Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Tuesday 05/08 A.M. Quickie:
Jazz, Warriors, Cuban, Penny, More

Jazz out-run Warriors in Game 1: Nothing takes the air out of a good unified national fan bandwagon like losing.

Just as Golden State's Game 1 win over the Mavericks set up their magical run in round one, the Warriors' Game 2 loss to the Jazz slows the momentum. (If you can use a term like "slow momentum" when it comes to the frenetic Warriors.)

I think the Warriors had too long of a rest between series, while Utah was riding the wave of the Game 7 win over the Rockets – and home-court advantage.

In the end, that's what I'm watching: I won't count the Warriors out until they lose at home (which they won't). This is going to be a hell of a good series.

(Meanwhile, with all the attention on Baron Davis right now, will this series be the moment that Utah's Deron Williams -- 31 pts last night – has his national breakout moment?)

Pistons blow out Bulls... again: Wow, is this going to be over quickly or what? It's not even about Ben Wallace's old teammates showing him what's what; it's about the class of the conference beating up on a wannabe.

Mark Cuban supports PEDs in the NBA: I'm sure there's more nuance to his argument than was presented in the Men's Journal article. There's a part of me that thinks he says these kinds of things to say them, for the attention they bring, and part of me that thinks he says these things because he's a really smart guy and he knows what he's talking about. I'm pretty sure he'll be shouted down in this case, because "PED" is the dirtiest word in sports right now.

Roger Clemens says "it's not about the money," which is the biggest load of bunk in the Clemens saga since "But the test was clean."

MLB Stud: Brad Penny, who had a career-high 14 Ks (with zero BBs), raising his record to 4-0 and lowering his ERA to 1.39.

Runners-up: Chris Capuano (season-high 9 Ks) and Chris Young (8Ks in 6 IP), both winning.

MLB Dud: Joel Zumaya, out for 12 weeks with a finger injury. TBD how it might impact the rest of his season.

HBO yanks Mayweather-DeLaHoya fight off YouTube: A few thoughts on this – (1) Why did it take HBO until Monday to figure out it was out there? (2) The audience for the clips was pretty low. That should bother HBO (and boxing) a lot more than copyright infringement. Maybe if they had two guys boxing AND using Mentos and soda to cause an explosion...

Billy Donovan turns down Grizzlies: I totally neglected to mention this yesterday. Actually, I believe I had written about the Grizzlies' interest in Donovan back in early March, along with the $5 million figure thrown around yesterday. Don't ask how I knew. (Seriously: I think it was from a random message board or something.) Anyway, Billy wanted full control, and the Grizz didn't want to give it to him. Interest over.

There's only one team dumb enough to give one person the coach and GM roles, along with a sick amount of money, and the Knicks already have a guy in that role... for now. I've always claimed that the Knicks job -- coach, GM, the works -- is the one Donovan will get... and take. Will it happen in 2008? We'll see.

Is Shaun Alexander's foot still broken? Eh, maybe the Seahawks would have wanted to know about that before draft day...

Does Jermaine O'Neal want to play for the Knicks? If I was Indiana, given the team has no hope of competing for an East title as-is, I would demand David Lee, Channing Frye and the Knicks No. 1 in '07.

Pac-Man Jones' lawyers have a point when they say that his season-long suspension was "unprecedented in its severity." The Commish should/will reply: "Yeah? So what?"

Greg Oden picked Mike Conley Jr.'s dad as his agent. That cannot possibly surprise you.

This is a pretty good summary of what makes Josh Hamilton so intriguing.

-- D.S.

53 comments:

Unknown said...

NHL? Red Wings win and advance. San Jose has to be scratching their heads as to how they let this series slip away. Detroit is starting to wake up and, if they don't lose anymore defensemen to injuries, could raise another Cup. Wings in six; Ottawa in seven.

Unknown said...

DUD: Brad Penny

14 Ks, no runs allowed....and the bum doesn't try to finish the game? Can you have an easier situation to get the CG than a 6 run lead going into the 8th while holding a shut out?
Clearly, his balls are made of wet paper bags.

RevScottDeMangeMD said...

I can't tell if that article was ripping Josh Hamilton or not. Too bad the Reds suck and Roy "I am the best pitcher that no one cares about" Oswalt is now 19-1 lifetime against them. Jesus.

Hey Joe in Dayton...did you graduate? I was at Tim's on Saturday...don't remember too much.

Matt T said...

Chris Capuano has been sneaky good the past couple of years. He's one of the guys on the Brewers who is pretty damn good and a reason why they are in first.

But they don't get any attention because we get the Roger Clemens crap shoved down our throat.

eric said...

I'm already hearing that "Hamilton can't possibly keep this up" as if everyone is tired of hearing about the story, and hoping it goes away. Well, I hate to say it, but the dude went 4-5 on Saturday, 2-4 on Sunday with 2 HRs, and an o-fer yesterday. He's hitting .292 with 8 HRs and 17 RBIs in 89 AB. I don't know if he'll be able to keep it up, but if he continues to play well, I wouldn't mind hearing Josh Hamilton stories all season.

Anonymous said...

warriors jazz was a great game anyway, incrediably entertaining, the warriors could have won despite a great game from kirilenkookur and boozer and williams and the warriors were a missed 3 way against the llazz at home.

Brian in Oxford said...

haven't had the chance to see the SB for Seattle in the 8th....Sterling said he was clearly out, but the call led to the tying run off Farnsworth in the 8th.

ESPN seems to like this David Ortiz story this morning. Wait, there's stuff less regulated in the DR?

These should be some awesome conference finals. I don't understand why the NHL and NBA feel they need to have an East vs. West final. Baseball and football at least have a chance, where if the 2 best teams are geographically close, they don't have to meet until the final. Any reason not to seed 1-16 and just have at it?

Geoff said...

Red Wings advance to the conference finals, Pistons steam-rolling through the Bulls right now, Tigers have won 7 games in a row... good time to be a Detroit sports fan.

Mark Cuban... ugh... I like him as an owner but the guy really needs to shutup sometimes.

RevScottDeMangeMD said...

How was this not Shanoff's lead item today???

Everything's turning up Shanoff.

Joey said...

I'd add Fausto Carmona to the Stud list. 7 IP 0 ER fresh up from the minors to move to 3-1 (also had a W wiped against NY in Borowski's meltdown) with an ERA under 3.

Unknown said...

Jazz in 4. Warriors were a good matchup for the Mavs. That's it.

CMFost said...

Yes, the SB call was horrible he was out by a foot but umpires make mistakes and it cost the yankees who have to be a little worried today the Rivera gave up another Home Run in a critical situation.

Matt said...

what are PEDs?

Imam Me said...

I completely agree with Cuban. Most of us reading this blog had some type of PED to help us get through work, school, and/or daily activities better. Why can't athletes?

I'm talking about caffeine, allergy medicine, asprin, etc. While these are not on the same scale, I do not see why there is such a media witch hunt over guys who take these things. Yet, a writer will chug 3 cups of coffee and a redbull to beat the deadline in order to slam athletes who use PEDs. Talk about hypocritical....

Eric Chase said...

It ISN'T about the $$$ with Clemens, it's about ego. If Clemens propels to the playoffs or WS, he's a hero. And if not, he can blame it on injuries. The need to feed one's ego is much hungrier than the need to fill a packed wallet

Jen said...

I'm with eric...Clemens doesn't need anymore $$$. He wants to be that superhero that wins the big games and gets into the hitters' psyche and saves the day for the Yankee nation.

@ rev~ Ugh, you just made me want to barf up my apple fritter. haha Like Dan needed anymore ammo to drive home his Gator-loving!

chipp said...

Yeah, the SB should have been a CS, but it still needed the follow-up RBI single by Johjima to tie the game.

Would the Dud go to Rivera for giving up the game winning HR in the 9th or to Torre for bringing in Rivera in the 9th of a tie game and not a save situation?

Andy said...

Raf, don't call Penny a dud. He threw 110 pitches in 7 innings, which is why he didn't finish the game. He's a stud in my book, of course it doesn't hurt that he's on my fantasy team.

Dud would go to Rivera. I'm SO glad I traded him away in fantasy. What's this stolen base thing? I want to see it. Any one know where I can get a video of it?

Geoff said...

There is a difference between taking some Sine-Aid for a stuffy nose and taking steroids to help athletic performance. Don't be stupid.

jhawkjjm said...

andy- just go to espn and watch the highlights from the game. He was clearly out.


chipp- Torre was suspended, I think Mattingly was acting manager. And at home if tied going into the ninth there will never be a save situation. So bringing in Rivera is the right move. He just didn't get the job done.

ToddTheJackass said...

MLB Studs and Duds:

Studs:
1. Brad Penny
2. Chris Capuano
3. Bengie Molina
4. Alex Gonzalez
5. Fausto Carmona

Duds:
1. Oliver Perez
2. Ricky Nolasco
3. Tie: Jamie Walker/Bradford/John Parish
4. Mariano Rivera
5. Bobby Abreu

Honorary Dud: 2B umpires (for last night's blown call and the Shane Victorino/Vizquel blown call).

ToddTheJackass said...

I can't say I've ever heard the phrase "his balls are made of wet paper bags"

Interesting story about Ortiz. I'm pretty sure though "protein shake" translates much better as "deep fried twinkie" though.

Unknown said...

rafael-
I don't think you can fault Brad Penny for leaving after 7 when he had already thrown 110 pitches. If he continued at that pace a CG would've been 141 pitches.

Jason-
Wow. That was a ridiculous prediction. Do you realize that for the Jazz to sweep they have to win 2 games in Oakland?

Kasko said...

Regarding that J. O'Neal deal... the Knicks #1 this year is actually the Bulls #1 this year, so somewhere in the mid-20s, probably.

Unknown said...

What?! OF COURSE i can fault him. I'm a baseball fan. I need no real logic. :)

High pitch counts didn't hurt Wood or Prior, why would it hurt Penny?

Seriously though...if its right there for you, you try to get it. Throwing 140 pitches one outing won't kill you. He could have just thrown 6 pitches...85 mph fastballs popped up. Whatever. Go for the CG.
(which, Andy, would have helped your fantasy too. heh)

Imam Me said...

Geoff:

If you READ the Cuban article, he talks about how steriods (which are harmful to your health) aren't good and shouldn't be allowed. If something isn't harmful than it's okay to take if they improve performance. At no point did I mention steroids (i was talking about creatine, greenies, uppers, etc...which are mostly allowed by pro sports, therefore I agree with Cuban). You did.

Unknown said...

GITC:

Of course I do.

I figure retarded overblown statements are the only way I'll get noticed, though. :)

Andy said...

Yeah, Raf, it would have helped me if he got the CG, but I'm still more than satisfied with a win, an ERA of 0.00 and 14 k's. My team hasn't exactly been a strikeout machine so far outside of Sabathia.

Trey (formerly TF) said...

Rev,

I was there! Had a wall.

I got there later, my friend had a graduation party in the ghetto, and her house had a small fire (nothing biog really...it was on the stove) which brought out every form of public service.

However, I haven't graduated yet, law school graduation isn't until this weekend.

Joe (Dayton...5 more days)

RevScottDeMangeMD said...

@ Joe...

I bet you were on the stripper pole with some freshmen right? Ha!

Tim's was a baaaaaaaaad idea. I also was in the ghetto but not sure exactly where...good times all around!

Where to after graduation? Not staying in the beautiful Gem City? Won't you miss Marion's Pizza too much?

Unknown said...

R.I.P. to Diego Corrales, former world champ. His epic battle with Castillo in their 3rd fight will go down as one of the best ever.

TBender said...

Has there ever been a player with such a laundry list of incidents as Pacman? I can't think of any player who was constantly "in the wrong place at the wrong time" as Jones in such a short timespan. The severity of the punishment fits the frequency of the behavior.

Eric and Jen are right...Clemens' ego is in charge. But getting the dollars is part of feeding the ego, so it still is partly about the money.

Wasn't Ortiz the player complaining that MLB was unfairly cracking down on non-English speaking players with the new PED testing because of what was available in the Caribbean and that those players might not understand the written-in-English rules? (Which IMO was more a MLBPA issue rather than a MLB issue.)

Jeff said...

@geoff

It is a good time to be a Detroit sports fan, but you missed the real reason ... it's because the Lions aren't playing!

Andy said...

Slow comment day. We better come up with something to talk about. Who's got ideas?

RevScottDeMangeMD said...

Top 5 "Why did I see this movie" b/c of bad scenes.

1.) Deliverance
2.) Misery
3.) The Crying Game
4.) Any of the Saw movies
5.) Exorcist

alhajir said...

Andy...ummm....Arod hasnt hit a homer in 12 games...Hes choking and regressing back to last year. Cashman better start thinking of trade ideas.

(that was me being sarcastic).

How many people hear wants to see Spurs/Jazz match-up? My friend told me he wants to see that match up (hes into D and fundamentals)and I told him it will be the worst series ever. If David Stern wants more fans watching, he better do something quick, because that series will kill whatever momentum the nba has in terms of viewership.

chipp said...

Ugh. Spurs-Jazz and Pistons-Nets/Cavs followed by Spurs-Pistons? Worst. Playoffs. Ever.

Wasn't the big talk before the playoffs that this was going to be a great year? The first round was supposed to only have 2 dud matchups, but the first round sucked (w/ a couple of exceptions) and it's going to continue all the way through the finals.

alhajir said...

I dont mind the Pistons. There is a huge difference between the Pistons and the Spurs. Both are known for their D, but I enjoy watching the Pistons. They make wathcing them enjoyable. They have attitude and get excited when a big play happens. But the spurs are so calmn and collected. Its ok at some points, but damn Duncan/Parker/etc, scream once in a while, get pumped up.

ToddTheJackass said...

Anyone else think it was pretty harsh sending Igawa all the way back to Single-A. And while I know it won't last, Mariano Rivera's ERA right now is over 8.

Also, does anyone else think that Proctor's suspension could be the best thing for him? His arm will definitely fall off if he keeps pitching almost everyday.

Brian in Oxford said...

Was that *clearly* a Die Hard homage last night on 24 or what?!

Brian in Oxford said...

The hard part about relievers' ERAs is how long it takes them to come down, an inning at a time.

I remember Eck's last year he played for Boston, got lit up early, and it took all year for him to get his ERA back down even to around 4-5.

ToddTheJackass said...

@Rev, I love the movie Trainspotting, but my girlfriend refuses to watch it because of the baby on the ceiling scene.

My top 5 "Why did I see this movie" b/c of bad scenes.

1.) Roger & Me (the bunny scene)
2.) Se7en (Sloth)
3.) Ocean's Twelve (the Julia Roberts bit)
4.) Matrix Revolutions (the end)
5.) American History X (Curbing)

Unknown said...

Matt,
PED = Performance Enhancing Drug

Unknown said...

Drug testing in baseball is a joke.

If they were really serious about stopping PEDs in baseball, they would randomly test before or after games drawing blood and/or urine. If a player was guilty the team would forfeit the game and the player would be suspended.

Baseball is just hand waving and pretending to do something to placate their fans.

If MLB would really test and start suspended their top players, they would hurt their product.

In cycling over in Europe by comparison, riders are randomly tested before or after competition. Also during the offseason riders have to give their location and can be randomly tested at any time. If found guilty, they are banned for two years for their first offense! And it is doubled for a pro-tour ( equate to major league) to a total of a four year ban.

I would guess that 75% of baseball players have used an illegal PED. I would also guess that 99% of football players have.

So maybe Cuban is right. Let's stop all the hyprocrisy and put everyone on an even playing field. If you want the millions, you have to be willing to sacrifice your future health and well being. If you die from a heart attack on the field that will be a warning to not overdo it to others.

rukrusher said...

Wake me when Brad Penny does it for a full season adn the playoffs.

Trey (formerly TF) said...

Rev,

Headin back to Florida. Too cold up here for a Florida native. Those two weeks where we got hit twice did me in.

Joe (Dayton)

Unknown said...

Warriors/Jazz Game 1 Recap

Remember these words: The Jazz will lose this series if they try to play the game at the Warriors' pace.

It is that simple. Nellie will figure out how to accomodate Carlos Boozer. He may just send all his guys to foul Boozer. He may have guys go and take charges constantly to get him out of the game. He may move "Big Al" to pick and pop so that Boozer becomes a defensive liability.

The Jazz need to play their game to win. If they try to play Golden State's game they will lose. There are 3 games in Oakland. If the Jazz think they can go into the Oracle, play Golden State's game, and win, then Jerry Sloan might be done coaching. All the Warriors have to do is win 1 game in Utah. So basically they have to get hot on 1 of 4 nights.

Yeah, there's no chance that happens.

MP said...

I wouldn't worry too much about there being a limited audience for the boxing clips on YouTube. So much pending litigation is going on there, maybe people just thought it would be taken down really soon. And they would have been right.

Props to all those listing Fausto Carmona as a stud. He's been doing pretty good in the starting role, considering his disasters in the closing role last year.

I'm on the Pistons bandwagon for now. Come the East (or NBA) Finals, I'll be off. I don't think Flip can win the big ones.

Brian in Oxford said...

Ya know, when the comments screech to a halt in the early afternoon, I'm always tempted to see if Dan's posted something new in the P.M....but nothing.

Anonymous said...

Great news for college football lovers.I read earlier on a USC message board that another fan read in the Boston Globe that USC is very close to inking a home and home with Boston College,and or Syracuse starting in 2011. Great pub by Pete Carroll trying to get the East Coast on his side again.

Unknown said...

I dont think the Knick's have a first round pick this year(see Eddy Curry trade), so when they get the number one pick in the lottery and Odin goes to the Bulls that crying you hear will be from the NY/NJ area

ChrisWard said...

Re: Pac-Man Jones,

Saw somewhere and think its a good point: Alex Karras and Paul Hornung would probably disagree with the characterization of a season long suspension as unprecedented.

Unknown said...

um... The Bulls have the Knicks #1 pick in '07.