Sports Blog Net |
- The DigBoston Column That Wasn't
- Prepare yourself!
- Beasts of the East
- Top 2 started 0 and 2
- Hello Fellow Ballers
- Does he belong in the Hall of Fame? Vince Coleman
- Heat look good in season opener
- Might be time for the Jets to start over
- Patriots Report Card: Week 16
- Patriots Drown the 'Fins.
- Clippers Vs. Warriors: Blake Griffin, Chris Paul Earn Solid 105-86 Win In Debut
- Clippers Vs Warriors Christmas Day
- The All-Japanese All-Star Team
- All I Want For Christmas Is…
- All Systems: Fail.
- Patriots Clinch First-Round Bye, Overcome 17-Point Deficit Against Dolphins
- Play Em, Bench Em
- Any player/Any era: Elmer Flick
- Is this the year for the Thunder??
- Happy to see the effort from the Colts
- NFL Injury Reports
- Championship Week!!!
- Breakin down the ranks: RBs
- Hor-Nets Basket Blog (NOLA not known for Hornets, my blog is not known for it's title)
- Denver Nuggets Season Preview
| The DigBoston Column That Wasn't Posted: 27 Dec 2011 02:00 PM PST My first column for DigBoston should have been about watching the Celtics' season opener at a bar on Christmas Day. Unfortunately... all the bars were closed. I still watched the game, though, and went ahead with the column. DigBoston nixed it, but I've published it on Goose's Gabs so all my loyal readers can get a preview of what I'll be doing weekly for DigBoston in 2012. Enjoy! [caption id="attachment_1822" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Since virtually every bar in Boston was closed Christmas Day, I watched Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks beat the Celtics from my living room. (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)"]  [/caption] As DigBoston's intrepid new sports writer, I see "52 Games" as an opportunity to find the hot spots for sports-viewing in and around Boston. Whether I'm in Fenway's bleachers or Allston's Silhouette Lounge, I want to meet the true fans out there and view the games the way they do. With the Boston Celtics' season starting Christmas Day against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, I figured I'd trek out to Canal St., plop myself down in one of the many bars near the TD Garden, and ring in the long-awaited NBA season in merry old fashion. Holy crap, was I misguided. We of the Hebraic persuasion spend about half our Christmas Day in a movie theater, and the other half in a Chinese food restaurant. Since those places are always open, I assumed that other places would be open as well. Basketball games always generate a big bar crowd. While most bars would be closed Christmas Day, surely at least a few owners would pay the time-and-a-half necessary to keep their places open, right? Right? Wrong. On Christmas Day, Boston was frozen shut. I struck out on Canal St. I struck out walking from Copley to Hynes Convention. I struck out in Kenmore Square and near Fenway. So, for lack of a better option, I watched the game at home. Which I guess is where everyone else watched. Like so many other NBA games, Celtics-Knicks came down to the final few minutes. The Knicks led by 11 after one quarter, but the Celtics doubled them up in the third and took an eight-point lead into the fourth. But the offense floundered without Paul Pierce (bruised heel), the Celtics' most consistent and versatile scoring threat. Rajon Rondo did his best to replace Pierce, playing a Herculean 41 points, scoring 31 and notching 13 assists. Unfortunately, he had to earn most of his baskets via the layup. Between the 6-foot-11 Amare Stoudemire and the 7-foot-1 Tyson Chandler, layups were hard to come by. Stoudemire and Chandler combine for eight of the Knicks' 11 blocks, including four against Rondo. Newcomer Brandon Bass gives the C's a lovely double-double off the bench, scoring 20, grabbing 11 rebounds and displaying more athleticism and strength than trade-counterpart Glen "Big Baby" Davis ever did. Rondo and Bass even combine on a nifty behind-the-back play: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caNvnY4L4V0 Unfortunately, Boston has no answer for Carmelo Anthony's range and ability. Anthony scores 17 of his game-high 37 points in the fourth, including the final four points. Final score: Knicks 106, Celtics 104 The Celtics had committed two fourth-quarter technical fouls, leading to two free throws that (of course) Anthony sank. Technicals and inconsistent offense both suggest the team may be too unsteady right now to win games. As a further sign, check out this shoving match between Kevin Garnett and the Knicks' Bill Walker: http://youtu.be/NXSfZnoXBx8 Watching the game was enjoyable enough. Some decent plays, a big comeback from both teams, two final-seconds shots that could have tied the game. But I had really wanted to take the pulse of the Celtics fanbase: How do Bostonians feel about the lockout? Are they confident the Celtics can win Banner #18? Are the Celtics too old? I couldn't learn anything because Celtics fans all watched this game shuttered in their own homes. Sports are at their best when they build communities. Putting a city's name on a uniform helps a little, but it's the gathering of people in public places that really makes everyone feel like they're part of something bigger. By putting such an emphasis on Christmas Day basketball, the NBA indirectly undermines sports' potential to build communities. That's especially apparent in Boston, where religion is so tightly interwoven into the city's history that most people spend their holidays in church or with families. Bostonians won't go out to watch games on Christmas, so the bars stay shut. That denies local businesses income. The Fours on Canal St. would normally be busy on Game Night, jam-packed for Celtics-Knicks, and stuffed to the brim for the season opener. But with the game happening Christmas Day, The Fours closed down. Think how much money Boston bars lost because their patrons won't come out on Christmas. TV ratings soared for the five Christmas Day games, but who makes money off that? Answer: The networks and the NBA. Given the choice, I always want to give my money to local businesses. Christmas Day basketball gives the money to people who need it least. How very un-Christmasy. |
| Posted: 27 Dec 2011 12:08 PM PST Welcome to all my Maniacs! They call me the Moose. I have been following sports my whole life and think it is about time to give the sporting world a piece of my mind! This blog will provide you with my personal point of view of the current condition of our great sports nation using concrete historical data and razor sharp wit.This blog will allow you access to the madness that is fueled by the sports world. To start, the one thing is the constant catastophe that is the "business" of sports! This is exemplified by two words, Lock Out! There is no more love of the game, just the love of green! I am not talking about the ivy on the walls of Wrigley Field of the fifty yard line of the of a football field. I am talking about cash money. The theme song should be C.R.E.A.M by the Wu Tang Clan. That's right, Cash Rules Everything Around Me! If you do not know the song, hit it up on Itunes and open your ears and widen your perspective. As well as anything thing else I feel needs to be addressed. Hoped you ejoyed your sample because this is the tip of the iceberg! I am currently putting the finishing touches on my first post- "The State of Coaching in the NFL" This will be a Ice Breaker that you can cut your teeth on that will keep you coming back for more each week. Please check back tonight to open the door and let the Moose Loose all over you! You can follow me on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/#!/macemoosante |
| Posted: 27 Dec 2011 07:22 AM PST Derrick Rose - huge fan. Lebron James (dare I say) - huge fan. The guy is an animal, come on. I think its gonna come down to these 2 guys for the MVP award. What each player does in this shortened season will be exciting to watch. Both are hungry. One in hopes of emphasizing why he was chosen MVP last year, the other in dire need to change his image and re-capture the "crown". I suppose tho really both are after one thing and one thing only... a ring. Check Lebron's crazy tip to D-Wade http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYuP3KF1ad8 while D-Rose seals it for the Bulls on Christmas Day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z1BJZDBclc&feature=related ... |
| Posted: 27 Dec 2011 06:59 AM PST While there is no denying that OKC are the young guns on the West Coast this year, the Lakers and the Mavs still gotta be on top, right? Wrong! Average age for both these teams is nearing 30, and as the first 2 games of the season have shown, LA isn't itself while the new look Mavs have yet to find their stride. Check out the Lakers second loss to the Kings; http://www.nba.com/video/games/kings/2011/12/26/0021100015_lal_sac_recap.nba/ |
| Posted: 27 Dec 2011 06:43 AM PST Let me jump right into things. There are thousands of similar blogs I presume however I'm hoping to start building on something here. It will strictly be ball-talk and am doing it because writing and basketball are my two passions in life. While the world has thrown at some of us obstacles and refused to show us a clear cut path, I am hoping that in this blog I will find something worthwhile and relevant, and here's to praying that you will find some of this engaging and entertaining. I am so glad the NBA lockout is over and all the talk is now firmly on the court alone. So many fascinating story lines to dive into and immerse ourselves in. Let us not forget though about European b-ball, because while some of you may be skeptic, European ball has a massive following in each respective country and the Final Four (European style) is a very big deal. I am excited to get started as this is somewhat a humbling experience. 1 Love, Much Love, All Ball |
| Does he belong in the Hall of Fame? Vince Coleman Posted: 27 Dec 2011 12:01 AM PST Claim to fame: I saw Vince Coleman got a few votes in my recent project on the 50 best players not in the Hall of Fame, six votes out of 86 ballots to be precise, and I noticed something interesting. I noticed this thing again in a forum discussion on Monday over at Baseball Think Factory. That thing I noticed goes something like this: A lot of people want to see Tim Raines in the Hall of Fame (including yours truly), and Raines has 808 stolen bases and is fifth on the all-time steals list. Coleman has 752 steals and is sixth. If Raines goes in the Hall of Fame, does Coleman need to also be enshrined? The short answer is no, but let's explore that question further. Current Hall of Fame eligibility: Coleman received 0.6 percent of the vote his only year on the Baseball Writers Association of America ballot for Cooperstown in 2003. Under the Veterans Committee's new format of considering players depending on their era, Coleman will first be eligible with the committee in 2019. Does he belong in the Hall of Fame? So Vince Coleman has 752 steals. He also led the National League his first six seasons and stole over 100 bases each of his first three years in the majors. He even had pretty good efficiency, being caught stealing just 177 times for an 81 percent success rate. Does this make Coleman a Hall of Famer? Eh, not really. Coleman's essentially a one-trick pony. Besides a lot of stolen bases, I'm not sure what else his Hall of Fame case consists of. Coleman hit .264 lifetime and had 1,425 hits in 13 seasons. His lifetime OPS+ of 83 would very nearly be the worst of any position player enshrined, just beating Rabbit Maranville's 82. Without checking, Coleman's career Wins Above Replacement of 9.4 would seemingly be the lowest by far of any player in Cooperstown, making Tommy McCarthy and his 19.0 WAR look epic. Cooperstown's enshrined some lousy candidates before, but Coleman would vault almost instantly to the top of any list of the worst players in the Hall of Fame. There could be a dual ceremony while he was being inducted. And then there are the extracurricular points against Coleman that my Twitter followers educated me on, such as:
I have a hunch Raines will eventually be honored by the Veterans Committee. When that happens, it will be interesting to see if traditional baseball media makes any to-do about Coleman. Raines dwarfs Coleman for stats, with a far better OPS+ rating, about twice as many hits, and nearly seven times as much WAR, but Hall of Fame voters don't always closely follow sabermetrics. In fact, they rarely do. Does he belong in the Hall of Fame? is a Tuesday feature here. Others in this series: Adrian Beltre, Al Oliver, Alan Trammell, Albert Belle, Albert Pujols, Allie Reynolds, Barry Bonds, Barry Larkin, Bert Blyleven, Bill King, Billy Martin, Bobby Grich, Cecil Travis, Chipper Jones, Closers, Curt Flood, Dan Quisenberry, Darrell Evans, Dave Parker, Dick Allen, Don Mattingly,Don Newcombe, George Steinbrenner, George Van Haltren, Gus Greenlee, Harold Baines, Harry Dalton, Jack Morris, Jim Edmonds, Joe Carter, Joe Posnanski, John Smoltz, Juan Gonzalez, Keith Hernandez, Ken Caminiti, Larry Walker,Manny Ramirez, Maury Wills, Mel Harder, Moises Alou, Pete Browning,Phil Cavarretta, Rafael Palmeiro, Roberto Alomar, Rocky Colavito,Roger Maris, Ron Cey, Ron Guidry, Ron Santo, Smoky Joe Wood, Steve Garvey,Ted Simmons, Thurman Munson, Tim Raines, Tony Oliva, Will Clark |
| Heat look good in season opener Posted: 26 Dec 2011 04:16 PM PST Here is my first article about the Miami Heat for this NBA season. I caught the game between the Heat and the defending champion Dallas Mavericks and I must say that if Christmas was any indication of how it will be for the Heat, it could be a party on South Beach come June. The Heat ran circles around the Mavericks in a 105-94 win in Dallas, and the final score doesn't even tell the whole story. This game was way out of hand by the middle of the third quarter. Dwayne Wade and LeBron James look like they are in great shape, and the attitude was one of which they look like they are on a mission. I know that this is the first game of the regular season, so I don't want to read too much into this. But things are pointing way up on the "Heat Index." Let's be honest with ourselves. We already know that Miami is going to win a lot of games. The Heat can go 66-0 in the regular season and it won't matter. What matters is what they do in the playoffs, and ultimately the NBA Finals if they get there. James has always been a beast during the regular season. He has two MVP awards and a scoring title. He has also been an all-star every year he's been in the league. But it's all about what he does if James gets an opportunity to get back to the finals. Make no mistake about it. I still feel like if the Heat are to get to the championship, Wade has to be the guy to lead the way because of the obvious. He's the guy who has won a championship and he knows what it takes to get there. But there are no excuses why James can't win that elusive title anymore. He can't fizzle out in big moments. When the opportunity is his to make that big play, he has to make it happen. We saw the mid-range jumper and a post up game from James, two things we haven't seen from him. Those additions will be huge if James is going to get that ring. But that's another topic for another day. Miami looked impressive in the opener, and it will be hard for them to lose if they play like that. Scary is the word I would use, but it is a long season. |
| Might be time for the Jets to start over Posted: 26 Dec 2011 03:15 PM PST It was the usual build-up that we always hear from New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan. He was talking mess like he always does leading up to a game. In this case he was targeting the other football team in the New York City area, the New York Giants. In this particular case, all the trash talking backfired as his team was beaten up by the Giants 29-14 on Saturday afternoon. The Jets fell to 8-7 and, barring a miracle, will not make the playoffs for the first time in Ryan's tenure as the Jets' head coach. Of course that would be a huge step back from the two AFC Championship Game appearances the two years prior. The thing that stuck out to me more than anything else from the game was that the Jets got physically beaten up. The Giants out-muscled the Jets, which does not happen often against a team coached by Ryan. There wasn't any more telling sign of that than when Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw ran over Jets safety Brodney Pool on the way to a third quarter touchdown. With this defeat, it might be time for Ryan to go back to the drawing board and, well, just shut the &^%$ up for a little bit if you let Giants RB Brandon Jacobs tell it. I think it's evident that the Jets are at best an average football team. The players aren't playing up to their potential and to be honest, I don't think the coaching staff is putting the team in the best position to win football games. I have said before and it's been proven that if the Jets are going to win games, they have to have balance between the run and pass. The Jets are at their best when they run the football and play good defense. On Saturday, QB Mark Sanchez threw 59 passes. 59 passes???? For Mark Sanchez???? That is way too many for even elite QBs like Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Tom Brady. At least with those guys you can understand it because you know that those teams are going up or down with those guys throwing the ball. Sanchez throwing the ball that much is a recipe for disaster, and it's not the Jets' identity. Where was Shonn Greene and Ladainian Tomlinson?? I think I saw a team that's in need of a face lift of some sort. The personnel is not matching what the coaches want to do and it's time to stick a fork in the Jets for the season. I know that they still have a chance to make it to the playoffs, but they won't make it. Even if they do they will go out in the first round, no matter who they play, in my eyes. I think that Ryan is a very good football coach with great vision, and he is a player's coach as well. But I think that Ryan has gotten the most out of this present group of players he has on this team. Quite frankly, they don't have that extra spark needed to get that Super Bowl win that Ryan makes it known that he's after. Some things need to change in Jets camp, and it will be an interesting off-season no matter what happens this season. |
| Posted: 26 Dec 2011 01:53 PM PST [caption id="attachment_1819" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="He wasn't perfect, but Tom Brady's gritty second-half performance – including two rushing touchdowns – carried the day against the Dolphins. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)"]  [/caption] The Miami Dolphins narrowly avoided disaster Saturday against the New England Patriots. Somehow a group of talented, motivated football players broke into their locker room, knocked everyone out, stole their uniforms and took the field for kickoff. The "Dolphins" went into halftime up 17-0. Luckily, the true – and truly terrible – Dolphins regained consciousness and took back their uniforms for the second half. The Patriots scored 27 points in a row and held on to win, 27-24. The Patriots clinched a first-round bye, and the Dolphins continued their mission of destroying the legacy of a once-great franchise. Which Patriots graduated with honors, and which will have to take summer school classes? Here's this week's report card.
Tom Brady couldn't do much in the first half, what with all the Dolphins constantly in his face. Whatever happened at halftime, the protection improved in the second half, and Brady came alive. Brady's second-half line: 20-27 for 217 yards and a touchdown, finishing 27-46 for 306 overall. Brady continues to play with guts, QB-sneaking not once but twice for rushing touchdowns in the second half. |
| Posted: 26 Dec 2011 01:49 PM PST Almost as quickly as Miami pulled off the team morale spike of the year, the New England Patriots were just as fast and happy to leave the 'Fins with a pat on the back and a "yeah right." No doubt the Patriots failed to live up to their maxim of playing every game for 60 minutes, instead deciding to shotgun the 1st half of play and cranking down on Miami with a vice grip in the 2nd half. "It wasn't out best effort of the season. But down 17-0 the players played a good enough half of football," said Belichick, who reportedly blasted his team with hell, fire, and brimstone at halftime for their efforts. We all knew the Patriots would not let the latter half ride the way they did the 1st, but on Saturday, it wasn't just Tom Brady who answered the bell. The New England defense made it clear: no points allowed. The Patriots came out in the second half and scored 27 unanswered points after Tom Brady had been hurried out of rhythm and shut down in the 1st half, largely due in part to the injuries to his offensive line. While he went to work, the Patriots defense forced, in succession, a fumble, 3 and out, an interception, and 4 and out before allowing a touchdown by Miami with 2 minutes left of play. The Patriots turned every possession into points (no surprise there), and the Dolphins saw the summit go out of reach when Brady connected with Welker for a first down after Miami was out of timeouts. New England undoubtedly took advantage of a devastating injury to Miami LT Jake Long who tore his biceps in the 2nd quarter. The 2nd half for the Patriots included 3 sacks to go alongside the fumble recovery and timely interception by Devin McCourty. Jake Long or not, it was a supplemental victory for the Patriots defense to account for 5 sacks with Andre Carter, their best pass rusher, having been lost for the year in their victory over Denver. The loss of Carter was an injury that a statistical bottom feeder of a defense could not afford without someone picking up the slack. LB Jerod Mayo was happy to fill those spikes totaling 13 tackles with 2 sacks among them, his first of the season no less. The New England Patriots defenders know who they are. You would not be surprising them if you hit them with the numbers that people use to rip them as a unit. What makes them formidable is their ability to make inter-quarter and halftime adjustments. Whatever analytical and corrective tools Bill Belichick uses to tune his guys up are definitely noteworthy. They did it against Denver when they canned the running game after the 1st quarter and proceeded to force 3 turnovers before halftime, and effectively eliminated Denver's offense in the entire 2nd half. In the week prior they recovered a critical fumble to prevent the Redskins from tying the game late. They faltered very late against Miami, but held the Dolphin offense in check, wrapping a chain around their playmaking ability while Brady did what he does best to give New England a lead. This unit doesn't have to be great. They only have to be good enough to allow number 12 to put up more points than they allow, and, quite honestly, this season has shown they can do it. "That defense is awful." "Defense wins championships, and they have the worst one in football." Who do you think you are threatening by saying that? Statistically, there is almost nothing this defense could do worse. But, as is the case with more than just professional sports, timing is everything. Timely defensive plays, however, don't always have to be in the clutch. Fact is there has been more than one occasion this year when the difference in the game wasn't a scoreboard-reflected Brady to Gronk touchdown, it was a forced turnover that put the offense back on the field, or stuck the fork in their opponents. Some days it's not in flashy fashion, but in volume, as was the case in Denver. Some days, they decide to let it run to the wire before doing so, as they did against the Redskins. And as this game against Miami proved, when they absolutely must put an opponent's offense under their own lock and key, they can. I'm sure they are all interested in how bad the numbers paint them out to be, but they have other things to attend to. What the Golden Boy can't control, Bill Belichick can, and as far as we can see, the Patriots are on the cusp of wrapping up home ice for the playoffs. |
| Clippers Vs. Warriors: Blake Griffin, Chris Paul Earn Solid 105-86 Win In Debut Posted: 26 Dec 2011 08:46 AM PST Dec 26, 2011 - Chris Paul and the new-look L.A. Clippers didn't supply the gift of Lob City we saw glimpses of during the preseason in the team's Sunday opener against the Golden State Warriors. But the Clips managed to be impressive nonetheless, breaking away late for a 105-86 win over their rivals in Oakland. Paul scored 20 points on 7-12 shooting with nine assists and just two turnovers. In what could become a central piece of L.A.'s identity, the team offered up just 10 turnovers for the game; the club was sure-handed in preseason as well. Blake Griffin, CP3's All-Star finisher, scored a game-high 22 on 9-18 shooting. Chauncey Billups added 21 as the starting two-guard. |
| Clippers Vs Warriors Christmas Day Posted: 26 Dec 2011 08:30 AM PST Christmas for Warriors coach Mark Jackson turned sour pretty quickly Sunday, ending with a 105-86 season-opening loss to the visiting Los Angeles Clippers. Jackson's debut as an NBA head coach, before a sell-out crowd and to a national TV audience, was tainted by a fourth-quarter collapse that suggested Warriors' basketball hasn't changed much. The man who has preached defense since being hired in June watched the Clippers, led by point guard Chris Paul, torch his team late, outscoring the Warriors 21-3 over a five-minute stretch. The fourth quarter capped a forgettable second half for the Warriors defense. The Clippers shot 59 percent after half time. "We gave up some easy baskets, some open looks that they knocked down," point guard Stephen Curry said. "Defensively, we didn't have our best performance in the second half." Jackson wasn't so judicious with his words: "You have to get stops. Sixty four points in the second half just won't cut it." In addition to its trademark shoddy defense, Golden State struggled offensively in the second half -- especially the fourth quarter, where they missed 11 of their 17 attempts and turned it over five times. The Warriors got morsels from their top three offensive players in crunch time. Starting point guard Stephen Curry, recovering from a sprained right ankle, decided to play just before the game. By game's end, many Warriors fans probably wished he hadn't. Curry finished with four points on 2-for-12 shooting with four assists and four rebounds. He had three of his five turnovers during the Clippers' game-cinching run. "We are a no excuse basketball team," Jackson said. "The turnovers that I saw him commit tonight had nothing to do with the ankle. He understands he has to do better." It looked as if Ellis was going to be able to overcome multiple off-the-court issues, and gut his way to an effective performance. But he wasn't able to save the Warriors Sunday night, scoring one point in the fourth quarter. Wednesday, Ellis was named in a sexual harassment suit filed by a former Warriors employee. Sunday, he learned his grandmother Mary Cole died in Mississippi at age 89. Still, in the second quarter, he took over. He scored three lay-ups and assisted on another during a 9-0 run midway through the second quarter. That spurt helped the Warriors take a 43-41 halftime lead. But Ellis' spark fizzled in the second half. In 20 second-half minutes, he took four shots scoring three points. "It's something I've got to get through," Ellis said after totaling 15 points, eight assists and four turnoevrs. "It's tough, but I will get through it." David Lee finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Though he had six points in the fourth quarter, four of them came in the first two minutes and his third basket came in the final seconds when the game was decided. The Clippers, who shot just over 40 percent from the field in the first three quarters, made 11-of-21 attempts in the final period. Paul had eight points in the fourth quarter and finished with 20 points and nine assists in his first game since being traded to the Clippers by New Orleans. Golden State, conversely, struggled offensively in the fourth quarter. The Warriors missed 11-of-17 attempts and turned the ball over five times. It all started so promising, too. First, Jackson learned Curry was able to play despite a sprained right ankle. Curry, after testing his ankle before the game, decided he'd give it a go. He sprained his ankle Tuesday, giving him a four days to rest it. But Curry wound up with a rough night, finishing with four points on 2-for-12 shooting with four assists and five turnovers. Then, it looked as if Ellis was going to be able to overcome multiple off-the-court issues and gut his way to an effective performance. Ellis is not only dealing with being named in a sexual harassment suit, which went public Wednesday. Sunday, he learned his grandmother, Mary Cole, died in Mississippi at age 89. With his shooting stroke not in sync, Ellis used his speed to get to the rim. He scored six points, all layups, during a 9-0 run midway through the second quarter. It looked as if he was going to have a nice effort. But by the end of the night, he was silenced. He finished with 15 points on 6-for-19 shooting with eight assists. But he also had four turnovers and scored just one point in the fourth quarter. When the third-quarter horn sounded, Golden State was down seven and struggling to find some momentum. After a blown defensive assignment, that led to a 3-pointer by the Clippers'' Brian Cook, Jackson called a timeout and lit into his team. The Warriors emerged from the timeout down 78-70 with 11:32 to play. Three minutes later, the deficit was down to one. A Brandon Rush 3-pointer and a tip-in by rookie Klay Thompson capped a 9-2 run that cut the Clippers' lead to 80-79. But the Warriors' defense couldn't come up with the necessary stops. Back-to-back jumpers by Clippers guards Mo Williams and Chauncey Billups pushed the Warriors' deficit to 87-81. Ellis then split a pair of free throws, and Los Angeles' Caron Butler nailed a runner. After Curry missed a jumper, Billups knocked down two free throws. Just like that, Golden State was down 91-82 inside of five minutes left. Then Paul took over. He nailed a jumper over Ellis, putting Golden State down 93-84 just inside of four minutes. After a Curry turnover, Paul nailed a runner in the lane. Paul then sealed it with a jumper as the shot clock expired, putting the Clippers ahead 97-84 with 2:38 left. Warriors center Andris Biedrins' opening-night performance perhaps lent some credence to the talk about him being his old self. He finished with 10 and eight rebounds in 20-plus minutes. He had six points and four rebounds in the first quarter. His putback dunk at the 6:46 mark put the Warriors up 12-6 and forced the Clippers to call a timeout. He checked out with 5:14 left in the quarter and didn't return until midway through the second. He sparked a 9-0 Warriors run, capped with a fastbreak layup by Ellis for a 37-36 lead. Center DeAndre Jordan said he was happy the Clippers matched Golden State's four-year, $42.7 million offer sheet. But for a moment, the restricted free agent thought he was headed to Oakland. And he wasn't mad about that. "When I signed, I thought I was going to the Warriors," Jordan said before tipoff. "I think they're a great team. Lots of young talent. Just like our team, still has a lot of work to do. But I feel like both are up-and-coming |
| The All-Japanese All-Star Team Posted: 26 Dec 2011 12:01 AM PST Editor's note: I'm pleased to present the latest piece from Alex Putterman, a regular contributor here. ______________________ Four weeks ago, I unveiled my all-time all-Jewish all-star team. Now, in honor of the $51.7 million bid that won the Texas Rangers the rights to negotiate with Japanese star pitcher Yu Darvish, I present the all-time all-Japanese all-star team (of players who played in the Major Leagues). The migration of Japan's talent to the United States has been a relatively recent phenomenon, so this team lacks much of the depth the Jewish team boasted but, led by future Hall-of-Famer Ichiro Suzuki, claims some degree of star-power. C Kenji Johjima - Johjima is actually the only Japanese-born catcher to appear in Major League Baseball (Kurt Suzuki is of Japanese descent but was born in Hawaii and is a fourth-generation American), giving him this spot on the list by default. Johjima broke into the Majors with a bang, batting .289 with 32 home runs in his first two seasons with the Seattle Mariners, before declining in productivity and returning to Japan in 2009, after a four-year career in American baseball. 1B N/A - There has never been a Japanese-born first baseman in the Major Leagues, but Nippon Professional Baseball legend Sadaharu Oh won 15 home run titles in his 22-year career playing first base for the Yomiuri Giants and owns Japan's records for home runs in a single-season (55) and a career (868). 2B Tad Iguchi - Second base happens to be somewhat of a hotspot for Japanese players, with Iguchi, Akinori Iwamura, and Kaz Matsui all having played the majority of their MLB games there. Iguchi was the only of the trio to play exclusively at second, and so he gets this position, while Matsui and Iwamura find spots elsewhere. 3B Akinori Iwamura - Iwamura played four MLB seasons, three of them in Tampa Bay, and was the starting second baseman on the Rays' pennant-winning 2008 team. But the infielder performed best during his rookie season, when he posted career highs in home runs, stolen bases, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS+ and WAR while playing third base. SS Kaz Matsui - Matsui was, like Iwamura, primarily a second baseman but played shortstop as a Mets rookie (with a young Jose Reyes stationed at second). Matsui initially failed to live up to high expectations, struggling mightily during his time in New York, before reviving his career in Colorado following a 2006 trade. LF Hideki Matsui - Probably the second most accomplished Japanese-born MLB player, Matsui has batted .285 and knocked 173 home runs in nine seasons with the Yankees, Angels and Athletics. A six-RBI performance in game six of the 2009 World Series earned him Series MVP honors, concluding a successful but somewhat injury-prone Yankee career. RF Ichiro - The inarguable greatest Japanese Major Leaguer of all-time, Ichiro broke into the bigs with Rookie of the Year and MVP awards in his rookie season. And unlike other Japanese players who began their careers strong and then faded (see: Nomo, Matsuzaka, Fukudome, Iwamura, Johjima, Sasaki, Okajima) the Mariner outfielder built off his initial success and put together a career worthy of Cooperstown. Though his best days are behind him, Ichiro can already claim two batting titles, over 2,400 career hits, over 400 career stolen bases, and the MLB single-season hits record (262, set in 2004). CF Kosuke Fukodome - A 3-run game-tying home run in Fukodome's first MLB game and a .337 batting average in his first month in America made the outfielder a cult hero in Chicago, and while that level of success didn't last long, Fukodome's career has been a moderate success. He's hit between .257 and .263 in each of his four MLB seasons and added above-average defense to a solid bat. Although primarily a rightfielder, Fukudome has played enough games in center (138) to warrant this position on this list. With the dearth of Japanese position players already evident in the starting lineup, the all-time Japanese team's bench is pathetically shallow. So Taguchi had his moments, contributing to the Cardinals' 2006 World Series championship team. Beyond that, we don't have much. There is no second catcher to bring off the bench, and Tsuyoshi Nishioka is the default utility infielder despite a disastrous rookie season in 2011. Outfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo was the first Japanese-born player to play in the World Series, appearing in the 2000 Series for the Mets, but he didn't amount to much thereafter. The only other Japanese Major League position player not yet mentioned here is Norihiro Nakamura, a third baseman, who lasted all of 17 games with the Dodgers in 2005, batting .128. On December 7, the Yankees won the rights to negotiate with infielder Hiroyuki Nakajima, who, if he signs, can round out this woefully unimpressive bench. SP Hideo Nomo - If the Rangers come to terms with Darvish, they'll be counting on him to surpass Nomo and assume the title of best Japanese pitcher to cross the Pacific. For now, the 1995 Rookie of the Year tops this rotation, having fooled the National League with an unconventional delivery and posted a 2.54 ERA (150 ERA+) in his first big league season, finishing 4th in Cy Young voting that year. SP Daisuke Matsuzaka - Like Nomo, Dice-K began his career strong but has fizzled as the league has figured him out. Unlike Nomo, who peaked as a rookie, Dice-K's sophomore season was his strongest. That year, 2008, the Red Sox righty went 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA (160 ERA+) and, like Nomo 13 years earlier, finished 4th in Cy Young voting. SP Hiroki Kuroda - Kuroda is currently a free agent, with the Red Sox and Yankees considered among the front-runners for his services. The 36-year old has proved a reliable MLB starter, posting an ERA under 4.00 and an ERA+ over 100 in each of his four seasons stateside. SP Tomo Ohka - Ohka quietly compiled a solid, decade-long MLB career, highlighted by an impressive 2002 campaign in which he won 13 games and finished 7th in the National League with a 3.18 ERA. SP Masato Yoshii - Yoshii is less remembered than his contemporary Hideki Irabu (who gained his notoriety mostly by pitching poorly and being called a "Fat Toad" by George Steinbrenner), but Yoshii has a better career ERA, ERA+, WHIP, and WAR than Irabu. Unlike the Jewish all-star team, the Japanese squad is very deep in the bullpen. Akinori Otsuka, Hideki Okajima, Takashi Saito, Koji Uehara, Shigetoshi Hasegawaand Kazuhiro Sasaki all enjoyed or continue to enjoy productive careers in the states. Honorable mention to Masanori Murakami, the first Japanese Major Leaguer, who pitched in 54 games during the 1964 and 1965 seasons before a resolution between MLB and Nippon Professional Baseball which, for 30 years, kept Japan's best away from America. |
| Posted: 25 Dec 2011 10:40 AM PST The 2012 baseball season is approaching, if ever so slowly, and at this festive time of year there is something on everyone's Christmas list. This is especially true for the 30 general managers who run Major League Baseball. Some have long lists with not much money to spend, others have short lists with lots of money to spend and some have already finished their shopping. There are also three franchise problems which would be a nice Christmas gift for the respective fans this year. Here's what should be on their lists. Ownership situations need to be resolved. Franchise locations need to be resolved. It can't be business as usual without a solution, a solution which, while it didn't come in time for Christmas, might get done during the holidays or early in the New Year. The Los Angeles Dodgers, a once storied franchise, need to find responsible ownership. It continues to be unresolved, and no doubt court cases might still be pending. Baseball needs to ensure that any new ownership is financially sound, morally focused and free from past restrictions. Commissioner Selig and former owner Frank McCourt need to step aside and let those not quite so emotionally involved find a solution which would be good for baseball and everyone involved. Los Angeles needs to be restored as a storied franchise. Let's bury the hatchet but learn from past mistakes. The New York Mets ownership needs to step aside finally. Fred Wilpon doesn't have the money or is unwilling to sell his various other financial interests to make the Mets a solid franchise again. Baseball needs to force his hand and not allow this situation to drag out any longer. While the dodgers have received most of the negative publicity while the Mets have been largely given a free ride by the press, push now has to come to shove. There must be more than qualified potential owners out there. Let's insist that one of them be allowed to take over this franchise. Baseball doesn't need the distraction. It seems that the Oakland A's situation is moving closer to resolution. San Jose is ready and willing and some financial consideration for the San Francisco Giants to get them to drop their objections to territorial rights is likely all that is standing in the way. GM Billy Beane has been tearing apart the A's with his recent fire sale, (although he is getting a good return for his veterans), and not moving this franchise would negate all of his plans and further drive Oakland attendance downward. It is the obvious solution and one which would appear to have all the makings of a successful franchise. While I feel for those loyal A's fans, they would still have a team. San Jose isn't that far away. Someone needs to find Prince Fielder nicely wrapped under the tree. Use the Christmas layaway plan if necessary but sign on the dotted line. Max out those credit cards. The Marlins, Nationals or Blue Jays have the money and have the need. Time is running out and there are not many star free agents left on the shelf. You know you've always wanted to own a high performance machine. Think of how envious all your friends will be despite what they might be telling their friends. They will all be jealous, trust me. There are approximately 24 other free agents out there, none in ultra premium category, but they all could fill a need somewhere. The Los Angeles Angels have finished their Christmas shopping. It appears that the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have finished theirs. Tampa Bay needs a first baseman, The Chicago Cubs need everyone but a number one starting pitcher and teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres need a lot of everything can't attract or perhaps afford the big ticket items. Their Christmas lists go, for the most part, unfilled. They can't, or won't shop in the big stores but keep scouring the local corner stores, hoping that something good is still on the shelf, it ever was. Major League Baseball: My advice is to wrap up any remaining shopping and relax in front of the tree with a nice glass of wine and a warm fire. Merry Christmas everyone and have a great New Year. The countdown to Spring Training will begin tomorrow. |
| Posted: 24 Dec 2011 06:01 PM PST The New York Jets took a nose dive in every facet of the game that they had to dominate in order to beat the Giants on Sunday. Shut the run down. The Giants totaled over 100 yards on the ground and Ahmad Bradshaw punched in two scores. Take advantage of a battered Giants pass rush. Mark Sanchez was sacked 5 times, including an -8 yard safety on the outset of their 2 minute drill in the 4th quarter that put the fork in the game. Exploit the Giants' secondary. Mark Sanchez completed 30 passes. Almost all of them were check down underneath tosses with a long for the day of 15 yards, and a grand total of 258 yards. The really mind blowing part? To accomplish those 30 completions it took Mark Sanchez 59 attempts. There is nothing that can justify calling 59 pass plays for Mark Sanchez. It would have been different if the plan was to beat the Giants on the team's glaring weakness this season which has been the big play forfeiture of their secondary. But there was no such attack in effect out there. If that was the strategy they would have called Plax's number a lot more than 6 times. Sanchez threw a combined 13 passes to his running backs, and targeted his tight end Dustin Keller 18 times. Deep ball? Not so much. If you are going to pass on the Giants, go to work on the secondary. This is not the game of the New York Jets. These guys essentially coined the game plan "ground and pound," and against the Giants their backs carried a combined 19 times for 87 yards. When your carries are in the neighborhood of 5 yards per attempt, keep running the ball. There is nothing defendable about how the Jets attacked on offense today. Neither offense put on a stellar performance throughout. Eli Manning was good for only 9 completions and 225 yards, one of which was a 99 yard touchdown to Victor Cruz that included a slip and fall by Antonio Cromartie. As for Cruz, well, for a guy who said no one was afraid of Revis Island and that the Jets secondary were poor tacklers, he made his case. He broke 2 team receiving records both for single game and season total yardage. "Talk is cheap, play the game," said Tom Coughlin earlier this week. Maybe it's just talk without action that's cheap, because Cruz's broken tackle and hurdle was priceless for a struggling Giants offense in the first half, and it was enough to prove what Cruz had to say about them earlier in the week. If Cruz needed any backup, he sure got it from Ahmad Bradshaw. After Brandon Jacobs ripped a corner for a 23 yard gain to put the Giants in the redzone late in the 3rd quarter, Bradshaw hit a hole right up the middle of the field and proceeded to flatten Brodney Pool. Lowered the shoulder and made an absolute flapjack out his attempted tackler en route to a 14 yard touchdown. That put the Giants up by 10, but the Jets were bent on sticking to a losing game plan. The Jets defense forced an interception that ultimately resulted in a 1 yard scramble and dive by Sanchez for a score, though it took the long way home needing 2 successful Rex Ryan challenges to keep them in possession of the ball. The Jets defense forced a three and out on the following series, putting the Jets in prime position to take the lead. On the ensuing Jet possession, Mark Sanchez threw two incompletions and took a sack. On more than one crucial occasion, Gang Green's defense forced punts when the Jets needed points, and Mark Sanchez, assisted by the incessant short pass calling, managed to give the ball right back. With Cincinnati winning today, the Jets' playoff hopes are in serious jeopardy, and they are currently on the outside looking in. In the NFC East, The Giants are looking ahead to the possibility of clinching their division. They eliminated the Eagles with their victory today, and have only a home game with the Cowboys to deal with. I am fond of anybody's chances against Dallas late in the season, especially with a banged up Tony Romo, and coming fresh off of a beatdown by the Eagles. The Giants appeared to be losing chemsitry and faith in one another. A lesser team would have boiled over at one of their teammates calling them out for not practicing banged up. The Giants responded to Antrel Rolle and left themselves in control of their own playoff destiny. With this game and one week after it left in the season to lead their case as a contender, Mark Sanchez threw 2 interceptions, took 5 sacks to include the game ending safety, and fumbled a snap into the endzone; a coulda-been score that would have put the Jets in position to take the lead with their next scoring possession. "They were the better team today, clearly, and they're the better team this season. I'm sorry I have to wait 4 years to play them again. I'd play them again right now." Love it or hate it (Brandon Jacobs), Rex Ryan will talk his trash, and talk his trash, and, yes, talk his trash. Some days, like today, he is going to get it handed to him. Some he won't. We have come to expect this of him. If things are ever going to change for the Jets, the shift won't have to be in the mass amount of smack that comes out of Rex's mouth. It's going to have to be at the quarterback position. "I'm not going to concede anything." You don't have to, Rex. Today, the G-Men took it from you. |
| Patriots Clinch First-Round Bye, Overcome 17-Point Deficit Against Dolphins Posted: 24 Dec 2011 03:13 PM PST [caption id="attachment_1817" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Tom Brady's second rushing touchdown proved the game-winner Sunday afternoon against the Dolphins at Gillette. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)"]  [/caption] The New England Patriots took every punch the Miami Dolphins threw at them in the first half of Sunday afternoon's game at Gillette. In the second half, the Patriots came out swinging, and the Dolphins went down for the count. The Patriots scored 27 points in the second half, overcoming a 17-point deficit to beat the Dolphins, 27-24, and clinch a first-round playoff bye.
The Patriots entered halftime down 17-0, dispirited and disheveled. Missing Matt Light and losing Logan Mankins early in the game, the Patriots' offensive line had crumbled under the Dolphins' pass-rushing onslaught, leading to three sacks. Tom Brady could never sit comfortably in the pocket, completely derailing the passing game. The Patriots went three-and-out four times in the first half, and Stephen Gostkowski badly missed a 51-yard field goal attempt in the waning seconds before halftime. Whatever Bill Belichick said to his team, they exited the locker room with renewed energy and resolve. Brady began the second half with an 11-play drive – highlighted by a 15-yarder to Chad Ochocinco – that ended with a 45-yard field goal and put the Patriots on the board. Three plays after the ensuing kickoff, Dolphins QB Matt Moore mishandled the snap, and Vince Wilfork pounced on the fumble. The Patriots took over at the Dolphins 38, and Brady split his passes between Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez to get to the 3. On third-and-goal from 2, Brady evaded the pass-rush long enough to float a pass to Deion Branch in the back of the end zone, cutting the deficit to just a touchdown. The defense then stepped up again, forcing a Dolphins three-and-out and getting the suddenly well-protected Brady the ball at the Dolphins 41. The Patriots easily reached the 13, and two runs by Stevan Ridley put the Patriots at the 1. Brady then QB-sneaked the ball in, and a successful point-after tied the game 17-17. The Dolphins put a decent run together following the touchdown, but that ended when Devin McCourty picked off an under-thrown pass to Brian Hartline at the New England 2. Brady then orchestrated a 79-yard drive – highlighted by a perfect 42-yard strike to Welker – that ended in a 42-yard field goal that put the Patriots ahead midway through the fourth. Welker finished the game with a team-leading 12 catches for 138 yards. A second Brady rushing touchdown later put the Patriots up 27-17. Brady finished 27-for-46 for 304 yards and a touchdown pass, completing 74.1 percent of his second-half passes. His three rushing touchdowns this season are the most in any single season of his career. |
| Posted: 24 Dec 2011 08:46 AM PST Hello Fantasy Owners, here we are on championship saturday and for some last minute lineup advice, here's my weekly list of play em, bench em. These lists will not have any stud players because I don't need to tell you to play Ray Rice or Drew Brees, guys like that are always in your lineup. So here are some guys that I like and dislike for championship week: Play Em: Qbs - Tim Tebow, Matt Moore, Rex Grossman, Mark Sanchez, John Skelton. Rbs - Reshard Mendenhall, Marshawn Lynch, Evan Royster, DeAngelo Williams, Johnathan Stewart, C.J. Spiller, Willis McGahee, Felix Jones, Ahmad Bradshaw, Darren Sproles, Kahlil Bell. Wrs - Antonio Brown, Santana Moss, Jabar Gaffney, Santonio Holmes, Nate Burleson, Demaryius Thomas, Jeremy Maclin, Desean Jackson, Lance Moore, Malcom Floyd, Nate Washington, Plaxico Burress, Percy Harvin, Malcom Floyd, Steve Johnson. TEs - Brent Celek, Dustin Keller, Aaron Hernandez, Greg Olsen, Brandon Pettigrew. DEFs - Packers, Seahawks, Titans, Jets, Broncos Ks - Mason Crosby, Dan Bailey, Dan Carpenter, Rob Bironas, John Kasay. Bench Em: Qbs - Carson Palmer, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Josh Freeman, Joe Flacco, Matt Hasselbeck. Rbs - LeGarrette Blount, Ryan Grant, Brandon Jacobs, Peyton Hillis, Kevin Smith. Wrs - Mike Wallace, Torrey Smith, Brandon Lloyd, Mike Williams, Darius Heyward-Bay. TE's - Kellen Winslow, Kevin Boss, Mercedes Lewis, Scott Chandler, Ed Dickson. DEFs - Giants, Eagles, Lions, Cowboys, Saints. K's - Connor Barth, Lawrence Tynes, Steven Hauschka. |
| Any player/Any era: Elmer Flick Posted: 23 Dec 2011 10:00 PM PST What he did: This week's column was prompted by Cyril Morong, perhaps the best sabermetrician I know and an economics professor at San Antonio College. For anyone who hasn't checked it out already, Cyril's blog is well worth a read, a rare site that combines expert quantitative analysis with good writing. Cyril emailed me recently about Deadball Era great Flick, who factored into a post Cyril did two weeks ago about the 38 players in baseball history who had 150 OPS+ or better at least seven seasons apiece. Cyril suggested I do one of these columns on Flick, and in looking at Flick's stats and SABR bio, a few things resonated. Flick factored into one of the most famous trades ever that didn't happen, right up there with the proposed 1947 deal of Joe DiMaggio for Ted Williams or the 1916 trades the Yankees passed on that would've netted them Tris Speaker or Shoeless Joe Jackson for stolen base king Fritz Maisel. Before that in 1907, frustrated Detroit Tigers manager Hughie Jennings offered angry, young Ty Cobb to Cleveland for Elmer Flick. Cleveland countered with someone named Bunk Congalton, the deal died, and Detroit avoided major calamity: Flick developed a stomach ailment that ended his career in 1910 while Cobb played through 1926 with the Tigers. The two remained linked, with the Georgia Peach's death in 1961 renewing interest in Flick and leading to his Hall of Fame induction in 1963. Era he might have thrived in: With his slight build, 5'9" and 168 pounds by generous estimate, it's a wonder Flick fared as well as he did in the Deadball Era, hitting .313 lifetime with an OPS+ of 149. He also disliked Southern cooking and the heat on Eastern road trips and looks like a player who'd benefit being coddled in recent decades. Modern healthcare certainly might have prolonged Flick's career. And his hard-hitting, fleet-footed style could go well in the 1980s with the Oakland A's, an organization long appreciative of speed, power, and offensive production and willing to take risks on unconventional players. If not capable of 40 home runs and 40 steals in Oakland, Flick might at least be a 30-30 player. Why: Never mind Flick's 48 career home runs, a result of playing in the Deadball Era and its vast parks sometimes constructed to favor triples (Flick hit 164 lifetime.) Flick would have at least a couple hundred more homers in the Live Ball Era. I'd use the stat converter on Baseball-Reference.com to predict but one of the converter's flaws is that it doesn't realistically adjust Deadball Era offensive totals to modern day. Flick's .445 lifetime slugging average hints at what might have been, though. Slugging percentage is calculated by dividing total bases by at-bats. Assuming we boost Flick's total bases by 20 a year to account for a power boost, his slugging percentage would be .492 in the modern era. Looking at the 162-game averages of guys with similar slugging rates, I estimate Flick would hit 25-30 homers a season at his peak. Granted, some things might be lost in the transition. Many players had gaudy stolen base totals before 1920, and it'd be interesting to see if Flick could still steal 30-40 bases a year and approach 330 lifetime. He'd be in the right place in Oakland though, as the A's of the late '80s stole 120-160 bases every year. Fielding looks less promising for Flick. In his own time, he struggled in the minors with an .821 fielding percentage one year, improving somewhat by the time he reached the majors. He racked up many assists thanks to the short right field dimensions of his first ballpark, the Baker Bowl in Philadelphia and the shallow positioning of outfielders back then. Today, Flick's best lineup option might be as a designated hitter. Whatever the case, Flick looks like an All Star at the plate alone. Whether playing most of his career at DH could get him in the Hall of Fame is another story, seeing as the best eligible DH in baseball history, Edgar Martinez is still waiting. But perhaps Flick could pave the way. Any player/Any era is a Thursday feature here that looks at how a player might have done in an era besides his own. Others in this series: Al Simmons, Albert Pujols, Babe Ruth, Bad News Rockies, Barry Bonds, Billy Beane, Billy Martin, Bob Caruthers, Bob Feller, Bob Watson, Bobby Veach, Carl Mays, Charles Victory Faust, Chris von der Ahe, Denny McLain, Dom DiMaggio, Don Drysdale, Eddie Lopat, Frank Howard, Fritz Maisel, Gavvy Cravath, George Case, George Weiss, Harmon Killebrew, Harry Walker, Home Run Baker, Honus Wagner, Hugh Casey, Ichiro Suzuki, Jack Clark, Jack Morris, Jackie Robinson, Jim Abbott, Jimmy Wynn, Joe DiMaggio, Joe Posnanski, Johnny Antonelli, Johnny Frederick, Josh Hamilton, Ken Griffey Jr., Lefty Grove, Lefty O'Doul, Major League (1989 film), Matty Alou, Michael Jordan, Monte Irvin, Nate Colbert, Ollie Carnegie, Paul Derringer, Pedro Martinez, Pee Wee Reese, Pete Rose, Prince Fielder, Ralph Kiner, Rick Ankiel, Rickey Henderson, Roberto Clemente, Rogers Hornsby, Sam Crawford, Sam Thompson, Sandy Koufax, Satchel Paige, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Stan Musial, Ted Williams, The Meusel Brothers, Ty Cobb, Vada Pinson, Wally Bunker, Wes Ferrell, Will Clark, Willie Mays |
| Is this the year for the Thunder?? Posted: 23 Dec 2011 03:57 PM PST I'm hearing a lot of talk that the Oklahoma City Thunder may come out of the Western Conference and play in the NBA Finals this upcoming season. To be honest, this might be the year that this happens. Everything is lining up nicely for the Thunder. The NBA season is only going to be a 66 game schedule. There are going to be some points when teams are going to play five games in six nights. More than any other season, two things are going to be key in navigating through this year. Those two things are youth and depth. Oklahoma City has both of those things going in their favor. We all know that the Thunder have one of the youngest teams in the NBA. Their two superstars, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, are both just 23 years old. This means that the younger legs will be the fresher ones when this schedule really kicks in. As far as the depth goes, the Thunder can go 10 or 11 deep on their bench which includes one of the best sixth men in the league in James Harden. Not only is the youth and depth on their side, but they're also getting more and more experience with each passing year. They were in the Western Conference Finals last year and they are going to be good for years to come. When you combine all of those factors, things look very good for the Thunder to come out of the West. Of course we all know that this is not going to be easy based on the amount of good teams that play in the west, but I would have to say that the Thunder are the favorites to play in the finals. So I guess I'm agreeing with all the hype. Notice that I said the favorites, not the team to beat. That would be the Dallas Mavericks, the defending NBA champions. But I will say that Oklahoma City would be the team with the best chance to dethrone Dallas. |
| Happy to see the effort from the Colts Posted: 23 Dec 2011 01:42 PM PST I must say that it's good to see that the Indianapolis Colts haven't just mailed in the season. They won their second game in a row after losing their first 13 games this season. The Colts defeated the Houston Texans 19-16 on Thursday night to pull even with the St. Louis Rams and Minnesota Vikings wins wise in the "race" for the worst record in the league, which in this case it's called the "suck for Luck" sweepstakes(Stanford QB Andrew Luck). I'm glad to see that the Colts players are showing some pride and acting like professionals. I know fans are quick to say that teams who have absolutely no shot at making the playoff should just tank the rest of the season and try to get the best draft pick possible. From the effort that I've seen from the Colts the last two weeks, there is no indication that the players share those same views. To be honest with you, I'm happy for the players because it shows that they aren't worried about any type of draft pick or sucking for Luck, and they shouldn't be. First of all, there is no guarantee that Luck is going to be the can't miss pick that everyone says. Don't get me wrong, I feel like Luck is going to be a great pro quarterback, but we all know how draft picks can go. You can't base everything on one draft choice. Two, it's crazy to me how quick some people are to say that they should trade QB Peyton Manning the one time he's not on the field to perform. This guy has given everything he has to the Colts franchise, and now that people see the chance to get Luck, Manning doesn't matter anymore. I think Manning has more than earned the right to be given the chance to recover and see what he can do after he is healed. What I'm happy to see from the Colts players is that they are playing the season out and what happens in the draft happens. The Colts have a whole bunch of other issues that need to be addressed, and these issues probably won't be fixed just by drafting Luck. So I say live for the moment. I've been very critical of the Colts effort this season, but the last two weeks I've been impressed by the effort. Ultimately, the Colts may not have the first draft choice, but they can worry about that in April. |
| Posted: 23 Dec 2011 12:26 PM PST  Here is a list of some of the injury reports from around the league. I will be updating these as I here more information throughout the day. I hope this helps you win your championship. -Chargers WR Vincent Jackson (groin injury) listed as questionable Saturday vs. Lions -Raiders RB Darren McFadden (sprained foot) will miss 8th straight game Saturday vs. Chiefs -Cowboys RB Felix Jones (hamstring injury) listed as questionable for Saturday vs. Eagles -Cardinals RB Beanie Wells (sore knee) listed as questionable for Saturday vs. Bengals -Redskins RB Roy Helu (toe, knee) listed as questionable Saturday vs. Vikings -Titans RB Chris Johnson (ankle injury) listed as questionable Saturday vs. Jaguars -Steelers will rest QB Ben Roethlisberger (ankle sprain) and start QB Charlie Batch Saturday vs. Rams -Bengals WR A.J. Green (shoulder injury) listed as probable for Saturday vs. Cardinals -Cardinals QB John Skelton expected to start Saturday vs. Bengals |
| Posted: 23 Dec 2011 12:15 PM PST  Well for most leagues this is Championship week in fantasy football. Some leagues still choose to play out all 17 weeks but I don't understand the reasoning behind it. Why would you want to have the Championship week be the last week of the season where teams like the Packers will be resting their best players after sewing up the #1 seed in the playoffs? Too many times have I been screwed by leagues like this where I lose two or three of my best players because "real" football means more to "real" football teams than fantasy football. I fully understand the stance that "real" teams take in resting their studs but it screws millions of people in the fantasy sports world. Not that that should matter to "real" teams. So, for most leagues this is Championship week and rightfully so. If you have any fantasy sports questions you can email us at rotoassist@gmail.com, find us on Twitter @rotoassist or join our Roto Assist facebook group and ask questions there. |
| Posted: 23 Dec 2011 10:52 AM PST Here we go fantasy football fanatics, it's championship week. Hopefully you are in the Super Bowl or at least playing for a little prize money! After all fanasy football is about the money and bragging rights. This post will simply dig a little deeper into my running back rankings for week 16, to help you make All The Right Moves this week and win your league. (Get ready for the gatorade bath!) (All references to points are referring to point totals in standard scoring leauges) To get started I want to address the BATTLE OF THE STREAKS, Marshawn Lynch (10 straight games with a rush td) vs the 49ers defense (No rushing tds allowed all season), this is a fascinating mathcup that pitts the unstoppable force (Lynch) vs the immovable object (49ers def). Last week I said that Rashard Mendenhall had a chance to sneak into the end zone and while he ultimately did not, he got eight points after totaling 89 yards, highlighted by 64 yards rushing on 15 carries. His performance showed the 49ers can be run on, yet the Seahawks don't have the wide receivers or the quarterback to take the focus elsewhere, Mendenhall wasn't the 49ers first priority, Lynch will be. These teams met previoulsy in Week 1 and the 49ers got the better of the matchup holding Lynch to only 47 total yards, yet that was before he went into BEAST MODE and starting running over everything in his path on the way to the end zone again and again. In his last ten games Lynch has averaged 89 yards rushing and scored 12 total touchdowns, that amounts to an average of 16.5 fantasy points a game. He's been even better in his last seven games putting up an average of 18.8 points per game, 121.1 total yards and nine touchdowns. As good as Lynch has been during that stretch, he's taken his game to another level when running at home, averaging 120.7 yards rushing in his last four home games, highlighted by 167 total yards against the Ravens in week 10, proving he can put up numbers against a great defense. However, as great as Lynch has been, the 49ers defense has been just as good, refusing to allow a 100 yard rusher or a rushing touchdown all season. So the question is whose streak will come to an end this week? Taking into account the fact that Lynch is playing at home, where he's been simply unstoppable and I'm projecting a solid game for him. The Seahawks still have faint playoff hopes at 7-7 , because they have fed Lynch the ball and will continue to do so. As long as Seattle can keep it close, he will receive 20-25 carries as well as 3-4 catches and if he touces the football 25-30 times, 100 total yards is very attainable, which is 10 points and a solid start. Going a step further, I think this will be a tight game and have a feeling Lynch will find the end zone. He may need to get there by way of a receiving touchdown, but I'm going out on a limb to say he will find the end zone (rushing or receiving), which explains why I still have Lynch in my top 10 this week, while many others have him well down in the teens. Now that we have addressed the ultimate smackdown, let's take a quick look at some of the good plays and bad plays this week at the running back position. Sure-fire starts: Ray Rice, Lesean McCoy, MJD, Michael Turner, Reggie Bush, Michael Bush, Adrian Peterson, Ryan Mathews, Rashard Mendenhall. Sneaky Good starts: Willis McGahee, Shonn Greene, Roy Helu, C.J. Spiller, DeAngelo Williams, Johnathan Stewart. Need to ride the pine: LeGarrette Blount, Peyton Hillis, Brandon Jacobs, Kevin Smith, Ryan Grant. Good players bad matchups (play! don't be fear the matchup): Frank Gore, Steven Jackson, Cedric Benson, Ahmad Bradshaw, Darren Sproles Final Word: Don't always go by the matchup, great players can overcome any matchup, so don't get cute and bench a stud because of a scary matchup with a Fantasy championship (or Prize Money) is on the line, ride the guy who's gotten you to this point and trust the player over the matchup. Good Luck! Win your league! For lineup advice or strategic questions for week 16, post a comment on the blog, follow me on twitter @ATRMovesFantasy or email me at chrispeterson270@yahoo.com |
| Hor-Nets Basket Blog (NOLA not known for Hornets, my blog is not known for it's title) Posted: 23 Dec 2011 10:39 AM PST  New Orleans, known for it's delectable delights and the world's best jazz, lost their band leader. Chris Paul or CP3 (as he will be referred to from here on out) was the most coveted prize available this offseason. Teams around the league did their best to try and acquire the dynamic playmaker. Hornets GM/prop Dell Demps listened intently to what was being offered and finally settled on a trade with the Lakers. The proposed 3 way trade (Houston would have gotten Gasol) would have netted the Hornets Kevin Martin, Lamar Odom, Luis Scola, Goran Dragic (homeless Nash) and the Knicks 2012 draft pick owned by Houston. That's a pretty damn good haul considering that CP3 could have walked away after the season for nothing and left New Orleans in the same circle of basketball hell occupied by the Cleveland Cavaliers (post LeBronda). The result probably would have been a team around .500, capable of competing on a nightly basis. Not very sexy but solid, akin to making love with your wife of 10 years. Then came NBA commissioner Darth (David) Stern. The Hornets are in a very odd place right now. They are owned by the NBA and are currently for sale. Stern vetoed the trade and demanded that the Hornets receive more "young talent" in any move involving CP3. While Der Kommissar claimed that this was his decision alone, word on the street held that this veto was done at the behest of smaller market owners who did not want to see CP3 on the Lakers (the rich getting richer). Stern claimed the trade was vetoed in the best interests of the franchise. This did not appear to be the case at the time because the Hornets appeared to get some usable parts and were in a weak bargaining position. It looked like the NBA sabotaged New Orleans' best hope in getting fair compensation for their superstar. Turns out that wasn't true. Enter the Clippers. If youth and potential was what the Hornets needed in return for CP3, that's what they would get. LA's other basketball team was sitting back and watching as their Staples Center roommate imploded. Everyone in Lakerland was pissed after the botched CP3 trade. Lamar Odom was angry enough that he packed his bags, loaded them up on Khloe's back and demanded a trade (in a headscratcher the Lakers sent him to a major rival for nothing). The Clippers entered negotiations with the Hornets and the parameters for a deal were put into place. This was followed by the deal being dying and being brought back to life several times. The zombie deal was becoming a running joke until the right combination of potential and value was found to satiate David Stern. After all, you can sell potential a lot easier than mediocrity. Fortunately for the Hornets the new deal was even better than the previous one. This new deal made everyone happy (except the Lakers). The New Orleans Hornets received a package that is not only big on potential but good enough now that they won't have to go through years of sucking to see it realized. New Orleans received Eric Gordon, Minnesota's unprotected 2012 1st round pick, Al-Farouq Aminu and Chris Kaman. Gordon is a player stat heads and NBA junkies have been high on for a while, he's an explosive player who appears ready to make the leap to stardom. The Timberwolves' pick should be in the lottery considering that their team bus is actually a clown car with Kevin Love driving and a bunch of midgets and potheads in the back. Aminu is an up and comer and Kaman gives the Hornet's another serviceable center that can either play alongside Okafor or spell him. Since they have completely different styles and skill sets I can envision them on the floor at the same time. Keep your heads up Hornets fans. You may have lost your band leader and another skilled musician in David West but you have the makings of something special. |
| Posted: 23 Dec 2011 10:36 AM PST
As training camp begins, things are noticeably different this year. Due to the lockout, the familiar roster has been crippled with Wilson Chandler, Kenyon Martin and J.R. Smith stuck in China, making them the first exports from the U.S to China in decades. And then as we all know, We have no Number 15 on the court for the first time since 2003 which is leaving a sick feeling in some of us nugget fans guts, but as we move on from the heartbreaking loss of "Melo", we have a lot to look forward to this season as we have tremendous talent on the court including rookies, young stars, and the newly resigned Nene. I am extremely confident that if we shine to our full potential, our starters could match up with anyone in the league. As we won our first pre-season game 127-110 over the Suns one player went off in the scoring department scoring a team high 21 points, our point guard of the present and future, Ty Lawson. Ty is looking better than ever. After the Anthony trade last year, sending starting point guard Chauncey Billups along with him to the Knicks, we were all left with one question, when will the Ty Lawson era finally take off in Denver. Well I think we have our year Nugget fans. Ty Lawson is set for a break out year and should easily average around 30 minutes a game this year and maybe even 35. Especially if 35 year old Andre Miller gets hit with the injury bug. With that type of playing time, he could easily post 20 points a night along with 7 assists and a steal or two, needless to say he will be our go to guy this season. Moving on to shooting guard, we just resigned a big part of our team in Arron Afflalo. As Denver's starting SG last season, Afflalo is one of the most underrated players in the league. He is and elite defender and is unbelievably consistent on offense. Last season he scored 12.6 points a game while shooting 49.8% from the field, 42.3% from 3 point range, and 84.7% from the free throw line. Afflalo was quietly one of the best in the leauge last year.We were loooking really shallow in the SG position after Afflalo, so we went out and acquired Rudy Fernandez and Corey Brewer for a 2nd round pick from Dallas. Unfortunately, Rudy's NBA career numbers have been nothing to cheer about, mostly his field goal and three-point shooting that plummeted to 37% and 32.1% last season. He can shoot the three just like Afflalo but his consistency is less than mediocre and if Afflao goes down, Rudy would be the next candidate to run the SG posistion but the Afflalo re-signing was huge for us. As the Power Forward position comes up, our only proven consistent player (if he's healthy), Nene, is projected to start here. We all know what were getting out of him. After the signing of 5 years for 67 million dollars, we should be getting his consistency for years to come. If the injury bug does bite him, we have Kenneth Faried from Morehead State, who in my opinion could be one of the biggest steals of the draft getting him with the 22nd pick. He could with ease be among the top defensive players in the league, especially with his rebounding skills. I don't think we have much to worry about at this position. At Small Forward we are slotted to have the 6'10" Danilo Gallinari starting. Gallinari averaged 15.6 points last season, but could easily raise his scoring into the 17 or 18 range if healthy. Tons of people say Gallinari could be argued as the nuggets best player if he stays healthy (although I don't think this is realistic due to the resigning of Nene). He is a package player who can shoot the 3 and drive the lane, he could do big things for this team. The center position really excites me this year. We have a player who I think could blossom into a very solid player, Timofey Mozgov. The 25 year old, 7-1 Russian has looked extremely impressive in the small sample size of games I have seen him play in. He was arguably Europe's best center. He has struggled with fouls and turnovers in the limited action he saw last year, but with the time he has had to fix that, he should be good to go and may have a break out season turning into an outstanding shot blocking, rebounding monster. Our Denver Nuggets have gone through everything, we have lost our best player and some role players from last season. It seems as if the world has turned against us and we are set up to fail. But one thing is for sure and that is that the Nuggets will never lay down and quit, we are a fighting team and I believe we will be a contender this season. Our talent on our team is there, now all we have to do is get the team to connect and build their chemistry. If we play up to our full potential, we can do some big things this year and for years to come. |
Quarterback: A-
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