AFC Limping Into Playoffs

Posted on January 4, 2012 by theHoundDawg

On the eve of the NFL playoffs, it’s not just the Pathetic AFC West, but the entire AFC that is limping forward.

In the East, the Patriots possess the Conference’s best offense, best passing attack, best coach, and a defense that missed giving up the most yards per game of any NFL team by exactly 1/2 yard per game. The Pats ended up breezing to the East title when the the Big Mouth Bag of Shit’s Jets proved to be pretenders. Their spunky little sex offender quarterback Mark Sanchez showed his talent for throwing just enough interceptions to lose the final wild card spot to, get ready, CINCINNATI.

Speaking of Cincinnati, the North gave us both AFC Wild Cards, with Pittsburgh limping in with Big Ben hurting and Rashard Mendenhall gone till sometime after the start of next season, with a torn ACL. Division champ Baltimore has no major injuries but many nagging aches, pains, sprains, and concussions, but their biggest worry is basing their success on the play of the erratic Joe Flacco.



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$249.95 $239.95		 In the South, injuries have destroyed a strong Texans team, and entering the playoffs with no experience at QB, a questionable Andre Johnson, and without Mario Williams who has of course watched most of the season from IR, they still should beat the neophyte Bengals.

Then we have the Pathetic AFC West, where the over-the-hill Tim Tebow leads his Broncos into the playoffs. After three straight horrible performances, theHoundDawg thinks Tebow’s career is over and done. His fourth quarter magic, helped out by a few of those 59-yard field goals, is now an artifact of history.

The Steelers should win this one without much problem.

The cry-baby trojan has-been played a typical Carson Palmer game as the Raiders lost the West title on the final day, racking up all sorts of yards, but never making the big play when his team needed him to come through, and of course, throwing a key interception at just the right time – for the opponent.

And finally, as the Chargers begin the task of packing up their belongings and marching north to their new home (just what we needed), it’s official, Norv Turner will be joining the rest of the team in their new home. Just what LA sports needs, another owner STUPID and IDIOTIC enough to keep a Norv Turner as coach.

The Chargers may be coming, but we still won’t have an NFL team; at least not a representative one.

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Fight Boredom Bowl Face Off All That Was Expected

Posted on December 31, 2011 by theHoundDawg

A T & T Park is a great place to watch a baseball game. The park itself is perfectly constructed to view the game, the accommodations are first class, the staff is friendly and helpful, and that view of San Francisco Bay is magnificent. It does get cold at night. All year ’round.

Many years ago in the 1960s when I saw an AFL football game in the original Anaheim Stadium, before it was first rebuilt into a multi-purpose stadium to house the Rams as well as the Angels, and then re-re-built to again become a baseball-only stadium, I became acutely aware of the fact that there were no good seats in a baseball stadium being used for football. How fans attending the Fight Hunger Bowl, or for that matter, fans of the California Golden Bears who have used the facility as their temporary home, are able to actually see the action, is a mystery. Unless with 21st century technology, instantly walls can now be moved, seat angles adjusted, and a series of mirror installed, that is.

I am, of course, writing all this to avoid talking about the game itself.

As I’ve written before, the very idea of a 6-6 team on a six game losing streak meeting a 6-7 team in a bowl game is obscene, and the game bore this out. Details need not be cited. The sooner the game fades into memory, the better.

What I will say about UCLA , is that the sooner the last vestiges of the Rick Neuheisel era also fade away, the better. While I have absolutely no faith in Mr. Dan Guerrero to choose a capable football coach or Mr. Jim L. Mora to be a capable football coach, at least there is a shot at it. There was no shot at seeing a well-coached game today. Or a well played game. Or a game worth spending three-plus hours watching on a Saturday afternoon.

I heard part of today’s game as broadcast over the radio airwaves by Mr. Chris Roberts, the longtime UCLA radio voice who is as capable of accurately and entertainingly broadcasting a sporting event as I am of replicating the Mona Lisa, and I have to admit I uttered a brief chuckle as I heard him refer to the game as not the “Fight Hunger Bowl”, but rather as the “Hunger Bowl”. That summed up not just his abilities, but the entire game itself.

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Enigmatic Lakers Pull Even with Easy Win over Awful Knicks

Posted on December 30, 2011 by theHoundDawg

Following their 0-2 start, the Lakers pulled to .500 with wins against a bad Utah Jazz team and an awful Knicks team.

After demolishing Utah, consistent play from Kobe and Pau Gasol and the Lakers new-found depth contributed to an easy win against New York. While it was expected that if Kobe, torn ligament or not, were on the court, he would score, and that Pau would be scoring and rebounding, it was not certain at all those early game benchwarmers would get their shots, but they have. Major contributions from Matt Barnes and Jason Kapono, and greatly improved play (over last year) from Steve Blake, have been major elements of the Lakers early season turnaround.

Mike Brown has shown flexibility and good sense in trying different combinations, and while the jury is a long way from being out whether or not he is the second coming of Del Harris, he IS showing he’s no Randy Pfund.

Now appearing in two games each, Kapono has show the reason for his signing, averaging seven points on 15-min./game while so far at least, hitting 60% from behind the arc, and given similar minutes, Barnes has contributed tenacious defense, timely shooting, and some added leadership to both the second unit and while on the court with the starters.

The Knicks on the other hand, are a mess. They play like five separate one-man teams, and the talent of Anthony, Stoudemire and Chandler is unharnessed and wasted. Knick guard play has been abhorrent, with Toney Douglas masquerading as a starting point guard, and the over-the-hill Mike Bibby backing him up. Baron Davis waits in the wings, but with his serious back injury, the four week guess on his return may be unrealistic and who knows how well he will be able to play with what figures to be lingering pain. The names Landry Fields and Bill Walker do not conjure up images of consistent, productive two guards. Likewise up front, the names Josh Harrelson, Renaldo Balkman, and Jerome Jordan demonstrate the total lack of depth and experience in the second unit. The Knicks get to play Sacramento next, and based on the Lakers play in Capital City, the Knicks are in for another tough evening.

After today off, the Lakers play Denver twice in three days. I predicted a spilt and can see no reason to change that now.

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Embarrassed by Kings, Lakers Still Looking for Win No. One in Utah

Posted on December 27, 2011 by theHoundDawg

The Lakers last evening put on a great impression of the Los Angeles Lakers, c. 1993, led by historic coach Randy Pfund, and featuring the play of the likes of Sedale Threatt, Anthony Peeler, Doug Christie, and Eldon Campbell. They only lost the game by nine points, but it really was not that close. The game did feature the continued heroic play of the injured Kobe Bryant, the return to being a presence on the court of Pau Gasol, the appearance on the court, during a game, of both Luke Walton and Matt Barnes (where are you, Jason Kapono – tonight, maybe?), and the physical play and SCORING of Ron Meta Tag Loonie World Piece, who scored a career high (since his name change) of 19 points.

On paper, the Utah Jazz appear to be a similar team to Sacramento, maybe not quite as talented but certainly more experienced, on the the court, that is. What they lack is the biggest asset the team had for the preceding two decades, the coaching of Jerry Sloan. Sloan retired during last season, turning over the reins to Ty Corbin, and his ability to coach at the NBA level is yet to be determined. The 8-20 record he led them to after taking over last season is not, however, encouraging.

What can be expected tonight is the Jazz’ mountainous front court attempting to manhandle the Lakers finesse guys. In Derrick Favors, Al Jefferson, and Enes Kanter, the Jazz can throw three 6-10″ or 6″11″, 260-290 pounders out there. Meta Tag Piece Thingy will earn his stripes tonight, helping out Gasol and the much lighter McRoberts and Murphy. This is the kind of game that a Lakers team with Andrew Bynum and Darrick Caracter should win easily, but the lack of match-ups size-wise could be a killer tonight.

The Lakers are favored by 5-1/2 but it is really anyone’s game given no Bynum and the Lakers’ overall play so far. But, add in the coaching equalizer element, and I’ll say the Lakers beat the spread tonight, though Gasol, McRoberts, and a few others will need tomorrow’s off day to ice their bruises.

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Lakers in Sacramento to Face Kings

Posted on December 26, 2011 by theHoundDawg

Power Balance Pavillion, Sacramento. Definitely NOT the Honda Center

Power Balance Pavillion, Sacramento. Definitely NOT the Honda Center

The Lakers play at Sacramento tonight, which is in and of itself a story, with the Kings having all but relocated to the Honda Ponda in Anaheim this past off-season. But, they remain in Capital City, and now play in the brand, spanking new Power Balance Pavillion, Well, actually the 20-plus year of old former ARCO brand, spanking newly renamed Arena.

There will actually be some new faces in Kings uniforms there tonight. Unfortunately, the uniforms that figure to see playing time will be worn by NBA re-treads, like undersized power forward-center Chuck Hayes, Cleveland reject J.J. Hickson, journeyman Travis Outlaw, and journeyman swingman John Salmons who is on his second tour of duty with Sacramento.

The Kings also have a very interesting group of rookies, who, unfortunately, do not figure to yet see much playing time. Legendary scorer Jimmer Fredette is the centerpiece of this group, which also includes two-time Pac-10 Tournament MVP Isaiah Thomas, and Tyler Honeycutt, the former Bruin star who left school after his sophomore year.

Others who do figure to get most of the playing time are last year’s major disappointment, center DeMarcus Cousins, who specialized in turnovers, while making 43% of those two-inch shots from over the rim, and the prior year’s top rookie, Tyreke Evans, who was a major bust as a soph, but who did fight injuries most of the season.

The Lakers figure to easily beat the 3-point betting line on the game.

I’d sure like to see some playing time for the guys who did not get off the bench yesterday, despite off-season talk of their importance to the team, Jason Kapono and Matt Barnes. Maybe even some time for Luke Walton would be possible.

This is the kind of game the Lakers easily won even under Del Harris. A loss would be reminiscent of the Randy Pfund era. Mike Brown, it’s up to you.

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The Myth of the Point Guard

Posted on December 26, 2011 by theHoundDawg

Question – What do the following NBA current and former stars have in common:

Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Tim Duncan, Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O’Neal, David Robinson, and Hakeem Olajuwon?

Answer: NONE are point guards.

All of the fellows were THE stars on the NBA Championship teams over the past 18 season, and none of them were or are point guards. Going back before that, we can add the name Michael Jordan, and he also, was no a point guard. I have omitted THE star(s) from the 2003-2004 season, when the Detroit Pistons, featuring an ensemble group of “star” players including a point guard, Chauncey Billups, won the title.

What is evident from this, as that while pundits love to proclaim that the NBA is a point guard league, and winning teams MUST have THE best point guard in creation if they are to have a chance to win a title, they are clearly wrong. The idea of giving up a team of talent, such as the likes of Lamar Odom AND Pau Gasol, or even Chris Kaman and Eric Gordon and another good player and a number one draft choice, is patently absurd, as the path to a title involves much more than that one guy passing the ball. If it were so, would not the Clippers – with not just Chris Paul but also with Chauncey Billups, Mo Williams, and Eric Bledsoe – be the heavy favorite to win it all this season?

Last year, Dallas won the title in large part despite the barely adequate play of then 37-year-old Jason Kidd. The two years before last, the title was won by the Lakers with the energetic and clutch, but inconsistent Derek Fisher, whose defense leaves much to be desired and who would have been rated the fifth most important of the five starters on those teams. The year before that, the Celtics won, with their three-star triumvirate of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen. Second year point guard Rajon Rondo was universally considered the weak link in their starting five. San Antonio won the title two of the preceding three years, and their star was clearly Tim Duncan, and in the intervening year, the Heat won with shooting guard Dwyane Wade and that big guy O’Neal leading the way. Need I go on?

This is not to say that point guards are not important, but didn’t the Bulls several years ago prove that with the right guys at other spots, anybody could play the point for a championship team?

So, more power to the Clippers with their slew of point guards, including the oh-so coveted Mr. Paul, but as the season begins, the overpowering favorite to win it all is Miami, who, when last I looked, have a starting five where the point guard ranks right near the bottom in importance, experience, and most importantly, reliance.

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Clippers Win Opener For First TIme in Recorded Memory

Posted on December 25, 2011 by theHoundDawg

The Clippers 19-pt win over Golden State was even better than the 15 point margin predicted here yesterday.

LA Clippers Blake Griffin with Warriiors' Monta Ellis

LA Clippers Blake Griffin with Warriiors' Monta Ellis

After a hit-and-miss first half, in the second half the multi-point-guard system worked well, and newcomers Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups and Caron Butler all played like they had had a full pre-season of acclamation with each other and the few remaining holdovers.

The Warriors are not the Lakers, the Bulls, or the Heat, but should be a decent, .500-ish team, on the cusp of playoff contention, and were the perfect opponent for the Clippers’ opener: A guard-oriented team with a star power forward and lots of young, enthusiastic players, out to prove they have the talent for the NBA. And Kwame Brown.

Chauney Billups has made a quick and successful transition to the two guard spot next to Paul, and Mo Williams did not stink coming off the bench. So three point guards might work, at least until Eric Bledsoe recovers from his injury and makes it a gang of four.

The one stat from tonight’s game that really stands out is DeAndre Jordan’s 33% free throw shooting. A lifetime 41 percenter, this could portend dangerous times in key game situations. Even Shaquille O’Neal’s worst ever percentage was 42%. Conversely, maybe the best stat of the game was Jordan’s eight blocked shots. Jordan is starting his fourth season, and the Clippers, sans Chris Kaman, are relying on him as the only true center on the team, and they need all-around motivated play from him, EVERY game.

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Lakers Blow Lead, Hand Opener to Bulls

Posted on December 25, 2011 by theHoundDawg

Down by seven at halftime, the Lakers fought back, dominated the third quarter, but then blew a fourth quarter lead to lose by a single point.

Looking at the stats alone, you’d think they never had a chance, shooting threes at 25% and hitting barely half their free throws. In the end, it was the free throws that did them in, missing their last four in the last two minutes of the game.

That and Kobe’s injury.

While he did score 28 points on 11 of 23, he only took one three-pointer, missing it, and committed eight turnovers. Clearly, he did not have his normal control of the ball, and his injury absolutely affected his play. His last-ditch shot in the final seconds that was blocked by Luol Deng might otherwise have given the Lakers the win.

Two bright sports for the Lakers were the play of Troy Murphy and Steve Blake. Blake was the second best Laker on the court today (yea, after Kobe.5) and is establishing himself as the point guard in critical times.* Murphy, who when healthy is a true star, hit 60% of his shots and pulled down eight boards in only 22 minutes.

In a game where neither Jason Kapono nor Matt Barnes played, the inept second coming of Dell Harris (that’s Mike Brown, folks) wasted 24 game minutes on the non-entity of Ron Weird Meta Tag Peace Artest thingy.

This is exactly they type of game that the Lakers won during the Phil Jackson years, and lost under Dell Harris. Be prepared for many more under the second coming.
___
*Edit to add: I should have mentioned here that Derrick Rose’s game winning lay-in was on a play in which he easily drove around the stone-wall defense of Derek Fisher.

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Lakers, Clippers Tip Off NBA Season Tomorrow

Posted on December 24, 2011 by theHoundDawg

The Lakers start the season on the wings of good news with the reduction of Andrew Bynum’s suspension from five to four games, and with the likelihood that Kobe Bryant will be playing when the the buzzer sounds. That may not really be good news, though, as all those, you know, doctors, say he should be giving his torn ligament a chance to heal. By playing tomorrow, and presumably thereafter, Kobe might be risking the meat of the season.

Mike Brown, the coach who is definitely NOT Phil Jackson, is apparently starting the



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$89.95 $79.95		 Second Coming of Dell Harris Era by inserting Devin Ebanks as the staring small forward, and moving Matt Barnes to the position of Kobe’s backup, and removing Jason Kapono from the rotation. All mistakes. Making Steve Blake the starting point guard is not as bad a move, but while Blake should be getting most of the PG minutes, I would keep Derek Fisher the starter. As I write this, a couple of roster cuts are still needed. I’d expect Luke Walton to suffer an injury while sitting at home, and probably the same for Andrew Goudelock.

The Lakers will tip off 3-1/2 to 4 point underdawgs to the Bulls, and given that there will be no Andrew

Bynum, a questionable Kobe, Steve Blake, Devin Ebanks and Josh McRoberts all STARTING, and that Derrick Rose will have a field day against the defenseless Laker back court defense, the game will not be that close. Bulls by 9.

The Clippers start the season with only five active players who started last season as Clippers (a sixth, Eric Bledsoe, is on the roster but injured and inactive). Normally, this fact could only be a good thing, and certainly adding the likes of Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups, Caron Butler, and even Reggie Evans, are definite improvements, but losing the 7-foot presence of Chris Kaman and the shooting talent and imminent stardom of Eric Gordon, are definite minuses. These two guys will lead New Orleans to the playoffs, regardless of the loss of Paul.

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$59.95 $49.95

I see the five-team Pacific Division quickly dividing itself into three sub-divisions, with the Clippers and Lakers at the top, Phoenix and Sacramento at the bottom, and Golden State in the middle. The Clippers start the season playing at Golden State, and the game should be entertaining and enlightening. For Golden State, it will also feature the debut of the last ever PAC-10 scoring leader, Klay Thompson, son of former Laker and long-time LA-area broadcaster Mychal Thompson. The line has the Clippers by 5-1/2, but I’d say a 15 point win is more likely.

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Will MLB Deal with Yorvit Torrealba Assault on Umpire?

Posted on December 24, 2011 by theHoundDawg

Major League Baseball has a very poor record of dealing with on-field assaults by players.

In my memory over the 50+ years that I have been following baseball, there have been two outrageous assaults on the playing field by so-called major leaguers, and the penalties were absurdly inconsequential.

I was in front of the TV on that Sunday afternoon in August, 1965, watching the Dodgers and Giants play in San Francisco’s Candlestick Park. The game featured a rare match-up between Sandy Koufax and Juan Marichal. Seldom did Giants Manager Herman Franks pair Marichal against Koufax. NL managers in those years almost never pitched their ace against Koufax, based on the almost always correct belief that it would be a wasted start, unlikely to gain a win, no matter how well the “ace” pitched. Marichal usually was paired off against Don Drysdale, but on Aug 22, 1965, he faced Koufax.

The Dodgers lead 2-0 on the second inning, and Marichal was already ticked off, and had knocked Maury Wills down with a high and tight fastball in the 2nd inning. Marichal came to the plate in the bottom of the inning, and after swinging and missing, Dodgers catcher John Roseboro came close to his head when he threw the ball back to Koufax. Marichal then turned towards Roseboro, and swung his bat at Roseboro, hitting him on top of the head, causing a two-inch gash and a torrent of blood.

The punishment from National Lwague President Warren Giles? Not the banishment from baseball that he deserved, but an EIGHT game suspension and $1,750.00 fine.

On September 13, 2004, while a relief pitcher with the Texas Rangers, Frank Francisco was sitting in the Rangers’ bullpen, when he was the butt of a fan’s heckling. Francisco’s response? He threw a chair into the stands, hitting an innocent woman in the face. Francisco was arrested but later pled no contest to reduced charges, and was sentenced to anger management classes. His penalty from MLB? Not the lifetime banishment he deserved, but rather a suspension for the final three weeks of the 2004 season. Really. A couple of weeks ago, the New York Mets signed Francisco to a two-year, $14 million contract.

Now, we have the Yorvit Torrealba incident in a Venezuelan League game just yesterday:

How will major league baseball deal with this? Granted, it did not rise to the status of the horrendously violent acts of Marichal and Francisco, but it was an assault on an umpire, during a game. At the least, Torrealba deserves a full season suspension.

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