It's not hard to get excited for the prospects of Blake Griffin in tonight's dunk contest...
Carmelo Update: The Nets and Nuggets have a deal put together, pending Carmelo's approval of an extension with the Nets, which he has given no indication of wanting.
Meanwhile, the Knicks appear to have a deal that the Nuggets will take -- it's better than nothing -- and Carmelo obviously wants to play in NYC.
So the question is: Will the Nuggets demand even more from the Knicks and/or force Carmelo to decide whether he wants to get paid, but play for the Nets.
(I stick with this: Why do the Nets want a player -- a star player, no less -- who doesn't want to play for them? Even if he relents, the 3-year countdown until he leaves is immediately on.)
Last night, Justin Bieber may have been the focus of attention (and, naturally, earning celeb-game MVP, given that voting was done by fans via text), but Secretary of Education Arne Duncan had the best game, doing a bit of everything and out-playing even the NBA alums.
In the Rookie-Soph game, John Wall had the best game, dishing a record 22 assists, including a ridiculous bounce-pass alley-oop to Blake Griffin. (As a huge Wall fan, it was bittersweet: He looked so happy out there; it's a shame his regular team stinks.)
MLB: Miguel Cabrera. This morning, the Tigers are finally saying the right things about Miguel Cabrera -- namely, that's he's an alcoholic who needs help, potentially a lot of help. Let's hope they follow through. It's not just in the best interests of the player; it's in the best long-term interests of the team.
CBB BracketBusters: I'm a big fan of these games, if only because it is one of your best chances to watch potential NCAA spoilers against solid competition -- other potential NCAA spoilers. As always, don't read TOO much into any one win, but you can at least say "Yes, I saw them play this season."
Ads: Nike's big flashy "Black Mamba" ad/"film" released this morning. Check it out here, if you're curious.
Enjoy your day. Give Quickish a pop-in throughout the day to keep up.
-- D.S.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
02/17 Quickie: Pujols, Lakers, Vick, Leo, More
First, a final "Jerry! HEL-LO!" for Len Lesser, who played "Uncle Leo" on Seinfeld and passed away yesterday.
Albert Pujols and Cards don't come to a deal: This a.m., Pujols said all the right things, most importantly "want to be a Cardinal for life." However! The Cards blew it by not offering him what he deserves before we got to this point.
And now the Cubs or Nationals or any number of other teams are going to have a chance to either offer him 10Y/$300M -- or force the Cards into paying it to match (which I would hope they would do.)
Lakers stunned by Cavs: I'm sticking to my general notion that among NBA contenders -- and the Lakers still qualify -- any individual win or loss in the regular season is meaningless, as it relates to the Playoffs. The Lakers are still the team to beat.
Mike Vick bails on Oprah: What a mistake. First, you don't kiss off Oprah. Second, it makes him look like he is entirely satisfied with his rehabilitation, if rumors are to be believed that the show was going to force him to meet face-to-face with people who adopted his dogs.
Here's where Vick missed it: Oprah wasn't going to "James Frey" him. The "redemption" narrative HAS to include Vick facing his dogs and facing the people who saved those dogs. He could have continued to insist how sorry he was, how bad he feels -- on the biggest stage possible. Instead, he looks petty -- even indignant. That's not the image he wants to project.
(What Team Vick -- including the Eagles -- underestimates is that even if the Oprah thing went horribly, it would have been forgotten the first week Vick got on the field for the Eagles and led them to a win with his restored football career.)
Watson wins "Jeopardy": I'm with Ken Jennings (and "The Simpsons") -- I welcome our new robot overlords. The whole thing is a triumph of science (which, by necessity, is a triumph of humanity). It's an incredible achievement.
The Auburn tree massacre: The jokes about this aren't funny. It's pretty sick, actually. Just hoping that Auburn fans recognize this is the work of one lone Bama fan nutjob and not some sort of Tide-wide initiative. (UPDATE: An arrest has been made. The guy arrested sounds like a bit of a loon.)
SI's Grant Wahl is running for the President of FIFA -- for real! It's a worthy cause to support.
-- D.S.
Albert Pujols and Cards don't come to a deal: This a.m., Pujols said all the right things, most importantly "want to be a Cardinal for life." However! The Cards blew it by not offering him what he deserves before we got to this point.
And now the Cubs or Nationals or any number of other teams are going to have a chance to either offer him 10Y/$300M -- or force the Cards into paying it to match (which I would hope they would do.)
Lakers stunned by Cavs: I'm sticking to my general notion that among NBA contenders -- and the Lakers still qualify -- any individual win or loss in the regular season is meaningless, as it relates to the Playoffs. The Lakers are still the team to beat.
Mike Vick bails on Oprah: What a mistake. First, you don't kiss off Oprah. Second, it makes him look like he is entirely satisfied with his rehabilitation, if rumors are to be believed that the show was going to force him to meet face-to-face with people who adopted his dogs.
Here's where Vick missed it: Oprah wasn't going to "James Frey" him. The "redemption" narrative HAS to include Vick facing his dogs and facing the people who saved those dogs. He could have continued to insist how sorry he was, how bad he feels -- on the biggest stage possible. Instead, he looks petty -- even indignant. That's not the image he wants to project.
(What Team Vick -- including the Eagles -- underestimates is that even if the Oprah thing went horribly, it would have been forgotten the first week Vick got on the field for the Eagles and led them to a win with his restored football career.)
Watson wins "Jeopardy": I'm with Ken Jennings (and "The Simpsons") -- I welcome our new robot overlords. The whole thing is a triumph of science (which, by necessity, is a triumph of humanity). It's an incredible achievement.
The Auburn tree massacre: The jokes about this aren't funny. It's pretty sick, actually. Just hoping that Auburn fans recognize this is the work of one lone Bama fan nutjob and not some sort of Tide-wide initiative. (UPDATE: An arrest has been made. The guy arrested sounds like a bit of a loon.)
SI's Grant Wahl is running for the President of FIFA -- for real! It's a worthy cause to support.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
02/16 Quickie: Pujols, Heat, More
I'm on a hot streak with my birthdays.
Last year, I spent my birthday on an airplane traveling across the country to see a billionaire about a really interesting company I wanted to start.
That didn't work out -- which was fine -- but the past year has seen me found, build and launch a new company, the result of which is that I'm spending my birthday thinking about Albert Pujols.
(It also happens to be that my 2-year-old younger son had to stay home sick from daycare today, so I'm spending my birthday operating Quickish and hanging out with him -- I'll take it.)
But back to Pujols: If I'm Albert, it's not unreasonable that I want to be paid like the best baseball player in the world -- and one of the Top 20 (Top 10?) players of all time. I love St. Louis and want to spend my career there, but if the gap between the Cards and the market is big (and it probably will be, both in duration and average annual pay), I have to explore it.
And if I am the Cardinals?
I pay him.
I offer him the $30M a year for the next 8 years -- their previous offer was 7 years, for a lot less than $30 a year. If he wants 10, I think it's reasonable to ask that he take a bit of a haircut on those last two years.
I do it because Pujols IS my franchise. I do it because he is one of the greatest baseball players of all time, and I want that as part of my team. (I'll hire a bunch of savvy marketers to ensure that we are making it clear to everyone that he is a living legend, to wring every last sales dollar from him -- Pujols has to be comfortable with that. He is a Vegas show. I'm creating the Albert Pujols Channel on YouTube and turning him into a single-handed must-see phenomenon.)
But I do whatever I need to do to keep him. That's easy to say: It's not my money. (As a business owner, I'm totally empathetic to keeping an eye on the P&L statement.) But this isn't Ryan Howard or Mark Teixeira or Prince Fielder.
This is Albert Freaking Pujols -- the greatest living baseball player. (Ironic, given that Stan Musial got the Presidential Medal of Freedom yesterday.) Pujols is superlative in ways that rarely come along in sports, let alone baseball. And you pay for that. You have to.
*****
Lance Armstrong retires: Speaking of one of the greatest athletes in history. His career will always have a cloud over it, but he is the rare athlete who has maintained a defiance, taken plenty of tests and stayed out of trouble. He's untouchable. That by itself is all-time.
Do you believe Bernie Madoff when he says the Mets owners didn't know about his Ponzi scheme? Why would you?
Hickory wins Westminster, becoming the first Scottish Deerhound to win the title: Chalk one up for novelty!
Must-see video: D-Wade to LeBron on a 90-foot alley-oop.
CBB: George Mason crushes VCU. Is GMU, winners of 12 in a row, prepping for a Cinderella run a la 2006?
More later. Please check out Quickish. Have a great day. I have children's educational TV programming to tee up on the DVR...
--- D.S.
Last year, I spent my birthday on an airplane traveling across the country to see a billionaire about a really interesting company I wanted to start.
That didn't work out -- which was fine -- but the past year has seen me found, build and launch a new company, the result of which is that I'm spending my birthday thinking about Albert Pujols.
(It also happens to be that my 2-year-old younger son had to stay home sick from daycare today, so I'm spending my birthday operating Quickish and hanging out with him -- I'll take it.)
But back to Pujols: If I'm Albert, it's not unreasonable that I want to be paid like the best baseball player in the world -- and one of the Top 20 (Top 10?) players of all time. I love St. Louis and want to spend my career there, but if the gap between the Cards and the market is big (and it probably will be, both in duration and average annual pay), I have to explore it.
And if I am the Cardinals?
I pay him.
I offer him the $30M a year for the next 8 years -- their previous offer was 7 years, for a lot less than $30 a year. If he wants 10, I think it's reasonable to ask that he take a bit of a haircut on those last two years.
I do it because Pujols IS my franchise. I do it because he is one of the greatest baseball players of all time, and I want that as part of my team. (I'll hire a bunch of savvy marketers to ensure that we are making it clear to everyone that he is a living legend, to wring every last sales dollar from him -- Pujols has to be comfortable with that. He is a Vegas show. I'm creating the Albert Pujols Channel on YouTube and turning him into a single-handed must-see phenomenon.)
But I do whatever I need to do to keep him. That's easy to say: It's not my money. (As a business owner, I'm totally empathetic to keeping an eye on the P&L statement.) But this isn't Ryan Howard or Mark Teixeira or Prince Fielder.
This is Albert Freaking Pujols -- the greatest living baseball player. (Ironic, given that Stan Musial got the Presidential Medal of Freedom yesterday.) Pujols is superlative in ways that rarely come along in sports, let alone baseball. And you pay for that. You have to.
*****
Lance Armstrong retires: Speaking of one of the greatest athletes in history. His career will always have a cloud over it, but he is the rare athlete who has maintained a defiance, taken plenty of tests and stayed out of trouble. He's untouchable. That by itself is all-time.
Do you believe Bernie Madoff when he says the Mets owners didn't know about his Ponzi scheme? Why would you?
Hickory wins Westminster, becoming the first Scottish Deerhound to win the title: Chalk one up for novelty!
Must-see video: D-Wade to LeBron on a 90-foot alley-oop.
CBB: George Mason crushes VCU. Is GMU, winners of 12 in a row, prepping for a Cinderella run a la 2006?
More later. Please check out Quickish. Have a great day. I have children's educational TV programming to tee up on the DVR...
--- D.S.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
02/15 Quickie: Pujols, Swimsuit, More
One more day until Albert Pujols' world is turned upside-down: I'm sure he is very interested to see what he might command on the open market, but I don't think he is at all prepared for the shit show he will deal with for the next six months.
Tony LaRussa is lining up the straw men by suggesting the union wants Pujols to leave and get the maximum dollars; LaRussa is just deflecting attention from Albert.
Meanwhile, a nice moment for Cardinals fans as Stan Musial is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- a nice moment for ALL fans as Bill Russell earns the same.
MLB Spring Training: Will CC Sabathia opt out? Here's a really good argument why it's inevitable.
Kansas State throttles Kansas: Well, didn't see THAT one coming. K-State may yet make the Tournament field, but it's unlikely they get past the first weekend.
SI Swimsuit: I don't judge anyone if they're really into it, but it was a lot more meaningful to me when I was 14 than now. It is the biggest day of cognitive dissonance of the year at SI offices (except to the extent that they all know (a) it pays their mortgages, and (b) about 100x the number of people visit the site today than typical days).
OJ Simpson beaten up in prison? Yikes. I am convinced that for a good proportion of the population, crimes are actively not committed for no other reason -- and it's a good one -- that you simply wouldn't survive in prison.
Westminster Dog Show: Not for me, but Jonah Keri is doing great work during the broadcasts at WSJ.com.
Jeopardy's Jennings vs. IBM's Watson: Now THIS I can get into. I'm sort of rooting for Watson. Sorry.
Please give Quickish a visit today -- and tell friends!
-- D.S.
Tony LaRussa is lining up the straw men by suggesting the union wants Pujols to leave and get the maximum dollars; LaRussa is just deflecting attention from Albert.
Meanwhile, a nice moment for Cardinals fans as Stan Musial is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- a nice moment for ALL fans as Bill Russell earns the same.
MLB Spring Training: Will CC Sabathia opt out? Here's a really good argument why it's inevitable.
Kansas State throttles Kansas: Well, didn't see THAT one coming. K-State may yet make the Tournament field, but it's unlikely they get past the first weekend.
SI Swimsuit: I don't judge anyone if they're really into it, but it was a lot more meaningful to me when I was 14 than now. It is the biggest day of cognitive dissonance of the year at SI offices (except to the extent that they all know (a) it pays their mortgages, and (b) about 100x the number of people visit the site today than typical days).
OJ Simpson beaten up in prison? Yikes. I am convinced that for a good proportion of the population, crimes are actively not committed for no other reason -- and it's a good one -- that you simply wouldn't survive in prison.
Westminster Dog Show: Not for me, but Jonah Keri is doing great work during the broadcasts at WSJ.com.
Jeopardy's Jennings vs. IBM's Watson: Now THIS I can get into. I'm sort of rooting for Watson. Sorry.
Please give Quickish a visit today -- and tell friends!
-- D.S.
Monday, February 14, 2011
02/14: Love, Dogs, Pujols, Heat, More
First of all, happy valentine's day to everyone. As is the annual tradition here, let's talk about love.
*I'm not a big dog person (allergies), but "Best In Show" is one of my favorite movies of all time -- if you consider "dog show" as part of the universe of "sport," "Best In Show" is arguably the greatest sports movie of all time.
And so the Westminster Dog Show -- today and tomorrow -- is amazing if only for its opportunity to flex your favorite "Best In Show" quotes, which we'll try to do all day on Quickish today.
*If you're a Cardinals fan -- or just a baseball fan -- you love Albert Pujols. Which makes this week's deadline for a deal (which may or may not have EVER had a chance, short of the Cards paying the $300M over 10 years Pujols wants... and probably deserves) all the more difficult.
Cards fans are going to have to go through an even greater cognitive dissonance than Cavs fans, who HAD to have known, down deep, LeBron was bolting. But Cards fans are a chipper, earnest group -- the betrayal will be all the more severe, especially when he goes to the Cubs, who should have no problem with giving him the $300M he wants.
My biggest problem with all this is the notion that Pujols thinks he can avoid six months -- SIX MONTHS -- of daily questions about this, simply because he insists he won't talk about it. That won't keep people from asking about it or talking about it.
(Here's the bright side, Cards fans: Maybe he gets SO sick of it that he decides to sign, just to silence the noise.)
*Celtics fans have to be loving the dominance over the Heat, who have shown no sign of being able to beat Boston this year -- which will extend into the playoffs. If Miami couldn't win yesterday, they sure won't do it in May. The good news for the Heat: The Celtics probably have one year after this before age gets them, so that still leaves three years of the 5-year-plan to contend. Unless, of course, Dwight Howard goes to the Knicks or Lakers...
*Love the nostalgia for Ronaldo, who is retiring today, at his peak -- rather than his later years.
*South Carolina fans are loving it right now: An SEC East title, followed up by landing the nation's No. 1 prospect this morning -- Jadeveon Clowney. If RB Marcus Lattimore is the most punishing offensive force East of Andrew Luck, then Clowney has the chance to match him on the defensive side.
*Have you seen the video of Justin Bieber showing off his ringtone? It's Mike Gundy's "I'm a MAN!" rant. It's not love, but it actually made me like Bieber -- how can you not like a kid who knows the Gundy rant by heart?
There is so much on Quickish this morning, I can barely keep up with all of it -- some great reads, some amazing analysis. Please check it out -- and check back throughout the day.
Otherwise, happy valentine's day to you and yours. Despite the uncertainty in the NFL, it's a good day to remember what you love about sports.
-- D.S.
*I'm not a big dog person (allergies), but "Best In Show" is one of my favorite movies of all time -- if you consider "dog show" as part of the universe of "sport," "Best In Show" is arguably the greatest sports movie of all time.
And so the Westminster Dog Show -- today and tomorrow -- is amazing if only for its opportunity to flex your favorite "Best In Show" quotes, which we'll try to do all day on Quickish today.
*If you're a Cardinals fan -- or just a baseball fan -- you love Albert Pujols. Which makes this week's deadline for a deal (which may or may not have EVER had a chance, short of the Cards paying the $300M over 10 years Pujols wants... and probably deserves) all the more difficult.
Cards fans are going to have to go through an even greater cognitive dissonance than Cavs fans, who HAD to have known, down deep, LeBron was bolting. But Cards fans are a chipper, earnest group -- the betrayal will be all the more severe, especially when he goes to the Cubs, who should have no problem with giving him the $300M he wants.
My biggest problem with all this is the notion that Pujols thinks he can avoid six months -- SIX MONTHS -- of daily questions about this, simply because he insists he won't talk about it. That won't keep people from asking about it or talking about it.
(Here's the bright side, Cards fans: Maybe he gets SO sick of it that he decides to sign, just to silence the noise.)
*Celtics fans have to be loving the dominance over the Heat, who have shown no sign of being able to beat Boston this year -- which will extend into the playoffs. If Miami couldn't win yesterday, they sure won't do it in May. The good news for the Heat: The Celtics probably have one year after this before age gets them, so that still leaves three years of the 5-year-plan to contend. Unless, of course, Dwight Howard goes to the Knicks or Lakers...
*Love the nostalgia for Ronaldo, who is retiring today, at his peak -- rather than his later years.
*South Carolina fans are loving it right now: An SEC East title, followed up by landing the nation's No. 1 prospect this morning -- Jadeveon Clowney. If RB Marcus Lattimore is the most punishing offensive force East of Andrew Luck, then Clowney has the chance to match him on the defensive side.
*Have you seen the video of Justin Bieber showing off his ringtone? It's Mike Gundy's "I'm a MAN!" rant. It's not love, but it actually made me like Bieber -- how can you not like a kid who knows the Gundy rant by heart?
There is so much on Quickish this morning, I can barely keep up with all of it -- some great reads, some amazing analysis. Please check it out -- and check back throughout the day.
Otherwise, happy valentine's day to you and yours. Despite the uncertainty in the NFL, it's a good day to remember what you love about sports.
-- D.S.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
02/13 (Very) Quickie
Don't forget to check out Quickish today: Already have a bunch of good things posted.
Wisconsin beats Ohio State: Yes, Wisco was favored, but it was the way they overwhelmed OSU after being down 15 -- and seemingly out. Their comeback was, based on Wisconsin's typical deliberateness, shocking and eye-opening. Can't help but file it away for March.
(I am not picking Ohio State to win the national title, although their Big Ten regular season title, Big Ten Tourney title and NCAA No. 1 seed seem virtually assured.)
Albert Pujols Watch: I have become increasingly frustrated with St. Louis mainstream media for seeming to abstain from the Pujols situation entirely. I'm not asking for Carmelo-style forced drama, but this is a huge story and they do their readers a disservice by not projecting the fans' interest (and, yes, anxiety).
Bernie Miklasz made up for all of it with his terrific column today. It was worth the wait. (Even if his premise is that this deadline on Wednesday is fake-ish.)
NFL Labor: Read this analysis. It is damning -- but, like most economics arguments, will have no practical implications or consequences on its own. It will, however, help you understand why the owners aren't going to give an inch. (And, given the combination of irrational economics and largely ignorant media, why should they?) This isn't about player salaries; this is about the larger structure of the NFL over the past decade or so.
Today: Heat-Celtics. As repeated here often, regular-season NBA offers few if any games of consequence. There are, however, a few that are entertaining. This should be one of them.
-- D.S.
Wisconsin beats Ohio State: Yes, Wisco was favored, but it was the way they overwhelmed OSU after being down 15 -- and seemingly out. Their comeback was, based on Wisconsin's typical deliberateness, shocking and eye-opening. Can't help but file it away for March.
(I am not picking Ohio State to win the national title, although their Big Ten regular season title, Big Ten Tourney title and NCAA No. 1 seed seem virtually assured.)
Albert Pujols Watch: I have become increasingly frustrated with St. Louis mainstream media for seeming to abstain from the Pujols situation entirely. I'm not asking for Carmelo-style forced drama, but this is a huge story and they do their readers a disservice by not projecting the fans' interest (and, yes, anxiety).
Bernie Miklasz made up for all of it with his terrific column today. It was worth the wait. (Even if his premise is that this deadline on Wednesday is fake-ish.)
NFL Labor: Read this analysis. It is damning -- but, like most economics arguments, will have no practical implications or consequences on its own. It will, however, help you understand why the owners aren't going to give an inch. (And, given the combination of irrational economics and largely ignorant media, why should they?) This isn't about player salaries; this is about the larger structure of the NFL over the past decade or so.
Today: Heat-Celtics. As repeated here often, regular-season NBA offers few if any games of consequence. There are, however, a few that are entertaining. This should be one of them.
-- D.S.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
02/12 (Very) Quickie
Happy 50th anniversary, Strat-O-Matic.
Cavs win! Cavs win! The ignominy of US pro sports' longest losing streak will not be theirs alone for posterity. (They will remain tied with the 76-77 Tampa Bay Bucs.)
Penguins-Islanders: Crazy brawling! (Puck Daddy has the best recap/videos.)
NFL Labor Watch: The owners are going to win this, and it's going to be a rout. I don't think this can be stressed enough. They don't mind shutting down the offseason. They don't mind shutting down the preseason. They don't mind shutting down part of the regular season.
Because while the players' have an average career of 3.5 years, the owners are in this for the long haul -- one year of pain is a blip compared to a decade of things the way they want it to be. And while fans may not be happy, they're not going anywhere -- in fact, we will come back in even bigger numbers than before.
College hoops today: If Ohio State is going to lose in the regular season, it's going to be today at Wisconsin. (For the record, I'm not picking Ohio State to win it all in March.)
RIP, Chuck Tanner. "We Are Family," indeed.
Have a great Saturday. Please check in on Quickish throughout the day and evening to keep up.
-- D.S.
Cavs win! Cavs win! The ignominy of US pro sports' longest losing streak will not be theirs alone for posterity. (They will remain tied with the 76-77 Tampa Bay Bucs.)
Penguins-Islanders: Crazy brawling! (Puck Daddy has the best recap/videos.)
NFL Labor Watch: The owners are going to win this, and it's going to be a rout. I don't think this can be stressed enough. They don't mind shutting down the offseason. They don't mind shutting down the preseason. They don't mind shutting down part of the regular season.
Because while the players' have an average career of 3.5 years, the owners are in this for the long haul -- one year of pain is a blip compared to a decade of things the way they want it to be. And while fans may not be happy, they're not going anywhere -- in fact, we will come back in even bigger numbers than before.
College hoops today: If Ohio State is going to lose in the regular season, it's going to be today at Wisconsin. (For the record, I'm not picking Ohio State to win it all in March.)
RIP, Chuck Tanner. "We Are Family," indeed.
Have a great Saturday. Please check in on Quickish throughout the day and evening to keep up.
-- D.S.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Strat-O-Matic: Happy 50th Anniversary
Saturday, Feb. 11 -- tomorrow or today or yesterday, depending on when you’re reading this -- is the 50th anniversary celebration of Strat-O-Matic, the legendary card-and-dice baseball game. (Here's a primer from Wikipedia.)
Let's start with this: Many/most fans call it "Strat-O." I called it "Strat." Sorry.
From Strat’s Years’ 24-27, it was among my biggest obsessions. I’m not sure what drew me to it -- what draws any fan to it? I liked mixing and matching teams -- an early form of fantasy baseball -- and I liked the range of probabilities and outcomes.
I had the "1985 edition" set -- so it covered the 1984 season. For the next three years, all me and my friends did was play with THAT set, so it was like we were permanently in 1984. As a young Cubs fan, this was fine with me, as that was the season the Cubs won the NL East.
But my most vivid memory of Strat was my freshman year of high school. I wasn’t nearly cool enough to be part of the “cool kids,” and so my friends and I continued to play Strat, rather than -- say -- going to parties we couldn’t have gotten into anyway.
Then, two of the coolest kids in my class wanted to play with us -- they loved it, and they totally dorked out with us. But their participation was totally on the “down low.”
They couldn’t tell their cool friends they were playing Strat with us, obsessing over the league and trades and homemade stat sheets in between classes.
But that was fine for me and my friends. I was so baffled that the cool kids were playing with us, that they even seemed to enjoy spending time with us. Even...grateful.
Ultimately, I out-grew Strat after my freshman year of high school. Other things took over: School, finding a sport, working on the school newspaper, girls.
But I retain such a fondness for Strat-O-Matic that I sometimes wish I could re-capture those years where it was my obsession. I know others feel that way, too. It’s a fun community to be a part of: “Did you play Strat-O-Matic," answered in the affirmative, signals you know.
You know what a fun, obsessive game it can be. You know how it impacts your fandom in a positive way -- particularly in giving you an appreciation for the role of probability and randomness in the sport. You know that it can become a lifestyle.
Happy 50th birthday, Strat-O-Matic. And I hope everyone who ever played remembers their experience as fondly as I do.
By the way, along the same vein as Strat, my favorite baseball book of all time -- a novel about an obsessive man who creates his own fictional baseball league based on cards and dice and probabilities -- is also one of the most underappreciated baseball books of all time:
The Universal Baseball Association, Inc., J. Henry Waugh, Prop. (Yes, that’s the complete title. By Robert Coover. Published in 1968. I was introduced to it in high school during that freshman year when my Strat obsession was at its peak. Highly recommended. If I had a million dollars I would buy the movie rights. It’s a brilliant book.)
-- D.S.
Let's start with this: Many/most fans call it "Strat-O." I called it "Strat." Sorry.
From Strat’s Years’ 24-27, it was among my biggest obsessions. I’m not sure what drew me to it -- what draws any fan to it? I liked mixing and matching teams -- an early form of fantasy baseball -- and I liked the range of probabilities and outcomes.
I had the "1985 edition" set -- so it covered the 1984 season. For the next three years, all me and my friends did was play with THAT set, so it was like we were permanently in 1984. As a young Cubs fan, this was fine with me, as that was the season the Cubs won the NL East.
But my most vivid memory of Strat was my freshman year of high school. I wasn’t nearly cool enough to be part of the “cool kids,” and so my friends and I continued to play Strat, rather than -- say -- going to parties we couldn’t have gotten into anyway.
Then, two of the coolest kids in my class wanted to play with us -- they loved it, and they totally dorked out with us. But their participation was totally on the “down low.”
They couldn’t tell their cool friends they were playing Strat with us, obsessing over the league and trades and homemade stat sheets in between classes.
But that was fine for me and my friends. I was so baffled that the cool kids were playing with us, that they even seemed to enjoy spending time with us. Even...grateful.
Ultimately, I out-grew Strat after my freshman year of high school. Other things took over: School, finding a sport, working on the school newspaper, girls.
But I retain such a fondness for Strat-O-Matic that I sometimes wish I could re-capture those years where it was my obsession. I know others feel that way, too. It’s a fun community to be a part of: “Did you play Strat-O-Matic," answered in the affirmative, signals you know.
You know what a fun, obsessive game it can be. You know how it impacts your fandom in a positive way -- particularly in giving you an appreciation for the role of probability and randomness in the sport. You know that it can become a lifestyle.
Happy 50th birthday, Strat-O-Matic. And I hope everyone who ever played remembers their experience as fondly as I do.
By the way, along the same vein as Strat, my favorite baseball book of all time -- a novel about an obsessive man who creates his own fictional baseball league based on cards and dice and probabilities -- is also one of the most underappreciated baseball books of all time:
The Universal Baseball Association, Inc., J. Henry Waugh, Prop. (Yes, that’s the complete title. By Robert Coover. Published in 1968. I was introduced to it in high school during that freshman year when my Strat obsession was at its peak. Highly recommended. If I had a million dollars I would buy the movie rights. It’s a brilliant book.)
-- D.S.
02/11 Quickie: Favre, Ray Allen, Sloan, Cam, More
So, in a pique of pique, I tracked down and debunked this "Brett Favre/Dancing With the Stars" rumor. It felt good, and not just because people seemed to like it.
If I kept sport-talk radio producers or bloggers or TV talking-heads from wasting time on it today, I have done a service to them and fans alike.
But, to be less haughty about the whole thing, it was just fun to trace it. Sourcing is a big issue in sports news -- and all news -- and this was a very clean example to showcase.
Since then, things have been a little off-the-hook with Quickish, which is why I'm not writing until now. Apologies. (On the plus side, it's been Quickish's biggest week ever -- and that's not even counting the Super Bowl.)
Now...
Ray Allen: NBA's career 3 king. When he was at UConn in '95-96, I loved Ray Allen. He was my favorite player. I can't recall why, I just really liked him. This is a great record to hold. (Unbreakable? Unlikely, but it's going to be 20 years before someone does it.)
Jerry Sloan quits: Yes, we could say "resigns," but it's quitting, right? There's no shame in that, unless you've spent some time ripping other "quitters" but don't want to rip Sloan.
And I don't. He had a Hall of Fame career. I will say that his intractability -- the source of so much success -- ultimately failed him. It's not a quality I admire as much as many others do.
Cam Newton's media workout: It did what it was meant to -- it put him in the conversation for Top 5 overall, and certainly put him at the top of the QBs list. I think he'll have a great career.
Josh Hamilton's new deal: Great move by the Rangers, and smart by Hamilton to take it. In two years, he can go cash in with the Yankees or Red Sox.
College hoops tomorrow: Ohio State at Wisconsin is the best shot any team will have of beating OSU until the Tournament. More: Baylor/Texas, Pitt/Nova, Kentucky/Vandy.
Good for Cal: Or, should I say, good for the boosters who ponied up the money to allow Cal to keep three sports it had cut. See: Boosters are not all evil.
NFL Labor: Things do NOT look good. Settle in. It's going to be long and boring and frustrating, but it is what it is.
SB Tix Snafu: The league has expanded its offer to the 2,000 fans who were delayed getting in until the game started. That's a fair thing. The deal for the 400 remains largely unsatisfactory.
Tomorrow is the 50th anniversary of the launch of Strat-O-Matic. I need a separate post for this, if I can manage it, because Strat was a HUGE part of my life from age 12-15.
Have a terrific weekend. If you haven't yet, please give Quickish a look today -- and we're going strong all weekend. Keep up quickly with the big topics -- just a minute or so will catch you up.
-- D.S.
If I kept sport-talk radio producers or bloggers or TV talking-heads from wasting time on it today, I have done a service to them and fans alike.
But, to be less haughty about the whole thing, it was just fun to trace it. Sourcing is a big issue in sports news -- and all news -- and this was a very clean example to showcase.
Since then, things have been a little off-the-hook with Quickish, which is why I'm not writing until now. Apologies. (On the plus side, it's been Quickish's biggest week ever -- and that's not even counting the Super Bowl.)
Now...
Ray Allen: NBA's career 3 king. When he was at UConn in '95-96, I loved Ray Allen. He was my favorite player. I can't recall why, I just really liked him. This is a great record to hold. (Unbreakable? Unlikely, but it's going to be 20 years before someone does it.)
Jerry Sloan quits: Yes, we could say "resigns," but it's quitting, right? There's no shame in that, unless you've spent some time ripping other "quitters" but don't want to rip Sloan.
And I don't. He had a Hall of Fame career. I will say that his intractability -- the source of so much success -- ultimately failed him. It's not a quality I admire as much as many others do.
Cam Newton's media workout: It did what it was meant to -- it put him in the conversation for Top 5 overall, and certainly put him at the top of the QBs list. I think he'll have a great career.
Josh Hamilton's new deal: Great move by the Rangers, and smart by Hamilton to take it. In two years, he can go cash in with the Yankees or Red Sox.
College hoops tomorrow: Ohio State at Wisconsin is the best shot any team will have of beating OSU until the Tournament. More: Baylor/Texas, Pitt/Nova, Kentucky/Vandy.
Good for Cal: Or, should I say, good for the boosters who ponied up the money to allow Cal to keep three sports it had cut. See: Boosters are not all evil.
NFL Labor: Things do NOT look good. Settle in. It's going to be long and boring and frustrating, but it is what it is.
SB Tix Snafu: The league has expanded its offer to the 2,000 fans who were delayed getting in until the game started. That's a fair thing. The deal for the 400 remains largely unsatisfactory.
Tomorrow is the 50th anniversary of the launch of Strat-O-Matic. I need a separate post for this, if I can manage it, because Strat was a HUGE part of my life from age 12-15.
Have a terrific weekend. If you haven't yet, please give Quickish a look today -- and we're going strong all weekend. Keep up quickly with the big topics -- just a minute or so will catch you up.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
02/10 Quickie: Madness, Duke, Tix, Cam, Habs-Bruins
Since I can remember watching the NCAA Tournament obsessively -- so let's call it at least 25 years -- the ultimate frustration has been being beholden to CBS to program your games for you.
Either the game you really wanted to see wasn't in your TV "region." Or the CBS directors were too slow to change games late.
And so you went to a sports bar, which was fun, but a bit stressful. (Or you had to have a dish and buy a Tournament package.) Then March Madness Online came, and it was a revelation: You could control your own experience -- albeit grainy and a bit herky-jerky. Then MMOD came to the phone, and you could shuttle from work to home and not feel like you were missing anything.
But what they are announcing today is the true Holy Grail: Every NCAA Tournament game, shown live and in its entirety.... on regular ol' TV channels: CBS, TNT, TBS and TruTV.
Now you are your own TV programmer -- as SI's Richard Deitsch put it. And it is amazing. Finally: You can flip from game to game -- if you're ninja enough, you can use picture-in-picture and "last channel" and zip around in every possible configuration of timing and interest.
(Equally interesting, the power shifts from CBS producers to... Twitter and Facebook, which will be your ultimate system for knowing what game is reaching its peak interest.)
It is good business for CBS and Turner -- it is a winning scenario for fans.
*****
Duke comes back from down 16 to beat UNC: Duke doesn't win that one -- at least like they did last night -- at the Dean Dome. Nevertheless, it was an impressive rally by Duke -- and a particularly good game from Kyle Singler, who only shot poorly because he used all his energy locking down Harrison Barnes. Of course, Nolan Smith was the star.
To clarify yesterday's point: It's not that every regular-season college basketball game is meaningless, per se; it's just that among the national elite, whether you win or lose a single game in the regular season has absolutely no bearing on your chances of winning six straight in late march. Obviously, it matters a lot to Duke and UNC fans who wins that game between them. But in the grand scheme of national titles? Bupkis. (EXCEPT! To the extent you want to -- or can -- glean clues for late March from individual games, which is something I do -- and regularly causes me bracket problems.)
Georgetown beats Syracuse: Rough sledding for the 'Cuse -- another statement win for the Hoyas. Perennially, I am a sucker for both on my bracket, so this is going to end badly either way.
Huge win for Rutgers over Villanova: Remember when Mike Rice nearly coached Robert Morris to a first-round NCAA Tournament upset over 'Nova? He deserved it then -- and he got it last night. From a recruiting standpoint, it was a monster moment.
(Late night: Utah State loses at Idaho. Utah State is one of those mid-majors that gets ranked but is ultimately -- and I mean "March Madness results" -- overrated. But not before sucking you into picking them to the Sweet 16. Not that I'm bitter....)
NFL Ticket Snafu: I feel bad for the 400 (and possibly additional 850) who really do feel like suing the league is the only way to get fairly treated -- yes, I'm comfortable saying that the league's offer, either option, is not as good as many in the media would spin you to believe -- but are being lumped in with the Cowboys PSL owners who just seem disgruntled and greedy.
Carmelo, Cont'd: For a second, I actually believed he might sign an extension with the Nuggets if they don't trade him -- it's a ton of money, after all. But I hope he doesn't, because he really WANTS to play for New York. He'll be miserable -- if $20M or so richer -- playing in Denver. When you're as rich as Carmelo already is, is $20M worth it? Maybe it is.
Cavs lose 26th straight: But the Wizards, winless on the road, are coming this weekend. So hope is around the corner, Cavs fans. Embrace your destiny!
NFL Draft: Cam Newton is having his "special private workout" today. It's an open question whether he even needs it; his stock is high and only going to get higher. You've seen the mock drafts that have him going no later than 10th to the Redskins; there's one that has him going No. 5 overall to the Cardinals. I think by the time we get to the draft, he is a lock for the Top 10 and will be the first QB taken.
I think the comparisons to Tebow are fair; Newton is bigger and faster and throws a bit better (but I'm not sure he has Tebow's maniacal focus). Both were absurdly productive college QBs playing week-in-week-out against the most NFL-like defenses in the country, and both will have long solid NFL careers.
OK: This Habs-Bruins insanity transcends love of a sport and gets right into "if you love sports -- period -- you love this."
-- D.S.
Either the game you really wanted to see wasn't in your TV "region." Or the CBS directors were too slow to change games late.
And so you went to a sports bar, which was fun, but a bit stressful. (Or you had to have a dish and buy a Tournament package.) Then March Madness Online came, and it was a revelation: You could control your own experience -- albeit grainy and a bit herky-jerky. Then MMOD came to the phone, and you could shuttle from work to home and not feel like you were missing anything.
But what they are announcing today is the true Holy Grail: Every NCAA Tournament game, shown live and in its entirety.... on regular ol' TV channels: CBS, TNT, TBS and TruTV.
Now you are your own TV programmer -- as SI's Richard Deitsch put it. And it is amazing. Finally: You can flip from game to game -- if you're ninja enough, you can use picture-in-picture and "last channel" and zip around in every possible configuration of timing and interest.
(Equally interesting, the power shifts from CBS producers to... Twitter and Facebook, which will be your ultimate system for knowing what game is reaching its peak interest.)
It is good business for CBS and Turner -- it is a winning scenario for fans.
*****
Duke comes back from down 16 to beat UNC: Duke doesn't win that one -- at least like they did last night -- at the Dean Dome. Nevertheless, it was an impressive rally by Duke -- and a particularly good game from Kyle Singler, who only shot poorly because he used all his energy locking down Harrison Barnes. Of course, Nolan Smith was the star.
To clarify yesterday's point: It's not that every regular-season college basketball game is meaningless, per se; it's just that among the national elite, whether you win or lose a single game in the regular season has absolutely no bearing on your chances of winning six straight in late march. Obviously, it matters a lot to Duke and UNC fans who wins that game between them. But in the grand scheme of national titles? Bupkis. (EXCEPT! To the extent you want to -- or can -- glean clues for late March from individual games, which is something I do -- and regularly causes me bracket problems.)
Georgetown beats Syracuse: Rough sledding for the 'Cuse -- another statement win for the Hoyas. Perennially, I am a sucker for both on my bracket, so this is going to end badly either way.
Huge win for Rutgers over Villanova: Remember when Mike Rice nearly coached Robert Morris to a first-round NCAA Tournament upset over 'Nova? He deserved it then -- and he got it last night. From a recruiting standpoint, it was a monster moment.
(Late night: Utah State loses at Idaho. Utah State is one of those mid-majors that gets ranked but is ultimately -- and I mean "March Madness results" -- overrated. But not before sucking you into picking them to the Sweet 16. Not that I'm bitter....)
NFL Ticket Snafu: I feel bad for the 400 (and possibly additional 850) who really do feel like suing the league is the only way to get fairly treated -- yes, I'm comfortable saying that the league's offer, either option, is not as good as many in the media would spin you to believe -- but are being lumped in with the Cowboys PSL owners who just seem disgruntled and greedy.
Carmelo, Cont'd: For a second, I actually believed he might sign an extension with the Nuggets if they don't trade him -- it's a ton of money, after all. But I hope he doesn't, because he really WANTS to play for New York. He'll be miserable -- if $20M or so richer -- playing in Denver. When you're as rich as Carmelo already is, is $20M worth it? Maybe it is.
Cavs lose 26th straight: But the Wizards, winless on the road, are coming this weekend. So hope is around the corner, Cavs fans. Embrace your destiny!
NFL Draft: Cam Newton is having his "special private workout" today. It's an open question whether he even needs it; his stock is high and only going to get higher. You've seen the mock drafts that have him going no later than 10th to the Redskins; there's one that has him going No. 5 overall to the Cardinals. I think by the time we get to the draft, he is a lock for the Top 10 and will be the first QB taken.
I think the comparisons to Tebow are fair; Newton is bigger and faster and throws a bit better (but I'm not sure he has Tebow's maniacal focus). Both were absurdly productive college QBs playing week-in-week-out against the most NFL-like defenses in the country, and both will have long solid NFL careers.
OK: This Habs-Bruins insanity transcends love of a sport and gets right into "if you love sports -- period -- you love this."
-- D.S.
02/09 Quickie: SB Tix Snafu, Pujols, More
So, would you take "Option 1" or "Option 2?"
If you were one of the 400 fans whose Super Bowl ticket was invalidated by the league, would you take:
*Option 1: a ticket to next year's Super Bowl (which the league has said you could scalp) and $2400 cash
*or Option 2: a ticket to a future Super Bowl of your choice, plus hotel and airfare?
I'd go Option 1, get the Super Bowl ticket and sell it, then sock away that money to go to a future Super Bowl when my team is in it. With Option 2, you never know.
Then again, there's always Option 3: Sue the league. The group suing the league will likely be able to settle for more than the value of either of the league's options.
(Can the league really afford to publicly battle fans that decide to sue them? There is zero moral high ground, and the judgment will be to make it go away as fast as possible.)
*****
Albert Pujols Watch: Apparently, he's reporting to spring training a week from today, so the Cards have 8 days to make a deal with him or he will pursue free agency after the season.
I see no sign that Pujols (or Team Pujols) has thought this scenario through: Pujols will be "LeBron 2.0" -- all anyone will want to talk about, on every Cardinals trip this season, is his pending free agency. Every city. Every beat writer will have the "Would he come HERE?" angle. Everyone will play up the "Countdown to the season ending!" Cardinals fans will be their typically cheerful selves, but inside be dying a little, with every game. It's a mess.
And while I appreciate the argument that Pujols doesn't want this to be a distraction during the season, he's kidding himself if he thinks it won't be just because he doesn't want to talk about it. He owes it to the team to re-sign with them or accept a "rental" trade for the season.
*****
CBB Tonight: UNC-Duke. A great rivalry in sports, to be sure, but slightly overrated, if only because their regular-season match-ups -- even their ACC Tournament match-ups -- are ultimately meaningless in the grand scheme of the "national" college hoops scene: That is to say, the NCAA Tournament, which is both team's ultimate goal. (Of course, I'll be watching.)
*****
Love that 56,000 fans packed Lambeau Field to celebrate the Packers, but does this really surprise anyone? Of course they did, in those numbers.
*****
The best story from yesterday was the belated appreciation for a piece published Sunday that tried to ID the precise Cubs game that Ferris Bueller attended in his eponymous "Day Off" movie. It turns out that the scene was filmed in May '85, but the author makes a compelling argument that the game in the movie itself was supposed to be a June game.
*****
It appears we have entered the slow February post-NFL season -- but Quickish is rolling along, hitting the big topics of the day (today: Pujols and UNC-Duke, among others) and anything that breaks (like yesterday's NFL Ticket Offer). Please pop by and check it out (and tell friends!)
-- D.S.
If you were one of the 400 fans whose Super Bowl ticket was invalidated by the league, would you take:
*Option 1: a ticket to next year's Super Bowl (which the league has said you could scalp) and $2400 cash
*or Option 2: a ticket to a future Super Bowl of your choice, plus hotel and airfare?
I'd go Option 1, get the Super Bowl ticket and sell it, then sock away that money to go to a future Super Bowl when my team is in it. With Option 2, you never know.
Then again, there's always Option 3: Sue the league. The group suing the league will likely be able to settle for more than the value of either of the league's options.
(Can the league really afford to publicly battle fans that decide to sue them? There is zero moral high ground, and the judgment will be to make it go away as fast as possible.)
*****
Albert Pujols Watch: Apparently, he's reporting to spring training a week from today, so the Cards have 8 days to make a deal with him or he will pursue free agency after the season.
I see no sign that Pujols (or Team Pujols) has thought this scenario through: Pujols will be "LeBron 2.0" -- all anyone will want to talk about, on every Cardinals trip this season, is his pending free agency. Every city. Every beat writer will have the "Would he come HERE?" angle. Everyone will play up the "Countdown to the season ending!" Cardinals fans will be their typically cheerful selves, but inside be dying a little, with every game. It's a mess.
And while I appreciate the argument that Pujols doesn't want this to be a distraction during the season, he's kidding himself if he thinks it won't be just because he doesn't want to talk about it. He owes it to the team to re-sign with them or accept a "rental" trade for the season.
*****
CBB Tonight: UNC-Duke. A great rivalry in sports, to be sure, but slightly overrated, if only because their regular-season match-ups -- even their ACC Tournament match-ups -- are ultimately meaningless in the grand scheme of the "national" college hoops scene: That is to say, the NCAA Tournament, which is both team's ultimate goal. (Of course, I'll be watching.)
*****
Love that 56,000 fans packed Lambeau Field to celebrate the Packers, but does this really surprise anyone? Of course they did, in those numbers.
*****
The best story from yesterday was the belated appreciation for a piece published Sunday that tried to ID the precise Cubs game that Ferris Bueller attended in his eponymous "Day Off" movie. It turns out that the scene was filmed in May '85, but the author makes a compelling argument that the game in the movie itself was supposed to be a June game.
*****
It appears we have entered the slow February post-NFL season -- but Quickish is rolling along, hitting the big topics of the day (today: Pujols and UNC-Duke, among others) and anything that breaks (like yesterday's NFL Ticket Offer). Please pop by and check it out (and tell friends!)
-- D.S.
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
02/08 Quickie: SB Hangover, More
And so Super Bowl XLV was the most-watched TV show in US history. That seems appropriate.
*Love that the Lambeau celebration sold out in, like, 2 minutes. It's going to be a fun scene this afternoon. I hate this discussion, but hard to not consider Packers fans among the best in sports.
*Meanwhile, Jerry Jones didn't quite apologize for the SB ticket snafu -- more like "I'm sorry you felt bad" rather than "I'm sorry we screwed this up."
*By the way, the lasting pop-cultural memory of the Super Bowl? Like Janet Jackson 7 years ago, it might just be Christina Aguilera's Anthem screw-up. Incredible.
*Sally Jenkins has a stinging indictment of Super Bowl excess.
*Cavs lose 25th straight: That's an NBA record. 2 more losses for the US pro sports record for consecutive losses. Again: Better to be epically bad than mediocre!
*Carmelo to the Lakers for Bynum? If I was the Nuggets, I'd sooner do that than meddle around with the crap the Knicks are peddling. But does Carmelo even want to play in LA?
*Did you hear about this Wake Forest baseball coach who gave a kidney to one of his players yesterday? Amazing.
*And did you hear about the Baseball Prospectus writer who figured out precisely what game Ferris Bueller was at? Cubs-Braves in June '85.
More later. Visit Quickish!
-- D.S.
*Love that the Lambeau celebration sold out in, like, 2 minutes. It's going to be a fun scene this afternoon. I hate this discussion, but hard to not consider Packers fans among the best in sports.
*Meanwhile, Jerry Jones didn't quite apologize for the SB ticket snafu -- more like "I'm sorry you felt bad" rather than "I'm sorry we screwed this up."
*By the way, the lasting pop-cultural memory of the Super Bowl? Like Janet Jackson 7 years ago, it might just be Christina Aguilera's Anthem screw-up. Incredible.
*Sally Jenkins has a stinging indictment of Super Bowl excess.
*Cavs lose 25th straight: That's an NBA record. 2 more losses for the US pro sports record for consecutive losses. Again: Better to be epically bad than mediocre!
*Carmelo to the Lakers for Bynum? If I was the Nuggets, I'd sooner do that than meddle around with the crap the Knicks are peddling. But does Carmelo even want to play in LA?
*Did you hear about this Wake Forest baseball coach who gave a kidney to one of his players yesterday? Amazing.
*And did you hear about the Baseball Prospectus writer who figured out precisely what game Ferris Bueller was at? Cubs-Braves in June '85.
More later. Visit Quickish!
-- D.S.
Monday, February 07, 2011
02/07 Quickie: Packers, Rodgers, VW, Halftime, Xtina, Lockout, More
I wish I didn't have to do this, but want to put this front and center: Hugest apologies for the Quickish inaccessibility during the 2nd quarter last night. If you were annoyed, you cannot imagine me.
The good news is that between the pre-game and 1st quarter -- then the thrilling and fast-paced second half, Quickish was rolling. And it was the biggest day yet -- not a bad way to end the first four weeks of being live. (Was it only four weeks ago today that Quickish launched? Wow.)
But let's get to... well, everything:
*Packers win: So easy to root for them. And it wasn't as close as the score -- if the Packers WR make those dropped catches, it's a margin of victory more like 14+. Thrilled for Packers fans.
*Aaron Rodgers MVP: The epitome of easy-to-root-for. He plays what feels like effortlessly, and this title (and MVP) vaults him into rare air. Best QB in the NFL right now? Yes. (And the championship belt was THE BEST.)
*Ticket snafu: This bothered me so much. Not that the seats weren't ready, but that 400 fans were screwed over. I said this last night: The NFL should have told 400 of their execs (and their guests) to give up their seats for the fans. Let the execs watch on a TV from the remote concourse. That this simple gesture of respect didn't happen is appalling.
*The ads: You know where I stand -- I thought the Volkswagen "Force" ad was the best of the bunch. (That the Doritos "Dog" and Bud Light "Dog" spots tied for the USA Today Ad Meter title -- with VW as runner-up -- is depressing, if not particularly surprising.)
*Best of the rest: It's funny -- I didn't love the Chrysler "Imported from Detroit"/Eminem ad as much as most. I mean, it was powerful -- the voice-over, the gritty footage, the "Lose Yourself" intro music, the choir (?), Eminem. But the cars are still crappy. I wasn't the intended audience, though. The intended audience is consumers who pick between American models. And -- in that respect -- Chrysler leapfrogged GM, which went with "Our cars have Facebook!"
*Christina Aguilara: Joke. But I thought the Anthem was pre-taped. If she sang it live, I give her some credit -- but how hard is it not to know the words?
*Halftime show: Horrible. Among the worst ever. The Quickish outage was almost worth it, if only because I spent halftime catching up on posting on the site, with only half an ear -- if that -- on the show. Following the mockery on Twitter was enough.
*Packers dynasty? Just think: The team wasn't even healthy -- not just yesterday, but all season. Imagine if they can stay healthy. I have no problem installing them as the team to beat in '11...
*Lockout looms: ...if there IS an '11. There will be. Try to tune out the noise between now and March 4 (and beyond). They will settle, won't be pretty. The league will win. And fans won't care.
Did I miss something? I must have missed something. Hit up the comments with your own takes on the game, the scene, the show, the ads -- everything.
Thanks for dropping by Quickish yesterday -- be sure to come by today for all the best post-Super Bowl analysis and commentary.
-- D.S.
The good news is that between the pre-game and 1st quarter -- then the thrilling and fast-paced second half, Quickish was rolling. And it was the biggest day yet -- not a bad way to end the first four weeks of being live. (Was it only four weeks ago today that Quickish launched? Wow.)
But let's get to... well, everything:
*Packers win: So easy to root for them. And it wasn't as close as the score -- if the Packers WR make those dropped catches, it's a margin of victory more like 14+. Thrilled for Packers fans.
*Aaron Rodgers MVP: The epitome of easy-to-root-for. He plays what feels like effortlessly, and this title (and MVP) vaults him into rare air. Best QB in the NFL right now? Yes. (And the championship belt was THE BEST.)
*Ticket snafu: This bothered me so much. Not that the seats weren't ready, but that 400 fans were screwed over. I said this last night: The NFL should have told 400 of their execs (and their guests) to give up their seats for the fans. Let the execs watch on a TV from the remote concourse. That this simple gesture of respect didn't happen is appalling.
*The ads: You know where I stand -- I thought the Volkswagen "Force" ad was the best of the bunch. (That the Doritos "Dog" and Bud Light "Dog" spots tied for the USA Today Ad Meter title -- with VW as runner-up -- is depressing, if not particularly surprising.)
*Best of the rest: It's funny -- I didn't love the Chrysler "Imported from Detroit"/Eminem ad as much as most. I mean, it was powerful -- the voice-over, the gritty footage, the "Lose Yourself" intro music, the choir (?), Eminem. But the cars are still crappy. I wasn't the intended audience, though. The intended audience is consumers who pick between American models. And -- in that respect -- Chrysler leapfrogged GM, which went with "Our cars have Facebook!"
*Christina Aguilara: Joke. But I thought the Anthem was pre-taped. If she sang it live, I give her some credit -- but how hard is it not to know the words?
*Halftime show: Horrible. Among the worst ever. The Quickish outage was almost worth it, if only because I spent halftime catching up on posting on the site, with only half an ear -- if that -- on the show. Following the mockery on Twitter was enough.
*Packers dynasty? Just think: The team wasn't even healthy -- not just yesterday, but all season. Imagine if they can stay healthy. I have no problem installing them as the team to beat in '11...
*Lockout looms: ...if there IS an '11. There will be. Try to tune out the noise between now and March 4 (and beyond). They will settle, won't be pretty. The league will win. And fans won't care.
Did I miss something? I must have missed something. Hit up the comments with your own takes on the game, the scene, the show, the ads -- everything.
Thanks for dropping by Quickish yesterday -- be sure to come by today for all the best post-Super Bowl analysis and commentary.
-- D.S.
Sunday, February 06, 2011
02/06 (Super Bowl) Quickie
Last time (at least for today): Please consider yourself personally invited to check out Quickish during the Super Bowl tonight -- laptop, phone browser, iPad browser...your choice.
And while the Super Bowl is about as atypical of a sports event as it gets, it is still going to be a great demonstration of the Quickish experience (and, even more important, legitimately useful to you as you as a complementary experience as you watch on TV).
And so if you'd tell friends about Quickish and Quickish.com (at parties, on Facebook, on Twitter...your choice), I would be grateful.
Now, as for the game:
*The Pick: I'm with the majority of fans and "experts" -- I'm picking the Packers to win. On offense, I like Aaron Rodgers in perfect "dome" conditions; on defense, I think the banged-up Steelers offensive line finally falters against BJ Raji and Co. I actually don't think it will be close.
(If you aren't a fan of either team, one worthwhile rooting interest is that Brett Favre's legacy gets eroded just a bit more if Aaron Rodgers leads the Packers to a title.)
*I think the Volkswagen "Darth Vader" ad will win "Best Super Bowl ad," in a runaway. As always, I'm hopeful that we'll see some innovative and entertaining ads, but based on the ones leaked in advance, it doesn't look promising.
*The food: As I said yesterday, the go-to snack is Doritos, per my 4-year-old's preference. But Mrs. Quickish made chili AND mac-n-cheese from scratch, and it's going to be awesome.
More on the radar:
*Well, yesterday was about as good as regular-season college hoops will EVER get for me: Northwestern beats Illinois on national TV in the afternoon, then Florida beats Kentucky on national TV in the evening.
(No, seriously: Northwestern playing on CBS, with the intro/outro music and Bill Raftery and the graphics and the great atmosphere allowed me to accurately visualize what it would be like if NU actually played in the NCAA Tournament. It was amazing. As NU is NEVER on CBS on Saturdays -- let alone during the NCAA Tournament -- this can't be understated.)
*NFL Hall of Fame Class of '11: Deion and Faulk were locks. Love that Sabol got in. I grew up a huge Bears fan in the 80s and early 90s, so Richard Dent holds a special place for me. Some very worthy folks left out, but sure to be inducted in the next year or two.
*Cavs lose 24th straight. Again: Better to be epically bad than mediocre. Take heart in that, Cavs fans.
*NFL Awards: Brady unanimous MVP; Vick wins Comeback Player of the Year. Vick was the more compelling story this season, but Brady was at the height of his talents.
Enjoy the game! Again: Would love if you would visit Quickish during the game (and tell friends!)
-- D.S.
And while the Super Bowl is about as atypical of a sports event as it gets, it is still going to be a great demonstration of the Quickish experience (and, even more important, legitimately useful to you as you as a complementary experience as you watch on TV).
And so if you'd tell friends about Quickish and Quickish.com (at parties, on Facebook, on Twitter...your choice), I would be grateful.
Now, as for the game:
*The Pick: I'm with the majority of fans and "experts" -- I'm picking the Packers to win. On offense, I like Aaron Rodgers in perfect "dome" conditions; on defense, I think the banged-up Steelers offensive line finally falters against BJ Raji and Co. I actually don't think it will be close.
(If you aren't a fan of either team, one worthwhile rooting interest is that Brett Favre's legacy gets eroded just a bit more if Aaron Rodgers leads the Packers to a title.)
*I think the Volkswagen "Darth Vader" ad will win "Best Super Bowl ad," in a runaway. As always, I'm hopeful that we'll see some innovative and entertaining ads, but based on the ones leaked in advance, it doesn't look promising.
*The food: As I said yesterday, the go-to snack is Doritos, per my 4-year-old's preference. But Mrs. Quickish made chili AND mac-n-cheese from scratch, and it's going to be awesome.
More on the radar:
*Well, yesterday was about as good as regular-season college hoops will EVER get for me: Northwestern beats Illinois on national TV in the afternoon, then Florida beats Kentucky on national TV in the evening.
(No, seriously: Northwestern playing on CBS, with the intro/outro music and Bill Raftery and the graphics and the great atmosphere allowed me to accurately visualize what it would be like if NU actually played in the NCAA Tournament. It was amazing. As NU is NEVER on CBS on Saturdays -- let alone during the NCAA Tournament -- this can't be understated.)
*NFL Hall of Fame Class of '11: Deion and Faulk were locks. Love that Sabol got in. I grew up a huge Bears fan in the 80s and early 90s, so Richard Dent holds a special place for me. Some very worthy folks left out, but sure to be inducted in the next year or two.
*Cavs lose 24th straight. Again: Better to be epically bad than mediocre. Take heart in that, Cavs fans.
*NFL Awards: Brady unanimous MVP; Vick wins Comeback Player of the Year. Vick was the more compelling story this season, but Brady was at the height of his talents.
Enjoy the game! Again: Would love if you would visit Quickish during the game (and tell friends!)
-- D.S.
Saturday, February 05, 2011
02/05 Saturday (Very) Quickie
For all my obsession about the Volkswagen "Darth Vader" ad this week, this tweet last night from Parks & Recreation's Michael Schur (aka Fire Joe Morgan's Ken Tremendous) was validating:
"That Passat ad with the kid dressed like Darth Vader is the best ad of the Super Bowl, regardless of what other ads are in the Super Bowl."
He is 100% correct. I can't believe how obsessed I am with this ad -- and I can't wait for the moment when the 100 million people who haven't seen it yet (6 million have) finally watch. (Haven't seen it? Watch it here.)
Oh, there's a game, too? Not that an injured, half-speed Maurkice Pouncey was going to make a huge difference, but that Pouncey is out makes me even more comfortable picking the Pack.
(There is this other, entirely qualitative rationale, too: Aaron Rodgers' career appears to be headed as being defined as entirely relative -- and eventually eclipsing -- Brett Favre. Winning the Super Bowl -- and playing at an insanely high level -- would be a big step.)
The NFL Commish Speaks: He says all the right things, but he's not fooling around. I think the union ultimately will have to bend to the league, because the league -- to Goodell's point -- is looking at this from a 10-year horizon, while the union is looking at it from a shorter-term perspective.
That said, it's heartening to see Pats owner Bob Kraft so vocal about wanting to get a deal done -- "it's criminal if we don't get a deal done" -- he seems to be the most reasonable person in all of this, and he probably has the clout to help make something happen.
NBA Last Night: I will never buy the Mavs in the playoffs, but they sure looked good beating the Celtics.
Meanwhile, the Cavs lost their 23rd straight -- epic losing is as dramatic as epic winning, and I encourage Cleveland to keep losing, because at least it makes them interesting. And interesting is better than mediocre.
Kevin Love an All-Star: This was the right move by the NBA, although it would be terrific if they could find a way to make room for Steve Nash, who -- turning 37 on Monday (37!) -- is having one of his best years ever. He is one of the most remarkable players in NBA history. (If I had to rank my Top 3 favorite NBA players, Nash is on the list.)
College hoops today: A bit of a low-key day, except that Northwestern makes an exceedingly rare appearance on CBS nationally (except in New York City...grr) at 1 ET, then Jimmer on Versus at 4, then Florida hosting Kentucky at 9. So my day is accounted for, at least.
MLB Hot Stove: Vlad to the O's. Another player who is typically high on the "interesting" scale but doesn't necessarily translate into many more wins for the O's. (Last year, despite finishing 11th in MVP voting, only had a 2.1 WAR.) Still: Exciting-ish?
The Mets -- or, more specifically, their owners -- are so screwed. That is all.
Andy Pettitte retires: Mark it down -- he is pitching for the Yankees in 2012. If his body is willing but he simply doesn't have the "hunger" anymore, he'll get the hunger back -- especially if the Yankees miss the playoffs next season (and, without him, they very well might).
NFL Rookies of the Year: Bradford on offense and Suh on defense, and it was obvious from a few games into the season. (You could make a pretty good case for Pouncey on offense, but even if he was anchoring the O-line for the AFC champs, that's not as impressive as stepping in as a rookie QB on a terrible team and actually helping them become respectable.)
Enjoy the day. Please give Quickish a look throughout the day, if you want to keep up with the big things that are happening.
-- D.S.
"That Passat ad with the kid dressed like Darth Vader is the best ad of the Super Bowl, regardless of what other ads are in the Super Bowl."
He is 100% correct. I can't believe how obsessed I am with this ad -- and I can't wait for the moment when the 100 million people who haven't seen it yet (6 million have) finally watch. (Haven't seen it? Watch it here.)
Oh, there's a game, too? Not that an injured, half-speed Maurkice Pouncey was going to make a huge difference, but that Pouncey is out makes me even more comfortable picking the Pack.
(There is this other, entirely qualitative rationale, too: Aaron Rodgers' career appears to be headed as being defined as entirely relative -- and eventually eclipsing -- Brett Favre. Winning the Super Bowl -- and playing at an insanely high level -- would be a big step.)
The NFL Commish Speaks: He says all the right things, but he's not fooling around. I think the union ultimately will have to bend to the league, because the league -- to Goodell's point -- is looking at this from a 10-year horizon, while the union is looking at it from a shorter-term perspective.
That said, it's heartening to see Pats owner Bob Kraft so vocal about wanting to get a deal done -- "it's criminal if we don't get a deal done" -- he seems to be the most reasonable person in all of this, and he probably has the clout to help make something happen.
NBA Last Night: I will never buy the Mavs in the playoffs, but they sure looked good beating the Celtics.
Meanwhile, the Cavs lost their 23rd straight -- epic losing is as dramatic as epic winning, and I encourage Cleveland to keep losing, because at least it makes them interesting. And interesting is better than mediocre.
Kevin Love an All-Star: This was the right move by the NBA, although it would be terrific if they could find a way to make room for Steve Nash, who -- turning 37 on Monday (37!) -- is having one of his best years ever. He is one of the most remarkable players in NBA history. (If I had to rank my Top 3 favorite NBA players, Nash is on the list.)
College hoops today: A bit of a low-key day, except that Northwestern makes an exceedingly rare appearance on CBS nationally (except in New York City...grr) at 1 ET, then Jimmer on Versus at 4, then Florida hosting Kentucky at 9. So my day is accounted for, at least.
MLB Hot Stove: Vlad to the O's. Another player who is typically high on the "interesting" scale but doesn't necessarily translate into many more wins for the O's. (Last year, despite finishing 11th in MVP voting, only had a 2.1 WAR.) Still: Exciting-ish?
The Mets -- or, more specifically, their owners -- are so screwed. That is all.
Andy Pettitte retires: Mark it down -- he is pitching for the Yankees in 2012. If his body is willing but he simply doesn't have the "hunger" anymore, he'll get the hunger back -- especially if the Yankees miss the playoffs next season (and, without him, they very well might).
NFL Rookies of the Year: Bradford on offense and Suh on defense, and it was obvious from a few games into the season. (You could make a pretty good case for Pouncey on offense, but even if he was anchoring the O-line for the AFC champs, that's not as impressive as stepping in as a rookie QB on a terrible team and actually helping them become respectable.)
Enjoy the day. Please give Quickish a look throughout the day, if you want to keep up with the big things that are happening.
-- D.S.
Friday, February 04, 2011
02/04 Quickie: Super Bowl Eve Eve
First, thanks to everyone who came out to Varsity Letters last night. At least 200 people were there to see 13 readers, who all blew the doors off the place. Hoping to have at least a podcast available at some point.
Now: Super Bowl. (Well, Super Bowl Eve Eve.)
*I can't remember being more muddled about a Super Bowl pick. I'm probably rooting for the Packers -- and even though I think it's easy to convince myself the Steelers are going to win, I'm picking the Pack. It's Aaron Rodgers' moment.
*The Super Bowl "Ad Bowl" winner will be the Volkswagen "Force" ad, which already has 5 million views on YouTube. (The only thing that might hold it back is that it will have lost its novelty by game-time; then again, with 110 million people watching, that's 105 million people who haven't seen it yet -- and who will be as blown away as I am.)
Haven't seen it yet? Here you go.
*Promo! If you are planning to follow real-time commentary about the game online while watching on TV -- on your laptop or phone or iPad -- please give Quickish a try. Based on the reaction to how things went during the NFL Playoffs, you'll really enjoy it. (And please tell friends!)
*Designated Super Bowl snack: My 4-year-old has expressed his preference, and it will likely rule -- Doritos. Ahh: Brand awareness.
*Will Maurkice Pouncey play? I'll say no (but you never know).
More non-Super Bowl news:
*Andy Pettitte retires: Great pitcher. Big game pitcher. 5 rings. Yankee all-timer who should have his number retired. Hall of Famer? No.
*Pro Football Hall of Fame vote: Deion is a lock. Marshall Faulk is a lock. Then it gets contentious. My personal campaign is for NFL Films' Ed Sabol. Few non-players should be in the Hall of Fame. Sabol is one of them, without question.
*LeBron destroys the Magic: That'll teach Dwight Howard to mock LeBron before the game.
*Spurs tip Lakers: It's not even the All-Star break yet. Count me among the folks who think the Lakers will be fine in the playoffs.
*NBA All-Star reserves: I can't believe Kevin Love was left off the West team. (Steve Nash either.) Ridiculous snubs.
*DeSean Jackson takes on bullying. You have to be heartless not to be moved by Jackson on the View yesterday helping a bullied kid. (The kid's reaction when Jackson comes out? Oh my god.)
*College hoops: A loss at Oregon State late last night effectively ends any Washington bandwagon that was left.
*Thanks for giving Quickish a look today -- and for telling your friends, colleagues, etc. Again: The Super Bowl should be a ton of fun -- hope you'll join me there for some of it.
-- D.S.
Now: Super Bowl. (Well, Super Bowl Eve Eve.)
*I can't remember being more muddled about a Super Bowl pick. I'm probably rooting for the Packers -- and even though I think it's easy to convince myself the Steelers are going to win, I'm picking the Pack. It's Aaron Rodgers' moment.
*The Super Bowl "Ad Bowl" winner will be the Volkswagen "Force" ad, which already has 5 million views on YouTube. (The only thing that might hold it back is that it will have lost its novelty by game-time; then again, with 110 million people watching, that's 105 million people who haven't seen it yet -- and who will be as blown away as I am.)
Haven't seen it yet? Here you go.
*Promo! If you are planning to follow real-time commentary about the game online while watching on TV -- on your laptop or phone or iPad -- please give Quickish a try. Based on the reaction to how things went during the NFL Playoffs, you'll really enjoy it. (And please tell friends!)
*Designated Super Bowl snack: My 4-year-old has expressed his preference, and it will likely rule -- Doritos. Ahh: Brand awareness.
*Will Maurkice Pouncey play? I'll say no (but you never know).
More non-Super Bowl news:
*Andy Pettitte retires: Great pitcher. Big game pitcher. 5 rings. Yankee all-timer who should have his number retired. Hall of Famer? No.
*Pro Football Hall of Fame vote: Deion is a lock. Marshall Faulk is a lock. Then it gets contentious. My personal campaign is for NFL Films' Ed Sabol. Few non-players should be in the Hall of Fame. Sabol is one of them, without question.
*LeBron destroys the Magic: That'll teach Dwight Howard to mock LeBron before the game.
*Spurs tip Lakers: It's not even the All-Star break yet. Count me among the folks who think the Lakers will be fine in the playoffs.
*NBA All-Star reserves: I can't believe Kevin Love was left off the West team. (Steve Nash either.) Ridiculous snubs.
*DeSean Jackson takes on bullying. You have to be heartless not to be moved by Jackson on the View yesterday helping a bullied kid. (The kid's reaction when Jackson comes out? Oh my god.)
*College hoops: A loss at Oregon State late last night effectively ends any Washington bandwagon that was left.
*Thanks for giving Quickish a look today -- and for telling your friends, colleagues, etc. Again: The Super Bowl should be a ton of fun -- hope you'll join me there for some of it.
-- D.S.
Thursday, February 03, 2011
02/03 Quickie: Excess
For the next few days, I am going to remind you not just to check out Quickish (daily! or even more often!) and not just to tell all your friends (many!)...
...But also to be sure to drop by Quickish during the Super Bowl (laptop, phone, iPad, whatever!) on Sunday for what I think is going to be the best complementary experience of the game you'll find online. After two rounds of playoffs with Quickish, I feel good about making that claim. (And, again, please tell friends. Your referral is the most key thing here.)
As the kids say: Legggooo....
*If nothing else, I am not Justin Bieber sitting courtside at last night's Knicks game getting booed at MSG when my face is on the Jumbotron.
However! If you live in NYC and you'd like to publicly mock me, join me and more than a dozen far-more-qualified writers at the Varsity Letters 5th Anniversary extravaganza tonight.
*National Signing Day: So who was the "champ?" Rivals picked Alabama. Scout picked Auburn. ESPN picked FSU. CBSSports picked... Notre Dame. (Ha!) If I had to pick the class I was most impressed by, it would be FSU (and you know it pains me to say that.)
*The real champ was that running back from Georgia who brought the baby bulldog onto national TV to make his announcement. I cannot begrudge the kids making a big deal out of this.
*Debunked: Those ridiculous rumors that Syracuse hoops players were point-shaving. That's about as brutal of a rumor as you could start in sports.
(I'm perennially in the tank for Syracuse in March, but I can't help think that their frustration over the rumors helped them get off the schneid and beat UConn at UConn. Bandwagon!)
*Big Ben was caught by TMZ drinking at a bar on Tuesday night and singing "Piano Man." I just can't buy this is as a "thing." Maybe it's managed expectations about Roethlisberger, but in an absolute sense, players drinking and having fun early in Super Bowl week just isn't an issue.
*Super Bowl Meme of the Day: GM Ted Thompson jettisoning Brett Favre -- despite howls from Packers fans -- set the table for this Super Bowl run and the several to follow. Anyone who dislikes Favre (so many of us!) should be thrilled to give Thompson all the credit in the world. And here's some real talk: Rodgers is better now than Favre ever was, even during Favre's MVP years. (And Rodgers is only getting better.)
*Video of the Night: How can you not love a hockey goaliefight?
*More CBB: Michigan State got destroyed by 20 at Iowa, a terrible team. I only mention this otherwise inconsequential game because -- and I full 'fess up to this -- Michigan State was my preseason pick to win the national title. Oh good gracious. Worst pick ever? Worst pick ever.
*NBA: Cavs lose 22nd straight. Ouch. On the plus side, Kevin Durant had 43 in a Thunder win over the Hornets -- and Blake Griffin continued to provide a new jaw-dropping highlight with every new game.
*NFL Awards: Bill Belichick named NFL Coach of the Year. I'm a huge Belichick fan -- ironic, given that I hate the Pats and all Boston sports (except man-crush Theo) -- but my vote would have gone to Tampa's Raheem Morris, who did more with a worse team than Belichick could ever have dreamed of when he was under the age of 40.
*This is the best TV ad of the past year, and if it debuted during the Super Bowl -- rather than on YouTube -- it would have been a top contender for "Best Super Bowl Ad."
*So many good reads on Quickish yesterday -- with even more coming today. Please give it a try.
-- D.S.
...But also to be sure to drop by Quickish during the Super Bowl (laptop, phone, iPad, whatever!) on Sunday for what I think is going to be the best complementary experience of the game you'll find online. After two rounds of playoffs with Quickish, I feel good about making that claim. (And, again, please tell friends. Your referral is the most key thing here.)
As the kids say: Legggooo....
*If nothing else, I am not Justin Bieber sitting courtside at last night's Knicks game getting booed at MSG when my face is on the Jumbotron.
However! If you live in NYC and you'd like to publicly mock me, join me and more than a dozen far-more-qualified writers at the Varsity Letters 5th Anniversary extravaganza tonight.
*National Signing Day: So who was the "champ?" Rivals picked Alabama. Scout picked Auburn. ESPN picked FSU. CBSSports picked... Notre Dame. (Ha!) If I had to pick the class I was most impressed by, it would be FSU (and you know it pains me to say that.)
*The real champ was that running back from Georgia who brought the baby bulldog onto national TV to make his announcement. I cannot begrudge the kids making a big deal out of this.
*Debunked: Those ridiculous rumors that Syracuse hoops players were point-shaving. That's about as brutal of a rumor as you could start in sports.
(I'm perennially in the tank for Syracuse in March, but I can't help think that their frustration over the rumors helped them get off the schneid and beat UConn at UConn. Bandwagon!)
*Big Ben was caught by TMZ drinking at a bar on Tuesday night and singing "Piano Man." I just can't buy this is as a "thing." Maybe it's managed expectations about Roethlisberger, but in an absolute sense, players drinking and having fun early in Super Bowl week just isn't an issue.
*Super Bowl Meme of the Day: GM Ted Thompson jettisoning Brett Favre -- despite howls from Packers fans -- set the table for this Super Bowl run and the several to follow. Anyone who dislikes Favre (so many of us!) should be thrilled to give Thompson all the credit in the world. And here's some real talk: Rodgers is better now than Favre ever was, even during Favre's MVP years. (And Rodgers is only getting better.)
*Video of the Night: How can you not love a hockey goaliefight?
*More CBB: Michigan State got destroyed by 20 at Iowa, a terrible team. I only mention this otherwise inconsequential game because -- and I full 'fess up to this -- Michigan State was my preseason pick to win the national title. Oh good gracious. Worst pick ever? Worst pick ever.
*NBA: Cavs lose 22nd straight. Ouch. On the plus side, Kevin Durant had 43 in a Thunder win over the Hornets -- and Blake Griffin continued to provide a new jaw-dropping highlight with every new game.
*NFL Awards: Bill Belichick named NFL Coach of the Year. I'm a huge Belichick fan -- ironic, given that I hate the Pats and all Boston sports (except man-crush Theo) -- but my vote would have gone to Tampa's Raheem Morris, who did more with a worse team than Belichick could ever have dreamed of when he was under the age of 40.
*This is the best TV ad of the past year, and if it debuted during the Super Bowl -- rather than on YouTube -- it would have been a top contender for "Best Super Bowl Ad."
*So many good reads on Quickish yesterday -- with even more coming today. Please give it a try.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
02/02 Quickie: NSD, Super Bowl, More
Today is "National Signing Day" -- or "NSD" -- the day that college football recruits (I'm sorry, or is that "high school seniors") can formally send their Letter of Intent (or LOI) to schools.
If you love college football, it's a big day. (If you love college football recruiting -- and it's far more than a cottage industry -- it is the biggest day of the year.)
The funny thing is that most recruits have already committed somewhere, so the only drama is whether they flip-flop their choice (always iffy!) or where the handful of uncommitted players go.
Even that one is no guarantee -- this year, the nation's top recruit (DE Jadeveon Clowney) will delay his decision by two weeks, until his birthday (Feb. 14) and having the stage to himself.
I happen to like NSD for the same reason fans like the NFL or NBA or MLB or NHL Draft: It's about hope. Hope that these players (or one of them) will bring your team Ws down the line.
That's up to the coaches and the college environment and the opportunities they get given the depth ahead of them. But for today, it's just optimism of what COULD be.
****
Super Bowl Media Day wrap: The most substantial thing that happened was James Harrison blitzing the NFL for his mid-season fine. Good for him for speaking his mind.
Is Maurkice Pouncey really "75 percent" to play in the Super Bowl? (1) I don't believe that, and (2) how effective could he possibly be?
Tom Brady wins AP Offensive Player of the Year: You don't say!
Rays introduce Manny and Johnny: The Rays were already going to be good; this just makes them more entertaining.
CBB: I try not to put too much stock in any single win or loss, but I'm going to have trouble not filing away Kentucky losing to Ole Miss, when it comes to picking brackets in a few weeks.
NBA: Justin Bieber is playing in the NBA All-Star Celebrity game. That makes him bigger than Blake Griffin, who I hope will play in both the Rookie-Soph game and the adult version. (I presume he'll only play in the real-deal ASG -- frankly, he should be starting for Yao.)
Finally, it's Groundhog Day, which has come to symbolize nothing if not a day to appreciate the brilliance of the eponymous movie.
-- D.S.
If you love college football, it's a big day. (If you love college football recruiting -- and it's far more than a cottage industry -- it is the biggest day of the year.)
The funny thing is that most recruits have already committed somewhere, so the only drama is whether they flip-flop their choice (always iffy!) or where the handful of uncommitted players go.
Even that one is no guarantee -- this year, the nation's top recruit (DE Jadeveon Clowney) will delay his decision by two weeks, until his birthday (Feb. 14) and having the stage to himself.
I happen to like NSD for the same reason fans like the NFL or NBA or MLB or NHL Draft: It's about hope. Hope that these players (or one of them) will bring your team Ws down the line.
That's up to the coaches and the college environment and the opportunities they get given the depth ahead of them. But for today, it's just optimism of what COULD be.
****
Super Bowl Media Day wrap: The most substantial thing that happened was James Harrison blitzing the NFL for his mid-season fine. Good for him for speaking his mind.
Is Maurkice Pouncey really "75 percent" to play in the Super Bowl? (1) I don't believe that, and (2) how effective could he possibly be?
Tom Brady wins AP Offensive Player of the Year: You don't say!
Rays introduce Manny and Johnny: The Rays were already going to be good; this just makes them more entertaining.
CBB: I try not to put too much stock in any single win or loss, but I'm going to have trouble not filing away Kentucky losing to Ole Miss, when it comes to picking brackets in a few weeks.
NBA: Justin Bieber is playing in the NBA All-Star Celebrity game. That makes him bigger than Blake Griffin, who I hope will play in both the Rookie-Soph game and the adult version. (I presume he'll only play in the real-deal ASG -- frankly, he should be starting for Yao.)
Finally, it's Groundhog Day, which has come to symbolize nothing if not a day to appreciate the brilliance of the eponymous movie.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
02/01 Quickie: Media Daze
Media Day is awful. I would have written that had I gotten the Quickie today ready in time, but I can say it with a bit more authority now that the day is over.
Quickish had fairly intensive coverage -- but only good stuff! But largely, the day was awful.
Winners: James Harrison for his forthright discussion of his fine earlier this season; Brett Keisel's beard; Ines Sainz, who was a worldwide trending topic. (Really?)
Losers: People looking for anything more than platitudes. At least it was light on buffoonery.
Otherwise, I would highly recommend giving Quickish a look today from, say, 2:15 p.m. ET onward, when I was able to unleash great read after great read, none of which having to do with Media Day.
Much much more tomorrow. I'm starting a new system to make sure this is up and out in the early morning, as usual. Today just got away from me. Apologies.
(And congrats to my friend Rob Neyer for his new gig at SB Nation. I'm long on the record as being a huge fan of that company; it's another savvy move.)
-- D.S.
Quickish had fairly intensive coverage -- but only good stuff! But largely, the day was awful.
Winners: James Harrison for his forthright discussion of his fine earlier this season; Brett Keisel's beard; Ines Sainz, who was a worldwide trending topic. (Really?)
Losers: People looking for anything more than platitudes. At least it was light on buffoonery.
Otherwise, I would highly recommend giving Quickish a look today from, say, 2:15 p.m. ET onward, when I was able to unleash great read after great read, none of which having to do with Media Day.
Much much more tomorrow. I'm starting a new system to make sure this is up and out in the early morning, as usual. Today just got away from me. Apologies.
(And congrats to my friend Rob Neyer for his new gig at SB Nation. I'm long on the record as being a huge fan of that company; it's another savvy move.)
-- D.S.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Rob Neyer Leaving ESPN.com: An Appreciation
I met Rob Neyer in 1996 in Seattle, joining him at an amazing company called Starwave, which was charged with creating and producing what was then called ESPNet.SportsZone.com. (Really.)
Unless someone can prove otherwise, Neyer was the Web's first full-time online sports columnist. And there is a good chance he was the first full-time online columnist for ANY mainstream news company.
Rob was (and remains) a pioneer in not simply statistics in baseball media, but the application of those stats in talking about baseball.
And his contributions -- not to mention his longevity on the ESPN.com platform, basically for its entire existence -- is why it's such a big deal that he announced today he is leaving ESPN.com.
There is a strong argument to be made -- one that I personally believe in (and I'm not alone) -- that Rob has done more to popularize the understanding of baseball statistics by baseball fans than any writer in baseball history, including Michael Lewis.
(I hope that in the not-too-distant future, Rob receives the Ford Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame, because he has already earned it.)
I will leave it to someone else to quantify Rob's accomplishments by trying to figure out how many readers he has reached over his 15-year career at ESPN.com -- or qualify Rob's impact by figuring out how many baseball writers today found him an inspiration:
Not only can you make a living writing about sports on the Web, but you can be really, really good at it.
At ESPN.com, Rob combined accessible voice with smart writing. He wrote columns, did mailbags with readers, participated in marathon chats (at one point holding the ESPN.com chat-marathon record) and applied his style to his most recent project, the SweetSpot blog. (To say nothing of his amazing books, a totally different subject, but part of the whole Neyer story.)
I'll echo something I wrote about Peter King last week -- and Rob preceded King by at least two years. It can't be understated that back in 1996, people were just trying to figure out how to write for this new medium. Many were doing a lousy job at it, mostly applying what they knew from other mediums -- like newspapers -- and simply plopping in the same everything.
(This is the place where Rob would insist -- and I would concur -- that we pay tribute to Rob's longtime editor at ESPN.com, certainly during those formative, influential years of the late-90s, David Schoenfield. Without David's leadership and vision and collusion and sense of revolution as an editor, Rob wouldn't have had nearly the impact he did. Same goes for longtime ESPN.com publisher Geoff Reiss, who originally had the vision to hire Rob and give him that unprecedented role as sports' first full-time online writer/columnist. I count both David and Geoff as close friends and marvel at their impact, here and elsewhere.)
But perhaps because he didn't come from a newspaper or traditional media background, Neyer could allow his style and voice to flow more naturally. He was (and is) made for this medium, and the medium is better off for his contributions in its early formative years.
(I still have a copy of a column Rob wrote for me about college basketball -- I was ESPN.com's college hoops editor -- and it always made the coverage better to have Rob's contribution, almost always ideas he came up with on his own, noodling at his desk.)
Don't know what's next for Rob, but as he might describe it: 15 years creates a lot of data to draw conclusions, and it is easy to predict his continued success.
And it is easy to thank him for his 15 wonderful years at ESPN.com. In a medium as fleeting as online, it is perhaps the highest compliment to pay: Rob Neyer has mattered.
-- D.S.
Unless someone can prove otherwise, Neyer was the Web's first full-time online sports columnist. And there is a good chance he was the first full-time online columnist for ANY mainstream news company.
Rob was (and remains) a pioneer in not simply statistics in baseball media, but the application of those stats in talking about baseball.
And his contributions -- not to mention his longevity on the ESPN.com platform, basically for its entire existence -- is why it's such a big deal that he announced today he is leaving ESPN.com.
There is a strong argument to be made -- one that I personally believe in (and I'm not alone) -- that Rob has done more to popularize the understanding of baseball statistics by baseball fans than any writer in baseball history, including Michael Lewis.
(I hope that in the not-too-distant future, Rob receives the Ford Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame, because he has already earned it.)
I will leave it to someone else to quantify Rob's accomplishments by trying to figure out how many readers he has reached over his 15-year career at ESPN.com -- or qualify Rob's impact by figuring out how many baseball writers today found him an inspiration:
Not only can you make a living writing about sports on the Web, but you can be really, really good at it.
At ESPN.com, Rob combined accessible voice with smart writing. He wrote columns, did mailbags with readers, participated in marathon chats (at one point holding the ESPN.com chat-marathon record) and applied his style to his most recent project, the SweetSpot blog. (To say nothing of his amazing books, a totally different subject, but part of the whole Neyer story.)
I'll echo something I wrote about Peter King last week -- and Rob preceded King by at least two years. It can't be understated that back in 1996, people were just trying to figure out how to write for this new medium. Many were doing a lousy job at it, mostly applying what they knew from other mediums -- like newspapers -- and simply plopping in the same everything.
(This is the place where Rob would insist -- and I would concur -- that we pay tribute to Rob's longtime editor at ESPN.com, certainly during those formative, influential years of the late-90s, David Schoenfield. Without David's leadership and vision and collusion and sense of revolution as an editor, Rob wouldn't have had nearly the impact he did. Same goes for longtime ESPN.com publisher Geoff Reiss, who originally had the vision to hire Rob and give him that unprecedented role as sports' first full-time online writer/columnist. I count both David and Geoff as close friends and marvel at their impact, here and elsewhere.)
But perhaps because he didn't come from a newspaper or traditional media background, Neyer could allow his style and voice to flow more naturally. He was (and is) made for this medium, and the medium is better off for his contributions in its early formative years.
(I still have a copy of a column Rob wrote for me about college basketball -- I was ESPN.com's college hoops editor -- and it always made the coverage better to have Rob's contribution, almost always ideas he came up with on his own, noodling at his desk.)
Don't know what's next for Rob, but as he might describe it: 15 years creates a lot of data to draw conclusions, and it is easy to predict his continued success.
And it is easy to thank him for his 15 wonderful years at ESPN.com. In a medium as fleeting as online, it is perhaps the highest compliment to pay: Rob Neyer has mattered.
-- D.S.
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