*Let's not downplay D-Wade's mid-game sideline rant at coach Erik Spoelstra. That felt like a defining moment of the Heat falling short of a championship -- possibly falling short of even making the Eastern Conference Finals. (Chris Bosh: Heat MVP. Chew on that.)
*The Spurs are awesome, full stop. They have a superstar, regular stars, role players, luck, design, system, a Hall of Fame coach, a Hall of Fame GM. It is, like most championship teams, absolutely not a replicable model for other franchises. (Indiana, however....)
*SEC and Big 12 pair up for a bowl game to rival (or eclipse) the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day. Brilliant. Not as brilliant as the SEC forming its own billion-dollar 8-team playoff that doesn't include any other teams, but not bad given they don't seem willing to go that far. (The Big 12 doesn't need Florida State, but they should sign them up anyway.)
*Kerry Wood is retiring: His career was derailed with injuries, but he will always be remembered for the 20-K game, which Bill James once argued was the single-greatest pitching performance in baseball history. My old ESPN.com editor David Schoenfield made a compelling case that Wood's legacy is alerting teams to over-using young pitchers' arms, which has led to much better pitching (and much more hamstrung offense -- an unintended consequence, I'm sure).
*Preakness pick: the NYT's Joe Drape is picking Went The Day Well. The real questions are: (1) Will I'll Have Another pick up another leg of the Triple Crown? (No.) (2) Will Bodemeister finish what he started in the Derby and set up a rubber match at Belmont? (No.) (3) Then who will win? (Creative Cause, with Bodemeister to place and I'll Have Another to show.)
Have a great weekend. Plenty of great reads on Quickish today, with more coming this weekend. Check it out!
-- D.S.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
05/17 (Thunder) Quickie
Thunder d. Lakers: For all the offensive pyrotechnics of Durant and Westbrook and Harden, last night's comeback close-out felt like a defining moment for the Thunder.
(As for the Lakers' final shot? Kobe was supposed to get the ball, but MWP saw Blake open in the corner for an entirely reasonable shot. It was the right play to make -- but you can't disprove a negative, which is why Kobe's fans are howling this morning (the way Kobe was shooting at the end of the game, he had far less of a chance of making a contested shot as Blake had of making an uncontested one).
Celtics Take Game 3: I'm not a huge KG fan, but I am absolutely loving his renaissance as an elite talent in his late-30s.
LeBron/Heat/Bosh: Yes, it's harder for LeBron to play power forward than it is for him to play small forward on the perimeter. But it's not like he doesn't have the physique to pull it off -- he's like twice the size of Kevin Love. I'd love to see him go 20/20, but it sounds like he might not be up for the challenge.
NHL: Fantastic (arguably must-have) win for the Devils last night. Totally changes the feel of the series.
NFL: Hard to understand why the Saints aren't giving Drew Brees what he wants.
MLB: You know Pujols is having a tough season when every home run -- and he's now up to all of two of them -- is the lead MLB story of the night.
Preakness: I'll say Bodemeister wins the rematch with I'll Have Another, who won't even place.
Pop on over to Quickish to catch up on the best takes on all these stories, plus some really great other reads.
-- D.S.
(As for the Lakers' final shot? Kobe was supposed to get the ball, but MWP saw Blake open in the corner for an entirely reasonable shot. It was the right play to make -- but you can't disprove a negative, which is why Kobe's fans are howling this morning (the way Kobe was shooting at the end of the game, he had far less of a chance of making a contested shot as Blake had of making an uncontested one).
Celtics Take Game 3: I'm not a huge KG fan, but I am absolutely loving his renaissance as an elite talent in his late-30s.
LeBron/Heat/Bosh: Yes, it's harder for LeBron to play power forward than it is for him to play small forward on the perimeter. But it's not like he doesn't have the physique to pull it off -- he's like twice the size of Kevin Love. I'd love to see him go 20/20, but it sounds like he might not be up for the challenge.
NHL: Fantastic (arguably must-have) win for the Devils last night. Totally changes the feel of the series.
NFL: Hard to understand why the Saints aren't giving Drew Brees what he wants.
MLB: You know Pujols is having a tough season when every home run -- and he's now up to all of two of them -- is the lead MLB story of the night.
Preakness: I'll say Bodemeister wins the rematch with I'll Have Another, who won't even place.
Pop on over to Quickish to catch up on the best takes on all these stories, plus some really great other reads.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
05/16 (LeBron) Quickie
Gabe turns 6 today. For those of you who have been around since the day he arrived in 2006 (announced in the Quickie, I believe), thank you.
He gets his presents tonight, but this morning we gave him his first gift -- a Cam Newton t-shirt jersey. Newton is his favorite player. He didn't even have it on before he did Cam's "Superman" move in celebration. I think it'll be impossible for me not to buy him a real Newton Panthers jersey this fall.
(He is also getting a half-dozen packs of various sport cards -- just in case you were wondering if analog sports fandom was dead. It's not -- turns out 6-year-olds are as fascinated by the facts and data on the back of a sports card as they have been for three generations.)
More:
*Heat lose to the Pacers: Chris Bosh turns out to matter... a lot. But the story of the game was LeBron missing those free throws at the end, then standing around as Mario Chalmers took the would-be game-tying shot at the buzzer. I understand why Spoelstra would use LeBron as a decoy to get the cleanest shot possible, but it sure doesn't look good. If the Heat lose to the Pacers -- and at this point it's 50/50 (which is a lot more tenuous than it was this time yesterday) -- then at least they have the built-in excuse that Bosh wasn't playing, no different than the Bulls getting bounced without Rose.
*Spurs win, handily. It's their title to lose. Today's best read is a sneak peek of this week's SI, which has a great profile of Tim Duncan by Chris Ballard.
*Head over to Quickish for some really great reads about the biggest topics.
-- D.S.
He gets his presents tonight, but this morning we gave him his first gift -- a Cam Newton t-shirt jersey. Newton is his favorite player. He didn't even have it on before he did Cam's "Superman" move in celebration. I think it'll be impossible for me not to buy him a real Newton Panthers jersey this fall.
(He is also getting a half-dozen packs of various sport cards -- just in case you were wondering if analog sports fandom was dead. It's not -- turns out 6-year-olds are as fascinated by the facts and data on the back of a sports card as they have been for three generations.)
More:
*Heat lose to the Pacers: Chris Bosh turns out to matter... a lot. But the story of the game was LeBron missing those free throws at the end, then standing around as Mario Chalmers took the would-be game-tying shot at the buzzer. I understand why Spoelstra would use LeBron as a decoy to get the cleanest shot possible, but it sure doesn't look good. If the Heat lose to the Pacers -- and at this point it's 50/50 (which is a lot more tenuous than it was this time yesterday) -- then at least they have the built-in excuse that Bosh wasn't playing, no different than the Bulls getting bounced without Rose.
*Spurs win, handily. It's their title to lose. Today's best read is a sneak peek of this week's SI, which has a great profile of Tim Duncan by Chris Ballard.
*Head over to Quickish for some really great reads about the biggest topics.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
05/15 (Thunder) Quickie
Gabe turns 6 tomorrow (already?), and I realized too late that I should have pulled him out of kindergarten today to go to the Nats' 1:05 start (featuring Strasburg, no less). Bad parenting.
NBA: I'm not sure the Thunder are going to win the NBA title -- the Spurs are going to be a handful -- but I am sure that they are going to wallop the Lakers so badly it will end the Kobe Dynasty there.
Bosh out indefinitely: They don't need Bosh to beat the Pacers. They don't need Bosh to beat the Celtics (or Sixers). They need Bosh to beat the Spurs. So rest him until the Finals. (Bonus: If they fall short, his injury is a convenient excuse.)
NHL: So the Devils aren't as good as the Caps, is that what we're saying after last night? (Meanwhile, Dale Hunter was never going to stick around -- they'll be hard-pressed to find another coach who can get the team to the brink of the conference finals.)
MLB: Bryce Harper's first career HR. Unclear any player has had a more compelling first two weeks at the MLB level than Harper. (That said: With Kemp on the DL, the best show in the league remains, clearly, Josh Hamilton -- although Harper is a pretty close second.)
NFL: As someone trying to get back to fighting weight (via Weight Watchers, just like Charles Barkley!), I appreciate Donovan McNabb's effort to slim down and re-find his relevancy.
CFB: Would anyone miss Florida State in the ACC if they left for the Big 12? (Unclear why the Big 12 isn't galloping to sign FSU, which would bring the league Florida cachet. They might be nervous about getting crushed by the interloper -- as they should fear about Holgorsen's WVU.)
On my must-read list for the summer: Smart Football's upcoming book "The Essential Smart Football" -- Chris Brown is phenomenal, and he's self-publishing, so worth your support. Get info here.
Love that ESPN is re-upping the "30 for 30" documentary series -- and particularly that they are expanding to digital short films that work better online.
-- D.S.
NBA: I'm not sure the Thunder are going to win the NBA title -- the Spurs are going to be a handful -- but I am sure that they are going to wallop the Lakers so badly it will end the Kobe Dynasty there.
Bosh out indefinitely: They don't need Bosh to beat the Pacers. They don't need Bosh to beat the Celtics (or Sixers). They need Bosh to beat the Spurs. So rest him until the Finals. (Bonus: If they fall short, his injury is a convenient excuse.)
NHL: So the Devils aren't as good as the Caps, is that what we're saying after last night? (Meanwhile, Dale Hunter was never going to stick around -- they'll be hard-pressed to find another coach who can get the team to the brink of the conference finals.)
MLB: Bryce Harper's first career HR. Unclear any player has had a more compelling first two weeks at the MLB level than Harper. (That said: With Kemp on the DL, the best show in the league remains, clearly, Josh Hamilton -- although Harper is a pretty close second.)
NFL: As someone trying to get back to fighting weight (via Weight Watchers, just like Charles Barkley!), I appreciate Donovan McNabb's effort to slim down and re-find his relevancy.
CFB: Would anyone miss Florida State in the ACC if they left for the Big 12? (Unclear why the Big 12 isn't galloping to sign FSU, which would bring the league Florida cachet. They might be nervous about getting crushed by the interloper -- as they should fear about Holgorsen's WVU.)
On my must-read list for the summer: Smart Football's upcoming book "The Essential Smart Football" -- Chris Brown is phenomenal, and he's self-publishing, so worth your support. Get info here.
Love that ESPN is re-upping the "30 for 30" documentary series -- and particularly that they are expanding to digital short films that work better online.
-- D.S.
Friday, May 11, 2012
05/11 (Mother's Day) Quickie
Happy mother's day to all the moms out there, especially my own mom and the mom of my kids -- having the third kid in March makes this mother's day all the more awesome.
Very quickly:
*Kobe: Not happy after puking his guts out, then watching his teammates lay down against the Nuggets in Denver last night, forcing a Game 7. Either his teammates respond on Saturday night -- dramatic in its own right -- or they don't, and it's time to blow up the Kobe Lakers dynasty.
*76ers vanquish the 1-seed Bulls (and the Celtics shrug off the pesky Hawks): I don't think the Sixers have much of a chance against Boston, and I think we're all looking forward to a Celtics-Heat East finals. (BTW: Love Iguodala making his free throws in the 4th quarter, particularly in the final seconds, after struggling with FTs for his career.) For the Bulls, it's just One Of Those Things. The point that they drive themselves to disability through a maniacally intense regular season falls apart as soon as you acknowledge that Rose's knee injury wasn't from overuse, but a freak occurrence.
*Game of the weekend: Caps-Rangers Game 7.
*Great weekend reading: Chris Ballard on Kobe's dad, Joe.
-- D.S.
Very quickly:
*Kobe: Not happy after puking his guts out, then watching his teammates lay down against the Nuggets in Denver last night, forcing a Game 7. Either his teammates respond on Saturday night -- dramatic in its own right -- or they don't, and it's time to blow up the Kobe Lakers dynasty.
*76ers vanquish the 1-seed Bulls (and the Celtics shrug off the pesky Hawks): I don't think the Sixers have much of a chance against Boston, and I think we're all looking forward to a Celtics-Heat East finals. (BTW: Love Iguodala making his free throws in the 4th quarter, particularly in the final seconds, after struggling with FTs for his career.) For the Bulls, it's just One Of Those Things. The point that they drive themselves to disability through a maniacally intense regular season falls apart as soon as you acknowledge that Rose's knee injury wasn't from overuse, but a freak occurrence.
*Game of the weekend: Caps-Rangers Game 7.
*Great weekend reading: Chris Ballard on Kobe's dad, Joe.
-- D.S.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
05/10 (Expectations) Quickie
We spend a lot of time here talking about expectations.
Is it a "good" season for the Knicks that without Lin (and without Shumpert), they made it to the playoffs, even if they lost in the first round?
Does it matter that they lost to the best team in the league -- a team that a full-strength Knicks team couldn't beat 4 out of 7 under any circumstances?
Would Knicks fans rather have missed the playoffs altogether? (As a Wizards fan, I will tell you that's not a great option.)
I think the expectations for the Knicks -- at least as a 7- or 8-seed -- was that they would lose in the first round. At full strength, you'd hope they would make it an interesting 7-game series (as other presumptive first-round losers are doing across the rest of the league).
But they weren't at full strength. A sweep was inevitable. Thus, losing in 5 -- at least getting the thrill of that Game 4 win at home -- was slightly better than expectations.
(I'm not sure what happens to those expectations next year: If Lin is healthy and Shumpert is healthy and the rest of the team stays healthy and they have a good coach... they might end up with the 4-seed -- maybe 3 -- in the East, which means the expectation is "Get to the conference semifinals before losing." It's not exactly "Four, Four, Four.")
Meanwhile:
The Caps! Now HERE is a team that has surpassed expectations, wildly. I think most folks didn't give them a chance to beat Boston in the first round -- and certainly not to beat the Bruins in Boston in Game 7. Now they have taken the Eastern Conference's top seed to a toss-up 7th game, with all the momentum back from the gut-wrenching Game 5 loss. It is fine to madly hope for a Game 7 win, but if the team loses at Madison Square Garden, it will be hard to feel like fans were robbed (which is decidedly NOT the case in previous years where the team has fallen short and/or choked).
Correction! In yesterday's post, I assumed away that the Eastern champ would win the Stanley Cup over whichever team from the West it faced. Reader Zach Smythe -- alas, no relation to the Cup MVP award namesake -- called me out on it, reminding me the Kings had blitzed through the top two seeds in the West and were very much a viable candidate to win it all. I stand corrected. Thanks, Zach!
Grizzlies-Clippers! The Grizz send it back to LA for Game 6, down 3-2 but certainly capable of winning the next game and forcing a Game 7 in Memphis. So what's more difficult: Coming back from 27 points down in less than a quarter... or coming back from being down 3-1 in a series? Seems like 144 minutes of win-or-go-home is more arduous than 10 minutes of frenzied comeback.
The most interesting thing I read yesterday: Greg Oden's interview with Grantland's Mark Titus. It's really hard not to root for Oden to at least get a chance to play relatively healthy for a little while.
Tonight's must-see: All those NBA Game 6s. Chicago tries to stave off rare 1-seed elimination at Philly, Atlanta (newly rejuvinated by the return of Al Horford, one of my favorite players) tries to stave off elimination at Boston and -- in the late one -- the Nuggets will try to use home-court advantage (and the -- I can't believe I'm saying this -- "JaVale McGee X-Factor") to stave off elimination against the Lakers. Would love to see all of these go 7.
-- D.S.
Is it a "good" season for the Knicks that without Lin (and without Shumpert), they made it to the playoffs, even if they lost in the first round?
Does it matter that they lost to the best team in the league -- a team that a full-strength Knicks team couldn't beat 4 out of 7 under any circumstances?
Would Knicks fans rather have missed the playoffs altogether? (As a Wizards fan, I will tell you that's not a great option.)
I think the expectations for the Knicks -- at least as a 7- or 8-seed -- was that they would lose in the first round. At full strength, you'd hope they would make it an interesting 7-game series (as other presumptive first-round losers are doing across the rest of the league).
But they weren't at full strength. A sweep was inevitable. Thus, losing in 5 -- at least getting the thrill of that Game 4 win at home -- was slightly better than expectations.
(I'm not sure what happens to those expectations next year: If Lin is healthy and Shumpert is healthy and the rest of the team stays healthy and they have a good coach... they might end up with the 4-seed -- maybe 3 -- in the East, which means the expectation is "Get to the conference semifinals before losing." It's not exactly "Four, Four, Four.")
Meanwhile:
The Caps! Now HERE is a team that has surpassed expectations, wildly. I think most folks didn't give them a chance to beat Boston in the first round -- and certainly not to beat the Bruins in Boston in Game 7. Now they have taken the Eastern Conference's top seed to a toss-up 7th game, with all the momentum back from the gut-wrenching Game 5 loss. It is fine to madly hope for a Game 7 win, but if the team loses at Madison Square Garden, it will be hard to feel like fans were robbed (which is decidedly NOT the case in previous years where the team has fallen short and/or choked).
Correction! In yesterday's post, I assumed away that the Eastern champ would win the Stanley Cup over whichever team from the West it faced. Reader Zach Smythe -- alas, no relation to the Cup MVP award namesake -- called me out on it, reminding me the Kings had blitzed through the top two seeds in the West and were very much a viable candidate to win it all. I stand corrected. Thanks, Zach!
Grizzlies-Clippers! The Grizz send it back to LA for Game 6, down 3-2 but certainly capable of winning the next game and forcing a Game 7 in Memphis. So what's more difficult: Coming back from 27 points down in less than a quarter... or coming back from being down 3-1 in a series? Seems like 144 minutes of win-or-go-home is more arduous than 10 minutes of frenzied comeback.
The most interesting thing I read yesterday: Greg Oden's interview with Grantland's Mark Titus. It's really hard not to root for Oden to at least get a chance to play relatively healthy for a little while.
Tonight's must-see: All those NBA Game 6s. Chicago tries to stave off rare 1-seed elimination at Philly, Atlanta (newly rejuvinated by the return of Al Horford, one of my favorite players) tries to stave off elimination at Boston and -- in the late one -- the Nuggets will try to use home-court advantage (and the -- I can't believe I'm saying this -- "JaVale McGee X-Factor") to stave off elimination against the Lakers. Would love to see all of these go 7.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
05/09 (Hamilton) Quickie
Josh Hamilton is on my fantasy team and yet I am near the bottom of the league standings -- I should take a lesson from the Rangers: Hitting is great, but great pitching matters just as much (particularly when you play in a 5x5 head-to-head league).
My favorite Hamiltonian stat: There have been fewer players (16) to hit 4 HR in a game than there have been perfect games (21).
Should the Rangers (over)pay him? When healthy, he is clearly worth the kind of money that has been given to Prince Fielder and Joey Votto. But he is 31, he averages less than 120 games per season and he's got some mileage on his baggage car.
I could see the Rangers being willing to give him more money per year for less years -- I could also see a team with cash and a sense of urgency giving him even more (if not for the Nats' brutal deal for Werth, they could have been huge players, I think).
The Rangers have a lot of money. They have a willingness to spend it. They have a wide-open window to try to win a championship. They have a triple crown contender in the lineup. What would you do?
More:
JaVale McGee: As a long-suffering Wizards fan, I am fairly expert at the inconsistency of McGee. Here's what you need to know: As the 6th-best player on a playoff team, he will thrive -- as an almost child-like knucklehead, he needs structure. Where he got into trouble in DC was that he was expected to be a franchise player, surrounded by no structure. He isn't a player worthy of being paid like a near-superstar. If a team makes that mistake, they will figure it out pretty quickly.
The Hawks and Bulls both push their series to Game 6: I could see both series going 7, which would at least make them interesting. No such luck for the Heat-Knicks.
NHL: The Devils roll on to the Eastern finals. I think the Eastern winner wins the Cup, and it's easy to envision the scorching Devils getting past a spent Caps-Rangers survivor.
Tonight's must-see: Caps-Rangers Game 6. Wish I could be at Verizon Center for that. I'll content myself screaming from the couch with my kids.
-- D.S.
My favorite Hamiltonian stat: There have been fewer players (16) to hit 4 HR in a game than there have been perfect games (21).
Should the Rangers (over)pay him? When healthy, he is clearly worth the kind of money that has been given to Prince Fielder and Joey Votto. But he is 31, he averages less than 120 games per season and he's got some mileage on his baggage car.
I could see the Rangers being willing to give him more money per year for less years -- I could also see a team with cash and a sense of urgency giving him even more (if not for the Nats' brutal deal for Werth, they could have been huge players, I think).
The Rangers have a lot of money. They have a willingness to spend it. They have a wide-open window to try to win a championship. They have a triple crown contender in the lineup. What would you do?
More:
JaVale McGee: As a long-suffering Wizards fan, I am fairly expert at the inconsistency of McGee. Here's what you need to know: As the 6th-best player on a playoff team, he will thrive -- as an almost child-like knucklehead, he needs structure. Where he got into trouble in DC was that he was expected to be a franchise player, surrounded by no structure. He isn't a player worthy of being paid like a near-superstar. If a team makes that mistake, they will figure it out pretty quickly.
The Hawks and Bulls both push their series to Game 6: I could see both series going 7, which would at least make them interesting. No such luck for the Heat-Knicks.
NHL: The Devils roll on to the Eastern finals. I think the Eastern winner wins the Cup, and it's easy to envision the scorching Devils getting past a spent Caps-Rangers survivor.
Tonight's must-see: Caps-Rangers Game 6. Wish I could be at Verizon Center for that. I'll content myself screaming from the couch with my kids.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
05/08 (Rangers) Quickie
The downside of going all-in on the Capitals since my DC homecoming is nights like last night. I thought the 3OT loss was bad -- losing a lead with 6.6 seconds to go in the game... then losing the game a couple minutes into OT... yeesh, that's rough. In a blink, it went from one of the greatest wins in franchise history to one of its worst losses. That's playoff hockey. Wednesday's Game 6 is a must-see.
NBA: As noted here endlessly over the years, expectations are everything. In the case of the Clippers, making the playoffs was great. Winning a first-round series would be incredible. And they should enjoy it now, because the Spurs are going to break them in half.
MLB: Cole Hamels suspended 5 games -- not even one start -- for intentionally hitting Bryce Harper on Sunday night. Baseball's "code" is a funny (even silly) thing, and it became yet another moment for Harper to distinguish himself. He took the HBP in stride, then made Hamels pay when he stole home. Then, Harper had nothing to say about it after the game, as opposed to Hamels, who bragged about it. The punishment is toothless, obviously, and the way this is settled is on the field over the rest of the season.
NFL: Given the scope (and hubris) of the Saints' bounty program -- going all the way to the top -- why do you think Williams and Vita wouldn't tell players to stonewall the NFL's investigation?
College: The Big East commish is out. I've always found it hard to accept Big East bleating about how big-time that football has become (with the Big East on the outside looking in), when it was the Big East itself that established the template for made-for-TV big-time college sports when it was formed 30 years ago specifically to take advantage of the new realities.
Government: So how is the state of Minnesota going to pay for this new stadium?
-- D.S.
NBA: As noted here endlessly over the years, expectations are everything. In the case of the Clippers, making the playoffs was great. Winning a first-round series would be incredible. And they should enjoy it now, because the Spurs are going to break them in half.
MLB: Cole Hamels suspended 5 games -- not even one start -- for intentionally hitting Bryce Harper on Sunday night. Baseball's "code" is a funny (even silly) thing, and it became yet another moment for Harper to distinguish himself. He took the HBP in stride, then made Hamels pay when he stole home. Then, Harper had nothing to say about it after the game, as opposed to Hamels, who bragged about it. The punishment is toothless, obviously, and the way this is settled is on the field over the rest of the season.
NFL: Given the scope (and hubris) of the Saints' bounty program -- going all the way to the top -- why do you think Williams and Vita wouldn't tell players to stonewall the NFL's investigation?
College: The Big East commish is out. I've always found it hard to accept Big East bleating about how big-time that football has become (with the Big East on the outside looking in), when it was the Big East itself that established the template for made-for-TV big-time college sports when it was formed 30 years ago specifically to take advantage of the new realities.
Government: So how is the state of Minnesota going to pay for this new stadium?
-- D.S.
Monday, May 07, 2012
05/07 (Monday) Quickie
NBA: I respect the expectations management by the Knicks that "not getting swept" is cause for celebration.
It sure seems like LeBron wanted to take that last shot -- Erik Spoelstra has to give him the chance.
(Things are less good for the Bulls, who can't fall back on "well, we lost without Rose and Noah," because they entered the playoffs in "title or fail" mode.)
Bryce Harper: In the first week of his MLB career, there have been a half-dozen "whoa!" moments -- none better than him stealing home last night (with a nano-second of glare at Cole Hamels after Hamels hit Harper to put him on 1st base in the first place).
Wild: But MLB's Player of the Weekend had to be Chris Davis of the (best-record-in-MLB) Orioles: 0-8 yesterday against the Red Sox... but he came in to pitch in the 16th and 17th innings and got the win.
Pujols: The question was never going to be if Albert Pujols was going to hit a home run this season, but the issue remains whether he can possibly find form that would have him on pace for 20 HR (let alone the 5 HR is on pace for now).
NHL: No one on the East Coast is paying attention, but the Kings have rolled into the NHL's Western Conference finals. Meanwhile: Caps-Rangers Game 5 tonight is a must-see.
Anniversary: 10 years ago today... "Practice?"
-- D.S.
It sure seems like LeBron wanted to take that last shot -- Erik Spoelstra has to give him the chance.
(Things are less good for the Bulls, who can't fall back on "well, we lost without Rose and Noah," because they entered the playoffs in "title or fail" mode.)
Bryce Harper: In the first week of his MLB career, there have been a half-dozen "whoa!" moments -- none better than him stealing home last night (with a nano-second of glare at Cole Hamels after Hamels hit Harper to put him on 1st base in the first place).
Wild: But MLB's Player of the Weekend had to be Chris Davis of the (best-record-in-MLB) Orioles: 0-8 yesterday against the Red Sox... but he came in to pitch in the 16th and 17th innings and got the win.
Pujols: The question was never going to be if Albert Pujols was going to hit a home run this season, but the issue remains whether he can possibly find form that would have him on pace for 20 HR (let alone the 5 HR is on pace for now).
NHL: No one on the East Coast is paying attention, but the Kings have rolled into the NHL's Western Conference finals. Meanwhile: Caps-Rangers Game 5 tonight is a must-see.
Anniversary: 10 years ago today... "Practice?"
-- D.S.
Saturday, May 05, 2012
05/05 (Very) Quickie
Annual Derby pick, based on my favorite name: Daddy Nose Best (or Daddy Long Legs), with Creative Cause a more likely winner.
Last night's MVP: Pam McGee, JaVale's mom.
Quote of the last 24 hours: "I am coming back. Write it down in big letters. I'm not going out like this." (Mariano Rivera)
I still think the Bulls can win the series with Philly, even if they're now down 2-1. But what's the point? So they can get drilled in the East semis?
I hate the Celtics but I love big games from the ageless KG.
Heard around our house this morning: "Let's! Go! Caps!"
RIP MCA: Got more hits than Sadaharu Oh.
Your weekend longread: "The Kid Who Wasn't There" by ESPN.com's Wright Thompson.
Catch up with the best of Quickish this week -- just go here and scroll down.
-- D.S.
Last night's MVP: Pam McGee, JaVale's mom.
Quote of the last 24 hours: "I am coming back. Write it down in big letters. I'm not going out like this." (Mariano Rivera)
I still think the Bulls can win the series with Philly, even if they're now down 2-1. But what's the point? So they can get drilled in the East semis?
I hate the Celtics but I love big games from the ageless KG.
Heard around our house this morning: "Let's! Go! Caps!"
RIP MCA: Got more hits than Sadaharu Oh.
Your weekend longread: "The Kid Who Wasn't There" by ESPN.com's Wright Thompson.
Catch up with the best of Quickish this week -- just go here and scroll down.
-- D.S.
Friday, May 04, 2012
05/04 (Mariano Rivera) Quickie
There is not a more universally respected baseball player -- possibly not a more universally respected athlete, period -- than Mariano Rivera.
That's my biggest takeaway from the overnight reaction to the news his season (and possibly his career) is over, after a freak knee injury shagging BP flies in centerfield, Rivera's favorite ritual.
(Great stream of reactions to the Rivera news over at Quickish -- check it out here.)
When we look back on the generation of baseball that started with the post-strike Yankees dynasty and lasted until, say, the start of Bryce Harper's career, it will be defined by no player as much as Rivera.
Not Jeter. Not Bonds. Not Clemens. PED scandal? Maybe. "Moneyball?" Partially. Big-spending behemoths? A bit.
But all those things evoke mixed reactions. Not Rivera. There is "Enter Sandman." There is No. 42. There is that cutter. There is yet another save. There is postseason brilliance.
There is universal respect and admiration for Mariano Rivera, the finest practitioner of pitching a baseball as we have seen in generations -- one of the greatest players of all time.
Here's to his recovery and an ending to his career befitting his legendary status.
-- D.S.
That's my biggest takeaway from the overnight reaction to the news his season (and possibly his career) is over, after a freak knee injury shagging BP flies in centerfield, Rivera's favorite ritual.
(Great stream of reactions to the Rivera news over at Quickish -- check it out here.)
When we look back on the generation of baseball that started with the post-strike Yankees dynasty and lasted until, say, the start of Bryce Harper's career, it will be defined by no player as much as Rivera.
Not Jeter. Not Bonds. Not Clemens. PED scandal? Maybe. "Moneyball?" Partially. Big-spending behemoths? A bit.
But all those things evoke mixed reactions. Not Rivera. There is "Enter Sandman." There is No. 42. There is that cutter. There is yet another save. There is postseason brilliance.
There is universal respect and admiration for Mariano Rivera, the finest practitioner of pitching a baseball as we have seen in generations -- one of the greatest players of all time.
Here's to his recovery and an ending to his career befitting his legendary status.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, May 02, 2012
05/02 (RIP Seau) Quickie
The death of the all-time great NFL linebacker Junior Seau is a tragedy. Did his suicide have something to do with his playing career? Let me step around that:
The fact that it is a topic that is immediately coming up -- whether or not the evidence ends up bearing that out -- is further confirmation that the link between football and brain trauma is both mainstream and entirely intertwined.
The idea remains: If there was a test for CTE or other brain trauma linked to football that could happen pre-mortem, I think tackle football would be over beyond anything but for a lunatic fringe.
The idea remains: Even with the little we know now about the link between brain trauma and football, you would have to be insane to let your child play organized tackle football, at any age.
The idea remains: As powerful as the NFL is -- and it is as close to all-powerful as we get in sports -- I do not believe that in 30 years it will exist in the form that it is in now.
More:
*I found the Saints' bounty program abhorrent, yet I think that giving Vilma a year's suspension -- same as the head coach -- is overly severe. If Vilma gets a year, Sean Payton should get five.
*As I get older, I come to appreciate Kobe's singular moments of brilliance so much more. Appreciate him, folks, because when he's gone, it's hard to see who will replace him. (Durant? Maybe, but Durant -- while relentless -- is too nice. Kobe's level of aggressive obsessiveness is the last of a bygone era.)
*The Bulls are cooked. Could be this round, could be next round. The fact is that they're done, and that even getting out of this Philly series should be viewed as overachieving.
*The Caps offer free admission to their a.m. skate-arounds, and I took my 3-year-old, who is obsessed with hockey, to practice today. He went bonkers. It was an awesome moment.
-- D.S.
The fact that it is a topic that is immediately coming up -- whether or not the evidence ends up bearing that out -- is further confirmation that the link between football and brain trauma is both mainstream and entirely intertwined.
The idea remains: If there was a test for CTE or other brain trauma linked to football that could happen pre-mortem, I think tackle football would be over beyond anything but for a lunatic fringe.
The idea remains: Even with the little we know now about the link between brain trauma and football, you would have to be insane to let your child play organized tackle football, at any age.
The idea remains: As powerful as the NFL is -- and it is as close to all-powerful as we get in sports -- I do not believe that in 30 years it will exist in the form that it is in now.
More:
*I found the Saints' bounty program abhorrent, yet I think that giving Vilma a year's suspension -- same as the head coach -- is overly severe. If Vilma gets a year, Sean Payton should get five.
*As I get older, I come to appreciate Kobe's singular moments of brilliance so much more. Appreciate him, folks, because when he's gone, it's hard to see who will replace him. (Durant? Maybe, but Durant -- while relentless -- is too nice. Kobe's level of aggressive obsessiveness is the last of a bygone era.)
*The Bulls are cooked. Could be this round, could be next round. The fact is that they're done, and that even getting out of this Philly series should be viewed as overachieving.
*The Caps offer free admission to their a.m. skate-arounds, and I took my 3-year-old, who is obsessed with hockey, to practice today. He went bonkers. It was an awesome moment.
-- D.S.
Monday, April 30, 2012
04/30 (Clippers!) Quickie
My goodness: That Clippers comeback last night -- a 28-3 run to finish the game to come back from down 24 with 9:13 to play in the game. Watch highlights from the run here.
It's way too early to say it was a back-breaker for the Grizzlies. They lost home-court advantage, sure, but there's a better case it will be ultra-motivating than it will be ultra-deflating.
(Put it this way: Of the first round's 8 teams that lost in Game 1, I feel most comfortable with the Grizzlies' chances of coming back, even if they suffered the most stunning loss.)
Celtics lose Game 1 in Atlanta, and the headline is that Rondo got tossed and could miss Game 2 -- again, I'm not sure if an 0-2 hole after the first two road games is so problematic for Boston.
Is Andrew Bynum the best center in the NBA? He's certainly the best center in the playoffs. It would be fascinating to see him as the centerpiece of a team, rather than the "next-best guy behind Kobe."
The new Brooklyn Nets' look was revealed this morning, and if there is a single defining characteristic, it is the near-total emphasis on "Brooklyn," rather than "Nets." They realize that's where the cachet is.
My favorite video today: Batting Stance Guy on Bryce Harper:
Today's must-watch/must-follow sports event: Man City vs. Man U.
-- D.S.
It's way too early to say it was a back-breaker for the Grizzlies. They lost home-court advantage, sure, but there's a better case it will be ultra-motivating than it will be ultra-deflating.
(Put it this way: Of the first round's 8 teams that lost in Game 1, I feel most comfortable with the Grizzlies' chances of coming back, even if they suffered the most stunning loss.)
Celtics lose Game 1 in Atlanta, and the headline is that Rondo got tossed and could miss Game 2 -- again, I'm not sure if an 0-2 hole after the first two road games is so problematic for Boston.
Is Andrew Bynum the best center in the NBA? He's certainly the best center in the playoffs. It would be fascinating to see him as the centerpiece of a team, rather than the "next-best guy behind Kobe."
The new Brooklyn Nets' look was revealed this morning, and if there is a single defining characteristic, it is the near-total emphasis on "Brooklyn," rather than "Nets." They realize that's where the cachet is.
My favorite video today: Batting Stance Guy on Bryce Harper:
Today's must-watch/must-follow sports event: Man City vs. Man U.
-- D.S.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
04/29 (Sunday) Quickie
That Derrick Rose injury is awful -- for him, for Bulls fans, for all fans. I worry about a complete, back-to-the-way-he-was recovery, but I am 100% rooting for it (as everyone is... apparently, except that Nike shoe designer who tweeted out a mocking message to Rose about wearing adidas).
This Kevin Durant game-winning floater to lead the Thunder over the Mavs in Game 1 defines "shooter's touch."
It's hard to tell whether the Heat are great or the Knicks just that over-matched. Let's table that until the Heat get past the Celtics or Bulls (even without Rose).
Bryce Harper's debut: Wow. The laser double? The equally laser throw from the outfield? The heady sac fly? His innate unfazedness about the whole thing? Say this for his being groomed for the Majors since you were 11 or 12 -- at 19, he looks entirely comfortable there.
(The best part was the fan behind home plate who mooned the camera just as Harper was slapping his first MLB hit -- TV producers need to relax and just show it. It's just a tusch, not full-frontal.)
Meanwhile: Matt Kemp. Whew. 11 HRs in April... with a day or two left.
NFL Draft: My favorite pick of the final day was the Pats (of course) taking Ohio State's Nate Ebner, a walk-on special-teams player who was on exactly zero NFL draftnik radars. (Anything that makes the draftniks look silly -- and when Belichick drafts someone they've never heard of, they look silly -- is fine with me, and you get the sense Belichick did it, in part, to tweak the so-called draft "experts.")
Lamest pick of the draft: How could the Redskins pull off making the draft's best pick -- RG3 -- and its worst one, too? The Redskins using a 4th-round pick to take Michigan State QB Kirk Cousins. How dumb was this? Let's count the ways: (1) They already drafted RG3 in the 1st; (2) it causes unnecessary "controversy" distractions; (3) they are so loaded everywhere else they can't find talent they wanted more than an extraneous rookie QB? For all those who mocked the Jaguars for taking a punter in the 3rd round or the Patriots for taking a 6th-round Illinois safety in the 2nd round, this is arguably worse.
NHL: After the exhausting series against the Bruins, you could kind of see the Caps getting drummed out of Game 1 vs. the Rangers coming -- the thing is far from over, but it was an end to the "one-goal-away" momentum that the Caps had held throughout the first round, even in losses.
Congrats to Chandler Harnish, who joins the exclusive fraternity of "Mr. Irrelevant."
Great Sunday read: The New York Times profile of Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. It's awkward timing with the Rose injury, but Thibs' brilliance will be even more on display as Chicago tries to navigate the rest of the playoffs without Rose.
On the radar today: Flyers-Devils, Lakers-Nuggets, Bryce Harper's at-bats.
-- D.S.
This Kevin Durant game-winning floater to lead the Thunder over the Mavs in Game 1 defines "shooter's touch."
It's hard to tell whether the Heat are great or the Knicks just that over-matched. Let's table that until the Heat get past the Celtics or Bulls (even without Rose).
Bryce Harper's debut: Wow. The laser double? The equally laser throw from the outfield? The heady sac fly? His innate unfazedness about the whole thing? Say this for his being groomed for the Majors since you were 11 or 12 -- at 19, he looks entirely comfortable there.
(The best part was the fan behind home plate who mooned the camera just as Harper was slapping his first MLB hit -- TV producers need to relax and just show it. It's just a tusch, not full-frontal.)
Meanwhile: Matt Kemp. Whew. 11 HRs in April... with a day or two left.
NFL Draft: My favorite pick of the final day was the Pats (of course) taking Ohio State's Nate Ebner, a walk-on special-teams player who was on exactly zero NFL draftnik radars. (Anything that makes the draftniks look silly -- and when Belichick drafts someone they've never heard of, they look silly -- is fine with me, and you get the sense Belichick did it, in part, to tweak the so-called draft "experts.")
Lamest pick of the draft: How could the Redskins pull off making the draft's best pick -- RG3 -- and its worst one, too? The Redskins using a 4th-round pick to take Michigan State QB Kirk Cousins. How dumb was this? Let's count the ways: (1) They already drafted RG3 in the 1st; (2) it causes unnecessary "controversy" distractions; (3) they are so loaded everywhere else they can't find talent they wanted more than an extraneous rookie QB? For all those who mocked the Jaguars for taking a punter in the 3rd round or the Patriots for taking a 6th-round Illinois safety in the 2nd round, this is arguably worse.
NHL: After the exhausting series against the Bruins, you could kind of see the Caps getting drummed out of Game 1 vs. the Rangers coming -- the thing is far from over, but it was an end to the "one-goal-away" momentum that the Caps had held throughout the first round, even in losses.
Congrats to Chandler Harnish, who joins the exclusive fraternity of "Mr. Irrelevant."
Great Sunday read: The New York Times profile of Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. It's awkward timing with the Rose injury, but Thibs' brilliance will be even more on display as Chicago tries to navigate the rest of the playoffs without Rose.
On the radar today: Flyers-Devils, Lakers-Nuggets, Bryce Harper's at-bats.
-- D.S.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
04/28 (Very) Quickie
I'd say it's a pretty good sports day today: End of NFL Draft, start of NBA Playoffs, Caps-Rangers Game 1, Bryce Harper's MLB debut (with Stephen Strasburg pitching, no less).
My favorite NFL Draft storyline from last night was Rutgers WR Mohamed Sanu -- victim of a nasty prank call on Thursday night that he had been drafted by the Bengals -- was... drafted by the Bengals.
(Runner-up: Much-maligned former Florida CB Janoris Jenkins was taken in the 2nd round by the Rams -- arguably the most high-risk/high-reward prospect since Randy Moss.)
Heat-Knicks at 3:30 is the most must-see NBA game -- although Thunder-Mavs tonight is close. If the Knicks were going to steal one, today is the day.
DC is having a hell of a sports week, but as exciting as drafting RG3 and the MLB promotion of Bryce Harper might be, this afternoon's opener against the Rangers is the biggest event.
That said: There are few MLB "live cut-in" at-bat moments worth making sure you're around for -- even though the chances are he'll fizzle in his first game, Harper feels worth tuning in to check out.
-- D.S.
My favorite NFL Draft storyline from last night was Rutgers WR Mohamed Sanu -- victim of a nasty prank call on Thursday night that he had been drafted by the Bengals -- was... drafted by the Bengals.
(Runner-up: Much-maligned former Florida CB Janoris Jenkins was taken in the 2nd round by the Rams -- arguably the most high-risk/high-reward prospect since Randy Moss.)
Heat-Knicks at 3:30 is the most must-see NBA game -- although Thunder-Mavs tonight is close. If the Knicks were going to steal one, today is the day.
DC is having a hell of a sports week, but as exciting as drafting RG3 and the MLB promotion of Bryce Harper might be, this afternoon's opener against the Rangers is the biggest event.
That said: There are few MLB "live cut-in" at-bat moments worth making sure you're around for -- even though the chances are he'll fizzle in his first game, Harper feels worth tuning in to check out.
-- D.S.
Friday, April 27, 2012
04/27 (Draft and More) Quickie
Whew, what an absolutely loaded morning. Let's get to it:
NFL Draft: The big storyline was the flurry of trades near the top. Kudos to the teams that traded up, taking advantage of a brief "Moneyball"-style inefficiency of the new labor deal that creates new rookie cost certainties that make taking a pick high not nearly the financial risk it once was.
The other big storylines:
*Luck and RG3 go 1-2, as expected. RG3's socks were a highlight, and it is hard to imagine there is a fan base more fired up about their pick than the Redskins fans.
*The Giants' rivals go big: The Cowboys traded up to No. 6 to get exceptional LSU DB Morris Claiborne, which was arguably the biggest power move of the night. The Eagles traded up to get exceptional Mississippi State D-lineman Fletcher Cox, which was another phenomenal deal. (And that's on top of the Redskins trading everything to get RG3.) Big moves needed, big moves made.
*The consensus winner? Arguably the Pats, a team that historically trades down/out of the first round instead traded up -- twice -- to get DE Chandler Jones and LB Donta Hightower. It is an instant upgrade to a defense that was suspect (even porous) last year. (The Pats could cap the coup by finagling embattled DB Janoris Jenkins early in the 2nd round; Bill Belichick has historically liked Urban Meyer's stars at Florida, even if they have potential red flags.)
*"Value" picks: As talents surprisingly slide down the board, better/playoff teams are there to snag them, with no better example than the Steelers getting Stanford OG David DeCastro. (Other late picks that pundits liked: The Chargers getting DE Melvin Ingram and the Bucs getting RB Doug Martin.)
*"Reaches": The Chiefs taking mercurial Memphis D-lineman Dontari Poe at 11 was questioned, as was the Seahawks taking West Virginia DE Bruce Irvin when Ingram and Quentin Coples (drafted by the Jets) were available. The 49ers were questioned for taking Illinois WR AJ Jenkins late in the 1st -- he was graded as a high 2nd-round pick, so it wasn't quite a reach, but he didn't have nearly the positive evals of LSU WR Rueben Randle. And then, of course, there was the biggest risk in the draft: The Dolphins taking Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill at No. 8.
*Brandon Weeden: The Colt McCoy Era appears to be over in Cleveland. The Browns spent a first-round pick on the 28-year-old rookie QB from Oklahoma State, who can't possibly be less effective than McCoy, who will still have a long NFL career, simply as a back-up who gets occasional chances to start when the QB1 gets injured. Weeden's transition would be clearly helped by the presence of new RB Trent Richardson in the backfield.
*Looking ahead to the 2nd round: WR Rueben Randle is the top name on the board, but it will be intriguing to see where Janoris Jenkins lands -- he is, by far, the most talented prospect left.
More:
*NHL Game 7 thrillers: Devils win in OT, Rangers hold off Senators. The East semifinals might as well be sponsored by the Amtrak Acela -- Rangers-Caps and Flyers-Devils. Should be fun.
*NBA Playoffs set: The leading storyline is clear: It is "championship or fail" for LeBron and the Heat. I'll stick with my preseason prediction of Thunder-Bulls in the Finals, with Chicago knocking off Miami in the East finals -- by far the most highly anticipated match-up of the playoffs.
*First-Round Picks: Chicago over Philly in 5; Boston over Atlanta in 6; Indiana over Orlando in 5; Miami over New York in 6; San Antonio over Utah in 7; Memphis over the Clippers in 7; the Lakers over the Nuggets in 7; Oklahoma City over Dallas in 7. Wow, does the West look fun to watch.
*NBA History: Worst team ever? The Bobcats finished the season with the worst winning percentage of all time. I love superlatives, so it's intriguing that "Worst Team Ever" is on the table. You have to adjust a bit for the compressed season and lack of any development time, but even in a full 82-game season with summer league and training camp, I'm not sure the Bobcats do much better.
*A playoff is coming to college football: It will be only a four-team bracket -- and I will guarantee you there is even more of a clusterf--- around picking that 4th team than there was picking the 2nd team in a two-team title game -- but it certainly beats the current system.
*Manager Pep Guardiola quits Barca: Does he want to coach the Wizards? (OK, how about my 5-year-old's kindergarten team?)
*MLB: Carl Crawford is being shut down for a while, and it adds insult to injury to insult for the Red Sox, who shelled out a gazillion dollars for him only to see him underperform last year -- and, now, not perform this year. (More Red Sox: They did shell Philip Humber, coming off his perfect game. So there's that.)
The morning after the draft is a fun moment -- it's all promise and potential, with more picks coming tonight and all weekend, with the hope that your team is getting better. Same with the day before the NBA Playoffs start: If your team is in it, they have a theoretical chance, and you can spend today talking yourself into thinking your team can at least beat expectations (if not win a title). And if your team is out of the playoffs, like mine, you can begin to scheme a plan for the offseason moves. Not sure what to tell you if you're a Barca fan, though....
-- D.S.
NFL Draft: The big storyline was the flurry of trades near the top. Kudos to the teams that traded up, taking advantage of a brief "Moneyball"-style inefficiency of the new labor deal that creates new rookie cost certainties that make taking a pick high not nearly the financial risk it once was.
The other big storylines:
*Luck and RG3 go 1-2, as expected. RG3's socks were a highlight, and it is hard to imagine there is a fan base more fired up about their pick than the Redskins fans.
*The Giants' rivals go big: The Cowboys traded up to No. 6 to get exceptional LSU DB Morris Claiborne, which was arguably the biggest power move of the night. The Eagles traded up to get exceptional Mississippi State D-lineman Fletcher Cox, which was another phenomenal deal. (And that's on top of the Redskins trading everything to get RG3.) Big moves needed, big moves made.
*The consensus winner? Arguably the Pats, a team that historically trades down/out of the first round instead traded up -- twice -- to get DE Chandler Jones and LB Donta Hightower. It is an instant upgrade to a defense that was suspect (even porous) last year. (The Pats could cap the coup by finagling embattled DB Janoris Jenkins early in the 2nd round; Bill Belichick has historically liked Urban Meyer's stars at Florida, even if they have potential red flags.)
*"Value" picks: As talents surprisingly slide down the board, better/playoff teams are there to snag them, with no better example than the Steelers getting Stanford OG David DeCastro. (Other late picks that pundits liked: The Chargers getting DE Melvin Ingram and the Bucs getting RB Doug Martin.)
*"Reaches": The Chiefs taking mercurial Memphis D-lineman Dontari Poe at 11 was questioned, as was the Seahawks taking West Virginia DE Bruce Irvin when Ingram and Quentin Coples (drafted by the Jets) were available. The 49ers were questioned for taking Illinois WR AJ Jenkins late in the 1st -- he was graded as a high 2nd-round pick, so it wasn't quite a reach, but he didn't have nearly the positive evals of LSU WR Rueben Randle. And then, of course, there was the biggest risk in the draft: The Dolphins taking Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill at No. 8.
*Brandon Weeden: The Colt McCoy Era appears to be over in Cleveland. The Browns spent a first-round pick on the 28-year-old rookie QB from Oklahoma State, who can't possibly be less effective than McCoy, who will still have a long NFL career, simply as a back-up who gets occasional chances to start when the QB1 gets injured. Weeden's transition would be clearly helped by the presence of new RB Trent Richardson in the backfield.
*Looking ahead to the 2nd round: WR Rueben Randle is the top name on the board, but it will be intriguing to see where Janoris Jenkins lands -- he is, by far, the most talented prospect left.
More:
*NHL Game 7 thrillers: Devils win in OT, Rangers hold off Senators. The East semifinals might as well be sponsored by the Amtrak Acela -- Rangers-Caps and Flyers-Devils. Should be fun.
*NBA Playoffs set: The leading storyline is clear: It is "championship or fail" for LeBron and the Heat. I'll stick with my preseason prediction of Thunder-Bulls in the Finals, with Chicago knocking off Miami in the East finals -- by far the most highly anticipated match-up of the playoffs.
*First-Round Picks: Chicago over Philly in 5; Boston over Atlanta in 6; Indiana over Orlando in 5; Miami over New York in 6; San Antonio over Utah in 7; Memphis over the Clippers in 7; the Lakers over the Nuggets in 7; Oklahoma City over Dallas in 7. Wow, does the West look fun to watch.
*NBA History: Worst team ever? The Bobcats finished the season with the worst winning percentage of all time. I love superlatives, so it's intriguing that "Worst Team Ever" is on the table. You have to adjust a bit for the compressed season and lack of any development time, but even in a full 82-game season with summer league and training camp, I'm not sure the Bobcats do much better.
*A playoff is coming to college football: It will be only a four-team bracket -- and I will guarantee you there is even more of a clusterf--- around picking that 4th team than there was picking the 2nd team in a two-team title game -- but it certainly beats the current system.
*Manager Pep Guardiola quits Barca: Does he want to coach the Wizards? (OK, how about my 5-year-old's kindergarten team?)
*MLB: Carl Crawford is being shut down for a while, and it adds insult to injury to insult for the Red Sox, who shelled out a gazillion dollars for him only to see him underperform last year -- and, now, not perform this year. (More Red Sox: They did shell Philip Humber, coming off his perfect game. So there's that.)
The morning after the draft is a fun moment -- it's all promise and potential, with more picks coming tonight and all weekend, with the hope that your team is getting better. Same with the day before the NBA Playoffs start: If your team is in it, they have a theoretical chance, and you can spend today talking yourself into thinking your team can at least beat expectations (if not win a title). And if your team is out of the playoffs, like mine, you can begin to scheme a plan for the offseason moves. Not sure what to tell you if you're a Barca fan, though....
-- D.S.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
*The Caps ousted the Bruins in a thrilling OT Game 7.
*The Nationals have the best record in the National League.
*The Wizards (the Wizards!) have won six straight (six!)
*The Redskins are drafting RG3 tonight.
Times have been lean for fans of DC sports teams. For one day, not today.
Picked a good moment to relocate here, apparently.
*The Nationals have the best record in the National League.
*The Wizards (the Wizards!) have won six straight (six!)
*The Redskins are drafting RG3 tonight.
Times have been lean for fans of DC sports teams. For one day, not today.
Picked a good moment to relocate here, apparently.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
04/25 (Pre-Draft) Quickie
It's the eve of the NFL Draft. With Luck and RG3 locked in to the top two picks, my three most intriguing storylines:
(1) What do the Vikings do at No. 3?
(2) Do the Dolphins reach for QB Ryan Tannehill at No. 8?
(3) Who takes a risk on uber-talented CB Janoris Jenkins?
Otherwise, I fully expect the Draft to dominate tomorrow, as everything NFL-related tends to dominate. (As for the league's attempts to keep draft picks off Twitter before the commissioner announces them at the podium: Good luck with that. Information wants to be free.)
More draft coverage at Quickish. Check it out!
More:
*Metta World Peace suspended 7 games: Most folks seem to think this was appropriate. Seems right.
*Soccer: Chelsea pulls off a Champions League stunner, playing 10-v-11 against Barca at Camp Nou and not only winning in aggregate, but playing Barca to a standstill in the game itself.
*NHL: So excited for Caps-Bruins Game 7 tonight. And even if I'm not a fan of either team, tomorrow's Devils-Panthers Game 7 is must-see, too. (As is Rangers-Senators Game 7.)
*MLB Hero of the Night: Yu Darvish, with 8+ IP and 0 ER against the Yankees, with 10 Ks and only 2 BB. A signature game for the highly touted rookie.
*NBA: Tankmania! The Warriors out-tanking the Hornets means that the Wizards don't have to tank the final two games in order to maintain their hold on the No. 2 Lottery spot. Success!
*ICYMI, don't miss Lee Jenkins' SI cover story on LeBron.
-- D.S.
(1) What do the Vikings do at No. 3?
(2) Do the Dolphins reach for QB Ryan Tannehill at No. 8?
(3) Who takes a risk on uber-talented CB Janoris Jenkins?
Otherwise, I fully expect the Draft to dominate tomorrow, as everything NFL-related tends to dominate. (As for the league's attempts to keep draft picks off Twitter before the commissioner announces them at the podium: Good luck with that. Information wants to be free.)
More draft coverage at Quickish. Check it out!
More:
*Metta World Peace suspended 7 games: Most folks seem to think this was appropriate. Seems right.
*Soccer: Chelsea pulls off a Champions League stunner, playing 10-v-11 against Barca at Camp Nou and not only winning in aggregate, but playing Barca to a standstill in the game itself.
*NHL: So excited for Caps-Bruins Game 7 tonight. And even if I'm not a fan of either team, tomorrow's Devils-Panthers Game 7 is must-see, too. (As is Rangers-Senators Game 7.)
*MLB Hero of the Night: Yu Darvish, with 8+ IP and 0 ER against the Yankees, with 10 Ks and only 2 BB. A signature game for the highly touted rookie.
*NBA: Tankmania! The Warriors out-tanking the Hornets means that the Wizards don't have to tank the final two games in order to maintain their hold on the No. 2 Lottery spot. Success!
*ICYMI, don't miss Lee Jenkins' SI cover story on LeBron.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
04/24 (Loomis) Quickie
Two words: Mickey. Loomis. "Loomis" is kind of a Dickensian name for an NFL GM with the league -- certainly the media -- bearing down on him over an alleged eavesdropping scheme. He vehemently denies it, but it's hard to imagine the news would get leaked if it wasn't at least truth-ish. What he probably needed to say was "I totally did that other bounty stuff, but I swear I didn't do this."
NFL Draft: The most interesting thing I read yesterday was the mock draft from NFL Films' Greg Cosell, who based his picks entirely on watching tape of the prospects (and, presumably, team need), with none of the troubling "scuttlebutt" (or disinformation) to sully his picks. That's how you end up with Janoris Jenkins in your Top 5. (Most interestingly, he grades RG3 higher than Luck.)
Meanwhile: RG3 got permission from the NFL to have "Griffin III" on his jersey nameplate. I'll bet his No. 10 Redskins jersey will be one of the Top 5 best-sellers in the league next year.
Tebow Watch: The Jets are going to use him on punt-protection, which drew some guffaws, but I think it's brilliant: Teams punt way too often as it is; Tebow gives the Jets a viable option to do something out of the punt formation besides punt, each and every time they line up to punt. That gives the return team something new to think about and an edge to the Jets.
CFB: Arkansas hires John L. Smith as temporary head coach while they figure out who they want to hire. Aside from screwing over Weber State, which had just hired JLS to be their head coach, it's a pretty brilliant move: Arkansas gets continuity from a previous assistant (one who has head-coaching experience), while setting up the understanding with him that it's a one-season gig; they can start recruiting his replacement immediately. (If you don't think that kind of head-start is important, ask Notre Dame how that went when Florida got a 6-week jump on them for Urban Meyer.) The New York Times' Pete Thamel was right: Arkansas is the most fascinating team in college football next season.
NBA: My Wizards have won four straight, and all I can think of is: "If they blow their previously locked-in No. 2 Lottery position...." Ah, don't you envy the life of a Wizards fan?
NHL: Rangers taking Senators to a Game 7. Nice pairing with the Caps taking the Bruins to a Game 7. Unfortunately, both are likely to end with the favorites escaping on home ice.
Nets say goodbye to New Jersey: As a die-hard fan of the borough of Brooklyn, I say Welcome.
Watch for: the perennial pre-draft rumor-mongering heading into the final 48 hours before the draft commences Thursday night.
-- D.S.
NFL Draft: The most interesting thing I read yesterday was the mock draft from NFL Films' Greg Cosell, who based his picks entirely on watching tape of the prospects (and, presumably, team need), with none of the troubling "scuttlebutt" (or disinformation) to sully his picks. That's how you end up with Janoris Jenkins in your Top 5. (Most interestingly, he grades RG3 higher than Luck.)
Meanwhile: RG3 got permission from the NFL to have "Griffin III" on his jersey nameplate. I'll bet his No. 10 Redskins jersey will be one of the Top 5 best-sellers in the league next year.
Tebow Watch: The Jets are going to use him on punt-protection, which drew some guffaws, but I think it's brilliant: Teams punt way too often as it is; Tebow gives the Jets a viable option to do something out of the punt formation besides punt, each and every time they line up to punt. That gives the return team something new to think about and an edge to the Jets.
CFB: Arkansas hires John L. Smith as temporary head coach while they figure out who they want to hire. Aside from screwing over Weber State, which had just hired JLS to be their head coach, it's a pretty brilliant move: Arkansas gets continuity from a previous assistant (one who has head-coaching experience), while setting up the understanding with him that it's a one-season gig; they can start recruiting his replacement immediately. (If you don't think that kind of head-start is important, ask Notre Dame how that went when Florida got a 6-week jump on them for Urban Meyer.) The New York Times' Pete Thamel was right: Arkansas is the most fascinating team in college football next season.
NBA: My Wizards have won four straight, and all I can think of is: "If they blow their previously locked-in No. 2 Lottery position...." Ah, don't you envy the life of a Wizards fan?
NHL: Rangers taking Senators to a Game 7. Nice pairing with the Caps taking the Bruins to a Game 7. Unfortunately, both are likely to end with the favorites escaping on home ice.
Nets say goodbye to New Jersey: As a die-hard fan of the borough of Brooklyn, I say Welcome.
Watch for: the perennial pre-draft rumor-mongering heading into the final 48 hours before the draft commences Thursday night.
-- D.S.
Monday, April 23, 2012
04/23 (Metta World WTF?) Quickie
Metta World Peace's elbow to the jaw of James Harden -- plus a concussion, naturally -- may or may not have been maliciously intended, but it sure seemed like more than an accident.
With MWP, you can never tell what is intended and what is incidental, and I hesitate to try to climb in his head to figure it out.
All you really need to know is that the 'bow drew massive outrage, and that outrage will likely lead to a massive suspension for MWP, into the playoffs.
(Frankly, the best idea I heard was suspending him a few more games than Harden will have to sit out -- the NBA is behind MLB, the NHL and the NFL when it comes to concussions. We'll see how long Harden is out. I'm presuming it will be less than Sidney Crosby but more than your typical NFL player.)
More:
*NHL: Bruins force a Game 7. Dammit. As I'm all in on the Caps now, this was their shot. Even if the Caps won in Boston in Game 5, I really don't think they can win there in Game 7. The Caps weren't supposed to win this series -- they have given it just about as great of an effort as possible.
*The Rangers are playing the Yankees today, and it's worth asking whether the Rangers are the new Yankees (or, perhaps more accurately, the new Red Sox) -- loaded with talent on the mound and in the lineup, with a super-smart GM and an ownership group willing to spend a ton. A killer combo.
*Today is the Nets' final game in New Jersey. It has been an era marked mostly by laughable problems, with one small flurry of greatness (those Kidd-led Finals teams of the early part of the 2000s) and one horrible tragedy (the death of Drazen Petrovic). Otherwise, it is one of the most woeful franchises in sports -- I do believe things will turn around in Brooklyn, if only because even with a sub-par product, they will have the cachet of Brooklyn.
*It's NFL Draft week. With Luck and RG3 locked in to the first two picks, the next-biggest storyline is which QB-starved franchise picks Texas A& QB Ryan Tannehill. The presumption is that the Dolphins will take him at No. 8, with no teams willing to trade up with the Jaguars at No. 7 to swoop in and swipe him. He's just not worth it in the way RG3 was for Washington. (I need to write a little more about this, but my lifetime disinterest in the Redskins -- from actively disliking them, as a DC-area resident no less, to general apathy about them -- is put to the test, because I am a huge RG3 fan and can't wait to watch him up close.)
*BTW: The best player in the draft is Alabama's Trent Richardson, the best RB college football has produced since Adrian Peterson, and the first RB I have seen since Ron Dayne his freshman year at Wisconsin that made my eyes pop with his sheer power. "Franchise" RBs just aren't as valued as they were in years past -- that's the evolution of the game -- but for however many years he is active, Richardson will be fantastic.
*Some terrific reads from this past weekend. They have been collected on Quickish -- give them a read here.
-- D.S.
With MWP, you can never tell what is intended and what is incidental, and I hesitate to try to climb in his head to figure it out.
All you really need to know is that the 'bow drew massive outrage, and that outrage will likely lead to a massive suspension for MWP, into the playoffs.
(Frankly, the best idea I heard was suspending him a few more games than Harden will have to sit out -- the NBA is behind MLB, the NHL and the NFL when it comes to concussions. We'll see how long Harden is out. I'm presuming it will be less than Sidney Crosby but more than your typical NFL player.)
More:
*NHL: Bruins force a Game 7. Dammit. As I'm all in on the Caps now, this was their shot. Even if the Caps won in Boston in Game 5, I really don't think they can win there in Game 7. The Caps weren't supposed to win this series -- they have given it just about as great of an effort as possible.
*The Rangers are playing the Yankees today, and it's worth asking whether the Rangers are the new Yankees (or, perhaps more accurately, the new Red Sox) -- loaded with talent on the mound and in the lineup, with a super-smart GM and an ownership group willing to spend a ton. A killer combo.
*Today is the Nets' final game in New Jersey. It has been an era marked mostly by laughable problems, with one small flurry of greatness (those Kidd-led Finals teams of the early part of the 2000s) and one horrible tragedy (the death of Drazen Petrovic). Otherwise, it is one of the most woeful franchises in sports -- I do believe things will turn around in Brooklyn, if only because even with a sub-par product, they will have the cachet of Brooklyn.
*It's NFL Draft week. With Luck and RG3 locked in to the first two picks, the next-biggest storyline is which QB-starved franchise picks Texas A& QB Ryan Tannehill. The presumption is that the Dolphins will take him at No. 8, with no teams willing to trade up with the Jaguars at No. 7 to swoop in and swipe him. He's just not worth it in the way RG3 was for Washington. (I need to write a little more about this, but my lifetime disinterest in the Redskins -- from actively disliking them, as a DC-area resident no less, to general apathy about them -- is put to the test, because I am a huge RG3 fan and can't wait to watch him up close.)
*BTW: The best player in the draft is Alabama's Trent Richardson, the best RB college football has produced since Adrian Peterson, and the first RB I have seen since Ron Dayne his freshman year at Wisconsin that made my eyes pop with his sheer power. "Franchise" RBs just aren't as valued as they were in years past -- that's the evolution of the game -- but for however many years he is active, Richardson will be fantastic.
*Some terrific reads from this past weekend. They have been collected on Quickish -- give them a read here.
-- D.S.
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