Last night on March 15th, the Duke Blue Devils were pronounced dead when Eric Maynor of VCU drove a wooden stake through the heart of their legend. Doctors were unable to revive the idea that Duke is an elite program anymore after Duke was unable to escape the first round against an 11th seeded team. An autopsy performed afterwards revealed that Josh McRoberts was indeed soft. Funeral services will be held in Durham tomorrow. Extra shots will be consumed at Chapel Hill today starting at noon.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Newsflash
Last night on March 15th, the Duke Blue Devils were pronounced dead when Eric Maynor of VCU drove a wooden stake through the heart of their legend. Doctors were unable to revive the idea that Duke is an elite program anymore after Duke was unable to escape the first round against an 11th seeded team. An autopsy performed afterwards revealed that Josh McRoberts was indeed soft. Funeral services will be held in Durham tomorrow. Extra shots will be consumed at Chapel Hill today starting at noon.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
That other holiday...
Just remember Saturday is that other holiday were all Americans are Irish. Bonus points if you combine both the tournament and St.Patties Day
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
NCAA Tourney 2007 – Keeping the Middle Man Down
I have to vent for a little bit. In case anyone wasn’t aware, the NCAA Tournament basically announced itself as being crooked as hell. The number of at-large bids for mid-major conferences has gone down by 2 bids each of the last 2 years. Clearly, there’s an agenda here, which is to ensure that teams like George Mason aren’t able to disrupt the big-6 conferences and their chances. This agenda has never been more clear than the disturbing trend of having mid-major conferences play each other in the 1st round, and this year, they even play each other in the 2nd round! It is true that one mid-major is guaranteed this year between Memphis-Nevada-Creighton. But, rather than being guaranteed one measly sweet 16 spot, I’d much rather see the “secret committee” have the power conferences 5th and 6th place teams take on the 2nd and 3rd place teams from the mid-majors so we can see who is the best, and if the mid-majors place three to six teams in the sweet 16, then SO BE IT. Instead, the “secret committee” has greatly reduced the chances of multiple mid-majors making the sweet 16. Also note, that this trend didn't start this year - 2003 - Creighton vs. Central Michigan, 2002 - Gonzaga vs. Wyoming are other examples I can think of off the top of my head.
Now, back to the fun stuff… the MARCH MADNESS! (which I will keep watching, even though the “secret committee” is evil, and probably is similar to the Stonecutters).
Best 1st round matchup: Notre Dame-Winthrop - I think the winner of this game will make the Sweet 16 and will take down Oregon with ease. Actually, with Wisconsin missing their best forward, its entirely likely that the winner of the Notre Dame-Winthrop game could make the Elite 8!
Most anticipated 2nd round matchup: Georgetown- BC – I really struggled this year to find a good 2nd round matchup. This has a sweet storyline of BC being punished for leaving the Big East. Dr. Hibbert may have to use the anesthetic.
Region of Death: As Mighty pointed out, its clearly the East Region. (UNC, Texas, Mich. St., Wash. St., Georgetown, USC)
Cinderella Final 4 Team: In 2005 I picked Utah which as a 6-seed made the sweet 16, last year I picked UCLA, though that really wasn’t a Cinderella by any means. This year? I’m going with the Maryland Terrapins. It’s insane, I know. But, Florida has the easiest region by far, and there really aren’t any other teams in their region that I can see giving them trouble. After 4 weeks of research, pouring through statistics, and evaluating 4 conferences, I grew to really like Maryland’s resume, plus the fact that they play great defense, have capable big men, and can shoot from the outside. Plus, I love teams that crash out of their conference tournaments, because then they play with a chip on their shoulder. In addition, Darryl Strawberry’s son plays for Maryland. I’m just hoping we see a lot of him this next month, so I can continue my good fortune picking Cinderellas.
Darkhorses: Georgia Tech and Nevada – Both could lose in the first round, or both could get by their #2-seeds (Wisconsin, and Memphis respectively). I haven’t heard anything about Memphis, other than that they play in a crappy conference. Plus, Nevada got knocked off last year in the 1st round, when they were like a 5-seed, so I don’t think Fazekas will let that happen again. As for Georgia Tech, I’ve read they’re really inconsistent, but their freshman guard, Crittendon, is supposed to be sweet.
Now, on to the rules I've devised to analyze the tournament! If you want to see the rules I’ve devised, check out the link to 2005’s blog article. http://thedawggs.blogspot.com/2005_03_01_thedawggs_archive.html
Rule#3: When a non-1 seed wins, it happens in 2 straight years
That’s right, a 1-seed (UNC, OSU, Florida, Kansas) WILL win this year We are due.
Rule#4: A 12-seed always beats a 5 (except in 2000)
Old Dominion over Butler maybe (Butler has NO inside game). USC-Arkansas could be a really interesting game as well.
Rule#6: There always is one conference w/ multiple teams in the final 4
Every year since 1999!
My favorite options:
1) Kansas, Maryland, UNC, Texas A&M (I can’t choose between the Big 12 and ACC for some reason)
2) Kansas, Florida, Texas, Ohio St. (Big 12)
3) UCLA, Florida, Wash. St., Ohio St. (Pac 10)
4) Kansas, Florida, UNC, Tennessee (SEC)
5) Pitt, Florida, Georgetown, OSU (Big East)
6) Kansas, Wisconsin, UNC, OSU (Big 10)
Rule#9: If you win your power conference tourney, you won't do well in the NCAA tourney. (Exception: top 10 teams)
Last year was an amazing year for Rule #9 – when 3 teams qualified as winning their power conference tourney, and not finishing in the top 10 (Syracuse, Iowa, and Kansas) and they ALL lost in the 1st round. Unfortunately, we can’t rely much on this rule because only one team qualifies – Oregon. I find it highly amusing that Oregon is playing my alma mater Miami University, so maybe there’s a chance that Miami doesn’t get killed by 20 (though I’m not counting on it!). The more likely scenario is that the Notre Dame-Winthrop winner exposes Oregon for not playing any defense.
Rule #10: The favorite almost NEVER survives the “Region of Death” (Duke in 2004 made the Final 4), and certainly will never win the whole tournament.
I went back through 1997 and tried to determine what my “region of death” was (a subjective assessment indeed). Out of the 10 years I analyzed, only 3 #1 seeds made it through, and only 1 won the whole damn thing (UNC – 2005). Funny, because this year, UNC is CERTAINLY in the Region of Death, who may have to deal with Kevin Durant and Texas in the sweet 16 and then either Wash. St or Georgetown in the Elite 8.
Experimental Rule 11: The 1-seed with the worst Sagarin strength of schedule will NOT make the Final 4.
I only have data from the last 4 tournaments, which so far has produced only one Final 4 team (Illinois). This year’s target? Florida, by a fraction of a point. I’m still thinking this is only an experimental rule.
Now, back to the fun stuff… the MARCH MADNESS! (which I will keep watching, even though the “secret committee” is evil, and probably is similar to the Stonecutters).
Best 1st round matchup: Notre Dame-Winthrop - I think the winner of this game will make the Sweet 16 and will take down Oregon with ease. Actually, with Wisconsin missing their best forward, its entirely likely that the winner of the Notre Dame-Winthrop game could make the Elite 8!
Most anticipated 2nd round matchup: Georgetown- BC – I really struggled this year to find a good 2nd round matchup. This has a sweet storyline of BC being punished for leaving the Big East. Dr. Hibbert may have to use the anesthetic.
Region of Death: As Mighty pointed out, its clearly the East Region. (UNC, Texas, Mich. St., Wash. St., Georgetown, USC)
Cinderella Final 4 Team: In 2005 I picked Utah which as a 6-seed made the sweet 16, last year I picked UCLA, though that really wasn’t a Cinderella by any means. This year? I’m going with the Maryland Terrapins. It’s insane, I know. But, Florida has the easiest region by far, and there really aren’t any other teams in their region that I can see giving them trouble. After 4 weeks of research, pouring through statistics, and evaluating 4 conferences, I grew to really like Maryland’s resume, plus the fact that they play great defense, have capable big men, and can shoot from the outside. Plus, I love teams that crash out of their conference tournaments, because then they play with a chip on their shoulder. In addition, Darryl Strawberry’s son plays for Maryland. I’m just hoping we see a lot of him this next month, so I can continue my good fortune picking Cinderellas.
Darkhorses: Georgia Tech and Nevada – Both could lose in the first round, or both could get by their #2-seeds (Wisconsin, and Memphis respectively). I haven’t heard anything about Memphis, other than that they play in a crappy conference. Plus, Nevada got knocked off last year in the 1st round, when they were like a 5-seed, so I don’t think Fazekas will let that happen again. As for Georgia Tech, I’ve read they’re really inconsistent, but their freshman guard, Crittendon, is supposed to be sweet.
Now, on to the rules I've devised to analyze the tournament! If you want to see the rules I’ve devised, check out the link to 2005’s blog article. http://thedawggs.blogspot.com/2005_03_01_thedawggs_archive.html
Rule#3: When a non-1 seed wins, it happens in 2 straight years
That’s right, a 1-seed (UNC, OSU, Florida, Kansas) WILL win this year We are due.
Rule#4: A 12-seed always beats a 5 (except in 2000)
Old Dominion over Butler maybe (Butler has NO inside game). USC-Arkansas could be a really interesting game as well.
Rule#6: There always is one conference w/ multiple teams in the final 4
Every year since 1999!
My favorite options:
1) Kansas, Maryland, UNC, Texas A&M (I can’t choose between the Big 12 and ACC for some reason)
2) Kansas, Florida, Texas, Ohio St. (Big 12)
3) UCLA, Florida, Wash. St., Ohio St. (Pac 10)
4) Kansas, Florida, UNC, Tennessee (SEC)
5) Pitt, Florida, Georgetown, OSU (Big East)
6) Kansas, Wisconsin, UNC, OSU (Big 10)
Rule#9: If you win your power conference tourney, you won't do well in the NCAA tourney. (Exception: top 10 teams)
Last year was an amazing year for Rule #9 – when 3 teams qualified as winning their power conference tourney, and not finishing in the top 10 (Syracuse, Iowa, and Kansas) and they ALL lost in the 1st round. Unfortunately, we can’t rely much on this rule because only one team qualifies – Oregon. I find it highly amusing that Oregon is playing my alma mater Miami University, so maybe there’s a chance that Miami doesn’t get killed by 20 (though I’m not counting on it!). The more likely scenario is that the Notre Dame-Winthrop winner exposes Oregon for not playing any defense.
Rule #10: The favorite almost NEVER survives the “Region of Death” (Duke in 2004 made the Final 4), and certainly will never win the whole tournament.
I went back through 1997 and tried to determine what my “region of death” was (a subjective assessment indeed). Out of the 10 years I analyzed, only 3 #1 seeds made it through, and only 1 won the whole damn thing (UNC – 2005). Funny, because this year, UNC is CERTAINLY in the Region of Death, who may have to deal with Kevin Durant and Texas in the sweet 16 and then either Wash. St or Georgetown in the Elite 8.
Experimental Rule 11: The 1-seed with the worst Sagarin strength of schedule will NOT make the Final 4.
I only have data from the last 4 tournaments, which so far has produced only one Final 4 team (Illinois). This year’s target? Florida, by a fraction of a point. I’m still thinking this is only an experimental rule.
Bill Simmons, You Broke My Heart
Ok, for one since I haven't blogged since the overall of the government of blogdom by the imperialist's Google, I figured I would add myself to the contributors. The second reason I wanted to write was because Bill Simmons has finally come to the end of the Colonel's reign. The fleet of Colonel's Special Forces (monkeys with night vision goggles) have been dispatched to throw feces on his house. As of today I will not be reading his crap again. I am not sure what happened to him. Maybe his contract with ESPN made his head get bigger and he forgot how to analyze sports or maybe he just started taking heroin and forgot to write any funny articles. But now he is just unreadable. In the past months, I found myself skimming over his articles. I now use Nietzsche and even Wikipedia for my daily bowel movement reading. What happened, Bill? If you can't even be good enough in the bathroom, you have lost all abilities of writing. The final straw was his discussion of the Big 10 basketball demise. While I can't say that I am a afficianado of college basketball, I do understand the general idea around which teams are better. To say that Texas, Texas A&M, and Kansas are better than Wisconsin is laughable. Generally, if a college team (which plays 8 minutes less than the NBA, genuis) gives up 100 points in not one but three games that is considered not having too great of defense. I know that two of those games went to overtime but still. I am sorry that watching Wisconsin play isn't like watching your one butt buddy Steve Nash and the Suns play. I am also sorry that your other butt buddies, Tom Brady, Josh Beckett (before he got injured), Davis from the Real World, Larry Bird, Durant, Johnny Damon (before he got traded), Ray Bourgue (before he got traded), and fill in the blank Boston athletes are not involved in the Big 10.
Bill Simmons you broke my heart...I will not read you ever again. I don't want to know you or what you do. I don't want to see you at the hotels, I don't want you near my house. When you see our mother, I want to know a day in advance, so I won't be there. You understand? Go out fishing with your dad and say some hail marys.
Tuesday’s Sports Mélange
1. The most important story coming out of New York these days is that Knicks owner James Dolan has decided to keep GM/Coach Isiah Thomas around beyond this season. I’m sure most people think this is a mistake. I’m also sure that the prevailing opinion is based on equal parts of Isiah-loathing and wishing to crucify him for past errors. But here’s what I know: the Knicks chose stability over chaos for the first time in the 21st Century. And when 35% of your roster has one or fewer seasons of NBA experience, stability is a very important factor in making sure that your young players develop into productive ones.
Isiah’s detractors are pointing to the fact that, due to the Larry Brown fiasco of last season, expectations were set at very low threshold. Additionally, these people are citing the demise of the Eastern Conference as a reason why the Knicks should not see themselves as having made any progress in 2006. To those critics, all I can say is that the Knicks cannot and should not be held accountable for the state of the Eastern Conference. The success or failures of 14 other teams has nothing to do with what the Knicks are accomplishing this year. They are competing. They are playing hard and playing as a team something that Larry Brown’s “play the right way” philosophy failed to produce. They’re 24-23 since November 28th and 15-12 since January 2nd. The trade for Eddy Curry is paying dividends, leaving the Bulls with Ty Thomas and a mid-first round draft pick while the Knicks are reaping the benefits of the second-best low post scorer in the conference (after Shaq). Stephon Marbury is actually playing the best team basketball of his career. The entire persona of the team has changed to one of togetherness, unity, and grit.
Bottom line, no matter what the journey looked like, no matter what his perceived shortcomings are, Isiah Thomas is doing a good job for the Knicks this year. And his extension was a well-deserved one that will benefit the franchise, haters be damned.
2. I’m just wondering what’s happening in Chicago. Despite being the defending NFC champs, the Bears have let go a good young coach (Ron Rivera), traded a productive and team-oriented good citizen (Thomas Jones) for peanuts, and are facing a very ugly situation with All-Pro linebacker Lance Briggs. Granted, the Briggs situation is not Chicago’s fault – if you can’t get motivated playing for $7M and being one of the five highest-paid players at your position, you’re an idiot – but it doesn’t change the fact that all of this, together with how lousy another year of Rex Grossman could be, makes the Bears a far dimmer star in the NFC than one would expect of a conference champ.
3. We’re about halfway through the Grapefruit/Cactus League season. I’m gearing up for my baseball preview which I expect to post sometime between Monday, March 19 and Wednesday, March 21. Just to give you a sneak preview, the following teams are not being considered for playoff consideration: Baltimore, Colorado, Florida, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa Bay, Texas, and Washington.
Isiah’s detractors are pointing to the fact that, due to the Larry Brown fiasco of last season, expectations were set at very low threshold. Additionally, these people are citing the demise of the Eastern Conference as a reason why the Knicks should not see themselves as having made any progress in 2006. To those critics, all I can say is that the Knicks cannot and should not be held accountable for the state of the Eastern Conference. The success or failures of 14 other teams has nothing to do with what the Knicks are accomplishing this year. They are competing. They are playing hard and playing as a team something that Larry Brown’s “play the right way” philosophy failed to produce. They’re 24-23 since November 28th and 15-12 since January 2nd. The trade for Eddy Curry is paying dividends, leaving the Bulls with Ty Thomas and a mid-first round draft pick while the Knicks are reaping the benefits of the second-best low post scorer in the conference (after Shaq). Stephon Marbury is actually playing the best team basketball of his career. The entire persona of the team has changed to one of togetherness, unity, and grit.
Bottom line, no matter what the journey looked like, no matter what his perceived shortcomings are, Isiah Thomas is doing a good job for the Knicks this year. And his extension was a well-deserved one that will benefit the franchise, haters be damned.
2. I’m just wondering what’s happening in Chicago. Despite being the defending NFC champs, the Bears have let go a good young coach (Ron Rivera), traded a productive and team-oriented good citizen (Thomas Jones) for peanuts, and are facing a very ugly situation with All-Pro linebacker Lance Briggs. Granted, the Briggs situation is not Chicago’s fault – if you can’t get motivated playing for $7M and being one of the five highest-paid players at your position, you’re an idiot – but it doesn’t change the fact that all of this, together with how lousy another year of Rex Grossman could be, makes the Bears a far dimmer star in the NFC than one would expect of a conference champ.
3. We’re about halfway through the Grapefruit/Cactus League season. I’m gearing up for my baseball preview which I expect to post sometime between Monday, March 19 and Wednesday, March 21. Just to give you a sneak preview, the following teams are not being considered for playoff consideration: Baltimore, Colorado, Florida, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa Bay, Texas, and Washington.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Notes from The Periphery: It Begins!
As I sit here quietly contemplating my picks for the tournament, its important to be in the right state of mind. You see teams are seeded for a reason therefore you should expect the higher seeded to teams to win. Of course thats what the committee wants you to think. They know that that you know how the seeds go so there's always a few upset gems intentionally placed in there. Of course they know that you know that they know that while studying in Spain they learned that teams are mortal. So you can clearly not pick the underdog in front of you (most of the time). I think. Is it clear now? I hope not. Nonetheless here's some quick thoughts.
Region of Death (i.e. toughest region):
East: UNC, Texas, Wash St., Georgetown all have potential along with numerous sleeping giants (USC, BC, Arkansas, Oral Roberts (is that a real school by the way?). Just assume there will be upsets somewhere. Much like going to that cheap Chinese place across the street, cross your fingers and pray.
Region of Fluffy Bunnies and Pink Frilly Things (i.e. easiest region)
Midwest. Basically the committee decided that Florida, a school thats quickly moving up ranks for team I'd like to be stuck on a flight with Bill Simmons, should get a free pass to the Final 4. Arghh. Not another championship. Please if your listening stop it Christopher Walken.
Best First Round Matchup
I have two Nevada v. Creighton and Marquette v. Michigan State.
Best Story Lines:
Will a freshman (Oden, Durant, Wright, fill in blank) lead his team to the Championship. Will Florida Repeat? Can anyone stop them? Please? Will the mid-majors do it two years in a row and bracket bust everything? Will Duke lose in the first round? Has anyone seen my pants? Does the committee really think I will ever refer to anything as the East Rutherford Region? Really? Will I really stay up to crazy hours to watch the tournament?
Stay tuned more answers are coming.....
I have two Nevada v. Creighton and Marquette v. Michigan State.
Best Story Lines:
Will a freshman (Oden, Durant, Wright, fill in blank) lead his team to the Championship. Will Florida Repeat? Can anyone stop them? Please? Will the mid-majors do it two years in a row and bracket bust everything? Will Duke lose in the first round? Has anyone seen my pants? Does the committee really think I will ever refer to anything as the East Rutherford Region? Really? Will I really stay up to crazy hours to watch the tournament?
Stay tuned more answers are coming.....
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Third Annual BSD Tournament Challenge
Well its time for the Madness to begin. As part of our American heritage the great tourney fill out officially starts. We here in the internet age can do it online (where we can also buy plane tickets to flee the country due to our bets on said tournament). As such please feel free to join the fun. If for whatever reason you weren't included in the initial foray please just let me know via posting or e-mail. This year's winner gets a free ticket on the Colonel's Survival Adventure (I believe this year its being held in Australia with such fun activities as shark wrestling, knifey-forky, gator head butting and kangaroo kick-boxing). Good luck to everyone and by that I mean I hope you all lose to me...
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Quick Thoughts
With Duke out of the picture as an actual threat here is a list of the top 20 villains of all time, please feel free to debate, rethink and add.
http://www.uber.com/villains
http://www.uber.com/villains
Friday, March 09, 2007
A Complete Fucking Asshole
A complete fucking asshole. That’s what Steve Phillips is. He’s always been one and, quite clearly, it doesn’t look like he’s going to change that anytime soon.
Steve Phillips is concerned about the kind of message it will send to young players if Josh Hamilton – an alcoholic and drug addicted player who is now in recovery – makes the big leagues without “paying his dues” in the minor leagues. Where to begin with the inanity of such a sentiment? Countless ballplayers have been given second chances, from Steve Howe (suspended seven times) to Dwight Gooden (suspended three times). What message did it send to their peers? The bottom line is this: if you can play, there’s room for you in baseball. And if Josh Hamilton can play at a level befitting his status as the first overall pick of the 1999 draft, then why shouldn’t he be given every opportunity to make the big leagues this year? I mean, when did morality become so important in baseball? Why doesn’t Phillips lead the charge to make sure that Ty Cobb (racist drunkard) and Mickey Mantle (wife-beating drunkard) get excommunicated from the Hall of Fame? It would seem perfectly within character, wouldn’t it?
More to the point, Phillips seems to be making an implicit argument against the Rule V draft, a system which allows teams to pluck talent from the rosters of other big league farm systems, provided that the selected player spend the entire season on the active major league roster. If Phillips has such a tremendous issue with how Hamilton might land on the Reds 25-man roster this year, he may want to write a letter to the commissioner of baseball. But he’ll want to make sure that he sends copies of the letter to Roberto Clemente, George Bell, Bobby Bonilla, Willie Hernandez, Johan Santana, and Dan Uggla. Those players, among others, are notable former Rule V draftees who made the big leagues for the first time through the benefit of this system.
At the end of the day, if Steve Phillips is so concerned with issues of morality and sending the right message, he may want to also consider his own checkered past. Steve-O, it’s pretty hard to appear genuine when cheating on your wife and sexually harassing a co-worker are on the back of your baseball card...
(And let the record indicate that I never once brought up how Phillips was an abject failure in his six years as GM of the Mets. But Mo Vaughn and Roberto Alomar thank him for his efforts, no doubt.)
Steve Phillips is concerned about the kind of message it will send to young players if Josh Hamilton – an alcoholic and drug addicted player who is now in recovery – makes the big leagues without “paying his dues” in the minor leagues. Where to begin with the inanity of such a sentiment? Countless ballplayers have been given second chances, from Steve Howe (suspended seven times) to Dwight Gooden (suspended three times). What message did it send to their peers? The bottom line is this: if you can play, there’s room for you in baseball. And if Josh Hamilton can play at a level befitting his status as the first overall pick of the 1999 draft, then why shouldn’t he be given every opportunity to make the big leagues this year? I mean, when did morality become so important in baseball? Why doesn’t Phillips lead the charge to make sure that Ty Cobb (racist drunkard) and Mickey Mantle (wife-beating drunkard) get excommunicated from the Hall of Fame? It would seem perfectly within character, wouldn’t it?
More to the point, Phillips seems to be making an implicit argument against the Rule V draft, a system which allows teams to pluck talent from the rosters of other big league farm systems, provided that the selected player spend the entire season on the active major league roster. If Phillips has such a tremendous issue with how Hamilton might land on the Reds 25-man roster this year, he may want to write a letter to the commissioner of baseball. But he’ll want to make sure that he sends copies of the letter to Roberto Clemente, George Bell, Bobby Bonilla, Willie Hernandez, Johan Santana, and Dan Uggla. Those players, among others, are notable former Rule V draftees who made the big leagues for the first time through the benefit of this system.
At the end of the day, if Steve Phillips is so concerned with issues of morality and sending the right message, he may want to also consider his own checkered past. Steve-O, it’s pretty hard to appear genuine when cheating on your wife and sexually harassing a co-worker are on the back of your baseball card...
(And let the record indicate that I never once brought up how Phillips was an abject failure in his six years as GM of the Mets. But Mo Vaughn and Roberto Alomar thank him for his efforts, no doubt.)
Cheers and Jeers: Blue Balls Edition
Ingredients:
- 1/2 oz Blue Curacao
- 1/2 oz Malibu rum
- 1/2 oz Peach schnapps
- 1/4 oz Sweet and sour
- dash Sprite
Happy Friday to all BSD… I haven’t recovered from the ACC double OT thriller between Wake and Georgia Tech. The conference tournaments are the blue balls edition for this cheers and jeers. I love them because of the upsets and re-ordering of the top few teams (UCLA lost, and one of the top Big 10 dogs will lose), but the tournaments provide key insights into the NCAA. What insights? I have no idea. I’m still working on how some kid of a boss won the NCAA pool last season and how George Mason beat UCONN.
Cheers: To selection Sunday. Let’s do this and prepare our brackets for the final NCAA battle of the season.
Top 3 links of the week
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Hopeless In Chicago?
Every city has that one team that redefines futility and creates a restive, tired, and pathological fan base. In New York, it’s the Knicks, who have come close a few times but still haven’t won a title since 1973. Personally, I’m convinced I’ll never see an NBA championship in my lifetime. In Boston, it’s the Celtics, who are a long way off from their past glory and have redefined dysfunction with several coaches, GMs, and owners shuttling in and out over the past 20 years. And in Chicago, it’s the Cubs, who are hoping that, come October, their World Series drought doesn’t get a cake with 100 candles and a call from Willard Scott.
Chicago Cubs fans have the reputation as being eternally hopeful that their lovable losers will find a way to break through after so many years of failure. But how patient can they really be when some of them are already trying to get a guy fired before he even manages his first game for the team:
http://www.fireloupiniella.net/
I’m not a Piniella fan and I’m trilled that he’s not managing the Yanks. But how can Cubs fans be so down on him already? Comical.
Chicago Cubs fans have the reputation as being eternally hopeful that their lovable losers will find a way to break through after so many years of failure. But how patient can they really be when some of them are already trying to get a guy fired before he even manages his first game for the team:
http://www.fireloupiniella.net/
I’m not a Piniella fan and I’m trilled that he’s not managing the Yanks. But how can Cubs fans be so down on him already? Comical.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
ACC - Facts, Stats, and Attempted Analysis
Ranked as the best conference in the country, its possible that 8 or even 9 teams from the ACC can make the dance. Hell, all 9 of the following teams are in the top 40 in the Sagarin Rankings, and that is usually an indicator of a team being worthy of an at-large selection. I’ll try to be as unbiased as I can…
UNC, Sag #1, 1st in conference at 11-5,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Winthrop, Tennessee, Ohio St, Kentucky, Arizona
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Gonzaga (w/ Heytvelt), NC St., Maryland (only played Maryland once, lost by 2 points)
3P% - 36.0%, Reb. Margin = +8.4 , FT 70.5%, FG 50.2%, Opp. FG 41.1% –
We all know they are one of the top teams entering the tourney, and there aren’t enough good things to say about the team. The only slight negative is they have a lot of freshmen, but it really doesn’t matter with this group. Hansborough finished with a 18.8ppg, 8.0 rpg, Brandon Wright has been awesome (66.0% FG%), and Wayne Ellington is their top 3-point threat (37.3%).
Virginia, Sag #32, 1st in conference at 11-5,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Arizona, Gonzaga, Maryland (twice),
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Purdue, Appalachian St., Utah, Stanford, Boston College, UNC
3P% - 36.6%, Reb. Margin = +4.8 , FT 73.2%, FG 43.6%, Opp. FG 40.5% –
Their top 2 scorers are 6’0” Sean Singletary, averaging 18.8ppg, 4.5rpg, 4.6apg, and 40.3% from 3-pointers, and 6’3” JR Reynolds, averaging 18.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.9 apg, and 35.9% from 3-pointers. They played extremely well obviously in ACC play, but really benefited from only playing UNC once, and Duke once. I don’t know what to make of all the crappy losses out of the conference for these guys.
Maryland, Sag #9, 3rd in conference at 10-6,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Michigan St., Winthrop, Illinois, Duke (twice), UNC
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Notre Dame, Miami (FL), Florida St.
3P% - 39.1%, Reb. Margin = +1.4 , FT 70.3%, FG 48.2%, Opp. FG 39.0% –
Based on stats alone, these guys win an award for the healthiest stats lines out of any team or conference I’ve looked at this month (other than the rebounding margin). I still can’t believe the Opp. FG%, especially with them being in the ACC, and, because I was curious, they also allow only a 29.7% from 3-point land! They have two shot blockers in 6’9” Ibekwe (2.70 bpg), 6’8” Gist (2.16 bpg) who also averages 12.8ppg, and 7.2 rpg. They also have a sharpshooter in Mike Jones who averages 13.4 ppg, and shoots a blistering 43.3% from 3-point land.
Va. Tech, Sag #28, 3rd in conference at 10-6,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Iowa, Old Dominion, Duke, UNC (twice)
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: W. Michigan, S. Illinois, G. Washington, Marshall, NC St.
3P% - 37.3%, Reb. Margin = -0.4 , FT 67.5%, FG 47.5%, Opp. FG 41.5% –
Not sure why they lost all of these games out of conference, but they were all extremely close games (for whatever that is worth). They completely rely on Zabian Dowdell, a 6’3” senior guard, averaging 18.3 ppg, and shooting 40.2% from 3-point land. They also have Vassallo who shoots 44.6% from 3-point land. Their rebounding margin is poor for some reason as well, which is never a good situation, because their top rebounder is only a 6’7” forward, averaging just 5.6 rpg.
Boston College, Sag #29, 3rd in conference at 10-6,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Mich. St., Yale, Va. Tech
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Vermont, Providence, Kansas, Duquesne, Duke (twice), UNC, Geo. Tech,
3P% - 34.2%, Reb. Margin = +2.1 , FT 72.5%, FG 48.4%, Opp. FG 44.0% –
Another team that seemed to play a rather “easy” ACC schedule… The out-of-conference slate is quite alarming, as is the lack of defense, and 3-point shooting, as well as any domination on the glass. Jared Dudley (19.3ppg, 8.5 rpg) may be the ACC conference player of the year, but one forward is not enough to get it done. Dudley is their best 3-point shooter as well (47.4%), but he only takes 2 attempts per game. The second scorer is a 6’1” Guard, Tyrese Rice (17.1 ppg, 5.7 apg, 3.33 Topg) and the third option is a 6’6” guard (Sean Marshall)
Duke, Sag #12, 6th in conference at 8-8,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Air Force, Indiana, Georgetown, Gonzaga,
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Marquette, Maryland (2), UNC (2)
3P% - 38.3%, Reb. Margin = +4.8 , FT 69.1%, FG 46.8%, Opp. FG 41.6% –
Their best scorer is DeMarcus Nelson, shooting 37.9% from 3-land, and averaging just 14.2 ppg. Josh McRoberts is a lanky white guy who would be a terrible NBA pick for any team. The biggest problem for Duke, which has been diagnosed throughout the media, is that they have no steady PG-play, and actually had more turnovers than assists, for assumedly the first time in the Coach K era. I tried to be unbiased, but its hard considering I watched them really struggle even in the win against Gonzaga, as well as some of the ACC losses.
Georgia Tech, Sag #15, 6th in conference at 8-8,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Memphis, Georgia, Duke (split), UNC (split)
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: UCLA, Vanderbilt, Clemson
3P% - 36.9%, Reb. Margin = +6.1 , FT 68.5%, FG 49.0%, Opp. FG 43.6% –
This team really surged in the 2nd half to get noticed, and I’m actually surprised we didn’t hear more about them, but its probably due to the fact that they only beat Memphis, while losing to UCLA and Vanderbilt. Their best player is J. Crittenton, a 6’5” freshman averaging 14.5 ppg, 5.7apg, 3.7Topg, and they have 2 other starters who can shoot 3s well (apparently, another good scorer was suspended for the season before ACC play began – yet they played better without him).
Clemson, Sag #26, 8th in conference at 7-9,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Old Dominion, Miss. St., Georgia, Georgia Tech
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Duke (twice), Maryland (twice), UNC, Wake
3P% - 33.7%, Reb. Margin = +1.4 , FT 58.5%, FG 46.6%, Opp. FG 44.5% –
I did a double take as well, looking at the putrid 3-point % and the absurd Free throw percent of 58.5 --- for the team! They may have started 17-0, but they have finished off an amazing collapse (4-9). Also, they really didn’t beat anyone that good during their start anyways! They probably won’t make the tournament, but their best player has a cool name: KC Rivers, 6’5”, averaging 13.3 ppg, 40.3% from 3-land
Florida St., Sag #40, 8th in conference at 7-9,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Florida, Providence, Maryland, Duke
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Pitt, Wisconsin, Clemson (twice!)
3P% - 37.2%, Reb. Margin = +0.4 , FT 76.7%, FG 47.7%, Opp. FG 45.1% –
This team has a bona fide NBA prospect – 6’8” forward Al Thornton – 20.1ppg, 7.2 rpg, 52.9 FG%, and he has gone for over 21 points in each of their big wins, and shoots poorly from the field in the losses. This team obviously depends on his performance in many ways, and would be an intriguing team in the tourney, just to see what he can do.
Games to watch (ACC Tournament)
Thursday - Clemson vs. Florida St. - (is this a play-in game?)
Friday - Quarterfinals (if Maryland wins on Thursday, its BC vs. Maryland)
Saturday - Semifinals
Sunday - Finals
UNC, Sag #1, 1st in conference at 11-5,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Winthrop, Tennessee, Ohio St, Kentucky, Arizona
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Gonzaga (w/ Heytvelt), NC St., Maryland (only played Maryland once, lost by 2 points)
3P% - 36.0%, Reb. Margin = +8.4 , FT 70.5%, FG 50.2%, Opp. FG 41.1% –
We all know they are one of the top teams entering the tourney, and there aren’t enough good things to say about the team. The only slight negative is they have a lot of freshmen, but it really doesn’t matter with this group. Hansborough finished with a 18.8ppg, 8.0 rpg, Brandon Wright has been awesome (66.0% FG%), and Wayne Ellington is their top 3-point threat (37.3%).
Virginia, Sag #32, 1st in conference at 11-5,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Arizona, Gonzaga, Maryland (twice),
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Purdue, Appalachian St., Utah, Stanford, Boston College, UNC
3P% - 36.6%, Reb. Margin = +4.8 , FT 73.2%, FG 43.6%, Opp. FG 40.5% –
Their top 2 scorers are 6’0” Sean Singletary, averaging 18.8ppg, 4.5rpg, 4.6apg, and 40.3% from 3-pointers, and 6’3” JR Reynolds, averaging 18.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.9 apg, and 35.9% from 3-pointers. They played extremely well obviously in ACC play, but really benefited from only playing UNC once, and Duke once. I don’t know what to make of all the crappy losses out of the conference for these guys.
Maryland, Sag #9, 3rd in conference at 10-6,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Michigan St., Winthrop, Illinois, Duke (twice), UNC
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Notre Dame, Miami (FL), Florida St.
3P% - 39.1%, Reb. Margin = +1.4 , FT 70.3%, FG 48.2%, Opp. FG 39.0% –
Based on stats alone, these guys win an award for the healthiest stats lines out of any team or conference I’ve looked at this month (other than the rebounding margin). I still can’t believe the Opp. FG%, especially with them being in the ACC, and, because I was curious, they also allow only a 29.7% from 3-point land! They have two shot blockers in 6’9” Ibekwe (2.70 bpg), 6’8” Gist (2.16 bpg) who also averages 12.8ppg, and 7.2 rpg. They also have a sharpshooter in Mike Jones who averages 13.4 ppg, and shoots a blistering 43.3% from 3-point land.
Va. Tech, Sag #28, 3rd in conference at 10-6,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Iowa, Old Dominion, Duke, UNC (twice)
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: W. Michigan, S. Illinois, G. Washington, Marshall, NC St.
3P% - 37.3%, Reb. Margin = -0.4 , FT 67.5%, FG 47.5%, Opp. FG 41.5% –
Not sure why they lost all of these games out of conference, but they were all extremely close games (for whatever that is worth). They completely rely on Zabian Dowdell, a 6’3” senior guard, averaging 18.3 ppg, and shooting 40.2% from 3-point land. They also have Vassallo who shoots 44.6% from 3-point land. Their rebounding margin is poor for some reason as well, which is never a good situation, because their top rebounder is only a 6’7” forward, averaging just 5.6 rpg.
Boston College, Sag #29, 3rd in conference at 10-6,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Mich. St., Yale, Va. Tech
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Vermont, Providence, Kansas, Duquesne, Duke (twice), UNC, Geo. Tech,
3P% - 34.2%, Reb. Margin = +2.1 , FT 72.5%, FG 48.4%, Opp. FG 44.0% –
Another team that seemed to play a rather “easy” ACC schedule… The out-of-conference slate is quite alarming, as is the lack of defense, and 3-point shooting, as well as any domination on the glass. Jared Dudley (19.3ppg, 8.5 rpg) may be the ACC conference player of the year, but one forward is not enough to get it done. Dudley is their best 3-point shooter as well (47.4%), but he only takes 2 attempts per game. The second scorer is a 6’1” Guard, Tyrese Rice (17.1 ppg, 5.7 apg, 3.33 Topg) and the third option is a 6’6” guard (Sean Marshall)
Duke, Sag #12, 6th in conference at 8-8,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Air Force, Indiana, Georgetown, Gonzaga,
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Marquette, Maryland (2), UNC (2)
3P% - 38.3%, Reb. Margin = +4.8 , FT 69.1%, FG 46.8%, Opp. FG 41.6% –
Their best scorer is DeMarcus Nelson, shooting 37.9% from 3-land, and averaging just 14.2 ppg. Josh McRoberts is a lanky white guy who would be a terrible NBA pick for any team. The biggest problem for Duke, which has been diagnosed throughout the media, is that they have no steady PG-play, and actually had more turnovers than assists, for assumedly the first time in the Coach K era. I tried to be unbiased, but its hard considering I watched them really struggle even in the win against Gonzaga, as well as some of the ACC losses.
Georgia Tech, Sag #15, 6th in conference at 8-8,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Memphis, Georgia, Duke (split), UNC (split)
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: UCLA, Vanderbilt, Clemson
3P% - 36.9%, Reb. Margin = +6.1 , FT 68.5%, FG 49.0%, Opp. FG 43.6% –
This team really surged in the 2nd half to get noticed, and I’m actually surprised we didn’t hear more about them, but its probably due to the fact that they only beat Memphis, while losing to UCLA and Vanderbilt. Their best player is J. Crittenton, a 6’5” freshman averaging 14.5 ppg, 5.7apg, 3.7Topg, and they have 2 other starters who can shoot 3s well (apparently, another good scorer was suspended for the season before ACC play began – yet they played better without him).
Clemson, Sag #26, 8th in conference at 7-9,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Old Dominion, Miss. St., Georgia, Georgia Tech
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Duke (twice), Maryland (twice), UNC, Wake
3P% - 33.7%, Reb. Margin = +1.4 , FT 58.5%, FG 46.6%, Opp. FG 44.5% –
I did a double take as well, looking at the putrid 3-point % and the absurd Free throw percent of 58.5 --- for the team! They may have started 17-0, but they have finished off an amazing collapse (4-9). Also, they really didn’t beat anyone that good during their start anyways! They probably won’t make the tournament, but their best player has a cool name: KC Rivers, 6’5”, averaging 13.3 ppg, 40.3% from 3-land
Florida St., Sag #40, 8th in conference at 7-9,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Florida, Providence, Maryland, Duke
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Pitt, Wisconsin, Clemson (twice!)
3P% - 37.2%, Reb. Margin = +0.4 , FT 76.7%, FG 47.7%, Opp. FG 45.1% –
This team has a bona fide NBA prospect – 6’8” forward Al Thornton – 20.1ppg, 7.2 rpg, 52.9 FG%, and he has gone for over 21 points in each of their big wins, and shoots poorly from the field in the losses. This team obviously depends on his performance in many ways, and would be an intriguing team in the tourney, just to see what he can do.
Games to watch (ACC Tournament)
Thursday - Clemson vs. Florida St. - (is this a play-in game?)
Friday - Quarterfinals (if Maryland wins on Thursday, its BC vs. Maryland)
Saturday - Semifinals
Sunday - Finals
Stick To What You're Good At
For those folks out there who are interested in business and finance, Forbes Magazine has always been a pretty good read. But I’m a big believer in the motto “stick to what you're good at” and I think the nice people at Forbes should take my advice.
Reading this made me laugh out loud. Except then I realized that it’s never funny when bad information is passed into the marketplace. Intelligent people read Forbes and they’ll honestly be dumber for reading this garbage.
Since I could literally attack every one of these rankings, I’ll spare you instead and give you the lowlights:
-Kevin McHale(1)/Billy King (3). Has anyone been watching the NBA over the past 10 years? The Timberwolves have only won two playoff series under McHale, famously botched the Joe Smith signing to the point that a bust of a former #1 draft pick set the franchise back a half-dozen years, and the team hasn’t developed and retained a single player of note besides Kevin Garnett. Honestly, HONESTLY, how is McHale ranked #1?
As for King, the Sixers haven’t drafted particularly well, haven’t been competitive since making the NBA Finals in 2001, and are now botching what was a legitimate attempt at throwing the season to get into the Oden/Durant sweepstakes. Again, a total head-scratcher.
-Jerry Angelo ranked #8 overall. I’m not saying he hasn’t come a long way over the past few years, but higher than the guys in New England and Philly? Higher than the GM’s for the Ravens, Colts, and Broncos? I’m just not seeing it.
-Glen Sather ranked #12 overall. I really don’t care much for hockey but living in New York has made me keenly aware of all of Sather’s flaws. Before last year, the Rangers had missed the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons, despite having the league’s highest payroll. They haven’t had a young player contend for the Rookie of the Year award in over a decade. Sather’s consistently gone after past-their-prime veterans instead of developing talent from within. How on earth can Sather be deemed the fourth-best GM in hockey according to this list? What, he’s given retroactive credit for what he did in Edmonton nearly 30 years ago?
-Billy Beane (26)/Omar Minaya (29)/Theo Eptsein (30)/Mike Flanagan (50)/Jim Hendry (58)/Brian Cashman (61)/Kenny Williams (67).
This one just drives me crazy. Billy Beane is the highest-ranked baseball GM on the list. That much makes sense. But why is he so far down? I thought winning and cost-containment were the two biggest criteria here. Wouldn’t Beane seem to be a great candidate for the top spot? Minaya and Eptsein ranked second and third among baseball GM’s. I don’t see where cost containment comes into play with either of them, however. But I’ll move on, because the list gets super-interesting now...
Mike Flanagan, the GM of the perennially fourth-place Orioles; ahead of Brian Cashman? Cashman loses points because of the Yankee payroll – this much I’m fine with. But I thought winning counted here? If GM “X” watches GM “Y” win nine consecutive division titles and both GM’s are in the same division, it’s pretty hard for me to see how “X” ranks ahead of “Y” when we’re measuring wins.
Finally, we get to the most maddening part of the list. How is Hendry ranked ahead of Williams? Not only have the White Sox won a World Series, not only have they pretty much made a mockery of any Cubs-White Sox rivalry (the White Sox – as much as I hate them – have been a far superior organization than the Cubs over the past decade), but can anyone honestly say that Hendry’s done even a passable job here? I’m friends with lots of Cubs fans. Their most familiar refrain is that the minor league system is barren and hasn’t produced anyone of note besides Carlos Zambrano in a really long time. Hendry’s an abject failure as a GM and Kenny Williams ought to be insulted that he’s a whole nine spots further back on the list.
Forbes, when it comes to sports, you don’t know shit.
Reading this made me laugh out loud. Except then I realized that it’s never funny when bad information is passed into the marketplace. Intelligent people read Forbes and they’ll honestly be dumber for reading this garbage.
Since I could literally attack every one of these rankings, I’ll spare you instead and give you the lowlights:
-Kevin McHale(1)/Billy King (3). Has anyone been watching the NBA over the past 10 years? The Timberwolves have only won two playoff series under McHale, famously botched the Joe Smith signing to the point that a bust of a former #1 draft pick set the franchise back a half-dozen years, and the team hasn’t developed and retained a single player of note besides Kevin Garnett. Honestly, HONESTLY, how is McHale ranked #1?
As for King, the Sixers haven’t drafted particularly well, haven’t been competitive since making the NBA Finals in 2001, and are now botching what was a legitimate attempt at throwing the season to get into the Oden/Durant sweepstakes. Again, a total head-scratcher.
-Jerry Angelo ranked #8 overall. I’m not saying he hasn’t come a long way over the past few years, but higher than the guys in New England and Philly? Higher than the GM’s for the Ravens, Colts, and Broncos? I’m just not seeing it.
-Glen Sather ranked #12 overall. I really don’t care much for hockey but living in New York has made me keenly aware of all of Sather’s flaws. Before last year, the Rangers had missed the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons, despite having the league’s highest payroll. They haven’t had a young player contend for the Rookie of the Year award in over a decade. Sather’s consistently gone after past-their-prime veterans instead of developing talent from within. How on earth can Sather be deemed the fourth-best GM in hockey according to this list? What, he’s given retroactive credit for what he did in Edmonton nearly 30 years ago?
-Billy Beane (26)/Omar Minaya (29)/Theo Eptsein (30)/Mike Flanagan (50)/Jim Hendry (58)/Brian Cashman (61)/Kenny Williams (67).
This one just drives me crazy. Billy Beane is the highest-ranked baseball GM on the list. That much makes sense. But why is he so far down? I thought winning and cost-containment were the two biggest criteria here. Wouldn’t Beane seem to be a great candidate for the top spot? Minaya and Eptsein ranked second and third among baseball GM’s. I don’t see where cost containment comes into play with either of them, however. But I’ll move on, because the list gets super-interesting now...
Mike Flanagan, the GM of the perennially fourth-place Orioles; ahead of Brian Cashman? Cashman loses points because of the Yankee payroll – this much I’m fine with. But I thought winning counted here? If GM “X” watches GM “Y” win nine consecutive division titles and both GM’s are in the same division, it’s pretty hard for me to see how “X” ranks ahead of “Y” when we’re measuring wins.
Finally, we get to the most maddening part of the list. How is Hendry ranked ahead of Williams? Not only have the White Sox won a World Series, not only have they pretty much made a mockery of any Cubs-White Sox rivalry (the White Sox – as much as I hate them – have been a far superior organization than the Cubs over the past decade), but can anyone honestly say that Hendry’s done even a passable job here? I’m friends with lots of Cubs fans. Their most familiar refrain is that the minor league system is barren and hasn’t produced anyone of note besides Carlos Zambrano in a really long time. Hendry’s an abject failure as a GM and Kenny Williams ought to be insulted that he’s a whole nine spots further back on the list.
Forbes, when it comes to sports, you don’t know shit.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
I'm Confused
Something doesn’t make sense to me. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Jeff Garcia on Friday, and seemed prepared to let him compete for the starting job against former starter Chris Simms. Then the Bucs went ahead and traded for Jake Plummer, even though he seemed insistent that he’d rather retire than start again in a new city.
While I can understand the Bucs’ need to address their QB situation – Simms is coming off a devastating season-ending injury and backup Bruce Gradkowski was underwhelming in his 10 starts – why bring in both Garcia and Plummer? I really can’t see either one wanting to be the backup and I certainly can’t see the logic in carrying three quarterbacks that could all be starting in the NFL. Someone’s bound to get restless and speak out against the situation. Why invite the headache?
Here’s something else that I don’t get: the Patriots just broke the bank to sign linebacker Adalius Thomas from the Ravens. Thomas has played extremely well over the past three seasons and finally broke through lat year, making his first Pro Bowl. But he’s turning 30 in August. Does it make sense to pay a 30 year old linebacker the kind of money the Pats are talking about? And what happened to Bill Belichick’s personal philosophy of never blowing money on free agency? He was unbending in the application of his principles with Lawyer Milloy, Ty Law, David Givens, David Patten, Deion Branch, Willie McGinest, and Adam Vinatieri but he bends over for Thomas? Is Belichick going soft? If so, don’t tell Ted Johnson...
Local Boy Does Good
In a heart warming story for this blogger, local boy Nate Clements is now the highest paid defensive player, ever. For those that are unaware Clements attended and played at Shaker Heights (also home to Mighty Mike). In fact, Clements often still returns to my old high school (albeit this time with his bright yellow Hummer) to work out. Also on occasion Clements saves puppies from cars, cats from trees, and little Timmys from wells. All in all its with great pride that I can say this local boy of Shaker Heights has done well....
Friday, March 02, 2007
Cheers and Jeers: Blue Moon Edition
Blue Moon Martini
Jeers: To the use of statistical models to predict NCAA games. Last evening, Yoda commented on this issue.
"Fear of Loss is a path to the Dark Side"
Take it from the green master, computers crash, motherboards fry, and frogurts become cursed if you use statistics. In other news unrelated to Yoda, you don't win friends with salad.
I’m ready for the weekend. Here are the top three best links of the week.A) The Best of Ollie Williams
B) Matt Foley Motivational Speaker
C) Douche
Side Boob hour?
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz Gin (
- 3/4 oz Blue Curacao
Mixing instructions:
Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon.
Top Salary Cap Causalities: Joey Porter, Drew Bledsoe, Horn, and McCardell.
Jeers: To Peyton Manning hosting SNL. My hatred of Peyton runs deep. Please spend more time teaching Eli how to throw, read defenses, and pop zits. In case anyone missed this post, please enjoy the taunting of Eli called “I Wish Everyone Had Listened When I Said My Favorite Sport Was Squash.”
Cheers: To the Bears enjoying the off-season. Lovie inked a serious raise (well deserved), Urlacher has his hands full, and Sexy Rexy Grossman has a line of shirts available (See KSK). Secondary Cheers for NFL players that can enjoy themselves and do not draw attention from the cops or the penal system.
Jeers: To the use of statistical models to predict NCAA games. Last evening, Yoda commented on this issue.
"Fear of Loss is a path to the Dark Side"
Take it from the green master, computers crash, motherboards fry, and frogurts become cursed if you use statistics. In other news unrelated to Yoda, you don't win friends with salad.
I’m ready for the weekend. Here are the top three best links of the week.
A) The Best of Ollie Williams
B) Matt Foley Motivational Speaker
C) Douche Cologne
Side Boob hour?
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
MVC - Facts, Stats, and Attempted Analysis
What better way to get pumped about March Madness than to cover a conference who’s tournament play begins in less than 24 hours from the time I type this???
It appeared heading into conference play this year that the MVC had put together an even more impressive resume than last year, and last year the MVC got 4 teams in the dance, and it very well could have been 5 had Missouri State not been snubbed. The difference between last year and this year? --Last year, the bottom half of the MVC failed to win games against the top half, resulting in 6 teams with superb resumes. This year? The MVC is competitive throughout! It just illustrates something I had never thought of before, but which Mighty Mike prophetically warned me about before conference season started – it pays to have a bunch of bottomfeeders to beat up on!
The other problem is that two of the teams (N. Iowa and Wichita St.) have just gone to shit in the last two months and seem to show no signs of recovering. So really, this appears to be a 4-team race, with probably 3 bids going out. This is not as exciting as I had hoped when I planned this column last month! Plus, only Southern Illinois and Bradley delivered on Bracketbuster, while Creighton, Missouri St., Wichita St., and N. Iowa all went belly up.
Southern Illinois, Sag #15, 1st in conference at 15-3,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Virginia Tech, Butler, Minnesota,
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Arkansas, Indiana, Evansville
3P% - 36.7%, Reb. Margin = +1.9 , FT 69.4%, FG 45.5%, Opp. FG 41.6% –
Everyone knows about these guys, who’ve been ranked for the whole 2nd half of the season. They are led by senior guard Jamaal Tatum, who is only 6’2”, and averages 14.5 ppg. In each of the So. Illinois games I watched, he seems to defer to others but made all the big shots down the stretch against both Butler and Creighton. So. Illinois also has this guy Falker (6’7”) who has a sweet ‘do and likes to mix it up down low and gets a scrappy 13.1 ppg and 7 rpg (but a 61.1% FG%). Also of note, Southern Illinois likes to milk every shot clock, limiting the number of possessions for both teams (this info may be helpful for later on in the tourney).
Creighton, Sag #37, 2nd in conference at 13-5,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Xavier, Houston?, Missouri St. (twice)
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Nebraska, Dayton, Fresno St., Hawaii, Drexel
3P% - 34.6%, Reb. Margin = +1.9 , FT 75.4%, FG 44.8%, Opp. FG 42.2% –The name of their best player is sweet: Nate Funk. What’s not sweet is their resume, or their 3-point percentage. They did sweep Missouri State somehow though.
Missouri State, Sag #24, 3rd in conference at 12-6,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Wisconsin, Santa Clara,
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Oklahoma St., St. Louis, Winthrop, Missouri St. (twice)
3P% - 40.0%, Reb. Margin = +4.1 , FT 69.1%, FG 47.9%, Opp. FG 42.1% –
Their best player, Blake Ahearn, I profiled last year. I finally saw him in action when they played Oklahoma St. earlier this season, and it turns out that he really is just a spot-up shooter, and cannot create his own shot (though he shoots an absurd 47.5% from 3-point land!). However, Missouri State does have a second option in Tyler Chaney who shoots 42% from 3-point land. This team appears to be more promising than Creighton, plus they have the revenge factor going, since they were the biggest snub of the 2006 Tourney. NOTE: Both Creighton and Missouri State are slated to make the tourney at this point, but both can use some wins in the conference tourney.
Bradley, Sag #52, 4th in conference at 10-8,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Iowa St, Rutgers, Va. Commonwealth
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Illinois, Mich. St., Tenn. Tech
3P% - 42.6%, Reb. Margin = -6.9 , FT 67.1%, FG 46.7%, Opp. FG 46.8% –
What an odd team. A year removed from losing their prized center (O’Bryant) to the lottery, Bradley has a disgusting -6.9 rebounding margin. They don’t appear to play much defense, but they enjoy shooting 3s, as their top 3 scorers are 6’0”, 6’5”, and 5’10” and shoot 43.4, 50.3, and 40.1% from 3-point land. I don’t think I’d trust these guys, but they aren’t dancing without a run to the finals (at least).
N. Iowa, Sag #74, 5th in conference at 9-9,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: S. Illinois., Iowa St., Iowa, WI-Milwaukee
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Washington, Nevada, Loyola (IL)
3P% - 36.4%, Reb. Margin = +2.9 , FT 70.3%, FG 45.3%, Opp. FG 41.5% –
They have two big guys (Coleman and Stout) who both pull down 9 rebounds per game. They don’t really shoot the 3, but they appear to play better defense than most. What’s most concerning is that they finished the season 3-8 (after starting 13-2).
Wichita State, Sag #68, 6th in conference at 8-10,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: LSU, Syracuse, Creighton
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Appalachian St., USC, New Mexico
3P% - 36.0%, Reb. Margin = +2.4 , FT 71.1%, FG 46.0%, Opp. FG 43.4% –This is a very young team (top 2 players are seniors, but 5 freshmen and 3 sophomores. After starting out 9-0 and having the whole nation behind them after victories over LSU and Syracuse, it seemed like the sky was the limit. I was confused, because I remembered reading in a preview that they lost key players from last year’s sweet 16 team. Then, it turned out that LSU and Syracuse weren’t that good at all and the shit hit the fan and the team went into a losing tailspin they never recovered from. Their best player is a 6’8” forward, Kyle Wilson, who averages 14ppg, and 5 rpg, and shoots 38% from beyond the arc.
Games to watch (their tournament begins this weekend!)-
Friday – 2:35PM – 4-Bradley vs. 5- N. Iowa
Friday – 8:35PM – 3-Missouri St. vs. 6-Wichita St. (Missouri St. better win to avoid getting snubbed two years in a row)
Saturday – semis – 1:30PM and 4:30PM
Sunday – finals – 1PM
It appeared heading into conference play this year that the MVC had put together an even more impressive resume than last year, and last year the MVC got 4 teams in the dance, and it very well could have been 5 had Missouri State not been snubbed. The difference between last year and this year? --Last year, the bottom half of the MVC failed to win games against the top half, resulting in 6 teams with superb resumes. This year? The MVC is competitive throughout! It just illustrates something I had never thought of before, but which Mighty Mike prophetically warned me about before conference season started – it pays to have a bunch of bottomfeeders to beat up on!
The other problem is that two of the teams (N. Iowa and Wichita St.) have just gone to shit in the last two months and seem to show no signs of recovering. So really, this appears to be a 4-team race, with probably 3 bids going out. This is not as exciting as I had hoped when I planned this column last month! Plus, only Southern Illinois and Bradley delivered on Bracketbuster, while Creighton, Missouri St., Wichita St., and N. Iowa all went belly up.
Southern Illinois, Sag #15, 1st in conference at 15-3,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Virginia Tech, Butler, Minnesota,
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Arkansas, Indiana, Evansville
3P% - 36.7%, Reb. Margin = +1.9 , FT 69.4%, FG 45.5%, Opp. FG 41.6% –
Everyone knows about these guys, who’ve been ranked for the whole 2nd half of the season. They are led by senior guard Jamaal Tatum, who is only 6’2”, and averages 14.5 ppg. In each of the So. Illinois games I watched, he seems to defer to others but made all the big shots down the stretch against both Butler and Creighton. So. Illinois also has this guy Falker (6’7”) who has a sweet ‘do and likes to mix it up down low and gets a scrappy 13.1 ppg and 7 rpg (but a 61.1% FG%). Also of note, Southern Illinois likes to milk every shot clock, limiting the number of possessions for both teams (this info may be helpful for later on in the tourney).
Creighton, Sag #37, 2nd in conference at 13-5,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Xavier, Houston?, Missouri St. (twice)
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Nebraska, Dayton, Fresno St., Hawaii, Drexel
3P% - 34.6%, Reb. Margin = +1.9 , FT 75.4%, FG 44.8%, Opp. FG 42.2% –The name of their best player is sweet: Nate Funk. What’s not sweet is their resume, or their 3-point percentage. They did sweep Missouri State somehow though.
Missouri State, Sag #24, 3rd in conference at 12-6,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Wisconsin, Santa Clara,
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Oklahoma St., St. Louis, Winthrop, Missouri St. (twice)
3P% - 40.0%, Reb. Margin = +4.1 , FT 69.1%, FG 47.9%, Opp. FG 42.1% –
Their best player, Blake Ahearn, I profiled last year. I finally saw him in action when they played Oklahoma St. earlier this season, and it turns out that he really is just a spot-up shooter, and cannot create his own shot (though he shoots an absurd 47.5% from 3-point land!). However, Missouri State does have a second option in Tyler Chaney who shoots 42% from 3-point land. This team appears to be more promising than Creighton, plus they have the revenge factor going, since they were the biggest snub of the 2006 Tourney. NOTE: Both Creighton and Missouri State are slated to make the tourney at this point, but both can use some wins in the conference tourney.
Bradley, Sag #52, 4th in conference at 10-8,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: Iowa St, Rutgers, Va. Commonwealth
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Illinois, Mich. St., Tenn. Tech
3P% - 42.6%, Reb. Margin = -6.9 , FT 67.1%, FG 46.7%, Opp. FG 46.8% –
What an odd team. A year removed from losing their prized center (O’Bryant) to the lottery, Bradley has a disgusting -6.9 rebounding margin. They don’t appear to play much defense, but they enjoy shooting 3s, as their top 3 scorers are 6’0”, 6’5”, and 5’10” and shoot 43.4, 50.3, and 40.1% from 3-point land. I don’t think I’d trust these guys, but they aren’t dancing without a run to the finals (at least).
N. Iowa, Sag #74, 5th in conference at 9-9,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: S. Illinois., Iowa St., Iowa, WI-Milwaukee
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Washington, Nevada, Loyola (IL)
3P% - 36.4%, Reb. Margin = +2.9 , FT 70.3%, FG 45.3%, Opp. FG 41.5% –
They have two big guys (Coleman and Stout) who both pull down 9 rebounds per game. They don’t really shoot the 3, but they appear to play better defense than most. What’s most concerning is that they finished the season 3-8 (after starting 13-2).
Wichita State, Sag #68, 6th in conference at 8-10,
Non-conference wins & key conference wins: LSU, Syracuse, Creighton
Non-conference losses & key conference losses: Appalachian St., USC, New Mexico
3P% - 36.0%, Reb. Margin = +2.4 , FT 71.1%, FG 46.0%, Opp. FG 43.4% –This is a very young team (top 2 players are seniors, but 5 freshmen and 3 sophomores. After starting out 9-0 and having the whole nation behind them after victories over LSU and Syracuse, it seemed like the sky was the limit. I was confused, because I remembered reading in a preview that they lost key players from last year’s sweet 16 team. Then, it turned out that LSU and Syracuse weren’t that good at all and the shit hit the fan and the team went into a losing tailspin they never recovered from. Their best player is a 6’8” forward, Kyle Wilson, who averages 14ppg, and 5 rpg, and shoots 38% from beyond the arc.
Games to watch (their tournament begins this weekend!)-
Friday – 2:35PM – 4-Bradley vs. 5- N. Iowa
Friday – 8:35PM – 3-Missouri St. vs. 6-Wichita St. (Missouri St. better win to avoid getting snubbed two years in a row)
Saturday – semis – 1:30PM and 4:30PM
Sunday – finals – 1PM
Rage Against The Simmons Machine
Bill Simmons is a self-appointed NBA savant, a guy who truly believes that he knows everything about the game and its history. And while it’s hard to discredit his passion or consistency when it comes to pro basketball, he’s still hampered by one small detail which kills a lot of his credibility: his incredible bias for all things Celtic.
Part and parcel with his Celtics bias is an almost instinctive urge to lash out at nearly all other established NBA players who played for other teams. And, unfortunately for me, no one player takes more hits from Simmons than my childhood hero Patrick Ewing.
At this point, we all know about the so-called Ewing Theory, which, when scrutinized, actually does not water. Over the years, Simmons has taken numerous cheap shots at Ewing, although he seems to have stepped up his attacks on Big Fella in recent weeks. In a discussion about Greg Oden, Simmons not only takes several cracks at Ewing but – shocker! – compares Oden to former Celtics legend Robert Parish:
"The more I watch him, the more he reminds me of Robert Parish – not just because he’s mellow like the Chief, but also because he doesn’t feel the need to PRETEND he’s anything other than mellow. For instance, Patrick Ewing’s fatal flaw was his misguided attempt to “evolve” into a passionate leader – which basically consisted of his (A) making jumpers and screaming at the top of his lungs, or (B) running over to a teammate who just made a big shot and screaming at the top of his lungs. It always seemed disingenuous to me, like he was trying to portray a character or something (“I’m the vocal franchise center and I can lead this team!”). In the long run, it hurt his game to some degree – Ewing didn’t have a dominant personality, he wasn’t an alpha dog, and above everything else that’s why the Knicks never won a championship during his era.
Oden has a self-awareness than Ewing lacked (and still lacks, as evidenced by his surreal attempt to reinvent himself as a 7-foot Ed McMahon on Ahmad Rashad’s remarkably bizarre NBA TV talk show), which is why Parish’s personality is a perfect comparison for Oden. The Chief never cared about stats, or touches, or showing off or any of that crap. He just wanted to win. I think Oden could be described the same way, and if you don’t believe me, watch the way he blocks shots – just like Bill Russell and Walton, he doesn’t block shots as much as he deflects them and keeps them in play (so they’ll lead to a potential fast break). It’s the single best thing about his game, an innate skill that can’t be learned."
This isn’t meant to analyze the merits of the Oden-Parish comparison. Honestly, I can’t say I know that much about Parish besides the fact that he played on the great Celtics teams of the 80’s, that he smoked tons of pot, and that he once shoved his wife down a flight of stairs. What I want to dispute is that Ewing was somehow a phony leader and that his passion on the court was contrived.
I watched pretty much every single game of Ewing’s career in New York and, upon Pat Riley’s arrival in 1991, Big Fella DID evolve into a more vocal on-court leader. But does that evolution have to be characterized as manufactured? Is it not possible that Ewing, playing for a legendary coach who installed him as the centerpiece of the team’s offense and defense, simply felt more at ease? The team was getting better and their prospects were brighter. After playing for five coaches in six seasons*, Ewing finally felt settled as the co-captain of a young and hungry team.
One other point to make about Ewing’s “failure” to win a championship: if the team ultimately never won because of #33’s inability to be a true leader, I’d love to hear what Charles Barkley’s excuse is. Because no one’s ever accused Barkley’s on-court antics as being over-the-top, right? And, certainly, Ewing never winning had NOTHING to do with the fact that he played a 15 year career in New York with only two of his teammates ever making the All-Star team. That’s right; John Starks and Charles Oakley each made the All-Star team once, in 1994. Wait, wasn’t that the year the Knicks went to the NBA Finals and lost in seven games?
I’ll end by saying that Bill Simmons knows a hell of a lot more about the NBA than I do. But from 1985-2001, he should keep his Knicks opinions to himself as I can say for certain that he doesn’t know a motherfucking thing. Go fuck yourself Simmons. You’re unreadable at this point.
*Hubie Brown, Bob Hill, Rick Pitino, Stu Jackson, and John McLeod
Part and parcel with his Celtics bias is an almost instinctive urge to lash out at nearly all other established NBA players who played for other teams. And, unfortunately for me, no one player takes more hits from Simmons than my childhood hero Patrick Ewing.
At this point, we all know about the so-called Ewing Theory, which, when scrutinized, actually does not water. Over the years, Simmons has taken numerous cheap shots at Ewing, although he seems to have stepped up his attacks on Big Fella in recent weeks. In a discussion about Greg Oden, Simmons not only takes several cracks at Ewing but – shocker! – compares Oden to former Celtics legend Robert Parish:
"The more I watch him, the more he reminds me of Robert Parish – not just because he’s mellow like the Chief, but also because he doesn’t feel the need to PRETEND he’s anything other than mellow. For instance, Patrick Ewing’s fatal flaw was his misguided attempt to “evolve” into a passionate leader – which basically consisted of his (A) making jumpers and screaming at the top of his lungs, or (B) running over to a teammate who just made a big shot and screaming at the top of his lungs. It always seemed disingenuous to me, like he was trying to portray a character or something (“I’m the vocal franchise center and I can lead this team!”). In the long run, it hurt his game to some degree – Ewing didn’t have a dominant personality, he wasn’t an alpha dog, and above everything else that’s why the Knicks never won a championship during his era.
Oden has a self-awareness than Ewing lacked (and still lacks, as evidenced by his surreal attempt to reinvent himself as a 7-foot Ed McMahon on Ahmad Rashad’s remarkably bizarre NBA TV talk show), which is why Parish’s personality is a perfect comparison for Oden. The Chief never cared about stats, or touches, or showing off or any of that crap. He just wanted to win. I think Oden could be described the same way, and if you don’t believe me, watch the way he blocks shots – just like Bill Russell and Walton, he doesn’t block shots as much as he deflects them and keeps them in play (so they’ll lead to a potential fast break). It’s the single best thing about his game, an innate skill that can’t be learned."
This isn’t meant to analyze the merits of the Oden-Parish comparison. Honestly, I can’t say I know that much about Parish besides the fact that he played on the great Celtics teams of the 80’s, that he smoked tons of pot, and that he once shoved his wife down a flight of stairs. What I want to dispute is that Ewing was somehow a phony leader and that his passion on the court was contrived.
I watched pretty much every single game of Ewing’s career in New York and, upon Pat Riley’s arrival in 1991, Big Fella DID evolve into a more vocal on-court leader. But does that evolution have to be characterized as manufactured? Is it not possible that Ewing, playing for a legendary coach who installed him as the centerpiece of the team’s offense and defense, simply felt more at ease? The team was getting better and their prospects were brighter. After playing for five coaches in six seasons*, Ewing finally felt settled as the co-captain of a young and hungry team.
One other point to make about Ewing’s “failure” to win a championship: if the team ultimately never won because of #33’s inability to be a true leader, I’d love to hear what Charles Barkley’s excuse is. Because no one’s ever accused Barkley’s on-court antics as being over-the-top, right? And, certainly, Ewing never winning had NOTHING to do with the fact that he played a 15 year career in New York with only two of his teammates ever making the All-Star team. That’s right; John Starks and Charles Oakley each made the All-Star team once, in 1994. Wait, wasn’t that the year the Knicks went to the NBA Finals and lost in seven games?
I’ll end by saying that Bill Simmons knows a hell of a lot more about the NBA than I do. But from 1985-2001, he should keep his Knicks opinions to himself as I can say for certain that he doesn’t know a motherfucking thing. Go fuck yourself Simmons. You’re unreadable at this point.
*Hubie Brown, Bob Hill, Rick Pitino, Stu Jackson, and John McLeod
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Notes from the Periphery: You want to take a dingy?
Well another update from a backwards place where football is a game primarily played with, get this, feet. Its crazy I know. Here in Europe there are a dizzying array of tournaments, side tournaments, champions league, friendly matches and soirées all involving only one sport, what is called in the States "soccer". While Americans may claim soccer is boring or full of pansies there is a certain beauty to game if you watch it long enough. Frankly baseball and Euro football have a ton in common in how traditionalists of each of the respective sports describe their own.
NBA Trading:
Now if your brain actually gets dumber the more you watch basketball then perhaps the NBA Trading Deadline fizzle was a call to arms about NBA general managing mismanagement. Luckily there are few people out there who have evolved beyond picking insects out of their fur. At the ESPN.com basketball that includes Marc Stein and thats about it. I highly recommend for actual analysis, instead of some combination of Conventional Wisdom and Yak mating calls, to read his piece. There were actually some logical reasons for the lack of movement. The first is simply is that trading in the NBA is hard given the luxery tax and high salaries per player. The second is the quality of the upcoming draft class means few teams are willing to send away draft picks. Finally the East lacks any dominating figure and therefore few teams are willing to throw in the towel given the real possibility of winning the East. The result is a dearth of teams willing to do trades and in the NBA multiple partners are needed. This of course is not to say a few teams were trigger shy (Orlando and Minnesota) but those were the exceptions. Most teams had very logical reasons for staying pat.
I hate to tell you this, Bill ,but the secret to a good column is not: Boston something something I hang with famous people in LA something something I'm smarter than all NBA GMs something something.
Americans sometimes just can't understand the subtleties that make football great
NBA Trading:
Now if your brain actually gets dumber the more you watch basketball then perhaps the NBA Trading Deadline fizzle was a call to arms about NBA general managing mismanagement. Luckily there are few people out there who have evolved beyond picking insects out of their fur. At the ESPN.com basketball that includes Marc Stein and thats about it. I highly recommend for actual analysis, instead of some combination of Conventional Wisdom and Yak mating calls, to read his piece. There were actually some logical reasons for the lack of movement. The first is simply is that trading in the NBA is hard given the luxery tax and high salaries per player. The second is the quality of the upcoming draft class means few teams are willing to send away draft picks. Finally the East lacks any dominating figure and therefore few teams are willing to throw in the towel given the real possibility of winning the East. The result is a dearth of teams willing to do trades and in the NBA multiple partners are needed. This of course is not to say a few teams were trigger shy (Orlando and Minnesota) but those were the exceptions. Most teams had very logical reasons for staying pat.
I hate to tell you this, Bill ,but the secret to a good column is not: Boston something something I hang with famous people in LA something something I'm smarter than all NBA GMs something something.
NFL Draft:
Silly Season is in full force as the NFL Combine aka the Meat Market is happening. I'm not really sure why an 1/8th of a inch is the difference between a good player or a bad player in the scouting world but they really do buy that claptrap. Every year some player randomly shoots up the DraftBoards based on a 40 time or benchpress reps or an ability to make a grilled salmon. That does not mean its completely useless. Players that show up out of shape tend to get the red flag for character/motivation issues. Which are a big deal. JaMarcus Russel gets the Lendale White Award for flabbiness this year. Obviously he will end up on the Raiders. This leaves Detroit as one of the key movers and shakers in the draft. Will they trade down and take a defensive player, pick Brady Quinn or Joe Thomas (Wisconsin bred left tackle) or simply settle for the physical challenge (don't tell Millen there's no physical challenge. He won't believe you). Also of note the Cleveland Browns are 1-0 in 2007 when Tampa Bay lost to a quarter . The result is the Brownies are slotted #3 behind Detroit and seem to be considering nearly any offensive player not named Calvin Johnson (who I'm willing to stand by and say will be the best player of the draft)
Matt Millen with the number two pick is leaning towards asking where the bathroom is
Silly Season is in full force as the NFL Combine aka the Meat Market is happening. I'm not really sure why an 1/8th of a inch is the difference between a good player or a bad player in the scouting world but they really do buy that claptrap. Every year some player randomly shoots up the DraftBoards based on a 40 time or benchpress reps or an ability to make a grilled salmon. That does not mean its completely useless. Players that show up out of shape tend to get the red flag for character/motivation issues. Which are a big deal. JaMarcus Russel gets the Lendale White Award for flabbiness this year. Obviously he will end up on the Raiders. This leaves Detroit as one of the key movers and shakers in the draft. Will they trade down and take a defensive player, pick Brady Quinn or Joe Thomas (Wisconsin bred left tackle) or simply settle for the physical challenge (don't tell Millen there's no physical challenge. He won't believe you). Also of note the Cleveland Browns are 1-0 in 2007 when Tampa Bay lost to a quarter . The result is the Brownies are slotted #3 behind Detroit and seem to be considering nearly any offensive player not named Calvin Johnson (who I'm willing to stand by and say will be the best player of the draft)
Matt Millen with the number two pick is leaning towards asking where the bathroom is
Baseball Overseas:
Of all the spring training stories I've come across this one about Israel starting a baseball league may take the coffe cake (Not Suitable for Workish)
Of all the spring training stories I've come across this one about Israel starting a baseball league may take the coffe cake (Not Suitable for Workish)
Quick Tech Note
You will note that this post has labels at the bottom. Labeling a post allows for easy searching for past articles on similiar subjects. For example any past piece that talks about the NFL Draft that has the NFL draft label can be found by simply clicking on the label at the bottom.
You will note that this post has labels at the bottom. Labeling a post allows for easy searching for past articles on similiar subjects. For example any past piece that talks about the NFL Draft that has the NFL draft label can be found by simply clicking on the label at the bottom.
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