Daily Scratch-Monday June 12, 2006
Podcast here:http://media.libsyn.com/media/sportsitch/2006-06-12-20-17-57.mp3
NBA Finals Aftermath:
What we are seeing in this year's NBA finals is truly a paradigm shift. Tall, skilled post players used to dominate the game and you could not win a title without one. 2006 brings the coming of a new, differently skilled big man that can handle the ball, score from anywhere on the court and shoot the ball like a guard. Dirk Nowitzki has brought the NBA into a new era.
Last night's game was evidence that the era of the big man has passed. Now that Shaq has deteriorated into a shell of his former self, especially in the Finals, the center position in the NBA will be just a placeholder and tall guys who have no discernible skills other than being tall, will take up. Shaq truly was the last man to take the mantle from the great bigs of other eras. Russell, Chamberlain, Kareem, Hakeem, Patrick (even though he didn't win a title) and now Shaquille will be the end of the list of great, dominating post players in the NBA.
The big guy in the NBA now looks like Dirk. He has taken what KG, Tracy McGrady, Jermaine O'Neal and Amare Stoudamire haven't done yet and showed them the way. These seven foot, two fifty, scrawny players that can shoot the ball from 25, 30 feet, many of them coming from Europe, are the new wave for the NBA. International scouting is a critical component for teams now more than ever. These European leagues have taught their kids growing up how to handle the ball and shoot it well from a young age and now they are all grown up they still know how to do these things. Things changed for Dirk when he learned to attack the basket regularly. The guy learned to be more aggressive and take it the hoop and this moved him from a good player to a star in the league. There are other international players that should be taking notes from how the Mavericks were able to make their run through to the Finals. We are watching the new blueprint take shape. And with it, the death of one era and the birth of another.
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Monday, June 12
I Think I Won the Lottery
Let me take the opportunity to welcome you to the Sports Itch again! I have ventured into the realm of podcasting and now have attached a way for you to take the Itch with you and download into your player of choice. (Yes, all you ladies can now listen to me in bed. So can you guys. That's a little disturbing, so if you are doing it, fellas, just keep it to yourselves.)
Your Daily Scratch will consist of my opinion on something happening in the world of sports and/or pop culture. I'll try to keep it to one topic, but no promises (especially if I end up talking about something interesting!) Set your player to download all new feeds as I try to keep up with this brave new technology and help you to scratch your daily sports itch.
I plan to include other segments as well so stay tuned for those in the coming soon blog area notch post place.
As always, please feel free to comment on my commentary as discussion makes the world go 'round. (I may even add a segment where I read my email. Exciting, huh?)
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Your Daily Scratch will consist of my opinion on something happening in the world of sports and/or pop culture. I'll try to keep it to one topic, but no promises (especially if I end up talking about something interesting!) Set your player to download all new feeds as I try to keep up with this brave new technology and help you to scratch your daily sports itch.
I plan to include other segments as well so stay tuned for those in the coming soon blog area notch post place.
As always, please feel free to comment on my commentary as discussion makes the world go 'round. (I may even add a segment where I read my email. Exciting, huh?)
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Thursday, February 9
Gambling and the like...
When the allegations of Pete Rose betting on games surfaced, the sports world was stunned. Charlie Hustle was accused of betting through a bookie on baseball games and evidence showed that he bet on his own team, the Cincinnati Reds. Pete Rose is the all time hits leader. He was a revered sports legend.
Almost seventeen years later, Rick Tocchet associate head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes hockey team has been charged with running a lucrative sports gambling ring that supposedly include Wayne Gretzky's wife, Janet Jones. As more information comes out about this case, it will undoubtedly shade Gretzky's legacy on the rink.
His legacy is definitely at risk. He risked enough by agreeing to coach the Coyotes and he hired his friend Rick Tocchet to help him learn the ropes as he went. Now, this scandal has the potential to lump him in with other flawed sports heroes.
As time as passed since Pete Rose, it seems sports gambling has become much more widely accepted. You can find betting lines to your favorite sports in most major newspapers. USA Today publishes Danny Sheridan's odds on many sports events and on daily games. My initial reaction to the reports regarding Tocchet was not dramatic. At first, I thought, who cares? If he didn't bet on his own sport and bet on other games, including gasp, the Super Bowl, really what's the big deal? Now it may come out that bets were placed on NHL games--that is a more serious issue. But how does betting on a couple of football games make him different that the weekly office pool that millions of Americans buy into? He is a public figure and as a member of the NHL he has certain codes of conduct that may include staying away from betting. But was he the only one doing it? Probably not, he just got caught.
More on that later as the facts roll in. I want to touch a bit on my beloved Rebels and the Mountain West Conference. They have the biggest conference game of the year on the road versus BYU on Saturday and if they can get by them and win at home against San Diego State, I like their chances to do something special. I think the league is mostly a one bid league right now, especially with Air Force losing to San Diego. I don't think any team has separated themselves to make a solid case for the tournament and there are a lot of at large bids being sucked up by not only the Big East and ACC, but also mid majors like Missouri St., Creighton and Northern Illinois. UNLV's best chance is to win the tournament in Denver in March and they need to prove that they can beat San Diego State and or Air Force because it is very likely they will have to in order to win the Mountain West Championship.
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Almost seventeen years later, Rick Tocchet associate head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes hockey team has been charged with running a lucrative sports gambling ring that supposedly include Wayne Gretzky's wife, Janet Jones. As more information comes out about this case, it will undoubtedly shade Gretzky's legacy on the rink.
His legacy is definitely at risk. He risked enough by agreeing to coach the Coyotes and he hired his friend Rick Tocchet to help him learn the ropes as he went. Now, this scandal has the potential to lump him in with other flawed sports heroes.
As time as passed since Pete Rose, it seems sports gambling has become much more widely accepted. You can find betting lines to your favorite sports in most major newspapers. USA Today publishes Danny Sheridan's odds on many sports events and on daily games. My initial reaction to the reports regarding Tocchet was not dramatic. At first, I thought, who cares? If he didn't bet on his own sport and bet on other games, including gasp, the Super Bowl, really what's the big deal? Now it may come out that bets were placed on NHL games--that is a more serious issue. But how does betting on a couple of football games make him different that the weekly office pool that millions of Americans buy into? He is a public figure and as a member of the NHL he has certain codes of conduct that may include staying away from betting. But was he the only one doing it? Probably not, he just got caught.
More on that later as the facts roll in. I want to touch a bit on my beloved Rebels and the Mountain West Conference. They have the biggest conference game of the year on the road versus BYU on Saturday and if they can get by them and win at home against San Diego State, I like their chances to do something special. I think the league is mostly a one bid league right now, especially with Air Force losing to San Diego. I don't think any team has separated themselves to make a solid case for the tournament and there are a lot of at large bids being sucked up by not only the Big East and ACC, but also mid majors like Missouri St., Creighton and Northern Illinois. UNLV's best chance is to win the tournament in Denver in March and they need to prove that they can beat San Diego State and or Air Force because it is very likely they will have to in order to win the Mountain West Championship.
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Monday, January 23
History Making
A few notes about history that happened last night...
Kobe Bryant is not the next Michael Jordan, he's the first Kobe. Ten years from now, we'll be bestowing the honor or curse of a young player in college as the next Kobe. Ten years ago, we knew MJ was the greatest player ever. Kobe can't get that same respect. Talking heads are blaming Kobe for being selfish and taking too many shots and it is similiar criticism that Jordan got early in his career. Much like the Bulls in the late '80's, the Lakers have no other discernible talent other than Kobe. They need Kobe to take 25 shots for them to have a chance to win. Bryant is smart enough to know this and on nights his teammates have been in a groove, he's dialed his game back and included them in the flow. When they can't throw the ball in the friggin ocean, he takes over, much like last night.
The Lakers came out flat last night against a not as good as it was playing Raptors team. Don't forget that the Lakers were down 16-18 points in this game. If Bryant hadn't taken 46 shots, they would not have won the game. This was a competitive game until five or six minutes left when it was clear it was Kobe's night. Toronto played defense for most of the second half, they could not stop him at all.
Kobe is handling the criticism like a legend should. In Dallas, he scored 62 in 3 quarters of the game. He sat down after the game was in the refrigerator at that point. No reason for him to try for a hundred. (He probably could have that night.) But he did the right thing and sat down.
MJ had his weaknesses as well. Before his first retirement, there was a lot of speculation about his gambling habits. Many thought his retirement to play baseball was a secret arrangement for the league to avoid the embarassment of bad stuff coming out about him. Pete Rose was still pretty fresh in the sports world at this time and the stigma of the game's greatest being tied with gambling was definitely something the league wanted to avoid.
Now, MJ walks on water. Kobe had his issue with the law and now he will play himself into the record books. It is hard to imagine someone in today's game scoring 100 points in a game. When Wilt played, it was a different era and a lot of his shots were close to the basket if not slam dunks. To imagine a swingman scoring 80 points in a game when the majority of his shot selection is jumpshots is amazing. Indeed, history was made last night. Hope you enjoyed it.
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Kobe Bryant is not the next Michael Jordan, he's the first Kobe. Ten years from now, we'll be bestowing the honor or curse of a young player in college as the next Kobe. Ten years ago, we knew MJ was the greatest player ever. Kobe can't get that same respect. Talking heads are blaming Kobe for being selfish and taking too many shots and it is similiar criticism that Jordan got early in his career. Much like the Bulls in the late '80's, the Lakers have no other discernible talent other than Kobe. They need Kobe to take 25 shots for them to have a chance to win. Bryant is smart enough to know this and on nights his teammates have been in a groove, he's dialed his game back and included them in the flow. When they can't throw the ball in the friggin ocean, he takes over, much like last night.
The Lakers came out flat last night against a not as good as it was playing Raptors team. Don't forget that the Lakers were down 16-18 points in this game. If Bryant hadn't taken 46 shots, they would not have won the game. This was a competitive game until five or six minutes left when it was clear it was Kobe's night. Toronto played defense for most of the second half, they could not stop him at all.
Kobe is handling the criticism like a legend should. In Dallas, he scored 62 in 3 quarters of the game. He sat down after the game was in the refrigerator at that point. No reason for him to try for a hundred. (He probably could have that night.) But he did the right thing and sat down.
MJ had his weaknesses as well. Before his first retirement, there was a lot of speculation about his gambling habits. Many thought his retirement to play baseball was a secret arrangement for the league to avoid the embarassment of bad stuff coming out about him. Pete Rose was still pretty fresh in the sports world at this time and the stigma of the game's greatest being tied with gambling was definitely something the league wanted to avoid.
Now, MJ walks on water. Kobe had his issue with the law and now he will play himself into the record books. It is hard to imagine someone in today's game scoring 100 points in a game. When Wilt played, it was a different era and a lot of his shots were close to the basket if not slam dunks. To imagine a swingman scoring 80 points in a game when the majority of his shot selection is jumpshots is amazing. Indeed, history was made last night. Hope you enjoyed it.
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Sunday, January 15
New Year's Resolutions...
Welcome to 2006!
This being a brand new year here on the Itch and I will make a cliche New Year's Resolution. I am determined to bring you the best in opinions, thoughts, musings and other observations.
Let's get started!
So I was a little off in my Super Bowl prediction. Indy tanked against Pittsburgh, Phily and Atlanta were not relevant at all and the Pats finally(!) went down. Up until December, Indy looked like a good pick. A lot of distractions brought them back to earth. That being said, I like Denver over Carolina in Detroit. Denver's got the moxie and Indy out of their way and Carolina's defense is underrated and has been all season. Check back with me in a week though, it may change.
One thing I would like to talk about is Herm Edwards. This guy is getting grilled in the media for leaving the Jets with time still on his contract and going to Kansas City whose opening was caused by the tearful retirement of Dick Vermeil. How can you blame him for going for a better job with a better team with a better organization for more money!?! I think he is an underrated coach given what he had to work with in the Jets and he was still able to get them into the postseason a couple years. He is inheriting more talent than he ever had and an organization that wants him in the job. The Jets undervalued him and after a 4-12 season after starting a different QB every game he was rumored to be on his way out without a contract extension. It's called reading the writing on the wall, folks, he jumped to a better ship before the one he was one sank.
One other resolution...I will try to spread the love around and not talk too much only about my favorite teams. That being said I do believe the Rebels are in for a rant. As are the Lakers. As are the Redskins. As are the Cubs. Well, I said I would try to not talk too much.
The Mountain West is definitely having a down year. Utah is 1-3 and Air Force and CSU have the best overall records in the league. I'll give credit to the Academy, they have some legitimate wins and if they win 11 or 12 games in league, they deserve to go to the NCAAs. Homecourt means so much in this conference and stealing victories on the road is tough. UNLV had a golden opportunity to pick up two early road wins with 3 of their next 4 at home and they could have established themselves early in the conference season as a force. San Diego State turned around a six point halftime deficit and ran away with the second half behind second chance points. Their offensive rebounding was nonstop and kept the Rebels from stealing a second road win. Don't give up on the Rebs though. I think they are one of the deepest teams in the conference and if they can work up enough moxie to win three or four more road wins and hold court at home, they may have a serious chance to win the tournament in March.
That's all for now. Enjoy the premiere of 24 tonight, but don't tell me what happened, I'm still two seasons behind. That's only two days for Jack though.
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
This being a brand new year here on the Itch and I will make a cliche New Year's Resolution. I am determined to bring you the best in opinions, thoughts, musings and other observations.
Let's get started!
So I was a little off in my Super Bowl prediction. Indy tanked against Pittsburgh, Phily and Atlanta were not relevant at all and the Pats finally(!) went down. Up until December, Indy looked like a good pick. A lot of distractions brought them back to earth. That being said, I like Denver over Carolina in Detroit. Denver's got the moxie and Indy out of their way and Carolina's defense is underrated and has been all season. Check back with me in a week though, it may change.
One thing I would like to talk about is Herm Edwards. This guy is getting grilled in the media for leaving the Jets with time still on his contract and going to Kansas City whose opening was caused by the tearful retirement of Dick Vermeil. How can you blame him for going for a better job with a better team with a better organization for more money!?! I think he is an underrated coach given what he had to work with in the Jets and he was still able to get them into the postseason a couple years. He is inheriting more talent than he ever had and an organization that wants him in the job. The Jets undervalued him and after a 4-12 season after starting a different QB every game he was rumored to be on his way out without a contract extension. It's called reading the writing on the wall, folks, he jumped to a better ship before the one he was one sank.
One other resolution...I will try to spread the love around and not talk too much only about my favorite teams. That being said I do believe the Rebels are in for a rant. As are the Lakers. As are the Redskins. As are the Cubs. Well, I said I would try to not talk too much.
The Mountain West is definitely having a down year. Utah is 1-3 and Air Force and CSU have the best overall records in the league. I'll give credit to the Academy, they have some legitimate wins and if they win 11 or 12 games in league, they deserve to go to the NCAAs. Homecourt means so much in this conference and stealing victories on the road is tough. UNLV had a golden opportunity to pick up two early road wins with 3 of their next 4 at home and they could have established themselves early in the conference season as a force. San Diego State turned around a six point halftime deficit and ran away with the second half behind second chance points. Their offensive rebounding was nonstop and kept the Rebels from stealing a second road win. Don't give up on the Rebs though. I think they are one of the deepest teams in the conference and if they can work up enough moxie to win three or four more road wins and hold court at home, they may have a serious chance to win the tournament in March.
That's all for now. Enjoy the premiere of 24 tonight, but don't tell me what happened, I'm still two seasons behind. That's only two days for Jack though.
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
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