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Apr 20

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NBA Playoff Preview ‘07

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!

Awake yet? Have a nice snooze through the 2006-07 NBA season? Good. Now splash some water on your face and prepare yourself for some real basketball. Dwyane Wade is back. Lebron James cares about the game again. Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson are finally clicking. Tim Duncan is one lumbering step away from meeting a referee in the parking lot to settle a few things. And barring a Black Sox-esque fix, the embarrassing and over-documented tanking that defined this season will be permanently relegated to the rear view.

Plus the Warriors are in the playoffs!!

See, good news all around.

Since we, as fans, are fixated with rankings, I’ve decided to rank the NBA playoff teams, from worst to first, in order of how they will fare in the upcoming second season of basketball. Following is the first half of that list…

Gone real fast

16. Orlando Magic Every couple of years the Magic slip and slide their way into the seventh or eighth seed in the East only to be completely dismantled. The last such occurrence came in 2003 against Detroit. Tracy McGrady actually led the Magic to a 3-1 advantage in that series before the Pistons locked down and took a methodical three straight, reinventing themselves as the new age “Bad Boys”. Since then they’ve seemed to take pleasure in falling behind in the playoffs only to come storming back against mortified opponents. In my opinion getting swept is actually less humiliating than having an adversary spot you a game or two just so they can mop the floor with you the next four nights. If I’m the Magic, I say, thanks but no thanks, just do what you came here to do, Chauncey. Quick and painless exit for Orlando this year…

15. Washington Wizards Not a whole lot to say here. The season-ending injury to Gilbert Arenas prevented the most-hyped rematch from a year ago from really taking place. True, the Wizards and Cavs will meet in the first round again, but there will be no need for Lebron to drive the baseline for an epic game-winner; no need to walk to the free throw line and ice Gilbert Arenas in Game 6. Nope, without Agent Zero in uniform there won’t be multiple one-point thrillers, nor a pulsating-Game 6. There won’t even be a Game 5. Sorry, Wiz.


Upset early

14. Toronto Raptors 47 wins versus 41 wins. That’s all that justifies the notion that Toronto losing to New Jersey is an upset. So the Raptors won six more games than the Nets and have home-court advantage. Woohoo. Nothing against the Raptors, they are a solid youth-infused team led by a true star in the making, Chris Bosh. Had Chicago beaten New Jersey on the last night of the season the Raptors would have been facing Washington in the first round, and I would have been congratulating Toronto on its first playoff series win since this guy named Vince Carter. Which reminds me…Vinsanity anyone?

Not like last year

13. Los Angeles Lakers Kobe and the Lakers were peaking at this time last season, and surged out to a 3-1 series lead in the first round against Phoenix. Then Steve Nash got angry and the Lakers got juvenile. No matter what, it went down as the most compelling opening round tilt, as the Suns prevailed in seven. This year Kobe has had to drop 40 a game just to keep LA from crumbling down the stretch. Coupled with Amare Stoudemire’s presence in the rematch I don’t see the Lakers winning more than a game this time around. Plus, after three grueling seven game series in the West last year, the Suns now understand they can’t fool around in Round One.

Back…ever-so-quickly

12. Utah Jazz Mainstays in the playoffs during the days of Malone and Stockton, the Jazz had been slowly fading away the last few years. Snatching Carlos Boozer from the Cavs and drafting Deron Williams has helped the Jazz undergo a massive transformation, resulting in 51 wins and another division title to hang in the Delta Center. This will be a team to reckon with for years to come, but in 2007 they have to face a very hungry-Houston team. Both Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming have been patiently awaiting this opportunity for years. The time may be soon for the Jazz, but it’s now for the Rockets.

Formidable first foe

11. Golden State Warriors Lots of intrigue and mystery associated with the Warriors. Here’s what we know: a) Golden State hasn’t been in the playoffs since 1993, b) they are 16-5 over their last 21 games, with Al Harrington making a huge impact once settling in after his trade from Indiana, c) they have won five of the last six games against Dallas, including all three this year, and d) they are playing with absolutely nothing to lose. Question is, how many times can they down the Mavs in the postseason. I say twice. If so, that’s not good news for the defending Western Conference Champs.

Going the distance

10. Denver Nuggets Melo and AI. AI and Melo. It always sounded right, didn’t it? Well now it’s starting to look right as well. No one thought it would be easy, not with Melo suspended for AI’s first month with the Nuggets, not with the marked transition it was going to be for these two megastars to coexist and thrive. Well of late, they’ve done just that. Winners of 10 of 11 entering postseason play, Denver is primed for another run at San Antonio. The Spurs are notorious for slowing teams down, but they’ve never had to reckon with Iverson in the playoffs. Ladies and gentleman, your first Game 7 of the 2007 NBA Playoffs will take place Sunday, May 6th, in San Antonio.

9. Chicago Bulls Beat New Jersey once, avoid Cleveland, Miami, and Detroit until the Eastern Conference Finals. That was the scenario for the Bulls on the last night of the ’07 campaign, and they failed. Now they have to face the defending champs in Round One, and would theoretically have to beat both Detroit and Cleveland to advance to the NBA Finals. But that’s not going to happen. They blew their chance. Can’t mess with karma. In the case of the Bulls karma will be coming in the form of an unrelenting Shaq-diesel, then a crushing dagger from Dwyane Wade in Game 7 of the most thrilling series we’ll see in the first round.

That’s all for now. I’m off to watch the Greatest Rivalry in Sports, aka Sox-Yanks. Back with the rest next week…

Apr 16

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MLB Fantasy Points

MLB General Managers look at the season in three two-month increments. They spend April and May evaluating what they’ve put together and discovering if their team can be a contender. June and July are periods of assessment; GM’s of losing teams assess what kind of prospects they could receive upon dealing a big-name player while GM’s of winning teams try to target that missing piece that will hopefully put their club over the top. For this reason the majority of trades happen in July because at that point a GM knows for sure whether he’s going to be a buyer or seller. After the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline, teams are either in it to win it or to play spoiler. (Although since the inception of the wild card many more teams have at least a theoretical shot at the playoffs much deeper into the season.) In sum, it is very rare to see a major trade consummated in the springtime unless it is in response to a key player sustaining a major injury.

So what, you might say, not tellin me anything I don’t already know. Fair enough. Here’s my question: why do so many fantasy owners see fit to wheel and deal so early in the season? The purpose of a fantasy league is to be your own GM, right? Don’t you put together a team that you believe will compete for the long haul? Why not emulate the guys getting paid tons of money to run baseball franchises? They allegedly know what they’re doing, and assuredly know more than we do, so it’s worth using their template.

Of course the biggest difference between GM’s and fantasy GM’s is that the real ones are constructing teams that can win baseball games whereas their fantasy counterparts are trying to amass the best cumulative statistics. Wins versus stats: an age-old paradigm that frequently pits the selfless against the selfish. Here’s the problem, though. Having a “good clubhouse guy” on your fantasy squad means squat. All fantasy owners are inherently (and justifiably) interested in only one thing: statistics.

Baseball is a sport told by numbers. By virtue of the length of season and intricacies of the game, not to mention the myriad of ways to statistically interpret production, baseball relies more on stats than any other sport. However, as complex as the game is, it is also quite simplistic. One guy throws, one guy hits, again and again. Because of this, it’s a game that revolves heavily around the law of averages. The element of repetition is prevalent, and most relevant to my argument. For example, if you flip a coin ten times, it could quite realistically land heads seven of those times. That would give you a 70% rate of heads. Flip that coin five hundred more times and I guarantee the rate of heads will be right around 50%. That may not be enlightening, but it is the law of averages.

Let’s relate that to baseball. Take a look at the current stats of three players, who for the moment shall remain anonymous.

Player A- .234, 0 HR, 1 RBI
Player B- .200, 0 HR, 6 RBI
Player C- .212, 1 HR, 5 RBI

Now, look at the stats of these three players.

Player D- .370, 2 HR, 11 RBI
Player E- .343, 6 HR, 10 RBI
Player F- .412, 2 HR, 8 RBI

Obviously anyone with rudimentary knowledge of baseball could look at these stats and say with complete certainty that Players A, B, and C are all worth trading for Players D, E, and F. In fact, the numbers would indicate that any fantasy owner who didn’t come to that conclusion must be a little thick in the head. Or just a real baseball junkie who knows that Player A is actually Alfonso Soriano, Player B Manny Ramirez, and Player C Travis Hafner. Three of the premier sluggers in the game today, whose numbers currently pale in comparison to the likes of Player D (Aaron Hill), Player E (Ian Kinsler), and Player F (Orlando Hudson).

Hey, no knock to Hill, Kinsler, and the O-Dog (who is finally living up to his ridiculously cool nickname). These guys have all had explosive first two weeks, and just might continue their bashing through the summer. However history would tell me that Soriano, Manny, and Hafner will all be fine. The law of averages has my back here too. For the purposes of this context the ole law states quite simply, that Hill, Kinsler, and Hudson will inevitably slow down and those other three will most definitely turn it on, and soon. (You know, water seeks its level…or something like that.)

Back to the main point. If you consider yourself a knowledgeable baseball fan and participated in your league’s draft (and did so with no identifiable mental black outs), there is simply no reason to make a big trade this early in the season. Chances are you have one of those three struggling, blue-chip superstars on your team. (If not one of them then someone in the class of Gary Sheffield, Mark Teixeira, or Lance Berkman, all of whom are presently enduring prolonged troubles at the plate.) So basically one of your top picks is not only performing poorly, but is actually skewing the entire statistical breakdown of your squad. A detriment at the moment? Absolutely. In the long run? Not in the least bit.

Real-life GM’s give their teams two months on average to develop an identity before making possible personnel decisions. And believe me, their concerns are far more serious than pondering what Manny and Hafner’s final 2007 stat-line will look like. So why shouldn’t we use the same philosophy? As fantasy owners, we all have our core of carefully selected blue-chippers to complement a handful of very good players and a couple of handpicked sleepers. That’s a fantasy baseball team. In my opinion it’s a crime to start tinkering with that entity so early in the season, when some of your stars are actually hindering the output of your team. I for one can say Manny probably won’t get the flip a coin ten times, flip it five hundred times thing, but that sure as hell won’t stop the law of averages from applying to the big fella.

So here’s my advice: take a hard look at your squad. If today, you feel it’s not as good as it was two weeks ago, and you haven’t sustained any major injuries, making a blockbuster trade isn’t the right move. Trying to get a refund on that twin you dropped probably is.

Apr 9

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MLB Points 4/9

Baseball has returned, albeit without the blessing of Mother Nature. Near freezing temperatures in the south, cold and snow squalls in the northeast, an all out winter wonderland in the midwest…and baseball? Bizarre. And a little unsettling. Now only if someone like Al Gore would make a documentary tackling climatological oddities and their anthropogenic roots..oh right. Well maybe if he did the same thing over again, except within the greater context of baseball, all those fools who don’t believe in global warming would finally be enlightened. I mean if there’s one unifying element in our country right now it’s baseball, no? Forget the polar ice caps and the greenhouse effect. Not even worth attempting to explain the North Atlantic Current. Snow-outs in April?? Now summin ain’t right there! Well I say if our national pastime is the only thing making us all realize how screwed up our environment is, so be it…

Onto the stories that involved games being played as opposed to those being hindered by extremely unseasonable weather…

The Phillies have stumbled out of the gates once again, prompting such headlines as Now Phils Could Really Be in Trouble (Philadelphia Inquirer) and Why the Phillies are Doomed (Philadelphia Daily News). So the Phillies got swept by the Braves. So Ryan Howard and Chase Utley had rough first weeks of the season. Big deal!! Baseball is a game of streaks woven into a schedule of one hundred sixty two games. Last I checked the Phils were signed up for all 162, which leaves ample time for those big boppers to start boppin. It needs to be communicated to the city of Philly that a 1-5 start for the baseball team isn’t as serious as a 1-5 start for the football team…

Interesting week for Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees. Opening Day against the Devil Rays A-Rod botched a pop fly so early in the game the photographers were barely settled enough to snap it. He then hit one of his trademark late-inning, lead-extending home runs. In the Bombers next series against Baltimore he went on to make a huge eighth inning-ending out with the bases loaded. Finally, he capped off the roller coaster week by smoking a walk-off grand slam against the Orioles. Per usual the Yankee faithful were with him step for step, booing him off the field when he screwed up and cheering him back onto it when he saved the day. All and all, a pretty typique week for A-Rod in the Bronx…

Umm, Dice-K and Papelbon? Need I say more at this juncture? Didn’t think so. But I will anyways. Dice-K’s big league debut was everything the cynics were dreading. He threw an array of pitches for strikes, had consistent velocity in the low 90s, and visibly enjoyed the moment. Much more to come. Paps, meanwhile, recorded one of the most thrilling saves of his brief, yet dominant closing-career. On a nationally televised game in Texas on Sunday night, Papelbon entered the game with one out in the eighth inning and the Red Sox grasping to a 3-2 lead. With the tying run ninety feet away, Paps made Michael Young look bush league before retiring Mark Teixeira on a pop out. He then mowed down the rest the Rangers had to offer in the ninth for his second save. Ladies and gentleman: Dice-K and Big John Stud…

The champs stink. Now they are about to lose their ace. It’s not determined how long Chris Carpenter will be out, but with an arthritic right elbow there’s really no telling how long and seriously this ailment will aggravate the St. Louis linchpin. Even with him in the rotation the Cardinals weren’t able to salvage a game against the vengeance-seeking Mets during the teams’ three game season-opening tilt (or as they were calling it in Flushing, Games 8, 9, and 10 of the NLCS). Cards are going to have to relish that trophy because they won’t come close to having a chance at defending it…

On a different note, props to John Kerry. Acting as a proponent of the common man, Kerry initiated a response to Major League Baseball’s deal with DirecTV. MLB’s out of market coverage, known as “Extra Innings”, was to be exclusively broadcast on satellite television, a move that would’ve slighted many loyal fans with digital cable. Kerry brought the issue to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which put the wheels in motion for an agreement in principle to keep the games on cable. “All we ever wanted was a victory for the fans, and this outcome is a big step forward,” Kerry said in a statement. “Everyone kept talking and pressing until we had a deal that protects the rights of most fans to follow their hometown team.” In other words the Massachusetts Senator was asserting how Red Sox Nation would be wicked teed off if they couldn’t watch the Sox on cable. Commendable move on Kerry’s part, and a vast improvement from the guy who not long ago said his favorite player was Manny Ortez…

Apr 3

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MLB Preview 2007

Odd season in ’06. The Red Sox didn’t make the playoffs. The Yankees got dismantled in the divisional round (again). The Mets were easily the best the National League had to offer, but a score of untimely injuries and a surreal-Game 7 left them a step short of amazin. The champs from ’05 meanwhile, the White Sox, pretty much self-destructed under the guidance of their unorthodox/unstable manager, Ozzie Guillen. Thus, thanks to the aforementioned failures, the 83-win St. Louis Cardinals were able to emerge as your 2006 World Series Champions. The crown is once again the Cards’ to defend in the year ’07.

Now let us never mention that again. Thank you.

Onto this season, where Dice-K is in Boston, Sweet Lou is in Chicago, A-Rod is (miraculously) still in New York and Barry Bonds is (predictably) still in San Francisco. As opposed to A-Rod, who, it seems, would be happier anywhere else but New York, Bonds has opted to remain in San Fran, the one place he won’t be scorned when he breaks Henry Aaron’s home run record sometime this summer. (So yeah, I guess I’m applauding A-Rod’s stones, but only to rip Bonds’ character.) On the bright side, Barry’s pursuit of tainted history won’t be the only historical subplot this season. 300 wins are on the horizon for Tom Glavine and Randy Johnson. Manny Ramirez, Frank Thomas, Jim Thome and A-Rod should all be joining the 500 home run club. David Ortiz and Ryan Howard are sure to break some records. Did I mention Lou Piniella is now the manager of the Cubs?

History??? I guarantee Lou will grab history by the effing nostrils in Wrigleyville before all is said and done. So in that light (and in spite of the parity that has made its mark in recent years), note these teams that will use a carpe diem m.o. and have successful seasons in ’07.

National League

Dodgers: Probably the most complete team in the NL. Building on their playoff squad of a year ago, the Dodgers added a top of the rotation guy in Jason Schmidt as well as a top of the order speedster in Juan Pierre. LA will have the ability to score runs to complement strong starting pitching. The bullpen is talented and deep as well, headlined by the young and emerging Jonathan Broxton. The Dodgers are a veteran laden ball club, and have brought some star power back to Chavez Ravine. Ideal for Hollywood, a town that loves its stars and feeds off their trends. The Dodgers made the postseason last year then flashed some green and augmented the team for another run. Look for Dodger Stadium to play host to some huge and trendy crowds once the sun starts scorching SoCal (but after the Lakers get bounced from the playoffs of course).

Prediction: 90 wins, NL West Champions

Phillies: The fans in Philly are truly fickle. I guess they’re so accustomed to impending embarrassment when it comes to their sports teams that it’s just easier to be cynical by nature. They were headed right down that familiar road again last year until a monstrous human being named Ryan Howard pulled them back by their collective shirt collars. What does Howard mean to the city of Philly and its faithful? Consistency. As long as this guy is dining on strip steak smothered in Cheesewiz, the Phillies will be a steadily solid team. If Brett Myers could only mirror that consistency and become a viable ace, the city of Philly may actually have reason to commit itself to following a baseball season from start to finish.

Prediction: 89 wins, NL Wild Card

Mets: There’s a gritty determination surrounding this team and fan base. When you get oh so close only to have your heart ripped out, something inside you changes, for both player and fan alike (just ask Red Sox Nation.) The Mets are that team this year. They took back New York last year, and it felt refreshing. This year they’ve returned to finish the job, except they’re going about their business with a polar opposite strategy. The middle of the Metropolitan lineup is good enough to win on a nightly basis in the NL, a fact made obvious last season. The Mets staff, on the other hand, is too old to sustain itself over 162 games and through the playoffs. This is why I believe Pedro’s rotator cuff injury is a blessing in disguise. He is such a competitor the only thing that could keep him away from the game is if his arm was going to fall off. And it almost did. So now he can sit back and recover, watch his boys bash their way through the summer months, and make his triumphant return in late-July. Sounds like a better script this time around, doesn’t it?

Prediction: 94 wins, NL East Champions

Cubs: The Cubs are the most losing franchise in baseball. Lou Piniella despises losing. You don’t have to be a visionary to conclude that somethings gotta give. But wait, you might be tempted to say, Lou is fresh off a campaign of losing in Tampa Bay! Right you are! Just makes him all the scarier in my opinion. You see, Lou has always been something of a hothead, but he’s also been a winner everywhere but Tampa. His hotheadedness took on an identity of its own when he was managing the Devil Dogs. Now he’s had a chance to step back, gather himself, and prepare for the next crazy chapter in his zany baseball existence. True, the Cubs are epic losers by definition. But they are also a talented baseball team in need of guidance and discipline. What do you think Lou is more fazed by, managing a bunch of minor leaguers forty times a year against the Red Sox and Yankees, or rallying a group of bona fide ballplayers together to tackle some history? History??? Please. Lou will shed history quicker than the cap on his head.

Prediction: 88 wins, NL Central Champions

American League

Angels: The Halos are always one of the top teams in the AL on paper, and only injuries ever thwart them from winning in the neighborhood of 90 games. This year will be no different, as Bartolo Colon, Jared Weaver, and Chone Figgins are all starting the year on the DL. The mark of the Angels is that they never panic, probably because they have the likes of Vlad and K-Rod, but also because they consistently play solid fundamental baseball. However, for a crafty and sound team their Achilles heel last year came from an unlikely source: poor defense. By signing the dynamic Gary Matthews to man the center-meadow at Angel Stadium, the LA Angels of Anaheim appear to have shored up the one glaring weakness that kept them out of the playoffs last year.

Prediction: 91 wins, AL West Champions.

Indians: Two years ago the Indians were a young, vibrant team, having finally emerged from the abyss the franchise had slipped into after the exodus of its potent nucleus some five years prior. These upstart no-names came almost out of nowhere, and came ever so close to dethroning the would-be champion-White Sox before they even had a chance to make their dash to glory. That run, coupled with an AL Central that always seems to be up for grabs, catapulted them to preemptive favorites in the division last year. With the great Tribe teams of the 90s still fresh in the rear view, these new Indians simply weren’t able to harness the expectations and finished with an underwhelming 78 wins. This year the stories are all about the Tigers and Twins and Chicago, while the Tribe has quietly slipped back under the radar. I think they like it that way.

Prediction: 90 wins, AL Central Champs

Yankees: I referenced it at the time but it begs reiteration: last October, ESPN.com’s Jim Caple suggested the Yankees would be better off trading Derek Jeter. Now only if George Steinbrenner would name Caple successor to his empire! The Boss’s son in law is no longer in the picture, and Caple no longer has a readership. It’d be a perfect match! Well only through the eyes of a Red Sox fan. And any Sox fan who knows Derek Jeter also knows that as long as he’s in pinstripes the Yanks will be a winning team. Why? Because Jeter’s a winner. Same can’t be said about a chunk of his teammates, but it doesn’t matter. The Bombers will be there in October because Jeter won’t have it any other way. As for that elusive 27th banner? Hmm, convincing Roger Clemens to return would be an intriguing move, but I have the inkling it just may end up coming a day late and a dollar shor…okay bad pun.

Prediction: 98 wins, AL East Champions

Red Sox: Aright, so we can no longer throw puddles of verbal excrement at the spending proclivities associated with the Yankees front office. Yeah I’d say Fedexing a suitcase of cash to Japan in return for its most prized baseball commodity might just render us hypocrites if we persist in playing the role of the little guy. Like it or not, “the Idiots” will go down as the last group of true little guys to don the rouge socks; the last crew to challenge and defeat a mightier force of financial fortitude from Gotham. I’m cool with that, no beef here. Not with the porterhouse that the ’07 Sox are about to serve up. In case you haven’t noticed I’m back in full-fledged watch-every Sox-game mode; haven’t been there since ’05 and I’m real excited. Excited about Dice-K in the bigs, about Schilling in his last contract year, about Manny and Papi in the middle, about Papelbon at the end. Call me a traditionalist, but I’m excited about bringing baseball back to Sox-Yanks in ’07.

Prediction: 98 wins, AL Wild Card Champions (+ T-shirts)

Playoff Predictions

ALDS: Red Sox over Angels; Yankees over Indians
NLDS: Mets over Dodgers; Cubs over Phillies

ALCS: Red Sox over Yankees
NLCS: Mets over Cubs

World Series: Red Sox over Mets

Plaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay ball!!!!!!!

Mar 26

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CSTV Inside Points (plus picks)

I thought this would be a good time to deviate from the norm. I’ll still take a look at this weekend’s Final Four (one of the best in recent memory), as well as offer my picks (for what their worth) for these truly pick em games. But let’s face it, I’m not going to offer much in the way of original and informed insight. Not with all the media, insiders, and writers converging on Atlanta this week while I sit in front of my laptop in Brooklyn. And no, I’m not bitter at all…

I did get thinking though about the fact that I just spent the better part of four weeks inhabiting CSTV, the right arm of CBS for all things March basketball. This was CSTV’s second year with the CBS affiliation. Might as well have been the difference between night and day. Last year was such a cyclone it felt like at best we were controlling the chaos. When it was over there was a distinct and pervasive feeling of accomplishment buzzing around the network. It was a feeling, however, accompanied by a comparable sense of relief.

This year was more of a tropical storm. There were some heavy winds, but the foundation of the network remained solid. The preparation was impeccable. The coordination between working parts was consistent and succinct. The final product was nearly flawless. And the side stories were unforgettable.

First, let me introduce myself. I’m the teleprompter guy. The guy whose job it is to quite literally make the script of the show go. While our anchors, Adam Zucker and Greg Amsinger, aren’t as dependent on the prompter as, say Ron Burgundy, it nonetheless makes their lives much easier when their scripts are running in the right place, at the right time. The duty of the teleprompter is very basic, yet integral to the overall operation of the show. Chances are if you receive any recognition on prompter it’s because you suck and are screwing everything up. That said, as long as you’re not prone to slipping into uncontrollable catatonic states, prompting is quite the manageable task.

So that was my principle duty throughout the tournament. Needless to say CSTV has a variety of programming just for hoops. Among the shows are Gametracker Live, a highlights and analysis show; Full Court Press, which brings live press conferences from players and coaches, along with in-studio analysis; Tourney Talk, a call-in show dedicated to shootin’ the breeze about the tournament, and March Madness Highlights.

We also have a rotation of in-studio analysts. Since I spent my waking life hanging around these guys the last month, allow me to now introduce the most notable coaches and personalities who helped turn the wheels of CSTV this past March.

Seth Greenberg: Current coach of Virginia Tech. He’s ushered in a basketball renaissance in Blacksburg, a notorious college football town. With his recruiting and leadership the Hokies have quickly become a force in the ACC, arguably the nation’s most storied basketball conference. He’s also a great TV personality. After Virginia Tech lost to Southern Illinois in the second round of the tournament, he naturally became the Salukis’ biggest advocate, deeming them the “junkyard dogs”. Put simply, an ego armed with a catch phrase makes for excellent television.

Dereck Whittenburg: Current coach of Fordham. He inherited the remnants of a basketball program in 2004 after Bob Hill finished reaping his path of destruction at Rose Hill. In three short years Whittenburg has morphed Fordham hoops from an utter embarrassment into an 18 win team. Just how embarrassing were they? The Rams were 2-26 Hill’s final season. Then the St. Bonaventure program became engulfed in a recruiting scandal and one of its sanctions was to forfeit every conference win, including its two victories over Fordham. That made Fordham the first team to win more conference games (three) than overall games (two). “3-13 in the A-10, 2-26 overall,” I told the coach. “Talk about embarrassment.” I then told him he’d be hearing from me soon enough to write the whole story. Takers? CSTV.com?

Brian Curtis: CSTV’s basketball insider and a regular contributor both in-studio and out in the field. He’s knowledgeable and witty, but sometimes adopts a little too much of a “holier than thou” approach to his business. Given his diminutive stature and propensity for speaking in the third person through a distinctly nasal voice, it’s difficult not to crack a smile when he’s up to his antics. He’s also the host of his own show, aptly named, Taking Issue with Brian Curtis. If CSTV could just allocate a camera crew to follow him around 24-7, I swear Taking Issue would make for great reality television.

Steve Lappas: To sum it up, Lappas is the man. Formerly the head guy at Villanova then UMass, Lapp is a bundle of energy and information with great presentation. He’s one of those few coaches that when you see him doing his thing, you just know he’s cut out for TV. And he’s Greek! So he obviously took all the producers and talent out for a nice Greek meal between shows one night. They dined on the likes of avgolemono (egg-lemon soup), spanakopita (spinach pie), and octapothi (grilled octopus). The unique victuals were warmly received by all. Well, except for a few unwilling stomachs… Yasou Lapp!

Jonathan Coachman: A guest host for CSTV who makes his bread and butter working/wrestling within the ranks of the WWF/WWE. One day when I arrived at the studio and settled down at my station Coachman was in the middle of quite a doozy of a story. Recounting for anyone within earshot, he was detailing the typical revelries of professional wrestlers (like they need articulation). Let’s just say these guys love blizzards. The Coach, meanwhile, assumed the role of the overzealous weatherman, giving us a play by play of one such Noreaster. Classy. In a related story, be sure to check out “My Coke Fest”, part of CSTV’s killer Final Four lineup live from Atlanta!

(I’m serious, check it out: http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/stories/032906aar.html)

So as you can see, all around wild and wacky fun times at CSTV this month. And there is much more to come (in addition to My Coke Fest, of course). This year the network is operating exclusively on-site in Atlanta, thus the whole CSTV-shabang has been transplanted to the Georgia Dome and its surroundings. Oh, and in case you were wondering, they won’t be requiring teleprompter services. However I did tell Amsinger if he found himself unable to exist without prompter to merely give me 18 hours notice and I’d hail a Greyhound. And NO, I’m not friggin bitter.

(Grinding teeth…)

Okay, maybe just a little bitter. Hey, it could be worse though. I could be a Kentucky fan. In case you missed it, a caller from Kentucky phoned into our live Tourney Talk show and summed up pretty accurately the state of bitterness:

“I just wanna say, f**k Tubby Smith.”

Duly noted sir, duly noted.

Onto the picks…

Florida over UCLA Gators are the champs, and in order to be defeated a team will have to line up, grab them by the throat, and not let go until there are quadruple zeros on the clock. If UCLA wants any shot of winning this game they should take a look at the 2007 AFC Championship Game or the 2004 NBA Finals. The Colts and Pistons both seized an opportunity to go for the jugular of a dynasty, and held on with the grip of an ironman. That’s the only way to topple the mighty. It’s just not going to happen to Florida until there’s a giant present to force the issue…

Ohio State over Georgetown No one had seen the real Greg Oden until Joey Dorsey checked himself into the Pantheon of Idiotic Statements before the Regional Final between Ohio State and Memphis. Dorsey might be a tree of a man, but Oden is a woodchopper. Dorsey called Oden overrated, and Oden in turn, chopped some wood. Steve Lappas didn’t exactly have to go out on a limb when he referenced the whole “sleeping giant” thing, but the point has been made. Not by Lapp. By Oden.

Take it away ATL!

Mar 20

2 Comments

Sweet 16 Points

As the ranking fanatic of March Madness I’ll admit that this year’s Thursday/Friday games in the first round were uncharacteristically dull. None worse than Cardinal-Cardinals. Stanford and the Lopez brothers (or as I like to call them, the twinny-twin-twins) got absolutely pasted by Louisville. This game was such a thrashing I wouldn’t be surprised if the NCAA selection committee received a case of Cristal courtesy of their counterparts over at the NIT. Thanks for givin us ‘Cuse suckers!

It wasn’t just Stanford, though. George Washington did its fair share in attempting to take the spotlight of embarrassment away the Cardinal, bowing to Vanderbilt by a trendy 33. Long Beach State (sans-Snoop-support) scored 86 and still lost by 35 (yes, that means Tennessee dropped 121 on the LBC). Marquette, meanwhile, didn’t score a point until the 10:00 mark of the first half against Michigan State.

But…

The first round was still a bundle of fun, for one glaring reason. Duke lost!!! It’s always fun watching Mike Krzyzewski get bounced from the tournament. It’s even more fun when it’s in the first round against a school (VCU) whose acronym Coach K probably can’t even decipher. And it’s downright satiric when the kid he gets beat by turns out to be a North Carolina-product who got no recruiting love from Tobacco Road. Throw in the priceless look on the face of that flopper Josh McRoberts, and you have yourself a recipe for one game saving an entire round. Well that, and the fact that amid all the yawning Gus Johnson still found a way to have multiple coronaries. So you see, it wasn’t really all that bad.

And it certainly got better. Saturday was fantastic, and made up for the let down of the first two days. Pitt-VCU, Lousiville-Texas A&M, Vanderbilt-Washington State, and BC-Georgetown were all classics. VCU clawed back from 19 down in the second half to take the Panthers to overtime. A freshman from the Cardinals made 15 straight free throws and owned the game against A&M before losing the Midas-touch in the waning seconds. The free-spirit-Cougars went two OT’s with Vandy before falling. And Eagles-Hoyas was just a backyard brawl.

Now, with 16 still standing, let’s take a glance at what’s to come…

East Region

North Carolina-USC I’ll tackle this one first but I really have little ground to stand on. The Longhorns needed something from D.J. Augustin and got nada (6 points, 6 turnovers) against USC. So much for my national champs, as the Kevin Durant era (I hope) has come to a close at UT. Looking ahead to this matchup I just can’t envision USC having the legs or the bodies to run with Carolina. Tyler Hansbrough tore off that mask and tore Michigan State apart in the second round. With Ty Lawson sustaining his current level of play the Heels take this one relatively comfortably.

Vanderbilt-Georgetown After GT-BC I can’t honestly say you’re going to see a grittier game in the round of sixteen, but Vandy is at the very least resilient, and won’t be swayed by Roy Hibbert and Jeff Green in the trenches. These two teams met at the very beginning of the season (an 86-70 Hoyas win) so there will be no aspect of unfamiliarity. For the Commodores, Derrick Byars has emerged this tournament as that senior leader who has refused to let his team go down. Don’t expect this game to move higher than the 60s. Georgetown is one of the best closing teams in the country. This will be a tightly contested match but the Hoyas will prevail late.

South Region

Ohio State-Tennessee Indisputable fact about March Madness: every would-be champion has a scare. You can say what you want about Greg Oden’s controversial mauling of Xavier’s Justin Cage that was not deemed an intentional foul. Cage still had a chance to ice the game but missed a free throw. And the Musketeers failed to defend the three point line on the Buckeyes’ last possession, allowing Ron Lewis to get a great look and tie the game at the buzzer. There’s something reassuring about surviving in the face of imminent demise. So much about this tournament is believing, and I think Ohio State finally believes. Good run, Vols.

Texas A&M-Memphis The Aggies have been a chic Final Four pick, while the Tigers have almost been an afterthought as the two seed. No one really gave them a chance last year, and yet they got within a win of the Final Four. A&M on the other hand, really did struggle against pesky-Penn. In the end it was the Aggies’ athleticism that won out over the Quakers’ SAT scores. As the tournament progresses and the talent gap between opponents diminishes, coaching becomes more of a focal point. In my opinion the edge in that category swings to John Calipari. Tigers advance.

Midwest Region

Florida-Butler Ho-hum, the Gators are in the Sweet 16. Now if someone can please wake up Joakim Noah, that would greeeeat. While Florida’s hoop-when-necessary approach has suited them well enough through the first two games, they better watch out. The Bulldogs are full of life right now and could build an early lead in this game. Regardless, at some point the Gators will take a big bite outta the dogs and send them home with their tails in between their legs. Another formidable run for Butler.

Oregon-UNLV All I know is that the winner of this game will have THE best after-party on campus…

West Region

Pittsburgh-UCLA I’m certainly not the first, but I’ll go right ahead and declare it myself: this will be the ugliest basketball game you’ve ever seen. Yes, I did watch the UCLA-Indiana game. While that was the most horrid first half of basketball you’d ever want to see, the last ten minutes were pretty thrilling. This game will be played on more of an equilibrium of ugliness. Ben Howland coaches UCLA, where he has trademarked Ugly Hoops Inc.. In case you forgot, he started the enterprise as an entrepreneurial endeavor at…none other than Pitt! His disciple there? None other than Jamie Dixon, current head coach of the Panthers! Let’s just hope the winner of this one cracks 40.

Kansas-Southern Illinois The Salukis’ grind-it-out approach has become well-documented, and America has met another Falker, who goes by the name of Randal. All and all a heck of season for a school from the Valley, which is a conference that has undoubtedly shed the “mid-major” tag after the last two tournaments. Unfortunately, going up against a team as talented as Kansas, well, there’s only so much a Falker can do…

Enjoy the games.

Mar 14

1 Comment

Tourney Preview

Talk about a wide open tournament. Florida could capture it because it begins its title defense with the same crew from last year. UCLA is championship caliber because the Bruins are better than the national runner-up squad they fielded last April. Wisconsin could win it with gritty defense and Alando Tucker. Kansas is scary. So is North Carolina. Ohio State has Greg Oden. Texas has Kevin Durant. Texas A&M has Acie Law IV. Georgetown is white hot. Memphis has won 22 in a row.

That’s ten teams. Ten teams that if I had to play devil’s advocate I would wholeheartedly endorse as the next national champions.

But I’m not here for that. I’m here to be decisive. To be brash. I’m here to tell you the crazy s**t that I think is going to transpire in this tournament. So without further ado here is a region by region breakdown with notes, upsets, and picks.


Midwest Region

Notes: Bad news everyone. Florida is baaaaack!! The Gators had a few snooze sessions this season, but have regained that Gator-pride and appear poised to defend their crown. If Florida loses it will be early and shocking (see: Arizona, second round). Still, doubtful that’s going to happen, and whoever emerges from the bottom half of the bracket (likely Wisconsin or Oregon) will find itself overmatched against a seasoned group of hungry Gators.

Upset Special: Winthrop. The Eagles are a senior-laden team that has lost only four games this year. Oh yeah, and those four L’s were to North Carolina, Wisconsin, Maryland, and Texas A&M. Of those games they only got blown out by A&M. They ate their conference alive and are no strangers to the tournament out of the Big South. Don’t be fooled: Winthrop just might find itself standing between Florida and the Final Four.

Final Four Pick: Florida. It’s immensely difficult to repeat as national champs because of the structure of the tournament and the fact that elite teams usually matriculate stars to the NBA. The Gators are intact, and have a more than manageable trek to Atlanta. Winning the first four is doable for the champs. But that’s still only two thirds of the way to two in a row…

West Region

Notes: The West has the best slate of projected second round games and subplots. Kansas and Kentucky is the most notable, as the Jayhawks have made early exits the last two years, and Tubby Smith’s Wildcats won’t be an easy out. On the bottom half of the bracket is a potential rematch of the best regional game from last year, between UCLA and Gonzaga. Win or lose, Adam Morrison won’t be there to bawl at midcourt, but the Zags will certainly have revenge on their minds.

Upset Special: Holy Cross. In 2002 the Crusaders almost changed history. As a sixteen seed, they took Kansas, a one seed, down to the wire. They haven’t won a tournament game since 1953 but have been a formidable opponent in clashing with the likes of the Jayhawks, Marquette, and Kentucky in the recent past. Southern Illinois, a cinderella of the past, is currently sitting on a four seed. Like Gonzaga, the Salukis have always done their best work as a long shot. This year my bet is Southern Illinois will hear chants of “Welcome tah Woostaah!”, and have no clue what they mean.

Final Four Pick: Kansas. The Jayhawks have a strong sophomore nucleus that has felt first hand the unpredictability of the tournament. Kansas was stunned in the first round by Bradley last year. Mario Chalmers, Brandon Rush, and Julian Wright won’t let that happen again. And history would indicate that once Kansas gets rolling, regional finals are all but a sure thing.

East Region

Notes: Without a doubt the most stacked region in my opinion. North Carolina was rewarded with a number one seed and short travel distances, but the Tar Heels have a tough road ahead. Marquette and Michigan State are far from gimmes in the second round. With this bracket featuring the likes of Texas, Georgetown, and Washington State, there are many potential speed bumps for the very deep, but very young Heels.

Upset Special: Boston College. For the first time in a handful of years, the Eagles have no expectations. Zero. Since Sean Williams was dismissed from the team, BC has been nothing short of a train wreck. So why do I like them? Matchups. A first round tilt with Bobby Knight and Texas Tech will bring out the best from ACC Player of the Year, Jared Dudley, who struggled through the latter half of the conference schedule. And mark my words: Georgetown wants no part of an old Big East rival playing with nothing to lose.

Final Four Pick: Texas. Two words: Kevin Durant. He’s the best player in the country. He’s the best player in college hoops since Carmelo Anthony. And he’s on a mission. More on that in a sec…

South Region

Notes: Florida may be the top overall seed, but Ohio State has the easiest overall path to Atlanta. Texas A&M is probably the Buckeyes’ most serious competition, but will have to knock off Louisville in Lexington, KY before entertaining any notions of Ohio State. The rest of the region is full of sleepers. Virginia could make a run with its exceptional backcourt duo of Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds. Nevada is led by an All-American, Nick Fazekas. John Calipari’s Memphis Tigers just finished colonizing Conference USA, and have an element of mystery to complement a 30-3 record.

Upset Special: Penn. Between nomadic Quaker fans and the partisan-Kentucky crowd in Lexington, Penn should have a decent support contingent. On the court Ibrahim Jaaber is one of the top point guards in the country, and can control a game by himself. Penn isn’t a big team, but is disciplined and can shoot the ball. Look for the Quakers to frustrate A&M, win the crowd as the perennial underdog, and have a chance to steal the game late.

Final Four Pick: Ohio State. Impossible to pick against the Buckeyes. Greg Oden has elevated his play of late, which is another way of saying he is gaining use of his dominant hand. He had a couple of monster games in the Big Ten Tournament, and should be eager to prove some naysayers wrong (even if he is the consensus number one pick and wears the expression of a trash collector). And don’t forget about Ohio State’s other fab freshman, Mike Conley Jr. This kid has proven he has the ability and the rocks to take and make big-time shots.

And the Winner is…

Texas. Here’s a quick story: I was at the 2003 Big East Tournament, and watched as Connecticut, led by Ben Gordon, disqualified Syracuse in the semifinals. After watching Carmelo Anthony throughout that tournament I had already determined he was the greatest college baller I had ever seen in person. What struck me at the time was watching him walk off the court at Madison Square Garden, defeated. He had a look plastered on his face. It was a combination of contained anger and silent resolve. I felt it. And I thought to myself, wow this kid looks like he’s about to make a stand. That inkling was enough for me to pencil in Syracuse as the national champs. And Melo handled the rest.

I believe Kevin Durant is about to pull a Melo of his own. He knows he’s the best. He’s shown he’s the best. And last weekend he took the proverbial sucker punch from Kansas in the Big 12 Championship. In that game he tied a career-high with 37 points, but Texas blew a huge lead and lost in overtime, 88-84. Durant didn’t score and took only two shots in the extra session. The facts are clear. No player or defensive scheme can deal with Durant. When he takes the ball, he finds a way to put it in the basket. When he has failed, it has been because the ball didn’t find him. In this tournament, not only will the ball find Durant, but when it becomes necessary, Durant will TAKE THAT ROCK.

And Texas will cut down the nets in ’07.

Mar 6

2 Comments

Bracket Points

I say it every year but it warrants an annual mention: the NCAA Basketball Tournament is the best three weeks in American sports. March Madness is the one sporting event that blurs the boundaries between work and play; between personal and professional. For three weeks straight it invades lives and environments, crosses cultures, while continually dominating the moment.

The common thread? Brackets. For anyone working in an office, going to a school, frequenting a bar, or generally not living in a hole, brackets are waiting to be filled out.

Within a specific populace, the ensuing conglomeration of completed brackets gives way to “the pool”. This pre-tournament ritual helps jump start the madness before the ball even goes up. Since the field of teams is set a full three days before the competition begins, this limbo period allows “the bracketer” ample time to abandon normal activities and research teams with the intention of locating potential sleepers and duds. Sometime within this process comes the moment of conception: a vision of the outcomes of 63 basketball games, unique unto the bracketer.

While a bracket will ultimately not sprout arms and legs, upon completion it without a doubt takes on a life of its own. There is a natural moment of pride associated with the first glance at a just-finished bracket. That feeling of satisfaction then shifts to one of angst, with the realization that the bracketer actually has no freaking clue what’s going to happen. However, confidence returns. The bracketer is by nature cocky. And defense of a bracket in hostile, divisive environments like offices or bars is a must.

You see, some brackets can be made or blown before the tournament even kicks into high gear. Due to the fact that nobody will ever produce a perfect bracket, defending one’s picks is almost as vital as picking the games themselves. Because of this notion the Madness can be divided into two phases: the first weekend of games, and the rest of the tournament.

There are 48 games the first weekend, and the bracketer has a vested interest in every one of them. Which is why over that four day period there are 48 battles to be won or lost, each frequently being decided by a single bounce of the ball. Ideally the bracketer emerges from that first weekend beaten, but not defeated; amazed, but not exhilarated.

While everyone wishes and believes that their picks could theoretically and miraculously all come to fruition, those first four days decisively extinguish that utopia. By this point the hope is that the bracketer’s Elite Eight and Final Four are still relatively intact. This is where the second phase takes over. After the cyclone that blows through the first two rounds, what’s left of one’s bracket becomes cherished. Highlighters, creases, and stains (not to mention buzzer beaters and upsets) have compromised its original crisp and flawless form.

Now there are 16 teams left. The bracketer in you has now become you. You start to see exactly what must happen for your bracket to prevail. Scenarios are playing out in your head. Questions are forming. The angst is returning. Inevitably each game in the Sweet 16 and beyond will become an individual showdown against one of your bracketing competitors. You will adopt schools, fan bases, and basketball traditions you couldn’t have cared less about in February.

After withstanding the whirlwind phase of the first weekend, you discover that from the remnants has emerged an agenda. It’s an agenda of hope, realism, and odds, all simmered together in a stew of March mayhem. And of course directly tied into the fates of the 16 remaining schools.

From this point on the basketball takes over. Teams still playing the second weekend of the tourney fall into two categories, contenders and cinderellas. Contenders are the national powers that found a way to escape the bedlam of the first round. Cinderellas are the little schools that pulled off a shocker or two. Both fall under the general heading of “smokin’ hot”. And any college team that is sizzling in March carries with it an air of invincibility.

Naturally, the level of basketball played is unrivaled. You’ll see guys hit threes from unfathomable distances. You’ll see others sacrifice their bodies, and leap five rows into the stands just to preserve a possession. With bigger venues, NCAA Regionals attract upwards of 25-30,000 spectators, all embodying the passion of their teams.

The Final Four? Only 50,000 people in a football stadium, layered on top of each other and surrounding a 94 foot hardwood court. They’ll be chanting in unison by the ten thousands. And there you’ll be, in front of your TV, crinkled bracket in hand, slippery highlighter in perspired palm, feeling the electricity of the moment, waiting for that one play that will advance that one team you need in order to beat that one friend who’s been pissing you off since fantasy football season ended.

Make no mistake about it, there’s something special about winning your pool; knowing that your bracket was the closest to the actual outcome of this utterly unpredictable, massive sporting sensation. And of course it’s always something special when your forecasting has given you the right to talk loads of smack to your friends and/or associates.

In that light, I’m introducing the first Ballgames Points Bracket Challenge. This will not be the conventional hoops pool. Since my readership is stretched far and wide (and evidently thin), I welcome anyone to submit their picks, and talk all the necessary trash throughout. There will be no blank bracket provided, so fill out your own and post all winners round by round, and attach whatever inflammatory hogwash you see fit throughout the tourney.

Three weeks, 63 do or die basketball games, and a whole lotta s**t talk. That’s what March Madness is all about.

***For more on s**t talk, check out the new CBS/CSTV March Madness promotional initiative. The New York Times summed it up (and legitimized it) best:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/28/business/media/28adco.html?ex=1173502800&en=1524d91f30a55a0c&ei=5070

Here’s my taped bit on the BC Eagles:

http://cstv.collegesports.com/postup/play.php?vid=7

Feb 26

3 Comments

Matsu-Manny-zaka Points

The guy’s already a legend, and he hasn’t even thrown a pitch in the bigs. The Sox posted over $51 million for Dice-K. They courted him; tempered his piranha of an agent, and finally, signed him for another $50 mil.Since then they’ve knocked down walls in the Fenway clubhouse to accommodate his massive media contingent. They’ve morphed the mighty baseball enterprise that is the Boston Red Sox into a multinational and bilingual operation. They’ve even researched the finest Japanese cuisine the city has to offer. All this was done just in preparation of his arrival to Boston, and eventually, Fort Myers.

Now, he’s finally there. And it’s all about him.

So of course Manny has found a way to make headlines. Big shocker.

Who else, but Manny, could possibly report to spring training both late and early?!? Like all Manny side-stories, this one is murky. All that’s known for sure is that for the second year in
a row the team allowed Manny to arrive on March 1, approximately a week after normal position players are required to report. His mother may or may not be in the hospital. And Manny may or may not have known that he was scheduled to appear at a car auction in Atlantic City this past weekend.

Regardless, this morning Manny arrived at camp, big as life, a full three days before schedule, and about three days after position players living in the real world. You know how Manny likes to keep things on an even keel, right?

Well he also likes to be the center of attention. And since it probably only recently occurred to him that all those team mailings he’s been getting actually say, “Welcome to Boston, Dice-K!”, and not “Welcome back Manny!”, my bet is Manny’s had a lot to take in of late.

So he most likely deemed it necessary to arrive early. Or not as late. Whatever. What’s relevant is that Manny is now fully aware of Dice-K’s presence, which may or may not have pulled him away from whatever it was that he was allegedly doing. Get the drift?

What’s known is this: Manny upped on the scene today and wasted no time getting his first glance of Dice-K. Barely before he had a chance to show off his new doo to David Ortiz, Manny had a bat in his hand, and had stepped into the batters box during a session of live batting practice being thrown by the new guy himself.

He looked at three pitches Dice-K had to offer, without offering back at one. It was his so you’re the guy who’s been taking the attention away from me and I’m not yet sure if I like it or not moment with Dice-K. Which is why I’m officially excited about this season. The three-ring circus has gone international.

While the evolving dynamic of this Japanese infusion overlapping “Manny’s world” will undoubtedly produce some hilarious (and possibly awkward) anecdotes, I’m of the mind that Manny and Dice-K are really going to hit it off.

First of all, Manny can relate to Dice-K. He showed up in the spring of 2001 and had to immediately deal with a significant language barrier because he never really had to speak in Cleveland (English at least). It is his personality that has become larger than life in Boston, and when he does speak, it serves to merely enhance that Manny-mystique, as opposed to define it.

Dice-K strikes me as a similar breed. The guy is clearly a character. He’s played some “Lost in Translation” games with Theo and the Trio, as well as the media. His grasp of the English language is surely not fluent, but no one knows what his true level of proficiency is at the moment. And he seems to like it that way.

Aside from the fact that I think their personalities will mesh well together, the two have a lot to learn from each other. Manny’s approach to the art of hitting is unmatched in both ethic and implementation. Dice-K will definitely have questions. Manny, conversely, being the truest student of hitting, will be fascinated at the prospect of adding another dimension to his understanding of this innate and finely-honed skill of his.

In addition, they are both machines in their respective disciplines, which will be an immediate source of mutual respect. They also play a game that revolves around one guy using a piece of wood to try and strike a tiny round object being hurled at him by another guy who’s sole objective is to make him miss. Mano-a-mano.

Face it, these two are natural, primal adversaries, best at what they do, foreign to one another, and now teamed up. Anyone else get the feeling they won’t have to do a whole lot of talking in order to communicate?

No matter what, this is just the beginning. It will be interesting, and no doubt amusing, to see how this current conglomeration of spirits and egos mold together to form the 2007 Boston Red Sox. It will also be extremely well-documented so expect the bizarre, and watch as it is beamed back and forth over the Pacific. Who am I kidding, though? We’re a fan base that has become accustomed to putting our undying faith in circus acts featuring the likes of cowboys and idiots.

Manny and Dice-K? This year’s act just might become the main event.

Feb 12

NBA Midseason Points

With the 2007 NBA All-Star game on the horizon I thought it would be appropriate to look at the state of affairs in the league. This season has been rich with subplots: streaks (Suns and Mavs), beefs (Nuggets and Knicks), marquee player movement (Allen Iverson and Chris Webber), and one team inching ever so close to a new wing of the NBA Pantheon (hint: 16 championships, 18 losses…and counting). Because “parity” isn’t part of the NBA vocabulary, let’s take a look at some of the principal themes of the 2006-07 NBA season within a context of conferences.Western Conference

Simply put, the West is diesel, and Shaq has been back east for the last three years. The Mavs have won 42 of their last 47 games (a cool .894 clip) while the Suns won 32 of 34 at one point. Pantheon streaks? Absolutely. Both teams have championship-caliber lasting power, but Dallas is clearly a step above of Phoenix because of its defensive capabilities and depth. However, as the Suns have proven the last two years (2006 without Amare Stoudemire), they have the potential to run any team this era has to offer straight out of the playoffs. Steve Nash has been hampered of late and the Suns have fallen off the Mavs pace of 68 wins. Expect Phoenix to run off another 12-15 in a row soon after the All-Star break and make it an epic race for the West’s top seed.

If there weren’t two 65+ win teams in the West, the talk would be all about the balance of excellence throughout the top half of the conference. The Jazz have benefited from Carmelo Anthony’s 15-game suspension stemming from the “MSG Incident”, and have built a lead of seven games over the Nuggets. They’re going to need it, as the Nuggets will make a strong push with A.I. and Melo finally playing together over an extended period of time. I still like the Jazz to take the division with 50-52 wins, barely edging the Nugs, who will be relegated to the bottom half of what will be a fearsome playoff bracket.

Denver will be joined by Kobe’s Lakers on the latter half of the bracket. Bryant has been playing some of the best team basketball of his career (with the least capable supporting cast), remarkably transforming an inexperienced team into a group of young veterans. Both the Nuggets and Lakers will be assuming the identity of that team no one wants to face in the first round. And should the Clippers continue their resurgence, they will combine to form one hell of a first round speed bump for the likes of Phoenix and Dallas.

Amid all these legitimate dark horses in the West lies perhaps the most dangerous pair: Houston and San Antonio. Yao Ming has become what skeptics never believed he could be in this league: dominant. He was averaging 25.9/9.4 before he broke his leg two months ago, and the Rockets have actually been better since his injury. The Spurs, meanwhile, continue to hiccup through the ’07 campaign, but are without a doubt the Patriots of the NBA, and will obviously win their 57 games and become the toughest out in the West (mainly because the Mavs won’t beat them two years in a row).

Eastern Conference

You know things are bad when the most noteworthy storylines involve the weight problems of the defending champions, and the inability of the league’s most historic franchise to score more points than an opponent. For the Heat, it’s simply a case of having too many veterans (see: Antoine Walker and Gary Payton) having already achieved all they need to in their careers, opting for drive-thru instead of practice. The Celtics diagnosis is equally simple: without Paul Pierce the Celtics are a glorified college team.

That said, I still like Miami defending at least it’s Eastern Conference crown. See, that’s what’s glorious about the East. It’s entirely possible to tank half a season (as the Heat basically did last year as well), string some wins together at the end, and go to the Finals. It’s the age-old axiom: if it ain’t broke, why fix it? Here the Heat are, 51 games into the defense of their title, with 25 wins to show, two impact players (Walker and James Posey) having been reprimanded for munchy-syndrome, and sparse amounts of Shaq. Yet they currently sit just four games behind Washington for first place in the Southeast Division.

Who’s gonna tell me the Heat won’t win 46 games, snag the three seed, go into Detroit or Cleveland and take the East again? It’s just that easy when you’re a beast of the least.

On the opposite end of that spectrum sit the Celtics. Their losing/tanking is well-documented, as is the fact that come May 22nd, Danny Ainge will be putting his livelihood into a plastic bubble filled with ping pong balls. To me, it’s worth the trade off. I didn’t get to grow up watching Larry Bird. I thought I was going to grow up watching Reggie Lewis. I ultimately settled for Paul Pierce, as if that was settling.

He’s been everything a superstar could be: talented and cocky, loyal and endearing, not to mention clutch. But he’s never had a big man. And that’s just not fair. In my opinion, if you replaced Antoine Walker with Tim Duncan (as the Celtics had hoped for in their last tango with lottery fate), Paul Pierce would today possess at least one ring, maybe a couple. If you find yourself a doubter, take a look at his 2001-02 season. He played in all 82 games and another 16 in the postseason. In his first playoff run he etched his name into the Celtics record books, alongside the likes of Bird, McHale, Russell, and Cousy. And he did this all after surviving an attempt on his life just three weeks before the season began, in which he was stabbed multiple times.

Let’s face it, Paul Pierce deserves a big man. And with the way everything has gone the last few years, culminating with “the collapse”, I’m willing to take my chances with the lottery…again. If not for Celtic Pride, for Paul.

Now that Greg Oden guy just better freaking declare.


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