I think the time has come to take a much needed vacation from the blog. Ok, that's not really the truth. A vacation would imply that this is my job and that it is something I need a break from. Really, that's not the case. I try to blog on the side because I enjoy writing and frankly, because I don't have the opportunity to sit around, watch games with my buddies and then discuss them at the caf the next day. This was my way of expressing my thoughts on whatever sports item I was interested in at the time.
When I started the blog back in April 2010, I didn't exactly know where it would go. I had hoped that it would not only be a place for me, but a place for my friends too. Ultimately, that didn't work out. I found that it was one thing to send emails back and forth about the Mets, but when it came to actually posting something on the blog, no one besides my faithful Devils blogger Jay Walker-Martin was actually interested. And you know what, that turned out to be fine. Instead of having this blog be something that a lot of strangers read, it quickly became apparent that this was something that only a handful of my close friends read.
So to all of you who have read and provided comments, I thank you. Nothing made me happier than seeing a message in my inbox saying that someone commented on one of my posts. I always appreciated that.
The fact is that I am not only watching less sports these days but I just don't have the disposable time I once did. I can find time to blog, but it means I am taking away from my sleep. And it means that I am just getting sloppy. Last week I posted something on UW and made 2 mistakes. It obviously wasn't a huge deal, but it was to me. I simply didn't take the time to do any research because I wanted to get to bed at a reasonable hour. (to be fair, forgetting UW was at Qwest next year was simply an oversight - no research should have been needed for that).
I could simply continue to throw opinions around without anything to back them up, but then I would become a blowhard. Part of the reason I enjoy writing about sports is that I am a stats junkie and I love spending random Thursday nights on baseballreference.com to research a story on whether Justin Turner deserves to be the Mets everyday second baseman. I want my writing to be passionate. I am not a fan of errors.
But this isn't about one simple entry with mistakes. Nah, it's just that this is becoming more a chore than it is fun. I think I still will want to blog when something big happens with the Sounders or Mets, but having 4-5 unique columns a week just isn't going to happen. So if you're reading this and want to check in occasionally to see if anything new is up, then great...I would love it. But if not, then I appreciate the time you have spent reading.
The bottom line - I have other things going on in my life. So for the time being, I am going to step away from blogging. But like all the previous times I have done so, I expect to be back. Why? Well, because I always come back. I just can't stay away.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
No Excuses for UW
Here's a little secret for ya - The Wife and I like to watch The Biggest Loser. Yeah, I probably shouldn't be proud of it, but whatever - I'm old and have a kid. Anyways...this season's theme is No Excuses, which was exactly what I thought when I saw the newly released 2012 UW football schedule. For those who haven't seen, the 12 game schedule contains non-conference games against Div 1-AA Portland St, San Diego St and likely defending national champion LSU on the road. As for the conference schedule, the Huskies play all teams except Arizona St and UCLA (with new coach, former Husky Jim Mora Jr). The actual schedule is as follows:
Sat Sept. 1 --- San Diego State
Sat Sept. 8 --- at LSU
Sat Sept. 15 --- Portland State
Thu Sept. 27 --- Stanford
Sat Oct. 6 --- at Oregon
Sat Oct. 13 --- USC
Sat Oct. 20 --- at Arizona
Sat Oct. 27 --- Oregon State
Fri Nov. 2 --- at Cal
Sat Nov. 10 --- Utah
Sat Nov. 17 --- at Colorado
Fri Nov. 23 --- at Washington State
The 2012 schedule presents an absolute BRUTAL opening set of games, with 4 of the first 6 opponents likely to finish in the Top 10 this year. I know it will be easy to complain about how the Dawgs open up, but I think it is time to put all excuses aside. I don't know what it is like to be in this town when the Huskies are a ranked team, but I can't imagine that the 1991 team backed down from a challenge. If the Huskies are really back - and I mean 9 or 10 wins - then they need to get the job done. It's simple as that. This isn't the SEC West where a team like Ole Miss will have to play Alabama, LSU, Arkansas, Auburn and rival Miss St every year and then Georgia or Florida every other year. No, this is the Pac-12, where currently there are only 3 ranked teams. I don't want to rip on the league, but after Stanford and Oregon, we had Washington, UCLA and Arizona st playing in bowls. Not exactly Murderers Row.
No excuses. Get the job done. And you know what? I think the Dawgs might actually have a shot at 9 wins. I'm going to assume wins against San Diego st and Portland St (although the latter won't count towards Bowl eligibility) and a loss on the road against LSU. At 2-1 the Dawgs then open up the conference schedule at home against Stanford on a Thursday night. Stanford is a damn good team but they will be losing not only Andrew Luck but two lineman who are projected to be top 10 picks, a highly rated TE and 6 other starters. They are going to be good (projected top 10 in 2012), but not 10-1 good. The Cardinal will also be coming off a BYE week, but I think they will be ripe for the picking. I think coming into a rowdy, raucous Husky Stadium on a Thursday night will be a tough go for the Cardinal. The atmosphere will be ridiculous and I think the Huskies get the upset win.
The next two weeks will be tough but the USC game will be at home as well. They have won 2 of 3 against the Trojans, so who knows. After USC, the Dawgs won't play another ranked opponent the rest of the year, although road games at Colorado and WSU to end the year could be trap games.
Here is the other thing - if the Huskies do end up at 9-3, it probably means that they won 6 in a row to end the season. That would be good enough for a Top 25 ranking and a birth in another quality bowl game.
I know it is wayyy to early to talk about the upcoming season (especially with a new defensive coordinator coming in and a less than favorable recruiting class), but it doesn't hurt to see what the team is in for. It will be a rough go at first, but this is the type of thing that separates good teams from special teams. If the Huskies want to become an elite program again, it must take the bad with the good and just get the job done. It is that simple. No excuses.
Sat Sept. 1 --- San Diego State
Sat Sept. 8 --- at LSU
Sat Sept. 15 --- Portland State
Thu Sept. 27 --- Stanford
Sat Oct. 6 --- at Oregon
Sat Oct. 13 --- USC
Sat Oct. 20 --- at Arizona
Sat Oct. 27 --- Oregon State
Fri Nov. 2 --- at Cal
Sat Nov. 10 --- Utah
Sat Nov. 17 --- at Colorado
Fri Nov. 23 --- at Washington State
The 2012 schedule presents an absolute BRUTAL opening set of games, with 4 of the first 6 opponents likely to finish in the Top 10 this year. I know it will be easy to complain about how the Dawgs open up, but I think it is time to put all excuses aside. I don't know what it is like to be in this town when the Huskies are a ranked team, but I can't imagine that the 1991 team backed down from a challenge. If the Huskies are really back - and I mean 9 or 10 wins - then they need to get the job done. It's simple as that. This isn't the SEC West where a team like Ole Miss will have to play Alabama, LSU, Arkansas, Auburn and rival Miss St every year and then Georgia or Florida every other year. No, this is the Pac-12, where currently there are only 3 ranked teams. I don't want to rip on the league, but after Stanford and Oregon, we had Washington, UCLA and Arizona st playing in bowls. Not exactly Murderers Row.
No excuses. Get the job done. And you know what? I think the Dawgs might actually have a shot at 9 wins. I'm going to assume wins against San Diego st and Portland St (although the latter won't count towards Bowl eligibility) and a loss on the road against LSU. At 2-1 the Dawgs then open up the conference schedule at home against Stanford on a Thursday night. Stanford is a damn good team but they will be losing not only Andrew Luck but two lineman who are projected to be top 10 picks, a highly rated TE and 6 other starters. They are going to be good (projected top 10 in 2012), but not 10-1 good. The Cardinal will also be coming off a BYE week, but I think they will be ripe for the picking. I think coming into a rowdy, raucous Husky Stadium on a Thursday night will be a tough go for the Cardinal. The atmosphere will be ridiculous and I think the Huskies get the upset win.
The next two weeks will be tough but the USC game will be at home as well. They have won 2 of 3 against the Trojans, so who knows. After USC, the Dawgs won't play another ranked opponent the rest of the year, although road games at Colorado and WSU to end the year could be trap games.
Here is the other thing - if the Huskies do end up at 9-3, it probably means that they won 6 in a row to end the season. That would be good enough for a Top 25 ranking and a birth in another quality bowl game.
I know it is wayyy to early to talk about the upcoming season (especially with a new defensive coordinator coming in and a less than favorable recruiting class), but it doesn't hurt to see what the team is in for. It will be a rough go at first, but this is the type of thing that separates good teams from special teams. If the Huskies want to become an elite program again, it must take the bad with the good and just get the job done. It is that simple. No excuses.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Hate for the 2012 Winter Classic
Boys and girls across Canada and the northern US grow up shoveling off snow from frozen lakes and playing hockey every night until the sun sets. That is why the yearly outdoor NHL game is a perfect idea...it is the closest the players will ever come to going back to simpler times.
For the past 4 years the NHL Winter Classic has provided not only the players but the fans the opportunity to go back to their childhood. They might not be played on random lakes in the middle of the wilderness, but they are played in some pretty cool locales. first it was Ralph Willard Stadium in Buffalo. Then Wrigley Field, Fenway Park and Heinz Field. It has all been perfect..until now.
See, this year, they decided to not only go to Philadelphia for Ranger v Flyers. It is a match-up that was going to happen at some time (after all, New York-Philly is one of the fiercest rivalries in sports), but one that just pisses me off. In almost every other sport, I would value this is an awesome match-up, but when you are a Devils fan, this game just doesn't do it for you. I don't want either team to win - I want them all to get a 24-hour bug and not be able to play.
I know I am off my rocker in suggesting that the match-up should be any different. It will be great for tv ratings and really, it is a match-up of top 5 teams. It should be great, but really...Flyers-Rangers?? They aren't even the biggest rivals. Maybe twenty years ago, but now? Nah, I'm pretty certain both Flyers and Rangers fans would rather beat the Devils.
The reason? It's because the Devils have been the alpha dog for the past 15 years. Since the Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994, the Devils have made the playoffs for 14 of 16 seasons with 9 division titles and 3 Stanley Cups. The Flyers have made the playoffs 15 times with 2 Stanley Cup losses and the Rangers have made the playoffs only 8 times. During that stretch, the Devils played the Flyers 4 times in the playoffs and the Rangers thrice. Meanwhile, the Flyers and Rangers have played only twice in the playoffs.
So the Devils have not only played the Flyers and Rangers more times in the playoffs, but they have been the most successful of the three. They need to be in the Winter Classic. But here is the problem - they are the New Jersey Devils, the team that killed the NHL, the team with less than 30 years of history, the team that no one wants to watch.
It's the reason why the Devils have been on NBC 0 times over the past three years while the Rangers and Flyers have combined to be on NBC 24 times. It's no different on Versus - the Devils have averaged 6.3 appearances over the past three seasons compared to 12 for the Rangers and 9.3 for the Flyers. The national media and the NHL hates the Devils. Last year might have been a down year, but the Devils are a playoff team again this year and would have been a great participant.
When the Winter Classic inevitably moves to Yankee Stadium in a year or two, I expect the Devils to be involved. It is only right (and it is much better than having to go to the city of Philadelphia to breath the air). As for this year, I will not watch a single second of the game and hope that it not only rains but that the ice conditions are terrible. Oh, and maybe the Philly fans will throw crap on the ice. That would be amazing and terrible at the same time.
For the past 4 years the NHL Winter Classic has provided not only the players but the fans the opportunity to go back to their childhood. They might not be played on random lakes in the middle of the wilderness, but they are played in some pretty cool locales. first it was Ralph Willard Stadium in Buffalo. Then Wrigley Field, Fenway Park and Heinz Field. It has all been perfect..until now.
See, this year, they decided to not only go to Philadelphia for Ranger v Flyers. It is a match-up that was going to happen at some time (after all, New York-Philly is one of the fiercest rivalries in sports), but one that just pisses me off. In almost every other sport, I would value this is an awesome match-up, but when you are a Devils fan, this game just doesn't do it for you. I don't want either team to win - I want them all to get a 24-hour bug and not be able to play.
I know I am off my rocker in suggesting that the match-up should be any different. It will be great for tv ratings and really, it is a match-up of top 5 teams. It should be great, but really...Flyers-Rangers?? They aren't even the biggest rivals. Maybe twenty years ago, but now? Nah, I'm pretty certain both Flyers and Rangers fans would rather beat the Devils.
The reason? It's because the Devils have been the alpha dog for the past 15 years. Since the Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994, the Devils have made the playoffs for 14 of 16 seasons with 9 division titles and 3 Stanley Cups. The Flyers have made the playoffs 15 times with 2 Stanley Cup losses and the Rangers have made the playoffs only 8 times. During that stretch, the Devils played the Flyers 4 times in the playoffs and the Rangers thrice. Meanwhile, the Flyers and Rangers have played only twice in the playoffs.
So the Devils have not only played the Flyers and Rangers more times in the playoffs, but they have been the most successful of the three. They need to be in the Winter Classic. But here is the problem - they are the New Jersey Devils, the team that killed the NHL, the team with less than 30 years of history, the team that no one wants to watch.
It's the reason why the Devils have been on NBC 0 times over the past three years while the Rangers and Flyers have combined to be on NBC 24 times. It's no different on Versus - the Devils have averaged 6.3 appearances over the past three seasons compared to 12 for the Rangers and 9.3 for the Flyers. The national media and the NHL hates the Devils. Last year might have been a down year, but the Devils are a playoff team again this year and would have been a great participant.
When the Winter Classic inevitably moves to Yankee Stadium in a year or two, I expect the Devils to be involved. It is only right (and it is much better than having to go to the city of Philadelphia to breath the air). As for this year, I will not watch a single second of the game and hope that it not only rains but that the ice conditions are terrible. Oh, and maybe the Philly fans will throw crap on the ice. That would be amazing and terrible at the same time.
Great NFL Weekend
I might be wrong, but I feel like this season's NFL playoff picture was clearer going into Week 17 than it has been in a long time. Of a total of 12 playoff spots, only 3 were still up for grabs - the AFC West, AFC Wild Card and the NFC East. Pretty tame if you ask me...and yet we were treated to a week rich with storylines.
The biggest story to me didn't even involve a team gunning for a playoff spot, but rather the team with the worst record in the league. The Indianapolis Colts, with a 2-13 record, needed to win and a Rams loss to avoid the distinction of being a division winner in 2010 and holding the top pick in the 2012 draft. Going into the week, we had heard that the veterans on the team were playing to win. They were not in it to Suck for Luck but rather were playing for their injured leader, Peyton Manning. By losing to the hapless 4-11 Jacksonville Jaguars, they clinched the worst record in the league.
Now the good times begin. The Colts have a 35 year old QB who has had 3 neck surgeries in the past 18 months. He is not getting any younger and who knows if he will ever be the same. A lot of experts suggest that Peyton was the reason for the significant drop-off in record, but the truth is that it was a perfect storm. Yes, losing Peyton hurt, but this team is a mess. They were not going to win the Super Bowl even if he had been there. Their ceiling with Manning is a few more 10-6 records over the next few years, followed by another drop-off and then rebuilding. I think they would be crazy not to draft Luck and start rebuilding now. They will never get this chance again. They have to do it now - they have to let go of Manning. He might not deserve to be dropped because of an injury, but sports is a cruel business.
The second biggest story is that of Mr Tim Tebow. I recently wrote how I was a full-fledged member of the Church of Tebow. It just seemed crazy to think a player with below than average skill could go 6-1 in his first seven starts and put his team on the brink of the playoffs if not for something divine. After a two game losing streak, the recently released Kyle Orton was back in Denver to try to knock out the man who replaced him. It was a perfect scenario that would have made for great revenge. At the end of the day, Orton didn't have a great day but got the win because Tebow couldn't help his team score more than 6 points. I honestly can't believe it - after making me believe, he dropped the ball in the most important game of the season. Luckily for him, Oakland couldn't beat San Diego and the Broncos are in the playoffs. however, if they can't beat Poittsburgh this coming weekend, I think Elway and Co need to really re-think this Tebow thing. Who would have thought that possible four weeks ago?
And there were a lot of other great stories:
The biggest story to me didn't even involve a team gunning for a playoff spot, but rather the team with the worst record in the league. The Indianapolis Colts, with a 2-13 record, needed to win and a Rams loss to avoid the distinction of being a division winner in 2010 and holding the top pick in the 2012 draft. Going into the week, we had heard that the veterans on the team were playing to win. They were not in it to Suck for Luck but rather were playing for their injured leader, Peyton Manning. By losing to the hapless 4-11 Jacksonville Jaguars, they clinched the worst record in the league.
Now the good times begin. The Colts have a 35 year old QB who has had 3 neck surgeries in the past 18 months. He is not getting any younger and who knows if he will ever be the same. A lot of experts suggest that Peyton was the reason for the significant drop-off in record, but the truth is that it was a perfect storm. Yes, losing Peyton hurt, but this team is a mess. They were not going to win the Super Bowl even if he had been there. Their ceiling with Manning is a few more 10-6 records over the next few years, followed by another drop-off and then rebuilding. I think they would be crazy not to draft Luck and start rebuilding now. They will never get this chance again. They have to do it now - they have to let go of Manning. He might not deserve to be dropped because of an injury, but sports is a cruel business.
The second biggest story is that of Mr Tim Tebow. I recently wrote how I was a full-fledged member of the Church of Tebow. It just seemed crazy to think a player with below than average skill could go 6-1 in his first seven starts and put his team on the brink of the playoffs if not for something divine. After a two game losing streak, the recently released Kyle Orton was back in Denver to try to knock out the man who replaced him. It was a perfect scenario that would have made for great revenge. At the end of the day, Orton didn't have a great day but got the win because Tebow couldn't help his team score more than 6 points. I honestly can't believe it - after making me believe, he dropped the ball in the most important game of the season. Luckily for him, Oakland couldn't beat San Diego and the Broncos are in the playoffs. however, if they can't beat Poittsburgh this coming weekend, I think Elway and Co need to really re-think this Tebow thing. Who would have thought that possible four weeks ago?
And there were a lot of other great stories:
- The Jets joined the Eagles as pre-season Super Bowl favorites who are outside the playoffs looking in. What a pathetic collapse and one that will undoubtedly lead to tons of debate over the next few months.
- The Bengals, a team I pegged for 2 wins this season, made the playoffs with a 9-7 record. A simply amazing coaching job by Marvin Lewis. They won the tiebreaker over the Tennessee Titans who somehow won 9 games with Chris Johnson being absolutely terrible. Kudos to Mike Munchak on the job he did but now the question remains where they go at the QB position next year. Will Hasselbeck be back to lead a possible playoff team or do they give the reigns to Jake Locker and hope he doesn't blow it?
- I don't want to take anything away from Aaron Rodgers, but his back-up Matt Flynn just threw for 400+ yards and 6 td's against the Lions. I'm not ready to suggest that he is ready to lead a team, but does this help the "Aaron Rodgers is Not the best QB ever" debate.
- The Giants got a huge win over their key rivals. The Cowboys have go in another direction, right? Romo can't possibly be their guy moving forward.
- The passing records set this year are just insane. The NFL saw not 1, not 2, but 3 QB's throw for more than 5000 yards (Brees, Brady, Stafford) and 3 threw more than 40 TD's (Rodgers, Brees, Stafford) Can someone help me understand why this is happening? My father-in-law suggests that it is because no one is allowed to hit anyone any more...it can't be that simple can it?
- Finally, what is going to happen to the Seahawks? I feel like they are actually pretty close to being relevant again, but they have a major decision to make, not just about Tarvaris (who I don't think is going anywhere in the offseason) abut about Marshawn Lynch. I know that his situation is a lot different than Shaun Alexander's, but I have to wonder whether it would be wise to spend a shit ton of money on him. I am just weary of guys in contract years and who take a ton of hits. It is going to be interesting to see what they do.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Thoughts on the Alamo Bowl
When I told the Wife that I was leaving only an hour early to go to the Apple cup, she thought I was crazy. She knows that I don't like being late or leaving early from games and surely an hour was not enough time. i told her it was no big deal because even if I missed 2 scoring drives, there were probably going to be 8 more once I got inside the stadium. The Huskies have no defense. Whenever they play a team with an equally defense, it is going to be a shootout. Last night was no different.
It's amazing to admit, but I was actually bored by a good portion of the second half. To me, a total of 43 points in one quarter isn't suspenseful. I know that many people will argue that the 9-6 LSU-Bama game earlier this year was the most boring 60 minutes of their lives, but at least their was suspense. At least there was a chance that one of the offenses could score. In the Alamo Bowl last night, I never once thought either team could get stop. it was like an Arena League game.
Ok, with that being said, I did watch the entire second half and have the following random comments about the game
It's amazing to admit, but I was actually bored by a good portion of the second half. To me, a total of 43 points in one quarter isn't suspenseful. I know that many people will argue that the 9-6 LSU-Bama game earlier this year was the most boring 60 minutes of their lives, but at least their was suspense. At least there was a chance that one of the offenses could score. In the Alamo Bowl last night, I never once thought either team could get stop. it was like an Arena League game.
Ok, with that being said, I did watch the entire second half and have the following random comments about the game
- I get that striking The Superman pose is the new fad, but I think it is going a little far. I saw the fullback break it out last night after a 4th down conversion, a DB break it out after an open field tackle and of course countless guys do it after TD's. Give it a break guys.
- My favorite part of the game was clearly when listening to former defensive stud Chris Spielman say anything positive about the game. Early in the third quarter he was asked if the offense deserves any credit and his response was great - "I'm not gonna give either offense any credit. They don't get credit. The defenses are just bad." Then later he said this was "really unbelievable" when speaking about the 100+ points and the 1000+ yards. He even suggested that both teams try onsides kicks, cut the field down and use the endzone as a 12th defender and hope for a FG. I was fully expecting him at any time to take off the headsets, run down to the field, rip off his shirt and beat the crap out of the defensive coordinators.
- In case there was any question, Keith Price is the man. With his 7 total TD and 438 yard performance, he is now the owner of the most impressive season ever by UW QB. Over 3000 yards passing, 36 total td's and only 11 interceptions. Oh, and he is only a Sophomore.
- Early in the year the Huskies couldn't stop the pass. Then when they went against Stanford and Andrew Luck, they only gave up 169 passing yards compared to 446 running yards. The same thing happened tonight as the "held" RG3 to 295 passing, but gave up 482 yards on the ground (including 3 rushers with 100+ yards!!).
- Anyone else really like the white helmets? I know I am not the UW traditionalist like many others, but I thought they were really sharp. Interesting that neither team went with their traditional gold helmets.
- Halfway through the game, my thought was that Chris Polk was off to the NFL. But now, after realizing that he is a mere 31 yards short of breaking Napoleon Kaufman's all-time school rushing record combined with the bad taste left in his mouth from the crucial third quarter fumble, I think he comes back to be part of what could be one of the special offensive units in college football. Or at least let's hope so.
- In none Huskies football stuff, a nice win by the Dawgs on the hardwood. They may have given up 80 points, but there was no way that the Beavers were going to outscore them. Also, I got to watch an exciting game between Rutgers and #10 Florida in which the Scarlet Knights overcame a late 7 point deficit to get the upset win in 2OT. The most amazing thing was that 0 points were scored by seniors. On the season, freshman and sophomores have accounted for 82% of their total points. It is going to be a up and down season this year, but they may be on to something for the future.
- Ok, back to the Alamo Bowl - I think RG3 can be successful in the NFL. I actually think he is still a bit green, but the dude has some freakish athleticism. In the past many successful dual-threat college QB's haven't been very successful in the pros but Cam Newton is showing that sometimes it doesn't matter - if you're a physical freak you can get things done.
- I love the freshman Seferian-Jenkins and Kasen Williams.
- Best of luck to Jermaine Kearse who ends his 4 year career with 2871 total receiving yards and 29 td's, both 2nd in school history. He was a part of that historically bad 2008 team but stuck with it and can say he was a key part of the UW revival.
- The offense may even be better next year and should be great for a long while. If I'm a potential recruit and I play offense, I have to seriously think about UW. I mean, they are going to score some points
- On the other side of the ball, I have no idea how Nick Holt keeps his job. I know that the administration isn't going to force Sarkisian to do anything, but how can he not go in another direction? I know that they are friends, but this defense kept them from winning 9 games in only his third season at the helm. I know there was a lot of leftover players from the old regime, but the offense was able to retool, why not the defense? This isn't USC. UW doesn't have the athletic freaks on defense that just blow up people.
- Jeopardy style...Answer: 13. Question: How many more points did Oregon St score than Baylor did against the Huskies?
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
My Favorite NBA Jerseys
In April 2010, one of my first posts on the blog was a list of the ten NBA jerseys I most wanted to have. It was a list not just of my favorite players in the league, but a combo of players I like to watch and jerseys that I just think are cool to look at. Well, since then a lot has happened in the NBA and I thought it was time once again to put out my list of top 10 (make that 11) jerseys I want to own. Let's get to it.
1. Brandon Roy (2010: #1) - This one is simple. Roy will always rank high on my list of favorite players, I love the Blazers road blacks and with his recent retirement, the jersey is suddenly retro.
2. Blake Griffin (NA) - Isn't this everyone's favorite?
3. Jon Brockman (#2) - I love the Brockness Monster and I really like the Bucks uni's a lot better than his old Kings jersey.
4. Deron Williams (NA) - This should be higher since he is the best player on my favorite team, but I just have the feeling he is leaving at the end of the year. Why get the jersey if it will be obsolete in a year.
5. Kevin Love (NA) - I love, love Kevin Love. Something about 20/20 lines just does it for me.
6. Tim Duncan/Manu Ginobili (#4) - I just love the classic look of their home whites. Oh, and I like the players.
7. David Lee (NA) - I really love his occasional 15/15 lines, but really what does it for me is the jersey. I love the logo on the front.
8. Danny Granger (#6) - Alternate yellow's are just ballin.
9. John Wall (NA) - I don't necessarily like the player, but I love the old school Bullets colors that the franchise is once again sporting.
10. Danilo Galinari (NA) - Picking a player was arbitrary, I just really like the powder blues.
11. Kevin Durant (NA) - I know all my Seattle friends will hate me for even suggesting this, but it is a proven fact - this team is super exciting and Durant is a stud.
So who dropped out from a year ago? Well, Brooke Lopez got bumped simply because he is not the same player he once was. I still love Steve Nash, but I grew tired of the Suns jerseys. Gerald Wallace and Andrew Bogut were replaced by other teammates on the list. And I'm waiting for Dwight Howard to get traded first.
Who almost made the cut - Kris Humphries, Kemba Walker, Gerald Wallace, LaMarcus Aldridge, Quincy Pondexter, Isaiah Thomas, Ricky Rubio, Dirk Nowitzki, Nate Robinson, Eric Gordon
1. Brandon Roy (2010: #1) - This one is simple. Roy will always rank high on my list of favorite players, I love the Blazers road blacks and with his recent retirement, the jersey is suddenly retro.
2. Blake Griffin (NA) - Isn't this everyone's favorite?
3. Jon Brockman (#2) - I love the Brockness Monster and I really like the Bucks uni's a lot better than his old Kings jersey.
4. Deron Williams (NA) - This should be higher since he is the best player on my favorite team, but I just have the feeling he is leaving at the end of the year. Why get the jersey if it will be obsolete in a year.
5. Kevin Love (NA) - I love, love Kevin Love. Something about 20/20 lines just does it for me.
6. Tim Duncan/Manu Ginobili (#4) - I just love the classic look of their home whites. Oh, and I like the players.
7. David Lee (NA) - I really love his occasional 15/15 lines, but really what does it for me is the jersey. I love the logo on the front.
8. Danny Granger (#6) - Alternate yellow's are just ballin.
9. John Wall (NA) - I don't necessarily like the player, but I love the old school Bullets colors that the franchise is once again sporting.
10. Danilo Galinari (NA) - Picking a player was arbitrary, I just really like the powder blues.
11. Kevin Durant (NA) - I know all my Seattle friends will hate me for even suggesting this, but it is a proven fact - this team is super exciting and Durant is a stud.
So who dropped out from a year ago? Well, Brooke Lopez got bumped simply because he is not the same player he once was. I still love Steve Nash, but I grew tired of the Suns jerseys. Gerald Wallace and Andrew Bogut were replaced by other teammates on the list. And I'm waiting for Dwight Howard to get traded first.
Who almost made the cut - Kris Humphries, Kemba Walker, Gerald Wallace, LaMarcus Aldridge, Quincy Pondexter, Isaiah Thomas, Ricky Rubio, Dirk Nowitzki, Nate Robinson, Eric Gordon
Big Day for Huskies
I hope everyone had a pleasant holiday with your families. Mine was especially nice this year, but I am glad to get back to blogging. The holiday is officially over so it's time to get back to work. This goes doubly for the Huskies, who have both a key basketball game against Oregon St on Thursday at 6pm and a nationally televised Alamo Bowl game against Baylor at the same time.
Both games are important to the sports program, but I think the basketball game is the more important of the two. I know beating Baylor and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III would be a great way to not only end 2011 but gain momentum going into 2012, but I don't think it is a must-win game. I had a hunch heading into last year's game against Nebraska that the Dawgs were going to step up and get the win - there were just too many signs - but this year feels a lot different. Whereas Nebraska was upset at being bumped to the Holiday Bowl to play a team they had already beat, Baylor is genuinely excited to have been invited to the Alamo Bowl. The reason is simple - it's Baylor. It's not exactly the most decorated football program, having played in only 8 bowl games in the past 30 years. Oh, and one other reason - Baylor has RG3.
I don't think many Huskies fans are expecting a win - not with our porous defense. I think a lot of fans are happy to be going to a second straight bowl game, even if it is not a New Years Day Bowl. Don't get me wrong, beating the newly crowned Heisman winner on national television would certainly be great for recruiting and morale. It would signal that indeed UW football has turned the corner. BUT, a loss won't cripple the program.
On the other hand, a loss on the hardwood would be disastrous. I'm sorry, I know Oregon St has been impressive in their first 11 games (9-2), but this is a team that Huskies should and need to beat, especially at home (OSU only has 1 win against a RPI Top 100 team, so take the 9 wins with a grain of salt). The Huskies are one of the most talented, if not THE most talented team, in the conference, but so far they have been incredibly underwhelming, limping into the conference schedule with a 6-5 record (RPI: 107). Losses to Duke and Marquette showed what they could become, but losses to St Louis, Nevada and South Dakota St exposed their flaws. Talent alone will certainly win games, but this team just seems to be lacking something. Their three leading scores are underclassmen. Their three captains have been non-existent. Their frontcourt is led by a guy who can't stay on the court and when he is on the court can't get out of his own way. And their most talented player is a freshman who is expected to leave for the NBA at the end of the season, who can't play with their second best player, who turns the ball over way too much and who just appears to be a wrong fit. Ok, maybe 'wrong fit' is a little too much, but he certainly isn't buying into the team concept like other big name recruits have.
UW needs to win either the conference regular season or conference titles. With a 6-5 out of conference record (which should go to 7-5 after playing Seattle U), I think they will need to go at least 13-5 in PAc-12 play plus win 1 or 2 games in the tournament to be in the dance. That would put them with a record of roughly 22-11. A loss to Oregon St would make things really tough. They get a nice break with avoiding a trip to the Bay Area, but I could see either Cal or Stanford picking up a win at Hed Ec when they visit in late January. I think they will probably drop 1 game on the road in Oregon and could possibly lose both games on the road at USC and UCLA late in the year. Add in potential road losses in Tucson and the Pullman and suddenly this team is looking at their 5-6 conference losses. If this holds true, that means every other game must be a win. Thus, the importance of the conference opener against Oregon st.
It is a shame that both games will be on at the same time tomorrow night as each deserve my attention. When faced with simultaneous start times, I will be watching the Alamo Bowl simply because there will be no more football until September. BUT, I will be keeping a close eye on the more important of the two - the home tilt against the Beavers.
Bow Down.
Both games are important to the sports program, but I think the basketball game is the more important of the two. I know beating Baylor and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III would be a great way to not only end 2011 but gain momentum going into 2012, but I don't think it is a must-win game. I had a hunch heading into last year's game against Nebraska that the Dawgs were going to step up and get the win - there were just too many signs - but this year feels a lot different. Whereas Nebraska was upset at being bumped to the Holiday Bowl to play a team they had already beat, Baylor is genuinely excited to have been invited to the Alamo Bowl. The reason is simple - it's Baylor. It's not exactly the most decorated football program, having played in only 8 bowl games in the past 30 years. Oh, and one other reason - Baylor has RG3.
I don't think many Huskies fans are expecting a win - not with our porous defense. I think a lot of fans are happy to be going to a second straight bowl game, even if it is not a New Years Day Bowl. Don't get me wrong, beating the newly crowned Heisman winner on national television would certainly be great for recruiting and morale. It would signal that indeed UW football has turned the corner. BUT, a loss won't cripple the program.
On the other hand, a loss on the hardwood would be disastrous. I'm sorry, I know Oregon St has been impressive in their first 11 games (9-2), but this is a team that Huskies should and need to beat, especially at home (OSU only has 1 win against a RPI Top 100 team, so take the 9 wins with a grain of salt). The Huskies are one of the most talented, if not THE most talented team, in the conference, but so far they have been incredibly underwhelming, limping into the conference schedule with a 6-5 record (RPI: 107). Losses to Duke and Marquette showed what they could become, but losses to St Louis, Nevada and South Dakota St exposed their flaws. Talent alone will certainly win games, but this team just seems to be lacking something. Their three leading scores are underclassmen. Their three captains have been non-existent. Their frontcourt is led by a guy who can't stay on the court and when he is on the court can't get out of his own way. And their most talented player is a freshman who is expected to leave for the NBA at the end of the season, who can't play with their second best player, who turns the ball over way too much and who just appears to be a wrong fit. Ok, maybe 'wrong fit' is a little too much, but he certainly isn't buying into the team concept like other big name recruits have.
UW needs to win either the conference regular season or conference titles. With a 6-5 out of conference record (which should go to 7-5 after playing Seattle U), I think they will need to go at least 13-5 in PAc-12 play plus win 1 or 2 games in the tournament to be in the dance. That would put them with a record of roughly 22-11. A loss to Oregon St would make things really tough. They get a nice break with avoiding a trip to the Bay Area, but I could see either Cal or Stanford picking up a win at Hed Ec when they visit in late January. I think they will probably drop 1 game on the road in Oregon and could possibly lose both games on the road at USC and UCLA late in the year. Add in potential road losses in Tucson and the Pullman and suddenly this team is looking at their 5-6 conference losses. If this holds true, that means every other game must be a win. Thus, the importance of the conference opener against Oregon st.
It is a shame that both games will be on at the same time tomorrow night as each deserve my attention. When faced with simultaneous start times, I will be watching the Alamo Bowl simply because there will be no more football until September. BUT, I will be keeping a close eye on the more important of the two - the home tilt against the Beavers.
Bow Down.
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