I know I am the biggest UNLV homer out there, but this slight is ridiculous. Joe Lunardi is the NCAA tourney guru who projects the field of 65 on almost a weekly basis as March approaches. In his latest projection, he has UNLV as the last eight teams left out, while Utah is in. He is obviously rewarding Utah for playing a tough schedule, although they have yet to win an impressive game. Here are Utah's wins: Green Bay, Mississippi, Morgan State, Missouri State, Oregon, Weber State and UC Irvine. The win over Oregon is probably the only one that will stand up in March. Here are Utah's losses: Southwest Baptist, Idaho State, Cal, Oklahoma and Utah State. Their nonconference games left include Gonzaga and LSU both at home. Granted, if they win those two games, they have decent wins that will look good later. But look at those losses. Idaho State and Southwest Baptist. These are more quality losses than Cal and Cincinnati? Joe is drinking the BCS kool aid and letting the success of the football team color his opinion of the basketball team. Utah was not even competitive against Oklahoma, will not win both of their nonconference games and will struggle to win more than 10 games in conference. How can a team from a mid major conference get in without twenty wins?
Now UNLV has yet to have a signature nonconference win, but they did beat Arizona and have a huge opportunity against Louisville on New Year's Eve. But they thing they have done is beat the teams they should have, Western Michigan, Southern Utah, etc. Utah has not beaten those teams and I do not understand why they are projecting as in and UNLV isn't. If you want to leave UNLV out, that's fine, I get it. But to put the Utes in is ridiculously stupid and doens't make any sense.
I do feel somewhat validated in the fact that other bloggers out there share my view. A look at the comments posted shows that others agree with his skewed version of the bracket. Tournament bids aren't won in December, but they can be lost. The MWC has some big games on Wednesday to make their case for the committee in March. Hopefully, they do well and won't be looking at missed chances in the spring.
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Sunday, December 28
Friday, December 26
Happy Holidays....
I hope all had a Merry Christmas and a safe holiday season!
My Christmas was made complete by a solid Lakers victory over the Celtics yesterday. While I didn't enjoy watching them blow a ten point lead in the second half, I was very pleased to see them battle with a little more ferocity in the final minutes, especially Pau Gasol. He couldn't play any defense on KG the whole game and played like a puss for the better of 44 minutes. The last four minutes he was solid money. He was able to make some clutch shots on great passes from Kobe when double teamed. J.A. Adande had a very good analysis of the game here. (As an aside, I generally like J.A. on espn.com, he brings a west coast voice to a very right coast leaning media firm. Sometimes, he is a Lakers homer, but he is very well connected in the town and knows what is happening.) Also, don't underestimate the absence of Trevor Ariza and Andrew Bynum from the Finals last year. They are the counterbalance to the length and range that Boston brings. The Lakers bench is clearly better than the Celtics. Without those two, maybe Leon Powe is still unknown and Kendrick Perkins is still a high school draft pick of Danny Ainge that busted.
Anyway, while the game yesterday was just one game in an interminable 82 game season, the Lakers showed they belong in any conversation about the Finals this year. It limits the talking heads discussing how soft the Lakers are and the continuation of the Celtics winning streak. Boston is going to have a fantastic season as are the Cavs. While I don't know if they are going to make a legit run at 72-10, they are going to do some statistically unique things this year, if they stay healthy.The Cavaliers will definitely have something to say to the Celtics about the title this year, but they are the 3 teams that should be there at the end. It is hard to determine who in the West conference will rise up but San Antonio never goes away, New Orleans basically has next and everyone keeps talking about the Rockets as having a chance, but I don't see it yet and I am waiting for the injuries to undermine their season as it does every year.
UNLV got a big win over Arizona, but I'm worried it will not have the quality in March when it matters. Wink getting hurt definitely limits our chances at success at Louisville, but it is more important for him to be ready for conference season so the Rebels can rack up the wins to get in the big dance. BYU has a big game vs. Wake Forest and can put themselves on the map with a big win. Other than that, I don't think any other conference team has put themselves in position for a NCAA bid. San Diego State has won some games as has Wyoming. Utah has struggled against the toughest schedule ever played by a bunch of white guys. UNLV has started to figure out how to win with the crew they have. An 11-3 start would be a great jumping off point to a conference season that they should be able to finish 1 or 2. A 12-4 conference record would give them a 23-7 record that should put them in the dance yet again. We'll see what happens vs. Louisville.
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
My Christmas was made complete by a solid Lakers victory over the Celtics yesterday. While I didn't enjoy watching them blow a ten point lead in the second half, I was very pleased to see them battle with a little more ferocity in the final minutes, especially Pau Gasol. He couldn't play any defense on KG the whole game and played like a puss for the better of 44 minutes. The last four minutes he was solid money. He was able to make some clutch shots on great passes from Kobe when double teamed. J.A. Adande had a very good analysis of the game here. (As an aside, I generally like J.A. on espn.com, he brings a west coast voice to a very right coast leaning media firm. Sometimes, he is a Lakers homer, but he is very well connected in the town and knows what is happening.) Also, don't underestimate the absence of Trevor Ariza and Andrew Bynum from the Finals last year. They are the counterbalance to the length and range that Boston brings. The Lakers bench is clearly better than the Celtics. Without those two, maybe Leon Powe is still unknown and Kendrick Perkins is still a high school draft pick of Danny Ainge that busted.
Anyway, while the game yesterday was just one game in an interminable 82 game season, the Lakers showed they belong in any conversation about the Finals this year. It limits the talking heads discussing how soft the Lakers are and the continuation of the Celtics winning streak. Boston is going to have a fantastic season as are the Cavs. While I don't know if they are going to make a legit run at 72-10, they are going to do some statistically unique things this year, if they stay healthy.The Cavaliers will definitely have something to say to the Celtics about the title this year, but they are the 3 teams that should be there at the end. It is hard to determine who in the West conference will rise up but San Antonio never goes away, New Orleans basically has next and everyone keeps talking about the Rockets as having a chance, but I don't see it yet and I am waiting for the injuries to undermine their season as it does every year.
UNLV got a big win over Arizona, but I'm worried it will not have the quality in March when it matters. Wink getting hurt definitely limits our chances at success at Louisville, but it is more important for him to be ready for conference season so the Rebels can rack up the wins to get in the big dance. BYU has a big game vs. Wake Forest and can put themselves on the map with a big win. Other than that, I don't think any other conference team has put themselves in position for a NCAA bid. San Diego State has won some games as has Wyoming. Utah has struggled against the toughest schedule ever played by a bunch of white guys. UNLV has started to figure out how to win with the crew they have. An 11-3 start would be a great jumping off point to a conference season that they should be able to finish 1 or 2. A 12-4 conference record would give them a 23-7 record that should put them in the dance yet again. We'll see what happens vs. Louisville.
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Tuesday, December 16
Season's Rantings....
Here's a link to a story about Bill Bayno, former UNLV coach. I was excited for him to get another college job, because he probably deserved another shot to run a program. His time at UNLV ended so badly, some of it was his fault, some of it wasn't. Some stories I heard included him running with hookers and cocaine at the Treasure Island, playing up to his true playboy status. I watched his coaches show religiously at the time and looked ragged after a loss and never looked healthy after the first third of the season. The thing with Lamar Odom wasn't his fault and really if it had happened at any other school, the coach would have gotten a slap on the wrist. Because it was UNLV, coming off the Tark days, he got buried. He coached in frickin' Yakima to get his basketball jones off. Luckily, he had a good gig with the Blazers and I thought his college days were over. I am dismayed that he hasn't been able to coach his team this year. While Loyola is doesn't have the tradition that UNLV has, they are linked forever due to Bo Kimble and Hank Gathers. UNLV was the team that ended LMU's dream of a Final Four that year. I am rooting for Billy B. to get better and coach his team to better heights.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. The Mountain West is having a down year this year. For all the talent that each team is "supposed" to have, none are playing to their ability. BYU is 10-0, but name one team they have beat. Their one true test is at home vs. Wake Forest. I look for the longest homecourt winning streak to end this year. Wyoming hasn't played anybody either. Utah and UNM have struggled and UNLV has the ugliest 8-2 start in the history of 8-2 starts. Their inability to put teams away early has been the biggest weakness so far. They have not figured out how to play with a true center, not that Santee knows what to do with the ball when he gets it. When they spread the floor with shooters, Santee and Massamba are going to get single coverage and need to move with purpose and confidence. I would rather see them get called for offensive fouls right now than this butterfinger, pansy rebounding that I see from them right now.
One other thing about the Rebs...The release of heralded recruit Beas Hamga is very puzzling. He wasn't able to get on the floor in games, which means one of two things. His hype exceeded his actual talent or the coaches didn't see any progress at all in practice. He is the third transfer to leave the program in the last two years because of dissatisfaction with playing time. I just don't get it. They sit on the sideline for a year, watch how things work and get an idea of what the program is all about, then they get to play after a year of watching, don't work their butt off, think it is going to be handed to them, it isn't and they're pissed. Hello! McFly! The consistency of a Lon Kruger program is if you don't bust your butt at practice you will not play in the game. This has been proven over and over again. The team needs to get better defensively and then figure some stuff out on offense. It says alot that during one of their more effective periods against a putrid Western Michigan team they had three guards (Willis, Wink, Oscar) and two forwards (Darger and Rougeau) on the floor without a center. Not good.
It truly is too bad Reggie Theus didn't last longer with Sacramento. I hope he goes back to college and builds a program up. I enjoyed Reggie Nation while it lasted at New Mexico State. I think he can recruit and actually do some X and Os coaching. Good luck Reggie!
That's all for now, kiddies, hope your itch has been scratched....
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
I've said it before and I'll say it again. The Mountain West is having a down year this year. For all the talent that each team is "supposed" to have, none are playing to their ability. BYU is 10-0, but name one team they have beat. Their one true test is at home vs. Wake Forest. I look for the longest homecourt winning streak to end this year. Wyoming hasn't played anybody either. Utah and UNM have struggled and UNLV has the ugliest 8-2 start in the history of 8-2 starts. Their inability to put teams away early has been the biggest weakness so far. They have not figured out how to play with a true center, not that Santee knows what to do with the ball when he gets it. When they spread the floor with shooters, Santee and Massamba are going to get single coverage and need to move with purpose and confidence. I would rather see them get called for offensive fouls right now than this butterfinger, pansy rebounding that I see from them right now.
One other thing about the Rebs...The release of heralded recruit Beas Hamga is very puzzling. He wasn't able to get on the floor in games, which means one of two things. His hype exceeded his actual talent or the coaches didn't see any progress at all in practice. He is the third transfer to leave the program in the last two years because of dissatisfaction with playing time. I just don't get it. They sit on the sideline for a year, watch how things work and get an idea of what the program is all about, then they get to play after a year of watching, don't work their butt off, think it is going to be handed to them, it isn't and they're pissed. Hello! McFly! The consistency of a Lon Kruger program is if you don't bust your butt at practice you will not play in the game. This has been proven over and over again. The team needs to get better defensively and then figure some stuff out on offense. It says alot that during one of their more effective periods against a putrid Western Michigan team they had three guards (Willis, Wink, Oscar) and two forwards (Darger and Rougeau) on the floor without a center. Not good.
It truly is too bad Reggie Theus didn't last longer with Sacramento. I hope he goes back to college and builds a program up. I enjoyed Reggie Nation while it lasted at New Mexico State. I think he can recruit and actually do some X and Os coaching. Good luck Reggie!
That's all for now, kiddies, hope your itch has been scratched....
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Sunday, December 7
Great Minds
A couple days after my last post, Las Vegas Review Journal columnist Ed Graney echoed my thoughts about UNLV giving Rocky Long a call for the defensive coordinator job. So now that it is public (read: common) knowledge that they should do it, it means it won't happen. AD Mike Hamrick has yet to extend Sanford's contract which will affect recruiting. He needs to add at least another season. If I'm Mike Sanford, I hold out for three or four years and use the progress made this season to show that he can get it done.
I watched college football last night and saw the fourth quarter of the Alabama-Florida game. Great game! I thought Florida would end up winning, they are just too explosive on offense. I don't think Okrahoma is going to give them much of a game. It should be USC in the championship game, I think it would set records. Speaking of wastes of time, I also kept a eye on the UA-ASU football as the winner would most likely go to the Las Vegas Bowl. UNLV's win over Arizona State ruined their football season, I can't imagine they were too psyched up to play themselves into a football game in a place that reminded them of what their season could have been.
Worry about the Runnin' Rebels season is not premature. Their losses over the Thanksgiving weekend to Cal and Cincinnati are troubling, especially considering they were at home. They scored a HUGE win over Reno last night, putting them in position to make a run in December. They have winnable games vs. Western Michigan, Santa Clara and Southern Utah. They need to beat either Arizona at home or Louisville on the road to keep their at large hopes alive in March. Looking up and down the Mountain West, it looks like BYU is the only team doing what they are supposed to. Utah losing to Idaho St. is just another indicator that the conference is probably going to be down this year and will struggle to get two teams in. Not much margin of error for them the rest of the nonconference season. The game against Arizona is going to be big, as they are down this year and ripe for a defeat on the road. The Rebels should have won the game last year and should be able to find a way to get by the Wildcats. The game against Louisville will be very difficult to win. The rest of the conference season means they will need to win all home games and find a way to win at Air Force, Utah and San Diego. A win at BYU would be nice as well, but I've learned to temper my expectations.
I watched college football last night and saw the fourth quarter of the Alabama-Florida game. Great game! I thought Florida would end up winning, they are just too explosive on offense. I don't think Okrahoma is going to give them much of a game. It should be USC in the championship game, I think it would set records. Speaking of wastes of time, I also kept a eye on the UA-ASU football as the winner would most likely go to the Las Vegas Bowl. UNLV's win over Arizona State ruined their football season, I can't imagine they were too psyched up to play themselves into a football game in a place that reminded them of what their season could have been.
Worry about the Runnin' Rebels season is not premature. Their losses over the Thanksgiving weekend to Cal and Cincinnati are troubling, especially considering they were at home. They scored a HUGE win over Reno last night, putting them in position to make a run in December. They have winnable games vs. Western Michigan, Santa Clara and Southern Utah. They need to beat either Arizona at home or Louisville on the road to keep their at large hopes alive in March. Looking up and down the Mountain West, it looks like BYU is the only team doing what they are supposed to. Utah losing to Idaho St. is just another indicator that the conference is probably going to be down this year and will struggle to get two teams in. Not much margin of error for them the rest of the nonconference season. The game against Arizona is going to be big, as they are down this year and ripe for a defeat on the road. The Rebels should have won the game last year and should be able to find a way to get by the Wildcats. The game against Louisville will be very difficult to win. The rest of the conference season means they will need to win all home games and find a way to win at Air Force, Utah and San Diego. A win at BYU would be nice as well, but I've learned to temper my expectations.
Sunday, November 23
Football for Christmas...
UNLV's egg that they laid this weekend in San Diego is somewhat disconcerting. Even if they won, they needed a whole bunch of help to get to a bowl game. Given that scenario, with 6,000 bowl games this year, it would be hard to keep a 6-6 team home for the holidays. Now the Rebels are home for good and Frank Summers has finished his career as well. It was fun watching him barreling through defenses these last two years and I think his teammates have failed him. They also failed Mike Sanford, who may find his previously thought of solid job status to be more shaky than it could have been given a loss to San Diego State. Given the way they choked away a should have won game by not competing, Sanford's seat might be getting warmer. I still think he deserves an extension, but the fact he hasn't is very disconcerting. That being said, UNLV took large strides forward this year with 5 wins. In August, many Rebels fans would have taken that and called it progress. Instead, this team took a promising win over a Top 10 team and choked it away against just barely better than mediocre Mountain West conference schedule.
Here's a radical thought. Hire recently fired Rocky Long to be the defensive coordinator. The guy is a heckva coach and his teams at UNM were always difficult defensively. Besides the obvious upgrade that his experience would provide, it would also give him the low profile, meager expectations that is the antidote to UNM athletics. UNM fans will soon be pining for the days when Rocky pulled a quarterback out of his jacket pocket that somehow, some way got them eligible for a bowl game. The offensive talent is there. Injuries did play a role this year, as Mike Claussen stepped in for a much better than expected Omar Clayton at QB. Unfortunately, Summers getting hurt affected the game plan vs. San Diego and super tall, freshman stud Phillip Payne's two concussions kept him out of games they had a chance to win.
Overall, UNLV was really only out of two games this year. They were never really in it against TCU and the game against Reno got away from them early in the 2nd quarter. The Rebs hung with the Utes through the first half before Utah pulled away. Whether that consists of improvement is only for AD Mike Hamrick to decide. I think the right thing to do is give Sanford one more season to see if he can continue to move in the right direction. This is UNLV football after all, is a 6-6 season too much to celebrate?
Laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Here's a radical thought. Hire recently fired Rocky Long to be the defensive coordinator. The guy is a heckva coach and his teams at UNM were always difficult defensively. Besides the obvious upgrade that his experience would provide, it would also give him the low profile, meager expectations that is the antidote to UNM athletics. UNM fans will soon be pining for the days when Rocky pulled a quarterback out of his jacket pocket that somehow, some way got them eligible for a bowl game. The offensive talent is there. Injuries did play a role this year, as Mike Claussen stepped in for a much better than expected Omar Clayton at QB. Unfortunately, Summers getting hurt affected the game plan vs. San Diego and super tall, freshman stud Phillip Payne's two concussions kept him out of games they had a chance to win.
Overall, UNLV was really only out of two games this year. They were never really in it against TCU and the game against Reno got away from them early in the 2nd quarter. The Rebs hung with the Utes through the first half before Utah pulled away. Whether that consists of improvement is only for AD Mike Hamrick to decide. I think the right thing to do is give Sanford one more season to see if he can continue to move in the right direction. This is UNLV football after all, is a 6-6 season too much to celebrate?
Laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Saturday, November 1
Back from the Merchant Marines
Since I have been MIA the past two months, reading basketball previews and jetsetting all over the place in October, I thought I would regale you with my predictions for the upcoming season. The best part is we can all look back at them and laugh at how preposterous my picks were.
College Basketball
Nationally, I really like North Carolina this year, but their early injuries make me nervous if they carry through to the rest of the season. Depending on how the #1 seeds fall out this year, they could find themselves the favorite again to win. I say this not because I'm bitter they lost since they were my pool pick last year, but I just don't like picking the same team two years in a row. I could be pretentious and put up my Top 25 teams, but it probably would end up being a colossal time waster.
Instead, not in the interest of wasting time, I will put up my Mountain West picks for this season, since I do follow the conference pretty regularly and maybe I know something that others don't. Anyways, it's why I bet this conference and not the others, nobody else watches really.
Even though I'm a homer, everyone else (including the media) agrees with me that UNLV is the best team going in. Personally, I think BYU is going to take a step back this year without Plaisted and I think Lee Cummard can only carry the team so far. San Diego State has probably the most talent, but usually does the least with it. It's up to them how good they are. It's hard to count out Utah with ten seven footers on the roster, but their schedule is a bit ambitious and I don't know if they can put it all together. While Boylen gets on my nerves a bit, he seems to have that program on the right track and probably at the top of the conference in two or three years.
Speaking of annoying, Steve Alford has already started whining about the site of the conference tournament being in Las Vegas, which leads me to believe that his team is not as good as others think it could be. When you signed the contract to coach the team, you knew the rules coming in. That's like him complaining about going to Ft. Collins and Laramie, Wyoming in the middle of February. You knew it going in. He hasn't even won a conference tournament game yet, but he's blaming the lack of a true neutral court. Got news for you Steve, BYU and UNLV were the best teams last year and deserved to play for the auto bid. Truly at the end of the day, conference tournaments are about money, not fairness, and the best teams all year should be in the finals. That being said, since the MWC started, it is only the second time the top two teams met in the final. There are always upsets in tournaments and always will be, whether they are on a neutral court or not. If UNLV left the MWC, they would still have their tourney in Vegas because that is where the fans go and where it makes money. The other sites they are considering are not going to be profitable at all. Learn from the Denver mistake, pals and keep it in Vegas. If they get another arena built, move the tournament there. Until then, keep it where fans like to go and can hang out after their team loses. It should be noted that when the tournament was in Denver, it was closer to more MWC teams and should have had better attendance than it did. Nobody stuck around after their team lost, everybody went home. Don't blame 'em, it's cold in Denver in March. It snows. It doesn't snow in March in Vegas.
Anyways, UNM has the most talent coming in, Tony Danridge returning from surgery and they should be better than last year. Unfortunately, with Steve's bloviating I don't think he has the horses to win this year. You build your resume for the tournament throughout the season, Steve. Put together a good year and win some games, beat some good teams. Of course, that means scheduling good teams first.
Air Force has come back to earth after a few seasons of setting college basketball back thirty years. Colorado State and TCU are rebuilding with new coaches and will have another long season. Wyoming needs to get the tough kids that made them successful in the past. They won't have them in time for this season though.
Here are my picks for the end of the year.
1. UNLV
2. BYU
3. San Diego State
4. Utah
5. New Mexico
6. Wyoming
7. Air Force
8. Colorado State
9. TCU
3-4-5 are really a toss up. I'll try to revisit them after the non conference season to see how the season is treating everybody. I do think UNLV will be ranked in the Top 25 for most of the season and if they get a decent draw, they could make some noise in the dance this year. I like Hamga, but the best news is that Darris Santee will start in the middle and UNLV will be able to bring the two seven footers off the bench. If Willis is 3/4 as good as everyone thinks he will be, they will be fine at the point. It's all about turnovers and defense in Kruger's system and if he can buy in, then they should be good. Darger can shoot from outside, but after last year, he's learned he can rebound and post up if needed. Don't underestimate the Bellfield kid, UNLV was lucky to get a kid of his caliber. Next year, with Derrick Jasper and Chace Stanback added to the roster, the Rebels will be fun to watch.
I will get to the NBA later, even though a surprising trade just happened that may shift some things around. Enjoy the fall season!
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
College Basketball
Nationally, I really like North Carolina this year, but their early injuries make me nervous if they carry through to the rest of the season. Depending on how the #1 seeds fall out this year, they could find themselves the favorite again to win. I say this not because I'm bitter they lost since they were my pool pick last year, but I just don't like picking the same team two years in a row. I could be pretentious and put up my Top 25 teams, but it probably would end up being a colossal time waster.
Instead, not in the interest of wasting time, I will put up my Mountain West picks for this season, since I do follow the conference pretty regularly and maybe I know something that others don't. Anyways, it's why I bet this conference and not the others, nobody else watches really.
Even though I'm a homer, everyone else (including the media) agrees with me that UNLV is the best team going in. Personally, I think BYU is going to take a step back this year without Plaisted and I think Lee Cummard can only carry the team so far. San Diego State has probably the most talent, but usually does the least with it. It's up to them how good they are. It's hard to count out Utah with ten seven footers on the roster, but their schedule is a bit ambitious and I don't know if they can put it all together. While Boylen gets on my nerves a bit, he seems to have that program on the right track and probably at the top of the conference in two or three years.
Speaking of annoying, Steve Alford has already started whining about the site of the conference tournament being in Las Vegas, which leads me to believe that his team is not as good as others think it could be. When you signed the contract to coach the team, you knew the rules coming in. That's like him complaining about going to Ft. Collins and Laramie, Wyoming in the middle of February. You knew it going in. He hasn't even won a conference tournament game yet, but he's blaming the lack of a true neutral court. Got news for you Steve, BYU and UNLV were the best teams last year and deserved to play for the auto bid. Truly at the end of the day, conference tournaments are about money, not fairness, and the best teams all year should be in the finals. That being said, since the MWC started, it is only the second time the top two teams met in the final. There are always upsets in tournaments and always will be, whether they are on a neutral court or not. If UNLV left the MWC, they would still have their tourney in Vegas because that is where the fans go and where it makes money. The other sites they are considering are not going to be profitable at all. Learn from the Denver mistake, pals and keep it in Vegas. If they get another arena built, move the tournament there. Until then, keep it where fans like to go and can hang out after their team loses. It should be noted that when the tournament was in Denver, it was closer to more MWC teams and should have had better attendance than it did. Nobody stuck around after their team lost, everybody went home. Don't blame 'em, it's cold in Denver in March. It snows. It doesn't snow in March in Vegas.
Anyways, UNM has the most talent coming in, Tony Danridge returning from surgery and they should be better than last year. Unfortunately, with Steve's bloviating I don't think he has the horses to win this year. You build your resume for the tournament throughout the season, Steve. Put together a good year and win some games, beat some good teams. Of course, that means scheduling good teams first.
Air Force has come back to earth after a few seasons of setting college basketball back thirty years. Colorado State and TCU are rebuilding with new coaches and will have another long season. Wyoming needs to get the tough kids that made them successful in the past. They won't have them in time for this season though.
Here are my picks for the end of the year.
1. UNLV
2. BYU
3. San Diego State
4. Utah
5. New Mexico
6. Wyoming
7. Air Force
8. Colorado State
9. TCU
3-4-5 are really a toss up. I'll try to revisit them after the non conference season to see how the season is treating everybody. I do think UNLV will be ranked in the Top 25 for most of the season and if they get a decent draw, they could make some noise in the dance this year. I like Hamga, but the best news is that Darris Santee will start in the middle and UNLV will be able to bring the two seven footers off the bench. If Willis is 3/4 as good as everyone thinks he will be, they will be fine at the point. It's all about turnovers and defense in Kruger's system and if he can buy in, then they should be good. Darger can shoot from outside, but after last year, he's learned he can rebound and post up if needed. Don't underestimate the Bellfield kid, UNLV was lucky to get a kid of his caliber. Next year, with Derrick Jasper and Chace Stanback added to the roster, the Rebels will be fun to watch.
I will get to the NBA later, even though a surprising trade just happened that may shift some things around. Enjoy the fall season!
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Wednesday, August 6
A Year Later...
I get it now.
So I'm laying here realizing something I never thought I would. I finally get it now. As I put my 364-day old son down to sleep, I get why my mom always calls me on my birthday and relives the moment I was born all over again. It takes awhile for you to realize how truly life changing that moment is. It's been a year for me, now and I still have trouble wrapping my head around it. I remember thinking after he was born, how can the rest of the world still be going on right now? Doesn't everybody realize that my son, MY SON just looked at me and smiled!?! I really do know, deep down, that my son isn't the first ever born and that life goes on much the same way it did before, but that doesn't change the fact that I remember driving to the hospital and sitting in the waiting room before going in to the materity unit as if it happened last week. In many ways, it still seems like it was last week. It's weird to remember it looking back. It's seemed such a whirlwind since he was born, it's hard to take a breath and remember. It is fun to look back and think how life used to be and how different it's become.
We took pictures in the lobby and we have these big, dumb, goofy smiles because we have no idea what was going on or what was going to happen. I am very thankful that we went to pregnancy class because 95% of what they tell you might happen, did happen to us. We were prepared and knew that it was just part of the process. He had mucomium and his cord was wrapped around his throat, my wife was put on oxygen, she had fluids pumped into her to flush the poop out, the baby's heart rate dropped during contractions, they had to put the connector things on his head to read his vitals. A lot could have gone wrong and they would have whisked her to c-section-ville, but our doctor was solid and patient and knew how to handle the situation. As I think back, I realize that this baby will grow up and be dependent on me in different ways. I pray that I will be what he needs, when he needs it and that he grows up to be a contributing member of society. I thank God for bringing him into my life and I am truly humbled by the miracle that is my son.
I love ya, boy!
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
So I'm laying here realizing something I never thought I would. I finally get it now. As I put my 364-day old son down to sleep, I get why my mom always calls me on my birthday and relives the moment I was born all over again. It takes awhile for you to realize how truly life changing that moment is. It's been a year for me, now and I still have trouble wrapping my head around it. I remember thinking after he was born, how can the rest of the world still be going on right now? Doesn't everybody realize that my son, MY SON just looked at me and smiled!?! I really do know, deep down, that my son isn't the first ever born and that life goes on much the same way it did before, but that doesn't change the fact that I remember driving to the hospital and sitting in the waiting room before going in to the materity unit as if it happened last week. In many ways, it still seems like it was last week. It's weird to remember it looking back. It's seemed such a whirlwind since he was born, it's hard to take a breath and remember. It is fun to look back and think how life used to be and how different it's become.
We took pictures in the lobby and we have these big, dumb, goofy smiles because we have no idea what was going on or what was going to happen. I am very thankful that we went to pregnancy class because 95% of what they tell you might happen, did happen to us. We were prepared and knew that it was just part of the process. He had mucomium and his cord was wrapped around his throat, my wife was put on oxygen, she had fluids pumped into her to flush the poop out, the baby's heart rate dropped during contractions, they had to put the connector things on his head to read his vitals. A lot could have gone wrong and they would have whisked her to c-section-ville, but our doctor was solid and patient and knew how to handle the situation. As I think back, I realize that this baby will grow up and be dependent on me in different ways. I pray that I will be what he needs, when he needs it and that he grows up to be a contributing member of society. I thank God for bringing him into my life and I am truly humbled by the miracle that is my son.
I love ya, boy!
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Saturday, July 19
Open letter to Mitch Kupchak
Hi Mitch,
What's up? Seriously. I haven't heard from you lately and I'm worried you are in the middle of one of these great megadeals that you have pulled out of your hat before. I have only one request. Don't trade Lamar Odom. Not yet, anyways. Gve the the trio of Odom, Bynum and Gasol time to develop together. I cannot guarantee they will be tougher, but they will be more experienced and have a chance to get each other's backs during a long regular season. Ron Artest is out there and wants a new home, regardless of what he thinks he was told by Kings management. He only has one year left on his deal and he's not worth what Odom can potientially give you as a fourth scoring option behind Kobe, Pau and Drew. He would be under no pressure to produce and if he can't go out and do his thing under those conditions, then he will never be able to do it. In addition, if you play your cards right you might be able to get Ron Ron this time next year when his contract is up in Sac-Town.
I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer, Mitch. I look forward to another trip to the Finals and Pop complaining about your next heist.
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
What's up? Seriously. I haven't heard from you lately and I'm worried you are in the middle of one of these great megadeals that you have pulled out of your hat before. I have only one request. Don't trade Lamar Odom. Not yet, anyways. Gve the the trio of Odom, Bynum and Gasol time to develop together. I cannot guarantee they will be tougher, but they will be more experienced and have a chance to get each other's backs during a long regular season. Ron Artest is out there and wants a new home, regardless of what he thinks he was told by Kings management. He only has one year left on his deal and he's not worth what Odom can potientially give you as a fourth scoring option behind Kobe, Pau and Drew. He would be under no pressure to produce and if he can't go out and do his thing under those conditions, then he will never be able to do it. In addition, if you play your cards right you might be able to get Ron Ron this time next year when his contract is up in Sac-Town.
I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer, Mitch. I look forward to another trip to the Finals and Pop complaining about your next heist.
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Thursday, July 17
Redemption
Just a quick note on an article I found. Here's a good article on former UNLV coach Bill Bayno. I will probably always remember him because his first year at UNLV was my freshman year. My first basketball game as a member of the pep band was a exhibition game and when the lights dimmed, the pregame fireworks absolutely blew me away! I was definitely hooked and have been feeding my addiction ever since. I root for Billy to do well because he was a bit too young and too flawed to succeed during his time in Vegas. His teams were much like him: inconsistent at times, flashy and brillant at others. But boy could he recruit. He was able to pull in Top 25 classes seemingly each year but couldn't coach them up to their potential. They managed to find a way to survive the 1998 WAC tournament, which I will treasure that entire week. In 1998-99, the team wasted a fine player in Shawn Marion, especially when Kaspars went down with a knee injury (I think they lost seven of their last nine games or something like that).
It seems Bayno has his life somewhat together and some perspective as well as a bit of maturity. He seems to understand everything can go away in the blink of an eye but addiction is a tough disease to kick. I wish him luck at LMU and hope he uses it as a springboard to better things. Good luck, except when you play the Rebs...
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
It seems Bayno has his life somewhat together and some perspective as well as a bit of maturity. He seems to understand everything can go away in the blink of an eye but addiction is a tough disease to kick. I wish him luck at LMU and hope he uses it as a springboard to better things. Good luck, except when you play the Rebs...
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Monday, July 7
Licking my wounds....
So I figured I would have had more time to keep this updated, but I've been mourning the Lakers' loss in the Finals and even swore off the NBA...until the draft at least.
Not that the draft was that compelling. We'll check back in a few years to see what teams were able to get a steal and who busted. This summer in the NBA will definitely lack the drama that last summer packed. I don't think any power shifting megadeals will happen this summer. I would watch out for Corey Maggette and where he ends up...I hope it is not in San Antonio. I don't think the Lakers will do much this offseason, they want pretty much everyone back and from what I gather they would have to renounce Sasha and Ronny to sign a mid-level free agent and I don't think there is someone they are chomping to get. I really don't think they have to make many changes, a healthy Andrew Bynum is a large piece to add for next season and it is wait and see to make sure it works next fall.
Being tied up in the Finals has kept me distracted from what the Cubs are doing this year. I had to make sure the post I was reading was real before I believed it. The deal for C.C. and the Brewers makes me nervous, if the Crew can get to the postseason, no one will want to face Sheets and Sabathia four times in a series. The main concern is the Cubs depth. They've had some injuries, most notably Soriano. It has taken a toll, but they have been able to tread water and stay on top of the division. I'm hoping they can keep it together to make it the playoffs, maybe add a piece so they can compete against what will surely be a powerhouse AL team in the Series. I think even if they make it to the World Series, the AL team will just be too good for them to overcome. We'll see what happens.
UNLV's basketball team played six games in Australia this past week. They went 4-2, against some decent competition. It was more important for Beas and Trevon to get some PT and get them a head start on the new season. Let's hope they don't play like freshman at the beginning of the year. Their non-conference schedule is pretty aggressive. Speaking of which, I see that Utah has built a made for BCS non conference schedule. It's a great idea, but only if they win most of the games. Otherwise, the Mountain West will not be able to shed its reputation of being unable to win out of conference games. UNLV's schedule is much stronger than last year's but if UNLV can come out 12-2 they will be in great position to crack the Top 25. I think the in season tourney will be a good test for the Rebels. Can't wait to renew my season tickets earlier than last year....
Can TV networks come up with something better than this Wipeout, I Survived a Japanese Game Show and Farmer wants a wife crap? Who are the tv executives that came up with this one? Wipeout is such a clear rip off of MXC, without the witty banter that crosses the culture and makes you feel sorry for the poor saps who have no idea what's going on or that they are in on the joke. Add the commentary of a Sportscenter anchor and a bitter Talk Soup ex-host, and you realize the show is a bottom feeder, lowest denominator show that lacks the charm? of the translated circus show from Japan.
I look up and down the DVD aisles and see some of the crappy and old shows that are out now and I cannot fathom why "Ed" is not one of them. This was a truly great show and I miss it terribly.
Look for the return of The Big Show with Dan and Keith on Sunday Night Football this fall. DP is back on syndicated radio and now on the big network with his former partner in crime doing the highlights. Makes me wonder what Craig Kilborn is up to...
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Not that the draft was that compelling. We'll check back in a few years to see what teams were able to get a steal and who busted. This summer in the NBA will definitely lack the drama that last summer packed. I don't think any power shifting megadeals will happen this summer. I would watch out for Corey Maggette and where he ends up...I hope it is not in San Antonio. I don't think the Lakers will do much this offseason, they want pretty much everyone back and from what I gather they would have to renounce Sasha and Ronny to sign a mid-level free agent and I don't think there is someone they are chomping to get. I really don't think they have to make many changes, a healthy Andrew Bynum is a large piece to add for next season and it is wait and see to make sure it works next fall.
Being tied up in the Finals has kept me distracted from what the Cubs are doing this year. I had to make sure the post I was reading was real before I believed it. The deal for C.C. and the Brewers makes me nervous, if the Crew can get to the postseason, no one will want to face Sheets and Sabathia four times in a series. The main concern is the Cubs depth. They've had some injuries, most notably Soriano. It has taken a toll, but they have been able to tread water and stay on top of the division. I'm hoping they can keep it together to make it the playoffs, maybe add a piece so they can compete against what will surely be a powerhouse AL team in the Series. I think even if they make it to the World Series, the AL team will just be too good for them to overcome. We'll see what happens.
UNLV's basketball team played six games in Australia this past week. They went 4-2, against some decent competition. It was more important for Beas and Trevon to get some PT and get them a head start on the new season. Let's hope they don't play like freshman at the beginning of the year. Their non-conference schedule is pretty aggressive. Speaking of which, I see that Utah has built a made for BCS non conference schedule. It's a great idea, but only if they win most of the games. Otherwise, the Mountain West will not be able to shed its reputation of being unable to win out of conference games. UNLV's schedule is much stronger than last year's but if UNLV can come out 12-2 they will be in great position to crack the Top 25. I think the in season tourney will be a good test for the Rebels. Can't wait to renew my season tickets earlier than last year....
Can TV networks come up with something better than this Wipeout, I Survived a Japanese Game Show and Farmer wants a wife crap? Who are the tv executives that came up with this one? Wipeout is such a clear rip off of MXC, without the witty banter that crosses the culture and makes you feel sorry for the poor saps who have no idea what's going on or that they are in on the joke. Add the commentary of a Sportscenter anchor and a bitter Talk Soup ex-host, and you realize the show is a bottom feeder, lowest denominator show that lacks the charm? of the translated circus show from Japan.
I look up and down the DVD aisles and see some of the crappy and old shows that are out now and I cannot fathom why "Ed" is not one of them. This was a truly great show and I miss it terribly.
Look for the return of The Big Show with Dan and Keith on Sunday Night Football this fall. DP is back on syndicated radio and now on the big network with his former partner in crime doing the highlights. Makes me wonder what Craig Kilborn is up to...
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Friday, June 13
Nothing to say....
It's like Pedro Martinez said when the Yankees whupped him, "Nothing else you can say except tip your hat and call them your daddy." Boston, you're my daddy.
Let's go in the way back machine when Kobe dropped the bomb that he wanted to be traded. One year ago, Lakers fans were looking into the abyss. Kobe wanted out, the team had no moves to make over the offseason and Philsie was sitting in a cabin in Montana burning incense. It was looking like the lottery was immient. The passage of time calmed Lakers fans. Armageddon didn't come, Kobe was not traded, the team stood pat and drafted an athletic point guard and a Chinese center. Training camp arrived in October and even better, so did Kobe. And he was engaged. He was interested in playing and being with the team this season. He invested in the team and himself to become the well rounded player everyone was waiting for him to become. Bynum blossomed and Ariza arrived in a under publicized trade. Both of those players going down required the Lakers to get production from places they didn't geniunely have a right to expect. Turiaf and Walton responded well with the extra playing time and have been erratic in the postseason as the stakes have increased. Derek Fisher re-joining the team gave them a solid voice and experienced presence they lacked to offset Kobe's intensity. The team had some pieces.
Then Super Bowl weekend, Pau Gasol arrived for spare parts and a draft pick. It was the steal of the century and it breathed championship life into the team. In a deep Western conference, they were catapulted into contenders and ended up with the best record in the conference after barely a half season together. With home court advantage, they were well positioned to endure the playoffs and maybe get to the Finals.
Now that they are there, and given their relative ease of getting through the tough Western conference, expectations are sky high. Boston completely retooled and added veteran, experienced pieces that had been through the wars, but never together and never with nearly as much talent. Danny Ainge added some pieces along the way and they really hit the jackpot.
So even though the 24 point blown lead is very difficult to swallow, it is important to remember that these failures may be growing pains for a young team, but they are pains at the highest level. They are here earlier than scheduled and it can only bode well for the future. I think the failure of this series can stick with this team and give them the drive that they need to get through adversity in the future. Philsie can use this failure as a learning tool and give them the motivation to perservere and hopefully give them the championships to come.
Boston's big three will be older next year and maybe they will have another shot the season after that. The Lakers are young and getting better. If they add a another veteran piece, they should be back here next year, applying the lessons learned this year.
That being said, with all the history made in this series, maybe the Lakers could do something historic themselves and win three straight games after being down 3-1. Until then, I suppose I will continue watching the 1987 Finals highlight films.
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Let's go in the way back machine when Kobe dropped the bomb that he wanted to be traded. One year ago, Lakers fans were looking into the abyss. Kobe wanted out, the team had no moves to make over the offseason and Philsie was sitting in a cabin in Montana burning incense. It was looking like the lottery was immient. The passage of time calmed Lakers fans. Armageddon didn't come, Kobe was not traded, the team stood pat and drafted an athletic point guard and a Chinese center. Training camp arrived in October and even better, so did Kobe. And he was engaged. He was interested in playing and being with the team this season. He invested in the team and himself to become the well rounded player everyone was waiting for him to become. Bynum blossomed and Ariza arrived in a under publicized trade. Both of those players going down required the Lakers to get production from places they didn't geniunely have a right to expect. Turiaf and Walton responded well with the extra playing time and have been erratic in the postseason as the stakes have increased. Derek Fisher re-joining the team gave them a solid voice and experienced presence they lacked to offset Kobe's intensity. The team had some pieces.
Then Super Bowl weekend, Pau Gasol arrived for spare parts and a draft pick. It was the steal of the century and it breathed championship life into the team. In a deep Western conference, they were catapulted into contenders and ended up with the best record in the conference after barely a half season together. With home court advantage, they were well positioned to endure the playoffs and maybe get to the Finals.
Now that they are there, and given their relative ease of getting through the tough Western conference, expectations are sky high. Boston completely retooled and added veteran, experienced pieces that had been through the wars, but never together and never with nearly as much talent. Danny Ainge added some pieces along the way and they really hit the jackpot.
So even though the 24 point blown lead is very difficult to swallow, it is important to remember that these failures may be growing pains for a young team, but they are pains at the highest level. They are here earlier than scheduled and it can only bode well for the future. I think the failure of this series can stick with this team and give them the drive that they need to get through adversity in the future. Philsie can use this failure as a learning tool and give them the motivation to perservere and hopefully give them the championships to come.
Boston's big three will be older next year and maybe they will have another shot the season after that. The Lakers are young and getting better. If they add a another veteran piece, they should be back here next year, applying the lessons learned this year.
That being said, with all the history made in this series, maybe the Lakers could do something historic themselves and win three straight games after being down 3-1. Until then, I suppose I will continue watching the 1987 Finals highlight films.
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Sunday, June 8
You have got to be kidding me!
10 free throws to 38!! Lakers are playing like poo and this whole series is very close to going down the tubes for them. Kobe has lost six of his last seven Finals games--incredible when you realize he and Shaq together lost three finals games during their three-peat. I will take my hat off to Leon Powe, who looked McHale-esque and dominated in the paint, getting ticky tack calls that were not being made at the other end of the court. While Paul Pierce played well, KG and Ray Allen had relatively quiet nights. If you have to count on Powe giving you twenty points off the bench, you should be happy to be up 2-0. Even as bad as they played in both games, the Lakers had the chance to win both games. Hopefully some home cooking can give them the confidence they need to get some momentum and only have to win one in Boston. It seems that Paul Pierce is claiming this moment as his own. While not many teams have come back from being down 2-0, the Lakers definitely have enough talent to push this thing to 3-2 coming back to Boston. Don't forget many people had written off Miami after Dallas took a commanding 2-0 lead to South Beach in 2006!!
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Wednesday, June 4
It's 1987 all over again!
At least I hope it will be 1987, which ended in a Lakers finals win...
Here is a good analysis of great offense meeting great defense in the Finals...my two cents says Kobe or KG will be a transcendant force in the series, ultimately defining their legacy. I'm nervous it may be KG's time, but the 2004 Finals aside, Kobe realizes MJ's competitiveness (and probably an underrated part of his greatness) never let anybody else win (i.e. Sir Charles, P. Ewing, Clyde, John and Karl, Gary Payton).
Pau is going to have to average at least 18 and 12 boards for the Lakers to keep this interesting. If the Celtics can't build a 12-15 point lead going into the 4th quarter, I think Kobe will be able to take over MJ-style.
How great would it be to see Philsie win his record breaking ten titles against Red's Celtics?
Kobe is almost in Jordan's air, but you don't get that inevitability that he was going to win. Once he got to the Finals, his teams went for the jugular early, going up 2-0, 3-1 in most series. He did have tests in the conference finals, most memorably against the Knicks and the Pacers. If you were not a Jordan/Bulls fan, while you just knew he was going to win, you hoped somehow the other team would be able to dig out a win that would never come.
Can Kobe catch Michael's six titles? He's gotta start this year to have a great chance at it. He only needs four more and with this crew and Andrew Bynum coming back next year, I think he's got a good chance to get there. Obviously, they'll need to tweak here and there, but with Pau and Drew, Jordan Farmar and Luke Walton, they should contend for the next six to nine years. SI had a great article on the development of Kobe and his competitive streak that at least rivals Jordan's . This is an interesting perspective that may be worth revisiting some day in the future.
Can't believe the Cubs' great start so far...as with the rest of Cubdom, I am holding my breath to see if they can keep this up all season. If the hitting can produce and the pitching stays healthy, they have a shot to get the pennant, however I think they will fall to a vastly superior American League team, regardless of who it is. Still, maybe this is the year!
Is there anybody better than Doug Collins as a TV analyst? I miss him and Costas doing the NBA playoffs. He is able to anticipate trends within the game and pays attention to things like body language and confidence. I can see why a team would want him as a coach--he's smart, knows the game and can X and O with the best of them. However, he is a short term fix, not destined for a long term stay. A team like the Pistons or the Suns could maybe benefit from his influx of energy and passion, but the Bulls is just a bad fit. They are a young team that needs direction and a steady hand that allows them to build on success and Doug Collins is not it. I selfishly just want to keep hearing him call games next season.
By the way, I have a theory about how the eras in the NBA have been measured by the TV contracts. Going strictly on memory, I believe CBS had the rights to broadcast during the heyday of Magic and Bird until 1989 or 90. (Remember the classic music and intro?) Then the rights shifted to NBC and Roundball Rock. That's when the Pistons beat the Blazers and then Mr. Jordan arrived on the scene. NBC kept the rights of the three peat era, beginning with MJ's taking of Magic's mantle, the hiccup of the Rockets through MJ's final push of Bryon Russell and dangling wrist and the (hopefully first) Lakers three peat. In 2002, ABC outbid everyone else and won the TV rights and along with Shaq's toe, promptly ended the Lakers reign, beginning the boring, low rated, Spurs (are they a dynasty or not) era. As this contract has matured, it seems as if the Lakers or C's are ready to wrest the throne of the NBA away until the next go-round which should be coming up soon.
UNLV's nonconference schedule is out and it looks more aggressive than last year's slate. I think the weird promotional tournament needs some work and is way too complicated for no reason whatsoever. It should result in better competition for the Rebels as they try to dance for a third season in a row. While it is unreasonable to think they should win the league tournament again, they should play themselves into a Top 25 ranking at some point during the season. If the other teams can win some nonconference games, it should be a competitive league that could garner some Big Six attention.
Memo to Cox Cable--I'm ready for my ESPNews in HD.
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Here is a good analysis of great offense meeting great defense in the Finals...my two cents says Kobe or KG will be a transcendant force in the series, ultimately defining their legacy. I'm nervous it may be KG's time, but the 2004 Finals aside, Kobe realizes MJ's competitiveness (and probably an underrated part of his greatness) never let anybody else win (i.e. Sir Charles, P. Ewing, Clyde, John and Karl, Gary Payton).
Pau is going to have to average at least 18 and 12 boards for the Lakers to keep this interesting. If the Celtics can't build a 12-15 point lead going into the 4th quarter, I think Kobe will be able to take over MJ-style.
How great would it be to see Philsie win his record breaking ten titles against Red's Celtics?
Kobe is almost in Jordan's air, but you don't get that inevitability that he was going to win. Once he got to the Finals, his teams went for the jugular early, going up 2-0, 3-1 in most series. He did have tests in the conference finals, most memorably against the Knicks and the Pacers. If you were not a Jordan/Bulls fan, while you just knew he was going to win, you hoped somehow the other team would be able to dig out a win that would never come.
Can Kobe catch Michael's six titles? He's gotta start this year to have a great chance at it. He only needs four more and with this crew and Andrew Bynum coming back next year, I think he's got a good chance to get there. Obviously, they'll need to tweak here and there, but with Pau and Drew, Jordan Farmar and Luke Walton, they should contend for the next six to nine years. SI had a great article on the development of Kobe and his competitive streak that at least rivals Jordan's . This is an interesting perspective that may be worth revisiting some day in the future.
Can't believe the Cubs' great start so far...as with the rest of Cubdom, I am holding my breath to see if they can keep this up all season. If the hitting can produce and the pitching stays healthy, they have a shot to get the pennant, however I think they will fall to a vastly superior American League team, regardless of who it is. Still, maybe this is the year!
Is there anybody better than Doug Collins as a TV analyst? I miss him and Costas doing the NBA playoffs. He is able to anticipate trends within the game and pays attention to things like body language and confidence. I can see why a team would want him as a coach--he's smart, knows the game and can X and O with the best of them. However, he is a short term fix, not destined for a long term stay. A team like the Pistons or the Suns could maybe benefit from his influx of energy and passion, but the Bulls is just a bad fit. They are a young team that needs direction and a steady hand that allows them to build on success and Doug Collins is not it. I selfishly just want to keep hearing him call games next season.
By the way, I have a theory about how the eras in the NBA have been measured by the TV contracts. Going strictly on memory, I believe CBS had the rights to broadcast during the heyday of Magic and Bird until 1989 or 90. (Remember the classic music and intro?) Then the rights shifted to NBC and Roundball Rock. That's when the Pistons beat the Blazers and then Mr. Jordan arrived on the scene. NBC kept the rights of the three peat era, beginning with MJ's taking of Magic's mantle, the hiccup of the Rockets through MJ's final push of Bryon Russell and dangling wrist and the (hopefully first) Lakers three peat. In 2002, ABC outbid everyone else and won the TV rights and along with Shaq's toe, promptly ended the Lakers reign, beginning the boring, low rated, Spurs (are they a dynasty or not) era. As this contract has matured, it seems as if the Lakers or C's are ready to wrest the throne of the NBA away until the next go-round which should be coming up soon.
UNLV's nonconference schedule is out and it looks more aggressive than last year's slate. I think the weird promotional tournament needs some work and is way too complicated for no reason whatsoever. It should result in better competition for the Rebels as they try to dance for a third season in a row. While it is unreasonable to think they should win the league tournament again, they should play themselves into a Top 25 ranking at some point during the season. If the other teams can win some nonconference games, it should be a competitive league that could garner some Big Six attention.
Memo to Cox Cable--I'm ready for my ESPNews in HD.
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Saturday, May 3
Saturday's Stuff
Maybe I'll do this a little more, maybe I won't, but here is a interesting link I found from another link posted from True Hoop on ESPN. Interesting stuff about what role the internet/technology will play in society. I give the guy props for equating sitcoms as the crticial technology for the 21st century to gin as the catalyst for the industrial revolution at the turn of the century. That takes balls. He actually makes a pretty good point about how kids in today's society didn't rush home from school to catch He-Man and Scooby-Doo.
That's all for today, kids. Enjoy the NBA playoffs. Oh and this, too.
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
That's all for today, kids. Enjoy the NBA playoffs. Oh and this, too.
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Friday, May 2
Media Spotlights
As a consumer of mass media, I feel obligated to take some time to mention to you my take on sports media in general. However, I do recognize your right not to care about my take at all. Here it is anyway. I listen to more than my share of sports radio, mostly the ESPN variety and a little bit of the local yokels in the afternoon.
Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic are probably the most visible of ESPN's radio hosts. Their show starts at frickin 3 in the morning which means I catch a bit of the last part of their four hour show in the morning. I've seen Greeny get his TV game show hosting gig and he did well enought to get a another chance during sweeps which shows either how much confidence ABC has in him as a viable TV property or how desperate they are for content after the writer's strike. Their show is also simulcast on ESPN2, complete with the HD compatible set. On my sleepless nights, I enjoy watching these two go at it and the graphics are interesting as well.
Colin Cowherd replaced one of my favorite hosts, Tony Kornheiser on ESPN and I have watched his show slowly morph into the entertaining talk that it has become. He started with his friends from Portland radio, and they were replaced with a FM deejay and a Penn State intern grad student. These two additions have altered the target audience of his show as it goes after the younger demo that advertisers need to have to be successful. All in all, Colin is pretty entertaining...I enjoy his Vegas connection and he is pretty consistent in how he thinks.
Dan Patrick has become the gold standard in sports talk radio and I think it won't take him too much longer to re-establish himself as the sports show to get in syndication. His departure from ESPN led to great speculation as to who would take over. Many guest hosts were used, mostly as tryouts and my choice, Scott Van Pelt, was given a cursory look for a job that eventually went to Mike Tirico. More on this later. I remember David Stern using the word palaver on Dan's show last spring, talking about the Robert Horry hipcheck of Steve Nash and that cemented Patrick's status as the best on radio. I look forward to his entry into my local station (or Sirius radio show).
Mike Tirico was offered the three hour slot and he turned it down the first time. ESPN came back with a two hour slot and co-hosts. Enter Michele Tafoya and Scott Van Pelt (and sometimes Kirk Herbstreit, mostly during football season). Tirico does a serviceable job and brings credibility to his role, but he seems to have a retience that keeps him from diving into his role with his everything. His hiring gave the opportunity to Scott Van Pelt to show that he can carry a radio show by himself and he was rewarded with a the hour show slot after Tirico that formerly belonged to Screamin' A Smith. (What is his primary gig now that his paper kicked him to the curb and ESPN told him to go fly a kite with his radio show?) I think Scott will be given the chance to grow an audience and then slide into the spot that Tirico has now after his contract is up. Mike is a TV guy and has worked hard to get where he is and as a minority, he enjoys being the "man" at ABC/ESPN.
Local radio here in Las Vegas has changed as well. I need to crash now, so I'll save that for another time to bore you kiddies to sleep.
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic are probably the most visible of ESPN's radio hosts. Their show starts at frickin 3 in the morning which means I catch a bit of the last part of their four hour show in the morning. I've seen Greeny get his TV game show hosting gig and he did well enought to get a another chance during sweeps which shows either how much confidence ABC has in him as a viable TV property or how desperate they are for content after the writer's strike. Their show is also simulcast on ESPN2, complete with the HD compatible set. On my sleepless nights, I enjoy watching these two go at it and the graphics are interesting as well.
Colin Cowherd replaced one of my favorite hosts, Tony Kornheiser on ESPN and I have watched his show slowly morph into the entertaining talk that it has become. He started with his friends from Portland radio, and they were replaced with a FM deejay and a Penn State intern grad student. These two additions have altered the target audience of his show as it goes after the younger demo that advertisers need to have to be successful. All in all, Colin is pretty entertaining...I enjoy his Vegas connection and he is pretty consistent in how he thinks.
Dan Patrick has become the gold standard in sports talk radio and I think it won't take him too much longer to re-establish himself as the sports show to get in syndication. His departure from ESPN led to great speculation as to who would take over. Many guest hosts were used, mostly as tryouts and my choice, Scott Van Pelt, was given a cursory look for a job that eventually went to Mike Tirico. More on this later. I remember David Stern using the word palaver on Dan's show last spring, talking about the Robert Horry hipcheck of Steve Nash and that cemented Patrick's status as the best on radio. I look forward to his entry into my local station (or Sirius radio show).
Mike Tirico was offered the three hour slot and he turned it down the first time. ESPN came back with a two hour slot and co-hosts. Enter Michele Tafoya and Scott Van Pelt (and sometimes Kirk Herbstreit, mostly during football season). Tirico does a serviceable job and brings credibility to his role, but he seems to have a retience that keeps him from diving into his role with his everything. His hiring gave the opportunity to Scott Van Pelt to show that he can carry a radio show by himself and he was rewarded with a the hour show slot after Tirico that formerly belonged to Screamin' A Smith. (What is his primary gig now that his paper kicked him to the curb and ESPN told him to go fly a kite with his radio show?) I think Scott will be given the chance to grow an audience and then slide into the spot that Tirico has now after his contract is up. Mike is a TV guy and has worked hard to get where he is and as a minority, he enjoys being the "man" at ABC/ESPN.
Local radio here in Las Vegas has changed as well. I need to crash now, so I'll save that for another time to bore you kiddies to sleep.
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Monday, April 28
Spring Cleaning
So now the NBA Playoffs have started to get mildly interesting. The Magic moved on and the Lakers swept the Nuggs out of the first round. By finishing off the best (by record) eight seed ever, I think the Lakers have sent a message. The Spurs were unable to finish off the Suns--where was that effort in Game 3 by the Suns--and the Celtics have let up and Atlanta tied the series at 2. The Sixers are giving the Pistons all they want and the Hornets are close to finishing off the Mavs. I think the Suns can battle back and force the series back to Phoenix but it is probably just delaying the inevitable. By beating Denver tonight, the Lakers showed they are focused and ready for the challenge in front of them. They are now able to rest while Utah and Houston probably play six (maybe seven) games to figure things out. Philsie vs. Jerry or Rick means the series should be entertaining.
What happened to the great Western Conference Playoffs? This year each series was supposed to be can't miss TV, followed by the ugly stepsister Eastern Playoffs. The Suns-Spurs peaked after game one and the Suns mailed it in for game three, effectively taking the drama out of that series as no team has come back from 0-3 to win a series. Not to say the Suns couldn't do it, but the Spurs are too deep and too talented to let them back in. The Lakers swept Denver and the Mavericks have not been able to put up much of a fight with the Hornays. Chris Paul, by the way, is just filthy good. Utah-Houston, are they still playing?-probably will be the most competitive because they'll play seven games. What a letdown. I was looking forward to the Spurs and Mavs in the second round and the Lakers at least being tested by Denver. The Lakers probably should sail safely to the conference finals and I just hope the other series goes seven games, tiring out the winner hopefully enough for the Lakers to take advantage, because as a fan, both of those teams scare me.
Other random thoughts:
Did you hear the NFL draft was Saturday? This year was one of the most boring years in awhile with no drama or intrigue. No interesting stories developed and the only one they can come up with is this Army guy who gets a pass because he was drafted. Yawn....Congrats to Beau Bell, a linebacker from UNLV who was drafted by the Browns. Good chance of him earning some PT as a rookie...Also, a good day for UNLV golf yesterday as Adam Scott pulled a 50 ft putt in a playoff hole to win the Byron Nelson over fellow UNLV grad, Ryan Moore. Go Rebs!...Runnin' Rebs got their two spring signees and I think they have a chance to be even better next year. Their record might not show it, but I guarantee nobody will want to play us in February or March and I expect most of the league coaches to bitch louder about the conference tournament being in Vegas...I pay attention to the sports media and I noticed that Screamin' A. Smith has been replaced on ESPN Radio with an additional hour of Mike Tirico's trio, Scott Van Pelt. I enjoy Scott and his self deprecating style. I hope he is able to make the most of the opportunity...Locally, the ESPN station bypassed the third hour and started the local yokels earlier than when Dan Patrick was on. They now have two three-hour shows and an hour of my other favorite radio guy, Doug Gottleib in the afternoon. I wonder what Stevie A. is going to do, if he has lost his column (y'know, the thing that made him a celebrity in the first place), blew a TV show and lost his national radio show hour...If he wants to, Chris Webber is good enough to be a studio guy, just as long as he doesn't try to call a timeout.
Two posts in one week!!! That's a new 2008 record for me.
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
What happened to the great Western Conference Playoffs? This year each series was supposed to be can't miss TV, followed by the ugly stepsister Eastern Playoffs. The Suns-Spurs peaked after game one and the Suns mailed it in for game three, effectively taking the drama out of that series as no team has come back from 0-3 to win a series. Not to say the Suns couldn't do it, but the Spurs are too deep and too talented to let them back in. The Lakers swept Denver and the Mavericks have not been able to put up much of a fight with the Hornays. Chris Paul, by the way, is just filthy good. Utah-Houston, are they still playing?-probably will be the most competitive because they'll play seven games. What a letdown. I was looking forward to the Spurs and Mavs in the second round and the Lakers at least being tested by Denver. The Lakers probably should sail safely to the conference finals and I just hope the other series goes seven games, tiring out the winner hopefully enough for the Lakers to take advantage, because as a fan, both of those teams scare me.
Other random thoughts:
Did you hear the NFL draft was Saturday? This year was one of the most boring years in awhile with no drama or intrigue. No interesting stories developed and the only one they can come up with is this Army guy who gets a pass because he was drafted. Yawn....Congrats to Beau Bell, a linebacker from UNLV who was drafted by the Browns. Good chance of him earning some PT as a rookie...Also, a good day for UNLV golf yesterday as Adam Scott pulled a 50 ft putt in a playoff hole to win the Byron Nelson over fellow UNLV grad, Ryan Moore. Go Rebs!...Runnin' Rebs got their two spring signees and I think they have a chance to be even better next year. Their record might not show it, but I guarantee nobody will want to play us in February or March and I expect most of the league coaches to bitch louder about the conference tournament being in Vegas...I pay attention to the sports media and I noticed that Screamin' A. Smith has been replaced on ESPN Radio with an additional hour of Mike Tirico's trio, Scott Van Pelt. I enjoy Scott and his self deprecating style. I hope he is able to make the most of the opportunity...Locally, the ESPN station bypassed the third hour and started the local yokels earlier than when Dan Patrick was on. They now have two three-hour shows and an hour of my other favorite radio guy, Doug Gottleib in the afternoon. I wonder what Stevie A. is going to do, if he has lost his column (y'know, the thing that made him a celebrity in the first place), blew a TV show and lost his national radio show hour...If he wants to, Chris Webber is good enough to be a studio guy, just as long as he doesn't try to call a timeout.
Two posts in one week!!! That's a new 2008 record for me.
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Thursday, April 24
NBA and the like...
Anyone else been underwhelmed so far by the NBA Western playoffs? I think they prematurely crested with the first game of the Suns-Spurs series. That game could have started the inevitable decline of the San Antonio Spurs, instead it covered the box on the Phoenix Suns and Shaq's last stand for the thumb.
The Lakers looked pretty good in the first two games against Denver. I am not very worried about Utah but New Orleans scares the crap out of me. While it would be nice to see them knock off the Spurs, I don't want to see them at all in the playoffs. We'll see what happens.
TTFN y'all!
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
The Lakers looked pretty good in the first two games against Denver. I am not very worried about Utah but New Orleans scares the crap out of me. While it would be nice to see them knock off the Spurs, I don't want to see them at all in the playoffs. We'll see what happens.
TTFN y'all!
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
Thursday, February 28
It's been awhile....
Alright, fine bloggerheads--Quite a bit of time has passed since the last time I posted. Well, I got a lotta stuff going on and this unfortunately ended up at the bottom of the priority list. Lots has happened and some of it I have an opinion and I will tell you what I'm thinking when and if I remember.
In August, my wife gave birth to my son, Maxton. This has been an interesting experience that is truly life changing. I'm not going to pretend that this is the first baby ever born and the entire earth should stop because he smiled at me this morning, but you could stop whatever you are doing to see him trying to figure out what the thing at the end of his arm is for. As for having a baby, every cliche in the world is true. It is life changing, you can't imagine life before him and the whole experience is completely miraculous. I can't wait until we have another....(actually, I can--maybe I'll be able to sleep before the second one comes)
I also started a new job in October, which I do not recommend to anyone unless you want to creat circumstances around someone losing their mind. At the same time, Rachel was going back to work and everything was emotional. Hard to believe that was only four months ago, it seems like two days. While I am not excited about the new job, it was a great opportunity that I could not pass up and will pay dividends later. There are times I miss my old job, particularly Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings. Also, though my days off are now completely different, I still miss my Monday through Friday gig that allowed me to spend some time with the wife. I hate paying for daycare, but our options are slim. It's good for the kid, though for him to get attention from someone else and be exposed to other children.
2008 so far has been pretty good for me, although I did get pinched for running a red light with expired registration. Not my best moment. Maxton is a fun light to my day and I look forward to seeing him grow up and playing with him. I'm sure I will regret that as soon as he can walk.
Oh yeah, there was a lot of sports going on, as well.
World Series: I knew my Cubs wouldn't go far, although I expected them to at least win a frickin game. Could not have forseen the Rockies getting as hot as they did, but that is the way baseball works these days. It is the hottest team that wins the whole thing and maybe it is time to give a bigger advantage to division winners in the postseason. Oh yeah, the Red Sox won.
College Football: The season that defied prediction and ensured a playoff system will never be seriously discussed. I say this because if someone somewhere can't figure out how to make money off a playoff system after this clusterfuck of a season, then it will never happen. The Big Ten should be kept from sending its best team until Ohio State doesn't win it. Or at least until a team from the SEC doesn't make it either. Early prediction for fall of 2008: UNLV football will win at least five games next year. Write it down.
NFL Season: WOW!!! An improbable end to an entertaining season. The Sean Taylor tragedy was very unfortunate and the sad thing is that he was truly coming into his own as a player. Similar to USC taking the kicker out of their first PAT this season to commemorate their lost player, I loved the missing man formation that the defense ran the first game without Taylor. I also hated how Snyder blew up the best thing about his team after Gibbs retired. That coaching staff was well paid but also was beginning to make some inroads in making a good football team. The defense was much improved from last year and the offense was set to make the next step up next year. I loved what Todd Collins did after J. Campbell got hurt but he should follow wherever Al Saunders goes and make a case to be the starter. Don't go back to the Redskins, Todd--It won't be the same. I can't believe the Giants pulled off the biggest upset since the Red Sox beat the Yankees being down 0-3. The Patriots were primed but if you knock Tom Brady on his ass, he is truly ordinary and won't have time to pick your defense apart. Now, we will see how good a coach Belichick is.
Now it is about that time to sign off. I think I only got halfway through what I wanted to cover, but hopefully it will keep you all at bay until next time. Which hopefully is soon.
P.S. In the meantime, I've been reading other blogs and found that the gentlemen at The Big Lead do a pretty good job at finding interesting articles and other stuff on the net. It's actually the first place I heard about the Gasol trade (more on that later!). I have also come to enjoy Deadspin as well. Check these out if you get a chance and let me know what you think.
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
In August, my wife gave birth to my son, Maxton. This has been an interesting experience that is truly life changing. I'm not going to pretend that this is the first baby ever born and the entire earth should stop because he smiled at me this morning, but you could stop whatever you are doing to see him trying to figure out what the thing at the end of his arm is for. As for having a baby, every cliche in the world is true. It is life changing, you can't imagine life before him and the whole experience is completely miraculous. I can't wait until we have another....(actually, I can--maybe I'll be able to sleep before the second one comes)
I also started a new job in October, which I do not recommend to anyone unless you want to creat circumstances around someone losing their mind. At the same time, Rachel was going back to work and everything was emotional. Hard to believe that was only four months ago, it seems like two days. While I am not excited about the new job, it was a great opportunity that I could not pass up and will pay dividends later. There are times I miss my old job, particularly Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings. Also, though my days off are now completely different, I still miss my Monday through Friday gig that allowed me to spend some time with the wife. I hate paying for daycare, but our options are slim. It's good for the kid, though for him to get attention from someone else and be exposed to other children.
2008 so far has been pretty good for me, although I did get pinched for running a red light with expired registration. Not my best moment. Maxton is a fun light to my day and I look forward to seeing him grow up and playing with him. I'm sure I will regret that as soon as he can walk.
Oh yeah, there was a lot of sports going on, as well.
World Series: I knew my Cubs wouldn't go far, although I expected them to at least win a frickin game. Could not have forseen the Rockies getting as hot as they did, but that is the way baseball works these days. It is the hottest team that wins the whole thing and maybe it is time to give a bigger advantage to division winners in the postseason. Oh yeah, the Red Sox won.
College Football: The season that defied prediction and ensured a playoff system will never be seriously discussed. I say this because if someone somewhere can't figure out how to make money off a playoff system after this clusterfuck of a season, then it will never happen. The Big Ten should be kept from sending its best team until Ohio State doesn't win it. Or at least until a team from the SEC doesn't make it either. Early prediction for fall of 2008: UNLV football will win at least five games next year. Write it down.
NFL Season: WOW!!! An improbable end to an entertaining season. The Sean Taylor tragedy was very unfortunate and the sad thing is that he was truly coming into his own as a player. Similar to USC taking the kicker out of their first PAT this season to commemorate their lost player, I loved the missing man formation that the defense ran the first game without Taylor. I also hated how Snyder blew up the best thing about his team after Gibbs retired. That coaching staff was well paid but also was beginning to make some inroads in making a good football team. The defense was much improved from last year and the offense was set to make the next step up next year. I loved what Todd Collins did after J. Campbell got hurt but he should follow wherever Al Saunders goes and make a case to be the starter. Don't go back to the Redskins, Todd--It won't be the same. I can't believe the Giants pulled off the biggest upset since the Red Sox beat the Yankees being down 0-3. The Patriots were primed but if you knock Tom Brady on his ass, he is truly ordinary and won't have time to pick your defense apart. Now, we will see how good a coach Belichick is.
Now it is about that time to sign off. I think I only got halfway through what I wanted to cover, but hopefully it will keep you all at bay until next time. Which hopefully is soon.
P.S. In the meantime, I've been reading other blogs and found that the gentlemen at The Big Lead do a pretty good job at finding interesting articles and other stuff on the net. It's actually the first place I heard about the Gasol trade (more on that later!). I have also come to enjoy Deadspin as well. Check these out if you get a chance and let me know what you think.
laters
cvz
Rebels by 10
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