May 17, 2024

Get It Over With Already

July 8, 2010 by

This has become a very busy July in sports especially more so than in any previous years I can remember. Usually after the NBA Finals it’s a bit quiet with just baseball to watch which is only in the middle of their season. So with the most boring time of year approaching, MLB All-Star week, we are actually glued to what is happening in the NBA and there is also a little something going on called the World Cup.

The whole NBA free agency period has been riveting and great water cooler talk for the last few weeks, but in last few days it has become quite ridiculous. We now have an ESPN one-hour show for LeBron James to inform everyone where he is going? Not to mention he is going to sign a multi-million dollar deal with a team of his choice while many people in the country can’t even get a job. If LeBron leaves Cleveland a town hit hard by this economy and does it on national TV than he is complete and total douchebag. I like LeBron James, but going on TV to leave the area who has supported you since birth would be devastating for the city and surrounding area. The only good thing that would come out of the event is James will be providing thousands of dollars of ad revenue from the event to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

I believe a three-star team if he actually does go to the Miami Heat will be a force, until something goes wrong. I mean the 80’s Lakers and Celtics were three-star team as were the Pistons, but that was many moons ago. How about the Lakers of 2004 that had Shaq, Kobe, the Mailman and Gary Payton, it failed miserably! If Miami is going to win a championship they need to get bigger and right now they have Bosh and Beasley.  They also need to fill a lot of other roster spots with basically no more cash under the cap. This could work, but a lot of things point to it not working.

In the end I just want this free agency period over so I can go enjoy the rest of my summer.

Filed Under: Basketball, General Sports, NBA Tagged With: , ,

My Favorite NFL Coach Died Today

July 2, 2010 by

My favorite NFL coach Don Coryell died today.  All I can say is that he was an innovator and made the game we see in the fall a better game in so many ways. This man was an offensive genius and players who played for him were Hall of Famers.  This is his bio from Wikipedia and understand nobody did what he did and accomplished what he did. Nobody!

In 1978, when Don Coryell began coaching the San Diego Chargers, the Chargers had a win-loss record of 1-4 for that season. The team broke their losing streak with eight additional wins and three losses that season after Coryell became head coach.

Coryell was the first coach ever to win more than 100 games at both the collegiate and professional level. He won two consecutive division titles (1974, 1975) with the Cardinals and three straight division titles (1979, 1980, 1981) with the Chargers, reaching the playoffs four consecutive times with the latter team. With Dan Fouts as quarterback, San Diego’s “Air Coryell” was among the greatest passing offenses in NFL history. The Chargers led the league in passing yards an NFL record 6 consecutive years from 1978-1983 and again in 1985. They also led the league in total yards in offense 1980-1983 and 1985. Fouts, Charlie Joiner, and Kellen Winslow would all be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame from those Charger teams, as well as Dan Dierdorf from the Cardinals.

Naysayers said he never had practiced or used a successful Defense…However, in 1979 the Chargers allowed the fewest points (246) in the AFC. In 1980 their defense led the NFL with 60 sacks spearheaded by a frontline of All-Pros in Fred Dean, Gary “Big Hands” Johnson and Louie Kelcher. The group was locally nicknamed the Bruise Brothers, coined from a popular act at the time, The Blues Brothers. However, in 1981, Dean, like Jefferson, was traded away due to a contract dispute with ownership. Dean contends he was making the same amount of money as his brother-in-law who was a truck driver. The Chargers’ defense would never be the same afterwards. Meanwhile, Dean would go on in the same year to win UPI NFC Defensive Player of the Year (while playing in only 11 games) and help lead the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl that year and again in 1984. Dean was inducted to the NFL Hall of Fame in 2008.

Credit to Wikipedia

Filed Under: Football, General Sports, NFL Tagged With: ,

4, 3, 2, 1, Happy Free Agent Day!!!

June 30, 2010 by

As the NBA gets closer to the hour that we have been waiting for, for over 2 years, the 2010 free agent signing period is here and I want to throw out some ideas on what will happen in this free agency extravaganza.

Let’s start with back-to-back NBA Champs the Los Angeles Lakers. Everyone will be trying to stock up in order to dethrone them. No matter what other teams do a healthy Andrew Bynum along with Kobe, Pau, D-Fish and Ron Ron still are still the team to beat. The Lakers will have to deal with the possibility of losing back up PG’s Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown along with end of the bench big men in Powell and Mbenga. Look for the Lakers to add a scorer like SF John Salmons to fill in for Artest and a PG like JJ Redick or Nate Robinson. Don’t be surprised if there are overtures for Ray Allen or Brad Miller.

The Celtics are happy to hear that Coach Doc Rivers is staying, but are worried that Paul Pierce is testing free agency. If Pierce he leaves then expect Ray Allen to bolt as well. Rasheed is gone and KG is aging before our eyes so look for Boston to look at Brandon Haywood, Luis Scola and Dirk Nowitzki. Each of these players would fit the system especially a stud like Nowitzki.

The Cavs absolutely have to keep LeBron and without that they might have to pick up Craig Ehlo, Mark Price and Larry Nance to garner any attention. If King James does stay in Cleveland then look for Joe Johnson to join him and the other cast of characters plus either Byron Scott or Brian Shaw will become the head coach.

Dallas will be the darlings of the free agency period. Aside from one fine that was merely pocket change to Cuban he has been keeping his mouth shut on the possible signing of LeBron James. Cuban knows Dampier, Matt Carroll and Shawn Marion are not the guys to bring a championship to Dallas. If the Mavs are to win it all this very well could be the year. Dallas is looking for a big free agency season which will need to start with trying to re-sign Dirk. Jason Kidd, DeShawn Stevenson and Caron Butler are not a bad nucleus so if they can land Amare or Rudy Gay along with a scorer like Ray Allen they could really do something next year.

The long shots of the free agency period are the LA Clippers. Baron Davis, Chris Kaman, Blake Griffin, Eric Gordon and incoming rookies Al-Farouq Aminu and Eric Bledsoe provide an incredible opportunity for the right free agent to come in and take advantage of all this talent. But who will be the coach? Looks like Vinnie Del Negro is topping the list at this time. He is a players coach and might not have to deal with the upper level management issues he encountered in Chi-town. Why not bring on So Cal natives like Shaq to spell Kaman, Paul Pierce (Inglewood native) for the guard scoring punch or Matt Barnes for his lock down defense.

The losers will be the NY Knicks. The Knicks won’t sign anyone of real value because they put all their focus on signing LeBron who won’t be signing and David Lee is leaving town. Tracy McGrady, Jonathon Bender, Al Harrington, Danillo Gallinari, and Eddie House could be your starting five. Ouch! Also on the losing end will be the NJ Nets. Jay-Z and the new Russian billionaire owner will not sign the big names that have been rumored.

These are my predictions and they are based on nothing except my gut which of course has been wrong for several years. I once said while watching LeBron play live in high school that he would be a bust like Kwame Brown. There ya go!

Filed Under: Basketball, General Sports, NBA Tagged With: ,

What a Great Week in Sports

June 20, 2010 by

Last week was an excellent week in sports.  To start the week we had the Lakers win Game 6 Tuesday in the NBA Finals. Then Thursday the US Open began and later that day the Lakers beat the Celts in a Game 7 which hasn’t happened in over 20 years. Interleague baseball was happening in MLB and if that wasn’t enough we also had the World Cup. The US got screwed on Friday against Slovenia unfortunately, but we were able to laugh at the French team that imploded over the weekend after their coach dismissed forward Nicolas Anelka. Tiger shot a 66 on moving day of the US Open, but in the end Graeme McDowell stood tall and was victorious at the US Open in Pebble Beach.

I neglected to mention the College World Series is also taking place in the last year of Rosenblatt Stadium. Whew, did I mention Texas and their posse are staying in the Big 12 which is now only 10 teams and Utah and Colorado are now in the Pac 10 which now has 12 teams?

I can’t keep up with all the changes these days, but needless to say this past week did not disappoint.  Being a LA Laker fan I have had a lot of anxiety, but throw in a US Open and a US Soccer controversy and it’s enough to make your head spin. UCLA crushed the hated Gators in the first round of the College World Series and having Graeme McDowell on my fantasy golf roster was the icing on the cake.

Sports is my life and it identifies me as such. Happy Fathers Day!

Oh by the way, the NBA Draft is this week, the College World Series continues, Wimbledon starts up, and the US plays their third game in the World Cup.

Filed Under: General Sports Tagged With:

When did the Refs become the game?

June 18, 2010 by

Yes, I’m a Laker homer, but that doesn’t mean I can’t sit here and celebrate with a little angst. The NBA refs in Game 7 were absolutely atrocious and let’s not forget Game 7’s don’t happen often in the NBA. The last one was over 20 years ago so when it does happen and of all teams the Celts and Lakers are the matchup you have to be cognizant of how much this game means. OMG, it was absolutely painful to watch.  Stern, please make sure this kind of referee dominated game never happens again.

Now that I have spoke my peace it’s time to remind everyone the Lakers are back-to-back and they beat Boston. Nuff said!

Filed Under: Basketball, NBA Tagged With: ,

USC Penalties – Update

June 10, 2010 by

The NCAA has not been fooled and thus they have really come down hard on the USC Athletic Department.

The findings of the NCAA investigation found issues with not only Reggie Bush, but basketball player OJ Mayo and an unnamed women’s tennis player.

• A postseason ban in football following this season and next.

• A loss of 30 total football scholarships over the 2011, 2012 and 2013 seasons.

• A vacation of all football victories starting in December 2004 and running through the 2005 season. This includes the National Championship win over Oklahoma on January 4th, 2005.

• An acceptance of USC’s self-imposed penalties on its basketball program, which included a forfeiture of all wins in 2007-2008 and a one-year postseason ban.

• All statistics vacated for Bush, Mayo and an unnamed women’s tennis athlete in the games which the NCAA deemed them ineligible due to rules violations.

• All titles won during ineligible games must be vacated and trophies and banners must be removed.

• Bush and Mayo must be disassociated from USC athletics.

• A forfeiture of wins in the women’s tennis program from May 2006 to May 2009, for long-distance telephone violations committed by an athlete.

• A reduction of recruiting days for the men’s basketball program in 2010-2011.

• Four years of probation

Filed Under: College Basketball, College Football, Football Tagged With:

USC Finally Gets Their Penalty

June 10, 2010 by

These days living in and around Los Angeles doesn’t suck. The Dodgers and Angels are in first place in their respective divisions, the Lakers are up 2-1 in the NBA Finals, and the USC Trojans just got a near death penalty on their football program. The penalty includes a 2-year ban on bowl games, 30 lost scholarships, and their 2004 undefeated season will be forfeited along with their wins from 2005.  As a UCLA Bruin loyalist nothing could be sweeter than to see the grim reaper show up on the Trojans doorstep.  Oh, this has nothing to do with OJ Mayo and the basketball program so I will await those disciplines too.

We all knew the hammer from the NCAA was going to fall it was just a question of when.  Reggie Bush’s constant denial of his family receiving in upwards of $300k in gifts from naive agents that ultimately sued him was a huge red flag. To make it worse Reggie ended up on the first day of the trial giving the agents back their $300k and not saying a word which really smelled fishy.  It was about time this out of control program was dinged for improprieties that were happening.  Why it took so long is an anomaly since we are now in the fourth year of the investigation.

I do have sympathy for this year’s freshman class because they now have to go out on the field everyday knowing they will not see any fruits of their hard work for the next two years.  Sure USC will be able to be seen on TV against the Irish, Bruins and others, but even if they go 12-0 they can’t win a NCAA Championship.  Look for UCLA, and potentially new PAC 10 members Texas and Oklahoma to split the 30 recruits that would have gone to USC and gain a competitive advantage over the Trojans going into the proposed realigned conference.

Yes indeed, this is a beautiful day.

Filed Under: College Football, Football, NFL Tagged With: ,

Amber Alert! 6’11 Bald Power Forward is Missing

June 7, 2010 by
Lamar Odom was last seen in Phoenix, Arizona on May 30th riding in a gold Bentley with Khloe Kardashian after he stopped off for some Skittles at a 7-11 on the 10 Freeway.
The first 2 games Odome has provided the Lakers a dismal 8 points with 9 boards in 36 minutes of playing time. Lamar at one time last night had 3 fouls in 3 minutes. Take away the fact that Artest was 1-10 and Derek Fisher was 2-8 yesterday, Lamar is the guy who is supposed to come in and pick up the team if they are down.

The Lakers can ill afford to have Odom be the invisible man if they are to repeat as NBA Champs.

Filed Under: Basketball, NBA Tagged With: , ,

“The Wizard of Westwood” May You RIP

June 5, 2010 by

Forget the fact that John Wooden was voted the greatest coach in American Sports by Sporting News and forget all the NCAA records that he holds that will never be broken like 38 straight NCAA tournament victories, 88 straight game winning streak as well as 7 straight NCAA titles.  Forget the fact that he is the ONLY man to be inducted in the Hall of Fame as both player and coach. Take away all of the accolades that happened many years before so many men and boys this day were not even born yet, but please know the man for his accomplishments.

John R. Wooden has passed and seemed ready to do so many years ago to be with his beloved wife Nell who passed 25 years ago.  He continued to write a love letter to her every Sunday as he did when she was alive.  Wooden was not disliked by anyone because he was one of the greatest humanitarians of our time and spent his life teaching young men how to be a better person in life rather than just how to play a game.

I was greatly affected by this man as not only a UCLA Bruin fan, but as a fan of John Wooden’s life as a whole. He grew up on a farm in Indiana born just 9 years after Naismith’s peach basket, and became a 3 time All-American at Purdue.  He coached in high school before taking over at Indiana State and then ultimately at UCLA where he didn’t win his first championship until 16 years thereafter.  After that he could not be stopped. He once won a championship with the tallest player on the court at 6’5. His teams were so prepared mentally and physically that he would never adjust his schemes to match another team.

The Wizard’s contribution to everyone who came in contact with was extraordinary and real.  Once you had a conversation with him you knew you were not only ready to follow steps to be a better person, but you could not let down such royalty.  He will be missed not just because of his presence, but because he was too vital to mankind in this cynical world.

Rest In Peace John R. Wooden I know you are now in the place with Nell you are supposed to and want to be in.

Filed Under: Basketball, College Basketball, High School Basketball, NBA Tagged With: , ,

Don’t Blame the Umpire

June 2, 2010 by

As we watched the replay of the potential final out of Andres Galarraga’s possible perfect game with our jaws on the ground let’s take notice that although Jim Joyce did make the wrong call we have to ask another question. Why did Miguel Cabrera go into the hole for the grounder when it was clearly the second basemen’s play to make?

The very poor umpire call should never have been an issue and this game would have given MLB it’s first ever 3 perfect game season and it’s only June. The real surprise is this kid Galarraga took it like a man and never once mentioned the call or Joyce as the culprit. Maybe he was lucky to even get that far because there was a play earlier in the 9th inning where Mark Grudzielanek hit the first pitch of the inning to deep left center and Detroit center fielder Austin Jackson made an unbelievable catch over his head to preserve the perfecto.

The call was horrendous and the perfect game along with the no-no went completely down the drain, but right when we are about to forget Roy Halladay’s perfect game (20th in MLB history) we can always talk about the one that got away.

Filed Under: Baseball, MLB Tagged With: , ,
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