480 Sports

Trent Oeltjan who?

2009-08-06T19:41:00.000-07:00

I can't pronounce his name, but Trent Oetljan is making his major league debut right now and doing everything he can to stay. He hit his first major league home run (an 8th inning shot to tie the game), got on base two more times (once in the top of the 10th), stole 2 bases (to move in to scoring position in the 10th), and also made an outfield assist.

Trent Oeltjan who? He signed with the twins in 2001 as an 18 year old prospect from Australia and bounced around in the minors/australian leagues for 9 professional seasons. A fine start...

Bring the POW-a

2009-08-03T20:46:00.000-07:00

In the last 7 games Mark Reynolds has hit 7 home runs with 9 RBI. This surge has led in overtaking Chad Tracy for 5th all-time in franchise HRs. The kid is moving fast.

2009-08-02T15:45:00.000-07:00

.. from an article on azcentral.com

"Strong safety Adrian Wilson and several of his teammates are motoring around campus on Segways, a trend set last year by receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

Wilson was asked was he renting or buying. "They wouldn't put 'A-Dub' on it if I was renting it," he said with a smile, pointing to his name near a wheel."

Glad to see the money didn't change him!

The Red Wizard

2009-08-02T15:01:00.000-07:00

In looking to the d-backs future I found out something about the past. Players get remembered for different reasons. Gonzo for the winning hit in the world series, Tony Womack for stealing bases and hitting a grand slam on father's day just after his own father had passes away, Matt Williams swinging at a slider low and away, or BK Kim throwing wild sliders that hit players even though they swung at them.

Chad Tracy is generally remembered for having red hair and hurting his knees. He has been on the team now for six seasons and is third all time in games. His career stats are not mind blowing but he ranks surprisingly high on a number of lists.

Third in games played, 5th all-time in HRs, 4th in RBI, 4th in hits, 3rd in doubles (1 behind Steve Finley for 2nd), and 6th in batting average.

His statistical output is pretty remarkable considering he has missed significant time in each of the past 3 seasons and has really only played 4 and a half full seasons, missing nearly 200 games with injuries (mostly knee problems). In only his second season he hit 27 home runs while hitting over .300. His power numbers dropped a little bit in his third year but he still posted 41 doubles, 80 RBI, and 20 HRs to go with his .281 average. Had he stayed healthy, he'd be our franchise first baseman and would rank second in doubles, HRs, RBI, and hits to only Luis Gonzalez.

On this day, Tracy is only 29 still, and could've potentially gone on to be the most productive diamondback in team history, but injuries de-railed what was a promising career. He may be with the team another year or two but he'll have to rebound and finally stay healthy to regain some playing time. I hope he does it, he deserves a lot more credit than he gets.

The New Baby Backs

2009-07-31T09:41:00.000-07:00

I really have to give the d-backs a hand. I hate to admit it but I see what they're trying to do. Some teams have identities, a style of play that defines the team. The Tigers try to smack the ball out, the Athletics and Cardinals small ball you to death and lean on a big bat (Maris-Pujols, ASU Star Reggie Jackson-Jason Giambi). The Yankess breed prospects and flip them for stars, and the Red Sox cheat. The d-backs do not operate like most teams, but a system is starting to emerge. It is different this time because we our grooming our own prospects at such a great pace, they are becoming every day players at an early age and we're starting to see what kind of player they'll become. I'll break down how they've been modeling the team from the 98-02 core that did so well.

When most people think about the diamondbacks and their great players, they think of pitching. The team understands that pitching wins you playoff games. They pay for pitching with 7 of their top 10, including 4 of the top 5, highest salaries going to stock their rotation and bullpen. It should also be noted that the d-backs best three offensive players (Reynolds, Upton, and Montero as of late) are only being paid $1.26 mil cumulative, while relievers Chad Qualls and Jon Rauch are each earning double that individually.

The one-two of Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling almost guaranteed a series win if both were slated to start. I think I even remember hearing a stat during one of the seasons that Curt Schilling didn't lose a game the entire season if Johnson lost the game before.

The d-backs employ Brandon Webb and Dan Haren in this same fashion, it's really too bad that Webb went down early as he did. It's unfortunate, but depending on the development of three young pitchers (I'll get to that in a minute), we may have seen the last of Webb in a d-backs uniform as we may not pick up his costly option ($8-9mil) due to doubts about his arm. If he and Conor Jackson were healthy, you could be looking at a much better team and possibly two 20 games winners and Cy Young contenders.

Mark Reynolds, 28 HRs-68 RBI-.275/.362/.560, is a more athletic version of Matt Williams, and we'll get him in his prime versus the declining Williams we saw. His defense is starting to turn around and his fielding % is not as bad as you'd think. Matt himself, a gold glove winner, is tutoring him on his fundamentals and footwork and it appears its finally starting to pay off.

Justin Upton, 19 HRs-63 RBI- .301/.374/.546, earned an all-star bid at the age of 21 and reminds everyone of Ken Griffey Jr. Unlike Jr., Upton has a high torque swing but it's still smooth like butta. He shows the tools of a good defensive outfielder he just needs more reps as he wasn't fully converted until the big leagues in a position.

These two players are the #3 and #4 hitters for a long time, I hope, and as the team builds around them their numbers will get significantly better with people on base. They are both top 15 in RBI, top 15 in stolen bases, top 15 in HRs (Reynolds is 2nd), and top 10 in slugging. They also both strike out a lot but a good eye will take care of that.

As for the rest of our positions, it looks like Montero has locked up the catcher spot with his offensive surge, but I can't help to think his pitch calling isn't what it should be yet. Of course we have had 3 shutouts in the past week, so maybe he is getting a feel for the players. Chris Snyder really fits the mold of what our team values. Damian Miller defense and game calling. He was behind the plate for the world series, Randy Johnson's perfect game, and was an average hitter for a catcher. One of the two will be shipped out within a year or two.

Stephen Drew was our SS since the day he was drafted. Injuries have limited him a little bit but it appears he has figured out his swing. He has been a traditionally slow starter but has killed it in June and July and has seen his batting average rise 70 points to .278. Don't forget last year he joined a prestigious group of Nomar Garciaparra and Robin Yount as the only SS to hit 20 HRs, 40 doubles, and 10 triples in only his third big league season. He is a prototypical 2 hitter that will deliver more pop on the bat then a typical 2 hitter would. He will win a gold glove soon when the team starts winning.

I like Upton in right field, I really like Gerardo Parra in center field, and Conor Jackson will be our left fielder next year. This leaves out Eric Byrnes, a highly paid utility outfielder, commander of our top salary, and fourth outfielder. What this does is push Chris Young out of a job. He got paid and he hasn't been the same since. I think he didn't realize the work he needed to be doing to keep improving. It will be a battle between him and Parra for the job next year when we are healthy again.

This leaves second base, and first base as up for grabs. The team looks to shuffle Josh Whitesell and Chad Tracy around, but really neither will be with the team next year. September will bring up red hot Brandon Allen to the big leagues. We got him in a straight up deal from the White Sox for Tony Pena and we believe he is the future at first base. In his first 16 games at AAA Reno he hit 8 home runs, 17 RBI with a .339 avg and an outstanding 1.212 OPS. Oh, and he also stole 3 bases and has stolen as many as 14 in an 84 game season. He also has been working much more on conditioning and weight lifting recently to help move his 6'2" 235lb body. He's only 23 and depending how he does in his September call up and next year in spring training, the job may be his next year to keep.

As for second base who really knows. We have never really given a crap about who's at second after Jay Bell left. And even then we let him suck for a while before we replaced him. Felipe Lopez was doing a pretty good job but he was shipped off.

As for those three young pitchers, that is our current second best pitcher Max Scherzer, Jarrod Parker, and Bryan Augenstein. We've already seen Scherzer pitch 35 major league games now (a typical full season amount of games) and his 3.42 ERA with his dominating fastball looks very promising. His change-up is coming along as is his Mark Prior-like breaking ball. I believe the team will make Dan Haren the Schilling like craftsman and team ace, while Scherzer will take the flamethrower roll and be a potential all-star if his secondary pitches develop.

Jarrod Parker also has "ace" stuff, and is our top ranked prospect (#2 last year, #46 MLB overall). He is only 20 and may be another year before getting the call-up, depending on how long we hold on to Webb, Davis, and Garland. By the time we could see him doing damage in the big leagues, we could have Dan Haren in his prime, Scherzer reaching his peak, and Parker as an impressive big 3.

Bryan Augenstein is a 6'5" 23 year old pitcher who got his first taste of the big leagues after starting his season in AA with a 5-0 record, .078 ERA, and only 4 walks in 34 innings. After his stint in the majors he was promoted, in a way, to AAA. His minor league career ERA is 2.92. He is deceptively effective as he doesn't strike out a ton of people but relies on his great accuracy to get him by.

Now comes where we look at the 2001 world series team and what our team is trying to accomplish with our current prospects.

From game 7 of the World Series along with our team in 2010 (or at least slightly twisted in my favor):

SS Womack - blazing fast - OF Gerardo Parra isn't a blazer, but he's a slapper and high on-base guy.
2B Counsell - good defense, clutch hitter - SS Stephen Drew. He will upgrade this spot in the line-up.
LF Gonzalez - He hit for average, HRs, doubles - OF Justin Upton can also run, throw, and play d.
3B Williams - Absolutely crushed the ball, and struck out a ton - 3B Reynolds is that minus the gold glove.
CF Finley - Mostly a doubles and average hitter, he also played excellent defense. OF Jackson will rake in the RBI in this spot.
RF Bautista - C Montero will get a try up in the lineup if he keeps producing. Needs to work on his game calling.
1B Grace - This will be 1B Brandon Allen most likely, potential power and base stealer, he could move up the lineup.
C Miller - This will be whoever our second baseman is most likely...

Our pitchers were:
P Curt Schilling - Dan Haren will only get better as he isn't a "hard" thrower but uses his mind to win.
P Randy Johnson - Scherzer won't be as good as RJ, but no one will. He is very fun to watch.
-- Here is where you put Jarrod Parker. Speed, four pitches, and improving location*--
P Brian Anderson - Doug Davis will probably be around and he is actually getting better over the past 3 years. He's the new Jamie Moyer.
P Miguel Batista - Augenstein is deceptively effective, just as Batista was. Hopefully he doesn't write poetry though.

*The fifth spot was really a mixture of below average journeymen (Greg Ellis, Albie Lopez, Bobby Witt)

Injuries and an identity crisis struck this team early but next year we expect to contend again. I wouldn't be surprised to see packages of Webb, Chris Young, Chris Snyder, or Chad Tracy shipped at some point for a star pitcher, power hitting 1B, or veteran 2B.

--

Music: Busta Rhymes - Anarchy

Harden Dropping Like a Lead Balloon!

2009-06-09T23:06:00.001-07:00

According to the most recent ESPN fan poll, James Harden has fallen out of the first round all-together!

At least Chad Ford has faith. I mean I know he doesn't seem to be the most athletic 2 guard ever but c'mon...

The Smartest Man in Ball

2009-06-06T11:39:00.001-07:00

Who is the smartest man in baseball? Apparently not a sabermetrician, but Russ Ohlendorf. This name my sound familiar. He was a fourth round draft pick by the d-backs and was making great progress through our program when we decided to throw him in a deal to the Yankees, I believe the one that brought us back Randy Johnson in 2006. Flash forward to the this year, and baseball is happening somewhere in Pittsburgh. I have not confirmed this. Ohlendorf is part of a Pirates rotation that includes the likes of Benny Masters, Johnny Martinez, Luke Jackson, and some other names that I made up rather then looking up their rotation. I do know however that Ohlendorf is 5-5 with a mid 4 ERA's, which on any other team would look something like 7-4 with a 3.85 ERA. He's throwing a 95 mph sinker with deadly accuracy and is one of the most promising arms in the NL Central.

So back to his genious. He scored a 798 (one question off a perfect) on his math SAT and graduated Princeton. Then he wrote a 162 page thesis on the MLB draft using advanced statistics and Bill Smith's win-shares. He determined by studying the 12 year careers of every draft pick from 1989-1993 that paying the signing bonus of a draft pick leads to a 60% return over signing a free agent. Basically this means for every player invtested from 89-93, lets say $1 was invested, that player returned $1.60 to your organization the first year, $2.56 the next, and so on. This is remarkable considering the pre-fucked up stock market averaged 6-7% return. There is a great ESPN article somewhere that goes through more detail but I thought I would just summerize it for people who don't actually care.

This leads to an interesting new concept though. What if teams started offering investors shares of a player's productivity. Paying a 4th round draft pick, such as Ohlendorf, will cost a team about $280,000. If the return is so great, presumably, why not invest 10% in to a minor league player, with the promise of such high returns. This could lead to sports brokering and almost like a publically traded entity. Let's say your player makes the majors and banks on a multi-million dollar contract. Well if you invested 10%, the club owes you a cut right? With the huge amount of players and the long term investment of a club, there will certainly be busts, and a lot of them, but it would be something to look in to. Would you risk money on a player if the return before free agency could be $33 million (Jason Giambi)?

Jemele

2009-06-01T15:49:00.000-07:00

What is ESPN thinking? Allow me to relay the first line of Jemele Hill's latest article to the one, maybe two, possibly three people who read this:

"Whenever I tell people I live in Orlando, Fla., they usually assume Mickey Mouse and Goofy are my neighbors and everyone here walks around eating funnel cakes without shoes."

This is the first line. This is her hook. Who do you talk to Jemele, kindergartners? Tweakers? How do editors let this slide?! She has a degree right? I'm not going to go on a full-scale rant here. I could easily write 5000 words on her stunning ability to write arguments for both sides of a topic she's covering, neither convincingly. I could point out her double standards on her racial commentary. I could talk about how on cold pizza she makes me root for ESPN's Bill O'Reilly, Skip Bayless. But I'm going to save my breath.

I've tried to read her articles. I try to support what she's going for, because I think ESPN could use a savvy female sports journalist who draws on tough topics like race, inner-cities, and the culture of sports in general, but until ESPN finds a qualified journalist, they need to put these issues in the hands of someone else. They're just wasting space and losing fans. Much like those horrible commercials they now play before you can watch any highlights. Jemele illicits the same response. I take my little arrow to the upper right corner, and click the red 'X.'

614 Sports

2009-05-29T14:31:00.000-07:00

I was gonna write an article for the 614 to commemorate my trip, but since the Blue Jackets are hockey and no one watches that, and the only other pro team is the Columbus Crew, which of course is soccer and isn't a sport in America, my only choice is Ohio State.

What's going down at the Shottenstein Center this weekend? High school graduation for the Dublin area high schools! I remember my graduation like it was two years ago... My school had a young 20s, cancer-surviving, congressman speak to us. Let me paraphrase, "I was scared when I got cancer. But I am awesome and overcame it. Then I became a young political symbol, because I am awesome. Did I mention how awesome I am?" The rich school got Jim Tressel, those bastages.

What else is going on in the 614 this week? The father and mother of 480 sports will be introduced to beer pong, an important collegiate sport. Mom has been warned that she probably shouldn't play more than a game or two, while Dad seems like he might be able to hold his own. We will see at 11am when 480 sports's sister's graduation party commences.

I Bet He's Got a Nasty Crossover

2009-05-26T16:23:00.001-07:00

One-handed center Kevin Laue signed a division I scholarship with Manhattan. Who is Kevin Laue? He's a 6'10" with one very long right arm and a left arm that stops just after the elbow. He catches passes with his left nub and uses his large right hand to easily palm the ball. His coaches say he has a tremendous work ethic, runs the floor well, and as Manhattan's coach pointed out, "You don't need two hands to block shots around the basket." This is very true and best of luck to Kevin Laue. Considering how hard it is to get a basketball scholarship with two hands on any level, his commitment is outside extraordinary. I hope he actually gets some well earned playing time, and isn't just a nice gesture on the part of Manhattan's coach.

Get Well CoJack

2009-05-24T20:36:00.000-07:00

Connor Jackson, who has been on the DL with a mysterious illness, has been diagnosed with Valley Fever. The recovery time varies by the severity of the illness, and can take a few months to as long over a year. He also has an accompanying case of pneumonia. Yeeck.

--

Good road trip by the diamondbacks otherwise though. 6-3 including 4 in a row is a good start; facing the 9-in-a-row Padres will be a better test.

Randy Starks

2009-05-24T12:28:00.000-07:00

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4202727

Nice work by Dolphins DE Randy Starks, who managed to use a truck packed with 13-people to pin an officer against another car in heavy traffic. The officer was traveling by foot alongside the car when Starks swerved and got him in the chest, and pinned up to an adjacent car.

Big ups to Randy Starks as he looks at aggravated battery charges. He'll probably just get off with a fine and an apology, and with his fat NFL contract, he won't learn anything... like when you pin an officer between two cars, you have to pull his pants down.

One of the Greatest Stories of All-Time

2009-05-21T22:19:00.000-07:00

So it's not one of those feel good type of stories..

http://www.theunticket.com/george-brett-shits-himself-story/

I recommend you read the transcripts before watching the video. This is quite possibly one of the greatest things I have ever seen. George Brett is the face of the Kansas City Royals (if they had a face), think what Derek Jeter is to the Yankees. He played 20 years spanning from 1973-1993, had over 3,000 hits, played a few positions, and was an MVP and runner-up twice. This just proves why some people just can't like baseball; all the players are disgusting. They pee on each other in the shower (Greg Maddux).

"If a tie is like kissing your sister, losing is like kissing your grandmother with her teeth out."
"I've only read two books in my life: Baseball Sparkplug and Love Story."

Big Up!(ton)

2009-05-20T22:41:00.000-07:00

Justin Upton absolutely crushes the ball when he makes contact. I don't know if I have ever seen someone hit the ball as hard as him. He can hit a line drive 400 feet and a moon shot 500 feet. He almost makes the diamondbacks watchable.

--

The Cavaliers fell tonight to the Magic on a last second shot by Rashard Lewis. It was great to see these teams go back and forth at the end, but I can't help but think LeBron got tired down the stretch. He looked winded and they even called a timeout that seemed to give LeBron a rest and that was all.

Great put-back by Mo Williams at the end. He couldn't seal the deal but it actually put a spot of interest in to a series I would've otherwise not watched too closely.

NBA Draft Lottery

2009-05-19T03:05:00.001-07:00

The T-Wolves are gonna end up with the #1 pick.

A few notable fails

2009-05-17T17:04:00.001-07:00

Oof of the day goes to:

Joe Madden! You listed Evan Longoria and someone I've never heard of both at 3B! You then explained Longoria was supposed to be the DH for the game, never mind that he's a stellar 3rd baseman. The result? An 11 minute delay at the bottom of the first that resulted in the pitcher, Andy Sorrenstam, batting 3rd, with Longoria not in the game because the defense had already taken the field. I suppose all's well that ends well, like Sorrenstam belting an RBI double in the fourth over the LF's head.

I was gonna say how the Diamondbacks employ some good hitting pitchers, but that might just be because I see our hitters attempt to hit on a daily basis. Upon a little review, we see that the league leaders in hits (for a pitcher) is former D-backer Micah Owings who has 6 hits, 5 of which were multi-baggers (3 doubles, 1 triple, and a dinger).

Let's check out how the list stacks up:

Owings - 6 for 22, 5 extra base hits, .273 AVG (.273 OBP, .636 slugging!! (total bases over at-bats))
Mike Hampton - 5 for 14, all singles, .357 AVG (.400 OBP, .357 slugging)
Carlos Zambrano - 5 for 18, 2 extra base hits, .278 AVG (.316 OBP, .500 slugging)

If we take a look at pitchers helping themselves, we see again Owings at the top of the list.

Owings - 4 RBI
Yovani Gallardo - 4 RBI
4 with 3 RBI

How good is Micah Owings at hitting? He has hit in 12 games, but only pitched in 7, started in 6. So he has been used as a pinch-hitter as many times as a pitcher. These kind of tools are invaluable to a club. So invaluable that we threw him as a player-to-be-named later in the Adam Dunn trade, that oh by the way, got us squat.

What does this all mean?

Oof of the current baseball season:

Trading Chris Carter to the Nationals for Emilio Fruto. The Nationals did something with Chris Carter because he ended up with the White Sox. So we traded Carlos Quentin for Chris Carter again. Then we traded him to the Athletics along with Brett Anderson, Dana Eveland, Greg Smith, Aaron Cunningham, and Carlos Gonzalez for Dan Haren.

So all-in-all we got Dan Haren, fantastic pitcher, and Emilio Fruto... who? As far as those prospects we traded:

Carlos Quentin - Forget he hit 30 HRs and had 100 RBIs last season with a solid .288, his 8 HRs and 18RBI would both be tops on the diamondbacks this year.

Brett Anderson - Winless in 6 starts this season, but is a solid lefty arm in the rotation and only 21 years old!

Dana Eveland - Another lefty starter, Eveland went 9-9 last year for a bad Athletic team. His arm would've been nice when Webby went down.

Carlos Gonzalez - 23 year old outfielder with power, he hit 4 home runs and 26 RBI last season in Oakland. He is currently buried on Colorado's depth chart but some PT in the Rockies could see some real success.

Aaron Cunningham - He just got called up to the big leagues by Oakland. He started in the White Sox organization and was their prospect of the year. Then the d-backs got him and he won the same award. Oakland has to be giddy.

Chris Carter - Still in the minors but made the all-star team last year and won player of the week 4 times.

Bonus oof!

Billy Buckner for Alberto Callaspo

Buckner has a less-than-sexy ERA of 15.25 and was recently demoted, Callaspo is batting .341 in an every day role on the surging Royals.

Double awesome super oof!

Brian Barden, a d-backs draft pick who also made his major league debut with the team, got his first start of 2009 with the Cardinals of St. Louis after claiming him off waivers in 2007. His response? A game winning home run at Chase Field to give the redbirds a 2-1 victory.

Preakness

2009-05-16T15:41:00.000-07:00

That race just didn't capture me like the Kentucky Derby did. Congratulations to Rachel Alexandra becoming the first Phillie to win the Preakness in 80 something years. I can't help but think that runner up Mine That Bird could've won with Calvin Borell jockeying, setting up a fantastic finale to the triple crown race. Instead we're left without another triple crown candidate and I probably won't watch the final race. Unless I'm still unemployed and not in school, in which case I'll watch. But that's not saying much because seriously, I watch the diamondbacks and they have nothing going for them.

Championship "Window"

2009-05-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

The Suns championship window was ruined by Tim Duncan and Robert Horry. But at least we ruined the championship window of Dallas and post-Shaq Kobe's window. You could also say we ruined the Clippers window but that was just one year, really more like a championship porthole.

This and that

2009-05-08T23:20:00.000-07:00

Manny Ramirez, you sly dog you. This whole time we thought it was just Manny being Manny. Turns out you were just some menopausal "man"ny. Enjoy your 50-game vacation. I'll always remember you as the cheater who put the Dodgers over the D-backs in 2008, spurning the d-backs into panic mode, and making constant horrible decisions.

Hey, I wonder who has the most hits of any second baseman in the league so far... Oh my god! It's Orlando Hudson. Good thing we're paying Felipe Lopez $750,000 more than you, after we let you walk due to financial restraints. Now I'll be honest, 'Lope has actually impressed me. His defense is pretty solid, he's been one of the few bright spots in this early season... but isn't it possible to imagine us in a better situation with our former clubhouse leader manning the 2nd bag?

Oh yeah, Bob Melvin was fired. Forget that just two seasons he ago won the NL Manager of the Year for squeezing everything out of his club and taking them to NL West champions. I hate this move. I understand that sometimes changes need to happen, but Melvin was the first manager fired of the year after losing Stephen Drew and Brandon Webb for the majority of the start of the season.

This move was just a way for Derrick Hall to get "his guys" in the organization. Who is the replacement? AJ Hinch, our VP of Player Development. He's 34 and his managerial resume is as long as mine. What a selection to replace a struggling young club. I was wondering how many players were older than AJ Hinch in our clubhouse... turns out just 3 players (Scott Shoenweis, Tony Clark, and Eric Byrnes) are older. Then I watched the game today, I didn't recognize anyone on our "new" coaching staff and I didn't recognize half the team. Josh Wilson at SS? Josh Whitesell at 1B? Now there are talks of demoting Chris Young to AAA and Chad Tracy, who was tearing it up early in the season but was in a mini 1-17 funk, was benched. His replacement, the aforementioned Whitesell responded by going 1 for 10 in his first few games. NICE! This is the way to motivate a struggling young team that is battling injuries. Replace the entire coaching staff and start replacing mainstays in the line up. These moves show more panic than Stan Van Gundy at the post-game buffet. Cheese doodles or Cheetos. DOODLES OR CHEETOS? AHHHHHH!

--

Props to the Cardinals. I really like what Bidwell (jr) and Rod Graves are constructing here in the desert. What I like even more, however, is their no non-sense approach with player's contracts. Boldin signed a new deal in 2005 with 2 years left on his rookie deal. Dockett inked his name on the dotted line in 2006 for a 5 year extension. Now it could be said that they have out performed their extensions, but the team isn't going to continue to open its pocket books on a yearly basis. Not giving in to their demands plays a strong message to a developing team. Shut up and play. When it's your turn, you'll get paid. Just ask Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald. And if money is really the issue, wait it out and go join Antonio Smith and Calvin Pace in the VIP room.

--

Rumor has it the Suns are close to inking a 2-year contract extension with Alvin Gentry. The Suns still have $7 mil committed to Terry Porter over the next 2 years, so they're looking to give Gentry a reasonable figure that will come off the book with Porter. Great move by the Suns. They were decimated by injuries down the stretch and unfortunately that might've been their window. A healthy Shaq, Nash, and Grant Hill coupled with a healthy STAT and Blur on an improved bench could be too much in these playoffs. Could the Lakers bench keep up with us? Especially with our handling of Kobe on a bi-summer basis? It would've been hard to say that team wouldn't have a shot. The best news is we should have the same team back next year. The luxury of resting dinosaurs Nash, Shaq, and Hill will only play dividends next year as the triumvirate of Dragic, Amundson, and Dudley improve, not to mention the late surge of ~~Sideshow Bob~~ Robin Lopez.

I can't wait for next season, watching the playoffs have been pretty tough to watch. I still haven't caught a LeBron game, but right now my favorite teams to watch are the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets. It's too bad the Lakers will win calls as the NBA rigs up a Kobe vs LeBron finals. Ron Artest is going bat-shit crazy (if that's not an expression, it should be, but only to describe RonRon) but the refs look at his reputation and eject him at the first sign of aggression. The NBA, where profiling happens.

--

The coyotes are gonna move to Ontario? That'd suck... I guess.

--

Special shout out to Sean Barton, who will never read this. Nor do I have a reason for the shout out.

-
Tracks: Busta Rhymes - Genesis 2001

Cards Begin Repeat for 2nd Place

2009-04-14T16:34:00.000-07:00

Based on 2008 schedules the Cardinals face a SoS of .441, good for 27th (easiest) in the league. This is good news for the red birds who desperately need help at RB and could use stability along both sides of the line. This years draft class and unless Donald Brown or Knowshon Moreno drop, there won't be an immediate impact player for the team via draft. Success this year will need to come via player development. Calais Campbell is penciled in as a defensive line starter and if he shows up look for the run and pass (via deflections, he is 6'8") to improve. Bryant McFadden opposite of DRC with Antrel and Wilson in the backfield poses a threatening secondary. I'm not sure the opposition will be too worried about coverage, more so getting their heads knocked of.

Now let's get on with it:

Week 1 - vs San Francisco - We always get a chance to blow the season hopes early, and a loss at home to the bay area niners would certainly crush the fans. Thankfully for us, we usually wait until later in the year for that.
Win

Week 2 - @ Jacksonville - The dreaded east coast 10:00am (1pm in Florida) kick off. The jags don't have a lot going for them. Their motors are questionable, performance is a little shaky, confidence is shot to say the least, and like their automotive counterpart, they're sinking. Regardless, Mojo Drew will most likely bowling ball his way to 250 yards and 5 TDs.
Win

Week 3 - vs Indianapolis - SUNDAY NIGHT - The Cards first chance to make a statement on national television comes a la Peyton and Co. And by Peyton and Co., I mean Dallas Clark, Joe Addai's worn down legs, and Reggie Wayne's mayonnaise speed. I can't think of much else the colts have for them. However, those four will probably get them a playoff birth. I see a scrappy cards victory.
Win

Week 4 - BYE - A chance for upcoming free agents to really let their beefs out. Karlos can "make a splash man, make splash," but I think he's really just a gay fish. Kurt Warner will get closer to God and closer to being in a wheelchair by about now.

Week 5 - vs Houston - It's not unrealistic to look for this game as a chance to start 4-0. I see a fail and a drop to 3-1 as Matt Schaub is forced to wear a tu tu by Adrian Wilson in exchange for not killing him.
Loss

Week 6- at Seattle - Who will be starting this game at QB for Seattle? Will it be Matt Hasselbeck? Seneca Wallace? Mark Sanchez? Rudy Carpenter? Barring a repeat the same could be said for their WR core. Who will start alongside TJ Housmanzadeh? Deion Branch? Seneca Wallace? Rudy Carpenter?
Win

Week 7 - @ The G-Men - SUNDAY NIGHT - Another prime time showdown, another Manning. This time the dirty birds travel to the Manning's home. It will be October 25 by Week 7. I'm not sure why that is relevant, but it will make a good motto for the season, "TWO MANNINGS, ONE NIGHT."
Loss

Week 8 - vs Carolina - Last time the Cards playing the Panthers, Jake Delhomme crapped the bed and his status as a starting QB in the league was questioned. Before the game Adrian Wilson will send him a text asking him if he'd rather have his foot up his ass or Dockett's foot up his ass.
Win

Week 9 - @ Chicago - By now Kurt Warner will probably be broken and Matt Leinart will get his first start of the year against an improved Bears team. He will be compared to the man drafted right after him, he doesn't need mentioning, but more importantly we'll get to see Denny Green's MNF tirade over and over.
Loss

Week 10 - vs Seattle - At this point in the season I really hope this is a meaningless game. Seattle should be a dweller and hopefully we're starting to seperate ourselves from the NFC West, and a win here could make us a solid 5-4.
Win

Week 11 - @ St. Louis - Our first view of St. Louis! Such a shame it had to wait until this long... I guess.
Win

Week 12 - @ Tenneessee - Another 10:00am east coast tip off. This might not be as scary as it looks if you remember 3 key things: Albert "Wafflestomper" Haynesworth has departed to Washington, Jeff Fisher's mustache probably won't be frozen yet, and Kerry effing Collins is their QB! ... And Kurt Warner is ours, moving on...
Loss

Week 13 - vs Minnesota - You can expect the Cardinals defense to be stablizing around this point, I wouldn't be surprised to see them in the top 10 in defense. Adrian Peterson runs for 342 yards dropping us to 19th. Tim Hightower runs RT for 2 yards. 24 times.
Loss

Week 14 - @ San Francisco - MONDAY NIGHT - We get two Mannings and two reasons to show the Denny Green tirade in one season? I'm excited. Adrian Wilson sacks Alex Smith on the bench prompting a fine from the commish. Wilson later explains, "I couldn't find their QB on the field, there was just some slow FB named Hill tossing screens. I thought he was hiding over here."
Win

Week 15 - @ Detroit - A solid chance Matt Stafford and the Detroit Lions could be 0-14 here, 0 for their last 33, a loss would be embarassing. Could the Cards be that cruel to us? Yes. Yes they could.
Loss

Week 16 - vs St. Louis - Fresh off their loss to New Tenneessee Tech the Rams get to play an NFL team again, for some reason.
Win

Week 17 - vs Green Bay - Arizona gets this one to close out the season 10-6, good for 1st place in the NFC West by 3 games.
Win

Chemistry

2009-04-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

If only they were in Seattle...

Who are these people?

2009-03-15T14:08:00.000-07:00

I'm not handling my break-up with the diamondbacks all that great. I still occasionally check their website, maybe read an article or two... but no box scores, that's a bigger deal than you'd think. I really don't like the make-up of the roster (notice I didn't say our roster) and there really isn't a likable player on the team. It just reaffirms the fact that most baseball players are douchebags. By the way, Greg Maddux used to pee on ~~rookies~~ anyone in the shower.

I did happen to check out their 40-man roster today because they ran a story about a new addition to the roster, who went to MCC no less, who used his 50th status (last pick overall, see: Mr. Irrelevant) as fuel. Every time he went on the mound, it was to prove to other teams he was better than that, in hopes that he could make it to the majors and dominate the diamondbacks. I thought that was heartwarming. That was until he decided to foster a friendship with them as they brought him up through the organization. His name is Kyler Newby and he is this week's Tool of the Week. Congratulations.

I also happened to look at the rest of the roster and have come to the conclusion that the d-bags were too cheap to pay real players, and therefore made-up names and just never play those players. Let's take a look at some of their alleged pitchers:

Jon Coutlangus - Do I need to go into much detail with this one?
Yusmeiro Petit - What kind of name is that? French? I'm confused. I'm pretty sure they just took off Edgar Gonzalez's goggles and gave him contacts.
Leyson Septimo - When you spell that backwards (Omitpes nosyel), then google it, then click the "did you mean" link, then go to images, you get this:

I'm not sure why this is relevant, but that it occurs is not good.

Esmerling Vasquez - It sounds like he could tell my fortune. I bet it doesn't include paying money to see him play.
Clay Zavada - I would not be surprised if he was actually just an obscure reference from Star Trek. Derrick Hall looks like he really likes Captain Kirk.

You helped ruin baseball for me

Blahhh Bonus: Derrick Hall is from West Virginia, an alum in fact. When folk legend Bill Stewart took over for super-snitch Rich "Rod" Rodriguez and guided WVU to a thrilling bowl win, he was given a new contract the next day. Derrick Hall came out against the move saying he would withdraw his $1 million a year contributions to the school, and if they fired him he would even include an additional $500k gift. He said Stewart couldn't lead the program and they'd return to mediocrity. WVU went 9-4 with a bowl win this season while Rich's wolverines (lowercase intended) hoisted a 3-9, closing out their season with a 7-42 loss to Ohio State. I tried to think of a word demeaning enough to describe that loss, but words failed to materialize.

The diamondbacks could've resigned Randy Johnson for $6 million, who got $12 million with incentives from the bay area Giants, and we decided journeyman, and that title is a stretch, Felipe Lopez was worth $4 million while Orlando Hudson (whom we said would be too expensive to re-sign and all but severed ties immediately with after the final game) is playing for a loaded Dodgers team at under that price.

About a year ago I was eating a random KFC somewhere in Scottsdale when someone I thought Derrick Hall came in. His kids had "Hall" on their little league jerseys, so I'm going with yes. He was only the president at that point, this was a few weeks before his promotion to CEO, but I still didn't want to talk to him. If it was Jeff Moorad, Jerry Colangelo, Mark Grace, the guy who is the Baxter the Bobcat (Bank One Ballpark, Bob, bobcat... this was a stretch, and now outdated by several years), anyone affiliated with the diamondbacks I would've been thrilled to at least say hi. But not Derrick Hall, mostly at that time because of his threat and call to firing of Bill Stewart after he had already signed a new contract. How big is your head when you threaten publicly a university, and no one outside of maybe 100k people in central phoenix (at the time) knows your name.

Derrick Hall and the diamondbacks organization recently won some awards for being well run and providing a good fan experience. Never mind that our team can't win, we let fan favorites walk, our farm system is depleted from bad trades, and the highly touted rookies that have made it aren't exactly producing.

I understand why Arizona leads the nation in fair-weather fans, the things our teams do to us is enraging. The mismanagement of the suns, cardinals, and diamondbacks (recently) has driven our sports fans crazy.

Happy Spring Break

2009-03-06T14:21:00.000-08:00

Start off your week of laziness by looking at these:

Happy birthday to the Big Shaqtus.

It looks like a really rich kid's bar mitzvah. Young Elijah choose to pretend to be an NFL draft pick. His parents bought a cool back drop, and even hired former commish Paul Tagliabue! Unfortunately, his parents are rather ashamed of his wish for a Chargers jersey and insist that after the picture they give him a New York jersey to keep, because that's a real city. His mom's embarrassment is captured well, as is his father's drunk glow.

Mike Leach; dating guru. This guy has some smooth moves, I would definitely commit to his program.

I wonder if people remember how good KJ was. I really miss watching the 90's suns with Majerle, KJ, Ceballos, Elliot Perry, Wayman Tisdale, Chuck Person, Kenny Rogers. Charles Barkley was good, too...

Coke cost just a quarter back then?

I feel like Manute Bol was probably a little like Barbosa. He seems easily excitable and expresses a desire for food... How he feels about jelly beans, I do not know.

Amazing. This is one is pretty stellar as well.

Those "other" teams

2009-02-24T17:36:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to rant about people jumping on bandwagon teams, claiming they've always liked them, blah blah blah. At some point we've probably all liked a team for a little while then they become the hot ticket and you start getting called a bandwagon fan. I'm a fan of every Arizona pro sports team (minus the d-bags, but thats another post) and every ASU sports team. But the others?

College
Ohio State University
Since: 2006
Why: I lived in Columbus for 3 years, that was enough for it to grow on me. Sports in a big-time college sports town is a completely different sports scene.
Pros: Lots of drinking, cheese, and nudity. Pretty much everything involved drinking, cheese, and nudity.

Cincinnati Bear Cats
Since: I was a youngin'
Why: I really liked their colors when I was little and just kind of rooted for them in basketball. Weird that I moved there, I know a good deal of people that go there now.
Pros: Their student section's shirts say, "Cincinnati Beer Cats."

NFL
Jacksonville Jaguars
Since: 1996
Why: Their second year as a team they made the AFC championship game. This is coincidentally the first NFL football game that I can remember watching and probably the earliest game in any sport I can remember who won from watching it.
Pros: I loved their uniforms, I just thought they were very cool back in the day. They've had some interesting years after that but I still like Mark Brunell, Fred Taylor, and Keenan McCardell from them. Also MoJo Drew, BEAST!

Minnesota Vikings
Since: Early 2000s
Why: Culpepper to Moss. I was watching Jake Plummer's throws get dropped by Frank Sanders and tipped by Freddy Jones, not to mention a garden variety of running backs getting smashed weekly, the offense really appealed to me.
Pros: My interest in them were falling off after Culpepper and Moss moved on. The boat party was a step in the right direction, but drafting Adrian Peterson has made them solid again.

NBA
Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma Thunder
Since: Ever (minus 2006-2008)
Why: With my dad, and sports influence, being from Seattle, I've always rooted for their sports teams (the Seahawks would've made the list but being in the NFC West kind of ruined things). When the team got moved to OKC I was pretty pissed and said I wouldn't like them.
Pros: I really like Russell Westbrook (Deron Williams to Derrick Rose as Paul), Jeff Green is a beast on the boards and could average post-knee-explosion Elton Brand numbers despite being short, and Durant is one of the most fun people to watch. ESPN also projects them taking ASU's James Harden at the #2 spot. Are you freaking serious?! If that happens I might like them as much as I like the Suns right now.

Portland Trailblazers
Since: 2006
Why: When the above team was jettisoned I began searching for a second NBA team. I really liked Brandon Roy's game and then all of a sudden they just started getting really good.
Pros: They're blazing trails, whats not to like? Also my boy Oden ended up with them, which was fortunate... for him.

NHL
hahahaha, just kidding

MLB
Milwaukee Brewers
Since: 2007
Why: Craig Counsell, Damien Miller, Chris Capuano, Junior Spivey, etc. A ton of former d-back players who I liked but were pushed out for younger players have all been through the Brew Crew.
Pros: Much like the first team on this list, they enjoy drinking, nudity, and cheese. Maybe they can offer Brett Favre a position out of the bullpen.

--

Listened to: A tribe called quest

Ramblings on the NFL, NBA trades, Suns

2009-02-20T17:23:00.000-08:00

Good news coming from the desert... if you're a football fan. Rod Graves met ~~Lex Luthor~~ Drew Rosenhaus regarding the three of the six Cardinal players he represents (Boldin, Dockett, A.Smith). Graves called the conference positive and rumors emanating out of Indy is that Boldin is open to re-signing a new deal with the Cards. Very positive for the Red Birds, as are the reports that:

Franchised bone-breaker Karlos Dansby and his agent have had very positive contract talks with Mr. Graves and a deal is in the works for a long-term commitment. (Under the franchise tag, Dansby would earn $10.37M, or 125% of his salary last year, as he was already the third-highest paid LB, and the average of the top 5 salaries is $8.3M, hardly a raise from his $8.03M last season)

:: Breaking news as I was writing this :: Kurt Warner has announced that he will return for the 2009 season. As much as I hate putting confidence in Warner, losing him would be a blow to the team. This also could be a sign that Boldin will stay with the team.

With Dansby likely to be locked up, and Kurt returning, things seem to be progressing fast for the Cards. More recent news includes the hiring of up-and-comer Mike Miller to take over the "pass-game coordinator" position and Russ Grimm as "run-game coordinator." Whisenhunt will call the plays. Bill Davis has been promoted from LB coach to defensive coordinator. Maurice Carthon has left AZ for a spot on Todd Haley's coaching staff in KC. KC's RB coach leaves there to accept the same position with us. All solid moves in my opinion.

--

Nothing too much of note happened at the NBA trade deadline. Several trades materialized and vanished faster than John Daley's long island iced teas at the turn.

I love Rafer Alston going to the Magic because he is one of my favorite players and seems like a more mature Jameer Nelson with that line-up. I expect to see a spike as he dishes to Howard down low and kicks it to Rashard "'Toine2" Lewis and Hedo "Stop calling me Peja" Turkoglu to bomb three's.

T3 (Turf-Toe-Ty) Chandler being returned for their cash back was priceless. head explodes from puns. The Thunder still managed to cast-off Wilcox however, who joins a star-starved cast of misfits on the New York 2010s.

None of this matters though as LeBron will win the NBA Championship as Ben Wallace cuts an out-route. zomg more double-puns

--

Remember when the Suns dropped over 140 in consecutive nights, delivering a triumphant F-you to Terry Porter? They were loose, having fun, and kicking ass. Then it mysteriously vanished, like your eyesight when you get popped in the retina for the second time in a season. Amare went down and had season-ending surgery, resulting in a collective crap by Suns fans. Have we not been tortured enough? I'd rather be a team with no hope, than a team that constantly has that hope publicly shamed with hairy balls drawn on it's face in sharpie from the crazy night before.

The effects: Insert the Brazilian blurp at the 2, slide Father of the Year J-Rich to the 3, and slip all 120 pounds of deer-in-the-headlights Grant Hill in to the 4. You think Grant Hill looks surprised now? Wait until you tell him he's guarding Carlos Boozer, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, or LaMarcus Aldridge. If Hill doesn't work, we're prepared to give all 125 pounds of Matt Barnes a shot at PF, super.

This also means an immediate boost in PT for Anderson Varejao's long lost cousin and Brook Lopez's long lost brother Robin, super. And let's not forget we also get to see more of Lightning Lou or whatever they decided on calling him. Let's hope he takes guarding the Western Confrence bigs as well as he took Zach Randolph's wussy punch.

Suns final record before going down: 53-29 (5th in the Western Confrence)
Suns final record after going down: 48-34 (7th in the Western Confrence)

I just don't see the Suns missing the playoffs with Shaqzilla, Nash, J-Rich, Barbosa, and Grant Hill's ankles. As far as making it deep in the playoffs, this seriously hurts their chances. However, Stat COULD return for the playoffs, but how effective he would be, remains to be seen.

--

Listened to: Lots

Fantasy Basketball

2009-02-20T17:11:00.000-08:00

I have concluded that fantasy basketball is just not as fun as fantasy football. This is the second time I have played fantasy basketball and I lost interest both years midway through. Fantasy football I have had teams 6 of the last 7 years and multiple teams a few of those. The decline of one-RB featured teams made fantasy football a little less appealing but there is still enough dimensions to make it fun. Having daily points and weekly games makes it much less anti-climactic. Being a league with 5 total teams probably also diminishes the effect. Losing 11 players over extensive periods of time during the season hurts, too. It also prompts you to write posts like this to your fellow leaguers:

AH MAH GAHD! TRADE DEADLINE APPROACHING! ALL PLAYERS MUST GO!

WE HAVE RECEIVED EXTRA SUPER STARS FROM THE FACTORY AND WE MUST SELL ALL PLAYERS AT WHOLESALE PRICES!

WE PASS THE SAVINGS ON TO YOU! ACT NOW AND YOU COULD SNAG A BRANDON ROY FOR ONLY A BARON DAVIS!!!! CHRIS PAUL? GERALD WALLACE? MORE LIKE CHRIS ANDERSON AND GERALD GREEN!!

IF YOU HAVE ANY PLAYERS YOU FEAR WILL SOON GO OUT WITH SEASON ENDING INJURIES SHIP THEM HERE!

HELL! PICK UP AMARE AND TRADE HIM TO ME! ZACH RANDOLPH WILL PUNCH HIS RETINA BACK IN TO PLACE!

HURRY HURRY HURRY! THIS MESSAGE WILL SELF-DESTRUCT AFTER THE TRADE DEADLINE (as will this team)

--

FYI: Players losing significant time to injuries this season: Elton Brand, Jose Calderon, Baron Davis, Carmelo Anthony, Gerald Wallace, Zach Randolph, Carlos Boozer, Al Jefferson (the day after trading for him), Tracy McGrady (within a week of trading for him), Andris Biedrins, and Jameer Nelson... That I can think of off the top of my head.

A league with more people would be more fun, when every team has 3 super stars, if you lose 2 or potentially even 1 (see: Jefferson, Al) you're kind of SOL.

--

Listened to: Talib Kweli, Busta Rhymes, Groove Armada, Ying Yang Twins

All-Star Pick'ummmm

2009-02-13T14:34:00.000-08:00

Kevin and I are making predictions on various all-star events; lesssssss go!

Celebrity Game
Does anyone actually care? No. I'll take whoever has Master P and Jamel White (Steve Erkel) by 3.

Rookie/Sophomore Game
This one is kind of funny because of Greg Oden, Rudy Fernandez, and Marc Gasol. Has there ever been a rookie team with 3 sophomores by draft class? I'd make a few jokes about the rookies thinking Greg Oden was their coach and not a fellow rookie, but... I'm not creative.

This should be a more competitive rookie/sophomore game than usual because of the super star talent in the game. For the rooks, O.J. Mayonnaise, Eric "Gordy" Gordon, Westbrook and Derrick Rose create all sorts of havoc for a sophomore team that has no elite, let alone "decent" G's in Aaron Brooks, and Rodney Stuckey. Durant will most likely have to play a lot of 2 guard which also limits his ability to use his speed and size over smaller 3s, his scoring will drop as a result.

While the rookie's have an explosive guard class, where they're lacking is solid 3's and 4's. The sophs are dripping wet with talent at the forward position with the aforementioned Durant, Thaddeus Young, Jeff Green, and Al Thorton... Michael Beasley will have his hands full, and not full of some dank cali-bud, but with long athletic scorers who will torment him from the outside.

Luckily for Beasley, and the rooks, they have 2 future all-stars behind them in Greg Oden and Brook Lopez, and could even get a third with Gasol. If the sophomores want to win this game, they will need a dominating exhibition on the glass by Horford and Scola will have to step up at C as well.

I think the rookies led by Derrick Rose and the low post prowess of Greg Oden and Brook Lopez will lead the undersized Sophomore team to an upset win. I see 138-125 in favor of the rookies with Brook Lopez bringing home the MVP with a 14 point, 14 rebounds, 4 block performance. If the sophs step it up, Durant will bring home the MVP trophy.

Sleeper watch: Jeff Green, dude can play.

Three-point Shootout
I was inclinded to say Jason Kapono but then I remembered that just because my roommate goes 12/12 from downtown with Al Kapono in NBA 2k9, he isn't that great. I'm gonna go with Rashard Lewis here to steal the crown from all these guards.

Side note about Lewis: loved in Seattle, liked him at first in Orlando, however with the emergence of Jameer Nelson (before the carnage) and Dwight Howard taking the post work, it kind of puts Shard(t) in 'Toine Walker position. Surprisingly athletic big man who can hit the 3 and loves to jack 'em up. Just be careful Lewis, you're about a year and a bad break-up away from gaining 30 lbs of krispy kremes and becoming the new 'Toine.

Skills Challenge
I didn't know they let bitches into the skills challenge, why is Tony Longoria here? My vote is for either Devin Harris or Mo Williams. I don't really like Devin Harris so I'm choosing Mo Williams because anyone who leaves the "e" out of "Moe" clearly has shit to do... Like winning the skills challenge.

Dunk Contest
I wish this was more relevant. Dwight Howard can't even dunk, he throws it through. Do Europeans even practice cool dunks? Sorry Nate, but it shouldn't take you over 20 times to make a dunk. That leaves me with JR Smith. I'm a big fan of the big-lackadaze and even use him in NBA 2k9 dunk contest. Unfortunately, this is just a weak field. Howard will probably win but on the off-chance JR Smith shows up and tries... I'm picking the junior Smith.

All-Star Game
This game doesn't get interesting until the last 10 minutes... most years. Other years it just doesn't get interesting period. Without doing any previous research or even looking at the rosters, I'm leaning towards picking the West cause of their overall dominance. However, Bron Bron actually cares. He will be the only non-first time all-star out there trying. That might be enough to give the East a 15-20 point lead going in to the fourth, probably about what they need before the Mamba takes over. I'm gonna say the West in a barn burner with Bron Bron trying REALLY REALLY hard, 148-142. My west MVP is Mamba and my east MVP is Paul Pierce, he's playing right?

Harden Bringing A Lot

2009-02-12T23:04:00.000-08:00

How far can James Harden take ASU in the tourney?

Stats
Height: 6'4", 212 lbs
Points: 19.7
Boards: 6.5
Dimes: 3.9
Shooting: 50% FG 33% 3-PT 75% FT
Steals: 2.3

Looks pretty impressive. They should, because those are Dwayne Wade's numbers in his 2 years in Marquette. Now lets take a look at James Harden's career averages with Dwayne Wade's numbers in (parentheses).

Height: Listed as 6'5" but Charles Barkley was listed at 6'7". (6'4")
Weight: 218 (212)
Points: 19.5 (19.7)
Boards: 5.3 (6.5)
Dimes: 3.5 (3.9)
Shooting: 52% (50) FG 39% (33) 3-PT 76% (75) FT

They were also viewed similarly in college. They said that Wade couldn't play the 2 because he was too small and the 1 because he wasn't fast enough. I think teams can see Harden playing in a Dwayne Wade style offense and could be an excellent compliment to a dominant low post scorer (see: Minnesota/Al Jeff's ACL). He doesn't need to shoot the ball every time but with the ball in his hands he is smart enough and athletic enough to drive or kick out and is killer in the clutch. He takes high percentage shots and could eventually hit 20-25 PPG in the NBA if given 15-18 shots a game. He takes a lot of contact but knows how to fall (see: Hill, Grant) and goes to the line often in games. It wouldn't hurt him to improve his FT%. He is a quiet leader but his teammates trust his abilities to make the crucial shot.

D-Wade's rookie stat line: 34.9 MPG, 47% FG, 30% 3-PT, 75% FT, 4.0 REB, 4.5 AST, 16.2 PTS.
These are numbers I could definitely see from Harden as a rookie. The key will be playing time. If he ends up a top 5 pick as he is currently projected, he will likely go somewhere where he will be needed to score.

Harden played well today in front of NBA scouts and GMs. An additional 50 seats were bought by teams in town for the all-star break to watch ASU-UCLA square off, but especially to get a firsthand look at Harden, Pendergraph, and Collison (maybe Ty Abbott and Josh Shipp). How does Harden respond? A thrilling sweep of UCLA, the Pac-10's first since 2005, while dishing out a career-high 11 assists (also Dwayne Wade's career high at Marquette). The kid can simply score, not to mention he is an underrated defender and could guard most 1's and smaller 2's in the NBA.

I think all of the above, combined with the Hyphy beard (see: Davis, Baron) James Harden is a legitimate top-5 pick. He can score on his man in one-on-one situations whether off the dribble or in the post, he can drain the 3, he nails the clutch shots, and he has a Hyphy beard, end of discussion.

--

Playlist: TV on the Radio; Return to Cookie Mountain/Dear Science

Yuhhh

2009-02-12T09:52:00.000-08:00

I just found myself thinking, I wonder if we could ship Barbosa to Houston for Ron Artest... Yuhhhh. That's not good.

NCAA First Team All-Name

2009-02-10T20:49:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't like making fun of someone because of their name?

Da'Veed Dildy G Stanford
Why go with boring old David when you could go French and phonetically spell Da'Veed!? His older brother Da'Bomb Dildy is currently overseas with Russian Chumchatka RSK.

Haouna Mutombo G Western Carolina
His first name reminds me of a dangerous drug, now that's worthy of an all-name list. But throw in the lineage of a Mutombo and you're starting to elevate your game.

Pawel Kielbasa F Chicago State
Kielbasa sausage, your butt cheeks is warm!

Frank Ben-Eze F Davidson
Frank Ben-Eze since the day he was born. He's Ben-Eze all his life.

Chief Kickingstallionsims C Alabama State
... because Kickingstallion wasn't enough. I can't imagine having Chief as a first name, I imagine my life would be very sarcastic. Sure thing Chief!

The Cardinals Off-Season Pt. I

2009-02-09T21:29:00.000-08:00

The Cardinals had their first promising season in a decade and this off-season will be key to their future success. They have several key free agents set for big pay raises, and the price tag for super bowl role players can sky rocket after a big game (remember Dexter Jackson? Rod Graves does...).

Over the course of a few posts I'll be commenting on Cardinal decisions, rumors, and other league happenings. I'm going to start with key free agents and make predictions on if they will return, and what kind of year we can expect from them.

Kurt Warner
What he did: Led the Cardinals to a Super Bowl while putting up MVP numbers for most of the season.

What he didn't do: Instill confidence. I still can't trust him. They went to the super bowl, but nine wins will not cut it next year. He gets a guilty look when he tries to look confident. Kind of like when my dog gets into the trash can and plays it off like nothing happened.

What will happen in the off-season: If Anquan Boldin commits to 2009 then Warner will be back. If not, it's a 50/50. He has a maturing offensive line that played great in the playoffs and emerging receivers in Steve Breaston and Early Doucet. I'm thinking he gets resigned and puts up high 60% completion percentage, about 2500 yards, 20 TDs, 8 INTs, and 6 fumbles in 12 games and 11 starts.

J.J. Arrington
What he did: Arrington has never succeeded at the level his 2nd round draft status projected since leaving Cal. He was inactive for the first 4 games of the season before earning some playing time from Whisenhunt. He was effective in the return game (including a game-breaker against Dallas for 6) and proved valuable in 3rd and long situations with screens and flat routes.

What he didn't do: Provide stability. His average yd/att was much improved thanks to some long runs but he was never the feature of the offense.

What will happen in the off-season: J.J.'s vision and patience has shown much improvement under RBs coach Maurice Carthon. With the projected departure of Edgerrin James as a cap casualty, Arrington will most likely be resigned to a smaller deal with incentives for production. He should end up on the kickoff squad and continue to get some more reps as Whisenhunt finds more ways to employ his speed and shiftiness. 400 yards rushing, 400 yards receiving, and 5 TDs (2 rushing, 2 receiving, 1 return) is what I see for J.J. in 2009.

Bertrand Berry
What he did: Berry took a restructured deal for less money to stay on an Arizona team he felt had potential, and for that he gets my vote as a fan favorite. Berry does not have the speed he once had but he uses solid technique with good football instincts to make plays.

What he didn't do: Stop the run. Berry is not longer a starter on a good football team but he is a solid backup and can still play series as a down line backer or upright end based on personnel needs.

What will happen in the off-season: Bertrand is the kind of guy Whisenhunt likes on his teams and will definitely want him back. Look for him to sign another one or two year contract around his pay from last year. For production, I can see similar 30 tackle and 4-5 sack kind of season.

Karlos Dansby
What he did: He played Pro Bowl caliber defense and led a blitzing linebacking core that surprised teams in the playoffs with their tough short-yardage defense.

What he didn't do: The Cardinals missed too many tackles and Dansby was another culprit. Like Antrel Rolle and Adrian Wilson, Dansby gets jacked on the big hit. Sometimes that means strong runners can bounce of his shoulder tackles and get extra yardage in the second level. There isn't much negative in his game though. He is an emotional leader and a key player to the Cardinals D.

What will happen in the off-season: Dansby scares me because of his potential. He is still a young player and flashes brilliance. He has the speed, size, and determination to become a perannieal Pro Bowler in the right system. He can play in a 3-4 or 4-3 which also helps his market value. There has been rumors over him going to Jersey A, but I feel this is just promotion to drive his price up. There is a chance he could recieve an offer like Calvin Pace got from Jersey B, and the Cardinals might not want to commit that much money. If a long-term deal can't be worked out, I expect Dansby to be franchised. Either way I think he will be back. Look for 100 tackles, 6 sacks, 2 INTS, 3-4 forced fumbles and a reel of big hits from Dansby in 2009.

Antonio Smith
What he did: Antonio has always been a favorite player of mine and with the move to the starting unit full time in 2009 we see the potential from this 5th round pick out of OK State. He is average in run stopping and above-average in pass rush because of his ability to give a second effort and beat his man on a busted play. He was another Cardinal who really stepped it up in the playoffs and if he can play with that intensity game in-game out he could be a force for this team.

What he didn't do: His first full year as a starter was good, not great. He didn't always make his presence known and his production varied game to game. His play recognition could use some work but if he continues to improve as he has so far, he will be a solid player for years.

What will happen in the off-season: Antonio Smith has the bad fortune of being low in line. The Cards first priorities will be Dansby and Warner while trying to get new deals for Boldin and Dockett. There is a chance free agency could start before Smith gets a deal and a team might swoop in with a little more money than the Cardinals would like to pay. Unfortunately, I think Smith will get a better deal from another team while the Cardinals are still trying to figure out their own cap configuration. Starting on his new team, he will have 50 tackles, 8 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles.

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More to come later. Some posts will be funny, some more like this one. Some will involve irrelevant stats that I found. Some will be long, some will be a few sentences.

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Playlist: Ludacris - Release Therapy

2009-02-09T20:52:00.000-08:00