Jon & Kate Gosselin are like America's royalty. That was painful to consider, let alone write.
Their TV show attracts insane volumes of viewers. Their presence on covers sells magazines like no celebrity out there. Their names dominate Google searches. This is simply the reality.
And, so, with last night's "big announcement" (divorce), there was no way I wasn't going to find a way to link Jon & Kate to sports in today's SN column.
Good thing Brett Favre makes it so easy: Because he is the Jon & Kate of sports -- you loathe them for the media whoredom, yet you can't look away. Non-news becomes news.
And just as the divorce was obvious, so is Favre's return to the NFL with the Vikings.
There you have it: Who's the PV-monger now, Brett/Jon/Kate? This guy.
More in today's column:
*Snooziest. US Open champ. Ever.
*Loving Pitt's Sam Young as NBA Draft gem.
*Ahh, if only anyone actually liked college baseball.
*Yes, Manny Being Minors, but how about the Rox?
*Know the Name: Aaron Shutway.
Complete column here. More later.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
ESPNChicago.com Adds Huffington Post
I think there was talk about this a month or so ago, but ESPN formalized its relationship with Huffington Post for their Chicago coverage. Gives HuffPo some quality sports coverage for their Chicago site, and gives ESPN.com more distribution/awareness for their ESPNChicago.com content. Sounds like HuffPo Chicago will get content on ESPNChicago.com, too. Win-win.
-- D.S.
UPDATE: I was thinking too locally, perhaps. The much bigger announcement is that ESPN got the rights to broadcast The Premiership (in the UK, no less) and La Liga.
-- D.S.
UPDATE: I was thinking too locally, perhaps. The much bigger announcement is that ESPN got the rights to broadcast The Premiership (in the UK, no less) and La Liga.
Tyler Hansbrough: Top 10 Pick? (Really?)
I have never been particularly high on Tyler Hansbrough's NBA potential. At best, I saw him as an "energy" guy, off the bench. The next coming of Paul Millsap, if he's lucky. That's not a terrible role, by the way -- see Millsap's pending fat new contract. And, if Shane Battier and the new world of statistics in the NBA are any indicator, seemingly weak "glue guys" can be very valuable.
Then you read about this workout he had for the Hawks, which left the Hawks glowing -- or, at least, saying they were glowing. You have to take this with a grain -- if a team that likes Hansbrough is picking behind Atlanta and thinks the Hawks might take him, they might be willing/forced to deal for the ability to get him earlier. I don't think anyone likes Psycho-T THAT much...
More than that, I have really not particularly liked the comparisons between Tyler Hansbrough and Tim Tebow, although -- sigh -- they are kind of appropriate. And if I keep saying that Tim Tebow will have a perfectly fine NFL career based on his absurdly strong work ethic (plus his physical tools), why shouldn't I be willing to say the same thing about Hansbrough?
Again: I think Hansbrough WILL have a fine NBA career -- perhaps not a star, but a decade in the league. He is more Millsap than Madsen, though nowhere near Carlos Boozer.
Worth a Top 10 pick? I guess it depends on your needs. Atlanta has a terrific starting post player in Al Horford -- but what playoff aspirant can't use a little energy and rebounding off the bench?
-- D.S.
Then you read about this workout he had for the Hawks, which left the Hawks glowing -- or, at least, saying they were glowing. You have to take this with a grain -- if a team that likes Hansbrough is picking behind Atlanta and thinks the Hawks might take him, they might be willing/forced to deal for the ability to get him earlier. I don't think anyone likes Psycho-T THAT much...
More than that, I have really not particularly liked the comparisons between Tyler Hansbrough and Tim Tebow, although -- sigh -- they are kind of appropriate. And if I keep saying that Tim Tebow will have a perfectly fine NFL career based on his absurdly strong work ethic (plus his physical tools), why shouldn't I be willing to say the same thing about Hansbrough?
Again: I think Hansbrough WILL have a fine NBA career -- perhaps not a star, but a decade in the league. He is more Millsap than Madsen, though nowhere near Carlos Boozer.
Worth a Top 10 pick? I guess it depends on your needs. Atlanta has a terrific starting post player in Al Horford -- but what playoff aspirant can't use a little energy and rebounding off the bench?
-- D.S.
Not A Baseless Rumor Yet, But Should Be
I am announcing the launch of my new ongoing feature "Not a Baseless Rumor Yet, But Should Be."
Nothing brings out the misinformation, disinformation and just plain wrong information like draft season.
Here's the thing: What's wrong with rumors? Regardless of where they come from, they are -- wait for it -- fun. Fun for fans. Fodder for sports media.
And, let's not forget, team execs and player agents traffic in rumors as their freaking job -- planting most of what's out there as a way to manipulate things to their advantage.
I loved this piece by the NYT's Howard Beck about the NBA Mock Draft scene -- it features Chad Ford (one of my favorite people in all of sports media) and Jonathan Givony (another great guy, and founder of the top NBA-draft-specific site on the Web).
The best part was the way that the draftniks totally acknowledge that mock drafts are -- wait for it -- for fun. (Imagine any of the NFL mock-drafters acknowledging anything remotely close to that -- and it diminishes the NFL draftnik's credibility to NOT admit mocks are a mockery.)
Ford and Givony's actual news-breaking (and, yes, rumor/information-spreading) is what matters. It is -- and this is not meant pejoratively at all -- fertilizer for a great draft experience for everyone.
But mock drafts are great, even vital. To consider them gospel is insane. But they have their important role in the pre-draft process. And they give us a baseline to talk about the draft.
In the end, to use a single mock draft is insane. And to combine draft positions is totally useless -- it's not a fantasy draft; each team has specific needs that aren't reflected in the uber-mocks.
No, the way to go is to read through all of the information, misinformation and disinformation, then try to tease out what is being said betwen the lines. (It would help if we knew who was feeding the draftniks their info -- is it the GM, the freelance scout, the agent, who?)
Mark Cuban had this ludicrous idea that ESPN should blacklist any blogs that traffic in faulty rumors. First of all, teams and agents do more to undermine the rumor mill than any media outlet. And the blogs are fed by the -- yes -- mainstream media, whose closer ties to the team front-office execs and agents make them more susceptible to print WHATEVER. After all, they got it "on the record." (Even if the source is unnamed.) So bloggers are hardly the problem. And even if a blogger is going to make up a rumor, isn't it the NBA reporter's DAY JOB to understand what is worth pursuing and what isn't? If they're following bad info, that's their own problem -- and their editor's. But no one ever got fired for generating page views following sketchy intel.
Anyway, back to my new feature: Not A Baseless Rumor Yet, But Should Be.
I keep reading how T'wolves GM David Kahn wants to make this big splash in the draft. I even heard he wants to try to grab the Wizards' No. 5 pick and package it with the No. 6 to move up to the Grizzlies' No. 2 spot. Now, nevermind that the 5/6 is probably better for a struggling team than the No. 2 player this year (whoever that might be), but the T'wolves want to do something dramatic. So here's a scenario (and yes, baseless!):
The T'wolves trade Kevin Love to the Wizards for the No. 5 pick -- and whatever salaries need to be moved to make it work. The T'wolves get the 5/6 combo to trade up with the Grizzlies, where they take Hasheem Thabeet. Al Jefferson gets to go back to playing PF, where he was overlapping with Kevin Love anyway. The T'wolves get their "splash."
The Wizards get a player who, among sophomores, is among the most ready to contribute to an NBA playoff contender right now. And the Wizards could use the help in the post. Oh, yeah, and Love throws the best NBA outlet pass since... well, since DC's own Wes Unseld.
With the 5th and 6th pick, the Grizzlies could take Jordan Hill -- a big active PF to pair next to Marc Gasol -- and then their pick of PGs, perhaps even Stephen Curry, who would look fantastic next to OJ Mayo (and even Mike Conley). Or Memphis could continue to trade down with teams obsessed with Hill (Dallas) or Curry (New York).
Again: Not A Baseless Rumor Yet...But Should Be!
How can you NOT love the rumor-mongering, mock-drafting, disinformation-disseminating that goes on this week?
-- D.S.
Nothing brings out the misinformation, disinformation and just plain wrong information like draft season.
Here's the thing: What's wrong with rumors? Regardless of where they come from, they are -- wait for it -- fun. Fun for fans. Fodder for sports media.
And, let's not forget, team execs and player agents traffic in rumors as their freaking job -- planting most of what's out there as a way to manipulate things to their advantage.
I loved this piece by the NYT's Howard Beck about the NBA Mock Draft scene -- it features Chad Ford (one of my favorite people in all of sports media) and Jonathan Givony (another great guy, and founder of the top NBA-draft-specific site on the Web).
The best part was the way that the draftniks totally acknowledge that mock drafts are -- wait for it -- for fun. (Imagine any of the NFL mock-drafters acknowledging anything remotely close to that -- and it diminishes the NFL draftnik's credibility to NOT admit mocks are a mockery.)
Ford and Givony's actual news-breaking (and, yes, rumor/information-spreading) is what matters. It is -- and this is not meant pejoratively at all -- fertilizer for a great draft experience for everyone.
But mock drafts are great, even vital. To consider them gospel is insane. But they have their important role in the pre-draft process. And they give us a baseline to talk about the draft.
In the end, to use a single mock draft is insane. And to combine draft positions is totally useless -- it's not a fantasy draft; each team has specific needs that aren't reflected in the uber-mocks.
No, the way to go is to read through all of the information, misinformation and disinformation, then try to tease out what is being said betwen the lines. (It would help if we knew who was feeding the draftniks their info -- is it the GM, the freelance scout, the agent, who?)
Mark Cuban had this ludicrous idea that ESPN should blacklist any blogs that traffic in faulty rumors. First of all, teams and agents do more to undermine the rumor mill than any media outlet. And the blogs are fed by the -- yes -- mainstream media, whose closer ties to the team front-office execs and agents make them more susceptible to print WHATEVER. After all, they got it "on the record." (Even if the source is unnamed.) So bloggers are hardly the problem. And even if a blogger is going to make up a rumor, isn't it the NBA reporter's DAY JOB to understand what is worth pursuing and what isn't? If they're following bad info, that's their own problem -- and their editor's. But no one ever got fired for generating page views following sketchy intel.
Anyway, back to my new feature: Not A Baseless Rumor Yet, But Should Be.
I keep reading how T'wolves GM David Kahn wants to make this big splash in the draft. I even heard he wants to try to grab the Wizards' No. 5 pick and package it with the No. 6 to move up to the Grizzlies' No. 2 spot. Now, nevermind that the 5/6 is probably better for a struggling team than the No. 2 player this year (whoever that might be), but the T'wolves want to do something dramatic. So here's a scenario (and yes, baseless!):
The T'wolves trade Kevin Love to the Wizards for the No. 5 pick -- and whatever salaries need to be moved to make it work. The T'wolves get the 5/6 combo to trade up with the Grizzlies, where they take Hasheem Thabeet. Al Jefferson gets to go back to playing PF, where he was overlapping with Kevin Love anyway. The T'wolves get their "splash."
The Wizards get a player who, among sophomores, is among the most ready to contribute to an NBA playoff contender right now. And the Wizards could use the help in the post. Oh, yeah, and Love throws the best NBA outlet pass since... well, since DC's own Wes Unseld.
With the 5th and 6th pick, the Grizzlies could take Jordan Hill -- a big active PF to pair next to Marc Gasol -- and then their pick of PGs, perhaps even Stephen Curry, who would look fantastic next to OJ Mayo (and even Mike Conley). Or Memphis could continue to trade down with teams obsessed with Hill (Dallas) or Curry (New York).
Again: Not A Baseless Rumor Yet...But Should Be!
How can you NOT love the rumor-mongering, mock-drafting, disinformation-disseminating that goes on this week?
-- D.S.
Monday 06/22 A.M. Quickie:
Barnes, Pujols, Favre, NBA Draft, More
MJD on Twitter and me in today's SN column had the same thought: There is something uniquely awesome about the weekday mid-day major sporting event -- NCAA Tournament. World Cup. Today's US Open final round. (Tennis early-rounds don't have the same cachet.)
When Tiger isn't a factor in a golf major, it really takes some special circumstances to make folks care. A weekday mid-day finish helps. So does a guy in the lead who has assumed the persona of "Hipster Golfer" -- Ricky Barnes.
Why to follow today? To see if Barnes completes his ooh-sooo-close finish. No, not to see where David Duval ends up. That guy remains unlikeable, even a decade after he last mattered.
It's a packed column today:
*Favre has ALREADY signed with the Vikings? Intriguing, if true. But does it matter, one way or the other? Everyone knows he's going to sign with them. I could "break" that story now (or next week, or last week, or last month) -- it's just a question of when I would be right.
*Albert Pujols is just so freaking spectacular. I long claimed that Manny was the best hitter of this generation, but given that he's a decade older than Pujols, maybe we need to separate them -- because if we put them head-to-head, I'll take Albert. So now it's a question of figuring out who the last player to be a better hitter than Pujols was... I'm hard-pressed to think of somone in the "modern" (post-ESPN) era. You could say A-Rod, but A-Rod juiced and -- for now -- there is no evidence that Pujols has done anything but be naturally awesome. (Oh, and don't try to wring me with that "for now" comment; that's the world we live in.)
*NBA Draft: With or without a bum shoulder, Hasheem Thabeet is at the top of my list of overrated NBA draftees. On the plus side, he has at least one NBA-valuable skill -- shot-blocking. But I'm so underwhelmed by the rest of his game. DeJuan Blair owned him, and Blair is like 6-foot-5 with an NBA-quality rump. I wouldn't make him the No. 2 pick, and I certainly wouldn't trade up to get him, no matter what my team needs were. (The bum shoulder is only a very scary sub-plot.) I guess the T'wolves could use shot-blocking, but this seems like a mistake.
By the way, it sounds like everyone is quickly getting very high on Tyreke Evans. Yesterday in my "moment-of-clarity" mock, I had him rising into the Top 5 and going to the Wizards. Now, I think he could go higher than that. Maybe No. 3 to the Thunder or No. 4 to the Kings. The Clippers won't take him and the Grizzlies don't need him. Everyone after that could use him. I might even make him my No. 1 prospect on the board, even higher than Griffin. Plus: Barack Obama loves him. How could Evans go wrong? (And I say that as someone who used to think Evans had "classic bust" written all over him. I hate the former AAU uber-stars.)
Complete column here. More later.
-- D.S.
When Tiger isn't a factor in a golf major, it really takes some special circumstances to make folks care. A weekday mid-day finish helps. So does a guy in the lead who has assumed the persona of "Hipster Golfer" -- Ricky Barnes.
Why to follow today? To see if Barnes completes his ooh-sooo-close finish. No, not to see where David Duval ends up. That guy remains unlikeable, even a decade after he last mattered.
It's a packed column today:
*Favre has ALREADY signed with the Vikings? Intriguing, if true. But does it matter, one way or the other? Everyone knows he's going to sign with them. I could "break" that story now (or next week, or last week, or last month) -- it's just a question of when I would be right.
*Albert Pujols is just so freaking spectacular. I long claimed that Manny was the best hitter of this generation, but given that he's a decade older than Pujols, maybe we need to separate them -- because if we put them head-to-head, I'll take Albert. So now it's a question of figuring out who the last player to be a better hitter than Pujols was... I'm hard-pressed to think of somone in the "modern" (post-ESPN) era. You could say A-Rod, but A-Rod juiced and -- for now -- there is no evidence that Pujols has done anything but be naturally awesome. (Oh, and don't try to wring me with that "for now" comment; that's the world we live in.)
*NBA Draft: With or without a bum shoulder, Hasheem Thabeet is at the top of my list of overrated NBA draftees. On the plus side, he has at least one NBA-valuable skill -- shot-blocking. But I'm so underwhelmed by the rest of his game. DeJuan Blair owned him, and Blair is like 6-foot-5 with an NBA-quality rump. I wouldn't make him the No. 2 pick, and I certainly wouldn't trade up to get him, no matter what my team needs were. (The bum shoulder is only a very scary sub-plot.) I guess the T'wolves could use shot-blocking, but this seems like a mistake.
By the way, it sounds like everyone is quickly getting very high on Tyreke Evans. Yesterday in my "moment-of-clarity" mock, I had him rising into the Top 5 and going to the Wizards. Now, I think he could go higher than that. Maybe No. 3 to the Thunder or No. 4 to the Kings. The Clippers won't take him and the Grizzlies don't need him. Everyone after that could use him. I might even make him my No. 1 prospect on the board, even higher than Griffin. Plus: Barack Obama loves him. How could Evans go wrong? (And I say that as someone who used to think Evans had "classic bust" written all over him. I hate the former AAU uber-stars.)
Complete column here. More later.
-- D.S.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Sunday 06/21 (Father's Day) Quickie
Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there.
More rain in New York today for the U.S. Open? Go figure!
Ricky Barnes: Like a parting gift on a game show, they can't take away your 36-hold Open record no matter how you finish -- presumably, he won't finish as sizzling as his start.
Kevin O'Neill to coach USC: Northwestern fans know -- O'Neill is a tireless recruiter, but sort of a Bizarro Pete Carroll -- all cursing and dourness. Get ready for defense-first basketball, too.
MLB: Weaver-vs-Weaver? Dud... I would like to nominate Ben Zobrist for the AL All-Star Team (he has been my fantasy FA pick-up of the year)... Reconstructed shoulder and all, is Josh Johnson the best pitcher in the NL this season? Maybe not better than Johan, but Top 3... If you want to see a circus, follow "Manny Being Minors"... Break up the Rockies!
NBA Draft: It came to me in a vision last night -- (1) Griffin to Clippers; (2) Rubio to Kings (via trade with Memphis); (3) Curry to Thunder; (4) Thabeet to Grizzlies (via Sacto); (5) Evans to Wizards.
(Read a rumor about the T'wolves trying to get the Wiz's 5th pick to go with Minnesota's 6th pick, so they can trade up with Memphis to No. 2. Sorry: Neither Rubio nor Thabeet are so good that they wouldn't be better than what you could get at No. 5 and No. 6 combined.)
-- D.S.
More rain in New York today for the U.S. Open? Go figure!
Ricky Barnes: Like a parting gift on a game show, they can't take away your 36-hold Open record no matter how you finish -- presumably, he won't finish as sizzling as his start.
Kevin O'Neill to coach USC: Northwestern fans know -- O'Neill is a tireless recruiter, but sort of a Bizarro Pete Carroll -- all cursing and dourness. Get ready for defense-first basketball, too.
MLB: Weaver-vs-Weaver? Dud... I would like to nominate Ben Zobrist for the AL All-Star Team (he has been my fantasy FA pick-up of the year)... Reconstructed shoulder and all, is Josh Johnson the best pitcher in the NL this season? Maybe not better than Johan, but Top 3... If you want to see a circus, follow "Manny Being Minors"... Break up the Rockies!
NBA Draft: It came to me in a vision last night -- (1) Griffin to Clippers; (2) Rubio to Kings (via trade with Memphis); (3) Curry to Thunder; (4) Thabeet to Grizzlies (via Sacto); (5) Evans to Wizards.
(Read a rumor about the T'wolves trying to get the Wiz's 5th pick to go with Minnesota's 6th pick, so they can trade up with Memphis to No. 2. Sorry: Neither Rubio nor Thabeet are so good that they wouldn't be better than what you could get at No. 5 and No. 6 combined.)
-- D.S.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Happy Father's Day To the Dads
In case you're not stopping by later today or this weekend, happy father's day to all the dads out there -- certainly to mine.
This will be my first Father's Day with TWO kids to celebrate with -- it's more than twice as awesome as last year (although more than twice the hard work, too).
Personally, I think that Father's Day should be a celebration of how much work the MOMS do. I would be a dramatically worse dad if my kids' mom wasn't heroically carrying all three of us.
-- D.S.
This will be my first Father's Day with TWO kids to celebrate with -- it's more than twice as awesome as last year (although more than twice the hard work, too).
Personally, I think that Father's Day should be a celebration of how much work the MOMS do. I would be a dramatically worse dad if my kids' mom wasn't heroically carrying all three of us.
-- D.S.
Breakout Star of the U.S. Open: Dan Jenkins
UPDATE: Sally Jenkins filed a column for the Washington Post on her dad's Twitter presence.
Was going to publish this elsewhere -- yes, somewhere more "mainstream," which is why this reads for an audience with little knowledge of Twitter -- but opted for here:
The breakout star of the 2009 U.S. Open?
@danjenkinsgd
That is the Twitter handle of legendary sportswriter Dan Jenkins, who covers golf for Golf Digest (a bit of an understatement: this is Jenkins' 200th major) but has been something of an unlikely phenomenon on Twitter, going from a handful of followers at the start of the week to more than 1,500 by mid-day Friday.
Jenkins, who will turn 80 in December, signed on to Twitter on June 3rd with a simple tweet at 2:50 pm: "I'll have this Twitter thing figured out by the US Open, so check back as we get closer to Bethpage."
Since the 15th, he has been putting out a steady stream of tweets ranging from observations on:
*Thursday's weather conditions ("If you want to get a swing tip today, try the aquarium. It's still cold, windy and rainy--beach weather at the British Open.")
*To the hilarious ("Bulletin: Tiger Woods just made his second double bogey of the first round. Golf is dead.")
*To the bawdy ("The portable toilet outside the media center has signs with tips on putting and hitting drives, irons and sand shots. Nothing on the grip.")
*To the sublime ("My life on deadline: As my first boss, Blackie Sherrod, enjoyed saying, 'Stop feelin’ up that story, and get the damn thing in here.'")
Perhaps most enlightening the age of comments with time-stamps of "Less than one minute ago" is Jenkins' pitter-patter history lesson:
*10:30 a.m. Friday: "I haven't seen players throw darts at the greens like this since Johnny Miller and Lanny Wadkins on the final day at Oakmont in '73."
*1:00 p.m. Thursday: "Guys who were good wet-weather mudders: 1. Middlecoff, 2. Watson, 3. Nicklaus, 4. Ballesteros, 5. Player. But they ain’t here."
*10:58 a.m. Thursday: "The worst-weather Opens include ’72 and ’92 (the final day) at Pebble, but this is the worst first day. Could be the most miserable week."
*7:48 a.m. Wednesday: "Arrived yesterday; out to the course this morning. After you've seen 199 majors, one practice round is plenty."
It feels like an unlikely union of sportswriting's Texas-grizzled legend and technology's hottest new platform. But he is making it work for him. His daughter, the sportswriter Sally Jenkins, is covering the Open, too, and has her own Twitter feed (@sallyjenx): "Talking to Pops, who has designs on Britney Spears' audience. He also just did a podcast. He is a renaissance man! A Medici." (2:30 p.m. Wednesday)
Beyond his legion of followers, he is earning "re-tweets" (or "RT," in Twitter shorthand), a combination of copied versions of his tweets, along with side commentary expressing astonishment and enthusiasm for Jenkins' embrace of the platform. Today, he is a popular choice for "#FF" treatment -- "Follow Friday" is the day of the week when folks on Twitter traditionally recommend their favorite follows to others in their network.
Perhaps his most telling tweet came at 1:38 pm Wednesday:
"Another writer just dropped by and said, 'I never thought I'd see the day: Dan Jenkins on Twitter.' I told him, "Bob, it's a new world.'"
-- D.S.
Was going to publish this elsewhere -- yes, somewhere more "mainstream," which is why this reads for an audience with little knowledge of Twitter -- but opted for here:
The breakout star of the 2009 U.S. Open?
@danjenkinsgd
That is the Twitter handle of legendary sportswriter Dan Jenkins, who covers golf for Golf Digest (a bit of an understatement: this is Jenkins' 200th major) but has been something of an unlikely phenomenon on Twitter, going from a handful of followers at the start of the week to more than 1,500 by mid-day Friday.
Jenkins, who will turn 80 in December, signed on to Twitter on June 3rd with a simple tweet at 2:50 pm: "I'll have this Twitter thing figured out by the US Open, so check back as we get closer to Bethpage."
Since the 15th, he has been putting out a steady stream of tweets ranging from observations on:
*Thursday's weather conditions ("If you want to get a swing tip today, try the aquarium. It's still cold, windy and rainy--beach weather at the British Open.")
*To the hilarious ("Bulletin: Tiger Woods just made his second double bogey of the first round. Golf is dead.")
*To the bawdy ("The portable toilet outside the media center has signs with tips on putting and hitting drives, irons and sand shots. Nothing on the grip.")
*To the sublime ("My life on deadline: As my first boss, Blackie Sherrod, enjoyed saying, 'Stop feelin’ up that story, and get the damn thing in here.'")
Perhaps most enlightening the age of comments with time-stamps of "Less than one minute ago" is Jenkins' pitter-patter history lesson:
*10:30 a.m. Friday: "I haven't seen players throw darts at the greens like this since Johnny Miller and Lanny Wadkins on the final day at Oakmont in '73."
*1:00 p.m. Thursday: "Guys who were good wet-weather mudders: 1. Middlecoff, 2. Watson, 3. Nicklaus, 4. Ballesteros, 5. Player. But they ain’t here."
*10:58 a.m. Thursday: "The worst-weather Opens include ’72 and ’92 (the final day) at Pebble, but this is the worst first day. Could be the most miserable week."
*7:48 a.m. Wednesday: "Arrived yesterday; out to the course this morning. After you've seen 199 majors, one practice round is plenty."
It feels like an unlikely union of sportswriting's Texas-grizzled legend and technology's hottest new platform. But he is making it work for him. His daughter, the sportswriter Sally Jenkins, is covering the Open, too, and has her own Twitter feed (@sallyjenx): "Talking to Pops, who has designs on Britney Spears' audience. He also just did a podcast. He is a renaissance man! A Medici." (2:30 p.m. Wednesday)
Beyond his legion of followers, he is earning "re-tweets" (or "RT," in Twitter shorthand), a combination of copied versions of his tweets, along with side commentary expressing astonishment and enthusiasm for Jenkins' embrace of the platform. Today, he is a popular choice for "#FF" treatment -- "Follow Friday" is the day of the week when folks on Twitter traditionally recommend their favorite follows to others in their network.
Perhaps his most telling tweet came at 1:38 pm Wednesday:
"Another writer just dropped by and said, 'I never thought I'd see the day: Dan Jenkins on Twitter.' I told him, "Bob, it's a new world.'"
-- D.S.
More NBA Draft PG Talk: Calathes? Really?
Honestly, experts: Nick Calathes as the 3rd-best PG in the draft? John Hollinger rates Nick Calathes as the 6th-best player in the draft, overall. (Behind a pay wall: Boo!)
I'm a huge Florida hoops fan, and I just don't see it. (Then again, Hollinger was very high on Marreese Speights a year ago, and I thought Speights would be a terrible pro. So there you are.)
In addition to Calathes, the stats support Ty Lawson as having massive NBA potential -- maybe he IS the next Jameer Nelson (consider Nelson was underrated by draftniks, too). But maybe Lawson is just the next Raymond Felton. Put Flynn, Jennings, Rubio, Evans, Holiday or Maynor at the point for UNC and the Tar Heels still win the national title -- with one of those guys winning MOP. I'm not particularly high on Lawson -- most NBA execs seem to agree with me.
I will say this about Calathes: Because he's going to Greece next season, a team can use a 1st-round pick on him but not have to deal with his salary, but still retain his rights. (And, presumably, a year in Europe would make him more pro-ready than another year in college.)
But when a player's top skill is "He'll save you money!" that's not saying much. But the stat experts seem to argue otherwise -- that he has serious pro potential. I actually really hesitate to dispute or dismiss sound statistical reasoning. But...really?
If I had to take a flier on one of those PGs, I'd draft Evans, who isn't a true PG but can play a PG role alongside another combo guard, and in some kind of best-case scenario world, he is sort of like a poor man's Dwyane Wade. If I was playing it safe, I'd take Maynor. I'm not down on Jennings like many, but he can't shoot. Rubio? Ehh. Sizzle. Experience. But can he shoot?
-- D.S.
I'm a huge Florida hoops fan, and I just don't see it. (Then again, Hollinger was very high on Marreese Speights a year ago, and I thought Speights would be a terrible pro. So there you are.)
In addition to Calathes, the stats support Ty Lawson as having massive NBA potential -- maybe he IS the next Jameer Nelson (consider Nelson was underrated by draftniks, too). But maybe Lawson is just the next Raymond Felton. Put Flynn, Jennings, Rubio, Evans, Holiday or Maynor at the point for UNC and the Tar Heels still win the national title -- with one of those guys winning MOP. I'm not particularly high on Lawson -- most NBA execs seem to agree with me.
I will say this about Calathes: Because he's going to Greece next season, a team can use a 1st-round pick on him but not have to deal with his salary, but still retain his rights. (And, presumably, a year in Europe would make him more pro-ready than another year in college.)
But when a player's top skill is "He'll save you money!" that's not saying much. But the stat experts seem to argue otherwise -- that he has serious pro potential. I actually really hesitate to dispute or dismiss sound statistical reasoning. But...really?
If I had to take a flier on one of those PGs, I'd draft Evans, who isn't a true PG but can play a PG role alongside another combo guard, and in some kind of best-case scenario world, he is sort of like a poor man's Dwyane Wade. If I was playing it safe, I'd take Maynor. I'm not down on Jennings like many, but he can't shoot. Rubio? Ehh. Sizzle. Experience. But can he shoot?
-- D.S.
Friday 06/19 A.M. Quickie:
NBA Draft, US Open, Stallworth, Dads
Perhaps because the US Open was rained out yesterday -- or perhaps because I love the NBA Draft and don't really care all that much about golf -- I led today's SN column with a we're-a-week-out Draft update.
Guess what: Blake Griffin is an afterthought. It's all about the point guards. By my count, you could have 6 PGs in the Top 10, with another two in the Top 15 or 20. Is it because the PG crop is that good? (The big men crop that bad?) Daryl Morey thinks the NBA is turning into a PG-driven league AND it's a particularly deep class.
(Interesting, as the Rockets have as their PGs... Aaron Brooks? Kyle Lowry? And the Lakers have no real PG. And the Cavs have no traditional PG -- don't need one, obviously, although Mo Williams IS a PG. And the Magic had Rafer Alston, not exactly a Lottery pick. And even the Celtics have Rondo, a freak and scouted before the draft as a dud.)
Anyway, the draft is a week away. Can't help but be excited.
There's a lot more in the column today -- actually, it was one of those days where I was WAY out in front on most mainstream media outlets on stuff like Dirk's interest in sole custody of his love-child (or hate-child) and I hadn't seen much on Mark Jackson to the T'wolves, beyond smaller sites. (Although it's leading HoopsHype, so there you go.)
Read the whole thing here. More later.
-- D.S.
Guess what: Blake Griffin is an afterthought. It's all about the point guards. By my count, you could have 6 PGs in the Top 10, with another two in the Top 15 or 20. Is it because the PG crop is that good? (The big men crop that bad?) Daryl Morey thinks the NBA is turning into a PG-driven league AND it's a particularly deep class.
(Interesting, as the Rockets have as their PGs... Aaron Brooks? Kyle Lowry? And the Lakers have no real PG. And the Cavs have no traditional PG -- don't need one, obviously, although Mo Williams IS a PG. And the Magic had Rafer Alston, not exactly a Lottery pick. And even the Celtics have Rondo, a freak and scouted before the draft as a dud.)
Anyway, the draft is a week away. Can't help but be excited.
There's a lot more in the column today -- actually, it was one of those days where I was WAY out in front on most mainstream media outlets on stuff like Dirk's interest in sole custody of his love-child (or hate-child) and I hadn't seen much on Mark Jackson to the T'wolves, beyond smaller sites. (Although it's leading HoopsHype, so there you go.)
Read the whole thing here. More later.
-- D.S.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Joe Posnanski, You're Killing Me
So Joe updated his "True To Your School" challenge with an entry for Florida, which I wrote about here yesterday with my own suggestions for Florida:
Joakim Noah? Check.
Al Rosen? Check.
Andy North (rather than my pick, Dara Torres)? Fine.
Emmitt Smith? Over my pick, Tim Tebow? ACK.
Yes, Emmitt had a Hall of Fame NFL career with multiple Super Bowls. But for college careers, Emmitt cannot compare to Tebow. OK: Maybe the point was to consider everything that player had done in their entire careers, college and pro. (See Rosen, North, Torres, etc.)
Yes, Emmitt is one of the greatest NFL players of all time -- certainly a top-5 all-time RB, but Tebow is one of the greatest college football players of all time. Ah well. I guess I see Joe's point. (BTW, Mrs. Quickie's favorite Florida football player all-time? Emmitt.)
-- D.S.
Joakim Noah? Check.
Al Rosen? Check.
Andy North (rather than my pick, Dara Torres)? Fine.
Emmitt Smith? Over my pick, Tim Tebow? ACK.
Yes, Emmitt had a Hall of Fame NFL career with multiple Super Bowls. But for college careers, Emmitt cannot compare to Tebow. OK: Maybe the point was to consider everything that player had done in their entire careers, college and pro. (See Rosen, North, Torres, etc.)
Yes, Emmitt is one of the greatest NFL players of all time -- certainly a top-5 all-time RB, but Tebow is one of the greatest college football players of all time. Ah well. I guess I see Joe's point. (BTW, Mrs. Quickie's favorite Florida football player all-time? Emmitt.)
-- D.S.
UFL Draft Tonight? OK, One More Time...
The UFL isn't really even having a draft. Sounds like the four coaches are going to sit in a room and try to spread out the talent. Or "talent."
I feel the need to keep saying this until someone from the UFL finally explains why this won't work: Their "talent" should be players the NFL won't let in because of something as silly as age.
Let's use my working definition: You have to have at least one year of college football experience to play in the UFL.
With that in mind -- and taking out the rising seniors and redshirt juniors who voluntarily opted to put off the NFL until next year -- who would be the UFL's first picks?
Julio Jones? Eric Berry? Dez Bryant? Gerald McCoy?
We'll never know. Instead the league is divvying up...JP Losman.
-- D.S.
I feel the need to keep saying this until someone from the UFL finally explains why this won't work: Their "talent" should be players the NFL won't let in because of something as silly as age.
Let's use my working definition: You have to have at least one year of college football experience to play in the UFL.
With that in mind -- and taking out the rising seniors and redshirt juniors who voluntarily opted to put off the NFL until next year -- who would be the UFL's first picks?
Julio Jones? Eric Berry? Dez Bryant? Gerald McCoy?
We'll never know. Instead the league is divvying up...JP Losman.
-- D.S.
HOF-Worthy: The Guy Who Outed McGwire?
I appreciate what this reporter did. But when I read this column, all it makes me think is how mainstream baseball media failed fans, the game and their profession so thoroughly, for years.
-- D.S.
UPDATE: Craggs nails it.
-- D.S.
UPDATE: Craggs nails it.
Thursday 06/18 A.M. Quickie:
Tiger, Open, Zack, Al For Amare, More
Finally: A golf major with more subplots than, simply, "How is Tiger doing?" There is the whole "Sympathy for Mickelson" angle, but the one I love (and led today's SN column with) was that there is no gallery in golf like the Bethpage gallery, which was THE highlight of the '02 Open.
Did you see that Slate-produced video yesterday? (I posted a tweet linking to it, but you may have seen it elsewhere: It overlaid Gus Johnson, Dick Vitale and other boisterous college hoops announcers over golf video.) Bethpage is as close as we'll get to that.
It is SO good for golf -- not to mention great TV -- that you wonder why golf doesn't promote more rowdiness in the gallery (at least between shots).
Meanwhile, two things worth noting this morning (among others):
(1) Amare for Al Jefferson? Straight up, I might consider that deal, although Amare could bolt next summer and, as long as his knee is healed, Al Jefferson is the better player, both now and into the future. But the rumor includes that the T'wolves would throw in the No. 6 pick. WHA?!
(2) Zack Greinke is struggling. Another up-and-down outing last night. It sort of proves how dominant his start to the season was that even though he hasn't been pitching well in his last few starts, he is still the best pitcher in the AL, statistically. I would question whether he has lost his lock on the AL All-Star SP spot to Roy Halladay, but Halladay just went on the DL.
I'm looking out my window right now and the weather couldn't be worse -- I suspect the Open's start will be delayed for a while.
Complete SN column here. More later.
-- D.S.
Did you see that Slate-produced video yesterday? (I posted a tweet linking to it, but you may have seen it elsewhere: It overlaid Gus Johnson, Dick Vitale and other boisterous college hoops announcers over golf video.) Bethpage is as close as we'll get to that.
It is SO good for golf -- not to mention great TV -- that you wonder why golf doesn't promote more rowdiness in the gallery (at least between shots).
Meanwhile, two things worth noting this morning (among others):
(1) Amare for Al Jefferson? Straight up, I might consider that deal, although Amare could bolt next summer and, as long as his knee is healed, Al Jefferson is the better player, both now and into the future. But the rumor includes that the T'wolves would throw in the No. 6 pick. WHA?!
(2) Zack Greinke is struggling. Another up-and-down outing last night. It sort of proves how dominant his start to the season was that even though he hasn't been pitching well in his last few starts, he is still the best pitcher in the AL, statistically. I would question whether he has lost his lock on the AL All-Star SP spot to Roy Halladay, but Halladay just went on the DL.
I'm looking out my window right now and the weather couldn't be worse -- I suspect the Open's start will be delayed for a while.
Complete SN column here. More later.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Pittsburgh: Best Pro Sports Year Ever?
You KNOW I love a good superlative. "Best Year Ever For a Pro Sports City" is a pretty good one, and Carl Bialik makes a pretty good case for Pittsburgh 2009 (Steelers, Penguins) in the WSJ.
I will say this: If you expand it beyond pro sports to include college cities, I think you could make a case that Gainesville, Florida 2006 was better: College basketball champ AND college football champ in the same year, the first time that has ever happened in college history.
-- D.S.
PS: And if you want to quibble and say that the hoops title was sorta/kinda technically the 2005-2006 season and the football title was the 2006 (ending in 2007) season, then let's just count Gainesville's SECOND NCAA hoops title, which bookended the football title in 2007.
I will say this: If you expand it beyond pro sports to include college cities, I think you could make a case that Gainesville, Florida 2006 was better: College basketball champ AND college football champ in the same year, the first time that has ever happened in college history.
-- D.S.
PS: And if you want to quibble and say that the hoops title was sorta/kinda technically the 2005-2006 season and the football title was the 2006 (ending in 2007) season, then let's just count Gainesville's SECOND NCAA hoops title, which bookended the football title in 2007.
Joe Posnanski's "How About This" Challenge
Joe Posnanski -- whose blog is a must-read, even if you couldn't care less about the Kansas City Royals or the Big Red Machine -- launched an interesting "How About This?" challenge:
Take any college and name its best football, basketball and baseball player ever, plus one wild-card from any other sport. Which college has the best foursome?
It started here (halfway down the post), with Joe using Ohio State as an example. He ran a bunch of others submitted by his readers -- I couldn't believe that Florida wasn't repped yet.
So here's my ballot, which I sent to Joe. Maybe it'll make the cut:
Football: Tim Tebow (2-time national champ, Heisman winner, Heisman 3rd-place, may finish career as best college QB -- or player -- ever.) Runners-up: Emmitt Smith or Danny Wuerffel.
Basketball: Joakim Noah (2-time national champ, 2006 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player -- widely ranked as one of the Top 10 Tournament MOP 6-game performances in history).
Baseball: Al Rosen (1953 AL MVP - unanimously, 5-time All-Star, probably the 3rd best Jewish baseball player of all time, behind Greenberg and Koufax.)
Wild Card: Dara Torres (Medalist in 5 Olympics)
Not bad. Not the best in the country, but not bad.
-- D.S.
Take any college and name its best football, basketball and baseball player ever, plus one wild-card from any other sport. Which college has the best foursome?
It started here (halfway down the post), with Joe using Ohio State as an example. He ran a bunch of others submitted by his readers -- I couldn't believe that Florida wasn't repped yet.
So here's my ballot, which I sent to Joe. Maybe it'll make the cut:
Football: Tim Tebow (2-time national champ, Heisman winner, Heisman 3rd-place, may finish career as best college QB -- or player -- ever.) Runners-up: Emmitt Smith or Danny Wuerffel.
Basketball: Joakim Noah (2-time national champ, 2006 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player -- widely ranked as one of the Top 10 Tournament MOP 6-game performances in history).
Baseball: Al Rosen (1953 AL MVP - unanimously, 5-time All-Star, probably the 3rd best Jewish baseball player of all time, behind Greenberg and Koufax.)
Wild Card: Dara Torres (Medalist in 5 Olympics)
Not bad. Not the best in the country, but not bad.
-- D.S.
Dan Jenkins Is On Twitter @danjenkinsgd
Dan Jenkins -- one of the Top 10 sportswriters of all time* -- is on Twitter: @danjenkinsgd
And he's kind of awesome already. Like this: "My life on deadline: As my first boss, Blackie Sherrod, enjoyed saying, “Stop feelin’ up that story, and get the damn thing in here." (h/t: Craggs)
But Gregg Doyel, please keep hating. You know way more about sportswriting than Dan Jenkins. (The Twittering folks in Iran would chime in, too, but they're a little occupied right now...)
-- D.S.
* - Surprising: I'm not ready to call Jenkins "best. ever." But he's way way way up there.
UPDATE: Jenkins himself just posted a tweet from the Open: "Another writer just dropped by and said, 'I never thought I’d see the day: Dan Jenkins on Twitter.'"
Why, because he's old and Twitter is "for the kids?" Great reporters value reaching audience. Great reporters value brevity. Great reporters value immediacy.
And he's kind of awesome already. Like this: "My life on deadline: As my first boss, Blackie Sherrod, enjoyed saying, “Stop feelin’ up that story, and get the damn thing in here." (h/t: Craggs)
But Gregg Doyel, please keep hating. You know way more about sportswriting than Dan Jenkins. (The Twittering folks in Iran would chime in, too, but they're a little occupied right now...)
-- D.S.
* - Surprising: I'm not ready to call Jenkins "best. ever." But he's way way way up there.
UPDATE: Jenkins himself just posted a tweet from the Open: "Another writer just dropped by and said, 'I never thought I’d see the day: Dan Jenkins on Twitter.'"
Why, because he's old and Twitter is "for the kids?" Great reporters value reaching audience. Great reporters value brevity. Great reporters value immediacy.
Wednesday 06/17 A.M. Quickie:
Sosa, Rays, Marshall, Jennings, Epiphanny
In today's SN column, I lead with a review of a valuable lesson in journalism -- or any sort of reporting/commentary/opinion-spouting/punditry:
If you imply or question that a particular person might be using PEDs -- say, Raul Ibanez -- you are going to get crushed for it.
If you announce outright that "everyone" was using PEDs -- say, in 2003 (when we all know that everyone was using steroids) -- you are perfectly safe in your generalization.
Because the fact is this: Back in 2003? Everyone WAS cheating with PEDs. Maybe not all were using steroids. But all WERE using amphetamines -- now banned for being... ta-da... PEDs.
That's just a little context as you consider why the reaction to "Sammy Sosa tested positive for PEDs back in 2003!!!!!!!!!" just doesn't move the needle.
(1) We already figured he was using them.
(2) 2003? Cripes: Who WASN'T using PEDs?
That's two straight days of non-story: Yesterday, the Lange-Buck fake drama. Today, the Sosa unshocker.
Can't we focus on more interesting things? Like:
*Here come the Rays...
*Epiphanny Prince tells the WNBA/NCAA restraint-of-trade to eff off.
*Who will end up trading for Brandon Marshall?
*Kevin Love breaking news on Twitter
It's all in today's SN column. Check it out here. More later. If you were tracking yesterday, you see I'm ramping it up a bit.
-- D.S.
If you imply or question that a particular person might be using PEDs -- say, Raul Ibanez -- you are going to get crushed for it.
If you announce outright that "everyone" was using PEDs -- say, in 2003 (when we all know that everyone was using steroids) -- you are perfectly safe in your generalization.
Because the fact is this: Back in 2003? Everyone WAS cheating with PEDs. Maybe not all were using steroids. But all WERE using amphetamines -- now banned for being... ta-da... PEDs.
That's just a little context as you consider why the reaction to "Sammy Sosa tested positive for PEDs back in 2003!!!!!!!!!" just doesn't move the needle.
(1) We already figured he was using them.
(2) 2003? Cripes: Who WASN'T using PEDs?
That's two straight days of non-story: Yesterday, the Lange-Buck fake drama. Today, the Sosa unshocker.
Can't we focus on more interesting things? Like:
*Here come the Rays...
*Epiphanny Prince tells the WNBA/NCAA restraint-of-trade to eff off.
*Who will end up trading for Brandon Marshall?
*Kevin Love breaking news on Twitter
It's all in today's SN column. Check it out here. More later. If you were tracking yesterday, you see I'm ramping it up a bit.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Top 10 Moments in Sports Blog History
I helped the Real Clear Sports folks with some ideas for this clever list of the Top 10 Moments in Sports Blog History. (Though it was late-breaking, I would have fit PFT/NBC into the Top 10 and not relegated it to Honorable Mention, if only for the $$$ consideration involved.)
And, no, the creation of DanShanoff.com on the final day of the Daily Quickie didn't make the cut, even though it was perhaps the first example of a mainstream media columnist to migrate to blogging.
The irony of the Bissinger-Leitch event -- which clocked in at No. 1 -- is that it effectively ended the sturm und drang over "MSM-vs.-Bloggers." (The Ibanez thing last week was a hysterical overreaction that is best defined as an outlier from current conditions.)
-- D.S.
And, no, the creation of DanShanoff.com on the final day of the Daily Quickie didn't make the cut, even though it was perhaps the first example of a mainstream media columnist to migrate to blogging.
The irony of the Bissinger-Leitch event -- which clocked in at No. 1 -- is that it effectively ended the sturm und drang over "MSM-vs.-Bloggers." (The Ibanez thing last week was a hysterical overreaction that is best defined as an outlier from current conditions.)
-- D.S.
Fanarchy: What a Train Wreck
Maybe you thought Artie Lange on "Joe Buck Live" was a train-wreck. That had nothing on "Fanarchy," a new TV show on Versus last night that was originally announced with the terrific premise that fans can be just as good at sports punditry as the so-called "pros."
Or, as it turned out, just as awful.
There was so much potential there (I liked that they had partnered with Yardbarker) -- but, oh god, the show was a trainwreck from the first minute.
I feel compelled to admit that I could only take about 3 or 4 minutes of it before I had to turn it off; I had seen enough. It was unwatchable, with every terrible stereotype of the "avid fan" -- Painted Face Guy, Loud New Yorker, Guy in Basketball Jersey, Hottie.
Incorporating the fan perspective into sports TV is a great idea -- and I'm not just talking about the patronizing "BlogBuzz" segment/ghetto on the morning SportsCenter. As I have mentioned before, I have incredibly high hopes for ESPN2's upcoming "SportsNation."
The devil is in the details. Or, in the case of "Fanarchy," hell was on my TV screen.
-- D.S.
Or, as it turned out, just as awful.
There was so much potential there (I liked that they had partnered with Yardbarker) -- but, oh god, the show was a trainwreck from the first minute.
I feel compelled to admit that I could only take about 3 or 4 minutes of it before I had to turn it off; I had seen enough. It was unwatchable, with every terrible stereotype of the "avid fan" -- Painted Face Guy, Loud New Yorker, Guy in Basketball Jersey, Hottie.
Incorporating the fan perspective into sports TV is a great idea -- and I'm not just talking about the patronizing "BlogBuzz" segment/ghetto on the morning SportsCenter. As I have mentioned before, I have incredibly high hopes for ESPN2's upcoming "SportsNation."
The devil is in the details. Or, in the case of "Fanarchy," hell was on my TV screen.
-- D.S.
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