JaVale McGee Dancing in a Predator Mask, just because.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Georgetown Forgot About Jay(Vaughn)
A couple weeks ago, I was sitting around with silver fox when he said we might as well go to the Georgetown-Villanova game to close out the Wildcats' regular season. Since the game was to be played at the Wells Fargo Center, securing tickets wouldn't be a problem, and shit, the game itself would most likely have huge NCAA Tournament implications for a Nova squad that has been on the bubble for more than a month.
So last night, the two of us headed down to the Wells Fargo Center and secured two tickets six rows off the court to the right of the Villanova band and student section.
After walking around a little bit deciding on food options, we finally nabbed a few overpriced sausages and headed to our seats. When we got there, an older woman had her coat and scarf draped over one of our two seats. Being the irrationally angry person I am at times, this infuriated me. Not the fact that the woman had her coat in a seat she didn't have a ticket for — if no one is next to you, by all means, put your coat there — but the fact that she was sitting a couple seats over, not directly next to her coat. The fuck was she doing?
Somehow showing some restraint, I was polite about it, handing her her coat and scarf and letting her know it was our seat, but I really wanted to choke her to death because I was in a bad mood and I had the feeling I was about to watch Villanova toss away its NCAA Tournament hopes the same way it had tossed away apparent victories over the likes of Seton Hall and Pittsburgh in previous games.
Add to that the fact that every time I got to a Villanova home game, I cannot help but notice the incredible lack of diversity of the crowd. Head to the travesty of a gym that is the Pavilion or take in a marquee game in South Philadelphia for the Wildcats, and you walk into seemingly some sort of J.Crew catalog ad. There are swarms of old to middle-aged couples wearing designer clothes and looking like people I would never even want to talk to, and then there's the student body you would associate with an expensive private university out on the Main Line. Translation — even as a middle-class white male who grew up mostly in suburbs before returning to the City of Brotherly Love as an adult, I feel much more comfortable at a Temple home game with its diverse crowd. I'm not entirely sure why, but there you have it.
Anyway, back to the game. Almost immediately, my fears were coming to fruition, as the Hoyas began the game with a three-pointer and jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead. I jokingly said the game was already over at that point, might as well beat the traffic.
But then a funny thing happened. Jay Wright made a quick substitution after his team started with two turnovers and a foul, and everything changed from there. Senior Mouphtaou Yarou was dominating the glass, and JayVaughn Pinkston was playing as aggressive as I've ever seen him play, attacking whichever Hoya was attempting to handle him inside nearly every possession he was on the court.
Further, Wright, sensing that he'd need his team fresh for an intense, crucial 40 minutes, began subbing his players in and out at nearly every dead ball, almost as if making line changes in hockey. It was quite a sight to behold, some real chess going on against John Thompson III, and it worked — perfectly. Before you could blink, the Wildcats went on a 10-2 run to take the lead, and suddenly it was a ballgame again. However, it was tough to tell from the crowd. The upper section was barren, and even the full lower bowl was subdued most of the first half. That is, until James Bell threw down a thunderous, improbable alley-oop from Ryan Arcidiacono. When Arcidiacono threw it, I honestly thought he had tossed it way too high and that it was destined to go out of bounds. Instead, Bell somehow caught it and threw it down emphatically, sparking the mostly dormant crowd.
By the time the first half was winding down, Nova had the ball up by four following an Arc three, and Mouphtaou Yarou hit a jumper as time was winding down to seemingly put the Cats up by six with 20 minutes to play. Alas, the ball was still in Mouph's hands as the buzzer sounded, so Nova had to settle for a four-point halftime lead. Not too shabby, particularly when you take into account the way Nova played that first half.
The aforementioned Pinkston was nearly unstoppable, embarrassing any Hoya who dared try to handle him, and he began to parade to the free throw line.
Mouph was a monster on the boards, cleaning up the glass any time the ball came near him, and Bell not only hit a couple of big three-pointers, but he also completely and utterly shut down the heralded Player of the Year candidate Otto Porter Jr. in the first 20 minutes, to the point that you could hardly notice Porter on the floor at all. It was the best defensive job I've ever seen Bell do, taking Georgetown's best player and making him a complete non-factor in the first half.
However, it was going to take another really strong half to come away with the victory. After all, the Hoyas kept it close despite sloppy play in large part because they were defending the three and giving Ryan Arcidiacono no space, and also because D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera kept hitting big shots every time it looked like Nova might pull away.
As expected, Georgetown did not go away quietly, but it really didn't matter. Wright continued his hockey-style substitutions, keeping all his guys fresh, and the defense continued to hound Georgetown into turnovers and bad shots. Porter did get on track a little when Bell wasn't guarding him, but with the game in the balance, Bell went back to his shutdown work on the top Hoya and took him off his game yet again.
From there, it was the JayVaughn Pinkston show. The man simply took over, playing arguably the best game of his career, if not then certainly the most aggressive.
Thanks to his aggressive nature, Nova was in the bonus and then double bonus in no time … but the Cats uncharacteristically were struggling from the line. Early anyway. But once it came to crunch time, Pinkston, Arcidiacono and Darrun Hilliard couldn't miss. Just like that, it was Nova's third victory of the season over a top 5 team, and it more than likely punched the Wildcats' ticket to the big dance.
It was a total team effort, no doubt. Defensively, James Bell was the star, keeping Porter in check and making him a complete non-factor at times. I can't say enough about the job Bell did last night. Further, his teammates were aggressive all over the court defensively, forcing 22 Georgetown turnovers and doing it without fouling.
Conversely, the team was just as aggressive on offense, getting to the line an insane 42 times, led by Pinkston — the star of the game — who managed a game-high 20 points on just 4-6 from the field … and 11-14 from the line. He added five steals and four boards for good measure.
On top of that, Nova didn't force things on the offensive end, particularly Arcidiacono. That's somewhat of a rarity for the freshman out of Neshaminy, a kid who's never passed up an open shot in his life. But last night, he was patient and smart with the ball. Arcidiacono went the first five minutes without even a shot attempt, and he only took five shots from the floor all game thanks to Georgetown's tremendous defense around the perimeter and defending the three-point line. So Arc just played within himself and the system and helped feed Pinkston and the rest of the squad.
It resulted in another great win for Nova, and now a team that many picked to finish at the bottom of the Big East standings is not only sitting at 10-8 in conference play, but at 19-12 overall with big victories over Louisville, Syracuse and now Georgetown. With last night's capper, Villanova should be securely in the field of 68 — a win or two (or three) in the Big East Tournament, and it's not even a question.
After the muted celebration, we headed out for celebratory cheesesteaks, watched some Workaholics and then saw us all get Nnamdi'd.
Maybe he was calling Ruxin while he was eating lunch in his car. It all makes sense now, unlike the Big 5 this year.
But hey, Villanova got a great victory last night, Temple destroyed Fordham and St. Joe's really destroyed Rhode Island, so things aren't nearly as bad as they were just a little while ago for Philadelphia college basketball. And now there's a very real chance Nova, Temple and La Salle will be dancing. For the Wildcats, they can thank Georgetown for forgetting about JayVaughn Pinkston last night.
So last night, the two of us headed down to the Wells Fargo Center and secured two tickets six rows off the court to the right of the Villanova band and student section.
After walking around a little bit deciding on food options, we finally nabbed a few overpriced sausages and headed to our seats. When we got there, an older woman had her coat and scarf draped over one of our two seats. Being the irrationally angry person I am at times, this infuriated me. Not the fact that the woman had her coat in a seat she didn't have a ticket for — if no one is next to you, by all means, put your coat there — but the fact that she was sitting a couple seats over, not directly next to her coat. The fuck was she doing?
Somehow showing some restraint, I was polite about it, handing her her coat and scarf and letting her know it was our seat, but I really wanted to choke her to death because I was in a bad mood and I had the feeling I was about to watch Villanova toss away its NCAA Tournament hopes the same way it had tossed away apparent victories over the likes of Seton Hall and Pittsburgh in previous games.
Add to that the fact that every time I got to a Villanova home game, I cannot help but notice the incredible lack of diversity of the crowd. Head to the travesty of a gym that is the Pavilion or take in a marquee game in South Philadelphia for the Wildcats, and you walk into seemingly some sort of J.Crew catalog ad. There are swarms of old to middle-aged couples wearing designer clothes and looking like people I would never even want to talk to, and then there's the student body you would associate with an expensive private university out on the Main Line. Translation — even as a middle-class white male who grew up mostly in suburbs before returning to the City of Brotherly Love as an adult, I feel much more comfortable at a Temple home game with its diverse crowd. I'm not entirely sure why, but there you have it.
Anyway, back to the game. Almost immediately, my fears were coming to fruition, as the Hoyas began the game with a three-pointer and jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead. I jokingly said the game was already over at that point, might as well beat the traffic.
But then a funny thing happened. Jay Wright made a quick substitution after his team started with two turnovers and a foul, and everything changed from there. Senior Mouphtaou Yarou was dominating the glass, and JayVaughn Pinkston was playing as aggressive as I've ever seen him play, attacking whichever Hoya was attempting to handle him inside nearly every possession he was on the court.
Further, Wright, sensing that he'd need his team fresh for an intense, crucial 40 minutes, began subbing his players in and out at nearly every dead ball, almost as if making line changes in hockey. It was quite a sight to behold, some real chess going on against John Thompson III, and it worked — perfectly. Before you could blink, the Wildcats went on a 10-2 run to take the lead, and suddenly it was a ballgame again. However, it was tough to tell from the crowd. The upper section was barren, and even the full lower bowl was subdued most of the first half. That is, until James Bell threw down a thunderous, improbable alley-oop from Ryan Arcidiacono. When Arcidiacono threw it, I honestly thought he had tossed it way too high and that it was destined to go out of bounds. Instead, Bell somehow caught it and threw it down emphatically, sparking the mostly dormant crowd.
By the time the first half was winding down, Nova had the ball up by four following an Arc three, and Mouphtaou Yarou hit a jumper as time was winding down to seemingly put the Cats up by six with 20 minutes to play. Alas, the ball was still in Mouph's hands as the buzzer sounded, so Nova had to settle for a four-point halftime lead. Not too shabby, particularly when you take into account the way Nova played that first half.
The aforementioned Pinkston was nearly unstoppable, embarrassing any Hoya who dared try to handle him, and he began to parade to the free throw line.
Mouph was a monster on the boards, cleaning up the glass any time the ball came near him, and Bell not only hit a couple of big three-pointers, but he also completely and utterly shut down the heralded Player of the Year candidate Otto Porter Jr. in the first 20 minutes, to the point that you could hardly notice Porter on the floor at all. It was the best defensive job I've ever seen Bell do, taking Georgetown's best player and making him a complete non-factor in the first half.
However, it was going to take another really strong half to come away with the victory. After all, the Hoyas kept it close despite sloppy play in large part because they were defending the three and giving Ryan Arcidiacono no space, and also because D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera kept hitting big shots every time it looked like Nova might pull away.
As expected, Georgetown did not go away quietly, but it really didn't matter. Wright continued his hockey-style substitutions, keeping all his guys fresh, and the defense continued to hound Georgetown into turnovers and bad shots. Porter did get on track a little when Bell wasn't guarding him, but with the game in the balance, Bell went back to his shutdown work on the top Hoya and took him off his game yet again.
From there, it was the JayVaughn Pinkston show. The man simply took over, playing arguably the best game of his career, if not then certainly the most aggressive.
Thanks to his aggressive nature, Nova was in the bonus and then double bonus in no time … but the Cats uncharacteristically were struggling from the line. Early anyway. But once it came to crunch time, Pinkston, Arcidiacono and Darrun Hilliard couldn't miss. Just like that, it was Nova's third victory of the season over a top 5 team, and it more than likely punched the Wildcats' ticket to the big dance.
It was a total team effort, no doubt. Defensively, James Bell was the star, keeping Porter in check and making him a complete non-factor at times. I can't say enough about the job Bell did last night. Further, his teammates were aggressive all over the court defensively, forcing 22 Georgetown turnovers and doing it without fouling.
Conversely, the team was just as aggressive on offense, getting to the line an insane 42 times, led by Pinkston — the star of the game — who managed a game-high 20 points on just 4-6 from the field … and 11-14 from the line. He added five steals and four boards for good measure.
On top of that, Nova didn't force things on the offensive end, particularly Arcidiacono. That's somewhat of a rarity for the freshman out of Neshaminy, a kid who's never passed up an open shot in his life. But last night, he was patient and smart with the ball. Arcidiacono went the first five minutes without even a shot attempt, and he only took five shots from the floor all game thanks to Georgetown's tremendous defense around the perimeter and defending the three-point line. So Arc just played within himself and the system and helped feed Pinkston and the rest of the squad.
It resulted in another great win for Nova, and now a team that many picked to finish at the bottom of the Big East standings is not only sitting at 10-8 in conference play, but at 19-12 overall with big victories over Louisville, Syracuse and now Georgetown. With last night's capper, Villanova should be securely in the field of 68 — a win or two (or three) in the Big East Tournament, and it's not even a question.
After the muted celebration, we headed out for celebratory cheesesteaks, watched some Workaholics and then saw us all get Nnamdi'd.
Maybe he was calling Ruxin while he was eating lunch in his car. It all makes sense now, unlike the Big 5 this year.
But hey, Villanova got a great victory last night, Temple destroyed Fordham and St. Joe's really destroyed Rhode Island, so things aren't nearly as bad as they were just a little while ago for Philadelphia college basketball. And now there's a very real chance Nova, Temple and La Salle will be dancing. For the Wildcats, they can thank Georgetown for forgetting about JayVaughn Pinkston last night.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Friday, March 1, 2013
It's Friday, Time to Dance
It's been a bit of a tumultuous basketball season for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. They started out hot and climbed in the rankings, only to stumble and drop out of the Top 25 and all the way to the NCAA Tournament bubble.
Heading into Tuesday night's game against top-ranked Indiana, the Gophers had lost two in a row, four of their last five and were 3-8 in their last 11 games. Then they went out and defeated the Hoosiers and are now more than likely in the field of 68 sitting at 19-9 overall and 7-8 in perhaps the toughest conference in America, barring any Michigan-like catastrophic collapse against Big Ten basement dweller Penn State tomorrow.
That victory by Minnesota was huge, so what more appropriate time to show coach Tubby Smith, who seems like a genuinely awesome guy, lead a post-game dance party after a victory over Wisconsin earlier this year?
Enjoy the weekend, everyone. It's March now, meaning the madness is about to begin.
Heading into Tuesday night's game against top-ranked Indiana, the Gophers had lost two in a row, four of their last five and were 3-8 in their last 11 games. Then they went out and defeated the Hoosiers and are now more than likely in the field of 68 sitting at 19-9 overall and 7-8 in perhaps the toughest conference in America, barring any Michigan-like catastrophic collapse against Big Ten basement dweller Penn State tomorrow.
That victory by Minnesota was huge, so what more appropriate time to show coach Tubby Smith, who seems like a genuinely awesome guy, lead a post-game dance party after a victory over Wisconsin earlier this year?
Enjoy the weekend, everyone. It's March now, meaning the madness is about to begin.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
Props for Jay Wright
On Saturday, Villanova got a huge win against 17th-ranked Marquette. It was 'Nova's third win against top-20 competition this season, adding to their wins against #3 Syracuse and #5 Louisville. Add in their win against UConn and the Wildcats have 4 top-30 RPI wins. The win on Saturday inched Villanova a little bit closer to securing an NCAA tournament bid. And I am here to argue that this season's campaign is the best that coach Jay Wright has had on the Main Line.
That statement says a lot. Since Jay Wright took over on the Main Line, the Wildcats have made 7 NCAA tournament appearances and 3 NIT appearances. They've made a Final 4, an Elite 8, and two Sweet 16's. In 2005, they were a phantom traveling call on Allen Ray from reaching another Elite 8, and in 2006 they lost in the Elite 8, and an injury to Curtis Sumpter will leave that 'Nova squad forever in the "what might have been" category.
Coach Wright took over a mediocre program from former coach Steve Lappas and returned it to national prominence. Solid recruiting classes, perennial top-25 rankings, and trips to the NCAA tournament have become the norm at Villanova under Wright's guidance.
Last season they stumbled to a putrid 13-19 record. It was only the second time Villanova failed to record a winning record under Wright, and the only time during his tenure where they failed to qualify for any postseason basketball.
The season was a tough one for 'Nova fans to stomach, as they had gotten used to 20+ win seasons and NCAA tournament bids. It also opened the door for some of Wright's critics. Even the proprietor of this here site has been critical of Wright, citing that the coach has struggled at developing his usually stellar recruiting classes, although I certainly wouldn't classify the Rev a critic of Wright overall.
The disaster that was Villanova's 2011-2012 season had led to much-diminished expectations heading into this year. The Wildcats were picked by the Big East coaches to finish 12th in the conference this season (they currently sit tied for 7th at 9-6). You would be hard-pressed to find even the staunchest of 'Nova supporters and optimists claiming they expected the team to be anywhere near an NCAA tournament bid. Personally, at the beginning of the season I would have been satisfied with a .500 record and an NIT berth.
And yet here we are, in late February, and the Wildcats trending toward an invite to the Big Dance. They are 18-10 with three regular-season games remaining. They play Seton Hall tonight, who they should (and need to) beat. Knock on wood. Then they finish with tough games against two nationally ranked teams in Pitt and rival Georgetown.
It's still too early to try to figure out what the résumé will look like in two weeks' time. It could look about the same, or it could look drastically better or worse. But the fact that the Wildcats are squarely in the discussion and ultimately hold their fate in their own hands is a testament to the players and to the job coach Wright has done this season.
He's gotten his guys to play tough night in and night out. They've gutted out several wins. The biggest difference is that this year they are finding ways to win games that last year they would find a way to lose. I am equally surprised/excited/impressed with the season they have put together and where they stand with Selection Sunday drawing ever closer.
Perhaps even more importantly, the team seems to be in good hands going forward. Mouphtaou Yarou and Maurice Sutton are the only seniors on the team. Next season they will return the leadership and clutch play of James Bell, the steady play of an increasingly confident and comfortable JayVaughn Pinkston, and the hopefully improving play of already promising and impressive freshman Ryan Arcidiacono. Sophomore Darrun Hilliard has also surprised, showing flashes of offensive brilliance.
Regardless of how the rest of the season goes and what their ultimate fate concerning the NCAA tournament becomes, they have shown great improvement and growth from last year. They were coming off an abysmal season and into a season with low expectations. And they've been working with arguably the least amount of talent that they've had under Wright. So I just needed to give some props to coach, who is doing perhaps his best job since arriving on the Main Line, despite all the success he has already had there.
That statement says a lot. Since Jay Wright took over on the Main Line, the Wildcats have made 7 NCAA tournament appearances and 3 NIT appearances. They've made a Final 4, an Elite 8, and two Sweet 16's. In 2005, they were a phantom traveling call on Allen Ray from reaching another Elite 8, and in 2006 they lost in the Elite 8, and an injury to Curtis Sumpter will leave that 'Nova squad forever in the "what might have been" category.
Coach Wright took over a mediocre program from former coach Steve Lappas and returned it to national prominence. Solid recruiting classes, perennial top-25 rankings, and trips to the NCAA tournament have become the norm at Villanova under Wright's guidance.
Last season they stumbled to a putrid 13-19 record. It was only the second time Villanova failed to record a winning record under Wright, and the only time during his tenure where they failed to qualify for any postseason basketball.
The season was a tough one for 'Nova fans to stomach, as they had gotten used to 20+ win seasons and NCAA tournament bids. It also opened the door for some of Wright's critics. Even the proprietor of this here site has been critical of Wright, citing that the coach has struggled at developing his usually stellar recruiting classes, although I certainly wouldn't classify the Rev a critic of Wright overall.
The disaster that was Villanova's 2011-2012 season had led to much-diminished expectations heading into this year. The Wildcats were picked by the Big East coaches to finish 12th in the conference this season (they currently sit tied for 7th at 9-6). You would be hard-pressed to find even the staunchest of 'Nova supporters and optimists claiming they expected the team to be anywhere near an NCAA tournament bid. Personally, at the beginning of the season I would have been satisfied with a .500 record and an NIT berth.
And yet here we are, in late February, and the Wildcats trending toward an invite to the Big Dance. They are 18-10 with three regular-season games remaining. They play Seton Hall tonight, who they should (and need to) beat. Knock on wood. Then they finish with tough games against two nationally ranked teams in Pitt and rival Georgetown.
It's still too early to try to figure out what the résumé will look like in two weeks' time. It could look about the same, or it could look drastically better or worse. But the fact that the Wildcats are squarely in the discussion and ultimately hold their fate in their own hands is a testament to the players and to the job coach Wright has done this season.
He's gotten his guys to play tough night in and night out. They've gutted out several wins. The biggest difference is that this year they are finding ways to win games that last year they would find a way to lose. I am equally surprised/excited/impressed with the season they have put together and where they stand with Selection Sunday drawing ever closer.
Perhaps even more importantly, the team seems to be in good hands going forward. Mouphtaou Yarou and Maurice Sutton are the only seniors on the team. Next season they will return the leadership and clutch play of James Bell, the steady play of an increasingly confident and comfortable JayVaughn Pinkston, and the hopefully improving play of already promising and impressive freshman Ryan Arcidiacono. Sophomore Darrun Hilliard has also surprised, showing flashes of offensive brilliance.
Regardless of how the rest of the season goes and what their ultimate fate concerning the NCAA tournament becomes, they have shown great improvement and growth from last year. They were coming off an abysmal season and into a season with low expectations. And they've been working with arguably the least amount of talent that they've had under Wright. So I just needed to give some props to coach, who is doing perhaps his best job since arriving on the Main Line, despite all the success he has already had there.
LeBron James Is Too Good
I was going to write about the Big 5 teams with NCAA Tournament hopes — La Salle, Villanova and Temple — all winning over the weekend, but I only watched the Nova game and don't have too much to say other than the Wildcats almost blew it because they stopped feeding Darrun Hilliard even though he was on fire.
Then I was debating writing about the Flyers or Sixers, but there's not too much I have to say at the moment.
And finally, I was gonna write about how LeBron James is the best basketball player I have ever seen, at least as an adult, after his triple-double against the Sixers, but I've already sang the praises of LeBron James here and elsewhere that there's not much to add.
Basically, to start the third quarter, LeBron simply decided he'd had enough of the Sixers and took over completely, even without shooting much, as James' 16 points were well behind teammate Dwyane Wade's 33. So instead, I'm just gonna put up LeBron's highlights from Saturday and leave it at that, because LeBron James is too good.
Then I was debating writing about the Flyers or Sixers, but there's not too much I have to say at the moment.
And finally, I was gonna write about how LeBron James is the best basketball player I have ever seen, at least as an adult, after his triple-double against the Sixers, but I've already sang the praises of LeBron James here and elsewhere that there's not much to add.
Basically, to start the third quarter, LeBron simply decided he'd had enough of the Sixers and took over completely, even without shooting much, as James' 16 points were well behind teammate Dwyane Wade's 33. So instead, I'm just gonna put up LeBron's highlights from Saturday and leave it at that, because LeBron James is too good.
Friday, February 22, 2013
It's Friday, Time to Dance (and the Flyers Are Assholes)
The Sixers are terrible. Like terrible terrible. They have very little in the way of talent without Andrew Bynum and Thaddeus Young outside of Jrue Holiday, and Doug Collins has completely botched any and all opportunities to develop young guys because he is an insane person.
But, at least Jrue Holiday is fun to watch, even if Damien Wilkins and the laughable front court are not. So here is Jrue and his fellow all-stars butchering popular songs down in Houston during all-star weekend.
Also, the Flyers are assholes. For real.
I get that last night's absolutely pathetic 5-2 drubbing against the Panthers was a trap game. The night before, the Flyers played in a wild, emotional game at Pittsburgh, edging the Penguins 6-5 in dramatic fashion. But guess what? This team can't afford to have any letdowns in this short season, not anymore. Not after starting abysmally and digging themselves a nice hole.
While the Flyers are only a point out of the eighth spot in the East right now, they also have played more games than any other team in the NHL (19), meaning they have less games to make up those points — a decided disadvantage.
I don't want to hear anymore about back-to-backs or travel fatigue or anything else. These slow starts are inexcusable, and the inconsistency is maddening. Sure, it hurts big time losing guys like Scott Hartnell and Matt Read, among others, but that doesn't excuse the absolutely pathetic lack of effort these guys start games with, and the completely embarrassing first period last night.
It's one thing to lose while playing hard. It's completely another thing to look like dogs out on the ice. The Flyers have been the latter more times than not this year, which is exactly why they are 8-10-1 and in 10th place in the East.
No more excuses left. There's not enough time for that.
But, at least Jrue Holiday is fun to watch, even if Damien Wilkins and the laughable front court are not. So here is Jrue and his fellow all-stars butchering popular songs down in Houston during all-star weekend.
Also, the Flyers are assholes. For real.
I get that last night's absolutely pathetic 5-2 drubbing against the Panthers was a trap game. The night before, the Flyers played in a wild, emotional game at Pittsburgh, edging the Penguins 6-5 in dramatic fashion. But guess what? This team can't afford to have any letdowns in this short season, not anymore. Not after starting abysmally and digging themselves a nice hole.
While the Flyers are only a point out of the eighth spot in the East right now, they also have played more games than any other team in the NHL (19), meaning they have less games to make up those points — a decided disadvantage.
I don't want to hear anymore about back-to-backs or travel fatigue or anything else. These slow starts are inexcusable, and the inconsistency is maddening. Sure, it hurts big time losing guys like Scott Hartnell and Matt Read, among others, but that doesn't excuse the absolutely pathetic lack of effort these guys start games with, and the completely embarrassing first period last night.
It's one thing to lose while playing hard. It's completely another thing to look like dogs out on the ice. The Flyers have been the latter more times than not this year, which is exactly why they are 8-10-1 and in 10th place in the East.
No more excuses left. There's not enough time for that.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
What in the World Is Up With the Big 5?
Anyone who knows anything about college basketball knows the importance, tradition and success of the Big 5. For Philadelphians, it's a source of pride, and heading down to the Palestra to see a Big 5 battle was a right of passage for decades — albeit one that's fading with the new arenas and money grabs for each of the respective schools.
The Big 5 is college basketball in a nutshell. The passion. The intensity. The pride. The hatred. The rivalries. The bragging rights. The camaraderie. It's all there within a few measly miles of each other — Tobacco Road times three (if you add in Drexel for the City Six, that is).
While the ultimate prize has been oh-so-elusive for the Big 5 teams — the last championship for the city came in 1985 when Rollie Massimino's Villanova Wildcats upset the Patrick Ewing-led Georgetown Hoyas — the Big 5 has produced some of the all-time great players, historic figures and winning schools.
The names are endless: John Chaney, Ed Pinckney, Aaron McKie, Eddie Jones, Kerry Kittles, Jameer Nelson, Delonte West, Guy Rodgers, Mark Macon, Paul Arizin, Lionel Simmons, Michael Brooks, Fran Dunphy, Tom Gola, Chuck Daly, Jack Ramsay — you could go on for days.
Beyond that, you have two of top 10 all-time winningest programs with Temple sixth behind the likes of Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina, Duke and Syracuse, and Penn sitting 10th. Which is all to say that the Big 5 has a rich history — one that is so rich that there has been at least one Big 5 representative in the NCAA Tournament for 35 straight years.
Well guess what? That streak is incredibly in peril this year. While ESPN Bracketologist (and St. Joe's man) Joe Lunardi does have La Salle and Villanova currently in the dance, they are by no means locks, and the likes of Temple and St. Joe's need something close to resembling a miracle to get themselves in. The Quakers have absolutely no shot.
The team with the best case right now, believe it or not, is La Salle. The Explorers have the best record of all the Big 5 teams, sitting at 18-6 overall and tied with Butler at 8-3 for third in the improved Atlantic 10 — thanks to the additions of VCU and Butler. And La Salle has built a strong case thanks to defeating the newest A-10 teams, knocking off then No. 9 Butler at home and following it up immediately by defeating VCU on the road. The problem is La Salle has absolutely zero good out-of-conference wins. The only real tough opponent they played outside the A-10 is Miami, who crushed them — just as they have damn near everyone, Duke and North Carolina included. Adding to that lack of a definitive out-of-conference victory, the Explorers also somehow suffered embarrassing defeats to Central Connecticut State and Bucknell, not to mention losses to Charlotte and UMass.
So while the Explorers have a god shot to get in, they cannot afford to slip up down the stretch. That's no easy task with a difficult game against Big 5 and conference foe Temple Thursday, not to mention two more road games to close out the regular season — the last one coming against a 19-5 Saint Louis squad that trails only VCU in the conference standings.
Without question, Villanova is the other team that has the best shot at the tourney. Their 17-10 record is boosted by one hell of a week in which the Wildcats knocked off then No. 5 Louisville and then No. 3 Syracuse in the span of a few days. But will those wins alone be enough, particularly given the tough remaining schedule for Nova? The Cats close out the season by hosting No. 17 Marquette Saturday, followed by back-to-back road games against Seton Hall and No. 20 Pittsburgh, then home again to host No. 11 Georgetown in the season finale. Villanova could easily lose all of those games, in which case you can kiss the NCAA tournament goodbye barring an unforeseen run in the Big East Tournament.
And again complicating matters, Nova has had some major hiccups along the way. They lost three in a row to Alabama, Columbia and La Salle. I repeat, they lost to Columbia. They also had another three-game losing streak, dropping games at Syracuse, against Pitt and at Providence. In fact, Nova lost both games against the Friars, a team that is just 14-11 on the season and 6-7 in the conference.
Hell, it looked like the Wildcats might completely blow up their tourney chances last night, when they came out and played horrifically uninspired basketball in the first half against Rutgers before righting the ship in the second half. Again, Nova is already a bubble team as is — far from a lock, and in more danger than even La Salle at this point.
Then there is the curious case of Temple.
The Owls have basically been the class of the A-10 since Fran Dunphy succeeded fellow Big 5 legend John Chaney — and as we all know the Owls were also dominant during much of Chaney's tenure. This year, while the team definitely lost key contributors, there was no reason to think they wouldn't be a tournament team yet again. Only right now, they are on the outside looking in, on the wrong side of the bubble.
It's been a baffling year for the Owls, just as it has been for the entire Big 5. Somehow, a team that started 8-1 with its only loss coming at then-No. 2 Duke lost at home by 10 points to something called Canisius. It made no sense, particularly considering immediately after that inexplicable, embarrassing loss, Temple went up and topped No. 3 Syracuse and looked every big like a legit NCAA tournament threat. Then the Owls traveled to Lawrence and damn near upset then-No. 6 Kansas, and everyone thought Temple was going to be a handful come tournament time. Then they lost a tough one at Xavier, hardly an embarrassing defeat, but it was precursor of struggles to come.
Temple lost to St. Bonaventure, then lost by double digits to Butler and dropped games to St. Joe's and Duquesne. Not good. Even the victory over UMass over the weekend took everything the Owls had. As Fran Dunphy said, this team simply was overrated. Now Temple sits at 17-8 overall and 6-5 in the conference. It very well may take another run to the A-10 Tournament title for the Owls to keep their tournament streak alive.
As for St. Joe's and Penn, the hopes of a tournament birth are all but gone. In fact, the Quakers have absolutely not shot with their dismal 6-18 record. There will be no dancing for the Palestra inhabitants this year. As for the Hawks, it's going to be an uphill battle that quite frankly won't happen.
St. Joe's is 14-10 overall and 5-6 in A-10 play. And while they did beat Notre Dame, Xavier and Temple, the Hawks have also lost to Fairfield, St. Bonaventure, Dayton and UMass, not to mention dropping games to bubble teams Villanova and La Salle.
Coming off a 20-win season last year, the Hawks were supposed to take a step forward and become a tournament team in 2013. Instead, they have regressed, failing to live up to any sort of expectations. As a result, the Hawks have to win out to even get consideration, and probably need a very, very deep — as in winning it all — A-10 tournament run to actually get in. The outlook is not good.
And if you go ahead and add in Drexel, another team that many thought could be the best in the city this year, playing horrid basketball and sitting at 11-15, there are no surefire NCAA Tournament locks for any Philadelphia team.
It's as if not a single team in the city can figure out who exactly it is. Every one of them has been up and down, at times looking impressive only to slip up or get embarrassed by seemingly inferior competition. And it very well could cost the Big 5 and Philadelphia their dancing shoes for the first time in a long, long while.
The Big 5 is college basketball in a nutshell. The passion. The intensity. The pride. The hatred. The rivalries. The bragging rights. The camaraderie. It's all there within a few measly miles of each other — Tobacco Road times three (if you add in Drexel for the City Six, that is).
While the ultimate prize has been oh-so-elusive for the Big 5 teams — the last championship for the city came in 1985 when Rollie Massimino's Villanova Wildcats upset the Patrick Ewing-led Georgetown Hoyas — the Big 5 has produced some of the all-time great players, historic figures and winning schools.
The names are endless: John Chaney, Ed Pinckney, Aaron McKie, Eddie Jones, Kerry Kittles, Jameer Nelson, Delonte West, Guy Rodgers, Mark Macon, Paul Arizin, Lionel Simmons, Michael Brooks, Fran Dunphy, Tom Gola, Chuck Daly, Jack Ramsay — you could go on for days.
Beyond that, you have two of top 10 all-time winningest programs with Temple sixth behind the likes of Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina, Duke and Syracuse, and Penn sitting 10th. Which is all to say that the Big 5 has a rich history — one that is so rich that there has been at least one Big 5 representative in the NCAA Tournament for 35 straight years.
Well guess what? That streak is incredibly in peril this year. While ESPN Bracketologist (and St. Joe's man) Joe Lunardi does have La Salle and Villanova currently in the dance, they are by no means locks, and the likes of Temple and St. Joe's need something close to resembling a miracle to get themselves in. The Quakers have absolutely no shot.
The team with the best case right now, believe it or not, is La Salle. The Explorers have the best record of all the Big 5 teams, sitting at 18-6 overall and tied with Butler at 8-3 for third in the improved Atlantic 10 — thanks to the additions of VCU and Butler. And La Salle has built a strong case thanks to defeating the newest A-10 teams, knocking off then No. 9 Butler at home and following it up immediately by defeating VCU on the road. The problem is La Salle has absolutely zero good out-of-conference wins. The only real tough opponent they played outside the A-10 is Miami, who crushed them — just as they have damn near everyone, Duke and North Carolina included. Adding to that lack of a definitive out-of-conference victory, the Explorers also somehow suffered embarrassing defeats to Central Connecticut State and Bucknell, not to mention losses to Charlotte and UMass.
So while the Explorers have a god shot to get in, they cannot afford to slip up down the stretch. That's no easy task with a difficult game against Big 5 and conference foe Temple Thursday, not to mention two more road games to close out the regular season — the last one coming against a 19-5 Saint Louis squad that trails only VCU in the conference standings.
Without question, Villanova is the other team that has the best shot at the tourney. Their 17-10 record is boosted by one hell of a week in which the Wildcats knocked off then No. 5 Louisville and then No. 3 Syracuse in the span of a few days. But will those wins alone be enough, particularly given the tough remaining schedule for Nova? The Cats close out the season by hosting No. 17 Marquette Saturday, followed by back-to-back road games against Seton Hall and No. 20 Pittsburgh, then home again to host No. 11 Georgetown in the season finale. Villanova could easily lose all of those games, in which case you can kiss the NCAA tournament goodbye barring an unforeseen run in the Big East Tournament.
And again complicating matters, Nova has had some major hiccups along the way. They lost three in a row to Alabama, Columbia and La Salle. I repeat, they lost to Columbia. They also had another three-game losing streak, dropping games at Syracuse, against Pitt and at Providence. In fact, Nova lost both games against the Friars, a team that is just 14-11 on the season and 6-7 in the conference.
Hell, it looked like the Wildcats might completely blow up their tourney chances last night, when they came out and played horrifically uninspired basketball in the first half against Rutgers before righting the ship in the second half. Again, Nova is already a bubble team as is — far from a lock, and in more danger than even La Salle at this point.
Then there is the curious case of Temple.
The Owls have basically been the class of the A-10 since Fran Dunphy succeeded fellow Big 5 legend John Chaney — and as we all know the Owls were also dominant during much of Chaney's tenure. This year, while the team definitely lost key contributors, there was no reason to think they wouldn't be a tournament team yet again. Only right now, they are on the outside looking in, on the wrong side of the bubble.
It's been a baffling year for the Owls, just as it has been for the entire Big 5. Somehow, a team that started 8-1 with its only loss coming at then-No. 2 Duke lost at home by 10 points to something called Canisius. It made no sense, particularly considering immediately after that inexplicable, embarrassing loss, Temple went up and topped No. 3 Syracuse and looked every big like a legit NCAA tournament threat. Then the Owls traveled to Lawrence and damn near upset then-No. 6 Kansas, and everyone thought Temple was going to be a handful come tournament time. Then they lost a tough one at Xavier, hardly an embarrassing defeat, but it was precursor of struggles to come.
Temple lost to St. Bonaventure, then lost by double digits to Butler and dropped games to St. Joe's and Duquesne. Not good. Even the victory over UMass over the weekend took everything the Owls had. As Fran Dunphy said, this team simply was overrated. Now Temple sits at 17-8 overall and 6-5 in the conference. It very well may take another run to the A-10 Tournament title for the Owls to keep their tournament streak alive.
As for St. Joe's and Penn, the hopes of a tournament birth are all but gone. In fact, the Quakers have absolutely not shot with their dismal 6-18 record. There will be no dancing for the Palestra inhabitants this year. As for the Hawks, it's going to be an uphill battle that quite frankly won't happen.
St. Joe's is 14-10 overall and 5-6 in A-10 play. And while they did beat Notre Dame, Xavier and Temple, the Hawks have also lost to Fairfield, St. Bonaventure, Dayton and UMass, not to mention dropping games to bubble teams Villanova and La Salle.
Coming off a 20-win season last year, the Hawks were supposed to take a step forward and become a tournament team in 2013. Instead, they have regressed, failing to live up to any sort of expectations. As a result, the Hawks have to win out to even get consideration, and probably need a very, very deep — as in winning it all — A-10 tournament run to actually get in. The outlook is not good.
And if you go ahead and add in Drexel, another team that many thought could be the best in the city this year, playing horrid basketball and sitting at 11-15, there are no surefire NCAA Tournament locks for any Philadelphia team.
It's as if not a single team in the city can figure out who exactly it is. Every one of them has been up and down, at times looking impressive only to slip up or get embarrassed by seemingly inferior competition. And it very well could cost the Big 5 and Philadelphia their dancing shoes for the first time in a long, long while.
Friday, February 15, 2013
It's Friday, Time to Dance
So spring training is in full swing as the weather actually feels like spring here in Philadelphia today. Seriously, it's 60 degrees out and sunny with nearly no clouds in the sky. It's almost unnerving to be honest. The weather is supposed to be all gray and depressing and cold and miserable. I'm severely thrown off.
Anyway, back to spring training. It's baseball time, with opening day less than two months away and pitchers and catchers and the all the rest reporting for duty down south. With that in mind, here is new Cleveland Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer possibly dissing Miguel Montero via the time-honored tradition of terrible rapping.
Enjoy NBA all-star weekend everyone.
Anyway, back to spring training. It's baseball time, with opening day less than two months away and pitchers and catchers and the all the rest reporting for duty down south. With that in mind, here is new Cleveland Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer possibly dissing Miguel Montero via the time-honored tradition of terrible rapping.
Enjoy NBA all-star weekend everyone.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
The Philadelphia 4: Coaches in the City of Brotherly Love
A funny thing happened to me over the past two years. You see, like a lot of Philadelphia sports fans, particularly Eagles fans, I was of the belief Andy Reid should be fired. I had this belief as far back as 2003, when the Eagles lost their third straight NFC Championship game, getting embarrassed by the Carolina Panthers one year after closing out the Vet in the most appropriate way possible — by getting Joe Jurevicius'd and Ronde Barber'd out of participating in the Super Bowl.
I was at that game. After the first drive, it sucked. Also fuck Warren Sapp.
But back to the last two years. You see, over the last two years, even as the Eagles stumbled and bumbled their way to mediocrity and worse, Andy Reid went from the top of the list all the way down the bottom of Philadelphia professional sports coaches as far as drawing my ire is concerned. In fact, it got to the point where I was having an easier time pulling for Andy Reid and appreciating all he's done. That is not to say I thought Andy Reid deserved to be retained as Eagles coach. He was fired, and rightfully so — honestly probably too late. But for all his faults, at least we knew what they were and he was called out on them. We could all see what was wrong with Reid and his teams as the wins began to come less and less, to the point where you didn't have to argue with anyone over his shortcomings.
That leads me to this post right here. With Andy gone, there is no coach that is universally criticized by his supporters and detractors alike any longer in Philadelphia. The closest thing right now is probably the debate of the hire of Reid's replacement, former Oregon Ducks coach Chip Kelly.
Personally, I'm a fan of the Kelly hire. It's different. It's creative. And it's forward-thinking. I'm willing to give him a shot. But there's not much to argue over yet, seeing as he's never coached a down of football at the NFL level — and his success out west has been pretty much praised across the board. We're in wait and see mode with Kelly, as far as I'm concerned.
That leaves the other three coaches, the men who are at the helm of the Sixers, Flyers and Phillies. So let's take a look at them all, and present all the issues I have with each.
Doug Collins
I love Doug Collins the NBA analyst. I really like what I know of Doug Collins the person. And I very much like that Doug Collins was an all-star player for the Philadelphia 76ers before I was a born and that he really seems to love the city I call home.
I do not, however, like Doug Collins the basketball coach. I just don't. And I really wasn't all that enthused when the Sixers signed him to a four-year contract — especially since he's never lasted more than three years at any of his previous stops. These were my exact words when he was hired:
I have no idea if this hire is a good thing or a bad thing. It certainly isn't an exciting one. And it's actually kind of sad, because Doug is an awesome analyst. TNT will surely miss him.
Truthfully, things have never gotten better, even with the Sixers making the playoffs and even winning a series last year. All of Collins' hallmark deficiencies have cropped up during his tenure as the head coach of the team that drafted him No. 1 overall: his reluctance to trust young players, his love affair with veterans who cannot play, his lack of progressive vision … the list goes on.
I hated the way he handled Jrue Holiday with Andre Iguodala and Lou Williams around, rarely trusting his young point guard with the ball until this season, with Andre and Lou finally gone. I hated the way he yo-yoed with Evan Turner and stunted Jrue's progression. I really, really hated the way he toyed with Nik Vucevic and Lavoy Allen before completely ignoring them because the soft and laughable Spencer Hawes was back.
Don't get me wrong, I give Collins credit where credit is due and even defended him at times.
But any progress the franchise has made the past two seasons has been far too short-sighted, to the point where you could argue it hasn't been progress at all. Players have struggled with what their roles are. Blind loyalty has set young players back. Not demanding his team gets the ball to hot players has cost the Sixers games. His complaints have given his players excuses. And his love affair with D-League talents Royal Ivey and Damien Wilkins have put more talented players such as Dorrell Wright (albeit an underperforming better talent) out in the cold.
Simply put, there is a reason Doug Collins has never lasted more than three years at one spot, and it's because he quite frankly isn't that great of an NBA coach. Don't get me wrong, he's a fine hire as a short-term stopgap, which is what he should be here in Philadelphia. But he's not the type of guy who is going to help a team mold into a contender. He left the Bulls, and shortly after they became a dynasty. He left the Pistons, and not too long after they became a mainstay under Rick Carlisle and then champion under Larry Brown. He left the Wizards, and they became a regular playoff team after.
I think this should be Doug's final season in Philadelphia as well, because the team needs someone with more vision and passion for the future. He's done wonders this season with Jrue Holiday, but it makes you wonder if this day could have arrived sooner had he entrusted him with the direction of the team earlier. The rest of the roster is stagnate and not getting any better under Collins. Evan Turner is a lost puppy most of the time, probably due to a combination of his own shortcomings and his power struggle with Collins. My fear is the Sixers will let him stick around one more season based of last year's playoff victory and this season's lost promise sans Andrew Bynum and now missing Thaddeus Young, the only other player outside of Holiday really worth a damn.
Truth be told, you don't hear the uproar about Collins outside the real intent observers — The700Levels and Liberty Ballers of the world — but you should. The Sixers have been stuck in neutral ever since Larry Brown jumped ship, and they haven't really moved out of that under Collins at all. Outside of Holiday, there's not much to be optimistic of, and that includes Doug Collins.
Peter Laviolette
Conversely, when the Flyers fired John Stevens and replaced him with Peter Laviolette, I couldn't have been more ecstatic. Admittedly, that was partly because I did not like John Stevens as a head coach whatsoever. But it was also because Laviolette was a good coach in Carolina who won a Cup, and he had the type of fire I like to see out of my coaches, especially hockey coaches. There was just something about Lavvy that drew me in, just like it drew in every Philadelphia fan.
When his team showed up flat, he laid into them. He wasn't afraid to challenge his guys yet still get the most out of them. And he's a veritable Philadelphia quote machine.
And of course, he helped get the Flyers to within two wins of hoisting their first Stanley Cup since the 1970s, thanks in no small part to his legendary timeout.
However, even with all the success and fire of Laviolette, he has his flaws. Like Collins' handling of Holiday and Turner, I didn't really like the way Laviolette held the oft-injured James van Riemsdyk back in the postseason two years ago when he was the best Flyer on the ice, one of several baffling decisions he made that postseason.
Then last season, after the Flyers retooled their team, they had a penchant for starting slow — an issue that lasted all season and cost them dearly in the playoffs, and a habit that has continued at the start of this season. It was an issue that he never corrected, which is the job of the coach no matter how much the players must execute. Further, this team has been one of the most undisciplined in hockey for years, they've had egregious defensive breakdowns on an almost nightly basis and the power play, save for the time spent with Chris Pronger manning the point, has been maddeningly inconsistent. These are all issues that are recurring themes under Lavioliette, recurring themes that never seem to get corrected.
Most Flyers fans won't want to hear this because they like Laviolette — hell, I like him too — but it's reminiscent of Andy Reid and his continued failures with clock management, use of timeouts and lack of in-game adjustments. Laviolette definitely has that "Philadelphia attitude" that the fans love so much, but he also has glaring blind spots as a coach. There's no reason this team should come out flat as often as it does, no reason they can't play more disciplined hockey and stay out of the box, no reason they can't play more responsibly defensively. Yet they never do. Add on top of that the mostly inept work in the face-off circle under his tenure — though admittedly they have been better in that regard of late — and it always seems to be the same issues, issues the coach has to correct. Frankly, I'm getting tired of waiting around.
It's difficult for me, because I actually love Laviolette's passion and it's clear he's a good coach. He won a Cup, took the Flyers to one of their own, and the team has had success. But it won't get the Flyers over the hump, especially with some key players who propelled them to that Eastern Conference Championship — Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Chris Pronger, Simon Gagne, Matt Carle — gone, unless Laviolette can prove he can correct these recurring mistakes. As we saw with Reid, that's easier said than done. And if it doesn't happen soon, I'm not sure it ever will.
Charlie Manuel
I'll keep this short with Manuel because, frankly — even though he has his own glaring flaws — it's hard to go too hard on Charlie. After all, he is the skipper who helped the Phillies become World Fucking Champions, and the Phillies have had unprecedented success under Charlie. All those NL East titles, playoff appearances, two World Series stints and a World Championship. It's hard to be too mad at Manuel, even after last season when the Phillies failed to make the playoffs. Hard to blame Charlie for the major injuries to Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Roy Halladay, among others, that derailed the season.
I will say, however, that as we all know, Manuel makes some completely baffling moves. They are too long to even attempt to list. His insistence on never using his closer outside of a closing role (or at least until the 9th inning) has cost the Phillies countless games. His and his front office's lack of patience with Domonic Brown has left us all wondering what in the hell Brown is or can become. He has repeatedly wrote line-up cards that don't make sense, took a while to get the hang of the double switch and hasn't exactly always handled pitchers well. His flaws are only going to get more glaring as the roster ages, the way people focused on those shortcomings before 2007/08.
But, the players still do love playing for Charlie, and they've won a shitload of games under him. In fact, he's steered the most successful run Philadelphia Phillies history. After all, this franchise is the losingest franchise in North American sports history, but under Manuel, the Phillies have been consistent winners — something that seemed unfathomable to me as a child.
Truthfully, with the players he's had, it's hard to blame Manuel for the playoff woes of 2010 and 2011, when the team simply couldn't hit, not mention the unforeseen egg laid by Cliff Lee. And in 2009, they were beat by a better New York Yankees squad, and things may have been different had Cole Hamels not been experiencing an NLCS and World Series MVP hangover from 2008.
Still, Manuel definitely gives you some head scratchers, and with the team lacking more power than it ever has, fielding the shakiest defense in his tenure and needing to win games in more diverse ways, Manuel is going to have to do things that go against his nature, or the Phillies will struggle to keep pace with the Nationals, Braves and the rest of the National League whether they're healthy or not. So the spotlight is only going to hotter on Manuel's seat in the dugout. I have a feeling he doesn't' mind, but does that mean the Phillies will win? We're about to find out.
I was at that game. After the first drive, it sucked. Also fuck Warren Sapp.
But back to the last two years. You see, over the last two years, even as the Eagles stumbled and bumbled their way to mediocrity and worse, Andy Reid went from the top of the list all the way down the bottom of Philadelphia professional sports coaches as far as drawing my ire is concerned. In fact, it got to the point where I was having an easier time pulling for Andy Reid and appreciating all he's done. That is not to say I thought Andy Reid deserved to be retained as Eagles coach. He was fired, and rightfully so — honestly probably too late. But for all his faults, at least we knew what they were and he was called out on them. We could all see what was wrong with Reid and his teams as the wins began to come less and less, to the point where you didn't have to argue with anyone over his shortcomings.
That leads me to this post right here. With Andy gone, there is no coach that is universally criticized by his supporters and detractors alike any longer in Philadelphia. The closest thing right now is probably the debate of the hire of Reid's replacement, former Oregon Ducks coach Chip Kelly.
Personally, I'm a fan of the Kelly hire. It's different. It's creative. And it's forward-thinking. I'm willing to give him a shot. But there's not much to argue over yet, seeing as he's never coached a down of football at the NFL level — and his success out west has been pretty much praised across the board. We're in wait and see mode with Kelly, as far as I'm concerned.
That leaves the other three coaches, the men who are at the helm of the Sixers, Flyers and Phillies. So let's take a look at them all, and present all the issues I have with each.
Doug Collins
I love Doug Collins the NBA analyst. I really like what I know of Doug Collins the person. And I very much like that Doug Collins was an all-star player for the Philadelphia 76ers before I was a born and that he really seems to love the city I call home.
I do not, however, like Doug Collins the basketball coach. I just don't. And I really wasn't all that enthused when the Sixers signed him to a four-year contract — especially since he's never lasted more than three years at any of his previous stops. These were my exact words when he was hired:
I have no idea if this hire is a good thing or a bad thing. It certainly isn't an exciting one. And it's actually kind of sad, because Doug is an awesome analyst. TNT will surely miss him.
Truthfully, things have never gotten better, even with the Sixers making the playoffs and even winning a series last year. All of Collins' hallmark deficiencies have cropped up during his tenure as the head coach of the team that drafted him No. 1 overall: his reluctance to trust young players, his love affair with veterans who cannot play, his lack of progressive vision … the list goes on.
I hated the way he handled Jrue Holiday with Andre Iguodala and Lou Williams around, rarely trusting his young point guard with the ball until this season, with Andre and Lou finally gone. I hated the way he yo-yoed with Evan Turner and stunted Jrue's progression. I really, really hated the way he toyed with Nik Vucevic and Lavoy Allen before completely ignoring them because the soft and laughable Spencer Hawes was back.
Don't get me wrong, I give Collins credit where credit is due and even defended him at times.
But any progress the franchise has made the past two seasons has been far too short-sighted, to the point where you could argue it hasn't been progress at all. Players have struggled with what their roles are. Blind loyalty has set young players back. Not demanding his team gets the ball to hot players has cost the Sixers games. His complaints have given his players excuses. And his love affair with D-League talents Royal Ivey and Damien Wilkins have put more talented players such as Dorrell Wright (albeit an underperforming better talent) out in the cold.
Simply put, there is a reason Doug Collins has never lasted more than three years at one spot, and it's because he quite frankly isn't that great of an NBA coach. Don't get me wrong, he's a fine hire as a short-term stopgap, which is what he should be here in Philadelphia. But he's not the type of guy who is going to help a team mold into a contender. He left the Bulls, and shortly after they became a dynasty. He left the Pistons, and not too long after they became a mainstay under Rick Carlisle and then champion under Larry Brown. He left the Wizards, and they became a regular playoff team after.
I think this should be Doug's final season in Philadelphia as well, because the team needs someone with more vision and passion for the future. He's done wonders this season with Jrue Holiday, but it makes you wonder if this day could have arrived sooner had he entrusted him with the direction of the team earlier. The rest of the roster is stagnate and not getting any better under Collins. Evan Turner is a lost puppy most of the time, probably due to a combination of his own shortcomings and his power struggle with Collins. My fear is the Sixers will let him stick around one more season based of last year's playoff victory and this season's lost promise sans Andrew Bynum and now missing Thaddeus Young, the only other player outside of Holiday really worth a damn.
Truth be told, you don't hear the uproar about Collins outside the real intent observers — The700Levels and Liberty Ballers of the world — but you should. The Sixers have been stuck in neutral ever since Larry Brown jumped ship, and they haven't really moved out of that under Collins at all. Outside of Holiday, there's not much to be optimistic of, and that includes Doug Collins.
Peter Laviolette
Conversely, when the Flyers fired John Stevens and replaced him with Peter Laviolette, I couldn't have been more ecstatic. Admittedly, that was partly because I did not like John Stevens as a head coach whatsoever. But it was also because Laviolette was a good coach in Carolina who won a Cup, and he had the type of fire I like to see out of my coaches, especially hockey coaches. There was just something about Lavvy that drew me in, just like it drew in every Philadelphia fan.
When his team showed up flat, he laid into them. He wasn't afraid to challenge his guys yet still get the most out of them. And he's a veritable Philadelphia quote machine.
And of course, he helped get the Flyers to within two wins of hoisting their first Stanley Cup since the 1970s, thanks in no small part to his legendary timeout.
However, even with all the success and fire of Laviolette, he has his flaws. Like Collins' handling of Holiday and Turner, I didn't really like the way Laviolette held the oft-injured James van Riemsdyk back in the postseason two years ago when he was the best Flyer on the ice, one of several baffling decisions he made that postseason.
Then last season, after the Flyers retooled their team, they had a penchant for starting slow — an issue that lasted all season and cost them dearly in the playoffs, and a habit that has continued at the start of this season. It was an issue that he never corrected, which is the job of the coach no matter how much the players must execute. Further, this team has been one of the most undisciplined in hockey for years, they've had egregious defensive breakdowns on an almost nightly basis and the power play, save for the time spent with Chris Pronger manning the point, has been maddeningly inconsistent. These are all issues that are recurring themes under Lavioliette, recurring themes that never seem to get corrected.
Most Flyers fans won't want to hear this because they like Laviolette — hell, I like him too — but it's reminiscent of Andy Reid and his continued failures with clock management, use of timeouts and lack of in-game adjustments. Laviolette definitely has that "Philadelphia attitude" that the fans love so much, but he also has glaring blind spots as a coach. There's no reason this team should come out flat as often as it does, no reason they can't play more disciplined hockey and stay out of the box, no reason they can't play more responsibly defensively. Yet they never do. Add on top of that the mostly inept work in the face-off circle under his tenure — though admittedly they have been better in that regard of late — and it always seems to be the same issues, issues the coach has to correct. Frankly, I'm getting tired of waiting around.
It's difficult for me, because I actually love Laviolette's passion and it's clear he's a good coach. He won a Cup, took the Flyers to one of their own, and the team has had success. But it won't get the Flyers over the hump, especially with some key players who propelled them to that Eastern Conference Championship — Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Chris Pronger, Simon Gagne, Matt Carle — gone, unless Laviolette can prove he can correct these recurring mistakes. As we saw with Reid, that's easier said than done. And if it doesn't happen soon, I'm not sure it ever will.
Charlie Manuel
I'll keep this short with Manuel because, frankly — even though he has his own glaring flaws — it's hard to go too hard on Charlie. After all, he is the skipper who helped the Phillies become World Fucking Champions, and the Phillies have had unprecedented success under Charlie. All those NL East titles, playoff appearances, two World Series stints and a World Championship. It's hard to be too mad at Manuel, even after last season when the Phillies failed to make the playoffs. Hard to blame Charlie for the major injuries to Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Roy Halladay, among others, that derailed the season.
I will say, however, that as we all know, Manuel makes some completely baffling moves. They are too long to even attempt to list. His insistence on never using his closer outside of a closing role (or at least until the 9th inning) has cost the Phillies countless games. His and his front office's lack of patience with Domonic Brown has left us all wondering what in the hell Brown is or can become. He has repeatedly wrote line-up cards that don't make sense, took a while to get the hang of the double switch and hasn't exactly always handled pitchers well. His flaws are only going to get more glaring as the roster ages, the way people focused on those shortcomings before 2007/08.
But, the players still do love playing for Charlie, and they've won a shitload of games under him. In fact, he's steered the most successful run Philadelphia Phillies history. After all, this franchise is the losingest franchise in North American sports history, but under Manuel, the Phillies have been consistent winners — something that seemed unfathomable to me as a child.
Truthfully, with the players he's had, it's hard to blame Manuel for the playoff woes of 2010 and 2011, when the team simply couldn't hit, not mention the unforeseen egg laid by Cliff Lee. And in 2009, they were beat by a better New York Yankees squad, and things may have been different had Cole Hamels not been experiencing an NLCS and World Series MVP hangover from 2008.
Still, Manuel definitely gives you some head scratchers, and with the team lacking more power than it ever has, fielding the shakiest defense in his tenure and needing to win games in more diverse ways, Manuel is going to have to do things that go against his nature, or the Phillies will struggle to keep pace with the Nationals, Braves and the rest of the National League whether they're healthy or not. So the spotlight is only going to hotter on Manuel's seat in the dugout. I have a feeling he doesn't' mind, but does that mean the Phillies will win? We're about to find out.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Chris Paul Is a Joy to Watch
At this point, everyone knows where I stand on Chris Paul. Like most NBA fans, I know he is clearly the best point guard in basketball and easily one of the best I have ever seen take the hardwood.
Last night, I got to see Paul's brilliance firsthand, as I headed down to the Wells Fargo Center with silver fox to watch the Sixers host the far superior Los Angeles Clippers.
Simply put, Paul put forth a virtuoso performance. In just 24 minutes of action, Paul posted an insanely easy double-double, scoring 21 points and dishing out 11 assists while also notching 5 steals, shooting 9-11 from the field and turning the ball over just once. But even more impressive than his stat line was the absolute control he had over the game from the opening tip until he was rested for good in the fourth quarter.
Paul was just abusing fellow all-star point guard Jrue Holiday, pick and rolling him to death and creating obscenely easy shots for his teammates or himself. If that sounds like hyperbole, it's not. Proof? Beyond Paul shooting an insane 9-11 himself, the Clips shot 58.7 percent from the floor on the night as a team, and it was up near the 62 percent mark before Paul sat for good.
He was quite literally toying with the Sixers for all 24-plus minutes he was out there. He honestly looked like the best sixth grader in elementary school playing against the 3rd graders. He was so much better than everyone out there that he made it look effortless, almost as if he was letting off a bit because he felt so damn sorry for the pathetic saps he was abusing.
For all the strides he's made this year, Jrue Holiday still is lacking defensively despite his physical talents that you would think should translate well on defense. And Paul exposed that clearly last night, using screens by his bigs to shed Holiday and force the defense's hand.
Of course, Jrue had no help himself, as the Sixers quite literally put forth one of the most lackadaisical and quite frankly pathetic performances I've seen in years. It didn't look like anyone out there was even trying besides Nick Young, who scored a game-high 29 points. Without Young dropping some buckets, the Sixers could have easily lost by 50 instead of the eventual 17 the final score indicated (107-90). It was almost embarrassing to watch — not getting blown out by the Clippers, a legitimately great team, but looking like no one even gave a damn at all.
As a result, the game eventually turned into a dunk fest, with Blake Griffin doing what Blake Griffin does and DeAndre Jordan trying to keep pace. Dunks all over the place.
Really, it shouldn't be surprising given that the Sixers have quite possibly the worst interior in the NBA. Spencer Hawes is a 7-foot shooting guard who isn't a very good shooter. Lavoy Allen is a backup, 8th-11th man who somehow starts. Arnett Moultrie is a rookie who is only now getting his shot because Doug Collins is an insane person. Kwame Brown is evidentially dead, and Andrew Bynum has been dead all season.
From top to bottom, the Clippers outclass the Sixers in every regard. I mean, when the starters were announced, you could argue the Clippers have a better player at every spot except shooting guard, where Willie Green is slightly inferior to Nick Young. But Green's backup, Jamal Crawford, is clearly better than Nick Young, so there's that.
This was a game of the haves and have-nots, sure. I mean, at one point with the game near its merciful end, the Sixers had a lineup out there that consisted of Damien Wilkins, Royal Ivey, Dorell Wright, Jeremy Pargo and Moultrie, which resembles a D-League squad much more than an NBA roster, while the Clippers are one of the most talented and deep teams in the league, with backups who would most definitely start on a team like the Sixers.
But it was also a game of a team that clearly is lost without Thaddeus Young and still awaiting the promise of Andrew Bynum, which may never come. And it's a team that has a coach who simply does not know what to do, or simply refuses to make changes. It's evident in the way that Collins didn't go to his scrubs earlier even though the starters and regular rotation guys looked like they didn't given even a little bit of a shit by the midway point of the second quarter.
It was ugly. It was embarrassing. And it was painful, at least on the Sixers side.
But watching Chris Paul run an NBA team is a joy, and last night, he was toying with the hapless Sixers, putting up one of the most effortless double-doubles I've ever seen. It was a beautiful thing to watch as a fan of the game, no matter how damaging it was as a Sxiers fan.
I sure hope Jrue Holiday was paying attention.
Last night, I got to see Paul's brilliance firsthand, as I headed down to the Wells Fargo Center with silver fox to watch the Sixers host the far superior Los Angeles Clippers.
Simply put, Paul put forth a virtuoso performance. In just 24 minutes of action, Paul posted an insanely easy double-double, scoring 21 points and dishing out 11 assists while also notching 5 steals, shooting 9-11 from the field and turning the ball over just once. But even more impressive than his stat line was the absolute control he had over the game from the opening tip until he was rested for good in the fourth quarter.
Paul was just abusing fellow all-star point guard Jrue Holiday, pick and rolling him to death and creating obscenely easy shots for his teammates or himself. If that sounds like hyperbole, it's not. Proof? Beyond Paul shooting an insane 9-11 himself, the Clips shot 58.7 percent from the floor on the night as a team, and it was up near the 62 percent mark before Paul sat for good.
He was quite literally toying with the Sixers for all 24-plus minutes he was out there. He honestly looked like the best sixth grader in elementary school playing against the 3rd graders. He was so much better than everyone out there that he made it look effortless, almost as if he was letting off a bit because he felt so damn sorry for the pathetic saps he was abusing.
For all the strides he's made this year, Jrue Holiday still is lacking defensively despite his physical talents that you would think should translate well on defense. And Paul exposed that clearly last night, using screens by his bigs to shed Holiday and force the defense's hand.
Of course, Jrue had no help himself, as the Sixers quite literally put forth one of the most lackadaisical and quite frankly pathetic performances I've seen in years. It didn't look like anyone out there was even trying besides Nick Young, who scored a game-high 29 points. Without Young dropping some buckets, the Sixers could have easily lost by 50 instead of the eventual 17 the final score indicated (107-90). It was almost embarrassing to watch — not getting blown out by the Clippers, a legitimately great team, but looking like no one even gave a damn at all.
As a result, the game eventually turned into a dunk fest, with Blake Griffin doing what Blake Griffin does and DeAndre Jordan trying to keep pace. Dunks all over the place.
Really, it shouldn't be surprising given that the Sixers have quite possibly the worst interior in the NBA. Spencer Hawes is a 7-foot shooting guard who isn't a very good shooter. Lavoy Allen is a backup, 8th-11th man who somehow starts. Arnett Moultrie is a rookie who is only now getting his shot because Doug Collins is an insane person. Kwame Brown is evidentially dead, and Andrew Bynum has been dead all season.
From top to bottom, the Clippers outclass the Sixers in every regard. I mean, when the starters were announced, you could argue the Clippers have a better player at every spot except shooting guard, where Willie Green is slightly inferior to Nick Young. But Green's backup, Jamal Crawford, is clearly better than Nick Young, so there's that.
This was a game of the haves and have-nots, sure. I mean, at one point with the game near its merciful end, the Sixers had a lineup out there that consisted of Damien Wilkins, Royal Ivey, Dorell Wright, Jeremy Pargo and Moultrie, which resembles a D-League squad much more than an NBA roster, while the Clippers are one of the most talented and deep teams in the league, with backups who would most definitely start on a team like the Sixers.
But it was also a game of a team that clearly is lost without Thaddeus Young and still awaiting the promise of Andrew Bynum, which may never come. And it's a team that has a coach who simply does not know what to do, or simply refuses to make changes. It's evident in the way that Collins didn't go to his scrubs earlier even though the starters and regular rotation guys looked like they didn't given even a little bit of a shit by the midway point of the second quarter.
It was ugly. It was embarrassing. And it was painful, at least on the Sixers side.
But watching Chris Paul run an NBA team is a joy, and last night, he was toying with the hapless Sixers, putting up one of the most effortless double-doubles I've ever seen. It was a beautiful thing to watch as a fan of the game, no matter how damaging it was as a Sxiers fan.
I sure hope Jrue Holiday was paying attention.
Friday, February 8, 2013
It's Friday, Time to Dance
I've been very critical of Zac Rinaldo during his tenure here with the Philadelphia Flyers. But I have to admit, Rinaldo played a lot better hockey down the stretch and last season and even carried it over to the playoffs skating with Sean Couturier and Max Talbot, and this season I have been tremendously impressed with the second-year winger whom I absolutely loathed last year.
The past couple of weeks, Rinaldo has really stood, first when he stuck up for his teammate Wayne Simmonds after he was concussed by an elbow from Washington's John Erskine, absolutely demolishing Matt Hendricks on the next shift.
Then, a few nights ago he literally knocked out B.J. Crombeen.
Rinaldo is not messing around, knocking people out left and right. So you know, LL Cool J time.
Also, Tom Sestito. Seriously. I had no idea he had it in him.
The past couple of weeks, Rinaldo has really stood, first when he stuck up for his teammate Wayne Simmonds after he was concussed by an elbow from Washington's John Erskine, absolutely demolishing Matt Hendricks on the next shift.
Then, a few nights ago he literally knocked out B.J. Crombeen.
Rinaldo is not messing around, knocking people out left and right. So you know, LL Cool J time.
Also, Tom Sestito. Seriously. I had no idea he had it in him.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Friday, February 1, 2013
It's Friday, Time to Dance
In honor of Ed's post today over at The Sports Fan Journal discussing former University of Miami teammates Ed Reed and Frank Gore going head to head in the Super Bowl Sunday, here is a song about those 2001 Miami Hurricanes by No Good, with some highlights to boot.
Enjoy the Super Bowl, everyone.
Enjoy the Super Bowl, everyone.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Why Did Allen Iverson Turn Down the D-League?
Yesterday news broke that the Texas Legends of the NBA D-League were ramping up their season-long pursuit of Allen Iverson. The Legends had signed Delonte West and Rashad McCants, and had just had one of their players, Mike James, promoted to the NBA. The Legends had hoped that the prospect of playing in the D-League with guys with NBA experience combined with proof that they can put guys in the NBA would convince Iverson to join them as a stepping stone to an NBA return.
This would have been awesome on several levels. One, having Iverson on the same team as Delonte West has the potential to be top-notch entertainment, especially off the court, considering the personalities and histories of the two guys. Second, and more importantly, it would be awesome to see The Answer back on a court again, on American soil, and to see what he has left.
The rumor was tantalizing. See, I love Allen Iverson. He is my favorite athlete of all time. And I want nothing more than to see him finish his career in the NBA, to finish it the way a player of his caliber and accomplishments should finish it.
Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that it is going to happen. Today, via Twitter, Iverson turned down the offer. "I thank Donnie and Dallas for the consideration and while I think the D-League is a great opportunity, it is not the route for me." To say I was disappointed would be an understatement.
And now you will see me be as critical of Iverson as I ever will be. The Rev can attest to my love of Iverson and to the fact that I will argue for hours against those who dislike Iverson or fail to recognize his accomplishments and greatness. But I have a small beef with the man over the current situation.
Iverson has stated again and again that his dream is to finish his career in the NBA. He has said he still has what it takes to be a productive player, that he understands his past mistakes and is willing to play whatever role is asked of him, that he just wants to end his illustrious career in the NBA and help a team however he can. He continued his tweet turning down the offer with this ... "I realize my actions contributed to my early departure from the NBA, should God provide me another opportunity I will give it my all ... My dream has always been to complete my legacy in the NBA."
This is where, perhaps for the first time since the little 6-foot guard from Georgetown exploded onto the scene in Philadelphia and captured the attention and imagination of a young Sixers fan, I have a problem with Allen Iverson. To me it seems that if all this finishing in the NBA stuff were true, then this would be the perfect way to get there. He mentions "should God provide me another opportunity." Well it could be argued that this is that opportunity.
I understand that this is solely Allen Iverson's decision, and he has every right to do what he wants. And I understand that we are talking about a four-time scoring champion, an 11-time All-Star, a former MVP, and that maybe he feels above the D-League, or maybe he feels embarrassed to have to go there. I will never know the true reason why he turned down the offer, but it appears pretty evident that an NBA team isn't gonna just knock on his door and offer him a contract.
I just wish he could put his pride aside, or put aside whatever it is that led him to this decision, because I honestly think that this would be his best chance at making a return to the NBA. And I want nothing more than to see this warrior, this incredible little lightning bolt, this man who amazed and entertained and inspired me for over a decade, to finish his career in the proper way, in the NBA.
This would have been awesome on several levels. One, having Iverson on the same team as Delonte West has the potential to be top-notch entertainment, especially off the court, considering the personalities and histories of the two guys. Second, and more importantly, it would be awesome to see The Answer back on a court again, on American soil, and to see what he has left.
The rumor was tantalizing. See, I love Allen Iverson. He is my favorite athlete of all time. And I want nothing more than to see him finish his career in the NBA, to finish it the way a player of his caliber and accomplishments should finish it.
Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that it is going to happen. Today, via Twitter, Iverson turned down the offer. "I thank Donnie and Dallas for the consideration and while I think the D-League is a great opportunity, it is not the route for me." To say I was disappointed would be an understatement.
And now you will see me be as critical of Iverson as I ever will be. The Rev can attest to my love of Iverson and to the fact that I will argue for hours against those who dislike Iverson or fail to recognize his accomplishments and greatness. But I have a small beef with the man over the current situation.
Iverson has stated again and again that his dream is to finish his career in the NBA. He has said he still has what it takes to be a productive player, that he understands his past mistakes and is willing to play whatever role is asked of him, that he just wants to end his illustrious career in the NBA and help a team however he can. He continued his tweet turning down the offer with this ... "I realize my actions contributed to my early departure from the NBA, should God provide me another opportunity I will give it my all ... My dream has always been to complete my legacy in the NBA."
This is where, perhaps for the first time since the little 6-foot guard from Georgetown exploded onto the scene in Philadelphia and captured the attention and imagination of a young Sixers fan, I have a problem with Allen Iverson. To me it seems that if all this finishing in the NBA stuff were true, then this would be the perfect way to get there. He mentions "should God provide me another opportunity." Well it could be argued that this is that opportunity.
I understand that this is solely Allen Iverson's decision, and he has every right to do what he wants. And I understand that we are talking about a four-time scoring champion, an 11-time All-Star, a former MVP, and that maybe he feels above the D-League, or maybe he feels embarrassed to have to go there. I will never know the true reason why he turned down the offer, but it appears pretty evident that an NBA team isn't gonna just knock on his door and offer him a contract.
I just wish he could put his pride aside, or put aside whatever it is that led him to this decision, because I honestly think that this would be his best chance at making a return to the NBA. And I want nothing more than to see this warrior, this incredible little lightning bolt, this man who amazed and entertained and inspired me for over a decade, to finish his career in the proper way, in the NBA.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Nova Caps Incredible Week
Last week was a pretty remarkable week for Philadelphia college hoops. Just the week before, there were murmurs that this season could be the first since 1977 that not one of Philly's six college basketball teams would get an invite to the NCAA Tournament. That would be the first time in my life that Philly wouldn't be represented in the Big Dance. In a city with a college basketball tradition as rich as Philadelphia's, that would be a damn shame.
But after an incredible week of basketball, there is a glimmer of hope. In the past seven days, Philly has seen three court-stormings thanks to three wins against top 10 opponents. And Philly schools compiled a 4-1 record against top 25 competition. Villanova and La Salle were the ones providing the victories (Temple lost to #9 Butler for the only loss), and after their impressive weeks both are at least in the discussion to join the party in March.
I'll start with Villanova. The Wildcats came into the week in a tailspin, having lost three straight games. They lost a hard-fought contest at Syracuse in which the 'Cuse was just too much for them in the end. Then they played a horrendous five minutes of basketball to close the game at home against Pitt, turning what at one point was a back and forth game into a 15-point blowout loss. In the next game, they again faltered down the stretch, falling by 3 at Providence.
After those three games, which left the Wildcats with an 11-7 record, Nova Nation had pretty much accepted the fact that there would be no postseason play this year, and certainly no NCAA berth. Especially with games against #5 Louisville and #3 Syracuse coming up.
That's when the unexpected happened. On Tuesday, the 'Cats gutted out a tough win against Louisville. 'Nova students stormed the court, and it was fun and exciting, but chances were that it would just be a bright spot in a rough season.
The 'Cats weren't done giant-slaying though. They followed up the Louisville win with a thrilling win against #3 Syracuse. 'Nova was able to score the final six points of the game, including a 3 from freshman Ryan Arcidiacono with 2.2 seconds left to force overtime. In overtime, junior James Bell took over, scoring 8 points. Despite his first few shots in the OT going halfway down and then somehow rattling out, he stayed confident and hit several huge shots to get the victory. Sophomore Darrun Hilliard (25 pts, 7 rebs, 6 ast) and Mouphtaou Yarou, (14 points, 16 rebs), one of only two seniors on the team, also deserve mention.
Defeating two top-five teams back-to-back is an incredible feat for any team, let alone one who was struggling and who wasn't expected to make much noise anyway. It's still a long shot that the 'Cats get in the tournament, but after two huge wins they at least have a pulse. They are 13-7 and here is their remaining schedule: @ #24 Notre Dame, Providence, @ DePaul, South Florida, @ #21 Cincinnati, @ UConn, Rutgers, Marquette, @ Seton Hall, @ Pitt, and Georgetown. If they can manage 6 or 7 wins from those games, they will certainly be in the discussion.
Villanova wasn't the only city school making noise last week. The night after 'Nova's win against Louisville, La Salle incited another court-storm after beating #9 Butler. It was the first win for the Explorers against a top-10 opponent since 1980. And then hours after Villanova beat Syracuse, La Salle capped of their impressive week with a win on the road against #19 VCU.
La Salle stands at 14-5 with 10 games remaining. Butler and VCU currently stand as the only ranked opponents on La Salle's schedule, so it was key for them to get those signature wins. They also have a win against Villanova, which is looking more impressive than it was just a few weeks ago.
La Salle still has work to do, but the Atlantic 10 is much improved, especially with the additions of Butler and VCU, and the conference may receive a few more at-large bids than they are used to. And the Explorers have their signature wins.
Regardless of what happens the rest of the way and what ultimately becomes the fate of the postseason hopes of Philly's college hoops teams, it was a historic week for the Big Five, and that says a lot. As Philadelphia sports fans have been getting bombarded with mediocrity and disappointment from every angle recently, 'Nova and La Salle provided some excitement and a reason to smile for the weary Philly sports fan.
But after an incredible week of basketball, there is a glimmer of hope. In the past seven days, Philly has seen three court-stormings thanks to three wins against top 10 opponents. And Philly schools compiled a 4-1 record against top 25 competition. Villanova and La Salle were the ones providing the victories (Temple lost to #9 Butler for the only loss), and after their impressive weeks both are at least in the discussion to join the party in March.
I'll start with Villanova. The Wildcats came into the week in a tailspin, having lost three straight games. They lost a hard-fought contest at Syracuse in which the 'Cuse was just too much for them in the end. Then they played a horrendous five minutes of basketball to close the game at home against Pitt, turning what at one point was a back and forth game into a 15-point blowout loss. In the next game, they again faltered down the stretch, falling by 3 at Providence.
After those three games, which left the Wildcats with an 11-7 record, Nova Nation had pretty much accepted the fact that there would be no postseason play this year, and certainly no NCAA berth. Especially with games against #5 Louisville and #3 Syracuse coming up.
That's when the unexpected happened. On Tuesday, the 'Cats gutted out a tough win against Louisville. 'Nova students stormed the court, and it was fun and exciting, but chances were that it would just be a bright spot in a rough season.
The 'Cats weren't done giant-slaying though. They followed up the Louisville win with a thrilling win against #3 Syracuse. 'Nova was able to score the final six points of the game, including a 3 from freshman Ryan Arcidiacono with 2.2 seconds left to force overtime. In overtime, junior James Bell took over, scoring 8 points. Despite his first few shots in the OT going halfway down and then somehow rattling out, he stayed confident and hit several huge shots to get the victory. Sophomore Darrun Hilliard (25 pts, 7 rebs, 6 ast) and Mouphtaou Yarou, (14 points, 16 rebs), one of only two seniors on the team, also deserve mention.
Defeating two top-five teams back-to-back is an incredible feat for any team, let alone one who was struggling and who wasn't expected to make much noise anyway. It's still a long shot that the 'Cats get in the tournament, but after two huge wins they at least have a pulse. They are 13-7 and here is their remaining schedule: @ #24 Notre Dame, Providence, @ DePaul, South Florida, @ #21 Cincinnati, @ UConn, Rutgers, Marquette, @ Seton Hall, @ Pitt, and Georgetown. If they can manage 6 or 7 wins from those games, they will certainly be in the discussion.
Villanova wasn't the only city school making noise last week. The night after 'Nova's win against Louisville, La Salle incited another court-storm after beating #9 Butler. It was the first win for the Explorers against a top-10 opponent since 1980. And then hours after Villanova beat Syracuse, La Salle capped of their impressive week with a win on the road against #19 VCU.
La Salle stands at 14-5 with 10 games remaining. Butler and VCU currently stand as the only ranked opponents on La Salle's schedule, so it was key for them to get those signature wins. They also have a win against Villanova, which is looking more impressive than it was just a few weeks ago.
La Salle still has work to do, but the Atlantic 10 is much improved, especially with the additions of Butler and VCU, and the conference may receive a few more at-large bids than they are used to. And the Explorers have their signature wins.
Regardless of what happens the rest of the way and what ultimately becomes the fate of the postseason hopes of Philly's college hoops teams, it was a historic week for the Big Five, and that says a lot. As Philadelphia sports fans have been getting bombarded with mediocrity and disappointment from every angle recently, 'Nova and La Salle provided some excitement and a reason to smile for the weary Philly sports fan.
Friday, January 25, 2013
(Penalty) Killing in the Name of Victory
Last night, the Philadelphia Flyers played their best first period of this young, shortened season thus far, outworking and outplaying the weary New York Rangers — who had come off a hard-fought overtime victory the night before against Boston — and while they did not score in said period, they rode the hot start to their first victory of the season.
However, it wasn't the hot start or even the strong second period in which Wayne Simmonds and Jakub Voracek scored to give the Flyers a 2-0 lead that really propelled the Flyers over the Rangers. No, it was the much-maligned penalty kill that turned out to be the difference, led mostly by the trio of Sean Couturier, Max Talbot and Ilya Bryzgalov.
As we know, the Flyers special teams have been atrocious here to start the season. Their power play entered the night with just 1 goal and the penalty kill had seemingly given up more power play goals than they've actually killed. And while they did score a power-play goal last night (Voracek's), they also surrendered yet another goal down a man on the first power play they tried to kill off in the game. It came at an absolutely horrible time, with the Flyers up 2-0 in the third and having outplayed the Rangers in every conceivable way.
That's when Braydon Coburn, for literally the third or fourth time this year already, took an absolutely atrocious, stupid penalty at a horrible time. He checked Rick Nash up high for no apparent reason, and was sent off. Shortly thereafter, the Rangers made it a one-goal game on some remarkable patience by Marian Gaborik that led to a Taylor Pyatt goal.
It was an inexcusable penalty by Coburn, something he's made a habit of here in the early going. A veteran stalwart like himself shouldn't be making boneheaded mistakes like that.
And just like that, it was a game again. And it looked like the Flyers were going to not only surrender their lead, but surrender the game after getting tagged with an incredibly unfortunate four-minute high stick on Tye McGinn, whose stick flew up as he fell to ice and cut Michael Del Zotto, followed by a hooking penalty by Nick Grossmann just 15 seconds later to give the Rangers a two-minute, two-man advantage.
At that point, I thought the Flyers were destined to lose, negating all the great work they had done through two periods.
But then a funny thing happened. That penalty kill that had been so porous to kick off the season went out and did yeoman's work and killed off the whole damn thing.
Max Talbot and Sean Couturier were all over the damn place, blocking shots, pressuring the puck and clearing the zone every chance they got. When the Rangers did create something of substance, Ilya Bryzgalov was there to deny them, playing remarkable and coming up with the huge saves he needed in a huge spot.
With Talbot and Couturier leading the charge, others followed suit. Ruslan Fedotenko had an incredible PK shift himself, and then Matt Read and Claude Giroux finished it off. By the time it was over, the Rangers were somewhat flummoxed and the Wells Fargo Center crowd erupted.
But there was still more work to be done. With just over a minute left, the Flyers iced the puck. Sean Couturier won the defensive-zone draw, and after a quick change, the Flyers iced it again. That's when Claude Giroux took the circle, won a draw which led to another ice, won another draw, then won another defensive-zone draw after yet another ice, and that was all she wrote. A team that has been horrendous in the face-off circle and suspect at it for years won four huge defensive-zone draws in the final minute-plus to seal the victory.
And it was the little things all night that made the difference. Yes, the Flyers were playing a dog tired Rangers team that had just played an overtime game less than 24 hours earlier, but New York is a star-studded team solid all the way through. And it's led by one of the single most talented offensive lines in hockey, with perennial all-stars Marian Gaborik, Brad Richards and Rick Nash on the top line.
Well all night, that trio was muted by Couturier, Talbot and Jake Voracek. It was the type of game from Couturier and Talbot we saw a lot last year, particularly when Couturier basically took Evgeni Malkin out of the series last year in the playoffs. Last night, it was more of the same. Talbot and Couturier were the best players on the ice period in that game. Better than Giroux. Better than Grossmann, who managed to be named first star because he laid out Gaborik, I guess. Better than Lundqvist or anyone else on the Rangers. And even better than Bryzgalov, who was outstanding last night as well.
Couturier and Talbot not only led the charge on that vital PK, but they literally took the Rangers' talented top line completely out of the game. Their defense was beyond tremendous, and I can't say enough about those two.
It was a much-needed win, one in which the Flyers got great contributions from everyone. Bryz was great. Kimmo Timonen did all the things Kimmo Timonen always does. Claude, Simmonds and Read looked good as a top line. The youngsters provided energy. Hell, even the fourth line I mocked before the game of Jody Shelley, Tom Sestito and Eric Wellwood played extremely well. And of course there was that line of Couturier, Talbot and Voracek.
Finally, the Flyers won a game, and surprisingly given the first three contests, it was the penalty killing that led the way.
However, it wasn't the hot start or even the strong second period in which Wayne Simmonds and Jakub Voracek scored to give the Flyers a 2-0 lead that really propelled the Flyers over the Rangers. No, it was the much-maligned penalty kill that turned out to be the difference, led mostly by the trio of Sean Couturier, Max Talbot and Ilya Bryzgalov.
As we know, the Flyers special teams have been atrocious here to start the season. Their power play entered the night with just 1 goal and the penalty kill had seemingly given up more power play goals than they've actually killed. And while they did score a power-play goal last night (Voracek's), they also surrendered yet another goal down a man on the first power play they tried to kill off in the game. It came at an absolutely horrible time, with the Flyers up 2-0 in the third and having outplayed the Rangers in every conceivable way.
That's when Braydon Coburn, for literally the third or fourth time this year already, took an absolutely atrocious, stupid penalty at a horrible time. He checked Rick Nash up high for no apparent reason, and was sent off. Shortly thereafter, the Rangers made it a one-goal game on some remarkable patience by Marian Gaborik that led to a Taylor Pyatt goal.
It was an inexcusable penalty by Coburn, something he's made a habit of here in the early going. A veteran stalwart like himself shouldn't be making boneheaded mistakes like that.
And just like that, it was a game again. And it looked like the Flyers were going to not only surrender their lead, but surrender the game after getting tagged with an incredibly unfortunate four-minute high stick on Tye McGinn, whose stick flew up as he fell to ice and cut Michael Del Zotto, followed by a hooking penalty by Nick Grossmann just 15 seconds later to give the Rangers a two-minute, two-man advantage.
At that point, I thought the Flyers were destined to lose, negating all the great work they had done through two periods.
But then a funny thing happened. That penalty kill that had been so porous to kick off the season went out and did yeoman's work and killed off the whole damn thing.
Max Talbot and Sean Couturier were all over the damn place, blocking shots, pressuring the puck and clearing the zone every chance they got. When the Rangers did create something of substance, Ilya Bryzgalov was there to deny them, playing remarkable and coming up with the huge saves he needed in a huge spot.
With Talbot and Couturier leading the charge, others followed suit. Ruslan Fedotenko had an incredible PK shift himself, and then Matt Read and Claude Giroux finished it off. By the time it was over, the Rangers were somewhat flummoxed and the Wells Fargo Center crowd erupted.
But there was still more work to be done. With just over a minute left, the Flyers iced the puck. Sean Couturier won the defensive-zone draw, and after a quick change, the Flyers iced it again. That's when Claude Giroux took the circle, won a draw which led to another ice, won another draw, then won another defensive-zone draw after yet another ice, and that was all she wrote. A team that has been horrendous in the face-off circle and suspect at it for years won four huge defensive-zone draws in the final minute-plus to seal the victory.
And it was the little things all night that made the difference. Yes, the Flyers were playing a dog tired Rangers team that had just played an overtime game less than 24 hours earlier, but New York is a star-studded team solid all the way through. And it's led by one of the single most talented offensive lines in hockey, with perennial all-stars Marian Gaborik, Brad Richards and Rick Nash on the top line.
Well all night, that trio was muted by Couturier, Talbot and Jake Voracek. It was the type of game from Couturier and Talbot we saw a lot last year, particularly when Couturier basically took Evgeni Malkin out of the series last year in the playoffs. Last night, it was more of the same. Talbot and Couturier were the best players on the ice period in that game. Better than Giroux. Better than Grossmann, who managed to be named first star because he laid out Gaborik, I guess. Better than Lundqvist or anyone else on the Rangers. And even better than Bryzgalov, who was outstanding last night as well.
Couturier and Talbot not only led the charge on that vital PK, but they literally took the Rangers' talented top line completely out of the game. Their defense was beyond tremendous, and I can't say enough about those two.
It was a much-needed win, one in which the Flyers got great contributions from everyone. Bryz was great. Kimmo Timonen did all the things Kimmo Timonen always does. Claude, Simmonds and Read looked good as a top line. The youngsters provided energy. Hell, even the fourth line I mocked before the game of Jody Shelley, Tom Sestito and Eric Wellwood played extremely well. And of course there was that line of Couturier, Talbot and Voracek.
Finally, the Flyers won a game, and surprisingly given the first three contests, it was the penalty killing that led the way.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
The Flyers Are Still Worst in the First
The biggest issue for the Philadelphia Flyers last season was not their defense. It was not young players thrown into big roles. It wasn't injuries, not even the big ones on the blue line. And believe it or not, it wasn't even the maddeningly uneven play of high-priced free agent goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov.
No, the biggest issue for the Flyers in the 2011-12 season, an issue that carried over into the playoffs, was the absolutely horrible starts the team got off to in the first period. It was a season-long problem, where the Flyers simply came out flat on a regular basis and dug themselves a hole on an almost nightly basis. The numbers back this up.
The Flyers surrendered 78 goals in the first period last season, tied with the Columbus Blue Jackets for second most in the league behind only the Tampa Bay Lightning. And while they did net 72 first-period goals — good for fourth in the NHL — it was the only period in which they were outscored by opponents. In fact, the Flyers blew away the competition in the second period, scoring 98 goals — far and away the most in hockey — while only surrendering 78. And in the third, they outscored opponents 84-74. It was in that first period where they repeatedly had trouble, continuously digging themselves holes that they had to fight the rest of the way to get out of.
It was a disturbing trend, one that drove me nuts, and I put the blame on coach Peter Laviolette more than anyone else. While I know he can't go out there and force his players to have jump right out of the gate, it's a coach's job to correct recurring mistakes. This was a recurring mistake that Laviolette and the Flyers never were able to correct.
As it turns out, Laviolette and the Flyers have still not figured it out. While it's entirely too early to make any definitive statements about the Flyers just two games in to this 48-game season, it's troubling to see that the Flyers could not put together a competent, energetic first period in either of the two losses this past weekend. Not only were the Flyers outscored 3-0 in the first period this weekend (2-0 against the Penguins and 1-0 against the Sabres), but they played lethargic and looked unprepared for the drop of the puck.
It's something that jumps out immediately even after just two games for the sole purpose that it was the biggest hindrance for the Flyers last season. I'm not sure I'll be able to handle another season of terrible first periods. And honestly, if it continues to be an issue, there is no one else to blame but Laviolette. At the end of the day, it's on the head coach to have his players ready to play and the coach's job to fix persistent problems. No matter how you feel about Laviolette — and most Flyers fans love him — he's failed in this regard. Now it's time for him to get things straight.
Certainly, there is time, but in a 48-game season, there's not as much as teams are accustomed to. And with all the energy it takes to come from behind, it's something the Flyers can't make a habit of in a season where they will be playing upwards of four times a week. There just isn't the recovery time and rest available to be playing from behind all season long.
Somehow, the Flyers need to find a way to actually come out ready to go from the drop of the puck because if the first period continues to be their worst period, this team simply won't be able to put up the points it would like to prepare for the postseason.
Oh, and this team's special teams was abysmal in the first two games, surrendering two power play goals against the Penguins (though one was an empty-netter) while going 0-for-5 on the man advantage themselves and looking horrible doing it, followed by giving up three more power play goals to the Sabres and converting just once on four power play chances themselves.
And one more thing … this team still desperately needs an elite face-off man, something they've lacked since Keith Primeau was forced to retire. Both of the first two goals against the Penguins came off lost defensive-zone draws. The centers need to get better at it, and it wouldn't hurt to go out and get a guy who specializes in face-offs. Just saying.
But hey, at least Claude Giroux is still awesome and Wayne Simmonds looked really good.
Just trying to be positive about something after a less than stellar start.
Fix those first-period woes, please.
No, the biggest issue for the Flyers in the 2011-12 season, an issue that carried over into the playoffs, was the absolutely horrible starts the team got off to in the first period. It was a season-long problem, where the Flyers simply came out flat on a regular basis and dug themselves a hole on an almost nightly basis. The numbers back this up.
The Flyers surrendered 78 goals in the first period last season, tied with the Columbus Blue Jackets for second most in the league behind only the Tampa Bay Lightning. And while they did net 72 first-period goals — good for fourth in the NHL — it was the only period in which they were outscored by opponents. In fact, the Flyers blew away the competition in the second period, scoring 98 goals — far and away the most in hockey — while only surrendering 78. And in the third, they outscored opponents 84-74. It was in that first period where they repeatedly had trouble, continuously digging themselves holes that they had to fight the rest of the way to get out of.
It was a disturbing trend, one that drove me nuts, and I put the blame on coach Peter Laviolette more than anyone else. While I know he can't go out there and force his players to have jump right out of the gate, it's a coach's job to correct recurring mistakes. This was a recurring mistake that Laviolette and the Flyers never were able to correct.
As it turns out, Laviolette and the Flyers have still not figured it out. While it's entirely too early to make any definitive statements about the Flyers just two games in to this 48-game season, it's troubling to see that the Flyers could not put together a competent, energetic first period in either of the two losses this past weekend. Not only were the Flyers outscored 3-0 in the first period this weekend (2-0 against the Penguins and 1-0 against the Sabres), but they played lethargic and looked unprepared for the drop of the puck.
It's something that jumps out immediately even after just two games for the sole purpose that it was the biggest hindrance for the Flyers last season. I'm not sure I'll be able to handle another season of terrible first periods. And honestly, if it continues to be an issue, there is no one else to blame but Laviolette. At the end of the day, it's on the head coach to have his players ready to play and the coach's job to fix persistent problems. No matter how you feel about Laviolette — and most Flyers fans love him — he's failed in this regard. Now it's time for him to get things straight.
Certainly, there is time, but in a 48-game season, there's not as much as teams are accustomed to. And with all the energy it takes to come from behind, it's something the Flyers can't make a habit of in a season where they will be playing upwards of four times a week. There just isn't the recovery time and rest available to be playing from behind all season long.
Somehow, the Flyers need to find a way to actually come out ready to go from the drop of the puck because if the first period continues to be their worst period, this team simply won't be able to put up the points it would like to prepare for the postseason.
Oh, and this team's special teams was abysmal in the first two games, surrendering two power play goals against the Penguins (though one was an empty-netter) while going 0-for-5 on the man advantage themselves and looking horrible doing it, followed by giving up three more power play goals to the Sabres and converting just once on four power play chances themselves.
And one more thing … this team still desperately needs an elite face-off man, something they've lacked since Keith Primeau was forced to retire. Both of the first two goals against the Penguins came off lost defensive-zone draws. The centers need to get better at it, and it wouldn't hurt to go out and get a guy who specializes in face-offs. Just saying.
But hey, at least Claude Giroux is still awesome and Wayne Simmonds looked really good.
Just trying to be positive about something after a less than stellar start.
Fix those first-period woes, please.
Friday, January 18, 2013
It's Friday, Time to Dance
As you are all well aware of, the Philadelphia Eagles finally ended their head coaching search vacated by the pink-slipped Andy Reid by hiring Chip Kelly away from Oregon. Of course, Reid will forever have a hold on Philadelphia for both his successes and failures, and how much a lightning rod he was among fans.
Now in Kansas City, Reid will be coaching a new franchise that has more a lot of Pro Bowl talent even though the team as a whole has been pretty terrible lately. One of those Pro Bowl players is none other than Tamba Hali, who actually graduated from Penn State in 2006, the same year I just so happened to graduate from Penn State.
Anyway, Tamba released a freestyle rap earlier this week. Take a listen below. Or don't. It's not very good. But at least Tamba is very good at his day job, namely sacking quarterbacks.
Oh, and because somebody is lying in this whole Manti Te'o dead girlfriend hoax nonsense, I had to add this one in there.
Enjoy the weekend. Shouldn't be hard, seeing as hockey starts tomorrow with the Flyers and Penguins going at it here in Philadelphia.
Now in Kansas City, Reid will be coaching a new franchise that has more a lot of Pro Bowl talent even though the team as a whole has been pretty terrible lately. One of those Pro Bowl players is none other than Tamba Hali, who actually graduated from Penn State in 2006, the same year I just so happened to graduate from Penn State.
Anyway, Tamba released a freestyle rap earlier this week. Take a listen below. Or don't. It's not very good. But at least Tamba is very good at his day job, namely sacking quarterbacks.
Oh, and because somebody is lying in this whole Manti Te'o dead girlfriend hoax nonsense, I had to add this one in there.
Enjoy the weekend. Shouldn't be hard, seeing as hockey starts tomorrow with the Flyers and Penguins going at it here in Philadelphia.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Monday, January 14, 2013
Doug Collins Needs to Stop Making Excuses for His Team
Prior to Saturday's 107-100 home victory over the Houston Rockets, the Philadelphia 76ers had lost five straight and seven of eight games overall. The only win in the bunch, ironically, came against the Los Angeles on New Year's Day.
Now, that stretch came on a long road trip, one in which the Sixers played eight straight road games — going 2-6 — and then lost on back-to-back nights — in Philadelphia against the Nets and at Toronto — to put an ugly exclamation point on a string of games that saw the Sixers plummet toward the bottom of the standings. The entire way, even before the long road trip started, Collins complained about the schedule. Nonstop. Time and time again, he'd reiterate how much he hated the setup and how unfair it was, and time and time again, he'd bring it up.
All this did was serve to give his own players a built-in excuse, one they clearly took as they lost game after game and played, quite honestly, unwatchable basketball. Hell, even after Saturday's very good victory, Collins couldn't shut up about the schedule:
"No excuses, you've got to play all 82," coach Doug Collins told reporters after the game. "But when they're bunched like that, it's tough. Over the holidays. We spent Christmas on the road. We spent New Year's on the road. That's not easy. People forget they do have families and they have to give that up."
What Doug should have said was, "No excuses, but I'm going to keep giving my team excuses," because that's essentially what he's been doing for the past month.
Instead of talking about what his team needs to do better, instead of finding himself a reliable rebounder and some interior toughness, instead of designing a system that offsets his team's lack of size and aggressiveness, Collins has been harping on the schedule.
If he wants the Sixers to grow, especially the younger players on the roster, he needs to stop coddling them and start coaching it up. Because the way it's been going, at least prior to Saturday, it sure looks like the Sixers have become complacent, letting the coach make excuses while they get their brains beat in by guys like Reggie Evans and Ed Davis.
This team has no toughness, no real identity and no sense of urgency. The whole philosophy seems to be "let Jrue Holiday do everything he can and everyone else try to do something," which is patently absurd for a team coached by a guy who's been in the game forever.
Collins has never lasted more than three years in any of his NBA coaching stops. He is on year three in Philadelphia, and the way his team is going, it's no stretch to think a fourth year may be at least one too many.
I hope I'm wrong because I like Doug Collins. I really do. But it's become pretty apparent as to why he never has stuck around one place too long.
Now, that stretch came on a long road trip, one in which the Sixers played eight straight road games — going 2-6 — and then lost on back-to-back nights — in Philadelphia against the Nets and at Toronto — to put an ugly exclamation point on a string of games that saw the Sixers plummet toward the bottom of the standings. The entire way, even before the long road trip started, Collins complained about the schedule. Nonstop. Time and time again, he'd reiterate how much he hated the setup and how unfair it was, and time and time again, he'd bring it up.
All this did was serve to give his own players a built-in excuse, one they clearly took as they lost game after game and played, quite honestly, unwatchable basketball. Hell, even after Saturday's very good victory, Collins couldn't shut up about the schedule:
"No excuses, you've got to play all 82," coach Doug Collins told reporters after the game. "But when they're bunched like that, it's tough. Over the holidays. We spent Christmas on the road. We spent New Year's on the road. That's not easy. People forget they do have families and they have to give that up."
What Doug should have said was, "No excuses, but I'm going to keep giving my team excuses," because that's essentially what he's been doing for the past month.
Instead of talking about what his team needs to do better, instead of finding himself a reliable rebounder and some interior toughness, instead of designing a system that offsets his team's lack of size and aggressiveness, Collins has been harping on the schedule.
If he wants the Sixers to grow, especially the younger players on the roster, he needs to stop coddling them and start coaching it up. Because the way it's been going, at least prior to Saturday, it sure looks like the Sixers have become complacent, letting the coach make excuses while they get their brains beat in by guys like Reggie Evans and Ed Davis.
This team has no toughness, no real identity and no sense of urgency. The whole philosophy seems to be "let Jrue Holiday do everything he can and everyone else try to do something," which is patently absurd for a team coached by a guy who's been in the game forever.
Collins has never lasted more than three years in any of his NBA coaching stops. He is on year three in Philadelphia, and the way his team is going, it's no stretch to think a fourth year may be at least one too many.
I hope I'm wrong because I like Doug Collins. I really do. But it's become pretty apparent as to why he never has stuck around one place too long.
Friday, January 11, 2013
It's Friday, Time to Dance
The Lakers are terrible, which is absolutely fantastic because screw the Lakers. Of course, it's hard to take too much solace in that since the Sixers are absurdly horrible again, losing and losing badly to teams that aren't even that good. But hey, if they're going to suck, at least the Lakers are sucking right along with them.
Speaking of which, the most entertaining thing about the Lakers this year has been the bench antics for 7-footer Robert Sacre, who just loves to dance. Enjoy.
Speaking of which, the most entertaining thing about the Lakers this year has been the bench antics for 7-footer Robert Sacre, who just loves to dance. Enjoy.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Reminder: Claude Giroux Is Awesome
Now that the NHL lockout is officially over, we get to see Claude Giroux do stuff like this again:
I cannot wait.
I cannot wait.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Stop the Hypocrisy
All day today, Redskins coach Mike Shanahan has been getting crucified for leaving an obviously not 100% Robert Griffin III in yesterday's playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks. If you didn't see the game, RG3 looked a little tender from the outset, despite leading the Redskins to touchdowns on their opening two possessions. In the second quarter, Griffin had to briefly leave the game, but ultimately returned. And as we all know now, Griffin eventually re-injured his knee and was forced to leave the game for good.
Hindsight is 20/20. Now that the game is over and we know that Griffin got injured and the Redskins lost the game, it is easy to sit back and criticize and say that Shanahan should have pulled Griffin after the incident in the second quarter. It's easy to sit on your couch or behind your computer screen talking about how you would have done it differently.
It bothers me to no end how the internet has created a forum for all these geniuses, all these Monday morning quarterbacks, to sit behind their computer screens and hide behind screen names, and not only talk about how they knew better than an NFL head coach, but to do so in many cases with such hatred and vitriol.
It's these same people who watch all the "talking head" talk shows that have permeated every sports broadcasting network. Shows where "experts" do the same thing our internet friends do, albeit not so anonymously and with less foul language and over-the-top insults.
Regardless, these so-called "experts" sit there all day and bash Shanahan and talk about how they never would have done it that way and blah, blah, blah. The reality of the situation is if that Robert Griffin hadn't gotten injured and if the Redskins would have won the game, these very same people would be praising Griffin for his toughness, his grit and his leadership. And Shanahan would be an afterthought.
It sucks that RGIII got hurt, and I'm saying that as an Eagles fan. He has the potential to be a very special player, and it would suck if he didn't get the chance to fulfill that potential because of injury. It would be a shame for him, and it would be a shame for the fans of football.
But sports are about toughness and overcoming obstacles and all that. And we constantly praise warriors who play through pain, who put it all on the line to win, who put the good of the team ahead of their own personal interests. Whether it's T.O. making an incredible recovery from ankle surgery and defying doctors' orders to play in the Super Bowl, Donovan McNabb throwing four touchdowns and leading the team to victory on a broken ankle, Allen Iverson playing through injury after injury and swallowing blood so he can stay in a playoff game and shoot his free throws, Michael Jordan's flu game, or Byron Leftwich being carried down the field by his linemen as he tries to lead a game-winning drive, we eat it up. These performances create lasting memories for us, and they inspire us.
Robert Griffin III wanted to play. He wanted to be out there with his teammates. He wanted to do everything he could to help the team in a win-or-go-home situation. He knew it would hurt, and he knew it was risky, but he wanted to be out there and I respect that. Shanahan thought RG3 gave the team the best chance to win and RG3 said he could go, so he allowed it. Even after the second-quarter incident, he wanted to go back in, and so the coach allowed it.
Be honest with yourself. If this was your favorite team, you would have wanted RG3 to play this game. If your best players are able to play, you want them to be out there. Especially in the playoffs.
I have no problem with looking back at a game. I have no problem with going over the game and critiquing and discussing and debating. That's part of what is fun about being a fan. I do have a problem with hypocrites acting like they wouldn't have wanted RG3 to play if it was their favorite team in that situation, and with people dishing out all this criticism when they know for a fact that if the Redskins won and RG3 didn't get injured they would be on the complete other end of the spectrum praising RG3 and Shanahan for their guts.
Hindsight is 20/20. Now that the game is over and we know that Griffin got injured and the Redskins lost the game, it is easy to sit back and criticize and say that Shanahan should have pulled Griffin after the incident in the second quarter. It's easy to sit on your couch or behind your computer screen talking about how you would have done it differently.
It bothers me to no end how the internet has created a forum for all these geniuses, all these Monday morning quarterbacks, to sit behind their computer screens and hide behind screen names, and not only talk about how they knew better than an NFL head coach, but to do so in many cases with such hatred and vitriol.
It's these same people who watch all the "talking head" talk shows that have permeated every sports broadcasting network. Shows where "experts" do the same thing our internet friends do, albeit not so anonymously and with less foul language and over-the-top insults.
Regardless, these so-called "experts" sit there all day and bash Shanahan and talk about how they never would have done it that way and blah, blah, blah. The reality of the situation is if that Robert Griffin hadn't gotten injured and if the Redskins would have won the game, these very same people would be praising Griffin for his toughness, his grit and his leadership. And Shanahan would be an afterthought.
It sucks that RGIII got hurt, and I'm saying that as an Eagles fan. He has the potential to be a very special player, and it would suck if he didn't get the chance to fulfill that potential because of injury. It would be a shame for him, and it would be a shame for the fans of football.
But sports are about toughness and overcoming obstacles and all that. And we constantly praise warriors who play through pain, who put it all on the line to win, who put the good of the team ahead of their own personal interests. Whether it's T.O. making an incredible recovery from ankle surgery and defying doctors' orders to play in the Super Bowl, Donovan McNabb throwing four touchdowns and leading the team to victory on a broken ankle, Allen Iverson playing through injury after injury and swallowing blood so he can stay in a playoff game and shoot his free throws, Michael Jordan's flu game, or Byron Leftwich being carried down the field by his linemen as he tries to lead a game-winning drive, we eat it up. These performances create lasting memories for us, and they inspire us.
Robert Griffin III wanted to play. He wanted to be out there with his teammates. He wanted to do everything he could to help the team in a win-or-go-home situation. He knew it would hurt, and he knew it was risky, but he wanted to be out there and I respect that. Shanahan thought RG3 gave the team the best chance to win and RG3 said he could go, so he allowed it. Even after the second-quarter incident, he wanted to go back in, and so the coach allowed it.
Be honest with yourself. If this was your favorite team, you would have wanted RG3 to play this game. If your best players are able to play, you want them to be out there. Especially in the playoffs.
I have no problem with looking back at a game. I have no problem with going over the game and critiquing and discussing and debating. That's part of what is fun about being a fan. I do have a problem with hypocrites acting like they wouldn't have wanted RG3 to play if it was their favorite team in that situation, and with people dishing out all this criticism when they know for a fact that if the Redskins won and RG3 didn't get injured they would be on the complete other end of the spectrum praising RG3 and Shanahan for their guts.
Friday, January 4, 2013
It's Friday, Time to Dance: BOB Edition
After an impressive first year as a head coach, surpassing pretty much all expectations anyone had for Penn State in 2012, Bill O'Brien became one of the hottest coaches out there and a target for NFL franchises looking for a new lead man. Seeing as he has pro experience coaching the potent New England offense prior to taking over at Penn State, then flourishing as a head coach in year one, the reasons are obvious.
However, before the new year O'Brien said he intended to stay at Penn State despite the murmurs that he may bolt for the NFL. Still, as Black Monday unleashed its wrath, O'Brien's name came up for seemingly every head coach opening, understandably. And while there was lots of speculation that he may leave after all, Bill O'Brien put that all to rest last night, reconfirming that he will indeed be the head coach of the Nittany Lions in 2013, and that he will not take any more interviews for NFL jobs — he apparently met with the Eagles and Browns.
So in honor of Bill O'Brien remaining in Happy Valley — with a nice little raise to boot — it only makes sense to enjoy Bombs Over Baghdad (BOB) for Bill O'Brien (BOB).
And the version with Rage Against the Machine, just because.
However, before the new year O'Brien said he intended to stay at Penn State despite the murmurs that he may bolt for the NFL. Still, as Black Monday unleashed its wrath, O'Brien's name came up for seemingly every head coach opening, understandably. And while there was lots of speculation that he may leave after all, Bill O'Brien put that all to rest last night, reconfirming that he will indeed be the head coach of the Nittany Lions in 2013, and that he will not take any more interviews for NFL jobs — he apparently met with the Eagles and Browns.
So in honor of Bill O'Brien remaining in Happy Valley — with a nice little raise to boot — it only makes sense to enjoy Bombs Over Baghdad (BOB) for Bill O'Brien (BOB).
And the version with Rage Against the Machine, just because.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Tom Corbett Needs to Go Away
Tom Corbett is a fucking asshole. There is no two ways about it. This is a man who, as attorney general of Pennsylvania, turned as big of a blind eye to the initial Jerry Sandusky allegations as just about anyone. Now, he's trying to preemptively cover his own tracks by suing the NCAA for overreaching its bounds.
To which I have to say, fuck off, Tom Corbett. Seriously, fuck off forever and never return.
Did the NCAA overstep its bounds? More than likely yes. Did the horrid scandal that occurred at Penn State break any NCAA rules? Not definitively, no. But that's not the point. The point is horrible actions by a monster preying on innocent children occurred on the Penn State campus, and those horrible actions were covered up by a remarkably unethical handful of Penn State administrators, including the athletic director and legendary head coach.
For not immediately and persistently reporting the allegations and ensuring they were not repeated, the entire football program was levied unprecedented sanctions from the NCAA despite the NCAA not even conducting an investigation of its own. That was probably bad form, but in the grand scheme of things, it pales into comparison to the bad form the administrators at my university displayed.
In the end, the university itself agreed and accepted all the sanctions, promising no appeal. Corbett himself lauded the actions of Mark Emmert and the NCAA initially. But now, as more and more people realize what a phony Corbett is, particularly with him refusing to take any responsibility for his own inaction as AG, he's going against his own initial reaction and forcing a lawsuit that the university itself seems to have no interest in pursuing.
Tom Corbett is doing no one any favors. This isn't helping Penn State. It's not helping the local businesses, who are doing just fine with the continued packed home crowds and 42,000-plus students on campus. It's not helping the students, who are finally starting to regain some pride in their school after the countless charity drives and new narrative following a surprisingly successful football season.
And most importantly, it's not helping the victims of these heinous crimes move on. Once again, their stories are being dug up in the media, reminding them once again of all that trauma they carry with them every day right there on their television screens or computers.
While Corbett insists this is about keeping that $60 million in-state and protecting the integrity of the law, let's get this straight: It's simply a ploy for Corbett to cover his own insanely stupid ass.
As a Penn State graduate, I'm offended by his selfish stupidity, no matter if his case has legitimate legal standing or not.
More importantly, as a human being, I'm offended that Corbett has the audacity to put his own self-interests ahead the good of the victims and the communities he is supposed to serve.
I want nothing more than for Tom Corbett to just go away forever. What an asshole.
To which I have to say, fuck off, Tom Corbett. Seriously, fuck off forever and never return.
Did the NCAA overstep its bounds? More than likely yes. Did the horrid scandal that occurred at Penn State break any NCAA rules? Not definitively, no. But that's not the point. The point is horrible actions by a monster preying on innocent children occurred on the Penn State campus, and those horrible actions were covered up by a remarkably unethical handful of Penn State administrators, including the athletic director and legendary head coach.
For not immediately and persistently reporting the allegations and ensuring they were not repeated, the entire football program was levied unprecedented sanctions from the NCAA despite the NCAA not even conducting an investigation of its own. That was probably bad form, but in the grand scheme of things, it pales into comparison to the bad form the administrators at my university displayed.
In the end, the university itself agreed and accepted all the sanctions, promising no appeal. Corbett himself lauded the actions of Mark Emmert and the NCAA initially. But now, as more and more people realize what a phony Corbett is, particularly with him refusing to take any responsibility for his own inaction as AG, he's going against his own initial reaction and forcing a lawsuit that the university itself seems to have no interest in pursuing.
Tom Corbett is doing no one any favors. This isn't helping Penn State. It's not helping the local businesses, who are doing just fine with the continued packed home crowds and 42,000-plus students on campus. It's not helping the students, who are finally starting to regain some pride in their school after the countless charity drives and new narrative following a surprisingly successful football season.
And most importantly, it's not helping the victims of these heinous crimes move on. Once again, their stories are being dug up in the media, reminding them once again of all that trauma they carry with them every day right there on their television screens or computers.
While Corbett insists this is about keeping that $60 million in-state and protecting the integrity of the law, let's get this straight: It's simply a ploy for Corbett to cover his own insanely stupid ass.
As a Penn State graduate, I'm offended by his selfish stupidity, no matter if his case has legitimate legal standing or not.
More importantly, as a human being, I'm offended that Corbett has the audacity to put his own self-interests ahead the good of the victims and the communities he is supposed to serve.
I want nothing more than for Tom Corbett to just go away forever. What an asshole.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
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