linked from a Kenneth Faried article
NBA Champion - San Antonio over Cleveland
MVP - Lebron over Durant
Franchise player - LeBron over Anthony Davis and Durant
Player which forces adjustments - LeBron over Durant
Breakout player - Anthony Davis over Bradley Beal
Best point guard - Chris Paul over Russell Westbrook (by far)
Best shooting guard - James Harden over Klay Thompson (by far, Kobe is third)
Best small forward - Lebron over MVP Durant (75% to 25%)
Best power forward - LeMarcus Aldridge tie with Blake Griffin, Anthony Davis not far behind
Best center - Dwight Howard over Marc Gasol and Joakim Noah (no mention of Cousins)
Rookie of the year - Jabari Parker over Wiggins
Best rookie in five years - Parker over Wiggins (barely)
Biggest steal in the draft - Rodney Hood over Doug McDermott
Best international player - Nowitzki over Tony Parker. Marc Gasol is third.
International breakout player - Valanciunas over Giannis Antetokounmpo
Best defensive player - Noah over Lebron. Howard and Ibaka tied for third
Best perimeter defender - Lebron over Kawhi Leonard and Tony Allen
Best interior defender - Noah over Ibaka and Howard
Best defensive team - Chicago over Indiana (by far)
Best head coach - Popovich (by far)
Best motivator - Popovich over Rivers
Best in-game adjuster - Popovich over Carlisle (barely)
Best runner of offense - Popovich over Carlisle (by far)
Best defensive schemes - Thibodeau over Popovich (by far)
Best assistant coach - Alvin Gentry over Adrian Griffin, Tyronn Lue, Ettore Messina, Mike Woodson
Player who will be best head coach - Chris Paul over Steve Blake (somehow Andre Miller and Rondo got votes)
Team most fun to watch - Golden State over the Clippers
Best home court advantage - San Antonio over Denver
Most athletic - LeBron over Blake Griffin and Russell Westbrook (by far, surprisingly)
Pure shooter - Curry over Korver
Fastest with ball - Wall and Westbrook tie
Best moving without the ball - Korver over Redick
Best getting his own shot - Durant over Carmelo (over LeBron and Kobe)
Best offensive rebounder - Drummond over Love (Reggie Evans is third)
Best passer - Chris Paul over LeBron (by far). Rondo and Rubio tied for third
Most dangerous in the open - LeBron
Best finisher - LeBron over Griffin (by far)
Toughest player - Tony Allen over Kobe Bryant and David West
Best leader - Duncan over Paul, LeBron, Garnett
Best role player - Diaw and Faried (tie)
Best basketball IQ - Chris Paul over LeBron, Duncan, Nash
Shot-taker with game on line - Durant over Kobe and LeBron (by far surprisingly)
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Friday, October 17, 2014
ESPN ranks the NBA players (2014)
500 of them (well, 465 and counting). The neat thing is that the player's twitter handle is also given. Nearly every player has a twitter handle. Well, not counting Andrew Bynum.
The big news is that Kobe Bryant is no. 40, but let's take a look.
500 - Shayne Whittingham. Free agent Indiana Pacers.
480 - Greg Oden, free agent. The face that he's not with Cleveland (since he played at Ohio State) might tell you something.
474 - Jason Collins
461 - Hasheem Thabeet
460 - Andrew Bynum, free agent.
448 - Jordan Clarkson. The fourth PG with the Lakers. Might stick around if Nash keeps getting injured.
421 - Cole Aldrich
415 - Nazr Mohammed
406 - Shannon Brown
402 - Antawn Jamison, free agent
400 - Jannero Pargo. Pargo is the Juwan Howard of guards
399 - Sebastian Telfair
398 - Joel Embiid
390 - Lou Amundson. Lou!
382 - Robert Sacre. Will he wind up as the Lakers starting center?
377 - Rodney Hood. Will he wind up the starting SG for Utah?
373 - Hedo Turkoglu. He's still playing?
369 - Kenyon Martin. He's still playing?
360 - Jimmer Fredette. Jimmer! Will he finally get some playing time?
352 - Charlie Villanueva. Still collecting his big paycheck?
348 - Drew Gooden. Still playing I guess.
345 - Jason Richardson. How much can he bounce back?
341 - Michael Beasley. Gone to China.
336 - Brendan Haywood. Can he win a championship?
334 - Ronnie Brewer. Surprised nobody signed him yet.
327 - Bojan Bogdanovic. Didn't he do good at the World Cup or something? Yeah,
322 - Cleanthony Early. Like his name. (Like Fab Melo.)
321 - Shabazz Muhammad. Will he get any playing time with Andrew Wiggins on board?
318 - Wesley Johnson. The starting SF for the Lakers is rated 318.
314 - Ben Gordon. Whatever happened to Ben Gordon?
313 - Kyle Anderson. Will Popovich give him playing time?
308 - Ray McCallum. The guy looks like he has some talent.
306 - Zach LaVine. This year's dunk contest winner?
303 - Kent Bazemore. Did well with D'Antoni's Lakers. Now?
300 - Austin Rivers. Has been disappointing in his progress.
298 - Bismack Biyombo. At least he's rated higher than Hasheem Thabeet.
294 - Alex Len. He was drafted fifth overall last season.
293 - Landry Fields. Former teammate of Jeremy Lin.
288 - Reggie Evans. Amazing this guy is sticking around. Still can rebound.
287 - Jason Terry. How he has fallen.
282 - Jermaine O'Neal. Still drawing a paycheck.
279 - Kendrick Perkins. I still say the Celtics should have kept him, for that season anyway.
275- Tayshaun Prince. Used to be pretty good.
272 - Emeka Okafor. I guess he still must have injury problems since nobody has signed him yet.
265 - Glen Rice Jr. Summer League MVP.
260 - Otto Porter. 3rd overall pick in the 2013 draft.
254 - Elfrid Payton. Chad Ford likes him.
246 - Steve Nash. Ranked 19 two years ago.
237 - Chris Kaman. Somehow always reminds me of Chris Elliott.
236 - Jordan Farmar. Takes the place of fellow UCLAer Darren Collison.
234 - Tyler Zeller. He's with the Celtics?
232 - Kendall Marshall. Another one who did well with the D'Antoni Lakers. This year?
231 - Kris Humphries. Had a couple good seasons with the Nets.
230 - Elton Brand. Used to be elite like 10 years ago.
229 - Gerald Wallace. Was really good like 5 years ago.
227 - Andrea Bargnani. Has a no. 1 contract.
225 - Danny Granger. Can he bounce back?
224 - Raymond Felton. Starting PG?
222 - CJ McCollum. Maybe I was confusing him with Ray McCallum.
220 - Evan Turner. Wasn't he supposed to be a star player?
215 - Derrick Williams. Drafted #2 behind Kyrie Irving.
212 - Marvin Williams. Drafted ahead of Deron Williams and Chris Paul.
209 - Anthony Bennett. Last season's first overall pick. Traded already. Heard about it?
208 - Ben McLemore. Drafted seventh last season.
203 - Cody Zeller. Drafted fouth last season.
196 - OJ Mayo. Will Jason Kidd help his game?
194 - Samuel Dalembert. Should get PT replacing Tyson Chandler
193 - Andre Miller. Still going at age 38
192 - Doug McDermott. This guy is supposed to be able to shoot.
190 - Amare Stoudemire. Can his knees continue to come back?
185 - Ed Davis. He's this high?
181 - J.J. Hickson. Now behind Kenneth Fareid.
178 - Mike Miller. He's this high? He was close to retirement a couple of years ago.
175 - Jameer Nelson. Who will start in Dallas?
174 - Kelly Olynyk. Figures to climb with more PT.
173 - Dante Exum. Rodney Hood may put him on the bench.
171 - Rodney Stuckey. He's supposed to replace Lance Stevenson.
170 - Jodie Meeks. Another who did well for the D'Antoni Lakers. But now?
168 - Andray Blatche. Did well statistically playing for the Phillipines. Headed to China.
165 - Jordan Hill. He's the starting center?
162 - Alec Burks. Or will Burks be the starter over Hood?
159 - John Henson. Better in fantasy than real life.
157 - Marcus Smart. Looks like this guy has talent.
154 - Enes Kanter. I think he should ranked higher.
150 - Nick Young. Can he do anything besides shoot?
149 - Julius Randle. Don't know how much he'll play behind Boozer. Can he play the 3?
148 - Darren Collison. Gets the start in Sacramento. Seems to do well playing behind CP3.
146 - Gerald Green. Pretty high for a guy who went to the D-League not long ago.
144 - Miles Plumlee. No, it was his brother who was on the World Cup roster
141 - JaVale McGee. Up this high on potential. He used to be highly thought of.
140 - Jared Sullinger. Already maxing his potential?
139 - Brandon Knight. Got PT last season.
138 - Shaun Livingston. Why is a backup this high?
137 - Carlos Boozer. Will he bounce back with the Lakers?
136 - Shawn Marion. Why is he this high since he will be a backup?
133 - Gorgui Dieng. On potential.
129 - Spencer Hawes. Now backing up Jordan and Griffin.
128 - Ray Allen. Will he even play?
126 - Tristan Thompson. How much PT will he get with Love on board?
124 - Jose Calderon. Will he fit in with the triangle?
123 - JR Smith. Ditto.
122 - Harrison Barnes. How much PT will get behind Iguodala?
121 - Vince Carter. Still hanging around at 37. Might get as much PT as Tony Allen and Tayshaun Prince.
118 - Trey Burke. Continued improvement? Only 21.
115 - Kevin Martin. Still getting good stats. Points anyway.
114 - Andrew Wiggins. Potential rookie of the year.
113 - Kevin Garnett. Can he stay healthy at 38? He couldn't at 37.
112 - Mason Plumlee. Hey, he made the national team.
110 - Eric Gordon. Wasn't he supposed to be an All-star?
108 - Brandon Jennings. Wasn't he supposed to be the next Allen Iverson?
107 - Reggie Jackson. Will he get to start?
104 - Markieff Morris. Will he stay the sixth/seventh man? Had a good stretch for a little while.
103 - Patrick Beverly. He's the unquestioned starter now.
102 - Nerlens Noel. Looked good in summer league. Another potential rookie of the year.
101 - Dion Waiters. Don't think he'll be handling the ball too much.
100 - Jeremy Lin. Needs the ball to be effective. So playing with the second worst team in the league for him. (The worst would be Houston.) Came to the Lakers one year too late.
99 - Danilo Gallinari. How much did his injury affect him?
98 - Tyreke Evans. Where you going to play him?
95 - Jabari Parker. The third candidate for rookie of the year.
93 - Larry Sanders. If he can stay healthy, should bounce up.
92 - Robin Lopez. I think he should be higher.
91 - Jonas Valanciunas. Can he continue to improve? I think he'll go higher.
90 - Derrick Favors. This guy should be higher on talent alone. What? He's entering his fifth season?
89- J.J. Redick. Averaged 2 rebounds and 2 assists.
88 - Giannis Antetokounmpo. Apparently talented. Averaged 7 points, 4 rebounds. Only 19.
85. Nikola Vucevic. Was a 14 and 11 guy.
84. Trevor Ariza. Replacing Chandler Parsons. Averaged 14 and 6. Thought he scored more and rebounded less.
82. Paul Pierce. Down from 48 last season. Averaged only 13.5 and 4.6. Less than Ariza, who he is replacing.
81. Victor Oladipo. A future all-star?
79. Michael Carter-Williams. The rookie of the year is this low? Averaged 17-6-6. But shot .406.
78. Thaddeus Young. Underrated.
76. Anderson Varejao. How will he fit in with LeBron and Love? They will take away each other's rebounds.
75. Josh Smith. Stan Van Gundy to the rescue. Or not.
74. Andrew Bogut. If he stays healthy, Golden State should be really good.
73. Ricky Rubio. Averaged 9 points, 9 assists and shot .381.
72. Kyle Korver. How is he this high? Averaged 12-4-3.
71. Omer Asik. Averaged 8 rebounds per game playing behind Dwight Howard.
69. David Lee. Better in fantasy. Averaged 18 and 9.
68. Jrue Holiday. Pretty good numbers. 14-4-8. But played in only 34 games.
67. Isaiah Thomas. Had a breakout year with 20 and 6. But how much is going to play this season behind Dragic and Bledsoe?
66. Nikola Pekovic. The other Nikola. Went 17 and 9. And could go higher with Love gone.
65. Taj Gibson. We'll see how he does as a starter with Boozer gone. Wait, now they got Pau. So his numbers actually might go down from his 13 and 7. So how is he ranked ahead of the Nikola's? Apparently better in real-life than in fantasy.
64. Jeff Teague. An average PG at 16.5 and 6.7. Maybe slightly better than average.
63. Nene. He's only 32? Thought he was much older than that.
62. Tyson Chandler. Same age as Nene.
61. Kemba Walker. Good rebounder for his size. 18-4-6.
and now on to the stars..
60. David West. Numbers are down from the CP3 days. 14 and 7.
59. Joe Johnson. 16-3-3. The most overpaid player in the league. Or is it Amare? These guys have Johnson at no. 4. Brandon Roy is no. 3 ($18 million and retired). Amare at no. 2. No. 1? Gilbert Arenas ($22 million and playing in China).
58. Luol Deng. No LeBron. Might improve on his 16-6-3 of last season.
57. Marcin Gortat. 13 and 10 with 1.5 blocks. Not bad.
56. Manu Ginobili. Maybe on playoff potential. Averaged only 12-3-4 in 23 minutes. He's 37.
55. Deron Williams. Last year #20. Looking to bounce back from a 14-3-6 season.
54. Greg Monroe. 15 and 9 with only 0.6 blocks.
53. Monta Ellis. 19-4-6. Surprisingly high assists as a 2 guard. I guess he played some point.
52. Nicolas Batum. Underrated. 13.0, 7.5, 5.1. Not bad.
51. Rudy Gay. 20-6-3.
50. Lance Stephenson. Led NBA with five triple-doubles. 14-7-5. Charlotte could be interesting this season.
49. Brook Lopez. Averaged 21 points but only 6 rebounds. Played only 17 games last season.
48. Bradley Beal. One half of the self-proclaimed best backcourt in the NBA. Averaged 17-4-3. Room for improvement at age 21.
47. Gordon Hayward. Now a rich man. Averaged 16-5-5 (one of five players to do that: LeBron, Durant, Westbrook, MCW).
46. Roy Hibbert. He's this high? He regressed to 10.8 and 6.6, but with 2.2 blocks.
45. Ty Lawson. He's this low? 17.6, 3.5, 8.8 in 62 games. One of four players to average 17 and 8 (the others were Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, John Wall).
44. Pau Gasol. Still putting up good numbers. 17 and 10 with 1.5 blocks. Chicago should be interesting if Derrick Rose comes back close to full strength.
43. Chandler Parsons. Another rich man. 16.6, 5.5, 4.0. Dallas could be another interesting team.
42. Kenneth Faried. The Manimal. Will he breakout after his breakout World Cup performance? His 14 and 9 with .545 FG% was already pretty decent.
41. Eric Bledsoe. 17.7, 4.7, 5.5 in 43 games. If he can stay healthy.
40. Kobe Bryant. See his comments above. But played only 6 games last season. That's why. Was ranked only #25 last season.
39. Andre Iguodala. Pretty high for a player who averaged 9 points a game. Did have 4.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists. And 6 years younger than Kobe.
38. Klay Thompson. He's this good? 18-3-2. Not really this high in fantasy.
37. Rajon Rondo. 11.7, 5.5, 9.8 in 30 games. Can he stay healthy? Will he be traded?
36. Dwyane Wade. 19.0, 4.7, 4.5. Still productive numbers - when he plays. Played 54 games. Can his body hold up?
35. DeMar DeRozan. Breakout year with 23-4-4. Those are close to Kobe numbers. His World Cup experience helps his status.
34. DeAndre Jordan. Averaged 10 points and shot .428 from the free throw line. But averaged 13.6 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, and shot .676 from the field. Ranks even higher in fantasy (my fantasy league anyway).
33. Zach Randolph. 17.4, 10.1, 2.5. He's still good, but I wouldn't rank him this high at age 33.
32. Paul Millsap. Had an All-Star season playing without Horford and Josh Smith. Went 17.9, 8.5 with 1.1 blocks. But I'd take Faried over him.
31. Mike Conley. He's OK at 17.2, 2.9, 6.0. But I'd rank him like 25 spots lower than this.
wow, this puts Andrew Wiggins in the top 30 (and ahead of Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade).
stay tuned...
well, while we're waiting, I should be able to name the top 30. though obviously not in order.. Let's see. 1 and 2 are easy. 3 is hard. Yahoo has Anthony Davis as no. 2.
30. Andrew Wiggins
29. Serge Ibaka
28. Goran Dragic
27. Damien Lillard
26. Paul George
25. Kawhi Leonard
24. Tony Parker
23. Tim Duncan
22. Al Horford
21. John Wall
20. Al Jefferson
19. Marc Gasol
18. Kyrie Irving
17. DeMarcus Cousins
16. Andre Drummond
15. Chris Bosh
14. Dirk Nowitzki
13. Derrick Rose
12. Joakim Noah
11. LaMarcus Aldridge
10. Blake Griffin
9. Carmelo Anthony
8. Dwight Howard
7. Kevin Love
6. Anthony Davis
5. James Harden
4. Stephen Curry
3. Chris Paul
2. Kevin Durant
1. LeBron James
OK, let's see how close I got.
30. Andre Drummond. 13 and 13 with 1.6 blocks and shot .623. But shoots free throws worse than DeAndre Jordan (.418 to .428).
29. Kyle Lowry. 18-5-7. Remember when he was regarded as a backup player? Wait. I don't see him in my top 30. Who did I miss? Ah. I see Wiggins is actually ranked 114 above.
28. Derrick Rose. Former MVP was ranked #9 last season. Seems to be close to full strength. Shot only .354 last season.
27. Goran Dragic. Has emerged after being the backup to Steve Nash. Broke out with a 20-3-6 season. Interesting. I see he and Lowry played together for the 2011-2012 Rockets, They were the backcourt along with Kevin Martin.
26. Al Horford. Played only 28 games last season.
25. Serge Ibaka. 15 and 9 with 3 blocks. Has led the league in blocked shots for four straight seasons. Better numbers than I thought.
24. Kawhi Leonard. 13-6-2. Not that impressive numbers for a guy ranked this high. I like Batum better.
23. Kyrie Irving. 21-4-6. Kind of like Chris Paul except for the assists and steals. And a better scorer. OK, not that much like Chris Paul.
22. Al Jefferson. 22 and 11. I'll take it.
21. Tim Duncan. Still ticking at age 38. I don't think I'd rank him above Al Jefferson. For fantasy anyway. Averaged 15 and 10 with 2 blocks in 29 minutes per game. Still pretty good.
20. Chris Bosh. Went only 16 and 7 last season. But they should improve without LeBron.
19. DeMarcus Cousins. 23 and 12. Might be the best center in the game. Fantasy-wise anyway. However only averaged 1.3 blocks.
18. John Wall. 19-4-9. Those are closer to Chris Paul numbers than Irving.
17. Dirk Nowitzki. Slipped to 22-6-3. Will he slip further at age 36?
16. Damian Lillard. 20.7, 3.5, 5.6 (see Kyrie Irving). Not very high assists and shot .424. I wouldn't rank him quite this high.
15. Tony Parker. 17-3-6. Ranked #76 in fantasy by Yahoo.
14. Marc Gasol. 15 & 7. Finally ranks ahead of his brother. Well, he ranked ahead of him last season too (#10 to #29).
13. LaMarcus Aldridge. 23 and 11. I would have thought he's be top 10. Well, I see I had him #11.
12. Joakim Noah. 13-11-5 with 1.5 blocks. Hmm. I should have took him in our fantasy draft. But I took Kobe instead.
11. Carmelo. 27-8-3. That's a career-high in rebounds. Entering his 12th season already, along with LeBron, Wade, Bosh..
10. Dwight Howard. 18 and 12 with 1.8 blocks. Entering his 11th season. That 18.3 scoring averages matches his career average.
9. James Harden. 25-5-6. I guess would rank higher if he played better defense.
8. Kevin Durant. 32.0, 7.4, 5.5. Not only was that a career high in assists. But also a career high in scoring. Last season's MVP. Would probably ranked #2 (or #1) if not for his injury. I wonder who's #2 now?
7. Kevin Love. 26.1, 12.5, 4.4. Like Durant, had his career high in assists and points.
Hey, where's Westbrook on my list? I missed him. I guess I missed him and Lowry in my top 30. So who did I have instead besides Wiggins? Paul George? I guess Paul George isn't even ranked in the top 500?
In the meantime, SI came out with their list of top 100 players. Let's see who hasn't been drafted yet in our league.
100. Boris Diaw
99. Kevin Martin
96. Danny Green
95. J.R. Smith
93. J.J. Redick
92. Jeff Teague (he's at the top of the list to be drafted next)
91. Ilyasova
90. Isaiah Thomas. How much playing time will he get with Phoenix? I guess 26-28 minutes, down from 34.
88. Jose Calderon
86. Jamal Crawford
85. Andrei Kirilenko. Will he even start? The guy averaged 5 ppg last season.
81. Arron Afflalo. Surprisingly not drafted yet after averaging 18 ppg.
78. Larry Sanders. Played 23 games last season.
76. Bradley Beal. One half of the league's best guard tandem? Averaged 17-4-3.
75. Taj Gibson. Still coming off the bench.
74. Kyle Korver. Ours is not a roto-league.
71. Amir Johnson. Averaged 10 and 7.
70. Tiago Splitter. 8 and 6.
65. Andrew Bogut. 7 and 10 with 1.8 blocks in 26 minutes. Played 67 games.
64. Omer Asik. Gets to start again.
63. Nene. 14 and 5.5 in 53 games.
62. Danilo Gallinari. Missed entire season last year.
52. Roy Hibbert. 11 and 7 with 2.2 blocks.
47. David West. 14-7-3. Another one near the top of the list.
41. Manu Ginobili. 12-3-4. 23 minutes, 68 games.
29. Andre Iguodala. 9-5-4. Might come off the bench behind Harrison Barnes this season.
And now back to ESPN...
6. Stephen Curry. 24.0-4.5-8.5. High assists for someone regarded primarily as a scorer. Ranked #3 by Yahoo.
The big news is that Kobe Bryant is no. 40, but let's take a look.
500 - Shayne Whittingham. Free agent Indiana Pacers.
480 - Greg Oden, free agent. The face that he's not with Cleveland (since he played at Ohio State) might tell you something.
474 - Jason Collins
461 - Hasheem Thabeet
460 - Andrew Bynum, free agent.
448 - Jordan Clarkson. The fourth PG with the Lakers. Might stick around if Nash keeps getting injured.
421 - Cole Aldrich
415 - Nazr Mohammed
406 - Shannon Brown
402 - Antawn Jamison, free agent
400 - Jannero Pargo. Pargo is the Juwan Howard of guards
399 - Sebastian Telfair
398 - Joel Embiid
390 - Lou Amundson. Lou!
382 - Robert Sacre. Will he wind up as the Lakers starting center?
377 - Rodney Hood. Will he wind up the starting SG for Utah?
373 - Hedo Turkoglu. He's still playing?
369 - Kenyon Martin. He's still playing?
360 - Jimmer Fredette. Jimmer! Will he finally get some playing time?
352 - Charlie Villanueva. Still collecting his big paycheck?
348 - Drew Gooden. Still playing I guess.
345 - Jason Richardson. How much can he bounce back?
341 - Michael Beasley. Gone to China.
336 - Brendan Haywood. Can he win a championship?
334 - Ronnie Brewer. Surprised nobody signed him yet.
327 - Bojan Bogdanovic. Didn't he do good at the World Cup or something? Yeah,
322 - Cleanthony Early. Like his name. (Like Fab Melo.)
321 - Shabazz Muhammad. Will he get any playing time with Andrew Wiggins on board?
318 - Wesley Johnson. The starting SF for the Lakers is rated 318.
314 - Ben Gordon. Whatever happened to Ben Gordon?
313 - Kyle Anderson. Will Popovich give him playing time?
308 - Ray McCallum. The guy looks like he has some talent.
306 - Zach LaVine. This year's dunk contest winner?
303 - Kent Bazemore. Did well with D'Antoni's Lakers. Now?
300 - Austin Rivers. Has been disappointing in his progress.
298 - Bismack Biyombo. At least he's rated higher than Hasheem Thabeet.
294 - Alex Len. He was drafted fifth overall last season.
293 - Landry Fields. Former teammate of Jeremy Lin.
288 - Reggie Evans. Amazing this guy is sticking around. Still can rebound.
287 - Jason Terry. How he has fallen.
282 - Jermaine O'Neal. Still drawing a paycheck.
279 - Kendrick Perkins. I still say the Celtics should have kept him, for that season anyway.
275- Tayshaun Prince. Used to be pretty good.
272 - Emeka Okafor. I guess he still must have injury problems since nobody has signed him yet.
265 - Glen Rice Jr. Summer League MVP.
260 - Otto Porter. 3rd overall pick in the 2013 draft.
254 - Elfrid Payton. Chad Ford likes him.
246 - Steve Nash. Ranked 19 two years ago.
237 - Chris Kaman. Somehow always reminds me of Chris Elliott.
236 - Jordan Farmar. Takes the place of fellow UCLAer Darren Collison.
234 - Tyler Zeller. He's with the Celtics?
232 - Kendall Marshall. Another one who did well with the D'Antoni Lakers. This year?
231 - Kris Humphries. Had a couple good seasons with the Nets.
230 - Elton Brand. Used to be elite like 10 years ago.
229 - Gerald Wallace. Was really good like 5 years ago.
227 - Andrea Bargnani. Has a no. 1 contract.
225 - Danny Granger. Can he bounce back?
224 - Raymond Felton. Starting PG?
222 - CJ McCollum. Maybe I was confusing him with Ray McCallum.
220 - Evan Turner. Wasn't he supposed to be a star player?
215 - Derrick Williams. Drafted #2 behind Kyrie Irving.
212 - Marvin Williams. Drafted ahead of Deron Williams and Chris Paul.
209 - Anthony Bennett. Last season's first overall pick. Traded already. Heard about it?
208 - Ben McLemore. Drafted seventh last season.
203 - Cody Zeller. Drafted fouth last season.
196 - OJ Mayo. Will Jason Kidd help his game?
194 - Samuel Dalembert. Should get PT replacing Tyson Chandler
193 - Andre Miller. Still going at age 38
192 - Doug McDermott. This guy is supposed to be able to shoot.
190 - Amare Stoudemire. Can his knees continue to come back?
185 - Ed Davis. He's this high?
181 - J.J. Hickson. Now behind Kenneth Fareid.
178 - Mike Miller. He's this high? He was close to retirement a couple of years ago.
175 - Jameer Nelson. Who will start in Dallas?
174 - Kelly Olynyk. Figures to climb with more PT.
173 - Dante Exum. Rodney Hood may put him on the bench.
171 - Rodney Stuckey. He's supposed to replace Lance Stevenson.
170 - Jodie Meeks. Another who did well for the D'Antoni Lakers. But now?
168 - Andray Blatche. Did well statistically playing for the Phillipines. Headed to China.
165 - Jordan Hill. He's the starting center?
162 - Alec Burks. Or will Burks be the starter over Hood?
159 - John Henson. Better in fantasy than real life.
157 - Marcus Smart. Looks like this guy has talent.
154 - Enes Kanter. I think he should ranked higher.
150 - Nick Young. Can he do anything besides shoot?
149 - Julius Randle. Don't know how much he'll play behind Boozer. Can he play the 3?
148 - Darren Collison. Gets the start in Sacramento. Seems to do well playing behind CP3.
146 - Gerald Green. Pretty high for a guy who went to the D-League not long ago.
144 - Miles Plumlee. No, it was his brother who was on the World Cup roster
141 - JaVale McGee. Up this high on potential. He used to be highly thought of.
140 - Jared Sullinger. Already maxing his potential?
139 - Brandon Knight. Got PT last season.
138 - Shaun Livingston. Why is a backup this high?
137 - Carlos Boozer. Will he bounce back with the Lakers?
136 - Shawn Marion. Why is he this high since he will be a backup?
133 - Gorgui Dieng. On potential.
129 - Spencer Hawes. Now backing up Jordan and Griffin.
128 - Ray Allen. Will he even play?
126 - Tristan Thompson. How much PT will he get with Love on board?
124 - Jose Calderon. Will he fit in with the triangle?
123 - JR Smith. Ditto.
122 - Harrison Barnes. How much PT will get behind Iguodala?
121 - Vince Carter. Still hanging around at 37. Might get as much PT as Tony Allen and Tayshaun Prince.
118 - Trey Burke. Continued improvement? Only 21.
115 - Kevin Martin. Still getting good stats. Points anyway.
114 - Andrew Wiggins. Potential rookie of the year.
113 - Kevin Garnett. Can he stay healthy at 38? He couldn't at 37.
112 - Mason Plumlee. Hey, he made the national team.
110 - Eric Gordon. Wasn't he supposed to be an All-star?
108 - Brandon Jennings. Wasn't he supposed to be the next Allen Iverson?
107 - Reggie Jackson. Will he get to start?
104 - Markieff Morris. Will he stay the sixth/seventh man? Had a good stretch for a little while.
103 - Patrick Beverly. He's the unquestioned starter now.
102 - Nerlens Noel. Looked good in summer league. Another potential rookie of the year.
101 - Dion Waiters. Don't think he'll be handling the ball too much.
100 - Jeremy Lin. Needs the ball to be effective. So playing with the second worst team in the league for him. (The worst would be Houston.) Came to the Lakers one year too late.
99 - Danilo Gallinari. How much did his injury affect him?
98 - Tyreke Evans. Where you going to play him?
95 - Jabari Parker. The third candidate for rookie of the year.
93 - Larry Sanders. If he can stay healthy, should bounce up.
92 - Robin Lopez. I think he should be higher.
91 - Jonas Valanciunas. Can he continue to improve? I think he'll go higher.
90 - Derrick Favors. This guy should be higher on talent alone. What? He's entering his fifth season?
89- J.J. Redick. Averaged 2 rebounds and 2 assists.
88 - Giannis Antetokounmpo. Apparently talented. Averaged 7 points, 4 rebounds. Only 19.
85. Nikola Vucevic. Was a 14 and 11 guy.
84. Trevor Ariza. Replacing Chandler Parsons. Averaged 14 and 6. Thought he scored more and rebounded less.
82. Paul Pierce. Down from 48 last season. Averaged only 13.5 and 4.6. Less than Ariza, who he is replacing.
81. Victor Oladipo. A future all-star?
79. Michael Carter-Williams. The rookie of the year is this low? Averaged 17-6-6. But shot .406.
78. Thaddeus Young. Underrated.
76. Anderson Varejao. How will he fit in with LeBron and Love? They will take away each other's rebounds.
75. Josh Smith. Stan Van Gundy to the rescue. Or not.
74. Andrew Bogut. If he stays healthy, Golden State should be really good.
73. Ricky Rubio. Averaged 9 points, 9 assists and shot .381.
72. Kyle Korver. How is he this high? Averaged 12-4-3.
71. Omer Asik. Averaged 8 rebounds per game playing behind Dwight Howard.
69. David Lee. Better in fantasy. Averaged 18 and 9.
68. Jrue Holiday. Pretty good numbers. 14-4-8. But played in only 34 games.
67. Isaiah Thomas. Had a breakout year with 20 and 6. But how much is going to play this season behind Dragic and Bledsoe?
66. Nikola Pekovic. The other Nikola. Went 17 and 9. And could go higher with Love gone.
65. Taj Gibson. We'll see how he does as a starter with Boozer gone. Wait, now they got Pau. So his numbers actually might go down from his 13 and 7. So how is he ranked ahead of the Nikola's? Apparently better in real-life than in fantasy.
64. Jeff Teague. An average PG at 16.5 and 6.7. Maybe slightly better than average.
63. Nene. He's only 32? Thought he was much older than that.
62. Tyson Chandler. Same age as Nene.
61. Kemba Walker. Good rebounder for his size. 18-4-6.
and now on to the stars..
60. David West. Numbers are down from the CP3 days. 14 and 7.
59. Joe Johnson. 16-3-3. The most overpaid player in the league. Or is it Amare? These guys have Johnson at no. 4. Brandon Roy is no. 3 ($18 million and retired). Amare at no. 2. No. 1? Gilbert Arenas ($22 million and playing in China).
58. Luol Deng. No LeBron. Might improve on his 16-6-3 of last season.
57. Marcin Gortat. 13 and 10 with 1.5 blocks. Not bad.
56. Manu Ginobili. Maybe on playoff potential. Averaged only 12-3-4 in 23 minutes. He's 37.
55. Deron Williams. Last year #20. Looking to bounce back from a 14-3-6 season.
54. Greg Monroe. 15 and 9 with only 0.6 blocks.
53. Monta Ellis. 19-4-6. Surprisingly high assists as a 2 guard. I guess he played some point.
52. Nicolas Batum. Underrated. 13.0, 7.5, 5.1. Not bad.
51. Rudy Gay. 20-6-3.
50. Lance Stephenson. Led NBA with five triple-doubles. 14-7-5. Charlotte could be interesting this season.
49. Brook Lopez. Averaged 21 points but only 6 rebounds. Played only 17 games last season.
48. Bradley Beal. One half of the self-proclaimed best backcourt in the NBA. Averaged 17-4-3. Room for improvement at age 21.
47. Gordon Hayward. Now a rich man. Averaged 16-5-5 (one of five players to do that: LeBron, Durant, Westbrook, MCW).
46. Roy Hibbert. He's this high? He regressed to 10.8 and 6.6, but with 2.2 blocks.
45. Ty Lawson. He's this low? 17.6, 3.5, 8.8 in 62 games. One of four players to average 17 and 8 (the others were Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, John Wall).
44. Pau Gasol. Still putting up good numbers. 17 and 10 with 1.5 blocks. Chicago should be interesting if Derrick Rose comes back close to full strength.
43. Chandler Parsons. Another rich man. 16.6, 5.5, 4.0. Dallas could be another interesting team.
42. Kenneth Faried. The Manimal. Will he breakout after his breakout World Cup performance? His 14 and 9 with .545 FG% was already pretty decent.
41. Eric Bledsoe. 17.7, 4.7, 5.5 in 43 games. If he can stay healthy.
40. Kobe Bryant. See his comments above. But played only 6 games last season. That's why. Was ranked only #25 last season.
39. Andre Iguodala. Pretty high for a player who averaged 9 points a game. Did have 4.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists. And 6 years younger than Kobe.
38. Klay Thompson. He's this good? 18-3-2. Not really this high in fantasy.
37. Rajon Rondo. 11.7, 5.5, 9.8 in 30 games. Can he stay healthy? Will he be traded?
36. Dwyane Wade. 19.0, 4.7, 4.5. Still productive numbers - when he plays. Played 54 games. Can his body hold up?
35. DeMar DeRozan. Breakout year with 23-4-4. Those are close to Kobe numbers. His World Cup experience helps his status.
34. DeAndre Jordan. Averaged 10 points and shot .428 from the free throw line. But averaged 13.6 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, and shot .676 from the field. Ranks even higher in fantasy (my fantasy league anyway).
33. Zach Randolph. 17.4, 10.1, 2.5. He's still good, but I wouldn't rank him this high at age 33.
32. Paul Millsap. Had an All-Star season playing without Horford and Josh Smith. Went 17.9, 8.5 with 1.1 blocks. But I'd take Faried over him.
31. Mike Conley. He's OK at 17.2, 2.9, 6.0. But I'd rank him like 25 spots lower than this.
wow, this puts Andrew Wiggins in the top 30 (and ahead of Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade).
stay tuned...
well, while we're waiting, I should be able to name the top 30. though obviously not in order.. Let's see. 1 and 2 are easy. 3 is hard. Yahoo has Anthony Davis as no. 2.
30. Andrew Wiggins
29. Serge Ibaka
28. Goran Dragic
27. Damien Lillard
26. Paul George
25. Kawhi Leonard
24. Tony Parker
23. Tim Duncan
22. Al Horford
21. John Wall
20. Al Jefferson
19. Marc Gasol
18. Kyrie Irving
17. DeMarcus Cousins
16. Andre Drummond
15. Chris Bosh
14. Dirk Nowitzki
13. Derrick Rose
12. Joakim Noah
11. LaMarcus Aldridge
10. Blake Griffin
9. Carmelo Anthony
8. Dwight Howard
7. Kevin Love
6. Anthony Davis
5. James Harden
4. Stephen Curry
3. Chris Paul
2. Kevin Durant
1. LeBron James
OK, let's see how close I got.
30. Andre Drummond. 13 and 13 with 1.6 blocks and shot .623. But shoots free throws worse than DeAndre Jordan (.418 to .428).
29. Kyle Lowry. 18-5-7. Remember when he was regarded as a backup player? Wait. I don't see him in my top 30. Who did I miss? Ah. I see Wiggins is actually ranked 114 above.
28. Derrick Rose. Former MVP was ranked #9 last season. Seems to be close to full strength. Shot only .354 last season.
27. Goran Dragic. Has emerged after being the backup to Steve Nash. Broke out with a 20-3-6 season. Interesting. I see he and Lowry played together for the 2011-2012 Rockets, They were the backcourt along with Kevin Martin.
26. Al Horford. Played only 28 games last season.
25. Serge Ibaka. 15 and 9 with 3 blocks. Has led the league in blocked shots for four straight seasons. Better numbers than I thought.
24. Kawhi Leonard. 13-6-2. Not that impressive numbers for a guy ranked this high. I like Batum better.
23. Kyrie Irving. 21-4-6. Kind of like Chris Paul except for the assists and steals. And a better scorer. OK, not that much like Chris Paul.
22. Al Jefferson. 22 and 11. I'll take it.
21. Tim Duncan. Still ticking at age 38. I don't think I'd rank him above Al Jefferson. For fantasy anyway. Averaged 15 and 10 with 2 blocks in 29 minutes per game. Still pretty good.
20. Chris Bosh. Went only 16 and 7 last season. But they should improve without LeBron.
19. DeMarcus Cousins. 23 and 12. Might be the best center in the game. Fantasy-wise anyway. However only averaged 1.3 blocks.
18. John Wall. 19-4-9. Those are closer to Chris Paul numbers than Irving.
17. Dirk Nowitzki. Slipped to 22-6-3. Will he slip further at age 36?
16. Damian Lillard. 20.7, 3.5, 5.6 (see Kyrie Irving). Not very high assists and shot .424. I wouldn't rank him quite this high.
15. Tony Parker. 17-3-6. Ranked #76 in fantasy by Yahoo.
14. Marc Gasol. 15 & 7. Finally ranks ahead of his brother. Well, he ranked ahead of him last season too (#10 to #29).
13. LaMarcus Aldridge. 23 and 11. I would have thought he's be top 10. Well, I see I had him #11.
12. Joakim Noah. 13-11-5 with 1.5 blocks. Hmm. I should have took him in our fantasy draft. But I took Kobe instead.
11. Carmelo. 27-8-3. That's a career-high in rebounds. Entering his 12th season already, along with LeBron, Wade, Bosh..
10. Dwight Howard. 18 and 12 with 1.8 blocks. Entering his 11th season. That 18.3 scoring averages matches his career average.
9. James Harden. 25-5-6. I guess would rank higher if he played better defense.
8. Kevin Durant. 32.0, 7.4, 5.5. Not only was that a career high in assists. But also a career high in scoring. Last season's MVP. Would probably ranked #2 (or #1) if not for his injury. I wonder who's #2 now?
7. Kevin Love. 26.1, 12.5, 4.4. Like Durant, had his career high in assists and points.
Hey, where's Westbrook on my list? I missed him. I guess I missed him and Lowry in my top 30. So who did I have instead besides Wiggins? Paul George? I guess Paul George isn't even ranked in the top 500?
In the meantime, SI came out with their list of top 100 players. Let's see who hasn't been drafted yet in our league.
100. Boris Diaw
99. Kevin Martin
96. Danny Green
95. J.R. Smith
93. J.J. Redick
92. Jeff Teague (he's at the top of the list to be drafted next)
91. Ilyasova
90. Isaiah Thomas. How much playing time will he get with Phoenix? I guess 26-28 minutes, down from 34.
88. Jose Calderon
86. Jamal Crawford
85. Andrei Kirilenko. Will he even start? The guy averaged 5 ppg last season.
81. Arron Afflalo. Surprisingly not drafted yet after averaging 18 ppg.
78. Larry Sanders. Played 23 games last season.
76. Bradley Beal. One half of the league's best guard tandem? Averaged 17-4-3.
75. Taj Gibson. Still coming off the bench.
74. Kyle Korver. Ours is not a roto-league.
71. Amir Johnson. Averaged 10 and 7.
70. Tiago Splitter. 8 and 6.
65. Andrew Bogut. 7 and 10 with 1.8 blocks in 26 minutes. Played 67 games.
64. Omer Asik. Gets to start again.
63. Nene. 14 and 5.5 in 53 games.
62. Danilo Gallinari. Missed entire season last year.
52. Roy Hibbert. 11 and 7 with 2.2 blocks.
47. David West. 14-7-3. Another one near the top of the list.
41. Manu Ginobili. 12-3-4. 23 minutes, 68 games.
29. Andre Iguodala. 9-5-4. Might come off the bench behind Harrison Barnes this season.
And now back to ESPN...
6. Stephen Curry. 24.0-4.5-8.5. High assists for someone regarded primarily as a scorer. Ranked #3 by Yahoo.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
JWill still got it
http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2014/10/14/6977877/jason-williams-orlando-pro-am-basketball-video
and in the day..
vs. John Stockton (9) and Gary Payton (1)
yeah, the guy was fun to watch
Ricky Rubio is fun to watch too.
and in the day..
vs. John Stockton (9) and Gary Payton (1)
yeah, the guy was fun to watch
Ricky Rubio is fun to watch too.
Gordon Hayward, the best in the game
My name is Gordon Hayward, spelled with a G. And I am the best player in the game today.
Go back and read that sentence again in case you think you misread it. You didn’t.
It may come as a shock to read me saying something like this because most of you see me as pretty humble. And 99.9% of the time, I am.
This is different.
I know this sounds like bragging. That’s because it is. I’m so confident in my abilities that I would put money on myself, hypothetically speaking.
One on one versus LeBron James? He would get crushed. We would all be witnesses to a straight up annihilation.
The reigning MVP, Kevin Durant? I’m LOLing. Go ahead and put him with Russell Westbrook. Throw Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and Dwight Howard in there, just for kicks. They’d still have no chance.
Honestly, take any five NBA players you want and put them on the same squad. It doesn’t really matter. I’d beat them all. It would be like playing a bunch of kindergartners.
I repeat: I’m the best in the game. And probably in all the other major sports, too.
No athlete on earth is as good at League of Legends as I am.
Go back and read that sentence again in case you think you misread it. You didn’t.
It may come as a shock to read me saying something like this because most of you see me as pretty humble. And 99.9% of the time, I am.
This is different.
I know this sounds like bragging. That’s because it is. I’m so confident in my abilities that I would put money on myself, hypothetically speaking.
One on one versus LeBron James? He would get crushed. We would all be witnesses to a straight up annihilation.
The reigning MVP, Kevin Durant? I’m LOLing. Go ahead and put him with Russell Westbrook. Throw Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and Dwight Howard in there, just for kicks. They’d still have no chance.
Honestly, take any five NBA players you want and put them on the same squad. It doesn’t really matter. I’d beat them all. It would be like playing a bunch of kindergartners.
I repeat: I’m the best in the game. And probably in all the other major sports, too.
No athlete on earth is as good at League of Legends as I am.
Wednesday, October 08, 2014
Polynesian Football Hall of Fame (class 2)
[10/8/14] Players who combined for ten Pro Bowl appearances and eight Super Bowl championships comprise the next class of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame, which was announced today at a news conference at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel.
Luther Elliss, Russ Francis, Jesse Sapolu, Ray Schoenke, Mosi Tatupu and Mark Tuinei will be inducted in January. [Russ Francis is polynesian?]
The six were selected from a finalist list of 25 pared down by a selection committee chaired by former University of Hawaii coach Dick Tomey.
They join the initial class that included Kurt Gouveia, Olin Kreutz, Kevin Mawae, Junior Seau, Jack Thompson, Ken Niumatalolo and Herman Wedemeyer.
Inductees will be honored at the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend, Jan. 23-24 on Oahu. Go to www.PolynesianFootballHOF.org for more information.
*** [1/28/15]
Like many of us, Linnea Garcia-Tatupu is conflicted about football.
The game allowed the men in her life to fulfill their dreams, to achieve at the highest level of a profession, starring in the NFL. Her husband, Mosi, made it to the Pro Bowl. Her son, Lofa, did so twice. They both won national championships at USC and both went to the Super Bowl as pros.
Last weekend, Mosi was enshrined in the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame.
But, now, it is becoming clearer that the game also took Mosi's life at age 54. When Linnea and I talked in 2010, there was still no official cause of death for Mosi, days after his passing. But we both strongly suspected concussions from playing football at least contributed to it.
On Saturday, she told me the cause of death is now officially listed as a heart attack. But a part of Mosi's brain was studied by a neurologist, who concluded chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) led to his decline in health and eventual death. CTE is the same disorder caused by concussions that has led to deaths of former football players, including Junior Seau and John Wilbur.
Linnea said Saturday that she is grateful every day that Lofa, 32, no longer plays football. She said she hopes her grandchildren never take up the game.
Despite conflicting emotions, she honored Mosi's career with grace and dignity in a speech Saturday. The most poignant moment was when she addressed the young, current players in the crowd specifically and told them to "have safe careers."
"It was very hard for me this weekend. I know Mosi would have been very honored and it is not my intention to tarnish his career," she said. "I don't know how this is going to play out because this is so raw. I'm just no longer going to sit here being quiet about something I know is silently killing people. I knew if Mosi thought there was something he could do to ease people's pain, he'd want it done."
She is "extremely grateful" that former Hula Bowl executive director Lenny Klompus plans to resurrect the Mosi Tatupu Award, which was given to college football's top special teams player from 1997 to 2006.
Inductees will be honored at the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend, Jan. 23-24 on Oahu. Go to www.PolynesianFootballHOF.org for more information.
*** [1/28/15]
Like many of us, Linnea Garcia-Tatupu is conflicted about football.
The game allowed the men in her life to fulfill their dreams, to achieve at the highest level of a profession, starring in the NFL. Her husband, Mosi, made it to the Pro Bowl. Her son, Lofa, did so twice. They both won national championships at USC and both went to the Super Bowl as pros.
Last weekend, Mosi was enshrined in the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame.
But, now, it is becoming clearer that the game also took Mosi's life at age 54. When Linnea and I talked in 2010, there was still no official cause of death for Mosi, days after his passing. But we both strongly suspected concussions from playing football at least contributed to it.
On Saturday, she told me the cause of death is now officially listed as a heart attack. But a part of Mosi's brain was studied by a neurologist, who concluded chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) led to his decline in health and eventual death. CTE is the same disorder caused by concussions that has led to deaths of former football players, including Junior Seau and John Wilbur.
Linnea said Saturday that she is grateful every day that Lofa, 32, no longer plays football. She said she hopes her grandchildren never take up the game.
Despite conflicting emotions, she honored Mosi's career with grace and dignity in a speech Saturday. The most poignant moment was when she addressed the young, current players in the crowd specifically and told them to "have safe careers."
"It was very hard for me this weekend. I know Mosi would have been very honored and it is not my intention to tarnish his career," she said. "I don't know how this is going to play out because this is so raw. I'm just no longer going to sit here being quiet about something I know is silently killing people. I knew if Mosi thought there was something he could do to ease people's pain, he'd want it done."
She is "extremely grateful" that former Hula Bowl executive director Lenny Klompus plans to resurrect the Mosi Tatupu Award, which was given to college football's top special teams player from 1997 to 2006.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
The Ali Summit
LOUISVILLE, Ky. >> Muhammad Ali was on the ropes for refusing induction into the Army, and Jim Brown wanted to help. But first, the NFL great wanted to hear the boxing champion's reasons for not answering the call to military service during the Vietnam War.
So Brown led a group of prominent black athletes who hit Ali with a flurry of questions during a two-hour meeting in Cleveland in June 1967. Ali didn't duck the questions and stuck to his principles, citing his religious beliefs in refusing to join the military.
The dozen athletes, including Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, emerged from the meeting to publicly support Ali at a time when the champ was one of the country's most polarizing figures.
"People got the answers that they wanted," Brown recalled Saturday as several of the participants prepared to reunite with Ali.
Nearly 50 years after the meeting, now known as the "Ali Summit," Brown and Russell prepared to be at Ali's side again Saturday night in the boxing champ's hometown. Brown was receiving a lifetime humanitarian achievement award bearing Ali's name.
The lineup of Ali Award winners included Academy Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon and Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist Common. Other award winners included a half-dozen young adults from around the world honored for their humanitarian roles.
But much of the spotlight was on that meeting decades ago in Cleveland when Ali was at his most vulnerable, and how the group of athletes joined Ali's corner in the fight of the champ's life. Several participants met at the Ali Center a few hours before the awards event Saturday night. Ali, who is battling Parkinson's disease, was scheduled to meet the group at the awards show at a downtown hotel.
"No one had really sat down and listened to him and given him the respect of having him tell his point of view," Brown said Saturday.
Former NFL player John Wooten, another meeting participant, said Ali's questioners "came at him with everything." The man known for his brashness in the ring was humble when explaining his reasons, he said. It was enough to win over another participant, former NFL player Bobby Mitchell.
"I came there ready to try to talk him into going into the service," Mitchell said Saturday. "I actually felt that way. He whipped my behind pretty quick, because he can talk. But when it was all over, I felt good about walking out of there saying, 'We back him.'"
Ali was stripped of his world heavyweight boxing title in 1967 while in his prime and was convicted of draft evasion. Ali found himself embroiled in a long legal fight that ended in 1971, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in his favor.
Ali regained the heavyweight title in 1974, defeating George Foreman in the "Rumble in the Jungle." A year later, he outlasted Joe Frazier in the epic "Thrilla in Manila" bout. Ali's last title came in 1978 when he defeated Leon Spinks.
Long before Ali became an icon, the meeting's participants were taking a risk by throwing their support behind him.
"It was the United States government that we were dealing with," Brown said Saturday. "Careers were at stake. And everybody that showed up at that meeting put all of that on the line. That was heavyweight stuff."
Russell, who pulled up a decades-old photo of himself and Ali on his smartphone, said the legal battle came down to citizenship rights. Russell had known Ali for years and never doubted his sincerity for refusing military service. Russell said the legal fight transformed Ali.
"He became a hero to a lot of young folks in this country, black and white," the basketball great said. "Because what he was talking about was citizenship. And my citizenship, or Jim's ... is not a gift from other citizens. It's a right of birth."
Brown, an outspoken civil-rights advocate who remains active in efforts to stem violence, improve education and uplift neighborhoods, said he didn't want to compare the role of athletes today and in his era.
"I'm here to motivate as many people as I can in this country to take a look at the violence ... and the inferior education that a lot of our kids are getting," he said.
Former NFL star Ray Lewis, who joined the players from a previous generation Saturday, said Ali's principles still resonate with young people today.
"He did stand for something, and that something changed generations of young men, realizing that we all have a true freedom, a true opportunity to do what you're going to do, say what you're going to say," he said. "And if you believe strongly in something, truthfully in your heart, follow it."
So Brown led a group of prominent black athletes who hit Ali with a flurry of questions during a two-hour meeting in Cleveland in June 1967. Ali didn't duck the questions and stuck to his principles, citing his religious beliefs in refusing to join the military.
The dozen athletes, including Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, emerged from the meeting to publicly support Ali at a time when the champ was one of the country's most polarizing figures.
"People got the answers that they wanted," Brown recalled Saturday as several of the participants prepared to reunite with Ali.
Nearly 50 years after the meeting, now known as the "Ali Summit," Brown and Russell prepared to be at Ali's side again Saturday night in the boxing champ's hometown. Brown was receiving a lifetime humanitarian achievement award bearing Ali's name.
The lineup of Ali Award winners included Academy Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon and Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist Common. Other award winners included a half-dozen young adults from around the world honored for their humanitarian roles.
But much of the spotlight was on that meeting decades ago in Cleveland when Ali was at his most vulnerable, and how the group of athletes joined Ali's corner in the fight of the champ's life. Several participants met at the Ali Center a few hours before the awards event Saturday night. Ali, who is battling Parkinson's disease, was scheduled to meet the group at the awards show at a downtown hotel.
"No one had really sat down and listened to him and given him the respect of having him tell his point of view," Brown said Saturday.
Former NFL player John Wooten, another meeting participant, said Ali's questioners "came at him with everything." The man known for his brashness in the ring was humble when explaining his reasons, he said. It was enough to win over another participant, former NFL player Bobby Mitchell.
"I came there ready to try to talk him into going into the service," Mitchell said Saturday. "I actually felt that way. He whipped my behind pretty quick, because he can talk. But when it was all over, I felt good about walking out of there saying, 'We back him.'"
Ali was stripped of his world heavyweight boxing title in 1967 while in his prime and was convicted of draft evasion. Ali found himself embroiled in a long legal fight that ended in 1971, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in his favor.
Ali regained the heavyweight title in 1974, defeating George Foreman in the "Rumble in the Jungle." A year later, he outlasted Joe Frazier in the epic "Thrilla in Manila" bout. Ali's last title came in 1978 when he defeated Leon Spinks.
Long before Ali became an icon, the meeting's participants were taking a risk by throwing their support behind him.
"It was the United States government that we were dealing with," Brown said Saturday. "Careers were at stake. And everybody that showed up at that meeting put all of that on the line. That was heavyweight stuff."
Russell, who pulled up a decades-old photo of himself and Ali on his smartphone, said the legal battle came down to citizenship rights. Russell had known Ali for years and never doubted his sincerity for refusing military service. Russell said the legal fight transformed Ali.
"He became a hero to a lot of young folks in this country, black and white," the basketball great said. "Because what he was talking about was citizenship. And my citizenship, or Jim's ... is not a gift from other citizens. It's a right of birth."
Brown, an outspoken civil-rights advocate who remains active in efforts to stem violence, improve education and uplift neighborhoods, said he didn't want to compare the role of athletes today and in his era.
"I'm here to motivate as many people as I can in this country to take a look at the violence ... and the inferior education that a lot of our kids are getting," he said.
Former NFL star Ray Lewis, who joined the players from a previous generation Saturday, said Ali's principles still resonate with young people today.
"He did stand for something, and that something changed generations of young men, realizing that we all have a true freedom, a true opportunity to do what you're going to do, say what you're going to say," he said. "And if you believe strongly in something, truthfully in your heart, follow it."
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Derek Jeter walks off at Yankee Stadium
They don't call Derek Jeter "Captain Clutch" for nothing.
Jeter, who has always had a flare for the dramatics, said farewell to Yankee Stadium on Thursday night with a walk-off single to drive in the
winning run in the bottom of the 9th inning. The Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles, 6-5. An elated Jeter jumped and raised both arms between first and second.
After he was mobbed on the field by his teammates, he stood in the
middle of the field and tipped his cap to the fans he has played in
front of the last 20 season.
"It was above and beyond anything that I've ever dreamt of," Jeter said on the field immediately after the game.
"This was a lot of fun. Thank you. Most importantly, I'm going to miss the fans," Jeter added.
Jeter finished the game with two hits, including a first inning double
that nearly left the park for a home run. Jeter also drove in three
runs, including the game winner.
The game was not without drama. The Yankees had a 5-2 lead going into
ninth inning, and Jeter made his way to shortstop already driving in two
runs. It was good, but Jeter wasn't done yet. As if it was planned all
along, Yankees closer David Robertson gave up two home runs to tie the
game at five. That sent the game to the bottom of the ninth inning,
where Jeter was due up third in the inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, Fans continued to serenade Jeter, hoping he
could pull off one more clutch performance. With a man on second base
and one out, Jeter strolled to the plate with a chance to write the
perfect ending to his storied career in pinstripes. Jeter hit a sharp,
opposite-field single to right that knocked in the winning run.
After celebrating with his teammates, Jeter went back out to shortstop,
crouched down at the edge of the outfield grass and bounced on his toes a
couple of times before rejoining the group.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Thursday, September 11, 2014
2014 World Cup Basketball
[9/14/14] USA defeats Serbia for the gold
[9/11/14] France upsets Spain in quarterfinals, spoiling dream matchup with USA
[8/24/14] USA Basketball's men's national team trimmed its Basketball World Cup roster by cutting Damian Lillard, Chandler Parsons, Gordon Hayward and Kyle Korver late Friday.
With the cuts, USA Basketball trimmed its roster to the needed 12-man team ahead of the Aug. 30 start of the FIBA tournament in Spain. The final squad includes Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose, Golden State Warriors guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving, Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan, Houston Rockets guard James Harden, Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried, Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, New Orleans Pelicans center Anthony Davis, Kings forward Rudy Gay, Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond and Brooklyn Nets center Mason Plumlee. USA Basketball announced the roster after its 112-86 exhibition victory over Puerto Rico on Friday evening in New York.
Mason Plumlee?
***
[7/14/14] Coach Mike Krzyzewski hopes Derrick Rose's NBA comeback begins in a USA uniform.
[9/11/14] France upsets Spain in quarterfinals, spoiling dream matchup with USA
[8/24/14] USA Basketball's men's national team trimmed its Basketball World Cup roster by cutting Damian Lillard, Chandler Parsons, Gordon Hayward and Kyle Korver late Friday.
With the cuts, USA Basketball trimmed its roster to the needed 12-man team ahead of the Aug. 30 start of the FIBA tournament in Spain. The final squad includes Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose, Golden State Warriors guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving, Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan, Houston Rockets guard James Harden, Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried, Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, New Orleans Pelicans center Anthony Davis, Kings forward Rudy Gay, Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond and Brooklyn Nets center Mason Plumlee. USA Basketball announced the roster after its 112-86 exhibition victory over Puerto Rico on Friday evening in New York.
Mason Plumlee?
***
[7/14/14] Coach Mike Krzyzewski hopes Derrick Rose's NBA comeback begins in a USA uniform.
Even if Rose isn't ready, the Americans have plenty of talent for another run at a world championship.
Rose and four returnees from the 2012 Olympic men's basketball champions were among the 19 players selected Monday for this summer's U.S. national team roster.
Rose and four returnees from the 2012 Olympic men's basketball champions were among the 19 players selected Monday for this summer's U.S. national team roster.
Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, James Harden and Anthony Davis were the four holdovers from London, and there were new additions of Toronto's DeMar DeRozan and Chandler Parsons, who is leaving Houston for Dallas.
Players will report to training camp this month in Las Vegas, where Rose will try to show he's recovered from his latest knee surgery.
''We'd
like to see him play like the Derrick of old, because he's one of the
best players in the world, an MVP in the NBA,'' Krzyzewski said during a
conference call. ''What we've heard is that he's in great shape.''
The rest of the roster: Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson (Golden State), Kyrie Irving
(Cleveland), Blake Griffin (Clippers), Paul George (Indiana), Damian
Lillard (Portland), Gordon Hayward (Utah), DeMarcus Cousins
(Sacramento), Bradley Beal (Washington), Andre Drummond (Detroit), Kenneth Faried (Denver) and Kyle Korver (Atlanta).
USA
Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said the roster could be trimmed to
15 after the camp in Las Vegas that begins July 28, with the final 12
selected before the Americans depart for the World Cup of Basketball in Spain in late August.
[7/25/14] Blake Griffin withdraws [7/29/14] back injury disclosed
[7/26/14] Kevin Love withdraws too.
[7/28/14] John Wall added to World Cup roster
[7/28/14] Paul Millsap added to National Team roster
[8/4/14] Wall, Millsap, Beal cut from roster
[8/7/14] Kevin Durant to withdraw from Team USA
[8/9/14] Team USA adds Rudy Gay to roster
[7/25/14] Blake Griffin withdraws [7/29/14] back injury disclosed
[7/26/14] Kevin Love withdraws too.
[7/28/14] John Wall added to World Cup roster
[7/28/14] Paul Millsap added to National Team roster
[8/4/14] Wall, Millsap, Beal cut from roster
[8/7/14] Kevin Durant to withdraw from Team USA
[8/9/14] Team USA adds Rudy Gay to roster
Tuesday, September 09, 2014
June Jones resigns from SMU
Former University of Hawaii coach June Jones, who engineered two of the biggest turnarounds in college football history, abruptly resigned from his latest one Monday at Southern Methodist University.
Two days after saying, "we just have to keep fighting," in the wake of an 0-2 start in which the Mustangs had been outscored 88-6, Jones announced his immediate departure from SMU to deal with undisclosed "personal issues."
Jones, 61, had signed a three-year contract extension just before Christmas that was to take him through 2017 at an annual salary reported to be $2.1 million.
"This job has a lot of demands, as you know, and along with that journey comes a price that is paid. I have some personal issues I have been dealing with and I need to take a step away so I can address them at this time," Jones said in a statement distributed by SMU.
Jones did not attend a press conference and did not immediately return phone calls or text messages.
His departure was first announced by agent Leigh Steinberg, who tweeted, "JUNE JONES RESIGNS SMU COACHING JOB--June had felt for some time he had accomplished mission to turn around program and needed a break."
Jones, a former UH player (1973-74) and assistant coach (1983), became head coach in 1999, taking over a team that had gone 0-12 in 1998. He immediately oversaw what remains the biggest single-season turnaround in NCAA major college history, taking UH to a 9-4 finish, a share of the WAC championship and a bowl game victory over Oregon State.
He managed seven winning seasons in nine years and took UH to six bowl games.
Jones left following the 12-1 Sugar Bowl season of 2007 and remains the winningest football coach in school history with a record of 76-41.
He took over an SMU program scarred by NCAA sanctions, including the first "death penalty." SMU did not field a football team in 1987 or '88 and had one winning season in 19 years preceding Jones' arrival.
But that changed in his second year with an 8-5 finish, a Conference USA divisional title and Sheraton Hawaii Bowl victory, the school's first bowl in 25 years. It was the first of four consecutive bowl appearances.
Jones, who has maintained a condo in Hawaii and an 808 phone number, has always talked about eventually returning to the islands. Immediately after the resignation was announced Monday, there was widespread speculation about Jones returning to UH. But athletic director Ben Jay said there was no plan to talk to Jones about a position at UH, where head coach Norm Chow is 4-22 in two-plus seasons. Chow's $550,000-a-year contract runs through 2016.
Jay said, "I'm sticking with Norm (Chow). Norm deserves our support and we'll see how the season goes."
In the past Jones has also talked about someday returning to UH as an administrator.
*** [12/17/14, posted 12/22/14] June Jones on Leahey and Leahey
Two days after saying, "we just have to keep fighting," in the wake of an 0-2 start in which the Mustangs had been outscored 88-6, Jones announced his immediate departure from SMU to deal with undisclosed "personal issues."
Jones, 61, had signed a three-year contract extension just before Christmas that was to take him through 2017 at an annual salary reported to be $2.1 million.
"This job has a lot of demands, as you know, and along with that journey comes a price that is paid. I have some personal issues I have been dealing with and I need to take a step away so I can address them at this time," Jones said in a statement distributed by SMU.
Jones did not attend a press conference and did not immediately return phone calls or text messages.
His departure was first announced by agent Leigh Steinberg, who tweeted, "JUNE JONES RESIGNS SMU COACHING JOB--June had felt for some time he had accomplished mission to turn around program and needed a break."
Jones, a former UH player (1973-74) and assistant coach (1983), became head coach in 1999, taking over a team that had gone 0-12 in 1998. He immediately oversaw what remains the biggest single-season turnaround in NCAA major college history, taking UH to a 9-4 finish, a share of the WAC championship and a bowl game victory over Oregon State.
He managed seven winning seasons in nine years and took UH to six bowl games.
Jones left following the 12-1 Sugar Bowl season of 2007 and remains the winningest football coach in school history with a record of 76-41.
He took over an SMU program scarred by NCAA sanctions, including the first "death penalty." SMU did not field a football team in 1987 or '88 and had one winning season in 19 years preceding Jones' arrival.
But that changed in his second year with an 8-5 finish, a Conference USA divisional title and Sheraton Hawaii Bowl victory, the school's first bowl in 25 years. It was the first of four consecutive bowl appearances.
Jones, who has maintained a condo in Hawaii and an 808 phone number, has always talked about eventually returning to the islands. Immediately after the resignation was announced Monday, there was widespread speculation about Jones returning to UH. But athletic director Ben Jay said there was no plan to talk to Jones about a position at UH, where head coach Norm Chow is 4-22 in two-plus seasons. Chow's $550,000-a-year contract runs through 2016.
Jay said, "I'm sticking with Norm (Chow). Norm deserves our support and we'll see how the season goes."
In the past Jones has also talked about someday returning to UH as an administrator.
*** [12/17/14, posted 12/22/14] June Jones on Leahey and Leahey
Monday, September 08, 2014
Marvin Barnes
Marvin Barnes, whose NBA career was derailed by substance abuse after
leading Providence to the Final Four in 1973, has died, according to the
college. He was 62.
Nicknamed Bad News and Marvin the Magnificent, Barnes was a 6-foot-9 center who teamed with fellow stars Kevin Stacom and Ernie DiGregorio to lead Dave Gavitt’s Friars to a 28-4 record in 1972-73, ending with a loss to Memphis State in the NCAA semifinals.
“Marvin will always be remembered as one of the greatest Friars of all-time,” Providence A.D. Bob Driscoll said in a statement.
Barnes was a consensus All-American during the 1973-74 campaign, leading the NCAA in rebounding with 18.7 per game. He was drafted No. 2 overall in the 1974 by Philadelphia, but instead signed to play with the Spirits of St. Louis in the ABA.
Barnes was the ABA Rookie of the Year in 1975, averaging 24 points and 15.6 rebounds and was taken fourth by the Pistons in the 1976 ABA dispersal draft. Moses Malone went 5th to Portland.
Barnes appeared in only 171 games for four NBA teams, but averaged only 9.2 points and 5.5 rebounds in the NBA and was out of the league by 1980, which he later attributed to heavy drug use during his career.
Barnes also had several run-ins with the law − and stints in drug rehab − during and after his career ended, including arrests for burglary, trespassing and drug and gun possession. Providence retired his jersey in 2008.
“He struggled with his demons, but he was a great friend,” Stacom told the Providence Journal. “He was a great talent and a great teammate, but most of all he was our friend.”
Nicknamed Bad News and Marvin the Magnificent, Barnes was a 6-foot-9 center who teamed with fellow stars Kevin Stacom and Ernie DiGregorio to lead Dave Gavitt’s Friars to a 28-4 record in 1972-73, ending with a loss to Memphis State in the NCAA semifinals.
“Marvin will always be remembered as one of the greatest Friars of all-time,” Providence A.D. Bob Driscoll said in a statement.
Barnes was a consensus All-American during the 1973-74 campaign, leading the NCAA in rebounding with 18.7 per game. He was drafted No. 2 overall in the 1974 by Philadelphia, but instead signed to play with the Spirits of St. Louis in the ABA.
Barnes was the ABA Rookie of the Year in 1975, averaging 24 points and 15.6 rebounds and was taken fourth by the Pistons in the 1976 ABA dispersal draft. Moses Malone went 5th to Portland.
Barnes appeared in only 171 games for four NBA teams, but averaged only 9.2 points and 5.5 rebounds in the NBA and was out of the league by 1980, which he later attributed to heavy drug use during his career.
Barnes also had several run-ins with the law − and stints in drug rehab − during and after his career ended, including arrests for burglary, trespassing and drug and gun possession. Providence retired his jersey in 2008.
“He struggled with his demons, but he was a great friend,” Stacom told the Providence Journal. “He was a great talent and a great teammate, but most of all he was our friend.”
Ray Rice
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Ray Rice was let go by the Baltimore Ravens
on Monday and suspended indefinitely by the NFL after a video was
released showing the running back striking his then-fiancee in February.
Earlier Monday, the Ravens said they never saw the new video. Hours later, they sent out a one-sentence release:
Coach
John Harbaugh said he met with Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, team
president Dick Cass and general manager Ozzie Newsome after they saw the
video, and they made the decision to let Rice go.
''It's
something we saw for the first time today, all of us,'' Harbaugh said.
''It changed things, of course. It made things a little bit different.''
After Goodell drew criticism not
being tough enough on Rice, in a letter to all 32 NFL owners in August
he wrote, ''My disciplinary decision led the public to question our
sincerity, our commitment, and whether we understood the toll that
domestic violence inflicts on so many families. I take responsibility
both for the decision and for ensuring that our actions in the future
properly reflect our values.''
''I didn't get it right,'' he added. ''Simply put, we have to do better. And we will.''
First-time offenders now face a six-game suspension.
Rice began his suspension
Sunday, when the Ravens opened their season with a 23-16 loss to the
Cincinnati Bengals. He was scheduled to return after Thursday night's
game against Pittsburgh.
He
leaves the Ravens as the second-leading rusher in franchise history,
behind only Jamal Lewis. A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Rice is the
team's career leader in total yards from scrimmage (9,214) and is the
only player in Ravens history to rush for 1,000 yards in four
consecutive seasons.
*** [12/19/14]
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. >> A video released Friday shows Ray Rice's then-fiancee crying and kissing him while they are both handcuffed and being taken to jail by police officers after Rice punched her in a casino elevator.
The video was obtained by ABC News through a public records request filed with the New Jersey Gaming Enforcement Division. Rice's attorney fought to keep the video from being released but lost.
The video shows Janay Palmer-- now married to the former Baltimore Ravens running back -- crying and being comforted by officers or security officials at the Revel casino early on the morning of Feb. 15.
An officer walked a handcuffed Rice toward an elevator, pulling Rice's sweatshirt hood over his head. Palmer, also handcuffed, appeared to be crying as another officer led her behind Rice.
Both of them were placed in an elevator with several officers. Rice and Palmer moved their heads together as if they were talking. Palmer leaned in and appeared to kiss Rice before they are escorted out of the elevator.
*** [12/19/14]
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. >> A video released Friday shows Ray Rice's then-fiancee crying and kissing him while they are both handcuffed and being taken to jail by police officers after Rice punched her in a casino elevator.
The video was obtained by ABC News through a public records request filed with the New Jersey Gaming Enforcement Division. Rice's attorney fought to keep the video from being released but lost.
The video shows Janay Palmer-- now married to the former Baltimore Ravens running back -- crying and being comforted by officers or security officials at the Revel casino early on the morning of Feb. 15.
An officer walked a handcuffed Rice toward an elevator, pulling Rice's sweatshirt hood over his head. Palmer, also handcuffed, appeared to be crying as another officer led her behind Rice.
Both of them were placed in an elevator with several officers. Rice and Palmer moved their heads together as if they were talking. Palmer leaned in and appeared to kiss Rice before they are escorted out of the elevator.
Kenny Hill
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Just call him Kenny Trill.
Many, including Johnny Manziel himself, started calling new Texas A&M quarterback Kenny Hill by the nickname Kenny Football after his record-setting, 511-yard passing game in an upset of South Carolina last week.
But the sophomore quarterback says that's Manziel's thing -- and he prefers Kenny Trill.
"I like that one," he said. "That one's cool."
Before settling on Kenny Trill, Hill went through a laundry list of nicknames people have suggested since Thursday's game.
"I heard there's Kenny Trill, Kenny Thrill, King of the Hill, Kenny Football, Kenny Chill, Kenny Touchdown," he said. "I mean there's too many of them."
Many, including Johnny Manziel himself, started calling new Texas A&M quarterback Kenny Hill by the nickname Kenny Football after his record-setting, 511-yard passing game in an upset of South Carolina last week.
But the sophomore quarterback says that's Manziel's thing -- and he prefers Kenny Trill.
"I like that one," he said. "That one's cool."
Before settling on Kenny Trill, Hill went through a laundry list of nicknames people have suggested since Thursday's game.
"I heard there's Kenny Trill, Kenny Thrill, King of the Hill, Kenny Football, Kenny Chill, Kenny Touchdown," he said. "I mean there's too many of them."
Sunday, September 07, 2014
Nishikori stuns Djokovic
NEW YORK >> Japan's Kei Nishikori became the first man from Asia to reach a Grand Slam final, stunning top-ranked Novak Djokovic 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3 in stifling heat Saturday at the U.S. Open.
"It's just amazing, an amazing feeling beating the No. 1 player," Nishikori said during an on-court interview.
He had played five-set marathons in his last two matches totaling more than 8 1/2 hours, yet he looked far fresher than a player known as one of the fittest on tour.
"He just played better in these conditions than I did," Djokovic said.
Under coach Michael Chang, the 1989 French Open champ, the 24-year-old Nishikori has sharpened his mental game to pull out victories like these.
"We've been working super well," Nishikori said, referring to Chang and co-coach Dante Bottini. "That's why I'm here."
***
NEW YORK >> Instead of Novak Djokovic vs. Roger Federer for the U.S. Open title, first-time Grand Slam finalists Kei Nishikori and Marin Cilic will vie for the championship after a pair of semifinal surprises Saturday.
First, Japan's Nishikori became the first man from Asia to reach a major singles championship match by staying fresher than Djokovic in stifling heat and winning 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3.
Then, Croatia's Cilic used every bit of his 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) frame to deliver stinging serves and flat groundstrokes during a quick-as-can-be 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Federer.
"It's fairly simple, I think: Marin played great and I maybe didn't catch my best day," Federer said after his 1-hour, 45-minute loss. "That's pretty much it in a nutshell."
So much for No. 1-seeded Djokovic facing the No. 2-seeded Federer in a matchup between men who have combined to win 24 Grand Slam trophies. In what some will see as signaling a generational shift in tennis, Monday's final will be No. 10 Nishikori against No. 14 Cilic.
"That's going to be a sensational day for both of us," said Cilic, who at 25 is a year older than Nishikori.
For the first time in nearly a decade -- since Marat Safin beat Lleyton Hewitt at the Australian Open in January 2005 -- a major final will be contested without at least one of Federer, Djokovic or Rafael Nadal, who didn't attempt to defend his 2013 U.S. Open title because of a right wrist injury.
That trio won 34 of the past 38 Grand Slam trophies, including two months ago at Wimbledon, when Djokovic edged Federer in a five-set final.
"It's just amazing, an amazing feeling beating the No. 1 player," Nishikori said during an on-court interview.
He had played five-set marathons in his last two matches totaling more than 8 1/2 hours, yet he looked far fresher than a player known as one of the fittest on tour.
"He just played better in these conditions than I did," Djokovic said.
Under coach Michael Chang, the 1989 French Open champ, the 24-year-old Nishikori has sharpened his mental game to pull out victories like these.
"We've been working super well," Nishikori said, referring to Chang and co-coach Dante Bottini. "That's why I'm here."
***
NEW YORK >> Instead of Novak Djokovic vs. Roger Federer for the U.S. Open title, first-time Grand Slam finalists Kei Nishikori and Marin Cilic will vie for the championship after a pair of semifinal surprises Saturday.
First, Japan's Nishikori became the first man from Asia to reach a major singles championship match by staying fresher than Djokovic in stifling heat and winning 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3.
Then, Croatia's Cilic used every bit of his 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) frame to deliver stinging serves and flat groundstrokes during a quick-as-can-be 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Federer.
"It's fairly simple, I think: Marin played great and I maybe didn't catch my best day," Federer said after his 1-hour, 45-minute loss. "That's pretty much it in a nutshell."
So much for No. 1-seeded Djokovic facing the No. 2-seeded Federer in a matchup between men who have combined to win 24 Grand Slam trophies. In what some will see as signaling a generational shift in tennis, Monday's final will be No. 10 Nishikori against No. 14 Cilic.
"That's going to be a sensational day for both of us," said Cilic, who at 25 is a year older than Nishikori.
For the first time in nearly a decade -- since Marat Safin beat Lleyton Hewitt at the Australian Open in January 2005 -- a major final will be contested without at least one of Federer, Djokovic or Rafael Nadal, who didn't attempt to defend his 2013 U.S. Open title because of a right wrist injury.
That trio won 34 of the past 38 Grand Slam trophies, including two months ago at Wimbledon, when Djokovic edged Federer in a five-set final.
Friday, September 05, 2014
The Homecoming
LeBron's essay recited by Cleveland fans
recited by Frank Caliendo (with music!) (as Morgan Freeman)
Aaron Goldhammer
by LeBron James (as told to Lee Jenkins)
recited by Frank Caliendo (with music!) (as Morgan Freeman)
Aaron Goldhammer
by LeBron James (as told to Lee Jenkins)
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Skippa Diaz
Edward "Skippa" Diaz, a Hawaii high school football legend as a player and coach, died at his home in Aiea early Saturday morning.
Diaz, 70, had battled stage four gastric adenocarcinoma for four years. He was undergoing experimental treatment, said his wife, Mary Diaz.
"We were hopeful," Mary Diaz said. "But so many treatments and so much chemo took its toll. It was not until April this year that there was a sharp decline."
Diaz was an all Interscholastic League of Honoulu football player, and All-Pac 10 defensive tackle at Oregon State, and played professionally in the CFL.
He returned to Hawaii to make a big mark as a coach and educator, at Washington Intermediate, Kalani, Waialua, Mililani and most notably his alma mater, Farrington.
Diaz, 70, had battled stage four gastric adenocarcinoma for four years. He was undergoing experimental treatment, said his wife, Mary Diaz.
"We were hopeful," Mary Diaz said. "But so many treatments and so much chemo took its toll. It was not until April this year that there was a sharp decline."
Diaz was an all Interscholastic League of Honoulu football player, and All-Pac 10 defensive tackle at Oregon State, and played professionally in the CFL.
He returned to Hawaii to make a big mark as a coach and educator, at Washington Intermediate, Kalani, Waialua, Mililani and most notably his alma mater, Farrington.
Monday, August 18, 2014
Ben Jay asks for $3 million or ...
Athletic
director Ben Jay today asked University of Hawaii officials to help
lobby the state for $3 million to help keep the financially-challenged
athletic program competitive or it may have to consider a reduction in
sports, including football.
"There is
a very real possibility of football going away," Jay said under
questioning by members of the Board of Regents Committee on
Intercollegiate Athletics.
But, he
cautioned, "but even if football goes away, all the revenues that
football drives goes away and then it becomes a costlier venture for the
university."
Jay said cutting any sport was a "back pocket" possibility.
"I think,
in my mind, it has to come from the state. In part, I'm asking this
board, President (David Lassner) and the UH-Manoa leadership to support
and ask the legislature for direct for direct funding support for the
athletic program," Jay said.
Jay said
UH closed the just-completed fiscal year with a $2.1 million deficit and
projects at least a $1.5 million deficit for the current fiscal years
that ends June 30, 2015.
Jay said that was based upon "optimistic" figures and could go as high as "$2.5 million to $3 million."
Jay told
the regents, "It is our goal to try and get out of this," but said the
fiscal model UH has been operating on "is broken."
He said athletics has run at a deficit for 11 of the last 13 years.
"Not been
a matter of spending, it has really been a matter of not achieving
enough revenue to support ourselves, " Jay said. "What we have now is a
bare bones operating budget that is limping along and has hurt our
competitiveness and our ability to recruit and people want us to win. It
raises, I think the entire state, by what we do. And, I think we are
worthy of the investment."
***
Bring back Jim Donovan? [He left less than two years ago. I wonder how he's doing? Then again, I don't see football on their list of sports.]
***
Um. Let me clarify..
After
earlier in the day telling a Board of Regents committee, "there is a
very real possibility of football going away," under questioning by the
board, Jay said issued the following statement:
"My
comments at the Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics' meeting were
made in order to convey a sense of urgency regarding the need to address
our current funding model. In no way was I indicating that a decision
on program reduction of any sport was under consideration. Rather, I was
suggesting that the department's financial situation required that all
possible scenarios be reviewed. Hopefully, going forward, there will be a
priority placed on discussing the future financial needs of the UH
Athletics Department. President David Lassner has expressed his support
and we'll call upon our many loyal stakeholders to help us ensure that
we remain competitive within the future landscape of intercollegiate
athletics. We owe that to our student-athletes and passionate fans."
Kainoa Ferreira
Pac-Five opened its 2014 season in record-breaking fashion on Saturday night as sophomore quarterback Kainoa Ferreira
set an Oahu high school record for passing yards in a game, finishing
with 515 and six touchdowns in a 54-37 win over King Kekaulike on Maui.
Ferreira, making his varsity debut, completed 34 of 64 passes to break the record held by former Wolfpack QB PJ Minaya by 4 yards. They are the only two Oahu players ever to top the 500-yard passing mark in a game.
Senior receiver Tsubasa Brennan fell 8 yards short of becoming the fourth player from Oahu to top 300 yards in a game, finishing with 292 yards on 19 catches and four touchdowns.
***
McKenzie Milton wasn't bad either as Mililani outscored St. Louis to spoil the return of Cal Lee and Ron Lee.
Ferreira, making his varsity debut, completed 34 of 64 passes to break the record held by former Wolfpack QB PJ Minaya by 4 yards. They are the only two Oahu players ever to top the 500-yard passing mark in a game.
Senior receiver Tsubasa Brennan fell 8 yards short of becoming the fourth player from Oahu to top 300 yards in a game, finishing with 292 yards on 19 catches and four touchdowns.
***
McKenzie Milton wasn't bad either as Mililani outscored St. Louis to spoil the return of Cal Lee and Ron Lee.
Friday, August 15, 2014
the end of World Peace?
Metta World Peace no more.
The former New York Knicks player, who is currently playing for the Chinese Basketball Association, announced that he plans to change his name to better fit his home for the season. According to English-language newspaper China Daily, World Peace has settled on a name: Panda Friend.
The former New York Knicks player, who is currently playing for the Chinese Basketball Association, announced that he plans to change his name to better fit his home for the season. According to English-language newspaper China Daily, World Peace has settled on a name: Panda Friend.
Monday, August 11, 2014
Teshya Alo
It’s always fun each summer to follow up on how some of our
previously featured athletes are doing. Many athletes head off to
tournaments and championships on the Mainland or around the world.
Case in point, the amazing Teshya Alo of Liliha, whom we have showcased several times in this column (2012 and 2013) as she’s continued to grow and succeed. The 16-year-old wrestling sensation, who is already a two-time state high school champion from Kamehameha, did it again this summer. She won her third straight national title at the ASICS/Vaughn Junior & Cadet National Championships this past week in Fargo, N.D. Alo also was named the Outstanding Wrestler of an event that bills itself as the largest wrestling tournament in the world. She also earned a spot on the ASICS Girls High School All-American Wrestling First Team for the second year in a row.
If that’s not enough, earlier in the month, Alo won a world championship title halfway around the world — in Spina, Slovakia — thus becoming the first wrestler from Hawaii to win a Cadet world championship, as well as the first wrestler from the United States to win in the 56 kilogram weight bracket. The U.S national coach, Erin Tomeo, was very impressed, as Alo finished undefeated in a bracket that is noted for being the largest — and arguably the toughest — field in the tournament.
“We are all proud and very excited for our world champion, Teshya Alo. She showed a lot of heart and determination,” the coach says.
Alo will be a junior at Kamehameha in the fall and previously has stated her goal of eventually becoming an Olympic athlete. She appears well on her way. And, as mentioned in an earlier column, Alo is also the subject of a feature documentary film done by Honolulu filmmaker Kimberlee Bassford, titled A Winning Girl, that is expected to premiere this fall at Hawaii International Film Festival.
*** [4/5/16]
Clarissa Chun and Teshya Alo are 16 years apart, but the paths that bring them to the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials speak to a spirit and determination that is as remarkable as it is shared.
The 34-year-old Chun, a two-time Olympian from Roosevelt High, and Alo, an 18-year-old Kamehameha Schools senior chasing her first Olympiad, represent the disparate ends of the spectrum at the University of Iowa this weekend, where the U.S. team is to be selected for this summer’s games in Rio de Janeiro.
Case in point, the amazing Teshya Alo of Liliha, whom we have showcased several times in this column (2012 and 2013) as she’s continued to grow and succeed. The 16-year-old wrestling sensation, who is already a two-time state high school champion from Kamehameha, did it again this summer. She won her third straight national title at the ASICS/Vaughn Junior & Cadet National Championships this past week in Fargo, N.D. Alo also was named the Outstanding Wrestler of an event that bills itself as the largest wrestling tournament in the world. She also earned a spot on the ASICS Girls High School All-American Wrestling First Team for the second year in a row.
If that’s not enough, earlier in the month, Alo won a world championship title halfway around the world — in Spina, Slovakia — thus becoming the first wrestler from Hawaii to win a Cadet world championship, as well as the first wrestler from the United States to win in the 56 kilogram weight bracket. The U.S national coach, Erin Tomeo, was very impressed, as Alo finished undefeated in a bracket that is noted for being the largest — and arguably the toughest — field in the tournament.
“We are all proud and very excited for our world champion, Teshya Alo. She showed a lot of heart and determination,” the coach says.
Alo will be a junior at Kamehameha in the fall and previously has stated her goal of eventually becoming an Olympic athlete. She appears well on her way. And, as mentioned in an earlier column, Alo is also the subject of a feature documentary film done by Honolulu filmmaker Kimberlee Bassford, titled A Winning Girl, that is expected to premiere this fall at Hawaii International Film Festival.
*** [4/5/16]
Clarissa Chun and Teshya Alo are 16 years apart, but the paths that bring them to the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials speak to a spirit and determination that is as remarkable as it is shared.
The 34-year-old Chun, a two-time Olympian from Roosevelt High, and Alo, an 18-year-old Kamehameha Schools senior chasing her first Olympiad, represent the disparate ends of the spectrum at the University of Iowa this weekend, where the U.S. team is to be selected for this summer’s games in Rio de Janeiro.
Tuesday, August 05, 2014
short memories
The new Foot Locker commercial is superb, with Charles Barkley lecturing James Harden on how “all the greats have short memories.”
Chuck, for instance, says he can’t remember throwing a guy through a window and calls himself a “pacifist.”
It isn’t easy to steal his thunder, but Scottie Pippen does, proclaiming that he’s the greatest Chicago Bulls player of all time.
Chuck, for instance, says he can’t remember throwing a guy through a window and calls himself a “pacifist.”
It isn’t easy to steal his thunder, but Scottie Pippen does, proclaiming that he’s the greatest Chicago Bulls player of all time.
Cal Lee back to work at St. Louis
Cal Lee was, in his own words, a bit tired by Friday night. When afternoon practice finished around 6 p.m., the iconic football coach had been on the field nine hours.
His brother, offensive coordinator Ron Lee, had done the same. The tanline on his face, with his sunglasses removed, told the story. He was on campus by 7 a.m. to study film of the Saint Louis-Kapolei scrimmage, which was played on Wednesday.
Exhausted? Maybe. But they both love it. Winning right away would be nice, but the Lees are steadfast about developing character, and that starts with discipline on and off the field.
"Everything they do, it makes sense. The players buy into it. They're learning. For some of them, it's going to help them to the next level. They're learning things they'll be learning at college," Cal Lee said.
Cal Lee hasn't lost a bit of his passion for teaching defensive football. Since guiding Saint Louis to 14 Prep Bowl championships and one state crown (1999), Hawaii's iconic head coach has been part of UH's glory years and even the arena football Hawaiian Islanders. Now he and brother Ron are back with the Crusaders.
"It feels good to be back," said Cal Lee, whose penchant for defensive excellence has never ceased.
For now, Saint Louis isn't deep on that side of the ball and probably won't be until the new crop of players and transfers are eligible for ILH varsity play next year. (Freshman are not permitted to play varsity football in the ILH.)
That puts the onus on the offense, which is just fine by quarterback Ryder Kuhns and wide receiver Drew Kobayashi. They're full of smiles this preseason with Ron Lee's wide-open four-wide attack in full gear.
"We're coming out flinging. What quarterback wouldn't be happy? Handing the ball off? What quarterback, and receivers, they'd rather block and stick their nose in someone's forearm? No way. They want to catch the ball and go," Ron Lee said.
His brother, offensive coordinator Ron Lee, had done the same. The tanline on his face, with his sunglasses removed, told the story. He was on campus by 7 a.m. to study film of the Saint Louis-Kapolei scrimmage, which was played on Wednesday.
Exhausted? Maybe. But they both love it. Winning right away would be nice, but the Lees are steadfast about developing character, and that starts with discipline on and off the field.
"Everything they do, it makes sense. The players buy into it. They're learning. For some of them, it's going to help them to the next level. They're learning things they'll be learning at college," Cal Lee said.
Cal Lee hasn't lost a bit of his passion for teaching defensive football. Since guiding Saint Louis to 14 Prep Bowl championships and one state crown (1999), Hawaii's iconic head coach has been part of UH's glory years and even the arena football Hawaiian Islanders. Now he and brother Ron are back with the Crusaders.
"It feels good to be back," said Cal Lee, whose penchant for defensive excellence has never ceased.
For now, Saint Louis isn't deep on that side of the ball and probably won't be until the new crop of players and transfers are eligible for ILH varsity play next year. (Freshman are not permitted to play varsity football in the ILH.)
That puts the onus on the offense, which is just fine by quarterback Ryder Kuhns and wide receiver Drew Kobayashi. They're full of smiles this preseason with Ron Lee's wide-open four-wide attack in full gear.
"We're coming out flinging. What quarterback wouldn't be happy? Handing the ball off? What quarterback, and receivers, they'd rather block and stick their nose in someone's forearm? No way. They want to catch the ball and go," Ron Lee said.
Spurs hire Becky Hammon
The San Antonio Spurs hired WNBA star Becky Hammon on Tuesday, making her the first full-time, paid female assistant on an NBA coaching staff.
Hammon, who plans to retire from the San Antonio Stars after this season, spent time working with coach Gregg Popovich and the Spurs last season and made a strong impression on an organization with a history of forward-thinking moves.
During the 2001-02 season, Cleveland Cavaliers coach John Lucas brought Lisa Boyer into the team's practices and some games. Boyer, now an assistant at South Carolina, was not paid by the Cavaliers and did not travel with the team, but did work with the players and coaches that season.
Last season, Hammon attended Spurs practices, film sessions and sat behind the bench for the NBA champions at home game this season. She's been friends with Spurs teammates Tony Parker and Tim Duncan since competing in an NBA All-Star shooting competition in 2008.
"I very much look forward to the addition of Becky Hammon to our staff," Popovich said. "Having observed her working with our team this past season, I'm confident her basketball IQ, work ethic and interpersonal skills will be a great benefit to the Spurs."
It's the latest trailblazing move for the Spurs, who hired European coaching legend Ettore Messina to join Popovich's staff earlier this summer and have been the leaders in bringing international players to the NBA for almost two decades.
Hammon, who plans to retire from the San Antonio Stars after this season, spent time working with coach Gregg Popovich and the Spurs last season and made a strong impression on an organization with a history of forward-thinking moves.
During the 2001-02 season, Cleveland Cavaliers coach John Lucas brought Lisa Boyer into the team's practices and some games. Boyer, now an assistant at South Carolina, was not paid by the Cavaliers and did not travel with the team, but did work with the players and coaches that season.
Last season, Hammon attended Spurs practices, film sessions and sat behind the bench for the NBA champions at home game this season. She's been friends with Spurs teammates Tony Parker and Tim Duncan since competing in an NBA All-Star shooting competition in 2008.
"I very much look forward to the addition of Becky Hammon to our staff," Popovich said. "Having observed her working with our team this past season, I'm confident her basketball IQ, work ethic and interpersonal skills will be a great benefit to the Spurs."
It's the latest trailblazing move for the Spurs, who hired European coaching legend Ettore Messina to join Popovich's staff earlier this summer and have been the leaders in bringing international players to the NBA for almost two decades.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Brandon Poulson
This is the stuff movies are made of. The Minnesota Twins have signed Brandon Poulson, a 24-year-old pitching prospect who can hurl 100 mph fastballs but has never been drafted.
''You just don't see stuff like this every day,'' Twins scout Elliott Strankman told the Associated Press. ''It's one of those great days as a scout you hope you have every five years.''
The Twins had heard about Poulson from his recent season with the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where he had an 8.38 ERA.
At Academy of Art's scout day last fall, Strankman witnessed Poulson sprint the 60-yard dash in 6.6 seconds flat . . . wearing just socks. He also showed off a 40-inch vertical leap.
''I had cold legs,'' Poulson told AP. ''Maybe I would have run it faster.''
The 6-foot-6, 240-pound right hander had joined the Academy of Art team after taking a couple years off (before that, he'd played baseball and football at Santa Rosa Junior College), working in his father's excavating business — driving 18-wheelers, front-loaders and backhoes — with the idea that he'd take over the trade someday.
'I went to work with my father and didn't want to gamble with sports anymore,'' Poulson told AP.
He later changed his mind and spent months working on his hurling technique with Healdsburg Prune Packers pitching coach Caleb Balbuena in the collegiate summer league.
Poulson's stats this summer: 31 strikeouts and just six hits allowed in 12 1-3 innings, with four saves in 12 appearances.
It was at the Prune Packers game on July 15 that Twins scout Strankman decided to go see Poulson pitch. It took all of 18 throws to convince him that this guy was the real deal.
''He's a physical specimen. He's got the best pure arm strength I've ever seen,'' Strankman told AP.
Two days later, Poulson signed with the Twins, despite also drawing interest from the San Francisco Giants, the Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies. Ultimately, the teams didn't have enough money left in their draft pool to match Minnesota's $250,000 — about 10 times more than an undrafted player would typically receive.
Poulson said one of his first purchases will be a therapy device to help his father with his diabetes.
''You just don't see stuff like this every day,'' Twins scout Elliott Strankman told the Associated Press. ''It's one of those great days as a scout you hope you have every five years.''
The Twins had heard about Poulson from his recent season with the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where he had an 8.38 ERA.
At Academy of Art's scout day last fall, Strankman witnessed Poulson sprint the 60-yard dash in 6.6 seconds flat . . . wearing just socks. He also showed off a 40-inch vertical leap.
''I had cold legs,'' Poulson told AP. ''Maybe I would have run it faster.''
The 6-foot-6, 240-pound right hander had joined the Academy of Art team after taking a couple years off (before that, he'd played baseball and football at Santa Rosa Junior College), working in his father's excavating business — driving 18-wheelers, front-loaders and backhoes — with the idea that he'd take over the trade someday.
'I went to work with my father and didn't want to gamble with sports anymore,'' Poulson told AP.
He later changed his mind and spent months working on his hurling technique with Healdsburg Prune Packers pitching coach Caleb Balbuena in the collegiate summer league.
Poulson's stats this summer: 31 strikeouts and just six hits allowed in 12 1-3 innings, with four saves in 12 appearances.
It was at the Prune Packers game on July 15 that Twins scout Strankman decided to go see Poulson pitch. It took all of 18 throws to convince him that this guy was the real deal.
''He's a physical specimen. He's got the best pure arm strength I've ever seen,'' Strankman told AP.
Two days later, Poulson signed with the Twins, despite also drawing interest from the San Francisco Giants, the Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies. Ultimately, the teams didn't have enough money left in their draft pool to match Minnesota's $250,000 — about 10 times more than an undrafted player would typically receive.
Poulson said one of his first purchases will be a therapy device to help his father with his diabetes.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Hall of Fame Class of 2014
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Frank Thomas choked back tears, Joe Torre apologized for leaving people out of his speech and Tony La Russa said he felt uneasy.
Being enshrined in the Hall of Fame can have those effects, even on the greats.
Thomas, pitchers Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux, and managers Bobby Cox, Torre and La Russa were inducted into the baseball shrine Sunday, and all paid special tribute to their families before an adoring crowd of nearly 50,000.
The 46-year old Thomas, the first player elected to the Hall who spent more than half of his time as a designated hitter, batted .301 with 521 home runs and 1,704 RBIs in a 19-year career mostly with the Chicago White Sox. He’s the only player in major league history to log seven straight seasons with a .300 average, 20 homers, 100 RBIs and 100 walks.
Ever the diplomat as a manager, Torre somehow managed to assuage the most demanding of owners in George Steinbrenner, maintaining his coolness amid all the Bronx craziness while keeping all those egos in check after taking over in 1996. The result: 10 division titles, six AL pennants and four World Series triumphs in 12 years as he helped restore the luster to baseball’s most successful franchise and resurrected his own career after three firings.
Torre, the only man to amass more than 2,000 hits (2,342) and win more than 2,000 games as a manager, was last to speak, and in closing delivered a familiar message.
“Baseball is a game of life. It’s not perfect, but it feels like it is,” said the 74-year-old Torre, who apologized afterward for forgetting to include the Steinbrenner family in his speech. “That’s the magic of it. We are responsible for giving it the respect it deserves. Our sport is part of the American soul, and it’s ours to borrow — just for a while.”
“If all of us who love baseball and are doing our jobs, then those who get the game from us will be as proud to be a part of it as we were. And we are. This game is a gift, and I am humbled, very humbled, to accept its greatest honor.”
The day was a reunion of sorts for the city of Atlanta. Glavine, Maddux and Cox were part of a remarkable run of success by the Braves. They won an unprecedented 14 straight division titles and made 15 playoff appearances, winning the city’s lone major professional sports title.
“I’m truly humbled to stand here before you,” Cox said. “To Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux, and I have to mention the third member of the big three — John Smoltz — I can honestly say I would not be standing here if it weren’t for you guys.”
Smoltz, part of the MLB Network telecast of the event and eligible for induction next year, flashed a smile in return for the compliment.
Glavine was on the mound when the Braves won Game 6 to clinch the 1995 World Series, pitching one-hit ball over eight innings in a 1-0 victory over Cleveland. And the slender lefty was one of those rare athletes, drafted by the Braves and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League.
The 48-year-old Maddux went 355-227 with a career ERA of 3.16 in 23 seasons with the Braves, Cubs, Padres and Dodgers and ranks eighth on the career wins list. He won four straight Cy Young Awards in the 1990s and won 15 or more games for 17 straight seasons with his pinpoint control.
“I spent 12 years in Chicago, 11 in Atlanta, and both places are very special,” Maddux said. “Without the experiences in both cities, I would not be standing here today.”
La Russa, who ranks third in career victories as a manager with 2,728, behind only Connie Mack and John McGraw, was chosen manager of the year four times and won 12 division titles, six pennants and three World Series titles in stints with the White Sox, Oakland A’s and St. Louis Cardinals.
La Russa spoke from the heart. There was no written speech.
“It’s uncomfortable because I didn’t make it as a player. Not even close,” said La Russa, who made his big league debut as a teenage infielder with the 1963 Kansas City Athletics and appeared in just 132 games over six seasons, hitting .199 with no home runs. “Since December, I have not been comfortable with it. There’s no way to mention everybody, and that bothers me.”
“From managing parts of two years in the minor leagues, after thinking about all the other young managers who paid a lot of dues in the minor leagues and I get a chance and then I go into the big leagues with three organizations,” he said. “All that equates to me is I’m very, very fortunate. I’ve never put my arms around the fact that being really lucky is a Hall of Fame credential.”
Being enshrined in the Hall of Fame can have those effects, even on the greats.
Thomas, pitchers Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux, and managers Bobby Cox, Torre and La Russa were inducted into the baseball shrine Sunday, and all paid special tribute to their families before an adoring crowd of nearly 50,000.
The 46-year old Thomas, the first player elected to the Hall who spent more than half of his time as a designated hitter, batted .301 with 521 home runs and 1,704 RBIs in a 19-year career mostly with the Chicago White Sox. He’s the only player in major league history to log seven straight seasons with a .300 average, 20 homers, 100 RBIs and 100 walks.
Ever the diplomat as a manager, Torre somehow managed to assuage the most demanding of owners in George Steinbrenner, maintaining his coolness amid all the Bronx craziness while keeping all those egos in check after taking over in 1996. The result: 10 division titles, six AL pennants and four World Series triumphs in 12 years as he helped restore the luster to baseball’s most successful franchise and resurrected his own career after three firings.
Torre, the only man to amass more than 2,000 hits (2,342) and win more than 2,000 games as a manager, was last to speak, and in closing delivered a familiar message.
“Baseball is a game of life. It’s not perfect, but it feels like it is,” said the 74-year-old Torre, who apologized afterward for forgetting to include the Steinbrenner family in his speech. “That’s the magic of it. We are responsible for giving it the respect it deserves. Our sport is part of the American soul, and it’s ours to borrow — just for a while.”
“If all of us who love baseball and are doing our jobs, then those who get the game from us will be as proud to be a part of it as we were. And we are. This game is a gift, and I am humbled, very humbled, to accept its greatest honor.”
The day was a reunion of sorts for the city of Atlanta. Glavine, Maddux and Cox were part of a remarkable run of success by the Braves. They won an unprecedented 14 straight division titles and made 15 playoff appearances, winning the city’s lone major professional sports title.
“I’m truly humbled to stand here before you,” Cox said. “To Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux, and I have to mention the third member of the big three — John Smoltz — I can honestly say I would not be standing here if it weren’t for you guys.”
Smoltz, part of the MLB Network telecast of the event and eligible for induction next year, flashed a smile in return for the compliment.
Glavine was on the mound when the Braves won Game 6 to clinch the 1995 World Series, pitching one-hit ball over eight innings in a 1-0 victory over Cleveland. And the slender lefty was one of those rare athletes, drafted by the Braves and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League.
The 48-year-old Maddux went 355-227 with a career ERA of 3.16 in 23 seasons with the Braves, Cubs, Padres and Dodgers and ranks eighth on the career wins list. He won four straight Cy Young Awards in the 1990s and won 15 or more games for 17 straight seasons with his pinpoint control.
“I spent 12 years in Chicago, 11 in Atlanta, and both places are very special,” Maddux said. “Without the experiences in both cities, I would not be standing here today.”
La Russa, who ranks third in career victories as a manager with 2,728, behind only Connie Mack and John McGraw, was chosen manager of the year four times and won 12 division titles, six pennants and three World Series titles in stints with the White Sox, Oakland A’s and St. Louis Cardinals.
La Russa spoke from the heart. There was no written speech.
“It’s uncomfortable because I didn’t make it as a player. Not even close,” said La Russa, who made his big league debut as a teenage infielder with the 1963 Kansas City Athletics and appeared in just 132 games over six seasons, hitting .199 with no home runs. “Since December, I have not been comfortable with it. There’s no way to mention everybody, and that bothers me.”
“From managing parts of two years in the minor leagues, after thinking about all the other young managers who paid a lot of dues in the minor leagues and I get a chance and then I go into the big leagues with three organizations,” he said. “All that equates to me is I’m very, very fortunate. I’ve never put my arms around the fact that being really lucky is a Hall of Fame credential.”
Monday, July 28, 2014
Kacy the American Ninja Warrior
Kacy Catanzaro just took kicking ass to the next level.
The former Division 1 Gymnast (she was named NCAA’s 2012 Southeast Regional Gymnast of the Year) competed on Monday's American Ninja Warrior and absolutely killed it. At only 5 feet tall and 100 pounds, she became the first female contestant to qualify for ANW's final round — and from what we can tell, barely broke a sweat in the process.
-- via facebook
The former Division 1 Gymnast (she was named NCAA’s 2012 Southeast Regional Gymnast of the Year) competed on Monday's American Ninja Warrior and absolutely killed it. At only 5 feet tall and 100 pounds, she became the first female contestant to qualify for ANW's final round — and from what we can tell, barely broke a sweat in the process.
-- via facebook
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Saturday, July 05, 2014
Gone in 16 seconds (by Ronda Rousey)
LAS VEGAS -- Rousey by KO is the new Rousey by armbar.
The UFC women's bantamweight champion had the most dominant performance of her dominant career, stopping Alexis Davis in 16 seconds.
The fight was a blur. Rousey wobbled Davis with a right hand behind the ear, landed a knee, used a judo throw to put Davis on the mat, and landed a series of undefended punches until Davis was unconscious.
The blinding finish of the UFC 175 co-main event sent a jolt through the Mandalay Bay Events Center crowd.
Of course, big things had been expected from Rousey, who came into the fight as 10-to-1 favorite, but most expected something a little ... longer.
Davis, a 7-year-pro, is renowned for her toughness, and most thought that combined with her Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt would at least offer some resistance. Instead, it was a blowout.
Amazingly, it was the 7th sub 1-minute win in Rousey's career, though it was the fastest among the bunch. She is now 10-0 after her second straight KO win. The last came against Sara McMann in February. Prior to that, all eight of her wins had come by armbar submission.
***
And in the co-main event, Weidman decisioned Machida
***
More from UFC 175.
The UFC women's bantamweight champion had the most dominant performance of her dominant career, stopping Alexis Davis in 16 seconds.
The fight was a blur. Rousey wobbled Davis with a right hand behind the ear, landed a knee, used a judo throw to put Davis on the mat, and landed a series of undefended punches until Davis was unconscious.
The blinding finish of the UFC 175 co-main event sent a jolt through the Mandalay Bay Events Center crowd.
Of course, big things had been expected from Rousey, who came into the fight as 10-to-1 favorite, but most expected something a little ... longer.
Davis, a 7-year-pro, is renowned for her toughness, and most thought that combined with her Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt would at least offer some resistance. Instead, it was a blowout.
Amazingly, it was the 7th sub 1-minute win in Rousey's career, though it was the fastest among the bunch. She is now 10-0 after her second straight KO win. The last came against Sara McMann in February. Prior to that, all eight of her wins had come by armbar submission.
***
And in the co-main event, Weidman decisioned Machida
***
More from UFC 175.
Friday, June 27, 2014
Aloha Stadium to go aloha?
Aloha Stadium's current 50,000 seating capacity would decrease by 30 percent to 40 percent if the recommendation of a consultant hired to study the facility's future is adopted.
Foley & Lardner LLP, a New York law firm, recommended "a new 30,000- to 35,000-seat stadium on the lower portion of the stadium site," as part of a 35-page comprehensive site summary unanimously accepted Thursday by the Aloha Stadium Authority.
Authority Chairman Charles Toguchi said, "While the summary includes observations and recommendations from Foley & Lardner, the Stadium Authority has not made any definitive decisions regarding the future of Aloha Stadium, as we look forward to analyzing the summary and soliciting feedback from the public."
Toguchi said, "The purpose of the summary is to provide the Stadium Authority with facts and stakeholder opinions so that we can make informed decisions about the future of Aloha Stadium."
The Halawa facility, which marks its 39th year of operation in September, has undergone numerous renovations, and the report said that the Department of Accounting and General Services "estimates approximately $120 million in high priority health and safety improvements are needed to keep the stadium operational for the next five to 10 years." The study said a new stadium could "save the state between $2.4 million and $3.2 million per year in operating expenses alone."
Foley & Lardner LLP, a New York law firm, recommended "a new 30,000- to 35,000-seat stadium on the lower portion of the stadium site," as part of a 35-page comprehensive site summary unanimously accepted Thursday by the Aloha Stadium Authority.
Authority Chairman Charles Toguchi said, "While the summary includes observations and recommendations from Foley & Lardner, the Stadium Authority has not made any definitive decisions regarding the future of Aloha Stadium, as we look forward to analyzing the summary and soliciting feedback from the public."
Toguchi said, "The purpose of the summary is to provide the Stadium Authority with facts and stakeholder opinions so that we can make informed decisions about the future of Aloha Stadium."
The Halawa facility, which marks its 39th year of operation in September, has undergone numerous renovations, and the report said that the Department of Accounting and General Services "estimates approximately $120 million in high priority health and safety improvements are needed to keep the stadium operational for the next five to 10 years." The study said a new stadium could "save the state between $2.4 million and $3.2 million per year in operating expenses alone."
Thursday, June 26, 2014
2014 NBA Draft
[6/27/14] Grading the draft
[6/26/14] Damn, the computer shut down. No warning that the power was low. Lost the beginning of the draft. Retype.
1. Cleveland takes Wiggins over Parker
2. So Milwaukee take Parker
3. Philadelphia takes Embiid despite his injury and having taken Noel last season
4. Magic takes Aaron Gordon in a surprise. Everybody was thinking Exum.
5. So Utah takes Dante Exum to team with Trey Burke
6. Celtics grab Marcus Smart, which means Rondo could be on the way out
7. Lakers take the best available Julius Randle.
8. Kings take Nik Stauskas, SG. So maybe a vote of no confidence with Ben McLemore. Don't they remember Jimmer?
9. Charlotte takes Noah Vonleh. I kept calling him Vonteh. Could be good help for Al Jefferson
10. 76ers take Elfrid Payton. Why do that when they have MCW? Is MCW going to be moved to SG? Payton being compared to Gary Payton.
11. Denver takes Doug McDermott. College player of the year and leading scorer. Being compared to Adam Morrison and WallyS. (In other words, he's white.) Hopefully more like WallyS.
McDermott traded to Chicago for 16th and 19th picks. (Denver also trades Anthony Randolph away and get a second round pick.)
12. Orlando takes Dario Saric, who's going to play two more years overseas
13. Minnesota takes Zach LaVine. I assume as Rubio's running mate.
Orlando trades Saric to Philadelphia for Payton
14. Phoenix takes T.J. Warren.
OK, that completes the lottery. Now getting to guys I never heard of.
15. Atlanta takes Adreien Payne
16. Chicago takes Jusuf Nurkik (for Denver)
17. Boston takes James Young from Kentucky
18. Phoenix takes Tyler Ennis, PG, Syracuse (to sit on the bench?)
19. Chicago takes Gary Harris, SG, Michigan (for Denver, which is a great pick because Denver could have conceivably taken Harris at no. 11, so they get Harris and Nurkic for free).
20. Toronto takes Bruno Cabocio, a project from Brazil
21. OKC takes Mitch McGary, PF, Michigan
22. Memphis takes Jordan Adams, SG, UCLA
23. Utah takes Rodney Hood, SG, Duke
24. Charlotte takes Shabazz Napier, PG, UConn. This is the guy LeBron wanted. And evidently is going to get him in a trade to Miami. So Miami's hoping that'll help keep LeBron in Miami. (summer league vs. Phil Pressey)
25. Houston takes Clint Capela, PF, Switzerland. Probably will stash him and not take up cap space.
26. Miami takes P.J. Hairston, SG, Texas Legends. To be traded to Charlotte for Napier.
27. Phoenix: Bogdan Bogdanovic, SG, Serbia
28. Clippers: CJ Wilcox, SG, Washington
29. OKC: Josh Houston, Stanford
30. San Antonio: Kyle Anderson, UCLA
[6/25/14] Consensus Mock Draft: toss up between Wiggins and Parker for no. 1
[6/24/14] David Aldridge mock draft
[6/23/14] Embiid tumbles in consensus mock draft
[6/20/14] Mock Draft 4.0: Embiid fractures foot, Parker rises to no. 1
[6/14/14] Scott Howard Cooper's mock draft 2.0
1. Cavaliers: Joel Embiid, C
2. Bucks: Jabari Parker, F
3. 76ers: Andrew Wiggins, SF
4. Magic: Dante Exum, G
5. Jazz: Julius Randle, PF
6. Celtics: Noah Vonteh, PF
7. Lakers: Aaron Gordon, F
8. Kings: Marcus Smart, PG
9. Hornets: Doug McDermott, SF
10. 76ers: Nik Stauskas, SG
11. Nuggets: Dario Saric, SF
12. Magic: Rodney Hood, SF
13. Timberwolves: Adreian Payne, PF
14. Suns: Gary Harris, SG
[5/29/14] The top 14, based on 12 mock drafts
1. Andrew Wiggins, SF, Kansas
2. Joel Embiid, C, Kansas
3. Jabari Parker, SF, Duke
4. Dante Exum, PG, Australia
5. Julius Randle, PF, Kentucky
6. Noah Vonteh, PF, Indiana
7. Marcus Smart, PG, Oklahoma St.
8. Aaron Gordon, PF/SF, Arizona
9. Doug McDermott, SF, Creighton
10. Dario Saric, SF, Croatia
11. Gary Harris, PG, Michigan
12. Nik Stauskas, SG, Michigan
13. James Young, SF, Kentucky
14. Jusuf Nurkic, C, Bosnia
[5/20/14] The Cavaliers continued their remarkable run Tuesday, winning the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft for the second straight year and third time in the
past four. They moved up from the ninth spot despite just a 1.7 percent
chance of winning the top selection.
[6/26/14] Damn, the computer shut down. No warning that the power was low. Lost the beginning of the draft. Retype.
1. Cleveland takes Wiggins over Parker
2. So Milwaukee take Parker
3. Philadelphia takes Embiid despite his injury and having taken Noel last season
4. Magic takes Aaron Gordon in a surprise. Everybody was thinking Exum.
5. So Utah takes Dante Exum to team with Trey Burke
6. Celtics grab Marcus Smart, which means Rondo could be on the way out
7. Lakers take the best available Julius Randle.
8. Kings take Nik Stauskas, SG. So maybe a vote of no confidence with Ben McLemore. Don't they remember Jimmer?
9. Charlotte takes Noah Vonleh. I kept calling him Vonteh. Could be good help for Al Jefferson
10. 76ers take Elfrid Payton. Why do that when they have MCW? Is MCW going to be moved to SG? Payton being compared to Gary Payton.
11. Denver takes Doug McDermott. College player of the year and leading scorer. Being compared to Adam Morrison and WallyS. (In other words, he's white.) Hopefully more like WallyS.
McDermott traded to Chicago for 16th and 19th picks. (Denver also trades Anthony Randolph away and get a second round pick.)
12. Orlando takes Dario Saric, who's going to play two more years overseas
13. Minnesota takes Zach LaVine. I assume as Rubio's running mate.
Orlando trades Saric to Philadelphia for Payton
14. Phoenix takes T.J. Warren.
OK, that completes the lottery. Now getting to guys I never heard of.
15. Atlanta takes Adreien Payne
16. Chicago takes Jusuf Nurkik (for Denver)
17. Boston takes James Young from Kentucky
18. Phoenix takes Tyler Ennis, PG, Syracuse (to sit on the bench?)
19. Chicago takes Gary Harris, SG, Michigan (for Denver, which is a great pick because Denver could have conceivably taken Harris at no. 11, so they get Harris and Nurkic for free).
20. Toronto takes Bruno Cabocio, a project from Brazil
21. OKC takes Mitch McGary, PF, Michigan
22. Memphis takes Jordan Adams, SG, UCLA
23. Utah takes Rodney Hood, SG, Duke
24. Charlotte takes Shabazz Napier, PG, UConn. This is the guy LeBron wanted. And evidently is going to get him in a trade to Miami. So Miami's hoping that'll help keep LeBron in Miami. (summer league vs. Phil Pressey)
25. Houston takes Clint Capela, PF, Switzerland. Probably will stash him and not take up cap space.
26. Miami takes P.J. Hairston, SG, Texas Legends. To be traded to Charlotte for Napier.
27. Phoenix: Bogdan Bogdanovic, SG, Serbia
28. Clippers: CJ Wilcox, SG, Washington
29. OKC: Josh Houston, Stanford
30. San Antonio: Kyle Anderson, UCLA
[6/25/14] Consensus Mock Draft: toss up between Wiggins and Parker for no. 1
[6/24/14] David Aldridge mock draft
[6/23/14] Embiid tumbles in consensus mock draft
[6/20/14] Mock Draft 4.0: Embiid fractures foot, Parker rises to no. 1
[6/14/14] Scott Howard Cooper's mock draft 2.0
1. Cavaliers: Joel Embiid, C
2. Bucks: Jabari Parker, F
3. 76ers: Andrew Wiggins, SF
4. Magic: Dante Exum, G
5. Jazz: Julius Randle, PF
6. Celtics: Noah Vonteh, PF
7. Lakers: Aaron Gordon, F
8. Kings: Marcus Smart, PG
9. Hornets: Doug McDermott, SF
10. 76ers: Nik Stauskas, SG
11. Nuggets: Dario Saric, SF
12. Magic: Rodney Hood, SF
13. Timberwolves: Adreian Payne, PF
14. Suns: Gary Harris, SG
[5/29/14] The top 14, based on 12 mock drafts
1. Andrew Wiggins, SF, Kansas
2. Joel Embiid, C, Kansas
3. Jabari Parker, SF, Duke
4. Dante Exum, PG, Australia
5. Julius Randle, PF, Kentucky
6. Noah Vonteh, PF, Indiana
7. Marcus Smart, PG, Oklahoma St.
8. Aaron Gordon, PF/SF, Arizona
9. Doug McDermott, SF, Creighton
10. Dario Saric, SF, Croatia
11. Gary Harris, PG, Michigan
12. Nik Stauskas, SG, Michigan
13. James Young, SF, Kentucky
14. Jusuf Nurkic, C, Bosnia
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Pop Eldredge
Babe Ruth once said, “Baseball was, is and always will be to me the best game in the world.” It’s a sentiment shared by the Eldredge ohana, in many ways “the first family of Hawaii baseball,” who have been pitching and batting for some three-quarters of a century. More than 10,000 young baseball players have been touched by an Eldredge during this time period.
Taking the name Eldredge comes with deeply rooted responsibilities and commitment. Baseball fever runs through their veins, and the family has learned that you can expect the high or curve balls in life, and no matter what happens, you must keep on swinging until you hit a home run. It all began with the late David Pinkham Kaiana Eldredge II aka “Pop,” who started the passion back in Lahaina in the 1920s.
“Grandpa was a young kid who enjoyed playing baseball with the older generation. As an adult, he began what was known today as the Manoa Little League,” says Duane P. K. Eldredge of Pop, who was the sole coach for all the teams in Manoa during the ’50s, and was known to have put in blood, sweat and tears to build the Manoa Valley District Park all by himself. The elder Eldredge also was affectionately called the “Mayor of Manoa.”
Taking the name Eldredge comes with deeply rooted responsibilities and commitment. Baseball fever runs through their veins, and the family has learned that you can expect the high or curve balls in life, and no matter what happens, you must keep on swinging until you hit a home run. It all began with the late David Pinkham Kaiana Eldredge II aka “Pop,” who started the passion back in Lahaina in the 1920s.
“Grandpa was a young kid who enjoyed playing baseball with the older generation. As an adult, he began what was known today as the Manoa Little League,” says Duane P. K. Eldredge of Pop, who was the sole coach for all the teams in Manoa during the ’50s, and was known to have put in blood, sweat and tears to build the Manoa Valley District Park all by himself. The elder Eldredge also was affectionately called the “Mayor of Manoa.”
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