BCS Bowls
BCS National Championship: Ohio State (12-0) vs. Oklahoma (13-0)
Sugar Bowl: Florida (12-1) vs. Pittsburgh (10-2)
Orange Bowl: Miami (11-2) vs. Alabama (10-2)
Fiesta Bowl: Texas (10-2) vs. Virginia Tech (11-1)
Rose Bowl: Washington (10-2) vs. Wisconsin (10-2)
Other Bowls
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: Fresno State (7-5) vs. Oregon (6-6)
Papajohns.com Bowl: Mississippi (6-6) vs. Connecticut (7-5)
Cotton Bowl: Auburn (10-2) vs. Texas Tech (8-4)
GMAC Bowl: Middle Tennessee State (9-3) vs. Ohio (9-3)
Gator Bowl: South Carolina (8-4) vs. Iowa (9-3)
Capital One Bowl: Arkansas (10-3) vs. Penn State (9-3)
Outback Bowl: LSU (7-5) vs. Michigan (7-5)
Dallas Football Classic: Texas A&M (8-4) vs. Michigan State (7-5)
Chick-fil-A Bowl: Georgia (8-4) vs. North Carolina (9-3)
Insight Bowl: Northwestern (7-5) vs. Kansas State (10-3)
Sun Bowl: Oregon State (9-3) vs. Boston College (9-4)
Meineke Car Care Bowl: West Virginia (10-2) vs. Georgia Tech (7-5)
Liberty Bowl: Mississippi State (6-6) vs. Central Florida (9-4)
Holiday Bowl: Arizona (10-2) vs. Nebraska (8-4)
Music City Bowl: Tennessee (6-6) vs. Florida State (7-5)
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: Utah (9-3) vs. Houston (11-2)
New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers (8-4) vs. Missouri (8-4)
Alamo Bowl: Baylor (7-5) vs. Stanford (8-4)
Texas Bowl: Minnesota (6-6) vs. San Diego State (6-6)*
EagleBank Bowl: Clemson (7-5) vs. Army (6-6)
Champs Sports Bowl: NC State (6-6) vs. Cincinnati (9-3)
Independence Bowl: Kentucky (6-6)* vs. Marshall (6-6)*
Little Caesars Bowl: Purdue (6-6) vs. Temple (11-2)
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Boise State (11-1) vs. California (7-5)
Poinsettia Bowl: Navy (11-1) vs. TCU (11-1)
MAACO Bowl Las Vegas: BYU (7-5) vs. Nevada (9-4)*
Beef O'Brady's Bowl: South Florida (6-6) vs. UTEP (8-4)
New Orleans Bowl: Troy (10-2) vs. Tulsa (7-5)
New Mexico Bowl: Air Force (7-5) vs. Louisiana Tech (8-4)
Humanitarian Bowl: Northern Illinois (9-4) vs. Hawaii (7-6)
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Marlon's Preseason Top 25
1. Ohio State
2. Oklahoma
3. Virginia Tech
4. Alabama
5. Miami
6. Florida
7. Pittsburgh
8. Boise State
9. Arkansas
10. North Carolina
11. Arizona
12. Wisconsin
13. Texas
14. Oregon State
15. Auburn
16. Iowa
17. TCU
18. West Virginia
19. LSU
20. Nebraska
21. Georgia
22. Washington
23. Texas Tech
24. Stanford
25. Cincinnati
25. Houston
2. Oklahoma
3. Virginia Tech
4. Alabama
5. Miami
6. Florida
7. Pittsburgh
8. Boise State
9. Arkansas
10. North Carolina
11. Arizona
12. Wisconsin
13. Texas
14. Oregon State
15. Auburn
16. Iowa
17. TCU
18. West Virginia
19. LSU
20. Nebraska
21. Georgia
22. Washington
23. Texas Tech
24. Stanford
25. Cincinnati
25. Houston
Others Receiving Votes
Texas A&M, Florida State, California, Missouri, Utah, South Carolina, Oregon, Notre Dame, Navy, Rutgers, Clemson, Connecticut, Michigan State, Central Florida, Nevada, Temple
Friday, June 11, 2010
How to Save the Big 12 Conference
First the Southwest Conference goes. Then, the Big 8 folds. Now, over a decade later, the Big 12, the product of both conferences, is headed towards its own demise within another year.
I'm still not sure how this has happened or why? I've heard of strife between the Big 12 North or Big 12 South, but seriously, is it enough to cause something akin to the sporting world's version of the Civil War. Who knows. All I know is if I'm Dan Beebe, the Big 12 commissioner, I would do everything in my power to save this conference. The last decade has been very kind to this conference. On the gridiron, the Big 12 has appeared in seven national championships, winning two (2001 Oklahoma and 2005 Texas). On the basketball court, four different teams have gone to the Final Four six times in the past decade, with Kansas winning the conference's lone championship in 2008.
If I'm Beebe, I would've been looking for replacements for Colorado and Nebraska as soon as possible. I would do everything in my power to hold the conference together. Since Colorado and Nebraska have been mostly irrelevant the past decade (excluding Nebraka's runner-up finish for the 2001 National Championship), I would inquire about TCU and Boise State's interest in helping to save the league. Since the issue appears to be about money, what better way to make money than to have two of the biggest mid-majors joining the big dogs.
Lastly, to prevent any further strife with the remaining teams in conference, I'd realign the divisions to create parity. Colorado (2001) and Kansas State (2003) are the only teams to beat either Texas or Oklahoma in the conference championship. Don't get me wrong. Oklahoma and Texas are two talented great teams, but no one wants to see a four touchdown massacre in a conference championship game every year. The following shows the list of teams currently in the Big 12, and the list of teams in the proposed new Big 12.
Big 12 North (2010)
Oklahoma
Texas
Texas Tech
Texas A&M
Oklahoma State
Baylor
Big 12 South (2010)
Nebraska
Missouri
Kansas
Kansas State
Iowa State
Colorado
Big 12 North (2011)
Oklahoma
Texas Tech
Boise State
Oklahoma State
Kansas
Kansas State
Big 12 South (2011)
Texas
Texas A&M
TCU
Missouri
Baylor
Iowa State
This alignment allows the Big 12 to remain in its current geographic location. Another team from Texas will be added, and Boise State would replace Colorado in the Western time zone. The traditional rivalries will remain intact, while new rivalries should emerge. Also, the Big 12 South will have four Texas Schools. The Big 12 North will have the two Kansas and Oklahoma schools. If it's truly about the money, why not put Texas and Oklahoma in opposite divisions. Since each school would be allowed two natural rivals in opposite divisions, they could play in the regular season, and maybe meet in the conference championship. Imagine an 11-1 Texas team looking to avenge an early season loss to 12-0 Oklahoma. The winner goes to the national championship. The stakes for the Red River Shootout "Part Two" couldn't be scripted any better. Of course other games than the Red River Rivalry exist. However, the possible high stakes matchup for the two rivals would bring a serious payday to the conference.
As far as my proposed revamped Big 12 is concerned, each team will play every team in their division once, two teams from the opposite division every season, and will rotate the third team every two years. For example, Boise State would play Texas home and away for two years, and rotate to another Big 12 South school for another two year battle, and so on. Here are the possible divisional schedules for each school in conference.
* The rotating team on the team's schedule
** Neutral site game
Baylor
vs. Texas
at Texas A&M
at TCU
vs. Missouri
vs. Iowa State
vs. Oklahoma State
at Kansas State
at Kansas*
Boise State
at Oklahoma
vs. Texas*
vs. TCU
at Kansas
vs. Kansas State
vs. Oklahoma State
at Texas Tech
at Missouri
Iowa State
vs. Texas
vs. Texas A&M
vs. TCU
at Missouri
at Baylor
vs. Kansas State(in Kansas City, MO)**
at Kansas
vs. Oklahoma*
Kansas
at Oklahoma
vs. Texas Tech
vs. Boise State
at Oklahoma State
at Kansas State
at Missouri (in St. Louis, MO)**
vs. Iowa State
vs. Baylor*
Kansas State
at Oklahoma
vs. Texas Tech
at Boise State
at Oklahoma State
vs. Kansas
vs. Iowa State
vs. Baylor
at Texas A&M*
Missouri
at Texas
vs. Texas A&M
at TCU
at Baylor
vs. Iowa State
vs. Kansas (St.Louis, MO)**
at Texas Tech*
vs. Boise State
Oklahoma
at Texas (in Dallas)**
at Texas Tech
vs. Boise State*
at Oklahoma State
vs. Kansas
vs. Kansas State
vs. Texas A&M
at Iowa State
Oklahoma State
vs. Oklahoma
at Texas Tech
at Boise State
vs. Kansas
vs. Kansas State
at Baylor
vs. TCU
at Texas A&M*
TCU
at Oklahoma State
vs. Missouri
at Iowa State
at Boise State
vs. Missouri
at Texas A&M
at Texas*
vs. Baylor
Texas
vs. Oklahoma (in Dallas)**
at Texas A&M
vs. TCU
at Boise State*
vs. Missouri
at Baylor
at Iowa State
vs. Texas Tech
Texas A&M
vs. Texas
vs. TCU
at Missouri
vs. Baylor
at Iowa State
at Texas Tech
at. Oklahoma
vs. Oklahoma State*
Texas Tech
vs. Oklahoma
at Oklahoma State
vs. Boise State
at Kansas
at Kansas State
at Texas
vs. Texas A&M
vs. Missouri*
I'm still not sure how this has happened or why? I've heard of strife between the Big 12 North or Big 12 South, but seriously, is it enough to cause something akin to the sporting world's version of the Civil War. Who knows. All I know is if I'm Dan Beebe, the Big 12 commissioner, I would do everything in my power to save this conference. The last decade has been very kind to this conference. On the gridiron, the Big 12 has appeared in seven national championships, winning two (2001 Oklahoma and 2005 Texas). On the basketball court, four different teams have gone to the Final Four six times in the past decade, with Kansas winning the conference's lone championship in 2008.
If I'm Beebe, I would've been looking for replacements for Colorado and Nebraska as soon as possible. I would do everything in my power to hold the conference together. Since Colorado and Nebraska have been mostly irrelevant the past decade (excluding Nebraka's runner-up finish for the 2001 National Championship), I would inquire about TCU and Boise State's interest in helping to save the league. Since the issue appears to be about money, what better way to make money than to have two of the biggest mid-majors joining the big dogs.
Lastly, to prevent any further strife with the remaining teams in conference, I'd realign the divisions to create parity. Colorado (2001) and Kansas State (2003) are the only teams to beat either Texas or Oklahoma in the conference championship. Don't get me wrong. Oklahoma and Texas are two talented great teams, but no one wants to see a four touchdown massacre in a conference championship game every year. The following shows the list of teams currently in the Big 12, and the list of teams in the proposed new Big 12.
Big 12 North (2010)
Oklahoma
Texas
Texas Tech
Texas A&M
Oklahoma State
Baylor
Big 12 South (2010)
Nebraska
Missouri
Kansas
Kansas State
Iowa State
Colorado
Big 12 North (2011)
Oklahoma
Texas Tech
Boise State
Oklahoma State
Kansas
Kansas State
Big 12 South (2011)
Texas
Texas A&M
TCU
Missouri
Baylor
Iowa State
This alignment allows the Big 12 to remain in its current geographic location. Another team from Texas will be added, and Boise State would replace Colorado in the Western time zone. The traditional rivalries will remain intact, while new rivalries should emerge. Also, the Big 12 South will have four Texas Schools. The Big 12 North will have the two Kansas and Oklahoma schools. If it's truly about the money, why not put Texas and Oklahoma in opposite divisions. Since each school would be allowed two natural rivals in opposite divisions, they could play in the regular season, and maybe meet in the conference championship. Imagine an 11-1 Texas team looking to avenge an early season loss to 12-0 Oklahoma. The winner goes to the national championship. The stakes for the Red River Shootout "Part Two" couldn't be scripted any better. Of course other games than the Red River Rivalry exist. However, the possible high stakes matchup for the two rivals would bring a serious payday to the conference.
As far as my proposed revamped Big 12 is concerned, each team will play every team in their division once, two teams from the opposite division every season, and will rotate the third team every two years. For example, Boise State would play Texas home and away for two years, and rotate to another Big 12 South school for another two year battle, and so on. Here are the possible divisional schedules for each school in conference.
* The rotating team on the team's schedule
** Neutral site game
Baylor
vs. Texas
at Texas A&M
at TCU
vs. Missouri
vs. Iowa State
vs. Oklahoma State
at Kansas State
at Kansas*
Boise State
at Oklahoma
vs. Texas*
vs. TCU
at Kansas
vs. Kansas State
vs. Oklahoma State
at Texas Tech
at Missouri
Iowa State
vs. Texas
vs. Texas A&M
vs. TCU
at Missouri
at Baylor
vs. Kansas State(in Kansas City, MO)**
at Kansas
vs. Oklahoma*
Kansas
at Oklahoma
vs. Texas Tech
vs. Boise State
at Oklahoma State
at Kansas State
at Missouri (in St. Louis, MO)**
vs. Iowa State
vs. Baylor*
Kansas State
at Oklahoma
vs. Texas Tech
at Boise State
at Oklahoma State
vs. Kansas
vs. Iowa State
vs. Baylor
at Texas A&M*
Missouri
at Texas
vs. Texas A&M
at TCU
at Baylor
vs. Iowa State
vs. Kansas (St.Louis, MO)**
at Texas Tech*
vs. Boise State
Oklahoma
at Texas (in Dallas)**
at Texas Tech
vs. Boise State*
at Oklahoma State
vs. Kansas
vs. Kansas State
vs. Texas A&M
at Iowa State
Oklahoma State
vs. Oklahoma
at Texas Tech
at Boise State
vs. Kansas
vs. Kansas State
at Baylor
vs. TCU
at Texas A&M*
TCU
at Oklahoma State
vs. Missouri
at Iowa State
at Boise State
vs. Missouri
at Texas A&M
at Texas*
vs. Baylor
Texas
vs. Oklahoma (in Dallas)**
at Texas A&M
vs. TCU
at Boise State*
vs. Missouri
at Baylor
at Iowa State
vs. Texas Tech
Texas A&M
vs. Texas
vs. TCU
at Missouri
vs. Baylor
at Iowa State
at Texas Tech
at. Oklahoma
vs. Oklahoma State*
Texas Tech
vs. Oklahoma
at Oklahoma State
vs. Boise State
at Kansas
at Kansas State
at Texas
vs. Texas A&M
vs. Missouri*
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Plagiarism in Hollywood
Is it just me or has Hollywood finally run out any new material? Granted, I know and understand remakes are a part of the industury. However, why does it seem like nearly every movie released is some form of remake or sequel?
In the world of academia, remakes would be known as plagiarism. Let a college kid buy someone's paper online and "remake" it into their own paper. Sure, he/she might tweak a few things here and there, but the idea is not original. In high school or college, plagarism results in an automatic F and the possibility of expulsion from school. These days, it appears plagiarism in Hollywood is encouraged.
As a fan, I can certainly stomach sequels a lot more than remakes. For instance, I've enjoyed each and every Rush Hour movie in the film's series. As long as both Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan are in the film together, it's okay with me. You have the same characters from each film, but different plots in each movie.
Now, remakes on the otherhand, is a different kind of animal. Most remakes, in my humble opinion, lack originiality. Remakes will have the same plot as in the original. Why should cusomers spend their hard-earned money on a movie they've probably seen before. Is it really that hard to come up with a decent idea that will appeal nowadays? I feel remakes are a disservice to those involved with the original films, from the actors to the writers to the directors and so on. If I wrote a script for a film, I wouldn't want someone coming around 20-25 years later trying to steal the idea. As a writer, I'd get a bigger thrill coming up with something unique, and a script I developed on my own. If you're going to steal an idea for a film, why not take a box office flop from a film 40 years old or older, figure out why it flopped, and change the script into a success. That in of itself, is more of a challenge than simply taking someone else's work and cashing in on it.
I suppose it's inevitable to turn to remakes for films. We now have the Super Heroes being exploited as the next in-line to be remade. We've already seen Batman, Spiderman, and the Incredible Hulk. From what I understand, Wonder Woman will be the next superhero turned into a movie.
It's not that I hate all remakes. It's just the idea of taking a hit movie from the past 20-25 years, and plagiarising it. I wouldn't mind as much if the films in question were made in the 60's or later. Most of the films remade these days are on television quite often. One can simply tune in to a channel and find a smash 80's film somewhere on tv.
Why this hostile attitude for remakes? Well, it started a few years ago when I flipped through the channel to watch Love Don't Cost a Thing. I noticed the similarities to 80's movie, Can't Buy Me Love. Both movies had nerdy central characters who paid cool girls to pose as girlfriends for a month. I watched roughly 20-30 minutes of the film before I realized this film was a remake. Initially, I thought someone ripped the film off before realizing the film was intended to be a remake. Needless to say, once I recognized the film's plot, I switched channels.
A couple of years later, Bewitched hit theaters. Bewitched was/is one of my favorite shows. I fondly remember watching the show as a child on Nick-at-Nite when both Nick-at-Nite and TV Land actually aired classic shows on their respective networks. That's another argument for another time. Anyway, I'll always associate Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, and Dick Sargent as the roles of Samantha and Darrin Stevens. This is not any sort of slight on the abilities of Nicole Kidman nor Will Ferrell. They are both talented actors. I'm just not interested in watching anyone else play the parts other actors portrayed years before. Montgomery will forever be Samantha and York and Sargent will be Darrin (although York was my favorite). I looked upon Kidman and Ferrell as a couple of imposters. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person who felt this way.
Before you blast this blog, just check out the list of remakes from 80's films schedule for release in 2010-2012:
Red Dawn
21 Jump Street
Footloose
the Smurfs
Clash of the Titans
A Nightmare on Elm Street
The Karate Kid
The A-Team
Tron
Beverley Hills Cop 4
Let's use Nightmare on Elm Street as an example. I've read Jackie Earle Haley will play Freddie Kruegger in the film. This is no slight to Haley. He's a terrific actor, but when I think of Kruegger, I think of Robert Englund. Maybe Englund turned down the role. I don't know. But this fact alone will not arouse any interest in the film.
The Karate Kid is another remake I don't like. I have nothing against Chan nor Jaden Smith, but I've seen the Karate Kid dozens of times in my life. I know Smith's character will be picked on by bullies (much like Ralph Macchacio's character in the original), but will learn to defend himself by taking karate from a local expert. I know how this film is going to end before I step foot in a theatre (or in my case, before I turn the channel to watch the movie when it's on tv).
Red Dawn is an 80's film that has several 80's stars such as C. Thomas Howell (Soul Man and the Outsiders), Patrick Swayze (Dirty Dancing and the Outsiders), Jennifer Grey (Dirty Dancing and Ferris Bueller's Day Off), Charlie Sheen (Lucas and Major League), and Lea Thompson (Back to the Future and Howard the Duck). In the film, teens battle Soviet troops, who have invaded their town. The remake will feature a new ensamble who will battle Chinese troops. I understand why the film used Soviet troops. At the time, the United States was involved in the Cold War with Russia. I don't know why Chinese soldiers are used in the remake.
These films only further prooves my point. Some tweaking and slight alterations will be made to the remakes. The films will be modernized to the standards of the 21st century, but the result remains the same...the films in question have been plagiarized.
It seems like the trend of remakes is gravitating towards television. In recent years, shows such as American Gladiators, Knight Rider, 90210, and Melrose Place have been revived. Ironically, 90210 is the only show that is presently on air. With the demise of Lost and 24, and Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy probably winding down in the next couple of years, one has to wonder what other tv classic will be the next in line to be plagiarised and butchered.
In the world of academia, remakes would be known as plagiarism. Let a college kid buy someone's paper online and "remake" it into their own paper. Sure, he/she might tweak a few things here and there, but the idea is not original. In high school or college, plagarism results in an automatic F and the possibility of expulsion from school. These days, it appears plagiarism in Hollywood is encouraged.
As a fan, I can certainly stomach sequels a lot more than remakes. For instance, I've enjoyed each and every Rush Hour movie in the film's series. As long as both Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan are in the film together, it's okay with me. You have the same characters from each film, but different plots in each movie.
Now, remakes on the otherhand, is a different kind of animal. Most remakes, in my humble opinion, lack originiality. Remakes will have the same plot as in the original. Why should cusomers spend their hard-earned money on a movie they've probably seen before. Is it really that hard to come up with a decent idea that will appeal nowadays? I feel remakes are a disservice to those involved with the original films, from the actors to the writers to the directors and so on. If I wrote a script for a film, I wouldn't want someone coming around 20-25 years later trying to steal the idea. As a writer, I'd get a bigger thrill coming up with something unique, and a script I developed on my own. If you're going to steal an idea for a film, why not take a box office flop from a film 40 years old or older, figure out why it flopped, and change the script into a success. That in of itself, is more of a challenge than simply taking someone else's work and cashing in on it.
I suppose it's inevitable to turn to remakes for films. We now have the Super Heroes being exploited as the next in-line to be remade. We've already seen Batman, Spiderman, and the Incredible Hulk. From what I understand, Wonder Woman will be the next superhero turned into a movie.
It's not that I hate all remakes. It's just the idea of taking a hit movie from the past 20-25 years, and plagiarising it. I wouldn't mind as much if the films in question were made in the 60's or later. Most of the films remade these days are on television quite often. One can simply tune in to a channel and find a smash 80's film somewhere on tv.
Why this hostile attitude for remakes? Well, it started a few years ago when I flipped through the channel to watch Love Don't Cost a Thing. I noticed the similarities to 80's movie, Can't Buy Me Love. Both movies had nerdy central characters who paid cool girls to pose as girlfriends for a month. I watched roughly 20-30 minutes of the film before I realized this film was a remake. Initially, I thought someone ripped the film off before realizing the film was intended to be a remake. Needless to say, once I recognized the film's plot, I switched channels.
A couple of years later, Bewitched hit theaters. Bewitched was/is one of my favorite shows. I fondly remember watching the show as a child on Nick-at-Nite when both Nick-at-Nite and TV Land actually aired classic shows on their respective networks. That's another argument for another time. Anyway, I'll always associate Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, and Dick Sargent as the roles of Samantha and Darrin Stevens. This is not any sort of slight on the abilities of Nicole Kidman nor Will Ferrell. They are both talented actors. I'm just not interested in watching anyone else play the parts other actors portrayed years before. Montgomery will forever be Samantha and York and Sargent will be Darrin (although York was my favorite). I looked upon Kidman and Ferrell as a couple of imposters. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person who felt this way.
Before you blast this blog, just check out the list of remakes from 80's films schedule for release in 2010-2012:
Red Dawn
21 Jump Street
Footloose
the Smurfs
Clash of the Titans
A Nightmare on Elm Street
The Karate Kid
The A-Team
Tron
Beverley Hills Cop 4
Let's use Nightmare on Elm Street as an example. I've read Jackie Earle Haley will play Freddie Kruegger in the film. This is no slight to Haley. He's a terrific actor, but when I think of Kruegger, I think of Robert Englund. Maybe Englund turned down the role. I don't know. But this fact alone will not arouse any interest in the film.
The Karate Kid is another remake I don't like. I have nothing against Chan nor Jaden Smith, but I've seen the Karate Kid dozens of times in my life. I know Smith's character will be picked on by bullies (much like Ralph Macchacio's character in the original), but will learn to defend himself by taking karate from a local expert. I know how this film is going to end before I step foot in a theatre (or in my case, before I turn the channel to watch the movie when it's on tv).
Red Dawn is an 80's film that has several 80's stars such as C. Thomas Howell (Soul Man and the Outsiders), Patrick Swayze (Dirty Dancing and the Outsiders), Jennifer Grey (Dirty Dancing and Ferris Bueller's Day Off), Charlie Sheen (Lucas and Major League), and Lea Thompson (Back to the Future and Howard the Duck). In the film, teens battle Soviet troops, who have invaded their town. The remake will feature a new ensamble who will battle Chinese troops. I understand why the film used Soviet troops. At the time, the United States was involved in the Cold War with Russia. I don't know why Chinese soldiers are used in the remake.
These films only further prooves my point. Some tweaking and slight alterations will be made to the remakes. The films will be modernized to the standards of the 21st century, but the result remains the same...the films in question have been plagiarized.
It seems like the trend of remakes is gravitating towards television. In recent years, shows such as American Gladiators, Knight Rider, 90210, and Melrose Place have been revived. Ironically, 90210 is the only show that is presently on air. With the demise of Lost and 24, and Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy probably winding down in the next couple of years, one has to wonder what other tv classic will be the next in line to be plagiarised and butchered.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
LeBron James Basketball Association
Apparently, the National Basketball Association will now be known as the LeBron James Association. Not since the days of Michael Jordan, has officiating clearly been one-sided to a single player. With the calls he's receiving, it's safe to assume James owns the league.
Granted, I'm well aware of the fact that star players have been known to get star treatment. Everybody, from fans to players to coaches to Commissioner David Stern, knows this unwritten rule. I may not like it, but that's the way it is. Lakers coach Phil Jackson and Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett both suggested the officials favor Kevin Durant. Maybe so. However, he's getting the same calls as Paul Pierce, Carmelo Anthony, DeWayne Wade, and the like. Why won't any players or coaches criticize the officials for calling fouls on James.
Game five of the Bulls-Cavaliers series was completely unbearable. The officiating was biased for Cleveland the entire series, but last night's officiating was an abomination. Brad Miller picked up six fouls in 10 minutes while guarding Shaq. Think about this for a minute. Six fouls in 10 minutes. Brad Miller would have needed six fouls against Shaq--10 years ago. Even TNT analyst Reggie questioned the two consecutive fouls Miller received while guarding Shaq. Gibson fouled out, and Joakim Noah had 5 fouls. Shaq and Varejao had five fouls each, but as physical as the two guys are, there is not a reason as to why they did not foul out of the game. Maybe the officials thought if the Bulls stole game five , the Bulls would have won game six in the United Center. In this scenario, a winner-take-all game seven would have been played at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
Derrick Rose is a guy that loves to get to the rim. He's considered one of the quickest players in the league. He took 27 shots in game five, but shot six free throws. James, on the other hand, hoisted 12 shots, and shot 14 free throws. Now, do you see where I'm going with this? There was a crucial play in the fourth quarter when Shaq fouled Derrick Rose. Rose took two steps (without dribbling), and made the shot. In the NBA, this is known as continuation. Against other teams in the league, the shot would have counted, but not against the "King".
No one will be able to play solid defense against James. The refs will call a reach in if a player steals the ball from him. The refs will call a foul on a player who blocks his shot. On the post, the player will be nailed for a phantom push. Phantom hip checks have been known to be called while he's driving.
Is the NBA so desperate to give "King James" a championship? Perhaps disgraced former referee Tim Donaghy is not the only ref who deliberately tanked calls?
It was nice to see LeBron show class, and shake hands with the Bulls after game five against the Bulls. However, why didn't he shake hands when Orlando beat them last year or when Boston beat them in seven in 08? I was curious as to why James stayed on the court to receive congratulations from the Bulls team and staff. James himself said he did not want to shake hands with the team that beats him. Doesn't it seem a little hypocritical to stay on the court to shake hands with the team you've beaten? I get it, though. You're happy as long as you win, but you act like a sore loser when you don't get your way. Come on, LeBron. You're not 8-years-old anymore. You're a professional now. You need to take the approach from the Huggies commercial in which the kid sings, "Mommy wow. I'm a big kid now."
Stop the dancing, parading, and showing up other teams. Although very few guys have the guts to call you out on it, a majority of the players feel the team acts like a bunch of immature little leaguers. Joakim Noah is a guy known for speaking his mind. It was nice to see someone step up, and tell you what they thought about your antics. He didn't appreciate the theatrics from a team that acts more like a college team. I understand firing your fans and teammates up. However, dancing before games and during blowouts is a blatant slap in the face. That's why Orlando slapped Cleveland silly in six games last year?
Kobe Bryant had enough class to congratulate Boston after they won the title in 08? Think about this for a minute. His team lost in six to the franchise's biggest rival. They blew a 24-point lead in a game four loss. In game six, Boston won by 39. Yet, despite this, Kobe had enough class to shake hands with the guys.
Please learn from Kobe, LeBron. Stop acting like a 25-year-old turning five. Please, please, please act like an adult, and show class.
Granted, I'm well aware of the fact that star players have been known to get star treatment. Everybody, from fans to players to coaches to Commissioner David Stern, knows this unwritten rule. I may not like it, but that's the way it is. Lakers coach Phil Jackson and Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett both suggested the officials favor Kevin Durant. Maybe so. However, he's getting the same calls as Paul Pierce, Carmelo Anthony, DeWayne Wade, and the like. Why won't any players or coaches criticize the officials for calling fouls on James.
Game five of the Bulls-Cavaliers series was completely unbearable. The officiating was biased for Cleveland the entire series, but last night's officiating was an abomination. Brad Miller picked up six fouls in 10 minutes while guarding Shaq. Think about this for a minute. Six fouls in 10 minutes. Brad Miller would have needed six fouls against Shaq--10 years ago. Even TNT analyst Reggie questioned the two consecutive fouls Miller received while guarding Shaq. Gibson fouled out, and Joakim Noah had 5 fouls. Shaq and Varejao had five fouls each, but as physical as the two guys are, there is not a reason as to why they did not foul out of the game. Maybe the officials thought if the Bulls stole game five , the Bulls would have won game six in the United Center. In this scenario, a winner-take-all game seven would have been played at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
Derrick Rose is a guy that loves to get to the rim. He's considered one of the quickest players in the league. He took 27 shots in game five, but shot six free throws. James, on the other hand, hoisted 12 shots, and shot 14 free throws. Now, do you see where I'm going with this? There was a crucial play in the fourth quarter when Shaq fouled Derrick Rose. Rose took two steps (without dribbling), and made the shot. In the NBA, this is known as continuation. Against other teams in the league, the shot would have counted, but not against the "King".
No one will be able to play solid defense against James. The refs will call a reach in if a player steals the ball from him. The refs will call a foul on a player who blocks his shot. On the post, the player will be nailed for a phantom push. Phantom hip checks have been known to be called while he's driving.
Is the NBA so desperate to give "King James" a championship? Perhaps disgraced former referee Tim Donaghy is not the only ref who deliberately tanked calls?
LeBron James shows good sportsmanship
It was nice to see LeBron show class, and shake hands with the Bulls after game five against the Bulls. However, why didn't he shake hands when Orlando beat them last year or when Boston beat them in seven in 08? I was curious as to why James stayed on the court to receive congratulations from the Bulls team and staff. James himself said he did not want to shake hands with the team that beats him. Doesn't it seem a little hypocritical to stay on the court to shake hands with the team you've beaten? I get it, though. You're happy as long as you win, but you act like a sore loser when you don't get your way. Come on, LeBron. You're not 8-years-old anymore. You're a professional now. You need to take the approach from the Huggies commercial in which the kid sings, "Mommy wow. I'm a big kid now."
Stop the dancing, parading, and showing up other teams. Although very few guys have the guts to call you out on it, a majority of the players feel the team acts like a bunch of immature little leaguers. Joakim Noah is a guy known for speaking his mind. It was nice to see someone step up, and tell you what they thought about your antics. He didn't appreciate the theatrics from a team that acts more like a college team. I understand firing your fans and teammates up. However, dancing before games and during blowouts is a blatant slap in the face. That's why Orlando slapped Cleveland silly in six games last year?
Kobe Bryant had enough class to congratulate Boston after they won the title in 08? Think about this for a minute. His team lost in six to the franchise's biggest rival. They blew a 24-point lead in a game four loss. In game six, Boston won by 39. Yet, despite this, Kobe had enough class to shake hands with the guys.
Please learn from Kobe, LeBron. Stop acting like a 25-year-old turning five. Please, please, please act like an adult, and show class.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Beating L.A....So Easy A Caveman Could Do It
Surprise, surprise. The Los Angeles Lakers are in a dog fight in the first round as Oklahoma City routed them last night to even the series 2-2. As a fan of the game of basketball, Los Angeles disgraced the game, themselves, and the Lakers organization. To be honest, the Lakers 1988 World Championship team, led by a 50-year old Magic Johnson, would put up a better fight than the quitters who played. These guys won the championship last year, but packed it in like an Atlanta Hawks team on the road. The Lakers could have and should have one the third game of the series on Thursday. But thanks in part to the "Black Mamba", the Lakers are sitting 2-2 instead of 3-1.
Kobe Bryant's play since his injuries by-and-large has been pitiful to say the least. Quite frankly, pitiful is too weak of a word. Kobe has been playing horrible basketball. Thursday night, the man I dubbed "the best basketball player in the world" was 10-29 from the field, scoring 24 points, dishing out 8 assists, and grabbing 4 rebounds. Many commentators and analysts have called Thabo Sefalosha's defense outstanding. However, no one notices a trend that every player that guards him is now a "Kobe stopper". While on the subject, other guys such as Arron Afflalo and Shane Battier would be considered "Kobe stoppers". Anyone who guards Kobe will stop him. All he wants to do is jack up fadeaway after fadeaway after fadeaway. Not only are they bad fadeaways, but he has an injured finger on his shooting hand to boot. It's ridiculous that someone that talented will act so irrationally. I'm confident that I could shut down Kobe Bryant. He didn't shoot a single free throw in game three and made 1-2 from the line in game four. I have a theory as to why he is willing to shoot fadeaways instead of driving to the basket to shoot free throws. Maybe his favorite song is "My Generation" by the Who. The lyrics go as follows:"Why don't you all fade away? Talking bout my generation. Don't try to dig what we all say. Talking bout my generation." In his mind, Kobe says why don't I shoot fadeaways. It's absolutely foolish for a player of his caliber to settle for bad shot after bad shot. Somebody needs to light a fire in this guy's belly.
As foolish Kobe was for jacking up brick after brick (looking like a bricklayer with all the bricks he shot), Coach Phil Jackson is ultimately to blame. "The Zen Master" has won 10 rings in his career for crying out loud. Why should he care if anyone criticizes him. If he's fired, he's got more money than he could ever spend. Only one other coach (Red Auerbach) is in his league, but he's six feet under (God rest his soul.) Don't give me this Mr. Cool, olay bunk, Phil. You are the coach. You make the decisions. If Kobe Bryant is going to act like a simpleton by playing poor defense (in which he often leaves his man and stands on one spot without guarding anyone) and poor shot selection, why is he in the game? I know if I'm coaching, and a player drops the ball the way Kobe did, he'd be on the bench ASAP. Regardless of caliber, I would not let a player get away with what Kobe's doing right now. In game four, Kobe decides not to shot the ball because people said he shot too much. Jackson should have yanked him out in the game and sent him to the locker room.
Who's next? Oh yes. Why, it's Lamar Odom. Or should I say Lamar "I'll play when I damn well feel like it" Odom. When is this guy going to show up in the series. This guy spends more time falling on the floor than actually trying to play basketball. He drives to the lane (one of the few times in which he will blow past his man), he falls down. He gets a rebound (the few rebounds he manages to get), he falls down. He sneezes, he falls down. What gives man? Where's the New York toughness that this team needs? He's averaging a paltry 7 .8 points and 6. 5 rebounds per game off the bench. Odom is getting out hustled and out played in every phase of the game. Dude, you're nicknamed "the Goods", but you play more like "the Bads". Every Laker fan would love for you to actually play like "the Goods" and show why you earned the nickname. You're essentially going up against college kids. There is no way you should not average at least 10 points and 10 rebounds and 2 blocks per game.
His free throw shooting is not to be desired. With Odom, you'll be lucky he makes one of two from the charity stripe. You can forget about him actually making both free throws. You're more likely to see a dog talk and play in the NFL before Odom actually makes both free throw attempts at the line. I've talked about Chauncey Billups and Steve Nash whining about calls, but at least they'll make their free throws. Odom complains and just throws up bricks.
There's one thing I need to know. Odom is 6'10'', but acts like he's 6'0''. I don't know if I've ever seen anyone who's nearly 7'0'' be afraid or act like he's afraid to dunk a basketball. He loves to do layups. Quite frankly, I think he's either to lazy to jump (just a little bit is require since he's 6'10'') or he's too soft (dunking will hurt his hand).
Pau Gasol has played well, but has to toughen up. He's earned a rep for being soft, and he's certainly living up to the billing. As soon as he's fouled, he often appears to weak to get the ball to the rim. That's why Gasol rarely has and-one opportunities. Like Odom, Gasol whines far too much. If you focused on your game as much as you focus on the officiating, you'd be averaging 24/12 every night. Maybe he'd block a couple of shots per game as well.
Also like Odom, Gasol rarely makes his two free throws. He stands at the line, blows into his hand, and proceeds to jack up a ridiculous brick. Unlike Odom, Gasol is typically capable of making one of two free throws.
He's averaging 18.5 points, 11 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 blocks per game. However, in game four Gasol looked like he was in Los Angeles. He was nowhere to be found. He finished the game with a lousy 13 points and 4 rebounds. The bottom line is Gasol, Odom, and Bynum have been manhandled by the Thunder's bigs.
Andrew Bynum. Boy, where do I begin? Let's see. Try getting tougher. Bynum is the only big, check that, player in the NBA who gets hurt against the bottom feeders. The last couple of years he was hurt playing against Memphis. This year, he injured his Achilles against the lousy Minnesota Timberwolves. Is it too much to ask for you to play 82 games in a season?
Bynum also needs a mean streak. If he doesn't have it, he never will, unfortunately. Hey, I'm an optimistic guy, but he's been in the league 5 years, and a mean streak can't be taught. Included in the mean streak are monster dunks. If you go in with authority, you'll have fewer dunks blocked. No one wants a part of a hoss who will punish the rim (just ask Dwight Howard). When Superman goes inside for a jam, no one will challenge him. This same statement, honestly, can be applied to Odom and Gasol as well.
Bynum needs to also use his head more. Although some of the fouls he picks up are not his fault, most of them are. Stop lunging at people and use your height to go straight in the air.
Defensively, Ron Artest is doing a great job, for the most part. The one thing he needs to work on his is outside shooting. If Kobe drives (which is occassionally) and kicks it out to you (instead of feeding it in to a big for an easy dunk or shot, which he very rarely does), you need to knock down the jumpers on a consistent basis. In this series, Artest is shooting 30 percent from the field, 13 percent from beyond the arc, and 50 percent from the charity stripe. These numbers are awful. Where is the Artest that was a scoring threat in Houston? That Artest played lockdown defense and played well offensively.
Father time is not on Derek Fisher's side. Fisher is clearly not a starter anymore. After 13 years in the league, Fisher obviously isn't the same Fisher from 2000. Nonetheless, as witnessed by his heroics in game four in the finals last year, Fisher can be a valuable asset. However, his decision making is flat out pitiful. For instance, at Denver a few weeks ago, Fisher tries to jack up a game winning three over a 6'8'' Carmelo Anthony. Gee, what do you think would happen? Over course it was blocked. Without Kobe, Fisher should've looked to see the mismatch to his right. Chauncey Billups switched with Anthony. Billups was guarding Odom. If Fisher recognizes the mismatch, he passes to Odom. Odom will post up. Fisher and Odom are the only two players on the right side of court. This means Carmelo will have to come with the double. Odom could kick it out to Fisher for a wide open game-winning three. But, this is what happens when you don't have a true point guard. It's sad to say, but Fisher is the best the Lakers have. Those guys on the bench are...dreadful.
This bench is the worst bench I've ever seen. Everybody wants to be the hero that scores 20 plus points. No one wants to be the guy who gets his hands dirty. The players clearly do not understand their roles. At UCLA, Jordan Farmar was considered the man. Who would've thought, four years later, he'd be a mere afterthought. Guys like Russell Westbrook, Arron Afflalo, and Darren Collison (his backup for one season) have surpassed him easily. All Farmar wants to do is score. He doesn't know how to get his teammates easy baskets, he doesn't know the meaning of defense, nor can he rebound well. In essence, he's no use to this team.
Shannon Brown provided a nice spark last year. I thought the Lakers had someone who they could keep around for another decade. But after watching him this year, I'm having second thoughts. He's playing through a thumb injury and I'll give him credit for that. Some guys on the team would be in the hospital with a thumb injury. However, why would Brown take awful shots with a thumb injury. He might take 11 shots off the bench, but make only 3. Who are you all of sudden, Kobe Bryant? Don't get me started on defense. He's not as bad as Farmar (I don't think it's possible to be worse than Farmar), but he has trouble stopping penetration by point guards. If I'm Brown and Farmar, I'd work with Kobe, Artest, and any other great defender to improve my defense so I wouldn't be a liability to the team.
Luke Walton is the only guy on the bench that knows his role. He knows he'll never be a 20-plus per game scorer like his father (Hall of Famer Bill Walton), but he knows that he can earn his keep by getting rebounds and setting up his teammates with nice assists. Most of the shots he takes are high percentage in which he's wide open or when the shot clock's winding down. Walton will always be okay as long as he knows his role and his limits in terms of what he can and can't do.
Adam Morrison. Huh, what can I say about the dude? He was billed by some as the next Larry Bird, but has been a complete bust so far. Can he turn it around? Maybe, but it won't be with the Laker nation. All Morrison has been is the richest cheerleader in the league who's making about 6 million per thanks to his number three overall selection four years ago in the draft.
Sasha Vujacic needs to stop mouthing off to assistants and work on his jumper. Had I been Brian Shaw, I told him to yell at me when he could knock down an open jumper. I suspect, Vujacic would've been given the 'ol heave-ho (the proverbial pink slip if you will) if he had a regular 9-5 job. You simply do not mouth off to your coaches. If you're not in the rotation, don't moan and grown and feel sorry for yourself. Man up. Show the coaches you're a team player that will do anything to help the team win. Show a great work ethic in practice, and don't just waste space on the court. Despite this, Vujacic looks to be the best defender off the bench who's presence is sorely needed in this pathetic effort against Oklahoma City. His shot looked like it had improved before he went down to the ankle injury.
D.J. Mbenga and Josh Powell seldomly play meaningful minutes. Both guy could be helpful in terms of bringing energy. They just need to make sure they make the most of opportunites. They should block or try to block shots, use their fouls, and don't take 15-foot jumpers knowing you'll make only 1-5.
In all my years of watching basketball, this is the laziest Laker team I've ever seen. Actually, they're the laziest team I've seen in the NBA. Those guys are clearly dogging it defensively. They love to play olay defense in which the point guard blows by them, and breaks down the defense. This style of play will land your big men in foul trouble. Do they care? No, of course not. I'd actually feel guilty if I made the amount of money they make, and I didn't put in a maximum effort. In this lousy economy, it's hard to fathom a guy getting a fat contract, and he isn't giving it his all. Every guy on this team appears selfish. Everyone wants to be the guy that scores 30 points. No one wants to accept his role. Instead of crisp ball movement, the ball will be passed around the perimeter. A brick is usually shot. The opposing team gets the ball out in transition and it results in an easy layup or dunk.
Kobe needs to work on efficiency. Dwayne Wade dropped 46 on Boston and took 24 shots. With the way Kobe's playing, he'll need to shoot the ball 40 times to score 40 points. Of course, if people criticize his shot selection, he'll simply not shoot the ball. In game four, Bryant had 12 points on 5-10 from the field. He nearly led the team in steals.
While I'm on the subject, Kobe's entire game is flat out a disgrace. He stands around too much on defense. He leaves his man wide open for easy three point shots. He apparently doesn't want to shoot free throws anymore because he refuses to drive the ball. There is no way Kobe could not blow past Sefolosha for a layup. The few times when he does drive, he tries a fancy reverse layp and misses the layup. Should I dare say it? Maybe Kobe doesn't have it what it takes anymore. Maybe the "Black Mamba" is washed up. Maybe Kobe is just too old. Injuries be damned, his play at this point is flat out inexcusable. I look bad for calling him the "best in the world" and lays an egg on the court. I should face facts. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers do not have the heart to repeat as champions.
As an opposing coach, I would get my point guard to push the ball and constantly penetrate. I know the Lakers are lackadaisical. I'd use the point guards to feed the ball to the bigs and kick out to the guys who can actually shoot. On defense, I'd play Kobe one-on-one. Since he doesn't want to drive it to the rim, I'll allow him to shoot fadeaways all game. No one else can make a basket and the bigs are too lazy to fight for position for an offensive rebound. You'd think if Kobe nor Fisher will feed the post, they'd at least bang inside to fight for offensive rebounds and putbacks. As long as you have quality talent, you'll be alright. Following this game plan should result in a 25 point loss if the Lakers play their lethargic, heartless, gutless ways.
Granted, I don't consider myself a Lakers fan. I pull them because my parents and brother are die hard fans. I respect the organization for taking a nice approach by actually acquiring quality players through a variety of ways and not just buying them (Cough, cough. New York Yankees.) It's sad to see a team with so much potential and talent play with no energy, heart, and effort. This team is so lazy. It looks as if the team wants to win, but they want to do the least amount of work that's required with it. They might build up a 20 point lead in the second quarter. As a fan, I'll think the Lakers will run the team right out of the gym. However, they squat on the lead and will only win by 8 or 10 points. They lack a clear killer instinct. We saw it against Houston in the 2009 Western Conference Semifinals last season. Yao Ming is injured in game three. You'd think they'd win the series in five games. Wrong. They played around and won the series in seven. They should never want a series to continue because the team like the Rockets last year could have caught fire. Los Angeles might be in trouble this year. If Oklahoma City, whose confidence is through the roof, catches fire and steals game five, the Lakers will actually need angels for them to win the series.
That's why I respect guys like Joakim Noah and David Lee. I'm not saying this because they went to Florida, but because they are going to give an all-out maximum effort. They will leave their hearts on the court. They may not be the biggest, strongest, fastest, but no one will out hustle these guys. They aren't the only guys. DeJuan Blair (San Antonio) and Paul Millsap (Utah) are 6-7 guys who will hustle.Hustling, effort, heart, tenacity, and wanting it more is why David Lee manhandled the Lakers in their annual trek to Madison Square Guarden for 31 points, 17 rebounds, and 4 assists. I cannot believe I'm actually saying this, but the mighty Los Angeles Lakers could learn a lesson or two from the Gators.
Kobe Bryant's play since his injuries by-and-large has been pitiful to say the least. Quite frankly, pitiful is too weak of a word. Kobe has been playing horrible basketball. Thursday night, the man I dubbed "the best basketball player in the world" was 10-29 from the field, scoring 24 points, dishing out 8 assists, and grabbing 4 rebounds. Many commentators and analysts have called Thabo Sefalosha's defense outstanding. However, no one notices a trend that every player that guards him is now a "Kobe stopper". While on the subject, other guys such as Arron Afflalo and Shane Battier would be considered "Kobe stoppers". Anyone who guards Kobe will stop him. All he wants to do is jack up fadeaway after fadeaway after fadeaway. Not only are they bad fadeaways, but he has an injured finger on his shooting hand to boot. It's ridiculous that someone that talented will act so irrationally. I'm confident that I could shut down Kobe Bryant. He didn't shoot a single free throw in game three and made 1-2 from the line in game four. I have a theory as to why he is willing to shoot fadeaways instead of driving to the basket to shoot free throws. Maybe his favorite song is "My Generation" by the Who. The lyrics go as follows:"Why don't you all fade away? Talking bout my generation. Don't try to dig what we all say. Talking bout my generation." In his mind, Kobe says why don't I shoot fadeaways. It's absolutely foolish for a player of his caliber to settle for bad shot after bad shot. Somebody needs to light a fire in this guy's belly.
As foolish Kobe was for jacking up brick after brick (looking like a bricklayer with all the bricks he shot), Coach Phil Jackson is ultimately to blame. "The Zen Master" has won 10 rings in his career for crying out loud. Why should he care if anyone criticizes him. If he's fired, he's got more money than he could ever spend. Only one other coach (Red Auerbach) is in his league, but he's six feet under (God rest his soul.) Don't give me this Mr. Cool, olay bunk, Phil. You are the coach. You make the decisions. If Kobe Bryant is going to act like a simpleton by playing poor defense (in which he often leaves his man and stands on one spot without guarding anyone) and poor shot selection, why is he in the game? I know if I'm coaching, and a player drops the ball the way Kobe did, he'd be on the bench ASAP. Regardless of caliber, I would not let a player get away with what Kobe's doing right now. In game four, Kobe decides not to shot the ball because people said he shot too much. Jackson should have yanked him out in the game and sent him to the locker room.
Who's next? Oh yes. Why, it's Lamar Odom. Or should I say Lamar "I'll play when I damn well feel like it" Odom. When is this guy going to show up in the series. This guy spends more time falling on the floor than actually trying to play basketball. He drives to the lane (one of the few times in which he will blow past his man), he falls down. He gets a rebound (the few rebounds he manages to get), he falls down. He sneezes, he falls down. What gives man? Where's the New York toughness that this team needs? He's averaging a paltry 7 .8 points and 6. 5 rebounds per game off the bench. Odom is getting out hustled and out played in every phase of the game. Dude, you're nicknamed "the Goods", but you play more like "the Bads". Every Laker fan would love for you to actually play like "the Goods" and show why you earned the nickname. You're essentially going up against college kids. There is no way you should not average at least 10 points and 10 rebounds and 2 blocks per game.
His free throw shooting is not to be desired. With Odom, you'll be lucky he makes one of two from the charity stripe. You can forget about him actually making both free throws. You're more likely to see a dog talk and play in the NFL before Odom actually makes both free throw attempts at the line. I've talked about Chauncey Billups and Steve Nash whining about calls, but at least they'll make their free throws. Odom complains and just throws up bricks.
There's one thing I need to know. Odom is 6'10'', but acts like he's 6'0''. I don't know if I've ever seen anyone who's nearly 7'0'' be afraid or act like he's afraid to dunk a basketball. He loves to do layups. Quite frankly, I think he's either to lazy to jump (just a little bit is require since he's 6'10'') or he's too soft (dunking will hurt his hand).
Pau Gasol has played well, but has to toughen up. He's earned a rep for being soft, and he's certainly living up to the billing. As soon as he's fouled, he often appears to weak to get the ball to the rim. That's why Gasol rarely has and-one opportunities. Like Odom, Gasol whines far too much. If you focused on your game as much as you focus on the officiating, you'd be averaging 24/12 every night. Maybe he'd block a couple of shots per game as well.
Also like Odom, Gasol rarely makes his two free throws. He stands at the line, blows into his hand, and proceeds to jack up a ridiculous brick. Unlike Odom, Gasol is typically capable of making one of two free throws.
He's averaging 18.5 points, 11 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 blocks per game. However, in game four Gasol looked like he was in Los Angeles. He was nowhere to be found. He finished the game with a lousy 13 points and 4 rebounds. The bottom line is Gasol, Odom, and Bynum have been manhandled by the Thunder's bigs.
Andrew Bynum. Boy, where do I begin? Let's see. Try getting tougher. Bynum is the only big, check that, player in the NBA who gets hurt against the bottom feeders. The last couple of years he was hurt playing against Memphis. This year, he injured his Achilles against the lousy Minnesota Timberwolves. Is it too much to ask for you to play 82 games in a season?
Bynum also needs a mean streak. If he doesn't have it, he never will, unfortunately. Hey, I'm an optimistic guy, but he's been in the league 5 years, and a mean streak can't be taught. Included in the mean streak are monster dunks. If you go in with authority, you'll have fewer dunks blocked. No one wants a part of a hoss who will punish the rim (just ask Dwight Howard). When Superman goes inside for a jam, no one will challenge him. This same statement, honestly, can be applied to Odom and Gasol as well.
Bynum needs to also use his head more. Although some of the fouls he picks up are not his fault, most of them are. Stop lunging at people and use your height to go straight in the air.
Defensively, Ron Artest is doing a great job, for the most part. The one thing he needs to work on his is outside shooting. If Kobe drives (which is occassionally) and kicks it out to you (instead of feeding it in to a big for an easy dunk or shot, which he very rarely does), you need to knock down the jumpers on a consistent basis. In this series, Artest is shooting 30 percent from the field, 13 percent from beyond the arc, and 50 percent from the charity stripe. These numbers are awful. Where is the Artest that was a scoring threat in Houston? That Artest played lockdown defense and played well offensively.
Father time is not on Derek Fisher's side. Fisher is clearly not a starter anymore. After 13 years in the league, Fisher obviously isn't the same Fisher from 2000. Nonetheless, as witnessed by his heroics in game four in the finals last year, Fisher can be a valuable asset. However, his decision making is flat out pitiful. For instance, at Denver a few weeks ago, Fisher tries to jack up a game winning three over a 6'8'' Carmelo Anthony. Gee, what do you think would happen? Over course it was blocked. Without Kobe, Fisher should've looked to see the mismatch to his right. Chauncey Billups switched with Anthony. Billups was guarding Odom. If Fisher recognizes the mismatch, he passes to Odom. Odom will post up. Fisher and Odom are the only two players on the right side of court. This means Carmelo will have to come with the double. Odom could kick it out to Fisher for a wide open game-winning three. But, this is what happens when you don't have a true point guard. It's sad to say, but Fisher is the best the Lakers have. Those guys on the bench are...dreadful.
This bench is the worst bench I've ever seen. Everybody wants to be the hero that scores 20 plus points. No one wants to be the guy who gets his hands dirty. The players clearly do not understand their roles. At UCLA, Jordan Farmar was considered the man. Who would've thought, four years later, he'd be a mere afterthought. Guys like Russell Westbrook, Arron Afflalo, and Darren Collison (his backup for one season) have surpassed him easily. All Farmar wants to do is score. He doesn't know how to get his teammates easy baskets, he doesn't know the meaning of defense, nor can he rebound well. In essence, he's no use to this team.
Shannon Brown provided a nice spark last year. I thought the Lakers had someone who they could keep around for another decade. But after watching him this year, I'm having second thoughts. He's playing through a thumb injury and I'll give him credit for that. Some guys on the team would be in the hospital with a thumb injury. However, why would Brown take awful shots with a thumb injury. He might take 11 shots off the bench, but make only 3. Who are you all of sudden, Kobe Bryant? Don't get me started on defense. He's not as bad as Farmar (I don't think it's possible to be worse than Farmar), but he has trouble stopping penetration by point guards. If I'm Brown and Farmar, I'd work with Kobe, Artest, and any other great defender to improve my defense so I wouldn't be a liability to the team.
Luke Walton is the only guy on the bench that knows his role. He knows he'll never be a 20-plus per game scorer like his father (Hall of Famer Bill Walton), but he knows that he can earn his keep by getting rebounds and setting up his teammates with nice assists. Most of the shots he takes are high percentage in which he's wide open or when the shot clock's winding down. Walton will always be okay as long as he knows his role and his limits in terms of what he can and can't do.
Adam Morrison. Huh, what can I say about the dude? He was billed by some as the next Larry Bird, but has been a complete bust so far. Can he turn it around? Maybe, but it won't be with the Laker nation. All Morrison has been is the richest cheerleader in the league who's making about 6 million per thanks to his number three overall selection four years ago in the draft.
Sasha Vujacic needs to stop mouthing off to assistants and work on his jumper. Had I been Brian Shaw, I told him to yell at me when he could knock down an open jumper. I suspect, Vujacic would've been given the 'ol heave-ho (the proverbial pink slip if you will) if he had a regular 9-5 job. You simply do not mouth off to your coaches. If you're not in the rotation, don't moan and grown and feel sorry for yourself. Man up. Show the coaches you're a team player that will do anything to help the team win. Show a great work ethic in practice, and don't just waste space on the court. Despite this, Vujacic looks to be the best defender off the bench who's presence is sorely needed in this pathetic effort against Oklahoma City. His shot looked like it had improved before he went down to the ankle injury.
D.J. Mbenga and Josh Powell seldomly play meaningful minutes. Both guy could be helpful in terms of bringing energy. They just need to make sure they make the most of opportunites. They should block or try to block shots, use their fouls, and don't take 15-foot jumpers knowing you'll make only 1-5.
In all my years of watching basketball, this is the laziest Laker team I've ever seen. Actually, they're the laziest team I've seen in the NBA. Those guys are clearly dogging it defensively. They love to play olay defense in which the point guard blows by them, and breaks down the defense. This style of play will land your big men in foul trouble. Do they care? No, of course not. I'd actually feel guilty if I made the amount of money they make, and I didn't put in a maximum effort. In this lousy economy, it's hard to fathom a guy getting a fat contract, and he isn't giving it his all. Every guy on this team appears selfish. Everyone wants to be the guy that scores 30 points. No one wants to accept his role. Instead of crisp ball movement, the ball will be passed around the perimeter. A brick is usually shot. The opposing team gets the ball out in transition and it results in an easy layup or dunk.
Kobe needs to work on efficiency. Dwayne Wade dropped 46 on Boston and took 24 shots. With the way Kobe's playing, he'll need to shoot the ball 40 times to score 40 points. Of course, if people criticize his shot selection, he'll simply not shoot the ball. In game four, Bryant had 12 points on 5-10 from the field. He nearly led the team in steals.
While I'm on the subject, Kobe's entire game is flat out a disgrace. He stands around too much on defense. He leaves his man wide open for easy three point shots. He apparently doesn't want to shoot free throws anymore because he refuses to drive the ball. There is no way Kobe could not blow past Sefolosha for a layup. The few times when he does drive, he tries a fancy reverse layp and misses the layup. Should I dare say it? Maybe Kobe doesn't have it what it takes anymore. Maybe the "Black Mamba" is washed up. Maybe Kobe is just too old. Injuries be damned, his play at this point is flat out inexcusable. I look bad for calling him the "best in the world" and lays an egg on the court. I should face facts. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers do not have the heart to repeat as champions.
As an opposing coach, I would get my point guard to push the ball and constantly penetrate. I know the Lakers are lackadaisical. I'd use the point guards to feed the ball to the bigs and kick out to the guys who can actually shoot. On defense, I'd play Kobe one-on-one. Since he doesn't want to drive it to the rim, I'll allow him to shoot fadeaways all game. No one else can make a basket and the bigs are too lazy to fight for position for an offensive rebound. You'd think if Kobe nor Fisher will feed the post, they'd at least bang inside to fight for offensive rebounds and putbacks. As long as you have quality talent, you'll be alright. Following this game plan should result in a 25 point loss if the Lakers play their lethargic, heartless, gutless ways.
Granted, I don't consider myself a Lakers fan. I pull them because my parents and brother are die hard fans. I respect the organization for taking a nice approach by actually acquiring quality players through a variety of ways and not just buying them (Cough, cough. New York Yankees.) It's sad to see a team with so much potential and talent play with no energy, heart, and effort. This team is so lazy. It looks as if the team wants to win, but they want to do the least amount of work that's required with it. They might build up a 20 point lead in the second quarter. As a fan, I'll think the Lakers will run the team right out of the gym. However, they squat on the lead and will only win by 8 or 10 points. They lack a clear killer instinct. We saw it against Houston in the 2009 Western Conference Semifinals last season. Yao Ming is injured in game three. You'd think they'd win the series in five games. Wrong. They played around and won the series in seven. They should never want a series to continue because the team like the Rockets last year could have caught fire. Los Angeles might be in trouble this year. If Oklahoma City, whose confidence is through the roof, catches fire and steals game five, the Lakers will actually need angels for them to win the series.
That's why I respect guys like Joakim Noah and David Lee. I'm not saying this because they went to Florida, but because they are going to give an all-out maximum effort. They will leave their hearts on the court. They may not be the biggest, strongest, fastest, but no one will out hustle these guys. They aren't the only guys. DeJuan Blair (San Antonio) and Paul Millsap (Utah) are 6-7 guys who will hustle.Hustling, effort, heart, tenacity, and wanting it more is why David Lee manhandled the Lakers in their annual trek to Madison Square Guarden for 31 points, 17 rebounds, and 4 assists. I cannot believe I'm actually saying this, but the mighty Los Angeles Lakers could learn a lesson or two from the Gators.
Top 10 Most Disappointing Games Played By My Favorite Teams
10. 2003 NCAA Men's Tournament 2nd Round-7 seed Michigan State down 2 seed Florida 68-46.
This is was the worst loss in a string of first weekend exists for the Gators. The team reached the number one ranking in the country only a month earlier, and recently locked up a two seed in the tournament. To top it, the Gators had their first two games in Tampa. After trouncing Sam Houston State in the first round, the Gators did not show up at all. Michigan State shot 56 percent from the field, and held Florida to 37 percent.
9. 2007-Florida vs. Auburn/LSU/Georgia
Take your pick to which game was more disappointing. With a 2-loss LSU team winning the championship. You'd think the Gators would've had a chance to advance with just one win. Of all the losses, the home loss to unranked Auburn hurt the most. Had Florida beaten Auburn, Florida would've had a three way tie for the SEC East. Perhaps, the Gators advance to face LSU in a rematch in the SEC Championship. If they won, they might've had a rematch with Ohio State in the 2008 BCS Championship.
8. 2003-Florida at Miami
Despite finishing 8-5 in 2003, the Gators played for their pride. Miami had won 4 straight meetings, including a 41-16 drubbing at the Swamp in 2002. The Gators hopes for their first win in the rivalry since 1985 had to wait as Miami rallied to score four unanswered touchdowns in 38-33 win at the Orange Bowl. Blowing a 33-10 lead did very little to silence then head coach Ron Zook's critics. However, this game did thrust Chris Leak into the national limelight for the first time in his career.
7. 2005-Florida at South Carolina
With all of the hoopla that went into the game, the Gators fell flat on their faces. This was the first matchup between Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer, and one that cost the Gators dearly. Had Florida won this game, the Gators would've won the tiebreaker over Georgia, who lost to Auburn that night.
6. 2001-Florida at Tennessee
This rivalry, normally played in September, was pushed back to the season finale in December due to the tragic events of 9/11. The Gators defense was awful as running back Travis Stephens rushed for 228 yards, the second most given up by a Gator defense to an individual player. Had Florida won, they would've faced the Bayou Bengals in the SEC Championship. The Gators trounced LSU by 29 in Death Valley earlier in the season. Florida earned a small amount of revenge as the Orange Bowl committee selected Florida over Tennessee as an at-large bid in the 2002 FedEx Orange Bowl.
5. 2009 SEC Championship Game: Florida vs. Alabama
The only reason this game doesn't rank higher is quite simple...they were the defending national champions. The arrest of defensive end Carlos Dunlap earlier in the week was an omen of bad things to come. The most disappointing thing about it is not the fact they lost, but it's how they lost. Alabama beat them 32-13.The offense had failed to show up the entire season. The defense was completely overwhelmed. On one play, Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy tip-toed the sideline while defensive tackle Omar Hunter watched.
4. 1994-Florida at Florida State (The Choke at Doak)
Florida technically was still in the hunt for a national championship. That is...until the Gators blew a four touchdown lead to not lose, but tie 31-31. Florida was looking for its first win since 1986 in Doak-Campbell Stadium. Leading 31-3 in the fourth quarter, everyone knew the fat lady was singing. In the process, Florida State amassed over 500 years of offense in the game. After the game, Florida players threw their helmets in disguist and dropped their heads. The team already had an embarrassing defeat a few weeks earlier as Auburn became the first SEC team to beat Florida in the Swamp. These two teams battled once more in the 1995 Nokia Sugar Bowl in a game dubbed "The Fifth Quarter in the French Quarter". Florida State prevailed 23-17.
3. 1996-Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Florida vs. Nebraska
This game served as the national championship for the 1995 season. In his sixth season at the helm, Steve Spurrier had finally taken his team to the promised land. The Gators were on cloud-nine after beating Florida State by 11 and Arkansas by 31. Unfortunately, the trip to the promised land was short lived as Nebraska steam-rolled the Gators 62-24. To this day, I can't eat corn without wincing and thinking back to this massacre. Tommie Frazier, who was named MVP of the game, totaled 304 yards (199 rushing yards) and 3 TDs. The one moment that makes me nauseous was the 75-yard TD run by Frazier in which it seems like he broke 10 tackles on the play. This game is similar to the 2009 SEC Championship. It could've been higher, but the Gators redeemed themselves the following season in a 52-20 rout of Florida State in the 1997 Nokia Sugar Bowl to capture the school's first national champion.
2. 2007-ALCS-Cleveland vs. Boston ("The Collapse" and "The Stop Sign")
During the 2007 season, the Indians and Red Sox tied for the best record in baseball (96-66). Boston received the home field advantage in the series because they beat the Indians 5 games to 2 in the regular season. The Indians rocked the Red Sox in the first four games of the series as they took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series. Cleveland had a chance to close out Boston in five as the eventual 2007 Cy Young award winner, C.C. Sabathia took the mound in game five. Sabathia, who bombed in game one, flopped in a 7-1 loss in game 5. Boston outscored Cleveland 30-5 in the final games of the series and eventually win the 2007 Fall Classic. What might have been for Cleveland? Not only "the Collapase" (a.k.a. choke), but "The Stop Sign". Cleveland trailed 3-2 in the seventh inning. As Kenny Lofton rounded third, third base coach Joel Skinner held Lofton at third despite the fact Lofton would have scored given his speed. The next at-bat Casey Blake hits into an inning-ending double-play. We all know how this movie turns out. Boston opens up the floodgates and scores eight unanswered runs to seal Cleveland's fate in an 11-2 loss. Well, if this is number two, then number one is...
1. 1997-World Series, Game 7-Cleveland at Florida
Picture this. Bottom of the ninth. 2-1 lead. The Indians are three outs away from their first World Series title since 1948. Cleveland has the best closer in the game on the mound in Jose Mesa. Guess what happens? This isn't the film Major League. Mesa blows the save, and the Indians lose in 11 innings. Shortstop Edgar Renteria provides the game winning hit and second baseman Craig Counsell scores the winning run. To this day, when a clip of the World Series is shown, I wince when I see Counsell clinching his fists in the air and crossing home plate. After all these years, this one moment in particular is too painful to watch. As an 11-year old, I had the same feeling watching the Indians blow this game and the 2007 ALCS. Sick and furious.
This is was the worst loss in a string of first weekend exists for the Gators. The team reached the number one ranking in the country only a month earlier, and recently locked up a two seed in the tournament. To top it, the Gators had their first two games in Tampa. After trouncing Sam Houston State in the first round, the Gators did not show up at all. Michigan State shot 56 percent from the field, and held Florida to 37 percent.
9. 2007-Florida vs. Auburn/LSU/Georgia
Take your pick to which game was more disappointing. With a 2-loss LSU team winning the championship. You'd think the Gators would've had a chance to advance with just one win. Of all the losses, the home loss to unranked Auburn hurt the most. Had Florida beaten Auburn, Florida would've had a three way tie for the SEC East. Perhaps, the Gators advance to face LSU in a rematch in the SEC Championship. If they won, they might've had a rematch with Ohio State in the 2008 BCS Championship.
8. 2003-Florida at Miami
Despite finishing 8-5 in 2003, the Gators played for their pride. Miami had won 4 straight meetings, including a 41-16 drubbing at the Swamp in 2002. The Gators hopes for their first win in the rivalry since 1985 had to wait as Miami rallied to score four unanswered touchdowns in 38-33 win at the Orange Bowl. Blowing a 33-10 lead did very little to silence then head coach Ron Zook's critics. However, this game did thrust Chris Leak into the national limelight for the first time in his career.
7. 2005-Florida at South Carolina
With all of the hoopla that went into the game, the Gators fell flat on their faces. This was the first matchup between Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer, and one that cost the Gators dearly. Had Florida won this game, the Gators would've won the tiebreaker over Georgia, who lost to Auburn that night.
6. 2001-Florida at Tennessee
This rivalry, normally played in September, was pushed back to the season finale in December due to the tragic events of 9/11. The Gators defense was awful as running back Travis Stephens rushed for 228 yards, the second most given up by a Gator defense to an individual player. Had Florida won, they would've faced the Bayou Bengals in the SEC Championship. The Gators trounced LSU by 29 in Death Valley earlier in the season. Florida earned a small amount of revenge as the Orange Bowl committee selected Florida over Tennessee as an at-large bid in the 2002 FedEx Orange Bowl.
5. 2009 SEC Championship Game: Florida vs. Alabama
The only reason this game doesn't rank higher is quite simple...they were the defending national champions. The arrest of defensive end Carlos Dunlap earlier in the week was an omen of bad things to come. The most disappointing thing about it is not the fact they lost, but it's how they lost. Alabama beat them 32-13.The offense had failed to show up the entire season. The defense was completely overwhelmed. On one play, Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy tip-toed the sideline while defensive tackle Omar Hunter watched.
4. 1994-Florida at Florida State (The Choke at Doak)
Florida technically was still in the hunt for a national championship. That is...until the Gators blew a four touchdown lead to not lose, but tie 31-31. Florida was looking for its first win since 1986 in Doak-Campbell Stadium. Leading 31-3 in the fourth quarter, everyone knew the fat lady was singing. In the process, Florida State amassed over 500 years of offense in the game. After the game, Florida players threw their helmets in disguist and dropped their heads. The team already had an embarrassing defeat a few weeks earlier as Auburn became the first SEC team to beat Florida in the Swamp. These two teams battled once more in the 1995 Nokia Sugar Bowl in a game dubbed "The Fifth Quarter in the French Quarter". Florida State prevailed 23-17.
3. 1996-Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Florida vs. Nebraska
This game served as the national championship for the 1995 season. In his sixth season at the helm, Steve Spurrier had finally taken his team to the promised land. The Gators were on cloud-nine after beating Florida State by 11 and Arkansas by 31. Unfortunately, the trip to the promised land was short lived as Nebraska steam-rolled the Gators 62-24. To this day, I can't eat corn without wincing and thinking back to this massacre. Tommie Frazier, who was named MVP of the game, totaled 304 yards (199 rushing yards) and 3 TDs. The one moment that makes me nauseous was the 75-yard TD run by Frazier in which it seems like he broke 10 tackles on the play. This game is similar to the 2009 SEC Championship. It could've been higher, but the Gators redeemed themselves the following season in a 52-20 rout of Florida State in the 1997 Nokia Sugar Bowl to capture the school's first national champion.
2. 2007-ALCS-Cleveland vs. Boston ("The Collapse" and "The Stop Sign")
During the 2007 season, the Indians and Red Sox tied for the best record in baseball (96-66). Boston received the home field advantage in the series because they beat the Indians 5 games to 2 in the regular season. The Indians rocked the Red Sox in the first four games of the series as they took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series. Cleveland had a chance to close out Boston in five as the eventual 2007 Cy Young award winner, C.C. Sabathia took the mound in game five. Sabathia, who bombed in game one, flopped in a 7-1 loss in game 5. Boston outscored Cleveland 30-5 in the final games of the series and eventually win the 2007 Fall Classic. What might have been for Cleveland? Not only "the Collapase" (a.k.a. choke), but "The Stop Sign". Cleveland trailed 3-2 in the seventh inning. As Kenny Lofton rounded third, third base coach Joel Skinner held Lofton at third despite the fact Lofton would have scored given his speed. The next at-bat Casey Blake hits into an inning-ending double-play. We all know how this movie turns out. Boston opens up the floodgates and scores eight unanswered runs to seal Cleveland's fate in an 11-2 loss. Well, if this is number two, then number one is...
1. 1997-World Series, Game 7-Cleveland at Florida
Picture this. Bottom of the ninth. 2-1 lead. The Indians are three outs away from their first World Series title since 1948. Cleveland has the best closer in the game on the mound in Jose Mesa. Guess what happens? This isn't the film Major League. Mesa blows the save, and the Indians lose in 11 innings. Shortstop Edgar Renteria provides the game winning hit and second baseman Craig Counsell scores the winning run. To this day, when a clip of the World Series is shown, I wince when I see Counsell clinching his fists in the air and crossing home plate. After all these years, this one moment in particular is too painful to watch. As an 11-year old, I had the same feeling watching the Indians blow this game and the 2007 ALCS. Sick and furious.
Friday, April 16, 2010
2010 NBA Playoffs Predictions
First Round
Western Conference 1st Round
1 Los Angeles Lakers defeat 8 Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1
4 Denver Nuggets defeat 5 Utah Jazz 4-2
3 Phoenix defeat 6 Portland Trail Blazers 4-1
7 San Antonio Spurs defeat 2 Dallas Mavericks 4-2
Eastern Conference 1st Round
1 Cleveland Cavaliers defeat 8 Chicago Bulls 4-2
4 Boston Celtics defeat 5 Miami Heat 4-1
3 Atlanta Hawks defeat 6 Milwaukee Bucks 4-1
2 Orlando Magic defeat Charlotte Bobcats 4-2
Western Conference Semifinals
1 Lakers defeat 4 Nuggets 4-3
7 Spurs defeat 3 Suns 4-2
Eastern Conference Semifinals
4 Celtics defeat 1 Cavs 4-2
2 Magic defeat 3 Hawks 4-1
Western Conference Finals
1 Lakers beat 7 Spurs 4-1
Eastern Conference Finals
4 Celtics beat 2 Magic 4-3
NBA Finals
1 Lakers defeat 4 Celtics 4-2
Western Conference 1st Round
1 Los Angeles Lakers defeat 8 Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1
4 Denver Nuggets defeat 5 Utah Jazz 4-2
3 Phoenix defeat 6 Portland Trail Blazers 4-1
7 San Antonio Spurs defeat 2 Dallas Mavericks 4-2
Eastern Conference 1st Round
1 Cleveland Cavaliers defeat 8 Chicago Bulls 4-2
4 Boston Celtics defeat 5 Miami Heat 4-1
3 Atlanta Hawks defeat 6 Milwaukee Bucks 4-1
2 Orlando Magic defeat Charlotte Bobcats 4-2
Western Conference Semifinals
1 Lakers defeat 4 Nuggets 4-3
7 Spurs defeat 3 Suns 4-2
Eastern Conference Semifinals
4 Celtics defeat 1 Cavs 4-2
2 Magic defeat 3 Hawks 4-1
Western Conference Finals
1 Lakers beat 7 Spurs 4-1
Eastern Conference Finals
4 Celtics beat 2 Magic 4-3
NBA Finals
1 Lakers defeat 4 Celtics 4-2
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Thoughts on MLB Predictions
First, let's look at the shockers of my predictions. Some of these may seem a bit off, but hey, my guess is as good as any of the guys on ESPN.
I love the odds of Seattle dethroning the Angels and appearing in the playoffs for the first time since 2001. The pieces they've added have been outstanding. Chone Figgins provides more speed at the top of the lineup. Cliff Lee provides a deadly 1-2 punch with Felix Hernandez. A healthy Erik Bedard gives them argubly the best 1-2-3 punch in the game. If Milton Bradley puts his past problems behind him, he'll give them the offensive boost they covet. Casey Kotchman doesn't have much power, but he provides nice defense at first and will hit for average. If Franklin Gutierrez and David Aardsma continue to improve, this team could be a team to reckon with for the next five years or so. My only concern is a young catcher in Rob Johnson and maybe a little youth in the bullpen. However, if their in contention, the youth can be fixed by adding a nice veteran presence to the bullpen at the trading deadline.
In the past two off-seasons, the Angels have lost Francisco Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Vladimir Guerrero, John Lackey, and Chone Figgins. With the improvement of Seattle and the development of the young kids in Texas, 2010 will be the year the Angels will be dethroned.
Minnesota will win the AL Central. I feel the White Sox and Indians will play well. Why would I have the Indians finishing second in the division? Because recent history suggests they play well when the expectations are low.
Tampa Bay has the edge in the East. However,it won't be easy. I predict they finish one game ahead of the Yankees and three games ahead of Boston.
Mark it down, Cincinnati will be one of the most improved teams in the league. They're young kids are still youngsters who have room for improvement. Aroldis Chapman might appear with the Reds at some point this year, but I expect the team to fade down the stretch. St. Louis will win the division in 2010, but their days on top could be numbered.
I like the Dodgers winning the NL West over Colorado by a couple of games. San Francisco will be a pleasant surprise, but will finish a fairly distant third by 8 or 9 games. The Rockies will finish behind the Phillies by one game for the wild card spot.
You can count on the Atlanta Braves making the playoffs in 2010. Most people have the Braves as a wild card, but I like them on top of the division one more time as the Bobby Cox era winds down in "Hot Lanta". This will give the team the motivation that they've needed in quite some time. Florida will be a talented team that will finish 3 games behind the Phillies.
For the playoffs, Seattle will avenge the loss to the Yankees in the 2001 ALCS behind the arms of Hernandez, Lee, and Bedard. The only win will be a game three win at Yankee Stadium with Andy Pettite prevailing over Erik Bedard to force a fourth game. The Rays will sweep the Twins to advance to their second ALCS in three seasons. Atlanta's motivation will continue into the playoffs where they will beat St. Louis 3-1. The combo of Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright will prevent a sweep in the series. Unfortunately for the fans at Chavez Revine, the Phillies postseason dominance over the Dodgers will continue as they will eliminate the Dodgers for the third consecutive season. The Phillies will clinch the finale in L.A.
I had to do some serious thinking about the ALCS. This series could be a classic. Two rejuvenated franchises duking it out for an appearance in the Fall Classic. I think the Rays will edge out the Mariners in seven, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least if the Mariners defeated Tampa to advance to the World Series.
The Braves run will come to an end in the NLCS by the hand of their division rivals. This game will end in six, but the Braves will not go down without a fight.
In the World Series, the Rays will avenge their loss in the 08 Fall Classic by beating the Phillies in six games to win it all. Last year, the Phillies starting pitching was suspect against the Yankees. Cliff Lee, who beat the Yankees twice, is now residing in Seattle. Roy Halladay will have success, but it won't be enough to deny the upstart Rays.
I love the odds of Seattle dethroning the Angels and appearing in the playoffs for the first time since 2001. The pieces they've added have been outstanding. Chone Figgins provides more speed at the top of the lineup. Cliff Lee provides a deadly 1-2 punch with Felix Hernandez. A healthy Erik Bedard gives them argubly the best 1-2-3 punch in the game. If Milton Bradley puts his past problems behind him, he'll give them the offensive boost they covet. Casey Kotchman doesn't have much power, but he provides nice defense at first and will hit for average. If Franklin Gutierrez and David Aardsma continue to improve, this team could be a team to reckon with for the next five years or so. My only concern is a young catcher in Rob Johnson and maybe a little youth in the bullpen. However, if their in contention, the youth can be fixed by adding a nice veteran presence to the bullpen at the trading deadline.
In the past two off-seasons, the Angels have lost Francisco Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Vladimir Guerrero, John Lackey, and Chone Figgins. With the improvement of Seattle and the development of the young kids in Texas, 2010 will be the year the Angels will be dethroned.
Minnesota will win the AL Central. I feel the White Sox and Indians will play well. Why would I have the Indians finishing second in the division? Because recent history suggests they play well when the expectations are low.
Tampa Bay has the edge in the East. However,it won't be easy. I predict they finish one game ahead of the Yankees and three games ahead of Boston.
Mark it down, Cincinnati will be one of the most improved teams in the league. They're young kids are still youngsters who have room for improvement. Aroldis Chapman might appear with the Reds at some point this year, but I expect the team to fade down the stretch. St. Louis will win the division in 2010, but their days on top could be numbered.
I like the Dodgers winning the NL West over Colorado by a couple of games. San Francisco will be a pleasant surprise, but will finish a fairly distant third by 8 or 9 games. The Rockies will finish behind the Phillies by one game for the wild card spot.
You can count on the Atlanta Braves making the playoffs in 2010. Most people have the Braves as a wild card, but I like them on top of the division one more time as the Bobby Cox era winds down in "Hot Lanta". This will give the team the motivation that they've needed in quite some time. Florida will be a talented team that will finish 3 games behind the Phillies.
For the playoffs, Seattle will avenge the loss to the Yankees in the 2001 ALCS behind the arms of Hernandez, Lee, and Bedard. The only win will be a game three win at Yankee Stadium with Andy Pettite prevailing over Erik Bedard to force a fourth game. The Rays will sweep the Twins to advance to their second ALCS in three seasons. Atlanta's motivation will continue into the playoffs where they will beat St. Louis 3-1. The combo of Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright will prevent a sweep in the series. Unfortunately for the fans at Chavez Revine, the Phillies postseason dominance over the Dodgers will continue as they will eliminate the Dodgers for the third consecutive season. The Phillies will clinch the finale in L.A.
I had to do some serious thinking about the ALCS. This series could be a classic. Two rejuvenated franchises duking it out for an appearance in the Fall Classic. I think the Rays will edge out the Mariners in seven, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least if the Mariners defeated Tampa to advance to the World Series.
The Braves run will come to an end in the NLCS by the hand of their division rivals. This game will end in six, but the Braves will not go down without a fight.
In the World Series, the Rays will avenge their loss in the 08 Fall Classic by beating the Phillies in six games to win it all. Last year, the Phillies starting pitching was suspect against the Yankees. Cliff Lee, who beat the Yankees twice, is now residing in Seattle. Roy Halladay will have success, but it won't be enough to deny the upstart Rays.
2010 MLB Predictions
AL CENTRAL
1. Minnesota
2. Cleveland
3. Chicago
4. Detroit
5. Kansas City
AL EAST
1. Tampa Bay
2. New York
3. Boston
4. Baltimore
5. Toronto
AL WEST
1. Seattle
2. Texas
3. California*
4. Oakland
NL CENTRAL
1. St. Louis
2. Cincinnati
3. Chicago
4. Houston
5. Milwaukee
6. Pittsburgh
NL EAST
1. Atlanta
2. Philadelphia
3. Florida
4. New York
5. Washington
NL WEST
1. Los Angeles
2. Colorado
3. San Francisco
4. Arizona
Post-Season
ALDS
Seattle (AL West Champs) beats New York (Wild Card) 3-1.
Tampa Bay (AL East Champs) beats Minnesota 3-0.
NLDS
Atlanta (NL East Champs) defeats St. Louis (NL Central Champs) 3-1.
Philadelphia (Wild Card) defeats Los Angeles (NL West Champs) 3-2.
ALCS
Tampa Bay beats Seattle 4-3.
NLCS
Philadelphia defeats Atlanta 4-2.
World Series
Tampa Bay defeats Philadelphia 4-2.
*Should be written as Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. I'm too lazy to both say and write their entire name.
1. Minnesota
2. Cleveland
3. Chicago
4. Detroit
5. Kansas City
AL EAST
1. Tampa Bay
2. New York
3. Boston
4. Baltimore
5. Toronto
AL WEST
1. Seattle
2. Texas
3. California*
4. Oakland
NL CENTRAL
1. St. Louis
2. Cincinnati
3. Chicago
4. Houston
5. Milwaukee
6. Pittsburgh
NL EAST
1. Atlanta
2. Philadelphia
3. Florida
4. New York
5. Washington
NL WEST
1. Los Angeles
2. Colorado
3. San Francisco
4. Arizona
Post-Season
ALDS
Seattle (AL West Champs) beats New York (Wild Card) 3-1.
Tampa Bay (AL East Champs) beats Minnesota 3-0.
NLDS
Atlanta (NL East Champs) defeats St. Louis (NL Central Champs) 3-1.
Philadelphia (Wild Card) defeats Los Angeles (NL West Champs) 3-2.
ALCS
Tampa Bay beats Seattle 4-3.
NLCS
Philadelphia defeats Atlanta 4-2.
World Series
Tampa Bay defeats Philadelphia 4-2.
*Should be written as Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. I'm too lazy to both say and write their entire name.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Deja Vu for Calipari in NCAA Tournament
Raise your hand if you thought Kentucky would actually win the national championship this year? If so, I hate to say I told you so. John Calipari's team once again struggles to shoot jumpers and make free throws in a 73-66 to loss to West Virginia in the Elite 8.
Despite having a plus-15 rebound (51-36) advantage over the Mountaineers, Kentucky turned the ball over 16 times, shot a terrible 4-32 (13 %) from beyond the arc, and 16-29 (55 %) from the charity stripe. In fact, the Wildcats missed 20 straight threes before a DeAndre Liggins jumper fell with only 3:29 remaining in the game.
Some people might say Kentucky simply had an off night. Well, as Lee Corso says, "Not so fast my friend." Calipari's clubs have historically struggled to shoot the ball with any consistency. They found out that trying to make a three against a talented West Virginia squad isn't the same when you're blowing out an inferior squad by 30. Simply put. The threes fall when there isn't any pressure.
If you're a Calipari fan, you've seen enough of this in recent years to see how this game would play out. Many analysts have talked about how Mike D'Antoni, Don Nelson, and Alvin Gentry's all offense and no defense schemes won't produce titles. As of 2010, neither coach has an NBA Finals appearance under his belt. What about Calipari's system of simply running out in transition and getting tons of dunks and lay-ups? His teams fail to make jumpers and free throws on a consistent basis. The paltry shooting percentages will not work once you face a talented team deep in the tournament. Like the NBA coaches listed above, his style won't work. Granted, Nelson and D'Antoni's teams have made deep runs in the NBA playoffs. D'Antoni's Phoenix Suns even made it to the 2006 Western Conference Finals. However, in the end, each coach and his style of play has fallen short. In honor of Hot Tube Machine, the new movie starring John Cusack to hit theaters this weekend, let's go back in time.
In 2006, the Memphis Tigers were on-verge of making their first trip to the Final Four in over 20 years. However, Memphis fell short 50-45 in part to a lousy 32% from the field, and 2-17 (12%) from three point line, and 9-15 (60%) from the foul line. What's really disappointing is that UCLA couldn't make a shot either. The Bruins shot 35% from the field, 25% from three point range, and 51% from the free throw line.
In 2007, the Tigers were simply overmatched to the eventual NCAA runner-up Ohio State Buckeyes in the Elite 8. Despite center Joey Dorsey's pregame overrated reference to Ohio State center Greg Oden, the Tigers were easily handled in a 92-76 loss. This game actually would've been worse if Memphis hadn't of made 46% of the threes (10-22). Memphis only shot 40% from the field and 70% from the charity stripe.
In 2008, it looked like it would finally be Calipari's year. Memphis led by nine with 2:12 remaining in the game. All you have to do is make your free throws down the stretch and you win the game. Thanks to making 1-5 foul shots in the last 1:15 and a memorable three from guard Mario Chalmers, the game headed to overtime. Kansas kept momentum on their side with a 75-68 win. Memphis shot 40% from the field, 6-22 (27%) from downtown, and 63% (12-19) from the free throw line. Despite only making 25% of their threes, Jayhawks shot 52% from the field and 93% from the foul line.
In 2009, Calipari faced an old nemesis in Mike Anderson in the Sweet 16. Anderson's UAB squad was the last team to beat Memphis in Conference USA (back in 2006). Anderson's Missouri squad prevailed 102-91 to advance to the Elite 8. Memphis was able to shot 51% from the field. But it was deja vu all over again. Memphis shot 20% from three point range and 18-32 (56%) from the charity stripe.
Although it's certainly to early to tell, but it appears the Wildcats will lose center DeMarcus Cousins and guard John Wall to the NBA Draft. Forward Patrick Patterson and guard Eric Bledsoe might be in the group to leave as well. Kentucky will probably haul in another top 5 class and will repeat their performance next year. They will load up on the recruits and take advantage of a weak SEC to get a top seed. They'll probably make another deep run in the tournament again next year, but lose once they face a high quality team. But until Calipari changes his style, the old saying in Lexington will be "Elite 8 or bust".
Despite having a plus-15 rebound (51-36) advantage over the Mountaineers, Kentucky turned the ball over 16 times, shot a terrible 4-32 (13 %) from beyond the arc, and 16-29 (55 %) from the charity stripe. In fact, the Wildcats missed 20 straight threes before a DeAndre Liggins jumper fell with only 3:29 remaining in the game.
Some people might say Kentucky simply had an off night. Well, as Lee Corso says, "Not so fast my friend." Calipari's clubs have historically struggled to shoot the ball with any consistency. They found out that trying to make a three against a talented West Virginia squad isn't the same when you're blowing out an inferior squad by 30. Simply put. The threes fall when there isn't any pressure.
If you're a Calipari fan, you've seen enough of this in recent years to see how this game would play out. Many analysts have talked about how Mike D'Antoni, Don Nelson, and Alvin Gentry's all offense and no defense schemes won't produce titles. As of 2010, neither coach has an NBA Finals appearance under his belt. What about Calipari's system of simply running out in transition and getting tons of dunks and lay-ups? His teams fail to make jumpers and free throws on a consistent basis. The paltry shooting percentages will not work once you face a talented team deep in the tournament. Like the NBA coaches listed above, his style won't work. Granted, Nelson and D'Antoni's teams have made deep runs in the NBA playoffs. D'Antoni's Phoenix Suns even made it to the 2006 Western Conference Finals. However, in the end, each coach and his style of play has fallen short. In honor of Hot Tube Machine, the new movie starring John Cusack to hit theaters this weekend, let's go back in time.
In 2006, the Memphis Tigers were on-verge of making their first trip to the Final Four in over 20 years. However, Memphis fell short 50-45 in part to a lousy 32% from the field, and 2-17 (12%) from three point line, and 9-15 (60%) from the foul line. What's really disappointing is that UCLA couldn't make a shot either. The Bruins shot 35% from the field, 25% from three point range, and 51% from the free throw line.
In 2007, the Tigers were simply overmatched to the eventual NCAA runner-up Ohio State Buckeyes in the Elite 8. Despite center Joey Dorsey's pregame overrated reference to Ohio State center Greg Oden, the Tigers were easily handled in a 92-76 loss. This game actually would've been worse if Memphis hadn't of made 46% of the threes (10-22). Memphis only shot 40% from the field and 70% from the charity stripe.
In 2008, it looked like it would finally be Calipari's year. Memphis led by nine with 2:12 remaining in the game. All you have to do is make your free throws down the stretch and you win the game. Thanks to making 1-5 foul shots in the last 1:15 and a memorable three from guard Mario Chalmers, the game headed to overtime. Kansas kept momentum on their side with a 75-68 win. Memphis shot 40% from the field, 6-22 (27%) from downtown, and 63% (12-19) from the free throw line. Despite only making 25% of their threes, Jayhawks shot 52% from the field and 93% from the foul line.
In 2009, Calipari faced an old nemesis in Mike Anderson in the Sweet 16. Anderson's UAB squad was the last team to beat Memphis in Conference USA (back in 2006). Anderson's Missouri squad prevailed 102-91 to advance to the Elite 8. Memphis was able to shot 51% from the field. But it was deja vu all over again. Memphis shot 20% from three point range and 18-32 (56%) from the charity stripe.
Although it's certainly to early to tell, but it appears the Wildcats will lose center DeMarcus Cousins and guard John Wall to the NBA Draft. Forward Patrick Patterson and guard Eric Bledsoe might be in the group to leave as well. Kentucky will probably haul in another top 5 class and will repeat their performance next year. They will load up on the recruits and take advantage of a weak SEC to get a top seed. They'll probably make another deep run in the tournament again next year, but lose once they face a high quality team. But until Calipari changes his style, the old saying in Lexington will be "Elite 8 or bust".
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Ode to Incompetence
As reported last month, current Cleveland Indians General Manager Mark Shapiro is entering his final year as GM for the Indians. Hold the phone. For all of you Tribe fans out there, Mr. Shapiro isn't going anywhere. In fact, he's, as the Jeffersons tune went, "movin' on up". He will be the team president starting in 2011. That's right, folks.Despite one playoff appearance in eight seasons, Larry Dolan has decided that Shapiro's "hard work" has paid off. Let's take a look at the resume of the soon to be ex-GM of Cleveland. You can decide for yourself whether or not Shapiro has earned such a promotion, especially in today's economy.
2001- Cleveland trades future Hall of Fame second baseman Roberto Alomar and minor leaguers Danny Peoples and Mike Bascik to the New York Mets in exchange for Alex Escobar, Billy Traber, Jerrod Riggan, and Earl Snyder, and Matt Lawton.
You'd think for a team rebuilding this would have been a nice trade as Escobar and Traber were touted as the top prospects in the Mets' farm system. Wrong. Each player received a ticket out of town by 2004.
Riggan appeared in 31 games for Cleveland in 2002 and 2003. In 31 relief appearances, Riggan managed to surrender 32 earned runs, walk 19 batters, struck out 24, and sporting an ERA of 7.78.
First baseman/third baseman Earl Snyder appeared in 18 games for the rebuilding Indians in 2002. He batted a whopping .200 with one homer and four RBIs. Boy, with numbers like that, I could've sworn he was on pace to be the first batter since Carl Yastremski to hit for the triple crown.
Traber appeared in 33 games and started 18 in 2003. His claim to fame was a one-hitter hurled against the New York Yankees that season. (Huh, and everybody was surprised the Marlins won the World Series in six.) He went 6-9 with a 5.24 ERA in his only season with the Indians. To note, Traber has since bounced around the Majors with Washington, the Yankees, and Boston after being waived by the Indians.
Escobar played in 74 games in two years with the team. He batted .235 with six homers and 26 RBIs before being placed on waivers in 2004.
Lawton clearly had the most success of anyone in the deal. In three years as a regular in the lineup, he hit .257 with 50 homers and 180 RBIs. He even made the All-Star team in 2004, his last year in Cleveland. You might say, "Wait a sec, the guy was an All-Star, this guy did do a good job, right?" Unfortunately no. Lawton played well the first half of the season, but flopped after the All-Star break.
2002- A few noticeable trades occurred this year. A couple were made at the trading deadline. The first trade was clearly the best trade in the Shapiro era. Bartolo Colon and Tim Drew were dealt on the trading deadline to Montreal for first baseman Lee Stevens, and prospects (pitcher) Cliff Lee, (shortstop) Brandon Phillips, and (outfielder) Grady Sizemore. After the season, Colon and Stevens bolted their respective clubs. However, the Indians were left with three prospects.
Brandon Phillips was converted into a second baseman with the Tribe, was touted as a future star, but bombed in his tenure. He appeared in 135 games in four years with the Indians. He batted .206 with 6 homers and 38 RBIs. Despite being considered one of the brightest prospects in the game, Phillips showed an inability to hit big league pitching. That is, until he was traded to Cincinnati in 2006. He's been the everyday starter at second base since his acquisition. He's batted .276 with 88 homers and 345 RBIs. Granted, he still hasn't meet expectations that were placed upon him a few years ago, but he's at least made himself a solid player at the big league level.
The Indians dealt Chuck Finley to the Cardinals for Luis Garcia and a player to be named later (which turned out to be outfielder Coco Crisp). Garcia never made it to the majors. Crisp, on the other hand, proved to be a solid player for the Tribe. He batted .287 with 35 HRs and 176 RBIs in the two spot from 2002-2005.
To continue the fire sale, the Indians traded reliever Paul Shuey for pitchers Terry Mulholland, Ricardo Rodriguez, and Francisco Cruceta. Mulholland sported a 4.81 ERA in 61 games with the club. Rodriguez "struck out" in his stay in town. In 22 starts, he went 5-11 with a 5.71 ERA.
The second biggest trade of the year came after the 02 season when the Indians dealt catcher Einar Diaz and pitcher Ryan Drese to Texas for first baseman Travis Hafner and pitcher Aaron Myette. Myette appeared in two games in 03. He had a 23.62 ERA before being dealt to Cincinnati. Meanwhile, Hafner found a nice home in Cleveland batting clean-up. He's a .281 carrer hitter with the Indians. He's slugged 162 homers and 547 RBIs during his stay with Cleveland, but has struggled the past three seasons.
2003-The Indians dealt Rodriguez and outfielder Shane Spencer for outfielder Ryan Ludwick. He batted .247 with 13 HRs and 35 RBIs in 73 games over the course of three seasons.
2004-Cleveland acquires reliever Scott Stewart in exchange for shortstop Maicer Izturis and outfielder Ryan Church. He lasted only 23 games. Stewart and his 7.24 ERA was shipped to Dodgers during the season.
Shapiro decides to deal outfielder Luke Scott to Houston for pitcher Jeriome Robertson. Robertson went 1-1 with a 12.21 ERA in eight appearances with the Tribe.
In December, Shapiro ships Matt Lawton to Pittsburgh for veteran reliever Arthur Rhodes. Rhodes proved to be a valuabe commodity for the team that should've appeared in the postseason. He posted a 2.08 ERA in 47 games in 2005.
2006-Shapiro sends Crisp, catcher Josh Bard, and reliever David Riske to Boston for third baseman Andy Marte, reliever Guillermo Mota, catcher Kelly Shoppach, a player to be named later (pitcher Randy Newsom) and cash.
2001- Cleveland trades future Hall of Fame second baseman Roberto Alomar and minor leaguers Danny Peoples and Mike Bascik to the New York Mets in exchange for Alex Escobar, Billy Traber, Jerrod Riggan, and Earl Snyder, and Matt Lawton.
You'd think for a team rebuilding this would have been a nice trade as Escobar and Traber were touted as the top prospects in the Mets' farm system. Wrong. Each player received a ticket out of town by 2004.
Riggan appeared in 31 games for Cleveland in 2002 and 2003. In 31 relief appearances, Riggan managed to surrender 32 earned runs, walk 19 batters, struck out 24, and sporting an ERA of 7.78.
First baseman/third baseman Earl Snyder appeared in 18 games for the rebuilding Indians in 2002. He batted a whopping .200 with one homer and four RBIs. Boy, with numbers like that, I could've sworn he was on pace to be the first batter since Carl Yastremski to hit for the triple crown.
Traber appeared in 33 games and started 18 in 2003. His claim to fame was a one-hitter hurled against the New York Yankees that season. (Huh, and everybody was surprised the Marlins won the World Series in six.) He went 6-9 with a 5.24 ERA in his only season with the Indians. To note, Traber has since bounced around the Majors with Washington, the Yankees, and Boston after being waived by the Indians.
Escobar played in 74 games in two years with the team. He batted .235 with six homers and 26 RBIs before being placed on waivers in 2004.
Lawton clearly had the most success of anyone in the deal. In three years as a regular in the lineup, he hit .257 with 50 homers and 180 RBIs. He even made the All-Star team in 2004, his last year in Cleveland. You might say, "Wait a sec, the guy was an All-Star, this guy did do a good job, right?" Unfortunately no. Lawton played well the first half of the season, but flopped after the All-Star break.
2002- A few noticeable trades occurred this year. A couple were made at the trading deadline. The first trade was clearly the best trade in the Shapiro era. Bartolo Colon and Tim Drew were dealt on the trading deadline to Montreal for first baseman Lee Stevens, and prospects (pitcher) Cliff Lee, (shortstop) Brandon Phillips, and (outfielder) Grady Sizemore. After the season, Colon and Stevens bolted their respective clubs. However, the Indians were left with three prospects.
Brandon Phillips was converted into a second baseman with the Tribe, was touted as a future star, but bombed in his tenure. He appeared in 135 games in four years with the Indians. He batted .206 with 6 homers and 38 RBIs. Despite being considered one of the brightest prospects in the game, Phillips showed an inability to hit big league pitching. That is, until he was traded to Cincinnati in 2006. He's been the everyday starter at second base since his acquisition. He's batted .276 with 88 homers and 345 RBIs. Granted, he still hasn't meet expectations that were placed upon him a few years ago, but he's at least made himself a solid player at the big league level.
The Indians dealt Chuck Finley to the Cardinals for Luis Garcia and a player to be named later (which turned out to be outfielder Coco Crisp). Garcia never made it to the majors. Crisp, on the other hand, proved to be a solid player for the Tribe. He batted .287 with 35 HRs and 176 RBIs in the two spot from 2002-2005.
To continue the fire sale, the Indians traded reliever Paul Shuey for pitchers Terry Mulholland, Ricardo Rodriguez, and Francisco Cruceta. Mulholland sported a 4.81 ERA in 61 games with the club. Rodriguez "struck out" in his stay in town. In 22 starts, he went 5-11 with a 5.71 ERA.
The second biggest trade of the year came after the 02 season when the Indians dealt catcher Einar Diaz and pitcher Ryan Drese to Texas for first baseman Travis Hafner and pitcher Aaron Myette. Myette appeared in two games in 03. He had a 23.62 ERA before being dealt to Cincinnati. Meanwhile, Hafner found a nice home in Cleveland batting clean-up. He's a .281 carrer hitter with the Indians. He's slugged 162 homers and 547 RBIs during his stay with Cleveland, but has struggled the past three seasons.
2003-The Indians dealt Rodriguez and outfielder Shane Spencer for outfielder Ryan Ludwick. He batted .247 with 13 HRs and 35 RBIs in 73 games over the course of three seasons.
2004-Cleveland acquires reliever Scott Stewart in exchange for shortstop Maicer Izturis and outfielder Ryan Church. He lasted only 23 games. Stewart and his 7.24 ERA was shipped to Dodgers during the season.
Shapiro decides to deal outfielder Luke Scott to Houston for pitcher Jeriome Robertson. Robertson went 1-1 with a 12.21 ERA in eight appearances with the Tribe.
In December, Shapiro ships Matt Lawton to Pittsburgh for veteran reliever Arthur Rhodes. Rhodes proved to be a valuabe commodity for the team that should've appeared in the postseason. He posted a 2.08 ERA in 47 games in 2005.
2006-Shapiro sends Crisp, catcher Josh Bard, and reliever David Riske to Boston for third baseman Andy Marte, reliever Guillermo Mota, catcher Kelly Shoppach, a player to be named later (pitcher Randy Newsom) and cash.
The acquisitions of Asdrubal Cabrera for Eduardo Perez and Shin Soo Choo for Ben Broussard (both acquired from Seattle) have been the best trades in the past few years.
My hope is that Chris Antonetti, the assistant GM-soon-to-be-GM, will do a better job evaluating prospects that will help the Tribe's future. Until then, it looks likw 2010 will just be another fold-em year.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
