Found this over on ESPN. Very interesting, and I think very accurate as well. The Raps, Jays, and Leafs are all where they should be.
http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/franchiseRanks
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Shaq gives the league the "Old Shanghai Suprise"
Oh God everything went from so good to so bad so quickly. Losing Bargnani for the rest of the regular season was a loss that the Raptors could handle, but losing Garbo might be too much. Remember back to the beginning of the season when the Raptors were struggling to find consistency and their identity as a team? Remember when that all changed? It was right after Garbajosa was put into the starting line-up and Bargnani was giving more playing time. Since then the team has suffered injuries to all the other starters except Nesterovic but have managed to continue winning. So maybe Bosh and Ford aren’t the key to victory, maybe it is the hustle guys that do the little things are more important. Hmmmmm.
This is not an idea that translates well between sports. A hustler like Reed Johnson can’t replace Albert Pujols and Shane Corson certainly can’t fill the void Sundin would leave, but basketball is different. Hustle players live on the glass, dive for loose balls and create chaos on the floor in which other players can thrive. Garbajosa gives the Raptors a dynamic edge even though his numbers aren’t great. He is classified as a NBA rookie but he has played 11 years of professional basketball and won a world championship with Spain. He is the most experienced basketball player on the Raptors roster and there are few people with a better understanding of the game.
The Raptors are going to have their hands full tonight. Shaq has the magic fingers going and his team mates are making the open shots that he creates for them. If the Raptors can get a couple of early fouls on Shaq then they have a chance. They need to run as much as they can and wear the old Heat out. I don’t have a very good feeling about tonight’s game and think that the Raptors are outmatched.
Despite the injuries, the Raptors are poised to win their first Atlantic Conference title and add their first banner to the ACC’s rafters. The question is who they are going to play in the first round. If the playoffs started today they would play Chicago but they could easily face Miami. Either way, the Raptors are probably not going past the first round and that is a good thing. This year is about experience and learning to play together. The Raptors have done a great job of that but they are still a few pieces away from competing for a championship. If they can get some playoff experience, win a post season game or two, they will put themselves in a great position for next year.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
Salt on Monday
Ron and Don. The Canadian version of Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie.
Oh Joy!!!
The CBC just signed an estimated 80 Million dollar PER YEAR contract with the NHL.
The question you have to ask yourself is why.
Why a public broadcaster is spending tax dollars on professional athletes.
The CBC should have a 10 year deal with the WHL, OHL, and the QMJHL, not the NHL.
Can you imagine PBS signing a 6 year deal with the NFL for a few billion while using tradition and profitability as the reason behind the deal?
And spare me the ‘Hockey is Canada’ rant already. If Hockey is so important to you get cable – stop siphoning my tax dollars to pay Don – everything was better in the 50’s – Cherry and Ron – the reigning passive aggressive champion 10 years running – McLean.
I would much rather that the CBC uses that money to develop filmmakers, musicians, journalists, writers, and fucking ditch diggers even. What part of their mandate says that they need to keep shelling out to a professional league?
Why everyone stands by and watches the CBC subsidize a professional billion dollar sports league is the best con job since Loose Change.
(Listen up you stupid morons. Two hijacked planes took the world trade center down. Not missiles. Not explosives. Not a massive conspiracy. Thousands of people would have to be in on it and not one, NOT ONE has sold their story to E fucking Talk Daily for their 15 minutes of fame, a chance to bang Kristin Cavalieri, and MILLIONS OF DOLLARS??
Yeah.
OK.
Here’s what I want you to do. No more wake and bake. It fucks with your mind.)
Hockey is NOT Canada. It is a sport that we are passionate about. IT’S A FUCKING GAME PEOPLE!!!!!
Will we ever tire of this Pavlovian chest beating around the game of hockey?
We are the best at it.
No-one is close.
We like being the best at it.
What about those true statements means you get to reach into my pocket to pay Mats Sundin 7 million a season? And make no mistake, the NHL may be a gate driven league, but Television and the media exposure drives the gate. And that gate pays the laconic Swede millions of dollars to spend in Sweden when he retires there in a couple of years.
(BTW, if you read this months Toronto Life, you will find an article on the top paid athletes in Tron and their charity donations. Vernon Wells donated 1 million to a Toronto Charity. Chris Bosh donated 1 million to a Toronto Charity. John Avery – an Argo for fucks sake! Dude makes like minimum plus tips! – donates time and money to Toronto charities. Sundin? $50,000 to some charity. Fitty Large, dog? That’s it? Who keeps telling me that Sundin doesn’t get a free pass in Toronto?)
At least Raptor/Jays money stays on this continent. And pays Canadian strippers. Them Raptors and Jays luv the strippers…..
(Boy it would be nice to hear the reaction of someone who has inside knowledge of the CBC - and knows someone in upper management – to get the inside scoop on this deal. If only…)
I can’t wait until the military draft comes back during the coming China Wars. Then no one will be paying anyone millions of dollars to play hockey.
That’s right. I said military draft. It’s either that or wait for the Americans to come and take our water…..
(it’s getting a little salty in here…)
Oh Joy!!!
The CBC just signed an estimated 80 Million dollar PER YEAR contract with the NHL.
The question you have to ask yourself is why.
Why a public broadcaster is spending tax dollars on professional athletes.
The CBC should have a 10 year deal with the WHL, OHL, and the QMJHL, not the NHL.
Can you imagine PBS signing a 6 year deal with the NFL for a few billion while using tradition and profitability as the reason behind the deal?
And spare me the ‘Hockey is Canada’ rant already. If Hockey is so important to you get cable – stop siphoning my tax dollars to pay Don – everything was better in the 50’s – Cherry and Ron – the reigning passive aggressive champion 10 years running – McLean.
I would much rather that the CBC uses that money to develop filmmakers, musicians, journalists, writers, and fucking ditch diggers even. What part of their mandate says that they need to keep shelling out to a professional league?
Why everyone stands by and watches the CBC subsidize a professional billion dollar sports league is the best con job since Loose Change.
(Listen up you stupid morons. Two hijacked planes took the world trade center down. Not missiles. Not explosives. Not a massive conspiracy. Thousands of people would have to be in on it and not one, NOT ONE has sold their story to E fucking Talk Daily for their 15 minutes of fame, a chance to bang Kristin Cavalieri, and MILLIONS OF DOLLARS??
Yeah.
OK.
Here’s what I want you to do. No more wake and bake. It fucks with your mind.)
Hockey is NOT Canada. It is a sport that we are passionate about. IT’S A FUCKING GAME PEOPLE!!!!!
Will we ever tire of this Pavlovian chest beating around the game of hockey?
We are the best at it.
No-one is close.
We like being the best at it.
What about those true statements means you get to reach into my pocket to pay Mats Sundin 7 million a season? And make no mistake, the NHL may be a gate driven league, but Television and the media exposure drives the gate. And that gate pays the laconic Swede millions of dollars to spend in Sweden when he retires there in a couple of years.
(BTW, if you read this months Toronto Life, you will find an article on the top paid athletes in Tron and their charity donations. Vernon Wells donated 1 million to a Toronto Charity. Chris Bosh donated 1 million to a Toronto Charity. John Avery – an Argo for fucks sake! Dude makes like minimum plus tips! – donates time and money to Toronto charities. Sundin? $50,000 to some charity. Fitty Large, dog? That’s it? Who keeps telling me that Sundin doesn’t get a free pass in Toronto?)
At least Raptor/Jays money stays on this continent. And pays Canadian strippers. Them Raptors and Jays luv the strippers…..
(Boy it would be nice to hear the reaction of someone who has inside knowledge of the CBC - and knows someone in upper management – to get the inside scoop on this deal. If only…)
I can’t wait until the military draft comes back during the coming China Wars. Then no one will be paying anyone millions of dollars to play hockey.
That’s right. I said military draft. It’s either that or wait for the Americans to come and take our water…..
(it’s getting a little salty in here…)
Part of the Game
True Canadian Hero!
I just watched a reply of the Dallas Cowboys / Washington Redskin game from 2006. What a game!! The definite highlight was when Larry Allen took offense to a cheap shot to Dallas Quarterback Tony Romo and squared up with Washington tough guy Joe Salave'a. They tossed their helmets and started to circle each other as the officials waited for a chance to step in. Salave'a got the first few jabs in, but Allen quickly got his right hand going and started to hammer away at the head of DT Salave'a. They fell on top of each other and then the refs stepped in to separate them. The home crowd roared Larry Allen's name, and the officials sent the two to the sidelines for their 5 Play penalty. Clear victory for Allen in this fight!
A great tilt! I love seeing a savvy vet step up to protect his teamates from cheapshots! What a great game. Those who think that fighting should be taken out of the NFL need to listen to the crowd roar when the two 300 pounders tossed their helmets and started to throw 'em!
I just watched a reply of the Dallas Cowboys / Washington Redskin game from 2006. What a game!! The definite highlight was when Larry Allen took offense to a cheap shot to Dallas Quarterback Tony Romo and squared up with Washington tough guy Joe Salave'a. They tossed their helmets and started to circle each other as the officials waited for a chance to step in. Salave'a got the first few jabs in, but Allen quickly got his right hand going and started to hammer away at the head of DT Salave'a. They fell on top of each other and then the refs stepped in to separate them. The home crowd roared Larry Allen's name, and the officials sent the two to the sidelines for their 5 Play penalty. Clear victory for Allen in this fight!
A great tilt! I love seeing a savvy vet step up to protect his teamates from cheapshots! What a great game. Those who think that fighting should be taken out of the NFL need to listen to the crowd roar when the two 300 pounders tossed their helmets and started to throw 'em!
Friday, March 23, 2007
What to watch?
Two big games against two good opponents and the Toronto teams are underdogs in both. Tonight the Leafs play the Northeast leading Sabres in the front end of a home and home. The Leafs obviously need to win both these games in the playoff race although that seems unlikely. The Raptors play host the Denver Nuggets and two of the NBA’s best scorers. This is an interesting match-up because the Raptors will be without Bargnani and possibly Parker and Calderon too. The Nuggets are a good team and Iverson and Anthony are starting to play well together. They are very dangerous on the fast break and hard to defend in the half court. They question is what to watch?
Both of these games have the potential to be very good and both have the potential to be blowouts and the Toronto teams will have to play very well if they want to avoid the latter. The Raptors are without a key defensive player in Parker and a key offensive player in Bargnani. Parker has been essential in shutting down opposing swingmen all season. Bargnani stretches the defense and forces bigger players to come out and guard him a long way from the basket. The key to tonight will be in the half court. The Raptors will have to hit their shots off of screens and play a good high/low game with Bosh and Ford. The defense will have to try to keep Anthony off balance and hope that Iverson doesn’t get too hot otherwise this could get real ugly.
Speaking of ugly, out Toronto Maple Leafs play one of the ugliest games in the league and tonight they will be playing a team that plays one of the best. Buffalo is a smaller, faster and more maneuverable (thanks Top Gun) team. They have made Toronto look bad a couple times this season and there doesn’t seem to be any reason to expect otherwise tonight. The Leafs really need to come out of this weekend with 3 points and will be motivated, but they are out matched.
Taking the above into account, I am going to start the night with the Raptors game at 7. When the Leafs come on at 8 I will give them about 20 minutes. If they impress, I will stay with them but I have a feeling I am going to be spending the majority of the time watching the Raptors. Here’s to a great weekend of sports and lets hope it is good to Toronto.
Both of these games have the potential to be very good and both have the potential to be blowouts and the Toronto teams will have to play very well if they want to avoid the latter. The Raptors are without a key defensive player in Parker and a key offensive player in Bargnani. Parker has been essential in shutting down opposing swingmen all season. Bargnani stretches the defense and forces bigger players to come out and guard him a long way from the basket. The key to tonight will be in the half court. The Raptors will have to hit their shots off of screens and play a good high/low game with Bosh and Ford. The defense will have to try to keep Anthony off balance and hope that Iverson doesn’t get too hot otherwise this could get real ugly.
Speaking of ugly, out Toronto Maple Leafs play one of the ugliest games in the league and tonight they will be playing a team that plays one of the best. Buffalo is a smaller, faster and more maneuverable (thanks Top Gun) team. They have made Toronto look bad a couple times this season and there doesn’t seem to be any reason to expect otherwise tonight. The Leafs really need to come out of this weekend with 3 points and will be motivated, but they are out matched.
Taking the above into account, I am going to start the night with the Raptors game at 7. When the Leafs come on at 8 I will give them about 20 minutes. If they impress, I will stay with them but I have a feeling I am going to be spending the majority of the time watching the Raptors. Here’s to a great weekend of sports and lets hope it is good to Toronto.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Fan Abuse
It is Monday morning and my teams have left me with that worthless, hollow feeling that an NDP booster feels after an election. Spending all that energy getting excited for games, taking the time to watch them and have nothing to show for it at the end. But unlike an NDP booster, there is some hope for sports fans in Toronto as long as weekend like these don’t happen too often.
The Leafs dropped two games that were, pardon the cliché, must wins. The sports writers in Toronto were saying that Kyle Wellwood’s return was going to make the difference, boy did they get that one right. A 5-1 smoking by Washington, followed by a 3-2 loss to the Canadians doesn’t make me think that Wellwood is the difference maker. The Leafs aren’t playing good hockey and their efforts are inconsistent. On top of that, they are just plain boring t watch. The grinding, cycling game that Maurice has drilled into them can be effective but it is ugly and dull. When was the last time a Leafs goal was a contender for highlight of the night? There is a serious shortage of scoring talent among the forwards and they traded a young defenseman for an old forward at the deadline. This team needs to find some pieces to rebuild around and hope that they can stay healthy.
The Raptors absolutely stunk yesterday. That third quarter was one of the worst they have played this year. Last week I wrote about how well they have played in the third and then they go and embarrass themselves like that….disgusting. Losing to the Rockets is fine, they split the season series with them and have to be happy with that but the Knicks?!?! Renaldo Balkman!?!?! The Nets also won yesterday which shrinks the Raptors Atlantic lead to 5 games. They need to focus on taking care of the ball and getting good shots.
The best things that happened this weekend were my fantasy baseball drafts. Yes, it is that time of the year again and while it seems exciting now, by midsummer I will be crying for something other than baseball. I am trying to get keeper pools going which are always precarious in their first couple years. You never know who is serious and who isn’t. I ended up with Miguel Cabrera in both first rounds so he better have a great year.
So Toronto, lets sit back and see what out teams do this spring. We aren’t going to have any championship parades for a while but there is always the hope. The Leafs still have a chance, the Raptors are going to the post season and the Jays….well we have a whole summer to talk about them.
The Leafs dropped two games that were, pardon the cliché, must wins. The sports writers in Toronto were saying that Kyle Wellwood’s return was going to make the difference, boy did they get that one right. A 5-1 smoking by Washington, followed by a 3-2 loss to the Canadians doesn’t make me think that Wellwood is the difference maker. The Leafs aren’t playing good hockey and their efforts are inconsistent. On top of that, they are just plain boring t watch. The grinding, cycling game that Maurice has drilled into them can be effective but it is ugly and dull. When was the last time a Leafs goal was a contender for highlight of the night? There is a serious shortage of scoring talent among the forwards and they traded a young defenseman for an old forward at the deadline. This team needs to find some pieces to rebuild around and hope that they can stay healthy.
The Raptors absolutely stunk yesterday. That third quarter was one of the worst they have played this year. Last week I wrote about how well they have played in the third and then they go and embarrass themselves like that….disgusting. Losing to the Rockets is fine, they split the season series with them and have to be happy with that but the Knicks?!?! Renaldo Balkman!?!?! The Nets also won yesterday which shrinks the Raptors Atlantic lead to 5 games. They need to focus on taking care of the ball and getting good shots.
The best things that happened this weekend were my fantasy baseball drafts. Yes, it is that time of the year again and while it seems exciting now, by midsummer I will be crying for something other than baseball. I am trying to get keeper pools going which are always precarious in their first couple years. You never know who is serious and who isn’t. I ended up with Miguel Cabrera in both first rounds so he better have a great year.
So Toronto, lets sit back and see what out teams do this spring. We aren’t going to have any championship parades for a while but there is always the hope. The Leafs still have a chance, the Raptors are going to the post season and the Jays….well we have a whole summer to talk about them.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Missing Out
It is hard to be an NBA fan in Toronto. The best game of the month, if not the season, was on last night and all we get are highlights. The brain trust over at TSN thinks that showing a meaningless game between the Flames and Avalanche is better then watching two of the best players and teams in the NBA, idiots. Based on highlights and stat analysis, the Suns/Mavericks double overtime thriller was a fantastic game.
The Raptors out played the Knicks last night to move to 7 games over .500 and take a 6 game lead in the Atlantic. They played a tremendous third quarter where they shot over 70% from the field. I don’t know what Sam Mitchell is saying to them at halftime but it has been effective all season. The Raptors continually have great third quarters and Mitchell and the rest of the coaching staff deserve come credit.
T.J. Ford has been playing the best basketball of his career and is doing everything the Raptors hoped when they traded for him. He is driving the lane and when the defense collapses he is finding the open man. He scores when he has to but isn’t trying to dominate games. He has developed a much better feel for his role on the team. When Bosh was injured T.J. had to increase his scoring and struggled to find his place once Bosh came back. His timing couldn’t be better as the Raptors lost Calderon last night to an ankle injury.
I owe an apology to Anthony Parker. He has proven that he is a very important part of the team on both ends of the floor. He has proven himself as a solid defender and his 3 point percentage continues to increase.
The Rockets are coming to town on Friday and they will be looking for some revenge. Yao Ming has been playing excellent basketball since his return and will be hard for the Raptors to stop. The Raptors need to shoot really well and keep T-Mac from getting too hot. I think the Rockets are going to win this game 90-85.
The Raptors out played the Knicks last night to move to 7 games over .500 and take a 6 game lead in the Atlantic. They played a tremendous third quarter where they shot over 70% from the field. I don’t know what Sam Mitchell is saying to them at halftime but it has been effective all season. The Raptors continually have great third quarters and Mitchell and the rest of the coaching staff deserve come credit.
T.J. Ford has been playing the best basketball of his career and is doing everything the Raptors hoped when they traded for him. He is driving the lane and when the defense collapses he is finding the open man. He scores when he has to but isn’t trying to dominate games. He has developed a much better feel for his role on the team. When Bosh was injured T.J. had to increase his scoring and struggled to find his place once Bosh came back. His timing couldn’t be better as the Raptors lost Calderon last night to an ankle injury.
I owe an apology to Anthony Parker. He has proven that he is a very important part of the team on both ends of the floor. He has proven himself as a solid defender and his 3 point percentage continues to increase.
The Rockets are coming to town on Friday and they will be looking for some revenge. Yao Ming has been playing excellent basketball since his return and will be hard for the Raptors to stop. The Raptors need to shoot really well and keep T-Mac from getting too hot. I think the Rockets are going to win this game 90-85.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
WOW....JUST WOW
I threw up in my mouth last night. That was the most disgusting defensive effort I have seen this year. 70 points in the first half?!?! The Wizards were all over the place and the Raptors were just standing still. They couldn’t defend against the backdoor cuts and Arenas, Jamison and Butler combined for 62 points. I understand that when a player like Arenas has his shot going there isn’t much you can do to stop him but at least stop the rest of the team. The Wizards joined the Bucks and Cavs in telling the Raptors that their recent loses to Toronto are not going to become the norm. Toronto beat them when they were without key players and they have played with an edge that Toronto hasn’t had.
Rebounding is becoming a very serious problem for the Raptors. They have two seven footers and Bosh isn’t far behind at 6-10, how are they getting out rebounded 49-27? How does Bosh pull down ONE rebound? You can’t win in the playoffs or the regular season without controlling the glass and the Wizards had 17 offensive rebounds. There were times when there were 3 Raptors around the net and the lone Wizard player got the ball. Humphries has been doing a good job recently and had 5 boards in 13 minutes, the same as Bargnani, Bosh and Nesterovic combined. Maybe Mitchell should give him more time as he is one of few players who are willing to get physical under the basket.
Bosh didn’t play badly last night but he isn’t getting the same fouls called. He was putting himself into the upper echelon of players who get better calls around the basket but that seems to be changing. Teams are collapsing down on him hard and fast, taking away his space and he is getting bounced around. He tried hard to bring his team back and make last night’s game competitive but he just didn’t have enough help.
Is it time to start wondering if Anthony Parker is more important to this team then people realize? Is it possible that the “Chucker” is the key to the Raptors defense? He does match up against the opposing team’s best offensive player every night and usually does a very good job. He also stretches the floor with his improving three point shot. We will see how much credit he deserves when he comes back from his sprained ankle.
I am reigning in my predictions tonight. Pau Gasol has been playing really good basketball recently and I am sure Chicago fans are cursing. I have no idea how we are going to contain him but I think that the Raptors will find a way to win as long as they play defense. 100-95 Raptors.
Rebounding is becoming a very serious problem for the Raptors. They have two seven footers and Bosh isn’t far behind at 6-10, how are they getting out rebounded 49-27? How does Bosh pull down ONE rebound? You can’t win in the playoffs or the regular season without controlling the glass and the Wizards had 17 offensive rebounds. There were times when there were 3 Raptors around the net and the lone Wizard player got the ball. Humphries has been doing a good job recently and had 5 boards in 13 minutes, the same as Bargnani, Bosh and Nesterovic combined. Maybe Mitchell should give him more time as he is one of few players who are willing to get physical under the basket.
Bosh didn’t play badly last night but he isn’t getting the same fouls called. He was putting himself into the upper echelon of players who get better calls around the basket but that seems to be changing. Teams are collapsing down on him hard and fast, taking away his space and he is getting bounced around. He tried hard to bring his team back and make last night’s game competitive but he just didn’t have enough help.
Is it time to start wondering if Anthony Parker is more important to this team then people realize? Is it possible that the “Chucker” is the key to the Raptors defense? He does match up against the opposing team’s best offensive player every night and usually does a very good job. He also stretches the floor with his improving three point shot. We will see how much credit he deserves when he comes back from his sprained ankle.
I am reigning in my predictions tonight. Pau Gasol has been playing really good basketball recently and I am sure Chicago fans are cursing. I have no idea how we are going to contain him but I think that the Raptors will find a way to win as long as they play defense. 100-95 Raptors.
Monday, March 5, 2007
The Fear
I don't know if I will ever get over the fear that the Raptors will go back to what they were. In the past 2 months they have giving fans a taste of what they once were and what they will hopefully become; a respectable NBA franchise. The past years have been dark ones for Raptor fans as the team has been poorly managed, mocked by NBA pundits and at times just plain embarrassing. Since November they have been making improvements every game, playing with purpose and as a team. Fans were coming back sucked in by the hypnotic rhythm of Chucky Swirsky’s voice and then they have a weekend like the one that just past.
Friday night was an absolute stinker. In front of a sell out crowd, on Friday night, they decided to revert back to being a team that looked helpless. Penetrate and kick out, penetrate and kick out, penetrate, kick out and chuck up a three; is that a game plan? To Milwaukee’s credit, they completely shut down Bosh. The Raptors couldn't get the ball into him and when they did Ruben Patterson was just too quick (it is interesting who Bosh has a hard time playing against, but that is another topic.). Ok, it is fine to play terribly once in a while as long as you come back strong the next night.
I am not going to say much about Saturday other than the Raptors did not come back strong. Cleveland steamrolled them and sent a clear message that they were not satisfied with only beating the Raptors by one point a week before. It is true that both Bargnani and Parker weren’t in the lineup but that is no excuse. A friend commented that the poor play started when Parker got injured but I refuse to believe that he is the key to this team. The bench stank, TJ was doing his bench Mike James impression and Mo Pete and Joey Graham should have stayed home. This team was not ready to compete and Sam Mitchell is partially responsible.
Insecurity is a terrible feeling for a fan. I want to cheer, I want to support, I want to invest emotion but I have been burned by this team too many times. I am sure I am not the only one who has been feeling like this during the past 2 games. It doesn’t look like the same team. I expect to see that mad scientist, Kevin O’Neill when I look at the bench. The defense has gone very soft and Bosh is not converting as efficiently as he was. He is trying to get to the line but the calls haven’t been going his way. I am extremely worried about the Wizards game tonight. Jamison is back and you just never know when Arenas is actually going to do what he says and score 50. After that they have the Sonics and then Milwaukee again. If they play like they did last weekend they will lose all three of those games.
Predictions: Bosh 30 points and ten boards. He will get to the line 15 times tonight. Toronto 110 Washington 103
Friday night was an absolute stinker. In front of a sell out crowd, on Friday night, they decided to revert back to being a team that looked helpless. Penetrate and kick out, penetrate and kick out, penetrate, kick out and chuck up a three; is that a game plan? To Milwaukee’s credit, they completely shut down Bosh. The Raptors couldn't get the ball into him and when they did Ruben Patterson was just too quick (it is interesting who Bosh has a hard time playing against, but that is another topic.). Ok, it is fine to play terribly once in a while as long as you come back strong the next night.
I am not going to say much about Saturday other than the Raptors did not come back strong. Cleveland steamrolled them and sent a clear message that they were not satisfied with only beating the Raptors by one point a week before. It is true that both Bargnani and Parker weren’t in the lineup but that is no excuse. A friend commented that the poor play started when Parker got injured but I refuse to believe that he is the key to this team. The bench stank, TJ was doing his bench Mike James impression and Mo Pete and Joey Graham should have stayed home. This team was not ready to compete and Sam Mitchell is partially responsible.
Insecurity is a terrible feeling for a fan. I want to cheer, I want to support, I want to invest emotion but I have been burned by this team too many times. I am sure I am not the only one who has been feeling like this during the past 2 games. It doesn’t look like the same team. I expect to see that mad scientist, Kevin O’Neill when I look at the bench. The defense has gone very soft and Bosh is not converting as efficiently as he was. He is trying to get to the line but the calls haven’t been going his way. I am extremely worried about the Wizards game tonight. Jamison is back and you just never know when Arenas is actually going to do what he says and score 50. After that they have the Sonics and then Milwaukee again. If they play like they did last weekend they will lose all three of those games.
Predictions: Bosh 30 points and ten boards. He will get to the line 15 times tonight. Toronto 110 Washington 103
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Much ado about nothing…
So here we are, at Sports Hype Overkill week.
Every year, sports media, bloated from their Super Bowl orgy, reflexively latch on to this meaningless week in the middle of winter.
Cabin Fever?
Maybe budgets are being compiled and they need to show their value? Who knows. What I do know is that the end of February/Beginning of March is the epitome of sports media hyperbole.
The NHL and NBA trade deadlines are followed as if they were national election results. (Yeah this is what we need. Pierre McGuire explaining how a fourth line winger will make all the difference come playoff time. Are we finished with this guy yet? He has the worst delivery of any sportscaster short of Tie Domi. The NBA just pretended that there was no trade deadline to worry about. OK. If I am Rod Thorn {New jersey Nets GM}, I know Vince is gone at the end of the year, I also know that I am life or death to make the playoffs. So what do I do at the trade deadline? Scratch myself. Yawn. Anything but make a trade. Feh….)
Never mind that there hasn’t been a truly spectacular trade at the deadline for years because the Caps in these leagues prevent GM’s from hurting their teams with stupid moves. (Oh how we miss you Maple Leaf General Manager Gord Stellick.)
The NFL has it’s Draft combine this week as well, and if you don’t get enough homo eroticism watching Prison Break, then this is must see television for you!
(Picture a room full of out of shape Older Men – pattern baldness ruling the day – looking at 21-24 year old athletes in their underwear – no shirts weeee!! – get weighed, and put through a series of tests. You haven’t lived till you have seen the grossly overweight Mike Holmgren stare down an underwear clad Draft hopeful from head to toe and comment on his ‘nice bubble’ butt.)
And the Combine is Televised!! Fuck the revolution; the NFL Draft Combine is Televised!! Hootie Hoo!!!!!!
I don’t get why fans get so excited about the physique of a possible draft pick. Do you want an Offensive lineman who can get out to the second level and put a hat on somebody, or do you want to make out with him after school? Do you want sacks from that Defensive End, or do you want to date him? Who cares what he looks like?
(On that note, I have never heard as many comments about a player’s physique as I have heard regarding Terrell Owens. One friend – who shall remain nameless ‘coff ‘CHRIS HOFF’ coff – just raved about Mr Owens’ body. I told him that I didn’t want to fuck T.O, I wanted him to catch touchdowns.)
The real event of this time frame is the annual Free Agency deadline in the NFL. See, unlike the other leagues, the salary cap in the NFL goes up every year.
And up.
And up.
And up.
During this time, smart teams – Like Indy, New England, and Dallas – cut veteran players and use the extra dough to sign players that are unrestricted free agents. Dumb teams – Redskins!!! – Overpay for mediocre talent and just eat up cap space that they might be able to use the next year to keep players from entering free agency. So to break it down, if the Redskins didn’t pay Adam – Special Teams Demon! – Archuleta a gazillion dollars last year to watch his back up play, they would have enough money to afford their starting Guard Derrick Dockery who is about to sign with hated rival Dallas – remember you read it here first.
(Of course the off season champion Redskins are now rumored to be looking at overpaying 32 year old LB London ‘Dot Com’ Fletcher. That team is as predictable as the Oscars. Who among us was surprised when we watched the ‘tears of a clown’ look on Forrest Whitaker’s face as he was receiving his Oscar?
I called this in October.
The dude just did ‘Battlefield Earth’ to pay the bills, he knew someone was going to do an Edi Amin biopic. Amin was rumored to have eaten his foes.
The script writes itself! How easy would funding have been, just mention the cannibalism of an African Leader to prospective backers and watch the chequebooks fly open! Good lord, the Coors family alone probably put up about 20 mil.)
Calling out the Raps
I love when I am right. The Raptors did exactly what I predicted them to do and won a huge game in Houston. Although Bosh didn’t put up the offensive numbers I called for; he set the tone for the game and his team. The ball movement was fantastic and they had 26 assists on 44 field goals. Ball movement is exactly what was missing during the previous game against the Spurs. Bargnani was outstanding last night. He has been showing flashes of brilliance and every Raptor fan has got to be excited about being able to watch this kid as he grows. My final comment on last night’s game is about what Chuck Swirsky call “Onions”. These Raptors have got them and it shows. They are all playing with a swagger that can be seen and felt by the other team.
Brian Colangelo is looking like a genius by getting rid of Fred Jones for Juan Dixon. I think that Jones was a negative influence and unhappy about his limited role on the team. Dixon is going to step and take the minutes he is given and play as hard as he can. Hopefully he can do for the Raptors what Lindsey Hunter does for the Pistons; provide solid defense and keep the offense flowing while the starters rest. What I love about Colangelo is his decisiveness; he saw that the Jones experiment wasn’t working and made the necessary changes.
The Raptors are going to face a Bucks team tomorrow that is totally different than the one the met up with a couple weeks ago. Redd, Bogut, Charlie V and Mo Williams are all healthy again and Milwaukee is playing well but that isn’t going to make a difference. The Raptors are going to win this game and score 100 plus points while doing it. Bosh is going to get 25 plus points, I can feel it!
TRADE DEADLINES
The NBA needs to take some advice from the NHL on how to work trade deadlines. Basketball sports writers spent weeks writing columns about possible trade only to have nothing happen on the actual day. The NHL had 25 trades including some big names. Edmonton broke the hearts of their fans by trading the club’s most important player. The point is there was drama, real drama. Yes, it was hyped up by TSN and those hacks on Sportnet, but there was still a story. Teams are taking risks to win a championship this year. The NHL has reached a level of parity where one player can make a difference and everyone in the NBA knows it is a three team race and no trade was going to change that.
Brian Colangelo is looking like a genius by getting rid of Fred Jones for Juan Dixon. I think that Jones was a negative influence and unhappy about his limited role on the team. Dixon is going to step and take the minutes he is given and play as hard as he can. Hopefully he can do for the Raptors what Lindsey Hunter does for the Pistons; provide solid defense and keep the offense flowing while the starters rest. What I love about Colangelo is his decisiveness; he saw that the Jones experiment wasn’t working and made the necessary changes.
The Raptors are going to face a Bucks team tomorrow that is totally different than the one the met up with a couple weeks ago. Redd, Bogut, Charlie V and Mo Williams are all healthy again and Milwaukee is playing well but that isn’t going to make a difference. The Raptors are going to win this game and score 100 plus points while doing it. Bosh is going to get 25 plus points, I can feel it!
TRADE DEADLINES
The NBA needs to take some advice from the NHL on how to work trade deadlines. Basketball sports writers spent weeks writing columns about possible trade only to have nothing happen on the actual day. The NHL had 25 trades including some big names. Edmonton broke the hearts of their fans by trading the club’s most important player. The point is there was drama, real drama. Yes, it was hyped up by TSN and those hacks on Sportnet, but there was still a story. Teams are taking risks to win a championship this year. The NHL has reached a level of parity where one player can make a difference and everyone in the NBA knows it is a three team race and no trade was going to change that.
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