bad I would have gladly settled for a 36-36 score at the end of regulation and a fresh start in overtime. They survived a seven minute scoring drought in the first half, and went nine minutes without a field goal but entered the locker room only down 3. Twice in the second half they got within 2, but for all intents and purposes the game was over at 15:59 when Pitt went up 41-32. After that point BC never got closer than 9, never mounted a serious charge, and never looked like a top 5 team. Hell, they didn't look like a top 50 team.
I detract my previous statements about the Villanova game, it didn't resemble the Syracuse football game at all...at least not compared to tonight's game.
"All BC has to do is beat middle of the pack Big East team Syracuse for a trip to the Fiesta Bowl."
"All BC has to do is beat middle of the pack Big East team Pittsburgh for at least a share of the Big East Championship and a shot at a #1 seed."
"Oh crap, BC is getting blown out by Syracuse here in the beginning, gee whiz I sure hope they come back. They will right? They are the 'better' team...aren't they?"
"Oh crap, BC is getting blown out by Pittsburgh here in the beginning, gee whiz I sure hope they come back. They will right? They are the 'better' team...aren't they? Wait didn't this already happen in football...am I losing it?"
"Wow BC looks like they totally rolled over here in this huge, huge, huge game, guess we'll get 'em next year."
"Wow BC TOTALLY rolled over AGAIN on national TV on this HUGE stage with the tournament seed world watching. How are we this bad? Doornekamp would get wasted in a 40 yard dash by Dan Marino, no one can hit an outside shot, Dudley might be better off on the "And One" mix-tape, and how the hell am I supposed to keep these players straight if they keep changing from 'fros to rows every freakin' week!?" (just imagine what this will look like if the hockey team loses in the Frozen Four)
How can one school choke twice in 4 months in potentially season making games? How can they get blown out in both games...at home? They aren't even the same damn team! How? Because they're big time BC sports and they are destined to shut it down just when they need to show up the most.
Way to peak at the right time boys.
BC Pre-game
For those of you living under a rock in New England, BC basketball is playing a HUGE game tonight at Conte Forum against #17 Pittsburgh...please oh please let someone hear the following prayers.
1. BC wins the game, first and foremost and ultimately most important.
2. If BC wins, for the love of all that is holy, keep the students off the floor. Shoot the first one that tries to rush and continue as such until they stop, don't let them embarass a good team with such a bogus lack of respect...AGAIN! (please remember we're ranked 14 spots higher, please oh please oh please...)
3. Much more S. Williams and much less N. Doornekamp.
4. Let them play like the #3 team, come out and stomp on a Pitt team that has lost 3 in a row and make a loud statement going into the Big East tournament.
Yea I know that last one is really pushing my luck....sorry.
More during and after the game.
1. BC wins the game, first and foremost and ultimately most important.
2. If BC wins, for the love of all that is holy, keep the students off the floor. Shoot the first one that tries to rush and continue as such until they stop, don't let them embarass a good team with such a bogus lack of respect...AGAIN! (please remember we're ranked 14 spots higher, please oh please oh please...)
3. Much more S. Williams and much less N. Doornekamp.
4. Let them play like the #3 team, come out and stomp on a Pitt team that has lost 3 in a row and make a loud statement going into the Big East tournament.
Yea I know that last one is really pushing my luck....sorry.
More during and after the game.
A February Sunday
I know that I've mentioned this already but annually between the Super Bowl and March Madness we enter the Dark Ages of sports. Thus, there was nothing better to watch on a cold soon to be snowy Sunday night than the Oscars...there really must have been something better...
I came to a decision tonight, there is only one way to watch the Oscars effectively and that is in a large group. You NEED to have something to talk about during the speeches, they are agonizing. I simply do not care about how deeply the Academy Award winning Sound Editor feels about the contributions of his staff, I don't and if you weren't on that staff it's pretty likely that you don't care either. Thank God I was lucky enough to be watching with helpful souls willing to distract me from my rage against the very idea of Antonio Banderas singing...EVER.
In terms of the actual awards I can't really say much about them. I haven't seen most of the nominated movies and to be honest I don't plan to. However, I was thrilled to see "Million Dollar Baby" clean up the big awards (actress, director, picture) over "Aviator" Here's why:
1. I hate Leonardo DiCaprio. I don't know why, it's totally irrational, maybe it's his involvement with "Titanic", maybe it's because he was almost able to ruin one of the best Hollywood stories of all time in "Catch Me If You Can", maybe it's the fact that he looks like the biggest, whiniest, Hollywood worm. I just can't stand him. I don't want to hear about "Basketball Diaries" that was a million years ago and he was a different guy then.
2. I am against simply giving the Oscar to the "biggest" movie of the year, and I mean biggest in several senses. Of course it should go to one of the more financially successful movies, if the film didn't make it in theaters chances are it isn't worthy of the award. However, I'm referring more to the recent Hollywood trend of giving the Best Picture award to the biggest spectacle film rather than the legitimate best. See: "Gladiator". (Yes, I know "The Return of the King" which I am nerdishly *not a word* obsessed with won last year, but to a dork like me that was legit.) I also use biggest to refer to the film with the biggest buzz about its release. Just because everyone says pre-release that it's a sure-fire Oscar candidate does not mean that it should ultimately win. Finally, biggest names do not guarantee the biggest results. Hillary Swank is no B list relegate, but her name carries less weight than that dink Leo.
3. I hate Leonardo DiCaprio, yes it gets a second mention, yes it deserves it.
Other things from Oscars '05:
- Where was everyone? There were empty seats all over the place, what was the pre-show gram laced with laxitives or were the seat fillers on strike?
- Chris Rock blasting the Hollywood B-list is a hell of a lot funnier than Billy Crystal's usual song and dance, which always makes me vaguely uncomfortable in that Uncle Earl sort of way.
- Was that really weird Adam Sandler Chris Rock monologue planned or did Catherine Zeta Jones not come out because she got her hand stuck in Michael Douglas' grease mop backstage?
- That crazy looking Johnny Depp statue they put in his seat...wait you mean that was really Johnny Depp?
- If I never see Halle Berry's "acceptance nervous breakdown" again it will be far too soon. Why did they feel the need to re-run it twice?
- Selma Hayek, the Lifetime Achievement Award winner's daughter...what do they have in common...ask your boyfriend that you forced to watch with you, believe me he'll know.
- Antonio Banderas moonlighting as the lounge singer from the Palms, all he was missing was the cigarette burning in the ash-try and the snifter of scotch.
- Beyonce will sing anything, anywhere, if you put enough bling on her. That was actually her dressed up as the crazy guy from the Counting Crows with the fake dreds. Is she really that hot right now that we need to see her sing ALL of the female parts in the best song nominees?
- Giving out awards in the audience is weird...giving out an award in an opera box is really really freakin' weird, what was that!?
- The classic awkward "man aisle pass" when the winner of one of the "audience" awards was seated (whose idea was this?) on the inside of one of the losing nominees, and then had to very awkwardly pass him on his way out of the aisle to accept the award. How awful is that, you lose the Oscar then you have to stand up and have the entire world watch the winner rub either his ass or his junk on your crotch on the way to collect the trophy you didn't win. Maybe he could make out with your girl and stomp on your dog while he's at it.
- And last but not least, the cruelty shown by the writers in suggesting, as they headed to commercial, that Natalie Portman would be on in the next segment and then not having her glorious appearance take place until an hour later. You don't do that to straight men who watch the Oscars, we obviously don't have much going on anyway if we're watching, don't add insult to injury by toying with us.
Thank God BC is playing tomorrow night...did I really just write all that about the Oscars...oh I'm ashamed...
I came to a decision tonight, there is only one way to watch the Oscars effectively and that is in a large group. You NEED to have something to talk about during the speeches, they are agonizing. I simply do not care about how deeply the Academy Award winning Sound Editor feels about the contributions of his staff, I don't and if you weren't on that staff it's pretty likely that you don't care either. Thank God I was lucky enough to be watching with helpful souls willing to distract me from my rage against the very idea of Antonio Banderas singing...EVER.
In terms of the actual awards I can't really say much about them. I haven't seen most of the nominated movies and to be honest I don't plan to. However, I was thrilled to see "Million Dollar Baby" clean up the big awards (actress, director, picture) over "Aviator" Here's why:
1. I hate Leonardo DiCaprio. I don't know why, it's totally irrational, maybe it's his involvement with "Titanic", maybe it's because he was almost able to ruin one of the best Hollywood stories of all time in "Catch Me If You Can", maybe it's the fact that he looks like the biggest, whiniest, Hollywood worm. I just can't stand him. I don't want to hear about "Basketball Diaries" that was a million years ago and he was a different guy then.
2. I am against simply giving the Oscar to the "biggest" movie of the year, and I mean biggest in several senses. Of course it should go to one of the more financially successful movies, if the film didn't make it in theaters chances are it isn't worthy of the award. However, I'm referring more to the recent Hollywood trend of giving the Best Picture award to the biggest spectacle film rather than the legitimate best. See: "Gladiator". (Yes, I know "The Return of the King" which I am nerdishly *not a word* obsessed with won last year, but to a dork like me that was legit.) I also use biggest to refer to the film with the biggest buzz about its release. Just because everyone says pre-release that it's a sure-fire Oscar candidate does not mean that it should ultimately win. Finally, biggest names do not guarantee the biggest results. Hillary Swank is no B list relegate, but her name carries less weight than that dink Leo.
3. I hate Leonardo DiCaprio, yes it gets a second mention, yes it deserves it.
Other things from Oscars '05:
- Where was everyone? There were empty seats all over the place, what was the pre-show gram laced with laxitives or were the seat fillers on strike?
- Chris Rock blasting the Hollywood B-list is a hell of a lot funnier than Billy Crystal's usual song and dance, which always makes me vaguely uncomfortable in that Uncle Earl sort of way.
- Was that really weird Adam Sandler Chris Rock monologue planned or did Catherine Zeta Jones not come out because she got her hand stuck in Michael Douglas' grease mop backstage?
- That crazy looking Johnny Depp statue they put in his seat...wait you mean that was really Johnny Depp?
- If I never see Halle Berry's "acceptance nervous breakdown" again it will be far too soon. Why did they feel the need to re-run it twice?
- Selma Hayek, the Lifetime Achievement Award winner's daughter...what do they have in common...ask your boyfriend that you forced to watch with you, believe me he'll know.
- Antonio Banderas moonlighting as the lounge singer from the Palms, all he was missing was the cigarette burning in the ash-try and the snifter of scotch.
- Beyonce will sing anything, anywhere, if you put enough bling on her. That was actually her dressed up as the crazy guy from the Counting Crows with the fake dreds. Is she really that hot right now that we need to see her sing ALL of the female parts in the best song nominees?
- Giving out awards in the audience is weird...giving out an award in an opera box is really really freakin' weird, what was that!?
- The classic awkward "man aisle pass" when the winner of one of the "audience" awards was seated (whose idea was this?) on the inside of one of the losing nominees, and then had to very awkwardly pass him on his way out of the aisle to accept the award. How awful is that, you lose the Oscar then you have to stand up and have the entire world watch the winner rub either his ass or his junk on your crotch on the way to collect the trophy you didn't win. Maybe he could make out with your girl and stomp on your dog while he's at it.
- And last but not least, the cruelty shown by the writers in suggesting, as they headed to commercial, that Natalie Portman would be on in the next segment and then not having her glorious appearance take place until an hour later. You don't do that to straight men who watch the Oscars, we obviously don't have much going on anyway if we're watching, don't add insult to injury by toying with us.
Thank God BC is playing tomorrow night...did I really just write all that about the Oscars...oh I'm ashamed...
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Amendment
In my sobriety this afternoon I found the link to the real Bayless bash, the one which sets the standard for moron bashing by which we will all be judged from this point forward.
http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/facts/013005bayless.php
That's it for now.
http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/facts/013005bayless.php
That's it for now.
One might say...
How can I post something in response to an article about a movie I haven't seen?
The answer is simple, the response was written by Skip Bayless.
Is there anyone in sports journalism that enrages me more than Skippy? Yes, Woody Paige is more annoying, but he will occasionally agree with the consensus, especially if the consensus is right. You tell that stupid bastard Bayless that up is up and he will immediately write an article about how up is prophetically destined to be down and if you disagree you will get that obnoxious grin that Skippy gives to everyone on Cold Pizza and at every other moment in his pathetically skewed life where he finds himself confronted by mere mortals.
He makes all of us who enjoy writing about sports look bad, arrogant, and misrepresented. He makes us all look like fiesty CNN Crossfire commentators that so grossly misrepresent the US in one direction or the other, and that is the problem, he can't pick a direction.
See for example, any article about the Patriots ever written by Skippy, it either hails them as the greatest team ever, or berates them as a group of over-ranked imbeciles...depending on and ultimately varying from the popular consensus at the time regardless of its accuracy.
I wasn't there the day someone coroneted Skippy the God of dissention but had I been there I would have been the first man in the, "If anyone here believes this union should not take place..." line and would have loudly voiced my opposition to the idea that anyone should ever read any of Skippy's brain farts.
I can't even write any more on this topic, there are so many blasts about this clown on the internet already that I have nothing original to say on the topic.
http://cbs.sportsline.com/messages/message/8171008/1107825472-tmacfan101
http://www.sportsfilter.com/comments.cfm/3840
And, this is embarssing, I can't find the link to the best Skippy bashing site, which followed his Page 2 article about Brady/Belichick/Montana/Parcells, but on some site a guy, or several guys ripped him a new one so deep that I think he's still waddling. If you ever find it you'll know it, it's a step by step annihilation of every phrase he foolishly utters. I envy everything about it.
He is a moron of the "Woody Paige" degree, which means he is someone whose mere voice can make me semi-suicidal. Some people deserve nothing more than a Pete Rose style banishment from sports coverage, as of now that category includes only Bayless and Paige, but agree with Skippy's article on "Million Dollar Baby" and you'll be in not so glamorous company.
I just can't stand that guy...class be damned...he sucks!
The answer is simple, the response was written by Skip Bayless.
Is there anyone in sports journalism that enrages me more than Skippy? Yes, Woody Paige is more annoying, but he will occasionally agree with the consensus, especially if the consensus is right. You tell that stupid bastard Bayless that up is up and he will immediately write an article about how up is prophetically destined to be down and if you disagree you will get that obnoxious grin that Skippy gives to everyone on Cold Pizza and at every other moment in his pathetically skewed life where he finds himself confronted by mere mortals.
He makes all of us who enjoy writing about sports look bad, arrogant, and misrepresented. He makes us all look like fiesty CNN Crossfire commentators that so grossly misrepresent the US in one direction or the other, and that is the problem, he can't pick a direction.
See for example, any article about the Patriots ever written by Skippy, it either hails them as the greatest team ever, or berates them as a group of over-ranked imbeciles...depending on and ultimately varying from the popular consensus at the time regardless of its accuracy.
I wasn't there the day someone coroneted Skippy the God of dissention but had I been there I would have been the first man in the, "If anyone here believes this union should not take place..." line and would have loudly voiced my opposition to the idea that anyone should ever read any of Skippy's brain farts.
I can't even write any more on this topic, there are so many blasts about this clown on the internet already that I have nothing original to say on the topic.
http://cbs.sportsline.com/messages/message/8171008/1107825472-tmacfan101
http://www.sportsfilter.com/comments.cfm/3840
And, this is embarssing, I can't find the link to the best Skippy bashing site, which followed his Page 2 article about Brady/Belichick/Montana/Parcells, but on some site a guy, or several guys ripped him a new one so deep that I think he's still waddling. If you ever find it you'll know it, it's a step by step annihilation of every phrase he foolishly utters. I envy everything about it.
He is a moron of the "Woody Paige" degree, which means he is someone whose mere voice can make me semi-suicidal. Some people deserve nothing more than a Pete Rose style banishment from sports coverage, as of now that category includes only Bayless and Paige, but agree with Skippy's article on "Million Dollar Baby" and you'll be in not so glamorous company.
I just can't stand that guy...class be damned...he sucks!
Saturday, February 26, 2005
Halfway to a Disaster!
Yawn Saturday morning...noon...hmmm...I should get up...Yawn.
"Hey, isn't BC playing this afternoon?" I think they are...Yawn. I should go check. Oh right, they're playing Seton Hall who only has like 3 guys on their active roster right now, shouldn't be much of a game...
Warning! Warning! Assuming that BC basketball will ever blow out even the most inferior of opponents guarantees horrible soul crushing upset! Warning! Warning!
Okay I'll go check the score...Hmm 4 minutes to play in the first half BC up 3...
Wait did the announcer just say BC was trailing until the last possession?! This is freaking Seton Hall!
Frantic search for TiVo remote...damn not set!
Wait did he just say that the Hall was outrebounding BC 21-14? Was that another offensive rebound!? Sweet Christ they're doing it again!
Please blow someone out for once. Just one time could you please win an important Big East game at home against a completely dilapidated opponent by more than five points. Seriously, take back my two front teeth just blow them out and LOOK for the first time this year (exclude some parts of the Syracuse game) like a top 5 team.
They just flashed the first half stats Seton Hall 36% from the field and the score is 33-30. 36% freaking percent and we're up 3? Oh rebounds right, 24-17. We stink!
First Seton Hall possession of the second half, missed shot, offensive rebound, Doornekamp gets torched for a layup...shocking.
Please Al take Marshall out, he hasn't hit a shot since October and his fro blocks most of his shots and they have to stop the game to get the ball out of his nap. We're losing by 4, say it ain't so!
Doornekamp was just dribbling the ball off of a rebound. He almost made it to half-court. I think I just shit myself and started crying.
Craig Smith is 4-14 from the field and the game is tied with 13 to play, and BC just gave up a two handed put back dunk to Whitney.
Okay we're up two on a Dudley put back, the crowd's back into it, let's....nevermind Copeland just blew past Hinnett for a lay-up. If BC isn't a scoring team and can't stop a 5'10" point guard, then what are they?
OH! Williams, the freshman center from Houston just stuffed Whitney's dunk attempt back into his grill on a 4 on 2 break. That kid is a SICK shot blocker! He should play every minute, keep Doornekamp on the bench, hell cut him for all I care, I want Williams!
Dudley just threw an airball, that kid makes me insane, he is everything good and everything bad about X-Singletary and Kenny Harley all over again.
BC up 4 with 8 minutes to play...please pull away (see afore mentioned 2 front teeth bargain).
Wait a sec, the kid with the fro is Haley not Marshall, who the heck is Marshall? Is he even on the team, they say he used to score occassionally...
BC up 6 with 6 minutes to play, please pull away, please, please, please, Seton Hall has nine guys dressed, please pull away!
* Sidenote: This is probably the most boring basketball game in the history of the NCAA, if I wasn't a BC alum I would have changed the channel half an hour ago. There is no running, no shooting, lots of missed shots, fouls, and turnovers. This looks like the first five minutes of an NBA game between Sacramento and Orlando in March when all the players have packed it in.
BC up 5 with 2:42 to play. All I can think about is if BC's up 2 at the end 5'10" Copeland will take one step over half-court and nail a prayer with as time expires to give Seton Hall a one point win. This just looks like that kind of day.
Jermain Watson just blew a dunk on a break with no one within ten feet of him...take me out back and shoot me.
BC up 10 with 5 seconds to play, how did we get here? Nothing has happened in the last 4 minutes, BC is the most boring team to watch ever. I swear they don't win games they hypnotize other teams into losing, or maybe they just put us all to sleep and we don't even realize what happened until we read about it the next day.
Ughh! This is not the #3 team in the country. It can't be, thank God they didn't lose to Seton Hall. Why can't they blow anyone out? Why!? Why!? Why!? This is what this team has reduced me to, incoherent babbling.
Is it baseball season yet?
"Hey, isn't BC playing this afternoon?" I think they are...Yawn. I should go check. Oh right, they're playing Seton Hall who only has like 3 guys on their active roster right now, shouldn't be much of a game...
Warning! Warning! Assuming that BC basketball will ever blow out even the most inferior of opponents guarantees horrible soul crushing upset! Warning! Warning!
Okay I'll go check the score...Hmm 4 minutes to play in the first half BC up 3...
Wait did the announcer just say BC was trailing until the last possession?! This is freaking Seton Hall!
Frantic search for TiVo remote...damn not set!
Wait did he just say that the Hall was outrebounding BC 21-14? Was that another offensive rebound!? Sweet Christ they're doing it again!
Please blow someone out for once. Just one time could you please win an important Big East game at home against a completely dilapidated opponent by more than five points. Seriously, take back my two front teeth just blow them out and LOOK for the first time this year (exclude some parts of the Syracuse game) like a top 5 team.
They just flashed the first half stats Seton Hall 36% from the field and the score is 33-30. 36% freaking percent and we're up 3? Oh rebounds right, 24-17. We stink!
First Seton Hall possession of the second half, missed shot, offensive rebound, Doornekamp gets torched for a layup...shocking.
Please Al take Marshall out, he hasn't hit a shot since October and his fro blocks most of his shots and they have to stop the game to get the ball out of his nap. We're losing by 4, say it ain't so!
Doornekamp was just dribbling the ball off of a rebound. He almost made it to half-court. I think I just shit myself and started crying.
Craig Smith is 4-14 from the field and the game is tied with 13 to play, and BC just gave up a two handed put back dunk to Whitney.
Okay we're up two on a Dudley put back, the crowd's back into it, let's....nevermind Copeland just blew past Hinnett for a lay-up. If BC isn't a scoring team and can't stop a 5'10" point guard, then what are they?
OH! Williams, the freshman center from Houston just stuffed Whitney's dunk attempt back into his grill on a 4 on 2 break. That kid is a SICK shot blocker! He should play every minute, keep Doornekamp on the bench, hell cut him for all I care, I want Williams!
Dudley just threw an airball, that kid makes me insane, he is everything good and everything bad about X-Singletary and Kenny Harley all over again.
BC up 4 with 8 minutes to play...please pull away (see afore mentioned 2 front teeth bargain).
Wait a sec, the kid with the fro is Haley not Marshall, who the heck is Marshall? Is he even on the team, they say he used to score occassionally...
BC up 6 with 6 minutes to play, please pull away, please, please, please, Seton Hall has nine guys dressed, please pull away!
* Sidenote: This is probably the most boring basketball game in the history of the NCAA, if I wasn't a BC alum I would have changed the channel half an hour ago. There is no running, no shooting, lots of missed shots, fouls, and turnovers. This looks like the first five minutes of an NBA game between Sacramento and Orlando in March when all the players have packed it in.
BC up 5 with 2:42 to play. All I can think about is if BC's up 2 at the end 5'10" Copeland will take one step over half-court and nail a prayer with as time expires to give Seton Hall a one point win. This just looks like that kind of day.
Jermain Watson just blew a dunk on a break with no one within ten feet of him...take me out back and shoot me.
BC up 10 with 5 seconds to play, how did we get here? Nothing has happened in the last 4 minutes, BC is the most boring team to watch ever. I swear they don't win games they hypnotize other teams into losing, or maybe they just put us all to sleep and we don't even realize what happened until we read about it the next day.
Ughh! This is not the #3 team in the country. It can't be, thank God they didn't lose to Seton Hall. Why can't they blow anyone out? Why!? Why!? Why!? This is what this team has reduced me to, incoherent babbling.
Is it baseball season yet?
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