The Pursuit Of Leisure

100% correct, 50% of the time. A tongue in cheek look at culture both high and low.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

NHL 2nd Round

6 of 8 in the 1st round but lost my Eastern Champion pick New Jersey.

East

1. Boston vs. 6. Carolina Bruins in 6
2. Washington vs. 4. Pittsburgh Penguins in 6

This one is worth talking about. The NHL has it's dream match-up with Malkin and Crosby vs. Ovechkin and Semin, unfortunately it's the second round but that shouldn't matter. If the NHL somehow manages to not turn this into must watch hockey then the entire marketing department should be fired at the end of the series.

West

2. Detroit vs. 8. Anaheim Wings in 6
3. Vancouver vs. 4. Chicago Canucks in 6

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Byron Scott Must Go. Now.

- The performance the Hornets put up last night losing by 58 to the Nuggets was the most disgraceful performance I have ever seen. They were at hom in a must win game down 2-1 in the series and put in that kind of effort? It was just awful to watch and Byron Scott needs to be fired this afternoon. Not after this series is over, this afternoon. Sure they are playing through some injuries but it is crystal clear this team has absolutely quit on Scott.

The bigger problem for the Hornets is that they are in trouble as a franchise. They have an old roster, a fan base that was close to adopitng this team as it's own before Katrina hit and now can't afford to and a franchsie player, Chris Paul, who is probably dying to bolt the first chance he gets.

- Speaking of disgraceful, Rasheed Wallace didn't even bother pretending to give a damn against the Cavs. The Pistons were not going to beat Cleveland anyway but they could have won a game, or at least pushed the Cavs once, if Wallace gave a shit. And this is a guy headed for unrestricted free agency this year? I really don't know what to make of his options. The guy has all the talent in the world but only shows up 50% of the time. He is actually the perfect guy for Phil Jackson. If I were the Lakers I would take a run at him on a one year incentive heavy deal.

- The San Jose Sharks spent the entire season proving nothing despite winning the President's Trophy. Everyone knew they had to finally prove themselves in the playoffs and once again they choked. I don't care that the Ducks were a better than average 8 seed, there is no excuse for the 1 seed to lose the first 2 games on home ice. Obviously the Bruins knew what they were doing when they unloaded Joe Thornton for next to nothing 4 years ago. He was a disaster again in the playoffs and didn't even bother to mix it up in skirmishes right in front of him. It's time for the Sharks to move him or patrick marleau or both.

- To complete the rant on gutless performers how about AJ Burnett outing on Saturday in Boston. One of the reasons the Yanks signed him was tat he was lifetime 6-0 vs. the Sox and as I said at the time, and as anybody who follows the Jays said, Wait until he has the pressure of pitching in Fenway as a Yankee. His first time out he coughs up a 6-0 lead. Like I said, he will never win more than 13 game in a season in pinstripes.

- This Celtics-Bulls series is fascinating. You could argue that the Celtics are one missed Ray Allen jumper at the end of game 2 away from being down 3-1 or you could argue that the Bulls are one missed Paul Pierce free throw at the end of game 1 away from being down 3-1. In other words 2-2 is exactly where this series should be. I still think the Celtics will win the series because Paul Pierce will take it into his own hands but also because the Celtics still have a Big Three. I say that because Rajon Rondo is going nuts and really is this good. His progress this year has been unreal and he has the confidence of a title behind him.

This series reminds me a lot of last year against the Hawks. The Bulls are a young athletics team that gives Boston fits. They will win but I wonder how they can beat Orlando in the next round (if they beat the Sixers) with Garnett and Powe out. Big Baby David and Kendrick Perkins will get eaten alive by Dwight Howard.

- I wouldn't pay much attention to the Lakers not destroying the Jazz each game. The Jazz were still a very good team and gave the Lakers the push they needed. The Lakers bench was not great in the games I watched but as they get to the Conference Finals and Finals there starters will be on the court more. I still say they are going to win it.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

MLB Preview

This is a little late but barely 1/16 of the season has been played so it is still legit.

AL East

1. Boston Red Sox (98-64)

For all the talk of the money the Yanks spent on pitching the Sox still have the best rotation in the American League. They have three legitimate number 1 starters in Josh Beckett (who will bounce back from an off year last year) DiceK, and Jon Lester. Throw in always reliable innings eater Time Wakefield and the additions of Brad Penny and John Smoltz (when he comes off the DL) and you have a rotation nobody can match. And Jonathan Papelbon in the closer role is as automatic as it gets.

But what will put the Sox over the top this year is a fully healthy David Ortiz and a full year of Jason Bay. Manny put up numbers last year but was such a distraction for this team that I think it cost them about 5 games and home field in the playoffs.

2. Tampa Bay Rays (96-66)

Last year was no fluke. This team is stil loaded and I love the way they play. There whole game plan is based on spedd, defense and pitchers who throw strikes. And this year they will score more runs as Evan Longoria is a year older and the addition of Pat Burrelly who may hit 40 home runs playing in that banbox of a home field.

What the Rays have is the best defense in baseball. Gabe Gross is a pretty good rightfielder but he could just stand on the right field line and let BJ Upton and Carl Crawford chase everything down they are so fast. They have an all-star catcher in Dioner Navarro and great middle infielders in Jason Bartlett and Akinori Iwamura. They help a rotation that should see Scott Kazmir and Matt Garza turn into 17 game winners and will be helped mid season by the addition of Cy Young winner in waiting David Price. They have no true closer but that doesn't matter. They are smart enough to go with the hot hand out of the 'pen.

3. New York Yankees (87-75)

I loved the CC Sabathia signing. Sure they overpaid for him but they can afford to so get over it. He should win close to 20 games and replace Mike Mussina (who win 20 on a third place team last year) and will be great for at least 5 years. The AJ Burnett signing however, was ridiculous. This clown couldn't get along with the Florida or Toronto media so he is he supposed to handle the presuure in NY? He will never win more than 13 games as a Yankee. I am also not sold on Jaba Chamberlain or a return to 18 win form for Chen-Ming Wang. Andy Pettite is a 13 game winner now so where do they expect to get to 95 wins from. Especially with a bad miidle relief group and an agin Mo Rivera.

The biggest problem the Yanks have though is defense. The key to any good team starts with up the middle defense and Jorge Posada is barely average behind the plate and Robinson Cano and Derek Jeter are posiibly the worst defensive middle infield in the AL. Jeter has less range than ever and can't throw guys out at first from the whole anymore. There outfield consists of Johnny Damon in left, Brett Gardner in center and Xavier Nady in right and none of them can be confused with a Gold Glover. Sure A-Rod and Mark Teixeira are Gold Glovers but corner infielders are not the core of a defense.

These guys will score runs though. Despite a very old lineup it is one that still knows how to hit and work the count. A-Rod will continue to put up huge numbers and Tiexeira should put up .300-30-110. But this is it. When they miss the playoffs this year expect a lot more money to be spent and a lot more bluster from the owners box.

4. Toronto Blue Jays (75-87)

The Jays better beat the hell out of the AL Central and West this year (not inconceivable) because they are going to get beaten like a drum all year byt the Sox, Rays and Yanks. I just don't like the rotation, the lineup or the closer. Other than that they are fine. Other than Roy Halladay and his 18-22 wins (this guy is the best pitcher in baseball. Period.) they don't have a number 2 or 3 starter. I like Ricky Romero a lot but he can't be expected to win 16 games nor can Jesse Litch. As for B.J. Ryan they are better off releasing him right now and using a closer by committee approach. Ryan can't break 87mph with his heater and is completely finished.

I also don't see how this team is going to score a lot of runs unless Adam Lind and Travis Snider both break out, Vernon Wells returns to his form of a few years ago, Alex Rios starts showing his power potential and Scott Rolen proves he can play on turf every day. That's too many ifs, especially Rios. If he puts up another year with only 15-20 home runs and 80 RBI's it will be time to realize this guy is just an average player not worth the money he got in his big contract.

5. Baltimore Orioles (72-90)

The good news for the Orioles is that they actually have some good young players and hot prospects in Nick Markakis, Adam Jones and future catcher Matt Weiters who should be called up from Triple A in about mid June. The bad news is they have a starting rotation that is barely above Triple A calibre. They have retreads like Adam Eaton and Mark Hendrickson rounding it out and the only top 4 guy they have is Jeremy Guthrie. The bullpen isn't that good either so turning to middle relief in the 4th inning 4 times a week isn't going to help much either.

All of that adds up to another year of just enjoying Camden Yards. It's actually pretty sad for a franchise that used to be one of the best in the Majors.

AL Central

1. Minnesota Twins (90-72)

People can talk all they want about the MOneyball success tha A's used to have but the Twins are far and away the better organization. They have been to the playoffs more and consitently reload the team. And they should win this division again this year. The lineup will score with Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer in the middle. They still have strong starting pitching, especially with a healthy Francisco Lariano all year. But most importantly they should rip throught their divisional opponents all summer.

2. Cleveland Indians (85-77)

The Tribe has the whole one year good, one year bad thing down pat. This is the one year good. Grady Sizemore is one of the 10 best players in baseball and is the key to their offense. I am guessing that Travis Hafner will either improve or be on the bench by mid-May so either way the middle of the lineup should be OK. But what will help them compete is the starting combo of Cliff Lee and Fausto Carmona who should bounce back from a bad year. Throw in good middle relief group and Kerry Wood in the closer role and they could really push the Twins.

3. Detroit Tigers (81-81)

For the life of me I can't figure this team out. They have the best lineup in the AL and scoring runs shouldn't be a problem at all. Defensively they were bad last year but should be improved with chnages such as putting Brandon Inge back at 3B. The problem I have is their starting pitching. How the hell does Justin Verlander lose 17 games? I think he will have a good year this year and re-establish himself as on of the best in baseball. The rest of the rotation won't though.

4. Chicago White Sox (75-87)

This team is getting old and it will really hit them this year. They won't get 100 HR's from Carlos Quentin, Jermaine Dye and Jim Thome this year which will put moe heat on a starting staff that over-achieved last year. Throw in the very combustible Ozzie Guillen and GM Kenny Williams and this year should be entertaining on the south side, just not productive.
5. Kansas City (72-90)

Believe it or not this team may finally be on the right track. I always liked Gil Meche and thought they Jays should have signed him. He and Zack Grienke are both legitimate top of the rotation guys. Unfortunately the rest of the rotation stinks. And I still can't see them socring any runs. But with Coco Crisp, ALex Gordon and David DeJesus in place at least they have something to build around.

AL West

1. Los Angeles Angels (92-70)

The Angels are not as good as last year but this division stinks so bad it won't matter much because they will rip through it. The starters, once healthy, are all 15 game winners and Brian Fuentes will be fine in the closer role replacing KRod. The ineup is definitely aging. Vlad Guerrero has a lot of miles on him as does Bobby Abreu. I would expect Torii Hunter to put up better numbers this year as well and anchor what is still a very good defensive team

2. Texas Rangers (79-83)

The one thing you know with this team is that with Michael Young, Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz and Hank Blalock they will put up runs. As always though, can their pitchers stop the other team from putting up runs? I don't think so, unless prospects like Derek Holland come in mid-summer and pitch well. By then though they will be out of the race and better off keeping them in the minors.

3. Oakland Athletics (76-85)

It's no secret I hate the whole Moneyball bullshit so I am happy to see the A's going against it and signing Orlando Cabrera and bringing back Jasom Giambi, who does not have much left, and trading for matt Holliday. And after doing that they will still stink because they are have no pitching. None. At least they will have Rickey Henderson Day and his Hall of Fame induction to look forward to.

4. Seattle Mariners (70-92)

I suppose you could make the argument that the M's underachieved so badly last year that they could realistically win 85 games thi year if everyone puts up their normal numbers but I don't buy it. Ichiro looked like he quit last year when things went south, Adrian Beltre is what he is and that is a .275-25-85 guy and as great as it is that Ken Griffey Jr. is back he won't hit over .250. They key to a turnaround has to be the starting three of Felix Hernandez, Erik Bedard and Carlos Silva. If all of them have great years they can bounce back. Don't bet on it.

NL East

1. Philadelphia Phillies (93-69)

This team comes back almost entirely intact from last year's World Series title and they should be better. They are great defensively up the middle, can score runs and have three MVP candidates in Rollins, Howard and Utley. When Cole Hamels gets back he is the ace and Jamie Moyer and Brett Myers can all give you innings. Throw in Brad Lidge to close things and there is no reason they can't win this division

2. New York Mets (88-74)

This is a classic example of a team just not eqaulling the sum of it's parts. The lineup has Reyes at the top and Beltran, Delgado and Wright in the middle but still can't score runs when it really counts. They are good defensively but don't seem to make great plays when needed. And their starters can't go more than 5 innings when it counts. In other words thhis team is completely gutless. And throwing in edge of your seat new closer KRod (vastly overrated) and fans being charged obscene money at the new Shea are going to have a lot to bitch about after another inevitable Septemebr collapse.

3. Florida Marlins (85-77)

Ricky Nolasco, Josh Johnson and Chris Volstad may be the best top three you have never heard of. Throw in potential 15 game winner Andrew Miller and this time will be in the thick of it again. Especially if they get 65 HR's from their middle infield of Dan Uggla and Hanley Ramirez again. What will eventually hold this team back though is poor defense (Uggla is awful) and a lousy bullpen.

4. Atlanta Braves (79-83)

If I ran the Braves I would consider just having a couple of terrible years with young guys and rebuilding instead of trying to win and finishing .500. These guys just aren't that good. Chipper Jones is not going to win another batting title and Garrett Anderson bat has slowed a lot, though the switch to the NL should help him. Kelly Johnson and Yunel Escobar are average infielders and the bullpen is not great. Derek Lowe was a great pickup but their is not much behind him. It's time t blow this up.

5. Washington Nationals (60-102)

These guys are officially the biggest joke in the Major Leagues. Their front office is in shambles and to say there starting rotation is the worst in baseball does not even come close to expressing how bad it is. Their lineup has a bunch of free swingers who strike out too much (Adam Dunn, Christian Guzman), a guy with huge talent but is a head case (Elijah Dukes) and an overrated Lastings Miledge. The only bright spot is Ryan Zimmerman but how long is he going to keep busting his ass and not getting discouraged playing in this mess.

NL Central

1. Chicago Cubs (95-67)
2. Cincinnati Reds (85-77)
3. Milwaukee Brewers (83-79)
4. St. Louis cardinals (78-84)
5. Houston Astros (70-92)
6. Pittsburgh Pirates (65-97)

NL West

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (90-72)
2. Arizona Diamondbacks (89-73)
3. San Francisco Giants (75-87)
4. Colorado Rockies (74-88)
5. San Diego Padres (68-94)

AL MVP - Justin Morneau, Twins
AL Cy Young - Roy Halladay
NL MVP - Albert Pujols, Cardinals
NL Cy Young - Carlos Zambrano

AL Wild Card
Boston over LA
Tampa over Minnesota

ALCS
Boston over Tampa

NL Wild Card
Chicago over Arizona
Philly over LA

NLCS
Chicago over Philly

World Series
Boston over Chicago

Saturday, April 18, 2009

NBA Playoff Preview

The Finals match-up this year is absolutely going to be Cleveland vs. the Lakers and everyone knows it. And it was going to be that way even before the Celtics announced Kevin Garnett may be out of the playoffs entirely so don't make any excuses Celtics fans, you were not going to beat LeBron this year, or any year in the next 10 for that matter.

Knowing the Finals pairing before the playoffs start might make it seem kind of boring but I still think there are some great matchups in the first round.

East

1. Cleveland (66-16) vs. 8. Detroit (39-43)

The thought most of January and February was that the Pistons were not going to be your ordinary 7 or 8 seed because of their experience (6 straight Eastern Conference finals) amnd their tougness. And I believed that until watching them a couple times in late March. They are terrible this year and the AI trade, though completely worth the shot, failed miserably. There is no way in hell they stop LeBron, Mo Williams, Sasha Pavlovic etc even with a hurt Ben Wallace. I give the Pistons one game at home because they do have the experience they do.

Cavs in 5

2. Boston (62-20) vs. 7. Chicago (41-41)

As I said above the Celtics were not going to beat the Cavs with a healthy Garnett anyway but his loss hardly cripples them. For the life of me I can't figure out why anybody thinks the Bulls have a hope in hell of winning this series. I'll be shocked if they win two games. Other than Derrick Rose who do they have? Ben Gordon and John Salmons are just two guys who have to get their shots and they usually take bad ones in key moments. They have no inside presence to match up with Boston's bigs (who are very underrated) and have nobody who can stop Ray Allen or Paul Pierce. Pierce proved to me last year he is a great leader and has a killer instinct and has had his best year this year. No way in hell he loses to the Bulls.

Celtics in 5

3. Orlando (59-23) vs. Philadelphia (41-41)

This is another ugly first round match-up. The Sixers don't have anybody up front who can score and therefor get Dwight Howard in foul trouble, which is the key to beating Orlando. I don't think Andre Miller can outplay Rafer Alston and I don't see the 76ers having anyone who can stop Hedo Turkoglu or Rashard Lewis. This one is over quick.

Magic in 4

4. Atlanta (47-35) vs. Miami (43-39)

Now this is a series. There is a hell of a lot to like on this Hawks team. Joe Johnson started to show some leadership this year along with his scoring. Mike Bibby is an experienced playoff guy. Josh Smith is really tough to defend because he is so long and athletic and their close call game 7 loss to the Celtics in round 1last year was worth a lot of experience. Unfortunately they are going up against Dwayne Wade and the Heat. Very quietly rookies Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers have come on strong to end they year giving Wade someone else who can score. Udonis Haslem is a mean son of a bitch who will match up pretty well with Al Horford (who is a mean son of a bitch in his own right) and Jermaine O'Neal, though clearly not the guy he used to be can at least still block a couple of shots, throw in putbacks and contribute 6 hard fouls a game.

I see this one going the distance and that is trouble for the Hawks. With Wade healthy I see him going to the foul line about 22 times in a Game 7 (the refs love this guy as much as Kobe and LeBron). And after his Finals MVP performance in '06 I just can't bet against Wade in a Game 7.

Heat in 7

West

1. Los Angeles Lakers (as if you thought it might be the Clips) (65-17) vs. 8. Utah (48-34)

Utah can't win on the road (15-26) and the Lakers only lost 5 times at home. Given the Lakers have home court I would say that pretty much means the Jazz are fucked to start with. But the problems go deeper than that. The Lakers are the most complete team in the league with Pau Gasol really growing this year. I thought he was one of those guys who put up great numbers on bad teams buy he proved me wrong this year. And Kobe is still the best player in the league (more on that later).

I think Jazz PG Deron Williams can go off in this series because Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar are outclassed by him but other than that they are in trouble, especially how badly they finished the year. Carlos Boozer looks like he is just waiting to start putting in the sun tan lotion in south beach next year when he joins the Heat and I have never been a Mehmet Okur fan. This one is over quick.

Lakers in 4

2. Denver (54-28) vs. 7. New Orleans (49-33)

This series fascinates me. Chauncey Billups should finish 4 or 5 in the MVP voting this year for pushing the Nugggets to the 2 seed. This team really was a dysfunctional mess before he showed up. What I am anxious to see is whether they implode when their leader Billups has a hard time with Chris Paul. The Hornets problem though is that they are pretty weak up front and don't match up too well with Nene, Kenyon Martin and Chris Anderson. This will be a high scoring series and I'm not sure that helps the Nuggets. It's reallt time for Carmelo Anthony to step up and show he can be The Man when needed and provide the scoring that will match Paul and David West. I will give him the benefit of the doubt that he will. I will also give Chauncey the benefit of the doubt that he can continue his awesome regular season play going.

Nuggets in 7

3. San Antonio (54-28) vs. 6. Dallas (54-28)

Even with Manu Ginobili out the Spurs have enough to get by the Mavs. The Mavs to me are still a mess and don't come close to equalling the sum of thier parts. Part of the reason for that of course is that one of their main parts is an over the hill point guard who they never should have traded for in the first place (my Feb 28/08 post was pretty clear on the subject). There is no way in hell Jason Kidd can stop Tony Parker, who despite a Finals MVP on his CV in still criminally underrated. Tim Duncan has not been his usual self the past few months but he is still better than anyone else in the league at the four spot and certainly more than the Mavs can handle. Ginobili may be gone but I think Roger Mason is capable of stepping up and scoring 16-18 a night in the playoffs.

Spurs in 5

4. Portland (54-28) vs. Houston (53-29)

Best first round series and the toughest to call. Common thought in the NBA is experience is essential in the playoffs. This same thought lead people to believe the Mavs would beat the Hornets last year. Portland has three 24 year olds (Brandon Roy, Rudy Fernandez and Travis Outlaw), a 23 year old (LeMarcus Aldridge), a 22 year old (Sergio Rodriguez), a 21 year old (Greg Oden) and a 20 year old (Nicolas Batum) in their top nine scorers. And you now what? I don't care. I will take talent over experience any day and besides, does Roy play like a 24 year old. Hell no. He is the second scariest guy in the West (behind Kobe) in the last minute of a tie game and Aldridge and Fernandez are athletic freaks who are damn hard to stop. Oden is still developing but he can grab some rebounds and commit fouls all night on Yao and allow Joel Pryzbilla to score some garbage points and grab big rebounds.

So why do I think this is a series? Because the Rockets are tougher than a junk yard pit bull and Ron Artest and Shane Battier are first rate defenders. Yao is also a lot tougher than people realize and Rick Adelman is a hell of a coach, definitely among the top 5 in the league. Aaron Brooks has really blossomed this year and they can hit outside shots. I honestly think the winner of this series is the only one who can knock the Lakers off in the West. I give the Game 7 home court advantage to Portland.

Portland in 7

The Lakers are going to beat the Cavs in 6 in the Finals. The Cavs only lost once at home this year in a meaningful game (they were 39-2 but I don't count that regular season final loss to the 76ers because they basically put a D league team on the floor to rest starters) but that loss was to the Lakers. I also think the 2-3-2 helps the Lakers.

The biggest reason I think the Lakers will win is because Kobe is still better than LeBron. I say that for two reasons. One is maturity. Don't get me wrong, LeBron is mature and has become a great leader (as Bill Simmons pointed out in his MVP column on ESPN.com this week Cleveland is having more fun than any team in the league and LeBron is the biggest reason why) but while they were whipping the Celtics last week the Cavs bench was dancing and laughing during the Final minutes and rubbing it in the Celtics face. Kobe would NEVER have allowed that to happen. No way can you show up your biggest rival like that a week before the playoffs start. In fact that display is the main reason I give the Celtics a punchers chance against the Cavs in the east Final. The other reason I say Kobe is better is killer instinct. When the Lakers beat Cleveland in Cleveland on Christmas Day it was a clinched when Kobe hit a fade away, high arcing jump shot over LeBron in the final minute. In other words Kobe's "sorry LeBron, this may be your house but this is still my league and I will beat you whenever I need to" killer instinct kicked in. It will take a Finals loss to Kobe for LeBron to develop that himself. Then watch out next year because this is the last time LeBron is losing in the Finals for a while.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Mini Half Assed NHL Playoff Preview

East

Boston over Montreal in 5
Washington over New York in 7
New Jersey over Carolina in 6
Pittsburgh over Philly in 6

West

San Jose over Anaheim in 6
Detroit over Columbus in 5
Vancouver over St. Louis in 5
Chicago over Calgary in 6

Cup Finals - Detroit over Jersey

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

The Masters, House and the NCAA's

- As much as I would absolutely love to see Paddy Harrington win the Masters this week and then win at Bethpage to complete the Paddy Slam I am copping out and picking Tiger. It goes back to the whole Rising To The Occasion ability he has and he hasn't won here in a couple of years.

The sad thing about it is that it won't be that much fun - at least not like it used to be. The best part of this tournament used to be watching someone making a big charge on the back nine on Sunday. All the length and semi-rough added to the course has really hurt it. Now it is just another US Open style course that limits the ability of a lot of guys to win.

- If you watch House and have not watched Monday's episode turn away now..........I can't believe they killed off Kutner and I was shocked it was a suicide. I completely respect Kal Penn's decision to go and work for Obama so good for him but I will really miss him. He was my favorite character on the show and was a great Doctor. I thought it was very fitting that in his next to last episode he was the one who solved the medical mystery and got full compliments and respect from House for doing so. It showed that with time he would have been just as good a Doctor. It was also fitting that there was no real explanation for his suicide as this was the one thing that House couldn't have an answer for. But damn, this show just got a lot less interesting.

And give full props to the cast, crew and producers for keeping this under wraps. No way did I think they could keep something like that secret in the internet age.

- This is the only time you will ever hear me say this so enjoy it now - Watching North Carolina rip through the tournament was amazing and one of the best performances I have seen in 23 years watching this thing. Winning each game by 10+ and essentially having each game done (with the exception of Round 2 vs. LSU) by the 10 minute mark of the first half was just unreal.

On the bright side I will never have to watch Tyler Hansbrough play in college again and I can start watching him be an 8th man in the NBA. And I can hope like hell that the Raptors are in a position to draft Wayne Ellington in the lottery.

And Ms. Skeelo came oh so close...she had Mich St over UNC in the final.

- I will do my MLB preview later this week but for the quick version I have the Red Sox over the Cubs in the World Series. The Yankees? Still the best third place team in baseball.

One

Friday, April 03, 2009

The Final Four and Other Stuff

- With Villanova beating Pitt in the Elite Eight my bracket was essentially busted since I had Pitt winning on Monday night. Now I can just sit back and enjoy the inevitable Tar Heels meltdown either Saturday night (potentially) or Monday night against UConn (far more likely). Yes Roy Williams won a title a few years ago but that was the anomaly. A true Williams team was the performance they put on against Kansas in last year's Final Four. The bigger the game the worse Williams coaches. He tenses up on the sidelines, forgets to call timeouts and shows no leadership for his players. He did it every god damn time at Kansas and he will do it again this year when UConn whips their ass Monday night.

So what about Michigan St. and 'Nova? I think Nova has a really good chance but I just don't think they will get it done. The Spartans were great against Louisville and I had them in the Final Four. I just don't think they have enough firepower to beat UConn. Being in Detroit will help but not enough.

- The only fun part of watching Oklahoma lose to UNC was catching a glimpse of Tyler Hansbrough's NBA career. He was matched up against Blake Griffin and Tyler Griffin and Hansbrough was just pathetic. Blake is going to be a perennial all-star in the NBA and he completely outclassed Hansbrough. But the bigger story was that Tyler, who may never get a sniff of the NBA, outplayed him too. Hansbrough just can't compete with NBA forwards on a regular basis. He is too slow, not strong enough and doesn't shoot that well. He makes his living at the free throw line because he plays for Carolina and gets all the calls (and yes I am aware JJ Reddick had the same thing happen while at Duke). There is no way in hell he will get those calls in the NBA (see Reddick and Adam Morrison as examples). Hansbrough can be an NBA player based on his basketball IQ and work ethic but he will never be more than a 7th or 8th man.

- For those keeping score at home Ms. Skeelo nailed three of the Final Four (Mich St., UConn and UNC) while I got two (Mich St. and UConn). We each missed Pitt and I missed Oklahoma.

- I absolutely love John Calipari going to Kentucky. Some people say it will be harder for him to win at a school like Kentucky than UMass or Memphis and that is kind of true. But what he did by taking to mid-majors like UMass and Memphis to the Final Four is more impressive than Rick Pitino or Roy Williams taking big-time programs their with different schools.

I am not a big Calipari fan but I don't dislike him either. But his personality and schmoozing ability will be perfect for dealing with Kentucky boosters and with the Kentucky name behind him he will annually recruit a top five class. If Kentucky isn't back in the Final Four within 4 years I'll be shocked.

The best part of him going to Kentucky though is that he gets to go head to head with Rick Pitino in the state of Kentucky. It's no secret I absolutely loathe Pitino and I look forward to Calipari whipping his ass for the next three years before Pitino splits for another school.

- The only thing that could put a bigger bounce in my step than spring arriving in Ottawa would be if the Clippers brought in Isiah Thomas to run the team as has been rumoured. I mean my God this is a match made in heaven. The worst franchise in sports history (the Arizona Cardinal making the Super Bowl broke the tie) with the worst GM of the past 20 years? Please let this happen.

And if you're Mike Dunleavy how do you feel? You are basically being told that you have screwed up this disgraceful franchise even worse than usual to the point that we are thinking of bringing in Isiah Thomas to replace you. To me the best case scenario is Isiah as GM and Dunleavy left to coach. That would be funnier than any sitcom on TV.

- Anybody who doesn't think the Cavs and Lakers are meeting in the NBA Finals has never watched basketball or doesn't realize that the league always tends to get the matchup it wants in the Finals (by way of lousy officiating, playoff scheduling, etc). While last year the league needed the Celtics to be great again, this year they absolutely need LeBron vs. Kobe. No fucking way it doesn't happen.