I always find crazy players the most fun to follow, especailly when they aren’t causing problems on my own team(s). Maybe that’s why I’ve followed guys like Milton, Artest, and SJax so closely over their career, because they will provide you some entertainment, and plenty of WTF moments if you watch them enough. Earlier today in a game that’s still going on, Big Z gave up four runs in the first, and was taken out of the game after getting in the face of one of my favorite guys in the league, Derrek Lee (If you’re curious why he’s one of my favorites read this post) and pretty much anyone else that was in the dugout. I’m with the annoucers on this, I’d love to see D Lee and Big Z in the octagon! I had to get something Cubs related up for Dyslecix’s birthday today, too bad it ended up being a lowlight… Don’t be shocked if the video gets taken down… I’ve already talked about how the MLB copywright laws grind my gears…
Things Are Looking Good In Sacramento
The Sacramento Kings have a pretty strong reputation when it comes to drafting. They’ve certainly had more Stojakovics, JWills, Tyrekes, and KMarts than they have Pervises, Abdul-Wahads, and Doubys. Either way, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the entire city, from management to the media to the fans, collectively on the same page. This is the same fan base that booed the selection of Peja Stojakovic in 1996. But this year, at every level, the sentiment was the same: get Cousins. The Kings did that, which wasn’t too much of a surprise due to the predictability of the first five picks, but it was the second round selection that really had fans buzzing. Hassan Whiteside was a lottery pick in many mock drafts, and a first rounder in the rest of them. Somehow, though, he slid all the way to number 33, and suddenly, a risky first round pick turned into a steal in the second round. The Kings have been trying to get bigger for 
years now, and in a matter of a week, they can boast a frontline of Samuel Dalembert, Carl Landry, Jason Thompson, and DeMarcus Cousins. By the end of the night, they have another 7-footer, Whiteside, to add to their depth. Now set at the 4 and 5, there are two glaring holes on the roster: Point Guard and Small Forward. Now, I’m not convinced that Tyreke Evans can’t be a point guard in this league, and you can do worse than Beno Udrih, but the Kings desperately need a true point guard to run the offense. Out on the wing, a trio of Francisco Garcia, Donte Greene, and Omri Casspi is a pretty solid unit, but they need a guy who can consistently put up 15-20 points, rather than having to roll the dice each game trying to figure out which one of these three guys is going to show up that night. But this is all okay with me. Now that the frontcourt is set, the needs are clearer than ever for the franchise. The best part is, there’s plenty of assets, both financially and personnel-wise, for the front office to acquire some quality players to fill those holes. With the much anticipated draft in the books, let’s turn our attention to offseason frenzy that’s about to ensue – one that the Kings aren’t projected to be major players in, but can easily make some significant moves.
NBA Mock Draft Part II
So, MCeezy did a NBA mock draft right after the ping pong balls fell into place a month ago. He may have been less than impressed with the results for our beloved Kings and Warriors since we unsurprisingly fell spots instead of moved up, so we needed to put up another one after cooler heads prevailed. We traded off picks for this mock draft 2.0, and here’s what we came up with.
#1 Washington Wizards – John Wall, SG, Kentucky – No surprise here. Washington isn’t even trying to create any suspense with this pick. Check out Bullets Forever…. it’s like he’s a member of the team already. Not sure how he’ll fit with Arenas, but something tells me Washington management is saying, “Gilbert who?”
#2 Philadelphia 76ers – Derrick Favors, PF, Georgia Tech – Philly passes on Turner, mainly because they couldn’t find anyone to trade out of the spot. If they take Turner they pretty much have to trade him or AI. Not sure which they’d rather have, so they take Favors as the safer more sane big man on the board. He put up numbers with nobody around him, so we will see if he can do the same with nobody around him in the NBA.
#3 New Jersey Nets – Evan Turner, SG, Ohio State – If Chappy, er, the Sixers, decide to go with Favors, then Turner at the third spot is a no brainer. New Jersey is set at the PG and C spot, a luxury most teams would love to have, but they’re still in need of help. They dealt Chris Douglas-Roberts, who was looking like their third best player, for pennies on the dollar, so that leaves a sizeable gap out on the wing. (Sizeable Gap = not to be confused with Yi Jianlian)
#4 Minnesota Timberwolves – Wesley Johnson, SF, Syracuse – Honestly he doesn’t really excite me. I’ve had a few people tell me he’s going to be a great pro, but still find that hard to grasp. Sure he’s an NBA style athlete, but does that really make him worth the number four pick? I say yes, only because I’m channeling my inner David Kahn.
#5 Sacramento Kings – Greg Monroe, PF, Georgetown – Now that Yahoo is reporting it, everyone expects the Kings to go with Cousins at the fifth spot. But the Maloofs would never show their cards before the flop. As much of an upside as Cousins has, I still think Jason Thompson is the power forward of the future in Sacramento. Memories of Vlade Divac and Brad Miller dropping backdoor dimes are too much to ignore to pass up a guy like Monroe. Plus I predicted it in my knee-jerk mock back in May. I know they just got Dalembert, but the Lakers were dominating the boards with Gasol, Bynum, and Odom. Three bigs is the way to go these days.
#6 Golden State Warriors – Demarcus Cousins, PF, Kentucky – If he’s not in shape, he will surely get into shape soon running with the dubs. Needing size is an understatement for them, and if he’s available at six, why not take the 280 pound big man that probably only fell because he’s a headcase. I think the Warriors know plenty about having headcases on their teams (SJax). There is the possibility they might even trade the pick to save a few bucks like they did with their 2nd round pick ($2M in the bank for Cohan). I remember a guy named Charles Barkley that was overweight coming into the league, and he turned out pretty good!
#7 Detroit Pistons – Hassan Whiteside, C, Marshall – Let’s face it, the Pistons are not known for their drafting. Darko Milicic will forever be the Sam Bowie pick of the franchise… and last year’s selection of Austin Daye isn’t doing much to help their case. I know Detroit seems sold on Ed Davis, but I can’t help but think they’ll blow their load on Whiteside to hold down the paint. They’ve got plenty of perimeter scoring, so it seems inevitable they’ll look for a big man here.
#8 Los Angele Clippers – Al-Farouq Aminu, SF, Wake Forrest – The Clippers seem pretty set at most positions, but they do have a hole at the SF spot. I guess picking Aminu means they won’t be going after Lebron, since they now have their newest franchise player.
#9 Utah Jazz – Epke Udoh, PF, Baylor – It’s no secret Utah is looking for a replacement for Boozer, who probably has his Salt Lake home on the market – if it isn’t sold already. Though they have Paul Millsap in tow, Epke Udoh seems too hard to pass up here. What they really need to find is a replacement for Kyle Korver – if they intend to let him walk.
#10 Indiana Pacers – Ed Davis, PF, North Carolina – Lots of potential with Davis. If there was a PG out there that was worth a pick this high, they probably would’ve taken him, but they have so many needs they may as well beef up since Murphy and Hibbert aren’t going to dominate the paint anytime ever.
#11 New Orleans Hornets – Paul George, SF, Fresno State – A lot of “credible sources” have George going to the Clippers. But, now that they’ve passed him up for Aminu, New Orleans has one glaring need, and that’s a slasher out on the wing. Whether or not Paul gets traded, they have plenty of capable PGs. Add to that Okafor, West, and Stojakovic, and there’s only one clear spot to fill.
#12 Memphis Grizzlies – Luke Babbit, SF, Nevada – The Grizz need some scoring. I’m not sure Babbit is the answer, since Hayward and Bradley are still on the board, but Luke has improved a ton over his two years in college. I don’t see why his work ethic wouldn’t translate into success in the NBA, so why not pair him with OJ on the wing.
#13 Toronto Raptors – Cole Alrich, C, Kansas – Aldrich is the guy nobody seeks, but can’t pass up. With Bosh’s departure a foregone conclusion, Toronto will need to get bigger down low. Since “Big Country” has already been taken, the Raptors will call on “Big Plain” out of Kansas to be their cornerstone down low.
#14 Houston Rockets – Gordon Hayward, SF, Butler – As By wrote, he could be the steal of the draft. I honestly don’t see him making quite as big of an impact, but still think he should be a solid player. I see him more as a JJ Reddick type, that comes off the bench to launch a few threes. It will be nice for Brooks to have someone to pass to other than Ariza.
Maggette Shipped Out To the Bucks
Just days after the Warriors traded down in the second round to pick up an extra two million bucks, they decided today was the real day to make some money, errr, not spend some at least. Today they traded away one of Stephen Curry’s favorite teammates to Milwaukee, Corey Maggette. I’m not really thrilled or upset by the move, it’s just something that happened. I just hope one day Corey can achieve his real goal in life out in Milwaukee, and start talking to pigeons. The only reason I don’t like it, is because Curry openly said he leaned on Maggette during his rough first season that saw hundreds of injuries to the team, the Stephen Jackson trade demand fiasco, and Monta saying that they couldn’t play together. In the end, it’s probably better to get rid of a guy that’s very accustomed to losing everywhere he’s gone. I don’t hate Maggs like some Warriors fans do, because I never felt like he wasn’t playing hard (insert SJax comment), and he really only has one move (drive to the right and get a foul called or fling up a wild layup), but he gives you all the effort he has for better or worse.
The Warriors gave the Bucks the 44th pick in Thursdays draft along with Maggette for Charlie Bell and Dan Gradzuric (aka. poo poo platter). I see both of these new additions looking good in the new logoed jerseys, and can look forward to them jumping right into Nellie’s doghouse the same way Vlad Radmovic, Crawford, Harrington, and Randolph seemed to be able to find so easily. It’s not hard to see that this was yet another salary dump that the Warriors have made a habit out of making under it’s current apathetic regime. They will save about $15M contract wise not having to pay Maggette over the next three seasons. I’d probably care a little more, but my attention has been focused more on the painfully slow sale of the team. I can’t even really get excited about the draft since there are supposedly five impact players, and the Warriors are picking out of the lucky sixth spot. Maybe we should listen to By and just take Hayward twenty spots too early tomorrow. I don’t think I can get excited about anything dealing with the Warriors until I see we have a new owner in place though, and at this pace it could take longer than BP oil spill fiasco. All I know is, building for the future isn’t really the plan for the dubs no matter what the PR is pushing, it’s really a situation of who can we dump, and how much can we save so Chris Cohan can whittle down that debt he owes to the IRS…
Hopefully This One Didn’t Get Away
I don’t think I have the vocabulary to set this clip up… I saw it on The Soup a couple of days ago, and couldn’t resist sharing it. It pretty much sums up the people you may or may not run across in Vegas.
Trying to Get Into the World Cup…
I’ve always found it tough to get into soccer, but DO make more of an effort when the World Cup rolls around. Maybe it’s because I haven’t followed soccer at any other point in my life or like MCeezy found, somethings just aren’t for you. Maybe it’s because I didn’t play soccer past the age of 10. Maybe it’s because we bring guys into the MLS like Beckham who are obviously washed up even before making their trip overseas. Whatever the case, I try hard to get excited about watching some of the matches during the World Cup, and this year, I’ve found it harder to get into than years past (maybe because it’s still the first round). I might be missing that roommate who fills out brackets, and is constantly waking me from my slumber to watch two countries I’ve barely even heard of.
I’ve had numerous friends/roommates tell me about the glorious game of soccer is in an attempt to get me more engaged, but it just isn’t happening for some reason. I can understand and appreciate the different types of strategies being used by different countries, and how they are supposed to be effective, but still find myself bored through much of the matches. I feel like you have to watch at least two or three games just to witness one highlight reel goal, or a guy breaking ankles with some moves, or even some great goalie saves. I love the clips that Dyslecix and Cali4Dre send in the e-mail chains, but never see those happen live. Instead, during games I find myself wondering if that was a foul or the player took a page from the Vlade Divac School of Flopping. At least with the NBA, they are scoring every couple times down the court, and you’ll see a few amazing dunks or drives during the game. Speaking of, here’s a funny clip of what the NBA would be like without scoring. With soccer I feel like I can change the channel for twenty or thirty minutes, and when I go back, 80% of the time nothing has really happened. Another thing I’ve found myself hating is the extra time. Why is there only one guy who knows how much extra time there is at the end of a half/game? I find it comical when a team is losing by a couple of goals at the end of a game, and they are just passing the ball back and forth essentially killing the clock, but nobody knows exactly how long that clock will last!
Anyways, I think the major reason I don’t watch is because the U.S. basically sucks at the sport. I’m sure if there was a freakish Lebron type athlete on our team, I’d probably get into it a little more. It’s hard to get excited about our team when it’s considered a great year to make it to the second round or quarterfinals, and if you didn’t know what being a Warriors fan is like, rooting for U.S. soccer might just be a fair comparison expectation wise. They are exciting and watchable, but you know that they aren’t going anywhere. American’s don’t like to root for anything that loses, and until the U.S. makes it to a semi or finals match, we will continue to be apathetic towards the sport.
I’ve watched both of the US matches, we got lucky in one, and robbed in the other. It was rough seeing them lose to a bad call on Friday, and the one problem I have is that EVERYBODY saw that we got screwed, but there’s no way to reconcile it. If everyone concedes that it was in fact a goal, why are we left with a tie when there WAS a decisive winner?!? At least with Jim Joyce we got an explanation and an apology. If this is the beautiful game that the world loves, then we need some way to get it right or at least some words from the man who made the call to be pissed about or forgiven completely! The whole story was as unsettling as the BP oil spill. Another thing that irks me about that game is we now could conceivable get knocked out of the World Cup by the tie breaker of, pulling a name out of a hat. It might be a long shot for that scenario, but if the U.S. gets another draw with a final of let’s say 0-0, and if England gets a draw with a 2-2 score we would have the same amount of goals and points as England. The third and fourth tiebreakers after team points and goals scored would also match up, and we’d be left with pulling a name out of a hat. This has to rate above the blown call that Crowley made on the ridiculous meter. I don’t even think I could’ve made this up! Who the f*** wants a drawing to decide something like this? Bring the two teams out to the field for a shootout, thumb wrestling, paper rock scissors, anything somewhat competitive instead of this! Imagine if there was a tie in the Super Bowl at the end of overtime, and they stopped the game to pick a winner out of a hat. All hell would break loose! I’m actually kind of rooting for that to happen now that I know it’s a possibility! It’s actually possible for it to happen in a couple of groups. Maybe that will be my motivation for watching this week’s games. Let’s go USA, can you play to tie the game!?!
A Moment of Silence For Manute Please
Manute Bol died on Saturday from kidney trouble coupled with a painful skin disease at the very young age of 47. I meant to get a post up about one of my favorite Warriros players growing up when I heard that he passed away, but time just didn’t allow that to happen over the weekend. He played three of his ten seasons for the Dubs, and I’ll always remember the first time I saw Manute play live in Oakland. My uncle took me to a game, and the 7 foot 7 toothpick was the guy that easily caught my 8 year old attention span. Just watching the guy run up and down the court was amazing. I remember his legs reminding me of stilts, and had a hard time figuring out how they supported him. From that point on, I always followed him on the court when watching them play, whether he was bombing an ill-advised three or if he was just roaming along the paint waiting for someone to try to throw up a shot that he could swat into the fifth row. I will always be grateful to him for what he brought to the Warriors, as he was there during the Run TMC days, and that was truly our last golden era in Bay Area basketball.
He was a selfless man on and off the court, and was known rightfully for his shot blocking abilities. Manute was the only player ever to block more shots (3.3) than score points (2.6), which shouldn’t come as a surprise from the NBA’s tallest player ever. Manute has the most blocks per 48 minutes (8.6), and also ranks fourteenth on the all-time block list with 2,086 for his career.
Bol was even more of a man off the court as he helped his home country (Sudan) more than anyone ever had. He donated about $6 million of his earnings to help his impoverished home country. It’s too bad that being on those missions may have been what lead to some of his health problems, but we know that he would be the first to say it was well worth it… His countless missions to the Sudan to helped inspire the unispired, and has shown people that sometimes guys do spend their money on a worthwhile cause! His legacy will live on through the work he did off the court.
Manute was my team logo for fantasy last season, so I guess I’ll have to keep that for another year as a tribute to him, and his greatness as a person!
Where Am I, and What Did I Just Watch???
A Danish Panda? How Fitting!
I’ve been back from China for a week now, and I can’t figure out what happened. Now that the NBA Finals are over, I’ve come to find my sports weekend consisted of soccer and golf. Now I’m not one of those people who talk shit about soccer and golf, but it’s just not for me. I appreciate the game of soccer, and I’ll find my way out on the links every month or two, but watching it on TV for me is the equivalent of popping a couple of Ambien. It just doesn’t do it for me. However, in the last week, I’ve watched three FULL soccer matches, which brings my lifetime total up to, well, three. Much of the credit goes to my screwed up sleeping schedule. The majority of night’s sleep has come to an abrupt stop somewhere between 3 – 4am. I’m actually thankful the World Cup is going on in South Africa right now. Those 4:30am games have been a lifesaver. But then, what’s my excuse for sitting down and watching the entire Cameroon-Denmark game on a Saturday afternoon? That one’s easy though. With the absence of a Chinese team, I’ve got to root for my other ethnicity, the Danish. I watched them lose to the Netherlands in their opening game, and after stumbling out of the gate against Cameroon, I was left texting Tony asking if the Danes were really this bad. Thankfully, right on cue, they scored a goal to tie it up, and then added another to give them the win, and eliminate Cameroon. Apologies to Tophatal. I would’ve actually been rooting for Cameroon had they been playing anyone else. This match was much better the other two I caught. First, the aforementioned Denmark-Netherlands game, and then later in the week, I took in the Argentina manhandling of South Korea. I guess I should be excited about seeing a hat trick, which has to be somewhat of a big deal, since three goals TOTAL in a game seems infrequent. Unfortunately, it came at the expense of an Asian team.
On to golf…. the advent of High Definition television has certainly made golf more appealing to me, but it still only can hold my attention for so long. I’d basically just be checking out the scenery, but not paying attention to who’s doing what. You’d think that’d be the case this weekend, since the US Open was right here in our backyard at Pebble Beach, but I found myself actually following what was going on. Maybe that’s not a good thing, as I found myself rooting for a young fellow named Dustin Johnson, only to watch him completely meltdown en route to a +11 day, surrendering a three stroke lead in the process. Perhaps I got hooked today because the players looked like me on the golf course. I’m pretty sure I could’ve hung in there with Johnson through the first three holes. What’s weird is the A’s were playing their way to a win in St Louis on the other channel, yet I found myself glued to the Open. I’m not sure what’s going on, but I’m ready for the NBA Draft, or the NFL season, something. Anyone know when the UFL season starts? I might be ready to go watch Daunte Culpepper play on the home field of the worst college football program in the history of the NCAA soon.
The Warriors New Logo Unveiled
When Sam Presti hijacked the Supersonics to OKC, he not only hijacked the Sonics but stole the Warriors mascot’s name shortly after settling into OKC and renamed the team after our beloved Thunder. It was just one more reason to hate Presti and OKC (Not sure this grudge will ever go away). I questioned why we still had the same lightning writing on our logo last year, but figured they just didn’t have any better ideas. I guess over the last 18 months they worked on creating a new logo, and alas, we finally had the much needed logo overhaul since Thunder is out of the picture. Perhaps they are trying to boost the team back to their glory days, and remind them that they were actually a great franchise at one time and actually did win a championship. I truly love the new uniforms! I’ve always felt that their throwback jerseys were better than their actual jerseys for the past decade, so it was good to see them go back to their roots. If you want to read up on why they chose the design they did, here the full press release.
Players to Watch For in the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach
I think I’ve been a little too overly excited for the the upcoming US Open at Pebble Beach, mainly because it’s at my former workplace, which is why I started the stories from Pebble Beach series earlier this year. I’ve never seen the course set at an open level, but know that even back when I was working there from 2004-2006 they were continually adding in obstacles and changing tee boxes to make the course tougher for this very event. Hopefully this time around it won’t be a blowout like the 2000 US Open at Pebble where Tiger won by a ridiculous 15 strokes. It sounds like nearly every hole has been changed since Tiger’s dominating US Open, whether it’s an added bunker or trees, a little extra length off the tee, narrowed fairways (they moved many fairways closer to the cliffs), etc. We all know about the length of the rough in the Open, and that will surely cause the players the most grief over this weekend. It sounds like it’s going to be a chilly weekend in the Monterey Penninsula, so hopefully the wind kicks up too making it tougher to shoot low. I’d like to see some 4 or 5 irons being used on the famous 109 yard par 3 7th hole. Here’s a few players that I’ll be looking forward to watching how their weekend unfolds… Continue reading
Even Dr. Phil Has An Opinion On Lebron
In case you missed it last night Jimmy Kimmel had a pretty good little skit where Dr. Phil chimed in some interesting reasons on why Lebron would want to go to a city. I think he was talking about Gloria James on the whole sex thing, but funny nonetheless.
Lakers Vs. Celtics Finals Game 6 Diary
Unfortunately, Mceezy and I weren’t able to watch any of the first five games, because China isn’t all that excited about teams that aren’t from Houston. Now, we found ourselves extra excited about game 6. So we decided it was only fitting to bust out a game diary while watching the game tonight, to take anyone unable to watch through the ups and downs of the game or maybe even give you some extra insights to what went down at Staples Center. Everybody seems to be picking the Lakers tonight, and I hope they are wrong, so I can break out the Celtics hat I bought in 08′ just to piss off co-workers!
Pre-game predictions,
Chappy: Boston wins. Rondo gets ridiculous with a triple double. Pau already has a flight booked to South Africa to watch Spain play tomorrow in the World Cup, Odom ate too many gummy bears, Artest is confused, so Kobe is on his own out there once again…
MCeezy: There hasn’t been a Game 7 in the NBA Finals in five years. The Lakers don’t want to watch Boston celebrate on their floor again – at least until Game 7. LA can’t match the heart and drive of Boston, but Kobe with his back against the wall outweighs the Celtics with a game to burn. The Lakers live to see another day.
9:08 Lakers up 9-6
MCeezy: The Lakers are winning the battle of the most fired up bench.
Chappy: I think both teams look pretty pumped up for this one, should be entertaining!
7:44 12-14 Lakers after an Allen 3 and Kobe 3
Chappy: The Celtics got their only win when Allen was on fire, good sign for the C’s… Fischer complaining about someone flopping!?!
5:58 18-12 Lakers on a run as Perkins gets shaken up
MCeezy: Kobe: More PASSES or Shot Attempts tonight? I’ll bet more shots than passes, in the second half at least.
Chappy: I’d lean toward more shots, but I guess that depends on if anyone is else making them! Perk could be a huge loss if he can’t come back…
1:48 26-18 Lakers
MCeezy: 10 minutes in and the Lakers are clearly the aggressor. C’s just need to keep it within 10-12 at the half and they can grind it out in the second half.
Chappy: I guess my prediction of Artest looking confused is already out the window! Does he think he’s back in Houston?
28-18 End of the 1st quarter Continue reading
Pebble Beach Stories Part IV: The Caddies
I bought this putter while I worked at Pebble. There were only 400 made, and to this day I'm pissed that I sold it away just to double my money. I wish I listened to my buddy Roy, and if you reading this, you were right to keep yours!
I’ve taken a little break from this series, but since I’m on vacation, I figured I should revive the series since it’s not exactly a time sensitive post, an evergreen if you will. Anyways, if you happened to miss the first three parts of this series and are interested in catching up here they are, Pebble Beach Stories Part I, Pebble Beach Stories Part II: Chi Chi Did It First, and Pebble Beach Stories Part III: The Baseball Players.
The caddies at the courses at Pebble Beach Resorts are probably some of the luckiest guys around. You wouldn’t you know that listening to them complain more than a feminist group. Sure, it’s a physically demanding job carrying two bags for 18 holes, but there aren’t many better places to take that walk, and sometimes they get blamed for making the wrong call on a shot, but in the end they get solid pay even before they get their tip. When I was there it was $65 a bag, and usually they’d carry two for a guaranteed $130. They’d get a minimum of a $50 tip, but more times than not, it was between $100-$200. Some of them have returning clients that must either be a nice person to walk with, or they are a baller that is going to want that caddy to hook them up with some things non-golf related.
Sometimes the caddies hook the guys up with, ummm, escort services, yes even the married ones. (Side note, a lot of guys asked me about escort services, and I would either give them the number to call or tell them to ask one of the caddies.) Another reason is sometimes certain caddies are good at getting their players certain drugs, no need to elaborate which ones, it’s irrelevant. I’ve heard some guys actually request a certain caddy, because they liked them the last time, that’s an unimaginable crazy scenario, I know. Some also take a caddy based on their reputation, and that is basically their seniority.
They get to meet all kinds of cool people that are just happy to be there whether they are famous or on a company sponsored trip. One of my good buddies caddied for the CEO of Jack Daniels, he ended up with a nice tip ($400-$500), and delivery a week later that was a box of JD Single Barrel bottles, flasks, cocktail glasses, and other JD swag. I gladly helped him take down some of the premium whiskey! It seems to happen to each caddy every couple months, which is why I think they have it pretty easy.
Seniority reigns supreme in the caddy shack, and it’s weird that the oldest guys are the grumpiest. It was always funny to hear them talk about some of their players, and how they didn’t deserve to play on the course, because they were so bad at golf. It might be half true, but REALLY!?! They just paid $450 for the round each, probably had to stay a night at the resort just to get the tee time ($400-$1,000), and throw in $65 more for a caddy that doesn’t even like them, and they don’t deserve to be there?!? I’ll be the first to admit, there were some spoiled rich bastards that came in, but knowing how much we charge for everything, you just have to suck it up, and be nice. Usually you’ll even get a tip out of it, unless your helping Charles Schwab (the cheapest man in America who never tips with a $60 Million dollar house next to the 18th tee at Pebble).
Another thing about the caddies I found entertaining is when the big tourneys come into town. I got to chill by the driving range and give them range balls. I’d often listen in on them betting on their players within their pairings. They would be betting on everything! They would bet on shots their players took on the range! I remember one time Luke Donald’s caddy was talking to another caddy for the player next to him (can’t remember who), but they were betting on whether or not Luke could fade his shot around a range pole, because that was what he was working on. They were betting $5 a shot on the stupid range warm up shots! I know for a fact that some guys lost all their money they made for the day to another caddy, always funny stuff. This is one reason I’ve always believed Stevie Williams must be more rich than we even think. I bet Tiger makes 9 out of the 10 shots Stevie could bet on!
Best of 3
Big Baby & Nate Dog all fired up! (photo courtesy of cbcsports.ca)
With all the star-power featured in the 2010 NBA Finals, it’s hard to imagine that the championship will be decided by Andrew Bynum and the Celtic’s bench, mainly the “Big Baby” himself, Glen Davis. Game 4 was ugly for the first 36 minutes, but once the final period began, all mayhem broke loose. The Celtics bench unleashed hell on the Lakers, and credit Doc Rivers for leaving them in. One thing I admire about the Celtics, is that they completely embody the word “team.” Three future HOF’s were at the scorer’s table ready to check in, only to be called back when the bench started rolling. Neither of the three had a bit of a problem with it.
None of us expect Davis to play out of his mind like this again this series, especially after his performance during the post-game press conference along with Nate “Dog” Robinson (I think LA might not appreciate it, and will have som
ething to say about it) but it’s safe to assume he will contribute. Especially if Bynum is hobbled, again. Sorry Lakers fans, but Bynum is about as reliable as Lindsay Lohan’s ability to stay off the booze. What’s scary for LA, is the fact that if you look back at every game this series, Allen, Garnett and Pierce have all failed to string together good games at the same time. Yet Boston has somehow pulled off two wins. Including a win in LA in which they were out shot in free-throws some 40-25 (Boston’s final 6-7 when LA were forced to foul). You have to be concerned that they’ll finally get it going, along with an energized bench, it’s going to be tough LA.
On the
other side, if you’re Boston, you have to be concerned that the three days between Games 4 and 5 will be enough to heal Bynum’s knee. If Bynum can be even halfway productive for the remainder of the series, Boston’s chances of winning decreases. Another cause for concern if you’re Boston, Derek Fisher. Fisher’s foul trouble kept him sidelined for most of Game 4, and LA clearly missed his presence down the stretch. What Boston appreciates is when Kobe Bryant gets into that mind state that he has to win it on his own, and they stop going to Gasol. Pau Gasol dominates the post when they go to him, and for the life of me, I can’t understand why LA doesn’t run their offense through him more? He is a willing passer, and he puts the defense at a retreating position every time. And of course Kobe Bryant. Kobe needs to trust his teammates during the course of the game, then take over late ala “The Closer.” When Kobe plays within the rhythm of the game, he is unstoppable.
Oh, and the Lakers bench has to show up.
With all that being said, I must say the officials have had a hand in all the wins, and these NBA Finals have been heavily influenced by bad calls. I’m not one to draw up conspiracy theories, but a Boston/LA rivalry renewed does look good going seven. I’m sure that’s crossed the minds of the higher-ups at the NBA corporation. Just saying.
Enjoy your Friday people!
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