I decided to start up an impromptu chat. Come here to discuss the gold medal men's hockey game. Let's go USA!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
End of Week Link Roundup and 5th Starter Poll Results
There's a lot of links today from this week, including the one to the right from Yahoo! Sports which has an amazing gallery of photos from spring training and Michael G. Baron has some more great pics on his Flickr account
Baseball is Back
Baseball is Back
- Benjamin Kabak of River Avenue Blues has some preliminary pictures of Heritage Field. I'm sure Jay will have some comments on that one.
- ESPN's Buster Olney had an interesting bit in his blog on Jesus Montero and his catching ability and River Avenue Blues ranks their top 30 Yankees prospects
- Ben Shpigel of The New York Times tries to project the ascent of Derek Jeter and A-Rod
- NY Mag has a quick bit about a little swipe that Johnny Damon decided to take at the Yankees and Brian Cashman on his way out and ESPN and Baseball Prospectus says that Damon's signing won't help the Tigers win, anyways.
- Bill James Gold Mine is just that--a goldmine
- NoMaas gets another awesome interview--this time with Nick Swisher
- Wezen-Ball has a great graphic tracking baseball stadium namings, Deadspin says there is a battle between a Bar Mitzvah and boxing at New Yankee Stadium, and, sort of along the same lines, Fack Youk has news about the Yankees (maybe) becoming two years younger
- Vegas Watch has the preliminary over/under wins numbers for each MLB team (we'll look at this a bit later)
- Beyond The Boxscore looks at which teams lost the largest percentage of their payrolls to the disabled list
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports had an article today with radical realignment. I heard Mike Francesa dismiss it as rubbish on his WFAN/YES show, Craig Calcaterra of HardballTalk did much of the same, and Deadspin made fun of his knowledge of geography. So I don't need to talk much about how idiotic it is.
- More from Craig Calcaterra, this time on the CF "battle" in the Bronx even though FanGraphs says that Brett Gardner may become 2010's Nyjer Morgan
- Chad Jennings of the Yankees LoHud Blog says that Marcus Thames can opt out if he doesn't make the major league team. So it really will be either Thames or Rule 5 pick Jamie Hoffmann
- Jesse Spector of the New York Daily News looks at where all the All-Stars have come from
- The Biz of Baseball's Maury Brown has some revenue sharing numbers for Major League Baseball
- Bloomberg Sports has a blog (yay!) and RAB says that Red Sox fan is going to be directing a Yankee movie (boo!)
- Lastly, in baseball news, The Onion makes fun of baseball's spring training
When it isn't all about the money: Ruminations on the Knicks' plans for Summer 2010
Gene Wojciechowski (pronounced "Shuhshefsky") recently penned an article in which he discussed the advantages of the New York Knicks signing three major free agents -- LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh -- in the upcoming off-season (picture to the right from the article).
I usually detest what this man writes. But I have to say, on this one isolated occasion, I actually agree with him.
Andrew thinks that the time for superstars to take a pay cut in order to win a championship is a year or two before retirement, just like the Boston Celtics did a couple of years ago, rather than right before those superstars about to sign max contracts. Fair point, because that's how it has always been done in the past. Players just do not want to sacrifice a lot of guaranteed money that early in their careers.
But the 2010 offseason will be a most unusual offseason. This summer, the NBA will have a tremendously tremendous amount of free agent talent and a large number of teams with lots of cap space. If there were ever a time for record-setting collusion, this is it.
The reason is simple.
Andrew thinks that the time for superstars to take a pay cut in order to win a championship is a year or two before retirement, just like the Boston Celtics did a couple of years ago, rather than right before those superstars about to sign max contracts. Fair point, because that's how it has always been done in the past. Players just do not want to sacrifice a lot of guaranteed money that early in their careers.
But the 2010 offseason will be a most unusual offseason. This summer, the NBA will have a tremendously tremendous amount of free agent talent and a large number of teams with lots of cap space. If there were ever a time for record-setting collusion, this is it.
The reason is simple.
Guest Post: Monthly Rankings Based on Sports and Life
On a snowy February day, Paul is back with another guest post. Paul "likes" include Joba-to-the-'pen, college sports, beating the Red Sox, classic rock concerts and hot cocoa K-cups. His "dislikes" include "clowns" (such as Johnny Damon), the New England Patriots, and the UConn Huskies. When bad things occur, Paul's signature phrase, "BRUTAL!", comes flying out. With that all in mind, let's get to Paul's guest post.
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As the very dull month of February is coming to a close (yay!), I figure it’s a good time to review and rank all the months of year based on a combination of sports enjoyment and life in general. For instance, August is a dull month in sports but I can’t rank it last since the weather is great. Below is my list, best to worst:
1) October – Easily my favorite month of the year; baseball playoffs, NFL and college football are in full swing. Also there is fall foliage here in the Northeast and the weather is cool and very comfortable. It’s a very festive time of year with Halloween, craft fairs, pumpkin coffee/muffins/ice cream/beer, etc.. Heck, even Bill Simmons mentions why October is his favorite month
2) March – This choice is here based more on location. It follows the worst month of they year (see below). March has "March Madness", of course, which I love as a college hoop fan. In addition to the tournament itself, the conference tournament week is sometimes even more exciting. I don’t watch spring training closely but the official return of baseball happens this month. Now March has daylight savings back with more daylight due to a change a few years ago (what a great idea, by the way). The feeling I get in this month is that spring is finally coming after a long winter!
3) December – I know it’s a cold wintery month, but we have the holidays to enjoy/stress out about. From a sports point of view, there is a lot going on including NFL regular season wind down and the start of college bowl games. College hoops starts to get in full swing, also.
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1) October – Easily my favorite month of the year; baseball playoffs, NFL and college football are in full swing. Also there is fall foliage here in the Northeast and the weather is cool and very comfortable. It’s a very festive time of year with Halloween, craft fairs, pumpkin coffee/muffins/ice cream/beer, etc.. Heck, even Bill Simmons mentions why October is his favorite month
2) March – This choice is here based more on location. It follows the worst month of they year (see below). March has "March Madness", of course, which I love as a college hoop fan. In addition to the tournament itself, the conference tournament week is sometimes even more exciting. I don’t watch spring training closely but the official return of baseball happens this month. Now March has daylight savings back with more daylight due to a change a few years ago (what a great idea, by the way). The feeling I get in this month is that spring is finally coming after a long winter!
3) December – I know it’s a cold wintery month, but we have the holidays to enjoy/stress out about. From a sports point of view, there is a lot going on including NFL regular season wind down and the start of college bowl games. College hoops starts to get in full swing, also.
On Johnny Damon's Broken Bats and DMB Citi Field Concert Seating
On a very snowy day in New York, two random thoughts about the baseball teams in New York, or at least the product you'll see in their respective stadiums.
First, for the Yankees, one thing I won't miss about Johnny Damon's at-bats this season are the broken bats. While Mariano Rivera is the king at breaking bats from the pitching mound, Damon found a way to break more bats than what would seem humanly possible from the batter's box. I was at a concert last night where the headline act changed guitars after almost every song. It killed the flow of the concert much like Damon's constant bat changes kill the flow of a baseball game. Below is a great Flickr photo from user eviltomthai showing one of Johnny's man broken pieces of lumber (or at least in the process of breaking):
First, for the Yankees, one thing I won't miss about Johnny Damon's at-bats this season are the broken bats. While Mariano Rivera is the king at breaking bats from the pitching mound, Damon found a way to break more bats than what would seem humanly possible from the batter's box. I was at a concert last night where the headline act changed guitars after almost every song. It killed the flow of the concert much like Damon's constant bat changes kill the flow of a baseball game. Below is a great Flickr photo from user eviltomthai showing one of Johnny's man broken pieces of lumber (or at least in the process of breaking):
Thursday, February 25, 2010
The Babe Ruth Guide For Surviving Spring Training
Last night I was perusing through Google's great archives on old newspaper articles, reading up on Babe Ruth. I felt like the baseball players of today could learn from some of the lessons of Babe Ruth's day and take some advice from the Bambino (who spent spring training for much of his career in St. Petersburg as shown on the right by a photo from the St. Petersburg Times). So after compiling articles on different topics relating to Major League Baseball spring training, I would like to present you with "The Babe Ruth's Guide For Surviving Spring Training":Cold Weather
As a MLB player, you may be arriving to Florida to find cold weather, especially this year when you may have even seen snow! Fear not, for no one actually expects you to play in these types of conditions. And if you can get a group together to boycott the practices, even better. So what should you do instead? Play golf! According to the March 1, 1920 New York Times, six Yankees (including Babe Ruth) decided it was too cold to practice so they decided to go play golf instead (all articles may be clicked on to expand):
Hot Weather
Well once the cold weather passes, you know what's next, don't you? Yes, hot weather. And sometimes that Florida heat can get mighty hot. So how do you keep cool when this happens? According to Babe Ruth, the way to do it is to follow his slogan: "Keep cool with cabbage." Nothing says baseball quite like iced cabbage leafs wrapped around your head, does it? A 1927 New York Times "Sports of the Times" teaches one how to keep cool with cabbage, Ruth-style:
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
What the Mets' signing of Rod Barajas says about the Mets
As a relative outsider (I'm a Yankees fan), this was my reaction to the Mets' most recent acquisition. I think it's rather telling.
When I saw that the Mets signed Rod Barajas, I immediately thought of My Cousin Vinny. Specifically, the scene towards the end when Vinny has only 90 minutes to win the case by discrediting the prosecution's expert witness before the judge finds out who he really is. Vinny is sitting in bbq/seafood diner when his fiancee, Mona Lisa Vito, tries to help by giving him some photos she took. Allow me to copy-and-paste from IMDB:
Vincent Gambini: Okay, you're helping. We'll use your pictures. Ah! These *are* gonna be - you know, I'm sorry, these are going to be a help. I should have looked at these pictures before. I like this, uh, this is our first hotel room, right? That'll intimidate Trotter. Here's one of me from behind. And I didn't think I could feel worse than I did a couple of seconds ago. Thank you. Ah, here's a good one of the tire marks. Could we get any farther away? Where'd you shoot this, from up in a tree? What's this over here? It's dog shit. Dog shit! That's great! Dog shit, what a clue! Why didn't I think of that? Here's one of me reading. Terrific. I should've asked you a long time ago for these pictures. Holy shit, you got it, honey! You did it! The case cracker, me in the shower! Ha ha! I love this! That's it!If I were a Mets fan, this is what I'd be saying upon learning that Omar Minaya signed Rod Barajas:
Ahh, Gary Matthews Jr. That'll really win us the division. Kelvim Escobar? I didn't think I could feel worse than I did a couple of seconds ago. Here's one that'll really light up the fan base: Frank Catalanatto. Could we get any less power from our bench? Where did you find this guy, double A in Wichita? Now what's this over here? Holy shit, Omar, you did it! The key to the entire season!! ROD BARAJAS!! I love this move! That's it, Omar, you really turned the corner with this one!!
Lost with LOST: What If's and Bending Free Will
I've always felt that Jack Shephard was the most easy to relate to of all the characters on LOST. John Locke's father tried to kill him after stealing a kidney, Sayid was a torrrrtttturrrerrr, Hurley won the lottery, Kate killed multiple people, Jin beat up people for a living, etc. Basically, all their stories were beyond the scope of what normal people go through (except maybe Jack's sister, Claire, but more on her later on). But Jack was just a guy with daddy issues who followed in his father's footsteps but never felt he could live up to the expectations of his father. There's nothing abnormal about that. For as much as people don't like Jack (and I am not among them), the one truth everyone can feel is that you can somewhat relate to him. But as we look at the journey we've seen Jack go through, we're left with a lot of "what if's" and wondering if a helpful hand helped him get to this place or someone messed with his fate.
Jack is a foil for many characters in LOST (Locke and Sawyer, most notably), but the one character that Jack may be the biggest foil for as a "character" is Hurley. Jack is a skinny, serious, good looking man who is searching for things he can't see. Hurley is a fat, funny, not-so-good-looking man who feels cursed by all the things he can see. The one place it seems that both come to a common understanding is that they need to help out others and that they're both "cursed" in some ways. I think that Jack has always blamed this curse on his father and his search for Jacob in this past episode was just as much a search for answers from the man Jack felt he could never do enough to impress. Most of the time, the Shephard men run.
We have found out that this seems to be a family trait. We met Jack's grandfather, Ray, who seems to be one who likes to "run off" quite a bit from the nursing home he feels too confined by. Jack's father seems burdened by a lot but also seems to run away from all that from his "other" family to his end-of-life journey down under. Jack, too, seems to have this bug as he can't be satisfied in his relationship with Sarah and is also unfaithful and runs away from her in many ways. This week we find out that Jack's son, David*, also runs away from his father. The one constant seems to be that everyone who runs away is tracked down by Jack. Including himself.
*Side Note: This relationship didn't just echo the one of Jack and his father, but certainly echoed what happened between Michael and Walt. It also reminded us of other characters who tried to reunite with their father or their father tried to reunite with them: Locke, Claire, Jin, etc. It was a really touching ending to the Sideways World plotline.
Let's get to David, because I know there's the most questions about him (and I know the second question is bigger for most people than the first, but since this is my blog, I'll do it in the order I like...so deal with it!). My biggest one is: What if... David exists in both timelines. Meaning: if we look at the story we've been told about Jack's past from the beginning of the show, is it possible that he had a somewhat-estranged son the entire time? I think the answer is yes. Maybe Jack's problems with his dad are because he's grappling about what it means to be a father. Maybe his desire to get off the Island is about connecting with his son or making things right or telling him all those things his dad didn't get to say? It could be totally blowing steam, but wouldn't that be interesting if we found out that Jack's desire all along wasn't about finding his dad and getting answers, but stopping himself from becoming his dad? We get a sense of that with Jack already that I don't feel it's that far-fetched.
We have found out that this seems to be a family trait. We met Jack's grandfather, Ray, who seems to be one who likes to "run off" quite a bit from the nursing home he feels too confined by. Jack's father seems burdened by a lot but also seems to run away from all that from his "other" family to his end-of-life journey down under. Jack, too, seems to have this bug as he can't be satisfied in his relationship with Sarah and is also unfaithful and runs away from her in many ways. This week we find out that Jack's son, David*, also runs away from his father. The one constant seems to be that everyone who runs away is tracked down by Jack. Including himself.
*Side Note: This relationship didn't just echo the one of Jack and his father, but certainly echoed what happened between Michael and Walt. It also reminded us of other characters who tried to reunite with their father or their father tried to reunite with them: Locke, Claire, Jin, etc. It was a really touching ending to the Sideways World plotline.
Let's get to David, because I know there's the most questions about him (and I know the second question is bigger for most people than the first, but since this is my blog, I'll do it in the order I like...so deal with it!). My biggest one is: What if... David exists in both timelines. Meaning: if we look at the story we've been told about Jack's past from the beginning of the show, is it possible that he had a somewhat-estranged son the entire time? I think the answer is yes. Maybe Jack's problems with his dad are because he's grappling about what it means to be a father. Maybe his desire to get off the Island is about connecting with his son or making things right or telling him all those things his dad didn't get to say? It could be totally blowing steam, but wouldn't that be interesting if we found out that Jack's desire all along wasn't about finding his dad and getting answers, but stopping himself from becoming his dad? We get a sense of that with Jack already that I don't feel it's that far-fetched.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
A Look Back at the Detroit Moves: A Trade I Would Support
Jason over at IIATMS had a very thought-provoking post up today about the player movement between the Yankees and the Tigers. Basically Jason wanted to pose the question that if the trade for Granderson, and signings of Thames and Damon were seen as one big trade, would we be in favor of it. Jason boils it down to Johnny Damon, Austin Jackson, Phil Coke, and Ian Kennedy for Curtis Granderson and Marcus Thames. He further breaks down the financial commitments:
So $9.2 M minus $6.4 M (what they're committing to Granderson and Thames) equals $2.8 M. Would you trade Damon, Coke, Jackson, and Kennedy for Granderson, Thames, and $2.8 M?
I've been mulling this one all day. While what Jason present is correct and overall really interesting, it sort of shortens the narrative for the way the Yankee fan should think about the trade (ie--the Edwin Jackson/Max Scherzer/Dan Schlereth part shouldn't factor into the Yankees thinking of their off-season). And for this purpose, I'm going to shorten the narrative as well: let's only look at 2010 commitments. In factoring the true trade value for the Yankees side, what they "traded away" was ~$9.2 million (Damon+Coke+Jackson+Kennedy).
Factoring in the second trade of Edwin Jackson and IPK for Scherzer and Schlereth, the Tigers were able to shed some 2010 payroll. Whether they are better for it or not remains to be seen, but in doing so, it puts the trade virtually neck and neck from a 2010 financial committment. Of course, it doesn’t include the other moves the Yanks (or Detroit) made to fill in for the pieces traded, such as the Yanks signing Chan Ho Park.
So, knowing what we know now, on the eve of players reporting, are you still happy with this trade?
So $9.2 M minus $6.4 M (what they're committing to Granderson and Thames) equals $2.8 M. Would you trade Damon, Coke, Jackson, and Kennedy for Granderson, Thames, and $2.8 M?
Farewell to Aaron Boone
On Thursday, October 16, 2003, Aaron Boone forever endeared himself to Yankees fans with a majestic shot into a cold October night in one of the last great memories from the old Yankee Stadium during Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship Series. That homerun was my top sports memory from the past decade and one of those highlights that will never get old seeing over and over again. The Yankees wouldn't win the World Series and Boone would blow out his knee in the off-season (ushering in A-Rod), but it wouldn't matter much; Boone had permanently etched out a place in the hearts of Yankees fans everywhere. Today, after 12 major league seasons, Boone formally announced his retirement and will become an analyst for ESPN.
Boone debuted in 1997 for the Cincinnati Reds but really started to come on in 2000 and 2001 with slashes of .285/.356/.471 and .294/.351/.483, respectively. In 2003, he was enjoying probably his best year in baseball when he was traded to the Yankees at the trading deadline for pitching prospects Brandon Claussen, Charlie Manning, and cash. Boone would struggle throughout the rest of the regular season, hitting only .254/.302/.418 down the stretch though he went 8 for 8 in stolen base attempts.
Boone would struggle through the first two rounds of the playoffs and would hit the pine for the beginning of Game 7 of the ALCS in favor of Enrique Wilson (partly because Wilson was believed to hit Pedro Martinez very well). After Ruben Sierra pinch hit for Wilson in the 8th and was walked, Boone went in to pinch run for Sierra and play 3rd. The next 8 Yankee batters were retired in order leaving Aaron Boone as the lead-off man in the bottom of the 11th against Tim Wakefield. And on the first pitch he saw, Boone lifted one into the October night.
Boone would suffer an injury playing pickup basketball in the off-season and the Yankees took that opportunity to void his contract. According to Cot's Baseball Contracts, the Yankees had actually resigned Boone to a 1-year, $5.75 M deal in December of 2003 but released him in February, paying him less than $1 M of his salary. To replace Boone, the Yankees traded for Alex Rodriguez as Boone sat out the entire 2004 season. Boone would bounce around the majors after that, playing with Cleveland, Florida, Washington and Houston. His 2007 season was a comeback season for Boone as a Marlin, but he regressed again in 2008 with Washington. Boone's defense, according to FanGraphs, was quite poor, especially at third where he had a -15.7 UZR in 7,957.2 innings at the hot corner. Also according to FanGraphs, Boone posted WARs of 2.8 in 2002 and 2.7 in 2003 but his high point after that was 0.4 in 2005. Boone underwent open heart surgery last season only to come back and somehow play for the Houston Astros, earning him great admiration in my book.
According to Baseball-Reference, Aaron Boone's most comparable player is Scott Brosius (and, to be honest, their stats are remarkably similar) and in the hearts and minds of Yankees fans, both third basemen hold the distinction of hitting clutch playoff home runs for the Bronx Bombers. For New York Yankees fans, the 2003 ALCS is even sweeter looking back at what happened a year later and Boone will always be remembered for what he did. And for Red Sox fans, he will be forever known as Aaron f*#@ing Boone. Enjoy your retirement, Aaron--you are always welcome in Yankee Stadium.
Boone would struggle through the first two rounds of the playoffs and would hit the pine for the beginning of Game 7 of the ALCS in favor of Enrique Wilson (partly because Wilson was believed to hit Pedro Martinez very well). After Ruben Sierra pinch hit for Wilson in the 8th and was walked, Boone went in to pinch run for Sierra and play 3rd. The next 8 Yankee batters were retired in order leaving Aaron Boone as the lead-off man in the bottom of the 11th against Tim Wakefield. And on the first pitch he saw, Boone lifted one into the October night.
Boone would suffer an injury playing pickup basketball in the off-season and the Yankees took that opportunity to void his contract. According to Cot's Baseball Contracts, the Yankees had actually resigned Boone to a 1-year, $5.75 M deal in December of 2003 but released him in February, paying him less than $1 M of his salary. To replace Boone, the Yankees traded for Alex Rodriguez as Boone sat out the entire 2004 season. Boone would bounce around the majors after that, playing with Cleveland, Florida, Washington and Houston. His 2007 season was a comeback season for Boone as a Marlin, but he regressed again in 2008 with Washington. Boone's defense, according to FanGraphs, was quite poor, especially at third where he had a -15.7 UZR in 7,957.2 innings at the hot corner. Also according to FanGraphs, Boone posted WARs of 2.8 in 2002 and 2.7 in 2003 but his high point after that was 0.4 in 2005. Boone underwent open heart surgery last season only to come back and somehow play for the Houston Astros, earning him great admiration in my book.
According to Baseball-Reference, Aaron Boone's most comparable player is Scott Brosius (and, to be honest, their stats are remarkably similar) and in the hearts and minds of Yankees fans, both third basemen hold the distinction of hitting clutch playoff home runs for the Bronx Bombers. For New York Yankees fans, the 2003 ALCS is even sweeter looking back at what happened a year later and Boone will always be remembered for what he did. And for Red Sox fans, he will be forever known as Aaron f*#@ing Boone. Enjoy your retirement, Aaron--you are always welcome in Yankee Stadium.
24 Recap: Where Ridiculous Accents and Back-Alley Deals Rule
There comes a point in every man’s life when he has to decide if the show he’s watching is really doing it for him anymore. I’m about at that point with 24. Like a faithful, old dog, I cannot yet bring myself to put it down, but it’s been sad to see it struggle. We’re not supposed to laugh that much when we watch 24, but I found myself doing that way too much this past episode. I don’t know if it’s bad acting, bad writing, or just unimaginative plot lines/dialog, but 24 has entered an area I never thought I’d see it: ridiculous. From the accents of the characters to the (literally) back-alley dealings to Really.Bad.Sideplot. which is now vying for Worst.Sideplot.Ever. status, this season is pushing fans loyalty to 24 just a bit too far. The good news, the plot has finally turned to the point that 24 has a chance to save things going forward--but 9 episodes in (37.5% done), my patience with the show is starting to wane.
If I was Jack Bauer, I would just walk around punching people. He’s lived a hard life, been wronged by too many people, and has a lot of frustration to take out. And I’m not just talking about punching bad guys, but I’m also talking about cops, office workers, construction workers, lawyers, men, women, children, dogs, old ladies, Guidos, Guidettes, Snooki, Dane Cook (please), athletes, tax collectors, politicians…basically anyone in his way. Why? Because there are no consequences anymore. He doesn’t even get a timeout or a slap on the wrists*. Beat the crap out of a guard (in an awesome move where he knocked the guy down, used his handprint to open the door, and then knocked him out again), threaten another guard (“Son, you better put that down, you’re going to get hurt”) and then grab a Justice Department lawyer by her neck and throw her up against the wall? You not only get to walk, but you’re put in charge of CTU Field Ops. Congrats!
*Side Note: This is nothing new. I know that. And really, Jack deserves his blanketed immunity and lifelong “Get Out Of Jail Free” card. But there is a limit to what one can do and get away with it. It’s one thing when you’re torturing people, but it’s quite another when you’re constantly beating up law enforcement. Here are my levels of fear if I worked for law enforcement in reverse order: 3. Criminal with a gun, 2. Terrorist, 1. Jack Bauer. There’s a problem when the guy who is supposed to protect the country is your biggest fear to beat the crap out of you.
Back to Jack, he said the worst possible thing he could ever say to Freckles: “you have me.” That means we’re about to see that neither of them have each other. Wonderful. Freckles, I would like to introduce you to the long list of women that Jack loved: they’re all dead/cooped up in a mental institution. And he said shit like “you have me” to them as well. And he probably meant it in some way. But in the end, they all ended up sad and alone. We’ve come to the point that Jack Bauer is worse to women than Tucker Max—at least the author of I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell satisfies some of his women and they all know what they’re getting into before they jump in. Jack teases girls with lines like “you have me”. I’m calling BS on you, Jack.
*Side Note: This is nothing new. I know that. And really, Jack deserves his blanketed immunity and lifelong “Get Out Of Jail Free” card. But there is a limit to what one can do and get away with it. It’s one thing when you’re torturing people, but it’s quite another when you’re constantly beating up law enforcement. Here are my levels of fear if I worked for law enforcement in reverse order: 3. Criminal with a gun, 2. Terrorist, 1. Jack Bauer. There’s a problem when the guy who is supposed to protect the country is your biggest fear to beat the crap out of you.
Back to Jack, he said the worst possible thing he could ever say to Freckles: “you have me.” That means we’re about to see that neither of them have each other. Wonderful. Freckles, I would like to introduce you to the long list of women that Jack loved: they’re all dead/cooped up in a mental institution. And he said shit like “you have me” to them as well. And he probably meant it in some way. But in the end, they all ended up sad and alone. We’ve come to the point that Jack Bauer is worse to women than Tucker Max—at least the author of I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell satisfies some of his women and they all know what they’re getting into before they jump in. Jack teases girls with lines like “you have me”. I’m calling BS on you, Jack.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Wo Canada! The Day After Canadian Front Pages After USA Hockey's Shock On Ice
After last night's "Shock On Ice", I was curious to see this morning's Canadian newspapers. Thanks to Newseum, here are a few of the better Canadian front pages:
Calgary Sun: "Uh-oh: Hockey nightmare in Canada"
The Province - "Lost Weekend: Canada suffers disappointment on the ice and on the slopes"
Edmonton Journal - "Oh-oh Canada..." and "The Team couldn't deliver: U.S. wins historic game on a weekend when it seemed we've blown the podium"
Running Series: Yankee Stadium Deconstruction Update (2/22/10)
Thanks to Tom Kaminski in Chopper 880, we have another update in the Yankee Stadium deconstruction process. It appears that further damage has been done to the upper deck in left field, as the machines work their way from fair into foul territory. It's crazy that some of the seats I sat in are already gone.
Also, River Avenue Blues has a nice post on the ongoing demolition process. (H/T Andrew via RAB.) Be sure to click on the link to Gary Dunaier's photo album on Flickr. There are some really great shots in there.
Anyways, here you go with the usual visual barrage of destruction...
Also, River Avenue Blues has a nice post on the ongoing demolition process. (H/T Andrew via RAB.) Be sure to click on the link to Gary Dunaier's photo album on Flickr. There are some really great shots in there.
Anyways, here you go with the usual visual barrage of destruction...
The Good and The Bad of the Chan Ho Park Signing
For those that missed it, The New York Post's Joel Sherman reported this morning that the Yankees have signed Chan Ho Park to a $1.2 million contract with another $300,000 in incentives. I have to say that I'm a bit surprised by this signing considering it looked like the Yankees had enough candidates for their bullpen. But as with every signing, there are good sides and bad sides to it. Let's explore:
The Good:
Chan Ho Park showed last season that he was a much better pitcher as a reliever than a starter (and according to Sherman, Park is not in contention for the Yankees' 5th starter job). Via Baseball-Reference, in Park's 7 starts, he had a 7.29 ERA, 1.740 WHIP, 5.7 SO/9 and 1.24 SO/BB. In his 38 games out of the bullpen, Park had a 2.52 ERA, 1.180 WHIP, 9.4 SO/9 and 3.25 SO/BB. Park was even better in the World Series against the Yankees, pitching 3.1 innings in 4 games, and giving up 2 hits, no runs and striking out 3. The Phillies also acquired Park after seeing him in the playoffs as he had pitched for Joe Torre's Dodgers in the 2008 playoffs against the Phillies.
It seems that performance put Park on the Yankees radar. And when his price continued to fall (Park had rejected a $3.25 million offer to stay with the Phillies), the Yankees pounced. As Sherman points out, the Yankees traded away Brian Bruney because they believed he would make too much money in arbitration. Well Bruney made $1.5 M and all that Park is guaranteed is $1.2 M. And I much rather have Park than Bruney. Especially considering that the Yankees have lost their entire Asian presence this season with Hideki Matsui in Anaheim and Chien-Ming Wang in Washington.
From Sherman: "As a reliever, the Yankees noticed, Park’s stuff played up; his fastball reached 96 mph and his curveball remained crisp. The Yanks also liked that Park had a reputation as a good teammate who works hard to stay in shape." (Whoa, someone pitched better as a reliever than a starter...could this be a pattern?) This could mean the Yankees will feel comfortable sending the loser of the Joba/Hughes 5th starter battle to the minors instead of the bullpen, but Sherman doesn't think so. Although Park's overall ERA last season was 4.43, FanGraphs has his FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) at 3.49. Park's FIP as a relief pitcher in 2009 was 2.10 and as FanGraphs' Dave Cameron points out, Park has been remarkably effective. Park's value last year was 1.5 WAR or $7.0 M. It's a pretty low-cost obligation for a Yankees team that is being built for October.
The Bad:
Chan Ho Park showed last season that he was a much better pitcher as a reliever than a starter (and according to Sherman, Park is not in contention for the Yankees' 5th starter job). Via Baseball-Reference, in Park's 7 starts, he had a 7.29 ERA, 1.740 WHIP, 5.7 SO/9 and 1.24 SO/BB. In his 38 games out of the bullpen, Park had a 2.52 ERA, 1.180 WHIP, 9.4 SO/9 and 3.25 SO/BB. Park was even better in the World Series against the Yankees, pitching 3.1 innings in 4 games, and giving up 2 hits, no runs and striking out 3. The Phillies also acquired Park after seeing him in the playoffs as he had pitched for Joe Torre's Dodgers in the 2008 playoffs against the Phillies.
It seems that performance put Park on the Yankees radar. And when his price continued to fall (Park had rejected a $3.25 million offer to stay with the Phillies), the Yankees pounced. As Sherman points out, the Yankees traded away Brian Bruney because they believed he would make too much money in arbitration. Well Bruney made $1.5 M and all that Park is guaranteed is $1.2 M. And I much rather have Park than Bruney. Especially considering that the Yankees have lost their entire Asian presence this season with Hideki Matsui in Anaheim and Chien-Ming Wang in Washington.
From Sherman: "As a reliever, the Yankees noticed, Park’s stuff played up; his fastball reached 96 mph and his curveball remained crisp. The Yanks also liked that Park had a reputation as a good teammate who works hard to stay in shape." (Whoa, someone pitched better as a reliever than a starter...could this be a pattern?) This could mean the Yankees will feel comfortable sending the loser of the Joba/Hughes 5th starter battle to the minors instead of the bullpen, but Sherman doesn't think so. Although Park's overall ERA last season was 4.43, FanGraphs has his FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) at 3.49. Park's FIP as a relief pitcher in 2009 was 2.10 and as FanGraphs' Dave Cameron points out, Park has been remarkably effective. Park's value last year was 1.5 WAR or $7.0 M. It's a pretty low-cost obligation for a Yankees team that is being built for October.
The Bad:
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Shock On Ice: USA Hockey Defeats Canada 5-3
It wasn't exactly "The Miracle on Ice" which captivated the imagination of the United States public 30 years ago tomorrow. But it was a huge shock to anyone who watched the tremendously entertaining hockey match tonight between the United States and Canada that the United States came away with a 5-3 victory.
The Canadian team is loaded with stars from Sidney Crosby as the star forward to Martin Brodeur as the goalie. The United States was said to be "too young", "too small" and had "not enough offense". And all day NBC and MSNBC showed non-stop highlights of the "Miracle on Ice" team from Lake Placid in 1980. Al Michaels even did the narration. The United States team was wearing jerseys paying homage to its 1960 Championship team--and haven't beaten Canada since. It was a picture-perfect set-up for another huge upset for a United States team that didn't even medal in Turin four years ago.
"The Miracle" it was not, but the riveting hockey match was a huge shock to anyone who watched it. The United States was outshot 45-22 but found a way to win. The Canadians came on hard late in the game, making it 4-3, but a great effort by Ryan Kesler to beat the defense and score an empty-net goal sealed the deal. Ryan Miller turned away 42 shots and the New York Rangers Captain Chris Drury scored the go-ahead goal to help beat the New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur.
Beating Marty Brodeur (and beating him badly as he let in 4 goals on 22 shots) is extra sweet for me being a Rangers fan. "Marty!" as he is known around Madison Square Garden is one of my least favorite athletes on a rival teams joining the ranks of Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller, David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez, Terrell Owens, and others. Seeing Brodeur in his rival Devil colors while the USA team skated with jerseys that could be confused with the Rangers road unis helped to dial up the passion.
The biggest problem with this game is that many couldn't find it and others couldn't see it at all. NBC decided to bury this game on MSNBC instead of allowing it to be shown on the network, a curious decision especially considering there was nothing that exciting that NBC was showing. And the ratings for the hockey game had to have dominated anything shown on the Mother Peacock network. NBC has made a lot of curious moves this Olympics, but as far as bad ratings-generating decision go, this has to rank towards the top. And many cable carriers don't even have MSNBC in HD, making the viewing experience difficult for many.
For those who did watch it, tonight's hockey game was one for the ages. Team USA is now 3-0 in the Olympics and has a bye in the quarterfinal round. The United States beat Canada for the first time in seven tries and now will set themselves up for a run at medals many thought was out of the reach of this team. Many also criticized the United States selection of Chris Drury to the team, but his game-winning goal proved that his clutch play and leadership are an asset of this team. Many of this will not matter if the United States doesn't find a way to play in the gold medal game--but judging by how they looked tonight, this United States team is looking just as good as the 1960 and 1980 teams before it.
Picture from Masslive
"The Miracle" it was not, but the riveting hockey match was a huge shock to anyone who watched it. The United States was outshot 45-22 but found a way to win. The Canadians came on hard late in the game, making it 4-3, but a great effort by Ryan Kesler to beat the defense and score an empty-net goal sealed the deal. Ryan Miller turned away 42 shots and the New York Rangers Captain Chris Drury scored the go-ahead goal to help beat the New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur.
Beating Marty Brodeur (and beating him badly as he let in 4 goals on 22 shots) is extra sweet for me being a Rangers fan. "Marty!" as he is known around Madison Square Garden is one of my least favorite athletes on a rival teams joining the ranks of Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller, David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez, Terrell Owens, and others. Seeing Brodeur in his rival Devil colors while the USA team skated with jerseys that could be confused with the Rangers road unis helped to dial up the passion.
The biggest problem with this game is that many couldn't find it and others couldn't see it at all. NBC decided to bury this game on MSNBC instead of allowing it to be shown on the network, a curious decision especially considering there was nothing that exciting that NBC was showing. And the ratings for the hockey game had to have dominated anything shown on the Mother Peacock network. NBC has made a lot of curious moves this Olympics, but as far as bad ratings-generating decision go, this has to rank towards the top. And many cable carriers don't even have MSNBC in HD, making the viewing experience difficult for many.
For those who did watch it, tonight's hockey game was one for the ages. Team USA is now 3-0 in the Olympics and has a bye in the quarterfinal round. The United States beat Canada for the first time in seven tries and now will set themselves up for a run at medals many thought was out of the reach of this team. Many also criticized the United States selection of Chris Drury to the team, but his game-winning goal proved that his clutch play and leadership are an asset of this team. Many of this will not matter if the United States doesn't find a way to play in the gold medal game--but judging by how they looked tonight, this United States team is looking just as good as the 1960 and 1980 teams before it.
Picture from Masslive
This Week in Unintentional Homoeroticism: Doubles' Luge
Two days ago, millions of Americans were exposed to the little-known sibling of an already obscure sport: doubles' luge.
Although the event is not called "men's double luge" it is de facto men's double luge, since only men compete. And in case the name didn't give it away, the men compete together. Like, really together (picture to the right from BBC).
I had never watched this sport before. But when I turned on NBC two nights ago and saw it for the first time, my initial thought was: those guys are definitely gay. As Jerry Seinfeld famously said, not that there's anything wrong with that!! I truly have no problems...at all...with gay people, gay marriage, gays in sports, or anything else involving gay people. But you just rarely see two men compete in a sport that puts them in such a (homo)sexual position!
(Just for fun, there's more here, here, and here.)
My point is, doubles' luge requires that two men who are clad in skin-tight spandex press their bodies together, crotch-to-ass, as tightly as they can for the duration of the run. That, coupled with the thrusting move at the start of the run (fast forward to 4:35), just distracts me from appreciating the competitiveness of the sport. Really, all I can think about is how homoerotic the action is!
For the record, I am far from the only one who drew comparisons to Ace & Gary, the well-known ambiguously gay duo from Saturday Night Live. A lot of people must be thinking that a doubles' luge team appears to be a reverse, inverted image of Ace & Gary because if you Google "doubles luge ace and gary" you get approximately 2,700 hits. Wow.
Anyway, while countless Americans giggled when they saw this event on Wednesday, there is a larger issue at hand: why does this event even exist? Although there may be something that lugers do when lugeing that allows them to steer, go faster, slow down, or whatever, it sure as hell isn't apparent to me. I just don't see where the techniques are. To me, the luger just lays down and rides the roller coaster all the way to the end! But assuming that the competitors really do stuff that enables some to win and others to lose, why don't we limit this event to just one person. Does adding another guy really make this event any better? Or more watchable? As it stands now, every run looks exactly the same. There's just no justification for keeping this event, which serves only to raise costs, increase risk of injury, and decrease the amount of time that NBC can show me Lindsey Vonn.
I say leave the unintentional homoeroticism at the door. One luge event is just fine, thank you.
Although the event is not called "men's double luge" it is de facto men's double luge, since only men compete. And in case the name didn't give it away, the men compete together. Like, really together (picture to the right from BBC).I had never watched this sport before. But when I turned on NBC two nights ago and saw it for the first time, my initial thought was: those guys are definitely gay. As Jerry Seinfeld famously said, not that there's anything wrong with that!! I truly have no problems...at all...with gay people, gay marriage, gays in sports, or anything else involving gay people. But you just rarely see two men compete in a sport that puts them in such a (homo)sexual position!
(Just for fun, there's more here, here, and here.)
My point is, doubles' luge requires that two men who are clad in skin-tight spandex press their bodies together, crotch-to-ass, as tightly as they can for the duration of the run. That, coupled with the thrusting move at the start of the run (fast forward to 4:35), just distracts me from appreciating the competitiveness of the sport. Really, all I can think about is how homoerotic the action is!
For the record, I am far from the only one who drew comparisons to Ace & Gary, the well-known ambiguously gay duo from Saturday Night Live. A lot of people must be thinking that a doubles' luge team appears to be a reverse, inverted image of Ace & Gary because if you Google "doubles luge ace and gary" you get approximately 2,700 hits. Wow.
Anyway, while countless Americans giggled when they saw this event on Wednesday, there is a larger issue at hand: why does this event even exist? Although there may be something that lugers do when lugeing that allows them to steer, go faster, slow down, or whatever, it sure as hell isn't apparent to me. I just don't see where the techniques are. To me, the luger just lays down and rides the roller coaster all the way to the end! But assuming that the competitors really do stuff that enables some to win and others to lose, why don't we limit this event to just one person. Does adding another guy really make this event any better? Or more watchable? As it stands now, every run looks exactly the same. There's just no justification for keeping this event, which serves only to raise costs, increase risk of injury, and decrease the amount of time that NBC can show me Lindsey Vonn.
I say leave the unintentional homoeroticism at the door. One luge event is just fine, thank you.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
View From The Seats: Knicks and T-Mac's First Game
The Knicks fans went crazy during T-Mac's intro, have gone nuts every time he's touched the ball, and went bonkers when he converted two "and-ones".
The coolest part of the game may be sitting right behind Gus Johnson and the rest of the Knicks radio operations. Gus is not only animated in his announcing of the game in his voice but he actually acts out every nice play with his hands (as you can see in the picture). Pretty cool to watch.
They've called McGrady's name so much so far that Sarah thinks it's a great idea for a drinking game. At his rate, we could be pretty drunk doing that.
This Knicks team has actually been fun to watch and leading but we'll see what happens by the 4th quarter. Not to mention that this team is good 'till expiration of the season when it gets blown up. But that's for another blog post. So far, so good for T-Mac and the Knickerbockers.
-Andrew
PHOTOS: Yankees 2009 World Series trophy in Hartford
The Yankees' 2009 World Series trophy made an appearance at the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford yesterday. Yours truly waited for nearly two hours on a very long line to see it. The only redeemable aspect of waiting on that line was getting to pose for a photo with Governor Rell, who swears she is a Yankees fan. Given that she is not running for reelection in 2010, I actually believe her.
Without further ado, here are the photos...
This was the line at 11:45 a.m. Cold. Also deceiving because like an amusement park, once we reached the Capitol, we were barely halfway there, as the line looped around many, many times inside the atrium before getting anywhere near the trophy. We all took a long, long lunch break.
M. Jodi and me
I really would have liked to lift this above my head, Derek-Jeter-style, but the friendly group of CT state troopers only gave me about 12 seconds to snap this photo. Totally worth the wait, though. I really hope to be back here doing the same thing in February 2011...
Without further ado, here are the photos...
This was the line at 11:45 a.m. Cold. Also deceiving because like an amusement park, once we reached the Capitol, we were barely halfway there, as the line looped around many, many times inside the atrium before getting anywhere near the trophy. We all took a long, long lunch break.
M. Jodi and me
I really would have liked to lift this above my head, Derek-Jeter-style, but the friendly group of CT state troopers only gave me about 12 seconds to snap this photo. Totally worth the wait, though. I really hope to be back here doing the same thing in February 2011...
Friday, February 19, 2010
End of Week Link Roundup
Quickly getting out some links from the past two weeks. We'll throw up an awesome pic of Shaun White's hair from CBC and LOST on the cover of Entertainment Weekly courtesy of DarkUFO
Spring Has Sprung:
- The more I hear about Curtis Granderson (how he's OK playing left, how he helps out off-the-field) the more I like him as a person and a player
- SI's Jon Heyman goes over the Yankees potential issues and Mike at River Avenue Blues makes fun of the "Oh noes!"
- Baseball Prospectus via ESPN.com predicts the Red Sox to finish first and the Yankees to finish second in the AL East
- NoMass scores an awesome interview with Brian Cashman
- Ross at New Stadium Insider relays a rumor about on-sale dates for the Yankees 2010 season
- Moshe at TYU looks at some interesting Yankees splits
- MLBTradeRumors reviews the Yankees offseason moves from top to bottom
- As we watch the Old Yankee Stadium being deconstructed, let's take a nice panoramic view at the place.
- This quote from Buster Olney's ESPN.com blog today re: Johnny Damon and Scott Boras is priceless: One executive who has been involved in the talks over the last two months emailed about the spinning in these negotiations: "There is so much BS out there, and [I] don't want to contribute to it."
3 Reasons The Yankees Need To Make Joba the 5th Starter
Has any pitcher who was so young created so much controversy, debate and intrigue? Joba Chamberlain went through the hyped up prospect stage, the dominant reliever stage, the midge incident, an injury, the starter/reliever debate, many iterations of the "Joba Rules", back-and-forth between the bullpen and rotation, and the guy is only 24 and just won his first World Series ring. I figured that after all the crap that the Yankees have put Joba through, that 2010 would be the year they let go of the Joba Rules, let him air it out, and see what happens. So I was very disappointed to see John Harper's New York Daily News article today which basically makes it seem that the Yankees feel Joba should be a reliever. Ugh. So let's go one more time through why Joba needs to be a starter with 3 easy-to-follow reasonings:
1. When he was really a starter in 2009, he was very good. Joba was rolling along through the end of July when the Yankees decided it would be a good idea to screw with his schedule and change the amount of innings he threw. I understand the thought behind it--keep him under a certain amount of innings--but the execution made no sense. Joba is a pitcher who is all about rhythm with his pitching. When he's in a groove, he rears back, throws, gets the ball back and repeats. When he's off, he's walking around the mound, shaking off the catcher, laboring, and nibbling at the corners. The Yankees basically found the best way to screw up that rhythmic success he had developed. Joba's last three starts before the end of July were 6.2, 7.0 and then 8.0 innings long, he pitched 100 pitches in each and gave up a total of 2 earned runs (0.83 ERA). He held opponents to a dominant.114/.222/.200 line and looked very much like the pitcher we all wanted him to be. And then the Yankees pulled out the rug from under him. Let's look at his stats before and after July from Baseball-Reference:
- Before: 20 starts, 7-2, 3.58 ERA, 110.2 IP, 105 H, 44 ER, 50 BB, 97 K, 13 HR, .254/.347/.403 vs
- After: 11 starts, 2-4, 7.52 ERA, 46.2 IP, 62 H, 39 ER, 26 BB, 36 K, .316/.397/.515 vs
Lost With LOST: Searching for a Substitute
We’re just beginning on our journey into LOST’s final season and while on the outside it’s very different, the inner workings of the show are very much the same. That’s not unlike FLocke who while on the outside is very different, on the inside, he’s the same Smoke Monster we’ve seen for many seasons. Actually, he’s like Ben Linus redux. He engages in double speak to a point you have no clue if he’s telling the truth or lying. He says he has lots of answers to give but you can’t tell if he’s bluffing or he really knows what’s going on...or if you’re ever going to get those answers. And while they seem to be very much in control, a bloody visage from inside the forest seems to control them in some way. Let’s leave Ben for a while though (I promise to get back to him) and let’s talk about this season and its parables to older seasons and the idea of a “Substitute” which I think is a central theme of LOST and was the title for this past episode.
Currently I’m rewatching LOST from the beginning with a non-LOST watcher. Why? I want to see everything again so I converge on the end when the show does (literally and figuratively) and I want to see her reactions to what goes on and see if I have different ones seeing it again. There are tiny things* I’ve noticed (like Rose saying that she’s “heard that sound before…I can’t place where” when she hears Smokey for the first time…hmmmmmm) but let’s focus on some of the big things. I think everyone on LOST is a substitute for someone else. The people change, but their roles stay the same. And because people always end up in the roles, the game keeps on playing. They’re all substitutes for someone who served before them.
*Side Note: Some of the less innocuous things I noticed: Charlie was singing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" he sang "down came the rain and drowned the spider out" (Hurley corrected him that the correct lyrics were "and washed the spider out") which is a huge coincidence because, well, he drowned. And Hurley, when he hears Sayid's signal playing old music, Sayid says it could be coming from any place...to which Hurley replies "or time". Which well, was very prescient of him.
So who are the candidates for Jacob’s job? Well, according to FLocke (and, again, I don’t know whether to trust him fully or discredit everything he says) it’s Jack, Sawyer, Hurley, Sayid, and Jin/Sun. They have the numbers, they were all touched by Jacob* and FLocke claims that’s what brought them to The Island. But FLocke seems to be pretty dismissive that Jacob’s intentions were the least bit noble or that The Island is in need of saving, in the least.
*Side Note: Some of the less innocuous things I noticed: Charlie was singing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" he sang "down came the rain and drowned the spider out" (Hurley corrected him that the correct lyrics were "and washed the spider out") which is a huge coincidence because, well, he drowned. And Hurley, when he hears Sayid's signal playing old music, Sayid says it could be coming from any place...to which Hurley replies "or time". Which well, was very prescient of him.
So who are the candidates for Jacob’s job? Well, according to FLocke (and, again, I don’t know whether to trust him fully or discredit everything he says) it’s Jack, Sawyer, Hurley, Sayid, and Jin/Sun. They have the numbers, they were all touched by Jacob* and FLocke claims that’s what brought them to The Island. But FLocke seems to be pretty dismissive that Jacob’s intentions were the least bit noble or that The Island is in need of saving, in the least.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
John Shuster Fails Again For USA Men's Curling, Gets Killed on Wikipedia
Oh no...John Shuster did it again! After missing three shots to win curling games in a 24-hour span, Shuster, the Armando Benitez of Curling, missed another chance to close a game today against Denmark. He is truly the Charles Smith of curling having missed four game-winning shots in a row. KSL.com tells it like it is:
I wanted to post that before someone changed it. That is amazing. The last part was the best:
"Shuster said he draws inspiration from Bill Buckner, Brad Lidge, Scott Norwood, and the city of Cleveland.
He currently works as a quality control specialist for Toyota."
Boom! Roasted!
Update 3:42 PM: The Wiki page has been changed but you can enjoy the screenshot over and over again.
Update 3:51 PM: Jay is right, it is a race between the Wikipedia editors and the John Shuster haters. Will try to get as many of them as possible up on the blog but you can see the history of comments here
American skip and final shooter John Shuster missed a chance to knock out a Danish stone. His last rock jammed on another one of his own and kept Denmark in scoring position.Someone on Wikipedia got in on the action as well. Check out how torched Shuster's Wiki page is (click to view):
I wanted to post that before someone changed it. That is amazing. The last part was the best:
"Shuster said he draws inspiration from Bill Buckner, Brad Lidge, Scott Norwood, and the city of Cleveland.
He currently works as a quality control specialist for Toyota."
Boom! Roasted!
Update 3:42 PM: The Wiki page has been changed but you can enjoy the screenshot over and over again.
Update 3:51 PM: Jay is right, it is a race between the Wikipedia editors and the John Shuster haters. Will try to get as many of them as possible up on the blog but you can see the history of comments here
Running series: Yankee Stadium Deconstruction Update
All of us here at NYaT are true blue Yankees fans. (Well, almost all of us.) Many of our readers are equally obsessed with the Yanks, if not more so. Despite our passion for the team, we all feel helplessly drawn to these tear-jerking photos of the ongoing destruction of Yankee Stadium.
Inevitably, we click on these links and feel sad looking at our beloved former home in shambles. We know these pictures will make us feel depressed. Maybe even angry. Yet, not unlike a car crash on the highway, we cannot look away.
I like to think of it as fulfilling our duty to salute the Stadium as it lives its final days. Or perhaps we are documenting history, taking in the ultimate demise of a legendary place. Whatever the purpose, we will provide a running series of photos, courtesy of Tom Kaminski in Chopper 880, as often as we can, so that all of you can keep track of the deconstruction process.
So, here's the latest. It's starting to sink in now. All deconstruction work to this point seemingly focused on bits and pieces. But now they are starting to destroy the outer structure and foundation of the building itself. The following photos illustrate the process by which the entire Stadium will be torn down.
Inevitably, we click on these links and feel sad looking at our beloved former home in shambles. We know these pictures will make us feel depressed. Maybe even angry. Yet, not unlike a car crash on the highway, we cannot look away.
I like to think of it as fulfilling our duty to salute the Stadium as it lives its final days. Or perhaps we are documenting history, taking in the ultimate demise of a legendary place. Whatever the purpose, we will provide a running series of photos, courtesy of Tom Kaminski in Chopper 880, as often as we can, so that all of you can keep track of the deconstruction process.
So, here's the latest. It's starting to sink in now. All deconstruction work to this point seemingly focused on bits and pieces. But now they are starting to destroy the outer structure and foundation of the building itself. The following photos illustrate the process by which the entire Stadium will be torn down.
24 Recap: Thinking About the Possibility of a Movie
This week’s episode of 24 was good—probably the best since the openers—but it’s still not great. If you’re not bringing out your big guns during Sweeps, especially going against the Olympics, when do you plan to bring them out? Maybe the problem is that 24 doesn’t have big guns anymore. It’s a sad thought. For me, it was like when David Cone suffered through the 2000 baseball season for the Yankees. You kept on waiting for him to get over the hump and show signs of his former, dominant self who helped the Yankees change their pitching persona. But it never happened…at least not during the regular season. But the Yankees gave Cone a chance in the World Series in a huge spot against the Mets best hitter, Mike Piazza. It was a role unfamiliar to the lifelong starter, Cone, who came in as a reliever, but Cone got Piazza to pop up. It got me to thinking: can this 24 movie idea—that Variety says has gained some serious traction (H/T Jay)—be the positive final hurrah we’re all looking forward to for Jack Bauer?
24’s biggest problem now is what made it popular when the show debuted: the real-time format. In real-time, Jack can’t show ill effects of having the crap beat out of him, he can’t be limping or injured, and he certainly can’t go to the hospital. That’s why it was funny this week when the EMT told Jack he “had” to go to the hospital. Jack said “that’s not happening”, but we all knew his answer before he even said it. Jack has gotten beaten and tortured and knocked around. He’s even been stabbed. But he seems to have no signs of it. No black eye, no bleeding cuts, no lingering problems.
In 24’s first three seasons, the show seemed to succeed for me because they kept his injuries somewhat real, which kept the show somewhat real. In Season 1, Jack fell asleep from exhaustion while hiding out at the construction site and almost blew his cover. In Season 2, Jack’s heart having stopped from being tortured affected him the rest of the season, especially in the last episode when his heart gave way momentarily. In Season 3, Jack seemed to be over heroin addiction in under 24 hours, but at least for a while he seemed to suffer from the real effects of withdraw. Even last season he seemed to be slowing down at the end from the effects from radiation poisoning.
Now? None of that. The format is such on 24 that events can’t stop for trivial things like hospital visits or doctor’s appointments. But 24 is trapped in that real-time format and stuck with the hour-to-hour, week-to-week grind of having to produce 24 episodes that people want to watch.
So how do they get out of that mold? Do a movie. On paper, this is a brilliant idea. The show as it has been constituted hasn’t worked for a whole season since Season 5. There have been flashes of brilliance along the way but the show gets too tied down in sideplots and details and episodes that go no place to be constantly good anymore. Part of it has been that they’ve run out of fresh ideas, but part of it is that they’re a victim of their own success. And while the parts of the show that are good—the flashes of brilliance—may not be enough to carry the show. But they could carry a movie.
Let’s break out the problems I foresee:
In 24’s first three seasons, the show seemed to succeed for me because they kept his injuries somewhat real, which kept the show somewhat real. In Season 1, Jack fell asleep from exhaustion while hiding out at the construction site and almost blew his cover. In Season 2, Jack’s heart having stopped from being tortured affected him the rest of the season, especially in the last episode when his heart gave way momentarily. In Season 3, Jack seemed to be over heroin addiction in under 24 hours, but at least for a while he seemed to suffer from the real effects of withdraw. Even last season he seemed to be slowing down at the end from the effects from radiation poisoning.
Now? None of that. The format is such on 24 that events can’t stop for trivial things like hospital visits or doctor’s appointments. But 24 is trapped in that real-time format and stuck with the hour-to-hour, week-to-week grind of having to produce 24 episodes that people want to watch.
So how do they get out of that mold? Do a movie. On paper, this is a brilliant idea. The show as it has been constituted hasn’t worked for a whole season since Season 5. There have been flashes of brilliance along the way but the show gets too tied down in sideplots and details and episodes that go no place to be constantly good anymore. Part of it has been that they’ve run out of fresh ideas, but part of it is that they’re a victim of their own success. And while the parts of the show that are good—the flashes of brilliance—may not be enough to carry the show. But they could carry a movie.
Let’s break out the problems I foresee:
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Curling's John Shuster Is No Mariano Rivera
I said earlier today that one of the sports I like the most in the Winter Olympics is Curling. Part of the appeal is that it's much like baseball in the innings (called ends, and there's 10 of them), the turned-based progression, the relaxed feel and the idea of last licks (called "the hammer" in Curling) with some elements of other sports weaved in and out. With the ability of the teams able to qualify for these Olympic games, the hammer usually becomes the most important person as the closer of the group. And the hammer is the "skip" on the team; the guy who calls the shots. And the skip for the United States team is John Shuster, who probably had the worst 24 hours of his life as he was unable to close out two matches on three separate occasions.
Mariano Rivera is the best closer in baseball history. Robert Horry was known as "Big Shot Rob" because of his late-game heroics in big spots. When the Los Angeles Lakers needed a big shot at the end of their championship run last season, Kobe Bryant was given the ball the Lakers had confidence he could get it done. John Shuster said he wanted to be that man for the US Olympic Curling Team, said that he wanted to be the guy to throw during crunch time, said that he wanted the pressure. He said that if he got the chance, he would win it for the United States.
He was wrong.
The United States had plenty of chances to win in their opener against Germany but ended up falling 7-5, thanks to a few errant throws by Shuster and company. In their second game against Norway, according to ESPN.com "Shuster had put his team ahead after the ninth end on a clutch deuce, but Norway evened the match at 5 on the final stone of the 10th to force another end." Shuster had a chance to win it in the extra 11th end (as Michael Kay would say "bonus cantos") but his shot at a wide open spot was too hard and the United States team fell to 0-2.
Less than 24 hours later, the United States team was back in action playing the Swiss. The Americans knew that three losses was probably too much to make the semifinals so they needed a win. But after falling behind 4-0, it looked pretty bleak. The United States team rallied back behind Shuster and some sloppy Swiss play to take the lead going into the 10th. The United States seemed on the verge of victory with Shuster just having to seal the deal against the Swiss. This time, he was too short. A measurement confirmed it and we were going to the extra end.
Mariano Rivera is the best closer in baseball history. Robert Horry was known as "Big Shot Rob" because of his late-game heroics in big spots. When the Los Angeles Lakers needed a big shot at the end of their championship run last season, Kobe Bryant was given the ball the Lakers had confidence he could get it done. John Shuster said he wanted to be that man for the US Olympic Curling Team, said that he wanted to be the guy to throw during crunch time, said that he wanted the pressure. He said that if he got the chance, he would win it for the United States.He was wrong.
The United States had plenty of chances to win in their opener against Germany but ended up falling 7-5, thanks to a few errant throws by Shuster and company. In their second game against Norway, according to ESPN.com "Shuster had put his team ahead after the ninth end on a clutch deuce, but Norway evened the match at 5 on the final stone of the 10th to force another end." Shuster had a chance to win it in the extra 11th end (as Michael Kay would say "bonus cantos") but his shot at a wide open spot was too hard and the United States team fell to 0-2.
Less than 24 hours later, the United States team was back in action playing the Swiss. The Americans knew that three losses was probably too much to make the semifinals so they needed a win. But after falling behind 4-0, it looked pretty bleak. The United States team rallied back behind Shuster and some sloppy Swiss play to take the lead going into the 10th. The United States seemed on the verge of victory with Shuster just having to seal the deal against the Swiss. This time, he was too short. A measurement confirmed it and we were going to the extra end.
Back From New Orleans and Ready for Baseball
"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball... I stare out the window and wait for spring." - Rogers Hornsby
I just got back from New Orleans and Mardi Gras. I went from parades and Bourbon St to snow (also known as snOMG) and work. That's really sad. It was great to see the city of New Orleans all built-up again and thriving after Hurricaine Katrina. The people have returned and even the levees were rebuilt with sports fields on top of them and they were packed on the nice days. It was also the time to go considering the Saints had just won the Super Bowl.New York gets crazy anytime they win a championship, but imagine zero champions in any major sports in your history--they were due and partied like it. One night we went to the bar and they had a tape of the Super Bowl playing. And everytime something big happened (especially the Manning INT) the bar went nuts. Everyone chanted "Who Dat?" and Saints players from quarterback Drew Brees to kicker Garrett Hartley were everyplace. Sean Payton and Reggie Bush rode in a float together one night with the Super Bowl trophy tossing Super Bowl hats (some signed) and Saints beads (I caught one) from the float. The city was crazy and the people were crazy (with many stories not appropriate for a public forum such as this) and I had a blast.
That being said, the first day it hit 60 degress, it made me cognizant that baseball was right around the corner. And today at lunch, the TV had a SportsCenter report with CC Sabathia working out down in Tampa. The countdown can end: Spring Training has begun! The Giants season ended poorly and the Rangers and Knicks both look in danger of missing the playoffs, so I'm excited to get the Yankees back to defend their crown. We will have plenty of Yankees coverage on NYaT leading up to Opening Day in Fenway Park in 46 days including 5th starter and leftfield challenges, season predictions and much more.
I want to thank Jay for keeping up the blog while I was gone (and Ben for posting as well). I'll try to bang out some reviews on the latest episodes of 24 and LOST as well in the next couple of days who each may have had their best episode of the season the past few days. I have to say that I'm not that excited for the Olympics, the NBA or NHL, college basketball or the NFL draft quite yet even though I'm sure we'll hear a ton about them. In the Winter Olympics, the only two things I really watch are hockey and curling. Many side one way or another on curling, but I think the sport is much more than two janitors sweeping the ice and see a pretty fascinating sport. I know many feel quite the opposite, but watching USA vs. Germany yesterday afternoon reinfornced my good feelings about the sport. So while I'm not glued to sports on the TV right now, there is plenty to talk about as we all look out the window at the snow like Roger Hornsby did years ago, and wait for spring and baseball to begin again.
Yankees' World Series trophy is coming to Hartford this Friday!
As NYaT's resident Nutmegger, I feel a duty to report to my fellow Hartford-area sports fans that the Yankees' 2009 World Series trophy will be on display this Friday at the State Capitol. Here is Governor Rell's press release:
And to think, I almost drove all the way to Mohegan Sun to get a peek at the trophy. If anyone else lives around here and wants to join me at lunchtime this Friday, we will have a little NYaT powwow in Hartford!The trophy will be on display in the State Capitol building from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The public is invited to take photographs with the trophy and visit with members of the Yankees' front office.
The trophy will arrive at the Governor's office at 11 a.m. where the Governor will meet briefly with team representatives. The trophy then will be displayed to the public beginning at 11:30 a.m. in State Capitol Rotunda on the first floor of the building. Doors will open at 11 a.m. and lines will begin forming for access to the trophy at 10:15 a.m. The trophy will depart sharply at 2 p.m. and Capitol Police are recommending that all visitors be in line by 1:30 p.m.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Which team will have the best record in MLB in 2010?
Pitchers & catchers are past us, spring training is almost upon us, and the season is just around the corner! While Andrew will surely post a new poll (or three) when he gets back...not to mention a series of previews and predictions for the upcoming season...I figured I would get the ball rolling with this interesting tidbit from Buster Olney.
There are so many variables that go into my forthcoming conclusion -- the least of which is how very good (yet still flawed) the Red Sox and Phillies are -- but I will be the first Yankees fan on NYaT to ride the wave of confidence and enthusiasm that our team earned by winning the World Series last year. The Yanks are going to repeat with the best record in baseball, and if their rotation proves just a little deeper this year than last, I think a second straight title could be in the cards.
Best record in baseball...
From Simon: With spring training opening this week, who's going to have the best record in baseball this season? Well, these are the most seasons with the best record in baseball since the two-league format began in 1901:
Yankees: 30
Athletics: 9
Cardinals: 7
Reds: 6
Cubs: 6
Giants: 6
Braves: 6
Indians: 6If you're a believer that the Red Sox or Phillies are legit challengers to beat out the Yankees for the best record, consider this: The Red Sox have had or shared the best record in baseball only five times. The Phillies have NEVER had the best record in baseball.
There are so many variables that go into my forthcoming conclusion -- the least of which is how very good (yet still flawed) the Red Sox and Phillies are -- but I will be the first Yankees fan on NYaT to ride the wave of confidence and enthusiasm that our team earned by winning the World Series last year. The Yanks are going to repeat with the best record in baseball, and if their rotation proves just a little deeper this year than last, I think a second straight title could be in the cards.
Chien-Ming Wang signs with the Nationals
According to ESPN.com, via MLB.com and the MASN, Chien-Ming Wang has signed with the Washington Nationals. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed yet. The Nationals' team president, Stan Kasten, refused comment but the team will hold a press conference on Friday at their spring training complex.
I think this is a really sad story. In 2006 and 2007, Wang went a combined 38-13 with a 3.67 ERA and served as the de facto ace of the Yankees' pitching staff. Also, winning 19 games each year made Wang the winningest pitcher in MLB over that two-year span.
But all good things must come to an end, and that end came very quickly for Wang. In 2008, his season came to an end in June after he suffered a freak foot injury while running the bases in Houston. In 2009, he went 1-6 with a 9.64 ERA in 12 games before his season ended with arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder. Wang did not pitch down the stretch or in the playoffs as the Yankees went on to win the World Series without him.
Now, he is the newest member of the lowly Nationals' pitching staff, and he won't even make his first rehab start until May. Even as recently as June 2008, who could have possibly seen this coming?? What a sad day for Chien-Ming Wang and all the Yankees fans who wanted to see this up-and-coming young starter make it in the Bronx.
I think this is a really sad story. In 2006 and 2007, Wang went a combined 38-13 with a 3.67 ERA and served as the de facto ace of the Yankees' pitching staff. Also, winning 19 games each year made Wang the winningest pitcher in MLB over that two-year span.
But all good things must come to an end, and that end came very quickly for Wang. In 2008, his season came to an end in June after he suffered a freak foot injury while running the bases in Houston. In 2009, he went 1-6 with a 9.64 ERA in 12 games before his season ended with arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder. Wang did not pitch down the stretch or in the playoffs as the Yankees went on to win the World Series without him.
Now, he is the newest member of the lowly Nationals' pitching staff, and he won't even make his first rehab start until May. Even as recently as June 2008, who could have possibly seen this coming?? What a sad day for Chien-Ming Wang and all the Yankees fans who wanted to see this up-and-coming young starter make it in the Bronx.
Monday, February 15, 2010
The paradox: 2009-10 UConn men's basketball
I'm not sure what to make of this 2009-10 UConn men's basketball team anymore. Two days ago, on Saturday, they got embarrassed at home by Cincinnati, shooting 34% from the field and losing 60-48, their lowest point total since 2002. In doing so, they completely embarrassed Jim Calhoun, who had just returned after missing 7 games in 3.5 weeks, leading some to believe that the players had simply quit on their coach. Calhoun, in turn, said he was embarrassed by his team's performance and that it was one of the worst games of his entire career.
But today, just two days after the Cincinnati debacle, UConn delivered its first road win of the year by upsetting No. 3 Villanova in Philly. Every aspect of their game improved. The Huskies shot 48% from the field and 80% from the line, far exceeding their season average of 68%. Jerome Dyson neutralized Scottie Reynolds but grew fatigued from his efforts, shooting only 3-14 from the field for a total of 15 points. Kemba Walker picked up the slack, going 6-10 for 29 points (14-16 FT) with 9 boards, 3 assists, and only 2 TO.
Just an aside from Head Coach Emeritus Jimmy Dugan. Stanley...Stanley Robinson! You're still turning the ball over too much. Ten times in this last game. Now, now, now that's something I'd like you to work on...before next season.
Going into today's game, people were down on UConn. The Hartford Courant predicted that the Huskies would have to run the table in the regular season, or dominate (and perhaps even win) the Big East Tournament, just to make the NCAA tournament. It's hard to argue with that. Clearly, UConn dug itself a very deep hole. But today, the Huskies played intensely and with real passion. Their defensive effort was up with 8 blocks, and the team hit its free throws for once. Maybe Calhoun screamed especially loud at them in the locker room, berating them enough that they're scared into playing hard for him again. Who knows.
What I do know is that UConn has 2 tough home games coming up vs. WestVa and Louisville and another battle on the road at Notre Dame. But if the Huskies play those teams like they did against Villanova today, and if Jerome Dyson and Kemba Walker don't get injured, they can still make a run.
But today, just two days after the Cincinnati debacle, UConn delivered its first road win of the year by upsetting No. 3 Villanova in Philly. Every aspect of their game improved. The Huskies shot 48% from the field and 80% from the line, far exceeding their season average of 68%. Jerome Dyson neutralized Scottie Reynolds but grew fatigued from his efforts, shooting only 3-14 from the field for a total of 15 points. Kemba Walker picked up the slack, going 6-10 for 29 points (14-16 FT) with 9 boards, 3 assists, and only 2 TO.
Just an aside from Head Coach Emeritus Jimmy Dugan. Stanley...Stanley Robinson! You're still turning the ball over too much. Ten times in this last game. Now, now, now that's something I'd like you to work on...before next season.
Going into today's game, people were down on UConn. The Hartford Courant predicted that the Huskies would have to run the table in the regular season, or dominate (and perhaps even win) the Big East Tournament, just to make the NCAA tournament. It's hard to argue with that. Clearly, UConn dug itself a very deep hole. But today, the Huskies played intensely and with real passion. Their defensive effort was up with 8 blocks, and the team hit its free throws for once. Maybe Calhoun screamed especially loud at them in the locker room, berating them enough that they're scared into playing hard for him again. Who knows.
What I do know is that UConn has 2 tough home games coming up vs. WestVa and Louisville and another battle on the road at Notre Dame. But if the Huskies play those teams like they did against Villanova today, and if Jerome Dyson and Kemba Walker don't get injured, they can still make a run.
Hartford, CT will get New York's UFL team next season
Professional football is coming to Hartford, Conn. The longtime rumor has come true -- there will be a press conference this Tuesday at Rentschler Field to announce that the New York Sentinels will move to Hartford next season.
Chris Palmer, the former New York Giants QB coach and Cleveland Browns head coach, will be the team's head coach. He previously coached at the University of New Haven. The UFL Commissioner, Michael Huyghue, is also a Connecticut native.
Last year, the Sentinels went 0-6 in the league's first season. New York played alongside three other UFL teams: the Florida (Orlando) Tuskers, the California (San Jose/San Fran) Redwoods, and the Las Vegas Locomotives. Las Vegas beat Florida, 20-17, in the league's first championship.
Obviously, this is a big deal. How many times has Hartford stolen a professional sports franchise from New York? Even if it's just the UFL -- which appears to be marketing itself less as a competitor to the NFL and more as an alternative, not unlike the NCAA -- it's a major step for Hartford and Connecticut in general. Who knows, maybe this will pave the way for the Whalers to return to New England's Rising Star.
Here's the good news. The New York Sentinels played one game at Rentschler Field last year. Even though the game went head-to-head with UConn's memorial to Jasper Howard and Yankees World Series fever, 5,201 seats were filled out of the 10,460 tickets that were distributed. For a one-game appearance in Connecticut with plenty of distractions and little advance marketing, that's not bad. Also, UFL rules dictate that Rentschler will replace its natural grass surface with FieldTurf, a switch that UConn football coach Randy Edsall fully supports.
Time will tell whether the UFL will succeed. But the Commish is clear and confident about the direction he wants the league to take:
Chris Palmer, the former New York Giants QB coach and Cleveland Browns head coach, will be the team's head coach. He previously coached at the University of New Haven. The UFL Commissioner, Michael Huyghue, is also a Connecticut native.
Last year, the Sentinels went 0-6 in the league's first season. New York played alongside three other UFL teams: the Florida (Orlando) Tuskers, the California (San Jose/San Fran) Redwoods, and the Las Vegas Locomotives. Las Vegas beat Florida, 20-17, in the league's first championship.
Obviously, this is a big deal. How many times has Hartford stolen a professional sports franchise from New York? Even if it's just the UFL -- which appears to be marketing itself less as a competitor to the NFL and more as an alternative, not unlike the NCAA -- it's a major step for Hartford and Connecticut in general. Who knows, maybe this will pave the way for the Whalers to return to New England's Rising Star.
Here's the good news. The New York Sentinels played one game at Rentschler Field last year. Even though the game went head-to-head with UConn's memorial to Jasper Howard and Yankees World Series fever, 5,201 seats were filled out of the 10,460 tickets that were distributed. For a one-game appearance in Connecticut with plenty of distractions and little advance marketing, that's not bad. Also, UFL rules dictate that Rentschler will replace its natural grass surface with FieldTurf, a switch that UConn football coach Randy Edsall fully supports.
Time will tell whether the UFL will succeed. But the Commish is clear and confident about the direction he wants the league to take:
"If we have a complementary role for the NFL — you're not going to outdo that product — by developing talent and providing really good, entertaining football in non-NFL markets, we'll have two great elements. We don't have to be truly a minor league."I believe that Hartford is a competitive, non-NFL market that is savvy about sports. It is certainly surrounded by enough pro teams (13 in NYC/NJ/Boston) and it's passionate about the UConn Huskies. If the UFL markets itself properly, I think the New York-turned-Hartford Sentinels will be a successful pro team here in Connecticut. Now, if we could just steal the Hurricanes back from North Carolina and recreate our Whalers...
2010 NBA All-Star Game Completely Overshadowed by the 2010 Winter Olympics
As Deadspin pointed out, the 2010 NBA All-Star Game, and its many associated festivities, were completely overshadowed by the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
That article begins by reporting that Carmelo Anthony finally set a date to marry his fiancee, La La Vazquez, but concludes that:
First, David Stern announced that the NBA will lose $400 million this season. Accordingly, this is a great time to stir up interest in the league, especially in weaker basketball markets and in those cities that are about to lose superstars. Likewise, this is a bad time to lose viewers to people who are watching ski jumping. And you know what? Competing against the Winter Olympics, the NBA and its less-than-scintillating Slam Dunk Contest suffered a double-digit loss in ratings and viewership on NBA All-Star Saturday Night. Ouch.
Second, this year's All-Star Game was held in Cowboys Stadium. This venue allowed a record 108,713 fans to squint at a tiny basketball court, while intently following the largest 1080p screen ever built by man. This was not the time to produce a dud slam dunk contest, but it was the time to make a grand, over-the-top spectacle the only grand, over-the-top spectacle on TV this past holiday weekend.
The Winter Olympics, love them or hate them, draw big ratings...especially during opening weekend. Why would the NBA want to go up against them?! Consider that the team with the best record in the NBA -- the Cleveland Cavaliers -- went into the All-Star Break at 43-11. Thus, the LeBrons had played 54 games and had only 28 games remaining. Clearly, the break comes nowhere near the halfway mark of the season.
So, here is my proposal. Why can't the NBA move its All-Star Game up by just 2 weeks? That way, the NBA would have missed the Winter Olympics entirely, and the NBA All-Star Game would've gone head-to-head against the NFL's Pro Bowl...a matchup that the NBA would have dominated. And FYI, on Sunday, January 31, the Cavaliers were 38-11 and 5 games closer to the true midseason mark.
Given how much the NBA lost when it posted up (sorry) against the Winter Olympics, someone please tell me why moving it up by 2 weeks would have been a bad idea. I really think this should be the default every 4 years. Plus, it would show the NFL that the Pro Bowl sucks regardless of whether it's the week before or after the Super Bowl!
That article begins by reporting that Carmelo Anthony finally set a date to marry his fiancee, La La Vazquez, but concludes that:
Now, I'm not really a huge fan of the Winter Olympics. I much prefer the Summer version, but I'll watch the Winter games anyway because they're still the Olympics and I always pay attention. (I could write an entire blog post about why Summer > Winter, but that's for another day.) Whether you prefer one or the other is irrelevant. My point is that the NBA should not go head-to-head against the Olympics. Let me tell you why...[Setting a wedding date is as] good a storyline as any for the All-Star game, which had a washout of a dunk contest, and has been totally eclipsed by the Winter Olympics. The game itself is rarely memorable, but rather a glorified playground game without defense. And that's fine.
Someone will throw down a monster alley-oop, someone will start chucking threes like no one's business, and Charles Barkley will say something almost-controversial. These are things that will happen. And, up against pairs figure skating, maybe we'll watch.
First, David Stern announced that the NBA will lose $400 million this season. Accordingly, this is a great time to stir up interest in the league, especially in weaker basketball markets and in those cities that are about to lose superstars. Likewise, this is a bad time to lose viewers to people who are watching ski jumping. And you know what? Competing against the Winter Olympics, the NBA and its less-than-scintillating Slam Dunk Contest suffered a double-digit loss in ratings and viewership on NBA All-Star Saturday Night. Ouch.
Second, this year's All-Star Game was held in Cowboys Stadium. This venue allowed a record 108,713 fans to squint at a tiny basketball court, while intently following the largest 1080p screen ever built by man. This was not the time to produce a dud slam dunk contest, but it was the time to make a grand, over-the-top spectacle the only grand, over-the-top spectacle on TV this past holiday weekend.
The Winter Olympics, love them or hate them, draw big ratings...especially during opening weekend. Why would the NBA want to go up against them?! Consider that the team with the best record in the NBA -- the Cleveland Cavaliers -- went into the All-Star Break at 43-11. Thus, the LeBrons had played 54 games and had only 28 games remaining. Clearly, the break comes nowhere near the halfway mark of the season.
So, here is my proposal. Why can't the NBA move its All-Star Game up by just 2 weeks? That way, the NBA would have missed the Winter Olympics entirely, and the NBA All-Star Game would've gone head-to-head against the NFL's Pro Bowl...a matchup that the NBA would have dominated. And FYI, on Sunday, January 31, the Cavaliers were 38-11 and 5 games closer to the true midseason mark.
Given how much the NBA lost when it posted up (sorry) against the Winter Olympics, someone please tell me why moving it up by 2 weeks would have been a bad idea. I really think this should be the default every 4 years. Plus, it would show the NFL that the Pro Bowl sucks regardless of whether it's the week before or after the Super Bowl!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Thomas and Glavine Call It a Career
Meant to put this up last week but I didn't get a chance.
Last month, Randy Johnson, "The Big Unit," called it a career. Now, just over a month later, two more future Hall of Famers are calling it quits. Lefty Tom Glavine and 1B/DH Frank Thomas are calling it a career.
Glavine will always a remain in a thorn in the hearts of Mets fans, as I don't believe they will ever forgive him for losing the critical final game of 2007 season (which in all honesty, was lost far before that game ever took place). However, I think we take for granted how consistent a pitcher he was for such a long period of time. In fact, Glavine maybe one of the last pitchers of his kind.
He is a three hundred game winner and a five time twenty game winner. In his 22 year career, he pitched over 200 innings 14 times, a sign of his tremendous durability and dependability. Yet for whatever reason, he never got as much credit as his teammates John Smoltz and Greg Maddux did. He didn't have Smoltz's tremendous fastball, nor did he have Maddux's impeccable control. Nevertheless, he was as dependable as either one of those two pitchers could have been the ace for any other team in the league.
When it comes to Thomas, I think some of us have forgotten the years that earned him the nickname "The Big Hurt." During my youth, Thomas may have been the second most popular player in the league next to Ken Griffey Jr. If not the second most popular, he was certainly as good, if not better at times than Griffey and was in my opinion the best right-handed hitter in the league. Over his first eight seasons, he averaged .330 with and an OBP of .452!!! That means that for eight straight years, he got on base almost 50% of the time. He also smashed 257 homers and drove in 854 runs.
Here is how he compared to Bonds and Griffey over the first eight years of their careers:
Griffey - .302, .381 OBP, 238 HR, 725 RBI
Bonds - .283, .391 OBP, 222 HR, 679 RBI
For whatever reason, starting in 1998, his power numbers began to stagger and while he would manage to continue putting up good power numbers, he failed to match the performance we saw out of him earlier in his career (with exception of his 2000 season, when he drove in a career-high 143 runs). Yes, he did suffer injuries which cost his major portions of his 2001 and 2005 seasons. Yet it remains unclear as to why he could not continue to put up the outrageous numbers we saw from him early on.
The knock against Thomas will be that he played most of his career as a DH. However, his numbers are too good to ignore and I think voters will be hard pressed not to admit him entrance to Coopertown.
You can never predict how the writers will vote six years from now, especially in light of Roberto Alomar's lack of admission to the Hall of Fame last month. It could get even more interesting if John Smoltz and Pedro Martinez hang up the towel too. Regardless, the 2016 Hall of Fame class will be an incredible group of ballplayers.
Last month, Randy Johnson, "The Big Unit," called it a career. Now, just over a month later, two more future Hall of Famers are calling it quits. Lefty Tom Glavine and 1B/DH Frank Thomas are calling it a career.
Glavine will always a remain in a thorn in the hearts of Mets fans, as I don't believe they will ever forgive him for losing the critical final game of 2007 season (which in all honesty, was lost far before that game ever took place). However, I think we take for granted how consistent a pitcher he was for such a long period of time. In fact, Glavine maybe one of the last pitchers of his kind.
He is a three hundred game winner and a five time twenty game winner. In his 22 year career, he pitched over 200 innings 14 times, a sign of his tremendous durability and dependability. Yet for whatever reason, he never got as much credit as his teammates John Smoltz and Greg Maddux did. He didn't have Smoltz's tremendous fastball, nor did he have Maddux's impeccable control. Nevertheless, he was as dependable as either one of those two pitchers could have been the ace for any other team in the league.
When it comes to Thomas, I think some of us have forgotten the years that earned him the nickname "The Big Hurt." During my youth, Thomas may have been the second most popular player in the league next to Ken Griffey Jr. If not the second most popular, he was certainly as good, if not better at times than Griffey and was in my opinion the best right-handed hitter in the league. Over his first eight seasons, he averaged .330 with and an OBP of .452!!! That means that for eight straight years, he got on base almost 50% of the time. He also smashed 257 homers and drove in 854 runs.
Here is how he compared to Bonds and Griffey over the first eight years of their careers:
Griffey - .302, .381 OBP, 238 HR, 725 RBI
Bonds - .283, .391 OBP, 222 HR, 679 RBI
For whatever reason, starting in 1998, his power numbers began to stagger and while he would manage to continue putting up good power numbers, he failed to match the performance we saw out of him earlier in his career (with exception of his 2000 season, when he drove in a career-high 143 runs). Yes, he did suffer injuries which cost his major portions of his 2001 and 2005 seasons. Yet it remains unclear as to why he could not continue to put up the outrageous numbers we saw from him early on.
The knock against Thomas will be that he played most of his career as a DH. However, his numbers are too good to ignore and I think voters will be hard pressed not to admit him entrance to Coopertown.
You can never predict how the writers will vote six years from now, especially in light of Roberto Alomar's lack of admission to the Hall of Fame last month. It could get even more interesting if John Smoltz and Pedro Martinez hang up the towel too. Regardless, the 2016 Hall of Fame class will be an incredible group of ballplayers.
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