Deron Williams re-signed with the Nets, bringing star power, legitimacy and a pretty decent chance to get to the NBA's playoff final eight (if not final four).
But the most interesting part about it for me is the Nets' original gamble -- that given a 17-month head-start and, not insubstantially, a franchise relocation to the hippest city in the NBA, they could convince a top-tier NBA player to stay with the team.
It is instructive, because it offers a new path to acquiring stars: Give up a huge package to get players while they are still under your control, then use that time to recruit them. It's a risk, but the expected value feels a hell of a lot safer than rolling the dice as part of the scrum of teams wooing free agents during the 48 hours a player actually is a free agent.
It helps understand why the Rockets are smart to try to put together a package for Dwight Howard, even if he insists he won't resign with them next summer. A year is a long time, and cap space is a fickle thing. Wouldn't you rather have a year, up close and personal, to try to close the deal than be one of 6 teams that will be wooing Dwight next summer?
Wizards owner Ted Leonsis wrote an interesting series of posts this week talking about how acquiring players with time left on their contracts via trade is much more stable (and often more economical) than trying to do battle in the free-agent market, which is only guaranteed to deliver two things: Unpredictability and the lock that you will overpay, probably not even for the A-tier target you wanted.
It's the new Moneyball: Trade for a star with some time left on his deal, then work like crazy to recruit them with the time and opportunity you have.
Not every team has the cachet of Brooklyn to throw around. Not every team has an owner with an unlimited willingness to pay (what luxury tax?) And this all makes sense because Williams picked the Nets; if he had picked the Mavs, we'd be killing the Nets right now.
But regardless of the outcome, the process seems to be a lot safer -- and smarter -- than most pundits were giving them credit for. If your goal is to be elite -- and not merely climb onto the Treadmill of Mediocrity -- then you have to take bold, smart approaches like this.
Good day for Brooklyn. Good day for the NBA. Happy July 4th. Be safe and eat plenty.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, July 04, 2012
Tuesday, July 03, 2012
07/03 (Hawks) Quickie
Working through some Quickish CMS issues. Apologies in advance for the lack of Quickish updates today.
Meanwhile, Danny Ferry won Monday: He offloaded Joe Johnson's monster contract and Marvin Williams' bloated contract to turn the Hawks into a lean, mean, we-have-tons-of-cap-room machine. If Dwight Howard and CP3 want to come to Atlanta next summer, the Hawks can accommodate. (I think the Magic would trade Howard for Horford -- it's unclear Howard wants a homecoming enough to sign long-term with the Hawks. I think it's worth the risk for Ferry.)
And the Nets are well-positioned, too: Joe Johnson is a good 2nd piece (and a great 3rd one). Deron Williams and Joe Johnson in a backcourt (with Jason Kidd off the bench?) is the gold standard in the NBA. Add in Gerald Wallace, and you probably have three players versatile enough to give the Heat a tough series in the playoffs. (Brook Lopez would be a bonus, as would this mysterious Bosnian stretch-4 that they plan on signing, and who could take the NBA by storm.) The question is: Can they pull off a deal for Dwight Howard? Even if they don't, the Nets are a formidable playoff team.
Olympics: What a waste that they didn't have that run-off last night. And what a shame Dara Torres fell .09 seconds short of making the Olympic team in the 50 free.
More later. But a fun day of offseason intrigue in the NBA.
-- D.S.
Meanwhile, Danny Ferry won Monday: He offloaded Joe Johnson's monster contract and Marvin Williams' bloated contract to turn the Hawks into a lean, mean, we-have-tons-of-cap-room machine. If Dwight Howard and CP3 want to come to Atlanta next summer, the Hawks can accommodate. (I think the Magic would trade Howard for Horford -- it's unclear Howard wants a homecoming enough to sign long-term with the Hawks. I think it's worth the risk for Ferry.)
And the Nets are well-positioned, too: Joe Johnson is a good 2nd piece (and a great 3rd one). Deron Williams and Joe Johnson in a backcourt (with Jason Kidd off the bench?) is the gold standard in the NBA. Add in Gerald Wallace, and you probably have three players versatile enough to give the Heat a tough series in the playoffs. (Brook Lopez would be a bonus, as would this mysterious Bosnian stretch-4 that they plan on signing, and who could take the NBA by storm.) The question is: Can they pull off a deal for Dwight Howard? Even if they don't, the Nets are a formidable playoff team.
Olympics: What a waste that they didn't have that run-off last night. And what a shame Dara Torres fell .09 seconds short of making the Olympic team in the 50 free.
More later. But a fun day of offseason intrigue in the NBA.
-- D.S.
Monday, July 02, 2012
07/02 (Run-Off) Quickie
Busy weekend, busy week...
*Greatest. Side. Ever. -- Spain wins Euro 2012. And, in a way that gets "Quickie Instant History" approval, folks like SI's Grant Wahl and ESPN's Jeff Carlisle are already declaring this Spain side (which also won the Euro title in 2008 and the World Cup in 2010) as the "Greatest Side Ever."
*Olympics US Women's 100M Run-Off: It's the coolest idea ever (particularly on a quiet sports night like tonight), but neither Tarmoh nor Felix seem particularly enthusiastic about it, Tarmoh especially after she read the SI.com report that the initial ruling from the official judge of photo finishes that she won. She says she might not do the run-off. Prediction: They get to the starting line, then both back off, ostensibly due to fear of injury. (But from a fan perspective, it would be fun to see.)
*Olympics Name to Know: Gabby Douglas, who edged out Jordan Wieber to become USA gymnastics' No. 1. It's gold or failure for Team USA.
*MLB ASG: That was an impressive bit of ballot-stuffing by the Giants fans, particularly to get Pablo Sandoval into the starting lineup at 3B ahead of David Wright. It's not a reason to abolish fan voting for the spot -- it's a reason to ask your team (say, the Mets) why they didn't have a better strategy for bolstering their guy. In the Mets' case, they should have expanded their campaign beyond NY and Mets fans to all MLB fans with the argument: "Don't let Giants fans spoil your game. Vote Wright at 3B." Thinking that All-Star campaigns are limited to your own fan base -- particularly in the final week of the voting -- is a big mistake. Clearly.
*MLB Final Vote: I thought that Bryce Harper was a lock to win the popular vote for the NL's "Final" spot... right up until they put Chipper Jones on the ballot with him. Jones -- the future Hall of Famer in his final season before retirement -- represents the edge-case exception to the "Harper Rule," and should beat out the phenom for the spot. (Don't cry for Harper -- he is a near-lock to be an All-Star starter for the next decade or two.)
*Dwight Howard, cont'd: He insists he will only sign with Brooklyn next summer as a free agent, no matter who he is traded to (Lakers, Rockets, etc). If I was one of those teams, I would trade for him anyway, then spend the next year convincing him -- in person, with no restrictions -- to re-sign. Meanwhile, the Nets aren't waiting around and are apparently lining up a big trade to take the expensive Joe Johnson off the Hawks' hands, creating the potential for a Deron Williams-Joe Johnson backcourt, which would be the best in the league. (The Nets are also re-signing Gerald Wallace. If they can find a defensive stopper to at least try and guard LeBron, it's not a bad playoff team, given that the Heat has no big presence down low, aside from LeBron.)
*NBA Free Agency: Aside from the Nets' machinations, the big story is where Steve Nash will end up. The Raptors are offering the most money (by a wide margin) and the chance to finish his career in Canada, providing at least a little lift for Canada's only NBA team. It's unclear why Nash would want to play in New York if Lin is the star PG or the Nets if they have Deron Williams -- presumably, Nash is Plan B if Williams goes to Dallas -- and I love the idea of him in Toronto. Meanwhile, the Rockets are apparently going to pry Omer Asik -- great defensively, limited offensively -- from the Bulls, whose title window appears to have closed (before it even really opened) with Rose's knee injury and hamstrung finances.
More later. Check out Quickish for great takes on today's best topics!
-- D.S.
*Greatest. Side. Ever. -- Spain wins Euro 2012. And, in a way that gets "Quickie Instant History" approval, folks like SI's Grant Wahl and ESPN's Jeff Carlisle are already declaring this Spain side (which also won the Euro title in 2008 and the World Cup in 2010) as the "Greatest Side Ever."
*Olympics US Women's 100M Run-Off: It's the coolest idea ever (particularly on a quiet sports night like tonight), but neither Tarmoh nor Felix seem particularly enthusiastic about it, Tarmoh especially after she read the SI.com report that the initial ruling from the official judge of photo finishes that she won. She says she might not do the run-off. Prediction: They get to the starting line, then both back off, ostensibly due to fear of injury. (But from a fan perspective, it would be fun to see.)
*Olympics Name to Know: Gabby Douglas, who edged out Jordan Wieber to become USA gymnastics' No. 1. It's gold or failure for Team USA.
*MLB ASG: That was an impressive bit of ballot-stuffing by the Giants fans, particularly to get Pablo Sandoval into the starting lineup at 3B ahead of David Wright. It's not a reason to abolish fan voting for the spot -- it's a reason to ask your team (say, the Mets) why they didn't have a better strategy for bolstering their guy. In the Mets' case, they should have expanded their campaign beyond NY and Mets fans to all MLB fans with the argument: "Don't let Giants fans spoil your game. Vote Wright at 3B." Thinking that All-Star campaigns are limited to your own fan base -- particularly in the final week of the voting -- is a big mistake. Clearly.
*MLB Final Vote: I thought that Bryce Harper was a lock to win the popular vote for the NL's "Final" spot... right up until they put Chipper Jones on the ballot with him. Jones -- the future Hall of Famer in his final season before retirement -- represents the edge-case exception to the "Harper Rule," and should beat out the phenom for the spot. (Don't cry for Harper -- he is a near-lock to be an All-Star starter for the next decade or two.)
*Dwight Howard, cont'd: He insists he will only sign with Brooklyn next summer as a free agent, no matter who he is traded to (Lakers, Rockets, etc). If I was one of those teams, I would trade for him anyway, then spend the next year convincing him -- in person, with no restrictions -- to re-sign. Meanwhile, the Nets aren't waiting around and are apparently lining up a big trade to take the expensive Joe Johnson off the Hawks' hands, creating the potential for a Deron Williams-Joe Johnson backcourt, which would be the best in the league. (The Nets are also re-signing Gerald Wallace. If they can find a defensive stopper to at least try and guard LeBron, it's not a bad playoff team, given that the Heat has no big presence down low, aside from LeBron.)
*NBA Free Agency: Aside from the Nets' machinations, the big story is where Steve Nash will end up. The Raptors are offering the most money (by a wide margin) and the chance to finish his career in Canada, providing at least a little lift for Canada's only NBA team. It's unclear why Nash would want to play in New York if Lin is the star PG or the Nets if they have Deron Williams -- presumably, Nash is Plan B if Williams goes to Dallas -- and I love the idea of him in Toronto. Meanwhile, the Rockets are apparently going to pry Omer Asik -- great defensively, limited offensively -- from the Bulls, whose title window appears to have closed (before it even really opened) with Rose's knee injury and hamstrung finances.
More later. Check out Quickish for great takes on today's best topics!
-- D.S.
Sunday, July 01, 2012
07/01 (July) Quickie
Trying to write this while having no power in the house/neighborhood/city from the DC storms...
Penn State email revelations: The Jerry Sandusky "guilty" verdict might have made people forget that the Penn State administration was complicit in his horrifying crimes. This is a good reminder.
NBA Free Agency begins: But, first, Dwight Howard wants out of Orlando (for Brooklyn), claiming the Magic "blackmailed" him (ha) when he signed that one-year extension last spring.
Meanwhile, the Nets are trying to deal to get Joe Johnson and Luis Scola and OJ Mayo... and it feels like everyone else, in order to put some talent around Deron Williams (if not Dwight Howard).
The big winners? Eric Gordon is looking for a max deal (from the Hornets, or anyone else), and I suspect he'll get it (the Hornets are on the verge of a dramatic turnaround). And Nicholas Batum reportedly has a huge deal from the T'wolves, who are desperate for a good SF.
Kevin Garnett re-signs with Celtics for 3 years: Totally reasonable.
Steve Nash has huge 3-year deal on table from Toronto: Again, totally reasonable.
Both guys -- but Nash in particular -- are freaks who will out-perform their age (which they already have). I think Nash will be the most productive 40-year-old player in NBA history, and easily worth his contract.
Texas A&M and Missouri join the SEC: Enjoy the rough reception.
TCU and West Virginia join the Big 12: I actually think both will be very successful -- like among the Top 4 football teams in the league.
July already?
-- D.S.
Penn State email revelations: The Jerry Sandusky "guilty" verdict might have made people forget that the Penn State administration was complicit in his horrifying crimes. This is a good reminder.
NBA Free Agency begins: But, first, Dwight Howard wants out of Orlando (for Brooklyn), claiming the Magic "blackmailed" him (ha) when he signed that one-year extension last spring.
Meanwhile, the Nets are trying to deal to get Joe Johnson and Luis Scola and OJ Mayo... and it feels like everyone else, in order to put some talent around Deron Williams (if not Dwight Howard).
The big winners? Eric Gordon is looking for a max deal (from the Hornets, or anyone else), and I suspect he'll get it (the Hornets are on the verge of a dramatic turnaround). And Nicholas Batum reportedly has a huge deal from the T'wolves, who are desperate for a good SF.
Kevin Garnett re-signs with Celtics for 3 years: Totally reasonable.
Steve Nash has huge 3-year deal on table from Toronto: Again, totally reasonable.
Both guys -- but Nash in particular -- are freaks who will out-perform their age (which they already have). I think Nash will be the most productive 40-year-old player in NBA history, and easily worth his contract.
Texas A&M and Missouri join the SEC: Enjoy the rough reception.
TCU and West Virginia join the Big 12: I actually think both will be very successful -- like among the Top 4 football teams in the league.
July already?
-- D.S.
Friday, June 29, 2012
06/29 (Beal) Quickie
So my near-hysteria leading up to the draft that the/my Wizards would get out-hustled for my favorite draft pick, Bradley Beal, ended up being gloriously unnecessary. When David Stern said "Michael Kidd-Gilchrist" for the Bobcats and the Wiz picking Beal was secure, it was as giddy as I've been as a Wizards fan -- such is the life of the Wizards fan.
(Of course, it wouldn't be a Wizards draft without a huge screw-up, which in this case was taking a positionless Euro without a jumpshot at No. 32 when terrific talents like Draymond Green and Jae Crowder were available -- smarter teams snatching them up as soon as the Wizards made their bungling pick was a pretty good indication that the Wizards mis-handled that completely.)
Still: I give the Wizards a very high grade for landing the best wing prospect in the draft -- "high" and "Wizards draft grade" doesn't happen very often, so I'll take it.
More fans that should be happy with their teams' drafts:
*Hornets: Davis is a franchise-changer. Hate the Rivers pick.
*Bobcats: MKG and Jeff Taylor aren't stars, but so valuable.
*Kings: Thomas Robinson is the bizarro DeMarcus Cousins.
*Pistons: Drummond was worth the risk at No. 9.
*Suns: It's cliche to say Kendall Marshall is the new Nash, but there it is.
*Rockets: Don't get the bad grades for Lamb/White/Jones - love these.
*Magic: Andrew Nicholson and Kyle O'Quinn both on everyone's sleeper list.
*Celtics: Sullinger and Melo were more than worth the risk.
*Thunder: Perry Jones III found his ideal spot. A steal for OKC.
Less good:
Cavs: I like Waiters; most Cavs fans seem underwhelmed.
Warriors: Barnes is meh. (Love 2nd-rounder Draymond Green pick.)
Hard to nick teams picking in back half of 1st round -- it's a mixed bag.
There is always a little day-after-Christmas feel to the draft -- so much anticipation and discussion heading in, then you either get what you want... or you don't. I'm thrilled with Beal, and now it is time to move on to NBA free agency, MLB zooming into mid-season and the Olympics. NFL training camps are only a month away.
-- D.S.
(Of course, it wouldn't be a Wizards draft without a huge screw-up, which in this case was taking a positionless Euro without a jumpshot at No. 32 when terrific talents like Draymond Green and Jae Crowder were available -- smarter teams snatching them up as soon as the Wizards made their bungling pick was a pretty good indication that the Wizards mis-handled that completely.)
Still: I give the Wizards a very high grade for landing the best wing prospect in the draft -- "high" and "Wizards draft grade" doesn't happen very often, so I'll take it.
More fans that should be happy with their teams' drafts:
*Hornets: Davis is a franchise-changer. Hate the Rivers pick.
*Bobcats: MKG and Jeff Taylor aren't stars, but so valuable.
*Kings: Thomas Robinson is the bizarro DeMarcus Cousins.
*Pistons: Drummond was worth the risk at No. 9.
*Suns: It's cliche to say Kendall Marshall is the new Nash, but there it is.
*Rockets: Don't get the bad grades for Lamb/White/Jones - love these.
*Magic: Andrew Nicholson and Kyle O'Quinn both on everyone's sleeper list.
*Celtics: Sullinger and Melo were more than worth the risk.
*Thunder: Perry Jones III found his ideal spot. A steal for OKC.
Less good:
Cavs: I like Waiters; most Cavs fans seem underwhelmed.
Warriors: Barnes is meh. (Love 2nd-rounder Draymond Green pick.)
Hard to nick teams picking in back half of 1st round -- it's a mixed bag.
There is always a little day-after-Christmas feel to the draft -- so much anticipation and discussion heading in, then you either get what you want... or you don't. I'm thrilled with Beal, and now it is time to move on to NBA free agency, MLB zooming into mid-season and the Olympics. NFL training camps are only a month away.
-- D.S.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
06/28 (NBA Draft) Quickie
I'm way too invested in tonight's NBA Draft: Bradley Beal is my guy and has been for a long time. My Wiz pick 3rd, which means they will just miss him (if Charlotte trades their pick) or they will get him at 3 (unless the Wiz GM, inundated with offers for Beal, trades the pick). I'm antsy.
Otherwise, it's an awesome night for Hornets fans -- the path to title contention starts now.
My annual list:
Players I like: Beal, Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Thomas Robinson, Damian Lillard, Royce White, Andrew Nicholson, Draymond Green, Jeff Taylor, Quincy Miller, Bernard James, Doron Lamb, Drew Gordon, Kyle O'Quinn, Jae Crowder.
Players I don't: Harrison Barnes, Austin Rivers, Andre Drummond, Jeremy Lamb, Perry Jones, Terrence Jones, Will Barton, Tony Wroten.
Nights like this I miss my old "Draft Fashion" column -- that was a fun one to do.
-- D.S.
Otherwise, it's an awesome night for Hornets fans -- the path to title contention starts now.
My annual list:
Players I like: Beal, Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Thomas Robinson, Damian Lillard, Royce White, Andrew Nicholson, Draymond Green, Jeff Taylor, Quincy Miller, Bernard James, Doron Lamb, Drew Gordon, Kyle O'Quinn, Jae Crowder.
Players I don't: Harrison Barnes, Austin Rivers, Andre Drummond, Jeremy Lamb, Perry Jones, Terrence Jones, Will Barton, Tony Wroten.
Nights like this I miss my old "Draft Fashion" column -- that was a fun one to do.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
06/27 (CFB Playoff) Quickie
On the road traveling today, but a quick note that college football is better served by the new playoff format. The battle over the 3rd and 4th playoff teams will be even more fierce than the complaints about who was being left out of the 1-2 game, but college football has always fed off of that kind of controversy -- and been stronger for it, frankly. It's going to be an odd pair of lame-duck years between now and then, with plenty of "If the 4-team playoff were in place..." talk. That's not a bad thing. Quickish has a great stream of playoff reactions.
Also, pop by Quickish for some great reads on the NBA Draft (including two interesting profiles of Royce White) and the Olympic Trials for swimming, which remain riveting.
-- D.S.
Also, pop by Quickish for some great reads on the NBA Draft (including two interesting profiles of Royce White) and the Olympic Trials for swimming, which remain riveting.
-- D.S.
Monday, June 25, 2012
06/25 (Olympic Trials) Quickie
Things I'm loving: The US Olympic Trials, nice things being said about Kevin Youkilis (the only Red Sox player I like), the final few days before the NBA Draft, Anthony Rizzo being called up, Lochte vs. Phelps.
Things I'm not loving: The idea that Bradley Beal will get yoinked by the Cavs before he can go to my Wizards on Thursday night, an idea that is currently driving me batty; Venus being bounced from Wimbledon, the idea that Ray Allen and Steve Nash could join the Heat.
-- D.S.
Things I'm not loving: The idea that Bradley Beal will get yoinked by the Cavs before he can go to my Wizards on Thursday night, an idea that is currently driving me batty; Venus being bounced from Wimbledon, the idea that Ray Allen and Steve Nash could join the Heat.
-- D.S.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
06/23 (Title IX) Quickie
Exactly 20 years after Title IX was established, my wife entered college athletics -- something that would have not been possible before the groundbreaking 1972 legislation. She wore her college gear proudly today.
20 years after that, we walked along the Potomac River with our 3-month-old daughter (we have two other older kids, both boys who will never have to deal with gender issues in sports, except maybe their little sister kicking their ass.)
It is astonishing to think about where women's sports was in 1972, then 1992 and now in 2012, when a generation of women following in the footsteps of my wife's generation (which includes folks like Mia Hamm) who themselves followed in the footsteps of the original Title IX generation, along with the women who spent the first 20 years after its passage just trying to create a bit more opportunity for female athletes -- just a chance.
Over the next 20 years, it's hard to say what will happen. The infrastructure for our daughter's sports career has never been stronger -- the girls' youth soccer leagues in suburban Maryland are enough to make you think equality is here.
The number of girls participating will only increase, along with their confidence. The competition will be greater. It will become a lot more like boys' sports, where that increased competition means more girls don't get to reach higher levels.
But along the way, they get to experience the competition and teamwork and self-reliance and self-confidence and every other thing about sports that has less to do with sports itself than what it engenders in the athlete, what it gives them for the rest of their life. That is the legacy of Title IX.
It's not the US women's soccer team. It's not the WNBA. It's not -- and never has been -- about the professionalization of women's sports. It is about the aspiration for women's sports and what it might do for its participants. A college scholarship, maybe, but more importantly, a system to create a generation of even more talented women than the post-Title IX era has created.
My hope for our daughter isn't a college athletic scholarship -- in 20 years when college football has been reduced by insurance liability to a glorified version of touch football, the unintended consequence of all that money evaporating from the system is the hit to collegiate women's sports.
My hope for our daughter is that the Title IX system's trickle-down effect -- the local athletic institutions that get created and bolstered to feed the Title IX pipeline -- allows her to participate in sports as a girl and get all of the wonderful life lessons out of it that women have since 1972.
-- D.S.
20 years after that, we walked along the Potomac River with our 3-month-old daughter (we have two other older kids, both boys who will never have to deal with gender issues in sports, except maybe their little sister kicking their ass.)
It is astonishing to think about where women's sports was in 1972, then 1992 and now in 2012, when a generation of women following in the footsteps of my wife's generation (which includes folks like Mia Hamm) who themselves followed in the footsteps of the original Title IX generation, along with the women who spent the first 20 years after its passage just trying to create a bit more opportunity for female athletes -- just a chance.
Over the next 20 years, it's hard to say what will happen. The infrastructure for our daughter's sports career has never been stronger -- the girls' youth soccer leagues in suburban Maryland are enough to make you think equality is here.
The number of girls participating will only increase, along with their confidence. The competition will be greater. It will become a lot more like boys' sports, where that increased competition means more girls don't get to reach higher levels.
But along the way, they get to experience the competition and teamwork and self-reliance and self-confidence and every other thing about sports that has less to do with sports itself than what it engenders in the athlete, what it gives them for the rest of their life. That is the legacy of Title IX.
It's not the US women's soccer team. It's not the WNBA. It's not -- and never has been -- about the professionalization of women's sports. It is about the aspiration for women's sports and what it might do for its participants. A college scholarship, maybe, but more importantly, a system to create a generation of even more talented women than the post-Title IX era has created.
My hope for our daughter isn't a college athletic scholarship -- in 20 years when college football has been reduced by insurance liability to a glorified version of touch football, the unintended consequence of all that money evaporating from the system is the hit to collegiate women's sports.
My hope for our daughter is that the Title IX system's trickle-down effect -- the local athletic institutions that get created and bolstered to feed the Title IX pipeline -- allows her to participate in sports as a girl and get all of the wonderful life lessons out of it that women have since 1972.
-- D.S.
Friday, June 22, 2012
06/22 (LeBron) Quickie
I said what I needed to say just after the game last night in the post below.
But I woke up still thinking about that amazing quote from LeBron: "It's about damn time."
There are very few iconic quotes in NBA history. Plenty of iconic moments -- very few iconic quotes. I think LeBron's instantly joins the short list, because it is so pithy yet so profound. It expresses enthusiasm and frustration and joy and arrogance and relief, all in one sentiment.
I think it's how the rest of us feel, too. Maybe that's it: What he said reflects what we're all thinking, so I'm glad he said it -- it means we didn't have to. LeBron and fans and critics, we could all exhale together.
Now, LeBron is a champion. You can't ever take that away from him -- whether he wins multiple rings (still an expectation he can fall short of) or just the one (honestly? unlikely.)
It is a grand tradition of sports fandom that "champion" trumps almost everything. LeBron has a lot of career left -- and probably a ring or two left -- but I think it is fair to say that "champ" bumps "Decision" from the defining moment of his career. As it should be (says even the hater).
But LeBron has done more than become a champ. He has shown the fortitude -- no, the jaw-dropping excellence -- combined with the requisite joy that makes him impossible not to respect.
It's about damn time.
-- D.S.
But I woke up still thinking about that amazing quote from LeBron: "It's about damn time."
There are very few iconic quotes in NBA history. Plenty of iconic moments -- very few iconic quotes. I think LeBron's instantly joins the short list, because it is so pithy yet so profound. It expresses enthusiasm and frustration and joy and arrogance and relief, all in one sentiment.
I think it's how the rest of us feel, too. Maybe that's it: What he said reflects what we're all thinking, so I'm glad he said it -- it means we didn't have to. LeBron and fans and critics, we could all exhale together.
Now, LeBron is a champion. You can't ever take that away from him -- whether he wins multiple rings (still an expectation he can fall short of) or just the one (honestly? unlikely.)
It is a grand tradition of sports fandom that "champion" trumps almost everything. LeBron has a lot of career left -- and probably a ring or two left -- but I think it is fair to say that "champ" bumps "Decision" from the defining moment of his career. As it should be (says even the hater).
But LeBron has done more than become a champ. He has shown the fortitude -- no, the jaw-dropping excellence -- combined with the requisite joy that makes him impossible not to respect.
It's about damn time.
-- D.S.
LeBron, Heat Win the NBA Title
"It's about damn time."
That's LeBron with the quote of the year and a perfect coda to his first NBA title. You can root against LeBron -- I certainly do -- and still feel good for (and about) an all-time great NBA player winning his first ring. Love this instantly shown video from Nike:
Also, this essay from ESPN.com's Kevin Arnovitz is awesome, and quite possibly the best thing you'll read on the LeBron/Heat title, even though it just happened 10 minutes ago.
Congrats to Heat fans. You didn't quite earn it in a way the rest of us would recognize. You didn't quite suffer for it in a way the rest of us would sympathize. But a ring is a ring.
Full Quickish coverage here.
-- D.S.
That's LeBron with the quote of the year and a perfect coda to his first NBA title. You can root against LeBron -- I certainly do -- and still feel good for (and about) an all-time great NBA player winning his first ring. Love this instantly shown video from Nike:
Also, this essay from ESPN.com's Kevin Arnovitz is awesome, and quite possibly the best thing you'll read on the LeBron/Heat title, even though it just happened 10 minutes ago.
Congrats to Heat fans. You didn't quite earn it in a way the rest of us would recognize. You didn't quite suffer for it in a way the rest of us would sympathize. But a ring is a ring.
Full Quickish coverage here.
-- D.S.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
06/21 (Game 5) Quickie
Here's what is at stake tonight: Either LeBron wins his first championship or the Thunder takes the series back to the friendly confines of OKC with a puncher's chance to pull of a historic upset.
It will be a big deal if LeBron wins, but you get the sense that the almost-immediate reaction will be: "...And?" One ring will be a start; one ring will not be enough. Necessary, but not sufficient.
CFB Playoff nearly here: The conference commissioners agreed on a plan -- the most sensible plan of the options available (4 teams, best available, selection committee, bowl games host semis, title game site up for bid). In other words: SEC commish Mike Slive won again. It is expected to be ratified next week.
It is an improvement; it is not flawless -- the fury around picking the 3rd and 4th teams in the playoff field (potentially among a half-dozen or more reasonable contenders) is going to be intense, most likely centered around a one-loss SEC runner-up versus a one-loss conference champ (or unbeaten lower-conference team).
Euro 2012 Quarters: Portugal should get past Czech Republic today.
NBA: Trade! The Wizards (my Wizards) used their (our) Rashard Lewis albatross buy-out deal and prodigious cap space to take on two decent (but expensive) complementary players: Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor, two potential starters and shoring up areas of weakness: A solid defensive SF who can occasionally shoot the 3 and a shot-blocking anchor in the middle to complement Nene. To those NBA pundits ripping the Wizards for joining the "treadmill of mediocrity," I contend that it is a huge upgrade -- as long as they aren't contending for a title, they might as well be contending for a playoff spot.
NFL: Percy Harvin wants out. I think he's worth trading for -- a Top 5 most dynamic receiver talent in the NFL.
Today's best read: ESPN.com's Wayne Drehs on Ryan Lochte.
Best thing I found yesterday: SBNation's amazing video with Bill Murray.
Media: Top sports business reporter Darren Rovell is going back to ESPN after a good run at CNBC. It's a great move for Rovell and ESPN.
Tomorrow's headline today: "Back to OKC!"
It will be a big deal if LeBron wins, but you get the sense that the almost-immediate reaction will be: "...And?" One ring will be a start; one ring will not be enough. Necessary, but not sufficient.
CFB Playoff nearly here: The conference commissioners agreed on a plan -- the most sensible plan of the options available (4 teams, best available, selection committee, bowl games host semis, title game site up for bid). In other words: SEC commish Mike Slive won again. It is expected to be ratified next week.
It is an improvement; it is not flawless -- the fury around picking the 3rd and 4th teams in the playoff field (potentially among a half-dozen or more reasonable contenders) is going to be intense, most likely centered around a one-loss SEC runner-up versus a one-loss conference champ (or unbeaten lower-conference team).
Euro 2012 Quarters: Portugal should get past Czech Republic today.
NBA: Trade! The Wizards (my Wizards) used their (our) Rashard Lewis albatross buy-out deal and prodigious cap space to take on two decent (but expensive) complementary players: Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor, two potential starters and shoring up areas of weakness: A solid defensive SF who can occasionally shoot the 3 and a shot-blocking anchor in the middle to complement Nene. To those NBA pundits ripping the Wizards for joining the "treadmill of mediocrity," I contend that it is a huge upgrade -- as long as they aren't contending for a title, they might as well be contending for a playoff spot.
NFL: Percy Harvin wants out. I think he's worth trading for -- a Top 5 most dynamic receiver talent in the NFL.
Today's best read: ESPN.com's Wayne Drehs on Ryan Lochte.
Best thing I found yesterday: SBNation's amazing video with Bill Murray.
Media: Top sports business reporter Darren Rovell is going back to ESPN after a good run at CNBC. It's a great move for Rovell and ESPN.
Tomorrow's headline today: "Back to OKC!"
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
06/20 (Cramp Game) Quickie
It's going to go down as the "Cramp Game," but more on that in one sec.
First, be sure to pop by Quickish this a.m. -- a bunch of really good takes and reactions, put in a stream so fast it'll take you all of 30 seconds to inhale it (you can get more by clicking on the individual blurbs or watching the videos I posted). Plus, if you want to see new corporate synergy in action, check out the front page of USA Today Sports, which is linking to Quickish's coverage.
OK, so let's start with this: The Heat are up 3-1 and no team has ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals. My response: So what? OKC has been in both games in Miami right up until the end -- there is no reason (other than if they were broken last night) they can't win Game 5. All of a sudden, the series is 3-2 with the final two games in OKC, where the Thunder can absolutely win Game 6, take back all the momentum and then close out in Game 7.
The point is this: Anyone saying "It's over" this morning needs to go back two weeks and check out their "It's over" columns after Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.
Meanwhile, if -- IF -- the Heat go on to win the series in five games (maybe even at all), last night's dagger 3 from LeBron on that cramped-up leg is the defining moment of his career. It implodes the mythology that he's soft, that he's not a closer, that he lacks a killer instinct. (That narrative was already specious, but hopefully now it tucks it away. Pundits sure seem ready to do just that... at least until something else happens in Game 5.)
But -- and I say this as someone who roots against LeBron -- it was the single-best moment of his career (ironic, given that he spent the game's dramatic final minute on the bench with that cramp).
Two other thoughts: (1) My 6-year-old is a big Thunder fan, but where I love Durant, he loves Westbrook. When you watch Westbrook play last night, you realize why. (2) James Harden can't possibly play this badly in Game 5 (or 6 or 7), right? That's the difference in the game, not Westbrook committing that dumb foul out of the time-out when the Heat had just a few seconds to get a shot off.
Typically, a 3-1 playoff series would feel a bit lame. But this one feels as dynamic as ever. Game 5 shapes up with a pretty amazing pair of storylines: Either LeBron wins that first ring... or the Thunder send it back to OKC with every chance in the world to complete the greatest comeback in NBA history.
-- D.S.
First, be sure to pop by Quickish this a.m. -- a bunch of really good takes and reactions, put in a stream so fast it'll take you all of 30 seconds to inhale it (you can get more by clicking on the individual blurbs or watching the videos I posted). Plus, if you want to see new corporate synergy in action, check out the front page of USA Today Sports, which is linking to Quickish's coverage.
OK, so let's start with this: The Heat are up 3-1 and no team has ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals. My response: So what? OKC has been in both games in Miami right up until the end -- there is no reason (other than if they were broken last night) they can't win Game 5. All of a sudden, the series is 3-2 with the final two games in OKC, where the Thunder can absolutely win Game 6, take back all the momentum and then close out in Game 7.
The point is this: Anyone saying "It's over" this morning needs to go back two weeks and check out their "It's over" columns after Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.
Meanwhile, if -- IF -- the Heat go on to win the series in five games (maybe even at all), last night's dagger 3 from LeBron on that cramped-up leg is the defining moment of his career. It implodes the mythology that he's soft, that he's not a closer, that he lacks a killer instinct. (That narrative was already specious, but hopefully now it tucks it away. Pundits sure seem ready to do just that... at least until something else happens in Game 5.)
But -- and I say this as someone who roots against LeBron -- it was the single-best moment of his career (ironic, given that he spent the game's dramatic final minute on the bench with that cramp).
Two other thoughts: (1) My 6-year-old is a big Thunder fan, but where I love Durant, he loves Westbrook. When you watch Westbrook play last night, you realize why. (2) James Harden can't possibly play this badly in Game 5 (or 6 or 7), right? That's the difference in the game, not Westbrook committing that dumb foul out of the time-out when the Heat had just a few seconds to get a shot off.
Typically, a 3-1 playoff series would feel a bit lame. But this one feels as dynamic as ever. Game 5 shapes up with a pretty amazing pair of storylines: Either LeBron wins that first ring... or the Thunder send it back to OKC with every chance in the world to complete the greatest comeback in NBA history.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
06/19 (Not Guilty) Quickie
I think what frustrates me (and others) about the Clemens verdict is that the trial seemed so unnecessary. Everyone has an opinion: He cheated or he didn't. Most people are pretty willing to stipulate that he cheated. So the real question is: Do you care? And when we ask "do you care?" we're really asking "Should he be in the Hall of Fame?"
That Clemens had a Hall of Fame career is beyond question. I think most people are willing to overlook the PEDs -- if nothing else, as a product of the era itself -- and recognize that one of the 5 best pitchers of all time should be in baseball's Hall of Fame.
But others are hell-bent on denying him that entry -- the trial and its verdict was never going to change that. I have a bigger problem with the strident baseball writers -- baseball Hall voters -- than I do with Clemens' PED use (his lying is another thing).
The Hall's looming crisis isn't the vote on players like Clemens and Bonds or the integrity of the Hall should those players (and others from the so-called Steroid Era) be admitted. Its looming crisis is that enough of its runaway electorate themselves threaten to hijack the integrity of the Hall. The Hall's biggest problem is what happens when those all-time greats don't get in.
BTW: R.A. Dickey. Amazing. Best story in baseball this season and a clear-cut pick to start for the N.L. in the All-Star Game.
-- D.S.
That Clemens had a Hall of Fame career is beyond question. I think most people are willing to overlook the PEDs -- if nothing else, as a product of the era itself -- and recognize that one of the 5 best pitchers of all time should be in baseball's Hall of Fame.
But others are hell-bent on denying him that entry -- the trial and its verdict was never going to change that. I have a bigger problem with the strident baseball writers -- baseball Hall voters -- than I do with Clemens' PED use (his lying is another thing).
The Hall's looming crisis isn't the vote on players like Clemens and Bonds or the integrity of the Hall should those players (and others from the so-called Steroid Era) be admitted. Its looming crisis is that enough of its runaway electorate themselves threaten to hijack the integrity of the Hall. The Hall's biggest problem is what happens when those all-time greats don't get in.
BTW: R.A. Dickey. Amazing. Best story in baseball this season and a clear-cut pick to start for the N.L. in the All-Star Game.
-- D.S.
Monday, June 18, 2012
06/18 (Monday) Quickie
And so the dominant narrative is that the Heat learned from last year's Finals implosion and are applying that new residual toughness now.
I would say the bigger factor was Kevin Durant picking up his 4th foul late in the 3rd, Scott Brooks inexplicably sitting KD and Westbrook at the same time and James Harden working so hard on defense that his offense suffered -- he was in no shape to carry the O when KD/RW sat down.
The Thunder are one entirely winnable game in either of the next two games from having the Heat exactly where they need them to be: Two OKC home wins from a 4-3 series victory. In other words, I think the Heat winning had more to do with OKC tripping themselves up than Miami asserting.
The larger lesson? Stop worrying about the narratives and just enjoy the series.
More:
*Webb Simpson wins the U.S. Open: Nothing like watching a golfer win a major sitting inside the clubhouse. Tough break for McDowell (tougher break for Furyk...yeesh). Toughest break of all for Tiger, who had a horrible weekend and backslid into irrelevancy (or that old "maybe Tiger isn't back after all" storyline).
More later.
-- D.S.
I would say the bigger factor was Kevin Durant picking up his 4th foul late in the 3rd, Scott Brooks inexplicably sitting KD and Westbrook at the same time and James Harden working so hard on defense that his offense suffered -- he was in no shape to carry the O when KD/RW sat down.
The Thunder are one entirely winnable game in either of the next two games from having the Heat exactly where they need them to be: Two OKC home wins from a 4-3 series victory. In other words, I think the Heat winning had more to do with OKC tripping themselves up than Miami asserting.
The larger lesson? Stop worrying about the narratives and just enjoy the series.
More:
*Webb Simpson wins the U.S. Open: Nothing like watching a golfer win a major sitting inside the clubhouse. Tough break for McDowell (tougher break for Furyk...yeesh). Toughest break of all for Tiger, who had a horrible weekend and backslid into irrelevancy (or that old "maybe Tiger isn't back after all" storyline).
More later.
-- D.S.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
06/17 (Father's Day) Quickie
I woke up early this morning and took my 3-year-old to the ice-skating rink. Back in January, he got obsessed with hockey and he likes to go wobbling out on the ice.
Then I took my 6-year-old to a summer basketball thing I signed him up for -- he really likes baskeball (he's partial to the Thunder, although he favors Westbrook over Durant).
This is the day after we all went to Nats Park to watch the Nationals play the Yankees. It was the 6-year-old's second MLB game (we went to Wrigley two summers ago for his first) and the 3-year-old's first MLB game. It was a gorgeous day and a great atmosphere.
The influence dads have on sons when it comes to sports is highly variable. If your dad was a fan, you'll probably become a fan. Usually, team allegiance is inherited, father to son, like male-pattern baldness. (For example, I grew up a huge Cubs and Bears fan -- even in D.C. -- because my dad was a huge Cubs and Bears fan.)
My earliest sports memory is playing a game with my dad where he would say the city name and I would say the NFL team nickname. I was probably 8 or 9. My dad would almost always get us to an Orioles, Bullets and Caps game once a season (a Redskins game if we were really lucky). A few years later, he got a 10-game plan for the Orioles -- it was a fun tradition. By then, I was all-in as a sports fan. But I was also in my late teens.
At 6, Gabe watches NFL Red Zone. He watches ESPNews Highlight Express every morning. He follows my fantasy team. He knows dozens of NFL players -- probably a lot more. He knows every team of the four major sports. He has an insatiable appetite for sports (I just caught him watching Portugal-Holland Euro 2012.)
Maybe this is all of a piece -- kids growing up ever faster as technology makes information more available. Gabe knows every NFL player because he watches Red Zone, where I had to watch whatever Redskins broadcast was on. He knows all the scores, because he plays with my iPhone app Sportacular; I relied on reading the newspaper sports section -- no West Coast scores, obviously -- at breakfast.
He's not just a better fan at 6 than I was at 6 -- he's a better fan at 6 than I was at 10 and he's damn close to being a better fan at 6 than I was at 16. Thank you, Internet + iPhone + Red Zone + ESPN.
As a sports fan, I think it's fun that this is something we can relate to together. It bodes well for a lifetime of bonding over sports fandom, if nothing else. (Let's hope there is more, obviously.) As a parent, I wonder if it's all too much too soon -- but, for now, it's mostly benign, and I am thrilled to answer his many questions, even when we're at a Wizards game and his question is: "Daddy, why are they booing Andray Blatche?"
He is still at the stage of discovering how awesome sports can be -- which, as a dad, it makes me feel like I'm rediscovering how awesome sports can be, too.
-- D.S.
Then I took my 6-year-old to a summer basketball thing I signed him up for -- he really likes baskeball (he's partial to the Thunder, although he favors Westbrook over Durant).
This is the day after we all went to Nats Park to watch the Nationals play the Yankees. It was the 6-year-old's second MLB game (we went to Wrigley two summers ago for his first) and the 3-year-old's first MLB game. It was a gorgeous day and a great atmosphere.
The influence dads have on sons when it comes to sports is highly variable. If your dad was a fan, you'll probably become a fan. Usually, team allegiance is inherited, father to son, like male-pattern baldness. (For example, I grew up a huge Cubs and Bears fan -- even in D.C. -- because my dad was a huge Cubs and Bears fan.)
My earliest sports memory is playing a game with my dad where he would say the city name and I would say the NFL team nickname. I was probably 8 or 9. My dad would almost always get us to an Orioles, Bullets and Caps game once a season (a Redskins game if we were really lucky). A few years later, he got a 10-game plan for the Orioles -- it was a fun tradition. By then, I was all-in as a sports fan. But I was also in my late teens.
At 6, Gabe watches NFL Red Zone. He watches ESPNews Highlight Express every morning. He follows my fantasy team. He knows dozens of NFL players -- probably a lot more. He knows every team of the four major sports. He has an insatiable appetite for sports (I just caught him watching Portugal-Holland Euro 2012.)
Maybe this is all of a piece -- kids growing up ever faster as technology makes information more available. Gabe knows every NFL player because he watches Red Zone, where I had to watch whatever Redskins broadcast was on. He knows all the scores, because he plays with my iPhone app Sportacular; I relied on reading the newspaper sports section -- no West Coast scores, obviously -- at breakfast.
He's not just a better fan at 6 than I was at 6 -- he's a better fan at 6 than I was at 10 and he's damn close to being a better fan at 6 than I was at 16. Thank you, Internet + iPhone + Red Zone + ESPN.
As a sports fan, I think it's fun that this is something we can relate to together. It bodes well for a lifetime of bonding over sports fandom, if nothing else. (Let's hope there is more, obviously.) As a parent, I wonder if it's all too much too soon -- but, for now, it's mostly benign, and I am thrilled to answer his many questions, even when we're at a Wizards game and his question is: "Daddy, why are they booing Andray Blatche?"
He is still at the stage of discovering how awesome sports can be -- which, as a dad, it makes me feel like I'm rediscovering how awesome sports can be, too.
-- D.S.
Friday, June 15, 2012
06/15 (Father's Day) Quickie
A word about Father's Day in a minute. First, a quick note on last night's Game 2 (with the admission that I was in a sports bar where the DirecTV conked out in the final minute, so I had to go back and watch highlights and YouTube clips to see the relevant plays after the fact):
Shots miss. Even for Kevin Durant. He got a good look -- the kind of look he regularly makes. He didn't. Even the best perimeter players only shoot 50% or so. And Durant was only guarded by the one of the best defenders in the league, LeBron James. Speaking of which...
Fouls go uncalled. Particularly on superstars (or superduperstars). Did LeBron foul Durant? Probably. Should it have been called? Probably. Is it worth freaking out about? No. Durant moved past it, and so should everyone else. And that's because...
The Thunder lost the game in its first minutes, not its final seconds. The Thunder wouldn't have put Durant in that position at the end of the game if they hadn't gotten behind 40-2* in the game's first few minutes (* - it sure felt that wide). Start stronger, win the game. The Thunder's "slow start" schtick finally nicked them, at the worst possible time.
But I'll echo Simmons on Twitter last night: If you believe in the old maxim that it's not a series until the road team wins a game, we now have a series.
Check out Quickish's NBA stream for really good recs of the a.m.'s best NBA Finals reads.
More:
This weekend is Father's Day. Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. I don't ask for gifts or cards or breakfast or anything like that -- being a dad is my favorite thing in the world, and that is enough. This year I'm triply blessed to be Lucy's dad, too.
Two good friends were generous enough to offer us tickets to the Nationals-Yankees game on Saturday -- the hottest ticket in town (and, arguably, the most exciting game in the history of the Nats franchise in DC and one of the most exciting games this city has seen in a decade).
Taking Mrs. Quickie and the kids to the game is the best possible Father's Day weekend gift. The boys both have "curly-W" Nats hats and I'm sure I'll make it to the sporting-goods store in the next 24 hours to get them Bryce Harper shirseys.
The irony is that Gabe is just old enough to have picked up a kernel of Yankees fandom from living in New York. I'm not sure I can stomach getting him a Derek Jeter jersey that he really wants (but I ended up getting him his first baseball glove, a signed Jeter model, naturally).
I'm not one to influence the kids' rooting interests, but I'm hoping that the scene at Nats Park tomorrow is a seminal one for them -- crazy Nats fans, celebrating a first-place position, against the most storied franchise in sports. This might be the tipping point that turns them into Nats fans.
How much fun will that be to watch?
Happy father's day to all the dads. If it's an option, call yours.
-- D.S.
Shots miss. Even for Kevin Durant. He got a good look -- the kind of look he regularly makes. He didn't. Even the best perimeter players only shoot 50% or so. And Durant was only guarded by the one of the best defenders in the league, LeBron James. Speaking of which...
Fouls go uncalled. Particularly on superstars (or superduperstars). Did LeBron foul Durant? Probably. Should it have been called? Probably. Is it worth freaking out about? No. Durant moved past it, and so should everyone else. And that's because...
The Thunder lost the game in its first minutes, not its final seconds. The Thunder wouldn't have put Durant in that position at the end of the game if they hadn't gotten behind 40-2* in the game's first few minutes (* - it sure felt that wide). Start stronger, win the game. The Thunder's "slow start" schtick finally nicked them, at the worst possible time.
But I'll echo Simmons on Twitter last night: If you believe in the old maxim that it's not a series until the road team wins a game, we now have a series.
Check out Quickish's NBA stream for really good recs of the a.m.'s best NBA Finals reads.
More:
This weekend is Father's Day. Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. I don't ask for gifts or cards or breakfast or anything like that -- being a dad is my favorite thing in the world, and that is enough. This year I'm triply blessed to be Lucy's dad, too.
Two good friends were generous enough to offer us tickets to the Nationals-Yankees game on Saturday -- the hottest ticket in town (and, arguably, the most exciting game in the history of the Nats franchise in DC and one of the most exciting games this city has seen in a decade).
Taking Mrs. Quickie and the kids to the game is the best possible Father's Day weekend gift. The boys both have "curly-W" Nats hats and I'm sure I'll make it to the sporting-goods store in the next 24 hours to get them Bryce Harper shirseys.
The irony is that Gabe is just old enough to have picked up a kernel of Yankees fandom from living in New York. I'm not sure I can stomach getting him a Derek Jeter jersey that he really wants (but I ended up getting him his first baseball glove, a signed Jeter model, naturally).
I'm not one to influence the kids' rooting interests, but I'm hoping that the scene at Nats Park tomorrow is a seminal one for them -- crazy Nats fans, celebrating a first-place position, against the most storied franchise in sports. This might be the tipping point that turns them into Nats fans.
How much fun will that be to watch?
Happy father's day to all the dads. If it's an option, call yours.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
06/13 (Durant) Quickie
Of the many reasons to enjoy watching and rooting for Kevin Durant, his implacability remains a big part of it -- what happens when he turns it on (like he did in the 4th quarter last night) is remarkable.
And yet! His explosion feels more like a ripple -- it's a placid dominance. ESPN.com's Henry Abbott had my favorite take off the game last night, about how Durant's dominance is so simply effective.
I call it "minimalist" -- Abbott marvels at the way Durant scores so quickly, usually on "easy" shots -- easy because he moves and makes decisions quickly when he gets the ball.
We talked about this when he was at Texas and then when he got into the league: He is, quite arguably, the perfect scoring machine... precisely because the effort is so seemingly simple.
More:
*Rough night for Dwyane Wade: Losses -- especially Heat losses -- need a goat, and Wade assumes that role today. Usually he bounces back, but when the Thunder surged in the 2nd half, Wade looked like he had a bit too much mileage on his tires. That doesn't get easier as the series goes on (especially if Spoelstra only plays six guys, which was clearly a miscalculation).
*That image of a glum Pat Riley on TV near the end was amazing.
*Bryce Harper hits another HR, moves his average over 300 (his OPS is like .940 or something equally amazing) and the Nats win again. He is so clearly going to be the MLB All-Star "Extra Man" winner in the fan vote later this month that they might as well put him in the starting lineup -- he is the most must-see player in baseball right now (and living up to it, per Grantland's Jazayerli).
*Pop Warner limits tackling: (1) How dangerous must it have been before that they had to cut practice tackling by 2/3? (2) Let's go back to the cardinal (and judgmental) rule: Any parent who lets their kid play tackle football is nuts.
*Must-See: Tonight's NBA TV documentary about the Dream Team.
-- D.S.
And yet! His explosion feels more like a ripple -- it's a placid dominance. ESPN.com's Henry Abbott had my favorite take off the game last night, about how Durant's dominance is so simply effective.
I call it "minimalist" -- Abbott marvels at the way Durant scores so quickly, usually on "easy" shots -- easy because he moves and makes decisions quickly when he gets the ball.
We talked about this when he was at Texas and then when he got into the league: He is, quite arguably, the perfect scoring machine... precisely because the effort is so seemingly simple.
More:
*Rough night for Dwyane Wade: Losses -- especially Heat losses -- need a goat, and Wade assumes that role today. Usually he bounces back, but when the Thunder surged in the 2nd half, Wade looked like he had a bit too much mileage on his tires. That doesn't get easier as the series goes on (especially if Spoelstra only plays six guys, which was clearly a miscalculation).
*That image of a glum Pat Riley on TV near the end was amazing.
*Bryce Harper hits another HR, moves his average over 300 (his OPS is like .940 or something equally amazing) and the Nats win again. He is so clearly going to be the MLB All-Star "Extra Man" winner in the fan vote later this month that they might as well put him in the starting lineup -- he is the most must-see player in baseball right now (and living up to it, per Grantland's Jazayerli).
*Pop Warner limits tackling: (1) How dangerous must it have been before that they had to cut practice tackling by 2/3? (2) Let's go back to the cardinal (and judgmental) rule: Any parent who lets their kid play tackle football is nuts.
*Must-See: Tonight's NBA TV documentary about the Dream Team.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
06/12 (NBA Finals) Quickie
First, a hearty congrats to the LA Kings, one of the most distinctive champions in NHL history.
Not just an 8-seed (the first 8-seed to win the Cup, a feat alone that shouts novelty), but a team that imploded itself halfway through the season, couldn't score anyway and eked into the playoffs, only to destroy everyone in its path. "Worthy champs" doesn't do it justice. Now, as many noted almost immediately after the game last night, the NHL will punch itself in the face with a labor battle.
NBA Finals: I understand the very compelling reason to root against the Thunder (and, by default, for the Heat)... but I just can't do it. Can't root against Durant. Can't root for LeBron. If that makes me a bad person, so be it. Thunder in 7. It is going to be one of the most-watched Finals series in a generation -- the biggest national event for the NBA since Michael Jordan's final NBA Finals.
US Open: Partly because I like his schtick and partially because his feelings as a dad resonate with me, gotta love Bubba.
Best thing I read yesterday: GQ.com's amazing Oral History of the Dream Team, put together by Lang Whitaker. (This week's most can't-miss TV is the Dream Team doc on NBA TV tomorrow night.)
Oh, and by the way: I've been remiss in covering it, but the Stonybrook story in the College World Series is one of the best you'll ever get in sports. Here's the analogue (h/t Y!'s Pat Forde): It would be like LIU as a 15-seed going to the Final Four, but doing it by winning 2 out of 3 at Duke (h/t NYT's Lynn Zinser).
Finally, in case you missed it: Yesterday's exciting news. Really appreciate everyone who tweeted or emailed.
-- D.S.
Not just an 8-seed (the first 8-seed to win the Cup, a feat alone that shouts novelty), but a team that imploded itself halfway through the season, couldn't score anyway and eked into the playoffs, only to destroy everyone in its path. "Worthy champs" doesn't do it justice. Now, as many noted almost immediately after the game last night, the NHL will punch itself in the face with a labor battle.
NBA Finals: I understand the very compelling reason to root against the Thunder (and, by default, for the Heat)... but I just can't do it. Can't root against Durant. Can't root for LeBron. If that makes me a bad person, so be it. Thunder in 7. It is going to be one of the most-watched Finals series in a generation -- the biggest national event for the NBA since Michael Jordan's final NBA Finals.
US Open: Partly because I like his schtick and partially because his feelings as a dad resonate with me, gotta love Bubba.
Best thing I read yesterday: GQ.com's amazing Oral History of the Dream Team, put together by Lang Whitaker. (This week's most can't-miss TV is the Dream Team doc on NBA TV tomorrow night.)
Oh, and by the way: I've been remiss in covering it, but the Stonybrook story in the College World Series is one of the best you'll ever get in sports. Here's the analogue (h/t Y!'s Pat Forde): It would be like LIU as a 15-seed going to the Final Four, but doing it by winning 2 out of 3 at Duke (h/t NYT's Lynn Zinser).
Finally, in case you missed it: Yesterday's exciting news. Really appreciate everyone who tweeted or emailed.
-- D.S.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Exciting News: USA Today Sports Media Group Acquires Quickish
Republished from Quickish (via this Wall Street Journal story):
I have very exciting news to announce: Quickish has been acquired by USA Today Sports Media Group. In conjunction with the deal, I will be joining the group, effective today.
I couldn’t be more excited. USATSMG has a fundamental commitment to serving fans in comprehensive, innovative ways that totally fit with the effort I have put into Quickish and the type of things I have helped build throughout my career in digital media. It is a great company full of monumentally talented, motivated folks that I am implicitly proud to call my colleagues and with whom I look forward to doing huge things.
This is a great moment to offer some thanks:
First of all, thank YOU: Readers’ enthusiastic support of Quickish allowed it to get off to a fast start, find a distinct place in the sports-news landscape and continuously iterate, trying to get better. Thank you to everyone who has told their friends about it, chimed in on Twitter and Facebook or sent in a tip of something that Quickish should be showcasing. There is nothing as thrilling as creating something that anyone ever says they “love.” It is a privilege, frankly.
Thank you to the hundreds (thousands?) of talented writers, reporters, columnists, analysts, pundits, Twitter quipsters and everyone else whose excellent efforts make sense of the world (sometimes immediately, sometimes after measured consideration) and deserve a wider audience through platforms like Quickish.
I consume a lot -- hoo boy: a lot -- of sportswriting, on the Web, on Twitter and elsewhere. The best (and an admirable number of folks have qualified at one time or another) is better than it has ever been. That’s an amazing thing for us fans. I can’t begin to list folks by name here, but the beauty of Quickish is that you can pop by the site and immediately spot exactly who makes the list (or at least one list) at any given moment or for any given hot topic. And to those who have used their platforms to support or promote Quickish, a sincere thanks (please keep it up!)
Thank you to the network of friends and advisors to the company -- insightful and generous folks within the media and start-up communities in New York City were particularly inspiring and helpful (I can’t even begin to showcase a list because I’m afraid of whom I would unintentionally miss). There are a lot more people who don’t know me but whose writing and thinking on the media and entrepreneurship who I admire and incorporate constantly. Thank you to Kevin Kearney and the brilliant user-experience talents at Hard Candy Shell, responsible for the look and feel that made Quickish so instantly distinctive, useful and credible. Thank you to Meshach Jackson and Jolly Science, the development shop that built Quickish and made it so easy to edit and publish. Thank you to Jeff Jarvis and City University of New York’s Graduate School of Journalism for the generous use of a desk while I was developing Quickish, and thank you to Matt Brimer, Brad Hargreaves and the amazing team at General Assembly for giving me a place to grow the company after it launched; both are communities I am proud to be affiliated with. Every start-up founder needs a great lawyer; I got to work with two: Thank you to Josh Buhler of Buhler Duggal & Henry and thanks to Mark Fitzgerald of Wilson Sonsini. (Thanks also to my ace accountant Bradley Smallberg of Smallberg Sorkin.) Finally, a huge thanks to ace editor Michael Katz for believing in the company’s mission and for his invaluable help working on Quickish through much of last year.
Looking ahead, I wanted to thank folks within the leadership at USA Today Sports Media Group: Gracia Martore, Tom Beusse, Jonathan Marshall, Ross Schaufelberger, Dave Morgan, Matt Graham and Mark Pesavento -- they are putting together an absolutely incredible team, top to bottom, with aspirations that are so ambitious that all I want to do is be a part of it.
Most of all, I want to thank my wife, Margery, whose support of me founding a company was not just complete, but necessary for me to get to where we are today -- and certainly to build on it from here to what’s next.
In the meantime, Quickish continues at full strength -- soon to be even greater strength. Here’s at least one thing we know about the continuously changing world of media: It’s not getting any less cluttered, and it is a fundamental tenet of Quickish to help fans keep up (quickly!) with the big things that are happening by hacking thoughtful paths through that clutter. I hope you will visit regularly and continue to tell your friends (and co-workers and family and Twitter followers...) about it. My colleagues at USATSMG innately understand the competitive dynamics behind the Quickish model; with USATSMG’s network, resources and talent, Quickish can become even more useful and valuable for fans. If you want to talk about Quickish -- how it can become even better or how you think you can help -- please don’t hesitate to drop me a line at dan-at-quickish.com.
The first two years of Quickish have been extraordinarily exciting -- the most satisfying (and most thrilling/harrowing!) professional experience of what has been a very fortunate career -- and, more than any point in my working life, I cannot wait for what comes next. I am committed to raising the bar for an even more exciting and satisfying ride, always focused on serving fans for the better. Thanks again for being a part of it.
-- Dan
I have very exciting news to announce: Quickish has been acquired by USA Today Sports Media Group. In conjunction with the deal, I will be joining the group, effective today.
I couldn’t be more excited. USATSMG has a fundamental commitment to serving fans in comprehensive, innovative ways that totally fit with the effort I have put into Quickish and the type of things I have helped build throughout my career in digital media. It is a great company full of monumentally talented, motivated folks that I am implicitly proud to call my colleagues and with whom I look forward to doing huge things.
This is a great moment to offer some thanks:
First of all, thank YOU: Readers’ enthusiastic support of Quickish allowed it to get off to a fast start, find a distinct place in the sports-news landscape and continuously iterate, trying to get better. Thank you to everyone who has told their friends about it, chimed in on Twitter and Facebook or sent in a tip of something that Quickish should be showcasing. There is nothing as thrilling as creating something that anyone ever says they “love.” It is a privilege, frankly.
Thank you to the hundreds (thousands?) of talented writers, reporters, columnists, analysts, pundits, Twitter quipsters and everyone else whose excellent efforts make sense of the world (sometimes immediately, sometimes after measured consideration) and deserve a wider audience through platforms like Quickish.
I consume a lot -- hoo boy: a lot -- of sportswriting, on the Web, on Twitter and elsewhere. The best (and an admirable number of folks have qualified at one time or another) is better than it has ever been. That’s an amazing thing for us fans. I can’t begin to list folks by name here, but the beauty of Quickish is that you can pop by the site and immediately spot exactly who makes the list (or at least one list) at any given moment or for any given hot topic. And to those who have used their platforms to support or promote Quickish, a sincere thanks (please keep it up!)
Thank you to the network of friends and advisors to the company -- insightful and generous folks within the media and start-up communities in New York City were particularly inspiring and helpful (I can’t even begin to showcase a list because I’m afraid of whom I would unintentionally miss). There are a lot more people who don’t know me but whose writing and thinking on the media and entrepreneurship who I admire and incorporate constantly. Thank you to Kevin Kearney and the brilliant user-experience talents at Hard Candy Shell, responsible for the look and feel that made Quickish so instantly distinctive, useful and credible. Thank you to Meshach Jackson and Jolly Science, the development shop that built Quickish and made it so easy to edit and publish. Thank you to Jeff Jarvis and City University of New York’s Graduate School of Journalism for the generous use of a desk while I was developing Quickish, and thank you to Matt Brimer, Brad Hargreaves and the amazing team at General Assembly for giving me a place to grow the company after it launched; both are communities I am proud to be affiliated with. Every start-up founder needs a great lawyer; I got to work with two: Thank you to Josh Buhler of Buhler Duggal & Henry and thanks to Mark Fitzgerald of Wilson Sonsini. (Thanks also to my ace accountant Bradley Smallberg of Smallberg Sorkin.) Finally, a huge thanks to ace editor Michael Katz for believing in the company’s mission and for his invaluable help working on Quickish through much of last year.
Looking ahead, I wanted to thank folks within the leadership at USA Today Sports Media Group: Gracia Martore, Tom Beusse, Jonathan Marshall, Ross Schaufelberger, Dave Morgan, Matt Graham and Mark Pesavento -- they are putting together an absolutely incredible team, top to bottom, with aspirations that are so ambitious that all I want to do is be a part of it.
Most of all, I want to thank my wife, Margery, whose support of me founding a company was not just complete, but necessary for me to get to where we are today -- and certainly to build on it from here to what’s next.
In the meantime, Quickish continues at full strength -- soon to be even greater strength. Here’s at least one thing we know about the continuously changing world of media: It’s not getting any less cluttered, and it is a fundamental tenet of Quickish to help fans keep up (quickly!) with the big things that are happening by hacking thoughtful paths through that clutter. I hope you will visit regularly and continue to tell your friends (and co-workers and family and Twitter followers...) about it. My colleagues at USATSMG innately understand the competitive dynamics behind the Quickish model; with USATSMG’s network, resources and talent, Quickish can become even more useful and valuable for fans. If you want to talk about Quickish -- how it can become even better or how you think you can help -- please don’t hesitate to drop me a line at dan-at-quickish.com.
The first two years of Quickish have been extraordinarily exciting -- the most satisfying (and most thrilling/harrowing!) professional experience of what has been a very fortunate career -- and, more than any point in my working life, I cannot wait for what comes next. I am committed to raising the bar for an even more exciting and satisfying ride, always focused on serving fans for the better. Thanks again for being a part of it.
-- Dan
Sunday, June 10, 2012
06/10 (Heat) Quickie
All the Heat win over the Celtics in Game 7 last night did was allow Miami to avoid the humiliation of an exit before they even got to the Finals.
In other words, the expectations remain the same: Championship or failure.
There is no consolation prize for LeBron for playing out of his mind -- inarguably the greatest stretch of games of his career and one of the great individual efforts by any player in the playoffs in NBA history.
And so we get Heat-Thunder, LeBron vs. Durant (and Westbrook vs. Wade... and Harden vs. Bosh... and rabid OKC fans vs. languid Miami fans... and the idea of Durant's first title -- a la Jordan in '91 -- versus LeBron's first title... and the star who left his hometown versus the team that left its hometown.)
It is a best-case scenario for the league and for fans -- two great teams, out-of-this-world star power, with a championship that will resonate through history.
But let's just keep in mind: The axis still revolves around LeBron -- either he fails (again) or he wins his first championship. That is the biggest story.
More:
*Pacquiao-Bradley ends in stunner: Fishy ending? You bet. Good for boxing? Not even close. Will it increase interest in a rematch in November? Yes.
*NHL: What is the difference between the Devils being down 3-0 then muscling it back to 3-2 heading into Game 6 and the Devils winning two of the first four, but losing Game 5? If anything, the momentum shift -- at the risk of pop psychology, it sure seems like the Devils are playing like they have nothing to lose and the Kings are playing like they have everything to lose -- seems to favor the Devils in Game 6.
*Condolences to the Auburn community on the tragic shootings.
Big week ahead. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
-- D.S.
In other words, the expectations remain the same: Championship or failure.
There is no consolation prize for LeBron for playing out of his mind -- inarguably the greatest stretch of games of his career and one of the great individual efforts by any player in the playoffs in NBA history.
And so we get Heat-Thunder, LeBron vs. Durant (and Westbrook vs. Wade... and Harden vs. Bosh... and rabid OKC fans vs. languid Miami fans... and the idea of Durant's first title -- a la Jordan in '91 -- versus LeBron's first title... and the star who left his hometown versus the team that left its hometown.)
It is a best-case scenario for the league and for fans -- two great teams, out-of-this-world star power, with a championship that will resonate through history.
But let's just keep in mind: The axis still revolves around LeBron -- either he fails (again) or he wins his first championship. That is the biggest story.
More:
*Pacquiao-Bradley ends in stunner: Fishy ending? You bet. Good for boxing? Not even close. Will it increase interest in a rematch in November? Yes.
*NHL: What is the difference between the Devils being down 3-0 then muscling it back to 3-2 heading into Game 6 and the Devils winning two of the first four, but losing Game 5? If anything, the momentum shift -- at the risk of pop psychology, it sure seems like the Devils are playing like they have nothing to lose and the Kings are playing like they have everything to lose -- seems to favor the Devils in Game 6.
*Condolences to the Auburn community on the tragic shootings.
Big week ahead. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
-- D.S.
Saturday, June 09, 2012
06/09 (Very) Quickie
Great sports day ahead:
*NBA: Heat over Celtics.
*NHL: Devils over Kings.
*Boxing: Pacquiao over Bradley.
*French Open: Sharapova over Errani (and Nadal over Djokovic tomorrow).
*Euro 2012: Netherlands over Denmark, Germany over Portugal.
*Belmont:I'll Have Another wins the Triple Crown (ugh)
*Meanwhile: How can you not love a 6-pitcher no-hitter? (Only the 2nd in MLB history)
Tons of great stuff on Quickish for you to check out this weekend -- if you want something great to read, try our "Grantland Greatest Hits" list (off its 1-year anniversary on Friday) and don't miss Simmons' essay from yesterday that is my favorite thing he's done this year.
-- D.S.
*NBA: Heat over Celtics.
*NHL: Devils over Kings.
*Boxing: Pacquiao over Bradley.
*French Open: Sharapova over Errani (and Nadal over Djokovic tomorrow).
*Euro 2012: Netherlands over Denmark, Germany over Portugal.
*Belmont:
*Meanwhile: How can you not love a 6-pitcher no-hitter? (Only the 2nd in MLB history)
Tons of great stuff on Quickish for you to check out this weekend -- if you want something great to read, try our "Grantland Greatest Hits" list (off its 1-year anniversary on Friday) and don't miss Simmons' essay from yesterday that is my favorite thing he's done this year.
-- D.S.
Thursday, June 07, 2012
06/07 (Thunder) Quickie
The best moment of last night's Thunder win over the Spurs -- completing a four-game sweep after being down 0-2, to win OKC's (if not the franchise's) first Western Conference title -- came just before the game was over, but victory was assured:
Kevin Durant, triumphant, walked over to courtside to give his beloved mom a hug. It was an instant classic -- not quite "Good job! Good effort!" on the meme scale but certainly more meaningful.
It is impossible to dislike Durant or this young, fearless Thunder team. (The team's owners? Another story. But we all seem to be able to compartmentalize the players from the owners.)
It doesn't matter who the Thunder plays next: Either the Heat or the Celtics (let's hope it's Boston) will be assured the role of loathed villain to the Thunder's fresh-legged exuberance -- Darth and Luke, if you want an easy pop-culture metaphor.
Here's something interesting: My 6-year-old son has been following the NBA for a year -- last year's playoffs all the way through this season and this year's playoffs. And he loves the Thunder. Loves them. Partially it's because I rave about Durant. But he actually loves Westbrook -- the style of play of Westbrook and the Thunder as a whole is so obviously eager and infectious that even a six-year-old is drawn to it, without any sophisticated understanding of the game.
(Aside: I have been obsessed with OKC basketball fans since their very first game hosting the displaced Hornets -- they went bananas for that team, it helped generate the enthusiasm to bring/steal them the Thunder and they haven't looked back since. They are the best fans in the NBA, and damn near close to the best fans in sports. Doesn't matter that they've had a team for all of four years -- five if you count the Hornets. They are fantastic.)
The Thunder used to be the team of tomorrow. Now, they are the team of -- well -- now. And the foreseeable future.
When you consider that the Heat's window is this year plus another two before the Big Three can leave, perhaps a year after that before the Big Three are simply too old to keep up, there is a very good chance that Miami will never be good enough to beat this Thunder team.
Hell, they might not be good enough to win the East. We'll find out tonight.
-- D.S.
Kevin Durant, triumphant, walked over to courtside to give his beloved mom a hug. It was an instant classic -- not quite "Good job! Good effort!" on the meme scale but certainly more meaningful.
It is impossible to dislike Durant or this young, fearless Thunder team. (The team's owners? Another story. But we all seem to be able to compartmentalize the players from the owners.)
It doesn't matter who the Thunder plays next: Either the Heat or the Celtics (let's hope it's Boston) will be assured the role of loathed villain to the Thunder's fresh-legged exuberance -- Darth and Luke, if you want an easy pop-culture metaphor.
Here's something interesting: My 6-year-old son has been following the NBA for a year -- last year's playoffs all the way through this season and this year's playoffs. And he loves the Thunder. Loves them. Partially it's because I rave about Durant. But he actually loves Westbrook -- the style of play of Westbrook and the Thunder as a whole is so obviously eager and infectious that even a six-year-old is drawn to it, without any sophisticated understanding of the game.
(Aside: I have been obsessed with OKC basketball fans since their very first game hosting the displaced Hornets -- they went bananas for that team, it helped generate the enthusiasm to bring/steal them the Thunder and they haven't looked back since. They are the best fans in the NBA, and damn near close to the best fans in sports. Doesn't matter that they've had a team for all of four years -- five if you count the Hornets. They are fantastic.)
The Thunder used to be the team of tomorrow. Now, they are the team of -- well -- now. And the foreseeable future.
When you consider that the Heat's window is this year plus another two before the Big Three can leave, perhaps a year after that before the Big Three are simply too old to keep up, there is a very good chance that Miami will never be good enough to beat this Thunder team.
Hell, they might not be good enough to win the East. We'll find out tonight.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, June 06, 2012
06/06 (Good Job, Good Effort) Quickie
The Celtics' Game 5 win over the Heat last night felt -- perhaps even was -- momentous. Short of their championship, it felt like the biggest win of Boston's "Big Three/Four" era. For those of us intrigued about the Heat failing, it was a fascinating night.
But the show was stolen by a perky young Heat fan caught by ESPN cameras as the dejected, stunned Heat trudged from the court to their locker room. The fan was shouting:
"GOOD JOB! GOOD EFFORT! GOOD JOB! GOOD EFFORT!"
For this kid, it was an earnest exhortation of his favorite team, his heroes. That kid was adorable. His parents should be proud -- he is a great fan.
But for the rest of us, it was unintended schadenfreude. There was a twisted derivation of "Emperor's New Clothes" -- the child doesn't know any better than to rotely cheer "Good effort!" when, in fact, the game was defined by the Heat's sub-par effort (for example, Wade jogging back on D late in the game).
The context mattered -- the Heat battered, having lost home-court advantage and having to win Game 6 on the road in Boston, which will be in a frenzy, and staring at a second straight Playoffs failure.
And so "Good job! Good effort!" became an instant meme, an instant thing. It will dominate the next 48 hours -- perhaps longer.
In one of the truly ironic unintended consequences you'll see, the innocent cheering of a Heat fan has become the new universal catch-phrase to mock Miami's failure.
-- D.S.
But the show was stolen by a perky young Heat fan caught by ESPN cameras as the dejected, stunned Heat trudged from the court to their locker room. The fan was shouting:
"GOOD JOB! GOOD EFFORT! GOOD JOB! GOOD EFFORT!"
For this kid, it was an earnest exhortation of his favorite team, his heroes. That kid was adorable. His parents should be proud -- he is a great fan.
But for the rest of us, it was unintended schadenfreude. There was a twisted derivation of "Emperor's New Clothes" -- the child doesn't know any better than to rotely cheer "Good effort!" when, in fact, the game was defined by the Heat's sub-par effort (for example, Wade jogging back on D late in the game).
The context mattered -- the Heat battered, having lost home-court advantage and having to win Game 6 on the road in Boston, which will be in a frenzy, and staring at a second straight Playoffs failure.
And so "Good job! Good effort!" became an instant meme, an instant thing. It will dominate the next 48 hours -- perhaps longer.
In one of the truly ironic unintended consequences you'll see, the innocent cheering of a Heat fan has become the new universal catch-phrase to mock Miami's failure.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, June 05, 2012
06/05 (Thunder) Quickie
Winning on the road in a proverbially pivotal Game 5? That felt like the Thunder taking The Leap.
If/when they dispatch the Spurs -- perhaps en route to an NBA title (if not this year, then surely soon) -- that will fit the narrative. Then again, three games ago, when the Spurs were up 2-0, we were talking about the Spurs going 16-0 in the crowning achievement of the Dynasty.
Between then and now is what makes the NBA -- all sports -- so amazing.
Celtics-Heat Game 5: Talk about pivotal. Chris Bosh should be back -- we'll see how effective he is. What should be clear is that the Celtics have zero fear of this Heat team -- I'm not so sure about the Heat's own fear... of failure, if nothing else.
Loved this Michael Lewis commencement at Princeton from Sunday: It underscores the most arguably undervalued thing in sports (or anything) -- the role of dumb luck.
Must-see video of the day: The new trailer for the upcoming "Dream Team" documentary. Wow, is this going to be cool.
Sorry for the late post. More tomorrow a.m.
-- D.S.
If/when they dispatch the Spurs -- perhaps en route to an NBA title (if not this year, then surely soon) -- that will fit the narrative. Then again, three games ago, when the Spurs were up 2-0, we were talking about the Spurs going 16-0 in the crowning achievement of the Dynasty.
Between then and now is what makes the NBA -- all sports -- so amazing.
Celtics-Heat Game 5: Talk about pivotal. Chris Bosh should be back -- we'll see how effective he is. What should be clear is that the Celtics have zero fear of this Heat team -- I'm not so sure about the Heat's own fear... of failure, if nothing else.
Loved this Michael Lewis commencement at Princeton from Sunday: It underscores the most arguably undervalued thing in sports (or anything) -- the role of dumb luck.
Must-see video of the day: The new trailer for the upcoming "Dream Team" documentary. Wow, is this going to be cool.
Sorry for the late post. More tomorrow a.m.
-- D.S.
Monday, June 04, 2012
06/04 (Celtics) Quickie
Wow, these NBA Conference Finals are fantastic. I suppose there is still a chance one team could win the next two and they're over in 6, but it sure looks like we're headed for amazing finishes.
Celtics knot it up 2-2: Count me among those who hate the Celtics and loathe the Heat -- in that calculation, the lesser of two evils is the last-legs Celtics dismissing the Heat (although the Heat falling short in the NBA Finals for a second straight year is its own quality form of humiliation for them). I think it could happen, particularly if/when this goes to a toss-up Game 7. (The Heat's lack of any depth beyond LeBron and Wade really shows up in those closing sequences, doesn't it?)
Chris Bosh back for Game 5? You'd think it's a net positive, but the question is this: After sitting out weeks -- and battles -- is he ready to go into a scrum this intense? I'm not just talking about physically -- although if an "abdominal strain" was enough to keep him out for weeks, it's hard to believe he will be able to hand KG elbowing him in the gut a dozen times per game. I'm talking about psychologically -- he is the guy who shows up 2/3 of the way through your road trip with your buddies. It's nice to have him along, but there's a certain "you had to be there" disconnect of the previous experience.
Spurs-Thunder Game 5: Hard to believe SA won't play better back in front of their home crowd. Will be fascinating to see the adjustments they make from Games 3 and 4. (Not sure what kind of adjustment you can make for Kevin Durant destroying you in the 4th quarter or Ibaka not missing a shot. Guess you have to hope a bit for regression to the mean.)
Tiger: Pretty simple -- he's not "back" until he wins a major.
Justin Blackmon: What is it with Jaguars receivers and horrible judgment? What a dope.
Addendum: I realize that last week I missed the morning after the NBA Draft Lottery (aka "Wizards Fans Playoffs"). Needless to say I'm fully on board my Wiz using the No. 3 pick on Bradley Beal, even if Michael-Kidd Gilchrist is available. (If the team had made other choices over the years and was already loaded with shooters, perhaps a different story, even if I do think Beal is going to be a tremendous pro with All-Star potential -- but as it stands, they have no one who can shoot AND a glaring hole at shooting guard. This seems easy to me.) The Bobcats are in a tough spot -- MKG is the right pick, given their desperate need for a SF (not to mention a winner and leader), but as with everyone else on that team, he can't shoot.
-- D.S.
Celtics knot it up 2-2: Count me among those who hate the Celtics and loathe the Heat -- in that calculation, the lesser of two evils is the last-legs Celtics dismissing the Heat (although the Heat falling short in the NBA Finals for a second straight year is its own quality form of humiliation for them). I think it could happen, particularly if/when this goes to a toss-up Game 7. (The Heat's lack of any depth beyond LeBron and Wade really shows up in those closing sequences, doesn't it?)
Chris Bosh back for Game 5? You'd think it's a net positive, but the question is this: After sitting out weeks -- and battles -- is he ready to go into a scrum this intense? I'm not just talking about physically -- although if an "abdominal strain" was enough to keep him out for weeks, it's hard to believe he will be able to hand KG elbowing him in the gut a dozen times per game. I'm talking about psychologically -- he is the guy who shows up 2/3 of the way through your road trip with your buddies. It's nice to have him along, but there's a certain "you had to be there" disconnect of the previous experience.
Spurs-Thunder Game 5: Hard to believe SA won't play better back in front of their home crowd. Will be fascinating to see the adjustments they make from Games 3 and 4. (Not sure what kind of adjustment you can make for Kevin Durant destroying you in the 4th quarter or Ibaka not missing a shot. Guess you have to hope a bit for regression to the mean.)
Tiger: Pretty simple -- he's not "back" until he wins a major.
Justin Blackmon: What is it with Jaguars receivers and horrible judgment? What a dope.
Addendum: I realize that last week I missed the morning after the NBA Draft Lottery (aka "Wizards Fans Playoffs"). Needless to say I'm fully on board my Wiz using the No. 3 pick on Bradley Beal, even if Michael-Kidd Gilchrist is available. (If the team had made other choices over the years and was already loaded with shooters, perhaps a different story, even if I do think Beal is going to be a tremendous pro with All-Star potential -- but as it stands, they have no one who can shoot AND a glaring hole at shooting guard. This seems easy to me.) The Bobcats are in a tough spot -- MKG is the right pick, given their desperate need for a SF (not to mention a winner and leader), but as with everyone else on that team, he can't shoot.
-- D.S.
Sunday, June 03, 2012
06/03 (Durant) Quickie
I love Kevin Durant for a lot of reasons: I love his game, I love his style, I love his dedication, I love his humility schtick, I particularly love his relentlessness and I love that he grew up very close to me. He is the pride of the "DMV."
Wow, was it fun to watch him go off last night -- that stretch in the 4th quarter where he scored 16 straight points for the Thunder was ridiculous. I put together a really good stream of analysis of Durant that came overnight. Give it a read right here.
Hell of a series in the West. Really look forward to that going seven. Meanwhile, out East, it's a must-win for Boston to keep this interesting. Otherwise, you end up with what you've got in the Stanley Cup playoffs -- namely, two road wins for the Kings... and a presumptive title in the bag.
-- D.S.
Wow, was it fun to watch him go off last night -- that stretch in the 4th quarter where he scored 16 straight points for the Thunder was ridiculous. I put together a really good stream of analysis of Durant that came overnight. Give it a read right here.
Hell of a series in the West. Really look forward to that going seven. Meanwhile, out East, it's a must-win for Boston to keep this interesting. Otherwise, you end up with what you've got in the Stanley Cup playoffs -- namely, two road wins for the Kings... and a presumptive title in the bag.
-- D.S.
Friday, June 01, 2012
06/01 (June Already?) Quickie
The dream of the Spurs going 16-0 through the playoffs is over, after last night. But even if the Thunder make it interesting -- and last night's win qualifies -- it's hard to imagine SAS not moving on.
Heat-Celtics Game 3: The question is whether the Celtics have anything left after basically giving it everything in Game 2 and still losing. Maybe they get the home-court bump... but does it really matter?
Spelling Bee: As always, gripping drama from talented kids facing more pressure than any athlete in "real" sports. One of my favorite events of the year.
Hmm: Should UCLA have given Diddy's son a scholarship? Let's flip that: Should Diddy have taken the scholarship for his son or offered to pay? I say the latter -- Diddy can more than afford it.
Hmm, part 2: Is it wrong that Vandy football coach James Franklin wants to know if his potential assistant coaches are married to attractive women, because that's his proxy for whether they can recruit? It's amusing but focuses on the wrong alpha quality for assistant coaches -- salesmanship matters, of course, but I want relentlessness even more. The real question is: Is the assistant coach so focused on football that he isn't married? Or had to get divorced? Or neglects his family? That's harsh, but the reality. I know that many head coaches look for "family men" because that is some sort of indication of their groundedness, but it's a facade -- if an assistant coach said "Hey, Coach, I need to head home early to tuck my kids in and/or have dinner with my wife," he'd be an ex-assistant coach shortly.
This weekend's Must-See: Stanley Cup Game 2, tomorrow night.
My daughter turns 3 months old today -- happy "birthday," Lucy! If you have kids, you know that in the first year, those quarterly milestones are big ones. Takeaway: 3 kids is a handful, but the transition from 2 to 3 wasn't as hard as the transition from 1 to 2.
This weekend is also my Harvard Business School 10th reunion -- I'm not there, unfortunately, but I might have a bit to say about it later.
Enjoy your weekend -- pop over to Quickish for some great reads on the Thunder and a ton of great reads from yesterday, if you missed them.
-- D.S.
Heat-Celtics Game 3: The question is whether the Celtics have anything left after basically giving it everything in Game 2 and still losing. Maybe they get the home-court bump... but does it really matter?
Spelling Bee: As always, gripping drama from talented kids facing more pressure than any athlete in "real" sports. One of my favorite events of the year.
Hmm: Should UCLA have given Diddy's son a scholarship? Let's flip that: Should Diddy have taken the scholarship for his son or offered to pay? I say the latter -- Diddy can more than afford it.
Hmm, part 2: Is it wrong that Vandy football coach James Franklin wants to know if his potential assistant coaches are married to attractive women, because that's his proxy for whether they can recruit? It's amusing but focuses on the wrong alpha quality for assistant coaches -- salesmanship matters, of course, but I want relentlessness even more. The real question is: Is the assistant coach so focused on football that he isn't married? Or had to get divorced? Or neglects his family? That's harsh, but the reality. I know that many head coaches look for "family men" because that is some sort of indication of their groundedness, but it's a facade -- if an assistant coach said "Hey, Coach, I need to head home early to tuck my kids in and/or have dinner with my wife," he'd be an ex-assistant coach shortly.
This weekend's Must-See: Stanley Cup Game 2, tomorrow night.
My daughter turns 3 months old today -- happy "birthday," Lucy! If you have kids, you know that in the first year, those quarterly milestones are big ones. Takeaway: 3 kids is a handful, but the transition from 2 to 3 wasn't as hard as the transition from 1 to 2.
This weekend is also my Harvard Business School 10th reunion -- I'm not there, unfortunately, but I might have a bit to say about it later.
Enjoy your weekend -- pop over to Quickish for some great reads on the Thunder and a ton of great reads from yesterday, if you missed them.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
05/30 (Spurs) Quickie
At this point, I am fully rooting for the Spurs to go 16-0 en route to a title, if only for the novelty -- to go along with the jaw-dropping excellence.
(That it would imply the Spurs sweeping the Heat in the Finals to get there is just a bonus. I think the Spurs will be extra-motivated to destroy the Heat in the Finals, because it is the ultimate validation of the Spurs' awesomeness, which has been largely overlooked throughout the Duncan dynasty.)
Stanley Cup Finals: My 6-year-old son Gabe is picking/rooting for the Kings; my 3-year-old son Jonah (who is the one who actually plays ice hockey) is picking/rooting for the Devils. I love the fact that it's a toss-up, particularly between two teams that two months ago, no one thought would get here.
NBA Lottery: For we Wizards fans, it's the perennial event that is a proxy for our "playoffs." We get unusually into it -- almost always let down. Let's be clear: The team that lands Anthony Davis gets the kind of super-elite talent that is necessary to be an NBA title contender; everyone else at the top of the draft gets a nice piece -- maybe even a starter -- but nothing that will transform a team like Davis will.
USMNT vs. Brazil: Right up the road from me at FedEx Field. Fully expect a Brazil W, but in a friendly, the US has pulled off bigger shockers in the past (like Spain a few years ago). Should be a fun one.
MLB: The Rangers were already the odds-on favorite to win the World Series -- signing Roy Oswalt only firms that up. Meanwhile, the Phillies get the brunt of going all-in when the title window is open -- Halladay breaking down was unexpected and entirely painful for a team trying to keep it together to hold off charges from the rest of the division, which have pushed the Phils down already.
RIP: Condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of CBSSports.com's Craig Stanke, who died suddenly and tragically -- he had been in online sports since the mid-1990s (the SportsLine days), making him one of the real early believers and practitioners in the medium. So sad.
-- D.S.
(That it would imply the Spurs sweeping the Heat in the Finals to get there is just a bonus. I think the Spurs will be extra-motivated to destroy the Heat in the Finals, because it is the ultimate validation of the Spurs' awesomeness, which has been largely overlooked throughout the Duncan dynasty.)
Stanley Cup Finals: My 6-year-old son Gabe is picking/rooting for the Kings; my 3-year-old son Jonah (who is the one who actually plays ice hockey) is picking/rooting for the Devils. I love the fact that it's a toss-up, particularly between two teams that two months ago, no one thought would get here.
NBA Lottery: For we Wizards fans, it's the perennial event that is a proxy for our "playoffs." We get unusually into it -- almost always let down. Let's be clear: The team that lands Anthony Davis gets the kind of super-elite talent that is necessary to be an NBA title contender; everyone else at the top of the draft gets a nice piece -- maybe even a starter -- but nothing that will transform a team like Davis will.
USMNT vs. Brazil: Right up the road from me at FedEx Field. Fully expect a Brazil W, but in a friendly, the US has pulled off bigger shockers in the past (like Spain a few years ago). Should be a fun one.
MLB: The Rangers were already the odds-on favorite to win the World Series -- signing Roy Oswalt only firms that up. Meanwhile, the Phillies get the brunt of going all-in when the title window is open -- Halladay breaking down was unexpected and entirely painful for a team trying to keep it together to hold off charges from the rest of the division, which have pushed the Phils down already.
RIP: Condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of CBSSports.com's Craig Stanke, who died suddenly and tragically -- he had been in online sports since the mid-1990s (the SportsLine days), making him one of the real early believers and practitioners in the medium. So sad.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
05/29 (LeBron Laughs) Quickie
LeBron gets the first laugh: I need to talk about LeBron's laugh, which -- to me -- is by far the biggest story of the day, the kernel of authenticity wrapped in mocking wrapped in the way the Heat leveled the Celtics in Game 1 in a way that seemed entirely routine. Here's the clip:
I'm fascinated by this for a few reasons:
Rather than make LeBron look like a jerk, it made him look triumphant. Obviously, this is in large part because he did it in Kevin Garnett's face, KG being a compulsive asshole on the court throughout his entire career. KG mugged menacingly at LeBron... and LeBron laughed at him. Not in his face -- not quite -- but more like close enough to his face to make us know, yet far enough away to be entirely dismissive. KG looked pathetic; LeBron looked Olympic, like he knew the series was already over.
For me, it was one of the most fascinating on-court moments of LeBron's career -- clearly, he hasn't won anything of substance yet (if "substance" is defined as "championship"), but when we talk about LeBron assuming an alpha role en route to that championship, this is the kind of thing you expect to see.
Let me reiterate: LeBron wasn't being a jerk. He was diminishing a rival to the point where KG's signature scowling now feels like a joke, a punchline.
It was necessary that LeBron pull this off against KG and the Celtics -- if he did it against the mediocre Rockets or the lowly Wizards or even the rising Thunder, he is a bully. Aside from a very specific nostalgia springing from the idea these all-time great Boston players are on their last gasps of relevancy, most fans loathe them and are thrilled to see them mitigated, even if the typically loathed LeBron is doing the mitigating. Few have the basis to laugh KG into NBA oblivion -- LeBron does.
We mocked KG and the Celtics with LeBron, and that is an ultimate result for LeBron.
-- D.S.
I'm fascinated by this for a few reasons:
Rather than make LeBron look like a jerk, it made him look triumphant. Obviously, this is in large part because he did it in Kevin Garnett's face, KG being a compulsive asshole on the court throughout his entire career. KG mugged menacingly at LeBron... and LeBron laughed at him. Not in his face -- not quite -- but more like close enough to his face to make us know, yet far enough away to be entirely dismissive. KG looked pathetic; LeBron looked Olympic, like he knew the series was already over.
For me, it was one of the most fascinating on-court moments of LeBron's career -- clearly, he hasn't won anything of substance yet (if "substance" is defined as "championship"), but when we talk about LeBron assuming an alpha role en route to that championship, this is the kind of thing you expect to see.
Let me reiterate: LeBron wasn't being a jerk. He was diminishing a rival to the point where KG's signature scowling now feels like a joke, a punchline.
It was necessary that LeBron pull this off against KG and the Celtics -- if he did it against the mediocre Rockets or the lowly Wizards or even the rising Thunder, he is a bully. Aside from a very specific nostalgia springing from the idea these all-time great Boston players are on their last gasps of relevancy, most fans loathe them and are thrilled to see them mitigated, even if the typically loathed LeBron is doing the mitigating. Few have the basis to laugh KG into NBA oblivion -- LeBron does.
We mocked KG and the Celtics with LeBron, and that is an ultimate result for LeBron.
-- D.S.
Monday, May 28, 2012
05/28 (Memorial Day) Quickie
First and foremost: Honoring everyone who gave their life in service to the country -- and a special thought for their families who carry their memories every day and, especially, today.
"I need a little bit more dose of nasty": That's Spurs coach Gregg Popovich before the start of the 4th quarter last night, when the Spurs took over -- and overtook -- the Thunder. As it turns out, the X-factor is that OKC didn't see Manu Ginobili this season... until last night.
Franchitti wins Indy 500: With three career wins and wins in two of the last three years, we're in the Franchitti dynasty (along with the gratuitous reference to Ashley Judd).
Northwestern wins women's lax title -- again (again): That's 7 national titles in the past 8 years. I tweeted this out yesterday -- the NU women's lax team is the closest thing we have in sports to Wooden's UCLA dynasty.
Enjoy your Memorial Day. Give Quickish a drop-by today for the best takes on Spurs-Thunder, Franchitti and more.
-- D.S.
"I need a little bit more dose of nasty": That's Spurs coach Gregg Popovich before the start of the 4th quarter last night, when the Spurs took over -- and overtook -- the Thunder. As it turns out, the X-factor is that OKC didn't see Manu Ginobili this season... until last night.
Franchitti wins Indy 500: With three career wins and wins in two of the last three years, we're in the Franchitti dynasty (along with the gratuitous reference to Ashley Judd).
Northwestern wins women's lax title -- again (again): That's 7 national titles in the past 8 years. I tweeted this out yesterday -- the NU women's lax team is the closest thing we have in sports to Wooden's UCLA dynasty.
Enjoy your Memorial Day. Give Quickish a drop-by today for the best takes on Spurs-Thunder, Franchitti and more.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
05/23 (Heat) Quickie
And the world returns to its normal axis, as the Heat dismantle the Pacers and effectively end any shot Indiana had at winning this series. Dexter Pittman's wink -- caught on camera -- after he gave Lance Stephenson a shot to the neck at the end of the game is why he'll probably sit Game 6, not that it matters.
More:
*The NFLPA's collusion lawsuit against the NFL is a joke.
*Larry Bird calls the Pacers "soft": You're not helping.
*The Magic would be a better fit for NBA martinet Jerry Sloan than the Bobcats.
*Kings advance to Stanley Cup finals: Yeah, that would-be penalty was a somewhat dirty move, but if you're Phoenix, you've got to deal and rally. They were going to lose the series anyway, let's be honest.
Sorry for the short (and way-late) post today.
Tons of great stuff on Quickish today (and yesterday, too). Click here for a quick-hit version or just head over to the site.
-- D.S.
More:
*The NFLPA's collusion lawsuit against the NFL is a joke.
*Larry Bird calls the Pacers "soft": You're not helping.
*The Magic would be a better fit for NBA martinet Jerry Sloan than the Bobcats.
*Kings advance to Stanley Cup finals: Yeah, that would-be penalty was a somewhat dirty move, but if you're Phoenix, you've got to deal and rally. They were going to lose the series anyway, let's be honest.
Sorry for the short (and way-late) post today.
Tons of great stuff on Quickish today (and yesterday, too). Click here for a quick-hit version or just head over to the site.
-- D.S.
Monday, May 21, 2012
05/21 (LeBron) Quickie
What I don't understand is pundits who tell me/us that I/we have to like LeBron.
Why can't I simultaneously appreciate that LeBron is jaw-droppingly awesome -- as he was yesterday afternoon -- yet still root against him?
Do these pundits also insist I root for the Yankees? How about Duke hoops? How about the Patriots?
The history of sports is loaded with examples of otherworldly players that we fans appreciate but are otherwise allowed to root against. LeBron is no different.
Meanwhile:
*Dwyane Wade: Nothing like a brilliant bounce-back game to implode the previous day's narrative. (Am I still allowed to root for the Pacers to win the series? No? That's OK: I'm fine watching the Heat get past Indy then get past the Celtics before being dismembered by the Spurs.)
*Spurs: Four, four. The West finals against OKC will be epic, but is it hard to envision the Spurs sweeping again? They probably won't, but at some point -- even if you don't like the Spurs or want to see them win yet another title in the NBA's Duncan Dynasty -- you kind of want them to go 16-0, simply because we haven't seen that.
*NHL: I don't think the Kings have much to worry about. The Devils, on the other hand, should be worried that they are out-playing the Rangers yet still stymied by Lundqvist. If you believe in process over outcome, it should eventually even out -- but (a) not in a short series and (b) not with Lundqvist playing out of his mind.
*Get more: A bunch of great Heat-related reads at Quickish this morning, along with an awesome longishread about the star of "Born to Run" (which was the focus of a Quickish tip from Outside.com last month, but is re-done by the New York Times in fine fashion today). Check it all out here.
-- D.S.
Why can't I simultaneously appreciate that LeBron is jaw-droppingly awesome -- as he was yesterday afternoon -- yet still root against him?
Do these pundits also insist I root for the Yankees? How about Duke hoops? How about the Patriots?
The history of sports is loaded with examples of otherworldly players that we fans appreciate but are otherwise allowed to root against. LeBron is no different.
Meanwhile:
*Dwyane Wade: Nothing like a brilliant bounce-back game to implode the previous day's narrative. (Am I still allowed to root for the Pacers to win the series? No? That's OK: I'm fine watching the Heat get past Indy then get past the Celtics before being dismembered by the Spurs.)
*Spurs: Four, four. The West finals against OKC will be epic, but is it hard to envision the Spurs sweeping again? They probably won't, but at some point -- even if you don't like the Spurs or want to see them win yet another title in the NBA's Duncan Dynasty -- you kind of want them to go 16-0, simply because we haven't seen that.
*NHL: I don't think the Kings have much to worry about. The Devils, on the other hand, should be worried that they are out-playing the Rangers yet still stymied by Lundqvist. If you believe in process over outcome, it should eventually even out -- but (a) not in a short series and (b) not with Lundqvist playing out of his mind.
*Get more: A bunch of great Heat-related reads at Quickish this morning, along with an awesome longishread about the star of "Born to Run" (which was the focus of a Quickish tip from Outside.com last month, but is re-done by the New York Times in fine fashion today). Check it all out here.
-- D.S.
Friday, May 18, 2012
05/18 (Friday) Quickie
*Let's not downplay D-Wade's mid-game sideline rant at coach Erik Spoelstra. That felt like a defining moment of the Heat falling short of a championship -- possibly falling short of even making the Eastern Conference Finals. (Chris Bosh: Heat MVP. Chew on that.)
*The Spurs are awesome, full stop. They have a superstar, regular stars, role players, luck, design, system, a Hall of Fame coach, a Hall of Fame GM. It is, like most championship teams, absolutely not a replicable model for other franchises. (Indiana, however....)
*SEC and Big 12 pair up for a bowl game to rival (or eclipse) the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day. Brilliant. Not as brilliant as the SEC forming its own billion-dollar 8-team playoff that doesn't include any other teams, but not bad given they don't seem willing to go that far. (The Big 12 doesn't need Florida State, but they should sign them up anyway.)
*Kerry Wood is retiring: His career was derailed with injuries, but he will always be remembered for the 20-K game, which Bill James once argued was the single-greatest pitching performance in baseball history. My old ESPN.com editor David Schoenfield made a compelling case that Wood's legacy is alerting teams to over-using young pitchers' arms, which has led to much better pitching (and much more hamstrung offense -- an unintended consequence, I'm sure).
*Preakness pick: the NYT's Joe Drape is picking Went The Day Well. The real questions are: (1) Will I'll Have Another pick up another leg of the Triple Crown? (No.) (2) Will Bodemeister finish what he started in the Derby and set up a rubber match at Belmont? (No.) (3) Then who will win? (Creative Cause, with Bodemeister to place and I'll Have Another to show.)
Have a great weekend. Plenty of great reads on Quickish today, with more coming this weekend. Check it out!
-- D.S.
*The Spurs are awesome, full stop. They have a superstar, regular stars, role players, luck, design, system, a Hall of Fame coach, a Hall of Fame GM. It is, like most championship teams, absolutely not a replicable model for other franchises. (Indiana, however....)
*SEC and Big 12 pair up for a bowl game to rival (or eclipse) the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day. Brilliant. Not as brilliant as the SEC forming its own billion-dollar 8-team playoff that doesn't include any other teams, but not bad given they don't seem willing to go that far. (The Big 12 doesn't need Florida State, but they should sign them up anyway.)
*Kerry Wood is retiring: His career was derailed with injuries, but he will always be remembered for the 20-K game, which Bill James once argued was the single-greatest pitching performance in baseball history. My old ESPN.com editor David Schoenfield made a compelling case that Wood's legacy is alerting teams to over-using young pitchers' arms, which has led to much better pitching (and much more hamstrung offense -- an unintended consequence, I'm sure).
*Preakness pick: the NYT's Joe Drape is picking Went The Day Well. The real questions are: (1) Will I'll Have Another pick up another leg of the Triple Crown? (No.) (2) Will Bodemeister finish what he started in the Derby and set up a rubber match at Belmont? (No.) (3) Then who will win? (Creative Cause, with Bodemeister to place and I'll Have Another to show.)
Have a great weekend. Plenty of great reads on Quickish today, with more coming this weekend. Check it out!
-- D.S.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
05/17 (Thunder) Quickie
Thunder d. Lakers: For all the offensive pyrotechnics of Durant and Westbrook and Harden, last night's comeback close-out felt like a defining moment for the Thunder.
(As for the Lakers' final shot? Kobe was supposed to get the ball, but MWP saw Blake open in the corner for an entirely reasonable shot. It was the right play to make -- but you can't disprove a negative, which is why Kobe's fans are howling this morning (the way Kobe was shooting at the end of the game, he had far less of a chance of making a contested shot as Blake had of making an uncontested one).
Celtics Take Game 3: I'm not a huge KG fan, but I am absolutely loving his renaissance as an elite talent in his late-30s.
LeBron/Heat/Bosh: Yes, it's harder for LeBron to play power forward than it is for him to play small forward on the perimeter. But it's not like he doesn't have the physique to pull it off -- he's like twice the size of Kevin Love. I'd love to see him go 20/20, but it sounds like he might not be up for the challenge.
NHL: Fantastic (arguably must-have) win for the Devils last night. Totally changes the feel of the series.
NFL: Hard to understand why the Saints aren't giving Drew Brees what he wants.
MLB: You know Pujols is having a tough season when every home run -- and he's now up to all of two of them -- is the lead MLB story of the night.
Preakness: I'll say Bodemeister wins the rematch with I'll Have Another, who won't even place.
Pop on over to Quickish to catch up on the best takes on all these stories, plus some really great other reads.
-- D.S.
(As for the Lakers' final shot? Kobe was supposed to get the ball, but MWP saw Blake open in the corner for an entirely reasonable shot. It was the right play to make -- but you can't disprove a negative, which is why Kobe's fans are howling this morning (the way Kobe was shooting at the end of the game, he had far less of a chance of making a contested shot as Blake had of making an uncontested one).
Celtics Take Game 3: I'm not a huge KG fan, but I am absolutely loving his renaissance as an elite talent in his late-30s.
LeBron/Heat/Bosh: Yes, it's harder for LeBron to play power forward than it is for him to play small forward on the perimeter. But it's not like he doesn't have the physique to pull it off -- he's like twice the size of Kevin Love. I'd love to see him go 20/20, but it sounds like he might not be up for the challenge.
NHL: Fantastic (arguably must-have) win for the Devils last night. Totally changes the feel of the series.
NFL: Hard to understand why the Saints aren't giving Drew Brees what he wants.
MLB: You know Pujols is having a tough season when every home run -- and he's now up to all of two of them -- is the lead MLB story of the night.
Preakness: I'll say Bodemeister wins the rematch with I'll Have Another, who won't even place.
Pop on over to Quickish to catch up on the best takes on all these stories, plus some really great other reads.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
05/16 (LeBron) Quickie
Gabe turns 6 today. For those of you who have been around since the day he arrived in 2006 (announced in the Quickie, I believe), thank you.
He gets his presents tonight, but this morning we gave him his first gift -- a Cam Newton t-shirt jersey. Newton is his favorite player. He didn't even have it on before he did Cam's "Superman" move in celebration. I think it'll be impossible for me not to buy him a real Newton Panthers jersey this fall.
(He is also getting a half-dozen packs of various sport cards -- just in case you were wondering if analog sports fandom was dead. It's not -- turns out 6-year-olds are as fascinated by the facts and data on the back of a sports card as they have been for three generations.)
More:
*Heat lose to the Pacers: Chris Bosh turns out to matter... a lot. But the story of the game was LeBron missing those free throws at the end, then standing around as Mario Chalmers took the would-be game-tying shot at the buzzer. I understand why Spoelstra would use LeBron as a decoy to get the cleanest shot possible, but it sure doesn't look good. If the Heat lose to the Pacers -- and at this point it's 50/50 (which is a lot more tenuous than it was this time yesterday) -- then at least they have the built-in excuse that Bosh wasn't playing, no different than the Bulls getting bounced without Rose.
*Spurs win, handily. It's their title to lose. Today's best read is a sneak peek of this week's SI, which has a great profile of Tim Duncan by Chris Ballard.
*Head over to Quickish for some really great reads about the biggest topics.
-- D.S.
He gets his presents tonight, but this morning we gave him his first gift -- a Cam Newton t-shirt jersey. Newton is his favorite player. He didn't even have it on before he did Cam's "Superman" move in celebration. I think it'll be impossible for me not to buy him a real Newton Panthers jersey this fall.
(He is also getting a half-dozen packs of various sport cards -- just in case you were wondering if analog sports fandom was dead. It's not -- turns out 6-year-olds are as fascinated by the facts and data on the back of a sports card as they have been for three generations.)
More:
*Heat lose to the Pacers: Chris Bosh turns out to matter... a lot. But the story of the game was LeBron missing those free throws at the end, then standing around as Mario Chalmers took the would-be game-tying shot at the buzzer. I understand why Spoelstra would use LeBron as a decoy to get the cleanest shot possible, but it sure doesn't look good. If the Heat lose to the Pacers -- and at this point it's 50/50 (which is a lot more tenuous than it was this time yesterday) -- then at least they have the built-in excuse that Bosh wasn't playing, no different than the Bulls getting bounced without Rose.
*Spurs win, handily. It's their title to lose. Today's best read is a sneak peek of this week's SI, which has a great profile of Tim Duncan by Chris Ballard.
*Head over to Quickish for some really great reads about the biggest topics.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
05/15 (Thunder) Quickie
Gabe turns 6 tomorrow (already?), and I realized too late that I should have pulled him out of kindergarten today to go to the Nats' 1:05 start (featuring Strasburg, no less). Bad parenting.
NBA: I'm not sure the Thunder are going to win the NBA title -- the Spurs are going to be a handful -- but I am sure that they are going to wallop the Lakers so badly it will end the Kobe Dynasty there.
Bosh out indefinitely: They don't need Bosh to beat the Pacers. They don't need Bosh to beat the Celtics (or Sixers). They need Bosh to beat the Spurs. So rest him until the Finals. (Bonus: If they fall short, his injury is a convenient excuse.)
NHL: So the Devils aren't as good as the Caps, is that what we're saying after last night? (Meanwhile, Dale Hunter was never going to stick around -- they'll be hard-pressed to find another coach who can get the team to the brink of the conference finals.)
MLB: Bryce Harper's first career HR. Unclear any player has had a more compelling first two weeks at the MLB level than Harper. (That said: With Kemp on the DL, the best show in the league remains, clearly, Josh Hamilton -- although Harper is a pretty close second.)
NFL: As someone trying to get back to fighting weight (via Weight Watchers, just like Charles Barkley!), I appreciate Donovan McNabb's effort to slim down and re-find his relevancy.
CFB: Would anyone miss Florida State in the ACC if they left for the Big 12? (Unclear why the Big 12 isn't galloping to sign FSU, which would bring the league Florida cachet. They might be nervous about getting crushed by the interloper -- as they should fear about Holgorsen's WVU.)
On my must-read list for the summer: Smart Football's upcoming book "The Essential Smart Football" -- Chris Brown is phenomenal, and he's self-publishing, so worth your support. Get info here.
Love that ESPN is re-upping the "30 for 30" documentary series -- and particularly that they are expanding to digital short films that work better online.
-- D.S.
NBA: I'm not sure the Thunder are going to win the NBA title -- the Spurs are going to be a handful -- but I am sure that they are going to wallop the Lakers so badly it will end the Kobe Dynasty there.
Bosh out indefinitely: They don't need Bosh to beat the Pacers. They don't need Bosh to beat the Celtics (or Sixers). They need Bosh to beat the Spurs. So rest him until the Finals. (Bonus: If they fall short, his injury is a convenient excuse.)
NHL: So the Devils aren't as good as the Caps, is that what we're saying after last night? (Meanwhile, Dale Hunter was never going to stick around -- they'll be hard-pressed to find another coach who can get the team to the brink of the conference finals.)
MLB: Bryce Harper's first career HR. Unclear any player has had a more compelling first two weeks at the MLB level than Harper. (That said: With Kemp on the DL, the best show in the league remains, clearly, Josh Hamilton -- although Harper is a pretty close second.)
NFL: As someone trying to get back to fighting weight (via Weight Watchers, just like Charles Barkley!), I appreciate Donovan McNabb's effort to slim down and re-find his relevancy.
CFB: Would anyone miss Florida State in the ACC if they left for the Big 12? (Unclear why the Big 12 isn't galloping to sign FSU, which would bring the league Florida cachet. They might be nervous about getting crushed by the interloper -- as they should fear about Holgorsen's WVU.)
On my must-read list for the summer: Smart Football's upcoming book "The Essential Smart Football" -- Chris Brown is phenomenal, and he's self-publishing, so worth your support. Get info here.
Love that ESPN is re-upping the "30 for 30" documentary series -- and particularly that they are expanding to digital short films that work better online.
-- D.S.
Friday, May 11, 2012
05/11 (Mother's Day) Quickie
Happy mother's day to all the moms out there, especially my own mom and the mom of my kids -- having the third kid in March makes this mother's day all the more awesome.
Very quickly:
*Kobe: Not happy after puking his guts out, then watching his teammates lay down against the Nuggets in Denver last night, forcing a Game 7. Either his teammates respond on Saturday night -- dramatic in its own right -- or they don't, and it's time to blow up the Kobe Lakers dynasty.
*76ers vanquish the 1-seed Bulls (and the Celtics shrug off the pesky Hawks): I don't think the Sixers have much of a chance against Boston, and I think we're all looking forward to a Celtics-Heat East finals. (BTW: Love Iguodala making his free throws in the 4th quarter, particularly in the final seconds, after struggling with FTs for his career.) For the Bulls, it's just One Of Those Things. The point that they drive themselves to disability through a maniacally intense regular season falls apart as soon as you acknowledge that Rose's knee injury wasn't from overuse, but a freak occurrence.
*Game of the weekend: Caps-Rangers Game 7.
*Great weekend reading: Chris Ballard on Kobe's dad, Joe.
-- D.S.
Very quickly:
*Kobe: Not happy after puking his guts out, then watching his teammates lay down against the Nuggets in Denver last night, forcing a Game 7. Either his teammates respond on Saturday night -- dramatic in its own right -- or they don't, and it's time to blow up the Kobe Lakers dynasty.
*76ers vanquish the 1-seed Bulls (and the Celtics shrug off the pesky Hawks): I don't think the Sixers have much of a chance against Boston, and I think we're all looking forward to a Celtics-Heat East finals. (BTW: Love Iguodala making his free throws in the 4th quarter, particularly in the final seconds, after struggling with FTs for his career.) For the Bulls, it's just One Of Those Things. The point that they drive themselves to disability through a maniacally intense regular season falls apart as soon as you acknowledge that Rose's knee injury wasn't from overuse, but a freak occurrence.
*Game of the weekend: Caps-Rangers Game 7.
*Great weekend reading: Chris Ballard on Kobe's dad, Joe.
-- D.S.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
05/10 (Expectations) Quickie
We spend a lot of time here talking about expectations.
Is it a "good" season for the Knicks that without Lin (and without Shumpert), they made it to the playoffs, even if they lost in the first round?
Does it matter that they lost to the best team in the league -- a team that a full-strength Knicks team couldn't beat 4 out of 7 under any circumstances?
Would Knicks fans rather have missed the playoffs altogether? (As a Wizards fan, I will tell you that's not a great option.)
I think the expectations for the Knicks -- at least as a 7- or 8-seed -- was that they would lose in the first round. At full strength, you'd hope they would make it an interesting 7-game series (as other presumptive first-round losers are doing across the rest of the league).
But they weren't at full strength. A sweep was inevitable. Thus, losing in 5 -- at least getting the thrill of that Game 4 win at home -- was slightly better than expectations.
(I'm not sure what happens to those expectations next year: If Lin is healthy and Shumpert is healthy and the rest of the team stays healthy and they have a good coach... they might end up with the 4-seed -- maybe 3 -- in the East, which means the expectation is "Get to the conference semifinals before losing." It's not exactly "Four, Four, Four.")
Meanwhile:
The Caps! Now HERE is a team that has surpassed expectations, wildly. I think most folks didn't give them a chance to beat Boston in the first round -- and certainly not to beat the Bruins in Boston in Game 7. Now they have taken the Eastern Conference's top seed to a toss-up 7th game, with all the momentum back from the gut-wrenching Game 5 loss. It is fine to madly hope for a Game 7 win, but if the team loses at Madison Square Garden, it will be hard to feel like fans were robbed (which is decidedly NOT the case in previous years where the team has fallen short and/or choked).
Correction! In yesterday's post, I assumed away that the Eastern champ would win the Stanley Cup over whichever team from the West it faced. Reader Zach Smythe -- alas, no relation to the Cup MVP award namesake -- called me out on it, reminding me the Kings had blitzed through the top two seeds in the West and were very much a viable candidate to win it all. I stand corrected. Thanks, Zach!
Grizzlies-Clippers! The Grizz send it back to LA for Game 6, down 3-2 but certainly capable of winning the next game and forcing a Game 7 in Memphis. So what's more difficult: Coming back from 27 points down in less than a quarter... or coming back from being down 3-1 in a series? Seems like 144 minutes of win-or-go-home is more arduous than 10 minutes of frenzied comeback.
The most interesting thing I read yesterday: Greg Oden's interview with Grantland's Mark Titus. It's really hard not to root for Oden to at least get a chance to play relatively healthy for a little while.
Tonight's must-see: All those NBA Game 6s. Chicago tries to stave off rare 1-seed elimination at Philly, Atlanta (newly rejuvinated by the return of Al Horford, one of my favorite players) tries to stave off elimination at Boston and -- in the late one -- the Nuggets will try to use home-court advantage (and the -- I can't believe I'm saying this -- "JaVale McGee X-Factor") to stave off elimination against the Lakers. Would love to see all of these go 7.
-- D.S.
Is it a "good" season for the Knicks that without Lin (and without Shumpert), they made it to the playoffs, even if they lost in the first round?
Does it matter that they lost to the best team in the league -- a team that a full-strength Knicks team couldn't beat 4 out of 7 under any circumstances?
Would Knicks fans rather have missed the playoffs altogether? (As a Wizards fan, I will tell you that's not a great option.)
I think the expectations for the Knicks -- at least as a 7- or 8-seed -- was that they would lose in the first round. At full strength, you'd hope they would make it an interesting 7-game series (as other presumptive first-round losers are doing across the rest of the league).
But they weren't at full strength. A sweep was inevitable. Thus, losing in 5 -- at least getting the thrill of that Game 4 win at home -- was slightly better than expectations.
(I'm not sure what happens to those expectations next year: If Lin is healthy and Shumpert is healthy and the rest of the team stays healthy and they have a good coach... they might end up with the 4-seed -- maybe 3 -- in the East, which means the expectation is "Get to the conference semifinals before losing." It's not exactly "Four, Four, Four.")
Meanwhile:
The Caps! Now HERE is a team that has surpassed expectations, wildly. I think most folks didn't give them a chance to beat Boston in the first round -- and certainly not to beat the Bruins in Boston in Game 7. Now they have taken the Eastern Conference's top seed to a toss-up 7th game, with all the momentum back from the gut-wrenching Game 5 loss. It is fine to madly hope for a Game 7 win, but if the team loses at Madison Square Garden, it will be hard to feel like fans were robbed (which is decidedly NOT the case in previous years where the team has fallen short and/or choked).
Correction! In yesterday's post, I assumed away that the Eastern champ would win the Stanley Cup over whichever team from the West it faced. Reader Zach Smythe -- alas, no relation to the Cup MVP award namesake -- called me out on it, reminding me the Kings had blitzed through the top two seeds in the West and were very much a viable candidate to win it all. I stand corrected. Thanks, Zach!
Grizzlies-Clippers! The Grizz send it back to LA for Game 6, down 3-2 but certainly capable of winning the next game and forcing a Game 7 in Memphis. So what's more difficult: Coming back from 27 points down in less than a quarter... or coming back from being down 3-1 in a series? Seems like 144 minutes of win-or-go-home is more arduous than 10 minutes of frenzied comeback.
The most interesting thing I read yesterday: Greg Oden's interview with Grantland's Mark Titus. It's really hard not to root for Oden to at least get a chance to play relatively healthy for a little while.
Tonight's must-see: All those NBA Game 6s. Chicago tries to stave off rare 1-seed elimination at Philly, Atlanta (newly rejuvinated by the return of Al Horford, one of my favorite players) tries to stave off elimination at Boston and -- in the late one -- the Nuggets will try to use home-court advantage (and the -- I can't believe I'm saying this -- "JaVale McGee X-Factor") to stave off elimination against the Lakers. Would love to see all of these go 7.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
05/09 (Hamilton) Quickie
Josh Hamilton is on my fantasy team and yet I am near the bottom of the league standings -- I should take a lesson from the Rangers: Hitting is great, but great pitching matters just as much (particularly when you play in a 5x5 head-to-head league).
My favorite Hamiltonian stat: There have been fewer players (16) to hit 4 HR in a game than there have been perfect games (21).
Should the Rangers (over)pay him? When healthy, he is clearly worth the kind of money that has been given to Prince Fielder and Joey Votto. But he is 31, he averages less than 120 games per season and he's got some mileage on his baggage car.
I could see the Rangers being willing to give him more money per year for less years -- I could also see a team with cash and a sense of urgency giving him even more (if not for the Nats' brutal deal for Werth, they could have been huge players, I think).
The Rangers have a lot of money. They have a willingness to spend it. They have a wide-open window to try to win a championship. They have a triple crown contender in the lineup. What would you do?
More:
JaVale McGee: As a long-suffering Wizards fan, I am fairly expert at the inconsistency of McGee. Here's what you need to know: As the 6th-best player on a playoff team, he will thrive -- as an almost child-like knucklehead, he needs structure. Where he got into trouble in DC was that he was expected to be a franchise player, surrounded by no structure. He isn't a player worthy of being paid like a near-superstar. If a team makes that mistake, they will figure it out pretty quickly.
The Hawks and Bulls both push their series to Game 6: I could see both series going 7, which would at least make them interesting. No such luck for the Heat-Knicks.
NHL: The Devils roll on to the Eastern finals. I think the Eastern winner wins the Cup, and it's easy to envision the scorching Devils getting past a spent Caps-Rangers survivor.
Tonight's must-see: Caps-Rangers Game 6. Wish I could be at Verizon Center for that. I'll content myself screaming from the couch with my kids.
-- D.S.
My favorite Hamiltonian stat: There have been fewer players (16) to hit 4 HR in a game than there have been perfect games (21).
Should the Rangers (over)pay him? When healthy, he is clearly worth the kind of money that has been given to Prince Fielder and Joey Votto. But he is 31, he averages less than 120 games per season and he's got some mileage on his baggage car.
I could see the Rangers being willing to give him more money per year for less years -- I could also see a team with cash and a sense of urgency giving him even more (if not for the Nats' brutal deal for Werth, they could have been huge players, I think).
The Rangers have a lot of money. They have a willingness to spend it. They have a wide-open window to try to win a championship. They have a triple crown contender in the lineup. What would you do?
More:
JaVale McGee: As a long-suffering Wizards fan, I am fairly expert at the inconsistency of McGee. Here's what you need to know: As the 6th-best player on a playoff team, he will thrive -- as an almost child-like knucklehead, he needs structure. Where he got into trouble in DC was that he was expected to be a franchise player, surrounded by no structure. He isn't a player worthy of being paid like a near-superstar. If a team makes that mistake, they will figure it out pretty quickly.
The Hawks and Bulls both push their series to Game 6: I could see both series going 7, which would at least make them interesting. No such luck for the Heat-Knicks.
NHL: The Devils roll on to the Eastern finals. I think the Eastern winner wins the Cup, and it's easy to envision the scorching Devils getting past a spent Caps-Rangers survivor.
Tonight's must-see: Caps-Rangers Game 6. Wish I could be at Verizon Center for that. I'll content myself screaming from the couch with my kids.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
05/08 (Rangers) Quickie
The downside of going all-in on the Capitals since my DC homecoming is nights like last night. I thought the 3OT loss was bad -- losing a lead with 6.6 seconds to go in the game... then losing the game a couple minutes into OT... yeesh, that's rough. In a blink, it went from one of the greatest wins in franchise history to one of its worst losses. That's playoff hockey. Wednesday's Game 6 is a must-see.
NBA: As noted here endlessly over the years, expectations are everything. In the case of the Clippers, making the playoffs was great. Winning a first-round series would be incredible. And they should enjoy it now, because the Spurs are going to break them in half.
MLB: Cole Hamels suspended 5 games -- not even one start -- for intentionally hitting Bryce Harper on Sunday night. Baseball's "code" is a funny (even silly) thing, and it became yet another moment for Harper to distinguish himself. He took the HBP in stride, then made Hamels pay when he stole home. Then, Harper had nothing to say about it after the game, as opposed to Hamels, who bragged about it. The punishment is toothless, obviously, and the way this is settled is on the field over the rest of the season.
NFL: Given the scope (and hubris) of the Saints' bounty program -- going all the way to the top -- why do you think Williams and Vita wouldn't tell players to stonewall the NFL's investigation?
College: The Big East commish is out. I've always found it hard to accept Big East bleating about how big-time that football has become (with the Big East on the outside looking in), when it was the Big East itself that established the template for made-for-TV big-time college sports when it was formed 30 years ago specifically to take advantage of the new realities.
Government: So how is the state of Minnesota going to pay for this new stadium?
-- D.S.
NBA: As noted here endlessly over the years, expectations are everything. In the case of the Clippers, making the playoffs was great. Winning a first-round series would be incredible. And they should enjoy it now, because the Spurs are going to break them in half.
MLB: Cole Hamels suspended 5 games -- not even one start -- for intentionally hitting Bryce Harper on Sunday night. Baseball's "code" is a funny (even silly) thing, and it became yet another moment for Harper to distinguish himself. He took the HBP in stride, then made Hamels pay when he stole home. Then, Harper had nothing to say about it after the game, as opposed to Hamels, who bragged about it. The punishment is toothless, obviously, and the way this is settled is on the field over the rest of the season.
NFL: Given the scope (and hubris) of the Saints' bounty program -- going all the way to the top -- why do you think Williams and Vita wouldn't tell players to stonewall the NFL's investigation?
College: The Big East commish is out. I've always found it hard to accept Big East bleating about how big-time that football has become (with the Big East on the outside looking in), when it was the Big East itself that established the template for made-for-TV big-time college sports when it was formed 30 years ago specifically to take advantage of the new realities.
Government: So how is the state of Minnesota going to pay for this new stadium?
-- D.S.
Monday, May 07, 2012
05/07 (Monday) Quickie
NBA: I respect the expectations management by the Knicks that "not getting swept" is cause for celebration.
It sure seems like LeBron wanted to take that last shot -- Erik Spoelstra has to give him the chance.
(Things are less good for the Bulls, who can't fall back on "well, we lost without Rose and Noah," because they entered the playoffs in "title or fail" mode.)
Bryce Harper: In the first week of his MLB career, there have been a half-dozen "whoa!" moments -- none better than him stealing home last night (with a nano-second of glare at Cole Hamels after Hamels hit Harper to put him on 1st base in the first place).
Wild: But MLB's Player of the Weekend had to be Chris Davis of the (best-record-in-MLB) Orioles: 0-8 yesterday against the Red Sox... but he came in to pitch in the 16th and 17th innings and got the win.
Pujols: The question was never going to be if Albert Pujols was going to hit a home run this season, but the issue remains whether he can possibly find form that would have him on pace for 20 HR (let alone the 5 HR is on pace for now).
NHL: No one on the East Coast is paying attention, but the Kings have rolled into the NHL's Western Conference finals. Meanwhile: Caps-Rangers Game 5 tonight is a must-see.
Anniversary: 10 years ago today... "Practice?"
-- D.S.
It sure seems like LeBron wanted to take that last shot -- Erik Spoelstra has to give him the chance.
(Things are less good for the Bulls, who can't fall back on "well, we lost without Rose and Noah," because they entered the playoffs in "title or fail" mode.)
Bryce Harper: In the first week of his MLB career, there have been a half-dozen "whoa!" moments -- none better than him stealing home last night (with a nano-second of glare at Cole Hamels after Hamels hit Harper to put him on 1st base in the first place).
Wild: But MLB's Player of the Weekend had to be Chris Davis of the (best-record-in-MLB) Orioles: 0-8 yesterday against the Red Sox... but he came in to pitch in the 16th and 17th innings and got the win.
Pujols: The question was never going to be if Albert Pujols was going to hit a home run this season, but the issue remains whether he can possibly find form that would have him on pace for 20 HR (let alone the 5 HR is on pace for now).
NHL: No one on the East Coast is paying attention, but the Kings have rolled into the NHL's Western Conference finals. Meanwhile: Caps-Rangers Game 5 tonight is a must-see.
Anniversary: 10 years ago today... "Practice?"
-- D.S.
Saturday, May 05, 2012
05/05 (Very) Quickie
Annual Derby pick, based on my favorite name: Daddy Nose Best (or Daddy Long Legs), with Creative Cause a more likely winner.
Last night's MVP: Pam McGee, JaVale's mom.
Quote of the last 24 hours: "I am coming back. Write it down in big letters. I'm not going out like this." (Mariano Rivera)
I still think the Bulls can win the series with Philly, even if they're now down 2-1. But what's the point? So they can get drilled in the East semis?
I hate the Celtics but I love big games from the ageless KG.
Heard around our house this morning: "Let's! Go! Caps!"
RIP MCA: Got more hits than Sadaharu Oh.
Your weekend longread: "The Kid Who Wasn't There" by ESPN.com's Wright Thompson.
Catch up with the best of Quickish this week -- just go here and scroll down.
-- D.S.
Last night's MVP: Pam McGee, JaVale's mom.
Quote of the last 24 hours: "I am coming back. Write it down in big letters. I'm not going out like this." (Mariano Rivera)
I still think the Bulls can win the series with Philly, even if they're now down 2-1. But what's the point? So they can get drilled in the East semis?
I hate the Celtics but I love big games from the ageless KG.
Heard around our house this morning: "Let's! Go! Caps!"
RIP MCA: Got more hits than Sadaharu Oh.
Your weekend longread: "The Kid Who Wasn't There" by ESPN.com's Wright Thompson.
Catch up with the best of Quickish this week -- just go here and scroll down.
-- D.S.
Friday, May 04, 2012
05/04 (Mariano Rivera) Quickie
There is not a more universally respected baseball player -- possibly not a more universally respected athlete, period -- than Mariano Rivera.
That's my biggest takeaway from the overnight reaction to the news his season (and possibly his career) is over, after a freak knee injury shagging BP flies in centerfield, Rivera's favorite ritual.
(Great stream of reactions to the Rivera news over at Quickish -- check it out here.)
When we look back on the generation of baseball that started with the post-strike Yankees dynasty and lasted until, say, the start of Bryce Harper's career, it will be defined by no player as much as Rivera.
Not Jeter. Not Bonds. Not Clemens. PED scandal? Maybe. "Moneyball?" Partially. Big-spending behemoths? A bit.
But all those things evoke mixed reactions. Not Rivera. There is "Enter Sandman." There is No. 42. There is that cutter. There is yet another save. There is postseason brilliance.
There is universal respect and admiration for Mariano Rivera, the finest practitioner of pitching a baseball as we have seen in generations -- one of the greatest players of all time.
Here's to his recovery and an ending to his career befitting his legendary status.
-- D.S.
That's my biggest takeaway from the overnight reaction to the news his season (and possibly his career) is over, after a freak knee injury shagging BP flies in centerfield, Rivera's favorite ritual.
(Great stream of reactions to the Rivera news over at Quickish -- check it out here.)
When we look back on the generation of baseball that started with the post-strike Yankees dynasty and lasted until, say, the start of Bryce Harper's career, it will be defined by no player as much as Rivera.
Not Jeter. Not Bonds. Not Clemens. PED scandal? Maybe. "Moneyball?" Partially. Big-spending behemoths? A bit.
But all those things evoke mixed reactions. Not Rivera. There is "Enter Sandman." There is No. 42. There is that cutter. There is yet another save. There is postseason brilliance.
There is universal respect and admiration for Mariano Rivera, the finest practitioner of pitching a baseball as we have seen in generations -- one of the greatest players of all time.
Here's to his recovery and an ending to his career befitting his legendary status.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, May 02, 2012
05/02 (RIP Seau) Quickie
The death of the all-time great NFL linebacker Junior Seau is a tragedy. Did his suicide have something to do with his playing career? Let me step around that:
The fact that it is a topic that is immediately coming up -- whether or not the evidence ends up bearing that out -- is further confirmation that the link between football and brain trauma is both mainstream and entirely intertwined.
The idea remains: If there was a test for CTE or other brain trauma linked to football that could happen pre-mortem, I think tackle football would be over beyond anything but for a lunatic fringe.
The idea remains: Even with the little we know now about the link between brain trauma and football, you would have to be insane to let your child play organized tackle football, at any age.
The idea remains: As powerful as the NFL is -- and it is as close to all-powerful as we get in sports -- I do not believe that in 30 years it will exist in the form that it is in now.
More:
*I found the Saints' bounty program abhorrent, yet I think that giving Vilma a year's suspension -- same as the head coach -- is overly severe. If Vilma gets a year, Sean Payton should get five.
*As I get older, I come to appreciate Kobe's singular moments of brilliance so much more. Appreciate him, folks, because when he's gone, it's hard to see who will replace him. (Durant? Maybe, but Durant -- while relentless -- is too nice. Kobe's level of aggressive obsessiveness is the last of a bygone era.)
*The Bulls are cooked. Could be this round, could be next round. The fact is that they're done, and that even getting out of this Philly series should be viewed as overachieving.
*The Caps offer free admission to their a.m. skate-arounds, and I took my 3-year-old, who is obsessed with hockey, to practice today. He went bonkers. It was an awesome moment.
-- D.S.
The fact that it is a topic that is immediately coming up -- whether or not the evidence ends up bearing that out -- is further confirmation that the link between football and brain trauma is both mainstream and entirely intertwined.
The idea remains: If there was a test for CTE or other brain trauma linked to football that could happen pre-mortem, I think tackle football would be over beyond anything but for a lunatic fringe.
The idea remains: Even with the little we know now about the link between brain trauma and football, you would have to be insane to let your child play organized tackle football, at any age.
The idea remains: As powerful as the NFL is -- and it is as close to all-powerful as we get in sports -- I do not believe that in 30 years it will exist in the form that it is in now.
More:
*I found the Saints' bounty program abhorrent, yet I think that giving Vilma a year's suspension -- same as the head coach -- is overly severe. If Vilma gets a year, Sean Payton should get five.
*As I get older, I come to appreciate Kobe's singular moments of brilliance so much more. Appreciate him, folks, because when he's gone, it's hard to see who will replace him. (Durant? Maybe, but Durant -- while relentless -- is too nice. Kobe's level of aggressive obsessiveness is the last of a bygone era.)
*The Bulls are cooked. Could be this round, could be next round. The fact is that they're done, and that even getting out of this Philly series should be viewed as overachieving.
*The Caps offer free admission to their a.m. skate-arounds, and I took my 3-year-old, who is obsessed with hockey, to practice today. He went bonkers. It was an awesome moment.
-- D.S.
Monday, April 30, 2012
04/30 (Clippers!) Quickie
My goodness: That Clippers comeback last night -- a 28-3 run to finish the game to come back from down 24 with 9:13 to play in the game. Watch highlights from the run here.
It's way too early to say it was a back-breaker for the Grizzlies. They lost home-court advantage, sure, but there's a better case it will be ultra-motivating than it will be ultra-deflating.
(Put it this way: Of the first round's 8 teams that lost in Game 1, I feel most comfortable with the Grizzlies' chances of coming back, even if they suffered the most stunning loss.)
Celtics lose Game 1 in Atlanta, and the headline is that Rondo got tossed and could miss Game 2 -- again, I'm not sure if an 0-2 hole after the first two road games is so problematic for Boston.
Is Andrew Bynum the best center in the NBA? He's certainly the best center in the playoffs. It would be fascinating to see him as the centerpiece of a team, rather than the "next-best guy behind Kobe."
The new Brooklyn Nets' look was revealed this morning, and if there is a single defining characteristic, it is the near-total emphasis on "Brooklyn," rather than "Nets." They realize that's where the cachet is.
My favorite video today: Batting Stance Guy on Bryce Harper:
Today's must-watch/must-follow sports event: Man City vs. Man U.
-- D.S.
It's way too early to say it was a back-breaker for the Grizzlies. They lost home-court advantage, sure, but there's a better case it will be ultra-motivating than it will be ultra-deflating.
(Put it this way: Of the first round's 8 teams that lost in Game 1, I feel most comfortable with the Grizzlies' chances of coming back, even if they suffered the most stunning loss.)
Celtics lose Game 1 in Atlanta, and the headline is that Rondo got tossed and could miss Game 2 -- again, I'm not sure if an 0-2 hole after the first two road games is so problematic for Boston.
Is Andrew Bynum the best center in the NBA? He's certainly the best center in the playoffs. It would be fascinating to see him as the centerpiece of a team, rather than the "next-best guy behind Kobe."
The new Brooklyn Nets' look was revealed this morning, and if there is a single defining characteristic, it is the near-total emphasis on "Brooklyn," rather than "Nets." They realize that's where the cachet is.
My favorite video today: Batting Stance Guy on Bryce Harper:
Today's must-watch/must-follow sports event: Man City vs. Man U.
-- D.S.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
04/29 (Sunday) Quickie
That Derrick Rose injury is awful -- for him, for Bulls fans, for all fans. I worry about a complete, back-to-the-way-he-was recovery, but I am 100% rooting for it (as everyone is... apparently, except that Nike shoe designer who tweeted out a mocking message to Rose about wearing adidas).
This Kevin Durant game-winning floater to lead the Thunder over the Mavs in Game 1 defines "shooter's touch."
It's hard to tell whether the Heat are great or the Knicks just that over-matched. Let's table that until the Heat get past the Celtics or Bulls (even without Rose).
Bryce Harper's debut: Wow. The laser double? The equally laser throw from the outfield? The heady sac fly? His innate unfazedness about the whole thing? Say this for his being groomed for the Majors since you were 11 or 12 -- at 19, he looks entirely comfortable there.
(The best part was the fan behind home plate who mooned the camera just as Harper was slapping his first MLB hit -- TV producers need to relax and just show it. It's just a tusch, not full-frontal.)
Meanwhile: Matt Kemp. Whew. 11 HRs in April... with a day or two left.
NFL Draft: My favorite pick of the final day was the Pats (of course) taking Ohio State's Nate Ebner, a walk-on special-teams player who was on exactly zero NFL draftnik radars. (Anything that makes the draftniks look silly -- and when Belichick drafts someone they've never heard of, they look silly -- is fine with me, and you get the sense Belichick did it, in part, to tweak the so-called draft "experts.")
Lamest pick of the draft: How could the Redskins pull off making the draft's best pick -- RG3 -- and its worst one, too? The Redskins using a 4th-round pick to take Michigan State QB Kirk Cousins. How dumb was this? Let's count the ways: (1) They already drafted RG3 in the 1st; (2) it causes unnecessary "controversy" distractions; (3) they are so loaded everywhere else they can't find talent they wanted more than an extraneous rookie QB? For all those who mocked the Jaguars for taking a punter in the 3rd round or the Patriots for taking a 6th-round Illinois safety in the 2nd round, this is arguably worse.
NHL: After the exhausting series against the Bruins, you could kind of see the Caps getting drummed out of Game 1 vs. the Rangers coming -- the thing is far from over, but it was an end to the "one-goal-away" momentum that the Caps had held throughout the first round, even in losses.
Congrats to Chandler Harnish, who joins the exclusive fraternity of "Mr. Irrelevant."
Great Sunday read: The New York Times profile of Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. It's awkward timing with the Rose injury, but Thibs' brilliance will be even more on display as Chicago tries to navigate the rest of the playoffs without Rose.
On the radar today: Flyers-Devils, Lakers-Nuggets, Bryce Harper's at-bats.
-- D.S.
This Kevin Durant game-winning floater to lead the Thunder over the Mavs in Game 1 defines "shooter's touch."
It's hard to tell whether the Heat are great or the Knicks just that over-matched. Let's table that until the Heat get past the Celtics or Bulls (even without Rose).
Bryce Harper's debut: Wow. The laser double? The equally laser throw from the outfield? The heady sac fly? His innate unfazedness about the whole thing? Say this for his being groomed for the Majors since you were 11 or 12 -- at 19, he looks entirely comfortable there.
(The best part was the fan behind home plate who mooned the camera just as Harper was slapping his first MLB hit -- TV producers need to relax and just show it. It's just a tusch, not full-frontal.)
Meanwhile: Matt Kemp. Whew. 11 HRs in April... with a day or two left.
NFL Draft: My favorite pick of the final day was the Pats (of course) taking Ohio State's Nate Ebner, a walk-on special-teams player who was on exactly zero NFL draftnik radars. (Anything that makes the draftniks look silly -- and when Belichick drafts someone they've never heard of, they look silly -- is fine with me, and you get the sense Belichick did it, in part, to tweak the so-called draft "experts.")
Lamest pick of the draft: How could the Redskins pull off making the draft's best pick -- RG3 -- and its worst one, too? The Redskins using a 4th-round pick to take Michigan State QB Kirk Cousins. How dumb was this? Let's count the ways: (1) They already drafted RG3 in the 1st; (2) it causes unnecessary "controversy" distractions; (3) they are so loaded everywhere else they can't find talent they wanted more than an extraneous rookie QB? For all those who mocked the Jaguars for taking a punter in the 3rd round or the Patriots for taking a 6th-round Illinois safety in the 2nd round, this is arguably worse.
NHL: After the exhausting series against the Bruins, you could kind of see the Caps getting drummed out of Game 1 vs. the Rangers coming -- the thing is far from over, but it was an end to the "one-goal-away" momentum that the Caps had held throughout the first round, even in losses.
Congrats to Chandler Harnish, who joins the exclusive fraternity of "Mr. Irrelevant."
Great Sunday read: The New York Times profile of Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. It's awkward timing with the Rose injury, but Thibs' brilliance will be even more on display as Chicago tries to navigate the rest of the playoffs without Rose.
On the radar today: Flyers-Devils, Lakers-Nuggets, Bryce Harper's at-bats.
-- D.S.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
