Friday, January 23, 2009

Saturday 01/24 (Very) Quickie: Catching Up!

So you have one unexpected appendectomy and you miss all sorts of good stuff...

Chiefs fire Herman Edwards: You knew this was coming, and you can't say he didn't deserve it. But with a new GM, there was no way Edwards was going to be retained.

So who replaces him? I don't think it will be Mike Shanahan, and the original reporting -- then retracting -- of the story indicates that they are going another way. I expect that Pioli doesn't want a re-tread. If he had only acted faster, he could have had Josh McDaniels. (But maybe he wants to go away from the Belichick coaching tree. Or will he go after Kirk Ferentz?)

LeBron hits a buzzer-beating game-winner: Of course he did. As the votes for "First-Half MVP" roll in, I have to believe James is going to win in a landslide.

(More intriguing: Eric Gordon had 41 last night in a Clippers win over the Thunder. Yes, it was the Thunder, but I'm convinced there aren't a TON of players in the NBA who can just go out and score 41, particularly as a rookie. Maybe 50 total? 100? No more than 30 percent of the league. But you just KNOW that OJ Mayo is saying: "Oh, I can totally beat that...")

UPDATE: I'm a total moron. Um, beyond Gordon's 41...how about Durant's 46? I guess in a loss (and the haze of post-op Vicodin) it gets lost.

Northwestern wins at Michigan State: You have to understand the historical (and recent) futility of NU hoops to recognize how massive this was. Top 3 regular-season win in the last 20 years ('88 vs. Indiana; '94 vs. Michigan... the '94 NIT win over DePaul doesn't count.)

No. 1 Wake Forest loses to Virginia Tech: Well, now I have NO idea what bandwagon to climb on. (Meanwhile: West Virginia beats Georgetown -- god, the Big East is so freaking amazing this season.)

Celtics clock the Magic: Obviously, Boston wanted to prove they were still tops in the East -- and wow did they ever. That was some textbook defense -- and why Orlando won't topple Boston this spring in the playoffs. The young Magic should consider acquiring a rotation player with deep playoff experience, if only to show them how to step up when it matters.

NBA All-Stars: The only intrigue was Amare. Otherwise: I'm glad Chris Paul earned the starting spot; I'm not sure Allen Iverson deserves it, unless he is the designated "just plain popular, if not deserving" spot. Which is totally fair -- it IS an exhibition, after all. Reserves should be more interesting.

Cubs get a new owner: I like that the guy is a Cubs fan. Used to live near Wrigley. Met his future wife at a Cubs game. Of the three qualities you want in a sports owner, they are: (1) Tons of money (and willing to spend it); (2) Smart enough to hire smart people to run the team; (3) A true fan of the team.

Lions hire Scott Linehan as Offensive Coordinator: Love this hire. Linehan couldn't head-coach his way out of a paper bag, but as an OC, there's no denying the guy is smart. And he joins up with a really smart H.C. in Jim Schwartz.

Jeff Kent retires: Not a nice guy, but his stats are undeniable. Haven't had a chance to see how the SABR-friendly folks have weighed in on him, so how else would I know what to think about it?

Ben Sheets to the Rangers? That has to come with a huge "IF he's healthy..." caveat. Think he's willing to sign a deal that ties payment to his health? When healthy, a top 5 pitcher in the league. But he's hardly ever truly healthy.

Senior Bowl tonight: And the biggest winner was BJ Raji, the BC DT. And I'm so thrilled to see Derrick Williams have a great week and move himself into the first round. What a great player he is, right up there with Harvin and Maclin as the most dynamic and versatile WR talents in the country.)

Back tomorrow a.m. as usual.

-- D.S.

2 comments:

Steve said...

Yikes... glad to hear you're going better - get well soon!

WuzUpG said...

It's not so much that LeBron hit a buzzer-beater. It's the Warriors lost another heartbreak buzzer-beater in back-to-back games? Of course they did!

Don't forget to watch the NHL SuperSkills. It is by far the best of all pro All-Star game festivities. Better than the Home Run Derby, better than the Slam Dunk and 3-pt. shootout. Moreover, in order to participate, they must be an All-Star first. So, no scrubs, like Craig Hodges can just step in to win a contest.