Recent Comments by uglatto

Dallas 3

Well, I am extraordinarily happy to be wrong.

posted by uglatto at 09:47 PM on June 02, 2006

Dallas 3

Oh, as a Heat fan, let me tell you this: We are going to choke real bad today. I feel it. I hope I'm eating my words, but I don't see the Heat winning this series.

posted by uglatto at 04:39 PM on June 02, 2006

Clemens to Astros?

Conspiracy or not, was/is there anybody who thinks/thought that Clemens would go to a team who was not the Astros?

posted by uglatto at 10:38 PM on May 30, 2006

New 'MNF' team buckles up

Commander Cody, it's the dumbing down of America. Sports announcers these days are designed to be entertainers, to turn sports into a circus, where the focus is all about them, about sprucing things up with a sideshow. Once upon a time we had true announcers, who knew their jobs, knew how to call games and the limits to what they were able to do. Now, we have clueless ex-jocks (Joe Morgan, Tim McCarver), and no-talents clowns (Hawk Harrelson, Chris Berman), making a mockery of the art of broadcasting. I honestly don't think we're ever going to have another call like the Kirk Gibson home run call ever again. It's a shame.

posted by uglatto at 10:47 PM on May 29, 2006

New 'MNF' team buckles up

Kornheiser's pretty good, just compare "Around the Horn" with "Pardon the Interruption," the same exact topics are discussed, and one show is awful and the other show in entertaining. I'm not sure if he is really an announcer type guy. "MNF" could be bad, it could be good, but I will say this: Nothing could be worse, I have to say, than the Joe Morgan/Chris Berman baseball combo. Nothing.

posted by uglatto at 10:04 PM on May 29, 2006

715

Amen Grum, No matter what you think about Bonds's non-record, to diminish the talents that existed in the Negro Leagues is a fool's errand.

posted by uglatto at 12:19 AM on May 29, 2006

715

So, that Albert Pujols. Heck of a ballplayer.

posted by uglatto at 11:12 PM on May 28, 2006

Heat 1

I've watched the Heat all year long, and after seeing how the Pistons totally owned them, I'm not taking the Heat to win until they do. Would be great if they did, but the Pistons found an answer to Dwayne Wade more than any other team this season.

posted by uglatto at 04:17 PM on May 25, 2006

New sheriff in town.

Okay, so there's no chance of a Spurs-Pistons finals. I am appeased.

posted by uglatto at 10:31 PM on May 22, 2006

Deja vu? Lebron, Michael...Michael, LeBron

No great player is the next "whoever." There's not going to be the next Bob Dylan, there's not going to be the next Michael Jordan. If LeBron is going to be great, he's not going to be the next anybody. He's going to be the first LeBron.

posted by uglatto at 11:18 PM on May 21, 2006

Deja vu? Lebron, Michael...Michael, LeBron

I was hoping for a Wade-James playoff series, but still, did anyone really expect this series to go to seven games? Anybody? The Cavs have nothing to be ashamed of, just forcing a game seven against what was clearly the best team in basketball was more than enough to show how good LeBron James is, and how dangerous this team could be.

posted by uglatto at 10:30 PM on May 21, 2006

714.

Jason Giambi and Garry Sheffield also, knowingly or unknowingly did steroids according to testimony. Nobody? Nobody? So, it's okay to do steroids as long as you don't go trying to ruin our precious records. Okay, that's great. That's a good moral position. Anybody's who's a fan of any team could possibly be rooting for players who, at one point or another, used steroids. It sucks. I know. But trying to blame this all on Bonds is ridiculous (and, yes, I'll be the first to tell you that Bonds is a steroid user and a huge a-hole, and I don't applaud his efforsts). It makes you feel better to have a scapegoat, I understand, but trying to take the moral highground while doing so is an exercise in futility. Besides, do you really think that history will judge Bonds the equal of the Babe? Please.

posted by uglatto at 12:47 AM on May 21, 2006

Miami 4

I just want to say this right now. After both the Pistons and the Spurs have won their game sixes and are heading home, if the finals are indeed, as I fear, Spurs vs. Pistons again, I will never, EVER, watch another NBA game as long as I live. Period. Any sport that allows the dullest possible showdown as their championship series two years in a row is unworthy of being watched by the general public. If another Spurs/Pistons match-up occurs, I hope that the NBA goes the way of NHL.

posted by uglatto at 11:47 PM on May 19, 2006

Garner, Springer suspended for "beaning" Bonds

Hey if we're talking about pitchers throwing inside on their relatvies, it has to be mentioned Roger Clemens vs. Koby Clemens, brushing him off the plate. "This guy threw at his own son during a father-son game!" That being said, I have no opinion on Bonds or Springer.

posted by uglatto at 09:59 PM on May 19, 2006

Cavs take Series Lead with a Squeaker

Go LeBron! If the Cavs beat the Detroit Inforcers... er, Pistons, I would even accept them beating the Heat. Heck, a seven game series with LeBron vs. Dwayne Wade. Now, that would be beautiful, beautiful basketball. Heck, I'm going to be honest as long as the NBA Finals are anything but Spurs vs. Pistons, I'll be happy with the results.

posted by uglatto at 11:04 PM on May 17, 2006

Cavs 2

Good for the Mavs and Cavs. Anything to avoid another Spurs-Pistons bore-a-palooza...

posted by uglatto at 02:38 PM on May 16, 2006

Miami Signs Marcus Vick

I don't like the guy at all, but I understand the move. It's a low-risk move for the Dolphins, if Vick works out to his potential, he's a steal, if he doesn't and/or screws up, he's cut.

posted by uglatto at 12:40 PM on May 16, 2006

1000 wins for Joe Torre

Good for him, Torre has proven himself to be a capable manager in navagating the impossible demands of heading the Yankees. He's an admirable guy, a tough competitor, and deserves the honor. Now, with that said, may he never win another game for the Yankees again. :)

posted by uglatto at 11:07 PM on May 07, 2006

Wizards

Anyone else catch the ending to the Cavs-Wizards game? I'm not a fan of either club, but, wow, a really great game. Nothing substantial to add, but it's nice that these early games have been so exciting.

posted by uglatto at 10:20 PM on May 05, 2006

Wizards 2

As somebody who has followed the Heat all season, I really think they are done. They are old and lack chemistry. It sucks, they would've been in the Finals last year if Wade had been anything close to healthy, and this line up of past and present all-stars just doesn't seem to have what it takes. There's no chance for them to beat the Pistons, and I wouldn't be shocked if the Bulls won this series.

posted by uglatto at 02:12 PM on May 02, 2006

Mirabelli traded back to Red Sox.

It basically amounts to Bard, Cla Meredith, and cash for Loretta. Mirabelli's more valuable for the Red Sox than any other team, so it's acceptable. Not crazy about losing Meredith, but I knew that Loretta-for-Mirabelli straight up was too good to be true, this is at least an acceptable deal for the Padres rather than a straight-out steal.

posted by uglatto at 12:45 PM on May 01, 2006

Texans Pass on Bush...Settle for Williams

All I know is that this decision has lessened the possibility that I will watch the Jets make their selection and hear all Jets fans scream in disgust, which, honestly, is the only interesting thing about the NFL draft in my opinion.

posted by uglatto at 11:20 PM on April 28, 2006

Win or lose, Guillen stays the same

I don't like Ozzie, but he's surprised me with how well he's able to work with pitchers (of course, with the arms he's been given, it's an easier task). Ozzie's problem is that he was a smallball player (Bill James proclaimed that he was the guy whose talents never ever came out in the stats, and that it always puzzled him), so he overmanages the offense, obsessed with manufacturing runs, even though their team's strengths last year were getting people on base and getting some big hits.

posted by uglatto at 09:42 PM on April 28, 2006

Nash again, allegedly.

You got me, Grum, I agree. I just wanted to say that he was overrated by the media and was terrible at defense. But, yes, I can't argue with that.

posted by uglatto at 10:47 PM on April 26, 2006

Nash again, allegedly.

Sigh. Steve Nash the Derek Jeter of the basketball world strikes again. Of course, he took a team that didn't have any great players and took them to the playoffs unlike LeBron James and Kobe Bryant with all the superstars that surround them. Nothing against the man, clearly one of the elite basketball players of our times, and, from all accounts, a nice man. I just hate when the media latch onto certain players and deify them.

posted by uglatto at 09:26 PM on April 26, 2006

Sources: Favre to play '06 season for Packers

I'm sure Favre is very happy that he has the chance to beat the all-time interception record. There should be some sort of NFL rule that gives financial incentives to all-time greats to retire when their time has come, rather than continue to play in order to embarass themselves.

posted by uglatto at 01:22 AM on April 26, 2006

"I'm Keith Hernandez."

Here's how I read this whole thing: Many baseball players turned baseball announcers are stuck in old school mentalities that are clearly outdated and do not apply to modern day society. It's unfortunate and misogynistic, but it's just a symptom of a greater evil, of players-turned-announcers just reciting received wisdom and attacking anything that threatens the "traditional way of playing baseball."

posted by uglatto at 11:56 PM on April 24, 2006

Forbes.com: The Business Of Baseball

As much as I think that the MLB's revenue sharing has been taking advantage of by certain franchises, I don't think that the NFL method is much of an approvement. Any NFL team can make a profit simply by existing. Any NFL franchise will get enough viewers to pay the bills, because it's football.

posted by uglatto at 12:45 AM on April 21, 2006

Forbes.com: The Business Of Baseball

What's interesting, and this has been noted about a billion times before, is that small market teams gain a profit through revenue sharing, because they don't invest it in the product. Meanwhile the Sox and the Yanks are supposed losing a lot of money because they're trying to get the best players possible. (This is overstated, since these finding typically don't report other sources of income, like YES and NESN.) There needs to be some way for the small market teams to compete, and all revenue sharing is doing right now is allowing owners to pocket it for a profit. Something needs to change.

posted by uglatto at 09:35 PM on April 20, 2006

Memphis's Dire Situation

I love the NBA, but until they figure out a way to make the NBA postseason both fair and exciting, they're not going to make many more fans. Whenever there's a situation where throwing a game can help a team, there's something wrong with the system.

posted by uglatto at 12:26 AM on April 19, 2006

Can the Pistons be Stopped?

Miami has a chance if Shaq, Wade, and Jason Williams are all at the top of their games. I don't see it happening, but they've got a shot. I just honestly hope its not Spurs and Pistons again because that would be painfully, painfully dull. Again.

posted by uglatto at 02:38 PM on April 17, 2006

So...who's for real and who's a pretender so far?

Yeah, I'm sorry about that, I couldn't help myself. As far as the White Sox, they are not going to just glide into the playoffs, because the Indians are going to be a monster, and the Twins have the pitching staff that can mow people down. That's going to be a fun division to watch. Jim Thome, however, is scary right now. If he stays healthy, he might be the difference maker.

posted by uglatto at 06:49 PM on April 15, 2006

So...who's for real and who's a pretender so far?

I think the Rockies are for real. (rim-shot!) But seriously folks...

posted by uglatto at 06:35 PM on April 15, 2006

How to build a winner.

It's amazing how a team can improve once Bud Selig is no longer tampering with it...

posted by uglatto at 02:26 PM on April 14, 2006

Back to Basketball... who's the MVP?

I don't know who will be the MVP, but if it's not Steven Nash. I wasn't sure that he deserved it last year, and he definitely doesn't this year. I know, I know, he's "winning without Amare." Yes, he is the MVP of that team. The media just absolutely love him for some reason that I can't grasp. He's like the Derek Jeter of basketball. I say LeBron James should win it, although Dwayne Wade, Kobe Bryant, and pretty much any of the Pistons starting five have a decent shot. I would vote for Wade, but that's just favoritism because he's my favorite player to watch, but James probably deserves it. LeBron has pretty much been the better player all year round, has started to shaken his "can't get the big shot" reptuation, and has finally gotten his team to the playoffs.

posted by uglatto at 09:28 PM on April 11, 2006

UCLA Bites The Dust

They shouldn't have won, and thankfully they didn't. I thought UF was the best team coming in, although I was rooting for GMU, so this doesn't surprise me at all. I mean, did any team get into the Final Four with an uglier win than UCLA?

posted by uglatto at 11:47 PM on April 03, 2006

ESPN's 2006 Baseball Predictions

I'm imagining a situation where Nomar accepted the initial long-term, big money offer from the Red Sox. Now that's the definition of a nigtmare situation. His injury history is getting into Kerrywoodsian proportions.

posted by uglatto at 11:13 PM on April 03, 2006

ESPN's Next Gamble: Dominoes

We are this much closer to "The World Series of Dice" as predicted by Dave Chappelle.

posted by uglatto at 02:35 PM on April 02, 2006

Florida Gators in the 2006 National Championship

God, tieguy, I know. After so many exciting games, one of the most potentionally great Final Fours of all time, and... boring blowouts. And UCLAme is still in it. Hooray.

posted by uglatto at 10:29 PM on April 01, 2006

It's like Brad and Jen all over again...

Oh, she's going to be on the next season of "Surreal Life," no question.

posted by uglatto at 01:50 PM on March 31, 2006

'Love child', mother lambaste Big Unit

Wow, who would have thought that this would be the post that blew sportsfilter apart. Okay, let's have at it. Yes, this makes Johnson look really petty, at best, and kind of a jerk. Despite all this, we don't know the full details, so it's difficult for us to make any definitive judgement on the man. With that being said, that post by athiest was single-handedly the dumbest, most insulting thing I have read on the internet in years, and, to quote "Billy Madison," we're all dumber for hearing it.

posted by uglatto at 10:00 PM on March 29, 2006

Brackets trashed around the country.

I said I had stopped watching, but Deadspin tipped off that GMU was leading. Glad I did, one of the best games I've seen in quite a while. Now I want to see if George Mason can advance. And to think CBS was complaining that on one would watch this thing without enough "big name schools."

posted by uglatto at 09:51 PM on March 26, 2006

Strapping on the knee pads.

I think this is one of the biggest trainwrecks in basketball history, it's as if Chuck LaMarr suddenly became the manager of the New York Yankees, with the biggest payroll in the game. I'm a Heat fan, and I still think it's a tragedy.

posted by uglatto at 09:50 PM on March 24, 2006

No Crying for Big Baby: LSU Takes Out Duke

Well, I don't root for any particular school, haven't filled a bracket, and don't have any money riding on the NCAA basketball tournament. So, now that Duke has been eliminated, it's just biding time until Opening Day.

posted by uglatto at 11:15 PM on March 23, 2006

Mo's Guide to Baseball

Good article, Mariano is one of the few Yankees that I could never find it in my heart to hate.

posted by uglatto at 04:02 PM on March 19, 2006

Stink-o de Marcho

I'm kind of glad Team U.S.A. is gone, the other team's countries seem to have a lot more invested in this tournament than us. To have a tournament just to beat everybody and go, "hell yeah, it's our sport, the rest of the world sucks," that would just be embarrasing. More importantly, Japan got hosed in the game against us, and they deserve to advance more than us.

posted by uglatto at 10:50 PM on March 16, 2006

Canada 8, United States 6

All I know that is that the Canadian team, the Canadian team!, showed a lot more interest in this game than the Americans. As a Red Sox fan, it was nice to see the effort of Adam Stern (he of the in-the-park home run) who drove in four runs and made what seemed like a billion great catches. For the first time in baseball history, a Jewish Canadian kid was the player of the day.

posted by uglatto at 09:21 PM on March 08, 2006

Kirby Puckett Passes Away

.

posted by uglatto at 07:54 PM on March 06, 2006

Ricky Williams Tests Positive for Fourth Time

I really hate it when professional players violate the spirit of the sport by using performance enhancing drugs... Oh wait, this isn't about a drug that'll actually effect your performance or will severely damage your body... With that said, I would respect Williams a lot more if he would have just quit altogether and given up the money. It was clear that, although his skills and drive were still there, that he was only playing because he needed the cash. Find another line of work and smoke to your heart's content, but don't try to pretend that football's your main interest anymore just for the big bucks.

posted by uglatto at 10:44 PM on February 19, 2006

Steelers Won Super Bowl XL

Matt Hasselback was, by far, the best football player in the game, as anybody would admit. However, even though I'm a Pats-fan, I have to say, that the Steelers would have beat the Seahawks despite the bad calls.

posted by uglatto at 11:47 PM on February 05, 2006

Kobe drops 81 for 2nd most in a game in history of NBA.

I H-A-T-E Kobe Bryant, I despise him. I wish nothing but ill upon him. But I can't help but respect him, and this is a worthwhile accomplishment for him, and he deserves all the kudos. Yes, I will admit along with the other commenters, that Kobe is self-centered, but he's only self-centered because he doesn't have a decent team surrounding him. If I were a Lakers fan, I would be very happy that Kobe is self-centered. (Heck, there's some Cleveland fans who are wishing that LeBron was that egocentric.)

posted by uglatto at 11:44 PM on January 22, 2006

Seattle SuperSeahawks

As I said to my dad during the game, "The score right now is 34-7, Seahawks, but the Panthers are playing even worse than the score indicates."

posted by uglatto at 09:25 PM on January 22, 2006

Broncos Drop Patriots

It's a shame, I was hoping for a Colts/Patriots championship game, where both teams had something to prove (the Patriots returing to dynasty mode after a mediocre opening, the invulnerable Colts beating Brady/Belicheck in the postseason for the first time). Still, the Broncos more than earned this one, that third quarter interception was like that bases loaded/no one out Red Sox postseason game against the White Sox where the Sox failed to get a single run. Once it happened, the run was over...

posted by uglatto at 12:28 AM on January 15, 2006

roger no longer an astro

I think he's going to retire. I think the Astros were the only team he was considering, honestly, and I think this closes the door. If he does play again, I highly doubt that it will be either the Yankees or the Red Sox. Those doors are closed rather tightly. Then again, every time I say to myself, Roger Clemens should just retire now, he goes out and gives a Cy Young contender effort, so who knows...

posted by uglatto at 11:13 PM on December 07, 2005

The Dodgers hire Grady Little as manager.

Here's the thing. Grady Little's conflict in Boston was because he was an old schooler who frequently went against the stats-oriented Boston Front Office. That's why he was fired more than anything else, although the Pedro incident served as a convenient excuse. The Dodgers after (foolishly, in my opinion) abandoning the so-called Moneyball direction, is looking for a good old boys manager, and Little fits the bill. At the very least, everybody will be on the same page this go around. I think he'll give the team pretty much what Jim Tracy gave the club last year. If he gives Hee Sop Choi more at bats, he'll be a slight improvement.

posted by uglatto at 11:34 PM on December 06, 2005

Yet another leak?

Well, I think if you're going to get rid of two good prospects, this is a decent deal. At least Beckett is young, and his best years are ahead of him. Ramirez still has potential, although he has regressed recently, but Renteria is clogging up his spot. Sanchez, well I'm more upset in losing him, but if Beckett works out he'll be more than worth the sacrifice. Lowell... well, that's another barrel of fish. I saw a comment to the effect of converting him to a first baseman, making Youklis the regular third-baseman. I mean, Lowell's GOT to be better than what Kevin Millar gave us last year.

posted by uglatto at 11:05 PM on November 21, 2005

Chicago is One Win Away With 8-2 Win Over "L.A."

I'm quasi-rooting for the Angels, and all the Umpiring mistakes would really make me angry if the Angels were doing anything, anything at all, to at least pretend like they were a World Seires worthy team.

posted by uglatto at 12:39 AM on October 16, 2005

At Least One Injured in Baltimore Bus Pile-Up

SportsCenter has announced that it was Miguel Tejada, that Raffy tried to blame. But I agree, wow, what an ignoble way to end a probable Hall of Fame career.

posted by uglatto at 11:18 PM on September 22, 2005

I have a dream... a dream that every sportsfilter thread that is even remotely connected to baseball, and even threads entirely unconnected with baseball, will devolve into a Red Sox/Yankees debate.

posted by uglatto at 03:36 PM on September 18, 2005

Pedro vs. Curt and who got their $ worth?

Okay. Here's the thing. We had already spent the money on Schilling, he's going to be paid no matter if his ankle blew up into a million pieces. The question in the off-season was how much we were willing to pay Pedro, and for how long. The Red Sox, thinking long term, were unwilling to guarantee that extra year and x amount of dollars, when that resource could be applied somewhere else. Ideally, we would have re-signed Pedro, had not the Mets gone over the Red Sox heads at the last minute. The situation was NEVER Schilling vs. Pedro. Not to mention the fact that Pedro, returing to the National League and not having to face the Yankees, would not be the same amazing pitcher had he remained in the Al. Now, ideally, would I rather have both Schilling and Martinez pitching for the Red Sox, because, I mean, duh, who wouldn't? That's not how it works these days, unfortunatley.

posted by uglatto at 09:04 PM on August 30, 2005