Tell you what: They earned it. Two wins on the road in Detroit, including the close-out game. Pretty damn impressive.
Of course, this now sets up the NBA's dream scenario: Lakers-Celtics for the NBA title. Beyond the "nostalgia factor,"* these were the two best teams of the season, featuring the two most dynamic personalities in the sport -- Kobe and KG.
Here's the reality: If the NBA can't get ratings for this, the league truly is in deep shit.
-- D.S.
(* - Let's set aside how fundamentally sketchy it is that the league has to rely on 20-year-old nostalgia to generate enthusiasm for its championship series.)
More, though Unrelated: Congrats to Sameer Mishra on winning the Spelling Bee. He had the best moment of the entire Bee when, last night, he was given a word that everyone -- including him -- thought was "numbnut." He rallied past it with earnest humor and instantly became a rooting interest. That, and he looked so overwhelmed being interviewed by "sideline reporter" Erin Andrews.
MLB: Cliff Floyd has a walk-off... Jay Bruce has 4 hits (and he scored the game-winning run in the 11th)... Joba going to start Tuesday...
More later.
-- D.S.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Nate Silver Is a Politics Blogger
Nate Silver of Baseball Prospectus is one of my favorite analyst-slash-entrepreneurs in all of online sports. Now it turns out that he has been anonymously running a politics blog on the side all along. As a politics AND sports junkie, too, I find this quite an amazing development. -- D.S.
More on MMA's CBS Debut
EliteXC isn't in the best financial shape. They are really relying on Kimbo Slice's star power to drive interest in the sport (but, presumably they hope, the league itself -- it does EliteXC no good if fans realize that UFC is arguably a better product). Here's the dilemma, and Dan Wetzel covered this in his column yesterday, but I wanted to put another spin on it: EliteXC has a vested interest in Kimbo Slice winning. They can either pit him against a tomato can -- hardly the stuff of stirring TV or driving loyalty from new fans -- or they need to rig the result. (You could argue that putting Slice against a dud effectively rigs the result anyway.) Neither is a good option. I remain bullish on MMA, by the way.
Want a primer on MMA? MDS does the hard work. Now it's just on you to take the 3 minutes to read it and sound infinitely smarter for doing so.
Want a primer on MMA? MDS does the hard work. Now it's just on you to take the 3 minutes to read it and sound infinitely smarter for doing so.
DanShanoff.com Is Worth $1.3 Million
So I was sent this blog post yesterday morning when it first came out, and I thought a few things to myself:
(1) If you want to attract attention to your blog, this is a good way to do it.
(2) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Seriously, this was the most ludicrous thing I have ever seen in sports bloggery. Ever.
Start with DS.com being worth $1.3 million. I certainly would like to think so. And anyone who is interested in buying it for that much can feel free to contact me. But...come ON.
Then there are a few simple reality-checks: With Leather worth a measly $80K? EDSBS worth $30K? If that was the case, I would hope that any/ever mainstream sports site out there would be beating on Orson's door to acquire EDSBS, even at a 5X multiple of that particular valuation. Also, a site like SMQ (No. 14, directly behind DS.com) is already "owned" by a network (SB Nation), as is Deadspin and With Leather. How is that different from Fanhouse being owned by AOL? For some reason, TrueHoop was on the list (vastly undervalued, probably because its numbers didn't reflect the post-ESPN integration, which make it ineligible for the list anyway).
Here's a nice way to develop a real valuation, and it doesn't take a Harvard MBA to figure it out: If a blog is earning substantial monthly revenues ALREADY, it is worth a lot...and a lot more than those that aren't. And both those blogs are. (And, btw: I would say that Nick Denton would argue that Deadspin is worth a hell of a lot more than $16M.) There ain't many out there, and THAT is the good list you want to be on.
There is one potential ramification of the list: It was a nice little bit of rudimentary due diligence -- directionally ONLY -- about the most valuable sports blogs.
Any company (perhaps an ad network looking to increase its reach, its traffic and -- most importantly -- its "owned traffic") that wanted to own sports could bundle up all of those sites with sweet deals (and it wouldn't cost you $1.3M for blogs ranked at or near No. 13, I can tell you that much) and basically own the space.
What we really need -- here's a project for you, Jason Gurney -- is someone who can aggregate all of the monthly page views and unique visits totals of all those blogs and actually calculate the type of reach that the Top 100 sports blogs have every month, as compared to -- say -- newspapers or magazines or even mainstream sports sites.
(When you're doing that calc, Jason, don't forget to discount the page views and uniques of mainstream sports sites, the majority of whose content page views come from "commodity" content like AP stories, scoreboards, box scores, recaps and fantasy-team maintenance.)
Anyway, like I said: Anyone who wants to buy this blog for $1.3 million is welcome to it.
-- D.S.
(1) If you want to attract attention to your blog, this is a good way to do it.
(2) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Seriously, this was the most ludicrous thing I have ever seen in sports bloggery. Ever.
Start with DS.com being worth $1.3 million. I certainly would like to think so. And anyone who is interested in buying it for that much can feel free to contact me. But...come ON.
Then there are a few simple reality-checks: With Leather worth a measly $80K? EDSBS worth $30K? If that was the case, I would hope that any/ever mainstream sports site out there would be beating on Orson's door to acquire EDSBS, even at a 5X multiple of that particular valuation. Also, a site like SMQ (No. 14, directly behind DS.com) is already "owned" by a network (SB Nation), as is Deadspin and With Leather. How is that different from Fanhouse being owned by AOL? For some reason, TrueHoop was on the list (vastly undervalued, probably because its numbers didn't reflect the post-ESPN integration, which make it ineligible for the list anyway).
Here's a nice way to develop a real valuation, and it doesn't take a Harvard MBA to figure it out: If a blog is earning substantial monthly revenues ALREADY, it is worth a lot...and a lot more than those that aren't. And both those blogs are. (And, btw: I would say that Nick Denton would argue that Deadspin is worth a hell of a lot more than $16M.) There ain't many out there, and THAT is the good list you want to be on.
There is one potential ramification of the list: It was a nice little bit of rudimentary due diligence -- directionally ONLY -- about the most valuable sports blogs.
Any company (perhaps an ad network looking to increase its reach, its traffic and -- most importantly -- its "owned traffic") that wanted to own sports could bundle up all of those sites with sweet deals (and it wouldn't cost you $1.3M for blogs ranked at or near No. 13, I can tell you that much) and basically own the space.
What we really need -- here's a project for you, Jason Gurney -- is someone who can aggregate all of the monthly page views and unique visits totals of all those blogs and actually calculate the type of reach that the Top 100 sports blogs have every month, as compared to -- say -- newspapers or magazines or even mainstream sports sites.
(When you're doing that calc, Jason, don't forget to discount the page views and uniques of mainstream sports sites, the majority of whose content page views come from "commodity" content like AP stories, scoreboards, box scores, recaps and fantasy-team maintenance.)
Anyway, like I said: Anyone who wants to buy this blog for $1.3 million is welcome to it.
-- D.S.
Friday 05/30 A.M. Quickie:
Kobe, MMA, Unit, ChiSox, Collins, More
Who else thinks that dispatching the Spurs was the real test for the Lakers and that the match-up with the survivor in the East -- whether Boston or Detroit -- won't be nearly as tough?
I am no Lakers fan, but I can appreciate the way they ousted the defending champs in 5 games, how they have basically rolled through the playoffs and how Kobe can't be denied.
I stop the bitterness long enough to marvel at the Lakers in my Sporting News column today. (And if the Celtics beat the Pistons -- either tonight or in 7 -- all the folks who think I have an insurmountable anti-Boston bias will see that I can praise them, too.)
(Note my willingness to post comments from yesterday's post about the anti-Allen sentiment -- I respect that there is a different read on it, although some media reports I have seen have been different, particularly in earlier rounds when Allen was really struggling.)
(Let me say now that the Celtics and their fans put themselves in the tough spot: Winning the East isn't enough; it's NBA title or bust, and it has been that way since November. So excuse me if I don't applaud them as they move through the playoffs until they actually reach the one goal that was expected of them when they made the deal of the decade.)
Everyone agrees that winning the West means more than winning the East. I'm not saying that Kobe doesn't want a championship or Lakers fans don't want (or expect) a championship every bit as much as Celtics fans do. But consider the expectations for Lakers fans heading into the season: How about that Kobe would even be on the team in June, let alone leading them to the Finals as the dominant 1-seed in the West.)
Meanwhile, I really wanted to lead the column with MMA's broadcast network TV debut tomorrow night. It's a signature moment for the sport -- if no closer to unjumbling the increasing number of leagues trying to out-UFC the UFC. (It really reminded me of the WWF's broadcast network debut on NBC with "Saturday Night's Main Event" -- anyone else remember that first episode? I'm not saying that MMA is fixed like wrestling; but the similarities are there in terms of mainstream acceptance of a once-fringe entertainment property.)
It might be refreshing for those of you sick of me arguing that the NBA is following in the NHL's footsteps down a path as a "niche" sport to hear that I think that MMA has all the potential in the world to join the NFL, college football and baseball as a "big" sport. Then again, NASCAR thought it would be "big," and it remains merely the largest of the "niche" sports, too. Will casual fans or fans of "mainstream" sports pick up MMA? They have, increasingly, particularly among younger fans.
There's a ton more in the column today. Here's the link to check it out. Posting all weekend, as usual, hopefully with a bonus post or two today.
-- D.S.
I am no Lakers fan, but I can appreciate the way they ousted the defending champs in 5 games, how they have basically rolled through the playoffs and how Kobe can't be denied.
I stop the bitterness long enough to marvel at the Lakers in my Sporting News column today. (And if the Celtics beat the Pistons -- either tonight or in 7 -- all the folks who think I have an insurmountable anti-Boston bias will see that I can praise them, too.)
(Note my willingness to post comments from yesterday's post about the anti-Allen sentiment -- I respect that there is a different read on it, although some media reports I have seen have been different, particularly in earlier rounds when Allen was really struggling.)
(Let me say now that the Celtics and their fans put themselves in the tough spot: Winning the East isn't enough; it's NBA title or bust, and it has been that way since November. So excuse me if I don't applaud them as they move through the playoffs until they actually reach the one goal that was expected of them when they made the deal of the decade.)
Everyone agrees that winning the West means more than winning the East. I'm not saying that Kobe doesn't want a championship or Lakers fans don't want (or expect) a championship every bit as much as Celtics fans do. But consider the expectations for Lakers fans heading into the season: How about that Kobe would even be on the team in June, let alone leading them to the Finals as the dominant 1-seed in the West.)
Meanwhile, I really wanted to lead the column with MMA's broadcast network TV debut tomorrow night. It's a signature moment for the sport -- if no closer to unjumbling the increasing number of leagues trying to out-UFC the UFC. (It really reminded me of the WWF's broadcast network debut on NBC with "Saturday Night's Main Event" -- anyone else remember that first episode? I'm not saying that MMA is fixed like wrestling; but the similarities are there in terms of mainstream acceptance of a once-fringe entertainment property.)
It might be refreshing for those of you sick of me arguing that the NBA is following in the NHL's footsteps down a path as a "niche" sport to hear that I think that MMA has all the potential in the world to join the NFL, college football and baseball as a "big" sport. Then again, NASCAR thought it would be "big," and it remains merely the largest of the "niche" sports, too. Will casual fans or fans of "mainstream" sports pick up MMA? They have, increasingly, particularly among younger fans.
There's a ton more in the column today. Here's the link to check it out. Posting all weekend, as usual, hopefully with a bonus post or two today.
-- D.S.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Thursday 05/29 A.M. Quickie:
Bee, Ray Allen, Bedard, Crosby, More
I got a blissful reprieve from leading with the NBA conference finals this morning (although, to be fair, each morning those results ARE the biggest story in sports), because I wedged my obsession with the spelling bee at the top of my Sporting News column.
If you skip past that (and you can, if you followed yesterday's Bee mania here, below), you can see that I -- a world-class Instant Historian -- think Celtics fans are sort of lame for cheering Ray Allen after ripping him for most of the playoffs before last night's season-saving performance.
Meanwhile, the NBA agreed with me: The refs missed the Brent Barry call. I'm now torn whether they should have said anything. On the one hand, correcting the record is a good thing; on the other, all it does is add insult to the injury done to the Spurs. Again: The difference between 3-1 (with HCA) and 2-2 (even without HCA) is just about as wide a gap as there exists in the 7-game playoff format in pro sports.
MLB: Erik Bedard shows why he was worth the trade... Jay Bruce obsession continues... Matt Garza becomes the latest Ray bandwagon I will jump on... Carlos Quentin and Chase Utley cap solid months that will likely net them MVP awards for "After Two Months of the Season/If The Season Ended Today," likely coming tomorrow.
I appreciate the NBA's interest in cracking down on flopping, but I actually think there is some art to the method; I would be much more interested if the NBA cracked down on players (mostly superstars) who whine after not getting a call.
Here is the complete SN column from today.
More later. I just got the most interesting email with a link to a blog post that will likely have many folks who have sports blogs talking...
-- D.S.
If you skip past that (and you can, if you followed yesterday's Bee mania here, below), you can see that I -- a world-class Instant Historian -- think Celtics fans are sort of lame for cheering Ray Allen after ripping him for most of the playoffs before last night's season-saving performance.
Meanwhile, the NBA agreed with me: The refs missed the Brent Barry call. I'm now torn whether they should have said anything. On the one hand, correcting the record is a good thing; on the other, all it does is add insult to the injury done to the Spurs. Again: The difference between 3-1 (with HCA) and 2-2 (even without HCA) is just about as wide a gap as there exists in the 7-game playoff format in pro sports.
MLB: Erik Bedard shows why he was worth the trade... Jay Bruce obsession continues... Matt Garza becomes the latest Ray bandwagon I will jump on... Carlos Quentin and Chase Utley cap solid months that will likely net them MVP awards for "After Two Months of the Season/If The Season Ended Today," likely coming tomorrow.
I appreciate the NBA's interest in cracking down on flopping, but I actually think there is some art to the method; I would be much more interested if the NBA cracked down on players (mostly superstars) who whine after not getting a call.
Here is the complete SN column from today.
More later. I just got the most interesting email with a link to a blog post that will likely have many folks who have sports blogs talking...
-- D.S.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Spelling Bee Week: Sriram Hathwar Rules
It's here: The Bee. Tomorrow and Friday. Arguably the greatest novelty sports competition of the year.
As I will remind you endlessly between now and Friday, winning Page 2's "Fantasy Spelling Bee League" three years ago was my finest moment in fantasy sports. Probably forever.
Name to Know: Sriram Hathwar of Painted Post, NY, all of 8 years old and the youngest competitor in Bee history. He's in the SECOND GRADE.
I believe that the Hathwar Dynasty will ultimately make the "Samir Patel Dynasty" seem lightweight. Sriram's participation at this age is as if LeBron James joined the NBA... in junior high. (h/t: ALOTTFMA)
UPDATE: Adam from ALOTTFMA emailed me to correct me that there is no real "Patel Dynasty" -- he is the A-Rod of the Bee. And Adam is, of course, totally correct. I have a soft spot for Samir, because he was the foundation of my championship fantasy team. Like anyone who has won a fantasy league with A-Rod, you find it slightly harder to rip the guy.
Honestly: Sriram Hathwar -- the new hotness. Will be a national sensation by tomorrow night. (That said: The smart money is on Kavya Shivashankar, a three-year Bee vet.)
-- D.S.
As I will remind you endlessly between now and Friday, winning Page 2's "Fantasy Spelling Bee League" three years ago was my finest moment in fantasy sports. Probably forever.
Name to Know: Sriram Hathwar of Painted Post, NY, all of 8 years old and the youngest competitor in Bee history. He's in the SECOND GRADE.
I believe that the Hathwar Dynasty will ultimately make the "Samir Patel Dynasty" seem lightweight. Sriram's participation at this age is as if LeBron James joined the NBA... in junior high. (h/t: ALOTTFMA)
UPDATE: Adam from ALOTTFMA emailed me to correct me that there is no real "Patel Dynasty" -- he is the A-Rod of the Bee. And Adam is, of course, totally correct. I have a soft spot for Samir, because he was the foundation of my championship fantasy team. Like anyone who has won a fantasy league with A-Rod, you find it slightly harder to rip the guy.
Honestly: Sriram Hathwar -- the new hotness. Will be a national sensation by tomorrow night. (That said: The smart money is on Kavya Shivashankar, a three-year Bee vet.)
-- D.S.
Wednesday 05/28 A.M. Quickie:
Lakers, Bruce, Triples, Tiger, More
I'm with the rest of you that Joey Crawford blew that call last night. Here's the thing: Aside from what is sure to be a day's worth of scrutiny -- and recrimination -- the fact remains: Lakers up 3-1 with 2 of the final 3 to be played in L.A.
I'm usually not afraid to call a series prematurely, but even the biggest Spurs fan (or Lakers hater) has to be fairly certain that the odds are about as long as they could be for a Spurs comeback -- not the way that HCA has been working for the Lakers this postseason.
That's the lead of my Sporting News column today. See the post below for a link to what I think is the definitive take on the Crawford non-call -- by far the most controversial thing to happen in the playoffs so far, and probably the most controversial on-court moment in the NBA since the Spurs-Suns suspensions a year ago.
(But given the overall perception problems with the refs since the Donaghy scandal, anytime you can link a situation to Donaghy, it's not good for the league. Again: It's not about Crawford throwing the game, but it IS about terrible judgment by a ref that has massive impact.)
Consider that impact for a second: It basically seals the series for the Lakers, which seals the Western Conference title for the Lakers -- it guarantees at least half the Finals pairing will be super-duper-stardom, a best-case scenario for the NBA.
It also ousts the defending champs -- a virtual dynasty, though also a bane to the NBA's interests in finding the biggest TV audience possible.
And, of course, it calls into question the capabilities of refs in the NBA. It isn't a stretch to think that dozens of the best NBA refs were sitting at home, watching that game's ending and wincing -- perhaps even shouting out "No!" -- knowing the shitstorm coming their way as a group.
Anyway, that's where we stand.
Meanwhile, the Jay Bruce Era has begun and the hype is so for real. You will regret not picking him up for your fantasy team weeks ago and just storing him on the bench. I certainly do.
As of today, if you needed one NL pitcher for the rest of the season, would you take Tim Lincecum or Brandon Webb? I might go Lincecum.
Unassisted triple play > triple steal. Hands-down. Although to have one team do both within a week or so of each other isn't bad at all.
Those of you who read regularly know that I think Kevin Love is totally legit -- both as the best player in college hoops last season and as a pro prospect. You will hear no complaints from me that he is being thrown into the mix as the first player taken after the Rose-Beasley lock at 1-2.
Complete SN column here.
More later. (Couple new snall posts over at Varsity Dad, if you occasionally drop by that blog. Bunch of cool stuff lined up for it for June, btw.)
-- D.S.
I'm usually not afraid to call a series prematurely, but even the biggest Spurs fan (or Lakers hater) has to be fairly certain that the odds are about as long as they could be for a Spurs comeback -- not the way that HCA has been working for the Lakers this postseason.
That's the lead of my Sporting News column today. See the post below for a link to what I think is the definitive take on the Crawford non-call -- by far the most controversial thing to happen in the playoffs so far, and probably the most controversial on-court moment in the NBA since the Spurs-Suns suspensions a year ago.
(But given the overall perception problems with the refs since the Donaghy scandal, anytime you can link a situation to Donaghy, it's not good for the league. Again: It's not about Crawford throwing the game, but it IS about terrible judgment by a ref that has massive impact.)
Consider that impact for a second: It basically seals the series for the Lakers, which seals the Western Conference title for the Lakers -- it guarantees at least half the Finals pairing will be super-duper-stardom, a best-case scenario for the NBA.
It also ousts the defending champs -- a virtual dynasty, though also a bane to the NBA's interests in finding the biggest TV audience possible.
And, of course, it calls into question the capabilities of refs in the NBA. It isn't a stretch to think that dozens of the best NBA refs were sitting at home, watching that game's ending and wincing -- perhaps even shouting out "No!" -- knowing the shitstorm coming their way as a group.
Anyway, that's where we stand.
Meanwhile, the Jay Bruce Era has begun and the hype is so for real. You will regret not picking him up for your fantasy team weeks ago and just storing him on the bench. I certainly do.
As of today, if you needed one NL pitcher for the rest of the season, would you take Tim Lincecum or Brandon Webb? I might go Lincecum.
Unassisted triple play > triple steal. Hands-down. Although to have one team do both within a week or so of each other isn't bad at all.
Those of you who read regularly know that I think Kevin Love is totally legit -- both as the best player in college hoops last season and as a pro prospect. You will hear no complaints from me that he is being thrown into the mix as the first player taken after the Rose-Beasley lock at 1-2.
Complete SN column here.
More later. (Couple new snall posts over at Varsity Dad, if you occasionally drop by that blog. Bunch of cool stuff lined up for it for June, btw.)
-- D.S.
Yes, That Was a Foul
Leave it to Henry Abbott for the early and definitive word on last night's game-/series-/league-changing non-call by Joey Crawford on that Barry 3 over Fisher.
For those of us who think the NBA is ever-so-slightly rigged (but only when the possibility presents itself), this was "Exhibit A" fodder.
The NBA's original sin was having Joey Crawford ref this game, knowing his history with the Spurs. Even if Crawford's non-call was merely sketchy, the NBA's call to have him work the game was entirely intentional.
More later.
-- D.S.
For those of us who think the NBA is ever-so-slightly rigged (but only when the possibility presents itself), this was "Exhibit A" fodder.
The NBA's original sin was having Joey Crawford ref this game, knowing his history with the Spurs. Even if Crawford's non-call was merely sketchy, the NBA's call to have him work the game was entirely intentional.
More later.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Tuesday 05/27 A.M. Quickie:
McDyess, Kazmir, Bruce, Harkleroad, More
Today's Sporting News column is packed full of all sorts of good stuff:
The Celtics regressing to the mean...
Brandon Webb regressing to the mean...
Scott Kazmir and the Rays NOT regressing to the mean...
Jay Bruce making his MLB debut...
Chris Osgood blanking another Stanley Cup game...
Ashley Harkleroad not impressing me...
Indy Car racing showcasing a "Tiger" strategy...
And a lot more... after the jump.
More later. Again: Try to avoid moving, if you can.
-- D.S.
The Celtics regressing to the mean...
Brandon Webb regressing to the mean...
Scott Kazmir and the Rays NOT regressing to the mean...
Jay Bruce making his MLB debut...
Chris Osgood blanking another Stanley Cup game...
Ashley Harkleroad not impressing me...
Indy Car racing showcasing a "Tiger" strategy...
And a lot more... after the jump.
More later. Again: Try to avoid moving, if you can.
-- D.S.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Monday 05/26 (Very) Quickie
NBA West finals hold to form: Spurs return to San Antonio and win, this time behind Manu's 30 (which offset Kobe's own 30). Proof is in Game 4.
Danica doesn't win the Indy 500: Your sport is in trouble when the team/athlete that doesn't win is a bigger story than the one that does win.
MLB: You have to love a walk-off HR in the 18th inning (Adrian Gonzalez)... Aaron Cook: CG win for his 7th W of the season... Also in the 7-win Club: Mark Hendrickson... Another game, another game-winning hit for Evan Longoria... Clayton Kershaw's MLB debut: 7 Ks in not-too-many IP
Yes, I saw Joakim Noah was busted for pot possession. Is that really that bad? If you figured out everyone in the NBA who ever possessed pot, you wouldn't have much of a league left...
Congrats to the Northwestern women's lacrosse team, which captured its 4th straight NCAA title...
Ashley Harkleroad to be in Playboy: I think that we're past the point of being surprised -- let alone shocked -- when an athlete appears in Playboy (or in Maxim or the SI Swimsuit Issue, which is effectively the same thing). It's just not a big deal...
Triple Crown Watch: How much will Big Brown's cracked hoof hurt its chances of capturing a Triple Crown and racing immortality?...
Enjoy the day off, if you've got one...
-- D.S.
Danica doesn't win the Indy 500: Your sport is in trouble when the team/athlete that doesn't win is a bigger story than the one that does win.
MLB: You have to love a walk-off HR in the 18th inning (Adrian Gonzalez)... Aaron Cook: CG win for his 7th W of the season... Also in the 7-win Club: Mark Hendrickson... Another game, another game-winning hit for Evan Longoria... Clayton Kershaw's MLB debut: 7 Ks in not-too-many IP
Yes, I saw Joakim Noah was busted for pot possession. Is that really that bad? If you figured out everyone in the NBA who ever possessed pot, you wouldn't have much of a league left...
Congrats to the Northwestern women's lacrosse team, which captured its 4th straight NCAA title...
Ashley Harkleroad to be in Playboy: I think that we're past the point of being surprised -- let alone shocked -- when an athlete appears in Playboy (or in Maxim or the SI Swimsuit Issue, which is effectively the same thing). It's just not a big deal...
Triple Crown Watch: How much will Big Brown's cracked hoof hurt its chances of capturing a Triple Crown and racing immortality?...
Enjoy the day off, if you've got one...
-- D.S.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Sunday 05/25 (Very) Quickie
Boston beats Detroit in Game 3: Now THIS was the win that everyone was waiting to see from the Celtics -- on the road, and it wasn't even close. I can now (finally) believe that this team can win the East title.
Indy 500 is today: Unless Danica Patrick wins, expect this to have just as much national resonance as it usually has (which means, frankly, not much). If she DOES win, you'll be sorry you missed it. Maybe.
Meanwhile, it looks like the Penguins weren't ready for prime-time, after that 4-0 shellacking from the Wings.
MLB: Jeff Francoeur... Justin Duscherer... Magglio Ordonez... Kyle Lohse... Jason Bay...
College LAX Final Four is always kind of awesome: Perennial power Johns Hopkins dispatched No. 1 seed Duke; they will meet Syracuse in a matchup of classic lacrosse teams.
Soccer: Imagine a team firing a coach immediately after they lost in the championship game. That is Chelsea and ex-manager Avram Grant. It's like if Mark Cuban had fired Avery Johnson after he choked away the NBA Finals two years ago, rather than a tortured 2 years later.
-- D.S.
Indy 500 is today: Unless Danica Patrick wins, expect this to have just as much national resonance as it usually has (which means, frankly, not much). If she DOES win, you'll be sorry you missed it. Maybe.
Meanwhile, it looks like the Penguins weren't ready for prime-time, after that 4-0 shellacking from the Wings.
MLB: Jeff Francoeur... Justin Duscherer... Magglio Ordonez... Kyle Lohse... Jason Bay...
College LAX Final Four is always kind of awesome: Perennial power Johns Hopkins dispatched No. 1 seed Duke; they will meet Syracuse in a matchup of classic lacrosse teams.
Soccer: Imagine a team firing a coach immediately after they lost in the championship game. That is Chelsea and ex-manager Avram Grant. It's like if Mark Cuban had fired Avery Johnson after he choked away the NBA Finals two years ago, rather than a tortured 2 years later.
-- D.S.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Saturday 05/24 (Very) Quickie
Sorry for the delay: Moving sucks. Lakers won't impress me until they win in San Antonio. Doug Davis' return trumped Barry Zito getting off the schneid. More later. Back to packing hell. - DS
Friday, May 23, 2008
Friday 05/23 A.M. Quickie:
Celtics, MLB Replay, Lila Garrity, More
I am overwhelmed by schadenfreude about the Celtics. Everyone saw this coming; the only question now is: If they can't even beat the Hawks in Atlanta, how will they beat the Pistons in Detroit? The Celtics may very well be able to beat the Pistons in Detroit 1 out of 3 times, but now that they have lost at home, the sense of "unbeatable" has evaporated.
That's the lead of today's Sporting News column.
(Adding insult to injury is that it was the best playoff game from the entirety of the Big Three, and it still wasn't enough. Maybe Celtics fans will stop haranguing Ray Allen about his scoring, because they did a lot better when he was sucking.)
Meanwhile, if it wasn't for the Celtics' dud at home, I would have totally led the column with the MLB replay story, which is totally huge. For those of us who have been lobbying for replay in baseball for years, this is a very positive step -- this week's home-run mis-calls surely helped. (Look: Better now than in a World Series game.)
The fact is: Replay works. The only instance I can think of when it doesn't work is in college football, when the replay official DOESN'T review an obviously messed up call. That, and the ludicrous guidelines about what is "reviewable" and what is not (ie, penalty calls).
Baseball had been holding out because of this misplaced sense of nostalgia -- that umps are part of the game. But I would argue that it holds up the spirit of the game's "integrity" to get the calls right -- particularly when all we're asking for is fair-or-foul (or fan interference) on home runs.
Technology is a wonderful thing: Nice to see baseball taking advantage of it to ensure the fairest outcome of its games.
I'll be blogging all weekend -- including Memorial Day -- for those of you who check in on the weekends. Otherwise, have a great weekend, everyone. While you are lazing around, don't forget to take a moment to remember the service of those for whom the holiday was created.
-- D.S.
That's the lead of today's Sporting News column.
(Adding insult to injury is that it was the best playoff game from the entirety of the Big Three, and it still wasn't enough. Maybe Celtics fans will stop haranguing Ray Allen about his scoring, because they did a lot better when he was sucking.)
Meanwhile, if it wasn't for the Celtics' dud at home, I would have totally led the column with the MLB replay story, which is totally huge. For those of us who have been lobbying for replay in baseball for years, this is a very positive step -- this week's home-run mis-calls surely helped. (Look: Better now than in a World Series game.)
The fact is: Replay works. The only instance I can think of when it doesn't work is in college football, when the replay official DOESN'T review an obviously messed up call. That, and the ludicrous guidelines about what is "reviewable" and what is not (ie, penalty calls).
Baseball had been holding out because of this misplaced sense of nostalgia -- that umps are part of the game. But I would argue that it holds up the spirit of the game's "integrity" to get the calls right -- particularly when all we're asking for is fair-or-foul (or fan interference) on home runs.
Technology is a wonderful thing: Nice to see baseball taking advantage of it to ensure the fairest outcome of its games.
I'll be blogging all weekend -- including Memorial Day -- for those of you who check in on the weekends. Otherwise, have a great weekend, everyone. While you are lazing around, don't forget to take a moment to remember the service of those for whom the holiday was created.
-- D.S.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Thursday 05/22 A.M. Quickie:
Kobe, Man U, Webb, Mayo, Joba, More
The Spurs ran out of gas, as much as Kobe stepped on the pedal. Besides, Game 1 ain't Game 7, which is where this is heading.
That's the lead of today's Sporting News column.
More you'll find:
Brandon Webb: No longer destined for 30 wins...
Joba Chamberlain: No longer shackled to 1 inning...
Bartolo Colon: One more master stroke by Theo...
USC: Parsing "didn't know" in a shameful way...
Man U: Lucky that Chelsea choked it away...
David Cook: Most talented Idol winner ever...
And more, here's the link.
If you didn't see yesterday's post on Indiana Jones, just look directly below this post -- and weigh in, if that's your thing.
- D.S.
That's the lead of today's Sporting News column.
More you'll find:
Brandon Webb: No longer destined for 30 wins...
Joba Chamberlain: No longer shackled to 1 inning...
Bartolo Colon: One more master stroke by Theo...
USC: Parsing "didn't know" in a shameful way...
Man U: Lucky that Chelsea choked it away...
David Cook: Most talented Idol winner ever...
And more, here's the link.
If you didn't see yesterday's post on Indiana Jones, just look directly below this post -- and weigh in, if that's your thing.
- D.S.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Indiana Jones: Best Movie Hero Ever?
I have a special place for Indiana Jones, arguably the greatest lead action hero in movie history.
"Raiders of the Lost Ark" was the first movie I have any sort of memory of seeing. Two flashing images remain -- cripes: was it really 1981?
(1) The line to see it. It was huge, like nothing I had ever seen before, snaking around the modest strip-mall on Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda, Maryland.
(2) At the end, of course, when the main Nazi baddie's face melts off.
Later, "Temple of Doom" was right in my then-11-year-old wheelhouse; I didn't care much for "Last Crusade."
But, much in part due to its particular nostalgic significance for me, "Raiders" remains one of my all-time most cherished movies ever -- if no longer a Top 5 (or even Top 10) favorite.
I'm not sure I will make the midnight screenings tonight -- or even try to brave the insane lines during this opening weekend...I think I had to be 8 to have the patience for that.
But I can't wait to see it, and I'm curious how you all feel about the Indiana Jones franchise.
You all know I'm a sucker for superlatives, and there might not be a better or more beloved lead action hero in movie history. (Certainly in my lifetime.)
-- D.S.
PS: Here's a trip in the way-back machine -- the original trailer for "Raiders." 27 years later, wow, have trailers become different.
"Raiders of the Lost Ark" was the first movie I have any sort of memory of seeing. Two flashing images remain -- cripes: was it really 1981?
(1) The line to see it. It was huge, like nothing I had ever seen before, snaking around the modest strip-mall on Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda, Maryland.
(2) At the end, of course, when the main Nazi baddie's face melts off.
Later, "Temple of Doom" was right in my then-11-year-old wheelhouse; I didn't care much for "Last Crusade."
But, much in part due to its particular nostalgic significance for me, "Raiders" remains one of my all-time most cherished movies ever -- if no longer a Top 5 (or even Top 10) favorite.
I'm not sure I will make the midnight screenings tonight -- or even try to brave the insane lines during this opening weekend...I think I had to be 8 to have the patience for that.
But I can't wait to see it, and I'm curious how you all feel about the Indiana Jones franchise.
You all know I'm a sucker for superlatives, and there might not be a better or more beloved lead action hero in movie history. (Certainly in my lifetime.)
-- D.S.
PS: Here's a trip in the way-back machine -- the original trailer for "Raiders." 27 years later, wow, have trailers become different.
Wednesday 05/21 A.M. Quickie:
Bulls, Lottery, A-Rod, Piazza, NFL, More
I appreciate that "Beasley vs. Rose" is sort of like "Durant vs. Oden 2.0," but to me it's clear that the Bulls should take Rose.
The Lottery leads today's Sporting News column, bumping Game 1 of the East finals, which couldn't be more predictable and lame -- at least until someone wins a road game or the series reaches a 7th game, whichever comes first.
Yes, the Bulls need the frontcourt help and Beasley would be an instant scorer to pair with the less scoring-sophisticated Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah. But Rose has the potential for impact on the Chris Paul/Deron Williams level. He will make Thomas and Noah (and Deng, if they keep him) that much better -- in a way that Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon can't.
(The Bulls are likely regretting giving Hinrich that huge contract extension, but not quite as much as Mike D'Antoni is likely regretting not taking the Bulls job, although if he took the job, there is no guarantee the Bulls would have pulled the 1-in-100 chance of winning the Lottery.)
Things get intriguing after Rose and Beasley go 1-2 (or 2-1) to the Bulls and Heat. The T'wolves should be taking advantage of Jerryd Bayless or even OJ Mayo. But with the past two Lotteries yielding Randy Foye and Corey Brewer (not to mention Rashad McCants the year before that), they really need size, and that means they have to go with -- ugh -- Brook Lopez, who seems to be rated this high simply because he is 7 feet tall.
The Sonics need a PG. The Grizzlies need a PF. The Knicks could use a true PG, but presuming that Bayless is gone, it seems like a reach that they take Augustin or Westbrook. Mayo seems redundant when they have Crawford, so will Mike D'Antoni feed his Italian jones with Danilo Gallardi? (He better set that up early with NY media and fans, who likely won't appreciate a European pick.)
In MLB, Mike Piazza retires, A-Rod returns and the Red Sox trot out yet another spectacular young arm, which they appear to have an endless supply of. There isn't a better-run organization in sports, let alone baseball. Yes, that's my long-time man-crush on Theo Epstein emerging for the first time in a long time. You cannot understand how conflicted I am about my crush on Theo and my general dislike for Boston sports.
I, for one, would like to see the next generation of replacement players, who almost surely would be better and more talented than the version from the late-80s. What a replacement season would do is create the greatest fantasy football season in the history of everything. Meanwhile, I hope the Falcons enjoy the gentle upside of Matt Ryan, now that they are locked in. (Put Mike Vick's first game back in Atlanta on an opposing team -- presuming Arthur Blank doesn't bring him back for the league minimum -- as the game of the decade.)
Complete SN column can be found here.
Update: My Wii Fit shipped yesterday, but I have no idea when it will arrive. Anyone get one?
-- D.S.
The Lottery leads today's Sporting News column, bumping Game 1 of the East finals, which couldn't be more predictable and lame -- at least until someone wins a road game or the series reaches a 7th game, whichever comes first.
Yes, the Bulls need the frontcourt help and Beasley would be an instant scorer to pair with the less scoring-sophisticated Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah. But Rose has the potential for impact on the Chris Paul/Deron Williams level. He will make Thomas and Noah (and Deng, if they keep him) that much better -- in a way that Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon can't.
(The Bulls are likely regretting giving Hinrich that huge contract extension, but not quite as much as Mike D'Antoni is likely regretting not taking the Bulls job, although if he took the job, there is no guarantee the Bulls would have pulled the 1-in-100 chance of winning the Lottery.)
Things get intriguing after Rose and Beasley go 1-2 (or 2-1) to the Bulls and Heat. The T'wolves should be taking advantage of Jerryd Bayless or even OJ Mayo. But with the past two Lotteries yielding Randy Foye and Corey Brewer (not to mention Rashad McCants the year before that), they really need size, and that means they have to go with -- ugh -- Brook Lopez, who seems to be rated this high simply because he is 7 feet tall.
The Sonics need a PG. The Grizzlies need a PF. The Knicks could use a true PG, but presuming that Bayless is gone, it seems like a reach that they take Augustin or Westbrook. Mayo seems redundant when they have Crawford, so will Mike D'Antoni feed his Italian jones with Danilo Gallardi? (He better set that up early with NY media and fans, who likely won't appreciate a European pick.)
In MLB, Mike Piazza retires, A-Rod returns and the Red Sox trot out yet another spectacular young arm, which they appear to have an endless supply of. There isn't a better-run organization in sports, let alone baseball. Yes, that's my long-time man-crush on Theo Epstein emerging for the first time in a long time. You cannot understand how conflicted I am about my crush on Theo and my general dislike for Boston sports.
I, for one, would like to see the next generation of replacement players, who almost surely would be better and more talented than the version from the late-80s. What a replacement season would do is create the greatest fantasy football season in the history of everything. Meanwhile, I hope the Falcons enjoy the gentle upside of Matt Ryan, now that they are locked in. (Put Mike Vick's first game back in Atlanta on an opposing team -- presuming Arthur Blank doesn't bring him back for the league minimum -- as the game of the decade.)
Complete SN column can be found here.
Update: My Wii Fit shipped yesterday, but I have no idea when it will arrive. Anyone get one?
-- D.S.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
NBA Draft Lottery Rose-Beasley Mania!
(Plus: Another Rant Against Age Limits)
As I mentioned this morning, I love the NBA Draft Lottery. I think that goes back to my childhood fandom of the Bullets, who were perennial Lottery losers. It was my playoffs.
The consensus has shifted that the Lottery's big prize is Derrick Rose, rather than Michael Beasley, who is a strong -- and consensus -- No. 2. No. 3 and beyond is a toss-up, depending on which team is there and what their needs are.
Rose is like Oden in that he is a true franchise-changer. Consider Chris Paul and Deron Williams, because -- coming out of college at least -- Rose is a better NBA talent than either of them.
Beasley is like Durant in that he could be a franchise player, but there is really no guarantee. After all, Durant was simply a poor man's Rashard Lewis this season. Working in Beasley's favor is that he is better -- more suited to excel in the NBA -- than Durant.
You won't hear much about that, because all the Durant-backers from a year ago would be loathe to admit that their "game-changing" favorite isn't even the best forward prospect of the past two drafts -- that would be Beasley.
But as you watch the mock drafts come screaming out of the mainstream media and blogosphere in the wake of the Lottery's results, please note how many freshmen there are on the list -- it is the best signal that the NBA's age-limit remains totally idiotic.
The only thing worse than the current age limit would be to raise it unconditionally, similarly to the way that they installed this first age limit.
Here's a novel idea: Let the market work. From '95-06 that is exactly what it did, producing highly efficient results, particularly among prep-to-pro players.
The idea of an "age limit" is very simple: If you don't want to "ruin" your NBA career prematurely, don't enter the NBA earlier than you should.
"Should" is an amorphous notion -- was Monta Ellis wrong to enter the NBA when he did? Most experts would say he did just fine for himself, even though he went much later than he thought he would.
The bottom line is that NBA GMs are, for the most part, highly rational: You don't take prep Dwight Howard over college Player of the Year Emeka Okafor because you are an idiot, blinded by potential. You take him because you are fairly certain Howard's upside is vastly greater than Okafor's. Howard's "expected value" is far superior to Okafor's -- but not that much. Just enough to know you would take Howard over Okafor if given the choice of both. Okafor remained a superior choice to the players that went below him.
The point is that GMs who wildly pick young prospects and end up with a sketchy "hit" rate won't be GMs for long. There is a built-in incentive to do what is in the GM's own best interests, which align with that of the team.
Most GMs in the Lottery will be taking freshmen -- in their first year of draft eligibility -- over older players who could have entered the draft in previous years but didn't, because the weren't good enough to play in the NBA. (See Tyler Hansbrough: If he would have been a Lottery pick after his freshman year, he sure as hell wouldn't have stuck around for the past two seasons.)
This is because those freshmen are better prospects than the older players -- this isn't some fad. And if those players were available a year ago, they likely would have also been first-round picks (if not drafted quite as high as they will be taken next month).
All I'm saying is: Look at the signals the market is sending. Look at the history of efficiency within the market (before artificial constraints were clamped onto it). In this case, the rules should follow what you are seeing unfold in front of you.
Enjoy the Lottery! I love that Jay-Z will be there, representing the Nets (watch for coded signals to LeBron!), but I love even more that the Kings are sending a fan. That's what the Lottery should be all about.
-- D.S.
The consensus has shifted that the Lottery's big prize is Derrick Rose, rather than Michael Beasley, who is a strong -- and consensus -- No. 2. No. 3 and beyond is a toss-up, depending on which team is there and what their needs are.
Rose is like Oden in that he is a true franchise-changer. Consider Chris Paul and Deron Williams, because -- coming out of college at least -- Rose is a better NBA talent than either of them.
Beasley is like Durant in that he could be a franchise player, but there is really no guarantee. After all, Durant was simply a poor man's Rashard Lewis this season. Working in Beasley's favor is that he is better -- more suited to excel in the NBA -- than Durant.
You won't hear much about that, because all the Durant-backers from a year ago would be loathe to admit that their "game-changing" favorite isn't even the best forward prospect of the past two drafts -- that would be Beasley.
But as you watch the mock drafts come screaming out of the mainstream media and blogosphere in the wake of the Lottery's results, please note how many freshmen there are on the list -- it is the best signal that the NBA's age-limit remains totally idiotic.
The only thing worse than the current age limit would be to raise it unconditionally, similarly to the way that they installed this first age limit.
Here's a novel idea: Let the market work. From '95-06 that is exactly what it did, producing highly efficient results, particularly among prep-to-pro players.
The idea of an "age limit" is very simple: If you don't want to "ruin" your NBA career prematurely, don't enter the NBA earlier than you should.
"Should" is an amorphous notion -- was Monta Ellis wrong to enter the NBA when he did? Most experts would say he did just fine for himself, even though he went much later than he thought he would.
The bottom line is that NBA GMs are, for the most part, highly rational: You don't take prep Dwight Howard over college Player of the Year Emeka Okafor because you are an idiot, blinded by potential. You take him because you are fairly certain Howard's upside is vastly greater than Okafor's. Howard's "expected value" is far superior to Okafor's -- but not that much. Just enough to know you would take Howard over Okafor if given the choice of both. Okafor remained a superior choice to the players that went below him.
The point is that GMs who wildly pick young prospects and end up with a sketchy "hit" rate won't be GMs for long. There is a built-in incentive to do what is in the GM's own best interests, which align with that of the team.
Most GMs in the Lottery will be taking freshmen -- in their first year of draft eligibility -- over older players who could have entered the draft in previous years but didn't, because the weren't good enough to play in the NBA. (See Tyler Hansbrough: If he would have been a Lottery pick after his freshman year, he sure as hell wouldn't have stuck around for the past two seasons.)
This is because those freshmen are better prospects than the older players -- this isn't some fad. And if those players were available a year ago, they likely would have also been first-round picks (if not drafted quite as high as they will be taken next month).
All I'm saying is: Look at the signals the market is sending. Look at the history of efficiency within the market (before artificial constraints were clamped onto it). In this case, the rules should follow what you are seeing unfold in front of you.
Enjoy the Lottery! I love that Jay-Z will be there, representing the Nets (watch for coded signals to LeBron!), but I love even more that the Kings are sending a fan. That's what the Lottery should be all about.
-- D.S.
Tuesday 05/20 A.M. Quickie:
Spurs, Lester, Barkley, Lottery, More
You can hate the Spurs for their soullessness, but admire them for their dominance. To win a Game 7 on the road is remarkable -- in its own right, let alone because the Spurs had failed to do it in previous tries. The defending champs remain the team to beat.
The Spurs lead today's Sporting News column, with coverage of even more:
Jon Lester's no-hitter awesomeness...
Evan Longoria's heroics...
Charles Barkley's gambling problem...
The NBA's perception problem...
A Wings-Pens Stanley Cup finals...
Complete SN column here.
And, of course, the NBA Draft Lottery, being held tonight and annually one of my favorite events of the entire sports year. More on that later this morning.
-- D.S.
The Spurs lead today's Sporting News column, with coverage of even more:
Jon Lester's no-hitter awesomeness...
Evan Longoria's heroics...
Charles Barkley's gambling problem...
The NBA's perception problem...
A Wings-Pens Stanley Cup finals...
Complete SN column here.
And, of course, the NBA Draft Lottery, being held tonight and annually one of my favorite events of the entire sports year. More on that later this morning.
-- D.S.
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