“Ouch, ouch ouch! Daddy, the big boys beat me up!” That’s all the Raptors could say last night. I have said it before, we can’t beat teams and the Spurs are the NBA’s best example of a team. They play tough on both ends of the floor and have arguably the best player of the past 5 years in Duncan. The Raptors have been dominating most of the Eastern Conference but they just aren’t ready to compete with the upper echelon NBA teams.
Bosh and Ford were 9-30 from the floor…that is terrible. Can you imagine a playoff series against these teams? All of the Raptors would have to seek psychiatric care to inferiority complexes. Can you imagine Jorge Garbajosa lying on a couch telling the shrink about how is father forced him to become a dirty, Spanish porn star? He would cry on the couch and explain that he grew that terrible facial hair to protect him from the scratching of unshaven Spanish women. I don’t want to hear that and I don’t want to see the Raptors play the Spurs again for as long as possible. The Raptors have come a long way, but have a long way to go to get to the Spurs level.
Tomorrow night the Raptors face the Rockets. During my time in China, this was the only chance that I had to see the Raptors play. The Raptors generally play well against the Rockets and without Yao Ming in the lineup they stand a very good chance of winning. Bosh is going to bounce back with his standard 25 and 10. The key to this game will be breaking down the Rockets excellent half court defense. We need Ford running hard and Calderon cutting to the net and hopefully get T-Mac to miss some of his own shots. This should be a good game.
One thing that has been bothering me is the lack of a good bar in Toronto where you can watch the Raptors on the same night as the Leafs. I really don’t care about the Leafs right now. They aren’t going to make the playoffs and are boring to watch. Anyone who suffered through the Saturday game against the Flyers has more dedication than I do. This city is going to go Raptor crazy when they are in the playoffs and the Leafs are golfing. Hopefully then, the bars will put them onto the big screens and I won’t have to watch their games on the small side screens. There should be a bar that does Toronto Raptor nights. They show the game big screens and ban Leafs games. I think there is a market for that and if anyone knows a place let me know! As for now, I am off to watch the Leafs get killed by Buffalo because whether I like the Leafs or not, it is the only sports to watch tonight and I love sports.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Friday, February 23, 2007
Goalie Fights
I love watching goalies fight! Last nights tilt between Ottawa’s Ray Emory and Buffalo’s Martin Biron wasn’t a classic, but it was funny. Emory seemed to revel in the chance to slap around the French Canadian. Emery had a huge smile on his face and easily dropped Biron. In an attempt to redeem himself, Biron tripped Emery by pulling on his pads. It looked more like second graders in a sandbox rumble than 2 angry men ready to fight to defend their teams honor. There is a great rivalry developing between these two teams. When the Sabres were beating everyone earlier in the year, the Senators had their number. Now the roles seem to be reversing and took on a nasty tone when Sabres captain, Chris Drury, was blindsided by Chris Neil and had to be helped off the ice. The game between these two on Saturday should be a good and maybe Emery will get the chance to beat up Ryan Miller too.
I think that Ottawa’s reputation of being a team that is lacking grit and easily pushed around is unfair. If you look back at the past couple years, these guys have been involved on some of the NHL’s biggest brawls including the mayhem that ended a game with the Flyers. The fact that they can’t win in the post season doesn’t mean that they don’t have grit. Suspect goal tending and poor leadership (Alfie sucks) are more to blame.
I don’t want to talk about the Leafs today. They could only muster two goals and neither of them came of sticks...Pathetic.
I am hoping the Raptors are going to prove me right in an argument I was having with a buddy. He said that they were going to stumble after the All Star break. I am convinced that they will be able to use the momentum they had going before the break to extend their lead in the Atlantic division. After the unmotivated effort on Wednesday I am wondering if I am right. What killed me on Wednesday was T.J. Ford recklessly driving the lane and tossing up a hopeless shot in the dying seconds of the game. The game plan is simple: give the ball to Bosh. He has continually made big shots at the end of games. He is the hero, not you T.J.
I may or may not be starting to like Anthony Parker. I picked him up in my basketball pool because D-Wade went down. I can’t have a guy on my team who is a chucker so I might be removing that label.
I’m not sure which Raptor team will show up tonight. If Bosh got some rest and can make his shots this should be a win. He will put up 25 and 10.
We definitely got the best of the Jones/Dixon trade. Jones wasn’t playing and the Raptors have depth at the 2 and 3 position. I think this was more of a chemistry move than anything else. Jones was sending out bad vibes and Colangelo dumped him. Great job keeping Mo Pete. He has so much heart and is bringing a great game off the bench. This team has balls and the league is starting to see it. The swagger was there before the All Star break and they are going to bring it back tonight!
I think that Ottawa’s reputation of being a team that is lacking grit and easily pushed around is unfair. If you look back at the past couple years, these guys have been involved on some of the NHL’s biggest brawls including the mayhem that ended a game with the Flyers. The fact that they can’t win in the post season doesn’t mean that they don’t have grit. Suspect goal tending and poor leadership (Alfie sucks) are more to blame.
I don’t want to talk about the Leafs today. They could only muster two goals and neither of them came of sticks...Pathetic.
I am hoping the Raptors are going to prove me right in an argument I was having with a buddy. He said that they were going to stumble after the All Star break. I am convinced that they will be able to use the momentum they had going before the break to extend their lead in the Atlantic division. After the unmotivated effort on Wednesday I am wondering if I am right. What killed me on Wednesday was T.J. Ford recklessly driving the lane and tossing up a hopeless shot in the dying seconds of the game. The game plan is simple: give the ball to Bosh. He has continually made big shots at the end of games. He is the hero, not you T.J.
I may or may not be starting to like Anthony Parker. I picked him up in my basketball pool because D-Wade went down. I can’t have a guy on my team who is a chucker so I might be removing that label.
I’m not sure which Raptor team will show up tonight. If Bosh got some rest and can make his shots this should be a win. He will put up 25 and 10.
We definitely got the best of the Jones/Dixon trade. Jones wasn’t playing and the Raptors have depth at the 2 and 3 position. I think this was more of a chemistry move than anything else. Jones was sending out bad vibes and Colangelo dumped him. Great job keeping Mo Pete. He has so much heart and is bringing a great game off the bench. This team has balls and the league is starting to see it. The swagger was there before the All Star break and they are going to bring it back tonight!
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Raps vs Cavs
Who is the best player to come out of the 2003 NBA draft? What’s that? Do you hear the chant? D-WADE! D-WADE! D-WADE! This guy is the most exciting player in the NBA. The Score’s show Court Cuts devotes and entire section of each weeks highlights to this one player. No one and I mean no one attacks the basket like this guy. Every night he plays he makes the highlight real and he does it with or without Shaq. Wade kept his team around 500 while Shaq was out and still managed to put up huge numbers. 28 points, 9 free throws, 4.8 boards, 7.8 assists 2.1 steals and 1.3 blocks per game! He has more blocks than Chris Bosh! It is true, I do have a bit of a man crush on Wade and I do have him on my fantasy team but I still think that I am unbiased about this.
Tonight the Raptors are going to face the player who was supposed to be the best pick in that draft. Lebron James has had a very disappointing year. All of his stats are down. He recently said that his goal was to become a “global icon”. I think he should be more concerned with getting his free through percentage above 70%. There are also some interesting statements being thrown around sports media circle questioning his commitment to his team, his coach and his daily effort. If I am Lebron, I am pretty concerned with people questioning my commitment levels. Does he want to be a global icon for excellence or for the guy that never tried hard enough to reach his potential? I am sure that the long lists of companies that he endorses don’t want to be associated with someone who has the reputation of a slacker.
I am calling the Raptors to win tonight. Bosh will put up 28 and 9 boards. I am interested to see how Parker deals with being matched-up with another big name. He did a great job on Kobe and played Vince well too.
On another note, we are getting ready to put out our first top 50 fantasy player list. We will be getting baseball done first so that people can have another cheat sheet for the upcoming drafts.
Tonight the Raptors are going to face the player who was supposed to be the best pick in that draft. Lebron James has had a very disappointing year. All of his stats are down. He recently said that his goal was to become a “global icon”. I think he should be more concerned with getting his free through percentage above 70%. There are also some interesting statements being thrown around sports media circle questioning his commitment to his team, his coach and his daily effort. If I am Lebron, I am pretty concerned with people questioning my commitment levels. Does he want to be a global icon for excellence or for the guy that never tried hard enough to reach his potential? I am sure that the long lists of companies that he endorses don’t want to be associated with someone who has the reputation of a slacker.
I am calling the Raptors to win tonight. Bosh will put up 28 and 9 boards. I am interested to see how Parker deals with being matched-up with another big name. He did a great job on Kobe and played Vince well too.
On another note, we are getting ready to put out our first top 50 fantasy player list. We will be getting baseball done first so that people can have another cheat sheet for the upcoming drafts.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
A Different Lens
There are very few people who can look at something and find the true story that lies beneath. It is the ability to look past what is shown you and find the real issue at hand. This ability usually makes people uncomfortable because they are forced to face something they don’t want to see. I am not saying that I am one of those people, but sometimes, when the moon is properly aligned I have an insight or two.
Here is a non-sports related example. If you have ever woken up early on a Sunday morning and turned on the TV you will have invariably seen Rod Black, or some other two bit television star, asking you for money to save a child, dig a well or start a school. These programmes show what fat, rich people in first world countries can do for the cost of a cup of coffee a day. The real story is not the one well that works; it is the thousands that don’t. It is not the child that is saved, but the thousands that are forced to wield AK-47s in order to survive. It makes people uncomfortable to confront the truth but it is our responsibility to do so. Sorry to bum anyone out but I think I made my point.
Back to sports. The story surrounding the NBA last week was “coming out” of former player John Amaechi. He is the first NBA player to openly talk about the fact that he is a homosexual. The question here is why is it such a big story? There are thousands of men who play professional sports and common sense dictates that not all of them are going to be red meat eating, beer swilling heterosexuals.
ESPN is the company that published Amaechi’s book. When the editors and marketers read it they must have realized that the best way so sell the most copies was to make a huge deal out of this. Headlines about the “First openly gay ex-NBAer” adorned ESPN’s web site. Why did Amaechi come out or why did ESPN decide to make this an issue is obvious. Amaechi can become a spokes person for gay athletes and both he and ESPN can make some money in the process. The question is: Where are the others?
Where are the other gay professional athletes; or did you trick yourself into thinking there was only one? They are there, on every team, in every sport, in every country. They have always been there, forced to hide their true selves. The fear of being shunned by teammates, rejected as role models and possibly lose their job has been enough keep these men quiet.
We may think that in the year 2007, this would not be an issue. That a man or woman's sexuality has bearing on how well they play a sport or how good of teammate they are may seem ridiculous to many, but then Tim Hardaway opens his mouth and reality come back like an angry pimp smack; “I don't like gay people, and it [homosexuality] shouldn't be in the world or the United States.” What?!?! Are you kidding me? The though that immediately goes through my mind is that this guy needs to be muzzled by the NBA and then be shipped off to where ever they are hiding Jesse Helms. Let the two of them have a hate filled, gay bashing bonfire, except that Helms would probably turn on Hardaway once they had purged all the homosexuals.
Ok, you think, but Tim Hardaway is just one voice and he doesn't speak for the rest of the NBA or other professional sports. I don't see NBA players lining up to condone Amaechi's book or say that they would have no problem sharing a locker room with a gay teammate. David Stern and NBA franchises must have told their players to keep quiet about this one. People don't really want to know how players feel. They don't want to know that the NBA is about as tolerant as the post-Civil War American South.
Facing this problem is the only way to fix it. We must talk about it and be comfortable and secure enough in ourselves to be able to accept differences in others. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a major sports writer who is willing to address the subject. He is probably afraid that by exposing the underlying hatred he will lose his sources and himself become an outcast of the sports world. This is an issue that needs to be confronted, explained and defused in a way that people will listen. It must be done by someone who can look through a different lens.
Here is a non-sports related example. If you have ever woken up early on a Sunday morning and turned on the TV you will have invariably seen Rod Black, or some other two bit television star, asking you for money to save a child, dig a well or start a school. These programmes show what fat, rich people in first world countries can do for the cost of a cup of coffee a day. The real story is not the one well that works; it is the thousands that don’t. It is not the child that is saved, but the thousands that are forced to wield AK-47s in order to survive. It makes people uncomfortable to confront the truth but it is our responsibility to do so. Sorry to bum anyone out but I think I made my point.
Back to sports. The story surrounding the NBA last week was “coming out” of former player John Amaechi. He is the first NBA player to openly talk about the fact that he is a homosexual. The question here is why is it such a big story? There are thousands of men who play professional sports and common sense dictates that not all of them are going to be red meat eating, beer swilling heterosexuals.
ESPN is the company that published Amaechi’s book. When the editors and marketers read it they must have realized that the best way so sell the most copies was to make a huge deal out of this. Headlines about the “First openly gay ex-NBAer” adorned ESPN’s web site. Why did Amaechi come out or why did ESPN decide to make this an issue is obvious. Amaechi can become a spokes person for gay athletes and both he and ESPN can make some money in the process. The question is: Where are the others?
Where are the other gay professional athletes; or did you trick yourself into thinking there was only one? They are there, on every team, in every sport, in every country. They have always been there, forced to hide their true selves. The fear of being shunned by teammates, rejected as role models and possibly lose their job has been enough keep these men quiet.
We may think that in the year 2007, this would not be an issue. That a man or woman's sexuality has bearing on how well they play a sport or how good of teammate they are may seem ridiculous to many, but then Tim Hardaway opens his mouth and reality come back like an angry pimp smack; “I don't like gay people, and it [homosexuality] shouldn't be in the world or the United States.” What?!?! Are you kidding me? The though that immediately goes through my mind is that this guy needs to be muzzled by the NBA and then be shipped off to where ever they are hiding Jesse Helms. Let the two of them have a hate filled, gay bashing bonfire, except that Helms would probably turn on Hardaway once they had purged all the homosexuals.
Ok, you think, but Tim Hardaway is just one voice and he doesn't speak for the rest of the NBA or other professional sports. I don't see NBA players lining up to condone Amaechi's book or say that they would have no problem sharing a locker room with a gay teammate. David Stern and NBA franchises must have told their players to keep quiet about this one. People don't really want to know how players feel. They don't want to know that the NBA is about as tolerant as the post-Civil War American South.
Facing this problem is the only way to fix it. We must talk about it and be comfortable and secure enough in ourselves to be able to accept differences in others. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a major sports writer who is willing to address the subject. He is probably afraid that by exposing the underlying hatred he will lose his sources and himself become an outcast of the sports world. This is an issue that needs to be confronted, explained and defused in a way that people will listen. It must be done by someone who can look through a different lens.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Sports’ writing is an oxymoron
If you have been paying attention – and I am talking to all four of the regular readers of this august blog – you have noticed that there has been a distinct difference in the topic and tone of what I write as compared to what the proposed raison d’etre of this blog is supposed to be.
And sometimes I wonder if I am just being a hater, cause I can do that in a hurry. (What did you say? The sky is blue? I think I see hues of green and yellow there! And what about at night? Is it blue then? What about when you are looking at the sky through smog? It sure isn’t blue then! And what about…..)
So yeah some of the time I can be a pain in the ass just because.
Not this time though.
I think we can all agree that sports today is at times an excuse for a media orgy. Large corporations have figured out that content – at times dripping with tedium and fraud – will keep people coming back again and again. It doesn’t matter if it is crap as long as it keeps changing its’ appearance.
So this week it is some blather about Multi millionaire Dale Earnhart Jr and his feud with his multi millionaire stepmother, and a few weeks ago it was all about whether or not the Peyton Manning love-in would be ordered to a close by the FCC, because porn isn’t legal over the public airwaves yet.
(That is not to say that the current media overload hasn’t had some positive impact. I don’t think we will ever automatically equate heroism with sporting proficiency while sober at any point in my lifetime. And by the way, the oedipal connotations of Earnhart and his step momma might just make these pages in the next few days.)
So I though I would list a few things that I call bullshit on, on a daily basis in the wide world of sports writing, and locate the kryptonite to these mendacities.
Pre season predictions down to the end of season champion.
Is there any refuge as reprehensible as the beginning of the season prediction? No one ever goes back and says ‘yeah I thought that The Redskins were going to the Super Bowl. Turns out every one of my reasons were about as far off as could be. Hey I still get paid right?’
Or
‘I know I told you to draft Texiera in the first round, uh, my bad?’
That the pre season prediction game is such as morass of displaced credibility and has taken on a life of its’ own is one of my secret joys at the start of each season. Witness the mountain of publications and websites touting their champions and who to draft where. Is this not taking away the inherent reason that we watch sports? Because we don’t know what is going to happen? And except for the American League East division, ( uh, Yankees, Red Sox, Jays) are any of these predictions worth the $5.75 we paid for them. Or that one time offer for a yearlong subscription? A remarkable waste of pages and pixels.
The Kryptonite
Look for the articles that talk about the dramas that are going to unfold like ‘How is Bud Selig going to make himself disappear when Barry Bonds breaks the Home Run record?”
Or, “Will T.O. still be able to get the entire ESPN football division to follow him again?”
Guys Playing the right way. Or the ‘Playing with emotion’ spiel.
Commonly known as ‘how to give credit to the less talented (most often white) media suck up cause the true top player treats us like a bunch of vanilla cupcakes with microphones and notepads’. Case in point, Raptor Fan favorite, the Junk Yard Dog Jerome Williams. This guy got paid MILLIONS for what? Doing what any number of JUCO players could have done. That he was such a big part of the proposed Raptor Future was more an indictment of the front office – now blown up – than it was regarding the talent level of the team. Why didn’t anyone have the stones to talk to Oakley? Sure he might have slapped you, but he would have educated you before the assault.
The Kryptonite
Every time you see Brett Favre chuck up another helpless hail mary of a pass, while the announcer goes on about how he is ‘just having fun out there’, turn to the person next to you and say, ‘He sucks now. He has sucked for about four years. He needs to retire’. Trust me, you will feel great afterwards.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Fantasy Sports
Before we get to fantasy sports, let's have a look at this picture.
It’s not a smile, a grin, a knowing look or any other friendly facial expression; it’s a smirk. It’s the same condescending look that Vince Carter always wears when he plays the Raptors. He flashed it at Chris Bosh when fans chanted “MVP!” and he smugly threw it at Mo Pete while the longest serving Raptor tried to pump up the crowd but by the end of the game the Raptors had wiped the smirk from his face. During the final minutes of last night’s match up between the top teams in the Atlantic, Carter had a face like a slapped ass. It was fantastic. It doesn’t matter that the Nets were missing three of their starters; a message was sent. The Raptors are the better team.
Let’s talk about fantasy sports. For those of you who don’t know, I started a keeper hockey league with nine friends of mine a year and a half ago. We had been playing in an annual pool and decided that the best way to make the General Manager experience more complete was to allow each manager to keep two players from their teams every year. This means that managers with teams on the edge can trade away picks to try and win this year and others can improve their chances in next year’s draft.
This season started slowly but as the NHL’s and fantasy league’s trade deadline approaches people have been more interested making moves. In the past week, someone traded away Jagr for a second round draft pick. The manager who grabbed Jagr now has an excellent chance to win this year and the other GM will have 2 second round picks next year. It has been interesting to watch as managers decide when it is time to make a move. My team is sitting in the middle of the pack but I don’t think that adding one more player is going to put me into the top 3 so, as of now, I am holding on to my picks.
This is the next level of fantasy pools. Being able to trade next years draft picks and choosing franchise players to keep adds an exciting extra dimension.
The only problem with a keeper pool is that you have to have a group of people who are willing to commit to the pool for a number of years and it can be difficult to replace managers. New comers have to choose keepers from someone else’s team and it take a while for them to put a personal touch on their team.
Years ago a website called sandbox offered keeper baseball leagues. They were great leagues but you had to pay for them. I am organizing a keeper baseball pool this year and am hoping that it will as successful as the hockey venture. Baseball is the best sport for fantasy pools. It is a statistical game and the seemingly endless season is made more bearable when you have a vested interest in a pool. There are so many positions and player in baseball that keeping 3 players per team will allow managers to create a team identity. Some people will decide to keep all hitters, others pitchers and some a combination of both. Being able to stockpile talent at a position will also create new trading options.
The baseball pool season is about to open on Yahoo and I am planning to get my leagues ready tomorrow. I will be getting together with some other fantasy experts to put together some draft tips as well as fantasy draft guides so stay tuned!
It’s not a smile, a grin, a knowing look or any other friendly facial expression; it’s a smirk. It’s the same condescending look that Vince Carter always wears when he plays the Raptors. He flashed it at Chris Bosh when fans chanted “MVP!” and he smugly threw it at Mo Pete while the longest serving Raptor tried to pump up the crowd but by the end of the game the Raptors had wiped the smirk from his face. During the final minutes of last night’s match up between the top teams in the Atlantic, Carter had a face like a slapped ass. It was fantastic. It doesn’t matter that the Nets were missing three of their starters; a message was sent. The Raptors are the better team.
Let’s talk about fantasy sports. For those of you who don’t know, I started a keeper hockey league with nine friends of mine a year and a half ago. We had been playing in an annual pool and decided that the best way to make the General Manager experience more complete was to allow each manager to keep two players from their teams every year. This means that managers with teams on the edge can trade away picks to try and win this year and others can improve their chances in next year’s draft.
This season started slowly but as the NHL’s and fantasy league’s trade deadline approaches people have been more interested making moves. In the past week, someone traded away Jagr for a second round draft pick. The manager who grabbed Jagr now has an excellent chance to win this year and the other GM will have 2 second round picks next year. It has been interesting to watch as managers decide when it is time to make a move. My team is sitting in the middle of the pack but I don’t think that adding one more player is going to put me into the top 3 so, as of now, I am holding on to my picks.
This is the next level of fantasy pools. Being able to trade next years draft picks and choosing franchise players to keep adds an exciting extra dimension.
The only problem with a keeper pool is that you have to have a group of people who are willing to commit to the pool for a number of years and it can be difficult to replace managers. New comers have to choose keepers from someone else’s team and it take a while for them to put a personal touch on their team.
Years ago a website called sandbox offered keeper baseball leagues. They were great leagues but you had to pay for them. I am organizing a keeper baseball pool this year and am hoping that it will as successful as the hockey venture. Baseball is the best sport for fantasy pools. It is a statistical game and the seemingly endless season is made more bearable when you have a vested interest in a pool. There are so many positions and player in baseball that keeping 3 players per team will allow managers to create a team identity. Some people will decide to keep all hitters, others pitchers and some a combination of both. Being able to stockpile talent at a position will also create new trading options.
The baseball pool season is about to open on Yahoo and I am planning to get my leagues ready tomorrow. I will be getting together with some other fantasy experts to put together some draft tips as well as fantasy draft guides so stay tuned!
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Ford, Claderon and Gin & Tussin!
T.J. Ford has reclaimed his role as Toronto’s starting point guard. Sam Mitchell and Brian Colangelo are hoping that will be the end of any discussion about who should be starting for Raptors. Too bad Jose Calderon is out playing Ford. Calderon is making a very convincing case for himself to be top point guard for the Raptors. He is hitting big shots, playing great defense and most importantly; he always seems to be getting the ball into the right player’s hands. I know that Ford is the franchise’s point guard for the future; but man it has got to be hard for Mitchell to keep Calderon on the bench. Last night Calderon put up 16 points to go along with 9 dimes and 5 boards compared to Fords 7 points, 7 assists and 1 rebound; Calderon also played one minute less. Right now, I feel more comfortable when Calderon is on the floor running the offense and I think that the team feels the same way. I will be watching closely to see how minutes are dished out.
I hope the Raptors blow out the Nets tonight. Without Kidd and Jefferson on the floor the Raptors should be able to key in on Carter and shut him down. I hate Carter so much!!! He simply gave up on the Raptors and there is no excuse for that. I am happy that he is proving to be an inconsistent player who can’t lead his team into the playoffs. If you want to sell tickets you get Vince Carter and if you want to win championships you get Shaq. Bosh could score 40 tonight. Richard Jefferson has been one of the few players in the East who has proven he can shut Bosh down and he won’t be playing.
The Leafs played a forgettable game last night. What an effort by Rick Dipietro! The Leafs out shot the Islanders 16-1 in the third period and couldn’t put one past the goalie. What must have made every Leafs fan upset was to see what Antropov and Ponikarovsky did in the shootout. These two oafs both decided to try and score on wrists shots?!?! No moves, no stick dangles, not even a head fake; just a wrister in to the pads of the goalie. Maybe they think they are the next comings of Mats Sundin. Sundin scored his shootout goal on an absolutely perfect shot into the top corner of the net. If those two donkeys think that they can just skate up to a NHL goalie and score without making a move then Paul Maurice needs to rethink who he selects for the shootout.
The Leafs should bring back Mogilny to teach some dangles to the next generation. Gary Roberts would have broken Ponikarovsky and Antropov’s neck if they had tried that rubbish with him on the team. If they are going to bring back players then they should also think about getting Belfour to introduce Raycroft to his secret Gin and Tussin’ recipe. Belfour would go through 3 bottles of his recipe every night and still easily stop any rookie in a shootout. Raycroft had a good night but you can’t let some rookie embarrass you like that in a shootout.
It’s hard to be fan of this team and I think most people in the city are jumping on and off the band wagon with every game. They really need to make the sensible decision and rebuild this team.
I hope the Raptors blow out the Nets tonight. Without Kidd and Jefferson on the floor the Raptors should be able to key in on Carter and shut him down. I hate Carter so much!!! He simply gave up on the Raptors and there is no excuse for that. I am happy that he is proving to be an inconsistent player who can’t lead his team into the playoffs. If you want to sell tickets you get Vince Carter and if you want to win championships you get Shaq. Bosh could score 40 tonight. Richard Jefferson has been one of the few players in the East who has proven he can shut Bosh down and he won’t be playing.
The Leafs played a forgettable game last night. What an effort by Rick Dipietro! The Leafs out shot the Islanders 16-1 in the third period and couldn’t put one past the goalie. What must have made every Leafs fan upset was to see what Antropov and Ponikarovsky did in the shootout. These two oafs both decided to try and score on wrists shots?!?! No moves, no stick dangles, not even a head fake; just a wrister in to the pads of the goalie. Maybe they think they are the next comings of Mats Sundin. Sundin scored his shootout goal on an absolutely perfect shot into the top corner of the net. If those two donkeys think that they can just skate up to a NHL goalie and score without making a move then Paul Maurice needs to rethink who he selects for the shootout.
The Leafs should bring back Mogilny to teach some dangles to the next generation. Gary Roberts would have broken Ponikarovsky and Antropov’s neck if they had tried that rubbish with him on the team. If they are going to bring back players then they should also think about getting Belfour to introduce Raycroft to his secret Gin and Tussin’ recipe. Belfour would go through 3 bottles of his recipe every night and still easily stop any rookie in a shootout. Raycroft had a good night but you can’t let some rookie embarrass you like that in a shootout.
It’s hard to be fan of this team and I think most people in the city are jumping on and off the band wagon with every game. They really need to make the sensible decision and rebuild this team.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Confucius says "To Beat a Team You Must Be a Team"
Brian Colangelo builds teams and teams win championships. The Raptors are a team in the truest sense of the word. Yes, they are built around a superstar but they only win when they play as a team. Bosh is not the typical, swing-man, NBA superstar in the mold of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and T-Mac. If a comparison has to be made it would be with the player who has quietly had a Hall of Fame career: Tim Duncan.
Duncan and Bosh play the unglamorous power forward position. Their body type keeps them from throwing down the jaw dropping dunks that have made so many shooting guards famous. We don’t see them dribbling the ball up the court or running the plays from the top of the key. This results in less media attention and thus less attention from the fans. This is very unfortunate because what players like Bosh and Duncan bring is maybe the most important building block for a team. The threat they pose with their inside/outside game forces defenses to come out and cover them as well as double team them in the post. This opens up driving lanes and open looks for the rest of the team. Anyone that says Tony Parker would ever have been an All Star without Duncan is spending too much time looking at his girlfriend (a great pass time!) and not enough time looking at his game. Parker can’t shoot. He can lay the ball up with both hands and does it with the best but he cannot shoot. His career field goal percentage is a very deceiving 48.5% because of the number of lay-ups he makes. Anyone who watches his game will know that he has a very difficult time making jump shots on a regular basis. If you take away Duncan, you take away the lanes and you take away Parker. I can’t wait until Duncan retires and all those “great” Spurs players are forced to play without one of the greatest big men ever. Ginobili will have to go back to Argentina and Parker, well he can bask in the beautiful glow of Eva some where in the French Riviera.
Bosh isn’t as good as Duncan but Calderon and Ford are getting great lanes to drive and it is because of Bosh. Anthony Parker is chucking up a very respectable .433% from 3 point land because of good, team ball movement and double teams that Bosh draws. The team dynamic that Colangelo and Mitchell have created is what makes the Raptors do difficult to match up with. Unfortunately, the Raptors have a hard time beating teams with the same dynamic.
If you have watched the Raptors recent wins you may have noticed that are having a fairly easy time beating teams that focus their games around one player ie. the Lakers. They are also having a hard time beating teams that have a variety of weapons ie. the Pistons. Tonight they are facing a team in the later category. The Bulls have won the past fifteen games against the Raptors and that comes from strong team play. If the Raptors can win tonight it would be a huge moral boost and represent a major team accomplishment. By knocking off the Bulls, the Raptors can take a place as one of the top teams in the East and send a message that they will be tough to beat come playoff time. They will need perimeter defense and good shooting by the supporting cast. I am calling for Bosh to put up 25 and 8.
I do have to say that Anthony Parker did a fantastic job on Kobe on Friday night. If he gave an effort like that every night the Raptors would be a very dangerous team! I am also loving what Mo Pete does in the fourth quarter. He is hitting big shots and playing great D. Did anyone else see him cut off the base line and keep on the away from the net in the fourth quarter? I know his minutes have been cut dramatically but he has turned into a veteran player who can bring a lot of energy off the bench. I hope he realizes that Toronto is on the verge of something great and that he should accept a reduced role to stick around.
Duncan and Bosh play the unglamorous power forward position. Their body type keeps them from throwing down the jaw dropping dunks that have made so many shooting guards famous. We don’t see them dribbling the ball up the court or running the plays from the top of the key. This results in less media attention and thus less attention from the fans. This is very unfortunate because what players like Bosh and Duncan bring is maybe the most important building block for a team. The threat they pose with their inside/outside game forces defenses to come out and cover them as well as double team them in the post. This opens up driving lanes and open looks for the rest of the team. Anyone that says Tony Parker would ever have been an All Star without Duncan is spending too much time looking at his girlfriend (a great pass time!) and not enough time looking at his game. Parker can’t shoot. He can lay the ball up with both hands and does it with the best but he cannot shoot. His career field goal percentage is a very deceiving 48.5% because of the number of lay-ups he makes. Anyone who watches his game will know that he has a very difficult time making jump shots on a regular basis. If you take away Duncan, you take away the lanes and you take away Parker. I can’t wait until Duncan retires and all those “great” Spurs players are forced to play without one of the greatest big men ever. Ginobili will have to go back to Argentina and Parker, well he can bask in the beautiful glow of Eva some where in the French Riviera.
Bosh isn’t as good as Duncan but Calderon and Ford are getting great lanes to drive and it is because of Bosh. Anthony Parker is chucking up a very respectable .433% from 3 point land because of good, team ball movement and double teams that Bosh draws. The team dynamic that Colangelo and Mitchell have created is what makes the Raptors do difficult to match up with. Unfortunately, the Raptors have a hard time beating teams with the same dynamic.
If you have watched the Raptors recent wins you may have noticed that are having a fairly easy time beating teams that focus their games around one player ie. the Lakers. They are also having a hard time beating teams that have a variety of weapons ie. the Pistons. Tonight they are facing a team in the later category. The Bulls have won the past fifteen games against the Raptors and that comes from strong team play. If the Raptors can win tonight it would be a huge moral boost and represent a major team accomplishment. By knocking off the Bulls, the Raptors can take a place as one of the top teams in the East and send a message that they will be tough to beat come playoff time. They will need perimeter defense and good shooting by the supporting cast. I am calling for Bosh to put up 25 and 8.
I do have to say that Anthony Parker did a fantastic job on Kobe on Friday night. If he gave an effort like that every night the Raptors would be a very dangerous team! I am also loving what Mo Pete does in the fourth quarter. He is hitting big shots and playing great D. Did anyone else see him cut off the base line and keep on the away from the net in the fourth quarter? I know his minutes have been cut dramatically but he has turned into a veteran player who can bring a lot of energy off the bench. I hope he realizes that Toronto is on the verge of something great and that he should accept a reduced role to stick around.
Friday, February 9, 2007
You say Goodbye, and I say Hello
)))))I want all you Cowboy haters out there to remember today. Because today is the day you can look back to and say “shit, that’s when the Cowboys started really kicking our asses again”.
The most popular Sports Team in North America (aka, the part of the World that Matters) finally choose a Maestro one Wade Phillips - Son of Bum - , (and really, when the old white guy with the pattern baldness wins a position of power, can any of us really ever be surprised?).
I don’t want to gush here, but when the Cowboys are beating the snot out of your favourite team next year – and Chris (Skins), Brad (Fleagles), Seb (incredibly, the Lions, THE LIONS?!), you too Natascha (whoever your team is this week) – you can say that you know a guy that predicted the rising of the Doomsday Dallas Defense.
When Demarcus Ware picks up his first Defensive POY award, you can say you heard it here first.
Mr. Ware just became Unblockable.
(I don’t want to get technical with you guys, but Mr Ware just spent Two years getting strong (265lbs) and fast enough (4.6 40 time) to control offensive Tackles at the LOS one on one, while remembering to split out into the flat and cover speedy RB’s, FB’s HB, and TE’s. Now he is moving into a system that will let him cheat that Tackle and stand over the TE or on the outside shoulder of the Tackle. I am frothing at the mouth thinking about his sack total next year. He might take out two QB’s on his own next year, and in Detroit that might be a blessing.)
But I digress.
What I want to talk about is the passing of the last true pin up girl, Anna Nicole Smith.
She died this week in a lavish hotel room in South Florida. (Had this been another era, she would have been penniless and living in a shack somewhere. I for one think that this is progress).
Anna became famous in the early nineties, the last era where you had to work for your porn. People actually bought magazines with pictures of naked women in them!
Really!
You couldn’t just google ‘sweater meat’ and get some relief whenever you felt like it. She was a stripper who was to go on to be playmate of the year and a model for Guess? Jeans. She then married an 89-year-old oil billionaire. (Will the arrows of Cupid ever be predictable?)
What I loved her for is her honesty. She grew up dirt poor, worked at the shittiest jobs – Fried Chicken joint waitress, Wal-Mart, Stripper – and managed to hit the jackpot by becoming a media circus in high heels. There was never a point where she claimed a yearning to be an actor, or singer, or fashion designer. She knew what was going on.
(I do know what the real tragedy is here: That poor people have little or no chance of escaping their poverty, and that some might say that Anna had to exploit herself to get out of poverty. Those same people might say that Women are exploited and emotionally destroyed without the rewards that Anna enjoyed. Some might even say that her exploitation of herself might have been what killed her in the end. I disagree with the last statement. I think that Anna Nicole knew what she was doing and did the best she could with what she had. The fact that her options were so limited is another topic...)
She was beautiful.
She would let pictures be taken of her while undressed.
She would be paid lavishly for that experience.
Adieu Mademoiselle Anna.
We all loved watching you make your way to the top.
Bryant vs. Oakley
Get ready for great basketball Toronto because Kobe is coming to town. If he drops 80 again I am going to be sick. I can’t stand Kobe Bryant, he brings out so much hate in my heart. I want to throw him in a Vietnamese torture chamber with an irritated Charles Oakley suffering from hemorrhoids, stir in some fire ants and see what comes out…..Ok, that might be a bit dramatic but I really don’t like the guy. The problem is that he is such a good basketball player.
Kobe Bryant is the best player in the NBA. I’m not talking about who you would start a franchise with if you could choose anyone. If I was playing a game of pickup and had first choice of all the players in the league; Kobe is a no brainer. He has matured from a great scorer into a complete player. He can pass, rebound, defend, lead and his basketball IQ is off the charts. The other Lakers are having career years because Kobe is getting them involved, getting them good shots and making it a team effort. He is taking 7 fewer shots a game but his field goal percentage is the highest it has been since 2001-2002. Kobe is still getting the last shot and he takes what is his but last year taught him once and for all that he can’t do it alone.
My hate of Kobe began when he decided that total domination of the NBA wasn’t enough because he didn’t do it alone. All those rings seem to mean nothing to him because he knows, deep in his heart, that Shaq did that. He ran Diesel and Phil Jackson out of town and then, slowly realized that he can’t win a championship alone. After Shaq made a break for the sunshine state, Kobe tried to fill the leadership void left on the Lakers. While he put up great individual numbers, the Lakers slumped in the standings. It takes a team to win a championship and that has been proven again and again. Very rarely has an individual won a championship for a team and if anyone can think of one please let me know (MJ HAD a team I don't care what anyone says). A very good argument can be made for Dwayne Wade in last years finals but I am not totally convinced. The Spurs, Pistons and Suns all play a team game around superstars of all different types (yes Billups is a legit superstar). The NBA and Adidas have tried to hammer that message home with a set of commercial based around the slogan “It takes 5” and it seems Kobe is listening.
The Raptors are listening. Last game they had both point guards get double-doubles!! I am looking forward to a real challenge for the Raptors tonight. The Lakers are the first top level team they have played in a couple weeks. I want to see Anthony Parker getting up on everyone of Kobe’s shots and get help when he needs it. Bosh will carry the load on both ends and I’m calling 30 points and 10 boards tonight!!
Kobe Bryant is the best player in the NBA. I’m not talking about who you would start a franchise with if you could choose anyone. If I was playing a game of pickup and had first choice of all the players in the league; Kobe is a no brainer. He has matured from a great scorer into a complete player. He can pass, rebound, defend, lead and his basketball IQ is off the charts. The other Lakers are having career years because Kobe is getting them involved, getting them good shots and making it a team effort. He is taking 7 fewer shots a game but his field goal percentage is the highest it has been since 2001-2002. Kobe is still getting the last shot and he takes what is his but last year taught him once and for all that he can’t do it alone.
My hate of Kobe began when he decided that total domination of the NBA wasn’t enough because he didn’t do it alone. All those rings seem to mean nothing to him because he knows, deep in his heart, that Shaq did that. He ran Diesel and Phil Jackson out of town and then, slowly realized that he can’t win a championship alone. After Shaq made a break for the sunshine state, Kobe tried to fill the leadership void left on the Lakers. While he put up great individual numbers, the Lakers slumped in the standings. It takes a team to win a championship and that has been proven again and again. Very rarely has an individual won a championship for a team and if anyone can think of one please let me know (MJ HAD a team I don't care what anyone says). A very good argument can be made for Dwayne Wade in last years finals but I am not totally convinced. The Spurs, Pistons and Suns all play a team game around superstars of all different types (yes Billups is a legit superstar). The NBA and Adidas have tried to hammer that message home with a set of commercial based around the slogan “It takes 5” and it seems Kobe is listening.
The Raptors are listening. Last game they had both point guards get double-doubles!! I am looking forward to a real challenge for the Raptors tonight. The Lakers are the first top level team they have played in a couple weeks. I want to see Anthony Parker getting up on everyone of Kobe’s shots and get help when he needs it. Bosh will carry the load on both ends and I’m calling 30 points and 10 boards tonight!!
It still hurts....Lakers vs. Raps
Coming off another impressive win and a ridiculous performance by Bosh, you would think Coach of the Month, Sam Mitchell would be able to get a good night's sleep. But his nightmare kept him up in a cold sweat all night. What would cause such an unpleasant evening?.....81 POINTS!
Two words Mitchy: Double Team
Kobe Bryant visits the ACC tonight with his own dreams of trying to shake off one of his worst shooting games of the year. Last night Kobe shot 5 of 13 for 18 pts while also committing a dismal 8 of his team's 18 turnovers in a loss to the Pistons. Expecting the Raptors to hold #24 to the same numbers is highly unlikely. Kobe is, as always, an MVP candidate and still the best go-to guy in the league. You can be sure he will want to bounce back from yesterday's performance and look to put up big numbers; and who better to do that against than the team he disgraced a year ago.
The Raptors, however, have an MVP candidate in the making of their own. Chris Bosh has established himself as one of the most dominate players in the NBA. While being a force around the basket, Bosh has made it known to all players that he can now step back and hit the outside jumper. So how do you defend him? Well, like all great players, you just kind of hope he has off nights.
As the Raptors continue to make noise around the league and make a name for themselves in the Eastern Conference, these next two games will truly be a test of how far they have come and where they can go. The Lakers( 30-20 ) are a well coached team that can beat anyone on any given night. Only the Raptors best efforts will give them a chance against a team that they are 4-17 lifetime, with their last win coming nearly two years ago.
This will likely be a close game with a sell-out crowd and lots of highlights for fans to be entertained by. And although I love the Raps, I see Kobe being a little too much, again.
Either way, tonight will not only be a great test for Toronto, but a chance at redemption for the embarrassment the team put its fans through last year. Look for Bosh to try and upstage one of the all-time greatest players and make a case for himself as the league's MVP.
Two words Mitchy: Double Team
Kobe Bryant visits the ACC tonight with his own dreams of trying to shake off one of his worst shooting games of the year. Last night Kobe shot 5 of 13 for 18 pts while also committing a dismal 8 of his team's 18 turnovers in a loss to the Pistons. Expecting the Raptors to hold #24 to the same numbers is highly unlikely. Kobe is, as always, an MVP candidate and still the best go-to guy in the league. You can be sure he will want to bounce back from yesterday's performance and look to put up big numbers; and who better to do that against than the team he disgraced a year ago.
The Raptors, however, have an MVP candidate in the making of their own. Chris Bosh has established himself as one of the most dominate players in the NBA. While being a force around the basket, Bosh has made it known to all players that he can now step back and hit the outside jumper. So how do you defend him? Well, like all great players, you just kind of hope he has off nights.
As the Raptors continue to make noise around the league and make a name for themselves in the Eastern Conference, these next two games will truly be a test of how far they have come and where they can go. The Lakers( 30-20 ) are a well coached team that can beat anyone on any given night. Only the Raptors best efforts will give them a chance against a team that they are 4-17 lifetime, with their last win coming nearly two years ago.
This will likely be a close game with a sell-out crowd and lots of highlights for fans to be entertained by. And although I love the Raps, I see Kobe being a little too much, again.
Either way, tonight will not only be a great test for Toronto, but a chance at redemption for the embarrassment the team put its fans through last year. Look for Bosh to try and upstage one of the all-time greatest players and make a case for himself as the league's MVP.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Blue Jays will finish third, again!
With only a week until players report to spring training, questions have already risen about the starting rotation and if J.P. Ricciardi has done enough to make this team a contender again.
Are we destined for another third place finish? Maybe that is a role that all Blue Jays fans must accept; at least for one more year. The Jays are very close to being able to take this division. With the roster as is right now, the Jays would need the bats to do what they should and the starting pitchers to stay healthy. I really just don’t see that happening until ’08. Not because the Jays don’t have a good team assembled, but because the Yankees are really, still better. And even if they are not to begin with, they will certainly buy their way back into contention. Oh ya, and those Red Sox kinda improved too. How are we to compete in a division that has the two highest spenders in baseball? Will Teddy “Ballpark” Rogers ever give J.P. $200 million a year to spend? Probably not…and we shouldn’t get our hopes up. Although, he has been wetting our appetites and raising payroll every season over the last four years. He has made major improvements to the SkyDo..err..Rogers Centre, to give it more of an American baseball feel. He has even showed up to a few games here and there! This all coming from the man who once saw Carlos Delgado walk on four pitches and asked “Who is that?” “That is the man we pay $16 million a year.” “Why are we paying him so much? He didn’t even swing the bat!”
Okay J.P., our fate is in your hands.
The Rotation
1. Roy “Doc” Halladay- RHP
If the best pitcher in baseball gets at least 35 starts, 20-22 wins and a Cy Young is his.
2. A.J. Burnett- RHP
Health will always be an issue, but a nasty, 98mph fastball is fun to watch and should be good enough for 16 wins.
3. Gustavo Chacin- LHP
Being scary looking doesn’t make you a scary pitcher. I’ll be surprised with 14 wins.
4. John Thomson-RHP
Could provide some valuable innings. He did win 14 games in ’04 with the Braves. He’ll give us 12.
5. Tomo Ohka- RHP
Will start the season as number 5, but look for another busy year for this position from guys like Janssen, Marcum, Towers and Zambrano.
The Line-up
1. Reed Johnson-LF
Left is all his now with the Cat gone. Look for him to lead the league in getting beaned and be one of the best players on the Jays in ’07.
2. Alex Rios-RF
Could still get traded early on. In the meantime, look for his power numbers to increase along with his running.
3. Vernon Wells-CF
I usually dislike guys coming off massive contract signings( $126 million for 7 yrs ), but look for V-dub to carry this team on both sides of the field.
4. Troy Glaus-3B
I just don’t trust this guy’s knees. 30 and 100 should be there, but he’s gotta bat better than .250 for me to be a fan.
5. Frank Thomas-DH
He went from a base salary to over 9 million a year. If he even gets close to last year’s numbers, J.P. will save face.
6. Lyle Overbay-1B
Smart move locking this guy up for another 4 years. Who wouldn’t want this guy batting sixth in their order?
7. Greg Zaun-C
After negotiating is own contract and wearing amazing suits on TV during the playoffs, the real leader of the team finally comes in as the number one catcher.
8. Aaron Hill-2B
No O-Dog, but is great student of the game that can play anywhere in the infield.
9. Royce Clayton-SS
This looked like one of the Leafs signings. Closer to 40yrs old but I’d rather him then Russ Adams.
The Pen
Closer: B.J. Ryan- LHP
• Look for another All-Star performance from the man who runs out like Wild Thing.
Set-up: Brandon League-RHP
• Guys who tattoo their last name across their backs can throw hard. This Hawaiian throws 100mph
Mid and Long Relief:
• Jason Frasor and Scott Downs will again be the go-to guys here. The rest are young but with plenty of upside.
Final Standings
TEAM WINS LOSSES GB
NY Yankees 103 59 --
Red Sox 96 66 7
Blue Jays 94 68 9
Are we destined for another third place finish? Maybe that is a role that all Blue Jays fans must accept; at least for one more year. The Jays are very close to being able to take this division. With the roster as is right now, the Jays would need the bats to do what they should and the starting pitchers to stay healthy. I really just don’t see that happening until ’08. Not because the Jays don’t have a good team assembled, but because the Yankees are really, still better. And even if they are not to begin with, they will certainly buy their way back into contention. Oh ya, and those Red Sox kinda improved too. How are we to compete in a division that has the two highest spenders in baseball? Will Teddy “Ballpark” Rogers ever give J.P. $200 million a year to spend? Probably not…and we shouldn’t get our hopes up. Although, he has been wetting our appetites and raising payroll every season over the last four years. He has made major improvements to the SkyDo..err..Rogers Centre, to give it more of an American baseball feel. He has even showed up to a few games here and there! This all coming from the man who once saw Carlos Delgado walk on four pitches and asked “Who is that?” “That is the man we pay $16 million a year.” “Why are we paying him so much? He didn’t even swing the bat!”
Okay J.P., our fate is in your hands.
The Rotation
1. Roy “Doc” Halladay- RHP
If the best pitcher in baseball gets at least 35 starts, 20-22 wins and a Cy Young is his.
2. A.J. Burnett- RHP
Health will always be an issue, but a nasty, 98mph fastball is fun to watch and should be good enough for 16 wins.
3. Gustavo Chacin- LHP
Being scary looking doesn’t make you a scary pitcher. I’ll be surprised with 14 wins.
4. John Thomson-RHP
Could provide some valuable innings. He did win 14 games in ’04 with the Braves. He’ll give us 12.
5. Tomo Ohka- RHP
Will start the season as number 5, but look for another busy year for this position from guys like Janssen, Marcum, Towers and Zambrano.
The Line-up
1. Reed Johnson-LF
Left is all his now with the Cat gone. Look for him to lead the league in getting beaned and be one of the best players on the Jays in ’07.
2. Alex Rios-RF
Could still get traded early on. In the meantime, look for his power numbers to increase along with his running.
3. Vernon Wells-CF
I usually dislike guys coming off massive contract signings( $126 million for 7 yrs ), but look for V-dub to carry this team on both sides of the field.
4. Troy Glaus-3B
I just don’t trust this guy’s knees. 30 and 100 should be there, but he’s gotta bat better than .250 for me to be a fan.
5. Frank Thomas-DH
He went from a base salary to over 9 million a year. If he even gets close to last year’s numbers, J.P. will save face.
6. Lyle Overbay-1B
Smart move locking this guy up for another 4 years. Who wouldn’t want this guy batting sixth in their order?
7. Greg Zaun-C
After negotiating is own contract and wearing amazing suits on TV during the playoffs, the real leader of the team finally comes in as the number one catcher.
8. Aaron Hill-2B
No O-Dog, but is great student of the game that can play anywhere in the infield.
9. Royce Clayton-SS
This looked like one of the Leafs signings. Closer to 40yrs old but I’d rather him then Russ Adams.
The Pen
Closer: B.J. Ryan- LHP
• Look for another All-Star performance from the man who runs out like Wild Thing.
Set-up: Brandon League-RHP
• Guys who tattoo their last name across their backs can throw hard. This Hawaiian throws 100mph
Mid and Long Relief:
• Jason Frasor and Scott Downs will again be the go-to guys here. The rest are young but with plenty of upside.
Final Standings
TEAM WINS LOSSES GB
NY Yankees 103 59 --
Red Sox 96 66 7
Blue Jays 94 68 9
A Little Bit of Love
Looks like the American sports reporters have finally noticed what is happening here in Toronto. Have a look around the big sports websites today and you will see Bosh and the Raptors everywhere. Ian Thomsen on CNN/SI, ESPN.com, NBA.com and www.realgm.com all have articles about the recent Raptor success. These are the same haters that picked Toronto to finish 13-15th in the Conference. These are the same haters that bad mouthed Villanueva/Ford trade and now these haters are falling over themselves with praise. They all want to be the first one to recognize the Raptors and the amazing work done by the entire organization….bums.
Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment, owners of the Leafs and Raptors, is by no means a great company. They have made it impossible for the middle class to see a game and are starting to phase in both Leafs and Raptors TV to make even more money. I understand that it costs a lot of money to run a professional sports franchise but I don’t appreciate feeling like I am being taken advantage of.
The one thing Larry Tannenbaum and MLSE have done is put smart people in the power positions. John Ferguson knows hockey and he will be a good GM once he forces himself to commit to rebuilding the Leafs. Brian Colangelo’s resume speaks for itself. He is an excellent manager who has a clear blueprint for a NBA franchise and isn’t afraid to make the tough decisions. Sports commentators and pundits around the league knew that he would make the Raptors good but no one thought that it would be this year.
The team has gelled extremely quickly for a couple of reasons. Anthony Parker, Jose Calderon and Jorge Garbajosa are seasoned professional basketball players. Most American sports writers seemed to think that because they because they haven’t played a 120 NBA games between them, that it would take a while to adjust. It is this kind of thinking that has resulted in poor performances by US National teams in recent international competitions. Calderon has won a major international championship, how many has James won? These guys know basketball and they know how to be a good teammate. They don’t buy into the superstar mentality that has plagued NBA teams. Iverson is a living legend. How many NBA championships has he won? Garnett? Pierce? A Shaqless Kobe? Colangelo believes in a team and has brought in like minded players. From All Star, Chris Bosh, down to bench warmer Darrick Martin, this is a team that plays together.
I am looking for another win for the Raptors tonight. Bosh is going up against Dwight Howard and should do well. I am looking for Bosh to score 25 with 10 boards. He will need to get to the line in this game and hopefully force Howard onto the bench with foul trouble. If the Raptors can force the Magic to turn the ball over as much as they usually do, this should be an easy W.
Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment, owners of the Leafs and Raptors, is by no means a great company. They have made it impossible for the middle class to see a game and are starting to phase in both Leafs and Raptors TV to make even more money. I understand that it costs a lot of money to run a professional sports franchise but I don’t appreciate feeling like I am being taken advantage of.
The one thing Larry Tannenbaum and MLSE have done is put smart people in the power positions. John Ferguson knows hockey and he will be a good GM once he forces himself to commit to rebuilding the Leafs. Brian Colangelo’s resume speaks for itself. He is an excellent manager who has a clear blueprint for a NBA franchise and isn’t afraid to make the tough decisions. Sports commentators and pundits around the league knew that he would make the Raptors good but no one thought that it would be this year.
The team has gelled extremely quickly for a couple of reasons. Anthony Parker, Jose Calderon and Jorge Garbajosa are seasoned professional basketball players. Most American sports writers seemed to think that because they because they haven’t played a 120 NBA games between them, that it would take a while to adjust. It is this kind of thinking that has resulted in poor performances by US National teams in recent international competitions. Calderon has won a major international championship, how many has James won? These guys know basketball and they know how to be a good teammate. They don’t buy into the superstar mentality that has plagued NBA teams. Iverson is a living legend. How many NBA championships has he won? Garnett? Pierce? A Shaqless Kobe? Colangelo believes in a team and has brought in like minded players. From All Star, Chris Bosh, down to bench warmer Darrick Martin, this is a team that plays together.
I am looking for another win for the Raptors tonight. Bosh is going up against Dwight Howard and should do well. I am looking for Bosh to score 25 with 10 boards. He will need to get to the line in this game and hopefully force Howard onto the bench with foul trouble. If the Raptors can force the Magic to turn the ball over as much as they usually do, this should be an easy W.
Monday, February 5, 2007
Prince. Veni Vidi Vici.
He arose through the rain and fireworks, in the middle of the male/female mash up symbol that he made famous during his legal battle with his former record label. His hair was tied up Jemima style, with a big sloppy bow in the front. He wore a teal high collared suit with an orange – bright orange – shirt. It was a sartorial choice that could only be called conservative when worn by Prince. You heard the Queen classic ‘We will Rock You’ in the background. The message was clear.
Prince was going to fuck with our heads.
Again.
He was the weird star in the eighties – (just look at the trouble wikipedia has in trying to classify his style).
When the rest of North America was loving Michael Jackson and sucking up every hair band the labels could trudge out, Prince Rogers Nelson was doing what he has always done; standing apart from the pack, and showing us – graphically at times - what we were scared to admit.
He had hit after hit – When Doves Cry, Purple Rain, 7, Little Red Corvette, I would Die 4 U, and more than I could possibly fit here.
He started in with ‘Lets Go Crazy’, and pranced up and down the stage as if it wasn’t pouring rain and striking lightening. His Twin Dancers - Maya and Nandy McClean - bracketed his moves while displaying what might be the best hair tossing by dancers in a live performance. (Twin dancers, as in real Twins. Hot real Twins. This is the same guy who wrote ‘Darling Nikki’. Like anyone else could command a stage with twin dancers doing an eleven minute dancing orgasm.)
As he moved into his next song, incredibly, a marching band joined him on the field. His music amplified by the worlds largest horn section, this performance began to gather energy. He went into a groove that started with ‘Baby I’m A Star’ and worked in ‘Proud Mary’ and ‘All Along The Watchtower’ while displaying some one handed guitar magic. Shrieking with the androgynous glee that so attracted and confused us years ago he was rolling now. When he did stole the Foo Fighters ‘Best of You’ and made it his own, you could see that he had the crowd transfixed.
Then came what you knew had to come. With the rain pouring down, you heard the opening of what I consider to be the best song written in the twentieth century: Purple Rain. He strode into his ballad, and the crowd lit their lighters like it was, well, like it was nineteen ninety-nine.
Truth is that ‘Purple Rain’ wasn’t the biggest hit off the album – or movie – of the same name. It never even made it to Number One on the Billboard chart that Prince shared with Michael Jackson in the eighties. But when you see him perform it live, you know that part of him is forever trapped inside of, and set free by this song. It came at a time when all his his other offerings were a legendary mix of raw eroticism and James Brown funky. But this song, with it’s tender lyrics and honest motive was different. Out of the cauldron of raw sex and eros that Prince reveled in at that time, ‘Purple Rain’ was immaculately born.
The lyrics – as always – don’t make literal sense. There is no shared understanding as to what the ‘Purple Rain’ is. But somehow, magically, everyone feels the passion he is trying to convey. It is the ghost in the machine of this song, at once incomprehensible and universal, and forever impossible to describe. It is only possible to feel this song, as you cannot ever understand it.
When the guitar solo came in and the huge billowing image of Prince was projected on it, the crowd was in his hands. The guitar solo itself, a mixture of holler and call back rhythms that have been a part of rock and roll since the Juke joints of the twenties, was a thing of beauty. In the torrential rain, he played it as if we had never heard it before; the call, the guitar wail, the answer and then the refrain. The screen comes down and Prince asks the crowd if we want to sing tonight, and the answer is a resounding yes. We all know this part, the wailing at the end of the song. We know not because we know the notes or have the voice to sing it. We know it because we feel it.
Prince sang two bars and then tossed his mike aside and let the crowd do what it was dying to do.
He guided them there, and then he let them sing.
In the Purple Rain.
Weekend Wrap Up
So ends another year of the NFL and Fox can put Terry Bradshaw 
and Mike Ditka back into storage, the cheerleaders can go back to their day jobs and Peyton Manning can finally relax. He will never again be labeled a loser or the guy who is unable to win the “big game”. I am happy that he has won his championship. He knows that he will need to win more than one championship if he wants to be considered among the NFL quarterback greats at least now he won’t be another Jim Kelly.
I am not going to recap yesterday’s game or even give my opinions……No, I can’t resist; I have to say something, just one thing. Someone paid Rex Grossman off. Someone got to him, someone mean and scary, someone who Grossman believed would do what he said. What was the threat? Who knows; but it was serious enough for Grossman to play the worst game ever played by quarterback in a Super Bowl. Prince could have thrown better passes….PRINCE!!! That was disgusting; I am embarrassed for Bears fans.
It was a great weekend for sports. The NHL and NBA made the clever decision to schedule games Sunday afternoon. This allowed sports fans to turn off the endless Super Bowl pre-game show and enjoy a full day of live sports. The Raptors ripped into the Clippers pouring in 122 points and shooting around 75% in the first half. It’s hard to find too many problems with the way they are playing right now, my only complaint would be that they are getting beat up on the offensive boards. The Clippers kept themselves in the game by out rebounding Toronto 13-3 on the offensive glass. At the same time, the Nets were choking one up against the Hawks, I love to see Carter lose.
The hockey this weekend was particularly good. Every game I saw seemed to be in fast forward and the on ice product was excellent. I can only attribute this to the fact that most players had 5 days off due to the All Star break. The NHL should seriously consider reducing the number of games. When players are rested the game is more exciting for the fans and there will be fewer injuries.
Some personal highlights from this weekend action include Sundin giving Emery an earful after he scored. Gaborik going five hole on Cujo for his second straight game winner. Crosby coughing up the puck in OT was a great example of what happens when one player tries to win a team game. Sid the Kid is great but that move he tried was just plain stupid and judging by the look on his face afterwards, he knew it.
and Mike Ditka back into storage, the cheerleaders can go back to their day jobs and Peyton Manning can finally relax. He will never again be labeled a loser or the guy who is unable to win the “big game”. I am happy that he has won his championship. He knows that he will need to win more than one championship if he wants to be considered among the NFL quarterback greats at least now he won’t be another Jim Kelly.I am not going to recap yesterday’s game or even give my opinions……No, I can’t resist; I have to say something, just one thing. Someone paid Rex Grossman off. Someone got to him, someone mean and scary, someone who Grossman believed would do what he said. What was the threat? Who knows; but it was serious enough for Grossman to play the worst game ever played by quarterback in a Super Bowl. Prince could have thrown better passes….PRINCE!!! That was disgusting; I am embarrassed for Bears fans.
It was a great weekend for sports. The NHL and NBA made the clever decision to schedule games Sunday afternoon. This allowed sports fans to turn off the endless Super Bowl pre-game show and enjoy a full day of live sports. The Raptors ripped into the Clippers pouring in 122 points and shooting around 75% in the first half. It’s hard to find too many problems with the way they are playing right now, my only complaint would be that they are getting beat up on the offensive boards. The Clippers kept themselves in the game by out rebounding Toronto 13-3 on the offensive glass. At the same time, the Nets were choking one up against the Hawks, I love to see Carter lose.
The hockey this weekend was particularly good. Every game I saw seemed to be in fast forward and the on ice product was excellent. I can only attribute this to the fact that most players had 5 days off due to the All Star break. The NHL should seriously consider reducing the number of games. When players are rested the game is more exciting for the fans and there will be fewer injuries.
Some personal highlights from this weekend action include Sundin giving Emery an earful after he scored. Gaborik going five hole on Cujo for his second straight game winner. Crosby coughing up the puck in OT was a great example of what happens when one player tries to win a team game. Sid the Kid is great but that move he tried was just plain stupid and judging by the look on his face afterwards, he knew it.
Friday, February 2, 2007
Raptors vs Hawks Preview
Raptors are set to throw down in Hotlanta tonight. In the past couple years this match up has been a guaranteed sleeper. They were two teams with nothing to play for and no superstars to watch. Fans would spend the game their numbing their brains with over priced beer, watching saggy boobed cheerleaders do the Macarena. But no longer Raptor fans!
The Raptors and Hawks are two young teams on the up and up. Both have legitimate young superstars, a strong cast of supporting players and bright futures. Their games are exciting and there is a healthy rivalry growing between these two teams. They play with a self respect that wasn’t there in the past. They are demanding more from themselves every night and are learning how to win. This isn’t a Knick-Heat playoff game but there is a sense that both teams step up their games when they meet.
The Raptors are rolling along right now and the won 3 of the monthly awards handed out by the NBA. Bosh was the much deserved player of the month. He shot .547 from the field, had 137 boards and only scored 24 less points than D Wade! Andrea Bargnani won rookie of the month honors. He had a great month but still isn’t a lock for Rookie of the Year.
Sam Mitchell pulled a Homer and was awarded with coach of the month honors. That isn’t going to save his job and nor should it. Mitchell will be a good coach someday but he needs more experience.
I am predicting a Raptor win tonight. Bosh will drain 25 points and 10 boards. I want to see T.J. Ford bring his “A” game tonight and get some time on the floor with Calderon. Rob, what do you think? Lets hear your predictions on tonight. You’re getting called out buddy!
The Raptors and Hawks are two young teams on the up and up. Both have legitimate young superstars, a strong cast of supporting players and bright futures. Their games are exciting and there is a healthy rivalry growing between these two teams. They play with a self respect that wasn’t there in the past. They are demanding more from themselves every night and are learning how to win. This isn’t a Knick-Heat playoff game but there is a sense that both teams step up their games when they meet.
The Raptors are rolling along right now and the won 3 of the monthly awards handed out by the NBA. Bosh was the much deserved player of the month. He shot .547 from the field, had 137 boards and only scored 24 less points than D Wade! Andrea Bargnani won rookie of the month honors. He had a great month but still isn’t a lock for Rookie of the Year.
Sam Mitchell pulled a Homer and was awarded with coach of the month honors. That isn’t going to save his job and nor should it. Mitchell will be a good coach someday but he needs more experience.I am predicting a Raptor win tonight. Bosh will drain 25 points and 10 boards. I want to see T.J. Ford bring his “A” game tonight and get some time on the floor with Calderon. Rob, what do you think? Lets hear your predictions on tonight. You’re getting called out buddy!
Thursday, February 1, 2007
National Campaign
There is an undeniable murmur of excitement building in the USA right now.
People are jockeying for position and campaigning in an attempting to gain the attention of the Nation. All in order to jump into that all important position – one of the most important positions in the Western World in fact – a position that only one position can hold.
This position is one that makes enormous demands on the successful person, so much so that most wonder why they put themselves through the ordeal. But nonetheless, people are jumping into the melee willy nilly. (God I have been waiting so long to get willy nilly into a sentence that I think I just got wood. No wait, that’s my belt buckle.)
Yes I’m talking about the Head Coaching position for the Dallas Cowboys.
I will understand if you thought that I was referring to the race to replace Dubya Bush in the White House, that marathon of willful mendacity. That orgy of branding. No, sorry, wrong position. I’m not talking about the position where you take orders from the Bilderberg Group (the shadowy cabal of Billionaires and World leaders who meet in secret) , I’m talking about the position where you take orders from Jerral Jones, (Oklahoma Billionaire who holds many press conferences).
In fact, the two positions have many similarities: They are at the top of their respective professions.
The USA is Top Dawg on this planet, no two ways about it. They are world leaders in terms of cultural influence, financial strength, and military power.
The Presidency of the United States is the shizzle in terms of American Political Power (and the perhaps in terms of World Political Power for that matter.) You instantly become the most recognizable face in the world. Even those who hate you know your every utterance.
Similarly the Dallas Cowboys are the crème de la crème in the Sporting World. Fully five of the top rated Television shows from 2006 involved the Dallas Cowboys.
(I might have just made that up. Like anyone can get more people in front of the T.V. than American Idol. The appeal is irresistible. It’s like watching a car crash or halitosis on a hot girl. You want to turn your head away, but…..)
The Cowboys were in four of the top 12 sporting events in North America for the year 2006. They are the biggest draw and the most valuable sports franchise in the highest rated league in the world. A league with a 4 BILLION dollar per year television deal.
(Wait, What’s that noise? Oh the Soccer fans are making noise? Shaddup already. Every four years the people in North America take a peek at footy while the flags are waving and then they go back to sports that are actually exciting. How big is that television deal for the African Soccer League? The South American League?
Yeah. I thought so. Stop bugging me already and go back to work at the call center.)
Case in point; who is the only team that could even make the headlines with a marathon like search for head coach? During Super Bowl week?!? That’s right. The Cowboys.
So in that spirit, I thought I would compare the candidates for both illustrious positions.
The Front Runners
Hillary Clinton/Norv Turner
Same deal: Underwhelming record in previous stints at the top.
Brother Difference: Hillary has the balls to deal with T.O.
Chances: At the front of the pack, but it is early.
Running Second
Barack Obama/Mike Singletary
Same deal: Strong presence, great speakers, possible all timers. Is the United States ready for a Black President? Are the Dallas Cowboys ready for a Black Head Coach?
Brother Difference: Obama will get less death threats if chosen for the position.
Chances: We can only hope people, we can only hope.
Best of the Rest
Rudi Giuliani/Wade Phillips
Same Deal: Pattern Baldness oozes wisdom and confidence.
Brother Difference: Rudi won something in New York State.
Chances: Old White Guy wins position of power. Hmmm, I think I have seen this before.
Longshots
Joe Biden/Gary Gibbs
Same Deal: They both have a little crazy in their eyes don’t they?
Brother Difference: Two words – Comb over.
Chances: Biden? For President? C’mon!!! Maybe to help finish off a keg or something. A guy named Gibbs, coach of the Cowboys?? Right. Next you’ll tell me that Bill Parcells is going to coach the Cowboys.
Snowballs Chance in Hell
John Edwards/Jason Garett
Same Deal: Nice Hair Guys!
Brother Difference: uhhh……
Chances: How old are these guys? Shouldn’t they graduate college first?
People are jockeying for position and campaigning in an attempting to gain the attention of the Nation. All in order to jump into that all important position – one of the most important positions in the Western World in fact – a position that only one position can hold.
This position is one that makes enormous demands on the successful person, so much so that most wonder why they put themselves through the ordeal. But nonetheless, people are jumping into the melee willy nilly. (God I have been waiting so long to get willy nilly into a sentence that I think I just got wood. No wait, that’s my belt buckle.)
Yes I’m talking about the Head Coaching position for the Dallas Cowboys.
I will understand if you thought that I was referring to the race to replace Dubya Bush in the White House, that marathon of willful mendacity. That orgy of branding. No, sorry, wrong position. I’m not talking about the position where you take orders from the Bilderberg Group (the shadowy cabal of Billionaires and World leaders who meet in secret) , I’m talking about the position where you take orders from Jerral Jones, (Oklahoma Billionaire who holds many press conferences).
In fact, the two positions have many similarities: They are at the top of their respective professions.
The USA is Top Dawg on this planet, no two ways about it. They are world leaders in terms of cultural influence, financial strength, and military power.
The Presidency of the United States is the shizzle in terms of American Political Power (and the perhaps in terms of World Political Power for that matter.) You instantly become the most recognizable face in the world. Even those who hate you know your every utterance.
Similarly the Dallas Cowboys are the crème de la crème in the Sporting World. Fully five of the top rated Television shows from 2006 involved the Dallas Cowboys.
(I might have just made that up. Like anyone can get more people in front of the T.V. than American Idol. The appeal is irresistible. It’s like watching a car crash or halitosis on a hot girl. You want to turn your head away, but…..)
The Cowboys were in four of the top 12 sporting events in North America for the year 2006. They are the biggest draw and the most valuable sports franchise in the highest rated league in the world. A league with a 4 BILLION dollar per year television deal.
(Wait, What’s that noise? Oh the Soccer fans are making noise? Shaddup already. Every four years the people in North America take a peek at footy while the flags are waving and then they go back to sports that are actually exciting. How big is that television deal for the African Soccer League? The South American League?
Yeah. I thought so. Stop bugging me already and go back to work at the call center.)
Case in point; who is the only team that could even make the headlines with a marathon like search for head coach? During Super Bowl week?!? That’s right. The Cowboys.
So in that spirit, I thought I would compare the candidates for both illustrious positions.
The Front Runners
Hillary Clinton/Norv Turner
Same deal: Underwhelming record in previous stints at the top.
Brother Difference: Hillary has the balls to deal with T.O.
Chances: At the front of the pack, but it is early.
Running Second
Barack Obama/Mike Singletary
Same deal: Strong presence, great speakers, possible all timers. Is the United States ready for a Black President? Are the Dallas Cowboys ready for a Black Head Coach?
Brother Difference: Obama will get less death threats if chosen for the position.
Chances: We can only hope people, we can only hope.
Best of the Rest
Rudi Giuliani/Wade Phillips
Same Deal: Pattern Baldness oozes wisdom and confidence.
Brother Difference: Rudi won something in New York State.
Chances: Old White Guy wins position of power. Hmmm, I think I have seen this before.
Longshots
Joe Biden/Gary Gibbs
Same Deal: They both have a little crazy in their eyes don’t they?
Brother Difference: Two words – Comb over.
Chances: Biden? For President? C’mon!!! Maybe to help finish off a keg or something. A guy named Gibbs, coach of the Cowboys?? Right. Next you’ll tell me that Bill Parcells is going to coach the Cowboys.
Snowballs Chance in Hell
John Edwards/Jason Garett
Same Deal: Nice Hair Guys!
Brother Difference: uhhh……
Chances: How old are these guys? Shouldn’t they graduate college first?
Smile
It’s a great day to be a sports fan in Toronto. If you watched sports last night you were bound to see the goofy grin of Bosh and the dazzlingly white smile of Sundin. Being a simple man who is easily influenced by others; I tend to take my cues from my favorite athletes. When Sundin is smiling it is usually because he has just scored, or the Leafs are winning. I have Sundin in both my hockey pools AND I am Leafs fan so that means when he is happy I am happy. Sometimes I can’t control myself; when I see him lumber over the blue line on a clean break away and put the puck over the goalies shoulder I lose control. Emotions rise up from the under my hate filled heart, I see that huge smile and all I can do is punch the closest waitress. Needless to say when I am forced to watch games at home I focus my joy filled hate into a wall.
Anyone watching the Raptors game last night should agree that the highlight of the night wasn’t the miracle, three quarter court shot by Bosh but the spin move and dunk at the end of the game. That spin was something out of a video game. The defender was still looking at a long necked silhouette while Bosh jamming the ball home. That move almost made me fall off my couch and the scream I let out scared my wife in the other room. It was a great game and Jose Calderon was lights out. He established his shot early and torched the Wizards inside in the second half. I saw a very nervous T.J. Ford riding a bike on the sidelines. Hopefully this will create a healthy competition at point guard and the Raps will benefit from great play from both guys. Parker, on the other hand, chucked up a 3-8 performance….chucker.
Half of my predictions for last night’s game were wrong; Agent 0 was a zero and didn’t put up 40 but the Raps did win. One of my illiterate buddies who reads this site seems to think that I picked the Raps to lose!?!?! I have challenged him to a contest of choosing the winner of each Raptor game. If we both choose the same team then we will devise another category to predict. I am confident that this will prove that he knows nothing about sports (this guy drafted Bill Guerin in our hockey pool!), especially basketball.
So lets hear it Toronto fans, up onto the band wagon. Both teams looked strong in mid-season wins against good opponents. We can all look forward to more smiles!
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