Paul Pierce's 31 points coupled with Nate Robinson's 13 off the bench led the Celtics to an impressive 96-84 victory over the Magic, advancing the Green to their second finals appearance in three years.
Doc Rivers was right. This starting five has NEVER lost a series. And they don't look like they're about to, either.
No matter who the Celtics play next thursday night, they have a great chance of becoming champions. Most fans want the Lakers, hoping for a chance of thrashing them for a second time in three years. David Stern and his entourage of execs want the Lakers, for obvious marketing purposes. TV and media outlets want the Lakers, in hopes of killer ratings and creating more NBA buzz.
But who do the Celtics want?
They should want the Lakers, and you can bet that they do. A second chance of beating them would be more than thrilling and satisfying -- it is what the Celtics do. Historically, this is the kind of series that makes sports so great. The Lakers are also defending champions. After the Celtics beat them in six games in 2008, the Lakers rebounded and took down Orlando last June to get Phil Jackson his tenth ring and Kobe Bryant his fourth.
Shaq, tell me how my ass tastes.
But the Lakers represent everything the Celtics aren't. They aren't physical and don't play the same blue collar style of basketball the Celtics do. Bynam's inability to stay on the court coupled with a weak bench add up to more reasons why the Celtics have a great chance against this Laker squad. The Suns could be a tougher matchup -- they are scrappy and quick -- the type of team that has given the Celtics problems throughout the regular season.
But the regular season is certainly a thing of the past. This Celtics team has clearly started a brand new season. This does not look like a team destined to lose. As they were chanting once again at the Garden last night: Beat L.A.
JMO
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Don't Panic: These aren't your Bruins
It is almost humerous how Boston Bruins fans are quick to point to their own weaknesses and draw parellels to this year's Celtics team. The talk around most media outlets leading up to tonight's Celtics-Magic game 6 at the Garden has been about "choking" and I'm not talking about on your dinner. Yes, that's right. Choking the series away the same way the B's did just a few weeks ago: up 3-0 in the series, cruising forward, already looking ahead. The only problem: someone forget to tell everybody else that these Celtics aren't the Bruins.
Not even close.
Try to correlate the two teams all you want, but it doesn't fit. Go on, try it. All fans need to know are a few facts.
Fact one: the sports are completely different and so are the circumstances. David Krejci and Marco Sturm were both hurt, but the Celtics are just banged up. Big Baby Davis IS playing with his concussion, and I expect Rasheed Wallace to as well. It may sound overly simple and obvious, but hockey is played with a puck, basketball with a leather ball. They aren't related, and just because the Bruins choked, doesn't mean the Celtics will. There is no possible connection, no matter how hard you try. Who would have thought?
Fact two: these Celtics are veterans. A lot of Bruins players are less experienced when it comes to the playoffs. Sure, they have plenty of vets on the team (Chara, Recchi), but not the same kind as the Celtics. Zdeno Chara spent his locker room time calling the team nervous once the gag job was complete. Do you think the intense Kevin Garnett is turning to the guys next to him saying, "We're nervous. Please don't choke."
Didn't think so.
Fact three: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, and Kendrick Perkins (throw in Rasheed Wallace if you'd like) have all won championships. Oh, so did Glen Davis and Tony Allen, since they'll see significant minutes. It's unecessary to list the Bruins players who have won because the list is too short.
Fact four: these Celtics are hundreds (yes, hundreds) of times more mentally tough than the Bruins. Fans hear over and over again about how hockey players are so tough and physical. Their bodies may be stronger, but the inside of their heads? They lack the killer instinct that the C's have proven (yes, proven. Please see: June 2008). The Celtics proved their toughness by facing adversity all through 2008, almost losing the Hawks in the first round, beating LeBron and James Crew in seven, and then winning on the road in Detroit to get to the finals. If you didn't hear what happened against the Lakers, listen to the "Beat L.A." chants you'll hear on TV tonight. Not sold? This year, the Celtics were written off by everybody, with exception of Sean Grande. What did they do? Beat one of the game's best players (Wade) in a quick thrashing, beat the game's best (maybe ever) player in James, and won the first two games against Orlando on the road.
Guys, they don't even belong here.
But they sure do fit now that they are. These aren't the Bruins. The Celtics have every ability to win tonight. Maybe they are really banged up, but this is a home game and a group playing for what might be their last shot at a title. And if they were to lose tonight? So what? There's always another day and another chance. Scary or not to most Celtics fans, there's hope, no matter what happens tonight. That's something the Bruins didn't have and didn't give.
Beat L.A.
Beat L.A.
Beat L.A.
JMO
Not even close.
Try to correlate the two teams all you want, but it doesn't fit. Go on, try it. All fans need to know are a few facts.
Fact one: the sports are completely different and so are the circumstances. David Krejci and Marco Sturm were both hurt, but the Celtics are just banged up. Big Baby Davis IS playing with his concussion, and I expect Rasheed Wallace to as well. It may sound overly simple and obvious, but hockey is played with a puck, basketball with a leather ball. They aren't related, and just because the Bruins choked, doesn't mean the Celtics will. There is no possible connection, no matter how hard you try. Who would have thought?
Fact two: these Celtics are veterans. A lot of Bruins players are less experienced when it comes to the playoffs. Sure, they have plenty of vets on the team (Chara, Recchi), but not the same kind as the Celtics. Zdeno Chara spent his locker room time calling the team nervous once the gag job was complete. Do you think the intense Kevin Garnett is turning to the guys next to him saying, "We're nervous. Please don't choke."
Didn't think so.
Fact three: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, and Kendrick Perkins (throw in Rasheed Wallace if you'd like) have all won championships. Oh, so did Glen Davis and Tony Allen, since they'll see significant minutes. It's unecessary to list the Bruins players who have won because the list is too short.
Fact four: these Celtics are hundreds (yes, hundreds) of times more mentally tough than the Bruins. Fans hear over and over again about how hockey players are so tough and physical. Their bodies may be stronger, but the inside of their heads? They lack the killer instinct that the C's have proven (yes, proven. Please see: June 2008). The Celtics proved their toughness by facing adversity all through 2008, almost losing the Hawks in the first round, beating LeBron and James Crew in seven, and then winning on the road in Detroit to get to the finals. If you didn't hear what happened against the Lakers, listen to the "Beat L.A." chants you'll hear on TV tonight. Not sold? This year, the Celtics were written off by everybody, with exception of Sean Grande. What did they do? Beat one of the game's best players (Wade) in a quick thrashing, beat the game's best (maybe ever) player in James, and won the first two games against Orlando on the road.
Guys, they don't even belong here.
But they sure do fit now that they are. These aren't the Bruins. The Celtics have every ability to win tonight. Maybe they are really banged up, but this is a home game and a group playing for what might be their last shot at a title. And if they were to lose tonight? So what? There's always another day and another chance. Scary or not to most Celtics fans, there's hope, no matter what happens tonight. That's something the Bruins didn't have and didn't give.
Beat L.A.
Beat L.A.
Beat L.A.
JMO
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Officially awful: Officials making the story
Any anthropologist would quickly discover that our sports community hates officials, umpires, and referees. They dominate the airwaves of sports radio, create the buzz of blogs, and anger fans the point of no trust.
What happened in last night’s Celtics loss to the Magic was what most NBA theorists expected: the goon squad was sent in to make some awful calls against the road team and extend the series. This brings us to question one: Did the NBA send in Eddie F. Rush (no word yet if “F” stands for “fouls”) to sway the calls in favor of the Magic? We can never know for sure, but as Tim Donaghy told WEEI's Dennis and Callahan today (http://audio.weei.com/m/31376352/tim-donaghy-former-nba-ref.htm) this is exactly what the NBA does, sometimes discretely, sometimes not. The fact that the integrity of the game has to be questioned after last night’s brutal officiating performance speaks volumes.
In yesterday’s White Sox victory over the Indians, Chicago starter (and typically class-act) Mark Buehrle was ejected following his second balk of the game, not longer after manager Ozzie Guillen was given his own exit. Via Joe West, Chicago was swimming in a mess of bad umpiring. Whether Joe West got the balk calls right or wrong was not the issue. The issue at hand is that the umpire made the story of the game, not the players. Cue in Ozzie Guillen, "Sometimes he thinks [expletive] people pay to watch him [expletive] umpire.”
"He's the type of guy that wants to control the game. I deserve respect and the players here deserve respect here, too.
"When you tell the manager to get the [expletive] off the field, I don't think that's a good way to handle situations. I'll be waiting for my fine."
The casual fan doesn’t know Joe West, but he has a long history and reputation of being a terrible umpire. Many Red Sox fans remember his bitter complaining about Yankees-Sox games taking too long. West also came under scrutiny for poor umpiring during last year’s postseason. But all of that isn’t the issue here.
When the umpire, referee, or official makes the story instead of the game itself, it’s a disgrace to sports. Eddie F. Rush had no business or reason to make himself a part of NBA history last night. He single-handedly could have cost the Celtics the series by preventing Kendrick Perkins to play in game 6 Friday night. Many referees and umpires police the game with hostility and anger – waiting to hear words that tick them off and become quick to establish authority. It is like a cop looking for trouble because he is trigger-happy. These officials are killing the integrity of the game away because they are taking everything personally.
Question two: can it be fixed? Unknown. The NBA doesn’t admit it has an officiating problem, but they would truly have to be idiots not to see the issue in front of them. David Stern may or may not have blood on his hands, but this game is being murdered. Sports were meant to be played by the players and coached by the coaches. If it were as simple as wiping out all of the officials and starting fresh, then maybe the game would have a chance. But until then, here’s to enjoying twenty-four hours without hearing a whistle.
JMO
What happened in last night’s Celtics loss to the Magic was what most NBA theorists expected: the goon squad was sent in to make some awful calls against the road team and extend the series. This brings us to question one: Did the NBA send in Eddie F. Rush (no word yet if “F” stands for “fouls”) to sway the calls in favor of the Magic? We can never know for sure, but as Tim Donaghy told WEEI's Dennis and Callahan today (http://audio.weei.com/m/31376352/tim-donaghy-former-nba-ref.htm) this is exactly what the NBA does, sometimes discretely, sometimes not. The fact that the integrity of the game has to be questioned after last night’s brutal officiating performance speaks volumes.
In yesterday’s White Sox victory over the Indians, Chicago starter (and typically class-act) Mark Buehrle was ejected following his second balk of the game, not longer after manager Ozzie Guillen was given his own exit. Via Joe West, Chicago was swimming in a mess of bad umpiring. Whether Joe West got the balk calls right or wrong was not the issue. The issue at hand is that the umpire made the story of the game, not the players. Cue in Ozzie Guillen, "Sometimes he thinks [expletive] people pay to watch him [expletive] umpire.”
"He's the type of guy that wants to control the game. I deserve respect and the players here deserve respect here, too.
"When you tell the manager to get the [expletive] off the field, I don't think that's a good way to handle situations. I'll be waiting for my fine."
The casual fan doesn’t know Joe West, but he has a long history and reputation of being a terrible umpire. Many Red Sox fans remember his bitter complaining about Yankees-Sox games taking too long. West also came under scrutiny for poor umpiring during last year’s postseason. But all of that isn’t the issue here.
When the umpire, referee, or official makes the story instead of the game itself, it’s a disgrace to sports. Eddie F. Rush had no business or reason to make himself a part of NBA history last night. He single-handedly could have cost the Celtics the series by preventing Kendrick Perkins to play in game 6 Friday night. Many referees and umpires police the game with hostility and anger – waiting to hear words that tick them off and become quick to establish authority. It is like a cop looking for trouble because he is trigger-happy. These officials are killing the integrity of the game away because they are taking everything personally.
Question two: can it be fixed? Unknown. The NBA doesn’t admit it has an officiating problem, but they would truly have to be idiots not to see the issue in front of them. David Stern may or may not have blood on his hands, but this game is being murdered. Sports were meant to be played by the players and coached by the coaches. If it were as simple as wiping out all of the officials and starting fresh, then maybe the game would have a chance. But until then, here’s to enjoying twenty-four hours without hearing a whistle.
JMO
That game sucked last night, so let's talk Friday Night Lights
Decided to do a review of the latest FNL episode because enough has been said about the Celtics...
This season has been about people being taken out of their comfort zones and coming to the realization that maybe their past successes were a product of their environments rather than their individual talents. A quick rundown:
-Aloy
This season has been about people being taken out of their comfort zones and coming to the realization that maybe their past successes were a product of their environments rather than their individual talents. A quick rundown:
- Coach Taylor has found coaching isn't so easy when your program is undermanned and underfunded. His decision to forfeit at halftime of the first game was not a typical Eric Taylor move, and he's paying for it dearly as the season goes on. His challenges to his players continually fall on deaf ears, as players find it hard to be motivated by a man who quit on his team. (something that Manny DIDN'T do, by the way. If you would boo him when he returns to Fenway, you're a pawn to the Lucchino-controlled media and not a real fan. Get your fuckin facts before you boo a guy responsible for bringing us two World Series titles.)
- Mrs. Taylor is overmatched as principal of Dillon High (which is, I suppose, what happens when you promote a guidance counselor to principal for whatever reason). She has a heart of gold but lacks the experience needed to hold such a high profile position in a divided town.
- The recently graduated football players struggle to find purpose in their post high school football star lives. Riggins finds he's not cut out for college, but is he dedicated and reliable enough to find something worth doing? Sarazen is assigned an internship with a fuckin weird artist who essentially uses him as his bitch. Will he take a stand or will he continue to be Matt Sarazen the punching bag?
- Buddy Garrity's status as an elite booster for the Panthers has been marginalized. In this latest episode, he finally takes a stand. On to to the thoughts about episode 3:
- Sarazen's art teacher is so weird and such a bad actor. I don't buy the character at all, and the subplot might be my least favorite since I practically clawed my eyes out watching Street hang out with his loser wheelchair hick friend.
- When coach Taylor writes the check for his team's uniforms and then lies to his wife about it, it is a classic case of a good guy being afraid that the girl won't approve of his doing the right thing, so he does the wrong thing by lying to her about it. The real question though, is how he and his wife don't have $3000 in their checking account. He's a Texas high school football coach and she's a high school principal! They seem to live modestly. They live the good Christian life and don't blow all their money on booze or other temptations. They have 2 daughters, and Julie is still in high school. Where the fuck did all their money go? Am I supposed to believe their money management is that atrocious? They are both detail oriented people, and their is just no way they'd be in such financial dire straights. It doesn't make sense!
- Coach Taylor comes off as a hypocrite when he talks to his player about taking responsibility for his actions while at the same time lying to his wife about the check.
- Landry's little situation with his girl, who somehow knows everything there is about football and punting, is typical lame TV drama. Wayyyyy too good to be true that this girl he likes knows all about punting. C'mon now.
-Aloy
Check with us
Just wanted to give a shout to our readers to check back with us today. Aloy hopes to come out with a column more in depth on the Celtics loss. Check back in with us to read about the Sox hot streak and climb in the standings, and even some Patriots bits as well with OTAs going on.
Our podcast will be soon to come.
Thanks
The VPs
Our podcast will be soon to come.
Thanks
The VPs
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
YIKES
So I had a bunch of friends over for the game tonight...I guess the Celtics didn't get the invitation. That was as bad as it gets. They had no answer for Jameer Nelson and the pick and roll, Rashard Lewis rejoined us after a 4 game stay on the island, and the Celtics were outhustled all night. The reffing was atrocious and Perk's ejection was a crime. The league better rescind that technical so he isn't automatically suspended for game 6. The refs had rabbit ears; you would have thought Joe West was reffing this game. When's the last time you've seen two guys get concussions in an NBA game when they didn't run into each other? Everything that could go wrong for the Celtics did, but they're still up 3-2 and I fully expect them to take game 6. We just gotta calm ourselves down, get back into our game.....
-Aloy
-Aloy
Suns-Lakers
I watched most of the Suns-Lakers game last night. It was great to see the Lakers lose again while the Suns' bench went nuts in a very entertaining game. Some thoughts:
LA is shooting more 3's and getting to the line less. Their overall field goal % is down. They don't have a true point guard to attack the zone off the dribble. This series has suddenly got realllll interesting. Credit Alvin Gentry for making the switch to the zone. He is effectively saying "we would rather have you shoot open threes than (relatively) unbothered shots in the post. It will be interesting to see what the Lakers do to attack the zone in game 5.
-Aloy
- Have you ever seen an NBA team stick to a 2-3 zone for almost all of two games like the Suns have in this series? I can't remember seeing something like this in the NBA, where teams generally shoot too well for zones to be effective over long periods of time. Kobe and Phil both said that the problem wasn't with the offense, it's defense the Lakers must focus on. However, the stats show the Lakers' offense has been much less effective against the Suns' zone. Consider the following:
LA is shooting more 3's and getting to the line less. Their overall field goal % is down. They don't have a true point guard to attack the zone off the dribble. This series has suddenly got realllll interesting. Credit Alvin Gentry for making the switch to the zone. He is effectively saying "we would rather have you shoot open threes than (relatively) unbothered shots in the post. It will be interesting to see what the Lakers do to attack the zone in game 5.
- Speaking of Gentry, you gotta love how he stuck with the bench in the 4th quarter last night. They were getting it done, so he stuck with them until almost the 3 minute mark as they built a double digit lead.
- Andrew Bynum's lack of mobility is KILLING the Lakers right now. He can't get out to hedge on pick and rolls and get back to defend inside in time. He also isn't doing a good job helping against Amare. The Suns will continue to pick on him until he proves he can defend, and look for the Celtics to do the same if they match up in the finals.
- Has anyone else noticed how much Dan Majerle looks like James Caan in the Godfather era? I could easily see Majerle beating the shit out of Carlo or getting blown away at the tollbooth. Here's a picture of each.
- How much of a chump must Doug Collins feel like watching Phil Jackson win title after title? Jackson was Collins' assistant with the Bulls and took over when Collins was fired, going on to win 6 titles with the Bulls and 4 more with the Lakers. Collins has to feel that if he had been allowed to stick around another couple of years it would be Collins being considered one of the greatest coaches ever instead of doing TV commentary and coaching the Sixers next year.
- Is there a team that bitches about calls more than the Lakers? Kobe and Pau have never committed a foul in their lives.
-Aloy
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
In the Center of Run Prevention
Jacoby Ellsbury confirmed to reporters yesterday that he will be playing center field again, now on a permanent basis. No word from the team yet if this a result of increased UZR for Jacoby.
Why would the Red Sox decide out of nowhere that Ellsbury belongs in center field? Is it because Mike Cameron is off the DL? Could it be that Tito was tired of writing the same lineup card lately?
Pardon the sarcasm, but placing Ellsbury back in center field proves one thing, and one thing only: Ellsbury playing left field made absolutely no sense. Ellsbury was a prime candidate for a gold glove last year. He dazzled fans and those around baseball with his stellar speed and wide range in the heart of the outfield. Turn on any highlight reel, and Ellsbury was sure to be there, front and center.
Want on the field evidence that he didn't belong in left field? Ask Ellsbury how he enjoyed running into Adrian Beltre in Kansas City. Earlier in that same game, he almost collided with another Sox player. A center fielder has the authority to call anyone off -- whether it be an infielder or an outfielder -- the same goes for shortstop. Ellsbury simply did not look comfortable there, nor should he. He's a center fielder.
Don't buy into that? Take Mike Cameron, a center fielder since he broke into the league long ago. He's known for his great defense, but he's 37-years-old and hasn't won a gold glove since 2004. Ellsbury is getting better at the position, Cameron worse. Ellsbury is improving offensively, Cameron isn't. Mike Cameron would make a lot of sense at smaller dollars as a fourth outfielder.
Fans should be glad Ellsbury is back in center. The Red Sox are a better team with him there, and it opens up the possibility for the team to acquire a corner outfield bat -- which is easier to get than some other glaring positional needs. Interestingly, Ellsbury's move to center shows that Cameron afterall WAS a replacement for Jason Bay. Though the front office was quick to shy away from admittance, this was the worst kept secret next to Barry Bonds' steroid use.
Give the Sox credit. They made a mistake and are trying to fix it. One problem solved, more to come soon.
JMO
Why would the Red Sox decide out of nowhere that Ellsbury belongs in center field? Is it because Mike Cameron is off the DL? Could it be that Tito was tired of writing the same lineup card lately?
Pardon the sarcasm, but placing Ellsbury back in center field proves one thing, and one thing only: Ellsbury playing left field made absolutely no sense. Ellsbury was a prime candidate for a gold glove last year. He dazzled fans and those around baseball with his stellar speed and wide range in the heart of the outfield. Turn on any highlight reel, and Ellsbury was sure to be there, front and center.
Want on the field evidence that he didn't belong in left field? Ask Ellsbury how he enjoyed running into Adrian Beltre in Kansas City. Earlier in that same game, he almost collided with another Sox player. A center fielder has the authority to call anyone off -- whether it be an infielder or an outfielder -- the same goes for shortstop. Ellsbury simply did not look comfortable there, nor should he. He's a center fielder.
Don't buy into that? Take Mike Cameron, a center fielder since he broke into the league long ago. He's known for his great defense, but he's 37-years-old and hasn't won a gold glove since 2004. Ellsbury is getting better at the position, Cameron worse. Ellsbury is improving offensively, Cameron isn't. Mike Cameron would make a lot of sense at smaller dollars as a fourth outfielder.
Fans should be glad Ellsbury is back in center. The Red Sox are a better team with him there, and it opens up the possibility for the team to acquire a corner outfield bat -- which is easier to get than some other glaring positional needs. Interestingly, Ellsbury's move to center shows that Cameron afterall WAS a replacement for Jason Bay. Though the front office was quick to shy away from admittance, this was the worst kept secret next to Barry Bonds' steroid use.
Give the Sox credit. They made a mistake and are trying to fix it. One problem solved, more to come soon.
JMO
Nats should think twice on Oswalt
Roy Oswalt has had a great career; he's pitched in the World Series, helping a great Astros staff of Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte in 2005 reach new heights for the franchise. Tired of losing ever since, Oswalt's agent recently told the team the star right hander wants to be dealt: to a contender.
In step the Nationals of Washington. Off to a surprisingly strong start, Washington currently finds themselves in the thick of things. Normally, teams in these situations tend to hold tight and wait longer before trying to add a piece. ESPN had reports that the Nationals are indeed interested in acquiring Oswalt.
Please don't.
Though a really good pitcher, Oswalt just isn't what he used to be. And not at these dollars, either. He's a budget clogger for the next couple seasons for a franchise that is still not close. The team of Oswalt and Stephen Strasburg does sound seductive, but the Nats shouldn't rush -- and more importantly -- force anything.
Strasburgh will be there soon enough. The Nats are finally having success with some younger players they've developed, with more to come (see Strasburg, Stephen and Storen, Drew). It would be a shame to give away some of their future pieces for a pricey veteran who probably can't offer them too much in the long-term. Mike Rizzo should stick to his plan and continue to improve, piece by piece.
Washington is successful this year because it has done what most bad teams don't do: buy smaller puzzle pieces in the offseason. They signed Adam Kennedy, Matt Capps, and Pudge Rodriguez. Though they don't put a fire in anybody's pants, they have helped Washington be competitive. Overtime, signings like those placed with good young talent tend to mean more victories. My advice to Washington: stick to your plan.
Now if Minnesota gave Rizzo a call...
JMO
In step the Nationals of Washington. Off to a surprisingly strong start, Washington currently finds themselves in the thick of things. Normally, teams in these situations tend to hold tight and wait longer before trying to add a piece. ESPN had reports that the Nationals are indeed interested in acquiring Oswalt.
Please don't.
Though a really good pitcher, Oswalt just isn't what he used to be. And not at these dollars, either. He's a budget clogger for the next couple seasons for a franchise that is still not close. The team of Oswalt and Stephen Strasburg does sound seductive, but the Nats shouldn't rush -- and more importantly -- force anything.
Strasburgh will be there soon enough. The Nats are finally having success with some younger players they've developed, with more to come (see Strasburg, Stephen and Storen, Drew). It would be a shame to give away some of their future pieces for a pricey veteran who probably can't offer them too much in the long-term. Mike Rizzo should stick to his plan and continue to improve, piece by piece.
Washington is successful this year because it has done what most bad teams don't do: buy smaller puzzle pieces in the offseason. They signed Adam Kennedy, Matt Capps, and Pudge Rodriguez. Though they don't put a fire in anybody's pants, they have helped Washington be competitive. Overtime, signings like those placed with good young talent tend to mean more victories. My advice to Washington: stick to your plan.
Now if Minnesota gave Rizzo a call...
JMO
Sox Climbing the Ladder; Celtics lose late
The Red Sox showed to us for the first time all season that they're capable of not only beating the best team in baseball on the road, but of putting together a string of wins against quality teams. Last week, I wrote here that their true test was coming in this current stretch against contenders. The Sox seem to have passed the test up to this point.
Though they still sit in fourth place, they aren't too far behind the Yankees, who are snug behind Tampa Bay. Toronto has been surprisingly good -- they've pitched well and they hit home runs. Though most would expect them to slip, the Sox need to keep doing what they've been doing: ignore the standings, and just find ways to win games.
What's been the turn-around? Simple. Pitching, pitching, pitching. When the pitching goes well, the rest seems to fall into place. Adrian Beltre twice got breaks with the bases loaded in two games. On Sunday, he hit a ball through Greg Dobbs' legs and tonight reached on a lucky infield single with the ducks sitting. Ortiz hit another home run tonight, and Youkilis his second in two games. Matsuzaka, Wakefield, and Buchholz have carried the Sox the past three games, respectively. The formula has been simple: pitch well with an over-achieving offense, and success will come.
They clearly still have work to do; it gets easier when the starting outfield is back tomorrow night when Mike Cameron will be activated. He won't carry them or improve them dramatically, but will provide Francona with some much needed flexibility and depth. Jeremy Hermida can now be used against power right-handers late in games as a pinch-hitter; Bill Hall can now play in the infield as a back-up instead of the outfield. It can only help to add depth, which has been lacking since early April.
The outlook for the Red Sox looks promising -- or at the very least -- better. You're only as good as your next day's starting pitcher. Jon Lester sounds good tomorrow.
Celtics Lose Late
Tough losses tend to leave their mark; hopefully the Celtics can move on from tonight's tough game four overtime loss to the Magic.
Paul Pierce had a great game for the Celtics. He carried their offense for most of the game. I thought Rajon Rondo was brilliant with his ball handling all night -- he just needed to drive to the basket a little bit more. The Celtics seem to have a lot of success against Orlando going to the hoop. They've gotten to the line and made their free throws.
Viewing tonight's game, we debated the Celtics not calling time-out before the last shot at the end of regulation. Some argued that the Celtics did the right thing -- allow them to go with momentum, run the same play they'd call even with a time-out, and stay hot -- which they were at the end. When Pierce didn't get a shot off, it didn't symbolize their lack of plan. It was simply a tired player showing he was gassed. And boy, he was gassed. Allen was hot and should have had the ball in his hands. Pierce is your franchise guy and the beloved fan favorite, but that was Allen's calling.
Pierce didn't have it in over-time, nor did any of his teammates. When the game went to OT, the Celtics should have won it. No excuses. They hit big shots to earn the chance to win and they should have closed.
Should fans be nervous? No, the Celtics are not the Bruins. There is no need to start that debate, nor the need to waste worries. However, the Celtics have a difficult game 5 coming. David Stern could send the goons in for this one -- give the Magic some home calls and force a longer series. The Celtics have to do what they did in games 1 and 2: play better defense on Dwight Howard, get Rondo driving, and play hard from the beginning.
Maybe they came out a little flat; the Magic played like a team fighting for their lives. Give them credit. The Celtics didn't lose tonight's game; the Magic won it. Redick was stroking and Nelson hit a couple of big shots. Give credit where credit is due and move on. But the urgency has to be there. They have to close. Game 5, here we come.
JMO
Though they still sit in fourth place, they aren't too far behind the Yankees, who are snug behind Tampa Bay. Toronto has been surprisingly good -- they've pitched well and they hit home runs. Though most would expect them to slip, the Sox need to keep doing what they've been doing: ignore the standings, and just find ways to win games.
What's been the turn-around? Simple. Pitching, pitching, pitching. When the pitching goes well, the rest seems to fall into place. Adrian Beltre twice got breaks with the bases loaded in two games. On Sunday, he hit a ball through Greg Dobbs' legs and tonight reached on a lucky infield single with the ducks sitting. Ortiz hit another home run tonight, and Youkilis his second in two games. Matsuzaka, Wakefield, and Buchholz have carried the Sox the past three games, respectively. The formula has been simple: pitch well with an over-achieving offense, and success will come.
They clearly still have work to do; it gets easier when the starting outfield is back tomorrow night when Mike Cameron will be activated. He won't carry them or improve them dramatically, but will provide Francona with some much needed flexibility and depth. Jeremy Hermida can now be used against power right-handers late in games as a pinch-hitter; Bill Hall can now play in the infield as a back-up instead of the outfield. It can only help to add depth, which has been lacking since early April.
The outlook for the Red Sox looks promising -- or at the very least -- better. You're only as good as your next day's starting pitcher. Jon Lester sounds good tomorrow.
Celtics Lose Late
Tough losses tend to leave their mark; hopefully the Celtics can move on from tonight's tough game four overtime loss to the Magic.
Paul Pierce had a great game for the Celtics. He carried their offense for most of the game. I thought Rajon Rondo was brilliant with his ball handling all night -- he just needed to drive to the basket a little bit more. The Celtics seem to have a lot of success against Orlando going to the hoop. They've gotten to the line and made their free throws.
Viewing tonight's game, we debated the Celtics not calling time-out before the last shot at the end of regulation. Some argued that the Celtics did the right thing -- allow them to go with momentum, run the same play they'd call even with a time-out, and stay hot -- which they were at the end. When Pierce didn't get a shot off, it didn't symbolize their lack of plan. It was simply a tired player showing he was gassed. And boy, he was gassed. Allen was hot and should have had the ball in his hands. Pierce is your franchise guy and the beloved fan favorite, but that was Allen's calling.
Pierce didn't have it in over-time, nor did any of his teammates. When the game went to OT, the Celtics should have won it. No excuses. They hit big shots to earn the chance to win and they should have closed.
Should fans be nervous? No, the Celtics are not the Bruins. There is no need to start that debate, nor the need to waste worries. However, the Celtics have a difficult game 5 coming. David Stern could send the goons in for this one -- give the Magic some home calls and force a longer series. The Celtics have to do what they did in games 1 and 2: play better defense on Dwight Howard, get Rondo driving, and play hard from the beginning.
Maybe they came out a little flat; the Magic played like a team fighting for their lives. Give them credit. The Celtics didn't lose tonight's game; the Magic won it. Redick was stroking and Nelson hit a couple of big shots. Give credit where credit is due and move on. But the urgency has to be there. They have to close. Game 5, here we come.
JMO
Monday, May 24, 2010
Rondo vs. Cowens vs. Bird, Who ya got?
Rajon Rondo's dive on the floor to come up with a loose ball from JJ Reddick was not only a microcosm of this series, but also typical of great Celtics players. The two plays that came to mind were Dave Cowens' dive to try to come up with a loose ball near half court, and Larry Bird's dive into a table behind the baseline. Here are all three plays, who ya got?
Rondo
Cowens
Bird
Note: I couldn't find the youtube clip of the specific Bird play I was talking about, but I figured any time you can watch a 3 minute clip of Larry Bird hustle plays with "Do the hustle" playing in the background, everybody wins. Enjoy!
-Aloy
Rondo
Cowens
Bird
Note: I couldn't find the youtube clip of the specific Bird play I was talking about, but I figured any time you can watch a 3 minute clip of Larry Bird hustle plays with "Do the hustle" playing in the background, everybody wins. Enjoy!
-Aloy
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Game 3 Running Diary
We’re live from Woods basement with Wood, Trev, Abby, and Dossin for my first career running diary. Couldn’t be more excited.
First Quarter
9:30 After the Celtics jump out to a quick 7-0 lead, Rashard Lewis misses a wide open three from the corner, prompting the first “the late Rashard Lewis” joke from Wood. The over/under for the night is 6.5. I pounced on the over. Seriously though, Lewis has nearly singlehandedly killed any chance for this Magic team to win this series. He has to be a viable scoring option for them to be a legitimate contender. Last year against the Celtics, he averaged just over 20 points a game in the playoffs. This year he has averaged 5.5 over the first two games of this series.
8:35 The camera cuts to a busty woman in the crowd. Dossin says look at the chick with the boobs. As opposed to the chick without the boobs… sometimes you just don’t know with Dossin (just kidding Doss we love ya.)
7:30 Matt Barnes scores in transition to cut the Celtics’ lead to 7-4. You get the feeling that if the Celtics can jump on
6:00 Ray Allen dunks over Dwight Howard after taking a dip in the hot tub time machine, prompting a chorus of OHHHHHHS from the room. After being left for dead and shopped around at the trade deadline, Ray’s quiet rejuvenation these playoffs has been an underplayed story, lost in all the “Rajon Rondo is now the leader of this team” hype. The announcers love playing the “you won’t believe this, but the best player on this team may not be Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, or KG, it’s Rajon Rondo.” These are the things that bug you about national announcers. I just want to say “No shit, he’s been the best player on this team since the second half of LAST season. Do your fucking homework guys.”
5:42 DORIS BURKE IN HD ALERT!! DORIS BURKE IN HD ALERT!! That should have flashed across the screen before she popped up.
5:13 Pierce draws a foul on Matt Barnes after an up-fake. He’s the best in the league at doing that. Dossin has cracked 3 lame jokes already. I have under 12.5 in that category, starting to regret that one.
3:15 16-6 Celtics after a perk layup. Wood says the magic’s offense is a joke, he’ll be a guest on the podcast later this week. There is a twilight commercial on tv and we just learned that
0:24 Sheed finishes an alley oop. Call the national guard, cuz we are KILLIN the magic. 27-12 after the first. Wow. I thought we’d see
2nd Quarter
10:38 Mark Jackson calls the Celtics defense a thing of beauty. I agree, but it might be more accurate to just call the Magic offense a thing of ugly. Either way, we got ourselves a blowout.
830 Rondo comes from 15 feet behind Jason Williams to come up with a loose ball in the backcourt and he finishes for a layup. That was just the defining play of why the Celtics are destroying the Magic in this series, and it will be a highlight for years to come. The C’s may win this game by 40.
7:28 Trev calls JJ Reddick JJ red dick, like when a dog gets a red rocket. I like it. Sheldon Williams looks like mahi mahi according to Trev. Here’s a photo of each. I’ll let you be the judge.
630 BIG BABY! 43-19! What are we doing at halftime?.
3 – Big baby has the most ridiculous looking picture with a huge smile. He can’t seem to get a normal looking picture.
0:40 The Celtics come up with a ridiculous rebound when rondo skies above 3 magic players to tip the ball to glen
51-34 at the half, and it’s not even this close. This game is O-V-A.
Since the game was over at the half, I stopped the diary here. The Magic did nothing to make themselves look any better in the second half, and it looked like the C’s could have won by 50 if they really wanted to. Beat LA baby!
Saturday, May 22, 2010
2 hours till gametime
Game 3 is two hours away and I'm stoked. If it feels like they haven't played a game in this series in months, it's because they haven't. Christ what a pointlessly long break. Let's hope it doesn't have much effect on the Celtics. I've never been much of a believer in "momentum" carrying over from one game to the next in sports. It doesn't matter what you did in your last game, only what you do tonight. What's so great about the Celtics is that they know that and have brought it every night in the playoffs.
Quick thoughts on tonight's game:
The most intriguing thing to me is what will Orlando try to do differently? It seems like they've been trying to run their offense through posting Dwight Howard and it hasn't been effective at all. What will Ron Jeremy do to change things up? Will he stubbornly stick with the same gameplan and go down with the ship? The Celtics can bring out the brooms if they win tonight, so you have to figure they'll get Orlando's best game. I find it hard to believe Rashard Lewis can play this badly for a whole series, so it's time for him to man up tonight. It feels like Orlando will keep it close tonight, but the great thing about sports is you never know.
Check out the site tomorrow for a game recap and potential retro-diary.
-Aloy
Quick thoughts on tonight's game:
The most intriguing thing to me is what will Orlando try to do differently? It seems like they've been trying to run their offense through posting Dwight Howard and it hasn't been effective at all. What will Ron Jeremy do to change things up? Will he stubbornly stick with the same gameplan and go down with the ship? The Celtics can bring out the brooms if they win tonight, so you have to figure they'll get Orlando's best game. I find it hard to believe Rashard Lewis can play this badly for a whole series, so it's time for him to man up tonight. It feels like Orlando will keep it close tonight, but the great thing about sports is you never know.
Check out the site tomorrow for a game recap and potential retro-diary.
-Aloy
Over 750 Million Reasons to Root against Tiger
750 million dollars.
You'd probably run out of things to buy before it's all gone.
Reports are that Elin's demands from Tiger have reached 750 million dollars. Good thing Tiger didn't lose ALL of his endorsements.
I always rooted against Tiger. Any player who wins the majority of the time becomes the enemy over time. Tiger shoved his picture-perfect PR image in the faces of his fans. Beloved golfer, husband, father, son of Earl, etc. His fist pumps grew tired in the back of our minds, but he was still Tiger. Still perfect.
What happened early Friday morning after Thanksgiving gave a sigh of relief to everyone. He was human like the rest of us. Then the mistresses and strippers came out -- and he became worse than human.
Oh, right, he's a sex addict.
My mistake, he had a problem.
Lost in all of the Tiger drama is the person who has taken the biggest hit and suffered the most: Elin. I'll spare you the feminist rants and get to the most important point: I hope Elin cleans up every penny she is asking for.
Do I believe that the November night in Orlando was the first time Elin found out about Tiger's secret life? No way. However, that night could have been strike three, or based on the number of affairs, strike thirty. No wonder Tiger got whipped that night (insert Tiger sex joke here). Since the affairs, negative publicity (to put it lightly), the texts and voicemails, paparazzi, and press conferences, Tiger has been a disgrace to his fans, family, and even himself. I'm embarassed to see him even try and play golf. After his strong showing in the Masters in April, he's been to golf what the Bruins have been to Boston: disgraceful. The Nike commercial with his father's voice was not only sinful, but proved to me and many others how truly sick this guy is.
Phil Mickelson's Masters performance was beautiful. Phil cares for his sick wife. Tiger cheats on his. Phil cries before cameras -- exposing his true self. He doesn't hold back, speaks honestly, and earns the respect from all authentically. Tiger frames his image, life, family, and self-being to deceive us into loving him. He lies, cheats, and even steals our respect. Lefty sporting the green jacket that day over Tiger taught us a valuable lesson: live the right way and life will treat you well. How ironic, Tiger.
Tiger has spent years chasing bimbos, winning majors, and filling bank accounts like no one else. He now sits at home injured, nearly divorced, destroyed, and soon to be broke. I don't wish for bad on people -- but Tiger won't be receiving my sympathy card in the mail. I hope Nike makes commercials for bankruptcy, because Tiger is certainly not out of the Woods.
You'd probably run out of things to buy before it's all gone.
Reports are that Elin's demands from Tiger have reached 750 million dollars. Good thing Tiger didn't lose ALL of his endorsements.
I always rooted against Tiger. Any player who wins the majority of the time becomes the enemy over time. Tiger shoved his picture-perfect PR image in the faces of his fans. Beloved golfer, husband, father, son of Earl, etc. His fist pumps grew tired in the back of our minds, but he was still Tiger. Still perfect.
What happened early Friday morning after Thanksgiving gave a sigh of relief to everyone. He was human like the rest of us. Then the mistresses and strippers came out -- and he became worse than human.
Oh, right, he's a sex addict.
My mistake, he had a problem.
Lost in all of the Tiger drama is the person who has taken the biggest hit and suffered the most: Elin. I'll spare you the feminist rants and get to the most important point: I hope Elin cleans up every penny she is asking for.
Do I believe that the November night in Orlando was the first time Elin found out about Tiger's secret life? No way. However, that night could have been strike three, or based on the number of affairs, strike thirty. No wonder Tiger got whipped that night (insert Tiger sex joke here). Since the affairs, negative publicity (to put it lightly), the texts and voicemails, paparazzi, and press conferences, Tiger has been a disgrace to his fans, family, and even himself. I'm embarassed to see him even try and play golf. After his strong showing in the Masters in April, he's been to golf what the Bruins have been to Boston: disgraceful. The Nike commercial with his father's voice was not only sinful, but proved to me and many others how truly sick this guy is.
Phil Mickelson's Masters performance was beautiful. Phil cares for his sick wife. Tiger cheats on his. Phil cries before cameras -- exposing his true self. He doesn't hold back, speaks honestly, and earns the respect from all authentically. Tiger frames his image, life, family, and self-being to deceive us into loving him. He lies, cheats, and even steals our respect. Lefty sporting the green jacket that day over Tiger taught us a valuable lesson: live the right way and life will treat you well. How ironic, Tiger.
Tiger has spent years chasing bimbos, winning majors, and filling bank accounts like no one else. He now sits at home injured, nearly divorced, destroyed, and soon to be broke. I don't wish for bad on people -- but Tiger won't be receiving my sympathy card in the mail. I hope Nike makes commercials for bankruptcy, because Tiger is certainly not out of the Woods.
Friday, May 21, 2010
A little Puzzled Lately
Maybe you'll accuse me of being negative. Maybe you'll accuse me of disagreeing for the sake of being different. Either way, I'm puzzled lately. With whom, you wonder? Your Boston Red Sox, OF COURSE!
I've read numerous articles across the internet today, with writers boasting about how the Red Sox have "turned the corner" and are "playing great baseball," etc. I've read that they've "found their winning formulas" and are "full of heart."
What's the matter, smartass? You don't know any f****** Shakespeare?
I'm not saying the Red Sox haven't played well over the past three games (four -- if you include Jonathan Papelbon's disgrace of a performance in New York). But I am saying this: the last time the Red Sox "found it" was after sweeping the Angels. They then proceeded to lose two of three to the Yankees at home and struggle in Detroit.
The old saying goes: Don't hold your breath.
Just because this team beat Minnesota, in which I'll admit was with their desired and planned formula -- pitching, pitching, pitching -- doesn't mean they're ready to make a run at climbing back into the category of respectability. You want the media off your back? Put your money where your mouth is. You want people to stop doubting you? Put up, or shut up. It needs to be seen over the course of a longer period of time than three games.
In my upcoming trip to Baltimore June 4 - 6, I have no idea which team I'll be seeing. In exactly fourteen days, I'll know. The Red Sox will either have gone 6-7 or 7-6, based on the first couple of months. Time will tell what the Red Sox are -- and so will the VPs.
I've read numerous articles across the internet today, with writers boasting about how the Red Sox have "turned the corner" and are "playing great baseball," etc. I've read that they've "found their winning formulas" and are "full of heart."
What's the matter, smartass? You don't know any f****** Shakespeare?
I'm not saying the Red Sox haven't played well over the past three games (four -- if you include Jonathan Papelbon's disgrace of a performance in New York). But I am saying this: the last time the Red Sox "found it" was after sweeping the Angels. They then proceeded to lose two of three to the Yankees at home and struggle in Detroit.
The old saying goes: Don't hold your breath.
Just because this team beat Minnesota, in which I'll admit was with their desired and planned formula -- pitching, pitching, pitching -- doesn't mean they're ready to make a run at climbing back into the category of respectability. You want the media off your back? Put your money where your mouth is. You want people to stop doubting you? Put up, or shut up. It needs to be seen over the course of a longer period of time than three games.
In my upcoming trip to Baltimore June 4 - 6, I have no idea which team I'll be seeing. In exactly fourteen days, I'll know. The Red Sox will either have gone 6-7 or 7-6, based on the first couple of months. Time will tell what the Red Sox are -- and so will the VPs.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Cue the Duckboats!! and a couple poker hands
I usually don't like to jinx these things, but this Celtics series is over. The C's are playing their best basketball since the '08 title run, and as long as that continues, I don't think anyone can stop them. Paul Pierce continues to have his way with Vince Carter on offense, getting any shot he wants. The Magic have no answer for Rondo in transition. Baby continues to play well, and Perk and Sheed keep effectively hacking Dwight (Da-white) Howard. Getcha brooms ready.
How great was it when Vince went down with another fake injury in game 2? He slipped a little and then grabbed his left wrist, which would have made sense, if, you know, he had fallen on his left wrist. I was watching the game with my parents and I immediately started cackling and said "there he goes again" when Vince went down. The replay confirmed that he hadn't hit his wrist and was faking it. I laughed and said "he didn't even hit his wrist! He's faking it!" Mom didn't understand why he'd do that. "I don't get it, why would he fake it?" I told her "that's just what he does." Vince Carter, ladies and gentlemen!
Speaking of Vince, he destroyed any chance for a Magic comeback by bricking two free throws with 30 seconds left and the Magic down by 3. This was surprising to...well, no one. Vince's choke overshadowed another pathetic game from Rashard Lewis (6 years, $110 million). Somehow he can't even take KG off the dribble from 25 feet. Realistically he deserves the blame for the Magic's poor performance more than even Vince or da-white.
It may be too early to think ahead to the finals, but you have to like our chances against the Lakers. I'll breakdown the matchups when the time comes, but lets just say the Rondo-Fisher matchup will be like a war between Germany and France, and Rondo sure as hell ain't gonna be France.
Alright, on to a couple poker hands from my last live session. 1/2 NL Holdem at Foxwoods.
Action folds to me in the Highjack seat. I open to $10 w Ks10h. Villain on button makes it $20. Villain has been aggressive, having shown a bluff in a big pot from position. Usually a min-raise like that means Aces, Kings, or Queens, usually not AK against a random because most are afraid to play AK post flop. So realistically this is an easy fold, but I like to build a loose-aggressive (read donk) image at these live tables as it makes it easy to get paid off with big hands.
So with a pot of about $40, we see a heads up flop of A 6 2 rainbow. I check, villain bets out $25. At this point his range is polarized, as if he has AA or the very occasional AK he is sitting pretty but if he has KK or QQ he hates that flop. I figure I can make the min raise to $50, risking $50 to win a $65 pot, and the play only has to be successful less than 50% of the time to be a +EV play. Assuming he will fold a non-ace, it seems to be a +EV play. AA is less likely with the A on the flop, so we'll estimate his range at something like 35%AA, 40%KK, 15% QQ, 10% AK or AQ. So we expect him to be folding 55% of the time. Naturally, he calls. I obviously have to shut it down and check-fold the turn. I do, and he shows...KK!?
Weird hand, but I still think the play on the flop is +EV in a vacuum, as I think most will fold KK in that situation. Also, for image purposes, a check-raise on the flop followed by a check-fold makes me look like a complete nut who will check-raise an A high flop with air, which should help me to get paid off in later hands. Obviously my call pre-flop is dangerous, and I would recommend against making that call. I did it because 1. I'm a huge donk, and 2. my range was basically any two cards, while his range was very narrow. Generally when you can keep your range wide and your opponent's range narrow, you have created a +EV situation, although not when your out of position and your opponent may be holding the nuts.
On to hand 2. Action folds to me in the cutoff seat, I hold KsQd. I make it $13 to play (my standard raise has been anywhere from $10-$15.) The SB (villain from the other hand) and BB (calling station) call. Here we have created a much better situation than the last hand, as I have position in a 3 way pot with likely the best hand.
Flop: 10 8 2 rainbow.
SB leads out $20 into a pot of about $40. BB folds.
Ok so here we have a situation where the SB leads out on a raggy flop. The standard play is to check to the pre-flop aggressor, and leading out into him is called a donk bet. Most people will do this hoping to take down the pot immediately with a hand that caught some of the board. People will occasionally do this with a set, but it's hard to imagine the SB would do that against an aggressive player like me who is likely to continuation bet almost every flop. So here is another spot where you can just fold, but the guy leading out to me likely has a weak 10 or 8, and I doubt his hand is strong enough to play a big pot out of position, so I make it $60. In a pot in position like this my cards matter less than how much heat I think my opponent's hand can take, so once again I think raising to 60 (betting 60 to win 60) is a +EV play. But of course my opponent calls the bet and eventually wins the hand holding K8. Anyway, I still think my play is theoretically a good one, although it's possible I picked the wrong opponent to try to make the play against.
-Aloy
How great was it when Vince went down with another fake injury in game 2? He slipped a little and then grabbed his left wrist, which would have made sense, if, you know, he had fallen on his left wrist. I was watching the game with my parents and I immediately started cackling and said "there he goes again" when Vince went down. The replay confirmed that he hadn't hit his wrist and was faking it. I laughed and said "he didn't even hit his wrist! He's faking it!" Mom didn't understand why he'd do that. "I don't get it, why would he fake it?" I told her "that's just what he does." Vince Carter, ladies and gentlemen!
Speaking of Vince, he destroyed any chance for a Magic comeback by bricking two free throws with 30 seconds left and the Magic down by 3. This was surprising to...well, no one. Vince's choke overshadowed another pathetic game from Rashard Lewis (6 years, $110 million). Somehow he can't even take KG off the dribble from 25 feet. Realistically he deserves the blame for the Magic's poor performance more than even Vince or da-white.
It may be too early to think ahead to the finals, but you have to like our chances against the Lakers. I'll breakdown the matchups when the time comes, but lets just say the Rondo-Fisher matchup will be like a war between Germany and France, and Rondo sure as hell ain't gonna be France.
Alright, on to a couple poker hands from my last live session. 1/2 NL Holdem at Foxwoods.
Action folds to me in the Highjack seat. I open to $10 w Ks10h. Villain on button makes it $20. Villain has been aggressive, having shown a bluff in a big pot from position. Usually a min-raise like that means Aces, Kings, or Queens, usually not AK against a random because most are afraid to play AK post flop. So realistically this is an easy fold, but I like to build a loose-aggressive (read donk) image at these live tables as it makes it easy to get paid off with big hands.
So with a pot of about $40, we see a heads up flop of A 6 2 rainbow. I check, villain bets out $25. At this point his range is polarized, as if he has AA or the very occasional AK he is sitting pretty but if he has KK or QQ he hates that flop. I figure I can make the min raise to $50, risking $50 to win a $65 pot, and the play only has to be successful less than 50% of the time to be a +EV play. Assuming he will fold a non-ace, it seems to be a +EV play. AA is less likely with the A on the flop, so we'll estimate his range at something like 35%AA, 40%KK, 15% QQ, 10% AK or AQ. So we expect him to be folding 55% of the time. Naturally, he calls. I obviously have to shut it down and check-fold the turn. I do, and he shows...KK!?
Weird hand, but I still think the play on the flop is +EV in a vacuum, as I think most will fold KK in that situation. Also, for image purposes, a check-raise on the flop followed by a check-fold makes me look like a complete nut who will check-raise an A high flop with air, which should help me to get paid off in later hands. Obviously my call pre-flop is dangerous, and I would recommend against making that call. I did it because 1. I'm a huge donk, and 2. my range was basically any two cards, while his range was very narrow. Generally when you can keep your range wide and your opponent's range narrow, you have created a +EV situation, although not when your out of position and your opponent may be holding the nuts.
On to hand 2. Action folds to me in the cutoff seat, I hold KsQd. I make it $13 to play (my standard raise has been anywhere from $10-$15.) The SB (villain from the other hand) and BB (calling station) call. Here we have created a much better situation than the last hand, as I have position in a 3 way pot with likely the best hand.
Flop: 10 8 2 rainbow.
SB leads out $20 into a pot of about $40. BB folds.
Ok so here we have a situation where the SB leads out on a raggy flop. The standard play is to check to the pre-flop aggressor, and leading out into him is called a donk bet. Most people will do this hoping to take down the pot immediately with a hand that caught some of the board. People will occasionally do this with a set, but it's hard to imagine the SB would do that against an aggressive player like me who is likely to continuation bet almost every flop. So here is another spot where you can just fold, but the guy leading out to me likely has a weak 10 or 8, and I doubt his hand is strong enough to play a big pot out of position, so I make it $60. In a pot in position like this my cards matter less than how much heat I think my opponent's hand can take, so once again I think raising to 60 (betting 60 to win 60) is a +EV play. But of course my opponent calls the bet and eventually wins the hand holding K8. Anyway, I still think my play is theoretically a good one, although it's possible I picked the wrong opponent to try to make the play against.
-Aloy
Monday, May 17, 2010
Sox - Yankees: How they really match up
For the third time already in this short season, the Red Sox will play the Yanks tonight, opening up a short -- but probably not sweet -- two game series in the Bronx. Despite expected doubts, I'm hearing the Sox will try for a quality start for once tonight.
Most who know me understand the media has a tendency to get under my skin. All I ask for is for "non-corportate, un-bias, non right-wing media" industries and members. I want truth, reality, and for reporters and writers to give me the news, not create it. It's been difficult since Henry and Warner bought the Red Sox for authentic coverage to be given to the royal fans. Most of us are fed scripted and carefully planned opinions that try too hard not to bash the team and its management, while still creating enough intensity and attention to keep fans engaged.
It gets tiring time after time, since Dr. Charles took over the PR department and clowns on stilts hovered over Landsown Street like crowes over trash cans. The media spent much of the offseason protecting the team's arrogant and thoughltess plan to win with defense in an offensive park, while ignoring the recent holes in the bullpen (Wagner, Saito to ATL). Much of the media also decided that the Red Sox had enough talent to compete with an possibly overtake the Yankees. In honor of the two teams playing tonight, it is necessary and well overdue for fans to truly look at how far apart the talent on the two teams really is.
Catcher: Jorge Posada vs. Victor Martinez
Say what you want about Jorge's defense declining in recent years and his bum shoulder and occasional injuries, the guy still hits the hell out of the ball and carries the pitching staff. His leadership caries as much weight as a power lifter, which is never a bad thing over the course of a 162 game season. Victor's defense is atrocious, but him and Posada are about equally talented offensively, both switch-hitting and providing pop at the plate. Advantage: NYY
First Base: Mark Text-Message vs. Kevin Youkilis
Not to knock on Youk, but Mark Teixeira is probably the best first baseman in the American League. One can't criticize the Red Sox for having Youkilis as their first baseman -- he's outstanding in the field, at the plate, and as a teammate. But one certainly can criticize the Sox for not having their enemy's ammo. Advantage: NYY
Second Base: Robby Don't Ya Know vs. Dustin Pedroia
This will sound like a typical Red Sox homer, but I don't care what anyone says. With his size and limits, Dustin Pedroia is the best second baseman in baseball. Chase Utley and Robinson Cano have ball-player bodies. They're taller than 5'5". They have power hitters hitting behind them, oh, and they grew up playing that position. Dustin Pedroia was a short stop, and I don't care if Cano spent some time there. Pedroia made the transition, and won a gold glove. He won the AL Rookie of the Year in 2007 and had a killer postseason. He killed the Rays in the 2008 ALCS, and last I checked, won the MVP that year. He's a leader and has the heart of a lion, and everything I hear is that he's the new captain in the locker room. I watched Robinson Cano in the playoffs in 2009. He struck out numerous times, played lazy defense all throughout 2009, and has a reputation for partying in the past off the field. I give him credit -- he has been one of the top players this season. But you don't decide who is better after April and two weeks off May. You do it over time, and Pedroia is more proven and flat out better. He maximizes himself. Just look at the hardware. Advantage: BOS
Shortstop: Derek Jeter vs. Marco Scutaro
Don't really have to say too much here. Scutaro has been decent to date, but: Advantage: NYY
Third Base: Alex Rodriguez (with Jon Miller's fake spanish accent) vs. Adrian Beltre (Bel-TRAY, as Miller would also say)
Again, no contenst here. Beltre has been solid at the plate with his power coming on. A-Rod is the biggest super-star in the rivalry. Advantage: NYY
Left Field: Randy Winn/Marcus Thames vs. Jacoby Ellsbury
While the Yankees not signing Jason Bay or Matt Holliday is surprising, it can't be as surprising as the Red Sox not locking one of them up, either. With a power outage on both sides here, the Sox clearly have the better left fielder. I think Ellsbury needs to grow a little bit regarding injuries; Sean McAdam had a report a few weeks ago that Jacoby had to be forced numerous times in the minors to play through smaller injuries, most likely fallout from Agent Scott Boras. Advantage: BOS
Center Field: The Grandy Man vs. Mike Cameron
A young star vs. a 37-year-old outfielder who frequently strikes out. Not much of a contest here again, with the Yanks cleaning this one up. Granderson has been solid until his recent DL trip. He certainly got the Red Sox attention with two big home runs in the opening series. Advantage: NYY
Right Field: Nick Swisher vs. J.D. Drew
If Drew made 6 million dollars a year, no one would think twice about this one. He's a superb defender with a plus arm. He has great range and plays the tricky Fenway right field well. He does get on base, regardless of the puzzling batting average. He deserves a lot of credit for carrying the team in 2008 when David Ortiz hurt his wrist. Though he drives us all crazy for the occasional day off, double play ball to the right side, or taking a third strike, he's better than Swisher. Advantage: BOS
Designated Hitter: Nick Johnson vs. David Ortiz/Mike Lowell
Think it's officially time to put Mike Lowell into the mix here? Me too. Though Ortiz has had a few nice games lately, if we're feeling that good about it, we're all in trouble. Lowell has been solid when given the chance, but Ortiz has killed them time and again with his strike outs and lack of homers, RBIs, and smiles. Breaking the bat over his leg in front of Francona a few weeks ago couldn't be more wrong; to show up the manager who protected you when you got caught with 'roids is just mean. To make things awkward in the clubhouse for a class-act like Lowell -- who has taken his fair share of poor treatment by management -- is even worse. Nick Johnson, however, is equally as bad. I give the advantage to the Red Sox, only because Lowell is a respectable hitter and Johnson has more career DL trips than the NBA playoffs have tattoos. Advantage: (gulp) BOS
Starting Rotation: Lester, Beckett, Lackey, Dice-K, Buchholz vs. Sabathia, Burnett, Pettitte, Hughes, Vazquez
As bad as Vazquez has been, this one isn't close. It's my duty to write the truth and what I think. On paper, I think the Red Sox have the potential and ability to be better; that isn't the case so for in 2010. Beckett has been dreadful. Lester and Lackey have been inconsistent, and Buchholz has had his share of stinkers. Dice-K is as unpredictable as the weather. So far this year (again, so far...), the Yankees rotation has been much, much better. With Pettitte hurt and Sergio Mitre making starts for them, along with Vazquez stinking up the joint, the Sox have a chance to turn this around. However, the numbers and results don't lie. Advantage: NYY
Bullpen: Rivera, Chamberlain, Robertson, Marte, etc. vs. Papelbon, Bard, Okajima, Ramirez, Delcarmen, etc.
The Red Sox bullpen opened the season with two or three relievers who don't belong in the American League, maybe even baseball. The Yankees have their share of problems, but haven't blown games. Okajima, we all love him, can't get out of jams when he inherits runners. Daniel Bard, for some reason, hasn't been called out. I understand he throws 98-100 MPH and looks cool out there, but he's blown several games already and has given up some brutal poorly-timed home runs. Sorry, just reporting the truth. Delcarmen should have been dealt when he had value, and Ramon Ramirez throws strikes as often as I refuse to swear. Papelbon has been very good and overall, some of the reliever's numbers aren't that bad. However, the Yankees have out performed and probably have a better bullpen when Joba is at his best in the 8th inning. I do think the Yankees have the better pen, but it is so close that we will call it a draw. Advantage: None
Manager: "G.I." Joe Girardi vs. Tito Francona
His nickname in his first season as Red Sox manager was "Francoma," criticized for managerial decisions that made fans wonder if he was in a coma. He's been outstanding with his moves; he rarely, if ever, loses a game by himself for the team. Girardi deserves credit for winning a World Series without doubt, but he isn't a great manager, or even a real good one. He did well with Florida in 2006, but he manages the bullpen as well as the Enron people did their company. Two World Series is more than one. Advantage: BOS
Your totals... Yankees win 6 categories, Red Sox win 4. Though that seems close enough, when you look at the core positions: Rotation, Up the Middle (Catcher, Shortstop, Centerfield), and middle of the order, it's not as close as it seems. Any Given game day... Any Given game Day...
JMO
Most who know me understand the media has a tendency to get under my skin. All I ask for is for "non-corportate, un-bias, non right-wing media" industries and members. I want truth, reality, and for reporters and writers to give me the news, not create it. It's been difficult since Henry and Warner bought the Red Sox for authentic coverage to be given to the royal fans. Most of us are fed scripted and carefully planned opinions that try too hard not to bash the team and its management, while still creating enough intensity and attention to keep fans engaged.
It gets tiring time after time, since Dr. Charles took over the PR department and clowns on stilts hovered over Landsown Street like crowes over trash cans. The media spent much of the offseason protecting the team's arrogant and thoughltess plan to win with defense in an offensive park, while ignoring the recent holes in the bullpen (Wagner, Saito to ATL). Much of the media also decided that the Red Sox had enough talent to compete with an possibly overtake the Yankees. In honor of the two teams playing tonight, it is necessary and well overdue for fans to truly look at how far apart the talent on the two teams really is.
Catcher: Jorge Posada vs. Victor Martinez
Say what you want about Jorge's defense declining in recent years and his bum shoulder and occasional injuries, the guy still hits the hell out of the ball and carries the pitching staff. His leadership caries as much weight as a power lifter, which is never a bad thing over the course of a 162 game season. Victor's defense is atrocious, but him and Posada are about equally talented offensively, both switch-hitting and providing pop at the plate. Advantage: NYY
First Base: Mark Text-Message vs. Kevin Youkilis
Not to knock on Youk, but Mark Teixeira is probably the best first baseman in the American League. One can't criticize the Red Sox for having Youkilis as their first baseman -- he's outstanding in the field, at the plate, and as a teammate. But one certainly can criticize the Sox for not having their enemy's ammo. Advantage: NYY
Second Base: Robby Don't Ya Know vs. Dustin Pedroia
This will sound like a typical Red Sox homer, but I don't care what anyone says. With his size and limits, Dustin Pedroia is the best second baseman in baseball. Chase Utley and Robinson Cano have ball-player bodies. They're taller than 5'5". They have power hitters hitting behind them, oh, and they grew up playing that position. Dustin Pedroia was a short stop, and I don't care if Cano spent some time there. Pedroia made the transition, and won a gold glove. He won the AL Rookie of the Year in 2007 and had a killer postseason. He killed the Rays in the 2008 ALCS, and last I checked, won the MVP that year. He's a leader and has the heart of a lion, and everything I hear is that he's the new captain in the locker room. I watched Robinson Cano in the playoffs in 2009. He struck out numerous times, played lazy defense all throughout 2009, and has a reputation for partying in the past off the field. I give him credit -- he has been one of the top players this season. But you don't decide who is better after April and two weeks off May. You do it over time, and Pedroia is more proven and flat out better. He maximizes himself. Just look at the hardware. Advantage: BOS
Shortstop: Derek Jeter vs. Marco Scutaro
Don't really have to say too much here. Scutaro has been decent to date, but: Advantage: NYY
Third Base: Alex Rodriguez (with Jon Miller's fake spanish accent) vs. Adrian Beltre (Bel-TRAY, as Miller would also say)
Again, no contenst here. Beltre has been solid at the plate with his power coming on. A-Rod is the biggest super-star in the rivalry. Advantage: NYY
Left Field: Randy Winn/Marcus Thames vs. Jacoby Ellsbury
While the Yankees not signing Jason Bay or Matt Holliday is surprising, it can't be as surprising as the Red Sox not locking one of them up, either. With a power outage on both sides here, the Sox clearly have the better left fielder. I think Ellsbury needs to grow a little bit regarding injuries; Sean McAdam had a report a few weeks ago that Jacoby had to be forced numerous times in the minors to play through smaller injuries, most likely fallout from Agent Scott Boras. Advantage: BOS
Center Field: The Grandy Man vs. Mike Cameron
A young star vs. a 37-year-old outfielder who frequently strikes out. Not much of a contest here again, with the Yanks cleaning this one up. Granderson has been solid until his recent DL trip. He certainly got the Red Sox attention with two big home runs in the opening series. Advantage: NYY
Right Field: Nick Swisher vs. J.D. Drew
If Drew made 6 million dollars a year, no one would think twice about this one. He's a superb defender with a plus arm. He has great range and plays the tricky Fenway right field well. He does get on base, regardless of the puzzling batting average. He deserves a lot of credit for carrying the team in 2008 when David Ortiz hurt his wrist. Though he drives us all crazy for the occasional day off, double play ball to the right side, or taking a third strike, he's better than Swisher. Advantage: BOS
Designated Hitter: Nick Johnson vs. David Ortiz/Mike Lowell
Think it's officially time to put Mike Lowell into the mix here? Me too. Though Ortiz has had a few nice games lately, if we're feeling that good about it, we're all in trouble. Lowell has been solid when given the chance, but Ortiz has killed them time and again with his strike outs and lack of homers, RBIs, and smiles. Breaking the bat over his leg in front of Francona a few weeks ago couldn't be more wrong; to show up the manager who protected you when you got caught with 'roids is just mean. To make things awkward in the clubhouse for a class-act like Lowell -- who has taken his fair share of poor treatment by management -- is even worse. Nick Johnson, however, is equally as bad. I give the advantage to the Red Sox, only because Lowell is a respectable hitter and Johnson has more career DL trips than the NBA playoffs have tattoos. Advantage: (gulp) BOS
Starting Rotation: Lester, Beckett, Lackey, Dice-K, Buchholz vs. Sabathia, Burnett, Pettitte, Hughes, Vazquez
As bad as Vazquez has been, this one isn't close. It's my duty to write the truth and what I think. On paper, I think the Red Sox have the potential and ability to be better; that isn't the case so for in 2010. Beckett has been dreadful. Lester and Lackey have been inconsistent, and Buchholz has had his share of stinkers. Dice-K is as unpredictable as the weather. So far this year (again, so far...), the Yankees rotation has been much, much better. With Pettitte hurt and Sergio Mitre making starts for them, along with Vazquez stinking up the joint, the Sox have a chance to turn this around. However, the numbers and results don't lie. Advantage: NYY
Bullpen: Rivera, Chamberlain, Robertson, Marte, etc. vs. Papelbon, Bard, Okajima, Ramirez, Delcarmen, etc.
The Red Sox bullpen opened the season with two or three relievers who don't belong in the American League, maybe even baseball. The Yankees have their share of problems, but haven't blown games. Okajima, we all love him, can't get out of jams when he inherits runners. Daniel Bard, for some reason, hasn't been called out. I understand he throws 98-100 MPH and looks cool out there, but he's blown several games already and has given up some brutal poorly-timed home runs. Sorry, just reporting the truth. Delcarmen should have been dealt when he had value, and Ramon Ramirez throws strikes as often as I refuse to swear. Papelbon has been very good and overall, some of the reliever's numbers aren't that bad. However, the Yankees have out performed and probably have a better bullpen when Joba is at his best in the 8th inning. I do think the Yankees have the better pen, but it is so close that we will call it a draw. Advantage: None
Manager: "G.I." Joe Girardi vs. Tito Francona
His nickname in his first season as Red Sox manager was "Francoma," criticized for managerial decisions that made fans wonder if he was in a coma. He's been outstanding with his moves; he rarely, if ever, loses a game by himself for the team. Girardi deserves credit for winning a World Series without doubt, but he isn't a great manager, or even a real good one. He did well with Florida in 2006, but he manages the bullpen as well as the Enron people did their company. Two World Series is more than one. Advantage: BOS
Your totals... Yankees win 6 categories, Red Sox win 4. Though that seems close enough, when you look at the core positions: Rotation, Up the Middle (Catcher, Shortstop, Centerfield), and middle of the order, it's not as close as it seems. Any Given game day... Any Given game Day...
JMO
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Sox lost in weekend hype, standings too
The Bruins not only gave me a chuckle, but they broke the hearts of the many sucker fans. The Celtics gave me great joy by putting a hold on the LeBron commercials for the short term and more importantly, they advanced the Eastern Conference finals for the second time in the last three seasons. Lost in all of this great hype and sports action that gives us something to feel warm inside about, the Boston Dead Sox continued to do what they’ve done best all year: play inconsistently and lose.
John Lackey has been so-so in his first of five Red Sox seasons -- Jon Lester the same. The team’s issue list would take up more space than Dwight Howard’s shoulders. The bottom line is this: the Red Sox have their chance for a successful season in the current and upcoming series. If they don’t win -- which it looks like they won’t on a consistent basis -- then the goose is cooked. Well-done.
Sitting back at 19-19 and 7.5 games out of first place, the standings haven’t been kind to the Red Sox. But the Red Sox haven’t been kind to the standings themselves, and regardless of the Yankees and Rays’ terrific starts, they have only themselves to blame.
The important games currently and ahead that will make or break the season:
3 games at Detroit: 1-2
2 games at New York
2 games vs. Minnesota
3 games at Philadelphia
3 games at Tampa Bay, all TBD
Thirteen games, already down two losses. Those five teams are of the cream of the crop. If the Sox don’t step up their play, they’ll be surprised how quickly these quality opponents can and will bury them. Keep Terry Francona in your thoughts the next few days, huh?
It’s becoming harder to dissect the Red Sox’ problems as the season has gone on. Most would find it easier to figure out their flaws, as the case usually goes. However, it’s becoming more difficult to point the finger at the specifics. Yes, the pitching has been brutal, the offense and defense right up there in misery. But why? Why aren’t things improving? Is John Farrell overrated? Could be. Is Francona sitting with his hands tied? Most likely. Did Theo just put together a group of square pegs built for circular holes? Looks that way.
Lost in a weekend where the Bruins had the largest choke in the history of the NHL and the Celtics made believers in their fans, the Red Sox sit boring and dangling over the fire. I predicted this team would have to make a major move by late May in order to compete; looks like Chef Theo is going to have to decide whether to drop the goose onto the fire to be cooked or buy some different groceries.
JMO
Quick thoughts on Game 1
The C's came out playing great defense, and the game plan was as expected: Cover Dwight Howard one on on, make him shoot from more than 3 feet away, hack the shit out of him if he's too close, and limit Orlando's three point attempts. The Celtics did that well in the first half and were aided by Orlando's poor shooting. Dwight Howard must have tried to finish with his left hand 4 or 5 times and didn't hit any of those shots. Mark Jackson said the Celtics had no chinks in their armor, while the Magic's armor had more chinks than an honors math class. (I'm not a racist, I just play one on the internet.) Pierce had his way with Vince on the offensive end, going 6 of 8 from the field and 8 of 10 from the line. Matt Barnes was atrocious logging a -14. I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot more JJ Redick in game two. Mickael Pietrus couldn't hit a shot, and Rashard Lewis was a nonfactor. The Magic will have to get more from them if they expect to win the series. Ray Allen was great and Tony Allen continued his stellar play in the playoffs. More thoughts to come tomorrow.
-Aloy
-Aloy
CELTICS MAGIC PREVIEW
After defeating the sinking ship that was the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Celtics advance to the Eastern Conference Finals starting today at 3:30 in Orlando. Last year, the Celtics lost to the Magic in 7 games, but that was without Kevin Garnett. The Magic come into the Conference finals on a roll, having gone 8-0 in the playoffs so far. This has all the makings of a great series, so let's break it down, in the words of the real VP of Common Sense, "Dr. Jack Style."
Centers:
Magic: Dwight Howard, Marcin Gortat
Celtics: Perk and Sheed
Dwight Howard is without a doubt the best center in the league, putting up ridiculous block and rebound numbers. His dominance is born out in the difference in Orlando's production when he is on and off the court. They are a +10.5 per 48 minutes when he's on the court, and a -.3 when he's off it. Orlando not only counts on his defense but also his post presence to create open shots for their 3 point shooters (basically their whole team). If Dwight is Superman, Kendrick Perkins might be his Kryptonite, as he defends Howard better than anyone in the league. The Celtics aren't asking for much out of Perk offensively. His job in this series will be to cover Howard one on one, so Celtics don't have to double and create open 3s for Orlando. Guarding Howard entails making him shoot jumpers and jump hooks, and hacking the shit out of him if he gets too close to the basket. Dwight shoots only 25% when taking jump shots, so any time he takes anything but a dunk or layup consider it a win for the Celtics. Look for Howard to be a factor early in games, and probably get Perk and Sheed in foul trouble, but luckily when the game is on the line Superman has a tendency to play more like Lois Lane.
Edge: Magic
Forwards:
Magic: Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter, Matt Barnes, Mickael Pietrus
Celtics: KG, Pierce, Big Baby, Tony Allen
Rashard Lewis creates a really tough matchup for the Celtics, as he's much too quick and has too much range to be guarded by KG, and is too tall for Pierce to be able to bother his shot. Look for him to have a big series. Luckily, he seems to disappear late in games. It will be interesting to see what the Celtics do to try to limit his looks from the perimeter. Also, the mismatch on one end becomes a mismatch on the other, as Lewis can't guard Garnett in the post.
Vince Carter and Paul Pierce seem to be linked together during their basketball careers. Both played their college ball at perennial powerhouses, where both failed to deliver a national title, Pierce at Kansas, and Vince at UNC. Both contended for rookie of the year in the '98-99 season, where Pierce was robbed as the award was given to the flashier Carter. Both hit the floor like a ton of bricks when they get fouled going to the hoop, the only difference being that Pierce gets up, while Vince sits out the next month. Both were viewed as selfish players for most of their careers, although Vince actually deserved the label while Pierce got a bad rap playing on bad teams. Vince has had a much better than expected season with the Magic. As strange as it seems, he may be the x-factor in this series. If he can play like a man and withstand the beating the Celtics will surely deliver him when he goes to the hoop, it's the Magic's series to win. However, I wouldn't bet on it. Expect Pierce to take him behind the woodshed and exploit his softness. Barnes can hit a lot of threes, so it'll be important to limit his open looks. Pietrus scares the shit out of me, as he always seems to step up and hit big shots. Look at him to get significant crunch time minutes while Vince is getting worked on by the trainer late in close games.
Edge: Celtics, but it's close.
Guards:
Magic: Jameer Nelson, JJ Redick, Jason Williams
Celtics: Rondo, Ray Allen....wow we really only have two legitimate guards
Wow, a Jason Williams appearance! We now have the whole top 3 in the '98-99 rookie of the year voting! Remember when Jason Williams made that behind the back pass that he bounced off his elbow?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-Vq-DO86RE
He used to be so fun to watch. Unfortunately he never turned into a great NBA point guard. And no, I have no idea what language that was in.
Jameer Nelson is the heart and soul of this Magic team. However, expect that heart and soul to be ripped out as he simply doesn't have the quickness to stay with Rajon Rondo. This is no knock on Nelson, since I'm not sure anyone in the league has the quickness to stay with Rondo. Rondo will have to be dominant once again for the Celtics to get out of this series with a win. We'll have to wait and see if we'll see good Ray this series or bad Ray. Redick's a little bitch.
Edge: Celtics
Coaching:
Magic: Ron Jeremy
Celtics: The doctor
As much shit as SVG sometimes gets, I actually think he's a great coach. He destroyed Mike Brown in last year's conference finals. It appears Doc knew what he was doing all along this year, as his team has responded in a big way for the playoffs. This series is so interesting because it feels like every matchup is a mismatch on one end or the other. The Celtics will do everything they can to limit Orlando's open threes, while the Magic will do everything they can to stop Rondo from controlling the game.
Edge: Push
The Verdict: This should be a great series. The Magic are firing on all cylinders, but the Celtics can smell the Promised Land and realize this is probably the last chance they have at a title as presently constructed. I think the Celtics take this one in 6, setting up a matchup with the Lakers in the finals. Leave your thoughts/predictions in the comments section.
-Aloy
Centers:
Magic: Dwight Howard, Marcin Gortat
Celtics: Perk and Sheed
Dwight Howard is without a doubt the best center in the league, putting up ridiculous block and rebound numbers. His dominance is born out in the difference in Orlando's production when he is on and off the court. They are a +10.5 per 48 minutes when he's on the court, and a -.3 when he's off it. Orlando not only counts on his defense but also his post presence to create open shots for their 3 point shooters (basically their whole team). If Dwight is Superman, Kendrick Perkins might be his Kryptonite, as he defends Howard better than anyone in the league. The Celtics aren't asking for much out of Perk offensively. His job in this series will be to cover Howard one on one, so Celtics don't have to double and create open 3s for Orlando. Guarding Howard entails making him shoot jumpers and jump hooks, and hacking the shit out of him if he gets too close to the basket. Dwight shoots only 25% when taking jump shots, so any time he takes anything but a dunk or layup consider it a win for the Celtics. Look for Howard to be a factor early in games, and probably get Perk and Sheed in foul trouble, but luckily when the game is on the line Superman has a tendency to play more like Lois Lane.
Edge: Magic
Forwards:
Magic: Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter, Matt Barnes, Mickael Pietrus
Celtics: KG, Pierce, Big Baby, Tony Allen
Rashard Lewis creates a really tough matchup for the Celtics, as he's much too quick and has too much range to be guarded by KG, and is too tall for Pierce to be able to bother his shot. Look for him to have a big series. Luckily, he seems to disappear late in games. It will be interesting to see what the Celtics do to try to limit his looks from the perimeter. Also, the mismatch on one end becomes a mismatch on the other, as Lewis can't guard Garnett in the post.
Vince Carter and Paul Pierce seem to be linked together during their basketball careers. Both played their college ball at perennial powerhouses, where both failed to deliver a national title, Pierce at Kansas, and Vince at UNC. Both contended for rookie of the year in the '98-99 season, where Pierce was robbed as the award was given to the flashier Carter. Both hit the floor like a ton of bricks when they get fouled going to the hoop, the only difference being that Pierce gets up, while Vince sits out the next month. Both were viewed as selfish players for most of their careers, although Vince actually deserved the label while Pierce got a bad rap playing on bad teams. Vince has had a much better than expected season with the Magic. As strange as it seems, he may be the x-factor in this series. If he can play like a man and withstand the beating the Celtics will surely deliver him when he goes to the hoop, it's the Magic's series to win. However, I wouldn't bet on it. Expect Pierce to take him behind the woodshed and exploit his softness. Barnes can hit a lot of threes, so it'll be important to limit his open looks. Pietrus scares the shit out of me, as he always seems to step up and hit big shots. Look at him to get significant crunch time minutes while Vince is getting worked on by the trainer late in close games.
Edge: Celtics, but it's close.
Guards:
Magic: Jameer Nelson, JJ Redick, Jason Williams
Celtics: Rondo, Ray Allen....wow we really only have two legitimate guards
Wow, a Jason Williams appearance! We now have the whole top 3 in the '98-99 rookie of the year voting! Remember when Jason Williams made that behind the back pass that he bounced off his elbow?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-Vq-DO86RE
He used to be so fun to watch. Unfortunately he never turned into a great NBA point guard. And no, I have no idea what language that was in.
Jameer Nelson is the heart and soul of this Magic team. However, expect that heart and soul to be ripped out as he simply doesn't have the quickness to stay with Rajon Rondo. This is no knock on Nelson, since I'm not sure anyone in the league has the quickness to stay with Rondo. Rondo will have to be dominant once again for the Celtics to get out of this series with a win. We'll have to wait and see if we'll see good Ray this series or bad Ray. Redick's a little bitch.
Edge: Celtics
Coaching:
Magic: Ron Jeremy
Celtics: The doctor
As much shit as SVG sometimes gets, I actually think he's a great coach. He destroyed Mike Brown in last year's conference finals. It appears Doc knew what he was doing all along this year, as his team has responded in a big way for the playoffs. This series is so interesting because it feels like every matchup is a mismatch on one end or the other. The Celtics will do everything they can to limit Orlando's open threes, while the Magic will do everything they can to stop Rondo from controlling the game.
Edge: Push
The Verdict: This should be a great series. The Magic are firing on all cylinders, but the Celtics can smell the Promised Land and realize this is probably the last chance they have at a title as presently constructed. I think the Celtics take this one in 6, setting up a matchup with the Lakers in the finals. Leave your thoughts/predictions in the comments section.
-Aloy
Thursday, May 13, 2010
This one's on you, Bruins
My view of the Boston Bruins is pretty well established. I'm not a real fan of the team or the organization. I don't like the Jacobs and I'm not a hockey buff to say the least.
I was rooting for the Bruins in the playoffs; I hopped on the bandwagon faster than a pink-hat Red Sox fan could. They were up 3-0 on Philadelphia, playing lights out on both sides of the ball, and looked like strong Stanley Cup Champ contenders. Then the usual happened: the Bruins turned into the Bruins.
Look -- a Montreal vs. Boston Eastern Conference Finals would be amazing; not only for the fans of these two great hockey cities, but for the league itself. This is history in the making. One problem: the Bruins don't seem to want to let this happen.
If they blow this series, people will call it the biggest choke in the history of sports, up there with the 2004 Yankees, almost every Cubs/Red Sox team (prior to 2004), etc. The list could go on forever, but this one would be pretty bad.
The bottom line is this: the Bruins owe it to their fans. Only TWO playoff series victories since 1999? That's harsh. It's even more harsh that they're letting Philly and the Carcillo's of the world have a shot of over-taking them. I do know that Philadelphia isn't as good and has no business being in the series at this point. It's ironic how the Boston media jumped from calling the series a gift to saying that Boston's injuries are an excuse and the Flyers are really good. Pick a side. The Bruins owe their fans a shot at Montreal. Even if they lose, it would make a very successful, over-achieving playoffs exciting and worth the watch. If they lose game 7 Friday night, it will be more than a gag job: it will be one of the biggest sports-turn-offs in history. Fans won't be so willing to crawl back to these players this time. After all, aren't these the Bruins we expected to see most of the year?
Here's to hoping they change their stripes this time. Cheers, Bruins fans.
JMO
I was rooting for the Bruins in the playoffs; I hopped on the bandwagon faster than a pink-hat Red Sox fan could. They were up 3-0 on Philadelphia, playing lights out on both sides of the ball, and looked like strong Stanley Cup Champ contenders. Then the usual happened: the Bruins turned into the Bruins.
Look -- a Montreal vs. Boston Eastern Conference Finals would be amazing; not only for the fans of these two great hockey cities, but for the league itself. This is history in the making. One problem: the Bruins don't seem to want to let this happen.
If they blow this series, people will call it the biggest choke in the history of sports, up there with the 2004 Yankees, almost every Cubs/Red Sox team (prior to 2004), etc. The list could go on forever, but this one would be pretty bad.
The bottom line is this: the Bruins owe it to their fans. Only TWO playoff series victories since 1999? That's harsh. It's even more harsh that they're letting Philly and the Carcillo's of the world have a shot of over-taking them. I do know that Philadelphia isn't as good and has no business being in the series at this point. It's ironic how the Boston media jumped from calling the series a gift to saying that Boston's injuries are an excuse and the Flyers are really good. Pick a side. The Bruins owe their fans a shot at Montreal. Even if they lose, it would make a very successful, over-achieving playoffs exciting and worth the watch. If they lose game 7 Friday night, it will be more than a gag job: it will be one of the biggest sports-turn-offs in history. Fans won't be so willing to crawl back to these players this time. After all, aren't these the Bruins we expected to see most of the year?
Here's to hoping they change their stripes this time. Cheers, Bruins fans.
JMO
Can the Celtics finish it off tonight?
I figured I'd mail this entry in in honor of Lebron's game 5 performance......The Celtics enter tonight's game 6 with a 3-2 lead. Many have expressed shock at the Celtics taking a 3-2 lead in this series, but somehow it isn't too surprising. My buddy Wood said before the series that it's a good match up for the Celtics. After game 2 I felt that not only could the Celtics win the series, but they SHOULD win the series. As great as Lebron is, (and he is great, despite all the shit he's getting after his atrocious game 5) the Cavs are a one man team.
Mo Williams has been embarrassingly bad; he can't stay in front of Rondo to save his life, and he has shot horribly this series. Antwan Jamison has put together some good first halves, but he absolutely disappears down the stretch. The best way to surround a dominant ball handling 3 like Lebron is with guys who can hit open threes and athletic big men. Cleveland's guards haven't been able to hit open shots. Mike Brown decided to use Shaq and Z instead of the more athletic JJ Hixon and Anderson Varajeo. Hixon played 4 minutes last game! Varajeo played 17! The Shaq move was a terrible move at the time for Cleveland, and his poor fit for this Cleveland team has shown this series, as he has clogged the lane and created poor spacing for Lebron to drive.
Meanwhile, the Celtics executed beautifully in game 5. There was a perfect balance, as KG, Ray, Pierce, Rondo, and Big Baby all had significant scoring contributions. Lebron will need some help tonight if his Cleveland career is going to continue. You have to feel like he will have a huge night tonight, but will it be enough to win? I'm feeling something ridiculous like 40 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 asssists in a game that will go down to the wire. Hopefully the Celtics can overcome that for a win.
-Aloy
Mo Williams has been embarrassingly bad; he can't stay in front of Rondo to save his life, and he has shot horribly this series. Antwan Jamison has put together some good first halves, but he absolutely disappears down the stretch. The best way to surround a dominant ball handling 3 like Lebron is with guys who can hit open threes and athletic big men. Cleveland's guards haven't been able to hit open shots. Mike Brown decided to use Shaq and Z instead of the more athletic JJ Hixon and Anderson Varajeo. Hixon played 4 minutes last game! Varajeo played 17! The Shaq move was a terrible move at the time for Cleveland, and his poor fit for this Cleveland team has shown this series, as he has clogged the lane and created poor spacing for Lebron to drive.
Meanwhile, the Celtics executed beautifully in game 5. There was a perfect balance, as KG, Ray, Pierce, Rondo, and Big Baby all had significant scoring contributions. Lebron will need some help tonight if his Cleveland career is going to continue. You have to feel like he will have a huge night tonight, but will it be enough to win? I'm feeling something ridiculous like 40 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 asssists in a game that will go down to the wire. Hopefully the Celtics can overcome that for a win.
-Aloy
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Curious Case of Josh Beckett
After being scratched for his start scheduled for Friday night in Detroit, Josh Beckett has continued to trend toward one thing: pissing people off. I don't really understand how to classify Josh. He's been really dominant at times, while countering those great games with stinkers that would even offend public restrooms. Beckett's 2010 stats so far: 1-1 with a 7.46 ERA.
The debate with Beckett is this: how do we classify him as a pitcher, particularly with his tenure as a Boston Red Sox? Some say he's in the dominant class of pitchers around the league, but lately, you hear more of the whispers of Beckett being slightly above average and an underachiever.
You decide. The evidence is as follows:
Beckett in his career is 107-69 with a 3.89 ERA. That looks and sounds pretty good. Most fans would then probably guess his Red Sox numbers as a whole aren't too pretty though. They are a surprising 66-35! His ERA is 4.21, but factor in that he has a 7.46 ERA currently. It may be hard for many fans to learn that Josh Beckett's numbers are better than expected. He won an ALCS MVP and dominated in the 2007 postseason. He's still young, throws in the mid 90s, and has the guts to take the ball while hurt. There's a lot there to give fans high expectations.
But that isn't the issue. This guy is supposed to be your ace. He just got paid a hell of a lot of money to be that ace for the next five seasons. I'm not seeing a guy who has won two World Series, almost soley on his dominant pitching. I'm seeing a guy who I have zero confidence in when he takes the ball. I see a pitcher who makes fans have no idea whether Jeckyll or Hyde is going to show up.
Josh Beckett hasn't even started game one of the each of the last two postseasons. Even the Red Sox know this guy isn't an ace anymore. Your ace doesn't have his turn skipped in the rotation. Your ace doesn't have a 5.96 career ERA in almost 20 starts against the Yankees. The alarm in your head should be going off right about now.
I don't know what exactly to expect from Josh Beckett the rest of the season. For all we know, common sense tells us he should rebound and have a pretty solid season. But I tell you this: don't expect him to be your ace.
JMO
The debate with Beckett is this: how do we classify him as a pitcher, particularly with his tenure as a Boston Red Sox? Some say he's in the dominant class of pitchers around the league, but lately, you hear more of the whispers of Beckett being slightly above average and an underachiever.
You decide. The evidence is as follows:
Beckett in his career is 107-69 with a 3.89 ERA. That looks and sounds pretty good. Most fans would then probably guess his Red Sox numbers as a whole aren't too pretty though. They are a surprising 66-35! His ERA is 4.21, but factor in that he has a 7.46 ERA currently. It may be hard for many fans to learn that Josh Beckett's numbers are better than expected. He won an ALCS MVP and dominated in the 2007 postseason. He's still young, throws in the mid 90s, and has the guts to take the ball while hurt. There's a lot there to give fans high expectations.
But that isn't the issue. This guy is supposed to be your ace. He just got paid a hell of a lot of money to be that ace for the next five seasons. I'm not seeing a guy who has won two World Series, almost soley on his dominant pitching. I'm seeing a guy who I have zero confidence in when he takes the ball. I see a pitcher who makes fans have no idea whether Jeckyll or Hyde is going to show up.
Josh Beckett hasn't even started game one of the each of the last two postseasons. Even the Red Sox know this guy isn't an ace anymore. Your ace doesn't have his turn skipped in the rotation. Your ace doesn't have a 5.96 career ERA in almost 20 starts against the Yankees. The alarm in your head should be going off right about now.
I don't know what exactly to expect from Josh Beckett the rest of the season. For all we know, common sense tells us he should rebound and have a pretty solid season. But I tell you this: don't expect him to be your ace.
JMO
Monday, May 10, 2010
Tiger Woods Withdraws with neck injury
So as I'm sure you've all heard, Tiger Woods withdrew from the Players Championship yesterday with a sore neck. That got me thinking, we all know there are only two ways to injure your neck...(skip to 1:25 of the clip)
Two ways to hurt your neck
I don't think Tiger's been in any more car accidents recently, so I guess that only leaves one thing...
-Aloy
Two ways to hurt your neck
I don't think Tiger's been in any more car accidents recently, so I guess that only leaves one thing...
-Aloy
The Vicious Cycle of the Boston Red Sox
Round and round we go. After 32 games, your Red Sox are a tepid 16-16. Don’t get too excited after tonight’s victory over the New York Yankees. Though there were positives to take away from the victory (Jon Lester’s 3rd consecutive great start, the offensive break out), reality is that the Red Sox not only lost the series, but did so in a very lopsided fashion.
The vicious cycle of the Red Sox seems to be spinning every game day, with the weeks now accumulating. The pitching can’t afford to perform so poorly with the weak lineup the team has; the hitting can’t afford to be feeble with this god-awful pitching. Add in that team’s defense is as effective as having Jonathan Wilhite cover LeBron, things aren’t good.
A cycle doesn’t spin on its own. Someone spins the wheel to make it go around. Meet Theo Epstein: two World Series rings and has designed teams that have only missed the playoffs twice in his 9 seasons as Red Sox GM. What goes around comes around. When you miss out on a franchise, superstar type player, the hole doesn’t fill itself.
Try stopping a water leak with a piece of chewed gum. You’re bound to have problems.
Teixeira’s 3 home runs on Saturday was a nice reminder to Sox fans about what they’re missing out on -- and more importantly -- why they’re in a lousy position to succeed in 2010. The Yankees have a game changer in their lineup – someone that cannot be pitched around. The Red Sox have pieces to a puzzle that doesn’t seem to fit right.
Teixeira not only would have given the Red Sox a presence in their lineup for a decade, but it would have meant the Yankees would be without the 2009 MVP candidate. We’re stuck wondering the “what ifs” because the owners would not pony up the money, or the GM and team President became arrogant.
Which is what they are. The Red Sox have become arrogant and they wear it on their sleeve -- bigger than that big pair of hanging Sox on the left sleeve of their jerseys. Theo’s failure to acquire top of the line talent has caught up with him. He devalued Jason Bay, Jacoby Ellsbury’s defense, Mike Lowell’s importance, and Josh Beckett’s consistency. The bad cycle of play by the team continues to spin because Theo has put together a roster of disaster. There’s no flexibility for Tito, given the abundance of 1B/3B/DHs the team has. The only way to stop a cycle from spinning is to change one of its parts. And something tells me the Red Sox philosophy might be “prevention” on that one, once again.
JMO
The vicious cycle of the Red Sox seems to be spinning every game day, with the weeks now accumulating. The pitching can’t afford to perform so poorly with the weak lineup the team has; the hitting can’t afford to be feeble with this god-awful pitching. Add in that team’s defense is as effective as having Jonathan Wilhite cover LeBron, things aren’t good.
A cycle doesn’t spin on its own. Someone spins the wheel to make it go around. Meet Theo Epstein: two World Series rings and has designed teams that have only missed the playoffs twice in his 9 seasons as Red Sox GM. What goes around comes around. When you miss out on a franchise, superstar type player, the hole doesn’t fill itself.
Try stopping a water leak with a piece of chewed gum. You’re bound to have problems.
Teixeira’s 3 home runs on Saturday was a nice reminder to Sox fans about what they’re missing out on -- and more importantly -- why they’re in a lousy position to succeed in 2010. The Yankees have a game changer in their lineup – someone that cannot be pitched around. The Red Sox have pieces to a puzzle that doesn’t seem to fit right.
Teixeira not only would have given the Red Sox a presence in their lineup for a decade, but it would have meant the Yankees would be without the 2009 MVP candidate. We’re stuck wondering the “what ifs” because the owners would not pony up the money, or the GM and team President became arrogant.
Which is what they are. The Red Sox have become arrogant and they wear it on their sleeve -- bigger than that big pair of hanging Sox on the left sleeve of their jerseys. Theo’s failure to acquire top of the line talent has caught up with him. He devalued Jason Bay, Jacoby Ellsbury’s defense, Mike Lowell’s importance, and Josh Beckett’s consistency. The bad cycle of play by the team continues to spin because Theo has put together a roster of disaster. There’s no flexibility for Tito, given the abundance of 1B/3B/DHs the team has. The only way to stop a cycle from spinning is to change one of its parts. And something tells me the Red Sox philosophy might be “prevention” on that one, once again.
JMO
Sunday, May 9, 2010
You GOTTA love sports!
First off, welcome to The VP of Common Sense blog. The title is an homage to our favorite sports writer, Bill Simmons. The Sports Guy had the idea that every sports team should have a VP of Common Sense to consult before making any major decisions. For example, the Red Sox signed Mike Cameron to a two year, $15.5 million contract this past off-season, claiming his defense was significantly better than Jacoby Ellsbury's. Had they contacted the VP, his response would have been something like this:
"You're going to sign a 37 year old outfielder who is essentially an automatic out at the plate to a two year contract based on the strength of his defense? Are you fucking serious? Do you know how many 37 year old great defensive center fielders there are out there? That's right, NONE!"
So anyway, this is the role of the VP of Common Sense. JMO and I will try to provide common sense while discussing a variety of topics, most of them dealing with Boston sports. We'll try to keep our posts entertaining and filled with lots of lame jokes.
There is no better time to start blogging than a spring where the Celtics have been hooked up to the Juvenation Machine and the Bruins have come out of nowhere to make a run at the Stanley Cup. Today's Celtics game featured a ridiculous 29 point, 18 rebound, 13 assist performance from "The Big One" Rajon Rondo and an even more improbable +12 +/- from Sheed. Coupled with a pedestrian 22 point effort from Lebron, this led to a Celtics victory and allowed the 18,624 in attendance to go out and get their rage on like Rondo. We officially have ourselves a series, and it seems the C's have a real shot to win it.
I'd like to address all the Celtics fans bitching about Lebron getting too many calls: STOP BITCHING. Today's game was called tight on both ends (there's gotta be a joke there) and the officiating was consistent, at least until the fourth quarter, when the refs actually let them play a little more, which benefits the Celtics. Superstar treatment is nothing new in the NBA, and Lebron gets no more calls than Kobe or Jordan did. The officiating is bound to be bad because basketball is the hardest sport to ref. If the Celtics lose this series, it won't be because of the officiating, it will be because they were outplayed. If they play like they did today, that's not likely to happen. So sit back, crack open a cold one, and enjoy watching your team match up against the greatest player in the game for a trip to the conference finals.
Follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/VPofcommonsense
-Aloy
"You're going to sign a 37 year old outfielder who is essentially an automatic out at the plate to a two year contract based on the strength of his defense? Are you fucking serious? Do you know how many 37 year old great defensive center fielders there are out there? That's right, NONE!"
So anyway, this is the role of the VP of Common Sense. JMO and I will try to provide common sense while discussing a variety of topics, most of them dealing with Boston sports. We'll try to keep our posts entertaining and filled with lots of lame jokes.
There is no better time to start blogging than a spring where the Celtics have been hooked up to the Juvenation Machine and the Bruins have come out of nowhere to make a run at the Stanley Cup. Today's Celtics game featured a ridiculous 29 point, 18 rebound, 13 assist performance from "The Big One" Rajon Rondo and an even more improbable +12 +/- from Sheed. Coupled with a pedestrian 22 point effort from Lebron, this led to a Celtics victory and allowed the 18,624 in attendance to go out and get their rage on like Rondo. We officially have ourselves a series, and it seems the C's have a real shot to win it.
I'd like to address all the Celtics fans bitching about Lebron getting too many calls: STOP BITCHING. Today's game was called tight on both ends (there's gotta be a joke there) and the officiating was consistent, at least until the fourth quarter, when the refs actually let them play a little more, which benefits the Celtics. Superstar treatment is nothing new in the NBA, and Lebron gets no more calls than Kobe or Jordan did. The officiating is bound to be bad because basketball is the hardest sport to ref. If the Celtics lose this series, it won't be because of the officiating, it will be because they were outplayed. If they play like they did today, that's not likely to happen. So sit back, crack open a cold one, and enjoy watching your team match up against the greatest player in the game for a trip to the conference finals.
Follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/VPofcommonsense
-Aloy
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