College World Series Champs- South Carolina!

The South Carolina Gamecocks won their first ever men's sport National Championship on Tuesday night with a walk-off win over UCLA. It was well publicized that it was the last College World Series to be played at Rosenblatt Stadium and it was only fitting that the game was won in dramatic fashion. With 61 consecutive years of hosting the championship of college baseball, it was an emotional scene to see Rosenblatt host its final CWS. The new stadium in downtown Omaha will be state of the art and will bring in more revenue, but it won't be the same.

College Baseball seems to be one of the most difficult sports to predict when it comes to the postseason. Every year it seems like there are about 20 teams who have a realistic chance to win. For example, the Gamecocks didn't win the regular season SEC crown (Florida) or the SEC Tournament (LSU), but they got it done when it counted to win the World Series. They reeled off 6 consecutive wins to win the CWS and you've got to give them credit for the way they won. Their team ERA of 2.15 at the CWS was spectacular.

Here is the final poll for the 2010 season: Coaches Poll

A few things to notice. First of all, the SEC finished with 8 teams in the Top 25. There has been a lot of talk in the last few years about the SEC's dominance in College Football, but I can't remember a year when a conference finished with 8 teams in the final Top 25 poll in any of the major sports. 

The attendance records for the season were similar. The SEC had the top 4 teams in average home attendance as well as 6 of the top 10.

I don't think that anyone can argue that the SEC was the best conference for college baseball by a large margin this season. The South Carolina Gamecocks came from the best conference and were the best team at the time when it mattered most. Congratulations to the University of South Carolina! Time to make room next to that Women's Track & Field Trophy and the Women's Equestrian Trophies, you finally won one that people will pay attention to!

Checking in with the St. Louis Cardinals

I was in St. Louis on Monday night to watch the Cardinals rally in the 9th to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-5. Dan Haren pitched well into the 9th inning, but the Diamondbacks blew the game with 2 errors that led to 3 runs for the Cardinals.

Haren continued his hot hitting against his former team with a home run off of Chris Carpenter in the 7th. The game also featured a home run by Mark Reynolds that only made it to the front of the warning track until Randy Winn helped it over the fence. Needless to say, the fans in St. Louis weren't too thrilled with that play.

The Diamondbacks melted as soon as Aaron Heilman came in for Haren in the 9th. The Cards pulled out the win to stay even with the surprising Cincinnati Reds.

Box Score

Pictures from the night:

                                     

USA! USA! USA!

The United States have advanced to the Round of 16 at the World Cup by defeating Algeria 1-0 on Wednesday. The United States went from elimination to winners of Group C in a matter of seconds.

Lets take a look at the events that took place to set up this moment:

In their first game of the World Cup, the United States battled England to a 1-1 tie in the most hyped game of the tournament. It took quite a bit of luck to come out of that game with a tie, but it was crucial in the build up for the match with Algeria.


In their second game, the USA gave up two early goals to fall behind Slovenia 2-0. However, they managed to make an exciting comeback in the second half. Then of course there was the controversial disallowed goal that would have given them the win. Again though, ending in a tie with Slovenia is what made the Algeria match up what it was.

The United States third match featured another controversial disallowed goal by the USA early in the game. When England went up on Slovenia 1-0 in the game being played simultaneously, the USA-Algeria game immediately ramped up in intensity. The US had to win in order to advance. They had so many chances that were missed that it eventually felt like it just wasn't meant to be. Don't forget that Tim Howard was incredible in goal for the United States and kept them in position to win by thwarting every attempt the Algerian's made to score.

It is hard to describe the emotions that were felt when Landon Donovan put the ball in the back of the net during stoppage time.

I think that this video sums it up best. My personal reaction caused me to run down the hall of my office to celebrate with a few of my co-workers. We were all nearly in tears as our country held on for the victory. We had to take a "cool down" walk after the game in order to ensure that there would be some level of productivity later in the day. So here it is, reactions from others who rejoiced in Donovan's game winning goal. I'm guessing that a few of these people needed "cool down walks" as well.


The World's Reaction to Landon Donovan's Game Winning Goal




To close, this win was historical on many different fronts:


-This was the fist World Cup win for the USA in 8 years.

-It was the first time that the USA has won their group in 80 years.

-It was the greatest victory in the history of USA soccer.

-Plus....a whole bunch of people were watching.


Many people will argue that this World Cup has already been a tremendous success for the United States; and they are correct. However, we still have a real chance to beat Ghana tomorrow (1 PM CT on ABC) and advance to the Quarterfinals. Regardless of what happens, I can guarantee you that our nation will be watching. USA..USA..USA...

NBA Draft 2010 Prospects- SEC Edition

The NBA Draft is tonight! There is a lot of information out there about the top prospects and it seems like everyone has a first round "mock draft." I decided to focus in on one conference and try to give some insight on these prospects and their professional future instead.

I have included Seniors who are projected as possible draft picks and all underclassmen who declared early and have signed with an agent. Let me know if I left off anyone who you think may be drafted!

Alabama

Mikhail Torrance

Best Case Scenario: He gets drafted by a team who can develop him as a backup point guard. He eventually becomes a reliable sub and contributor to a winning team. Think of George Hill's role with the Spurs.
Worst Case Scenario: He goes undrafted and ends up having a decent overseas career.
Draft Projection: #54 overall pick to the Clippers. I like Torrance. He has good size for a point guard and is a tough cover. He shoots his jump shots right handed, but his left hand is his strong hand when he is driving to the basket. He wasn't spectacular at Bama, but he improved every year. Great FT shooter as well.

Arkansas

Courtney Fortson

Best Case Scenario: Follows in the footsteps of former Razorback Kareem Reid and has a successful career playing for the Harlem Globetrotters, NBDL teams, etc.
Worst Case Scenario: He is required to go back and play for the Razorbacks for two more years.
Draft Projection: Undrafted. Fortson has had "character issues," he is a horrible shooter, he averaged over 5 turnovers a game last season, and he is undersized. He is on this list because he declared early.

Michael Washington

Best Case Scenario: He earns his way onto the end of a NBA bench and plays a year or two in the league.
Worst Case Scenario: He goes undrafted and plays overseas or in the NBDL for a few years.
Draft Projection: Undrafted. Washington is one of the rare players who really saw his stock drop after returning for his Sr. year. He took a step back on the offensive end of the court and his rebound numbers also decreased. In the end, I think that being a below average defender will ultimately be what keeps him from being drafted.

Kentucky

John Wall

Best Case Scenario: He quickly becomes an all-star caliber player (think Derek Rose) and leads his team to the playoffs.
Worst Case Scenario: He turns into Jay Williams (#2 Pick in 2002 out of Duke) and never lives up to his potential. Not a really fair comparison to either player since Jay's career was ended by an injury, but that is the floor for Wall.
Draft Projection: #1 overall pick by the Washington Wizards. There has been plenty of talk about Wall, so I will move on.

DeMarcus Cousins

Best Case Scenario: Lands on a team that keeps him motivated and in shape. Develops into an offensive force down low.
Worst Case Scenario: Struggles to maintain his conditioning on the NBA level. Starts hearing Eddy Curry comparisons.
Draft Projection: #5 overall pick to the Sacramento Kings. Cousins is one of the guys who is referred to as having the most "upside" in the draft. I'm not as convinced. He has an incredible skill set, but he was often in foul trouble at Kentucky. He only averaged 23 minutes a game and seemed to lack motivation at times. I'm not sure how he will react to an 82 game season.

Daniel Orton

Best Case Scenario: He becomes a reliable big man for a solid team. Think Kendrick Perkins.

Worst Case Scenario: He never develops his game and only spends a few years in the NBA. Think Jason Smith.
Draft Projection: First Round, #21 overall to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Orton "played" one year at Kentucky. He averaged a little over 3 points and 3 rebounds a game. There are concerns about his left knee that he had surgery on in High School. Most mock drafts that I have seen have Orton going in the lottery, but I just don't see how they justify that. I think that taking Orton at #21 is still too early, but the Thunder could use a big man and he may be the best available at this point.

Eric Bledsoe

Best Case Scenario: Bledsoe is a guy that could be a starter in the NBA this season. Has all-star potential down the road.
Worst Case Scenario: He is forced into early playing time and doesn't respond well.
Draft Projection: First round, #18 overall to the OKC Thunder. Bledsoe would be a great value pick for the Thunder if he falls to them. Great team for him to be on and he would get to play behind Russell Westbrook.

Patrick Patterson

Best Case Scenario: He gets drafted by a playoff team and immediately earns playing time.
Worst Case Scenario: He ends up on a bad team and is forced into carrying more of the offensive load than he is capable of.
Draft Projection: First round, #20 overall to the San Antonio Spurs. Patterson is one of the "NBA ready" players in this years draft. I was very impressed with Patterson's development from his Sophmore to Junior year. He was willing to sacrifice some shots when Kentucky brought in John Wall & Co. He even worked on developing an outside shot. I think that the he has potential to be an Antonio McDyess type player (during McDyess's role player years).

LSU

Tasmin Mitchell

Best Case Scenario: There is a small chance that he could get drafted in the second round. Making a NBA roster looks like the best case scenario for Mitchell.
Worst Case Scenario: Doesn't make it into the NBA and ends up playing ball overseas.
Draft Projection: Undrafted. Mitchell never really lived up to what I thought he would become after his freshmen year at LSU. He still has quite a few holes in his game for a guy who is turning 24 this week. I think that he will have to earn his way onto a team as a free agent.

Ole Miss

Terrico White

Best Case Scenario: A team drafts White based on his athleticism and he sneaks into the first round.
Worst Case Scenario: He falls to the second round and then fails to make a NBA roster.
Draft Projection: Second Round, #32 overall to the Miami Heat. Miami traded their first round pick, but they still have need for a guard. White is a risk in the first round, but he has a lot of potential here. With no guaranteed contracts in the second round, he would have to earn his place on the roster.

Mississippi State

Jarvis Varnado

Best Case Scenario: Develops into a Marcus Camby type player. Long NBA career with possibility of leading the league in rebounds or blocks at some point in time.
Worst Case Scenario: Is more of an Amir Johnson (current NBA player, 5+ years in the League) type player. Solid defender who earns starts occasionally and a reliable bench player.
Draft Projection:  Second Round, #35 overall to the Washington Wizards. Varnado is my favorite player on this list. He is likely to be drafted in the second round and I think he will be a steal. He will never be a go to scorer on the offensive end of the court, but neither will 3/4 of the guys drafted in front of him. He could really anchor a team defensively. 

Vanderbilt

A.J. Ogilvy

Best Case Scenario: He gets scooped up late in the second round by a team who is in desperate need of help in the low post.
Worst Case Scenario: He goes undrafted and plays overseas. Not too bad of a scenario considering that Ogilvy could go home to Australia and be the star of a professional team there.
Draft Projection: Undrafted. Ogilvy's stock really declined during his years at Vanderbilt. He is a solid player, but I think he lacks the athleticism and defensive ability to make it in the NBA.

From the ballpark in Arlington- Texas Rangers

It was a great night in Arlington last night as the Rangers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3.

The Rangers have been playing great baseball so far this year. The win moved their record to 42-28 as they sit atop the American League West standings. They are currently on a 9 game win streak.

Josh Hamilton continued his MVP caliber play as he collected 2 hits on the night; including a home run. He also extended his hitting streak to a career best 17 games.

A few things that I noticed at the ballpark that won't show up in the box score:

-The Pirates had 7 seven hits and 2 runs before the Rangers had their first hit in the fourth inning. However, the Rangers seemed unfazed, knowing that their offense has the ability to create runs in a hurry.

-Julio Borbon really covers a lot of ground in center field. He caught one ball that all the way in right field about 5 steps from where Josh Hamilton was positioned when the ball was hit.

-Elvis Andrus reached on an infield single in the 5th inning and advanced from first to third after a failed pick off attempt. Great hustle play. And the Pirates are really bad.

-In the 6th, Hamilton made a nice play in right field on a double down the line that he got in quickly to Andrus. Andrus delivered a perfect throw to the plate to nail Ryan Doumit who was trying to score from first on the play.

-Dippin' Dots can make any situation more enjoyable.

The Rangers are a good baseball team. When healthy, they have one of the most potent offenses in all of baseball. Their ability to hit home runs is well known, but they were doing the little things right last night as well. If they can continue to get above average pitching, then I think they will be able to beat out the Angels to win the division. If they can make it to the playoffs and get on a streak like they are on now, anything will be possible.

The US Open

A Northern Irishman named Graeme McDowell won the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach on Sunday night. The University of Alabama at Birmingham graduate used a final round of 74 to secure the victory over a host of well known players.

McDowell wasn't flashy in the win, but he did what he had to when it counted. As other players faded away, McDowell stayed strong and held on for the win. One of the great things about watching this US Open was seeing how much the best golfers in the world struggled. I think that it makes it easier for average and below average golfers (like myself) to relate to what is happening. It is hard to comprehend what is going on when players are putting up scores like 63 and 64. When a guy leading the tournament puts up a final round 82, it makes me feel more connected to the game.

Now let me make it clear that I do understand the difference between my local course and the course that was played this weekend at Pebble Beach. I wouldn't ever be allowed on the course at Pebble Beach, but I am confident that I would be unbelievably horrible if I made it out there. See if you can tell the difference between these two Par 3's.

In the top picture I think that I would lose about 15 balls with how bad my slice is before I would get one on the green. Now in the other picture I think that I would have a chance at par.

From someone living in the Central Time Zone, I really enjoyed watching the final two rounds in prime time. While the PGA tour is still trying to figure out what to do post-Tiger scandal, I think that golf in prime time is a great start when possible.

NBA Finals- Game 7 Recap

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics 83-79 to win the NBA Championship on Thursday night. It was a grueling defensive battle for both teams as the Lakers overcame shooting 32.5% from the field to win the game.

Thoughts from Game 7

In a defensive battle like the one that occurred in Game 7, it seemed like Kendrick Perkins absence was a major factor. The Lakers absolutely controlled the boards. Rasheed Wallace and Glen Davis played well on the offensive end of the floor, but neither of them were nearly as physical as Perkins in boxing out Pau Gasol and the rest of the Lakers. LA took advantage and dominated the glass.

In fairness to the Lakers, Andrew Bynum was also extremely limited in Game 7. They simply did a better job of taking advantage of the match ups that were available than the Celtics did.

Pau Gasol should have been the Finals MVP. Kobe Bryant won it based on his reputation, not his actual performance. Kobe had one "great" game (which was really just a great 3rd quarter) and the Lakers actually lost that game (Game 5). Check out their stat lines from Game 7 when the series was decided:

Gasol: 6/16 FG, 19 PTS, 18 RBS (9 offensive), 4 AST, 2 BLK, 1 TO.
Bryant: 6/24 FG, 23 PTS, 15 RBS, 2 AST, 0 BLK, 4 TO.

Anyone who watched Game 7 realizes that Kobe came indescribably close to shooting his team out of the game. If not for a couple of timely three pointers from Ron Artest and Derek Fisher, this article would have an entire different direction.

Once the Lakers took the lead with 6 minutes left in the game, the game was essentially over. The Celtics didn't have enough fire power to come back and the Lakers are a much, much better team with the lead.

I think that it is necessary to acknowledge the discrepancy in free throw attempts for both teams. The Lakers attempted 37 free throws to 17 by the Celtics. Were the Lakers THAT much more aggressive in Game 7? Take a look at the three point attempts for the game: 20 for LA and 16 for Boston. How about points in the paint? 36 for Boston and 38 for LA. It was really disappointing to watch the Lakers win the game at the line. Even if they earned their trips to the line, there is nothing as dull as watching a team win a game in a dead-ball situation.

Regardless of how the game was officiated, the Lakers earned home court advantage by their play in the regular season. Someone should tell that to Rasheed Wallace. The regular season actually does matter. Write that down somewhere.

In the end, only one team can be declared champion. Like it or not, that team for 2010 is the Los Angeles Lakers. They made the clutch shots that had to be made, seemed to get every loose ball, and played great defense the entire game.

Game 5 Recap and Preview to Game 6

Sorry for the delay in posting thoughts about Game 5, it's been a busy week at work and at home. I watched Game 5 from my home that is currently without A/C. The only way to stay "cool" is by sitting perfectly still underneath the ceiling fan in the living room, but that wasn't going to happen during a Celtics-Lakers Game 5 with the series tied 2-2. Thoughts from the game:

-The benefit of the temperature at my house being 85+ degrees during the game was that I actually felt like I was at the Garden. Seriously, I really did feel like I was more into the game than normal. I think that there is something about sweating while watching a game that makes you feel like you are really a key participant in the event.

-The downside of the inside temperature being what it was: I drank a 32 ounce Powerade, two 20 ounce bottles of water, ate an ice cream bar, and still almost had to hook myself up to an IV after the game.

-Ok...time for thoughts on the actual game. Paul Pierce came out ready to play. He scored 27 points while only taking two free throws! Most of Pierce's big playoff games are a result of him getting to the line a lot. This performance is a good set up for him to be more aggressive in getting to the rim in Game 6.

-Kevin Garnett played a quietly brilliant game. He finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. KG's performance in the last few games has been critical to the Celtics winning. There has been so much talk about Andrew Bynum and his knee that I think people have forgotten how much KG has stepped up his game since the beginning of the series when he was moving like Vlade Divac in the post.

-Kobe Bryant was as unstoppable as anyone can be in the 3rd quarter of Game 5. He was taking tough shots and he was hitting every one of them. Doc Rivers said it best when he summed up Kobe's performance by saying, "There isn't a better shot maker in the game than Kobe Bryant."

-Kobe still finished the game shooting less than 50% from the field.

-The Lakers failed to cut into Boston's lead during Kobe's hot streak.

-Kobe never found a way to get his team mates involved. No one on the Lakers team seemed to be playing inspired defense.  There were times when the Lakers would go for minutes at a time with no one other than Kobe touching the ball on the offensive end of the court.

-Stan Van Gundy said it best when he summed up Derek Fishers flopping, "The guy acts like he just got shot by a sniper every time he shoots a jump shot." That is my issue with Fisher. I am well aware that there are plenty of other guys in the NBA (and in this series) who flop on a regular basis, but his manner in doing so is too much to handle.
A few of the big moments from Game 5 that aren't mentioned in the slide show at the bottom of this post:

-Tony Allen's block on Pau Gasol. For as terrible as Tony is on offense, he really is a great defender (on the ball, off the ball, helpside, etc).

-Rajon Rondo's tip in over Lamar Odom and Kobe was incredible. That moment was the loudest moment of the night in the Green House.

-Ron Artest bricking two critical free throws, Kobe coming down the lane for the rebound, and then Paul Pierce wrestling the ball away from Kobe.

What to look for in Game 6

-How will Andrew Bynum respond to playing 31 minutes in Game 5, flying across the country, and just having one day of rest between games? You've got to love his desire to play and contribute to his team, but at some point he is harming himself and his team more than he is helping them.
-What has happened to Shannon Brown this series?? Will he make any contributions in Game 6?

-Which Rondo will show up? If he is aggressive, the Celtics will win. In Game 5 he had seven turnovers and the Celtics were still in control of the game. He must continue to attack the basket when Kobe is giving him that much room.

-At some point the Lakers will make a run. My guess is that it will be very early. Can the Celtics answer the call and match the early intensity that they had in Games 4 and 5?


Game 5 Slideshow

A Beautiful Game

About to take off for South Africa

Flying over Africa

Ok....so I'm not in Africa right now or even on my way. But I thought that this would be the appropriate time to reminisce on some sports memories from my trip last year since the World Cup began yesterday in South Africa.

The Sport

I'm not sure that I will have too many posts following games with analysis since I don't feel like I have that level of knowledge when it comes to soccer. However, I can tell you that I am genuinely excited about the World Cup. The anticipation has been gaining momentum over the last few weeks leading up to the United States match with England later today.

I had a discussion with my wife recently as I was watching women's softball in which she basically said, "are you really watching this?!" I tried to explain that I really feel like I can watch and enjoy just about any sport as long as it is being played at a high level. Since I was watching the women's softball College World Series, I felt like it was justified. I couldn't watch softball on just any level, but for that caliber of play I find it enjoyable.

Now with football, baseball, and basketball, I feel like I can watch any game on any level. With hockey, I watched the United States play Canada in the Olympics and thoroughly enjoyed the game. However, I never got around to watching a game in the Stanley Cup Finals. Soccer is somewhere in between in my sports world. I like watching the English Premier League and the UEFA Champions League on ESPN when they show an occasional match. However, I try to find something else on TV when a MLS game is on.

The Connection

I'm hesitant to affirm soccer as "the beautiful game" because I think that statement is too exclusive. I do believe that it can be a beautiful game. That's the thing about sports. Any sport can be a beautiful thing when it brings people together.

Sports are one of the few things that can transcend the barriers of language, culture, time, and geography. Sports are a true global language and soccer is the most global sport that there is. I have had the privilege of playing basketball on trips to Africa and Nicaragua, but soccer seems to be the international king. The fact that it can be played or practiced with any open space and any round "ball" makes it popular in even the poorest of countries. I've seen children collect trash and roll it into a ball that is bound by plastic bags. I've seen school boys kicking around a mass of tightly packed rags, paper, and plastic held together by string.

It really is a special feeling to be able to kick a ball around with a child and see them smile even when you can't understand a word that they say. That feeling is what drives a guy who has never played soccer on a competitive level to play for hours in a pair of worn out basketball shoes even though he knows he won't be scoring any goals.

Closing Thought

This morning I was watching Argentina and Nigeria play in Group B. When my wife asked me who I was cheering for, I responded that I wouldn't mind seeing Nigeria do well since they were such a heavy underdog. She understood and made a comment about how she figured that most of the African teams would be underdogs in their matches. She asked, "What about South Africa?" I told her that they played Mexico to a 0-0 draw yesterday." Her response, "Ughh. That's what I don't understand about this game." She got up and left the room.

That has always been one of my biggest issues with soccer. I have never doubted the athletic capability and physical fitness that it takes to play the game, but I have often times been frustrated with the lack of closure at the end of games that end in a draw. That's one of the reasons that I look forward to the World Cup. Once the teams advance to the Round of 16, every game will be decided by extra time or penalty kicks if necessary.

Maybe it shouldn't always be about scoring goals. Maybe it should be more about the feeling of competition and the communion of participating in an activity that can bring people from all across the world together. Maybe. But I know that this casual fan can't help the fact that he sure does like to see a winner declared at the end of a beautiful game.

The Day After- Reaction and Links from Game 4

Box Score from Game 4

Worth the walk?

Bill Simmons Live Blog from Game 4

I thought that Simmons was dead on in his thoughts about Phil Jackson "going for the kill" by staying with his starters against Boston's bench. He also makes a great point in acknowledging how well Tony Allen played on the defensive end denying Kobe the ball in the fourth quarter.

Here is some video from the Big Baby and Nate post-game show that includes some great one liners. Well worth the watch.

The Boston Bench Party

The Boston Celtics used a complete team effort to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 96-89 in Game 4 on Thursday night. The series is now tied up at 2-2 for Game 5 in Boston on Sunday night.

The Celtics had significant offensive and defensive contributions from 9 players in Game 4. Rajon Rondo had only 3 assists and the Celtics still found a way to win. The Celtics made 3 three pointers in the entire game and still found a way to win. The Celtics picked up two technical fouls in the fourth quarter and still found a way to win. Kobe Bryant hit some incredible shots (including 6 three pointers) and the Celtics still found a way to win. The Celtics had to look at Pau Gasol's pathetic neck beard for 48 minutes and they still found a way to win.

Eight different players had at least one offensive rebound for the Celtics. The lineup of Nate Robinson, Tony Allen, Ray Allen, Rasheed Wallace, and Glen Davis absolutely carried the Celtics in the fourth quarter. Read that sentence again, it wasn't a typo. Glen Davis played with desire and took the ball into the body of taller defenders time after time. Watching Pierce, Garnett, and Rondo cheer those guys on from the bench was a thing of beauty. When you have future Hall of Famers cheering you on from the bench, its got to inspire you to play hard. Pierce, Garnett, and Rondo came back into the game with an eight point lead and less than three minutes left to play. Pierce scored seven points in the final minutes to close out the game.

Doc Rivers deserves a lot of credit for his substitutions in Game 4. He made sure that Rondo and KG got a lot of rest in the first half. He trusted his bench players and wasn't afraid to stick with them even when the game was on the line.

Down six with 40 seconds to go, Kobe threw the ball away and Rondo hit a layup to seal the game. You've gotta practice passing to make those clutch passes Kobe.

Once again, I think that the way that the bench played tonight absolutely reflects the leadership of the Celtics. Kevin Garnett demands every player to play the game with intensity on both ends of the court. Ray Allen demands every player keep his composure and is quick to correct them if they don't. Paul Pierce demands every player to play above and beyond their athletic capability.

My dad summed it up well, "This was the kind of game you have to win if you want to be a champion."

A Great Man, John Wooden

The world lost an incredible man last week when John Wooden passed away at the age of 99. Coach Wooden was well known because of his tremendous success as the head coach of the UCLA men's basketball team. However, he was loved and admired by so many people because of the way he lived his life. The man was not perfect, but he understood the purpose of life. He was faithful to God, loved people unconditionally, cherished his wife above any other human, and worked diligently to better himself in all aspects of his life.

I don't think any of my words are adequate to describe Coach Wooden, so I thought it would be best to share some pearls of wisdom directly from Coach. Enjoy.


Quotes from John Wooden


The Pyramid of Success: By John Wooden

I will end with a quote from a 2005 interview with Coach Wooden. I think it gives great insight into his perspective of life and his peace in death.

"There's a line I like from Socrates," Wooden says. "When he was unjustly imprisoned and facing imminent death, the jailers asked, 'Why aren't you preparing for death?' And Socrates said, 'I've been preparing for death all my life by the life I've lead.'"

Stephen Strasburg's MLB Debut

I decided to use by MLB.TV Premium subscription today to watch the archived Washington Nationals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates game from last night.

That is a sentence that I never thought I would type. And I'm definitely not the only person who wanted to see what all the hype was about. First of all, I didn't watch the game live for a few different reasons:

1) My sports attention was focused solely on Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

2) So many times we see athletes get hyped up before they ever really accomplish anything. Quick story. Much of my childhood was dedicated to organizing, buying, and trading baseball cards. My Uncle was a big card collector as well and I remember him telling me about a "can't miss prospect." I think he went out and bought about 100 copies of the card below:

Ben McDonald?!?! That's right. He was the can't miss prospect who somehow missed.

3) Did I mention that the choice was between watching the Celtics and Lakers or the Nationals and Pirates??

So here it is, a day late. Full disclosure: I only watched the top half of each inning Strasburg pitched.

Inning by Inning
1st- Strasburg fell behind the first two hitters, but kept a couple of fastballs low in the zone to get a line out and ground out. Lastings Milledge was the first hitter to fall behind 0-2. He struck out on three pitches and missed a slider to strike out by about 2 feet.

2nd- Strasburg fell behind 3-0 to Garrett Jones before throwing a called first strike and then painting the outside corner with back to back 98 mph fastballs for the strikeout. He strikes out the next hitter with a filthy curve ball that is off the plate. Andy LaRoche hits a single to right field with 2 outs. Time to see Strasburg pitch out of the stretch. Similar result as Strasburg records another strikeout to end the inning. So far, the Pirates hitters haven't had much of a chance to even make contact when they fall behind in the count.

3rd- Strasburg freezes the first hitter of the inning with a curve ball for the strikeout. Jeff Karstens (Pirates SP) strikes out on 4 pitches. I don't think many opposing pitchers are going to have much success hitting against Strasburg. Andrew McCutchen hits the ball hard again, but right at Ryan Zimmerman for the final out of the inning.

4th- He starts the inning off by giving up a leadoff single on a curve ball out over the plate. The next batter ropes a fastball opposite field for a single. Runners on first and second with no outs. Strasburg forces a double play ball on a broken bat single up the middle. Runner on third with two outs. Delwyn Young (a left hander) hits a change up out of the park for the first two runs scored against Strasburg. Really not that bad of a pitch. He kept it low and outside, just a good swing by Young. The next batter pops out to end the inning.

5th- Adversity! The Nationals are now trailing 2-1. How will Strasburg react? He starts the inning by striking out the first batter. Next batter falls behind in the count and grounds out weakly to first. Strasburg finishes the inning by striking out Karstens again. This time with a 101 mph fastball. Wow.

6th- McCutchen hit the ball hard in his first two at bats, but he goes down swinging this time. Next batter chases the high heat as Strasburg strikes him out with another 101 mph fastball. He uses a couple of breaking balls to get ahead in the count against Milledge before striking him out with a fastball. He definitely isn't afraid to throw any pitch in any count.

7th- The Nationals now lead 4-2. Lets see how Strasburg pitches through the heart of the order on the third time through the line up. He uses a curve ball for strike out number 12. Now Young is back up to the plate. Strasburg comes right after him with three fastballs for the strikeout. How about that for coming after the guy who hit one out against you in the previous at bat? He then mows down LaRoche on three pitches. Two filthy curve balls followed by a fastball. The crowd is going crazy. Did I mention that it is June and the Nationals are playing the Pirates!!! Amazing.

The Line: 7 IP, 4 Hits, 2 ER, 0 BB, and 14 K's.

Recap- Strasburg's stuff was as advertised: nasty. However, the most impressive thing to me was his demeanor. He didn't seem to get rattled by the home run he gave up and didn't seem to get too excited by his seven consecutive strikeouts. It is rare to see that combination of great stuff with great intensity and composure.

No great pitcher is remembered for their first start against a sub-.500 team in June, but there is reason to be excited in Washington.

NBA Finals Update

The Boston Celtics used huge games from Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 on Sunday. Rondo had a triple double and Allen hit a NBA Finals record 8 three pointers. After Tuesday nights performance, Game 2 feels like it happened in a different season.

In Game 3 on Tuesday night, Rondo was less aggressive and Allen had an ice cold shooting night. The result was a win for the Lakers and a tough loss for the Celtics. Thoughts from the game:

-Kevin Garnett put up great numbers despite the way that he still looked like he had no "bounce" in his step.

-Paul Pierce attempted three free throws. 3. He must be more aggressive in getting to the free throw line.

-Rajon Rondo had 0 turnovers. Normally this is a good thing. However, I think that this stat is a result of the fact that Rondo failed to be aggressive enough for the Celtics to win. Too often he caught the ball with his defender 6 feet off of him and just waited for other people to cut or post up. Rondo must drive the lane to create for himself and his teammates.

-The Celtics failed to push the ball enough in transition. Again, pushing the ball may lead to more turnovers but the reward is far greater than the risk.

-Pau Gasol is a great offensive post player. He has incredible touch and is often the Lakers best option on offense. However, his defense on KG in Game 3 was miserable. Every time that Garnett posted up, Gasol had his hands all over him. Again, the inconsistency by the referees (on both sides) was maddening.

-Rasheed Wallace was in regular season form (not a good thing) on Tuesday night. He made one shot in 20 minutes.

-Game 3 was laced with questionable calls all game long. There were good calls followed instantly by make-up calls after a complaint from a star.There were instant replay reviews and flops aplenty; the result was a choppy fourth quarter in which the game seemed to just fizzle out.


-No one other than Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher had more than 2 fouls for the Lakers. Five Celtics had more than 2. Pierce, Garnett, and Rondo were all limited at some point in the game by foul trouble. 

-Kobe Bryant shot as many times as Gasol, Odom, Bynum, and Artest combined. He made about 1/3 of his shots.

-Kobe Bryant just said in his post game press conference that Derek Fisher is the only teammate that he will listen to. He smiled slightly, but you could tell that he meant it. Who wouldn't want to play with this guy?!?

-I'm really struggling to find anything positive to say about the Lakers.

Lakers vs. Celtics- Game 1 Recap

I watched Game 1 from a beach house in Florida while on vacation. I knew that when the game was over, I would be able to walk outside and the beach would be there no matter what. It seemed as if the Celtics had the same mentality. "We've made it to the Finals! No matter what happens, we're still in the Finals when Game 1 ends!" Well, I will be driving home tomorrow because its time for me to go back to work. If the Celtics don't go back to work tomorrow, they can go ahead and start to think about where they will be spending their vacation this summer.

Rajon Rondo

The Celtics were in trouble from the beginning of the game when Rondo came out tentative and passive with Kobe guarding him. Kobe backed off Rondo by about five feet and it seemed like Rondo didn't know what to do. First of all, he has shown an improved jump shot this season so he has got to step into a few shots with confidence. Next, I think that he needs to make Kobe work by driving at him and making him react.  His lack of aggressiveness also contributed to a few other areas that led to the Lakers win:

Rebounding

Rondo's lack of penetration caused the Celtics to shoot a lot of mid range jumpers that were easy for the Lakers to rebound. Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, and Glen Davis combined for 10 rebounds. This included an embarrassing attempted put back by KG where he fumbled the rebound on the rim and then air balled the follow up attempt. Also.....

Andrew Bynum

Bynum played more minutes than he had played in the last month (since Game 2 in the series vs. Utah). He posted decent numbers (10 points and 6 rebounds) but it was his presence that changed the dynamics of the game. If Rondo were more aggressive and drove the lane, it is almost guaranteed that Bynum would pick up a couple of fouls very quickly.

Three Point Shooting

Of all the shooters in this series (Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce, and Derek Fisher), it was Ron Artest who connected on 3 of the 5 made three pointers for the game. The fact that the Celtics only attempted 10 threes in a game that they trailed by double digits nearly the entire second half is inexcusable. Ray Allen attempting only 2 three pointers is partially his fault, but it can also be traced back to the lack of aggressiveness by Rondo. The more he drives, the more shots on the perimeter become open.

Don't get me wrong, the Celtics lost this game as a team. I only pointed out the mistakes by Rondo because I think that he is that crucial for the Celtics to have a chance at winning the Series. The Lakers came out and played with more intensity as a whole and dominated the paint. Kobe was aggressive from the beginning and Ray Allen's foul trouble also hurt the Celtics on the offensive end.

Answered Question

Ron Artest beat Rasheed Wallace in drawing the first technical of the series when he got tangled up with Paul Pierce during the first minute of the game. However, Artest played Game 1 under control and scored 15 points with 0 turnovers. You always know that Artest is going to play tough defense, so it is a bonus when he doesn't force the ball and give you an efficient offensive effort. Rasheed hit a few shots (including the Celtics only three pointer) in his 18 minutes of play, but he also picked up a cheap technical by running his mouth in the third quarter. Neither one had a full-scale blow up, but Rasheed appeared to be on the brink.

Final Thought

The Lakers came out and won Game 1 on the defensive end of the court. They controlled every aspect of the game and the Celtics merely reacted to the Lakers actions. If the Lakers can come out and control the Celtics on the defensive end again (not allowing second chance points, controlling the boards, limiting three pointers) then they will win the game. Rajon Rondo will need to come out attacking for the Celtics to have a chance. When he consistently attacks the defense, regardless of who is guarding him, good things will begin to happen. 

NBA Finals Preview

“When the new schedule would come out each year, I'd grab it and circle the Boston games. To me, it was The Two and the other 80.”

--Magic Johnson
 
Here we are. I've been away from my computer for the last week as Boston closed out Orlando and the Lakers took care of business against the Suns. Both series provided some exciting games, but the inevitable Boston-LA series is now upon us. 
 
Let's start by looking at some of the individual match ups:
 
Rajon Rondo vs. Derek Fisher
 
This is the position that I believe has the greatest variance in skill levels. In order for Boston to beat LA, Rondo will need to expose the advantages that he has on Fisher. If he attacks Fisher with his quickness, Rondo should be able to score and open up the floor with ease.
 
Ray Allen vs. Kobe Bryant
 
The difference here is not nearly as great as people think. Allen is an underrated defender and does a good job chasing Bryant and contesting his shots. He also forces Kobe to play defense and will make him pay when he leaves Allen open.
 
Paul Pierce vs. Ron Artest
 
Great match up. Two players who aren't afraid to play physical. It won't be pretty, but I think that this is one of the most important match ups in the series. In 2008, the Lakers didn't have Artest and Pierce was the Finals MVP. If Pierce can find a way to get it done against Artest, I think that the Celtics have a great chance to win the series.
 
Kevin Garnett vs. Pau Gasol

KG looked like he had fresh legs against the Cavs and at the beginning of the Orlando series.  However, he seemed to labor against Orlando in the last few games. I think that the Finals being stretched out over 2 weeks (potentially) should help. Gasol is one of the most underrated players in the league and this series will be his chance to prove it. He was bullied around in the 2008 Finals, so we will see if he can continue his outstanding play from the 2010 Playoffs into the Finals.
 
Kendrick Perkins vs. Andrew Bynum
 
This will be a heavyweight battle with a lot of body punches being delivered. Neither of these players will be an offensive focus for their teams, but they both contribute heavily on the boards and defensive end of the court. 

Lakers Advantages

-First of all, LA has home court advantage. They have been great at home in the playoffs this year and the Celtics will have to win Game 1 or 2 to have a chance in this series.

-Kendrick Perkins is one technical foul away from a one game suspension. The Celtics want to be physical with the Lakers, so this will be tough on Perkins to be "physical" without getting baited into a technical.

-Kobe has been on a tear. Even though his last series was against the Suns (not known for their defense), he shot the ball very well. He will be tough to stop if he continues to shoot the 3 as well as he did against Phoenix.

Celtics Advantages

-Rajon Rondo. If Fisher guards Rondo, Rondo will (or at least should) run him in circles. If Kobe guards Rondo (a possibility) then Fisher will be on Ray Allen who can shoot over him at anytime. I just feel like the Lakers don't have an answer to Rondo. The Celtics will need to exploit this in order to beat LA. 

-Tom Thibodeau is the best defensive coach in the business. The Celtics have multiple defenders to throw at Kobe and he will use Ray Allen, Tony Allen, and Paul Pierce to keep Kobe off balance. Don't expect to see any zone defenses that allow Kobe to get in rhythm as easily as he did against Phoenix.

-The Celtics have multiple guys who can take "the shot." Paul Pierce is a great option in clutch situations, Rajon Rondo may have the best match up advantage, and there isn't a player in the league who I would rather have shooting a jumper in the clutch than Ray Allen. If the Lakers need a bucket, it will be "clear out and try to rebound the Kobe shot attempt." Of course, that play did work against OKC and PHX when Kobe missed shots in the clutch that were then put in by Pau Gasol and Ron Artest.

Things to Look For

-Which players will unexpectedly step up?  Nate Robinson provided a huge spark in Game 6 against Orlando.  Will he be able to continue to provide that spark against LA? Remember how Leon Powe stepped up in the 2008 Finals out of nowhere?  Will someone like Jordan Farmar do the same thing for LA? 

-Who will boo Sasha Vujacic first?  Lakers fans or Celtics fans? 

-Will Rasheed Wallace or Ron Artest explode first? 

The only way to find out what is going to happen in this series is to watch the games. One of the great things about sports is that no one really knows what will happen until the game is played. As my Dad used to tell me, "I can tell you what the score of that game will be before it even starts!" To which I would respond, "ok, what will it be?"  The answer, "0-0."

That's about the only thing we can really be certain of in this series; we will have to watch the games to find out the rest. 

Schedule

Here is the schedule for the week. All games will be shown on ABC.
 
Game 1: Thursday, June 3 at 8PM (CT)
Game 2: Sunday, June 6 at 7 PM (CT)
Game 3: Tuesday, June 8 at 8 PM (CT)
Game 4: Thursday, June 10 at 8 PM (CT)
Game 5: Sunday, June 13 at 7 PM (CT)
Game 6: Tuesday, June 15 at 8 PM (CT)
Game 7: Thursday, June 17 at 8 PM (CT)