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posted by admin on May 1

This weekend may be one of the greatest non-traditionally exciting sports weekends in recent memory.

We all know Super Bowl Weekend will be exciting, two weeks prior with the two conference championship games might be even more exciting, Masters weekend, March Madness, opening week of the NFL and many more sports consuming weekends we plan on but every now and then a time comes along when the stars align for a potentially all-time great sports weekend out of nowhere.

Saturday:
Caps - Pens game one. Ovechkin vs. Sid the Kid. Potentially the most exciting playoff hockey series in over a decade.

Kentucky Derby - when the whole country suddenly remembers we race horses for our own amusement. Let the Triple Crown buzz begin.

Game 7: Celtics - Bulls. The greatest opening round playoff series ever will have to end Saturday night. The possibilities for this game are insane. I’m prepared for a blowout, I’m prepared for six OT’s. I’m prepared for anything short of time traveling aliens.

Pacquiao vs. Hatton - Not much of a boxing fan but should be a helluva fight.

Apparently, there is a HUGE women’s soccer match in Boston. If I knew more I’d write more.

Sunday:

Tiger and Phil in contention.

Heat-Hawks Game 7. Assuming the Heat hold on to win tonight.

This is not even counting the other NBA and NHL playoff games, the couple dozen MLB games or whatever other sporting events are overshadowed this weekend. Something memorable is practically guaranteed to happen this weekend. I actually feel bad for my roommate who’s stuck going to Vegas for a bachelor party. Now that’s one helluva weekend.

Also, the Heat retired Dan Marino’s jersey. How is that acceptable?

posted by admin on Apr 22

I am tentatively obsessed with MLB ‘09′s Road to the Show mode. For those unaware, Road to the Show allows you to create a player and start a career from scratch. You only play the game situations that you are involved with directly. This works exceptionally well for baseball because the sport is more individual.

I used the qualifier tentatively because a few bizarre fielding/cut-off man glitches irk me. So far I’ve gotten past them because 20-year old starting pitcher, Mike Soucy, has only recently been moved up to Triple A and giving up an error ridden triple is probably reasonable in Double A. But if something I deem a glitch were to cost me a game or break up a no hitter rest assured my anger would suspend the game indefinitely. I would take my ball and go home.

The other reason for qualifying my adoration has actually started to suck me further down the rabbit hole. I started my career with the Dodgers as seemed reasonable given my affection for the organization. In hindsight this was probably a mistake as their major league rotation has three members younger than real life me and more talented than video game me. Their closer actually played in the same area as me in high school and was my nemesis my senior season as we battled for the area lead in strike outs. Given that he closes for the Dodgers now my humiliating defeat has been easy to come to terms with. The glut of young pitching talent led the Dodgers (video game) organization to a logical conclusion: trade me. Trade me to the Pirates. Trade me to the fucking Pirates!

The news was soul crushing. Never before has a video game impacted me so emotionally. The betrayal! I gave everything to this team and you send me to the Pirates who haven’t had a winning season in almost two decades! Suddenly players feeling disconnected, signing simply for the most money and not caring about the team makes sense. After nearly quitting the game I have a new goal: become a free agent and get the hell out of Pittsburgh. I’m likely four years away from that possibility and can’t imagine the frustration a real life player feels.

So I’m trying to balance my ardent desire of reaching the big league’s, establishing my greatness so I can sign with any team, going to LA and winning the World Series with some semblance of a functional, productive life. Fortunately, the southern Californian heat wave seems to have broken allowing my brain to work properly once again.

I do have to give props to the game for the Dodgers-Pirates trade. The Dodgers front office seems to have identified Pittsburgh as a Triple A affiliate to send all their tweener talent. That is one of my favorite aspects of sports: when a GM seems to identify another GM as gullible and continues to pull off trades until the later discovers what is going on. The video game reproduction of this is a low-hanging fruit to be enjoyed by all.

Speaking of video games, the newest Penny Arcade comic is deliciously dark and hilarious. Just know your laughter and tears sustain their nefarious powers.

Also, no new Lost tonight. What? On the plus side I could still do a Podcast about last weeks episode and be hopelessly out of date only in Internet time.

posted by admin on Apr 14

I think the Bruins are good this year.

Alexander Ovechkin had that awkward video with Lebron.

Colorado just fired their coach so they probably aren’t winning it all.

Playoffs start tomorrow apparently. Enjoy!

posted by admin on Apr 5

Decent first game, terrible second game. UNC looks very, very good but Michigan St. keeps beating teams with more talent through defense, efficient offense, timely shot making and superior coaching/preparation. I think Monday should be a helluva game.

Before the games started I parlayed Michigan St. at +4.5 with UNC at -7. Yes, I am very smart but it also explains some of my comments during the games. All times are west coast. I’ll try to include all spelling and grammar mistakes particularly as I become drunker.

1:48 PM - Thabeet needs to take the tags off his hat. Has there ever been a Final Four with a team like UCONN? With their recruiting scandal is it possible they could win it all and then have the championship stripped a few months later? Would the NCAA ever let this happen? If UCONN wins it all look for this investigation to disappear.

1:51 PM - I’m already regretting turning this on so early. Seventy minutes ’til tip-off.

1:52 PM - First beer. Sweetwater 420.

1:55 PM - How long before CBS removes that “Connecticut Blows Sparty” sign?

2:05 PM - The sign has been removed. CBS on their A-game tonight.

2:07 PM - Eminem coming up to talk about Detroit? Time to change the channel. HBO2 has a Land Before Time marathon today. II on now, III next and then they just skip IV and go right to V? Is IV that bad?

2:17 PM - Self and Griffin just mirrored my parlay. Is that good or bad?

2:50 PM - Beers #2 and #3. It’s a big glass. Sierra Nevada Torpedo. Eating homemade fries.

2:54 PM - I hate these stupid hidden camera commercials. Just saw the one where the guy gives out popsicles with no sticks. Isn’t it funny to lie to people! “You want a popsicle little boy? How about a kick in the groin instead!” Notice they edit out the inevitable little kids balling their eyes out.

3:09 PM - Tip-off. Talking to my Mom on the phone, I really need/want Michigan St. to win, my Mom doesn’t care.

3:19 PM - Michigan St. looks much better. Getting very easy shots.

3:21 PM - Bathroom trip #1.

3:25 PM - Why do networks use this birds eye view cam? It cuts off part of the court and makes it impossible to see what the hell is going on. The standard shot that is used for 98% of the game is the best, why would you ever cut away from that?

3:30 PM - Car commercial with Howie Long is making me start to question how much of my life has been spent looking at/listening to Howie Long. Over a hundred hours? Is that acceptable in any way?

3:34 PM - UCONN’s size might take control.

3:41 PM - Are these Coke/Coke Zero commercials the equivalent of the Dodgers playing Andruw Jones last July? Everyone sees how bad they are but someone refuses to admit the expensive mistake so they just keep trotting him out there to strike out five times a game? (Editor’s Note: Sorry for the pronoun confusion.)

3:45 PM - UCONN is going to win but Tom Izzo spastically waving his team down the court? How do you not root for this team?

3:49 PM - Bathroom trip #2.

3:53 PM - I believe in Michigan St. Eating a quesadilla. Beer #4. Sweetwater 420.

3:57 PM - UCONN trying to start a fight? How stupid are they? This is the problem with basketball now, no one knows how to play tough and not be a little bitch about it. That foul was nothing in today’s game never mind what guys used to do in the 80’s and early 90’s.

4:00 PM - Now the refs make a stupid take control of the game foul call. Must be an ACC crew.

4:02 PM - How is Thabeet getting so many calls? He’s the biggest guy out there and he’s drawing touch fouls? I see his ceiling as solid NBA back-up. Ideally, for the Rockets.

4:07 PM - St. up 2 at the half. Feeling good. Hate the d’bag in the St. student section wearing sunglasses. You’re inside, take off the glasses Corey Hart.

4:13 PM - What’s with the bumblebee trim at the Ford Center?

4:16 PM - Was that woman interviewing Griffin and Self pregnant?! How do you not mention that?

4:25 PM - This Heineken commercial with the walk-in fridge is phenomenal. Too bad I can’t drink Heineken because it makes my poop smell like Heineken the next day.

4:30 PM - Mistake for UCONN to go small.

4:32 PM - Beer #5. Cable Car Small Batch Lager.

4:33 PM - Michigan St. +4 since UCONN went small. Bathroom trip #3. UCONN’s brought in another big guy.

4:45 PM - How is Thabeet not dominating this game? He is huge.

4:54 PM - Really Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg? Calhoun is clean? Have you ever met anyone from Connecticut?

4:58 PM - Bathroom trip #4. Did you know there’s an all-new Mentalist on Tuesday?

5:04 PM - Is this an ACC crew? These foul calls are egregious! Also, Vitamin Water! Michigan St. is a very good TEAM, they could beat UNC. With all these commercials acknowledging the economic crisis has America gone post-post-post Modern? Are we just too hyper aware of ourselves?

Editor’s note: I think we can safely say I just crossed into drunk territory.

5:05 PM - Is it wrong that when I see Magic’s wife all I can think about is whether or not she has HIV? Do they have sex? How? Am I terrible person?

5:06 PM - Three amazing plays from Summer now. Rebound, dunk, and a tipped ball where he jumps through the roof.

5:12 PM - Dunk! Game over, huge for me. My bracket turns out pretty decent.

5:15 PM - Bathroom trip #5.

5:22 PM - Beer #6.

5:35 PM - Michigan St. wins!

6:00 PM - Bathroom trip #6.

6:09 PM - CBS has the Masters next week!

6:13 PM - How has this game not tipped off yet? This is unacceptable! 40 minutes? Why?! Fuck you, CBS.

6:20 PM - Wake Forest beat UNC. Just saying. Editor’s Note: Please no comments.

6:20 PM - God I hate Roy Williams.

6:22 PM - Tip-off. Oh, right there’s a second game!

6:25 PM - Beer #7

6:28 - UNC will win. Hansbrough’s getting his usual ACC calls.

6:30 PM - Pizza time! Did you know Terminator: Salvation comes out May 21st? This style of joke will never get old!

6:35 PM - Game over, UNC’s going to win it all. Spring training Dodger game starts in 30 minutes. Might switch.

6:39 PM - Until this game ends I am in first place in my Tourney Pool! I am living the dream!

6:41 PM - Wow, UNC is rolling. I hope the whole team leaves for the draft.

6:46 PM - UNC is the best team in the country. How did they lose to Wake Forest?

6:51 PM - Bathroom trip #7. On par with the beers, weird.

6:56 PM - UNC up 17 I think this live journal is done.

7:02 PM - Jim Nantz knows nothing about basketball.

7:15 PM - Bathroom #8.

7:40 PM - Bathroom #9. I am old.

7:51 PM - Fuck Clark Kellog & Fuck Cleveland St.

And there you have it! It was fun until I started getting drunk and UNC killed ‘Nova then writing down anything became work. Impressions? Not sure if I’ll do that again but it was interesting to try!

posted by admin on Mar 31

Interesting article from ESPN’s departing ombudsman Le Anne Schrieber.

She summarizes the most common complaints sent to her during her time at “The Network” as well as her own interpretation of the networks problems. Her observations are very astute and will probably articulate the thoughts of many frustrated viewers but I think she ignores one large problem perhaps because she is too close to the news industry. And make no mistake it has become an industry.

The biggest problem for ESPN is the sheer volume of networks and the immense demand for sports programming for each of those networks. A Monday night in December with an NFL game, numerous college, NBA and NHL games taking place the sprawling coverage of sports is warranted and demanded. However, on any given Thursday morning during the 11 AM Sportscenter what to do you play? Playing highlights conflicts with ESPN News, ESPN2 is showing a personality based talk-show, ESPN Classic is showing an old game and ESPNU, well, no one knows what they are showing because no one actually gets ESPNU but we’ll pretend they’re reporting on something college related.

The only way for ESPN to differentiate themselves from themselves is with who is talking.

Which leads us into all of the complaints found within Schriebers article. I do not share her optimism that ESPN will regain its way because The Network has fallen into the same 24-hour instant gratification quest for ratings that the major new networks have fallen prey too and these networks continue to show the impossibility of properly covering a story within that manifestation of the press.

Perhaps ESPN is simply afraid to allow and real competition so they buy up every writer, radio and TV personality but then have to do something with them. Maybe someday I’ll be able to watch Sportscenter and get the feel of a game or gain some understanding of who is playing well besides Lebron James and Kobe Bryant, but I doubt it.

posted by admin on Mar 27

So much for the Memphis D. I don’t know if efficiency ratings can ever work in college basketball because the teams are in constant flux so the historical data is relatively useless compared to the MLB or NBA. Just read Ken Pomeroy’s description of his system and decide for yourself if its current incarnation is worth paying attention to.

It’s the same problem I have with RPI. Duke finished the season at #1 in RPI (there seem to be several RPI’s out there but Duke was in the top 3 of them all). But anyone who watched college basketball this year could tell you Duke was not the number one team in the country. It’s especially ridiculous for them to be ranked head of UNC a team that beat them twice and had a better record. You start to see the problems.

All of these systems whether it be RPI, Efficiency Ratings or Media Polls have huge flaws that will never be solved because that’s the nature of sports. I just wish more of the media understood this instead of harping on these numbers as all knowing. The basketball statistical revolution is still young and hopefully a solid Memphis team getting a questionable #2 seed will be the biggest problem.

posted by admin on Mar 24

Get it out of the way. Wake Forest was a complete and utter disaster and disappointment. Five minutes into it I knew they were going to lose, just drank angrily the entire game and left the bar with seventeen seconds left. Thankfully, Cleveland St. lost to Arizona so no more talk of them.

UCONN looks unbelievable. Villanova looks very good. Blake Griffin is the best player in the country. Pitt looks suspect. Everyone else looks about how you thought they would.

I still feel good about Louisville losing at some point, we’ll see how hot Arizona really is but the mid-west is primed for a great Elite Eight game.

I’m still talking myself into Pitt winning it all. They’ve been too good all there and now have the bad games out of their system. I thought Villanova was a lock to destroy Duke but everyone is high on ‘Nova and that makes me a little nervous.

Non-sports related: The Venture Bros.: Season Three comes out today. I’m prepared to call it the funniest show on TV. If you missed last weeks South Park head over to South Park Studios site and check out ‘The Coon’. A very enjoyable spoof of The Dark Knight.

Still recovering from all the beer I drank this weekend and catching up on a number of things. Probably posting more the next couple days and I am planning a Lost podcast for Thursday so feel free to get back into checking the site for updates, I know the hit count drops like crazy when I go out of town and don’t post for a few days and takes a couple weeks to get back up.

Oh no! You outta time baby!

posted by admin on Mar 16

New podcast: NCAA Tournament.

Now that I’m starting to get a feel for talking into a mic by myself I’m going to start putting more effort into these podcasts. Structure an argument, maybe write some jokes before hand. Still be very off the cuff but hopefully provide a little more coherence. Thanks to everyone who’s been listening and for all the feedback. And I will be talking about things other then sports in the future!

I might do one more random one tomorrow for the NIT because why not?

I’ll get back to regular posting as well once I figure out this podcast business.

Also, Killzone 2 doesn’t have multiplayer unless you go online by yourself. So if you want to sit alone and naked while playing a FPS totally the game for you. If you are drunk on a Friday night and want to play your roommate who is drunk off of cough syrup then it is not the game for you. That’s correct. I could play against a friend in Korea but the person sitting three feet away from me can only watch. Mmmm progress.

posted by admin on Mar 13

So my Dad has talked me down off the ledge but I still feel there is a 75% chance Wake loses in the second round.

Also, I hate David Neal. I hope he gets crabs.

BC better beat Duke. If they don’t all will be forgiven of Maryland if they donkey punch Duke tomorrow afternoon.

The A-10 is about to screw the bubble.

Angry drinking time.

posted by admin on Mar 13

Just saw on the ESPN scrawl that the NBA is considering changing the travel rule to allow 2 steps. Which is stupid because they already allow two steps. Do not do this. How much of an advantage do these guys need?

If you can take two steps does that mean you can jump and hold on to the ball? How long before guys are getting away with three steps (and many already do)? There are so many logical reasons for the 1 3/4 step rule.

And is this really the problem with officiating in the NBA? Could this be any more transparent as a device for drawing people’s attention from the really problems in NBA officiating; the discrepancies in foul calls, the lack of difference b/w many charging and blocking calls, the inability of refs not to change what calls they make in the final two minutes.

I’m sorry for anyone who missed the epic UCONN vs. Cuse game last night. I’m also sorry for anyone who watched the UCONN vs. Cuse game last night who had work today. I’m very sorry for anyone who played in the UCONN vs. Cuse game who has to play again tonight. Ridiculous.

Virginia Tech got screwed against UNC by the refs. You know it’s bad when ESPN announcers admit the refs made a terrible call.

Joe Lunardi has moved Providence off the bubble and 100% out of the tournament for losing to a #1 seed. How does that make any sense?