Monthly Archive for June, 2008

NBA at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on June 19, 2008
in Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and NBA
. 0 Comments

- James Posey is the new Robert Horry. Or at least he could be. Whether he re-signs with the Celtics or do what every Laker fan is talking about and sign with them for 5 years and $30 million, he’s got a great chance to get another ring next year.

- Did you notice Sam Cassell chasing after the game-ball at the end of the game yesterday? Big Baby launched the ball high into the air while the extra-terrestrial point guard was running at him. Cassell followed its trajectory as chaos ensued on the floor and pushed some teenagers out of the way to get to it as it bounced over the scorer’s table. Then ABC cut to another shot and I never found out who got the ball. I’m assuming Sam did, though.

- Not to sound like Seinfeld here, but what was the deal with Paul Pierce sucking on the Larry O’Brien trophy? He was like deep tongue-kissing it in the locker room. It was just a bit weird. It was a series between teams from the only two states that allow gay marriage, though, so… you never know- it’s a slippery slope.

MLB at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on June 18, 2008
in MLB and New York Mets
. 0 Comments


The Angels always like to keep a spare helmet around just in case Barry Bonds signs with them as a DH.

I had the pleasure of attending Willie Randolph’s last game as Manager of the Mets on Monday.

Poor, Willie. He thought the moves he was making this game actually meant something.


A guy who acted like this game actually meant nothing was Pedro Martinez. It was kind of refreshing, I’m not criticizing him. He was the life of the dugout.

Pedro was actually messing with some 5-year-old in a Mets jersey. It was probably funny to that kid, but the rest of the adults around just thought Pedro was being really strange.

Another strange thing was that every time the Mets got the third out, a mad rush of kids would crowd right into our seats and yell at Carlos Delgado to throw them the ball (since Carlos usually had the ball).


But what the strange thing was, was that someone from the dugout would throw Delgado a ball and he would switch the game ball out for that ball and throw the ball from the dugout into the crowd. Weird. Anyway, Carlos stopped throwing the ball into the stands after he struck out and grounded out (he ended up going 0-4 with 2 K’s. Classic Carlos).


So what ended up happening was this mass of people leaning against the dugout and continuing to yell at Delgado or anyone else to throw something at them. This made the security guard mad.

This power hungry douche would climb out of the dugout between each half-inning and just start yelling at 7-year-olds to go back to their seat. Come on, Man- these little kids who have enough money to live in Orange County and have great seats to Angels games just want one good thing in their life. Let them lean over and look at these players. They’ll never have another chance like this… until the A’s come into town next week.

THE FANS

The guy with his last name on the back of his jersey…

The guy who wears any sort of shirt about Baseball to the Baseball game, whether or not it has anything to do with the two teams playing.

Not only do we have Jort wearing friends, but the one has the cell phone clip on his pocket. I didn’t think those existed anymore.

And then, finally, my most hated part of Angels’ Games… the Rally Monkey. I would eradicate this if I had just one wish. I mean, other than wishing for an infinite number of wishes.

And somehow, everyone in the crowd seemed to have them.

Thoughts at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on June 16, 2008
in Golf, NBA, NBA Draft 2008, NFL and Thoughts
. 1 Comment

- If I hear one person mention the words “Willis Reed” and “Tiger Woods” in the same sentence this week, I’m going to light myself on fire.

- I can’t help it. I told you so.

- I don’t really think I’m going out on a limb here, but I’m going with… Brook Lopez = BUST.

- Here in LA, Laker fans are absolutely going crazy. Not “crazy” like cheering and happy, but “crazy” like this series is wrapped up… for them. In 7. In Boston.

- Speaking of Los Angeles, we need to seriously consider making rules for TIVO and telling people when they can and cannot tell people about what has happened on a sports game, sitcom, reality show, or whatever.

Last night I emerged from a play (I had TIVO’ed the game) and one usher was just shouting - “The Lakers won! Celtics lose!” for no reason. We had just watched Glinda and Elphaba sing to each other, possibly a very touching moment for some, and the usher thought it was a good idea to let everyone know what had happened in the game. Thanks, Dick.

First off, these were people going to see a PLAY. A PLAY. Not at the Dodgers game or a Kings game, not even at a comedy show- it was a freakin’ PLAY. The majority of these people get hungry when you mention the word “Kobe”, not think of one of the greatest players of our time. I don’t think they cared enough to walk right out of the show and hear what happened.

And second, on that topic, way to ruin the show for these people, Douche. These nice old ladies just saw a great Musical and want to talk about it and they get bum-rushed by Lakers news- You are an usher at Pantages Theater, not a security guard at Staples! The old ladies were so confused, they were still in the Land of Oz, they didn’t know what was going on.

And last, but certainly not least- I TIVO’ed the game, ASS. I turned my cell phone off, didn’t check it at intermission, stayed far away from any person that said words like “Ball” even though they were talking about the dance they just saw or words like “Perkins” even though they were talking about where they were going for dinner after the show. I managed to ignore every one and every thing and all I had left was a straight shoot down Hollywood Blvd. back home, ignoring random Homeless Men in Lakers jerseys, the blonde-black midget, and Tom Petty Spiderman- or anyone else who talks to me.

I, too, have let the proverbial cat out of the bag before, once telling a friend “Oh, you missed that last ‘Office’ where they kissed at the end?”, so I know both sides of this. And I have since tried my best to understand that you cannot tell anyone anything about anything on TV unless you preface it with “Did you watch… (blank)… yet?” I don’t care if it is Game 7 of the NBA Finals or the 3rd episode of the 5th season of Tila Tequila, I don’t talk about anything on TV to anyone.

And that should be your rule now, too.

NBA at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on June 12, 2008
in Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and NBA
. 0 Comments

Coaching was supposed to be the huge edge the Lakers had over the Celtics in this Series. Bigger than anything else. Personnel was a push, bench was possibly slightly to the Lakers- But Phil “9 Rings” Jackson against Doc Rivers? That’s the definition of a mismatch.

But almost everything Doc has done in this Series has worked. Meanwhile, Phil Jackson has appeared to be the one who has never been in a Finals before.

Lamar Odom finally put together the half of his playoff life. The Lakers have a huge lead, Odom is hitting every shot he takes- so what does Phil do? He allows practically every member of the team to jack up 3’s and, even worse, allows Kobe to try to “get in the game”.

Now I know Phil Jackson is not supposed to be a great in-game coach. He does his job in-between games, through the media- not in time-outs. But when your team stops running your precious offense and you and no one else on your team tells Kobe Bryant to stop taking on Paul Pierce one-on-one because he feels “challenged”- YOU ARE NOT DOING YOUR JOB.

Kobe Bryant had 3 points at half-time and the Lakers were up 18. This kind of thing happens often- the Lakers get a lead with Kobe not putting up great stats, although definitely having an effect on the game by just being out there and defenders having to worry about him. But then Kobe often forces his shot in the 2nd Quarter, or in this case, the 2nd Half.

Kobe’s favorite play seems to be to hold the ball and then elevate over his defender and take a 21-footer. This is the worst possible shot in all of basketball- and the Lakers take dozens of these shots per game, but especially Kobe. Phil Jackson needs to not let these things go- this is the Finals. No more letting his team play it out, no more lessons- there is no more time. He needs to step up and do his job.

Phil’s need to be more proactive still won’t fix some of his personnel decisions, such as the previously mentioned ruining of Lamar Odom’s confidence. Lamar was +6 for the game. He was the spark plug for he team’s huge lead- but Kobe’s insistence to dominant the ball took Lamar out of the game. He’s had Lamar on his team for 3 years- he knows the guy loses concentration if he isn’t involved. So push the ball into Lamar- tell him to go after it. Post him up against James Posey. Stop letting Kobe try fade-aways against Paul Pierce and scream at him to feed Lamar.

Another personnel decision that had me shaking my head was the disappearance of Derek Fisher. He sat for over 12 minutes from the end of the 3rd to the last 2 minutes of the 4th- with 2nd year player Jordan Farmar running the point as the Celtics went from down 11 to up 5 (a huge 16 point swing). Again, Phil, not the time to teach the young fella a lesson. Yes, maybe it will help him out in the future, but this is the Finals. Win or go home. Put in the veteran to steady the ship before you lose the lead.

I won’t even mention the 2 time-outs used at the end of the game to get the ball to half-court because he literally was too lackadaisical to get up and the Lakers needed to in-bound the ball or get a 5-second call. And I won’t even mention he left in Sasha Vujacic for much of the 2nd Half, despite building the lead with the likes of Trevor Ariza because I understand Phil was looking to spread the floor. I won’t mention those things.

So now the Lakers are forced to win 3 games in a row, with 2 in Boston. It shouldn’t take 4 games into the Finals for the highest paid coach in the League to open his eyes. And Phil could wake up for Game 5… but I’m afraid it’s too late.

NBA at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on June 9, 2008
in Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and NBA
. 0 Comments

A Laker Flag on a 2008 bright blue Prius flew at half-mass today as it inched ahead on the 405. It’s a common sight in the City, la Ciudad.

But, being Laker Fans, they still are confident (and/or think there is a conspiracy to have this series go 7). And they should be. The Boston Celtics’ supreme power this year was playing with a lead- and keeping it. And although they did keep this huge lead, they let it get down to the ridiculous one-possession difference. They were the A-Rod’s of the NBA, they would get a 10 point lead and make it 20. They could shoot 60% with a 15 point lead, but only 40% if it was tied.

And now they not only have to go to Los Angeles, but their impenetrable skill of maintaining huge leads is gone. Call it a chink in their armor or call it still a 2-0 lead, the Celtics are in for a different Laker team come Tuesday.

Thoughts at Random: NBA Finals Edition

Published
by
Daniel-San
on June 5, 2008
in NBA and Thoughts
. 0 Comments


- Jack Nicholson allegedly paid $75,000 for floor seats to tonight’s game. Damn. Just damn. Jack, just make a movie with a company owned by Disney and ABC will just give you the tickets. Come on, Jack. This is a recession.

- If Kobe Bean Bryant takes over in Game 1 or Game 2, get ready for a plethora of “‘Bean’-town” headlines. Very creative, People. Very.

- Paul Pierce has been way too happy to “just be here” in the Finals. He acted like he won the Championship after beating the Pistons. Now, I don’t normally think stuff like that matters because when you get on the floor, all that other stuff doesn’t matter… BUT… he’s got to be the go to guy in this series. He needs to not be content to make it here. So, I’m not saying it’s going to matter, but I’m going to watch Pierce, the usual Laker-killer, very closely.

NBA at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on June 4, 2008
in Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and NBA
. 0 Comments

Larry Bird = Master of the Obvious

Take a listen to some of the gems from The Hick From French Lick during that NBA sponsored conference call between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson on Tuesday.

Mr. Bird was asked the question of what he thinks the keys are to this Series. His response was:

Really, Larry? “…who plays the best.” That’s your expert opinion? Did you suddenly turn into John Madden or something? Hundreds, possibly thousands of reporters are hanging on your every word and this is what you come up with?

Well, maybe he just needs to clarify a little. So, Larry… continue.

Kobe Bryant can hurt the Celtics… really, Larry? That’s what you’ve come up with? The best player in the NBA can hurt his opposing team? I’ve never thought of it like that. Thanks, Legend.

And, just so it doesn’t seem like I took this ridiculously out of context, here is his whole answer, unedited:

That’s right. He said “who plays the best” twice. Way to emphasize your point, Larry.

In other news, Larry Bird thinks John McCain is going to win the upcoming Presidential Election. Or Barack Obama.

Definitely one of those two, though.

NBA at Random

Published
by
Daniel-San
on June 3, 2008
in NBA and San Antonio Spurs
. 0 Comments

“When we don’t know who to hate, we hate ourselves.”
- Chuck Palahniuk

Good thing for me, I know who to hate. And one NBA team that seems to have a lot of hatred go their way, from more than just me, is the recently eliminated San Antonio Spurs.

Basketball fans dreaded another Spurs/Pistons Final. But these are two squads that actually play as a team- these are Franchises that Basketball fans should enjoy to watch. But for some reason, people just really hate the Spurs. And being one of those people, I’ll tell you why.

I have no problem with the city of San Antonio. Some people may partly hate them for their small-time city, but I don’t really think that’s it.

I really don’t care that they are more of a half-court team than a fast-break team. Some people may hate them for being more of a slow up team, but I really don’t think that’s it either.

I hate them for them. It’s as simple as that. I hate Gregg Popovich, I hate Tim Duncan, I hate Manu Ginobili, I hate Tony Parker, I hate Bruce Bowen- I hate everybody.

Gregg Popovich is a bad man. He basically only got to where he is today because he became best friends with Larry Brown. And then somehow he managed to be named General Manager of the Spurs in 1994. The coach of that team was Bob Hill and he lead the team to 62 wins in 1994-95 and 59 the following year. Then, in the 1996-97 season, the Spurs had a rash of injuries, including the former MVP David Robinson who only played 6 games that year. Bob Hill was unfairly fired after 18 games and, what do you know, the pock-marked General Manager took over.

Popovich proceeded to tank the rest of the season and was rewarded with the 1st Overall pick. And you all know the rest of the story.

Tim Duncan is not just boring. There’s much more to hate about him than that. Honestly, he should be beloved. 4 years of College, no kids out of wedlock, fundamentally sound- a model athlete. But he just doesn’t seem to fit in, racially speaking, with either whites or blacks. His white, blonde, Barbie Doll-esque wife and vanilla personality makes him not relate to young black kids. And being a 7-foot tall black guy doesn’t make it easy fitting in with Whitey either. He’s not relatable and, therefore, not marketable. I, literally, know nothing about Tim Duncan. I know what kind of food KG likes, what kind of music AI likes, and pretty much everything about Agent Zero- but I’m not even sure if Duncan likes basketball. He sure complains a lot.

But that might be a residual effect of Popovich, a notoriously rigid arguer and complainer himself. But that’s also what makes San Antonio great- the relationship between these two. Almost any other Superstar would have stopped listening to their coach long ago- but Duncan allows Popovich to coach him and all the other players follow suit. It truly is amazing… but that just makes me hate them even more.

Manu Ginobili is the biggest flopper in the League and Tony Parker is a French Guy married to a hot American Actress- they are easy to hate. Bruce Bowen has been known to stick his leg out on opponent’s jump shots to make them roll their ankles. Big Shot Bob has been known to, well, ruin your team’s playoff chances.

It’s not just like the Lakers, where one Superstar or one Coach is so easy to hate- it’s the entire team. I bet even their trainers are Douche Bags.

I don’t mean to pile on, I truly don’t, at this time of possible decline of the Spurs’ Empire (as some will say). And I’m not piling on- because the San Antonio Spurs will be fine. They’ll come back from this. Hell, they might even win the title next year. Manu Ginobili is balding, not declining in talent. He’s at his peak, as is Tony Parker who can get to the hole like none other. Tim Duncan is the only one that is possibly slowing down a little, but his decline is still better than 99% of any other player for the next 5 years.

And with a jerk of a GM/Coach like Popovich, they’re bound to get the next Tim Duncan if Tim Duncan ever gets injured.