Archive for May, 2008

Oh No! Not OU!

sandcrabs May 28th, 2008

Before I begin, I want to make a quick comment regarding the non-call at the end of the Spurs-Lakers game 4.  Sports talk shows and blogs all over are blowing up over this issue.  I’ve brought it up on many occassions and that particular play just illustrates how inept NBA officials are.  Or, at least should give more credence to the fact David Stern really wants LA in the finals.  Granted the shot was a crappy one.  Had there not been any contact it likely would not have gone in.  However, as clearly shown in replays…hell, even live it was obvious.  Derek Fisher fouled Brent Barry.  No ifs, ands or buts.  He practically landed on his head.  This should not be a case of “You’ll never get that call at that junction of the game.”  It was not ticky-tack.  Barry got hammered.  Stone up.  Make the freaking call!

Okay, enough of that.  On to the topic which has caught me today.  The start of the NCAA Baseball tournament begins.  The 64 teams were chosen and shown on ESPN with a little less fanfare than the NCAA Basketball selection show.  Okay, no issues there.  However, there will be no repeat champion.  In fact, Oregon State could have gone for 3 in a row had they been given the chance.  To say a team just wasn’t good enough is okay, but the NCAA’s excuses were pretty lame.  Committee chairman Larry Templeton gave a small list of reasons for excluding OSU.  Let’s take a look at them. 

First, he cited the Beavers’ 24 losses and who some of those losses were against.  Hmm.  Oklahoma has 24 losses and lost games to Washington State (3), Baylor and that powerhouse of a program Southern Nazarene.  Next he mentioned Oklahoma’s non-conference record.  Quite amazing since they went 10-0 against stalwarts Arkansas-Pine Bluff, North Dakota State (don’t they play hockey?), Western Illinois and South Florida.  All Oregon State could do was beat the likes or Georgia and Pepperdine, both tournament teams.  In fact, Oregon State had a winning record against teams who are in the tournament this year.  Oklahoma, sadly, did not quite meet this feat.  In fact they had over 15 losses to tournament teams.

 Granted, Oregon State did not look much like the 2-time defending champions this year.  Well, they didn’t look like that last year either and look at the run they had.  All they did was end the year repeating as champs.  Quite impressive.  This has the appearance of the NCAA still punishing the state of Oregon for the blown replay call in the Oregon-OU game.  Come on!  Enough is enough.  It was bad enough that parishoneers for a church in Oklahoma were threatening their pastor when they learned he came from Oregon.  The NCAA stands for No Class At All.  Based on that criteria, Oregon State should have been given the opportunity to make another magical run much the same as last year.  Point taken NCAA.  Get over it.  We have.

Let the Apathy Begin

sandcrabs May 22nd, 2008

With the beginning of the NBA conference finals, some have described the match-ups as exciting, intriguing and even epic.  I call them boring as hell.  Both of the first games in each series prove the point.  Oh, the scores were close which some will define as worthy such descriptions.  However, since when do we accept for professional basketball teams to score so low.  The Lakers coming from 20 down to steal game 1?  So what.  Both teams scored under 90.  It appears that gone are the days where games routinely end with both teams over 100 points.  Showtime?  How about Slowtime?  You can’t point to great defense making these games feel a step below having an ingrown toenail removed.  Today’s NBA is a watered-down version of it’s former self.  Having both New Orleans and Orlando in the mix would have significantly made the conference finals much more watchable.  However, we’re forced to watch another dull performance from the milktoast of teams San Antonio.

This time of year can be particularly brutal for fans of team sports.  The NHL finals are still quite enjoyable.  However, baseball is almost unwatchable especially with the umpires not being able to tell when a ball clears the fence in fair territory.  Instant replay?  I don’t think it’s necessarily needed in baseball.  Umpires with decent eye-sight, and a clue are what’s required to correct these horrible mistakes.  (Yes, I’m going off on officials again)  The NBA, again, is just a shell of the high-flying, up-tempo, high-octane game that we once enjoyed so much.  True, LaBron James, Dwight Howard and the like are fantastic exciting players.  However, it used to be that you had a team full of those types and not just one per team….or in some cases none (San Antonio.  Hell, even Brent Barry won the slam dunk contest once).  Football is still a few months away, which really sucks.  No, we’re destined to be tortured with the ugly display called the NBA playoffs.

Many are desperately hoping for a Boston/LA finals.  “Harkens back to the days of Magic and Bird.”  That’s a load of BS.  Anybody who is dimwitted enough to compare either of these team to those previous clubs might as well try out to be a game official.  The IQ levels would be about the same, and the near-sightedness will only assist you in blowing call, after call, after call.  Anybody who openly compares this match-up to the great wars of 20 years ago needs to be tied to a pole and stoned to death……or, they’re probably just stoned.  Those were the games of epic proportions some speak of today.  Even the regular season games between those clubs were battles.  It seems that so much more was at stake then and the talent levels of those teams was so much better than it is now.

So, hold tight, watch more golf and NASCAR to get your intrigue and wait for football to start.  Try and understand a sport which you may talk down about.  Afterall, prejudice is born of ignorance.  Thinking the product on NBA floors now is as good as ever is just plain stupid.

Marketing Value

sandcrabs May 13th, 2008

Well, we’re back from Vegas.  Congrats to Shlink Lincoln and Golf Cheese Hoes on their union.  It was a lot of fun and Shlink finally made an honest women out of GCH.  Now comes reality.  Good luck.

Now, let’s get to what annoys me today.  I get when a league wants a certain matchup for their championship.  Magic and the Lakers against Bird and the Celtics?  Epic.  Yankees versus the Dodgers?  Again, you really can’t go wrong there.  However, when it starts to become so obvious that an entity’s will comes out and things are done that questions no longer get asked, but accusations arise, there’s a problem.  Of course the NHL wanted Wayne Gretzky in the cup finals.  It didn’t matter who the Oilers played against.  Just get the Great One in there.  It’s good for the sport.  What I’m talking about are those instances where you really know something’s up.  Who can forget Michael Jordan pushing off to make a last second shot in the 1998 NBA Finals?  Hell, it was Michael’s last year (for a time) in the NBA.  What a better way to send out the best player ever?  Of course, with David Stern at the helm anything’s possible.  I wouldn’t doubt if he and MJ have a love-child somewhere as much he used to gush over Jordan.

And what about Superbowl XL?  Nobody from the NFL wanted a team from BFE and one of the smallest markets to win it all.  After all along with the Raiders and Cowboys the Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the largest fan bases.  Great for the game, excellent story for a storied franchise.  However, the calls started to get so outrageous that one had to wonder. 

Which brings me to the current NHL playoffs.  Now, from a marketing standpoint what a better match up than to have your best, most recognizable player (Sidney Crosby) go against your best, most recognizable team (Detroit Red Wings).  Think of the merchandising!  Crosby’s rookie card and autos fetch a nice price and he’s only been in the league a few years  (Ask Shlink Lincoln about that auto rc).  The Red Wings probably have the largest following in the lower 48.  Year in and year out they have been a model of excellence and consitency.  People in Detroit love the Red Wings much more than the Pistons, Tigers and Lions combined. 

What gets to me, again as I sit and watch the Pens/Flyers game, is how obvious the NHL want for Crosby to be in the finals.  Philly continues to get called for extremely questionable, ticky-tack calls while Pittsburgh is free to do as they please.  Call it a little bit of homer syndrome (after all, I’ve got a new box of cards riding on this with Shlink) but holy crap!  At least make it look good.  The disparity of calls is edging toward the ridiculous.  Tripping, hooking and holding calls are flying at the Flyers (like how I did that?) but the Pens are allowed to get more physical with each shift.  Not being able to play your game severly hampers a team.  Philadelphia has to be more cognizant of what the officials are going to call will Pittsburgh can just go balls out.  Again, at least make it look good.

Now I’ve railed on officiating before, and until the major leagues decide to do something about it I will continue to do so.  As the old saying goes, those who can play.  Those who can’t coach….and those who have a mental disability, are blind and generally can’t count to 2 without taking their shoes off, officiate.  Damnit!  That was interference you hack!