Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Headlines
Just thought I'd drop a few lines about some things that stood out to me today in the various sports outlets...
From the LA Times article about last night's OT Laker loss to the Knicks:
"There's no way a guy should be able to penetrate from outside the three-point line all the way to the middle without nobody stepping over. Guys are laying the ball in. Tim Thomas is getting the ball in the same block, doing the same move, scoring. Against good defensive teams, that don't happen."
Other than the double negative, Chucky, I have been saying the same thing for three years now. Despite this new cast of characters, the defensive storyline for this team has stayed much the same. That, for me, is the most frustrating part of this season. When the Shaq Era Lakers slouched on defense, I figured it was because they had won too many championships together, that their achievements as a team were their greatest enemy when it came to hustle. And isn't that what defense boils down to in basketball, heart and hustle? It's not like football where you have a coordinator devoted solely to hatching complex schemes. Sure, there are various pressures, double-teams, switches, matchups, and coverages, but even with the legalization of The Zone in the NBA, it's not like these guys are being forced to learn complex algorithms. That's what the triangle offense is for. By the time you make it to the NBA, you should know how to play defense in the game of basketball. To surrender easy buckets like the Lakers do is simply a matter of effort. I had hoped that this younger, more athletic, and less accomplished group of Lakers would show up and play the solid defense I have been craving since '01-'02, figuring that they would play with the heart of a team trying to win its first title rather than its fourth. I feel like, as a fan, I have gotten that at times and when I do, it's inspirational. When they're playing spirited D and crashing the boards, I love these guys so much I can't figure out whose jersey I want to buy. With the road-heavy schedule and the new offense, it's a weary and confusing time for the Lakers, but there is just no excuse for not bringing the hustle on defense on every possession in every game in every city they play in. No excuse. Fellas, pull your head out and find your pride.
As a fan thinking long-term, I might rather the Lakers miss the playoffs this season. I think the 1st round draft pick might serve the franchise better than the playoff experience that comes with getting swept in the first round.
From the LA Times article on the Angels' cost-efficient bullpen:
...the Angels will commit roughly $3.5 million a little less than New York Yankee set-up man Tom Gordon ($3.75 million) will make in 2005 to their bullpen.
Yes, that means their entire bullpen.
The Yankees will spend about $24 million on their bullpen this season.
Well, yeah, but how much of that goes to that horrifying antique warrior mask that Mariano wears in the Nike commercial. Seriously, those masks are downright freaky. They remind me of the apparatus from "Saw" that was rigged to rip a woman's jaw apart...which, strangely enough, really makes me want to buy athletic gear. Getting back to the 'pen, this is just further evidence that Steinbrenner runs his team like its franchise mode of a PS2 game--the budget feature turned off, of course. A lot of people say they hate Steinbrenner but wish their owner was more like him. I disagree...it seems like it would be a lot less interesting as a fan if there were no limit to what your team could spend. It's much more stimulating to play fantasy GM if you have constraints you must work under.
Rodriguez also dismissed an Internet report that claimed his velocity was down while pitching in the Venezuelan winter league.
"In the U.S., I'm a lot more pumped up I don't need to throw in the mid-90s in Venezuela to strike out guys," Rodriguez said. "I was working more on my breaking ball and my location, pitching inside. I wasn't throwing 100%. I was going 90% at the most."
Was that a sonic boom I just heard or a collective sigh of relief from Angel Nation?
From CNNSI.com:
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Buccaneers safety Dwight Smith was arrested early Tuesday and charged with pulling a pellet gun on two fans who approached his car while he waited in line at a McDonald's window.
So much for the old slogan "We love to see you smile." Dwight "Duh...what?" Smith might well have it changed to "We love to see you pissing your pants in fear when we pull a gun on you at the drive-thru." Don't tell me it was just a BB-gun, it probably looked just like a Magnum P.I. That thing "could break the skin and cause a very nasty infection." After the way the Bucs has played the past two seasons, Smith should have been grateful to have two fans left. He should have been super-sizing their combos or treating them to an apple pie or delicious cone.
Two men in the car, Trevor Boyce Jr., 19, and Javier Joseph Jr., 22, walked to Smith's car and tried to talk to him, officials added. Smith became annoyed and drew the pellet gun but did not shoot it, officials said. David Roston, Smith's 26-year-old friend, got out of the car and punched Boyce, officials said.
I guess aggravated assault with a weapon and battery is another way to go too. In all honesty though, why would you ever think it was okay to approach anyone at 4 a.m. at a McDonald's drive-thru?
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From the LA Times article about last night's OT Laker loss to the Knicks:
"There's no way a guy should be able to penetrate from outside the three-point line all the way to the middle without nobody stepping over. Guys are laying the ball in. Tim Thomas is getting the ball in the same block, doing the same move, scoring. Against good defensive teams, that don't happen."
Other than the double negative, Chucky, I have been saying the same thing for three years now. Despite this new cast of characters, the defensive storyline for this team has stayed much the same. That, for me, is the most frustrating part of this season. When the Shaq Era Lakers slouched on defense, I figured it was because they had won too many championships together, that their achievements as a team were their greatest enemy when it came to hustle. And isn't that what defense boils down to in basketball, heart and hustle? It's not like football where you have a coordinator devoted solely to hatching complex schemes. Sure, there are various pressures, double-teams, switches, matchups, and coverages, but even with the legalization of The Zone in the NBA, it's not like these guys are being forced to learn complex algorithms. That's what the triangle offense is for. By the time you make it to the NBA, you should know how to play defense in the game of basketball. To surrender easy buckets like the Lakers do is simply a matter of effort. I had hoped that this younger, more athletic, and less accomplished group of Lakers would show up and play the solid defense I have been craving since '01-'02, figuring that they would play with the heart of a team trying to win its first title rather than its fourth. I feel like, as a fan, I have gotten that at times and when I do, it's inspirational. When they're playing spirited D and crashing the boards, I love these guys so much I can't figure out whose jersey I want to buy. With the road-heavy schedule and the new offense, it's a weary and confusing time for the Lakers, but there is just no excuse for not bringing the hustle on defense on every possession in every game in every city they play in. No excuse. Fellas, pull your head out and find your pride.
As a fan thinking long-term, I might rather the Lakers miss the playoffs this season. I think the 1st round draft pick might serve the franchise better than the playoff experience that comes with getting swept in the first round.
From the LA Times article on the Angels' cost-efficient bullpen:
...the Angels will commit roughly $3.5 million a little less than New York Yankee set-up man Tom Gordon ($3.75 million) will make in 2005 to their bullpen.
Yes, that means their entire bullpen.
The Yankees will spend about $24 million on their bullpen this season.
Well, yeah, but how much of that goes to that horrifying antique warrior mask that Mariano wears in the Nike commercial. Seriously, those masks are downright freaky. They remind me of the apparatus from "Saw" that was rigged to rip a woman's jaw apart...which, strangely enough, really makes me want to buy athletic gear. Getting back to the 'pen, this is just further evidence that Steinbrenner runs his team like its franchise mode of a PS2 game--the budget feature turned off, of course. A lot of people say they hate Steinbrenner but wish their owner was more like him. I disagree...it seems like it would be a lot less interesting as a fan if there were no limit to what your team could spend. It's much more stimulating to play fantasy GM if you have constraints you must work under.
Rodriguez also dismissed an Internet report that claimed his velocity was down while pitching in the Venezuelan winter league.
"In the U.S., I'm a lot more pumped up I don't need to throw in the mid-90s in Venezuela to strike out guys," Rodriguez said. "I was working more on my breaking ball and my location, pitching inside. I wasn't throwing 100%. I was going 90% at the most."
Was that a sonic boom I just heard or a collective sigh of relief from Angel Nation?
From CNNSI.com:
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Buccaneers safety Dwight Smith was arrested early Tuesday and charged with pulling a pellet gun on two fans who approached his car while he waited in line at a McDonald's window.
So much for the old slogan "We love to see you smile." Dwight "Duh...what?" Smith might well have it changed to "We love to see you pissing your pants in fear when we pull a gun on you at the drive-thru." Don't tell me it was just a BB-gun, it probably looked just like a Magnum P.I. That thing "could break the skin and cause a very nasty infection." After the way the Bucs has played the past two seasons, Smith should have been grateful to have two fans left. He should have been super-sizing their combos or treating them to an apple pie or delicious cone.
Two men in the car, Trevor Boyce Jr., 19, and Javier Joseph Jr., 22, walked to Smith's car and tried to talk to him, officials added. Smith became annoyed and drew the pellet gun but did not shoot it, officials said. David Roston, Smith's 26-year-old friend, got out of the car and punched Boyce, officials said.
I guess aggravated assault with a weapon and battery is another way to go too. In all honesty though, why would you ever think it was okay to approach anyone at 4 a.m. at a McDonald's drive-thru?
# posted by j.h.k. @ 1:31 PM 
