It wouldn’t be right to ignore the basketball season altogether, right? Even if basketball was never my game. As the would-be art aficionados like to say, “I know what I like”. And what I like is usually a nice combination of talent, effort and brains.
Amare Stoudemire is ok, he’s got everything but brains. And Carmelo Anthony’s got talent and brains but so far hasn’t shown that complete effort I’d ordinarily like to see. That he did show some effort against the Bucks in that first game with the Knicks was absolutely heartening.
I hated the Anthony deal. I liked Gallinari and Felton especially, and Chandler seemed to be getting better and better. Mozgov was an unknown, but only because the NBA refs don’t give rookies any break at all before the All-Star Break.
All I hear is that the Knicks were only 28-26 and none of those traded guys made any difference. I disagree. A 28-26 record with a very young team is a hell of a lot better than the same record with an older team. And all those young kids were fun to watch…..so much energy, even if some of it may have been misdirected.
Did I like Gallinari just because he’s Italian? Yes. Now he’s in Denver and he won’t get many touches there. My guess is he’ll be off to Italy as soon as he can get there.
The other main theme of the Knicks trade was that the Knicks now own two elite players and are in a position to get a third, a combination guaranteed to bring a title to New York, as soon as 2012. And, while that’s true, they won’t be getting Deron Williams any time soon.
And, besides, they don’t really need a point guard. Chris Paul may be a slight upgrade over Chauncey Billups but he won’t be noticed as much as a big center.. I thought I’d heard that Dwight Howard might be available next year. Now that would be a nice addition.
I loved the Nets trade for Deron Williams. Not only is Williams a great point guard, ranked with Chris Paul as 1 and 2 or even 1 and 1A, but that the deal came as a complete surprise to the entire league was especially satisfying. It showed the enterprising spirit of that down-on-their-luck team, and especially Billy King and owner Prokhorov.
So now the Nets can hope to see some more free agents give serious consideration to Nets offers in the future. For the Nets, it doesn’t even matter what they had to give up. They badly needed credibility, something that’s been missing in Jersey since Jason Kidd was traded.
I should mention here that I had been a Nets fan through all the Kidd years and was a half season ticket holder for them back in those wonder years when the Nets shocked the whole NBA before losing to Shaq and the Lakers in the finals, Shaq of the offensive foul never called, Shaq of the elbow to the face never seen. Not that I’m bitter.
Ever since the Kidd days though, I’ve been a Knicks fan. Even in the Isiah years, they were obviously striving to get better, no matter that most of Isiah’s moves were totally inexplicable and just made the team worse.
My Knicks loyalty got stronger in a hurry when Dolan finally brought in some real basketball minds, in the personages of Donnie Walsh and Mike D’Antoni. Do I like D’Antoni just because he’s Italian? Absolutely.
But while owners Dolan and Prokhorov seem to be getting most of the credit for these incredible player acquisitions, it was really the positioning that each team enjoyed, brought about by their respective GM’s, Billy King and Donnie Walsh, and, in the Nets case, Kiki Vandeweghe and Rod Thorn before that.
I still think the Knicks gave up too much for Anthony. It seemed as if their only competition for him were the Chicago Bulls and the Nets. Anthony would never have signed with the Nets and Chicago’s offer wasn’t really that close. As for him re-signing with Denver, I suppose that was possible but unlikely. And I would have loved to have seen the great Melo caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place.
But the Knicks had all the credibility in the world, even without Anthony, what with the Garden and the heritage and a good talented nucleus. Now the nucleus is gone except for Landry Fields, who I fear has moved a little closer to oblivion now that the big Three will be monopolizing the ball.
And that fast-paced exciting brand of play will be slowed down considerably with Billups running things, at least in the long run. It’ll be post-up, post-up one-on-one stuff now. I suppose D’Antoni can continue to hope for it but he won’t likely be seeing the defense he’d seen coming up to the trade.
For now though, I’m going to make the best of it. So the Knicks won’t be that exciting anymore. They won’t exude a whole bunch of energy. But they will be pretty good. Look for a lot of high-scoring games, something that had always been a D’Antoni trademark but that will be even more pronounced in the future, if D’Antoni is still the coach in the future.
That there should be any doubt about this management team’s future Is perhaps the saddest thing of all. It demonstrates that Dolan is still a bad owner who runs things his way, even if it’s the stupid way, the thoughtless way, the arrogant way. That it was necessary to deny the allegations that Isiah was coming back just demonstrated once again how out of touch the man is with the media (and reality).
In fact, I like to think of him as the Herman Edwards of basketball owners. It must be nice to own a cable company. It requires little intelligence though, at least less so than is needed to own a pro basketball team.
Showing posts with label Nets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nets. Show all posts
Friday, February 25, 2011
Monday, June 22, 2009
June Snooze
There’s nothing to get excited about, I guess, but Mickelson just lost out on an Open win and now Sharapova has gotten by the first round at Wimbledon. The Penguins beat the Red Wings and the U.S. soccer team very unexpectedly got into the semifinals of the Confederations Cup. In just about everything except Major League Baseball, there’s excitement galore.
In baseball, nobody seems to want it, not unless you’re talking about the Colorado Rockies. They’ve won 8 straight and 16 of their last 17 games, an incredible streak for this fickle sport. But it is reminiscent of their World Series year when they preactically ran the table at the end of the regular season.
The incredible Denver contingent has swept St Louis and Milwaukee, taken two of three from the Rays and then swept the Pirates. If they can somehow get by the tough Angels and take the measure of the Oakland A’s, it’ll set up a real barn-burner against the Dodgers, presently the toughest team in both leagues by a large margin.
Of course, there are teams who want it, but the fates seem to be intervening on the side of the devils. In the case of our beloved Mets, they’re just totally snake-bit. Now Beltran is having an MRI, and if it shows something that indicates that playing will make his knee worse, Carlos will join all the others on the DL. Depending upon the length of his disability, that could really end things this year for our Metsies.
The Yanks have never been my favorite but they’re in the throes of a bad stretch too. They just have no relief pitching whatsoever. The starters look shaky lately, and come to think of it, the whole team really hasn’t been anything to write home about. Teixeira has been quite a find though.
Now Boston wants it, I’m sure of that. And it’s looking as if they’ll get it. Except for the conspicuous failures of Dice-K, the pitching looks as if it’s holding up and in the batting order, Big Papi is even starting to come around with 5 homers in June. They have some great relief pitchers in Papelbon, Saito, Ramirez, and Okajima, and it’s amazing that they’re not in front by even more than they are.
They talk about the dog days of August but right now, it sure seems to be occurring in June, much as this non-stop June rain reminds me of April. If Philadelphia were doing a little better, I’d just forget about the whole season right now. But it’s now official, Beltran will be out for a while and here come some pretty tough teams, St Louis, the Yanks and the Brewers to close out the month.
Maybe I should just pay attention to the tennis for a while and break my focus only for the NBA Draft. Thursday night should be interesting for both the Knicks and Nets, as there are some excellent players available at their respective draft positions.
The Knicks need a point guard and if they manage to get Curry from Davidson, they will have done very well for themselves. The Nets may go with a guard too, but I’m hoping they go a little bigger and get some really athletic guy who can shoot the ball, somebody like Vince Carter without the arm socks, or maybe a tough guy like Dejuan Blair.
Whatever else June might bring, let’s hope the baseball picks up a little. I just heard Tatis will be batting cleanup for the Metsies, God help us.
In baseball, nobody seems to want it, not unless you’re talking about the Colorado Rockies. They’ve won 8 straight and 16 of their last 17 games, an incredible streak for this fickle sport. But it is reminiscent of their World Series year when they preactically ran the table at the end of the regular season.
The incredible Denver contingent has swept St Louis and Milwaukee, taken two of three from the Rays and then swept the Pirates. If they can somehow get by the tough Angels and take the measure of the Oakland A’s, it’ll set up a real barn-burner against the Dodgers, presently the toughest team in both leagues by a large margin.
Of course, there are teams who want it, but the fates seem to be intervening on the side of the devils. In the case of our beloved Mets, they’re just totally snake-bit. Now Beltran is having an MRI, and if it shows something that indicates that playing will make his knee worse, Carlos will join all the others on the DL. Depending upon the length of his disability, that could really end things this year for our Metsies.
The Yanks have never been my favorite but they’re in the throes of a bad stretch too. They just have no relief pitching whatsoever. The starters look shaky lately, and come to think of it, the whole team really hasn’t been anything to write home about. Teixeira has been quite a find though.
Now Boston wants it, I’m sure of that. And it’s looking as if they’ll get it. Except for the conspicuous failures of Dice-K, the pitching looks as if it’s holding up and in the batting order, Big Papi is even starting to come around with 5 homers in June. They have some great relief pitchers in Papelbon, Saito, Ramirez, and Okajima, and it’s amazing that they’re not in front by even more than they are.
They talk about the dog days of August but right now, it sure seems to be occurring in June, much as this non-stop June rain reminds me of April. If Philadelphia were doing a little better, I’d just forget about the whole season right now. But it’s now official, Beltran will be out for a while and here come some pretty tough teams, St Louis, the Yanks and the Brewers to close out the month.
Maybe I should just pay attention to the tennis for a while and break my focus only for the NBA Draft. Thursday night should be interesting for both the Knicks and Nets, as there are some excellent players available at their respective draft positions.
The Knicks need a point guard and if they manage to get Curry from Davidson, they will have done very well for themselves. The Nets may go with a guard too, but I’m hoping they go a little bigger and get some really athletic guy who can shoot the ball, somebody like Vince Carter without the arm socks, or maybe a tough guy like Dejuan Blair.
Whatever else June might bring, let’s hope the baseball picks up a little. I just heard Tatis will be batting cleanup for the Metsies, God help us.
Monday, March 9, 2009
The WBC and Not Much Else
Well, a lot sure has happened since last time, notably the “friggin’ Netherlands” upsetting the Dominican Republic after I made some reference to the ten run rule. So apologies are in order. I guess I’ll be “in Dutch” with them for quite a while.
But then it is baseball. Especially if an inferior team can put together some semblance of a pitching staff, the chances are fair to middlin’ that they can eke out a win against a superior opponent, especially if it can take a lead. That’s of course exactly what happened to the stunned Dominicans, who seemed to be pressing for most of the game.
The U.S. team was fortunate to get by the tough Canada team in their opener but then really handed it to the Venezuelans in Game 2. As this Mets fan watched Victor Zambrano head out to the mound in the 5th, I knew the game was just about over. You might recall the Mets trading Scott Kazmir for Victor, an early Omar Minaya particularly gaseous brain fart.
While the entire core of the Mets team frolics in various sites around the world, the Mets fan gets to watch what’s left. It’s not saying a lot. I know I haven’t been able to tune in since the Classic started. What would be the point? I know I’m enjoying this World Championship though, almost as much as the players themselves.
You had to like the U.S. team as players such as Chris Ianetta of the Rockies came through with the big, big triple to clear the bases against Zambrano.
It seemed almost impossible that anybody could knock Arod out of the headlines, but Terrell Owens and the Dallas Cowboys managed it in splendid fashion. Of course, it was only momentary relief as Arod’s back in front again, finally deciding on having the surgery he so obviously needed. That the Yankees took so long to figure that out is way beyond me.
But then I remember it’s Cashman pulling the strings and then it makes perfect sense. The Yanks still have quite a few seats to fill in their new digs and what better way to stay on the front page (or back page actually in New York) than to drag out even obvious decisions? And that’s it for that subject. I promised myself not to dwell on A-Fraud.
On lighter matters, Jim Berman says that “no team circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills.” It had better be true because they’ll have to do a lot of circling next year. Has anyone in the entire history of the NFL needed more apologists than Terrell Owens?
While a lot of folks think T.O. was a great acquisition for the Bills, and my brother not the least among them, I tend to disagree. It’s not as if they’re Super Bowl material up there, and as they’re only getting him for the one year, eight and a half million dollars would seem kind of pricey for a one-time winning record of about 9-7.
The Bills are, after all, the Bills and they’re in a pretty tough division. T.O. won’t be scaring the likes of the Patriots, and the Jets just beefed up their secondary. And nobody knows (and probably dislikes) T.O. better than Bill Parcells, who just happens to run operations down in Miami.
So I figure the Bills will, at best, win two of those six intra-Division games and probably only one. If they even manage 9-7 overall, it’ll be a miracle. Of course, their fans will probably be much happier with that than with what has been trying to pass for a competitive team all these long years.
But it was great to see ESPN’s obnoxious Stephen A. Smith say a lot of foolish things about T.O. before he signed with the Bills. Most memorable for me was that Stephen was absolutely sure that Owens would sign with a team that had a great quarterback. He mentioned Tom Brady and hinted that the Colts would be a good place too.
I guess Trent Edwards qualifies, somehow, as a good QB but it’s really, really hard to figure out why. I won’t bore you with statistics but Edwards has been mostly a disaster unless you’re overly amused by interceptions at the worst possible times. Let’s hope T.O. can have a positive affect on the “team of the Northeast.” I’m quite sure they deserve better times.
And, who knows? Maybe T.O. really was being picked on in Big D. Maybe he’d start getting more separation if he had a better chance of getting the ball thrown to him. There’s nothing quite so pointless as running hard on every play, only to see the ball go underneath to somebody else.
But football is way in the future and, as I can’t get into hockey (although I couldn’t help but notice the attention being paid to Martin Brodeur lately), that leaves just basketball. Thank God for March Madness because we won’t be seeing too much more of the Knicks or Nets.
The Nets are usually entertaining for three quarters, but then you remember that the game has four quarters. What a bad bunch down the stretch this group is! Going through the motions is almost more than you can say about these guys. Sadly, their play is typical of other teams around the league once they’re out of the playoffs.
D’Antoni finally aired some of his frustration with his Knicks team lately, so maybe that’ll have some kind of positive effect on what appears to be just a bunch of chuckers. I’m ashamed now to admit that Al Harrington is from New Jersey. Does the ball ever come back again once it gets into his voracious hands? He truly never had a shot he didn’t like. I just wish he made more of them.
It’s got to be challenging for D’Antoni, who never misses the playoffs, to watch these guys under-perform night after night. And now Curry’s coming back. Heh-heh.
But then it is baseball. Especially if an inferior team can put together some semblance of a pitching staff, the chances are fair to middlin’ that they can eke out a win against a superior opponent, especially if it can take a lead. That’s of course exactly what happened to the stunned Dominicans, who seemed to be pressing for most of the game.
The U.S. team was fortunate to get by the tough Canada team in their opener but then really handed it to the Venezuelans in Game 2. As this Mets fan watched Victor Zambrano head out to the mound in the 5th, I knew the game was just about over. You might recall the Mets trading Scott Kazmir for Victor, an early Omar Minaya particularly gaseous brain fart.
While the entire core of the Mets team frolics in various sites around the world, the Mets fan gets to watch what’s left. It’s not saying a lot. I know I haven’t been able to tune in since the Classic started. What would be the point? I know I’m enjoying this World Championship though, almost as much as the players themselves.
You had to like the U.S. team as players such as Chris Ianetta of the Rockies came through with the big, big triple to clear the bases against Zambrano.
It seemed almost impossible that anybody could knock Arod out of the headlines, but Terrell Owens and the Dallas Cowboys managed it in splendid fashion. Of course, it was only momentary relief as Arod’s back in front again, finally deciding on having the surgery he so obviously needed. That the Yankees took so long to figure that out is way beyond me.
But then I remember it’s Cashman pulling the strings and then it makes perfect sense. The Yanks still have quite a few seats to fill in their new digs and what better way to stay on the front page (or back page actually in New York) than to drag out even obvious decisions? And that’s it for that subject. I promised myself not to dwell on A-Fraud.
On lighter matters, Jim Berman says that “no team circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills.” It had better be true because they’ll have to do a lot of circling next year. Has anyone in the entire history of the NFL needed more apologists than Terrell Owens?
While a lot of folks think T.O. was a great acquisition for the Bills, and my brother not the least among them, I tend to disagree. It’s not as if they’re Super Bowl material up there, and as they’re only getting him for the one year, eight and a half million dollars would seem kind of pricey for a one-time winning record of about 9-7.
The Bills are, after all, the Bills and they’re in a pretty tough division. T.O. won’t be scaring the likes of the Patriots, and the Jets just beefed up their secondary. And nobody knows (and probably dislikes) T.O. better than Bill Parcells, who just happens to run operations down in Miami.
So I figure the Bills will, at best, win two of those six intra-Division games and probably only one. If they even manage 9-7 overall, it’ll be a miracle. Of course, their fans will probably be much happier with that than with what has been trying to pass for a competitive team all these long years.
But it was great to see ESPN’s obnoxious Stephen A. Smith say a lot of foolish things about T.O. before he signed with the Bills. Most memorable for me was that Stephen was absolutely sure that Owens would sign with a team that had a great quarterback. He mentioned Tom Brady and hinted that the Colts would be a good place too.
I guess Trent Edwards qualifies, somehow, as a good QB but it’s really, really hard to figure out why. I won’t bore you with statistics but Edwards has been mostly a disaster unless you’re overly amused by interceptions at the worst possible times. Let’s hope T.O. can have a positive affect on the “team of the Northeast.” I’m quite sure they deserve better times.
And, who knows? Maybe T.O. really was being picked on in Big D. Maybe he’d start getting more separation if he had a better chance of getting the ball thrown to him. There’s nothing quite so pointless as running hard on every play, only to see the ball go underneath to somebody else.
But football is way in the future and, as I can’t get into hockey (although I couldn’t help but notice the attention being paid to Martin Brodeur lately), that leaves just basketball. Thank God for March Madness because we won’t be seeing too much more of the Knicks or Nets.
The Nets are usually entertaining for three quarters, but then you remember that the game has four quarters. What a bad bunch down the stretch this group is! Going through the motions is almost more than you can say about these guys. Sadly, their play is typical of other teams around the league once they’re out of the playoffs.
D’Antoni finally aired some of his frustration with his Knicks team lately, so maybe that’ll have some kind of positive effect on what appears to be just a bunch of chuckers. I’m ashamed now to admit that Al Harrington is from New Jersey. Does the ball ever come back again once it gets into his voracious hands? He truly never had a shot he didn’t like. I just wish he made more of them.
It’s got to be challenging for D’Antoni, who never misses the playoffs, to watch these guys under-perform night after night. And now Curry’s coming back. Heh-heh.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Around the New York Sports World
So what’s new in the sports world?
The Knicks come immediately to mind, they’ve been trying to stay with the Lakers and Cavs of the world and now the Celtics…bad luck…and the Celtics just lost to the Lakers by a point in overtime…they won’t be thrilled with that. The Knicks are in trouble.
But just in the short term. Some of these new guys can really shoot, it seems. Gallinari and Harrington and Chandler and even Lee….I think they’re in 10th place in the East now…and I’m beginning to think they have a chance. If Harrington starts to pick up some assists in his game, things might be better….
It seems the good teams, the best teams, always have their share of assists. The bad teams never have good assists numbers. Fantasy players, take note.
Speaking of assists, Kevin Garnett was out of the Celtics lineup and Paul Pierce was trying to do everything….and made a pretty nice job of it…that Allen and Pierce and Garnett trio might be the best thing in pro hoops right now…I know most folks like Kobe and LeBron but geez…how much can you take of them? The NBA needs to realize there’s more to the league than just Kobe and LeBron. There are some great stories around the league besides just LeBron and Kobe.
Hey! The Pro Bowl’s coming up….heh-heh….
Yeah, football’s over…which is a good thing because I’m ready for baseball. Not just the Mets, my team, but the Yankees too. And I do hate them and always will….they buy everything…shotgun approach…throw enough brown stuff on the wall and sumthin’s gotta stick…..
I mean, really, they pick up Sabathia and Burnett and Teixeira, re-sign Pettite, and are now supposed to be shopping Nady because they have their new addition Swisher. Just like the Yankees to be so disorganized. Swisher was insurance at first base, I guess. And then they picked up Teixeira…..
So their lineup will be pretty awesome. I wouldn’t be thrilled with a couple of things myself though, if I were them. To me, there’s no real leadoff hitter on that roster. Damon’s getting a little long in the tooth, I think. And he does seem to be injured quite a bit. They’ve picked up guys with speed in the past and sat them on the bench.
So, let’s see, Damon, Jeter, Teixeira, Arod, Matsui (as a DH), Nady, Posada, Cano and Cabrera/Swisher, not a bad lineup at all and chock full of lefty-righty combinations. And it just struck me that Swisher could play center but Nady never could….of course, then there’s Andruw Jones…but he wasn’t interested in the Yankees….haha…gotta love an old National Leaguer.
Damon had 29 stolen bases in ’08 but was caught 8 times. He played in 143 games, more than I would have guessed. Maybe he is a real leadoff hitter….at least he’s easy to talk to….
And, speaking of talking, Joe Torre sure seems to have said more than was absolutely necessary…I love hearing from indignant Yankees fans that he broke the clubhouse code….
The Mets I have talked about enough…but have I mentioned that Wright and Reyes are both first-rounders in most fantasy leagues…that says something good…but Beltran will only be a second or third-rounder….fielding doesn’t count in 99% of fantasy leagues.
The U.S. Government is showing its stupidity once again in court, trying lamely to introduce into evidence things they knew never had a shot….but it did make all the newspapers, didn’t it……hmmmm.
I’m thinking now that Bonds will walk. He admitted to using “the clear” and “the cream” and the U.S. can’t prove differently. You have to admire Anderson, his druggie trainer, who decided jail was better than testifying against his friend, or client, whatever….could make a good TV movie……
I just heard the Jets might be showing interest in Ray Lewis! He’d have to be better than Favre, wouldn’t he? It’s hard to judge a Jets defense when a QB turns the ball over so much…and I hope Pennington lights it up again next year too….M-A-R-S-H-A-L-L ..
The Giants are quiet except for losing Spagnuolo and making some noises toward bringing Plaxico back…can’t say I’d be sorry to see it….(if I’m feeling some sympathy for a guy like Bonds, you know I feel sorry for a guy who catches the winning TD against the hated Patriots in the Super Bowl and then shoots himself in the leg…..too bad it wasn’t the foot…’cause he really “shot himself in the foot”, as it were….
And I won’t have Herman Edwards to kick around anymore….that’s sad in itself…I just heard that Larry Johnson wants to leave…..don’t think the Chiefs will be crying too much about that one…..but I will miss those ridiculous play calls from Herm…
The Nets are making the best of things….getting more than their share of injuries..now Najera and Yi out but Carter and Harris have been playing hurt…and why aren’t they playing at the Prudential Center? I have no idea but I wouldn’t miss the parking fees…
It should be interesting to see who’ll wind up higher in the standings, the Knicks or the Nets. The Knicks just took a hit with their losses to the Cavs and Lakers but are still just two games behind the Nets in the win column….
And Seton Hall beat St. John’s…their second win in the Big East…of course it’s probably too much to expect 60% shooting from 3-point land most nights…Jeremy Hazell sure is lighting it up though….
Rutgers hasn’t shown much at all but it’s really a tough conference….that’s as nice as I can put it…
And somebody besides the Dodgers has expressed interest in Manny, if you can believe the news reports (or that agent of his)….only when his lips are moving….
That’s it for me this Friday. I should just go skiing. Of course, there’s the 4-hour drive, the lift ticket(s), the hotel…the drinks…the tolls, the gas….maybe I’ll just take a nice long walk. Healthy stuff.
The Knicks come immediately to mind, they’ve been trying to stay with the Lakers and Cavs of the world and now the Celtics…bad luck…and the Celtics just lost to the Lakers by a point in overtime…they won’t be thrilled with that. The Knicks are in trouble.
But just in the short term. Some of these new guys can really shoot, it seems. Gallinari and Harrington and Chandler and even Lee….I think they’re in 10th place in the East now…and I’m beginning to think they have a chance. If Harrington starts to pick up some assists in his game, things might be better….
It seems the good teams, the best teams, always have their share of assists. The bad teams never have good assists numbers. Fantasy players, take note.
Speaking of assists, Kevin Garnett was out of the Celtics lineup and Paul Pierce was trying to do everything….and made a pretty nice job of it…that Allen and Pierce and Garnett trio might be the best thing in pro hoops right now…I know most folks like Kobe and LeBron but geez…how much can you take of them? The NBA needs to realize there’s more to the league than just Kobe and LeBron. There are some great stories around the league besides just LeBron and Kobe.
Hey! The Pro Bowl’s coming up….heh-heh….
Yeah, football’s over…which is a good thing because I’m ready for baseball. Not just the Mets, my team, but the Yankees too. And I do hate them and always will….they buy everything…shotgun approach…throw enough brown stuff on the wall and sumthin’s gotta stick…..
I mean, really, they pick up Sabathia and Burnett and Teixeira, re-sign Pettite, and are now supposed to be shopping Nady because they have their new addition Swisher. Just like the Yankees to be so disorganized. Swisher was insurance at first base, I guess. And then they picked up Teixeira…..
So their lineup will be pretty awesome. I wouldn’t be thrilled with a couple of things myself though, if I were them. To me, there’s no real leadoff hitter on that roster. Damon’s getting a little long in the tooth, I think. And he does seem to be injured quite a bit. They’ve picked up guys with speed in the past and sat them on the bench.
So, let’s see, Damon, Jeter, Teixeira, Arod, Matsui (as a DH), Nady, Posada, Cano and Cabrera/Swisher, not a bad lineup at all and chock full of lefty-righty combinations. And it just struck me that Swisher could play center but Nady never could….of course, then there’s Andruw Jones…but he wasn’t interested in the Yankees….haha…gotta love an old National Leaguer.
Damon had 29 stolen bases in ’08 but was caught 8 times. He played in 143 games, more than I would have guessed. Maybe he is a real leadoff hitter….at least he’s easy to talk to….
And, speaking of talking, Joe Torre sure seems to have said more than was absolutely necessary…I love hearing from indignant Yankees fans that he broke the clubhouse code….
The Mets I have talked about enough…but have I mentioned that Wright and Reyes are both first-rounders in most fantasy leagues…that says something good…but Beltran will only be a second or third-rounder….fielding doesn’t count in 99% of fantasy leagues.
The U.S. Government is showing its stupidity once again in court, trying lamely to introduce into evidence things they knew never had a shot….but it did make all the newspapers, didn’t it……hmmmm.
I’m thinking now that Bonds will walk. He admitted to using “the clear” and “the cream” and the U.S. can’t prove differently. You have to admire Anderson, his druggie trainer, who decided jail was better than testifying against his friend, or client, whatever….could make a good TV movie……
I just heard the Jets might be showing interest in Ray Lewis! He’d have to be better than Favre, wouldn’t he? It’s hard to judge a Jets defense when a QB turns the ball over so much…and I hope Pennington lights it up again next year too….M-A-R-S-H-A-L-L ..
The Giants are quiet except for losing Spagnuolo and making some noises toward bringing Plaxico back…can’t say I’d be sorry to see it….(if I’m feeling some sympathy for a guy like Bonds, you know I feel sorry for a guy who catches the winning TD against the hated Patriots in the Super Bowl and then shoots himself in the leg…..too bad it wasn’t the foot…’cause he really “shot himself in the foot”, as it were….
And I won’t have Herman Edwards to kick around anymore….that’s sad in itself…I just heard that Larry Johnson wants to leave…..don’t think the Chiefs will be crying too much about that one…..but I will miss those ridiculous play calls from Herm…
The Nets are making the best of things….getting more than their share of injuries..now Najera and Yi out but Carter and Harris have been playing hurt…and why aren’t they playing at the Prudential Center? I have no idea but I wouldn’t miss the parking fees…
It should be interesting to see who’ll wind up higher in the standings, the Knicks or the Nets. The Knicks just took a hit with their losses to the Cavs and Lakers but are still just two games behind the Nets in the win column….
And Seton Hall beat St. John’s…their second win in the Big East…of course it’s probably too much to expect 60% shooting from 3-point land most nights…Jeremy Hazell sure is lighting it up though….
Rutgers hasn’t shown much at all but it’s really a tough conference….that’s as nice as I can put it…
And somebody besides the Dodgers has expressed interest in Manny, if you can believe the news reports (or that agent of his)….only when his lips are moving….
That’s it for me this Friday. I should just go skiing. Of course, there’s the 4-hour drive, the lift ticket(s), the hotel…the drinks…the tolls, the gas….maybe I’ll just take a nice long walk. Healthy stuff.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Nets Bring Magic to Toronto
I had been looking for inspiration all day. Even the clever cap-clearing moves engineered by new Knicks GM Donnie Walsh didn’t really do it for me. I had loved watching Jamal Crawford the last two years, and I’d recognized some renewed efforts put out by Zak Randolph this year.
That the Knicks would get a former NJ wunderkind named Al Harrington and a still very serviceable Cuttino Mobley in exchange didn’t really do it for me. Although things will be much more exciting two years from now for the Knicks, it’ll be pretty much the same story for the rest of this 2008-2009 season.
I had thought I could salvage something from the NFL Thursday night game, but as the Steelers rolled over the hapless Bengals rather easily, my inspiration wouldn’t come from there. The most notable aspect of that game was the Bengals coach’s decision to kick a field goal rather than go for a touchdown embarrassingly late in the game.
Maybe that’s what’s wrong with the Bengals. They have a head coach who’s just as happy to cover the spread as he is to win the game. After the Pittsburgh-San Diego refereeing debacle of the previous week, in which the referee “mistakenly” called back a touchdown that would have enabled the Steelers to cover the spread, it was another unpleasant reminder that we may not be watching what we think we are. It may be rather well-disguised professional wrestling.
The Giants and Jets prospects can usually move me, but as it was still Friday, and with both teams facing rather uncertain futures on Sunday, the Jets having to play the undefeated Titans and the Giants having to face the pass-happy Arizona Cardinals, I wasn’t quite ready to wax prosaic just yet about those contests.
But tonight, quite by chance, amid some channel surfing, I witnessed a furious battle in Canada, an NBA basketball game that reminds me of what purpose there could be in sportswriting. Someone needs to chronicle the heroism displayed in only those contests decreed by God to be special.
Such was the battle between the Nets and Raptors last night. Who would have expected it, such drama, such intensity, such athleticism, such talent, such strategizing, all being played out before my wondering eyes on what otherwise could have been a dreary Friday night.
Just for the record, the Nets won 129-127 in overtime. But that says nothing. It was the ebb and flow of the game that was mesmerizing, and the heroics of Nets point guard Devin Harris in the third quarter and perennial All-Everything and Toronto pariah Vince Carter in the fourth quarter and overtime that eventually decided the matter.
But for all their heroics, it was the inbounds pass from Bobby Simmons to the very sneaky Vince Carter that eventually ended this marathon. It was seemingly an impossible scenario, being that Vince was electrifying all night and had sent the game into overtime with his last-second high arching jumper from the top of the key.
Carter seemed to just disappear as he glided away and behind his defender, and Simmons waited until the last possible moment to loft his perfect inbounds Alley-Oop pass to Vince directly in front of the basket. Carter simply jammed it in backwards and didn’t even smile really. His face just radiated contentment and a realization that his had been a job well done.
Right behind Carter in the line for accolades had to be the mercurial Devin Harris. It was Harris who mobilized the Nets in their comeback in the third quarter, Harris who charged past defenders, Harris who made the pull-up jumpers, Harris who made all the right passes to bring his team back from a huge deficit.
Despite the flair exhibited by the Nets in coming back, at no time was the miraculous ending an expected one, if only because of the unbelievable efforts of Toronto forward Chris Bosh. Every time the Nets did something, it was Bosh who’d answer back. Sometimes, he’d defer to Bargnani or Calderon, but it was Bosh who was running the show, and he fought the good fight.
That it was Carter providing most of the spectacle was especially fitting, given that the Toronto fans continue to boo the man for having had the temerity to abandon their team those many years ago, this despite Vince’s admitted lack of enthusiasm for the game in those days. The fans’ vitriolic treatment of Carter, though, certainly made the win sweeter for Vince, sweeter for the Nets, and sweeter for yours truly.
Nets coach Lawrence Frank was predictably ebullient in the game’s aftermath. He of course praised his big guns but also had kind words for the less evident aspects and players of the game. He certainly had many good reasons to be happy.
Jarvis Hayes got 32 minutes off the bench and contributed 14 points, a late and timely three-pointer, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Rookie Brook Lopez contributed 14 points and 6 rebounds and Sean Williams, though the box score may not reflect it, contributed a great deal to the win with physical play in the paint.
Williams certainly let Jermaine O’Neal know he was there. Williams’s not so flagrant flagrant foul on the Toronto center contributed to some pain O’Neal had been already feeling in his knee and hip and sent him to the bench.
Coach Frank’s biggest problems may be just determining his starting lineup, a happy dilemma to be sure. The young Nets are now 6-6 and seem to have a lot of talent, not to mention height, power, a dynamite speedster in Harris and the magic that Vince Carter can still bring to the court more often than not.
Yes, sometimes you get some magic in the unlikeliest of places and so it was last night in Toronto. I most certainly appreciate the Nets effort. I know I’ll be looking to watch those Nets some more in the months ahead, especially when I might need some inspiration.
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That the Knicks would get a former NJ wunderkind named Al Harrington and a still very serviceable Cuttino Mobley in exchange didn’t really do it for me. Although things will be much more exciting two years from now for the Knicks, it’ll be pretty much the same story for the rest of this 2008-2009 season.
I had thought I could salvage something from the NFL Thursday night game, but as the Steelers rolled over the hapless Bengals rather easily, my inspiration wouldn’t come from there. The most notable aspect of that game was the Bengals coach’s decision to kick a field goal rather than go for a touchdown embarrassingly late in the game.
Maybe that’s what’s wrong with the Bengals. They have a head coach who’s just as happy to cover the spread as he is to win the game. After the Pittsburgh-San Diego refereeing debacle of the previous week, in which the referee “mistakenly” called back a touchdown that would have enabled the Steelers to cover the spread, it was another unpleasant reminder that we may not be watching what we think we are. It may be rather well-disguised professional wrestling.
The Giants and Jets prospects can usually move me, but as it was still Friday, and with both teams facing rather uncertain futures on Sunday, the Jets having to play the undefeated Titans and the Giants having to face the pass-happy Arizona Cardinals, I wasn’t quite ready to wax prosaic just yet about those contests.
But tonight, quite by chance, amid some channel surfing, I witnessed a furious battle in Canada, an NBA basketball game that reminds me of what purpose there could be in sportswriting. Someone needs to chronicle the heroism displayed in only those contests decreed by God to be special.
Such was the battle between the Nets and Raptors last night. Who would have expected it, such drama, such intensity, such athleticism, such talent, such strategizing, all being played out before my wondering eyes on what otherwise could have been a dreary Friday night.
Just for the record, the Nets won 129-127 in overtime. But that says nothing. It was the ebb and flow of the game that was mesmerizing, and the heroics of Nets point guard Devin Harris in the third quarter and perennial All-Everything and Toronto pariah Vince Carter in the fourth quarter and overtime that eventually decided the matter.
But for all their heroics, it was the inbounds pass from Bobby Simmons to the very sneaky Vince Carter that eventually ended this marathon. It was seemingly an impossible scenario, being that Vince was electrifying all night and had sent the game into overtime with his last-second high arching jumper from the top of the key.
Carter seemed to just disappear as he glided away and behind his defender, and Simmons waited until the last possible moment to loft his perfect inbounds Alley-Oop pass to Vince directly in front of the basket. Carter simply jammed it in backwards and didn’t even smile really. His face just radiated contentment and a realization that his had been a job well done.
Right behind Carter in the line for accolades had to be the mercurial Devin Harris. It was Harris who mobilized the Nets in their comeback in the third quarter, Harris who charged past defenders, Harris who made the pull-up jumpers, Harris who made all the right passes to bring his team back from a huge deficit.
Despite the flair exhibited by the Nets in coming back, at no time was the miraculous ending an expected one, if only because of the unbelievable efforts of Toronto forward Chris Bosh. Every time the Nets did something, it was Bosh who’d answer back. Sometimes, he’d defer to Bargnani or Calderon, but it was Bosh who was running the show, and he fought the good fight.
That it was Carter providing most of the spectacle was especially fitting, given that the Toronto fans continue to boo the man for having had the temerity to abandon their team those many years ago, this despite Vince’s admitted lack of enthusiasm for the game in those days. The fans’ vitriolic treatment of Carter, though, certainly made the win sweeter for Vince, sweeter for the Nets, and sweeter for yours truly.
Nets coach Lawrence Frank was predictably ebullient in the game’s aftermath. He of course praised his big guns but also had kind words for the less evident aspects and players of the game. He certainly had many good reasons to be happy.
Jarvis Hayes got 32 minutes off the bench and contributed 14 points, a late and timely three-pointer, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Rookie Brook Lopez contributed 14 points and 6 rebounds and Sean Williams, though the box score may not reflect it, contributed a great deal to the win with physical play in the paint.
Williams certainly let Jermaine O’Neal know he was there. Williams’s not so flagrant flagrant foul on the Toronto center contributed to some pain O’Neal had been already feeling in his knee and hip and sent him to the bench.
Coach Frank’s biggest problems may be just determining his starting lineup, a happy dilemma to be sure. The young Nets are now 6-6 and seem to have a lot of talent, not to mention height, power, a dynamite speedster in Harris and the magic that Vince Carter can still bring to the court more often than not.
Yes, sometimes you get some magic in the unlikeliest of places and so it was last night in Toronto. I most certainly appreciate the Nets effort. I know I’ll be looking to watch those Nets some more in the months ahead, especially when I might need some inspiration.
Doctor's Trust 468X60
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Giants Eat Ravens - Mangini Eats Crow
Gee, if it weren’t for the economy going to hell and everyone’s retirement money going into the abyss, no jobs around or even on the horizon and state and local budgets going farther into the red, we’d have to be happy campers here in New York, unless you have to rake the leaves, of course. Then you have a real problem.
What can you say? The G-Men look invincible, the Jets refuse to lose and even the Knicks and Nets aren’t going down without a fight these days. Every day seems to bring with it new wonders. Even baseball fans can look forward to the next big signing, after Nick Swisher, that is.
Invincible? I don’t know that that’s the right word for it, but those Giants surely made some kind of statement against the Ravens on Sunday. Everyone seemed to be expecting a very close game as the Baltimore defense had been allowing almost nothing on the ground. It was Ray Lewis this and Ray Lewis that, and surely the Ravens stable of running backs, featuring Willis McGahee and Rutgers own Ray Rice would challenge the G-Men’s front seven.
It sure didn’t turn out that way. The Ravens running game was stuffed. Jersey’s own Joe Flacco, the rookie QB, was the leading rusher with 57 yards, the rest were in the teens. In fact, the biggest surprise in every respect was Flacco, who gave the Giants fits, both with his arms and legs.
But the issue was never in doubt. The tone was set from the first drive of the game, when Jacobs got hit behind the line, shrugged it off, and wheeled around to his left for about 40 yards, rendering quite a few Ravens tough guys on the ground before going out of bounds. When he crashed into the end zone a few plays later, it was pretty much all she wrote.
The Jets were less awesome to be sure, but they managed to beat their perennial nemesis, New England. I would have preferred a game with less Jets lead squandering and more convincing defense but it wasn’t to be. Favre had to save their butts in overtime after some Mangini over-think allowed the Pats to tie the game on its last play.
I won’t belabor the point but the Genius abandoned what had been working all game to present the most appropriate possible defense for the situation, classic over-think, and of course he ate crow.
In fact, the best characterization of the weekend is to say that the Giants ate the Ravens while Mangini ate crow. Not to be cruel but the Jets should be winning more easily with the talent they have. They’ll make the playoffs but Mangini will make every game an adventure. Not that I don’t like the man. Heh-heh.
Oh, and Leon Washington is just super. So is Kris Jenkins. Okay, enough about the Jets. They’re almost certain to be a disappointment in the final analysis.
How good is it to see Mike D’Antoni’s influence paying off for the Knicks? Although they lost a tough one last time out against the tough Mavericks, when Dirk Nowitzki went crazy and the Knickerbockers went very very cold (for the first time), they are 6-4 and will face the Celtics tonight sans Kevin Garnett, who was suspended a game for hitting Andrew Bogut in the face. (Yeah, I know, just a game suspension for hitting somebody in the face)?
The Nets are a very surprising 4-5 after beating what had been thought to be a tough Atlanta Hawks team twice in a row. The guard they got in exchange for Kidd, Devin Harris, has been pretty phenomenal and is making the Nets management look very good indeed, especially considering the fact that draftees Brook Lopez and Ryan Anderson are both proving they play some pretty good basketball in those West Coast colleges.
Hockey? Sorry, I don’t do hockey. And neither do the Devils this year by all accounts.
Then, of course, there are the Yankees. Let me remind my readers that I truly hate the Yankees, not the players, of course, but the management. No, let me be more specific than that, it’s GM Brian Cashman who bugs me (lately).
Nevertheless, I do pay attention to their doings, if just to be able to pick on Cashman a little bit more. I hate that the Yanks are going after Sabathia, one of the very best pitchers in the game, but who is just not a good fit for the Yankees. (Time will prove me right on this one if he is stupid enough to take their offer). Sabathia’s a free spirit whose fire will go out on that humorless team.
But I must say I love their signing of free agent Nick Swisher. Here’s a guy who is coming off a very mediocre last year but who had two pretty good years before that. Here’s a guy who plays the game hard, takes a lot of pitches at the plate, and can play any outfield position in addition to first base. For a team with needs at both positions,it was a brilliant move, and one that will be a good fit for both team and player. Good move, Brian, for once.
My favorite team, the Mets, will make its fans agonize for a month or so before GM Omar Minaya gets us a closer, and probably make us wait even longer than that to fill out the rest of the bullpen. I remain concerned that the Mets will trade Beltran, my favorite Mets player. (What’s not to like? He does everything well).
While there has been talk of the Mets acquiring a bigtime closer in free agency (Francisco Rodriguez and Brian Fuentes), there have also been rumors of trading for Bobby Jenks. While I’d love to get Jenks, it makes me wonder who’s on his way to Chicago. And the White Sox will be needing an outfielder.
I’m thinking I should brace myself for disappointment.
What can you say? The G-Men look invincible, the Jets refuse to lose and even the Knicks and Nets aren’t going down without a fight these days. Every day seems to bring with it new wonders. Even baseball fans can look forward to the next big signing, after Nick Swisher, that is.
Invincible? I don’t know that that’s the right word for it, but those Giants surely made some kind of statement against the Ravens on Sunday. Everyone seemed to be expecting a very close game as the Baltimore defense had been allowing almost nothing on the ground. It was Ray Lewis this and Ray Lewis that, and surely the Ravens stable of running backs, featuring Willis McGahee and Rutgers own Ray Rice would challenge the G-Men’s front seven.
It sure didn’t turn out that way. The Ravens running game was stuffed. Jersey’s own Joe Flacco, the rookie QB, was the leading rusher with 57 yards, the rest were in the teens. In fact, the biggest surprise in every respect was Flacco, who gave the Giants fits, both with his arms and legs.
But the issue was never in doubt. The tone was set from the first drive of the game, when Jacobs got hit behind the line, shrugged it off, and wheeled around to his left for about 40 yards, rendering quite a few Ravens tough guys on the ground before going out of bounds. When he crashed into the end zone a few plays later, it was pretty much all she wrote.
The Jets were less awesome to be sure, but they managed to beat their perennial nemesis, New England. I would have preferred a game with less Jets lead squandering and more convincing defense but it wasn’t to be. Favre had to save their butts in overtime after some Mangini over-think allowed the Pats to tie the game on its last play.
I won’t belabor the point but the Genius abandoned what had been working all game to present the most appropriate possible defense for the situation, classic over-think, and of course he ate crow.
In fact, the best characterization of the weekend is to say that the Giants ate the Ravens while Mangini ate crow. Not to be cruel but the Jets should be winning more easily with the talent they have. They’ll make the playoffs but Mangini will make every game an adventure. Not that I don’t like the man. Heh-heh.
Oh, and Leon Washington is just super. So is Kris Jenkins. Okay, enough about the Jets. They’re almost certain to be a disappointment in the final analysis.
How good is it to see Mike D’Antoni’s influence paying off for the Knicks? Although they lost a tough one last time out against the tough Mavericks, when Dirk Nowitzki went crazy and the Knickerbockers went very very cold (for the first time), they are 6-4 and will face the Celtics tonight sans Kevin Garnett, who was suspended a game for hitting Andrew Bogut in the face. (Yeah, I know, just a game suspension for hitting somebody in the face)?
The Nets are a very surprising 4-5 after beating what had been thought to be a tough Atlanta Hawks team twice in a row. The guard they got in exchange for Kidd, Devin Harris, has been pretty phenomenal and is making the Nets management look very good indeed, especially considering the fact that draftees Brook Lopez and Ryan Anderson are both proving they play some pretty good basketball in those West Coast colleges.
Hockey? Sorry, I don’t do hockey. And neither do the Devils this year by all accounts.
Then, of course, there are the Yankees. Let me remind my readers that I truly hate the Yankees, not the players, of course, but the management. No, let me be more specific than that, it’s GM Brian Cashman who bugs me (lately).
Nevertheless, I do pay attention to their doings, if just to be able to pick on Cashman a little bit more. I hate that the Yanks are going after Sabathia, one of the very best pitchers in the game, but who is just not a good fit for the Yankees. (Time will prove me right on this one if he is stupid enough to take their offer). Sabathia’s a free spirit whose fire will go out on that humorless team.
But I must say I love their signing of free agent Nick Swisher. Here’s a guy who is coming off a very mediocre last year but who had two pretty good years before that. Here’s a guy who plays the game hard, takes a lot of pitches at the plate, and can play any outfield position in addition to first base. For a team with needs at both positions,it was a brilliant move, and one that will be a good fit for both team and player. Good move, Brian, for once.
My favorite team, the Mets, will make its fans agonize for a month or so before GM Omar Minaya gets us a closer, and probably make us wait even longer than that to fill out the rest of the bullpen. I remain concerned that the Mets will trade Beltran, my favorite Mets player. (What’s not to like? He does everything well).
While there has been talk of the Mets acquiring a bigtime closer in free agency (Francisco Rodriguez and Brian Fuentes), there have also been rumors of trading for Bobby Jenks. While I’d love to get Jenks, it makes me wonder who’s on his way to Chicago. And the White Sox will be needing an outfielder.
I’m thinking I should brace myself for disappointment.
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