Rockies pull sleight of hand to beat Cardinals
September 30, 2009
the definition of a motley crue
This was first said by the famous French poet Baudelaire in an unusual short story about meeting the Devil and having a grand old time.
Elle ne se plaignit en aucune façon de la mauvaise réputation dont elle jouit dans toutes les parties du monde, m’assura qu’elle était, elle-même, la personne la plus intéressée à la destruction de la superstition, et m’avoua qu’elle n’avait eu peur, relativement à son propre pouvoir, qu’une seule fois, c’était le jour où elle avait entendu un prédicateur, plus subtil que ses confrères, s’écrier en chaire:
«Mes chers frères, n’oubliez jamais, quand vous entendrez vanter le progrès des lumières, que la plus belle des ruses du diable est de vous persuader qu’il n’existe pas!»
He did not complain in any way about the bad reputation he enjoyed all over the world, assured me that he himself was the person the most interested in the destruction of superstition, and admitted to me that he had only been afraid for his own power one time, and that was the day when he had heard a preacher, more subtle than his colleagues, shout out from the pulpit:“My dear brothers, never forget, when you hear the progress of enlightenment vaunted, that the devil’s best trick is to persuade you that he doesn’t exist!“
“Le Joueur généreux,” pub. February 7, 1864; translation by Cat Nilan, 1999¹ (emphasis mine)
Still, we shouldn't use instant replay
http://rockiesphotos.blogspot.com/2009/09/amazing-catch.html
Is the blog of a pretty hard core Rockies fan. They have pictures shot of the game detailing the “catch” made by Clint Barmes to end the game.
DENVER — The Catch might not have been a catch after all.
Clint Barmes returned from a day off in the mountains with his family Tuesday to learn that doubt had been cast upon his sensational game-ending grab that cinched the Colorado Rockies‘ victory over the St. Louis Cardinals 48 hours earlier.
Barmes
The second baseman’s tumbling catch of Ryan Ludwick’s one-out flare to shallow right field, followed by his strike to first base to double up Albert Pujols and seal the NL wild-card leading Rockies’ 4-3 win was immediately termed “the defensive play of the year” by manager Jim Tracy.
However, a fan, Craig Welling, posted images on his photo blog from his vantage point in right field, and one of the shots clearly showed the ball on the grass for a split second as Barmes rolled over.
Craig, some people are questioning whether you are a Rockies fan, but if they actually look at your blog, there is no question to where your loyalties are placed. I bet that you just uploaded your pictures with no further thought on what you saw.
Barmes’ body blocked television angles as well as those of professional photographers.
So, did he make the catch or not?
“When I popped to my feet, the ball was in my hand,” Barmes said. “I never said I caught it clean.”
After the game, Barmes said he thought he made the catch but that it happened so fast, he wasn’t sure.
Barmes said Tuesday that all he knows for sure is that the ball bobbled around his body as he tumbled.
“Once I was heading down, the ball bounced off my glove,” he said. “I felt it hit my chest. I’m reaching for it, trying to battle to catch it before it hits the ground. At that point, it happened so fast, my knee hit [the ground], I flipped, I knocked my hat and my glasses off, scratched my forehead. I come up and the ball’s in my hand.”
Now Barmes knows he didn’t make the catch. After the game, when faced with evidence, just man up and point out the obvious that you didn’t make the catch, but put forth full effort to make it happen.
Right fielder Ryan Spilborghs immediately hollered at him to throw to first base to double up Pujols, who, like Julio Lugo at third base, had run on contact.
First-base umpire Sam Holbrook ruled it a catch, and the throw to first ended the game.
“It’s not like I’m sitting here trying to play it off and try to cheat them out of an out or whatever,” Barmes said. “I honestly thought that I caught the ball at the time. … I wish I could say I’m good enough, my hand-eye coordination is good enough, as I’m rolling that fast and I’m in full-speed and I hit the ground rolling that I can react and try to pick a ball up on the ground.”
Spilborghs, who had the best view of the play, was coy when asked Tuesday whether the Rockies got away with one.
“It was a good play, that’s all it was,” he said. “It doesn’t really matter because the play’s over.”
But did he see the ball hit the ground?
“It’s more fun not to say whether I did or I didn’t,” Spilborghs retorted.
Bullshit. I call bullshit on you Ryan. IF you saw he made the catch, then come out and verify it and don’t leave him hanging. But, if you know he didn’t make the catch, there is no reason to carry on with the facade of the catch.
Barmes even held a news conference Tuesday before the Rockies faced the Milwaukee Brewers so that he didn’t have to talk about the play over and over with individual reporters.
“You look at my quotes on Sunday, I never once said I for sure caught the ball. I said, ‘All I know is whenever I hit, I rolled, the ball was not in my glove, it somehow was in my throwing hand when I came up and I finished the play out of reaction,’” Barmes said. “I went and looked at the replays and I saw two, slowing it down frame by frame and I couldn’t tell. And so, I just assumed it worked out great — the ball, I caught it clean.
“And obviously today showing up, the picture showed that I didn’t.”
Even if baseball had instant replay for these types of situations, the call wouldn’t have been reversed because there was no video angle that conclusively showed the ball had hit the grass.
“The bottom line, like a lot of the guys in [the clubhouse] said, we got the win and that’s all that matters,” Barmes said.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
I guess this is like the old racing adage, if you aren’t rubbin, it aint racin…
Where is that damn AFLAC duck when I need it?
Damn that Henny got ni$@@as making bad decisions, like Kayne
R.I.P. Steve McNair, but this is bigger than the loss of a good man and a better QB. You are getting played bro, and you only have a few more days to come to your senses. We tried to warn you earlier, but you didn’t listen, so we will try this again.
Kim and Khloe at Australian Fashion show. Look at Khloe's face. That is the one that you will be waking up to every day....(except when you are on the road and you have your other jumpoffs, or by yourself, which you will come to enjoy....
I really don’t care that you are marrying Chyna. That is your business. But, I want you to remember that she has a thing for Black athletes. Maybe she wants to outdo Kim and have a man that actually can win something as a pro. You qualify.
Look at the Donald. He went broke, got rich again and didn't have to give out his stacks....
Not to have a prenuptial for a woman that you have only recently starting dating is a recipe for disaster. Do not forget that you are in CA, which means your sh!t is now her sh!t now too. E! Magazine tells the story of how Lamar Odom got emasculated.
Remember, you are not too far from this EVERYDAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE
Khloé Kardashian has nothing to worry about.
Even at his bachelor party last night, Laker Lamar Odom was on his best behavior with his best bros.
While he decided to cancel the big bash at Les Deux that was originally planned, he opted for a small dinner party at STK with Joe Francis, Rob Kardashian, Scott Disick (aka Kourtney Kardashian’s baby daddy), fellow Lakers Ron Artest, Sasha Vujacic, Josh Powell and D.J. Mbenga.
Kobe stood you up? It’s because he knows you are making a mistake. For all that everyone says about Kobe, at least he has a family and his wife seems to be in charge of the family while Kobe is ballin outta control.
Say what you want about Vanessa, but the marriage is lasting hopefully NOT because of the fact that he is still playing and she has hella free time...Plus, look how cute she is. Marrying Chyna is not a good look for a Laker player in LA. That's not what a player would do
Lamar’s crew was even joined by some Clippers, including Baron Davis, Marcus Camby and rookie Blake Griffin, who just happened to be having their own party at the club.
Of course they came to the party, because they want to hang out with winners. You had the B team at your celebration.
Joe, Scott and Rob held court at a table in the main dining room, while Lamar mostly mingled with his basketball boys in the bar area.
Despite one pretty partyer who approached him, Lamar showed little interest in any ladies. Girls were even banned from their booths at Guys & Dolls later in the night. Way to regulate!
See? This is what I mean. You had Joe F. ready to throw you a huge blowout with strippers, hookers and…well what else do you want? Kobe and more of the Lakers might have shown up for the party if it was this type of party.
They like cars and I bet they like basketball
Or since he is Joe Francis of “Girls GOne Wild” maybe a party like this…
now that is the type of party I'm talking about
The only complaint guests might have?
Lamar was tardy to his own party! Teammate Derek Fisher showed at STK at 9 p.m. and waited for Lamar for an hour before ditching to head home to his wife and kids.
Before he left, though, Fisher said he planned to get Odom a whopper of a wedding present: “How about another [NBA championship] ring!”
After dinner, Lamar, Rob, Scott and some Lakers who stayed headed over to Guys & Dolls, where Ron made a toast to his teammate. The guys drank magnums of Ace of Spades champagne.
Lamar was in great spirits, dancing and taking photos with fans. Before calling it a night, he requested Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s “Bonnie and Clyde,” perhaps as a tribute to himself and the bride-to-be.
Another reason why I dislike what you are doing Lamar. Really? At least play the damn original with Tupac. The damn song is about gun love and Jay f’ed up the whole song. Listen to the REAL song.
Although there was a fight that broke out while the boys were inside partying, a source says they weren’t involved.
Remember that other fight that went down at Guys, between Jayde Nicole and Joe Francis?
Speaking of that lawsuit-inducing spat, Jayde’s boyfriend and defender, Brody Jenner, happens to be Khloé’s stepbrother, who wasn’t spotted at the bachelor party last night.
Since Joe threw the party last night, we’re assuming he’s invited to the wedding. And we know Brody’s attending.
The people making the seating chart should have their work cut out for them.
—Additional reporting by Amy Paffrath
Then you got put on blast by your jump-off. I have Bossip to thank for the letter and funny picture.
Really? LO, you can do much better
IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS, I HAVE BEEN WATCHING A CIRCUS UNFOLD. NOW THAT KHLOE KARDASHIAN HAS ANNOUNCED THE WEDDING, I CAN NO LONGER BE QUIET.
I HAVE BEEN WITH LAMAR FOR YEARS. YES WE F*CK. YES HE PAYS MY BILLS. YES…… I HAVE AN APARTMENT. YES HE HAS BOUGHT ME A CAR. YES I WAS WITH HIM EVEN WHEN HE WAS WITH HIS BABY MAMA. SOME PEOPLE CALL ME A JUMP OFF. I KNOW WE HAVE A CONNECTION. I HAVE NOT TALKED TO HIM IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, BUT HE WILL BE BACK. HE ALWAYS COMES BACK.
Yes, you are a jump-off. You give him the freedom to roam like a free safety on Sunday.
I SEE THAT THE KARDASHIANS HAVE MANIPULATED THIS SITUATION, MADE THIS A FAIRYTALE.
LET ME TELL YOU THE TRUTH.
LAMAR ODOM IS A DOG. HE CANNOT BE FAITHFUL TO ONE WOMAN. PERIOD. HE WILL WAKE UP IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND WILL REALIZE HE HAS F*CKED HIMSELF. LAMAR IS UNSTABLE. LAMAR IS BIPOLAR. LAMAR HAS GIRLS IN EVERY CITY. KHLOE AND HER FAMILY MAY THINK THEY HAVE STRUCK GOLD – BUT WHEN HE TRAVELS DURING THE SEASON, HE WILL F*CK AROUND. HE HAS F*CKED HER FRIENDS BEFORE THEY EVEN MET. I KNOW MY SITUATION AND I DEAL WITH IT, BUT I AM NOT OKAY WITH THE KARDASHIANS PRETENDING HE IS SOMETHING HE IS NOT.
I DO NOT LIKE HIS BABY MAMA, LIZA. BUT I KNOW HE DID HER DIRTY. WHEN HIS SON PASSED AWAY, HE WASN’T WITH HER. HE WAS WITH ME. HE DOESN’T SPEND TIME WITH THE KIDS. DOES NOT PAY CHILD SUPPORT. OBVIOUSLY, HE HAS LOST HIS MIND BECAUSE HE DOES NOT CARE THAT THE KIDS ARE IN SHOCK. WILL NOT ATTEND THEIR OWN DAD’S WEDDING. HE IS RUINING HIS FAMILY AND HIS CHILDREN’S LIVES FOR THIS TRICK NAMED KHLOE. NBA AND NFL D*CK HAS RAN THROUGH THAT. SIX DEGREES OF KHLOE KARDASHIAN. LOOK AT THEIR GOLD DIGGING MOTHER. SHE WHORES OUT HER OWN CHILDREN. I HEAR FROM HIS PEOPLE THAT THERE IS NO PRENUP. WHAT AN IDIOT. I HOPE HE IS BROKE FROM THIS. BETTER BELIEVE I WILL MAKE SURE I CASH OUT BEFORE ALL OF IT IS GONE. HE DID SIGN A HUGE CONTRACT, AFTER ALL.
Damn, Lamar, I didn't know you were this naive...
HIS FAMILY WILL HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH HIM. HE IS TURNING HIS BACK ON HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS. PUT IT LIKE THIS, IF YOU ARE BROKE AND BLACK – YOU ARE NO LONGER IN HIS LIFE. TRUE LOVE MY @SS. TAKE NOTE HOW NO BLACK PEOPLE WILL BE THERE. MAYBE A SPRINKLE OF THE ACCEPTABLE ONES THAT KRIS APPROVES OF.
LO, how are you just going to get your business out in the street? Even if the “wedding” is just a stunt for the failing ratings of the show, you are put on front street as a clown. STEP YOUR GAME UP! You are better than this!
Just remember this…not in order, although he was the last one soaking up your fiancees panties….
Khloe, and Derek Ward, RB
that was this year…
This was in MAY OF not 08, but yes of 2009
Then there was Rashad McCants, who more than likely beat the brakes off the box. But, that might have started her desire for basketball players. He is kinda scrubby, so you won’t have to worry about him talking about her on the court.
He was killing it for awhile...
I am not saying that you have to throw on a chastity belt and quit dating, but you should not have the next man’s seed in your shorts going to the next date, like you are Katelyn Faber…
Don’t take it from me, go here to see the merry-go-round.
E’s song of the day
September 19, 2009
A couple more girl bands and then we’ll get back to my random ordering of music. It’s another dark Saturday morning (I’ve been up since 4am) and I’m feeling pretty tired. I should be better once the sun decides to come up (is it me, or is it staying dark later these days? Another month or so until the clocks change). Right now, I’m just struggling to keep myself up while I wait for things to pick up at work. We’ve got another exciting day of college football, so I’ll make a few predictions here (I’m 2-0 so far, hitting the SC-OSU game last weekend and the Miami – Ga. St. game on Thursday):
USC over Washington 42-17
Oregon St. over Cincy 34-24
Virginia Tech over Nebraska 27-20
Steve and I will get together this afternoon and give you our NFL picks for tomorrow’s games. And now, back to the music…
Today’s song comes from a group that was a bit of a one hit wonder, but I always really enjoyed this particular hit, and I’m pretty sure that back in the day my Dad’s former girlfriend knew one of the band members. At a time when there are still so many key cahnges that need to happen to improve the country (what’s the deal with health Care or the Economy?), this tune seems, once again, fitting. Today’s jam: 4 Non Blondes – What’s Up. Enjoy….
Michael Vick signs with the Philadephia Eagles
August 13, 2009
alright dude, you get your wish....
Well, Erik can finally stop worrying…and get to figuring out how to get his sad sack team into the playoffs in our football league….
look at the top ten plays…
Vick King Of First Down
During the first years of his career (2004-06), Michael Vick rushed the ball better than any other quarterback. He had six 100-yard rushing games and 102 10-plus yard runs, but he was also one of the top rushers amongst all players — especially on first down.
Player Team Yds/carry on 1st down Michael Vick ATL 7.6 Frank Gore SF 5.3 Tiki Barber NYG 5.2 Mewelde Moore MIN 5.0 Joseph Addai IND 4.9 Quarterback Michael Vick has signed a two-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, his agent, Joel Segal, confirmed to ESPN.com.Vick arrived in Philadelphia Tuesday morning and remained there Wednesday evening. The Eagles will hold a news conference on Thursday morning to announce his signing. Vick was the No. 1 draft pick in 2001, and once the highest-paid player in football. But he has not played since 2006 when his career came tumbling down. He was convicted in August 2007 of conspiracy and running a dogfighting operation, sentenced to 23 months in federal prison and suspended indefinitely by the NFL. But after serving his time and being released from home confinement July 20, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell conditionally lifted Vick’s suspension, allowing him to sign with a team. The Eagles travel to meet Vick’s former team, the Atlanta Falcons, in Week 13 on Dec. 6. Chris Mortensen is a senior NFL anlyst. ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio contributed to this report.
We know about the dogfighting, but the guy served his time.
I think that Vick has a full house....
Also, as another option out of the backfield to pair with Westbrook, this move seems great. You can also give him a look as a backup QB to Donovan if anythign were to happen to him this year. He is also a little bit younger than Dovovan, so he might be another stop gap type QB until you find your franchaise guy. Remember, he used to be able to do this….
I secretly (really out loud to anyone who would listen) hoped that the Raiders would be the team to sign him. He could be a mentor to JaMarcus, who I am worried about being a failure, and give us some assurance that if we had to call on the backup, we would be okay.
Hopefully, this is another sign that PETA has no sway…Mr. Vick wanted me to deliver a message to you…
I'm still gonna be RRIICCHH BITCH! Take that PETA....
Antoine Walker Arrested for passing bad checks: A sobering example of how to waste Arab money…
July 17, 2009
Don't worry Mark, Ricky is broke too, and needs to sign his T'wolves contract. Not to put his business out there, but his contract last year was south of 100 stacks
Damn…
Prime example of why you need a good economic plan for your money. If nothing else, just get a simple savings account. At least the money will earn interest AND you might be less tempted to spend it.
Las Vegas is fun, but you should always know your limits.
This is not investing...investing requires financial institutions and people who have degrees.
Antoine, you have a problem. If you need to gamble, just bring cash. If you run out of cash, go to the Bank and get more. If they say your account is overdrawn, then you should be done, until the next check comes in. ESPN.com says that Antoine has “accounting” problems.
STATELINE, Nev. — Former NBA All-Star Antoine Walker has been arrested on criminal charges stemming from $822,500 in gambling debts in Las Vegas.
Douglas County sheriff’s Sgt. Jim Halsey says Walker was arrested Thursday at a Harrah’s Tahoe cabaret bar on Lake Tahoe’s south shore.
Deputies were notified of his presence by an employee who had seen a television report about an arrest warrant issued for Walker two days before.
Walker is accused of three felony counts of writing bad checks. Clark County prosecutors say he failed to make good on 10 checks totaling $1 million to Caesars Palace, Planet Hollywood and the Red Rock Resort.
Walker has repaid $178,000 of the debts that were incurred from last July to January.
Walker was released from jail after posting $135,000 cash bail.
Hoopsvibe points out that Walker should be paid in full.
A source close to the negotiations said Walker received roughly 95 percent of what remains on his $9.3 million salary. The Griz still maintain financial flexibility for trades and free-agent spending with Walker’s salary due to be subtracted from their salary-cap figure next summer.
Here is a dude that got a check for not playing AND got to move on to a new team. But, with his lack of dedication to his craft, he is going to be washed out of the league and the checks are going to stop rolling in. BTW, why in the hell are you in Lake Tahoe, gambling, when you should be working out and trying to get your bills paid?
This is very lucky for Antoine that he is not in old Vegas. Trying to skip on a marker in the old days would have you kneecapped or killed.
This is how they snatch you up...You think that they are your friends, but they only want your money...
Its all about the money. Friendships are built on money. But, nothing gets in the way of the money. I got my mind on my money and money on my mind…You know Big Worm…money, emotions…then death.
Toine, this could have been you...Thank your lucky stars that we are a little more civilized..
You won’t be missed Toine…Vegas always has people who can gamble responsible and still have a good time.
The Anderson Varejao re-signing shows that I would want to play poker against Danny Ferry
July 9, 2009
Hands like this don't come around often...but players like Verajao are a dime a dozen...
The poker movie “Rounders” is a great metaphor for life in the NBA.
You have to study your opponents moves, find a weakness and then exploit it. Matt Damon plays a young, hotshot player, who hits bottom, only to climb back to the surface. Preventing his rise is school, a best friend who is trouble and a girlfriend who doesn’t understand his passion with poker.
Being a NBA GM requires you have similar skills of a poker player, being able to read hands of your opponents, and feigning weakness, when you are really strong. I thought that Danny Ferry would be a good poker player, based on some of the moves that he made, but ultimately his latest play has been a headscratcher.
While I am not going to grade the Ferry regime, this particular move is the one that left me truly wondering if I could read Ferry’s hand in a game of poker. ESPN.com is reporting that Anderson Verajao is being retained for about fives times the winners stake at the Main Event of Poker.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have come to an agreement with free agent Anderson Varejao on a six-year deal, his agent Dan Fegan told ESPN.com.
Varejao’s contract is worth $42.5 million over the six years, and the final year is only partially guaranteed. Incentives could push the total amount to $50 million.
As a 30 something sports fan, I have clear memories of Danny Ferry as a college player and as a pro. His career at Duke was a great one, as Wikipedia points out
He is among Duke’s greatest players of all time, ranking 5th in career points, fifth in career rebounds, and seventh in career assists—the only player in the top 10 in all three categories.
Ferry’s number 35 was retired in 1989 at the end of his senior season.[2] In 2002, Ferry was named to the ACC 50th Anniversary men’s basketball team honoring the fifty greatest players in Atlantic Coast Conference history.
But, as an NBA player, he was a bust, even though he has played in the most games in Cleveland Cavaliers history.
Danny Ferry as a player gives us hints about Danny Ferry the GM. The game that is being played by Ricky Rubio now was Danny Ferry’s Player card at NBA.com provides this little nugget
Selected by the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round (second pick overall) of the 1989 NBA Draft…Played in Italy in 1989-90…Draft rights traded by the Clippers with Reggie Williams to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Ron Harper, 1990 and 1992 first-round draft choices, and a 1991 second-round draft choice on 11/16/89
Now, the first lesson here is that Danny Ferry is not afraid to get his chips in the pot and gamble. At the time, I clearly remember thinking that Ferry was crazy for risking his dream of the NBA. One injury overseas and no one would want him. But, his resolute stand got him traded to the Cavs and a very rich contract.
Fast forward twenty years. You would hope that your Texas Hold-Em game would improve in that time. But, the only conclusion that I can come up with is that he has regressed in two short years. Plain and simple, Ferry got schooled here.
WHO else was going to pay AV that kind of money in this market? This just tells me that Dan Fegan is a grandmaster of poker. He is the Phil Ivey of the agent game. HoopsHype.com, lists the agents and their players.
| .Dan Fegan… Agents Aaron Goodwin Aaron Mintz Andre Buck Andre Colona Andrew Woolf Andy Miller Arn Tellem Bill Duffy Bill McCandless Bill Neff Bill Strickland Billy Ceisler Bob McClaren Bob Myers Bouna Ndiaye Brad Ames Brian Dyke Brian Elfus Buddy Baker Byron Irvin Calvin Andrews Charles Bonsignore Charles Grantham Charles Tucker Chris Emens Chris Luchey Craig McKenzie Dan Fegan Dan Tobin Darren White David Bauman David Falk David Lee Derek Powell Doug Neustadt Donald Dell Eric Fleisher Erin Cowan Frank Catapano Frankie Ross Gary Wichard George Bass Gerald Duncan Glenn Schwartzman Guy Zucker Happy Walters Henry Thomas Herb Rudoy Holger Geschwindner James Wells Jamie Knox Jason Levien Jeff Austin Jeff Fried Jeff Schwartz Jeff Wechsler Jerome Lewis Jerry Hicks Jim McDowell Jim Tanner Jimmy Sexton Joel Bell John Greig John Huizinga Josh Nochimson Justin Zanik Keith Glass Keith Kreiter Kenny Grant Kevin Bradbury Kevin Poston Kurt Schoeppler Lance Young Lapoe Smith Leigh Steinberg Leon Rose Lon Babby Louis Lookofsky Luciano Capicchioni Marc Cornstein Marc Fleisher Mark Bartelstein Mark McNeil Mark Stevens Mark Termini Matteo Comellini Merle Scott Michael Coyne Michael Harrison Michael Whitaker Mike Conley Mike Higgins Noah Croom Paco Belassen Perry Rogers Raymond Brothers Reggie Brown Richard Howell Richard Kaplan Richard Katz Rob Pelinka Robert Barr Robert Fayne Roger Montgomery Sam Goldfeder Steve Heumann Steve Kauffman Steve Mountain Thaddeus Foucher Todd Eley Todd Ramasar Tony Dutt Wallace Prather William Pollak | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current NBA Players: 13 All-Star Players: 1 Maxed-out Players: 1 Agent Ranking: 6th |
Nationality: American | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Agency: BEST | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website: http://www.experiencebest.com | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| .CLIENTS/SALARIES: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fegan won this game of no-limit poker. In a market where the salary cap is going to be LOWER than last year, and you have the class of 2010 on the horizon, why would you spend excessive amounts of money now?
Danny, I know you are worried about LeBron. If he is as fickle as to snatch up cameras because he got hammered on, you know he will leave CLE on a whim for his chase for the golden ticket. For that, I can see why you might have panicked, but just continue to have the poker face, and never let then see you sweat.
See, this was a good move for Ferry in 2007.
After months of being unable to get a deal done with the Cavaliers, Varejao accepted a three-year, $17.4 million offer sheet from the Charlotte Bobcats late Monday, Varejao’s agent, Dan Fegan, said. The deal has an opt-out clause after two seasons, which is the key part of the deal. (Ohio.com)
You played hardball, and you resigned him at an affordable rate. Now, Fegan deserves props too. he used his old connections with Rod Higgins to get the Bobcats to offer the sheet in the first place. Without the offer, Ferry holds all the cards.
This year is different, because AV used the parachute in his contract to void the final year, but Portland and Memphis are the only teams with cap space that will go above the MLE, without involving a sign and trade.
You might not hold the nuts, but you have a pretty good drawing hand. Just like Matt Damon’s character Matt McDermott got his law professor to win a big hand with a busted straight draw, Danny Ferry could have gotten Dan Fegan to fold and accept a smaller, more reasonable deal.
I thought that GM’s and owners learned that the only players worth extending more than three or four years are bona fide superstars, or players with reasonable deals. This is not one of them.
Danny Ferry is Teddy KGB. Just because you won the first time, doesn’t mean that you have a read on that player. Re-evaluate your options, then act…
(parts of this are posted at Bleacher Report and at WCLBasketball)
When I first heard that the deal was finalized, I had this song going through my head…
I love young Tupac, being wild, funny and lyrical with Digital Underground providing comic relief and a flow that keeps you in a summer mood. I will also take this time to give a belated birthday shout out to Tupac, who would have been 38 this June…
Born June 16th 1971
Shaq is chasing fame and it is fleet of foot.
hopefully, it's for nothing that would make your parents cringe...
Fame must be one of those things that once you have it, you constantly crave it, like getting upgraded to first class accommodations. He is still a big enough star to help force a deal. This is a deal that I can get behind for both teams, for different reasons. The Los Angeles Times is reporting what seems to be a done deal now…
If the deal is done today, it will be remembered as the day the Clippers got Blake Griffin (that’s nice) and the Cavaliers got Shaquille O’Neal (HOLY MT. OLYMPUS, SHAQ AND LEBRON JAMES TOGETHER!).
Hopefully, the look on Shaq’s face isn’t because he is going become a stinker for Cleveland and LBJ. I mean he is moving from the “magic potions” that the Suns used to keep him in shape…
The deal being discussed is similar to the one they discussed at midseason, with the Cavaliers getting a center, and the Suns getting cap relief.
The package the Suns would take back, according to Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, is almost comical: Ben Wallace, who’s retiring and may accept a buyout; Sasha Pavlovic, whose salary is only partially guaranteed, and the 46th pick in today’s draft.
Shaq gets to upstage the entire NBA draft! We don’t look at the draft as the Blake Griffin show, now the discussion has to be about Shaq and LBJ. But, Shaq is the master of this type of self promotion…remember this? (BTW I thought it was smooth…)
Here is the reason why I love it for the Cavs. It shows LBJ that you were serious about getting him some more help. What you gave up was not in the core rotation, so that is undisturbed. The matchups still remain the same and this team won 66 games last year. The teams that you have to watch out for still remain the same in Boston and Orlando.
Boston right now is hard to predict, because it sounds like they are about to undergo massive upheaval.
• The Rajon Rondo trade talk is still alive despite Danny Ainge’s attempts at spin control. In speaking to the media Tuesday, Ainge was pretty adamant that if the Celtics trade Rondo, it will be to make their team better and not because of any problems with Rondo.
I’m not sure I totally buy that. Rondo was the best player for the Celtics in the playoffs, a triple-double machine and the bridge between their present and their future. How would trading Rondo away make the Celtics better?
I’m more persuaded by what several league sources told me about Doc Rivers‘ relationship with Rondo. They say Rivers has told them Rondo is “impossible to coach” and “stubborn.” The worry is that if the Celtics give him a big contract extension next year, he’ll be even more unmanageable in the future. So the Celtics are trying to trade him now, while his trade value is high, to avoid a very difficult decision a year from now.
So, you are a triple double machine AND the team is taking offers for your services? That reinforces that you are a piece of meat…unless you are KG or Paul Pierce. Rondo, hopefully you are going to come back humble and hard working. But your reputation preceeds you. That is why my dad was a big believer (actually had to take the time to email him and say what up…) in saying that your word is the most important thing that you posess. Here is what Bill Burt posits about Rondo
Everything was going too swimmingly for Rajon Rondo.
Starting point guard for the Boston Celtics. World Champion. Reebok commercials. Triple-doubles galore. Recognition as the next “great” point guard.
All by age 23.
This is the same Rajon Rondo who, on draft day in 2006, drew this comment from ESPN college basketball expert Jay Bilas, “The problem is he can’t shoot.”
Rondo still can’t shoot, but he can run an offense.
Now comes the dirt.
He’s pig-headed. He’s not a leader. He’s been tardy too many times to games, including a playoff tilt. And, maybe worst of all, he wants to be among the richest players in pro basketball.
And lest I forget, he still can’t hit the open jump shot.
Clearly, you are getting a little to big for your britches. With that type of movement possible ( not to mention that Ray Allen is looking for a three year extension, which is making management offer his services around with Rondo) makes the Celtics window of dominance potentially shrink. Here is what your coach and GM have said about you in the past. (Thanks to Bluegrass State)
“He’s stubborn,” Ainge told ESPN’s Jackie MacMullen. “He doesn’t always take direction well. He’s very bright and knows what he needs to do to be successful. But sometimes he doesn’t understand what the team needs to be successful.”
Earlier in the season, head coach Doc Rivers said this to Rondo:
“Do you know your teammates hate playing with you? … The point guard has to be the guy that brings energy to the team. You can’t be the guy that sucks it away. Your moodiness is affecting us. Change it.”
For that reason, the Celtics are not the team that you attempt to build your team to beat, you clearly have to beat the Magic to contend for the Crown. With Shaq, you can have an effective counter to Dwight Howard.
The other thing is that you preserve your other talented center, Big Z. Now, he can be regulated to only playing about 20-25 minutes. This allows Cleveland to be more flexible. With Shaq, they have a tremendous low post presence. You can pound the ball down low, trolling for easy shots and silly fouls on Howard. While this is not the best strategy late in the game if you are behind, it can be an effective way to foul out Howard and get fouls on people coming over to double team. That killed the Magic against the Lakers.
The second look that it provides is allowing the Cavs to have the Eastern Euro look, without having to actually have greasy Europeans on your team.
two greasy Euros for the price of one... Sasha Vujacic of the Lakers and Fabricio Oberto formerly of the Spurs (recently traded to the Pistons)
The Cavaliers also were in talks with New Orleans about obtaining Tyson Chandler. If they had not made the trade for O’Neal, they would have traded for Chandler, according to a source.
The Cavs believed O’Neal was the better option because he has just one year left on his contract, and will not eat up cap space that will enable them to pursue players such as Chris Bosh in next summer’s star-studded free-agent class.
It’s all about flexibility and preserving options to keep LBJ at home. Plus, Chandler doesn’t have enough bump in the trunk to deal with Howard.
I like this for the Suns as well. Shaq dominated the ball while he was in Phoenix. When he touches the ball, it slowed down the “beautiful game” style that Steve Nash and Leandro Barbosa like to play, with the influenced D’Antoni/Nolan Richardson 4ominutes of hell/7 seconds or less type of play. Both styles are not going to be enough to get the Suns past the Lakers. The question is will that style get them past San Antonio, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Utah and New Orleans. There is obvious a lot of talent in the West.
Losing Shaq comes with some financial and emotional rewards with Phoenix. First, they do not have to trade Amare. This gives them some money to play around with. It also keeps him happy. I don’t think that Amare enjoyed the second fiddle role with Shaq in tow. The financial rewards are explained in the ESPN article.
For the Suns, the O’Neal trade is a straight salary dump. Pavlovic’s $5 million contract next season is only partially guaranteed, for the amount of $1.5 million.
Factor in the disparities in the contracts among Wallace, Pavlovic and O’Neal, and the team will save $4.5 million next season.
However, factor in the savings the Suns will reap on the luxury tax, and it will be closer to $10 million in savings. That would be amplified if Wallace decides to retire and the Suns buy him out of his contract for less than the $14 million he’s owed next season.
Phoenix is the Wu-Tang of the NBA right now.
and it helps to kick start the rebuilding process that needs to happen. Grant Hill and Steve Nash are past their prime days and are close to the pasture. It is time to restock and reload. Lopez was a great catch last year, but you have to develop some more talent and stop selling your draft picks.
Reno 911
June 19, 2009
You might be thinking that I am going to talk about the show.
Well, you would be wrong. We went to Reno because we had an emergency all caused by the movie, The Hangover. Run, don’t walk to see this movie, especially since it motivated us to get in the car after viewing and drive to Reno, since Vegas was a little to far to do with E having to work the next day. Ronin was unable to get off work, so he could not join us.
Who has not been here? If you have not, then you have not had enough alcohol...
The Reno portion of the trip was a good time had by all. Since it was a quick trip, not a lot happened, but let’s break it down.
1) Reno road construction. This sucked and caused us to lose a lot of time on the road. Up near Truckee, there is a lot of road construction that forces the lines to merge into one lane. The signs are not well designed, so you might miss them, especially since they are on the left hand side of the road. This is why it pays to read this blog, or other blogs, like this one on Road Construction
Our main route over the Sierra Nevada, Interstate 80, is currently undergoing major work in several places between the Nevada state line and Colfax, CA. I just drove that stretch at night and it was not fun. In many places, work is going on 24/7, giving motorists no relief from delays and detours. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has set up a website specifically for these projects called GetAcross80.com. It’s a real good idea to have a look before leaving Reno on westbound I80. Truckers are especially advised to check this site for extra restrictions applying to big rigs.
The website is extremely helpful, and I didn’t find out about it until we were driving past an Amber Alert sign with the info.
2) Mid Week Gambling
Some of the best times to play poker. The only advice that I would have for tournament players is to call the poker rooms early and find out if they are having their tournament. You cannot count on the information that you find online or in pokerplayer or cardplayer magazine. Love the publications, but the places are somewhat shady. I went here first for the 7 o’clock tournament, only to find out that they were not going to have it today. 
Since we got into town about 615pm, that meant that all the other 6pm tournaments would be a non starter. So, we went to SONIC for some food
We had accommodations here at the Atlantis
What the picture doesn't show is that the black marble is where there is a whirlpool tub, and there is a sitting room with a full sized bar and TV. The one thing is that they need to step their TV game up. It was a few 25 inch TV's.
3) Food in Reno: Sonic is a place that they REALLY need to have in the Bay Area. I wonder what the franchising fees are for a SONIC, because most people that I know that have tried SONIC, would eat it here in the Bay if they had it. So, this was a win, while we waited to play some cards some where.
4) Which led us to my favorite dive gambling spot, the Cal-Neva.
They had a 10pm small single table tournament that we played for fun. The people there were among some of the worst players that I have seen sit down at a table and talk about poker ever. They talked like thy had played a lot, but they were the loosest calling and raising stations I have ever seen. One woman routinely played second and third pair to the river and sounded shocked every time you lost. I can still hear her say, ” Oh you have that Ace again? Darn…” as she would fold her hand into the muck. So, E and I must have crushed it out, right? Of course not. I finished fifth and E finished third. The first hand, I got all my chips in with pocket aces preflop. The guy who finished second called me with King Ten offsuit. It was a sign of things to come. I won that hand, but lost plenty others to random trash. By the end of the rebuys, I was finally eliminated with pocket Kings preflop against Queen ten, and he hit a straight to finish me. The people who finished 3,4, and 5 were the best players at the table. Yet, we went home with nothing. The other funny thing that happened was that the guy who won suggested a chop that would include third place getting their money back. At first, the guy who finished second (who was the chip leader by a lot) agreed, and then he was like forget it. E almost finished in the money attempting to hang on through big blinds hitting. At one point they were all in with the D-bag who didn’t want the split and the eventual winner (lets call him Rube) showing down pre-flop and it was a monster hand for Rube that D-Bag chased him down and got him on the river to win the hand. The next hand E had to go all in and was finished.
Too bad that it isnt like this artists redering...
5) Drunk Bowling. It’s 12:30 am and too early to go back to the suite and not drunk enough for the strip club, we decide to go bowling, since there is an alley right on Virginia St, going back to the hotel. Of course, they are closed, so we head out to the Grand Sierra to go bowling
We get two games of bowling in, where I bowl a 70 and then a 108 versus Erik who bowls a 135 and then a 138. During this, we have a glass, then a pitcher of beer. Around 2am, I tell Erik, that I am ready to go, since I am going to play in a few hours at Harrah’s and their morning poker tournament. This is a tournament that has a place in my heart, since I have been playing there since 2005 and won a few tournaments there. Erik decides that he needs one more drink for the road. We stop at a bar in the Grand Sierra to get him a drink. I am standing behind Erik, since I am not going to get anything to drink. While I am waiting, this older black gentleman turns to me and says,
” Could you not stand behind me? I have been stabbed in the back before.”
Now, I wasn’t standing behind him, but what do you say to that? I just nodded and took another exaggerated step away from him and past Erik. After a minute or so, he turns and apologizes to me. I offer to buy him a drink and he will not hear of it and buys me a drink.
6) Harrah’s Tournaments for Poker.
Still have my 05 WSOP Harrah's shirt
You should play here. I am going to play here for sure the next time that I am in town. Two dealers in the tournament remembered who I was. the crazy thing about that is that I have not been to Reno in at least a year to play cards. But, they knew things about me that made me know that they remembered. They knew/remembered where I lived and what my profession was. One remembered my name, the other didn’t, but impressive nonetheless.
Trying to wake Erik up for this tournament was pointless, so I went and played by myself. The tournament is fun, the dealers get out a lot of hands per level and the competition was decent. I finished 5th again, and it paid out to four places.
Another reason to play is that they have satellite tournaments for WSOP seats. Unfortunately for me, they were starting on the day that I left for home, continuing all this weekend. They had a 33 dollar tournament, with the top two or three getting entry into the weekend 330 dollar tournament, with the top prize being a 10k seat at the main event.
7) Drive Home
Our third party member, Sandra drove us home. I got to doze a little while she navagated us home safely. All in all, it was a great use of 24 hours. Plus, go see the movie. Mike Tyson is great for his minimal screen time (5< minutes)
