The Resurgence of the Los Angeles Clippers

Forget about that other series being played in Boston in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs, the real interesting series is being played in Memphis of all places.  The Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Clippers are playing each other in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs, and this will easily be the most interesting series of Round 1.

Part of the reason is the resurgent Los Angeles Clippers.  Since moving to Los Angeles for the 1984-85 season, the Clippers have had exactly 3 winning seasons – including this year’s team.  Not only that, they have won only one playoff series in that time.  This year’s team of course features Lob City – Chris Paul and Blake Griffin – as well as a cadre of competent role players.  Their 40-26 season belies how interesting this team really has been.  And the team figures on being successful for at least another year. 

I’m one of the few who don’t really care about Vinny Del Negro and Donald Sterling.  They may be incompetent and/or bad guys, but I’m not watching them play basketball.  And perhaps the Clippers resurgence is not because of them, but in spite of them. 

Forget about the 20 point lead Memphis has right now, the Clippers have finally arrived.  They are more interesting than the Lakers.  As a Celtics’ fan, that’s okay by me.

Bill Parcells Doesn’t Need to Come Back to the NFL

I’m  not sure where Sean Payton got all of this power.  He’s just the head coach of teh New Orleans Saints, he’s not the General Manager, he’s not the Owner.  He’s just the Head Coach.  And there’s only one head coach who should be wielding this kind of power – and he owns a boat called V Rings (should have been VI Rings if only Welker could have caught that ball).

What kind of power?  The power to name his successor – well, really his one year stand in – while he serves a one year suspension for paying athletes to hit players hard enough to knock them out of the game.  And the name that keeps coming up in rumors is oldie, but goodie, Bill Parcells.  The thought about Parcells is that he is a successful coach who can lead teams his way and make them successful.  The difference here is that the Saints already are successful, and don’t need the kind of team building that Parcells brings along.

He’s a surefire first ballot hall of famer who’s effectiveness has diminished with each team that he takes over.

New York Giants.  In 1982, the Giants spent the strike shortened year floating at the middle of the pack.  Although Parcells’ first year was less than stellar (3-12-1) but he led the team to Super Bowl victories in 1987 and 1991.

New England Patriots.  Dick McPherson led a putrid team to a 2-14 1992 campaign.  New owner Bob Kraft wanted to make a splash with his new coach and did just that with the Parcells hiring.  The Patriots, just a a couple of years later made the Super Bowl (albeit just to lose to the Packers in 1996).

New York Jets.  Parcells left after the 1996 season because he couldn’t buy teh groceries and sought an opportunity to showcase this side of his prowess.  The Jets in 1996 struggled to a 1-15 season and Parcells first year had nowhere to go but up – and that’s exactly what happened as 1997 showed a 9-7 record.  In unsurprising fashion, the Jets made the AFC Championship in 1998, only to lose to John Elway and the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship.  Parcells never made the Super Bowl as Jets coach.

Dallas Cowboys. This was an unmitigated disaster.  Just think Quincy Carter.  Parcells could only lead the COwboys to two playoff losses in his 4 years with the teams.

Miami Dolphins.  And don’t even get me started on this phase of his career.  Inserted as the Team President, the Dolphins were unable to go anywhere in his 5 years in that position.

So with each succeeding team, Parcells has left the team increasingly worse than when he arrived.  I’m not sure what he has left to prove, and frankly I think the game has passed him by.  Yet, Sean Payton still wants Parcells to take over the team as inerim head coach this year. My question is why?

It really seems like 2012 is going to be a lost year for the Saints.  Drew Brees is unhappy, players and coaches alike are going to be suspended and the karma over the team is really, really negative.  Again, my question is why would anyone want to do this, especially Bill Parcells?

2012 All Star Weekend’s Lesser Activities

Here we go again.  It’s NBA All Star Weekend, where former NBA “Stars,” WNBA “ballers” and former players all get together to watch an utter lack of hustle and defense at the NBA All Star Game.  This is not the best platform for the kids to learn about the basketball fundamentals.But they are still interested.

But before the All Star Game is actually playerd, we are “entertained” by various pre game contests – the Celebrity Game, The D-League All Star Game, Shooting Stars, the Three Point Contest, the Slam Dunk Contest, the getting as high as you can contest, the skills contest, the list goes on and on.  We decide to watch some of the activities.  I have to first explain why C’s favorite player, Luol Deng, isn’t in the competition.  I tell him I don’t know why.

Shooting Stars

The first competition we watched was Shooting Stars.  The two things I took away from that is that New York won, and Dennis Scott is extremely pudgy.

The Skills Competition

The Skills Competition features the boys’ favorite player – Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma Thunder.  But Rajon Rondo is first.  Rondo’s in chill mode as he sets the barometer pretty high.  Then Deron Williams blew right by him (Kyrie Irving, obviously nervous in this high intensity competition could not make any of his shots from the top of the key.  Even Rajon Rondo made his shot from the top of the key.

The boys are shocked that Westbrook does worse than Rondo and Williams.  Come to find out, Westbrook gets eliminated in the First Round.  Rondo also wins a tie breaker and proceeds to whip the ball at the chest of the guys he’s playing for after the guy snickers at Rondo’s time.

Tony Parker ends up winning the contest and completely ignores his civilian friend he is playing for.  What did Eva Longoria see in this guy?

Three Point Contest

“Seriously, Kevin Love is in the 3 point contest?”  The line up is so much better than the slam dunk contest – Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, Mario Chalmers.  In fact, Chalmers and Love are tied after the first round and have to go to a tie breaker.  But Durant and James Jones takes the lead with 21 and 20 points over Chalmers and Love.

So I want Love to win, G wants Durant and C wants James Jones to win.  No one wanted to take me up on my wagering offer.  I guess I have to pay them their allowances…

…And feel free to read more on jmannreview.

Tim Tebow Reaches the End of His Road in New England

It was just last month when Tim Tebow lost to the New England Patriots.  He and the Denver Broncos were on a roll, having won 6 in a row and 7 of 8.  They started the game against the Patriots running effectively and leapt out to a 13-0 lead in the first quarter before the Patriots could even blink their eyes.  But the game ended poorly for the Broncos, leading to a three game tailspin that almost cost the Broncos a berth in the playoffs.

The buildup to that Patriots-Broncos game was incredible.  Tebow was at his highest point.  But he hadn’t beaten a good team yet.  Media types were killing each other analyzing and over-analyzing the game.  Could Belichick stop God’s gift?  Ultimately, he had to wait until the improbable ending to the game last night for Tebow to finally beat a good team.

And now he has to face the Patriots again.  Bill Belichick will throw the same looks at Tebow on defense.  Betting that his front seven will be able to stop Tebow, Willis McGahee just like they did a couple of weeks ago.  Installed as a 14 point early favorite, Las Vegas thinks that the Patriots are going to roll over the Broncos again.  I’m not so sure.  This is the playoffs and the Patriots recent record is not sterling since losing to the New York Giants in 2008.

My prediction:  The Broncos stick with the Patriots as their running style continues to dominate the Patriots defense.  Tom Brady again honchos up in the Second Quarter and as is similar with recent Patriots games, the Patiots spot the Broncos an early lead before turning the heat on.  The First Half will be close and then the Patriots will start to pull away in the Second Half.  Leading by 17 points in the Fourth Quarter, Tebow begins the Fourth Quarter comeback and almost brings the team back but ultimately loses 31-20. 

The Tebow era has to wait until September to start up again.  And that’s just fine with the Patriots.

Do Waters and Mankins Deserve Pro Bowl Nods

Of the 8 New England Patriots that were selected to represent the team at the 2012 Pro Bowl, two starters stood out more than the others (I’ll keep Slater out of this since it’s unconscionable that he would be selected for anything good) – Brian Waters and Logan Mankins.  I really think that the selection committee went over board in favoring the most powerful owner in professional football.

Maybe it was just me who thought that Brady was running for his life a lot more than any other time that I can remember.  And maybe the Patriots were stung by the injury bug on the offensive line all year, but to reward two players who just so happened to play in all of the games seem a bit much.  Let’s look at the statistics (and keep in mind that line play that would reward individual play includes pass blocking since run blocking relies more on the player running the ball and the scheme in which he running than the people doing the blocking:

Brady has been sacked 28 times, with one game to go. That total is more than any year since Brady was sacked 32 times in 2003.  A bad day against Buffalo and Brady will be sacked more times than any other year except his first year in 2001.

His sack percentage of 4.6%, while lower than last year’s percentage of 4.8%, it is higher than any other year since 2006.  Again a bad day against Buffalo will result in his worst sack percentage since 2001.

His adjusted net yards per attempt, while historically higher than any time in his career, is less than the Patriots’ 2007 super season and the same as last years – certainly not so much better that the Patriots should expect to have 2 of the best 5 linemen in the AFC.

Of course, the chances of any of the 8 Patriots actually playing for the AFC team is small given turnover due to injury.  Even better, these players might not be able to play because they are playing on the following Sunday.

 

Candlestick Stadium’s Problems Conjure Up The Five Worst Stadium Issues Ever

Last night, just before the 49ers – Steelers game, the power went out at the Stadium leading to a strange sight of the stadium going from full light to darkness in seconds.  A second power outage later in the game caused the city’s mayor to call the game a national embarrassment even leading some media outlets to put on the conspiracy glasses and declare tha tthe power outages were caused by elements who wanted to demonstrate to the NFL that the $150 million the team needs to build its Santa Clara stadium is good for the team and the NFL.  It’s funny, I’ve always taken Gillette Stadium for granted, but maybe I shouldn’t anymore.  I have it pretty good in Foxboro.

This issue is just one of five staium issues that caused game time problems.

1.  Hartford Civic Center Collapse.  Thankfully the ice and snow buildup that caused the roof to collapse at the Hartford Whaler‘s home in 1978 happened in the middle of the night, only hours after two high school teams finished their games.  The Whalers played in Springfield for the next year and a half before returning fr the 1980 season.

2.  Montreal’s Olympic Stadium.  The home of the Montreal Expos had a state-of-the-art retractable roof.  It was the highlight of teh 1976 Summer Olympics.  Unfortunately, the draped roof immediately broke down and was deemed to be too dangerous to actually ever move again.  The Expos left for Washington DC just a couple of years later (or maybe 15 years later, but work with me here.)

3.  Seattle Kingdome’s Falling tiles.  Plagued by falling tiles have affected the Mariners home games until they moved out of the Kingdome of rgood in the 2000 season.  The last time against the Mike Greenwell led Boston Red Sox who was able to move their games Fenway Park in th 1994 season.

4.  49ers Problems with Light.  Luckily, the power outages were not caused by an earthquake or other natural disaster.  THe only disaster was Ben Roethlisberger’s performance in a 20-3 thrashing.

5.  Vikings Metrodome Collapse.  Similar to the Whalers’ home stadium issue, the Vikings were forced to play the rest of their home schedule at the University of Minnesota’s stadium after the Metrodome’s collapse was caught on videotape.  It’s now just a matter of time before the Vikings call Los Angeles home.

Baseball Wax Museum as a Cooperstown Attraction

Tucked away a couple of blocks down the main street from the Hall of Fame in two stories, the first and only person to greet us took our money and pointed where to go through a turnstile.  The kids were a little creeped out.  I have to admit that it was a little creepy. In any event, the Wax Museum housed (mostly) Yankees legends in various poses.  You want Joe Torre, Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle?  Check.  How about George Steinbrenner, when you first walk in?  No problem.   How about a replica of Derek Jeter that looks nothing like Jeter?  You betcha.   

We also watched one of those blooper videos that they used to sell on TV during This Week in Baseball, prominently featuring Tommy Lasorda, Earl Weaver and Sparky Anderson.  I think I actually owned that video when I was kid. 

There were a couple of photo opportunities and a radio recording of Who’s on First by Abbott and Costello to mix up the wax figures.  Not much to change up the smell of Yankee Candle, so to speak.  Overall, the kitsch could not justify the steep price (47 dollars for two adults and three children) for the one hour of entertainment.  LC was annoyed that we paid that much for something so dank (her words not mine). I would have preferred some replicas of more recent players.  And maybe mix in some Red Sox players beside Ted Williams.

Finally, my favorite exhibit was Pete Rose’s.  Together with some pictures and autographs, it appears that Pete has found at least one museum in Cooperstown that will accept him.  I really enjoed looking at and reading about his “Acceptance Speech.”

Haynesworth’s Final Stand Was All Too Unfortunate

After 8 games of the 2011 Season, the Haynesworth experience is finally over.  The New England Patriots, with such high hopes at the beginning of the Training Camp, have let the underwhelming big man go after some not-so-stellar games.  His line looks similar to that of all of the other Patriots interior linemen who have done nothing this year

3 tackles, 1 assisted tackle, no sacks, no forced fumbles, nothing more than a bunch of goose eggs over 6 games this year.  Although, he looked alive against the Steelers last week, the Giants game was a disaster.  Leading some commentators to openly call for his dismissal from the team for lack of effort. 

It wasn’t for lack of effort, really.  He hasn’t been the same player since his Titans days.  His lack of effort then was overshadowed by his overpowering skill and at time his complete and utter insanity.  Now, at the age of 30, with 10 years of getting hit, his body isn’t what it once was and his low “compete level” is a liability to his game.  After all, he’s been fighting a bad back all year.  It’s not his fault. (Stifling laughter)

Belichick said all of the right things, of course.  The awful sequence that culminated in Brandon Jacobs 10 yard touchdown run led to a couple of terse words with Defensive Line coach Pepper Johnson and a benching for the rest of the game.  He wasn’t the only one who underperformed in that awful Giants game, but Belichick stated that his absence was rotation related – as if Ron Brace and Gerard Warren were the next coming of the Steelers’ Steel Curtain.  No one was fooled either.  Haynesworth was awful and his presence would only serve to be a distraction if his playing time were reduced any further.

So where now for Haynesworth?  If Bill Belichick can’t turn him around with the promise of deep play off runs and more game checks, then who can?  Rex Ryan?  Andy Reid?  Laughable.  I think Foxboro was the last stop for Fat Albert.  I’d be lying if I said I was disappointed or sorry to see him go. 

The 2011 World Series Was the 4th Best in My Lifetime

It was just a couple of days ago that I asked what was wrong with the Cardinals and Rangers World Series.  It seemed like no one was watching the Series and it seemed like no one was interested. 

But that was before the epic Game 6, when the St. Louis Cardinals, behind 7-4 in the Eighth Inning, came back to tie the game in the Bottom of the Ninth on a dubious triple by David Freese (dubious in that Nelson Cruz should have caught that ball).  Then came back again in the Bottom of the Tenth after the Rangers again took the lead on Josh Hamilton’s Home Run in the beginning of the inning.  Freese then won the game in the Bottom of the 11th with a Home Run – punctuated by a Home Run call by Joe Buck that was reminiscent of his Father’s call of Kirby Puckett’s Home Run in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series.  Nice moment.

A lot happened that night that was good for baseball.  And that’s what’s great about the sport.  The minute you count it out, is the minute that something special happens in the game.  Game 7 ended up being won by the Cardinals, marking one fo the most improbable runs in playoff history.  Game 7 was also the most watched World Series Game since the 2004 World Series between the Cardinals and the Red Sox.

Where does it stack up with the other World Series of my lifetime.  I would put it fourth

2004 World Series – Red Sox over the Cardinals.  Of course.

1986 World Series – Mets over the Red Sox.  A lot of drama beside Game 6, including the curious decision of pitching Al Nipper in Game 5 and the classic Game 2 1-0 game.

2001 World Series – Diamondbacks over the Yankees (what a great series, including come back wins in virtually every game amidst the back drop of 9/11.

2011 World Series – So much to think about.  Washington and LaRussa setting back managerial strategy 25 years with some very shaky calls in Games 5 and 6, Walk off home runs and late inning drama.

2002 World Series – Despite John Lackey (I’m sure he was much skinnier back then too).

Welcome back to the game, baseball.

The 1986 Bill Buckner Just Does Not Get a Break

Hot on the heels of a memorable episode from Curb Your Enthusiasm and a bit in Catching Hell – The Steve Bartman story (in the greatest non-sequitur in cinematic history), the 1986 Bill Buckner is again on the front page of ESPN as the notorious baseball from Game 6 of the 1986 World Series is going up for auction next week.  The minimum asking price for the baseball is expected to be $1 million, one of the most expensive pieces of sports memorabilia in history.  But is this really what Bill Buckner wants?  The fancy and expensive Red Sox’s complete and utter collapse this season seems like a perfect bookend to the sale of the most famous baseball in Red Sox history.  But is this what Buckner is resigned to – well that and the Brockton Rox?

He had an exceptional career, marked by a single error that defined him, if not cost the Red Sox the World Series.  From his 1991 return to the the Red Sox to his return at the start of 2008, Buckner has made an uneasy peace with one of the most important plays in baseball history.  I remember being upset that he gave up that error all of those years ago.  Now I’m angry to see that his image is still conjured up.  Leave the guy alone.

But here we are.  Charlie Sheen once owned the ball and now some jackass named Seth Swirsky – in a thinly veiled attempt at capitalizing on Buckner’s recent notoriety and the 25th anniversary of the play coming up in a couple of weeks – is selling the ball for more than 10 times what he paid for it.  I doubt he will share any of the proceeds with Buckner (or his favorite charity).  Meanwhile, Buckner makes the occasional appearance at old timer games seemingly refusing to capitalize himself on the Play.  I do understand that Swirsky is donating some of the proceeds to B.A.T.

Here’s my thought.  Someone buys it, and then similar with the Bartman ball, detonate it in front of live TV and exercise that demon forever.  And maybe Bill Buckner can go back and never have to answer questions about that play the next time someone sells that baseball to drum up some mortgage money.