I wasn't able to catch much of the draft because of the basketball tourney I was at but from what I gathered, it was very interesting to say the least, especially for the local Twolves. Why on Earth do you draft two point guards back to back in the draft? I'll let David Kahn answer that one. He said, they can play together. What exactly is he smoking? Neither of those guys want to play shooting guard, they are both pure points at the NBA level. Now onto the even more confusing part...
The Twolves drafted Tywon Lawson as well and then traded him to the Nuggets. Then it was to Lawson's Carolina teammate, Wayne Ellington with the 28th pick. Next up would be Nick Calathes (a combo guard). I just don't get it. Why draft so many points? Why not mix in a DeMar Derozan with the 6th pick? Jonny Flynn will be a very good pro and probably better than Rubio but it doesn't make sense to pick him. It's basically like the Lions drafting Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez in the same draft.
One of my favorite players got picked much earlier than everyone expected, at 13. Tyler Hansbrough is going to a part of the first "White Out" since the NBA integrated. Yes, the Pacers have Danny Granger, Jarrett Jack, and Roy Hibbert but they could actually play five white guys on the court at the same. I'm not sure what that says about the Pacers or the state of Indiana but it would certainly be interesting to see.
Patty Mills got hosed. He ended up in a good situation in Portland but there is no way he should've lasted that long. He dominated the US Olympic team in last year's Olympics. CP3, Deron, and JKidd could not contain his speed. He got by them at will. I think he could do that every night in the NBA if he is given a chance. He did have 29 points and 10 assists against Steph Curry and Davidson in one of his last games, and that is after a wrist injury which made him a terrible shooter.
The US Soccer team played well for a half and it wasn't enough against Brazil. They really played hard and played like they are capable of in the first half and led 2-0. It was blantantly obvious to me that the fitness level of the Americans was no where near the Brazilians. They flat out were tired and they couldn't get the balls they were getting in the first half. You can't expect to win big games when you aren't in good enough shape. I know, I know they played a bunch of games before, but so did Brazil. Rule #76 - No Excuses, Play Like a Champion. It's simply disappointing to get teased like we did for 45 minutes and actually see what we are capable of. Benny Feilhaber needed to play all 90 minutes for the US to have a chance. He controls the ball and has a ton of savvy and doesn't seem to be afraid of handling the ball in traffic. His Plus/Minus for the Confederations Cup was extremely high and I'm sure it was tops on the US team.
Onto a sour note. The Rule of 3 apply to celebrity deaths this past week. Ed McMahon, then Michael Jackson, and it ended with Farrah Fawcett. I was a big fan of Star Search growing up and I got to see Ed in action every Saturday morning. Phil Hartman's portrayl of him on SNL was classic. "You are correct, sir!" Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, a what a talented mess he was. He was super weird but his talents were out of this world. No one had ever seen these dance moves before he brought it out on the Mike Douglass Show. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sRfqvwgimU. I don't have much memories of Farrah Fawcett but she sure was a beauty. On top of these three, Billy Mays, infommerical great passed away at home this morning.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
CWS, Crappy US Soccer, Twolves, and the Draft
The LSU Tigers just took down the Horns from Texas in Game 3 of the Championship Series for the College World Series, Phew. A great series to say the least. I think Paul Molinari's (LSU's coach) wife got more airtime than he did and for good reason, she is pleasing to the eye. It's always interesting to see how players react to a little adversity when the game is just about over. Two Texas players got caught looking at strike three in the 9th inning. I will never understand how guys will continue to get caught looking at strike three, especially when it is away. I'm pretty sure this will not be the last time you see either of these teams heading to Omaha.
I am going to continue to badmouth US soccer because they are all of a sudden playing much better after my rant (and many others). Like I said previously, the US needed to slow the tempo down and makes runs when Spain least expected it. Though, the US won 2-0 I don't think they played the way they should of. Spain totally controlled the time of possession and the game. The US got lucky in part because they played aggressive and with confidence. I can't wait to see how the US reacts to whoever they play in the Championship Round, either Brazil or South Africa. I do know that the US' confidence will be sky high after beating the #1 ranked team in the world. I don't see them having a shot against Brazil but I don't know enough about South Africa to make a prediction.
Once again Demarcus Beasley was on the bench for the whole game. Great decision by Bob Bradley. I'll figure it out for everyone, the score when Beasley is on the pitch the US is 5-1, when he is off the pitch, we win 5-0. Hmmmm. Don't play him next one either. Once again the US defense did a superb job and got themselves out of sticky situations, there can't be sticky situations against the Brazilians. Benny Feilhaber needs to see more minutes. He is a spark off the bench and we always seem to score or at least attack more efficiently when he is in the game.
Michael Bradley, who is basically the Saul Smith (Tubby's son) of national level soccer. He gets overly ridiculed by everyone and sometimes the critics are right. Today, he got screwed. He got a red card for a tackle that he clearly got a piece of the ball. Now, he will be forced to sit out the Championship. Hopefully Feilhaber gets the start and maybe an appearance by Freddy Adu. We shall see...
Let's go the Twolves. They just traded Mike Miller and Randy Foye in order to get three useless bigs along with the #5 pick. Now, they have the fifth, sixth, 18th, and 28th picks in the first round. Rumor has it they want Hasheem Thabeet and Ricky Rubio. We'll see how they end up packaging those picks in order to get a higher pick, preferably the 2nd. David Kahn, the Wolves' new GM wants to pull something similiar to what his former team, the Blazers, have done over the last five years. They need to get rid of the rif-raf and bring in a lot of young guys and a couple of veterans that will be patient with these young guys. Blazers did it with Brandon Roy, Travis Outlaw, and Greg Oden and surrounded those guys with veterans like Joel Pryzbilla and Steve Blake. The only problem the Wolves might have is, who wants to live in Minnesota during the winter (I know I live here but it's not the nicest place on the planet during January and February).
Blake Griffin will not be the best player in this draft. Too many holes in his game right now. He lost a game of HORSE to Jared, The Subway Guy, and they were shooting nothing but jumpers. I hope for the best for him but I'm not exactly sure the Clippers are the right franchise to help him get to the next level. Jordan Hill will be a role player his whole career and isn't worth a top 10 pick, period. Stephen Curry will be a stud if he plays for the Knicks, perfect system for him. Jonny Flynn is going to be a great pro, regardless of who he plays for. Earl Clark will be the next Lamar Odom, kinda of an enigma. He has a ton of talent but we'll never know when he is going to bring it. Not a huge fan of James Harden or Tyreke Evans, but I think they will both be in the league for a long time, plus both are only 19 right now. We'll see how the pieces of the puzzle fit into place tomorrow night.
I'm off to Sioux Falls, SD tomorrow morning to check out an AAU tournament.
I am going to continue to badmouth US soccer because they are all of a sudden playing much better after my rant (and many others). Like I said previously, the US needed to slow the tempo down and makes runs when Spain least expected it. Though, the US won 2-0 I don't think they played the way they should of. Spain totally controlled the time of possession and the game. The US got lucky in part because they played aggressive and with confidence. I can't wait to see how the US reacts to whoever they play in the Championship Round, either Brazil or South Africa. I do know that the US' confidence will be sky high after beating the #1 ranked team in the world. I don't see them having a shot against Brazil but I don't know enough about South Africa to make a prediction.
Once again Demarcus Beasley was on the bench for the whole game. Great decision by Bob Bradley. I'll figure it out for everyone, the score when Beasley is on the pitch the US is 5-1, when he is off the pitch, we win 5-0. Hmmmm. Don't play him next one either. Once again the US defense did a superb job and got themselves out of sticky situations, there can't be sticky situations against the Brazilians. Benny Feilhaber needs to see more minutes. He is a spark off the bench and we always seem to score or at least attack more efficiently when he is in the game.
Michael Bradley, who is basically the Saul Smith (Tubby's son) of national level soccer. He gets overly ridiculed by everyone and sometimes the critics are right. Today, he got screwed. He got a red card for a tackle that he clearly got a piece of the ball. Now, he will be forced to sit out the Championship. Hopefully Feilhaber gets the start and maybe an appearance by Freddy Adu. We shall see...
Let's go the Twolves. They just traded Mike Miller and Randy Foye in order to get three useless bigs along with the #5 pick. Now, they have the fifth, sixth, 18th, and 28th picks in the first round. Rumor has it they want Hasheem Thabeet and Ricky Rubio. We'll see how they end up packaging those picks in order to get a higher pick, preferably the 2nd. David Kahn, the Wolves' new GM wants to pull something similiar to what his former team, the Blazers, have done over the last five years. They need to get rid of the rif-raf and bring in a lot of young guys and a couple of veterans that will be patient with these young guys. Blazers did it with Brandon Roy, Travis Outlaw, and Greg Oden and surrounded those guys with veterans like Joel Pryzbilla and Steve Blake. The only problem the Wolves might have is, who wants to live in Minnesota during the winter (I know I live here but it's not the nicest place on the planet during January and February).
Blake Griffin will not be the best player in this draft. Too many holes in his game right now. He lost a game of HORSE to Jared, The Subway Guy, and they were shooting nothing but jumpers. I hope for the best for him but I'm not exactly sure the Clippers are the right franchise to help him get to the next level. Jordan Hill will be a role player his whole career and isn't worth a top 10 pick, period. Stephen Curry will be a stud if he plays for the Knicks, perfect system for him. Jonny Flynn is going to be a great pro, regardless of who he plays for. Earl Clark will be the next Lamar Odom, kinda of an enigma. He has a ton of talent but we'll never know when he is going to bring it. Not a huge fan of James Harden or Tyreke Evans, but I think they will both be in the league for a long time, plus both are only 19 right now. We'll see how the pieces of the puzzle fit into place tomorrow night.
I'm off to Sioux Falls, SD tomorrow morning to check out an AAU tournament.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Dice K and US Futbol
Once again I'm venturing off into another tangent but this most be exposed. And what I'm talking about is the wonderful Red Sox pitcher known as Dice-K. Like I said when he came into the league, he is overhyped and would only be effective for a couple of years. He is basically Hideo Nomo. Just a flash in the pan.
Pitchers like Dice-K and Hideo are very similar because they are something that the majors hasn't seen before. The novelty of their crazy windup and "great" pitches wears away after a couple of seasons. Major League hitters are too good and technology is too great for these flash in the pan type pitchers to be effective. The game is about making adjustments and after seeing this great "gyroball" that Dice-K throws hitters are pounching all over him. He is 0-5 right now and on the DL. My guess is that he will never have the effectiveness that he had his first year in majors. So much for Scott Boras getting Steven Strasburg "Dice-K" money.
Now I'm going back to US Soccer. After badmouthing the system and the players, they come back and beat the Egyptians 3-0 in the last game of pool play of the Confederations Cup. Now onto the best part, they advanced to play the #1 ranked team in the world, Spain, on Monday in the semifinals because the soccer crazy Brazilians beat up the Italians, 3-0. Goal differential was the difference.
Bob Bradley made his best decision in a year and sat Demarcus Beasley. The US came out and dominated the possession game and controlled the tempo throughout. It was nice to see them play with passion and act like they wanted to be there today. The Epyptians played like they didn't know what hit 'em. It was a totally contrast from the Brazil and Italy games. It didn't look like we wanted to be there during those game. We made great runs throughout the game and didn't seem to take as many unwarranted chances.
Next step versus Spain is to control tempo and make timely runs when we can. There is no reason to try and push tempo when we aren't nearly as talented. We should attempt a Princeton style (basketball lingo) offense in order to dominate the time of possession and take away Spain's attacking. Our best defense will be our offense. It's a very simple strategy and isn't necessarily easy to execute but it will probably be our only chance.
Great day for sports tomorrow. The start of best of 3 Finals of the College World Series and the "final" round of the US Open at Bethpage Black.
Pitchers like Dice-K and Hideo are very similar because they are something that the majors hasn't seen before. The novelty of their crazy windup and "great" pitches wears away after a couple of seasons. Major League hitters are too good and technology is too great for these flash in the pan type pitchers to be effective. The game is about making adjustments and after seeing this great "gyroball" that Dice-K throws hitters are pounching all over him. He is 0-5 right now and on the DL. My guess is that he will never have the effectiveness that he had his first year in majors. So much for Scott Boras getting Steven Strasburg "Dice-K" money.
Now I'm going back to US Soccer. After badmouthing the system and the players, they come back and beat the Egyptians 3-0 in the last game of pool play of the Confederations Cup. Now onto the best part, they advanced to play the #1 ranked team in the world, Spain, on Monday in the semifinals because the soccer crazy Brazilians beat up the Italians, 3-0. Goal differential was the difference.
Bob Bradley made his best decision in a year and sat Demarcus Beasley. The US came out and dominated the possession game and controlled the tempo throughout. It was nice to see them play with passion and act like they wanted to be there today. The Epyptians played like they didn't know what hit 'em. It was a totally contrast from the Brazil and Italy games. It didn't look like we wanted to be there during those game. We made great runs throughout the game and didn't seem to take as many unwarranted chances.
Next step versus Spain is to control tempo and make timely runs when we can. There is no reason to try and push tempo when we aren't nearly as talented. We should attempt a Princeton style (basketball lingo) offense in order to dominate the time of possession and take away Spain's attacking. Our best defense will be our offense. It's a very simple strategy and isn't necessarily easy to execute but it will probably be our only chance.
Great day for sports tomorrow. The start of best of 3 Finals of the College World Series and the "final" round of the US Open at Bethpage Black.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
US Soccer and Omaha
Ok, so I'm going to venture onto something that isn't exactly on most basketball head's minds but I'm going for it regardless...
I've been a huge fan of the US National Soccer Team for a long time. And now it's starting to be like being a Detroit Lions fan (wait, I am). This whole plan the US Soccer Federation put into place a while ago has become amusing. The original plan was for the US to win the World Cup by 2010. After watching the terrible performance this past week in the Confederations Cup, I threw up in my mouth. We have a zero percent chance of even making the second round of the World Cup if we play anywhere near the way we played against Italy and Brazil. I know Italy and Brazil are two world powers but we weren't close.
It's embarrassing to watch guys like Demarcus Beasley play against these teams. He shouldn't even be on the pitch (yes, my soccer lingo). He hasn't gotten any better since he and Landon Donovan were supposed to be the next best thing after finishing 4th at the U20 World Championships a few years back. If you watch other sports, guys get better as they get older, i.e. Lebron, Peyton Manning, Greg Maddux, but this isn't the case with US Soccer. Beasley and Donovan are perfect examples of that, they peaked at 20 and 21. They haven't gotten any better and are very predictable.
As I was talking to our soccer coach the other day (after we both stopped watching the Brazilians kick our dog) and he was talking about the fake confidence that the US has. They walk out of the tunnel like they have actually beat someone. Congrats, you've beaten Honduras, Trinidad, and Columbia, countries that are more known for their drug trade than soccer. We will never even have a chance to win the World Cup unless these things happen:
1) Kids are forced to be creative. Our teams have zero creativity and it shows against the quality clubs. There is too much coaching at the younger ages and kids are told to reign in the fancy dribbling and creative passing. There is too much emphasis on winning when the kids are 6, 7, and 8 year olds. Obviously, the US isn't Brazil or Italy in soccer but we can actually look at how basketball is in the US. Kids in basketball are forced to be creative because they play "streetball" and are forced to make adjustments on the fly without the help from coaches. The system in soccer is much too structured, let them play and figure things out for themselves.
2) There needs to be more development at the National Team level. Guys can't peak at ages 20 and 21, and if they do they shouldn't even be in consideration to have the honor of having the US on their jersey. It should be a rule, if you aren't play for your club teams then you aren't playing for the National Team (Thanks, Jon Lowery for the idea). There is no way someone who isn't getting any burn has the fitness or the timing to be at the highest level for the US to be successful against the best teams in the world.
3) The biggest argument that I get when I talk to people is that soccer isn't the main sport in the US. That is blantantly obvious to everyone, soccer doesn't get the best athletes in the US, basketball and football do. They could at least do a better job at the younger levels to attempt to get better athletes, instead of the uppity rich kids we have playing now. If you were a kid, do have dreams of playing in the NBA or the NFL? It's certainly not going to be easy, but there has to be an attempt.
4) And last but certainly not least, there needs to be change at the top. There is never new blood. If things don't change, things will always be the same. Bruce Arena and Bob Bradley are both native Americans and have been somewhat successful in regards to pushing things to another level but they aren't great coaches. Why not try to bring Jurgan Klinsmann (I know, I butchered the spelling) over to coach. Yes, he lives in Huntington Beach, CA but he played and coached in Germany. He knows what it takes to get to the next level because he has been there as a player and a coach. Hire him now.
Now onto the great play we have seen in the College World Series. I haven't exactly kept up on the games as much as I have in the past because I actually have to work now but it certainly has been exciting. After watching last night's Texas-Arizona State game, it has certainly refreshed my mind into watching college baseball as much as I can. What a game. The Sun Devils go up by one in the 9th after a underused frosh triples to score a guy from second. The Augie Garrido led 'Horns didn't back down from the challenge in the bottom of the 9th. Cameron Rupp hit the furthest homer I've ever seen in Omaha, over the batter's eye in center, to tie it up. Next pitch, Connor Rowe hit a screamer over the left field bleachers to end the Sun Devils' dream season. The #1 ranked Hook 'em Horns now face the #3 ranked LSU Geaux Tigers in a best of three series starting on Monday. Two of the best programs in the country going at it in a winner take all series, can't get any better than that.
It's too bad that the famous Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha will be gone after this year. They are building a new downtown stadium for the Series to continue in Omaha. I'm a big time traditionalist and I understand there are times to build new things but you certainly won't have the same feel in the new stadium. It's kind of like the old Yankee Stadium. Yes, the new one is great and has all the things you would want but why change something that is history. It's what makes Wrigley and Fenway great.
I've been a huge fan of the US National Soccer Team for a long time. And now it's starting to be like being a Detroit Lions fan (wait, I am). This whole plan the US Soccer Federation put into place a while ago has become amusing. The original plan was for the US to win the World Cup by 2010. After watching the terrible performance this past week in the Confederations Cup, I threw up in my mouth. We have a zero percent chance of even making the second round of the World Cup if we play anywhere near the way we played against Italy and Brazil. I know Italy and Brazil are two world powers but we weren't close.
It's embarrassing to watch guys like Demarcus Beasley play against these teams. He shouldn't even be on the pitch (yes, my soccer lingo). He hasn't gotten any better since he and Landon Donovan were supposed to be the next best thing after finishing 4th at the U20 World Championships a few years back. If you watch other sports, guys get better as they get older, i.e. Lebron, Peyton Manning, Greg Maddux, but this isn't the case with US Soccer. Beasley and Donovan are perfect examples of that, they peaked at 20 and 21. They haven't gotten any better and are very predictable.
As I was talking to our soccer coach the other day (after we both stopped watching the Brazilians kick our dog) and he was talking about the fake confidence that the US has. They walk out of the tunnel like they have actually beat someone. Congrats, you've beaten Honduras, Trinidad, and Columbia, countries that are more known for their drug trade than soccer. We will never even have a chance to win the World Cup unless these things happen:
1) Kids are forced to be creative. Our teams have zero creativity and it shows against the quality clubs. There is too much coaching at the younger ages and kids are told to reign in the fancy dribbling and creative passing. There is too much emphasis on winning when the kids are 6, 7, and 8 year olds. Obviously, the US isn't Brazil or Italy in soccer but we can actually look at how basketball is in the US. Kids in basketball are forced to be creative because they play "streetball" and are forced to make adjustments on the fly without the help from coaches. The system in soccer is much too structured, let them play and figure things out for themselves.
2) There needs to be more development at the National Team level. Guys can't peak at ages 20 and 21, and if they do they shouldn't even be in consideration to have the honor of having the US on their jersey. It should be a rule, if you aren't play for your club teams then you aren't playing for the National Team (Thanks, Jon Lowery for the idea). There is no way someone who isn't getting any burn has the fitness or the timing to be at the highest level for the US to be successful against the best teams in the world.
3) The biggest argument that I get when I talk to people is that soccer isn't the main sport in the US. That is blantantly obvious to everyone, soccer doesn't get the best athletes in the US, basketball and football do. They could at least do a better job at the younger levels to attempt to get better athletes, instead of the uppity rich kids we have playing now. If you were a kid, do have dreams of playing in the NBA or the NFL? It's certainly not going to be easy, but there has to be an attempt.
4) And last but certainly not least, there needs to be change at the top. There is never new blood. If things don't change, things will always be the same. Bruce Arena and Bob Bradley are both native Americans and have been somewhat successful in regards to pushing things to another level but they aren't great coaches. Why not try to bring Jurgan Klinsmann (I know, I butchered the spelling) over to coach. Yes, he lives in Huntington Beach, CA but he played and coached in Germany. He knows what it takes to get to the next level because he has been there as a player and a coach. Hire him now.
Now onto the great play we have seen in the College World Series. I haven't exactly kept up on the games as much as I have in the past because I actually have to work now but it certainly has been exciting. After watching last night's Texas-Arizona State game, it has certainly refreshed my mind into watching college baseball as much as I can. What a game. The Sun Devils go up by one in the 9th after a underused frosh triples to score a guy from second. The Augie Garrido led 'Horns didn't back down from the challenge in the bottom of the 9th. Cameron Rupp hit the furthest homer I've ever seen in Omaha, over the batter's eye in center, to tie it up. Next pitch, Connor Rowe hit a screamer over the left field bleachers to end the Sun Devils' dream season. The #1 ranked Hook 'em Horns now face the #3 ranked LSU Geaux Tigers in a best of three series starting on Monday. Two of the best programs in the country going at it in a winner take all series, can't get any better than that.
It's too bad that the famous Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha will be gone after this year. They are building a new downtown stadium for the Series to continue in Omaha. I'm a big time traditionalist and I understand there are times to build new things but you certainly won't have the same feel in the new stadium. It's kind of like the old Yankee Stadium. Yes, the new one is great and has all the things you would want but why change something that is history. It's what makes Wrigley and Fenway great.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Stan, Kobe, Pens, and the "Next" Phenom
As most of you know, the Lakers won their 15th championship and I think it's too bad. SVG put his team into position to be up 3-1 and they failed, miserably. He set up a play to get Courtney Lee a layup - missed. He had them up 5 with 37 seconds to go, Dwight Howard missed two free throws and then Jameer Nelson decides to barely contest a Derek Fisher 3. And now, because of those losses, Hedo is probably leaving because there is no way the Magic can afford to have three maxed out contracts on their roster (Howard, Lewis, and Hedo). It's too bad because they have a great core and with a healthy Nelson they have a chance to make it back next year.
Now onto Kobe. What an arrogant, self-centered idiot. Be yourself for once in your life. Maybe he has been watching too many Michael Jordan videoes. Did anyone see him after the game, did that not look familiar? MJ did before, just like anything else Kobe does, he copied someone. On top of that, he gets the Finals MVP trophy and shows it off, which is fine, then he gets the Larry O'Brien Trophy (yes, that's the name for it) and lets his childern play with it before any of his teammates get a chance to enjoy the moment. I know it's not the Stanley Cup but you do have teammates and at least let them share the moment. By the way, he has ZERO chance for a championship if he doesn't have Pau Gasol. Gasol was clearly the difference maker with his passing ability and his defense on Howard.
Let's move onto the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Pens played unreal with in Game 7 and deserved to win. With their young nucleus they can make themselves a dynasty a la the Edmonton Oilers with Gretzky, Juri Kurri, Paul Coffey, and Grant Fuhr. Let's hope Mario can keep them together.
Over the past couple of weeks the sports world has heard all about this unbelievable catching prospect from Las Vegas. He just completed his Sophomore year in high school and is getting his GED and heading to Junior College in order to be eligible for next season's draft. It should be interesting to see how this all works out. Bryce Harper is supposedly the next superstar just like Brien Taylor, Mark Prior, and every other overhyped prospect. I hope him and his family are making the correct decision, only time will tell. I'm surprised Sonny Vaccaro isn't involved, I might be speaking too soon on that one though.
Now onto Kobe. What an arrogant, self-centered idiot. Be yourself for once in your life. Maybe he has been watching too many Michael Jordan videoes. Did anyone see him after the game, did that not look familiar? MJ did before, just like anything else Kobe does, he copied someone. On top of that, he gets the Finals MVP trophy and shows it off, which is fine, then he gets the Larry O'Brien Trophy (yes, that's the name for it) and lets his childern play with it before any of his teammates get a chance to enjoy the moment. I know it's not the Stanley Cup but you do have teammates and at least let them share the moment. By the way, he has ZERO chance for a championship if he doesn't have Pau Gasol. Gasol was clearly the difference maker with his passing ability and his defense on Howard.
Let's move onto the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Pens played unreal with in Game 7 and deserved to win. With their young nucleus they can make themselves a dynasty a la the Edmonton Oilers with Gretzky, Juri Kurri, Paul Coffey, and Grant Fuhr. Let's hope Mario can keep them together.
Over the past couple of weeks the sports world has heard all about this unbelievable catching prospect from Las Vegas. He just completed his Sophomore year in high school and is getting his GED and heading to Junior College in order to be eligible for next season's draft. It should be interesting to see how this all works out. Bryce Harper is supposedly the next superstar just like Brien Taylor, Mark Prior, and every other overhyped prospect. I hope him and his family are making the correct decision, only time will tell. I'm surprised Sonny Vaccaro isn't involved, I might be speaking too soon on that one though.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Tim Floyd
I'd like to ask all the people out there, how dumb do you think Tim Floyd is? The answer to that is simple. He is about as smart as the couch that I'm sitting on. How could he honestly think he could get away with all the things he allegedly did at USC? I guess the educational system in Louisiana where he grew up is not very good. Maybe he did the same at Iowa State and/or University of New Orleans. I don't know but I don't doubt it.
After reading several different article over the past couple of days I've come to the conclusion that this scenario is not unusual but a head coach usually isn't the one giving straight cash homie (Thanks Randy Moss) to a runner. You must go through different avenues to funnel money to recruits. I will tell you how they do and how they get away with it.
Here it goes...
1) Player A plays for a non-profit travel team (not going to call it AAU because they aren't necessarily AAU teams). Head Coach at State U wants Player A and they need to figure out a way to get Player A money to entice him to come. State U Head Coach calls one of his prominent boosters and tells him to donate money to Player A's travel team. The booster gets a tax write off while the travel team gets extra money for their funding. This does not necessarily mean State U will get Player A but it will certainly help.
2) Player B plays for a travel team during the spring and summer. The travel team coach is the one controlling Player B's recruitment. Travel team coach decides to help himself out he will start a scouting service. This scouting service will have Player B's info as well as other players on the travel team. Travel team coach will charge anywear from $300 to $700 for this service. So as a college coach the only way you can even get a chance to recruit Player B is get to get his travel team coach's scouting service. Imagine if twenty schools are involved for one player and the service is $500, that would be $10,000 in the travel team coach's pocket and/or in Player B's family's pocket.
The system obviously needs to be changed. One of the things that needs to be changed is that coaches that continiously break the rules shouldn't be coaching in the NCAA.
After reading several different article over the past couple of days I've come to the conclusion that this scenario is not unusual but a head coach usually isn't the one giving straight cash homie (Thanks Randy Moss) to a runner. You must go through different avenues to funnel money to recruits. I will tell you how they do and how they get away with it.
Here it goes...
1) Player A plays for a non-profit travel team (not going to call it AAU because they aren't necessarily AAU teams). Head Coach at State U wants Player A and they need to figure out a way to get Player A money to entice him to come. State U Head Coach calls one of his prominent boosters and tells him to donate money to Player A's travel team. The booster gets a tax write off while the travel team gets extra money for their funding. This does not necessarily mean State U will get Player A but it will certainly help.
2) Player B plays for a travel team during the spring and summer. The travel team coach is the one controlling Player B's recruitment. Travel team coach decides to help himself out he will start a scouting service. This scouting service will have Player B's info as well as other players on the travel team. Travel team coach will charge anywear from $300 to $700 for this service. So as a college coach the only way you can even get a chance to recruit Player B is get to get his travel team coach's scouting service. Imagine if twenty schools are involved for one player and the service is $500, that would be $10,000 in the travel team coach's pocket and/or in Player B's family's pocket.
The system obviously needs to be changed. One of the things that needs to be changed is that coaches that continiously break the rules shouldn't be coaching in the NCAA.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Game 3, JVG, and Sportsmanship
First it was Pietrus and now Courtney Lee has done a pretty good job on a league superstar. I love Courtney Lee's 'tude. He doesn't back down at all, from anyone. He plays the way it's supposed to be played. Speaking of how it's supposed to be played, Pau Gasol plays how I would want anyone of my post players to play. It seems that good things happen whenever he touches the ball. Therefore, he needs more touches. There are times when he plays a little too European with his antics but on the offensive end he does a great job of finishing as well as passing out of the post.
I don't know if I've ever seen two teams shoot as well as these teams have tonight. It certainly isn't one of those defensive slumberknockers, George Karl should be proud. Once again Joey Crawford is working a huge game during the playoffs, and of course he makes a difference. Kobe proved me wrong on my theory about great players making free throws in the 4th. I guess Kobe's gamefame wasn't intense enough because he didn't play very well in 4th.
Jeff Van Gundy is probably my favorite color guy in the NBA right now. He gives great insights as well as adding a little humor into the mix. Him teaming with Mark Jackson make up my favorite color combo since Bill Walton and Steve "Snapper" Jones. Not too mention he is an Upstate NY guy, makes him even better. SVG (moustache) and JVG (no moustache), what a combo.
As JVG mentioned during the telecast, there is too much sportsmanship going on during the Finals. I wholeheartingly agree. I think sportsmanship is a bunch of bologna. I don't want guys talking to the other team before or during a game, to help opponents off the ground, or to shake hands before the tip. I want guys that would be willing to back me up during a back alley brawl. Once they get in between those lines, it's all business. It doesn't matter if you are thumb wrestling, playing basketball, ping-pong, or chess, you are there to win. It's that simple.
Tim Floyd will have a whole writeup to himself tomorrow.
On Friday, make sure you check out Game 7 of the Stanley Cup. I know it's on NBC and no one cares about hockey besides Pens and Wings fans and the state of Minnesota, the series has been great so far. I'm not a huge hockey fan but I've watched more playoff hockey this year than I have in the past ten years. Crosby, Malkin, and Staal matching up with Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and Lidstrom. Should be a great game.
I'm also going to recommend a movie to you, The Hangover. It has to be the funniest movie of the summer. Too many one liners to remember. Plus, Mike Tyson makes an appearance. He goes on Jimmy Kimmel and he makes it hilarious. He has post fight comments and he makes it hilarious. He makes this movie even more hilarious.
I don't know if I've ever seen two teams shoot as well as these teams have tonight. It certainly isn't one of those defensive slumberknockers, George Karl should be proud. Once again Joey Crawford is working a huge game during the playoffs, and of course he makes a difference. Kobe proved me wrong on my theory about great players making free throws in the 4th. I guess Kobe's gamefame wasn't intense enough because he didn't play very well in 4th.
Jeff Van Gundy is probably my favorite color guy in the NBA right now. He gives great insights as well as adding a little humor into the mix. Him teaming with Mark Jackson make up my favorite color combo since Bill Walton and Steve "Snapper" Jones. Not too mention he is an Upstate NY guy, makes him even better. SVG (moustache) and JVG (no moustache), what a combo.
As JVG mentioned during the telecast, there is too much sportsmanship going on during the Finals. I wholeheartingly agree. I think sportsmanship is a bunch of bologna. I don't want guys talking to the other team before or during a game, to help opponents off the ground, or to shake hands before the tip. I want guys that would be willing to back me up during a back alley brawl. Once they get in between those lines, it's all business. It doesn't matter if you are thumb wrestling, playing basketball, ping-pong, or chess, you are there to win. It's that simple.
Tim Floyd will have a whole writeup to himself tomorrow.
On Friday, make sure you check out Game 7 of the Stanley Cup. I know it's on NBC and no one cares about hockey besides Pens and Wings fans and the state of Minnesota, the series has been great so far. I'm not a huge hockey fan but I've watched more playoff hockey this year than I have in the past ten years. Crosby, Malkin, and Staal matching up with Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and Lidstrom. Should be a great game.
I'm also going to recommend a movie to you, The Hangover. It has to be the funniest movie of the summer. Too many one liners to remember. Plus, Mike Tyson makes an appearance. He goes on Jimmy Kimmel and he makes it hilarious. He has post fight comments and he makes it hilarious. He makes this movie even more hilarious.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Games 1 and 2 with some Ramblings
I wasn't able to watch most of Game 1 of the Finals because of the extreme hockey presence here in Minnesota. I guess the Pens-Wings series is a little more important, though not in my world. I was really surprised that SVG played Jameer Nelson a lot during game 1. I will never understand why coaches consistently play guys that have been out for extended periods of time during big moments. They are usually not in "game" shape, team chemistry isn't where it should be, and last but not least no reason to risk another injury. Jameer played the whole 2nd quarter, way too long for someone who hasn't played a game in at least three months. The Lakers totally dominated the game and it seemed that the Magic had jitters the whole game and couldn't do anything.
Now onto Game 2 where SVG made a ton of adjustments, which he has all playoffs long, and the Magic seemed to have the game in their grasp. Hedo making huge shots, Rashard Lewis hitting everything, and a JJ's hair sighting. Courtney Lee missed two layups in the last 10 seconds, do I blame him, no but they certainly made a difference. I thought the Magic would win in OT because of the momentum but they had no balance with no point guard in the game. You can play for small stretches without a point guard but not five minute streches. That will be the only time I will question SVG and his coaching. By the way, how many end of game plays does SVG have in his arsenal. They seem to run the right one everytime and get great looks almost everytime. I will definitely add a couple into my notebook.
Once again Kobe is a fraud. This scowl he has developed is such a joke. Check out Bobby Knight's rant about game faces on youtube and you'll see what a idiot Kobe is. Kobe is still probably the best player in the league but enough of the Hollywood acting.
This weekend starts one of my favorite times of the year. The Road to Omaha is complete and the College World Series is starting. I don't think there is a Fresno St. this year but it should be interesting. I watched a bunch of Super Regional games this past weekend and they were all exceptional. UNC, UVa, Southern Miss, Arizona St., LSU, Cal St. Fullerton, Arkansas and the winner of tonight's Texas/TCU all advanced to Omaha.
Now onto Game 2 where SVG made a ton of adjustments, which he has all playoffs long, and the Magic seemed to have the game in their grasp. Hedo making huge shots, Rashard Lewis hitting everything, and a JJ's hair sighting. Courtney Lee missed two layups in the last 10 seconds, do I blame him, no but they certainly made a difference. I thought the Magic would win in OT because of the momentum but they had no balance with no point guard in the game. You can play for small stretches without a point guard but not five minute streches. That will be the only time I will question SVG and his coaching. By the way, how many end of game plays does SVG have in his arsenal. They seem to run the right one everytime and get great looks almost everytime. I will definitely add a couple into my notebook.
Once again Kobe is a fraud. This scowl he has developed is such a joke. Check out Bobby Knight's rant about game faces on youtube and you'll see what a idiot Kobe is. Kobe is still probably the best player in the league but enough of the Hollywood acting.
This weekend starts one of my favorite times of the year. The Road to Omaha is complete and the College World Series is starting. I don't think there is a Fresno St. this year but it should be interesting. I watched a bunch of Super Regional games this past weekend and they were all exceptional. UNC, UVa, Southern Miss, Arizona St., LSU, Cal St. Fullerton, Arkansas and the winner of tonight's Texas/TCU all advanced to Omaha.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Officiating and Our Guys
While I am sure everyone is sick of hearing about refs, I'm going to add my seven cents into the discussion after watching the Minnesota AAU state qualifier this past weekend. I wasn't there to watch the refs, I was there recruiting and to watch two of my players coach their MN Magic 17 and under AAU team. What I noticed there was some of the officiating I've ever seen.
In the first game I watched (Magic Elite vs. River City ______), I noticed that there were only two refs while a couple of the courts had three. I never will understand why high school or college games aren't two man crews, especially now with the economic situation (apparently they are moving back to two man crews in MN this next high school season). The two refs were just awful. They decided to explain every single play to the players and the coaches. I have no clue why they even talked to the players. Not only did they make awful calls they also had really bad mechanics. For the people that don't know, when a ref makes a call with a raised closed fist it means a foul and if they open their hand then it a violation (traveling, out of boards, etc...). These two guys were just awful with their mechanics and I had to watch another game because it was really annoying me.
The next game I watched, I see a ref that physically can't get up and down the floor. He shouldn't be doing games, let alone games that give teams a chance to advance to the AAU state tournament. I don't understand how these guys get games. I do understand these guys are trying to make money but the game is for the kids not the adults. The same can be said for some college refs as well. Some can't get up and down the court and shouldn't be assigned to a middle school game let alone a college game. Too many of the refs have been passed by, the speed of the game is just too fast for them to effective in their trade.
Now onto something I should be proud of. Our team won their first game in the MCTC summer league over at 43 Hoops. We only have four returners (Nick Carroll, Dan Andersen, Carl Hipp, and Pierre Harris) playing with 3 deposited recruits (Victor Easter, Andy Voigt, and Charlie Choniere), 2 possible recruits, and one more enrolled student. I wasn't able to make the game but I heard that Nick Carroll and Dan Andersen played well. Victor Easter, one of our top recruits played really well at the point for us. We beat the top 43 Hoops 17 under AAU team. I know they are high school kids but they all are allegedly are going to be Division One players (they might have one maybe two D1 kids). Their coach told Nick Carroll that they were going to beat us by 30. Funny how delusional some of these AAU coaches are.
In the first game I watched (Magic Elite vs. River City ______), I noticed that there were only two refs while a couple of the courts had three. I never will understand why high school or college games aren't two man crews, especially now with the economic situation (apparently they are moving back to two man crews in MN this next high school season). The two refs were just awful. They decided to explain every single play to the players and the coaches. I have no clue why they even talked to the players. Not only did they make awful calls they also had really bad mechanics. For the people that don't know, when a ref makes a call with a raised closed fist it means a foul and if they open their hand then it a violation (traveling, out of boards, etc...). These two guys were just awful with their mechanics and I had to watch another game because it was really annoying me.
The next game I watched, I see a ref that physically can't get up and down the floor. He shouldn't be doing games, let alone games that give teams a chance to advance to the AAU state tournament. I don't understand how these guys get games. I do understand these guys are trying to make money but the game is for the kids not the adults. The same can be said for some college refs as well. Some can't get up and down the court and shouldn't be assigned to a middle school game let alone a college game. Too many of the refs have been passed by, the speed of the game is just too fast for them to effective in their trade.
Now onto something I should be proud of. Our team won their first game in the MCTC summer league over at 43 Hoops. We only have four returners (Nick Carroll, Dan Andersen, Carl Hipp, and Pierre Harris) playing with 3 deposited recruits (Victor Easter, Andy Voigt, and Charlie Choniere), 2 possible recruits, and one more enrolled student. I wasn't able to make the game but I heard that Nick Carroll and Dan Andersen played well. Victor Easter, one of our top recruits played really well at the point for us. We beat the top 43 Hoops 17 under AAU team. I know they are high school kids but they all are allegedly are going to be Division One players (they might have one maybe two D1 kids). Their coach told Nick Carroll that they were going to beat us by 30. Funny how delusional some of these AAU coaches are.
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