All of these young ladies (huge fans of my Blog.............OK, maybe better stated as huge-breasted persons on my Blog) remind us, once again, of how great sports and summers can be....
Happy Labor Day!
Friday, August 31, 2007
Tony, Tony, Tony Snow Resigns -- Next Up, the Kinda Hot Dana Perino
http://news.aol.com/story/_a/new-white-house-press-secretary-named/20070831120709990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001
Snow is gone. He will not be missed because he was unafraid to lie about anything and actually seemed to enjoy doing it (that Fox News training was not wasted), but we now move on to.........
Dana Perino (35 year old grandmother, married to a 52-year old British businessman) http://blogs.chron.com/beltwayconfidential/2007/05/jailhouse_scandal_at_the_white_1.html
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dana_Perino
As noted, she looks kinda hot.
That said, read her Wikipedia profile. Is there ANYTHING in her profile that would suggest to you that by age 35 she would be qualified to be the #1 spokesman for the President of the United States??? The only piece of information that provides me with any hope is that she was self-motivated enough to meet a rich old guy on a plane and marry him ASAP.
Here is her bio pre-"married old rich guy":
Perino was born in Evanston, Wyoming and grew up in Denver, Colorado. She attended Ponderosa High School in Parker, Colorado, a suburb of Denver.[1] Perino graduated from the University of Southern Colorado in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in mass communications and a minor in both political science and Spanish. While attending the university, Perino was active on the debate team and with KTSC-TV, the campus-based PBS affiliate where she served as host of Capitol Journal, a weekly summary of Colorado politics, and producer of Standoff, a weekly public affairs program. From there, Perino attended graduate school at the University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS). Perino obtained her masters at UIS in Public Affairs Reporting while also working as a daily reporter covering the Illinois Capitol for WCIA-TV, a CBS affiliate.
Perino then went on to work in Washington, D.C. for Representative Scott McInnis of Colorado as a staff assistant before serving nearly four years as the press secretary for Rep. Dan Schaefer (R-CO-Retired), who then chaired a House Commerce subcommittee on Energy and Power.
After Representative Schaefer announced his retirement, Perino moved to England to marry businessman Peter McMahon
OK, my summary:
1) Grew up in the west, after high school went to some third-tier or fourth-tier schools and got Communication degrees while also working at VERY small TV and radio stations.
2) Moved to D.C. as very low-level employee before getting hired by an old Congressamn who hired her as "Press Secretary" (Remember those important and innumerable press conferences by Dan Schaefer? Neither do I.)
3) Career was fast-tracking so much that she moved to England and married a guy 17 years her senior who she met on a plane. (One article reports that she spent the entire year training the dog).
Remarkably, even her career post-old-rich-guy seemed to be headed nowhere (worked for the BUSH Admin's EPA BRANCH!! This is like working for the Clinton Admin's chastity branch.)
So, you Communication majors out there today trying to get that $7/hour job at the New Bern, North Carolina television station doing "man on the street" interviews -- fear not, in 13 years you may be the spokesman for the leader of the free world (and a grandparent to boot!).
Snow is gone. He will not be missed because he was unafraid to lie about anything and actually seemed to enjoy doing it (that Fox News training was not wasted), but we now move on to.........
Dana Perino (35 year old grandmother, married to a 52-year old British businessman) http://blogs.chron.com/beltwayconfidential/2007/05/jailhouse_scandal_at_the_white_1.html
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dana_Perino
As noted, she looks kinda hot.
That said, read her Wikipedia profile. Is there ANYTHING in her profile that would suggest to you that by age 35 she would be qualified to be the #1 spokesman for the President of the United States??? The only piece of information that provides me with any hope is that she was self-motivated enough to meet a rich old guy on a plane and marry him ASAP.
Here is her bio pre-"married old rich guy":
Perino was born in Evanston, Wyoming and grew up in Denver, Colorado. She attended Ponderosa High School in Parker, Colorado, a suburb of Denver.[1] Perino graduated from the University of Southern Colorado in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in mass communications and a minor in both political science and Spanish. While attending the university, Perino was active on the debate team and with KTSC-TV, the campus-based PBS affiliate where she served as host of Capitol Journal, a weekly summary of Colorado politics, and producer of Standoff, a weekly public affairs program. From there, Perino attended graduate school at the University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS). Perino obtained her masters at UIS in Public Affairs Reporting while also working as a daily reporter covering the Illinois Capitol for WCIA-TV, a CBS affiliate.
Perino then went on to work in Washington, D.C. for Representative Scott McInnis of Colorado as a staff assistant before serving nearly four years as the press secretary for Rep. Dan Schaefer (R-CO-Retired), who then chaired a House Commerce subcommittee on Energy and Power.
After Representative Schaefer announced his retirement, Perino moved to England to marry businessman Peter McMahon
OK, my summary:
1) Grew up in the west, after high school went to some third-tier or fourth-tier schools and got Communication degrees while also working at VERY small TV and radio stations.
2) Moved to D.C. as very low-level employee before getting hired by an old Congressamn who hired her as "Press Secretary" (Remember those important and innumerable press conferences by Dan Schaefer? Neither do I.)
3) Career was fast-tracking so much that she moved to England and married a guy 17 years her senior who she met on a plane. (One article reports that she spent the entire year training the dog).
Remarkably, even her career post-old-rich-guy seemed to be headed nowhere (worked for the BUSH Admin's EPA BRANCH!! This is like working for the Clinton Admin's chastity branch.)
So, you Communication majors out there today trying to get that $7/hour job at the New Bern, North Carolina television station doing "man on the street" interviews -- fear not, in 13 years you may be the spokesman for the leader of the free world (and a grandparent to boot!).
Scared By The Greatness of Argentina Basketball???? Not so Much. U.S. Americans cruise 91-76
And, yes. Since Team USA has no nickname (e.g. Spurs, Cavs, Lakers), I am going to go with "U.S. Americans" for the rest of the tourney.
http://www.usabasketball.com/news.php?news_page=07_mtoa_game_08
USA was up 25 in the 4th and then got sloppy and allowed Argentina to get within 15 at the buzzer. But make no mistake, The Devil's 15 first quarter points (he went for 27 on the game) effectively ended the game. Mexico also stayed within 27 of us. So, basically, Argentina was Mexico with a better bench.
I still remain concerned about the abysmal play of our big men inside (Stoudamire, Howard, Chandler) and it has become so bad that I am now pleading for Oden, Durant, Duncan, and/or Garnett to PLEASE play in the 2008 Olympics.
But, that said, if we beat Puerto Rico in the semifinals (which we should), we advance to the Olympics. That is the whole point of the tourney -- avoiding any further Olympic qualifying.
HM
http://www.usabasketball.com/news.php?news_page=07_mtoa_game_08
USA was up 25 in the 4th and then got sloppy and allowed Argentina to get within 15 at the buzzer. But make no mistake, The Devil's 15 first quarter points (he went for 27 on the game) effectively ended the game. Mexico also stayed within 27 of us. So, basically, Argentina was Mexico with a better bench.
I still remain concerned about the abysmal play of our big men inside (Stoudamire, Howard, Chandler) and it has become so bad that I am now pleading for Oden, Durant, Duncan, and/or Garnett to PLEASE play in the 2008 Olympics.
But, that said, if we beat Puerto Rico in the semifinals (which we should), we advance to the Olympics. That is the whole point of the tourney -- avoiding any further Olympic qualifying.
HM
Thursday, August 30, 2007
WWE Suspending 10 Wrestlers -- Won't Tell Us Who They Are
In an amazing coincidence, the Albany, NY D.A. just identifed a number of WWE wrestlers who are involved in an on-line doping investigation! Amazing that the WWE's testing procedures would catch up to 10 of these folks at EXACTLY the same time that 11 get named by the D.A.!!!
Here is a snippet from another site:
The WWE was rocked again today, after several of wrestling's top names emerged in the Albany district attorney's probe into a widespread Internet doping scandal.The wrestling congomerate based in Stamford announced that it will suspend 10 of its biggest stars for violation of its wellness policy.Top wrestlers Randy Orton, Charles Haas, Jr., Adam "Edge" Copeland, Robert "Booker T" Huffman, Shane Helms, Mike Bucci, Anthony Carelli, John "Johnny Nitro" Hennigan, Darren "William Regal" Matthews, Ken "Mr. Kennedy" Anderson and Chavo Guerrero were all identified as clients of Signature Pharmacy in Orlando, the site raided by Albany County and Florida law enforcement agencies in February for distributing steroids and other prescription drugs to clients who had not been examined by doctors. The investigation is part of a probe into illegal Internet drug distribution by Albany D.A. David Soares.
Let me provide a few common sense guidelines for the WWE as it so stringently enforces its "wellness policy":
1) Guys who are 1 million years old and yet look to be in physically better shape than ever? (Regal/Dave Bautista(though he is not named)/Chavo/Booker T.) probably really haven't discovered the Fountain of Youth that Ponce de Leon so aggressively sought.
2) If you see a guy with a long thin frame who has a 30 inch waist, enormous muscular thighs and and a 50 inch chest (Randy Orton) -- Just may not be real...
3) White guys from Minnesota who have short and stocky builds and weigh 247 pounds generally do not also check in with under 10% body fat. (Mr. Kennedy)
4) Anyone who looks like Chris Masters/Dave Bautista/Sid Vicious/The Warlord/The Ultimate Warrior is likely on steroids. There are maybe 10 people in the world who walk around at 6'2"+, 280+ pounds, and have absolutely no body fat. It is unlikely that you have 5 or 6 of them on your wrestling roster at one time.
Here is a snippet from another site:
The WWE was rocked again today, after several of wrestling's top names emerged in the Albany district attorney's probe into a widespread Internet doping scandal.The wrestling congomerate based in Stamford announced that it will suspend 10 of its biggest stars for violation of its wellness policy.Top wrestlers Randy Orton, Charles Haas, Jr., Adam "Edge" Copeland, Robert "Booker T" Huffman, Shane Helms, Mike Bucci, Anthony Carelli, John "Johnny Nitro" Hennigan, Darren "William Regal" Matthews, Ken "Mr. Kennedy" Anderson and Chavo Guerrero were all identified as clients of Signature Pharmacy in Orlando, the site raided by Albany County and Florida law enforcement agencies in February for distributing steroids and other prescription drugs to clients who had not been examined by doctors. The investigation is part of a probe into illegal Internet drug distribution by Albany D.A. David Soares.
Let me provide a few common sense guidelines for the WWE as it so stringently enforces its "wellness policy":
1) Guys who are 1 million years old and yet look to be in physically better shape than ever? (Regal/Dave Bautista(though he is not named)/Chavo/Booker T.) probably really haven't discovered the Fountain of Youth that Ponce de Leon so aggressively sought.
2) If you see a guy with a long thin frame who has a 30 inch waist, enormous muscular thighs and and a 50 inch chest (Randy Orton) -- Just may not be real...
3) White guys from Minnesota who have short and stocky builds and weigh 247 pounds generally do not also check in with under 10% body fat. (Mr. Kennedy)
4) Anyone who looks like Chris Masters/Dave Bautista/Sid Vicious/The Warlord/The Ultimate Warrior is likely on steroids. There are maybe 10 people in the world who walk around at 6'2"+, 280+ pounds, and have absolutely no body fat. It is unlikely that you have 5 or 6 of them on your wrestling roster at one time.
David Beckham Tacitly Concedes, "I Am A Washed Up Wussy Boy"
http://sports.aol.com/story/_a/beckham-injured-in-superliga-final/20070830003909990001
Summary of Beckham's time in the U.S. thus far:
Beckham, "Ow, my ankie hurwts!!"
L.A. Ownership -- Come on Davey Boy, get out there and play for your multimillions. (Beckham reluctantly agrees).
Beckham, "Ouchie! I fell while stumbling over a soccer ball. My knee hurwts. I may be out for the season."
The End....
Growing up in upstate NY, we liked to use the phrase, "What a puss!" I wish I were still in upstate, because I would say, "Beckham, what a puss!" But I am not, so I won't....
I still kinda like Posh, so I have nothing to say toward her.
On an unrelated subject, however, I provide to you my favorite Clubber Lang quote of all time:
Clubber Lang: [Calling to Adrian; Smooth talks] Hey, Woman. Hey, Woman! Listen here. Since your old man ain't got no heart, maybe you like to see a real man. I bet you stay up late every night dreamin' you had a real man, don't ya? I'll tell you what. Bring your pretty little self over to my apartment tonight, and I'll show you a real man.
Summary of Beckham's time in the U.S. thus far:
Beckham, "Ow, my ankie hurwts!!"
L.A. Ownership -- Come on Davey Boy, get out there and play for your multimillions. (Beckham reluctantly agrees).
Beckham, "Ouchie! I fell while stumbling over a soccer ball. My knee hurwts. I may be out for the season."
The End....
Growing up in upstate NY, we liked to use the phrase, "What a puss!" I wish I were still in upstate, because I would say, "Beckham, what a puss!" But I am not, so I won't....
I still kinda like Posh, so I have nothing to say toward her.
On an unrelated subject, however, I provide to you my favorite Clubber Lang quote of all time:
Clubber Lang: [Calling to Adrian; Smooth talks] Hey, Woman. Hey, Woman! Listen here. Since your old man ain't got no heart, maybe you like to see a real man. I bet you stay up late every night dreamin' you had a real man, don't ya? I'll tell you what. Bring your pretty little self over to my apartment tonight, and I'll show you a real man.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Bucks Find Ancient Chinese Secret to Signing Yi Jianlian
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2995836
Ancient Chinese secret, huh??
So, rumor is the guy is like 35 years old (still slightly younger than Al Thornton) and didn't exactly kill people in the summer league (meaning he is not yet as good as Craig Smith).
And now we know that he and/or his "people" don't have much conviction either b/c they swore before, during and after draft night that he (Yi) would never play in Milwaukee.
Summary of Yi Jianlian based upon what we have seen or heard:
-- worse than Craig Smith
-- possibly 100 years old
-- even at advanced age and limited skill set, can score at will on a chair placed near the lane
-- other than Napoleon Dynamite's Uncle Rico, made possibly the worst sports video footage ever made (of Yi performing like 16 or 18 moves).
So congrats Milwaukee Bucks fans! You have the above-stated commodity and he is not real happy to be there. Oh, and Michael Redd has been in a shooting slump for team USA and was actually benched early on against Uruguay.
Prediction for Tomorrow -- Bango Buck admits to giving a woman herpes and using the bar name "Bucky Dandridge".
Ancient Chinese secret, huh??
So, rumor is the guy is like 35 years old (still slightly younger than Al Thornton) and didn't exactly kill people in the summer league (meaning he is not yet as good as Craig Smith).
And now we know that he and/or his "people" don't have much conviction either b/c they swore before, during and after draft night that he (Yi) would never play in Milwaukee.
Summary of Yi Jianlian based upon what we have seen or heard:
-- worse than Craig Smith
-- possibly 100 years old
-- even at advanced age and limited skill set, can score at will on a chair placed near the lane
-- other than Napoleon Dynamite's Uncle Rico, made possibly the worst sports video footage ever made (of Yi performing like 16 or 18 moves).
So congrats Milwaukee Bucks fans! You have the above-stated commodity and he is not real happy to be there. Oh, and Michael Redd has been in a shooting slump for team USA and was actually benched early on against Uruguay.
Prediction for Tomorrow -- Bango Buck admits to giving a woman herpes and using the bar name "Bucky Dandridge".
USA Destroys Uruguay By 39 -- LeBron Perfect On The Night
http://usabasketball.com/
They haven't posted the story as I write this, but I watched the whole tilt. Carmelo didn't play at all the whole game because he has a "bruised heel" from landing on it awkwardly against Puerto Rico. And LeBron, Kobe and Kidd didn't play the entire second half.
Key to the U.S. victory? LeBron 11 for 11 (including 4 threes) for 26 first half points, breaking a USA international ball record for most made shots in a game without a miss (Elton Brand against Algeria -- 8 for 8; also (true fans shield your eyes) Doug Smith of Missouri in 1990 had a perfect shooting game).
It actually appears that LeBron, like a super villain in a movie, is gathering energy from some radioactive source and he may go for 100 some night if he decides to go for it.
That said, the perfect team for LeBron to get 100 against would be Uruguay. I am not sure that I have EVER seen a team with less interest in playing interior defense. When James reached the three point line on the fast break, he knew he had a dunk.
I think Senator Larry Craig's famous "wide stance" would have been better and more effective than the defensive stances being used by Uruguay's big men (Larry, if you are reading this, the term "big men" is a term of basketball jargon -- do not immediately fly down to Montevideo looking for action!)
Speaking of Montevideo, whomever was responsible for feeding Bill Walton tidbits of Uruguay information must have been working 24/7 because I now know more about the history, demographics and political climate of Uruguay than I know about the U.S.!! My lord, Bill, when we reach the point where we are going on about how many political prisoners Uruguay had......................................in the 1970s, perhaps we have crossed the line from "don't really care" to "REALLY don't care."
Next up -- undefeated Argentina. Good sign -- the Wild Men of the Pampas barely edged Brazil in OT, so they may be tired and/or not care a lot how well they play against the U.S. Americans...............
They haven't posted the story as I write this, but I watched the whole tilt. Carmelo didn't play at all the whole game because he has a "bruised heel" from landing on it awkwardly against Puerto Rico. And LeBron, Kobe and Kidd didn't play the entire second half.
Key to the U.S. victory? LeBron 11 for 11 (including 4 threes) for 26 first half points, breaking a USA international ball record for most made shots in a game without a miss (Elton Brand against Algeria -- 8 for 8; also (true fans shield your eyes) Doug Smith of Missouri in 1990 had a perfect shooting game).
It actually appears that LeBron, like a super villain in a movie, is gathering energy from some radioactive source and he may go for 100 some night if he decides to go for it.
That said, the perfect team for LeBron to get 100 against would be Uruguay. I am not sure that I have EVER seen a team with less interest in playing interior defense. When James reached the three point line on the fast break, he knew he had a dunk.
I think Senator Larry Craig's famous "wide stance" would have been better and more effective than the defensive stances being used by Uruguay's big men (Larry, if you are reading this, the term "big men" is a term of basketball jargon -- do not immediately fly down to Montevideo looking for action!)
Speaking of Montevideo, whomever was responsible for feeding Bill Walton tidbits of Uruguay information must have been working 24/7 because I now know more about the history, demographics and political climate of Uruguay than I know about the U.S.!! My lord, Bill, when we reach the point where we are going on about how many political prisoners Uruguay had......................................in the 1970s, perhaps we have crossed the line from "don't really care" to "REALLY don't care."
Next up -- undefeated Argentina. Good sign -- the Wild Men of the Pampas barely edged Brazil in OT, so they may be tired and/or not care a lot how well they play against the U.S. Americans...............
"U.S. Americans" Destroy Puerto Rico by 39
http://usabasketball.com/news.php?news_page=07_mtoa_game_06
Interesting note -- LeBron James is over 60% from 3 in the tourney. If LeBron is using this tourney to improve his mid-range jumper, that is bad news for all non-Cleveland-based teams.
I have found a rare transcript containing a description of the reasons for the U.S. victory over Puerto Rico. I am told that it comes from none other than Miss Teen South Carolina 2007. Enjoy:
"I personally believe that, U.S. Americans are unable to [lose in 2007 to teams from outside the continental U.S.], because some… people out there in our nation that don’t have maps, and I believe that our education, like such as in South Africa and Iraq, everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should… our education over here in the U.S., should help the U.S., er, should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future.., for our… [basketball dominance over countries......everywhere, like, such as]"
(she trails off at this point in time)....
Interesting note -- LeBron James is over 60% from 3 in the tourney. If LeBron is using this tourney to improve his mid-range jumper, that is bad news for all non-Cleveland-based teams.
I have found a rare transcript containing a description of the reasons for the U.S. victory over Puerto Rico. I am told that it comes from none other than Miss Teen South Carolina 2007. Enjoy:
"I personally believe that, U.S. Americans are unable to [lose in 2007 to teams from outside the continental U.S.], because some… people out there in our nation that don’t have maps, and I believe that our education, like such as in South Africa and Iraq, everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should… our education over here in the U.S., should help the U.S., er, should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future.., for our… [basketball dominance over countries......everywhere, like, such as]"
(she trails off at this point in time)....
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Mexican's Hang Tough With USA Basketball
The "US Americans" (as we are now commonly known) did prevail over Nolan Richardson's squad 127-100, but we had a number of key weaknesses exposed once again by a pretty medicore team:
1) Outshot from 3 -- 54% to 36%
2) Allowed some crappy interior player for Mexico to score nearly 20 points on 75% shooting. USA's big men (particularly Amare Stoudamire) could not be much more disinterested in defense. Best block of the night? Either LeBron or (egad) Tyson Chandler.
3) Still allowing teams to clear an entire side of the floor on the pick and roll. If the roll pass gets through, the big guy just walks in for a layup.
4) Had trouble handling the ball when Mexico started going a little half-court trap.
We were up 27 in the first half and had it shrink to 14 by halftime.
Mexico is the 34th ranked team in FIBA basketball. 27 point win, hopefully, is a wakeup call for team USA.
HM
1) Outshot from 3 -- 54% to 36%
2) Allowed some crappy interior player for Mexico to score nearly 20 points on 75% shooting. USA's big men (particularly Amare Stoudamire) could not be much more disinterested in defense. Best block of the night? Either LeBron or (egad) Tyson Chandler.
3) Still allowing teams to clear an entire side of the floor on the pick and roll. If the roll pass gets through, the big guy just walks in for a layup.
4) Had trouble handling the ball when Mexico started going a little half-court trap.
We were up 27 in the first half and had it shrink to 14 by halftime.
Mexico is the 34th ranked team in FIBA basketball. 27 point win, hopefully, is a wakeup call for team USA.
HM
Senator Larry Craig's Arrest Report
http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2007/images/08/28/craig.incident.report.pdf
It is really a shame in our society that you can't drop a piece of paper near the stall next to you and try to retrieve it without being arrested. My goodness.
Wikipedia on Larry Craig:
In an interview on May 14, 2007, with the Idaho Statesman newspaper, Craig responded to several allegations, including one by a Boise man who professed Craig had, essentially, flirted with him in 1994.
The man, who is gay, told the Statesman that Craig stared at him in a sexually inviting way and followed him around [the] REI [in Boise] for a half-hour. Said Craig: "Once again, I'm not gay, and I don't cruise, and I don't hit on men. I have no idea how he drew that conclusion. A smile? Here is one thing I do out in public: I make eye contact, I smile at people, they recognize me, they say, ‘Oh, hi, Senator.' Or, ‘Do I know you?'"I've been in this business 27 years in the public eye here. I don't go around anywhere hitting on men, and by God, if I did, I wouldn't do it in Boise, Idaho! Jiminy!"[21]
It is really a shame in our society that you can't drop a piece of paper near the stall next to you and try to retrieve it without being arrested. My goodness.
Wikipedia on Larry Craig:
In an interview on May 14, 2007, with the Idaho Statesman newspaper, Craig responded to several allegations, including one by a Boise man who professed Craig had, essentially, flirted with him in 1994.
The man, who is gay, told the Statesman that Craig stared at him in a sexually inviting way and followed him around [the] REI [in Boise] for a half-hour. Said Craig: "Once again, I'm not gay, and I don't cruise, and I don't hit on men. I have no idea how he drew that conclusion. A smile? Here is one thing I do out in public: I make eye contact, I smile at people, they recognize me, they say, ‘Oh, hi, Senator.' Or, ‘Do I know you?'"I've been in this business 27 years in the public eye here. I don't go around anywhere hitting on men, and by God, if I did, I wouldn't do it in Boise, Idaho! Jiminy!"[21]
Why I Try to Avoid Air Travel
http://news.aol.com/story/nc/_a/senator-arrested-at-airport-pleads/20070827191209990001
Larry Craig's defense -- he has a "wide stance..."
Larry Craig's defense -- he has a "wide stance..."
Monday, August 27, 2007
My Bad -- FIBA Quarterfinals very strange
http://www.2007lasvegas.fibaamericas.com/pages/eng/fe/07/fibaAmer/men/scheResu/p/gamename/10/groupname/B/openNodeIDs/1419/selNodeID/1419/fe_scheStat_sche.html
It isn't fair to call USA/Mexico a "quarterfinal" -- it is part of the quarterfinals.
The U.S. will play every single one of the 4 teams who advanced from the other pool in a round called "the quarterfinals." At the end of the quarterfinals, 4 of the 8 teams will be eliminated.
Wow.
It isn't fair to call USA/Mexico a "quarterfinal" -- it is part of the quarterfinals.
The U.S. will play every single one of the 4 teams who advanced from the other pool in a round called "the quarterfinals." At the end of the quarterfinals, 4 of the 8 teams will be eliminated.
Wow.
U.S. Destroys Canada and Brazil
Somewhere Steve Nash, Rick Fox, Bill Wennington, Jamaal Magloire and Leo Rautins (whose son was hurt in this tourney) are training together to make a Canadian "Dream Team" to avenge the 50-point pasting by the U.S.
Brazil was only down 6 through 1 period, but when the U.S. shoots the three well, you are never, never going to beat the U.S. (just ask Pau Gasol's 2004 Spain team).
Unsubstantiated rumor: Noted a Brazilian fan, "We had a guy who didn't play who could have helped a great deal." When asked if he was referring to Anderson Verajoa, the fan replied, "Oh, God no! I meant Oscar Schmidt!"
Next up, team Mexico in the quarterfinals. Michael Scott's opinion of Mexican basketball players:
Oscar: [of Mexican descent] I can play [basketball] if you need any help.
Michael Scott: I will use your talents come baseball season, my friend. Or if we box.
Brazil was only down 6 through 1 period, but when the U.S. shoots the three well, you are never, never going to beat the U.S. (just ask Pau Gasol's 2004 Spain team).
Unsubstantiated rumor: Noted a Brazilian fan, "We had a guy who didn't play who could have helped a great deal." When asked if he was referring to Anderson Verajoa, the fan replied, "Oh, God no! I meant Oscar Schmidt!"
Next up, team Mexico in the quarterfinals. Michael Scott's opinion of Mexican basketball players:
Oscar: [of Mexican descent] I can play [basketball] if you need any help.
Michael Scott: I will use your talents come baseball season, my friend. Or if we box.
Friday, August 24, 2007
To Be FIBA-Consistent
........I should mention that the Virgin Islands coach must have noted at halftime, "If you think that Tim Duncan and Raja Bell are gonna walk through that door anytime soon and save your sorry asses, you are wrong. As soon as you realize that, this team will be far better off ...."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Virgin_Islander_basketball_players
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Pitino
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Virgin_Islander_basketball_players
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Pitino
Now, Off the Album "Au-Jus and Everything's Laughter......"
Went by the courthouse at lunchtime. 5 person band out front. Start their set at 12:05. First song? "Mr. Jones" by Counting Crows.
I thought, "Wow. Aggressive choice. Lot of words in that baby." Well, not such an aggressive choice when your lead singer starts out (first song, first set remember),
"I was down at New Edge today. In front of this yellow-haired girl, Mr. Jones strikes up a conversation with a flat-tailed flamingo dancer."
WHOA!!
She went on to butcher more and more lyrics, the clearest mistake being "calling to him hySTERical!"
Yikes! Somewhere Homer Simpson and my father were going "finally, someone who knows the REAL words like I do!"
For those of you who want to know, here is how an (obviously uninformed) lyrics site states the first couple sets of lyrics:
I was down at the New Amsterdam staring at this yellow-haired girl
Mr. Jones strikes up a conversation with this black-haired flamenco dancer
She dances while his father plays guitar
She's suddenly beautiful
We all want something beautiful
I wish I was beautiful
So come dance this silence down through the morning
Cut Maria! Show me some of them Spanish dances
Pass me a bottle, Mr. Jones
Believe in me
Help me believe in anything
I want to be someone who believes
Mr. Jones and me tell each other fairy tales
Stare at the beautiful women
"She's looking at you. Ah, no, no, she's looking at me."
Smiling in the bright lights
Coming through in stereo (or, if performing at a courthouse -- callin' to him Hysterical!!)
When everybody loves you, you can never be lonely
USA By 60 Over Virgin Islands On The Devil's Birthday
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/olybb/news/story?id=2989213
The Devil had his birthday last night and was OK. But it was a red(d) hot Michael Redd who drove the early dagger into the Virgin Islands squad with a bunch of early 3s.
Some general notes (I watched most of the second half):
-- weaknesses are all the same, we added Redd and Mike Miller for shooting, but we still miss a ton of open shots, our big men don't provide reliable scoring and we can't make a friggin' free throw
-- we still allow too much guard penetration and the FIBA refs call every single offensive flop a defensive foul (wonder why Ginobili is such a great FIBA player -- look no further).
-- our best defense may very well be our 1-2-2 matchup zone with Kidd out top reaching in non-stop, The Devil and LeBron on the wings and Carmelo and the big man underneath. The weak link here, of course, is Melo (and/or Mike Miller -- boy, pick your defensive poison there) but LeBron is great in a zone, as is Kidd, as is the Devil. Once we went zone and cut of guard penetration it was all over for the VI. (To be a little nicer to Melo, he played zone at the Cuse and is a good defensive rebounder, he just struggles to get out on the shooter on ball reversal. You have to play Melo, however, because the standing 22 footer is just not a challenge for him; he can bury that all day.)
-- If you wonder what all of the hype is about LeBron's passing abilities, watch this team play. LeBron makes the sort of fundamental two-handed chest passes to cutters that you just don't see anymore. Playing with The Devil and Melo instead of, say, Pavlovic and Drew Gooden, LBJ is a great set-up man. It may be his best overall skill.
-- The Devil? Give him his due. Even under FIBA rules he is able to face up on his man and either just blow by or be held for a foul. He ALWAYS makes his free throws. I don't like the guy, but he is a great addition.
Tyson Chandler -- sucks
Mike Miller -- basically the little kid who shows up at the court and everyone leaves him wide open. It is completely up to him whether he scores. He cherry picks non-stop off defensive rebounds.
Amare Stoudamire -- doesn't have great interior explosion. Was completely packed by a VI 6'8" guy last night.
Here are 3 guys this team could really use: Duncan instead of Chandler; Garnett instead of Amare; Nash instead of Chauncey (ignore for a minute that Nash is Canadian).
HM -- great fan
The Devil had his birthday last night and was OK. But it was a red(d) hot Michael Redd who drove the early dagger into the Virgin Islands squad with a bunch of early 3s.
Some general notes (I watched most of the second half):
-- weaknesses are all the same, we added Redd and Mike Miller for shooting, but we still miss a ton of open shots, our big men don't provide reliable scoring and we can't make a friggin' free throw
-- we still allow too much guard penetration and the FIBA refs call every single offensive flop a defensive foul (wonder why Ginobili is such a great FIBA player -- look no further).
-- our best defense may very well be our 1-2-2 matchup zone with Kidd out top reaching in non-stop, The Devil and LeBron on the wings and Carmelo and the big man underneath. The weak link here, of course, is Melo (and/or Mike Miller -- boy, pick your defensive poison there) but LeBron is great in a zone, as is Kidd, as is the Devil. Once we went zone and cut of guard penetration it was all over for the VI. (To be a little nicer to Melo, he played zone at the Cuse and is a good defensive rebounder, he just struggles to get out on the shooter on ball reversal. You have to play Melo, however, because the standing 22 footer is just not a challenge for him; he can bury that all day.)
-- If you wonder what all of the hype is about LeBron's passing abilities, watch this team play. LeBron makes the sort of fundamental two-handed chest passes to cutters that you just don't see anymore. Playing with The Devil and Melo instead of, say, Pavlovic and Drew Gooden, LBJ is a great set-up man. It may be his best overall skill.
-- The Devil? Give him his due. Even under FIBA rules he is able to face up on his man and either just blow by or be held for a foul. He ALWAYS makes his free throws. I don't like the guy, but he is a great addition.
Tyson Chandler -- sucks
Mike Miller -- basically the little kid who shows up at the court and everyone leaves him wide open. It is completely up to him whether he scores. He cherry picks non-stop off defensive rebounds.
Amare Stoudamire -- doesn't have great interior explosion. Was completely packed by a VI 6'8" guy last night.
Here are 3 guys this team could really use: Duncan instead of Chandler; Garnett instead of Amare; Nash instead of Chauncey (ignore for a minute that Nash is Canadian).
HM -- great fan
Thursday, August 23, 2007
USA Rout of Venezuela
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/olybb/news/story?id=2987531
Tyson Chandler (surprise) didn't score.
Rumor is that at halftime the Venezuelan coach stated, "If you guys think that Carl Herrera, Harold Keeling, Victor Diaz and Oscar Torres are gonna walk through that door and save you....well, think again..."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Venezuelan_basketball_players
Tonight the red, white and blue takes on a bunch fo college players from the Virgin Islands. Fortunately Tim Duncan can't properly suit up for the VI because he has already played internationally for the U.S.
Tyson Chandler (surprise) didn't score.
Rumor is that at halftime the Venezuelan coach stated, "If you guys think that Carl Herrera, Harold Keeling, Victor Diaz and Oscar Torres are gonna walk through that door and save you....well, think again..."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Venezuelan_basketball_players
Tonight the red, white and blue takes on a bunch fo college players from the Virgin Islands. Fortunately Tim Duncan can't properly suit up for the VI because he has already played internationally for the U.S.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Bad Week For Ex-Wolves
First Eddie dies, then Spree's yacht gets re-possessed, then Stephon Marbury states that Mike Vick is a good human being and there is really nothing wrong with the "sport" of dog fighting:
http://www.newsday.com/sports/basketball/knicks/ny-spmarbury0822,0,5203037.story
Somewhere Tyrone Corbin, Pooh Richardson, Scott Roth and Paul Grant are being advised to lay low for a few days, lest they do something life-threatening, embarrassing or horribly stupid.
http://www.newsday.com/sports/basketball/knicks/ny-spmarbury0822,0,5203037.story
Somewhere Tyrone Corbin, Pooh Richardson, Scott Roth and Paul Grant are being advised to lay low for a few days, lest they do something life-threatening, embarrassing or horribly stupid.
Sprewell's Yacht Repossessed
http://thebiglead.com/?p=2973
I guess maybe that "insulting" 3 year $21MM contract offer three years ago MIGHT have helped Spree keep the "Milwaukee's Best."
Yep. Name your boat after a bottom-shelf beer and a bottom-shelf human being. Fitting...
No word on whether P.J. Carlisimo was involved in the repossession.....
I guess maybe that "insulting" 3 year $21MM contract offer three years ago MIGHT have helped Spree keep the "Milwaukee's Best."
Yep. Name your boat after a bottom-shelf beer and a bottom-shelf human being. Fitting...
No word on whether P.J. Carlisimo was involved in the repossession.....
Eddie Griffin -- Run Over By A Train on August 17
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2985307
It says something about your life when you are run over by a train in your home town on August 17 and killed and no one can identify you, your car, or your body until August 21. Then, apparently, you get identified only because your lawyer for criminal matters finally finds out who your dentist is.
Eddie was the #1 high school player in his class, went and ruined the chemistry on a good team for a year at Seton Hall and then got drafted high (no pun intended) and traded for Richard Jefferson (not the best deal Houston ever made).
I saw Eddie play a lot up here. He had a year for the Wolves where he averaged 2.1 blocks a game despite playing only 19.4 minutes a game. He was 10th in the league in blocks per game playing basically a quarter and a half. At only 6'9" or 6'10", Eddie had more career blocks than fouls. Sadly, Eddie was just always too drunk or hung over or whatever to play enough to realize his potential. http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/griffed01.html
I have always wondered whether Eddie suffered from mental health problems. His demeanor and his inconsistency and the constant description of Eddie as a "really nice guy" seem to support this theory. Combine that with obvious chemical dependency issues and you have Roy Tarpley taken to a worse degree.
Or maybe Eddie was, in fact, a wolf in sheep's clothing. After all, he did try to shoot a girlfriend who walked in on him with another woman: http://www.firstcoastnews.com/sports/news-article.aspx?storyid=89580&ref=rss. He did knowingly drive drunk while masturbating to "Anal Action" or "Privates" http://deadspin.com/sports/nba/eddie-griffins-odd-film-choices-185745.php.
But I will choose for the next few days to believe that Eddie was just a poor soul who was assembled incorrectly and couldn't overcome that. If true, he will end up in heaven with God offering up an apology for God's poor handiwork and possibly even a new DVD player with unlimited selections....
RIP big fella.
It says something about your life when you are run over by a train in your home town on August 17 and killed and no one can identify you, your car, or your body until August 21. Then, apparently, you get identified only because your lawyer for criminal matters finally finds out who your dentist is.
Eddie was the #1 high school player in his class, went and ruined the chemistry on a good team for a year at Seton Hall and then got drafted high (no pun intended) and traded for Richard Jefferson (not the best deal Houston ever made).
I saw Eddie play a lot up here. He had a year for the Wolves where he averaged 2.1 blocks a game despite playing only 19.4 minutes a game. He was 10th in the league in blocks per game playing basically a quarter and a half. At only 6'9" or 6'10", Eddie had more career blocks than fouls. Sadly, Eddie was just always too drunk or hung over or whatever to play enough to realize his potential. http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/griffed01.html
I have always wondered whether Eddie suffered from mental health problems. His demeanor and his inconsistency and the constant description of Eddie as a "really nice guy" seem to support this theory. Combine that with obvious chemical dependency issues and you have Roy Tarpley taken to a worse degree.
Or maybe Eddie was, in fact, a wolf in sheep's clothing. After all, he did try to shoot a girlfriend who walked in on him with another woman: http://www.firstcoastnews.com/sports/news-article.aspx?storyid=89580&ref=rss. He did knowingly drive drunk while masturbating to "Anal Action" or "Privates" http://deadspin.com/sports/nba/eddie-griffins-odd-film-choices-185745.php.
But I will choose for the next few days to believe that Eddie was just a poor soul who was assembled incorrectly and couldn't overcome that. If true, he will end up in heaven with God offering up an apology for God's poor handiwork and possibly even a new DVD player with unlimited selections....
RIP big fella.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Team USA Named
Coach K stated after cutting Nick Collison and Kevin Durant that he needed to keep bigger more physical guards and at least some shooters. Let's see how he did:
Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets) -- shooter from international line, international game fits him perfectly Grade -- A
Chauncey Billups (Detroit Pistons) -- I would call this a pretty sketchy pick, Chauncey is a mediocre defender and he fouls a lot and he is a streaky shooter. Grade D
Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) -- well, we won't be able to complain that we didn't send enough scoring Grade B+
Tyson Chandler (New Orleans Hornets) -- exactly the sort of pick you do NOT want. Can rebound and play physical, but has absolutely no offensive game Grade F
Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic) -- Once Oden crapped out, he is probably the best we have available -- must improve offensively Grade B
LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) -- given the weakness of his mid-range shot, he MUST play on the team with Kidd, their combination of Kidd on the ball and LeBron off the ball should be devastating Grade A-
Jason Kidd (New Jersey Nets) -- say what you will about his personal character (which is poor) and is shooting (which is worse) he gives you a guy who can find our high flyers and push the tempo Grade A
Mike Miller (Memphis Grizzlies) -- um, well, not afraid to shoot -- Grade D
Tayshaun Prince (Detroit Pistons) -- the question will be whether he is the hyped great defender Prince or the actual guy who ducked out of the way when LeBron went to the hoop in the playoffs. I will go with in between -- Grade C
Michael Redd (Milwaukee Bucks) -- Redd is a terrible, terrible defender, but if he can stay on the court the international 3 should be a layup for him. Grade B
Amaré Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns) -- his game is not well made for the international game; is also a mediocre defender and rebounder. Grade C
Deron Williams (Utah Jazz) -- a lot of Team USA's chance for success rests upon him and Kidd. If those two are dominant offensively and can stay in front of their guys defensively, we will be tough to beat. Grade A
Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets) -- shooter from international line, international game fits him perfectly Grade -- A
Chauncey Billups (Detroit Pistons) -- I would call this a pretty sketchy pick, Chauncey is a mediocre defender and he fouls a lot and he is a streaky shooter. Grade D
Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) -- well, we won't be able to complain that we didn't send enough scoring Grade B+
Tyson Chandler (New Orleans Hornets) -- exactly the sort of pick you do NOT want. Can rebound and play physical, but has absolutely no offensive game Grade F
Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic) -- Once Oden crapped out, he is probably the best we have available -- must improve offensively Grade B
LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) -- given the weakness of his mid-range shot, he MUST play on the team with Kidd, their combination of Kidd on the ball and LeBron off the ball should be devastating Grade A-
Jason Kidd (New Jersey Nets) -- say what you will about his personal character (which is poor) and is shooting (which is worse) he gives you a guy who can find our high flyers and push the tempo Grade A
Mike Miller (Memphis Grizzlies) -- um, well, not afraid to shoot -- Grade D
Tayshaun Prince (Detroit Pistons) -- the question will be whether he is the hyped great defender Prince or the actual guy who ducked out of the way when LeBron went to the hoop in the playoffs. I will go with in between -- Grade C
Michael Redd (Milwaukee Bucks) -- Redd is a terrible, terrible defender, but if he can stay on the court the international 3 should be a layup for him. Grade B
Amaré Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns) -- his game is not well made for the international game; is also a mediocre defender and rebounder. Grade C
Deron Williams (Utah Jazz) -- a lot of Team USA's chance for success rests upon him and Kidd. If those two are dominant offensively and can stay in front of their guys defensively, we will be tough to beat. Grade A
Monday, August 20, 2007
High School Musical 2 -- Huge Ratings
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117970479.html?categoryid=14&cs=1
I hate to be an old family man......but I am. So.......This just goes to show how badly that we need family entertainment. HSM2 wasn't great art by any means, but it had good solid acting, some enjoyable songs, and a few nice basic messages for the kids -- 17.2MM viewers (which is almost certainly a low estimate given the numbers of viewing parties that occurred).
Compare that to "Rock of Love" -- which I admit that I also greatly enjoy. I can't even sit in my own home and watch the whole thing because the young kids can't be exposed to stripping and nude sun bathing and every possible swear word and description of sex acts. But this fine show appears in reruns on my basic cable at..........7:00 p.m. (The 6'3" Polish girls was eliminated this week. "Jess" is my new favorite on the show.)
As a dad, I really have very few choices for TV viewing. Disney Channel, Nick, baseball, football, basketball. So, I am a big "Suite Life of Zack and Cody" guy for the near future -- which is OK with me, that show is pretty funny.
HM
I hate to be an old family man......but I am. So.......This just goes to show how badly that we need family entertainment. HSM2 wasn't great art by any means, but it had good solid acting, some enjoyable songs, and a few nice basic messages for the kids -- 17.2MM viewers (which is almost certainly a low estimate given the numbers of viewing parties that occurred).
Compare that to "Rock of Love" -- which I admit that I also greatly enjoy. I can't even sit in my own home and watch the whole thing because the young kids can't be exposed to stripping and nude sun bathing and every possible swear word and description of sex acts. But this fine show appears in reruns on my basic cable at..........7:00 p.m. (The 6'3" Polish girls was eliminated this week. "Jess" is my new favorite on the show.)
As a dad, I really have very few choices for TV viewing. Disney Channel, Nick, baseball, football, basketball. So, I am a big "Suite Life of Zack and Cody" guy for the near future -- which is OK with me, that show is pretty funny.
HM
ND QB Busted Under Bizarre Indiana Law
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2983275
It is illegal in Indiana for a minor to drive a car where alcohol is being transported by another person???? I am sorry, but I think this may not be constitutional. 1) the kid could be taking his dad to the liquor store; have we really reached the point where the state can keep me from having my 16-20 year old son drive me to and from the liquor store? 2) Suppose I want to drive across country and have to take I-80/90 through Indiana. We have wine in the car. Legal for my son to drive in Ohio and Illinois but not in Indiana?
And what exactly is the point of this law? We already have laws against drunk driving, laws against underage consumption, laws against open container in a vehicle. What POSSIBLE state interest is served by preventing minors from being in the presence of alcohol (while neither buying it, drinking it, or having it open in their vehicle)??? I suggest the answer is "none."
It is illegal in Indiana for a minor to drive a car where alcohol is being transported by another person???? I am sorry, but I think this may not be constitutional. 1) the kid could be taking his dad to the liquor store; have we really reached the point where the state can keep me from having my 16-20 year old son drive me to and from the liquor store? 2) Suppose I want to drive across country and have to take I-80/90 through Indiana. We have wine in the car. Legal for my son to drive in Ohio and Illinois but not in Indiana?
And what exactly is the point of this law? We already have laws against drunk driving, laws against underage consumption, laws against open container in a vehicle. What POSSIBLE state interest is served by preventing minors from being in the presence of alcohol (while neither buying it, drinking it, or having it open in their vehicle)??? I suggest the answer is "none."
Why You Should Read MY Blog, Not Craigslist
http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1365005.html
So, 7 guys between 45 and 50 years old get on craigslist.com and decide to find some hookers. They show up on a Tuesday at 1:oo p.m. or so. Sorry, fellas, you are all under arrest.
What is most of interest to me (other than I know one guy's name) is what sentence these guys will receive. If you are going to go to all of the trouble of posting a bogus Web ad, get 7 guys to leave work seeking hookers, and then arrest them, aren't you going to demand some jail time? I mean, after all, you are expending a LOT of resources to bust johns, if you let them all off with a fine, what is the deterence factor here? Not much.
My favorite line from the key GOP guy, "I am very embarrassed by these allegations, which are not true...." OK, so was Mike Vick.
So, 7 guys between 45 and 50 years old get on craigslist.com and decide to find some hookers. They show up on a Tuesday at 1:oo p.m. or so. Sorry, fellas, you are all under arrest.
What is most of interest to me (other than I know one guy's name) is what sentence these guys will receive. If you are going to go to all of the trouble of posting a bogus Web ad, get 7 guys to leave work seeking hookers, and then arrest them, aren't you going to demand some jail time? I mean, after all, you are expending a LOT of resources to bust johns, if you let them all off with a fine, what is the deterence factor here? Not much.
My favorite line from the key GOP guy, "I am very embarrassed by these allegations, which are not true...." OK, so was Mike Vick.
Vick Admits He Is a Scumbag Dogfighter
http://www.wbbm780.com/pages/832756.php?contentType=4&contentId=818410. Scumbag. We can only hope that this ends his football career as well. Marcus -- the better brother....
Maybe He Can Get Millen a GM Job as Well??
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2981439
The more troubling entry here is that the Lions are still pursuing Charles Rogers' signing bonus. Look, he sucked, OK. That is YOUR fault. Now, he also had some drug issues, but should he lose 60% of his signing bonus over that?
The NFLPA has to do a better job of protecting their players' signing bonuses. It has reached the point where even that money isn't guaranteed money. At some point there has to be some onus put on the team to bear the brunt of its own mistakes.
HM
The more troubling entry here is that the Lions are still pursuing Charles Rogers' signing bonus. Look, he sucked, OK. That is YOUR fault. Now, he also had some drug issues, but should he lose 60% of his signing bonus over that?
The NFLPA has to do a better job of protecting their players' signing bonuses. It has reached the point where even that money isn't guaranteed money. At some point there has to be some onus put on the team to bear the brunt of its own mistakes.
HM
Santana Fans 17 Texas Rangers -- Continues to Price Himself Out of Minnesota
I watched the whole game yesterday and cannot say enough about how dominant Santana was. 15 of the 17 strikeouts were swinging. When you get 15 swinging strikeouts and you don't throw a curveball, you are one helluva pitcher.
So, after next year Johan becomes a free agent. Carlos Zambrano just signed a 5 year, $90MM extension with the Cubs. Compare stats:
Zambrano -- 14-9, 139 Ks, 3.86 ERA
Santana -- 13-9, 191 Ks, 2.88 ERA
Santana, of course, pitches in the American League (the better overall league) and faces 9 hitters a game versus 8 + the pitcher. Well, Zambrano has more wins, right?
Earned runs Zambrana allowed in games he started that Cubs lost:
5, 6, 5, 2, 4, 7, 6, 1, 3, 1, 7, 6 -- 53 total (4.417 per loss)
Santana's earned runs allowed in Twins losses where he started:
4, 4, 3, 2, 2, 3, 2, 3, 6, 3, 3 -- 35 total (3.182 per loss)
My point -- if Santana played for a team that could hit the ball AT ALL he might very well have 18 or 19 wins by now. Unless he allows less than 3 runs, the Twins have basically no chance to win. So, put the guy on the Yankees or the Red Sox, he is even more impressive.
But if Zambrano is going to get $18,000,000 a year, the Twins will have to pay $22-25MM a year to keep Santana. That just ain't gonna happen.
So, I will enjoy the Venezuelan sensation for another year and then hope the Twins can get some hitters when they dump his salary in the middle of next year.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Mike Vick -- Dog Killer
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0817071vick11.html
Read paragraph 46. Helped kill 8 dogs in April 2007.
Boz Scaggs re Michael Vick's professional football career, "Why can't you just get it through your head? It's over, it's over now."
Read paragraph 46. Helped kill 8 dogs in April 2007.
Boz Scaggs re Michael Vick's professional football career, "Why can't you just get it through your head? It's over, it's over now."
The Unofficial End of My Summer
They say that each new year makes you sit back and reflect a bit on your life. But up here in the frozen north, we are too busy surviving the December-January period to be very philosophical. But the end of every summer always makes me a little sad and makes me think about the status of my life.
Next week and the week after are looking pretty busy from a work standpoint. Then it is going to be September. So, as I work toward my 44th year on the planet, unofficially I have to note for the record that yet another summer has passed me by.
The Good -- kids had a great summer. The oldest is now a teen and becoming quite a mature young woman. She yearns for a life outside of Minnesota (which I find odd for a natural born Minnesotan, but that is why they call the show The Young and the Restless I guess). The youngest is starting to come out of her shell despite her general shyness and having Type 1 diabetes. She is so pumped for High School Musical 2 tonight that I fear she may, literally, explode before 7PM Central. PM hit 3rd all summer and batted .407 in the final stats, slugged .495 and was first on the team in singles and tied for second in doubles. He was also the #1 catcher. He measured in at 5'7" in basketball shoes at a recent 3 on 3 tourney, so by next summer he will be (literally, not just figuratively) looking down at dear old dad.
The Bad -- it has been so frigging hot all summer and so-o-o dry all summer. Awesome stuff when you are 24 and single and trolling the Minneapolis beaches looking at young blonde girls. Not so great when you are 19 years older and sitting next to 45 year old fathers on metal bleachers four days a week, staring dead into the sun.
The Ugly -- managed to gain 4 pounds during the summer despite VERY limited drinking; doesn't help to have a wife who is a great cook, likes to have food around, and has a rabbit's metabolism. Oh well.
But as the sun sets Sunday night, I think I will look back at it as a decent summer. I will give it a 82 out of 100. I guess on the Blog I should also state for the record that KG got traded in the summer of 2007......for a bunch of younger guys with fresher legs. What that means to the future of the Timberwolves or the Celtics no one really knows..........but, really, who knows what the future holds for any of us???
I think it was Keith Olbermann who used to read the injury reports and say, "He is day-to-day, but aren't we all?"
The Philosophical,
HM
Next week and the week after are looking pretty busy from a work standpoint. Then it is going to be September. So, as I work toward my 44th year on the planet, unofficially I have to note for the record that yet another summer has passed me by.
The Good -- kids had a great summer. The oldest is now a teen and becoming quite a mature young woman. She yearns for a life outside of Minnesota (which I find odd for a natural born Minnesotan, but that is why they call the show The Young and the Restless I guess). The youngest is starting to come out of her shell despite her general shyness and having Type 1 diabetes. She is so pumped for High School Musical 2 tonight that I fear she may, literally, explode before 7PM Central. PM hit 3rd all summer and batted .407 in the final stats, slugged .495 and was first on the team in singles and tied for second in doubles. He was also the #1 catcher. He measured in at 5'7" in basketball shoes at a recent 3 on 3 tourney, so by next summer he will be (literally, not just figuratively) looking down at dear old dad.
The Bad -- it has been so frigging hot all summer and so-o-o dry all summer. Awesome stuff when you are 24 and single and trolling the Minneapolis beaches looking at young blonde girls. Not so great when you are 19 years older and sitting next to 45 year old fathers on metal bleachers four days a week, staring dead into the sun.
The Ugly -- managed to gain 4 pounds during the summer despite VERY limited drinking; doesn't help to have a wife who is a great cook, likes to have food around, and has a rabbit's metabolism. Oh well.
But as the sun sets Sunday night, I think I will look back at it as a decent summer. I will give it a 82 out of 100. I guess on the Blog I should also state for the record that KG got traded in the summer of 2007......for a bunch of younger guys with fresher legs. What that means to the future of the Timberwolves or the Celtics no one really knows..........but, really, who knows what the future holds for any of us???
I think it was Keith Olbermann who used to read the injury reports and say, "He is day-to-day, but aren't we all?"
The Philosophical,
HM
Pop Culture With My Parents
So, my parents rolled into town Sunday and left at about 5AM this morning, headed back home.
Pop culture notes from the visit:
1) Watched "Because I Said So" -- um, not the best movie. I will go 6 out of 10. Unfortunate scenes of the 60 year old Keaton having sex or in her panties ---- not what I want, not what I want, NOT what I want (sorry, got caught in a loop there).
2) Watched "Babel" -- best one-word description -- Bizarre. I mean, I enjoy an 18 year old deaf mute trying to French kiss her dentist as much as the next guy, but maybe they could have chosen THAT scene OR the scene where she forces a cop to fondle her right breast -- given the fact that the movie was about a shooting in Morocco and the girl is in Japan???? Just a thought.
3) Learned that my mom (a claimed Democrat...but not really) thinks the Democratic party has always stood for limits on immigration and they have just now abandoned that position...........
4) Learned that my dad (a generally liberal Democrat, old FDR guy) resents the power that Israel has over the U.S.
Of course, just when all seems hopeless, they have a great time with the grandkids and give my wife a check in secret to help with PM's upcoming braces. So, I guess I can still keep them around. It is dad's birthday on August 23rd. He'll be 70. My hope is that he at some point gives up on his constant refrain that he will "probably die at 72 like my parents did."
Remarkably, despite a state pension that pays pretty well and some money in the bank, and his thought that he probably has 2 years to live, my dad refuses to buy a second house over $120,000 ("I just don't have that kind of money.")
Just sharing...........HM
Pop culture notes from the visit:
1) Watched "Because I Said So" -- um, not the best movie. I will go 6 out of 10. Unfortunate scenes of the 60 year old Keaton having sex or in her panties ---- not what I want, not what I want, NOT what I want (sorry, got caught in a loop there).
2) Watched "Babel" -- best one-word description -- Bizarre. I mean, I enjoy an 18 year old deaf mute trying to French kiss her dentist as much as the next guy, but maybe they could have chosen THAT scene OR the scene where she forces a cop to fondle her right breast -- given the fact that the movie was about a shooting in Morocco and the girl is in Japan???? Just a thought.
3) Learned that my mom (a claimed Democrat...but not really) thinks the Democratic party has always stood for limits on immigration and they have just now abandoned that position...........
4) Learned that my dad (a generally liberal Democrat, old FDR guy) resents the power that Israel has over the U.S.
Of course, just when all seems hopeless, they have a great time with the grandkids and give my wife a check in secret to help with PM's upcoming braces. So, I guess I can still keep them around. It is dad's birthday on August 23rd. He'll be 70. My hope is that he at some point gives up on his constant refrain that he will "probably die at 72 like my parents did."
Remarkably, despite a state pension that pays pretty well and some money in the bank, and his thought that he probably has 2 years to live, my dad refuses to buy a second house over $120,000 ("I just don't have that kind of money.")
Just sharing...........HM
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Selig to Giambi -- "Thanks for Being A Stoolie, You're Free to Go!"
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2977294
Now, BONDS they probably will pursue until he is literally crucified in a public ceremony during the 7th inning stretch of the All-Star Game, but GIAMBI? "Hasn't he suffered enough? I mean, come on. The man does charity work!!"
And people wonder why the African-American community believes Bonds is treated more harshly than white players????
Now, BONDS they probably will pursue until he is literally crucified in a public ceremony during the 7th inning stretch of the All-Star Game, but GIAMBI? "Hasn't he suffered enough? I mean, come on. The man does charity work!!"
And people wonder why the African-American community believes Bonds is treated more harshly than white players????
Wow. Countrywide Significantly Changes Lending Practices!
http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_a/countrywide-borrows-115-billion/20070816090409990002
For my readers who have far more money than I (meaning basically all of you), here is some investment advice: buy apartment complexes.
If this article is correct (and I have no reason to believe it is not) then this is what used to happen in home lending:
1) Joe Blow needs money to buy a house. Mortgage lender provides a loan of (say) $270,000 to Joe on a $275,000 home.
2) Joe gets a home for $5,000 down and monthly payments. Joe is happy.
3) Mortgage lender doesn't want to be "out" the $270,000, so it sells Joe's loan to another entity and then goes out with the money and makes another loan.
Etc.
Well, since homes no longer go from $250,000 to $300,000 overnight, and since people are having trouble paying their mortgages, step #3 is drying up. So, Countrywide is having to actually sit on the loans it makes and bear the risk of default itself. Um, not gonna keep doing that.
So, they have now announced that going forward they will basically just make the safest possible loans (only loans that can be purchased by the government-insured entities).
So, in some overbuilt portions of the country you have tracts of 500 homes built and sitting empty. You can sell those homes now only if you can find a very creditworthy buyer. But if you have 500 more homes being foreclosed upon, then you have 1,000 homes and say, maybe, 200 very creditworthy buyers.
Another problem -- land values in the exburbs are going to drop. If there are cheaper homes available closer to downtown, there is no reason to build new housing 40 miles out of town.
It seems to me that 1) many people will be shut out of the housing market; 2) home builders and mortgage lenders are going to be sitting on a shitload of empty houses/condos; and (back to my initial point) 3) you are going to see a lot of families living in apartment complexes.
This appears to be an amazing meltdown in the mortgage lending market.
For my readers who have far more money than I (meaning basically all of you), here is some investment advice: buy apartment complexes.
If this article is correct (and I have no reason to believe it is not) then this is what used to happen in home lending:
1) Joe Blow needs money to buy a house. Mortgage lender provides a loan of (say) $270,000 to Joe on a $275,000 home.
2) Joe gets a home for $5,000 down and monthly payments. Joe is happy.
3) Mortgage lender doesn't want to be "out" the $270,000, so it sells Joe's loan to another entity and then goes out with the money and makes another loan.
Etc.
Well, since homes no longer go from $250,000 to $300,000 overnight, and since people are having trouble paying their mortgages, step #3 is drying up. So, Countrywide is having to actually sit on the loans it makes and bear the risk of default itself. Um, not gonna keep doing that.
So, they have now announced that going forward they will basically just make the safest possible loans (only loans that can be purchased by the government-insured entities).
So, in some overbuilt portions of the country you have tracts of 500 homes built and sitting empty. You can sell those homes now only if you can find a very creditworthy buyer. But if you have 500 more homes being foreclosed upon, then you have 1,000 homes and say, maybe, 200 very creditworthy buyers.
Another problem -- land values in the exburbs are going to drop. If there are cheaper homes available closer to downtown, there is no reason to build new housing 40 miles out of town.
It seems to me that 1) many people will be shut out of the housing market; 2) home builders and mortgage lenders are going to be sitting on a shitload of empty houses/condos; and (back to my initial point) 3) you are going to see a lot of families living in apartment complexes.
This appears to be an amazing meltdown in the mortgage lending market.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Happy Belated Birthday To--------
two of my most loyal readers -- Al S. and the K. Geez, I am away from the computer for a day and they both have birthdays.
K is old like me, but Al hasn't even cracked 4-0 yet, so he still enjoys his birthdays.
In light of the fact that it is the birthday of TWO regular commenters, I will break my general "no nudity" rule and present to you soon a good game for when you get a chance to look at and evaluate women's breasts.
I got 14 out of 20.
K is old like me, but Al hasn't even cracked 4-0 yet, so he still enjoys his birthdays.
In light of the fact that it is the birthday of TWO regular commenters, I will break my general "no nudity" rule and present to you soon a good game for when you get a chance to look at and evaluate women's breasts.
I got 14 out of 20.
Criminal Complaint Against Tim Donaghy -- Pretty Tepid Stuff
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0815072donaghy1.html
I gotta tell you, if this is all they have then the NBA isn't in a great deal of danger.
What the criminal complaint focuses on is that Donaghy provided "picks" of which team was going to win to a gambler. The gambler bet on the games and (if Donaghy was correct) paid Donaghy a fee for his handicapping services (started at $2,000 a game and went up to $5,000 a game).
So what was Donaghy's great secret? 1) Who was going to be reffing the game (he had access to the master schedule); 2) which refs hated which players/coaches; and 3) which players were injured/less than 100%.
What I find most interesting about this "illegal scheme" is that almost ANY person who works for the NBA or for a member team could easily do the same thing at least with respect to items 2 and 3. I mean, did Timberwolves personnel know in 2003-04 that Danny Crawford and Flip Saunders hated each other and that we lost every time we drew Danny? Yep. Did people in San Antonio know that Joey Crawford hated Tim Duncan? Yep. Could anyone inside an organization tell you that they know player X is nursing a bad back? Sure.
I can also tell you this -- if you knew who was reffing playoff games in advance, you would certainly have a betting edge. Steve Javie is doing a game? Minus 5 points for the home team. Dick Bavetta is doing a game? Plus 5 for the home team. 3 young refs with no decent veteran? Plus 8-10 for the home team.
I see an oblique reference to Donaghy "compromising his objectivity" by betting on games, but if he was throwing games and making calls designed to win himself $5,000, that isn't set forth very clearly in the actual criminal complaint.
And if the scheme is as reported, it actually makes little sense for Donaghy to throw games. If he does a shitty job, he loses out on calling playoff games, thus costing himself money. So he wants to do a GOOD job on the games HE officiates while BETTING on games OTHER guys are officiating. That way he makes money two ways.
HM
I gotta tell you, if this is all they have then the NBA isn't in a great deal of danger.
What the criminal complaint focuses on is that Donaghy provided "picks" of which team was going to win to a gambler. The gambler bet on the games and (if Donaghy was correct) paid Donaghy a fee for his handicapping services (started at $2,000 a game and went up to $5,000 a game).
So what was Donaghy's great secret? 1) Who was going to be reffing the game (he had access to the master schedule); 2) which refs hated which players/coaches; and 3) which players were injured/less than 100%.
What I find most interesting about this "illegal scheme" is that almost ANY person who works for the NBA or for a member team could easily do the same thing at least with respect to items 2 and 3. I mean, did Timberwolves personnel know in 2003-04 that Danny Crawford and Flip Saunders hated each other and that we lost every time we drew Danny? Yep. Did people in San Antonio know that Joey Crawford hated Tim Duncan? Yep. Could anyone inside an organization tell you that they know player X is nursing a bad back? Sure.
I can also tell you this -- if you knew who was reffing playoff games in advance, you would certainly have a betting edge. Steve Javie is doing a game? Minus 5 points for the home team. Dick Bavetta is doing a game? Plus 5 for the home team. 3 young refs with no decent veteran? Plus 8-10 for the home team.
I see an oblique reference to Donaghy "compromising his objectivity" by betting on games, but if he was throwing games and making calls designed to win himself $5,000, that isn't set forth very clearly in the actual criminal complaint.
And if the scheme is as reported, it actually makes little sense for Donaghy to throw games. If he does a shitty job, he loses out on calling playoff games, thus costing himself money. So he wants to do a GOOD job on the games HE officiates while BETTING on games OTHER guys are officiating. That way he makes money two ways.
HM
Monday, August 13, 2007
The Gay Merv Griffin -- Dead at 82
Merv Griffin, entertainer, businessman, talk-show host. Had a great life. Entertained a lot of people.
Merv was a huge friend of the Reagans and a generous donor to the Republican party.
But...........why no mention in any of the reports of his death that he was gay??? It was hardly a secret. See the linked article in the middle of this entry (from which I will excerpt).
For those who follow pop culture, Denny Terrio's statement in his failed sexual harassment suit, "Not now Merv, I am not ready yet!" was and still is an enduring memory (70 year old gazillionairre hitting on Dance Fever host). By the way, read the linked Rolling Stone article....Merv "discovered" Ryan Seacrest as a 22 year old and offered him a job right away!! Merv liked his "energy." I'm not saying, I'm just repeating the words....
Of course, ultimately, this Merv Griffin secrecy brings us back to the whole "Rich Republican/Poor Republican" dynamic that I have discussed before. Rich Republicans are generally smart folks. They generally know a lot of of wealthy, urbane gay people. They really don't care that these people are gay. (Certainly Republican Merv Griffin didn't want his party to persecute gay people). What the Rich Republicans care about is passing and maintaining tax breaks for the wealthy. There aren't enough rich white people to sustain a majority, so the Rich Republicans pretend to hate gays so they can pick up votes from the Poor Republicans. Simple as that.
So, Merv was a Rich Republican, friends with the Reagans, and gay. His task was to keep his gay lifestyle as quiet as possible and hang out with Eva Gabor so as to put on a good show. (Sort of like Pro Wrestling -- we have the "smarts" who know he is gay and the "marks" who say, "can't be gay, is dating Eva Gabor".)
So, not noting that Merv Griffin is gay in his obituary is like putting in Hulk Hogan's obituary that no one could beat him as a wrestler. Why do we fear the truth so much?
Here is your Rolling Stone Interview.
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10432607/dear_mister_fantasy/4
It hasn't all been triumph in Merv's pastel paradise. In 1991, Brent Plott, a former employee described as a ''secretary/driver/horse-trainer/ bodyguard,'' leveled a $200 million palimony suit against Merv. Plott claimed to have been Merv's longtime live-in lover and instrumental to the creation and development of Wheel of Fortune. Merv is not happy when this topic comes up. ''Listen -- it was extortion,'' he says. Merv launched a countersuit against Plott. ''I said, Well, I'm not going to pay him off! That's admission of guilt. We go to court. I'm not going to pay hush money. I forget what it was -- $5 million that he wanted? Five million, my ass.''
Plott's case was ultimately dismissed with prejudice by the California Supreme Court. But Merv's legal problems were not over. That same year, Merv was sued by Denny Terrio, the host of Dance Fever, a disco show that Merv created in 1979. Terrio was charging sexual harassment, claiming that Merv propositioned him and then fired him when Terrio declined his offer. This case, too, was thrown out of court. Merv insists that any accusations against him were motivated by greed. ''It was after they started printing the money stuff!'' he says. ''After the sale of Wheel and Jeopardy! You're a target.''
It hasn't all been triumph in Merv's pastel paradise. In 1991, Brent Plott, a former employee described as a ''secretary/driver/horse-trainer/ bodyguard,'' leveled a $200 million palimony suit against Merv. Plott claimed to have been Merv's longtime live-in lover and instrumental to the creation and development of Wheel of Fortune. Merv is not happy when this topic comes up. ''Listen -- it was extortion,'' he says. Merv launched a countersuit against Plott. ''I said, Well, I'm not going to pay him off! That's admission of guilt. We go to court. I'm not going to pay hush money. I forget what it was -- $5 million that he wanted? Five million, my ass.''
Plott's case was ultimately dismissed with prejudice by the California Supreme Court. But Merv's legal problems were not over. That same year, Merv was sued by Denny Terrio, the host of Dance Fever, a disco show that Merv created in 1979. Terrio was charging sexual harassment, claiming that Merv propositioned him and then fired him when Terrio declined his offer. This case, too, was thrown out of court. Merv insists that any accusations against him were motivated by greed. ''It was after they started printing the money stuff!'' he says. ''After the sale of Wheel and Jeopardy! You're a target.''
Merv does not refute the underlying implication in both cases: that he is gay. Nor does he admit to it. Instead, he mentions the high-profile relationship that he began with actress Eva Gabor at the time of his legal troubles. They were photographed everywhere: Atlantic City, La Quinta, Hollywood premieres. Merv says that they discussed marriage, and he parries any direct questions about his sexual orientation. ''You're asking an eighty-year-old man about his sexuality right now!'' he cries. ''Get a life!''
For all his evasiveness, Merv's reaction is the most spontaneous, and thus genuine-sounding, utterance he offers over the course of four days of interviews. Every other anecdote, reflection, memory and comment is one that I recognize as recycled, often word for word, from his two autobiographies. That Merv, at eighty, has reduced his long, varied, richly eventful life into little more than a series of shticky sound bites is wholly in keeping with his devotion to showbiz pizazz and glitter, but it does conjure the philosophical conundrum about whether the unexamined life is worth living. Well, in Merv's case, it's certainly very comfortable. It is also, of course, finite.
''Do I think about death?'' he says. ''No. I kid about it. Like, someone will say to me, 'Merv, in five years this community is going to be incredible.' And I'll say, 'Uhh, how long?' I suppose it's dismissing it with a joke. But physically I feel good. There's a few constant bladder infections, but all old guys get it. There are little glitches. The hair grows in places where I'm shocked: ears, nose.'' He pauses for a moment. Then says, ''I look in the mirror and see the kid from high school.''
''Do I think about death?'' he says. ''No. I kid about it. Like, someone will say to me, 'Merv, in five years this community is going to be incredible.' And I'll say, 'Uhh, how long?' I suppose it's dismissing it with a joke. But physically I feel good. There's a few constant bladder infections, but all old guys get it. There are little glitches. The hair grows in places where I'm shocked: ears, nose.'' He pauses for a moment. Then says, ''I look in the mirror and see the kid from high school.''
Channing Frye -- Great In Workouts
http://blog.oregonlive.com/johncanzano/2007/08/im_a_commie_and_greg_oden_is_a.html
I mean, I know you need SOME content, but (other than serving as source material for me to ridicule) is there any good reason to state how reports say that Channing Frye looks great in summer workouts?
I went to the gym with my son the other day and hit 8 of 10 shots from 3-point range. One might say that I looked great in that summer workout. So effing what? At least with me you have a first-hand statement of how well I shot the ball. Here the blogger is basically saying, "Someone with a vested interest in promoting HM as a player saw him the other day and tells me that HM was chewing gum and kicking ass and he ran out of gum....."
My lord.
I mean, I know you need SOME content, but (other than serving as source material for me to ridicule) is there any good reason to state how reports say that Channing Frye looks great in summer workouts?
I went to the gym with my son the other day and hit 8 of 10 shots from 3-point range. One might say that I looked great in that summer workout. So effing what? At least with me you have a first-hand statement of how well I shot the ball. Here the blogger is basically saying, "Someone with a vested interest in promoting HM as a player saw him the other day and tells me that HM was chewing gum and kicking ass and he ran out of gum....."
My lord.
Friday, August 10, 2007
GOP-Appointed Colorado Federal Judge -- Likes the Ladies
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5667260,00.html
$3,000 at the strip bar seems high for a civil servant, but hey, didn't the one guy spend $150,000 at Scores?
The web site the good judge paid $150 to was www.ipayfriendfinder.com
As a service to my readers, I visited said site and it looked rather innocuous. It does, however, link to adultfriendfinder.com which takes you directly to pictures of "women looking to get laid in [your town]."
Nice, judge. For an extra $300 or so the strippers, I am sure, would have provided more value than the $150 to the Web site (or at least would know who could do so).
HM
$3,000 at the strip bar seems high for a civil servant, but hey, didn't the one guy spend $150,000 at Scores?
The web site the good judge paid $150 to was www.ipayfriendfinder.com
As a service to my readers, I visited said site and it looked rather innocuous. It does, however, link to adultfriendfinder.com which takes you directly to pictures of "women looking to get laid in [your town]."
Nice, judge. For an extra $300 or so the strippers, I am sure, would have provided more value than the $150 to the Web site (or at least would know who could do so).
HM
Republican Lawmaker -- "I Solicited Sex Because There Were Black People Around and I Was Scared"
http://365gay.com/Newscon07/08/080607allen.htm
He thinks this statement is BETTER for his career??? "I wasn't going to solicit a male for sex in a park, but I thought all those..., er, black guys were going to kill me."
He thinks this statement is BETTER for his career??? "I wasn't going to solicit a male for sex in a park, but I thought all those..., er, black guys were going to kill me."
NBA Rookies of the Year -- 1980 to Present
As I always say, I judge the NBA based upon the years after Bird and Magic entered the league (1979-80), what I view as the modern era of the NBA. So, in that light, I will rank the 30 winners (we had two years where there was a tie) since the 1980 award.
Winners will be ranked based upon their overall career (or if they are still playing based upon what I view their career will be). Here goes:
Decent Players
30. Damon Stoudamire -- better than KG, I guess. Wow. Yuck.
29. Mike Miller -- I am not saying he sucks, but let's just say that no one ever sits around wondering why he isn't on the all-star team. I don't think that will change in years to come.
28. Emeka Okafor -- good, not great, don't see many all-star appearances on the horizon.
27. Brandon Roy -- I think his career will be better than Miller's.......but not by much.
26. Chris Paul -- unless he learns to shoot better, he better start looking at the arc of Damon Stoudamire's career...
Good NBA Players, All-Star Level Players
25. Chuck Person -- The Rifleman, good shooter, didn't get you much else (nor did he ever care to give you much else)
24. Ralph Sampson -- could have an argument that he should be much higher based upon his early Houston years, but his talent disappeared so quickly that he now can't get into the HOF despite being 3-time NCAA player of the year!
23. Darrell Griffith -- I think that if he hadn't played in Utah people would have had a much higher respect for Dr. Dunkenstein. Very good off guard.
22. Larry Johnson -- Grandmama was very good until he hurt his back and became just an OK player. He ranks higher than Sampson because even as a cripple he contributed some.
21. Derrick Coleman -- The guy everyone loved to hate had a few years where he was one of the top 10 players in the league. He just cared SO little about anything that he threw away top-notch talent in his later NBA years. Famously was fined $1,000 for his first road-trip dress code violation, asked how many road trips there were, and then wrote a check for $1,000 X the number of road trips.
20. Terry Cummings -- Grinded it out for years and years and years. Few players would have returned to the court after they almost died of a heart attack on the court.
19. Buck Williams -- Excellent rebounder, almost always played on winning clubs (not a coincidence).
18. Mark Jackson -- never a great, great point guard, but sort of the Rafael Palmeiro or Don Sutton of basketball. Stayed around a long time and picked up some HUGE career stats.
17, Amare Stoudamire -- he can't play with Nash forever, and I don't know if his game will ever quite mature to the point where he can carry a team.
16. Steve Francis -- was very, very close to becoming an icon of the game. His years in New York may have irreparably harmed his legacy.
15. Paul Gasol -- if you pair him with winning players and coaches (Battier and Fratello) he can get the job done on the court. Doesn't strike me as a great leader or someone able to will his way to victory on his own.
Potential Hall of Famers
14. Elton Brand -- just blew out his Achilles, but you know he will be back because he ALWAYS keeps coming back and battling. Will have to play 7-8 more good years to get in the Hall, but he has a career average of 20 points, 10 rebounds and 3 steals + blocks.......at about 6'6" tall....
13. Chris Webber -- his stats are as good as Brand's over a longer period of time.
12. Mitch Richmond -- languished out of the limelight in Sacramento. But he is 35th in career points and 29th in PPG. It will be close for the Hall.
11. Vince Carter -- no denying his ability or his overall statistics. His career numbers are 24/5/4 and his PPG is 17th best of all-time. It is unfair to bar a player from the HOF because he pissed away a chance to be the best of all-time. He gets in the Hall.
10. Grant Hill -- I think that when the HOF looks at Hill's career it will see 6 unbelievable years. I think he gets in. He may need two or three healthy years here at the end where he pulls a Junior Griffey and convinces people that he is still capable of being a productive starter.
9. LeBron James -- He has the ability to be a top 5 all-time player. But he hasn't put in the years yet and if he never develops a mid-range game he may never crack the top 8 of this list. (Anyone who read the Blog knows I love LBJ, but I have to have some modicum of fairness).
Sure-Fire Lock Hall of Fame Players (Whom I Wish Weren't)
8. Patrick Ewing -- 6th in career rebounds, 6th in total blocks, double figures in all-star games. He always found a way to lose to Michael, and when Michael was retired he found a way to lose to Houston or blow a finger roll against the Pacers.
7. Allen Iverson -- look at his career stats and you will be astounded how high he is on so many lists (points/ppg/assists/apg/steals/spg). Great player, but something about him has always bugged me.
6. Jason Kidd -- when not sleeping with half the civilized world and then blabbing to his wife, or hitting his wife, or throwing a boulder at his wife, he has managed to be an excellent point guard. Slight weakness -- cannot shoot a lick. That is how good he is at every other aspect of the game, I still put him at #6.
PANTHEON OF ALL-TIME GREATS
5. David Robinson -- Had absolutely no help, but he was FAR more dominant than (for example) Ewing ever thought to be.
4. Tim Duncan -- great, great player, plays consistently well all year long and all career long. I give Shaq the edge on him bacause I don't think Duncan has ever drawn the double and triple teams that Shaq has regularly faced over his career. If you go to Shaq's page at http://www.basketball-reference.com/ you will see Duncan down 16 TIMES(!!) as "most similar season" to Shaq.
3. Shaquille O'Neal -- 4 rings, career average of 26/11/3/3 s+b over a LONG career, 8 time first-team all-NBA. Nuf said.
2. Larry Bird -- you are really splitting hairs right here. How does one compare Duncan and Shaq and Bird? It is a no-win situation. I could see any of them from 2 to 4. But I will tell you why I go with Bird: a) beat out Magic for rookie of the year; b) first-team all-NBA as a rookie; took a TERRIBLE Celtics team to the playoffs his rookie year. Why were the Celtics great. Was it McHale? Kevin McHale -- all-time great, right? HOF player, right? Career averages -- 17/7/2. Look at his similarity scores on basketball-reference.com -- Larry Nance, Orlando Woolridge, Tom Gugliotta. Well, Robert Parish suddenly became a lot better, right? Look at Parish's stats his last year with Golden State (pre-Celts) YOU WILL BE ASTOUNDED. Parish had HUGE numbers with the Warriors. 7th in the league in rebounding, 4th in blocked shots. The Warriors were getting the same production out of Parish that the Celts eventually got, but the Warriors sucked -- they didn't have Bird.
1. Michael Jordan -- best ever.
Winners will be ranked based upon their overall career (or if they are still playing based upon what I view their career will be). Here goes:
Decent Players
30. Damon Stoudamire -- better than KG, I guess. Wow. Yuck.
29. Mike Miller -- I am not saying he sucks, but let's just say that no one ever sits around wondering why he isn't on the all-star team. I don't think that will change in years to come.
28. Emeka Okafor -- good, not great, don't see many all-star appearances on the horizon.
27. Brandon Roy -- I think his career will be better than Miller's.......but not by much.
26. Chris Paul -- unless he learns to shoot better, he better start looking at the arc of Damon Stoudamire's career...
Good NBA Players, All-Star Level Players
25. Chuck Person -- The Rifleman, good shooter, didn't get you much else (nor did he ever care to give you much else)
24. Ralph Sampson -- could have an argument that he should be much higher based upon his early Houston years, but his talent disappeared so quickly that he now can't get into the HOF despite being 3-time NCAA player of the year!
23. Darrell Griffith -- I think that if he hadn't played in Utah people would have had a much higher respect for Dr. Dunkenstein. Very good off guard.
22. Larry Johnson -- Grandmama was very good until he hurt his back and became just an OK player. He ranks higher than Sampson because even as a cripple he contributed some.
21. Derrick Coleman -- The guy everyone loved to hate had a few years where he was one of the top 10 players in the league. He just cared SO little about anything that he threw away top-notch talent in his later NBA years. Famously was fined $1,000 for his first road-trip dress code violation, asked how many road trips there were, and then wrote a check for $1,000 X the number of road trips.
20. Terry Cummings -- Grinded it out for years and years and years. Few players would have returned to the court after they almost died of a heart attack on the court.
19. Buck Williams -- Excellent rebounder, almost always played on winning clubs (not a coincidence).
18. Mark Jackson -- never a great, great point guard, but sort of the Rafael Palmeiro or Don Sutton of basketball. Stayed around a long time and picked up some HUGE career stats.
17, Amare Stoudamire -- he can't play with Nash forever, and I don't know if his game will ever quite mature to the point where he can carry a team.
16. Steve Francis -- was very, very close to becoming an icon of the game. His years in New York may have irreparably harmed his legacy.
15. Paul Gasol -- if you pair him with winning players and coaches (Battier and Fratello) he can get the job done on the court. Doesn't strike me as a great leader or someone able to will his way to victory on his own.
Potential Hall of Famers
14. Elton Brand -- just blew out his Achilles, but you know he will be back because he ALWAYS keeps coming back and battling. Will have to play 7-8 more good years to get in the Hall, but he has a career average of 20 points, 10 rebounds and 3 steals + blocks.......at about 6'6" tall....
13. Chris Webber -- his stats are as good as Brand's over a longer period of time.
12. Mitch Richmond -- languished out of the limelight in Sacramento. But he is 35th in career points and 29th in PPG. It will be close for the Hall.
11. Vince Carter -- no denying his ability or his overall statistics. His career numbers are 24/5/4 and his PPG is 17th best of all-time. It is unfair to bar a player from the HOF because he pissed away a chance to be the best of all-time. He gets in the Hall.
10. Grant Hill -- I think that when the HOF looks at Hill's career it will see 6 unbelievable years. I think he gets in. He may need two or three healthy years here at the end where he pulls a Junior Griffey and convinces people that he is still capable of being a productive starter.
9. LeBron James -- He has the ability to be a top 5 all-time player. But he hasn't put in the years yet and if he never develops a mid-range game he may never crack the top 8 of this list. (Anyone who read the Blog knows I love LBJ, but I have to have some modicum of fairness).
Sure-Fire Lock Hall of Fame Players (Whom I Wish Weren't)
8. Patrick Ewing -- 6th in career rebounds, 6th in total blocks, double figures in all-star games. He always found a way to lose to Michael, and when Michael was retired he found a way to lose to Houston or blow a finger roll against the Pacers.
7. Allen Iverson -- look at his career stats and you will be astounded how high he is on so many lists (points/ppg/assists/apg/steals/spg). Great player, but something about him has always bugged me.
6. Jason Kidd -- when not sleeping with half the civilized world and then blabbing to his wife, or hitting his wife, or throwing a boulder at his wife, he has managed to be an excellent point guard. Slight weakness -- cannot shoot a lick. That is how good he is at every other aspect of the game, I still put him at #6.
PANTHEON OF ALL-TIME GREATS
5. David Robinson -- Had absolutely no help, but he was FAR more dominant than (for example) Ewing ever thought to be.
4. Tim Duncan -- great, great player, plays consistently well all year long and all career long. I give Shaq the edge on him bacause I don't think Duncan has ever drawn the double and triple teams that Shaq has regularly faced over his career. If you go to Shaq's page at http://www.basketball-reference.com/ you will see Duncan down 16 TIMES(!!) as "most similar season" to Shaq.
3. Shaquille O'Neal -- 4 rings, career average of 26/11/3/3 s+b over a LONG career, 8 time first-team all-NBA. Nuf said.
2. Larry Bird -- you are really splitting hairs right here. How does one compare Duncan and Shaq and Bird? It is a no-win situation. I could see any of them from 2 to 4. But I will tell you why I go with Bird: a) beat out Magic for rookie of the year; b) first-team all-NBA as a rookie; took a TERRIBLE Celtics team to the playoffs his rookie year. Why were the Celtics great. Was it McHale? Kevin McHale -- all-time great, right? HOF player, right? Career averages -- 17/7/2. Look at his similarity scores on basketball-reference.com -- Larry Nance, Orlando Woolridge, Tom Gugliotta. Well, Robert Parish suddenly became a lot better, right? Look at Parish's stats his last year with Golden State (pre-Celts) YOU WILL BE ASTOUNDED. Parish had HUGE numbers with the Warriors. 7th in the league in rebounding, 4th in blocked shots. The Warriors were getting the same production out of Parish that the Celts eventually got, but the Warriors sucked -- they didn't have Bird.
1. Michael Jordan -- best ever.
Priest Arrested Just For Jogging?
What has this world come to? I mean, my lord, he would be SWEATING otherwise!!!
Priest Accused Of Jogging Nude Now On Leave
Conviction Would Require Rev. Robert Whipkey To Register As Sex Offender
POSTED: 9:20 am MDT August 8, 2007
UPDATED: 8:52 am MDT August 10, 2007
FREDERICK, Colo. -- A Catholic priest facing an indecent exposure charge after police said he went jogging in the nude about an hour before sunrise was placed on administrative leave Thursday.
The Rev. Robert Whipkey told officers he had been running naked at the Frederick High School track and didn't think anyone would be around at that time of day, a police report said.
Priest Accused Of Jogging Nude Now On Leave
Conviction Would Require Rev. Robert Whipkey To Register As Sex Offender
POSTED: 9:20 am MDT August 8, 2007
UPDATED: 8:52 am MDT August 10, 2007
FREDERICK, Colo. -- A Catholic priest facing an indecent exposure charge after police said he went jogging in the nude about an hour before sunrise was placed on administrative leave Thursday.
The Rev. Robert Whipkey told officers he had been running naked at the Frederick High School track and didn't think anyone would be around at that time of day, a police report said.
He told officers he sweats profusely if he wears clothing while jogging. "I'm a heavy man, and wearing clothing while running makes me sweat profusely," Whipkey was quoted as saying in the police report. "I know what I did was wrong," he said in the report.
In a statement, the Archdiocese of Denver said Whipkey previously was investigated for "inappropriate personal behavior" more than eight years ago when he was the pastor of St. Anthony's Parish in Sterling. Details were not released.
"Father Whipkey's conduct eight years ago did not involve any physical or sexual contact with another individual," the archdiocese said in a statement, adding the behavior was reported to authorities.
No charges were filed and Whipkey entered therapy. No other complaints from parishioners had been filed since, the archdiocese said.
Whipkey did not return phone messages. His attorney, Doug Tisdale, told the Longmont Times-Call that Whipkey had no comment.
Les Onorato is a parishioner at St. Theresa's Catholic Church where Rev. Whipkey officiates. "And he's a very very nice gentleman. I wouldn't think anything like this of him," said Onorato.
Whipkey, 53, was arrested June 22 in this small town about 20 miles north of Denver. An officer said he saw a naked man walking down the street at 4:35 a.m. The U.S. Naval Observatory Web site said sunrise that day in Frederick was 5:31 a.m.
The officer said when he shined his flashlight at the man, he covered himself with a piece of clothing he was carrying.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Penny Signs With the Heat
In honor of that signing, I also transport myself back to 1995 and this wonderful Nike commercial with the young Tyra Banks.......
You can have parties, just not pool parties.....
You can have parties, just not pool parties.....
Leader in the Clubhouse -- JD!!
http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/pgachampionship07/news/story?id=2967562
Sort of similar to me walking into a bar and having three good-looking women immediately come up and sit next to me. It is either just a complete mirage, or eventually my enormous flaws will overwhelm my good fortune....
Sort of similar to me walking into a bar and having three good-looking women immediately come up and sit next to me. It is either just a complete mirage, or eventually my enormous flaws will overwhelm my good fortune....
Marko Jaric --Unhappy With Garnett Trade
While I am not going to become a premium member of http://www.jarring.it/ to confirm the quote, hoopshype.com reports that Marko states on his Web site that he is disappointed that the Wolves will not be contending for a championship and he wants to go somewhere that the team will contend.
OK, Suck-o, er, Marko, find me ANY team in the NBA who would pick you up off waivers and assume your contract if the Wolves were to release you. ANY team.
If you can find ANY General Manager in the league, Marko, who think that you are worth 4 years and $27 MM then I will issue you (but not the idiot GM) a partial apology.
OK, then if you can provide me a good reason why you shoot nothing but wide open 3s and driving layups yet have a career shooting percentage (at 6'7") of 40.3%, I will provide you with a full written apology. ("I suck" would be a correct explanation, but I am looking for some reason that would lead reasonable people to say, "OK, I can see why he shoots so poorly."
I know I have stated this many, many times, but Marko forces me to do it again: "Attention all shitty players who should be out of the league and working at a drive-thru, but who, in fact, are making untold millions for no good reason -- keep your mouth shut and your head down and maybe no one will notice. Don't pretend that championship level teams are lining up to acquire you...."
The end.
OK, Suck-o, er, Marko, find me ANY team in the NBA who would pick you up off waivers and assume your contract if the Wolves were to release you. ANY team.
If you can find ANY General Manager in the league, Marko, who think that you are worth 4 years and $27 MM then I will issue you (but not the idiot GM) a partial apology.
OK, then if you can provide me a good reason why you shoot nothing but wide open 3s and driving layups yet have a career shooting percentage (at 6'7") of 40.3%, I will provide you with a full written apology. ("I suck" would be a correct explanation, but I am looking for some reason that would lead reasonable people to say, "OK, I can see why he shoots so poorly."
I know I have stated this many, many times, but Marko forces me to do it again: "Attention all shitty players who should be out of the league and working at a drive-thru, but who, in fact, are making untold millions for no good reason -- keep your mouth shut and your head down and maybe no one will notice. Don't pretend that championship level teams are lining up to acquire you...."
The end.
It Is Official -- Body Mass Index a Joke
http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/
According to his recent physical, President Bush works out 6 days a week and has a resting heart rate of 52 beats a minute. He is in the 97th percentile "fitness level" for a 61 year old. (Hey, the man is not real bright and he has no business being President, but you cannot deny he is in great shape.)
Bush is 5' 11 1/2" and weigh 192 pounds (down from 196). Now, when I saw this, it struck me that there is NO WAY he qualifies as proper weight under the bogus BMI. I am 5'9" (per my doctor, no cracks here, I just go by what they tell me) and my BMI max "acceptable" weight is 169 pounds (I am at any point in time 35-45 pounds over that weight.
So, I gave W the benefit of the doubt on his height and put in 6', 192 into the calculator -- GWB, "overweight." The obvious problem with the BMI is this -- if workout freak George W. Bush cannot meet the goal, the goal is worthless.
As the Index stands right now, it is basically like telling a youth basketball player, "Well, to be an acceptable free throw shooter you have to shoot 92% from the line. Anything under 92%, we will label you "bad" and if you get down under, say, 77% you will be labeled as "horrible."
Well, since almost no one shoots 92% from the line, that is an unattainable goal for nearly everyone. Many players will have to work very, very hard to reach/stay in the "bad" range. And a lot of folks will be "horrible." And your incentive for working hours and hours and getting up to 77%? You get to be at the low end of "bad."
Amazing. But just remember, if you work out 6 days a week and get your heart rate down to 52 beats a minute, you probably are still overweight...
According to his recent physical, President Bush works out 6 days a week and has a resting heart rate of 52 beats a minute. He is in the 97th percentile "fitness level" for a 61 year old. (Hey, the man is not real bright and he has no business being President, but you cannot deny he is in great shape.)
Bush is 5' 11 1/2" and weigh 192 pounds (down from 196). Now, when I saw this, it struck me that there is NO WAY he qualifies as proper weight under the bogus BMI. I am 5'9" (per my doctor, no cracks here, I just go by what they tell me) and my BMI max "acceptable" weight is 169 pounds (I am at any point in time 35-45 pounds over that weight.
So, I gave W the benefit of the doubt on his height and put in 6', 192 into the calculator -- GWB, "overweight." The obvious problem with the BMI is this -- if workout freak George W. Bush cannot meet the goal, the goal is worthless.
As the Index stands right now, it is basically like telling a youth basketball player, "Well, to be an acceptable free throw shooter you have to shoot 92% from the line. Anything under 92%, we will label you "bad" and if you get down under, say, 77% you will be labeled as "horrible."
Well, since almost no one shoots 92% from the line, that is an unattainable goal for nearly everyone. Many players will have to work very, very hard to reach/stay in the "bad" range. And a lot of folks will be "horrible." And your incentive for working hours and hours and getting up to 77%? You get to be at the low end of "bad."
Amazing. But just remember, if you work out 6 days a week and get your heart rate down to 52 beats a minute, you probably are still overweight...
Foreign Article on Baron Davis/Teri Hatcher and Jessica Alba
http://www.hoopnation.de/?p=634
I have no idea what this says, but I guess Baron Davis is rumored to be dating Teri Hatcher. I don't care much about that, but you guys GOTTA see the Jessica Alba beach pic....
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Pics of Fred Thompson's Wife Jeri
She has come a LONG way from being sued on three small claims matters and being unable to pay them!! Yowsa.
Fred -- you don't have my vote, but you have my admiration.
Michael Vick -- The New Martin Luther King?
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=vicksatlanta
I am embarrassed that this article can even be written and featured on espn.com. What imagery is featured here in this article? Atlanta, home of lynch mobs, home of racists, place where black people are corraled into crappy low-income housing and taken advantage of by "the man." Local law enforcement out to get all Atlanta-area African-Americans. Mike Vick simply stands no chance against the "electronic lynching."
Problem -- Mike Vick, extremely wealthy, doesn't live in the hood, has access to the best legal representation available. Local authorities in Virginia wouldn't even PROSECUTE Vick he is such a favored son. Only the federal government had the guts to take him on.
Are there people out there who believe that an African-American celebrity can NEVER commit a crime? Obviously there are (O.J. and Michael Jackson supporters come to mind, plus the ridiculous racial divide on whether Bonds actually ever took steroids). Is there ANY legitimate reason to give these folks a voice by writing an article saying that they have legitimate arguments supporting Michael Vick based upon lynch mobs and racists in the South? No. There is not.
I am embarrassed that this article can even be written and featured on espn.com. What imagery is featured here in this article? Atlanta, home of lynch mobs, home of racists, place where black people are corraled into crappy low-income housing and taken advantage of by "the man." Local law enforcement out to get all Atlanta-area African-Americans. Mike Vick simply stands no chance against the "electronic lynching."
Problem -- Mike Vick, extremely wealthy, doesn't live in the hood, has access to the best legal representation available. Local authorities in Virginia wouldn't even PROSECUTE Vick he is such a favored son. Only the federal government had the guts to take him on.
Are there people out there who believe that an African-American celebrity can NEVER commit a crime? Obviously there are (O.J. and Michael Jackson supporters come to mind, plus the ridiculous racial divide on whether Bonds actually ever took steroids). Is there ANY legitimate reason to give these folks a voice by writing an article saying that they have legitimate arguments supporting Michael Vick based upon lynch mobs and racists in the South? No. There is not.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Pacman Jones Turns to Wrestling
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2962780.
Um, well, OK. I guess he can do whatever he wants. Plus, I don't think that there is a better and cleaner industry than pro wrestling for a guy who wants to stay away from illicit drugs and strippers/hookers and run-ins with the law.
Agent Michael Huyghue (sp?) -- great job!
Um, well, OK. I guess he can do whatever he wants. Plus, I don't think that there is a better and cleaner industry than pro wrestling for a guy who wants to stay away from illicit drugs and strippers/hookers and run-ins with the law.
Agent Michael Huyghue (sp?) -- great job!
College Football Poll -- Message to Notre Dame: "You Suck!"
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/rankingsindex
One wonders if Charlie Weis, even with the contract extension in place, can withstand many more of these pre-season polls. Look at the teams ranked ahead of Notre Dame:
Wisconsin -- OK, Alvarez built them into a power, but geez, ND isn't exactly recruiting against South Beach weather here.
VA Tech -- uh, OK.
Louisville -- basketball school
Cal -- Cal? Look guys, if you want to, you can drive through Oakland every day!
Rutgers -- the State University of New Jersey? Can't come CLOSE to being ranked with them??
Penn State and Nebraska -- two programs left for dead 4 years ago; Weis couldn't bury them?
TCU/Boise State/Hawaii/BC/GTech -- you cannot tell me that these teams get better talent than ND. So that means that people affirmatively believe that the coaches of these teams are MUCH better than Charlie Weis. Again, "Ouch!"
HM
One wonders if Charlie Weis, even with the contract extension in place, can withstand many more of these pre-season polls. Look at the teams ranked ahead of Notre Dame:
Wisconsin -- OK, Alvarez built them into a power, but geez, ND isn't exactly recruiting against South Beach weather here.
VA Tech -- uh, OK.
Louisville -- basketball school
Cal -- Cal? Look guys, if you want to, you can drive through Oakland every day!
Rutgers -- the State University of New Jersey? Can't come CLOSE to being ranked with them??
Penn State and Nebraska -- two programs left for dead 4 years ago; Weis couldn't bury them?
TCU/Boise State/Hawaii/BC/GTech -- you cannot tell me that these teams get better talent than ND. So that means that people affirmatively believe that the coaches of these teams are MUCH better than Charlie Weis. Again, "Ouch!"
HM
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Tom Glavine Wins 300 -- Will There Ever Be Another?
Here are your active leaders for pitching wins:
1. Clemens 351
2. G Maddux* 340
3. T Glavine* 300
4. R Johnson* 284
5. M Mussina* 246
6. D Wells* 235
7. J Moyer* 225
8. C Schilling* 213
9. K Rogers* 210
10. P Martinez* 206
11. J Smoltz* 203
12. A Pettitte* 193
13. T Wakefield* 164
14. A Sele* 148
15. B Colon* 146 93
16. S Trachsel* 139 150
Johan Santana -- 89.
So, it appears that Randy Johnson is willing to pitch until he is 1000 to win 300 games, so he probably will keep going and eventually squeak out 16 more. Mussina? He'll be 39 this off-season, but if he can stay with the Yankees, he certainly has opportunities to pick up some easy wins and maybe at 13-14 wins a year he makes it. But if he falls off to 10 a year, he has to keep going until he is 43 or 44. Wells, Moyer, Schilling, Rogers, all too old to get there. Pedro -- never healthy anymore. Smoltz -- too many years as a reliever. Petite -- he is 35, so he needs to win 15 a game for 7 years plus two games more this years. Not impossible, but he has trouble staying healthy. No one else is worthy of serious consideration.
I think that in 10 years the baseball HOF voters are going to regret the exclusion of great starters (Blyleven, 288 wins; Jack Morris, 254 wins, clearly one of the top 2-3 pitchers of his era). When no one is up for induction who has even 230-240 wins, will we just not elect ANY starting pitchers anymore? Or will we go back and put in guys like Blyleven and Morris? How about Jim Kaat and Tommy John? Or will we decide that the NEW guys have a much lower bar to cross because the game has changed? THAT would be an interesting way to go about naming the game's all-time greats!! "See, I know YOU had 288 wins, but you played back when starters had to pitch more, so NOW we reward the guys who played when starters pitched LESS, see?? See??? No? Huh.
Anway, food for thought....
1. Clemens 351
2. G Maddux* 340
3. T Glavine* 300
4. R Johnson* 284
5. M Mussina* 246
6. D Wells* 235
7. J Moyer* 225
8. C Schilling* 213
9. K Rogers* 210
10. P Martinez* 206
11. J Smoltz* 203
12. A Pettitte* 193
13. T Wakefield* 164
14. A Sele* 148
15. B Colon* 146 93
16. S Trachsel* 139 150
Johan Santana -- 89.
So, it appears that Randy Johnson is willing to pitch until he is 1000 to win 300 games, so he probably will keep going and eventually squeak out 16 more. Mussina? He'll be 39 this off-season, but if he can stay with the Yankees, he certainly has opportunities to pick up some easy wins and maybe at 13-14 wins a year he makes it. But if he falls off to 10 a year, he has to keep going until he is 43 or 44. Wells, Moyer, Schilling, Rogers, all too old to get there. Pedro -- never healthy anymore. Smoltz -- too many years as a reliever. Petite -- he is 35, so he needs to win 15 a game for 7 years plus two games more this years. Not impossible, but he has trouble staying healthy. No one else is worthy of serious consideration.
I think that in 10 years the baseball HOF voters are going to regret the exclusion of great starters (Blyleven, 288 wins; Jack Morris, 254 wins, clearly one of the top 2-3 pitchers of his era). When no one is up for induction who has even 230-240 wins, will we just not elect ANY starting pitchers anymore? Or will we go back and put in guys like Blyleven and Morris? How about Jim Kaat and Tommy John? Or will we decide that the NEW guys have a much lower bar to cross because the game has changed? THAT would be an interesting way to go about naming the game's all-time greats!! "See, I know YOU had 288 wins, but you played back when starters had to pitch more, so NOW we reward the guys who played when starters pitched LESS, see?? See??? No? Huh.
Anway, food for thought....
Roy Tarpley -- Does He Have an Americans With Disabilities Act Claim Against the NBA?
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/tarplro01.html. Those are his stats. He is only 7 months younger than I am, so I doubt Roy re-emerges as an NBA player. But I understand his point (and so apparently does the EEOC -- http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070805/COL08/708050662/1048/SPORTS). It is not against the law to be an alcoholic and it is not against the law to be a drug addict of another sort. It is using drugs that may be punished.
On a non-criminal basis the NBA may also choose to ban certain drugs and to make its players test for the presence of such drugs and it may also punish criminal misdeeds (just ask Roger Goodell). But what Tarpley is claiming, I think, is this: 1) I have taken drug tests and passed them; 2) Sure, I may have a predisposition to the use of drugs and alcohol, but so do a lot of players who are in the league. Why should I be treated differently? I am not sure that I agree with the EEOC's ruling based upon the one article I have read: http://sports-law.blogspot.com/2007/08/roy-tarpley-addiction-and-american-with.html. But it is an interesting point.
I would also like to say this about Roy Tarpley -- Roy Tarpley was one of the 5 best rebounders I have ever seen (Barkley, Garnett and and Dennis Rodman come to mind, and I usually forget a guy). Roy Tarpley played 4 NBA seasons with healthy legs. He led the league in Rebound Rate 3 times and was third behind Charles Barkley and Larry Smith in Tarpley's rookie year.
I truly believe that if Roy was healthy and clean, that in his prime he would have averaged 17-18 rebounds a game over a full season.
Anyway, interesting to see his name resurface....A clear example of a guy who pissed away probably $50-60MM over the course of his playing window....
Friday, August 03, 2007
Legal Lesson Of The Day
When you are a corrupt Congressman, keep the records of your bribes NOT in your freezer, but rather in your office, preferably stapled to constituent letters. So sayeth the D.C. Court of Appeals: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20070803/raid-on-congress/
Congressman Jefferson should have been allowed time to argue that the documents were legislative in nature??? Um, OK. It seems to me that we are really talking around the issue here.
I know a guy is corrupt and he keeps his records in his Congressional office. I know he hides them in amongst his other legit records. What exactly can I do? Do I have to actually go there with a warrant and say, "We want all your documents, but first go through them and tell us which ones are legit and which ones talk about you getting bribes"??
The story says that he doesn't get ALL of his documents back. Um, why not? Aren't they ALL seized in an invalid search? If the cops illegally search Nate Newton's car or Bam Morris's car, do they only have to give back the Twinkie wrappers and the 2 Liter Coca Cola Classic bottles?
Call me crazy, but I think that if John Roberts can stay coherent long enough to hear this appeal, the Executive Branch wins at the U.S. Supreme Court...
Congressman Jefferson should have been allowed time to argue that the documents were legislative in nature??? Um, OK. It seems to me that we are really talking around the issue here.
I know a guy is corrupt and he keeps his records in his Congressional office. I know he hides them in amongst his other legit records. What exactly can I do? Do I have to actually go there with a warrant and say, "We want all your documents, but first go through them and tell us which ones are legit and which ones talk about you getting bribes"??
The story says that he doesn't get ALL of his documents back. Um, why not? Aren't they ALL seized in an invalid search? If the cops illegally search Nate Newton's car or Bam Morris's car, do they only have to give back the Twinkie wrappers and the 2 Liter Coca Cola Classic bottles?
Call me crazy, but I think that if John Roberts can stay coherent long enough to hear this appeal, the Executive Branch wins at the U.S. Supreme Court...
Donovan McNabb -- Is He Also Pro Dog Fighting?
What next? Perhaps McNabb can leap in with a spirited defense of what a great running back O.J. Simpson was and how it is too bad that bitch of an ex-wife had to ruin Orenthal's life!!!
"I'm a supporter of Vick," McNabb said Tuesday at Lehigh University. "That's because I'm a good friend of his and also we're guys that obviously compete to win the Super Bowl. We push each other. Now, I don't know exactly what happened in that situation, and I think for all of us that have read over the stuff that was over the Internet, the report, you look at it as kind of like, 'Wow, you've got your so-called friends and family members turning their back on you now to make their situation better.' They're throwing you under the bus so that they can clean their name. That's unfortunate. That goes to show, I always have a saying that I've always lived by: If you can't trust family, who can you trust? It's an unfortunate situation, and I just hope everything works out well for him where he can get back out on the field."
Baseball Growing Up
I am amazed, now that I live in suburbia, what it is like to play a youth baseball game. PM plays traveling A (this year, but see my old rant on him making B-2 last year), so he is in the most competitive league. He shows up, plays, there is no problem. Other teams have pleasant fans who regularly politely cheer good plays by our team. We are expected to do the same.
(PM, by the by, batted 3rd and hit about .400 for his squad this year after being adjudged the 30th best player in his age group during last year's tryouts. However, I have to say that I think his B-2 coaching was better than this year's coaching. So he might have benefited from last year a lot.)
Back to my point. When I was growing up, here is what a typical Little League season was like: anyone boy or girl ages 9-12 could try out for the "A" team. We had about 24 kids try out, so everyone made A or B. We played up on a hill at an old potato field that our dads carved into a baseball field. We played about 10 games a year.
When you went to the other team's field, that was the primary source of entertainment for that town for the night. Parents would show up to taunt you. Opponents from other towns would show up to taunt you if they weren't playing that night. Guys living in their moms' basements didn't have decent video games, so they came out into the fading afternoon sun to taunt you. It was a war. Every at bat and every time you pitched, jeers were directed at you. If an error was committed the entire other bench and the crowd would all say, "keep hitting it to THAT guy; he sucks." Of course, B games were probably worse because the A guys would show up and taunt BOTH the other team and the guys we didn't like on our own B team.
Standard Taunts:
Pitcher -- has got a rubber arm; we want a pitcher, not a belly itcher; he's gone wild - put him in a cage!; He has LOST it! LOST it. Whoa, look out pitch, don't hit somebody!
Batter -- he can't control his bladder; we want one -- not a broken ladder; SWING!; You swing like a rusty gate.
General -- (looking at opposing player who is near the stands) - hey buddy (or his name if you know his name)...hey buddy....hey buddy (guy looks) you suck!!
So it is more than a little odd for me to attend the 2007 suburban baseball games -- basically high teas where the moms discuss their day and the dads check their BlackBerries or discuss weekends up at the cabin and how drunk they got.
We always wonder why kids seem to find it so hard to deal with criticism. The answer may be that they don't ever GET any.
Anyway, the reminiscing of a 43 year old man from the sticks...
(PM, by the by, batted 3rd and hit about .400 for his squad this year after being adjudged the 30th best player in his age group during last year's tryouts. However, I have to say that I think his B-2 coaching was better than this year's coaching. So he might have benefited from last year a lot.)
Back to my point. When I was growing up, here is what a typical Little League season was like: anyone boy or girl ages 9-12 could try out for the "A" team. We had about 24 kids try out, so everyone made A or B. We played up on a hill at an old potato field that our dads carved into a baseball field. We played about 10 games a year.
When you went to the other team's field, that was the primary source of entertainment for that town for the night. Parents would show up to taunt you. Opponents from other towns would show up to taunt you if they weren't playing that night. Guys living in their moms' basements didn't have decent video games, so they came out into the fading afternoon sun to taunt you. It was a war. Every at bat and every time you pitched, jeers were directed at you. If an error was committed the entire other bench and the crowd would all say, "keep hitting it to THAT guy; he sucks." Of course, B games were probably worse because the A guys would show up and taunt BOTH the other team and the guys we didn't like on our own B team.
Standard Taunts:
Pitcher -- has got a rubber arm; we want a pitcher, not a belly itcher; he's gone wild - put him in a cage!; He has LOST it! LOST it. Whoa, look out pitch, don't hit somebody!
Batter -- he can't control his bladder; we want one -- not a broken ladder; SWING!; You swing like a rusty gate.
General -- (looking at opposing player who is near the stands) - hey buddy (or his name if you know his name)...hey buddy....hey buddy (guy looks) you suck!!
So it is more than a little odd for me to attend the 2007 suburban baseball games -- basically high teas where the moms discuss their day and the dads check their BlackBerries or discuss weekends up at the cabin and how drunk they got.
We always wonder why kids seem to find it so hard to deal with criticism. The answer may be that they don't ever GET any.
Anyway, the reminiscing of a 43 year old man from the sticks...
Review of "The Simpsons Movie"
Maybe it was the fact that my kids had seen it already and had told me every good line for the first 35 minutes, or maybe it was the fact that I saw it in the afternoon with 6 people present in a big theatre, but I can't say that I was overwhelmed with the movie.
I would say 7 out of 10.
"The Simpsons" TV show can be simply brilliant. When, for example, Kang and Kodos reveal that they have taken the bodies of Bob Dole and Bill Clinton they say "So what? We are the party-endorsed candidates. You have to vote for us." A guy in the crowd yells out "I will vote for a third-party candidate!" To which the aliens reply, "Sure, throw your vote away!" (Ross Perot then punches his hat). Brilliant. Or any episode that generally deals with God or religion -- awesome stuff.
The movie needed a great deal more of that (Homer does ask God in a prayer how many guys Maude Flanders has been with in heaven -- that was a good one. As was Ned Flanders' quick "NO!" when his kid asked if they would see Buddha in heaven.)
But the movie has very little of that sort of clever wit (I would guess that they are trying to offend the fewest possible people and therefire get the biggest possible audience).
It is really too bad. I was expecting a bunch of awesome laughs like "Borat" but instead got a slightly better "Brother Bear."
I would say 7 out of 10.
"The Simpsons" TV show can be simply brilliant. When, for example, Kang and Kodos reveal that they have taken the bodies of Bob Dole and Bill Clinton they say "So what? We are the party-endorsed candidates. You have to vote for us." A guy in the crowd yells out "I will vote for a third-party candidate!" To which the aliens reply, "Sure, throw your vote away!" (Ross Perot then punches his hat). Brilliant. Or any episode that generally deals with God or religion -- awesome stuff.
The movie needed a great deal more of that (Homer does ask God in a prayer how many guys Maude Flanders has been with in heaven -- that was a good one. As was Ned Flanders' quick "NO!" when his kid asked if they would see Buddha in heaven.)
But the movie has very little of that sort of clever wit (I would guess that they are trying to offend the fewest possible people and therefire get the biggest possible audience).
It is really too bad. I was expecting a bunch of awesome laughs like "Borat" but instead got a slightly better "Brother Bear."
Anne Hathaway -- "I Am Not A Good Celebrity"
http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Movies/08/03/film.hathaway.reut/index.html
Oh, Anne! I have seen "Havoc"...you are awfully darn good.......
Oh, Anne! I have seen "Havoc"...you are awfully darn good.......
George Steinbrenner -- Not Doing So Great
http://sports.aol.com/mlb/story/_a/baseball-after-the-boss/20070802185709990001
A very well-done piece. I am torn between two reactions: 1) Who cares? The guy is an asshole who has made a living out of being an asshole. Isn't it about time that life came back to bite him? (What did Billy Martin say about Jackson and Steinbrenner? "One is a liar and the other one is convicted"?)
2) It is sad to see a giant of the sports world in such a state. We all need villains. But for the Ric Flairs of the world, all we would have would be a bunch of Ricky Steamboats and Marty Janetty's out there trying to entertain us. Does anyone really want that?
A very well-done piece. I am torn between two reactions: 1) Who cares? The guy is an asshole who has made a living out of being an asshole. Isn't it about time that life came back to bite him? (What did Billy Martin say about Jackson and Steinbrenner? "One is a liar and the other one is convicted"?)
2) It is sad to see a giant of the sports world in such a state. We all need villains. But for the Ric Flairs of the world, all we would have would be a bunch of Ricky Steamboats and Marty Janetty's out there trying to entertain us. Does anyone really want that?
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Video of Minneapolis Bridge Collapse
http://www.kare11.com/video/player.aspx?aid=51385&bw=
You will note that the bridge simultaneously falls off at both ends and drops almost straight down into the river. (Which is consistent with the fact that so many cars fell straight down with the bridge and did not overturn into the river -- the span part of the bridge basically dropped straight down like a slice of French toast bread onto a skillet. The cars were basically a topping on the French toast.)
I think that what happened then was the steel girders bent toward the river and the edges of the bridge had nothing left to support them, so they collapsed (the West side falling down until it hit the ground, the East side falling until it landed on a train parked under the bridge).
HM
You will note that the bridge simultaneously falls off at both ends and drops almost straight down into the river. (Which is consistent with the fact that so many cars fell straight down with the bridge and did not overturn into the river -- the span part of the bridge basically dropped straight down like a slice of French toast bread onto a skillet. The cars were basically a topping on the French toast.)
I think that what happened then was the steel girders bent toward the river and the edges of the bridge had nothing left to support them, so they collapsed (the West side falling down until it hit the ground, the East side falling until it landed on a train parked under the bridge).
HM
Minneapolis Bridge Collapse II -- Luck May Not Be All Good
As reader Al S. reports (and as is now stated by reports this morning) traffic was still going in TWO lanes each way (not 1) so there were twice as many cars on the bridge.
Also, one radio report this morning states that rescue workers have a sense that there may be as many as 20-30 vehicles "in places where the occupants weren't likely to walk away" (i.e., car completely submerged or car completely crushed under the bridge).
We can only just wait and see. I saw 20+ people on the Guthrie Theater's viewing deck this AM trying to get a look down river. I also drove in through NE MPLS and saw through an alley one giant section of collapsed bridge.
It is just bizarre.
HM
Also, one radio report this morning states that rescue workers have a sense that there may be as many as 20-30 vehicles "in places where the occupants weren't likely to walk away" (i.e., car completely submerged or car completely crushed under the bridge).
We can only just wait and see. I saw 20+ people on the Guthrie Theater's viewing deck this AM trying to get a look down river. I also drove in through NE MPLS and saw through an alley one giant section of collapsed bridge.
It is just bizarre.
HM
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Minneapolis I-35W Bridge Collapse General Info
You have to be a little careful when discussing something so awful. So all I will do is explain a few really basic things for those of you miles away:
1) Interstate 35 runs from Texas up through Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Des Moines, and then to Minneapolis. Twenty miles south of Minneapolis it splits into 35E (through St. Paul) and 35W (serving Minneapolis).
[Something that you have to get used to when you move here is that 35W and 35E both run predominantly north and south and 35W can run east.]
2) Just south of downtown Minneapolis, 35W turns hard to the East (joining I-94 briefly) and then back Northeast to take you by the Metrodome, the University of Minnesota and over the Mississippi River. Eventually the road heads farther north and re-joins 35E, becomes just I-35 again and goes to Duluth.
See if this link will take you to downtown Minneapolis and where the bridge collapsed as 35W heads up between the Metrodome and the University of Minnesota: http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?searchtype=address&country=US&addtohistory=&searchtab=home&formtype=address&popflag=0&latitude=&longitude=&name=&phone=&level=&cat=&address=&city=Minneapolis&state=MN&zipcode=
3) The Twin Cities area is most heavily populated in the "fertile crescent" that runs along Interstate 494 basically from Woodbury in a semi-circle around to Maple Grove. Also, Interstate 35 south of 494 contains some large and growing suburbs.
4) The area where the bridge collapsed would be carrying traffic to places like Northeast Minneapolis and Roseville and Lino Lakes. This is not the most heavily populated part of the Twin Cities.
5) Minneapolis is not like New York or Los Angeles. People like to start work earlier in the day -- 7 is not uncommon, and many office workers work 8 to 4 or 8 to 4:30.
6) Per reports, the bridge at issue had traffic down to one lane in each direction and people were avoiding the bridge.
7) While there was a Twins game scheduled for 7PM, it was a game against the Royals with only 25,000 tickets sold and the game was still 55 minutes away when the bridge collapsed.
8) We are in an very bad drought up here and the Mississippi in Minneapolis is extremely low, so low that they are considering watering restrictions in the north.
So, if the figure of people dead and injured in this matter stays at 10-15 dead and under 50 injured, we have an amazing confluence of luck in keeping the number that low (weather, river level, time of day, condition of the road, team scheduling, location of the bridge).
Imagine this scenario:
-The bridge is NOT under construction
-It is between 4:30 and 5:45 p.m. (or alternatively 6:20-6:45 p.m. on a day when a better team was in town -- the Twins have been drawing 35,000 to 40,000 lately)
Or:
- The bridge is not under construction and it collapses during a winter rush hour, people fall into the frozen waters. (I should add here that in the dead of winter it is dark during rush hour. It would be nearly impossible to conduct much of a rescue mission if the collapse occurred at 5PM on December 20. Anyone who survived would be sitting in the dark, very alone, for quite some time).
Or:
There is a Sunday Vikings game and the bridge collapses an hour before kickoff, people fall into the frozen waters
Or: A similar collapse occurs in the middle of winter over the north-south roads that cross the Minnesota River (35, 77, 169). I have only anecdotal evidence, but I believe that these bridges carry FAR more traffic than the section of 35W that collapsed here.
While it is never a good thing when people die, this could have been far, far worse.
Thus far, I don't know anyone who was hurt. Al Swearengen -- you live up there. You OK?
1) Interstate 35 runs from Texas up through Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Des Moines, and then to Minneapolis. Twenty miles south of Minneapolis it splits into 35E (through St. Paul) and 35W (serving Minneapolis).
[Something that you have to get used to when you move here is that 35W and 35E both run predominantly north and south and 35W can run east.]
2) Just south of downtown Minneapolis, 35W turns hard to the East (joining I-94 briefly) and then back Northeast to take you by the Metrodome, the University of Minnesota and over the Mississippi River. Eventually the road heads farther north and re-joins 35E, becomes just I-35 again and goes to Duluth.
See if this link will take you to downtown Minneapolis and where the bridge collapsed as 35W heads up between the Metrodome and the University of Minnesota: http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?searchtype=address&country=US&addtohistory=&searchtab=home&formtype=address&popflag=0&latitude=&longitude=&name=&phone=&level=&cat=&address=&city=Minneapolis&state=MN&zipcode=
3) The Twin Cities area is most heavily populated in the "fertile crescent" that runs along Interstate 494 basically from Woodbury in a semi-circle around to Maple Grove. Also, Interstate 35 south of 494 contains some large and growing suburbs.
4) The area where the bridge collapsed would be carrying traffic to places like Northeast Minneapolis and Roseville and Lino Lakes. This is not the most heavily populated part of the Twin Cities.
5) Minneapolis is not like New York or Los Angeles. People like to start work earlier in the day -- 7 is not uncommon, and many office workers work 8 to 4 or 8 to 4:30.
6) Per reports, the bridge at issue had traffic down to one lane in each direction and people were avoiding the bridge.
7) While there was a Twins game scheduled for 7PM, it was a game against the Royals with only 25,000 tickets sold and the game was still 55 minutes away when the bridge collapsed.
8) We are in an very bad drought up here and the Mississippi in Minneapolis is extremely low, so low that they are considering watering restrictions in the north.
So, if the figure of people dead and injured in this matter stays at 10-15 dead and under 50 injured, we have an amazing confluence of luck in keeping the number that low (weather, river level, time of day, condition of the road, team scheduling, location of the bridge).
Imagine this scenario:
-The bridge is NOT under construction
-It is between 4:30 and 5:45 p.m. (or alternatively 6:20-6:45 p.m. on a day when a better team was in town -- the Twins have been drawing 35,000 to 40,000 lately)
Or:
- The bridge is not under construction and it collapses during a winter rush hour, people fall into the frozen waters. (I should add here that in the dead of winter it is dark during rush hour. It would be nearly impossible to conduct much of a rescue mission if the collapse occurred at 5PM on December 20. Anyone who survived would be sitting in the dark, very alone, for quite some time).
Or:
There is a Sunday Vikings game and the bridge collapses an hour before kickoff, people fall into the frozen waters
Or: A similar collapse occurs in the middle of winter over the north-south roads that cross the Minnesota River (35, 77, 169). I have only anecdotal evidence, but I believe that these bridges carry FAR more traffic than the section of 35W that collapsed here.
While it is never a good thing when people die, this could have been far, far worse.
Thus far, I don't know anyone who was hurt. Al Swearengen -- you live up there. You OK?
A Pro-Timberwolves Take On Garnett Trade
Far be it from me to be optimistic about losing KG, but let me give you a pro-Wolves spin that someone could put on the deal (this assumes certain facts not already present but which could conceivably occur).
A) Kevin could hurt his back. I have always thought that Kevin is a lot like David Robinson -- tall, lanky, good rebounder, not a particularly natural scorer, but a guy who scores nonetheless. Once David hurt his back, his minutes per game dropped off substantially and, as a result, so did his per game production. Similarly, Barkley at the end of his career lost all his lift because he had a bad back. See also Larry Johnson's career. If KG gets a bad back, he becomes an average to good NBA player whom the Celts are paying $105,000,000 to over the next 5 years. Wow.
B) Al Jefferson continues to improve and become a 21-14-4 guy. He is currently 16-11-1.5, so he has a long way to go, but KG was around 18-9-4 when he was 21. He numbers climbed for 5 of the next 6 years until he was all of the way up to 24-14-5. Assuming that Al's numbers even go up by 1/3 over the same 6-year period, he will be at 21 points, 14.5 rebounds and 2 assists by age 27. Kevin Garnett ain't gonna be putting up those numbers at age 38....
C) Craig Smith and Ryan Gomes both play very well this year -- this is a crucial event for the Wolves. Because both are free agents after the season. So, what you want is for both to play well this year so that you can trade one of them at the trading deadline (along with, say, Ricky Davis and/or Marko Jaric and/or Rashad McCants) and get a nice player in return. Then you sign the other one at the end of the season.
D) You have to figure that the Wolves will eventually get a decent coach. I mean, Randy Wittman really appears to have no flippin' clue as to what he is doing. So, suppose he goes 15-67 with this squad this year and gets canned. The Wolves find someone who is halfway decent to do the job. Suddenly your team gets 10 wins better AND........
E) Big Draft Choices Are Almost a Certainty -- When you go 15-67, you are gonna pick no worse than #4. In next year's draft you have O.J. Mayo, Eric Gordon, both the huge centers who didn't come out this year (Hibbert and Thabeet), Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, Budinger, etc., etc. The Wolves are going to add a great player in 2008 and then will have two picks in 2009.
F) After a 15-67 Campaign, Glen Taylor will have to fire McHale -- I mean, he has said for 2 years that he is grooming Fred Hoiberg for the job. After year 3, he is "groomed" -- time to go, Mr. McHale.
G) Now, it is June of 2008. You have figured out that Randy Foye and Gerald Green can play and Sebastian Telfair and Rashad McCants can't. You are done with Theo Ratliff at $12MM. You have decided which of your 11 power forwards you want to keep. And Mark Blount is one year closer to coming off your cap.
You pick up your draft pick (say Mayo).
So, what you have in 2008-09 is this:
Decent Coach, New GM
Foye
O.J. Mayo
Al Jefferson
Gerald Green
Corey Brewer
Off the pine you have the better of Gomes/Smith and the guy you traded the other guy to get.
You deal some of your other young players for a veteran big man (a better Juwan Howard type), pick up a center somewhere along the line, find a veteran backup point guard. That is a great exciting squad.
Since Garnett has blown out his back, the Celtics are 35-47 and you are set to get their 2009 pick (unless it is top 3) and your own pick (if lottery -- otherwise goes to Clippers).
You are rocking!
So, I can see the Wolves winning this trade. It is just that a lot of things have to fall into place.
A) Kevin could hurt his back. I have always thought that Kevin is a lot like David Robinson -- tall, lanky, good rebounder, not a particularly natural scorer, but a guy who scores nonetheless. Once David hurt his back, his minutes per game dropped off substantially and, as a result, so did his per game production. Similarly, Barkley at the end of his career lost all his lift because he had a bad back. See also Larry Johnson's career. If KG gets a bad back, he becomes an average to good NBA player whom the Celts are paying $105,000,000 to over the next 5 years. Wow.
B) Al Jefferson continues to improve and become a 21-14-4 guy. He is currently 16-11-1.5, so he has a long way to go, but KG was around 18-9-4 when he was 21. He numbers climbed for 5 of the next 6 years until he was all of the way up to 24-14-5. Assuming that Al's numbers even go up by 1/3 over the same 6-year period, he will be at 21 points, 14.5 rebounds and 2 assists by age 27. Kevin Garnett ain't gonna be putting up those numbers at age 38....
C) Craig Smith and Ryan Gomes both play very well this year -- this is a crucial event for the Wolves. Because both are free agents after the season. So, what you want is for both to play well this year so that you can trade one of them at the trading deadline (along with, say, Ricky Davis and/or Marko Jaric and/or Rashad McCants) and get a nice player in return. Then you sign the other one at the end of the season.
D) You have to figure that the Wolves will eventually get a decent coach. I mean, Randy Wittman really appears to have no flippin' clue as to what he is doing. So, suppose he goes 15-67 with this squad this year and gets canned. The Wolves find someone who is halfway decent to do the job. Suddenly your team gets 10 wins better AND........
E) Big Draft Choices Are Almost a Certainty -- When you go 15-67, you are gonna pick no worse than #4. In next year's draft you have O.J. Mayo, Eric Gordon, both the huge centers who didn't come out this year (Hibbert and Thabeet), Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, Budinger, etc., etc. The Wolves are going to add a great player in 2008 and then will have two picks in 2009.
F) After a 15-67 Campaign, Glen Taylor will have to fire McHale -- I mean, he has said for 2 years that he is grooming Fred Hoiberg for the job. After year 3, he is "groomed" -- time to go, Mr. McHale.
G) Now, it is June of 2008. You have figured out that Randy Foye and Gerald Green can play and Sebastian Telfair and Rashad McCants can't. You are done with Theo Ratliff at $12MM. You have decided which of your 11 power forwards you want to keep. And Mark Blount is one year closer to coming off your cap.
You pick up your draft pick (say Mayo).
So, what you have in 2008-09 is this:
Decent Coach, New GM
Foye
O.J. Mayo
Al Jefferson
Gerald Green
Corey Brewer
Off the pine you have the better of Gomes/Smith and the guy you traded the other guy to get.
You deal some of your other young players for a veteran big man (a better Juwan Howard type), pick up a center somewhere along the line, find a veteran backup point guard. That is a great exciting squad.
Since Garnett has blown out his back, the Celtics are 35-47 and you are set to get their 2009 pick (unless it is top 3) and your own pick (if lottery -- otherwise goes to Clippers).
You are rocking!
So, I can see the Wolves winning this trade. It is just that a lot of things have to fall into place.
Suckman Troy Hudson -- Bought Out By the Wolves for $10MM
Troy's agent then has the balls to say that Troy has finally been released from the jail he has been in and now has a chance to contribute elsewhere. Oh, really? Some Huddy highlights:
AOL Revives "Chick Tourney" For Sports
Look, I am all for this (particularly if it comes with pictures) but the results thus far are more than a little bizarre:
Daniela Hantchukova over Rachel Wacholder? Have you actually seen the two women voters? Come on. One is a stick figure, the other has a seriously smoking bod.
Sasha Cohen over Ana Ivanovic? Come on, Cohen looks 10. I am very, very disturbed by this vote and I think that after casting these votes the guys went and watched four hours of "Barney" reruns, by themselves.
Paula Creamer over Allison Stokke??? Now we are just not trying. Creamer looks like a young chunkier version of Dottie Pepper. Stokke is stunning. So????? Yep, gotta go with the worse-looking version of Dottie.
And finally -- Swin Cash over Sue Bird? Really? Compare the two pics above. Sue is a human-sized woman who once agreed to be spanked by a radio DJ if she lost a bet. Swin is a giant (look at those hands!) who may be the worst on-air announcer of all time. How many times did Bret Michaels get to vote?
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