Friday, October 26, 2012
I didn't forget!
Okay... It's been awhile. It's not like I haven't had anything to say about sports over the last 4 months, It's just that I have a day job, a life, and I'm lazy like the day is long. But I promise there will be more content coming to the blog soon
Friday, June 29, 2012
Post 2012 NBA Draft thoughts
The 2012 NBA has came and went. 18 out of 30 picks in the 1st round were front court positionsmostly at power forward) It will be interesting to see how how guys like Anthony Davis, Thomas Robinson, Harrison Barnes, Jared Sullinger, Perry Jones III, etc. develop because soon a few of these guys are going to give Dwight Howard, Blake Griffin, and Kevin Love a run for their money.
My biggest winner of the night was the Celtics. They needed a youth movement for their aging front court bad and getting Jared Sullinger and Fab Melo are just what Doc needed.
Perry Jones III falling to the Thunder at 28 cost him $$$ but man did he luck out. Sam Presti continues to do a super job in OKC.
As for Nets... I actually like their pick in Tyshawn Taylor. A local product from Hoboken, who played at St. Anthony's in Jersey City, and helped Kansas make it to the championship game this year – He's certainly got the pedigree that Avery Johnson likes in his point guards. The fact the Nets traded for him tells me that Avery expects him to contribute sooner rather than later. I'm also impressed with the Nets GM Billy King's ability to make draft day trades with Marshon Brooks last year and Taylor this year. If D-Will walks they have pretty good foundation for the future with Brooks and Taylor as back court. However that doesn't change the fact that this the deepest power forward draft class in years and the Nets were in desperate need of some front court help. That asinine trade for Gerald Wallace might be the death of them especially with Kris Humphries not expected to return (Kayne wrote lyrics in a song about having J cutting him from the team because of Kim Kardashian).
Switching gears...
Former NBA player, executive, and current ESPN analyst Steve Kerr wrote a thought provoking article (click here) on why the NBA should increase the draft age to 20. I agree with him. The NBA, out of all sports has the smallest window of opportunity for incoming players to succeed. If players doesn't develop in 2 to 3 years their NBA career is as good as done causing teams to waste millions of dollars every year on players who aren't quite ready for the pros. For every LeBron James theres a Gerald Green. For every Kevin Durant there's a Greg Oden. Players like Tyshawn Taylor shouldn't be penalized for staying 4 years in school and developing their skills to get better. Not to mention taking advantage of the education that they got for free with athletic scholarships. With cost of college rising every year and people getting more in debt because of loans, it's not fair to that some players take advantage of school just because they have to wait a year to play. Isn't this what the NBADL is for?
My biggest winner of the night was the Celtics. They needed a youth movement for their aging front court bad and getting Jared Sullinger and Fab Melo are just what Doc needed.
Perry Jones III falling to the Thunder at 28 cost him $$$ but man did he luck out. Sam Presti continues to do a super job in OKC.
As for Nets... I actually like their pick in Tyshawn Taylor. A local product from Hoboken, who played at St. Anthony's in Jersey City, and helped Kansas make it to the championship game this year – He's certainly got the pedigree that Avery Johnson likes in his point guards. The fact the Nets traded for him tells me that Avery expects him to contribute sooner rather than later. I'm also impressed with the Nets GM Billy King's ability to make draft day trades with Marshon Brooks last year and Taylor this year. If D-Will walks they have pretty good foundation for the future with Brooks and Taylor as back court. However that doesn't change the fact that this the deepest power forward draft class in years and the Nets were in desperate need of some front court help. That asinine trade for Gerald Wallace might be the death of them especially with Kris Humphries not expected to return (Kayne wrote lyrics in a song about having J cutting him from the team because of Kim Kardashian).
Switching gears...
Former NBA player, executive, and current ESPN analyst Steve Kerr wrote a thought provoking article (click here) on why the NBA should increase the draft age to 20. I agree with him. The NBA, out of all sports has the smallest window of opportunity for incoming players to succeed. If players doesn't develop in 2 to 3 years their NBA career is as good as done causing teams to waste millions of dollars every year on players who aren't quite ready for the pros. For every LeBron James theres a Gerald Green. For every Kevin Durant there's a Greg Oden. Players like Tyshawn Taylor shouldn't be penalized for staying 4 years in school and developing their skills to get better. Not to mention taking advantage of the education that they got for free with athletic scholarships. With cost of college rising every year and people getting more in debt because of loans, it's not fair to that some players take advantage of school just because they have to wait a year to play. Isn't this what the NBADL is for?
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Diary of an Angry (ex)Nets Fan: My Final Words
It was the end of a era(or error depending on how you look at it). After 35 years (36 if you count their first year in the ABA as the NJ Americans) in the New Jersey the Nets played their final home game at the Prudential Center in Newark with all the glory and fanfare that they so richly deserved, but yet the results were still the same– another lost.
Since April 30,2012 I've un-followed and un-liked just about everything having to do with the Nets franchise within my social networks – But I've struggled the last few months to put into words my final thoughts as ex-Nets fan.
It has been a on heck of a ride over the last 30 years. The Nets were the first sports team I became a fan of. I went to my first Nets game when I was around 4 years old. It was against the Lakers at the Brendan Byrne Arena. I can't remember much outside of the fact that I was told I feel asleep during the 2nd quarter, but I was hooked. I've seen great Net's teams, horrible ones,Hall of Famers, Has beens, and never was's.
But what continues to frustrate me is the outright lie the that predicated the move. It was obvious to just about everyone that it was land grab from then majority owner Brice Ratner to get his Atlantic Yards project built. For 7 years I've watched his dream ruin my hopes as fan as he dismantled what to took 25 years and 3 owners to build.
Proponents say that move is great for the franchise, that they'll make make more money, have a bigger market, and a wider audience, blah, blah, blah, but that's just lip service. The the grim reality is that the Nets are one of the most mismanaged teams in all of the NBA.
Since April 30,2012 I've un-followed and un-liked just about everything having to do with the Nets franchise within my social networks – But I've struggled the last few months to put into words my final thoughts as ex-Nets fan.It has been a on heck of a ride over the last 30 years. The Nets were the first sports team I became a fan of. I went to my first Nets game when I was around 4 years old. It was against the Lakers at the Brendan Byrne Arena. I can't remember much outside of the fact that I was told I feel asleep during the 2nd quarter, but I was hooked. I've seen great Net's teams, horrible ones,Hall of Famers, Has beens, and never was's.
But what continues to frustrate me is the outright lie the that predicated the move. It was obvious to just about everyone that it was land grab from then majority owner Brice Ratner to get his Atlantic Yards project built. For 7 years I've watched his dream ruin my hopes as fan as he dismantled what to took 25 years and 3 owners to build.
Proponents say that move is great for the franchise, that they'll make make more money, have a bigger market, and a wider audience, blah, blah, blah, but that's just lip service. The the grim reality is that the Nets are one of the most mismanaged teams in all of the NBA.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Jets can't fly straight... Maybe it's time for a breathalyzer
The off season for the Jets was simple. Rebuild the O-line at Right Tackle. Tweak D-Line with Pass Rushers at DE and NT. Fix the Secondary at Safety. Get a # 2 WR, and get a back up for Sanchez.
When Peyton Manning signed on Tuesday I knew Tebow would be a Jet by Wednesday. So when my friend called me yesterday telling me what the Jets had done, I wasn't surprised.
No Peyton, no Problem. They signed Sanchez to a contract extension. They sign Drew Stanton, okay someone to give Sanchez a little more competition, but not much. Rumors have it that Jets think that Tebow could have a positive effect in a divided locker room, which I agree to a certain extend is good. But if Jets wanted that they would just hired a chaplain.
So are they sending a message to Sanchez... IMO not really. Many reports came out about the Jets coddling Sanchez, and apparently signing Stanton wasn't enough to silence his detractors. So why not Tebow!? He'll give Sanchez the run for his money. The key word there is "Run" According to reports the Jets plan on using him in Wildcat much like they did with Brad Smith, but unlike Brad Smith , Tebow is an established threat that keeps defenses honest. And if the Jets can return to the ground and pound having Tebow their only strengthens their efforts. If anything they are sending a message to Santonio Holmes..."If you think you didn't get the ball enough last year. You'd better count you blessing when you do see it this year"
Of course this is all conjecture and hearsay from Jets fan that's in denial.
When Peyton Manning signed on Tuesday I knew Tebow would be a Jet by Wednesday. So when my friend called me yesterday telling me what the Jets had done, I wasn't surprised.
No Peyton, no Problem. They signed Sanchez to a contract extension. They sign Drew Stanton, okay someone to give Sanchez a little more competition, but not much. Rumors have it that Jets think that Tebow could have a positive effect in a divided locker room, which I agree to a certain extend is good. But if Jets wanted that they would just hired a chaplain.
So are they sending a message to Sanchez... IMO not really. Many reports came out about the Jets coddling Sanchez, and apparently signing Stanton wasn't enough to silence his detractors. So why not Tebow!? He'll give Sanchez the run for his money. The key word there is "Run" According to reports the Jets plan on using him in Wildcat much like they did with Brad Smith, but unlike Brad Smith , Tebow is an established threat that keeps defenses honest. And if the Jets can return to the ground and pound having Tebow their only strengthens their efforts. If anything they are sending a message to Santonio Holmes..."If you think you didn't get the ball enough last year. You'd better count you blessing when you do see it this year"
Of course this is all conjecture and hearsay from Jets fan that's in denial.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Diary of an Angry Nets Fan: Brooklyn Busted
Out of all of my relationships with sports teams these days, my love of the New Jersey Nets has been the hardest recently. As their move to Brooklyn gets closer, I've found a duality in my fandom. One side of me rooting for them like I always have while another side is them wishing them ill.
It was announced that the apple of the Nets eye, Dwight Howard decided to stay in Orlando for the another season. While I was sad, the dark side of me was LMAO. The Nets then went into panic mode, and made a horrible trade for a good player in Gerald Wallace (SMH).
Nothing has seemed to go right since the Nets announced the move 8 years ago. They went from going to NBA Finals 2 years in a row, to losing in the Eastern Conference Finals, to losing in the 2nd round of the of the playoffs, to being out of the playoffs altogether after nearly a decade of great Nets teams, to one of the worst teams ever in the history of the NBA.
But all along former Nets majority owner (now minority owner) Bruce Ratner, minority owner Jay-Z, current majority Mikhail Prokhorov, and CEO Brett Yormark said Brooklyn will be better, but I don't see it. They are promoting flash over substance. They'll talk about their global marketing plans, The Barclays Center, Jay-Z, Prokhorov, how attractive Brooklyn is, any and everything else but the actual team playing. But no matter how much PR or marketing they do, the Nets are just plain ugly in the win and loss column. It will take a little more than cosmetic surgery and window dress to fix them.
They know they need star power to even make a dent in the Knicks domain. But they also forgot that people like winners (even potential free agent superstars), and the Nets haven't been winners in 5 years. The Nets are 15-29 while the Magic are 28-16, why would Howard want to leave?
It was announced that the apple of the Nets eye, Dwight Howard decided to stay in Orlando for the another season. While I was sad, the dark side of me was LMAO. The Nets then went into panic mode, and made a horrible trade for a good player in Gerald Wallace (SMH).
Nothing has seemed to go right since the Nets announced the move 8 years ago. They went from going to NBA Finals 2 years in a row, to losing in the Eastern Conference Finals, to losing in the 2nd round of the of the playoffs, to being out of the playoffs altogether after nearly a decade of great Nets teams, to one of the worst teams ever in the history of the NBA.
But all along former Nets majority owner (now minority owner) Bruce Ratner, minority owner Jay-Z, current majority Mikhail Prokhorov, and CEO Brett Yormark said Brooklyn will be better, but I don't see it. They are promoting flash over substance. They'll talk about their global marketing plans, The Barclays Center, Jay-Z, Prokhorov, how attractive Brooklyn is, any and everything else but the actual team playing. But no matter how much PR or marketing they do, the Nets are just plain ugly in the win and loss column. It will take a little more than cosmetic surgery and window dress to fix them.
They know they need star power to even make a dent in the Knicks domain. But they also forgot that people like winners (even potential free agent superstars), and the Nets haven't been winners in 5 years. The Nets are 15-29 while the Magic are 28-16, why would Howard want to leave?
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Dwightmare over. Nightmare to Brooklyn Begins
The Road to Hell is paved with good intentions, and if the Nets thought that Jersey was Purgatory, Brooklyn will be ninth circle of Hell (Yes I went all Dante's inferno on you; and for those scoring at home, the Ninth Circle is for Treachery/ traitors.) They went all in on Dwight, and they came up short.... I laugh... More to come later.....
My Mom reads this blog, GLOW, March Madness, Mets, Jets, and other Quick Hits
I've come up for air. We've just finished a major equipment upgrade at work and there's a lot of sports news to cover so I'm gonna do a some quick hits:
My Mom Reads my Blog...
The Internet is an amazing thing. My mom told me last Sunday that she reads my blog. I don't know whether to be scared or proud.
Tate-Rousey=GLOW???
I've been catching some friendly ribbing from friends about my posts on Strikeforce's Tate-Rousey fight a few weeks ago. A Guy at church on Sunday stopped me and asked if I remembered GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling) from the 80's as in reference to the fight. I showed my age and that fact that I watched way too much TV as a kid (BTW Rob B. Hollywood and Vine, Broadway Rose, and Palestina were my favs). But I stated that the difference between the two is that Strickforce is real and GLOW was not. In the world we live in, it's easy to dismiss women as serious athletes in sports like boxing or MMA. Even in the testosterone filled steroid dominated world of fakeness that is pro-wrestling you got women who take their craft seriously like Sara Del Rey, Beth Phoenix, and Madison Eagles.
March Madness
It's the most wonderful time of the year... The Brackets are flowing, time to be of good cheer, something, something. So far I'm 3 for 4 on Brendon Loy's Living Room Times annual NCAA pool. But it's not how you start, it's how you finish , and this year Dokesy needs Kansas to win baby.... Cause I was bored, and when I'm bored I'm up for anything. And when I'm up for anything... I make stupid bets with friends... that might end up with me buying Subway Series tickets, plus food and drink if I lose big. Knowing my history with gambling I should start saving now.
Mets News
The dominoes are falling, and it's going to a another hard year in Metville. My friend said that Wilpon was going to have to pay and he was right. Speaking of Wright. Dave Wright is hurt. Not news I wanted to hear. The good news is that should I lose to My friend in March Madness bet good seats at Citi Field will be cheap. Bad News is should my and I both lose to his lovely wife... We'll be taking to the 4 train (or Metro-North) to Yankee Stadium. Rock Chalk, Jayhawk!
Jets News
Gang Green has a lot work to do this off season. There are a lot of holes to fill if they are going to get this team back to being contenders again. Safety, O-line, D-Line, and WR are their biggest needs. No Peyton. No problem. The Jets extended Mark Sanchez for another 3 years, but they need make him work a little. They have to put last year behind them and move forward.
The Nets and NBA trade deadline
Today is the day. Does Dwightmare end or will there be a sequel in the summer. Regardless what the the experts say. I think that the Nets don't have the pieces right now to get Howard. I've been hoping for the last week that they get Micheal Beasley for Minny, that would Deron Williams happy for the rest of the season.
My Mom Reads my Blog...
The Internet is an amazing thing. My mom told me last Sunday that she reads my blog. I don't know whether to be scared or proud.
Tate-Rousey=GLOW???
I've been catching some friendly ribbing from friends about my posts on Strikeforce's Tate-Rousey fight a few weeks ago. A Guy at church on Sunday stopped me and asked if I remembered GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling) from the 80's as in reference to the fight. I showed my age and that fact that I watched way too much TV as a kid (BTW Rob B. Hollywood and Vine, Broadway Rose, and Palestina were my favs). But I stated that the difference between the two is that Strickforce is real and GLOW was not. In the world we live in, it's easy to dismiss women as serious athletes in sports like boxing or MMA. Even in the testosterone filled steroid dominated world of fakeness that is pro-wrestling you got women who take their craft seriously like Sara Del Rey, Beth Phoenix, and Madison Eagles.
March Madness
It's the most wonderful time of the year... The Brackets are flowing, time to be of good cheer, something, something. So far I'm 3 for 4 on Brendon Loy's Living Room Times annual NCAA pool. But it's not how you start, it's how you finish , and this year Dokesy needs Kansas to win baby.... Cause I was bored, and when I'm bored I'm up for anything. And when I'm up for anything... I make stupid bets with friends... that might end up with me buying Subway Series tickets, plus food and drink if I lose big. Knowing my history with gambling I should start saving now.
Mets News
The dominoes are falling, and it's going to a another hard year in Metville. My friend said that Wilpon was going to have to pay and he was right. Speaking of Wright. Dave Wright is hurt. Not news I wanted to hear. The good news is that should I lose to My friend in March Madness bet good seats at Citi Field will be cheap. Bad News is should my and I both lose to his lovely wife... We'll be taking to the 4 train (or Metro-North) to Yankee Stadium. Rock Chalk, Jayhawk!
Jets News
Gang Green has a lot work to do this off season. There are a lot of holes to fill if they are going to get this team back to being contenders again. Safety, O-line, D-Line, and WR are their biggest needs. No Peyton. No problem. The Jets extended Mark Sanchez for another 3 years, but they need make him work a little. They have to put last year behind them and move forward.
The Nets and NBA trade deadline
Today is the day. Does Dwightmare end or will there be a sequel in the summer. Regardless what the the experts say. I think that the Nets don't have the pieces right now to get Howard. I've been hoping for the last week that they get Micheal Beasley for Minny, that would Deron Williams happy for the rest of the season.
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