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Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

15 Wednesday May 2013

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L.A. Pride is a true sports enthusiast.  A former youth, and division II assistant basketball coach, who studied the martial arts, he enjoys and follows all sports, even hockey.  His quick wit and insight brings a fresh view to the world of sports. You may not always agree with him, but you will enjoy his highly opinionated thoughts.

Is it me…

Or are the playoffs the time for teams to show their true grit?  The playoffs are in full bloom for the National Hockey League and the National Basketball Association, and they are pretty exciting.

Hockey, coming off a locked-out shortened season, showcased two first round game sevens, winner take all Monday night.  Game one featured the New York Rangers versus the Washington Capitals, with Alex Ovechkin, the great 8.  Ranger goalie H. Lundqvist “pitched” a shutout and defeated the favorite Capitals 5-0.  Ovechkin, who is reportedly a star in the league, had a miserable playoff and did nothing in the later games against the Rangers, we must really question his superstar status.  You make your name in the regular season, and your fame in the playoffs, Ovechkin is just a name on a jersey.  Whereas, Lundqvist has proven to be a real star for the Rangers.

Game 2 featured the Boston Bruins versus the Toronto Maple Leafs, two of the original six NHL teams.  The Bruins spotted the Maple Leafs a three goal lead and had to rally from behind to defeat them 5-4 in an overtime thriller.  This was a feel good win for the city of Boston, and much deserved.  Boston is the first team to rally in a game seven from three goals behind.  A real team effort by the Bruins.

The Bruins must now face the Rangers in round two.  The Rangers are also an original six team and it doesn’t get any better for the purist,  Boston versus New York.

The undermanned Chicago Bulls, NBA, are discovering just how good the Heat really is.  The Bulls trail the Heat 3-1 in the series and face almost certain elimination this week.  Chicago has tried to manhandle Miami, but LeBron has showed that he is the man and has answered every challenge.  (I am not a big fan of James, but he is the best out there and deserved the MVP award.)

Who has not answered the challenge is Derrick Rose, of the Bulls!  Derrick is still milking his ACL injury and has not played this year.  Well the year is about to end soon for the Bulls, and Derrick’s inactivity Derrick has a lot to do with the Bulls departure.  Shame on him, nearly every one of his teammates is playing hurt or tired.

The Grizzlies, out in the west hold a 3-1 lead over the Thunder.  Kevin Durant, of the Thunder, has stepped up and played his heart out,  but he needs help.  The Thunder who were favorite, really miss Westbrook (knee injury) and face elimination.

The Knicks are down 3-1 and bickering amongst themselves.  Not a good sign for a team fighting to survive.  The Pacers are too big for the Knicks.  Spike Lee offered a Pacer fan $40,000 for courtside seats, the fan turned him down.  Does he know the game is on television?

My surprise team is the Golden State Warriors who are tied with the Spurs , 2-2, going into last night’s game.  The Warriors are young, and are coached by a first year coach, Mark Jackson.  There is no way the Warriors should be competing with San Antonio…but that is why we play the games.

You gotta love the playoffs.

Is it me…

Or is all right with the universe again?

Tiger, Serena and Floyd all won recently, despite questions about their careers.  Can you give the full name and sport of the aforementioned athletes?

.NFL teams continue to adjust and shape their rosters;

A list of current NFL transactions can be found at


http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/transactions/

  Please follow this link for the latest information on your NBA team

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nba/?eref=sinav&sct=hp_nv_a:

Edited by D. Pride.

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Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

08 Wednesday May 2013

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L.A. Pride is a true sports enthusiast.  A former youth, and division II assistant basketball coach, who studied the martial arts, he enjoys and follows all sports, even hockey.  His quick wit and insight brings a fresh view to the world of sports. You may not always agree with him, but you will enjoy his highly opinionated thoughts.

Is it me…

Or did the Chicago Bulls not read the script?  The Chicago Bulls, NBA, are peaking at just the right time with a stripped down roster.  The Bulls defeated, the favorite, Brooklyn Nets in the seventh game of the first round of playoffs.  This win set up a second round series against the defending, and highly favored champions, the Miami Heat, featuring league MVP LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh.  The Bulls are playing without Derrick Rose, who has been out the entire year, a torn ACL, Luol Deng, a negative reaction to a spinal tap procedure, and Kirk Hinrich, a calf injury.  The starting backcourt is Nate Robinson and Marco Belinelli, not exactly a duo that strikes fear in the opposing team.   But guess what, the Bulls won game 1 in Miami, upsetting the Heat and taking away home court advantage.   Nate Robinson, who was signed to be the third string point guard has put Chicago on his back and carried the team.  He has played with a reckless abandon that defies his statue.  At 5’ 9” Nate is playing over his head and has risen to the challenge.

There have been rumblings regarding Rose, and when he will return to the team.  Rose, who injured his knee a year ago, has been cleared medically to play and has worked out with the team, but has not yet played in a game, much to the disdain of the Chicago fans.  They look at other players playing with injuries, e.g., Joakim Noah who can barely walk on his injured foot, yet he is out there giving it his all.  Rose appears to have a mental block when it comes to getting back on the court.  How much longer can the Bulls survive without Rose, Hinrich, and Deng remains to be seen, but for now they are doing it. The ghost of Michael Jordan lives on in Chicago!  We are predicting a major upset, Bulls in six.   Not only did the Bulls stop Miami’s streak, they will kick them out of the playoffs.

The Knicks, the other eastern conference favorite, defeated the Boston Celtics to move into the second round, against the Indiana Pacers.  Well the Knicks, quickly showed their true colors and lost game 1 of the second round.  The Pacers are a younger quicker version of the Celtics and have the tools to give the Knicks a very difficult time.  They are bigger than New York, they hustle, and they play solid tough defense.  It doesn’t help that Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith have lost their shooting touches.  It won’t be such a mellow round for the Knicks unless Carmelo gets it together soon.  (The Knicks hosted the Pacers last night.  The game ended after we went to press.)   Pacers have too much muscle and height for the Knicks.   Pacers in five.

Out west the OKC Thunder are playing the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round.  The Grizzlies are hungry but are about to be hit by lightning and thunder.  With or without Westbrook (knee injury) the Thunder, with Kevin Durant, should have enough for the Grizzlies.

The San Antonio Spurs are hosting the Golden State Warriors, who surprised the Denver Nuggets and took the gold in the first round.  The Warriors are another team that hasn’t read the memo and are playing over their heads.  Mark Jackson the first year coach of the Warriors is doing it with bells and whistles as he leads this overachieving team through the playoffs.  Unfortunately he can’t un-ring the victory bell the Spurs have been ringing all season.  Spurs are leading in the series.

Please follow this link for the latest information on the playoffs:


http://nba.com

Is it me…

Or did P.J. Carlesimo never have a shot at the Nets coaching job?  P.J took over early in the season and did a pretty good job as the head coach.  But people are saying his first round exit in the playoffs sealed his fate.  NO WAY!  P.J. didn’t have a ring or the bling to get the job.  Carlesimo is a meat and potatoes guy.  The Nets are looking for a big named coach that brings a lot of glitter and shine with him.   You figure it out.

Is it me…

Or is Jason Collins seeking a book deal so quickly tarnishing his image?   Collins, an NBA player, who announced last week that he is gay, is seeking a book deal to tell his story.  It appears that he is striking while the iron is hot and he still has his 15 minutes of fame.

Edited by D. Pride.

Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

20 Wednesday Mar 2013

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L.A. Pride is a true sports enthusiast.  A former youth, and division II assistant basketball coach, who studied the martial arts, he enjoys and follows all sports, even hockey.  His quick wit and insight brings a fresh view to the world of sports. You may not always agree with him, but you will enjoy his highly opinionated thoughts.

Is it me…

Or is the Miami Heat on fire? As of Tuesday they have won 23 straight games, capped off with a thriller in Boston against the Celtics, Monday night.  LeBron, as usual, was superb, and had a hand in assisting, or scoring over 60 of the Heat’s points, including the dunk of the year over Jason Terry.  Is there any doubt who the league’s MVP is?

The Heat is now chasing the 71-72 Laker’s consecutive game streak of 33, having already clinched their division.  The record should keep them interested in the remainder of the regular season and send them into the playoffs feeling good about things.  (The Lakers won the championship the year they set the consecutive wins record. A little ‘extra’ to shoot for.)

We can also talk about another team streaking right now. The Denver Nuggets won their 12th game in a row with a controversial finish over the Chicago Bulls, Monday night. Kosta Koufos got away with a basket interference, but Joakim Noah’s offensive goal tend was reviewed and called correctly. Why is everybody so confused about what happened? And should the NBA just accept human error and abolish the replay system?


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/teams/?eref=sinav

Is it me…

Or is it déjà vu all over again?  The NCAA has selected its teams for March Madness and surprisingly the top four seeds on the women’s side are the exact same as last year, i.e.,  Baylor, Notre Dame, Connecticut, and Stanford.  Remarkable consistency, and it goes to show what can happen if your players stay for four years.  Baylor is the favorite on the women’s side and is quite confident.  When asked who might pose the biggest threat to their ability to repeat, Britteny Griner , the all-american center, stated , ‘the Miami Heat’.

On the men’s side, the top four are Louisville, Gonzaga, Indiana, and Kansas.  The usual suspects , with the exception of Gonzaga.  Gonzaga, is defined as a mid-major but has been competitive with the big boys for years. Maybe it is time to redefine mid-major and give some credit to the smaller programs for jobs well done.

In theory, and on paper, these top seeds should be your respective final four, but we don’t play the games on paper, we play them on ‘wood’.  So anything can happen and usually does.  Let the games begin.  March Madness has arrived!!!!!!

You can follow this link to get additional info on each of the 68 men’s team:


http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/21900205/from-1-68-ranking-the-ncaa-field

The NIT (‘The Not Invited Tournament’) has made its selections.   As usual they get the teams that didn’t get a call from the NCAA.  This year they did get a surprise, Kentucky, a big time program and defending NCAA champion, didn’t make the ‘Big Dance’ and accepted an invite to the NIT.   You’re only as good as your last win.

Many years ago the NIT was the tournament to play in.  It was the more prestigious, and the rules allowed you to play in both .  In 1950 CCNY won both tournaments and was the only school to do so.  However, this was overshadowed the next year by a gambling scandal involving several City College players.  This led to the downsizing of the program and damaged college basketball, in general.


http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/rankings

Edited by D. Pride.

Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

20 Wednesday Feb 2013

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L.A. Pride is a true sports enthusiast.  A former youth, and division II assistant basketball coach, who studied the martial arts, he enjoys and follows all sports, even hockey.  His quick wit and insight brings a fresh view to the world of sports. You may not always agree with him, but you will enjoy his highly opinionated thoughts.

 

Is it me…

Or do athletes need to think before they speak?  Kevin Youkillis, the NY Yankees third baseman was quoted as saying his heart will always be in Boston.  Well, that is were his butt belongs except they traded him last year.

Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls guard, said he was prepared to sit out this entire season rather than return too soon.  Derrick, the Bulls have been extremely cooperative as you take your sweet time getting back. You need to man up and get back with the team.

 

Is it me…

Or was Evander Holyfield living dangerously this weekend?  Evander was in Chicago promoting his barbeque sauce when Mike Tyson showed up with knife and fork in hand and was staring at Holyfield’s ear.  With or without sauce Mike? Ouch!!!!!!

Is it me…

Or is it time to dunk the Slam Dunk contest at the NBA all-Star weekend?   The contest draws no big names, the dunks are repetitive, and using spectators as props is dangerous.

In the ‘old’ days the stars of the NBA would participate in the dunk contest and that would add some excitement to the event.  Nowadays you don’t know who the competitors are (name this years winner).  They take forever to complete the dunk, with more misses than makes, and the dunks look so similar.  Lastly, jumping over people can be dangerous as the dunkers are prone to miss the first couple of times.  Just what the league needs a kid getting kicked in the face with a size thirteen Jordan.

It is time to put the contest down for a couple of years and let the public and players miss it.  Hopefully it will rebound.

NBA teams are adjusting their rosters.  Please follow this link for the latest information on your team:


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/teams/?eref=sinav

Trade deadline is approaching, will Dwight be a Laker at the end of the week?  Who will be in Boston next week?

Is it me…

Or is Danica Patrick in a no-win situation?  Patrick had the fastest qualifying time this weekend and won NASCAR’s Daytona ‘s 500-pole position (the top spot).  The first women racecar driver to do so, qualifying at over 196 miles per hour.

The downside is that the pole winner rarely wins this race.  And Danica admits it would be a minor miracle for her to win the biggest race in NASCAR.  She is going to be criticized heavily if she doesn’t win because the pole position makes her the favorite, in theory, and an easy target.  Unfortunately, as much as the other drivers claim she is just another driver, they don’t treat her that way.  No one is willing to work with her on the track, and let her draft, or use some of the other techniques necessary to be competitive.  She still has to convince the other drivers that she is worthy and this is risky because if she wrecks the car in practice she moves to the back in a replacement car.  She can’t win. They act as if she’s a woman driver!!!!!

Is it me…

Or has Indiana University survived the #1 jinx in men’s college basketball?  Indiana remains the #1 team, surviving the week/weekend without a defeat.

(They beat instate rival Purdue easily).  Indiana did lose its best defender, Victor Oladipo, due to an ankle injury.  He remains a day-to-day decision, until the next big game.    (IU played Michigan State, the number 4 team, last night after we went to press.  I bet he played.)

The Big Ten conference appears to be the hot basketball conference, right now.  Several of the top ranked teams are from the Big Ten, e.g. Indiana, Michigan State, and Michigan.  And we thought they only played football in that conference.

University of Miami moved into second place, replacing Duke who lost to Maryland, a non-ranked team.  March Madness is starting already with all the upsets.  The current rankings can be found at the following link:


http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/rankings

It has been a while since the women’s team at Baylor University faced a challenge.  They passed one Monday night defeating UConn in Connecticut.  Brittney Griner led a second half charge to overtake UConn and win a close game 76-70.  Baylor maintains its number 1 ranking in the polls.  Additionally, Griner reached the 3000-point mark for her college career.  Congrats Britney.

Is it me…

Or is it with deep regret we note the passing of Dr. Jerry Buss, the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers.  He was 80 years old.

 

Buss had been in the intensive care unit at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center with cancer, according to a report last week from the Los Angeles Times, and he had been visited before All-Star Weekend by several current and former Lakers players, including Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson.

A former aerospace engineer and real-estate developer, Buss has been a prominent name in American sports since he bought the Lakers, the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, The Forum arena in Inglewood, Calif., and a 13,000-acre Southern California ranch from Jack Kent Cooke in 1979 for $67 million.

Buss, a self-styled playboy, immediately transformed the Lakers into the NBA’s most glamorous franchise, winning 10 NBA championships under his watch.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Edited by D. Pride.

Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

16 Wednesday May 2012

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L.A. Pride is a true sports enthusiast.  A former youth, and division II assistant basketball coach, who studied the martial arts, he enjoys and follows all sports, even hockey.  His quick wit and insight brings a fresh view to the world of sports. You may not always agree with him, but you will enjoy his highly opinionated thoughts.

QUICK THOUGHTS

Is it me …

Or is Tiger Woods spending more time explaining his poor play rather than practicing to fix it?  He finished tied for 40th place in his last tournament.  Should he change his first name to ‘Kitten’?

Or is Allen Iverson planning a major comeback in the Chinese professional league?  How do you say, “ I can’t make practice” in Chinese?

Or was World Peace (Ron Artest) too much for the Denver Nuggets?  Not only did World Peace play shut down defense he scored and helped the Lakers win a seventh game and advance to the second round.

Or if Kobe is going to win a sixth ring it will be because of World Peace?

Or did the Chicago Bulls suffer the injury bug at the worse possible time? Chicago’s Rose, Deng, and Noah were injured during the playoffs and were unable to play in several different games. (Philadelphia, the bottom seed, defeated the Bulls, the top seed.)

Or is Josh Hamilton playing great baseball for the Texas Rangers? Hamilton has some serious personal issues and addresses them each day; playing baseball is not one of them.

Or were the Jets smart in training down a spot on Hard Knocks?  An inside look at the Jets would be a disaster at this time given the turmoil from last season, and the controversy that is sure to develop between Tebow and Sanchez (Quarterbacks).

Or are the NY Rangers the cardiac kids?  They advanced in the National Hockey League playoffs by winning another seventh game.  Additionally it was, once again, a one-goal win.

Or do the NY Rangers get E-Z Pass credit instead of meal money when they play the NJ Devils in Newark? They are not really traveling to an away game.  Then again hockey players have no teeth, why do they need meal money?

Or do we want to look at the NBA playoffs?

Western Conference

L.A. Clippers vs. San Antonio Spurs*

L.A. Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder  -Thunder lead the series 1-0 after a stunning beat down on the Lakers.

Imagine if the L.A. teams win, it puts a new meaning to the phrase, home and home series.  (They play in the same arena.)

Eastern Conference

Philadelphia 76’ers vs. Boston Celtics – Series tied at 1-1.   Philadelphia managed to get one in Boston.  Pierce played poorly in the loss to Philly.

Indianapolis Pacers vs. Miami Heat * Miami leads series 1-0,  but may have lost Bosh for the series with an abdominal strain.

* Played Tuesday night after we went to press.

The NBA Playoff picture; Follow this link to the match-ups:


http://www.nba.com/playoffs/2012/series/index.html

 Or do we want to look at adjustments by NFL teams?

NFL teams continue to adjust and shape their rosters;

A list of current NFL transactions can be found at:


http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/transactions/

Or did the NY Knicks overdo it by releasing streamers for winning ONE playoff game against the Miami Heat?

Or is mixed martial arts just a street fight with someone already there, the ref, to break it up?

Or would the NY Knicks have sill lost to Miami if they had brought back Jeremy Lin for the series?

Or can someone tell me on what channel they show the NHL playoff games?

Or is Serena Williams rounding back into shape?  Serena won her 41st title, the Madrid Open and looks ready.

Or will World Peace, Lakers, get thrown out of the playoffs again for unnecessary roughness?

Or did the condensed NBA season lead to additional injuries during the NBA playoffs?

Or did the world exhale after Albert Pujols hit  his first home run as an Angel?

Or does Floyd Mayweather need investment counseling?  Floyd bought his fiancee two pairs of shoes for $11,000, and he lost an $80,00 betting slip.  He spends money like a banker, as if it is not his.

Edited by D. Pride.

Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

01 Wednesday Feb 2012

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L.A. Pride is a true sports enthusiast.  A former youth, and division II assistant basketball coach, who studied the martial arts, he enjoys and follows all sports, even hockey.  His quick wit and insight brings a fresh view to the world of sports. You may not always agree with him, but you will enjoy his highly opinionated thoughts.

Is it me …

Or was LeBron sending a message to the rest of the league Sunday?  In a hard fought match, on national television, the Miami Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls, 97-93.  James, of the Heat, scored 35 points and watched reigning MVP Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls, miss two  critical free throws and a jump shot in the closing seconds of the game.  It was a game Miami led throughout, but they could never relax as the Bulls were always there.

James was nothing short of spectacular hitting big shot after big shot, including an alley oop in which he literally jumped over 5’11” John Lucas for a dunk.

 

This game had a playoff atmosphere and feel to it.  I can only hope that they meet in the playoffs and show the same intensity.

 Carlos Boozer, of the Bulls, lives in Miami during the offseason.  Apparently, his son really likes Miami and was caught cheering for the Heat during the game.

Dwight Howard, the Orlando Magic, has added Chicago, as an acceptable place for his trade demand.  It appears as things get worse in ‘Magic Land” Dwight is opening up the net and looking to catch any willing fish in his desire to leave.

 Someone please call the state department.  J.R. Smith’s (formerly of the Denver Nuggets) sister got into another fight in China as her brother was playing basketball.  She has single handedly set back U.S – China relationship twenty years.  Please bring her home before the Chinese role out the tanks.

It appears that Blake Griffin, of the L.A. Clippers, has posterized Kendrick Perkins, of the Oklahoma City Thunder, with a tremendous dunk.


http://eye-on-basketball.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22748484/34636482

That’s one way to make the top ten plays Kendrick.

 Who’s streakin’

Philadelphia

Chicago

Miami

Atlanta

Oklahoma City

Denver

Clippers

Dallas

Houston

Who’s creakin’

New York

Detroit

Washington

Charlotte

Phoenix

Sacramento

New Orleans

New Jersey

Latest NBA power ratings:


http://www.nba.com/powerrankings/

NBA teams continue to adjust and shape their rosters;

A list of current NBA transactions can be found at:


http://www.nba.com/news/transactions/2011_12/

Is it me…

Or is there no good reason to play the Pro Bowl?  NO ONE watches the NFL’s all-star game.  NO ONE cares who wins or who participated.  It is a non factor!!!!  How many people knew that it was played this past weekend?  I rest my case.  Let’s just get on with the Super Bowl, you know the game with the cute multi-million dollar commercials.

We’re picking the Giants in the Super Bowl.  You just have to choose Cruz, and the boys from New Jersey.  They are healthy, playing well and are too strong defensively for New England.  Giants 24-Patriots 17.

Because the Super Bowl is in Indianapolis, and Eli Manning is playing, the press feels it is fair game to bring up Peyton Manning as often as they like.  Not!!!!!!!!! Peyton is not the story this week and should be left off the back page.  Let the people who earned their 15 minutes of fame have it.

NFL teams continue to adjust and shape their rosters;

A list of current NFL transactions can be found at:

 
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/transactions/

Is it me…

Or is Murray State still a pretender in Men’s college basketball? The undefeated Murray State Racers don’t have a win over a currently ranked team, but their victories over Southern Miss (neutral) and Memphis (away) have grown more impressive over the past couple of weeks considering USM and Memphis are now tied atop the C-USA standings.

Kentucky is ranked number one and has been most impressive.  Coach Calipari has reluctantly admitted that his Kentucky Wildcats are playing well and are capable of beating anyone right now, after a 24 point whipping of LSU.  We’ll see!!!!!!!!!!

The latest rankings are as follows:


http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/rankings/top25

 Is it me…

Or was Phil Davis simply outclassed by Evans?

 Rashad Evans out-slugged Phil Davis for 25 minutes to win a unanimous decision in the main event of Saturday night’s MMA bout.

With the win, Evans will earn a UFC light heavyweight title shot against Jon Jones, and Evans said afterward that he is uninjured and will be ready for that fight in April.

The fight wasn’t the kind of barn-burner that the UFC was hoping for, and many in the crowd at the United Center booed the very slow pace tactical bout, as it ended. But it was the win Evans needed to get another crack at the title. All three judges gave the bout unanimously to Evans.

 UFC is beginning to look more and more like bad boxing with some rolling around allowed.  They are going to have to find a way to encourage more martial arts in these bouts or they will see more of these types of fights, great for the really informed, but boring to the masses.  However, as long as there is a chance for blood to spill, there’s an audience. Fans can be very primitive at times.

 Is it me…

Or would I be remiss if I did not mention the honor bestowed on (Paterson ) Eastside’s boys’ basketball team for the county tournament?  The Eastside Ghosts coming off a win against arch rival, Kennedy, were seeded number one in the upcoming Passaic county tournament.  Go Ghosts!  We wish you well.

Is it me…

Or did Tiger put it best, “it’s about winning?”  Tiger Woods finished tied for third in Abu Dhabi this past weekend.  Many have proclaimed this a  giant step in the right direction, with noted improvement;  he didn’t win.  And Tiger is about winning, and winning only.  So, until he wins a prestigious tournament, he is slumping.  No flowers for third place..

 

Edited by D. Pride.

Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

07 Wednesday Dec 2011

Posted by in Uncategorized

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L.A. Pride is a true sports enthusiast.  A former youth, and division II assistant basketball coach, who studied the martial arts, he enjoys and follows all sports, even hockey.  His quick wit and insight brings a fresh view to the world of sports. You may not always agree with him, but you will enjoy his highly opinionated thoughts.

Is it me …

Or can we all breathe a sigh of relief?  Tiger Woods won his first tournament in two years.   Life as we know it can now move on and all is right in the world .  Tiger who was one stroke behind with two holds left to play made  a “Tigeresque” comeback and captured his 83rd title worldwide, the Chevron World Challenge.  Yes, we know, it was against a small select field, but he did win.

 

The win moved him from No. 52 to No. 21 in the world ranking, and likely will send expectations soaring for 2012. Woods will not play again until starting his year in Abu Dhabi at the end of January.

Asked if the emotion was joyous, satisfying or simply relief, Woods smiled and said, “It just feels awesome whatever it is.”

 Congrats to Tiger.  We wish him continued success and hope his troubles are behind him.

Is it me…

Or did the NY Giants make a 180 degree turn this week?  The Giants were blown out by the Saints last week and appeared to quit during the game.   It was a devastating lost, with the undefeated Green Bay Packers coming to town.  The Packers left NY undefeated, but the Giants played the champions to a standstill right up to the last minute of the game.  The Packers drove the length of the field and kicked the game winning field goal.  If ever there is an opportunity to gain something from a loss the Giants will do so.  They showed the world they have some pride and were willing to go down fighting.

 The Giants are still in the hunt because the Dallas Cowboys* lost to the Arizona Cardinals.  The Giants and Cowboys have yet to play this season.  Therefore, all things being equal, the Giants could sweep the Cowboys and win the NFC east.

 * Bonehead play of the SEASON; Cowboy Coach Garrett “iced” his own kicker in a 13-13 game with 7 seconds left.  The Cowboys thought they had won the game on a 49 yard field goal only to learn that their coached had called time out prior to the kick..  Needless to say the  Cowboys missed the second attempt and the Cardinals went on to win the game.  Garrett deserves the Medal of Honor if he got on the team plane with Cowboy’s owner Jerry Jones, who had the look of death in his eyes after the missed field goal.

The Packers and 49ers have clinched playoff spots, which make for an interesting dilemma.  Do you continue to keep pushing  and play hard or do you take your foot off the gas and cruise?

Tebow and the Denver Broncos won again.  Tebow still has the worst mechanics in the NFL, but he knows how to win, 6-1 since starting this year.  You are what your numbers say you are and Tebow is a winner.

 Cam Newton insists his success isn’t coming easily. All he’s doing is whatever he can to help the Carolina Panthers win.  On Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, that was just about everything.

Newton, a rookie, ran for three more touchdowns to set the NFL single-season record for TDs rushing by a quarterback, pacing a 38-19 rout of the struggling Buccaneers with a dominating performance that revealed something else he’s capable of doing: catching passes.

The 2010 Heisman Trophy winner scored the 11th, 12th and 13th TDs of his career on a trio of 1-yard runs. He also had his first reception as a pro to set up a first-quarter TD, then threw a 19-yard TD pass to finish one of Carolina’s three scoring drives.

 NFL teams continue to adjust and shape their rosters;

A list of current NFL transactions can be found at:

 
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/transactions/

Is it me…

Or has the NBA decided to come out “shooting”?  The NBA has put together a great opening day package.  The Christmas games are:

 Boston Celtics versus  New York Knicks   (traditional rivals, who hate each other.)

Chicago Bulls versus L.A. Lakers (new rivalry, the young upstart team versus the old established team, could be the passing of the torch from Kobe Bryant to Derrick Rose.)

Miami Heat versus Dallas Mavericks  ( The Mavericks will probably receive their championship rings before the game;  one more dig at LeBron and the Heat, the team they beat to win the championship.)

A great lineup of games, with story lines that run throughout.  It won’t make up for the cancelled games or late start, but it does start the season with some heavyweight matchups.

Chris Paul has been mentioned in a trade with every team in the NBA.  The New Orleans franchise, which  is owned by the league, needs to come to closure on Paul, if  they are to attract new ownership.

The problem with free agency for superstars is that a player in the final year of a contract becomes a distraction.  The team wants to sign him to an extension, but the player wants to test the market.   This makes the team nervous because it may lose the player and get nothing in return at the end of  the season, forcing the team to try and trade the player now in order to obtain something . This is where we are with Chris Paul ( and Dwight Howard).

 

Is it me …

 Or is it obvious that  Antonio Margarito can only win with loaded hand wraps?

  Miguel Cotto won a 10th round  TKO victory over Antonio Margarito in their much anticipated rematch.  Margarito who won the first fight but was accused of using doctored hand wraps in that fight was unable to hurt or stop Cotto this time.  It was a very lopsided fight with Cotto dominating and landing the better shots.  Margarito’s eye was badly bruised in the fight, and for several rounds he fought with vision in only one eye.  The medical personnel at Madison Square Garden saw enough after nine rounds and ordered the referee to halt the fight.

Margarito who was defiant till the end claimed he was never hurt and could have continued, his eye and face begged to differ.  Margarito has not beaten a serious opponent since his hand wraps were exposed in the Mosely fight.  Maybe the first Cotto/Margarito fight should be reviewed and declared a no contest?  In fairness to Miguel Cotto, he does not deserve a loss if doctored wraps were used.

Is it me…

Or is the BCS worst nightmare going to happen?  A rematch of a regular season game for the college football championship.  LSU and Alabama will play AGAIN, this time for all the marbles.  LSU won the first game 9-6, a defensive struggle that put the country to sleep, why will it be any different this time?  Do I hear Playoff????????  BCS people take a look at the way college Basketball runs their tournament; you can do the same thing with the top eight teams.  And if there is a rematch, at least both teams played the best teams to get there at the end of the season.  Oklahoma State and Boise State have a right to be upset.

 Is it me…

 Or is that an Ivy League school listed in the top 25 men’s college basketball poll?   Harvard is the first Ivy League school to be ranked since Princeton cracked the top 10 late in the 1997-98 season. The only other Ivy League school to be ranked since 1970 was Penn, which was last in the poll in January 1995. Brown is now the only Ivy League school not to make the poll.

Harvard’s stay among the basketball elite might not last long — they play at No. 9 Connecticut on Thursday.

Edited by D. Pride.

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