Basketball Thoughts Before the Big Apple
*This stupid idea of calling everday "Elimination (fill-in the day)" is getting a real old, real fast. For example, on my way home from work tonight, ESPN Radio was talking about the Florida State/Clemson game, and called it an elimination game, hey guys, it’s in a tournament THEY ARE ALL ELIMINATION GAMES!!! Quite honestly neither of those teams should be going to the NCAA Tournament. Clemson started the season 17-0 (against mainly garbage teams) and is 4-9 since, how could ANYONE think they should be in the tournament. Florida State has already lost to Clemson twice (adding to my belief that Clemson has beaten NOBODY) but have a “quality” win against Duke.
*DUKE STINKS THIS YEAR!!! It pains me to say it because they are my second favorite team behind Pitt, but lets face it, they just are not good. They get special treatment because the name on the shirt and the coach on the sidelines, but beating Duke shouldn’t be considered an accomplishment this season by any ACC team.
*Dominic James is the biggest baby I have ever seen play basketball. He was injured AGAIN tonight in the game against St. John’s. This extended his streak to 42 straight games that he left at some point during the game, but miraculously healed in the closing minutes of the game in which he could re-enter and attempt to play the role of hero.
*(PRO HOOPS) Kobe Bryant should be suspended for more than the one game that he was for hitting Minnesota Timberwolves guard Marko Jaric with a forearm after Jaric blocked his shot. This is the second time this year that Kobe was suspended for the same thing. This guy is as graceful and agile as anyone in basketball while in the air. Yet, twice when his shot is blocked in the final seconds of a close game this happens?? Gimme a break.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqqEsZrdQ9Q
*Speaking about violence in sports, the suspension Duke guard Gerald Henderson received for hitting North Carolina center Tyler Hansbrough was an absolute joke. Anyone who as ever played a sniff of basketball could see that Henderson was clearly going for the ball. The ball was knocked away from Hansbrough, and Henderson swung his body towards where the ball was now going. Unfortunately, when he made this move he drilled Hansbrough across the bridge of his nose, and his nose pretty much exploded, leaving blood everywhere. Even Hansbrough said it is a physical game and stuff like that happens. He also said that he didn’t think Henderson hit him on purpose.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAR2tWAj49o
*We have reached conference tournament time and the debate on which conference is the best in college basketball is at an all-time high as conference fight for the fans viewer-ship. Let me help in this one. This is how each of the major six conferences were represented this week in the AP Top 20:
ACC (2 teams): North Carolina (#8) Maryland (18)
SEC (1 team): Florida (6)
PAC-10 (3 teams): UCLA (4) Washington St. (11) Oregon (16)
Big Ten (2 teams): Ohio State (1) Wisconsin (3)
Big XII (3 teams): Kansas (2) Texas A&M (7) Texas (15)
Big East (5 teams): Georgetown (9) Louisville (12) Pitt (13) Marquette (18) Notre Dame (20)
For quality and parity I think it is pretty clear that the best conference is the Big East.
*PREDICTION TIME:
ACC Tournament:
CHAMPION: North Carolina over Virginia
Upset Watch: #6 Georgia Tech over #3 Virginia Tech
Big East:
CHAMPION: Louisville over Syracuse
Upset Watch: #9 Villanova over #1 Georgetown
Big Ten:
WHO CARES?!!!!!!!
BIG XII:
CHAMPION: Texas A&M over Kansas
Upset Watch: #12 Colorado over #5 Texas Tech
PAC-10:
CHAMPION: UCLA over Washington
Upset Watch: #7 Washington over #2 Washington State AND #3 USC
SEC:
CHAMPION: Tennessee over Vanderbilt
Upset Watch: Tennessee BIG over Florida in the semifinals
Okay fine, Big Ten:
CHAMPION: Wisconsin over Michigan
Upset Watch: #8 Michigan over #1 Ohio State
There you have it, all the information you will need over the next few days. I will be back from New York and the Big East Tournament on Sunday with lots of stuff ammo for next week. Enjoy CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK!!!
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
The Penguins and State CLASH
The Penguins and State CLASH
The Pittsburgh Penguins may actually be leaving the city. That is at least what they want the state to believe. When you negotiate a contract you have to be willing to make the other side believe that you are willing to walk away. The Penguins are now to that point. They have bargained, they have dealed, they have conceded points, but now they have threatened to walk.
As Ed Rendell and Dan Onorato continue to play dumb in this whole situation, the Penguins brass came out yesterday and put down the facts. They stated that they offered to pay $2.86 million dollars a year towards the new arena originally, but the state came back and wanted $4 million. That was the number that the Penguins brought to the table yesterday, the exact number the state requested, but again the state said no. All that was said by Rendall was the same thing he has been saying all along, “I still believe that we are very close to getting this deal.”
Really Ed?
What makes you think that?
You aren’t in Philadelphia anymore. You are now talking about the LEFT side of the state. By LEFT, I mean both geographically and politcally. The politics and politicians on this side of the state are more screwed up than the Anna Nicole Smith hearings. This is the same city in which it has apparently been decided to argue for years over who gets the casinos rather than just getting them up and running. It is not just by chance that other casino licenses in the state are being used already as needed, with the working casinos.
I would love to see the Penguins stay, not for the hockey, although I’m becoming a fan, but for the city. Pittsburgh is already on the downswing, and this would just be another step. This city needs the Pens much more than the Penguins needs Pittsburgh, but the politicians don’t see that. Letting the Penguins leave Pittsburgh would be career suicide for for the young leaders of the area, mayor Luke Ravenstahl and county executive Dan Onorato.
What is shocking about all of this is that Mario Lemieux DOES know this about the city of Pittsburgh. He has lived in or around the city his entire adult life. Yet he still is doing everything possible to make this deal happen so the Penguins can stay in Pittsburgh. He already bailed them out of bankruptcy. He let it slide when the Penguins were excluded from the deal that put up state of the art sports facilties on the North Shore. What more does the guy need to do?
This may not be the best next step for the Penguins in their little game of Deal or No Deal that the state is playing with them, but if I were Lemieux, this would be my move. I walk into the next meeting by myself. No lawyers, no NHL spokespeople, nobody. The only thing in my possession is a boombox and a cassette tape. As I put the boombox on the conference table and insert my single of THE CLASH from 1982 that I brought along with me, I say to the political figures, “This won’t take more than a few seconds”, and I push play.
Darling you gotta let me know
Should I stay or should I go?
If you say that you are mine
I'll be here til the end of time
So you got to let know
Should I stay or should I go?
The Pittsburgh Penguins may actually be leaving the city. That is at least what they want the state to believe. When you negotiate a contract you have to be willing to make the other side believe that you are willing to walk away. The Penguins are now to that point. They have bargained, they have dealed, they have conceded points, but now they have threatened to walk.
As Ed Rendell and Dan Onorato continue to play dumb in this whole situation, the Penguins brass came out yesterday and put down the facts. They stated that they offered to pay $2.86 million dollars a year towards the new arena originally, but the state came back and wanted $4 million. That was the number that the Penguins brought to the table yesterday, the exact number the state requested, but again the state said no. All that was said by Rendall was the same thing he has been saying all along, “I still believe that we are very close to getting this deal.”
Really Ed?
What makes you think that?
You aren’t in Philadelphia anymore. You are now talking about the LEFT side of the state. By LEFT, I mean both geographically and politcally. The politics and politicians on this side of the state are more screwed up than the Anna Nicole Smith hearings. This is the same city in which it has apparently been decided to argue for years over who gets the casinos rather than just getting them up and running. It is not just by chance that other casino licenses in the state are being used already as needed, with the working casinos.
I would love to see the Penguins stay, not for the hockey, although I’m becoming a fan, but for the city. Pittsburgh is already on the downswing, and this would just be another step. This city needs the Pens much more than the Penguins needs Pittsburgh, but the politicians don’t see that. Letting the Penguins leave Pittsburgh would be career suicide for for the young leaders of the area, mayor Luke Ravenstahl and county executive Dan Onorato.
What is shocking about all of this is that Mario Lemieux DOES know this about the city of Pittsburgh. He has lived in or around the city his entire adult life. Yet he still is doing everything possible to make this deal happen so the Penguins can stay in Pittsburgh. He already bailed them out of bankruptcy. He let it slide when the Penguins were excluded from the deal that put up state of the art sports facilties on the North Shore. What more does the guy need to do?
This may not be the best next step for the Penguins in their little game of Deal or No Deal that the state is playing with them, but if I were Lemieux, this would be my move. I walk into the next meeting by myself. No lawyers, no NHL spokespeople, nobody. The only thing in my possession is a boombox and a cassette tape. As I put the boombox on the conference table and insert my single of THE CLASH from 1982 that I brought along with me, I say to the political figures, “This won’t take more than a few seconds”, and I push play.
Darling you gotta let me know
Should I stay or should I go?
If you say that you are mine
I'll be here til the end of time
So you got to let know
Should I stay or should I go?
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