Hats off to the Blues. Proud temporary owners of Lord Stanley's beloved Cup. And they did it the hard way. Beating the Boston Bruins in Boston in a nerve-wracking Game Seven. No small feat.
Then again, this series was odd in a way.
Out of the seven games played, the visiting team won five of them. So much for "home ice"
Though yours truly had no "dog" in this race, perhaps the right team won. After all, between the Red Sox and Patriots, Boston's had enough championship parades lately.
This was the Blue's first time ever, while the Bruins have a slew of Stanley Cup championship banners hanging in their rafters.
And who -- besides Boston fans -- can begrudge them their victory? It took them 50 years of trying to finally get it.
This, with a rookie goaltender that was alternatively praised and ripped over the series. Brilliant and El-Stinko. Either a brick wall or a sieve. Yet he was masterful when it counted the most -- Game Seven. No pressure. lol
So all hail the St. Louis Blues.
'
Finally, FINALLY, Stanley Cup Champions.
And very worthy ones at that.
Bravo.
[And even better news. The players can now shave and go see a dentist.] :-)
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
Friday, June 7, 2019
The Kyle Lowry incident
Fans watching the NBA Finals no doubt saw it. And have probably seen it a hundred more times since via replay. The politically correct crowd just can't get enough of it.
That would be Toronto Raptors player Kyle Lowry sailing into the court-side seats trying to keep a loose ball from going out of bounds, and bulldozing a lady in the process.
Well, OK. If you want to sit that close to the action, you take your chances something like this could happen.
But then a man sitting next to her gave Lowry a little shove and apparently had some not-so-kind words for him. In the whole scheme of things, it really didn't amount to much. It's not like the guy clubbed Lowry with a bat, shot him, and/or called him the "n" word on national TV. It was a harmless little push and a bit of trash talk.
And then everything went berserk. The PCers wanted to hang this guy by his thumbs, or at least banish him for life from the NBA and fine him every last dollar to his name.
NBA Commish Adam Silver quickly jumped in, banishing such an "egregious" offender for one year and fining him $500,000.
Turns out, Lowry is black, and the fan is white, who BTW, owns a stake in the Golden State Warriors. His name is Mark Stevens.
So here's a few questions. How do you think this would have played out had the roles been reversed?
A white player being "abused" in the exact same manner by a black fan?
Would it have been such a big deal?
Would it have been even news-worthy?
As I write this, two days after it happened, they are many that are still howling about it, saying the already ridiculous punishment mentioned above wasn't nearly harsh enough.
I suspect had the situation been reversed, as also mentioned above, any that would have dared further persecute the "offender" would quickly have been labelled racists. Who's kidding who?
If I was Stevens, I wouldn't pay. A half million for THAT? Not a chance. And peanut-head Commish Silver doesn't have the legal authority to take it from him. If I had to sit out a year of NBA action or even sell my share in the Warriors -- so be it. But I would not, repeat NOT cough up 500 large for something so trivial.
Of course, Stevens has made the same mistake so many have before when they've incurred the wrath of the crazed PC crowd.
He apologized -- as if that was going to help him. Not a chance.
All that guarantees is the mob will hammer him even harder.
He nudged a guy and told him to f-off. That's it.
Should have stood his ground, cuz trying to make things "right" with that bunch NEVER works.
That would be akin to throwing bloody meat into shark-infested waters. It's not going to exactly make them friendlier if you decide to hop in with them-- ya know?
Bad idea. REALLY bad idea.
That would be Toronto Raptors player Kyle Lowry sailing into the court-side seats trying to keep a loose ball from going out of bounds, and bulldozing a lady in the process.
Well, OK. If you want to sit that close to the action, you take your chances something like this could happen.
But then a man sitting next to her gave Lowry a little shove and apparently had some not-so-kind words for him. In the whole scheme of things, it really didn't amount to much. It's not like the guy clubbed Lowry with a bat, shot him, and/or called him the "n" word on national TV. It was a harmless little push and a bit of trash talk.
And then everything went berserk. The PCers wanted to hang this guy by his thumbs, or at least banish him for life from the NBA and fine him every last dollar to his name.
NBA Commish Adam Silver quickly jumped in, banishing such an "egregious" offender for one year and fining him $500,000.
Turns out, Lowry is black, and the fan is white, who BTW, owns a stake in the Golden State Warriors. His name is Mark Stevens.
So here's a few questions. How do you think this would have played out had the roles been reversed?
A white player being "abused" in the exact same manner by a black fan?
Would it have been such a big deal?
Would it have been even news-worthy?
As I write this, two days after it happened, they are many that are still howling about it, saying the already ridiculous punishment mentioned above wasn't nearly harsh enough.
I suspect had the situation been reversed, as also mentioned above, any that would have dared further persecute the "offender" would quickly have been labelled racists. Who's kidding who?
If I was Stevens, I wouldn't pay. A half million for THAT? Not a chance. And peanut-head Commish Silver doesn't have the legal authority to take it from him. If I had to sit out a year of NBA action or even sell my share in the Warriors -- so be it. But I would not, repeat NOT cough up 500 large for something so trivial.
Of course, Stevens has made the same mistake so many have before when they've incurred the wrath of the crazed PC crowd.
He apologized -- as if that was going to help him. Not a chance.
All that guarantees is the mob will hammer him even harder.
He nudged a guy and told him to f-off. That's it.
Should have stood his ground, cuz trying to make things "right" with that bunch NEVER works.
That would be akin to throwing bloody meat into shark-infested waters. It's not going to exactly make them friendlier if you decide to hop in with them-- ya know?
Bad idea. REALLY bad idea.
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
The rise and fall of Oklahoma
Poor Oklahoma. Just when you thought they might accomplish something historic, bang, the wheels fell off.
The mighty #1 ranked lady Sooners softball team just got kicked to the curb in the College World Series by UCLA. A two-game mini-sweep at that.
This, after going an eye-popping 48-2 during the regular season. And playing in the CWS Finals in their own home town to boot.
Sports haven't been kind to the Oklahoma faithful in recent years.
Their boys football team hasn't been the perennial powerhouse it was a few decades ago.
The entire state only has one professional team. No presence in the NHL. No Major League Baseball. No NFL team. Only the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA. And they're snake-bit a couple ways.
They always seem to make an early exit from the playoffs.
And trash-talking Russell Westbrook aside, the Thunder can't seem to hang on to super-star players when they have them.
They lost James Harden to the Houston Rockets a few years back.
And then Kevin Durant to the Golden State Warriors. Paul George is OK, but not in the same category as those two.
So with apologies to the late Ernest Lawrence Thayer (author of Casey At The Bat), once again, there will be no joy in Norman(ville). The mighty Sooners just got made into the See-ya-laters by the UCLA Bruins.
48-2, #1 on everybody's list, and then thud, when it counted the most?
That's gotta be a tough pill to swallow.
The mighty #1 ranked lady Sooners softball team just got kicked to the curb in the College World Series by UCLA. A two-game mini-sweep at that.
This, after going an eye-popping 48-2 during the regular season. And playing in the CWS Finals in their own home town to boot.
Sports haven't been kind to the Oklahoma faithful in recent years.
Their boys football team hasn't been the perennial powerhouse it was a few decades ago.
The entire state only has one professional team. No presence in the NHL. No Major League Baseball. No NFL team. Only the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA. And they're snake-bit a couple ways.
They always seem to make an early exit from the playoffs.
And trash-talking Russell Westbrook aside, the Thunder can't seem to hang on to super-star players when they have them.
They lost James Harden to the Houston Rockets a few years back.
And then Kevin Durant to the Golden State Warriors. Paul George is OK, but not in the same category as those two.
So with apologies to the late Ernest Lawrence Thayer (author of Casey At The Bat), once again, there will be no joy in Norman(ville). The mighty Sooners just got made into the See-ya-laters by the UCLA Bruins.
48-2, #1 on everybody's list, and then thud, when it counted the most?
That's gotta be a tough pill to swallow.
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Why there will never be another 30 game winner
The last pitcher in Major League Baseball to win 30 games in a season was one Denny McLain, of the Detroit Tigers. He went 31-6 way back in 1968, For the record, he got shelled in his two starts against the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series that year. Southpaw Mickey Lolich wound up being the unlikely hero as the Motowners captured the title in a thrilling 7 game series.
But it will never happen again.
It's simply a matter of numbers.
Back in those days, team had 4-man starting pitching rotations. Given the same 162 game regular season, that meant -- if they stayed healthy throughout -- they'd get about about 40 starts.
Over time, and burnt out arms, MLB has evolved into 5-man rotations, with a 6th getting an occasional start.
Do the math. That means instead of 40 starts, they'll get maybe 31-32, at most.
And nobody's gonna win em all. Even the best don't always have their "best stuff", or maybe they get out-dueled by an opposing pitcher having a particularly good day. Or their own team doesn't give them much if any run support. Losing a 1-0 or 2-1 game is rough, but it happens.
To boot, there will be a few, perhaps several games where the starter gets no decision at all. Pitch counts being what they are, a complete game is a rarity these days. Maybe an ace starter is cruising along into the 7th or 8th inning with a slim lead, but whoops, now he's up to 130 pitches. They'll yank him. How many times have we seen bullpens implode and blow a lead? That happens too.
So who's the best pitcher in the game these days? Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers? Justin Verlander of the Astros? Max Scherzer of the Nationals?
Even if those guys are dominant every time out, the BEST they can likely do is rack up 25 Ws.
Which is a far cry from 30.
It's just a matter of numbers.
But it will never happen again.
It's simply a matter of numbers.
Back in those days, team had 4-man starting pitching rotations. Given the same 162 game regular season, that meant -- if they stayed healthy throughout -- they'd get about about 40 starts.
Over time, and burnt out arms, MLB has evolved into 5-man rotations, with a 6th getting an occasional start.
Do the math. That means instead of 40 starts, they'll get maybe 31-32, at most.
And nobody's gonna win em all. Even the best don't always have their "best stuff", or maybe they get out-dueled by an opposing pitcher having a particularly good day. Or their own team doesn't give them much if any run support. Losing a 1-0 or 2-1 game is rough, but it happens.
To boot, there will be a few, perhaps several games where the starter gets no decision at all. Pitch counts being what they are, a complete game is a rarity these days. Maybe an ace starter is cruising along into the 7th or 8th inning with a slim lead, but whoops, now he's up to 130 pitches. They'll yank him. How many times have we seen bullpens implode and blow a lead? That happens too.
So who's the best pitcher in the game these days? Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers? Justin Verlander of the Astros? Max Scherzer of the Nationals?
Even if those guys are dominant every time out, the BEST they can likely do is rack up 25 Ws.
Which is a far cry from 30.
It's just a matter of numbers.
Saturday, May 25, 2019
Milwaukee Bucks, The collapse is complete
A scant few days ago it would have been hard to believe. The Milwaukee Bucks had trounced the Toronto Raptors the first two games of the NBA's Eastern Conference finals, and it had taken the Raptors two overtimes, at home, to barely pull out Game Three.
Wasn't Milwaukee the same team that had posted the best regular season record in the whole league? The team that had only lost back to back games once all season? And therefore had home court advantage, where they're formidable, to boot?
No way they were going to lose this series.
Until they did.
In one the the biggest collapses in recent memory, the Bucks were taken down three more times in a row after their narrow Game Three loss.
There will be no joy in Beerville USA. Only finger pointing. How could this happen, and who's fault was it?
Or -- it might just be the Raptors are pretty damn good themselves. The "Greek Freak" Giannis Antetokoumpos was thoroughly stymied by the smothering defense of one Kawhi Leonard. And Milwaukee's so-called "depth" didn't step up and produce when it mattered most.
So now the Raptors move on to face the defending champion Golden State Warriors. The "north of the border" team will even have home court advantage.
Could they pull off another "upset"?
Maybe.
But I wouldn't count on it.
The Dubs, with or without one Kevin Durant, who remains a "maybe", are a whole different animal than the Bucks.
Yours truly hasn't seen the early line yet, but I'd bet when it does come out, the champs will be highly favored to three-peat.
But ya never know.
Wouldn't it be something if the Raptors could pull off another improbable series upset -- this time capturing an NBA title?
The hosers would go wild in the streets, ay?
But I'll believe THAT when I see it.
Nonetheless, bring it on.
Wasn't Milwaukee the same team that had posted the best regular season record in the whole league? The team that had only lost back to back games once all season? And therefore had home court advantage, where they're formidable, to boot?
No way they were going to lose this series.
Until they did.
In one the the biggest collapses in recent memory, the Bucks were taken down three more times in a row after their narrow Game Three loss.
There will be no joy in Beerville USA. Only finger pointing. How could this happen, and who's fault was it?
Or -- it might just be the Raptors are pretty damn good themselves. The "Greek Freak" Giannis Antetokoumpos was thoroughly stymied by the smothering defense of one Kawhi Leonard. And Milwaukee's so-called "depth" didn't step up and produce when it mattered most.
So now the Raptors move on to face the defending champion Golden State Warriors. The "north of the border" team will even have home court advantage.
Could they pull off another "upset"?
Maybe.
But I wouldn't count on it.
The Dubs, with or without one Kevin Durant, who remains a "maybe", are a whole different animal than the Bucks.
Yours truly hasn't seen the early line yet, but I'd bet when it does come out, the champs will be highly favored to three-peat.
But ya never know.
Wouldn't it be something if the Raptors could pull off another improbable series upset -- this time capturing an NBA title?
The hosers would go wild in the streets, ay?
But I'll believe THAT when I see it.
Nonetheless, bring it on.
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Milwaukee/Toronto The worm has turned
OK, so I'm an idiot. It wouldn't be the first time, and likely not the last.
Yep, I had the Milwaukee Bucks easily getting past the Toronto Raptors in the NBA's Eastern Conference finals.
Hey, didn't the Bucks have the best regular season record in the entire league? And would therefore enjoy home court advantage in this series?
And aren't the same team that had cruised through the playoffs so far?
Yes, the opening round against the gawd-awful Detroit Pistons, who had no business -- NONE -- being in the playoffs was a predictable romp.
And after they mysteriously lost the first game, at home, no less, against the Boston Celtics, in the conference semis -- didn't they come roaring back to blister the Beaners four in a row?
And didn't they easily win the first two games against the Raptors?
And take them to double-overtime in Game 3 in Toronto before just falling short?
But then the wheels seemed to fall off for the Bucks.
The worm has definitely turned.
They were themselves routed by the Raptors in Game 4, and the Toronto defense, notably one Kawhi Leonard, put the clamps on alleged super-star Giannis Antetokoumpo. He was shut down, befuddled, and even harassed by a Drake at courtside.
True, yours truly has never understood the fascination so many people have over a dude that named himself after a duck -- but what do I know? It seemed to work out for that insurance company -- Aflac -- right? Quacks, I tell ya. Sorry.
Still, the series was only tied 2-2, and would be heading back to beer city. Surely, they would right their ship?
Nope, they got beat again, semi-handily, and those pesky visitors from north of the border, the only non-American NBA team, appear to be firmly in control.
Game 6 is back in Toronto, which will be a hoser madhouse. After the last three games, it's mighty hard to believe the Bucks can go into Toronto and win such a big game.
And I don't think they will. Look for another blow out, and the Raptors moving on to face the defending champs Golden State in the Finals.
Maybe the Dubs will be happy with that, or maybe not.
They'll still have to cede home court advantage in the Finals, but gone is the worry about trying to negate the "Greek Freak" mentioned above without a healthy Kevin Durant, who remains out with a lingering calf injury.
Sure, home court or not, the Warriors would have been a heavy favorite against either the Bucks or Raptors. They travel well. Ask the Houston Rockets how Game 6 of their series worked out. Or the Portland Trail Blazers that got taken to the woodshed on their home court while being swept.
It's starting to shape up like a three-peat for the Dubs and another parade in Oakland.
Or I could be wrong.
After all, I'm an idiot.
And I think that's where I came in.
Yep, I had the Milwaukee Bucks easily getting past the Toronto Raptors in the NBA's Eastern Conference finals.
Hey, didn't the Bucks have the best regular season record in the entire league? And would therefore enjoy home court advantage in this series?
And aren't the same team that had cruised through the playoffs so far?
Yes, the opening round against the gawd-awful Detroit Pistons, who had no business -- NONE -- being in the playoffs was a predictable romp.
And after they mysteriously lost the first game, at home, no less, against the Boston Celtics, in the conference semis -- didn't they come roaring back to blister the Beaners four in a row?
And didn't they easily win the first two games against the Raptors?
And take them to double-overtime in Game 3 in Toronto before just falling short?
But then the wheels seemed to fall off for the Bucks.
The worm has definitely turned.
They were themselves routed by the Raptors in Game 4, and the Toronto defense, notably one Kawhi Leonard, put the clamps on alleged super-star Giannis Antetokoumpo. He was shut down, befuddled, and even harassed by a Drake at courtside.
True, yours truly has never understood the fascination so many people have over a dude that named himself after a duck -- but what do I know? It seemed to work out for that insurance company -- Aflac -- right? Quacks, I tell ya. Sorry.
Still, the series was only tied 2-2, and would be heading back to beer city. Surely, they would right their ship?
Nope, they got beat again, semi-handily, and those pesky visitors from north of the border, the only non-American NBA team, appear to be firmly in control.
Game 6 is back in Toronto, which will be a hoser madhouse. After the last three games, it's mighty hard to believe the Bucks can go into Toronto and win such a big game.
And I don't think they will. Look for another blow out, and the Raptors moving on to face the defending champs Golden State in the Finals.
Maybe the Dubs will be happy with that, or maybe not.
They'll still have to cede home court advantage in the Finals, but gone is the worry about trying to negate the "Greek Freak" mentioned above without a healthy Kevin Durant, who remains out with a lingering calf injury.
Sure, home court or not, the Warriors would have been a heavy favorite against either the Bucks or Raptors. They travel well. Ask the Houston Rockets how Game 6 of their series worked out. Or the Portland Trail Blazers that got taken to the woodshed on their home court while being swept.
It's starting to shape up like a three-peat for the Dubs and another parade in Oakland.
Or I could be wrong.
After all, I'm an idiot.
And I think that's where I came in.
Monday, May 20, 2019
The Portland Trailblazers. Alas
After a not-so-surprising opening round playoff win over the Oklahoma City Thunder -- Russell Westbrook continues to trash talk but can't seem to win anything -- the Portland Trailblazers mildly stunned many (yours truly included) by knocking off the favored Denver Nuggets.
Only those pesky Golden State Warriors stood between them and a trip to the NBA Finals.
To boot, the Warriors were without the service of Demarcus Cousins (out for the year with a torn Achilles tendon), and super-star Kevin Durant (still hobbled by a strained calf).
And in Game Three of that series, already down 2-0, the Blazers saw Andre Iguodala of the Dubs go down with another calf injury, severity unknown. They still lost, after blowing a big lead.
With the Warriors down three starters, surely the Blazers could at least win Game Four to avert a sweep, right? Especially, given they were playing on their home court, where they're very tough.
Wrong.
Once again, they built a huge lead, seventeen points, midway through the third quarter.
And then the wheels fell off -- again.
The Dubs came roaring back to send the game into overtime, and finally won it.
So given all the above advantages, Portland STILL couldn't beat those guys? Not even once?
That's got to be disheartening.
Or maybe it just wasn't meant to be.
Or maybe Golden State is just..... that..... good.
Kudos to Steph Curry and Draymond Green, the fist teammates in NBA history to both get triple-doubles in a playoff game.
That might have had something to do with it.......
And now the Warriors get a full nine days off, so sit back and study the Milwaukee Bucks, the presumed winners of the Eastern Conference Final against the Toronto Raptors.
And rest.
And get healthy again. (Except for Cousins).
These guys are going to be their usual load in the Finals.
Only those pesky Golden State Warriors stood between them and a trip to the NBA Finals.
To boot, the Warriors were without the service of Demarcus Cousins (out for the year with a torn Achilles tendon), and super-star Kevin Durant (still hobbled by a strained calf).
And in Game Three of that series, already down 2-0, the Blazers saw Andre Iguodala of the Dubs go down with another calf injury, severity unknown. They still lost, after blowing a big lead.
With the Warriors down three starters, surely the Blazers could at least win Game Four to avert a sweep, right? Especially, given they were playing on their home court, where they're very tough.
Wrong.
Once again, they built a huge lead, seventeen points, midway through the third quarter.
And then the wheels fell off -- again.
The Dubs came roaring back to send the game into overtime, and finally won it.
So given all the above advantages, Portland STILL couldn't beat those guys? Not even once?
That's got to be disheartening.
Or maybe it just wasn't meant to be.
Or maybe Golden State is just..... that..... good.
Kudos to Steph Curry and Draymond Green, the fist teammates in NBA history to both get triple-doubles in a playoff game.
That might have had something to do with it.......
And now the Warriors get a full nine days off, so sit back and study the Milwaukee Bucks, the presumed winners of the Eastern Conference Final against the Toronto Raptors.
And rest.
And get healthy again. (Except for Cousins).
These guys are going to be their usual load in the Finals.
Thursday, May 16, 2019
Golden State and the Kevin Durant enigma
No pro basketball fan would doubt Kevin Durant is a great player. The best right now? Maybe. But certainly in the top five.
But the Golden State Warriors are strange ducks. They've won championships without KD, and with him as well.
Let's not forget their regular season win record a few years back was set BEFORE Durant arrived on the scene.
Sure, any team would jump at the chance to have KD on their roster. He really is that good.
But do the Warriors "need" him? That's where things get a little bit tricky.
It's a given that Durant can "take over" a game all by himself. He might put up 40, even 50 points in any given contest. Thing is, while he's doing that, most of his teammates are just standing around watching the one man show. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
But when KD is NOT in the line-up, as he hasn't been recently due to a calf injury, it forces the other Dubs to play more like a "team". And a formidable bunch they are when things are clicking.
In the Western Conference semis, most, including yours truly, thought the Houston Rockets would knock off the Warriors in Game 6, which Houston had at home, and GS was fresh without the services of KD. But we all know it didn't work out that way. The Dubs went into Houston and polished off the Rockets -- again.
And now the Portland Trailblazers have faced a GS team without KD the first two games of the Conference Finals. Okay, no big surprise the Dubs came out and blistered the Blazers in Game One.
But the latter had the Dubs down at home throughout Game Two. Including holding a double digit lead with just a couple minutes remaining.
Then bang. GS went on an improbable 14-3 run and it was game over, just like that. It had to be demoralizing for the Blazers.
When Durant will be healthy enough to come back is unknown. Maybe Game Three in Portland. Maybe not.
But when he's in the line-up, the Warriors play an entirely different style of game.
It's almost unthinkable, yet the question needs to be asked. Are the Warriors better off with KD, or without? A very good argument could be made either way, given the results of how they've played.
It's almost like the Warriors are in constant teaser mode. After all, the LA Clippers beat them twice, on GS's home court, in the opening round of the playoffs. Before the Dubs came roaring back to dispatch an obviously inferior opponent.
And Houston had them right where they wanted them, without Durant, until they looked up at the scoreboard when the final buzzer sounded. Oops.
Same with the Blazers in the above mentioned Game Two of the Conference Finals. They had them, they had them, they had them -- and then they didn't have them at the end.
With or without KD, no way are the Blazers going to beat the Dubs four our of five to go to the Finals. It's over.
But when they face their presumptive opponent, the Milwaukee Bucks, for all the marbles, things could get very interesting.
More on that later........
But the Golden State Warriors are strange ducks. They've won championships without KD, and with him as well.
Let's not forget their regular season win record a few years back was set BEFORE Durant arrived on the scene.
Sure, any team would jump at the chance to have KD on their roster. He really is that good.
But do the Warriors "need" him? That's where things get a little bit tricky.
It's a given that Durant can "take over" a game all by himself. He might put up 40, even 50 points in any given contest. Thing is, while he's doing that, most of his teammates are just standing around watching the one man show. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
But when KD is NOT in the line-up, as he hasn't been recently due to a calf injury, it forces the other Dubs to play more like a "team". And a formidable bunch they are when things are clicking.
In the Western Conference semis, most, including yours truly, thought the Houston Rockets would knock off the Warriors in Game 6, which Houston had at home, and GS was fresh without the services of KD. But we all know it didn't work out that way. The Dubs went into Houston and polished off the Rockets -- again.
And now the Portland Trailblazers have faced a GS team without KD the first two games of the Conference Finals. Okay, no big surprise the Dubs came out and blistered the Blazers in Game One.
But the latter had the Dubs down at home throughout Game Two. Including holding a double digit lead with just a couple minutes remaining.
Then bang. GS went on an improbable 14-3 run and it was game over, just like that. It had to be demoralizing for the Blazers.
When Durant will be healthy enough to come back is unknown. Maybe Game Three in Portland. Maybe not.
But when he's in the line-up, the Warriors play an entirely different style of game.
It's almost unthinkable, yet the question needs to be asked. Are the Warriors better off with KD, or without? A very good argument could be made either way, given the results of how they've played.
It's almost like the Warriors are in constant teaser mode. After all, the LA Clippers beat them twice, on GS's home court, in the opening round of the playoffs. Before the Dubs came roaring back to dispatch an obviously inferior opponent.
And Houston had them right where they wanted them, without Durant, until they looked up at the scoreboard when the final buzzer sounded. Oops.
Same with the Blazers in the above mentioned Game Two of the Conference Finals. They had them, they had them, they had them -- and then they didn't have them at the end.
With or without KD, no way are the Blazers going to beat the Dubs four our of five to go to the Finals. It's over.
But when they face their presumptive opponent, the Milwaukee Bucks, for all the marbles, things could get very interesting.
More on that later........
Friday, May 10, 2019
Houston, we have a problem
Well, let's see.
The Golden State Warriors were already without the services of big man Boogie Cousins (out for the year with a torn Achilles), a starter and an All-Star caliber player.
Then Kevin Durant, arguably the best player on the planet right now, went out for at least a few days with a strained calf.
The Houston Rockets were playing at home.
And normally sharp-shooting Steph Curry scored exactly zero points in the first half of the game.
And the Warriors STILL won the game 118 -- 113?
How can it be?
Are the Dubs just that good -- or did the Rockets choke (again)?
I dunno. But it's gonna be another long off-season in Houston.
Houston, we have a problem indeed.
It just doesn't appear to be in the cards.......
The Golden State Warriors were already without the services of big man Boogie Cousins (out for the year with a torn Achilles), a starter and an All-Star caliber player.
Then Kevin Durant, arguably the best player on the planet right now, went out for at least a few days with a strained calf.
The Houston Rockets were playing at home.
And normally sharp-shooting Steph Curry scored exactly zero points in the first half of the game.
And the Warriors STILL won the game 118 -- 113?
How can it be?
Are the Dubs just that good -- or did the Rockets choke (again)?
I dunno. But it's gonna be another long off-season in Houston.
Houston, we have a problem indeed.
It just doesn't appear to be in the cards.......
Thursday, May 9, 2019
The idlest of thoughts
Given Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors suffered a calf strain and will be out for Games 6, and if necessary 7, this is make it or break it time for the Houston Rockets. If they can't beat the Dubs now without KD (and also Boogie Cousins, who was injured earlier in the season), they might as well pack it in and fuhgettaboutit. It just ain't in the cards. We'll see....
I always chuckle when I see one particular show advertised. To wit: From the Mind of Kobe Bryant.
Never watched it and never will, but one wonders about the thought of same.
Would that be anything like From the Bottom of a MickeyD's Deep Fryer?
From the Attic of My Crazy Uncle Bob?
From the Pants of Donald Trump?
These are not exactly pleasant images to conjure.
And where did Bryant's folks get off naming him Kobe in the first place? Look it up and you'll discover it's a very expensive piece of Japanese beef. The expensive part makes sense. But naming a son after a hunk of meat?
There's a daily sports talk show on TV featuring Bomani Jones and Pablo Torres.
So somebody tell me why, pray tell, they named the show High Noon -- when it airs at 4 PM?
I always chuckle when I see one particular show advertised. To wit: From the Mind of Kobe Bryant.
Never watched it and never will, but one wonders about the thought of same.
Would that be anything like From the Bottom of a MickeyD's Deep Fryer?
From the Attic of My Crazy Uncle Bob?
From the Pants of Donald Trump?
These are not exactly pleasant images to conjure.
And where did Bryant's folks get off naming him Kobe in the first place? Look it up and you'll discover it's a very expensive piece of Japanese beef. The expensive part makes sense. But naming a son after a hunk of meat?
There's a daily sports talk show on TV featuring Bomani Jones and Pablo Torres.
So somebody tell me why, pray tell, they named the show High Noon -- when it airs at 4 PM?
Saturday, April 27, 2019
Stupid football things
Should it even matter what an offensive tackle's vertical leap is?
Or how fast a guard runs the 40?
And who cares how many times a running back can bench press 225 pounds?
Are they running place kickers through agility drills these days?
And now comes the latest bit of stupidity from Sports Illustrated. They wanted the world to know how incredibly "ripped" Mississippi wideout D.K. Metcalf is on the eve of the draft. See those eight-pack abs.
WHO CARES??
The only things that matter are -- can he run decent routes? Catch the ball? Especially in traffic? Not fumble too much afterwards? And most importantly -- does he have any brains -- as in -- will he be able to comprehend the massive playbook if and when he gets to an NFL team? And understand audibles?
Do you really think any NFL coaching staff is going to be in awe if Metcalf can do 500 sit-ups? 1000?
Did I mention WHO CARES??
These are stats for morons only.
It would be like putting great importance on how long it takes any given politician to relieve him/herself in a restroom. Or perhaps nailing down the exact free-throw percentage of a cop in a police hoops rec league.
Shouldn't we have more important things to be concerned with regarding such folks?
One can only imagine what the stat geeks will come up with next.
Maybe it will be hyped as earth-shaking news to rank the Top Ten punters in the NFL regarding how many hot dogs they can eat in any one 20 minute sitting.
And the really scary thing is -- there will be those that give it great weight. No pun intended. Maybe.
Sigh.....
Or how fast a guard runs the 40?
And who cares how many times a running back can bench press 225 pounds?
Are they running place kickers through agility drills these days?
And now comes the latest bit of stupidity from Sports Illustrated. They wanted the world to know how incredibly "ripped" Mississippi wideout D.K. Metcalf is on the eve of the draft. See those eight-pack abs.
WHO CARES??
The only things that matter are -- can he run decent routes? Catch the ball? Especially in traffic? Not fumble too much afterwards? And most importantly -- does he have any brains -- as in -- will he be able to comprehend the massive playbook if and when he gets to an NFL team? And understand audibles?
Do you really think any NFL coaching staff is going to be in awe if Metcalf can do 500 sit-ups? 1000?
Did I mention WHO CARES??
These are stats for morons only.
It would be like putting great importance on how long it takes any given politician to relieve him/herself in a restroom. Or perhaps nailing down the exact free-throw percentage of a cop in a police hoops rec league.
Shouldn't we have more important things to be concerned with regarding such folks?
One can only imagine what the stat geeks will come up with next.
Maybe it will be hyped as earth-shaking news to rank the Top Ten punters in the NFL regarding how many hot dogs they can eat in any one 20 minute sitting.
And the really scary thing is -- there will be those that give it great weight. No pun intended. Maybe.
Sigh.....
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
The sorry case of Russell Westbrook
See Russell Westbrook, of the the Oklahoma City Thunder, strut his stuff.
See Russ run up and down the basketball floor.
See Russ dunk and hang on the rim.
See Russ taunt his opponents and otherwise talk trash.
See Russ and his team once again make an early exit from the playoffs, this time at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers.
You'd think he'd learn a little humility after so many failures in the post-season.
But no, not Russ.
Is there any wonder super-star players like Kevin Durant, and James Harden before him, left the Thunder for much greener and more competitive pastures elsewhere? Maybe they'd had enough of Westbrook's nonsense.
Memo to Russ. Keep talking all the smack you want, but until you actually win something, nobody's going to pay much attention.
Yet Russ will no doubt keep flapping his gums, in the same sing-song girlish voice that a boxer named Mike Tyson once had. Close your eyes when either are speaking and I dare you to tell the difference.Even looks a little like Iron Mike in his younger days.
Alas, every time the playoffs roll around, it's like Russell Westbrook climbs in the ring with James "Buster" Douglas.
Bang. KOed.
And why, pray tell, does dear Russ insist on dressing like an uptown ghetto pimp away from the court? Leopard skin, pink, and chartreuse all rolled into one? Really?
The dude definitely needs to re-calibrate on a number of levels.
Cuz what he's done so far just ain't getting it done.
See Russ run up and down the basketball floor.
See Russ dunk and hang on the rim.
See Russ taunt his opponents and otherwise talk trash.
See Russ and his team once again make an early exit from the playoffs, this time at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers.
You'd think he'd learn a little humility after so many failures in the post-season.
But no, not Russ.
Is there any wonder super-star players like Kevin Durant, and James Harden before him, left the Thunder for much greener and more competitive pastures elsewhere? Maybe they'd had enough of Westbrook's nonsense.
Memo to Russ. Keep talking all the smack you want, but until you actually win something, nobody's going to pay much attention.
Yet Russ will no doubt keep flapping his gums, in the same sing-song girlish voice that a boxer named Mike Tyson once had. Close your eyes when either are speaking and I dare you to tell the difference.Even looks a little like Iron Mike in his younger days.
Alas, every time the playoffs roll around, it's like Russell Westbrook climbs in the ring with James "Buster" Douglas.
Bang. KOed.
And why, pray tell, does dear Russ insist on dressing like an uptown ghetto pimp away from the court? Leopard skin, pink, and chartreuse all rolled into one? Really?
The dude definitely needs to re-calibrate on a number of levels.
Cuz what he's done so far just ain't getting it done.
Saturday, April 20, 2019
The pathetic Detroit Pistons
See the Pistons barely sneak into the NBA playoffs as the final team in the weak, by comparison, Eastern Conference. What was their reward?
A first round match-up with the Milwaukee Bucks, owners of the best regular season record in the entire league.
See the Pistons get absolutely slaughtered in Game One, to the tune of 35 points worth.
See the hapless Pistons get drubbed again like red-headed stepchildren in Game Two, by 21.
Two games and they were outscored by 56 points?
Ah, but just wait, quoth the local pundits and roundball groupies. Da boys are coming home and things will be different in Game Three.
They were right. The Pissed-Ons only got beat by 16 on their own court.
With any luck, maybe they get another loss down to single digits in Game Four, but I wouldn't count on it.
This is men against boys. Rambos vs Barney Fifes.
The sorry Pistons have no business on the same court with the Milwaukee Bucks.
And it gets even worse for the Motown morons.
By squeaking into the playoffs, only to get blasted, they forfeited any chance of getting an impact player in the draft. Not that it would make any difference. This is the same club that saw the --cough- gag-barf-wisdom in giving a big slug like Andre Drummond a max contract.
Yep, he's paid right up there with the likes of Lebron James, Steph Curry, and James Hardin. Thing is, Drummond has little talent. He's not a ball handler, by any stretch of the imagination. Doesn't have a reliable jump shot. Is terrible at the free throw line. Shooting from three point range? Please. And slow of foot. His main assets? He's big, can clog up the paint on defense, and muscle a lot of rebounds. And they put their whole salary cap structure in a bind over a big ape like this? Amazing.
Then again, it probably should come as no surprise, given the brain fart mentality owner Tom Gores has shown so far.
He must know something about shuffling other peoples' money around in his day job, because one doesn't get to be a billionaire by accident.
But basketball/NBA wise, he appears dumber than your proverbial box of rocks.
This is the same guy that got the Palace of Auburn Hills, home of the Pistons, as part of the deal when he bought them a few years back.
The Palace was already completely paid for by his predecessor, the late William Davidson. And out of his own pocket, no less. You NEVER see that happen. The taxpayers always get dinged.
And the Palace was, and remains, a world class facility, located in an ideal location. In a no-crime suburb that has easy access to major roadways for easy fan entrances and exits.
So what did Gores, in HIS infinite wisdom, do? Packed up the team and moved it to the crime-ridden dregs of Detroit, where fans are relatively safe as long as they're within spiting distance of the arena, but not so much if they happen to take a wrong turn somewhere.
Even MORE astounding -- Gores now has to pay rent for moving the Pistons an arena that was built for hockey, specifically, the Detroit Red Wings sparking new Little Caesar's Arena.
Could it get possibly get any more wrong-headed than this?
Oh wait. Maybe. The Pistons claimed to have made a major coup by landing former Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey.
Yeah? Isn't he the same guy that run out of Toronto -- fired -- last year, for his team under-performing year after year?
No matter how one looks at it, this is one clueless franchise, from ownership on down to coach and players.
And there are absolutely no signs, none, that it will get better any year soon.
A first round match-up with the Milwaukee Bucks, owners of the best regular season record in the entire league.
See the Pistons get absolutely slaughtered in Game One, to the tune of 35 points worth.
See the hapless Pistons get drubbed again like red-headed stepchildren in Game Two, by 21.
Two games and they were outscored by 56 points?
Ah, but just wait, quoth the local pundits and roundball groupies. Da boys are coming home and things will be different in Game Three.
They were right. The Pissed-Ons only got beat by 16 on their own court.
With any luck, maybe they get another loss down to single digits in Game Four, but I wouldn't count on it.
This is men against boys. Rambos vs Barney Fifes.
The sorry Pistons have no business on the same court with the Milwaukee Bucks.
And it gets even worse for the Motown morons.
By squeaking into the playoffs, only to get blasted, they forfeited any chance of getting an impact player in the draft. Not that it would make any difference. This is the same club that saw the --cough- gag-barf-wisdom in giving a big slug like Andre Drummond a max contract.
Yep, he's paid right up there with the likes of Lebron James, Steph Curry, and James Hardin. Thing is, Drummond has little talent. He's not a ball handler, by any stretch of the imagination. Doesn't have a reliable jump shot. Is terrible at the free throw line. Shooting from three point range? Please. And slow of foot. His main assets? He's big, can clog up the paint on defense, and muscle a lot of rebounds. And they put their whole salary cap structure in a bind over a big ape like this? Amazing.
Then again, it probably should come as no surprise, given the brain fart mentality owner Tom Gores has shown so far.
He must know something about shuffling other peoples' money around in his day job, because one doesn't get to be a billionaire by accident.
But basketball/NBA wise, he appears dumber than your proverbial box of rocks.
This is the same guy that got the Palace of Auburn Hills, home of the Pistons, as part of the deal when he bought them a few years back.
The Palace was already completely paid for by his predecessor, the late William Davidson. And out of his own pocket, no less. You NEVER see that happen. The taxpayers always get dinged.
And the Palace was, and remains, a world class facility, located in an ideal location. In a no-crime suburb that has easy access to major roadways for easy fan entrances and exits.
So what did Gores, in HIS infinite wisdom, do? Packed up the team and moved it to the crime-ridden dregs of Detroit, where fans are relatively safe as long as they're within spiting distance of the arena, but not so much if they happen to take a wrong turn somewhere.
Even MORE astounding -- Gores now has to pay rent for moving the Pistons an arena that was built for hockey, specifically, the Detroit Red Wings sparking new Little Caesar's Arena.
Could it get possibly get any more wrong-headed than this?
Oh wait. Maybe. The Pistons claimed to have made a major coup by landing former Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey.
Yeah? Isn't he the same guy that run out of Toronto -- fired -- last year, for his team under-performing year after year?
No matter how one looks at it, this is one clueless franchise, from ownership on down to coach and players.
And there are absolutely no signs, none, that it will get better any year soon.
Monday, April 15, 2019
Tiger mania. Yuck
One would have thought something truly monumental had just happened. Virtually all TV programming was interrupted for an emergency newscast. Same with radio stations. And the internet was burning up at this latest earth-shaking event.
Could another President have been assassinated?
Were nuclear weapons about to descend on us?
Had some alien race invaded earth?
As it turned out, thankfully, none of the above had occurred.
It was merely Eldrick Tont Woods, sometimes known as Tiger, having won a golf tournament. In this case, the Masters.
But oh my, people were going absolutely berserk with the news. I was almost afraid to look outside for fear Tiger groupies would be flogging themselves in the streets in utter bliss.
Such has become the Tiger phenomenon. And all this for a serial wife-cheater, who's as boorish and arrogant away from the cameras as he is charming in front of them. Or at least used to be. Yours truly crossed paths with dear Eldrick at a couple golf tourneys a while back as a member of the gallery.
He and his caddie evidently thought they were royalty. Out of the way peasants. Can't you see His Highness is coming through?
But that was a side of Eldrick most of the public never got to see. His public persona is all spiffed and polished.
So yes, I took a disliking to him.
As a golf fan, I've watched many a tournament on TV. Thing is, I'm the opposite of most. I'd much rather view a tourney when Woods is either not playing in it, or if he is, isn't in contention.That way the coverage is more fairly spread around to the other players, as it should be.
If Eldrick has an early tee time, that means he'll finish his round early, and while the talking heads will still find a way to talk about him, at least every other TV shot won't be about him. See Tiger talk to his caddie. See Tiger take a drink of water. See Tiger lining up his next shot. See Tiger eat a banana. See Tiger scratch his backside. See Tiger still lining up his shot. Tiger this. Tiger that. There's no end to it. Meanwhile, those roars in the background mean other players are hitting great shots we don't get to see. We'll be force fed replays of Tiger strokes, maybe even clips of him in past tournaments. Or a taped interview.
The blatant bias of the media in Tiger's favor is mind-boggling.
They want him to win. They NEED him to win.They openly root for him to win.
While it's true Woods is a black man in a predominantly white sport, consider if this were the other way around.
What do you think would happen if a white guy in a predominantly black man's sport were afforded the same level of attention?
The media and "politically correct" crowd would be screaming racism. Heads would roll at the networks. Congress might convene a special hearing to check into such unacceptable behavior.
But with Eldrick Tont it's OK?
Not for me. Not since I was unceremoniously shoved out of the way at the Buick Open a while back when the "privileged" were approaching. I was behind the ropes right where I was supposed to be. But Woods had hit an errant shot into the crowd and none of us knew exactly what to do. Regardless, there was no excuse for me and others to be treated the way we were, like we were some sort of throwaways. We had paid good money to be there, dammit.
So in conclusion, I'll sum it up this way.
While the legions of Tiger lemmings continue celebrating their hero's victory, there are those of us that would much rather see him just go away.
We are so, so sick of the wall-to-wall coverage of this guy being forced down our throats every time he so much as hiccups.
ESPN's Scott Van Pelt appears to be so infatuated and enamored of Tiger that, frankly, I'm a bit surprised he doesn't volunteer to go to Eldrick's home and offer his services as a pool boy, or doing lawn maintenance, or perhaps shining his shoes. Whatever it is, SVP has a seriously bad case of it.
Nonetheless, I recognize the confounding Tiger groupie syndrome isn't likely to change any time soon
They are what they are.
And I wish them happy flogging -- the poor devils.
Could another President have been assassinated?
Were nuclear weapons about to descend on us?
Had some alien race invaded earth?
As it turned out, thankfully, none of the above had occurred.
It was merely Eldrick Tont Woods, sometimes known as Tiger, having won a golf tournament. In this case, the Masters.
But oh my, people were going absolutely berserk with the news. I was almost afraid to look outside for fear Tiger groupies would be flogging themselves in the streets in utter bliss.
Such has become the Tiger phenomenon. And all this for a serial wife-cheater, who's as boorish and arrogant away from the cameras as he is charming in front of them. Or at least used to be. Yours truly crossed paths with dear Eldrick at a couple golf tourneys a while back as a member of the gallery.
He and his caddie evidently thought they were royalty. Out of the way peasants. Can't you see His Highness is coming through?
But that was a side of Eldrick most of the public never got to see. His public persona is all spiffed and polished.
So yes, I took a disliking to him.
As a golf fan, I've watched many a tournament on TV. Thing is, I'm the opposite of most. I'd much rather view a tourney when Woods is either not playing in it, or if he is, isn't in contention.That way the coverage is more fairly spread around to the other players, as it should be.
If Eldrick has an early tee time, that means he'll finish his round early, and while the talking heads will still find a way to talk about him, at least every other TV shot won't be about him. See Tiger talk to his caddie. See Tiger take a drink of water. See Tiger lining up his next shot. See Tiger eat a banana. See Tiger scratch his backside. See Tiger still lining up his shot. Tiger this. Tiger that. There's no end to it. Meanwhile, those roars in the background mean other players are hitting great shots we don't get to see. We'll be force fed replays of Tiger strokes, maybe even clips of him in past tournaments. Or a taped interview.
The blatant bias of the media in Tiger's favor is mind-boggling.
They want him to win. They NEED him to win.They openly root for him to win.
While it's true Woods is a black man in a predominantly white sport, consider if this were the other way around.
What do you think would happen if a white guy in a predominantly black man's sport were afforded the same level of attention?
The media and "politically correct" crowd would be screaming racism. Heads would roll at the networks. Congress might convene a special hearing to check into such unacceptable behavior.
But with Eldrick Tont it's OK?
Not for me. Not since I was unceremoniously shoved out of the way at the Buick Open a while back when the "privileged" were approaching. I was behind the ropes right where I was supposed to be. But Woods had hit an errant shot into the crowd and none of us knew exactly what to do. Regardless, there was no excuse for me and others to be treated the way we were, like we were some sort of throwaways. We had paid good money to be there, dammit.
So in conclusion, I'll sum it up this way.
While the legions of Tiger lemmings continue celebrating their hero's victory, there are those of us that would much rather see him just go away.
We are so, so sick of the wall-to-wall coverage of this guy being forced down our throats every time he so much as hiccups.
ESPN's Scott Van Pelt appears to be so infatuated and enamored of Tiger that, frankly, I'm a bit surprised he doesn't volunteer to go to Eldrick's home and offer his services as a pool boy, or doing lawn maintenance, or perhaps shining his shoes. Whatever it is, SVP has a seriously bad case of it.
Nonetheless, I recognize the confounding Tiger groupie syndrome isn't likely to change any time soon
They are what they are.
And I wish them happy flogging -- the poor devils.
Saturday, April 6, 2019
Hateful things
There aren't a whole lot of things in life I hate. Liver's right up there. It's all in how you prepare it, some say? Hogwash. I don't care how you cook it -- I hate it. Same with sushi. Keep that nasty raw stuff away from me.
People that barge into conversations get my dander up. Mouthy bartenders, especially the female variety, are notorious for such crude behavior. I've told more than one -- "What make you think whatever it is you have to say is more important than what my friend and I were talking about? It's rude and classless." That usually backs them up a step, at least for a little while.
There are a few others, I suppose. But in the world of sports, I can boil my intense dislike down to three teams.
The Notre Dame ladies basketball program.
This is not so much against the players as the head coach and the school.
To me, Muffet McGraw is like nails scraping a chalkboard. See MM in her perfectly coiffed hairdo. Lots of goop? Are you kidding? A tornado wouldn't mess that up. See MM in her painted on tight skirt. It's so tight she can only take one inch steps. Throw in the 6-inch hooker heels and it's a wonder she can walk at all.
The difference between McGraw and UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, her long time nemesis? Geno's got class. When his team loses to McGraw, he's gracious and a gentleman. Win or lose, McGraw is catty and pompous.
Throw in those stupid leprechauns that follow Notre Dame around everywhere, and yep, I hate em.
Besides, the real Notre Dame is a cathedral in Paris. Last time I looked that was still in France. So where do they get off calling themselves the Fighting Irish? Can't they even get their countries right?
And now they've made the Finals of the NCAA hoops tournament. Again. I almost threw up when they won last year. So go Baylor. My motto is -- ABND. Anybody But Notre Dame.
The Dallas Cowboys.
Speaking of pompous and arrogant, how did those clowns ever figure themselves to be "America's team"? Good grief, outside of the Dallas area -- 90% of the rest of the country hates them, just like I do.
Owner Jerry Jones continually comes off as the epitome of a snake oil salesman. Would you trust that guy to handle your finances? Not me. The more they lose, the better I like it.
Michigan State basketball -- particularly Tom Izzo.
The pundits keep telling us what a great basketball coach Tom Izzo is. Look at all the Final Fours he's been to. To which I say -- so what? The only things more over-rated than making the Final Four are political correctness and the Kardashians, both of which I have no use for either. They belong in the same category as the above-mentioned liver and that slimy eely crap.
Only in college hoops (and to a lesser extent, college hockey -- the Frozen Four), is making the semi-finals such a big deal. Thing is, three of them are going to lose, and nobody's going to remember them. It's nothing but a major marketing farce -- quite successful I might add -- that's been foisted on the gullible masses. Name any other sport -- tennis, football, baseball, etc, and they don't sound the trumpets and start throwing the rose petals for just getting to the semi-finals.
Izzo's won a grand total of one championship -- that almost twenty years ago. If coming in second, third, or fourth was such a big deal, consider Jack Nicklaus. He won 18 golf majors. If you throw in how many times he finished in the Top Four, that number probably goes up to fifty. Nobody cares about that, nor should they. So why should Izzo be heralded as such a hoops wizard when he's only cut down the nets once in his entire long coaching career? He's been pretty good, maybe even excellent. But no more than that.
So it gave yours truly great satisfaction to witness Texas Tech knock off his Spartans in this year's semis. Chalk up another Final Four appearance, but also chalk up another close but no cigar. Just another footnote for the stat geeks and Spartan groupies to ramble on about -- that meant nothing in the bigger picture. They got drilled by the Red Raiders. Period. What else matters?
One more thing. I hate liars. So you can imagine how I feel about a certain"chief executive"..........
People that barge into conversations get my dander up. Mouthy bartenders, especially the female variety, are notorious for such crude behavior. I've told more than one -- "What make you think whatever it is you have to say is more important than what my friend and I were talking about? It's rude and classless." That usually backs them up a step, at least for a little while.
There are a few others, I suppose. But in the world of sports, I can boil my intense dislike down to three teams.
The Notre Dame ladies basketball program.
This is not so much against the players as the head coach and the school.
To me, Muffet McGraw is like nails scraping a chalkboard. See MM in her perfectly coiffed hairdo. Lots of goop? Are you kidding? A tornado wouldn't mess that up. See MM in her painted on tight skirt. It's so tight she can only take one inch steps. Throw in the 6-inch hooker heels and it's a wonder she can walk at all.
The difference between McGraw and UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, her long time nemesis? Geno's got class. When his team loses to McGraw, he's gracious and a gentleman. Win or lose, McGraw is catty and pompous.
Throw in those stupid leprechauns that follow Notre Dame around everywhere, and yep, I hate em.
Besides, the real Notre Dame is a cathedral in Paris. Last time I looked that was still in France. So where do they get off calling themselves the Fighting Irish? Can't they even get their countries right?
And now they've made the Finals of the NCAA hoops tournament. Again. I almost threw up when they won last year. So go Baylor. My motto is -- ABND. Anybody But Notre Dame.
The Dallas Cowboys.
Speaking of pompous and arrogant, how did those clowns ever figure themselves to be "America's team"? Good grief, outside of the Dallas area -- 90% of the rest of the country hates them, just like I do.
Owner Jerry Jones continually comes off as the epitome of a snake oil salesman. Would you trust that guy to handle your finances? Not me. The more they lose, the better I like it.
Michigan State basketball -- particularly Tom Izzo.
The pundits keep telling us what a great basketball coach Tom Izzo is. Look at all the Final Fours he's been to. To which I say -- so what? The only things more over-rated than making the Final Four are political correctness and the Kardashians, both of which I have no use for either. They belong in the same category as the above-mentioned liver and that slimy eely crap.
Only in college hoops (and to a lesser extent, college hockey -- the Frozen Four), is making the semi-finals such a big deal. Thing is, three of them are going to lose, and nobody's going to remember them. It's nothing but a major marketing farce -- quite successful I might add -- that's been foisted on the gullible masses. Name any other sport -- tennis, football, baseball, etc, and they don't sound the trumpets and start throwing the rose petals for just getting to the semi-finals.
Izzo's won a grand total of one championship -- that almost twenty years ago. If coming in second, third, or fourth was such a big deal, consider Jack Nicklaus. He won 18 golf majors. If you throw in how many times he finished in the Top Four, that number probably goes up to fifty. Nobody cares about that, nor should they. So why should Izzo be heralded as such a hoops wizard when he's only cut down the nets once in his entire long coaching career? He's been pretty good, maybe even excellent. But no more than that.
So it gave yours truly great satisfaction to witness Texas Tech knock off his Spartans in this year's semis. Chalk up another Final Four appearance, but also chalk up another close but no cigar. Just another footnote for the stat geeks and Spartan groupies to ramble on about -- that meant nothing in the bigger picture. They got drilled by the Red Raiders. Period. What else matters?
One more thing. I hate liars. So you can imagine how I feel about a certain"chief executive"..........
Friday, March 29, 2019
Michigan and the woodshed
One of two things has to be true. Either the Red Raiders of Texas Tech were underrated all year -- or the Michigan Wolverines were vastly overrated -- again.
Because the latter got taken to the proverbial woodshed by the former in a Sweet Sixteen game.
Michigan could only manage a paltry 16 points in the entire first half? And 44 total? That's more like a high school score, not a so-called "elite" program.
This was men against boys from the opening tip-off. Straight to the woodshed went the "proud" -- and they're always chock full of pride -- Wolverines.
Yeah, I know. Michigan made it all the way to the championship game last before getting drubbed by a vastly superior Villanova squad.
And many moons ago, the "Fab Five" was supposed to be all that. But they never won squat, always choking on the big stage. A bunch of hype and precious few results. All talk and no walk.
Just this year, Michigan was blistered by their in-state rival Michigan State, not once, not twice, but three times. Ouch. And the Spartans of MSU just kicked LSU to the curb in convincing fashion.
And now along come Texas Tech, a lower seed, and trashes them by 20 points or so.
Did I mention woodshed?
On related notes, a #1 seed finally went down. Few would have foreseen Auburn clobbering mighty North Carolna -- but they did.
Yours truly is surprised Virginia's still around. The Cavaliers have a long history of being great regular season teams but chokers once the tournament starts, dating all the way back to the Ralph Sampson days.
Who's going to win it all?
Not a clue, but I've been a closet Gonzaga fan for as long as I can remember. How can you root against a tiny private school tucked away in the far northwest corner of the country, when they have to go up against so many behemoths at this time every year?
Go Zags.
Yep, it's going to be a long flight back to Ann Arbor for Michigan.
And a while before they heal up from the thrashing they got in the woodshed. Hope they've got extra-soft pillows on the plane for them to sit on.
Man, that's gotta smart.
Because the latter got taken to the proverbial woodshed by the former in a Sweet Sixteen game.
Michigan could only manage a paltry 16 points in the entire first half? And 44 total? That's more like a high school score, not a so-called "elite" program.
This was men against boys from the opening tip-off. Straight to the woodshed went the "proud" -- and they're always chock full of pride -- Wolverines.
Yeah, I know. Michigan made it all the way to the championship game last before getting drubbed by a vastly superior Villanova squad.
And many moons ago, the "Fab Five" was supposed to be all that. But they never won squat, always choking on the big stage. A bunch of hype and precious few results. All talk and no walk.
Just this year, Michigan was blistered by their in-state rival Michigan State, not once, not twice, but three times. Ouch. And the Spartans of MSU just kicked LSU to the curb in convincing fashion.
And now along come Texas Tech, a lower seed, and trashes them by 20 points or so.
Did I mention woodshed?
On related notes, a #1 seed finally went down. Few would have foreseen Auburn clobbering mighty North Carolna -- but they did.
Yours truly is surprised Virginia's still around. The Cavaliers have a long history of being great regular season teams but chokers once the tournament starts, dating all the way back to the Ralph Sampson days.
Who's going to win it all?
Not a clue, but I've been a closet Gonzaga fan for as long as I can remember. How can you root against a tiny private school tucked away in the far northwest corner of the country, when they have to go up against so many behemoths at this time every year?
Go Zags.
Yep, it's going to be a long flight back to Ann Arbor for Michigan.
And a while before they heal up from the thrashing they got in the woodshed. Hope they've got extra-soft pillows on the plane for them to sit on.
Man, that's gotta smart.
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
The Robert Kraft "gift"
Well OK, we've all heard about New England Patriots' owner Robert Kraft getting caught up in a prostitution, human trafficking, night out on the town -- take your pick -- sting in Florida.
And of course he's pleaded not-guilty. Maybe he is. Maybe he isn't. But one thing he most DEFINITELY is -- is a billionaire.
Typically, "justice" works a little, make that a lot, different for folks like that as compared to the commoners. As in they'll get off with the proverbial slap on the wrist when John or Jane school teacher/plumber/truck driver -- take your pick again -- would get hammered for the same alleged offense.
But here's the thing. Whatever break the prosecuting people give Kraft -- and you just know there will be one -- they'll have to extend to the other poor every day saps caught up in the same mess. Anything less would reek of a double standard, and defense attorneys would be screaming in outrage, now to mention how the press would lambaste any prosecutors and judges that were a part of it.
So the moral of the story is ---
If you're gonna rock and roll with the "ladies of the evening" for a fair market price, it's a really good idea to do it when a really rich guy is in the house doing the same thing.
Consider it his "gift" to you.
And of course he's pleaded not-guilty. Maybe he is. Maybe he isn't. But one thing he most DEFINITELY is -- is a billionaire.
Typically, "justice" works a little, make that a lot, different for folks like that as compared to the commoners. As in they'll get off with the proverbial slap on the wrist when John or Jane school teacher/plumber/truck driver -- take your pick again -- would get hammered for the same alleged offense.
But here's the thing. Whatever break the prosecuting people give Kraft -- and you just know there will be one -- they'll have to extend to the other poor every day saps caught up in the same mess. Anything less would reek of a double standard, and defense attorneys would be screaming in outrage, now to mention how the press would lambaste any prosecutors and judges that were a part of it.
So the moral of the story is ---
If you're gonna rock and roll with the "ladies of the evening" for a fair market price, it's a really good idea to do it when a really rich guy is in the house doing the same thing.
Consider it his "gift" to you.
Monday, March 25, 2019
The utter stupidity of Le'Veon Bell
I want to see athletes from whatever team succeed as much as the next guy/gal. And if they can get mega-bucks, by all means go for it. Though often times, players in many sports are dumber than bricks in real life, and would be lucky to get a menial job at minimum wage anywhere else in the marketplace.
Which brings me to one Le'Veon Bell, former running back of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He just got a full-spread story in Sports Illustrated penned by one Jenny Vrentas, who appears to be an idol worshiper of the highest order. But SI scribes are like that. Everybody's the greatest at something, and no criticism allowed. They live in their own politically correct cocoon.
No such limitations here. It is what it is, and sometimes it's just stupidity rearing it's moronic head.
Which brings me back to Le'Veon Bell. Football fans know he sat out the entire 2018 season because he refused to accept the "franchise tag" the Steelers were going to put on him. Thing is, the very definition of the franchise tag dictates a player will be paid the average of the top five other players around the league at the same position. Which is exactly what Bell was. A top-fiver. Good, even really good, but NOT eye-popping great. Nobody's going to mention Bell in the same sentence with folks like Jim Brown, OJ Simpson, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders, and those of that class. It should also be noted that when Bell sat out, his replacement, one James Conner, stepped in and the Steelers never lost a beat in their running game. Conner was every bit as good as Bell. When THAT happens, the O-line is definitely worthy of praise for their blocking and opening holes, but they never get any.
But let's just look at the simple numbers of it all.
By turning down the franchise tag, Bell lost $14.5 million bucks. Flush. Gone. I'll get back to that.
Back in the summer of 2017, the Steelers also offered him a five year deal worth $12 million a year. I'm pretty sure that comes out to $60 million total. He also turned that down. Bear that in mind as well.
Just recently, he signed a four year deal with the NY Jets worth roughly $52 million, or about $13 million a year.
Even assuming he stays healthy, ya never know, he will have made far less money at the conclusion of the current contract than he would have under the one Pittsburgh offered him a while back.
How dumb is that?
And now he'll be playing for the woeful Jets. At least in Pittsburgh the Steelers were always contenders. Playoffs every year, and a proud and fabled history over the years to boot.
The Jets haven't been any good since the days of Joe Willy Namath, back when the Viet Nam war was raging. How long ago was that? And they're going to stink it up for next few years as well.
So Bell went from a winning franchise to a sad-sack outfit, for less money in the long run. It's reminisce of Golden Tate leaving a Super Bowl winning team in the beautiful city of Seattle -- to come to an historic bottom-feeding team like the Lions in the crime-ridden dregs of Detroit.
How colossally stupid is that?
And the Jets get a prima donna player who has a history of drug related offenses. If he's not smoking weed, he's skipping drug tests. Both will get a guy in trouble with the league.
Evidently, the stupid thing is contagious.
Or put another way -- monkey see, monkey do.
Yep, Bell and gullible scribes like Vrentas can claim a "win", but a hard objective look at the reality of it all suggests quite the opposite.
Which brings me to one Le'Veon Bell, former running back of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He just got a full-spread story in Sports Illustrated penned by one Jenny Vrentas, who appears to be an idol worshiper of the highest order. But SI scribes are like that. Everybody's the greatest at something, and no criticism allowed. They live in their own politically correct cocoon.
No such limitations here. It is what it is, and sometimes it's just stupidity rearing it's moronic head.
Which brings me back to Le'Veon Bell. Football fans know he sat out the entire 2018 season because he refused to accept the "franchise tag" the Steelers were going to put on him. Thing is, the very definition of the franchise tag dictates a player will be paid the average of the top five other players around the league at the same position. Which is exactly what Bell was. A top-fiver. Good, even really good, but NOT eye-popping great. Nobody's going to mention Bell in the same sentence with folks like Jim Brown, OJ Simpson, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders, and those of that class. It should also be noted that when Bell sat out, his replacement, one James Conner, stepped in and the Steelers never lost a beat in their running game. Conner was every bit as good as Bell. When THAT happens, the O-line is definitely worthy of praise for their blocking and opening holes, but they never get any.
But let's just look at the simple numbers of it all.
By turning down the franchise tag, Bell lost $14.5 million bucks. Flush. Gone. I'll get back to that.
Back in the summer of 2017, the Steelers also offered him a five year deal worth $12 million a year. I'm pretty sure that comes out to $60 million total. He also turned that down. Bear that in mind as well.
Just recently, he signed a four year deal with the NY Jets worth roughly $52 million, or about $13 million a year.
Even assuming he stays healthy, ya never know, he will have made far less money at the conclusion of the current contract than he would have under the one Pittsburgh offered him a while back.
How dumb is that?
And now he'll be playing for the woeful Jets. At least in Pittsburgh the Steelers were always contenders. Playoffs every year, and a proud and fabled history over the years to boot.
The Jets haven't been any good since the days of Joe Willy Namath, back when the Viet Nam war was raging. How long ago was that? And they're going to stink it up for next few years as well.
So Bell went from a winning franchise to a sad-sack outfit, for less money in the long run. It's reminisce of Golden Tate leaving a Super Bowl winning team in the beautiful city of Seattle -- to come to an historic bottom-feeding team like the Lions in the crime-ridden dregs of Detroit.
How colossally stupid is that?
And the Jets get a prima donna player who has a history of drug related offenses. If he's not smoking weed, he's skipping drug tests. Both will get a guy in trouble with the league.
Evidently, the stupid thing is contagious.
Or put another way -- monkey see, monkey do.
Yep, Bell and gullible scribes like Vrentas can claim a "win", but a hard objective look at the reality of it all suggests quite the opposite.
Sunday, March 24, 2019
A pissed off sports fan
So there I was. Sitting in my favorite old chair. Nuked leftover pizza? Check. Six-pack on ice? Check. My two little yorkie boys giving me looks of love? Well, kinda, though I suspect they had an ulterior motive (see pizza above).
And flipping back and forth between the PGA Valspar tourney and NCAA hoops. What could go wrong?
While watching golf on NBC, they broke into it with a "red alert" newscast. Holy cow. Were nukes incoming?
Nope, nothing near as exciting as that. Just an update on that pesky Mueller report that's been going on for so long.
Turns out, after almost two years, Mr. Mueller and his investigative crew drew "no conclusions" over whether Donald Trump and his family committed various crimes. Not enough evidence to charge them, but explicitly not a total vindication either. OK, got it. Now can we get back to golf?
Oh no. The same guy, reading from the same papers, had to say it all over again, and then again a third time.
To REALLY insult our intelligence, some female talking head that worked for the network asked him to clarify what had already been clearly stated three times. So on he went again.
Click. A commercial during the basketball game. Out of curiosity, I checked out the other major networks. Sure enough, they were all blathering on about the same "non-news". Over and over again, the very same stuff.
Hey, it's bad enough one network feels the need to keep repeating itself, but all of them? What is it with the herd mentality of these folks anyway?
Put it on CNN, a news network, and leave the sports alone, you idiots.
Finally, back to CBS, which was showing hoops. Ah man, a little behind the others, here's comes their "newsbreak" too. Yep, the same old tripe, only-- OMG -- it only lasted a couple minutes, which was all that was needed in the first place on all the other channels, then they returned to basketball.
And the moral of the story?
President here. Collusion there. Russians, witch hunts, slimy politicians, nefarious underlings everywhere. At the highest level of American politics.
But despite all that, not even those folks can, pardon the pun, trump March Madness.
Which is as it should be.
Golf maybe, but not the "tournament".
Best game of the Sweet Sixteen?
Gonzaga versus Florida State.
And flipping back and forth between the PGA Valspar tourney and NCAA hoops. What could go wrong?
While watching golf on NBC, they broke into it with a "red alert" newscast. Holy cow. Were nukes incoming?
Nope, nothing near as exciting as that. Just an update on that pesky Mueller report that's been going on for so long.
Turns out, after almost two years, Mr. Mueller and his investigative crew drew "no conclusions" over whether Donald Trump and his family committed various crimes. Not enough evidence to charge them, but explicitly not a total vindication either. OK, got it. Now can we get back to golf?
Oh no. The same guy, reading from the same papers, had to say it all over again, and then again a third time.
To REALLY insult our intelligence, some female talking head that worked for the network asked him to clarify what had already been clearly stated three times. So on he went again.
Click. A commercial during the basketball game. Out of curiosity, I checked out the other major networks. Sure enough, they were all blathering on about the same "non-news". Over and over again, the very same stuff.
Hey, it's bad enough one network feels the need to keep repeating itself, but all of them? What is it with the herd mentality of these folks anyway?
Put it on CNN, a news network, and leave the sports alone, you idiots.
Finally, back to CBS, which was showing hoops. Ah man, a little behind the others, here's comes their "newsbreak" too. Yep, the same old tripe, only-- OMG -- it only lasted a couple minutes, which was all that was needed in the first place on all the other channels, then they returned to basketball.
And the moral of the story?
President here. Collusion there. Russians, witch hunts, slimy politicians, nefarious underlings everywhere. At the highest level of American politics.
But despite all that, not even those folks can, pardon the pun, trump March Madness.
Which is as it should be.
Golf maybe, but not the "tournament".
Best game of the Sweet Sixteen?
Gonzaga versus Florida State.
Saturday, March 16, 2019
The Players Championship
Pity that pesky Spaniard, one Jon Rahm, shot a lights-out 64 on Saturday to take a one stroke lead in the PGA Players Championship.
For a while Brit Tommy Fleetwood and Irish lad Rory McIlroy were duking it out atop the leaderboard.
Yep, Fleetwood Mac was headlining the show again, some 40 years later. They should have played disco music in the background and threw in a few strobe lights.
Hard to say who will eventually win. Fleetwood's been lurking around the top in many tourneys of late but, alas, his collar seems to get a wee bit tight on Sundays. He's still looking for his first win.
Rory's been there, done that, and after a brief period where his game appeared to desert him, seems to be back in the groove again.
Young Rahm, if not already, will certainly be a force to contend with for the next couple decades.
Aussie Jason Day was out of synch for a while, but seems to have righted his golf ship and is in contention. Can't count him out.
Likewise Dustin Johnson, arguably the #1 player in the world. He's only a handful of strokes back. If he gets hot on Sunday......
The good thing about PGA tournaments these days? How the TV coverage gets its sanity back on the weekends, and that's likely not by choice.
Typically on Thursday and Friday, the TV folks turn the tourney into basically the Tiger Woods show. It's unbelievable how often they'll feature him on the air. Every shot. Then replays of same. They'll even throw in a few "highlights" from when Eldrick was playing in tournaments past. This, despite him usually being 5, 7, 10 strokes behind. More out of contention the longer the play goes on.
What's good about the weekend? If Eldrick does make the cut, it's usually barely. Which means he'll have early tee times on Saturday and Sunday. In other words, he'll just about have finished play before the contenders even start.
Even the obviously biased TV folks find it difficult to throw in a bunch of Tiger clips when he's not even playing any more. Hence, the coverage is more fairly spread around, as it should be.
True, they WILL find a way to interview him. That's seems to be mandatory, even if he's 10,12, 15 shots behind. Tiger this, Tiger that. If this was a white guy in the NBA, the networks would be blasted for blatant racism. But they keep jamming Eldrick down everybody's throat, even though he's won only one tournament in the last five years, and that not a major.
No offense to Jon Rahm. He seems like quite the gentleman, and this author wishes him well.
But I kinda liked the Fleetwood Mac angle.
For a while Brit Tommy Fleetwood and Irish lad Rory McIlroy were duking it out atop the leaderboard.
Yep, Fleetwood Mac was headlining the show again, some 40 years later. They should have played disco music in the background and threw in a few strobe lights.
Hard to say who will eventually win. Fleetwood's been lurking around the top in many tourneys of late but, alas, his collar seems to get a wee bit tight on Sundays. He's still looking for his first win.
Rory's been there, done that, and after a brief period where his game appeared to desert him, seems to be back in the groove again.
Young Rahm, if not already, will certainly be a force to contend with for the next couple decades.
Aussie Jason Day was out of synch for a while, but seems to have righted his golf ship and is in contention. Can't count him out.
Likewise Dustin Johnson, arguably the #1 player in the world. He's only a handful of strokes back. If he gets hot on Sunday......
The good thing about PGA tournaments these days? How the TV coverage gets its sanity back on the weekends, and that's likely not by choice.
Typically on Thursday and Friday, the TV folks turn the tourney into basically the Tiger Woods show. It's unbelievable how often they'll feature him on the air. Every shot. Then replays of same. They'll even throw in a few "highlights" from when Eldrick was playing in tournaments past. This, despite him usually being 5, 7, 10 strokes behind. More out of contention the longer the play goes on.
What's good about the weekend? If Eldrick does make the cut, it's usually barely. Which means he'll have early tee times on Saturday and Sunday. In other words, he'll just about have finished play before the contenders even start.
Even the obviously biased TV folks find it difficult to throw in a bunch of Tiger clips when he's not even playing any more. Hence, the coverage is more fairly spread around, as it should be.
True, they WILL find a way to interview him. That's seems to be mandatory, even if he's 10,12, 15 shots behind. Tiger this, Tiger that. If this was a white guy in the NBA, the networks would be blasted for blatant racism. But they keep jamming Eldrick down everybody's throat, even though he's won only one tournament in the last five years, and that not a major.
No offense to Jon Rahm. He seems like quite the gentleman, and this author wishes him well.
But I kinda liked the Fleetwood Mac angle.
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