ESPN's Commandments For Athlete Survival In New York

Sorry for the quality but it's worthwhile to watch if you havn't seen it already. I like how Plax gets consecutive mentions pretty casually and how A-Rod gets 2 as well. The second commandment is probably the best though.

Referees Deciding The Game

It seems that every week, there are at least a few instances of referees making a call that decides the game. Now, there are two ways of responding to when a ref makes a call that decides the game. One is to say that a foul at the beginning of the game should be one at the end of the game, while the other is to note that the players not the referees should decide the game.

While both sides present valid argument, my thought is as follows. As with most case in life, a compromise has to be found. What I propose is a higher barrier for making a call, that is, a questionable call made is the first quarter should not be made in the fourth. Thus, if its a foul that does not lend an advantage to either side, it probably should not be called as well. However, if a foul occurs where the non occurrence of the foul would have changes the circumstances such that the outcome could possibly be different, example a blatant pass interference preventing a touchdown, then it must be called. Ideally, games should not be decided by a ref but they also should not be decided by the lack of a call.

Should the U.S. Auto Industry Be Bailed Out?

No. But ultimately yes.

The U.S. Auto Industry, the "Big 3" has been working an inefficient system while attempting to stay in contention with "foreign" automobile manufacturers and now want money to bail them out? It would be ridiculous were it not so sad. Yes, I am aware that the Big 3 employs over 200,000 employees. However, it is simply the nature of the market.

The Big 3 has been hesitant to change in more than one form. They have been holding to the ideal that during a time when consumers have less money than ever, they will want to let alone be able to buy gas guzzlers like the GMC Yukon or the Ford Excursion, not to mention the ridiculous amount of wasteful trucks. There is a reason why Toyota and Honda are so successful. It is that their primary focus is on the car and the mid size SUV with a mini van mixed in, to provide the needs while giving flexibility in terms of fuel and features. Furthermore, even Al Gore noted that it was unfortunate that the Big 3 had essentially give Toyota a strong foothold in the last 7-8 years by allowing the Toyota Prius to corner the market. Hell, even in today's economic crisis, where some GM dealers are offering buy one get one car sales, the price for the Prius has been marked up by dealers.

Furthermore, the labor union and management should be blamed for the current situation as well. The Big 3 fail to realize that they need to restructure benefits packages such as virtually every other industry has done. One of the sticking points of the latest bailout proposal has been that the Big 3 and the associated labor unions were not willing to accept competitive pay with the U.S. workers for the foreign employers, employ over 110,000 Americans, but are paid 3-4 dollars less, while still being paid reasonably.

Detroit is having a bad year. The Lions suck. The Pistons gave away their heart and soul and now are sucky. The Indians will suck after Kerry Wood messes up his elbow after a week of spring training. Detroit needs something, and if those financial firms whose actions were just as egregious were given a 700 bil bailout, it seems that the automakers should get one as well.

Requiem for a Change

As you may (or probably may not) have noticed I had taken a hiatus from blogging. In the mean time, some great and some not so great things happened. The Lakers and the Colts are doing well (to most people at least) and the Dodgers are the Dodgers.

The reason of this post is to note a philosophical shift for this blog. Since I could just as well be reading and commenting on a billion other blogs that would serve the same purpose as this, I have decided that I would like this to be a bit different.

Thus, I am throwing away the conventional wisdom that one should not mix sports and politics and I will even add some philosophy to this concoction. Hopefully, this blog will serve to be both informative and/or pointless while being thought provoking on a variety of topics. For what is that which you read to serve but as nourishment for the mind.

21 Is Not Enough?

[Required Reading: Matt's last post on the matter that links to all posts that matter]


It's a bit like getting an Ace and 10 and be left wanting an Ace and a Jack. Thus is a bit like what I feel is happening after US defeated Angola by "only" 21. Before I get to some of the more nuanced part of the argument, I would like to take a topical approach at this. A possible way to look at this victory is that even though the U.S. played quite poorly, they won by 21. Sure they didn't shoot the three well, but why does it matter? It matters because U.S. wont be able to do the press and run defense/offense against good teams? Well, exactly WHO has or will stopped the U.S. from doing generally whatever they want? Greece? They looked simply awful against Spain and looked good against an inexperienced German team that already has a relatively weak backcourt and had a Caveman trying to play point. Spain? Ricky Rubio isn't exactly Jose Calderon and is prone to giving up the ball, especially when he'll probably be matched up with CP3. Furthermore, do we really expect the most complete player in the world to continue shooting .069 from the three point line? I for one do not. And for those calling for more Redd, its not like he's lighting up the building either. Yes, I know he is the designated "zone buster" but Tayshaun Prince and Kobe has made about the same amount (give or take one or two 3s) of non garbage 3s as Redd has made. I thought the purpose of most bloggers was to get through the misconceptions? If so how is one not a hypocrite for being harshly critical of someone like Jason Kidd but not on Redd if he is not performing? Granted, the sample size is small, but you get the idea. Also, I'd like to note that some players, namely Kobe Bryant, are not showing much energy on the defensive end, a trend that should change once the U.S. starts playing higher profile opponents.


As for 2006, experience cant be undervalued. FIBA IS different than the NBA and quite honestly, as the players themselves would admit, they are a lot more comfortable now than they have ever been. This has been helping their defense, in moreso than allowing them to grab the ball off the top of the rim, as they have found a comfort zone defensively in increasing their aggressiveness especially in curbing rolls to the basket. It would look better on paper and to watch if the U.S. were hitting their threes. That much, I will grant. However, that is not enough to start like its the day after the semi finals of the 2006 World Championships.

Perhaps it is time to simply relax.

Rick Reilly Can't Pronounce Wade

A lot of good stuff about Wade's been going around the net today, especially after his strong performance against Angola (who likely as Rick notes beat the spread.) We here at MyInnerFan would like to add to Wade's good day on the tubes with this. PTI is an excellent show and today's show provided various occurrences of unintentional comedy. Now, let us turn over to Reilly (with the fun starting with about 3:10 left)

NBC Shows Its Run By Idiots Tape Delay For West Coast Viewers

In a baffling decision NBC has decided to show premier events such the men's 400m and tomorrow's much anticipated USA v China game on tape delay. I am not making that up. West coast viewers, who make up for a decent portion of US viewers are forced to watch the events 3 hours after they unfold. By the time NBC aired its "live" coverage tonight, most already knew that Michael Phelps had won his first gold and that Katie Hoff had stumbled to a bronze. In the era of the Internet (and blogs) it is absolutely infuriating that the only way to avoid knowing the results until the events are shown "live" is to avoid major news and sports news channels or to navigate NBC's poor online streams. Please, NBC, please realize that you guys are idiots and PLEASE air the most watched game in basketball history, as well as the subsequent events LIVE for everyone including the hundred million viewers on the west coast.

Manny is Hollywood

Its only fitting that Hollywood is the next step stop for Manny. Other than perhaps collaborating with Chad Johson or T.O. there is no better place for Manny's antics than the drama loving Los Angeles fans. Just look at the biggest stars in the market. Kobe Bryant, David Beckham, as well as new Clipper Baron Davis have distinct personalities, on the court/field and off. LA seems to embrace the drama as additional free (we all know how important free things are considering the price of gas) excitement and entertainment. The laid back LA atmosphere should help Manny, as should his upcoming contract as currently most doubt that he will command 20 mil after his blatantly detracting actions while with the Red Sox this year.

As a general rule, unless you are gift wrapped some transcendent player, (*cough* Kevin Garnett *cough*) horrible GM's find a way to mess things up. This was the case with Kevin McHale making the move for Kevin Love. As is the case with Ned Colletti making the move for Manny. What did the trade do at first impact? Well, Manny's defensive liability probably will make Joe Torre play Juan Pierre and even Andruw "baseball's Kwame Brown" Jones before the skilled and superior overall player in Andre Ethier. Honestly, most informed Dodger fans will agree with me in saying that Joe Torre should man up and play Ethier and Kemp along with Manny. We already have Berroa at SS, so we do not need a 3rd (arguably 4th) automatic out in our lineup in Jones. Furthermore, it makes much more sense for Ethier to be hitting behind Manny than the over the hill Jeff Kent.

Finally I'd like to start the put the hot seat on Larry Bowa campaign. In the last few days, some ridiculous calls by the 3rd base coach......

ESPY Winners Announced, No One Cares

Well, you know what kind of award you have when it is taped, and the results are announced before the event is aired. Now generally, no one would care about such an event as it represents a C-Class (not even a B-Class) award show. But then, this particular show is backed by ESPN and Disney. Yet, it still does not matter. For one, I am happy that the public has gotten it right in this situation to not care.

[Obligatory Congrats to Kobe for Winning the Best Male Basketball Player Award]

Food for thought: Which is more pointless? The ESPYs or The Teen Choice Awards?

Live NBA Draft Lottery Analysis (Sort Of....)

Since I just got home after missing the draft due to work, here's a not so live, liveblog providing analysis for each pick in the NBA draft lottery.

Early Look At Possible Moves

After that disappointing loss, a lot of Laker fans are looking for answers. Fortunately, there is the imagining a trade game to create some [false] hope and take away a little bit of the pain of losing this game. [Personal note: This game hurts MUCH more than when I broke up with my ex.]

All of these moves will be assuming that Bynum is back healthy, as I do not know if there is any major trade we could do without a healthy Bynum.

Lakers Trade: Lamar Odom, Chris Mihm, future 1st round draft pick
Miami Trades: Shawn Marion

Rationale: With Gasol and Bynum at the 4 and 5, Marion is a better defender and 3 point shooter than Odom. Marion is also a solid defender. LO enjoys South Beach and had his most productive season there. Furthermore, if the Heat are forced to select Beasely, Odom's 'versatility' and rebounding would make him a better fit at the 4 and a better complement to him. Furthermore, it would cost more to keep Marion after his contract runs out.

Alternate: Pau Gasol instead of Odom in the aforementioned deal.

Rationale: With Bynum in the low post, Marion could stretch the floor and Odom could be a better high post player. Furthermore, Marion is an inevitable upgrade in terms of grit. Gasol would give Miami a talented center and would essentially have a more talented version of the team with which they won a championship.

Lakers Trade: Lamar Odom, future 1st rounder, and an additional player
Clippers Trade: Elton Brand

Rationale: Brand would provide a "banger" that is sorely needed by the Lakers and would be a tremendous upgrade in terms of interior rebounding and "grit." It does not look like Brand will stay with the Clippers and this would give them assets to work with. With the loss of Maggette, LO could be a solid facilitator.

Alternate: Paul Gasol instead of Odom

Rationale: Same on Lakers end, and for the Clippers a possible"twin towers effect" with a talented sf in Thornton and possibly a talented sg Eric Gordon.

Lakers Trade: Lamar Odom, Chris Mihm
Grizzlies Trade: Brian Cardinal, Jason Collins Kyle Lowry, #5 Draft pick

Rationale: Grizzlies get a tangible player and would have a core of Conley, Miller, Gay, Odom, and possibly a center with some upside in the draft. The Lakers get rid of Odom's contract and would get a solid prospect at #5. Kyle Lowry should also motivate Farmar.

The Audacity Of Hope - Game 4 Review

I am speechless. Perplexed. Sad. Angry.

The second half took a combined thousands of years off of Laker fans and hundreds of hairs off of my head. I have no way to rationalize this loss. It is simply painful even to analyze.

Phil Jackson was out coached. He would have been even if the Lakers eeked out a victory. This entire year, the Lakers have been prone to what happened today, that is, letting teams back in, rather than putting the game away. Today, it cost us. It’s hard not to place some of the blame on Phil Jackson. The entire second half, the Lakers had poor spacing and/or lack of ball movement. The Lakers DO have a potent offense. However, it is not maximally effective, unless, there is a decent amount of off the ball cuts, or on the ball cuts. (a.k.a. penetration inside) One particular play stood out to me. The Lakers had all Odom at the top of the key, Farmar at the left wing extended and Sasha at the left sideline. All three were behind the 3 point line. This, while objectionable in itself as 3 players were space so poorly, was compounded by the ball being in the hands of Kobe who was at the right wing behind the three point line. No one cut. The Lakers did get lucky and got fouled, but Ronnie missed both. This will be a lasting example of the inability of the Laker offense to follow the basic tenets when struggling.

[I would like to note that I also angry at two specific plays. One on the late possession where Paul Pierce pulled a Manu and got the call from the official WHOSE VIEW WAS OBSTRUCTED. Honestly, perhaps a challenge system would not be so bad if refereeing is going to be so inconsistent and egregious. A second play that maddened me was the uncontested left handed lay up by Ray Allen. Where was the rotation? Where was Pau? Or Fisher? Simply disheartening to see such a remarkably bad breakdown so late in a game]

[Also, on a lesser note and more cheerful Jeff Van Gundy called Mike Breen, "Marv"]

This brings me to my last, and titular point. Regardless of the situation, we must hope. Hope is a basic human desire. Hope gives us strength. It gives strength to everyone that possesses it, from the immigrant that hopes for a better life to a fan who hopes for a better series. We must not lose strength nor belief until the very end if we are true. It is indeed possible for us to win 3 straight, although not very plausible. We must be as we want our team to be. The Lakers need to have heart and play with desperation and passion such that we may, at the least, avoid seeing the Celtics celebrate on our home floor after winning the Larry O’Brien trophy. It seems a bit inane to hope at this point, but hope we must, for how depressing would the world be without hope.

Piercing Through Misrepresentations

I do not get surprised often, but I am very surprised at this moment. I am surprised that a mainstream media member, the accomplished Bill Plaschke would do what Buzz Bissinger expects bloggers to do. Plaschke was quite explicit in his criticism of Pierce. I for one am quite pleasantly surprised with this take. There is no hesitation in this column, no fear that it would be mistaken for a fan blog. Normally, I would at least partially those that cry a lack of journalistic etiquette in Plaschkes’s tone in column, but I will not today. Why? Because I agree with Plaschke. Paul Pierce is no Willis Reed. Please, for the love of Gotham, stop that comparison. I may not have been alive for that game, but I have seen it, and as with anyone else that has seen it could tell you, it was nothing similar to what Paul Pierce “suffered.” It was all too theatrical, highlighted by the wheelchair. The sight was so ridiculous that it has even managed to take the spotlight off of other major story lines. I shall end this section of this post with a quick personal story. A part of knee (which I believe to be my tibia) sticks out notably and gives me pain. Even with that, I’ve gotten bumped quite hard and/or awkwardly on my knee many times without so much as missing a minute of action. Are you to tell me that a professional athlete, that came back from multiple stab wounds to play all 82 games the following season has a lower pain threshold than a hobbled blogger? This could simply be me, but something sure did look fishy.

Oldie But Goodie - Coby Karl Getting The Rookie Treatment

Don't Flip The Script On What Works

I have been meaning to write this post for a couple of days now, ever since rumors arose that Flip Saunders may have lost his job over his recent loss at the hands of the Boston Celtics. However, due to time commitments to work as well as my increasing school work as finals week approaches, I was not able to publish this before what I meant to warn against happened, Flip got fired.

If this season has shown us anything, it is that drastic changes, (unless the changes are based off of insanely one sided moves, such as the Celtics acquiring Allen and Garnett,) do not work. Look no further than the Phoenix Suns as the perfect example of how such changes negatively impact a club’s future. The Suns’ already had a limited window for having a good chance at winning a championship, namely, until Steve Nash stopped being Steve Nash. However, they had a shot at being contenders with a core of Amare - Marion - Diaw - Barbosa, given that they added a capable point guard. They also had a coach that some people, including myself, feel changed the landscape of professional basketball by his focus on offensive basketball. Then, the trade for Shaq occurred. A few months later, the celebrated coach found a ‘better’ home in the team that had been the laughing stock of the NBA.

A perfect contrast to the situation of the Suns is that of my Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers are now in the finals. Why? One reason is that the previously much maligned Mitch Kupchack stood still, even amid trade demands.

I’ll concede that Flip deserves some blame for that monumental collapse last year. Would I still have the same argument then? Yes. I would be less convinced of my own argument? Yes. Look why change now? Why throw a first time coach into the fire now? Look the Pistons’ ‘window’ is rapidly closing, and this move may have just shut it. When was the last time a first time coach won the NBA finals? If that is the goal, then why change everything now?

Before I finish this point, I inquire those of you that have not read this, to read this brilliant post from the excellent Grizzlies’ blog, 3 Shades of Blue.

Of course the glory days didn't last long in Memphis. By Thanksgiving the
following season Hubie was gone and the team was in a slow painful fall back to
a losing program. Oh sure, it didn't happen right away. Memphis made the
playoffs for two more years but the embarrassment of three consecutive sweeps in
the playoffs and three coaching moves over the next four seasons doomed what was
supposed to be a promising beginning in Memphis.

I know it is a bit of a strech to comapre the Grizzles' long road to detsruction to a possible one with the Pistons, but the similarities are simply there.

Rejoice!

Fines for flopping!

Lots of happy people, outside of San Antonio, and perhaps Cleveland and Utah. I wonder what the odds are on who will be the first? I'd have Varejao as the favorite, with Manu close behind. We shall see. Now all we need is a Laker win tomorrow to top a solid 24 hours.

Lookalikes! Sasha Vujacic & Rafael Nadal

The Machine meets The Machine on clay. Sasha Vujacic and Rafael Nadal, respectively.

Post game Thoughts - Lakers - Spurs Game [It was not a foul, What has Pop been Thinking............]

• Spurs have no reason complaining on that last play. Miller and Smith made great points on 'Inside The NBA.' Barry should have leaned in to make the foul more obvious. Even then, it should have not been a two point game. The play just before it, it looked like the ball hit the rim before going off of the corpse of Robert Horry. Thus, the Lakers should have had the ball with 5.6 seconds left, with the Spurs forced to foul. Even a play or two before that, LO's block looked fairly clean. Finally, the Spurs got generous calls the entire game until then. If they could not capitalize on that, why should they have to be bailed out?
• Looks like Pop followed what me [and others] have been saying and played Barry more in place of the corpse of Finley. I am just confounded as to why it took Pop this long to make such adjustment. I'd assume Finley is about -90 total for this series by now.
• Also, why does Pop not play Kurt Thomas? He can defend, shoot, and rebound better than Horry, and would not pass up an open 4 footer........
• I was really impressed with the maturity of the Lakers. Luke Walton affirming that he was struggling even though he was scoring in the first half, and Kobe noting that he took the shot too early with about 28 seconds left.
• Odom and Fish had decent bounce back games and provided the momentum killing plays when needed.

Pregame Notes - Lakers - Spurs Game 4

[Random thoughts before the game..............]

• Right, left! - Even though its been duly noted that Manu is a left hander, and that The Machine has been one of the few people to actually realize this, Ginoblii still lit up Los Angeles in Game 3. However, he did a lot of the damage on step back threes, and Sasha should continue to play the left. If he is going to continue hitting contested threes at a 72% clip, the Lakers simply have to accept it.
• Early success inside - Lamar Odom seemingly has the psyche of a 5 year old. As such, he needs to have early success for him to gain confidence. Thus, look for the Lakers to be in trouble if Lamar continually misses easy shots inside, early.
• Energy is the name of the game - The bench, ignoring the resurgent Farmar, was simply not very good. Even if they are being outscored, the Laker bench, the 'bench mob,' needs to be energetic on defense, and hopefully cause some turnovers. Furthermore, on offense, off the ball cuts, and an inside out game are necessary for success with Kobe on the bench.
• Pop not Doc - My criticism for Doc Rivers has been well documented. However, I was critical of Pop for his substitution patterns in game two, and Pop responded by showing that he was no Doc Rivers. Look for more usage of the effective Barry if one of the corpses, such as Finley, is struggling.
• Focus on Tony - As much the average viewer would like to focus on Eva, the Lakers need to focus on keeping Parker outside. Good things happen for the Spurs when Parker can penetrate effectively.

Suns Coaching Search Update

I am sure many out in the desert are wondering what Steve Kerr will do after essentially having [made the mistake of] chasing out Mike D'Antoni.

[Author's Note: As much as I dislike the Suns, I have always found SSOL very entertaining, and do believe it has revolutionized the NBA in that teams averaging 100+ is much more common. Perhaps there is no better object in which the result of SSOL can be seen as vividly as in the 2 free taco promotion at Laker games. Before D'Antoni, it used to be the Lakers had to win and hold the opposing team under 90. whereas now, it is that the Lakers have to hold the opponents to only under 100]

Well, KTAR has the update.

Personally, I feel that Mark Jackson may be good fit, PR wise. He has been well embraced by the media, and the blogosphere for the most part, and will bring excitement, while not matching that in the SSOL era, could still hold expectations and results high. One of the criticism's of D'Antoni was that he was not tough enough with his players with regards to practice and defense, and Jackson could definitely right that.

Another intriguing candidate is Brian Shaw. I think he may be a good short term fit in Phoenix as, from as far as I have garnered, his offense is stylistically loose, which would allow Steve Nash the flexibility he would need to be the great play maker. Furthermore, Shaw too, would probably have no problem confronting players, even though he has generally been well liked by players.


And as always, I have no doubt that you can not go wrong with Spurs' or Pistons' top assistants. I would assume these two would not shy away from using the Suns bench, such that the starters would not be consistently tired late, and since it would allow players to be capable when they are forced to come in. [More D.J. Strawberry please!]

I suppose we will find out in mid june.