I haven't been this shocked since it was revealed Howard K. Stern wasn't little Danielyn's father. Boy did that one throw me on my ass. Anyway, as you may or may not have heard, Brandon Roy was named Rookie of the Year, which we pretty much knew was going to happen ever since draft night when he entered the league as the most NBA-ready prospect. Remember all those "Draft the Stache" supporters who wanted Adam Morrison in a Blazer uniform? Remember all those who criticized KP for taking on Raef's contract in order to move up to take Roy, and then paying the T-Wolves a couple million to swap picks to ensure Roy would be in the Pacific Northwest? Remember? Well, they were wrong. It would have been unanimous too if not for some homer from Toronto voting for Bargnani. Oh well. We'll take it.
By the way, Jason Quick AKA the Association's best beat writer did a great breakdown of Roy's late game heroics. Check it out here.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Friday, April 27, 2007
So, when's the NFL Draft?
If you've been paying attention to the latest sports news (or have a pulse) then you know that the world's biggest meat market is coming to town. That's right, the over-analyzing is complete and we will finally get to hear guys in suits call out names for two days straight. Thrilling. It reminds me of watching the Weather Channel, except instead of weather forecasts, we're getting predictions as to who is going where and what they will be doing once they get there. Just.....FREAKING EXCITING! (with a hint of sarcasm)
When did the NFL Draft become the biggest thing since hot dog stands? It's long and it's boring. Why not just wait a day and read the entire list of picks in the newspaper instead of wasting an entire day watching the damn thing? Why does each team get 15 freaking minutes in the first round? They've been preparing for every scenario involving every player for the last four months. Do they seriously think it's going to take 15 minutes for these teams to decide who to take? If the draft were not televised live from Radio City Music Hall on two different stations, if it weren't the most over-hyped spectacle since Geraldo opening Capon's vault, the teams would get like 5 minutes tops. They know who they are going to pick. The league just wants to milk it for all it's worth. The longer they are on the air, the more commercials are played, therefore more revenue is filtered into a league that really doesn't need any more revenue. It's all a big scam of our time and energy. I flip on Sportscenter hoping to check out some baseball scores or NBA playoff analysis and instead I'm hearing for the eight-thousandth time how strong Jamarcus Russell's arm is and how young Amobi Okoye is and how sexy Brady Quinn is. You know, the usual mind-numbing nothingness that is inherent when people try to analyze the vertical leaps and shuttle run times of twenty year olds.
Let's get past the over-exposure of the Draft for just a second. Does anybody really think that any of it matters all that much? An active NFL roster has 53 names on it. The draft gets each team on average 7 or so new players, a couple of whom will not make the team. Also, this is a league in which teams build off of free agency. With all of this taken into account, who cares who these teams pick? Most of them are destined to become "cap casualties" who end up with six different teams during their exploitation by the league. Sure, there will be players who make huge impacts on the roster and who help transform the franchise. I get that. But in a league in which players are changing teams every year, does it matter which team the start out with?
Frankly, the NBA draft is the most important of all drafts. One player can completely change a franchise. One year, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the worst team in basketball. One Lebron and two seasons later, they are contenders in the East. One player can have a huge impact on the on-court performance of an NBA team. In football, there are 22 different positions. Is that one left tackle going make 4-12 into 12-4? Unlikely. That's not to say that it never happens (see: Vince Young). But NFL teams build in free agency. In a "win now or else" culture, free agents help teams win now. The coaches who draft these players likely won't be around to enjoy the fruits of their tireless scouting labor because they'll be fired by the time the players pan out (or flame out). It's a giant crap shoot for guys who may be fantastic but still not impact the team enough to illicit noticeable improvement in the standings.
As you can tell, I'm sick of all of this draft talk and can't wait until Monday when, instead of talking about what might happen in the draft, we get to hear about what did happen and what it all means for the next four months. Give me NBA playoff basketball over name reading all day long. Has anybody noticed that the first week of NBA playoffs was sick with excitement and intrigue? Probably not because instead of hearing about the defending champs possibly meeting their match, or the best team in basketball getting themselves into a real dog fight, or Utah and Houston playing perhaps the most competitive first round series ever, we're hearing about how some of the possible draft picks admitted to smoking pot. Shocking! That's like telling me Bill Gates doesn't have an iPod. You didn't have to tell me but I probably could have figured it out anyway. Guys smoke pot in college. Big deal.
By the way, the Eugene Marathon is this weekend and I'm getting ready to head over to the Hilton for the Health-Fitness Expo and to check-in. I am thoroughly jacked! I hope I don't keel over and die at mile 20 or something bad like that because then I'll miss all of the exciting wrap-up from Name Reading 2007. I'll check in the draft a couple of times but I'll mainly be watching basketball, mentally preparing to run, and carb-loading. I wish Enoka Lucas, JD Nelson, Jordan Kent, Blair Phillips, and all the other Ducks who may get drafted huge amounts of luck. I hope their names get called and I hope they get a chance to represent the O at the next level. That said, I won't feel the need to be glued to the set when their names scroll across the screens as the most recent selection.
To wrap-up, the Oregon Spring Game is this weekend. I am considering going, but I may not. It would be too terrifying to watch Jonathon Stewart get tackled. Everyday I open the sports page, I am praying (even though I'm not religious) that the headline isn't something like "Stewart blows out ACL, lost for season." EEK! As long as nobody gets hurt and lots of food is donated to the Lane County Food Share, the day will be a success.
When did the NFL Draft become the biggest thing since hot dog stands? It's long and it's boring. Why not just wait a day and read the entire list of picks in the newspaper instead of wasting an entire day watching the damn thing? Why does each team get 15 freaking minutes in the first round? They've been preparing for every scenario involving every player for the last four months. Do they seriously think it's going to take 15 minutes for these teams to decide who to take? If the draft were not televised live from Radio City Music Hall on two different stations, if it weren't the most over-hyped spectacle since Geraldo opening Capon's vault, the teams would get like 5 minutes tops. They know who they are going to pick. The league just wants to milk it for all it's worth. The longer they are on the air, the more commercials are played, therefore more revenue is filtered into a league that really doesn't need any more revenue. It's all a big scam of our time and energy. I flip on Sportscenter hoping to check out some baseball scores or NBA playoff analysis and instead I'm hearing for the eight-thousandth time how strong Jamarcus Russell's arm is and how young Amobi Okoye is and how sexy Brady Quinn is. You know, the usual mind-numbing nothingness that is inherent when people try to analyze the vertical leaps and shuttle run times of twenty year olds.
Let's get past the over-exposure of the Draft for just a second. Does anybody really think that any of it matters all that much? An active NFL roster has 53 names on it. The draft gets each team on average 7 or so new players, a couple of whom will not make the team. Also, this is a league in which teams build off of free agency. With all of this taken into account, who cares who these teams pick? Most of them are destined to become "cap casualties" who end up with six different teams during their exploitation by the league. Sure, there will be players who make huge impacts on the roster and who help transform the franchise. I get that. But in a league in which players are changing teams every year, does it matter which team the start out with?
Frankly, the NBA draft is the most important of all drafts. One player can completely change a franchise. One year, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the worst team in basketball. One Lebron and two seasons later, they are contenders in the East. One player can have a huge impact on the on-court performance of an NBA team. In football, there are 22 different positions. Is that one left tackle going make 4-12 into 12-4? Unlikely. That's not to say that it never happens (see: Vince Young). But NFL teams build in free agency. In a "win now or else" culture, free agents help teams win now. The coaches who draft these players likely won't be around to enjoy the fruits of their tireless scouting labor because they'll be fired by the time the players pan out (or flame out). It's a giant crap shoot for guys who may be fantastic but still not impact the team enough to illicit noticeable improvement in the standings.
As you can tell, I'm sick of all of this draft talk and can't wait until Monday when, instead of talking about what might happen in the draft, we get to hear about what did happen and what it all means for the next four months. Give me NBA playoff basketball over name reading all day long. Has anybody noticed that the first week of NBA playoffs was sick with excitement and intrigue? Probably not because instead of hearing about the defending champs possibly meeting their match, or the best team in basketball getting themselves into a real dog fight, or Utah and Houston playing perhaps the most competitive first round series ever, we're hearing about how some of the possible draft picks admitted to smoking pot. Shocking! That's like telling me Bill Gates doesn't have an iPod. You didn't have to tell me but I probably could have figured it out anyway. Guys smoke pot in college. Big deal.
By the way, the Eugene Marathon is this weekend and I'm getting ready to head over to the Hilton for the Health-Fitness Expo and to check-in. I am thoroughly jacked! I hope I don't keel over and die at mile 20 or something bad like that because then I'll miss all of the exciting wrap-up from Name Reading 2007. I'll check in the draft a couple of times but I'll mainly be watching basketball, mentally preparing to run, and carb-loading. I wish Enoka Lucas, JD Nelson, Jordan Kent, Blair Phillips, and all the other Ducks who may get drafted huge amounts of luck. I hope their names get called and I hope they get a chance to represent the O at the next level. That said, I won't feel the need to be glued to the set when their names scroll across the screens as the most recent selection.
To wrap-up, the Oregon Spring Game is this weekend. I am considering going, but I may not. It would be too terrifying to watch Jonathon Stewart get tackled. Everyday I open the sports page, I am praying (even though I'm not religious) that the headline isn't something like "Stewart blows out ACL, lost for season." EEK! As long as nobody gets hurt and lots of food is donated to the Lane County Food Share, the day will be a success.
Monday, April 23, 2007
I love the Mariners, but I hate rooting for them
All I have to say is, "Thank goodness Mariner baseball doesn't completely engulf my life." At least I have classes, research, homework, the NBA playoffs, running (marathon on Sunday), etc. For all the fans out there who are forced to live and die with every Jeff Weaver meatball, every Willie Bloomquist flare-out, every Yuniesky Betencourt fumble-bumble, I am sorry.
This team just seems to suck the life out baseball season. I catch at least snippets of every game and every time I click over, something bad is happening. Either the opponent's lead has increased, the opponent is in the middle of a rally, the next pitch is smacked to wherever, or some combination of all of these plus the deflated feeling of seeing Julio Mateo warming up in the bullpen just for good measure. This is pretty much a microcosm of what happened during yesterday's game as I tried to focus on the Lakers-Suns game while simultaneously harboring depressed thoughts of what is probably taking place over on Fox Sports Seattle. It was a hopeless feeling that allowed for no enjoyment of a ridiculously entertaining Game 1 in Phoenix.
I knew things were going to turn for the worst after I received a text-message (seriously, why couldn't he have just called me or something? Since when are we forced to resort to one sentence back-and-forths with awful grammar to communicate?) from my Dad which read "I think it's time people start taking this Mariner team seriously." I didn't write back, preferring to instead allow the next week's performance to be my response, though I couldn't have expected they would lose EVERY SINGLE GAME!
I know I stated earlier that Jeff Weaver was a harmless fifth starter and I sort of stand by it. I mean, we only have to put up with him for one year, and every time he starts we get to see one of our rule-five minimum-wage hacks like Sean White get a few innings in because Weaver can't possibly figure out a way not to get lit up (I probably shouldn't call Sean White a hack. He is able to perform a task that I couldn't fathom doing. If you are pitching for an MLB squad, you are a talented cat). The problem with the "Weaver is harmless" theory is that Hargrove doesn't subscribe. He yanked the kid after three innings, three runs, and 68 pitches! That doesn't totally blow but it is a marked improvement from his last two bombshells. Apparently, Weaver is now officially in the dog house which may eventually lead to him coming out of the pen. Frankly, what's the difference? If he starts, he gives us 3-5 innings with 3-7 runs. If he's in the pen, he gives us 1 inning of 1-2 runs. It's basically the same thing. Plus, we already have a couple of guys who are perfectly capable of doing what Weaver would do in a relief role. Every team needs that one guy who is going to lay an egg once every five days so that guys who can't be trusted to pitch in winnable games can get some time to prove whether or not they deserve an invite to Spring Training next year. Weaver's our guy, an essential cog in the rotation of a doomed franchise with no direction and no chance of keeping arguably the franchises best-ever player around for the long-term.
This reminds me, I did want to touch on Ichiro. Sure, he isn't lighting it up but he is getting his hits and playing his solid outfield (he hasn't gotten a chance to play spectacular outfield because every time a ball is headed his way it's usually over the fence, meaning there's no opportunity to be spectacular). Why isn't he reeling off five-hit, three-stolen base games? Because he sees the writing on the wall like everybody. The situation is dire. Yeah, it's a contract year and a big season could mean more cash, but he is going to deservedly get his huge contract no matter what. Everybody knows he can play. It's just that at this point, the motivation has been sucked out of him. It's not just this year, but a combination of the last 3-4 years of futility. It's wearing him down. There are examples of similar situations in which big-time players see there production wane amid hopeless circumstances. Take Todd Helton in Colorado. He's been there his whole career but his numbers are noticeably less fantastic in the last few years, mainly because Colorado is in an endless suck vacuum of last place-ness. Same with Miguel Tejada in Baltimore (although the O's are actually relevant this year, which I envy. How sad is it that I am envious of a team's simple relevancy, while the Mariners are lightyears from that status?). No matter what we hear about loyalty or whatever, Ichiro will not be a Mariner next year. Who is going to blame him for jumping ship? Nobody. The issue won't be money. The M's will offer a respectable deal, plus Ichiro isn't going to gold dig like that. He wants to win, which is evident in statements he has made in the past. He has got to be tired of this franchise's futility and realizes it's time to move on. I wish him luck.
I can't believe I just wrote a bon voyage to the team's best player just 14 games into the season. There is a chance this thing will turn around. Maybe Felix comes back 100%, maybe Ichiro goes on one of his patented season-long tears, maybe one of the four fifth-starters in the rotation discovers his inner stud and pitches at least on an average level for the rest of the year. Maybe. But not likely. In fact, not possible. The team sucks. They made numerous moves and acquisitions in the off-season and not one made the team better. On the bright side, Bavasi is gone after the year (we hope) and maybe somebody with a vision or talent or something will be hired. Maybe. But not likely. In fact, not possible.
This team just seems to suck the life out baseball season. I catch at least snippets of every game and every time I click over, something bad is happening. Either the opponent's lead has increased, the opponent is in the middle of a rally, the next pitch is smacked to wherever, or some combination of all of these plus the deflated feeling of seeing Julio Mateo warming up in the bullpen just for good measure. This is pretty much a microcosm of what happened during yesterday's game as I tried to focus on the Lakers-Suns game while simultaneously harboring depressed thoughts of what is probably taking place over on Fox Sports Seattle. It was a hopeless feeling that allowed for no enjoyment of a ridiculously entertaining Game 1 in Phoenix.
I knew things were going to turn for the worst after I received a text-message (seriously, why couldn't he have just called me or something? Since when are we forced to resort to one sentence back-and-forths with awful grammar to communicate?) from my Dad which read "I think it's time people start taking this Mariner team seriously." I didn't write back, preferring to instead allow the next week's performance to be my response, though I couldn't have expected they would lose EVERY SINGLE GAME!
I know I stated earlier that Jeff Weaver was a harmless fifth starter and I sort of stand by it. I mean, we only have to put up with him for one year, and every time he starts we get to see one of our rule-five minimum-wage hacks like Sean White get a few innings in because Weaver can't possibly figure out a way not to get lit up (I probably shouldn't call Sean White a hack. He is able to perform a task that I couldn't fathom doing. If you are pitching for an MLB squad, you are a talented cat). The problem with the "Weaver is harmless" theory is that Hargrove doesn't subscribe. He yanked the kid after three innings, three runs, and 68 pitches! That doesn't totally blow but it is a marked improvement from his last two bombshells. Apparently, Weaver is now officially in the dog house which may eventually lead to him coming out of the pen. Frankly, what's the difference? If he starts, he gives us 3-5 innings with 3-7 runs. If he's in the pen, he gives us 1 inning of 1-2 runs. It's basically the same thing. Plus, we already have a couple of guys who are perfectly capable of doing what Weaver would do in a relief role. Every team needs that one guy who is going to lay an egg once every five days so that guys who can't be trusted to pitch in winnable games can get some time to prove whether or not they deserve an invite to Spring Training next year. Weaver's our guy, an essential cog in the rotation of a doomed franchise with no direction and no chance of keeping arguably the franchises best-ever player around for the long-term.
This reminds me, I did want to touch on Ichiro. Sure, he isn't lighting it up but he is getting his hits and playing his solid outfield (he hasn't gotten a chance to play spectacular outfield because every time a ball is headed his way it's usually over the fence, meaning there's no opportunity to be spectacular). Why isn't he reeling off five-hit, three-stolen base games? Because he sees the writing on the wall like everybody. The situation is dire. Yeah, it's a contract year and a big season could mean more cash, but he is going to deservedly get his huge contract no matter what. Everybody knows he can play. It's just that at this point, the motivation has been sucked out of him. It's not just this year, but a combination of the last 3-4 years of futility. It's wearing him down. There are examples of similar situations in which big-time players see there production wane amid hopeless circumstances. Take Todd Helton in Colorado. He's been there his whole career but his numbers are noticeably less fantastic in the last few years, mainly because Colorado is in an endless suck vacuum of last place-ness. Same with Miguel Tejada in Baltimore (although the O's are actually relevant this year, which I envy. How sad is it that I am envious of a team's simple relevancy, while the Mariners are lightyears from that status?). No matter what we hear about loyalty or whatever, Ichiro will not be a Mariner next year. Who is going to blame him for jumping ship? Nobody. The issue won't be money. The M's will offer a respectable deal, plus Ichiro isn't going to gold dig like that. He wants to win, which is evident in statements he has made in the past. He has got to be tired of this franchise's futility and realizes it's time to move on. I wish him luck.
I can't believe I just wrote a bon voyage to the team's best player just 14 games into the season. There is a chance this thing will turn around. Maybe Felix comes back 100%, maybe Ichiro goes on one of his patented season-long tears, maybe one of the four fifth-starters in the rotation discovers his inner stud and pitches at least on an average level for the rest of the year. Maybe. But not likely. In fact, not possible. The team sucks. They made numerous moves and acquisitions in the off-season and not one made the team better. On the bright side, Bavasi is gone after the year (we hope) and maybe somebody with a vision or talent or something will be hired. Maybe. But not likely. In fact, not possible.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Tear
To begin, I would like to apologize for the extended absence. Just deal with it.
As you may have noticed, last night was the final night of the NBA's regular season. For me, there is always a sense of sadness when a season ends, even one as lackluster and mind-numbing as this year's regular season. The NBA may be my favorite professional sports league, but it is by no means my favorite regular season. This is the case for a couple of reasons. The first is that it kicks off around Halloween when the weather sucks, everybody is still getting used to being in school, and there is just general discontent among the masses. It's the lull between the happiness of summer and the happiness of the holidays. It just plain sucks and the fact that the regular season is beginning just makes me even more angry because it's as if the basketball gods are taunting the world. They give us a glimpse of happiness (basketball) amid the wretchedness of the time of year. Makes me angry just thinking about it. The other reason why the NBA regular season is sort of head-banging is that it's so damn long. I watch a Blazer game with the highest degree of fervor but in the back of my mind I am thinking to myself "Does it really matter?" The season is so long that the individual games just bleed together. Sure, you may be watching an entertaining and exciting game between two random teams on a random night but you realize that not only do you not really care, but there are a good handful of players on the court who don't care. For the good teams, they just want to get to the playoffs. For the bad teams, the players are simply harboring a sense of jealousy that they won't get to be in the playoffs and even if they do they are relegated to sacrificial lamb status to an actual contender.
So if the NBA regular season irritates me so much, there must be some aspect of the league that rocks my socks off in order for it to be my favorite professional sport. That aspect is the playoffs. The NBA is the highest level of basketball anywhere in the world, even if you wouldn't know it on a nightly basis. Come playoff time, the best come to play and the games are the most intense brand of basketball anywhere on the planet. Period. This is when the stars come out and go at each other like there is no tomorrow. There is no tomorrow. It's win or go home. Even though a single loss doesn't send a team packing, the mantra still stands. This is another reason why the playoffs own. The best will prevail. In the NCAA tourney (God bless it, even though I have never been to church a day in my life) you get the great upsets and the Cinderella stories. But as a result, the best rarely prevails and a true champion is rarely crowned. In the NBA, we find out who is the best of the best. We hear endless debates about the Mavs, Suns, and Spurs. People think they know who the best of the three really is. Now, we will get to find out. We will know because they are on a collision course. Sure, they ain't playin' no round robin or anything like that. The Mavs very well may not play the Spurs. That's fine with me because the reason they wouldn't play the Spurs is that the Suns beat them. Therefore, Suns > Spurs. Suns play Mavs, we find out who's better. Nothing like it. In two months, we will truly know which team is the best in the league. The debates will end and there will be a definitive answer.
Okay, now I'm jacked up. Just think about some of these first round match-ups! Jazz vs. Rockets! Spurs vs. Nuggets! Nets vs. Raptors! And it's only the first round! There are certainly some dozers like Cavs vs. Wizards and Pistons vs. Magic (frankly, anything involving the Pistons is going to be boring as hell), but all roads lead to freakish awesomeness for any true basketball fan. My head would fall off from excitement if I weren't completely swamped with other issues, like ridiculous amounts of research and schoolwork, two of the reasons why I haven't posted in two weeks. Again, apologies. My bad.
I would be remiss if I didn't offer my good thoughts to all who were affected by the Virginia Tech tragedy. It hit hard for everyone and especially college students who understand the dynamics of a college campus. It was shocking and horrible. It's safe to say that I will be rooting for VA Tech to win in whatever it is they are competing for the remainder of my life, though that obviously is of no comfort to those forever shaken.
Good luck, and good night.
As you may have noticed, last night was the final night of the NBA's regular season. For me, there is always a sense of sadness when a season ends, even one as lackluster and mind-numbing as this year's regular season. The NBA may be my favorite professional sports league, but it is by no means my favorite regular season. This is the case for a couple of reasons. The first is that it kicks off around Halloween when the weather sucks, everybody is still getting used to being in school, and there is just general discontent among the masses. It's the lull between the happiness of summer and the happiness of the holidays. It just plain sucks and the fact that the regular season is beginning just makes me even more angry because it's as if the basketball gods are taunting the world. They give us a glimpse of happiness (basketball) amid the wretchedness of the time of year. Makes me angry just thinking about it. The other reason why the NBA regular season is sort of head-banging is that it's so damn long. I watch a Blazer game with the highest degree of fervor but in the back of my mind I am thinking to myself "Does it really matter?" The season is so long that the individual games just bleed together. Sure, you may be watching an entertaining and exciting game between two random teams on a random night but you realize that not only do you not really care, but there are a good handful of players on the court who don't care. For the good teams, they just want to get to the playoffs. For the bad teams, the players are simply harboring a sense of jealousy that they won't get to be in the playoffs and even if they do they are relegated to sacrificial lamb status to an actual contender.
So if the NBA regular season irritates me so much, there must be some aspect of the league that rocks my socks off in order for it to be my favorite professional sport. That aspect is the playoffs. The NBA is the highest level of basketball anywhere in the world, even if you wouldn't know it on a nightly basis. Come playoff time, the best come to play and the games are the most intense brand of basketball anywhere on the planet. Period. This is when the stars come out and go at each other like there is no tomorrow. There is no tomorrow. It's win or go home. Even though a single loss doesn't send a team packing, the mantra still stands. This is another reason why the playoffs own. The best will prevail. In the NCAA tourney (God bless it, even though I have never been to church a day in my life) you get the great upsets and the Cinderella stories. But as a result, the best rarely prevails and a true champion is rarely crowned. In the NBA, we find out who is the best of the best. We hear endless debates about the Mavs, Suns, and Spurs. People think they know who the best of the three really is. Now, we will get to find out. We will know because they are on a collision course. Sure, they ain't playin' no round robin or anything like that. The Mavs very well may not play the Spurs. That's fine with me because the reason they wouldn't play the Spurs is that the Suns beat them. Therefore, Suns > Spurs. Suns play Mavs, we find out who's better. Nothing like it. In two months, we will truly know which team is the best in the league. The debates will end and there will be a definitive answer.
Okay, now I'm jacked up. Just think about some of these first round match-ups! Jazz vs. Rockets! Spurs vs. Nuggets! Nets vs. Raptors! And it's only the first round! There are certainly some dozers like Cavs vs. Wizards and Pistons vs. Magic (frankly, anything involving the Pistons is going to be boring as hell), but all roads lead to freakish awesomeness for any true basketball fan. My head would fall off from excitement if I weren't completely swamped with other issues, like ridiculous amounts of research and schoolwork, two of the reasons why I haven't posted in two weeks. Again, apologies. My bad.
I would be remiss if I didn't offer my good thoughts to all who were affected by the Virginia Tech tragedy. It hit hard for everyone and especially college students who understand the dynamics of a college campus. It was shocking and horrible. It's safe to say that I will be rooting for VA Tech to win in whatever it is they are competing for the remainder of my life, though that obviously is of no comfort to those forever shaken.
Good luck, and good night.
Friday, April 06, 2007
The Mariners are on pace for 108 wins, so expectations are sky-high
Okay, maybe not, although it is nice that the Mariners have already matched their win total over the A's from last season (two) in the first series of the year. The problem is that the second game of the season may mark the high-point when all is said and done. There are so many issues with this team that it's just uncanny. As I have mentioned before, there is absolutely no hope in rooting for this year's Mariner team. It's like rooting for a good Kate Hudson movie. Not gonna happen. I think at this point it would be pertinent to take a look at some of the individual parts that make up this season's version of futility to see how they fit into to the present and future.
The Studs:
Ichiro-This one's a given. The guy is going to show up, get his 200 hits, hit his .330, steal his 45 bases, win his Gold Glove, and not complain. He'll just get it done. It's nice that he shows up and plays like the all-star he is without making a fuss, but it might take someone like Ichiro, the face of the franchise, to go off on one of those patented superstar rampages about how the direction of the organization sucks. He won't do it because he is classy and loyal but he should. Bottom line, this guy is gone after the season. His contract is up, the Mariners won't be able to pay him what other teams are willing to because they have over $20 million a year wrapped up in Beltre and Sexson alone. The only way he is a Mariner next year is if he finds the loyalty sting impossible to ignore. I would think that the dollar signs coming from New York, Boston, etc. will be hard to ignore as well.
King Felix-His first start of the year was one for the ages. Before Opening Day, the best game I saw him pitch was last year against Tampa when he pitched a complete game shutout on something like 88 pitches. This 8-inning, zero run, two hit, 12 K, 12 groundball out performance was better because a) it was Opening Day b) it was against the maddeningly patient and dreaded Oakland A's and c) because he could literally do whatever he wanted as he toyed with the Oakland hitters. If the team can get a handful of those types of starts along with the lot of really solid starts, we may be looking at a 20 game winner. However, anyone who follows the Mariners knows that eventually all Mariner young arms break down for some reason and the once promising future that it held is gone faster than a Jarred Washburn hanger. He needs to stay healthy, confident, and focused and he'll be fine.
Raul Ibanez-I love Raul like I love running. Not as much as Tom Izzo of course, but in the same ballpark. Raul is the most reliable hitter on this team, maybe more so than Ichiro. The Mariners signed him to do a couple of things: hit 20-30 homers, drive in 80-100 runs, hit in the .280-.300 range, and play serviceable defense. He has done it without fail. Everybody else not in the Stud category is easy to ridicule for various reasons, but there is never anything bad to say about Raul. He does his job as reliably as Old Faithful. He's almost as reliable as irritated silence at a Carlos Mencia show. I respect Raul like you wouldn't believe.
To give you an idea of how hopeless this year is, those are the only solid, reliable guys on a roster mostly loaded with question marks. I could name every other name on the team as a question mark but for the sake of time and sanity, I'll only name a few.
Question Marks:
Adrian Beltre-I seriously can't get a read on this guy. He's harder to read than James Joyce. Harder to read than Phil Ivey. He totally sucks during his first season in Seattle. He totally sucks for the first-half of his second season in Seattle. Then he blows up in the second half of last year to finish with a respectable .268/25/89 line. He hit like fifty homers during Spring Training, leading optimistic Mariner-ites to believe that this could be the year he comes close to matching the numbers he put up in his contract year with True Blue (.334/48/121). I'm taking a wait-and-see approach. The one thing that you can count on is that he'll own in the field. His Glove is Golden. If he produces for a whole season like he did in the latter half of last season, the Mariners might just have something justifiable for their $12 million a year.
Everyone except the King in the pitching staff-Take a look at who the Mariners will trot out to the bump on the dreaded non-Felix days: Jarred Washburn, Miguel Batista, Horacio Ramirez, Jeff Weaver. Is there a greater epitome of a question mark than that line-up? I like Washburn but he is no #2 starter. It would be nice to put him at the back end of a rotation but Seattle simply doesn't have the horses for it. Miguel Batista is apparently very smart, writing poetry, studying Proust, and what not, but can he pitch? He has pretty much done it all in his career. He has started, relieved, and closed. It's cool and all to be jack-of-all trades but I hesitate to get fully behind that. Is it that he's good at a bunch of stuff or that nobody, including him, knows exactly what he is? His first start, in which he gave up eight runs in 4.2 innings, didn't do much to clarify this conundrum, but I'm willing to give him a chance because I study Proust as well. Don't even get me started on Horacio Ramirez. I'm sure he's a nice guy and all, and he did have moderate success when he wasn't chronically injured in Atlanta, but we gave up Rafeal Soriano AKA The Next Mariano for this guy, a #4 starter. Great job, Bavasi! Hope you know something nobody else in MLB knows. As far as Weaver goes, it seems like a harmless signing. We're only stuck with him for one year and he has shown signs of having great stuff, especially in the postseason with St. Louis. If he can finally pan out, Seattle might have something. Frankly, Weaver might be the second best pitcher on the staff if he lives up to his potential.
I could go on about other question marks, such as Sexson (who refuses not to strike out), Vidro (who refuses to get his fat-ass into shape), Lopez (who has mysteriously forgotten how to hit for power), and Jose Guillen (who might end up killing one of his teammates), but that would just get me tired and upset. I have a 20-mile run tomorrow so I can't afford either since I will be experiencing plenty of that. But you get the idea: too many ifs, buts, and maybes for this team to be a true contender. The way I see it, the best case in a perfect world for this team is a second place finish behind Oakland and that's if the LA Angels of Anaheim fall completely flat on their faces. The Mariners won't finish ahead of Oakland because they don't have the capacity to be anything other than Oakland's female dog at this point, and they just aren't as good as Texas or LA. The one consolation is that there are only four teams in the division, meaning the worst Seattle can do is come in fourth which in any other division isn't last. GREAT SUCCESS! (Jesus Christ I hated that movie! Sasha Baron Cohen's talent + 1 = 1). This being said, I love the Mariners, I love baseball, and I'm glad it's back. Onward!
The Studs:
Ichiro-This one's a given. The guy is going to show up, get his 200 hits, hit his .330, steal his 45 bases, win his Gold Glove, and not complain. He'll just get it done. It's nice that he shows up and plays like the all-star he is without making a fuss, but it might take someone like Ichiro, the face of the franchise, to go off on one of those patented superstar rampages about how the direction of the organization sucks. He won't do it because he is classy and loyal but he should. Bottom line, this guy is gone after the season. His contract is up, the Mariners won't be able to pay him what other teams are willing to because they have over $20 million a year wrapped up in Beltre and Sexson alone. The only way he is a Mariner next year is if he finds the loyalty sting impossible to ignore. I would think that the dollar signs coming from New York, Boston, etc. will be hard to ignore as well.
King Felix-His first start of the year was one for the ages. Before Opening Day, the best game I saw him pitch was last year against Tampa when he pitched a complete game shutout on something like 88 pitches. This 8-inning, zero run, two hit, 12 K, 12 groundball out performance was better because a) it was Opening Day b) it was against the maddeningly patient and dreaded Oakland A's and c) because he could literally do whatever he wanted as he toyed with the Oakland hitters. If the team can get a handful of those types of starts along with the lot of really solid starts, we may be looking at a 20 game winner. However, anyone who follows the Mariners knows that eventually all Mariner young arms break down for some reason and the once promising future that it held is gone faster than a Jarred Washburn hanger. He needs to stay healthy, confident, and focused and he'll be fine.
Raul Ibanez-I love Raul like I love running. Not as much as Tom Izzo of course, but in the same ballpark. Raul is the most reliable hitter on this team, maybe more so than Ichiro. The Mariners signed him to do a couple of things: hit 20-30 homers, drive in 80-100 runs, hit in the .280-.300 range, and play serviceable defense. He has done it without fail. Everybody else not in the Stud category is easy to ridicule for various reasons, but there is never anything bad to say about Raul. He does his job as reliably as Old Faithful. He's almost as reliable as irritated silence at a Carlos Mencia show. I respect Raul like you wouldn't believe.
To give you an idea of how hopeless this year is, those are the only solid, reliable guys on a roster mostly loaded with question marks. I could name every other name on the team as a question mark but for the sake of time and sanity, I'll only name a few.
Question Marks:
Adrian Beltre-I seriously can't get a read on this guy. He's harder to read than James Joyce. Harder to read than Phil Ivey. He totally sucks during his first season in Seattle. He totally sucks for the first-half of his second season in Seattle. Then he blows up in the second half of last year to finish with a respectable .268/25/89 line. He hit like fifty homers during Spring Training, leading optimistic Mariner-ites to believe that this could be the year he comes close to matching the numbers he put up in his contract year with True Blue (.334/48/121). I'm taking a wait-and-see approach. The one thing that you can count on is that he'll own in the field. His Glove is Golden. If he produces for a whole season like he did in the latter half of last season, the Mariners might just have something justifiable for their $12 million a year.
Everyone except the King in the pitching staff-Take a look at who the Mariners will trot out to the bump on the dreaded non-Felix days: Jarred Washburn, Miguel Batista, Horacio Ramirez, Jeff Weaver. Is there a greater epitome of a question mark than that line-up? I like Washburn but he is no #2 starter. It would be nice to put him at the back end of a rotation but Seattle simply doesn't have the horses for it. Miguel Batista is apparently very smart, writing poetry, studying Proust, and what not, but can he pitch? He has pretty much done it all in his career. He has started, relieved, and closed. It's cool and all to be jack-of-all trades but I hesitate to get fully behind that. Is it that he's good at a bunch of stuff or that nobody, including him, knows exactly what he is? His first start, in which he gave up eight runs in 4.2 innings, didn't do much to clarify this conundrum, but I'm willing to give him a chance because I study Proust as well. Don't even get me started on Horacio Ramirez. I'm sure he's a nice guy and all, and he did have moderate success when he wasn't chronically injured in Atlanta, but we gave up Rafeal Soriano AKA The Next Mariano for this guy, a #4 starter. Great job, Bavasi! Hope you know something nobody else in MLB knows. As far as Weaver goes, it seems like a harmless signing. We're only stuck with him for one year and he has shown signs of having great stuff, especially in the postseason with St. Louis. If he can finally pan out, Seattle might have something. Frankly, Weaver might be the second best pitcher on the staff if he lives up to his potential.
I could go on about other question marks, such as Sexson (who refuses not to strike out), Vidro (who refuses to get his fat-ass into shape), Lopez (who has mysteriously forgotten how to hit for power), and Jose Guillen (who might end up killing one of his teammates), but that would just get me tired and upset. I have a 20-mile run tomorrow so I can't afford either since I will be experiencing plenty of that. But you get the idea: too many ifs, buts, and maybes for this team to be a true contender. The way I see it, the best case in a perfect world for this team is a second place finish behind Oakland and that's if the LA Angels of Anaheim fall completely flat on their faces. The Mariners won't finish ahead of Oakland because they don't have the capacity to be anything other than Oakland's female dog at this point, and they just aren't as good as Texas or LA. The one consolation is that there are only four teams in the division, meaning the worst Seattle can do is come in fourth which in any other division isn't last. GREAT SUCCESS! (Jesus Christ I hated that movie! Sasha Baron Cohen's talent + 1 = 1). This being said, I love the Mariners, I love baseball, and I'm glad it's back. Onward!
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
It's a Gator Nation, we're just living in it
It must really be a difficult time for all of the people in America who dislike the University of Florida. I am not one of them, but I can imagine why some may have unsavory feelings towards the Gators. Ever since Steve Spurrier brought his high-octane, run up the score and laugh in you face brand of football to Gainesville, ever since UF became the envy of all other SEC schools with it's huge revenue and constant success in basically every sport, it has been an easily dislikeable institution. It's gotta be a tough day for the people who harbor these feelings because the Gators are officially taking over the country. For everyone who thought China would eventually come and take over everything, you were wrong. We are now officially a Gator Nation.
Donovan's boys did exactly what everyone knew they would do. They were very businesslike in their 84-75 victory over the Buckeyes. No flash, no gimmicks, just a victory. Every time Ohio State made a half-hearted effort at getting back into the game, Lee Humphrey hit a three, or Corey Brewer made a play on D, or Taurean Green made a play. I don't know why anyone would have expected anything other than what we saw last night. Although going back-to-back puts them in remarkably exclusive company, they can't be considered one of the great teams in NCAA history. Top ten sure, but not top five. Given that, this will be a team that we remember forever. Four guys who had millions of dollars on the table go back to school for each other, to do something that would put them in the same breath as Duke and UCLA, to be BMOCs for one more year. Outstanding.
On the other side, Greg Oden was O.U.T.S.T.A.N.D.I.N.G. It's good to see that his final game as a collegiate was his best. There have been doubters, but anyone who saw his performance last night would not dispute his status as the #1 pick in the upcoming draft. Some have said that the Buckeyes are better when he sits, some have said Mike Conley is the best player on that team, and some have said that he doesn't have that killer instinct, he's not mean enough, and that despite his stature as a legit center at the next level it should be Kevin Durant who goes #1. Look, whoever gets Kevin Durant will be getting arguably the greatest college basketball player ever, but Oden is my guy to stick in the middle night in, night out in the NBA. Last night proved it. He was the best player on a court of first-round picks. If Thad Matta had given him one or two more minutes to catch his breath, he wouldn't have played the last six minutes completely exhausted, and maybe the game would have been a game late. Nonetheless, this was the dominant performance everyone had been waiting to see and it came on the big stage, when the lights were on, and when his team needed it most. The problem was that the money three-point looks that the Buckeyes had been knocking down all year weren't falling. Butler was 2-6, Harris was 1-8, Lewis was 0-4. It's too bad because that team wasted their best player's best performance in the biggest game of they year because they couldn't knock down a shot when they needed to.
As far as Florida goes, it's going to be hard for teams in the middle of the lottery to pass on Corey Brewer. I have said time and again that I would love to see Jeff Green in a Blazer uniform next year but after he chickened out against OSU, I put Brewer in his place. He's a tremendous defender, crazy athletic, has great instincts (which can't be taught), and a solid mid-range jumper. He's like a smarter, better shooting version of Travis Outlaw. If the Blazers are sitting there at about the sixth pick and Brewer is on the board, he's the guy I want, at least as of now. The guy is phenomenal, as is Al Horford, the biggest MAN in the tournament. The guy has the tools to be tremendously effective in the league. He is as strong as OJ's legal team, can box out a bulldozer, and is a solid low-post defender. The only knock is he's a little on the raw side offensively, but he shows signs. In the first half, he faced up on the left block, drove to the middle, spun baseline, and put up a gorgeous left-handed baby-hook off the glass that fell. If he can develop that and one or two more moves, he will be a beast at the next level. Joakim Noah continues to puzzle. He was tired, proved he can't hit a jumper outside of about five feet, and shows no signs of being worth a lottery pick, especially in the most loaded draft maybe ever. But he's a great teammate, a great defender, and a great rebounder. He is worth a mid-first round pick, but not a top ten pick.
Now the question is: what becomes of the Florida basketball program? This thing could be completely different next year. Think about it. They lose Humphrey and Richard to graduation and will likely lose Noah, Horford, Brewer, and probably Green to the draft. If everybody's gone, Donovan may leave while his stock is as high as it can get and take the UK job. If all this happens, the two-time defending champs will lose their top six players and their head coach. It will be like the Chicago Bulls after Jordan retired and they completely got rid everything. It will be shocking really when and if all this happens. That said, what they did was awesome and is something that will go down as one of the most impressive feats in college basketball history, even if it wasn't done by one of the greatest teams in college basketball history. We saw history last night and should not forget it. I would love to see all four guys plus Billy Donovan return to Florida next year but I'm pretty resigned to that not happening. Oh well, it was a great ride.
By the way, John Beilein, one of my top five favorite coaches, has reportedly taken the Michigan job, which means that Ernie Kent will not be taking the Michigan job. There is good and bad to this. The bad is that Ernie will probably be coaching at the O next year. The good is that Tom Izzo and John Beilein will now be competing against each other on a daily basis. They will be competing for recruits, for PR, and for victories in the great state of Michigan. I love Beilein almost as much as I love Izzo. I just decided that I'm going to dedicate an entire post at some point to this ridiculously awesome head-to-head so I'm not going to waste all of my excitement now. All of a sudden I don't care the EK is still coaching the Ducks because JB and TI will now be occupying the same general vicinity. Honestly, I may have to move to Michigan, or transfer to a college in Michigan just to experience the genius mojo that will be flowing from those two universities. I won't transfer to UM or MSU because I wouldn't want to offend the coach of the university I don't go to. I'm definitely looking into this and will update my progress at a later date. Also later, a Mariner baseball update and why yesterday's Opening Day win was such a tease. Enjoy your...um...Tuesday...I guess.
Donovan's boys did exactly what everyone knew they would do. They were very businesslike in their 84-75 victory over the Buckeyes. No flash, no gimmicks, just a victory. Every time Ohio State made a half-hearted effort at getting back into the game, Lee Humphrey hit a three, or Corey Brewer made a play on D, or Taurean Green made a play. I don't know why anyone would have expected anything other than what we saw last night. Although going back-to-back puts them in remarkably exclusive company, they can't be considered one of the great teams in NCAA history. Top ten sure, but not top five. Given that, this will be a team that we remember forever. Four guys who had millions of dollars on the table go back to school for each other, to do something that would put them in the same breath as Duke and UCLA, to be BMOCs for one more year. Outstanding.
On the other side, Greg Oden was O.U.T.S.T.A.N.D.I.N.G. It's good to see that his final game as a collegiate was his best. There have been doubters, but anyone who saw his performance last night would not dispute his status as the #1 pick in the upcoming draft. Some have said that the Buckeyes are better when he sits, some have said Mike Conley is the best player on that team, and some have said that he doesn't have that killer instinct, he's not mean enough, and that despite his stature as a legit center at the next level it should be Kevin Durant who goes #1. Look, whoever gets Kevin Durant will be getting arguably the greatest college basketball player ever, but Oden is my guy to stick in the middle night in, night out in the NBA. Last night proved it. He was the best player on a court of first-round picks. If Thad Matta had given him one or two more minutes to catch his breath, he wouldn't have played the last six minutes completely exhausted, and maybe the game would have been a game late. Nonetheless, this was the dominant performance everyone had been waiting to see and it came on the big stage, when the lights were on, and when his team needed it most. The problem was that the money three-point looks that the Buckeyes had been knocking down all year weren't falling. Butler was 2-6, Harris was 1-8, Lewis was 0-4. It's too bad because that team wasted their best player's best performance in the biggest game of they year because they couldn't knock down a shot when they needed to.
As far as Florida goes, it's going to be hard for teams in the middle of the lottery to pass on Corey Brewer. I have said time and again that I would love to see Jeff Green in a Blazer uniform next year but after he chickened out against OSU, I put Brewer in his place. He's a tremendous defender, crazy athletic, has great instincts (which can't be taught), and a solid mid-range jumper. He's like a smarter, better shooting version of Travis Outlaw. If the Blazers are sitting there at about the sixth pick and Brewer is on the board, he's the guy I want, at least as of now. The guy is phenomenal, as is Al Horford, the biggest MAN in the tournament. The guy has the tools to be tremendously effective in the league. He is as strong as OJ's legal team, can box out a bulldozer, and is a solid low-post defender. The only knock is he's a little on the raw side offensively, but he shows signs. In the first half, he faced up on the left block, drove to the middle, spun baseline, and put up a gorgeous left-handed baby-hook off the glass that fell. If he can develop that and one or two more moves, he will be a beast at the next level. Joakim Noah continues to puzzle. He was tired, proved he can't hit a jumper outside of about five feet, and shows no signs of being worth a lottery pick, especially in the most loaded draft maybe ever. But he's a great teammate, a great defender, and a great rebounder. He is worth a mid-first round pick, but not a top ten pick.
Now the question is: what becomes of the Florida basketball program? This thing could be completely different next year. Think about it. They lose Humphrey and Richard to graduation and will likely lose Noah, Horford, Brewer, and probably Green to the draft. If everybody's gone, Donovan may leave while his stock is as high as it can get and take the UK job. If all this happens, the two-time defending champs will lose their top six players and their head coach. It will be like the Chicago Bulls after Jordan retired and they completely got rid everything. It will be shocking really when and if all this happens. That said, what they did was awesome and is something that will go down as one of the most impressive feats in college basketball history, even if it wasn't done by one of the greatest teams in college basketball history. We saw history last night and should not forget it. I would love to see all four guys plus Billy Donovan return to Florida next year but I'm pretty resigned to that not happening. Oh well, it was a great ride.
By the way, John Beilein, one of my top five favorite coaches, has reportedly taken the Michigan job, which means that Ernie Kent will not be taking the Michigan job. There is good and bad to this. The bad is that Ernie will probably be coaching at the O next year. The good is that Tom Izzo and John Beilein will now be competing against each other on a daily basis. They will be competing for recruits, for PR, and for victories in the great state of Michigan. I love Beilein almost as much as I love Izzo. I just decided that I'm going to dedicate an entire post at some point to this ridiculously awesome head-to-head so I'm not going to waste all of my excitement now. All of a sudden I don't care the EK is still coaching the Ducks because JB and TI will now be occupying the same general vicinity. Honestly, I may have to move to Michigan, or transfer to a college in Michigan just to experience the genius mojo that will be flowing from those two universities. I won't transfer to UM or MSU because I wouldn't want to offend the coach of the university I don't go to. I'm definitely looking into this and will update my progress at a later date. Also later, a Mariner baseball update and why yesterday's Opening Day win was such a tease. Enjoy your...um...Tuesday...I guess.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Florida vs. THE Ohio State: Hardwood Style
The symmetry here is quite frightening. The first day of winter term here at the University of Oregon was January 8th, the day of the BCS National Championship Game. The first day of spring term is today, the day of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Game. Both games pitted Florida against Ohio State. More than just coincidence? Well, it says that two institutions of higher learning are taking over the world. Other than that, yeah just coincidence.
As for the game tonight, I think we all know what we are going to see. The Gators seem like college basketball's version of the San Antonio Spurs. They make struggle at times, they may seem kind of disinterested for stretches, but they know how to win and make plays when it matters. I don't see any reason why that won't happen tonight. I have Florida winning this game in my bracket and, if you have been following throughout the tournament, you know that I stick with what I've put down. It's worked so far (have I mentioned that I picked the Final Four and its winner exactly right?).
As I said a couple of days ago, these are the two best teams in America. They've proven it over the course of the tournament. I've always said that, despite the shortcomings of the BCS, college football always comes closer to crowning a true national champion than college basketball. This year, the champion of college basketball will be the best team in the nation.
Greg Oden is going to be ridiculously critical to how this game goes. Ohio State was going to beat Georgetown even without the foul-ridden Oden because they were flat-out better. Oden needs to be on the floor so the Gators don't completely dominate on the inside. Noah and Horford will be Noah and Horford, the same guys they have been all year, and if Chris Richards shows up like he did against UCLA, it will be all over. But if Oden can stay on the floor and disrupt the inside play of Florida, block some shots, rebound, and keep the Gator D honest offensively, the Buckeyes have a chance. Problem is, I don't see that happening. The Gator big men are constantly active in all facets of the game, which will cause Oden to equal that activity. He has had trouble staying out of foul trouble all tournament, and this matchup does not lend itself to the breaking of that trend.
With Oden out, the back court is going to have to carry OSU, which they were able to do against the Hoyas. Conley was too quick, and even though they weren't lighting it up from the perimeter, it was obvious the penetrate and kick was creating open looks. I don't see them having this same success against the outstanding defense of the Gators. A lot has been said about Florida, but the most underrated aspect of this team is their team defense. They won't allow Conley to run all over the court like G-Town did.
Look, we can dissect this all we want, but it comes down to one irrefutable fact: the Gators are way too good. They have a champion's mentality. This is what they have been playing for, this is what they came back for. When everyone was freaking out about their late season struggles, they had their eyes on the ultimate prize and it's there for the taking tonight. The Buckeyes will come out jacked up with all of their youthful exuberance, but the Gators' focus and experience is what has been carrying them and what will carry them tonight. What's that you say? You want an exact score? Luckily I have come prepared. The pool that my bracket is in requires a total score for the title game in case of a tie. Florida 73, Ohio State 66. Thank you and good night.
By the way, they are headed to the bottom of the fifth at Safeco and King Felix is just smoking. Seven strikeouts, 1 hit, 64 pitches through five innings. The lineup has been predictably pitiful. Just pitiful. The only hit is by Jose Vidro, which is total fools gold. This is pretty much how the whole year will go. The offense does nothing so Felix has to win it by himself, he gives up a couple of runs and Hargrove panics and takes him out for no reason and inserts Chris Reitsma or some hack who gives up two or three more followed by two or three more from Arthur "I'm still pitching?" Rhodes and before you know it the opposition has put up eight, all the while the offense manages two or three runs on bloop hits, opponent's errors, and one line drive from Ibanez or Ichiro. I can't wait to watch this unfurl tonight, and every other night for the next six months. The good thing about baseball is everyday is a new day and a new chance for victory. The problem is I'm a Mariner fan so there is far less hope for me than for most.
Anyway, you heard my prediction for tonight. It should be a fantastic game to cap off one of the best college basketball seasons in years, mainly due to the presence of superstars as a result of the NBA's age limit. On another day, I will tout the genius of David Stern, but as for today, back to the hopelessness of Mariner baseball.
As for the game tonight, I think we all know what we are going to see. The Gators seem like college basketball's version of the San Antonio Spurs. They make struggle at times, they may seem kind of disinterested for stretches, but they know how to win and make plays when it matters. I don't see any reason why that won't happen tonight. I have Florida winning this game in my bracket and, if you have been following throughout the tournament, you know that I stick with what I've put down. It's worked so far (have I mentioned that I picked the Final Four and its winner exactly right?).
As I said a couple of days ago, these are the two best teams in America. They've proven it over the course of the tournament. I've always said that, despite the shortcomings of the BCS, college football always comes closer to crowning a true national champion than college basketball. This year, the champion of college basketball will be the best team in the nation.
Greg Oden is going to be ridiculously critical to how this game goes. Ohio State was going to beat Georgetown even without the foul-ridden Oden because they were flat-out better. Oden needs to be on the floor so the Gators don't completely dominate on the inside. Noah and Horford will be Noah and Horford, the same guys they have been all year, and if Chris Richards shows up like he did against UCLA, it will be all over. But if Oden can stay on the floor and disrupt the inside play of Florida, block some shots, rebound, and keep the Gator D honest offensively, the Buckeyes have a chance. Problem is, I don't see that happening. The Gator big men are constantly active in all facets of the game, which will cause Oden to equal that activity. He has had trouble staying out of foul trouble all tournament, and this matchup does not lend itself to the breaking of that trend.
With Oden out, the back court is going to have to carry OSU, which they were able to do against the Hoyas. Conley was too quick, and even though they weren't lighting it up from the perimeter, it was obvious the penetrate and kick was creating open looks. I don't see them having this same success against the outstanding defense of the Gators. A lot has been said about Florida, but the most underrated aspect of this team is their team defense. They won't allow Conley to run all over the court like G-Town did.
Look, we can dissect this all we want, but it comes down to one irrefutable fact: the Gators are way too good. They have a champion's mentality. This is what they have been playing for, this is what they came back for. When everyone was freaking out about their late season struggles, they had their eyes on the ultimate prize and it's there for the taking tonight. The Buckeyes will come out jacked up with all of their youthful exuberance, but the Gators' focus and experience is what has been carrying them and what will carry them tonight. What's that you say? You want an exact score? Luckily I have come prepared. The pool that my bracket is in requires a total score for the title game in case of a tie. Florida 73, Ohio State 66. Thank you and good night.
By the way, they are headed to the bottom of the fifth at Safeco and King Felix is just smoking. Seven strikeouts, 1 hit, 64 pitches through five innings. The lineup has been predictably pitiful. Just pitiful. The only hit is by Jose Vidro, which is total fools gold. This is pretty much how the whole year will go. The offense does nothing so Felix has to win it by himself, he gives up a couple of runs and Hargrove panics and takes him out for no reason and inserts Chris Reitsma or some hack who gives up two or three more followed by two or three more from Arthur "I'm still pitching?" Rhodes and before you know it the opposition has put up eight, all the while the offense manages two or three runs on bloop hits, opponent's errors, and one line drive from Ibanez or Ichiro. I can't wait to watch this unfurl tonight, and every other night for the next six months. The good thing about baseball is everyday is a new day and a new chance for victory. The problem is I'm a Mariner fan so there is far less hope for me than for most.
Anyway, you heard my prediction for tonight. It should be a fantastic game to cap off one of the best college basketball seasons in years, mainly due to the presence of superstars as a result of the NBA's age limit. On another day, I will tout the genius of David Stern, but as for today, back to the hopelessness of Mariner baseball.
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