I have not posted in a while. Traveling for work, down with a cold, vacation next week (so posting will continue to be light). This combined with several direct requests from NCAA D1 Hoops coaches PLEADING for me NOT to mention their team as a Hot Top 10. Of course, there is that one e-mailer, tracked back to Champaign-Urbana, who suggest that the whole Big 10 except Illinois should be in the Hot Top 10. Like I said - worse than a SI cover.
Traveling around the sports world, I do see that things are settling down in college hoops. The Illini are still unbeaten and will remain so for the regular season and Big Ten Tournament. Wake and UNC are the class of the ACC (sorry Duke - at least for now - you can prove me wrong this weekend). In the Big East, the Syracuse - BC game will show alot on how that division stacks up. Kentucky and Florida in the SEC. Florida? Yep, they are playing some good ball and are generally under the radar.
Overall, I still see Illinois as the favorite. I just hope they do not go soft in the Big 10. The level of competition gives the ACC a big edge this year.
On a side note, it is a crime that Ryan Gomes is in Providence. Can you imagine this guy on UConn or Syracuse or Pitt? Or Duke or UNC? How about Michigan State? Kentucky? OSU? If Gomes does not go in the Top 10 in the draft (really the Top 5) there is no justice in this world.
Jose Canseco. The guy is a total tool. Always was and always will be.
But spring training is here. The long awaited battle begins. Buster Olney of ESPN has Yankees, Red Sox as number 1 and 2 to start off the year. While that does not seem right to me, I can't say why. As for me, I am temporarily pulling for the Washington Nationals, even though they should have been named the Greys (yep, I know the Greys were from Pittsburgh, but...).
Well, that is it for now. I will be back in a week.
2.18.2005
2.15.2005
Today's "impatient with people rant"
You know, you have to be COMPLETELY crazy to cut off your daughter's arms and kill her. Yep, that's what Dana Schlosser did, and the judge committed her to a loony bin...she's been diagnosed as manic depressive. But I have an even BETTER idea to help her and save the taxpayers money - when asked about her heinous crime, "She's stated over and over that she wishes she'd been allowed to go with her daughter," Dr. ***** said. GIVE HER THIS LAST WISH! Let her jump off a bridge, in fronna truck, cut her wrists, but a cap in her temple, just LET HER KILL HERSELF! God I HATE child killers - I'm sorry she's nuts, but we should just allow her to off herself and save ourselves the cost of medical attention...
In Oregon, of course, the treehuggin' ex-Blockbuster video IDIOT who tried to lure women to his home for sex and a hangin contacted the potential victims/partners via instant messenger. During the conversations, HE USED HIS REAL NAME! So of COURSE the police were going to catch him! I have an idea for this sharp knife - let him hump his hand for, say, 10 minutes, then string him up...see if he's REALLY serious about all this comin' and goin'.
More sports stories:
The NHL players offered a salary cap, but the NHL rejected it because it was apparently too high. The players offered $52 mil, the owners never went north of $40 mil. Score one for the change in philosophical differences, which is good, but score one for a failure of this season, which I CANNOT believe they will play. However, I'm cautiously optimistic for next year...
Yankees screwed up: GM Brian Cashman says that the Yanks removed the word "steroids" from Jason Giambi's contract, believing they were protected by broader language regarding drugs. WHAT? Cashman, you are a MORON! I can't believe that he did this, was there anyone in baseball who did NOT suspect that Giambi was on the sauce? I bet old King George is pulling out his hair! hehe
I gotta tell ya, I KNOW that what Jose Canseco is saying is probably true. What I can't believe is that he feels the need to drop dime on his old pals in baseball and tattle on their steroid use. The late Ken Caminiti at least didn't finger anyone ELSE in his confession, why does Canseco feel the need to rat out Palmiero, Giambi, McGwire, Rodriguez, et al? I think I know why...money. The book of "I took steroids to be a great baseball player" would have sold 2 copies (including the one purchased by his mother) if it would just have been a self confession, not a blabbering tell all about the big names in baseball. Oh, and by the way, test Sammy Sosa too...
Transsexual golfers will be allowed to play in the Women's British Open. Siiiiigh...
Okay, that's enough, my brain is full...
In Oregon, of course, the treehuggin' ex-Blockbuster video IDIOT who tried to lure women to his home for sex and a hangin contacted the potential victims/partners via instant messenger. During the conversations, HE USED HIS REAL NAME! So of COURSE the police were going to catch him! I have an idea for this sharp knife - let him hump his hand for, say, 10 minutes, then string him up...see if he's REALLY serious about all this comin' and goin'.
More sports stories:
The NHL players offered a salary cap, but the NHL rejected it because it was apparently too high. The players offered $52 mil, the owners never went north of $40 mil. Score one for the change in philosophical differences, which is good, but score one for a failure of this season, which I CANNOT believe they will play. However, I'm cautiously optimistic for next year...
Yankees screwed up: GM Brian Cashman says that the Yanks removed the word "steroids" from Jason Giambi's contract, believing they were protected by broader language regarding drugs. WHAT? Cashman, you are a MORON! I can't believe that he did this, was there anyone in baseball who did NOT suspect that Giambi was on the sauce? I bet old King George is pulling out his hair! hehe
I gotta tell ya, I KNOW that what Jose Canseco is saying is probably true. What I can't believe is that he feels the need to drop dime on his old pals in baseball and tattle on their steroid use. The late Ken Caminiti at least didn't finger anyone ELSE in his confession, why does Canseco feel the need to rat out Palmiero, Giambi, McGwire, Rodriguez, et al? I think I know why...money. The book of "I took steroids to be a great baseball player" would have sold 2 copies (including the one purchased by his mother) if it would just have been a self confession, not a blabbering tell all about the big names in baseball. Oh, and by the way, test Sammy Sosa too...
Transsexual golfers will be allowed to play in the Women's British Open. Siiiiigh...
Okay, that's enough, my brain is full...
2.08.2005
The Pack Follows...
Having broken the PC of the NFL, I am now finding all sorts of criticism of the Philly coaching. John Donovan of SI gives Andy Reid a 'D' in the Super Bowl report card. (Caveat: Donovan seem to just trash the Eagles and praise the Pats. I thought the game was closer than that.)
Now, Dr. Z gives the Philly coaching staff both barrels. I don't always agree with Dr. Z, but the guy does know his stuff.
John Clayton at ESPN has some questions, too. And he sums up McNabb's performance: 357 yards in the air and three TDs. But Clayton soft pedals this as just that "kind of day for the Eagles." That kind of day? Are you kidding me? It's the Super Bowl forchissakes! Donovan does a good job of pointing out (which I forgot) that the Eagles screwed the pooch at the end of the first half also.
The fact is that the Patriots played their game. Solid, conservative, very few major errors. But as the opponent, you should know that you will probably not be out of the game against the Patriots, they just did not have that sort of firepower. And the Eagles were never out of the game, but played it like a regular season match. Oh, well.
Remember the definition of Second Place: the Number 1 Loser.
Now, Dr. Z gives the Philly coaching staff both barrels. I don't always agree with Dr. Z, but the guy does know his stuff.
John Clayton at ESPN has some questions, too. And he sums up McNabb's performance: 357 yards in the air and three TDs. But Clayton soft pedals this as just that "kind of day for the Eagles." That kind of day? Are you kidding me? It's the Super Bowl forchissakes! Donovan does a good job of pointing out (which I forgot) that the Eagles screwed the pooch at the end of the first half also.
The fact is that the Patriots played their game. Solid, conservative, very few major errors. But as the opponent, you should know that you will probably not be out of the game against the Patriots, they just did not have that sort of firepower. And the Eagles were never out of the game, but played it like a regular season match. Oh, well.
Remember the definition of Second Place: the Number 1 Loser.
2.07.2005
The PC of the NFL
The political correctness of the NFL is on display in all the reviews of the Super Bowl performances. The PC I speak of has nothing to do with race (in this case the "victim" is Donovan McNabb), but with management. To wit: though shall not have anything but respect for the coaches.
The Philly coaches lost that game. I cannot agree more with Thew about clock management. But clock management was not an issue with McNabb, the coaches did not seem to have a clue. Onside kick? While you can justify it,...nah, it was stupid. Have Akers bang it into the seats, give the ball to the Pats on the 20. The fact is, the Pats are programmed for mistake free ball at that point, which means the run. Three and out and Philly has the ball on their 35 or better with 46 seconds left. At least four plays to get it to the Pats 45.
With Akers' leg, you have a chance. At that point in the game, that is what you want.
Further, after the change in possession, on your 4, you best have the sequence of 3 or 4 plays called already. A huddle on second down? How can you blame McNabb? Donovan did not have his best game, but neither did Brady. Both defenses played really well, but the Pats secondary was really soft at that point and Philly has an excellent receiving corp. If I am an Eagles fan, I would be considering gathering the pitchforks.
The Eagles were lucky to be in it at that point. The Pats were uncharacteristically sloppy, but that is the result of the injuries. Despite all that, I would give the edge (if only slight) to Brady over center and NE on the defensive side. Philly relied too much on the big play and did not seem to get the idea that the NE secondary was really soft underneath.
The players on each team made plenty of mistakes: players do that and it is especially noticeable in the Super Bowl. But the coaches need to lead. The Eagles looked confused and tentative the closer it got to the end of the game. The players reflected that. The Pats coaches looked more confident as the game progressed. The players reflected that.
Say the unsayable: Andy Reid and his staff screwed the pooch.
The Philly coaches lost that game. I cannot agree more with Thew about clock management. But clock management was not an issue with McNabb, the coaches did not seem to have a clue. Onside kick? While you can justify it,...nah, it was stupid. Have Akers bang it into the seats, give the ball to the Pats on the 20. The fact is, the Pats are programmed for mistake free ball at that point, which means the run. Three and out and Philly has the ball on their 35 or better with 46 seconds left. At least four plays to get it to the Pats 45.
With Akers' leg, you have a chance. At that point in the game, that is what you want.
Further, after the change in possession, on your 4, you best have the sequence of 3 or 4 plays called already. A huddle on second down? How can you blame McNabb? Donovan did not have his best game, but neither did Brady. Both defenses played really well, but the Pats secondary was really soft at that point and Philly has an excellent receiving corp. If I am an Eagles fan, I would be considering gathering the pitchforks.
The Eagles were lucky to be in it at that point. The Pats were uncharacteristically sloppy, but that is the result of the injuries. Despite all that, I would give the edge (if only slight) to Brady over center and NE on the defensive side. Philly relied too much on the big play and did not seem to get the idea that the NE secondary was really soft underneath.
The players on each team made plenty of mistakes: players do that and it is especially noticeable in the Super Bowl. But the coaches need to lead. The Eagles looked confused and tentative the closer it got to the end of the game. The players reflected that. The Pats coaches looked more confident as the game progressed. The players reflected that.
Say the unsayable: Andy Reid and his staff screwed the pooch.
Musings on and after the "Big Game"
Poise. Experience. Nothing showed how much MORE Of that New England had than the last quarter. Philly played a great game, but truthfully, their decisions in the final period will be second guessed for months...
Hurry up and do what? They didn't start to use the hurry up offense, well, pretty much at all. With 6 minutes to go and down by 10 points, DON'T HUDDLE! Now, I'm not a fan of Cris Collinsworth, but I have to agree with him and Joe and Troy - this is not a time and place to take lightly and take your time. The Eagles wasted just about 4 mins to score a TD that they needed to score in no more than half that time. I haven't read EVERY article, but I'm just not sure about their reasoning in that - maybe to keep things in an even keel, to keep guys relaxed about the situation? That is NO time to coddle NFL players, it's the Super Bowl, it is time to step up. Just baffling...
Onside Kick?! Why? If you are looking to get a STOP on defense, which is a more realistic situation than recovering an onside kick, then pin 'em deep in their own territory. *I* would have kicked it deep, then planned on a punt from maybe the Pats' 30 yard line, maybe set up a return for field position. Andy Reid really screwed the pooch on this one imho. Onside kicks are SO tough to recover, and having the Pats punt from their 20 yard line would only require the Eagles to gain maybe 30 yards in 45 seconds, not 65. HUGE difference. With Akers' foot, 55 and under is legitimate, my goodness, they managed their final chance(s) like rookies...
The experience and poise of the "old champ" rose to the top in this one. I'm not sure the Pats were the better team, but they are the winner, and deservedly so. Not to REALLY disparage the Eagles, they are a talented team which should be back to the big stage at least once more. But they let too many things slip away because of a lack of concentration, whatever. But you HAVE to bandy about the word "Dynasty" here, the Pats are entering Dallas/Pittsburgh/SF territory. That is a testient to the Coach and his merry band of TEAM players. And in Thew's world, they are the favorite to do it again next year.
But look for Philly and Pittsburgh to challenged once again. Goodbye Indy, yer history...
In other news...
In Chicago, an appellate court ruled Thursday that a woman who accused Michael Jordan of reneging on a promise to pay her $5 million to keep quiet about an affair presented sufficient facts to pursue her case in court. Well, Well, looks like Kobe IS, in fact, the next Michael Jordan.
I am somewhat cynically suspicious of this... For Dany Heatley, moving on with his life will mean being on probation for three years. He pleaded guilty to second-degree vehicular homicide and misdemeanor driving charges. Prosecutors dropped a first-degree vehicular homicide charge that could have sent the 24-year-old Heatley to jail for 20 years in large part because the Snyder family of Elmira, Ontario, vigorously opposed a jail term. Hmmm, I am cynical about the Snyders being SO forgiving and magnanimous...are there really people like that in the world? I know I'm not one of them...and I wonder if there is something in this that we don't see. You know what I'm implying.
Think about it...
Hurry up and do what? They didn't start to use the hurry up offense, well, pretty much at all. With 6 minutes to go and down by 10 points, DON'T HUDDLE! Now, I'm not a fan of Cris Collinsworth, but I have to agree with him and Joe and Troy - this is not a time and place to take lightly and take your time. The Eagles wasted just about 4 mins to score a TD that they needed to score in no more than half that time. I haven't read EVERY article, but I'm just not sure about their reasoning in that - maybe to keep things in an even keel, to keep guys relaxed about the situation? That is NO time to coddle NFL players, it's the Super Bowl, it is time to step up. Just baffling...
Onside Kick?! Why? If you are looking to get a STOP on defense, which is a more realistic situation than recovering an onside kick, then pin 'em deep in their own territory. *I* would have kicked it deep, then planned on a punt from maybe the Pats' 30 yard line, maybe set up a return for field position. Andy Reid really screwed the pooch on this one imho. Onside kicks are SO tough to recover, and having the Pats punt from their 20 yard line would only require the Eagles to gain maybe 30 yards in 45 seconds, not 65. HUGE difference. With Akers' foot, 55 and under is legitimate, my goodness, they managed their final chance(s) like rookies...
The experience and poise of the "old champ" rose to the top in this one. I'm not sure the Pats were the better team, but they are the winner, and deservedly so. Not to REALLY disparage the Eagles, they are a talented team which should be back to the big stage at least once more. But they let too many things slip away because of a lack of concentration, whatever. But you HAVE to bandy about the word "Dynasty" here, the Pats are entering Dallas/Pittsburgh/SF territory. That is a testient to the Coach and his merry band of TEAM players. And in Thew's world, they are the favorite to do it again next year.
But look for Philly and Pittsburgh to challenged once again. Goodbye Indy, yer history...
In other news...
In Chicago, an appellate court ruled Thursday that a woman who accused Michael Jordan of reneging on a promise to pay her $5 million to keep quiet about an affair presented sufficient facts to pursue her case in court. Well, Well, looks like Kobe IS, in fact, the next Michael Jordan.
I am somewhat cynically suspicious of this... For Dany Heatley, moving on with his life will mean being on probation for three years. He pleaded guilty to second-degree vehicular homicide and misdemeanor driving charges. Prosecutors dropped a first-degree vehicular homicide charge that could have sent the 24-year-old Heatley to jail for 20 years in large part because the Snyder family of Elmira, Ontario, vigorously opposed a jail term. Hmmm, I am cynical about the Snyders being SO forgiving and magnanimous...are there really people like that in the world? I know I'm not one of them...and I wonder if there is something in this that we don't see. You know what I'm implying.
Think about it...
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