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Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

19 Wednesday Dec 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 is Rex Ryan carrying this loyalty thing a bit too far?  Ryan, the head coach of the NY Jets stuck with Mark Sanchez at quarterback all season and the Jets are now eliminated from the playoffs.  (The one game Rex removed Sanchez from is the game, they won.)  It was obvious to everyone, except Ryan, that Sanchez could not do the job, and now it may cost him his job.  Oh well, live by the quarterback, die by the quarterback.

The NFC east is locked in a three-way tie with two games left.  The Giants blew a lead and now must fight it out with the Cowboys and Redskins.  The Redskins are hot and might just scalp the other two and win this thing.

Current NFL standings may be found at:

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

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 Jeremy Lin save his best game of the season for his homecoming?  Linsanity was alive and well at the Garden Monday night.  Unfortunately he was wearing a Houston Rockets’ jersey, as he and the Rockets handed the Knicks their first home defeat.  Lin outplayed his Knick replacement, Ray Felton, and got the last laugh on the Knicks who they have beaten twice this season.

Speaking of the Knicks,  Amar’e Stoudemire has gotten an okay to practice.  He’s back!!!!  Now we will find out if the Knicks are prospects or suspects.  Can they play together or will Coach Woodson begin pulling out his scalp?

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 did R.A. Dickey win the Cy Young award last season?  Dickey who won the award for being the best pitcher in the National League was traded by the Mets to the Toronto Blue Jays.  WHY?   Only the Mets would do this.  And we wonder why they are lousy each year.

Is it me…

Or  is it time to congratulate Jim Boeheim on his 900th victory?  Syracuse head basketball coach Jim Boeheim , 68 and in his 37th year at his alma mater, is 900-304 and joined an elite fraternity.  Mike Krzyzewski (936) and Bob Knight (902) are the only other men’s Division I coaches to win that many games.  Boeheim won all 900 games at Syracuse University, the Oranngemen.  Congrats Coach!  Have a glass of orange juice on me.

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

Is it me…

Or is it time to take a minute to remember the 26 victims of the Newtown, Connecticut massacre? This senseless tragedy is beyond comprehension.  Twenty children, ages 6 and 7 , and six adults were gunned down by a crazed gunman armed with an assault  rifle and  two semiautomatic handguns at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Once again the issue of gun control surfaces.  Hunters and gun enthusiast, argue that guns don’t kill, people do.   Nonsense!!!!!  People with guns kill and do so at an alarming rate in the United States.  Name one other industrialized country where this happens.   If you must hunt and need to go out and kill Bambi, you can do so without an assault weapon or a large magazine clip.  (personally I think it would be a lot fairer if we gave the animals weapons and let them shoot back).

They also point out that they have a constitutional right to bear arms.  Yes a document written in the 18th century before we had supermarkets and freezers; A different time , with a different life style.

Jack Pinto the first of twenty children to be buried was a huge NY Giant fan.  His favorite player was Victor Cruz.  Cruz honored Jack by writing his name on his football cleats.  He also met with the family and gave them the shoes.  Class!

As a Martial Artist I was extremely proud of the little boy who offered to lead his classmates to safety.  He told his teacher he would go first because he knows karate.  OSS!!!

Please keep the victims and their families in your prayers and thoughts.

Edited by D. Pride.

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Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

14 Wednesday Nov 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 is that champagne flowing in Miami?  The last team to go undefeated in the NFL was the 1972 Miami Dolphins.  Several of the players from that team get together and openly root against any team that is challenging that record.  When the challenger suffers its first loss the former Dolphins celebrate by toasting each other with champagne.  The Atlanta Falcons suffered their first loss of the season, thus kicking off the ‘celebration’.  The current Dolphins suffered their worst home defeat to the Titans, 37-3.  Go figure.

The Dallas Cowboys may have saved their coach’s, Jason Garrett, job with a win over the Eagles.  This was considered a must win for both teams, as there is a slight possibility of catching the NY Giants, who lost to Cincinnati.  Michael Vick, the Eagles quarterback, was knocked out of the game with a concussion.  Eagle coach, Andy Reid, may have been knocked out of a job with this loss.

(There is a possibility that Reid may end up in San Diego next season.)

 The Jets and their coach, Rex Ryan, need to get over it.  Insisting that Sanchez is the starting quarterback is similar to naming a seaman to steer the Titanic.  It’s over, the ship is sinking.

Who’s hot?

New England, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Houston, Indianapolis, Denver, Green Bay, Tampa Bay,

Who’s not?

NY Jets, Buffalo, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Arizona, Carolina, NY Giants.

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 do the Lakers know something that the rest of us don’t?  The LA Lakers fired Coach Mike Brown after 5 games and passed over Phil Jackson to hire Mike D’Antoni as their new coach.  No offense to D’Antoni, but the last time I looked Phil had eleven championships to D’Antoni’s zero.  (Five of those championships were with the Lakers.)  Sure Phil was reported to have made some weird demands regarding coaching away games, and shoot arounds.  And his salary demands were off the wall, but given his track record and the players respect for him, you bite the bullet.

The Lakers claim that D’Antoni is a better fit, as is his offense, for the current Laker team.  Eleven rings seem like a good fit to me!

Mike D. is a great offensive coach, but needs help on defense.  Hopefully he will hire a good defensive coach to assist him.   It will be interesting to see how these Lakers and this offense will do in the playoffs.

At least, for now, Kobe is on board and that will help. (Bryant, who lived in Italy, wore number 8 in honor of D’Antoni, who was a star in the Italian league.)  D’Antoni will miss a few games because he had knee surgery and is not cleared to fly.  Great move LA, hire a coach who is on the injured list-an omen.

Is Dwight Howard a kiss of death for coaches? His last two coaches, Van Gundy and Brown, have been unceremoniously fired, and he hasn’t signed an extension with the Lakers.  Howard is covering his butt and waiting to see how this plays out.  A smart, but selfish mood.

The NY Knicks (D’Antoni’s former team) sought to remain undefeated last night in Orlando.  (Results were not available at press time.)

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 college football going to self-correct and make it easy for the BCS?  The BCS needs to have TWO undefeated teams at the end of the season.  Alabama did its part by losing   over the weekend.   This leaves Kansas State, Oregon, and Notre Dame as the major players for the championship game.  Ideally, one of these three loses and the other two remain undefeated for BCS to run smoothly.  Any thing else, all three stay undefeated, two of them lose, or all three lose throws the BCS for a loop.

We will keep an eye on this and see how it plays out.

Is it me…

Or did we go to a NASCAR event and a MMA event broke out?  Jeff Gordon intentionally slowed his car and waited for Clint Bowyer on the track Sunday to wreck him on what was scheduled to be the final lap. There had been contact between the two a few laps earlier, and Gordon viewed it as the final straw in an apparently escalating on-track feud with Bowyer.  This led to a brawl between the two teams.

And they are old enough and mature enough to be licensed drivers?

Is it me…

Or did college basketball sneak up on us?  Too many mismatches early in the season as teams look to build their records before conference play begins.  Sure there are some competitive teams playing each other, but the smart money is in scheduling The Little Sisters of Charity and pad your record.  An extra win now can mean a lot at the end of the season when they are selecting for the tournament.

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

Edited by D. Pride.

Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

25 Wednesday Apr 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 World Peace the last name Ron Artest should have selected?  Ron Artest, Lakers,  assaulted James Harden, Oklahoma City, with an elbow knocking him out and causing a concussion during a nationally televised game Sunday.  Artest who   apologized for the elbow after the game, has once again proven how dangerous and out of control  he is.  He apparently suffers from flashbacks and thinks he is back at the “malice at the palace” or is auditioning for a UFC contract. How embarrassing is it for the Lakers to be associated with “World Peace”?

The NBA Playoff picture is beginning to take shape.  Follow this link to the latest results:

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

Ray Allen, Boston Celtics, has been an ironman for most of his NBA career. The most games he’s ever missed in a season during his 16-year NBA career is 27. He’s been a durable player, that rarely has battled injury. 

But he’s been dealing with a sore ankle as of late which has caused him to miss 13 games. And with the Celtics only having two regular season games left, Allen’s availability for the postseason is starting to come into doubt. 

So what’s the deal with this ankle?  He has bone spurs. 

OK, so what are bone spurs? They’re small, pointed growths of bone that happen when there’s a lot of wear and tear put on something. So basically, a 16-year NBA career.

Let the games begin (in peace and without “World Peace”).

Is it me…

Or is it with great sadness we note the ‘retirement’ of Coach Pat Summitt,  women’s head basketball coach, University of Tennessee?  Summitt, who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s , coached  for 38 years at Tennessee, and has more wins (1098) than anyone else in college basketball. Coach Summitt is being replaced by long time assistant coach Holly Warlick.

Now Summitt can focus on her health and taking on duties that will keep her with the program she guided to eight national titles since taking over in 1974.

Summitt’s new role will include helping with recruiting, watching practice, attending  staff meetings, helping coaches analyze practice and games, and advising the Southeastern Conference on women’s basketball issues and mentoring players. Summitt will also be working as a spokeswoman in the fight against Alzheimer’s.

Every Lady Vol player who has completed her eligibility at Tennessee graduated under Summitt, and 74 former players, assistants, graduate assistants, team managers and directors of basketball operations are currently among the coaching ranks at every level of basketball.  We should just name the women’s trophy after Summitt, in recognition of her successes on and off the court.   We can call it the ‘Glare Ware’ in honor of Pat’s famous stare.  If anyone has reached the summit of their career it is Coach Pat

Good Job Coach Summitt!!!!

Is it me …

Or is no one interested in being on “Hard Knocks”.  According to reliable sources the Atlanta Falcons have declined an opportunity to appear on HBO’s Hard Knock series.  Hard Knocks , which is an inside look at a pro training camp and can be distracting to a team,  is having trouble finding a team willing to appear.  It has gotten so bad that they are reconsidering the New York Jets.  Tebow,  the quarterback, and Coach Ryan would make for great reality television, but what a disaster it would cause with the Jets, who had major issues with each other last year, without the TV exposure. D. Revis has used the ‘H’ word –holdout.-more money, again.

Déjà vu all over again

The Saints continue to get hit with bad news.   As they try and get through the ‘bounty’ issue, and the accompanying suspensions (coaches and players offering rewards for hurting players on the opposing team), it appears they now have another major issue.  They are accused of electronically tapping into the visiting teams headsets and listening to the other coaches speak to their players and coaches during the game.

According to the report, Mickey Loomis, general manager of the New Orleans Saints, who has already been sentenced to an eight games suspension, had rewired that device so he could eavesdrop for most of the 2002 season, the year he was hired, and all of the 2003 and 2004 seasons.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Louisiana was told about these allegations Friday. U.S. attorney Jim Letten has briefed the FBI in New Orleans.

When the New England Patriots were accused of a similar offense they were fined and lost draft picks.  It probably won’t go that well for the Saints, who are possibly facing criminal charges.  This form of wiretapping is illegal in the state of Louisiana and is a violation of Federal law.  Loomis will probably claim he thought he was listening to cable and watching ‘Hard Knocks’

The NFL draft is this week.  Good luck to all the draftees.  May they have long and healthy careers.

Andrew Luck will be selected number one overall and RG3 number two.  Both players are tagged as franchise players who can’t miss.  However, before the Indianapolis  and Washington fans book their seats at the Super Bowl …please say JaMarcus Russell.  JaMarcus Trenell Russell (born August 9, 1985) is a quarterback who is currently a free agent. Russell played college football for the LSU Tigers where he finished 21–4 as a starter and was named MVP of the 2007 Sugar Bowl. The Oakland Raiders selected Russell with the first overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft. Russell held out until the Raiders signed him to a contract worth $61 million with $32 million guaranteed. In three seasons with the Raiders, Russell finished 7–18 as a starter before his release on May 6,   Russell was tagged as a can’t miss, also.

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 student teach the mentor this weekend? Jon Jones kept his light heavyweight title with a one-sided victory over Rashad Evans, his former training partner and close friend, before a loud sellout crowd at Philips Arena in a UFC bout.

Jones’ 84 1/2-inch reach was the biggest difference in the grudge match that was 14 months in the making. The two split after Jones said he’d consider fighting Evans, the man who brought him into the highly regarded Jackson’s MMA camp in Albuquerque, N.M., and helped develop him into one of the most dominant forces in the sport.  Jones landed a series of kicks, punches and elbows that kept Evans on the outside and didn’t allow him to generate any sustained offense. The champion had a 112-56 edge in strikes, including a 52-12 advantage in power shots, according to CompuStrike.

Is it me…

Or should we mention baseball?

Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox, celebrated its 100-year anniversary last week.  Boston invited all their former players to the celebration and had the Kennedy’s throw out the ceremonial pitch (a Kenney ancestor threw out the first pitch 100 years ago).  It was a grand day, until they played the game against their hated rivals, The New York Yankees..  Needless to say, the Yankees ruined the party and won the game.

As Yankee fans are fond of saying “Boston S&%#s”, but this year they really do.  Bobby Valentine, the new manager of Boston, must have angered the baseball gods in another life to step into this mess.  But then again Valentine can be a real snob and probably deserves it. J

Phil Humber had Tommy John surgery on his pitching arm before his career even started. He bounced around a bit as he tried to make it in the major leagues.

Now, well, Humber is perfect.  Humber threw the first perfect game in the majors in almost two years, leading the Chicago White Sox to a 4-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday.  Way to hang in there Phil and begin a perfect season.

Albert Pujols,  The Machine, has not hit a home run as of yet.  Do you think he needs a tune-up and oil change or did he underestimate the American League pitchers when he switched leagues?
Edited by D. Pride.

Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

04 Wednesday Jan 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 has the NBA stumbled onto something with the delayed start and shortened season?   With the exception of New Jersey, Memphis, and Washington, the NBA seems fairly balanced and competitive as the season begins.

 Granted, there have been some lopsided games, but for the most part the games have been interesting.  The Celtics started out 0-3 and everyone was panicking except the Celtics, who are now back in the mix as are the Lakers.  Miami seems to have found a groove and is playing well, also.  The prevailing opinion is that the younger teams with depth will do well, because of the number of back to back and back to back to back games; but the good coaches will find ways to rest the ‘older’ players and have them ready.

It is officially time to start the Phil Jackson watch in New York.  The Knicks, mostly due to injuries have started poorly, would love to bring in a high profile coach.  D’Antoni, the Knicks coach, is in an extremely tough spot and needs to win if he expects to be around next season.

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 does the NFL need to look at its playoff seeding?   If you win your conference you get to host a playoff game in the first round.  Unfortunately, a couple of conferences were very weak and the conference champion has a worse record than the wild card team it is hosting, e.g., the Falcons are 10-6 and must travel to play the Giants , who are 9-7; the Steelers are 12-4 and are going to Denver to play the 8-8, Broncos.  It doesn’t seem fair to reward the conference champion with a home game if they don’t have a better record than their opponent.  Let the  teams with the better record host the game.  Reward success, instead of mediocrity and a weak conference.

 

The rest of the playoffs shape up as follows:

Cincinnati at Houston, with New England and Baltimore getting byes;

Detroit at New Orleans, with Green Bay and San Francisco getting byes;

In the first round, we like the Falcons, New Orleans, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, as our upset pick.  Let the games begin!

 

Note to Rex Ryan, coach  of the NY Jets:  don’t eliminate the captain’s position on the Jets next year, select better captains.  Santonio Holmes was a poor choice for the captaincy from day one.

His behavior during the final game, which resulted in his benching, was a surprise to no one except you.

Congrats to Tom Coughlin coach of the NY Giants who steadied and quietly led the  Giants to a playoff berth.  I am not sure if he did enough to save his job, he may have to win a playoff  game or two, but he demonstrated true professionalism throughout a tough season.

The Monday following the end of the regular NFL season is referred to as Black Monday because of the expected firings of coaches.  This week was no exception.  There was little surprise  that the Rams‘ Steve Spagnuolo and the Bucs‘ Raheem Morris were the first two head coaches fired on the NFL’s Black Monday, given that their fate had appeared determined for at least a couple weeks now.  The Bears and the Colts also fired several football related administrators.

 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 Victor Cruz due a new contract?  It can be argued that Victor Cruz, wide receiver for the NY Giants, carried them on his back in the two most important games of this past season for the Giants.  Cruz, a graduate of school #21, in Paterson NJ,  ( a shameless plug J )  made game breaking catches against the Jets and the Cowboys in the final two games of the season to help thrust the Giants in to the playoffs.  Cruz who was not drafted, has become a real playmaker and is a nightmare for defensive coordinators throughout the league.  He has rewritten the Giants record-book and is the darling of the media and fans alike. And he can Salsa!!!!!!  Show him the MONEY!

 Is it me …

Or is time to take a quick peek at college basketball?  Unfortunately, or fortunately, March Madness is just the perfect sporting event that the regular season in college hoops doesn’t mean too much.  However, it is nice to look and see what the boys are doing.

Syracuse is No. 1 in The Associated Press’ Top 25 for a fourth straight week and Pittsburgh is out of the poll for the first time since the middle of 2009-10.

 The Orange received 60 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel. Kentucky, which moved up one spot to second, got the other five.

North Carolina, Baylor and Duke all jumped two places to third through fifth. Ohio State dropped from second to sixth after losing at Indiana.  The Indiana Hoosiers have two major wins this season, the other being against Kentucky.  They may be a surprise pick to win the big ten this year and do well in the tournament.  Good job Coach Crean.   We will keep our eye on them as the season progresses. Missouri, Connecticut, Georgetown and Michigan State round out the top 10.

Louisville, which lost to Georgetown and Kentucky, dropped from fourth to 11th.

No. 23 Kansas State and No. 25 Gonzaga enter the rankings on six-game winning streaks. Creighton fell out from 21st. Pittsburgh, losers of three straight, dropped out from 22nd.

Note to the University of Florida Men’s Basketball.  Nice job hiring Norm Roberts. Norm is a nice guy, great coach, and recruiter.  He will bring a lot to your program.  Go Gators.

Is it me…

Or is Floyd Mayweather really trying to avoid fighting Pacquiao?   Just like boxing to get us all excited about the possibility of Mayweather versus Pacquiao only to see it taken away again.  Floyd was sentenced to 90 days in jail as part of a plea deal in an assault case.

Boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a perfect 42-0 in the ring and has dodged significant jail time several times in domestic violence cases in Las Vegas and Michigan.

But his courtroom streak came to an end when a Las Vegas judge sentenced him to 90 days in jail after he pleaded guilty to a reduced battery domestic violence charge and no contest to two harassment charges.

 The case stemmed from a hair-pulling, punching and arm-twisting argument with his ex-girlfriend Josie Harris while two of their children watched in September 2010.

 We will assume that Floyd was the hair-puller.

 Edited by D. Pride.

Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

23 Wednesday Nov 2011

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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 BCS spelled SEC?  The top three college football teams in the BCS are LSU, Alabama, and Arkansas, all from the Southeastern Conference (SEC).  It is the first time in the fourteen year history of the BCS that three teams from the same conference have been in the top  three spots.  The likelihood of a rematch of a regular season game for the national championship is a real possibility.

 This brings us back to the need for a playoff.  The top eight teams in college football play a tournament with each of the top bowl sites getting a game.  You can still use the BCS to rank the teams, but the best team would have to win it on the field.  It works for college basketball!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Is it me…

 Or did the Chicago Bears catch a bad break?   Jay Cutler, the starting quarterback for the Bears broke his thumb Sunday in the game and may miss the remainder of the season.  He is scheduled to undergo surgery to repair the fracture.  He was injured making a tackle after an interception in the fourth quarter.  The Bears are in a ‘dogfight’ with the Lions , as both teams are 7-3 and chasing the undefeated Packers.  The Lions  get the Packers on Thanksgiving Day, a return to old school scheduling.  (The Packers and the Lions use to play every Thanksgiving; but the Lions would get so hyped and play so hard in the game that Packers backed away from it for several years.)

 It appears that Tom Coughlin, the coach of the New York Giants (who play in New Jersey) knows where to direct his anger after a disappointing loss-at the players.  Unlike Rex Ryan, the coach of the New York Jets (who also play in New Jersey) Coughlin let his players know how disappointed he was in their performance against the Eagles.  Rex on the other hand took his frustrations out on a fan as the Jets were losing to the Patriots.    Rex is now $75,000 lighter in  the pocket because of a fine levied against him by the NFL for this incident..

If the NFL playoffs started today both the Jets and the Giants  would be playing golf.  The Christmas Eve game between the Jets and the Giants may be huge and have playoff ramifications for both teams.  Another great scheduling job by the NFL.

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 dropped off the face of the planet?  Does anyone have any idea what’s going on between the players and the owners?  They have reached a point where they are no longer in the news.  More and more players are opting for jobs overseas; owners are cancelling additional games; players are looking to dissolve the union.  Basically it is a mess, with millionaires and billionaires playing Russian roulette with pro basketball in the United States.  They are going to lose their fan base, and will have a difficult time recapturing it.

Note to NBA Players who are playing overseas: J. R. Smith injured his knee during his first game in China.  The extent of the injury was not known at press time.  Smith refused treatment from the team and sort outside medical assistance.  This did not go over well with the local team.  Good to see that J.R. is a knucklehead on any continent.

With the rewards of playing overseas comes the risk.  How will this affect his NBA contract and status, assuming we eventually get an NBA?

Is it me…

Or did Tiger Woods justify his selection as a member of  the United States team playing in the President’s Cup tournament?  It was only fitting that Tiger Woods clinched the cup for the U.S. Captain Fred Couples was criticized for selecting Woods, who had been out with an injury most of the summer and had not won a tournament since his personal life crumbled two years ago. Woods played well all week, even if he didn’t always get rewarded with a point. In his singles match against Aaron Baddeley, he was never seriously challenged.

 Could the “old” Tiger be ready to reappear on the tournament circuit?

Is it me…

Or is with great sadness we note the death of Oklahoma States Women’s Basketball Coach, Kurt Budke, and his assistant Miranda Serna?  They died Thursday afternoon when their single-engine plane crashed in rugged terrain in Central Arkansas. Also killed were former Oklahoma State Senator Olin Branstetter, 82, and his wife, Paula Branstetter. Both were pilots.

In 2001, ten people involved with the men’s basketball program at Oklahoma State were killed in a plane crash.  It is the school’s worst nightmare.  The University had implemented a policy requiring all travel by teams in planes be done in aircraft with at least two engines.  However, this policy did not apply to coaches traveling alone, or without athletes.

  Budke, 50, was extremely popular. In his seventh season in Oklahoma State, he had elevated the program, taking the Cowgirls to three NCAA tournament appearances, including a Sweet 16. Serna, 36, had been on his staff for seven years.

Edited by D. Pride.

Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

12 Wednesday Oct 2011

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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 fans really losing it?  A “fan” threw a hot dog at Tiger Woods as Woods was preparing to putt.  The unnamed fan ducked under the gallery rope, called Tiger and threw the hot dog.  He was arrested immediately and charged with a misdemeanor.

This idiot might not have noticed that there are armed guards at these tournaments, and he quite easily could have been shot.

Woods, who missed the putt, was not hurt and took the incident in stride.  The fan later denied throwing the hot dog, claiming it slipped out of his hand.  It was the best shot made on that hole by either a golfer or “fan”.

Is it me…

Or  has it been 55 years since the Detroit Lions opened the season 5-0?  The Lions defeated the Bears Monday night extending their winning streak.  It is amazing to think that it was only three seasons ago the Lions were 0-16 and were 2-14 in 2009.  Detroit has the look of a contender and should be in the mix this season.

 The Packers, the other undefeated team and defending Super Bowl champions,  plays in the same division as the Lions, and will  play the Lions twice this season (they are the early Thanksgiving day game) so the chances of either going undefeated is slim.  But it is something to think about.  The Lions could be the first team to go from 0-16 to 16-0 in a three years span.  That would have the fans roaring in Detroit.

 Note to Rex Ryan of the Jets.  It is going to be very difficult to win the Super Bowl if you can’t make the playoffs.  My beloved Jets are 2-3 after a disappointing loss in New England.  This was the third loss in a row, all on the road, for the Jets who are playing themselves into a hole.  I am not sure what the problem is, no running game, a poor offensive line, a weak defensive line, too many penalties , a weak  offensive coordinator, or whatever,  but YOU have to right the ship and get them flying the straight and narrow.

 Note to Victor Cruz of the Giants.  That last interception wasn’t your fault, you slipped and you still tried to catch it.  The ball bounced off your hand and into the defender’s hand.  Good effort by you, but the ball bounces funny at times.

 Note to Michael Vick of the Eagles.  You are supposed to  throw the ball  to guys in the same color jersey as you.

 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 about time baseball got serious?  Down to its final four teams, the Milwaukee Brewers versus the St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers versus the Detroit Tigers major league baseball is moving  along, finally.  The winners of these series will meet in the World Series, and play for all the marbles.  (As we went to press the Rangers led their series 2-0, and the Cardinals and Brewers were tied 1-1.)

 Baseball is the one major sport where teams play under different rules.  The American League and most of the remaining world of baseball plays uses the designated hitter, a player bats for your weakest hitter, usually the pitcher.    Whereas the National League does not use the designated hitter, and each player bats for himself.

Baseball allows you to use the DH in the American League Park, when there are games between the two leagues, and not when in the National League Park.  Therefore, whenever the World Series is played there are different rules depending on where you’re playing.  Teams must adjust and quite often very good players are forced out of a game or assume a different role because of the DH.  It takes away from the game.  I realize the DH is here to stay, so why not have it in the National League?  Level the playing field and have everyone use the same rules.

 PS  If it were up to me I would eliminate the DH totally.  Baseball is a different and a more strategic game without it.  For example, a pitcher is really doing well, but is behind in the game.  The pitcher is scheduled to hit, in the NL you must decide to either keep him in the game or let him hit or take him out for a hitter.  The National League manager must look at a host of things and make a decision,.  The American League Manager has a DH in place and is on cruise control.  They should pay the National League managers more,  they have to think during the game.

Is it me…

Or  is the NBA shooting itself out of the game?  David Stern, NBA commissioner, true to his word, has canceled the first two weeks of the NBA season.  After a lengthy session Monday between the union and  the owners failed to resolve the  major issues Stern canceled 100 games.

 The owners insist they need a way that enables all well-managed franchises to earn a profit and contend for the championship against the Mavericks, Lakers, Celtics and other big luxury-tax payers. But the players, in return for their willingness to take a smaller slice of revenues, want to maintain most of the contract provisions of the previous collective bargaining agreement.

At heart, the players are fighting to maintain the status quo.

 

Owners have said off the record, if they miss games they will fight to the bitter end  and break the union.  Millionaires and Billionaires at it again!  You have to feel badly for the people that work at the arenas.  If there are no games, then there are no concession stands to run or cars to park.  Just what we need more unemployment.

Is it me…

Or is it with great sadness we note the passing of Al Davis, the owner of the Oakland Raiders?  Davis died Saturday at the age of 82 at his home in Oakland.  Davis was a commissioner (AFL), an owner,  and a coach.  He considered himself a maverick, who did his own thing, but he loved and was passionate about football.  He was a true legend.

Edited by D. Pride.

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