So apparently there was an NBA scandal yesterday and the Finals made a brief appearance.
The scandal all comes down to one thing: Do you believe Tim Donaghy? (That is the lead of today's Sporting News column.)
Do you believe, as David Stern would argue, that Donaghy is a convicted felon and thus disqualified from ever telling the truth?
Or do you believe that Donaghy had no reason to lie -- and certainly no reason to lie to the federal agents who were pushing him?
Instinctually, I believe the latter -- I believe Donaghy. Because I believe my own eyes. I remember that Lakers-Kings series in 2002 and remember how most fans (at least the conspiracy buffs) were like: Cripes, this reffing looks like they're trying to rig the series.
At the time, perhaps you were laughed off by the "purists" or the mainstream media, which had a vested interest in protecting its relationship with the NBA. But evidence sure seemed to favor the conspiracy-minded.
Now there is corroboration, at least in the form of a convicted felon.
I have always believed that the league influenced the officiating -- perhaps to ensure dramatic series, but if nothing else, to protect stars and correct "mistakes" (even over-correct).
It's not a leap to hear what Donaghy had to say and say, "I believe it."
The second part of that is: If you kind of suspected that the NBA was enhancing the officiating all along, this kind of revelation is hardly shocking, let alone enough to turn you off to the game. We've been watching since 2002; you simply said: Eh, that's the way it is.
The fact is, even if the league wanted the Lakers to avoid losing in 6 to Sacto back in 02, the Lakers were the ones who gritted out the Game 7... or the Kings choked it away... or, at the extreme, the league cooked the series to ensure its biggest draw advanced to the Finals.
So: If this comes as a shock to you, you were naive. If this doesn't move at least a little (if only to confirm your conspiracy theories), you were jaded beyond help.
I don't think this harms the league at all: The Donaghy scandal broke last summer... and the league ended up with what many avid fans felt was the best season in a decade or more.
OK, so, where were we? Oh, the Lakers finally won a game? Fantastic. I'm sure the NBA made sure the refs knew that home-court advantage should mean something. (Oh shoot. There goes the conspiracies again.)
Here is the full Sporting News column from today.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Tuesday 06/10 A.M. Quickie:
Griffey, Strahan, NBA Finals, Viagra, More
My favorite Ken Griffey home run ever doesn't even count toward 600: The blast off the warehouse wall during the 1993 Home Run Derby. But I'm not sure any of his HRs were as symbolic of his power and playfulness as that one.
Griffey leads today's Sporting News column.
Speaking of Sporting News, did you see this in today's New York Times? (What: No mention of the bloggers? Damn! They missed the best angle!)
Meanwhile, I'm sure the cover of the NY Daily News -- about Roger Clemens and others using Viagra for performance enhancement OUT of the boudoir -- will be a popular meme today.
Otherwise, we're talking:
Free-throw disparity in the NBA Finals...
Evan Longoria's awesomeness...
The White Sox finding another hero...
MLB on iPhones...
Coaching changes in the NBA...
(OK: Who else has vivid memories of Vinny Del Negro while he played at NC State?)
And if you are from Holland or just like the color orange, congratulations on your big 3-0 win over Italy.
You know what June in the NFL is? Scandals and retirements. Cedric Benson goes down as one of the biggest draft busts ever... Michael Strahan heads off to a very lucrative TV career (without Jason Taylor's drama-queen element)... T.O. is T.O.
Here is a link to the complete column.
More coming later today, and if you stopped by yesterday, you know that I'm not kidding.
-- D.S.
Griffey leads today's Sporting News column.
Speaking of Sporting News, did you see this in today's New York Times? (What: No mention of the bloggers? Damn! They missed the best angle!)
Meanwhile, I'm sure the cover of the NY Daily News -- about Roger Clemens and others using Viagra for performance enhancement OUT of the boudoir -- will be a popular meme today.
Otherwise, we're talking:
Free-throw disparity in the NBA Finals...
Evan Longoria's awesomeness...
The White Sox finding another hero...
MLB on iPhones...
Coaching changes in the NBA...
(OK: Who else has vivid memories of Vinny Del Negro while he played at NC State?)
And if you are from Holland or just like the color orange, congratulations on your big 3-0 win over Italy.
You know what June in the NFL is? Scandals and retirements. Cedric Benson goes down as one of the biggest draft busts ever... Michael Strahan heads off to a very lucrative TV career (without Jason Taylor's drama-queen element)... T.O. is T.O.
Here is a link to the complete column.
More coming later today, and if you stopped by yesterday, you know that I'm not kidding.
-- D.S.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Who Will Be Deadspin's Next Editor?
6-to-1 odds? That puts me somewhere between Big Brown and Da' Tara, I guess.
The level of amazing names around mine on that list (with a couple of laughable exceptions, including mine) shows you what a top-tier job editing Deadspin would be.
You could argue that -- various issues aside (which I may or may not get to in a future post) -- it is the most coveted top-editing job in sports media.
-- D.S.
The level of amazing names around mine on that list (with a couple of laughable exceptions, including mine) shows you what a top-tier job editing Deadspin would be.
You could argue that -- various issues aside (which I may or may not get to in a future post) -- it is the most coveted top-editing job in sports media.
-- D.S.
iPhone SDK Apps: MLB Hits Lead-Off HR
I have been tracking the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference today, and the SDK apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch have at least one sports application that might intrigue:
Among the case-study apps that Apple unveiled, one came from MLB. Let me quote from the MacRumors.com live-blog:
This is a game-changer. Presuming that other leagues follow suit (and that's no given; MLB is pretty forward-thinking when it comes to tech apps), this might totally redefine a highlight culture that has been dependent on "post-game highlights."
When the highlights can come as soon as they happen, we are connected that much more closely to our sports (and, from the league's perspective, to MLB). This feels like a win for both sides, fan and league.
-- D.S.
UPDATE: That was fast. (Uh: As fast as usual.) Reader KL writes in with a quasi-correction/explanation to the above post:
Among the case-study apps that Apple unveiled, one came from MLB. Let me quote from the MacRumors.com live-blog:
The app shows today's games with live, detailed scoring. It also includes real-time video highlights, which are delivered right after the play -- not the game. It will be included in the launch of the App Store.That emphasis is mine.
This is a game-changer. Presuming that other leagues follow suit (and that's no given; MLB is pretty forward-thinking when it comes to tech apps), this might totally redefine a highlight culture that has been dependent on "post-game highlights."
When the highlights can come as soon as they happen, we are connected that much more closely to our sports (and, from the league's perspective, to MLB). This feels like a win for both sides, fan and league.
-- D.S.
UPDATE: That was fast. (Uh: As fast as usual.) Reader KL writes in with a quasi-correction/explanation to the above post:
I just wanted to let you know that MLB currently offers real-time video highlights on their website, through Game Day. This new app will move it to the mobile world, but they already have the functionality. I was impressed when I noticed it earlier this year and really like the forward thinking nature of it. Moving to the iPhone just takes it one step further.Fair enough. iPhone and iPod Touch owners only! (Really: Moving this functionality to mobile will be big, won't it?)
On College Football Preseason Picks
SMQ drops two must-read posts about CFB preseason picks.
The first is philosophical, and I largely agree with it. You can't see Stanford-over-USC coming, but you can certainly stop with using the "on a neutral field" argument for creating your rankings in favor of SMQ's "resume"-based rankings.
The second dives right into a look at the preseason mags' picks at the top.
I spent my weekend immersed in Phil Steele's preview mag -- just so you all don't think I'm playing favorites here (um, more than usual), Steele himself picks Florida as his No. 1 team. (Athlon did the same thing, though Lindy's picked them 6, most presumably based on Lindy's belief that Florida will lose head-to-head to Georgia, who the mag tabs as their No. 1 team.)
Rather than the unexpected title of 2006, I actually had been eyeing 2008 as Florida's best shot to win it all: Tebow and Harvin as juniors, time for Meyer's blue-chip recruits to develop a little and, most of all, a very friendly schedule (as friendly as the SEC schedule can be).
That's one reason I can't buy Georgia -- hell, UGA might not make it through their first month, which includes at South Carolina, at Arizona State and Alabama in back-to-back-to-back weeks.
SMQ is right about one factor: There appear to be three virtual "play-off"/"play-in" games: USC-Ohio State, Georgia-Florida and, to a lesser degree, Oklahoma-Missouri. If the winners of those games also run the table, they are the clear-cut favorites, with the winner of the first two with an inside track -- precisely because of the inspiration for this post:
Preseason rankings matter. Even the ones that come out in the magazines in May and June. The reason is because perceptions matter, when the control of the national-title game is in the hands of "human" pollsters.
If you start the season near the top and just keep winning, you will stay at the top. Period. Even though the reasoning that put you there originally -- the Original Sin of Rankings, so to speak -- was based on virtually nothing.
Compare that to the fate of the teams that start the season unranked -- or near the back of the Top 25 -- and have to wait for things to happen in front of them (beyond their control) to move up. Not to get an early start on crapping on Ohio State, but look at Ohio State last year.
Preseason rankings matter, because of all of the factors that go into ranking teams in the various human polls -- and I'm talking about the ones that "matter" -- the greatest factor of all isn't W/L or strength of schedule...
It's inertia.
And make no mistake: The place where that battle is won -- and, remember, this is presuming that the team at the top simply keeps winning to maintain its place there -- is in the preseason.
So you can mock the preseason magazines or the preseason rankings; you can try to call them meaningless. But you do it at your own risk. In the absence of a playoff, they are as big of a factor as any -- at least until the wins and losses on the field set things right.
So I will gladly take that No. 1 ranking from Phil Steele or Athlon's, just as I'm sure that Ohio State will take its No. 1 ranking from a cumulative total.
Fortunately for everyone, both Florida and Ohio State face up-or-out games at least once this season. And even if they win those, there's always the black swan.
-- D.S.
The first is philosophical, and I largely agree with it. You can't see Stanford-over-USC coming, but you can certainly stop with using the "on a neutral field" argument for creating your rankings in favor of SMQ's "resume"-based rankings.
The second dives right into a look at the preseason mags' picks at the top.
I spent my weekend immersed in Phil Steele's preview mag -- just so you all don't think I'm playing favorites here (um, more than usual), Steele himself picks Florida as his No. 1 team. (Athlon did the same thing, though Lindy's picked them 6, most presumably based on Lindy's belief that Florida will lose head-to-head to Georgia, who the mag tabs as their No. 1 team.)
Rather than the unexpected title of 2006, I actually had been eyeing 2008 as Florida's best shot to win it all: Tebow and Harvin as juniors, time for Meyer's blue-chip recruits to develop a little and, most of all, a very friendly schedule (as friendly as the SEC schedule can be).
That's one reason I can't buy Georgia -- hell, UGA might not make it through their first month, which includes at South Carolina, at Arizona State and Alabama in back-to-back-to-back weeks.
SMQ is right about one factor: There appear to be three virtual "play-off"/"play-in" games: USC-Ohio State, Georgia-Florida and, to a lesser degree, Oklahoma-Missouri. If the winners of those games also run the table, they are the clear-cut favorites, with the winner of the first two with an inside track -- precisely because of the inspiration for this post:
Preseason rankings matter. Even the ones that come out in the magazines in May and June. The reason is because perceptions matter, when the control of the national-title game is in the hands of "human" pollsters.
If you start the season near the top and just keep winning, you will stay at the top. Period. Even though the reasoning that put you there originally -- the Original Sin of Rankings, so to speak -- was based on virtually nothing.
Compare that to the fate of the teams that start the season unranked -- or near the back of the Top 25 -- and have to wait for things to happen in front of them (beyond their control) to move up. Not to get an early start on crapping on Ohio State, but look at Ohio State last year.
Preseason rankings matter, because of all of the factors that go into ranking teams in the various human polls -- and I'm talking about the ones that "matter" -- the greatest factor of all isn't W/L or strength of schedule...
It's inertia.
And make no mistake: The place where that battle is won -- and, remember, this is presuming that the team at the top simply keeps winning to maintain its place there -- is in the preseason.
So you can mock the preseason magazines or the preseason rankings; you can try to call them meaningless. But you do it at your own risk. In the absence of a playoff, they are as big of a factor as any -- at least until the wins and losses on the field set things right.
So I will gladly take that No. 1 ranking from Phil Steele or Athlon's, just as I'm sure that Ohio State will take its No. 1 ranking from a cumulative total.
Fortunately for everyone, both Florida and Ohio State face up-or-out games at least once this season. And even if they win those, there's always the black swan.
-- D.S.
Monday 06/09 A.M. Quickie:
Celtics, Belmont, Nadal, ChiSox, More
I think that the Lakers' comeback from 24 down with less than 8 to play -- even in a loss that put them in an 0-2 series hole -- was more telling than the Celtics' win.
The 2-3-2 format offers the opportunity to the Lakers to come roaring back with 3 straight wins, with all the momentum in the world and knowing they CAN win in Boston.
I am obsessed with Big Brown's epic failure, so much so that its ramifications across sports fandom led my Sporting News column this morning -- failure in the face of can't-miss success is so much more interesting than winning. Schadenfreude rules.
For example, the Giants' win was amazing, but not nearly as interesting as the Pats' losing. Da' Tara was a fine longshot story, but Big Brown losing was much more fascinating.
The Celtics went up 2-0 in their Finals series, but the Lakers' comeback was much more revealing. (And for all the hype for the Big Three, Leon Powe's unexpected 21-point surge was by far the most interesting of the Celtics' victory storylines, perhaps in all of the postseason.)
There is a ton more in today's column:
Celebrating the White Sox...
Honoring Dom Hasek...
Mocking Pat Riley...
Marveling at the US Soccer team...
Ripping Bill Plaschke...
And a lot more... after the jump.
More later today.
-- D.S.
-- D.S.
The 2-3-2 format offers the opportunity to the Lakers to come roaring back with 3 straight wins, with all the momentum in the world and knowing they CAN win in Boston.
I am obsessed with Big Brown's epic failure, so much so that its ramifications across sports fandom led my Sporting News column this morning -- failure in the face of can't-miss success is so much more interesting than winning. Schadenfreude rules.
For example, the Giants' win was amazing, but not nearly as interesting as the Pats' losing. Da' Tara was a fine longshot story, but Big Brown losing was much more fascinating.
The Celtics went up 2-0 in their Finals series, but the Lakers' comeback was much more revealing. (And for all the hype for the Big Three, Leon Powe's unexpected 21-point surge was by far the most interesting of the Celtics' victory storylines, perhaps in all of the postseason.)
There is a ton more in today's column:
Celebrating the White Sox...
Honoring Dom Hasek...
Mocking Pat Riley...
Marveling at the US Soccer team...
Ripping Bill Plaschke...
And a lot more... after the jump.
More later today.
-- D.S.
-- D.S.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Sunday 06/08 (Very) Quickie
Big Brown chokes away Triple Crown: I can appreciate if you bet against Big Brown winning (although there probably weren't many of you), but would you have taken longest of long-shots Da' Tara? I don't think so. While less historic, I found BB's loss far more dramatic than I likely would have found a win.
Suns to hire Terry Porter: The team was built around D'Antoni's "7 Seconds or Less" philosophy -- will Porter simply keep that going, or will he put another twist on it?
Ana Ivanovic is the new Maria Sharapova -- actually, she's No. 1 in the world and riding a French Open championship.
Cedric Benson is the new Pac-Man Jones? If nothing else, kind of delinquent.
Who put Johnny Damon in the way-back machine? 6-for-6 with a walk-off single?
Joe Crede: 2 HR for the 2nd straight game. But, no, I don't need HR and RBI on my fantasy team (on whose waiver wire Crede has been available for weeks), not at all.
Now that the Mets are 1 game under .500, the question is: Is Willie Randolph going to be fired this week?
NHL Awards: Looks like Alex Ovechkin will be MVP. At least, if you believe NHL.com.
Jim McKay, 86: Condolences to family, friends and fans of one of the most legendary sports broadcasters. His work during the 1972 Munich Olympics may very well have been the most memorable news reporting by a sportscaster in the history of television.
MDS interviews Leitch about his Deadspin departure: You probably won't get more in-depth insight into this story than this post here, if you're interested.
-- D.S.
Suns to hire Terry Porter: The team was built around D'Antoni's "7 Seconds or Less" philosophy -- will Porter simply keep that going, or will he put another twist on it?
Ana Ivanovic is the new Maria Sharapova -- actually, she's No. 1 in the world and riding a French Open championship.
Cedric Benson is the new Pac-Man Jones? If nothing else, kind of delinquent.
Who put Johnny Damon in the way-back machine? 6-for-6 with a walk-off single?
Joe Crede: 2 HR for the 2nd straight game. But, no, I don't need HR and RBI on my fantasy team (on whose waiver wire Crede has been available for weeks), not at all.
Now that the Mets are 1 game under .500, the question is: Is Willie Randolph going to be fired this week?
NHL Awards: Looks like Alex Ovechkin will be MVP. At least, if you believe NHL.com.
Jim McKay, 86: Condolences to family, friends and fans of one of the most legendary sports broadcasters. His work during the 1972 Munich Olympics may very well have been the most memorable news reporting by a sportscaster in the history of television.
MDS interviews Leitch about his Deadspin departure: You probably won't get more in-depth insight into this story than this post here, if you're interested.
-- D.S.
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Saturday 06/07 (Very) Quickie
Big Brown runs for immortality later today, and I'm not sure there has been a bigger lock in sports this year than B.B. winning the Triple Crown.
As it turns out, Doug Collins will NOT be coaching the Bulls, which is really good news for Bulls fans.
Will Paul Pierce play in Game 2? He says "great chance," I say there will be a great chance that his will-he-or-won't-he will be inflated to ludicrous Willis Reed proportions (hey, they already started during Game 1, which was laughable).
Brandon Webb: 11 wins.
Scott Kazmir: Ws in 6 straight starts.
The White Sox are Chicago's new hot team and won their 4th straight: Quentin HR, Crede 2 HR.
French Open: You don't have to like tennis to be interested in watching Federer-Nadal in the final tomorrow.
-- D.S.
As it turns out, Doug Collins will NOT be coaching the Bulls, which is really good news for Bulls fans.
Will Paul Pierce play in Game 2? He says "great chance," I say there will be a great chance that his will-he-or-won't-he will be inflated to ludicrous Willis Reed proportions (hey, they already started during Game 1, which was laughable).
Brandon Webb: 11 wins.
Scott Kazmir: Ws in 6 straight starts.
The White Sox are Chicago's new hot team and won their 4th straight: Quentin HR, Crede 2 HR.
French Open: You don't have to like tennis to be interested in watching Federer-Nadal in the final tomorrow.
-- D.S.
Friday, June 06, 2008
Friday 06/06 A.M. Quickie:
Celtics, Big Brown, Chipper, D-Mac, More
Paul Pierce is not Willis Reed. Why not let Pierce's dramatic turnaround have its own moment, rather than saddle it with historical baggage? More later, but that's today's SN lead item.
(This is what I get for having multiple blogs. I posted this to Varsity Dad earlier this morning by mistake, and it took an email from my mom to make me realize it. Thanks for reading, Mom!)
-- D.S.
(This is what I get for having multiple blogs. I posted this to Varsity Dad earlier this morning by mistake, and it took an email from my mom to make me realize it. Thanks for reading, Mom!)
-- D.S.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Will Leitch Leaving Deadspin
Here is his post. My reaction coming shortly. However, it is just about as big as news gets within the sports blog universe, given Leitch's pole position and uber-prominence. Big shoes. Really big. Congrats to him on an unbelievable run that entertained as much as it influenced, which is saying something. New York Mag is lucky to grab him. -- D.S.
With Drew Magary As Big Daddy Drew
What a big moment -- no pun intended -- for the guy who is probably the funniest sportswriter in America today.
When folks talk about talents who would have likely been found anyway, but for whom the platform of blogs was the ultimate accelerant, Drew is usually Example A.
I also liked his take on anony-bloggers. Obviously, I didn't go that way, but I respect and appreciate all who do.
But there's no question: There is a reason all these formerly anonymous bloggers are suddenly outing themselves; your best brand equity ultimately is in your name -- your real name.
(Thus: DanShanoff.com, rather than DailyQuickie.com.)
-- D.S.
When folks talk about talents who would have likely been found anyway, but for whom the platform of blogs was the ultimate accelerant, Drew is usually Example A.
I also liked his take on anony-bloggers. Obviously, I didn't go that way, but I respect and appreciate all who do.
But there's no question: There is a reason all these formerly anonymous bloggers are suddenly outing themselves; your best brand equity ultimately is in your name -- your real name.
(Thus: DanShanoff.com, rather than DailyQuickie.com.)
-- D.S.
Free Darko Invites Me In for Free Drafto
I really do love the NBA Draft, and I didn't participate in this roundtable at Free Darko nearly as much as I should have, but I appreciated the invite to be a part of it, even in my small way.
Thursday 06/05 A.M. Quickie:
NBA Finals, Wings Win, Cubs Lose, More
Do you HAVE to pick a side in the NBA Finals? What if you hate BOTH teams?
Is it possible to not have a rooting interest (or be rooting against both), but simply want to see a good series? Can you not be rooting for a particular result, but still have an opinion about who will win?
Of course: Lakers in 5, which will become a stinging indictment of the NBA's 2-3-2 Finals system.
The NBA Finals lead today's Sporting News column. Apparently, something was in my Wheaties this morning, because -- format-wise -- it is as rapid-fire as it has been in a while. (Too many one-liner comments can be too much, even for someone who loves the shallow commentary, but today for whatever reason, that was the vibe I was feeling.)
Anyway, there's a lot more: Tons of MLB (even the MLB Draft), a big fat acknowledgement that I don't know enough about hockey to properly put the Wings' Cup win into perspective.
(But I do know enough about sports fans to know that Game 5 was a breakthrough for the league. OK, so here's how they sustain it: Only hold do-or-die playoff games that go into 3OT and make sure they are on national broadcast network TV. Yeah, right.)
For god's sake, I even reference Euro 08. But no references to Drew Magary. That's for later.
Complete column here. More later.
-- D.S.
Is it possible to not have a rooting interest (or be rooting against both), but simply want to see a good series? Can you not be rooting for a particular result, but still have an opinion about who will win?
Of course: Lakers in 5, which will become a stinging indictment of the NBA's 2-3-2 Finals system.
The NBA Finals lead today's Sporting News column. Apparently, something was in my Wheaties this morning, because -- format-wise -- it is as rapid-fire as it has been in a while. (Too many one-liner comments can be too much, even for someone who loves the shallow commentary, but today for whatever reason, that was the vibe I was feeling.)
Anyway, there's a lot more: Tons of MLB (even the MLB Draft), a big fat acknowledgement that I don't know enough about hockey to properly put the Wings' Cup win into perspective.
(But I do know enough about sports fans to know that Game 5 was a breakthrough for the league. OK, so here's how they sustain it: Only hold do-or-die playoff games that go into 3OT and make sure they are on national broadcast network TV. Yeah, right.)
For god's sake, I even reference Euro 08. But no references to Drew Magary. That's for later.
Complete column here. More later.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Wednesday 06/04 A.M. Quickie:
Wade, Bonds, Joba, Pedro, Cubs, More
There are two fairly provocative memes floating around in the last 24 hours, which I awkwardly mashed together as the lead of today's Sporting News column:
Should the Heat trade Dwyane Wade to the Bulls? (My opinion, essentially: Why not?)
Should the Red Sox sign Barry Bonds? (My opinion, essentially: Why not?)
Alone, they are merely fantastic topics of discussion/argument. Together, they spice up an otherwise fairly quiet mid-week lull as we are bombarded with memories of the NBA in the 80s.
More from the column: Joba sucks, Pedro rules, Josh Hamilton rules, Joe Saunders rules, the Cubs rule, Chipper Jones rules. There's a lot more, as usual.
Including: Jamie Mottram and Dan Steinberg finally posted the video of Erin Andrews coming on their locally produced Blog Show. (Two words: So jealous.)
I know EA is the biggest star among proprietors and readers of the sports-blog world, but I would argue that ESPN doesn't have a more valuable talent. She should have a much bigger stage than mere sideline reporter for ESPN's biggest events (MLB, CFB, CBB, B-E-E...hey, why not MNF?) Prediction: She'll have her own full-time show within a year from now.
It's a getaway day for me (a day ahead of MLB), so I'd like to post more later, but we'll see. Surprising: No reaction to my prediction yesterday afternoon that Google will epically disrupt the online sports landscape for fans and media players alike?
-- D.S.
Should the Heat trade Dwyane Wade to the Bulls? (My opinion, essentially: Why not?)
Should the Red Sox sign Barry Bonds? (My opinion, essentially: Why not?)
Alone, they are merely fantastic topics of discussion/argument. Together, they spice up an otherwise fairly quiet mid-week lull as we are bombarded with memories of the NBA in the 80s.
More from the column: Joba sucks, Pedro rules, Josh Hamilton rules, Joe Saunders rules, the Cubs rule, Chipper Jones rules. There's a lot more, as usual.
Including: Jamie Mottram and Dan Steinberg finally posted the video of Erin Andrews coming on their locally produced Blog Show. (Two words: So jealous.)
I know EA is the biggest star among proprietors and readers of the sports-blog world, but I would argue that ESPN doesn't have a more valuable talent. She should have a much bigger stage than mere sideline reporter for ESPN's biggest events (MLB, CFB, CBB, B-E-E...hey, why not MNF?) Prediction: She'll have her own full-time show within a year from now.
It's a getaway day for me (a day ahead of MLB), so I'd like to post more later, but we'll see. Surprising: No reaction to my prediction yesterday afternoon that Google will epically disrupt the online sports landscape for fans and media players alike?
-- D.S.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Google Sports Will Rule Online Sports
For those of us who eat, sleep and breathe the online sports business, this is worth filing away.
This goes beyond the "commodity" content like scores, stats and recaps (which drive a you-have-no-idea-how-much proportion of the page views on the major sports sites), presented in that post above.
What "commodity" content quickly turns into is...fantasy sports applications, the motherlode of sports traffic online.
If/when Google gets into fantasy sports -- something entirely data-driven the Google could do very well -- the game will be over for everyone else.
(When my Gmail email app and my Gtalk IM app and my Google Alerts and my Google Docs and my Google News updates are all working seamlessly in a fantasy app, that's It.)
There are too many page views and too much ad revenue in fantasy sports for Google not to see this as an incredibly intriguing application extension.
(How convenient that the Supreme Court just agreed that fantasy stats should be universally accessible to anyone, even without a license from the leagues. That's a bulls-eye for Google.)
-- D.S.
This goes beyond the "commodity" content like scores, stats and recaps (which drive a you-have-no-idea-how-much proportion of the page views on the major sports sites), presented in that post above.
What "commodity" content quickly turns into is...fantasy sports applications, the motherlode of sports traffic online.
If/when Google gets into fantasy sports -- something entirely data-driven the Google could do very well -- the game will be over for everyone else.
(When my Gmail email app and my Gtalk IM app and my Google Alerts and my Google Docs and my Google News updates are all working seamlessly in a fantasy app, that's It.)
There are too many page views and too much ad revenue in fantasy sports for Google not to see this as an incredibly intriguing application extension.
(How convenient that the Supreme Court just agreed that fantasy stats should be universally accessible to anyone, even without a license from the leagues. That's a bulls-eye for Google.)
-- D.S.
Tuesday 06/03 A.M. Quickie:
Pens, NBA Finals, Utley, Zambrano, More
I haven't watched much of the NHL playoffs, but I happened to watch the 3rd period last night -- who wants to miss a championship moment?
Apparently, we all do: The series goes on. What a goal at the end of regulation. I couldn't stay up for all 3 OTs, but Fleury's 55 saves told the story well enough.
When it comes to championship games, it's all about expectations, as I write in today's Sporting News column: Some teams are "Title or Bust"; some are "Happy to Be Here."
In fact, I would argue that in every championship pairing, you can divide the participants into one of those two categories.
The Penguins defied the latter, even if they aren't quite the former yet. But I think their fans have to be happy that if indeed the team is going down, they're going down swinging.
Expectations are my big factor in the NBA Finals, too: You Celtics fans can correct me (as you always do), but it seems that with this team, anything less than a championship is a failure, even if the mere turnaround from last season would argue otherwise. But would you really be satisfied simply winning the East? I can't believe you would.
"Title or Bust" wasn't always that way with the Lakers this season (say, back in October), but it sure as hell is now. Lakers fans have to be expecting a title here, too.
So someone will walk away bitterly disappointed. Which should make the rest of us happy.
Meanwhile: Utley. Good goshamighty: Utley.
And I have decided that Josh Hamilton needs a nickname, preferably something that slyly refers to his sketchy past with drug addiction -- but in a classy way, please. (Like, for example, "Snorts" would probably not be classy. Accurate, but not classy.) Nominations in the Comments.
While I don't regret giving Brandon Webb my "Through Two Months" NL Cy Young Award, Carlos Zambrano is making a serious case to win the "Through Three Months" Edition. That would be his 8th win, complete with a stand-up triple (and 3 hits total).
I really really really don't care about either Pac-Man Jones or T.O., yet they keep showing up in the news.
For a lot more, see today's column, near the bottom, for a link to that cool Google Maps app that lets you see all the different football stadiums rendered in 3D.
More later.
Oh, and if you fancy yourself a writer, you might want to consider entering this contest, in which I am giving away $5,000 for a 500-word piece of content on the topic of your choice.
(Well, not me: My company. But as I am czar of the contest, it is my job to promote participation -- and I like saying that I am giving away $5,000. But you gotta earn it. For $5K, I figure even Buzz Bissinger might enter.)
-- D.S.
Apparently, we all do: The series goes on. What a goal at the end of regulation. I couldn't stay up for all 3 OTs, but Fleury's 55 saves told the story well enough.
When it comes to championship games, it's all about expectations, as I write in today's Sporting News column: Some teams are "Title or Bust"; some are "Happy to Be Here."
In fact, I would argue that in every championship pairing, you can divide the participants into one of those two categories.
The Penguins defied the latter, even if they aren't quite the former yet. But I think their fans have to be happy that if indeed the team is going down, they're going down swinging.
Expectations are my big factor in the NBA Finals, too: You Celtics fans can correct me (as you always do), but it seems that with this team, anything less than a championship is a failure, even if the mere turnaround from last season would argue otherwise. But would you really be satisfied simply winning the East? I can't believe you would.
"Title or Bust" wasn't always that way with the Lakers this season (say, back in October), but it sure as hell is now. Lakers fans have to be expecting a title here, too.
So someone will walk away bitterly disappointed. Which should make the rest of us happy.
Meanwhile: Utley. Good goshamighty: Utley.
And I have decided that Josh Hamilton needs a nickname, preferably something that slyly refers to his sketchy past with drug addiction -- but in a classy way, please. (Like, for example, "Snorts" would probably not be classy. Accurate, but not classy.) Nominations in the Comments.
While I don't regret giving Brandon Webb my "Through Two Months" NL Cy Young Award, Carlos Zambrano is making a serious case to win the "Through Three Months" Edition. That would be his 8th win, complete with a stand-up triple (and 3 hits total).
I really really really don't care about either Pac-Man Jones or T.O., yet they keep showing up in the news.
For a lot more, see today's column, near the bottom, for a link to that cool Google Maps app that lets you see all the different football stadiums rendered in 3D.
More later.
Oh, and if you fancy yourself a writer, you might want to consider entering this contest, in which I am giving away $5,000 for a 500-word piece of content on the topic of your choice.
(Well, not me: My company. But as I am czar of the contest, it is my job to promote participation -- and I like saying that I am giving away $5,000. But you gotta earn it. For $5K, I figure even Buzz Bissinger might enter.)
-- D.S.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Bo Diddly: Star of Greatest Sports Ad Ever?
Bo Diddly has a special place with sports fans: As the soundtrack to the "Bo Knows" Nike ad, which is arguably the greatest sports ad in history.
Here is the link.
Check the cameos by: Kirk Gibson! Jim Everett!(?!) Michael Jordan! John McEnroe! Wayne Gretzky! Assorted homoerotically charged Venice Beach weightlifters!
As we remember the musician Bo Diddly, it's just one more reminder that Bo Jackson was probably the most unique and well-rounded athlete in modern sports history.
-- D.S.
Here is the link.
Check the cameos by: Kirk Gibson! Jim Everett!(?!) Michael Jordan! John McEnroe! Wayne Gretzky! Assorted homoerotically charged Venice Beach weightlifters!
As we remember the musician Bo Diddly, it's just one more reminder that Bo Jackson was probably the most unique and well-rounded athlete in modern sports history.
-- D.S.
Monday 06/02 A.M. Quickie:
Celtics, Lakers, Manny, Jay Bruce, More
The Celtics-Lakers "It's-1987-All-Over-Again" NBA Finals pairing IS a best-case scenario for the league -- but it isn't without its risk factors, including its (over-) reliance on nostalgia.
The NBA: "Where 1987 Happens." (Ooh: Let me alert the fans pushing 40 and beyond.)
That's the lead of today's Sporting News column, which includes a big fat wet kiss to the Celtics and their fans for the way the C's closed out the Pistons last week.
Other than that, it was a big weekend in MLB: Manny went 501 after going 500, Junior didn't go 600, Hamilton and Utley kept hammering away, Brandon Webb got back on track (and Scott Kazmir showed why he is probably the best pitcher in the AL right now). And Jay Bruce has to have had the best first week of any player any of us can remember.
The Cubs have won 7 straight and the Rays just took 3 of 4 from the White Sox in a battle of division-leaders. Is it wrong to openly root for a Cubs-Rays World Series? Don't think so.
There's a ton more in the column today; you can check it out here (coming by/around 9 a.m.).
More later.
-- D.S.
The NBA: "Where 1987 Happens." (Ooh: Let me alert the fans pushing 40 and beyond.)
That's the lead of today's Sporting News column, which includes a big fat wet kiss to the Celtics and their fans for the way the C's closed out the Pistons last week.
Other than that, it was a big weekend in MLB: Manny went 501 after going 500, Junior didn't go 600, Hamilton and Utley kept hammering away, Brandon Webb got back on track (and Scott Kazmir showed why he is probably the best pitcher in the AL right now). And Jay Bruce has to have had the best first week of any player any of us can remember.
The Cubs have won 7 straight and the Rays just took 3 of 4 from the White Sox in a battle of division-leaders. Is it wrong to openly root for a Cubs-Rays World Series? Don't think so.
There's a ton more in the column today; you can check it out here (coming by/around 9 a.m.).
More later.
-- D.S.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Sunday 06/01 (Very) Quickie
Usain Bolt runs a world record 9.71 100, making him the Fastest Man Alive. He also affirms his place as having the best name in sports...
Manny Ramirez joins 500 HR Club: One more milestone in the career of arguably the greatest hitter of our generation, joining 23 other sluggers...
Meanwhile, Griffey hits No. 599 -- obviously the 600 Club is even more exclusive than 500...
MLB: Brandon Webb gets off the mini-schneid, wins 10th in a shut-out over the Nats... Scott Kazmir wins 5th straight start (as of June 1, the best SP in the AL?)... Cubs win 6th straight behind Soriano's HR and 3 RBI... Unstoppable: Josh Hamilton (HR No. 14) and Chase Utley (HR No. 19) and Jay Bruce (HR No. 1)...
Wings win in Pittsburgh, up 3-1 in series: It's all but over.
Kimbo Slice wins in TKO in MMA's broadcast network debut, but it wasn't dominant by any means...
Want to understand why China will dominate its own Olympics in two months? Check out this story.
-- D.S.
Manny Ramirez joins 500 HR Club: One more milestone in the career of arguably the greatest hitter of our generation, joining 23 other sluggers...
Meanwhile, Griffey hits No. 599 -- obviously the 600 Club is even more exclusive than 500...
MLB: Brandon Webb gets off the mini-schneid, wins 10th in a shut-out over the Nats... Scott Kazmir wins 5th straight start (as of June 1, the best SP in the AL?)... Cubs win 6th straight behind Soriano's HR and 3 RBI... Unstoppable: Josh Hamilton (HR No. 14) and Chase Utley (HR No. 19) and Jay Bruce (HR No. 1)...
Wings win in Pittsburgh, up 3-1 in series: It's all but over.
Kimbo Slice wins in TKO in MMA's broadcast network debut, but it wasn't dominant by any means...
Want to understand why China will dominate its own Olympics in two months? Check out this story.
-- D.S.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Celtics Win East: Damn Impressively, Too
Tell you what: They earned it. Two wins on the road in Detroit, including the close-out game. Pretty damn impressive.
Of course, this now sets up the NBA's dream scenario: Lakers-Celtics for the NBA title. Beyond the "nostalgia factor,"* these were the two best teams of the season, featuring the two most dynamic personalities in the sport -- Kobe and KG.
Here's the reality: If the NBA can't get ratings for this, the league truly is in deep shit.
-- D.S.
(* - Let's set aside how fundamentally sketchy it is that the league has to rely on 20-year-old nostalgia to generate enthusiasm for its championship series.)
More, though Unrelated: Congrats to Sameer Mishra on winning the Spelling Bee. He had the best moment of the entire Bee when, last night, he was given a word that everyone -- including him -- thought was "numbnut." He rallied past it with earnest humor and instantly became a rooting interest. That, and he looked so overwhelmed being interviewed by "sideline reporter" Erin Andrews.
MLB: Cliff Floyd has a walk-off... Jay Bruce has 4 hits (and he scored the game-winning run in the 11th)... Joba going to start Tuesday...
More later.
-- D.S.
Of course, this now sets up the NBA's dream scenario: Lakers-Celtics for the NBA title. Beyond the "nostalgia factor,"* these were the two best teams of the season, featuring the two most dynamic personalities in the sport -- Kobe and KG.
Here's the reality: If the NBA can't get ratings for this, the league truly is in deep shit.
-- D.S.
(* - Let's set aside how fundamentally sketchy it is that the league has to rely on 20-year-old nostalgia to generate enthusiasm for its championship series.)
More, though Unrelated: Congrats to Sameer Mishra on winning the Spelling Bee. He had the best moment of the entire Bee when, last night, he was given a word that everyone -- including him -- thought was "numbnut." He rallied past it with earnest humor and instantly became a rooting interest. That, and he looked so overwhelmed being interviewed by "sideline reporter" Erin Andrews.
MLB: Cliff Floyd has a walk-off... Jay Bruce has 4 hits (and he scored the game-winning run in the 11th)... Joba going to start Tuesday...
More later.
-- D.S.
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