*I definitely classify as someone who isn't as much of a soccer buff as I should be, but someone who really gets into the World Cup. Really looking forward to the next month of daily games to watch.
*I'm going Occam's Razor here and picking Brazil to win it all, over Uruguay in the finals -- which would, partly, exorcise the ghosts of 1950.
*Other semifinalists: Germany (which will lose to Brazil after some highly suspicious refereeing) and Argentina (which will lose to Uruguay in an epic semifinal battle).
*Other quarterfinalists: Spain (which will lose to Uruguay), Colombia (which will notably beat England in the knockout round), Switzerland (the Swiss!) and Belgium (bandwagon!)
*Eight other teams making it to the knockout round: Croatia (A), Netherlands (B), Greece (C), England (D), Ecuador (E), Bosnia (F), Portugal (G), Russia (H).
*Of course, that means I am predicting that the US will NOT make it out of the group stage -- if they were in another group, very possible.
*But I'll certainly be rooting for the Yanks to beat Ghana and somehow tie Portugal (before the inevitable loss to Germany), sneaking into 2nd place in the group.
Enjoy the tournament!
-- D.S.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
6/11 Spurs Quickie
*That Spurs 1st quarter was among the most effective quarters of basketball you'll ever see.
*This Cespedes throw from the deep outfield (after bobbling away the ball!) to home plate is one of the greatest throws you will ever see.
*This Deadspin piece by Greg Howard about my one-time Page 2 colleague Jason Whitlock is one of the greatest pieces of media reporting and analysis you will ever see.
*World Cup: This piece by Grantland's Brian Phillips -- "The Soul of Brazilian Soccer" -- is one of the best pieces of soccer writing you'll get this month -- or any.
Can't wait for the World Cup to start tomorrow.
-- D.S.
*This Cespedes throw from the deep outfield (after bobbling away the ball!) to home plate is one of the greatest throws you will ever see.
*This Deadspin piece by Greg Howard about my one-time Page 2 colleague Jason Whitlock is one of the greatest pieces of media reporting and analysis you will ever see.
*World Cup: This piece by Grantland's Brian Phillips -- "The Soul of Brazilian Soccer" -- is one of the best pieces of soccer writing you'll get this month -- or any.
Can't wait for the World Cup to start tomorrow.
-- D.S.
Monday, June 09, 2014
Must-See: The John Oliver Video About FIFA
This segment from John Oliver about FIFA is as good as everyone is saying today:
And then there's this one -- sort of affirming Oliver's final point -- from Nike:
-- D.S.
And then there's this one -- sort of affirming Oliver's final point -- from Nike:
-- D.S.
6/9 Monday LeBron Quickie
*OK, so maybe "Spurs in 5" was misguided. Game 2 was the difference between "no LeBron in the final 2 minutes" of Game 1 and "Yes, lots of LeBron in the final 2 minutes."
(And that pass into the corner to Bosh for the game-winning 3? Go figure: The same "right basketball play" he was pilloried for when Bosh missed the shot against Indy.)
*California Chrome denied: It's easy to feel for Chrome's owner, but he managed to rip/steal the storyline from his horse, with his griping.(And that pass into the corner to Bosh for the game-winning 3? Go figure: The same "right basketball play" he was pilloried for when Bosh missed the shot against Indy.)
Friday, June 06, 2014
6/6 Friday The Cramp Game Quickie
*It is absurd to ding LeBron in the least for cramping up last night. (But it is shocking that it happened.)
*It was absolutely compelling to watch him sit on the sidelines. There was zero schadenfreude (maybe from others, but not from me).
*Unlike LeBron, the conditions in the arena were pathetic and worthy of our mockery. The Spurs should be embarrassed.
*With a full-strength LeBron -- which I'm sure we'll see in Games 2-Whatever -- I'm not sure the Spurs win that game. Nevertheless: 1-0.
*Will California Chrome win the Triple Crown? Prediction: Yes.
-- D.S.
*It was absolutely compelling to watch him sit on the sidelines. There was zero schadenfreude (maybe from others, but not from me).
*Unlike LeBron, the conditions in the arena were pathetic and worthy of our mockery. The Spurs should be embarrassed.
*With a full-strength LeBron -- which I'm sure we'll see in Games 2-Whatever -- I'm not sure the Spurs win that game. Nevertheless: 1-0.
*Will California Chrome win the Triple Crown? Prediction: Yes.
-- D.S.
Thursday, June 05, 2014
6/5 Thursday NBA Finals Quickie
*Spurs in 5.
*Lots of great World Cup ads already released, and this one by Beats might be the best yet:
*OK, maybe Rangers in 7 wasn't the best pick -- but I stand by it!
-- D.S.
*Lots of great World Cup ads already released, and this one by Beats might be the best yet:
*OK, maybe Rangers in 7 wasn't the best pick -- but I stand by it!
-- D.S.
Wednesday, June 04, 2014
6/4-5 "50" Quickie
*Super Bowl "50": Bigger "50" issue this week: 50 Cent's first pitch... or the NFL ditching Roman numerals for Super Bowl "50" (presumably because "L" directly correlates to vividly to "loser").
*Colin Kaepernick: Worth the record-breaking (guaranteed) price tag? Sure! (Just makes you wonder what Russell Wilson is going to get -- let alone Andrew Luck. And why Marcus Mariota would push off by a year the ability to cash in like Kap just did.)
*All-NBA: Forget the usual suspects like LeBron, KD and CP3 -- the breakthrough is Joakim Noah making 1st-team all-NBA. What a spectacular talent.
(OK: How many 1st-team all-NBA players also won a college hoops national title? If you go back 40 years, the list is VERY short: Noah, Jordan, Grant Hill, Ewing, Magic, Isiah, Walton, Kareem.)
*World Cup lead-up: The more I read about Jurgen Klinsmann (in the NYT here and WSJ here), the more I like his style.
*Rangers in 7.
-- D.S.
*Colin Kaepernick: Worth the record-breaking (guaranteed) price tag? Sure! (Just makes you wonder what Russell Wilson is going to get -- let alone Andrew Luck. And why Marcus Mariota would push off by a year the ability to cash in like Kap just did.)
*All-NBA: Forget the usual suspects like LeBron, KD and CP3 -- the breakthrough is Joakim Noah making 1st-team all-NBA. What a spectacular talent.
(OK: How many 1st-team all-NBA players also won a college hoops national title? If you go back 40 years, the list is VERY short: Noah, Jordan, Grant Hill, Ewing, Magic, Isiah, Walton, Kareem.)
*World Cup lead-up: The more I read about Jurgen Klinsmann (in the NYT here and WSJ here), the more I like his style.
*Rangers in 7.
-- D.S.
Friday, May 30, 2014
5/30 Weekend Quickie
*That Spelling Bee finish was amazing. I stand by my tweet from mid-event: After all that, to not let the two competitors keep going to find a winner feels like short-changing them; they might as well give trophies to all three finalists before they run through the 25 "championship" words. All that said, I'm thrilled for both of them and their families/friends. Best Bee ever!
*Ballmer buys Clippers? For starters, "Anyone But Sterling" was always going to be superior to Sterling. That it's one billionaire vs. another? Eh. That $2B pricetag? I don't see it as absurd -- not given escalating franchise values and the motherlode of TV rights coming up for NBA teams, including the Clippers.
Will it be the same ROI as it would be for an owner who bought a team for a mere $250M-400M? (Here's why that question is moot: Ballmer isn't buying it as an investment or to flip it; this is a "forever house." That his heirs will one day be able to sell the team for 2x or 5x or 10x that $2B number is largely inconsequential, although the reality is that they will.)
*"Peak Duncan." We've been talking about "peak" performances all week in the NBA Playoffs -- "peak LeBron," "peak Westbrook." Then there's "peak Duncan," which began in 1997 and hasn't really ended since, including last night's dominance -- what a great series.
*Rangers back in Stanley Cup Finals. I love the post-series handshake and the playoff beards as sports traditions -- they are both in the Top 10, across all sports -- but I really love the tradition where the conference champ doesn't touch the conference-champ trophy. Cup or bust -- gotta love that.
-- D.S.
*Ballmer buys Clippers? For starters, "Anyone But Sterling" was always going to be superior to Sterling. That it's one billionaire vs. another? Eh. That $2B pricetag? I don't see it as absurd -- not given escalating franchise values and the motherlode of TV rights coming up for NBA teams, including the Clippers.
Will it be the same ROI as it would be for an owner who bought a team for a mere $250M-400M? (Here's why that question is moot: Ballmer isn't buying it as an investment or to flip it; this is a "forever house." That his heirs will one day be able to sell the team for 2x or 5x or 10x that $2B number is largely inconsequential, although the reality is that they will.)
*"Peak Duncan." We've been talking about "peak" performances all week in the NBA Playoffs -- "peak LeBron," "peak Westbrook." Then there's "peak Duncan," which began in 1997 and hasn't really ended since, including last night's dominance -- what a great series.
*Rangers back in Stanley Cup Finals. I love the post-series handshake and the playoff beards as sports traditions -- they are both in the Top 10, across all sports -- but I really love the tradition where the conference champ doesn't touch the conference-champ trophy. Cup or bust -- gotta love that.
-- D.S.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
5/29 What The LeBron Quickie
*Lance Stephenson blowing into LeBron's ear pretty much captured LeBron's not-so-quite-peak night, what with the grand total of 7 points (mostly because of the atypically volumnious fouls).
*One thing that is not in question: LeBron made exactly the right play at the end of the game, finding a wide-open Chris Bosh for what would have been a lead-taking 3. That it didn't go in is unfortunate for the Heat, but has nothing to do with whether it was the right play.
*Meanwhile, Paul George -- from that last shot of the 3rd quarter through his dominant 4th -- was as impressive a 12-minute-1-second display as we have seen this year.
*2OT playoff hockey is the best kind of playoff hockey.
*Spelling Bee finals tonight! One of the best sports events of the year -- I'll continue to insist that these 8-to-12-year-olds display more cool under pressure (not to mention dedication to preparation) than any "adult" pro athlete.
-- D.S.
*One thing that is not in question: LeBron made exactly the right play at the end of the game, finding a wide-open Chris Bosh for what would have been a lead-taking 3. That it didn't go in is unfortunate for the Heat, but has nothing to do with whether it was the right play.
*Meanwhile, Paul George -- from that last shot of the 3rd quarter through his dominant 4th -- was as impressive a 12-minute-1-second display as we have seen this year.
*2OT playoff hockey is the best kind of playoff hockey.
*Spelling Bee finals tonight! One of the best sports events of the year -- I'll continue to insist that these 8-to-12-year-olds display more cool under pressure (not to mention dedication to preparation) than any "adult" pro athlete.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
5/28 Westbrook Quickie
*"Peak Westbrook": Yesterday, we were talking about "peak LeBron" -- today, it's "peak Westbrook."
*"Johnny Middleseat": Doesn't it say more about his character than anything else that he sucked it up and stuck with the middle seat, rather than try to bribe the window-seat passenger to switch?
*Serena and Venus both KO'ed from French Open: There goes any reason to watch.
-- D.S.
*"Johnny Middleseat": Doesn't it say more about his character than anything else that he sucked it up and stuck with the middle seat, rather than try to bribe the window-seat passenger to switch?
*Serena and Venus both KO'ed from French Open: There goes any reason to watch.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Tuesday 5/27 LeBron Quickie
*Last night was "peak LeBron" on display. The only thing that can stop the Heat is the Spurs.
*An injury to Yordano Ventura would eclipse the residual feel-goods from Josh Beckett's no-hitter.
*I suppose the fan world divides into two camps: The tiny vocal minority that thinks it's an issue that Johnny Manziel was in Las Vegas, and the massive majority whose universal reaction is "And?"
*Best moment of the weekend, arguably: The announcers for Queens Park Rangers going bananas when the team scored in the 90th minute to put QPR back in the Premiership.
*On the other side: You've got to feel for fans of Atletico Madrid -- that's way (way) worse than the 2003 moment when the Yankees blew the 3-0 ALCS lead to the Red Sox.
*I don't watch enough auto racing -- both the F1 race in Monaco and the Indy 500 were awesome.
-- D.S.
*An injury to Yordano Ventura would eclipse the residual feel-goods from Josh Beckett's no-hitter.
*I suppose the fan world divides into two camps: The tiny vocal minority that thinks it's an issue that Johnny Manziel was in Las Vegas, and the massive majority whose universal reaction is "And?"
*Best moment of the weekend, arguably: The announcers for Queens Park Rangers going bananas when the team scored in the 90th minute to put QPR back in the Premiership.
*On the other side: You've got to feel for fans of Atletico Madrid -- that's way (way) worse than the 2003 moment when the Yankees blew the 3-0 ALCS lead to the Red Sox.
*I don't watch enough auto racing -- both the F1 race in Monaco and the Indy 500 were awesome.
-- D.S.
Friday, May 23, 2014
5/23 Memorial Day Weekend Quickie
*Landon Donovan left off USMNT World Cup squad: Jurgen Klinsmann knew exactly what he was doing -- leaving off Donovan was deliberate, tactical, remorseless. The message is "'18, not '14."
Bill Barnwell had an immediate reaction that felt right: If the US falls short (and they will), the entire discussion will be "What if Landon was playing?"
*NBA Playoffs: By the time we get to Tuesday, it'll be Heat 3-1 and Spurs 3-0. (Hate the lull with no games last night and tonight -- after the nightly pace, it was a sudden withdrawal.)
*Prince Fielder: Bad contract or the worst contract? (Can't be worse than Ryan Howard, but up there.) Fielder had been durable throughout his career; reminder about the dominant role of chance.
*Phrase to know: "Let the games began" (V. Stiviano, via the LA Times)
*Weekend read: "Bedtime Stories for Catherine," from ESPN's Wright Thompson
*Congrats to my pals at FTW for winning "Best Mobile Site" from Digiday at their awards show last night.
-- D.S.
Bill Barnwell had an immediate reaction that felt right: If the US falls short (and they will), the entire discussion will be "What if Landon was playing?"
*NBA Playoffs: By the time we get to Tuesday, it'll be Heat 3-1 and Spurs 3-0. (Hate the lull with no games last night and tonight -- after the nightly pace, it was a sudden withdrawal.)
*Prince Fielder: Bad contract or the worst contract? (Can't be worse than Ryan Howard, but up there.) Fielder had been durable throughout his career; reminder about the dominant role of chance.
*Phrase to know: "Let the games began" (V. Stiviano, via the LA Times)
*Weekend read: "Bedtime Stories for Catherine," from ESPN's Wright Thompson
*Congrats to my pals at FTW for winning "Best Mobile Site" from Digiday at their awards show last night.
-- D.S.
Thursday, May 22, 2014
5/22 Spurs Dynasty Quickie
This feels like the moment when everyone finally gets on board with how amazing these Spurs are -- and have been since the dawn of Duncan.
It is Tim Duncan -- not Shaq or Kobe or LeBron -- who deserves to have an entire era named after him. The NBA from 1999-2014... "The Duncan Dynasty."
It's not just the titles, although that is typically how we ultimately measure success. The Spurs should have had another last year and seem hell-bent on rolling to one this year.
They are dispatching the Thunder in this series like OKC was a nuisance; what's going to happen in two weeks when they play a team they actually feel viscerally angry about?
It feels like only now that the vast majority of fans are finally recognizing that the Spurs are iconic. This "Big Three" trumps Miami's version, and it's not even close.
Gregg Popovich trumps Phil Jackson -- and possibly/probably any other coach in NBA history (although as with Phil, it's hard to know how much is the coach and how much is the all-time talent).
Sure, the roster is anchored by one of the Top 10 players of all time and bolstered by two of the greatest draft steals ever (three, if you count Kawhi Leonard).
But it's hard to think of a team in NBA history as well-oiled as these Spurs are -- and have been, for a generation. Maybe since Showtime -- the Spurs are on track to match those 5 titles.
The Spurs don't clamor for your attention, recognition or respect -- that has simply become a byproduct of staggering success.
-- D.S.
PS: Thanks to Tony Reali, Aaron Solomon, Erik Rydholm and the folks at the Around the Horn/PTI/Highly Questionable HQ for hosting me yesterday on the 10th anniversary of my ATH debut.
It is Tim Duncan -- not Shaq or Kobe or LeBron -- who deserves to have an entire era named after him. The NBA from 1999-2014... "The Duncan Dynasty."
It's not just the titles, although that is typically how we ultimately measure success. The Spurs should have had another last year and seem hell-bent on rolling to one this year.
They are dispatching the Thunder in this series like OKC was a nuisance; what's going to happen in two weeks when they play a team they actually feel viscerally angry about?
It feels like only now that the vast majority of fans are finally recognizing that the Spurs are iconic. This "Big Three" trumps Miami's version, and it's not even close.
Gregg Popovich trumps Phil Jackson -- and possibly/probably any other coach in NBA history (although as with Phil, it's hard to know how much is the coach and how much is the all-time talent).
Sure, the roster is anchored by one of the Top 10 players of all time and bolstered by two of the greatest draft steals ever (three, if you count Kawhi Leonard).
But it's hard to think of a team in NBA history as well-oiled as these Spurs are -- and have been, for a generation. Maybe since Showtime -- the Spurs are on track to match those 5 titles.
The Spurs don't clamor for your attention, recognition or respect -- that has simply become a byproduct of staggering success.
-- D.S.
PS: Thanks to Tony Reali, Aaron Solomon, Erik Rydholm and the folks at the Around the Horn/PTI/Highly Questionable HQ for hosting me yesterday on the 10th anniversary of my ATH debut.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
5/21 Lottery Hangover Quickie
*Ten years ago today, I made my debut on "Around the Horn." That's surreal on several levels.
*The Cavs winning the NBA Lottery is the lamest outcome. I'm sure they will take Wiggins, but they should take Embiid, even with the injury risk; let him sit out all next year to get better.
*After last night, any lingering doubts about whether the Heat will roll over the Pacers?
-- D.S.
*The Cavs winning the NBA Lottery is the lamest outcome. I'm sure they will take Wiggins, but they should take Embiid, even with the injury risk; let him sit out all next year to get better.
*After last night, any lingering doubts about whether the Heat will roll over the Pacers?
-- D.S.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
5/20 Lottery Quickie
*I have become so conditioned -- institutionalized -- to get excited for the NBA Draft Lottery (aka "our playoffs" for Wizards fans) that it's weird to not be involved tonight.
This year's edition has at least three (but I'd argue five) potential franchise-changers: Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Joel Embiid (plus Dante Exum and Noah Vonleh), and a slew of players with potential to be playoff rotation contributors down the line, if not starters on playoff teams.
(Thought experiment: Five years from now, how many games would a team whose starting five was Exum, Wiggins, Parker, Vonleh and Embiid win? I'll say at least 50.)
Anyway, it's a big night for bottom-feeders -- but, for once, not for Wizards fans.
*After watching the Spurs hammer the Thunder last night, "Spurs in 5" still sounds right.
*California Chrome/Triple Crown Watch: The nasal strip was approved, for obvious (commercial) reasons. Now the Belmont resumes being a must-see event.
*Name to Know: Lucy Li, the 11-year-old who qualified for the LPGA's US Women's Open. Lucy rules! (And maybe I'm just saying that because my own daughter is named Lucy!)
*Prediction: Kevin Ollie will be in the NBA before his 5-year extension at UConn runs out.
*NFL Draft moved from NYC to another city, rotating annually? Yes, please.
-- D.S.
This year's edition has at least three (but I'd argue five) potential franchise-changers: Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Joel Embiid (plus Dante Exum and Noah Vonleh), and a slew of players with potential to be playoff rotation contributors down the line, if not starters on playoff teams.
(Thought experiment: Five years from now, how many games would a team whose starting five was Exum, Wiggins, Parker, Vonleh and Embiid win? I'll say at least 50.)
Anyway, it's a big night for bottom-feeders -- but, for once, not for Wizards fans.
*After watching the Spurs hammer the Thunder last night, "Spurs in 5" still sounds right.
*California Chrome/Triple Crown Watch: The nasal strip was approved, for obvious (commercial) reasons. Now the Belmont resumes being a must-see event.
*Name to Know: Lucy Li, the 11-year-old who qualified for the LPGA's US Women's Open. Lucy rules! (And maybe I'm just saying that because my own daughter is named Lucy!)
*Prediction: Kevin Ollie will be in the NBA before his 5-year extension at UConn runs out.
*NFL Draft moved from NYC to another city, rotating annually? Yes, please.
-- D.S.
Monday, May 19, 2014
5/19 Monday Quickie
*For my money, Twitch is the most fascinating sports-media deal of the year. It's the closest thing we've seen to a "next ESPN" by a start-up since... ESPN.
(Stat to know: In March, Consumption of Twitch represented 1.35% of all -- ALL -- downstream bandwidth. That's more than HBO Go. Background on the rumored YouTube acquisition here; required background reading on Twitch here.)
*Pacers beat Heat in Game 1: Is it wrong that my entire lens for this series is a combination of "Well, at least the Wizards played Indy tougher than Miami did" and "At this rate, the Wizards could have beaten the Heat, too."
*California Chrome nasal-strip controversy: This shouldn't be a controversy! The New York Racing Association would be insane not to give the horse an exemption to wear the breathing aid.
*Spurs over Thunder in 5.
-- D.S.
(Stat to know: In March, Consumption of Twitch represented 1.35% of all -- ALL -- downstream bandwidth. That's more than HBO Go. Background on the rumored YouTube acquisition here; required background reading on Twitch here.)
*Pacers beat Heat in Game 1: Is it wrong that my entire lens for this series is a combination of "Well, at least the Wizards played Indy tougher than Miami did" and "At this rate, the Wizards could have beaten the Heat, too."
*California Chrome nasal-strip controversy: This shouldn't be a controversy! The New York Racing Association would be insane not to give the horse an exemption to wear the breathing aid.
*Spurs over Thunder in 5.
-- D.S.
Friday, May 16, 2014
5/16 Happy Birthday Gabe Quickie
*Happy 8th birthday, Gabe. It nearly gives me vertigo to consider how much has happened since May 16, 2006.
*Gabe was thrilled that his favorite NBA team -- the Thunder -- delivered him a post-midnight birthday present of a close-out in the Western conference semis over the Clippers.
*Between LeBron and Durant, it sure looks like Chris Paul is destined to be this generation's Barkley-Ewing-Stockton-Malone superstar who never wins a ring. Happy to be proven wrong, but....
*Miami is going to throttle Indiana. San Antonio is going to throttle OKC. The Playoffs are so much fun, but the end-pairing has been predictable since November. The Finals result, on the other hand....
*Predictions for my Wiz in their offseason: Grunfeld stays (obviously). Wittman extended (I appreciate his work this postseason, but I respectfully disagree). Gortat re-signs. They try to re-sign Ariza, but he gets a more lucrative offer elsewhere -- he is a great piece for a would-be contender. The upside of that is that they invested so much in the Otto Porter pick, gotta let him play next year. The team is in the mix early for Greg Monroe, but he goes elsewhere.
*If you like media wonkery, the leaked NY Times innovation memo is fascinating -- Nieman Lab did a great job of digesting it for you.
-- D.S.
*Gabe was thrilled that his favorite NBA team -- the Thunder -- delivered him a post-midnight birthday present of a close-out in the Western conference semis over the Clippers.
*Between LeBron and Durant, it sure looks like Chris Paul is destined to be this generation's Barkley-Ewing-Stockton-Malone superstar who never wins a ring. Happy to be proven wrong, but....
*Miami is going to throttle Indiana. San Antonio is going to throttle OKC. The Playoffs are so much fun, but the end-pairing has been predictable since November. The Finals result, on the other hand....
*Predictions for my Wiz in their offseason: Grunfeld stays (obviously). Wittman extended (I appreciate his work this postseason, but I respectfully disagree). Gortat re-signs. They try to re-sign Ariza, but he gets a more lucrative offer elsewhere -- he is a great piece for a would-be contender. The upside of that is that they invested so much in the Otto Porter pick, gotta let him play next year. The team is in the mix early for Greg Monroe, but he goes elsewhere.
*If you like media wonkery, the leaked NY Times innovation memo is fascinating -- Nieman Lab did a great job of digesting it for you.
-- D.S.
Thursday, May 15, 2014
5/15 Wizards Denouement Quickie
You have to understand that long before Florida and before Northwestern, I was a Bullets/Wizards fan -- it is my oldest and longest-standing fan allegiance, going back roughly 30 years.
For almost all of those 30 years, the team has been somewhere between mediocre and terrible. There were brief glints in '87/88 and '97. Up until this season, my three favorite Wizards moments didn't even come on the court -- it was the day of the trade for Chris Webber, the night we won the NBA Lottery to secure us John Wall and the moment the Bobcats passed on Bradley Beal, ensuring he'd come to DC. (I enjoyed the Arenas years a lot -- who didn't? -- but can't help but remember them as tarnished for the way it all ended.)
Three years ago, when I relocated back to DC, I became even more engaged with the team -- I watched a lot (a LOT) of Wizards games, most of them in the range of atrocious. Slowly, we got rid of the knuckleheads. We got Nene. We got Beal. We got Gortat.
This season, I would say that I watched all (and certainly part) of at least 75 or more of the 82-game regular season, subjecting Mrs. Quickie to Wizards basketball throughout the winter.
Like the rest of the fan base, I was rewarded with a pretty good season! And pretty good is pretty great, when you consider that almost all of the previous 30 years were pretty lousy.
Then this playoff run started, and we dispatched the Bulls, which was as thrilling of an on-court result as I have ever experienced. The city cared about the team again, in a way it hadn't in a long time. Is this what it is like in the cities with perennially good NBA teams?
You cannot underestimate the idea of feeling relevant -- of feeling ANYTHING positive about this team, even feeling frustration over bad plays or losses. Because those bad plays and losses were happening in the playoffs, not in December against the Bucks en route to a 20-win season.
Then we beat the Pacers in Game 1. Then we lost three straight, and I figured it was all over -- good job, good effort. Then, in Game 5, we destroyed them -- a new "favorite moment" for me. It re-sparked that, yes, this team was good enough to beat the Pacers in a 7-game series.
My feeling going into Game 6 tonight was "We SHOULD win. We probably won't. But we SHOULD." I can't tell you how amazing -- exotic, really -- that feeling is for a Wizards fan.
And guess what: They should have won this game. They should have. They should have taken this to Game 7 on Sunday and, then, won the damn series.
I can simultaneously be disappointed about tonight -- to have that many miscues and still be in a position to win is inexcusable for a team that is as good as this one -- but so satisfied about getting this far and putting up this much of a fight.
That I finally get to feel that mixture of elation and disappointment -- what so many other teams' fans take for granted -- is a newly minted priceless sports memory for me.
I hope for nothing but this being the start of sustained success where I begin to EXPECT success, rather than merely appreciate it as a novelty. Despite having the best young backcourt in the league, I actually worry -- like any good lifelong Bullets/Wizards fan -- that we will look back in 10 years and this will end up turning out to be "peak Wiz."
But I'll always remember this team and this run for the new emotions it allowed me to feel.
-- D.S.
For almost all of those 30 years, the team has been somewhere between mediocre and terrible. There were brief glints in '87/88 and '97. Up until this season, my three favorite Wizards moments didn't even come on the court -- it was the day of the trade for Chris Webber, the night we won the NBA Lottery to secure us John Wall and the moment the Bobcats passed on Bradley Beal, ensuring he'd come to DC. (I enjoyed the Arenas years a lot -- who didn't? -- but can't help but remember them as tarnished for the way it all ended.)
Three years ago, when I relocated back to DC, I became even more engaged with the team -- I watched a lot (a LOT) of Wizards games, most of them in the range of atrocious. Slowly, we got rid of the knuckleheads. We got Nene. We got Beal. We got Gortat.
This season, I would say that I watched all (and certainly part) of at least 75 or more of the 82-game regular season, subjecting Mrs. Quickie to Wizards basketball throughout the winter.
Like the rest of the fan base, I was rewarded with a pretty good season! And pretty good is pretty great, when you consider that almost all of the previous 30 years were pretty lousy.
Then this playoff run started, and we dispatched the Bulls, which was as thrilling of an on-court result as I have ever experienced. The city cared about the team again, in a way it hadn't in a long time. Is this what it is like in the cities with perennially good NBA teams?
You cannot underestimate the idea of feeling relevant -- of feeling ANYTHING positive about this team, even feeling frustration over bad plays or losses. Because those bad plays and losses were happening in the playoffs, not in December against the Bucks en route to a 20-win season.
Then we beat the Pacers in Game 1. Then we lost three straight, and I figured it was all over -- good job, good effort. Then, in Game 5, we destroyed them -- a new "favorite moment" for me. It re-sparked that, yes, this team was good enough to beat the Pacers in a 7-game series.
My feeling going into Game 6 tonight was "We SHOULD win. We probably won't. But we SHOULD." I can't tell you how amazing -- exotic, really -- that feeling is for a Wizards fan.
And guess what: They should have won this game. They should have. They should have taken this to Game 7 on Sunday and, then, won the damn series.
I can simultaneously be disappointed about tonight -- to have that many miscues and still be in a position to win is inexcusable for a team that is as good as this one -- but so satisfied about getting this far and putting up this much of a fight.
That I finally get to feel that mixture of elation and disappointment -- what so many other teams' fans take for granted -- is a newly minted priceless sports memory for me.
I hope for nothing but this being the start of sustained success where I begin to EXPECT success, rather than merely appreciate it as a novelty. Despite having the best young backcourt in the league, I actually worry -- like any good lifelong Bullets/Wizards fan -- that we will look back in 10 years and this will end up turning out to be "peak Wiz."
But I'll always remember this team and this run for the new emotions it allowed me to feel.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
5/14 Wizards Thunder Quickie
*The Wiz fan in me must overlook the insane ending to the Thunder-Clippers game to note that was the best effort -- at the most critical moment -- I have ever seen the team offer.
*I don't know if the Wiz can win Game 6 back in DC -- if they play like they did last night, they clearly can -- but if this was it, it's nice to feel like they put it all together when it mattered most.
*OK, so back to Thunder-Clippers, round 5: Terrible choices by the Clippers, terrible calls by the refs, but a hell of a comeback by OKC in the final 4 minutes/1 minute.
*Henrik Lundqvist: There are a handful of athletes we can all feel like "Watching them in their prime is Peak Fandom, even if you don't care about their team." That's him in Game 7s.
*Last word to Doc Rivers: "We were robbed." But also: "We did a lot ourselves to not win the game."
-- D.S.
*I don't know if the Wiz can win Game 6 back in DC -- if they play like they did last night, they clearly can -- but if this was it, it's nice to feel like they put it all together when it mattered most.
*OK, so back to Thunder-Clippers, round 5: Terrible choices by the Clippers, terrible calls by the refs, but a hell of a comeback by OKC in the final 4 minutes/1 minute.
*Henrik Lundqvist: There are a handful of athletes we can all feel like "Watching them in their prime is Peak Fandom, even if you don't care about their team." That's him in Game 7s.
*Last word to Doc Rivers: "We were robbed." But also: "We did a lot ourselves to not win the game."
-- D.S.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
5/13 Wiz-blivion Quickie
*The most remarkable thing about Donald Sterling's interview last night is that the universal presumption was that he couldn't get more loathsome than two weeks ago -- and yet!
*I obviously want the Wizards to win tonight to retain the glimmer of hope they can win the series, but -- at the very least -- I want an extra game in this atypically satisfying season.
*LeBron's career-playoff-high-tying 49 was closer to typical -- and I kind of loved that he seemed so annoyed afterwards. That he didn't get 50, because of that missed FT at the end? Good for him.
*The injury to Marlins ace Jose Fernandez is the most depressing bit of sports-injury news of 2014, whether you like the Marlins or baseball or not.
-- D.S.
*I obviously want the Wizards to win tonight to retain the glimmer of hope they can win the series, but -- at the very least -- I want an extra game in this atypically satisfying season.
*LeBron's career-playoff-high-tying 49 was closer to typical -- and I kind of loved that he seemed so annoyed afterwards. That he didn't get 50, because of that missed FT at the end? Good for him.
*The injury to Marlins ace Jose Fernandez is the most depressing bit of sports-injury news of 2014, whether you like the Marlins or baseball or not.
-- D.S.
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