Was anybody really surprised when the Washington Caps of the NHL bowed out to Pittsburgh? Even though the deciding Game 7 was on the Caps' home ice?
It's just what they do. In recent times the Caps have won the President's trophy often for having the best regular season record. But they haven't made it out of the second round of the playoffs for a quarter century. When the going gets tough, the Caps get choking.
In the NBA, the Washington Wizards forced a Game 7 with the Boston Celtics. It will be played in Beantown. Who do you think is going to win THAT one to advance to the eastern conference finals? Here's a semi-educated guess -- it won't be a Washington team. Their fold number is overdue to pop up.
Consider the NFL. The Redskins, once a proud franchise, haven't been any good since Joe Gibbs quit as head coach. You remember Joe. He was the all-American boy, red, white, and blue all the way. A humble and deeply religious man. The good Mr. G decided to pursue a future as a NASCAR owner.
That's great, but also raises an interesting question -- if he was such a patriotic God fearing flag waver, why, tell me WHY, did he choose Toyotas for race cars, and hire a heathen like Kyle Busch as his lead driver? Ford or Chevy likely would have been more than happy to supply him with cars and motors, but no, he had to go the Japanese route. Something was always wrong with this picture. Still is.
Who does that leave? The Nationals of Major League Baseball. Currently, they sit atop their division and are cruising right along. The Nats have talent galore.
But wait until October. They'll fold, like they always do. Because that's just the way things are in DC.
Good grief. Even the politicians have (again) joined the losing act. One would think they have plenty of pressing issues to deal with. To build or not to build the "wall", revamping health care, simplifying the tax code, reducing that pesky deficit, getting a handle on the immigration/refugee crisis, improving care for injured veterans at VA facilities, and let's not forget the crumbling infra-structure in America. Or the legions of homeless that desperately need a roof over their heads and something to eat.
But no, all that has been kicked to the curb. Not important enough. Now they're busy arguing among themselves about why an FBI chief got fired. Let the hearings begin and the partisan sniping continue. All while nothing else gets done. It's a convenient cop-out of their responsibilities, but it sure doesn't help John and Jane Citizen much in the real world. It's just one more example of how Washington seems to breed losers when the pressure ratchets up. Must be something in the air.
On a lighter note, consider the Washington Generals' record against the Harlem Globetrotters. Though exact stats remain sketchy, it's no secret the Trotters won well over 10,000 games against the Gens, while only losing one. That's a very impressive percentage, even though the games were -- shhh, it's a secret -- "allegedly" rigged. Still, the Washington squad managed a single victory. That was way back in the Nixon era, not long before that Watergate thing reared its ugly head. In hindsight, it seems ironically fitting enough.
So no matter how you want to slice it or dice it, when it comes to Washington DC, be it hockey, football, basketball, baseball, or even politics, they have long since earned the reputation of being chokers and losers in the end.
Perhaps the most trusted TV news man (Walter Cronkite) of all time said it best when he signed off every day....
And that's just the way it is.
Either that, or the Warner Brothers cartoons folks nailed it with their famous Looney Tunes bit at the end of a show.
Th-th-th-th-that's all folks.
Friday, May 12, 2017
Thursday, May 11, 2017
Give it up to the Spurs
Like them or not -- and how can anybody hate such a class organization? -- you gotta give it up to the San Antonio Spurs. The game they just played against the Houston Rockets -- no slouches -- was something to behold. It was the series clincher and the Spurs move on, while the Rockets go home.
Which isn't far, given the drubbing NBA fans just witnessed that happened in Houston. The Spurs put a 39 point beat down on the Rockets in their own house. Oh my. Nobody saw that coming.
Both teams had previously won on the other's court and Game 5 had gone to overtime in San Antonio. It appeared to be a neck and neck series indeed. Hard fought throughout.
If anything, the Spurs were at a distinct disadvantage. Besides playing on the road -- where Houston is formidable at home -- they had recently lost the services of guard Tony Parker. A torn quadriceps tendon ended his season and, given his age, might well spell the end of his illustrious NBA career.
If that weren't bad enough, the always quiet and humble, but quite lethal Kawhi Leonard had twisted his ankle in the previous game and wasn't available either. Many have said Leonard is the best two-way player in the game today. People tend to think of him as a "little guy", but he's really not. Leonard stands 6 foot 7, just an inch short of that Lebron guy, and an inch taller than that Michael guy of old. From scoring, dishing out assists, rebounding, ball handling, and playing tenacious defense on the other team's best player, KL can pretty much do it all. But he doesn't seek the limelight like so many other NBA prima donnas. Leonard just quietly gets it done in a large way.
After the nip and tuck Game 5, most would have thought Game 6 at Houston, with the Spurs down two of their best players, would be a blow-out the other way.
But twas not to be. Quite the opposite happened, no doubt to the surprise and chagrin of Houston and their fans.
So yep, ya gotta give it up to Coach Pop and his Spurs. A lot of guys saw way more minutes than they normally would, but came through in a spectacular fashion. Very few turnovers. Always finding the "open" guy with a crisp passing game. Knocking down the "open looks" when the multiple passes got the ball to a shooter. Crashing the boards and allowing Houston few second shots. A swarming, quickly switching defense that made things difficult for the Rockets all night. Holding James Harden and Co. to a mere 75 points on their home floor was quite a feat indeed. Especially without Kawhi Leonard available to guard him.
In the end, it was "Spurs basketball" at its finest. Coach Pop has to be proud of the job his guys turned in shorthanded.
But it doesn't get any easier. Next up for the Spurs are the Golden State Warriors. The Oakland crew has yet to lose a single playoff game this post-season, and will have home court advantage in the western conference finals.
San Antonio will be a heavy underdog. And while Parker is most definitely out, nobody knows for sure if Leonard will be ready when the next round starts in a few days. And even if so, how effective he might be, if still a bit gimpy.
Sure, even since the beginning of the season, all the "experts" have predicted Golden State and the Cleveland Cavaliers were destined to meet for the third time in a row in the Finals. It might well come to that. The Cavs await the winner of the Boston/Washington series and will be heavily favored to dispatch either of them as well, even though the Celtics would have home court advantage.
But how can anybody root against the Spurs? They lost Tim Duncan to retirement. The Warriors added super-star Kevin Durant through free-agency. Parker's gone and Leonard's a maybe.
In the absence of head coach Steve Kerr, still out with back problems, Golden State has plugged in Mike Brown, pretty much a loser every other place he's been (see multiple firings). What could they possibly have been thinking bringing this clown on board as a #2?
On the other hand, Gregg Popovich has not only proven himself to be a championship winning coach, but also the epitome of class over the last couple decades. Has there ever been anybody, anywhere, at any time, that has had a single bad word to say about this man? Not that yours truly can remember.
Class will do that for you over time.
So here's wishing him and his Spurs the best.
But they're certainly going to have their hands full with the Warriors over the next couple weeks.
Those guys are really, REALLY good.
They're SUPPOSED to win.
But who, other than the Golden State faithful, wouldn't be tickled if the Spurs somehow found a way to pull off a huge upset and get back to the Finals?
Betcha Cleveland (their likely opponent) would also agree. Given a choice between a depleted Spurs team and a healthy Warrior one looking for revenge after what happened in last year's Finals, you just KNOW which one they'd rather face.
But that's getting ahead of ourselves.
Like they've long said, that's why they play the games.
Bring it on and let's see what happens.
Somewhere in the middle of all that, yours truly is going to call a time out and officially tune out the NBA. That's when the Indy 500 hits in a couple weeks.
Basketball, schmasketball. Some things are just more compelling to watch. If you can't do 225 MPH all the way around the track, don't even bother to show up? These guys and gals make NASCAR look like a slow motion bumper-car contest. This is SERIOUS racing. And only once a year.
No way would I ever miss that, though I no longer have the fortitude to spend a few days down there partying and running amok in the infield like I used to during the race itself. It's big screen only of late.
Geez, those were the days indeed.
Sigh......
Which isn't far, given the drubbing NBA fans just witnessed that happened in Houston. The Spurs put a 39 point beat down on the Rockets in their own house. Oh my. Nobody saw that coming.
Both teams had previously won on the other's court and Game 5 had gone to overtime in San Antonio. It appeared to be a neck and neck series indeed. Hard fought throughout.
If anything, the Spurs were at a distinct disadvantage. Besides playing on the road -- where Houston is formidable at home -- they had recently lost the services of guard Tony Parker. A torn quadriceps tendon ended his season and, given his age, might well spell the end of his illustrious NBA career.
If that weren't bad enough, the always quiet and humble, but quite lethal Kawhi Leonard had twisted his ankle in the previous game and wasn't available either. Many have said Leonard is the best two-way player in the game today. People tend to think of him as a "little guy", but he's really not. Leonard stands 6 foot 7, just an inch short of that Lebron guy, and an inch taller than that Michael guy of old. From scoring, dishing out assists, rebounding, ball handling, and playing tenacious defense on the other team's best player, KL can pretty much do it all. But he doesn't seek the limelight like so many other NBA prima donnas. Leonard just quietly gets it done in a large way.
After the nip and tuck Game 5, most would have thought Game 6 at Houston, with the Spurs down two of their best players, would be a blow-out the other way.
But twas not to be. Quite the opposite happened, no doubt to the surprise and chagrin of Houston and their fans.
So yep, ya gotta give it up to Coach Pop and his Spurs. A lot of guys saw way more minutes than they normally would, but came through in a spectacular fashion. Very few turnovers. Always finding the "open" guy with a crisp passing game. Knocking down the "open looks" when the multiple passes got the ball to a shooter. Crashing the boards and allowing Houston few second shots. A swarming, quickly switching defense that made things difficult for the Rockets all night. Holding James Harden and Co. to a mere 75 points on their home floor was quite a feat indeed. Especially without Kawhi Leonard available to guard him.
In the end, it was "Spurs basketball" at its finest. Coach Pop has to be proud of the job his guys turned in shorthanded.
But it doesn't get any easier. Next up for the Spurs are the Golden State Warriors. The Oakland crew has yet to lose a single playoff game this post-season, and will have home court advantage in the western conference finals.
San Antonio will be a heavy underdog. And while Parker is most definitely out, nobody knows for sure if Leonard will be ready when the next round starts in a few days. And even if so, how effective he might be, if still a bit gimpy.
Sure, even since the beginning of the season, all the "experts" have predicted Golden State and the Cleveland Cavaliers were destined to meet for the third time in a row in the Finals. It might well come to that. The Cavs await the winner of the Boston/Washington series and will be heavily favored to dispatch either of them as well, even though the Celtics would have home court advantage.
But how can anybody root against the Spurs? They lost Tim Duncan to retirement. The Warriors added super-star Kevin Durant through free-agency. Parker's gone and Leonard's a maybe.
In the absence of head coach Steve Kerr, still out with back problems, Golden State has plugged in Mike Brown, pretty much a loser every other place he's been (see multiple firings). What could they possibly have been thinking bringing this clown on board as a #2?
On the other hand, Gregg Popovich has not only proven himself to be a championship winning coach, but also the epitome of class over the last couple decades. Has there ever been anybody, anywhere, at any time, that has had a single bad word to say about this man? Not that yours truly can remember.
Class will do that for you over time.
So here's wishing him and his Spurs the best.
But they're certainly going to have their hands full with the Warriors over the next couple weeks.
Those guys are really, REALLY good.
They're SUPPOSED to win.
But who, other than the Golden State faithful, wouldn't be tickled if the Spurs somehow found a way to pull off a huge upset and get back to the Finals?
Betcha Cleveland (their likely opponent) would also agree. Given a choice between a depleted Spurs team and a healthy Warrior one looking for revenge after what happened in last year's Finals, you just KNOW which one they'd rather face.
But that's getting ahead of ourselves.
Like they've long said, that's why they play the games.
Bring it on and let's see what happens.
Somewhere in the middle of all that, yours truly is going to call a time out and officially tune out the NBA. That's when the Indy 500 hits in a couple weeks.
Basketball, schmasketball. Some things are just more compelling to watch. If you can't do 225 MPH all the way around the track, don't even bother to show up? These guys and gals make NASCAR look like a slow motion bumper-car contest. This is SERIOUS racing. And only once a year.
No way would I ever miss that, though I no longer have the fortitude to spend a few days down there partying and running amok in the infield like I used to during the race itself. It's big screen only of late.
Geez, those were the days indeed.
Sigh......
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Dumb marathon rules
Recently, Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya ran a marathon that shattered the world record. His time of 2 hours and 25 seconds was more than two and a half minutes better than the old record.
But it won't count.
Why?
Because of dumb rules. The official sanctioning body said this race was run in too much of a "controlled environment". Well then. Let's look at some of the reasons they cited.
The temperature was a rather cool 52 degrees. Should that matter? Typically, the Boston Marathon, perhaps the most famous of them all -- is run in April. The temperatures in Beantown at that time of year are pretty cool as well.
The track was a consistent asphalt surface. What's wrong with that? They're not supposed to have to run over broken glass, through gravel, or a mine field -- though the latter would certainly add an element of suspense. BOOM!! "Oops, #52 seems to be experiencing some serious physical difficulty and has fallen off the pace." On second thought, nix that idea. We don't need that.
The authorities said Kipchoge had rotating pace-setters throughout the race to keep him clipping along at world-record pace. What difference does it make? It's still the same guy running the same distance. And besides, all marathoners wear watches to keep track of their times at certain points in the race.
Ah, but the pace-setters were in triangular formations behind the pace car (did they need a pace car when they have so many pace setters?), which broke the wind resistance for Kipchoge.
This is patently ridiculous. In NASCAR or Indy racing, closely tail-gating another car (drafting) has a lot to do with less wind resistance, hence the trailing car uses less horsepower -- and fuel -- to keep up. But that only comes in to play at high speeds. Do the math on how fast even a world class marathoner runs. Roughly 26 miles in roughly 2 hours. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that equates to about 13 MPH. A snail's pace by comparison. Does anybody really believe the atmosphere hasn't replaced itself in the time between when a lead runner breaks through it until the the following runner gets there? It takes a small fraction of a second at best. So scrap that stupid theory. It doesn't apply.
They said the track was level without sharp turns. If it's all downhill for 26 miles, that's one thing. But how much fairer could a level track be? And no sharp turns? Ever seen a sanctioned marathon yet without gradual sweeping changes of direction? It's not like these guys (and gals) are running pylon drills at the NFL combine. Let's toss that flimsy excuse too.
Oh, that's right. Kipchoge was wearing the latest in fancy athletic shoe technology. Well gee. Don't they think all high level football, hockey, baseball, basketball, tennis, and soccer players do the same thing? Hello? Would you disqualify one of them if they set a record? Of course not. Sure the gear keeps getting better. So what?
Thing is, it's only a matter of time before the two hour barrier in the marathon is broken. Ages ago, the four-minute mile was thought unattainable. That mark fell way back in the 1950s, and any decent miler routinely runs under it these days, sometimes by quite a bit.
There is also some serious hypocrisy afoot here. In certain races, a runner is deemed ineligible for any sort of record if they had too much wind at his/her back.
But what do you think would happen if an NFL place kicker booted a 70 yard field goal, shattering the existing record of 64, even though he had a 40 MPH tail wind helping his kick? Would they still count it?
You betcha they would.
So get rid of all these stupid rules. If somebody sets a record -- dammit -- it's a record.
Just because the conditions weren't conforming to archaic "standards" shouldn't matter one bit.
Somebody else will come along, at just the right time, and in optimum conditions themselves, to better it again.
Whoever thought funny cars and rails would run a quarter mile in under 4 seconds at speeds well over 300 MPH? Nowadays, it's routine.
In other words, in the time it takes the texting nitwit in front of you to realize the light has turned green and it's time to go, the hot rod folks have already run a full quarter mile. Pretty incredible when one stops to think about it. Their gear keeps getting better too. Hear anybody ever objecting to THAT?
So spare me the nit-picking details, rules, and regs about how Eliud Kipchoge's marathon time wasn't "official". The dude ran the same distance in, by far, the fastest time ever. And nary a whisper about any sort of performance enhancing drugs being in play. You just KNOW he got tested both before and after the race.
He set a record and it should count as such. Period.
So what's the problem?
Maybe they should start drug testing the people that keep coming up with all these silly rules.
2:00:25 is getting close to knocking on the door of the once unheard of two hour mark.
A mere 25 seconds -- or probably roughly the time it takes a marathoner to run the length of your average soccer field. Over the course of 26+ miles, it doesn't seem like much at all.
Oh yeah, it's going to happen someday......
But it won't count.
Why?
Because of dumb rules. The official sanctioning body said this race was run in too much of a "controlled environment". Well then. Let's look at some of the reasons they cited.
The temperature was a rather cool 52 degrees. Should that matter? Typically, the Boston Marathon, perhaps the most famous of them all -- is run in April. The temperatures in Beantown at that time of year are pretty cool as well.
The track was a consistent asphalt surface. What's wrong with that? They're not supposed to have to run over broken glass, through gravel, or a mine field -- though the latter would certainly add an element of suspense. BOOM!! "Oops, #52 seems to be experiencing some serious physical difficulty and has fallen off the pace." On second thought, nix that idea. We don't need that.
The authorities said Kipchoge had rotating pace-setters throughout the race to keep him clipping along at world-record pace. What difference does it make? It's still the same guy running the same distance. And besides, all marathoners wear watches to keep track of their times at certain points in the race.
Ah, but the pace-setters were in triangular formations behind the pace car (did they need a pace car when they have so many pace setters?), which broke the wind resistance for Kipchoge.
This is patently ridiculous. In NASCAR or Indy racing, closely tail-gating another car (drafting) has a lot to do with less wind resistance, hence the trailing car uses less horsepower -- and fuel -- to keep up. But that only comes in to play at high speeds. Do the math on how fast even a world class marathoner runs. Roughly 26 miles in roughly 2 hours. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that equates to about 13 MPH. A snail's pace by comparison. Does anybody really believe the atmosphere hasn't replaced itself in the time between when a lead runner breaks through it until the the following runner gets there? It takes a small fraction of a second at best. So scrap that stupid theory. It doesn't apply.
They said the track was level without sharp turns. If it's all downhill for 26 miles, that's one thing. But how much fairer could a level track be? And no sharp turns? Ever seen a sanctioned marathon yet without gradual sweeping changes of direction? It's not like these guys (and gals) are running pylon drills at the NFL combine. Let's toss that flimsy excuse too.
Oh, that's right. Kipchoge was wearing the latest in fancy athletic shoe technology. Well gee. Don't they think all high level football, hockey, baseball, basketball, tennis, and soccer players do the same thing? Hello? Would you disqualify one of them if they set a record? Of course not. Sure the gear keeps getting better. So what?
Thing is, it's only a matter of time before the two hour barrier in the marathon is broken. Ages ago, the four-minute mile was thought unattainable. That mark fell way back in the 1950s, and any decent miler routinely runs under it these days, sometimes by quite a bit.
There is also some serious hypocrisy afoot here. In certain races, a runner is deemed ineligible for any sort of record if they had too much wind at his/her back.
But what do you think would happen if an NFL place kicker booted a 70 yard field goal, shattering the existing record of 64, even though he had a 40 MPH tail wind helping his kick? Would they still count it?
You betcha they would.
So get rid of all these stupid rules. If somebody sets a record -- dammit -- it's a record.
Just because the conditions weren't conforming to archaic "standards" shouldn't matter one bit.
Somebody else will come along, at just the right time, and in optimum conditions themselves, to better it again.
Whoever thought funny cars and rails would run a quarter mile in under 4 seconds at speeds well over 300 MPH? Nowadays, it's routine.
In other words, in the time it takes the texting nitwit in front of you to realize the light has turned green and it's time to go, the hot rod folks have already run a full quarter mile. Pretty incredible when one stops to think about it. Their gear keeps getting better too. Hear anybody ever objecting to THAT?
So spare me the nit-picking details, rules, and regs about how Eliud Kipchoge's marathon time wasn't "official". The dude ran the same distance in, by far, the fastest time ever. And nary a whisper about any sort of performance enhancing drugs being in play. You just KNOW he got tested both before and after the race.
He set a record and it should count as such. Period.
So what's the problem?
Maybe they should start drug testing the people that keep coming up with all these silly rules.
2:00:25 is getting close to knocking on the door of the once unheard of two hour mark.
A mere 25 seconds -- or probably roughly the time it takes a marathoner to run the length of your average soccer field. Over the course of 26+ miles, it doesn't seem like much at all.
Oh yeah, it's going to happen someday......
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
Cleveland and Golden State. Catbird seats
While the Cleveland Cavaliers have so far breezed through the playoffs, so have the Golden State Warriors.
The former swept the Indiana Pacers and then the Toronto Raptors. Eight games up, eight wins.
The latter did the same to the Portland Trail Blazers and then the Utah Jazz. 8-0 so far.
Meanwhile, the other two series continue.
The Boston Celtics are in quite a battle with the Washington Wizards. It could well go the full seven games.
Same with the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets. Two heavyweights slugging it out in Texas.
Who will win either of these series' remains to be seen. But one thing's for sure. They're going to be a whole lot more gassed than the Cavs or Warriors for the next series.
Those guys get to sit around, let the little bumps, bruises, and strains heal up, go through easy practices, and study both their possible future opponents while they're beating each other's brains out on the court.
True, they are many that have long thought a Cleveland/Golden State III -- a rubber match if you will -- has long been a foregone conclusion. And it may very well come to that.
Also true is Golden State still has home court advantage throughout the playoffs, up to and including the Finals. Yet they had that last year, but fell to Cleveland -- even after leading the series 3 games to 1.
On the other side, Boston, somewhat surprisingly, overtook Cleveland for the best regular season record in the East. If they can dispatch that pesky Wiz, advantage Beaners in the eastern finals. Or maybe not. Last time Cleveland went to Boston, they spanked them rather handily. And does anybody really want to bet against Lebron and Co. when the playoffs start?
Still, it doesn't seem fair that the two overwhelming favorites get some serious R and R while their future competition is wearing each other out.
The Spurs/Rockets hardly have the luxury of studying the Warriors on TV while they remain locked in a battle themselves. Same for the Celtics/Wizards regarding the Cavaliers.
But that's just how it goes sometimes. As has been mentioned in this space in the past, Gregg Popovich has always been right about one thing. It's time for "big boy" basketball.
When the bell rings, ya gotta answer it and come out fighting. Any excuses about being tired, beat up, or ceding home court advantage matter not one whit.
Champions sometimes have to overcome all such obstacles.
But if I'm Cleveland or Golden State, I rather like the position I'm in right now. The catbird seat, as it were. Let the other guys keep slugging it out.
We'll be there waiting for them when the time comes.
For either of these teams to get knocked off in their respective conference finals would be huge upsets indeed.
But ya never know......
Regardless, it raises an interesting possibility. Could both Cleveland and Golden State "sweep" their way into the NBA Finals with 12-0 playoff records? Maybe, though whatever competition emerges from the other series' is going to be a definite step up from what they've seen so far. Still, it could happen.
But then something would have to give in a big way.
Because no matter how you slice it or dice it, either Cleveland or Golden State is going to lose four games in the Finals -- if they get there.
Somebody's going to be happy, hoist the championship trophy, and have a parade in their home town. Fair enough.
But somebody else is going to wonder what the hell happened and how did the wheels fall off so fast?
The former swept the Indiana Pacers and then the Toronto Raptors. Eight games up, eight wins.
The latter did the same to the Portland Trail Blazers and then the Utah Jazz. 8-0 so far.
Meanwhile, the other two series continue.
The Boston Celtics are in quite a battle with the Washington Wizards. It could well go the full seven games.
Same with the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets. Two heavyweights slugging it out in Texas.
Who will win either of these series' remains to be seen. But one thing's for sure. They're going to be a whole lot more gassed than the Cavs or Warriors for the next series.
Those guys get to sit around, let the little bumps, bruises, and strains heal up, go through easy practices, and study both their possible future opponents while they're beating each other's brains out on the court.
True, they are many that have long thought a Cleveland/Golden State III -- a rubber match if you will -- has long been a foregone conclusion. And it may very well come to that.
Also true is Golden State still has home court advantage throughout the playoffs, up to and including the Finals. Yet they had that last year, but fell to Cleveland -- even after leading the series 3 games to 1.
On the other side, Boston, somewhat surprisingly, overtook Cleveland for the best regular season record in the East. If they can dispatch that pesky Wiz, advantage Beaners in the eastern finals. Or maybe not. Last time Cleveland went to Boston, they spanked them rather handily. And does anybody really want to bet against Lebron and Co. when the playoffs start?
Still, it doesn't seem fair that the two overwhelming favorites get some serious R and R while their future competition is wearing each other out.
The Spurs/Rockets hardly have the luxury of studying the Warriors on TV while they remain locked in a battle themselves. Same for the Celtics/Wizards regarding the Cavaliers.
But that's just how it goes sometimes. As has been mentioned in this space in the past, Gregg Popovich has always been right about one thing. It's time for "big boy" basketball.
When the bell rings, ya gotta answer it and come out fighting. Any excuses about being tired, beat up, or ceding home court advantage matter not one whit.
Champions sometimes have to overcome all such obstacles.
But if I'm Cleveland or Golden State, I rather like the position I'm in right now. The catbird seat, as it were. Let the other guys keep slugging it out.
We'll be there waiting for them when the time comes.
For either of these teams to get knocked off in their respective conference finals would be huge upsets indeed.
But ya never know......
Regardless, it raises an interesting possibility. Could both Cleveland and Golden State "sweep" their way into the NBA Finals with 12-0 playoff records? Maybe, though whatever competition emerges from the other series' is going to be a definite step up from what they've seen so far. Still, it could happen.
But then something would have to give in a big way.
Because no matter how you slice it or dice it, either Cleveland or Golden State is going to lose four games in the Finals -- if they get there.
Somebody's going to be happy, hoist the championship trophy, and have a parade in their home town. Fair enough.
But somebody else is going to wonder what the hell happened and how did the wheels fall off so fast?
Monday, May 8, 2017
Pondering the NBA playoffs
Sometimes one can't help but wonder whether the playoff format has grown too big. After all, 8 teams from each conference qualify.
Sure, I get it. Everybody wants to be in the playoffs. Bazillions of dollars stand to be made by owners, players, staffs, and the networks lick their lips over the big time advertising money that will pour in. It's the American way.
Still, some match-ups are foregone conclusions before the first game even starts. Witness Cleveland brooming Indiana, and then Toronto. See Golden State do the same to both Portland and Utah. There was no chance -- ZERO -- that any of these underdog teams would be able to pull an upset in a seven game series.
True, hard core fans in such cities really want to believe that anything is possible, but it's really not. They can root, root, root all they want, and likely forego a house payment to attend one of the games at ridiculous jacked-up prices, but their team has about the same chance as a Republican politician would in San Fran or LA. Spend all the money they want but, forget winning, it ain't gonna happen. The other guys are just that much better.
For the most part, the first couple rounds of the playoffs are just to get the riff-raff out of the way. Maybe a team here or there will "steal" a single game from a vastly superior opponent (yours truly thought the Raptors and Jazz might -- MIGHT -- do so). But no, they were unceremoniously swept aside.
But it will start to get interesting shortly. Whichever team emerges from the San Antonio/Houston series will be, by far, the toughest competition Golden State has seen yet. Could either conceivably knock off the Warriors? Unlikely. The Spurs have already lost point guard Tony Parker, and the Rockets big man Nene. To knock off the Oakland boys, especially already ceding home court advantage, either of these teams would need to be at full strength and play their absolute best A games during the series. A mighty tall order even BEFORE the injuries. The Warriors appear to have rounded back into their juggernaut selves and appear virtually unbeatable, barring any key injuries of their own. Ya never know about that stuff.
In the East, few think the Boston Celtics, even holding home court advantage (and assuming they finally dispatch those pesky Washington Wizards), pose much of a threat to Lebron and the Cavaliers in the eastern finals.
Idle thought in the "This dude has a lot of nerve department".
Golden State's Draymond Green recently came out and said he considers Boston's Kelly Olnyk to be a "dirty" player. Really? Isn't this the same Draymond Green that kept delivering thunderous kicks to the groins of opposing players last year? The very same clown that finally got rightfully suspended for a game for taking yet another swipe at Lebron's "junk" in the Finals last year? Let's not forget that happened in Game 4 of the Finals last year. Afterwards, Golden State would lead 3-1. But without Draymond in Game 5, AT Golden State, the tide turned. The Cavs won a game few thought they could or would. Then came games 6 and 7. The momentum had clearly shifted and we know how it turned out. Nobody wants to talk about it, especially Draymond, but it could be argued the GS loss in the Finals last year was squarely his fault -- from his own thuggish play. And he has the utter audacity to call Kelly Olnyk dirty? The hypocrisy is mind-numbing.
Interesting how some of the "experts" say Golden State has a whopping 93% chance of knocking off Cleveland in the Finals. That seems like a pretty high number. Last time I looked, the Cavs, with Lebron, Kyrie, Kevin, and Co. were rolling right along themselves. And they weren't supposed to win last year either -- remember?
We shall see indeed, but first things first. The Celtics aren't exactly patsies, nor are the Spurs or Rockets. They all got some serious game. It's no slam dunk the Cavs and Warriors will dispatch them in the conference finals. And even if they do, they will be hard fought series. Again, who knows when the injury monster might rear his ugly head? Could happen to anybody at any time.
One can also wonder whether interim GS head coach Mike Brown, subbing for Steve Kerr who remains out with back problems, will be able to keep the Warriors purring along. In other words, not doing something stupid to screw it up. Brown has a history of being a failure elsewhere in years past when the pressure got ratcheted up. Let's just say he's no stranger to being fired as an underachieving head coach.
So yep, it will be getting down to the nitty-gritty pretty quick now.
As San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich has been known to say --- it's time for "Big Boy" basketball.
Bring it on.......
Sure, I get it. Everybody wants to be in the playoffs. Bazillions of dollars stand to be made by owners, players, staffs, and the networks lick their lips over the big time advertising money that will pour in. It's the American way.
Still, some match-ups are foregone conclusions before the first game even starts. Witness Cleveland brooming Indiana, and then Toronto. See Golden State do the same to both Portland and Utah. There was no chance -- ZERO -- that any of these underdog teams would be able to pull an upset in a seven game series.
True, hard core fans in such cities really want to believe that anything is possible, but it's really not. They can root, root, root all they want, and likely forego a house payment to attend one of the games at ridiculous jacked-up prices, but their team has about the same chance as a Republican politician would in San Fran or LA. Spend all the money they want but, forget winning, it ain't gonna happen. The other guys are just that much better.
For the most part, the first couple rounds of the playoffs are just to get the riff-raff out of the way. Maybe a team here or there will "steal" a single game from a vastly superior opponent (yours truly thought the Raptors and Jazz might -- MIGHT -- do so). But no, they were unceremoniously swept aside.
But it will start to get interesting shortly. Whichever team emerges from the San Antonio/Houston series will be, by far, the toughest competition Golden State has seen yet. Could either conceivably knock off the Warriors? Unlikely. The Spurs have already lost point guard Tony Parker, and the Rockets big man Nene. To knock off the Oakland boys, especially already ceding home court advantage, either of these teams would need to be at full strength and play their absolute best A games during the series. A mighty tall order even BEFORE the injuries. The Warriors appear to have rounded back into their juggernaut selves and appear virtually unbeatable, barring any key injuries of their own. Ya never know about that stuff.
In the East, few think the Boston Celtics, even holding home court advantage (and assuming they finally dispatch those pesky Washington Wizards), pose much of a threat to Lebron and the Cavaliers in the eastern finals.
Idle thought in the "This dude has a lot of nerve department".
Golden State's Draymond Green recently came out and said he considers Boston's Kelly Olnyk to be a "dirty" player. Really? Isn't this the same Draymond Green that kept delivering thunderous kicks to the groins of opposing players last year? The very same clown that finally got rightfully suspended for a game for taking yet another swipe at Lebron's "junk" in the Finals last year? Let's not forget that happened in Game 4 of the Finals last year. Afterwards, Golden State would lead 3-1. But without Draymond in Game 5, AT Golden State, the tide turned. The Cavs won a game few thought they could or would. Then came games 6 and 7. The momentum had clearly shifted and we know how it turned out. Nobody wants to talk about it, especially Draymond, but it could be argued the GS loss in the Finals last year was squarely his fault -- from his own thuggish play. And he has the utter audacity to call Kelly Olnyk dirty? The hypocrisy is mind-numbing.
Interesting how some of the "experts" say Golden State has a whopping 93% chance of knocking off Cleveland in the Finals. That seems like a pretty high number. Last time I looked, the Cavs, with Lebron, Kyrie, Kevin, and Co. were rolling right along themselves. And they weren't supposed to win last year either -- remember?
We shall see indeed, but first things first. The Celtics aren't exactly patsies, nor are the Spurs or Rockets. They all got some serious game. It's no slam dunk the Cavs and Warriors will dispatch them in the conference finals. And even if they do, they will be hard fought series. Again, who knows when the injury monster might rear his ugly head? Could happen to anybody at any time.
One can also wonder whether interim GS head coach Mike Brown, subbing for Steve Kerr who remains out with back problems, will be able to keep the Warriors purring along. In other words, not doing something stupid to screw it up. Brown has a history of being a failure elsewhere in years past when the pressure got ratcheted up. Let's just say he's no stranger to being fired as an underachieving head coach.
So yep, it will be getting down to the nitty-gritty pretty quick now.
As San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich has been known to say --- it's time for "Big Boy" basketball.
Bring it on.......
Sunday, May 7, 2017
The DC jinx
Unless yours truly missed something, which would be a first (LOL), the Washington Wizards play at the Verizon Center in DC. So while watching an earlier game between them and the Boston Celtics, what was up with the big "CIC" painted on the floor at center court? What could it possibly stand for?
Hmm. Choke In Clutch? That would seem to be appropriate given their recent history. Uh oh, what's that? They knocked off the Celts to even the series at 2-2? Never fear, they'll fold, because they always do.
Could it have stood for Commander In Chief? That Donald guy? Well, his primary residence these days IS in the neighborhood. So why not put his mug on the floor in all it's orange splendor instead of silly initials?
Perhaps that "I" was a lower case "ell" instead. ClC. Hmm. Continually lose Composure? Could have been. And, oh yeah, these guys are going down. They're not going to beat the Beaners two out of three, especially ceding home court advantage.
And now a word from our sponsors.
A recent commercial spot claims it takes 15 years to become a Heineken brew-master. Could be, though that seems like an awful long apprenticeship when the same formula has been pretty much set in stone for quite some time. How difficult can it be to mix in the same ingredients in the same proportions time after time?
While that might take 15 years to get the hang of, it appears being a TV spokesman for this company only takes maybe 15 minutes of training. Have you seen the dork doing the commercials? That skinny little runt could make Urkel look like Rambo by comparison. This dude would be better served advertising sissy drinks (Pink Squirrels would be perfect) -- but not beer. ANYTHING but beer. C'mon. Whatzamattuh with these people?
Back to DC. It's not just the Wizards. The Capitals of the NHL have a long history of choking as well come playoff time. Once again this year, they won the President's Cup for putting up the most points in the regular season. And it's entirely possible, even highly probable, the Caps will be getting kicked to the curb (again) by the Pittsburgh Penguins, who lead the series 3-2, when it returns to Pitt for game 6.
Same for the Washington Nationals in Major League Baseball. They have talent galore. Sluggers, premier pitchers, defense, speed, the works. And they currently have, by far, the best record in the major leagues. But you just know what's going to happen in October. The usual swoon.
Which is also pretty much the same thing Congress typically does when faced with a tough problem. They'll hedge, dodge, flip-flop, and otherwise evade the issue at hand as long as possible. Anything but making a hard decision and sticking to it. In the end, little is ever accomplished.
Huh. It must be something in the air in DC.
Hope it ain't catchy......
Hmm. Choke In Clutch? That would seem to be appropriate given their recent history. Uh oh, what's that? They knocked off the Celts to even the series at 2-2? Never fear, they'll fold, because they always do.
Could it have stood for Commander In Chief? That Donald guy? Well, his primary residence these days IS in the neighborhood. So why not put his mug on the floor in all it's orange splendor instead of silly initials?
Perhaps that "I" was a lower case "ell" instead. ClC. Hmm. Continually lose Composure? Could have been. And, oh yeah, these guys are going down. They're not going to beat the Beaners two out of three, especially ceding home court advantage.
And now a word from our sponsors.
A recent commercial spot claims it takes 15 years to become a Heineken brew-master. Could be, though that seems like an awful long apprenticeship when the same formula has been pretty much set in stone for quite some time. How difficult can it be to mix in the same ingredients in the same proportions time after time?
While that might take 15 years to get the hang of, it appears being a TV spokesman for this company only takes maybe 15 minutes of training. Have you seen the dork doing the commercials? That skinny little runt could make Urkel look like Rambo by comparison. This dude would be better served advertising sissy drinks (Pink Squirrels would be perfect) -- but not beer. ANYTHING but beer. C'mon. Whatzamattuh with these people?
Back to DC. It's not just the Wizards. The Capitals of the NHL have a long history of choking as well come playoff time. Once again this year, they won the President's Cup for putting up the most points in the regular season. And it's entirely possible, even highly probable, the Caps will be getting kicked to the curb (again) by the Pittsburgh Penguins, who lead the series 3-2, when it returns to Pitt for game 6.
Same for the Washington Nationals in Major League Baseball. They have talent galore. Sluggers, premier pitchers, defense, speed, the works. And they currently have, by far, the best record in the major leagues. But you just know what's going to happen in October. The usual swoon.
Which is also pretty much the same thing Congress typically does when faced with a tough problem. They'll hedge, dodge, flip-flop, and otherwise evade the issue at hand as long as possible. Anything but making a hard decision and sticking to it. In the end, little is ever accomplished.
Huh. It must be something in the air in DC.
Hope it ain't catchy......
Friday, May 5, 2017
On-going silliness. Well then
The TV talking heads, and particularly game announcers, seem to be a breed unto themselves. These people can and do get all worked up over the silliest of things. One way or the other, they'll always come up with a "first".
Did you know that particular point guard is the FIRST one to be exactly 6 feet, 2 and 3/4 inches tall, score ten points in a game, have a 75 year old great-aunt named Gertrude that lives in Peoria that once won a quilting bee at the tender age of 43, and to this very day still not only has a veggie garden, but somehow, incredibly, never misses watching her grand-nephew playing in televised games?
Holy miracle, will decry their partner. This is a notable first indeed.
Please.
Well then. That would seem to beg two questions.
The most obvious would be -- WHO CARES?
The second would be, who are the geeks that actually research this sort of nonsense, and how do they find it?
Wake me up when something worthwhile might be on the horizon. Like -- a major leaguer having a 55 game hitting streak -- one shy of Joe D's all-time record. No, not 40, or even 50. Fifty five. Or another having 70 home runs with a couple weeks still left to play in the regular season. I don't want to hear about some guy getting hot in May or June belting out a dozen dingers. Lots of people have done that. This is not big news.
Predictably, the Toronto Raptors are quickly succumbing to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Yet the TV folks just have to show the viewers a pep talk head coach Dwane Casey was giving his team. The Captain of the Titanic could have rallied his troops as well, but there was no escaping the inevitable. They're going down.
Observation. A noticeable trait of the good Mr. Casey was his long pointed ears. Almost Mr. Spock-like of the Star Trek series.
Well then. Does trying to convince his team otherwise sound "logical"? May Casey and the Raptors live long and prosper indeed, but they're not getting anywhere near an NBA title any year soon. Who's kidding who here?
LaVar Bell, the father of three up and coming athletes, noticeably Lorenzo of UCLA hoop fame, wanted a BILLION dollar shoe contract for his young-uns. Also predictably, he didn't get it. There were likely many guffaws in the board rooms of such manufacturers. Who does this guy think he is anyway?
The question has been posed as to whether daddy's act is hurting Lorenzo's draft stock. Of course it is.
Well then. Put yourself in the shoes, no pun intended, of any NBA team. Your scouts have checked out Zo and you've watched enough film to know what he is or is not capable of at the next level. One question remains.
Do you really want to draft this kid, knowing the jive turkey, self-entitiled clown act dad will likely come with the package? You'd better be convinced the young Bell is the next coming of Kawhi Leonard, Steph Curry, or James Harden if you're going to risk bringing the circus to town. True, crazy parents of NBA players have been there before, but this guy seems to be breaking new ground in the looney-tune department on a daily basis. Yes, the local media can typically be counted on to be "homers", but don't think they won't turn on you if your franchise gets turned into a Moe, Larry, cheese, slapstick act. Even they have their limits. Careful with this one.
Speaking of homers, it was comical to read a Detroit area writer wondering whether Tigers' designated hitter Victor Martinez might be getting close to the end of the road.
Well then. Let's see. Can anybody even remember if and when V-Mart was able to field a position? He's pushing 40 years old, can't field, can't throw, is slower than molasses on the base paths, and his only apparent function over the past few years as been as a DH. He's currently batting around .230. This is the Tigers' idea of a designated hitter? Really?
What yon scribe quite likely should have addressed is whether former stars Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, and Ian Kinsler will be fading away soon, if they haven't begun so already. JV's lost a couple MPH on his fastball and no longer even bothers to try and throw his once devastating split-finger pitch. Miggy keeps getting more and more injury prone, and his Triple Crown season a while back seems like a long time ago. His stats have dropped off dramatically. Same with Kinsler.
The Detroit Tigers' long term prognosis looks poor indeed.
Sports channel surfing during the afternoon has become almost unbearable. See Rachel on one show yammering away. She'll typically go into a 5 minute op-ed piece before finally throwing out a question to her panel-mates. Then she'll quickly interrupt their answer with even more yappiness. Michelle is much the same way. Always bubbly and blathering on. If one can suck it up and watch the whole telecast, when it's over, it's kind of like Seinfeld used to be. A show about nothing but dopey people talking to each other.
Yet the coup-de-grace has to be First Take. Mercifully, they finally broomed the nails on the chalkboard Skip Bayless. That man could drive the Pope into strapping on a suicide vest of explosives.
And Stephen A. Smith, the yappy little fella that gets more and more wound up as the show goes on -- does he have a hidden IV drip of "speed" while on the air? -- typically loses all manner of composure somewhere along the line. Quite a load -- that guy. Drip, drip, drip.
So who did they put in Skip's place? The one and only Max Kellerman. The same guy that got broomed from Around the Horn due to sagging ratings, and replaced with Toni Reali.
Just when you thought Stephen A. had a lack of objectivity -- see bias -- the Maxster has certainly gone him one better.
Kellerman is not only the paragon of "political correctness", he's taken it to a whole new level. This dude is apologizing for athletes before they've even done anything wrong.
On the subject of Lebron James, Kellerman states if the Cleveland Cavaliers win another NBA title this year, James should be hailed as a hero. Well, OK.
But then he goes on to say if the Cavs come up short, Lebron shouldn't take any of the blame. After all, they're not SUPPOSED to win with the Golden State Warriors having added Kevin Durant to their already potent line-up.
Well then. In other words, according to Max, it's heads Lebron wins, and tails he can't lose.
Put the two of them together, combine with Rachel and Michelle, throw in Ryen Russillo and his inane TV/radio program, whatever it is, and you've got yourself the makings of some seriously boring afternoon sportscasts.
Of course, Dan LeBatard and Bomani Jones follow it up with a "Highly Questionable" program indeed. It's only redeeming value seems to be the input of "Poppy", Dan's father. Want to make it even semi-interesting? Stop censoring (bleeping) the old man when he goes off. If whatever he's saying is good enough to get the other guys laughing, let us hear it too. And what words can he possibly say we haven't all heard before at least a thousand times? Please.
As evening approaches, we're greeted by Toni and his roving band of talking heads. Sometimes worthwhile, but mostly not.
Then on to Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon. Pardon the interruption? OK, for a few minutes, if you guys have anything new to add, rather than the same old rehashed tripe we've already heard in hours past on the same network(s).
The last insult comes with the tag-team of Michael Smith and Jemele Hill on the "Six". The powers that be have hyped this show to the max with incredibly stupid commercial spots and, yep, it's pretty well proven out to be much of the same. With any luck, the Six will get the Deep Six, and the sooner the better.
Well then. You think the ongoing political battles will drive you crazy?
Tune into the 4-letter network for a whole afternoon of this nonsense, and one might start thinking those lovable Dems/Reps, libs/cons, lefties/righties, and their whole gangs of childish, insulting, partisan, accomplish nothing nitwits are quite entertaining by comparison.
Tis a sad state of affairs indeed. WAY too many talking heads and, of those, precious few that have anything worthwhile to say.
Alas....
Did you know that particular point guard is the FIRST one to be exactly 6 feet, 2 and 3/4 inches tall, score ten points in a game, have a 75 year old great-aunt named Gertrude that lives in Peoria that once won a quilting bee at the tender age of 43, and to this very day still not only has a veggie garden, but somehow, incredibly, never misses watching her grand-nephew playing in televised games?
Holy miracle, will decry their partner. This is a notable first indeed.
Please.
Well then. That would seem to beg two questions.
The most obvious would be -- WHO CARES?
The second would be, who are the geeks that actually research this sort of nonsense, and how do they find it?
Wake me up when something worthwhile might be on the horizon. Like -- a major leaguer having a 55 game hitting streak -- one shy of Joe D's all-time record. No, not 40, or even 50. Fifty five. Or another having 70 home runs with a couple weeks still left to play in the regular season. I don't want to hear about some guy getting hot in May or June belting out a dozen dingers. Lots of people have done that. This is not big news.
Predictably, the Toronto Raptors are quickly succumbing to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Yet the TV folks just have to show the viewers a pep talk head coach Dwane Casey was giving his team. The Captain of the Titanic could have rallied his troops as well, but there was no escaping the inevitable. They're going down.
Observation. A noticeable trait of the good Mr. Casey was his long pointed ears. Almost Mr. Spock-like of the Star Trek series.
Well then. Does trying to convince his team otherwise sound "logical"? May Casey and the Raptors live long and prosper indeed, but they're not getting anywhere near an NBA title any year soon. Who's kidding who here?
LaVar Bell, the father of three up and coming athletes, noticeably Lorenzo of UCLA hoop fame, wanted a BILLION dollar shoe contract for his young-uns. Also predictably, he didn't get it. There were likely many guffaws in the board rooms of such manufacturers. Who does this guy think he is anyway?
The question has been posed as to whether daddy's act is hurting Lorenzo's draft stock. Of course it is.
Well then. Put yourself in the shoes, no pun intended, of any NBA team. Your scouts have checked out Zo and you've watched enough film to know what he is or is not capable of at the next level. One question remains.
Do you really want to draft this kid, knowing the jive turkey, self-entitiled clown act dad will likely come with the package? You'd better be convinced the young Bell is the next coming of Kawhi Leonard, Steph Curry, or James Harden if you're going to risk bringing the circus to town. True, crazy parents of NBA players have been there before, but this guy seems to be breaking new ground in the looney-tune department on a daily basis. Yes, the local media can typically be counted on to be "homers", but don't think they won't turn on you if your franchise gets turned into a Moe, Larry, cheese, slapstick act. Even they have their limits. Careful with this one.
Speaking of homers, it was comical to read a Detroit area writer wondering whether Tigers' designated hitter Victor Martinez might be getting close to the end of the road.
Well then. Let's see. Can anybody even remember if and when V-Mart was able to field a position? He's pushing 40 years old, can't field, can't throw, is slower than molasses on the base paths, and his only apparent function over the past few years as been as a DH. He's currently batting around .230. This is the Tigers' idea of a designated hitter? Really?
What yon scribe quite likely should have addressed is whether former stars Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, and Ian Kinsler will be fading away soon, if they haven't begun so already. JV's lost a couple MPH on his fastball and no longer even bothers to try and throw his once devastating split-finger pitch. Miggy keeps getting more and more injury prone, and his Triple Crown season a while back seems like a long time ago. His stats have dropped off dramatically. Same with Kinsler.
The Detroit Tigers' long term prognosis looks poor indeed.
Sports channel surfing during the afternoon has become almost unbearable. See Rachel on one show yammering away. She'll typically go into a 5 minute op-ed piece before finally throwing out a question to her panel-mates. Then she'll quickly interrupt their answer with even more yappiness. Michelle is much the same way. Always bubbly and blathering on. If one can suck it up and watch the whole telecast, when it's over, it's kind of like Seinfeld used to be. A show about nothing but dopey people talking to each other.
Yet the coup-de-grace has to be First Take. Mercifully, they finally broomed the nails on the chalkboard Skip Bayless. That man could drive the Pope into strapping on a suicide vest of explosives.
And Stephen A. Smith, the yappy little fella that gets more and more wound up as the show goes on -- does he have a hidden IV drip of "speed" while on the air? -- typically loses all manner of composure somewhere along the line. Quite a load -- that guy. Drip, drip, drip.
So who did they put in Skip's place? The one and only Max Kellerman. The same guy that got broomed from Around the Horn due to sagging ratings, and replaced with Toni Reali.
Just when you thought Stephen A. had a lack of objectivity -- see bias -- the Maxster has certainly gone him one better.
Kellerman is not only the paragon of "political correctness", he's taken it to a whole new level. This dude is apologizing for athletes before they've even done anything wrong.
On the subject of Lebron James, Kellerman states if the Cleveland Cavaliers win another NBA title this year, James should be hailed as a hero. Well, OK.
But then he goes on to say if the Cavs come up short, Lebron shouldn't take any of the blame. After all, they're not SUPPOSED to win with the Golden State Warriors having added Kevin Durant to their already potent line-up.
Well then. In other words, according to Max, it's heads Lebron wins, and tails he can't lose.
Put the two of them together, combine with Rachel and Michelle, throw in Ryen Russillo and his inane TV/radio program, whatever it is, and you've got yourself the makings of some seriously boring afternoon sportscasts.
Of course, Dan LeBatard and Bomani Jones follow it up with a "Highly Questionable" program indeed. It's only redeeming value seems to be the input of "Poppy", Dan's father. Want to make it even semi-interesting? Stop censoring (bleeping) the old man when he goes off. If whatever he's saying is good enough to get the other guys laughing, let us hear it too. And what words can he possibly say we haven't all heard before at least a thousand times? Please.
As evening approaches, we're greeted by Toni and his roving band of talking heads. Sometimes worthwhile, but mostly not.
Then on to Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon. Pardon the interruption? OK, for a few minutes, if you guys have anything new to add, rather than the same old rehashed tripe we've already heard in hours past on the same network(s).
The last insult comes with the tag-team of Michael Smith and Jemele Hill on the "Six". The powers that be have hyped this show to the max with incredibly stupid commercial spots and, yep, it's pretty well proven out to be much of the same. With any luck, the Six will get the Deep Six, and the sooner the better.
Well then. You think the ongoing political battles will drive you crazy?
Tune into the 4-letter network for a whole afternoon of this nonsense, and one might start thinking those lovable Dems/Reps, libs/cons, lefties/righties, and their whole gangs of childish, insulting, partisan, accomplish nothing nitwits are quite entertaining by comparison.
Tis a sad state of affairs indeed. WAY too many talking heads and, of those, precious few that have anything worthwhile to say.
Alas....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)