If you haven't heard by now, Kobe Bryant made some controversial comments this week about this year's Olympic team vs. the original "Dream Team" from 1992. Long story short: Bryant said his team could be the Dream Team, which for years has been known as the greatest team ever assembled. Bryant's comments drew reaction from all over, including from the Greatest Of All Time, Michael Jordan, who laughed at Bryant.
I wouldn't go as far as His Airness did. Even though this Olympic team isn't at full strength and has some obvious weaknesses, it also has some major strengths, too, and is the prohibitive favorite to win the Olympics. So how does this team stack up with the best of all time?
POINT GUARDS
'92: Magic Johnson (33), John Stockton (30)
'12: Chris Paul (27), Deron Williams (28), Russell Westbrook (23)
Advantage: '12
I know it might sound blasphemous to give the nod to three young point guards who have combined to win zero championships over two Hall of Famers, but it's true. In 1992, Magic was coming off of retirement because of his HIV diagnosis, and though Stockton was a wizard on both ends of the floor, he also didn't have to play against guys who attack the basket as well as this year's point guards. Magic and Stockton were the only two players who didn't play in all eight Olympic games in 1992, and though Magic certainly would create some matchup problems for the '12 team's smaller point guards, '12 also is versatile enough to go big and put someone like Carmelo or LeBron on Magic. I have to give the advantage to the younger, more athletic point guards from the current team.
SHOOTING GUARDS
'92: Michael Jordan (29), Clyde Drexler (30)
'12: Kobe Bryant (33), James Harden (23)
Advantage: '92
This is one of two positions where the CLEAR advantage goes to the original Dream Team. Jordan was in his prime after winning the second of his six championships, and there has never been a better player than Jordan in his prime. Drexler was no slouch either, and the two combined to average 25 points per game during the Olympics. It's highly unlikely that Kobe and Harden will pull off a similar feat. At four years older than Jordan was in '92, Kobe has logged many more minutes than MJ had and is no longer entering his prime. He's still a deadly player, even if he's not quite the same as he was three or four years ago. What he does have going for him is the greatest killer instinct since Jordan. Harden, the NBA's reigning Sixth Man of the Year, is an up-and-coming star, but he's not quite at the level of either Drexler or Jordan. Williams and Westbrook both could log some minutes at the two if needed, but clear advantage to '92.
SMALL FORWARDS
'92: Larry Bird (35), Scottie Pippen (26), Chris Mullin (29)
'12: LeBron James (27), Kevin Durant (23), Andre Iguodala (28)
Advantage: '12
I know it sounds crazy to go against three Hall of Famers, but are you telling me you're willing to bet against LeBron and Durant? The two best players in the world right now? Not me. Larry Legend was limping at the end of his career, and he would never play another NBA game after winning a gold medal in '92. Pippen was a truly great defender, but even he would have a hard time keeping up LeBron and Durant. Mullin was an underrated scorer (his 12.9 points per game in the Olympics were fourth on the team), but both LeBron and Iguodala are elite athletes and defenders who would have given Mullin fits. This position is probably the greatest strength of the '12 team.
POWER FORWARDS
'92: Charles Barkley (29), Karl Malone (29), Christian Laettner (21)
'12: Carmelo Anthony (28), Kevin Love (23)
Advantage: '92
Even with Laettner, who was a token selection and shouldn't have been on the Dream Team, power forward was the team's strongest position. Barkley led the team in scoring with 18 points per game, and Malone was third on the team with 13 points per game. They both were in their prime and are among the top five or six power forwards to ever play the game. Carmelo isn't really a power forward and would have a hard time matching up with those two guys physically, and it actually might be better to switch him and LeBron, who would be a better physical matchup with Barkley and Malone. What Anthony does have is the ability to be one of the best scorers on the international level. He and Durant are a lethal scoring combination, and Anthony's game is tailor-made for the international game. Love, meanwhile, is a double-double machine in the NBA who can match up with some of the bigger power forwards in the game. Is he Barkley or Malone in their prime? No, but in four years, he could be at that level.
CENTERS
'92: Patrick Ewing (29), David Robinson (26)
'12: Tyson Chandler (29), Anthony Davis (19)
Advantage: '92
Center is by far the weakest position for Team USA. With Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum out with injuries, the country's two best centers won't be at the Olympics. Chris Bosh and Blake Griffin, who are both power forwards, could also have contributed at center but are out with injuries, as well. Ewing and Robinson would have dominated Chandler and Davis. Dominated.
Clearly, the '12 team isn't at full strength, especially in the post. Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum would be on this team if healthy. LaMarcus Aldridge might have made the team, as well, and Blake Griffin was on the team ahead of Davis until he injured his knee on Wednesday. Dwyane Wade, the leading scorer on the '08 Olympic team, also is out with a knee injury. He would have been on this squad ahead of Harden.
Still, even with that many potential players sitting out, the '12 team would be competitive against the '92 squad. You can't argue what that team did. It averaged 117 points and won all eight games during the Olympics by at least 32 points and an average of 43 points. Simply put, it was total domination. But it was a different time then. Basketball wasn't a global game. The Dream Team helped to drive that, and today, nearly every team in the Olympics has multiple NBA players. Heck, even teams that fail to qualify have NBA stars (see Dirk Nowitzki and Germany). The competition today is much tougher than that '92 team had to face.
The '12 squad also has youth on its side. The average age of the '92 team was 28.8 years old, compared to just 25.9 years old this year. Only two players (33-year-old Kobe Bryant and 29-year-old Tyson Chandler) are older than 28 years old, while the '92 squad had nine players 29 years old or older. So clearly the '12 team has some advantages. But not enough.
If we were talking a gold-medal showdown between these two teams, where I had to shorten my bench and put my best players on the floor, here's what I would do:
'92 starters: Magic, Jordan, Pippen, Barkley, Ewing
'92 bench: Stockton, Drexler, Mullin, Malone, Robinson
'12 starters: Williams, Durant, Carmelo, LeBron, Chandler
'12 bench: Paul, Kobe, Harden, Iguodala, Love
The matchups would be very interesting. I would probably put LeBron on Jordan, Carmelo on Barkley and Durant on Magic. Deron Williams would be giving up a lot of size and length to Pippen, but I'd rather have him on Pippen than Jordan. The depth is where the '92 team can pull away from the '12 team. I'd take Paul over Stockton, and the Kobe/Drexler matchup would be a good one. But the frontcourt advantage goes to '92. For '12 to have any shot, I'd have to ask Chandler, Love, LeBron and Carmelo to play a lot of minutes in the post.
LeBron, Durant, Carmelo and Kobe would keep '12 in the game, but the will of Jordan and the experience of the rest of the original Dream Team would be a bit too much in the end.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
The All-Caucasian American NBA Team
My buddy and former co-worker Jeff and I have discussed this topic for several hours: If you formed an NBA team that consisted solely of white American players, would it be the worst team in the league? Yes, these are the types of things that my friends and I discuss. Not like for five minutes. But for hours. At a time.
We've debated the roster on at least three occasions, and for some reason, I got a text from Jeff today about our fictional team. For at least the second time, I sat down and went over every white NBA player to devise my team. For the sake of this argument, I limited the roster to 12 players (like the national teams in the upcoming Olympic Games).
Just to set this up and for background purposes: This isn't an all-time white NBA team. That would be too easy. There are more than 12 white Americans in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. That team would be unbelievable. (As an aside, I'd have to go with the following 12-man team: John Stockton and Bob Cousy at point guard; Pete Maravich and Jerry West at shooting guard; Larry Bird, Rick Barry and Chris Mullin at small forward; Bill Bradley, Kevin McHale and Dave Cowens at power forward; and Bill Walton and George Mikan at center. Championship!)
It also can't include so-called white guys who are foreigners or mixed players who aren't completely Caucasian. Again, talk about a pretty dang good team. Any team that features Dirk, the Gasol brothers, Andrew Bogut and Blake Griffin in the post will be competitive, no matter who the guards are. Throw in a backcourt of Nash, Steph Curry and Rubio, a shooter like Danilo Gallinari, and a couple of role players, and you can compete for an NBA title. But again, none of those guys are eligible.
So, it ain't easy. After much debate and deliberation, I am excited to unveil my 12-man roster for the All-Caucasian American NBA team:
POINT GUARDS
Kirk Hinrich and Luke Ridnour. OK, so we're not starting off all that hot. I actually think Hinrich is an underrated player. He's a nine-year veteran who at 31 years old still has plenty left in the tank. He has good size at 6-4 and isn't a bad defender -- and let's be honest, on a team full of white guys, we're looking for anybody who can defend. He's averaged 12.5 points and 5.4 assists during his career with Chicago, Washington and Atlanta, but he hasn't been a full-time starter in four seasons and hasn't scored more than 11.5 points in five. Ridnour, like Hinrich, is a nine-year veteran who is 31 years old. He's a little smaller at 6-2 and 175 pounds, but he's a crafty player whose career is on the upswing. He's a career 10-point and five-assist per game guy, but he's scored more points each season over the past four and averaged a career 12.1 points last season in Minnesota while sharing point guard duties with Rubio. I could make an argument that he should be this team's starter, though I'd lean toward Hinrich because of his size and defensive abilities. Having two 31-year-old point guards isn't ideal because it means there are no young legs to run with the Russell Westbrooks and Kyrie Irvings of the world, but there aren't weren't many other options. Missing the cut: Steve Nash (I'm still awaiting a ruling on my waiver request for Nash; sure, he's Canadian, but he went to college in California and is basically an American), Jimmer Fredette (The Jimmer would fill the "young legs" quota, but let's be honest -- his defense is even worse than the old guys. A rookie season in which he averaged 7.6 points isn't enough to get him on this team.), Steve Blake (Apparently, the 2003 NBA Draft was good for the white point guard. Hinrich went seventh, Ridnour 14th, and Blake 38th. Blake has been a part-time starter for most of his career, though he did have a good two-year run with Portland from 2007-09 in which he started all but three games and averaged double figures in scoring.). Note: Yes, it's sad there are only four white point guards in the NBA.
SHOOTING GUARDS
J.J. Redick and Kyle Korver. If you were building the ideal dream team, you would want players who strengths complement each other. Unfortunately, there's nothing ideal about this team, and Redick and Korver are essentially the same player. Redick, to his credit, has expanded his game, becoming more than just a spot-up shooter. His scoring average has improved every year, and for the first time in his career last year he started more than 10 games and scored a career-high 11.6 points per game. I honestly believe he's developed into a solid starter in the NBA, maybe not someone who's going to be a game-changer on a title team, but better than I think many people thought he would be. Korver, meanwhile, is an assassin off the bench. He's a career 41 percent 3-point shooter, has good length at 6-7 and adequate skills on defense, and he can make opposing wings work by his ability to move without the basketball. On this team, he'd likely be asked to do the same things he's asked to do on his real team -- play about 20 minutes per game off the bench and knock down threes. Missing the cut: Greivis Vasquez (I filed another waiver for Vasquez, the Venezualan-born shooter who attended high school in North Carolina and played collegiately at Maryland), Matt Carroll (Yes, the pickings are that slim.)
SMALL FORWARDS
Gordon Hayward and Chase Budinger. Finally, we're starting to get a little more athletic. These two young players give us some versatility on the wing and actually could play together and allow us to go big. Hayward, the 6-8, 20-year-old, former Butler star, is an emerging force for the Utah Jazz. He worked his way into the starting lineup during his second year in the league, averaging 11.8 points and showing that he's capable of putting up 20 points any night when he asserts himself. As he continues to get more comfortable and confident, he should emerge as one of the stars of the future for the Jazz. There's a chance he could be the second-best player on our all-Caucasian team. The 6-7 Budinger, who was just traded from Houston to Minnesota, is still trying to live up to his athletic potential and show he's more than just a dunker. He's perhaps the best athlete on this team and will be needed to add energy, defense and scoring off the bench. Missing the cut: Mike Dunleavy (The final cut from the squad. He's a better player than most people realize, averaging double figures for the past nine seasons. He's long and athletic at 6-9 and can shoot the 3, making 40 percent over the past two years. It really pained me not to put him on this team.), Mike Miller (Had this been five years ago, Miller would have been a lock for the starting lineup and probably the second-best player on the team. He was a lethal shooter and a very good player. Now, however, he's on the backside of his career and just doesn't have the talent level to earn a spot.), Robbie Hummel (He's a rookie from Purdue who has no ACLs left after tearing them both during his college career, but the kid has a tremendous work ethic and is going to have a successful career.), Steve Novak (Umm, he can shoot, but that's about it.), Doug McDermott (Jeff and I both agreed that we are eager to use our 2013 first-round pick on McDermott, the smooth scorer sophomore from Creighton. If he'd declared this year, there's no way he's not on this team. At 6-7, 220 pounds, he's a classic small forward who can put the ball in the basket, ranking third in the nation this past year with 23 points per game and being named a first-team All-American.), Adam Morrison (LOL! Sad thing, though, is he'd probably have been on this team had we selected it in six years ago).
POWER FORWARDS
Kevin Love, Ryan Anderson and Kris Humphries. Let's talk about Love, who is our only legitimate franchise-caliber player. He has to basically average a 30-20 every night for us to be competitive, but that's OK because he's used to pulling that kind of duty for a franchise without much talent in Minnesota. It's no exaggeration that Love might be the best U.S. post player, regardless of color, and he'll be a major force during the Olympics. He's slimmed down, gotten in better shape and expanded his game. He's a scoring threat in the post and on the perimeter, and he just eats rebounds for lunch. The two-time All-Star averaged career highs last year with 26 points and 13.3 rebounds, and at just 23 years old, he hasn't even hit his prime yet. Anderson, the 6-10 stretch combo forward who is headed to New Orleans next year, also is coming off a career year in which he averaged 16 points and 7.7 rebounds for Orlando, shooting 39 percent from three and being named the league's Most Improved Player. He can play minutes at both forward positions, again allowing this team to go big and create matchup problems. Humphries, meanwhile, will have one role -- grabbing garbage rebounds, like he has done for the Nets the past two seasons. Believe it or not, power forward is the white man's deepest position, as there is no shortage of stocky, physical guys who are willing to fill a role and collect a paycheck. Missed the cut: Chris "Birdman" Anderson (I thought long and hard about putting Birdman as the 12th man, just to sit on the bench, look weird and hype up his teammates and the crowd. In the end, though, I just didn't think he was suited for what we were trying to do.), Nick Collison (You have to have role players, and Collison is the ultimate one. He's willing to do the dirty work, make his teammates better and isn't at all interested in personal glory. I'm asking Humphries to fill that role and hoping he's up for the task.), Tyler Hansbrough (Every now and then, you need a guy who doesn't mind diving on the floor for loose balls or throwing an "inadvertant" elbow into his opponent's nose. I wish I could clone Hansbrough's work ethic, but his skill level doesn't match up.)
CENTERS
Chris Kaman, David Lee and Spencer Hawes. Kaman might have forfeited his right to play on this team when he acquired dual-citizenship in Germany and played in the 2008 Olympics, but we're just going to pretend that never happened. Although it seems he's been around forever, Kaman is only 30 and still a productive player. He averaged 13.1 points and 7.7 rebounds this past season in New Orleans despite the team trying to trade him. Just two seasons ago, he aveaged 18.5 points and 9.3 rebounds for the Clippers, and we're hoping he has something like that left in him. Playing next to Kevin Love will only help. Lee, meanwhile, really is a power forward masquerading as a center, but power forward clearly is our deepest position, and I felt like he could help us out at center. He's only 6-9 and 240 pounds, so bigger centers will give him problems defensively, but he scores and rebounds so well that he's bound to make an impact. Hawes is an emerging big man who brings plenty of size at 7-1. His production dropped off slightly over the past two seasons in Philadelphia, but he can score some in the paint and will play tough, physical defense. Missed the cut: Brad Miller (The former all-star and U.S. national team player is at the end of his career at 36 years old, and he's not even a productive pro anymore. He deserves an honorable mention, though.), Cole Aldrich (The 6-11 big man hasn't played much during his two seasons with Oklahoma City, but scouts are encouraged that he has a productive future ahead of him.), Meyers Leonard, Tyler Zeller, Miles Plumlee (I'll take the three rookies in globo: The future of this team looks bright. Leonard and Zeller are lanky, skilled players who can score and rebound, while if Plumlee's skills ever catch up with his athleticism, watch out.)
We've debated the roster on at least three occasions, and for some reason, I got a text from Jeff today about our fictional team. For at least the second time, I sat down and went over every white NBA player to devise my team. For the sake of this argument, I limited the roster to 12 players (like the national teams in the upcoming Olympic Games).
Just to set this up and for background purposes: This isn't an all-time white NBA team. That would be too easy. There are more than 12 white Americans in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. That team would be unbelievable. (As an aside, I'd have to go with the following 12-man team: John Stockton and Bob Cousy at point guard; Pete Maravich and Jerry West at shooting guard; Larry Bird, Rick Barry and Chris Mullin at small forward; Bill Bradley, Kevin McHale and Dave Cowens at power forward; and Bill Walton and George Mikan at center. Championship!)
It also can't include so-called white guys who are foreigners or mixed players who aren't completely Caucasian. Again, talk about a pretty dang good team. Any team that features Dirk, the Gasol brothers, Andrew Bogut and Blake Griffin in the post will be competitive, no matter who the guards are. Throw in a backcourt of Nash, Steph Curry and Rubio, a shooter like Danilo Gallinari, and a couple of role players, and you can compete for an NBA title. But again, none of those guys are eligible.
So, it ain't easy. After much debate and deliberation, I am excited to unveil my 12-man roster for the All-Caucasian American NBA team:
POINT GUARDS
Kirk Hinrich and Luke Ridnour. OK, so we're not starting off all that hot. I actually think Hinrich is an underrated player. He's a nine-year veteran who at 31 years old still has plenty left in the tank. He has good size at 6-4 and isn't a bad defender -- and let's be honest, on a team full of white guys, we're looking for anybody who can defend. He's averaged 12.5 points and 5.4 assists during his career with Chicago, Washington and Atlanta, but he hasn't been a full-time starter in four seasons and hasn't scored more than 11.5 points in five. Ridnour, like Hinrich, is a nine-year veteran who is 31 years old. He's a little smaller at 6-2 and 175 pounds, but he's a crafty player whose career is on the upswing. He's a career 10-point and five-assist per game guy, but he's scored more points each season over the past four and averaged a career 12.1 points last season in Minnesota while sharing point guard duties with Rubio. I could make an argument that he should be this team's starter, though I'd lean toward Hinrich because of his size and defensive abilities. Having two 31-year-old point guards isn't ideal because it means there are no young legs to run with the Russell Westbrooks and Kyrie Irvings of the world, but there aren't weren't many other options. Missing the cut: Steve Nash (I'm still awaiting a ruling on my waiver request for Nash; sure, he's Canadian, but he went to college in California and is basically an American), Jimmer Fredette (The Jimmer would fill the "young legs" quota, but let's be honest -- his defense is even worse than the old guys. A rookie season in which he averaged 7.6 points isn't enough to get him on this team.), Steve Blake (Apparently, the 2003 NBA Draft was good for the white point guard. Hinrich went seventh, Ridnour 14th, and Blake 38th. Blake has been a part-time starter for most of his career, though he did have a good two-year run with Portland from 2007-09 in which he started all but three games and averaged double figures in scoring.). Note: Yes, it's sad there are only four white point guards in the NBA.
SHOOTING GUARDS
J.J. Redick and Kyle Korver. If you were building the ideal dream team, you would want players who strengths complement each other. Unfortunately, there's nothing ideal about this team, and Redick and Korver are essentially the same player. Redick, to his credit, has expanded his game, becoming more than just a spot-up shooter. His scoring average has improved every year, and for the first time in his career last year he started more than 10 games and scored a career-high 11.6 points per game. I honestly believe he's developed into a solid starter in the NBA, maybe not someone who's going to be a game-changer on a title team, but better than I think many people thought he would be. Korver, meanwhile, is an assassin off the bench. He's a career 41 percent 3-point shooter, has good length at 6-7 and adequate skills on defense, and he can make opposing wings work by his ability to move without the basketball. On this team, he'd likely be asked to do the same things he's asked to do on his real team -- play about 20 minutes per game off the bench and knock down threes. Missing the cut: Greivis Vasquez (I filed another waiver for Vasquez, the Venezualan-born shooter who attended high school in North Carolina and played collegiately at Maryland), Matt Carroll (Yes, the pickings are that slim.)
SMALL FORWARDS
Gordon Hayward and Chase Budinger. Finally, we're starting to get a little more athletic. These two young players give us some versatility on the wing and actually could play together and allow us to go big. Hayward, the 6-8, 20-year-old, former Butler star, is an emerging force for the Utah Jazz. He worked his way into the starting lineup during his second year in the league, averaging 11.8 points and showing that he's capable of putting up 20 points any night when he asserts himself. As he continues to get more comfortable and confident, he should emerge as one of the stars of the future for the Jazz. There's a chance he could be the second-best player on our all-Caucasian team. The 6-7 Budinger, who was just traded from Houston to Minnesota, is still trying to live up to his athletic potential and show he's more than just a dunker. He's perhaps the best athlete on this team and will be needed to add energy, defense and scoring off the bench. Missing the cut: Mike Dunleavy (The final cut from the squad. He's a better player than most people realize, averaging double figures for the past nine seasons. He's long and athletic at 6-9 and can shoot the 3, making 40 percent over the past two years. It really pained me not to put him on this team.), Mike Miller (Had this been five years ago, Miller would have been a lock for the starting lineup and probably the second-best player on the team. He was a lethal shooter and a very good player. Now, however, he's on the backside of his career and just doesn't have the talent level to earn a spot.), Robbie Hummel (He's a rookie from Purdue who has no ACLs left after tearing them both during his college career, but the kid has a tremendous work ethic and is going to have a successful career.), Steve Novak (Umm, he can shoot, but that's about it.), Doug McDermott (Jeff and I both agreed that we are eager to use our 2013 first-round pick on McDermott, the smooth scorer sophomore from Creighton. If he'd declared this year, there's no way he's not on this team. At 6-7, 220 pounds, he's a classic small forward who can put the ball in the basket, ranking third in the nation this past year with 23 points per game and being named a first-team All-American.), Adam Morrison (LOL! Sad thing, though, is he'd probably have been on this team had we selected it in six years ago).
POWER FORWARDS
Kevin Love, Ryan Anderson and Kris Humphries. Let's talk about Love, who is our only legitimate franchise-caliber player. He has to basically average a 30-20 every night for us to be competitive, but that's OK because he's used to pulling that kind of duty for a franchise without much talent in Minnesota. It's no exaggeration that Love might be the best U.S. post player, regardless of color, and he'll be a major force during the Olympics. He's slimmed down, gotten in better shape and expanded his game. He's a scoring threat in the post and on the perimeter, and he just eats rebounds for lunch. The two-time All-Star averaged career highs last year with 26 points and 13.3 rebounds, and at just 23 years old, he hasn't even hit his prime yet. Anderson, the 6-10 stretch combo forward who is headed to New Orleans next year, also is coming off a career year in which he averaged 16 points and 7.7 rebounds for Orlando, shooting 39 percent from three and being named the league's Most Improved Player. He can play minutes at both forward positions, again allowing this team to go big and create matchup problems. Humphries, meanwhile, will have one role -- grabbing garbage rebounds, like he has done for the Nets the past two seasons. Believe it or not, power forward is the white man's deepest position, as there is no shortage of stocky, physical guys who are willing to fill a role and collect a paycheck. Missed the cut: Chris "Birdman" Anderson (I thought long and hard about putting Birdman as the 12th man, just to sit on the bench, look weird and hype up his teammates and the crowd. In the end, though, I just didn't think he was suited for what we were trying to do.), Nick Collison (You have to have role players, and Collison is the ultimate one. He's willing to do the dirty work, make his teammates better and isn't at all interested in personal glory. I'm asking Humphries to fill that role and hoping he's up for the task.), Tyler Hansbrough (Every now and then, you need a guy who doesn't mind diving on the floor for loose balls or throwing an "inadvertant" elbow into his opponent's nose. I wish I could clone Hansbrough's work ethic, but his skill level doesn't match up.)
CENTERS
Chris Kaman, David Lee and Spencer Hawes. Kaman might have forfeited his right to play on this team when he acquired dual-citizenship in Germany and played in the 2008 Olympics, but we're just going to pretend that never happened. Although it seems he's been around forever, Kaman is only 30 and still a productive player. He averaged 13.1 points and 7.7 rebounds this past season in New Orleans despite the team trying to trade him. Just two seasons ago, he aveaged 18.5 points and 9.3 rebounds for the Clippers, and we're hoping he has something like that left in him. Playing next to Kevin Love will only help. Lee, meanwhile, really is a power forward masquerading as a center, but power forward clearly is our deepest position, and I felt like he could help us out at center. He's only 6-9 and 240 pounds, so bigger centers will give him problems defensively, but he scores and rebounds so well that he's bound to make an impact. Hawes is an emerging big man who brings plenty of size at 7-1. His production dropped off slightly over the past two seasons in Philadelphia, but he can score some in the paint and will play tough, physical defense. Missed the cut: Brad Miller (The former all-star and U.S. national team player is at the end of his career at 36 years old, and he's not even a productive pro anymore. He deserves an honorable mention, though.), Cole Aldrich (The 6-11 big man hasn't played much during his two seasons with Oklahoma City, but scouts are encouraged that he has a productive future ahead of him.), Meyers Leonard, Tyler Zeller, Miles Plumlee (I'll take the three rookies in globo: The future of this team looks bright. Leonard and Zeller are lanky, skilled players who can score and rebound, while if Plumlee's skills ever catch up with his athleticism, watch out.)
Monday, June 27, 2011
An epic soccer blog
Blogging, blogging … and we’re blogging.
Yeah, it’s been awhile. Sue me. Between writing full-time for a living and all of the officiating I’ve been doing lately, I barely have enough time to squeeze in the sporting events I want to watch, much less write about them. But I have found something that has inspired me, so I’m blogging.
The U.S. soccer team recently completed the Gold Cup, one of the most prestigious tournaments in North and Central America (if you can call any CONCACAF tournament “prestigious”), finishing runner-up after losing 4-2 to the hated Mexicans in the final. Depending on which way you look at it, the Gold Cup is either the beginning of a new cycle leading up to the next World Cup, or in the case of the way the U.S. seemingly looks at it, the winding down and ending of the latest four-year cycle.
Since the U.S. didn’t win the Gold Cup, it didn’t earn an invitation to the 2013 Confederations Cup. That would have been a key tuneup leading into the World Cup because it features eight of the best teams in the world. That would be great competition for the U.S. as it prepares for the 2014 World Cup. Without that invite, the U.S. will have to rely on qualifying to get a feel for the team it wants to send to Brazil, and since the U.S. has a bye into the third round of CONCACAF qualifying, it will be a while before those real games begin.
Note: The U.S. will play meaningful soccer between now and then at the U-23 level with the Olympics. That team is beginning preparations for the 2012 Olympics in London. It’s not the full national team by any stretch of the imagination, but it should give us a look at some of the young guys who will be vying for playing time. In addition, because FIFA allows for three “overage” players to join the roster for the Olympics, there’s a good chance many of the players heading to London also will make the squad for Brazil in 2014.
Here’s a look at my best guess of what the 23-man roster will look like in Brazil, with a clear understanding that there likely is a player or two who none of us have ever heard of (see Altidore, Jozy in the 2010 World Cup) at this point will emerge and make the squad:
Goalkeepers (3)
Brad Guzan – The biggest question with Guzan, who will be 29 at the time of the next World Cup, isn’t whether he’ll continue to be a mainstay on the national team. It’s when does he take the mantle from Howard as the No. 1 guy. Kasey Keller started the ’06 Cup at age 36. Brad Friedel could have started the ’06 Cup at age 35. Guzan has to think this is the last run for Howard, but you never know. Guzan will be 33 at the 2018 Cup, so he’s hoping for one shot. At any rate, he’s clearly the No. 2 guy, even though he’s still backing up Friedel at Aston Villa.
Tim Howard – Although Howard will be 35 when the team begins play in Brazil, it’s clear that he is the best keeper in the country, and one of the best America has ever produced. It’s highly unlikely that anyone will challenge him for that spot over the next three years.
Sean Johnson – Johnson has emerged as the best young keeper in the country, and at age 25, he’ll be ready to make his World Cup debut. At 6-4 and 220 pounds, the comparisons to Howard are natural. Will Johnson develop into a world class keeper like Howard? That remains to be seen, but he does look like the keeper of the future for the red, white and blue. Howard first made his debut as the No. 3 in the ’06 World Cup at the age of 27. Johnson should be ready in ’14.
Defenders (8)
Gale Agbossoumonde – A dynamic young center back, the Boss isn’t ready right now at only 19 years of age and with limited professional experience. Give him three years of development, and the 6-2, 190-pounder will be ready to team with Omar Gonzalez and/or Tim Ream to hold down the U.S. central defense.
Joe Amon – I’m taking a flyer on the youngster from the U-17 national team. The right back has been the most impressive player to me for the U.S. in the U-17 World Cup. He’s not that big (5-7, 130), but he reminds me a lot of a mixture of Steve Cherundolo and Damarcus Beasley. He’ll turn 20 during the 2014 World Cup, which might be a little too young to make this squad. But there are always a few surprises, and this is a kid worth taking a chance on.
Carlos Bocanegra – He’ll be 35, and he won’t be the captain anymore. He likely won’t be a starter either, or at least he shouldn’t be. If he is, that’s an indictment that the back line hasn’t improved much between now and 2014. However, his experience and versatility (the ability to play both central defender and outside back) make him a worthwhile player to keep around.
Timmy Chandler – How crazy is Timmy Chandler’s story? He’s not even listed on the senior national team’s player pool, but many people believe his absence was the difference in the U.S. defeating Mexico in the Gold Cup final (his club squad requested he be left off the roster due to "exhaustion"). His presence certainly was missed after right back Steve Cherundolo injured his ankle early in the contest and had to be replaced. The German-born defender’s recent rise in the Bundesliga and stellar play in a March friendly burst him onto the international scene, and at just 21 years of age, he appears poised to help usher in a new era of U.S. defenders.
Maurice Edu – Edu’s versatility is his strongest selling point. He made the 2010 World Cup roster as a defensive midfielder, where he didn’t get much of a shot playing behind Ricardo Clark. He had a similar experience playing behind Jermaine Jones at the Gold Cup. Unlike both of those players, though, Edu is still relatively young (he’ll be 28 at the next World Cup) and can be a solid defender. Because of his much needed versatility and defensive prowess, and due to a stacked midfield, he best fits here.
Omar Gonzalez – At 6-5, 210 pounds and 22 years of age, Gonzalez is the defender of the future. He’ll take the torch from Onweyu as the next Eddie Pope, a label that Gooch never was able to live up to. He’s been a known commodity in the U.S. program for years, and he’s done nothing yet to limit the hype. There’s a strong chance that he could anchor the U.S. defense for the next two or even three World Cups.
Eric Lichaj – Lichaj is the left back of the future. He’ll be 25 in Brazil and should be set up for a run at the next two World Cups. He played very well in the Gold Cup, and if he can start getting regular playing time at Aston Villa in the Premier League, he could develop into the best left back the U.S. has ever seen.
Tim Ream – Played well at times in the Gold Cup as a central defender and will only improve as he gets more professional playing time. He’s a prime candidate for a European transfer in the next two years, and at only 23 years old, he looks like he could pair with Omar Gonzalez as a strong central tandem for years to come.
Midfielders (8)
Freddy Adu – Long hailed as the savior of American soccer, Adu was basically written off for dead after the 2008 Olympics, when he essentially disappeared (save for a cameo appearance on the U.S.’ “B” team that played in the 2009 Gold Cup). That all changed this year, when after bouncing around from club to club in Europe, he received a surprise call-up for the Gold Cup, where he played well as a substitute in the semifinals and again as a starter in the final. In fact, he played so well in those two games that he resuscitated his career by showing he is probably the best technical player in the country. It’s hard to remember that he’ll only be 25 in 2014, and he likely will compete for a starting spot.
Michael Bradley – A frustrating player, Bradley at times shows brilliance, challenging Donovan and Dempsey as the best player in the country, and other times seemingly disappearing and making little impact in the game. A central midfielder, Bradley adds a good deal of punch offensively (see his header for the first goal against Mexico in the Gold Cup final) but doesn’t seem to provide as much help defensively as you would like from that position. However, at only 26 in Brazil, he should be reaching his prime and theoretically could have overtaken Donovan and Dempsey as the Yanks’ best player.
Clint Dempsey – How much does Deuce have left in his international tank? He’s 28, and he’ll be 31 in Brazil. It’s safe to say that he’ll be past his prime. However, he continues to improve every year he plays in the Premier League. He’s legitimately challenging Landon Donovan to become the best player in U.S. history. He’s an above-average finisher, which for the U.S. makes him appear elite. I include him as a midfielder because that’s where Bob Bradley loves him. I continue to say that the U.S. would be best served with him starting up top, as recent matches show the offense plays much better when he pushes up to a forward position.
Mixx Diskerud – It’s funny; I’m all about the U.S. national team, but if you weren’t born here, doesn’t matter. Diskerud is a Norwegian-born player who spent time with both Norway and U.S. youth teams before deciding to play for the stars and stripes. Welcome aboard. When you’re as electric on the ball as he is, you can play for my country any day of the year. It’s no secret that the U.S., especially in the midfield, is aging. Diskerud, who will be 23 at the time of the World Cup, is the best of the next generation of U.S. playmakers.
Landon Donovan – See Dempsey above. Donovan is a year older than Dempsey, and he’s likely entering his last run at a World Cup, or at least his last one where he’ll make a serious contribution. How well will he hold up over the next three years? Will his skills begin diminishing, or will he still be playing at an elite level? There’s no question: the better Dempsey and Donovan play, the better the Yanks will play.
Benny Feilhaber – Like Diskerud, Feilhaber wasn’t born in the U.S. (he’s Brazilian by birth), but he’s chosen to play for Team USA. Feilhaber played for the U.S. in the 2008 Olympics and had his breakout performance in the 2009 Confederations Cup, where the U.S. finished runner-up to Brazil. He also was a sub during the 2010 World Cup. He was supposed to become a regular in the midfield with Bradley, but an injured ankle knocked him out of the Gold Cup. Should he be able to stay healthy, he should be able to maintain a slot on the roster.
Stuart Holden – Can Holden finally stay healthy? The Scottish-born Premier League player was limited at the 2010 World Cup thanks to a broken leg he suffered a few months before the tournament, while a torn ACL he suffered in March knocked him out of the Gold Cup. He’s an ideal pairing with Bradley in the central midfield, but his versatility to play on both the left and right wings also makes him a great player to have on the roster.
Brek Shea – There’s no question that Shea, who will be 24 at the time of the World Cup, has a future on the senior national team. He’s a talented left winger who also is versatile enough to play left back (a major position of need) and can even spell at forward at times. He’s got a history on the U.S. youth teams, and he’s one of the top scorers in MLS this season. It’s a long shot that he can break through during this cycle, but there’s always a surprise or two on the final roster. I’m throwing my money in Brek Shea’s direction as being that surprise.
Forwards (4)
Juan Agudelo – He’s just 18 and doesn’t have much international experience, but he’s already overtaken Jozy Altidore for the top striker spot for the U.S. He’ll be 21 in Brazil, and hopefully he’ll already have moved on to Europe or will use a big World Cup to parlay his way into a contract in one of the better leagues in the world.
Jozy Altidore – The jury is still out on whether or not Altidore can be an elite finisher. The good news: he’ll be 24 in 2014, so he should be coming into his prime. If he can get some quality club playing time over the next few years, Altidore might be able to develop into more than just a big target. It’s clear that if the U.S. wants to take the next step, it needs both Agudelo and Altidore to continue developing.
Teal Bunbury – Bunbury certainly doesn’t have much experience (just two caps), but at 6-2 he has everything you want in a forward: size, speed, strength. The Canadian national hasn’t proven yet in his two MLS seasons that he can be an elite scorer, but at just 21 years old he’s well on his way to becoming one and earning his way into a bigger league.
Charlie Davies – I’ll be honest: this might just be wishful thinking. Davies, if you remember, was well on his way to a stellar U.S. national team career (scoring four times in 16 appearances) when it was derailed by a horrific car crash in October 2009. Davies was lucky to survive, but he’s put in a great deal of work to get back to an elite level. He missed out on the 2010 World Cup and 2011 Gold Cup rosters, but he’s improved enough to lead MLS in goals (eight as of this posting on June 27, 2011). The jury is still out on if Davies has fully recovered his burst, but the guy knows how to put the ball in the back of the net, which is a skill that is desperately needed on Team USA.
As far as a starting lineup, all of that will depend on what type of lineup Bob Bradley chooses to use. He used mainly a 4-5-1 during the Gold Cup; however, I believe he feels more comfortable with the traditional 4-4-2. With four true strikers on this roster, I believe he’ll be able to employ that lineup.
My guess on starters would be: Howard (GK), Lichaj (LB), Gonzalez (CB), Ream (CB), Chandler (RB), Bradley (DM), Donovan (LM), Dempsey (RM), Holden (AM), Agudelo (F) and Davies (F). The top reserves would be Agbossoumonde (CB), Bocanegra (LB), Adu (MF), Diskerud (MF) and Altidore (F).
Now for the candidates who were given consideration but won’t make the squad:
Goalkeepers
Cody Cropper – Just 18 years old, Cropper certainly won’t be ready by 2014, but he might just be the best young keeper prospect in the country. He has great size at 6-3 and 200 pounds, and he should get good experience at Ipswich Town in the English second division. He wasn’t the starting keeper on the U-20 squad earlier this year, but he should be a fun prospect to watch develop.
Marcus Hahnemann – A quality keeper, he’s been stuck as a backup basically his entire career. He’ll be 42 in 2014, and though keepers have proven they can play much longer than other players, his international career is likely over.
Zak McMath – The best thing for young keepers is playing time, which McMath isn’t getting during his rookie year in MLS. He was an All-American in college who is just 19 years old, and at 6-2 he’s long and lanky with a great keeper build. He started over Cropper on the U-20 squad earlier this year, but it will be interesting to see which one develops into a “keeper” on the national squad.
Nick Rimando – An undersized keeper, it could be argued that Rimando made the most of his limited ability, but he’s never really been more than a No. 3 option for the national team, and he’s likely to be passed by several young prospects by the time the World Cup rolls around.
Defenders
Kellyn Acosta – Just 15 years old, he’s the youngest player on the U-17 national team. He’ll only be 18 at the start of the ’14 World Cup, and he likely won’t be ready. It’s much easier to make an impact as a young player on the offensive end than it is on the defensive end, where savvy and pure technical defending are key. But he is a left back, a position of weakness for the U.S.
Jonathan Bornstein – I hate to write off a guy because of one bad game, but his abysmal performance against Mexico in the Gold Cup final will be hard to forget. He was serviceable at left back in the 2010 World Cup, but I believe his time has passed.
Zach Carroll – Tall, lanky 17-year-old has the build of a classic central defender. He’ll likely fill out his 6-3 frame to more than 200 pounds (185 right now) and should be a name to watch for years to come.
Steve Cherundolo – This one hurts. I like Cherundolo. A lot. He defends very well for such a little guy (5-6, 145), and he adds a lot of punch offensively when he pushes up the right flank. However, like Bocanegra, he’ll be 35 in Brazil, and I don’t think the roster has room for two veteran defenders who likely won’t see the field that much.
Oguchi Onyewu – I won’t beat a dead horse or waste too much time, but unfortunately it appears Gooch’s international career is finished. Or at least it should be. Shame on Bob Bradley if he doesn’t turn over that role to Omar Gonzalez.
Jonathan Spector – The once young super prospect who signed with Manchester United at 17, he’ll be a 28-year-old who has constantly underachieved during his career. A decent option at right back, he’s never quite lived up to his billing, and he just misses the cut this time around.
Midfielders
Alejandro Bedoya – Bedoya, like the two guys who follow him, has seen plenty of time with the senior national team (13 caps), and at age 27 in 2014, it’s certainly not out of the question for him to land another spot on this squad. However, the emergence of Diskerud and Shea likely will keep him off the team.
Jermaine Jones – Jones will be 32 in 2014, and that’s certainly not too old to play in the defensive midfield (just ask Pablo Mastroeni). However, in the 10 appearances Jones has made since choosing the U.S. over his native Germany have shown that he and Bradley just don’t function well together. They’re essentially the same player, and since Bradley is five years younger (and the coach’s son), it’s likely that he’ll continue to get the nod over Jones.
Sacha Kljestan – Like the two guys above him, Kljestan was on the Gold Cup roster. He’ll be 28 during the next World Cup, and since he didn’t make a huge difference in Mexico, his spot likely will depend on an injury to Holden or Feilhaber, or a stunt in development of Diskerud and Shea.
Dillon Powers – The 20-year-old Notre Dame midfielder is probably the best U-20 midfielder in the country. And as you’ll see from this list, he’s really the only young guy expected to get a look. It’s not that there aren’t talented young players in the midfield, it’s just that there is a great deal of talent in the mid-20s to upper-20s age range at the position. Powers should be the leader of the next generation of American players when he gets his chance in 2018.
Forwards
Justin Braun – It’s no hidden secret that forward is a place where it doesn’t take much to get a look on the national team (see Chris Wondolowski’s inclusion on the 2011 Gold Cup roster). However, Braun and Bunbury are similar players (though Braun is an inch taller and 20 pounds heavier). Bunbury also is three years younger and projects to be a better player in three years.
Conor Doyle – Doyle, 19, has become a star on the youth national team who at 6-2 has the look of being the latest in a long line of “the next Brian McBride” (for some reason, we’ve yet to have a next Brian McBride). He’s playing professionally for Derby County of the English second division, and it likely won’t be long before he moves up to the Premier League. The son of an Irishman, Doyle has played on both U.S. and Irish youth teams, but he committed this month to continuing his senior national career in America.
Robbie Findley – Findley made the World Cup squad in 2010, but he wasn’t able to make much of an impact, even when he was starting. He hasn’t had much of an impact on the international level since, and it appears his time has come and gone.
Alfred Koroma – Koroma scored two goals in two games as a sub for the U-17 team in its World Cup, then earned a start in the third game. At 6-foot, he’s reminiscent of a young Eddie Johnson. As both Altidore and Agudelo have shown, if you can score the ball, you can get early chances for Bob Bradley.
Kelyn Rowe – Rowe, 19, isn’t a professional yet (he plays for UCLA), and while he might ultimately become a midfielder, right now he projects as a forward in a forward-needy country. When you score three goals in three games as a forward on the U-20 squad, it catches people’s attention. He’s in consideration for a spot on the Olympic squad and some young players are going to use that tournament to jumpstart their hopes of landing on the 2014 World Cup squad.
All that said, this is simply one person’s opinion, and it has been shown over the past five years that my opinion typically doesn’t line up with Bob Bradley’s opinion. Still, it will be interesting to look back on this post in three years when we’re at the World Cup and see just how much changed over that time span and see how accurate my projections were.
Yeah, it’s been awhile. Sue me. Between writing full-time for a living and all of the officiating I’ve been doing lately, I barely have enough time to squeeze in the sporting events I want to watch, much less write about them. But I have found something that has inspired me, so I’m blogging.
The U.S. soccer team recently completed the Gold Cup, one of the most prestigious tournaments in North and Central America (if you can call any CONCACAF tournament “prestigious”), finishing runner-up after losing 4-2 to the hated Mexicans in the final. Depending on which way you look at it, the Gold Cup is either the beginning of a new cycle leading up to the next World Cup, or in the case of the way the U.S. seemingly looks at it, the winding down and ending of the latest four-year cycle.
Since the U.S. didn’t win the Gold Cup, it didn’t earn an invitation to the 2013 Confederations Cup. That would have been a key tuneup leading into the World Cup because it features eight of the best teams in the world. That would be great competition for the U.S. as it prepares for the 2014 World Cup. Without that invite, the U.S. will have to rely on qualifying to get a feel for the team it wants to send to Brazil, and since the U.S. has a bye into the third round of CONCACAF qualifying, it will be a while before those real games begin.
Note: The U.S. will play meaningful soccer between now and then at the U-23 level with the Olympics. That team is beginning preparations for the 2012 Olympics in London. It’s not the full national team by any stretch of the imagination, but it should give us a look at some of the young guys who will be vying for playing time. In addition, because FIFA allows for three “overage” players to join the roster for the Olympics, there’s a good chance many of the players heading to London also will make the squad for Brazil in 2014.
Here’s a look at my best guess of what the 23-man roster will look like in Brazil, with a clear understanding that there likely is a player or two who none of us have ever heard of (see Altidore, Jozy in the 2010 World Cup) at this point will emerge and make the squad:
Goalkeepers (3)
Brad Guzan – The biggest question with Guzan, who will be 29 at the time of the next World Cup, isn’t whether he’ll continue to be a mainstay on the national team. It’s when does he take the mantle from Howard as the No. 1 guy. Kasey Keller started the ’06 Cup at age 36. Brad Friedel could have started the ’06 Cup at age 35. Guzan has to think this is the last run for Howard, but you never know. Guzan will be 33 at the 2018 Cup, so he’s hoping for one shot. At any rate, he’s clearly the No. 2 guy, even though he’s still backing up Friedel at Aston Villa.
Tim Howard – Although Howard will be 35 when the team begins play in Brazil, it’s clear that he is the best keeper in the country, and one of the best America has ever produced. It’s highly unlikely that anyone will challenge him for that spot over the next three years.
Sean Johnson – Johnson has emerged as the best young keeper in the country, and at age 25, he’ll be ready to make his World Cup debut. At 6-4 and 220 pounds, the comparisons to Howard are natural. Will Johnson develop into a world class keeper like Howard? That remains to be seen, but he does look like the keeper of the future for the red, white and blue. Howard first made his debut as the No. 3 in the ’06 World Cup at the age of 27. Johnson should be ready in ’14.
Defenders (8)
Gale Agbossoumonde – A dynamic young center back, the Boss isn’t ready right now at only 19 years of age and with limited professional experience. Give him three years of development, and the 6-2, 190-pounder will be ready to team with Omar Gonzalez and/or Tim Ream to hold down the U.S. central defense.
Joe Amon – I’m taking a flyer on the youngster from the U-17 national team. The right back has been the most impressive player to me for the U.S. in the U-17 World Cup. He’s not that big (5-7, 130), but he reminds me a lot of a mixture of Steve Cherundolo and Damarcus Beasley. He’ll turn 20 during the 2014 World Cup, which might be a little too young to make this squad. But there are always a few surprises, and this is a kid worth taking a chance on.
Carlos Bocanegra – He’ll be 35, and he won’t be the captain anymore. He likely won’t be a starter either, or at least he shouldn’t be. If he is, that’s an indictment that the back line hasn’t improved much between now and 2014. However, his experience and versatility (the ability to play both central defender and outside back) make him a worthwhile player to keep around.
Timmy Chandler – How crazy is Timmy Chandler’s story? He’s not even listed on the senior national team’s player pool, but many people believe his absence was the difference in the U.S. defeating Mexico in the Gold Cup final (his club squad requested he be left off the roster due to "exhaustion"). His presence certainly was missed after right back Steve Cherundolo injured his ankle early in the contest and had to be replaced. The German-born defender’s recent rise in the Bundesliga and stellar play in a March friendly burst him onto the international scene, and at just 21 years of age, he appears poised to help usher in a new era of U.S. defenders.
Maurice Edu – Edu’s versatility is his strongest selling point. He made the 2010 World Cup roster as a defensive midfielder, where he didn’t get much of a shot playing behind Ricardo Clark. He had a similar experience playing behind Jermaine Jones at the Gold Cup. Unlike both of those players, though, Edu is still relatively young (he’ll be 28 at the next World Cup) and can be a solid defender. Because of his much needed versatility and defensive prowess, and due to a stacked midfield, he best fits here.
Omar Gonzalez – At 6-5, 210 pounds and 22 years of age, Gonzalez is the defender of the future. He’ll take the torch from Onweyu as the next Eddie Pope, a label that Gooch never was able to live up to. He’s been a known commodity in the U.S. program for years, and he’s done nothing yet to limit the hype. There’s a strong chance that he could anchor the U.S. defense for the next two or even three World Cups.
Eric Lichaj – Lichaj is the left back of the future. He’ll be 25 in Brazil and should be set up for a run at the next two World Cups. He played very well in the Gold Cup, and if he can start getting regular playing time at Aston Villa in the Premier League, he could develop into the best left back the U.S. has ever seen.
Tim Ream – Played well at times in the Gold Cup as a central defender and will only improve as he gets more professional playing time. He’s a prime candidate for a European transfer in the next two years, and at only 23 years old, he looks like he could pair with Omar Gonzalez as a strong central tandem for years to come.
Midfielders (8)
Freddy Adu – Long hailed as the savior of American soccer, Adu was basically written off for dead after the 2008 Olympics, when he essentially disappeared (save for a cameo appearance on the U.S.’ “B” team that played in the 2009 Gold Cup). That all changed this year, when after bouncing around from club to club in Europe, he received a surprise call-up for the Gold Cup, where he played well as a substitute in the semifinals and again as a starter in the final. In fact, he played so well in those two games that he resuscitated his career by showing he is probably the best technical player in the country. It’s hard to remember that he’ll only be 25 in 2014, and he likely will compete for a starting spot.
Michael Bradley – A frustrating player, Bradley at times shows brilliance, challenging Donovan and Dempsey as the best player in the country, and other times seemingly disappearing and making little impact in the game. A central midfielder, Bradley adds a good deal of punch offensively (see his header for the first goal against Mexico in the Gold Cup final) but doesn’t seem to provide as much help defensively as you would like from that position. However, at only 26 in Brazil, he should be reaching his prime and theoretically could have overtaken Donovan and Dempsey as the Yanks’ best player.
Clint Dempsey – How much does Deuce have left in his international tank? He’s 28, and he’ll be 31 in Brazil. It’s safe to say that he’ll be past his prime. However, he continues to improve every year he plays in the Premier League. He’s legitimately challenging Landon Donovan to become the best player in U.S. history. He’s an above-average finisher, which for the U.S. makes him appear elite. I include him as a midfielder because that’s where Bob Bradley loves him. I continue to say that the U.S. would be best served with him starting up top, as recent matches show the offense plays much better when he pushes up to a forward position.
Mixx Diskerud – It’s funny; I’m all about the U.S. national team, but if you weren’t born here, doesn’t matter. Diskerud is a Norwegian-born player who spent time with both Norway and U.S. youth teams before deciding to play for the stars and stripes. Welcome aboard. When you’re as electric on the ball as he is, you can play for my country any day of the year. It’s no secret that the U.S., especially in the midfield, is aging. Diskerud, who will be 23 at the time of the World Cup, is the best of the next generation of U.S. playmakers.
Landon Donovan – See Dempsey above. Donovan is a year older than Dempsey, and he’s likely entering his last run at a World Cup, or at least his last one where he’ll make a serious contribution. How well will he hold up over the next three years? Will his skills begin diminishing, or will he still be playing at an elite level? There’s no question: the better Dempsey and Donovan play, the better the Yanks will play.
Benny Feilhaber – Like Diskerud, Feilhaber wasn’t born in the U.S. (he’s Brazilian by birth), but he’s chosen to play for Team USA. Feilhaber played for the U.S. in the 2008 Olympics and had his breakout performance in the 2009 Confederations Cup, where the U.S. finished runner-up to Brazil. He also was a sub during the 2010 World Cup. He was supposed to become a regular in the midfield with Bradley, but an injured ankle knocked him out of the Gold Cup. Should he be able to stay healthy, he should be able to maintain a slot on the roster.
Stuart Holden – Can Holden finally stay healthy? The Scottish-born Premier League player was limited at the 2010 World Cup thanks to a broken leg he suffered a few months before the tournament, while a torn ACL he suffered in March knocked him out of the Gold Cup. He’s an ideal pairing with Bradley in the central midfield, but his versatility to play on both the left and right wings also makes him a great player to have on the roster.
Brek Shea – There’s no question that Shea, who will be 24 at the time of the World Cup, has a future on the senior national team. He’s a talented left winger who also is versatile enough to play left back (a major position of need) and can even spell at forward at times. He’s got a history on the U.S. youth teams, and he’s one of the top scorers in MLS this season. It’s a long shot that he can break through during this cycle, but there’s always a surprise or two on the final roster. I’m throwing my money in Brek Shea’s direction as being that surprise.
Forwards (4)
Juan Agudelo – He’s just 18 and doesn’t have much international experience, but he’s already overtaken Jozy Altidore for the top striker spot for the U.S. He’ll be 21 in Brazil, and hopefully he’ll already have moved on to Europe or will use a big World Cup to parlay his way into a contract in one of the better leagues in the world.
Jozy Altidore – The jury is still out on whether or not Altidore can be an elite finisher. The good news: he’ll be 24 in 2014, so he should be coming into his prime. If he can get some quality club playing time over the next few years, Altidore might be able to develop into more than just a big target. It’s clear that if the U.S. wants to take the next step, it needs both Agudelo and Altidore to continue developing.
Teal Bunbury – Bunbury certainly doesn’t have much experience (just two caps), but at 6-2 he has everything you want in a forward: size, speed, strength. The Canadian national hasn’t proven yet in his two MLS seasons that he can be an elite scorer, but at just 21 years old he’s well on his way to becoming one and earning his way into a bigger league.
Charlie Davies – I’ll be honest: this might just be wishful thinking. Davies, if you remember, was well on his way to a stellar U.S. national team career (scoring four times in 16 appearances) when it was derailed by a horrific car crash in October 2009. Davies was lucky to survive, but he’s put in a great deal of work to get back to an elite level. He missed out on the 2010 World Cup and 2011 Gold Cup rosters, but he’s improved enough to lead MLS in goals (eight as of this posting on June 27, 2011). The jury is still out on if Davies has fully recovered his burst, but the guy knows how to put the ball in the back of the net, which is a skill that is desperately needed on Team USA.
As far as a starting lineup, all of that will depend on what type of lineup Bob Bradley chooses to use. He used mainly a 4-5-1 during the Gold Cup; however, I believe he feels more comfortable with the traditional 4-4-2. With four true strikers on this roster, I believe he’ll be able to employ that lineup.
My guess on starters would be: Howard (GK), Lichaj (LB), Gonzalez (CB), Ream (CB), Chandler (RB), Bradley (DM), Donovan (LM), Dempsey (RM), Holden (AM), Agudelo (F) and Davies (F). The top reserves would be Agbossoumonde (CB), Bocanegra (LB), Adu (MF), Diskerud (MF) and Altidore (F).
Now for the candidates who were given consideration but won’t make the squad:
Goalkeepers
Cody Cropper – Just 18 years old, Cropper certainly won’t be ready by 2014, but he might just be the best young keeper prospect in the country. He has great size at 6-3 and 200 pounds, and he should get good experience at Ipswich Town in the English second division. He wasn’t the starting keeper on the U-20 squad earlier this year, but he should be a fun prospect to watch develop.
Marcus Hahnemann – A quality keeper, he’s been stuck as a backup basically his entire career. He’ll be 42 in 2014, and though keepers have proven they can play much longer than other players, his international career is likely over.
Zak McMath – The best thing for young keepers is playing time, which McMath isn’t getting during his rookie year in MLS. He was an All-American in college who is just 19 years old, and at 6-2 he’s long and lanky with a great keeper build. He started over Cropper on the U-20 squad earlier this year, but it will be interesting to see which one develops into a “keeper” on the national squad.
Nick Rimando – An undersized keeper, it could be argued that Rimando made the most of his limited ability, but he’s never really been more than a No. 3 option for the national team, and he’s likely to be passed by several young prospects by the time the World Cup rolls around.
Defenders
Kellyn Acosta – Just 15 years old, he’s the youngest player on the U-17 national team. He’ll only be 18 at the start of the ’14 World Cup, and he likely won’t be ready. It’s much easier to make an impact as a young player on the offensive end than it is on the defensive end, where savvy and pure technical defending are key. But he is a left back, a position of weakness for the U.S.
Jonathan Bornstein – I hate to write off a guy because of one bad game, but his abysmal performance against Mexico in the Gold Cup final will be hard to forget. He was serviceable at left back in the 2010 World Cup, but I believe his time has passed.
Zach Carroll – Tall, lanky 17-year-old has the build of a classic central defender. He’ll likely fill out his 6-3 frame to more than 200 pounds (185 right now) and should be a name to watch for years to come.
Steve Cherundolo – This one hurts. I like Cherundolo. A lot. He defends very well for such a little guy (5-6, 145), and he adds a lot of punch offensively when he pushes up the right flank. However, like Bocanegra, he’ll be 35 in Brazil, and I don’t think the roster has room for two veteran defenders who likely won’t see the field that much.
Oguchi Onyewu – I won’t beat a dead horse or waste too much time, but unfortunately it appears Gooch’s international career is finished. Or at least it should be. Shame on Bob Bradley if he doesn’t turn over that role to Omar Gonzalez.
Jonathan Spector – The once young super prospect who signed with Manchester United at 17, he’ll be a 28-year-old who has constantly underachieved during his career. A decent option at right back, he’s never quite lived up to his billing, and he just misses the cut this time around.
Midfielders
Alejandro Bedoya – Bedoya, like the two guys who follow him, has seen plenty of time with the senior national team (13 caps), and at age 27 in 2014, it’s certainly not out of the question for him to land another spot on this squad. However, the emergence of Diskerud and Shea likely will keep him off the team.
Jermaine Jones – Jones will be 32 in 2014, and that’s certainly not too old to play in the defensive midfield (just ask Pablo Mastroeni). However, in the 10 appearances Jones has made since choosing the U.S. over his native Germany have shown that he and Bradley just don’t function well together. They’re essentially the same player, and since Bradley is five years younger (and the coach’s son), it’s likely that he’ll continue to get the nod over Jones.
Sacha Kljestan – Like the two guys above him, Kljestan was on the Gold Cup roster. He’ll be 28 during the next World Cup, and since he didn’t make a huge difference in Mexico, his spot likely will depend on an injury to Holden or Feilhaber, or a stunt in development of Diskerud and Shea.
Dillon Powers – The 20-year-old Notre Dame midfielder is probably the best U-20 midfielder in the country. And as you’ll see from this list, he’s really the only young guy expected to get a look. It’s not that there aren’t talented young players in the midfield, it’s just that there is a great deal of talent in the mid-20s to upper-20s age range at the position. Powers should be the leader of the next generation of American players when he gets his chance in 2018.
Forwards
Justin Braun – It’s no hidden secret that forward is a place where it doesn’t take much to get a look on the national team (see Chris Wondolowski’s inclusion on the 2011 Gold Cup roster). However, Braun and Bunbury are similar players (though Braun is an inch taller and 20 pounds heavier). Bunbury also is three years younger and projects to be a better player in three years.
Conor Doyle – Doyle, 19, has become a star on the youth national team who at 6-2 has the look of being the latest in a long line of “the next Brian McBride” (for some reason, we’ve yet to have a next Brian McBride). He’s playing professionally for Derby County of the English second division, and it likely won’t be long before he moves up to the Premier League. The son of an Irishman, Doyle has played on both U.S. and Irish youth teams, but he committed this month to continuing his senior national career in America.
Robbie Findley – Findley made the World Cup squad in 2010, but he wasn’t able to make much of an impact, even when he was starting. He hasn’t had much of an impact on the international level since, and it appears his time has come and gone.
Alfred Koroma – Koroma scored two goals in two games as a sub for the U-17 team in its World Cup, then earned a start in the third game. At 6-foot, he’s reminiscent of a young Eddie Johnson. As both Altidore and Agudelo have shown, if you can score the ball, you can get early chances for Bob Bradley.
Kelyn Rowe – Rowe, 19, isn’t a professional yet (he plays for UCLA), and while he might ultimately become a midfielder, right now he projects as a forward in a forward-needy country. When you score three goals in three games as a forward on the U-20 squad, it catches people’s attention. He’s in consideration for a spot on the Olympic squad and some young players are going to use that tournament to jumpstart their hopes of landing on the 2014 World Cup squad.
All that said, this is simply one person’s opinion, and it has been shown over the past five years that my opinion typically doesn’t line up with Bob Bradley’s opinion. Still, it will be interesting to look back on this post in three years when we’re at the World Cup and see just how much changed over that time span and see how accurate my projections were.
Friday, August 20, 2010
My 5K journey
We all have quirks about ourselves that aren't pleasing to think about or talk about. Don't deny it. We do. And I don't mind talking about *some* of mine. One of my biggest quirks is that, basically, I'm a lazy person. There, I said it. Like you already didn't know!
For some weird reason, the laziness didn't carry over into my job, but for the most part, I'd rather just sit and veg out than do anything strenuous (mentally or physically). I guess I'm a victim of the remote control/video game generation.
Conversely, I don't like to waste energy. When I'm sitting on the couch, doing nothing, essentially I'm wasting my life away. But it doesn't feel that way. Instead, it feels wasteful to exercise when I'm not really accomplishing anything. Riding a stationary bike or walking on a treadmill? Waste of my time.
I've said all of this to set up the fact that I hate to run. Hate it. I don't feel like I'm accomplishing anything when I'm running around a track or through my neighborhood. I leave from one place and end up back at that place, exerting energy and wasting time. It's not the same for all exercise. Running up and down a basketball court, in an attempt to throw that ball through a hoop, for some reason I feel like I'm accomplishing running. But running? Meh.
Not only does it feel like I'm not accomplishing anything, it feels terrible when I'm doing it. I hate not being able to breathe, and no matter how hard I concentrate, it doesn't take long before I sound like Darth Vader merging into an asthmatic, wheezing my way around the block. I hate that my legs scream at me with every step that I take. Why does it have to hurt? Isn't running supposed to be good for you?
I starting running several weeks ago when a buddy of mine asked me if I would run a 5K with him. I've run in the past. In high school, I was a decent runner. Could run two miles without much of a problem. Actually ran a mile in less than six minutes, which wasn't nearly good enough to make me a competitive runner at a track powerhouse program, but was better than most high school kids. But I didn't enjoy it. So, eventually, I stopped doing it and focused my exercise attention on more fruiful activities such as basketball.
But I'd never run a 5K before, and I thought, sure why not? Then, I started running and began thinking, WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO? It's very difficult to go from not running for YEARS to trying to get into shape to run a 5K in just three weeks. Very difficult. I ran a mile a day for the first week, and my body just rebelled. I ditched my training plan, which was to work my way up from a mile a day the first week to two miles a day the second week and three miles a day leading into the 5K, and decided to take a week off and then work my way up to the 5K on the final week.
I came back with fresh legs and ran my best mile time yet in less than 7 minutes and 30 seconds, not nearly as good as I was more than a decade ago, but still not a bad effort. Then I ran two miles in 17 minutes and 8 seconds, and actually felt pretty good about the way things were going. Thought I would try three miles the next day, but again, the legs rebelled and I didn't even finish running all of two miles, but still finished in 18:26, which wasn't terrible considering I walked about a quarter of a mile.
Strangely enough, as much as I hate running when I'm running, I'm starting to enjoy the way my body feels after I'm done. Like I said, I'm pretty much a lazy person, and my body doesn't get too much physical use, especially since it's the offseason from my basketball officiating (which starts back up next week!). So it actually is starting to feel good that my muscles are being used often.
I don't really know what to expect in the morning. I haven't run 3 miles yet, much less 3.2, and I don't know if I can finish the whole thing without walking. That's my first goal. I think being in a competitive race, where it's not just me and the road, will help me have some adrenaline and push me to continue running when I want to quit. But I really don't know how my body will react. My legs are sore today, even though I didn't run, after the two straight days of running two miles. I know that doesn't sound like much, but I really have only put about two weeks of training into this thing, so my body is not ready to respond to all-out training. I initially set a goal of finishing in less than 30 minutes, and I still think that's a goal that I can meet. However, after running 17:08 on Wednesday, I've started to think that if I can keep that pace up, that I might be able to finish in under 25 minutes. That's what I'm considering an "impossible" goal, but I think you need to push yourself and challenge yourself when you are competing.
What I'm hoping is that this isn't just a one-and-done thing. Once I actually finish a 5K and have an established standard, I truly believe I'm going to want to compete against myself to do it better the next time. And hopefully, if I keep pushing myself and doing it more and more, I'll get even better and start to enjoy it more. After all, I do need to exercise. I went to the doctor earlier this week and had lost 10 pounds from where I was three months earlier. But I'm still 17 pounds heavier than where I really need to be. Hopefully, with a positive result in the morning, I'll keep heading down this road and see the pounds shed off.
For some weird reason, the laziness didn't carry over into my job, but for the most part, I'd rather just sit and veg out than do anything strenuous (mentally or physically). I guess I'm a victim of the remote control/video game generation.
Conversely, I don't like to waste energy. When I'm sitting on the couch, doing nothing, essentially I'm wasting my life away. But it doesn't feel that way. Instead, it feels wasteful to exercise when I'm not really accomplishing anything. Riding a stationary bike or walking on a treadmill? Waste of my time.
I've said all of this to set up the fact that I hate to run. Hate it. I don't feel like I'm accomplishing anything when I'm running around a track or through my neighborhood. I leave from one place and end up back at that place, exerting energy and wasting time. It's not the same for all exercise. Running up and down a basketball court, in an attempt to throw that ball through a hoop, for some reason I feel like I'm accomplishing running. But running? Meh.
Not only does it feel like I'm not accomplishing anything, it feels terrible when I'm doing it. I hate not being able to breathe, and no matter how hard I concentrate, it doesn't take long before I sound like Darth Vader merging into an asthmatic, wheezing my way around the block. I hate that my legs scream at me with every step that I take. Why does it have to hurt? Isn't running supposed to be good for you?
I starting running several weeks ago when a buddy of mine asked me if I would run a 5K with him. I've run in the past. In high school, I was a decent runner. Could run two miles without much of a problem. Actually ran a mile in less than six minutes, which wasn't nearly good enough to make me a competitive runner at a track powerhouse program, but was better than most high school kids. But I didn't enjoy it. So, eventually, I stopped doing it and focused my exercise attention on more fruiful activities such as basketball.
But I'd never run a 5K before, and I thought, sure why not? Then, I started running and began thinking, WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO? It's very difficult to go from not running for YEARS to trying to get into shape to run a 5K in just three weeks. Very difficult. I ran a mile a day for the first week, and my body just rebelled. I ditched my training plan, which was to work my way up from a mile a day the first week to two miles a day the second week and three miles a day leading into the 5K, and decided to take a week off and then work my way up to the 5K on the final week.
I came back with fresh legs and ran my best mile time yet in less than 7 minutes and 30 seconds, not nearly as good as I was more than a decade ago, but still not a bad effort. Then I ran two miles in 17 minutes and 8 seconds, and actually felt pretty good about the way things were going. Thought I would try three miles the next day, but again, the legs rebelled and I didn't even finish running all of two miles, but still finished in 18:26, which wasn't terrible considering I walked about a quarter of a mile.
Strangely enough, as much as I hate running when I'm running, I'm starting to enjoy the way my body feels after I'm done. Like I said, I'm pretty much a lazy person, and my body doesn't get too much physical use, especially since it's the offseason from my basketball officiating (which starts back up next week!). So it actually is starting to feel good that my muscles are being used often.
I don't really know what to expect in the morning. I haven't run 3 miles yet, much less 3.2, and I don't know if I can finish the whole thing without walking. That's my first goal. I think being in a competitive race, where it's not just me and the road, will help me have some adrenaline and push me to continue running when I want to quit. But I really don't know how my body will react. My legs are sore today, even though I didn't run, after the two straight days of running two miles. I know that doesn't sound like much, but I really have only put about two weeks of training into this thing, so my body is not ready to respond to all-out training. I initially set a goal of finishing in less than 30 minutes, and I still think that's a goal that I can meet. However, after running 17:08 on Wednesday, I've started to think that if I can keep that pace up, that I might be able to finish in under 25 minutes. That's what I'm considering an "impossible" goal, but I think you need to push yourself and challenge yourself when you are competing.
What I'm hoping is that this isn't just a one-and-done thing. Once I actually finish a 5K and have an established standard, I truly believe I'm going to want to compete against myself to do it better the next time. And hopefully, if I keep pushing myself and doing it more and more, I'll get even better and start to enjoy it more. After all, I do need to exercise. I went to the doctor earlier this week and had lost 10 pounds from where I was three months earlier. But I'm still 17 pounds heavier than where I really need to be. Hopefully, with a positive result in the morning, I'll keep heading down this road and see the pounds shed off.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Grrrrrrrrrowl!
Boy, these girls have a TON of energy! And by "these girls," of course I mean the pups, who as I type are growling and fighting one another on two-thirds of the couch. Make that the whole couch; nevermind that I'm here too.
*BIG SIGH* Grrrrrrowl! That's Sandy. Lots of deep, gutteral growling. Of course, her bark is just that. Ryley, on the other hand, you just never know. And when she starts barking, you KNOW she means business!
Elizabeth and I had a busy day, spending about 12 hours away from home while the girls were cooped up in their room. We had the annual Granger Birthday Bash at Elizabeth's parents. Since there are a number of June-July-August birthdays in the family (unfortunately, yours truly NOT included), we get together for one big party. We enjoyed plenty of burgers and a whole lot more cake!
Afterward, Elizabeth and I went with one of her brothers, his wife and our niece to watch Despicable Me (terribly cute) and then to go shopping at the mall for the niece's birthday. Then we finished up the evening with supper together, where there were TOO many laughs to go around (strike that: can you EVER have TOO many laughs?).
So, when we got home, we had some pretty amped puppies. They were excited to see us, which for them means running back and forth from the couch and the chais lounge to see me and Elizabeth. Back and forth. Back and forth. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Eventually, though, Elizabeth left us to go downstairs and work out, leaving the two girls and me in the living room. Talk about some entertainment! First of all, they pull toy after toy from their room into the living room. No joke, they're toddlers. It's funny stuff! Then, they fight over the toys. Or really, I should say, Sandy bullies Ryley with the toys. Whichever toy Ryley has, that's the one Sandy wants. And it's the one Sandy takes. So Ryley moves on to another toy. And Sandy takes that one too. Again, lather, rinse, repeat.
I had a blast today at the movie, but honestly, I don't need to leave the house to get some good, quality entertainment with these two pups!
*BIG SIGH* Grrrrrrowl! That's Sandy. Lots of deep, gutteral growling. Of course, her bark is just that. Ryley, on the other hand, you just never know. And when she starts barking, you KNOW she means business!
Elizabeth and I had a busy day, spending about 12 hours away from home while the girls were cooped up in their room. We had the annual Granger Birthday Bash at Elizabeth's parents. Since there are a number of June-July-August birthdays in the family (unfortunately, yours truly NOT included), we get together for one big party. We enjoyed plenty of burgers and a whole lot more cake!
Afterward, Elizabeth and I went with one of her brothers, his wife and our niece to watch Despicable Me (terribly cute) and then to go shopping at the mall for the niece's birthday. Then we finished up the evening with supper together, where there were TOO many laughs to go around (strike that: can you EVER have TOO many laughs?).
So, when we got home, we had some pretty amped puppies. They were excited to see us, which for them means running back and forth from the couch and the chais lounge to see me and Elizabeth. Back and forth. Back and forth. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Eventually, though, Elizabeth left us to go downstairs and work out, leaving the two girls and me in the living room. Talk about some entertainment! First of all, they pull toy after toy from their room into the living room. No joke, they're toddlers. It's funny stuff! Then, they fight over the toys. Or really, I should say, Sandy bullies Ryley with the toys. Whichever toy Ryley has, that's the one Sandy wants. And it's the one Sandy takes. So Ryley moves on to another toy. And Sandy takes that one too. Again, lather, rinse, repeat.
I had a blast today at the movie, but honestly, I don't need to leave the house to get some good, quality entertainment with these two pups!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Why today?
Of all days this week, today was the one that was super busy. Of all the days! That stuff happens when you have a nearly two-hour press conference!
The Saints made their stop in Alexandria today for their Victory Tour, and as a Saints fan, I had to make a detour to see it. I mean, the freakin' Lombardi Trophy people. I don't think you understand! The Lombardi Trophy!
Unfortunately, because of the afformentioned busy day at work, I simply didn't have time to battle the crowd and stand in line to get pictures. I would have loved to have my photo taken with the trophy. Instead, I snapped a few shots of the trophy (without me in front of it), as well some close ups of one of the Saints Super Bowl rings, and Michael "The Beer Man" Lewis who was signing autographs. (Aside: Honestly, you couldn't get one real player to show up??? When's the last time Beer Man returned a kick for the Saints? I mean, I know he's an employee and an ex-player, but it's not like he was a member of this Super Bowl team!)
It was a nice, neat experience. I wish I had 30 minutes to an hour more during my day to actually have enjoyed it and gotten my picture taken with the Lombardi Trophy, but it is what it is. Still a pretty cool experience, and a reminder, that WE DAT!!!!
The Saints made their stop in Alexandria today for their Victory Tour, and as a Saints fan, I had to make a detour to see it. I mean, the freakin' Lombardi Trophy people. I don't think you understand! The Lombardi Trophy!
Unfortunately, because of the afformentioned busy day at work, I simply didn't have time to battle the crowd and stand in line to get pictures. I would have loved to have my photo taken with the trophy. Instead, I snapped a few shots of the trophy (without me in front of it), as well some close ups of one of the Saints Super Bowl rings, and Michael "The Beer Man" Lewis who was signing autographs. (Aside: Honestly, you couldn't get one real player to show up??? When's the last time Beer Man returned a kick for the Saints? I mean, I know he's an employee and an ex-player, but it's not like he was a member of this Super Bowl team!)
It was a nice, neat experience. I wish I had 30 minutes to an hour more during my day to actually have enjoyed it and gotten my picture taken with the Lombardi Trophy, but it is what it is. Still a pretty cool experience, and a reminder, that WE DAT!!!!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
The Summer of Betrayal
Note: This blog was the brainchild of one of my best friends, who told me that text messages and tweets weren't doing justice to my feelings on this subject. Be prepared. I have a feeling this is going to be a long, long rant. Don't blame me. Blame Kyle.
Really, LeBron? Really? I hope when the smoke clears and all is said and done, you will be able to live with the decision you made this week. I really do.
LeBron James, perhaps the biggest superstar in the NBA, decided to leave the Cleveland Cavs this week to join the Miami Heat. On the surface, this isn't that big of a deal. Players change teams all the time. Heck, even superstars change teams sometimes. Only, this is a big deal. It's a really big deal.
For the record, I have no ties to Cleveland, but I certainly have felt like a Clevelander this week. I wasn't a Cav fan before LeBron James, and I'm not a Cav fan today. Unfortunately, though, I'm no longer a LeBron James fan either, and I feel as though I've wasted a decade of my life with this guy.
Unlike Cavs fans, this isn't about my team. It's not about my city, my region or my state. But, like them, it is personal to me, just for a completely different reason. You see, I've invested a decade of my life being a fan of LeBron James. A decade. Gone. In the blink of the eye. Well, a little longer than that, but just long enough for James to utter the words: "I'm taking my talents to South Beach."
You see, I've been on the LeBron James train longer than anyone I know. Before he was "The Chosen One," as he was dubbed by Sports Illusrated. Before he was "King James," as he was dubbed by, well, himself. Before LeBron James became LeBron James and won the hearts of millions of fans, he won me as a fan.
I first heard about LeBron during the summer after his sophomore year in high school, which was in 2001. I'd just completed my sophomore year of college. LeBron had just led his high school to its second straight state title and had won the first of three state Ohio player of the year awards. He was tearing up the summer AAU circuit and was quickly developing a reputation as the best high school player in the country -- not in his age group, but out of all high school players. It wasn't long before James cemented that reputation, earning his first of two straight national player of the year awards the next year. All of that to say this: Before LeBron was starring on national TV, before many people knew who he was, I was beginning to believe. I was beginning to believe in LeBron James, in his potential greatness, in his ability to amaze, in the chance that he could become the greatest player in basketball history.
Unfortunately, I've lost that belief. I've never forget when it happened, exactly when LeBron uttered those now infamous words about taking his talents to South Beach. At that precise moment, LeBron quit. He gave up. No longer will he ever be considered the greatest basketball player ever, something I convinced myself over the past 10 years was destined to happen.
I refuse to say I bought into his hype. Hype is manufactured. LeBron's basketball talent is real. Very real. No one has possessed his physical gifts: a power forward's body at 6-8 and 250-plus pounds with a point guard's game. The only player before him was a man named Magic, but Earvin Johnson wasn't nearly as explosive as James. LeBron's physical gifts are truly amazing, but until this week I've conditioned myself to look past all of his flaws because I wanted to believe in LeBron's greatness. I can't kid myself anymore.
When LeBron decided to leave Cleveland, his hometown team where he was the savior of the franchise for the past seven years, for Miami, he gave up on being a leader. He decided to be a follower. He followed Chris Bosh to join up with Dwyane Wade with the Heat. Once he puts on that uniform, he'll follow D-Wade. Miami is D-Wade's team. Just like Cleveland was LeBron's. You can't have two alpha male leaders. Inevitably, one will rise and the other will shrink. LeBron's decision is essentially his saying that he's willing to shrink.
On the surface, I should be cheering an athlete who's willing to put his ego to the side, who's willing to take less money in the pursuit of the ultimate goal of winning. I get that argument. I understand the people who are making that argument. It's not my argument to make. LeBron is taking the easy way out. He's admitting he wasn't good enough to lift the Cavs to any championships, and it was time to run away. And because he ran, he's giving up any hope of ever being considered an all-time great. He's no MJ, no Bird, no Magic, no Kobe. His physical gifts will allow him to be considered one of the top 10 or 15 players ever, but he's missing some inner drive to be the best. And that's why he tucked tail and ran to Miami.
All of a sudden, it was like a light that was flipped, and the blinders were taken off of my eyes. I'd made excuses for LeBron over the past few years. About how his teammates were good enough. About how he had to be perfect nearly every game for the Cavs to win. About how his willingness to pass up the final shot for an open teammate was in the best interest of the team, not because he lacked a killer instinct to be a great closer. About how he was a good guy that didn't have a huge ego. All of those things were wrong. Terribly, terribly wrong.
LeBron had many choices during this free agency debacle. He could've stayed at home and continued to be Cleveland's savior. He could've answered the call of the Big Apple and teamed with Amar'e Stoudemire with the Knicks. He could've gone to Chicago, where he would've played in MJ's shadow, but teamed with D-Rose and Boozer. All of those were legitimate options where he could have remained the alpha dog and continued moving his legacy forward to becoming one of all-time greats, if not the best player ever. But he chose the one move, Miami, where he didn't have to be the guy, where he didn't have to shoulder all of he burden, where it would be easy to just chase rings, something he's said for years he didn't want to do. He wanted to build something. He failed.
He also failed with the method in which he delivered the news. Who goes on national TV, with a one-hour special no less, to rip the heart out of a city that has been devastated for years by its sports teams? Who does that to his hometown, his home state? Someone who's all about me. Someone like LeBron James. Unfortunately, LeBron totally miscalculated what's about to happen next. He thinks he's going to head to South Beach, have some parties, live it up with Bosh and D-Wade, and win title after title. And all of that might be true. But he's also going to be hated, despised. He's now a villain.
LeBron always has wanted to be beloved. He's always been beloved. He's the hometown hero. The savior. Worshiped. Idolized. At least he was, up until he uttered those seven words. The stage was set. News had leaked he was heading to Miami. A big party had been set up on South Beach. ESPN spent all day talking about the pending decision and how much of an effect it would have on Cleveland. LeBron could've swept in and become an even bigger savior than he was before. But he didn't. Instead, he publicly mocked his hometown, told his fans they were lucky to know him but that they were totally unimportant. He's bigger than Cleveland. He's better than Cleveland. He doesn't need them.
And now they hate him. Now he's not welcome in his own home. He has no clue what awaits him when the Heat travel to Cleveland. The vitriol will be on a level we may have never seen before. But it goes well beyond Ohio. LeBron has been villified nationally. He's now worshiped in Miami and hated everywhere else. His decision to join with Wade and Bosh to create some superteam has made the Heat the most hated franchise in the NBA. Just like that, overnight, Miami has replaced New York, Boston and the Lakers as the team to hate by everyone else in the nation. LeBron doesn't understand what he's done. But he will find out soon. Very soon.
Really, LeBron? Really? I hope when the smoke clears and all is said and done, you will be able to live with the decision you made this week. I really do.
LeBron James, perhaps the biggest superstar in the NBA, decided to leave the Cleveland Cavs this week to join the Miami Heat. On the surface, this isn't that big of a deal. Players change teams all the time. Heck, even superstars change teams sometimes. Only, this is a big deal. It's a really big deal.
For the record, I have no ties to Cleveland, but I certainly have felt like a Clevelander this week. I wasn't a Cav fan before LeBron James, and I'm not a Cav fan today. Unfortunately, though, I'm no longer a LeBron James fan either, and I feel as though I've wasted a decade of my life with this guy.
Unlike Cavs fans, this isn't about my team. It's not about my city, my region or my state. But, like them, it is personal to me, just for a completely different reason. You see, I've invested a decade of my life being a fan of LeBron James. A decade. Gone. In the blink of the eye. Well, a little longer than that, but just long enough for James to utter the words: "I'm taking my talents to South Beach."
You see, I've been on the LeBron James train longer than anyone I know. Before he was "The Chosen One," as he was dubbed by Sports Illusrated. Before he was "King James," as he was dubbed by, well, himself. Before LeBron James became LeBron James and won the hearts of millions of fans, he won me as a fan.
I first heard about LeBron during the summer after his sophomore year in high school, which was in 2001. I'd just completed my sophomore year of college. LeBron had just led his high school to its second straight state title and had won the first of three state Ohio player of the year awards. He was tearing up the summer AAU circuit and was quickly developing a reputation as the best high school player in the country -- not in his age group, but out of all high school players. It wasn't long before James cemented that reputation, earning his first of two straight national player of the year awards the next year. All of that to say this: Before LeBron was starring on national TV, before many people knew who he was, I was beginning to believe. I was beginning to believe in LeBron James, in his potential greatness, in his ability to amaze, in the chance that he could become the greatest player in basketball history.
Unfortunately, I've lost that belief. I've never forget when it happened, exactly when LeBron uttered those now infamous words about taking his talents to South Beach. At that precise moment, LeBron quit. He gave up. No longer will he ever be considered the greatest basketball player ever, something I convinced myself over the past 10 years was destined to happen.
I refuse to say I bought into his hype. Hype is manufactured. LeBron's basketball talent is real. Very real. No one has possessed his physical gifts: a power forward's body at 6-8 and 250-plus pounds with a point guard's game. The only player before him was a man named Magic, but Earvin Johnson wasn't nearly as explosive as James. LeBron's physical gifts are truly amazing, but until this week I've conditioned myself to look past all of his flaws because I wanted to believe in LeBron's greatness. I can't kid myself anymore.
When LeBron decided to leave Cleveland, his hometown team where he was the savior of the franchise for the past seven years, for Miami, he gave up on being a leader. He decided to be a follower. He followed Chris Bosh to join up with Dwyane Wade with the Heat. Once he puts on that uniform, he'll follow D-Wade. Miami is D-Wade's team. Just like Cleveland was LeBron's. You can't have two alpha male leaders. Inevitably, one will rise and the other will shrink. LeBron's decision is essentially his saying that he's willing to shrink.
On the surface, I should be cheering an athlete who's willing to put his ego to the side, who's willing to take less money in the pursuit of the ultimate goal of winning. I get that argument. I understand the people who are making that argument. It's not my argument to make. LeBron is taking the easy way out. He's admitting he wasn't good enough to lift the Cavs to any championships, and it was time to run away. And because he ran, he's giving up any hope of ever being considered an all-time great. He's no MJ, no Bird, no Magic, no Kobe. His physical gifts will allow him to be considered one of the top 10 or 15 players ever, but he's missing some inner drive to be the best. And that's why he tucked tail and ran to Miami.
All of a sudden, it was like a light that was flipped, and the blinders were taken off of my eyes. I'd made excuses for LeBron over the past few years. About how his teammates were good enough. About how he had to be perfect nearly every game for the Cavs to win. About how his willingness to pass up the final shot for an open teammate was in the best interest of the team, not because he lacked a killer instinct to be a great closer. About how he was a good guy that didn't have a huge ego. All of those things were wrong. Terribly, terribly wrong.
LeBron had many choices during this free agency debacle. He could've stayed at home and continued to be Cleveland's savior. He could've answered the call of the Big Apple and teamed with Amar'e Stoudemire with the Knicks. He could've gone to Chicago, where he would've played in MJ's shadow, but teamed with D-Rose and Boozer. All of those were legitimate options where he could have remained the alpha dog and continued moving his legacy forward to becoming one of all-time greats, if not the best player ever. But he chose the one move, Miami, where he didn't have to be the guy, where he didn't have to shoulder all of he burden, where it would be easy to just chase rings, something he's said for years he didn't want to do. He wanted to build something. He failed.
He also failed with the method in which he delivered the news. Who goes on national TV, with a one-hour special no less, to rip the heart out of a city that has been devastated for years by its sports teams? Who does that to his hometown, his home state? Someone who's all about me. Someone like LeBron James. Unfortunately, LeBron totally miscalculated what's about to happen next. He thinks he's going to head to South Beach, have some parties, live it up with Bosh and D-Wade, and win title after title. And all of that might be true. But he's also going to be hated, despised. He's now a villain.
LeBron always has wanted to be beloved. He's always been beloved. He's the hometown hero. The savior. Worshiped. Idolized. At least he was, up until he uttered those seven words. The stage was set. News had leaked he was heading to Miami. A big party had been set up on South Beach. ESPN spent all day talking about the pending decision and how much of an effect it would have on Cleveland. LeBron could've swept in and become an even bigger savior than he was before. But he didn't. Instead, he publicly mocked his hometown, told his fans they were lucky to know him but that they were totally unimportant. He's bigger than Cleveland. He's better than Cleveland. He doesn't need them.
And now they hate him. Now he's not welcome in his own home. He has no clue what awaits him when the Heat travel to Cleveland. The vitriol will be on a level we may have never seen before. But it goes well beyond Ohio. LeBron has been villified nationally. He's now worshiped in Miami and hated everywhere else. His decision to join with Wade and Bosh to create some superteam has made the Heat the most hated franchise in the NBA. Just like that, overnight, Miami has replaced New York, Boston and the Lakers as the team to hate by everyone else in the nation. LeBron doesn't understand what he's done. But he will find out soon. Very soon.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
World Cup reaction
Sunil Gulati is on the clock. The man who runs the U.S. Soccer Federation failed to get his coach after the last World Cup and had to name Bradley as the interim coach. Then Bradley notched a ton of wins against mediocre competition, and Gulati had no choice but to give him the full-time gig. Gulati must take decisive action and get rid of Bradley soon. Then he needs to go get a world-class coach -- either his first choice in 2006, Juergen Klinnsman, or someone else with experience winning at the World Cup.
Bradley is lucky that the USA is not a soccer-mad nation. If it were, Bradley would be getting roasted for his poor tactical decisions at the Cup. There are so many questions that I don't even know where to start:
What did Robbie Findley do to deserve more than one start, much less a third against Ghana?
What more could Edson Buddle have done to earn even a SHOT up top?
Why did we end EVERY game with Clint Dempsey playing striker, yet not start him up top ONCE?
What did Rico Clark do to earn a start against Ghana? Had Maurice Edu not taken that position?
Bradley simply relied too heavily on his strategy, going back to it again and again even after it failed to work. We had no second striker to place next to Altidore, and yet he kept giving Findley and Gomez opportunities (although he didn't give Buddle much of an opportunity).
Perhaps the five best players on the roster (Howard not included, although I don't think he had a GREAT Cup) were Donovan, Dempsey, Bradley, Edu and Feilhaber ... and yet Bradley was never flexible enough to rely on them all to start a game. There were major holes on this roster when it was set up, and they were holes that scared me entering the Cup. We didn't have a striker who could score consistently (and the four forwards combined for ZERO goals at the Cup), and the defense was a major weak point that caused the U.S. to fall behind early in three of its four games. Maybe you can argue that Bradley took the best 23 he could, or maybe you can argue that his construction of this roster wasn't very good. The jury is still out on that one, I believe.
One thing that can't be lost is the positive in how Bradley's team fought. We need to use that for the next manager to build upon. This team fought hard the entire time and was a break or two away from advancing to the quarterfinals and having a legit chance to make it to the semifinals. But, in the end, this performance was an underachievement and failure for the second straight Cup.
There are some good things to build upon for 2014. Howard will be back, and at 35, will still presumably have another Cup in him as one of the premier keepers in the world (at least that's his reputation). The midfield is going to be very, very strong again. Donovan (32) and Dempsey (31) should have another Cup in them, although I'd like to see Dempsey moved to forward. Michael Bradley, at 26, should be in his prime and could be emerging as the successor to Donovan as the greatest player ever to wear a USA uniform. Feilhaber (29), Edu (28), Holden (28) and maybe Jose Torres (26) could return, and there is plenty of depth waiting for their chances in Sacha Kljestan (28), Alejandro Bedoya (27), Sal Zizzo (27), Robbie Rogers (27), Freddy Adu (25) and maybe even Jermaine Jones (32), who we missed as a defensive midfielder in this year's Cup. The midfield appears like it will again be the strength of this team.
Altidore, at 24, should continue to develop, as he gets more and more games and opportunities to play in Europe. As much as was expected of him this year as the team's top striker, it's hard to remember sometimes that he's only 20 years old. I'd like to see Dempsey moved up top to pair with Altidore, but Charlie Davies, who will only be 27, could be the missing piece if he can return to form following a near fatal car crash last year. It's hard to think of what might have been should he have been healthy in South Africa. I would also expect Lee Nguyen (27) to make a serious run at making the roster at forward. It should be wide open because I wouldn't expect Gomez or Buddle to get another chance, and Findley would have to make some major improvements to get another chance, even though he'll only be 28 in 2014.
The defense will face some major restructuring, and I'm not sure how many of the seven defenders from this Cup will be back in four years. Bocanegra, the captain, and Cherundolo -- the two outside backs -- will each be 35. DeMerit will be 34, and Onyewu will be 32. That's a very old back line. Goodson didn't get off the bench and it's tough to see him in Brazil in four years. Spector (28) and Bornstein (29) could be the two outside backs in four years, and there's some good young talent looking to crack the team. Chad Marshall and Heath Pearce, who will both be 29, just missed the 2010 roster. Omar Gonzalez, who at 21 right now is one of the brightest young defenders in the nation, could be the center back of the future for the next eight years. Other young players hoping for their shot on the national team are Gale Agbossoumonde (18), Eric Lichaj (21), Ike Opara (21), Kevin Alston (22) and Tim Ream (22).
There are also plenty of young players that none of us have heard of. Honestly, who thought four years ago that Michael Bradley would not only be on the World Cup roster this year, but would be starting? Nobody. We just don't know what will happen four years from now, but what we do know is that the U.S. can't stand pat now. It's time to take the next step and bring in a world-class coach to take us to the next level.
Bradley is lucky that the USA is not a soccer-mad nation. If it were, Bradley would be getting roasted for his poor tactical decisions at the Cup. There are so many questions that I don't even know where to start:
What did Robbie Findley do to deserve more than one start, much less a third against Ghana?
What more could Edson Buddle have done to earn even a SHOT up top?
Why did we end EVERY game with Clint Dempsey playing striker, yet not start him up top ONCE?
What did Rico Clark do to earn a start against Ghana? Had Maurice Edu not taken that position?
Bradley simply relied too heavily on his strategy, going back to it again and again even after it failed to work. We had no second striker to place next to Altidore, and yet he kept giving Findley and Gomez opportunities (although he didn't give Buddle much of an opportunity).
Perhaps the five best players on the roster (Howard not included, although I don't think he had a GREAT Cup) were Donovan, Dempsey, Bradley, Edu and Feilhaber ... and yet Bradley was never flexible enough to rely on them all to start a game. There were major holes on this roster when it was set up, and they were holes that scared me entering the Cup. We didn't have a striker who could score consistently (and the four forwards combined for ZERO goals at the Cup), and the defense was a major weak point that caused the U.S. to fall behind early in three of its four games. Maybe you can argue that Bradley took the best 23 he could, or maybe you can argue that his construction of this roster wasn't very good. The jury is still out on that one, I believe.
One thing that can't be lost is the positive in how Bradley's team fought. We need to use that for the next manager to build upon. This team fought hard the entire time and was a break or two away from advancing to the quarterfinals and having a legit chance to make it to the semifinals. But, in the end, this performance was an underachievement and failure for the second straight Cup.
There are some good things to build upon for 2014. Howard will be back, and at 35, will still presumably have another Cup in him as one of the premier keepers in the world (at least that's his reputation). The midfield is going to be very, very strong again. Donovan (32) and Dempsey (31) should have another Cup in them, although I'd like to see Dempsey moved to forward. Michael Bradley, at 26, should be in his prime and could be emerging as the successor to Donovan as the greatest player ever to wear a USA uniform. Feilhaber (29), Edu (28), Holden (28) and maybe Jose Torres (26) could return, and there is plenty of depth waiting for their chances in Sacha Kljestan (28), Alejandro Bedoya (27), Sal Zizzo (27), Robbie Rogers (27), Freddy Adu (25) and maybe even Jermaine Jones (32), who we missed as a defensive midfielder in this year's Cup. The midfield appears like it will again be the strength of this team.
Altidore, at 24, should continue to develop, as he gets more and more games and opportunities to play in Europe. As much as was expected of him this year as the team's top striker, it's hard to remember sometimes that he's only 20 years old. I'd like to see Dempsey moved up top to pair with Altidore, but Charlie Davies, who will only be 27, could be the missing piece if he can return to form following a near fatal car crash last year. It's hard to think of what might have been should he have been healthy in South Africa. I would also expect Lee Nguyen (27) to make a serious run at making the roster at forward. It should be wide open because I wouldn't expect Gomez or Buddle to get another chance, and Findley would have to make some major improvements to get another chance, even though he'll only be 28 in 2014.
The defense will face some major restructuring, and I'm not sure how many of the seven defenders from this Cup will be back in four years. Bocanegra, the captain, and Cherundolo -- the two outside backs -- will each be 35. DeMerit will be 34, and Onyewu will be 32. That's a very old back line. Goodson didn't get off the bench and it's tough to see him in Brazil in four years. Spector (28) and Bornstein (29) could be the two outside backs in four years, and there's some good young talent looking to crack the team. Chad Marshall and Heath Pearce, who will both be 29, just missed the 2010 roster. Omar Gonzalez, who at 21 right now is one of the brightest young defenders in the nation, could be the center back of the future for the next eight years. Other young players hoping for their shot on the national team are Gale Agbossoumonde (18), Eric Lichaj (21), Ike Opara (21), Kevin Alston (22) and Tim Ream (22).
There are also plenty of young players that none of us have heard of. Honestly, who thought four years ago that Michael Bradley would not only be on the World Cup roster this year, but would be starting? Nobody. We just don't know what will happen four years from now, but what we do know is that the U.S. can't stand pat now. It's time to take the next step and bring in a world-class coach to take us to the next level.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Quick update
Our time in Lincoln-Omaha has come and gone, and we head home to Alexandria today. It was great saying hello and goodbye to Rosenblatt Stadium after 60 years as home of the College World Series. We had a great couple of days at the stadium and saw two great games. Today, we begin our lengthy trek home. It should take us about 16 hours, including a pit stop to watch Team USA against Ghana in the World Cup. Hopefully, we'll arrive home sometime before midnight!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Oh my snap
Rosenblatt Stadium is AMAZING!
E-beth and I got our first taste inside the park today, and we were treated to bonus baseball! I'll take (almost) anything for free. If I pay for nine innings of baseball, and you want to give me 12, I'll take it! Well, we got 12 innings today at Rosenblatt Stadium, watching South Carolina rally from behind TWICE to win 3-2 in 12 innings. The Gamecocks tied the game with a run in the 8th inning, and then scored two in the bottom of the 12th after Oklahoma had taken the lead on a solo home run in the top of the 12th.
Getting inside Rosenblatt made the trip totally worthwhile. It wasn't exactly easy to get to that point, though. We went on Wednesday and experienced all of the hectic hustle and bustle around the stadium, but we didn't actually make it inside because, well honestly, I just didn't want to wait in line.
Today, our plan was to visit a garden/arboretum and the Omaha Zoo before going to the game. However, Elizabeth wasn't feeling well this morning, so those plans changed. Those plans are now Friday's plans. While Elizabeth stayed at the hotel, I drove into Omaha in order to upgrade our general admission tickets to reserved seating. At first, I was upset because the line looked tremendously long from the road, and I was worried about not being able to get tickets. It turned out, howeve, that I only had to wait about an hour in line and had no problem getting tickets.
Our upgraded seats were down the third base line in the outfield. While we were far from the action, it actually turned out to be some of the best seats in the house because of the location of the sun. We were among the first seats to be in the shade, and in fact were in the shade almost the entire game. We arrived in the bottom of the 1st inning, thinking we were attending a College World Series game that would be full of offense and instead were treated to a pitcher's duel. It wasn't until the bottom of the 12th that one of the teams scored more than one run in an inning.
Rosenblatt's views truly are breathtaking, and it's really sad that the stadium that has been home to the College World Series for the past 60 years no longer will exist soon. The stadium will be torn down at the end of the Omaha Royals (Kansas City's AAA affiliate) season and will become part of the Omaha Zoo. The CWS will move into a new, state-of-the-art stadium in downtown Omaha, which is expected to open in time for next year's series.
Our vacation is coming to a close. On Friday, we'll visit the garden and the zoo before going to the second game of the day at Rosenblatt. It should be a long, exhausting day. Then, we have a long drive ahead of us on Saturday, as we will try to make it all the way back to Alexandria (while also finding a place to watch the U.S.-Ghana soccer match somewhere along the way). Honestly, I love vacation, but I'm always ready to get home. And I'm especially ready to see the pups, who have to be thinking by now that mommy and daddy may never come home. But we're coming girls, and we'll see you soon!
E-beth and I got our first taste inside the park today, and we were treated to bonus baseball! I'll take (almost) anything for free. If I pay for nine innings of baseball, and you want to give me 12, I'll take it! Well, we got 12 innings today at Rosenblatt Stadium, watching South Carolina rally from behind TWICE to win 3-2 in 12 innings. The Gamecocks tied the game with a run in the 8th inning, and then scored two in the bottom of the 12th after Oklahoma had taken the lead on a solo home run in the top of the 12th.
Getting inside Rosenblatt made the trip totally worthwhile. It wasn't exactly easy to get to that point, though. We went on Wednesday and experienced all of the hectic hustle and bustle around the stadium, but we didn't actually make it inside because, well honestly, I just didn't want to wait in line.
Today, our plan was to visit a garden/arboretum and the Omaha Zoo before going to the game. However, Elizabeth wasn't feeling well this morning, so those plans changed. Those plans are now Friday's plans. While Elizabeth stayed at the hotel, I drove into Omaha in order to upgrade our general admission tickets to reserved seating. At first, I was upset because the line looked tremendously long from the road, and I was worried about not being able to get tickets. It turned out, howeve, that I only had to wait about an hour in line and had no problem getting tickets.
Our upgraded seats were down the third base line in the outfield. While we were far from the action, it actually turned out to be some of the best seats in the house because of the location of the sun. We were among the first seats to be in the shade, and in fact were in the shade almost the entire game. We arrived in the bottom of the 1st inning, thinking we were attending a College World Series game that would be full of offense and instead were treated to a pitcher's duel. It wasn't until the bottom of the 12th that one of the teams scored more than one run in an inning.
Rosenblatt's views truly are breathtaking, and it's really sad that the stadium that has been home to the College World Series for the past 60 years no longer will exist soon. The stadium will be torn down at the end of the Omaha Royals (Kansas City's AAA affiliate) season and will become part of the Omaha Zoo. The CWS will move into a new, state-of-the-art stadium in downtown Omaha, which is expected to open in time for next year's series.
Our vacation is coming to a close. On Friday, we'll visit the garden and the zoo before going to the second game of the day at Rosenblatt. It should be a long, exhausting day. Then, we have a long drive ahead of us on Saturday, as we will try to make it all the way back to Alexandria (while also finding a place to watch the U.S.-Ghana soccer match somewhere along the way). Honestly, I love vacation, but I'm always ready to get home. And I'm especially ready to see the pups, who have to be thinking by now that mommy and daddy may never come home. But we're coming girls, and we'll see you soon!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Days 2-4
So, it's Thursday morning of our vacation that began on Sunday, and I'm just now getting around to posting my Day 2 update. It's been one of those trips. But hopefully I can get everyone caught up pretty quickly.
My work conference didn't begin until noon, so Elizabeth and I were able to lounge around the hotel some on Monday morning to relax and recuperate after our long trip up to Nashville on Sunday. I'm not going to go into too many boring details about the conference -- if you're really interested, get on Twitter and search the hashtag #ganire to see what was discussed -- which lasted from noon until about 6:30 p.m.
I skipped out on the supper after the first day of the workshop because I had made plans to catch up with an old friend from my hometown, Seth Jones. Seth is a couple of years younger than me and lives in Nashville, where he works in the music business doing a number of different things, but primarily writing music.
We caught up to eat at Jackson's Bar & Bistro, which is just between the campuses of Vanderbilt and Belmont universities. It's always good to catch up with old friends, particularly ones you haven't seen in several years and have been communicating with via Facebook and Twitter. Our visit with Seth certainly has been one of the highlights of the trip.
Unlike Monday, which started slowly, the third day of vacation and second day of the workshop began early. After breakfast, I had to be at the First Amendment Center on Vandy's campus at 8:30 a.m. We had about five hours worth of classroom sessions -- while Elizabeth drove around unsuccessfully in search of a park in Nashville and eventually settled for hanging out at the First Amendment Center until the workshop was finished -- before we hit the road for Omaha.
That's where things got interesting. Naively, I decided we didn't need to make hotel reservations for this night. I said, let's just drive as far as we can before we get tired and then find a place to sleep. Omaha, from Nashville, was about a 14-hour drive. We left Nashville around 2 p.m. and just started driving. Honestly, these are some of the best moments of our trips. We love driving and looking at scenery. So far, this trip has covered nine states (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska) and more than 1,200 miles.
Along the way, we stopped in Metropolis, Ill., to visit Superman. Seriously, the town square has a giant Superman statue right in front of the county courthouse. How cool is that! While there, we ate at a Dippin' Dots that had been renovated from an old skating rink. It had a nice little coffee shop vibe. Think the Frothy Monkey, but with Dippin' Dots and not coffee. We stopped in St. Charles, Mo. -- just outside of St. Louis, where Elizabeth and I spent our third anniversary to see a Collective Soul concert -- and ate supper at Buffalo Wild Wings.
At that point, it was around 11 p.m., and both of us were getting tired and a little road weary. However, I really wanted to get to the other side of Kansas City, which would put us only about two or so hours away from Omaha (and Lincoln, where we're actually staying). Bad decision. After wrestling the keys away from Elizabeth (literally, she drove the whole way from Alexandria to Nashville, and then had driven every minute from Nashville into Missouri), I plowed on through Kansas City as Elizabeth fought with trying to sleep in the Sportage.
I keyed in on St. Joseph, Mo., about 45 minutes north of Kansas City as the place we would stop and get a hotel. It was around 2 a.m. The only problem? I didn't have a reservation, and EVERY room in EVERY hotel was booked because of some military function in town. SERIOUSLY! The one time Elizabeth and I show any spontaneity backfires! So back on the road we go, much to Elizabeth's chagrin, not knowing if there would be any opportunity to stop at a hotel between St. Joseph and Lincoln, where we didn't have a room either because our hotel was booked and couldn't get us in a night early. Luckily, we were able to find a bed -- the LAST room -- at a Super 8 a little north of St. Joseph.
We checked in about 4 a.m., exhausted. After all, we'd been on the road for 14 hours, give or take some time for the stops in Metropolis and for supper. I wanted to get to Omaha as soon as possible, but we needed sleep. So we crashed for a couple of hours, and then added a detour by watching the U.S. soccer team defeat Algeria to win its group in the World Cup (priorities, people!).
After a couple of hours on the road, we finally arrived in Lincoln around 1 p.m., when we grabbed some lunch at Ruby Tuesday and were able to check into our room around 2:30. Finally, after about 28 hours of driving and a two-day detour for a work conference, we'd arrived from Alexandria to Omaha/Lincoln for our vacation!
So it was time to get started on what we came here for -- the College World Series. Or so I thought. Again, call me naive, but I had no clue what I was getting myself into. We drove down to what I'll lovingly call the Trainwork on 13th Street. Wow. Some people love the party scene. Some people love being a part of huge crowds. They think it's fun. I don't. I just want to watch the game. I'd much rather be one of 20,000 people in a 40,000-seat stadium, instead of being one of 100,000 crammed into a stadium designed to seat 80,000. Give me space. Give me room. Let me just enjoy the game.
I can't even accurately describe the scene at Rosenblatt Stadium. It was crazy. The line to get in the stadium using our general admission tickets was insane, and partly because I was cranky after the long drive and little sleep, I just didn't want to deal with it. So we checked out the fan zone a little bit, did some shopping (and have some more to do) and called it a night. We're going to try to upgrade our general admission tickets to reserved tickets today and Friday so that we don't have to fight the crowds and will be guaranteed a seat. It's a little more money, but a lot more peace of mind.
My work conference didn't begin until noon, so Elizabeth and I were able to lounge around the hotel some on Monday morning to relax and recuperate after our long trip up to Nashville on Sunday. I'm not going to go into too many boring details about the conference -- if you're really interested, get on Twitter and search the hashtag #ganire to see what was discussed -- which lasted from noon until about 6:30 p.m.
I skipped out on the supper after the first day of the workshop because I had made plans to catch up with an old friend from my hometown, Seth Jones. Seth is a couple of years younger than me and lives in Nashville, where he works in the music business doing a number of different things, but primarily writing music.
We caught up to eat at Jackson's Bar & Bistro, which is just between the campuses of Vanderbilt and Belmont universities. It's always good to catch up with old friends, particularly ones you haven't seen in several years and have been communicating with via Facebook and Twitter. Our visit with Seth certainly has been one of the highlights of the trip.
Unlike Monday, which started slowly, the third day of vacation and second day of the workshop began early. After breakfast, I had to be at the First Amendment Center on Vandy's campus at 8:30 a.m. We had about five hours worth of classroom sessions -- while Elizabeth drove around unsuccessfully in search of a park in Nashville and eventually settled for hanging out at the First Amendment Center until the workshop was finished -- before we hit the road for Omaha.
That's where things got interesting. Naively, I decided we didn't need to make hotel reservations for this night. I said, let's just drive as far as we can before we get tired and then find a place to sleep. Omaha, from Nashville, was about a 14-hour drive. We left Nashville around 2 p.m. and just started driving. Honestly, these are some of the best moments of our trips. We love driving and looking at scenery. So far, this trip has covered nine states (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska) and more than 1,200 miles.
Along the way, we stopped in Metropolis, Ill., to visit Superman. Seriously, the town square has a giant Superman statue right in front of the county courthouse. How cool is that! While there, we ate at a Dippin' Dots that had been renovated from an old skating rink. It had a nice little coffee shop vibe. Think the Frothy Monkey, but with Dippin' Dots and not coffee. We stopped in St. Charles, Mo. -- just outside of St. Louis, where Elizabeth and I spent our third anniversary to see a Collective Soul concert -- and ate supper at Buffalo Wild Wings.
At that point, it was around 11 p.m., and both of us were getting tired and a little road weary. However, I really wanted to get to the other side of Kansas City, which would put us only about two or so hours away from Omaha (and Lincoln, where we're actually staying). Bad decision. After wrestling the keys away from Elizabeth (literally, she drove the whole way from Alexandria to Nashville, and then had driven every minute from Nashville into Missouri), I plowed on through Kansas City as Elizabeth fought with trying to sleep in the Sportage.
I keyed in on St. Joseph, Mo., about 45 minutes north of Kansas City as the place we would stop and get a hotel. It was around 2 a.m. The only problem? I didn't have a reservation, and EVERY room in EVERY hotel was booked because of some military function in town. SERIOUSLY! The one time Elizabeth and I show any spontaneity backfires! So back on the road we go, much to Elizabeth's chagrin, not knowing if there would be any opportunity to stop at a hotel between St. Joseph and Lincoln, where we didn't have a room either because our hotel was booked and couldn't get us in a night early. Luckily, we were able to find a bed -- the LAST room -- at a Super 8 a little north of St. Joseph.
We checked in about 4 a.m., exhausted. After all, we'd been on the road for 14 hours, give or take some time for the stops in Metropolis and for supper. I wanted to get to Omaha as soon as possible, but we needed sleep. So we crashed for a couple of hours, and then added a detour by watching the U.S. soccer team defeat Algeria to win its group in the World Cup (priorities, people!).
After a couple of hours on the road, we finally arrived in Lincoln around 1 p.m., when we grabbed some lunch at Ruby Tuesday and were able to check into our room around 2:30. Finally, after about 28 hours of driving and a two-day detour for a work conference, we'd arrived from Alexandria to Omaha/Lincoln for our vacation!
So it was time to get started on what we came here for -- the College World Series. Or so I thought. Again, call me naive, but I had no clue what I was getting myself into. We drove down to what I'll lovingly call the Trainwork on 13th Street. Wow. Some people love the party scene. Some people love being a part of huge crowds. They think it's fun. I don't. I just want to watch the game. I'd much rather be one of 20,000 people in a 40,000-seat stadium, instead of being one of 100,000 crammed into a stadium designed to seat 80,000. Give me space. Give me room. Let me just enjoy the game.
I can't even accurately describe the scene at Rosenblatt Stadium. It was crazy. The line to get in the stadium using our general admission tickets was insane, and partly because I was cranky after the long drive and little sleep, I just didn't want to deal with it. So we checked out the fan zone a little bit, did some shopping (and have some more to do) and called it a night. We're going to try to upgrade our general admission tickets to reserved tickets today and Friday so that we don't have to fight the crowds and will be guaranteed a seat. It's a little more money, but a lot more peace of mind.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Vay-kay-shun!
We made it! It's Day 1 of our 8-day vacation, and I'm hoping to give daily (or semi-daily) updates via my blog.
Today was our trip from Alexandria to Nashville for my two-day work conference, which kicks off our vacation. We decided we weren't in that big of a hurry, so we took the Natchez Trace Parkway up to Nashville, instead of going along the interstate the whole trip.
If you are into the outdoors -- hiking and biking -- or just a fan of beautiful scenery, I highly recommend this trip. The parkway runs 444 miles from Natchez to just southwest of Nashville, and it's billed as an "unhurried" trip. That's exactly what it is. If you're impatient, don't worry about it. But if you don't mind taking your time -- the posted speed limit the whole way is 50 mph -- you'll love this trip.
We stopped a few times along the way to use the restroom and stretch our legs, as well as to have a quiet, riverside picnic with sandwiches and drinks that we brought along with us, and it took us about 11 or 12 hours from Alexandria to Nashville. But it was a wonderfully peaceful trip, which included sights of three white-tailed does and several turkeys (as well as two slithering snakes across the road -- booooo!).
Once we got into Nashville, we ate supper at Five Guys Burgers & Fries. Honestly, it was OK, but nothing special. I've heard some people compare Five Guys with In-and-Out Burger as the best fast-food burger joint in the country. The burger was good, juicy and sloppy, even if it wasn't a little on the small side. And they use sweet pickles, rather than dill pickles. That's a picky preference thing, though. The fries were decent, at least the regular fries are. The Cajun fries were just doused with a cayenne pepper that was a little too much for this "Louisiana Yankee." I'd eat at Five Guys again, don't get me wrong, but I still don't think it's nearly as good as Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers.
Monday should be a slow day, at least for me. I'm planning to sleep in after the long drive today, and then I have the first day of my conference from noon to about 7 p.m. Afterward, I'm hoping to catch up with an old friend from my hometown and have supper with him and his wife. Should be fun times. And it puts us one day closer to getting to Omaha and Rosenblatt Stadium for the College World Series!
Today was our trip from Alexandria to Nashville for my two-day work conference, which kicks off our vacation. We decided we weren't in that big of a hurry, so we took the Natchez Trace Parkway up to Nashville, instead of going along the interstate the whole trip.
If you are into the outdoors -- hiking and biking -- or just a fan of beautiful scenery, I highly recommend this trip. The parkway runs 444 miles from Natchez to just southwest of Nashville, and it's billed as an "unhurried" trip. That's exactly what it is. If you're impatient, don't worry about it. But if you don't mind taking your time -- the posted speed limit the whole way is 50 mph -- you'll love this trip.
We stopped a few times along the way to use the restroom and stretch our legs, as well as to have a quiet, riverside picnic with sandwiches and drinks that we brought along with us, and it took us about 11 or 12 hours from Alexandria to Nashville. But it was a wonderfully peaceful trip, which included sights of three white-tailed does and several turkeys (as well as two slithering snakes across the road -- booooo!).
Once we got into Nashville, we ate supper at Five Guys Burgers & Fries. Honestly, it was OK, but nothing special. I've heard some people compare Five Guys with In-and-Out Burger as the best fast-food burger joint in the country. The burger was good, juicy and sloppy, even if it wasn't a little on the small side. And they use sweet pickles, rather than dill pickles. That's a picky preference thing, though. The fries were decent, at least the regular fries are. The Cajun fries were just doused with a cayenne pepper that was a little too much for this "Louisiana Yankee." I'd eat at Five Guys again, don't get me wrong, but I still don't think it's nearly as good as Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers.
Monday should be a slow day, at least for me. I'm planning to sleep in after the long drive today, and then I have the first day of my conference from noon to about 7 p.m. Afterward, I'm hoping to catch up with an old friend from my hometown and have supper with him and his wife. Should be fun times. And it puts us one day closer to getting to Omaha and Rosenblatt Stadium for the College World Series!
Friday, May 14, 2010
See you at the crossroads ... crossroads
Pardon the Bone Thugs 'N Harmony reference, but it really is quite appropriate for this blog, which I'm sorry to say to my most loyal readers, is about sports. Well, about a man transcends sports. About a man, who at the age of 25, has the world at his fingertips for the next couple of months.
That man is LeBron James.
In the interest of full disclosure, LeBron James is my favorite basketball player. Ever. Yes, I know there are a lot of great basketball players out there, although many of the all-time greats were before my time. Michael Jordan is still the greatest. I don't think that is yet up for debate. And Kobe Bryant is starting to wind down a brilliant career, although he lost me as a fan during that whole Colorado rape escapade. There are tons of other players that I enjoy watching, but none more so than LeBron, who I vividly remember starting to follow when he was a high school sophomore. We've watched him grow from the best 16-year-old ever into a two-time MVP at 25, a hybrid of some of the greatest players evers, with Magic Johnson's passing ability as a big man to any number of power forwards with his size and strength. But LeBron has more speed, agility and athleticism than any 6-8, 260-pound player has ever had.
Entering this year, there was much speculation about what would happen after the year, when after seven seasons with the Cleveland Cavs, LeBron James could become a free agent. There are some very talented free agents available -- Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh immediately come to mind -- but it's no exagerration that this will be "The Summer of LeBron."
Heck, it's already started. The Boston Celtics knocked the Cavs out of the Eastern Conference playoffs not even seven hours ago, and already I have read and watched enough speculation to drive a normal person insane. I want more of him. I'm going to give you more of it. People are wondering where LeBron will go. Does he stay loyal to the Cavs, where he's played the first seven years of his career without a championship, and his home state of Ohio? Does he jettison off to New York to play for the Knicks in the mecca of basketball and media capital of the world? Does he dare try to take on the challenge of become the first real superstar in Chicago post-MJ? What about other darkhorse candidates like Miami, Jersey or the Los Angeles Clippers? At this point, it's all speculation.
However, I do believe, as much as it pains me to say, that we've seen the last of LeBron James in a Cavs uniform. He's poured his heart and soul into that franchise for seven years, lifting it out of the sewer to make it the best regular season team the past two years. But what has that brought? No championships. In fact, in his seven years in Cleveland, the Cavs have been to the NBA Finals just once, in 2007, and they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs. The following three seasons they were defeated by the Celtics in the second round, Orlando Magic in the conference finals and Boston again this year in the second round. He hasn't even sniffed a title, hasn't even come close. LeBron already announced he was going to switch numbers, hanging up #23 for good to honor MJ, so why not just go ahead and wear a completely different uniform?
LeBron is, without a doubt, the biggest free agent on the market since Shaquille O'Neal left the Orlando Magic after four years to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he teamed with Kobe to win three titles. Shaq later won a fourth title with Dwyane Wade in Miami, and although many people thought he was the missing piece this seaosn to bring LeBron his first title, it didn't work out. Shaq still has four rings, and LeBron is still searching for his first piece of jewelry.
I sincerely believe that LeBron loves Ohio. As an Akron native, his heart is there. That's his roots. But perhaps his time in Cleveland has run its course. I also know he's inrigued by the Knicks and playing nightly at Madison Square Garden, plus his good buddy Jay-Z is a part-owner of the New Jersey (soon-to-be Brooklyn) Nets. But the more and more that I think about this, the more and more I lean toward Chicago.
The Bulls haven't won a title since MJ retired the second time in 1998. That's a dozen years. Actually, they haven't even come close to winning a title since then. LeBron would love to be the guy who re-rescued that franchise. Plus there are some good pieces in place, particularly young point guard Derrick Rose. And the Bulls have the ability to move some players to open up some cap room. There's been talk of James, Wade and Bosh all signing together in the same place and trying to win multiple championships together. While I'll believe that when I see it -- after all, these guys understand the NBA is a business and they've got to get paid -- it's a possibility they all could land in Chicago, which is Wade's hometown and Bosh is rumored to love.
Here's how it could work:
The way the NBA salary scale works, and the way these three guys set up their contracts to be free agents this year, they would each earn about $17 million next year. That's a total of $51 million, which would only give the Bulls about $5 million in cap room to play with. However, they could work a sign and trade with the Cavs to land LeBron, sending Luol Deng to Cleveland. They also have tradeable assets in Kirk Hinrich and Joakim Noah that could be packaged for either Wade or Bosh. Trading those three players would clear about $23 million off the books. It also would mean the Bulls would have just six players (LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Rose, Taj Gibson and James Jones) under contract for a total of about $58 million. That would give them a great starting five and sixth man but nothing left on the bench and not much wiggle room under the cap to add any complimentary pieces. But I'm not sure how much more they would need. You add a rookie or two through the draft, and a couple of minimally priced free agents, and you have yourself an NBA title contender.
It certainly will be interesting to watch. Yes, there's still plenty of basketball left to be played, and I really am exciting for the Lakers-Suns and Celtics-Magic series. It should be an interesting run to the title. But I also expect we'll be hearing plenty of talk about King James between now and when free agency officially begins on July 1.
That man is LeBron James.
In the interest of full disclosure, LeBron James is my favorite basketball player. Ever. Yes, I know there are a lot of great basketball players out there, although many of the all-time greats were before my time. Michael Jordan is still the greatest. I don't think that is yet up for debate. And Kobe Bryant is starting to wind down a brilliant career, although he lost me as a fan during that whole Colorado rape escapade. There are tons of other players that I enjoy watching, but none more so than LeBron, who I vividly remember starting to follow when he was a high school sophomore. We've watched him grow from the best 16-year-old ever into a two-time MVP at 25, a hybrid of some of the greatest players evers, with Magic Johnson's passing ability as a big man to any number of power forwards with his size and strength. But LeBron has more speed, agility and athleticism than any 6-8, 260-pound player has ever had.
Entering this year, there was much speculation about what would happen after the year, when after seven seasons with the Cleveland Cavs, LeBron James could become a free agent. There are some very talented free agents available -- Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh immediately come to mind -- but it's no exagerration that this will be "The Summer of LeBron."
Heck, it's already started. The Boston Celtics knocked the Cavs out of the Eastern Conference playoffs not even seven hours ago, and already I have read and watched enough speculation to drive a normal person insane. I want more of him. I'm going to give you more of it. People are wondering where LeBron will go. Does he stay loyal to the Cavs, where he's played the first seven years of his career without a championship, and his home state of Ohio? Does he jettison off to New York to play for the Knicks in the mecca of basketball and media capital of the world? Does he dare try to take on the challenge of become the first real superstar in Chicago post-MJ? What about other darkhorse candidates like Miami, Jersey or the Los Angeles Clippers? At this point, it's all speculation.
However, I do believe, as much as it pains me to say, that we've seen the last of LeBron James in a Cavs uniform. He's poured his heart and soul into that franchise for seven years, lifting it out of the sewer to make it the best regular season team the past two years. But what has that brought? No championships. In fact, in his seven years in Cleveland, the Cavs have been to the NBA Finals just once, in 2007, and they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs. The following three seasons they were defeated by the Celtics in the second round, Orlando Magic in the conference finals and Boston again this year in the second round. He hasn't even sniffed a title, hasn't even come close. LeBron already announced he was going to switch numbers, hanging up #23 for good to honor MJ, so why not just go ahead and wear a completely different uniform?
LeBron is, without a doubt, the biggest free agent on the market since Shaquille O'Neal left the Orlando Magic after four years to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he teamed with Kobe to win three titles. Shaq later won a fourth title with Dwyane Wade in Miami, and although many people thought he was the missing piece this seaosn to bring LeBron his first title, it didn't work out. Shaq still has four rings, and LeBron is still searching for his first piece of jewelry.
I sincerely believe that LeBron loves Ohio. As an Akron native, his heart is there. That's his roots. But perhaps his time in Cleveland has run its course. I also know he's inrigued by the Knicks and playing nightly at Madison Square Garden, plus his good buddy Jay-Z is a part-owner of the New Jersey (soon-to-be Brooklyn) Nets. But the more and more that I think about this, the more and more I lean toward Chicago.
The Bulls haven't won a title since MJ retired the second time in 1998. That's a dozen years. Actually, they haven't even come close to winning a title since then. LeBron would love to be the guy who re-rescued that franchise. Plus there are some good pieces in place, particularly young point guard Derrick Rose. And the Bulls have the ability to move some players to open up some cap room. There's been talk of James, Wade and Bosh all signing together in the same place and trying to win multiple championships together. While I'll believe that when I see it -- after all, these guys understand the NBA is a business and they've got to get paid -- it's a possibility they all could land in Chicago, which is Wade's hometown and Bosh is rumored to love.
Here's how it could work:
The way the NBA salary scale works, and the way these three guys set up their contracts to be free agents this year, they would each earn about $17 million next year. That's a total of $51 million, which would only give the Bulls about $5 million in cap room to play with. However, they could work a sign and trade with the Cavs to land LeBron, sending Luol Deng to Cleveland. They also have tradeable assets in Kirk Hinrich and Joakim Noah that could be packaged for either Wade or Bosh. Trading those three players would clear about $23 million off the books. It also would mean the Bulls would have just six players (LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Rose, Taj Gibson and James Jones) under contract for a total of about $58 million. That would give them a great starting five and sixth man but nothing left on the bench and not much wiggle room under the cap to add any complimentary pieces. But I'm not sure how much more they would need. You add a rookie or two through the draft, and a couple of minimally priced free agents, and you have yourself an NBA title contender.
It certainly will be interesting to watch. Yes, there's still plenty of basketball left to be played, and I really am exciting for the Lakers-Suns and Celtics-Magic series. It should be an interesting run to the title. But I also expect we'll be hearing plenty of talk about King James between now and when free agency officially begins on July 1.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Monkey see, monkey do
Children do it all the time. A 3-year-old will copy what his 5-year-old brother is doing. He'll watch, he'll learn and he'll repeat. I distinctly remember doing this growing up with my brother, who is five years older than I am. Heck, I lived at the baseball field, watching and emulating what my big bro and his friends were doing.
Teens do it all the time. It's called peer pressure. The cool kid gets the latest pair of shoes or trendiest new techie gadget, and everyone else wants one too. I wasn't as bad about this when I was a teen. Sure, I felt peer pressure. But it wasn't about being popular. It was about trying to impress my friends, emulating the guys who I looked up to. I wanted to be as smart as they were, as athletic as they were, as strong of a Christian as they were.
Adults do it all the time. They call it keeping up with the Joneses. We buy the most expensive cars, build the most luxurious houses, rack up the most debt that we can -- all in the name of impressing people. Why? Because we see other people do it. Because we covet. We watch. We desire. We give in to those desires.
It's a natural part of life for people to observe things and then put those things into practice. Everyone does it -- including my dogs. Seriously, they are hilarious.
Sandy, who is still a pup, has been around for about 18 months now. She rules the roost. This is her house; we just live in it. What Sandy wants, Sandy gets. No questions asked. But don't tell Ryley that. Although isn't much younger than Sandy, she's only been with us for about three or four months now. But boy does she learn quickly.
How did she learn? By watching her big sister, of course. Sandy loves to be scratched -- where Sandy WANTS to be scratched. Not on her head. Not behind her ears. Not on her back. She wants it on her chest, or on her belly. If she's sitting, and you're rubbing her head, she will use her paw to move your hand right where she wants it. Or, she'll slide down onto the floor and roll over, so you can give her belly a good ole rub.
So what does Ryley do? The exact same thing. She's started using her paw to direct where she wants to be scratched. It's not as bad as Sandy, because she actually likes being rubbed on her head, but she'll use that paw to tell you what she wants.
That's just one of the many things we see on a daily basis where the younger pup has patterned her behavior after the older pup. We like to call it monkey see, monkey do -- and Ryley's the monkey!
Teens do it all the time. It's called peer pressure. The cool kid gets the latest pair of shoes or trendiest new techie gadget, and everyone else wants one too. I wasn't as bad about this when I was a teen. Sure, I felt peer pressure. But it wasn't about being popular. It was about trying to impress my friends, emulating the guys who I looked up to. I wanted to be as smart as they were, as athletic as they were, as strong of a Christian as they were.
Adults do it all the time. They call it keeping up with the Joneses. We buy the most expensive cars, build the most luxurious houses, rack up the most debt that we can -- all in the name of impressing people. Why? Because we see other people do it. Because we covet. We watch. We desire. We give in to those desires.
It's a natural part of life for people to observe things and then put those things into practice. Everyone does it -- including my dogs. Seriously, they are hilarious.
Sandy, who is still a pup, has been around for about 18 months now. She rules the roost. This is her house; we just live in it. What Sandy wants, Sandy gets. No questions asked. But don't tell Ryley that. Although isn't much younger than Sandy, she's only been with us for about three or four months now. But boy does she learn quickly.
How did she learn? By watching her big sister, of course. Sandy loves to be scratched -- where Sandy WANTS to be scratched. Not on her head. Not behind her ears. Not on her back. She wants it on her chest, or on her belly. If she's sitting, and you're rubbing her head, she will use her paw to move your hand right where she wants it. Or, she'll slide down onto the floor and roll over, so you can give her belly a good ole rub.
So what does Ryley do? The exact same thing. She's started using her paw to direct where she wants to be scratched. It's not as bad as Sandy, because she actually likes being rubbed on her head, but she'll use that paw to tell you what she wants.
That's just one of the many things we see on a daily basis where the younger pup has patterned her behavior after the older pup. We like to call it monkey see, monkey do -- and Ryley's the monkey!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Second-half live blog
Note: This blog is for my boy Ethan McDaniel, who actually isn't my boy at all because I don't know him, but he goes by the handle @emcdaniel09 on Twitter and has been talking trash to me about the NBA Playoffs.
It's halftime of Game 5 of the Jazz-Nuggets game, with the Jazz leading 52-50. We'll pick it up from there.
Flashback to about 8:20 p.m., when Ethan sends me the following tweet: @b_hoss_mac expect mr. bigshot to show up against the jazz... he's gonna make the jazz #kissdababy, mark my words!!
I'll guess we'll find out here in the second half if Mr. McDaniel is right and the Jazz are "kissin' da baby" as he says.
11:10 p.m. -- We're back from halftime and starting the third quarter. Denver must be able to overcome the loss of center Nene, out with a sprained knee, as well as foul trouble with power forward Kenyon Martin and point guard Chauncey Billups each with two fouls.
11:12 p.m. -- Jazz have the ball to start the quarter.
11:13 p.m. -- Mike Fratello: First three or four minutes are going to be critical in what could be final half of the year for Denver. Good observation.
11:13 p.m. -- K-Mart and Aron Afflalo hit first two shots to get into double figures. Carmelo said he needed help, and he's getting it tonight.
11:15 p.m. -- Utah with second straight turnover. Billups hits 3. Now has 11 points. Nuggets lead 59-54 after 7-0 run.
11:15 p.m. -- Carlos Boozer follows his own miss. Up to 17 points, along with Deron Williams. Both playing well, but need some help in second half.
11:17 p.m. -- Melo picks up his first foul ... and smiles. He does a lot of smiling on the court, but usually it means he's not happy. I know, ironic.
11:17 p.m. -- Billups hits second 3 in third quarter. Has 8 points so far, after scoring only 6 in the first half.
11:19 p.m. -- Loose ball situation. Wesley Matthews bounce pass to DWill, who bounce passes to Boozer for a monster stuff. Beautiful basketball!
11:20 p.m. -- Carmelo Anthony with the reverse layup. Nuggets lead 70-62. Denver outscoring Jazz 20-12 in third so far.
11:22 p.m. -- Billups with a layup. Now has 10 in the third quarter, 16 for the game. Nuggets lead 72-66 with 6:05 left in third.
11:23 p.m. -- According to tweet from Ross Siler of Salt Lake Tribute, Denver has started 9-for-10 in the second half. Melo and Billups have 17 of those points. Wow. *Shakes head*
11:25 p.m. -- Melo knocks down a jumper. Jazz defense stayed in the locker room, apparently.
11:26 p.m. -- Wesley Matthews with steal and layup. Jazz only down 4, 74-70.
11:28 p.m. -- Afflalo makes step-under jumper at shot clock buzzer. Nuggets now 11-12 from floor in second half. At some point, Jazz have to get some stops.
11:31 p.m. -- DWill drains 3-pointer. Now has 24 points and 8 assists. Millsap with follow-up on next possession. Nuggets lead down to one, 80-79.
11:33 p.m. -- Random thought: Do they sell Coca-Cola products at the Pepsi Center? Oh, and Taco Bell, you may call it a tortada, but it's a sandwich.
11:37 p.m. -- And just like that ... free throw, offensive rebound, 3-pointer ... Nuggets lead back to 7.
11:39 p.m. -- In a crazy sequence of trying to get 2-for-1 opportunities, Ty Lawson turns ball over and DWill misses 3-pointer. Then Nuggets with an offensive foul. Sloppy end to 3rd quarter.
11:41 p.m. -- C.J. Miles misses three at the buzzer. Denver leads 86-81 heading into fourth quarter.
11:43 p.m. -- After playing every minute of third quarter, Deron Williams will start fourth on the bench. Pivotal moment here to see how much time Jazz can steal with Ronnie Price on the floor and how close they can keep it before DWill returns.
11:47 p.m. -- Boozer with an offensive rebound and putback. Jazz trail 89-86. Booz 25 points and 14 boards. DWill 26 points and 9 assists.
11:50 p.m. -- DWill returns with 9:51 remaining and Jazz down by only 4. Good break.
11:51 p.m. -- J.R. Smith nails a wide-open 3-pointer. Denver up 94-88.
11:52 p.m. -- Millsap hits a turnaround hook shot to cut the lead down to two.
11:53 p.m. -- J.R. Smith with another 3-pointer, the Nuggets' eighth consecutive 3 made. Denver's lead is back to seven, 99-92.
11:57 p.m. -- Carmelo tackles C.J. Miles while going after a loose ball. For one of the world's best players, Melo makes some stupid decisions.
11:58 p.m. -- Johan Petro with a tip give Denver biggest lead of the game at 9, 101-92, with 5:58 remaining.
Midnight -- Good morning, everyone.
12:03 a.m. -- Booz grabs his 15th rebound of the game. Also has 25 points. Not a bad game.
12:06 a.m. -- Billups knocks down 2 free throws to put Nuggets up 11, biggest lead of the night, at 105-94.
12:07 a.m. -- You can refer to the Nuggets as Team Tat. Between Kenyon Martin, Chris Andersen and J.R. Smith, there's no team in the league with more tattoos.
12:09 a.m. -- Billups steal leads to J.R. Smith runout dunk. Denver up 111-97 with 3:10 left to play.
12:11 a.m. -- Too much balance tonight for Denver with six players in double figures. DWill's 32 points and 10 assists, and Boozer's 25 points and 15 rebounds can't overcome all of the Nuggets' balance.
12:14 a.m. -- Despite the double-digit deficit, DWill is not going to go away quietly.
12:17 a.m. -- Probably just a lot of frustration, but Boozer and Millsap doing a lot of complaining about physical play and being hacked under the basket without getting any calls.
12:19 a.m. -- With tempers and tension soaring, the benches empty with Denver up 114-110. DWill fouls out after a brilliant game of 34 points and 10 assists. First player in NBA history with 20+ points and 10+ assists in first five games of the series.
12:21 a.m. -- Ballgame. Final: Denver 116, Utah 102. Jazz lead the series 3-2 and head home to Salt Lake City with chance to clinch at home on Friday night.
It's halftime of Game 5 of the Jazz-Nuggets game, with the Jazz leading 52-50. We'll pick it up from there.
Flashback to about 8:20 p.m., when Ethan sends me the following tweet: @b_hoss_mac expect mr. bigshot to show up against the jazz... he's gonna make the jazz #kissdababy, mark my words!!
I'll guess we'll find out here in the second half if Mr. McDaniel is right and the Jazz are "kissin' da baby" as he says.
11:10 p.m. -- We're back from halftime and starting the third quarter. Denver must be able to overcome the loss of center Nene, out with a sprained knee, as well as foul trouble with power forward Kenyon Martin and point guard Chauncey Billups each with two fouls.
11:12 p.m. -- Jazz have the ball to start the quarter.
11:13 p.m. -- Mike Fratello: First three or four minutes are going to be critical in what could be final half of the year for Denver. Good observation.
11:13 p.m. -- K-Mart and Aron Afflalo hit first two shots to get into double figures. Carmelo said he needed help, and he's getting it tonight.
11:15 p.m. -- Utah with second straight turnover. Billups hits 3. Now has 11 points. Nuggets lead 59-54 after 7-0 run.
11:15 p.m. -- Carlos Boozer follows his own miss. Up to 17 points, along with Deron Williams. Both playing well, but need some help in second half.
11:17 p.m. -- Melo picks up his first foul ... and smiles. He does a lot of smiling on the court, but usually it means he's not happy. I know, ironic.
11:17 p.m. -- Billups hits second 3 in third quarter. Has 8 points so far, after scoring only 6 in the first half.
11:19 p.m. -- Loose ball situation. Wesley Matthews bounce pass to DWill, who bounce passes to Boozer for a monster stuff. Beautiful basketball!
11:20 p.m. -- Carmelo Anthony with the reverse layup. Nuggets lead 70-62. Denver outscoring Jazz 20-12 in third so far.
11:22 p.m. -- Billups with a layup. Now has 10 in the third quarter, 16 for the game. Nuggets lead 72-66 with 6:05 left in third.
11:23 p.m. -- According to tweet from Ross Siler of Salt Lake Tribute, Denver has started 9-for-10 in the second half. Melo and Billups have 17 of those points. Wow. *Shakes head*
11:25 p.m. -- Melo knocks down a jumper. Jazz defense stayed in the locker room, apparently.
11:26 p.m. -- Wesley Matthews with steal and layup. Jazz only down 4, 74-70.
11:28 p.m. -- Afflalo makes step-under jumper at shot clock buzzer. Nuggets now 11-12 from floor in second half. At some point, Jazz have to get some stops.
11:31 p.m. -- DWill drains 3-pointer. Now has 24 points and 8 assists. Millsap with follow-up on next possession. Nuggets lead down to one, 80-79.
11:33 p.m. -- Random thought: Do they sell Coca-Cola products at the Pepsi Center? Oh, and Taco Bell, you may call it a tortada, but it's a sandwich.
11:37 p.m. -- And just like that ... free throw, offensive rebound, 3-pointer ... Nuggets lead back to 7.
11:39 p.m. -- In a crazy sequence of trying to get 2-for-1 opportunities, Ty Lawson turns ball over and DWill misses 3-pointer. Then Nuggets with an offensive foul. Sloppy end to 3rd quarter.
11:41 p.m. -- C.J. Miles misses three at the buzzer. Denver leads 86-81 heading into fourth quarter.
11:43 p.m. -- After playing every minute of third quarter, Deron Williams will start fourth on the bench. Pivotal moment here to see how much time Jazz can steal with Ronnie Price on the floor and how close they can keep it before DWill returns.
11:47 p.m. -- Boozer with an offensive rebound and putback. Jazz trail 89-86. Booz 25 points and 14 boards. DWill 26 points and 9 assists.
11:50 p.m. -- DWill returns with 9:51 remaining and Jazz down by only 4. Good break.
11:51 p.m. -- J.R. Smith nails a wide-open 3-pointer. Denver up 94-88.
11:52 p.m. -- Millsap hits a turnaround hook shot to cut the lead down to two.
11:53 p.m. -- J.R. Smith with another 3-pointer, the Nuggets' eighth consecutive 3 made. Denver's lead is back to seven, 99-92.
11:57 p.m. -- Carmelo tackles C.J. Miles while going after a loose ball. For one of the world's best players, Melo makes some stupid decisions.
11:58 p.m. -- Johan Petro with a tip give Denver biggest lead of the game at 9, 101-92, with 5:58 remaining.
Midnight -- Good morning, everyone.
12:03 a.m. -- Booz grabs his 15th rebound of the game. Also has 25 points. Not a bad game.
12:06 a.m. -- Billups knocks down 2 free throws to put Nuggets up 11, biggest lead of the night, at 105-94.
12:07 a.m. -- You can refer to the Nuggets as Team Tat. Between Kenyon Martin, Chris Andersen and J.R. Smith, there's no team in the league with more tattoos.
12:09 a.m. -- Billups steal leads to J.R. Smith runout dunk. Denver up 111-97 with 3:10 left to play.
12:11 a.m. -- Too much balance tonight for Denver with six players in double figures. DWill's 32 points and 10 assists, and Boozer's 25 points and 15 rebounds can't overcome all of the Nuggets' balance.
12:14 a.m. -- Despite the double-digit deficit, DWill is not going to go away quietly.
12:17 a.m. -- Probably just a lot of frustration, but Boozer and Millsap doing a lot of complaining about physical play and being hacked under the basket without getting any calls.
12:19 a.m. -- With tempers and tension soaring, the benches empty with Denver up 114-110. DWill fouls out after a brilliant game of 34 points and 10 assists. First player in NBA history with 20+ points and 10+ assists in first five games of the series.
12:21 a.m. -- Ballgame. Final: Denver 116, Utah 102. Jazz lead the series 3-2 and head home to Salt Lake City with chance to clinch at home on Friday night.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
NFL Draft ... and other musings
It's shortly after midnight on the Saturday morning of NFL Draft weekend. At this point, I should be crawling into bed and getting ready for an all-day marathon. Instead, we're two days and three rounds into the draft. It's just not right. The NFL Draft used to be an event, where fans all followed intently thoughout the day on Saturday, and more casually in the later rounds on Sunday.
It looks like the new format, which brings the first round in primetime on Thursday and the second and third rounds on Friday, will be here to stay, at least for the short term. The TV ratings are good. I don't have to like it though.
A few quick hits from the draft, and then a deeper look at my team, the New Orleans Saints:
-- I really like what the Lions have done. Ndamakong Suh is about as can't-miss a defensive tackle prospect as there ever has been, and he's a great start at #2. They traded up at the end of the first round to take Jahvid Best at #30. Best, I believe, is the second-best running back in the draft and will have a better career than Ryan Matthews, who went 12th. They also got Amari Spievey, a defensive back from Iowa, at the top of the third round, and he'll give the Lions depth at corner and safety. The Lions have a fourth-rounder and three seventh-rounders today to add some more depth.
-- Other teams whose drafts I liked were the Chiefs, the Raiders (surprisingly), the Bengals, Cowboys and Jets. KC picked up two starters (S Eric Berry and CB Javier Arenas) and a major contributor (RB/WR/KR Dexter McCluster, who should get 10-15 touches per game in a variety of ways) in the first two rounds. Oakland, known for reaching for players with less-than-stellar production but great potential, picked up perhaps the second-best defensive player in MLB Rolando McClain at #8. Cincy grabbed stud TE Jermaine Gresham at #21 and a solid WR in Jordan Shipley in the third round, along with a steady CB Brandon Ghee at the end of the third round. The Bengals, of course, can't go a draft without taking a shady character, this time choosing Florida DE Carlos Dunlap in the second round. Dallas had just two picks but grabbed a future Pro Bowler in WR Dez Bryant at #24 and a future starter at ILB in Sean Lee. The Jets, meanwhile, were ecstatic that CB Kyle Wilson, a top-10 talent, fell to them at #29 at the bottom of the first round.
-- I just can't figure out what's going on in Denver. The Broncos trade their Pro Bowl quarterback last offseason. This offseason, they jettisoned perhaps the best receiver in the NFL and their starting tight end. Then, they traded down in the first round and traded back up twice for two reaches. I'm not sold on Demaryius Thomas as a future star receiver (although the choice of Eric Decker in the third round was a good one), and then the Broncos snatched Tim Tebow at #25. I like Tebow. But at 25? It's safe to call that pick a reach, and coach Josh McDaniels essentially has tied his future in Denver to Tebow's development as a quarterback. I'm not sure I would be willing to do that if I were in his shoes.
-- Congratulations to D'Anthony "Boo" Smith, the defensive tackle from Louisiana Tech, for being drafted in the third round by the Jacksonville Jags. Boo is a great kid who represented by alma mater wonderfully for the past four years. Now he joins two other Tech grads, Josh Scobee and Luke McCown, in Jacksonville. If only the Jags would trade for Ryan Moats now.
-- Now to my Saints: I'll just borrow a phrase from the immortal Vince Lombardi. "What the hell's going on out there?" You know, winning a Super Bowl, especially at a place with such a dismal past as New Orleans, will get you a lot of leeway. I'm trying to keep that in mind. But I'm just not getting this draft. I understand the premise that you take the best player available if you can't get a trade offer you like, but that idea also doesn't consider the fact that your team has needs. And the Saints haven't filled their needs through the first three rounds. They have glaring needs at linebacker, both depth and the big hole at the starting strongside linebacker spot with the departure of Scott Fujita. Yet, through three rounds, there have been no linebackers chosen, despite a myriad of options available.
New Orleans selected cornerback Patrick Robinson with the last pick of the first round. He looks great on paper, but he struggled with consistency at Florida State. That's usually not a great trait to have entering the NFL. It's the second year in a row the Saints have picked a corner in the first round, so that doesn't bode well for last year's pick, Malcolm Jenkins. There was talk then that he'd end up at safety, and that appears to be the case with this pick. Still, the Saints have an emerging playmaker in Tracy Porter at one corner and Jabari Greer at the other corner with Randall Gay as the nickel back. Depth is good, but you usually don't try to build depth in the first round. You normal look for immediate starters there. I understand injuries piled up in the secondary last year, and you can never have too many guys who can cover in this league, but I thought the Saints had bigger needs than cornerback.
The Saints picked an offensive tackle at the end of the second round in Southern Cal's Charles Brown. The best part of this pick, according to my wife, is the guy's name is CHARLIE BROWN! Yes, my wife, ladies and gentlemen. She'll be here all week. I'm a big USC fan, and if I haven't heard of the guy, he's probably not that good. And it's not like there's a glaring need at offensive tackle. Jon Stinchcomb is an entrenched starter at RT. Jamaal Brown is a Pro Bowler at LT, even though he's a restricted free agent who is coming off an injury and likely will be traded. Jermon Bushrod filled in admirably for Brown last year while he was injured. Zach Strief also plays a lot as a sixth offensive lineman during running situations. Maybe the Saints plan to trade Brown for a linebacker, or maybe they plan for him to play one more season while Charles Brown learns. Again, there were much bigger needs than a fourth offensive tackle.
And my least favorite pick happened at the end of the third round, when the Saints grabbed Miami tight end Jimmy Graham. Graham has great size and physical tools, and his upside is tremendous. But he's a basketball player who only played one year of football in college. Yes, San Diego struck gold with Antonio Gates, a basketball player from Kent State. But Gates was an undrafted free agent. Graham is a big-time reach in the third round, particularly when there were other more established tight ends like Pitt's Dorin Dickerson, LSU's Richard Dickson, Florida's Aaron Hernandez and USC's Anthony McCoy still available. Heck, I'm willing to bet that Dennis Morris, Louisiana Tech's tight end, has a better NFL career than Jimmy Graham.
The Saints have three picks in today's final day of the draft -- a fourth, a sixth and a seventh. Here's hoping two of those are linebackers and a third is a developmental quarterback who can battle with Chase Daniel to become Drew Brees's backup.
Leaving the draft, let's finish up with some NBA playoffs talk. We're about halfway through the first round, and a few things have stood out so far:
-- The Jazz just keep on winning. Two starters, Andrei Kirilenko and Mehmet Okur, are out of the series against Denver with injuries. Yet, the Jazz have taken two of the first three games and have the upper hand in the series. The star of Friday night's Game 3 was Paul Millsap, the team's sixth man and backup power forward who played at Louisiana Tech. Millsap posted career playoff highs of 22 points and 19 rebounds to help mask a subpar game from starting power forward Carlos Boozer. Deron Williams has emerged as a challenger to Steve Nash as the best point guard in the NBA, and he's the clear leader of this young team. But the Jazz's role players, led by Millsap, have really stepped up. Rookie Wesley Matthews, who was undrafted, has stepped in as the team's starting two-guard, and young center Kyrylo Fesenko have filled in nicely for the two injured starters. And the other two wing players, starter C.J. Miles and reserve Kyle Korver, have played strong as well.
-- It's time for Dwyane Wade to get away from South Beach. Yes, he won a title there. But this team is terrible. There's not a single player starting next to Wade who should be a starter in the NBA. It's really depressing, especially considering how hard Wade plays and how much he's done to keep the Heat in the games against Boston. But Boston leads the series 3-0 and is well on its way to a sweep.
-- The Chicago Bulls pushed Boston to the limit last year, and they've already taken a game against Cleveland, the NBA's best team during the regular season. How does LeBron James respond? Can he lift the Cavs over the next two games to close the series out in 5, or will Chicago continue to hang around and make this a series?
-- The OKC Thunder, the young but supremely talented eight seed in the West, stole Game 3 from the defending champion L.A. Lakers. Most analysts I've seen have the Lakers responding to win Game 4 and closing the series out in five. I think Kobe is fading and Kevin Durant is ready to step up and make this a seven-game series. The main question is can the Thunder steal a game in L.A.? If they can, they might just make it to the second round.
It looks like the new format, which brings the first round in primetime on Thursday and the second and third rounds on Friday, will be here to stay, at least for the short term. The TV ratings are good. I don't have to like it though.
A few quick hits from the draft, and then a deeper look at my team, the New Orleans Saints:
-- I really like what the Lions have done. Ndamakong Suh is about as can't-miss a defensive tackle prospect as there ever has been, and he's a great start at #2. They traded up at the end of the first round to take Jahvid Best at #30. Best, I believe, is the second-best running back in the draft and will have a better career than Ryan Matthews, who went 12th. They also got Amari Spievey, a defensive back from Iowa, at the top of the third round, and he'll give the Lions depth at corner and safety. The Lions have a fourth-rounder and three seventh-rounders today to add some more depth.
-- Other teams whose drafts I liked were the Chiefs, the Raiders (surprisingly), the Bengals, Cowboys and Jets. KC picked up two starters (S Eric Berry and CB Javier Arenas) and a major contributor (RB/WR/KR Dexter McCluster, who should get 10-15 touches per game in a variety of ways) in the first two rounds. Oakland, known for reaching for players with less-than-stellar production but great potential, picked up perhaps the second-best defensive player in MLB Rolando McClain at #8. Cincy grabbed stud TE Jermaine Gresham at #21 and a solid WR in Jordan Shipley in the third round, along with a steady CB Brandon Ghee at the end of the third round. The Bengals, of course, can't go a draft without taking a shady character, this time choosing Florida DE Carlos Dunlap in the second round. Dallas had just two picks but grabbed a future Pro Bowler in WR Dez Bryant at #24 and a future starter at ILB in Sean Lee. The Jets, meanwhile, were ecstatic that CB Kyle Wilson, a top-10 talent, fell to them at #29 at the bottom of the first round.
-- I just can't figure out what's going on in Denver. The Broncos trade their Pro Bowl quarterback last offseason. This offseason, they jettisoned perhaps the best receiver in the NFL and their starting tight end. Then, they traded down in the first round and traded back up twice for two reaches. I'm not sold on Demaryius Thomas as a future star receiver (although the choice of Eric Decker in the third round was a good one), and then the Broncos snatched Tim Tebow at #25. I like Tebow. But at 25? It's safe to call that pick a reach, and coach Josh McDaniels essentially has tied his future in Denver to Tebow's development as a quarterback. I'm not sure I would be willing to do that if I were in his shoes.
-- Congratulations to D'Anthony "Boo" Smith, the defensive tackle from Louisiana Tech, for being drafted in the third round by the Jacksonville Jags. Boo is a great kid who represented by alma mater wonderfully for the past four years. Now he joins two other Tech grads, Josh Scobee and Luke McCown, in Jacksonville. If only the Jags would trade for Ryan Moats now.
-- Now to my Saints: I'll just borrow a phrase from the immortal Vince Lombardi. "What the hell's going on out there?" You know, winning a Super Bowl, especially at a place with such a dismal past as New Orleans, will get you a lot of leeway. I'm trying to keep that in mind. But I'm just not getting this draft. I understand the premise that you take the best player available if you can't get a trade offer you like, but that idea also doesn't consider the fact that your team has needs. And the Saints haven't filled their needs through the first three rounds. They have glaring needs at linebacker, both depth and the big hole at the starting strongside linebacker spot with the departure of Scott Fujita. Yet, through three rounds, there have been no linebackers chosen, despite a myriad of options available.
New Orleans selected cornerback Patrick Robinson with the last pick of the first round. He looks great on paper, but he struggled with consistency at Florida State. That's usually not a great trait to have entering the NFL. It's the second year in a row the Saints have picked a corner in the first round, so that doesn't bode well for last year's pick, Malcolm Jenkins. There was talk then that he'd end up at safety, and that appears to be the case with this pick. Still, the Saints have an emerging playmaker in Tracy Porter at one corner and Jabari Greer at the other corner with Randall Gay as the nickel back. Depth is good, but you usually don't try to build depth in the first round. You normal look for immediate starters there. I understand injuries piled up in the secondary last year, and you can never have too many guys who can cover in this league, but I thought the Saints had bigger needs than cornerback.
The Saints picked an offensive tackle at the end of the second round in Southern Cal's Charles Brown. The best part of this pick, according to my wife, is the guy's name is CHARLIE BROWN! Yes, my wife, ladies and gentlemen. She'll be here all week. I'm a big USC fan, and if I haven't heard of the guy, he's probably not that good. And it's not like there's a glaring need at offensive tackle. Jon Stinchcomb is an entrenched starter at RT. Jamaal Brown is a Pro Bowler at LT, even though he's a restricted free agent who is coming off an injury and likely will be traded. Jermon Bushrod filled in admirably for Brown last year while he was injured. Zach Strief also plays a lot as a sixth offensive lineman during running situations. Maybe the Saints plan to trade Brown for a linebacker, or maybe they plan for him to play one more season while Charles Brown learns. Again, there were much bigger needs than a fourth offensive tackle.
And my least favorite pick happened at the end of the third round, when the Saints grabbed Miami tight end Jimmy Graham. Graham has great size and physical tools, and his upside is tremendous. But he's a basketball player who only played one year of football in college. Yes, San Diego struck gold with Antonio Gates, a basketball player from Kent State. But Gates was an undrafted free agent. Graham is a big-time reach in the third round, particularly when there were other more established tight ends like Pitt's Dorin Dickerson, LSU's Richard Dickson, Florida's Aaron Hernandez and USC's Anthony McCoy still available. Heck, I'm willing to bet that Dennis Morris, Louisiana Tech's tight end, has a better NFL career than Jimmy Graham.
The Saints have three picks in today's final day of the draft -- a fourth, a sixth and a seventh. Here's hoping two of those are linebackers and a third is a developmental quarterback who can battle with Chase Daniel to become Drew Brees's backup.
Leaving the draft, let's finish up with some NBA playoffs talk. We're about halfway through the first round, and a few things have stood out so far:
-- The Jazz just keep on winning. Two starters, Andrei Kirilenko and Mehmet Okur, are out of the series against Denver with injuries. Yet, the Jazz have taken two of the first three games and have the upper hand in the series. The star of Friday night's Game 3 was Paul Millsap, the team's sixth man and backup power forward who played at Louisiana Tech. Millsap posted career playoff highs of 22 points and 19 rebounds to help mask a subpar game from starting power forward Carlos Boozer. Deron Williams has emerged as a challenger to Steve Nash as the best point guard in the NBA, and he's the clear leader of this young team. But the Jazz's role players, led by Millsap, have really stepped up. Rookie Wesley Matthews, who was undrafted, has stepped in as the team's starting two-guard, and young center Kyrylo Fesenko have filled in nicely for the two injured starters. And the other two wing players, starter C.J. Miles and reserve Kyle Korver, have played strong as well.
-- It's time for Dwyane Wade to get away from South Beach. Yes, he won a title there. But this team is terrible. There's not a single player starting next to Wade who should be a starter in the NBA. It's really depressing, especially considering how hard Wade plays and how much he's done to keep the Heat in the games against Boston. But Boston leads the series 3-0 and is well on its way to a sweep.
-- The Chicago Bulls pushed Boston to the limit last year, and they've already taken a game against Cleveland, the NBA's best team during the regular season. How does LeBron James respond? Can he lift the Cavs over the next two games to close the series out in 5, or will Chicago continue to hang around and make this a series?
-- The OKC Thunder, the young but supremely talented eight seed in the West, stole Game 3 from the defending champion L.A. Lakers. Most analysts I've seen have the Lakers responding to win Game 4 and closing the series out in five. I think Kobe is fading and Kevin Durant is ready to step up and make this a seven-game series. The main question is can the Thunder steal a game in L.A.? If they can, they might just make it to the second round.
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