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Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

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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 coaching overrated?  The argument can be made that players play and coaches coach-and it is the players playing that affects the outcome of games.  How many coaches have hit that walk-off home run, or made that winning basket, or caught that winning touchdown pass? None!!!!!  Yes, I know coaches usually call the play, and either directly or indirectly take credit for the execution of  a successful play, but the truth be told players do what they want on the floor.  Many times the play the coach called or diagrammed doesn’t even closely resemble what was run.  Is it the athleticism of the players, or a bad defensive play, or just dumb luck that allows the play to succeed.  Coach Z calls play ABC, the players hear play LMN, and they run XYZ.  It happens all the time.

The NBA is in the middle of their semifinal playoffs and the only big name coach still around is Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs.  The other three coaches are as far from household names as you can get, Vogel- Indiana Pacers, Spoelstra- Miami Heat, and Hollins- Memphis Grizzles.  NBA coach of the George Karl, Denver Nuggets, went out in the first round!  Vinnie Del Negro was fired from his position as coach of the L.A. Clippers, NBA  All he did this year was win his division.  But he lost in the first round of the playoffs and the players grumbled.  So much for great coaching!

All of the above said, Joe Girardi, manager of the New York Yankees, major league baseball, probably respectfully disagrees with me.  As of Tuesday the Yankees were in first place, No big deal you say, because the Yankees are usually in first place. But this year they have played most, if not all of the season, without Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Texiera, Curtis Granderson, and Kevin Youkillis.

Girardi seems to be the exception to the Coach is useless rule.  He has managed a bunch of no-name players, along with Robinson Cano and Mariano Rivera to first play.  He appears to be doing it effortlessly and has pulled all the right strings.  Say it ain’t so Joe-the coach is making a difference.

Regardless of which side you line up on, the truth is the coach/manager is hired to be fired.  When a coach signs a new contract the only thing missing in the new deal is the termination date.  Look at Donnie ‘Baseball’ Mattingly out in Los Angeles.  Don, a great Yankee player, and a knowledgeable baseball manager is in danger of losing his job because the Dodgers are under achieving and you can’t fire all of the players, so who do you let go in order to inspire the team-The Coach.  Is it fair-NO!  But you are only as good as your last win.

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/

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

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

Edited by D. Pride.

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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.

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

24 Wednesday Apr 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 NY Jets make a mistake trading Darrelle Revis?  The NY Jets, who won Super Bowl 3, and haven’t been back since, traded D. Revis their best player, and arguably the best cornerback in the league to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  The Jets received draft picks for this year and next.

Revis, who is rehabbing a torn ACL (knee) signed a non-guaranteed 96 million dollar contract with Tampa Bay.  It is a unique contract that requires Darrelle to play and perform.  The Jets appear to be in a rebuilding mode and have two early first round draft picks.  (The draft is upcoming but is void of any big time names.  Go ahead name the projected number one draft pick.)

The Jets who were not willing to pay Revis ‘the big bucks’ rolled the dice and gambled that they are going to be okay without Revis.  Rex Ryan head coach of the Jets, claims that they will still be a defensive team.  Hmmmm!  It remains to be seen.  With Revis the Jets could overload at different spots knowing that Revis would shut down his side of the field single handedly, like a man on a deserted island.  They will have to adjust their defensive schemes and they may not have the troops.  Revis’ island in NY has now become a tourist attraction with a lot of receivers making reservations.

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 are the Giants playing with fire by not signing Victor Cruz to a long-term contract?  Victor Cruz, wide receiver, NY Giants met with John Mara, owner of the NY Giants at a charity event Monday night.  Cruz was being honored for his community service work.

Cruz who is seeking a long-term deal currently has a one-year deal on the table worth 2.8 million dollars.  Given the current market value of wide receivers, Victor is being low-balled and deserves more for a longer period of time.

The public relation hit alone the Giants stand to take if Cruz gets away next year would be disastrous, not to mention what his absence would do to their offense (he can really play).

It makes you wonder if the NY football teams have a clue to what they are doing.

Is it me…

Or does the NBA playoff format have a hitch or two?  The NBA plays the best of seven in all rounds of the playoffs.  This really favors the better team because the more you play the greater the opportunity for the better team to succeed, thus making upsets rare.  If they really want to make it interesting play best of five in the opening round, giving the underdog a puncher’s chance.   If they get hot and steal a game, who knows…

The favorite has a disadvantage in that they only get one additional home game.  If it goes seven games, then the final game is played at the favorites home court.  However, if they lose a home game early in the process, they lose home court advantage.  In the NBA they play 82 games to get the home court and can lose it in one playoff game unfair.  It makes the regular season seem useless.  How about the underdog getting one home game in the best of five or two in the best of seven?  It would really put pressure on teams to do well during the season.  Unfortunately it would cost some owners money and we know what that means …

The NBA playoffs began last weekend and the favorites all held serve and won.   Round two started Monday, with the Brooklyn Nets losing the game and home court to Chicago.  The Clippers beat Memphis and went up two to nothing.  (Tuesday night games ended after we went to press.)

Congrats to the Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony on winning the scoring title, and J.R. Smith for winning the sixth man award.  Will Coach Woodson (Knicks) win the much-deserved Coach of the Year award?

Follow this link to the latest news in the NBA:

http://www.nba.com/

Is it me…

Or is Mike Tyson giving a knockout performance in his one man show about his life?  Iron Mike has been knocking them dead with his performance as he tours the country.  Break a leg Mike (not literally).

Edited by D. Pride.

Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

17 Wednesday Apr 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 Victor Cruz and Darrelle Revis each do the right thing?  Victor Cruz, wide receiver, New York Giants, was a no show at the Giants voluntary off-season camp.  Cruz, who does not have a contract, cannot be penalized for his absence because the camp is voluntary and he doesn’t have a contract.  Victor is a restricted free agent, meaning the Giants have the right to match any offers made to Cruz.  However, if they choose not to match an offer the Giants would receive a first round draft pick.  This could prove costly, thus making it difficult for Cruz to obtain a deal.  He does have a 2.879 million dollar tender offer from the Giants, but it is not the long-term deal he is seeking.

Darrelle Revis cornerback, New York Jets, who is coming off a major knee injury and has been listed as trade material, reported to the Jets camp as scheduled.  Revis, who is under contract, would have violated his contract, by not showing up, and stood to lose a million dollars in bonus money.  Revis would have preferred to stay in Arizona and rehab his leg while the trade issues take care of themselves.

These two New York football stars have responded differently to similar situations, one chose not to report to camp, and let his team know he deserves a long term deal, and the other reported to camp against his will, but wanted the team to know he will honor his deal and collect his money.

They are doing what is in their best interest.  Bravo to both as they take on their respective goliaths.

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 did the Lakers and Kobe catch a bad break?  Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, tore his Achilles tendon, and is out for six to nine months.  The Lakers who are fighting for the final playoff berth responded well to this devastating accident, by winning their first game without Kobe.    The Utah Jazz, who are also fighting for the final spot, have refused to lie down and are taking it too the wire.  They are in a win or go home situation.  They must win their final game and hope that the Houston Rockets, ‘blast off’ on the Lakers.

Follow this link to the current conference standings:

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/standings

Life is so unfair, and so are sports.  My favorite pro basketball teams are the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics.  Guess who play each other in the first round of the playoffs?  I was hoping they would meet later in the playoffs, but now one must go…early.  AHHHHHHHH!

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

Is it me…

Or was it a no brainer for the Phoenix Mercury?  The WNBA held their draft and the Phoenix franchise had the number one pick and selected …Britney Griner of Baylor.  Griner, who dominated, women’s college basketball was a consensus all-american and should do well as a pro.  However, she should ignore Mark Cuban and not even entertain the idea of playing with the boys.  Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, NBA, claims he would draft Britney to play in the NBA.  I hope he is joking because that is a sure way to get her hurt.  Griner is 6’8” and thin, the guys would muscle her right out of the game.  Britney, no offense, stay with the ladies.  That is why there is a WNBA, a pro league for WOMEN.

Is it me…

Or is it with deep regret we note the tragedy in Boston?   Three people were killed, including an eight-year-old boy,  and more than 170 injured by explosions near the finish of the Boston Marathon on Monday.  There were two separate explosions, believed  to be acts of terrorism that went off at approximately 3 p.m. several hours into the race.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.

Edited by D. Pride.

Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

10 Wednesday Apr 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 Darrelle Revis situation a perfect example of why the Jets are so bad?  The Jets have told injured cornerback Revis he must return to NY to participate in mandatory workouts and/or rehab.  Yet they are still trying to trade him.  Why not leave him alone until you trade him.  He’s doing his work on his own and appears to be making good progress.  But typical of the Jets, they have to make a mess of things.  If Revis refuses to show up to the mini camps, he will lose a 3 million dollar bonus.  The Jets have him by the purse strings, which hurt more than the short hairs.

This is sure to make Darrelle a happy camper.  NOT!

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 are we getting too excited, too soon over the New York Knicks.  Going into last night, the Knicks had won twelve straight games.  Yes, they are on a roll, and Carmelo Anthony is playing superbly, but they have won ONE playoff game in twelve YEARS.  It has been my experience that teams revert to character in the playoffs, which doesn’t bode well for the Knicks (or the Lakers’ opponent, if they make the playoffs).

Additionally, the Knicks are an older team, with nagging injuries to several players.  Amar’e Stoudimire is out, again, because of surgery on his ‘good’ knee.   Rasheed Wallace injured his foot and is probably out for the season.  Tyson Chandler,  Kurt Thomas, and Kenyon Martin are nursing nagging injuries.  As you will note, the Knicks are banged up and old, down on the blocks.  In the playoffs, the game slows down and you need an inside presence, which they are lacking.  Hmm!

Lastly, there is the lineup; how do you successfully mix the healthy players with those returning from injuries and not mess up team chemistry?

That roll the Knicks are on may turn down hill.

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

Is it me…

Or is Rutgers University a mess, athletically speaking?  By now, we have all seen the shocking, and abusive video of Mike Rice, former men’s head basketball coach at Rutgers.  How could the former A.D., not know what was going on.  Rice was a wild man during games, that should have been the first clue that something was not right.  Where there is smoke, there is fire.  Additionally, people talk, and whispers regarding his behavior were out there.  For the University to suspend him earlier in the season, and allow his return was criminal.

The President of Rutgers, who was aware of the video, but not did view it until it was made public, should resign, due to his lack of leadership.(His job is probably safe, because they hired him to oversee the merger of the university with the medical school of New Jersey, and the governor wants this to happen.)

The rest of the athletic department is now under the microscope.  Practice tapes will be reviewed, budgets audited, salaries looked at, etc.  It is going to be a true cleansing as the world watches.

Is it me…

Or is Rick Pitino having a good week?  Pitino the head coach of the University of Louisville Cardinals, men’s basketball team is having the type of run a gambler could only dream of.  He coached the basketball team to he NCAA championship, defeating the University of Michigan, 82-76 (two in a row for the state of Kentucky, University of Kentucky won last year).   Pitino is the first coach to win a NCAA championship with two different schools.  He had previously won a title at the University of Kentucky seventeen years ago.

Coach Pitino tied legendary coach John Wooden, UCLA, on the  wins list.

He was elected into the Basketball Hall of fame, along with Coach Tarkanian, of UNLV fame, Gary, the Glove Payton, Seattle Supersonics, and Bernard King, Knicks and Nets.

Pitino’s son was hired to coach the University of Minnesota’s men’s basketball team.

His racehorse, Goldencents, won the Santa Anita Derby, thus qualifying for the Kentucky Derby.

And he is getting a tattoo.  He promised his players he would get a tattoo if they won the national basketball championship.  Ouch!

Congrats Coach Pitino!!!!!!!!!!

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

Is it me…

Or was it touching to see the Fab Five in the stands together cheering for Michigan at the NCAA championship game?  The Fab Five who played for a championship twenty years ago in the infamous ‘time-out’ game showed up in Atlanta.  Yes Chris Webber was there to support Michigan and his former teammates.  Class act Chris , way to go.

The Louisville women played last night against Uconn for the women’s championship.  With luck. Louisville could be the center of  college basketball’s universe.  Go Cardinals!!!!

Edited by D. Pride.

Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

27 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 does the NFL put too much emphasis on the combine and pro days?  It would seem to me that four years of college football would carry more weight than a one or two day scripted workout.  It seems silly to downgrade a player if he has a poor showing at the combine or pro day.  Or for that matter really boost a player because of a good showing.  The body of work over four years would appear to be more revealing.  But hey, if teams want to blow big bucks on a one shot audition…why not!  After all they can always raise ticket prices and have the fans pay for their mistake(s).

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 it sad that the winning streak in the NBA is over?  Yes the consecutive game streak ended Monday night—-no, not that one – Denver’s.  The Denver Nuggets who had won 15 straight games lost to the Hornets.

The other streak, is at 27 games and counting, The Miami Heat are bearing down on the record of 33 games set by the 71-72 Lakers.  The Lakers were led by Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, who ironically was the leading scorer during the streak, not West as is commonly thought, and Wilt Chamberlain, who led the team in rebounds.  The other two starters were Jim McMillan and Happy Hairston, at the forwards. The great Elgin Baylor started the year with the team, but retired during the season, allowing the team to start McMillan.   Baylor’s sacrifice helped the team set the record and win a championship, but cost him a ring.  Pat Riley the president of the Heat was on the Laker’s in 71-72 and will be a part of the record regardless of what happens with the Heat over the next six games.

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

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

Is it me…

Or is Tiger Back?    I know, a couple of weeks ago we said it was too early to proclaim Tiger Woods back.  But you gotta admit he is hot and was impressive winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational, at Bay Hill.  In addition to winning for the eighth time at Bay Hill, he recaptured the number one ranking on the circuit.

Way to go Tiger!

The next time we see Woods will be in three weekends at Augusta National where he’ll be chasing major No. 15. This is the fourth time Woods has won three tournaments in the same season before the Masters.

Is it me…

Or did you really have FGCU in the sweet sixteen?  Florida Gulf Coast University is the Cinderella story, so far, in the NCAA tournament.  A no. 15 seed had never made it to the sweet sixteen; A division one program for approximately 600 days, the Eagle has landed.  There are three teams from Florida in the sweet sixteen (Miami and Florida are the other two) which speaks highly of the quality of ball being played in the state.

Ironically FGCU tried to get a scrimmage with Florida before the start of the season.  But the Gators refused, thinking they had nothing to gain.  Little did they know they would be playing them in the tournament, with so much at stake.  Other underdogs still hanging in there are LaSalle, a 13th seed, and Wichita State (they play one another) and Oregon.   You have to love March Madness.

The tournament was rough on two high profile coaches; Howland at UCLA and Smith at Minnesota were both let go after poor performances by their respective teams in the tournament.  Howland was victim of an injury to a key player and Smith was expected to perform miracles with an under achieving program. You are only as good as your last win.

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

Is it me…

Or do you need a program to recognize the Yankees?  The New York Yankees will begin the season next week without the following players in the starting lineup:

Mark Teixeira;

Curtis Granderson;

Alex Rodriguez;

Derek Jeter;

They are being replaced by: Juan Rivera, Vernon Wells, Kevin Youkillis, and Eduardo Nunez.  The Yankees better make sure the names are spelled correctly on the uniforms or we won’t know ‘who’s on first.’

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

13 Wednesday Mar 2013

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 are things about to get busy in the NFL?  The free agent period began Tuesday at 4 p.m. eastern.  Given the hard salary cap and the non-guaranteed salaries players are constantly on the move.  Teams must make business decisions that are not always in the best interest of team they wish to put on the field.  It is the old story of it is a business versus it is a game.  Unfortunately when the players try to negotiate, the owners tell them it is a game, when the players try to talk about the game , the owners say it is a business.  The owners stay ahead of the game/business by talking out of both sides of their mouths.  Only in sports, no I mean the business of sports!

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 Amar’e Stoudemire , New York Knicks,  having a season full of bad breaks? Amar’e who missed the first part of the season due to knee surgery, is scheduled to have knee surgery on his ‘good’ knee.  This new surgery will keep him out of the lineup  6-8 weeks.  He should be back in time for the playoffs,  assuming the Knicks can keep the ship afloat till then.  They are currently on a west coast swing and need to win a game or two.  They lost the first game of the trip to Golden State, with Carmelo in the lineup, and J.R. Smith out, due to a mid-game ejection.

Miami continues on a roll and the Lakers refuse to fold,  are back in the playoff  hunt.

The team to watch, is the San Antonio Spurs as they quietly continue to win and are playing well without Parker.  Tim Duncan still has some life left in those legs and Popovich has done a wonderful job coaching this year.

 

2012-13 Standings

Eastern Conference

 

W

L

Pct

GB

Conf

Div

Home

Road

Streak

x-

 Heat

47

14

.770

0.0

24-9

9-1

29-3

18-11

Won 18

Knicks

38

23

.623

9.0

24-13

6-6

22-10

16-13

Lost 1

Pacers

39

24

.619

9.0

26-14

10-2

25-7

14-17

Lost 1

Nets

37

27

.578

11.5

28-13

9-4

21-13

16-14

Lost 1

Bulls

35

28

.556

13.0

26-13

7-6

18-14

17-14

Lost 1

Celtics

34

28

.548

13.5

20-16

6-5

22-9

12-19

Lost 1

Hawks

34

28

.548

13.5

21-16

10-4

19-11

15-17

Lost 2

Bucks

32

29

.525

15.0

21-17

7-8

16-14

16-15

Won 2

Raptors

25

39

.391

23.5

14-21

3-8

16-16

9-23

Won 1

76ers

24

39

.381

24.0

14-24

7-8

18-16

6-23

Won 1

Pistons

23

43

.348

26.5

19-21

6-7

15-20

8-23

Lost 6

Cavaliers

21

42

.333

27.0

15-22

3-10

12-19

9-23

Lost 2

Wizards

20

41

.328

27.0

11-27

5-8

15-17

5-24

Won 1

Magic

18

46

.281

30.5

8-31

2-9

10-24

8-22

Won 1

Bobcats

13

50

.206

35.0

10-24

4-8

7-24

6-26

Lost 10

Western Conference

 

W

L

Pct

GB

Conf

Div

Home

Road

Streak

Spurs

49

15

.766

0.0

27-11

11-2

26-4

23-11

Won 1

Thunder

47

17

.734

2.0

31-10

6-4

28-4

19-13

Lost 1

Clippers

45

20

.692

4.5

27-12

8-4

25-7

20-13

Won 1

Grizzlies

42

19

.689

5.5

22-13

6-5

25-8

17-11

Won 4

Nuggets

43

22

.662

6.5

29-11

8-5

28-3

15-19

Won 9

Warriors

36

29

.554

13.5

19-19

7-5

21-9

15-20

Won 1

Rockets

34

30

.531

15.0

15-22

5-8

20-9

14-21

Lost 1

Lakers

33

31

.516

16.0

18-21

5-5

22-11

11-20

Won 3

Jazz

33

31

.516

16.0

18-19

5-4

23-8

10-23

Won 1

Mavericks

29

33

.468

19.0

17-22

5-7

17-12

12-21

Won 3

Trail Blazers

29

33

.468

19.0

18-21

6-5

20-10

9-23

Lost 1

Timberwolves

21

39

.350

26.0

11-26

3-10

14-16

7-23

Lost 2

Suns

22

42

.344

27.0

14-25

4-8

15-17

7-25

Lost 1

Hornets

22

42

.344

27.0

12-27

4-9

12-20

10-22

Won 1

Kings

22

43

.338

27.5

9-28

4-6

16-15

6-28

Lost 1

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

Is it me…

Or is 48 the new 28?  Bernard Hopkins broke his own record as the oldest fighter to win a championship at age 48.  Hopkins won a unanimous 12 round decision over Tavoris Cloud for the IBF light heavyweight title.  He, Hopkins, also ‘knocked out’ Boxing promoter Don King.  Cloud was the last champion under contract with Don King, thus ending King’s ability to exclusively promote title fights.  Maybe King can make up with Tyson and…

Is it me…

Or is Tiger Woods Back?   Haven’t we heard this before?  It seems that every time Tiger has a decent round of golf we declare he is back.   Tiger was impressive over the weekend, leading wire to wire, winning the Cadillac Championship at Doral Florida.

The win is Woods’ 17th at a World Golf Championship event, seventh at the Cadillac Championship and fourth overall at the TPC Blue Monster course.

It’s also the fourth PGA Tour tournament he’s won seven times. The other three are the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the Farmers Insurance Open — which he won for a seventh time earlier this season.

Great job Tiger, but you still need to recapture a couple of the big ones before we are saying there’s a tiger in your tank.

(Tiger was literally given a putting lesson last week by the second place finisher,  Steve Stricter.  Stricter noticed Wood’s poor posture while putting and worked with him for an hour.  Talk about ‘putting’ friendship first… )

Is it me…

Or has March Madness officially begun?  Championship week has started and conference titles will be determined over the next couple of days.

The only drawback to championship week and conference champions being determined by a conference tournament is that a team with a losing record could get hot and end up winning the title and get the automatic bid to the ‘Big Dance’.  But then again, is this really bad or exactly what March Madness is about?  Let the games begin.

 

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

 

Edited by D. Pride.

Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

06 Wednesday Mar 2013

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

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 Knicks still not going to win a championship?

The New York Knicks had taken two out of two games from the defending NBA champions, Miami Heat and were feeling pretty good Sunday leading by double digits in the third game.  Then reality struck and the Knicks were slapped to their senses, by LeBron and company, and went down in defeat at the garden.

The Knicks are pretenders, trying to enter the glorified world of contenders, but they have a way to go.   Last year they made it back into the playoffs and actually won A game and the next thing you know they are elevated into the land of the haves, when in fact they are still one of the have nots.  Yes, they have a legitimate super star in Carmelo Anthony, who has lifted and carried this team on his back and fragile legs.  But who else is there?  If Carmelo is Batman, where is Robin?

Prior to Carmelo’s arrival, the man on the team was Amar’e Stoudemire who was signed to a large contract as a free agent.  Amar’e has played well in recent weeks, returning from an injury, off the bench.  But he continues having difficulty playing with Anthony.  (He, Amar’e, played his best game of the year Monday night after Carmelo left the game injured.)    Stoudemire is not tradable because of his huge contract, so the Knicks face a dilemma .  Their second best player does not produce when he and #1 are on the floor together.  Great!!!  The Joker would love it if Batman and Robin had problems fighting against him as a team.

The next candidate for the job of Robin is J.R. Smith.  A streaky player who is as likely to score thirty points as he is to take and miss thirty shots.  J.R. is wildly unpredictable and can be counted on for one thing , to drive a coach insane with his play.  Smith can and does play like a super star, AT TIMES.  Unfortunately, you can’t expect to win a championship if J.R. is your second best player.  It’s like not knowing if Robin is up to fighting evil today.

Jason Kidd is the smartest player on the team.  He understands what to do and when, but he is aging and the increased minutes are taking its toll on his productivity.  Ray Felton, the starting point guard has not been the same since returning from a broken finger, and he appears to have forgotten how to play defense (he was torched by S. Curry for over 50 points recently).  Tyson Chandler the starting center has played well, especially defensively, but is very limited offensively.  Shumpert and White disappear during the games and Novack, a great three-point shooter cannot create his own shot, and is easily shut down by focused defense.  Prigioni, the back-up point guard is still learning the NBA game and the cast of big men Thomas and Camby have not contributed as planned.  Rasheed Wallace was playing well, but he broke his foot and is out.

 

All in all the Knicks are playoff material, but for how long?   If the playoffs began today it would look as follows:

1

Miami Heat

44

14

0.759

12

12

24
8

Milwaukee Bucks

30

28

0.517

11

13

24
2

Indiana Pacers

38

22

0.633

10

12

22
7

Boston Celtics

31

27

0.534

11

13

24
3

New York Knicks

36

21

0.632

11

14

25
6

Atlanta Hawks

33

26

0.559

13

10

23
4

Chicago Bulls

34

26

0.567

10

12

22
5

Brooklyn Nets

34

26

0.567

8

14

22
Matchups – Western Conference
SEED TEAM RECORD GAMES LEFT

W

L

PCT

H

A

TOT
1

San Antonio Spurs

47

14

0.770

14

7

21
8

Utah Jazz

32

28

0.533

11

11

22
2

Oklahoma City Thunder

43

16

0.729

11

12

23
7

Houston Rockets

33

28

0.541

12

9

21
3

Los Angeles Clippers

43

19

0.694

11

9

20
6

Golden State Warriors

34

27

0.557

15

6

21
4

Memphis Grizzlies

39

19

0.672

10

14

24
5

Denver Nuggets

39

22

0.639

12

9

21

 

This would be very favorable to the Knicks.  They would play the Atlanta Hawks in the first round , with the home court advantage, a wonderful opportunity for the New York team to advance to the second round.  But the playoffs don’t start today and anything can happen, good or evil.

Robin if you’re free and want to shoot some hoops call Coach Woodson, of the Knicks, I am sure he can find a spot for you.  Tell Batman you are off to fight an evil beast in Miami, King James of the Heat.

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

 

Is it me…

Or has the #1 jinx returned to men’s college Basketball?  Indiana loses and Gonzaga gets the hot seat.  It is only the beginning of March and the madness is upon us.

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

Edited by D. Pride.

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