Sunday, December 28, 2008

Hate to say I told you so




So, this blog has been dormant for far too long. I thought I would bring it back for that amazing Federer-Nadal Wimbledon final, which was the best tennis match I've ever seen. Then I thought I'd surely bring it back for the Olympics (for the Chinese gymnastics sham if for nothing else), but that didn't happen either. Then I figured I'd finally have to bring it back for the Red Bulls run to the MLS Cup Final, but that came and went while law school finals happened. Ironic, then, that I'm bringing it back for a post on the NFL, which is probably my least favorite sports league of the ones I follow. But there are a few Jets-related things on my mind that I have to get out there:

Before the season, I said that swapping Pennington for Favre was a mistake. I said Pennington would have a better season than Favre. I said that Favre would not throw more touchdowns than interceptions. Sadly, I was proven correct on all of those things.

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Sure, the grass is always greener on the other side, but the clamoring for "arm strength" by Jets fans was always idiotic (and that kind of mass fan stupidity is the kind of thing that makes me not want to bother with discussing the NFL anyone). With seven seconds to go in today's game with the Jets down by just one score, where was Favre with his vaunted arm strength? On the sidelines, with Eric Mangini preferring to put his faith in Brad Smith and some cockamamie 80 lateral design. Fat lot of good that arm strength did the Jets in the end. Pennington, meanwhile, did what he does, which is be extremely efficient, complete passes, keep the chains moving, and LEAD. The contrast between Favre's dumpy body language (see above) and Pennington's leadership throughout the season couldn't have been more stark.

And speaking of Mangini, I said the day that he was hired that he didn't have what it takes to be an NFL head coach, and he's proved me right time and time again. He makes mind boggling in-game decisions, like choosing to kick a field goal on the opening drive last week, apparently placing his faith in the Jets having a boatload of opportunities in that swirling snowstorm in Seattle. I don't think he has the slightest idea as to how to strategize. How do you entirely abandon the run in today's crucial game and instead let Favre and his useless arm throw at will, especially when you have the league's leading rusher? He just does not have the mind or demeanor to be an NFL head coach. It's as simple as that.

Will Mangini be fired? Probably not. That would be admitting a mistake in signing him, and it would feel like a defeat to the Patriots. Besides, the Jets did still go 9-7 this year, and it's difficult to fire a coach coming off of a winning season. This is conventional thinking, and it's the likely result, but that doesn't mean it's the right one. To go 1-4 down the stretch falls squarely on the coach's shoulders. The Jets might have had a winning record for the season, but they didn't when it counted. Between his overall game strategy and in-game decision making, it's not at all a stretch to argue that Mangini cost the Jets games this year, and you simply cannot keep a coach who does that.

What's next for the Jets? Who cares. The NFL sucks. I doubt I'll pay close attention to the playoffs, and I won't pay much attention to the Jets until next September, most likely. What about Favre and his yearly offseason drama? I'd like to say I want him gone, but he's better than the current alternative, which is pretty sad. Whatever. I don't care. Unless the Jets sack Mangini and do something about that defense, it won't matter who's at QB.

This is quite a lull in my sports life. We're too far away from the playoffs for me to be paying too much attention to the Devils, and this season and the next are of course already lost for the Knicks. Unfortunately Spurs don't look likely to break my sports doldrum in the near future, though hope springs eternal in the transfer window, I suppose. I'll be following with great interest the January USMNT camp, looking to see what fringe/new players get the call. This is an uncertain time for the national team. Players like Dempsey and Jozy are making strides while guys like Beasley and Adu seem to be regressing. We're going to have to start figuring out how to fire on all cylinders by the time the Confed Cup and our crazy draw in it roll around next summer. Also, there's plenty of hot stove Mets action. I think we'll do well in the remainder of free agency, as there aren't a whole lot of teams left willing to give multiyear deals to some of the remaining free agents, so it's a good market to buy. Lots of good options out there: Lowe, Perez, Garland; Orlando Hudson, Manny, Milton Bradley, Pat Burrell, Adam Dunn. Lots of good names out there. The Mets are on the edge of being a contender right now - if they add a couple of those names, I'd make them the favorites in the NL East. But that's enough for now, I suppose. I'm going to go not care about the NFL. See you guys later.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

The 3,000




Respect is due.

3,000 K's baby!

Monday, April 21, 2008

Quick Braves Update

It took a four game winning streak, but the Braves are back to .500 sitting 3rd in the NL East. While there has been a little bit of doom and gloom around Atlanta at the disappointing start to the season, I for one am pretty optimistic for the rest of the season. The Braves have already completed their longest road trip of the season. That trip was a total nightmare. Soriano, Moylan, and Glavine, three of our most important pitchers, all went to the DL. Chipper did his annual "tweaking" of a muscle somewhere on his body, and we lost 7 out of the 9 games we played. Yet most of those losses were by a single run, games in which luck plays a huge factor. On top of that, the four game winning streak has featured wins by our 3,4, and 5 starters, headlined by Jurrjen's masterful performance against Los Dodgers last night. At this point, the Braves are a top 6 team both in hitting (going by OPS) and pitching (going by ERA) in all of baseball. We sport a run differential of +30, better than the Mets by a bit and far superior to the Phillies. Teixeira's bat is heating up. Gonzalez will soon return to fill Moylan's void. And Glavine will be back soon. Escobar has validated the faith the coaching staff put in him when they traded Renteria. The Braves offense is primed to score runs and, for once, we have the pitching depth (Bennett, James, Carlyle, and Reyes) to overcome the temporary loss of Glavine and the continued and indefinite absence of Hampton. Yes, a .500 winning percentage with a run differential of +30 over 18 games is frustrating because of all the games that slipped away. However, over the course of the season if we can remain on that trajectory, luck will give way to probability and the Braves will be just fine.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

It's Been a While . . .

And so much has happened since I last had a chance to post. Kansas made my brackets happy and won the tournament in a game where the basketball gods clearly intervened in order to enforce their decree that no team that shoots below 60% from the line can ever win a championship. That being said, I think Derrick Rose was extremely impressive all tournament long. He's got the size and strength of a Jason Kidd and, although his passing isn't yet up to Kidd's level, he's got much better quickness and scoring ability. Beasley will probably go number one, but let me just say that if my team got "stuck" with the number two pick, I would not care one bit.

I watched some Champions League action as well. Fenerbache couldn't recapture the magic yesterday at Old Trafford and exit the Champions League leaving no particularly intriguing underdog stories to follow. On the other hand, at least the scum lost to Liverpool. Of all the "Big Four" teams in the Premiership, Liverpool annoys me the least. And as for the Gooners? Well, they've got a boatload of cash and young talent, a good combination for success. However, as the oh-so-wise Ives Galarcep has predicted, Spurs' combination of Juande Ramos and a large chunk of change to put toward summer signings could put them through into the top four next year. I certainly hope he's right. I'd love to knock the Gooners out of a Champions League spot, but I'd certainly settle on knocking out Pool or possibly even the Blues, especially if there's a fire sale this summer at Stamford Bridge. However, I don't think anything would make me happier than stealing the Premiership title from ManU and watching Cronaldo cry . . . hey, we can dream, can't we?

The Hawks have somehow managed to find their way into the eighth playoff spot. Of course, getting blown out by Indy the other night certainly didn't help, but they still are looking pretty good. However, leave it to Woodsen to find some way to encourage the Hawks to mail it in these last three games and fall short of the playoffs once again. I don't care if we make the playoffs this year or not. Another year of a sub-.500 record and little to no improvement means it is time for Woody to go.

The Braves, on the other hand, have not exactly had a dream start to the season. No, I can't complain too much because it is extremely early and, hey, at least we're not the Detroit Tigers (who have looked a lot more like the Tiggers on offense). But 3-6 is not fun, especially when 5 of those losses could easily have been wins with a little more timely hitting or just slightly better hitting. Oh well, I'm not concerned as our starting pitching, with the exception of Chuck "Homer" James looks pretty solid (Seriously, his propensity to give up homers is unbelievable. He's got moderate stuff, but good hitters can sit back and wait for him to hang something and smash it 430 feet). The only thing that concerns me is Soriano's elbow, which has bothered him enough to land him on the 15-day DL. For a bullpen with lots of talent but little experience, it's important to have stability, especially after some of the guys got off to a rocky start. I have faith in everyone in the pen, but it will definitely make things more difficult if Soriano is sidelined for a while. At least getting Mike Gonzalez back in June will be a big boost and give us a proven option at closer.

Ok, well, my lunch time is done so I guess that's all for now. A friend and (hopefully) future contributer to Curry and Rice and I are going to be watching MLS primetime tonight. Perhaps I'll get around to doing some MLS stuff later in the day.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Confessions of a sports addict


These are the moments that make me think I might have a bit of a problem. I am simultaneously watching Mets-Phillies on TV, DC-Pachuca on an internet stream, and Devils-Rangers on another internet feed. Baseball, soccer, and hockey. And this is with me still low on sleep thanks to March Madness (and needing to finish my taxes) . . .

The Mets are winning 7-1 in the 4th, and the Devils and DC are both in more meaningful games (Eastern Conference playoffs and CONCACAF Champions Cup respectively), so I'll be turning my attention more to the computer as I eat dinner and then calculate sums from this shoebox full of receipts. Moments like these make me worried about myself, but they also make me utterly grateful for the internet. Because seriously, there's really no other way to make these tabulations tolerable . . .

Oh, I forgot the main reason I wanted to write this post: Joe Morgan. He seems like a nice guy, he really does. But when he's working games for ESPN sometimes I'll look down at my arm and wonder whether sawing it off would feel better than listening to Morgan's commentary does. He's just... dumb. His observations make absolutely no sense, like the time he said that he has always thought that starting pitching is the most important part of the rotation. A little while ago he was talking about how this Phillies pitcher was getting lit up because all of his fastballs were straight down the middle... when replays showed them all clearly on the outside or inside edge. He tried to argue that wins are a better metric for judging a pitcher than ERA is (HA!). He just said something about black people being more excitable than other races - not the first time he's made me cringe with his comments on race. He's always going off on tangents on his own career, and he never seems to come back from them. And half the time when he's talking about his (admittedly storied) career he's just making things up. I just can't stand listening to him. ESPN wised up and replaced Dave O'Brien with JP Dellacamera for its MLS broadcasts; will it eventually wake up and gently let Morgan go?

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

March Madness: One Shining Moment


Mario Chalmers FTW!



An incredibly exciting tournament comes to a close as Kansas beats Memphis in the championship game. It was really a very good, back and forth game. Both teams played at such a high level for most of the game that it was difficult to pinpoint exactly why one team or the other was ahead at any particular stage. For much of the game, the story was the Kansas D. But the quiet story was Kansas's intense focus on getting inside on every possession. This is generally a good strategy, and only faltered in the second half when they started taking bad contested shots inside. But without Dorsey in OT, Memphis lost one of the major obstacles to the Jayhawk big guys, and Kansas was able to re-establish its dominance in the paint.

Memphis could have still pulled it out, but they didn't get the performances they needed from Rose and and Douglas-Roberts. As good as those two are, they aren't quite "great". I never had the sense during the game that either one was capable of lifting his game in a big spot like Dwyane Wade or Carmelo Anthony. On the other hand, Kansas didn't have a dominant star either. But their team balance meant that they didn't really need one. When they did need a shotmaker, Chalmers, a 47% shooter from downtown, got the job done.

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I guess that's the one thing that really stands about about this final. Despite all the big names in this tournament - Beasley, Hansborough, Love, Curry - this was a game that wasn't about huge personalities. It was about a true team playing good, smart basketball. There wasn't a whole lot of razzle-dazzle, though good passing leads to some nice alley-oops. There wasn't a whole lot of reckless long range bombing or individual one-on-one play. None of these Kansas players are great, individually. But they came together to form something greater than the sum of its parts, and it was good enough to win. It was an excellent ending to a wonderful tournament. I'm not going to lie - I got some chills watching this edition of "One Shining Moment". And when it ended and the screen faded to black... ah, well, when you live for sports, when it serves as an escape from the pressures of real life, you can't help but feel at least a little bit sad when it's over.

A few other thoughts from tonight . . .

John Calipari:
I really dislike him. He's disingenuous and he doesn't graduate his players and he's complaining about the refs after losing. Loser.

Billy Packer:



I HATE him. Absolutely hate him. He makes incredibly idiotic comments and is more interested in hearing himself talk than saying anything insightful. I mean, sometimes he just makes sweeping generalizations off of premises that are just dead wrong. I'm talking factually incorrect. Oh, and he's also a major conference elitist, homophobic, racist, sexist, and an all-around jerk. CBS, get this guy the hell off the air. While you're at it, Nantz isn't bad, but Gus Johnson needs to be doing the big games. He's the best college play-by-play guy out there.

Marketing:



Look, I understand the need for advertising. I understand that without it, we don't get anything out of the tube except PBS. But you know what? Announcing an official LADDER of the NCAA Basketball Championships, and interrupting the net-cutting to do so, is going too far. Thanks for adulterating such a special moment, CBS and NCAA. I mean seriously, NCAA. You essentially get slave labor from these players who entertain us all and make you a killing but don't get a dime, and you need MORE cash?

Monday, April 7, 2008

March Madness: The Final Countdown




So, here we are. A little over an hour until tipoff, and a massive battle awaits. Kansas and Memphis. Two powerhouses. And one great game ahead.

This has been a pretty incredible tournament - certainly one of the most memorable in recent history. Somehow, simultaneously, we got a combination of unpredictable upsets (to a historic tune in that insane day in Tampa), legitimate Cinderella stories (Stephen Curry is now a part of all-time March Madness lore), and powerhouses rolling. I said at the outset of the tournament that I thought there was a wide gap between the #1 seeds and the #2 seeds, and that turned out to be true. At the end of the day, the four #1 seeds all crashed the Final Four.

We were treated to quite a display in the national semifinals. Memphis came out and just kept control of their game against UCLA all game long. It was ironic that the explosive Tigers quietly dominated the Bruins. Despite the fact that the game was close for a long stretch, UCLA never really looked like winning. The tempo was set by Memphis, and they casually tightened the noose all game long until the experienced, talented UCLA squad found themselves lifeless.

The other semifinal was a back and forth battle. The difference in body language in the first half and the second half was telling for UNC. The Tar Heels looked like a hapless high school (or Ivy League) team playing against a national powerhouse. Roy Williams failed to settle down his team and help them establish some sort of offensive rhythm. Possession after possession, UNC would bring the ball downcourt, fail to create a good shot, and toss something up in desperation as the shot clock expired. Kansas would then grab the rebound, fast break down the floor, and get an easy basket while UNC still stood at the other end shellshocked. You had to feel for Hansborough - he looked more flustered than he ever has in his stellar college career. The second half, however, saw the return of Psycho T. With a fire in his eyes, Hansborough helped power UNC back into the game. They were just too far behind to make it all the way back. A 28 point deficit is almost impossible to overcome in college. Kansas regained control late and booked their spot in the finals.

Read more...


So here we are. Kansas - one of the best passing college teams I've seen. Fantastic defense. Fantastic offensive balance. Memphis - bruising backcourt power. Explosiveness. This has all the makings of a true classic. A fitting end to a tournament that I'll remember for years to come.

FIRST HALF UPDATE:
At the break it's Kansas 33, Memphis 28. So far, Kansas has looked like the better team. Their offensive sets have been more precise. Their spacing is exquisite. This has led to a slew of easy baskets in the paint. They are getting, as usual, balanced contributions from their top seven. They have had some sloppiness in passing around the perimeter, which has led to turnovers.

Memphis hasn't looked quite as sharp, largely because Kansas is shutting down Derrick Rose. He's getting cut off every time he drives and being forced to toss it back outside in desperation. He's turned it over a few times. His inability to penetrate has made it tough for anyone else on Memphis to get going. Anyone else, that is, except the incredible Chris Douglas-Roberts, who is making things happen all by his lonesome. He's got 13 - almost half of his team's 28. But he can only carry them so far. Rose has to get going and make it possible for guys like Dozier and Dorsey to get more easy baskets. Speaking of the double D's, they're going to have to watch their fouls, because there's not much on the bench for Memphis.

It will be interesting to see what adjustments Memphis makes at halftime. They have to find a way to get the halfcourt offense going. Stepping up the defense will be difficult against a Kansas team as balanced and as good at passing as this one is. But if Rose can get going, then this will be a different game altogether.

UPDATE AT 8 MINUTES TO GO:
The Tigers have pulled ahead. Both teams are playing at an exceptionally high level right now. Rose isn't quite untracked yet, but he's had more success penetrating and has hit a deep three to help add some juice into the Memphis attack. The team is cutting better now and the passing out of the middle has been better.

Meanwhile, Kansas has slowed down a little bit. They're taking a couple of bad shots inside. Also, because they were getting so many easy buckets inside early, they had almost nothing going outside - and they still have had almost no outside shooting. They're going to need to take advantage of their ability to get it inside and their great floor spacing to open up some outside shots. Rush and Chalmers can definitely hit those shots.

3:49 TO GO:
The Memphis resurgence is in full effect. Kansas can't get a bucket, and Rose just used his exceptional upper body strength to muscle in the first 2 points of a three-point play.

Oh, and what an incredible off-balance shot from Rose! With the shot clock running down, he tossed up a prayer and banks it in. That's the stuff of destiny. Hard to see Memphis losing now. They're up 8. However, I'm almost sure that one of his feet was inside the line when he went up for that shot. They gave him a three. It looked to me like a two.

And, it looks like I was right. Shot is changed to a two. Memphis by 7 it is.

44 SECONDS TO GO:
Woo-boy, what a finish this will be! Kansas with a furious comeback. The big play was a steal and a three off a Memphis inbounds. CDR just missed the first end of a one-and-one - will free throw shooting do in Memphis after all? Memphis by 2 with the ball!

Kansas misses a golden opportunity as Memphis misses the shot and Kansas pushes the ball down the floor on a fast break. Unfortunately it's not fast enough as a gang of Tigers swats the layup attempt away. CDR is fouled and misses both, but Dozier gets a HUGE offensive rebound - big mistake by Kansas there. They should have the ball now, but instead it's Rose on the line for 2.

Misses the first!

Makes the second!

Kansas rushes downcourt, almost loses it, time running out, Chalmers with a long three...

IT'S GOOD! WHAT A SHOT! PURE! NOTHING BUT NET! MARIO CHALMERS!

Dozier misses the desperation shot and we're going to overtime!

WHAT A FINISH!

Dorsey has fouled out. Memphis has missed 4 of it's last 5 at the line - so much for "they'll make them when it matters", eh Coach Cal? Kansas quickly scores the first two of overtime on a steal and a Rush layup - fasten your seatbelts!

2:29 TO GO IN OT:
Kansas has all the momentum. The precision halfcourt offense is back, and with no Dorsey guarding the rim, the Kansas big guys are getting better looks once the Jayhawks break down the Memphis defense.

Kansas is on an 18-3 run. Memphis down by 6, but certainly still with a shot. Have to stem the tide with a score here.

57 SECONDS TO GO IN OT:
Memphis is blowing it mentally - nonexistent transition D leaves Rush with an open layup - and then when he misses, there aren't even any Tigers around to contest the rebound, so Rush easily puts it in on the second try. As an impartial observer, that had more the look of tragedy than of comedy, but in any other situation, it'd have been the latter. And yet despite the wheels coming off, CDR nails a three and pulls his team to within 3. Kansas with the ball. This game is not over yet.

FINAL SCORE: Kansas 75, Memphis 68
Kansas hits its free throws and the Tigers doesn't have a miracle in them. Incredible comeback by Kansas. After the Rose three, it really seemed like this night belonged to Memphis, but they were upstaged by Kansas and Chalmers, who was named MOP. Arthur was quietly consistent all game long and was really better, but you can't not give the award to the guy who hit the shot that saved Kansas.

What a fantastic final. That was, as I had hoped it would be, one for the ages. Only one thing left now... and down come the nets. Here's to One Shining Moment for the Kansas Jayhawks, 2008 NCAA Men's Basketball Champions.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

March Madness: The Beginning of the End


We have got a great couple of games tonight. I'm watching UCLA-Memphis right now and it has been very entertaining. Before the game ends though, I wanted to post the best bracket I've seen from anyone I know: that of my own brother, Nayir.

This bracket is in the 99th percentile on Yahoo:

Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us

Not bad, eh?

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Pain


Yesterday, April 2, I happened to be back in Jersey for a night, and was able to catch a Knicks game on TV for the first time in over 3 months. I turned to MSG and saw there were about 5 seconds left in the first half. The Knicks were losing 73-60, and the Grizzlies had the ball. Mike Miller dribbled up the court, took a three... and got fouled. With less than a second left on the clock.

I immediately wished that it was April 1. I wished that play was just an April Fools joke. Instead, it's a microcosm of the Knicks' reality of a season. Absolutely inept on the defensive end, running around like headless chickens on offense, and happy to mail in the first half of every game just to show "guts" and "determination" by making a furious second half comeback that always falls juuust short in the end, these Knicks cause me such pain that I didn’t even bother watching the second half.

Read more...


It hurts a bit to think that we've had this blog for a few months, and yet it's just now that I'm first writing about the team that has been most important to me for most of my life – and the NBA has been in season the whole time. In fact, we've each written multiple NBA posts, but I haven't had the will to write about the train wreck that is the New York Knicks. Is there a more hopeless team in professional sports? There are other teams that lately have perennially been bad, sure, but is any team in such a condition that there is absolutely NO way, even with a ton of luck, of their competing for a championship in the next three years?

The salary cap is a mess, and has for years been the main source of my depression as a Knicks fan. It seems that the Knick front office plan has been to make the Knicks the team that will be the sole buyer for marginally useful players with terrible contracts, as if this were some sort of competitive advantage. Trade for Penny Hardaway, Shandon Anderson, Stephon Marbury, sign Jerome James and Allan Houston to contracts 25% over their respective market values... This "strategy" (quite obviously and stupidly) ignores the fact that it's a philosophy centered on acquiring players who are not that good, are undesired by ANY other team, and are incapable of forming a core of a team that can actually win basketball games. It's not a bad strategy if your owner has deep pockets AND you already have a core that's capable of advancing at least into the second round of the playoffs, and you just need a little extra help to get over the hump. It IS a bad strategy if your team has nothing, no core, no direction, no leadership.

If the front office has had some kind of (misguided) philosophy when it comes to payroll matters, it has had absolutely none in terms of actually building a cohesive team. The years since the Ewing-Sprewell-Houston days have lacked any sort of commitment to a plan for more than a year. Some would blame the high pressure of the NY market, but no other NY franchise yields so submissively to changes in the wind. A number of decisions illustrate this. The most recent is the demise of Eddy Curry, who ended up becoming a bit player after Isiah's claims that he would be the centerpiece of the Knicks' offense for years to come. The one-and-done Larry Brown year is another. This is a guy who once coached the Spurs to a 21-win season. The next season they won the division. Sure, in his one year with the Knicks he juggled the starting lineup enough to set records. So what?? It's not as if he had anything to work with! What would you do besides try every possible combination?

These poor decisions have been sequentially blamed on Ernie Grunfeld (in the late Ewing years, though his period is now respected), then Scott Layden, and now Isiah Thomas, but the common link has been owner James Dolan. What sort of inept fool is this man? Clearly the only reason that he is an executive of a major company is that he inherited the position from daddy. What sort of businessman is he? Last year, the Knicks pulled into 8th place in the Eastern Conference late in the season. Dolan immediately gave Isiah a 5 year contract extension. This still blows my mind. FIVE YEARS? The Knicks went on to lose 19 of their last 22 games to miss the playoffs by a mile, and are heading to another finish in which they will come nowhere close to 30 wins. What to do now, James? Clearly your faith has been misplaced and the situation has spun embarrassingly out of control, but you've left yourself without an option thanks to your inexplicable loyalty to a man whose peak has been to achieve mediocrity (as opposed to utter failure) for one day.

Of course, in the calculus of Dolan, there is still a way to rectify matters, which he seems to think was to hire Donnie Walsh from the Pacers to be the Knicks new president of basketball operations. In one sense, this is a sound move. Walsh is a salary cap guru, and perhaps he can work some magic to get the team under the cap in two years, even if it's still completely uncompetitive. That will be progress. The curious thing is the idea that Walsh can take over these duties while Isiah continues to coach the team. Their relationship isn't without precedent – Walsh gave Isiah his first head coaching job with the Pacers. But how tenable is the current situation? Isiah cedes personnel control to the new guy, but continues coaching the team? How will the players respect Isiah? Can Isiah make impartial decisions with regards to playing time when his options are split between his acquisitions and Walsh's?

Aside from the question of whether it's wise to give a new guy one of Isiah's two current roles, there is the question of whether or not he is actually a good coach. Common opinion seems to be that he is not a bad coach. Really? What successful adjustments has he made in his time as Knicks coach? Has he taught them how to play defense in all this time? Clearly not, as evidenced by 130 points they gave up to the Grizzlies last night (ugh!). Has he resolved the problem of having talented players playing below their potential? No. In Eddy Curry, Zach Randolph, Jamal Crawford, and Stephon Marbury, he has arguably four capable scorers. Stephon has been such a disaster that he's no longer playing (and what's more, they no longer miss him), and Curry became a non-factor before his season-ending injury (in my opinion, he never had the skills to be one anyway). Randolph continues to futilely put up at least 18 and 9 every night (he is a true talent), while Crawford is given free reign to jack up terrible jumpers and shoot 40% from the field every night. Isiah doesn't have a clue in the way of getting the team to play cohesive offense or defense. There is talent on this team – aside from those four, you have a very capable outside shooter and defender in Quentin Richardson, an incredible rebounder in David Lee, and instant backcourt offense off the bench in the form of Nate Robinson. Are you telling me that this team doesn't have the talent to make the playoffs in this putrid Eastern Conference? For the final nail in the coffin, just take a look at Isiah's body language and comments at every halftime where the Knicks are losing by double digits and every postgame press conference after the Knicks lose by 20. He says the same things, shows no hint of innovation with X's and O's, no ability to inspire. He just always sounds defeated, and then smiles and says they just need to make shots, that the shots are there. No, Isiah, they're not. The team is not taking high percentage shots, but they sure are giving up a lot of them. And this has been the case for ages now. I submit, once and for all: ISIAH THOMAS IS NOT A GOOD COACH. He was once a great point guard. He is not good at anything else related to basketball.

(I'm not even going to go into depth describing the shame surrounding the Isiah Thomas sexual harassment lawsuit, in which everyone at the Garden came off looking like goons - not to mention Stephon Marbury, who had the gall to casually talk about his tryst with a Knick intern in the back of an SUV parked outside a strip club. This from a married father.)

The Knicks are not going to be any good for a long time. They won't get under the cap for another three seasons, and even then they'll have to sign more players to fill out the roster, bringing the payroll back up. The next two years at least are completely hopeless. I can't tell you how depressing and painful this is. This storied franchise, one that was a factor year after year after year... it's now a joke to everyone else, but not to us. Not to me. I'm angry. But it's hopeless. All I can do is turn my attention to the Mets, Tottenham, the Red Bulls, the Devils, until the day the Knicks have put all this behind them and are relevant once again.

Monday, March 31, 2008

YAAAAAAAAAAAYYY!!!!!!!1



HUGO SANCHEZ FIRED AS MEXICO COACH

Goodbye you JOKE. Thank you for being an inept nincompoop of a coach and helping the US continue its domination of your country's pathetic national team. I hope you get pelted by rotten vegetables on your way out. Ives is right. You'll be remembered for whining. For making all the wrong decisions. For failing to get your players' heads in the right places. For failing to beat the US, ever.

In the end, this is actually bad news for the rest of CONCACAF. With a competent coach, Mexico definitely has the talent to challenge the US for regional supremacy again. But we'll worry about that later. For now, I'm going to relish in this signal of Mexico's failures.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Those dadgum logos


As the NCAA tournament is set to resume tonight with the first four matchups of the Sweet 16, word comes that those obnoxiously large NCAA logos that Rice referred to are being removed, and won't be back for the rest of the tournament.

The decision came at the urging of UNC coach Roy Williams, who made a point to speak out about the logos after a number of players slipped on them in the tournament's first weekend. Turns out the logos were just big decals, which begs the question: what idiot thought it was a good idea to slap stickers all over the court? What is this, a kindergarteners convention? For the record, Rice and I were just annoyed by how large they were, as if people didn't realize that the tournament was run by the NCAA. Every time a point guard walked the ball up the court it looked like he was wading into a pool. Anyway, luckily that ridiculousness is over with and we can just enjoy the basketball. The Louisville-Tennessee matchup should be a great one. Let's go Big East!

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

FANTASY BASEBALL


Who wants to join our fantasy baseball league? Owners who check their teams are preferable. Get in touch or leave a comment if you're interested.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Of Brackets and Office Pools


If you're like me, you're probably wishing you had spent that $5 you put into your office bracket pool on a coffee and a bagel. My bracket was utterly obliterated on Friday night, and by Sunday afternoon, I tried to forget that I even filled one out. Yes, Curry and Rice's final four picks are still alive and looking pretty good, well, except for our national champion, UCLA, who squeaked out a second round win, but other than that . . . wow. I can hardly read my bracket anymore because of all the red lines crossing out my picks. However, there is a bright side to the mayhem of the first weekend. With Duke out and my bracket scattered across the four corners of the earth, I can sit and enjoy the other games with no particular loyalties toward any team (well, except for any opponent of UNC). Here are a few things I noticed this weekend.

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Curry is the man

No, not the Curry who writes on this blog (although I would consider him a pretty cool dude). I'm talking about Davidson's Curry. Yes, I know we've already crowned him the MVP of the first weekend, but you just can't sing this guy's praises enough. Dropping 40 on the Zags, including 30 in the second half, was pretty impressive. Notching 30 points and 5 assists against the lock-down defense of the Hoyas makes the fact that he wasn't even mentioned with the likes of Beasley, Hansbrough, or Love in the POY discussion a travesty. Wisconsin, a team that plays a similar brand of basketball to Georgetown, better come ready to play or we may actually be talking about a Davidson matchup against Kansas in the Elite Eight . . . that is assuming Villanova, a team I didn't even think deserved to be in the tourney, doesn't pull off the upset.

Duke is in a postseason slump

It's happened before (see: mid:90's Duke), but Duke has now struggled in the postseason four years running. ACC Championships in '05 and '06 notwithstanding, Duke has only been 5-4 in the NCAA tournament since 2004's Final Four team. One of those victories, a one point win over tiny Belmont, is almost more alarming than any of the other losses. Actually, I would argue it is definitely more alarming. Now, I don't buy what the media is saying about Duke fading from national prominence (this year's team consisted of seven scholarship freshman and sophomores who should only improve for next year). Word on the street is that some of the team was sick. Demarcus Nelson certainly wasn't his normal self as he missed at least 5 layups in the game. But, it is still telling that Nelson became only the third scholarship Duke player since 1986 to miss the final four during his entire Duke career. Perhaps this shows how outrageous the expectations are for a Duke team who's most talented players are still extremely young (Henderson, Scheyer, Singler, Smith etc). But Duke is judged like the Yankees. A four year stretch without a final four is something that needs to be fixed . . . not because the current team is failing, but because it's Duke and not a single player on that team came to Duke without also dreaming of playing in the Final Four. The problems seem to be mental/coaching/physical more than chronic personnel issues. Despite comments that Duke's teams aren't as talented as they used to be (teams consisting of three or more NBA lottery picks don't come around all that often), this team was talented enough to make it past the first weekend, even without a true low post player. A national title may have been a little bit out of their reach, but a deep run certainly was not. I will be curious to see if K and co shake things up a bit to get the team to peak at the right time . . . as in March. It's been a while since I can say that Duke has played its best basketball when it matters most. Let's hope that changes next year.

Memphis is really bad at freethrows

Yes, everyone knows this already, but honestly, it's almost comical. Mississippi State supposedly gave Memphis a good game because they were an underrated team coming from a power conference. What really happened is that Memphis missed a whole bunch of freethrows, so even though the Tigers vastly outplayed an over-matched Mississippi State team, the game remained interesting because Memphis left 10 points at the free throw line (and they would've left more if the game had a slightly larger margin going into the stretch, thus forcing Mississippi state to foul more earlier in the game). Of course, if they shot 100% from the line, this game would've been a total blowout. This is why they won't win the championship. I think the funniest moment of the tournament occurred when Joey Dorsey stepped to the freethrow line only to have his vision obscured by the setting sun, which sneaked into the building when an unwitting fan opened a door on the west side of the stadium. With his vision impaired by the sun, he sank his only made freethrow of the second game. Maybe if Dorsey shoots with his eyes closed he'll actually raise his percentage.

McDonalds has really bad commercials

And we are forced to watch them over and over and over and over and over . . .

The NCAA logo is distractingly large

It actually reminds me of the bouncing screensaver that my DVD player uses, only it says "NCAA" instead of DVD. I find myself watching the logo during blowouts, imagining it bouncing around the corners of the screen. Which, by the way, is a far more entertaining way to pass the time than watching the tools in powder blue romp all over Arkansas.

The Selection Committee is just plain mean

The Selection committee has a really tough job, I know. But it was very cruel of them to force Tennessee, the team that played the toughest schedule in the country (which the committee likes), beat then number one Memphis in Memphis, won the SEC regular season, and otherwise had an outstanding year, to play in a region that contains the top overall team in UNC as well as another heavyweight in Louisville (top three seed, in my opinion). Oh yeah, and they were RPI number one as well. UNC didn't get any favors, either, except that they will only need to play one game against Louisville or Tennessee, but at least they get to play that game in their own backyard. Compared to the path the other number 2's have (or had, as the case may be) to the Final Four, Tennessee's seems particularly difficult.

And these are all of my musings for now. More to come shortly.






Sunday, March 23, 2008

March Madness: First Weekend MVP




Curry and Rice hereby name Stephen Curry the MVP of the first weekend of the NCAA tournament. Davidson is the only team that has beaten two higher seeded teams to reach the Sweet 16, and Curry has looked absolutely unreal so far. Dropping 40 on Gonzaga was absurd enough, but the perseverance he showed in fighting through a poor first half against Georgetown to bury them cold-heartedly with ridiculous threes and Ginobili/Parker/Wade/Iverson-esque drives in crunch time sealed it. He was been the single most amazing player to watch in this crazy first weekend that has made so little sense that experts like Rice and myself have seen our brackets obliterated in completely unexplainable fashion. Performances like Stephen's and wins like Davidson's are why this tournament is so amazing to watch. Stephen Curry, we salute you, in awe. Also, I like your last name.

Friday, March 21, 2008

USA qualifies for Olympics




Thanks to a dominating 3-0 victory over the Canada U-23 team in the seminfinals of the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament, the US has booked its ticket to Beijing. There really wasn't anything to complain about in this game (except perhaps the lack of Tiffany May). The defense was solid - Michael Orozco has been a revelation and should be a major cog in the Olympic team. The midfield, though mostly quiet, kept possession and kept the ball moving, if not always incisively. Jozy got hacked time and again as usual, but played well for the most part, almost scored, and drew fouls that led to two Freddy Adu free kick goals, the second of which was absolutely sublime. He's really living up to the hype - the guy was incredibly creative and effective last night. What a soccer player. The much-maligned (of late) Sasha Kljestan closed the scoring with a class finish off a nice pass from Stuart Holden on the left wing. Holden also has been a revelation. This team should definitely be a threat to do well in the Olympics.

March Madness: Day 1


Well, the greatest single sport event outside of the World Cup is underway, and we've seen some fantastic games so far - and some bracket busters... ouch.

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The tournament started off by inducing heart attacks in a number of us who expected Xavier to reach the Sweet 16. Georgia, which was coming off of a stunning and unexpected run to the SEC championship wherein they won 4 games in 3 days and weathered the tornadoes in Atlanta, came out looking good, and Xavier, the highest ranked mid-major in the country, came out flat. Georgia doesn't really have a whole lot of talent, but they seemed to be riding on emotion, and Xavier seemed unprepared. Luckily, Xavier righted the ship and came out on top, but that would have been quite an upset.

Kansas, Michigan State, and Marquette all followed with fairly easy victories, all of which I expected. I did not, however, expect UNLV to beat Kent State, let alone comprehensively. UNLV has done well this year relying on all grit and defense, but they have no offense. Kent State, meanwhile, was a balanced team, with good scoring inside and outside and solid D. But UNLV strangled Kent State in the first half, and by the time the halftime whistle blew, the score read 31-10 UNLV. They then cruised to the victory.

Pitt advanced easily, as did Purdue. Stanford absolutely embarrassed Cornell, holding them to 15.6% shooting in the first half. That should have been Princeton getting blown out in the first round, not Cornell! Ugh, let's not get started on the state of Princeton basketball.

Then came a couple of pivotal games. USC-Kansas State was given top billing going into the day, and it didn't disappoint. It was a back and forth battle, Michael Beasley each living up to the hype in his tournament debut - OJ Mayo not so much. In watching USC this year, I decided that they were a great threat to make a deep run in the tournament, not because of Mayo but because of his supporting cast. With Taj Gibson and Daniel Hackett finally rounding into shape leading into the tournament, I figured they were underseeded at 6. But in this game, Beasley's supporting cast came up huge, and K State pulled off the upset, hurting my bracket significantly, as I had USC in the Elite 8.

At the same time that that game was playing out, Duke was holding on for dear life against Belmont. I did not see much of this game, mostly because I watched the other, expecting Duke to pull away at some point. Rice will probably have more insights on this game, but from what I saw, it was just a case of Belmont playing really well and matching Duke shot for shot. It came down to the very end, with Gerald Henderson driving the length of the floor for a layup with 12 seconds left to give Duke a one point win. Here's Rice's take on the game, sent to me in an email:

Belmont played a great game . . . it was a combination Princeton offense wed with a spread . . . ironically, it was essentially Duke's offense. And Belmont's defense was solid. They couldn't keep up with Henderson and Nelson was definitely off of his game, but they stayed at home on the three point shooters and never were caught out of position. But I agree, Duke didn't play too terribly. The only thing going out of that game that I can say is that Demarcus Nelson has the flu, which is the only way I can explain how he got beat off the dribble so much. It's the only way to explain why the ACC defensive player of the year coudn't guard Belmont's point guards. Singler also apparently has the flu, but he didn't play too terribly. Definitely not a vintage Singler game, but still. Duke had far too many unforced errors and we certainly failed to hit our threes, but besides Nelson's paltry 2 points and 4 turnovers, we didn't look terrible. Talk about a maddeningly inconsistent team. We absolutely dominate Carolina, Wisconsin, Clemson, and cruise to relatively easy victories over Maryland and VaTech only to lose to UNC and Clemson and then win by one against Belmont. I just hope the confidence of the team isn't shot going into tomorrow's game. We need to regain the swagger we had earlier in the season. And if you happen to find the real DeMarcus Nelson wandering lost through the streets of DC, please direct him to the correct basketball venue.

In the remainder of the day's action, Washington State beat up on Winthrop, Texas A&M squeaked out a win against BYU, and Notre Dame took out George Mason. Wisconsin was able to pull away from CSF in the second half, so the upset I was hoping for didn't happen. CSF, oddly, chose not to push the tempo, walking the ball up the floor on their possessions, which played right into Wisconsin's hands. Here's some advice, kids: when tournament time comes around, don't get away from what got you there. Speed would have rattled the Badgers; instead, they walked away with a fairly comfortable win. West Virginia then beat Arizona in a game I hope shut some experts up. Look, I know Arizona is a strong program and had some big wins this year, but they also had quite a few losses - 14 of them, to be exact. At their best, they're obviously very good, but their best doesn't show up very often and I don't know why analysts thought it would yesterday. They were vastly overrated and were rightfully beaten by a better WVA squad. In the final game of the night, UCLA trounced Miss Valley State 70-29... ouch. Yeah, that was a bit of a mismatch.

Anyway, that's it for day 1. I picked 13 out of 16 games correctly in my bracket (the bracket I played in my pool at work had the BYU-A&M game right), but it really wasn't a very good day because I lost an Elite 8 team, and all 3 of my misses were in the Midwest, so that region is already fouled up. I have to hope that Clemson and Gtown join Kansas in that region's final four. But I'm not too worried overall, because last year I had a bad day 1 and then was nearly perfect the rest of the way and finished 2nd out of over 100 brackets at work, netting me a nice chunk of change. Hopefully the same happens this year. Day 2 games start in a few minutes, so here's to another exciting day of college basketball.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

The Curry and Rice Final Four Picks


UNC, Texas, Kansas, and UCLA.

Champion: UCLA over Kansas

Not only did Rice and I each come up with this independently, we each decided it was difficult to see any other Final Four. The one seeds are strong, except Memphis, which isn't going to survive against Texas in Houston if it even makes it that far.

My big first round upset is Cal St. Fullerton over Wisconsin. Likely? No. But CSF and its uber-uptempo guard oriented offense will match up well against the Badgers and jarr them out of their slowdown style. Wisconsin is probably still good enough to win, but I feel like this particular matchup helps CSF enough that I'm going to roll the dice with them. I think either team will be overwhelmed by USC in the second round anyway. The other minor upset I can see is St. Joseph's over Oklahoma.

OK, time to eat lunch and see if Xavier can remember how to play basketball in the second half. If not, I'm going to lose a Sweet 16 team in the very first game of the tournament.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

How far can the Rockets go?




I'm sitting here smiling and shaking my head. I just finished watching the Rockets win their 22nd straight game. This is the second longest winning streak in NBA history, and after watching them beat the Lakers today and take over first place in the West, I see why - though I still have a hard time believing what I just saw, especially considering that the last 10 wins in this streak have come without Yao, and the last few without Carl Landry, their surprisingly effective rookie power forward.

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The first thing you need to realize about the Rockets is that their defense is excellent. Throughout this game, all of their players were active on the perimeter, ad Dikembe is an imposing force down low. They held Kobe to 24 points on 33 shots, which is fantastic.

Also, the whole team has a swagger to it. Bobby Jackson is looking like the dangerous scorer he was with Sacratomato, which is a bad sign for the rest of the West. Dikembe's finger has never wagged more vigorously. And at the end of today's game, as Rafer Alston was dribbling out the clock, he went a little Skip 2 My Lou on Sasha Vujacic, who didn't appreciate it and fouled him. Alston then got in his face. There was no need for it, really, but it's the kind of thing you see from a really confident team that really demoralizes its opponents. Also, you're allowed to play around a little bit in the final seconds of a game where you scored 31 points and went 8/11 from three.

And T-Mac has really raised his game and is playing at an All-Star level. If the Rockets win the West, this really confounds the MVP vote. It's probably still Kobe, but now you really have to seriously consider McGrady along with Garnett, Chris Paul, and probably Dwight Howard as well. (LeBron is not in my top 5 - the Cavs don't have nearly a good enough record considering that they're in the East.)

So how far can the Rockets go? Frankly, at this point, there's no way they're not a title contender. The stretch of games they're in now is their toughest test to date, and if they fare poorly, then I may revise that statement, but having just beaten the Lakers, they clearly deserve to be considered amongst the best of the West, which puts them amongst the best in the league. Also, no team has ever gone on a winning streak like this and not won the title. The '72 Lakers, '71 Bucks, 2000 Lakers, '96 Bulls, '70 Knicks - all champions. The '82 Celtics are the only team ever to win 18 or more and not win the title (they lost to the eventual champion Sixers in the Eastern Conference Finals that year), and the Rockets are on 22 and counting. Watch them and you'll see - this team just knows how to play basketball.

The highs and lows of rooting for Spurs


On the morning of February 24, 2008, Sir James and I woke up at the obscenely early hour of 8:30, had a meeting with a certain Mr. Daniels at 9:00, and were ON OUR WAY TO WEMBLEY... ahem... I mean, LUCKY BAR... by 9:30. It was the day of the Carling Cup Final, and it would be one of the best days of my life.

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The sight at Lucky Bar was pretty amazing - the supporters split was about 70-30 in favor of Spurs. And the place was pretty packed. I didn't see an empty seat when we went in. James and I pulled up the last two chairs in the place right in front of the big screen in the back (a little too close, but I can't really complain).

We came out flying early on. Keane got a chance less than a minute in on a poor giveaway by Belletti (who might have been the worst player on the pitch), but his shot went wide. Chimbonda also hit the crossbar on a header off a corner in the 9th minute, and Berbatov and Woodgate also had decent chances off headers. The first half rhythm that was both steady and unsettling. Spurs had a good share of the possession and threatened often, but our pretty passing couldn't help us break through in the final third. But it wasn't because of a lack of fan support at Lucky Bar. James lead the Spurs fans in song from kickoff to the final whistle.

Chelsea ended up breaking through first with a 39th minute free kick by Drogba from about 26 yards out. He had just tried a free kick a few minutes before and come close, and Robinson should have known he was going to try something similar. Instead he stood basically in the part of the goal that was protected by the wall, leaving the right side more or less open. He stood rooted there as Drogba curled the kick just right of the wall into the lower right corner of the net, and Chelsea had an undeserved 1-0 lead. One of the few Chelsea fans hiding in the corner of the bar came out and did some weird silent dance in front of us and shoved his flag in James's face and then ran back. Before we could figure out exactly what the guy was doing, he halftime whistle blew.

After politely waiting for me to finish my breakfast of eggs, beans, and chips, the game resumed and Chelsea promptly went into their defensive shell. Our chances dried up until midway through the second half, when Wayne Bridge forgot that the game was soccer and not hot potato, and his odd play, which didn't even gain him any sort of advantage, resulted in a penalty kick. Berbagod, the silent Ukranian assassin, hit the coolest penalty you will ever see (aside from any of his other penalties), and the game was level.

With Chelsea lacking the will/talent to respond, regulation time ended with the teams at one goal apiece (but not before Zokora totally blew a breakaway, which left me on the floor, pounding it with my fists). Roman "I'm not a Russian mafia boss, no really guys" Abramovich was unable to buy any other players for $20 million more than their worth during the intermission, and so Chelsea was forced to take the field for extra time with the same obscenely-salaried team that had ended the first 90. It didn't take long for Abramovich's gaffe to be exploited, as Woodgate scored the go-ahead goal on a somewhat fortuitous play. Jenas struck an excellent free kick that Woodgate got a head on unmolested. Cech parried the attempt - but straight into the still onrushing head of Woodgate, who, with his eyes closed, nodded the ball into the back of the net. It was a bang-bang play, but it gave Spurs a much deserved lead they would not relinquish. The rest of the game felt like a coronation. We sang and chanted til the final whistle blew, and then the roof came off Lucky Bar, as all of us who have waited so long for a trophy, after so many close calls, were finally to celebrate. We were so dazed that we sat and watched rugby for the next hour or two, though James first ran outside and declared "LET'S GO BURN DOWN THE WHITE HOUSE!" After James left for Princeton with his pyromania unsatisfied, I took the longest bus route back to my house, still in a stupor, still incredibly happy about the victory. Silverware... beating the Chelski scum after beating the Arsenal scum... it was a happy, happy day.

That was to be the highlight of the season, however - there is no more cup glory left for Tottenham. Last week, we faced PSV Eindhoven - leaders of the Eredivisie - in the round of 16 of the UEFA Cup. We blew a number of chances and lost the first leg at White Hart Lane, 1-0. There was still hope for the return leg - the last time Juande Ramos was there, he was lifting the UEFA Cup itself - but the game ended up being frustrating more than anything. PSV came out in a defensive shell, and stymied our numerous attacks through the first half. When all seemed just about lost, Berbagod broke through with an absolutely stunning strike in the 82nd minute to level the tie at one all. He volleyed a high ball out of the air on the first touch from near the edge od the 18 yard box, and deposited it coolly into the far bottom corner of the net. All of a sudden we had a lifeline.

Fitness would undo us, however. Just a few days before we'd a game against West Ham. It was something of a laugher, as we sent the Hammers to their 4th straight 4-0 loss, but it was still 90 minutes we had to play, much of it with our first XI. Meanwhile, PSV's weekend clash with Ajax was canceled thanks to a Dutch police strike (seriously, what the hell?). The result was that they were completely fresh, and we were unable to make much headway in extra time. Not much, that is, until the final minute, when Steed Malbranque (Steeeeed!) hit an absolutely perfect dipping volley that the PSV keeper was just barely able to touch over the crossbar. It was excruciatingly close.

With extra time a stalemate, it came down to a penalty kick shootout. The order was Berbatov, O'Hara, Huddlestone, Bent, and Jenas. Berbatov was a no-brainer, and I had been hoping that O'Hara would be called upon, as I had faith that the youngster had the confidence not to shrink from the pressure - he has shown himself to be a player who always wants to be a part of decisive plays. Huddlestone was no sure thing, but he's got a good shot so I wasn't too worried. Bent worried me greatly as he's shown little finishing ability in a Spurs shirt. Jenas worried me even more, as he has neither the mental fortitude nor the shooting ability to be a good penalty taker. Weak mental approach + finesse rather than power on the shot = small chance of success.

Spurs ended up kicking second, which is the much more difficult position. Berbatov coolly hit his kick (as usual), and O'Hara muscled in his shot powerfully after Robinson saved PSV's second shot to give Spurs the upper hand. Huddlestone and Bent also put away their kicks, giving Jenas a chance to win it all. Naturally, he lazily kicked a mid-height floater to the right side (giving away his side by opening up his hips on the approach to the penalty spot), which PSV's excellent keeper Gomes saved. In the second portion of the shootout, Zokora nailed his shot, but with Chimbonda up needing to score to keep it going, he missed far to the left, coming nowhere close to the goal. And just like that, our UEFA Cup dreams were over.

I was really depressed after this game, as the season was effectively over. The Premier League season means little, with us sitting in 11th and already qualified for UEFA next year via the Carling Cup win. Many people tried to console me with my Gmail status set as "gutted." though few were really able to comprehend the emptiness I felt. It's not that I was upset about the season overall, but it was hard to come to grips with the fact that there wouldn't be another Spurs game that mattered until next season.

However, I've come out of my funk. This is a good time in sports. As Jonathann pointed out, the NBA is awesome again. March Madness is about to explode. MLB spring training is well underway, as is the MLS preseason, and both will be starting up come April. Right now, I'm watching the ACC final between UNC and Clemson and listening to the Mets spring training game against the Tigers on the radio. Soon I'll switch to watching the Rockets-Lakers game on the TV and the Red Bulls-Charleston game on the computer, thereby hitting all four of those sports in the same short span. In addition, the Olympic qualifiers are going on, and the US has won its first round group. It's a good time for sports, and you can expect more posts on all of these topics from us in the weeks to come.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Jair Up There

For all you Braves fans reading this (which I think refers only to my parents), Jair Jurrjens is the real deal. I got a chance to watch JJ's four innings of shut-out work against the Cardinals yesterday and am extremely excited to see what the kid from Curacao can bring to the Braves staff this year.

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It is quite possible that in a short amount of time, Jurrjens, not Jones, will be remembered as the best player from Curacao to don a Braves uniform. This is meant as no disrespect to Andruw, of course, but after watching an evening replay of JJ's spring training performance against the Red Birds, I couldn't help but see a parallel between the trade that landed Smoltz with the Braves two decades ago and the current trade that brought Jurrjens to Atlanta. In 1987, the Detroit Tigers sent then-prospect John Smoltz to Atlanta in exchange for veteran hurler Doyle Alexander. Alexander was excellent for the Tigers in the short run while Smoltz struggled initially with the Braves. However, I think any Atlanta fan would make that trade a thousand times over if given the chance. The same is true this year. Edgar Renteria has a great chance to be an important cog in the Tiger's offensive machine. He will be a productive player for the Tigers for a number of years. However, Jurrjens has the potential to be great. He's got excellent movement and velocity on his fastball. His change is excellent and he's developing a nasty slider. More importantly, he seems to have the swagger and work ethic that is necessary to be a successful starter at the Major League level. Obviously, it's premature and unfair to compare Jurrjens to Smoltz. He still needs to gain better command of his pitches. Plus, he's only 21 years old and not only must he continue to develop, but also he must avoid the injury bug that too often bites promising young pitchers. However, Jurrjens certainly has the potential to be a very good and possibly great starting pitcher at the major league level. His progress this spring has almost certainly assured him a spot at the backend of the Braves rotation this year, making him an X factor that could help restore the Braves to the top of the NL East. As with any young prospect, there is a far greater chance he will fail to live up to his promise. Nevertheless, his swagger, work ethic, and talent could very easily propel him to a successful big league career.

Monday, March 3, 2008

We Want a Pitcher, Not a Belly Itcher


If there is one thing that has been difficult to get used to for all Braves fans, it's been the lack of quality starting pitching in Atlanta over the past few seasons. Some of the problems have been due to bad luck (Hampton's seemingly endless string of injuries). Some have been due to disappointing prospects (Kyle Davies). But most have been due to Atlanta's relatively frugal ownership. The Braves, to this day, have one of the healthiest farm systems in all of baseball . . . even after trading away four supposedly surefire prospects for Mark Teixeira. There once was a time when that healthy farm system would have made the Braves a frontrunner in the Johan Santana sweepstakes. A Braves package that included two top pitching prospects plus some other solid position players (perhaps Lillibridge and Brandon Jones?) plus perhaps a little more filler would have looked much better than anything the Twins were offered by the Mets, Yankees, or Red Sox. Such a trade would have given the Braves a rotation of Smoltz, Hudson, Hampton, Glavine, and Santana -- which would be quite the formidable group and about as close as the Braves could come to the Glavine, Smoltz, Maddux group of the '90's. But alas, the Ted Turner ownership days are long gone and the Braves have to fill the rotation using entirely different methods . . .

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The Braves offense has a lot of potential coupled with a lot of risk. The pitching staff is even more extreme. The Braves have a huge disparity in age between the veteran starters and the young guns. Smoltz is still one of the best pitchers in the game and, as one of the greatest post season starters of all time, could lead the way to playoff success. Glavine is no longer a frontline starter, but he and Smoltz have both been in the top five for quality starts the past two years. Tim Hudson is not a star, but is a solid #2 and as long as he keeps his sinker low, is one of the best groundball pitchers in the game. Hampton, before his series of injuries, was extremely effective with the Braves and could be one of the best #4 starters in baseball. The thing is, all these guys are getting up there in age. The time to win with this group is now. While Hudson still likely has a number of quality years remaining, Smoltz and Glavine are both over 40. For Hampton, this is a make or break year. It's the last year of his megacontract that he signed with Colorado seven years ago. If he pitches poorly or is injured again, his career could be finished. The time is now for this group of starters.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Braves have a crop of youngsters that have the potential to be really, really good. JoJo Reyes and Jair Jurrjens certainly have the stuff to succeed as frontliners in the big leagues. A second tier of prospects, including Chris Resop and Jeff Bennett among others, could also provide quality depth at the 4 and 5 spots. The question is, are these guys ready for the show right now?

The fact is, it is entirely unrealistic to think that the four veterans will all stay healthy for the whole season. Simultaneously, it is unrealistic to think that Reyes and Jurrjens will become the Cy Young candidates some scouts believe they can become soon enough to offset the loss of Smoltz, Glavine, or Hampton to injury. And that is why the success of the Braves in '08 may fall on the sore left shoulder of Chuck James.

Chuck James followed up a successful rookie campaign with a disappointing sophomore effort. His struggles in '07 were largely due to his inability to keep the ball in the park as he gave up 32 HR's in only 160 innings. This number combined with a .316 average against leadoff batters meant that James allowed far too many HR's with runners on. While Chuck James does not have killer stuff like Jurrjens or Reyes, he does possess a fastball with decent movement coupled with a plus changeup that he can use to dominate as long as he manages to locate it correctly. James and Tom Glavine have a lot in common in that neither has an overpowering fastball or a back-breaking slider. However, they both can throw extremely effective changeups. When Chuck James can paint the corners at knee level with his change and his fastball, he is extremely effective. When he leaves either pitch over the plate or belt high, they resemble batting practice lollipops that even low-order hitters can turn into 420 foot shots. What's worse is that James has a greater tendency to throw such pitches after he has walked a batter by missing outside with his fastball and/or change. James will never be a star. However, he does have the ability to post a sub 4.00 ERA if he is able to gain better command of his pitches. If he is able to work the corners with his fastball and changeup and avoid walking too many batters, he will keep his pitch counts lower, allowing him to go deeper into games and reducing his tax on the bullpen. Simply keeping the ball in the lower half of the strike zone should prevent a few more balls from leaving the park. James stands as a safeguard that can reduce the risks associated with having a simultaneously old and young staff. Strong outings from James will take pressure off of vets like Smoltz or Hampton who may need an occasional day off to stay strong. Similarly, a strong year for James will allow Jurrjens and Reyes to make spot starts in place of resting vets from time to time without requiring them to assume the pressure of being full time members of the rotation, thus easing them into the big leagues. A healthy and effective Hampton would be wonderful. Early success from Jurrjens and Reyes would be fantastic. But a resurgent year from James may be the key on both ends of the spectrum.

James played through a torn rotator cuff last season that has now healed. He is currently locked in a battle with Jurrjens and Reyes for the rotations fifth spot. However, I would be surprised if Bobby Cox doesn't have him on the 25 man roster. If the Braves are to succeed this season, Chuck James must rise to the occasion.


Ronaldinho is god.


Sunday, March 2, 2008

The Mavs are still a great team


I am watching a most excellent Lakers-Mavericks game and wanted to make a few observations:

Kobe Bryant is an amazing player. There's no other way to put it. As much as I dislike him, he does things I've only seen Michael Jordan do.

Kobe and Nowitzki are both absolute clutch players. At the end of regulation, Kobe made a huge play to grab an offensive rebound off of a missed free throw by Lamar Odom and then coolly made both free throws after he was fouled. With the Lakers up three with 6 seconds to go, the Mavericks came back with a beautifully designed play. The ball was inbounded to Jason Kidd, who had his back to the basket just inside the three point line. Another Mav came over and set a pick next to Kidd as Kidd tossed the ball out to Nowitzki, who came across the double screen set by Kidd and the other Mav and got an open look at a three, which he nailed with 2 seconds to go. Absolutely clutch.

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Reports of Jason Kidd's defensive demise have been greatly exaggerated. People forget that he used to be considered one of the very best backcourt defenders in the game. So what if he got torched by Chris Paul? Everyone gets torched by Chris Paul! I don't understand this idea that Kidd is somehow fast enough to be an asset on the fast break but too slow to keep up with most NBA point guards. He's fast enough, and more importantly, his defensive instincts are excellent. He reads the game exceptionally well, and thus is great at blocking off passing lanes and knocking the ball away when his man not paying attention. He's an excellent rebounder. And at 6-4, he's big enough to guard taller point guards.

I also think that people who think that Kidd is a bad fit for the Mavs are missing something. Just because Dirk doesn't really run the floor doesn't mean that other Mavs don't. Stackhouse? Howard? Terry? These guys have looked great running the wings with Kidd leading the break. Similarly, I don't understand how people think that Kidd is going to continue shooting so poorly. He's never been a good shooter, but shooting 35% or whatever he was at prior to joining the Mavs is obviously an aberration.

I do think that overall, the Kidd trade was good for Dallas. Devin Harris is a good young player but Kidd is most definitely an upgrade. With the revised version of the deal leaving Stackhouse and Devean George on the Mavs, they didn't have to give up too much to get him. Make no mistake: the Mavs are still a quality team and most definitely are legit contenders for the NBA championship.

Friday, February 29, 2008

The NBA Is No Longer Boring


Despite my love for the sport of basketball, I must admit that the NBA regular season is usually rather dull. The current playoff format makes for mediocre to bad teams (if they're in the East) duking it out for the final playoff spot during the final weeks of the season while the top dogs cruise to the post season. When those final teams are in contention don't happen to include the Hawks, I find it rather unsatisfying to watch mediocre basketball games. Unlike baseball, where the wild card team has a legitimate shot to win the title each and every year, the eight seeds are the equivalent of a 12 seed in the NCAA tournament. Perhaps they have a chance to raise some eyebrows in the early rounds and pull of an upset or two, but they have no real chance of winning the whole thing. This year, however, is entirely different, with a myriad of interesting story lines grabbing my attention.

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Story line: Blockbuster trades

In a league often derided as the "No Balls Association," general managers have broken out of their shells and made some truly gutsy trades that have involved superstar caliber players. It all started last year when Iverson was sent to the Nuggets, continued through the summer as KG finally left the Minnesota tundra for Beantown, and reached its climax with an array of deals leading up to this year's trade deadline. Gasol goes to the Lakers. J-Kidd returns to Dallas. Shaq ends up in Phoenix. Bibby finds his way to Atlanta. While some of these deals were steals (Gasol), some were great moves (Garnett, Allen), some were questionable (J-Kidd), and some were head-scratchers, at least in my opinion (Shaq), the avalanche of deals has certainly made regular season games more interesting as I watch to see how the relocated stars adapt to their new teams.

Story line: The Wild West

I'm a Hawks fan and would be more inclined to root for an Eastern Conference team to win it all. However, I don't think anyone can deny that the battle for supremacy in the Western Conference will make for one of the most exciting regular season finishes in years and create a playoff picture in which virtually no team could be counted out. The Lakers are an offensive juggernaut having added Gasol to Kobe and Odom. Farmar and Fisher have held down the point. When Bynum returns from injury, this team will be one of the most dynamic offensive teams we've seen in a while. They can bang inside, shoot the three, break down defenses off the dribble, isolate, pass out of double teams . . . they are loaded. The Suns and the Mavs, despite their questionable trades for aging superstars remain near the top. New Orleans could potentially go as far as Chris Paul can take them. And judging from his performance so far this year, he could take them a very, very long way (someone tell me why he's not in a Hawks jersey, again). The Jazz may actually be better than they were last year, when they made it all the way to the conference final before falling to San Antonio. Of course, San Antonio may still be the team to beat. Tony Parker is now healthy. Manu Ginobli is arguably the best shooting guard in the game. Tim Duncan is still Tim Duncan. And, with a team full of savvy veterans who have won multiple championship rings before, it would not be surprising if the Spurs emerged yet again as the Western Conference Champs. Even the teams vying for the lower seeds are entertaining. Golden State is perhaps the most schizophrenic team in the league, but when they're on, they are fun to watch. Portland is full of young stars. The Nuggets, despite being ravaged by injury, still are entertaining with the Melo-Iverson combo running the show. It's exciting stuff.

Story Line: Celtics Revival

The Celtics have been irrelevant for so long that when I thought of the Celtics, I could only recall replays of Bird and Co. from the '80s. It is a sad fate for such a storied franchise. However, the Garnett and Allen deals have immediately turned that around. Garnett has been one of the best players in the league since he first set foot on an NBA court over a decade ago. After languishing in the backwoods of Minnesota for years, Garnett finally has a chance to flash his skills under the bright lights of Boston. Garnett, Allen, and Pierce combine to comprise a group of likeable superstars who, up until this point, were forced to suffer while playing for subpar teams. Now, all three have a legitimate shot to win the title while wearing the Celtics jersey. As much as I'd hate to see Boston enjoy post season glory with the Patriots, the Red Sox, and the Celtics, it is intriguing to watch these three stars revive the Celtic machine while simultaneously finally receiving an opportunity to play for a true contender.

The only thing that could make these story lines even more interesting would be a Hawks playoff run. Here's to eternal optimism!

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

I Love the Smell of Baseball in the Morning


That's right folks. Between all the wonderful soccer (yeah Spurs!), talk of college basketball and March Madness, an exciting NBA regular season (as unbelievable as that sounds), and the NFL draft (which takes up way too much room on the ESPN headlines than it should), it's easy to forget that Spring Training is running at full force now in Arizona and Florida. Here's a quick look at how the Braves lineup will probably shake down.

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The Braves' starting lineup for opening day projects to look something like this.

2B Kelly Johnson
SS Yunel Escobar
3B Chipper Jones
1B Mark Teixeira
RF Jeff Francoeur
C Brian McCann
CF Mark Kotsay
LF Matt Diaz (possibly in platoon with rookie Brandon Jones)


From an offensive standpoint, the 3-7 spots are extremely intimidating to opposing teams. The switch-hitting power combo of Chipper and Tex is right up there with the best heart-of-the-order tandems in baseball. Francoeur is now entering his third full season in the bigs and, if he can combine his power numbers of '06 with the average of '07 and continue to improve on his BB/K ratio, could look to make the transition from local star to national star. Brian McCann battled an unfortunate hand injury that hurt his average through the middle of the season. However, if he can remain healthy, he is one of the very best offensive catchers in baseball and should hit close to .300 with 20 HR's and 90+ RBIs. Two switch hitters followed by a righty-lefty combo in Francoeur and McCann will make late game situations difficult for opposing managers. If Chipper can play 140 games, this group could easily go for 400+ RBIS, 90-100 HR's and a composite BA right around .300.

However, outside of this core, there are a lot of lingering questions. There is a lot of pressure on Escobar to live up to his stellar rookie campaign. Bobby Cox may consider batting Escobar later in the order against right-handed starters to ease some of the pressure on the young Cuban. Mark Kotsay will not be able to replicate the power numbers of Andruw Jones, but he will also be under pressure to hit upward of .260 and get on base consistently. It will also be interesting to see if Matt Diaz, who has been one of the best hitters for average in all of baseball over the past few years, continues to succeed as he enters his third season with the Braves. If Kotsay, Escobar, or Johnson struggle in the one or two holes, Diaz could fill their spot. However, Kelly Johnson may actually be the most important key to success for the Atlanta offense. In 2005, Johnson was heralded as the Braves top offensive prospect, ahead of Francoeur and McCann. However, an 0-30 start to his big league career followed by a lost season in 2006 recovering from Tommy John surgery have caused him to fall of the radar. Yet Johnson is only 25 years old and is coming off his first full season in which he posted an OPS in excess of .800, which is excellent for a second baseman. A late slump hurt his average but that is common for young players. Now that he has gotten comfortable with his new position at 2B and has a year and a half of experience, look for Kelly Johnson as a sleeper to emerge as one of Atlanta's best offensive weapons. He has enough speed to be effective in the leadoff spot. He has the eye to bat second. And he has enough power to bring some pop to the back of the lineup. A season hitting .280 with 15 HR and 60 RBIs should be no problem, but I would not be surprised if he were able to push his average closer to .300 and hit 20 HR. If he hits in the 1 or 2 spots all season, I look for him to pass 100 R. The Braves have not had a 2B who has had numbers like that since the All-Star seasons of Marcus Giles four and five years ago. Such a performance from Johnson this season would ease some of the pressure on Escobar and Kotsay as well as give Tex and Chipper more RBI opportunities. Excluding the Phillies Chase Utley, 2B is a weakness for NL East teams. Johnson has a chance to become one of the better offensive 2B in the NL and give the Braves a weapon as second base that they have lacked for a few years.

While Atlanta is excited about Jordan Schafer, the power-hitting, base-stealing 21 year-old heir apparent to the CF job in 2009, there is another youngster who may have a bigger role to play this year. AAA Richmond shortstop and stud prospect Brent Lillibridge came over from the Pirates last year when the Braves sent LaRoche to Pittsburgh and, if not for the emergence of the slightly older Escobar, would probably be penciled in as the Braves SS of the future. He can hit for average, has great gap power with occasional HR distance, and has great speed on the bases. In addition, he is a wizard with the glove. He lacks the arm strength of Escobar but still has plenty of strength to make all the throws. He also has the ability to play the outfield, as well. Although Omar Infante will start the season as the Braves utility player (provided he recovers from the broken hand he suffered in winter ball), I personally would like to see where Lillibridge will fit in. Though he's inexperienced, he's well seasoned having been drafted after his junior year of college and spending last year in AAA Richmond. His ability to play 2B, SS, 3B and the outfield make him a wonderful asset and his speed fills the stolen bases void that opened after Furcal left for Dodgertown a few years back. He is great insurance if Escobar or Johnson sruggles or goes down with injury. Many scouts regard Lillibridge as a better overall prospect than Escobar. It will be interesting to see how Bobby Cox envisions Lillibridge's role with the Braves. He will probably start the year in Richmond so that he can continue to play everyday, but don't be surprised if Lillibridge becomes an important component of the Braves lineup come July and/or August.

I'll give a rundown of the Braves starting pitchers in a couple days. Until next time . . .


Saturday, February 23, 2008

Spurs are on their way to wembley because we beat the scum 5-1, and we'll do the business that's for sure! -- SUPER DELUXE GUEST POST!!!


so tomorrow is the big day. the mighty tottenham hostpur vs. the blue meanie, commie bastard, evil chelsea scum in the carling cup final. 'curry' and i are sitting around in his basement drinking and listening to 'ossie's dream -- spurs are on their way to wembley' on repeat with 'under siege' muted in the background. oddly fitting, since spurs will probably be in that condition from the word 'go' at wembley tomorrow, and they'll have to play with the same skill and passion as they did when they destroyed the significantly more evil, dirty, filthy, whiny, gooner scum last month. still, i've got a good feeling going into the game, much like the semi-final, or at least i'm not shitting my pants, but i could just be delusional.

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despite having played their uefa cup game on thursday, scraping through against slavia prague, spurs are in good shape heading into cup final sunday. keane and berbatov only played 45 minutes each, lennon came off after an hour, jenas got 30 minutes, robbo had a good game coming back off the bench and looks set to start, and the king remained wrapped in his cotton wool. meanwhile, reports are that frank lampard and john terry may be out for chelsea, but that could just as easily be avram grant misinformation. typical soviet politburo deception and such.

whatever, it's high time for tottenham to bring home a cup again, and i couldn't be more excited for tomorrow -- hopefully it'll end without me wanting to jump off the george washington bridge.

LISTEN TO ME SPURS -- IT'S ALL IN YOUR HANDS! and since i can't think of anything else to say, here's who i think will/should start for spurs tomorrow:

Berbatov -- Keane

Malbranque -- Jenas -- Tainio -- Lennon

Chimbonda -- Woodgate -- King -- Hutton

Robinson


so there.


14 hrs., 27 min. to go.... COME ON YOU SPURS!


-- sir alec GUINNESS (from the grave)
(a.k.a. captain james mcbride)

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Mid-Week Rundown


Work, music, and travel have kept me away from more important things . . . like blogging, but I'm back with a quick overview of some of the top sports stories I've been following.

The Champions League is back in action with matches today and yesterday. No, Spurs isn't in the competition, but it still remains perhaps the most exciting club competition in all of professional sports. What more can you ask for than the best teams from the best European leagues competing to become European (and, by extension, world) Champs?

In college hoops, Duke looks to rebound after an abysmal loss to Wake Forest on Sunday. (22 turnovers! Forget the cold shooting night. No one can turn the ball over that many times and expect to win!) Miami, however, is in a similar situation as Wake Forest in that a win against Duke is a must if they are to entertain any notions of playing come March.

And in the NBA, Shaq and Kobe square off as the Suns battle the Lakers in what will be Shaq's first start with Phoenix.

Also, with Spring Training getting off the ground in Florida and Arizona, I'll be keeping up with news from around MLB. Hopefully it won't have to do with steroids.

I'll be checking in later with a rundown of some of the day's games.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Live Blogging from... the NBA All-Star Dunk Contest!


This competition used to be something magical. Dominique, MJ... it used to be legendary. It used to display all that set basketball apart from other sports - the pure aesthetics of a guy gliding through air the rest of us can only dream of reaching, effortlessly, and punctuating the art with power. Unfortunately, these days, we see little but derivative dunks and people overhyping mediocre attempts. The competition now means nothing. But I'm sick at home, watching this and eating pizza, so... let's go!

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Jamario Moon, Dunk 1: Impressive. Lobbed it perfectly, caught it with one hand and went for the windmill. Good height, nailed it on the first try, a solid 9 in my eyes. Aesthetically nice and athletic - reminds me of the great old school dunks.
Score: 46

Rudy Gay, Dunk 1: Missed the first attempt. Simple two handed double pump, nothing special. A 7 in my eyes.
Score: 37

Dwight Howard, Dunk 1: Had my favorite dunk of last year, when he slapped up a sticker of himself with a goofy smile on the top of the backboard with one hand while slamming home with the other. Missed the first attempt. Pretty good dunk - bounced off the back of the backboard, and actually kind of screwed up the toss so it bounced off the rubber on the edge of the board, but was still able to grab it and complete a pretty impressive windmill from the side, ducking under the backboard. I think it's a 9; the judges are more impressed.
Score: 50

Gerald Green, Dunk 1: Last year's winner has been talking up this dunk for a while. He calls it "The Birthday Cake". First, a teammate puts a cupcake on the back of the rim and lights the birthday candle in it. Hm. Green goes for the dunk - blows out the candle! - and slams it home. OK, that's a 10 just for creativity and the slow mo replay of him blowing out the candle. Haha, very nice. But apparently a couple of the judges either missed the candle, or don't like gimmicks.
Score: 46

Rudy Gay, Dunk 2: Kyle Lowry throws it off the basket support, Gay runs down the baseline and slams it in. Not really that great, and Chuck hates it, but the judges like it. See, this is why this competition now means nothing.
Score: 48

Jamario Moon, Dunk 2: He runs from way back, Jason Kapono bounces it to him.. failure. Second try - nails it. Takes off with a foot inside the free throw line. Another kind of old school athletic dunk. I like it a lot. Again, aesthetically pleasing. This guy is growing on me.
Score: 44

Gerald Green, Dunk 2: Rashad McCants sits on a ladder in front of the basket, slightly to the side, with the ball. Green at halfcourt. McCants holds the ball out, drops it to Green, who comes in and slams windmill style. Good height. Not particularly impressive.
Score: 45

Dwight Howard, Dunk 2: Jameer Nelson holds a Superman cape and puts it on Howard, who is wearing a Superman costume underneath his jersey - haha, funny. Nelson tosses the ball to Howard from behind the basket, Howards comes flying in, wow, what height, what power! But he didn't actually dunk it, he threw the ball through the basket. Looked good enough though.
Score: 50

So Jamario Moon is unfairly knocked out - Green's first dunk was great from a showmanship perspective, but neither of his dunks were particularly impressive, while Moon looked artful with both of his dunks. Gay is rightfully gone, and Howard powers through with a perfect score, which is fine by me - he deserved it last year, in my opinion. No scoring for the second round - the judges will each reveal who he thinks is the winner after watching all four dunks.

Gerald Green, Dunk 3: A teammate lobs the ball over the basket from behind. Bad lobs the first few times. Green tries for a through the legs dunk and hits it on the second try. Impressive, reminiscent of Vince Carter. Too derivative, but a good dunk in and of itself.

Dwight Howard, Dunk 3: From midcourt sideline, Howard runs in, throws the ball up, it bounces... HOLY CRAP! He taps it off the backboard with his left hand and dunks it with his right! Kenny Smith proclaims it's over, and he's right! Amazing! That one will be remembered!

Gerald Green, Dunk 4: He takes off his shoes, autographs, them, and puts them on the judges' table. Um, OK, you're not good enough to be handing your signed shoes to Doctor J. Then he does the same through the legs dunk with no shoes. Sorry Gerald. Yeah, it's harder without shoes. But the dunk did not look impressive.

Dwight Howard, Dunk 4: This is practically a formality, but let's see. Hm, he's holding one of those small hoops with suction cups on the backboard, and he's calling for the ladder. The small hoop is attached to the backboard, on the right side. The ball rests in it. He grabs the ball from the small hoop and goes for the roundhouse, but misses. He has them raise the small basket. Attempt 2 is successful. Not as impressive as the others, but he'd already set the bar really high.

Chocolate Thunder, aka Daryl Dawkins, declares that Howard brought power and "magistration". I have to agree. All the judges choose Howard, and he wins the fan vote. Howard deserves it, far and away. But props to Jamario Moon, who also impressed. That was actually kind of fun.