While this blog hasn't had much to talk about concerning baseball, I will quickly post my playoff predictions.
You have to understand, being a Pirates fan, baseball season is over in late May, early June. That is when the push to contend dies out and it's time to call up the prospects, and trade away the major-league talent.
AL Divisional Series:
Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays: Rays in 5.
New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins: Yankees in 4
NL Divisional Series:
Cincinatti Reds vs. Philadelphia Phillies: Phillies in 4
Atlanta Braves vs. San Francisco Giants: Giants in 5
AL Championship Series
New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays: Yankees in 6
NL Championship Series
San Francisco Giants vs. Philadelphia Phillies: Phillies in 5
2010 World Series
New York Yankees vs. Philadelphia Phillies: Yankees in 7
I mean why wouldn't the Yankees win in the year that Steinbrenner died. All the eggplant calzone lovers of the world rejoice.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Ten Things We Learned after the Ryder Cup 1) Never again in 2) When did our country's colors change? It seems that Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin and his wife have forgotten that our colors are red, white, and blue. Our Ryder Cup team should be wearing some combination of these colors every day and not the ridiculous lavender and black that they were wearing the first couple days of play. This is a no-brainer along with staying away from 5 button V-neck lavender sweaters that made our team look like a golf league from a retirement home. These guys look fine every other weekend of the year when they dress themselves and then the Pavin's make them like clowns and embarrass them like Ralphie from the "Christmas Story" with his bunny outfit. 3) Pavin joins the list: Thanks to Kite, Sutton, and Strange, Pavin will not be on the top of the list of worst captains, but some of his decisions made you scratch your head and needed an explanation that he wouldn't give. Like previously stated this competition was played in 4) Why does the 5) The Euros have a home course advantage and we need one in 2012: The Europeans should get full credit for tailoring the course to their players. Making the Par 5's all but unreachable for everyone but a select few of long hitters and growing the rough so that accuracy of the tee became paramount. The Euros also had a huge advantage on the greens that were as slow as a "Biggest Loser" relay race. The 6) Speaking of the 7) Steve Stricker becomes a standout: There was no better American player in this competition than Stricker. He was steady and spectacular and if you had to put your bankroll on an American in match play he became the easy choice. His play allowed Tiger to find his game early and his ability to roll in putts on top of the Euros was remarkable. In the most impressive win of the competition he beat Westwood in the opening match of singles that started an almost historic 8) Tiger/Phil: Tiger was part of the best 9) Are Ross Fisher and Ian Poulter golfers or wrestlers? The crazy eyes staring after making a putt to win a hole is something that I thought I would only see on Monday Night Raw. This becomes especially irritating when the crowd is singing Ole and the Euros are wining holes with pars. I admit I am still bitter and wish more people on our team were quoted as saying the Ryder Cup is their favorite event like these two. 10) Monty, Westwood, and Donald: They might not have a major between them but their Ryder Cup records secure their place in |
Monday, October 4, 2010
First NBA Preview, But It Won't Be the Last
It’s the first week of October. My favorite football team is looking like the best in the league by most accounts. My keeper fantasy squad is showing promise, not only this year, but for years to come. This is the best time of the year weather-wise in San Diego; the average high temperature ranges from 71-74 degrees and the forecast fluctuates between mostly sunny and sunny. But the thing I’m looking forward to most: The start of the NBA Season.
This has to be the most anticipated season ever. Think about all the storylines. The new big three in Miami. Carmelo doing everything he can to force a trade without blatantly asking for one. Shaq Diesel signing with Boston and refusing to walk off into the sunset. The new big three in Miami. Kobe and Phil reloading and going for another three-peat. Kevin Durant coming off the most impressive individual performance since Jamie Foxx in Ray at the Worlds this summer. The new big three in Miami. Seeing if Amare can rekindle the magic with D’Antoni but without Steve Nash (I’m not optimistic). Trying to figure out what is going on inside Maverick Carter’s head. Ron Artest possibly understanding what constitutes an European country. (Artest says that the entire Spurs team is made up of European players. Actual European players on the Spurs roster: 1.) The new big three in Miami. Russian Millionaire Prokhorov throwing money into the Nets franchise. Next year’s lockout looming over everything. And, in case you spaced out the first few times: the new big three in Miami.
Really, the Miami Heat are going to be like nothing we have ever seen. And I’m not talking about their actual on-court play. Sure that’s going to be fantastic television, but I’m talking more about the hype that surrounds them. What percentage of their games this year are going to be the top story on SportsCenter? 85%? 90%? I don’t care if it’s a midweek 50 point blowout in Minnesota. There’s going to have to be another Tiger Woods-Escalade-level news story to push it past the first commercial break. And I’ll sit on my couch in amazement watching every highlight.
When Lebron first announced he was taking his talents to South Beach, the majority of people believed that he was going to play second star to Dwayne Wade. Wade’s been there for 7 years. He already won a title there. And he’s been the best player in any sport in Miami since Dan Marino. As the summer has gone on, I realized that initial belief isn’t true. While Lebron may play second option to Wade, he’s not going to be a second star to anyone.
In the four months since The Decision, Lebron has transformed into the most polarizing figure in the sports. He’s a villain now. Think about that. In one summer, he went from the most popular, most beloved, most commercially viable NBA player since Jordan to an absolute villain. And he didn’t cheat on his wife, use steroids, punch a fan, or use the race card (Oh wait...never mind about that last one.) It all came down to two things: 1) He has the worst PR team of any public figure ever and 2) He began to refer to himself in the third person (the same reason I never respected Ricky Henderson).
Part of me hopes that he embraces his new role. I don’t understand why no one ever does this. (Bill Simmons first pointed this out about Tiger) Just channel his inner Kenny Powers and say, “F#$% it, you guys all hate me. That’s fine. I’m rich and better at basketball than you are at anything. Why the hell would I care what you think of me?” And really, his PR team seems to be bad enough that they might actually suggest this for him. I mean, his manager was not only sitting right beside him when Lebron played the race card last week, he actually elaborated on it for him. But eventually, someone will get to him (by someone, I mean David Stern) and explain how much money he will be losing in possible endorsements and Lebron will start the long path the public redemption. And that’s why I’m here. To make a guide for Lebron to follow as he tries to reach salvation from third-person-itis.
There are four steps:
1) Save the dunk contest. Lebron has said he would enter in the past but has backed out when the time came to submit his name. The main reason: He jumps too powerfully to do tricks. Visual proof of what I mean:
If he tries to do a 360, he’ll hit his head off the rim by the time he gets to 180. But there are ways to use this to your advantage in a dunk contest. Here’s what I would do if I was 6’9, 260 pounds, and could jump like Lebron.
Dunk 1 - The windmill of all windmills - He’ll have the advantage of hype going into his first dunk, so he can afford to do a relatively simple dunk, as long as he does it well.
Dunk 2 - Steal Dwight Howard’s “High Hoop” dunk - Howard raised the hoop to 12 feet in his second dunk contest. It was a great idea. The problem was that, even at 12 feet, it was too easy for him. It just didn’t look that impressive. So Lebron has to practice this ahead of time to find out the perfect height (the height that he has to stretch every muscle to reach).
Dunk 3 - Foul Line Dunk - And by this, I mean an actual foul line dunk. Not from a foot inside the line, not with your toe on the line, but leaving the ground without touching any of the paint. You know Lebron can do this with ease if he gets a running start.
Dunk 4 - Dunk over a life-size cardboard cut-out of Charles Barkley - He would have to play up the drama. Talk trash with Barkley after his first few dunks. Have a sheet covering the cut-out as he brings it on the court and have Barkley’s fave five friend, Wade, remove it as Lebron gets ready. You can’t tell me that TNT wouldn’t eat this up.
2) Accept the facilitator role and try for a triple double average. Lebron’s game is closer to Magic Johnson than Kobe Bryant. He was only asked to be a dominant scorer in Cleveland because...well, who else was going to score? And he did an amazing job while he was there. He is third all-time in career points per game with 27.8, so obviously he can score if he is forced to. But now that he has stars around him, he can play a more natural position of point forward. Think about Lebron running the point with Wade, Mike Miller, Bosh, and Haslem (or pretty much any other human being). He’ll average an easy 22-10-12. As his points decrease and his assists increase, suddenly the public will realize how unselfish of a move it was to give up individual scoring titles to win NBA titles.
3) Apologize to Cleveland. His relationship with Cleveland was basically the script of She’s All That with a more realistic ending. The popular guy asks the plain, beautiful-on-the-inside loner to the prom on a bet. The more they hang out, the more they realize they’re made for each other. As prom night approaches, she thinks they may spend the rest of their lives in each other’s arms. At the prom, Freddie Prince Jr. (Lebron) is announced as prom king and struts on stage to give his speech. This is where the realistic part of the script kicks in. He announces that he has found the love of his life and she is in the audience tonight. As he scans the crowd, he makes eye contact with his date and smiles. “She’s right there,” as he points in her direction. The girl yells out, “I love you too!” Freddie Prince smirks “No, no, no, not you. I was talking about her,” and he points to the hot blonde right behind her.
Freddie Prince broke her heart in front of everyone they know. Lebron broke Cleveland’s heart in front of everyone with a TV. The public always sides with the broken hearted. So, Lebron has to swallow his pride and write a letter of apology to Cleveland as a whole (he can leave out Dan Gilbert if he wants). Cleveland almost certainly won’t accept his apology, but the rest of America will recognize the remorse.
4) Win Championships. TItles make everyone forget about the past. Case in point: Kobe Bryant.
So there you go, Lebron. It only took you three months to ruin your image. If you follow these simple steps, you can redeem yourself within the next nine months.
This has to be the most anticipated season ever. Think about all the storylines. The new big three in Miami. Carmelo doing everything he can to force a trade without blatantly asking for one. Shaq Diesel signing with Boston and refusing to walk off into the sunset. The new big three in Miami. Kobe and Phil reloading and going for another three-peat. Kevin Durant coming off the most impressive individual performance since Jamie Foxx in Ray at the Worlds this summer. The new big three in Miami. Seeing if Amare can rekindle the magic with D’Antoni but without Steve Nash (I’m not optimistic). Trying to figure out what is going on inside Maverick Carter’s head. Ron Artest possibly understanding what constitutes an European country. (Artest says that the entire Spurs team is made up of European players. Actual European players on the Spurs roster: 1.) The new big three in Miami. Russian Millionaire Prokhorov throwing money into the Nets franchise. Next year’s lockout looming over everything. And, in case you spaced out the first few times: the new big three in Miami.
Really, the Miami Heat are going to be like nothing we have ever seen. And I’m not talking about their actual on-court play. Sure that’s going to be fantastic television, but I’m talking more about the hype that surrounds them. What percentage of their games this year are going to be the top story on SportsCenter? 85%? 90%? I don’t care if it’s a midweek 50 point blowout in Minnesota. There’s going to have to be another Tiger Woods-Escalade-level news story to push it past the first commercial break. And I’ll sit on my couch in amazement watching every highlight.
When Lebron first announced he was taking his talents to South Beach, the majority of people believed that he was going to play second star to Dwayne Wade. Wade’s been there for 7 years. He already won a title there. And he’s been the best player in any sport in Miami since Dan Marino. As the summer has gone on, I realized that initial belief isn’t true. While Lebron may play second option to Wade, he’s not going to be a second star to anyone.
In the four months since The Decision, Lebron has transformed into the most polarizing figure in the sports. He’s a villain now. Think about that. In one summer, he went from the most popular, most beloved, most commercially viable NBA player since Jordan to an absolute villain. And he didn’t cheat on his wife, use steroids, punch a fan, or use the race card (Oh wait...never mind about that last one.) It all came down to two things: 1) He has the worst PR team of any public figure ever and 2) He began to refer to himself in the third person (the same reason I never respected Ricky Henderson).
Part of me hopes that he embraces his new role. I don’t understand why no one ever does this. (Bill Simmons first pointed this out about Tiger) Just channel his inner Kenny Powers and say, “F#$% it, you guys all hate me. That’s fine. I’m rich and better at basketball than you are at anything. Why the hell would I care what you think of me?” And really, his PR team seems to be bad enough that they might actually suggest this for him. I mean, his manager was not only sitting right beside him when Lebron played the race card last week, he actually elaborated on it for him. But eventually, someone will get to him (by someone, I mean David Stern) and explain how much money he will be losing in possible endorsements and Lebron will start the long path the public redemption. And that’s why I’m here. To make a guide for Lebron to follow as he tries to reach salvation from third-person-itis.
There are four steps:
1) Save the dunk contest. Lebron has said he would enter in the past but has backed out when the time came to submit his name. The main reason: He jumps too powerfully to do tricks. Visual proof of what I mean:
If he tries to do a 360, he’ll hit his head off the rim by the time he gets to 180. But there are ways to use this to your advantage in a dunk contest. Here’s what I would do if I was 6’9, 260 pounds, and could jump like Lebron.
Dunk 1 - The windmill of all windmills - He’ll have the advantage of hype going into his first dunk, so he can afford to do a relatively simple dunk, as long as he does it well.
Dunk 2 - Steal Dwight Howard’s “High Hoop” dunk - Howard raised the hoop to 12 feet in his second dunk contest. It was a great idea. The problem was that, even at 12 feet, it was too easy for him. It just didn’t look that impressive. So Lebron has to practice this ahead of time to find out the perfect height (the height that he has to stretch every muscle to reach).
Dunk 3 - Foul Line Dunk - And by this, I mean an actual foul line dunk. Not from a foot inside the line, not with your toe on the line, but leaving the ground without touching any of the paint. You know Lebron can do this with ease if he gets a running start.
Dunk 4 - Dunk over a life-size cardboard cut-out of Charles Barkley - He would have to play up the drama. Talk trash with Barkley after his first few dunks. Have a sheet covering the cut-out as he brings it on the court and have Barkley’s fave five friend, Wade, remove it as Lebron gets ready. You can’t tell me that TNT wouldn’t eat this up.
2) Accept the facilitator role and try for a triple double average. Lebron’s game is closer to Magic Johnson than Kobe Bryant. He was only asked to be a dominant scorer in Cleveland because...well, who else was going to score? And he did an amazing job while he was there. He is third all-time in career points per game with 27.8, so obviously he can score if he is forced to. But now that he has stars around him, he can play a more natural position of point forward. Think about Lebron running the point with Wade, Mike Miller, Bosh, and Haslem (or pretty much any other human being). He’ll average an easy 22-10-12. As his points decrease and his assists increase, suddenly the public will realize how unselfish of a move it was to give up individual scoring titles to win NBA titles.
3) Apologize to Cleveland. His relationship with Cleveland was basically the script of She’s All That with a more realistic ending. The popular guy asks the plain, beautiful-on-the-inside loner to the prom on a bet. The more they hang out, the more they realize they’re made for each other. As prom night approaches, she thinks they may spend the rest of their lives in each other’s arms. At the prom, Freddie Prince Jr. (Lebron) is announced as prom king and struts on stage to give his speech. This is where the realistic part of the script kicks in. He announces that he has found the love of his life and she is in the audience tonight. As he scans the crowd, he makes eye contact with his date and smiles. “She’s right there,” as he points in her direction. The girl yells out, “I love you too!” Freddie Prince smirks “No, no, no, not you. I was talking about her,” and he points to the hot blonde right behind her.
Freddie Prince broke her heart in front of everyone they know. Lebron broke Cleveland’s heart in front of everyone with a TV. The public always sides with the broken hearted. So, Lebron has to swallow his pride and write a letter of apology to Cleveland as a whole (he can leave out Dan Gilbert if he wants). Cleveland almost certainly won’t accept his apology, but the rest of America will recognize the remorse.
4) Win Championships. TItles make everyone forget about the past. Case in point: Kobe Bryant.
So there you go, Lebron. It only took you three months to ruin your image. If you follow these simple steps, you can redeem yourself within the next nine months.
Steelers vs Ravens
Still pretty bummed that the Steelers couldn't close out the Ravens yesterday afternoon. 4-0, with a pissed off Ben, now that would be awesome. Here are my thoughts.
I don't know why every sports outlet was calling the Ravens victory an upset. Ok the Steelers were 3-0 and the Ravens were 2-1. Baltimore had its full complement of players, minus an semi-injured, but active Ray Rice. The Steelers had Charlie Batch at QB. Nothing against Charlie, he did an admirable job, but come on. How can a Ravens team, projected before the season by many to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, be considered underdogs to a team quarterbacked by Charlie Batch. Even Vegas didn't consider the Steelers favorites. They were only giving 1.5 points to the Ravens. Typically a home team, which the Steelers were, are awarded 3 points for just being at home.
Is it me or is Phil Simms the smartest man on Earth? He knows everything, especially after it has already happened.
Looks like Ike Taylor will be wearing pink gloves for the rest of the season. They are the only color that he can actually catch a ball in.
Ray Lewis was exceptionally quiet, except for that pick at the end of the game. Must have been too tired from all that praying and thanking God he isn't sharing a cell with Rae Carruth.
Michael Oher's movie The Blind Side should have been named The Offside. He moved early every play, but never was called. Speaking of the movie, I just watched it today on HBO, and it was not too bad. I'm normally not a fan of Disney remaking sports movies, but this one was decent.
Is anyone happier than Mike Wallace that Ben is coming back? How many times has he been underthrown in the first 4 games? Atleast twice yesterday Charlie couldn't get it far enough for the speed of Wallace.
Jeff Reed, way to earn that raise you are seeking. Granted those were tough kicks into the open end of Heinz, but wasn't your argument during negotiations that you were a clutch kicker at Heinz. Hmmmm
Terrell Suggs should be getting a call soon from ProActive to be their next endorsement.
As I keep saying, GIVE WOODLEY HIS MONEY
Some other sports-related things:
Nice to see LT and TO revert to their old forms. In one of my fantasy leagues, I started them both this week. Needless to say I crushed.
Happy to see Tiger do well. Unlike another staffer, I do support Tiger. When he's on it makes golf so much better to watch. 7-under in a 7 hole stretch is pretty good. I don't care how people perceive Tiger in the Ryder Cup, he is no where near as bad as Phil. Because Phil is so "lovable" he gets a pass for his atrocious play in team competition.
As for the Ryder Cup, Pavin was a horrible captain. His team looked so unmotivated, with no sense of direction, compatibility, or enjoyment. Did they really look like they were rooting for each other? Didn't look that way to me. It's becoming embarrassing how Americans are being dressed in world competitions. The Ryder Cup is notoriously bad, but so are the Olympics. We look like clowns.
It's bittersweet that Billy Guerin got cut by the Flyers. It's awesome that I won't have to root against the guy, he's a great guy that brought a lot to the Pens in his 1.5 years here. I thank him for all of his contributions. However, being cut might signify the end of one of the greatest careers by any American hockey player.
So happy that Stevie was back in last night's episode of Eastbound and Down. He's my favorite episode. Opening the show with him having sex with a black hooker was hilarious. His love and admiration for Kenny is so funny. This season is off to a good start.
Boise's chances for a BCS are pretty much gonzo. Atleast they bumped them early enough that there won't be any discussion and/or controversy later in the year.
That has to be a tough pill for Philly to swallow, losing their "savior" Vick, and watching McNabb come into town and beat them. HAHAHAHAHA. Maybe Andy Reid's son has another QB not named Kevin Kolb concealed in his ass. Google Andy Reid's son if you don't get that reference.
Pirates fired John Russell. Completely undeserved. He was a good manager, very personable, and got the best out of his players. He didn't do that bad. He only lost 299 games in 3 seasons.
I'd like to thank the Bears O-line for getting my QB Cutler killed. I haven't seen someone take that many hits since the last time I bummed a ride from Chris Brown and Rhianna.
The Challenge: Cutthroat starts next week. Possible C.T. sighting.
Enjoy the clip of the week and an awesome Sidney Crosby video.
I don't know why every sports outlet was calling the Ravens victory an upset. Ok the Steelers were 3-0 and the Ravens were 2-1. Baltimore had its full complement of players, minus an semi-injured, but active Ray Rice. The Steelers had Charlie Batch at QB. Nothing against Charlie, he did an admirable job, but come on. How can a Ravens team, projected before the season by many to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, be considered underdogs to a team quarterbacked by Charlie Batch. Even Vegas didn't consider the Steelers favorites. They were only giving 1.5 points to the Ravens. Typically a home team, which the Steelers were, are awarded 3 points for just being at home.
Is it me or is Phil Simms the smartest man on Earth? He knows everything, especially after it has already happened.
Looks like Ike Taylor will be wearing pink gloves for the rest of the season. They are the only color that he can actually catch a ball in.
Ray Lewis was exceptionally quiet, except for that pick at the end of the game. Must have been too tired from all that praying and thanking God he isn't sharing a cell with Rae Carruth.
Michael Oher's movie The Blind Side should have been named The Offside. He moved early every play, but never was called. Speaking of the movie, I just watched it today on HBO, and it was not too bad. I'm normally not a fan of Disney remaking sports movies, but this one was decent.
Is anyone happier than Mike Wallace that Ben is coming back? How many times has he been underthrown in the first 4 games? Atleast twice yesterday Charlie couldn't get it far enough for the speed of Wallace.
Jeff Reed, way to earn that raise you are seeking. Granted those were tough kicks into the open end of Heinz, but wasn't your argument during negotiations that you were a clutch kicker at Heinz. Hmmmm
Terrell Suggs should be getting a call soon from ProActive to be their next endorsement.
As I keep saying, GIVE WOODLEY HIS MONEY
Some other sports-related things:
Nice to see LT and TO revert to their old forms. In one of my fantasy leagues, I started them both this week. Needless to say I crushed.
Happy to see Tiger do well. Unlike another staffer, I do support Tiger. When he's on it makes golf so much better to watch. 7-under in a 7 hole stretch is pretty good. I don't care how people perceive Tiger in the Ryder Cup, he is no where near as bad as Phil. Because Phil is so "lovable" he gets a pass for his atrocious play in team competition.
As for the Ryder Cup, Pavin was a horrible captain. His team looked so unmotivated, with no sense of direction, compatibility, or enjoyment. Did they really look like they were rooting for each other? Didn't look that way to me. It's becoming embarrassing how Americans are being dressed in world competitions. The Ryder Cup is notoriously bad, but so are the Olympics. We look like clowns.
It's bittersweet that Billy Guerin got cut by the Flyers. It's awesome that I won't have to root against the guy, he's a great guy that brought a lot to the Pens in his 1.5 years here. I thank him for all of his contributions. However, being cut might signify the end of one of the greatest careers by any American hockey player.
So happy that Stevie was back in last night's episode of Eastbound and Down. He's my favorite episode. Opening the show with him having sex with a black hooker was hilarious. His love and admiration for Kenny is so funny. This season is off to a good start.
Boise's chances for a BCS are pretty much gonzo. Atleast they bumped them early enough that there won't be any discussion and/or controversy later in the year.
That has to be a tough pill for Philly to swallow, losing their "savior" Vick, and watching McNabb come into town and beat them. HAHAHAHAHA. Maybe Andy Reid's son has another QB not named Kevin Kolb concealed in his ass. Google Andy Reid's son if you don't get that reference.
Pirates fired John Russell. Completely undeserved. He was a good manager, very personable, and got the best out of his players. He didn't do that bad. He only lost 299 games in 3 seasons.
I'd like to thank the Bears O-line for getting my QB Cutler killed. I haven't seen someone take that many hits since the last time I bummed a ride from Chris Brown and Rhianna.
The Challenge: Cutthroat starts next week. Possible C.T. sighting.
Enjoy the clip of the week and an awesome Sidney Crosby video.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
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