Here's what I'm NOT going to do; read a bunch of "expert" series picks, and then reword their predictions as if they were my own, when I really have no idea about the strengths and weaknesses of each team.
Plenty of fools already do that for you. I pity the fools. That's right, Mr. T. You have a problem with that?
Here is what I can tell you from my limited basketball knowledge (and this isn't going to be all that shocking or original, either...); The Mavericks and the Suns are really, really good.
And the Spurs and Pistons aren't half bad either. Especially when the playoffs roll around.
In the end, it will be one of those 4 teams. There really isn't any magic in the NBA, because the best teams are simply tiers above the rest. You don't get wild card teams going all the way like in baseball or football, and you don't get 8-seeds going to the finals like you do in hockey.
The Rockets have no chance. If they beat the Jazz, they face off against the Mavericks next. Then, miraculously, they win that series, they face off against the Suns. 2 miracles later, you play the best of the East, which despite the fact that its a joke of a conference as far as depth is concerned, its got a few decent teams in it that could conceivably beat whatever beat-up team comes out of the West.
It'll be the Pistons out of the East. If anyone beats them, it'll be the Cavs or the Bulls. But I don't think that is going to happen.
It'll be the Mavs out of the West. Anyone picking Golden State in this series is a bigger joke then I was for picking the Wild over the Ducks. Seriously, get over it Golden State fans. You are going to lose this series in 5 games maximum.
My radio show co-host Brandon Marcus said to me "I hope the Mavericks lose that series so I can give you heat for it". I'd like ALL of you to give me heat for it. Go ahead. If the series goes to SIX, make my life a living hell.
All that said, if anyone will actually beat the Mavericks, it'll be the Suns. When these two teams face off, it'll be a playoff basketball series I'll actually watch; and that is saying something. I don't think the Spurs have what it takes to keep up with either of these teams this year; but time will tell.
So, Mavs/Suns over Pistons in the finals. Shocking. Don't think anyone has ever made this prediction, have they? I feel so original.
For the record, I bet the Phoenix Suns 1 Unit to win 6 Units at the beginning of the year. Now they are bet 1 to win 2. Go Suns!
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Turco and Hamels dominate the day; and a note on Kings Hockey
Good goaltending and good pitching. Man, it just doesn't get better.
Wonder-kid Cole Hamels, now the undisputed ace of the Phillies pitching staff with Brett Myers' demotion (which is still dumbfounding to me), put up a pretty decent line today;
9 innings pitched, 5 hits, 2 walks, 1 earned run, and the win.
Oh, and FIFTEEN strikeouts.
That lowers his season ERA to 2.57 and catapults him into the league lead in strike outs.
This kid is the real deal. I've been a huge fan since his debut last year, and think he will be a premier pitcher in the league for years to come; as long as he can avoid the shoulder issues that plagued him when he was younger.
Now, on to Marty Turco.
The same Marty Turco that has been single handedly blamed for every playoff series the Stars have been in since he has been their starter. And rightfully so. The guy was always a brick wall during the regular season, but he was very human between the pipes in the playoffs. If he didn't show something this year, he was on his way out in Dallas.
And he's shown something alright.
His shutout tonight marks his 3rd of the series. Yes, 3rd. Of the series. 3 shutouts in a single post season is impressive enough.
Turco has officially shut up his critics with this line: 1.20 Goal Against Average and a .955 Save Percentage. He's stopping an average of more than 19 of every 20 shots he faces.
And remember, he gave up 4 goals in the first 3 periods of this series. Since then?
0.77 GAA, .972 SV%
Dallas is going to head into Vancouver and win this series, as I predicted they would in the first place. And they are going to do it because of; not in spite of; Marty Turco.
Lastly, I read a pretty solid article on the Kings and the rebuild they are going through right now tonight. As I often try to explain to people, the Kings are heading in the right direction. The article isn't perfect, but its a pretty good sum up of what the Kings are doing right as well as what they still need to do to become a playoff team. Check it out.
Wonder-kid Cole Hamels, now the undisputed ace of the Phillies pitching staff with Brett Myers' demotion (which is still dumbfounding to me), put up a pretty decent line today;
9 innings pitched, 5 hits, 2 walks, 1 earned run, and the win.
Oh, and FIFTEEN strikeouts.
That lowers his season ERA to 2.57 and catapults him into the league lead in strike outs.
This kid is the real deal. I've been a huge fan since his debut last year, and think he will be a premier pitcher in the league for years to come; as long as he can avoid the shoulder issues that plagued him when he was younger.
Now, on to Marty Turco.
The same Marty Turco that has been single handedly blamed for every playoff series the Stars have been in since he has been their starter. And rightfully so. The guy was always a brick wall during the regular season, but he was very human between the pipes in the playoffs. If he didn't show something this year, he was on his way out in Dallas.
And he's shown something alright.
His shutout tonight marks his 3rd of the series. Yes, 3rd. Of the series. 3 shutouts in a single post season is impressive enough.
Turco has officially shut up his critics with this line: 1.20 Goal Against Average and a .955 Save Percentage. He's stopping an average of more than 19 of every 20 shots he faces.
And remember, he gave up 4 goals in the first 3 periods of this series. Since then?
0.77 GAA, .972 SV%
Dallas is going to head into Vancouver and win this series, as I predicted they would in the first place. And they are going to do it because of; not in spite of; Marty Turco.
Lastly, I read a pretty solid article on the Kings and the rebuild they are going through right now tonight. As I often try to explain to people, the Kings are heading in the right direction. The article isn't perfect, but its a pretty good sum up of what the Kings are doing right as well as what they still need to do to become a playoff team. Check it out.
Sabres and Sharks take care of business
Series Result: Buffalo Sabres over New York Islanders in 5
My Prediction: Buffalo Sabres over New York Islanders in 4
No surprises at all here. The only concern from the Sabres' point of view was the lack of complete dominance in the series; games were a lot closer than they should have been when you consider how much better of a team Buffalo is. But that is being extremely nit-picky; this is playoff hockey. You can expect to be playing opponents at their best, and all that really matters when it is all said and done is who is leading when the last buzzer sounds.
Now, the Sabres just need to watch and wait to see how the Tampa Bay / New Jersey series pans out. A New Jersey win lands them a bid against the Rangers. A Tampa Bay upset will result in a series against Buffalo. Either way, you have to consider the Sabres the favorite, but both of these teams - especially the Rangers - don't look to be going down easy to anyone this year.
Series Result: San Jose Sharks over Nashville Predators in 5
My Prediction: San Jose Sharks over Nashville Predators in 7
I'm glad to see the Sharks win this series for multiple reasons. First of all, I've got money on them to win the Stanley Cup. Second of all, I think they are the team with the best chance to beat the Ducks in the West. And, lastly, with the way that the Predators were cheap-shotting this series, it would have been a shame to see the Sharks fall that way.
This Sharks team was my early favorite out of the West, and they played like it in this series, overcoming a vastly talented team in Nashville; and doing it in only 5 games, too. While I've conceded that the Ducks are the team to beat in the West, I still do like the Sharks' chances to do damage. With the Flames and Stars still hanging on for dear life, the West is still full of question marks; but one thing is for sure, I'll be taking the Sharks over WHOEVER they play in the 2nd round (unless its the Ducks... I'll save that can of worms until its in front of me, thank you).
Huge disappointment for Nashville, who looked like a championship-calibur team all season long. Going out and getting Forsberg at the expense of some young talent was supposed to translate into playoff success; not just a single playoff win. But with goaltenders Tomas Vokoun and Chris Mason both locked up through next year, the Predators have the most important position in hockey nice and sound; and even have a bit of room to maneuver if they decided to deal Mason. They'll likely be back in the thick of things next year; but with Kariya and Forsberg both unrestricted free agents, this would have been a nice year for them to get hot.
My Prediction: Buffalo Sabres over New York Islanders in 4
No surprises at all here. The only concern from the Sabres' point of view was the lack of complete dominance in the series; games were a lot closer than they should have been when you consider how much better of a team Buffalo is. But that is being extremely nit-picky; this is playoff hockey. You can expect to be playing opponents at their best, and all that really matters when it is all said and done is who is leading when the last buzzer sounds.
Now, the Sabres just need to watch and wait to see how the Tampa Bay / New Jersey series pans out. A New Jersey win lands them a bid against the Rangers. A Tampa Bay upset will result in a series against Buffalo. Either way, you have to consider the Sabres the favorite, but both of these teams - especially the Rangers - don't look to be going down easy to anyone this year.
Series Result: San Jose Sharks over Nashville Predators in 5
My Prediction: San Jose Sharks over Nashville Predators in 7
I'm glad to see the Sharks win this series for multiple reasons. First of all, I've got money on them to win the Stanley Cup. Second of all, I think they are the team with the best chance to beat the Ducks in the West. And, lastly, with the way that the Predators were cheap-shotting this series, it would have been a shame to see the Sharks fall that way.
This Sharks team was my early favorite out of the West, and they played like it in this series, overcoming a vastly talented team in Nashville; and doing it in only 5 games, too. While I've conceded that the Ducks are the team to beat in the West, I still do like the Sharks' chances to do damage. With the Flames and Stars still hanging on for dear life, the West is still full of question marks; but one thing is for sure, I'll be taking the Sharks over WHOEVER they play in the 2nd round (unless its the Ducks... I'll save that can of worms until its in front of me, thank you).
Huge disappointment for Nashville, who looked like a championship-calibur team all season long. Going out and getting Forsberg at the expense of some young talent was supposed to translate into playoff success; not just a single playoff win. But with goaltenders Tomas Vokoun and Chris Mason both locked up through next year, the Predators have the most important position in hockey nice and sound; and even have a bit of room to maneuver if they decided to deal Mason. They'll likely be back in the thick of things next year; but with Kariya and Forsberg both unrestricted free agents, this would have been a nice year for them to get hot.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Picks of the Day
Total: 204.36 Units
San Jose Sharks over Nashville Predators MONEYLINE
Bet 1 Unit to win 1.10 Units
Simply a bargain bet. Nashville should take this game at home, but SJ has been the better team in this series, and there is no reason not to take them with no spread at these odds.
Vancouver Canucks over Dallas Stars MONEYLINE
Bet 1 Unit to win 1.30 Units
(Game played on Saturday)
Same as above, if someone said "Lets flip a coin, if you win I'll give you $13, if I win you give me $10", wouldn't you take it? Every game in this series has been a coin flip, so I'll take Luongo at better-than-even odds.
Good luck!
RESULTS: 1.10 Units Won (205.46 Units)
San Jose Sharks over Nashville Predators MONEYLINE
Bet 1 Unit to win 1.10 Units
Simply a bargain bet. Nashville should take this game at home, but SJ has been the better team in this series, and there is no reason not to take them with no spread at these odds.
Vancouver Canucks over Dallas Stars MONEYLINE
Bet 1 Unit to win 1.30 Units
(Game played on Saturday)
Same as above, if someone said "Lets flip a coin, if you win I'll give you $13, if I win you give me $10", wouldn't you take it? Every game in this series has been a coin flip, so I'll take Luongo at better-than-even odds.
Good luck!
RESULTS: 1.10 Units Won (205.46 Units)
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Senators and Ducks join Rangers at the winner's table
Series Result: Ottawa Senators over Pittsburgh Penguins in 5
My Prediction: Ottawa Senators over Pittsburgh Penguins in 6
Make no mistake about it; this Penguin's team has got the talent. And what is really scary is that the talent; led by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Jordan Staal; all kids younger than me. And my birthday is January 11th, 1986. Scary.
As I assumed would happen, Ottawa's experience just carried them in this series. That, and the fact that they've got themselves a damn good hockey team too. I put $15 on both them and the Sabres at the beginning of the season as teams to go all the way to the cup. And I still stand by those bets, as they are the two best teams in the East. Not to say that the Rangers/Lightning/Devils all don't have a legitimate shot against them... should be some great playoff hockey
Series Result: Anaheim Ducks over Minnesota Wild in 5
My Prediction: Minnesota Wild over Anaheim Ducks in 6
I knew it was a far fetched pick to begin with, but I was expecting a lot more of what I saw in game 4 of this series than in the other 4 games. But, alas, the Ducks were just the flat out better team. And now, I'm at a crossroad; do I analyze this team as the fan that I am, or the journalist I am trying to be? Well, lets do both.
Journalist:
As I discussed here, the Ducks really are the best team in the West. Furthermore, I love their chances to make it all the way to the finals again this year; and heres why. If Vancouver locks up their series against the Stars, and the Red Wings regain their composure and beat Calgary, I think the Ducks have a very favorable match-up against Vancouver. They've got more scoring depth (scored 36 more goals during the regular season), they've got the better defense, and while neither Giguere nor Bryzgalov can match up to Roberto Luongo (who, other than Brodeur and Kiprusoff, can?), the drop off isn't significant to the point where it will be a turning point in the series. Meanwhile, the Sharks/Predators winner (likely the Sharks) would face the Red Wings in what would promise to be both an emotional and physical battle to the finish. Either team isn't as fresh as the Ducks when they face off in the conference finals, who beat the Canucks in a much less heated 5 or 6 game series. I may be underrating the Canucks, and the Red Wings/Flames series isn't over yet... but things may very well be panning out perfectly for the Ducks this post season.
Fan:
Ducks fans do not deserve a team this good. Some Duck fans actually live in Anaheim and, when the franchise was born there, picked it up as their new home team. Fine. Others were fans of the Ducks movies and got into hockey that way, and watched the team when it formed. Okay, very lame, but fine.
The bulk of Ducks fans? Traitor Kings fans and people that just started to like them after their 2003 cup run; bandwagon fans. They hardly ever sell out. 90% of Ducks fans just disgust me. Meanwhile, King's fans who have stuck loyally by their team, some for as many as 40 years, are just now appearing to be heading in the right direction; while the Ducks are already there. And they've got such a strong young core that they aren't going anywhere, either. It is a near-perfectly run organization, and its fans are a bunch of bandwagoners and traitors. Where is the justice?
Oh, and by the way; I know its been said a million times, but Brian Hayward is the worst sack of **** color commentator in sports. Rex Hudler sucks; Angels fans as well as opponents will tell you that much. But Rex is fair; he loves his Angels (too much), but he doesn't bad mouth opposing teams, and gives credit where it is due. No exaggeration, Hayward will call a goal by an opposing team a lucky break if it is thrown on net and deflects in, and in the same exact breath talk about what a great heads up play it was by (insert Duck here) to throw the puck on net into traffic if it were a Ducks' goal. It is repulsive, it is terrible to hear as a sports fan as well as an aspiring journalist.
That last part about Hayward... goes in both the fan AND journalist category. I really do hate the way the guy calls games. Sue me.
My Prediction: Ottawa Senators over Pittsburgh Penguins in 6
Make no mistake about it; this Penguin's team has got the talent. And what is really scary is that the talent; led by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Jordan Staal; all kids younger than me. And my birthday is January 11th, 1986. Scary.
As I assumed would happen, Ottawa's experience just carried them in this series. That, and the fact that they've got themselves a damn good hockey team too. I put $15 on both them and the Sabres at the beginning of the season as teams to go all the way to the cup. And I still stand by those bets, as they are the two best teams in the East. Not to say that the Rangers/Lightning/Devils all don't have a legitimate shot against them... should be some great playoff hockey
Series Result: Anaheim Ducks over Minnesota Wild in 5
My Prediction: Minnesota Wild over Anaheim Ducks in 6
I knew it was a far fetched pick to begin with, but I was expecting a lot more of what I saw in game 4 of this series than in the other 4 games. But, alas, the Ducks were just the flat out better team. And now, I'm at a crossroad; do I analyze this team as the fan that I am, or the journalist I am trying to be? Well, lets do both.
Journalist:
As I discussed here, the Ducks really are the best team in the West. Furthermore, I love their chances to make it all the way to the finals again this year; and heres why. If Vancouver locks up their series against the Stars, and the Red Wings regain their composure and beat Calgary, I think the Ducks have a very favorable match-up against Vancouver. They've got more scoring depth (scored 36 more goals during the regular season), they've got the better defense, and while neither Giguere nor Bryzgalov can match up to Roberto Luongo (who, other than Brodeur and Kiprusoff, can?), the drop off isn't significant to the point where it will be a turning point in the series. Meanwhile, the Sharks/Predators winner (likely the Sharks) would face the Red Wings in what would promise to be both an emotional and physical battle to the finish. Either team isn't as fresh as the Ducks when they face off in the conference finals, who beat the Canucks in a much less heated 5 or 6 game series. I may be underrating the Canucks, and the Red Wings/Flames series isn't over yet... but things may very well be panning out perfectly for the Ducks this post season.
Fan:
Ducks fans do not deserve a team this good. Some Duck fans actually live in Anaheim and, when the franchise was born there, picked it up as their new home team. Fine. Others were fans of the Ducks movies and got into hockey that way, and watched the team when it formed. Okay, very lame, but fine.
The bulk of Ducks fans? Traitor Kings fans and people that just started to like them after their 2003 cup run; bandwagon fans. They hardly ever sell out. 90% of Ducks fans just disgust me. Meanwhile, King's fans who have stuck loyally by their team, some for as many as 40 years, are just now appearing to be heading in the right direction; while the Ducks are already there. And they've got such a strong young core that they aren't going anywhere, either. It is a near-perfectly run organization, and its fans are a bunch of bandwagoners and traitors. Where is the justice?
Oh, and by the way; I know its been said a million times, but Brian Hayward is the worst sack of **** color commentator in sports. Rex Hudler sucks; Angels fans as well as opponents will tell you that much. But Rex is fair; he loves his Angels (too much), but he doesn't bad mouth opposing teams, and gives credit where it is due. No exaggeration, Hayward will call a goal by an opposing team a lucky break if it is thrown on net and deflects in, and in the same exact breath talk about what a great heads up play it was by (insert Duck here) to throw the puck on net into traffic if it were a Ducks' goal. It is repulsive, it is terrible to hear as a sports fan as well as an aspiring journalist.
That last part about Hayward... goes in both the fan AND journalist category. I really do hate the way the guy calls games. Sue me.
Rangers cruise to the only sweep of the first round
Series Result: New York Rangers over Atlanta Thrashers in 4
My Prediction: New York Rangers over Atlanta Thrashers in 6
The end result of the series didn't surprise me at all. What did surprise me, however, was the Rangers' flat out dominance throughout the entire series. After 240 minutes of hockey were in the books, the final score read Rangers: 17, Thrashers: 6.
Thrashers: 6. The same Thrashers that already had Marian Hossa and Ilya Kovalchuk BEFORE adding Keith Tkachuk at the trade deadline. 6 goals was all they could muster in the series, a total trumped by the Rangers in game 3 alone when they won on home ice 7 - 0.
Credit Henrik Lundqvist for his excellent play in goal, but also credit the entire Rangers team for not only keeping pressure on in the offensive zone (averaging 35.75 shots per game), but for keeping pressure off of Lundqvist as well (averaging only 24 shots per game).
Now all the Rangers can do is watch and wait. If Tampa Bay can pull off the upset over New Jersey, the Rangers will play the winner of the Ottawa/Penguins series... which will likely be Ottawa. If Brodeur can power the Devils through that series, the Rangers will face off against the powerhouse of the east; the Buffalo Sabres (yes, I'm writing off the Islanders). Either way, it should make for an explosive series.
As for the Thrashers? Well, they traded away a lot of their farm system for this playoff run, so not winning a single game certainly isn't what they had in mind. All they can do is hope that this playoff experience was valuable, and they can build on it next year... and maybe add a key free agent or two.
My Prediction: New York Rangers over Atlanta Thrashers in 6
The end result of the series didn't surprise me at all. What did surprise me, however, was the Rangers' flat out dominance throughout the entire series. After 240 minutes of hockey were in the books, the final score read Rangers: 17, Thrashers: 6.
Thrashers: 6. The same Thrashers that already had Marian Hossa and Ilya Kovalchuk BEFORE adding Keith Tkachuk at the trade deadline. 6 goals was all they could muster in the series, a total trumped by the Rangers in game 3 alone when they won on home ice 7 - 0.
Credit Henrik Lundqvist for his excellent play in goal, but also credit the entire Rangers team for not only keeping pressure on in the offensive zone (averaging 35.75 shots per game), but for keeping pressure off of Lundqvist as well (averaging only 24 shots per game).
Now all the Rangers can do is watch and wait. If Tampa Bay can pull off the upset over New Jersey, the Rangers will play the winner of the Ottawa/Penguins series... which will likely be Ottawa. If Brodeur can power the Devils through that series, the Rangers will face off against the powerhouse of the east; the Buffalo Sabres (yes, I'm writing off the Islanders). Either way, it should make for an explosive series.
As for the Thrashers? Well, they traded away a lot of their farm system for this playoff run, so not winning a single game certainly isn't what they had in mind. All they can do is hope that this playoff experience was valuable, and they can build on it next year... and maybe add a key free agent or two.
A No-No and a baker's dozen round up a fine day of pitching.
Dan Haren pitched 7 innings of shutout baseball, gave up 4 hits and striking out 3.
John Maine also pitched 7 innings, gave up 2 runs, giving up only two hits while striking out 7.
Neither of those games was bad.
What was downright silly? Well, for starters, Brandon Webb allowed only one earned run in eight innings. Not too surprising. The kicker? 13 strikeouts. That made him the strikeout leader of the league in this young season.
But the real surprise came from a guy who was on my fantasy league's waiver wire; was being the key word, because anyone who tosses a game like he did is worthy of a pick up in my book; Mark Buehrle.
Only one walk away from a perfect game, Buehrle picked off the only runner to reach base. 27 batters up, 27 batters down. Eight of them via strikeout. 0 Hits.
Will this be the start of his return to his ace-like form from a few years back, or is it just a fluke game? Either way, his name has officially been etched into the history books.
Probably the funniest thing I've read in a while, in the 5th inning, Buehrle's teammates were giving him space and not talking to him, as is customary when your pitcher is in the middle of a no-hitter. Buehrle, though, walked up to multiple teammates and said "you know I got a no-hitter going."
Yes. They knew.
Nothing in baseball other than a perfect game is more impressive than a no-hitter. Congratulations Mark.
John Maine also pitched 7 innings, gave up 2 runs, giving up only two hits while striking out 7.
Neither of those games was bad.
What was downright silly? Well, for starters, Brandon Webb allowed only one earned run in eight innings. Not too surprising. The kicker? 13 strikeouts. That made him the strikeout leader of the league in this young season.
But the real surprise came from a guy who was on my fantasy league's waiver wire; was being the key word, because anyone who tosses a game like he did is worthy of a pick up in my book; Mark Buehrle.
Only one walk away from a perfect game, Buehrle picked off the only runner to reach base. 27 batters up, 27 batters down. Eight of them via strikeout. 0 Hits.
Will this be the start of his return to his ace-like form from a few years back, or is it just a fluke game? Either way, his name has officially been etched into the history books.
Probably the funniest thing I've read in a while, in the 5th inning, Buehrle's teammates were giving him space and not talking to him, as is customary when your pitcher is in the middle of a no-hitter. Buehrle, though, walked up to multiple teammates and said "you know I got a no-hitter going."
Yes. They knew.
Nothing in baseball other than a perfect game is more impressive than a no-hitter. Congratulations Mark.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Tim Duncan; If you don't like it, you can giiittttt out!
Well, that's what Joey Crawford said anyway.
For those of you that haven't seen it, check it out here.
I can see both sides of this argument pretty clearly. Yes, Tim Duncan was laughing at the referee's call - disrespectful - and I believe Crawford when he says that he warned Duncan he would be T'd up again if he made any remarks/gestures from the bench. I can also sympathize with Duncan; getting thrown out of a game for laughing is awfully extreme. And why is it that Horry, who is seen laughing out loud while Duncan is being thrown out, isn't also given a technical? Isn't that just as disrespectful, if not more so?
David Stern claims that he had talked to Crawford before about that rule specifically, and when it was and was not appropriate to make a technical foul call. This was why the punishment; being suspended through the NBA playoffs; was deemed appropriate.
The main thing I take from all this really isn't whether or not the call in the game was fair, nor whether or not the suspension was fair. Those can both be argued. What I respect is that David Stern really is - no pun intended - STERN. Actions speak much louder than words, and time and time again, Stern comes down hard with suspensions and fines. What you and I think is irrelevant; Stern felt that the call was unfair and that Crawford was compromising the fairness of the game, and he took the action he deemed appropriate. Kudos to him.
I wish Bud Selig had Stern's toughness. Maybe then something might actually get done, and baseball would be cleaned up a little bit.
For those of you that haven't seen it, check it out here.
I can see both sides of this argument pretty clearly. Yes, Tim Duncan was laughing at the referee's call - disrespectful - and I believe Crawford when he says that he warned Duncan he would be T'd up again if he made any remarks/gestures from the bench. I can also sympathize with Duncan; getting thrown out of a game for laughing is awfully extreme. And why is it that Horry, who is seen laughing out loud while Duncan is being thrown out, isn't also given a technical? Isn't that just as disrespectful, if not more so?
David Stern claims that he had talked to Crawford before about that rule specifically, and when it was and was not appropriate to make a technical foul call. This was why the punishment; being suspended through the NBA playoffs; was deemed appropriate.
The main thing I take from all this really isn't whether or not the call in the game was fair, nor whether or not the suspension was fair. Those can both be argued. What I respect is that David Stern really is - no pun intended - STERN. Actions speak much louder than words, and time and time again, Stern comes down hard with suspensions and fines. What you and I think is irrelevant; Stern felt that the call was unfair and that Crawford was compromising the fairness of the game, and he took the action he deemed appropriate. Kudos to him.
I wish Bud Selig had Stern's toughness. Maybe then something might actually get done, and baseball would be cleaned up a little bit.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Baseball Prospect Lookout: A name you should start looking out for.
The Team: San Francisco Giants
The Kid: Tim Lincecum
In 2006, Lincecum pitched in a few different places. Most notably was his college, Washington.
He started 17 games for the Huskies and pitched 125 and a third innings, ending the season with a 12 - 4 record. He also had a microscopic ERA of 1.94. He also had a nation-best and Pac-10 record 199 strikeouts.
Oh, and I almost forgot! He won the Golden Spikes Award, which honors the best amateur baseball player in the country.
On April 18th, Lincecum faced off against the UCLA Bruins, and won the game 5 - 0.
He struck out 18 batters that night.
Later in 2006, Lincecum joined the Single-A Salem Keizer Volcanoes. He only pitched in 2 games for them, and he only pitched 4 innings. He allowed only 1 hit, and didn't walk anyone. 10 of his 12 outs were strikeouts.
He was soon promoted to the Single-A-Advanced San Jose Giants. He started 6 games for them, and pitched 27 and two thirds innings.
ERA: 1.95
WHIP: (Walks and Hits per Innings Pitched): 0.90
Strike Outs: 48
Now it's 2007, and he's pitching in Triple A Fresno. In 2 games, he is 2 - 0 with a 0.00 ERA, and he has struck out 17 in his 12 innings pitched.
Have I mentioned yet that he has a filthy array of pitches, including a curveball to compliment his high 90's (and sometimes low 100's) fastball?
As soon as San Francisco suffers an injury to their pitching staff, or as soon as one of their starters falters a little too much, Lincecum will find his spot in the bigs, and be this year's Liriano/Verlander/Weaver.
Tick tock, tick tock. The wait is killing me.
The Kid: Tim Lincecum
In 2006, Lincecum pitched in a few different places. Most notably was his college, Washington.
He started 17 games for the Huskies and pitched 125 and a third innings, ending the season with a 12 - 4 record. He also had a microscopic ERA of 1.94. He also had a nation-best and Pac-10 record 199 strikeouts.
Oh, and I almost forgot! He won the Golden Spikes Award, which honors the best amateur baseball player in the country.
On April 18th, Lincecum faced off against the UCLA Bruins, and won the game 5 - 0.
He struck out 18 batters that night.
Later in 2006, Lincecum joined the Single-A Salem Keizer Volcanoes. He only pitched in 2 games for them, and he only pitched 4 innings. He allowed only 1 hit, and didn't walk anyone. 10 of his 12 outs were strikeouts.
He was soon promoted to the Single-A-Advanced San Jose Giants. He started 6 games for them, and pitched 27 and two thirds innings.
ERA: 1.95
WHIP: (Walks and Hits per Innings Pitched): 0.90
Strike Outs: 48
Now it's 2007, and he's pitching in Triple A Fresno. In 2 games, he is 2 - 0 with a 0.00 ERA, and he has struck out 17 in his 12 innings pitched.
Have I mentioned yet that he has a filthy array of pitches, including a curveball to compliment his high 90's (and sometimes low 100's) fastball?
As soon as San Francisco suffers an injury to their pitching staff, or as soon as one of their starters falters a little too much, Lincecum will find his spot in the bigs, and be this year's Liriano/Verlander/Weaver.
Tick tock, tick tock. The wait is killing me.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Jackie Robinson Day: PPD
I'm not going to blog on how great Jackie Robinson was, and about what a pioneer of the game he was, and how he changed the face of professional sports forever.
The reason for that is, plenty of established writers have done that for you today. Go to http://www.mlb.com, http://cbs.sportsline.com, http://www.espn.com, or pretty much any major sports site, and you can read pages upon pages about this guy, including interviews from former teammates, people who were there during the time, etc. I can't hold a candle to that.
And you SHOULD go read those pages and pages. The man is a legend and a hero. His ability to keep a level head through all the seething hate he had to face... the word "admirable" doesn't come close. He was a damn fine ball player and a damn fine human being, too. If you don't know his story... do yourself a favor and go read it.
What I'm going to blog about is how upset I am with all these rain delays. In a day and age where high-tech luxurious domes are the norm, I can't figure out how this year seems to have a disproportional amount of games postponed due to rain, snow, and "cold".
I've been mad about this for the last two weeks, but today it really infuriated me; and not just because it screwed over my fantasy team.
Every park was going to commemorate Jackie Robinson today. Today was supposed to be the day that we payed homage to him in 15 of the league's ballparks. Unfortunately, 33.33% of those ballparks couldn't join in, because the rain was coming down a little too hard in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh.
Is it anyone's fault that mother nature decided to throw a temper tantrum today? Some might blame the scheduling committee for putting games in rainy cities. Al Gore might blame global warming.
I'm not blaming anyone... but it still irritates the life out of me.
The reason for that is, plenty of established writers have done that for you today. Go to http://www.mlb.com, http://cbs.sportsline.com, http://www.espn.com, or pretty much any major sports site, and you can read pages upon pages about this guy, including interviews from former teammates, people who were there during the time, etc. I can't hold a candle to that.
And you SHOULD go read those pages and pages. The man is a legend and a hero. His ability to keep a level head through all the seething hate he had to face... the word "admirable" doesn't come close. He was a damn fine ball player and a damn fine human being, too. If you don't know his story... do yourself a favor and go read it.
What I'm going to blog about is how upset I am with all these rain delays. In a day and age where high-tech luxurious domes are the norm, I can't figure out how this year seems to have a disproportional amount of games postponed due to rain, snow, and "cold".
I've been mad about this for the last two weeks, but today it really infuriated me; and not just because it screwed over my fantasy team.
Every park was going to commemorate Jackie Robinson today. Today was supposed to be the day that we payed homage to him in 15 of the league's ballparks. Unfortunately, 33.33% of those ballparks couldn't join in, because the rain was coming down a little too hard in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh.
Is it anyone's fault that mother nature decided to throw a temper tantrum today? Some might blame the scheduling committee for putting games in rainy cities. Al Gore might blame global warming.
I'm not blaming anyone... but it still irritates the life out of me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
