That jostling you felt? Folks speed-walking over to the station to pick up the Mike Vick Bandwagon.
More NFL Preseason:
*Donovan McNabb looked just fine in his debut with the Redskins. (Plus... Brandon Banks!)
*Dexter McCluster is going to be fun to watch (and that Chiefs backfield is going to be maddening for fantasy football GMs).
*Today's most intriguing: Ben Roethlisberger makes season debut at home. Guaranteed it will be 95 percent cheers, but you'll hear the boos.
*Hmm: Sam Bradford's Rams debut vs. the Vikings. Let's see how Bradford holds up to the hits -- bet the Rams keep him pretty shielded. That'll only last so long.
Nelson Cruz: Hero to Red Sox-haters everywhere. (And when combined with Thursday's loss? Brutal. Any lingering hopes fans had that this team would make a run? Gone.)
No no-no for Mets, but pretty close: RA Dickey's 1-hitter joins the list of other Mets' pitchers who have come as close as possible to the franchise's first no-hitter. What a season for Dickey. Knuckleballers rule.
Loved the emotion from Karl Malone during his Basketball HOF induction speech.
(As long as the Hoops Hall is enshrining entire teams, I think it would be appropriate if they took the 20th anniversary of the debut of the Fab Five to induct the 1991-92 Michigan starting 5 in next year's class.)
More people will learn who Matt Kuchar is as the latest "guy who isn't Tiger Woods winning the latest tournament Tiger is entered into" than knew of him before.
So, wait: Reggie Bush didn't apologize?
The AVP pro beach volleyball tour has cancelled the rest of it season: Remember back during the mid-decade when new leagues would enter, do really well and it looked like we were headed for a golden age of niche-y sports?
Obligatory Tebow item: Lee Corso -- so take it or leave it -- says he thinks Tebow will be starting for the Broncos by Week 6. If the Broncos are 1-4 going into the week? Absolutely could see it.
Enjoy your Saturday, everyone!
-- D.S.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
08/13 Quickie: NFL Pre, Tiger, HOF
For those who care about NFL preseason games, a triple-header last night to kick off a long weekend of openers for every team:
*Slow start for the defending champ's 1st-team offense.
*The Cowboys offense still stinks.
*The Ravens offense looks pretty good.
*Jimmy Clausen didn't embarrass himself.
Honestly, it's all fluff. The starters play a couple of series, then it's all backups and players that will get cut inevitably. Tonight: McNabb debut for Redskins; Kolb's first game as clear QB1.
(Apparently, McNabb is not having an easy time executing Mike Shanahan's offense, so tonight -- even only a series or two -- could be a train-wreck. Expect lots of hand-offs.)
Yes, that would be Tim Tebow's NFL debut coming on Sunday. It will get more attention than any other preseason detail this weekend.
Tiger at the PGA: Only 3 back. OK, OK, not bad... Wow: Tiger has created expectations to the point where not sucking is reason to view him as a success.
MLB: What was more shocking -- the Blue Jays scoring 4 in the bottom of the 9th to beat the Red Sox or the Phillies scoring 4 in the bottom of the 9th to beat the Dodgers?
The big question isn't whether Chipper Jones will return this season (he most definitely won't), but whether this is the way his career ends, period.
MLB Fantasy Stud: Johan, who made fans momentarily forget about K-Rod by taking care of everything himself (10 Ks, 0 ER and -- naturally -- playing for my fantasy opponent this week.)
CFB Season Preview: Playboy magazine thinks that Ohio State will be national champs, beating Texas in the title game. Umm.... no. Oh, sure, OSU might make the title game, but they wouldn't beat Texas... or Alabama... or Boise State... or even Florida, should it come to that.
USA Hoops: Is it me or did the intramural scrimmage not showcase the team in the best light? Durant looked good, obviously, but otherwise I was underwhelmed.
NBA Labor Woes: Don't let yesterday's meeting fool you -- there is a lockout coming. The owners will win the battle to cut/cap salaries and the players might strike or get locked out, but they aren't going to win. It is really hard for NBA players to gain fan sympathy when the NFL system of no guaranteed contracts is something we've all gotten used to.
I find it quaint that LeBron, Wade and Melo showed up -- like their presence was going to dazzle the owner's side (either that, or that they are somehow populist supporters of the union, rather than mostly concerned that their own deals will be ripped up and replaced with much less).
Congrats to the new Basketball Hall of Famers, getting inducted tonight: Karl Malone (who redefined the power forward position, a foreshadow of FreeDarko's positionless revolution), Scottie Pippen (best sidekick ever?), Cynthia Cooper (all-time great women's player), the late Dennis Johnson and Gus Johnson, Lakers owner Jerry Buss (good timing) and legendary high school coach Bob Hurley.
Reggie Bush privately apologized to new USC AD Pat Haden? That's the first smart PR move Bush has made in this whole fiasco. Now, if only he would offer a public apology to USC fans.
Great hire by Georgia to poach Florida assistant AD Greg McGarity, who has strong personal ties to UGA and the experience of working in the best-run athletic department in the country.
-- D.S.
*Slow start for the defending champ's 1st-team offense.
*The Cowboys offense still stinks.
*The Ravens offense looks pretty good.
*Jimmy Clausen didn't embarrass himself.
Honestly, it's all fluff. The starters play a couple of series, then it's all backups and players that will get cut inevitably. Tonight: McNabb debut for Redskins; Kolb's first game as clear QB1.
(Apparently, McNabb is not having an easy time executing Mike Shanahan's offense, so tonight -- even only a series or two -- could be a train-wreck. Expect lots of hand-offs.)
Yes, that would be Tim Tebow's NFL debut coming on Sunday. It will get more attention than any other preseason detail this weekend.
Tiger at the PGA: Only 3 back. OK, OK, not bad... Wow: Tiger has created expectations to the point where not sucking is reason to view him as a success.
MLB: What was more shocking -- the Blue Jays scoring 4 in the bottom of the 9th to beat the Red Sox or the Phillies scoring 4 in the bottom of the 9th to beat the Dodgers?
The big question isn't whether Chipper Jones will return this season (he most definitely won't), but whether this is the way his career ends, period.
MLB Fantasy Stud: Johan, who made fans momentarily forget about K-Rod by taking care of everything himself (10 Ks, 0 ER and -- naturally -- playing for my fantasy opponent this week.)
CFB Season Preview: Playboy magazine thinks that Ohio State will be national champs, beating Texas in the title game. Umm.... no. Oh, sure, OSU might make the title game, but they wouldn't beat Texas... or Alabama... or Boise State... or even Florida, should it come to that.
USA Hoops: Is it me or did the intramural scrimmage not showcase the team in the best light? Durant looked good, obviously, but otherwise I was underwhelmed.
NBA Labor Woes: Don't let yesterday's meeting fool you -- there is a lockout coming. The owners will win the battle to cut/cap salaries and the players might strike or get locked out, but they aren't going to win. It is really hard for NBA players to gain fan sympathy when the NFL system of no guaranteed contracts is something we've all gotten used to.
I find it quaint that LeBron, Wade and Melo showed up -- like their presence was going to dazzle the owner's side (either that, or that they are somehow populist supporters of the union, rather than mostly concerned that their own deals will be ripped up and replaced with much less).
Congrats to the new Basketball Hall of Famers, getting inducted tonight: Karl Malone (who redefined the power forward position, a foreshadow of FreeDarko's positionless revolution), Scottie Pippen (best sidekick ever?), Cynthia Cooper (all-time great women's player), the late Dennis Johnson and Gus Johnson, Lakers owner Jerry Buss (good timing) and legendary high school coach Bob Hurley.
Reggie Bush privately apologized to new USC AD Pat Haden? That's the first smart PR move Bush has made in this whole fiasco. Now, if only he would offer a public apology to USC fans.
Great hire by Georgia to poach Florida assistant AD Greg McGarity, who has strong personal ties to UGA and the experience of working in the best-run athletic department in the country.
-- D.S.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
08/12 Quickie: Isiah, Pavin, Knocks
Today's Names to Know: Isiah, K-Rod, Tiger, Corey Pavin (& Jim Gray!), Roy Oswalt, Marcus Thames, Rod Thorn, Darren Collison, Rex Ryan, Evander Holyfield, Nick Saban and More.
Naturally, the whole Isiah-returns-to-Knicks story ends with a whimper...
Stat of the Day: Tiger has been the favorite in every tournament he has entered since 1997... until today's PGA.
(This has become the dominant meme: Tiger's struggles as amazing for golf -- tournament results are uncertain and Tiger is a "redemption-or-failure" proposition. I think most fans tune in to see Tiger win, but are getting accustomed to the idea of tuning in to see him lose.)
Are you on Team Pavin or Team Gray? (As jerky as Corey Pavin seems to be, it's very hard to be sympathetic to Jim Gray, who is still dealing with residual bad feelings over his participation in The Decision. On the one hand, I don't believe Gray would go public with a made-up story; on the other hand, I believe Pavin did not explicitly say "Tiger is in.")
Big win yesterday for the Cardinals to take over 1st place in the NL Central. And without the need for bench-clearing brawls, no less.
Roy Oswalt's debut for the Phillies went about as well as could have been expected: 7 IP, 0 ER.
Um... wow, K-Rod. That's a lot of in-law rage. (What did his father-in-law say? "Mets suck?" Is his F-i-L really going to press charges?)
LaRoche, Montero, Reynolds, Drew: Back-to-back-to-back-to-back HRs.
That Yankees' win over the Rangers was a nice foreshadowing of what's going to happen in the playoffs: Cliff Lee pitches amazingly against NYY, but ultimately, the Yankees win.
USC suspends RB Dillon Baxter for opener: I presume you have to screw up pretty badly to be suspended by Lane Kiffin.
Not sure why Nick Saban would think limiting pro scout access to his practices would stop agents from approaching his players -- all it becomes is a datapoint for other coaches to (negative) recruit with.
Wait: Didn't Rod Thorn leave the Nets for retirement because he was old and it was time? Apparently not! (Don't mess with the Russian....)
NBA Trade: Great news for Darren Collison, who gets to run his own team in Indiana and step out of CP3's shadow in NOLA. (Doesn't it feel like Collison was traded for dimes on the dollar?)
The Hornets get a solid frontcourt player in Trevor Ariza. The Nets get a solid frontcourt player (with an expiring contract) in Troy Murphy. The Rockets dump Ariza's salary. Small wins!
Can anyone explain what Evander Holyfield is thinking?
Wow, "Hard Knocks" was kind of great. Rex Ryan is made-for-TV.
I just realized that I have two fantasy football drafts next week. Entirely unprepared, except that I won't draft Tim Tebow with my first-round pick. Clarity!
-- D.S.
Naturally, the whole Isiah-returns-to-Knicks story ends with a whimper...
Stat of the Day: Tiger has been the favorite in every tournament he has entered since 1997... until today's PGA.
(This has become the dominant meme: Tiger's struggles as amazing for golf -- tournament results are uncertain and Tiger is a "redemption-or-failure" proposition. I think most fans tune in to see Tiger win, but are getting accustomed to the idea of tuning in to see him lose.)
Are you on Team Pavin or Team Gray? (As jerky as Corey Pavin seems to be, it's very hard to be sympathetic to Jim Gray, who is still dealing with residual bad feelings over his participation in The Decision. On the one hand, I don't believe Gray would go public with a made-up story; on the other hand, I believe Pavin did not explicitly say "Tiger is in.")
Big win yesterday for the Cardinals to take over 1st place in the NL Central. And without the need for bench-clearing brawls, no less.
Roy Oswalt's debut for the Phillies went about as well as could have been expected: 7 IP, 0 ER.
Um... wow, K-Rod. That's a lot of in-law rage. (What did his father-in-law say? "Mets suck?" Is his F-i-L really going to press charges?)
LaRoche, Montero, Reynolds, Drew: Back-to-back-to-back-to-back HRs.
That Yankees' win over the Rangers was a nice foreshadowing of what's going to happen in the playoffs: Cliff Lee pitches amazingly against NYY, but ultimately, the Yankees win.
USC suspends RB Dillon Baxter for opener: I presume you have to screw up pretty badly to be suspended by Lane Kiffin.
Not sure why Nick Saban would think limiting pro scout access to his practices would stop agents from approaching his players -- all it becomes is a datapoint for other coaches to (negative) recruit with.
Wait: Didn't Rod Thorn leave the Nets for retirement because he was old and it was time? Apparently not! (Don't mess with the Russian....)
NBA Trade: Great news for Darren Collison, who gets to run his own team in Indiana and step out of CP3's shadow in NOLA. (Doesn't it feel like Collison was traded for dimes on the dollar?)
The Hornets get a solid frontcourt player in Trevor Ariza. The Nets get a solid frontcourt player (with an expiring contract) in Troy Murphy. The Rockets dump Ariza's salary. Small wins!
Can anyone explain what Evander Holyfield is thinking?
Wow, "Hard Knocks" was kind of great. Rex Ryan is made-for-TV.
I just realized that I have two fantasy football drafts next week. Entirely unprepared, except that I won't draft Tim Tebow with my first-round pick. Clarity!
-- D.S.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
08/10 Quickie: LeBron, Cards, Stras
As if the Amare-is-Jewish stuff didn't blow my mind enough, now there's this whole LeBron-hiring-the-rabbi thing. Seriously: What's going on here?
"Don't think I haven't been taking mental notes of everyone taking shots at me." -- LeBron on Twitter last night. Does he understand that only encourages the jokes?
The complete NBA schedule came out, and there's only one date everyone wanted to know: December 2 -- when LeBron returns to Cleveland.
The NL Central is all tied up. And these two teams appear to loathe each other, which is excellent. I love that Brandon Phillips yapped about hating the Cards, and I love that Molina got in Phillips' face about it last night. I love that, during the on-field scrumming, the Reds took a shot at Monday's winning pitcher, Chris Carpenter, and I love that everyone is just a tad pissy. It's exciting, it's healthy and it makes for a thrilling stretch run, particularly if you want a counter-balance to the AL East myopia.
Stephen Strasburg: Ouch.
Jeremy Hellickson is the new Strasburg: That's overstating by a wide margin, but the Rays rookie -- pitching in place of the injured Wade Davis -- gives Tampa yet more depth at SP.
The Twins are back in first in the AL Central. Another fun race -- will be hard to top last year's playoff.
Would it have been so tough for the Nats to play the entire game wearing the old Expos hats?
Fantasy Watch: Typical of my season that after two months of lackluster starts, I dumped Wade LeBlanc -- just in time for him to have 8 Ks in a W. I'm clearly out of playoff contention, but as usual, I will consider finishing in the "first division" (top half of the 14-team league) to be a success. It's never happened before, so there's that.
I have no doubt that Carmelo would love to play in New York for the Knicks -- I still find it crazy that he would turn down what could be a LOT more money to stay in Denver. But more power to him if he does forgo the cash to play where he wants to play. (Cough: D.C.!)
Does anyone really believe that Mike D'Antoni is fine with Isiah being a consultant for the Knicks? No one else is -- why should the coach be?
SI's CFB Preview issue has four regionalized covers, featuring Alabama, Ohio State, Texas and Boise State. Can't argue with that. Always one of the great issues of the year.
Obligatory Florida football item: The Gators had their Media Day yesterday, and I'm giddy that frosh DE Dominique Easley compared he, fellow frosh DE Ronald Powell and fellow frosh DT Sharrif Floyd to LeBron, Wade and Bosh. 2012 National Champs.
So the Nets are going to change their name, just in time for the move to Brooklyn. What should the name be? My vote is for "Biggies."
Tough timing for US Soccer, getting a Brazil team coming off its World Cup humiliation. They are reconstructing themselves as "new old Brazil," and the 2-0 win over the US was the first step toward a World Cup title in front of home fans in 2014.
Usain Bolt is taking the rest of the year off overhumiliation over losing back pains.
The new season of "Hard Knocks" starts tonight, and I hope that HBO focuses a ton of its attention on the Darrelle Revis holdout -- I'm not holding my breath. Unfiltered Rex Ryan is decent consolation.
-- D.S.
"Don't think I haven't been taking mental notes of everyone taking shots at me." -- LeBron on Twitter last night. Does he understand that only encourages the jokes?
The complete NBA schedule came out, and there's only one date everyone wanted to know: December 2 -- when LeBron returns to Cleveland.
The NL Central is all tied up. And these two teams appear to loathe each other, which is excellent. I love that Brandon Phillips yapped about hating the Cards, and I love that Molina got in Phillips' face about it last night. I love that, during the on-field scrumming, the Reds took a shot at Monday's winning pitcher, Chris Carpenter, and I love that everyone is just a tad pissy. It's exciting, it's healthy and it makes for a thrilling stretch run, particularly if you want a counter-balance to the AL East myopia.
Stephen Strasburg: Ouch.
Jeremy Hellickson is the new Strasburg: That's overstating by a wide margin, but the Rays rookie -- pitching in place of the injured Wade Davis -- gives Tampa yet more depth at SP.
The Twins are back in first in the AL Central. Another fun race -- will be hard to top last year's playoff.
Would it have been so tough for the Nats to play the entire game wearing the old Expos hats?
Fantasy Watch: Typical of my season that after two months of lackluster starts, I dumped Wade LeBlanc -- just in time for him to have 8 Ks in a W. I'm clearly out of playoff contention, but as usual, I will consider finishing in the "first division" (top half of the 14-team league) to be a success. It's never happened before, so there's that.
I have no doubt that Carmelo would love to play in New York for the Knicks -- I still find it crazy that he would turn down what could be a LOT more money to stay in Denver. But more power to him if he does forgo the cash to play where he wants to play. (Cough: D.C.!)
Does anyone really believe that Mike D'Antoni is fine with Isiah being a consultant for the Knicks? No one else is -- why should the coach be?
SI's CFB Preview issue has four regionalized covers, featuring Alabama, Ohio State, Texas and Boise State. Can't argue with that. Always one of the great issues of the year.
Obligatory Florida football item: The Gators had their Media Day yesterday, and I'm giddy that frosh DE Dominique Easley compared he, fellow frosh DE Ronald Powell and fellow frosh DT Sharrif Floyd to LeBron, Wade and Bosh. 2012 National Champs.
So the Nets are going to change their name, just in time for the move to Brooklyn. What should the name be? My vote is for "Biggies."
Tough timing for US Soccer, getting a Brazil team coming off its World Cup humiliation. They are reconstructing themselves as "new old Brazil," and the 2-0 win over the US was the first step toward a World Cup title in front of home fans in 2014.
Usain Bolt is taking the rest of the year off over
The new season of "Hard Knocks" starts tonight, and I hope that HBO focuses a ton of its attention on the Darrelle Revis holdout -- I'm not holding my breath. Unfiltered Rex Ryan is decent consolation.
-- D.S.
08/10 Quickie: Happy Madden Day
Happy Madden Day! Yes, this IS a national holiday, for many -- the release of EA's latest in the Madden franchise, "Madden 11," with Drew Brees as the cover guy.
I believe that I once argued in the Quickie that Madden Day was the 2nd biggest single day of the year, related to pro football. (I'll probably revise that now to fall behind Day 1 of the Draft.)
The point is this: It's a big day, a huge day. Through Madden, people are talking about the NFL -- they are immersing themselves in the NFL.
The game is far more immersive than merely reading updates from your team's training camp or watching NFL shows on TV. It is even more immersive than fantasy football, at least in terms of the level of concentration you are applying to football in any given stretch of time.
I'm not a video-game guy -- I'm just not coordinated enough -- but I absolutely respect the sports-game culture, particularly the loyalty and enthusiasm for Madden.
For those of you who have your game in hand and plan to spend the rest of the week not doing much besides playing -- I salute you.
*I'm not a Jets fan, but even so: What a shame it would be if Darrelle Revis sat out the entire season.
It would jeopardize the Jets' shot at a Super Bowl and deprive fans of seeing the best cornerback in the league, in his prime. Make no mistake: Woody Johnson knew exactly what he was doing when he said that.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out: Fans love and respect Revis, but they generally hate hold-outs -- even if he IS being underpaid. Players usually cave, ultimately.
*Tons of positive buzz for Sam Bradford -- yesterday's MMQB from Peter King was gushing -- and not a trace of question that he might crumple when he takes his first rough hit or 20.
*Huge win for the Cardinals over the Reds -- is this the moment Cincinnati flails?
*Don Wakamatsu made some mistakes, to be sure, but it is unclear that the Mariners' disappointing season was enough of his fault to make him worthy of being axed.
*Strasburg is back tonight. We'll see....
*It's only a matter of time before the NBA is playing a full slate of regular-season games in London, with a full-time London franchise.
*Brian Cushing Watch: What, exactly, is "overtraining?" And what does that have to do with accidentally testing positive for PEDs?
*MJ to introduce Scottie Pippen at HOF ceremony: Let's hope his speech this time is a little less bitter than the last time he was at the Hall.
*Jeff Van Gundy thinks that the Heat will win more than 72 games this season -- I will absolutely take the under there.
*Joe Paterno for the Presidential Medal of Freedom? Um, I guess so?
-- D.S.
I believe that I once argued in the Quickie that Madden Day was the 2nd biggest single day of the year, related to pro football. (I'll probably revise that now to fall behind Day 1 of the Draft.)
The point is this: It's a big day, a huge day. Through Madden, people are talking about the NFL -- they are immersing themselves in the NFL.
The game is far more immersive than merely reading updates from your team's training camp or watching NFL shows on TV. It is even more immersive than fantasy football, at least in terms of the level of concentration you are applying to football in any given stretch of time.
I'm not a video-game guy -- I'm just not coordinated enough -- but I absolutely respect the sports-game culture, particularly the loyalty and enthusiasm for Madden.
For those of you who have your game in hand and plan to spend the rest of the week not doing much besides playing -- I salute you.
*I'm not a Jets fan, but even so: What a shame it would be if Darrelle Revis sat out the entire season.
It would jeopardize the Jets' shot at a Super Bowl and deprive fans of seeing the best cornerback in the league, in his prime. Make no mistake: Woody Johnson knew exactly what he was doing when he said that.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out: Fans love and respect Revis, but they generally hate hold-outs -- even if he IS being underpaid. Players usually cave, ultimately.
*Tons of positive buzz for Sam Bradford -- yesterday's MMQB from Peter King was gushing -- and not a trace of question that he might crumple when he takes his first rough hit or 20.
*Huge win for the Cardinals over the Reds -- is this the moment Cincinnati flails?
*Don Wakamatsu made some mistakes, to be sure, but it is unclear that the Mariners' disappointing season was enough of his fault to make him worthy of being axed.
*Strasburg is back tonight. We'll see....
*It's only a matter of time before the NBA is playing a full slate of regular-season games in London, with a full-time London franchise.
*Brian Cushing Watch: What, exactly, is "overtraining?" And what does that have to do with accidentally testing positive for PEDs?
*MJ to introduce Scottie Pippen at HOF ceremony: Let's hope his speech this time is a little less bitter than the last time he was at the Hall.
*Jeff Van Gundy thinks that the Heat will win more than 72 games this season -- I will absolutely take the under there.
*Joe Paterno for the Presidential Medal of Freedom? Um, I guess so?
-- D.S.
Sunday, August 08, 2010
08/09 Quickie: NFL, Tiger, Morrow
It's nice to have NFL football back and all, but you couldn't have watched any part of last night's preseason opener and not been reminded that preseason football stinks.
(If you're curious: T.O. had 2 catches for 18 yards, but Carson Palmer didn't seem to mind throwing at T.O. early and often.)
*Speaking of stinks: Tiger. No, really: It was the worst tournament of his pro career -- and likely his life. Just when you think he can't bottom out any further, he does. Crazy.
Let's be totally clear: Strictly talking about his golf, Tiger has never been more compelling in success than he is in failure right now.
*I would have thought that Chad Ochocinco would have insisted on being Batman and having T.O. be Robin. And, frankly, that's the way it should be.
*Brandon Morrow was jaw-dropping dominant -- 17 Ks in a complete-game 1-hitter. You can have the perfect games; that was the best pitching performance of the year.
*Milestones: Derek Jeter now has more hitsas a Yankee than Babe Ruth had as a Yankee. I'm as underwhelmed by this as you are.
*Um, wow: That sounds like the greatest pickup hoops game ever. And I really hope there is some video or at least one reporter who got to chronicle the thing for posterity.
*Love the idea of Alabama and Michigan playing each other in a non-conference CFB game -- it's a sign of the brand power of both schools that they could play that game in Dallas. Of course, Alabama would eviscerate Michigan if they played, but that's kind of beside the point.
*Tina Thompson became the leading scorer in WNBA history last night. She is a lock for the Basketball Hall of Fame.
*Let's not make too much of Emmitt Smith's "dis" of Florida by not mentioning them in his HOF induction speech; he went on Twitter last night to profusely apologize for the snub.
*Instead of defiantly denying he had anything to do with A-Rod's BP injury, why doesn't Joe Buck admit he might have had something to do with it -- and if that's the case, he's sorry.
*In case you missed it: Tim Tebow's hazing haircut. Yes, you may laugh.
*Sincere thanks again to all for the interest in the legwork project. If you emailed me or filled out the form, expect that I'll get back to you this week.
-- D.S.
(If you're curious: T.O. had 2 catches for 18 yards, but Carson Palmer didn't seem to mind throwing at T.O. early and often.)
*Speaking of stinks: Tiger. No, really: It was the worst tournament of his pro career -- and likely his life. Just when you think he can't bottom out any further, he does. Crazy.
Let's be totally clear: Strictly talking about his golf, Tiger has never been more compelling in success than he is in failure right now.
*I would have thought that Chad Ochocinco would have insisted on being Batman and having T.O. be Robin. And, frankly, that's the way it should be.
*Brandon Morrow was jaw-dropping dominant -- 17 Ks in a complete-game 1-hitter. You can have the perfect games; that was the best pitching performance of the year.
*Milestones: Derek Jeter now has more hits
*Um, wow: That sounds like the greatest pickup hoops game ever. And I really hope there is some video or at least one reporter who got to chronicle the thing for posterity.
*Love the idea of Alabama and Michigan playing each other in a non-conference CFB game -- it's a sign of the brand power of both schools that they could play that game in Dallas. Of course, Alabama would eviscerate Michigan if they played, but that's kind of beside the point.
*Tina Thompson became the leading scorer in WNBA history last night. She is a lock for the Basketball Hall of Fame.
*Let's not make too much of Emmitt Smith's "dis" of Florida by not mentioning them in his HOF induction speech; he went on Twitter last night to profusely apologize for the snub.
*Instead of defiantly denying he had anything to do with A-Rod's BP injury, why doesn't Joe Buck admit he might have had something to do with it -- and if that's the case, he's sorry.
*In case you missed it: Tim Tebow's hazing haircut. Yes, you may laugh.
*Sincere thanks again to all for the interest in the legwork project. If you emailed me or filled out the form, expect that I'll get back to you this week.
-- D.S.
Sunday (Very) Quickie
Well, for starters, there's this:
That's Tim Tebow, post-haircut as part of his rookie hazing. I don't know if this was intentional, but the "Friar Tuck" look is fairly inspired by the Broncos vets.
More for a Sunday morning:
*Congrats to the 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. Who's watching the preseason opener tonight?
*Would YOU want Tiger Woods on your Ryder Cup team right now?
(Actually, playing for something other than himself, among his peers, might be exactly the right thing for Tiger right now to get him out of his funk.)
*I don't follow UFC (yes: probably should), but apparently the Silva-Sonnen ending last night was insane, with Silva improbably coming from behind to get Sonnen to tap out.
*So much for that momentum for the Red Sox. (Also known as: "No A-Rod, no problem for the Yankees." Also known as "For Boston, it's Delgado time!")
*JP Arencibia leads the Jays to what will undoubtedly be the highlight of their season: a 17-11 win over the Rays, which included 8 Jays HRs (2 by rookie Arencibia, including a HR on his first MLB pitch).
*Oh, so now the Pistons want T-Mac?
*Zenyatta!
-- D.S.
That's Tim Tebow, post-haircut as part of his rookie hazing. I don't know if this was intentional, but the "Friar Tuck" look is fairly inspired by the Broncos vets.
More for a Sunday morning:
*Congrats to the 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. Who's watching the preseason opener tonight?
*Would YOU want Tiger Woods on your Ryder Cup team right now?
(Actually, playing for something other than himself, among his peers, might be exactly the right thing for Tiger right now to get him out of his funk.)
*I don't follow UFC (yes: probably should), but apparently the Silva-Sonnen ending last night was insane, with Silva improbably coming from behind to get Sonnen to tap out.
*So much for that momentum for the Red Sox. (Also known as: "No A-Rod, no problem for the Yankees." Also known as "For Boston, it's Delgado time!")
*JP Arencibia leads the Jays to what will undoubtedly be the highlight of their season: a 17-11 win over the Rays, which included 8 Jays HRs (2 by rookie Arencibia, including a HR on his first MLB pitch).
*Oh, so now the Pistons want T-Mac?
*Zenyatta!
-- D.S.
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Saturday (Very) Quickie
Still would rather talk about the college football Top 25 than anything else, but today is a big day for two of the biggest names in NFL history....
*Jerry Rice (arguably the greatest WR in NFL history) and Emmitt Smith (certainly a Top 5 all-time RB) enter the Hall today, and I don't mean to dismiss the others (Grimm, Jackson, LeBeau, Little, Randle), but the star wattage is Jerry and Emmitt.
The defining detail of Rice's career: His work ethic. That, and the famous pre-draft test that put his 40 time at less than blazing, but Bill Walsh ignoring it and making the small-college star a linchpin of his offense.
The defining detail of Smith's career: The all-time career rushing yards record. Yes, the Super Bowl rings matter a lot (without them, he's a mere Dan Marino), but the record succinctly illustrates the duration and consistency of Smith's spectacular abilities.
We are partial to Emmitt in my house -- he is Mrs. Quickie's favorite player of all time, going back to his college days at Florida when she was an impressionable kid. His college stats were absurd; when he wasn't injured he was absolutely dominant -- on a Herschel-like level.
As for Rice, he is one of those NFL immortals for whom you can never find a fan who dislikes them. You may not have been a 49ers fan -- in fact, you may have hated them. But everyone respected Jerry Rice for his jaw-dropping awesomeness.
Ultimately, both all-time greats are a fairly compelling indictment of the NFL's player-evaluation system: 16 players were taken before Emmitt; 15 players were taken before Rice.
Of course, the two players are forever bound together by history for their dominance on "Dancing With the Stars."
I've always thought that the Hall of Fame induction ceremony was less about the players themselves and more about the fans of those players. If you grew up loving Rice or Emmitt -- or Russ Grimm or Floyd Little or John Randle or Rickey Jackson, congratulations to you.
Today is a wonderful day to think back fondly on the way those players thrilled you.
*Is Tyson Gay over Usain Bolt the biggest sports upset of the year? Yes.
*I'm sure everyone is shocked -- shocked -- to find out that Tennessee football is under investigation for more potential violations under Lane Kiffin.
(With Miami, it's par for the course, but it also comes just when it looked like they were turning the corner to restored respectability. It'll feed the U's whole persecution complex.)
*We all already knew he screwed up. So why would Super Bowl XL ref Bill Leavy re-open the wound now about he and his crew's shoddy work in the game?
*Is last night the start of the Red Sox making an improbable 7-week surge into the playoffs? (It would have to come at the expense of either the Rays or Yankees.)
*So when do the Orioles finally wake up? That's 4 straight Ws under Buck Showalter. Did he switch them to all-cotton uniforms? (More DMV baseball: Can the Nats please lock up Dunn?)
*I love that Anthony Tolliver is ready to mock LeBron openly -- Tolliver goes from virtual unknown to folk hero.
*Isiah Thomas is an MBA case study for failing upwards. We can all hope to fail so successfully in our careers.
(Jokes aside, Adrian Woj expressed the proper point: How can a college hoops coach be a consultant for a pro team? Imagine if John Calipari was a consultant for the Heat.)
-- D.S.
*Jerry Rice (arguably the greatest WR in NFL history) and Emmitt Smith (certainly a Top 5 all-time RB) enter the Hall today, and I don't mean to dismiss the others (Grimm, Jackson, LeBeau, Little, Randle), but the star wattage is Jerry and Emmitt.
The defining detail of Rice's career: His work ethic. That, and the famous pre-draft test that put his 40 time at less than blazing, but Bill Walsh ignoring it and making the small-college star a linchpin of his offense.
The defining detail of Smith's career: The all-time career rushing yards record. Yes, the Super Bowl rings matter a lot (without them, he's a mere Dan Marino), but the record succinctly illustrates the duration and consistency of Smith's spectacular abilities.
We are partial to Emmitt in my house -- he is Mrs. Quickie's favorite player of all time, going back to his college days at Florida when she was an impressionable kid. His college stats were absurd; when he wasn't injured he was absolutely dominant -- on a Herschel-like level.
As for Rice, he is one of those NFL immortals for whom you can never find a fan who dislikes them. You may not have been a 49ers fan -- in fact, you may have hated them. But everyone respected Jerry Rice for his jaw-dropping awesomeness.
Ultimately, both all-time greats are a fairly compelling indictment of the NFL's player-evaluation system: 16 players were taken before Emmitt; 15 players were taken before Rice.
Of course, the two players are forever bound together by history for their dominance on "Dancing With the Stars."
I've always thought that the Hall of Fame induction ceremony was less about the players themselves and more about the fans of those players. If you grew up loving Rice or Emmitt -- or Russ Grimm or Floyd Little or John Randle or Rickey Jackson, congratulations to you.
Today is a wonderful day to think back fondly on the way those players thrilled you.
*Is Tyson Gay over Usain Bolt the biggest sports upset of the year? Yes.
*I'm sure everyone is shocked -- shocked -- to find out that Tennessee football is under investigation for more potential violations under Lane Kiffin.
(With Miami, it's par for the course, but it also comes just when it looked like they were turning the corner to restored respectability. It'll feed the U's whole persecution complex.)
*We all already knew he screwed up. So why would Super Bowl XL ref Bill Leavy re-open the wound now about he and his crew's shoddy work in the game?
*Is last night the start of the Red Sox making an improbable 7-week surge into the playoffs? (It would have to come at the expense of either the Rays or Yankees.)
*So when do the Orioles finally wake up? That's 4 straight Ws under Buck Showalter. Did he switch them to all-cotton uniforms? (More DMV baseball: Can the Nats please lock up Dunn?)
*I love that Anthony Tolliver is ready to mock LeBron openly -- Tolliver goes from virtual unknown to folk hero.
*Isiah Thomas is an MBA case study for failing upwards. We can all hope to fail so successfully in our careers.
(Jokes aside, Adrian Woj expressed the proper point: How can a college hoops coach be a consultant for a pro team? Imagine if John Calipari was a consultant for the Heat.)
-- D.S.
Friday, August 06, 2010
08/06 Quickie: CFB Top 25, Tiger, Rays
Hustling out to accompany my kid and his day-care class to the Brooklyn Aquarium. I've never been busier with work -- but I wouldn't miss this for anything...
*Want to enjoy some "shoedenfreude?" Read about my sorry experience with the Tebow shoe that got away.
*The USA Today Preseason College Football Top 25 is out! Yes, it's the Coaches' Poll, which I loathe, but it's something -- and it's part of the BCS formula, for better or worse.
Alabama is No. 1 -- as expected.
Ohio State is No. 2 -- as expected.
Florida is No. 3 -- despite losing Tim Tebow and a slew of other stars to the NFL. (If that's not an indicator of the talent that Urban Meyer has collected, I don't know what is.)
Texas is No. 4 -- Garrett Gilbert is to Colt McCoy what John Brantley is to Tim Tebow.
Boise State -- my premature pick to win the national title -- is No. 5. (With VA Tech at No. 6, that will make their season opener all the more huge.)
This is the year the BCS implodes worse than ever, and it will revolve around Ohio State's worthiness to play in the national-title game, with either the SEC champ (unbeaten or one loss) or an unbeaten Texas left out, if the Buckeyes fool their way in. (Poor Boise State won't even rate into the discussion, despite beating VA Tech to start the season.)
Prediction: Unless Ohio State is the ONLY unbeaten team -- and we saw how well that worked out for them in 2006 -- BCS voters will look at OSU's track record and vault the SEC champ and Texas ahead of them, treating Ohio State like... well, like Boise State, frankly.
(I say this every year: Filling out the BlogPoll is one of my favorite things of the year. My initial ballot is coming soon, and as usual I want your input.)
*It's OK for you to say it: Tiger kinda sucks. Now, he may regain his form -- at which point you're perfectly entitled to respect his game again. But until that happens? He just ain't good.
It is, in a sense, the perfect complement to the old "Tiger vs. the Field" phenomenon where every tournament Tiger entered, you just assumed he'd win and were surprised when he didn't.
Now, even though there's a part of you that still assumes he's going to win, there is a bigger part of you that is tuning in to see just how much of a train wreck this guy's game has become.
It is like A-Rod stuck on 599 squared.
*So how about that "dome run" that the Twins used to rally past the Rays? What happens when that loss is the difference between the Rays getting home-field advantage over the Yankees for the playoffs? (Eh, I'm overstating -- MLB has always been about "just make the playoffs." Still: A "dome run!")
*Bob Davidson's missed call in the Phillies-Marlins game is one more reason that baseball is desperate for more extensive replay. Let's focus on the big picture: Getting the calls right.
*No, Roger Goodell shouldn't cut Big Ben's suspension. That will just enable the guy that there are no consequences.
*Well, the new Rangers owners aren't Mark Cuban (unfortunately), but they do seem to be saying all the right things. For now, at least. But the proof in the "We'll spend!" claims are in the payroll.
*Karen Sypher: Guilty. That was obvious -- less obvious was the Sharpie-permanent humiliation of Rick Pitino.
*Keith Olbermann off of Football Night in America? You can disagree with KO's politics, but he was a terrific talent to read over the day's football highlights. Hope this didn't have to do with his polarizing work on Countdown.
*Huge and sincere thanks for the near-overwhelming response to yesterday's Legwork post. Your enthusiasm is inspiring.
If you haven't seen it and are interested, check it out and get back to me. I'm going to try to get through it this weekend and get back to everyone by early next week.
-- D.S.
*Want to enjoy some "shoedenfreude?" Read about my sorry experience with the Tebow shoe that got away.
*The USA Today Preseason College Football Top 25 is out! Yes, it's the Coaches' Poll, which I loathe, but it's something -- and it's part of the BCS formula, for better or worse.
Alabama is No. 1 -- as expected.
Ohio State is No. 2 -- as expected.
Florida is No. 3 -- despite losing Tim Tebow and a slew of other stars to the NFL. (If that's not an indicator of the talent that Urban Meyer has collected, I don't know what is.)
Texas is No. 4 -- Garrett Gilbert is to Colt McCoy what John Brantley is to Tim Tebow.
Boise State -- my premature pick to win the national title -- is No. 5. (With VA Tech at No. 6, that will make their season opener all the more huge.)
This is the year the BCS implodes worse than ever, and it will revolve around Ohio State's worthiness to play in the national-title game, with either the SEC champ (unbeaten or one loss) or an unbeaten Texas left out, if the Buckeyes fool their way in. (Poor Boise State won't even rate into the discussion, despite beating VA Tech to start the season.)
Prediction: Unless Ohio State is the ONLY unbeaten team -- and we saw how well that worked out for them in 2006 -- BCS voters will look at OSU's track record and vault the SEC champ and Texas ahead of them, treating Ohio State like... well, like Boise State, frankly.
(I say this every year: Filling out the BlogPoll is one of my favorite things of the year. My initial ballot is coming soon, and as usual I want your input.)
*It's OK for you to say it: Tiger kinda sucks. Now, he may regain his form -- at which point you're perfectly entitled to respect his game again. But until that happens? He just ain't good.
It is, in a sense, the perfect complement to the old "Tiger vs. the Field" phenomenon where every tournament Tiger entered, you just assumed he'd win and were surprised when he didn't.
Now, even though there's a part of you that still assumes he's going to win, there is a bigger part of you that is tuning in to see just how much of a train wreck this guy's game has become.
It is like A-Rod stuck on 599 squared.
*So how about that "dome run" that the Twins used to rally past the Rays? What happens when that loss is the difference between the Rays getting home-field advantage over the Yankees for the playoffs? (Eh, I'm overstating -- MLB has always been about "just make the playoffs." Still: A "dome run!")
*Bob Davidson's missed call in the Phillies-Marlins game is one more reason that baseball is desperate for more extensive replay. Let's focus on the big picture: Getting the calls right.
*No, Roger Goodell shouldn't cut Big Ben's suspension. That will just enable the guy that there are no consequences.
*Well, the new Rangers owners aren't Mark Cuban (unfortunately), but they do seem to be saying all the right things. For now, at least. But the proof in the "We'll spend!" claims are in the payroll.
*Karen Sypher: Guilty. That was obvious -- less obvious was the Sharpie-permanent humiliation of Rick Pitino.
*Keith Olbermann off of Football Night in America? You can disagree with KO's politics, but he was a terrific talent to read over the day's football highlights. Hope this didn't have to do with his polarizing work on Countdown.
*Huge and sincere thanks for the near-overwhelming response to yesterday's Legwork post. Your enthusiasm is inspiring.
If you haven't seen it and are interested, check it out and get back to me. I'm going to try to get through it this weekend and get back to everyone by early next week.
-- D.S.
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Looking For Some Help With a Project
Hey, everyone: If you consider yourself a sports news junkie and seem to spend all your time refreshing Twitter and blog feeds but can never get enough, I want to hear from you.
I am looking for a clever self-starter with phenomenal attention to detail and an interest in hustling over the next few weeks to help me with some legwork on a research project. (Journalism or media experience is good, but I have a pretty elastic mindset about what that means.)
You would ideally be able to give me a total of 10-15 hours over the next few weeks, but I’m not fixated on when you do it -- during slow times on your job or summer internship, at night, on the weekend, whatever fits your schedule. NYC-based is good, but not necessary (we can talk via Skype and IM).
I can afford a gratuity -- it won’t be much, but it will let you feel like it is more than “unpaid.” (If you are willing to do it "for the experience," that's fine, but I'm still going to do the right thing.) And when you end up doing a phenomenal job, I would love to be able to give you more work. That would be good news for both of us.
If you’re interested (or know someone who might be), shoot me an email that says “LEGWORK” in the subject line and include:
*A short description (say, tweet-length) about your interest;
*2-3 links to some relevant work;
*Your favorite sports and sports teams (specific fandom won't disqualify you!);
*(Optional) The names of 2-3 people I don’t follow on Twitter but should. (If you know my Quickie style, you know my preference: Essentially, keep it short!)
As for timing, I am going to try to get this figured out by early next week. It's short notice, but on the other hand, I don't think this will be a drawn-out process.
Thanks so much for the help.
PS: For better or worse(!), you will not be doing any research related to Tim Tebow.
I am looking for a clever self-starter with phenomenal attention to detail and an interest in hustling over the next few weeks to help me with some legwork on a research project. (Journalism or media experience is good, but I have a pretty elastic mindset about what that means.)
You would ideally be able to give me a total of 10-15 hours over the next few weeks, but I’m not fixated on when you do it -- during slow times on your job or summer internship, at night, on the weekend, whatever fits your schedule. NYC-based is good, but not necessary (we can talk via Skype and IM).
I can afford a gratuity -- it won’t be much, but it will let you feel like it is more than “unpaid.” (If you are willing to do it "for the experience," that's fine, but I'm still going to do the right thing.) And when you end up doing a phenomenal job, I would love to be able to give you more work. That would be good news for both of us.
If you’re interested (or know someone who might be), shoot me an email that says “LEGWORK” in the subject line and include:
*A short description (say, tweet-length) about your interest;
*2-3 links to some relevant work;
*Your favorite sports and sports teams (specific fandom won't disqualify you!);
*(Optional) The names of 2-3 people I don’t follow on Twitter but should. (If you know my Quickie style, you know my preference: Essentially, keep it short!)
As for timing, I am going to try to get this figured out by early next week. It's short notice, but on the other hand, I don't think this will be a drawn-out process.
Thanks so much for the help.
PS: For better or worse(!), you will not be doing any research related to Tim Tebow.
08/05 Quickie: Cuban, A-Rod, Lance, CFB
Like the rest of you, I am bummed -- but not surprised in the least -- that Mark Cuban's bid to own the Texas Rangers did not win. Here's hoping he can one day get that team. (Although from a strategic standpoint, it was much more important for him to own a Texas baseball team than, say, the Dodgers or Pirates or Cubs.)
A-Rod hits 600th: And the most over-deployed joke of the event was something related to "Well, if you discount for PEDs, it was really only like 300." In 10 years -- if not right now -- no one really cares about those asterisks or PED influence.
Lance: Yikes. To follow on that last point, I really do think that proof that Lance used PEDs won't fundamentally erode the rep he has earned for all those Tour de France wins and his inspiring life story.
To mildly contradict myself, the fact that Lance has protested his drug-free-ness -- extremely strongly -- would only make confirmation of any allegations that much more brutal. In true Quickie form, the cheating might be bad; the lying/cover-up is always worse.
Lots of college football teams get started practicing today, including Florida, whose practices are entirely closed to the media and public. I don't need to watch them or get first-hand media reports to know that John Brantley is going to destroy defenses this season.
(I have no problem saying that my expectations for Florida in Year 1 of the "Post-Tebow Era" is that they will make the SEC Championship with one loss -- at Alabama -- then win the SEC title. The following fact accrues every year: This is the most talented Florida roster in Urban Meyer's tenure at Florida.)
Shaq to the Celtics is official: What a circus that is going to be. By the way, Shaq is making something along the lines of league minimum -- what a crazy coda on his career.
Huge props to reader Garrett, who saw yesterday's item about Shaq and my question about Shaq playing for 6 teams and how many other Top 20/50/100 NBA players had that long of a resume... then in the comments, he totally pulled out Moses Malone:
MLB Studs: Good debut -- almost Lilly-ish -- for Edwin Jackson as a White Sox starter... Now Lilly teammate Vicente Padilla? Even better than Lilly's LA debut... Ubaldo wins his 17th, but it just doesn't feel the same as the 1st-half "Ubaldomania"... Fantasy Stud: Domonic Brown: 3 RBI for the Phillies rookie.
NFL Camping: Sounds like Bucs QB Josh Freeman is not only way ahead of where he was as a rookie a year ago -- typical for QB development. I'm sure he will be even better a year from now. That's why I'm unconcerned about where Tim Tebow is right now. As long as he gets some snaps this season -- maybe even a few starts -- he will be on pace for a leap next season.
LenDale White has found a home: With the RB-light Broncos, who just lost Knowshon Moreno for at least a month and Corell Buckhalter for god-knows-how-long and are left with a stable of unknowns (which is hardly unusual for them). If White would just get in shape and -- well, care -- he might actually make something of himself.
Brett Favre, cont'd: The cell phone picture stuff is at least amusing -- far more amusing than the waffling.
Interesting job opportunity coming later today -- check back around noonish. Need some help with a project.
-- D.S.
A-Rod hits 600th: And the most over-deployed joke of the event was something related to "Well, if you discount for PEDs, it was really only like 300." In 10 years -- if not right now -- no one really cares about those asterisks or PED influence.
Lance: Yikes. To follow on that last point, I really do think that proof that Lance used PEDs won't fundamentally erode the rep he has earned for all those Tour de France wins and his inspiring life story.
To mildly contradict myself, the fact that Lance has protested his drug-free-ness -- extremely strongly -- would only make confirmation of any allegations that much more brutal. In true Quickie form, the cheating might be bad; the lying/cover-up is always worse.
Lots of college football teams get started practicing today, including Florida, whose practices are entirely closed to the media and public. I don't need to watch them or get first-hand media reports to know that John Brantley is going to destroy defenses this season.
(I have no problem saying that my expectations for Florida in Year 1 of the "Post-Tebow Era" is that they will make the SEC Championship with one loss -- at Alabama -- then win the SEC title. The following fact accrues every year: This is the most talented Florida roster in Urban Meyer's tenure at Florida.)
Shaq to the Celtics is official: What a circus that is going to be. By the way, Shaq is making something along the lines of league minimum -- what a crazy coda on his career.
Huge props to reader Garrett, who saw yesterday's item about Shaq and my question about Shaq playing for 6 teams and how many other Top 20/50/100 NBA players had that long of a resume... then in the comments, he totally pulled out Moses Malone:
"I'm not sure where you'd rank him, but Moses Malone played for the Braves, Rockets, Sixers (twice), Bullets, Hawks, Bucks and Spurs. And before he even played a regular season NBA game, he was on the Utah Stars and St. Louis Spirits in the ABA, then drafted by the Blazers in the ABA dispersal draft."I'd definitely put Moses in the Top 50 and I love this call by Garrett. Kudos!
MLB Studs: Good debut -- almost Lilly-ish -- for Edwin Jackson as a White Sox starter... Now Lilly teammate Vicente Padilla? Even better than Lilly's LA debut... Ubaldo wins his 17th, but it just doesn't feel the same as the 1st-half "Ubaldomania"... Fantasy Stud: Domonic Brown: 3 RBI for the Phillies rookie.
NFL Camping: Sounds like Bucs QB Josh Freeman is not only way ahead of where he was as a rookie a year ago -- typical for QB development. I'm sure he will be even better a year from now. That's why I'm unconcerned about where Tim Tebow is right now. As long as he gets some snaps this season -- maybe even a few starts -- he will be on pace for a leap next season.
LenDale White has found a home: With the RB-light Broncos, who just lost Knowshon Moreno for at least a month and Corell Buckhalter for god-knows-how-long and are left with a stable of unknowns (which is hardly unusual for them). If White would just get in shape and -- well, care -- he might actually make something of himself.
Brett Favre, cont'd: The cell phone picture stuff is at least amusing -- far more amusing than the waffling.
Interesting job opportunity coming later today -- check back around noonish. Need some help with a project.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
08/04 Quickie: Shaq, Cuban, Favre
Watch me evade leading with Favre...
The NBA has done a spectacular job of turning itself into a 11-month-a-year league. Beyond the regular season and playoffs, there was the John Wall Lottery in May, the Draft in June, July's free-agent insanity...
...And even into August -- which should be a dead zone -- the league has three things it can stand on: The schedule release (yesterday, which was big enough), the World Basketball Festival (in two weeks) and, of course, Shaq about to sign with the Celtics.
So about Shaq: There isn't another star among the game's Top 20 ever -- or Top 50 ever (or Top 100 ever) -- who has played for as many teams as Shaq's half-dozen: Magic, Lakers, Heat, Suns, Cavs, Celtics. He's not "Shaq Daddy"; he's a 7-foot version of journeyman Kevin Ollie.
The Celtics may have no chance of winning the East (then again, I said the same thing last season), but they will be among the upper-echelon of entertaining.
And for yet another news cycle in its offseason, the NBA will get a dominant headline. This is, by far, the biggest and most memorable offseason in the history of the league.
More:
*MLB will never let it happen, but Mark Cuban owning the Rangers would be the best thing to happen to baseball ownership in years, not quite Henry buying the Red Sox but a strong No. 2 with Sternberg buying the Rays. Cuban is the best owner in sports -- although Ted Leonsis is giving him a run for his money. He would make the Rangers relevant, just like he did with the Mavs. (Yes, I'm saying that even in a playoff year, the Rangers aren't particularly relevant.)
*Ndamukong Suh gets paid: There's been some griping that he is getting All-Pro money. Unlike Sam Bradford -- who I think will be a bust -- I think Suh will be dominant for the Lions from the get-go and worth all that money. My pick for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
*A-Rod still stuck on 599: Of course he is.
*The Rays are back on top of the AL East. In April or May? Whatever. In August? It's a big deal. There isn't a better-run franchise in baseball.
*Ryan Howard, Kevin Youkilis to the DL: Howard's benching curbs what had been a sweet little run of good fortune for the Phillies; Youk on the DL is par for the course for Boston this season. (Youk is also at the heart of my fantasy lineup, which has mirrored Boston's injury issues.)
*Well, hello there, Ted Lilly!
*Carmelo not signing Nuggets extension? That would be an obvious sign he is bolting next summer (Knicks? Nets? Wizards?) and Denver has no choice but to trade him to try to get something before he does.
*See how I refused to lead with Favre? That's because I am certain he will play this season. Just when you think he can't stretch this "will-I-or-won't-I" schtick any further, he does it.
-- D.S.
The NBA has done a spectacular job of turning itself into a 11-month-a-year league. Beyond the regular season and playoffs, there was the John Wall Lottery in May, the Draft in June, July's free-agent insanity...
...And even into August -- which should be a dead zone -- the league has three things it can stand on: The schedule release (yesterday, which was big enough), the World Basketball Festival (in two weeks) and, of course, Shaq about to sign with the Celtics.
So about Shaq: There isn't another star among the game's Top 20 ever -- or Top 50 ever (or Top 100 ever) -- who has played for as many teams as Shaq's half-dozen: Magic, Lakers, Heat, Suns, Cavs, Celtics. He's not "Shaq Daddy"; he's a 7-foot version of journeyman Kevin Ollie.
The Celtics may have no chance of winning the East (then again, I said the same thing last season), but they will be among the upper-echelon of entertaining.
And for yet another news cycle in its offseason, the NBA will get a dominant headline. This is, by far, the biggest and most memorable offseason in the history of the league.
More:
*MLB will never let it happen, but Mark Cuban owning the Rangers would be the best thing to happen to baseball ownership in years, not quite Henry buying the Red Sox but a strong No. 2 with Sternberg buying the Rays. Cuban is the best owner in sports -- although Ted Leonsis is giving him a run for his money. He would make the Rangers relevant, just like he did with the Mavs. (Yes, I'm saying that even in a playoff year, the Rangers aren't particularly relevant.)
*Ndamukong Suh gets paid: There's been some griping that he is getting All-Pro money. Unlike Sam Bradford -- who I think will be a bust -- I think Suh will be dominant for the Lions from the get-go and worth all that money. My pick for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
*A-Rod still stuck on 599: Of course he is.
*The Rays are back on top of the AL East. In April or May? Whatever. In August? It's a big deal. There isn't a better-run franchise in baseball.
*Ryan Howard, Kevin Youkilis to the DL: Howard's benching curbs what had been a sweet little run of good fortune for the Phillies; Youk on the DL is par for the course for Boston this season. (Youk is also at the heart of my fantasy lineup, which has mirrored Boston's injury issues.)
*Well, hello there, Ted Lilly!
*Carmelo not signing Nuggets extension? That would be an obvious sign he is bolting next summer (Knicks? Nets? Wizards?) and Denver has no choice but to trade him to try to get something before he does.
*See how I refused to lead with Favre? That's because I am certain he will play this season. Just when you think he can't stretch this "will-I-or-won't-I" schtick any further, he does it.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
08/03 Quickie: NBA Sked, B10, Xs/Os
Heat-Celtics to tip off the new NBA season? Can't ask for more than that. I couldn't believe the NBA would put the Heat in Cleveland to open the season, even though that would be the greatest game ever. (Have to believe it will be Lakers-Heat in the NBA's premier Christmas Day spot.)
Big Ten Media Day: Conference title game in 2011, once Nebraska joins and makes it an even 12. Now, about that thorny issue of splitting up the league....
Indians super-rookie Carlos Santana was supposed to be one of those savvy mid-season pick-ups that takes me from middle-of-the-pack in fantasy to the playoffs. D'oh....
As previewed yesterday, Rays top prospect Jeremy Hellickson did win his MLB debut last night -- but it was apparently a one-night-only kind of deal. Much bigger future ahead.
The anti-doping folks are so intent to get Lance that they are willing to give sweet deals to any rider willing to talk with them about Lance using PEDs.
(Either Lance is the most honorable -- and maligned -- athlete in sports history or he is going to get crucified on this.)
That Karen Sypher intended to extort money from Rick Pitino was kind of obvious, wasn't it? It doesn't change the fact that Pitino has irreparably hurt his rep with this trial.
As expected, Phil Jackson signed that extension with the Lakers -- his ultimate career encore can be leading the Lakers to a(nother) three-peat while crushing the dreams of LeBron.
New book out today: Tim Layden's "Blood, Sweat and Chalk" -- a history of strategy in the NFL. (It was previewed in that amazing piece in SI a few weeks ago about Don Coryell.) I'm digging into it now and will hopefully have a review later this week. (In the meantime, here's a Q&A Layden did with the NYT; I'm going to line up my own, hopefully.)
I think A-Rod is trying too hard....
-- D.S.
Big Ten Media Day: Conference title game in 2011, once Nebraska joins and makes it an even 12. Now, about that thorny issue of splitting up the league....
Indians super-rookie Carlos Santana was supposed to be one of those savvy mid-season pick-ups that takes me from middle-of-the-pack in fantasy to the playoffs. D'oh....
As previewed yesterday, Rays top prospect Jeremy Hellickson did win his MLB debut last night -- but it was apparently a one-night-only kind of deal. Much bigger future ahead.
The anti-doping folks are so intent to get Lance that they are willing to give sweet deals to any rider willing to talk with them about Lance using PEDs.
(Either Lance is the most honorable -- and maligned -- athlete in sports history or he is going to get crucified on this.)
That Karen Sypher intended to extort money from Rick Pitino was kind of obvious, wasn't it? It doesn't change the fact that Pitino has irreparably hurt his rep with this trial.
As expected, Phil Jackson signed that extension with the Lakers -- his ultimate career encore can be leading the Lakers to a(nother) three-peat while crushing the dreams of LeBron.
New book out today: Tim Layden's "Blood, Sweat and Chalk" -- a history of strategy in the NFL. (It was previewed in that amazing piece in SI a few weeks ago about Don Coryell.) I'm digging into it now and will hopefully have a review later this week. (In the meantime, here's a Q&A Layden did with the NYT; I'm going to line up my own, hopefully.)
I think A-Rod is trying too hard....
-- D.S.
Monday, August 02, 2010
08/02 Quickie: Rays, Broncos, Masoli
The Yankees-Rays battle in the AL East is turning into something awesome -- Shields over Sabathia brings Tampa as close as they've been since they led the division early in the season.
That said: It feels like a foregone conclusion that one of these teams will win the AL East and the other will be the AL Wildcard, and that they both should advance to the ALCS.
I guess that makes a head-to-head battle on the first day of August a little less meaningful in an absolute sense... and more like foreshadowing.
Strasburg Watch: Throws without pain. I'm not sure how much solace that gives Nats fans who are inclined to presume the worst.
Well, what Ozzie Guillen had to say about how Latino players are treated vs. how Asian players are treated should open up an interesting discussion about race in baseball. Unfortunately, what sports media doesn't do well is discussions about race.
NFL Camping: The good news for the Broncos? The set a team record for fan attendance at training camp (more than 3,100, undoubtedly there for Tebowmania). The bad news? Knowshon Moreno may have torn his hamstring, which will sideline him for at least 3 weeks. (Corell Buckhalter was also injured; the Broncos' RB situation is bleak. Enter Brian Westbrook?)
Darrelle Revis is going to hold out: Depending on who you talk to, he is the best player in the league, the best defensive player in the league or merely the best player on a Jets team that considers itself a leading contender to make the Super Bowl. Whatever: Give him his raise.
CFB: Jeremiah Masoli to Ole Miss. Given his history, he needs a substantial support system. But as a football talent, he will help instantly; the minute he walks on campus -- literally and metaphorically -- he is the best skill position player on the team.
The next big X-sports phenom? Pedro Barros, the 15-year-old who won gold in Skateboard Park at the X Games.
Tracking today: Jeremy Hellickson, the Rays' top minor-league pitching prospect, gets his first MLB start today, to give the Rays' terrific rotation an extra day of rest. Don't go rushing to add him to your fantasy roster; apparently, this is just a one-day thing, even though he is arguably good enough to be starting regularly for every other team in the league.
Ooh: The HeismanPundit.com Preseason Watch List is out! It's not a ranking, but he does list the players in order of their odds of winning -- Terrelle Pryor is first, with Miami QB Jacory Harris at No. 2.
Look who's at No. 7: Florida QB John Brantley, who has never even started a college game before. That's how good he is -- and will be. (No, there won't be a BrantleyBlog.)
Interestingly: Mark Ingram doesn't make the list of 16 would-be winners. That doesn't mean he won't finish No. 2 or in the Top 5 (I suspect he won't, if only because Trent Richardson will get more and more of Ingram's carries), but he won't win.
My biggest quibble: Boise State QB Kellen Moore at No. 11; I see Moore as the favorite. Boise will go unbeaten (potentially playing for the national championship) and Moore will put up sick stats.
Lots of chatter this weekend with NFL training camps kicking off about how close the NFL season is -- let's not forget that college football is closing in fast, too.
I just booked my flight to get to Gainesville for the first two games of Florida's season. Ironically, I will be flying out of Jacksonville an hour before Tim Tebow and the Broncos kick off in their season-opener against the Jaguars. Attendance there was apparently not meant to be for me.
-- D.S.
That said: It feels like a foregone conclusion that one of these teams will win the AL East and the other will be the AL Wildcard, and that they both should advance to the ALCS.
I guess that makes a head-to-head battle on the first day of August a little less meaningful in an absolute sense... and more like foreshadowing.
Strasburg Watch: Throws without pain. I'm not sure how much solace that gives Nats fans who are inclined to presume the worst.
Well, what Ozzie Guillen had to say about how Latino players are treated vs. how Asian players are treated should open up an interesting discussion about race in baseball. Unfortunately, what sports media doesn't do well is discussions about race.
NFL Camping: The good news for the Broncos? The set a team record for fan attendance at training camp (more than 3,100, undoubtedly there for Tebowmania). The bad news? Knowshon Moreno may have torn his hamstring, which will sideline him for at least 3 weeks. (Corell Buckhalter was also injured; the Broncos' RB situation is bleak. Enter Brian Westbrook?)
Darrelle Revis is going to hold out: Depending on who you talk to, he is the best player in the league, the best defensive player in the league or merely the best player on a Jets team that considers itself a leading contender to make the Super Bowl. Whatever: Give him his raise.
CFB: Jeremiah Masoli to Ole Miss. Given his history, he needs a substantial support system. But as a football talent, he will help instantly; the minute he walks on campus -- literally and metaphorically -- he is the best skill position player on the team.
The next big X-sports phenom? Pedro Barros, the 15-year-old who won gold in Skateboard Park at the X Games.
Tracking today: Jeremy Hellickson, the Rays' top minor-league pitching prospect, gets his first MLB start today, to give the Rays' terrific rotation an extra day of rest. Don't go rushing to add him to your fantasy roster; apparently, this is just a one-day thing, even though he is arguably good enough to be starting regularly for every other team in the league.
Ooh: The HeismanPundit.com Preseason Watch List is out! It's not a ranking, but he does list the players in order of their odds of winning -- Terrelle Pryor is first, with Miami QB Jacory Harris at No. 2.
Look who's at No. 7: Florida QB John Brantley, who has never even started a college game before. That's how good he is -- and will be. (No, there won't be a BrantleyBlog.)
Interestingly: Mark Ingram doesn't make the list of 16 would-be winners. That doesn't mean he won't finish No. 2 or in the Top 5 (I suspect he won't, if only because Trent Richardson will get more and more of Ingram's carries), but he won't win.
My biggest quibble: Boise State QB Kellen Moore at No. 11; I see Moore as the favorite. Boise will go unbeaten (potentially playing for the national championship) and Moore will put up sick stats.
Lots of chatter this weekend with NFL training camps kicking off about how close the NFL season is -- let's not forget that college football is closing in fast, too.
I just booked my flight to get to Gainesville for the first two games of Florida's season. Ironically, I will be flying out of Jacksonville an hour before Tim Tebow and the Broncos kick off in their season-opener against the Jaguars. Attendance there was apparently not meant to be for me.
-- D.S.
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Sunday (Very) Quickie
So many trades, but first....
I'm still choking on Sam Bradford's unprecedented deal. Oh, I know why it was what it was (only $1M more than Stafford's, entirely "reasonable" for a QB taken 1st overall).
But if you remember my bearish analysis for Bradford's future (basically: he can't even handle BYU linemen; how will he handle NFC linemen?), then it is a joke.
(Of course, I don't have nearly the same intense hostility about Eric Berry becoming the highest-paid safety in NFL history, mostly because I think Berry is going to be worth it.)
The rookie salary cap is going to be the least-contentious part of the new CBA. I think everyone -- owners, union, media, fans -- can agree that it makes complete sense.
Lance Berkman will get more national recognition in his brief, career-ending (and probably title-winning) stint with the Yankees than he got in Houston.
(Astros fans can lament the trading away of one of the franchise's most popular and successful players, but they should feel good knowing he could finally win that elusive World Series title.)
More notable trades: Jake Westbrook to the Cardinals; Ted Lilly to the Dodgers; Kerry Wood on the Yankees; Rick Ankiel on the Braves; Chad Qualls to the Rays.
Everyone may be watching A-Rod, but the Yankees' MVP this season remains Robinson Cano -- who had the key HR to send the Yankees past the Rays.
Stud: Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies, who hit for the cycle, but did it in the most improbable way possible -- with a walk-off HR to win the game.
Is Rudy Fernandez going to the Bulls? (I'm a Rudy fan and was bummed the Wiz didn't make a stronger play for him.)
More tomorrow morning.
-- D.S.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
07/30 Quickie: MLB, Tebow, LeBron
On the radar today: Tim Tebow, Roy Oswalt, Ted Lilly, Arash Markazi, Stephen Strasburg, Buck Showalter, Rick Pitino, T.O., Travis Pastrana and More.
Phillies get Roy Oswalt: "Roy and Roy and three days of rain" -- and that's probably enough for the Phillies not just to make the playoffs, but win the NL pennant again.
(UPDATE: Reader Brian T. correctly points out that Cole Hamels is killing it lately. All the more reason to consider the Phillies the most dangerous team in the NL, once we get to the playoffs. This is a team built to win series in October.)
Trade deadline "prizes": Ted Lilly? Jake Westbrook? Jeremy Guthrie? That doesn't include anyone who is going to catapult a team into the playoffs, like aces Lee and Oswalt were.
So: How much of the potential between Tim Tebow's base deal of $11 million (over 5 years, $8.7M guaranteed) and his potential earnings of $33 million will he pick up when he wins NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year?
The spiked LeBron-in-Vegas story: Bad news, all the way around. Bad for LeBron (I guess). Bad for ESPN. Bad for Arash Markazi, who is a good guy. Bad for fans.
Stephen Strasburg to the DL: I'm not going to fault the Nats for being overly cautious -- even if it does kill any chance I have of making my fantasy league playoffs, after drafting Stras back in March and stowing him for all those months. But it is just not a good sign that he is suffering shoulder issues already. The foreshadowing is ominous.
O's hire Buck Showalter: It. Won't. Help. (Honestly, MLB is like the NBA -- there is a fundamental problem with the development pipeline for managers/head coaches.)
Ubaldomania returns? Not quite, but at this point, merely winning is a big deal.
Love the old-school Padres uniforms. (Less enthusiastic about the Padres getting Miguel Tejada.)
Rick Pitino should have settled.
I'm sorry: Was there actually a question that Lorenzen Wright died from gunshot wounds related to a homicide?
T.O. Watch: Bengals fans are like Bills fans or Eagles fans or 49ers fans before them: When T.O. isn't on their team, they hate him; when he is on their team, they love him. When he inevitably gripes or freaks or, certainly, leaves, they will claim they never cared. But they do.
Is Travis Pastrana the best-ever in his sport (freestyle moto-x)? Probably. Amazingly, it might not even be his best sport.
Idol: Fact -- Ellen was not a particularly good judge anyway.
Happy retirement to David Tyree: He will be eternally remembered as one-half of the greatest play in the history of the NFL.
-- D.S.
Phillies get Roy Oswalt: "Roy and Roy and three days of rain" -- and that's probably enough for the Phillies not just to make the playoffs, but win the NL pennant again.
(UPDATE: Reader Brian T. correctly points out that Cole Hamels is killing it lately. All the more reason to consider the Phillies the most dangerous team in the NL, once we get to the playoffs. This is a team built to win series in October.)
Trade deadline "prizes": Ted Lilly? Jake Westbrook? Jeremy Guthrie? That doesn't include anyone who is going to catapult a team into the playoffs, like aces Lee and Oswalt were.
So: How much of the potential between Tim Tebow's base deal of $11 million (over 5 years, $8.7M guaranteed) and his potential earnings of $33 million will he pick up when he wins NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year?
The spiked LeBron-in-Vegas story: Bad news, all the way around. Bad for LeBron (I guess). Bad for ESPN. Bad for Arash Markazi, who is a good guy. Bad for fans.
Stephen Strasburg to the DL: I'm not going to fault the Nats for being overly cautious -- even if it does kill any chance I have of making my fantasy league playoffs, after drafting Stras back in March and stowing him for all those months. But it is just not a good sign that he is suffering shoulder issues already. The foreshadowing is ominous.
O's hire Buck Showalter: It. Won't. Help. (Honestly, MLB is like the NBA -- there is a fundamental problem with the development pipeline for managers/head coaches.)
Ubaldomania returns? Not quite, but at this point, merely winning is a big deal.
Love the old-school Padres uniforms. (Less enthusiastic about the Padres getting Miguel Tejada.)
Rick Pitino should have settled.
I'm sorry: Was there actually a question that Lorenzen Wright died from gunshot wounds related to a homicide?
T.O. Watch: Bengals fans are like Bills fans or Eagles fans or 49ers fans before them: When T.O. isn't on their team, they hate him; when he is on their team, they love him. When he inevitably gripes or freaks or, certainly, leaves, they will claim they never cared. But they do.
Is Travis Pastrana the best-ever in his sport (freestyle moto-x)? Probably. Amazingly, it might not even be his best sport.
Idol: Fact -- Ellen was not a particularly good judge anyway.
Happy retirement to David Tyree: He will be eternally remembered as one-half of the greatest play in the history of the NFL.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
07/29 Quickie: Phillies, Amare, LeBron
Hold on... I'm still processing the reality that Amare Stoudemire is Jewish.
*The one thing I love about the Phillies is that they recognize this is their window to win championships -- even just to make the playoffs -- and make moves to take advantage of that... like trading for Roy Oswalt.
(Combine that with the Phillies heating up, last night's win behind Halladay's 6-hitter and the call-up of top prospect Domonic Brown -- who had 2 H and 2 RBI in his debut -- and things are looking good for Philly. If they make the playoffs, yikes: The Halladay-Oswalt combo alone could be enough pitching to get them the NL pennant.)
*A-Rod: Still at 599. This could be a while.
*After reading the (pre-)released draft of Arash Markazi's brilliant-for-its-detail LeBron-in-Vegas profile, the only thing that seemed wrong with it was that it embarrassed LeBron.
*RIP, Lorenzen Wright. What a tragic ending.
*Rick Pitino is unlikely to shake the whole "15 seconds" thing, especially when Louisville goes on the road.
*Antonio Gates is -- appropriately -- the highest-paid TE in the NFL: 5Y extension at $7+M a year, with the all-important "guaranteed" money at $20M.
*The best thing that could happen to sports in the state of Arizona is the judicial ruling to put the controversial SB 1070 on hold. Certainly better than what's happening to the D'backs.
*Jeremiah Masoli to Ole Miss? Troubled guy, but supremely talented. Hope the Rebels have a great support system in place for him.
*Soccer: Again, MLS confirms that when they involve European clubs, tons of fans want to get out and watch. The question: How can MLS get 70,000 fans to continue to turn out, even without the lure of Man U.?
*USA Hoops: Are we going to look back in a year or so and wonder how Tyreke Evans didn't make the Top 15 of the non-Olympic-year national basketball team roster?
*Tim Tebow is officially a training camp "holdout." His deal is imminent, but technically, it is a hold out. Mangia, haters.
*Must-Read: SI's list of the 25 Most Hated Teams of All Time. Terrific stuff by Deitsch and the crew. One quibble: It wasn't that fans hated the 89-90 UNLV hoops team (ranked No. 9); they hated the 90-91 team (and even that, I'm not sure about). That 1990 team ripped out Duke's soul -- that alone made it beloved.
-- D.S.
*The one thing I love about the Phillies is that they recognize this is their window to win championships -- even just to make the playoffs -- and make moves to take advantage of that... like trading for Roy Oswalt.
(Combine that with the Phillies heating up, last night's win behind Halladay's 6-hitter and the call-up of top prospect Domonic Brown -- who had 2 H and 2 RBI in his debut -- and things are looking good for Philly. If they make the playoffs, yikes: The Halladay-Oswalt combo alone could be enough pitching to get them the NL pennant.)
*A-Rod: Still at 599. This could be a while.
*After reading the (pre-)released draft of Arash Markazi's brilliant-for-its-detail LeBron-in-Vegas profile, the only thing that seemed wrong with it was that it embarrassed LeBron.
*RIP, Lorenzen Wright. What a tragic ending.
*Rick Pitino is unlikely to shake the whole "15 seconds" thing, especially when Louisville goes on the road.
*Antonio Gates is -- appropriately -- the highest-paid TE in the NFL: 5Y extension at $7+M a year, with the all-important "guaranteed" money at $20M.
*The best thing that could happen to sports in the state of Arizona is the judicial ruling to put the controversial SB 1070 on hold. Certainly better than what's happening to the D'backs.
*Jeremiah Masoli to Ole Miss? Troubled guy, but supremely talented. Hope the Rebels have a great support system in place for him.
*Soccer: Again, MLS confirms that when they involve European clubs, tons of fans want to get out and watch. The question: How can MLS get 70,000 fans to continue to turn out, even without the lure of Man U.?
*USA Hoops: Are we going to look back in a year or so and wonder how Tyreke Evans didn't make the Top 15 of the non-Olympic-year national basketball team roster?
*Tim Tebow is officially a training camp "holdout." His deal is imminent, but technically, it is a hold out. Mangia, haters.
*Must-Read: SI's list of the 25 Most Hated Teams of All Time. Terrific stuff by Deitsch and the crew. One quibble: It wasn't that fans hated the 89-90 UNLV hoops team (ranked No. 9); they hated the 90-91 team (and even that, I'm not sure about). That 1990 team ripped out Duke's soul -- that alone made it beloved.
-- D.S.
07/28 Quickie: T.O., Yao, Stras, Pac-12
Number of weeks until fans are sick of Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco playing "can you top this?" Actually, if you enjoy flamboyant behavior, this is incredible news.
Foreshadowing: Stephen Strasburg was scratched from his start last night because of shoulder inflammation. Already? So not good.
Yao will retire from the NBA if his foot injury doesn't totally heal: The Rockets have done admirably well without him, but it would be a Top 3 all-time "What if...?"
Pac-10 becomes "Pac-12": Larry Scott might be getting mocked, but I really like the Pac's effort to make its brand more national and powerful.
The league has been a weak sister for years -- despite USC's success -- and the fact is that East Coast Bias exists in the media and with fans, and unless you're on the radar back East (or even in the Midwest), you're at a disadvantage: With TV deals, with sponsors, with recruiting.
The idea seems lame-brained... right up until the league actually gets more exposure and improves all those metrics. Scott's willingness to do whatever is a refreshing change for that league. I wonder if, a few years ago, Scott would have openly supported a playoff?
Cliff Lee is awesome: 13 Ks in 9 innings. But it still wasn't enough to get the W -- the Rangers needed Nelson Cruz to hit a game-winning HR in the 10th. They are just having one of "those" years.
MLB makes a smart move: They move the start of the 2011 schedule up and ensure the regular season ends before the start of October, which means that the season -- including the World Series -- will be done before the calendar flips to November. (Baseball nudging into November was greeted with an opposite feeling to the NFL extending into February.)
BCS 2004: Leave it to the BCS to do precisely the wrong thing when it comes to USC. If the NCAA sanctions stand, the BCS will vacate USC's 2004 national title -- there is no champ that year; in the BCS' words, it's like the game was never played.
That would be rather than calling an audible to the group's rules (like they would ever have a rule on the books about a BCS member being declared ineligible) and giving the national title to runner-up Auburn, which never even had a chance to beat USC (which it might have).
If, in today's college football landscape, you find it absurd that an unbeaten SEC champ wouldn't get a direct shot at the national championship, get ready for more: I can totally see the SEC champ having one loss and getting shut out of the NCG by two unbeatens from lesser leagues.
Diego Maradona was fired as Argentina's national soccer coach: We all saw this coming, as soon as ARG got humiliatingly booted. But he will always have the adulation of the group stage.
"Don't talk to Chris Paul": That's basically what the NBA told teams. They don't want a redux of the LeBron debacle, but it has already been set into motion.
Teams don't need to talk with CP3 anyway; they merely need to make a successful trade offer to his GM. I see the Hornets holding on to Paul until his contract year, then trading him before he can bolt leaving them with nothing.
Speaking of leagues telling teams, I missed the story yesterday about the NFL putting up posters in locker rooms warning players about taking concussions seriously, because -- y'know -- playing football causes concussions.
(a) What about non-concussion head injuries, the ones that seem to have an equally debilitating effect on players over time, and
(b) What about getting the posters not just into high school football locker rooms, but into the hands of parents who would make the choice to let their kids get their brains rattled?
Tim Tebow gets another endorsement deal: It's with Jockey, which has a couple of implications. (1) That's a big endorsement. (2) He goes head-to-head with Michael Jordan, who is the lead endorser for Hanes. (3) He picks up the brand's legacy that goes back to Jim Palmer.
Brett Favre still unsure: YOU DON'T SAY. He's going to come back. He doesn't want to deal with training camp. Why doesn't he just say that?
Oh, yikes: Huston Street.
-- D.S.
Foreshadowing: Stephen Strasburg was scratched from his start last night because of shoulder inflammation. Already? So not good.
Yao will retire from the NBA if his foot injury doesn't totally heal: The Rockets have done admirably well without him, but it would be a Top 3 all-time "What if...?"
Pac-10 becomes "Pac-12": Larry Scott might be getting mocked, but I really like the Pac's effort to make its brand more national and powerful.
The league has been a weak sister for years -- despite USC's success -- and the fact is that East Coast Bias exists in the media and with fans, and unless you're on the radar back East (or even in the Midwest), you're at a disadvantage: With TV deals, with sponsors, with recruiting.
The idea seems lame-brained... right up until the league actually gets more exposure and improves all those metrics. Scott's willingness to do whatever is a refreshing change for that league. I wonder if, a few years ago, Scott would have openly supported a playoff?
Cliff Lee is awesome: 13 Ks in 9 innings. But it still wasn't enough to get the W -- the Rangers needed Nelson Cruz to hit a game-winning HR in the 10th. They are just having one of "those" years.
MLB makes a smart move: They move the start of the 2011 schedule up and ensure the regular season ends before the start of October, which means that the season -- including the World Series -- will be done before the calendar flips to November. (Baseball nudging into November was greeted with an opposite feeling to the NFL extending into February.)
BCS 2004: Leave it to the BCS to do precisely the wrong thing when it comes to USC. If the NCAA sanctions stand, the BCS will vacate USC's 2004 national title -- there is no champ that year; in the BCS' words, it's like the game was never played.
That would be rather than calling an audible to the group's rules (like they would ever have a rule on the books about a BCS member being declared ineligible) and giving the national title to runner-up Auburn, which never even had a chance to beat USC (which it might have).
If, in today's college football landscape, you find it absurd that an unbeaten SEC champ wouldn't get a direct shot at the national championship, get ready for more: I can totally see the SEC champ having one loss and getting shut out of the NCG by two unbeatens from lesser leagues.
Diego Maradona was fired as Argentina's national soccer coach: We all saw this coming, as soon as ARG got humiliatingly booted. But he will always have the adulation of the group stage.
"Don't talk to Chris Paul": That's basically what the NBA told teams. They don't want a redux of the LeBron debacle, but it has already been set into motion.
Teams don't need to talk with CP3 anyway; they merely need to make a successful trade offer to his GM. I see the Hornets holding on to Paul until his contract year, then trading him before he can bolt leaving them with nothing.
Speaking of leagues telling teams, I missed the story yesterday about the NFL putting up posters in locker rooms warning players about taking concussions seriously, because -- y'know -- playing football causes concussions.
(a) What about non-concussion head injuries, the ones that seem to have an equally debilitating effect on players over time, and
(b) What about getting the posters not just into high school football locker rooms, but into the hands of parents who would make the choice to let their kids get their brains rattled?
Tim Tebow gets another endorsement deal: It's with Jockey, which has a couple of implications. (1) That's a big endorsement. (2) He goes head-to-head with Michael Jordan, who is the lead endorser for Hanes. (3) He picks up the brand's legacy that goes back to Jim Palmer.
Brett Favre still unsure: YOU DON'T SAY. He's going to come back. He doesn't want to deal with training camp. Why doesn't he just say that?
Oh, yikes: Huston Street.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
07/27 Quickie: Garza, CP3, Haren
Looking for another sign that Tampa's stellar pitching is going to lead it to a playoff season? How about Matt Garza's no-hitter, the first in Rays franchise history?
Dan Haren's Halos debut: The good? 8 Ks through 5 IP. The bad? Didn't keep the Angels from losing to the Red Sox. The ugly? When Haren took a Youkilis shot off his forearm.
Chris Paul says he does NOT want to be traded? What b.s. He obviously learned from LeBron that open infidelity is not optimal; it will only make his inevitable betrayal of Hornets fans that much more painful.
T.O. to the... Bengals? Can the world handle T.O. and Ochocinco on the same field? (Can either guy handle the other as a teammate? Cripes: Talk about enabling.)
Big 12 Media Days: I love how Nebraska doesn't want to talk about its move to the Big Ten -- the "Good Riddance Tour" is only the biggest story in the conference this season.
NBA Trades: Finally, some good news for the Cavs, trading for Ramon Sessions from the T'wolves and giving up Delonte West -- who, immediately after the LeBron debacle, was the face of the franchise -- and Sebastian Telfair. Sessions is underrated. (Let the "now-it-can-be-told" stories about West...commence. BTW: Jonny Flynn is out for 3-4 months with a hip injury -- not that even a Flynn injury will make it reasonable for Telfair to get playing time.)
MLB Fantasy Stud: Joe Mauer (career-high 7 RBI)
Dept. of Litigiousness: The Titans are suing USC for poaching their RBs coach Kennedy Pola. No hard feelings or anything.
T-Mac Watch: That's going to be a "no" from the Bulls. Even as a 12th man? Yikes.
More later.
-- D.S.
Dan Haren's Halos debut: The good? 8 Ks through 5 IP. The bad? Didn't keep the Angels from losing to the Red Sox. The ugly? When Haren took a Youkilis shot off his forearm.
Chris Paul says he does NOT want to be traded? What b.s. He obviously learned from LeBron that open infidelity is not optimal; it will only make his inevitable betrayal of Hornets fans that much more painful.
T.O. to the... Bengals? Can the world handle T.O. and Ochocinco on the same field? (Can either guy handle the other as a teammate? Cripes: Talk about enabling.)
Big 12 Media Days: I love how Nebraska doesn't want to talk about its move to the Big Ten -- the "Good Riddance Tour" is only the biggest story in the conference this season.
NBA Trades: Finally, some good news for the Cavs, trading for Ramon Sessions from the T'wolves and giving up Delonte West -- who, immediately after the LeBron debacle, was the face of the franchise -- and Sebastian Telfair. Sessions is underrated. (Let the "now-it-can-be-told" stories about West...commence. BTW: Jonny Flynn is out for 3-4 months with a hip injury -- not that even a Flynn injury will make it reasonable for Telfair to get playing time.)
MLB Fantasy Stud: Joe Mauer (career-high 7 RBI)
Dept. of Litigiousness: The Titans are suing USC for poaching their RBs coach Kennedy Pola. No hard feelings or anything.
T-Mac Watch: That's going to be a "no" from the Bulls. Even as a 12th man? Yikes.
More later.
-- D.S.
Monday, July 26, 2010
07/26 Quickie: Leaks, Haren, More
It will/would never happen (and the news itself is hardly comparable), but imagine if a news organization got its hands on 100,000 secret documents involving tons of colleges and recruits that exposed widespread problems in recruiting or 100,000 secret documents exposing widespread use of HGH in the football or baseball.
(Forget for a second that everyone already knows/assumes that recruiting is a fairly large racket and that everyone already assumes that PEDs are still widespread in football and baseball.)
It would be massive. But still: For all the information, it is likely that things wouldn't change much. Go back to last week's "we're all pimps" argument -- fans opt to be willfully ignorant of the seedy underbelly of college sports or PED measures some players take to play, because we just want to root for some teams and watch some wins.
I'm not saying that there's an analogy to popular opinion about the war in Afghanistan -- I'm just trying to envision a Wikileaks-like scenario in sports.
More on the radar today:
*It's not a good morning to be a Diamondbacks fan. Your team just gave up your ace for virtually nothing. Go back to last week's discussion of the variety of ways you can position a team so that fans will still be happy; "giving up/dumping salary" -- at least without accompanying it with a plan for why you're doing it -- isn't one of them.
(I couldn't tell whether Rob Neyer was being silly or serious -- acknowledging the reality or satirizing it -- when he referred to the trade as being referred to as the "Most Lopsided Trade in Major League History." It sure feels up there.)
*Meanwhile, the Angels just got an ace. Not sure if it's enough to catch the Rangers -- after all, Texas got its own ace (an even better ace, actually) two weeks ago -- but it might be enough to put some pressure on the Rays and Red Sox for the Wild Card. (The Angels could still use some extra pop in their lineup. Who's playing 1B these days?)
*Is Roy Oswalt next? Not if the Astros aren't willing to have a D'backs-like fire sale. (See, there's the killer for D'backs fans: Your team is now associated with just giving ace talent away.)
*Tom Brady is in camp: What a non-story THAT turned out to be. Anyone NOT see this coming?
*I love that Dez Bryant refused to carry Roy Williams' shoulder pads. It's not exactly in line with Bryant's previous strategy of keeping his head down and just focusing on football -- which has been genius -- but it shows a little bit of spice and keeps him at the top of NFL headlines. There has been no bigger winner in the NFL this month.
*A-Rod: Still at 599. AND he got hit by a pitch and had to leave the game. Yesterday, I said it would take 5 games for him to get to 600. So I'm down to 4.
*The Marlins keep winning in walk-off style -- no team in the NL (and no team besides the Rays) does more with less money. If there was a payroll-adjusted standings, the Marlins would be running away with it.
*You also knew that Carlos Zambrano was going to end up back in the Cubs' rotation. (Whether he is actually effective? Another story.)
*USA Softball's 22-game win streak ends: Apparently, all it took was a fluke (3 hours of rain delay).
*That had to have been Lance's final Tour de France, right? Give him tons of credit for competing, but it's out with a whimper.
*Chip Ganassi with a racing first: His team's cars won the Daytona 500, Indy 500 and Brickyard 400.
*Very smart for MLS to import top European clubs: Yesterday, they set a record for the largest crowd ever to watch a soccer game in Kansas City, with the local Wizards beating Manchester United. Now, it's on the Wiz and MLS to convert those fans into bigger/better MLS fans.
*"If you love the game, it will love you back." -- Andre Dawson, with a lovely coda to his Hall of Fame induction.
-- D.S.
(Forget for a second that everyone already knows/assumes that recruiting is a fairly large racket and that everyone already assumes that PEDs are still widespread in football and baseball.)
It would be massive. But still: For all the information, it is likely that things wouldn't change much. Go back to last week's "we're all pimps" argument -- fans opt to be willfully ignorant of the seedy underbelly of college sports or PED measures some players take to play, because we just want to root for some teams and watch some wins.
I'm not saying that there's an analogy to popular opinion about the war in Afghanistan -- I'm just trying to envision a Wikileaks-like scenario in sports.
More on the radar today:
*It's not a good morning to be a Diamondbacks fan. Your team just gave up your ace for virtually nothing. Go back to last week's discussion of the variety of ways you can position a team so that fans will still be happy; "giving up/dumping salary" -- at least without accompanying it with a plan for why you're doing it -- isn't one of them.
(I couldn't tell whether Rob Neyer was being silly or serious -- acknowledging the reality or satirizing it -- when he referred to the trade as being referred to as the "Most Lopsided Trade in Major League History." It sure feels up there.)
*Meanwhile, the Angels just got an ace. Not sure if it's enough to catch the Rangers -- after all, Texas got its own ace (an even better ace, actually) two weeks ago -- but it might be enough to put some pressure on the Rays and Red Sox for the Wild Card. (The Angels could still use some extra pop in their lineup. Who's playing 1B these days?)
*Is Roy Oswalt next? Not if the Astros aren't willing to have a D'backs-like fire sale. (See, there's the killer for D'backs fans: Your team is now associated with just giving ace talent away.)
*Tom Brady is in camp: What a non-story THAT turned out to be. Anyone NOT see this coming?
*I love that Dez Bryant refused to carry Roy Williams' shoulder pads. It's not exactly in line with Bryant's previous strategy of keeping his head down and just focusing on football -- which has been genius -- but it shows a little bit of spice and keeps him at the top of NFL headlines. There has been no bigger winner in the NFL this month.
*A-Rod: Still at 599. AND he got hit by a pitch and had to leave the game. Yesterday, I said it would take 5 games for him to get to 600. So I'm down to 4.
*The Marlins keep winning in walk-off style -- no team in the NL (and no team besides the Rays) does more with less money. If there was a payroll-adjusted standings, the Marlins would be running away with it.
*You also knew that Carlos Zambrano was going to end up back in the Cubs' rotation. (Whether he is actually effective? Another story.)
*USA Softball's 22-game win streak ends: Apparently, all it took was a fluke (3 hours of rain delay).
*That had to have been Lance's final Tour de France, right? Give him tons of credit for competing, but it's out with a whimper.
*Chip Ganassi with a racing first: His team's cars won the Daytona 500, Indy 500 and Brickyard 400.
*Very smart for MLS to import top European clubs: Yesterday, they set a record for the largest crowd ever to watch a soccer game in Kansas City, with the local Wizards beating Manchester United. Now, it's on the Wiz and MLS to convert those fans into bigger/better MLS fans.
*"If you love the game, it will love you back." -- Andre Dawson, with a lovely coda to his Hall of Fame induction.
-- D.S.
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