Wait: Did I really start this post without talking about Tom Brady and Bridget Moynihan breaking up?
Everyone keeps talking about how Brady will be such a player, but how about Moynihan being single? Over/under on the date of the first rumor of a relationship with Derek Jeter: April 1, 2007.
Meanwhile, is Brady the new Jeter? Here's one of my boldest predictions for 2007: I'm calling Brady-n-Britney by the week of Super Bowl XLI. (The real question is: Who DOESN'T see this coming? If I was a savvier blog-marketer, I'd insert an eye-candy pic of Brit here.)
49ers beat Seahawks in
Matsuzaka Watch: I love that he's wearing Johnny Damon's old No. 18 jersey number. I hate this media-adopted nickname "Dice-K." It's awful. (He said his nickname in
Speaking of big-time pitchers in the spotlight, are the Mets ready to make a serious play for Barry Zito today?
AI Trade Watch: The more I read, the more I think the only team that can/will seriously consider trading for AI is the Heat. Which would be amazing. (The T'wolves? While it would be fun to see KG and AI together, I doubt the Sixers really want what Minny is selling, beyond rookie Randy Foye.)
I still hear those Clippers rumors swirling, but I'm not quite sure why the Sixers are demanding Shaun Livingston, who the Clips simply won't give up; I can't be the only one who thinks that Corey Maggette is one of the most underrated players (certainly most underrated AVAILABLE players) in the league? Is AI-for-Maggette (plus whatever it takes to make the numbers work) that crazy?
NBA All-Star Voting: AI leads all East guards in fan voting, which is just about the most fascinating development that has come out of this past week of AI Trade Frenzy. In all of the considerations of "value," why don't any teams put a value on the fact that AI is insanely popular and puts fans in the seats like few other players in the NBA?
(More voting: How cool is it that
Maybe the Warriors shouldn't be so quick to think about dumping Baron Davis for AI...
Don't read too much into the Bobcats' win over the Magic. (Meanwhile, it's nice that May and Morrison combined for 54, but do two Top 10 picks really offer appropriate draft value coming off the bench? Maybe drafting a "starter" isn't as important anymore as drafting a closer.)
I love the D-Rays' idea to play a 3-game regular-season series at the Disney complex, nearly 90 miles from their usual home in
So I've been reading that there's all sorts of brouhaha about this Mickey Mantle memoir due out next spring. Author Peter Golenbock has found a way around James Frey-style problems of accuracy in memoir: "Inventive memoir," which is a wonderfully catchy euphemism for "fiction."
Specifically in this case, the fictional license to write an "autobiography" of Mickey Mantle from Mantle's voice, allowing for some true stories, some exaggerated stories and some stories that readers will never know if they are true or simply entertaining. I wonder if people will buy/read it -- hell, maybe it's time for me to pitch that "autobiography," since I can now apparently "reveal" my tryst with Ashley Judd and my career as a high-powered NBA executive.
(Given the 2006 scrutiny of "truthiness" in so-called non-fiction memoirs, I fully expect "inventive memoir" to become the new standard: "What I write in this memoir is sort of true, but don't hold me to it if it's not." The genius is in admitting it up front.)
-- D.S.
Posts
64 comments:
As has been mentioned in previous comments, Dice-K is actually a close approximation of how to say his first name. So it's not really a nickname, despite having the ubiquitous "K" for a pitcher. I'd much rather have that than D-Mat.
Anyone know how to pronounce "Monster" in Japanese?
C'mon... the media has to stick with the "Dice-K" moniker.
Especially with the unbelieveably annoying "K" cards that WEEI gives out at Red Sox games... I mean, the marketing writes itself.
A pair of Dice above a huge "K" on a handhald sign for the first 15,000 fans through the gates at Fenway. Who else thinks this is a foregone conclusion?
Few things:
Now everyone is writing off the Magic, ya we've been in a slide. However, I'd like to see the Spurs without Manu, Tony Parker, and Bruce Bowen. Magic are without scoring threat 2,3, and 5 right now. Not mention team leader Grant Hill, who should be back for the next game.
The D-Rays in Orlando. I love it too Dan. I should be back in Orlando by then and look foward to attending at least one or two of the games. The city will sellout all three games and the Rangers and Devil Rays games in St. Pete only averaged a lil more than 8,000 ANNOUNCED attendance last year, so the number of people there was probably near 5-6,000.
Finally, any of my fellow Gators on here heading to Glendale?
Joe (Dayton)
Why Joe? Save your money..watch on tv...then spend lots at the bar to drown away your pain.
Sad news out of Cincy...David Pollack has to have surgery on his neck and his NFL career is officially over.
Dan the answer to your question: (He said his nickname in Japan is "Monster." Why not use that?)
Simple Answer: The Late Dick Radatz - there can only be Monster in Boston.
Also...fan voting sucks.
Remember when Grant Hill was the #1 vote getter those 3 years that he was injured all year? Same with Vince Carter. It's a popularity contest.
How about Miami for the D-Rays barnstorming tour? Oh wait, they sorta have a big league team already, huh....still, 9000 a night THERE is good, too.
I've not seen enough "Diceman cometh..." slogans around. Why not?
I wonder if Boras will be extra-pricky while negotiating for Zito, after having to go through the Matsuzaka talks with no leverage.
How big is Matt Hasselbeck's head? I saw the clip this morning of him talking to reporters after the game and that thing is just ENORMOUS. Looks like Egghead from Batman. Does he need a special helmet?
Frank Gore is a monster. Almost 100 yards in the 4th quarter. Now that is a clock killer. If he stays healthy and the 9ers can get a #1 type receiver they'll definitely be a serious threat.
So what happens if AI gets voted in to start for the East, but is traded to a team in the West like the Nuggets? Does he get demoted to the West's bench or does someone else get bumped?
DRays in Disney. Another overpriced, boring attraction. Their new owner is trying though, so he deserves a lot of credit. Now he just needs to find some starting pitching.
In your autobiography are you going to make yourself a Gator alumnus, so you don't have to adopt your wife's team?
@ brian:
"Diceman cometh"
Nicely played. I'm stealing that for my sign at his first Fenway start...
And by "my sign", I of course mean the paper I'll be holding up in my living room while watching the game on TV, since good tickets to Fenway cost more than my monthly car payments (and no, I'm sadly not joking about that)
Dan
Shaq is getting a life time achievement award as starting center over Dwight Howard who is a man child and very deserving. I love Shaq but fan voting sucks! Boozer is carrying the Jazz so far to the best record in the NBA and he is something like 10th in the West behind Josh Howard who also missed like 10 games. I don't get how thats awesome but I wish you would explain.
Magette may be underrated, but the sixers are holding out for an expiring contract and a draft pick. For it to work, the clips would have to throw in some contracts with magette which are not expiring, and for a team that already has a bunch of contracts it can't get rid of, it doesn't make sense for the 6ers. They might be willing to bend for livingston, but, sadly, it doesn't look to happen, although I'd love to see the LA rivalry, the A.I./Kobe rivalry for the hearts of the fans out there (I don't really like LA, but since they don't play NBA ball in the NY metropolitan area, I pay attention to the goings on out there when I can).
Not sure, dan, why you feel the need to gratuitously kick the bobcats (you have to tell us not to read too much into it? For the bobcats 6th win of the year? Thanks, I'll cancel my prediction for them to be NBA champs this year. Duh.). They played decent last night, albeit against a depleted Magic team, and it was nice to have some novelty for the 54 off the bench. They're the youngest team in the league, this is their third year, they seem to have drafted okay but their owners can't afford to splash the free agent market. They're like the D-rays, at this point, playing against the Yanks and BoSox. And they get a nice win, and you kick 'em. You stay classy, shanoff.
kaibutsu is the japanese word for monster.
While Dice K is the pronounciation of his name, I have read things by Japanese writers that fans shouldnt use that term. They didnt specify why, but perhaps its disrespectful in Japanese culture to use novelty spellings to say someones name.
I like Monster myself.
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New Hampshire's Ricky Santos won the 2006 Walter Payton Award last night in the Football Championship Subdivision (I-AA), thats the equivilent of the Heisman Trophy in the Football Bowl Subdivision (I-A). Santos lost the award last year by just 5 points and will be back next year for his Senior season will he will be the favorite to once again win.
I like Dan's idea of the D-rays moving around. But I think it might wear down the players too much if they did it all season. I used to be stationed in the Florida Panhandle and I know even the Rays would attract a large military crowd, while also drawing from MS and AL as well.
And Boras may be an ass, but he is a good agent. He gets his clients the best possible deal under whatever circumstances. And as far as I can remember, his clients honor the contracts once they are signed (unlike Rosenhaus and TO).
Frank Gore might be the obvious 4th pick in next years fantasy football draft as Sports Guy pointed out. (Behind LDT, LJ, Alexander, now that Tiki will be retired)
Daisuke Matsuzaka has a couple nicknames that could work. His Japanese nickname, "the monster", is kaibutsu in japanese. I think he could go by Diceman, Gyroman, or D-Mat (eventhough D-Mat sounds like a nerdy kid trying out for his varsity basketball team). His nickname of the monster would have worked had he played for anyone except the Red Sox. The issue was discussed that in Boston when one says "monster" it means that big thing out in left field, not a guy on the mound. Confusion would ensue if there was a line like "And here's the pitch... A-Rod hit's it right off the monster!" So was that a double or is Matsuzaka hurt?
As far as Iverson goes... two things.
1. The most likely trade at this time is now valid. Starting today Nene's no trade clause because of the signing of his extension during the offseason is now over.
The trade is...
Philly sends Iverson to Denver and gets Joe Smith from Denver (read: expiring contract) and Jamal Magliore (read: expiring contract) and a 1st round pick from Portland. Denver sends Joe Smith to Philly and Nene to Portland and gets Iverson from Philly. Portland sends Jamal Magliore and a 1st round pick to Philly and gets Nene from Denver.
2. The Iverson question about all-star voting that jon mentioned, I asked in a post at the very end of yesterday. Here it is again.
They released the current all-star voting numbers in the NBA. It should be noted that Allen Iverson leads all EASTERN CONFERENCE guards in votes, but would be third in the WESTERN CONFERENCE behind Kobe and T-MAC. Esspecially with T-MAC's back spasms, the question should arrise....
Does AI keep his votes from the east voting if he's traded to the west?
Right now, due to T-Mac's injury, Iverson would start for the West due to his number. But would they say that it doesn't count because those votes were accumulated against a different set of guys?
The ESPN article points out...
"Since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976, only one player -- Carter, in 2005 -- was traded before the All-Star Game and still was voted as a starter. "That trade was from Toronto to New Jersey though. He didn't switch conferences.
At this point my guess is David Stern will make some ruling on it.
Big D that is sad. I wouldn't go around admitting that you make signs for baseball games and then hold them so the tv can see. Maybe if you were the age of little Gabe...
as in an english major i have to say: didn't gertrude stein come up with the "inventive memoir" like 60 years ago?
Oden, Gasol, Gay, Miller, Kyle Lowery....Grizz are gonna be good next year. Keep on keepin on and tank this season
Fratello just needs to do enough to not get canned but get the 1st pick
I think I'd be tempted to take Stephen Jackson over Frank Gore at the 4 spot next year. Less worrying about injuries and fumbles.
Philly nor Portland want Nene b/c they will be in luxary tax hell for a long time is the report. No one wants that bum and his HUGE contract. Nuggets are stuck with him. I don't see him going to Denver unless they throw in JR Smith who they say they don't want to part with. Miami all the way!!!
Also about FFL, I am in three leagues, in two leagues I got LT, and I'm in first. The other league I thought it would be smart to try and get Ronnie Brown and Cadillac instead of a top pick. Wow have those two sucked. I also have McGahee and all three combined have done nothing. You can't even decide who to play because they are so irratic. Wish I would have taken Gore and Chestor Taylor 9 & 10 instead of those idiots. Glad I got Moss on that team too. Still in 5th but out of the playoffs
Just needed to give props to cmfrost because I was about to come on here and bash Shanoff for that mistake about the nickname thing.
Nothing would be more disrespectful than to give away the Monster nickname to another Red Sox player - there is and only can be one Monster in Red Sox lore and that's Dick Radatz.
Also how can you not love Dice-K, it fits in with how his name is actually pronounced and it's catchy with all sorts of different ways it can be used.
Sure it's not the ingenious nickname like A-Rod, or Nomah, but I think Dice-K is a damn fine nickname and much more appropriate than Monster.
RE: All Star Game Voting (any sport)
While it's nice to think of this as a mid season reward for good play, that is not it's intent. It's intent is a game for the FANS to watch with their favorite stars and personalities. Kind of like if you drafted a team to play on playstation. You pick your favorite people at each position and just enjoy seeing them play together.
That's why the coaches usually get to add a couple of guys so that the Boozer type seasons can be recognized. If the coaches or a media poll picked the most "MVP" caliber people to this point in the season, the TV ratings on that game would suck.
Yes, it is a popularity contest, and if lesser known people who are having good seasons keep it up for a while, (like the people who are getting the votes have) then they'll get those votes eventually.
Didn't someone else draft Ronnie Brown with their 4th pick?
If you can have another LT, you can have another Monster....
@ guyinthecorner:
Guy... go read the 10-Spot on SI.com. You'll be particularily interested in #5...
Golenbock is the one that could single-handedly be blamed for the demise of Jim Valvano at NC State with his book “Personal Fouls”. I will never understand how he continues to live knowing that his mostly fictional book caused an immense amount of pain and years of problems for many people involved with NC State. Here's to you Golenbock for writing books for the most important of reasons: selling more copies despite the consequences.
@ jon:
"I wouldn't go around admitting that you make signs for baseball games and then hold them so the tv can see."
Clearly, jon does not have a clear understanding of sarcasm... :)
guyinthecorner, how can you type with your head so far up the sports guys fat ass
In a current phone interview on WEEI, Peter King just spoke for nearly 90 seconds without pausing to take a breath.
Shockingly, the converstion was not about Brett Favre.
The man puts me to sleep when he talks. I can *occasionally* tolerate his writing, but not speaking.
Daddy Rosee-
I could make a clever comment like "I touch-type and therefore I don't need to see and as my hands are free I am capable of typing." However that wouldn't make much sense as I am answering a comment that, if your insult is correct, I cannot see. I could counter with something about having x-ray vision and therefore being able to see, or if I had a computer like the one's blind people have that speak to them, but I won't. Instead I will act like I don't understand you, the following is my official response.
What are you talking about? I reside in the Washington D.C. suburbs whereas Bill "The Sports Guy" Simmons resides in the greater Los Angelas area. However if you are aware of a visit he is making, please aprise me of the situation.
BIG D-
Gotta love him. My boy. WEE! WILLIE! KEEEEEEEELER!
Here is an example of an AI-Magliore-JOE SMITH-NENE trade.
The inclusion of draft picks and smaller players are conditional, put those would be the 4 major guys involved.
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=366~498~3027~1713~591~788&teams=7~20~20~22~22~20
lets try that again
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=366~498~3027~1713~591~788
&teams=7~20~20~22~22~20
>>I fully expect "inventive memoir" to become the new standard: "What I write in this memoir is sort of true, but don't hold me to it if it's not." The genius is in admitting it up front.>>
Also far more honest than some reporters on the NY Times staff.
Dan, im sure you can find someone to give u free blogging lessons to teach you how to insert pictures. Heck I iserted 2 pictures on my morning post on my blog, (both Matsuzaka)
http://travisliles.com/sports/blog
Can't believe no one has mentioned this...if I missed it...I apologize for the repeat. But I ask you all...
Jeff Bagwell...HOF? Number say maybe, I say yes. But not first ballot material. Everyone?
I would be looking at the top 5 for next years fantasy draft this way:
1. LdT
2. LJ
3. Gore
4. Jackson
5. Alexander - Age and injuries and no hutchinson are catching up to him.
Just read that Jennifer Aniston and Ben Stiller were trying to work their ways into 24. Thankfully the 24 people have declined....though it would have been nice to see Jack Bauer would have done to them.
Bagwell will probably get in, but I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't. Never can tell with those voters when it comes to the borderline guys.
Maybe drafting a "starter" isn't as important anymore as drafting a closer
Which is truth. If you had watched the Bobcats the last two years (and God knows Dan doesn't even watch them this year), a lot of their close losses they were up by 5-6 points at the start of the 4th quarter and ended up losing by 2 or 3. I remember at least 10 games each season like that. The reason they drafted Morrison was so that they would have a consistent scorer (hopefully) off the bench in the 4th quarter.
The lineup the Bobcats had last night (Felton-Knight-Brezec-Okafor-Wallace, May-Morrison off the bench) was their plan from the get-go and last night was the first time they were able to go with it. And yeah, they're not winning the conference, but they're 4 games out of the 8th spot. If they stay healthy, I think they can compete for the final spot.
Besides, to paraphrase Simmons, there are probably 15 teams in the league right now who would KILL to have the Bobcats roster/salary cap situation. Life is looking good in Charlotte.
(from a 49er fan that attended last night's SF @ SEA game)
The NFL is out of control! Apparently they feel that they can do whatever they want and the masses will line-up for their tripe. Thursday night, 5 PM (PST) games have to be the stupidest football "innovation" ever. Seattle has fairly bad traffic anyway, but it was ludicrous last night (the weather didn't help). Also, the official attendance was listed as 65K (in a 72K stadium), but there were a lot more empty seats than that. In an urban area, why have a game start a 5 PM on a weekday? Fortunately for the rest of the country, this was the only West Coast Thursday game this year. These games don't really hit the schedule until after CFB is done, so why not just move the games to Saturday or even Friday? What makes Thursday so special?
SEA, SF, OAK, and SD should never host Thursday night games.
I apologize for not remembering the source, but the original plan (from either Ueberroth or Giamatti--I want to say Giamatti) was to put 1 baseball team in Florida, in Orlando. It made perfect sense then, and it makes perfect sense now. Put the Devil Rays in Orlando and the Marlins in Charlotte or Norfolk.
Dan,
I wanted to hear what you had to say about this. The announced crowd at the Hornets game in New Orleans last night was 15,000; one reporter says it was well short of that.
This is their 2nd of 6 games in NO this year. With the team selling so well every night in OKC how are the NBA and George Shinn going to take the team out of OKC when it is clearly the better market?
I know Katrina was a terrible event and in most circumstances I would see this as terrible if they did take the team away. However, limited support in NO is going to kill that franchise.
how are the NBA and George Shinn going to take the team out of OKC when it is clearly the better market?
Aren't the Sonics destined to move to OKC?
I see the Seahawks running problems as a combination of:
1. Losing Hutch
2. Injuries to OL
3. Injuries to TEs
4. Injury to Alexander
5. Too many WRs
OL issues are obvious. Losing Stevens (even though he's a knob) hurt them early, but they are also without Itula Mila, so they are limited in their 2 TE sets; that coupled with their high profile WR acquisitions leads them toward too many 3- and 4-WR sets. Alexander scored a lot of TDs last year without being touched: that's not happening anymore. They used a lot of 2 TE/1 WR/2 RB sets last year and out muscled most everyone. Alexander (especially recovering from injury) has never been a bruising back and passing to set up the run just isn't working for them.
Was anyone able to watch the game? I don't think SEA ran a deep route that wasn't double covered all night. Bad schemes.
Even with a less-than-sellout crowd, Qwest was pretty loud; however still nowhere close to the Kingdome days. Anyone that gets impressed by Seattle's 12th man now obviously never experienced the feeling of the Kingdome actually shaking to the point you worried about the structural integrity.
@ chrth
Yes, it is destined. Although the Muckleshoots (local tribe) are looking into moving the team to Auburn (suburb) and building a new arena.
Speaking of Inventive Memoir,
Wasn't Dutch (a Reagan bio) done that way? So people jumping on the bandwagon now are about 7 years too late.
And finally, I think his nickname should be Die-Kast.
I watched some of the game last night and I came away with the same impression I have had for every NFL Network telecast. Bryant Gumble SUCKS as a play by play man. Someone please tell me he will be gone next year.
Brady and Britney Spears makes sense. She apparently loves dating waaaaaay down, and it doesn't get much lower than a washed-up quarterback on a go-nowhere team.
(Whoops, did I say that out loud?)
Dice-K? Oh I can see the "e" being dropped in a hurry.
As for Zito, beware. Billy Beane may not always find the best pitching talent on the market, but he sure has a knack for getting rid of an arm before its "a year too late".
A ray of hope for Orioles' fans? Angelos is denying it, but Cal as owner might save the team! They should ask fans to chip in to help raise the money.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/6273642
Ugh. Britney is just nasty. I'm sure Brady can find a starlet in much better shape (or at least with decent grooming techniques..have you her p---- shots?! Ugh)
Noone outside Boston knows who Dave Radatz is...so Daisuke can be Monster here.
Btw, I know many keep assuming Oden is 1 and done at Ohio State...but he's actually said repeatedly that he'd want to enjoy the college life for 2-3 years. But we'll sweep that under the rug.
mikepcfl -- let's have a telethon!!! i'd totally donate to that cause.
rafeal - not to be picky but I am going to be but it is Dick Radatz not Dave. And I lot of people who are baseball fans know who he is.
and D-mat sounds like "doormat", as though he played for, oh....the Devil Rays?
(oops, pardon the nasty streak there)
I'll settle for 10 pm here, west coast games, if they don't complain about 7 pm (eastern) games here while they're still at work. Aren't the Mariners playing in the Patriots Day game at Fenway next year? 11 am eastern....imagine being a Dice fan in Japan watching at 2 in the morning.
Chicken or egg thing here on Brady's breakup:
Did she break up with him because he's been awfully pissy lately, or has he been pissy lately because this breakup's been coming for a while now?
Brett Favre SUUUUUUUUCKS.
Come on Dan. Brady will probably be going after Jeter's leftovers. Moynihan is a little too aged for Jeter anyway. He likes the girls in their 20's, not those approaching 40.....Brady and Britney? Uggh.
Bring on the NFL picks, i'm borrrrred!
Like I said in a post yesterday, Matsusaka should be called "Dice" and thats it...and now it todays Sport's Guy Mailbag, he agrees...with ME
"...when we can call him "Dice." As long as we
don't call him D-Mat, I'm happy -- especially since that greasy used car salesman, Scott Boras, was the
one pushing that nickname. Let's settle on "Dice" and call it a day."
I know, I love me to.
What we should read into it is the Magic being in a slump related in no small part to-you guessed it, injuries. The sad thing is, these first twenty games have shown that they aren't lacking awesome seasons of late; they're lacking average seasons.
Just throwing out that it would be awesome if the number one vote getter didn't have a team by the All-Star break, for the sake of oddity.
Brady will begin dating himself. No one can match him on the genetic scale--just ask Peter King, Bill Simmons, et al.
Is it ok if I call him Dice Clay? Or, the Red Sox already have the Green Monster, how about the Yellow Monster? Nah, not PC enough.
i'm going with john henry on this one and will call him matsuzaka-san.
I fully expect "inventive memoir" to become the new standard
Ever read "Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" by Dave Eggers?
I think it is great that the Rays are playing in orlando. It sure is easier than dealing with the traffic on I-4 to go watch them get shelled at the trop. IT is great that they put a team in st pete but I think they would have been better served putting the team in tampa because there are many more people on that side of the bay. I just wish the media would get it right. The only tampa bay is the bit of water between pinellas and hillsborough county. The bucs, lightning, and storm play in tampa and the rays play in st pete. I get so pissed off when I hear an announcer say, "we are here in sunny tampa bay."
Joe(dayton) I wish I was able to go with my dad to glendale. He bought four tickets that set him back roughly 7K. I can't go but at least I saw them beat FSU ten yrs ago.
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