Tyreke Evans won the 2010 NBA Rookie of the Year Award thanks in large part to his unparalleled ability to get into the lane with ease. Here, Evans shows his ability to get in and out of multiple lanes at speeds upwards of 130 mph. Reke was trailing for a good portion of this matchup, but much like his game on the court, he ultimately finishes ahead of the competition. Unfortunately, Evans gets T’d up, as in Tied Up in handcuffs, and is slapped with three years probation. C’mon rookie, I’ve traveled that very stretch of highway hundreds of times in my life…. you gotta know the Highway Patrol is all over it like the NBA officials in the 2002 Western Conference Finals. Nonetheless, some sweet moves here on the blacktop….
Monthly Archives: July 2010
There Goes More ‘Stros
As a die hard A’s fan, I can empathize with any fan of a losing team. But I definitely don’t envy Astros fans. While the A’s don’t have the financial means to load up their roster with proven talent, there’s always a boatload of talent in the farm system. Remember, they’re only 4 years removed from an LCS appearance, and guys like Andrew Bailey, Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson, Ryan Sweeney, Daric Barton, Chris Carter, and Michael Taylor give plenty of reason to believe they’ll be back sooner or later. And while I’m waiting for the front office to trade away a guy like Coco Crisp or Michael Wuertz (hopefully Wuertz), the Astros have already gotten started. Frankly, it’s about time. They’re clearly headed nowhere, so it really made no sense for them to hang on to Roy Oswalt. While it’s still to be seen whether or not they move Carlos Lee – I doubt there’s any takers – or Lance Berkman, they’ve at least brought in some young guys who may play a significant role if and when they decide to rebuild, because they need to. In other trade news….
The Padres picked up Miguel Tejada, but I’m not sure what role he’s going to fill. I can’t see them replacing Chase Headley, so Everth Cabrera is going to be the loser in this move, but he’s hitting .199, so Tejada should be an upgrade at the plate. But are they expecting Miggy to play shortstop? Not sure what they’re envisioning there, but maybe it puts pressure on the Giants and Dodgers to make a move as well.
The Rangers acquired Jorge Cantu, which makes more sense in the short term, since Ian Kinsler is headed to the DL. They already swung a deal for Cliff Lee, so making it clear they plan to hold on to the top spot in the AL West.
The Twins picked up Matt Capps, which doesn’t excite me, but may have been the smartest move by any of these teams thus far – except of course the Phillies getting Oswalt. But Capps will move into the closer role, demoting Jon Rauch to setup duties. Your move, White Sox.
A-Rod’s Chase For… Who Give’s a Crap!
On Sportsnation they put up a poll on Monday asking something to the tune of, Which is more likely to be a smash hit first? A-Rod hitting his 600th homer or Dinner for Schmucks (which is opening tomorrow). At the time I was thinking there’s no way A-Rod goes six games before he hits his 600th, but low and behold it still hasn’t happened, and I’m much more excited about Dinner for Schmucks coming out tomorrow than seeing him get to his milestone. I’m not a big “go to the movies” kind of guy, but this one seems like a can’t miss comedy. It will probably be one of the four I’ll see in a theater all year. Anyways, I’m usually pretty into milestones like this, but A-Rod’s 600th homer doesn’t really pique my interest.
I’m sure it has to do with the numerous guys breaking into the 500 and 600 HR clubs over the last decade, which has it’s diminished the worth a little in the PED era. Seven years ago, I wouldn’t have thought the 600 club would be achieved so easily/often. I never liked A-Rod, maybe because he’s an ass, maybe because we found out that he was a cheater in marriage and during his Mariners and Rangers days, and yes, there was that whole Dallas Braden thing. I can’t find one person that really even likes him, well, some Yankee fans probably do, but who cares about them. I think the real reason I can’t root for him is, he symbolizes the era. Lie, cheat, succeed, and get over paid for doing everything wrong. While he was HGH’d up (assuming he started in HS as some think), that’s about 350 HR’s to put in question. I’m not saying to take away 350 from his total, I’m more debating that he wouldn’t be on 599 yet. I have no idea what you’d shave off the total, 20, 50, 100? Who knows? I don’t really even care though, when it’s all said and done, I still want all the cheaters in the HOF as backwards as that sounds. The reason I come to this conclusion is that, it’s not completely the players fault baseball turned their heads on a more than obvious problem. I was never faced with these kinds of tough ethical decisions, so I can’t say I wouldn’t have tried PED’s of some sort if I was a really good player in that era. I’d like to say I wouldn’t, but the temptation of 70% of players around you using sounds tough.
I remember when Bonds was chasing his home run records, and maybe because I was a little younger, I thought it was more special, but I was rooting for the guy to break those records. No matter what people say about him, you have to admit, every time he came to the plate you wanted to see what he did, and he crushed some balls into the bay like nobody else ever will! Hell, Manny and Ortiz gave me that same kind of feeling, even if I wasn’t rooting for them. I always wanted to see their atbats. A-Rod just doesn’t do it for me, and it’s too bad because I want to care about greatness unfolding. He’s going to hit that 600th homer, and we’ll be talking about the 700th before you know it. I will be rooting against him the whole time, but that does nothing. I just don’t want him to be the face of this era. I’ve dedicated tomorrow to making sure I don’t watch A-Rod in Tampa, and help Dinner for Schmucks be a bigger opening day hit.
Press Hop Part 2
The highly anticipated follow up to the original Press Hop, orchestrated by DJ Steve Porter. Not much to analyze in this one, but for all us sports fans this is a great video mix of some of the most memorable press conferences that we loved to talk about. It must’ve taken this guy forever to mix this. I thank him for wasting away his time in the editing room!
MLB Power Rankings
Sadly, I think baseball is missing HGH...
I haven’t put up some baseball power rankings for awhile. Probably because the A’s had a rough patch, but now that they are on fire, and I can justify putting them in with the top 16 teams in the league again, it’s time to get some new power rankings up for the first 17 weeks of the season. It’s been a year of surprises, and I didn’t see the Padres being ranked third at any point, let alone this deep in the season! With about 100 games in the books every series starts to become more important than the last! Continue reading
CP3, Haren, and Garza’s No-No
Maverick Carter, a face I'm starting to hate more and more...
CP3 made me, and the sports-world lose a little respect for him over the weekend after making some trade demands that he can’t really force. If you have a player that is close to or at the top of their position you just don’t trade that guy away when he’s still under contract. The only time you really do is at the trade deadline when you are obviously out of it for the season, and have zero chance to re-sign the guy. I’m sure there’s something about making $14M this year and $16M next year that makes me feel he should honor his contract/commitment to the Hornets. I think the thing that bugs me the most though is that this whole ill-conceived plan to demand a trade was most likely whispered into his ear by his new buddies/agents Worldwide Wes and Maverick Carter. I’ve always been a CP3 fan, and like By, I was really looking forward to his return to greatness in 2010-2011 season. Now that he has taken the Lebron-Maverick-Wes route I’m not sure I will ever view him in the same light anymore. He’s nearly as important to New Orleans as Drew Brees, and the fans there don’t deserve to be jerked around for the next two years by James’ crew and CP3. I prey they don’t contrive some ridiculous hour special for his decision 2012. He shouldn’t have demanded a trade, especially since it sounds like he hadn’t even meet with the new coach (Monty Williams) or new GM (Dell Demps) prior to telling the world he wanted out. Just another flawed power trip by James’ gang of half wits that think they are above everyone, and are the ones pulling the strings. If this isn’t a sign to stay away from Carter and Wes, I’m not sure what will show players that they are bad for the league and a players image. They’ve done well killing Cleveland’s fan base, are they going to kill New Orleans basketball too? Let’s hope not…
Speaking of guys I used to like, Dan Haren was traded to the Angels over the weekend and made his first start last night. I had to tune in to see exactly where my sports hate of him would stand, and just like Vlad and Torii before him, I now have to root against the guy. During his stint with the A’s I didn’t think I’d ever NOT like him. He’s easily the most successful player we’ve had over the last few years. Even the players we got for him ended up being great (Brett Anderson, Carlos Gonzalez, and hopefully Chris Carter pans out too), which made me like him all the more. I had mixed emotions watching him pitch last night, and after he threw a couple of innings I realized this was the end of our relationship for awhile. It’s amazing how quickly you can turn on a player, and I admittedly cracked a small smile when he was hit by a line drive, then immediately felt a little bad I was happy that he got hurt in his first start. I guess I’m just mad that the A’s will have to face him six times a year now… Oh well, if anyone has a complete scouting report on the guy, it’s the A’s!
I was eating dinner at a bar where one of my whiffle ball buddies bartends, and last night I found out he went to Fresno State, and played baseball with Matt Garza in college. It only came up because we were watching Garza pitch the last four innings of his no hitter yesterday. It was pretty impressive as he faced the minimum amount of hitters, and only walked one guy the whole night. It had to be relieving for the Rays, and their fans to be on the right side of a no-no/perfect game as they’ve seen three thrown against them in the last two years. Anyways, my buddy who went to college with him said he wasn’t even the top prospect on their team, which makes his story a little better. He also told me that the guy “acts like a little girl when he drinks” Another thing he mentioned was that he was a really weird guy that kept to himself a lot. Anyways, just thought those might be a couple of interesting tidbits of info on Garza that you probably haven’t heard….
Tiger is Being Tamed by his Age
Awhile back I wrote that I was hoping Tiger Woods wouldn’t break Jack’s record of 18 total majors won. I’m feeling a little more confident of that semi-prediction after seeing Tiger go 0 for 3 in majors so far this year with some of his favorite courses (Augusta, Pebble, and St. Andrews) lined up for him to win, err, lose. We thought he might be holding all four championship trophies by the end of the year, but now we will probably be surprised if he is even holding one. Will he ever win another major again? Ok, that’s probably a bad question, since I’m sure he’ll win at least a couple more over the next decade, but at St. Andrews we saw him do something he’s never done throughout his entire career; question his abilities. For the first time in over a decade of dominance he changed his putter just before the tournament and opted for a Nike putter over his trusty Scotty Cameron, and then on Sunday, he inexplicably changed back to his old trusty Scotty Cameron. It was like Lebron’s choice to make his decision on national TV. Well thought out, but ultimately a bad idea. Does this mean Tiger is starting to blame his equipment for his deficiencies on the course? Is this a sign that he isn’t confident in his abilities, and is looking for new equipment to make up for it? Nearly every guy on the tour changes their swings and equipment to get better, but we never have heard about Tiger changing his trusty putter that sunk everything within ten feet at every critical moment throughout his career, so I’m thinking he’s starting to doubt himself at least a little for more reasons than just the putter switch. Continue reading
It’s About Time….
Every Night is Asian Night!
There’s two things you’ll find a lot of on Doin Work: stuff about the Golden State Warriors, and stuff about Asians. Naturally, I’ve got to talk about the Warriors newest addition, Jeremy Lin. The W’s signed the D-League sensation today much to the delight of the fans. Obviously the Bay Area is home to plenty of Asians, including Lin himself, who grew up across the Bay in Palo Alto. In numerous interviews on countless local sports channels, Lin admitted that he was hoping he’d get drafted by the team, but all hopes were lost when the Warriors ultimately traded out of the second round in the draft. Fate played its hand though, and the Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer will be donning the blue and gold this season.
It really was a long time coming for a team that could so easily win over THOUSANDS of fans instantly just by adding an Asian. Any team will tell you they’re more concerned with the players on the floor than the number of fans in the seats, but that’s not true. Clearly the W’s weren’t that concerned with fielding a good team, but they always have an entertaining one. Why not add the best Asian you can find? I’ve long felt like the team should make a play for Yao, or more realistically, Yi, just for the excitement factor. I’m not sure how big of a role he’ll play on the team, but he sure will provide some excitement when he’s on the floor. Just check out how these Vegas Summer League fans were reacting to his play….
Is an 18 Game Season Good For the League?
It sounds like the NFL owners are planning on voting in favor of extending the regular season from 16 to 18 games. I can fully see why they’d want to financially, ALL the owners would benefit from the extra home game, and get paid more in TV revenues. Nobody wants to go to the pre-season games, and even less people want to watch them. Cutting them from four to two is a good idea, but personally I don’t want to see them add onto the regular season. Cali4Dre and I debated via e-mail about it today.
Cali4Dre: You going to give a reason why you’re against it? More games means more games to watch on tv with your homies and have a beer. And also more weeks of fantasy football! They would probably take out some of the pre-season games away, and move the season up a week in August, which is better than anything else in August going on in sports.
Chappy: I agree from a fun standpoint it’s a good thing, and I wouldn’t mind the added fantasy weeks and drinking with the homies on Sunday’s as well. The only reason I’m against it, is that every year there are teams that are already in the playoffs, so they sit guys for the last two games. So if they add more games does that mean the best teams will be sitting guys for four games!?! If your team sucks, (like my Raiders have the last few years) you just want the season to be over. All this really does in my eyes is give a few teams an extra shot at making the wild card round… I feel like it’s not going to make things more interesting, but in fact less interesting at the end of the season…
Cali4Dre: All I got to say BOOOOO!!!!! I would think a team that gets off to a crappy start, and hits full stride later in the season might actually WANT those last couple of games to give them a chance to get into the playoffs. How many teams (like the Texans two years in a row, or Pats last year with a 10-6 record) just barely miss the playoffs and really could have proven their worth with two more games? Plus those fantasy players on good teams would still only sit the last two games of the season either way. I don’t see them sitting more than that because they can’t be complacent with anything less than a 4 game lead at that point, which rarely happens, plus you need guys to stay in game shape and not get rusty going into the playoffs. The best teams already get a first week bye…
Chappy: That’s the teams fault for getting off to a crappy start. Hell, four pre-season games should get you plenty prepared, so there’s no real excuse for a team getting off to a slow start. Every year towards the end of the year, I’m over the regular season. I just want to see the playoffs, and won’t want to wait the extra two weeks. It’s cool talking about different playoff scenarios and all at the end of a season, but teams that go 13-0 or 12-1 aren’t going to be fighting for a playoff spot, especially since they’ve probably beaten the other team trailing them once or twice in their own division games, and hold the tie breaker. I think it will take away from a good thing they already have going.
Cali4Dre: You should definitely be watching soccer then…
Chappy: Why is that?
Cali4Dre: Cause it sounds like you get tired of football too quickly, you should watch a real sport like soccer! But I can understand why a Raider fan would be tired of the season already by October!
Chappy: Haha, another thing I was thinking is, would it make games less meaningful? We know players take regular season games off in the NBA and MLB, so would the longer schedule make guys take more games off? We know that sometimes teams just don’t show up, but would that happen more with a longer season? I’m not saying it definitively will, but it’s just another reason I’m somewhat against it…
Side note, I think the Raiders are going to be a lot better this year, and I AM excited about that!
Cali4Dre: I think you need to stop drinking at work!
Chappy: Because I’m making sense, or because I think the Raiders are going to be better?
Cali4Dre: No, I don’t think players will take games off, because NFL contracts are mostly based on incentive pay, less than half is guaranteed money… so it behooves them to play as much as possible and as hard as possible at all times to keep getting snaps and stats.
And YES, definitely thinking the Raiders will be better 🙂
MLB Trade Deadline Actually Makes Sense
My favorite trade deadline in all of sports is baseball’s July deadline. Basketball might be a close second, but baseball is the most interesting for both teams involved in a trade. Pretty much anyone could go anywhere. In basketball, we only see trades that fit within contract constraints hence the creation of the ESPN trade machine. Basketball also has a lot of players that are disgruntled with their current team only to be shipped away for basically nothing, so the talent traded isn’t all that exciting except for the team that gets the big name player. In baseball, we at least see talent traded for talent. You’re either a team building for the future, and stocking the farm system with prospects or you are going to improve your team to compete for a championship that year by sacrificing your farm system. In short, you get trades that actually make sense for both clubs kind of like when your a kid trading baseball cards with a friend. Even if it’s a high risk high reward proposition for all teams involved. Sure we may not know who the AAA guys are that were in the trade off hand, but if you’re a fan of that crappy team that just gave away their star, you instantly have hope for the future, and want to see these guys called up as soon as possible. I doubt the A’s will be wheeling and dealing since they have little to offer other teams. Maybe we can get a couple of project guys for Sheets, but I’m not holding my breath at this point. Here’s a few guys that I think could make an impact on a contending team that sound like they are on the block.
Pitchers – Obviously Cliff Lee was by far the best pitcher on the market, and he was gone before we could even start the rumor mongering about him. After him there isn’t a whole lot of big names out there, but there’s a few impact players that could make a difference.
Dan Haren – It sounds like the D-Backs want more than a kings ransom of prospects for Haren, and it’s doubtful that teams are willing to give that much up to get him, but if someone can pull of a deal to grab him, he’s by far the best pitcher in the market. He usually doesn’t do as well in the 2nd half of the season, but it’s hard to say adding an ace of his status isn’t worth it for anyone seriously contending for a pennant. The Twins desperately need someone of his pedigree. He’s also not a short term fix since he’s locked up through 2012, so it’s a move that could yield more than one playoff run.
Roy Oswalt – It’s tough to see a lot of teams wanting to give up a ton of prospects, AND have to pay Oswalt $25M on top of that. Plus, he has a no trade clause that would make things even more tricky, but then again I’m sure you could persuade him to waive that clause if he has a chance at pitching some meaningful games. He made a trade demand, but made his small list of teams that he’d like to go to… Houston might have to send some cash in any deal made.
Joakim Soria – I think the Royals must be riding the short yellow bus thinking they are in the race, but somehow, in spite of their record each year, they seem to think they are. I don’t think they’ll trade away one of their only players worth having on the roster, unless they get some godfather offer from someone. They’d deal Soria five times before Grienke though, or he would be on the list as well.
Ted Lilly, Ricky Nolasco, Jake Westbrook, Edwin Jackson, Kevin Millwood, and Wandy Rodriguez – None of these starters are going to be an ace for teams, but they might be cheaper to get than the other guys mentioned above. I like Lilly and Nolasco the most of the bunch. I don’t see any of them really making a huge impact on teams unless a team like the Yankees needs to grab someone they know can hold down the fort while others get healthy from injuries.
Octavio Dotel, Jason Frasor, Kerry Wood, Brandon Lyon, Kevin Gregg, David Aardsma, and Aaron Heilman – These are all guys you could bolster that bullpen with. Everyone needs some reliable guys that they can call on in a sticky situation. Some of these guys might not be sexy names or guys you’d really be all that excited about if your team traded for them, but they will be invaluable in bridging that gap to the closer.
Hitters – There aren’t a ton of teams looking for hitters, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Giants, Angels, Padres, and possibly the Cardinals try to make a move that would improve their offenses.
Prince Fielder – It’s pretty unlikely any offer they will receive would match what they want for him. He’s as big a name as you could find on the trading block, but it sounds like there’s not many ways he’d actually be traded. It’s more likely he ends up being traded over the off season than the July deadline.
Jayson Werth – The Phillies haven’t given the five tool outfielder a new contract that he was asking for. If they keep playing mediocre ball, and fall behind the Mets and Braves further than they are, don’t be shocked if Werth is moved for the right price. I can’t think of many teams in the hunt that couldn’t use an upgrade in the outfield.
Corey Hart – The more likely player to leave the Brew crew. He’s only moving if they get some pitching in return, it’s just a matter of what teams are willing to give up. The Giants sound intriguing possibly giving up Sanchez or Bumgarner, and Corey would provide Buster Posey some protection or vice versa.
David Dejesus – He’s in the same boat as Soria with a breakout season this year. It would be nice to see him in another uniform playing some meaningful games, but for some reason Kansas City’s front office always thinks it’s still in the race.
Adam Dunn – He’s the big guy that a lot of teams will look at as a rental with a solid track record of performing. I hope he doesn’t don the Angel red in place of injured Kendry Morales, but I wouldn’t be shocked if they did pull out a trade as an answer to division leading Rangers big move in acquiring Cliff Lee.
Everyone else on the Marlins, Blue Jays, Astros, Diamondbacks, Cubs, and Orioles – All of these teams have some interesting players that could help a team out. None are extremely exciting, but are guys that could mildly upgrade a position for a playoff bound team. Should be fun when it gets closer to the deadline!
Heel Turn
I’m sorry, but is there any better way to compare how the “New Big Three” transpired down in Miami, than in this clip right here?
I Can’t Even Defend This One….
I’m the first guy to defend whatever ridiculous hip hop song comes out, usually on account of there being an audience for it. It’s my go to justification. Today I finally saw a video that I got nothin for. I can’t defend it in any way. The closest I came is when I thought many times I’ve wished there were more songs about feelin yourself when you’re getting ready to go to the club…. But I wouldn’t even wanna bump this! I’m real liable to Turn My Swag On, but trust it won’t be my pretty boy swag.
I’m sorry to subject you to this, but my first exposure to Justin Bieber was over on Joy Victory’s blog, and I’ll never forget her for that. So, you may hate me now, but eventually there’ll be a night when you’re wasted at the club, this song comes on, and you start goin stupid. You’ll always remember Doin Work for that one!
The Old Lady Never Showed Her Teeth
This years British Open at St. Andrews was uneventful for the TV viewers. There was very little drama going into Sunday, and watching a two man race isn’t that much fun since it takes so long between golf shots. I was rooting for Paul Casey, but when I flipped on the TV Sunday morning it was pretty much already over. From what I understood it was pretty much over on the 8th hole today. At least with the US Open we had guys close at the top of the board, and choking was more a factor than good play, but nevertheless much more entertaining than the blowout at the old course. With most of the guys we want to see atop the leader board (Tiger, Phil, Daly) already far out of contention all we could hope for was some drama like an epic meltdown, mixed with one of the guys 7-10 strokes back playing out of their mind on Sunday, but that didn’t come close to happening. I’m happy for Louis Oosthuizen (this years champ), but it made me want to head out and enjoy the summer day instead of battling heavy eyelids. There wasn’t really anyone putting real pressure on him during the tourney after day two. I don’t want to discount what the guy did on the course, since he obviously dominated it. At the same time, I can’t help but wonder what would’ve happened if he had less favorable tee times during the first couple of days, and was stuck in the wind that eliminated a lot of the competition. He never really experienced the old lady showing her teeth as Tom Watson would say. I watched a lot on Saturday, but am glad I didn’t waste my day away on Sunday seeing who would win the battle for 2nd place. By the way congrats Lee Westwood on coming in 2nd, you are officially the best golfer to not win a major. Hopefully you don’t hang onto that title as long as Phil did. In my eyes the best part of the tourney was one shot. You’ve probably already seen on the highlights. Miguel Jimenez had an amazing double bogey save on the 17th. The hole was eating everyone alive all week long, and playing a half a stroke over par for the tourney. Although Jimenez couldn’t escape with a par, he did leave us with this creative gem. Thanks Miguel for giving me the off the weeezy shot that I will remember this years open by. Come to think of it, I’ll probably remember this shot more than the winner that everybody had a hard time pronouncing his name!
My Old 1986 Fantasy Baseball Team
I finally checked out Hot Tub Time Machine this weekend…. and while the idea of creating Lougle is a pretty good one, I’d probably opt for dominating the fantasy sports world – after inventing it of course. To that end, I traveled back to ’86 and found my old fantasy baseball roster. My team was stacked….
C -Tony Pena, Pittsburgh. 56 R, 10 HR, 52 RBI, 9 SB, .288 avg
1B – Von Hayes, Philadelphia. 107 R, 19 HR, 98 RBI, 24 SB, .305 avg
2B – Steve Sax, Los Angeles. 91 R, 6 HR, 56 RBI, 40 SB, .330 avg
SS – Cory Snyder, Cleveland. 58 R, 24 HR, 69 RBI, 2 SB, .272 avg
3B – Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia. 97 R, 37 HR, 119 RBI, 1 SB, .290 avg
OF – Tim Raines, Montreal. 91 R, 9 HR, 62 RBI, 70 SB, .334 avg
OF – Kevin Bass, Houston. 83 R, 20 HR, 79 RBI, 22 SB, .311 avg
OF – Eric Davis, Cincinnati. 97 R, 27 HR, 71 RBI, 80 SB, .277 avg
UTIL – Kirby Puckett, Minnesota. 119 R, 31 HR, 96 RBI, 20 SB, .328 avg
BN – Danny Tartabull, Seattle. 76 R, 25 HR, 96 RBI, 4 SB, .270 avg
SP – Charlie Hough, Texas. 17 Wins, 3.79 ERA
SP – Mike Krukow, San Francisco. 20 Wins, 3.05 ERA
SP – Frank Viola, Minnesota. 16 Wins, 4.51 ERA
SP – Curt Young, Oakland. 13 Wins, 3.45 ERA
RP – Dave Righetti, New York. 46 Saves, 2.45 ERA
RP – Tom Henke, Toronto. 27 Saves, 3.35 ERA
BN – Oil Can Boyd, Boston. 16 Wins, 3.78 ERA.
Is It Football Time Yet?
When it boils down to it, I’m basically a two sport guy, Basketball & Football. I do follow my San Francisco Giants, but I could care less what the rest of baseball is doing, and apparently I’m not the only one.
Anyway, I must thank the NBA for setting up a 7 game series between two classic rivals in the Finals. I must thank the 2010 World Cup, which actually opened an eye for me towards soccer. I can honestly say I had never been quite as involved in it until this time around. Hopefully my fair weather fanship doesn’t die down. But most importantly, I must thank the idiots at “Team LeBron” which includes the “Self Proclaimed King” himself, for their decision to make “The Decision.” This led to Miami becoming the “Evil Empire” of Basketball, Dan Gilbert’s now infamous letter in size 14 Comic Sans font, and so on, and so on.
You see, what this all does for me is shortens the time between the end of the NBA season, and the beginning of the NFL season. I was talking to my girlfriend the other night about how I don’t even watch much SportsCenter come this time of the year, because there isn’t a consistent thing for me to care about in the world of sports. Thank god for the show Dexter.
But now Football is coming around the corner and I can’t wait! Why you ask? Well I’m excited for Football every year, but this particular year is more personal for me. It is the return of the San Francisco 49ers to the post season! Now there’s been many instances of us (49ers fans) believing which ever past season we were in, was “the” season. A few years back when we defeated then division power house Seattle Seahawks twice in the same season, we barely missed the Playoffs. We naturally thought the following season would be it for us then. Negative. Last season, we thought for certain “this was it.” One blinded Brett Favre miracle toss and complete melt downs versus Atlanta & Tennessee at home later, and fail.
This season is different. For one, we’ve steadily improved over the past few seasons under Mike Singletary. He’s molded a defensive unit capable of cracking the top five. Two, we have a healthy Frank Gore, a budding star Tight End in Vernon Davis, and Michael Crabtree for a full season. Alex Smith has been more than suspect during the course of his career, but he has all the tools now to make this offense respectable. I have to believe he’ll deliver. Lastly, no more Kurt Warner! I’m sorry Cardinals fans, but Matt Leinart just isn’t it, at least not right now. You lose Warner, and Boldin, and you drop to third in the division. For the 49ers, just focus on your division. The rest will fall into place.
With that said, I am chomping at the bits for the 2010 NFL season to start! Aside from the 49ers, there’s other mysteries that have yet to be answered. Is Peyton Manning & Tom Brady on the decline in their careers? Will T.O. find a home? Who will Chad Ocho Cinco choose in his new reality dating show? These are the good questions only the NFL brings. But, in the mean time, I’m hoping “Team LeBron” and his “Brand” can keep me occupied until then, which for some reason, I have no doubt they will do. I wish I could take my boredom to South Beach …
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