Well, the moment is now. I have nothing to say at this point except that Portland better take Greg Oden. I don't want a guy who says he would have been a dentist had he not been 7 feet tall. I want a cold blooded killer. I want Kevin Durant. These words only seemed surreal less than a year ago.
"And with the second pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, the Seattle Sonics select Kevin Durant, forward, University of Texas."
I have homework to do tonight, so if you were looking forward to an Oden v. Durant showdown or a mock draft, I apologize. Maybe Riley will make up for my absence and try to break it down for you guys Dr. Jack Ramsey style before the draft actually occurs.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Henry to Barca
well... it's a good thing we have an active football fan on the blog to analyze situations like this. so here are the angles:
(1) Ronaldinho and Henry may together combine to set up a great 1-2 punch in the Barcelona lineup. However, it will not create a position struggle as they do not play the same position. Ronaldinho is a mid (midfielder) while Henry is a striker. Ronaldinho will be the man bringing the ball up the field through the middle and then throwing it to (perhaps the world's best striker) Henry on the outside to set up incredible goals for the Barca squad.
(2) the possible position cramp comes between Henry and Samuel Eto'o the current star striker for Barca. however, in soccer you can play with two players up top so this may not make a problem. but rather than launch further into this let's focus on the real issue...
(3) within the soccer world it is well-known that Barca's locker room was divided this season between factions led by 'Dinho and Eto'o. it is also known that the Barca owner and manager were not pleased by this at all so there has been much speculation that one of the two is on his way out. many have said that it would likely be 'Dinho as he is becoming pricey and there is a lot of interest coming from AC Milan in the Italian League. Now one could argue that this move suggests to the contrary -- namely that Eto'o will leave and Henry will replace him. this could be... however, at the same time one could say that Henry is coming in to replace the name recognition/marketing power of 'Dinho. so really this move doesn't reveal anything concrete.
needless to say, with Henry and either 'Dinho or Eto'o in the same attacking force Barca will be an imposing force. and if somehow the two can resolve their feud and Barca can keep all three... well, let's just say i'll be watching a lot more Barca games.
there ya go choi... thoughts from your local soccer expert. wimbledon starts tomorrow.. i'll hold off until at least we're through the first two rounds unless something crazy happens.
Go Roger,
-riley.
(1) Ronaldinho and Henry may together combine to set up a great 1-2 punch in the Barcelona lineup. However, it will not create a position struggle as they do not play the same position. Ronaldinho is a mid (midfielder) while Henry is a striker. Ronaldinho will be the man bringing the ball up the field through the middle and then throwing it to (perhaps the world's best striker) Henry on the outside to set up incredible goals for the Barca squad.
(2) the possible position cramp comes between Henry and Samuel Eto'o the current star striker for Barca. however, in soccer you can play with two players up top so this may not make a problem. but rather than launch further into this let's focus on the real issue...
(3) within the soccer world it is well-known that Barca's locker room was divided this season between factions led by 'Dinho and Eto'o. it is also known that the Barca owner and manager were not pleased by this at all so there has been much speculation that one of the two is on his way out. many have said that it would likely be 'Dinho as he is becoming pricey and there is a lot of interest coming from AC Milan in the Italian League. Now one could argue that this move suggests to the contrary -- namely that Eto'o will leave and Henry will replace him. this could be... however, at the same time one could say that Henry is coming in to replace the name recognition/marketing power of 'Dinho. so really this move doesn't reveal anything concrete.
needless to say, with Henry and either 'Dinho or Eto'o in the same attacking force Barca will be an imposing force. and if somehow the two can resolve their feud and Barca can keep all three... well, let's just say i'll be watching a lot more Barca games.
there ya go choi... thoughts from your local soccer expert. wimbledon starts tomorrow.. i'll hold off until at least we're through the first two rounds unless something crazy happens.
Go Roger,
-riley.
Friday, June 22, 2007
This is just ridiculous...
I just read that Thierry Henry is leaving English club Arsenal to sign with Barcelona. Now I'm just your casual soccer fan, only paying attention when UEFA or the World Cup comes around, but seriously? Ronaldinho AND Henry?
This is the equivalent of teaming KG with Duncan or Lebron with Wade. Marvin Harrison with Steve Smith. Johan Santana with Justin Verlander.
However, excluding the baseball analogy, therein lies the problem. In all the analogies, the players play basically the same position but there is only one ball. Thoughts? I mean if you really don't care at least talk about something. In the case of Riley, anything except Wimbledon. Let's start talking about Wimbledon when it gets to the quarters.
Oh yeah, I had a dream last night that Portland took Durant and the Sonics got Oden. In the dream, I took it relatively well. I wonder if I will react the same if this vision came true? Doubt it.
This is the equivalent of teaming KG with Duncan or Lebron with Wade. Marvin Harrison with Steve Smith. Johan Santana with Justin Verlander.
However, excluding the baseball analogy, therein lies the problem. In all the analogies, the players play basically the same position but there is only one ball. Thoughts? I mean if you really don't care at least talk about something. In the case of Riley, anything except Wimbledon. Let's start talking about Wimbledon when it gets to the quarters.
Oh yeah, I had a dream last night that Portland took Durant and the Sonics got Oden. In the dream, I took it relatively well. I wonder if I will react the same if this vision came true? Doubt it.
The Kid is back in Town
Griffey's back. As much as I love the Mariners, I'd rather watch Griffey go 15 for 12 with 15 home runs, take away 15 home runs, help the elderly cross 4th & Pine, save a cat, play centerfield, break the ground for the new Sonics arena, and draft Kevin Durant.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Disrespectin'
I'm going to be very brief in this post. Riley, I'm glad you can bench more than Kevin Durant. Question: When you entered the University of Notre Dame as a freshman in 2004, did you end the year as the Naismith Award Winner?
Also, Tae, you serious about Russell Martin? I'm gonna say this one more time, no. I have to concede your Kobe point though. He has officially gone off the deep end. And who is Kate Austen?
Also, Tae, you serious about Russell Martin? I'm gonna say this one more time, no. I have to concede your Kobe point though. He has officially gone off the deep end. And who is Kate Austen?
Wimbledon Preview
Yeah, i know what you're thinking: didn't we just finish reading daily updates about the French... and now Wimbledon preview already? Well, believe it or not kiddos Wimbledon begins Monday.
The seeding was announced today and of course The Mighty Fed is at number one in the men's draw with Nadal seeded second and Andy Roddick at third. Now after the French, people will likely wonder if Nadal and Federer are on a collision course and if Rafa will now dethrone TMF on grass. Unlikely i say. Why you ask?
(1) Playing on grass is unlike any other surface. Sure clay is extremely unique, but clay and hard court are nearly brothers with grass being their distant third cousin. The footwork required on grass is very different and the game must be played in a very different style. The grinding 20+ shot points that you saw frequently on clay don't happen on grass (well okay, they happen, just not as often). Instead players who excel on grass are in the Pete Sampras model. They serve and get you off balance, then rush the net (we tennis players call this 'serve and volley') and put you away. This doesn't fit with the style of play that Rafa has shown in years past.
(2) Rafa's early exit in his grass tune up to a non-top 25 player (non-top 50 if memory serves me right) doesn't bode well. Can he play on grass? certainly, he made the Wimbledon final last year. However, can he play on grass like TMF can? No. TMF won the final last year despite not playing the way he is capable of on grass. And if TMF should run into Rafa again at Centre Court expect him to be out to prove a point. You get the sense on grass that when Roger wants to embarrass somebody he is more than capable.
(3) I don't think Rafa is Roger's biggest threat. I honestly believe that Roddick poses the biggest threat to TMF here. The second serve is a huge part of playing on grass because the serve dictates play so much more on grass. So a player with a big second like Roddick poses a real threat. (This is why he just won his fourth Queen's Club title.) Rafa is a consistent server, but he lacks that wow factor in the serve that others possess. So why wasn't Roddick at the Wimbledon final last year? Well, remember that Roddick was playing awful tennis this time last year. It wasn't until later in the season when he picked up Jimmy Connors just before the US Open that he turned things around. Roddick is now playing significantly better tennis (just not on clay) and will pose a threat.
So do I think Federer emerges with another Wimbledon title? Yeah, I'm thinking so. The fact that he was comfortable pulling out of his sole grass tune up tells me that Fed's confidence on grass was not shaken. The man knows he can still roll with (read: school) the pack on the Queen's grass, and I look for him to do precisely that beginning Monday.
Go Roger,
-riley.
The seeding was announced today and of course The Mighty Fed is at number one in the men's draw with Nadal seeded second and Andy Roddick at third. Now after the French, people will likely wonder if Nadal and Federer are on a collision course and if Rafa will now dethrone TMF on grass. Unlikely i say. Why you ask?
(1) Playing on grass is unlike any other surface. Sure clay is extremely unique, but clay and hard court are nearly brothers with grass being their distant third cousin. The footwork required on grass is very different and the game must be played in a very different style. The grinding 20+ shot points that you saw frequently on clay don't happen on grass (well okay, they happen, just not as often). Instead players who excel on grass are in the Pete Sampras model. They serve and get you off balance, then rush the net (we tennis players call this 'serve and volley') and put you away. This doesn't fit with the style of play that Rafa has shown in years past.
(2) Rafa's early exit in his grass tune up to a non-top 25 player (non-top 50 if memory serves me right) doesn't bode well. Can he play on grass? certainly, he made the Wimbledon final last year. However, can he play on grass like TMF can? No. TMF won the final last year despite not playing the way he is capable of on grass. And if TMF should run into Rafa again at Centre Court expect him to be out to prove a point. You get the sense on grass that when Roger wants to embarrass somebody he is more than capable.
(3) I don't think Rafa is Roger's biggest threat. I honestly believe that Roddick poses the biggest threat to TMF here. The second serve is a huge part of playing on grass because the serve dictates play so much more on grass. So a player with a big second like Roddick poses a real threat. (This is why he just won his fourth Queen's Club title.) Rafa is a consistent server, but he lacks that wow factor in the serve that others possess. So why wasn't Roddick at the Wimbledon final last year? Well, remember that Roddick was playing awful tennis this time last year. It wasn't until later in the season when he picked up Jimmy Connors just before the US Open that he turned things around. Roddick is now playing significantly better tennis (just not on clay) and will pose a threat.
So do I think Federer emerges with another Wimbledon title? Yeah, I'm thinking so. The fact that he was comfortable pulling out of his sole grass tune up tells me that Fed's confidence on grass was not shaken. The man knows he can still roll with (read: school) the pack on the Queen's grass, and I look for him to do precisely that beginning Monday.
Go Roger,
-riley.
the office and other things
Okay, so it's not sports related, but I need to go back and address Steve's comments about the Office finale. Particularly the speculation about Jim - Pam - Karen. So here's how I see it playing out:
(1) In regards to corporate. Didn't the episode end with us seeing that Ryan gets the job? It's been over a month since I've watched it, but I think that's the end. So does this mean Jim blew the interview? No, I think the job was Jim's if he wanted it. But then the note from Pam made him realize there are bigger things than the job.
(2) Now as for abandoning Karen in NYC. I think Karen's whole decision to not wait for Jim but rather to go meet her friends was revealing to him. Especially in light of Pam's note. So yeah, he probably did just leave her -- which i'm all about.
(3) The big question for me now is where does the drama come from. As much as i'd love choi's hypothesis to bear out something tells me that Dr. Addison Montgomery will not be joining the cast. I think NBC and ABC have fulfilled their cross over quota between Coach showing up in Friday Night Lights and Greys. So where does the drama come from? Probably when Karen returns and Jim continues to be indecisive. Or maybe Roy comes back into the picture? We'll just have to wait and see.
Ok I think that does it for me now. Sports notes from the week thus far:
- What is happening to the Mets? Oh that's right Santana is disgusting.
- Danny Haren for AL Cy Young? I say so.
- Congratulations to Tiger Woods and his wife on their daughter. Odds that she has more LPGA titles by the time that she is 20 than Michelle Wie currently has... 100%
- The Cardinals finally bump Kip Wells from a scheduled start. And for the first time in what seems like 10 Kip Wells days we get a win.
- Rumor has it that Kevin Durant couldn't put 185 up once on the bench... Is this true Choi? Shoot, I can get 215. You sure you want him on the Sonics?
- The NHL draft is coming up... oh that's right, this is even less interesting than the MLB draft so nobody cares.
that's all.
-riley.
ps: i switched the comment feature so that people no longer need an account to post comments. In case anybody is interested.
(1) In regards to corporate. Didn't the episode end with us seeing that Ryan gets the job? It's been over a month since I've watched it, but I think that's the end. So does this mean Jim blew the interview? No, I think the job was Jim's if he wanted it. But then the note from Pam made him realize there are bigger things than the job.
(2) Now as for abandoning Karen in NYC. I think Karen's whole decision to not wait for Jim but rather to go meet her friends was revealing to him. Especially in light of Pam's note. So yeah, he probably did just leave her -- which i'm all about.
(3) The big question for me now is where does the drama come from. As much as i'd love choi's hypothesis to bear out something tells me that Dr. Addison Montgomery will not be joining the cast. I think NBC and ABC have fulfilled their cross over quota between Coach showing up in Friday Night Lights and Greys. So where does the drama come from? Probably when Karen returns and Jim continues to be indecisive. Or maybe Roy comes back into the picture? We'll just have to wait and see.
Ok I think that does it for me now. Sports notes from the week thus far:
- What is happening to the Mets? Oh that's right Santana is disgusting.
- Danny Haren for AL Cy Young? I say so.
- Congratulations to Tiger Woods and his wife on their daughter. Odds that she has more LPGA titles by the time that she is 20 than Michelle Wie currently has... 100%
- The Cardinals finally bump Kip Wells from a scheduled start. And for the first time in what seems like 10 Kip Wells days we get a win.
- Rumor has it that Kevin Durant couldn't put 185 up once on the bench... Is this true Choi? Shoot, I can get 215. You sure you want him on the Sonics?
- The NHL draft is coming up... oh that's right, this is even less interesting than the MLB draft so nobody cares.
that's all.
-riley.
ps: i switched the comment feature so that people no longer need an account to post comments. In case anybody is interested.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Riley's All Star Ballot
AL (excluding pitchers) NL (excluding pitchers)
1B Justin Morneau 1B Prince Fielder
2B Placido Polanco 2B Chase Utley
SS Derek Jeter SS Jose Reyes
3B Alex Rodriguez 3B Miguel Cabrera
C Victor Martinez C Brian McCann
OF Vladimir Guerrero OF Ken Griffey, Jr.
OF Magglio Ordonez OF Barry Bonds
OF Ichiro Suzuki OF Matt Holliday
I think that's how i'd do it. My explanations/comments are listed in a comment under Choi's post, but I wanted to put this out there for everybody to see in case people forget to look at the comments.
If you (the reader) have a ballot/changes... throw it in a comment. Let's get some more debate goin on in here.
-riley.
1B Justin Morneau 1B Prince Fielder
2B Placido Polanco 2B Chase Utley
SS Derek Jeter SS Jose Reyes
3B Alex Rodriguez 3B Miguel Cabrera
C Victor Martinez C Brian McCann
OF Vladimir Guerrero OF Ken Griffey, Jr.
OF Magglio Ordonez OF Barry Bonds
OF Ichiro Suzuki OF Matt Holliday
I think that's how i'd do it. My explanations/comments are listed in a comment under Choi's post, but I wanted to put this out there for everybody to see in case people forget to look at the comments.
If you (the reader) have a ballot/changes... throw it in a comment. Let's get some more debate goin on in here.
-riley.
Monday, June 18, 2007
My All Star Ballot (for now)
AL (excluding pitchers) NL (excluding pitchers)
1B Justin Morneau 1B Prince Fielder
2B Dustin Pedroia 2B Chase Utley
SS Derek Jeter SS Hanley Ramirez
3B Alex Rodriguez 3B Miguel Cabrera
C Victor Martinez C Brian McCann
OF Torii Hunter OF Ken Griffey, Jr.
OF Magglio Ordonez OF Barry Bonds
OF Ichiro Suzuki OF Carlos Lee
Agree, Disagree, or Agree to Disagree?
1B Justin Morneau 1B Prince Fielder
2B Dustin Pedroia 2B Chase Utley
SS Derek Jeter SS Hanley Ramirez
3B Alex Rodriguez 3B Miguel Cabrera
C Victor Martinez C Brian McCann
OF Torii Hunter OF Ken Griffey, Jr.
OF Magglio Ordonez OF Barry Bonds
OF Ichiro Suzuki OF Carlos Lee
Agree, Disagree, or Agree to Disagree?
Saturday, June 16, 2007
I got nothin'
NBA Finals 2007. Wow, don't really have anything to say. Wait, no I was a WITNESS. A witness in watching Lebron be completely overmatched by the Spurs. He tried hard, so I guess that counts for something...? Nahh. I can't believe he didn't even account for one entire game, I mean with his ability and the refs' ability to get Duncan in foul trouble, I thought maybe, just maybe it would at least go 5. Conveniently, when Duncan was in foul trouble so was Lebron. What are the Cavs without Lebron?
What else? French Open. All I have to say is Roger Federer is lucky that there are four Grand Slams in a calendar year because the French Open is owned by Tom Brady err.....Rafael Nadal. I have no idea how Roger's head works and I may be completely nuts for saying this...but the domination Nadal has over Federer on clay might just might get into the head of Federer, no matter what the surface for example Wimbledon or the U.S. Open. Probably not though because Federer's skill on grass is so much greater than anyone else. Riles, I would be at least concerned. Hypothetically if Nadal beats Federer at Wimbeldon, well then I'd be in panic mode. Then you'll have to start wearing sleeveless shirts and do bicep curls constantly, not to mention switch to being a lefty and buy a new pair of 110 dollar kicks. Two positives, you can keep your head band and can allow your hair to grow even more.
Other Thoughts:
Riles, your brilliant GM Jocketty? Tell him that trading Haren and relievers for a washed up Mulder was pure genius.
Another thing about Jocketty. I'm hearing things about Zambrano wanting to be a Red bird as well as Cabrera.
Better spend this offseason and win the next year.
When did the Chicago Cubs turn into the U of baseball?
Felix, I am done with you. Come back next year NOT injured.
Initially, I think ND is going to start 0-3. I am also ignoring the fact that UCLA and USC loom a little bit later.
Wow, there really is nothing to talk about. Ocean's 13 was alright. Definitely not better than 11 but anything was better than 12. A definite part of 13 that annoyed me was that Brad Pitt was always talking with his mouth full. Wait...he did that in the entire trilogy. I wonder if there are any other movies coming out this summer...
Baseball is in full swing but I'm rather uninterested. My hero, Griffey Jr. makes his triumphant return next Friday and is currently voted as an outfield starter in the All Star Game but that's about it. The Mariners just LOVE being 5 games out of first place, won't get any further or closer. Its like purgatory. NBA Draft is coming up but the vision of Kevin Durant not playing in Seattle keeps my emotions in check. Football is sooooo far away.
Oh, for next year, our six man needs to contribute money for an Xbox 360. I wouldn't know who's gonna take it home but if we get it around the time school starts, we will have it in time for Halo 3 and GTA IV. Right smack in the middle of the release of those two games is Starcraft 2. Riley, if you and Ryan truly want to try failing out of school just imagine playing those three juggernaut games along with WoW as a side dish.
Finally, I have watched the Office Season 3 finale several times and I have several questions. I really hope someone that reads this watched it.
1. Did Jim do well in his interview and choose to come back or did he just suck after that sappy love note Pam sent him?
2. What happened with Karen, I mean seriously there's gotta be repercussions for just leaving Karen in New York and running towards Pam like a baby.
3. Both Pam and Jim need to grow a pair. Wait...just Jim.
Finally, I have an idea for an episode. McSteamy shows up to give some tips to Jim. A little NBC-ABC cross over. Jim overnight becomes a huge stud and bags a girlfriend, her name Dr. Addison Shepherd. That way, I can watch the Office without having to sell my soul to watch Private Practice. Also, with Addison in the Office, as Conan put so smartly, there could be 2 to 3 more seasons of "will they, won't they" sexual tension between Jim and Pam with eye candy besides Pam. Also with McSteamy making a few guest appearances, Ryan can watch his boy in consecutive television shows.
I'm out.
What else? French Open. All I have to say is Roger Federer is lucky that there are four Grand Slams in a calendar year because the French Open is owned by Tom Brady err.....Rafael Nadal. I have no idea how Roger's head works and I may be completely nuts for saying this...but the domination Nadal has over Federer on clay might just might get into the head of Federer, no matter what the surface for example Wimbledon or the U.S. Open. Probably not though because Federer's skill on grass is so much greater than anyone else. Riles, I would be at least concerned. Hypothetically if Nadal beats Federer at Wimbeldon, well then I'd be in panic mode. Then you'll have to start wearing sleeveless shirts and do bicep curls constantly, not to mention switch to being a lefty and buy a new pair of 110 dollar kicks. Two positives, you can keep your head band and can allow your hair to grow even more.
Other Thoughts:
Riles, your brilliant GM Jocketty? Tell him that trading Haren and relievers for a washed up Mulder was pure genius.
Another thing about Jocketty. I'm hearing things about Zambrano wanting to be a Red bird as well as Cabrera.
Better spend this offseason and win the next year.
When did the Chicago Cubs turn into the U of baseball?
Felix, I am done with you. Come back next year NOT injured.
Initially, I think ND is going to start 0-3. I am also ignoring the fact that UCLA and USC loom a little bit later.
Wow, there really is nothing to talk about. Ocean's 13 was alright. Definitely not better than 11 but anything was better than 12. A definite part of 13 that annoyed me was that Brad Pitt was always talking with his mouth full. Wait...he did that in the entire trilogy. I wonder if there are any other movies coming out this summer...
Baseball is in full swing but I'm rather uninterested. My hero, Griffey Jr. makes his triumphant return next Friday and is currently voted as an outfield starter in the All Star Game but that's about it. The Mariners just LOVE being 5 games out of first place, won't get any further or closer. Its like purgatory. NBA Draft is coming up but the vision of Kevin Durant not playing in Seattle keeps my emotions in check. Football is sooooo far away.
Oh, for next year, our six man needs to contribute money for an Xbox 360. I wouldn't know who's gonna take it home but if we get it around the time school starts, we will have it in time for Halo 3 and GTA IV. Right smack in the middle of the release of those two games is Starcraft 2. Riley, if you and Ryan truly want to try failing out of school just imagine playing those three juggernaut games along with WoW as a side dish.
Finally, I have watched the Office Season 3 finale several times and I have several questions. I really hope someone that reads this watched it.
1. Did Jim do well in his interview and choose to come back or did he just suck after that sappy love note Pam sent him?
2. What happened with Karen, I mean seriously there's gotta be repercussions for just leaving Karen in New York and running towards Pam like a baby.
3. Both Pam and Jim need to grow a pair. Wait...just Jim.
Finally, I have an idea for an episode. McSteamy shows up to give some tips to Jim. A little NBC-ABC cross over. Jim overnight becomes a huge stud and bags a girlfriend, her name Dr. Addison Shepherd. That way, I can watch the Office without having to sell my soul to watch Private Practice. Also, with Addison in the Office, as Conan put so smartly, there could be 2 to 3 more seasons of "will they, won't they" sexual tension between Jim and Pam with eye candy besides Pam. Also with McSteamy making a few guest appearances, Ryan can watch his boy in consecutive television shows.
I'm out.
this weekend in baseball
i'm not even going to touch on the nba finals, hopefully choi will blog about them at some point as he likely watched at least a bit of them whereas i saw zero of them and then from game two on didn't even both reading wrap-ups of the game (too boring). so i'm gonna say a little about the weekend in baseball... in super short form:
(1) yankees - mets. the mets were 1-9 in their last 10 heading in. the bronx bombers had won 9 in a row and had clemens going in game one. so who wins game one? the mets. however, still not the most interesting match-up of the weekend...
(2) dodgers - angels. this is where it's at. even espn is promoting it... and if something bumps espn from shamelessly promoting the new york showdown, then it must be good. the angels are perhaps the hottest team in baseball over the last few weeks and the dodgers are leading what i say is the best division in baseball. possibly world series match-up? eh, maybe. it's still only june.
(3) the cardinals. i can't not post about this. you let the royals and a's score 10+ (17 and 14 respectively) against you in the last two games. you somehow still have kip wells in your rotation despite having 11 losses? i just don't understand what is happening here. maybe larussa is intentionally throwing the season to force the ownership to spend money on player personnel? or maybe this is what happens when you anoint kip wells your #2 starter. sad thing is the team keeps showing little reasons to hope when wainwright and thompson pitch... and then you have to run out wells and everybody on the team looks like they'd rather be in budapest than at the ballpark playing behind him.
-riley.
(1) yankees - mets. the mets were 1-9 in their last 10 heading in. the bronx bombers had won 9 in a row and had clemens going in game one. so who wins game one? the mets. however, still not the most interesting match-up of the weekend...
(2) dodgers - angels. this is where it's at. even espn is promoting it... and if something bumps espn from shamelessly promoting the new york showdown, then it must be good. the angels are perhaps the hottest team in baseball over the last few weeks and the dodgers are leading what i say is the best division in baseball. possibly world series match-up? eh, maybe. it's still only june.
(3) the cardinals. i can't not post about this. you let the royals and a's score 10+ (17 and 14 respectively) against you in the last two games. you somehow still have kip wells in your rotation despite having 11 losses? i just don't understand what is happening here. maybe larussa is intentionally throwing the season to force the ownership to spend money on player personnel? or maybe this is what happens when you anoint kip wells your #2 starter. sad thing is the team keeps showing little reasons to hope when wainwright and thompson pitch... and then you have to run out wells and everybody on the team looks like they'd rather be in budapest than at the ballpark playing behind him.
-riley.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Roland Garros Final Preview
Okay, steve has ordered me to put together a preview but it will have to be brief (as i literally just returned to my apartment from a brief trip to budapest).
We'll start with the actually playing ability of the two. Both players are incredible, so there's very little that separates them here. I will say that i think that federer overall is a more well rounded player and that his bag of tricks is larger than rafa's one could argue that federer has a more consistent backhand, which has been superb this tournament, and that federer is a bit more adept at the net. however, i think that the edge that federer gets in this department is offset by rafa's comfort level on the red dirt. nadal is more at home than tmf sliding around on the clay, so i think that's a definite advantage for him there. so looking at the actual playing ability/styles of the two, i think we're at a push.
now for the mental factor:
for nadal:
(1) he's on clay; he's comfortable.
(2) he's done this twice before and never lost a match at the roland garros. this is nothing new to him.
(3) there is less pressure on him. he's only trying to win another match... federer is trying to set up a possible grand slam and finish off the career grand slam.
for federer:
(1) the last time they faced, feds won on clay at hamburg. he knows he can do it now and more importantly i think he finally figured out how to do it -- to dictate the play himself rather than waiting for rafa to make mistakes.
(2) he's coming off a grind of a match with davydenko that, while it may have taken a bit of energy out of him, showed him that he can win despite not having his a game. hopefully this is a non-issue today as i expect both players to show up with their a game... but if feds makes a few mistakes early, he knows he can fight through it.
(3) there is more pressure on him. i think federer enjoys this pressure. he knows what he is on the brink of doing, and he wants it more than anybody else (including me) wants him to have it. i think he also realizes that his window to win a french open is shrinking each year, so that will hopefully drive him to go 110% (to use that awful cliche).
so my prediction is what choi wants... honestly, i hesitate to say it but i think roger does it today. rafa doesn't seem like he wants it as badly. maybe he's just staying calm and collected, but as far as i can tell he doesn't seem like he'll mind that much if he drops this one. and since i think who wins this match will come down to who wants it the most, therefore...
roger in five.
---
final note: tip of the cap to henin for completing her roland garros three-peat.
We'll start with the actually playing ability of the two. Both players are incredible, so there's very little that separates them here. I will say that i think that federer overall is a more well rounded player and that his bag of tricks is larger than rafa's one could argue that federer has a more consistent backhand, which has been superb this tournament, and that federer is a bit more adept at the net. however, i think that the edge that federer gets in this department is offset by rafa's comfort level on the red dirt. nadal is more at home than tmf sliding around on the clay, so i think that's a definite advantage for him there. so looking at the actual playing ability/styles of the two, i think we're at a push.
now for the mental factor:
for nadal:
(1) he's on clay; he's comfortable.
(2) he's done this twice before and never lost a match at the roland garros. this is nothing new to him.
(3) there is less pressure on him. he's only trying to win another match... federer is trying to set up a possible grand slam and finish off the career grand slam.
for federer:
(1) the last time they faced, feds won on clay at hamburg. he knows he can do it now and more importantly i think he finally figured out how to do it -- to dictate the play himself rather than waiting for rafa to make mistakes.
(2) he's coming off a grind of a match with davydenko that, while it may have taken a bit of energy out of him, showed him that he can win despite not having his a game. hopefully this is a non-issue today as i expect both players to show up with their a game... but if feds makes a few mistakes early, he knows he can fight through it.
(3) there is more pressure on him. i think federer enjoys this pressure. he knows what he is on the brink of doing, and he wants it more than anybody else (including me) wants him to have it. i think he also realizes that his window to win a french open is shrinking each year, so that will hopefully drive him to go 110% (to use that awful cliche).
so my prediction is what choi wants... honestly, i hesitate to say it but i think roger does it today. rafa doesn't seem like he wants it as badly. maybe he's just staying calm and collected, but as far as i can tell he doesn't seem like he'll mind that much if he drops this one. and since i think who wins this match will come down to who wants it the most, therefore...
roger in five.
---
final note: tip of the cap to henin for completing her roland garros three-peat.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Roland Garros
well folks, it's happening. it took 126 men's matches to get where every tennis fan wanted the roland garros to end up... and now it's there. the mighty federer vs. the prince of clay, rafa. federer - nadal on the crushed dirt of paris. rafa going for his third french title and looking to maintain his undefeated mark at the roland garros. while TMF is going for the career grand slam and looking to set himself on the path to perhaps the 2007 grand slam... and according to john mcenroe, making himself the greatest tennis player ever.
i won't preview the match... what can be said? the two greatest players of our time battling it out on the surface which greatly favors the young spaniard while the other seeks the elusive career grand slam.
even if you're not a huge tennis fan... this one is definitely worth your two or three hours.
go roger,
-riley.
i won't preview the match... what can be said? the two greatest players of our time battling it out on the surface which greatly favors the young spaniard while the other seeks the elusive career grand slam.
even if you're not a huge tennis fan... this one is definitely worth your two or three hours.
go roger,
-riley.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
The weekend's sports notes
i was going to add this to the end of my sheffield post, but that got longer than i had expected. so here are a few things happening this weekend that i think are worth tuning into/reading about in the sports world:
(1) nba playoffs. sure i agree with choi that the cavs are well outmatched in this series, but hell that's what i said about cavs v pistons. and the cavs have that which the spurs do not: king james. now i still use the phrase hesitantly, for how can you be king without having won the big one. but maybe lebron rightfully earns his crown starting tonight.
(2) french open final on sunday. the semis still have to happen tomorrow but after watching rafa plow through carlos moya i see little reason to believe he won't be there. and given that TMF is playing really well right now and that he has a great track record against Davydenko, he should be there to. so the feds - rafa collision that everyone in tennis so badly has wanted since the beginning of clay season may well happen. if it does expect me to be glued to the television for every moment of it.
(3) mlb draft (going on now). so maybe you don't actually decide to watch any of this (although espn2 is actually carrying the early rounds for the first time ever), but if you've got a team then certainly give a look at who they draft. the mlb draft pales in comparison to those of the nfl and nba because there's so much uncertainty, but it is still pretty intriguing. the biggest point of intrigue for me is the different team philosophies when drafting... especially in the area of high school pitchers v. college pitchers.
(4) pirates - yankees saturday afternoon. as if espn would even allow you not to know about this, the rocket returns to the bigs on saturday against the buccos (barring another groin problem - as of today he has been cleared to start). will be interesting to see if his stuff is still ace stuff and if he can help the bronx bombers try to claw back into the race.
(5) pocono 500 -- just kidding. some may say i have awful taste in tennis... but i'm not this bad.
that should be enough to keep you busy this weekend.
go roger.
riley.
(1) nba playoffs. sure i agree with choi that the cavs are well outmatched in this series, but hell that's what i said about cavs v pistons. and the cavs have that which the spurs do not: king james. now i still use the phrase hesitantly, for how can you be king without having won the big one. but maybe lebron rightfully earns his crown starting tonight.
(2) french open final on sunday. the semis still have to happen tomorrow but after watching rafa plow through carlos moya i see little reason to believe he won't be there. and given that TMF is playing really well right now and that he has a great track record against Davydenko, he should be there to. so the feds - rafa collision that everyone in tennis so badly has wanted since the beginning of clay season may well happen. if it does expect me to be glued to the television for every moment of it.
(3) mlb draft (going on now). so maybe you don't actually decide to watch any of this (although espn2 is actually carrying the early rounds for the first time ever), but if you've got a team then certainly give a look at who they draft. the mlb draft pales in comparison to those of the nfl and nba because there's so much uncertainty, but it is still pretty intriguing. the biggest point of intrigue for me is the different team philosophies when drafting... especially in the area of high school pitchers v. college pitchers.
(4) pirates - yankees saturday afternoon. as if espn would even allow you not to know about this, the rocket returns to the bigs on saturday against the buccos (barring another groin problem - as of today he has been cleared to start). will be interesting to see if his stuff is still ace stuff and if he can help the bronx bombers try to claw back into the race.
(5) pocono 500 -- just kidding. some may say i have awful taste in tennis... but i'm not this bad.
that should be enough to keep you busy this weekend.
go roger.
riley.
Gary Sheffield vs. MLB
Okay, so it's not really a battle or anything, but this is a hot topic of late that neither choi nor i have touched on. so i'm gonna give it some thought.
(for those who haven't seen his quotes from the gq article (in which he discusses why there are a decreasing number of blacks in the game and more and more latin players), here's one that basically sums it up: "What I called is that you're going to see more black faces, but there ain't no English going to be coming out. ... [It's about] being able to tell [Latin players] what to do -- being able to control them," he told the magazine. "Where I'm from, you can't control us. [source: espn.com]"
first things first. i can neither agree or disagree with what sheff said. now i personally have never been in a major league dugout, i don't know whether the control issue is real. i will say that the language barrier which presents itself between managers and players is definitely real, and its real between players and players too. so maybe there is some legitimacy to what sheff is saying. teammate carlos guillen certainly seems to think so.
however, white sox manager ozzie guillen disagrees. he had the following to say: "I guarantee that Latin American people play more baseball than any people, because that's all we have. You have more people playing baseball in Venezuela or the Dominican than anywhere, so there are going to be more players from there. [source: espn.com]" personally, being a statistician at heart, this trend has been something i've thought quite a bit about lately and my hypothesis has always been similar to ozzie's. in latin america baseball is the sport; its what kids grow up with so based purely on a numbers game its likely that people will get good and advance to the bigs. there's also the important factor that baseball is necessarily a team sport. unlike basketball, which you can play 5 on 5 or 1 on 1 equally easily, baseball needs at least 6 or 7 player per team. i loved playing baseball growing up, but it was hard to ever do anything more than play catch because its hard to get a game together. you don't have sandlots around neighborhoods anymore and its hard to get that many people together at once. so maybe this is a factor why more inner-city kids don't play baseball.. the opportunity simply isn't there.
now one could argue, as perhaps sheff is, that mlb should do more to encourage baseball in american cities. maybe they should set up baseball academies like we see in every latin american country. that probably would help increase interest in the game a bit, but it fails to take into account the fact that baseball while a sport is first and foremost a for-profit industry. it makes sense to set up baseball academies in the dominican because it might yield your ballclub the next a-rod or pujols. but if there's little interest in american cities in baseball to begin with and the amount of people playing is low, then the percentage of you finding a great talent is very small. if there likelihood of a return is low and the risk is high, then teams simply aren't going to make that investment.
but something should still be done. maybe it's the obvious solution... lower the prices of tickets to games so that more kids can come to games. in order for me and my three siblings to go to a game it would cost well over $50 and that doesn't even include a soda and a hotdog for each of us. if you want more kids in america to start playing baseball, you have to let them see the game and all its majesty in person. and trust me, there is a subtle beauty about baseball... be it the crack of the bat or watching king felix's slider make a-rod look like a little leaguer. but to fully appreciate these things they have to be seen in person. so that would be my solution... you want more kids to play the game sheff? try demanding a bit less than $10+ million a year so the kids can afford to come to the ballpark. (that's a bit of a cheap shot, but it's not meant to single out sheffield. it applies to all players... even my boy pujols.)
one final note though, i give sheffield huge credit for making his statement and then standing by it. there's been a decent amount of outcry about what he's said, but he has responded like a man saying basically, i'm just telling you what i see, if i'm wrong show me. so major major props to the man for behaving like a man and not running from what he said.
(for those who haven't seen his quotes from the gq article (in which he discusses why there are a decreasing number of blacks in the game and more and more latin players), here's one that basically sums it up: "What I called is that you're going to see more black faces, but there ain't no English going to be coming out. ... [It's about] being able to tell [Latin players] what to do -- being able to control them," he told the magazine. "Where I'm from, you can't control us. [source: espn.com]"
first things first. i can neither agree or disagree with what sheff said. now i personally have never been in a major league dugout, i don't know whether the control issue is real. i will say that the language barrier which presents itself between managers and players is definitely real, and its real between players and players too. so maybe there is some legitimacy to what sheff is saying. teammate carlos guillen certainly seems to think so.
however, white sox manager ozzie guillen disagrees. he had the following to say: "I guarantee that Latin American people play more baseball than any people, because that's all we have. You have more people playing baseball in Venezuela or the Dominican than anywhere, so there are going to be more players from there. [source: espn.com]" personally, being a statistician at heart, this trend has been something i've thought quite a bit about lately and my hypothesis has always been similar to ozzie's. in latin america baseball is the sport; its what kids grow up with so based purely on a numbers game its likely that people will get good and advance to the bigs. there's also the important factor that baseball is necessarily a team sport. unlike basketball, which you can play 5 on 5 or 1 on 1 equally easily, baseball needs at least 6 or 7 player per team. i loved playing baseball growing up, but it was hard to ever do anything more than play catch because its hard to get a game together. you don't have sandlots around neighborhoods anymore and its hard to get that many people together at once. so maybe this is a factor why more inner-city kids don't play baseball.. the opportunity simply isn't there.
now one could argue, as perhaps sheff is, that mlb should do more to encourage baseball in american cities. maybe they should set up baseball academies like we see in every latin american country. that probably would help increase interest in the game a bit, but it fails to take into account the fact that baseball while a sport is first and foremost a for-profit industry. it makes sense to set up baseball academies in the dominican because it might yield your ballclub the next a-rod or pujols. but if there's little interest in american cities in baseball to begin with and the amount of people playing is low, then the percentage of you finding a great talent is very small. if there likelihood of a return is low and the risk is high, then teams simply aren't going to make that investment.
but something should still be done. maybe it's the obvious solution... lower the prices of tickets to games so that more kids can come to games. in order for me and my three siblings to go to a game it would cost well over $50 and that doesn't even include a soda and a hotdog for each of us. if you want more kids in america to start playing baseball, you have to let them see the game and all its majesty in person. and trust me, there is a subtle beauty about baseball... be it the crack of the bat or watching king felix's slider make a-rod look like a little leaguer. but to fully appreciate these things they have to be seen in person. so that would be my solution... you want more kids to play the game sheff? try demanding a bit less than $10+ million a year so the kids can afford to come to the ballpark. (that's a bit of a cheap shot, but it's not meant to single out sheffield. it applies to all players... even my boy pujols.)
one final note though, i give sheffield huge credit for making his statement and then standing by it. there's been a decent amount of outcry about what he's said, but he has responded like a man saying basically, i'm just telling you what i see, if i'm wrong show me. so major major props to the man for behaving like a man and not running from what he said.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
NBA Finals Preview
So after nearly 7 months of non-existent defense, spotty athleticism, and a rather uninspiring 2007 NBA playoffs, we've have reached the culmination of this league, the NBA Finals. In this year's championship we have everyone's most hated villain, San Antonio Spurs, on one side. On the other side, we have probably the least qualified Eastern Conference team since the 2001 76ers team, led by our blog's inspiration, the Answer. All in all, the chances of these finals becoming a clunker is far greater than it being a match of epic proportions. But this is a preview so if you'll bear with me, here are my thoughts:
1. Okay, okay, I was dead wrong about the Pistons. But Riles, it did show I was right about them not being a dynasty. The Pistons are a well built team for the regular season but lack that killer instinct, not to mention that go-to-guy in the clutch in the playoffs that every successful team is. And, no, I wouldn't count Chauncey Billups THAT guy especially after THAT performance. The Eastern conference was eerily similar to the Finals last year. The supposed favorites win the first two, then the star player of the underdog goes insane and halfway through the comeback, the favorites realize its over and that there will be nothing to stop the star from winning, in this case, Lebron (last year, Wade).
2. My friend at home (who I'm pretty sure doesn't read this), is absolutely convinced that Lebron is going to ride this huge wave of momentum and go on to win the finals. That's nice and all to jump on the LBJ bandwagon but this is the Spurs we are talking about. The Pistons are the double A version of the Spurs (haha, get it?). The fact of the matter is, if Lebron has multiple performances this series that are in the echelon of names such as Magic, Bird, and Jordan, and the Cavs win the series, it will be an upset in the history of the NBA finals that I can't compare to off the top of my head and Lebron would be regarded as passing them all at the ripe age of 22. Quite simply, this is a dynasty versus an overmatched finalist, albeit with an unguardable player salivating (FINALLY) to win a championship and play at his highest level.
3. That last sentence is what makes this series, mildly intriguing. Once again, like in all sports (not tennis, bowling, etc.), its all about the matchups.
Point Guard: Tony Parker vs. Daniel Gibson (now that Larry Hughes is out indefinitely)
Tony Parker is regarded around the league as the quickest point guard in the NBA, a steep contrast from Billups who depended on his physicality and his steady (not big shot) jumps hot. I believe Gibson played out of his mind in the ECF but the act won't follow because chasing around Parker is an entirely different animal.
Shooting Guard: Michael Finley/Manu Ginobili vs. Sasha Pavlovic/Damon Jones
Basically Michael Finley is a bigger, better version of Damon Jones, which is to be a consistent 3-ball threat. Runner Up to the Sixth Man Award, Ginobili also has 3 point ability but his true gift is slicing through the paint. The combination of Ginobili and Parker on the floor will exploit the shortcomings of the Cavs front court by allowing better spacing for deadly three point shooters such as Brent Barry and/or Finley if Popovich decides to go with a smaller lineup.
Small Forward: Lebron James vs. Bruce Bowen
All World vs. All Defensive (and in my opinion, all-dirty as well)
Well, quite frankly, this is where the entire series lies. Much has been made about the two regular season games that Lebron dominated and the Cavs won. This is where I believe Lebron is truly special because his size and speed are so unique. He's too big for Bowen on the wing, he will just overpower him into the paint. Once he gets into the paint, he'll be too quick for Duncan to come over and help. This could lead to Duncan getting into foul trouble, and potentially turn the series upside down. Exhibit A - Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. If they can get a freebie game like that and Lebron is able to account for two other games completely by himself (which isn't asking too much is it?), this series could be very interesting.
Front Court: Tim Duncan (and the other guys) vs. Z. Ilgauskus and Drew Gooden
3 Time Finals MVP Tim Duncan vs. players not even close to the caliber of Amare Stoudemire and Carlos Boozer. I really don't want to explain myself here. The only caveat is, as a mentioned, Duncan getting into early foul trouble.
Well, there you have it. The Cavs are completely overmatched in 4 of the 5 positions, not to mention the bench, coaching, and without home court advantage. The only team that was a mismatch for the Spurs was the Mavs and we all know what happened to them. The Spurs can play at any tempo whether is the slow lumbering style of the Cavs or the run and gun of the Suns. I have a feeling the Cavs will be able to steal a game early in the series but to no avail. This is the best team in the vaunted Western Conference and the Spurs have that killer instinct that the Bulls had in the 90s and the Lakers had in the early 00s. Lebron will make things as interesting as possible but I've come to terms with the generic prediction of Spurs in 6. Like the Spurs, the pick isn't sexy but it gets the job done. As for Cleveland fans, be happy because this is only the beginning...
1. Okay, okay, I was dead wrong about the Pistons. But Riles, it did show I was right about them not being a dynasty. The Pistons are a well built team for the regular season but lack that killer instinct, not to mention that go-to-guy in the clutch in the playoffs that every successful team is. And, no, I wouldn't count Chauncey Billups THAT guy especially after THAT performance. The Eastern conference was eerily similar to the Finals last year. The supposed favorites win the first two, then the star player of the underdog goes insane and halfway through the comeback, the favorites realize its over and that there will be nothing to stop the star from winning, in this case, Lebron (last year, Wade).
2. My friend at home (who I'm pretty sure doesn't read this), is absolutely convinced that Lebron is going to ride this huge wave of momentum and go on to win the finals. That's nice and all to jump on the LBJ bandwagon but this is the Spurs we are talking about. The Pistons are the double A version of the Spurs (haha, get it?). The fact of the matter is, if Lebron has multiple performances this series that are in the echelon of names such as Magic, Bird, and Jordan, and the Cavs win the series, it will be an upset in the history of the NBA finals that I can't compare to off the top of my head and Lebron would be regarded as passing them all at the ripe age of 22. Quite simply, this is a dynasty versus an overmatched finalist, albeit with an unguardable player salivating (FINALLY) to win a championship and play at his highest level.
3. That last sentence is what makes this series, mildly intriguing. Once again, like in all sports (not tennis, bowling, etc.), its all about the matchups.
Point Guard: Tony Parker vs. Daniel Gibson (now that Larry Hughes is out indefinitely)
Tony Parker is regarded around the league as the quickest point guard in the NBA, a steep contrast from Billups who depended on his physicality and his steady (not big shot) jumps hot. I believe Gibson played out of his mind in the ECF but the act won't follow because chasing around Parker is an entirely different animal.
Shooting Guard: Michael Finley/Manu Ginobili vs. Sasha Pavlovic/Damon Jones
Basically Michael Finley is a bigger, better version of Damon Jones, which is to be a consistent 3-ball threat. Runner Up to the Sixth Man Award, Ginobili also has 3 point ability but his true gift is slicing through the paint. The combination of Ginobili and Parker on the floor will exploit the shortcomings of the Cavs front court by allowing better spacing for deadly three point shooters such as Brent Barry and/or Finley if Popovich decides to go with a smaller lineup.
Small Forward: Lebron James vs. Bruce Bowen
All World vs. All Defensive (and in my opinion, all-dirty as well)
Well, quite frankly, this is where the entire series lies. Much has been made about the two regular season games that Lebron dominated and the Cavs won. This is where I believe Lebron is truly special because his size and speed are so unique. He's too big for Bowen on the wing, he will just overpower him into the paint. Once he gets into the paint, he'll be too quick for Duncan to come over and help. This could lead to Duncan getting into foul trouble, and potentially turn the series upside down. Exhibit A - Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. If they can get a freebie game like that and Lebron is able to account for two other games completely by himself (which isn't asking too much is it?), this series could be very interesting.
Front Court: Tim Duncan (and the other guys) vs. Z. Ilgauskus and Drew Gooden
3 Time Finals MVP Tim Duncan vs. players not even close to the caliber of Amare Stoudemire and Carlos Boozer. I really don't want to explain myself here. The only caveat is, as a mentioned, Duncan getting into early foul trouble.
Well, there you have it. The Cavs are completely overmatched in 4 of the 5 positions, not to mention the bench, coaching, and without home court advantage. The only team that was a mismatch for the Spurs was the Mavs and we all know what happened to them. The Spurs can play at any tempo whether is the slow lumbering style of the Cavs or the run and gun of the Suns. I have a feeling the Cavs will be able to steal a game early in the series but to no avail. This is the best team in the vaunted Western Conference and the Spurs have that killer instinct that the Bulls had in the 90s and the Lakers had in the early 00s. Lebron will make things as interesting as possible but I've come to terms with the generic prediction of Spurs in 6. Like the Spurs, the pick isn't sexy but it gets the job done. As for Cleveland fans, be happy because this is only the beginning...
Sunday, June 3, 2007
TMF into the Quarters
I won't blog about the match in great detail as i was unable to watch it; i only followed it in the rolandgarros.com point tracker. But i provide this quote which aptly sums it up: "I've got enough shirts for five-set matches in the bag, I only used one today." - TMF.
Really though, this match was very close at first (as evidenced by the 7-6(3) first set). Youzhny broke feds early on (first break all tournament) and got up 2-0 quick. If youzhny holds serve at 3-2 and gets up 4-2 he likely wins the set. The match is entirely different from that point on as a set would have only fueled youzhny's 'giant killer' mentality. Fortunately feds broke back evened it up at 3-3 and then played solid from there on out in the match (despite being broken once more).
Next up is robredo who federer easily dispatched in the australian open. however, robredo is a spaniard and like nadal tends to excel on clay (having won two of his four titles at barcelona and hamburg). Should prove to be a good match.
However, on the women's side there is a match that i think will be even more intriguing. Serena will square off against defending champion justine henin. should be an excellent match. the resurgent williams against the top-dog of women's tennis. i sparingly watch women's tennis, but i will likely tune into this one if i can find a tv.
that's all on a tennis note. i would blog about the cavs winning the eastern conference finals, but i couldn't find a single place here showing it. they were all showing rugby or footie (soocer). so instead, i'll wait for choi to offer his thoughts and then add anything i can muster up in the comments.
go roger.
-riley
Really though, this match was very close at first (as evidenced by the 7-6(3) first set). Youzhny broke feds early on (first break all tournament) and got up 2-0 quick. If youzhny holds serve at 3-2 and gets up 4-2 he likely wins the set. The match is entirely different from that point on as a set would have only fueled youzhny's 'giant killer' mentality. Fortunately feds broke back evened it up at 3-3 and then played solid from there on out in the match (despite being broken once more).
Next up is robredo who federer easily dispatched in the australian open. however, robredo is a spaniard and like nadal tends to excel on clay (having won two of his four titles at barcelona and hamburg). Should prove to be a good match.
However, on the women's side there is a match that i think will be even more intriguing. Serena will square off against defending champion justine henin. should be an excellent match. the resurgent williams against the top-dog of women's tennis. i sparingly watch women's tennis, but i will likely tune into this one if i can find a tv.
that's all on a tennis note. i would blog about the cavs winning the eastern conference finals, but i couldn't find a single place here showing it. they were all showing rugby or footie (soocer). so instead, i'll wait for choi to offer his thoughts and then add anything i can muster up in the comments.
go roger.
-riley
Friday, June 1, 2007
TMF Round Three
Well, i was fortunate enough to see nearly the entire federer - starace match today as well as bits of other matches, so here are some thoughts:
(1) federer looks good, and i mean real good. granted he had an unusually high number of unforced errors, he once again won a match without dropping a set and i think he only faced break point three or four times.... so he was very much in control all match.
(2) his serve was on today, he came up with five aces and he used his second serve to set up some nice winners.
(3) he didn't play with quite the urgency he played his second round match with, which i would perhaps attribute to him trying to ensure that his groundstrokes are all firing on all cylinders for these later rounds. in TMF's 2nd round match he played a lot of serve and volley tennis, likely due to him wanting to finish the match before any rain/darkness could move in and force him to have to finish up the next day. this allowed him to demonstrate some volleys that were simply unbelievable. today, he executed solid net play once again when necessary, but he spent a lot more time at the baseline. i'm hopeful this all leads to TMF getting to face Rafa and then playing an aggressive in control style of play like he did in the hamburg final.
(4) the ferrero-youzhny match was unbelievable. i saw only bits of it, but i do know that both the first two sets went to tiebreakers and they both lasted over 70 minutes a piece. talk about an endurance test. youzhny emerged the victor knocking off the former roland garros champion and setting up a match with TMF. youzhny has never defeated feds, but it should still prove to be a great match as youzhny's little dance after finishing ferrero showed he is definitely enjoying himself and his role of giant-killer if you will (granted, ferrero was only the 13 seed and youzhny is 17).
(5) wiley advanced again today although he did drop a set this time. i'm not sure it could get anymore interesting for the federer fans than if roger was to face canas in the semis and then rafa in the final. should he face those two and beat them to win the french.. i'm not sure victory comes any sweeter than that.
well, that's today's roland garros wrap up. i found a cheap bar/club tonight that shows the open and serves cheap drinks while doing so. therefore, i will likely end up there for a chunk of tomorrow to watch rafa play, so hopefully i can provide a bit of a report on his play as well as the man is now 15-0 at the french in his life and is clearly unbelievable on the red dirt.
bis morgen!
-riley.
(1) federer looks good, and i mean real good. granted he had an unusually high number of unforced errors, he once again won a match without dropping a set and i think he only faced break point three or four times.... so he was very much in control all match.
(2) his serve was on today, he came up with five aces and he used his second serve to set up some nice winners.
(3) he didn't play with quite the urgency he played his second round match with, which i would perhaps attribute to him trying to ensure that his groundstrokes are all firing on all cylinders for these later rounds. in TMF's 2nd round match he played a lot of serve and volley tennis, likely due to him wanting to finish the match before any rain/darkness could move in and force him to have to finish up the next day. this allowed him to demonstrate some volleys that were simply unbelievable. today, he executed solid net play once again when necessary, but he spent a lot more time at the baseline. i'm hopeful this all leads to TMF getting to face Rafa and then playing an aggressive in control style of play like he did in the hamburg final.
(4) the ferrero-youzhny match was unbelievable. i saw only bits of it, but i do know that both the first two sets went to tiebreakers and they both lasted over 70 minutes a piece. talk about an endurance test. youzhny emerged the victor knocking off the former roland garros champion and setting up a match with TMF. youzhny has never defeated feds, but it should still prove to be a great match as youzhny's little dance after finishing ferrero showed he is definitely enjoying himself and his role of giant-killer if you will (granted, ferrero was only the 13 seed and youzhny is 17).
(5) wiley advanced again today although he did drop a set this time. i'm not sure it could get anymore interesting for the federer fans than if roger was to face canas in the semis and then rafa in the final. should he face those two and beat them to win the french.. i'm not sure victory comes any sweeter than that.
well, that's today's roland garros wrap up. i found a cheap bar/club tonight that shows the open and serves cheap drinks while doing so. therefore, i will likely end up there for a chunk of tomorrow to watch rafa play, so hopefully i can provide a bit of a report on his play as well as the man is now 15-0 at the french in his life and is clearly unbelievable on the red dirt.
bis morgen!
-riley.
Indescribable
I'll let the numbers speak for themselves:
48 pts, 9 rbs, and 7 ast, going 18-33 from the field
No other player on the Cavs scored more than 16 pts (Ilgauskus)
Finally: scored his team's final 25 and 29 of its final 30
I'm speechless, the passing ability of Magic, the athleticism of Dr. J, and the guts of MJ all came together last night. I really don't know what to say, he simply took over. The 50-15-12 games I asked for, he has delivered. If Lebron can finish the job, it will not only make me but the NBA happy as well because of the fact that the appeal of Lebron vs. the Spurs has a similar appeal of Jordan vs. the Bad Boys. The only wish I have is that Dwyane Wade can come back his old self next year and truly begin a rivalry that the world has been waiting to be matched since the retirement of Bird and Magic.
48 pts, 9 rbs, and 7 ast, going 18-33 from the field
No other player on the Cavs scored more than 16 pts (Ilgauskus)
Finally: scored his team's final 25 and 29 of its final 30
I'm speechless, the passing ability of Magic, the athleticism of Dr. J, and the guts of MJ all came together last night. I really don't know what to say, he simply took over. The 50-15-12 games I asked for, he has delivered. If Lebron can finish the job, it will not only make me but the NBA happy as well because of the fact that the appeal of Lebron vs. the Spurs has a similar appeal of Jordan vs. the Bad Boys. The only wish I have is that Dwyane Wade can come back his old self next year and truly begin a rivalry that the world has been waiting to be matched since the retirement of Bird and Magic.
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