tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63895882024-03-20T19:01:14.419-07:00Talkin' RecklessHome to assuredly misguided thoughts and opinions.Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389588.post-22023256440838973922016-11-10T21:20:00.000-08:002016-11-10T21:35:13.925-08:00Donald Trump's Election Is White People's Fault And It's On White People To Fight Against It<br />
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Let’s start this off with one unequivocal fact that you
absolutely will not sway me from.<o:p></o:p></div>
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EVERY. SINGLE. TRUMP. VOTER. IS. RACIST. AND. BIGOTED.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There is no argument. It doesn’t matter if they’re “hood-wearing
klansman” racist or a “clutch your purse whenever I walk by brown people”
racist. It doesn’t matter if they’re “all faggots are going to hell” bigoted or
“I just don’t feel comfortable with gay people getting married” bigoted. It
doesn’t matter if your reason for trump was because you’re rich and wanted
lower taxes or because you thought Hillary has a squad of Panamanian hitmen on retainer. If you could take your ballot and mark it for Trump, that
means the rights and protections of minorities of all shades and orientations
did not matter to you. If you can look past all the racist, bigoted comments he
made, and his campaign made, and the history of his vice-presidential candidate
and his advisors, and still vote him for president, then YOU ARE RACIST AND
BIGOTED.<o:p></o:p></div>
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No matter how you slice it, <a href="http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/11/9/13571676/trump-win-racism-power" target="_blank">Trump was elected on the backsof racist white people</a>. Trump lost all minority demographics resoundingly, but
he won the white vote across every demographic.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLU17250yRwb3jWpv2AXsTXFhwGKmtPbrxK6FAS_ngvrN4X813IlgNo6OtzxeZrBX1KGtqYv1jDDxJJVD9i-oGt1i461w8kyUsPCVoIqq8fOwa2b-IPKdQO2SCNOPCC6miOz6/s1600/YT.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLU17250yRwb3jWpv2AXsTXFhwGKmtPbrxK6FAS_ngvrN4X813IlgNo6OtzxeZrBX1KGtqYv1jDDxJJVD9i-oGt1i461w8kyUsPCVoIqq8fOwa2b-IPKdQO2SCNOPCC6miOz6/s400/YT.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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(<a href="http://www.cnn.com/election/results/exit-polls">Via CNN</a>)</div>
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Old white people? Trump. Young white people? Trump.
Uneducated Whites? Trump. Educated Whites? Trump? White men? Trump. White Women? Trump.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There is no denying it. There is no arguing around it. This
is real. This is what happened. The majority of white people in this country
are racist and bigoted. The president-elect is a racist and bigot.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This cannot be forgotten, this cannot be swept under the
rug. We cannot allow Donald Trump to be looked at as a normal republican president. We cannot let it be OK to support a man who is going to appoint a
Supreme Court Justice to repeal the Voting Rights Act and Roe v Wade, that’s going
to leave 20 million without insurance <a href="http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/305269-mcconnell-vows-to-repeal-obamacare" target="_blank">as he repeals Obamacare</a>, that’s going to
leave domestic and foreign policy <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/07/donald-trump-mike-pence-running-mate-domestic-foreign-policy" target="_blank">to his Vice-President</a> who wants women to have <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/07/trumps-vp-pick-passed-law-requiring-funerals-aborted-fetuses" target="_blank">mandatory burials</a> for aborted fetuses and <a href="http://www.politifact.com/california/statements/2016/jul/28/gavin-newsom/true-mike-pence-advocated-conversion-therapy/" target="_blank">advocates “Conversion Therapy”</a>, that is going
to name one of the <a href="http://www.snopes.com/trump-taps-outspoken-climate-denier-to-oversee-epa-transition-team/" target="_blank">foremost climate skeptics</a> to lead the EPA transition team, and one of the
heads of <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2016/11/10/donald-trump-advisors-considered-jpmorgans-jamie-dimon-for-treasury-secretary-sources.html" target="_blank">JP Morgan during the 2008 financial crises</a> as the Secretary of the Treasury,
that wants to name his Director of Homeland Security a man who says <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/11/10/david_clarke_homeland_security_black_lives_matter_and_isis.html" target="_blank">Black LivesMatter and ISIS are forming an alliance</a> to destroy America.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There is no sitting back and hoping for the best, there is
only unifying against him and his racist supporters at every turn. If Trump and
his presidency are normalized, then he won’t lose any of his supporters,
because they’d only be emboldened, and all those Gary Johnson voters the
majority of which were #NeverTrump republicans, will not feel the need to
oppose him any longer, and then his lock on the electoral college becomes
unbeatable. Remember, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, by almost 3 million, but her geography
sucked. And with four years of Republicans being able to eliminate every last
protection for minority voters, voter suppression for the 2020 election will be
unbearable, and the Democrats demographic advantage will once again not be
worth a damn thing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So with all that, my plea is this: fight back at every turn.
Fight back against Donald Trump, fight back against his racist supporters. Don’t
allow his rhetoric to become normalized. Call out your friends for that “harmless”
racist or sexist or homophobic joke because this election is proof it’s not
harmless. Confront your family members,
let them know that it’s not OK and you will not excuse it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In the end, minorities in this country are going to be under
attack from a bigoted, vindictive administration, and supporters whose hateful
worldview has just been validated by the nation and endorsed by the president. Stand
up for them, whether there are any present or not. Liberal white people have
sold out minorities and their concerns before, and all this talk of “the
Democratic party needs to reach out to the white working class” is just code for
“we need to get more racist”. Do not let this happen. If you think America is
better than this, then don’t just sit back and hope, fight back against this
racist, bigoted, dumbass and his racist, bigoted, dumbass army of followers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It may be tilting at windmills, but we gotta try.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Oh, and since white people love Martin Luther King quotes. Here’s one
my personal favs:<o:p></o:p></div>
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“First, I must confess that over the last few years I have been
gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the
regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in the stride
toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Council-er or the Ku Klux Klanner,
but the white moderate who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who
prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace
which is the presence of justice; who constantly says “I agree with you in the
goal you seek, but I can’t agree with your methods of direct action;” who
paternalistically feels he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who
lives by the myth of time and who constantly advises the negro to wait until a “more
convenient season.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Shallow understanding from people of goodwill is more frustrating
than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is
much more bewildering than outright rejection.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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-Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "Letter from Birmingham Jail" </div>
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You can reach Andy on twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/amohoop34" target="_blank">@Amohoop34</a><o:p></o:p></div>
Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389588.post-59734857607115106332016-07-07T22:44:00.000-07:002016-07-08T16:44:39.041-07:00The Great Warriors Reshuffling<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">***EDIT: James Michael Mcadoo has re-signed with the Warriors on a minimum contract, leaving 2 open roster spots left. Also, Marreese Speights has signed a free-agent deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. Everyone pour out a little liquor for Mo Buckets, please.***</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Warriors are overwhelming favorites to win the NBA title after the <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/warriors/ci_30102132/kevin-durant-officially-signs-warriors-contract" target="_blank">free agent coup of landing Kevin Durant</a>, and with good reason. Durant joining the established core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green gives them 4 members of Team USA, and Andre Iguodala is a former team USA member himself. The amount of collective talent assembled is unprecedented. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, in creating the cap space necessary to offer Kevin Durant a max salary, they handcuffed themselves with regards to options to finish the roster, and because of this the bench will look vastly different from last year’s crew.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before we get to who might have the unenviable task of going against the starting 5 in practice everyday, let’s recap who’s gone and who’s still around</span></div>
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<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" dir="ltr" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid #ccc; font-family: arial,sans,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; table-layout: fixed;"><colgroup><col width="184"></col><col width="184"></col><col width="184"></col></colgroup><tbody>
<tr style="height: 35px;"><td style="background-color: yellow; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"2015-2016 Warriors"}" style="background-color: yellow; border-right: 1px solid #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;"><span style="color: blue;">2015-2016 Warriors</span></td><td style="background-color: yellow; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 35px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Under Contract (16-17)"}" style="background-color: yellow; border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;"><span style="color: blue;">Under Contract (16-17)</span></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Free Agent"}" style="background-color: yellow; border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;"><span style="color: blue;">Free Agent</span></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Signed Elsewhere"}" style="background-color: yellow; border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;"><span style="color: blue;">Signed Elsewhere</span></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 35px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Stephen Curry"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: middle;"><b><span style="color: white;">Stephen Curry</span></b></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Anderson Varajao"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: middle;"><b><span style="color: white;">Anderson Varajao</span></b></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Harrison Barnes (DAL)"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: middle;"><b><span style="color: white;">Harrison Barnes (DAL)</span></b></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 35px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Klay Thompson"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: middle;"><b><span style="color: white;">Klay Thompson</span></b></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Marreese Speights"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: middle;"><b><span style="color: white;">Marreese Speights</span></b></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Andrew Bogut (DAL)"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: middle;"><b><span style="color: white;">Andrew Bogut (DAL)</span></b></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 35px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Draymond Green"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: middle;"><b><span style="color: white;">Draymond Green</span></b></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"James Michael Mcadoo"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: middle;"><b><span style="color: white;">James Michael Mcadoo</span></b></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Leandro Barbosa (PHX)"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: middle;"><b><span style="color: white;">Leandro Barbosa (PHX)</span></b></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 35px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Andre Iguodala"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: middle;"><b><span style="color: white;">Andre Iguodala</span></b></td><td style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Brandon Rush (MIN)"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: middle;"><b><span style="color: white;">Brandon Rush (MIN)</span></b></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 35px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Shaun Livingston"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: middle;"><b><span style="color: white;">Shaun Livingston</span></b></td><td style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Festus Ezeli (POR)"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: middle;"><b><span style="color: white;">Festus Ezeli (POR)</span></b></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 35px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Kevon Looney"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: middle;"><b><span style="color: white;">Kevon Looney</span></b></td><td style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="background-color: #3d85c6; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 35px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Ian Clark"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: middle;"><b><span style="color: white;">Ian Clark</span></b></td><td style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="background-color: #3d85c6; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-mavericks/mavericks/2016/07/06/mavericks-prepared-finalize-free-agent-dealings-moratorium-lifted" target="_blank">Barnes signed a four year-deal worth $94 million</a> with the Dallas Mavericks (fun fact, Harrison Barnes will only make five million less than Kevin Durant next season) where he will continue to play with his good friend (<a href="https://twitter.com/ThompsonScribe/status/750039758718443520" target="_blank">seriously</a>) Andrew Bogut, who was <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/warriors/article/Warriors-make-Bogut-trade-to-Dallas-official-8345569.php" target="_blank">traded to Dallas with a 2nd round pick in 2019</a> to help free up the necessary cap space to sign Kevin Durant. Leandro Barbosa is <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2016/7/6/12115114/leandro-barbosa-signing-contract-suns-nba-free-agency-2016" target="_blank">heading back to Phoenix </a>to relive his glory days, signing a two year deal worth eight million, while Brandon Rush is going to babysit all the young talent <a href="http://www.startribune.com/wolves-agree-to-deal-with-veteran-brandon-rush/385739321/" target="_blank">in Minnesota next year for 3.5 million</a> dollars. Festus Ezeli's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad NBA Finals cratered his market, and he will now be <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/16874047/festus-ezeli-agrees-2-year-152m-deal-portland-trail-blazers" target="_blank">moving to Portland</a> on a 2-year deal for only $15 million total. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Which means the number of returning Warriors from last year’s squad is seven: Curry, Thompson, Green, Iguodala, backup Point Guards Shaun Livingston and Ian Clark, and 2015 1st round pick Kevon Looney, who sat out most of last season with hip surgery, and is currently rehabbing from surgery on the other hip. Clearly the squad is going to look different from last year’s team and there are quite a few roster spots that need to be accounted for. However, some reinforcements have already arrived.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><u>The New Guys</u></b></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Warriors were generally considered in the <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/16467004/nba-draft-grades-chad-ford-philadelphia-76ers-boston-celtics-2016-winners-losers" target="_blank">“winners”</a> group of last month’s NBA Draft, getting what most experts believed to be excellent value with both of their selections.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Their first draft choice was Damion Jones, a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmrlJ-sAe1Y" target="_blank">Center from Vanderbilt University</a> who slipped to the Warriors at the 30th and last pick in the first round due to a torn pectoral muscle he suffered during a pre-draft workout. He will be missing the upcoming Las Vegas Summer League while rehabbing and is not expected to be ready for the start of the season, but projects as a Festus Ezeli replacement with a more polished offensive game.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Patrick McCaw, a 6’7” <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtWj4Cv9npY" target="_blank">Shooting Guard out of UNLV</a> was the Warriors second choice, was taken after they bought the 38th pick overall from the Milwaukee Bucks for 2.4 million dollars. Unlike Jones, Mccaw is perfectly healthy and slipped for no readily apparent reason. Golden State ends up falling ass-backwards into a very long, athletic, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MErvpYjnPU" target="_blank">defensive dynamo</a> who is good in the open court and shot 36.7% from the college three-point line. Usually 2nd rounders aren’t guaranteed roster spots, but the Warriors signed McCaw to a 2-year, fully guaranteed deal, showing they believe that McCaw can make an impact fairly quickly. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After agreeing to terms with Kevin Durant, the Warriors had no remaining cap space, so the only avenues the Warriors could use to fill out the roster were signing players to minimum contracts, of which they are allowed as many as they want even without cap space, and something called the “Room Exception” which is like a three million dollar emergency fund a team can use when they run out of cap room.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With the “Room Exception” the <a href="http://www.slamonline.com/nba/warriors-sign-zaza-pachulia-one-year-2-9-million-deal/#ueqkjUE4VWbUZu78.97" target="_blank">Warriors snagged Zaza Pachulia</a>, the starting center in Dallas last year. Considering the Los Angeles Lakers gave a clearly worse center in Timofey Mozgov a 4-year deal worth $65 million, Pachulia for the room exception is a robbery on the scale of something like this: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="Dar Es Salaam Bank" height="382" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/bgZmchdCV48lsyzwDViFEe8X0wFqNDiiwshnsemreHNAJ8KID_bPHWzYHK43xOokosMsp4XO4Ri98QV7j2m_P8beK19GWmPn5wFE5_VGO0D8APeR2L65F7CYPub2YkWGN0dXOBns" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="610" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="color: white; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 20.24px; white-space: pre-wrap;">and apparently the <a href="http://larrybrownsports.com/basketball/nba-executives-upset-golden-state-zaza-pachulia/311349" target="_blank">rest of the league isn't too happy</a> (Really, Pachulia is what you guys are mad about?)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="color: white; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 20.24px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Joining Zaza in giving the Warriors hilariously below market value deals is <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/warriors/article/Warriors-agree-to-deal-with-David-West-seek-8341839.php" target="_blank">David West, a Power Forward/Center</a> who played for the San Antonio Spurs last year. West gave up a 10 million dollar contract in Indiana last year to sign with the Spurs for the minimum in an attempt to win a championship, which clearly didn’t work. I can’t remember who exactly won the NBA Finals this year, but I know it wasn’t the Spurs. Anyway, instead of trying to make back some of that money he gave up for nothing, West is doubling down by chasing that ring again. Good for him.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><u>Filling in the Gaps</u></b></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, here’s how the Warriors roster stands as of now.</span></div>
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<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" dir="ltr" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid #ccc; font-family: arial,sans,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; table-layout: fixed;"><colgroup><col width="184"></col><col width="184"></col><col width="184"></col><col width="184"></col></colgroup><tbody>
<tr style="height: 35px;"><td style="background-color: yellow; border-right: 1px solid #000000; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td colspan="2" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"2016-2017 Warriors (As of 7/7/16)"}" rowspan="1" style="background-color: yellow; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;"><b><span style="color: blue;">2016-2017 Warriors (As of 7/7/16)</span></b></td><td style="background-color: yellow; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 35px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Starters"}" style="background-color: yellow; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Starters</span></b></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Backup Guards"}" style="background-color: yellow; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Backup Guards</span></b></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Backup Wings"}" style="background-color: yellow; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Backup Wings</span></b></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Backup Bigs"}" style="background-color: yellow; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; font-family: arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Backup Bigs</span></b></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 35px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Stephen Curry"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;"><b><span style="color: white;">Stephen Curry</span></b></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Shaun Livingston"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;"><b><span style="color: white;">Shaun Livingston</span></b></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Patrick McCaw"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;"><b><span style="color: white;">Patrick McCaw</span></b></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Zaza Pachulia"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;"><b><span style="color: white;">Zaza Pachulia</span></b></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 35px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Klay Thompson"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;"><b><span style="color: white;">Klay Thompson</span></b></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Ian Clark"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom; vertical-align: middle;"><b><span style="color: white;">Ian Clark</span></b></td><td style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Damian Jones"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;"><b><span style="color: white;">Damian Jones</span></b></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 35px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Andre Iguodala"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;"><b><span style="color: white;">Andre Iguodala</span></b></td><td style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"David West"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;"><b><span style="color: white;">David West</span></b></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 35px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Kevin Durant"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;"><b><span style="color: white;">Kevin Durant</span></b></td><td style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Kevon Looney"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;"><b><span style="color: white;">Kevon Looney</span></b></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 35px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Draymond Green"}" style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;"><b><span style="color: white;">Draymond Green</span></b></td><td style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="background-color: #3d85c6; border-right: 1px solid #000000; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="background-color: #3d85c6; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 35px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Open Spots: 3"}" style="background-color: red; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;"><b><span style="color: white;">Open Spots: 3</span></b></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Still Need: 0/1"}" style="background-color: red; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;"><b><span style="color: white;">Still Need: 0/1</span></b></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Still Need: 1"}" style="background-color: red; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-family: arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;"><b><span style="color: white;">Still Need: 1</span></b></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Still Need: 1/2"}" style="background-color: red; font-family: arial; font-size: 120%; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;"><b><span style="color: white;">Still Need: 1/2</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Warriors have three empty roster spots and only minimum contracts left to offer. Even though they have 4 backup “Bigs” signed already, with Looney and Jones’ availability in question due to injury, the Warriors will probably seek out an additional Center and Power Forward, although the right wing player could fill in at Forward, as Harrison Barnes did the last two seasons.</span></div>
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</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An interesting potential option for the last Center spot is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIJKuKxk-y8" target="_blank">Robert Carter, an undrafted free agent</a> from the University of Maryland who is playing on the Warriors summer league team. Carter is a little short for Center at only 6’9”, but he has very long arms to compensate. He is a skilled offensive player in the post and around the basket, and started to try to extend his range to the 3-point line last season. He only shot 32% from the college line last season, so it’s still a work in progress but promising nonetheless. All-around skilled, Carter showed the ability to grab a rebound and lead the break himself in college in a very Draymond Green like way. Odds are the Warriors try to find a more defensive and/or more experienced player for the last center spot, but Robert Carter is a fun potential alternative.</span></div>
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</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other than Iguodala, the only backup wing the Warriors employed last year was the since departed Brandon Rush, so it’s entirely possible the Warriors don’t sign another wing and just let McCaw slide into Rush’s role. In all likelihood though, Steve Kerr and the rest of the Warriors braintrust probably wont feel comfortable with a rookie 2nd round pick being the only backup to Iguodala, so another wing player being added seems a pretty safe bet. </span></div>
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</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">None of the potential wing options are all that fun to ponder, although there are two summer league players who are at least mildly intriguing to me in Xavier Henry and Landry Fields. Henry is a former lottery pick who played sparingly with the Lakers before spending last year in the NBA Developmental League. He’s been disappointing as a pro, but he’s got good size at 6’6” 220 with that lottery pedigree and he is still only 25 years old. There are worse potential lottery tickets. Fields is former New York Knick and Toronto Raptor who was out of the league last season with a hip injury. Fields was a starter and solid performer with the Knicks, but ran into massive injury trouble in Toronto was a disappointment and afterthought in Toronto, only playing in 56 total games his final 2 years there. If Fields shows he’s healthy during the summer league and even slightly resembles the guy who was a positive contributor in New York, getting him on a minimum deal would be the prudent move.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With the Warriors bringing back Ian Clark to go with Shaun Livingston, there's a chance the Warriors don't add any more guards to the roster. However, the Warriors are always interested in more shooting and the rumblings about Ray Allen possibly coming back to play for the Warriors, while highly unlikely, show that the Warriors aren't opposed to adding another guard if he brings elite shooting with him.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Regardless of who exactly the Warriors get to complete this roster, this is going to be a fun, dynamic team that is going to look quite a bit different than last year’s group. Buckle up, everyone.</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can follow Andy on Twitter at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/amohoop34" target="_blank">@AMOhoop34</a></span>Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389588.post-51465736845000557182016-04-30T17:16:00.000-07:002016-04-30T17:36:39.627-07:00Portland's Shaun Livingston Problem<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/dam/assets/150603214627-shaun-livingston-flexes-warriors.1200x672.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/dam/assets/150603214627-shaun-livingston-flexes-warriors.1200x672.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
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The insertion of Shaun Livingston into the Warriors starting
lineup causes major changes to this matchup, and not too many of these changes
actually help Portland. The clearest of which is…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>Livingston’s Post Domination</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Clearly, the Warriors are a less potent offense without
Steph Curry. To suggest otherwise would be absurd. However, Livingston’s
ability to work out of the post has been more of a focal point since Curry went
down, and creates a massive problem for Portland’s backcourt.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In the regular season, Livingston was one of the better
scorers out of the post in the entire NBA. His 50.5% shooting and 1.0 Points
Per Posession average place him in the 87<sup>th</sup> percentile in effectiveness
out of post ups. In the first round against Houston, Livingston’s role
increased without any drop off in efficiency. In his 3 starts, he averaged 16
Points per game on 66.7% shooting, blowing away his regular season numbers of
6.3 PPG and 53.6% shooting. Most of that post work came with Rockets PG Patrick
Beverly on him, who ranked in the 74<sup>th</sup> percentile of in post defense
during the regular season, allowing only 35.1% shooting and .76 PPP.<o:p></o:p></div>
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While the Portland backcourt of Damian Lillard & CJ McCollum
is one of the most explosive in the league, neither have great size and both have
lackluster defensive reputations. Standing at 6’4” and 6’3”, McCollum and
Lillard give away 3+ inches of height to the 6’7” Livingston.<o:p></o:p></div>
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McCollum in particular could be a major target of the
offensive game plan. CJ graded out as an abysmal post defender this season,
allowing 50% shooting and 1.01 points per possession, which slots him in the 17th
percentile across the league. Lillard grades out better in the post than
McCollum, but is still below league average at .88 PPP, good for the 46<sup>th</sup>
percentile.<o:p></o:p></div>
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No matter which of the Portland guards matches up with
Livingston, Shaun should be able work in the post with relative ease. Now,
Portland could get creative and put 6’9” Al-Farouq Aminu or Moe Harkless on Livingston and wipe
out his size advantage, and since Shaun doesn’t have much shooting range, that
could severely hamper Livingston’s offensive contributions. However, if the
Blazers go this route, that just leads to…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>The Chain Reaction</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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So let’s say Aminu or Harkless end up guarding Livingston to keep
Lillard and McCollum from getting ground into dust on the box. That means
Portland’s backcourt has to guard Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes, and that
will not end well.<o:p></o:p></div>
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While Lillard is still below average defensively in the
post, he’s actually much worse everywhere else. He consistently gets wiped out
trying to navigate screens, leading to open shots, and statistically allows a
better than average shooting percentage to his opponent from everywhere on
the floor. Asking him to guard Thompson is just inviting him to go off for 30
plus points, and also would drain Lillard’s energy and almost certainly negatively effect his
offensive performance. Making matters worse, Golden State would likely have
Harrison Barnes go to work on McCollum and his atrocious post defense. While
Barnes has struggled with his jumper in the playoffs, he was a solidly above
average offensive player out of the post this season, with numbers that put him
in the 70<sup>th</sup> percentile. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So odds are against Portland giving Lillard the Thompson
assignment, which means in this scenario CJ McCollum gets the matchup, which
isn’t much better. While McCollum is a better defender than Lillard, he’s still
below average, and possibly the biggest problem is his size. Klay has torched
shorter defenders his entire career, in no small part because at 6’7” and with
the high release on his shot, he’s able to shoot over shorter defenders like
they’re not even there, and his history against Portland in particular backs
that up. Klay averaged 29.3 PPG against Portland this season on 54.5% shooting
and 59% from 3. Going back to last year, Klay has shot 51.8% from the field and
55% from 3 point range in his last 7 games against Portland. For two years,
Portland hasn’t had any success in stopping Thompson.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So the most likely defensive alignment for Portland is Aminu or Harkless guarding Thompson with the other on Draymond Green, Lillard “hiding” on Harrison Barnes, and McCollum and his 17<sup>th</sup>
percentile post defense matched up with Livingston, and we’re right back where
we started. So while Curry’s loss will definitely hurt, Livingston minimizes
that loss on the offensive end with his post-game, which is not good news for
Portland because…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>The Defense Gets Better</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Contrary to popular belief, Stephen Curry is not a bad
defensive player. He’s not necessarily “good” but he’s not a negative and
consistently grades out between average and slightly above average, by both the
eye test and advanced statistics.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Livingston, however is better. He’s long and quick with good
defensive instincts to hound players. His slight frame leaves him vulnerable to
be bullied by stronger guards like James Harden, but neither McCollum nor
Lillard have the size or style of play to pull that off. Expecting Livingston
to shut down either Portland guard is absurd, of course, but the 5<sup>th</sup>
most efficient defense in the regular season gets an upgrade at the PG spot,
and with Livingston’s larger role, held the Rockets to the worst offensive performance
of all playoff teams. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Blazers scored fairly well against Golden State in the
regular season, but there’s reason to believe that might not hold up, since
with Livingston on the floor…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>The Hare Becomes the Tortoise</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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According to basketball-reference.com, the Golden State
Warriors pace factor, which is a rough measure of how fast of a tempo a team
plays with, was 99.3, making them the 2<sup>nd</sup> fastest team in the
league. In the four matchups with Portland, the pace factor was an average of
101.3, with a high of 108.7 in Portland’s lone victory. In games Livingston
started in the 1<sup>st</sup> round against the Rockets, who were 7<sup>th</sup>
in the NBA in pace themselves, the pace factor was 94.8, which would have been
22<sup>nd</sup> in the NBA regular season. The Warriors, and defenses in
general, get sloppier as the pace quickens, as there are more fast breaks and
less time to get organized defensively before the offense starts attacking.
Considering Portland is not a terribly high octane offense to begin with (12<sup>th</sup>
in the regular season), odds are this series is played at a much slower pace,
and if Portland has to spend all series trying to break through a locked in
Golden State defense in the halfcourt, there offensive numbers will fall off a
cliff.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now, where the Warriors don’t have nearly the advantage is
when Livingston is on the bench. Since he’s been coming off the bench playing shorter
minutes all year, Kerr has Livingston on a 30-minute limit to avoid tiring him
out. This means Ian Clark and Leandro Barbosa time is unavoidable, and while he
acquitted himself well against the Rockets, Clark is not a good defender and
can make some pretty inexplicable decisions on offense when he’s not scoring,
and Barbosa didn’t look great against the Rockets. The Blazers have to torch
the Warriors whenever either Clark or Barbosa are in the game, but I doubt Kerr
leaves either guy on the floor for too long against CJ and Dame. That means the
Portland backups will have to create some O, and I don’t believe they are up to
the task.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And if Steph comes back at any point this round, Portland has absolutely no shot.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Prediction: Warriors in 5<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<i>You can follow Andy on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/amohoop34" target="_blank">@AMOhoop34</a></i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389588.post-56663788369909289892015-04-18T10:14:00.000-07:002015-04-18T10:14:39.856-07:00The Real Reward Of This Fantastic Warriors Season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/GSW_Vs_Utah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/GSW_Vs_Utah.jpg" height="240" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Warriors could fail to win a single playoff game, and I would
be content.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Certainly the players would be disappointed with anything
short of a championship, after the dominant regular season campaign they turned
in. I’m sure a large portion of the fan base would be dejected, too, after
having their hopes and expectations raised so high. But for me, no ending, no
matter how tragic, could take any of the sheen off what has been a remarkable
campaign.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Why? Because of the boos.</div>
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Warriors fans have had plenty reason to vocalize their frustration
in the past, and when given the opportunity to voice their displeasure with the
men ultimately responsible for the Warriors fortunes they have taken it,
thoroughly.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Most publicly and most recently, current Golden State
Warriors owner <a href="http://deadspin.com/5894805/warriors-fans-booed-their-owner-during-chris-mullins-jersey-retirement-and-it-was-so-awkward-i-cant-even-watch" target="_blank">Joe Lacob was booed mercilessly</a> during a jersey retirement for
former Warrior great Chris Mullin in March of 2012. While Lacob has proven to
be able to capably run a franchise in the time since, he had committed a
multitude of sins prior to the 2012 incident that earned him that shower of
boos.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After Joe Lacob’s run in with
the boo birds in 2012, ESPN writer Bill Simmons <a href="http://grantland.com/features/how-annoy-fan-base-60-easy-steps/" target="_blank">wrote a column </a>that chronicled,
much better than I ever could, every transgression committed against the
Warriors fanbase by the long run of incompetent ownership and management that
had plagued the team since the 70s. It’s a great piece, a near exhaustive documentation
of how, for 35 years, the Warriors were the basketball version of Murphy’s Law.
However, Simmons failed to mention or was unaware of a previous owner-involved
booing incident Warriors fans had participated in, one even more deserved and more
poignantly symbolic than Lacob’s.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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In February of 2000, the Golden State Warriors and the then-recently
renovated Oakland Arena hosted the NBA All-Star Game and All-Star Weekend. The
Warriors were in the midst of what would become a 19-63 season that sadly was
only two wins worse than their previous campaign, and would actually be two
wins better than the next season’s effort. The team hadn’t made the playoffs
since 1994, and this all-star game put a magnifying glass on everything the
Warriors and their fans were missing. Amongst the All-Star’s that year were: A
former Warrior (Chris Webber), two players drafted with picks the Warriors
traded away (Gary Payton & Vince Carter), three players the Warriors passed
over in the same draft in favor of Joe Smith (Jerry Stackhouse, Rasheed
Wallace, & Kevin Garnett), one player passed over in favor of Todd Fuller
(Kobe Bryant), and a player who went to both high school and college in the Bay
Area (Jason Kidd). <o:p></o:p></div>
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During a timeout in the fourth
quarter of the All-Star Game, Chris Cohan walked onto the court to present an
award to Michael Jordan. After watching all the players that could have and
should have been Warriors, the fans in attendance <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Warriors-Cohan-hits-the-bottom-3074534.php" target="_blank">thunderously booed</a> Cohan from
the instant his name was announced through the entirety of the award
presentation. Chris Cohan never made a public appearance as owner of the Golden
State Warriors again.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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The earliest I can recall actually watching the Warriors
play is when I was seven years old. It was game three of the first round of the
1994 playoffs against the suns, and my first Warriors memory is watching
Charles Barkley single handedly knock them out of the playoffs as he went for
56 points and shot 74 percent for the game. Chris Cohan assumed power of the
Warriors the following season. My basketball life started at the dawn of Golden
State’s dark ages, and my formative years were spent watching the worst
basketball the NBA had to offer. Cohan’s ownership was just as terrible in the 6
years following the All-Star Game incident, had a brief respite during the We
Believe season of 2007, and then promptly returned to business as usual by running
the team back into the ground in a matter of 12 months. During this time, the
message to the fans was clear: You can’t have nice things. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Now, the Warriors are the best team in the NBA. They have a
win total and point differential that puts them in company with some of the
best teams of all-time. They could conceivably have the Coach of the Year,
Defensive Player of the Year, and the MVP, while also having dark horse
candidates for 6<sup>th</sup> Man of the Year and Most Improved Player. On top
of all that, they play the most fun style of basketball in the entire league,
running up and down the court and shooting three-pointers like madmen.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And none of it makes any sense. Things aren’t supposed to
fall so perfectly into place, not for the Warriors. This team, which for years
aspired to mediocrity at best, is now the favorite to win the championship. My
brain can’t process this, not when my first positive Warrior memory didn’t
happen until I was 20. Death, taxes, and the Warriors making me miserable:
three certainties I was prepared to live with for the rest of my life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Which is why absolutely nothing that happens from here on
out can ruin this season. The Warriors gave me an experience I’d never had the audacity
to even dream about: rooting for a truly great basketball team. The Warriors
packed more fun and memories into this season than the entirety of my
basketball life prior. Whether they win the title or not is irrelevant. After
nearly 20 years of making every team they played look like the Jordan-era
Bulls, after being abused to the point that they booed two different owners off
the court, Warriors fans got to watch them go out and have the best regular season
any team has had since those legendary Bulls teams. They got to see greatness. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Compared to the boos, that’s a championship in itself.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>You can reach Andy on
twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/amohoop34" target="_blank">@AMOhoop34</a></i></div>
Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389588.post-47079771241489369052014-08-11T19:37:00.000-07:002014-08-11T19:37:32.964-07:00Robin Williams And The Never Ending Battle With Depression<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://media.ticketmaster.com/tm/en-us/dbimages/127135a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media.ticketmaster.com/tm/en-us/dbimages/127135a.jpg" /></a></div>
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Earlier in my 20’s, during a time when I piled bad decision
on top of bad decision and dug myself a hole that seemed too large to get out
of, I started thinking that dying might not be the worst thing in the world. I
thought, “Sure, the sadness my parents and other family members would feel would
be unimaginable, but wouldn’t it be better for them to feel all that sadness
now and have the chance to move on instead of having me inflict continuous
disappointment and pain throughout the rest of their lives?” I never thought
about killing myself, but I thought I saw a silver lining if something were to
happen to me.</div>
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I am unbelievably lucky. I do not suffer from clinical
depression, the kind that follows people throughout their entire lives, the
kind that sometimes is too much for even the strongest person with the best
medication, the kind that<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/12/movies/robin-williams-oscar-winning-comedian-dies-at-63.html?_r=0" target="_blank"> people like Robin Williams</a> spend a lifetime fighting,
until they can’t fight anymore. I got out of that hole with the help of others,
and in spite of my awful decision to never tell anyone how bad things really
got. I never felt like that before, and have never felt like that since. I am
unbelievably lucky, but I have been to the bottom or at the very least close
enough to see it.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve heard from many people who suffer from clinical
depression or other mental disorders that they reach the bottom repeatedly.
They struggle and battle daily to do what they can to manage, but regardless
how well things may be going, there’s always another trip to the bottom in the
distance. The battle I had to deal with one time due to my own stupidity is one
that many have to deal with their entire lives because of some faulty wiring in
their genetic makeup that they had no control over. I cannot fathom how
difficult that must be to deal with, nor imagine the level of strength needed
to continuously combat it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The general public’s understanding of depression has grown
more nuanced over the years. Where in years past depression was thought of more
as a character flaw or something that could always be fixed, after Williams’
passing, I read thoughts from countless people who either acutely or generally
understood the serious medical components that contributes to depression. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of people
out there who don’t or refuse to understand, who see that someone has killed themselves
and <a href="http://www.tmz.com/2014/08/11/robin-williams-suicide-dead-todd-bridges-twitter-selfish/" target="_blank">label them “selfish”</a>. As writer Gary
Parrish (<a href="http://twitter.com/garyparrishcbs" target="_blank">@GaryParrishCBS</a>) tweeted:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“My experience with friends who have either attempted or
committed suicide is that they reach a point where they genuinely believe the
people who love them (and world in general) would be better off without them.
That’s not selfish. That’s just really, really sad."</blockquote>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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We should always do our best to help anyone who we may think
is suffering from depression, to reach out and offer our support. But
sometimes, even after everything possible has been done, it just may not be
enough. Sometimes no amount of fight is enough. Another writer, Libby Hill (<a href="http://twitter.com/midwestspitfire" target="_blank">@midwestspitfire</a>) put it best: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“If you think someone in your life may be depressed, please reach
out to them. If someone in your life is depressed and doesn’t reach out, please
don’t judge them. And if, god forbid, someone in your life loses their battle
with their depression, please understand that they likely tried their hardest.”</blockquote>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
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<i>You can follow Andy on
twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/amohoop34" target="_blank">@AMOhoop34</a><o:p></o:p></i></div>
Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389588.post-33865013030043781192014-04-29T18:20:00.000-07:002016-01-21T19:52:19.563-08:00Everyone Is a Loser: The Donald Sterling Fiasco<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/51d2cc1deab8ea1d0800001d/la-clippers-owner-donald-sterling-allegedly-dropped-the-n-word-when-interviewing-a-coach-in-1983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/51d2cc1deab8ea1d0800001d/la-clippers-owner-donald-sterling-allegedly-dropped-the-n-word-when-interviewing-a-coach-in-1983.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Donald Sterling’s racism is old
news. It’s been documented as far back as 1983 when he asked a potential head
coach “I wanna know why you think you can coach these niggers”, and it’s safe
to assume that Sterling’s devaluing of minorities didn’t start with that quote.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Donald Sterling’s racism has been
destructive. He has been sued multiple times for sexual harassment, and once
for racial and age discrimination by former General Manager and NBA legend
Elgin Baylor, who says that Sterling’s vision of the team was one of a modern
plantation, where he “would like to have a white Southern coach coaching poor
black players.” The Department of Justice has twice sued Sterling for
housing discrimination for refusing to rent to African-Americans and Mexicans,
his reasoning being that the former smell and attract vermin, and the latter do
nothing but sit around and drink all day. Those cases resulted in two of the
largest housing discrimination payouts of all-time, with the most recent case
being the single largest. He’s had his wife pose as the leader of a repair crew
so she could document the ethnicities of the people living in properties they
owned, and then did everything he could to create living conditions so bad that
the unwanted tenants moved out. His racism has had real, detrimental effects on
real people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Despite what the NBA and Adam Silver
tried to claim, Donald Sterling’s ouster from the Los Angeles Clippers had
nothing to do with his racism. His thoughts and prejudices have been clear for
decades. There have been firsthand accounts of comments worse than anything he
said on the tape his mistress recorded and then sent to TMZ and Deadspin, yet
not a single fine or suspension has ever been levied against Sterling, as
commissioner Adam Silver admitted in his press conference this morning. Through
the quotes, and the lawsuits, and the settlements, Sterling’s racism was never
an issue to the owners. Only when Sterling’s racial issues crossed over from
the courthouse to the tabloids did the NBA decide it necessary to act. An
investigation was “ongoing”, but only when sponsors started fleeing in droves
did the NBA say when a decision would be announced. If this scandal
never went viral, Sterling would still be sitting courtside, same as always.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">If what got Sterling kicked out of
the NBA was him being morally repugnant, then why isn’t he sharing a cab out of
the building with Orlando Magic owner Richard DeVos, who has been <a href="http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/05/at_83_amway_cofounder_richard.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">openly against gay
marriage </span></a>and just wants gay people to stop “asking for favors”?
Why is Dan Gilbert skating free when he was square in the middle of the
sub-prime loan mess that led to the radical decay of the global economy?
Sterling is gone because he made the owners look bad, and because he started to
cost them money.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">This is a shame, because the forest
is being missed for the trees. Housing discrimination, which has been
Sterling’s stock-in-trade for years, has disastrous effects on countless lives.
In a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6bLKe9-Mto" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">powerful interview on Dan Le Batard’s radio show</span></a> yesterday,
Bomani Jones recounted the recent murder of a friend in Chicago, and related it
to the macro point of how housing discrimination has, largely, led to
segregated war zones in many major cities. This is the true evil of Donald
Sterling; he was a contributor to the decline and despair that is infecting
America’s metropolitan areas. But the NBA and the media didn’t care about that; they
care about a phone call between him and his mistress that centered on Instagram
photos. As Bomani Jones said in the above interview (and please,
start at the 4:30 mark and listen from there, it’s thought provoking, powerful
stuff):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“When all these guys get up here and stand on their soapbox, and wag their fingers, and start talking about “oh we won’t tolerate this racism, we won’t tolerate what Donald sterling said” what they’re not tolerating about Donald sterling is the fact that what he said was impolite, and what he said was gauche. That’s what their problem is. But when Donald sterling was out here toying with people’s lives, on things that really matter as matters of life and death, the media, the NBA, these sponsors, and all these people now who want to get patted on the back for what good people they are didn’t say a mumbling word.”</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></blockquote>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Donald Sterling is a racist and a
terrible human being, and his removal from NBA ownership was, albeit long
overdue, a good thing for the league and for society at large. But the fact
that this is a “getting Capone on tax evasion” situation is disheartening,
because the real crimes that Donald Sterling committed and the real issues that
go hand in hand with them will recede into the background. The NBA will
consider this a job well done, the media will consider this whole case closed,
and an opportunity to confront real issues will once again fall to the wayside.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">You can follow Andy on twitter
at <a href="http://twitter.com/amohoop34" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">@AMOhoop34</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389588.post-39548160373170675972013-07-14T10:49:00.001-07:002013-07-14T10:57:27.435-07:00Random Thoughts Prompted By The Trayvon Martin Verdict<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I found out about the not-guilty verdict in George Zimmerman’s
trial for the death of Trayvon Martin at work. It was about 1:30 AM, and as
soon as I read the news I felt physically ill. After that my eyes started to
well up. A flurry of emotions and thoughts<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>followed, one after the other, until I was feeling so much that I didn’t
know what I was feeling. Trying to write a full fledged column would be a
disservice to some of the outstanding pieces I’ve already read this morning,
like <a href="http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/The_End_Of_The_Daily_Trayvon" target="_blank">this </a>one and <a href="http://smokingsection.uproxx.com/TSS/2013/07/trayvon-martin-george-zimmerman-verdict" target="_blank">this </a>one. For my own sanity, I will try to articulate a couple of
those thoughts here, not all directly related to the Trayvon Martin incident:<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="293" src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/embed/mgid:arc:video:southparkstudios.com:e6cd095e-ed00-11e0-aca6-0026b9414f30" width="360"></iframe></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/149674/its-coming-right-for-us" target="_blank">The above clip</a> is essentially what George Zimmerman's defense was for shooting and killing Trayvon Martin. The episode containing the clip was aired in August of 1997. Sixteen years ago, a cartoon lampooned the ridiculousness of this justification for hunting animals. Yesterday, a jury found this to be a valid excuse to hunt and kill a 17-year old, unarmed, African-American teenager. Somehow, by going forward 16 years, America traveled back 50.</span></li>
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<ul>
<li><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Between Oscar Grant, Trayvon Martin, Oakland PD's <a href="http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2013/02/12/oaklands-other-homicide-crisis-unsolved-cases/" target="_blank">shameful homicide clearance rate</a>, Chicago's <a href="http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/in-violent-holiday-weekend-9-dead-48-injured" target="_blank">constant bloodshed</a>, and a million other examples, it has essentially been decreed that its open hunting season nationwide on African-American youths. Kid gets shot and killed in the ghetto? No big deal, they're dead in a zip code that doesn't matter. Shoot a 17-year old from a gated community? Don't worry, he didn't look like he was supposed to be there, so you'll be ok. America desperately needs to fix its inner-cities, pour money into education, give the people living there a better opportunity at a solid life. Fix the inner city, and then maybe people that "look like they're from there" won't automatically strike an unjust fear into some people. If anythings going to happen, people have to start to care. Trayvon's death was a tragedy, but so are the deaths of the 9 people killed on Chicago's south-side 4th of July weekend. Care about the bodies that ARE from the wrong side of the tracks, not just the ones that "look it". </span></li>
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<li><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">I'm not a supporter of vigilantism. However, if news broke that someone helped expedite George Zimmerman's departure from this mortal coil, I would not be mad. As a matter of fact I'd be damn near tempted to celebrate. After a little idle imagining, I've decided that the most poetically justified way for Zimmerman to go out would be to get shot while visiting Arizona, by someone who assumed because of Zimmerman's skin he was in illegal immigrant trying to cross the border, done in by a similar strain of prejudice and hatred to his own.</span></li>
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<li><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">And what would I do when I heard about this theoretical scenario? I'd go to my closet, grab my black hoodie, walk to the 7-11 four blocks from my house, and buy a bag of skittles and an Arizona iced tea. Because since I was born with a lack of pigmentation, the simple act that got Trayvon Martin killed would just get me a sugar rush. If it weren't for George Zimmerman, that's all that Trayvon would have gotten.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><i>You can follow Andy on twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/amohoop34" target="_blank">@AMOhoop34</a></i> </span></div>
Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389588.post-74282836198197635892013-07-06T14:06:00.000-07:002013-07-07T14:14:31.107-07:0053 Minutes of Madness: How The Golden State Warriors Landed Andre Iguodala And How He Makes Them Better<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Between 12:06 and 12:59 PM yesterday, three pieces of news
emerged that would turn the Golden State Warriors Dwight-centric off-season on
its head. The first piece went like this…</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Golden State has Philadelphia, Cleveland and Utah involved in talks on complicated deals for salary dumps, league sources tell Y! Sports.<br />
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/statuses/353228310140043264">July 5, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
The Warriors had made it clear they were trying to dump
contracts the day before in an attempt to acquire Dwight Howard without a
sign-and-trade, but that tactic seemed unlikely at best. Thirty-four million
dollars would have to be dumped, and the Warriors would have to convince teams
to take these contracts without weakening their core and becoming less
attractive to Howard. Initial reports of the Warriors plan were filed under “wishful
thinking”. Hearing about Philadelphia, Utah, and Cleveland getting involved
changed things. All of a sudden there were real teams attached to this rumor as
potentially willing partners in a mass salary dump. “Wishful thinking” all of a
sudden turned into “cautiously optimistic”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Golden State has reached agreement with Utah on a trade to unload salary, league sources tell Y! Sports.<br />
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/statuses/353240237759143938">July 5, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Forty-seven minutes later, the first real bomb dropped. The
Warriors had traded Andris Biedrins, Richard Jefferson, Brandon Rush, and an
assortment of draft picks to the Utah Jazz. In one fell swoop, 24 million
dollars had been lopped off the team’s payroll, and now the Warriors found
themselves 12 million under the salary cap. Since 12 million was about 9
million short of what it would take nab Howard, another move had to be
forthcoming and it could have been just about any move. Bogut could have been
on his way out, or maybe a team out there had decided to take on 44 million
dollars of David Lee. Perhaps Dwight had tipped off the Warriors that they were
his team, and Golden State was now getting everything in order for a Dwight
announcement. Fans were expecting anything.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Andre Igoudala has reached agreement with Golden State on a four year, $48 million deal with the Warriors, league source tells Y! Sports.<br />
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/statuses/353241772052324352">July 5, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, everything except that. Six minutes after creating
twelve million in cap space, the Warriors turned around and gave it to Andre
Iguodala, a fantastically skilled two-way player who the Warriors have coveted
for years. A potential option that I shot down as essentially impossible just 3
days prior had in fact come to fruition. After years of longing from afar,
Andre Iguodala was finally a Warrior. Where in the hell did that come from.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After that everything started to settle down. Howard called
the Warriors to notify them he would not be coming, and soon after that, word
got out that Dwight had chosen to sign with the Houston Rockets. Regardless,
yesterday was a gigantic win for Golden State. They managed to move themselves
from the luxury tax line to under the salary cap, giving them increased
financial flexibility going forward, and managed to snag the third best
free-agent in this years class, a player whose strengths address almost all of
the Warriors needs, and whose one weakness is covered up by the rest of the
squad. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before addressing how he’ll fit with the Warriors, here’s
the quick scouting report on Andre Iguodala: Except for shooting 3’s and – for just
the last 2 years, strangely enough – shooting FT’s, Andre Iguodala does
everything well. Seriously. Everything that can be done on a basketball court
outside of shooting from 15 feet or farther, Iguodala is great at. He’s been an
incredible defender since he came into the league,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>having made the All-Defense team in
2010-2011, and according to some advanced statistics, Iguodala rated as the
best perimeter defender in the NBA, and by a fairly healthy margin as well. He’s
tough , strong, incredibly athletic, sports a pterodactyl like 6’11” wing span,
and plays incredibly smart as well. He’s also a very solid rebounder for a
perimeter player, averaging about 6 boards a game for his career.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Offensively, Iguodala is a very gifted playmaker. An above
average ball handler who is very effective at getting into the paint and an
elite finisher around the basket. He is also a great passer averaging 5.4
assists per game last year and is very comfortable initiating the offense and
functioning essentially as a point forward. The one chink in his armor is his
lack of a consistent shooting stroke. While he is passible from the wing-three
as a 36% shooter, he is horrendous from the corners, shooting only about 20%,
and for his career Andre is only a 32% shooter from deep. Also, while he was a good
free-throw shooter for the first six years of his career, with a career-high
82% in his 3<sup>rd</sup> year, his touch from the stripe has eroded over the
last three. After shooting 73% on free throws in 2009-2010, Iguodala dipped to
69% the next year, then 61% in 2011-2012, and cratered with a career worst 57%
last season. It remains to be seen if this is a trend that would continue, as
players suddenly forgetting how to shoot free-throws in their prime is a pretty
rare occurance. Potential good news on that front, albeit in a very small
sample size: Iguodala shot 72% from the free throw line in the playoffs, a rate
consistent with his time in Philadelphia before the surprising decline.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With the Warriors, Iguodala, will be used as a swiss army
knife, playing every position from PG to PF depending on the situation. Golden
State has already said that replacing Jarrett Jack’s backup PG position is not
a priority, as they plan to have Iguodala initiate the offense much of the
time. This will allow all number of lineup combinations previously unavailable
to them, as now “going small” with Steph Curry playing Shooting Guard is no
longer small with Iguodala running point. Due to Andre’s size and strength, you
could also see him as a PF in “small ball” lineups, similar to the way Harrison
Barnes was used in the playoffs. Iguodala also allows the Warriors to go big
and create matchup problems, with a lineup potentially consisting of Iguodala,
Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green, David Lee, and Andrew Bogut. An all-defensive
lineup could be thrown out with Andre, Kent Bazemore, Thompson, Green, and
Bogut to help salt away close games. However, the lineup that potentially could
be the most effective is also the lineup that might be the most fun in the entire
league. A potential line-up of Curry, Thompson, Iguodala, Barnes, and Bogut is
one that could absolutely wreak havoc on other teams and be gloriously fun to
watch. While potentially being above average defensively at 4 positions, this
group will be crazily athletic, while still having three elite three-point
shooters on the floor, and Andrew Bogut patrolling the paint on both ends. </div>
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While a few people are concerned that Iguodala's addition means that either Barnes or Thompson will come off the bench next year and potentially stunt their growth, That won't be an issue at all. Iguodala's versatility allows him to play at almost any position alongside any player. Barnes will be able to play 30+ minutes a night, even off the bench, because while Barnes is at the 3 or 4, Iguodala can easily slide down to the 1 or 2. When Thompson is in the game, Iguodala can shift upward and play SF or PF while Klay is at SG. Andre's versatility, as well as Klay's and Barnes' own ability to play multiple positions, will make getting each guy sufficient minutes a walk in the park. Barnes, who is the most likely to be relegated to sixth man, may not start like he did last year, but very well might get more minutes and shots due to this new roster alignment. Not a bad trade-off.</div>
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While winning is the ultimate goal, winning while playing
fun basketball is the dream scenario. By adding Andre Iguodala, the Warriors
greatly increased their chances of winning, and insured that just about every
line-up permutation they put out will be astoundingly fun to watch. Buckle-up
Warriors fans, 2014 is going to be an incredible ride.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You can follow Andy on
twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/amohoop34" target="_blank">@AMOhoop34</a></i></div>
Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389588.post-88194239980585720972013-07-02T09:00:00.000-07:002013-07-02T09:00:02.756-07:00Wild Wild West: Making Sense Of All The Warriors News And Rumors From Day 1 Of Free Agency<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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ESPN/Grantland writer Bill Simmons dubbed July 1<sup>st</sup>,
the first day of NBA free agency, “Sources Say Day” because of all the rumors
and reports thrown around when 30 teams are all freed at the same time to go after
available players. And man, sources were saying a lot about the Golden State
Warriors today. There were at least 6 different rumors involving the Warriors
today, and while some of the news broken was expected, there were a few things
coming out of left field. Let’s address all of them, shall we. Let’s start with
the least surprising news, but the biggest potential impact…</div>
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Warriors Prepared To Offer AndrewBogut, Klay Thompson Or Harrison Barnes To Lakers For Dwight Howard -- <a href="http://t.co/LqwWnL5CeW">http://t.co/LqwWnL5CeW</a><br />
— RealGM (@RealGM) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealGM/statuses/351753633945235457">July 1, 2013</a></blockquote>
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Nothing really new to see here. We already knew the Warriors were meeting with Howard, and<a href="http://talkinreckless.blogspot.com/2013/06/why-warriors-should-and-are-going-after.html" target="_blank"> I described a few days ago</a> how any trade for Howard likely starts with Bogut and either Thompson or Barnes. To reiterate, I'm absolutely on board if the Warriors can get Howard for this package. He's a game changer on both ends of the floor and is a legit Superstar to pair with Curry. The insertion of a relatively healthy Andrew Bogut got the Warriors within spitting distance of the NBA Finals, even without David Lee. Everything Bogut does, Dwight Howard does better. Everything. You have the chance to acquire a player of that magnitude, you do it, no questions asked.<br />
<br />
Some of the little details around the edges of the meeting were interesting. Jerry West joined coach Mark Jackson, owner Joe Lacob, and GM Bob Myers on the trek. Including "The Logo" is always a good move, regardless of the situation, so I approve of this development. Also, supposedly Steph Curry was going to work the phone angle with Dwight. Apparently, the phone angle meant calling to locate Dwight and then going to find him, because <a href="https://twitter.com/trandreww/status/351768860254408707/photo/1" target="_blank">Steph was seen talking to Dwight</a> at UCLA's gym this morning. Maybe talking to Steph directly will help convince Dwight that he will never see a double team again with all the Warriors shooters on the perimeter.<br />
<br />
Next up, we have the real shocking news of the last day...
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Y! Sources: Golden State exploring trade possibilities on David Lee and $44M left on his contract. <a href="http://t.co/ZkRroTm0bk">http://t.co/ZkRroTm0bk</a><br />
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/statuses/351572612842913793">July 1, 2013</a></blockquote>
Well, can't say I saw that one coming. Considering David Lee has been trumpeted as a personal favorite of Joe Lacob since he bought the team 3 years ago, I think this came as a surprise to just about everyone. The funniest part is, while I've been trumpeting the call to trade Lee from the day he signed that contract and always felt he was overrated, I'm actually a little uncomfortable with the thought of getting rid of him now.<br />
<br />
This isn't to say that I'm a David Lee fan all of a sudden, but his value is so much higher to the Warriors than any other team in the league, I'm afraid any deal of Lee would leave a crater at the PF spot, especially with Carl Landry most likely gone. So far, the reports are that Lee was offered to the <a href="http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/228499/Warriors-Pursuing-Trade-Of-David-Lee" target="_blank">Toronto Raptors for Andrea Bargnani</a>, and that Lee was also shopped to <a href="http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/228499/Warriors-Pursuing-Trade-Of-David-Lee" target="_blank">Portland along with Brandon Rush for Lamarcus Aldridge</a>. Both proposals were reportedly shot down fairly quickly, as David Lee's inability to play defense, massive financial burden (44 Million left on his current deal), and increasing age (on the wrong side of 30) scare off most teams. While i would've heartily approved of the Aldridge swap, the Bargnani proposal confuses me, and if the Warriors have to lower their standards any more in a deal, the player(s) they bring back just won't be worth it. I never thought I'd say this, but here's to hoping David Lee's name doesn't get brought up again this summer.<br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Warriors met with Jarrett Jack, but he's probably going to have to wait until after D12 stuff shakes out | <a href="http://t.co/2BQWLH5b1W">http://t.co/2BQWLH5b1W</a><br />
— Marcus Thompson (@gswscribe) <a href="https://twitter.com/gswscribe/statuses/351804485619810305">July 1, 2013</a></blockquote>
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<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I'm told the Warriors can actually offer Darren Collison more money. Post updated | <a href="http://t.co/2BQWLH5b1W">http://t.co/2BQWLH5b1W</a><br />
— Marcus Thompson (@gswscribe) <a href="https://twitter.com/gswscribe/statuses/351809181050880001">July 1, 2013</a></blockquote>
<br />
I put these two together because they go hand in hand. With Jarrett Jack being a free agent and looking for a deal that starts at $7 million per year, the Warriors very well might be on the lookout for a new backup PG. As far as that goes, Collison would be a good get. He burst onto the scene as a rookie, starting 37 games in New Orleans for an injured Chris Paul and averaging 12.4 points and 5.7 assists per game for the year. Since then he's plateaued, never averaging more than 13.1 points or 5.1 assists per game as a starter in Indiana and Dallas. However, he wouldn't be the starter in Golden State, obviously, and he has experience coming off the bench, as a rookie in New Orleans and for about half the year last year in Dallas. As far as potential replacements for Jack go, Collison would be very near the top of my list, alongside Devin Harris, but he hasn't been linked to the Warriors yet so i'll save my thoughts on him for another time.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Y! Sports NBA free agent buzz led by Andre Iguodala's big day with suitors. Stay here for more free agency updates. <a href="http://t.co/qQ4WPclurG">http://t.co/qQ4WPclurG</a><br />
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpearsNBAYahoo/statuses/351740343869378562">July 1, 2013</a></blockquote>
<br />
There we go. It's not officially a Warriors off-season until they're linked to Andre Iguodala in some way. Follow that link and you'll see the Warriors on Iguodala's list of teams he's meeting with. After all the years of rumored "Monta Ellis-for-Andre Iguodala" swaps, its nice to see that thought of Andre heading to Golden State is still holding on out there. Personally, I think there's nothing here. He's a free agent, so the Warriors can only acquire him via sign and trade. The Nuggets will want either Klay Thompson or Harrison Barnes which I seriously doubt the Warriors will consider since each player offers 90% of Iguodala's value at 20% of the price. The Warriors will look to give up David Lee, which the Nuggets won't take because, come on, David Lee couldn't even fetch Andrea Bargnani. Iggy on the roster would be nice, and I've wanted him for years, but I see no way this gets done.<br />
<br />
Let's finish with one that's completely out of left field...<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sources: in addition to Nets, Clippers and Warriors showing interest in Andray Blatche<br />
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chris_Broussard/statuses/351867020645629952">July 2, 2013</a></blockquote>
<br />
What?! I don't understand this, what the hell is going...<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
RT <a href="https://twitter.com/PeterVecsey1">@PeterVecsey1</a>: This just in: Been informed Blatche cancelled meetings with other suitors. Meaning Andray has made commitment to Nets<br />
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/statuses/351881245485056000">July 2, 2013</a></blockquote>
<br />
Oh, ok. Never mind everyone, nothing to see here.<br />
<br />
<i>You can follow Andy on twiter at <a href="http://twitter.com/amohoop34" target="_blank">@AMOhoop34</a></i><br />
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Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389588.post-78091017890778357012013-06-29T09:00:00.000-07:002013-06-29T09:31:58.592-07:00Why The Warriors Should (And Are) Going After Dwight Howard<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Golden State trying to get a visit with Dwight Howard too. Source says he'll likely meet with them.<br />
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chris_Broussard/statuses/350383195432292354">June 27, 2013</a></blockquote>
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Oh boy, here we go...<br />
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Ever since word got out that the
Warriors are supposedly one of the teams that Dwight Howard is interested in, a
large amount of Warrior fans have voiced strong opinions against Dwight coming
to the Bay Area. They don’t like his seeming insatiable need for attention, his
soap opera free-agency, his attempts to get his coach in Orlando fired, and his
disastrous year in LA. I understand it all, and am not a fan of Howard’s,
personally, but the truth is this: on a bad back for most of the season, Dwight
was still the best center in the NBA. He averaged 17 points a game on 58%
shooting, an INCREASE over last season. He led the NBA in rebounding for the 5<sup>th</sup>
time in 6 years. He blocked MORE shots this year than last. As his back started
to get better at the ended of the year, he became the old Dwight Howard again.
Over the last quarter of the season, Dwight averaged 20 points, 13 rebounds,
and 3 blocks a game as the Lakers went 15-6 to make the playoffs. Even with the
circus that surrounded him, Dwight Howard proved to still be an utterly
dominant player.</div>
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As good as the Warriors looked this
year, they still need another superstar type player alongside Curry if they’re
going to win a title. The only two players currently on the roster who possibly
have that potential are Thompson and Barnes. If you are GM Bob Meyers, and you
are CONVINCED that one of these 2 youngsters can make the leap to superstar
status, then you pass on this deal. Otherwise, you need to make this move, as
I’m not sure there will be a better opportunity to acquire a game-changer of
Dwight’s caliber. The free agent class of 2014 might get you that guy, but
other than LeBron James, no one in that class makes the difference that Dwight
would.</div>
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Besides the need for a second
superstar to pair with Curry, Howard fits better with the Warriors current
roster than any other free agent or trade target possibly could. In 2009,
Dwight Howard led the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals. The rest of that teams
starting lineup? Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis, Rafer Alston, and Jameer Nelson.
The Magic’s roster was built to surround Dwight with three-point shooters, so
teams either doubled him and became susceptible to a barrage of triples, let
Dwight go one on one in the post and dominate what was almost surely an drastically
inferior big man, or leave the floor spread so thin that any drive to the
basket was either and uncontested layup or a lob to Dwight. The Warriors with
Dwight could be an even deadlier version of that Magic team. That 08-09 Magic team
was 7<sup>th</sup> in the NBA in 3pt% at 38.1%, while the Warriors led the NBA
this past season, shooting 40.3% from deep. And while Golden State would be
losing a very good shooter in either Thompson or Barnes in the deal, they will
be getting Brandon Rush, a career 41% shooter from three and 45% in his only
year with the Warriors, back from his torn ACL. Howard would upgrade the D as
well, being a better shot blocker and rebounder than even a fully healthy
Andrew Bogut, and a better bet to at least be on the floor as well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
If the Warriors stand pat, their
upside for next year is probably as a 4<sup>th</sup> seed and the home court
advantage in the first round. If they add Dwight, they might be the best team
in the Western Conference and a legit title contender. It’s a risk, but one
that needs to be taken if the opportunity is there.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You Can Follow Andy on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/amohoop34" target="_blank">@AMOHoop34</a></div>
Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389588.post-71803466855421674602013-03-20T09:00:00.000-07:002013-03-20T09:00:04.687-07:00Why Indiana Will (Probably) Win It All<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Throughout this week, I
will reveal my picks for this year’s Final Four, as well as detail why they are
threats to win it all. You can find parts 1 & 2 <a href="http://talkinreckless.blogspot.com/2013/03/why-georgetown-will-win-it-all-possibly.html" target="_blank">here </a>and <a href="http://talkinreckless.blogspot.com/2013/03/why-pitt-panthers-will-win-it-all-maybe.html" target="_blank">here</a>. My official
pick to cut down the nets in Atlanta will run tomorrow.</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/si/dam/assets/130310223310-cody-zeller-single-image-cut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/si/dam/assets/130310223310-cody-zeller-single-image-cut.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Indiana Hoosiers (1
Seed – East Region)</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Coach: Tom Crean<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Conference: Big Ten</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Record (Conf.
Record): 27-6 (14-4)</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rankings: Associated
Press – 4, USA Today/Coaches – 4, RPI – 7, KenPom.com – 3</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You win with talent. Not that I’m breaking any news here,
but every year around this time people seem to forget that fact when filling
their brackets, getting caught up in sleepers and storylines and everything
except, you know, which team has the best basketball players.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nine out of the last ten national champions
have had future NBA lottery picks on their team, and Mason Plumlee, a member of
Duke’s 2010 Championship squad, has a decent chance of making that a perfect
ten in this year’s draft. Teams like UCONN in 2011, who weren’t a 1 or 2 seed,
still had lottery picks like Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb on the roster. Great
coaching and a favorable bracket are great, but if you don’t have the horses, you’re
going to run into trouble, and no team in the tournament has more thoroughbreds
than the Hoosiers of Indiana.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When talking about keys for Indiana, you have to start with
the man in the middle, Cody Zeller. The 7-foot sophomore is an incredibly
efficient player, averaging 17 points and 8 rebounds a game while shooting 57%
from the field and 75% from the free-throw line. Zeller is not a terribly
athletic player, but he has an array of moves around the basket, great touch,
and a strong body that he knows how to leverage to his advantage. When he is
assertive in calling for the ball and aggressive in his attacks, the Hoosiers
are almost unbeatable, going 15-2 in the 17 games which Zeller had double-digit
shot attempts. Any team that hopes to beat Indiana has to have someone who can
give Zeller trouble around the basket, and there just aren’t many guys like
that around.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However, keeping Zeller in check alone isn’t nearly enough
to topple Indiana. The Hoosiers have 4 players including Zeller who average
double figures, and Junior wing Victor Oladipo has turned into a one-man
wrecking crew. The 6’5” wing from Maryland is the best two-way player in the
country, averaging 14 points per game on 60% shooting (44% from 3) while being
named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. As important as Zeller is to the
Hoosiers fortunes, without Oladipo’s play-making on the perimeter and dynamism
on defense Indiana’s title chances would be non-existant.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s not a two-man show at Indiana either. Chirstian Watford
is a stretch four who provides sharp-shooting from distance on offense (49%
from 3), and rebounding and length on defense with his 6’9” frame. Jordan Hulls
is a guard with good ball control (3.1:1.2 Assist/TO) and mad bomber range (46%
from 3 on 5 attempts a game). Freshman Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell plays beyond his
years, doing a great job distributing to his many scoring options (4.2 APG) and
making his freebies (80% from the FT line) in heavy minutes for a first-year
player (28.2 MPG). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A lot of people are down on Indiana’s title chances because
they aren’t convinced that he’s anything more than a great recruiter who is average
at best as an in-game tactician. For years, that same description followed John
Calipari around, until he recruited enough talent to break through and win a
title in 2012. Now analysts mention him as one of the best in game strategists in
college. Indiana will win because they have better basketball players than
everyone else. It may be a boring reason, but it doesn’t make it wrong. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>You can follow Andy on twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/amohoop34" target="_blank">@AMOhoop34</a></i><a href="http://twitter.com/amohoop34" target="_blank"> </a></div>
Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389588.post-32442253590221682622013-03-19T09:00:00.000-07:002013-03-19T09:00:01.607-07:00Why The Pitt Panthers Will Win It All (Maybe)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Throughout this week, I
will reveal my picks for this year’s Final Four, as well as detail why they are
threats to win it all. You can find part 1 <a href="http://talkinreckless.blogspot.com/2013/03/why-georgetown-will-win-it-all-possibly.html" target="_blank">here</a>. My official pick to cut down
the nets in Atlanta will run on Thursday.</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://c10184100.r0.cf2.rackcdn.com/03-30-53_woodall_original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://c10184100.r0.cf2.rackcdn.com/03-30-53_woodall_original.jpg" width="338" /></a></div>
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Pitt Panthers (8 Seed
– West Region)</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Coach: Jamie Dixon</b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Conference: Big East</b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Record (Conf.
Record): 24-8 (12-6)</b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rankings: Associated
Press – 20, USA Today/Coaches – 22, RPI – 43, KenPom.com – 7</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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In the NCAA tournament, more than in any other post-season
in sports, it’s better to be lucky than good. All too often a great team gets
stuck in a brutal part of the bracket and gets worn down before succumbing to
the one team that has the right style to beat them, while a less talented team
with serious flaws ends up in a favorable region with teams that don’t have the
necessary talent to exploit those weaknesses. Sometimes teams just get
inexplicably hot and win games they have no business winning. Villanova beating
Georgetown 66-64 in 1985 is considered by many to be the biggest upset in NCAA
Championship Game history, but that’s not really Georgetown’s fault. Villanova shot
an unbelievably absurd 78.6% from the field, missing only 6 shots the entire
game. A team gets on a run like that in the tourney and weird stuff starts to
happen. The 2013 Pitt Panthers, being in a very favorable region and shockingly
underrated by the selection committee, are going to make things get weird.</div>
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To even make a Final Four as an 8-seed you need three
things: weak top seeds, favorable matchups, and to be a lot better than your
garden variety 8-seed. The Panthers, by virtue of landing in the West Region
have all 3 going for them. With Gonzaga, Ohio State, and New Mexico occupying
the top 3 seeds, the west Region is home to the weakest 1, 2, and 3 seeds in
the tournament. Gonzaga’s shiny 31-2 record and perfect run through the West
Coast Conference, distracts from the fact that they haven’t beaten a single
team that’s a top-3 seed in the tournament, haven’t made it past the round of
32 since 2009, and haven’t been past the sweet 16 since 1998. Meanwhile,
Deshaun Thomas is the only player on Ohio State’s roster who averages double
figures, so a single off-day from him and Ohio State is dead in the water. And
New Mexico is essentially Gonzaga-lite, with only two previous tourney trips
since 2005, both of which ended in the round of 32. The top of this region is
ripe for upsets to clear the path for a lower seeded team like Pittsburgh to
crash the party.</div>
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Why Pittsburgh in particular? Largely, because they play the
exact style that can give Gonzaga fits. Pitt ranks 17<sup>th</sup> in the
country in defensive efficiency according to KenPom.com’s advanced statistics
and boasts a large and deep front-line that will challenge Gonzaga centerpiece
Kelly Olynyk more than any other opponent he’s played this year. If Olynyk and
his frontcourt mate Elias Harris are bottled up, Gonzaga will find themselves
in a world of trouble.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The Panthers glacial pace of play and low scoring numbers
have given them the reputation of being an offensively challenged team. In
reality, Pitt’s offense ranks 9<sup>th</sup> nationally in efficiency, clocking
in at over 116 points per 100 possessions. This is backed up by the fact that
Pitt ranks 18<sup>th</sup> in the country in field goal percentage, and 7<sup>th</sup>
in assists per game which is all the more impressive when you consider the slow
pace they play at. Couple this with their superb defense, and you get a team
that is much better than an 8-seed. ESPN’s Basketball Power Index has Pitt
pegged as the 15<sup>th</sup> best team in the country, while KenPom has the
Panthers at 7<sup>th</sup>. This is a 3-seed or 4-seed team, not an 8, and with
their region seemingly wide open and their proficiency on both sides of the ball,
the time is right for the Pitt Panthers to make it to the final four and, with
a little weirdness, take the whole thing.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You can follow Andy on
twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/amohoop34" target="_blank">@AMOhoop34</a></i><a href="http://twitter.com/amohoop34" target="_blank"> </a></div>
Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389588.post-82252783330499662092013-03-18T09:00:00.000-07:002013-03-18T09:00:02.216-07:00Why Georgetown Will Win It All (Possibly)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Throughout this week, I
will reveal my picks for this year’s Final Four, as well as detail why they are
threats to win it all. My official pick to cut down the nets in Atlanta will
run on Thursday.</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/snFHac6ixCdbXYeVdu63Kg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusncaabexperts/OttoPorter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/snFHac6ixCdbXYeVdu63Kg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusncaabexperts/OttoPorter.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i> <br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Georgetown Hoyas (2
Seed – South Region) </b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Coach: John Thompson
III</b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Conference: Big East</b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Record (Conf.
Record): 25-6 (14-4)</b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rankings: Associated
Press – 5, USA Today/Coaches – 5, RPI – 10, KenPom.com – 12</b></div>
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Georgetown has had a rough go of it in the NCAA Tournament
the last few years. In their last four trips to the tournament, they’ve lost
twice in the first round and twice in the round of 32, and each of those four
losses have been to double-digit seeds. Georgetown may be the most disappointing
tournament of the last 5 years, not just failing to live up to expectations,
but failing in spectacular fashion. Losing to 10-seed Davidson as a 2-seed in
2008. Losing to 11-seed NC State as a 3-seed last year. Getting blown out in
the first round by 14-seed Ohio and 11-seed VCU in back-to-back years. In a
college basketball season marked by an obscene amount of upsets and
overwhelming parity, a team with Georgetown’s recent pedigree seems like they’d
be a better bet to tie history by losing to a 15-seed in another flame-out than to
make a run to Atlanta. </div>
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But run to Atlanta they shall, and there are two big reasons
why Georgetown will be cutting down the nets: Otto Porter and a nasty, suffocating
defense.</div>
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For those of you who are not familiar with his work, young
Mr. Porter is Georgetown’s do-everything forward, and a favorite to win
National Player of the Year. Pick a category, and Porter probably leads
Georgetown in it: points, rebounds, steals, free-throw shooting and 3-point shooting,
Otto is on top. At 6’8”, his height and shooting stroke make him a match<i>-</i>up
problem no matter who Georgetown is playing, and he’s the best “big game”
player Georgetown has had since Jeff Green, a 33 and 8 effort against Syracuse
and a 19 and 9 game against Notre Dame being standouts. Green proved to be a
great enough talent to lead his Hoya team to the final four, and Otto Porter is
good enough to do the same.</div>
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Now while it hasn’t happened often throughout the season, if
Porter happens to have a bad game or two in the tournament, they’re more than
capable of grinding out a win regardless, thanks to their ability to simply
keep teams from scoring ever. Not only do the Hoya’s play at one of the slowest
tempos in the NCAA, they rank 4<sup>th</sup> in the country in defensive
efficiency, only allowing 84.4 points per 100 possessions. Ten times this
season Georgetown has held their opponent to 50 points or fewer. Unlike some
other teams in the tournament, they don’t need to be having a particularly good
shooting day to come out with a win.</div>
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Anything can happen at any time, of course, but Georgetown’s
bracket also provides a fairly straight-forward path to the final-four. The one
team in the South Region that really provides much of a style mismatch is VCU,
but they’re on the other side of the bracket and would have to make it through
both Michigan and Kansas first. There will be trials and tribulations along the
way, but Georgetown has the superstar, they have the defense, and 6 games from
now they will also have the national title.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You can follow Andy on
twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/amohoop34" target="_blank">@AMOhoop34</a>.</i></div>
Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389588.post-79187632124588119192012-10-16T10:00:00.000-07:002012-10-16T10:00:09.264-07:00NFL Week 6 In Review<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Thoughts from a thoroughly depressing Week 6.</div>
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Tennessee 26, Pittsburgh 23<br />
Brandon Batch, RB, Pittsburgh: Ben Roethlisberger is a god damned magician and
a tough s.o.b. that almost will certainly be wheelchair bound shortly after his
career ends, but he needs SOME help. Batch lead the Steelers with 22 rushing
yards on 10 carries. The other Pittsburgh RB’s didn’t do any better, combining
for 20 yards on 11 carries. Big Ben can make up for a lot of sins, but he can’t
cover for a leaky defense AND an invisible running game. </div>
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Baltimore 31, Dallas 29<br />
Ray Lewis, LB, Baltimore: Lardarius Webb’s injury might be a bigger deal going
forward for the Ravens, but he’ll be back eventually from his torn ACL. If this
was the last game in Ray Lewis’ storied career, I want to make sure that I pay
him his proper respect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beyond simply
being one of the greatest MLB’s to ever live, what made Lewis such a popular
player was the undeniable fire and passion he played with. You see a guy that
great who obviously cares that much, you can’t help but be appreciate it. Ray
Lewis once said in reference to his salary, “You pay me for Monday through
Saturday. Sunday I give you for free.” Here’s to hoping that Ray has at least a
few more volunteer work days in the future. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Tampa Bay 38, Kansas City 10<br />
Brady Quinn, QB, Kansas City: 180 yards passing on 38 attempts. Nothing else
really needs to be said after that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Detroit 26, Philadelphia 23<br />
Mikel Leshoure, RB, Detroit: With Jahvid Best now confirmed out for the year
after failing his latest neurological exam, Mikel Leshoure becomes even more
important for Detroit. Matt Stafford has regressed a bit from 2011, so having
some semblance of a running game to take some of the pressure off becomes even
more important. After a horrendous game last week, Leshoure rebounded with 70
yards on 15 carries. He doesn’t need to be great, just respectable.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
New York Jets 35, Indianapolis 9<br />
Shonn Greene, RB, New York Jets: Greene’s rushing total from weeks 2-5: 123
yards on 49 carries. Greene in week 6: 161 yards on 32 carries. Forgive me if I
don’t exactly hop on the bandwagon.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Miami 17, St. Louis 14<br />
Ryan Tannehill, QB, Miami: This isn’t real. Defenses will figure him out and he
will turn into a pumpkin soon enough. There is no way Tannehill is an actual
good QB. I won’t believe it and you can’t make me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cleveland 34, Cincinnati 24<br />
It’s Ohio. Who gives a shit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Atlanta 23, Oakland 20<br />
Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta: Some fans like to point to the number of 4<sup>th</sup>
quarter comebacks of QB’s like Matt Ryan and John Elway as evidence that the
former is an elite QB and the latter is the greatest of all-time. I have the
same response for both: If they were really that good they wouldn’t need to
comeback all the damn time. The very nature of having a comeback win
essentially means you sucked for the first 3 quarters. Why is doing that often
considered a good thing?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Seattle 24, New England 23<br />
Richard Sherman, CB, Seattle: Richard Sherman spent the game trash talking Tom
Brady, telling him he was going to make him pay if he kept throwing his way.
Brady laughed and told Sherman to come see him after the game when the Patriots
win. Sherman ended up getting his INT, and the Seahawks beat the Patriots. Then
Sherman hunted down Brady after the game to trash talk him some more. Then he
went and called the Patriots a gimmick offense in post-game interviews. Richard
Sherman is kind of awesome. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Buffalo 19, Arizona 16<br />
Jay Feely, K, Arizona: It takes a combination of a really boring game and a
really clutch kick to get a kicker spotlighted here. Feely’s 61 yard field goal
to the game with barely a minute left qualifies as clutch enough, and the rest
of this eyesore of a game qualifies as boring enough.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Washington 38, Minnesota 26<br />
Robert Griffin III: I’m not right often, so I’m going to <a href="http://talkinreckless.blogspot.com/2011/11/good-luck-is-not-enough.html" target="_blank">keep putting this out</a> there for as long I’m proven right.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
New York Giants 26, San Francisco 3<br />
Alex Smith, QB, SF: I was so prepared to write a post about how Alex Smith is
not good enough to win a Super Bowl, then I realized <a href="http://talkinreckless.blogspot.com/2011/11/alex-smith-is-redeemed-alex-smith-must.html" target="_blank">I already wrote that article </a>less than a year ago, so I bailed on that plan. The point remains
though: Alex Smith is an incredibly smart player and a respectable starting QB,
but he possesses neither the arm strength or the accuracy to make a play out of
nothing when its needed. If a guy is open I expect Smith to find him, but
sometimes guys just aren’t open and you need to make a throw anyway, and he can’t
do that. They will not win a Super Bowl as long as he’s the starting QB. As a
49er fan, you have no idea how much it hurts to say that.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Green Bay 42, Houston 24<br />
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay: To paraphrase Mark Twain: Reports of Aaron
Rodgers’ demise have been greatly exaggerated.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Denver 35, San Diego 24<br />
Phillip Rivers, QB, San Diego: Phillip Rivers on the other hand…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can follow Andy on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/amohoop34" target="_blank">@AMOhoop34</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389588.post-81349788774574343192012-10-02T13:24:00.000-07:002012-10-02T13:24:54.775-07:00Wrapping Up Week 4 In the NFL<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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After a couple weeks off, the weekly review is back. Let's get to it.</div>
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Ravens 23, Browns<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>16</div>
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Torrey Smith, WR, Ravens: Smith was a popular “breakout”
contender prior to the season, and for once it seems the conventional wisdom
was absolutely right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Smith has become
an elite deep threat and Joe Flacco’s favorite target. His stat line from
Thursday was 6 catches for 97 yards and a TD, and that has become a completely
routine game for him now. Smith is having a hell of a year so far, and after
his performance last week in the wake of his brothers tragic death, you can
count me as a fan.</div>
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49ers 34, Jets 0</div>
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Colin Kaepernick, QB, 49ers: By far, the best thing about
the beatdown given to the Jets, was that the 49ers were miles and miles more
effective at running the Wildcat offense (or “WildKaep” as the Niners call it)
than the Jets and Tebow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anytime a New
York team or Tebow can look like complete and utter-failures, it makes me
smile. When both happen at the same time I start dancing “Gangnam Style”*</div>
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*I absolutely do NOT start dancing Gangnam Style.</div>
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Texans 38, Titans 14</div>
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JJ Watt, DE, Texans: JJ Watt had a good rookie year,
registering 5.5 sacks and 56 total tackles filling in for Mario Williams after
he went down with an injury. This year, Watt has turned into Lawrence Taylor,
an unblockable menace terrorizing opposing lineman and QB’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 4 games in 2012, Watt has 20 tackles, 7.5
sacks, and 2 fumble recoveries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Obviously, Watt isn’t going to continue on a 30-sack pace, as that would
destroy the current record by 7.5 sacks, but the fact that the season is only
1/4<sup>th</sup> over and he is already closing in on double digit sacks? You
couldn’t blame Watt if he started making space in his trophy case for a DPOY
award.</div>
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Rams 19, Seahawks 13</div>
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Russell Wilson, QB, Seahawks: Could someone please explain
to me exactly what it is that Wilson does that Matt Flynn can’t? Pete Carroll
never runs out of ways to outsmart himself.</div>
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Chargers 37, Chiefs 20</div>
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Romeo Crennell, Head Coach, Chiefs: As soon as the Chiefs
made Romeo Crennell their head coach at the end of last year, they guaranteed
an epic failure of a season. Romeo Crennell was such an abject failure in his
previous head coaching stint in Cleveland, I was convinced he would never get
another head job. Well, somehow he got one, and is proving that his tenure with
the Browns wasn’t a fluke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you happen
to be a gambler, let me offer you some advice: Unless he’s going up against an
interim-interim-coach, never put money on a Romeo Crennell coached team. It can
only end in anger and disappointment.</div>
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Vikings 20, Lions 13</div>
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Calvin Johnson, WR, Lions: Through 4 games the Lions are 1-3
and Calvin Johnson has 1 TD catch. When will people stop doubting the Madden
Curse?</div>
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Patriots 52, Bills 28</div>
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Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Bills: Why do I get the feeling that
after every game, Fitzpatrick nervously calls his agent, asking for reassurance
that the Bills can’t take back any of the money he’s already made on his
massive contract, and that they do in fact have to keep paying him?</div>
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Falcons 30, Panthers 28</div>
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Ron Rivera, Head Coach, Panthers:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Explain this to me Ron: You have probably the
best short yardage QB in NFL history, you have 50 million dollars’ worth of running
back on your roster, you’ve converted 88% of Third-and-1 and Fourth-and-1
situations since Cam Newton arrived, a first down wins you the game because
Atlanta has no timeouts, and you decide to Punt and eventually lose. How where
you not fired before that Falcons field goal went through the uprights?</div>
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Bengals 27, Jaguars 10</div>
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Blaine Gabbert, QB, Jaguars: Blaine Gabbert had arguably the
worst rookie season by a QB in NFL history last year, and was written off by a
large segment of the football public. Through 4 games of his sophomore season,
Gabbert hasn’t exactly been GOOD, but there has been definite improvement by the
young signal-caller, who is still only 22 years old. It may be ugly right now,
but if Jacksonville could get him some people to throw the ball to, he might
turn out to be a solid QB yet.</div>
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Cardinals 24, Dolphins 21</div>
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Brian Hartline, WR, Dolphins: Hartline’s awesome response
after being told he had 12 catches for 253 yards against the Cardinals: <a href="https://twitter.com/BenVolinPBP/status/252557833374138369" target="_blank">“Are you shitting me?????”</a></div>
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Broncos 37, Raiders 6</div>
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Reggie McKenzie, General Manager, Raiders: So, maybe going
into the season with Rod Bartell & Shawntae Spencer as your starting DB’s
wasn’t a good idea? You think that might be the case.</div>
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Redskins 24, Buccaneers 22</div>
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Robert Griffin, QB, Redskins: Once more, with feeling: <a href="http://talkinreckless.blogspot.com/2011/11/good-luck-is-not-enough.html" target="_blank">I’mnot sayin, I’m just sayin</a>. This whole RGIII deal is easily turning into my best
sports prediction since I called Steph Curry and Davidson making the elite 8
before the NCAA tournament even started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Worst prediction of recent times: my pre-season prediction that <a href="http://talkinreckless.blogspot.com/2012/03/talkin-reckless-2012-mlb-season-preview.html" target="_blank">Oakland would finish last in the AL West</a>. In my defense though, I’m really not very smart.</div>
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Packers 28, Saints 27</div>
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Sean Payton, Head Coach, Saints:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shocker! Who would have thought that replacing
one of the 3 best coaches in the NFL with a no-name interim coach would have a
negative impact on the team? How anyone thought this team was going to win the
division without Payton just completely baffles me.</div>
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Eagles 19, Giants 17</div>
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Mike Vick, QB, Eagles: Yeah, I’m not buying that Vick will
all of a suddenly start limiting his Turnovers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think its more likely Vick has 6 turnovers next week than him having 0
again.</div>
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Bears 34, Cowboys 18</div>
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Tony Romo, QB, Cowboys: I keep reading <a href="http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=321001006" target="_blank">this box score</a>, and I
can’t stop smiling. Just pure, unadulterated, joy.</div>
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You can follow Andy on twitter @AMOhoop34</div>
Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389588.post-30660062149491345482012-09-25T09:00:00.000-07:002012-09-25T09:00:04.051-07:00Dear NFL: Enough Is Enough<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/001/905/243/hi-res-152732551_crop_exact.jpg?w=650&h=440&q=75" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/001/905/243/hi-res-152732551_crop_exact.jpg?w=650&h=440&q=75" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i> Two refs standing directly over the play, one signaling Touchback, one signaling Touchdown. What. The. Fuck.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(Before anything else i want to link to <a href="http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8419514/replacement-refs-ravens-patriots-game" target="_blank">THIS </a>Charles P. Pierce article at Grantland.com about the Ravens-Patriots Sunday night game and the replacement refs. Great read.)<br />
<br />
I actually had a completely different NFL article about 40%
done, but its gone now. Deleted, scrapped, never to see the light of day. There
is no way I can analyze, and by extension acknowledge any type of legitimacy
for the NFL after the officiating travesties that occurred this past weekend,
culminating with the clusterfuck in Seattle. </div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Roger Goodell has destroyed every
shred of legitimacy his league had, preaching about player safety and then locking
out the regular officials and bringing in these scabs, who failed to even call
a penalty on a helmet-to-helmet hit that put Oakland WR Darrius Heyward-Bey in the
hospital. He talks constantly about maintaining the integrity of the game, and “protecting
the shield”, and then hires the most inept and under qualified referees
imaginable to officiate the most complex game in America, because the regular
referees are asking for a raise that would cost the league less than 1% of
their annual revenue. This situation is downright despicable, and I refuse to
continue to be part of the problem. If the regular referees are not back
working this weekend, then in my mind the NFL will cease to exist. I will not
watch on TV, I will not listen on the radio, I will not check scores or fantasy
lineups. Do I think my little protest will accomplish anything? Absolutely not.
However, I will feel better knowing that I at least did not help Goodell and
the league profit from this horrendous situation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
P.S. I have absolutely NO compassion for any of the
replacement officials. First of all, they are scabs who crossed a locked-out
unions picket line. As a union member myself I feel no sympathy for scabs in
any profession. Secondly, the scabs CHOSE to referee these games, knowing they
were severely under qualified. Even the most deluded person could not
reasonably assume that refereeing 7-on-7 youth football is commiserate with
officiating an NFL game. If you get fired for incompetence from the Lingerie
Football League, you cannot possibly believe you have what it takes to be an
NFL official. These scabs knowingly crossed a picket-line for a cash-grab at a
job they know full well they were completely unqualified for. They don’t
deserve any sympathy, and frankly deserve more vitriol than they are getting.
You want to be on the big stage, now deal with the consequences.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can follow Andy on Twitter @AMOhoop34</div>
Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389588.post-31154324333461310812012-09-11T15:12:00.000-07:002012-09-11T15:12:25.480-07:00Wrapping up Week 1 in the NFL<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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The way this is going to work (for now, I reserve the right
to change the format if it turns out this blows): Instead of recapping each
game, I’m just going to spotlight one player from each game, for good or bad,
whose performance interested me in some way.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
New York Jets 48, Buffalo 28</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
CJ Spiller, RB, Buffalo: Well, can’t say I saw this one
coming. I was anti-spiller from the second he was drafted. I thought he was too
small, too fragile and wholly undeserving of a high 1<sup>st</sup> round
pick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And for most of his first 2
years, I thought I was being proven right, especially since if a RB is going to
be good he’s usually pretty good right away. Well, apparently I missed the last
3 games of 2011 where he accrued 405 total yards, 4 touchdowns, and averaged
6.39 yards per carry. Then he goes off for 169 yards on Sunday on only 14
carries, while incumbent starter Fred Jackson is out at least 3 weeks. This
wouldn’t be my first time eating crow, but it would definitely be one of my
least expected meals.</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
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<br /></div>
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Chicago 41, Indianapolis 21</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brandon Marshall, WR, Chicago: To anyone who thought that
the importance of Marshall’s reunion with Jay Cutler was overblown, I submit
week 1 as evidence to the contrary. Marshall didn’t just have 9 catches for 119
yards and a touchdown, he was targeted 15 times with an insane 12 of those
coming in the first half alone, before the game got really out of hand. To be
perfectly honest, while watching it felt like even more than that. From what I
saw Sunday, I think Brandon Marshall is in for a monster year and will lead the
NFL in receptions.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Philadelphia 17, Cleveland 16</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brandon Weeden, QB, Cleveland: Yes, Vick was disturbingly
bad and should probably be investigated for point-shaving (I mean, would YOU
put point-shaving past someone who ran inter-state dog-fighting ring), Brandon
Weeden threw up one of the worst Quarterbacking performances I’ve ever seen. 12
of 35 for 118 yards, 0 TD’s & 4 INT, giving him a QB rating of 5.1. If
you’re not familiar, the max QB rating is 158.3. 5.1 really isn’t very good.
One of my favorite stats from this travesty: Brandon Weeden’s adjusted Yards
per attempt, was –1.8. So essentially, everytime Weeden threw the ball he
essentially moved Cleveland backwards 2 yards. My other favorite stat: Weeden
is 29 years old, so its probably not going to get any better from here.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Detroit 27, St. Louis 23</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Matt Stafford, QB, Detroit: Stafford is not nearly as bad as
he looked in this game, and the Lions will be fine. His 32-of-48 for 355 yards
is actually better than his average statline from 2011. The Interceptions were
the main issue, and there is no reason to believe Stafford will continue to
throw picks on 6% of his passes, a number almost triple his rate from last year
and even worse than his rookie rate. The Lions have a lot of potential issues,
but Stafford, provided he’s healthy, will not be one of them.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Houston 30, Miami 10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ryan Tannehill, QB, Miami: Ryan Tannehill will not be a good
college Quarterback. EVER. Tannehill was my pick for likeliest bust from this
past draft, mainly because I saw a lot of him in college, and he wasn’t even
that good then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brandon Weeden was a
better college QB than Tannehill, both by the eye-test and the numbers.
Tannehill is a horrendous decision maker and not terribly accurate, two traits
that should of raised red flags, but I guess the fact that he can look good in
shorts and a tanktop and without defenders trumps the fact that in actual games
he rarely rose above mediocre. How are professional GM’s consistently this
dumb?</div>
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<br /></div>
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Atlanta 40, Kansas City 24</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta: My little brother has been a fan
since his first game as a freshman at Alabama. My little brother knew from the
beginning he was going to be a monster in the pros.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My little brother is a smart man.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Minnesota 26, Jacksonville 23</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota: Peterson didn’t look quite
100%, but that doesn’t matter. He shouldn’t have even been 1%. You don’t come
back from a completely blown up knee in 8 months, I am alternately excited and terrified
for AP. Excited for the incredible recovery, and terrified because it just
feels like the odds of the knee going boom again are uncomfortably high. Good
luck AP.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Washington 40, New Orleans 32</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Robert Griffin III, QB, Washington:<a href="http://talkinreckless.blogspot.com/2011/11/good-luck-is-not-enough.html" target="_blank"> I’m not saying, I’m just saying</a>.</div>
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<br /></div>
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New England 34, Tennessee 13</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wes Welker, WR, New England: I’ve felt like Welker has been
the most overrated player in football for pretty much his entire career, and
its bugged me to see him run just 1 route and have a top 5 QB of all-time
throwing him the ball and see him mentioned as a great wideout. So seeing New
England extend both Gronk and Hernandez while ignoring Wes, and then reduce him
to splitting time with Julian Edelman brought me great joy. I am not above
schadenfreude.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Tampa Bay 16, Carolina 10</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Deangelo Williams, RB, Carolina: Unbelieveable. Every
fantasy football player has been waiting for years for one of Carolina’s
two-head RB tandem to go down with an injury, leaving a bounty of carries for
just one back. Well, it finally happened and Deangelo Williams throws up a line
of 6 carries for –1 yard. What. The. Hell.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Arizona 20, Seattle 16</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Patrick Peterson, DB, Arizona: Patrick Peterson is Deion
Sanders with the ability to make tackles. I don’t anything else to add, just
felt like you guys should probably know that if you didn’t already.</div>
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<br /></div>
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San Francisco 30, Green Bay 22</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Michael Crabtree, WR, San Francisco: Crabtree is going to be
the biggest benefactor of the additions of Randy Moss and Mario Manningham.
With legit deep threats on the outside, Crabtree will be free to roam
underneath and in the middle of the field, where his bear-trap hands and
strength will be of the most value. His 7 receptions for 76 yards strike me as
what will be a perfectly normal day at the office for him. I’m thinking he tops
90 catches and 1000 yards this year, even in the Niners run heavy offense.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Denver 31, Pittsburgh 19</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh: Dear Mr. Roethlisberger,
you need to stop this whole spreading the ball around thing immediately. 4
receivers with 4 catches each? Not gonna fly. On behalf of my fantasy team,
stop screwing around and throw the ball to Mike Wallace. Constantly. Thank you.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Baltimore 44, Cincinnati 13</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore: All the talk during the
off-season from every member of the Ravens was that this was finally Joe
Flacco’s team and he would lead the team. Nobody really bought it. Turns out
Baltimore was serious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Flacco
finally takes the next step into the elite level of QB’s, Baltimore will be the
best team in the AFC, period. Too bad this might be the last year the defense
plays at an elite level, but better late than never, right?</div>
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San Diego 22, Oakland 14</div>
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Darren McFadden, RB, Oakland: For the love of god Oakland,
can you get this guy some help please? I’m skeptical of his ability to actually
stay on the field for 16 games, but if he does it, the mantle of best RB in
football is his, end of story. Too bad the whole staying healthy thing is
tougher than it looks.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>You can follow Andy on twitter @AMOhoop34.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389588.post-2856285434713625402012-09-09T09:00:00.000-07:002012-09-09T09:00:02.340-07:00Hail to the Villain: Reggie Miller, Hall of Famer<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://cache.deadspin.com/assets/images/11/2009/02/1998_0510knicks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cache.deadspin.com/assets/images/11/2009/02/1998_0510knicks.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I want you to look at the picture at the top of this
post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t focus on the guy taking the
shot. Focus on the fans in the background. Look at their faces. The ball is
still in the shooters hands, and everyone in the crowd is horrified. Some are
even pre-emptively pulling their hair out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They have no idea whether the shot will be made or not, yet they clearly
do. They’ve seen this movie before and it does not contain a happy ending for
the home-team. This one player has tortured this fan base for so long that the
mere sight of him with the ball in his hands is enough to reduce grown men to a
<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/reggie-miller-hall-famer-163030755--nba.html" target="_blank">group of terrified children</a>. The game is not over, yet they know they’ve
already lost.</div>
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And you’re going to try and tell me that Reggie Miller isn’t
a Hall of Famer? </div>
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</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
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Reggie Miller is probably responsible for more memorable NBA
moments from 90’s than any player not named Michael Jordan, but its more than
just the fact that Reggie continuously won games with some of the most
miraculous performances imaginable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s that he won those games in the most obnoxious, villainous way
possible. It wasn’t enough to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDSF8otJH8Y" target="_blank">score 25 4<sup>th</sup> quarter points </a>to
comeback and win a playoff game against the New York Knicks in New York, he had
to do so while trash-talking Knick super-fan Spike Lee the entire quarter and
giving him the “choking” gesture toward the end of the game. It wasn’t that he
somehow <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgJ_MZWg3iw" target="_blank">scored 8 points in 8.9 seconds</a> to erase a 6-point deficit, its that he
knocked Greg Anthony to the floor in the process and acted like he barely
touched him, only to later admit that, yeah, he knocked him over. It wasn’t
that he <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5drIn3aLco" target="_blank">hit a 3 with .4 seconds left</a> to beat the Bulls in the Easter Conference
Finals, its that he blatantly shoved Michael Jordan out of the way to get open
enough to get the shot off. On the court, Reggie Miller was a capital A-
Asshole, which only amplified the rage when said asshole then ripped the heart
of your team in the most ridiculous way possible.</div>
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I always loved Reggie. When it comes to sports, I’ve always
been a bit of a contrarian. Everyone loves Michael Jordan? Well, then I’m going
to root for the guys going against him. Reggie Miller has the entire city of
New York ready to murder him in cold-blood? That sounds like my type of player.
But beyond all that, I’ve always admired players that embraced the bad guy
role. Sometimes, emotions get heated on a basketball court, and you’re not
terribly fond of the guys or fans you’re playing against. The fake platitudes
and cliché compliments to the other team always feel disingenuous to me, and
love to hear players come out and admit, “You know what, yeah, I really don’t
like these guys and their fans suck too.” The honesty is refreshing and
entertaining.</div>
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I’m not sure when, or even if, we’ll get another Reggie
Miller. There isn’t a player in the league right now that is as feared in the
clutch as Reggie was. There are clutch players, to be sure, but nobody with
Reggie’s reputation for being damn near automatic anywhere within 30 feet of
the basket. And even if there was a player with Reggie-level clutchness, the
villain is almost extinct from basketball today. With AAU basketball and the
mass team switching in free agency, coupled with every player going to absurd
lengths to not say or do anything to alienate potential fans and harm their
brand, the current culture isn’t conducive to breeding a player with such a
desire to play the heel. And despite his many enemies, he was universally respected and admired around the league, leading to maybe <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Cq8OS7lexQ&feature=player_embedded" target="_blank">the coolest end of a career in history.</a><br />
<br />
Being the bad guy isn't such a bad way to go after all. <br />
<br /></div>
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<i>You can follow Andy on twitter <a href="http://www.twitter.com/amohoop34" target="_blank">@AMOhoop34</a></i></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span>Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389588.post-47088479681013703502012-09-06T09:00:00.000-07:002012-09-06T09:00:05.236-07:009.6.12 Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow:<h2 style="text-align: center;">
</h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Opening Credits: Jay-Z ft. Memphis Bleek - Hand it Down (Intro) </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>(Music starts at 1:16)</b></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/yhRMqfFymQY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Yesterday</b></h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The NFL season officially got underway last night and the game itself may have been the least interesting thing for me. While my hatred of the Cowboys and mere dislike for the New York Giants probably ensured there was no way for me to get too into opening night, the level of my indifference still surprised me. Perhaps some is still some "head trauma hangover" from the events of the offseason, perhaps its just that I would have been left rooting for the lesser of two evils. Regardless, this is the least excited I've been for an NFL season that I can remember. We'll see whether the 49ers-Packers match-up on Sunday gets me in gear.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
What's been interesting me for the past few days is this whole referee lockout and exactly what type of clusterfuckery we're going to be in store for while the league tries to squeeze a couple more dollars out of their 9 billion dollar cash cow. Andrew Brandt has a <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/62342/league-refs-union-go-down-to-the-wire" target="_blank">good primer</a> for those who are unfamiliar with this issue, but the gist is this: over a difference of less than 1% of the leagues yearly revenue, the league is locking out its regular officials and employing scab referees whose experience ranges from getting <a href="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/07/pereira-says-nfl-is-embellishing-the-credentials-of-replacement-officials/" target="_blank">fired from the Lingerie Football League</a> to refereeing <a href="http://deadspin.com/5940347/this-replacement-ref-is-used-to-working-six+man-football" target="_blank">6-man youth football</a>. If you want to read some horror stories of whats gone on so far in the pre-season with the scabs, Deadspin.com has this whole thing well covered, especially these posts by <a href="http://deadspin.com/5940785/the-nfl-does-not-care-if-games-are-unwatchable" target="_blank">Tommy Craggs</a>, and Minnesota Vikings Punter <a href="http://deadspin.com/5940689/an-nfls-player-view-of-the-replacement-refs-theyre-as-bad-as-you-think" target="_blank">Chris Kluwe</a>. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This is just the NFL being the bully again and it disgusts me. The pre-season proved that the regular refs are whatever they're asking for compared to the clowns they have filling in for them, but the league wont budge. Now some teams are going to get screwed by these scabs in a real game, that counts towards the postseason, and its going to get ugly. Think the replacement refs looked over matched officiating pre-season games the players didn't even care about? Just wait till the games get going in earnest. I'm hoping for as much evidence of egregious incompetence as possible, so the league will stop screwing around, give the real refs a fair deal and the world can get back to real football.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Today</h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
In April, if you gave me 10 guesses to figure out what team would challenge the Yankees for AL East supremacy this year, the Orioles wouldn't have made the list. Mid-season realignment would have seemed more likely than the Orioles contending, but its September and here we are, the Orioles only 1 game behind and welcoming the Bronk Bombers into Camden Yards for 3 games in early September. Considering that statistically the Orioles aren't good at ANYTHING (seriously, they're 13th in MLB in slugging percentage, and thats their BEST ranking in any of the 8 major team statistics), its hard to think that they'll keep this up, but I'd love to see them do it. The Yankees losing is always fun, and watching a completely out of nowhere team like the Baltimore Orioles be the one to do it is even better. Birdland, my support is with you.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Tomorrow</h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The A's just got swept by the suddenly relevant again Angels, while the Giants have lost 2 out of three to the less than intimidating Arizona Diamondbacks. Both squads are going through some issues with their pitching staffs, and the A's bats have gone silent on top of that, only scoring 5 runs in the 3 games against Anaheim. Both teams need to get well this weekend, but for different reasons. The A's have 3 against the Mariners, and with their closing schedule being so brutal, they need to stop the bleeding now or this scuffle could turn into a full on tailspin before you know it. The Giants, on the other hand are playing the dodgers and enter with a 4.5 game division lead. Sweep the Dodgers and the race is over, and even 2 out of 3 pushes it to 5.5 with 21 to play which is a pretty steep hill to climb. 2 out of 3 the other way though and the Dodgers are feeling pretty good, especially with 3 head to head with SF to finish out the season, and a sweep all of a sudden puts LA right up in that rear view mirror with the Giants leaking major oil. Obviously every game is important, but this weekend for both bay area teams could signify the start of a run to the playoffs, or a tailspin into disaster. I'd prefer the former myself.</div>
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<b>The Closing Credits: Talib Kweli - Fly Away</b></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/xr-53DM-UFQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<b> </b></div>
Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389588.post-56688581352424108392012-05-18T13:25:00.001-07:002012-05-18T13:30:56.756-07:00Dallas, Indiana, & San Antonio: Putting the Team Back in Super-Team<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjVa8h73t0OMYoWZxsTAtBw1YwXTUOo6v3u5xbuNFLPvifSNd0RZu_ME5ij3HYFYVVHAdZtG65gjJ-F6l3YDfijD4AthyphenhyphenvwKIQwrCXoPxMuuVHDoCf_EJP6t4CJWctAKhfW2msA/s400/Roy_Hibbert_eats_basketball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjVa8h73t0OMYoWZxsTAtBw1YwXTUOo6v3u5xbuNFLPvifSNd0RZu_ME5ij3HYFYVVHAdZtG65gjJ-F6l3YDfijD4AthyphenhyphenvwKIQwrCXoPxMuuVHDoCf_EJP6t4CJWctAKhfW2msA/s320/Roy_Hibbert_eats_basketball.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://thesportsblahblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/tim-duncan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://thesportsblahblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/tim-duncan.jpg" width="260" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">These are the guys currently beating up on Lebron James and Blake Griffin. Seriously.</span></div>
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It was supposed to be a foregone conclusion. When Lebron
James took his talents to south beach in July of 2010, it was supposed to usher
in the era of the super team. According to the script, James teaming up with
Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami was supposed to start an arms race among a
handful of NBA teams to put together the best 3-man team possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Knicks were frantically doing whatever
they could to bring in Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul to team up with Amare
Stoudemire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Lakers were trying to
see if they could upgrade Kobe Bryant’s sidekicks from Pau Gasol & Andrew
Bynum to Dwight Howard & Chris Paul. The Bulls were rumored to be after
every star player known to man to pair with Derek Rose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The New Jersey Nets were furiously trying to
come as close to a big 3 as they could for their move to Brooklyn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The big market teams were supposed to get
richer and the rest of the league was supposed to serve as a sort of minor league,
developing the next generation of stars for the big markets to pluck in free
agency or when the player inevitably demanded a trade to a “contender”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Competitive Balance” was to be thrown out
the window.</div>
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Now, ask fans of these super teams how things are working
out for them?</div>
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Dallas’ title run last year was supposed to be an anomaly, a
blip on the radar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, it took a
completely unexpected meltdown from a supremely talented Lakers team and
Lebron’s baffling reluctance to do anything in the Finals for this one-man band
to come out on top. The assumption was that the Lakers would reload and be
better than ever, that Pat Riley would have an off-season to bring in some help
for Lebron and Wade, that the Knicks would do everything possible to bring
Chris Paul to New York, and that one of these awe-inspiring collection of
superstars would usher in the era of the manufactured super-team.</div>
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Well, what Dallas started last year, San Antonio and Indiana
are continuing in this years playoffs, proving themselves as legitimate title
contenders while being built the old-fashioned way.</div>
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The Indiana Pacers are by far the surprise of the
playoffs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They don’t have a single
player that the casual basketball fan would know, and the biggest name on their
team, Tyler Hansbrough, is only known for his college career and didn’t start a
single game this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As might be
expected of a team with no discernible star power, the Pacers play a deliberate
pace predicated on team basketball concepts, getting contributions from the
entire rotation. Everyone in the starting 5 averages double-digits, and while
Danny Granger leads the team at 18.7 PPG, the rest of the starters average
between 10.4 and 12.8 PPG. Going further, the Pacers have 3 players off the
bench averaging at least 9 points per contest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That balance has carried over into the playoffs as well. With Danny
Granger being held in check against Miami, a different Pacer has led the team
in scoring in each game of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Pacers balance allows them to attack
teams from all different angles and with all different styles depending on the
matchup. Especially with Chris Bosh out, the Heat need Lebron and Dwyane Wade
playing their best or they don’t have a chance. What the Pacers lack for in star
power, they make up in flexibility, and right now they are twisting the Heat
into pretzels.</div>
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Some people may want to consider the Spurs a super-team
because of the name recognition of their big 3, but in reality their probably
isn’t a squad playing a better brand of team oriented basketball than San
Antonio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Spurs have a ridiculous 10
players averaging 8 points a game. Tony Parker is the only player who even
cracks 30 minutes a game. 9 players play 20 minutes a night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their 3<sup>rd</sup> & 4<sup>th</sup>
leading scorers started 14 games combined this year. One play in last nights
drubbing of the Clippers typified how the San Antonio Spurs offense
operates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Screen, one dribble, pass,
pass, pass, pump fake, one dribble, pass to corner, open 3, money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was beautiful to watch and really showed
how little the Spurs’ “stars” have to do get open shots for them and their
teammates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you didn’t know the names
of the players on the Spurs’ and watched last nights game, you really wouldn’t
think anyone on that team was a “star” they just play excellent team ball.</div>
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In the rush to put together these Avenger-like superstar
filled teams, teams may have underestimated the difficulty in bringing in
quality role players to gel with the main trio. With no depth, these teams are
totally reliant on their three stars to carry the day, and if a single player
is hurt or not playing well, the margin of error becomes razor thin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only that, with so little depth these
teams don’t have the luxury of adjusting styles depending on matchups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The stars forge the team’s identity in a
certain image, and that’s the way they have to play, come hell or high water.</div>
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The most important side effect of this development is the
possibilities this opens up in the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Instead of it looking like the only way to compete was to try to build
your own big 3, Indiana and San Antonio are showing that there may be another
counter to that style.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you can build
a team that is amorphous and amoeba-like in its ability to change and shift
styles at will, being a never-ending match up problem is a viable enough
identity to make it to the Promised Land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Instead of the small-market teams essentially being told they have no
chance, they now have a blueprint to follow and just maybe have their moment in
the sun.</div>
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<br /></div>Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389588.post-54858846667824379232012-05-03T14:19:00.002-07:002012-05-03T14:23:43.633-07:00Junior Seau and the Head Trauma Tipping Point<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/articles/sports/sports_nut/2012/05/120502_SN_JuniorSeauEX.jpg.CROP.rectangle3-large.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/articles/sports/sports_nut/2012/05/120502_SN_JuniorSeauEX.jpg.CROP.rectangle3-large.jpg" /></a></div>
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On April 19 of this year, former Atlanta Falcons safety Ray
Easterling <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2133869/Ray-Easterling-dead-NFL-star-kills-lifetime-depression-brought-concussion.html" target="_blank">committed suicide by gunshot</a>. Easterling had suffered from dementia
for years and had a host of physical problems. He was vocal about the danger of
concussions and was one of the main plaintiff’s of one of the many current
lawsuits pending against the NFL for covering up knowledge of the potential
damage of repeated head trauma.
Easterling was 62 years old.</div>
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*****</div>
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There had been no details released except for the bare,
tragic, minimum:</div>
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<a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7882750/former-nfl-linebacker-great-junior-seau-dies-43" target="_blank">Former San Diego Charger’s Linebacker Junior Seau had committed suicide</a>.</div>
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Two things happened as soon as that information got out:
first, a massive outpouring of grief and remembrances for a man that was universally
thought of as one of the “good guys” of the sport. A man with his own
charities, a man closely tied with his community, a great player who by all
accounts was a great man off of it. If anyone had an ill word to say about
Seau, nobody heard it.</div>
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Then people everywhere started connecting this tragedy to
the NFL and its current head trauma crisis, myself included.</div>
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Now, at this point, there is no evidence whatsoever that
Seau suffered from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_traumatic_encephalopathy" target="_blank">Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy</a> (CTE). There had been no
public reports of him suffering from dementia or any other neurological
condition. All that was known was a 43 year-old man had committed suicide.
However, simply because his profession was “former professional football
player” masses of people immediately leapt to the conclusion that this was
another concussion related tragedy. Now, whenever a former NFL player dies, the
most likely cause of death in the court of public opinion is trauma from
repeated head injuries. If the NFL doesn’t get a handle on this issue and finds
ways to keep the athletes safe, fans will start to walk away, unable to
rationalize enjoying the violent spectacle of a football game, knowing all too
well what lies in store for so many of these men in the not too distant future.</div>
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And, sooner rather than later, I will be one of them.</div>
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*****</div>
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On February 17, 2011, Dave Duerson, former safety for the
Chicago Bears,<a href="http://www.suntimes.com/sports/3890736-417/ex-bear-dave-duerson-found-dead.html" target="_blank"> fatally shot himself in the chest in his home in Florida</a>. He shot himself in the chest because he
wanted his brain to be studied by the University of Boston, the leading
researchers into CTE. In May of 2011,
it was confirmed that Duerson’s brain had suffered from CTE. He was 50 years
old.</div>
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*****</div>
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Football was my first love.
At 3 years old, my Christmas present from Santa Claus, that I asked for
in detail, was a set of action figures consisting of at least a dozen players
from the Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers, the participants in Super
Bowl XXIII. I asked for every player specifically by number, and every 49er
player I asked for I knew by name. I was trotted out as a show pony by my
parents to show off my ability to rattle off every offensive starter for the
1989 San Francisco 49ers, including the offensive lineman (Just for kicks, I
tried to see if I still could do the o-line off memory. Nailed Bubba Parris,
Guy McIntyre, Jesse Sapolu, and Harris Barton. RG Bruce Collie slipped my
mind.) Since I could speak in full sentences, I’ve been a 49er die-hard.</div>
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I never played football, cutting a deal with my parents that
I would wait until high school to play, only to suffer a brain injury in 8<sup>th</sup>
grade, which precluded me from playing.
Missing out on playing football has always been a melancholy what-if for
me. Now, I’m not so sure it wasn’t all for the best. </div>
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*****</div>
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9d/Andre_Waters_Eagles_1993.jpg/220px-Andre_Waters_Eagles_1993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9d/Andre_Waters_Eagles_1993.jpg/220px-Andre_Waters_Eagles_1993.jpg" /></a></div>
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Andre Waters was a safety for the Philadelphia Eagles from
1984-1993. Waters died of a <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2669517" target="_blank">self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head</a> on
November 20, 2006. His brain tissue was sent to the University of Pittsburgh to
be studied for potential CTE diagnosis by Dr. Bennett Omalu. Dr. Omalu found that Waters’ brain tissue
had deteriorated to that of an 85-year old man with early stage Alzheimer’s.
Waters was 44-years old when he died.</div>
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While my football career never got off the ground, my
younger brother had a fairly successful interscholastic career. He was the starting Left Tackle on Varsity,
and only gave up one sack in his senior season. He was undersized, but was
quick and had good technique, and was tough as nails, wrapping a mangled right
hand in a knee pad and about 2 rolls of athletic tape, turning it into a
“flipper” as he called it.</div>
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Even though he never touched the ball, I loved watching my
brother play, just like I’ve loved watching every sport he’s ever played. Seeing him come flying around on a trap and
blowing up a d-lineman and creating a gaping whole was way more fun than it
should have been. Multiple coaches told me that if he had the desire to, he
could play Center at lower division college because of his solid technique and
great brain for the game. My brother never had that level of love for football,
but I always wished I would have had the chance to see my baby bro play college
ball.</div>
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Now? I’m just glad he made it out with (hopefully) limited
wear and tear, playing only 1 season of Varsity, praying that there will be no
lingering effects down the road.</div>
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*****</div>
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“Iron” Mike Webster was the Center for all four of the
Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl championship teams. He was inducted to the Pro-Football Hall of Fame. Many consider
him the greatest Center in the League’s history. After retiring from football, Webster suffered from amnesia,
dementia, depression, and acute bone and muscle pain. Webster was proven to be
legally disabled before he retired from the NFL. He lived out of his pick up truck or train stations for the last
few years of his life. <a href="http://espn.go.com/classic/obit/s/2002/0924/1435977.html" target="_blank">He died in 2002 at the age of 50</a> and after his death was
the first person to be diagnosed with CTE.</div>
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I’ve had a bit of an un-easy relationship with football for
about two-and-a-half years now. In
October of 2009, I picked up GQ magazine to read while on my lunch break and
help pass the time. In it was an article titled <a href="http://www.gq.com/sports/profiles/200909/nfl-players-brain-dementia-study-memory-concussions" target="_blank">“Game Brain”</a> about concussions
in football. To this day its one of the
best pieces of investigative journalism I’ve ever read, and simultaneously one
of the most horrifying and emotionally draining things I’ve read in my life. If
you are even a casual football fan, you have to read it, if nothing else to
have a firm grasp on the severity of the issue.</div>
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After reading that article I felt incredibly
conflicted. I loved football, but how
could I enjoy a sport knowing what happens to so many players once they retire?
I felt dirty and thought about giving up the sport I ever loved. Over time, the feelings of that article
faded. The NFL reversed its previous
stance and started making progress in at least attempting to keep players
safe. My fears were assuaged, and I
resumed my place as insane 49er fan. But that nagging, uncomfortable feeling
never went away for me.</div>
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*****</div>
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<a href="http://cdn.jockpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Chris-Henry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://cdn.jockpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Chris-Henry.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Chris Henry was a Wide Receiver with the Cincinnati Bengals
from 2005-2009. Henry only played in 55 games in 5 professional seasons. He had
119 career receptions. On December 16,
2009, <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4750615" target="_blank">Henry passed away after falling out of the back of a moving pick-up truck</a>
following a domestic dispute with his fiancé.
Henry died of blunt force trauma to the head. In June of 2010, the Brain
Injury Research Institute of West Virginia announced that Henry had developed a
case of CTE. He was 26- years old.</div>
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I can say with a reasonable amount of certainty that if the
NFL season started tomorrow, I would have absolutely no interest in following
it. While the Junior Seau case may very well have nothing to do with any of the
other tragedies, it still brings up the question of “what-if” and brings the
thoughts and emotions connected with the other cases of CTE back to the
forefront. I feel a certain level of disgust with myself for my fandom, and
that is a feeling I absolutely do not like.</div>
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Speaking realistically, I doubt that this is the incident
that puts me off of football for good. The season is still over four months
away, and like after the GQ article in 2009, the passing time will cause all
these emotions to fade into the background, and I will go back to anxiously
awaiting the start of the season and a hopeful deep playoff run for my 49ers. </div>
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But there’s no telling if the next death will be the one
that does it. Whether it’s a somewhat
obscure player or one of my childhood heroes, I could see another tragedy of
this magnitude being the straw that breaks the camels back. At some point in the relatively near future,
the consequences will be too much, and I’ll have to give up football and focus
my time on other pursuits.</div>
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The question the NFL should be nervously asking, is how many fans might be turning away with me? </div>Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389588.post-49089290492343100652012-04-14T09:00:00.000-07:002012-04-14T09:00:00.611-07:00Matt Cain And The Beauty Of The Home Grown Star<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
When I heard Matt Cain signed a 6-year extension worth
$112.5 million a few weeks ago, I didn’t blink. The total could have been
$212.5 million and I wouldn’t have been perfectly happy with it. Cain might not
be worth $112.5 million at the end of his deal when you look at the pure
numbers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s a Verlander/Halladay
level contract, and by every statistical measure, Cain isn’t on that level. But
to me personally, Cain was going to be worth whatever it took to keep him in
San Francisco.
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He’s worth it to me, because every cent I’ve spent on the
Giants since 2005 can be traced back to watching him as a rookie and thinking
“This guy is going to be something special”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
***</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I grew up raised as a Giants & A’s fan in equal parts,
my father a die-hard A’s fan born and raised in Alameda, and my mother a Giants
fan through-and-through growing up in San Francisco. Throughout my adolescent
years I owned exactly two baseball jerseys: a Miguel Tejada A’s Jersey and a
Jason Schmidt Giants jersey. I was crushed when the god-forsaken rally monkey
defeated the Giants in 2002, and was similarly exasperated with the
close-but-no-cigar finishes of the Moneyball A’s. There was never any
favoritism toward one side or the other growing up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wins and losses by each team affected me equally.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2005 was a fairly grizzly year in my baseball fandom. The
A’s were still competitive, but finished a distant 2<sup>nd</sup> in their
division and 7 games out of the playoffs. Add to the fact that 2 of my favorite
players from the moneyball A’s, Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder, had been jettisoned
the previous offseason and I wasn’t terribly excited about Athletics baseball.
Meanwhile, across the bay, the house of cards built around Barry Bonds and his
magical flaxseed oil completely collapsed in 2005.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bonds only played 14 games in 2005 because of various injuries,
and the team predictably flailed for the entirety of the season, finishing
75-87, 16 games worse than the year before. My interest in baseball that summer
was waning.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then, at some point early in that summer, I started hearing
about a young pitcher for the Giants that was making noise in the minors. They
said he was a big strong kid with an upper 90’s fastball, and he was only 20
years old. He was being hailed as a future star, and I was intrigued. He then
came up in August that year and looked like he would hold up his end of the
bargain, pitching like a stud in 7 starts. Fans really started to get their
hopes up that he might be legit. I was one of them.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
***</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2006 didn’t start off well for the prodigal son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He started off 1-5 through 7 seven starts
with an ERA north of 7, and was sent to the bullpen to get his mind cleared.
From May 10-20<sup>th</sup> he didn’t make a single start and only one bullpen
appearance in between. Then on May 21<sup>st</sup>, he was inserted back into
the starting rotation for a game against the Oakland Athletics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just so happened to be attending that game
with my father for his birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cain’s
first pitch of the game registered 97 on the radar gun, and prompted my dad to
ask in a slightly bewildered tone “Holy crap, who the hell is this guy?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the game went on, my father and everyone
else in attendance got a healthy introduction to Matt Cain, the pitching phenom,
as he hurled a complete game one-hitter. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From that point on, I was absolutely hooked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cain immediately became one of my favorite
big leaguers, and by proxy the Giants fortunes started to take on greater
importance to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted the team do
well, but mostly because I wanted Cain to do well. To this day I still root for
the A’s to do well and get frustrated by their troubles and enjoy when they
win, but those results didn’t just affect me the same way the Giants’ did.</div>
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***</div>
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<br /></div>
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As the years have passed since Cain’s ascension to the top
of the Giants pitching staff, defending him to the masses has been a favorite
pastime of Giants fans, myself included.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It seemed that despite his durability and consistency and elite ERA and
WHIP, many people not well versed in Giants baseball wanted to discredit his
achievements. Many old-school baseball writers looked at his unimpressive
Won-Loss record and deduced that Cain wasn’t a “winner” therefore his stats
were meaningless, not realizing that the Giants offense was particularly brutal
in his starts for many years, eventually giving berth to the saying “getting
Cained” whenever a Giants pitcher had a superb outing but was not rewarded with
any offensive support whatsoever. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Conversely, the advanced stat geeks wouldn’t accept Cain’s
work either. While they agree that W-L is a horrible way to judge a pitcher,
sabermetricians looked at Cain’s numbers and saw a flyball pitcher who
surprisingly gives up very few homeruns and thought he was just supremely
lucky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What they didn’t realize was
Cain’s biggest weapon is his fastball command, and the entire Giants staff
specializes in never giving into hitters and forcing them to hit their pitch,
no matter the count.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s why the
whole giants staff walks a few more batters than the league average, but also
generates much weaker contact on the whole. By rarely giving batters easy
pitches, even in hitters counts, Cain’s reduced his homerun total while
remaining a fly ball pitcher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t
luck, it was skill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People just needed
to see it in action instead of just looking at the numbers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
***</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cain’s complete game one-hitter yesterday was, for all
intents and purposes, the best start of his career. He was dominant from the
get go, with 11K’s and no walks, the only hit an opposite field slap-single by
the pitcher Jason McDonald.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cain was
special yesterday, and there is no way anyone could’ve seen the game or the
boxscore and think anything else, and because its Cain it means even more. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cain has a special place in every Giant’s fan heart at this
point. Sure, the giants are now flush with homegrown talent all over the place,
but Cain was the first of this group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Before Cain, it had been years since the Giants developed a true star,
so every fan’s hopes were riding on him to be the one that turned things around
from the dark days of the late-bonds/post-bonds era.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We saw the 20 year-old rookie who wasn’t old enough to drink a
celebratory beer after his first career win. We saw the maturing Ace who was
learning to make his prodigious gifts work together and reach his full
potential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We saw the silent assassin
who refused to lose in the 2010 postseason, not allowing a single earned run
the entire playoffs on his way to a World Series ring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We saw the country kid from Germantown,
Tennessee sign the richest contract ever given to a right-handed pitcher, and
not have a single giants fan say one bad thing about the deal.</div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">And yesterday we saw Cain, the longest tenured Giant,
have the best start of his career, on the home opener, in front of 43,000+ fans
who were ready to donate him organs if need be. And we were able to smile
comfortably, knowing that Cain is guaranteed to be in a Giants uniform for the
next 6 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got to see the young
guy grow up, and now we get to see him grow old, all in the same orange and
black. That’s worth any price tag.</span>Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389588.post-52040718046855401792012-04-01T09:00:00.000-07:002012-04-01T09:00:01.090-07:00The Talkin' Reckless 2012 MLB Season Preview Part Two: NL West<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-lTqho_LaTc3QoWyM37GL7Bl_vQgS7_465IgkM3WdRtFCHfrVEio1PP5rcVktCGW0uisZQ49Yr9cnzxV3sjm7W61FN6dGeO9KplzEzSKj7S_hmgUis4aY29OJc6Ub4s9xIZu/s1600/NLWEST.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-lTqho_LaTc3QoWyM37GL7Bl_vQgS7_465IgkM3WdRtFCHfrVEio1PP5rcVktCGW0uisZQ49Yr9cnzxV3sjm7W61FN6dGeO9KplzEzSKj7S_hmgUis4aY29OJc6Ub4s9xIZu/s1600/NLWEST.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>To celebrate the start of the baseball season, I'm rolling out a
massive, multi-part preview that will contain so many predictions and
proclamations I will either be hailed as a genius or a moron by the end
of the season (the smart money is on moron). How many parts, i don't
quite know yet, but I will cover every division in the league and
predict all of the major awards. You can read Part 1 <a href="http://talkinreckless.blogspot.com/2012/03/talkin-reckless-2012-mlb-season-preview.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Enjoy!</i><br />
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Since 2006, the NL West has probably been the most
competitive, balanced division in all of baseball. In the past 6 seasons, 4 of
the 5 NL West teams have won at least one division crown, and the only team
that hasn’t, the Colorado Rockies, have won the Wild Card twice in the same
span. Two teams have played in the World Series, and 4 of the 5 teams (Col, SF,
ARI, LAD) have played in the NLCS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
San Francisco Giants went from 4<sup>th</sup> in 2008 to 1<sup>st</sup> in
2010. Arizona went from last in 2010, to Division champ in 2011.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the last 6 seasons, Colorado, San
Francisco, Arizona, and San Diego have each averaged between 79 & 81 wins a
year. Four teams separated by an average of 2 games a season. Year in and year
out, the NL West gives MLB surprising storylines and compelling pennant
races.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also makes a fool out of
anyone trying to predict exactly what is going to happen in this upside down
division.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lucky for you, the potential
to look stupid has never stopped me before, so here’s how 2012 will shake out
in the NL West:</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
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NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST PROJECTED FINISH</div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Arizona
Diamondbacks</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">San
Francisco Giants</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Los
Angeles Dodgers</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Colorado
Rockies</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">San
Diego Padres</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If that order looks familiar, that’s because it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s the exact order of finish as the 2011
season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All that talk about
unpredictability and constant changes, and I go with a carbon copy of last
season? Does that mean the NL West is going to settle into a groove for the
next few years? The answer: absolutely not. Consider this year the calm before
the storm. Arizona and San Francisco are the only teams that have the look of
potential contenders in 2012, but the rest of the division will be joining the
arms race in a serious way in the years to come.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
San Diego is in for a rough year. They were an offensively
challenged squad last year, and there isn’t much of a reason to believe the
lineup will be any more intimidating this time around. It’s largely the same
group that finished 2<sup>nd</sup> to last in runs scored last year, and the
few changes aren’t exactly of the high-profile variety. Factor in that they
traded away last year’s opening day starter Mat Latos and are replacing him
with Cincinnati Reds castoff Edinson Volquez who is coming off a disastrous
season, to put it nicely, and it looks like a safe bet that San Diego will find
themselves in the cellar again for 2012. However, the future is bright for San
Diego. They plucked two quality prospects away from the Texas Rangers when they
sent reliever Mike Adams away last year, and snaked two former 1<sup>st</sup>
round picks from the Cincinnati Reds in the Latos deal, Yonder Alonso and
Yasmani Grandal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>San Diego’s farm
system is being hailed as currently the best in baseball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They will be very bad this year, and they
may not have the money of the rest of their division mates, but they are
putting themselves in a very good position to emulate the winning-on-the-cheap
methods of Tampa Bay Rays and be a legit contender for the NL West crown.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Colorado is a bit of a weirder situation. They’ve been the
media darlings the past 2 pre-seasons, but have completely collapsed both
times. Its easy to see why the media has fallen in love with Colorado the last
few years, the main reason being that they have arguably 2 of the 4 best
position players in the division in the heart of their order. The rest of the
offense keeps up their end as well, finishing 2<sup>nd</sup> in the NL last
year in runs scored with 735 runs scored, or about 730 more than the Giants
scored in 2011 (at least that’s how it felt).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The problem for the Rockies was their starting rotation was
a catastrophe of the highest order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jhoulys Chacin was the only starter to make more than 27 starts and
acquitted himself well, sporting a 3.62 ERA. Unfortunately, no other Rockies
starter was within a half run of Chacin’s ERA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It seems almost impossible, but Esmil Rodgers and Aaron Cook made a
combind 30 starts while sporting a 7.05 and 6.03 ERA, respectively.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Combine the Rockies offense with the Giants
pitching and you have far and away the best team in baseball. Of course, if you
combined the Giants hitting with the Rockies pitching, you’d have a team that
would struggle to beat the Richmond Flying Squirrels (yes that’s a real
team).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the recent announcement
that Jamie Moyer, a man who reminisces often about his days pitching against
Jackie Robinson and Babe Ruth, being slotted as their #2 starter, its safe to
say that pitching will once again be an issue for the Rockies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They do have some talent in the minors, and
with that offense they just need a couple of non AARP eligible arms to show up
in the next year or two, and they’ll be right back as media favorite.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Los Angeles is in a weird situation, but the reason behind
its hope for the future is very simple: the team just sold for $2 billion, and the
owners are going to throw money at every high-profile agent they can to make
the team competitive again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As much as
it pains me to say it, the dodgers already have, arguably, the best pitcher and
position player in the division in Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp (Oh god I
think I’m going to be sick). The rest of the roster is pretty barren and
uninspiring right now, but with new owners who are desperate to start writing
checks, they can start to fill in those blank spots this coming off-season.
Fortunately, that does nothing to help the Dodgers this year, and at least
gives all Giants fans a few more months before Dodger fans become even more
punch-in-the-face-able.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Speaking of the Giants, they find themselves in an
interesting position as well. The pitching is already at World Championship
level, with the best pitching staff in all of baseball, and yes I know that
includes the $126 million BP pitcher at the back end of the rotation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s how good this pitching staff is, from
starters to bullpen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The offense, while
historically bad last year, will see a bit of a rebound in 2012. Buster Posey
is back and healthy, and even if he wasn’t it is impossible for him to hit as
bad as the Chris Stewart/Eli Whiteside combo did in his place last year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pablo Sandoval should play more than 120
games in 2012, after missing 30+ games with a broken hand last year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aubrey Huff can’t possibly be as bad he was
last year, and if he is, the Giants have a young gun in waiting in Brandon
Belt. Simple progression should make Brandon Crawford’s sophomore effort more
productive than last years, and I think he’ll stretch beyond “not a total
embarrassment” which is all many Giants fans are hoping for, and end up in the
realm of “perfectly average”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, this
will not be an elite offense by any stretch, and probably not even a good
offense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thing is, they don’t need
to be good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With their pitching, if the
offense can simply approach average, they will be a contender.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the Giants won the World Series in 2010
(GOD, that never stops being an awesome thing to be able to say), they ranked 9<sup>th</sup>
out of 16 NL teams in Runs scored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Rebound years by many of the veterans who struggled last year, coupled
with some of the new pieces like Melky Cabrera & Angel Pagan should get
this offense back toward league average.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And with a few intriguing minor league prospects in the pipeline like
Gary Brown, Hector Sanchez, & Joe Panik, the Giants will have the necessary
youth to stay competitive when veterans like Freddy Sanchez & Aubrey Huff
finally give out.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As much as I wanted to put the Giants here, I just couldn’t
put them over Arizona.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t
necessarily buy into Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson repeating their breakout
success from last year, but the addition of legit stud Trevor Cahill means that
even if they don’t, Arizona will be able to weather that storm anyway. Plus,
they have the guy who actually IS the best player in the division in Justin
Upton, and a capable supporting cast with guys like Miguel Montero and Gerardo
Parra capable of giving their pitchers plenty of breathing room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All that, and the fact that Arizona still
has a pretty solid minor league system, headlined by the #3 pick in last years
draft, Trevor Bauer, and I feel comfortable saying that Arizona is the team
that every other NL West squad will be chasing for the coming years.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That doesn’t mean they can’t be caught, though.</div>Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389588.post-55124059227821043932012-03-30T15:50:00.000-07:002012-04-01T02:18:24.631-07:00The Talkin’ Reckless 2012 MLB Season Preview Part One: AL West<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKp7x0fA8qLmz0sLF-V5IInIJ-P4UdaSH2LRj15hG6fNkWDh1T32VMI_kTG35ex72u65RuiXJjUmfMEEoL7PRlVPSQtssYTfPtSLLFWIpb2nhZ9-dWO-G7EgtTW2laNUqiQLz/s1600/ALWEST.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKp7x0fA8qLmz0sLF-V5IInIJ-P4UdaSH2LRj15hG6fNkWDh1T32VMI_kTG35ex72u65RuiXJjUmfMEEoL7PRlVPSQtssYTfPtSLLFWIpb2nhZ9-dWO-G7EgtTW2laNUqiQLz/s400/ALWEST.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>To celebrate the start of the baseball season, I'm rolling out a massive, multi-part preview that will contain so many predictions and proclamations I will either be hailed as a genius or a moron by the end of the season (the smart money is on moron). How many parts, i don't quite know yet, but I will cover every division in the league and predict all of the major awards. Enjoy!</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Growing up I very much enjoyed Baseball, but it was a clear
3<sup>rd</sup> on my sports priority list behind Basketball and Football. The non-stop action of basketball and pure
violence of football held a greater connection in my ADD-addled mind. As I’ve
gotten older and (hopefully) less of a space case, my love for baseball has
grown every year. I’ve learned to
appreciate the smaller, more detail oriented parts of the game, like a well
executed hit-and-run, or beautifully turned double-play. It’s gotten to the point that no regular
season sporting event in any sport will hold my attention better than a good
old-fashioned pitcher’s duel. Against
all odds, MLB’s opening day has become one of my favorite days on the sports
calendar, besting both the NFL’s and NBA’s opening days. And with opening day coming up on April 5<sup>th</sup>,
I figured now was the time to take a stab at predicting just how this season
will shake out, from the standings to the awards to who is eventually going to
win the whole thing. The boys of summer
are finally back.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST PROJECTED FINISH</div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Anaheim
Angels</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Texas
Rangers</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Seattle
Mariners</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Oakland
Athletics</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There may not be a bigger difference between the top and
bottom halves of a division in all of baseball. Anaheim and Texas are both legitimate contenders for the World
Series, and the Athletics and Mariners are both legitimate contenders to reach
100 losses. I don’t think Seattle and Oakland will sink quite that low, but
they’ll probably be all but eliminated from the division race by early June. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There’s just not a whole lot to get excited about in Oakland
this year. Their rotation has been completely gutted with an eye towards the
future, and the bullpen took a hit with Andrew Bailey departing. The lineup has almost completely turned over
from last year, but considering last year’s team wasn’t very adept at scoring
runs, that might not be as big a deal as it seems. This team has some potential talent in the rotation, as they seem
to do every year, and I am absolutely on the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej4AP-veuF8" target="_blank">Yoenis Cespedes bandwagon</a>, but
when Coco Crisp is your opening day 3-hitter and your opening day starter,
Brandon McCarthy, had a record of 9-9 the year before, you’re going to
struggle, period. God bless the brave souls who will continue to show up at
that Crypt to watch this team. It could get real ugly, real fast.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Seattle’s offense was historically awful last year, and
while the addition of Jesus Montero and the progression of Dustin Ackley and
Justin Smoak will keep them from being “record setting bad” they still will
struggle to score runs, and losing potential ace Michael Pineda will put more
pressure on this offense to make huge steps forward, and they just aren’t
ready. They’re trending in the right
direction, but they’re still going to be D.O.A. for at least this season and
most likely the next before they start seeing results.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This Texas team can either be awesome, or REALLY
awesome. The variables that will
determine where they end up will be Yu Darvish and Neftali Feliz. The rangers
have showed a remarkable ability to rebound from a crushing world Series Loss
in 2010, followed by losing the ace of their staff, to make it back to the
World Series in 2011. Unfortunately,
they suffered and even more crushing defeat this time around, in one of the
craziest, <a href="http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/8013/game-6-revisited-how-did-this-happen" target="_blank">most dramatic games in MLB history</a>, and then once again lost the Ace
of their staff, this time to a division rival.
While the offense remains one of the best in baseball, and they have
some pitchers with crazy upside, the inexperience in the rotation could be a
major red flag. The Rangers are banking
a whole lot on Japanese import Darvish and former closer Feliz to hit the
ground running, and I’m not sure how likely that is. The success rate for
Japanese import pitchers is a bit sketchy, and I’m not sure the closer to
starter transition is as easy to make as John Smoltz made it look. If Darvish
and Feliz both pitch to their potential the Rangers can take this division,
because their lineup remains as potent as ever, but those expecting that to
happen are being wildly optimistic.</div>
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Lots of people expected the Anaheim Angels to have a busy
off-season and throw some money around after missing the playoffs the last two
years and watching division rival Texas make back to back World Series
appearances. Expecting them to throw $317.5 million dollars at two players?
That was not expected. The Angels shook
up the division and whole American League with their off-season spending spree. The signing of Pujols will inject life in an
offense that finished 10<sup>th</sup> in the AL in Runs in 2011. With Kendrys
Morales coming back from injury as well, this team should find themselves in
the top 5 of runs scored in the American League. While he was $163 million cheaper, CJ Wilson might end up having
a similar impact to Pujols on the Angels fortunes. Not only does Wilson make the Angels rotation comically deep,
teaming up with Jared Weaver, Dan Haren, and Ervin Santana to make up a pretty
fearsome foursome, but also he severely weakens rival Texas’ rotation. Now the Angels will be doing battle with a
comparable offensive attack, and he clearly superior rotation, and with far
fewer question marks. Angel’s owner Arte Moreno desperately wanted to make the
Angels a legitimate World Series contender again this off-season. It wasn’t
cheap, but it sure looks like Arte pulled it off.</div>Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6389588.post-75366383607417372352012-03-19T11:36:00.000-07:002012-03-19T11:36:06.520-07:00Peyton Manning, Alex Smith, and the Suddenly Intriguing 49ers QB Situation<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://beyondthescore.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/colin-kaepernick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://beyondthescore.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/colin-kaepernick.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.inquisitr.com/wp-content/2012/03/peyton-manning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.inquisitr.com/wp-content/2012/03/peyton-manning.jpg" width="166" /></a><a href="http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_football_dolphins/files/2012/03/Alex-Smith1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_football_dolphins/files/2012/03/Alex-Smith1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Earlier this morning, it was reported by Chris Mortensen of
ESPN that <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7709195/barring-snag-peyton-manning-picks-denver-broncos-sources-say" target="_blank">Peyton Manning has chosen to sign with the Denver Broncos</a>, finally
bringing a conclusion to his seemingly never ending “The Bachelor” style
competition to find out which team will have the honor of paying him $18
million a year, or $1.125 million per game. That opening sentence smacks of
bitterness because, well, I am a bit bitter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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I’ve <a href="http://talkinreckless.blogspot.com/2011/11/alex-smith-is-redeemed-alex-smith-must.html" target="_blank">written here before</a> that I’m not the biggest Alex Smith
fan and that an upgrade at QB is necessary for this team to reach its dynastic
potential. Peyton Manning, bionic neck or not, is a clear upgrade from Alex
Smith. From a purely football perspective, the 49ers were easily the best fit
of any team for Manning. They had the best defense of any of the three
finalists (SF, Denver, Tennessee), the best receiving core after the additions
of Randy Moss and Mario Manningham, and the best running game to take pressure
off of him. While they couldn’t offer him the biggest contract, their offer
could’ve been at least competitive. For a player of Manning’s stature and
reputation, where winning is supposed to be the most important thing to him,
his decision to choose a clearly inferior team in Denver is disappointing, and
not just because of my allegiance to the Red & Gold. Manning bailing on a
team that is only a QB short of being scarily dominant for a few more dollars
or, if the rumors are to be believed, because he was afraid of playing against
his brother in the playoffs forces one to reevaluate if winning is truly his #1
priority.</div>
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Still, while I’m not pleased with Manning’s choice, I’m by
no means crestfallen over this turn of events. Up until Friday, there was no
knowledge that the 49ers had any interest in Manning whatsoever, so I’d already
accepted the fact that Manning would not be taking snaps in Candlestick Park
next year. From a 49er fan perspective, the most interesting part of this
Manning decision has nothing to do with Manning himself, but instead it’s the
inside look this episode gave the public into San Francisco’s thought process
when it comes to its QB situation.</div>
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All last year and into the off-season, everything that came
out of Jim Harbaugh’s mouth about Alex Smith was obscenely positive and
complimentary. Harbaugh repeatedly called Alex a Pro-Bowl caliber player and
that he is one of the elite QB’s in the league. This opinion seemed to be the
consensus throughout organization, as there was absolutely no indication of any
interest in any of the potential free agents or draft prospects at the QB
position. When San Francisco’s interest in Manning became public, as well as
the terms of the contract offer to Alex Smith, the perception of Smith being
“The Guy” was completely shattered.</div>
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What this Manning circus has brought to light is that Colin
Kaepernick is the organization's choice as QB of the future, not Alex Smith.
Manning was the perfect guy for them, since he’d in all likelihood be no more
than a 2-3 year experiment, after which, Kaepernick would have sufficient
seasoning to take over the reins. The contract offer extended to Alex Smith
supports this theory as well. The terms of the proposed deal were 3 years for
$24 million with only $10 million guaranteed. Part of the reason Alex dragged
his feet in signing this deal was because he was miffed that after all this
public support and talk that he was a Pro-Bowl caliber QB, that they offered
him a deal only $1.5 million a year more than what Matt Flynn just signed in
Seattle, a QB who has started a grand total of 2 games in 4 years. The answer
is that instead of a cornerstone, the 49ers view Alex Smith as a stop gap,
hence the deal only being for 3 years and containing only 10 million in
guaranteed money, making it very easy financially to part ways with Smith if
Kaepernick forced the issue a year or 2 early. It was very easy to see that
Harbaugh and Baalke were high on Colin on draft day, as they traded up in the 2<sup>nd</sup>
round to grab him, but with all the accolades heaped on Smith throughout the
season, that fact got shuffled into the background.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">In retrospect, it was inevitable that Alex Smith would
not be the organization’s long term choice to run the offense. Quarterback is a
position already held in high esteem amongst football fans, but in San
Francisco it is a position of royalty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>49ers fans were raised watching the best Quarterback in NFL history and
four Super Bowl victories then saw him pass the baton on to one of the five
best Quarterbacks ever and another Super Bowl victory. When fans think of the
49ers glory days, it always starts with the West Coast Offense and their
prolific passing offense. No matter how hard he worked, no matter how loyal he
is, Alex Smith will never live up to those standards. Whether he signs the current
contract offered to him or decides he’s had enough and <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7704821/alex-smith-san-francisco-49ers-meets-miami-dolphins-5-hours" target="_blank">signs with the MiamiDolphins</a>, his days in a 49er uniform are numbered. The 49ers are looking for the
next Montana or Young, and while the jury is out on whether that is Colin
Kaepernick, the results are in on Alex. Sometimes, no matter how much hard work
and dedication you put into it, the shoes are just too damn big to fill.</span>Andy Olveirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160486342145002687noreply@blogger.com1