|W|P|Just call me "Bj�rn Sierra Leone".This is somewhere below mindless. But at least I'm not dropping f bombs watching George II
|W|P|Typing in my real name I got Rocco Aruba.Brilliant.
-tootie
Unknown|W|P|Call me Ishmael.Just kidding. Make it Karl Arizona.
Now here's a good one -- type in "Ron Mexico" and see what happens! Try it!!
amr|W|P|My Wife, "B" has the best."Eva Indonesia"
I get "Dante Svalbard."
But hey, I knew where Svlabard is (Artic Ocean, Islands north of Norway, a posession of Norway. City: Longyearben.)
|W|P|You can call me Miguel Cameroon.-Will
Greek House|W|P|I'm Thom Bulgaria.This is the worst link ever. ;)
SBG|W|P|Thom Bulgaria:I wasn't aiming high, here. I hit my mark.
Dante Barbuda
SBG|W|P|Moss that's a whale of a remark. Cheesehead Craig|W|P|Lex Myanmar.If that's not a porn star/secret agent name, nothing is.
Peder|W|P|Erik Kazakzthan.Couldn't sound more like an arms dealer.
Victor|W|P|Krister Togo. Sweet. |W|P|Bruno Malta.Enough said.
Andrew|W|P|Gary Swaziland. I got screwed. SBG|W|P|Andrew: Is that somehow worse than "El Nino South Pole" (using my given name)? |W|P|Big Boy Honduras Unknown|W|P|A couple quick comments (and these are based on hearsay -- if someone can provide correct info, please do):1) Teams may not be allowed to cut injured players (although it may be true that their salary is halved).
2) Players who are on the opening-day roster are guaranteed some minimum or some percentage of their salary...not sure which.
But other than disagreeing on the harshness of the CBA, Moss would favor many of your suggested changes. No headsets, weight limit, DL, etc. Moss would like a 20-yd end zone like in the CFL, too. And get rid of the FG and extra points.
SBG|W|P|Moss:Looked it up.
No termination pay after first game unless the player has four years of service in the league. Can only get termination pay once per career (it is the balance of the salary for that season alone).
In case of termination for injury, gets 50% of salary for that year up to a $250,000 benefit. So if you have a $2,000,000 deal, you get a 12.5% benefit. Nothing for seasons beyond that.
Unknown|W|P|Moss would take a $250k severance package... Victor|W|P|I completely agree with your diagnosis, SBG (I feel as if I have been saying that too much recently - must find points of disagreement in future). As an English ex-pat who grew up playing the real football (you know, where you use your feet instead of your hands) and rugby, I have always loathed the completely coach-centric nature of the NFL.NFL players are obviously tremendous athletes, but they are specialists who do one or two things well and, as you say, they are not required to think. Watching sports that require intelligence as well as a range of physical skills are far more entertaining, I think (hence my appreciation for NBA players, like Steve Nash, the post-baseball MJ, Magic, Bill Russel etc., who won because they out-thought the opposition while sprinting up and down the court).
Unfortunately, I think it is too late for the NFL to reverse course and return to the player-centric game from which it evolved and I don't think it would ever want to anyway. It is hamstrung by the rules, which end every play as soon as the ball carrier is tackled or a pass falls incomplete, followed by a 45 second break for each side to reorganize and the coach to call a new play for the players to execute at full speed.
For me, the most entertaining part of a footbal game is the 2-minute drill. If the rules could be changed such that the whole game was being played like that, it would be more interesting and challenging for the players and remove some of the coaches' influence.
A few proposals to that end. First safety:
1) I agree with the weight limit - 300 pounds tops, 275 is probably better.
2) Padding needs to be reduced - as a rugby player, those helmets and hard plastic pads cause more damage than they prevent because they enable defenders to tackle with absolutely no thought for life or limb. Reduce to soft rubber/foam type padding with a maximum density, thickness etc. Not sure what to do about the helmets, I would like to see them go, replaced by rugby style helmets without face masks (see Natalie Portman in Garden State) But I don't knw if this is plausible
3) DL stuff you proposed is fine.
4) Reduce the roster to 40, ostensibly 19 each for offense and defense, plus a kicker and punter - no more special teams because of:
The new game rules:
1) Obviously no more microphones in QB helmets.
2) Once a drive starts, only one substitution permitted between each play (one player on, one player off) for both offense and defense. Multiple substitutions only permitted when the clock is stopped by timeout, out of bounds, or the end of a quarter, NOT an incomplete pass, which no longer stops the clock (this would have the effect of requiring the offense to have to operate as the special team, with the punter or kicker being the one sub (no long snapper!) - very tricky - or requiring QBs to learn how to drop kick out of the shot-gun - what fun!)
3) Reduce play clock to 30 seconds, putting more onus on the QB to call plays and requiring greater fitness levels of all players, (rather than the current 5-10 seconds of play followed by 45 seconds of rest) this would almost mandate the weight limit by itself.
4) Widen the field by ten yards and widen the hash marks by five yards.
I think this would make the entire game more like the 2-minute drill, which is when the players are allowed to play and the coaches just have to watch and discuss tactics between series.
This would be a huge aesthetic shock to the football watching public who like their sanitized and disinfected game and none of it will ever happen; however, I bet the players would enjoy it a hell of a lot more, as would I as a spectator. It would be an entirely more challenging and real sport than the made for TV, hollywood version of football the NFL currently presents. Apologies for the length.
SBG|W|P|Yes, I forgot the limited substitution. I like the wider field and hash marks, too.With reduced rosters, you'll see more 2-way players.
Plus, the clock should not run in the final two minutes unless the offense has moved the ball forward. No more taking a knee!
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|I'll chime in, thanks for asking!I'll go with the weight limit, 300 lbs sounds good, but I think every other week is fine for checking. Guys are not going to gain and drop an excessive amt of weight in that time. They go over 300, they are suspended for 2 weeks, re-weighed at that time, if fail again, 2 more weeks of suspension and so on.
I'd go with a 45 man roster, have a practice squad of 9. Gotta have players in case of injuries.
Like the IR rule.
I know better than to argue contracts with a lawyer.
Oh, and 3 preseason games max. One of the biggest wastes of time out there and a too many injuries happen there. Teams want more work, they are free to schedule scrimmages against other teams.
|W|P|SBG - You will have much more knowledge from the law perspective than a commoner like myself, but how do you think the player's union/Nate Newton types would react to a weight limit? I don't see how such a limit could exist legally. I realize these will probably never happen so are hypothetical points, but I have a hard time seeing how this would be acceptable. Thanks.DiggityDino
SBG|W|P|Something like a weight limit would never happen in Baseball, their union is too strong. But, the players' union in the NFL is very weak. It has to be collectively bargained, agreed upon. It's not a legal issue really, it's whether the players would agree to it. I think that a lot of players would agree to it, if it was presented to them this way: it will prolong careers and have a positive effect on your health. A lot of big guys are already concerned about carrying too much weight.If I were actually going to try to implement this, I'd do something like setting the weight limit at 350 or something and drop it 25 pounds a year until it was at 275. That way, the players' could lose the weight and stay in the league.
Comedy Club|W|P|I agree with every point except the weight limit. I mean, you have compassion for those who get injured, but what about a 330 lineman who was an all american in high school in college, then suddenly has to lose 55 pounds, most of which is muscle. You made your exception to deviate it somewhat from the horrors of wrestling, but I think with a weight limit these horrors are inevitable.Here's one I haven't heard: eliminating the concept of a "pocket" altogether as far as inetentional grounding reasons? What is so damn special about the edge of the field that allows one to chuck it into the stands there that they cant do in the middle of the field? This would certainly increase the number of interceptions, which is arguably the most excting play in football. Just a thought.
SBG|W|P|I don't know where you go to high school, but I didn't know any high school kids that were 300 pounds of solid muscle.Perhaps that's the case now, but how are they getting that big?
If the NFL had a weight limit, there'd be no 300 lb. solid muscle kids playing in high school. Or college.
|W|P|"2) Padding needs to be reduced - as a rugby player, those helmets and hard plastic pads cause more damage than they prevent because they enable defenders to tackle with absolutely no thought for life or limb. Reduce to soft rubber/foam type padding with a maximum density, thickness etc. Not sure what to do about the helmets, I would like to see them go, replaced by rugby style helmets without face masks (see Natalie Portman in Garden State) But I don't knw if this is plausible"The problem is that if one changed the equipment overnight, the players' mindset in the game woulnd't change with it, and we'd have 2-3 years with a catastrophic injury rate.
-tootie
Unknown|W|P|TJ, the out-of-pocket exception to intentional grounding exists only to protect the QB. Just like many of the rules. Ideally there wouldn't be any special rules like that, but with today's game there is a perceived or real need to have rules to protect the QB from injury. Greek House|W|P|250 is way too light, especially for the taller guys.Some people who weigh more than 250:
Daunte Culpepper
Jim Kleinsaucer
Wally Szczerbiak
Shawn Bradley
Greek House|W|P|Also, as a former rugby player myself, I agree about the padding. How many times do you see a player get injured because he leads with his head. Now if you're not wearing a big ass plastic helmet, who's gonna do that? It would be suicidal.I don't think the NFL would ever do it though. All the equipment makes them look like warriors and the fans love that.
Victor|W|P|Tootie: re reducing padding:I disagree that there would be two or three years of catastrophic injuries. Players are not idiots, you take their helmet off, and they will tackle with their shoulders and arms, not their heads, frankly, the way they should tackle now. If you actually watch most middle linebackers tackle, they do it properly - hitting with a shoulder and wrapping the arms - its the safeties and cornerbacks and hot-dogs (Lavarr Arrington, I'm looking at you) who fly around like head-hunters or knee-hunters.
Have you ever played a pick-up game of contact football with a bunch of guys? People can hit, block, tackle without all that padding and still not get hurt. They don't need to learn how to play without paddding, they instinctively know.
If you watch a professional rugby game on TV you will see those guys hit just as hard, they just do it with far more control and intelligence about how they expose their own bodies to the impact - plus there are rules about dangerous hits (you must wrap, no tackling above the shoulders). I think any fool knows how to take a hit, brace for a blow and turn their body to protect the fragile areas, particularaly the head - its hard-wired into us to an extent.
Unknown|W|P|>Players are not idiots<That's a bold statement, tootie.
|W|P|I'm talking about something I don't know much about, but I never let that stop me before. It just seems like there must be some way to make a helmet that is equally protective but can't be used as a weapon. With all the scientific knowledge at our disposal, and some good old American know-how, can't someone invent a helmet that would protect the head but be made out of a softer material so that it won't hurt someone else?Maybe I'm wrong, but it just seems like if the NFL really went to work on this, it could come up with something.
Unknown|W|P|Jeff A, Actually it could be possible, by using a material that has the right "rheology." There are materials, for instance, that get more stiff when an instantaneous pressure is applied, but are supple when a gentle force is applied. Moss believes the term is "thixotropic" but not 100% sure. There are kid's slimes that have that property, for example.
(PS -- Moss was a chemist in a former life.)
Unknown|W|P|Is Pete Munro any relation to Twins great Pedro Munoz? Unknown|W|P|Raines Jr. and his .213/.263/.281 line are scintillating. Sierra's last 30-HR season and the Twins' last one were coincidental, in 1987. Moss thought he was better than he was. He basically was never any better as a hitter than Torii. But he has done it for 20 years.
Then, there was Marcus Banks.Five rows back, around midcourt, a fan raised a sign that read: ''Blount for MVP." Nobody at the Target Center found the message ridiculous, not after what Mark Blount showed his new hometown crowd.
He was engaged in every play, passionate, aggressive. He was the player Celtics executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge thought he signed in the summer of 2004 to what then seemed a reasonable six-year, $38 million contract.
Summarizing, then:It seemed Banks had been waiting for a moment like this since long before the trade, perhaps since the day last fall when Ainge decided not to exercise his fourth-year option, or perhaps even back to summer 2004, when he was dealt to the Lakers, then brought back when the deal was restructured. Whatever the case, Banks had a lot to prove and he used all of his 21 minutes on the court to do it. He slashed to the basket for 3-point plays. He hit 3-pointers. He found teammates new and old for big baskets, helping the Timberwolves stretch a 2-point lead at the end of the first quarter to a 61-42 halftime advantage.
[snip]
When it was suggested that Minnesota might have considered him a throw-in player in the deal, Banks said, "I'm pretty sure they knew what they were doing when they got me. "I really wanted to show them what I can do. Me and [Delonte] West and [Orien] Greene are pretty good friends, but my game is totally different from theirs. Basically, I got the best of them tonight."
Hopefully, this performance was more than a one night show up of their former team. Because, if it is more than that, it could be the thing that saves this team from ruin. After countless transactions and decisions gone bad, it'd be nice if we performed a heist on someone. No one better to do it against than the C's [because the Lakers don't have anyone].|W|P|113871551422649710|W|P|Boston Reaction|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.comEmotion aside, it was clear that, for now in the post-trade aftermath, the Wolves� increased athleticism is a better fit than the Celtics� improved complement to Paul Pierce and additional playing time for their young insiders. In short, Marcus Banks, Ricky Davis, Mark Blount and Justin Reed scored a transactional knockout over Wally Szczerbiak and Michael Olowokandi. In his first game with Minnesota, Banks scored 20 points in 21 minutes against the team he said didn�t give him a fair chance. He shook hands with Rivers when it was over, then offered this punctuation at he shook hands with broadcasters and reporters at the press table: �That�s right. That�s right.�
[snip]
�I wish we had competed a little more,� [Celtics' Coach Doc] Rivers said. �I think if we would have competed it would have been a different game. But I can tell you that their performance didn�t sway me at all with the trade. I think the trade was a tremendous trade for us, and hopefully, a good trade for them. You know, one thing about Mark and all of them: I hope they do well. I just didn�t want them to do well against us.�
Added [Paul] Pierce, �It doesn�t change my mind. You don�t have any doubts. It�s too late to look back. We caught a team on an emotional high on a back-to-back and, no excuses, but they did what they had to do.�
|W|P|Last night was nice but the bottom line was we beat the snot of a team we were supposed to beat the snot out of. I'm concerned that Blount only plays well when properly motivated... and we're just seeing the motivated side right now.But, yes, they have been playing better and maybe Banks can take some minutes from Hudson and Jaric, etc.
|W|P|What's Banks' contract status? This is his third season -- do we still have a team option on him for next year? SBG|W|P|I believe that the Celtics declined his option, making him a FA. Not sure on that. Victor|W|P|I believe you are right, SBG. Boston declined the option on Banks and he is an unrestricted FA this summer.| PLAYER | MIN | PTS | TS% | REB/40 | A/40 | PTS/40 |
| Trenton Hassell | 29 | 12 | 66.7 | 2.76 | 1.38 | 16.55 |
| Kevin Garnett | 31 | 15 | 71.3 | 11.61 | 1.29 | 19.35 |
| Eddie Griffin | 20 | 12 | 66.7 | 14.00 | 0.00 | 24.00 |
| Ricky Davis | 32 | 9 | 45.5 | 6.25 | 6.25 | 11.25 |
| Marko Jaric | 17 | 4 | 33.3 | 4.71 | 7.06 | 9.41 |
| Mark Blount | 28 | 16 | 62.7 | 14.29 | 2.86 | 22.86 |
| Troy Hudson | 9 | 3 | 75.0 | 0.00 | 13.33 | 13.33 |
| Justin Reed | 18 | 9 | 67.8 | 0.00 | 2.22 | 20.00 |
| Rashad McCants | 16 | 10 | 71.4 | 5.00 | 0.00 | 25.00 |
| Mark Madsen | 17 | 0 | 0.0 | 11.76 | 2.35 | 0.00 |
| Marcus Banks | 21 | 20 | 83.6 | 1.90 | 11.43 | 38.10 |
| Totals | 110 | 64.9 |
Greek House|W|P|I'm liking the trade right now. Sometimes players can become stagnant in an enviornment and a change of teams can often help. Whether or not they can maintain this level of play is still up in the air. The good news is that these guys were really fun to watch! They're so fast and there was so much energy on the court, I didn't even notice that KG had been sitting out the entire 4th quarter until the announcers pointed it out near the end of the game.
Nick N.|W|P|Yeah, the Gophers also blew out Indiana this weekend. Stuff like this happens.I'm still not at all sold. The Celtics are a really bad team, even worse after the trade. I'm glad the Wolves can blow them out, but I'm going to need to see a reasonable effort against a good team before I'll believe they're anything more than mediocre.
And yes, Marcus Banks looks good. Fittingly, I have heard whispers that the Wolves are shopping him. McHale will probably deal him for a second round pick, with which we can draft Adam Boone.
SBG|W|P|True enough, it can change. But, for three games at least they've looked so much better. I mean they couldn't beat anyone before the trade.They were talking about it last night -- the fact that the Wolves were thinking of trading Banks. Hopefully, not!
I'm not completely sold, either. But, there's hope. Finally, some hope. It's been a long cold lonely winter. In fact, it feels like years since it's been here.
Victor|W|P|I did not see the game, but Banks clearly has talent - apparently Boston did not trust him to manage a game as the PG, which surely is something one can learn, especially if given the opportunity and confidence of the coach. McHale should shop Thud or Jaric instead of Banks, preferably Thud.I don't have any confidence that Blount will continue to play at this level, he was just up for the Boston game. But we know what he is - a jump-shooting center - think of Brad Miller without the passing ability, and that is not so bad and certainly better than Kandi.
If the Wolves can move Thud's contract for something serviceable, the Wolves may suddenly have a future. Hopefully this trade will turn out to be the start of something, but I am not so optimistic yet.
|W|P|SBG, I did not see Wally try to give the Wolves high-fives after he was fouled. It just tickles me to hear it though! Good game last night. I was stunned. I've always thought this trade was good, but if they can remain consistent the Wolves look awesome.
In closing, it appears we got a first round pick in Banks. Hopefully we'll feel the same way we do now in a couple of years when our first round pick is missing.
|W|P|Strangely I remember when I heard Chris Farley was found dead. I was in my car waiting at a traffic light on 41st and Western in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I remember telling the passenger (don't remember who) that I probably wouldn't forget the moment anytime soon.9/11 I was at work and my wife was calling me every few minutes. Eventually a bunch of us wandered down to a nearby fitness center to watch things unfold on TV. I never saw any of it live - just heard my wife's gasps
|W|P|Unfortunately, as a nine year old, I feel asleep during the middle innings of Game 7 1991 (too many extra inning games!!!) and was told the story by my parents when they returned from the Dome later that night.I was definitely at my cousin's apartment in Omaha when the Jeffrey Dahmer stuff broke and that was quite confusing for me.
I watched the Challenger explosion live as a 4 year-old and stopped playing with my kick-ass Space Shuttle toy for awhile.
I watched the second tower get hit in the student union building (where I now work) before going to class, the actions had yet to sink in and register in my brain. The Pentagon was hit while I was in class only three miles away and when I walked out on the street it was fairly chaotic and I could see smoke off in the distance. I spent the rest of the day reassuring my fiancee and using AIM to get in touch with my family (the DC phone lines were all dead).
-Will
Unknown|W|P|Moss was very young but remembers watching Hubert Humphrey's funeral. He was from a town about 7 miles from Moss' hometown. Much later, Moss' brother Mike worked at a treatment center which is located in the old Humphrey house. His office was the bedroom where Hubert Humphrey passed.
Moss has memories of many of SBG's items, but in particular the 1987 World Championship. Moss was one row off the field in CF at the time.
|W|P|Hey SBG, we have some more stuff in common. I was in Moorhead for game seven of the '91 series. After the Twins won, my friends and I ran up and down 8th street in celebration. If you were there too, you might have been the one that threw beer on me and my best friend Curt. It was a special evening.And as you know, the Gulf War started on my birthday too. Except, it was my 18th birthday which made the start to this war a little more real to me. I asked my parents for a sand-proof Walkman because I was sure I was going. It was a scary time.
And who can forget where they were for 9/11? I was in the car on my way to work.
Thought provoking piece, SBG. Very thought provoking.
SBG|W|P|No beer was thrown by me.Some other moments I thought about when making the list: Elvis' death, John Belushi's death, the 2000 election.
Comedy Club|W|P|10. Probably Sleeping9. No clue
8. Never heard of him so I assumer I was either not-born or too young
7. Not born
6. Well I was either un-born or just born
5. 2 years non-existent =(
4. Yep, still didn't exist
3. Nope
2. Don't know.
1. 7th grade social studies class
I feel almost culturally illiterate
Badger Backer|W|P|The one thing I'd add to your list from my lifetime was Paul Wellstone's plane crash. As a liberal high school kid growing up in Minnesota he was pretty much the closest thing to a political idol I had. From college in Wisconsin I'd signed up for absentee balloting just so I could vote for him. When I heard that he died it was like I was punched in the gut.I popped in a campaign DVD I had got just a couple weeks ago at the State Fair from his booth, and I honestly had to stop watching because I couldn't take it anymore.
The big problem was that it wasn't so much a loss of even a person but of the idea that idealistic people driven by their own conscience could get elected and make a difference in government. I really still think that there will never be such an honest senator as Paul Wellstone.
|W|P|Lennon, heard it straight from Cosell's mouth.I remember all the Watergate testimony in 1973, but I don't think they were impeachment proceedings, which would have been in 1974, anyway, had they occurred.
Driving home from grad school/work when I discover the TC had a sports talk show--Hartman and Barreiro. That didn't stand out so much, but the topic did. Magic was HIV positive.
All excited about the NCAA championship, I was in my HS locker room when I heard Reagan was shot. The curse of the election year ending in 0, that was my first thought.
Watched the last Cheers episode (1993) in a hotel room in SF, the last MASH episode (1983) in a crowded St. Olaf TV room, the first moon walk at home as a six year old. I remember when the six day war started in 1973 (it was a Saturday), and I remember when the Olympics the year before were interrupted and Israelis were massacred (I think that, too, was a Saturday, although it's possible I just didn't hear about it until that Saturday).
I curled in the fetal position in an Ames, IA living room in Oct. 1987 and again in a Metrodome section 231 seat in Oct. 1991.
I was in my car, parked in my garage in Ames, trying to hear the scratchy transmission of Ray Christenson as Chip Lohmiller (a high school friend) kicked the game-winning field goal to beat Michigan.
I stayed on campus at St. Olaf that senior year Thanksgiving break 1984 and decided that Friday afternoon to watch whatever football game was on in the dorm lounge. It was Boston College/Miami.
I was at my future stepfather's apartment in October 1975 when Carlton Fisk's arms stretched into the air. And I was at home when Bucky Dent hit a pop up to left field.
I was in New York when Bo Kimble switched the ball to his left hand and shot that first free throw. I think he hit all three he took in honor of Hank.
I remember George Wallace being shot in 1972, and I remember it not seeming that weird because lots of people had been dying lately: MLK, Bobby K, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison. Speaking of Wallace, my earliest TV memory was the Humphrey/Nixon/Wallace debate where I said to my mother, "I shook Humphrey's hand last year (at her college graduation when he was VP)." She knew that already.
I remember the night in 1976 when my hero and cousin Ron Angell scored 53 points for Mason City high school, a record that still stands. Moved away three months later.
I remember all the angst a seven yr old could have as his Vikings were futile against the Chiefs, and I remember watching it again on a replay months later. Sort of an ESPN Classic moment before there was one.
I remember Jerry West hitting a 3/4 court shot to send a 1970 NBA finals game into overtime. Where was the three-pointer then? It may actually have been a replay, as the games weren't always shown live back then.
SBG|W|P|Badger Backer: Paul Wellstone -- yeah, I remember where I was, but I honestly had forgotten that. I was out to lunch with some lawyers at my firm, they were recruiting me. We were laughing and joking as we got in the car and the radio was on and told the news. Stunned silence. That was extremely tough to take.Anon --
Great stuff!
Impeachment proceedings is the wrong term -- impeachment hearings is more correct, I believe. There was no vote on articles of impeachment in the House, Nixon resigned before it happened.
You are a couple of years older than me, I think. What an excellent list. Bo Kimble. Jerry West -- I vaguely remember that. That's right, it was the NCAA championship the night Reagan got shot.
TJ -- You are just young. When you are an old fart like me, you'll have a list like this. Jeffrey Dahmer was from Milwaukee (hence the relevance of playing Milwaukee) and he was arrested in the summer of 1991. He was a mass murderer who ate his victims. I never realized that that was 15 years ago.
I'm just learning the plays and everything and having fun out there. We came up short and have lost a lot of close games. I felt great. My teammates and coaches are making things really easy.WE have lost a lot of close games? Wally, you have played on this team 2 games! This is your first loss! WE doesn't include YOU! Wally suffers from the same PR disease that inflicts A-Rod, I think. Since I'm an A-Rod backer even as I recognize that he should just shut up sometimes, I can't really get on Wally's case, especially since he really does play hard.|W|P|113859010266690649|W|P|Wally World Continues|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
Victor|W|P|Unrelated basketball thoughts, SBG. Having mulled over the trade, I think that there needs to be a follow up trade to remake the Wolves that is more forward looking. Let's face it, they are not going to win anything this year.So in thinking about changing the roster for future success with the limited tradeable assets, I obviously thought of Isiah Thomas, who should be every other GM's target to fleece in a trade. I actually came up with a trade scenario that seems to me to make sense for both teams and does not look lopsided to me. It is this: Hassel & Thud for Ariza & Mo Taylor.
For the Knicks, Isiah seems unconcerned with the Salary Cap (not that the Wolves will get any cap relief until after the 2007 season) and Hassel solves Larry Brown's SF problem. Thud gives the Knicks PG depth, sort of. Taylor and Ariza are both languishing on the bench in LB's doghouse, so will not be missed.
For the Wolves, they rid themsleves of Thud's horrible contract. Taylor is vastly overpaid, but only for one more season after this one, and would actually give the Wolves some potential frontcourt scoring off the bench. I think Hassel has been playing very well this season (and is only slightly overpaid for his work) and would be sad to see him go, but Ariza could replace him reasonably well and would greatly improve the Wolves athleticism.
This would be the main point of the trade, remaking the Wolves into a much younger and more athletic team for the future, with Ricky, Ariza, and McCants on the wings.
I think the Wolves should make this trade, if possible - would the Knicks? Would Isiah?
The Zoner|W|P|If you are renting a modem from Comcast it's beneficial for you to go on eBay and get one for $10-$30. You could quit paying the rental fee. That's what I did.Your friendly neighborhood Zoner.
SBG|W|P|Thanks, Zoner. I've contemplated that, but I'm going to wait and see what happens here. I got the distinct impression that some modems are habitually faulty from the technician, so I'll have to be careful to buy a decent one. amr|W|P|So,How was everything tasting?
|W|P|Good luck. I enjoy cooking and try to do a few meals a week. Though most are not extravagent, it gets us trying new things. I always worry about cooking expensive items because if I eff them up I'm going to be really pissed - there's no one to complain to but myself. Unknown|W|P|Nice work, amr!!Moss has been able to cook more lately, much to his delight. In the last week, Moss has prepared a curry dish, a fish dish, a pasta dish, and a soup. Roast turkey is on the menu for the upcoming week, among other things.
SBG|W|P|amr --The napkin wasn't much, but the placemat had some flavor, which lead me to believe that I'd unwittingly spilled some soup on it at an earlier date.
Good one!
Obviously, the calls are a lot different. The sets are very similar, because every team runs the same sets, but the options are just much more abundant on this team. We make a lot more reads and play a lot more freely. I've been in a system where we were running a lot of execution plays every time down the floor. Plays called for this guy, that guy gets the shot. Plays called for that guy, he gets the shot. It's going to be fun. I'm looking forward to it. It's a totally new page.Really. The Wolves run set plays for a given player and that's it. And KG only gets 15 shots a night. If this is true, then I say fire Dwane Casey. I have a sneaking suspicion, though, that Wally is talking shit. Wally likes to put a positive spin on everything in the paper, which is fine. His spin here is that Boston runs a much more free-wheeling offense. More Wally:
A big part of my game is trying to get close to the basket. Everyone says I'm a shooter, but I like to post up. I like to get high-percentage shots. You've got to get layups in order to shoot a high percentage.I may have a faulty memory, but I absolutely cannot remember Wally Szczerbiak ever posting up. Ever. Either he's dreaming, I'm not paying attention, or that is a shot back at the Wolves. Now here's a pretty picture for you to contemplate.
Comedy Club|W|P|The problem with Wally is not doing what he's good at. I'm not sure if it's ego or ignorance or just stupidity, but for him to claim that he wants to do something other than catching and shooting should send shiver's down Boston spines. SBG|W|P|Ricky Davis is a superior player to Wally Szczerbiak. He's quick, he plays a nice post up game. He goes to the basket.McCants is not having the game he had last night, that's for sure.
SBG|W|P|Blount has 10X the offense game that Olowokandi has. Plus he's rebounding. SBG|W|P|I would agree. That was their best performance in quite a while.I'm a little puzzled about all of the pre-trade talk about Blount. It's one game, but he was so active plus he has an offensive game. Nice shot, slick moves at the basket, plus he made a nice tip in and did a good job rebounding.
The Manu flop was ridiculous and I agree on the call against Ricky offensively. The Wolves got victimized there a little. But, you are also right that Jaric can't play. He's a backup.
Davis had some frustrations with some shots that didn't go in, but he was so athletic and active. Plus, he can get the ball in the post and absolutely abuse his man.
These guys have injected some life into this team. KG was very good. At the start of the fourth he was getting the ball in the paint and scoring or getting fouled. But then, they went away from him again.
The game was a lot closer than the final score.
|W|P|I'm glad to hear that Davis and Blount look as though they are panning out. Obviously, it's too early to call the trade a clear win for the T-wolves, but I still think McHale fleeced Ainge.Re: Jaric. Somebody refresh my memory. I thought that part of the story was that Sam I Am was old and fragile, and in need of a new contract in short order. McHale and Taylor didn't want to commit big bucks to a guy likely to break down as he approached retirement age (he's 36 and played only 59 games last year; the cliff usually is steep for guards and small forwards).
Jaric looked like a big point guard with decent shooting range and quick hands (career 1.6 steals/g avg, compared to only 1.1 for Cassell). Injuries had delayed his development (career high of 66 games in 02-03), which of course doesn't really sell him very well as a replacement for an allegedly breaking down Cassell. But the hope was upside.
He has performed right in line with his career numbers this year: 42 pct from the field, 32 pct from 3s, 1.6 steals, 3.5 reb, 5.1 assists and 10.1 pts in 33+ minutes. He hasn't shown much upside, while he apparently has proven beyond a doubt his lack of footspeed.
I suppose McHale could be as guilty as any fan of unwarranted optimism regarding Jaric's development. But it is hard to be overly disappointed in his actual contribution so far. He is who he is. A solid contributor with significant holes in his game (mediocre shooting, lack of footspeed).
Does he have a postup game or the strength to suggest he could develop one?
SBG|W|P|With his size, you would think that Jaric could post up. The Wolves haven't been running any plays for him in a post up situation. But, the fact is, they don't need Jaric to post up. They've got KG, Davis, Hassell and Blount to post up.Jaric looks like he doesn't fit. Perhaps there will be another deal with Jaric in it.
Then again, that was before Sunday afternoon's postgame tongue-lashing by Kevin McHale. According to a source who got it straight from a Minnesota player, the Celtics' Hall of Famer and T'wolves VP of basketball operations barged into rookie coach Dwane Casey's locker room and barbecued the whole bunch for Heimliching a 19-point, late-third-quarter lead on national TV to the 76ers. "McHale was real mad," said the hearing aide. "He jumped on the team for not finishing strong, for not being aggressive and for playing scared. He accused the team of playing not-to-lose instead of playing to win." The wallop of McHale's expletive-deleted tirade was reserved for Garnett, at least that's the feeling he got. So he responded correspondingly. Already frazzled and frustrated by the ghastly loss and 13-point output on 5-for-15 inaccuracy (his lowest since New Year's night in Miami) and dismal production in the fourth quadrant, the last straw was a scolding. "I ain't [bleeping] playin' scared," Garnett stormed. "I ain't [bleeping] playin' to lose. I ain't [bleeping] puttin' my head down. I'm [bleeping] tryin' as hard as I can every night." Earlier this season, Garnett called out McHale on TNT for doing a poor reconstruction job of the roster - trading Sam Cassell to my Paper Clips for Marko Jaric really bugged him out. This time, Garnett reputedly called him out in front of the team, telling him coarsely what course of action he could take right then and there. A T'wolves source denies this happened, or at least didn't hear it himself. He also denies that Garnett subsequently put an exclamation point on his defiance. The soul of his disputed message: "If you don't like how I'm playing, get me the [bleep] out of here, trade my [bleep]."If you remember, Flip Saunders, when talking about Joe Dumars, the VP of basketball for the Pistons, said that Dumars stays out of the lockerroom. When I heard that, I thought he was talking about McHale's actions when Flip was the coach. You wonder, though, if it wasn't at least in part a reference to McHale's blowup after the Philly game. Vescey is a sensationalist but you wonder, (a) if it happened, and (b) why, if true, stuff like this doesn't show up in the Minnesota paper.|W|P|113848176417656464|W|P|Peter Vescey on KG/McHale Cat Fight|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
Comedy Club|W|P|It seems possible enough to me. How in the world does McHale single out Garnett as the guy who is playing scared/not trying? Unknown|W|P|English class. Moss' team had a basketball game that evening, but it was hard to focus. |W|P|"Go with throttle up" That sends a chill. I was sitting in a cube programming. |W|P|I was in, oh, 4th grade. So I remember watching a bit at school, then getting sent home early. I was really bothered by a couple kids who were really "happy" that a teacher died on the shuttle. |W|P|2nd grade. We didn't find out until we got home an dmy mom told us. Spent the rest of the day watching the news (Peter Jennings? Regardless, this was pre-cable-news-story-of-the-week time). I was a 2nd grade boy so along with liking dinsoaurs and wanting to be a baseball player, I wanted to be an astronaut too (took a terrible turn somewhere and ended up in law school)... it really was to some extent an end of innocence. And along with September 11th, one of the few 'where were you' moments of my lifetime.
BW|W|P|I was actually sick that day, stayed home from school, and watched it happen live. Very surreal. Along with the assassination attempt on President Reagan it was a significant event in my childhood. |W|P|Oh, and I need to add. Feel guilty now, but one of the main things I remember was walking down to my basement and realizing He-Man wasn't going to be on that afternoon.| MIN | PTS | TS% | REB/40 | A/40 | PTS/40 | |
| Trenton Hassell | 44 | 10 | 50.6 | 5.5 | 0.9 | 9.1 |
| Kevin Garnett | 41 | 26 | 63.5 | 11.7 | 2.9 | 25.4 |
| Eddie Griffin | 20 | 4 | 20.2 | 12.0 | 0.0 | 8.0 |
| Ricky Davis | 36 | 26 | 64.4 | 6.7 | 3.3 | 28.9 |
| Marko Jaric | 13 | 0 | 0.0 | 9.2 | 3.1 | 0.0 |
| Troy Hudson | 21 | 2 | 20.0 | 5.7 | 9.5 | 3.8 |
| Mark Blount | 24 | 4 | 66.7 | 6.7 | 0.0 | 6.7 |
| Mark Madsen | 10 | 2 | 100.0 | 16.0 | 0.0 | 8.0 |
| Rashad McCants | 17 | 18 | 90.0 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 42.4 |
| Anthony Carter | 15 | 4 | 113.6 | 2.7 | 13.3 | 10.7 |
Greek House|W|P|I'm willing to give the Wolves a pass for blowing that 15 point lead last night. First of all, they still did manage to win the game. Secondly, they had two guys who have been on the team for less than 24 hours playing significant minutes. Frankly, I'm surprised we didn't have at least 20 TOs in that game.Had this game happened a week from now, I'd be a little more pissed about blowing the huge lead. As it is, I think it was a very good first effort.
Unknown|W|P|Wilt Chamberlain? Just kidding...Phil Jackson? Shaquille O'Neal? Troy Hudson?
|W|P|Walton? I forget.-tootie
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|Stephen A. Smith |W|P|I was thinking Steven A Smith also, my second guess is Shaq, third guess is Lamar, and my fouth guess is everyone not already listed. SBG|W|P|That quote can only come out of one mouth.The master of understatement, Bill Walton.
McHale can keep this job as long as he wants it. He is my man. He is the guy who is running the team. I don't have any problem with the way he is running it.Sid on K-Mac:
After making one of the worst trades in franchise history Thursday -- acquiring Ricky Davis, Mark Blount, Justin Reed, Marcus Banks and two conditional second-round picks from Boston for Wally Szczerbiak, Michael Olowokandi, Dwayne Jones and a future first-rounder McHale's job could be in serious jeopardy at the end of the season if the deal doesn't work out.|W|P|113839025981665583|W|P|Grandpa Weighs In|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
|W|P|If Taylor is serious, I may stop rooting for the Wolves simply because if they keep McHale it's obvious that they aren't even going to bother trying to put together a winning team.Ugh.
-tootie
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|Sid should be happy, the Wolves got players whose names are easier to spell. That should please someone of his age and mental capacity. |W|P|I agree.Much of the complaining has centered on the commitment to Blount for the next 3 years instead of the cap room from Olowokandi's expiring deal.
Well, let's look at the big-man FA market for 2006. See http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_13008.shtml
The top two guys on the list are Ben Wallace and Yao Ming. Houston's probably going to max-contract Yao, so Minnesota would have little shot at him. Detroit's going to give big money to Wallace as well. That would be a tough catch.
The market then drops considerably, to guys like Przybilla (Portland should fight hard to keep him), Nazr Mohammed (hey, he can't even beat out Rasho!), Lorenzen Wright and Francisco Elson.
I don't see any saviors on that latter list, and I don't see much hope the T-wolves could have gotten Yao or Ben without a substantial sign-and-trade. And Blount has to be a better prospect for a sign-and-trade deal than Kandi.
The 2007 list includes Joe Smith!!! Hey, how about going after him??
Also, Chris Kaman, Chris Mihm, Darko, Drobnjak, Jonathan Bender, Primoz Brezec, Marc Jackson, Jake Tsakalidis and David West. A few interesting guys, but again, I don't really see how Blount stands in the way of a sign-and-trade.
|W|P|I just don't think there is that much difference between Wally-KG and Davis-KG. You still have essentially the same bunch around them, with terrible contracts and no cap maneuverability. And we might have to pin our rebuilding hopes on second-round picks the next few years... SBG|W|P|Spycake, there's no disagreement here regarding the sad state of the roster and the money committed to guys who can't really play.I do think that Davis might be able to invigorate the offense by creating his own shots and Blount has enough offensive game to prevent the packing it in that teams do to KG. I've been advocating running the offense through KG almost every time down the floor. Hopefully Davis can distribute and create offense, relieving some of the burden off of KG.
Victor|W|P|Bill Simmons has some thoughts on the trade and the players McHale took off Danny Ainge's hands - it is not pleasant reading. Naturally he wants to make this look good for Boston, but his first sentence really nails how lopsided this was: "My father was delighted about Thursday night's Celtics trade because he likes any trade where his team gets the best player AND a No. 1 pick." Enough said.http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/blog/index?name=simmons
|W|P|Horrible! Absolutely Horrible! I may even have to write about this for tomorrow! I just don't understand this one at all! Not only do they take on the contract of Blount, but they get two nobodies and a headcase in Ricky Davis! I never understood the team's apparent need to trade Wally. He's an outsider shooter who shoots over 50%. There aren't many guys like that! And yeah, the Wolves give up another 1wst round pick!
This has to be it for McHale! Maybe he'll take a job with his buddy Danny Ainge in Boston!
Horrible!
SethSpeaks.net
|W|P|No, no, no. I'll tell you what was horrible. The Wolves with Wally. That we knew for sure was horrible. Wally had to go. He was not the answer, not the sidekick KG needs.
I'm not saying Wally is a bad player, I hope he does well in Boston. But the Wolves needed a change. I think a 19-21 record makes that obvious.
Is Ricky Davis the answer? Only time will tell. If it doesn't work out, I agree, McHale has to go.
|W|P|This appears not the only move, as the T-Wolves seem to be after second round picks like they're candy. Tskitishvili was sold to the Suns for a second round pick. I'm not too familiar with NBA roster rules, but I'm guessing this has to do with roster space, since (by my Minnesota math) the Wolves are getting 1 more player from Boston than they are giving up.The thing that worries me about Davis isn't his status as a head-case--it's his (in?)ability to create shots for his teammates. Playing 40+ minutes a night, and averaging 5 assists/game is not a good sign.
|W|P|You are joking, right? Wally averages 2.8 assists per game in almost 40 minutes, while Davis averages 5.3 in 41 minutes.McHale just massively fleeced Ainge, unless that 1st-round pick turns into a lottery pick, which it won't.
Blount is a major improvement over Olowosucky, Davis is more athletic and better defensively AND offensively than Wally (same points, nearly as many boards, twice as many assists, slightly lower shooting pct).
And Marcus Banks might even turn into a decent backup point guard (he says, optimistically).
|W|P|"You are joking, right? Wally averages 2.8 assists per game in almost 40 minutes, while Davis averages 5.3 in 41 minutes."Just because Wally was *really* bad at helping to create chances doesn't mean that Davis is any good at it. Beside the fact that Wally plays a different role as a forward than Davis does as a guard. To me, when you've got so many low-scoring players, the biggest impact you can make is to get someone in there to run the offense and get people easy shots. Davis is not that guy. I don't think this is a terrible trade, but it's not all that great, either.
Unknown|W|P|Let's not fall into the hindsight trap, folks. Either this is a good deal or not, but that analysis has to be done now, not at the end of this year or next.Forgetting about Davis (who is about an even swap with Wally, maybe a slight upgrade), remember that Blount is locked up at escalating salaries for the next four years, at salaries above $5M AND with a 15% kicker for having been traded. And he leads the league in turnovers per minute...as a post player. Ugh. Might be a slight upgrade over O-kandi, but basically McHale just locked up a similar player for four years.
The positive in this deal is getting rid of Wally's dollars and years. He was getting far more cash than many of the most productive players in the league. And he is one-dimensional. He had to go. But Moss doesn't know what Davis's contract situation is, so it's hard to know if the Wolves came out ahead on this part of the trade.
And McHale likes to give away his first-rounders like tic-tacs. Good grief, Charlie Brown. As is well-documented, second-rounders are worthless picks when McHale is making the selections. Luckily now the Pups have hordes of second-rounders.
This is a bad deal in Moss' eyes, unless all those other guys have expiring contracts. Which is doubtful. Even if they do, this team is in trouble for the future, as they may not have a first-round pick for a couple more years. And they seem to have screwed up on the last one as well.
Victor|W|P|Wrong trade done badly. I lost patience with McHale years ago, so this is not that surprising to me. Maybe Wally was the Wolves only tradeable asset and I am not upset to see him gone, but he was also half of the team's offense and we did not get enough in return. Ricky Davis is not a #2 guy, he is a very good complementary player, but just a complementary player - I mean, he was Boston's 6th man for most of his tenure there. But I suppose Wally should only have been a #3, complementary player as well.And giving away another 1st round pick because, well, its not like we need an infusion of young talent or anything - McHale, you idiot! But the three 2nd round picks we have make up for that because McHale is so gifted at spotting talent that others might pass up - right. I shall immediately reserve the domain name www. fireMcHale.com.
SBG|W|P|The other two guys in the deal have expiring contracts, but combined they are about $2 million. Which means if the Wolves want to keep them, they'll likely have to pay a lot more. Plus, I don't know how or if the mid-level exception is implicated. Unknown|W|P|How long and for what money is Davis locked up?? SBG|W|P|Two more years on Davis, $7-$8 million, I think. Not sure how his contract was structured, but it was 6 years $38 million or so. |W|P|Ubelmann:Ricky Davis is 25th in the entire NBA in assists per game. Among non-point guards, he is behind only seven players in assists.
I'd say that's a strength not a weakness.
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|Wolves got fleeced. They essentially gave up Wally, Kandi and a #1 for Davis, Blount and a #2. These are the primary parts of the trade. The rest of the players were just to fill out salary requirements. Second round picks rarely work out in the NBA, so why McHale wants so many is beyond me. He essentially traded the #15 pick for the #43.
But I thought that offense was the big problem with the Wolves? Davis and Wally are equal scorers and Blount is no upgrade from Kandi. So why was the deal made? There is no legit 3rd scoring option here in this deal for the Wolves.
|W|P|The Wolves needed to do what the Celtics just did -- swap a bad contract for an expiring one (Jaric? THUD?). I have no problem for swapping Wally for Davis -- I don't think Wally needed to go, though -- but if you're going to do that deal, you need an EXPIRING contract to balance the salaries, not Blount's monstrosity.We now have Blount and Hudson locked up through 2010, and Jaric through 2011, each making around $6-7 million annually. At least we also have Mark Madsen locked up at $2 mil annually through 2010...
Unknown|W|P|Don't forget that they won't have a 1st round pick until about 2010 either...Welcome to the Dark Ages.
|W|P|"Ricky Davis is 25th in the entire NBA in assists per game."Davis is also 4th in the league in minutes per game. If you go to assists/48minutes, Davis goes down to 41st in the league. That's better than I thought it would be, but I would just have rather seen the Wolves target a different type of player.
frightwig|W|P|How about that trade tonight?Kandi, Wally, and a 1st round pick to Boston for Ricky Davis, Mark Blount, a couple bench scrubs, and a pair of conditional 2nd round picks....
Is this good for the cap situation?
SBG|W|P|I don't know the whole story, but let's put it this way, it better help on the court.Ricky Davis is signed through '08 and Blount is signed through '10. They both make about $7-8 million. The other two guys have minimal contracts. The Blount contract has a 15% trade kicker, not sure if Davis' contract does.
Jan 26 - Whether it's a psychological ploy or a statement of the rganization's thought process, Timberwolves coach Dwane Casey said Wednesday night the team isn't making any trades, reports the St. Paul Pioneer Press. After losing to Memphis, Casey told the newspaper he thinks trade rumors are hurting the team. But the players need to shake it off, he said. "Like I told the guys, I believe in those guys that are here," Casey said. "We're looking over our shoulders, seeing who's going to be here, who's not going to be here. This is us. It's not changing."|W|P|113831656861365850|W|P|Standing Pat|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
|W|P|The trade rumors have really hurt Olowokandi's play. |W|P|I wasn't paying attention. Is he scoring directly for the other team now?-tootie
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Free agent slugger Frank Thomas agreed to a one-year, $500,000 contract with Oakland on Wednesday, giving the Athletics the big bat they've been searching for in the middle of their lineup. Thomas, a two-time American League MVP who has been slowed by injuries in recent years, can make an additional $2.6 million in bonuses based on plate appearances and not hurting his left foot.God damn, why didn't the Twins sign him to this deal? We were willing to give Nick Punto $700,000 but not Frank Thomas $500,000 plus incentives? I know, I know, we've got Rondell White. I suppose that's why.|W|P|113823502904481637|W|P|Big Hurt is an Athletic|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
|W|P|Frank Thomas is a complete waste, but I still give him the money over Nick. It's a no brainer.Never thought Frank would have to settle for 500K.
Of course Nick may go deep 4-5 times himself this year.
|W|P|Oh. My. God. Nick N.|W|P|I guess this just tells you that there was a REALLY low interest in Thomas around the league. Every other team seems to have been scared away by his health. 500 K is a pretty safe risk for the A's. I sincerely doubt he will be able to play much this year. |W|P|A's sign Thomas for $500,000. Twins sign Punto for $690,000. What color is the sky in this world?
Nick N.|W|P| Even if Thomas only performs up to his level from last year, he'll still be more valuable than Punto. The level of irrational Punto hatred from some Twins fans lately has truly astounded me. If Thomas stays healthy and can hit some dingers for the A's this year, sure, he's more valuable than Punto. But last year Thomas played in 34 games and hit .219. How on EARTH is that more valuable than a guy who can play 6 positions, can bunt, can pinch-run, is not a major problem in the clubhouse, and is 9 years younger?
frightwig|W|P|In 34 games and 124 PA's last year, Frank hit .219/.315/.590 with 12 HR and 26 RBI, and he did it while playing with a bad ankle. In 112 games and 439 PA's, Punto hit .239/.301/.335 with 4 HR and 26 RBI. Yes, he can field several positions, but his bat is below replacement-value. If you just want a utilityman who can play IF/OF, and don't care if he can't hit, the Twins could pay the minimum to a Rochester player or some desperate NRI.
The dislike for Punto isn't irrational. Actually, quite the opposite. We don't like him because our team is wasting $690K on someone who literally has no value besides his quickness and adaptability in the field, someone who is a black hole in the lineup, someone who could be easily replaced for less money.
|W|P|"God damn, why didn't the Twins sign him to this deal?"Easy. There's no way on earth that Frank Thomas should agree to play on turf when he can agree to play on grass. At the very least, if the A's were willing to pay that much, the Twins would have needed to pay more.
|W|P|I agree that Thomas would likely have asked for much more from the Twins. And when you've made as much money as Frank, and you're willing to play for guaranteed peanuts in Oakland, you're probably going to need A LOT more guaranteed money to play in Minnesota.As for Punto... well, for an organization that prides itself on tight pursestrings, we're guaranteeing $1.74 million to two utility infielders next year. It's not as bad as a 5 year, $10 million deal for Mark Madsen, I guess.
frightwig|W|P|The FieldTurf is supposed to be pretty cushy, and Frank as a DH in Oakland will be running mostly on packed dirt. I'm not sure the Metrodome turf would be a dealbreaker for him--although he has in the past whined about the hitting background in the dome. Anyway, kudos to Beane for scoring a nice potential value for a bargain price, while the Twins throw good money after bad at the margins of their roster.
SBG|W|P|"It's not as bad as a 5 year, $10 million deal for Mark Madsen, I guess."Go ahead and kick me when I'm down.
Pacers president Larry Bird has seen unstoppable players before. Michael Jordan once scored 63 points against Boston in a playoff game when Bird starred for the Celtics. Bird, however, watched the latter part of the telecast of the Lakers' 122-104 victory at Staples Center and remained dumbfounded on Monday. "That's a lot of points, I'm telling you," said Bird, whose career high was 60. "There's no question how good he is, but when you start throwing numbers around like that, it's unbelievable. It would be hard to believe if you didn't know it was true." Some coaches throughout the league pointed out how the new rules, which limit the contact a defender can make, helped Bryant. Others questioned the logic of any player taking 46 shots, as Bryant did. And a few questioned the Raptors' competitive spirit. "From a coaching standpoint, I would say I would like to have other players involved," Minnesota's Dwane Casey said. "He's a great player, you can't take that away from him. It's entertaining, it's good for the league. Whether it's good for his teammates, I don't know." Utah coach Jerry Sloan, a premier defender during his playing career, was surprised the Raptors didn't play Bryant more physically. "You've got to get close enough to him to foul him," Sloan said. "I wouldn't feel very good about myself if a guy scored a lot of points and I didn't use my fouls to try to stop him." Miami's Antoine Walker put it more bluntly. "The defense has to do something," Walker said. "Somebody gets 81 on me, I'm going to clothesline him." Some of the Raptors admitted they weren't physical enough. None of the players assigned to defend Bryant fouled out, although he did attempt 20 foul shots. "He started taking all the shots and we stood looking at him like we didn't know what to do," Toronto forward Chris Bosh said. "We have to know who we're playing. That's unacceptable."Milwaukee: T.J. Ford makes a curious statement without any more elaboration. "In 10 games in January, Bryant is averaging 45.5 points, which brought up a question in the mind of Bucks guard T.J. Ford. 'I think he has a lot to prove,' Ford said. 'I'm curious to know if he's trying to average 40 points a night for the season.'" Here's a funny one: "Other reactions ranged from wonder to genuine puzzlement over the way the Raptors had tried to defend Bryant. Some players joked that NBA Commissioner David Stern should suspend the Raptors team for allowing Bryant to break the 80-point barrier." Charlotte: Kobe's 81 better than Wilt's 100. "When Wilt Chamberlain scored 100, he did most of the work inside against smaller guys. Kobe was shooting jump shots." Miami: More reaction, but makes a subtle point. The 3 point shot gave Kobe 9 extra points because he was fouled on two three-point attempts and made all three free throws.|W|P|113818242225345508|W|P|Reaction Around the Association|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
Unknown|W|P|If you think it's deep now, wait until they trade the Big O for Blount. No mention of Rip "We don't need him either" Hamilton??
The Jaric draft pick is lottery protected, so if they don't make the playoffs they'll have their #1. Go ahead and tank the season, Moss says.
Victor|W|P|If the pick in the Jaric trade is lottery protected, then maybe we do tank the season. It's notable that we don't have a second round pick this year either, not that McHale could make a good pick anymore, even if his life depnded on it.I still agree with SBG that there is little hope for the Wolves. They have no pciks, no cap room, no tradeable assets, and a team that is just mediocre and killing KG in his prime. It is sad and it is McHale's fault. He got lucky swinging the deals for Cassell and Sprewell a couple of years ago and he then screwed it up by not making either happy, killing a legitimate shot at a title last year.
How Taylor did not can McHale after the Joe Smith fiasco is beyond me. He needs to go ASAP and Taylor needs to send a big bunch of flowers and an apology to Flip.
The best we can hope for is a Vince Carter like trade for a disgruntled and malcontented star. A slim-to-none hope, but still hope. I want Steve Francis to make a complete nuisance of himself in Orlando and pray McHale can fool their NHL GM in to making another bad trade.
SBG|W|P|Thanks to Moss for pointing out that the pick is lottery protected. So, there is the option of tanking.I don't like that much, either. Tanking this season will further alienate our Big Ticket and further erode the fan base. What that means of course is that a draft pick could come in here, but we won't have one the next year.
Our second pick is gone because the Wolves brought in Ronnie DuPree. It doesn't really matter... name one 2nd round pick that has made an impact with the Wolves (or even played much) in the McHale regime. Bracey Wright played last night for the first time, which gives him more experience than just about every second rounder that McHale has ever picked.
Here are the NBA second rounders under McHale:
2005: Bracey Wright
2004: Blake Stepp
2003: Rick Rickert
2002: Marcus Taylor
2001: Loren Woods
2000: Igor Rakocevic
1999: Louis Bullock
1998: Andrae Patterson
1997: Gordon Malone
1996: None
1995: Jerome Allen
The best of the lot was Loren Woods. Prior to McHale, the Wolves, in six years, drafted Howard Eisley and Doug West, two players who stuck in the league. In addition, they took Chris Smith and Marlon Maxey, who were both at least as good as Woods.
McHale can't draft -- he got lucky with KG. He overpays his own free agents. WTF was his obsession with Joe Smith? The Wolves are in salary cap hell and can't get out.
Unknown|W|P|Moss is Boss, baby. |W|P|Looks like $690K:CNN/SI article
He also starts earning performance incentives at 425+ plate appearances. If Punto gets that many plate appearances, though, the Twins are in big, big trouble.
SBG|W|P|You are right about that, ubelmann. Thank God that they have a legitimate second baseman. That should keep Punto on the bench a lot more than last year. frightwig|W|P|If Batista completely blows in April and early May, so that Gardy is forced to make a change at 3rd base, do you think he'll give Cuddyer another shot... or plug in his favorite utility guy "because he can catch the ball and do all the little things to help us win ballgames"? I have no faith in Gardy to do the right thing, at all.
Greek House|W|P|Does it bother anybody else that the A's signed Frank Thomas for less than the Twins are paying Punto? |W|P|As the resident Sacramento-area reader of this blog, I get to comment.I'm reasonably happy that this trade didn't happen. Not that Artest isn't a huge talent, and not because he is such a headcase. But because the trade wouldn't make Sacramento into a contender.
At best this year, Sacramento might get to the sixth spot in the Western Conference, with everyone healthy and breaks going their way. That's with the status quo roster, which simply has too little talent and size. When healthy, the starting 5 is pretty good, but the bench is non-existent.
Trading Peja for Artest means restructuring the offense significantly, even as it means improvements for the defense and a major upgrade in overall athleticism. Maybe I don't see enough NBA games to judge properly, but I just don't see Artest as fitting well into a jump-shooting motion offense. I don't think he'd fit well in Minnesota either, but you are a better judge of that than I.
I'd rather see the Kings try to build around Shareef, Peja, Bibby, Miller and Bonzi. That's actually a very nice core, in principle. The principle being that Peja relocates his mojo.
Bonzi is a solid defender with a post-up game. Shareef has a nice all-around game. They need some bench talent in the form of a shooter (Kevin Martin?? Francisco Garcia? I have doubts), a shot-blocking big guy who actually plays defense (Skinner, Kenny Thomas and Corliss ain't it) and a backup point guard to spell Bibby for 15-20 minutes per night (Jason Hart might be it IF a bench scorer can be found).
The one guy I could see bringing in via trade would be Tim Thomas. He seems like a better version (so far) of the rookie Garcia.
Andrew|W|P|SBG, you know I love my Pacers. For awhile, I was taking an "Ron being Ron" approach like what the Red Sox do with Manny. Just let him pout and throw a hissy fit for a week, then he'll be fine. Then I waited two weeks, then a month. Now I want to beat the snot out of him next time I see him. Not that I would or even could, but the thought has crossed my mind. Some day I hope to be so good at my job that even if I am batshit crazy they won't fire me. In fact, they'll pay me for nothing. I'm approaching the point where I'd be happy if Donnie Walsh said yes to the next offer that came, regardless of who it was or how bad of a business decision it would be, just so that it'd all be over. SBG|W|P|I gotta believe that Larry Bird wants to kick the crap out of this guy personally. Andrew|W|P|As God, Larry Bird is entitled to do whatever he wants. Even if it means beating the living crap out of Ron Artest. No, especially if it means beating the living crap out of Ron Artest.Clearly, this team has underachieved. If you have read this webpage at all, you would know that the author has been at wit's end with the piss poor basketball that this team has played this year. In fact, the author of this website has been downright offended by this team, moreso than any other sports team in Minnesota history (he expects bad things from the Vikings). Something had to give. And Flip is the fall guy. In retrospect, Flip should have been tougher on these guys. It's probably true that he lost this team. But, is it all his fault? McHale put this team together. He's the guy responsible for bringing in Sprewell and Cassell, for signing Hudson to his long term deal, and for the whole Joe Smith debacle. He's the guy that drafted Ndudi (drop the "N" and the "i" and you get the truth) Ebi instead of Josh Howard. It is McHale that has provided Saunders a team that is old, unathletic, and full of troublemakers. Thanks for that Olowokandi singing, Kevin. You could argue that the only really good personnel decision he ever made was to draft KG. Flip deserves some blame, too. KG has gone 16 games in a row with less than 20 shots. Flip should have demanded that the ball go to KG 85% of the time. Maybe he did. But, it didn't happen and in this league, that will be the coach's fault, fair or not. Hey, he was giving Anthony F'n Carter extended minutes. He took Sprewell out at crunch time. He was constantly trying to find a combination that would work. What else could he possibly do? Goodbye, Flip, you've done a good job with this team before this year. It's too bad it had to end this way. Your players got you fired. With the series of games that we have seen, including that digusting debacle at home against Phoenix last week and that equally disgusting performance last night, something had to be done. Glen Taylor, who is losing millions on this team, and is not willing to take on another bloated contract in place of Sprewell's, surely demanded some accountability. And McHale, whose job probably is riding on a trip to the playoffs, and possibly a first round win in the playoffs, jettisoned his longtime buddy. Good luck Kevin. You, my friend, are going to need it.Well, here we sit in 2006 and I'm complaining about some of the same things. KG is not shooting enough. The team is floundering along at a .500 clip with frustrating losses. The difference is that Flip is coaching the best team in the league in Detroit. Reading my post, I clearly thought McHale was a problem, but obviously, I pinned some blame on Saunders, too. But, when KG shoots less this year than last (on a team with fewer scoring options) it's really hard to say, hey, it's Flip's fault about not getting the ball to KG. And boy, I was wrong on that McHale's job is on the line. Reading Aschburner's story today is tough. I'm glad Flip is in a good situation. Maybe it was time to go (10 years is a long time as a professional coach in one place), but the franchise has clearly moved in the wrong direction. Good, well-written story by the Strib beat writer.|W|P|113812981678840815|W|P|Flip Who?|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
|W|P|You called that Phoenix home game a debacle, I called it the most fun I've ever had watching a pro basketball game. Never had I seen a team just click like Phoenix did that night. I didn't care that we lost, that was just fun. -tootie
Police are looking for an SUV today in a fatal shooting that apparently occurred after the victim surprised burglars at his townhouse in south Minneapolis.And here I thought that a Pepsi Machine playing in the NFL was a joke. (Note: this is not to make light of a murder, but to point out an interesting
Moses|W|P|Umm... What was the headline? It looks as if you posted the first paragraph of the article.BTW... It's somewhat difficult to look for a gun. SUVs are much larger.
Besides, all those auto dealers tell buyers how different SUVs are from regular cars, they are classified as light trucks to allow automakers to duck the EPAs emissions and fuel economy standards, they are distinct in their styling and build... why shouldn't we separate them out from passenger cars?
As a person whose home was recently burglarized by some jerks -- who were also driving an SUV and happened to surprise a friend of our whose could have found herself on the other end of a gun, too -- I'm simply trying to argue that you might be a little too sensitive to the mention of SUVs in news articles. Wouldn't it be a dumb idea for the Strib to write, "Police are looking for a gun?" SUVs just happen to be a little easier to spot.
Regards,
Moses
Yowling from the Fencepost
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|Reminds me of the Python skit where telephone booths are attacking people. SBG|W|P|You are correct. The headline, which has been changed, was something like "Police looking for SUV in Shooting."Personally, I'd be looking for the person who pulled the trigger. I realize that they may actually be in the SUV.
My posting wasn't about SUVs at all, but rather about a curiously worded sentence. The way the sentence was worded, it sounded like the SUV was the suspect.
In retrospect, I shouldn't have posted that.
|W|P|You sound like COD. :) SBG|W|P|This was a stupid post.[It was] simply the greatest individual performance ever recorded: Bryant's 81 points in a 122-104 come-from-behind victory over the Toronto Raptors.John Hollinger concurs and lays out his case. My question is: if an 81 point game is better than a 100 point game (and that's entirely possible), then it must be possible that a 69 point game is better than an 81 point game. When I refer to a 69 point game I am referring to Michael Jordan's performance on March 28, 1990 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. As great as Kobe's performance was, I'll argue that Michael's was better. And I'll do it using Hollinger's criteria (Stein just says it's the best without any argument -- he's not into supporting his opinions) along with some other factors. 1. Who was more efficient? Hollinger argues that Bryant was more efficient than Chamberlain. He points to his True Shooting percentage statistic for proof. Bryant had a TS% of 73.9%, which is off the charts. Chamberlain had a TS% of 63.9%. Of course, Bryant is getting credit for his 3 point shots, and Chamberlain took no 3 point shots as there were none. Regardless, I would agree, Bryant was more efficient than Chamberlain. But was he more efficient than Jordan? Jordan was 23/37 from the field and 21/23 from the line. That works out to a TS% of 73.2%, which is almost identical to Bryant's TS%. The difference then, is that Kobe just plain shot more. That's it. He shot more. PUSH 2. Who's performance was more "real." Hollinger argues that Bryant's performance was more "real" than Chamberlain's. He writes:
In Chamberlain's game, the Warriors intentionally fouled the Knicks in the final minute of play to get the ball back for another Chamberlain try at the century mark. Only on his third try did he get to 100. At the time, his team was comfortably ahead, as it was for the entire second half, and it won 169-147. Bryant, on the other hand, got almost all his points when they were desperately needed, as his team trailed by 18 early in the third quarter.When I first read this, I thought he was saying that the Warriors intentionally fouled multiple times. But, I did a little research and I found out that it was just one instance in which a player was fouled intentionally. Here's something that Hollinger neglects to mention: the Knicks, Wilt's opponent back in 1962, were intentionally fouling other players on the Warriors to prevent Wilt from getting to 100 points. From the Sporting News' March 14, 1962 account:
[I]n an effort to avoid the ignominy of being a victim of such a rap, they began to hold the ball as long as the 24-second rule would permit. New York also managed to halt the Chamberlain onslaught temporarily by fouling the other Warriors before they could pass the ball to Wilt.Oh boy. Well, whatever. Let's look at the "realness" of Kobe's effort versus Michael's effort. Hollinger writes that Kobe "got almost all his points when they were desperately needed." Is that true? The Lakers won by 18 points. Kobe scored 20 points in the last six minutes of the game. Did the Lakers desperately need these 20 points? Not really. The Lakers fed the ball to Kobe every single time down the court. No one on the Lakers besides Kobe shot anything but a layup in the last twenty two minutes of the game, save one three point attempt by Lamar Odom. Let's be clear. Down the stretch, the Lakers as a team were trying to get Kobe as many points as he could get. By contrast, the Cleveland game went into overtime. The Bulls won by four points, 117-113. There is absolutely no question that the Bulls desperately needed all of Jordan's points. This game wasn't about getting Jordan a career high, it was about winning the game. Kobe's performance was big in the third quarter, but the fourth quarter, especially at the end, it was about nothing more than seeing what he could do. He took all but two of the Lakers' shots in the fourth. Advantage: Jordan, big. 3. Bryant needed fewer minutes. Bryant played just 42 minutes, Wilt played 48. Jordan played 50. Yes, got his in fewer minutes, but he was no more efficient than Jordan. He just shot more. Kobe took 52% of his team's shots. Michael Jordan took just 42% of his team's shots. This higher scoring rate was strictly a function of the Lakers' decision to see what Kobe could do. Jordan was playing within the context of the team game. He was trying to win the game. Kobe scored 20 points in an effort to improve his own numbers. PUSH. 4. The game was different. Hollinger argues that the game was different. That is, Wilt had more possessions in which to score -- he had more chances to score. He estimates that there were 46% more possessions in the 1962 game in which Wilt scored 100 points. This comes down to usage. Just how many possessions was each player willing to use? Kobe and Wilt used about the same percentage of possessions. But Jordan used a lower percentage of the possessions. Of course, Jordan's focus was on winning the game, not on bolstering his personal statistics. In both Kobe's and Wilt's cases, they were specifically trying to pad their statistics. Jordan didn't have that luxury. I'm not saying that padding the stats is bad, but Jordan wasn't doing that. The Jordan game was different. On not one possession did Jordan score just to pad his numbers. His team won by four points in overtime to one of its biggest rivals. Advantage: Jordan. 5. What about everything else? Kobe had six rebounds in his 81 point game. Chamberlain, as was his norm, had 25 rebounds. Jordan not only set a career high in points, he also set a career high with 18 rebounds including an outrageous (for a guard) seven offensive rebounds. Jordan had six assists, Kobe two. Cleveland (42-40) was a far superior team to the Toronto Raptors (13-27). The game was played in Cleveland. Advantage: Jordan, big. If an 81 point game can be better than a 100 point game, then a 69 point game can be better than a 81 point game. Jordan's performance in 1990 came in the flow of the game -- he didn't have the luxury of taking every single shot to pad his stats in a game that had already been decided. With his 69 points, 18 rebounds, and six assists, he willed his team to victory on a night when Scottie Pippen did nothing (3-10, seven points). If you believe that all that is important is the number of points a player scores, then go with the Kobe performance. If you believe that there's more to basketball than scoring, go with Jordan. I e-mailed Mr. Hollinger submitting that Jordan's 69-point game was a better performance than Kobe's 81. That's taking nothing away from Kobe. He scored his 81 points at a rate of almost 2 points a minute. That's pretty unbelievable. I'm just saying that the circumstances and Jordan's all-around game that night (and I saw the game, by the way) made it a better individual performance than even Kobe's 81 point game. Okay, time for you to decide.
Unknown|W|P|Yeah, but what about the Admiral's 71?? He needed every one of those points to get the scoring title. It was the last game of the year, and entirely meaningless. The opponent was something like 27-55. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, Kobe. And Mike.
|W|P|I just wish I'd seen any of those games live.I think it is worth noting that the rest of Bryant's team is pretty darn bad. In recent years, I felt that Kobe was hurting his team by taking too many low percentage shots trying to be spectacular, when he could have helped himself out by getting his teammates involved. I'm not so sure this year. I prefer watching creative passers who can get their teammates involved, but sometimes you just have to know your limits.
amr|W|P|It's funny, I've gone from mild Kobe-hater to Kobe respecter this year, and it wasn't because of the 81 last night. It was because of the tights. The tights convinced me that Kobe isn't a jerk but a dork. The dorkiest MVP-level athlete this side of Shaun Alexander. That's okay with me.Now, Kobe, you dork!, I want you to go win the NBA championship for your own damn self. I don't think any one else except maybe your coach would be qualified to touch your trophy.
Victor|W|P|I have to agree, SBG. 81 points is an amazing number, but while scoring is the most important stat, it is not the only one. I thought it interesting when reading one of Stein's articles recently about Steve Nash playing even better this year than last, without Amare, that Stein compared the performance of Nash and Kobe this January, as potential MVPs.
Kobe was averaging over 40 points in January, but Nash was averaging 20 points and 18 assists - 18! That is unbelievable. Nash has been contributing to the Suns scoring maybe 60 points a game lately. That's remarkable and a greater feat than Kobe filling it up while dishing out maybe 2 assists a night.
To me, Nash's numbers are more impressive and more MVP worthy, again, this year than Kobe's scoring spree.
SBG|W|P|The fact that Phoenix is winning w/o Amare is an eye opener.I'm not entirely sure that 81 against Toronto under the circumstances is better than 62 against Dallas in three quarters. In other words, I'm not sure that this is Kobe's most impressive performance this month, much less the most impressive performance of all time.
|W|P|Nash is .5 reb and 1 pt away from a 20-10-5 season, with the 10 in assists and the 5 in rebounds.Man he would look good passing to Garnett.
-tootie
|W|P|Oh, and one other accomplishment I'd say was harder than Bryant's:Kirilenko's Line, 1/3:
14 pts, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, 7 blocks, 6 steals.
Not that it will happen, but if he ever got a quint-double, it would be the greatest single gam achievement in NBA history.
-tootie
Greek House|W|P|While Jordan and Kobe may have had nearly identical TS% in their games the fact that Kobe took more shots does count for something. As a player takes more shots, his efficiency naturally declines. So with two players with similar TS%, one with 46 shots and the other with 37 shots, the player with 46 shots clearly had the better game. frightwig|W|P|Jordan's performance clearly was more meaningful, came against a stronger opponent, and he had a better all-around game than Kobe did. But 100 points and 25 rebounds... damn. I don't care if Wilt's teammates were doing all they could to feed him the ball, or that he played 48 minutes and took 63 shots, or that it took 3 shots to finally make the magic mark of 100. It's 100 points and 25 rebounds.
Kobe did his best to score as many points as he could in that 2nd half, and even with the help of the 3-point shot he still came up 19 points short of Wilt.
If we're talking about all-around greatness: Wilt had previously set the single-game record for rebounds, with 55 in a game matched up against *Bill Russell*, while scoring 34 points and dishing 4 assists. In '68, he became the only player to record a double-triple-double, with 22 points, 25 rebounds, and 21 assists. Dig that.
And how many nights must have Wilt dominated like that? I see that he scored 56+ points in a game, 61 times in his career. He averaged 30.1 pts and 22.9 rebounds per game for his entire career. In '61-62, he averaged 50.4 pts and 25.7 boards per game; the next season, 44.8 pts and 24.3 boards; the next, 36.9 pts, 22.3 boards, and 5.0 assists per game. Really, who can compare to that? It's almost incomprehensible.
At Wilt's peak, I'm guessing that games like Jordan's big night vs. the Cavs in 1990 were almost routine.
SBG|W|P|fw -- the point you drive home is that Wilt had countless nights that were especially dominant. For the instant history experts at ESPN to call Kobe's outburst the most dominant ever without thinking about it is ridiculous.
gh --
I'm going to try to do something (research) with your assertion.
SBG|W|P|GH --I did a correlation between shots and TS% for Kobe Bryant's games this year.
The correlation is -0.01. For those that don't know, that means that there is absolutely no correlation between the number of shots that Kobe takes and his TS% in any given game this year. Now, that's maybe not dispositive. I don't have enough time to do an analysis of each player in the league.
Comedy Club|W|P|I'd still have to go with Chamberlin...especialy since the game in which he played was gone in the 4th quarter and the Knick's only objective was to keep him from scoring frightwig|W|P|For those who have NBA TV, the Kobe-81 game is scheduled to be shown Friday afternoon. They're playing highlights of a vintage Jordan-Dominique duel on Saturday, too. I would just love to see Wilt in 1960 putting up 34-55-4 against Russell, while the Celtics still won by 3 in the end, but it probably wasn't even televised....
|W|P|I think there is another important thing that have to be pointed out:the Jordan defense in that night.
If I remember well, Jordan let his direct opponent score only 1 point,
playing a breathless super intensive game on both side of the court.
Comparing Jordan and Kobe to Wilt is, in my opinion, like comparing apples and oranges:
Wilt was a center Kobe and Michael point guard;
the game was different and less competitive;
dominant centers was quite often without opponents:
think about it, also centers as dominant as Shaq, the Admiral and Olajuwon,
had stats numbers much lower than Chamberlain, Russell or Abdul-Jabbar.
Last thing: saying that the Jordan 69 in Cleveland was routine for Chamberlain
is something very strange.
As you should now, Michael Jordan have the best point per game in the NBA history:
actually is only a little (some 0.02) greater than the Wilt's ppg, but you have to consider
in this average also the two years with Washington, played with injuries after two years
off the court (the bulls average is above 32).
In my opinion: Michael was better than anyone else.
Nobody rides that thing.
|W|P|113806117842392740|W|P|Another Sparse Crowd on the Light Rail|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com |W|P|What a boondoggle! amr|W|P|No one rides it because it's too crowded. [Apologies to Yogi Berra]. I'll admit I was way wrong on this thing. I thought it would get bus-like ridership. We need to build a few more. Downtown to downtown and my neighborhood to downtown make the most sense.
frightwig|W|P|There should be a downtown-to-downtown train between the cities, a line that goes out to the West suburbs, parallel to I-394, and then possibly one that runs up North. Eventually, maybe the North line could even run out past Anoka and all the way to St. Cloud. A line serving Roseville and Maplewood would be nice, too. SBG|W|P|Denver, a much more forward thinking city approved in an election, an additonal 110 miles of light rail in 2004. They already had more than us. Mpls/St. Paul is a larger metro area in terms of population.
Waiting for the train to go to Bloomington.
|W|P|113806048108271831|W|P|On My Way|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com |W|P|Kobe Bryant's PPS, 1/22/06: 1.76Raja Bell's PPS, 1/22/06: 1.82
Nazr Mohammed's PPS, 1/22/06: 1.89
Shaquille Oneal's PPS, 1/22/06: 1.80
Jason Williams's (!!!)PPS, 1/22/06: 2.38 (!!!)
It was a great night, no doubt, but it's not like his points per shot rate was mind blowing. Shaq still beat him, along with Raja Bell and Jason Williams of all people.
-tootie
SBG|W|P|ESPN's John Hollinger is calling it the greatest single game of scoring ever.Williams only took eight shots and went to the line 10 times. That's maybe not a fair comparision. I mean Alongzo Mourning had 3.0PPS (six points, two shots).
I'd say that Jordan's 69 point, 18 rebound, six assist, four steal game against a much better team (Cleveland, 1990) was probably a better overall performance. But, in terms of explosive scoring, 55 points in the second half is pretty incredible.
|W|P|I'd prefer my players to take fewer shots from the floor and get to the line as often as possible, personally, but if you want your players hucking up shots left and right, you can have em that way.-tootie
SBG|W|P|Tootie -- check out my post comparing Jordan's 69 point effort to Kobe's. Nick N.|W|P|Why all the hatred for Punto? He has decent value. Versatile fielder, excellent bunter, good speed. I'd certainly rather have him for $.6 million than Juan Castro for a cool mil. Punto was actually doing very well last year up until he got hurt in June, I believe he was hitting around .300. He came back from his DL stint and was atrocious in July and August, and finished the season with some pretty cruddy numbers. Still, I think he could be a nice player and this season will be a good final audition for him.I'd rather have a scarecrow manning third base than Cuddyer.
|W|P|I'd rather have Punto at .6 than Castro at one, but I'd rather have any rookie at the minimum over both, or even the vaunted inanimate carbon rod, now that its season as the Panthers' #2 wideout is done.-tootie
SBG|W|P|The Twins were stuck with Castro having foolishly signed him to a two-year deal. However, they could have parted with Punto.Punto: .239/.296/.335, -2.0 VORP
L-Rod: .269/.325/.383, 4.6 VORP
I don't hate Punto, but good gravy, how does a guy with those numbers get 439 plate appearances? This was the worst team in the majors offensively. Why show this guy any loyalty? He isn't even as good as the "replacement player" strawman. And he's someone we want to pay about $750,000 instead of giving someone, anyone, else a chance to prove something?
Cuddyer: .263/.330/.422, 14.2 VORP
His defense was VERY POOR at the beginning of the season, no doubt, but he improved significantly as the year progressed. < stewie voice>Offensively, he was better than Jacque Jones, who we would have gladly thrown at least twice what Cuddyer got.< /stewie voice>
|W|P|Free Cuddyer!!! The Twins will never give him a real chance and I'm tired of it. Trade him to someone who will use him, at one spot, for more than two weeks. Gardentool has a thing against people that have a chance to be productive, apparently. Cuddy played poorly in April (as he always does) and, after that, was one of the best three or four guys on the team. Unlike Hunter, he did it without bitching, even though he was blamed for everything from bad breath to global warming. Free Cuddyer!!You Bison fans must be beside yourselves. Man, if I didn't hate the Bison so much I'd be really, really, really impressed.
Dicta
frightwig|W|P|What world has Tom Kelly created, where fans are still optimistic about giving one more audition to a 28 year-old utilityman with a career .238/.302/.321 line, but meanwhile they've had it with the 27 year-old player who's hit .260/.330/.428 in his career with the team? If the club and fans insist that Cuddyer flash a Gold Glove to stay in the lineup, wouldn't it at least be nice if he were given some time to learn a position first?
Nick N.|W|P|The difference, of course, is that Cuddyer has had nearly twice as many career at-bats in order to prove that he is a Major League caliber player. Punto has only had 588 ML at-bats, I'm just not quite ready to give up on him. Furthermore, Punto has more valuable skills as a bench player. He is fast enough to be a pinch-runner, he is an excellent bunter, and he can play any position except 1B, pitcher and catcher. Cuddyer has shown that he is totally worthless unless he has a full month's worth of regular at-bats to get going, which to me is unacceptable."Time to learn a position"?
Check Cuddyer's minor league games played and you will find that he has really spent the majority of his professional career at third base. Furthermore, he has not shown above-average ability anywhere on the field.
|W|P|And yet, I give him the same chance I give the Wolves of making it to the Finals: 0. Sorry Kobe, you are a great scorer and all, but Shaq made this team, just like he made the Magic. -tootie
|W|P|From Nov 2..." ...if Kobe Bryant wins the MVP, I promise to buy a Derek Jeter jersey and wear it to Twins games. And I'm not talking about a cheap t-shirt. I may even throw on some wrist bands. "
A few more 81 point outings, and the Jeter jersey fund may need to be started. Like it or not, if Kobe ends up averaging close to 40 a game and the Lakers make the playoffs, he'll definitely be on the MVP short list.
DiggityDino
SBG|W|P|Yep, I said that. That'll be a tough thing to swallow. Cheesehead Craig|W|P|Another big number is 301, that would be the total number of points in the Seattle/Phoenix game.Both games were absolutely phenominal. Kobe's 81 though, that's impressive as hell.
Unknown|W|P|For all the Kobe bashing that SBG and Moss do, Moss just has to say "HOLY SH#%!" And talk about efficiency...81 on 46(!) shots.Moss wishes he were free Mon nite, but regrettably cannot make it.
SBG|W|P|There's no denying that Kobe is a singular talent. He had 55 points in the second half last night. That's just off the charts, as they say.Last night, it was "let's see what Kobe can do" night. In the fourth quarter, the Lakers had 31 points. Kobe had 28 of them. Kobe took all but two of their shots (Lamar Odom hit a three, Deavan George missed a layup). In fact, in the last 22 minutes of the game, no one on the Lakers besides Kobe took anything but a layup (besides that Odom three).
I'm okay with that. He was going for history.
The amazing thing about this game was that the Raptors had a 16 point lead at half time. And Kobe blew them away single handedly in the second half.
Just once, I'd like to see KG take 35 shots in a game.
|W|P|Makes me wonder, if everyone in the league had a night when they went for the most points they could get what numbers might we see? And I have never liked Kobe and he just gave me 81 more reasons. SBG|W|P|There's no denying that Kobe had one for the ages last night. He was on fire and they just let him go. That's what I would have done, too. Cheesehead Craig|W|P|You know SBG,Yesterday's games made me wonder, can KG ever really dominate and take over a game? He has more performaces 16 pts or lower (8) this year than he does over 30 (2).
True, he is a rebounding machine and is an excellent team player. But when it comes down to it, I don't think he can take over a game. He has the physical ability, just not the mental ability.
SBG|W|P|CC, first of all, I should know better than to crow too loudly. That T-Wolves game was a sickening punishment.The Wolves were running the ball through Trenton Hassell in the fourth. Throw the ball to Hassell and let him beat his man in the post.
I want KG to break shit in the lockerroom for that. I want him to call his own number on the floor. I want him on the low block when the game is on the line.
Jesus help me, I want him to pull a Kobe for once.
Imagine how dark my world is right now.
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|No worries on the crowing,That's KG's fatal flaw, the fact that he won't open his mouth or break sh#t to show frustration. It's just not in his nature, and this same facet of his personality that keeps him from becoming dominant. He doesn't want to rock the boat and get people mad at him.
|W|P|Non believing brother? Like NDSU has anything in basketball that has been worth watching the past 20 years. They knock off Wisconsin which is the biggest win in the history of the school but they won't get any reward out of it except some pride. I was happy to see the Bison win a game that meant something to someone. We shall see the rematch in Brookings.I predict the Bison will win though. Jacks are bad this year.
"Sitting in the locker room, you still see we're on top of the Big Ten, but we don't live in the past. We live in the present," said [Wisconsin] freshman swingman Joe Krabbenhoft, who had a career-high 11 points. "We can't be satisfied with 4-1 in the Big Ten. So what? We just got stomped by North Dakota State."This was the third game for NDSU in five days. They played in Utah on Thursday and rode in a bus for eight hours to get to Madison. It's too bad that my brother Putzer, who graduated from NDSU, can't share in this moment. You see, he's defected from the NDSU fold and actually cheered for arch rival SDSU and against the Bison this year. Hope you like them Jacks, Putzer.|W|P|113794933772210305|W|P|How Sweet it is|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
|W|P|Whereas all my school, Augustana, had was the ability to throw dead jackrabbits on to the court when playing SDSU. Coyotes for USD.Yes!
As a two-time graduate of NDSU, I have this to say. Fucking A! (Sorry, Cheesehead! You have been trampled under the Thundering Herd!) For those of you that don't know, this is NDSU's first year playing a full Division I schedule. This is on the short list of all-time college basketball upsets. It's no Chaminade over Virginia, but consider that the game was in Wisconsin.
From ESPN:
"Beating Montana State in front of 4,000 people was a big deal for our first true road win," said NDSU head coach Tim Miles, speaking by phone during the team's eight-hour bus trip back to Fargo. The Bison had a simple gameplan: to pack it in against the Badgers. It worked, as Wisconsin shot 4-for-27 from 3-point range. "We thought if we're going to get beat then get beat on 3s, so we absolutely swarmed it inside," Miles said. Miles took another like-minded gamble last season when he chose to redshirt five freshmen, promising them they would have a chance to go to the NCAA Tournament as seniors when NDSU's provisional status ends. Think about that: The Bison beat the Badgers with a starting lineup of four redshirt freshmen and a junior college transfer.I happened to mention to a co-worker of mine who is a Wisconsin alumnus that the Bison were playing the Badgers this weekend and that we were going to bring it to them. Of course, I was kidding, or so he thought...
The Bison have one more win against Big Ten opponents than the Gophers have.|W|P|113789679822441062|W|P|Speaking of College Basketball|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com Unknown|W|P|Try some melatonin for the insomnia. Seriously. Moss will fill you in over the phone. And then you can invite Moss and Mrs. Moss over for a culinary treat. |W|P|Then you eat out three things happen, you spend a lot of money having a nasty person bring you bad food.I read when I cant sleep. I saw you listed Slaughterhouse Five as a favorite. I've never been to war but that is the best war book I have ever read. Vonnegut is my favorite author. I have read all his work.
Glad baseball is almost upon us, lost interest in the Wolves and if a team does not like itself enough to play for a season why should I?
Nick N.|W|P|I'm with you, Ruby Tuesday sucks. I'm surprised that place is still in business at all, I don't know of anyone who thinks it's any good. |W|P|Try some exercise you big tub of goo. Sitting on your ass watching sports center, filling up the net with worthless crap, listening to the stones, and stuffing your cake whole with donuts isn't going to help you sleep through the night.Love Leo
|W|P|gobison90@comcast.netDrop me a line Otis.
Leo
SBG|W|P|Believe it or not, Leo is one of my best friends and I was the best man in his wedding.SBG gets no respect. If I weren't so goddamned tough I might start crying.
I'll ring you up, Leo.
|W|P|Sissy.-tootie
Jones is an inadequate corner outfielder for any team, but a particularly bad choice for the Cubs.
If you are a long time reader, you know I was apoplectic about the Twins signing Jones for the 2005 season, because it was pretty clear that he was not worth the $5 million that could have been given to a decent infielder. Or if you take that salary and Rivas' salary, a $6-7 million infielder would have been nice. Now, however, he is the Cubs problem.
Sheehan pulls out the knife on Jones. It's clear that he hasn't watched Jones much, but I don't think his analysis is off.
Much of Jones� value is defensive. He is, by Clay Davenport�s system, a good defensive outfielder, showing solid range that helps make up for a weak arm.
See what I mean? He doesn't have a "weak arm" as we all know. He has a shotgun arm.
I'm sure that those occasional ten hop throws to the infield will look nice in that long grass at Wrigley. Jones brought value to the Twins as a defender -- and he should have been platooned. Only the Yankees platoon guys who make $5 million, I suppose. Yes, Jones had the hit of the year, the homerun off of Freddy Garcia in the one hit win for the Twins, but he isn't a quality hitter like one needs in the corner outfield.He�s been worth at least 19 runs above replacement defensively in three of the past four seasons. That�s real value, but I question how much of it will come with Jones to Wrigley Field. While his skill level may remain unchanged, Wrigley Field has one of the smaller outfield areas in the game, and the high grass and short power alleys--versus the Metrodome�s various turfs and average-sized gaps--lessens the role of an outfielder�s skill in cutting balls off.
Put more simply, the Cubs don�t need great defense on the outfield corners as much as they need guys who can hit. Jones� defensive skills are less valuable to the Cubs than they were to the Twins, and that�s without considering the much higher strikeout rate--and consequently, fewer balls in play--that the Cubs� pitchers have.
His most recent seasons--essentially identical lines of about .250/.315/.430--are terrible for a corner outfielder.Maybe someone in the Cubs organization will clue Jones in on what constitutes the strike zone. I'm not optimistic. One thing I'm sure about is this. The only way I wanted Jones back in a Twins uniform was if the Twins had parted with Torii Hunter and put his speed to use in center field. It is now apparent that the Twins aren't going to move Hunter, so it's a welcome adios to Jacque. No regrets.|W|P|113779904989967383|W|P|Ouch|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
|W|P|Sheehan is also off a bit on how good offensively Jones is. He's putting too much weight into Jones' awful 2004--the same season his father died. I'm not normally one to put a lot of weight in these things, but that's one of a few events that can totally derail a player's career (just take a look at what happened to Knoblauch). 2005 looks like a pretty typical year for Jones, when you get right down to it, and it was a fine year, on the whole.It just blows my mind to see how little value some analysts place in an average hitting, above average fielding outfielder.
In Wednesday's loss in Boston the Wolves took a six-point lead into the final quarter before losing 103-96. The biggest problems? To coach Dwane Casey there are two: spacing on the floor, especially when Kevin Garnett has the ball, and the speed with which the Wolves guards get the half-court offense set up. Facing constant double-teams, Garnett went scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting in the fourth quarter. And the Wolves offense, especially at crunch time, is built around Garnett, considered by Casey to be the team's best passer and scorer. And while the play isn't always designed to end with Garnett shooting, just about every set is designed to run through him, whether he is down deep or on the high post.|W|P|113779509329444651|W|P|What to Watch For -- Spacing|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|"Friends, let me remind you, in case you have forgot, that professional sports is a business, first and foremost."Wh-What? You mean, they don't play for the fans? I'm... I'm... crushed. I need a bottle of Perrier and a motivational cassette.
|W|P|For the agent to be so public about this... if it was done with Daunte's permission, then he wants out. If it was not done with Daunte's permission then he needs to drop him immediately.To think that we may end up losing Moss and Culpepper for a total of Nap Freaking Harris, Troy Williamson and what, maybe a mid-round draft pick? Good gravy.
I need to go slam my head in the door.
SBG|W|P|Daunte himself went to the club with the issue after the agent did. Combine this with the unwillingness to meet face to face with the coach, and it looks like #11 is looking to leave.Bryant played the entire first quarter and demanded the ball on almost every possession. He finished the first half with 26 points, but grew visibly frustrated with his teammates -- particularly Odom -- when they didn't pass to him every time down the court. Luke Walton got an earful from Bryant after the third quarter ended, but Garcia's defense was the real reason for Bryant's relative ineffectiveness.|W|P|113776743867909724|W|P|Kobe Gets 51, Lakers Lose|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|Even in retirement, Reggie is still sticking it to NY. Love it! frightwig|W|P|I'm fine with Bonds making the HOF, and I guess McGwire, but not so much Sammy. IMO, Sosa was pretty much entirely a product of steroids. As a young player, he was a skinny twig of a kid who had no plate discipline or power; he developed respectable pop in his late 20's but still didn't have much plate discipline or a consistently solid batting avg.; as late as age 28, in 1997, he hit .251/.300/.480. At that point, he'd made exactly one All-Star team, two years before.
How many corner OF's like that go on to become perenniel All-Stars and Hall of Famers, much less a force of nature like Sammy was for 5-6 years from 1998? How many players like Sammy at 28 go on to hit .328/.437/.737 at age 32? It's ridiculous. And then as soon as the league inserts any penalties into its steroids policy, Sammy's bat instantly evaporates at age 36.
Probably nothing will ever be proven against him, but the numbers are certainly suspicious. Was he headed for the HOF before the suspicious jump in his production at age 29? No. So for that reason alone, if the voters want to keep him out of Cooperstown, it's fine with me.
SBG|W|P|True, in 1997, Sosa hit .251/.300/.480. But, was he completely without power before that?
1993: .261/.309/.485 33HRs
1994: .300/.339/.545 25HRs in 105 games
1995: .268/.340/.500 36HRs
1996: .273/.323/.564 40HRs in 124 games
1997: .251/.300/.480 36HRs
1998: .308/.377/.647 66HRs
Yes, he was off the charts after that. But he hit a lot of home runs in his early to mid 20s. There's no doubt that he jumped up significantly, but it's not like he was Juan Castro before 1998. Was he using prior to 1998? If so, why the jump?
|W|P|What about McGwire? To use your Sosa evidence, McGwire had a "suspicious jump" at age 28 (5 years after his breakout rookie year) and was looking more like Dave Kingman than a future HOF. And a few injury-filled seasons later, he had ANOTHER jump that put him into the .700+ SLG% stratosphere. By comparison, Sammy's pre-suspicion SLG% high was .564; afterward, he settled into the .630 range. Do you just give McGwire the benefit of the doubt because he was a bigger guy to begin with, and he had that magical '87 season? Andre Dawson hit 49 HR that year. Heck, if he had been around then, I think Skinny Sammy could have posted 40+ homers in 1987 too.
frightwig|W|P|I didn't say Sammy was without power before the spike in '98. I said, he developed respectable pop by his late 20's but still didn't have much plate discipline or a consistently solid batting avg., through the '97 season. I believe that, without juicing, Sosa would've had a few more decent years after '97 before gradually fading away by his mid-30's. A respectable career, but not that memorable to anyone besides Cubs fans. Before '98, he definitely wasn't on a Hall of Fame career path; and, usually if a player hasn't laid the groundwork for a HOF plaque by age 28, he's not going to get there unless he has an especially long and consistent career. I may have overestimated McGwire's career prior to 1998. Through '97, his Most Similar comparison at age 33 was Willie McCovey, but the rest of the list includes guys like Cecil Fielder, Mo Vaughn, Jason Giambi, Darryl Strawberry, Carlos Delgado, Greg Vaughn.... Maybe Mac started a steroids program in '96, after he'd missed most of two seasons with injuries but came back to hit a career-best .274/.441/.685 at age 32. Who knows, if Canseco told the truth, McGwire could have been on the juice for pretty much his whole career.
On the other hand, he was nearly a perenniel All-Star throughout his early career and had 387 HR through age 33 (1997). A player like that could've had a fair shot at going on to the HOF, even without the superhuman performances he put out in '98-99. I don't think Mac absolutely needed those two huge years to completely make his name and validate his credentials, the way Sosa really needed that late spike to make him.
Unknown|W|P|Being in San Antonio when the Gophs won the regional final vs. UCLA.Being in Indy for the Final Four. Gophs vs. Kentucky. Dean Smith's last game with UNC. Pitino's last game with Kentucky in the championship.
Watching the Gophs work their way to a regional final vs. Ga Tech in 1990.
Being in San Antonio (again) for the Kentucky (my wife's team) national championship in 1998.
Having our son's picture taken with Tubby Smith, the Kentucky coach.
Watching the best game ever, the Duke-Kentucky matchup ended by the Laettner shot, 1992.
Listening to the Villanova-Georgetown upset (at Rupp Arena in KY, by the way).
Watching and going to games in the Lindsay Whalen-Janel McCarville era, especially the Final Four run.
And Moss is just getting warmed up. Moss and Mrs. Moss have been to numerous cities/states to see Kentucky basketball. Including St. Louis MO, when KY put an end to Wally's collegiate career.
frightwig|W|P|NC State beating Phi Slamma Jamma in '83, and Jimmy V running around the court, is hard to top. Nay, impossible to top. Sampson at UVA may be a good example of the Ewing Theory, but it's preceded by perhaps the greatest example: the '72 Lakers winning 69 games and the NBA title in a season when Elgin Baylor retired after playing just 9 games. Of course, that team still had Wilt, West, and Goodrich; so maybe it's not the greatest example. But they were a much better team without that one Hall of Famer than they had ever been with him on the court.
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|Moss, how could you have watched the Goophs in Indy in the Final Four? They never made it that year, remember? It never really happened.The Duke/KY game was the best ever, although the wrong team won.
SBG|W|P|The truly brutal thing about that '83 title game for me was that I figured no way could NC State win. So, instead of watching the game, I played a game of pick up basketball and I MISSED IT! Andrew|W|P|SBG, I'm glad to hear you rooted for the Hoosiers.