Thoughts at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on August 26, 2008
in MLB, NBA and Thoughts
. 0 Comments

- The real loser in the whole 9-year-old Jericho Scott Little League ban story?  The now-not-originally-named New York Jets Wide Receiver, Jerricho Cotchery.

 

- The Los Angeles Lakers reported that Kobe Bryant has not decided yet when he is going to have surgery on his pinky.  He is going to take a few days to contemplate the situation.  ”Contemplate the situation”?  He injured his pinky before the freaking All-Star Game.  He hasn’t had time yet to schedule his surgery?  For someone who was so anti-Shaq, especially Shaq’s “I got hurt on company time, I’ll heal on company time”, Kobe better not miss even a second of training camp.  What is there to think about?  You need to fix your finger, you’ve been playing hurt.  It takes about a month to heal.  In the words of your omnipotent sponsor… JUST DO IT

 

- The Los Angeles Dodgers have basically the same record before and after the Manny Ramirez trade, including 2 wins in the last 9 games and 4 straight losses since Manny cut his hair, even if it was ever so slightly.  The requirement by Joe Torre for Manny to cut his hair, along with a ton of close losses, pitching problems, and still some alleged problems in the clubhouse, is causing Dodger fans to speak out against the Brooklyn born Manager.  I don’t really think these fans actually believe that Manny’s shorter hair is really negatively affecting him- but, Man, it sure seems like it.  Maybe LA fans are really this stupid.  Maybe they just need something to complain about.  It’s just too nice here everyday.  It makes you stupid.

Rap at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on August 19, 2008
in NBA, Rap and Sports Talk Radio
. 0 Comments

As all of my reader(s) know, I love rap about sports.

So, because of that love, I must re-distribute (AKA blatantly re-post other people’s hard-earned content) this quick rap about LeBron James from over a year ago, but just now making its rounds on the Internets.

The biggest Sports Talk Radio Show in Los Angeles (possibly the biggest radio market if you cede that people in New York are on public transportation and don’t get the radio) had it’s main host and co-host, basically, not believe in LeBron. But it was soo much more than not believing; they belittled him.

So this had to happen to them:

Link to file

We all should learn something from CAVSBOARD.com. Your eyes don’t lie. Admit to greatness when you see it or can see it coming. Admit to reason. Stop being unreasonable, even if you think it creates “ratings”. “PTI” works because Wilbon and Kornheiser are good together, not because they disagree all the time (which they don’t). That’s why I don’t watch “Around the Horn” or anything Skip Bayless does. Someone has told them to just dissent to whatever is reasonable because it gets good ratings. Although there is some point to that (intelligent and thoughtful, yet passionate discussion of differing sides is good TV or Radio), but that LA Radio Host (Steve Hartman) just differs from the norm for the hell of it. It is almost unlistenable at times when he tries to corner people for any statement they make, when the public can clearly tell what is meant.

Wake at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on August 19, 2008
in Thoughts
. 4 Comments

There have obviously been millions upon millions of wishes by the living about what to do with their corpse when they have died. Some want to be buried with a loved one, some want a closed casket, others want to be cremated- and then there is Angel Pantoja Medina of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Angel was a 24-year-old who apparently knew he was going to die soon. So when his body was found dead underneath a bridge, his family immediately knew what to do with it- and they honored his last wish.

 

He wanted to stand up during his entire wake. So he did- for 3 days, in his mother’s small, government sponsored apartment. It’s the way Stephen Hawking wants to go now, too.

The owner of the Marin Funeral Home told the AP that Angel was embalmed with a special embalming fluid that allowed him to stand upright, just leaning against the wall.

Angel did not want to be dressed in your typical suit, though. As you can see, Angel has on what probably is an Ed Hardy knock-off T-Shirt with the long white sleeves underneath (you know you rocked this same look in 8th grade). He also has on his Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses, silver cross necklace, and to top it off, a New York Yankees hat. Sadly, though, this was just one last prank his brother Carlos played on poor Angel.

You see, Angel was a huge Red Sox fan.


The police are still investigating his murder.

Olympics at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on August 15, 2008
in NBA and Olympics
. 0 Comments

The two best players on the United States Men’s Basketball Team could also be the downfall of the team’s Gold Medal hopes.

Everyone knows LeBron James and Kobe Bryant can create for themselves. In fact, creating something out of nothing is when they are at their best. Driving to the hole and pulling up, going to the rim, or dishing to a teammate for an open layup when the offense is stagnant is their best quality.

But their worst quality is during the same exact situation, when they do not attack, but rather pull up; often a 20-foot 2-point shot. This shot, in all aspects of basketball- from my Rec League Team, to Syracuse basketball, to the NBA, to the Olympics- just infuriates me. I can take it when the Cavs have passed the ball around for 20 seconds (more likely LeBron has dribbled the ball at the top of the key for 20 seconds and Varejao is running up to set a pick) and now there’s no time left on the shot clock- yes, then I understand you can jack it up. I even understand Kobe wanting to be part of the scoring offense after he’s dished out 3 assists in the 1st quarter. I get that. But can you please tell me why LeBron and Kobe insist on pulling up from 20 feet, with a defender in their face, with 15 seconds left on the shot clock, when Chris Paul is open on top, ready to set up a play?

A great example of how this can literally lead to the demise of your team is Andre Iguodala (the new $80 million man) in the 2008 NBA Playoffs. Now I’m not trying to compare his shooting ability with Kobe’s, or even LeBron’s, but the concept is the same. In the first 3 games of the playoffs, Andre shot 7 for 33 (including 0-6 from 3-point range), a brilliant 21%. However, the Sixers won 2 of those games. In the following games, he continued to shoot even more. Many times, especially in the pivotal Game 4 in Philly, he would shot some off-balance 18-foot jumper early in the shot clock. I understand he wanted to become the Man on this team, but when he had other guys carrying the scoring burden (Andre Miller was playing great and should have controlled the ball even more), Iguodala should have just concentrated on Defense and distributing the ball. The Sixers ended up losing the next 3 games and were eliminated. Iguodala’s shot eventually fell in the last two games, but it didn’t matter because he had tried to assert himself into the offense by taking bad, long, guarded jumpers in Game 4. It was excruciating for me to watch- and I’m not even a Philly fan.

And it’s not even the selfishness that gets to me- I don’t mind that, Kobe and LeBron are the two best players in the world- it’s just a sincere hatred on my part for taking a shot that you have no business taking, especially on a team with Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony- not Ben Wallace and Wally Szczerbiak. It is purely inexcusable. Move the ball. Everyone on this team can play and create. Don’t be a ball stopper, and even worse, don’t jack up stupid shots.

And this is what I think could lead to their downfall. Yes, Boeheim has apparently not taught anyone, including re-teaching Carmelo, how to play zone defense, and yes, even open 3’s and free throws haven’t exactly been falling- but this awful decision making from your two top minute-getters is what could be the difference between a single-digit game against Lithuania or Argentina or a loss against them.

Not that I actually think this team will ever lose- but Coach K still has some coaching to do.

photo via dunkonu’s Flickr

Mike and the Mad Dog at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on August 15, 2008
in Sports Talk Radio
. 1 Comment

It’s a sad day in Gotham.

Olympics at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on August 14, 2008
in Gymnastics and Olympics
. 0 Comments

Due to the current popularity of Olympic Gymnastics, I decided to do a list of the TOP GYMNASTICS MOVIES OF ALL-TIME.

And, without further ado… here’s the list:

Come on, I’ve never seen a Gymnastics movie- get off me! And Footloose and Bring It On (which have Gymnastics aspects to them) do not count.


But if YOU want to make a list, go watch:

1) Stick It

2) American Anthem

3) Flying/Dream to Believe/Teenage Dream - starring a pre-”Wonder Years” Olivia D’Abo and a young…
Ohhh! Damn, Keanu!

You can basically find that whole movie here: YouTube

But who can resist… a GYMNASTICS OFF!

Olympics at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on August 11, 2008
in NBA and Olympics
. 0 Comments

Being in Beijing right now is surely a crazy time for an American Athlete. Especially one as internationally revered as Kobe Bean Bryant.

So it’s somewhat understandable that Kobe forgot one of his greatest sporting accomplishments when commenting on his recent game against China:

“I am fortunate enough to have played in four NBA finals and numerous big games but it was just different. You felt like there was so much more support because it’s the USA and obviously how proud the fans are here of their country.”

Now I’m not sure which one of his 5 NBA Finals appearances Kobe is “forgetting” about- but I’m going with one of the last two.

And probably the last one.

Tennis at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on July 30, 2008
in Tennis
. 1 Comment

At last month’s Wimbledon, sisters Venus and Serena Williams faced each other once again in the Final. But in more important news to me, which somehow I had not realized yet, Venus and Serena Williams are Jehovah’s Witnesses. It came up in an interview about why they cannot vote, although they support, presumptive Democratic Nominee Barack Obama.

Now I’ve lived next door to Jehovah’s Witnesses, so it really surprised me that Venus…

and Serena Williams…

are…

Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Imagine that knocking at your door.

Now I guess there are no rules against photo shoots and on-court fashions like these, but I do think there’s one thing where Serena Williams just went too far- As a Jehovah’s Witness you cannot vote, amongst many other rules, including not being able to celebrate Christmas. So, I just thought her support of the Grinch was a little out of line.

Thoughts at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on July 2, 2008
in NBA, Olympics and Thoughts
. 0 Comments

- The rumors are true: Mike Francesa will be leaving The Fan, splitting up the most successful sports radio duo in history- and heading to Cleveland to host a local sports talk show. The Program Director of the Cleveland station has been letting people go for years and has not signed any big names to long term deals, instead just going the syndication route. Francesa was asked why he would take a pay cut, leave his hometown, leave a station that was contending for the best station in the country- and take this job, and Francesa responded, “LeBron James is gonna do it in a couple years, right? So why shouldn’t I?”

- I don’t know what is worse- having Manny Ramirez push down the Traveling Secretary and the following George Costanza jokes or the United States’ top two track stars named “Gay” and “Hooker“.

- I don’t understand why everyone is saying Baron Davis to the Clippers doesn’t mean anything- that the Clippers will still be bad. People- Elton Brand was hurt last year. There was no PG. The team was a mess. Now they have a healthy Brand, a great PG coming off his most injury-free season, a rising Sophomore who developed possibly more than any other Rookie last year, a Center who has developed into a very solid double-double guy, and a decent, not good, but decent bench. They are not adding Davis to the team from last year. They are adding him to a much better team- one with one of the most solid post presences in the League. The Clippers could easily get the 4 seed this next season. Easily.

NBA at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on June 19, 2008
in Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and NBA
. 0 Comments

- James Posey is the new Robert Horry. Or at least he could be. Whether he re-signs with the Celtics or do what every Laker fan is talking about and sign with them for 5 years and $30 million, he’s got a great chance to get another ring next year.

- Did you notice Sam Cassell chasing after the game-ball at the end of the game yesterday? Big Baby launched the ball high into the air while the extra-terrestrial point guard was running at him. Cassell followed its trajectory as chaos ensued on the floor and pushed some teenagers out of the way to get to it as it bounced over the scorer’s table. Then ABC cut to another shot and I never found out who got the ball. I’m assuming Sam did, though.

- Not to sound like Seinfeld here, but what was the deal with Paul Pierce sucking on the Larry O’Brien trophy? He was like deep tongue-kissing it in the locker room. It was just a bit weird. It was a series between teams from the only two states that allow gay marriage, though, so… you never know- it’s a slippery slope.