The new college hoops season tips off today, and the universe revolves around John Calipari and Kentucky.
Not just because Cal broke through with his first national title a year ago. Not just because he reloaded with an insanely talented freshman class. Not just because the expectations are, once again, "National title or failure."
But because Calipari has created the most entrepreneurial system in all of sports. From sales and marketing to business development to product development, he has out-innovated everyone else.
The core? Embracing the NBA's age limit and offering the top high school players the ideal one-year finishing school before they enter the NBA: Get coached for the pros, compete for a national title, be on TV a ton and raise your personal and professional profile.
What top prep WOULDN'T want that, and -- as it turns out -- they mostly all do. And after last year's perfect execution of the plan, it appears locked in for as long as the NBA keeps an age limit.
Another team might win the national title -- Indiana is the popular favorite, but I don't see it -- but Calipari has guaranteed that Kentucky is always at the top of the list of contenders.
National title pick: Kentucky
Final Four: Kentucky, Louisville, Florida, Gonzaga
Player of the Year: Doug McDermott, Creighton
A-As: McDermott, Cody Zeller, Isaiah Canaan, Tony Mitchell, Nerlens Noel
Does Northwestern make the NCAA Tournament: No.
*****
Colts win again: More love for Luck.
Kobe's glare: I'm with Kobe. Get over it, friends.
MLB Hot Stove: Rangers' limit with Hamilton is 3 years? That ends that.
CFB Weekend: Kansas State will lose at TCU. (That's big enough.)
Syracuse's Fine: How the hell does that guy get his rep back?
Lane Kiffin: Still bringing the LOL. Yeah, the manager totally acted alone.
College hoops opens its season on an aircraft carrier tonight AND in Brooklyn. What more do you want?
-- D.S.
Friday, November 09, 2012
Thursday, November 08, 2012
11/08 (Tillman) Quickie
OK, so it sounds like the Charles Tillman thing is a moot point, because he said this morning that his wife is now scheduled to give birth Monday, not during the Bears game on Sunday. But still, the point is worth making...
"Faith, family, football." That isn't necessarily an original thought, but it is one of the core tenets of Tim Tebow's worldview -- his priorities. Charles Tillman said the same thing in a tweet to ESPN's Mike Greenberg and Golic this morning.
Tillman is right and PFT's Mike Florio is wrong -- if the timing happens to work out coincidentally, it is more important for Tillman to be at the birth of his child than it is for him to be playing in the Bears game. Full stop.
Here's to an easy birth for his wife, for a healthy baby and for Tillman to experience nothing but joy (a previous birth was incredibly difficult and complicated). The highlight of 2012 for me was the birth of my daughter and being there to support my wife.
You just can't take these things for granted and you absolutely support whatever Tillman's decision is.
More:
Chuckstrong: Love that the Colts players shaved their heads in support of head coach Chuck Pagano, and love that Indy is playing tonight on national TV to raise the profile even more. You've got to tune in, if only to watch Andrew Luck, coming off the biggest passing day for a rookie in NFL history.
Lakers are 1-4: How many games before the sample size is big enough where we say "This team just isn't particularly good?"
Jim Buss gives Mike Brown the dreaded vote of confidence: 'Nuff said.
Clippers beat the Spurs: To the point above, the best team in L.A. is the other one.
Heat obliterate the Nets: Brooklyn has a lot of cachet, but it isn't even close to being a contender.
Rockies hire Walt Weiss: If you remember Weiss as AL Rookie of the Year... well, you're old. Sigh.
Mike Vick to brother Marcus: "Shut off the Twitter." Older brothers FTW.
MLB Hot Stove: I think the trade market for Justin Upton is way more intriguing than the situation with Josh Hamilton. Nats GM drafted Upton and is sitting on a stockpile of minor-league talent. Is it too much to think he might make a play for him?
RIP Darrell Royal: If you were going to pick out 10 college football coaches who are the face of the sport's history, Royal is on the list. (Hmm, off the top of my head, in no particular order: Bryant, Saban, Rockne, Switzer, Royal, Osborne, Spurrier, Meyer, Schnellenberger, Heisman.)
CFB: Should Kentucky consider hiring Bobby Petrino? My original thought was "Hell no." Now, I actually think "Absolutely." This is a program going nowhere. Petrino is a mess of a human being, but there is no denying he is a good football coach.
CBB: Xavier transfer Dez Wells eligible for Maryland. Makes the Kentucky-Maryland season-opener tomorrow night in Brooklyn that much more interesting.
More CBB: Season tips off tomorrow. Much more tomorrow, but I'll offer a spoiler: Kentucky, Kentucky, Kentucky.
-- D.S.
"Faith, family, football." That isn't necessarily an original thought, but it is one of the core tenets of Tim Tebow's worldview -- his priorities. Charles Tillman said the same thing in a tweet to ESPN's Mike Greenberg and Golic this morning.
Tillman is right and PFT's Mike Florio is wrong -- if the timing happens to work out coincidentally, it is more important for Tillman to be at the birth of his child than it is for him to be playing in the Bears game. Full stop.
Here's to an easy birth for his wife, for a healthy baby and for Tillman to experience nothing but joy (a previous birth was incredibly difficult and complicated). The highlight of 2012 for me was the birth of my daughter and being there to support my wife.
You just can't take these things for granted and you absolutely support whatever Tillman's decision is.
More:
Chuckstrong: Love that the Colts players shaved their heads in support of head coach Chuck Pagano, and love that Indy is playing tonight on national TV to raise the profile even more. You've got to tune in, if only to watch Andrew Luck, coming off the biggest passing day for a rookie in NFL history.
Lakers are 1-4: How many games before the sample size is big enough where we say "This team just isn't particularly good?"
Jim Buss gives Mike Brown the dreaded vote of confidence: 'Nuff said.
Clippers beat the Spurs: To the point above, the best team in L.A. is the other one.
Heat obliterate the Nets: Brooklyn has a lot of cachet, but it isn't even close to being a contender.
Rockies hire Walt Weiss: If you remember Weiss as AL Rookie of the Year... well, you're old. Sigh.
Mike Vick to brother Marcus: "Shut off the Twitter." Older brothers FTW.
MLB Hot Stove: I think the trade market for Justin Upton is way more intriguing than the situation with Josh Hamilton. Nats GM drafted Upton and is sitting on a stockpile of minor-league talent. Is it too much to think he might make a play for him?
RIP Darrell Royal: If you were going to pick out 10 college football coaches who are the face of the sport's history, Royal is on the list. (Hmm, off the top of my head, in no particular order: Bryant, Saban, Rockne, Switzer, Royal, Osborne, Spurrier, Meyer, Schnellenberger, Heisman.)
CFB: Should Kentucky consider hiring Bobby Petrino? My original thought was "Hell no." Now, I actually think "Absolutely." This is a program going nowhere. Petrino is a mess of a human being, but there is no denying he is a good football coach.
CBB: Xavier transfer Dez Wells eligible for Maryland. Makes the Kentucky-Maryland season-opener tomorrow night in Brooklyn that much more interesting.
More CBB: Season tips off tomorrow. Much more tomorrow, but I'll offer a spoiler: Kentucky, Kentucky, Kentucky.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, November 07, 2012
11/07 (Two-Term Obama) Quickie
Today isn't a post about President Obama winning re-election, but instead about the sports-media guy turned politcal-media guy Nate Silver of 538.com.
Silver became the poster guy for political punditry this season with his confident (and quantitatively backed-up) predictions about the Presidential race, capped by last night, where he basically ran the table. (Not coincidentally, the Obama re-election team took the same approach, with the same results.
Silver took a lot of grief from the more traditional political pundit class -- it was amusing to watch as a sports fan, because this was a debate we had in sports a decade ago (stats vs. scouts, later morphing into sports pundits who were comfortable and facile with numbers versus those who weren't).
In the end, Silver won the day, because rigorous quantitative analysis matters. In sports or in politics, there will always be a place for qualitative punditry -- the 24/7 news cycle demands it -- but it must be rooted in data (and, yes, sometimes counter-balanced or checked by it, too).
I don't expect that things will change in the pundit world too dramatically, even as Silver and his data-first approach ascends to pre-eminence. There was too much ignorance of basic statistics -- basic understanding of probabilistic thinking -- during the past few weeks' Silver-centric flare-up from critics.
But it is a great reminder -- something to hold up and even admire -- that just because you insist on a reality doesn't make it so. Math matters.
Last night in the wake of Obama's victory, NBC News' Chuck Todd called the election the political equivalent of a "Moneyball"-style triumph. The same can be said for Silver.
Of the lasting impacts of this election season, I hope that this kind of clear-eyed quant-aware approach to analysis -- in politics, finally catching up to sports -- earns a place.
-- D.S.
Silver became the poster guy for political punditry this season with his confident (and quantitatively backed-up) predictions about the Presidential race, capped by last night, where he basically ran the table. (Not coincidentally, the Obama re-election team took the same approach, with the same results.
Silver took a lot of grief from the more traditional political pundit class -- it was amusing to watch as a sports fan, because this was a debate we had in sports a decade ago (stats vs. scouts, later morphing into sports pundits who were comfortable and facile with numbers versus those who weren't).
In the end, Silver won the day, because rigorous quantitative analysis matters. In sports or in politics, there will always be a place for qualitative punditry -- the 24/7 news cycle demands it -- but it must be rooted in data (and, yes, sometimes counter-balanced or checked by it, too).
I don't expect that things will change in the pundit world too dramatically, even as Silver and his data-first approach ascends to pre-eminence. There was too much ignorance of basic statistics -- basic understanding of probabilistic thinking -- during the past few weeks' Silver-centric flare-up from critics.
But it is a great reminder -- something to hold up and even admire -- that just because you insist on a reality doesn't make it so. Math matters.
Last night in the wake of Obama's victory, NBC News' Chuck Todd called the election the political equivalent of a "Moneyball"-style triumph. The same can be said for Silver.
Of the lasting impacts of this election season, I hope that this kind of clear-eyed quant-aware approach to analysis -- in politics, finally catching up to sports -- earns a place.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, November 06, 2012
11/06 (Election Day) Quickie
Took my kids to vote this morning, just like I took them to vote four years ago. It is a thrilling moment to explain the basic foundation of democracy to a curious child and watch them soak in the community and the spectacle of it.
We stood in line for no more than a half-hour, which is nothing compared to what others will go through today to cast a ballot. It is an embarrassment that we don't have a system that makes voting simple, easy, fast and universally accessible to any eligible citizen.
That is the extent of any "political" statement I have to make -- if you know (or think you know) whom I voted for, ok -- whether you agree or disagree is part of the process; otherwise, I merely hope you exercise your right to vote for the candidates of your choice, along with any ballot measures that might impact you more locally.
More:
*Andy Reid is as good as fired, but it might not come until the end of the season. It will be an awkward lame-duck phase, but he sort of brings it on himself by, say, sticking with Michael Vick.
*That play where Riley Cooper laid down in the end zone on the kickoff -- hiding in plain sight -- before catching a lateral (later ruled an illegal forward pass) and racing for a TD was one of the best plays you'll see all season -- straight out of your backyard game. Brilliant.
*Nothing says "false hope" like the Knicks being 3-0 with all three wins by double-digit margins.
*Basically, the Heat just turn it on when they want to. And when they do, they're unstoppable.
*Did Nets fans really think the team in Brooklyn would just start winning like a contender?
*I only saw a few highlights of last night's Kentucky exhibition, but they sure look reloaded.
*I would take it as a point of pride if I was given the first two official NBA "warnings" about flopping. Kudos to you, JJ Barea.
*David Ortiz didn't like Bobby V? You don't say!
*Obama is right: Political pundits ARE just like sports pundits.
Vote.
-- D.S.
We stood in line for no more than a half-hour, which is nothing compared to what others will go through today to cast a ballot. It is an embarrassment that we don't have a system that makes voting simple, easy, fast and universally accessible to any eligible citizen.
That is the extent of any "political" statement I have to make -- if you know (or think you know) whom I voted for, ok -- whether you agree or disagree is part of the process; otherwise, I merely hope you exercise your right to vote for the candidates of your choice, along with any ballot measures that might impact you more locally.
More:
*Andy Reid is as good as fired, but it might not come until the end of the season. It will be an awkward lame-duck phase, but he sort of brings it on himself by, say, sticking with Michael Vick.
*That play where Riley Cooper laid down in the end zone on the kickoff -- hiding in plain sight -- before catching a lateral (later ruled an illegal forward pass) and racing for a TD was one of the best plays you'll see all season -- straight out of your backyard game. Brilliant.
*Nothing says "false hope" like the Knicks being 3-0 with all three wins by double-digit margins.
*Basically, the Heat just turn it on when they want to. And when they do, they're unstoppable.
*Did Nets fans really think the team in Brooklyn would just start winning like a contender?
*I only saw a few highlights of last night's Kentucky exhibition, but they sure look reloaded.
*I would take it as a point of pride if I was given the first two official NBA "warnings" about flopping. Kudos to you, JJ Barea.
*David Ortiz didn't like Bobby V? You don't say!
*Obama is right: Political pundits ARE just like sports pundits.
Vote.
-- D.S.
Monday, November 05, 2012
11/05 (NFL Midseason) Quickie
Hard to imagine a year ago that the midway point of the 2012 NFL season would be defined by the Indianapolis Colts. But it is:
-- Chuck Pagano's leave-of-absence while battling leukemia, leading to the most gripping moment of the season so far.
-- Andrew Luck fulfilling his potential as the best NFL QB prospect since Peyton Manning by setting a new single-game record for passing yards by a rookie.
-- The Colts -- who are supposed to be (and have every right to be) in post-Peyton rebuilding mode -- being entirely in the mix for a Wild Card spot in the AFC.
At the midway point of the NFL season, they are the Team of the Year. More awards:
MVP: Matt Ryan
Rookie: Luck and Robert Griffin III
Coach: Lovie Smith
More NFL: Is there anything more symbolically appropriate than Jerry Jones being locked out of the Cowboys locker room after their loss to the Falcons?
If I am Jerry Jones: I am formulating a break-the-bank offer for the suddenly contract-free Sean Payton.
BCS: Oregon hops over Notre Dame. Oregon can't play defense. Then again, Notre Dame nearly lost to Pitt. Kansas State fans are probably sure the Wildcats can beat both anyway.
Lakers win! Imagine the hysteria if they lost to the lowly Pistons. Doesn't change the fact that this team is very far from being a contender (let alone the top contender) in the West.
Tonight: Eagles-Saints, in a must-win for both teams, making it a delightfully desperate situation to watch for those of us who don't care about either team.
Fantasy: When your team sucks -- as mine does, perennially -- you take the moments when they happen. For example, my 1-7 bottom-feeders were playing the 7-1 league-leaders this week. My hearty band throttled them (and that was with Andrew Luck on my bench, sitting behind Cam Newton, who I just can't bring to sit), and my playoff-less season is made.
Don't forget to vote.
- D.S.
-- Chuck Pagano's leave-of-absence while battling leukemia, leading to the most gripping moment of the season so far.
-- Andrew Luck fulfilling his potential as the best NFL QB prospect since Peyton Manning by setting a new single-game record for passing yards by a rookie.
-- The Colts -- who are supposed to be (and have every right to be) in post-Peyton rebuilding mode -- being entirely in the mix for a Wild Card spot in the AFC.
At the midway point of the NFL season, they are the Team of the Year. More awards:
MVP: Matt Ryan
Rookie: Luck and Robert Griffin III
Coach: Lovie Smith
More NFL: Is there anything more symbolically appropriate than Jerry Jones being locked out of the Cowboys locker room after their loss to the Falcons?
If I am Jerry Jones: I am formulating a break-the-bank offer for the suddenly contract-free Sean Payton.
BCS: Oregon hops over Notre Dame. Oregon can't play defense. Then again, Notre Dame nearly lost to Pitt. Kansas State fans are probably sure the Wildcats can beat both anyway.
Lakers win! Imagine the hysteria if they lost to the lowly Pistons. Doesn't change the fact that this team is very far from being a contender (let alone the top contender) in the West.
Tonight: Eagles-Saints, in a must-win for both teams, making it a delightfully desperate situation to watch for those of us who don't care about either team.
Fantasy: When your team sucks -- as mine does, perennially -- you take the moments when they happen. For example, my 1-7 bottom-feeders were playing the 7-1 league-leaders this week. My hearty band throttled them (and that was with Andrew Luck on my bench, sitting behind Cam Newton, who I just can't bring to sit), and my playoff-less season is made.
Don't forget to vote.
- D.S.
Sunday, November 04, 2012
11/04 (CFB Hangover) Quickie
There will be no Alabama-LSU II: The Sequel.
LSU has no shot at playing for the national title -- no embarrassments like last year's title-game rerun that made the regular-season "Game of the Year" a farce.
But Alabama -- hoo boy, Alabama -- affirms its place at the top of the polls. That was grown-up football last night in the 4th quarter, something the rest of the contenders around the country could barely (if at all) comprehend, except in circumstances like Oregon has had over the past two seasons in which they have experienced first-hand what elite SEC defenses look like.
The Oregon fireworks display in out-scoring USC was fun -- it felt as good as eating fistfuls of Halloween candy. There is no question: Oregon's offense is a thing to behold.
Then again, it was empty calories -- Chip Kelly has brought his high-octane offense to games with the best of the SEC, with time to prepare, and walked away solved and beaten.
I still want to see Alabama vs. Oregon for the national title -- this is Oregon's best offense, by far. And if they can scoot past Bama's defense of future pros, more power to them.
But it might just be the third straight season -- the sixth straight season, if you count BCS title-game wins by the rest of the SEC -- where the grown-ups show up to the kids' game, playing to win.
More:
*Yup, Matt Barkley should have left school for the NFL a year ago. What you wonder is if the Redskins would have drafted Barkley or stuck with RGIII. Let's hope it is the latter.
*Still not convinced Kansas State couldn't neutralize Oregon -- but only if Collin Klein is entirely healthy. If he's not, K-State's unbeaten run could end next week.
*Congrats to Notre Dame fans on eking out a win that should have been a loss. Every title contender deserves one or two of those per season. That doesn't mean ND would survive vs. Oregon or Bama.
*Next week's biggest games: K-State at TCU -- Upset Special. A&M at Alabama -- no upset, but fun to watch Johnny Football against Alabama's D. (ND at BC? Meh. Only if ND loses.)
*BlogPoll Top 25 Preview: (1) Alabama, (2) Oregon, (3) Kansas State, (4) Notre Dame, (5) Georgia, with Texas A&M leap-frogging into my Top 10.
-- D.S.
LSU has no shot at playing for the national title -- no embarrassments like last year's title-game rerun that made the regular-season "Game of the Year" a farce.
But Alabama -- hoo boy, Alabama -- affirms its place at the top of the polls. That was grown-up football last night in the 4th quarter, something the rest of the contenders around the country could barely (if at all) comprehend, except in circumstances like Oregon has had over the past two seasons in which they have experienced first-hand what elite SEC defenses look like.
The Oregon fireworks display in out-scoring USC was fun -- it felt as good as eating fistfuls of Halloween candy. There is no question: Oregon's offense is a thing to behold.
Then again, it was empty calories -- Chip Kelly has brought his high-octane offense to games with the best of the SEC, with time to prepare, and walked away solved and beaten.
I still want to see Alabama vs. Oregon for the national title -- this is Oregon's best offense, by far. And if they can scoot past Bama's defense of future pros, more power to them.
But it might just be the third straight season -- the sixth straight season, if you count BCS title-game wins by the rest of the SEC -- where the grown-ups show up to the kids' game, playing to win.
More:
*Yup, Matt Barkley should have left school for the NFL a year ago. What you wonder is if the Redskins would have drafted Barkley or stuck with RGIII. Let's hope it is the latter.
*Still not convinced Kansas State couldn't neutralize Oregon -- but only if Collin Klein is entirely healthy. If he's not, K-State's unbeaten run could end next week.
*Congrats to Notre Dame fans on eking out a win that should have been a loss. Every title contender deserves one or two of those per season. That doesn't mean ND would survive vs. Oregon or Bama.
*Next week's biggest games: K-State at TCU -- Upset Special. A&M at Alabama -- no upset, but fun to watch Johnny Football against Alabama's D. (ND at BC? Meh. Only if ND loses.)
*BlogPoll Top 25 Preview: (1) Alabama, (2) Oregon, (3) Kansas State, (4) Notre Dame, (5) Georgia, with Texas A&M leap-frogging into my Top 10.
-- D.S.
Saturday, November 03, 2012
11/03 (Very) Quickie
NYC Marathon cancelled: After hearing from so many friends and folks in NYC, this is the only decision that made sense.
CFB Viewing Guide:
Noon: Mizzou at Florida (ESPN2) + A&M at Miss St (ESPN)
3:30: Ole Miss at Georgia (CBS) + Texas at Texas Tech (ABC)
7:00: Oregon at USC (FOX)
8:00: Alabama at LSU (CBS)
NBA Last Night:
*Lakers 0-3: Time to panic? Yep.
*Harden 45 pts: MVP.
*Knicks thump Heat: The Heat don't care.
*Bobcats win: (Bobcats win?! Bobcats win!!)
*Anthony Davis concussion: NBA enters debate.
NHL cancels Winter Classic: Like NBA canceling Christmas or NASCAR canceling Daytona 500 or NFL canceling Kickoff Weekend.
MLB Hot Stove: All eyes on Josh Hamilton. If it's not the Rangers (who put in a perfunctory bid), then who?
Parenting: Final Saturday for the "Rockets" of the Montgomery Soccer Inc. 1st-Grade Division. Blissfully, no scores or stats were kept, although the kids have a way of minding the results. An awesome season for Gabe, under the coaching of another kid's dad, who was awesome. We're on a hiatus until January, when I take over as coach for the 1st-grade basketball juggernaut.
Slow day turns into huge night of CFB. Enjoy.
-- D.S.
CFB Viewing Guide:
Noon: Mizzou at Florida (ESPN2) + A&M at Miss St (ESPN)
3:30: Ole Miss at Georgia (CBS) + Texas at Texas Tech (ABC)
7:00: Oregon at USC (FOX)
8:00: Alabama at LSU (CBS)
NBA Last Night:
*Lakers 0-3: Time to panic? Yep.
*Harden 45 pts: MVP.
*Knicks thump Heat: The Heat don't care.
*Bobcats win: (Bobcats win?! Bobcats win!!)
*Anthony Davis concussion: NBA enters debate.
NHL cancels Winter Classic: Like NBA canceling Christmas or NASCAR canceling Daytona 500 or NFL canceling Kickoff Weekend.
MLB Hot Stove: All eyes on Josh Hamilton. If it's not the Rangers (who put in a perfunctory bid), then who?
Parenting: Final Saturday for the "Rockets" of the Montgomery Soccer Inc. 1st-Grade Division. Blissfully, no scores or stats were kept, although the kids have a way of minding the results. An awesome season for Gabe, under the coaching of another kid's dad, who was awesome. We're on a hiatus until January, when I take over as coach for the 1st-grade basketball juggernaut.
Slow day turns into huge night of CFB. Enjoy.
-- D.S.
Friday, November 02, 2012
11/02 (ATH) Quickie
Some of you -- very some -- will remember that glorious stretch in the summer of 2004 where I appeared on "Around The Horn," accumulating a stellar record of 0-4.
It went no further. I was the "Moonlight Graham" of sports TV punditry (although, technically, being "Moonlight Graham" would be appearing on a single show, and having it pre-empted by a live game running late, pushing the show to ESPNews, where no one would watch it).
Anyway! To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the launch of Around the Horn, being celebrated by the show today, I wrote about that experience for Quickish. Please take a look.
More:
Big weekend in college football: LSU vs. Alabama, although for all the "Game of the Year" bluster, can we just remember that the two teams played a year ago in the regular season and the result DIDN'T MATTER AT ALL.
Things might be slightly more clear this year: If Alabama wins, LSU's national-title hopes are over. If LSU wins, they keep Alabama from playing for the SEC title (as they did a year ago), but the presumption is that an unbeaten Oregon or K-State or Notre Dame would out-point a one-loss Bama in the BCS standings... even if Bama would throttle any of them. One-loss LSU would deserve to be in the national-title game ahead of all but the highest-rated of the O/KSt/ND trio, even if all three were unbeaten.
I wish people would stop talking about USC-Oregon as a big game -- Oregon is going to mop the floor with USC. As if maintaining its position for the national title game isn't big enough (and Oregon really really needs to destroy USC to prop up its otherwise paltry schedule strength), you have to believe Oregon wants to make up for last year's loss to the Trojans. If Chip Kelly reads the BCS dynamics correctly, he'll try to score 100 on USC in LA.
The rest of the schedule is kind of meh: Oklahoma State isn't beating Kansas State in Manhattan. And Notre Dame certainly isn't losing to Pitt.
NFL: 5 Storylines I Like And/Or Love
*Game of the Week: Steelers at Giants
*Could unbeaten Falcons drop Cowboys to 3-5?
*Dolphins-Colts: For playoff position? Really?
*Cam Newton vs. RGIII: Worth watching closely
*Gabe was Newton for Halloween - can't believe we aren't going to the game while Newton is in town.
NBA: Do the Thunder miss James Harden? If Harden is on the team, they probably don't lose to the Spurs at the buzzer last night. The question really is whether they will miss him in a seven-game series with San Antonio in May.
Tonight: Clippers-Lakers and Heat-Knicks as the headliners? Give me the NBA debut of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist for the Bobcats, against the Pacers. To the free preview of League Pass!
MLB Hot Stove: Dan Haren to the Cubs? Does that make them a contender? No.
NYC Marathon: I'm torn -- I think an event like that would help lift the city's spirit a bit. On the other hand, the media tent is using enough power to help 40 houses in Staten Island. I can understand the frustration.
-- D.S.
It went no further. I was the "Moonlight Graham" of sports TV punditry (although, technically, being "Moonlight Graham" would be appearing on a single show, and having it pre-empted by a live game running late, pushing the show to ESPNews, where no one would watch it).
Anyway! To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the launch of Around the Horn, being celebrated by the show today, I wrote about that experience for Quickish. Please take a look.
More:
Big weekend in college football: LSU vs. Alabama, although for all the "Game of the Year" bluster, can we just remember that the two teams played a year ago in the regular season and the result DIDN'T MATTER AT ALL.
Things might be slightly more clear this year: If Alabama wins, LSU's national-title hopes are over. If LSU wins, they keep Alabama from playing for the SEC title (as they did a year ago), but the presumption is that an unbeaten Oregon or K-State or Notre Dame would out-point a one-loss Bama in the BCS standings... even if Bama would throttle any of them. One-loss LSU would deserve to be in the national-title game ahead of all but the highest-rated of the O/KSt/ND trio, even if all three were unbeaten.
I wish people would stop talking about USC-Oregon as a big game -- Oregon is going to mop the floor with USC. As if maintaining its position for the national title game isn't big enough (and Oregon really really needs to destroy USC to prop up its otherwise paltry schedule strength), you have to believe Oregon wants to make up for last year's loss to the Trojans. If Chip Kelly reads the BCS dynamics correctly, he'll try to score 100 on USC in LA.
The rest of the schedule is kind of meh: Oklahoma State isn't beating Kansas State in Manhattan. And Notre Dame certainly isn't losing to Pitt.
NFL: 5 Storylines I Like And/Or Love
*Game of the Week: Steelers at Giants
*Could unbeaten Falcons drop Cowboys to 3-5?
*Dolphins-Colts: For playoff position? Really?
*Cam Newton vs. RGIII: Worth watching closely
*Gabe was Newton for Halloween - can't believe we aren't going to the game while Newton is in town.
NBA: Do the Thunder miss James Harden? If Harden is on the team, they probably don't lose to the Spurs at the buzzer last night. The question really is whether they will miss him in a seven-game series with San Antonio in May.
Tonight: Clippers-Lakers and Heat-Knicks as the headliners? Give me the NBA debut of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist for the Bobcats, against the Pacers. To the free preview of League Pass!
MLB Hot Stove: Dan Haren to the Cubs? Does that make them a contender? No.
NYC Marathon: I'm torn -- I think an event like that would help lift the city's spirit a bit. On the other hand, the media tent is using enough power to help 40 houses in Staten Island. I can understand the frustration.
-- D.S.
Thursday, November 01, 2012
11/01 (Harden) Quickie
Two words: James Harden.
It's almost like I don't need to write anything more today, Harden's debut with Houston was THAT spectacular.
Through my preferred construct of small-sample-size instant history, it is clear that as good as Harden was as the third wheel of the Thunder, he is even better as an alpha.
Let's agree that it will be fun to watch him this season -- and that he instantly becomes a "must-follow" superstar, perhaps for now THE must-follow superstar.
More:
*Lakers fall to 0-2: And adding injury to insult, Nash is hurt.
*NFL: DeAngelo Hall... sigh. Just cut your losses, man.
*CFB: Bama-LSU isn't quite what it seemed it would be in August, but still.
*MLB: Say this for Giants fans - they know how to throw a parade.
*CBB Name to Know: UCLA frosh Kyle Anderson.
*Halloween hangover: I could eat mini-Twixes all day.
- D.S.
It's almost like I don't need to write anything more today, Harden's debut with Houston was THAT spectacular.
Through my preferred construct of small-sample-size instant history, it is clear that as good as Harden was as the third wheel of the Thunder, he is even better as an alpha.
Let's agree that it will be fun to watch him this season -- and that he instantly becomes a "must-follow" superstar, perhaps for now THE must-follow superstar.
More:
*Lakers fall to 0-2: And adding injury to insult, Nash is hurt.
*NFL: DeAngelo Hall... sigh. Just cut your losses, man.
*CFB: Bama-LSU isn't quite what it seemed it would be in August, but still.
*MLB: Say this for Giants fans - they know how to throw a parade.
*CBB Name to Know: UCLA frosh Kyle Anderson.
*Halloween hangover: I could eat mini-Twixes all day.
- D.S.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
10/31 (Boo!) Quickie
The best Halloween candy is the mini Twix.
Gabe is going as RGIII for the elementary school parade, but was supposed to be Cam Newton (we also made him a back-up costume, an iPhone). Jonah is going as Captain America. Lucy is going as an owl, and if you know the Old Navy infant Halloween costume selection, you'll know what I'm saying when I say it's adorable.
I'm going as Tim Tebow. Kidding. But I am intrigued that the Jaguars could trade for Tebow at tomorrow's NFL trade deadline. Some context: Tebow reportedly chose between the Jets and Jaguars and picked the Jets -- I don't blame him. The promise was that Rex Ryan had the chutzpah to use Tebow dynamically. That, plus the Jets' status as contenders, outweighed a north Florida homecoming. Here's the thing: Ryan turned out to be a dud and the team turned out to stink and playing in NYC doesn't do so much for Tebow that he wouldn't get playing in Florida. And the Jaguars really (really really) need him -- as they have since the night they passed on drafting him. The Jets won't trade him, because it would be seen as their failure -- not Tebow's. As if the failure of a season isn't humiliating enough.
NBA: Lakers 0-1. (Lakers 0-1!!!) Mike Brown's Princeton offense is terrible. This should be the offense: "Let Nash be Nash." Everything else will take care of itself.
By the way: I'm not one to put stock in a season-opener (or any single regular-season game), but file away Howard's atrocious FT shooting for the playoffs, where that kind of thing can kill a team.
NBA, Cont'd: Ray Allen blitzes his old Celtics mates. Allen was every bit as potent as we assumed he would be once he lined up alongside LeBron, Wade and Bosh. It only gets more devastating from here, friends.
NFL: Mike Vick is the Eagles' starting QB, but you better add a "for now" to that. A loss to the Saints probably ends his run as QB1.
MLB Awards: You can have the defense of anyone else in baseball. I'll take Mike Trout, inexplicably snubbed for a Gold Glove (not that Gold Glove matters anymore -- cripes, Derek Jeter won Gold Gloves).
Last Word: It's amusing to watch the media's political horde fall over themselves talking about Nate Silver and a stat-centric methodology, if only because it's something we've been dealing with in sports for at least a decade (let's call the publishing of "Moneyball" the unofficial start). Political pundits who don't rely on anything but qualitative "gut" to make pronouncements have every reason to feel like they are being exposed as frauds, but like sports pundits who act the same way, they should feel secure that their employers make money off quippy, boisterous pronouncements -- the accuracy doesn't (and has never) mattered.
-- D.S.
Gabe is going as RGIII for the elementary school parade, but was supposed to be Cam Newton (we also made him a back-up costume, an iPhone). Jonah is going as Captain America. Lucy is going as an owl, and if you know the Old Navy infant Halloween costume selection, you'll know what I'm saying when I say it's adorable.
I'm going as Tim Tebow. Kidding. But I am intrigued that the Jaguars could trade for Tebow at tomorrow's NFL trade deadline. Some context: Tebow reportedly chose between the Jets and Jaguars and picked the Jets -- I don't blame him. The promise was that Rex Ryan had the chutzpah to use Tebow dynamically. That, plus the Jets' status as contenders, outweighed a north Florida homecoming. Here's the thing: Ryan turned out to be a dud and the team turned out to stink and playing in NYC doesn't do so much for Tebow that he wouldn't get playing in Florida. And the Jaguars really (really really) need him -- as they have since the night they passed on drafting him. The Jets won't trade him, because it would be seen as their failure -- not Tebow's. As if the failure of a season isn't humiliating enough.
NBA: Lakers 0-1. (Lakers 0-1!!!) Mike Brown's Princeton offense is terrible. This should be the offense: "Let Nash be Nash." Everything else will take care of itself.
By the way: I'm not one to put stock in a season-opener (or any single regular-season game), but file away Howard's atrocious FT shooting for the playoffs, where that kind of thing can kill a team.
NBA, Cont'd: Ray Allen blitzes his old Celtics mates. Allen was every bit as potent as we assumed he would be once he lined up alongside LeBron, Wade and Bosh. It only gets more devastating from here, friends.
NFL: Mike Vick is the Eagles' starting QB, but you better add a "for now" to that. A loss to the Saints probably ends his run as QB1.
MLB Awards: You can have the defense of anyone else in baseball. I'll take Mike Trout, inexplicably snubbed for a Gold Glove (not that Gold Glove matters anymore -- cripes, Derek Jeter won Gold Gloves).
Last Word: It's amusing to watch the media's political horde fall over themselves talking about Nate Silver and a stat-centric methodology, if only because it's something we've been dealing with in sports for at least a decade (let's call the publishing of "Moneyball" the unofficial start). Political pundits who don't rely on anything but qualitative "gut" to make pronouncements have every reason to feel like they are being exposed as frauds, but like sports pundits who act the same way, they should feel secure that their employers make money off quippy, boisterous pronouncements -- the accuracy doesn't (and has never) mattered.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
10/30 (Sandy) Quickie
Lost power, but it came back on. So there's that! Meanwhile, the photos from NYC -- especially from the Subway system -- are kind of staggering. Hope everyone in Sandy territory is doing OK...
*MLB: Not many people were paying attention, but the Giants are one of the most interesting World Series champs of the past 25 years (and longtime Quickie readers know that two titles in three years qualifies you for "micro-dynasty" status, although in this case, the lineups were very different). The Giants' title is less about "can other teams replicate it?" than it shows how hard it is to find the right formula (which is -- by the way -- why you don't punt on your big chances, like the Nats did.)
*Hot Stove: Who signs Josh Hamilton and how much do they pay him? There are enough questions that he won't get the number he wants (and possibly won't get the length of contract he wants), but it'll still be a big number. It is a lot of risk, and I'd certainly make him include a clause hedging risk around his addiction issues (including his tobacco addiction issues that seemingly sent him into a tailspin at the end of this past season, when he inexplicably decided to stop dipping mid-season).
*NFL: 49ers crush Cards. If Alex Smith is going to be that effective, install San Francisco as one of the Top 3 teams to beat in the NFL (of course, the Giants are also in that mix, and the Niners can't seem to solve New York).
*NFL: Eagles won't bench Vick. (Yet. The key word in that news is "yet.")
*NBA: The season opens tonight with a terrific Heat-Celtics match-up that centers around Ray Allen against his old teammates, and there is no love lost. Otherwise, the NBA regular season assumes its position as the least-relevant regular season in major pro sports.
In any given season, only a handful of teams have a real chance of winning a championship. This year is leaner than ever: Heat. Lakers. That's it.
(Do you really think the Spurs can beat the Heat? Do you really think the Celtics can beat the Heat? Do you really think the Thunder can beat the Heat? Hell: I don't think the Lakers can beat the Heat -- and they might not even be able to beat the Spurs or Thunder.)
And that's pretty much the story: The Heat have entered their moment. Everyone else is playing for second place, with the most notable storyline being whether the Lakers will win the West (their ceiling) or fall short (which is nothing less than failure).
But the league includes a lot more fans -- like me with my beleaguered Wizards -- where all you want to see is "Improvement." The Wizards have finally turned a corner (well, aside from the inevitable injuries to its top 2 stars) and will be better, if not quite good.
Let's go back to another Quickie staple: There is no shame in having your season be "made" by getting as far as the conference finals or conference semis or simply getting to the playoffs. As long as your team isn't winning a title -- and let's face it: unless you're a Heat fan, your team isn't -- you might as well maintain (managed) expectations commensurate with that.
Enjoy the new NBA season, everyone!
-- D.S.
*MLB: Not many people were paying attention, but the Giants are one of the most interesting World Series champs of the past 25 years (and longtime Quickie readers know that two titles in three years qualifies you for "micro-dynasty" status, although in this case, the lineups were very different). The Giants' title is less about "can other teams replicate it?" than it shows how hard it is to find the right formula (which is -- by the way -- why you don't punt on your big chances, like the Nats did.)
*Hot Stove: Who signs Josh Hamilton and how much do they pay him? There are enough questions that he won't get the number he wants (and possibly won't get the length of contract he wants), but it'll still be a big number. It is a lot of risk, and I'd certainly make him include a clause hedging risk around his addiction issues (including his tobacco addiction issues that seemingly sent him into a tailspin at the end of this past season, when he inexplicably decided to stop dipping mid-season).
*NFL: 49ers crush Cards. If Alex Smith is going to be that effective, install San Francisco as one of the Top 3 teams to beat in the NFL (of course, the Giants are also in that mix, and the Niners can't seem to solve New York).
*NFL: Eagles won't bench Vick. (Yet. The key word in that news is "yet.")
*NBA: The season opens tonight with a terrific Heat-Celtics match-up that centers around Ray Allen against his old teammates, and there is no love lost. Otherwise, the NBA regular season assumes its position as the least-relevant regular season in major pro sports.
In any given season, only a handful of teams have a real chance of winning a championship. This year is leaner than ever: Heat. Lakers. That's it.
(Do you really think the Spurs can beat the Heat? Do you really think the Celtics can beat the Heat? Do you really think the Thunder can beat the Heat? Hell: I don't think the Lakers can beat the Heat -- and they might not even be able to beat the Spurs or Thunder.)
And that's pretty much the story: The Heat have entered their moment. Everyone else is playing for second place, with the most notable storyline being whether the Lakers will win the West (their ceiling) or fall short (which is nothing less than failure).
But the league includes a lot more fans -- like me with my beleaguered Wizards -- where all you want to see is "Improvement." The Wizards have finally turned a corner (well, aside from the inevitable injuries to its top 2 stars) and will be better, if not quite good.
Let's go back to another Quickie staple: There is no shame in having your season be "made" by getting as far as the conference finals or conference semis or simply getting to the playoffs. As long as your team isn't winning a title -- and let's face it: unless you're a Heat fan, your team isn't -- you might as well maintain (managed) expectations commensurate with that.
Enjoy the new NBA season, everyone!
-- D.S.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
10/28 (ND! SF! Harden!) Quickie
Plenty to talk about...
*Notre Dame. It's almost a "'Nuff said" scenario.
Any lingering skepticism about their other wins -- and I had some -- is gone. If Kansas State was getting max credit for winning at Oklahoma as "Single-Best Win of the Year," then what do you give a team that won at Oklahoma in even more impressive fashion?
Spoiler alert: You make them No. 2 in the country, as Notre Dame deserves to be. There are four teams left with a realistic shot at playing for the national title: Alabama-LSU winner, Notre Dame, Kansas State and Oregon. And all four could conceivably go unbeaten.
Honestly? Oregon is probably the second-best team in the country, but USC's loss at Arizona yesterday makes the Ducks' tepid strength of schedule even more flimsy. Let's go back to the old idea: It seems unfair to punish them for it, but you can't reward Oregon for playing a patsy schedule.
(Let's remember what happened last year when they tried to boost their schedule strength by playing an elite SEC team -- they got walloped. This year's Oregon team is better -- but how much better?)
But let's not diminish the larger point: Notre Dame deserves to be part of that uber-elite group.
*Giants up 3-0 on Tigers in W.S.: It will be under-appreciated because the series will end in a sweep or maybe 5 games, but this is a wonderful Giants team every bit worthy of the championship it is about to claim.
(And I can't help but make this personal about the Nats and the Strasburg Shut-Down: The 2012 Giants are a pretty good example of why you can never take it for granted that you can simply make the playoffs again, let alone win a championship once you get there.)
*NBA Blockbuster: Thunder trade Harden to Rockets. OKC was never going to pay Harden what he wanted (or what he could command) -- a max deal. It is unreasonable to ask him to accept a huge haircut to keep the core together.
And so the Thunder shipped him to Houston for Kevin Martin -- a nice complement for the OKC Big Three, if not nearly the dynamic presence Harden was -- and Jeremy Lamb (a decent prospect) and a slew of picks, which is, if nothing else, "The Thunder Way."
I would argue that the Thunder are no longer on par with the NBA's super-elite, but the cynic would note that it's not like Harden showed up in the NBA Finals a year ago anyway. But chemistry is an interesting thing.
Meanwhile, the Rockets get something they have lusted after for years: A franchise player. The Lin-Harden backcourt is very strong, although hardly a championship contender. But at the very least, they have a go-to star (and go-to scorer).
*CFB Hangover: The tragedy of Marcus Lattimore. I'm sick to my stomach about his season-ending (and possibly/probably career-ending) injury. This is why I am so adamantly against the NFL Draft age minimum -- Lattimore would have been a 1st-round pick had he been able to enter the league after his marvelous freshman season. But mandated to stay in college, he had a serious knee injury last year and a devastating one this year.
If I'm star soph teammate Jadaveon Clowney, why would I play next season at South Carolina when I could spend the year training for the NFL Draft (and NFL) -- as if Clowney playing 13 more games next year (more accurately: putting his pro career at risk for 13 more games next year) would raise his stock higher than the Top 5 lock he is now?
*Florida loses to Georgia: Yes, I'm bitterly disappointed. The only consolation is that it goes hand-in-hand with expecting your team to win championships, a glorious feeling I hadn't had about this Florida team since halfway through Urban's final season in Gainesville. "Win or Fail" is brutal, but that's what I signed up for.
UPDATE: This week's poll -- with ND at No. 2, as foreshadowed above.
-- D.S.
*Notre Dame. It's almost a "'Nuff said" scenario.
Any lingering skepticism about their other wins -- and I had some -- is gone. If Kansas State was getting max credit for winning at Oklahoma as "Single-Best Win of the Year," then what do you give a team that won at Oklahoma in even more impressive fashion?
Spoiler alert: You make them No. 2 in the country, as Notre Dame deserves to be. There are four teams left with a realistic shot at playing for the national title: Alabama-LSU winner, Notre Dame, Kansas State and Oregon. And all four could conceivably go unbeaten.
Honestly? Oregon is probably the second-best team in the country, but USC's loss at Arizona yesterday makes the Ducks' tepid strength of schedule even more flimsy. Let's go back to the old idea: It seems unfair to punish them for it, but you can't reward Oregon for playing a patsy schedule.
(Let's remember what happened last year when they tried to boost their schedule strength by playing an elite SEC team -- they got walloped. This year's Oregon team is better -- but how much better?)
But let's not diminish the larger point: Notre Dame deserves to be part of that uber-elite group.
*Giants up 3-0 on Tigers in W.S.: It will be under-appreciated because the series will end in a sweep or maybe 5 games, but this is a wonderful Giants team every bit worthy of the championship it is about to claim.
(And I can't help but make this personal about the Nats and the Strasburg Shut-Down: The 2012 Giants are a pretty good example of why you can never take it for granted that you can simply make the playoffs again, let alone win a championship once you get there.)
*NBA Blockbuster: Thunder trade Harden to Rockets. OKC was never going to pay Harden what he wanted (or what he could command) -- a max deal. It is unreasonable to ask him to accept a huge haircut to keep the core together.
And so the Thunder shipped him to Houston for Kevin Martin -- a nice complement for the OKC Big Three, if not nearly the dynamic presence Harden was -- and Jeremy Lamb (a decent prospect) and a slew of picks, which is, if nothing else, "The Thunder Way."
I would argue that the Thunder are no longer on par with the NBA's super-elite, but the cynic would note that it's not like Harden showed up in the NBA Finals a year ago anyway. But chemistry is an interesting thing.
Meanwhile, the Rockets get something they have lusted after for years: A franchise player. The Lin-Harden backcourt is very strong, although hardly a championship contender. But at the very least, they have a go-to star (and go-to scorer).
*CFB Hangover: The tragedy of Marcus Lattimore. I'm sick to my stomach about his season-ending (and possibly/probably career-ending) injury. This is why I am so adamantly against the NFL Draft age minimum -- Lattimore would have been a 1st-round pick had he been able to enter the league after his marvelous freshman season. But mandated to stay in college, he had a serious knee injury last year and a devastating one this year.
If I'm star soph teammate Jadaveon Clowney, why would I play next season at South Carolina when I could spend the year training for the NFL Draft (and NFL) -- as if Clowney playing 13 more games next year (more accurately: putting his pro career at risk for 13 more games next year) would raise his stock higher than the Top 5 lock he is now?
*Florida loses to Georgia: Yes, I'm bitterly disappointed. The only consolation is that it goes hand-in-hand with expecting your team to win championships, a glorious feeling I hadn't had about this Florida team since halfway through Urban's final season in Gainesville. "Win or Fail" is brutal, but that's what I signed up for.
UPDATE: This week's poll -- with ND at No. 2, as foreshadowed above.
DanShanoff.com Ballot - Week 9
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama Crimson Tide | -- |
| 2 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish |  3 |
| 3 | Kansas St. Wildcats | -- |
| 4 | Oregon Ducks | -- |
| 5 | Georgia Bulldogs | 7 |
| 6 | Florida Gators |  -4 |
| 7 | LSU Tigers | -1 |
| 8 | South Carolina Gamecocks | 3 |
| 9 | Florida St. Seminoles | 5 |
| 10 | Ohio St. Buckeyes | -- |
| 11 | Clemson Tigers | 7 |
| 12 | Louisville Cardinals | 7 |
| 13 | Oregon St. Beavers | -6 |
| 14 | Oklahoma Sooners | -6 |
| 15 | Texas Tech Red Raiders | -- |
| 16 | Stanford Cardinal | -- |
| 17 | USC Trojans | -8 |
| 18 | Texas A&M Aggies | 3 |
| 19 | Mississippi St. Bulldogs | -6 |
| 20 | West Virginia Mountaineers | -3 |
| 21 | Louisiana Tech Bulldogs | 3 |
| 22 | Kent St. Golden Flashes | -- |
| 23 | Toledo Rockets | 2 |
| 24 | Boise St. Broncos | -- |
| 25 | Texas Longhorns | -3 |
| Dropouts: Ohio Bobcats, Rutgers Scarlet Knights | ||
SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »
Friday, October 26, 2012
10/26 (Friday) Quickie
Whatever "It" is, the Giants have it. Whether it's a three-HR barrage from Panda or a bunt dribbling just to the interesting side of the foul line or Prince Fielder carrying just a bit too much baggage in the trunk or yet another amazing performance from a starting pitcher, the Tigers now can't afford to drop even a single game back in Detroit.
CFB: I'm sure Notre Dame is reviewing the way Kansas State ground down Oklahoma in pulling its upset in Norman a few weeks ago. Notre Dame is built much the same way... on defense. But on offense, there is no comparison between tepid ND and bullying K-State. And so it is Oklahoma's defense -- not its more acclaimed offense -- that will be the defining unit of OU tagging ND with its first loss of the season.
Upset Special: Washington over Oregon State. (I want to pick Texas Tech over Kansas State, but I feel like Tech's win over West Virginia -- as devalued as it became after WVU's second loss last week -- was Tommy Tuberville's "big upset" for the year.)
Fandom: This is the most meaningful Florida-Georgia game of my 12 years of being a Florida fan -- no less than the championship game for the SEC East, which is no small feat, particularly for a Florida team that -- this time last year -- was stumbling through October. The improvement since then is monumental.
NFL Week 8 Highlights: Neither the Eagles nor the Steelers can really afford a loss this week to drop themselves to 3-4. The Eagles have to thwart the unbeaten Falcons; the Steelers have to try to contain RG3. Sunday's best game: When the Giants embarrass the Cowboys in Dallas.
Bucs beat Vikings: That was the Doug Martin everyone was raving about on the day of the 2012 NFL Draft.
NBA: David Stern is retiring. Adam Silver is getting a promotion. The NBA enjoys continuity within its leadership. Stern's legacy is the stratospheric growth of the sport -- Stern was as responsible for that as Bird and Magic or Jordan. If he was heavy-handed, it is hard to dispute the results and prove a negative that some form of weaker-willed leadership would have made the NBA bigger than it became or that it is right now. (FWIW, I'm looking ahead to who Silver will appoint as his deputy -- thus take over the role as Commish-in-waiting. Longtime readers know my personal affinity for and friendship with D-League commissioner Dan Reed, who I have for years said will ultimately become NBA commissioner, if a decade and a half from now.)
Tebow: I'm baffled by the SI poll of NFL players that Tim Tebow is the most overrated player in the NFL. I'm even more baffled in that it is far less of an indictment of Tebow than it is an indictment of the Tebow-obsessed sports media universe.
CBB: Andrew Wiggins -- the best player of the HS Class of 2014 -- has "reclassified" into the Class of 2013, making him the most sought-after recruit of the current crop and the clear favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft. (For what it's worth, he is so good that he would have been the No. 1 player of the class of 2012, even a year behind them. He is the best high school NBA wing prospect since LeBron -- right now, he is better than Kevin Durant was at that age.)
Last Word: Say it ain't so, Mo.
-- D.S.
CFB: I'm sure Notre Dame is reviewing the way Kansas State ground down Oklahoma in pulling its upset in Norman a few weeks ago. Notre Dame is built much the same way... on defense. But on offense, there is no comparison between tepid ND and bullying K-State. And so it is Oklahoma's defense -- not its more acclaimed offense -- that will be the defining unit of OU tagging ND with its first loss of the season.
Upset Special: Washington over Oregon State. (I want to pick Texas Tech over Kansas State, but I feel like Tech's win over West Virginia -- as devalued as it became after WVU's second loss last week -- was Tommy Tuberville's "big upset" for the year.)
Fandom: This is the most meaningful Florida-Georgia game of my 12 years of being a Florida fan -- no less than the championship game for the SEC East, which is no small feat, particularly for a Florida team that -- this time last year -- was stumbling through October. The improvement since then is monumental.
NFL Week 8 Highlights: Neither the Eagles nor the Steelers can really afford a loss this week to drop themselves to 3-4. The Eagles have to thwart the unbeaten Falcons; the Steelers have to try to contain RG3. Sunday's best game: When the Giants embarrass the Cowboys in Dallas.
Bucs beat Vikings: That was the Doug Martin everyone was raving about on the day of the 2012 NFL Draft.
NBA: David Stern is retiring. Adam Silver is getting a promotion. The NBA enjoys continuity within its leadership. Stern's legacy is the stratospheric growth of the sport -- Stern was as responsible for that as Bird and Magic or Jordan. If he was heavy-handed, it is hard to dispute the results and prove a negative that some form of weaker-willed leadership would have made the NBA bigger than it became or that it is right now. (FWIW, I'm looking ahead to who Silver will appoint as his deputy -- thus take over the role as Commish-in-waiting. Longtime readers know my personal affinity for and friendship with D-League commissioner Dan Reed, who I have for years said will ultimately become NBA commissioner, if a decade and a half from now.)
Tebow: I'm baffled by the SI poll of NFL players that Tim Tebow is the most overrated player in the NFL. I'm even more baffled in that it is far less of an indictment of Tebow than it is an indictment of the Tebow-obsessed sports media universe.
CBB: Andrew Wiggins -- the best player of the HS Class of 2014 -- has "reclassified" into the Class of 2013, making him the most sought-after recruit of the current crop and the clear favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft. (For what it's worth, he is so good that he would have been the No. 1 player of the class of 2012, even a year behind them. He is the best high school NBA wing prospect since LeBron -- right now, he is better than Kevin Durant was at that age.)
Last Word: Say it ain't so, Mo.
-- D.S.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
10/25 (Panda) Quickie
Babe Ruth. Reggie Jackson. Albert Pujols. Pablo Sandoval.
Thanks to Mr. October, the "hit three home runs in a World Series game" milestone has an out-sized appeal with fans.
That it has only been done by a handful of players -- all legends -- extends the appeal. This is a club five times more exclusive than the "Threw a Perfect Game" crew.
That Sandoval was a non-factor in the Giants' 2010 World Series title run -- and largely an afterthought heading into this year's version -- adds to it.
That the Panda hit two of his homers off of Justin Verlander -- the most dominant pitcher of the current era -- makes his version more impressive than any of the other guys.
Just like that, Pablo Sandoval has ensured his little place of baseball immortality. If the Giants win the Series, what Panda did last night is what everyone will remember.
If the Giants lose the Series, what Panda did last night will still be the most memorable thing from this series (not unlike Derek Jeter's walk-off HR in the 2001 WS).
Typically, playoff series are said not to "start" until a road team wins a game. But given the expectations for Verlander, the pressure is on Detroit.
And if Pablo Sandoval does nothing else this series, he has done enough already.
More:
NBA: SI picks the Heat to beat the Lakers in the NBA Finals. Don't disagree.
Kobe: Out for the rest of the preseason. Honestly, he could sit out half the regular season -- like Dwight Howard, all that matters is that he is healthy for the playoffs.
NHL: Islanders moving to Brooklyn. Clearly, I love this.
NHL Lockout: Was there even a question the full season wouldn't be played?
CFB: Braxton Miller will play vs. Penn State - it isn't the weekend's biggest game (it isn't even in the Top 5), but it has Upset Special potential, a season-maker for PSU.
What are those Top 5 games? In this order: (1) Florida-Georgia, (2) Notre Dame-Oklahoma, (3) Texas Tech-Kansas State, (4) Oregon State-Washington (Upset Special), (5) Mississippi State-Alabama. And watch Kent State upending unbeaten Rutgers.
CBB: Adding injury to insult, UCLA frosh Shabazz Muhammad -- dealing with NCAA eligibility issues -- injured his shoulder yesterday in practice. He is the presumptive No. 1 overall pick of the NBA Draft next year. Given that UCLA has him for just a year, they might want to get him back ASAP; if I was Muhammad, I would err on the side of protecting my professional future.
NFL vs. Concussions: This Washington Post piece is worth a read.
Good read: Chuck Culpepper on Jeremy Lin, via SportsOnEarth.com.
NFL Week 8: Pink penalty flags are a great idea and will look awesome on TV.
Service-y! Don't forget to set your fantasy lineups, particularly if you have any Bucs or Vikings. (Pick: Vikes.)
-- D.S.
Thanks to Mr. October, the "hit three home runs in a World Series game" milestone has an out-sized appeal with fans.
That it has only been done by a handful of players -- all legends -- extends the appeal. This is a club five times more exclusive than the "Threw a Perfect Game" crew.
That Sandoval was a non-factor in the Giants' 2010 World Series title run -- and largely an afterthought heading into this year's version -- adds to it.
That the Panda hit two of his homers off of Justin Verlander -- the most dominant pitcher of the current era -- makes his version more impressive than any of the other guys.
Just like that, Pablo Sandoval has ensured his little place of baseball immortality. If the Giants win the Series, what Panda did last night is what everyone will remember.
If the Giants lose the Series, what Panda did last night will still be the most memorable thing from this series (not unlike Derek Jeter's walk-off HR in the 2001 WS).
Typically, playoff series are said not to "start" until a road team wins a game. But given the expectations for Verlander, the pressure is on Detroit.
And if Pablo Sandoval does nothing else this series, he has done enough already.
More:
NBA: SI picks the Heat to beat the Lakers in the NBA Finals. Don't disagree.
Kobe: Out for the rest of the preseason. Honestly, he could sit out half the regular season -- like Dwight Howard, all that matters is that he is healthy for the playoffs.
NHL: Islanders moving to Brooklyn. Clearly, I love this.
NHL Lockout: Was there even a question the full season wouldn't be played?
CFB: Braxton Miller will play vs. Penn State - it isn't the weekend's biggest game (it isn't even in the Top 5), but it has Upset Special potential, a season-maker for PSU.
What are those Top 5 games? In this order: (1) Florida-Georgia, (2) Notre Dame-Oklahoma, (3) Texas Tech-Kansas State, (4) Oregon State-Washington (Upset Special), (5) Mississippi State-Alabama. And watch Kent State upending unbeaten Rutgers.
CBB: Adding injury to insult, UCLA frosh Shabazz Muhammad -- dealing with NCAA eligibility issues -- injured his shoulder yesterday in practice. He is the presumptive No. 1 overall pick of the NBA Draft next year. Given that UCLA has him for just a year, they might want to get him back ASAP; if I was Muhammad, I would err on the side of protecting my professional future.
NFL vs. Concussions: This Washington Post piece is worth a read.
Good read: Chuck Culpepper on Jeremy Lin, via SportsOnEarth.com.
NFL Week 8: Pink penalty flags are a great idea and will look awesome on TV.
Service-y! Don't forget to set your fantasy lineups, particularly if you have any Bucs or Vikings. (Pick: Vikes.)
-- D.S.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
10/24 (World Series) Quickie
It is very possible that yesterday was the slowest sports day of the year, although there was a healthy stream of day-after coverage of the Giants winning the NLCS and the Bears as (possibly) the NFL's best team. That means that this morning is truly slow, right up until we get to tonight's World Series Game 1.
For the record, I'll say Giants in 7, because they are on a roll* and because they never seem to make it easy on themselves, so beating Justin Verlander in Game 7 seems to be the most absurd path possible.
* - The bookend to pundits who fit their narratives based on the result of the game, I fit my narratives based on the fuzzy concept of "momentum" heading into games (thus my persistent weakness for picking defending-champion teams to repeat.)
Flying back East from LA to DC this afternoon, but (the promise of) in-air wi-fi means that I can hopefully update Quickish with good stuff throughout the day. In the meantime, check out a selection of things I have already picked out for today, led by -- what else? -- the World Series.
-- D.S.
For the record, I'll say Giants in 7, because they are on a roll* and because they never seem to make it easy on themselves, so beating Justin Verlander in Game 7 seems to be the most absurd path possible.
* - The bookend to pundits who fit their narratives based on the result of the game, I fit my narratives based on the fuzzy concept of "momentum" heading into games (thus my persistent weakness for picking defending-champion teams to repeat.)
Flying back East from LA to DC this afternoon, but (the promise of) in-air wi-fi means that I can hopefully update Quickish with good stuff throughout the day. In the meantime, check out a selection of things I have already picked out for today, led by -- what else? -- the World Series.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
10/23 (Giants) Quickie
Los Angeles -- I typically dislike West Coast time, but wrapping up the NLCS Game 7 by 9 p.m. last night was kind of tremendous. I understand the appeal.
I'm going to project here: Because I didn't fully appreciate the incredible run by these 2012 Giants -- down 0-2 in the NLDS, down 3-1 in the NLCS -- I assume that many other fans didn't fully appreciate it either.
The reality is that it is incredible -- as incredible of a feat as we have seen in baseball since the Red Sox came back from 0-3 in the 2004 ALCS. In its own way, it is even more improbable.
Consider that the Giants needed a career-best outing from Barry Freaking Zito. Then a career-best outing from Ryan Vogelsong. With both coming against the most pressure-tested lineup in baseball.
Matt Cain's performance in Game 7 was almost insubstantial by comparison -- at least Cain was expected to pitch well (if not THAT well).
Plus the Marco Scutaro story. Plus the Hunter Pence hit, which was one of those things that just crystallizes that -- at least through the NL pennant -- this was one of Those Years for San Francisco.
All you can ask is that your champs prove themselves somehow worthy of the title. I'm not sure I can think of a process more amazing than the one that the Giants have gone through over the past three weeks.
I know there is an inclination to root for the Tigers because they haven't won since 1984 (as opposed to just two years ago for these Giants), but the way SF has gotten here makes them the sentimental favorite to finish it off with a World Series title.
Ideally in 7 games, after some kind of insane series comeback.
More:
*Are the Bears the best team in the NFL? I wouldn't trust them to win three straight games in the playoffs (presuming they win the NFC North), but they are among the elite.
*NFL to drop Pro Bowl? Good. (Does anyone need to say anything more?)
*NBA GMs pick Heat to repeat: Of course they did. What exactly are the other options?
*CFB: Already feeling a tense lead-up to Notre Dame at Oklahoma, this weekend's marquee game. But does anyone think that ND isn't going to get drilled? (In that case, merely keeping it close will be a moral victory that qualifies ND for what increasingly looks like an inevitable 10-win slot in a BCS-level bowl game.)
-- D.S.
I'm going to project here: Because I didn't fully appreciate the incredible run by these 2012 Giants -- down 0-2 in the NLDS, down 3-1 in the NLCS -- I assume that many other fans didn't fully appreciate it either.
The reality is that it is incredible -- as incredible of a feat as we have seen in baseball since the Red Sox came back from 0-3 in the 2004 ALCS. In its own way, it is even more improbable.
Consider that the Giants needed a career-best outing from Barry Freaking Zito. Then a career-best outing from Ryan Vogelsong. With both coming against the most pressure-tested lineup in baseball.
Matt Cain's performance in Game 7 was almost insubstantial by comparison -- at least Cain was expected to pitch well (if not THAT well).
Plus the Marco Scutaro story. Plus the Hunter Pence hit, which was one of those things that just crystallizes that -- at least through the NL pennant -- this was one of Those Years for San Francisco.
All you can ask is that your champs prove themselves somehow worthy of the title. I'm not sure I can think of a process more amazing than the one that the Giants have gone through over the past three weeks.
I know there is an inclination to root for the Tigers because they haven't won since 1984 (as opposed to just two years ago for these Giants), but the way SF has gotten here makes them the sentimental favorite to finish it off with a World Series title.
Ideally in 7 games, after some kind of insane series comeback.
More:
*Are the Bears the best team in the NFL? I wouldn't trust them to win three straight games in the playoffs (presuming they win the NFC North), but they are among the elite.
*NFL to drop Pro Bowl? Good. (Does anyone need to say anything more?)
*NBA GMs pick Heat to repeat: Of course they did. What exactly are the other options?
*CFB: Already feeling a tense lead-up to Notre Dame at Oklahoma, this weekend's marquee game. But does anyone think that ND isn't going to get drilled? (In that case, merely keeping it close will be a moral victory that qualifies ND for what increasingly looks like an inevitable 10-win slot in a BCS-level bowl game.)
-- D.S.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Monday (Jam-Packed) Quickie
I'm actually in L.A. today, but arrived last night too late to zip over to Staples to watch the Dwight Howard Lakers debut. Probably for the best. So much to cover...
*NLCS Game 7: Not much more you can ask for. Two teams -- only the most recent two defending MLB champs -- that consistently win these kind of elimination games, so the slogan for tonight is "Something's gotta give."
*Game 6: After being down 3-1, it is pretty incredible that the Giants have gotten career-best starts from both Barry Zito and Ryan Vogelsong at exactly the moment they were most-needed.
*NFL Week 7 notes:
*MNF Tonight: This time it's personal. I'm tied in a fantasy match-up. I've got Calvin Johson and my opponent has Brandon Marshall. If that wasn't enough, I have Joique Bell and he has Mikel Leshoure. It is the most exciting fantasy finish I have ever experienced and the definition of why fantasy football rules.
*Sports x Politics: I'm kind of loving ESPN's campaign to get you to watch MNF via the (essential) WatchESPN app while you watch the Presidential debate on TV. Sounds good to me.
*CFB Hangover: There is no question -- Kansas State's resume is stronger than Oregon's (as is Florida's). If you avoid watching Oregon's insane highlights and simply focus on who they have played (and beaten soundly), they just aren't there yet. Two wins over USC (regular season and Pac-12 title game) and a win over a then-unbeaten Oregon State will help Oregon's cause tremendously. But until then, let's celebrate what a juggernaut K-State is.
*More: "Florida is Back" meme. I have been a Florida fan for 12 seasons and I can't remember -- and in asking more seasoned Florida fans than me, anyone else can't remember -- a Florida-Georgia game as big as this one coming up on Saturday: It is the SEC East title game. Forget Florida's position in the BCS or national-title picture -- winning the SEC East this year would be a HUGE accomplishment. (And, conversely, losing the game this weekend would be particularly tough.)
*Heisman Watch: Collin Klein surges into the lead, and as long as K-State stays unbeaten -- no matter what happens with the BCS -- he will win the Heisman, although Mante Te'o is a lock to earn the coveted "defensive player gets invited to New York for the ceremony" finalist placement.
*NBA: Dwight Howard's Lakers debut. The NBA quote of the season? Kobe to Dwight before the tip: "Let's play some mother-f@#$ing ball." Let's not get caught up in how Howard looked last night -- or any game this regular season. He and the Lakers will be judged entirely on whether they win an NBA title. (Not even wrenching the West title back from OKC will be enough, although it is necessary -- if not sufficient -- to the season's success.)
*Lance stripped of Tour de France titles: We all knew it was coming. It is still the most powerful symbolism of this entire affair, because it was the TdF titles that turned Lance Armstrong into LANCE and his story into the "Live Strong" campaign and charity that has done so much to fund cancer research and provide hope to people dealing with cancer, themselves or their family/friends. Earlier in this portion of the episode, I used to feel a lot of anger and bitterness toward Lance. As I read details of what a mastermind he was of all of this, I still feel angry. But mostly I feel sad for the people who put their faith in him. Then I feel angry again towards him. Hell of a legacy for him.
-- D.S.
*NLCS Game 7: Not much more you can ask for. Two teams -- only the most recent two defending MLB champs -- that consistently win these kind of elimination games, so the slogan for tonight is "Something's gotta give."
*Game 6: After being down 3-1, it is pretty incredible that the Giants have gotten career-best starts from both Barry Zito and Ryan Vogelsong at exactly the moment they were most-needed.
*NFL Week 7 notes:
*MNF Tonight: This time it's personal. I'm tied in a fantasy match-up. I've got Calvin Johson and my opponent has Brandon Marshall. If that wasn't enough, I have Joique Bell and he has Mikel Leshoure. It is the most exciting fantasy finish I have ever experienced and the definition of why fantasy football rules.
*Sports x Politics: I'm kind of loving ESPN's campaign to get you to watch MNF via the (essential) WatchESPN app while you watch the Presidential debate on TV. Sounds good to me.
*CFB Hangover: There is no question -- Kansas State's resume is stronger than Oregon's (as is Florida's). If you avoid watching Oregon's insane highlights and simply focus on who they have played (and beaten soundly), they just aren't there yet. Two wins over USC (regular season and Pac-12 title game) and a win over a then-unbeaten Oregon State will help Oregon's cause tremendously. But until then, let's celebrate what a juggernaut K-State is.
*More: "Florida is Back" meme. I have been a Florida fan for 12 seasons and I can't remember -- and in asking more seasoned Florida fans than me, anyone else can't remember -- a Florida-Georgia game as big as this one coming up on Saturday: It is the SEC East title game. Forget Florida's position in the BCS or national-title picture -- winning the SEC East this year would be a HUGE accomplishment. (And, conversely, losing the game this weekend would be particularly tough.)
*Heisman Watch: Collin Klein surges into the lead, and as long as K-State stays unbeaten -- no matter what happens with the BCS -- he will win the Heisman, although Mante Te'o is a lock to earn the coveted "defensive player gets invited to New York for the ceremony" finalist placement.
*NBA: Dwight Howard's Lakers debut. The NBA quote of the season? Kobe to Dwight before the tip: "Let's play some mother-f@#$ing ball." Let's not get caught up in how Howard looked last night -- or any game this regular season. He and the Lakers will be judged entirely on whether they win an NBA title. (Not even wrenching the West title back from OKC will be enough, although it is necessary -- if not sufficient -- to the season's success.)
*Lance stripped of Tour de France titles: We all knew it was coming. It is still the most powerful symbolism of this entire affair, because it was the TdF titles that turned Lance Armstrong into LANCE and his story into the "Live Strong" campaign and charity that has done so much to fund cancer research and provide hope to people dealing with cancer, themselves or their family/friends. Earlier in this portion of the episode, I used to feel a lot of anger and bitterness toward Lance. As I read details of what a mastermind he was of all of this, I still feel angry. But mostly I feel sad for the people who put their faith in him. Then I feel angry again towards him. Hell of a legacy for him.
-- D.S.
This Week's BlogPoll Top 25 Ballot
It's a hell of a debate over "Who's No. 2?" Your contenders: Florida (with the best resume), Kansas State (with the best road wins) and Oregon (with the flashiest offense). (No offense, ND fans.)
For now, I notch Florida ahead of K-State for the totality of Florida's resume (in this order: home win over LSU, home win over South Carolina, road win over A&M, road win over Tennessee) over Kansas State's pair: incredible win at Oklahoma and blistering of West Virginia in Morgantown.
Things will work themselves out to some extent: Florida eventually has to play Alabama. But if the question is whether Kansas State should get the BCS nod over Oregon, the answer is -- at least based on resumes through this weekend -- yes.
For now, I notch Florida ahead of K-State for the totality of Florida's resume (in this order: home win over LSU, home win over South Carolina, road win over A&M, road win over Tennessee) over Kansas State's pair: incredible win at Oklahoma and blistering of West Virginia in Morgantown.
Things will work themselves out to some extent: Florida eventually has to play Alabama. But if the question is whether Kansas State should get the BCS nod over Oregon, the answer is -- at least based on resumes through this weekend -- yes.
DanShanoff.com Ballot - Week 8
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama Crimson Tide | -- |
| 2 | Florida Gators | 1 |
| 3 | Kansas St. Wildcats | 1 |
| 4 | Oregon Ducks | -2 |
| 5 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | -- |
| 6 | LSU Tigers | -- |
| 7 | Oregon St. Beavers | 3 |
| 8 | Oklahoma Sooners | -- |
| 9 | USC Trojans | 9 |
| 10 | Ohio St. Buckeyes | 1 |
| 11 | South Carolina Gamecocks | -4 |
| 12 | Georgia Bulldogs | -- |
| 13 | Mississippi St. Bulldogs | 3 |
| 14 | Florida St. Seminoles | -1 |
| 15 | Texas Tech Red Raiders | 7 |
| 16 | Stanford Cardinal | 1 |
| 17 | West Virginia Mountaineers | -8 |
| 18 | Clemson Tigers | -4 |
| 19 | Louisville Cardinals | -- |
| 20 | Ohio Bobcats | -- |
| 21 | Texas A&M Aggies | -- |
| 22 | Texas Longhorns | 1 |
| 23 | Rutgers Scarlet Knights | 1 |
| 24 | Louisiana Tech Bulldogs | 1 |
| 25 | Toledo Rockets | -- |
| Dropouts: TCU Horned Frogs | ||
SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »
Friday, October 19, 2012
10/19 (TGIF) Quickie
*The Yankees get swept: Did Baltimore take all the fight out of them? Did the Jeter injury deflate them? Was the team profile ripe for a postseason flop? Most accurately, the Tigers' awesome starting pitching did in New York. Hard to remember a team folding so badly in the LCS.
A Quickie truism: If it is in the best interests of baseball that the Yankees be competitive, it is even more in the best interests of baseball that the Yankees fall short of a championship, preferably in the most humiliating way possible.
*Cards up 3-1 on the Giants in NLCS: They are the defining baseball franchise of the past decade, and if the Red Sox' title breakthrough got more publicity and the Yankees spent more money, it is the Cardinals that are one win away from being as close to a dynasty as we have had since the Yankees crapped out in '04 (or possibly '01). Head over to Quickish for a tip to a Jeff Passan column about the most fascinating thing about these Cardinals: Not only have they gotten this far this season without Albert Pujols, it's almost as if they are better off without him.
*NFL Week 7: Ravens-Texans is the best game of the week -- let's see how a Lewis- and Webb-less Ravens D handles Houston's offense... RGIII getting his first taste of the DC-NY rivalry between the Redskins and Giants (who also happen to be the team to beat in the NFL right now) is the most must-see match-up... And yet! The storyline that will earn the most attention is whether Rex Ryan will have Mark Sanchez hand the ball off to Tim Tebow, rather than having Tebow take snaps directly before running with the ball.
*49ers grunt past the Seahawks: Not a pretty one, which is a testament to Seattle's defense and -- if you believe the morning-after quarterbacking -- a testament to eroding faith Jim Harbaugh has in QB Alex Smith. The 49ers could be the best team in the league -- would they really bench Smith for rising backup Colin Kaepernick? If any coach has the wherewithal to do it, it's Harbaugh.
*CFB Weekend: The game of the week is South Carolina at Florida, which -- ironically -- doesn't do a ton to settle the SEC East. USC would have the tie-breaker over Florida and Georgia, but even if Florida beats South Carolina, if they lose next week to Georgia, the Bulldogs are in the driver's seat in the East. Let's keep things simple: If Florida wins, they remain in the national-title picture for one more week.
*Speaking of national-title simplicity: The same goes for Kansas State -- if they win in Morgantown, K-State collects a second Win of the Year (to go with winning at Oklahoma) and look very good to run the table (until the inevitable baffling loss). If they lose to West Virginia -- and despite the evidence of K-State's fortitude displayed in Norman, I'm saying they will -- they (and the Big 12) are out of the national-title picture.
*Upset Watch: BYU won't beat Notre Dame -- although BYU's defense combined with ND's defense means the game will be close enough to make Irish fans sweat -- but I'm intrigued by Texas A&M playing at home versus LSU. Johnny Manziel is as tough of a player as LSU has faced this season -- then again, Manziel hasn't come close to going up against a D as tough as LSU (not even Florida's, which let Manziel go crazy in the 1st half before clamping down on him in the 2nd.) Nope, my upset pick is 2-4 Utah beating 5-0 Oregon State in Corvallis and ruining OSU's thus-far-perfect season.
*Oregon rolls over Arizona State: The Ducks got to 40+ so blindingly fast that Oregon ripping through the rest of its schedule feels like the most foregone conclusion in college football. (Even Alabama -- for all its might -- feels like it would give the SEC East winner a puncher's chance in the SEC title game. Oregon? They're not going to get stopped until -- as usual -- they run into an elite SEC defense.)
*NBA: It is a testament to LeBron being the NBA's center of gravity that the biggest NBA story of the week is whether the Lakers are angling to sign LeBron after the 2014 season. At least that's only two years away -- remember when we were a full four years from LeBron's free agency when we started talking about him leaving Cleveland for the NYC area?
FWIW, after LeBron wins another title or two with Miami -- and, coming off of last season, that is the most likely outcome -- he may very well see his next frontier as conquering LA and bringing a title back to the Lakers (particularly if he beats the Lakers in either of the next two NBA Finals).
Enjoy your weekend.
-- D.S.
A Quickie truism: If it is in the best interests of baseball that the Yankees be competitive, it is even more in the best interests of baseball that the Yankees fall short of a championship, preferably in the most humiliating way possible.
*Cards up 3-1 on the Giants in NLCS: They are the defining baseball franchise of the past decade, and if the Red Sox' title breakthrough got more publicity and the Yankees spent more money, it is the Cardinals that are one win away from being as close to a dynasty as we have had since the Yankees crapped out in '04 (or possibly '01). Head over to Quickish for a tip to a Jeff Passan column about the most fascinating thing about these Cardinals: Not only have they gotten this far this season without Albert Pujols, it's almost as if they are better off without him.
*NFL Week 7: Ravens-Texans is the best game of the week -- let's see how a Lewis- and Webb-less Ravens D handles Houston's offense... RGIII getting his first taste of the DC-NY rivalry between the Redskins and Giants (who also happen to be the team to beat in the NFL right now) is the most must-see match-up... And yet! The storyline that will earn the most attention is whether Rex Ryan will have Mark Sanchez hand the ball off to Tim Tebow, rather than having Tebow take snaps directly before running with the ball.
*49ers grunt past the Seahawks: Not a pretty one, which is a testament to Seattle's defense and -- if you believe the morning-after quarterbacking -- a testament to eroding faith Jim Harbaugh has in QB Alex Smith. The 49ers could be the best team in the league -- would they really bench Smith for rising backup Colin Kaepernick? If any coach has the wherewithal to do it, it's Harbaugh.
*CFB Weekend: The game of the week is South Carolina at Florida, which -- ironically -- doesn't do a ton to settle the SEC East. USC would have the tie-breaker over Florida and Georgia, but even if Florida beats South Carolina, if they lose next week to Georgia, the Bulldogs are in the driver's seat in the East. Let's keep things simple: If Florida wins, they remain in the national-title picture for one more week.
*Speaking of national-title simplicity: The same goes for Kansas State -- if they win in Morgantown, K-State collects a second Win of the Year (to go with winning at Oklahoma) and look very good to run the table (until the inevitable baffling loss). If they lose to West Virginia -- and despite the evidence of K-State's fortitude displayed in Norman, I'm saying they will -- they (and the Big 12) are out of the national-title picture.
*Upset Watch: BYU won't beat Notre Dame -- although BYU's defense combined with ND's defense means the game will be close enough to make Irish fans sweat -- but I'm intrigued by Texas A&M playing at home versus LSU. Johnny Manziel is as tough of a player as LSU has faced this season -- then again, Manziel hasn't come close to going up against a D as tough as LSU (not even Florida's, which let Manziel go crazy in the 1st half before clamping down on him in the 2nd.) Nope, my upset pick is 2-4 Utah beating 5-0 Oregon State in Corvallis and ruining OSU's thus-far-perfect season.
*Oregon rolls over Arizona State: The Ducks got to 40+ so blindingly fast that Oregon ripping through the rest of its schedule feels like the most foregone conclusion in college football. (Even Alabama -- for all its might -- feels like it would give the SEC East winner a puncher's chance in the SEC title game. Oregon? They're not going to get stopped until -- as usual -- they run into an elite SEC defense.)
*NBA: It is a testament to LeBron being the NBA's center of gravity that the biggest NBA story of the week is whether the Lakers are angling to sign LeBron after the 2014 season. At least that's only two years away -- remember when we were a full four years from LeBron's free agency when we started talking about him leaving Cleveland for the NYC area?
FWIW, after LeBron wins another title or two with Miami -- and, coming off of last season, that is the most likely outcome -- he may very well see his next frontier as conquering LA and bringing a title back to the Lakers (particularly if he beats the Lakers in either of the next two NBA Finals).
Enjoy your weekend.
-- D.S.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
10/18 (Midweek) Quickie
The A-Rod-to-Marlins idea was far-fetched, but I appreciated the spirit in which it was delivered.
If I was the Yankees, I'd trade him, even if it meant eating his massive contract. If I was another team -- yes, particularly the Marlins -- I would absolutely pick him up... if the Yankees picked up the tab.
This won't end soon -- even if the Yankees' season ends imminently. But I could see it ending by mid-December. Can you envision the Yankees taking A-Rod into spring training next year? I can't.
Then again, the Yankees have much bigger problems than A-Rod and his contract. Much bigger.
NLCS: It's hard to not respect the Cardinals, begrudgingly or otherwise. Epitome of "playoff team."
NFL: Welcome back, Terrell Suggs. Will almost certainly lift a Ravens D reeling from the loss of Lewis and Webb.
Tebow: If Tebow does get touches as an RB (meaning, not a QB who takes direct snaps and runs like a RB, but a full-fledged RB taking handoffs from a QB), my only question is when he gets "RB" eligibility in fantasy. Some smart platform is going to do it this weekend, if he really does take a handoff.
NBA: Kevin Love out 6-8 weeks. Between Love's injury this season and Rubio's injury last season, a promising franchise remains theoretical.
CFB Tonight: Do yourself a favor and watch Oregon at Arizona State. This is the Ducks' first real road game, and even if ASU isn't going to pose a challenge, you've got to see Oregon's offense first-hand. It's a great appetizer for a very strong weekend of games.
-- D.S.
If I was the Yankees, I'd trade him, even if it meant eating his massive contract. If I was another team -- yes, particularly the Marlins -- I would absolutely pick him up... if the Yankees picked up the tab.
This won't end soon -- even if the Yankees' season ends imminently. But I could see it ending by mid-December. Can you envision the Yankees taking A-Rod into spring training next year? I can't.
Then again, the Yankees have much bigger problems than A-Rod and his contract. Much bigger.
NLCS: It's hard to not respect the Cardinals, begrudgingly or otherwise. Epitome of "playoff team."
NFL: Welcome back, Terrell Suggs. Will almost certainly lift a Ravens D reeling from the loss of Lewis and Webb.
Tebow: If Tebow does get touches as an RB (meaning, not a QB who takes direct snaps and runs like a RB, but a full-fledged RB taking handoffs from a QB), my only question is when he gets "RB" eligibility in fantasy. Some smart platform is going to do it this weekend, if he really does take a handoff.
NBA: Kevin Love out 6-8 weeks. Between Love's injury this season and Rubio's injury last season, a promising franchise remains theoretical.
CFB Tonight: Do yourself a favor and watch Oregon at Arizona State. This is the Ducks' first real road game, and even if ASU isn't going to pose a challenge, you've got to see Oregon's offense first-hand. It's a great appetizer for a very strong weekend of games.
-- D.S.
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