Tuesday, November 3, 2009

C comes before V, always.

I know the 76ers are not the best team in the NBA, and really haven’t been good since the hay day of A.I., but the Celtics made another big statement tonight in Philly. No one was really watching, as most of the city is rightfully concentrating on other sports. It’s probably for the best.

Last season, the Celtics’ chance to repeat as champs were all but eliminated when Kevin Garnett went down, and addressed their lack of bench depth with the acquisitions of Rasheed Wallace, Marquis Daniels, and Sheldon Williams this off season. So far, with a 5-0 start, the bench looks as solid as any other in the league. In tonight’s game, Wallace, Daniels and Williams were +30, +31, and +28 in points, respectively; a combined +89 in the C’s 105-74 victory. The 76ers’s recent bench expenditures, Marreese Speights, Jason Smith, and Thaddeus Young, were a combined were a -58 for the evening. Even though Cole Hamels apologized today, it was still an ugly day in Philly.

The Celtics will be tested Friday night in Phoenix, where the Suns are off to a 4-0 start themselves, granted they came against the Clippers, The Warriors, The Timber Wolves, and the Heat. The Celtics have wins against other C’s, Cleveland, Charlotte, and Chicago.
Not a bad start, but Phoenix is always tough, especially in the desert.

I’ll tune in for highlights of Game 6 once it goes final. I’m a Red Sox fan, I know better than to put all my money on Pedro in the Bronx. We’ll see. Go Phillies, go! I hope Utley ends it with a home run to take the record for most home runs in a postseason away from Reggie Jackson. Sorry, Yankee readers, it’s the truth.

There will be more on The C’s tomorrow, for those interested. I’ve finished viewing the premiere of “V,” which I’ll review later as well. The Celtics piece will be on “Without Bias,” which is next on the viewing schedule.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Wieners on the sidelines

I can't believe that Mark Sanchez's consumption of a hot dog made such headlines this week, and I can't believe I'm fanning the flames on the grill, either. I don't understand why it's a big deal; let the guy eat the frigging hot dog if he's hungry. Who cares if it isn't a protein bar? I like that Sanchez donated 500 hot dogs and 500 hamburgers with buns to the Community Soup Kitchen in Morristown, but seriously, he didn't have to apologize for eating a hot dog on the sidelines during the game. Let him have his dog and eat the bun, too.

There hasn't been this much talk about a wiener in New York since the new MTA Chief went to his first board meeting. I'm assuming the word wiener was used, because a Union member called the new guy a  "doody-head." He must have called him a wiener, and probably worse. Maybe a "dummy brain,"  "fart breath," "potty pants," or perhaps one implying a weight issue, such as "triple ripple," or "ham van."

By the way, I "The MTA Chief Goes to His First Board Meeting" was my second favorite children's book, right after "Montana Dad's Grammar Farm."

Monday, October 26, 2009

What a difference a day makes

           Tonight in our Nation’s capital a professional sports team from Philadelphia will face off against the team with the most money in the NFL, the Washington Redskins. Tomorrow night in the city that never sleeps (because it doesn’t want to get robbed), a professional sports team from Philadelphia will face off against the team with the most money in MLB, the New York Yankees.
            Dan Snyder spent ninety two million dollars on Albert Haynesworth this past offseason. The Yankees spent $423.5 million on C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixiera. The Redskins are 2 and 4 heading in to tonight’s matchup against their division rivals, and head coach Jim Zorn’s job is very much in question, despite what Skins VP Vinny Cerrato will have you believe. New Yorkers, on the other hand, want Joe Girardi fired after every pitching change. At that, the similarities between Philly’s foes end.

            While Snyder and his staff may be great football fans, they know nothing about the sport. The $92M they spent on Haynesworth could have addressed several problems across their squad: a better running game, a number one receiver, a better quarterback, a secondary, or even, a better coach. The Steinbrenner family has at least employed someone of Kevin Cashman’s caliber and turned money in to success. Snyder, Cerrato, and Zorn alike are ruining football for Redskins fans. I’m not a die hard Redskins fan, but my dad is from the D.C. area and the first team he taught me to like was those that wear burgundy and gold, so I’ll always hope they’re on the warpath, fighting for old D.C.
Their failure (it’s 24-7 Eagles before halftime, by the way) is caused by their poor decision making, and their overspending.

            This is not to say the Yankees are doing a good job, either. They’re actually hurting the sport as they try to turn it in to a monopoly. They’re turning one of the ultimate team sports in to a collection of overpaid individuals with a place in a lineup. If you disagree, consider that the Yankees have spent more than 1 billion dollars, yes, billion, since their last World Series ring. My dad bought a ring for my mom once, but it cost way less than that. That doesn’t make him a good candidate for General Manager of a team, just a smart person.

            Maybe it’s the parity in the NFL that causes the high Skins payroll to result in 3 and 4 starts to seasons. It seems that in football, signing the highest priced free agents doesn’t always result in success. That should prove interesting next year when the salary cap disappears, then the Redskins will be able to spend every last penny on four people that won’t help the other 49 teammates improve whatsoever. Likewise, the Phillies, in my humble opinion, will expose holes in the Yankees, such as middle relief (don’t even mention Hughes, he has yet to prove himself), catching, and outfield defense. Once again, it should be interesting to see what they do in the offseason, with Matsui and Damon hitting free agency. In case you forgot, there’s never a salary cap for the Yankees; they’ll attempt to buy another ring next year, which, if they win then, will be their first win since 2000. You read correctly, Phillies in 6, if for no other reason than they’re a more honest and hardworking franchise that isn’t wrapped up in dollars, but rather in finding players to play certain roles at key moments, the way it should be.

GO PHILLIES!