Recent CommentsRecent comments from all weblog entries on this site. You also can view recently deleted comments. Playing Golf May Damage Your Hearing Playing Golf May Damage Your Hearing Playing Golf May Damage Your Hearing Playing Golf May Damage Your Hearing Glancing blows are OK though, right? I honestly don't think any of the drivers I switch between these days even has a middle, so I should be safe. Joking aside, when someone opens up with one of these things at the driving range, I have to move bays to get away from the noise. I've only hit the Ping G10 once and I'll never hit it again. I can still hear it now, and I hit it last April. And get off my lawn. It's 2009. What Resolution Should Your Team/Player Make? Toronto Maple Leafs: Give Brian Burke a few years. It's 2009. What Resolution Should Your Team/Player Make? How about owners and players in professional sport make a resolution to run their businesses and play their games for the benefit of the fans. After all, without fans, there wouldn't be professional sport in the first place. In addition to this, how about fans treat players, coaches and staff like people again. Stop the heckling, the out of bounds criticisms based on people's personal lives and the throwing shit at them while they're on the field. In short, sports fans should stop acting like entitled princes who throw tantrums when things don't go their way. / idealism goes both ways Playing Golf May Damage Your Hearing NFL Confidence Pool XLIII CD Swap 2009! January 04Raymond van Barneveld comes up with a 9-darterPrior thread highlighting Mr. van Barneveld pulling this off previously (although not in a world championship), courtesy of JJ. It's 2009. What Resolution Should Your Team/Player Make? Red Sox: Stay with the plan, and build the best team you can while staying within your financial guidelines. While you're at it, try to convince the politicians that Fenway Park should be turned into a monument, and a large new stadium be built in the city. Let's build it in New Hampshire instead -- down the street from your house. Boston really really really is not the place to build a new ballpark, and no one wants it anywhere else, so where it is is where it'll stay.
Don Sanderson is dead. Not meant tongue in cheek Howard_T. I meant simply that if the helmets don't stay on, then it doesn't matter how good the helmet is. (I know that this wasn't the case is this incident, and that the helmets are sometimes removed as pointed out by goddam above.) But I still believe this can happen at anytime, during any play of the game. So an effective method of actually keeping the helmet on, I think, would reduce the chance of something similar ever happening again. Chinstraps can be effective if used properly. Some players do, most don't. Don Sanderson is dead. Yes, Bo, now that you mention it, I do remember the discussion. I'm not sure whether your chin strap comment is tongue-in-cheek or not, but if not, perhaps the helmet should be more difficult to remove. I too see the Sanderson tragedy as something of a freak accident, but one that was very preventable. Let's face it, as I said before, the very structure of hockey makes it arguably the most dangerous of team sports. Nearly every year I hear of the death or crippling injury of a player, and not always the result of a fight or dirty play. Here in the Greater Boston area we frequently see the video of Travis Roy, playing the first shift of his collegiate career for Boston University. He was in an overzealous attempt to check a player, somehow tripped, and wound up going headfirst into the end boards. He is a quadriplegic, but still continues to work as a motivational speaker and with the Travis Roy Foundation. travisroyfoundation.org I still can't see how the game of hockey can be made safer without ruining the game. That is my dilemma. NFL Confidence Pool XLIII Wow, 96 picks entered. There were two late picks (don & betme), but I can't figure out how to delete them. Well anyways, here's how the collective picked: NASCAR Tests Possible Nationwide Series Car of Tomorrow. I'm still hoping for the Car of Yesterday because that would be totally cool.
Raymond van Barneveld comes up with a 9-darter "Oh he's dipping his bread tips in the gravy!" I don't know what darts ever did to attract the best commentators in the history of sports, but here we are. If I'm channel surfing and happen across darts, I usually do end up watching most of it. It's great TV and joins certain sports like curling and, I think, football that are infinitely more entertaining on TV than live.
Don Sanderson is dead. As someone that has played a fair amount of hockey, though very little at a level at which fighting was allowed, I think it is a bit of an over-simplification to say that NHL fighting is not done on an emotional level. That the high school and college levels seem to be able to play without fighting makes me question the need for it in the NHL. Though I think the league will be slow to take action as the fans tend to love the fights. This past week's outdoor game between the Blackhawks and Red Wings brought back memories. All the games for the first 10 years I played were outside! Tough sport to say the least! January 03NFL Confidence Pool XLIIIRaymond van Barneveld comes up with a 9-darter NFL Confidence Pool XLIII Just because I have nowhere else to put them: As you can see below (on my blog, you can -- I had it Arizona 26, Atlanta 23), The Hoser nailed the first pick, and now what we thought we be a shocker: Indianapolis Colts (+1) at SAN DIEGO CHARGERS -- O/U 50: San Diego 27, Indianapolis 21. Whether LT plays or not, we'll take the hot hand at home. Besides, even if Christmas is past, Chargers backup RB Darren Sproles is still our favourite little elf. Baltimore Ravens (+3) at MIAMI DOLPHINS -- O/U 37.5: Baltimore 21, Miami 16. Sorry, Charlie -- this is where The Tuna's amazing run ends. The Ravens will put the clamp down on Miami's only-adequate offense. Philadelphia Eagles (+3) at MINNESOTA VIKINGS -- O/U 41.5: Philadelphia 31, Minnesota 16. The lone blowout. Playoff experience trumps ... one really fantastic running back and not a whole lot else. Don Sanderson is dead. One of the reasons I stay far, far away from any NBA-related thread is because I just don't understand the game of basketball. I know you throw the ball into the hoop in an effort to outscore your opponent, but I have zero ability to identify the nuances of the game. Or the positions. Or the actual plays. I literally have no idea how it all works. However, if I had played the game, I may have a more in-depth understanding of how it all works. And why? And by who? I'm not saying that you have to have played a sport to understand it, but it certainly does help. Maybe that point has been made because when a tragedy like this occurs, a lot of the comments seem to be from people who simply don't understand the game, the role of the enforcer, fighting, momentum swings. And simply see fighting in hockey as assault or barbaric act with no importance at all in the game. That just isn't true. This tragedy was caused by a players head hitting the ice, which could have occurred during a rush, or a dump in or even a line change. In this case, it happened to be after a fight. Tragedy? Yes. Freak accident? Yes. Reason to change the game? No. In case it is important, I did play, I still do play and have been in quite a few tussles on the ice. Only one can really be marked down as a fight though. Hey Howard, last year we mapped out a new helmet design in an attempt to reduce concussions, 'member?. I'm not sure we spent enough time on the chinstrap. NFL Confidence Pool XLIII Don Sanderson is dead. On review, I had not read tahoemoj's comment above before I posted my latest. I agree for the most part that hockey fights are generally without emotion, but that in nearly all cases are retaliatory in nature. It still holds true that even without the emotion, fighting is a cleaner way of "getting even" than a cheap shot. Disclaimer: I never played hockey other than on the local pond or in inter-fraternity games in college. Even at that, I have 2 bad knees for my efforts. I think that most of us have enough of an understanding of the sports upon which we comment, even if we never played them, that we can contribute to an intelligent discourse. SpoFites seem to be very good at this. Don Sanderson is dead. I don't want to get in a pissing contest over this, but, sure, I'll bite. The previous comment showed a lack of understanding of the dynamics and motivations involved in most hockey fights. As one with a certain experience level, I thought I'd point out something that he was missing. Then I included a word he had used in his post, I hoped, to comedic effect. Never did I suggest that someone should not be allowed to comment on a sport they had never played. From a position of knowledge, I found what I felt was a flaw in a fellow commenter's point, and I addressed it. And that is what Sportsfilter is all about. Thanks for the witty sarcasm, though. It was clever. Don Sanderson is dead. bobfoot, hockey is the only sport among the several you mention (with the exception of baseball and lacrosse) in which the players carry something that could be used as a weapon. Also, the physical layout of the hockey playing surface makes it probable that a cheap shot will result in serious injury. Thus, some sort of release is a better idea than cheap shots. There have been plenty of instances on a football field where a player has been deliberately fouled (by a low block usually) and sustained a serious injury. Perhaps if a harmless fight had been allowed, with appropriate penalties, perhaps including ejection, being applied, the deliberate act would not have occurred. The same goes for any sport, and the difference being that falling headfirst on a grass field is a lot less hazardous than doing so on an ice surface. The point is that the equipment and playing environment attributes of the game, coupled with its speed, make the run of play in hockey more dangerous than the other games. My original point was that I recognized and agreed with the sentiment that fighting has a place in hockey, but that the Sanderson incident has me questioning that sentiment. I have given it some thought in the past few hours, and I am still in a quandary. Should those who engage in a fight be given a game misconduct and an automatic one-game suspension? It is the rule in collegiate hockey, but is it a good idea in the professional game? I think not. My reason is that even now too many teams try to send a less-skilled player onto the ice with the intent of goading the opponent's best into a fight. In essence this amounts to trading a "goon" for a star for 5 minutes or more. That's hardly fair, but how do you identify it and prevent it? So what's the solution? I'd like to see more comment. Raymond van Barneveld comes up with a 9-darter We used to play darts quite frequently at a little pub in Cascais, Portugal. When the darts championship was on, the place was packed and all eyes were on the TV every time someone put the first 2 darts in the trip 20. The camera then zooms in to a close up for the final shot. When the throw was successful, everyone calls along with the announcers booming voice... ONNNE-HUNNNNDRED AND AYYYYYYTY! It really is incredible how they take what is a somewhat mundane bar game, put it on TV, and keep you on the edge of your seat. Phil "The Power" Taylor is "da bomb". Here's his website www.philthepower.com Don Sanderson is dead. Don Sanderson is dead. I've never played hockey - apparently that makes a difference in the morality issue. Bunk. But it does make a difference, and the fact is that you don't understand the role of the enforcer on the ice. Throughout its history, hockey has realized that a few minutes in the penalty box, or even a major or match penalty, is not really a deterrent for cheap shots. There is always the possibility that some low skill level thug will take a cheap shot at one of your highly skilled (and highly paid) players. Now, you're out one of your team leaders for the period, the game, or the season and, if the thug gets caught, the other team might be short one nobody for two to ten minutes. The game found a way to deter this from happening, in the form of the enforcer. Traditionally, these guys were barely serviceable hockey players who only set foot on the ice when it was time to send a message. Lately, the skill levels of the enforcers, dictated by the requirements of the modern game, have greatly increased. However, just because these guys can contribute in other ways, they know what their job is. Why do you think that wherever Wayne Gretzky went, Marty Mcsorely followed? There is no morality involved, and it is a misconception that hockey fights are based on emotion. I played hockey for 25 years, and I have been in exactly 2 fights. That doesn't mean I played the game without emotion, my role was to remain on the ice to help our team win. If you look at fights in hockey as a release of a feeling of anger or frustration, you don't understand the dynamic of the hockey fight. In the vast majority of fights in hockey, there is no animosity or anger toward the opponent. In the vast majority of cases, the fighters are like a boxer or MMA fighter, in that they are doing their job, nothing more or less. Why is hockey the ony sport where this is not considered assault? Boxing and MMA, like I said before, come to mind. And I haven't seen too many charges filed for "assault" after fights on the court, gridiron, or diamond. These sports suspend players who fight because fighting is not part of the game. This is not the case with hockey, and you would know that if you had ever played the game. Making your point.....bunk. NFL Confidence Pool XLIII I think it's very possible, if they (the Cardinals) can manage any type of defense at all. The Cardinals air attack, especially at home, is unreal, and having Boldin back makes it even better. Everyone thinks the Cards are totally for shit because of that debacle in New England, but that was in a snowstorm, and Kurt Warner absolutely can't play in those conditions. Raymond van Barneveld comes up with a 9-darter A good friend of mine played in a dart league for years. A nine dart finish was the Holy Grail.
NFL Confidence Pool XLIII Raymond van Barneveld comes up with a 9-darter apoch: I've been throwing darts for years and think that I have gotten fairly good at it. I think it's a miracle if I can hit the triple 20 with all three throws during my turn. I think I've done it only twice in my two decades of dart throwing. So, for this guy to get all of his darts, with every single throw, exactly right he wants them is just mind boggling to me. Raymond van Barneveld comes up with a 9-darter I think the bigger explanation would be how these guys make the TV broadcasts of darts more exciting than baseball. I just started watching them a few months ago, and when I turn them on in the store, people stand and watch, mesmerized. As for a nine-darter, I've never seen one in my life -- even on TV -- until just then. Thanks for the cool link. Raymond van Barneveld comes up with a 9-darter January 02Don Sanderson is dead.Wallace wears a visored helmet, and in a gesture of fairness, for which he received much positive comment, he removed it. There's actually a rule about visors and fights. But the player has to be tagged as an instigator first. Face Protection - If a player penalized as an instigator of an altercation is wearing a face shield (including a goalkeeper), he shall be assessed an additional unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Should the player (including a goalkeeper) who instigates the fight be wearing a face shield, but removes it before instigating the altercation, the additional unsportsmanlike conduct penalty shall not apply. Don Sanderson is dead. Don Sanderson is dead. I've got to assume, Howard, that you have no problem with two football players taking off their helmets and having it out on the field of play. Power Play To say that the points stand because they came before the refs noticed that there were 6 men is absolutely ridiculous and the refs should have made the right call regardless and dealt with the league offices the next day. Imagine Tim Donnaghay is your referee. Do you think that refs who choose to ignore the rules really help the game's reputation that it's fixed? Aloha, Hawaii: Broncos Fire Shanahan After 14 Seasons Yahoo! Sports was suggesting that Mike was looking around for other work. It doesn't make sense but it does explain him getting the pink slip. That being said, Denver lost to SF to miss the playoffs last year as well. Great coach, bad GM. Mike's big mistake is he won the power struggle to become GM and therefore had no one to take the fall. Don Sanderson is dead. I have long been a proponent of fighting in hockey. To me it gives the players a means to release any feelings of anger toward an opponent without resorting to cheap shots. I think that dirty play is far more likely to cause serious injury than a good, old fashioned bare knuckles fight. Last Tuesday, December 30, Tim Wallace of Pittsburgh and Boston's Milan Lucic had a fight. Wallace wears a visored helmet, and in a gesture of fairness, for which he received much positive comment, he removed it. Lucic removed his conventional helmet in return, and the two had at it. As they began swinging, I thought of Sanderson's injury and immediately held my breath. These were 2 strong men on skates, and either could easily have fallen to the ice head first. Frankly, I was scared. For the first time, I began to doubt the place of fighting in hockey. I still think that fighting is not the worst thing, but with Sanderson's death, I wonder if it is worth it. I would not want to see an angry player, denied the possibility of a fight to redress grievances, take to swinging his stick, attempting a low check, or pushing an opponents face into the glass. But as I said above, I'm afraid that a Sanderson style incident will happen again. Thus, I'm caught in a dilemma. Where do we go from here? Don Sanderson is dead. In a hockey fight, when the two players go to the ice, there is rarely another punch thrown. One player has won the fight, one has lost, and rarely does one sustain an injury. And I really don't consider a bloody nose or black eye an injury so much as superficial mark. So I guess I disagree that the purpose of a hockey fight is to hurt somebody. Most of the fighters in the NHL and other hockey leagues would tell you that they have no intention of hurting anyone, but just letting them know that if the disrespect the elite players on the ice, there can be consequences. That deters dirty play more than any two minutes in a penalty box can. That is the point of the act. Aloha, Hawaii: The NFL is full of Commies! Leave the Pro Bowl the way it is! Or, if they have to change it, put it right before the Pre-Season, and add this stipulation: The winning Conference gets homefield advantage in the Play-offs and Super Bowl.
Don Sanderson is dead. Banning fighting in hockey because of one tragic death. By that logic, should we ban driving cars, swimming in the ocean (or a bathtub) or flying? The purpose of a fight is to hurt somebody. Injuries aren't incidental; they're the point of the act. However, I don't know that this tragedy is really a consequence of fighting at all. Hockey players are far more at risk of serious head and neck injuries from crashes into the boards than they are falling awkwardly during a fight. I'd put this death alongside Steve Yeager's gruesome throat injury, Don Slaught's terrible beaning and Mike Coolbaugh's death in baseball. Accidents happen. Don Sanderson is dead. The blogger who wrote that seems to have a cloudy memory of a few things. Moore's injury at the hands of Bertuzzi was not sustained during a fight in response to a clean hit. First of all, he threw an elbow, it was not a clean hit. (Not justifying Bertuzzi's actions, though.) The attack from behind that caused the injury was not sustained in a fight. In fact, had Moore fought when he was challenged (twice) Bertuzzi would probably not have resorted to the jackass move in the first place. In short, Moore's injury was caused in response to his refusal to fight, so to involve it in this anti-fighting discussion is inappropriate. I'm not justifying Bertuzzi, just wondering why this guy brought it up in the context of this tragic loss of life. Sadly, there was a death on the ice. So that makes the sport of hockey and its "code of silence" (whatever the hell that means) barbaric. Banning fighting in hockey because of one tragic death. By that logic, should we ban driving cars, swimming in the ocean (or a bathtub) or flying? Does this esteemed author give any other examples of deaths caused by fighting in hockey? In his depth of understanding based on one sad occurrence, there is something inherently flawed with the sport of hockey and those who defend the traditions of the game. I've said it before and I stand by it. I really don't like to watch fighting in hockey. It's not what has attracted me to the game as a fan and a player for the last 30 years. But it is a part of the game. I would like to see it become a rarity, but not because of an across the board ban imposed by alarmists. The self-policing of the game is done by men who choose to fight and who understand that what they are doing is dangerous. One freak accident leading to very sad consequences should not dictate policy in a game. Aloha, Hawaii: Eagles Make Playoffs in 44-6 Rout of Cowboys And why should we take this any more seriously than any of the other unfounded junk you've said around here? If there's something you really want to say to me, my email address is right there and you're more than welcome to say what's on your mind. If not, keep your little comments to yourself because you come across as childish. I could care less if you don't take what I have to say seriously. Either you can provided information claiming otherwise or you can move it along. Power Play I can totally understand why the C's lost their focus. The refs basically gave away two points to the Blazers even though they were aware that there were 6 men on the court. To say that the points stand because they came before the refs noticed that there were 6 men is absolutely ridiculous and the refs should have made the right call regardless and dealt with the league offices the next day. This is exactly why there are still people out there that suspect that the NBA is rigged. I do not think it is but these kind of blown calls are happening more & more and with all the technological advances that we have in this day & age, these kind of situations should be nipped in the bud before they get out of hand. Aloha, Hawaii: Lets try it this way:
The MLB Network I get my TV through Time Warner Cable and MLB Network is on the basic service. Looks good so far. Just watched Don Larsen's perfect game, and Bob Costas had Larsen and Yogi Berra there in the studio talking about the game. I never knew that at that time, Larsen had no idea there was anything in baseball known as a "perfect game." He only thought he'd thrown a really good no-hitter, and didn't hear until afterwards that what he had thrown was considered a perfect game. At that time, the last one thrown had been decades earlier, and there was really no way of hearing about all these things and the history of the game, etc. like there is today. Broncos Fire Shanahan After 14 Seasons
Aloha, Hawaii: I get football withdrawl syndrome on the in between week. All the college basketball games networks put on can't help me. I love this idea.
CD Swap 2009! Also, I know there is a collective song list from many of the mixes sent in the past. If any of you can post a link, that would be appreciated. Partial Year 1 List Broncos Fire Shanahan After 14 Seasons January 01Aloha, Hawaii:I agree that any change they make to the game, such as playing it prior to the Super Bowl, would be an improvement. Something is needed in the couple weeks before the big game, and this can't help but generate a bit more interest. When it's all said and done, though, the game still sucks. I'm with the suggestion above that said name the Pro-Bowl squads but skip the game. All it becomes is a free trip to Hawaii for these guys who could basically care less about the actual game. Does anyone (other than me, and I was barely old enough to remember) remember when the Super Bowl champions would play an exhibition game against the college football stars? Can you even imagine that type of thing taking place today? CD Swap 2009! For those unfamiliar with the swap: The idea is to provide your fellow spofites with your favorite genre, band, or artist by burning your mix on a few discs, then you will mail the cds to the members of your group (last year it was 4 or 5). In turn, you will receive a copy of their favorites. Keep in mind that not all of spofi is in the US, there are members from Australia, England and even as far away as Canada. So plan on spending a few bucks per cd to ship. (I sent to Australia last year and I don't remember any significant increase in postage.) CD disc art, cover art, content and mix length are entirely up to you. Try to include some local music and/or obscure favorites along with your favorite mainstream choices. Be Creative!! The only rule of CD Swap is don't talk about...wait, I mean, the only rule of CD Swap is, if you sign up and you are placed in a group...Please follow through with sending your copies!! If you do sign up and decide not to be involved, email me (at the addy above) and I can fill the spot for the group. If you need ideas or you want to tailor your cd to the tastes of your group, terrapin started a Sportsfilter group on Last.fm. (Details for that group can be found on the sidelines on the front page.) Also, I know there is a collective song list from many of the mixes sent in the past. If any of you can post a link, that would be appreciated. Power Play Aloha, Hawaii: The Pro Bowl's a bore. Even when my team won the Super Bowl I didn't hang around another week and watch it. So for me, I think this idea is an improvement. I might actually watch this, since pangs of NFL starvation hit pretty hard in the off-weekend before the Super Bowl. The players who miss the game -- because they're in a better one a week later -- could run out for pregame introduction cheers and then hang around on the sidelines. Which is only slightly less effort than they would have given as players in the game. Aloha, Hawaii: I kind of like it. Does suck that players from the Super Bowl teams won't be playing, but in other All Star games some good players opt out each year, so I really don't see that as too big of an issue. Having it the week before the Super Bowl almost mandates that it take place in the same city as the Super Bowl, which I think is fine. More people will get a chance to see the Pro Bowl than they do now. In a few years when the Super Bowl comes to Dallas, I would consider going to the Pro Bowl, especially if I can score some comp tickets. Aloha, Hawaii:
It's 2009. What Resolution Should Your Team/Player Make? my faves run like this: Cardinals (the MLB type, not the NFL type) - make a move this offseason for something. pretty please. starting pitching would be nice. hope all of your years are beginning well!
Skijoring anyone? Yeah, lbb, the majority of videos that I have seen are from Leadville. My wife's cousins think that the event in Whitefish, MT, will be set up similar to what they do in CO. (On the city streets, not in an arena of sorts) They have been practicing over the last few weeks and it's amazing the speed that they go. What has made me cringe the most is the flat landings from 20 feet in the air. It makes MY knees hurt. NFL Confidence Pool XLIII Aloha, Hawaii: Stupid. The players on the Superbowl teams are getting screwed. There is no way they will play and risk injury before the biggest game. I fail to see how moving it from Hawaii is going to generate more revenue. Many die hard NFL fans do not watch the pro bowl and the casual fans are even less likely to watch. I may be in the minority but I dont think this is a wise move. Power Play
It's 2009. What Resolution Should Your Team/Player Make? Here's my list for my favorite Boston-based teams: Celtics: Stop trying to rest your starters. Resolve to win every game. Power Play I have just finished looking through the official NBA rules on line, and there is nothing in there about what to do, other than to assess a technical foul, when a team plays with more than 5 on the floor. It's one of those unfortunate holes in the rule book that can crop up in any sport. I do believe that the officials, including the referees, could have done better. If you look at the rule on the flagrant foul, it includes acts of deceit. The official scorer could have determined which of the 6 players on the court was not checked into the game. The referees could then have assessed him a flagrant foul, given Boston the technical foul free throw, and then awarded the ball to Boston. It's a stretch, but it's the only thing that comes remotely close to covering the situation. Rivers was right in not blaming the officials entirely for the Celtics' loss. I watched the game on TV, and Boston did not play well. I will say that this might have been the worst job of officiating, even excluding the 6th man problem, that I have seen this season. There was no consistency in the calls being made, although neither team was favored, and this made for very sloppy basketball. The NBA needs to take a very long look at its officials and start fining or suspending referees for poor performance. There have been too many marginal performances over the past few years. Power Play Broncos Fire Shanahan After 14 Seasons It's 2009. What Resolution Should Your Team/Player Make? I tried to come up with something snarky to say about the Lions, but there is so much to write about that a list of resolutions could go on forever.
It's 2009. What Resolution Should Your Team/Player Make? On a more practical note, Liverpool FC should break the bank for the best physio and trainer money can buy to keep Fernando Torres on the pitch for a few games in a row.
Off with their heads! @billysays this:
December 31Is US High School Basketball Really Behind the Times?I agree with Joaquim, Mars1, Shotput, and jjzucal remarks. As for the 1972 Olympics remark, the US team was cheated. The game had ended with a US victory. An international basketball official, who had no authority to do so and should have been ignored, ordered the Olympic officials running the game to replay the end and the Olympic officials did!
It's 2009. What Resolution Should Your Team/Player Make? Broncos Fire Shanahan After 14 Seasons Howard_T is right - Shanahan's a great game-day coach. The problem is he's a very average GM. His personnel choices have generally been unproductive with a few exceptions like Cutler. Many of his free agent moves in particular have been disasters. The defense has been flat-out terrible for the last few years. This season's collapse was a disappointment, but everyone here in Denver knew they would get worked in the playoffs anyway. Especially if they played Indy, who's had the Broncos' number for years. Is US High School Basketball Really Behind the Times? One of the effects of the 32 minute game with no shot clock is that it lets the team with lesser offensive power remain competitive. More game time and a shot clock would give the offensive juggernaut that many more chances to score. (A 40 minute game with a 24 second clock means they would be guaranteed at least 50 possessions.) High school is probably the first time when these kids will be learning team fundamentals rather than individual skill fundamentals. The two most important team fundamentals? Defense and passing. Those aren't exactly the components of run-and-gun, especially when the kids are still learning. There is a difference between the high school and college games, to be sure. However, there's a transition period already in place. It's called freshman year. High school is the last time many of these kids will have a chance to play basketball. The game becomes something else at the college level that takes more dedication and time than their skill sets warrant. If the author of the article was a better coach, he might understand that what he's involved in is two-fold: a game for kids to play and a test to see who goes on to the next level. If it's changed to benefit the latter, the former (who are the majority, BTW) will suffer. Is US High School Basketball Really Behind the Times? Greatest Catch of the Year ... As a Steelers' fan I was very impressed with Polamalu's interception. Antonio's catch was very nice too... although I don't consider it a one hand catch because he uses the one hand to bring the ball to his body. But neither of those catches were made with a defender hanging on and grabbing for the ball. The look on #31's face as he walks away after the play, with both hands on top of his helmet as he shakes his head, is great. Even he can't believe Nicks made the catch. West Virginia's #31 went on to make the game-saving interception. Fastest Red Card Ever ... It's 2009. What Resolution Should Your Team/Player Make? |
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Some of the lyrics take a twisted lyric when imagining Alvin and the Chipmunks singing it. "I hope my boyfriend don't mind it." hahaha.