Wednesday 04/18 A.M. Quickie:"We Are Virginia Tech"

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33624629.post-11072999099846121942007-04-18T08:39:00.000-04:002007-04-18T09:04:43.245-04:00Wednesday 04/18 A.M. Quickie:"We Are Virginia Tech"Virginia Tech tragedy, cont'd: I don't usually embed video clips, but this one says (and does) more than I (or anyone) could write about the Virginia Tech tragedy. Hopefully, you've already seen it: <object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/L5-KYhc_J8s"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/L5-KYhc_J8s" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object> <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5-KYhc_J8s">Here's the link</a>.<o:p> </o:p> <a href="http://www.aolsportsblog.com/2007/04/17/through-hokie-eyes-convocation-and-vigil/">Here's another must-read post</a> from The Dugout and AOL Fanhouse's Nick D, a Virginia Tech student. (Fanhouse's Michael David Smith <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.aolsportsblog.com/2007/04/17/the-virginia-tech-tragedy-and-why-sports-matter/">has a great take, too</a>.) MLB Studs: The Nationals, for wearing Virginia Tech hats yesterday in their 6-4 loss to the Braves. (Affirming that sometimes, a team can claim victory, even in defeat. I've never been prouder to be a Nats fan. All 4 weeks of it.) MLB Duds: The Cardinals, whose 6-7 start is the worst by a defending W.S. champ since the '98 Marlins. (But these Cards weren't imploded in the offseason like that <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Florida</st1:place></st1:state> team was, so what's their excuse?) Matsuzaka Watch: 10 Ks in 6 IP will be forgotten after his bases-loaded walk sent home <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Toronto</st1:place></st1:city>'s game-winning run. (But don't blame Dice-K: That was in the 4th inning; where was <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Boston</st1:city></st1:place>'s vaunted lineup to score more than 1 stinking run?) Sosa Watch: Well, of COURSE Sammy hit a home run in his return to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:city>. Too perfect. NBA Regular-Season Finale: The Warriors basically have a play-in game tonight. They can lock up the 8-spot in the West with a win over <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Portland</st1:place></st1:city>. (Don't the Blazers have a vested interest in making sure their rising division rival makes the playoffs and doesn't enter the Draft Lottery, where GSW has even a smidgen of a chance of walking away with a franchise player?) Meanwhile, I know the Warriors beat a tanking Mavs team, but I still like <st1:placename st="on">Golden</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">State</st1:placetype> to upset <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Dallas</st1:place></st1:city> in the first round of the playoffs. (GSW swept DAL this season.)(Of course, the Warriors could actually vault the Lakers into 7th if GSW wins and L.A. loses to the Kings. Warriors-Suns would tilt the scoreboard; Kobe-Cuban would tilt the media machine.) NBA East: Wow, the Wizards are struggling enough that the 6-, 7- and 8-seeds are all up for grabs in tonight's season finale, meaning the 1-, 2- and 3-seeds don't know who they are playing yet. (Whoops: We don't even know who the top seeds will be; the Cavs could still get the 2-seed.) NBA: Jerry West leaving Grizzlies. Well, that happened about 3 years after I thought it would. (Ah, yes: But will he regret it when they land Oden or Durant? Maybe he's got one more blockbuster trade in him to ship out Pau Gasol for a totally revitalized roster.) More NBA: David Stern banishes ref Joey Crawford indefinitely, including the playoffs. That's for effing with Tim Duncan. (Actually, that's Stern asserting his authority and enhancing his already substantial cred with the fans, teams, players... and refs.) NBA Draft: By winning last night, the Hawks have assured themselves of the 4th-worst record in the league. If the Ping-Pong balls follow, they will have just won their way into giving the Suns the No. 4 pick in the Draft. Forget losing: The Hawks can't even WIN right. NFL Draft: I saw a Mock where the Texans got RB Adrian Peterson. That would be smart (even with their signing of Ahman Green in the offseason). Is it possible that the combination of Peterson and DE Mario Williams is better than the woulda-coulda-shoulda combo of Reggie Bush and the best-available '07 DE (say Adam Carriker or Jamaal Anderson)? Who's going to argue that Bush is a better every-down RB than Peterson? (On second thought, forget it: He won't last until <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Houston</st1:city></st1:place> at No. 10. Pro Football Talk is throwing the 7-spot – Vikings - out there, if Peterson isn't gone earlier via trade-up.) College Football: Wait, is the NCAA really going to get rid of the "unlimited text" plan for hard-working coaches? That must set a record for reactivity by the NCAA. (But get this: They're going to allow the coaches to continue to email players unlimitedly. Guess what: A coach with a Blackberry can email a kid with a Blackberry or EnV or Treo or whatever just as easily as he can text him.) Arena League QB throws 800 TDs: I'm a day late on this, but if the Pro Football Hall of Fame is going to consider Warren Moon's CFL career in judging his Hall bonafides, wouldn't this Arena QB at least merit a sniff? (To position yourself as the Hall for ALL things Pro Football and not have the most prolific Arena player in it seems wrong.) Do you remember the post where I <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.danshanoff.com/2007/02/is-barack-obama-politics-gibert-arenas.html">compared Gilbert Arenas to Barack Obama?</a> The geniuses at Wizznutzz (who helped me produce the Florida T-shirt you see in the upper-right corner – <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.motheringhut.com/duke_florida.html">get yours!</a>) have produced a companion T-shirt. <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://motheringhut.com/obama_arenas.html">Click here for a link to the must-have shirt</a> of the 2008 Presidential campaign. -- D.S.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/33624629-1107299909984612194?l=www.danshanoff.com'/></div>D.S.noreply@blogger.com124