Posted by Iroquois Plisken
And they say we can't count in the South because our book learnins are a bit slow.
Reports on conference realignment are now surfacing which state that Texas would prefer to remain as a member of a ten-team Big XII. It is, like most things, a financial decision: Texas could form its own network and pull down a cool $20-$25 mil in revenue from the TV alone. Chip Brown of Orangebloods.com has been absolutely fantastic in covering realignment, so if you need to catch yourself up, I will defer to him.
First things first: the Big XII commish Dan Beebe looks like a goon. He looks like a pasty and less fat Jared Fogle. Speaking of whom, I have no idea if that story in the Jared hyperlink is true, but I wouldn't be surprised. Apparently, for those who don't want to click what is essentially a celebrity gossip webpage, Mr. Fogle ran a pretty successful porno rental service while at IU. Go Hoosiers.
Second, no doubt easily picked up by our quick, clever, and attractive readers, the Big XII would have ten members and the Big Ten would have twelve members. Dopes.
Now, let's look at some real, honest-to-goodness analysis. Why, pray tell, is Texas all of a sudden willing to hold the XII together? Is it really just about the TV revenue? It very well could be. Before the XII, there was the Big 8 and the Southwestern Conference. Arkansas decided to take the SEC's offer to join. Yes, at one point, Arkansas held a decent seat of power in the college football world. Once Arky left, Texas was able to shore up its share and add more of the revenues by helping to hold the SWC together. Later on (3 years or so), Texas left the SWC, orchestrated a merger with the Big 8 and created the Big XII. If you're following present expansion closely enough, substitute Nebraska for Arkansas (Colorado is really irrelevant in the landscape of things here, except they have enabled the Pac 10 to make a run at Utah for a championship game) replace "leaving the SWC" with "threatening to leave the Big XII" and you have history repeating itself, complete with the attempt to keep the league together. Neat, huh?
Here's another thought which is not mutually exclusive with other scenarios, so it can be in play even if something else is. If Texas's plan is to join the Pac-10 all along, then trying to "hold the XII together" makes sense if A&M is truly set on joining the SEC. That way, Texas won't be the bad guy, y'see. They won't be the ones who break up the XII.
Or, nothing can happen. Like it actually did. Thanks, Internet, for going out and making my column dated before it posts!
Showing posts with label Iroquois. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iroquois. Show all posts
Monday, June 14, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
In Praise of the Chick-Fil-A Spicy Chicken Sandwich
Posted by Iroquois Plisken
Yesterday, the heralded Southern chicken franchise Chick-Fil-A unveiled their Spicy Chicken Sandwich. For those of you unfortunate enough to live outside of the range of these gods of the restaurant industry, first of all, fall to the floor and weep for your sake. Seriously. It's that good. However, you may also know them from the Peach Bowl or from the cow ads.
A brief overview: first, the chicken is soaked in what I believe to be a dill mixture, presumably to complement the pickles on the sandwich. Next, it's breaded and fried in a peanut oil, to 1) lower the cholesterol content and 2) make it taste like heaven. Finally, the sandwich is served on a buttery bun with two dill pickle chips. Then, you can sauce it however you want, with a traditional BBQ sauce, a Polynesian sauce, regular catsup, or you can go with the Chick-Fil-A sauce (renamed from the honey-roasted BBQ sauce, so that's the hint of what it tastes like there).
What makes this sandwich so special, you may ask? It's hard to put in words. Perhaps it is how the breading is light enough to where it doesn't interfere with the natural tastiness of the chicken. That's probably why the spicy sandwich works so well. Apparently, in this piece by the AJC, Chick-Fil-A has been working on this monstrosity for over five years. Clearly, this move has not been hastily considered, and with good reason. Customers (like myself) have been demanding this for many years and while a non-successful spicy sandwich would not be enough to stop me from going, it would be out-of-character for Chick-Fil-A to fail.
Anyhow, they've really been milking the publicity like it was some sort of debut from Apple. You could even reserve your sandwich online at www.getspicychicken.com. The closest I had ever come prior to making a reservation was telling my buddies to "save a sandwich for me" if everyone was going to get food. I did happen to get a reservation (seems like the blue hairs in my home town aren't too keen on eating at 1 PM) and here was how it went.
I walked in and I was shown to a table (in a typical fast food restaurant!) I sat down and was asked what I'd like to drink (a Coke Zero, please. Yes, I have no problem drinking beverages since banned in Venezuela). They then asked if I wanted the Spicy Regular sandwich or the Deluxe, with lettuce, tomato, and pepper jack cheese. Of course, I wanted fried. They bring out the meal, which consists of the sandwich, any sauce I wanted (I elected for Chick-Fil-A sauce), a side of cole slaw, and a sample of the peach milkshake. It gets consumed. They ask me how it was and I respond positively and ask for the bill. Turns out, if you made the reservation, it was FREE. That's right. F-R-E-E. Wouldn't even accept my gratuity.
The spice wasn't all too intense, but you know it was there. It would start out subtle and build ever so slowly. It shouldn't be enough to turn anyone away from it, unless you just can't handle heat in any fashion. My only complaint is that it's a bit salty. Clearly, Chick-Fil-A did all their homework in crafting a great recipe.
All in all, if you can get one, go and get it. You won't regret it. And yes, this is a slap to Slate because he can't acquire one. Take that.
Yesterday, the heralded Southern chicken franchise Chick-Fil-A unveiled their Spicy Chicken Sandwich. For those of you unfortunate enough to live outside of the range of these gods of the restaurant industry, first of all, fall to the floor and weep for your sake. Seriously. It's that good. However, you may also know them from the Peach Bowl or from the cow ads.
A brief overview: first, the chicken is soaked in what I believe to be a dill mixture, presumably to complement the pickles on the sandwich. Next, it's breaded and fried in a peanut oil, to 1) lower the cholesterol content and 2) make it taste like heaven. Finally, the sandwich is served on a buttery bun with two dill pickle chips. Then, you can sauce it however you want, with a traditional BBQ sauce, a Polynesian sauce, regular catsup, or you can go with the Chick-Fil-A sauce (renamed from the honey-roasted BBQ sauce, so that's the hint of what it tastes like there).
What makes this sandwich so special, you may ask? It's hard to put in words. Perhaps it is how the breading is light enough to where it doesn't interfere with the natural tastiness of the chicken. That's probably why the spicy sandwich works so well. Apparently, in this piece by the AJC, Chick-Fil-A has been working on this monstrosity for over five years. Clearly, this move has not been hastily considered, and with good reason. Customers (like myself) have been demanding this for many years and while a non-successful spicy sandwich would not be enough to stop me from going, it would be out-of-character for Chick-Fil-A to fail.
Anyhow, they've really been milking the publicity like it was some sort of debut from Apple. You could even reserve your sandwich online at www.getspicychicken.com. The closest I had ever come prior to making a reservation was telling my buddies to "save a sandwich for me" if everyone was going to get food. I did happen to get a reservation (seems like the blue hairs in my home town aren't too keen on eating at 1 PM) and here was how it went.
I walked in and I was shown to a table (in a typical fast food restaurant!) I sat down and was asked what I'd like to drink (a Coke Zero, please. Yes, I have no problem drinking beverages since banned in Venezuela). They then asked if I wanted the Spicy Regular sandwich or the Deluxe, with lettuce, tomato, and pepper jack cheese. Of course, I wanted fried. They bring out the meal, which consists of the sandwich, any sauce I wanted (I elected for Chick-Fil-A sauce), a side of cole slaw, and a sample of the peach milkshake. It gets consumed. They ask me how it was and I respond positively and ask for the bill. Turns out, if you made the reservation, it was FREE. That's right. F-R-E-E. Wouldn't even accept my gratuity.
The spice wasn't all too intense, but you know it was there. It would start out subtle and build ever so slowly. It shouldn't be enough to turn anyone away from it, unless you just can't handle heat in any fashion. My only complaint is that it's a bit salty. Clearly, Chick-Fil-A did all their homework in crafting a great recipe.
All in all, if you can get one, go and get it. You won't regret it. And yes, this is a slap to Slate because he can't acquire one. Take that.
Friday, June 4, 2010
John Wooden Dead at 99
Posted by Iroquois Plisken
John Wooden dead at age 99. The coaching world has lost Hercules. He was an inspiration to many, many coaches and players, and nobody meant more to basketball in a majority of the country (Adolph Rupp, Dean Smith, etc. excluded) than he did.
We here at PLS offer our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Wooden for making NCAA Basketball as prestigious as it is today. Make no mistake, when Florida defeated UCLA in the consecutive years of 2006-07, it was a big deal. Don't think the significance was lost on the players, either.
Requiescat in pace.
John Wooden dead at age 99. The coaching world has lost Hercules. He was an inspiration to many, many coaches and players, and nobody meant more to basketball in a majority of the country (Adolph Rupp, Dean Smith, etc. excluded) than he did.
We here at PLS offer our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Wooden for making NCAA Basketball as prestigious as it is today. Make no mistake, when Florida defeated UCLA in the consecutive years of 2006-07, it was a big deal. Don't think the significance was lost on the players, either.
Requiescat in pace.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Your NBA Finals Status Report - Presented by Stan Van Gundy's Used Auto Sales
This is an occasional series called the NBA Status Report, sponsored by our good friends at Stan Van Gundy's Used Auto Sales and Collarless Shirt Emporium. In case you're unfamiliar with Stan's work, here's a clip. Mr. Van Gundy, full time Magic coach and part time used car pitchman, will offer his opinions on things in the NBA by relating them to a used car on his lot. Take it away, Stan.
Before we really get rockin', guys, I gotta give a shout out to Jim Joyce. No, not the author, but make no mistake, Stan is a fan of the classics. A Portrait of the Stan Van Gundy as a Used Auto Salesman is included with every car that I move, along with a companion audiobook narrated by a former salesman of mine, Hedo Turkoglu. It makes a great Father's Day present.
Jim, as you may know, blew a call that cost a pitcher a perfect game. Stan's pushed out a couple of lemons off the lot in his day, so I symptathize. But I gotta be honest, I don't think it was a perfect game. The kid threw 88 pitches and only 67 of them were strikes! Stan's no math major, but that's not perfection. Did he beat the throw? Absolutely, he did. But you can't expect it to be called perfect. That's a rare thing for us. I'll consider it a perfect game when I see a box score that reads PC/ST 27/27. Now, that's perfection we can get behind! I vote we rename a perfect game in Major League Baseball the "Good-Enough-for-Most-Folks-But-Not-Stan Game."
Anyhow, back to things that I know like the back of my hand: used cars, blogging, and basketball. Tonight, the NBA Finals start, and while I would have liked to make a return trip, it just wasn't in the cards. Instead, I get to spend it with all of you, and that's okay. Let's jump into it.
The Boston Celtics are pretty much the epitome of every used car on my lot. They look great right out of the dealership (1st quarter), a couple rough patches in the middle where you gotta kick the tires, add water to the radiator just to make it through, or holding a couple loose parts together with duct tape (2nd-3rd quarters), and by the time they make it to the end of the trip, it is looking worse for the wear (4th quarter). HOWEVER, it still gets you there and you're still comin' back to Stan for your next automobile.
The Los Angeles Lakers are like that rare jewel in the SVG lot: fairly high mileage on a reliable make/model, but it was kept in such excellent shape that you're thinkin', "Well, it's a young 100,000 miles." Now, all of a sudden, you're driving down the road and BAM! Your rear view windows fall off. Still, you've got nothing but the open road ahead, so you're in cruise control for a while, but now you've encountered some traffic and it would be really nice to be able to look around without sticking your head out of the window like a jackass.
Make no mistake, folks, this Finals is not easy to predict. You've got mismatches everywhere. Rajon Rondo is a lightning quick PG, something the Lakers usually struggle to defend. Ron Artest is a much better defender than Trevor Ariza and he can be counted on to give someone (likely Pierce) a hard time. KG should be able to crush the soft-as-my-2004-camry-with-the-leatherette-seats Gasol, but could have a harder time against super-sub Lamar "Lots and Lots for Just 5 Bucks" Odom. And you probably thought Stan was going to comment on whichever Kardashian it is. Stan lives by a couple rules in life:
1. Always pay for your books in cash.
2. Leave the wives and children out of it.
3. Pound your conch as often as possible.
Also, I think I just made it pretty clear I don't know which one he married, so I'd rather avoid the egg on my face. It's hard to trim it out of the trademark 'stache.
Couple of key differences between 2008 and 2010:
1. The Auto Lot has gone national! People are comin' from all around to see the deals on the Tercels, Pintos, Camrys, and Geo Prisms from near and from far!
2. Ray Allen is playin' better than he did in 2008.
3. Andrew Bynum is doing more standing than he did in 2008. If you can't remember, he was unavailable because of knee problems. I think having him be able to play is huge.
4. Rajon Rondo is a legitimate scoring threat (but still has a tendency to wither away in the 4th).
5. Kobe is playing better now than he did same time two years again.
6. Everyone's two years older.
7. The Celtics' bench with respect to the guard position is much worse. This one, says Stan, is the biggest key to the series. No more James Posey to bug Kobe! Man, did he ever bother him. They was like exhaust problems and a Pontiac - inseparable! You think Tony Allen and his bum ankle can keep up with Kobe? Like the chances of the United States taking Hummer back from China: not a snowball's in hell!
Having just gotten out of a series with the Celtics, Stan's normally inclined to respect them a little more and generally is thinking of taking them in the series. Their old bones need a lot of rest and the spacious accommodations of the Finals (TUE/THUR/SUN) will play to their advantage.
But I just can't do it.
That's right, Stan is taking Los Angeles. La-La Land. Stan's packin' a grip and splittin' for the Coast! I sense there's a better aura around LA this time around. Kobe's playing at a higher level and he seems confident in his teammates. The Celtics' bench isn't as good as it was in 2008. And, more importantly, I think both teams know what to expect. In 2008, the Lake Show was taken aback by the defensive intensity of the Celts. You can bet your fancy cars that it ain't happening this time! No, seriously, bet your cars. COME ON! Stan needs to have some good cars to put roadside! The wacky, waving, inflatable arm flailing tube men aren't getting in done and neither is Vince Carter!
This seems to be (on paper) the most unpredictable Finals since the 2005 Snoozefest of Detroit/San Antonio. Be sure to tune in, and if you see that handsome devil Jeff Van Gundy, tell him he owes his brother $500 for that Chrysler Town and Country!
Remember, we here at Stan Van Gundy Used Auto Sales are here for you. Come on in, where we stack 'em deep and sell 'em cheap. Right now, you can get a preowned 1996 Subaru Legacy for only $400! Steering wheel extra. If you didn't buy from Stan Van Gundy, you paid too much, WAY TOO MUCH. I wanna make you a deal on an auto-mo-BILE!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
A Call for Order Re: Fouls
Posted by Iroquois Plisken
Enough. Please. For the love of all that is holy, stop.
Please make a "how-to" manual for reffing the NBA playoffs. This really only applies to the East Coast series. The West Coast games I've been watching were pretty solidly refereed, with the referees intervening only when needed, allowing the slashers to get to the basket and not calling such incredibly ticky-tack contact fouls. Those folks should be applauded, or at the very least, hat tipped.
I swear this is the last time I'm going to complain because I think we all know how bad they are. But, two things really stick out of late. First, the NBA upgraded Dwight Howard's elbow to Kevin Garnett's "head" to a Flagrant-1, giving him two of the requisite four points in the Flagrant Bank required for suspension. Second, barring overturning a T, the NBA will have Kendrick Perkins suspended for one game for accruing 6 technical fouls.
Try as I might, it seems nobody has a video of this foul that was allegedly so bad. That's probably because nothing happened. Scene: after a missed bucket by someone on the Celts (it might have been Big Ballerina)...
AND THAT'S ANOTHER THING. PLEASE QUIT WITH THE "GLEN DAVIS IS SOOOO AGILE FOR A BIG MAN" TALK. LOOK, THE DUDE THROWS AROUND HIS FAT AND WRECKS EVERYTHING HE COMES ACROSS. LAST TIME I CHECKED, AGILE MEANT DEXTEROUS AND ABLE TO AVOID THINGS. IF YOU HAVE EVER WATCHED THIS MAN PLAY, YOU WILL CONCLUDE THAT IT IS NIGH IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM NOT TO HIT ANYTHING.
Anyhow, after a missed bucket at the 6:29 mark of the 3rd quarter, Dwight gets a board with his M elbows (you know, from the Y-M-C-A hand motions). KG, who was behind Dwight at the time, starts running down the court as Dwight simultaneously turns to pass the ball upcourt. Dwight turns and brushes KG unintentionally and gets called for a foul after KG realizes he was touched and acts like he got hit in the head with a hammer.
First, there's no way this could have been flagrant because KG was behind Dwight at the time. Unless Dwight has eyes in the back of his head, he didn't see KG coming. Second, as bullish as Dwight is, he wasn't about to get a flagrant on KG for something as trivial as he did. If Dwight Howard wants to foul you flagrantly, he will. (Aside: that should have been a Flagrant 2. Having watched Dwight as long as he's been in the NBA, he very clearly meant to foul hard there. That goes beyond the Bill Laimbeer style of play. He meant to do some harm.) Third, all this was is a favor to the Celtic players for endlessly whining when they get called for the exact same shit they do to everyone else.
That being said...
There's no way Perkins should have gotten the second technical last night. He didn't even look like he mouthed off or said anything to Eddie Rush. Whatever he said to Joey Crawford (recognize a common trend in these bad ref stories?) must have really hurt his feelings, but not enough to challenge him to a fight. As much as I rag on Perk, he got a really raw deal last night on that second one.
However, I do take exception to what Doc Rivers said about Perk not being at fault because of the preponderance of the technicals being double technicals. As they'll tell you quite often in my field, correlation does not necessarily equal causation, but at some point, you've got to call a trend a trend. The Celts have a lot of uncoordinated, bullish big men (Perk, Davis, Scalabrine, who is inactive, Shelden Williams), so we can expect a lot of technicals and double technicals because that's what their job is: go out, let everyone else score, and you do the dirty work of rebounding and mixing it up. It's not like Perkins and Davis are going to remind anybody of Channing Frye and Dirk Nowitzki. They're simply not the same type of player and nowhere near the same kind of fluidity. Shit happens, Doc.
Having said that, I expect the NBA to grant Perk some clemency and wipe out the 2nd of 2 technicals. The NBA is a bit reluctant to wipe out the technicals where the player mouths off to the ref (to protect their employees), but there was no basis for that second one. Given that Big Bumblebee is probably out after trying to take his first steps last night. (Also not a flagrant/technical foul. At some point, you will lower your arms on the way down. It's not like it was a top rope elbow drop.)
This is the last column I (hopefully) will write about the refs. No more than is deserved, I swear.
Enough. Please. For the love of all that is holy, stop.
Please make a "how-to" manual for reffing the NBA playoffs. This really only applies to the East Coast series. The West Coast games I've been watching were pretty solidly refereed, with the referees intervening only when needed, allowing the slashers to get to the basket and not calling such incredibly ticky-tack contact fouls. Those folks should be applauded, or at the very least, hat tipped.
I swear this is the last time I'm going to complain because I think we all know how bad they are. But, two things really stick out of late. First, the NBA upgraded Dwight Howard's elbow to Kevin Garnett's "head" to a Flagrant-1, giving him two of the requisite four points in the Flagrant Bank required for suspension. Second, barring overturning a T, the NBA will have Kendrick Perkins suspended for one game for accruing 6 technical fouls.
Try as I might, it seems nobody has a video of this foul that was allegedly so bad. That's probably because nothing happened. Scene: after a missed bucket by someone on the Celts (it might have been Big Ballerina)...
AND THAT'S ANOTHER THING. PLEASE QUIT WITH THE "GLEN DAVIS IS SOOOO AGILE FOR A BIG MAN" TALK. LOOK, THE DUDE THROWS AROUND HIS FAT AND WRECKS EVERYTHING HE COMES ACROSS. LAST TIME I CHECKED, AGILE MEANT DEXTEROUS AND ABLE TO AVOID THINGS. IF YOU HAVE EVER WATCHED THIS MAN PLAY, YOU WILL CONCLUDE THAT IT IS NIGH IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM NOT TO HIT ANYTHING.
Anyhow, after a missed bucket at the 6:29 mark of the 3rd quarter, Dwight gets a board with his M elbows (you know, from the Y-M-C-A hand motions). KG, who was behind Dwight at the time, starts running down the court as Dwight simultaneously turns to pass the ball upcourt. Dwight turns and brushes KG unintentionally and gets called for a foul after KG realizes he was touched and acts like he got hit in the head with a hammer.
First, there's no way this could have been flagrant because KG was behind Dwight at the time. Unless Dwight has eyes in the back of his head, he didn't see KG coming. Second, as bullish as Dwight is, he wasn't about to get a flagrant on KG for something as trivial as he did. If Dwight Howard wants to foul you flagrantly, he will. (Aside: that should have been a Flagrant 2. Having watched Dwight as long as he's been in the NBA, he very clearly meant to foul hard there. That goes beyond the Bill Laimbeer style of play. He meant to do some harm.) Third, all this was is a favor to the Celtic players for endlessly whining when they get called for the exact same shit they do to everyone else.
That being said...
There's no way Perkins should have gotten the second technical last night. He didn't even look like he mouthed off or said anything to Eddie Rush. Whatever he said to Joey Crawford (recognize a common trend in these bad ref stories?) must have really hurt his feelings, but not enough to challenge him to a fight. As much as I rag on Perk, he got a really raw deal last night on that second one.
However, I do take exception to what Doc Rivers said about Perk not being at fault because of the preponderance of the technicals being double technicals. As they'll tell you quite often in my field, correlation does not necessarily equal causation, but at some point, you've got to call a trend a trend. The Celts have a lot of uncoordinated, bullish big men (Perk, Davis, Scalabrine, who is inactive, Shelden Williams), so we can expect a lot of technicals and double technicals because that's what their job is: go out, let everyone else score, and you do the dirty work of rebounding and mixing it up. It's not like Perkins and Davis are going to remind anybody of Channing Frye and Dirk Nowitzki. They're simply not the same type of player and nowhere near the same kind of fluidity. Shit happens, Doc.
Having said that, I expect the NBA to grant Perk some clemency and wipe out the 2nd of 2 technicals. The NBA is a bit reluctant to wipe out the technicals where the player mouths off to the ref (to protect their employees), but there was no basis for that second one. Given that Big Bumblebee is probably out after trying to take his first steps last night. (Also not a flagrant/technical foul. At some point, you will lower your arms on the way down. It's not like it was a top rope elbow drop.)
This is the last column I (hopefully) will write about the refs. No more than is deserved, I swear.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Old(er), Unathletic Folks Throw Complete Game Shut Out, Blank Harvey Dent 9-0
Posted by Iroquois Plisken
[Note: nothing in this article should be considered to be legal advice of any sort. It is merely the recitation of an opinion held by the author about a current event.]
Okay, so I know a while ago we posted that there would not be any more politics on the site. Well, this isn't so much about partisan politics as it is about something that's happened this morning.
Today, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of American Needle, Inc. in their lawsuit against the NFL. If you're not familiar, here's a brief summary. American Needle makes hats with logos on them (they are licensed). The NFL gives Reebok exclusive rights in 2001 for making hats (among other things). American Needle sues under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act S 1 & 2, alleging that all 32 teams are acting in conspiracy to monopolize the licenses. American Needle loses. They appeal. They lose again. American Needle and the NFL both appeal to the SCOTUS, ANI seeking a reversal and the NFL seeking the coveted anti-trust exemption, possessed currently by only Major League Baseball (at least in the sports world). They bicker. Judges listen. They rule. And today, they publish.
Put legally, we have the question
Put more simplier, are NFL teams able to engage in anti-trust behavior (because 32 entities are acting in concert to restrict licensing) or are they a solitary, unified business that does not compete with each other (in terms of trying to get market share, revenues, etc), but with outside leagues?
Apparently, the former. The NFL had a reasonable position, at any rate. They argued that nothing was being done differently than what happens in the NFLPA's collective bargaining agreements (I think...). Also, just because there is evidence of acting in concert doesn't make something a monopoly. In fact, there is a heightened pleading standard when it comes to anti-trust cases like these. "When allegations of parallel conduct are set out in order to make a [section] 1 claim, they must be placed in a context that raises a suggestion of a preceding agreement, not merely parallel conduct that could just as well be independent action." Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 557 (2007). Bully on American Needle for finding enough to get the case to go through.
Quickly, let's look at the fallout:
1. This is not really a pyrrhic victory for AN, but the fight is not over yet. Since the case was reserved and remanded (back to the lower court), American Needle now has to prove that the exclusive agreement unreasonably restrains trade under the Rule of Reason advocated in Standard Oil Co. of NJ v. U.S., 221 U.S. 1. Surprising though it may be to most folks, monopoly power is not in and of itself illegal, so AN still has to show they'd be harmed and that the NFL's restriction is the cause.
2. Expect to see baseball a little more cooperative when the government comes calling. This case may be enough for the government, when and if it gets pissed, to pull the anti-trust exemption MLB currently enjoys. In fact, I would think this gets removed sooner rather than later, but the trick will be finding someone with proper standing to sue.
3. This is a huge defeat for the NCAA, I think, moreso than any other organization of sports not named MLB. The NCAA, as the administrative body of the 300+ member schools of collegiate athletics, would have stood to make a pantload if they could corral the revenues generated by some schools (e.g. UF, Texas). This would essentially have locked in every college to do exactly what the NCAA says if schools cannot make money off of their own licensed gear, since it would control all of the money in college sports. Ironic, though, that this is exactly the same argument used by those who would advocate paying collegiate athletes (e.g. allowing use of their names by default in NCAA xx). While I don't think "QB #15" will be going away anytime soon, it just strikes me as funny that the big time schools didn't speak up against ruling in favor of the NFL because of how much they had to lose and, in the process, lowering the NCAA's already low credibility.
4. I agree with Deadspin's analysis that the NFL doesn't lose, so much as it just fails to win.
5. I disagree, however, with Deadspin's last point about Madden 20xx and agree more with PointofLaw's analysis on point. He says it more succinctly than I could. To quote and reprint:
That's the nail in the coffin, I think.
So, why did American Needle win this case? I believe, at the heart of it, because the NFL is not centrally planned. Teams do compete within the organization against each other, for example, with free agents. The results of the games are not fixed (the NBA's are, though. BURN!). With respect to merchandising, I believe the SCOTUS was diligent in narrowly tailoring this ruling to merchandise. Though, I do also agree to an extent with this position, that some monopolistic, single-entity powers are ultimately better for the NFL (trickling down to the players also, especially with revenue distribution).
In the end, the impact of a decision for either party wouldn't have been as bad as projected, especially in light of the narrow tailoring of the decision (no pun intended). This won't be the end of sports as we know it, but don't confuse that point; a victory for the NFL would have been more impactful than the present ruling. Nor will the NFLPA et. al have vastly more power than they did before. The NFL could restructure itself to soften or completely mitigate this blow; an example might be declaring that an official Tampa Bay Bucs hat must have both the NFL shield and the TB logo.
Anyway, that's my take and sorry if not all of it makes sense. I am not a lawyer. Yet.
[Note 2: Again, nothing above constitutes legal advice or even sound reasoning.]
[Note: nothing in this article should be considered to be legal advice of any sort. It is merely the recitation of an opinion held by the author about a current event.]
Okay, so I know a while ago we posted that there would not be any more politics on the site. Well, this isn't so much about partisan politics as it is about something that's happened this morning.
Today, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of American Needle, Inc. in their lawsuit against the NFL. If you're not familiar, here's a brief summary. American Needle makes hats with logos on them (they are licensed). The NFL gives Reebok exclusive rights in 2001 for making hats (among other things). American Needle sues under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act S 1 & 2, alleging that all 32 teams are acting in conspiracy to monopolize the licenses. American Needle loses. They appeal. They lose again. American Needle and the NFL both appeal to the SCOTUS, ANI seeking a reversal and the NFL seeking the coveted anti-trust exemption, possessed currently by only Major League Baseball (at least in the sports world). They bicker. Judges listen. They rule. And today, they publish.
Put legally, we have the question
"...whether an arrangement is a contract, combination, or conspiracy is different from and antecedent to the question whether it unreasonably restrains trade." American Needle, Inc. v. National Football League, 560 U.S. ____ (2010).
Put more simplier, are NFL teams able to engage in anti-trust behavior (because 32 entities are acting in concert to restrict licensing) or are they a solitary, unified business that does not compete with each other (in terms of trying to get market share, revenues, etc), but with outside leagues?
Apparently, the former. The NFL had a reasonable position, at any rate. They argued that nothing was being done differently than what happens in the NFLPA's collective bargaining agreements (I think...). Also, just because there is evidence of acting in concert doesn't make something a monopoly. In fact, there is a heightened pleading standard when it comes to anti-trust cases like these. "When allegations of parallel conduct are set out in order to make a [section] 1 claim, they must be placed in a context that raises a suggestion of a preceding agreement, not merely parallel conduct that could just as well be independent action." Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 557 (2007). Bully on American Needle for finding enough to get the case to go through.
Quickly, let's look at the fallout:
1. This is not really a pyrrhic victory for AN, but the fight is not over yet. Since the case was reserved and remanded (back to the lower court), American Needle now has to prove that the exclusive agreement unreasonably restrains trade under the Rule of Reason advocated in Standard Oil Co. of NJ v. U.S., 221 U.S. 1. Surprising though it may be to most folks, monopoly power is not in and of itself illegal, so AN still has to show they'd be harmed and that the NFL's restriction is the cause.
2. Expect to see baseball a little more cooperative when the government comes calling. This case may be enough for the government, when and if it gets pissed, to pull the anti-trust exemption MLB currently enjoys. In fact, I would think this gets removed sooner rather than later, but the trick will be finding someone with proper standing to sue.
3. This is a huge defeat for the NCAA, I think, moreso than any other organization of sports not named MLB. The NCAA, as the administrative body of the 300+ member schools of collegiate athletics, would have stood to make a pantload if they could corral the revenues generated by some schools (e.g. UF, Texas). This would essentially have locked in every college to do exactly what the NCAA says if schools cannot make money off of their own licensed gear, since it would control all of the money in college sports. Ironic, though, that this is exactly the same argument used by those who would advocate paying collegiate athletes (e.g. allowing use of their names by default in NCAA xx). While I don't think "QB #15" will be going away anytime soon, it just strikes me as funny that the big time schools didn't speak up against ruling in favor of the NFL because of how much they had to lose and, in the process, lowering the NCAA's already low credibility.
4. I agree with Deadspin's analysis that the NFL doesn't lose, so much as it just fails to win.
5. I disagree, however, with Deadspin's last point about Madden 20xx and agree more with PointofLaw's analysis on point. He says it more succinctly than I could. To quote and reprint:
Update: Deadspin suggests (h/t W.C.) that the ruling will affect exclusive deals with videogame makers. Not so. For example, the Madden series reflects not just deals for the team trademarks, but for the NFL trademarks and the NFLPA rights, which are unaffected by the ruling. Sure, Jerry Jones could individually sell the rights to a Dallas Cowboys game that doesn't mention the NFL or the other 31 teams or any of the players' names, but who is going to buy those rights? And that's before one gets to the Rule-of-Reason analysis that a videogame is much more valuable with all 32 teams' trademarks than with just 31 of them.
That's the nail in the coffin, I think.
So, why did American Needle win this case? I believe, at the heart of it, because the NFL is not centrally planned. Teams do compete within the organization against each other, for example, with free agents. The results of the games are not fixed (the NBA's are, though. BURN!). With respect to merchandising, I believe the SCOTUS was diligent in narrowly tailoring this ruling to merchandise. Though, I do also agree to an extent with this position, that some monopolistic, single-entity powers are ultimately better for the NFL (trickling down to the players also, especially with revenue distribution).
In the end, the impact of a decision for either party wouldn't have been as bad as projected, especially in light of the narrow tailoring of the decision (no pun intended). This won't be the end of sports as we know it, but don't confuse that point; a victory for the NFL would have been more impactful than the present ruling. Nor will the NFLPA et. al have vastly more power than they did before. The NFL could restructure itself to soften or completely mitigate this blow; an example might be declaring that an official Tampa Bay Bucs hat must have both the NFL shield and the TB logo.
Anyway, that's my take and sorry if not all of it makes sense. I am not a lawyer. Yet.
[Note 2: Again, nothing above constitutes legal advice or even sound reasoning.]
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
A Running Account of the ECF, Game 2
Posted by Iroquois Plisken
Note: this account makes no semblance of impartiality. It isn't an issue most of the time, but I do have a stake in the outcome, so it isn't fair and balanced or anything, but I do try and give credit when it is due.
1st Quarter
11:17 – One thing that bugs me quite a bit is how bad the C’s flop and act. Paul Pierce got stabbed 10 times in the kidney or back or whatever it is. You so much as breathe on him now and he hits the deck like an Italian soccer player. Which is it, Paul?
11:01 – Putting Kendrick Perkins, Dwight Howard, and Shaq in a China shop, who can walk the furthest without breaking anything? I submit this to the commentariat.
10:50 – Nice to see Vince off to a good start. He is really coming up strong in his first conference finals, but as we've all suspected, he probably just doesn't have what it takes to lead a team by himself. [Note: Boy, will I regret those words later.]
10:34 – Great point by Jeff Van Gundy about not whining. It's been whoever plays the Magic and Dwight Howard getting in the biggest pissing contests this postseason. Whining leads to paternal calls by the referees. Shut up and play.
9:57 – Liking both team’s defensive efforts so far.
9:18 – Barnes’ defense is electric right now. SVG must have put him and/or Vince on up-front duty. They don't move that Tercel with the transmission problems and they're riding the pine, which will then be converted to sawdust to put in the engine. SVG - he is nothing if not crafty.
8:15 – Rajon Rondo = Starvin Marvin?
6:45 – Dwight is most effective when he just goes straight up. His offense and footwork is not good enough to consistently do this spinning nonsense. Let's just say he won't be performing Swan Lake anytime soon.
5:55 – Down goes Rondo with what appears to be a bad case of "Owwie, I hurted my head."
5:33 – Pierce usually gets that foul call where he throws himself into the defender. Surprised the refs held back.
3:41 – The Twin Towers (Dwight and Marcin Gortat, everyone's favorite parrot) lineup has the potential to cause problems. It did during the regular season.
2:47 – What an awesome commercial for Jim Beam. Sadly, I'm not fat or have a hairy back, so I'm not her type. Also, on the following commercial, SKINNY SHAQ HOLY HELL.
36.5 – CALL A FOUL ON BOSTON. I DARE YOU. PLEASE. HOW MANY TIMES MUST MATT BARNES GET HIT?
2nd quarter
12:00 - After perusing the box score, Boston actually had more foul calls than Orlando (7 to 6) in the first quarter. I guess even the best of us lose track when they aren't shooting fouls.
9:54 – Blocked by a white guy. Take that, Glen. By no means is that trashing Gortat at all; he is a legit starting C for someone, perhaps as soon as next year.
7:00 – Michael Finley sighting…is this 2005? I also love how he left San Antonio because he wasn't getting playing time to go to Boston, where he still doesn't get any playing time.
6:17 – Look, Dwight. This is what happens when you go up every time without auditioning for Dancing With the Stars. Straight. Up. In the offseason, watch tapes of Hakeem, not Ewing (sorry, Coach).
Commercial for Miller Lite – If some bartender talks to me like that, I’m decking her and not tipping. I didn’t ask for your god damn opinion on what beer I get. I’m paying for the pouring, not for the commentary. Probably more offensive is that this commercial leads us to believe that Miller Lite tastes good (it doesn't). This coming from a guy who has swilled down multiple American macrobrews in his day.
[Note: Something I didn't even pick up on until I found that page linking the commercials. From their comments:
5:54 – Good Lord, even JVG is talking about Hanley Ramirez. Literally no one immune from the VG boys criticisms, as the Chicago Bulls organization will attest.
5:18 – Gotta wonder if things are getting desperate to talk about Scalabrine.
4:45 – Awful, awful T. There is no reason to call that whatsoever. Joe DeRosa's crew is making this game unwatchable. [Note: What an understatement. Check back later.]
4:16 – Well, can’t say I didn’t see that coming. Someone was gonna get a flagrant on some side out of sheer frustration. Doesn't surprise me that it's Dwight. Doesn’t change the fact that for EITHER TEAM, that’s a boneheaded play right now.
3:44 – This is such a poorly reffed game. It’s unbelievable.
2:30 – I'm taking umbrage with the commentators right now. Don’t go thinking that Pierce is going off because of that flagrant. He’s been doing that all half. Or have you not been watching this game?
1:38 – The SVG face is back. You know the type.
Halftime Impressions – This game is getting out of hand with the fouls. The players are slightly to blame. They do commit the acts anyhow. The refs are nearly entirely to blame. There was a foul on every meaningful possession it seems. Vince’s T was indefensible. It figures that Dwight would get the boiling over foul. Once again, Orlando coming out slow and not responding. We'll see if they perk up.
Basketball is not basketball. Sorry, WNBA.
3rd Q
10:56 – Nice alley oop to get started.
10:43 – And Pierce goes down like he got stabbed again. What happened to the Paul Pierce that shrugged off the minor contact and still got the calls? I'd be happy to see him again.
10:19 – All ball. Again, we resume the bad reffing.
9:xx (lost track of time) – Vince doing too much with the fade away. Start attacking the basket again.
7:59 - Apparently, before halftime, Joe DeRosa (the head ref) threw a ball at a fan.
I can’t believe the fan got ejected for returning the ball. That pretty much seals how awful this game has been. First of all, the ref started it by throwing the ball at the guy. Second, what was the fan supposed to do? Keep the ball? He would have been in a good degree more trouble that way. The refs have to hear it from the front row fans all the time. What makes this chump any more special than, say, everyone else in the arena who was booing him?
Jeff Van Gundy blaming the fan boggles the mind. Sorry, Jeff, you're dead wrong here. Just because this guy was closer than most folks to be able to yell what he's thinking within earshot of the ref in no way excuses the referee - the arbiter of the game! - losing his cool. This guy should be suspended for the remainder of the playoffs, if not fired.
2:36 – Dwight Howard, in the offseason, needs to leave his phone at home, take only what he can carry, and go get a log cabin or something. Seriously. The Magic are a team that has a lot of negative energy all the time, mostly from the Head Coach. Dwight's tantrums are affecting everyone out there. Please, Dwight. Stop whining and play the game. After you clubbed Pierce, he got carried away, yelled a couple times, then went right back to business.
1:17 – Rashard is wilting like he did in the Finals last year. Good thing he's only signed to the mid-level exception. Wait, what?
4th Q
10:00 - Well, let’s see if they can make it a game. If Orlando cares, it will get close.
8:xx – This game is just ugly. Basketball is basketball, I guess?
7:44 – Was that really a moving screen? I have my doubts. There is no consistency to these calls at all.
6:57 – Is JJ the smartest player on the floor for Orlando now? [Note: Things I type that I will regret later upon posting, volume 2 - that.]
Commercial – how typical is this game for both squads? Orlando gets hit in the nose by the refs and they whine like children. Boston can’t help but make the game interesting in the 4th Q.
4:24 – Gotta run the O through Dwight now. Kick the ball into him and see what Boston does. Collapse and pass out. Space out and go strong. They're not making shots, so here's your chance.
3:35 – They took the lead. God bless ‘em.
2:20 – Redick shows some surprising athleticism and gets by KG only to have a bad charge called. First, it wasn't a charge at all; it was definitely a blocking foul. Second, JVG says there was a foul on KG with the reach-in; I'd agree, but I'd also not fault the refs for the no-call, as I have been railing against ticky-tack calls all game. C’est le jeu ("That is the game").
31.9 – Hats off to Pierce. Great game for him.
30.6 – Ouch. Big 2 misses by Vince. Nick Anderson part 2.
Conclusion – In between the referees blowing whistles, we had a basketball game tonight. I can’t say I’m surprised with the result. Orlando once again played up to snuff in Q4, but started off slow as usual. It seems Boston is doing just enough to win. Typical game for both sides, like I said earlier.
While I want to get really mad at Redick for messing up that timeout situation, he played extremely well for most of tonight. While I want to get mad at Vince for missing the two free throws, he played well for most of tonight. The guy I am going to criticize is Rashard Lewis, who again is disappearing on a big stage. Essentially, we have the same C's team as last year, except with a vastly improved Rajon Rondo. I know you put up some stinkers in the Finals, but you played pretty well last year against the C's in that series. Find that Rashard and make sure he shows up. Ryan Anderson not getting any burn is ridiculous. He had more of a pulse on the bench than Rashard did for a long time.
The series isn't over, but it's a pretty tall order. We'll find out what the Magic are made of pretty soon, whether they are a Tercel from SVG's lot or a full blown Maserati.
Note: this account makes no semblance of impartiality. It isn't an issue most of the time, but I do have a stake in the outcome, so it isn't fair and balanced or anything, but I do try and give credit when it is due.
1st Quarter
11:17 – One thing that bugs me quite a bit is how bad the C’s flop and act. Paul Pierce got stabbed 10 times in the kidney or back or whatever it is. You so much as breathe on him now and he hits the deck like an Italian soccer player. Which is it, Paul?
11:01 – Putting Kendrick Perkins, Dwight Howard, and Shaq in a China shop, who can walk the furthest without breaking anything? I submit this to the commentariat.
10:50 – Nice to see Vince off to a good start. He is really coming up strong in his first conference finals, but as we've all suspected, he probably just doesn't have what it takes to lead a team by himself. [Note: Boy, will I regret those words later.]
10:34 – Great point by Jeff Van Gundy about not whining. It's been whoever plays the Magic and Dwight Howard getting in the biggest pissing contests this postseason. Whining leads to paternal calls by the referees. Shut up and play.
9:57 – Liking both team’s defensive efforts so far.
9:18 – Barnes’ defense is electric right now. SVG must have put him and/or Vince on up-front duty. They don't move that Tercel with the transmission problems and they're riding the pine, which will then be converted to sawdust to put in the engine. SVG - he is nothing if not crafty.
8:15 – Rajon Rondo = Starvin Marvin?
6:45 – Dwight is most effective when he just goes straight up. His offense and footwork is not good enough to consistently do this spinning nonsense. Let's just say he won't be performing Swan Lake anytime soon.
5:55 – Down goes Rondo with what appears to be a bad case of "Owwie, I hurted my head."
5:33 – Pierce usually gets that foul call where he throws himself into the defender. Surprised the refs held back.
3:41 – The Twin Towers (Dwight and Marcin Gortat, everyone's favorite parrot) lineup has the potential to cause problems. It did during the regular season.
2:47 – What an awesome commercial for Jim Beam. Sadly, I'm not fat or have a hairy back, so I'm not her type. Also, on the following commercial, SKINNY SHAQ HOLY HELL.
36.5 – CALL A FOUL ON BOSTON. I DARE YOU. PLEASE. HOW MANY TIMES MUST MATT BARNES GET HIT?
2nd quarter
12:00 - After perusing the box score, Boston actually had more foul calls than Orlando (7 to 6) in the first quarter. I guess even the best of us lose track when they aren't shooting fouls.
9:54 – Blocked by a white guy. Take that, Glen. By no means is that trashing Gortat at all; he is a legit starting C for someone, perhaps as soon as next year.
7:00 – Michael Finley sighting…is this 2005? I also love how he left San Antonio because he wasn't getting playing time to go to Boston, where he still doesn't get any playing time.
6:17 – Look, Dwight. This is what happens when you go up every time without auditioning for Dancing With the Stars. Straight. Up. In the offseason, watch tapes of Hakeem, not Ewing (sorry, Coach).
Commercial for Miller Lite – If some bartender talks to me like that, I’m decking her and not tipping. I didn’t ask for your god damn opinion on what beer I get. I’m paying for the pouring, not for the commentary. Probably more offensive is that this commercial leads us to believe that Miller Lite tastes good (it doesn't). This coming from a guy who has swilled down multiple American macrobrews in his day.
[Note: Something I didn't even pick up on until I found that page linking the commercials. From their comments:
I am a woman, and when I watch these commercials, the guys come off as friendly and attractive to me, whereas I am kind of blown away by how mean the bartenders are. And mean about Miller Lite of all things! I wonder if these ads are effective for their target audience?And the reply:
Spot on. I don't think the black guy from the High Life commercials is doing it to be mean, but still, condescending is Miller Brewing Co's raison d'etre. Little Brother Syndrome, Miller?]Well, they act as a complement to the Miller High Life commercials, where the black truck driver (and I think that I could well be important that the character is portrayed by a black actor) gets out of his truck, goes into up-scale restaurants and bars, and takes back all the Miller, because they are selling it for too much money.
That these commercials (High life and Lite) both portray the Miller purveyors as mean-spirited seems to be speaking to a general theme in their marketing campaign.
5:54 – Good Lord, even JVG is talking about Hanley Ramirez. Literally no one immune from the VG boys criticisms, as the Chicago Bulls organization will attest.
5:18 – Gotta wonder if things are getting desperate to talk about Scalabrine.
4:45 – Awful, awful T. There is no reason to call that whatsoever. Joe DeRosa's crew is making this game unwatchable. [Note: What an understatement. Check back later.]
4:16 – Well, can’t say I didn’t see that coming. Someone was gonna get a flagrant on some side out of sheer frustration. Doesn't surprise me that it's Dwight. Doesn’t change the fact that for EITHER TEAM, that’s a boneheaded play right now.
3:44 – This is such a poorly reffed game. It’s unbelievable.
2:30 – I'm taking umbrage with the commentators right now. Don’t go thinking that Pierce is going off because of that flagrant. He’s been doing that all half. Or have you not been watching this game?
1:38 – The SVG face is back. You know the type.
Halftime Impressions – This game is getting out of hand with the fouls. The players are slightly to blame. They do commit the acts anyhow. The refs are nearly entirely to blame. There was a foul on every meaningful possession it seems. Vince’s T was indefensible. It figures that Dwight would get the boiling over foul. Once again, Orlando coming out slow and not responding. We'll see if they perk up.
Basketball is not basketball. Sorry, WNBA.
3rd Q
10:56 – Nice alley oop to get started.
10:43 – And Pierce goes down like he got stabbed again. What happened to the Paul Pierce that shrugged off the minor contact and still got the calls? I'd be happy to see him again.
10:19 – All ball. Again, we resume the bad reffing.
9:xx (lost track of time) – Vince doing too much with the fade away. Start attacking the basket again.
7:59 - Apparently, before halftime, Joe DeRosa (the head ref) threw a ball at a fan.
I can’t believe the fan got ejected for returning the ball. That pretty much seals how awful this game has been. First of all, the ref started it by throwing the ball at the guy. Second, what was the fan supposed to do? Keep the ball? He would have been in a good degree more trouble that way. The refs have to hear it from the front row fans all the time. What makes this chump any more special than, say, everyone else in the arena who was booing him?
Jeff Van Gundy blaming the fan boggles the mind. Sorry, Jeff, you're dead wrong here. Just because this guy was closer than most folks to be able to yell what he's thinking within earshot of the ref in no way excuses the referee - the arbiter of the game! - losing his cool. This guy should be suspended for the remainder of the playoffs, if not fired.
2:36 – Dwight Howard, in the offseason, needs to leave his phone at home, take only what he can carry, and go get a log cabin or something. Seriously. The Magic are a team that has a lot of negative energy all the time, mostly from the Head Coach. Dwight's tantrums are affecting everyone out there. Please, Dwight. Stop whining and play the game. After you clubbed Pierce, he got carried away, yelled a couple times, then went right back to business.
1:17 – Rashard is wilting like he did in the Finals last year. Good thing he's only signed to the mid-level exception. Wait, what?
4th Q
10:00 - Well, let’s see if they can make it a game. If Orlando cares, it will get close.
8:xx – This game is just ugly. Basketball is basketball, I guess?
7:44 – Was that really a moving screen? I have my doubts. There is no consistency to these calls at all.
6:57 – Is JJ the smartest player on the floor for Orlando now? [Note: Things I type that I will regret later upon posting, volume 2 - that.]
Commercial – how typical is this game for both squads? Orlando gets hit in the nose by the refs and they whine like children. Boston can’t help but make the game interesting in the 4th Q.
4:24 – Gotta run the O through Dwight now. Kick the ball into him and see what Boston does. Collapse and pass out. Space out and go strong. They're not making shots, so here's your chance.
3:35 – They took the lead. God bless ‘em.
2:20 – Redick shows some surprising athleticism and gets by KG only to have a bad charge called. First, it wasn't a charge at all; it was definitely a blocking foul. Second, JVG says there was a foul on KG with the reach-in; I'd agree, but I'd also not fault the refs for the no-call, as I have been railing against ticky-tack calls all game. C’est le jeu ("That is the game").
31.9 – Hats off to Pierce. Great game for him.
30.6 – Ouch. Big 2 misses by Vince. Nick Anderson part 2.
Conclusion – In between the referees blowing whistles, we had a basketball game tonight. I can’t say I’m surprised with the result. Orlando once again played up to snuff in Q4, but started off slow as usual. It seems Boston is doing just enough to win. Typical game for both sides, like I said earlier.
While I want to get really mad at Redick for messing up that timeout situation, he played extremely well for most of tonight. While I want to get mad at Vince for missing the two free throws, he played well for most of tonight. The guy I am going to criticize is Rashard Lewis, who again is disappearing on a big stage. Essentially, we have the same C's team as last year, except with a vastly improved Rajon Rondo. I know you put up some stinkers in the Finals, but you played pretty well last year against the C's in that series. Find that Rashard and make sure he shows up. Ryan Anderson not getting any burn is ridiculous. He had more of a pulse on the bench than Rashard did for a long time.
The series isn't over, but it's a pretty tall order. We'll find out what the Magic are made of pretty soon, whether they are a Tercel from SVG's lot or a full blown Maserati.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Who Nat? Tales of Struggling Clubs Doing Well This Year
Posted by Iroquois Plisken
Because I am a sucker for puns, I've made a new feature that will run whenever I think of a team that hasn't done well recently that is presently doing well this year (sorry, Pittsburgh. Probably not you.) The first up in our inaugural series is the namesake, the Washington Nationals.
Impressively enough, the Washington Nationals are sitting above .500 a little more than six weeks into the season. Adam Dunn is doing what he does best - be a three outcome batter. What I find fascinating, though, is where the Nationals offense ranks among the National League clubs. Would you believe that they are presently in the top 50% in average, OPS (and the two feeder categories, OBP and SLG), and in the top 3 of SB? We can probably attribute this to the surprisingly not-shitty play of Cristian Guzman, though to be fair that is mostly based off of his stinky performances in Minnesota. He's been serviceable for the Nats for the last two years.
Their middle of the order is pretty much the same as last year and are producing steadily. Ryan Zimmerman is putting up All-Star numbers (.330, 8 HR, 23 RBI through 37 games). Josh Willingham has been putting up comparable numbers (except average) and getting on base at a steady clip, almost at a Nick Johnson level (.413 OBP). Adam Dunn is, well, the posterchild of consistency. With about a 5% margin of error, his line will look something like 40 HR, 100 RBI, 110 BB, 100 R, and .245 BA. Every year. Some years (like last year), he bucks it up a bit in the batting average department, but you know what you're gonna get.
I think the real story is how the Nats have been winning without vastly improved starting pitching. Can you name the starting 5 for the Nats? I got three before I had to look up the other two. They are
John Lannan (L), Craig Stammen (R), Livan Hernandez (R), Scott Olsen (L), and Luis Atilano (R)
I think the staff of the 1989 Cleveland Indians had more names than this, and they were put together to be the worst team in the majors. You can probably point to Pudge Rodriguez's influence over this staff, as he always seems to coax a little more out of his pitching talent. Nobody on their is going to blow you away with their stuff...yet.
The 900 lb gorilla in the minors is, of course, Stephen Strasburg, destroyer of worlds, pillager of loot, and fast of pitcher. You've heard the hype. If he can come in and be about half as effective as he has been in the minors, the Nats suddenly become an interesting squadron. More interesting than they are now, at least. Add in potentially acquiring Roy Oswalt, as the hot rumor has it, or even Cliff Lee (should the Mariners fall out of it. Don't laugh.) and suddenly the punching bag is firing back with a right cross or two. They already have a strong (albeit overworked) bullpen with Capps and Clippard (7 wins!), and they just added Drew Storen (closer of the future) to get him some experience. A potential rotation of
Oswalt/Lee, Strasburg, Hernandez, Lannan, Olsen
and you might be onto something. Maybe not playoff contention yet, but certainly 70-80 wins.
To top it all off, you're holding the #1 pick with Bryce Harper waiting in the wings. The hype machine is certainly in force for the kid (with help from his official page). A quick YouTube search will bring up his monstrous home runs against clearly inferior competition. He is, no doubt, the most hyped catcher prospect since Joe Mauer (who, apparently, helps people get banned from Mexico). Signability can't be an issue if they got their way with Strasburg.
I'm not sure how long the Nats will remain in contention, but if their good fortune continues, we could see a return to 2005, where they eclipsed the 80 win mark. A little luck with their pitching prospects and potential trade partners and maybe they scuffle for the Wild Card for a couple weeks. I can't think of a Nats fan (I could stop the sentence right here) who would turn that down.
Is baseball back on the Beltway? You're definitely not rushing Storen and Strasburg up to the Majors to rebuild. You want to see what you got and strike while the bats are hot. If nothing else, tune in on or after Memorial Day to see the 100 MPH fastballs cranked out of the park or past some bats. Hopefully Strasburg doesn't aspire to be the next Kirk Hammett and injure himself cranking out some sweet 5 button solos.
Because I am a sucker for puns, I've made a new feature that will run whenever I think of a team that hasn't done well recently that is presently doing well this year (sorry, Pittsburgh. Probably not you.) The first up in our inaugural series is the namesake, the Washington Nationals.
Impressively enough, the Washington Nationals are sitting above .500 a little more than six weeks into the season. Adam Dunn is doing what he does best - be a three outcome batter. What I find fascinating, though, is where the Nationals offense ranks among the National League clubs. Would you believe that they are presently in the top 50% in average, OPS (and the two feeder categories, OBP and SLG), and in the top 3 of SB? We can probably attribute this to the surprisingly not-shitty play of Cristian Guzman, though to be fair that is mostly based off of his stinky performances in Minnesota. He's been serviceable for the Nats for the last two years.
Their middle of the order is pretty much the same as last year and are producing steadily. Ryan Zimmerman is putting up All-Star numbers (.330, 8 HR, 23 RBI through 37 games). Josh Willingham has been putting up comparable numbers (except average) and getting on base at a steady clip, almost at a Nick Johnson level (.413 OBP). Adam Dunn is, well, the posterchild of consistency. With about a 5% margin of error, his line will look something like 40 HR, 100 RBI, 110 BB, 100 R, and .245 BA. Every year. Some years (like last year), he bucks it up a bit in the batting average department, but you know what you're gonna get.
I think the real story is how the Nats have been winning without vastly improved starting pitching. Can you name the starting 5 for the Nats? I got three before I had to look up the other two. They are
John Lannan (L), Craig Stammen (R), Livan Hernandez (R), Scott Olsen (L), and Luis Atilano (R)
I think the staff of the 1989 Cleveland Indians had more names than this, and they were put together to be the worst team in the majors. You can probably point to Pudge Rodriguez's influence over this staff, as he always seems to coax a little more out of his pitching talent. Nobody on their is going to blow you away with their stuff...yet.
The 900 lb gorilla in the minors is, of course, Stephen Strasburg, destroyer of worlds, pillager of loot, and fast of pitcher. You've heard the hype. If he can come in and be about half as effective as he has been in the minors, the Nats suddenly become an interesting squadron. More interesting than they are now, at least. Add in potentially acquiring Roy Oswalt, as the hot rumor has it, or even Cliff Lee (should the Mariners fall out of it. Don't laugh.) and suddenly the punching bag is firing back with a right cross or two. They already have a strong (albeit overworked) bullpen with Capps and Clippard (7 wins!), and they just added Drew Storen (closer of the future) to get him some experience. A potential rotation of
Oswalt/Lee, Strasburg, Hernandez, Lannan, Olsen
and you might be onto something. Maybe not playoff contention yet, but certainly 70-80 wins.
To top it all off, you're holding the #1 pick with Bryce Harper waiting in the wings. The hype machine is certainly in force for the kid (with help from his official page). A quick YouTube search will bring up his monstrous home runs against clearly inferior competition. He is, no doubt, the most hyped catcher prospect since Joe Mauer (who, apparently, helps people get banned from Mexico). Signability can't be an issue if they got their way with Strasburg.
I'm not sure how long the Nats will remain in contention, but if their good fortune continues, we could see a return to 2005, where they eclipsed the 80 win mark. A little luck with their pitching prospects and potential trade partners and maybe they scuffle for the Wild Card for a couple weeks. I can't think of a Nats fan (I could stop the sentence right here) who would turn that down.
Is baseball back on the Beltway? You're definitely not rushing Storen and Strasburg up to the Majors to rebuild. You want to see what you got and strike while the bats are hot. If nothing else, tune in on or after Memorial Day to see the 100 MPH fastballs cranked out of the park or past some bats. Hopefully Strasburg doesn't aspire to be the next Kirk Hammett and injure himself cranking out some sweet 5 button solos.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Please Move All the Way Down the Row to Make Room for Everyone on the Bandwagon
Posted by Iroquois Plisken
During Cavs/Celts Game 6 (more on that later), sometime during the 4th quarter during a pan to the crowd shot, an eagle eyed cameraman came across this gem of an adolescent.
Yikes. There are many things wrong with this picture. Let's break it down.
1. First, according to my diligent research of the last 20 minutes, this isn't even a jersey they actually wore. According to their press release from their official fan blog (linked here by J.E. Skeets), this is a "special colorized adaption of this season's Hardwood Classics retro uniform." That's a mouthful and a half.
I have no problem with throwback jerseys; some of them are ridiculously cool. Here's one for my team. Here's one that looks even better/more unintentionally hilarious in light of Denver's new stance on marijuana. And who among us wouldn't want to take a walk in this guy's well-traveled, often-replaced-because-he-gambles-them-away shoes? There's even a certain air of vintage about the maroon and gold Cavs jersey.
But, that's not what this kid did.
He has a "throwback" jersey from a year ago with colors that don't even pertain to his team. It was specifically rolled out slightly over a year ago as a marketing ploy. Cool. Though, I suppose he doesn't have a problem with being newly minted because...
2. He's wearing what appears to be a brand new Yankees hat.
Most baseball fans would agree that, up until last year really, there was no reason to wear a Yankees hat if you were jumping on the bandwagon. They hadn't won the World Series since 2000, were in fact defeated in 2001 and 2003, watched their rival Red Sox win two in that timespan, and generally were in a funk (by their standards) since the acquisition of A-Rod. That all changed last year when we now, regrettably, call Alex Rodriguez a World Series champion.
Surely, that young man struggled through 2004 and 2007, most especially 2004. That Dave Roberts steal must have really gotten in his craw to the point where he was teased mercilessly by those kids out on the playground for wearing the loser's colors the next day.
(pausing to recall 1995 Florida/Nebraska and then the next day)
I feel for him. Elementary school children are dicks. I know I was.
Wait, though, that hat is completely new. Nothing indicates it's ever been worn more than a dozen times, which isn't to say that couldn't be the case. Our best guess is that this hat has been worn in relative moderate climes (no sweat markings) and maybe he ran into a door while wearing it (check the discontinuity right over his left eye). I have a theory on why this is, but let me throw in a non-sequitur for a second.
3. Is that Rick Reilly staring all bug-eyed into the great beyond behind that kid? My personal guess is that it isn't, but you could definitely fool a few people at first, second, or even third blush. You could use a little more iodine for your thyroid problem, Mr. Behind-the-Bandwagoner.
Anyhow, my guess as to why the kid is dressing in that otherwise contemptible way for a sports fan to dress is...
4. He's doing it because that's precisely what he's seen LeBron James doing.
I can't begrudge the kid for having a sports hero, or even behaving like a kid does, what with all the marketing susceptibility. I've purchased pairs of basketball sneakers in my day, with my all-time favorite shoe ever being this one (how I wish I could find another pair!). That's not really where I find fault with that picture. I don't even fault LeBron for front-running a little bit, especially in light of his photo with Dr. Dre wearing his Red-Sox emblazoned BEATS headphones (which are a pretty quality product in and of themselves).
I suppose it ultimately boils down to how I feel about the average fan front-running. Yes, this is where a distinction lies. With the advent of free agency (a good thing), it is difficult for us to hold athletes to a strict allegiance standard. The days of playing for one team are very few and far between, and I have all the more respect for those who do stay with one team their whole career. More often than not, changing teams is strictly a business now; there's hardly anyone so affected by sports rivalries that they will refuse to go to a specific team (e.g. Brett Favre/MIN, Johnny Damon/NYY).
But the average fan? Sports is just an outlet, a hobby bordering on a membership in a group. Rarely should it ever be a business decision to abandon a rooting interest. There are a few exceptions that I feel warrant leaving a team, such as complete mismanagement of a team to the point of you renouncing allegiance (the Buffalo Bills would be a sterling example) or inheriting a team from your parents and then moving to a different market thus renouncing your old ties in favor of making new ones to the local team (e.g. someone born in NY who moves to, say, Seattle). These are acceptable reasons, though the latter one must be used with care, lest you find yourself bandwagoning. Military folks probably have a free pass on that, though, so long as they're on active duty.
The point is, I think it's fair to hold the average fan and the average or superstar athlete to a different standard, even if both parties abandoning a team simultaneously would evoke a different reaction from me. I try to live as principled a sports-fan's existence as possible, so maybe it's just me.
For that young man's punishment, he shall be drawn and quartered. Dually and duly noted.
[Ed's note: Wow, that went on longer than I thought. A quick thought about Game 6.]
Last night's game had to be one of the biggest disappointments I've ever experienced for a game in which I had no rooting interest. The game was officially over at the point last night - I want to say 6 minutes left in the 3rd - when Anderson Varejao was allegedly bleeding, stopped playing to attempt to get the clocked stopped while all 9 other players continued to go at it. By my message log, that was about 10:04 PM. I told Slate that I thought I was pressing more than LeBron was; I really was hoping for something to happen, but it didn't. Thus, it was a bigger letdown than usual. I won't pin the loss entirely on LeBron, although he could have been more efficient, his teammates played as if they had no hands.
Congrats to the Celtics; see you on Sunday.
During Cavs/Celts Game 6 (more on that later), sometime during the 4th quarter during a pan to the crowd shot, an eagle eyed cameraman came across this gem of an adolescent.
Yikes. There are many things wrong with this picture. Let's break it down.
1. First, according to my diligent research of the last 20 minutes, this isn't even a jersey they actually wore. According to their press release from their official fan blog (linked here by J.E. Skeets), this is a "special colorized adaption of this season's Hardwood Classics retro uniform." That's a mouthful and a half.
I have no problem with throwback jerseys; some of them are ridiculously cool. Here's one for my team. Here's one that looks even better/more unintentionally hilarious in light of Denver's new stance on marijuana. And who among us wouldn't want to take a walk in this guy's well-traveled, often-replaced-because-he-gambles-them-away shoes? There's even a certain air of vintage about the maroon and gold Cavs jersey.
But, that's not what this kid did.
He has a "throwback" jersey from a year ago with colors that don't even pertain to his team. It was specifically rolled out slightly over a year ago as a marketing ploy. Cool. Though, I suppose he doesn't have a problem with being newly minted because...
2. He's wearing what appears to be a brand new Yankees hat.
Most baseball fans would agree that, up until last year really, there was no reason to wear a Yankees hat if you were jumping on the bandwagon. They hadn't won the World Series since 2000, were in fact defeated in 2001 and 2003, watched their rival Red Sox win two in that timespan, and generally were in a funk (by their standards) since the acquisition of A-Rod. That all changed last year when we now, regrettably, call Alex Rodriguez a World Series champion.
Surely, that young man struggled through 2004 and 2007, most especially 2004. That Dave Roberts steal must have really gotten in his craw to the point where he was teased mercilessly by those kids out on the playground for wearing the loser's colors the next day.
(pausing to recall 1995 Florida/Nebraska and then the next day)
I feel for him. Elementary school children are dicks. I know I was.
Wait, though, that hat is completely new. Nothing indicates it's ever been worn more than a dozen times, which isn't to say that couldn't be the case. Our best guess is that this hat has been worn in relative moderate climes (no sweat markings) and maybe he ran into a door while wearing it (check the discontinuity right over his left eye). I have a theory on why this is, but let me throw in a non-sequitur for a second.
3. Is that Rick Reilly staring all bug-eyed into the great beyond behind that kid? My personal guess is that it isn't, but you could definitely fool a few people at first, second, or even third blush. You could use a little more iodine for your thyroid problem, Mr. Behind-the-Bandwagoner.
Anyhow, my guess as to why the kid is dressing in that otherwise contemptible way for a sports fan to dress is...
4. He's doing it because that's precisely what he's seen LeBron James doing.
I can't begrudge the kid for having a sports hero, or even behaving like a kid does, what with all the marketing susceptibility. I've purchased pairs of basketball sneakers in my day, with my all-time favorite shoe ever being this one (how I wish I could find another pair!). That's not really where I find fault with that picture. I don't even fault LeBron for front-running a little bit, especially in light of his photo with Dr. Dre wearing his Red-Sox emblazoned BEATS headphones (which are a pretty quality product in and of themselves).
I suppose it ultimately boils down to how I feel about the average fan front-running. Yes, this is where a distinction lies. With the advent of free agency (a good thing), it is difficult for us to hold athletes to a strict allegiance standard. The days of playing for one team are very few and far between, and I have all the more respect for those who do stay with one team their whole career. More often than not, changing teams is strictly a business now; there's hardly anyone so affected by sports rivalries that they will refuse to go to a specific team (e.g. Brett Favre/MIN, Johnny Damon/NYY).
But the average fan? Sports is just an outlet, a hobby bordering on a membership in a group. Rarely should it ever be a business decision to abandon a rooting interest. There are a few exceptions that I feel warrant leaving a team, such as complete mismanagement of a team to the point of you renouncing allegiance (the Buffalo Bills would be a sterling example) or inheriting a team from your parents and then moving to a different market thus renouncing your old ties in favor of making new ones to the local team (e.g. someone born in NY who moves to, say, Seattle). These are acceptable reasons, though the latter one must be used with care, lest you find yourself bandwagoning. Military folks probably have a free pass on that, though, so long as they're on active duty.
The point is, I think it's fair to hold the average fan and the average or superstar athlete to a different standard, even if both parties abandoning a team simultaneously would evoke a different reaction from me. I try to live as principled a sports-fan's existence as possible, so maybe it's just me.
For that young man's punishment, he shall be drawn and quartered. Dually and duly noted.
[Ed's note: Wow, that went on longer than I thought. A quick thought about Game 6.]
Last night's game had to be one of the biggest disappointments I've ever experienced for a game in which I had no rooting interest. The game was officially over at the point last night - I want to say 6 minutes left in the 3rd - when Anderson Varejao was allegedly bleeding, stopped playing to attempt to get the clocked stopped while all 9 other players continued to go at it. By my message log, that was about 10:04 PM. I told Slate that I thought I was pressing more than LeBron was; I really was hoping for something to happen, but it didn't. Thus, it was a bigger letdown than usual. I won't pin the loss entirely on LeBron, although he could have been more efficient, his teammates played as if they had no hands.
Congrats to the Celtics; see you on Sunday.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Longest Awaited Coronation Since the United Kingdom
Posted by Iroquois Plisken
Having played around with the NBA Playoff Predictor on ESPN for a time (with it being surprisingly cooperative), I got a sense of what the numbers (at least pre-playoff numbers) are saying about the 6 possible NBA Finals matches. To wit,
The Ratings Nightmare - ORL/PHX - 77% win percentage / 23% win percentage
The Rematch - ORL/LAL - 57 / 43
The Underdog Special - BOS/PHX - 36/64
The Two Years Ago Rematch - BOS/LAL - 36/64
The Curselifter - CLE/PHX - 64/36
The Ratings Bonanza - CLE/LAL - 60/40
A couple of things jump out at me:
1. These have to be pre-playoff numbers, even though the odds are continually updated with every passing game. You really expect me to believe that the Suns have a marginal chance with the way they're playing?
2. Steve Nash wants to eat your brains.
(Note: Picture only altered slightly.)
3. Cleveland must be a better team than they showed last night, which is what I mainly want to discuss.
By now, you surely fall into a camp about the "LeBacle". You know, the game yesterday where LeBron looked human and we all sorta felt bad for him, but not really because a) you're either an opposing team fan whose team may in some way benefit from Cleveland's absence in the playoffs or b) he's made a ton more money and is way more successful than you in every way already.
Myself, I fall into A. Or so I thought. If LeBron is as badly hurt as his performance showed me yesterday, then maybe it's more advantageous to meet the Cavs in a rematch. Mo Williams is providing about as much resistance as a turnstile right now at the PG spot, where Jameer has been dynamic so far in the postseason, a stark contrast to facing Rajon Rondo, who (while talented) has learned well from his days as a Kentucky Wildcat and Boston Celtic in becoming a world-class punk. More on that point here.
However, Boston's due to decline at some point. Orlando has a counter for Pierce and Allen, if Vince decides to show up. Perhaps the only more bullish C in the league would be opposite Dwight (Perkins). There's considerably more depth on the bench than last year. Jameer is effective enough on D to slow Rondo considerably.
Point is, Orlando is looking good to make a return trip to the Finals, no matter who is standing in the way. 27-3 since March 1, 14 game win streak, 8 playoff game win streak. There's lots to like about this team. All 5 starters have yet to show up in the same game and they've got answers for the adversity they've yet to face. I like them to win it as much as the numbers do.
I confess I don't know enough about the West Coast teams remaining. I know the Lakers were looking like garbage for a time and put it together against an overmatched Utah squad (who played LIGHTS OUT in that round). Phoenix finally got past that persistent roadblock known as San Antonio (the last night of the Spurs dynasty) and generally looks like a championship caliber team.
For the record, I think we get the Ratings Nightmare matchup in the Finals. What that indicates is that I, like many others, jumped the gun in giving Cleveland that long-awaited championship at the trade deadline. I think the thing that is most surprising is not LeBron's injury (alleged or otherwise) but in how Antawn Jamison (the big acquisition) has wilted more than Vince Carter did (is?). His numbers look good, not great, but his best game came in the Cavaliers blowout, when the outcome of the game wasn't in doubt. In other games, he's been putting up an average of 10 points, 6 boards, and 4 fouls. Not good for the supposed 2nd option.
At any rate, be sure to tune in to Game 6 on Thursday. I fully expect the Cavs to win, get back to Cleveland, and then get kicked in the balls for a crushing presumed end to the LeBron era.
Having played around with the NBA Playoff Predictor on ESPN for a time (with it being surprisingly cooperative), I got a sense of what the numbers (at least pre-playoff numbers) are saying about the 6 possible NBA Finals matches. To wit,
The Ratings Nightmare - ORL/PHX - 77% win percentage / 23% win percentage
The Rematch - ORL/LAL - 57 / 43
The Underdog Special - BOS/PHX - 36/64
The Two Years Ago Rematch - BOS/LAL - 36/64
The Curselifter - CLE/PHX - 64/36
The Ratings Bonanza - CLE/LAL - 60/40
A couple of things jump out at me:
1. These have to be pre-playoff numbers, even though the odds are continually updated with every passing game. You really expect me to believe that the Suns have a marginal chance with the way they're playing?
2. Steve Nash wants to eat your brains.
(Note: Picture only altered slightly.)
3. Cleveland must be a better team than they showed last night, which is what I mainly want to discuss.
By now, you surely fall into a camp about the "LeBacle". You know, the game yesterday where LeBron looked human and we all sorta felt bad for him, but not really because a) you're either an opposing team fan whose team may in some way benefit from Cleveland's absence in the playoffs or b) he's made a ton more money and is way more successful than you in every way already.
Myself, I fall into A. Or so I thought. If LeBron is as badly hurt as his performance showed me yesterday, then maybe it's more advantageous to meet the Cavs in a rematch. Mo Williams is providing about as much resistance as a turnstile right now at the PG spot, where Jameer has been dynamic so far in the postseason, a stark contrast to facing Rajon Rondo, who (while talented) has learned well from his days as a Kentucky Wildcat and Boston Celtic in becoming a world-class punk. More on that point here.
However, Boston's due to decline at some point. Orlando has a counter for Pierce and Allen, if Vince decides to show up. Perhaps the only more bullish C in the league would be opposite Dwight (Perkins). There's considerably more depth on the bench than last year. Jameer is effective enough on D to slow Rondo considerably.
Point is, Orlando is looking good to make a return trip to the Finals, no matter who is standing in the way. 27-3 since March 1, 14 game win streak, 8 playoff game win streak. There's lots to like about this team. All 5 starters have yet to show up in the same game and they've got answers for the adversity they've yet to face. I like them to win it as much as the numbers do.
I confess I don't know enough about the West Coast teams remaining. I know the Lakers were looking like garbage for a time and put it together against an overmatched Utah squad (who played LIGHTS OUT in that round). Phoenix finally got past that persistent roadblock known as San Antonio (the last night of the Spurs dynasty) and generally looks like a championship caliber team.
For the record, I think we get the Ratings Nightmare matchup in the Finals. What that indicates is that I, like many others, jumped the gun in giving Cleveland that long-awaited championship at the trade deadline. I think the thing that is most surprising is not LeBron's injury (alleged or otherwise) but in how Antawn Jamison (the big acquisition) has wilted more than Vince Carter did (is?). His numbers look good, not great, but his best game came in the Cavaliers blowout, when the outcome of the game wasn't in doubt. In other games, he's been putting up an average of 10 points, 6 boards, and 4 fouls. Not good for the supposed 2nd option.
At any rate, be sure to tune in to Game 6 on Thursday. I fully expect the Cavs to win, get back to Cleveland, and then get kicked in the balls for a crushing presumed end to the LeBron era.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Farewell to the O-Rena
Posted by Iroquois Plisken
Our absence has been less than graceful, I can assure you. This, however, is one of those moments where I simply had to stop what I was doing to write down my thoughts.
Tonight, if you're not aware, is the last regular season game at Amway Arena (to me, it will always be the O-Rena). The only home the Orlando Magic have ever known. I know that the Magic have the playoffs upcoming and are one of the favored teams to go to the championship, so they'll play more games there. None of those games are guaranteed, though. They could have as little as two left. So, it'll be best to write the memoirs now, during the game (and a time I know I should be reviewing criminal law.)
A brief history from Brian Schmitz:
Our absence has been less than graceful, I can assure you. This, however, is one of those moments where I simply had to stop what I was doing to write down my thoughts.
Tonight, if you're not aware, is the last regular season game at Amway Arena (to me, it will always be the O-Rena). The only home the Orlando Magic have ever known. I know that the Magic have the playoffs upcoming and are one of the favored teams to go to the championship, so they'll play more games there. None of those games are guaranteed, though. They could have as little as two left. So, it'll be best to write the memoirs now, during the game (and a time I know I should be reviewing criminal law.)
A brief history from Brian Schmitz:
Most of you know the Magic's history: A local businessman and FSU football nut named Jimmy Hewitt in the mid-‘80s had this wild hair about attracting the NBA. He ran into another man named Pat Williams, the soon-to-be former general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers, at a local church. Divine intervention, for sure.
And on Jan. 5, 1987, dirt was dug for a new arena. On April 22, the NBA awarded Orlando an expansion franchise to begin play in the 1989-90 season on 600 West Amelia.
Schmitz goes on to talk about a few of his favorite memories, and I can't say I disagree with them. I was a little young to appreciate Dennis Scott's theft of Michael Jordan, but I do remember being really excited and then having to go to sleep because it was a school night. Scott Skiles' 30 assist game still stands as a record, even as he squawks orders in Milwaukee.
I guess that's what makes the O-Rena so tough to part with. For me, the Orlando Magic represented a lot of firsts. They were my second "team" overall (that honor will always go to the Florida Gators), but they were my first pro team. They represented professional sports to me as a kid. Growing up in a town that didn't have ties to a major metropolitan area (e.g. living anywhere in New England and the Celtics) or a state endorsed team (e.g. New York Knicks/Los Angeles Lakers), the Magic were as close of a thing to a hometown team as I had. I hadn't quite developed an interest in football, but my grandmother and father were Dolphins fans; even then, Miami was 5.5-6 hours away (I-75 hadn't been extended near my town, yet). That ruled out both the Heat and the Dolphins. Tampa had the Buccaneers, the team I eventually adopted when we got season tickets, but again they were multiple hours away. Every kid in town was an Atlanta Braves fan, and they too were 6 hours away. To have some team to identify with and only an hour away? For this kid, it was something to be psyched about.
The official Orlando Magic monthly magazine was, I think, the first thing I ever actually purchased with my own money. I saved up $25 of my birthday money/allowance and paid my dad for a 2 year subscription. Whenever new issues came, I would read the magazine pretty quickly and hoard them in my under-sink cabinets, where one typically stores things like drain cleaner. (Note: my parents were wise enough to not keep such things in a child's room. I will likely not have that foresight.) I stayed up late to watch the ends of games. I had teams that I disliked and would tune in every time they played Orlando (the Knicks, especially). I was hooked. The line would come later.
The time had come for me to attend my first professional sports game. I thought it was really cool because I got to hang around my dad and his buddies and be up past 9:30 and watch the Magic in action. We were playing a team that wore a green jersey; if memory serves, it was the Milwaukee Bucks. Since the O-Rena was (is) really small, it was pretty loud in there. The game was pretty tight and momentum was shifting. Finally, Dennis Scott breaks it open with a 3 pointer under tight defense and the crowd exploded. I told my dad, "That was a hell of a shot!" I got my ass promptly spanked. That was the line. The sinker would unfold over many years.
I've seen all manner of Orlando Magic highs and lows. The two years with #1 picks (thus convincing me years later that the NBA Lottery is as rigged as professional boxing), which led to Shaq and Penny. The Lil' Penny advertisements. Dennis Scott's steal. Dennis Scott's four bricks. Hakeem Olajuwon welcoming Shaquille O'Neal to the NBA with back-to-back sweeps in the NBA Finals. Being absolutely devastated and angry when Shaquille O'Neal took the Lakers money at the 11th hour (whose contract value---$120M---equaled the cost to build the O-Rena). The Heart and Hustle Squad of 2000, which gave Doc Rivers Coach of the Year. Darryl Armstrong picking up a TV that Tim Hardaway had chucked on the court and plugging it into the announcer's table to make sure it worked. The John Weisbrod era. The near-signing of Tim Duncan (thisclose ><). The actual signing of Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady. Seeing T-Mac's first career triple-double 15 rows up center court. T-Mac getting pissed and puning the basketball into the rafters. T-Mac being traded. Steve "Franchise" being as erratic as my golf swing. The GOD AWFUL DRAFT PICKS (Laron Profit, Steven Hunter, Curtis Borchardt, Reece Gaines, J.J. Redick [except he's turned into a player], FRAN VAZQUEZ (@!#$%^&*&^%$%^%$#@!#$%^%$#)). The birth of the Dwight Howard era. And now, here.
I have felt many things about the Magic over the years. I've never been fortunate enough to be able to afford season tickets. I've combed the box scores for years. I've always reacted to their drafts and signings, usually bitter disappointment, but only because I care about the team. Before the half, Vince Carter made a 3 pointer to set the NBA mark for 3 pointers made by a team and at the half, he was asked what the record meant to him. Vinsanity responded, "It's great to help out the team get this record, so long as we're winning. I grew up watching this team..."
That's when it hit me. A feeling I hadn't really had before. Lots of athletes grew up watching a team and then realized their childhood dreams by playing for them (Vince is from Daytona Beach, about the same distance from Orlando as I am). When those words left Vince's mouth, I stopped what I was doing and stared off into space. For the first time in my professional (again, Florida Gators exempted) sports viewing career, I identified with that. Vince grew up watching the Magic, and so did I.
I sat down, smiled, and said, "Me too, Vince. Me too."
So long and farewell, 600 Amelia Street Orlando FL 32801. You may have been called several things over the years--the O-Rena, the Arena at Orlando, TD Waterhouse Centre, Amway Arena--but you've always been the only home for my Orlando Magic. Of course, I am excited about the new arena next year, but breaking up is hard to do. It just won't be the same as it always has been.
The O-Rena was where the Magic began for this observer. Hopefully, one day, I'll see some young athlete from the Orlando area say the same words as Vince did tonight and it will mean just as much to me then as it did tonight. Go Magic.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Link to the PLS Bracket Group
Posted by Iroquois Plisken
So that you can keep track of us, here's the link to exceedingly long acronymmed name.
So that you can keep track of us, here's the link to exceedingly long acronymmed name.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Programming Note
Posted by Iroquois Plisken
Due to the labor intensive process of interviewing Stan Van Gundy, there will be no new content from me tonight.
Coming Wednesday, look for a preview of the NCAA Tournament, SVG Auto Sales style.
Due to the labor intensive process of interviewing Stan Van Gundy, there will be no new content from me tonight.
Coming Wednesday, look for a preview of the NCAA Tournament, SVG Auto Sales style.
Our Staff Progressively Gets Older
Posted by Iroquois Plisken
Since he got a job and likely won't be on to say so himself, we at PLS would like to wish our own Red Herring a very happy birthday today. We suspect that Red is only slightly less irritable today than he is usually.
Since he got a job and likely won't be on to say so himself, we at PLS would like to wish our own Red Herring a very happy birthday today. We suspect that Red is only slightly less irritable today than he is usually.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Taking a Stomp in Weezy F. Baby's Sneaks---The New Orleans Trip
Posted by Iroquois Plisken
Having now made it back from New Orleans in one piece (and a couple days at the beach), I now recap what I can remember about the whole thing. There were a lot of good stories and I will do my best to recollect what was going on, including a couple of places visited and the logo on the outside of the place just so others can follow in my trail or (dis)agree with me on how great some of the places are/were.
First, I want to make a couple of points about food. Being there pretty much makes you want to eat everything and I certainly did my best to do so. For those unfamiliar with the New Orleans cuisine, this guy provides a good primer. Typical examples include jambalaya, gumbo, red beans and rice, etouffes, and the like. Two places that particularly stood out (and what I got):
1. Serio's Deli and the Muffeletta Sandwich - If Serio's sounds familiar, it might be because you saw it on TV...
Yep, Bobby Flay took on these guys in a muffeletta challenge and lost. So there you go. It was especially close to where I was staying, so I snagged one of these bad boys before I left town.
I had never had one of these sandwiches before. For the unenlightened, a muffeletta is a Creole sandwich with salami and ham and swiss cheese with an olive salad on the top, primarily consisting of pimentos, both black and green olives, carrot coins, celery, and maybe pickled cauliflower (which is what I recall this particular sandwich having). Typically, they are enormous sandwiches served on circular bread and can be purchased by the half or whole (and in some places, quarter).
Now I may not have been many places in my entire life, but I am a sucker for a) popularly endorsed stuff on television and b) eating, but this meal in particular ranks up there with the best meals I've had. It was breathtaking. In fact, I couldn't stop raving about the sandwich and convinced two of my friends to get one as well. Wow. Besides the cold cuts being choice stuff, the olive salad was the star and the support of the sandwich. I am now looking for something to come close to recreating this masterpiece of human achievement.
Additionally, I was told I missed out on the Central Grocer, who serves a dynamite one of these as well, but I didn't get the memo before I left town.
Speaking of places I saw on TV...
2. The Acme Oyster House and the Chargrilled Oysters
I'm not one for raw oysters. They're pretty dirty creatures on the whole. Still, I was on vacation, so I would set aside any preconceived notions of anything. The very first night we were looking for some grub, and I just happened to spot the above neon. Because I love watching shows about eating and cooking, I remembered this episode of Man v. Food. Adam Richman does the 15 dozen (180) oyster challenge. As of the filming of the episode, only 28 out of 150 people had finished them, but Man won that round.
Now, I didn't attempt to try 180, but two dozen was the order of the day. Simply amazing and this coming from a guy who doesn't normally eat oysters. I found a recipe that matches the description that the waitress gave me for how it was prepared so I will have to try this again someday. Because I live close to Appalachicola (Oyster City; it provides a lot of SE states with oysters), this may be sooner rather than later. This was definitely #2 in foods on the trip (close behind Serio's), and they definitely blew everything else out of the water.
Incidentally, I also went to Mother's for the Ferdie Special, where Richman also dined. That was where I was beginning to speculate upon my previous article.
I also want to give an extra special mention to one of my hosts this weekend, who manages the Gordon Biersch in New Orleans, right across the street from Harrah's. Definitely recommend checking them out if you have one nearby, especially for the beer. If you're a stud muffin, you can get a beer boot. Yes, like the one from Beerfest.
Coming Friday...bar reviews.
Having now made it back from New Orleans in one piece (and a couple days at the beach), I now recap what I can remember about the whole thing. There were a lot of good stories and I will do my best to recollect what was going on, including a couple of places visited and the logo on the outside of the place just so others can follow in my trail or (dis)agree with me on how great some of the places are/were.
First, I want to make a couple of points about food. Being there pretty much makes you want to eat everything and I certainly did my best to do so. For those unfamiliar with the New Orleans cuisine, this guy provides a good primer. Typical examples include jambalaya, gumbo, red beans and rice, etouffes, and the like. Two places that particularly stood out (and what I got):
1. Serio's Deli and the Muffeletta Sandwich - If Serio's sounds familiar, it might be because you saw it on TV...
Yep, Bobby Flay took on these guys in a muffeletta challenge and lost. So there you go. It was especially close to where I was staying, so I snagged one of these bad boys before I left town.
I had never had one of these sandwiches before. For the unenlightened, a muffeletta is a Creole sandwich with salami and ham and swiss cheese with an olive salad on the top, primarily consisting of pimentos, both black and green olives, carrot coins, celery, and maybe pickled cauliflower (which is what I recall this particular sandwich having). Typically, they are enormous sandwiches served on circular bread and can be purchased by the half or whole (and in some places, quarter).
Now I may not have been many places in my entire life, but I am a sucker for a) popularly endorsed stuff on television and b) eating, but this meal in particular ranks up there with the best meals I've had. It was breathtaking. In fact, I couldn't stop raving about the sandwich and convinced two of my friends to get one as well. Wow. Besides the cold cuts being choice stuff, the olive salad was the star and the support of the sandwich. I am now looking for something to come close to recreating this masterpiece of human achievement.
Additionally, I was told I missed out on the Central Grocer, who serves a dynamite one of these as well, but I didn't get the memo before I left town.
Speaking of places I saw on TV...
2. The Acme Oyster House and the Chargrilled Oysters
I'm not one for raw oysters. They're pretty dirty creatures on the whole. Still, I was on vacation, so I would set aside any preconceived notions of anything. The very first night we were looking for some grub, and I just happened to spot the above neon. Because I love watching shows about eating and cooking, I remembered this episode of Man v. Food. Adam Richman does the 15 dozen (180) oyster challenge. As of the filming of the episode, only 28 out of 150 people had finished them, but Man won that round.
Now, I didn't attempt to try 180, but two dozen was the order of the day. Simply amazing and this coming from a guy who doesn't normally eat oysters. I found a recipe that matches the description that the waitress gave me for how it was prepared so I will have to try this again someday. Because I live close to Appalachicola (Oyster City; it provides a lot of SE states with oysters), this may be sooner rather than later. This was definitely #2 in foods on the trip (close behind Serio's), and they definitely blew everything else out of the water.
Incidentally, I also went to Mother's for the Ferdie Special, where Richman also dined. That was where I was beginning to speculate upon my previous article.
I also want to give an extra special mention to one of my hosts this weekend, who manages the Gordon Biersch in New Orleans, right across the street from Harrah's. Definitely recommend checking them out if you have one nearby, especially for the beer. If you're a stud muffin, you can get a beer boot. Yes, like the one from Beerfest.
Coming Friday...bar reviews.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Reflections of NOLA
Posted by Iroquois Plisken
As it is SPRING BREAK (insert glass shattering / someone socking a random in the jaw) time at my revered trade school, the crew and I ventured to New Orleans for the first time (my first time, anyhow). Recollections and pictures to be posted upon my return to the Internet (I'm sending this from my mobile device).
But, during the stupor of a recovery meal, I found myself with a nearly overwhelming sense of what the Super Bowl has meant to the city of New Orleans. You see all of these little mom-and-pop establishments who have their Katrina story posted right on their menu. Every single one of them mentions the Saints.
The city has been consumed by the team winning. Everywhere, you get "Who dat?" (or its relaive "We dat!"). I saw Ba Lee Dat and other variations on the Dat slogan. I saw a deity Brees branding Manning the centaur. The street artists had pictures commemorating the event. In short, you can't swing a dead cat in NOLA and not hit something with a fleur-de-lis.
I myself previoudly thought that the Saints winning wasn't any different than the Bucs winning. Tampa had a long history of futility also. Their draft picks were notoriously bad. They had a nickname signifying their awfulness. They won a Super Bowl after a major acquisition.
But the one thing Tampa really lacks in this comparison is a profound sense of importance to the city. If (heaven forbid) the Bucs were to leave or move, the city would probably take a hit to its pride and they'd be over it in a couple years. If the Saints were to disappear, I don't know if New Orleans would be the same. One of the first things you see coming in on 10 West is the Superdome and I guarantee the first billboard you see has to do with football.
Just like Katrina, everyone has their own Saints story. Even the homeless folks. I chatted with a homeless guy outside of a bar that didn't allow outside drinks (more on those in Part II) and he was telling me about an experience he had with a past player (don't know who) serving him soup at a refugee camp after Katrina. The city needs its Saints like Bourbon Street needs its drunk assholes craving Hurricanes and Hand Grenades.
They aren't the New Orleans Saints because they are a football team that plays there. They are the city in a je ne sais quoi way that is unique even among the best of college towns. And there's really no better way to describe it other than to take in the atmosphere holding a drink in hand watching dumb tourists yell "Who dat?" and having an entire area, from big shots to bum raps, respond "We dat!"
Because it is that guy wearing the Drew Brees jersey while cooking a fresh batch of jambalaya that may as well be Drew Brees himself. I know that I couldn't tell after a little while.
As it is SPRING BREAK (insert glass shattering / someone socking a random in the jaw) time at my revered trade school, the crew and I ventured to New Orleans for the first time (my first time, anyhow). Recollections and pictures to be posted upon my return to the Internet (I'm sending this from my mobile device).
But, during the stupor of a recovery meal, I found myself with a nearly overwhelming sense of what the Super Bowl has meant to the city of New Orleans. You see all of these little mom-and-pop establishments who have their Katrina story posted right on their menu. Every single one of them mentions the Saints.
The city has been consumed by the team winning. Everywhere, you get "Who dat?" (or its relaive "We dat!"). I saw Ba Lee Dat and other variations on the Dat slogan. I saw a deity Brees branding Manning the centaur. The street artists had pictures commemorating the event. In short, you can't swing a dead cat in NOLA and not hit something with a fleur-de-lis.
I myself previoudly thought that the Saints winning wasn't any different than the Bucs winning. Tampa had a long history of futility also. Their draft picks were notoriously bad. They had a nickname signifying their awfulness. They won a Super Bowl after a major acquisition.
But the one thing Tampa really lacks in this comparison is a profound sense of importance to the city. If (heaven forbid) the Bucs were to leave or move, the city would probably take a hit to its pride and they'd be over it in a couple years. If the Saints were to disappear, I don't know if New Orleans would be the same. One of the first things you see coming in on 10 West is the Superdome and I guarantee the first billboard you see has to do with football.
Just like Katrina, everyone has their own Saints story. Even the homeless folks. I chatted with a homeless guy outside of a bar that didn't allow outside drinks (more on those in Part II) and he was telling me about an experience he had with a past player (don't know who) serving him soup at a refugee camp after Katrina. The city needs its Saints like Bourbon Street needs its drunk assholes craving Hurricanes and Hand Grenades.
They aren't the New Orleans Saints because they are a football team that plays there. They are the city in a je ne sais quoi way that is unique even among the best of college towns. And there's really no better way to describe it other than to take in the atmosphere holding a drink in hand watching dumb tourists yell "Who dat?" and having an entire area, from big shots to bum raps, respond "We dat!"
Because it is that guy wearing the Drew Brees jersey while cooking a fresh batch of jambalaya that may as well be Drew Brees himself. I know that I couldn't tell after a little while.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Offseason Chatter: NFL Free Agency Starts Today
Posted by Iroquois Plisken
No doubt adding to Slate's documented ire of overanalyzing the NFL during the offseason, here I am with some more tinder for the fire. I would posit, though, that talking about free agency on the day it opens up isn't really just ESPN filling up airspace. This is a potentially historic offseason for the NFL. It is the first year in quite some time that there is no salary cap. Naturally, this leads to people freaking out. A sample conversation with that dimwit that everyone knows who is prone to overreaction:
You: Hey friend, did you see free agency opened up today? It's an uncapped year.
Your Stupid and Smelly Friend: OH MY GOD UNCAPPED YEAR FOOTBALL WILL BE RUINED THAT SAME WAY BASEBALL IS RUINED TOO MANY SUPERPOWERHOUSE TEAMS LIKE TEH YANKEES AND THE RED SOCKS AND THE YANKESE WILL MAKE THE NFL BORING.
You: Mmm hmm. Well, that's...very good...for a first try. You know what? I have a ball. Perhaps you'd like to bounce it?
First things first, your friend talks loudly and in run-on sentences. Second, he's prone to repeating things. Third, baseball is not ruined for having an uncapped salary system (although there are deficiencies in the system; I'd start with not being allowed to pocket shared revenue).
But you, the suave and debonair reader of PLS, know that there are other factors in play here. First (and this can and will be overstated by ESPN) is obviously the economy. If this morning's trends are any indication of what to come, you'll have the same mix of things that happens in baseball: a few teams, once constrained by terrible franchise crippling decisions or inability or willingness to spend top dollar, will go for the gusto. A few will look to shed dead weight. Others still will sit on the sidelines (like my team). Nothing to see here.
Second, nothing really stands to change in terms of actual players being signed, in terms of salaries. I may be alone in this belief, but I believe the salary cap causes teams to act in irrational ways. To analogize, think of it as driving your car on a highway with a hard speed limit, viz. any attempt to exceed the limit is impossible. You're stuck in traffic behind some cars that are going about 8-10 MPH under the limit, but you, the normally smarter and more composed driver, know that you could be doing things better. It inevitably become frustrating following these drivers because you know there is room to work but there's just no opportunity to break free. Finally, you have room to your left to pass and, lo and behold, the hard speed limit disappears. What's your first reaction? I would guess that you're going to floor it to pass these slow assholes that have been holding up your inevitable Manifest Destiny to wherever it is you're going.
To borrow a non-NFL example, we can look to the NBA (which lacks a hard cap, but the idea's the same). After years of being crippled (no pun intended) by the Grant Hill contract and burdened by other various failures (Steve Francis), at the end of the 2006-07 season, the Magic finally shed constraints that didn't allow them to spend any money on improving the team except for essentially lateral moves. What was the first thing Orlando did? Ridiculously overpaid Rashard Lewis in a sign-and-trade. Seriously, they paid a max contract (6 yr/$120M) to a non max player, bidding against no one but themselves.
Tying it all back together, just because all of a sudden the NFL teams have a ton of freedom and can ostensibly spend as much as they want may result in a temporary increase in irrational spending, but it likely won't produce any more than your standard stupid contracts. Just for funsies, here's some ridiculously good links to some ridiculously bad contracts, first for baseball and second for basketball @ http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/03/05/the-nbas-68-worst-contracts/ (For some reason, I can't hotlink it from this page). As those links should demonstrate, stupidity in player valuation runs rampant in both capped and uncapped leagues. As noted before, the economy should keep most of the really bad decisions in check.
A couple miscellany heading into your weekend:
- Team Jolly Drank is now 2-0 with a 21-4 demolishing of the previous squad. One guy was so hammered he could barely stand up and was definitely an all-star. In the last inning, when it was apparent the other side was going to lose, Drunky McSwingerson hits a frozen rope to center, which was bobbled. D McS jogs to second and his buddy is pissed and starts yelling. D McS calmly replies, "Bro, we're down 21-4. What I do isn't going to make a difference." I love freshmen.
- I see that Slate introduced the fantasy baseball league. I am offended he calls it an "annoying habit of winning" though. It's not annoying at all (for me, anyway). I can see where it would piss people off that I called my shot by naming my team "3 Year Winner" and won both regular season and playoff crown, even in spite of the legendary A-Rod for Bill Hall/Ryan Zimmerman trade (you can assume that neither Slate nor I were in that deal), which is Slate's favorite argument in favor of democratic vetoes of trades, which might make an interesting point/counterpoint later on.
- In the future, also look for a primer on our baseball terminology as we have quite a few nicknames that will casually tossed around. We'll start with Doug Davis, for example. Doug Davis' name is Doug the Dino.
- Finally, just in case there was ever any doubt in your mind about whether or not what you see is a movie, this car (courtesy of my neighbor) removes any and all doubt.
Enjoy your weekend, everyone.
No doubt adding to Slate's documented ire of overanalyzing the NFL during the offseason, here I am with some more tinder for the fire. I would posit, though, that talking about free agency on the day it opens up isn't really just ESPN filling up airspace. This is a potentially historic offseason for the NFL. It is the first year in quite some time that there is no salary cap. Naturally, this leads to people freaking out. A sample conversation with that dimwit that everyone knows who is prone to overreaction:
You: Hey friend, did you see free agency opened up today? It's an uncapped year.
Your Stupid and Smelly Friend: OH MY GOD UNCAPPED YEAR FOOTBALL WILL BE RUINED THAT SAME WAY BASEBALL IS RUINED TOO MANY SUPERPOWERHOUSE TEAMS LIKE TEH YANKEES AND THE RED SOCKS AND THE YANKESE WILL MAKE THE NFL BORING.
You: Mmm hmm. Well, that's...very good...for a first try. You know what? I have a ball. Perhaps you'd like to bounce it?
First things first, your friend talks loudly and in run-on sentences. Second, he's prone to repeating things. Third, baseball is not ruined for having an uncapped salary system (although there are deficiencies in the system; I'd start with not being allowed to pocket shared revenue).
But you, the suave and debonair reader of PLS, know that there are other factors in play here. First (and this can and will be overstated by ESPN) is obviously the economy. If this morning's trends are any indication of what to come, you'll have the same mix of things that happens in baseball: a few teams, once constrained by terrible franchise crippling decisions or inability or willingness to spend top dollar, will go for the gusto. A few will look to shed dead weight. Others still will sit on the sidelines (like my team). Nothing to see here.
Second, nothing really stands to change in terms of actual players being signed, in terms of salaries. I may be alone in this belief, but I believe the salary cap causes teams to act in irrational ways. To analogize, think of it as driving your car on a highway with a hard speed limit, viz. any attempt to exceed the limit is impossible. You're stuck in traffic behind some cars that are going about 8-10 MPH under the limit, but you, the normally smarter and more composed driver, know that you could be doing things better. It inevitably become frustrating following these drivers because you know there is room to work but there's just no opportunity to break free. Finally, you have room to your left to pass and, lo and behold, the hard speed limit disappears. What's your first reaction? I would guess that you're going to floor it to pass these slow assholes that have been holding up your inevitable Manifest Destiny to wherever it is you're going.
To borrow a non-NFL example, we can look to the NBA (which lacks a hard cap, but the idea's the same). After years of being crippled (no pun intended) by the Grant Hill contract and burdened by other various failures (Steve Francis), at the end of the 2006-07 season, the Magic finally shed constraints that didn't allow them to spend any money on improving the team except for essentially lateral moves. What was the first thing Orlando did? Ridiculously overpaid Rashard Lewis in a sign-and-trade. Seriously, they paid a max contract (6 yr/$120M) to a non max player, bidding against no one but themselves.
Tying it all back together, just because all of a sudden the NFL teams have a ton of freedom and can ostensibly spend as much as they want may result in a temporary increase in irrational spending, but it likely won't produce any more than your standard stupid contracts. Just for funsies, here's some ridiculously good links to some ridiculously bad contracts, first for baseball and second for basketball @ http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/03/05/the-nbas-68-worst-contracts/ (For some reason, I can't hotlink it from this page). As those links should demonstrate, stupidity in player valuation runs rampant in both capped and uncapped leagues. As noted before, the economy should keep most of the really bad decisions in check.
A couple miscellany heading into your weekend:
- Team Jolly Drank is now 2-0 with a 21-4 demolishing of the previous squad. One guy was so hammered he could barely stand up and was definitely an all-star. In the last inning, when it was apparent the other side was going to lose, Drunky McSwingerson hits a frozen rope to center, which was bobbled. D McS jogs to second and his buddy is pissed and starts yelling. D McS calmly replies, "Bro, we're down 21-4. What I do isn't going to make a difference." I love freshmen.
- I see that Slate introduced the fantasy baseball league. I am offended he calls it an "annoying habit of winning" though. It's not annoying at all (for me, anyway). I can see where it would piss people off that I called my shot by naming my team "3 Year Winner" and won both regular season and playoff crown, even in spite of the legendary A-Rod for Bill Hall/Ryan Zimmerman trade (you can assume that neither Slate nor I were in that deal), which is Slate's favorite argument in favor of democratic vetoes of trades, which might make an interesting point/counterpoint later on.
- In the future, also look for a primer on our baseball terminology as we have quite a few nicknames that will casually tossed around. We'll start with Doug Davis, for example. Doug Davis' name is Doug the Dino.
- Finally, just in case there was ever any doubt in your mind about whether or not what you see is a movie, this car (courtesy of my neighbor) removes any and all doubt.
Enjoy your weekend, everyone.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Shaq Goes Down For A Bit
Posted by Iroquois Plisken
Perhaps Stan was a shade hasty in proclaiming the Cavs the team to beat. At least for a couple of months, Shaquille O'Neal will be sidelined with a bent up thumb. If you weren't watching the Cavs/Celts tilt last week, Glen Davis (whom I refuse to address by nickname; it is just as irritating now as it was when he was at LSU) fouled Shaq kinda hard on the way up and came down on his shooting hand. A Celtics player playing rough and having the foul downplayed? Why, this has never happened! Surely, just an oversight by the ref; he must have been new. To be fair to Davis, it wasn't deliberate or anything, just some good old fashioned hard contact that should have drawn a foul. It wasn't like he threw someone into the scorer's table.
Nevertheless, this is rough for the Cavaliers. Antawn Jamison has not shown a lot of expediency getting acquainted with his new team, and the Cavalier's favorite lineup (as opposed to best?) is now missing its enforcer. The awkward chemistry issues will be present yet again when (if?) Shaq returns to the Cavs. You would think it wouldn't take long to adjust into the lineup for Cleveland because Jamison played with a C who was a steady defensive presence and had cranked up the offense for the season (Brendan Haywood), which sounds like the renewed Shaquille O'Neal this season, but it's not like LeBron James was Caron Butler or anything. Tawn could always do what the rest of the team does and just watch James play.
Cleveland doesn't appear to be in any danger of losing the top spot in the East either. As of now, they are 6 games ahead of Orlando for the top spot, and nearly 10 ahead of both Atlanta and Boston. Where this could get interesting is the overall playoff seeding, which determines HCA in the Finals. As of now, Cleveland only holds a 1 game lead over the Lake Show for the top seed in the playoffs, which seems especially vulnerable right now. However, the LAL have a fairly tough schedule until March 22nd (the first day that Cleveland can resign Zydrunas Ilgauskas), with 6 road games, the only tough one being @ Orlando this upcoming Sunday. Nevertheless, road games are always kind of a crapshoot and you never know.
Fortunately, Cleveland's schedule up until the 22nd features only two Cs they should really have trouble with: Tim Duncan (on the 8th) and Kendrick Perkins (on the 14th). They also might have trouble with Brook Lopez (NJN) later this week, but it's the Nets. Because they possess such considerable depth at PF , they should be able to withstand any challenge at PF (notably, Chicago with the resurgent Taj Gibson and Indiana, with Troy Murphy). Cleveland will also have Shaq ready for the Lakers and Orlando, as they only face Orlando once before the playoffs. If everything stays as it is, Orlando (as the 2 seed) would not see Cleveland again until the East Finals and the Lakers the NBA Finals. That's the good news.
The Ilgauskas buyout was (in hindsight) timed perfectly, not that there is any implication of collusion. The Shaq surgery has the potential to be a boon for the Cavs because of the rest his knees will get. Those Clevelanders who want LBJ to stay at home should be counting their lucky stars (for now) because this could be a blessing in disguise in King James' quest for coronation.
Perhaps Stan was a shade hasty in proclaiming the Cavs the team to beat. At least for a couple of months, Shaquille O'Neal will be sidelined with a bent up thumb. If you weren't watching the Cavs/Celts tilt last week, Glen Davis (whom I refuse to address by nickname; it is just as irritating now as it was when he was at LSU) fouled Shaq kinda hard on the way up and came down on his shooting hand. A Celtics player playing rough and having the foul downplayed? Why, this has never happened! Surely, just an oversight by the ref; he must have been new. To be fair to Davis, it wasn't deliberate or anything, just some good old fashioned hard contact that should have drawn a foul. It wasn't like he threw someone into the scorer's table.
Nevertheless, this is rough for the Cavaliers. Antawn Jamison has not shown a lot of expediency getting acquainted with his new team, and the Cavalier's favorite lineup (as opposed to best?) is now missing its enforcer. The awkward chemistry issues will be present yet again when (if?) Shaq returns to the Cavs. You would think it wouldn't take long to adjust into the lineup for Cleveland because Jamison played with a C who was a steady defensive presence and had cranked up the offense for the season (Brendan Haywood), which sounds like the renewed Shaquille O'Neal this season, but it's not like LeBron James was Caron Butler or anything. Tawn could always do what the rest of the team does and just watch James play.
Cleveland doesn't appear to be in any danger of losing the top spot in the East either. As of now, they are 6 games ahead of Orlando for the top spot, and nearly 10 ahead of both Atlanta and Boston. Where this could get interesting is the overall playoff seeding, which determines HCA in the Finals. As of now, Cleveland only holds a 1 game lead over the Lake Show for the top seed in the playoffs, which seems especially vulnerable right now. However, the LAL have a fairly tough schedule until March 22nd (the first day that Cleveland can resign Zydrunas Ilgauskas), with 6 road games, the only tough one being @ Orlando this upcoming Sunday. Nevertheless, road games are always kind of a crapshoot and you never know.
Fortunately, Cleveland's schedule up until the 22nd features only two Cs they should really have trouble with: Tim Duncan (on the 8th) and Kendrick Perkins (on the 14th). They also might have trouble with Brook Lopez (NJN) later this week, but it's the Nets. Because they possess such considerable depth at PF , they should be able to withstand any challenge at PF (notably, Chicago with the resurgent Taj Gibson and Indiana, with Troy Murphy). Cleveland will also have Shaq ready for the Lakers and Orlando, as they only face Orlando once before the playoffs. If everything stays as it is, Orlando (as the 2 seed) would not see Cleveland again until the East Finals and the Lakers the NBA Finals. That's the good news.
The Ilgauskas buyout was (in hindsight) timed perfectly, not that there is any implication of collusion. The Shaq surgery has the potential to be a boon for the Cavs because of the rest his knees will get. Those Clevelanders who want LBJ to stay at home should be counting their lucky stars (for now) because this could be a blessing in disguise in King James' quest for coronation.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
In Praise of Pepsico's Throwback Promotion
Posted by Iroquois Plisken
One of the things that has oft-divided this great nation is which brand of dark caramel colored and flavored sugar water you prefer. We are not short on options, though mostly it boils down to Coca-Cola versus Pepsico. I don't mean to diminish the contributions of Sam's Choice or RC Cola or Jones Soda (which I should, as you'll later see, ostensibly be praising), but let's be honest. The big cola money simply resides in those two.
I'm not entirely certain of the soda (or pop, as one writer on this site is apt to say) preferences in this site's reader base, but allow me to paint with a broad brush here--those of us from the southern part of the United States are more likely to prefer Coca-Cola and those from the northern part are more likely to prefer Pepsi. I have really only the empirical evidence from my life to back this up. When I was but a young lad, most places where I was from only served Coke. My parents did the sensible thing with substitute goods--they bought the one on sale. Indeed, Coke v. Pepsi is often the textbook economic example of a substitute good. As I got older, however, and considerably more eccentric, I began to develop a preference.
Nowadays, the only soda I normally consume (outside of bars as a mixer) is typically Coke Zero, in part because I have grown to like it, but also in part because I have had a falling out with Hugo Chavez and this is my way of passive-aggressively informing him. Recently, I have found that Diet Dr. Pepper tastes more like Regular Dr. Pepper than one may give credit for. The development that captured my heart, though, was Pepsi's Throwback promotion.
For those not familiar, Pepsi Throwback uses the older variant of cola formation, most specifically the use of (what I assume is) cane/beet sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, one of my mortal enemies. Without delving into the political side of things, it is my belief that HFCS is one of the stronger causes of obesity in this country, which is why I personally avoid it whenever possible. Nevertheless and setting that point aside, I have found from this promotion that soda just flat out tastes better with sugar. For more HFCS resources and critcisms/defenses, click here.
What are the differences in the sodas? HFCS sodas just taste like syrupy water. Pure Sugar Sodas actually taste like something. There's a fuller body to the taste. You drink one and you're quite satiated for a good amount of time. No more pounding multiple sodas in a row to slake one's thirst, unless you really want to have the throwback to third grade sugar high/crash. Because you don't have to consume as many to get the sweet tooth filled, you'll end up consuming less. If you didn't get a chance to try some of the stuff, I definitely recommend picking some up next time.
So, I applaud Pepsi for rolling out this campaign. It was pretty tough to find any PT cans around town, but there's been an ample stock of Mountain Dew cans. Alas, the promotion ended, but I made sure to have enough to last me for a good 4 months. If only this was made into a permanent line of drinks, I would gladly pay extra to have some, but most (rational) folks would not. A pity.
One of the things that has oft-divided this great nation is which brand of dark caramel colored and flavored sugar water you prefer. We are not short on options, though mostly it boils down to Coca-Cola versus Pepsico. I don't mean to diminish the contributions of Sam's Choice or RC Cola or Jones Soda (which I should, as you'll later see, ostensibly be praising), but let's be honest. The big cola money simply resides in those two.
I'm not entirely certain of the soda (or pop, as one writer on this site is apt to say) preferences in this site's reader base, but allow me to paint with a broad brush here--those of us from the southern part of the United States are more likely to prefer Coca-Cola and those from the northern part are more likely to prefer Pepsi. I have really only the empirical evidence from my life to back this up. When I was but a young lad, most places where I was from only served Coke. My parents did the sensible thing with substitute goods--they bought the one on sale. Indeed, Coke v. Pepsi is often the textbook economic example of a substitute good. As I got older, however, and considerably more eccentric, I began to develop a preference.
Nowadays, the only soda I normally consume (outside of bars as a mixer) is typically Coke Zero, in part because I have grown to like it, but also in part because I have had a falling out with Hugo Chavez and this is my way of passive-aggressively informing him. Recently, I have found that Diet Dr. Pepper tastes more like Regular Dr. Pepper than one may give credit for. The development that captured my heart, though, was Pepsi's Throwback promotion.
For those not familiar, Pepsi Throwback uses the older variant of cola formation, most specifically the use of (what I assume is) cane/beet sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, one of my mortal enemies. Without delving into the political side of things, it is my belief that HFCS is one of the stronger causes of obesity in this country, which is why I personally avoid it whenever possible. Nevertheless and setting that point aside, I have found from this promotion that soda just flat out tastes better with sugar. For more HFCS resources and critcisms/defenses, click here.
What are the differences in the sodas? HFCS sodas just taste like syrupy water. Pure Sugar Sodas actually taste like something. There's a fuller body to the taste. You drink one and you're quite satiated for a good amount of time. No more pounding multiple sodas in a row to slake one's thirst, unless you really want to have the throwback to third grade sugar high/crash. Because you don't have to consume as many to get the sweet tooth filled, you'll end up consuming less. If you didn't get a chance to try some of the stuff, I definitely recommend picking some up next time.
So, I applaud Pepsi for rolling out this campaign. It was pretty tough to find any PT cans around town, but there's been an ample stock of Mountain Dew cans. Alas, the promotion ended, but I made sure to have enough to last me for a good 4 months. If only this was made into a permanent line of drinks, I would gladly pay extra to have some, but most (rational) folks would not. A pity.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Public Service Announcement / Opportunity for Free Food
Posted by Iroquois Plisken
Part of this blog's duty is to blog about food, though you may not know it. So, in light of this, it's time to alert the nation about a free food opportunity.
Today, the International House of Pancakes ("IHOP") is giving away a short stack of pancakes from 7 AM EST to 10 PM EST. Sure, there is the whole thing about maybe possibly considering donating to Children's Miracle Network just a small portion of your vast allotment of riches. But, if you're okay with being a cheap bastard who is okay with prolonging children's suffering, then free pancakes, man.
Here are the deets. Go forth and prosper.
Part of this blog's duty is to blog about food, though you may not know it. So, in light of this, it's time to alert the nation about a free food opportunity.
Today, the International House of Pancakes ("IHOP") is giving away a short stack of pancakes from 7 AM EST to 10 PM EST. Sure, there is the whole thing about maybe possibly considering donating to Children's Miracle Network just a small portion of your vast allotment of riches. But, if you're okay with being a cheap bastard who is okay with prolonging children's suffering, then free pancakes, man.
Here are the deets. Go forth and prosper.
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