ScottMizuno.com

Q&A

2010-05-11T23:04:00.000-07:00

Chris asked: a changed man..chris.. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/100505&sportCat=nba

I haven't been to a game at Staples, so I don't have any comments about the atmosphere and whatnot, but this is my favorite part of the article:

"When Kobe manages the game, picks his spots and pounds the ball down low to his big guys, they are nearly unbeatable. Everything hinges on No. 24. He's the most competitive guy in the league, but he also wants to be the hero of every game, and sometimes, you can't be both."

That's exactly what I was trying to say during the Thunder series. Simmons just did a better job of articulating it.

Anonymous asked: Jason Bay overrated?

Yes.

Anonymous asked: how long until eric byrnes is on knbr?

I would love to see him sign on with KNBR to co-host Sportsphone 680 with FP Santangelo. I doubt Byrnes would do it because of the late time slot, but it would be pure comedy. Ideally, I would love it if he took Ralph Barbieri's spot so he could co-host with Tolbert, but we both know this isn't going to happen. He's already made his interview rounds on pretty much every KNBR show and he did the pregame show on CSN for the Giants today, so it's only a matter of time until he gets a permanent gig somewhere in the media. I look forward to it.

Brad asked: How 'bout good 'ol Kentucky Fried Lewis...? FdotLew gettin it done in Toronto... -Brad

I'm happy for K-Fred. Maybe he just needed a change of scenery to get going again. I don't know how he's been defensively, but the offensive numbers look pretty solid. Hopefully he has a year like he did in '08. It's interesting that if Rowand got hit in the face a week earlier or if DeRosa pulled his hammy a week earlier, Freddy would probably still be a Giant, and it looks like they could use him right now with DeRosa probably out for an extended period of time with the wrist injury.

Anonymous asked: do you think the padres are legit?

If their pitching keeps it up, I don't see why not. Their team ERA is around 2.73. They're going to be in a position to win a lot of games with a staff like that.

Chris asked: two girls at todays game were wearing "fisher lied" shirts and booed him all series. They feel betrayed...your thought? Keep in mind Tatums doctors were in NY and LA, so Larry Miller knew the lakers were an option. also, he left 8 million over three years in Utah after signing with the lakers for 3 years 14mil. Leaving 8 mil should prove he put Tatum's health first. Living in LA is wonderful but not 8 million wonderful.

I don't get what the big deal is. Betrayed is something you feel when somebody that actually matters does something to hurt you. I have no idea why Jazz fans would feel this way. If anything, Fisher helped them. He still had 22 million left on his deal (one of Chris Mullin's brilliant moves early in his tenure) and he didn't fit in with the team. He made too much money to be D-Will's backup. Sloan tried him at the two, and that didn't work either. If Fisher was still on the Jazz, I doubt Paul Millsap would be. If I was Larry Miller (RIP), I would've let Fisher out of his contract too.

Who knows if Fisher used his daughter's health to go to back to LA. (which would be ironic considering he has a book about character) It was probably beneficial for both parties anyways. In my opinion, this is a non-issue if the Lakers didn't win the title last year and didn't sweep the Jazz out of the playoffs this year. As a Warriors fan, I was glad when they showed Fisher the door and got nothing in return. Jazz fans should feel the same way.

Steve asked: Gotta ask the question man...what do you think about Griffey falling asleep in the clubhouse during a pinch hit opportunity? -Steve

If true, it makes me sad. It makes me sad to see one of the best players of this generation, and my favorite athlete of all time, at the end of the road. He's done. I was hoping that with offseason knee surgery he would regain some of his power and hit for a higher average than last season, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen. 630 home runs, 10 Gold Gloves, and an MVP. It's been a hell of a career.

As for whether or not the Mariners cut him, I doubt it. He's the best player in franchise history. He was brought in to sell tickets and merchandise, and that's exactly what he's going to do. There are still four promotions involving Griffey including two bobbleheads so I don't think he's going anywhere.

I'm depressed just typing this. I think I'm going to rock my Griffey authentic and kicks tomorrow.

Laser Show

2010-05-10T17:19:00.000-07:00

Woodland, CA!

2010-05-10T13:22:00.000-07:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

2010-05-08T20:30:00.000-07:00

Bullets

2010-05-06T00:07:00.001-07:00

Astonishing statistic: Matt LaPorta has 1 RBI in 67 ABs
More astonishing statistic: Corey Maggette had 4 blocks last season. He has had a single digit block total in 5 out of the last 6 seasons.
Breaking Bad is my favorite current TV show. The Wire is my favorite of all time.
I think the show Basketball Wives is hilarious.
Good question posed by my brother: Jason Heyward or Justin Upton? I'm leaning one way, but would like to hear your guys' thoughts.
Congratulations to Kevin Durant for making to to the All-NBA First Team.
Congratulations to Thabo Sefolosha for making it to the All-Defensive Second Team. Very well deserved. Now he needs to learn how to hit a jumper.
Who would've thought that Barry Zito would have more wins and a lower ERA than Tim Lincecum through six starts? Good for him.
Don't look now, but the Giants have the best record in the National League.
Dodgers fans: last place, how does it feel?
I bought a shirt at J. Crew for $60. I went to the outlets in Vacaville and saw the same shirt for $28. I love the outlets. They had a 15% student discount at the J. Crew outlet too!
I've been asked to do top 5 lists for various things. I might do that. Give me some good ideas and I'll compile lists.

New Warriors Logo?

2010-05-04T02:20:00.000-07:00

New Warriors uniforms are coming next season, but no information has been released about what they're going to look like besides that they're going to use a spin off of "The City" logo and going back to their original colors. Is this the new logo?

Hopefully the new jerseys look nice because I'm planning on buying a Curry authentic to get signed. I've also heard that the NBA is going to have new authentics next year with the numbers and letters ironed on. I hope this isn't true, but the source I heard it from is pretty credible.

J-Rich

2010-05-03T23:54:00.000-07:00

Now that the Thunder are out of the playoffs, the only series I really care about right now is the Suns/Spurs series. I really do enjoy watching J-Rich do well. He's my boy - always will be. He was a class act while he was with the Warriors and was the only bright spot of the organization for years. I honestly shed a tear (privately of course lol) when he was traded on draft night. I would watch highlight videos of him on youtube and get teary-eyed. It's kind of pathetic, but my boy was gone. When he was traded, it was the end of that Warriors miraculous playoff run. The team was broken up before it was given a chance to do something special.

When he hit that corner three in the clinching game 6 of the playoffs and swung his arms and screamed as he ran down court...that might be one of my favorite sports moments of all time. It's like his whole career of losing culminated to that one moment and he let everything out. Every Warriors fan felt the same way at that moment. I get chills to this day when I watch it.

Here is one of the videos that I watched over and over again after he got traded (the moment I am talking about is in the video):

80 MPH

2010-05-03T15:53:00.000-07:00

Ever since the Warriors season ended and the Thunder were knocked out of the playoffs, I haven't had anything to write. There is only so much Kobe-bashing I can do because no matter what I say, he's still the second best player in the world.

With the Giants, there isn't really much to say. Velez is an idiot, they're pitching is nasty, Bochy makes questionable decisions, Rowand takes fastballs right down the middle and then swings at breakers in the dirt, etc, etc. They're fun to watch, but yet so frustrating at the same time. The Giants just don't really inspire me to write anything even though baseball probably is my favorite sport.

Anyways, I guess I'll just answer your guys' questions for now.

Anonymous asked: top 3 favorite music artists

If you're talking about current artists, I don't really know. The only person I can think of is Lupe Fiasco. He's the best lyricist in the game. You think you understand what he's saying just after the first listen, but when you sit down and read the lyrics, they're so much more complex than they initially seemed. It takes serious thought to understand all the metaphors, word play, etc. If you haven't listened to his music, do it. A lot of people don't enjoy his music because it is too complex, but that's what I love about it.

Anonymous asked: whats your favorite thing about baseball?

Whoever asked me this, just ask me on AIM or something. I don't want to type out an answer because I feel like it will be incoherent.

Anonymous asked: What do the Thunder need in the offseason?

I've said this all year, but I think Ibaka is going to be a force in the league. He continues to develop and he's only 20 years old. With that said, they still need an impact player in the front court. I've said this too, but I think Jeff Green will eventually be traded. I'm not saying he will be this offseason, but I just don't see it working out with him and Durant. Green is too small to be a power forward, but Durant is playing the three. Green is always going to be out of position, and for this team to take the next step, they need a true power forward.

Westbrook and Sefolosha need to come to training camp with a jumper. It's nice to have a guy like Sefolosha that's a defensive stopper, but they're pretty much playing 4 on 5 on the offensive end. He's not a threat to score. I can't even imagine how dangerous Westbrook would be if he could hit a midrange jumper with any kind of consistency with his elite athleticism. The Thunder need more scoring, and if that doesn't come from free agency or the draft, it has to be from within. Westbrook needs to be that guy, but he can't do it consistently without a jumper.

It should be interesting to see how Presti uses their cap space and two first round picks this offseason to address their needs. All I know is that if I was running a team, Presti would be on the short list of guys I'd consider hiring.

Steve asked: I agree with your point, but you have to admit that we thought the Bucks were the worst team in the league at the beginning of the season. I remember us having that conversation. (I'm not the one who asked the previous question by the way) -Steve

Yes, the Bucks were better than most people thought. Jennings had a good year for a Rookie. That's good enough for a third place finish in the Rookie of the Year voting in my opinion.

-----

Question for you guys: I got a speeding ticket going 80 MPH in s 65. How much will my fine be?

Speechless

2010-05-03T00:53:00.001-07:00

2010-04-30T02:04:00.000-07:00

Anonymous asked: tell me something most people don't know about you.

Good question. I was just listening to "I'm Beaming" by Lupe Fiasco and in the song he mentions timpani so that just reminded me of my days playing percussion. Snare drum, bass drum, timps, bongos, triangle, cymbals - all of it. I think I was pretty good at it too. I won the band award so maybe that means something. haha. I told my mom in 5th grade that I wanted to be in the band, but didn't want to play any instrument where I had to blow anything (pause). That left the drums. I feel like unless I went to middle school with you, you probably didn't know that.

2010-04-29T14:25:00.000-07:00

Anonymous asked: But the Bucks made the playoffs. That's what matters. The Kings and Warriors didn't.

I understand that, but for this point to be valid, it's assuming that each of the three were drafted into the same situation. If that were the case, and Jennings took his team to the playoffs when Tyreke and Curry didn't, then it's a valid point. Jennings was drafted 10th, Tyreke 4th (even though the Kings had the worst record in the league) and Curry 7th, so going into the season, the Bucks had a better team because they finished with a better record than the Kings and Warriors the previous season. It is not Tyreke's and Curry's fault that their teams are bad.

Anonymous asked: Has James Harden's rookie season been a disappointment? Where would this team be with Evans or Curry?

I don't know if it was a disappointment, but I don't know if this is the right situation for him. With Sefolosha inked long term, and the Thunder's commitment to defense, I don't know if Harden will ever get the chance to fully reach his potential in OKC.

As for the Tyreke vs. Curry on the Thunder debate, I actually was talking to someone on NT about this. I said that the Thunder would be more dangerous with Curry, he said Tyreke.

My reasoning: I think that the Thunder desperately need another scorer and perimeter threat. Curry and Tyreke can both be the second scorer to Durant, but Curry would be the perimeter threat that they need. Also, Curry is a much better distributor than Evans. Curry can play the point and let Westbrook slide to the two or he can play off the ball. Tyreke dominates the ball and that would take away touches from Durant. Tyreke and Westbrook together would have to be the worst shooting backcourt in the league.

I'm glad this is a discussion though because I wouldn't be able to imagine the Warriors without Curry right now.

Vote Breakdown

2010-04-29T12:55:00.001-07:00

Here is the Rookie of the Year breakdown:

It's pretty much what I expected with Tyreke winning by a sizable margin and Jennings coming in third. I think people feel like I'm anti-Tyreke because I'm so pro-Curry, but that's not the case. I'm a big Tyreke fan since I was able to watch a lot of Kings games living in Davis. He deserved the award. To the twelve people that gave Jennings first place votes, what were you guys watching? You were watching them win? Thank John Salmons for that. The Bucks were 24-28 before the Salmons trade and 22-8 after.

Bullets

2010-04-29T01:10:00.000-07:00

With one out in the 9th inning of the Giants game, I typed "Sweeep!" into the status box on Facebook. I never got to click Share.
I found that 2pac is great to listen to after games like today. For some reason, his anger makes me less angry.
Deron Williams is right when he says he is the best point guard in basketball. I've been saying this for the last two years.
The overwhelming consensus about LeBron - dick move.
Stephen Curry is a top 5 fantasy pick next year. I'd take him as high as third.
Sorry Scott Skiles, Brandon Jennings should not have been the Rookie of the Year.
TriStar is offering internship positions. I'm thinking about applying.
Lupe Fiasco is my favorite music artist. Check out the "I'm Beaming" video if you haven't seen it.
I'm watching Finding Forrester as I type this. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. I bet I've seen it a dozen times.
Eugenio Velez is good for one bonehead play/error per game. Where are you Aaron Rowand? I can't believe I just said that...
During day games like today, how do people have the time to attend? Do people just not go to work? I wonder how much production drops in San Francisco when there is a day game.
"Today I saw a commercial for a Snuggie. I thought it was a stupid idea, but I couldn’t change the channel because I was under a blanket and I didn’t want my arms to get cold." I read this online and thought it was hilarious.

Thoughts?

2010-04-28T01:04:00.000-07:00

Dick move? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts. Use the formspring box on the right.

2010-04-27T22:28:00.000-07:00

Chris asked: this is chris..im reading your blog during the 4th quarter of game 5...i am thankful we came out to play today....even though we are going to be up 3-2, i am still worried in this series...game 6 will be tough..with the assumption the we move on, i couldnt be happier with direction of the west so far...if dallas, denver and portland get knocked out, the lakers should have an ideal route to the finals. those three are our worst matchups

I completely agree. Things are shaping up perfectly for the Lakers. Kobe played a hell of a game today. He was passing really well and wasn't forcing any tough shots. If he plays like this (and the rest of the Lakers too) I don't see the Lakers being stopped. Hopefully LeBron's arm is alright. A Lakers/Cavs finals matchup really is ideal...with the Cavs winning of course.

Anonymous asked: thoughts on ryan howard's contract?

My first thought when I heard about the 5 year/125 million dollar extension was, what does this mean Pujols is going to get? It seems high to me. I know all the stats like 45 HRs and 135 RBIs for four straight seasons, better defensively, etc, but 5/125? Would Howard not accept 20 per year? More than Mauer and into A-Rod territory? Ehh, seems high. I'm just interested to see how this affects other contracts down the line like Prince Fielder and Adrian Gonzalez.

Edit: I just remembered Mark Teixeira signed for 8/180 so I'm guessing that was the base for Howard's deal. Still though, seems high. What does this mean for Jayson Werth, Jimmy Rollins, and Cole Hamels when they're free agents? I'm assuming the Phillies can't keep everybody...

Anonymous asked: any talk about putting madison bumgarner as the 5th starter?

I doubt it at this point, especially after Wellemeyer's start tonight. After a shaky start in Fresno, Bumgarner's last two outings were much better by all accounts with his velocity increasing so those are all good signs. I don't see any need to rush him up to the bigs if they don't need to. He's still only 20 years old.

I thought this was funny: up until tonight, Bumgarner had as many home runs as the Giants cleanup hitter.

Anonymous asked: Has D-Wade played his last game in a Heat uniform?

I highly doubt it. Of all the big free agents, I think he is the least likely to leave. There's no income tax in Miami, the Heat can offer him the most money via the CBA, and they have the cap space to sign another max free agent. Amare, Boozer, Bosh - I can see any of them going there. It's too bad Michael Beasley hasn't turned into anything. I was definitely wrong about him.

Anonymous asked: Name all the ex-Warriors that are in the playoffs.

Wow. That's tough. I'm just going to assume you meant all the ex-Warriors that made the playoffs. Stephen Jackson, Matt Barnes, Mickael Pietrus, Jason Richardson, Antawn Jamison, Jamal Crawford, Derek Fisher (Ughhh), DJ Mbenga, Erick Dampier, Larry Hughes, and Acie Law. (I only know him because I saw him on TV today) I'm sure I'm forgetting a couple people.

Edit: I just looked over playoff rosters. How could I forget the number one overall pick in the 1995 Draft, Joe Smith? I remember when people tried to get the nickname Simba to catch on when he was a rookie. I used to emulate my free throw shot after him with my gum hanging out of my mouth. Brad, you remember this, right?

Game 5

2010-04-27T12:53:00.000-07:00

Look what UPS dropped off just in time for game 5

Let's goooo!

2010-04-27T01:40:00.000-07:00

Anonymous asked: jalen rose says that brandon jennings is his roy

I don't understand how people that actually watch basketball can think Brandon Jennings is the Rookie of the Year. I've brought up his stats here plenty of times, and they just don't compare to Tyreke's and Curry's. When the voting is announced, I'm almost certain that Jennings will be 3rd in the voting.

Edit: According to SacTown Royalty, Tyreke Evans will be named Rookie of the Year.

75

2010-04-26T12:44:00.000-07:00

I went to Pablo Sandoval bobblehead day last Saturday. I got to the park around 2:00 for a 6:05 first pitch, which turned out to be a complete waste of time. My brother got there at 4:30 and still got one. Oh well, I just don't like the feeling of not knowing if I'm going to get one.

The game was amazing. It was the best outing of Zito's Giants career. I was down on Zito like any other Giants fan his first few seasons with the Giants, but I never took it to the extreme that other fans did. I'm not a fan of booing. Booing does not help your team. I wrote about this years ago when Warriors fans were booing Mike Dunleavy. Boo cheaters. Boo lack of effort. Don't boo when things don't go a players way - especially if you're going to cheer during times of success.

After all that Zito has been through, it looks like he has come full circle. The "Barry" chant that rang throughout the park on Saturday was amazing and truly was a moment to remember. I actually got goosebumps hearing it. Zito mentioned the chant in a post-game interview and said he could even tell where the chant originated - "3rd deck, left field line," which is exactly where I was sitting. It's also where the ridiculous wave started, but that's an entirely different story. I guess I just like stories of redemption. Hopefully Zito's success continues. If it doesn't, I'm still going to be supportive.

After the game when exiting down the stairs, most fans were raving about Zito's outing while talking trash to Cardinals fans. However, I also heard many fans say something to the effect of, "About time he pitches well with that 126 million dollar contract." He can't win...

Oh, and A's fans, where are you guys? You guys were out in full effect during Zito's struggles. Now that he's 3-0 with a 1.32 ERA, *crickets*. I fully expect a couple of texts after Zito has his first poor outing.

Question Time

2010-04-25T20:36:00.000-07:00

Anonymous asked: he's hurt. how don't you get that?

Oh, I get that. I also get that Kobe is 31 years old and has logged over 44,000 minutes in his career. Bodies break down. Older people get hurt. We can't just act like he's 25 years old again and that after offseason rest he will be as good as ever. He's no longer in his prime. Just look at his free throw attempts per game. Since the 04-05 season when he averaged 10.1 FTA per game these are the averages in each of the following years: 10.2, 10.0, 9.1, 6.9, and finally this season when he averaged 7.4. Yes, his team has gotten better over the last few seasons so he hasn't had to shoulder the load offensively. However, if you look at field goal attempts per game, it hasn't really decreased. He actually took more shots per game this season than he did in 04-05 when he averaged 10.1 FTA per game.

I'm not saying he's washed up. He is still a top two player in the world. He just isn't what he used to be. In my opinion, there really isn't even a LeBron vs. Kobe conversation anymore.

Anonymous asked: what do you think about this A Rod walking on the mound thing?

Honestly, I had never heard of this "unwritten rule." I was listening to KNBR and Mike Krukow said that he had never heard of it either. Barry Zito said that AJ Pierzynski is notorious for doing things like this to get into a pitchers head. I don't really have an opinion on this situation. I find pretty much all of the unwritten rules of baseball amusing. What I will say though is that I'm tired of A-Rod's antics like when he screamed "Ha!" when rounding third against the Blue Jays to distract the fielder, when he tried to slap the ball out of Bronson Arroyo's glove, and now this one. Everything about A-Rod is just too much for me. Oh, and *applause* for you, Dallas Braden. Anytime someone tells A-Rod off, I'm all for it.

If you want to read more about the unwritten rules of baseball, this book seems very interesting: The Baseball Codes: Beanballs, Sign Stealing, and Bench-Clearing Brawls: The Unwritten Rules of America's Pastime. I've skimmed through it and I plan on taking a day to go to Borders and finish it.

Anonymous asked: Jason Richardson - 42 pts

Yep. He has taken some abuse in Phoenix with the legal issues and his inconsistent play, but I'm glad to see him doing well. J-Rich, Matt Barnes, Stephen Jackson, Michael Pietrus - all the ex-Warriors in the playoffs from that We Believe team, I wish them well.

Anonymous asked: what are you going to do with a nutrition degree?

I'm not a nutrition major, so I'm not going to do anything with a nutrition degree.

Passing of the Torch

2010-04-25T19:34:00.000-07:00

Lakers fans: are you nervous yet or are you still blinded by your arrogance? Every Lakers fan that I talked to before game 4 said that they weren't worried about the loss and that they will get it together to win the series in five games. Kobe had a bad game. James Harden won't play that well again. The Lakers are too experienced and the Thunder are too young. Well if you're not worried now after the game 4 route, you should be.

I don't know if it really is just arrogance clouding the judgment of Lakers fans or if it's just a front they're putting up to seem like they aren't worried, because ya know, the Lakers are the reigning champs and they shouldn't be scared of an eight seed. Regardless of the reason, it's very amusing to me. It kind of reminds me of when the Warriors were playing the Mavericks (but 100x worse) and Mavericks fans were saying they weren't worried about the dominance that the Warriors displayed over them really ever since the Mike Montgomery era. Did they really have the utmost confidence in their 67-win squad or was it a front? I actually wrote about it here.

Regardless of the outcome of the series, this is the passing of the torch. World, say hello to Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Random thoughts throughout the game

2010-04-22T18:52:00.000-07:00

1st Quarter:

(9:26)

Lakers go on a 10-0 run to start the game. Kobe has taken zero shots
I'm not a fan of the NBA Cares commercials, but I'm glad a Warrior is finally in one.

(6:08)

Perfect example of Kobe chucking. Pump fake, contested 3 with Sefolosha all over him
Durant needs to settle down
Man, Artest is a great defender

(4:36)

Westbrook showing off that athleticism. Wow!

(3:49)

That's what I'm talking about, Harden! Desperately need some kind of contribution off the bench

(3:27)

Rough start, but this team is resilient. Weathered the storm.
KD has to get an easy bucket or get to the line to settle him down.
I just saw my friend, Lauren, in a commercial for Capital Casino. Pretty cool.

(1:33)

If this were the Warriors, Harden takes that pull up 3 in transition, especially since he made one the previous possession.
I don't know if I've said it here or somewhere else, but I love Ibaka's game. He is going to be a force.

2nd Quarter:

(8.00)

I find it hilarious that Sasha Vujacic can't even sniff the court. What are you thinking, Sharapova? This reminds me of the conversation I had with my cousin's roommate. He said he would rather have Sasha than Monta Ellis.

(6:10)

Let's see if these free throws get Durant going...

(5:39)

Durant has been huge on the boards. The Lakers outrebounded the Thunder by 17 in the first two games. The Thunder have a +8 advantage right now.

(5:14)

Russell Westbrook. Wow! Nice pass by Kobe by the way. lol

(3:00)

Baseball may be my favorite sport solely based on the block/charge call in basketball. I hate that play.

Halftime:

Big first half from Harden. Now it's Durant's turn to take over from here.
I expect Kobe to chuck in the 2nd half with his teammates not really doing much. I don't think that will work out well for the Lakers as I've stated multiple times.
I need one of those Rise Together shirts that the Thunder fans are wearing. Amazingly, there aren't any on eBay yet, but I expect them to go for a premium price similar to the We Believe shirts.
Good point made by my roommate: If Krstic was Mehmet Okur, this team would be dangerous
In-N-Out Time. Haven't eaten all day.

Post-game thoughts:

Durant came through down the stretch. After starting 3-15, he went 5-9 down the stretch while playing great defense on Kobe.
The Thunder outrebounded the Lakers by 14. Durant is a huge reason why.
Kobe did what I thought he would do. He chucked. 17 shots in the 2nd half. 29 for the game. Like I predicted, 28 or more shots = a Lakers loss. The Lakers played well when Kobe was moving the ball. They played poorly when Kobe was chucking.
Kobe: 10-29 for 24 points. Gasol: 7-12 for 17 points. Not enough touches for Gasol.
This loss is on Kobe. Blame it on the finger, the ankle, the knee, the back - blame it on whatever you want, this loss is on Kobe.

2-1

2010-04-22T17:08:00.000-07:00

The Ford Center is about to be rocking tonight. In my opinion, just based on watching NBA games, Thunder fans are some of the loudest, most enthusiastic fans in the league. I'm not saying that the Thunder are going to cover the 3.5, but they're going to win. I expect a break out game from Jeff Green and some kind of contribution from James Harden. Those two need to step up because they are the bench unit at the start of the 2nd and 4th quarters when Durant and Westbrook are getting their rest.

Predictions:

Jeff Green scores 18, hitting a couple of clutch shots down the stretch
James Harden hits a couple 3's giving the Thunder some much needed scoring off the bench
The Lakers lose if Kobe shoots more than 28 times

2010-04-22T00:42:00.000-07:00

Anonymous asked: Durant chucks too and I don't hear you saying anything negative about him.

Durant shoots. He doesn't chuck. If you watched Thunder games this season you would know that most of Durant's shots come within the flow of the offense. Kobe, on the other hand, is isolated either on the wing or block - dribble, dribble, pump fake, pump fake, and shoots with a hand in his face. To his credit, he is the best tough shot maker in the league, but the difference is Kobe doesn't have to take those shots. He has the best supporting cast in the league. Let's look at 30 field goal attempt games this season:

Kobe Bryant: 8
Kevin Durant: 1

Not only did Durant lead the league in scoring, he was the most efficient player in the league while doing it. He shot less times per game than Kobe and at a higher percentage.

Like I said earlier, the Lakers don't need Kobe to score. In fact, they're better when he doesn't. In the 30 games Kobe scored under 25 points, the Lakers went 22-8 for a winning percentage of .733. They had a winning percentage of .674 in the games he scored 25 or more.

The Thunder need Durant to score. The Thunder do not have a consistent second option. Russell Westbrook? Oh, the one that shot 41.8% on the season and can't hit a 20 footer to save his life? Jeff Green? The one that is a combined 6-23 so far in the playoffs? James Harden? I've scored the same amount of points as James Harden has this series.

In the games that Durant scored under 25 in a game, the Thunder are 1-9 for a winning percentage of .100. In games when he scored over 25, the Thunder had a winning percentage of .680.

So yes, Durant does shoot a lot because that's what scorers do. His team also needs him to score to be successful. There is a difference between shooting and chucking. Kobe's a chucker. If you don't understand the difference, I just wasted my time typing this up.

1 Assist

2010-04-21T00:23:00.000-07:00

If I hear one more Lakers fan say, "Let's see Player X play with a broken index finger, bad back, bum ankle, and lower back strain," I'm going to start effin throwing things. Lakers fans defend Kobe like he is their mother. Your boy is not perfect. It's ok if he has an off game. It happens.

But since you guys deem it a fair excuse for poor shooting numbers, here's an idea: pass the rock. You have to change the way you shoot because of your finger? Pass the rock. Can't get elevation on the jumper? Pass the rock. You see that ostrich looking dude with the huge mismatch down low? A couple touches every now and then wouldn't hurt. Jeff Green? Nenad Krstic? Nick Collison? Yeah, they can't guard him, but Kobe insists on taking contested jumpers. Gasol would score 40 and the Lakers would win by double digits if Kobe passed him the ball.

Luckily for the haters, including myself, the Lakers won't win the title with Kobe playing like this.

[Chris Rock] Yeah, I said it [Chris Rock]

2010-04-20T22:37:00.000-07:00

Rick Neishi asked: Uhh. This is rick, and I never asked the KD vs Tmac question...

Interesting. *shrugs*

Q&A

2010-04-20T17:09:00.000-07:00

Anonymous asked: why do you like penis? i heard all warrior fans do..

Maybe that's why the Warriors suck. Pun intended.

Rick Neishi asked: compare and contrast kevin durant and tmac -rick neish

Good question. It's a fair comparison because of their similar skill sets and body types. I would say that KD is a more efficient scorer in his third season than McGrady ever was. McGrady has better court vision, but I think Durant is a better rebounder. I think one of the main differences is attitude. By all accounts Durant is as humble as they come and has an unparalleled work ethic. He gets along with his teammates and coaches. None of that has been said about T-Mac.

Anonymous asked: how are ur fantasy teams doing? mine are brutal so far.

Right now I'm in second place in the league I pay most attention to. I actually just traded Hanley Ramirez. Here are the specifics:

Trade:
Hanley Ramirez
CJ Wilson

Receive:
Francisco Liriano
Jair Jurrjens
Kevin Youkilis
Jose Reyes

I feel I am getting more talent in return, but now I have three players (Chris Young, Jason Heyward, Kevin Youkilis) for one Uti spot. Mark Reynolds and Joey Votto are also on the block. Any combination of those five that can get me a stud position player or a top of the line pitcher would be ideal.

After the Hanley trade, I still think my hitting is above average, but I really like my pitching now.

SP:
Josh Johnson
Francisco Liriano
Ricky Nolasco
Scott Baker
JA Happ
Jair Jurrjens
Ricky Romero

Maybe I should've just stood pat, but that's no fun!

Anonymous asked: Rumor has it an NL pitcher will be suspended for PEDs. Any thoughts on who it is?

If you guys don't know, it was revealed that the mystery pitcher was Edinson Volquez. After I first heard the rumor, I just hoped like hell it wasn't a Giant. I would think Matt Cain and Brian Wilson fit the billing of the "semi-big" pitcher that was mentioned in the rumor. I'm glad it wasn't one of them.

Roto

2010-04-20T16:47:00.000-07:00

I just got done with my two midterms for the week. I'm exhausted. I have two more midterms next week, but until then:

Tonight: 30 for 30 - "Silly Little Game," Giants game, Sharks game, Thunder game.

Let's go!

2010-04-19T13:35:00.000-07:00

I want to buy a Mac so I can go to Starbucks and sip on my overpriced coffee while studying. Hopefully people will notice me with my cool white box so that I can feel extra cool. I may have spent $2,000 on $800 worth of hardware, but it's totally worth it. It's so pretty! I can't wait to drive home in my energy efficient hybrid so that I can take cool pictures of myself with the built-in camera using all of the different effects so that I can post them on Facebook. Cheese!

The Franchise

2010-04-17T17:29:00.000-07:00

2010-04-15T22:30:00.000-07:00

Anonymous asked: Reke has 41 20 pt games. Curry has 27.

Ok. That's cool. Why are we acting like points are the only category that matter though? But since you brought it up, I'll play along.

Why stop at 20 points? Why is that the magic number?
Let's look at some other numbers.

25 point games - Curry: 22, Tyreke: 21
30 point games - Curry: 8, Tyreke: 4
35 point games - Curry: 3, Tyreke: 0
40 point games - Curry: 1, Tyreke: 0

Mac & Cheese

2010-04-15T03:21:00.000-07:00

aka Stephen Curry because he's so Krafty.

GM asked: top 3 disappointments (fantasy wise) top 3 steals (fantasy wise) All according to average draft position.

When I first read the question, the first thing I wanted to do was take injuries out of the equation. I tried my best, but I couldn't do it. Here is my list.

Top 3 Biggest Disappointments

1. Devin Harris. I honestly blew my entire season by drafting Harris in the second round. I thought that he was going to put up monster numbers this year with Vince Carter out of the picture. He was now the man coming off a career season so he seemed like a great pick. Obviously this did not work out. In fact, his numbers were lower in every major statistical category. With guys like Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace, and Josh Smith ranked lower than Devin Harris according to Yahoo's pre-draft rankings, I would have to say that he was the biggest fantasy disappointment of the year.

2. Chris Paul. If he was healthy, there's no doubt that he would've been one of, if not the most productive fantasy player like he has been the last two seasons. But since he was taken first overall in many drafts and only played in 45 games, he has to be one of the biggest fantasy disappointments of the season. Also due to Paul's injury, it has raised the question, is Darren Collison that good or is Chris Paul a product of the system?

3. Jose Calderon. He averaged 10 points and 6 assists this season. That's fine for an 8th rounder, but those numbers are very disappointing for fantasy owners considering he was taken in the late 2nd to early 3rd round in most drafts.

Others I considered:
Al Jefferson - He was coming off knee surgery so fantasy owners knew there was risk involved when drafting him.
Caron Butler - Gilbert Arenas was back from knee surgery so owners should've known that Butler's numbers would take a hit.
Gilbert Arenas - everybody feared that his knee wouldn't hold up. Little did we know, it was his stupidity that would do him in.
Kevin Garnett - see Al Jefferson

Top 3 Steals

1. David Lee. Lee averaged over 4 points per game more than last year to put him over 20 per game while still grabbing 11.7 rebounds. He doesn't hurt you anywhere. He shoots great percentages and he even increased his assists numbers by over one per game. Sure, he doesn't get the number of blocks that one would like to see out of a PF/C, but neither does Amare Stoudemire!

2. Gerald Wallace. He's always been an injury risk with big upside given his versatility. He ended up playing in 76 games and bumped his rebounding numbers up to double digits at 10.0 per game while still averaging over a steal and block per game. Stud.

3. Stephen Curry. I think Stephen Curry will be a first round pick next year. Wait, what? Did I just say that? Let's look at the numbers.

Since January 1st:
21.1 Pts
4.9 Reb
6.8 Ast
2.6 3s
1.9 Stl
47% FG
45% 3pt
90% FT

Look at it this way. He has the same FG%, makes twice as many 3s, shoots a better percentage at the line, grabs more rebounds, gets more steals, and scores 3.5 more points than Deron Williams! And he's only going to get better while Deron Williams has plateaued over the last three seasons.

Others I considered:
Brook Lopez
Andrew Bogut
Tyreke Evans

My answer to Grant's question is done, but it made me think more about Curry.

Looking back on the NBA season, who had the best statistical games of the year? Based on what I remember, here are my top three games:

1. LeBron James. 47 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 6 3s, and 5 steals.
2. Stephen Curry. 36 points, 10 rebounds, 13 assists, 3 steals, 7 3s.
3. Stephen Curry. 27 points, 8 rebounds, 14 assists, 7 steals.

Correct me if I missed any, but I think Stephen Curry had two of the best statistical games of the season.

This gets me into the Rookie of the Year award. Tyreke Evans will win. 20-5-5 doesn't lie as the Kings PR staff has hammered into our heads time and time again. Curry has a shot though, and here are some reasons why:

- Stephen Curry has made more 3-pointers than any rookie in the history of the game.
- Curry has five 30-10 games. The rest of the rookie class has zero.
- In the eight major statistical categories (pts, reb, ast, stl, blk, fg%, ft%, and 3pt%) Curry is in the top 10 in the NBA in three of those categories. (3pt%, FT%, and steals) No other rookie is in the top 10 of any of those categories.
- The Warriors surged at the end of the season going 8-9 in their last 17. After a promising 13-14 start, the Kings went 12-43 after and 1-11 in their final 12.
- Three Rookie of the Month awards compared to Tyreke's two.

Tyreke Evans is the Rookie of the Year, but the question of who will be a better player in the future is up for debate.

I actually was talking to someone on Twitter who thinks Tyreke has a more complete game than Curry. If shooting and passing don't count, then I agree.

Season Ticket

2010-04-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about this for a while. How do sports memorabilia stores like Sports Gallery or Lefty's stay in business? When I was younger, my cousin and I would go to this store called Season Ticket almost every day during the summer. We spent so much money there on packs of cards, individual cards, etc, but it ended up closing down like almost every other card store. There used to be one across the street from the bowling alley, and there was one in the mall when it first opened. I think it was called Todd's or something.

I recently went to a Robb Nen/Kirk Rueter signing at Sports Gallery and was looking around the store. Prices are absolutely outrageous. I saw a Rich Aurilia signed baseball for sale for $139. I just checked eBay and an auction for a Rich Aurilia ball ended without a bid on the $9.99 opening price. If a ball doesn't sell for $9.99 on eBay, how is it going to sell for $139 at Sports Gallery? Factoring in employee wages and rent, along with uncompetitive prices, how do these places stay in business?

Wouldn't it make more sense to not have a physical store, but an eBay store instead? You don't have to pay rent and employees, you will sell more items, and you have a bigger market to sell to. Sports Gallery, for example, is limited to Bay Area customers; eBay auctions reach people nationally.

I've also been wondering how much money these stores make off of autograph signings. The Nen/Rueter signing cost $29.95 and 100 tickets were sold for a total of $3,000. If you add in another $1,000 (which is probably generous) for 8x10s, bats, etc that were sold, that's only $4,000. You would have to figure almost all of that $4,000 is split between Nen and Rueter because even at $2,000 each, it probably isn't even worth their time. If I were to guess, the money that these stores make off autograph signings is from exposure and getting their name out there, as well as people making impulsive buys while waiting in line. Signings are to just get people in the door.

Here is the image of the Giants project that I started with Rueter and Nen. It's a 20x30. I'll get a picture of the autographed picture up later.

Sunday Options

2010-04-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

Option A: Go to the Warriors game to see the Thunder. I was looking on Craigslist the last couple of days for some good tickets. Usually Jill and I sit in the upper level. We've become very familiar with the concrete wall behind us to say the least. I could've had 6th row seats for $80! I could see my second favorite team in person while getting a couple of autographs as well, but then again I wouldn't be able to watch the final round of The Masters and would miss the Giants game.

Option B: Go to both the Giants and Warriors games. The Giants are rolling out of the gates and have a good shot to win the series against the Braves with Lincecum on the mound. Jill and I could then head over to Oracle after the Giants game and make it in time for tip-off. However, I wouldn't be able to get autographs and I still wouldn't be able to watch the last round of The Masters.

Option C: Scrap the first two options. Save the money it would've cost for gas, food, and tickets and sit on the couch and watch all three sporting events. Because I'm typing this as Mickelson is teeing off, you guys can probably figure out which option I picked.

Andray Blatche > Ricky Davis

2010-04-07T00:58:00.001-07:00

For those that don't remember, a while ago Ricky Davis missed a shot off his opponent's basket to try to get his 10th rebound, which would've given him a triple double. Andray Blatche wins.

2010-04-07T00:26:00.000-07:00

Anonymous asked: Since when were you a Thunder fan? I thought you hated when people jumped on the Warriors bandwagon.

I've been a KD fan since he came into the league when they won 20 and 23 games the last two seasons, respectively. I was a fan when everybody was questioning his shot selection and strength. Now that they're winning and Durant has developed into one of the best players in the league, I can't be a fan? Get the eff out of here with that BS.

What. A. Game.

2010-04-06T22:30:00.000-07:00

If anybody, watched the Thunder/Jazz game tonight, it was an instant classic. KD absolutely brought them back from 11 down with 2:52 left in regulation to force overtime. Watch the rest here:

It's sad that the game had to end like that. Usually I don't like when refs call fouls in that situation, but the refs needed to sac up and call that foul. It was so blatantly obvious. I would love to see this as a first round matchup because the Thunder have the Jazz number, and they know it.

I see you, KD. Great game.

.000

2010-04-06T21:43:00.001-07:00

What do I have in common with Aaron Rowand? We have the same batting average. Yes, it's only been two games, but we all know nothing is going to change. He's going to hit his .250 while grounding out to the left side of the infield, and striking out on low-outside breakers. Like Gary Radnich always says, he got a few million per year extra by running into that wall at Citizens Bank Park.

Oh, but he's a gamer.

And he still has two years left on his contract after this season.

Serious question: Who has the worse contract, Rowand's 5/60 or Zito's 7/126? My vote goes to Rowand.

It's Baseball Season!

2010-04-05T15:35:00.000-07:00

Today should be a national holiday. The season kicks off in about 20 minutes. Let's go!

I think the Rockies are going to win the division, but that's why they play the games. Anything can happen in baseball...

except the Cubs winning the World Series.

2010-04-05T13:53:00.000-07:00

Anonymous asked: By Dave van Dyck, Tribune reporter 5:41 p.m. CDT, April 3, 2010 Predicted finish, records 1. Dodgers, 91-71 2. Giants, 90-72 3. Rockies, 85-77.

I'd switch the Dodgers and Rockies. Other than that, I think it's about right. It's interesting that odds in Vegas have the O/U set at 85.5 for the Dodgers and Rockies, and 83.5 for the Giants. If I had the patience, I would've taken the over for both the Rockies and Giants.

2010-04-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas: 4/2
Baseball season: 4/5
NCAA Championship game: 4/5
The Masters: 4/8

This is going to be an awesome week.

Oh, and go West Virginia! If they beat Duke, I'll win 2nd place in my bracket.

2010-03-31T12:02:00.000-07:00

Anonymous asked: If the playoffs started today...OKC would be matched up against Utah. How would you see that series playing out?

I think it all depends on Westbrook. When he plays well, the Thunder can beat anybody. They need that consistent second scorer. They're 3-0 against Utah this year. They play well on the road. They play good defense. Thunder in 6.

A Post for Steven Pocoroba

2010-03-30T22:22:00.000-07:00

Freshwater

2010-03-29T23:20:00.000-07:00

I finally picked up a pair of Griffeys!

It's been years since I bought a pair of shoes to wear. I bought the Creamsicle KDIIs, but that was to get signed so if I remember correctly, the last time I bought a pair of shoes to wear were the Olympic ZK1s my freshman year. The Griffeys are a top 5 favorite shoe of mine so I was glad they restocked them after I passed on them when they were released about a year ago.

Monta > LeBron

2010-03-26T22:42:00.000-07:00

Excuse me while I die laughing.

Monta Ellis says he's the NBA's second-best player
Fri Mar 26,2010 6:04 PM ET By John Krolik
Rolling Stone magazine recently caused a bit of a stir by saying that Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant was the second-best player in the NBA this season, behind LeBron James but ahead of reigning Finals MVP Kobe Bryant.

Today, Golden State Warriors guard Monta Ellis said who he thinks the NBA's three best players are. His views are, um... well, here's what he said.

"I'm going to say LeBron James(notes) [third]," Ellis said recently. "He can do it all, pass, score, defend, block shots. No. 2, I would have to say, me. I can do a whole lot of things: defend, score, make passes, do whatever I need to do.

"No. 1, I'd say Kobe Bryant. There isn't one player that can stop Kobe one-on-one. He has a lot of stuff. He can defend. And of course, he won four championships."

If you say so, Monta. Beyond the obvious "wow, Monta thinks that he's a lot better than he actually is" angle, here's what I take away from this.

It would be one thing if Monta was playing the right way for a good team when he said this. (Remember Paul Pierce calling himself "the best player in the world" after the Celtics won the championship?) It's one thing for NBA players to be cocky -- a lot of guys, especially perimeter players, need to believe in themselves a little too much in order to be effective.

However, Monta Ellis is not playing the right way for a good team. The Warriors are a mess, and Monta has been the guy with the ball in his hands most of the time. And it's often been ugly. In short, Monta Ellis has been hurting the Warriors by playing like a guy who thinks he's a lot better than he actually is. The Warriors used to be one of my favorite teams to watch play. Back when Monta Ellis was playing alongside Baron Davis and hadn't had a moped accident yet, he was one of my favorite Warriors to watch. Monta is a tremendously talented player, and once upon a time his offensive game was based around relentless drives to the basket and easy pull-up jumpers from right around the free throw line if his man went under the screen.

This season, I can hardly watch the Warriors play. Monta has become an absolute ball-stopper, and has no problem firing up an unassisted three or deep two early in the shot clock, against a set defense, before letting any of his other teammates pass the ball. He does this despite the fact that outside shooting is the weakest part of his offensive game. When Monta scored 20 points a game on 53% shooting over the course of the 2007-08 season, he only made 12 three-pointers the entire season. This year, Ellis has taken 152 more threes than he took in 07-08 and 51 less free throws than he did in 07-08.

The Warriors need to rebuild, and the hope is that Monta Ellis will find the discipline he once had if he has some better players to pass the ball to. But if this is really the opinion Monta has of his game and the way he's playing right now, the Warriors may want to seriously consider if they can build a successful team with Monta playing a key role.

Reggie Williams

2010-03-25T18:14:00.001-07:00

The Warriors signed Reggie Williams to a contract through next season. He went from making $750 per week in the D-League to about 1 million over the next 1+ years. Congratulations.

Talk about seizing an opportunity...

Nine Years of Misery

2010-03-25T16:31:00.000-07:00

I used to take piano lessons when I was younger. I started in kindergarten and stopped when I reached high school. I absolutely dreaded going to my weekly lessons. I didn't practice as much as I was supposed to, and when I did, it was very half-assed. It just wasn't my thing; I never had a passion for it.

When my mom went to drop me off for lessons I would throw fits and try to give excuses to get me out of the lesson. I remember one time specifically my mom tried to bribe me with Pogs (I still have some sick slammers now that I think about it).

Now that I'm 22 and about eight years removed from my last lesson, I find myself wanting to play once in a while. This morning I sat down and started playing. To my surprise, I remembered all the major scales and chords. I then started to learn a song for about 45 minutes. I actually enjoyed myself, but I also found myself regretting not taking lessons more seriously and thought about how I could be so much better than I actually am.

When I have kids, I hope they take a liking to piano because it really is a great skill to have.

Travel

2010-03-25T14:43:00.000-07:00

Who saw the Josh Smith put-back game winner last night? Great play, right? If I'm a Magic fan, I'm pissed. Not only am I pissed at Rashard Lewis for not blocking J-Smoove out, but check out how many steps Joe Johnson takes?

Three steps. Travel. Overtime.

I was watching this live and yelled out traveling right when it happened. What are these refs watching?

And just for good measure:

2010-03-24T23:14:00.000-07:00

Anonymous asked: The Giants are 17-7. Might as well hand us the rings now.

Haha. Although the Spring Training record doesn't mean anything, it beats being 5-15 like the Nationals.

One and One

2010-03-24T17:52:00.000-07:00

I've been wondering this since I was a little kid: why isn't there a one and one rule in the NBA? There are a lot of rules that differ in the NBA from college for whatever reason like the shot clock, charge line, defensive three seconds, mandatory timeouts, etc, but I really think the one and one rule should be instituted in the NBA.

I asked one of the assistant coaches for UC Davis why there isn't a one and one rule in the NBA like in college and he didn't know either. It changes the game completely at the end of games.

It would add more excitement. There is so much more pressure on the front end of a one and one versus the first of a two-shot foul. This makes comebacks more likely and penalizes poor free throw shooters too. Dwight Howard? Sorry, you have to sit on the bench. Rondo, you too.

If anybody has any insight regarding the lack of a one and one rule in the NBA, I'd be very interested to hear.

2010-03-24T09:25:00.000-07:00

Anonymous asked: Favorite VS model?

Miranda Kerr.

Tumblr

2010-03-24T09:07:00.000-07:00

I like to read blogs. I wish more of my friends had blogs. A couple of years ago it seemed like everybody was using Blogger, but now it seems like Tumblr is the current trend. One question I have about Tumblr: do people ever write anything or just post pictures and videos? Most of the time I see posts with a picture or video and a couple of words below it. Is that just how Tumblr works? I'm not knocking it at all, just wondering. I do my fair share of posting videos and such as well.

2010-03-24T00:56:00.001-07:00

Anonymous asked: Thoughts on Madison Bumgarner being sent to the minors?

It wasn't really a surprise. He was struggling with his command and velocity and Wellemeyer was pitching well. The kid is only 20 years old so let him go to Triple A and figure things out. No need to rush him to the Bigs. I just hope there isn't some injury that hasn't been diagnosed.

2010-03-23T12:34:00.001-07:00

Anonymous asked: Joe Mauer deal - 8 yr 184 mill - full no trade clause - fair deal?

I do think it was a fair deal. The Twins needed Mauer to stay. Hell, baseball needed him to stay. He is to the Twins what Jeter is to New York, what Lincecum is to San Francisco. They couldn't let the hometown kid walk. I've been reading that the Twins aren't really a small market team, but more of a mid market team so it's kind of a misconception that they can't afford this type of contract. Also. they'll have increased revenue with the opening of Target Field. I think the bottom line is maybe they overpaid a little, which is debatable, but it beats the price of letting him walk

Rookie Project Update

2010-03-20T22:09:00.000-07:00

Here's a little update on how my rookie autograph project is going.

My thoughts on Brandon Jennings? *gives middle finger*

Fantasy Sports Live

2010-03-14T00:32:00.000-08:00

My friend, Jon, recently put me on this website dealing with fantasy sports and gambling. To put it simply, it's awesome.

Here's how it goes:
If you play poker online, this is similar to Heads Up Sit-n-Gos, but with fantasy sports. Instead of having the same fantasy roster for an entire season, you pick new players every day and get instant gratification. It's pretty simple. If you have more points than your opponent, you get paid within an hour of the last game of the night. The next day, you pick a new lineup based on the games going on that day. There are different "caps" that restrict the players you can select based on a set number of points, salary, etc so that people can't just select every superstar playing that night. Because you can play whenever you want, you don't have to update your rosters every day.

If you're interested, hit me up and I'll give you more details. I'm not trying to make money off this, but I might as well refer you if you're going to deposit.

2010-03-12T10:56:00.000-08:00

I hate giving in to advertisements. If a commercial comes on for food or anything else, I make a conscious effort to not buy that product. I feel like companies are trying to manipulate me, but I try not to let them. When they do get the best of me, it honestly makes me upset.

At Davis basketball games they hand out these coupons for a free slice of pizza at Uncle Vito's. Obviously, this is a marketing ploy to get people in the restaurant, get people to spend money beyond the free slice, and spread their name throughout the community since it's a fairly new restaurant.

The other night, Jill and I didn't have anything to eat for dinner so we decided to use our Uncle Vito's coupons. Alright, no harm there. They're not benefiting off of us since we're getting everything for free. However, once I got to the front of the line to order, I decided that one slice of pizza wasn't going to fill me up (pause). I used the coupon and spent an extra $5 on the second slice. I regretted that decision immediately. Their marketing ploy worked. To top it off, I spent an extra $2 on a drink. Instead of getting a free dinner, I ended up spending $7 on some very sub-par pizza and an overpriced drink all because I let their marketing ploy get the best of me. It's been five days, and it's still bothering me.

Sorry Kings Fans

2010-03-11T08:56:00.001-08:00

Over the last couple of seasons the Sacramento Kings general manager, Geoff Petrie, has done a solid job of rebuilding the organization. The win total is still not impressive or even close to impressive, but Petrie has put the organization in a position to make drastic improvements. He has brought in cornerstones like Tyreke Evans and Jason Thompson in the last two drafts. He also traded Kevin Martin, which I thought was essential. I was one of the people that didn't think Kevin Martin and Tyreke Evans could coexist. I've come across many Kings fans who swear they could, but their record with Martin and without says otherwise. They were 4-18 with Martin and 14-18 without. I may be wrong, but evidence suggests that it couldn't work. Apparently Petrie felt the same way. In that trade they also got Carl Landry, who might be the best big on the roster.

With that trade, and other cost cutting moves over the last couple of seasons, the Kings have given themselves financial flexibility to sign free agents in the upcoming offseason. They will also have another high lottery pick. Things are looking bright for the Kings.

But wait.

Read some of these quotes from Chris Bosh and Jarrett Jack regarding signing with the Kings.

A fan yelled at Bosh, after a first-quarter timeout, to ask if he might sign with Sacramento.

"Hell no!" said Bosh in a disgusted reply.

The same fan continued his inquires into the third quarter, which eventually elicited a reply from Jack.

"Ain’t nobody coming here," Jack said. "Nobody even knows it’s in California."

Ouch.

Edit: I know I said, "Sorry Kings fans," but the truth is nobody would want to sign with the Warriors either even if they had cap space. At least the Kings have options other than signing a marquee free agent.

Plan B: Use that cap space and do what the Thunder did this season. They acquired Eric Maynor, who was the 20th pick in the draft from the Jazz by also taking the expiring contract of Matt Harpring so that the Jazz could avoid the luxury tax threshold. The Thunder only had to trade the rights to Peter Fehse, who was a 2nd round draft pick of the Sonics in 2002 and has never played in the NBA. The Thunder essentially traded nothing for an extra first round pick because they were under the cap and able to take on Harpring's salary. Highway robbery. By doing this trade, the Jazz saved around 13 million dollars (6.5 million salary + 6.5 million penalty for going over the luxury tax).

This is all possible because when a team is under the salary cap, salaries do not have to match in a trade. The Bobcats did this when they traded for Jason Richardson. The Clippers did this when they traded for Marcus Camby.

*Paging Mr. Petrie* Corey Maggette is available!

This brings me to my question: do the Warriors or Kings have a brighter future? I think that the Warriors have a more talented roster with the potential to be better, but the Kings actually have a competent front office led by one of the best general managers in the NBA with financial flexibility to boot.

Get Ahead

2010-03-10T14:01:00.000-08:00

Cleveland Indians pitching coach, Tim Belcher, mentioned that a pitcher who threw a first-pitch strike only gave up a hit in that at-bat 7% of the time in all of baseball last season. Amazing.

2010-03-10T11:00:00.000-08:00

Anonymous asked: how does curry's d*ck taste?

Haha. I admit I D-ride him a little bit, but can you blame me? I'm a Warriors fan for God's sake. There is nothing else to be excited about.

"Cool Shades"

2010-03-10T08:56:00.000-08:00

My high school basketball coach used to call them "Cool Shades." He used the term as a metaphor to describe people who thought they were too cool to do something like take a charge or perform a drill that may make one look ridiculous.

That's what I feel sunglasses are, Cool Shades...when you wear them indoors. It has always bothered me when people wear sunglasses indoors. It is not sunny inside. You do not look cool. You aren’t a damn celebrity (who look like fools too by the way). Here is another reason to not wear sunglasses indoors:

YUNGBUCK3

2010-03-09T20:57:00.000-08:00

I may be late, but I just saw this video. Hilarious. I find it funny because they obviously had to have coordinated this beforehand.

2010-03-09T20:32:00.001-08:00

Anonymous asked: i don't mean to sound insensitive, but was the accident bloody?

Surprisingly it wasn't. I was shocked it took so long for a police officer/ambulance/fire truck to respond. It seriously took a good 5-10 minutes for a police officer to arrive.

2010-03-09T18:59:00.000-08:00

Another slice of the life of Master T.J. Henderson,
Super intelligent, a fine young gentleman,
A ten year old whiz kid bustin high school,
A pugnacious little shorty with a thousand IQ.
He's got a way with the ladies, and he's keepin it real,
Your favorite little study buddy, he knows the deal.
That he's still just a kid, on the ball, very clever,
You could say that he's bright, brainy, gifted, whatever...

(Mo's Voice) Yo brother is smaaaart!
He's a Smart guy doot doo doo dadoodadoot Smart guy, Smart Guy

He's a smart guy, doot doo doo dadoodadoot

Reflective

2010-03-09T16:23:00.000-08:00

I saw a dead man this weekend. I was in downtown Sacramento driving down L street when I looked to my right and saw a man lying in the middle of the far right lane. I pulled over to see what was going on. Apparently a cyclist had just been hit by a bus less than a minute before I drove by. Cars stopped in disbelief and just stared at the body. It was just one of those things that was so tragic, but you couldn't take your eyes off of it.

The man I talked to that witnessed the accident was telling me the cyclist was weaving in and out of traffic almost getting hit by cars before he was eventually struck by the bus. The bus driver didn't have a chance to stop.

I don't think there is anything that puts life into perspective like seeing a dead body, especially when it could have been avoided. It put me in a very solemn, reflective mood the entire weekend. If he had family, I wish them well. Rest in peace.

Here is the article about the incident:

Cyclist fatally collides with Sacramento bus
Posted at 03:06 PM on Saturday, Mar. 06, 2010

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A 49-year-old bicyclist who collided with a Sacramento city bus has died about five blocks from the state Capitol.

Sacramento police say the man was pulled under the bus at about 1:45 p.m. Saturday.

Investigators were trying to determine whether the bus hit the cyclist or if he crashed into the side of the bus.

A Sacramento Police Department spokesman says there was no indication that the bus driver was negligent or driving impaired.

The bus was heading westbound along L street, which runs past the state Capitol. No passengers were injured.

The victim's name has not been released.

Alane Masui, spokeswoman for the Sacramento Regional Transit District, says the bus driver was interviewed and tested for drugs and alcohol. She expected the results to come back in a few days.

The driver has been placed on routine administrative leave.

2010-03-09T10:08:00.000-08:00

Anonymous asked: Lebron look-a-like even has the matching forehead wrinkles.

Throw on a headband and a Knicks jersey and it'd be perfect.

2010-03-08T22:55:00.000-08:00

Via AOL News

Is that you, LeBron?

Durantula

2010-03-08T21:55:00.001-08:00

Thank you, KD for signing my shoes.

A Season Ticket Holder's Perspective

2010-03-08T17:58:00.000-08:00

Via Adam Lauridsen's blog

Why I’m Not Renewing

POSTED BY ADAM LAURIDSEN ON MARCH 7TH, 2010 AT 7:39 PM | CATEGORIZED ASMANAGEMENT | TAGGED AS CHRIS COHAN, DON NELSON, LARRY RILEY, ROBERT ROWELL

I love the Warriors. I have for pretty much all of my three-plus decades on this earth. When I was in the fifth grade, I did a photo essay on “A Night Out at the Oakland Arena.” When I was in high school, I covered my walls with posters of Chris Mullin, Tim Hardaway and Chris Webber. When I left the Bay Area for college and law school, I braved visiting arenas to witness the Warriors’ likely losses in person — screaming for them until my voice would fail me. When I lived in England for a year, I’d stay up until dawn hitting refresh on early internet box scores to see if the Warriors could pull off a rare win. When I finally moved back to the Bay Area, getting season tickets to the Warriors was one of the first things I did. I’m giving up those tickets next year — because the thought of missing Warriors basketball in person pains me less than the thought of giving Chris Cohan my money.

I understand that sports teams are businesses. They are meant to make money and have budgets. They can’t always be the pure embodiments of local pride and lifelong memories that fans often want them to be. But like the best music, film or theater, just because you pay to enjoy something doesn’t mean it can’t have some soul. Warriors fans proved this point most recently and beautifully during the We Believe season. The outpouring of raw energy, pride and emotion that anyone in the Arena those nights witnessed isn’t the type of thing you forget quickly. But Chris Cohan, in the three seasons since that fateful run, has done almost everything possible to help Warriors fans forget. Through the franchise’s relentless cost-cutting, excuse-making and sellsellsell mentality, Chris Cohan — from whatever spiderhole in which he now hides — has reduced the team to nothing more than a product. And as a product, it’s mediocre.

To describe the last few years of the Cohan era as aimless lets management off too easily. The team has had a clear objective — just not one related to what’s happening on the basketball court. Cohan and Rowell have worked systematically since the Warriors barely slid into the 06-07 post-season to separate fans from as much of their money as possible while spending as little as money as possible on the court to draw them in. There have been the obvious cost-saving moves — letting the JRich trade exception disappear unused and not even attempting to move Speedy Claxton’s attractive expiring contract at the deadline for a live body. But there have also been more subtle moves — bringing in Larry Riley as one of the league’s cheapest (and least distinguished) GMs, pushing to suspend Monta Ellis without pay for as long as possible (as source of tension between Mullin and Rowell), and signing an increasingly long list of end-of-career or D-League minimum salary players to round out our roster for as little as possible.

As a result of these basketball moves, the Warriors have put a worse team on the court each of the last three seasons. No one has been held accountable. Not Robert Rowell, for being “duped” by Stephen Jackson when he decided to push Mullin aside and play GM. Not Don Nelson, for alienating most of what little talent the team has managed to retain as he stumbles and staggers towards the all-time win record. The PR organs regurgitate the same tired excuses for the team’s multitude of failures and hype whatever slight positive they can find. If Chris Cohan had an aircraft carrier, he would have hung a “Mission Accomplished” banner on it by now. The only thing the franchise hasn’t tried — despite promises to do so this off-season — is improving the talent on the basketball court. The one bright spot this season, Stephen Curry, fell into the Warriors’ laps unexpectedly on draft day. If you want to give anyone credit for the boost Curry has provided the franchise, Memphis’ GM Chris Wallace deserves it for wasting a high lottery pick on Hasheem Thabeet, allowing Curry to slide to the Warriors. Other than Curry, the Warriors’ roster has been a study in basketball entropy. Every transaction seems to decrease the overall talent level, and the increasingly shaky relationships between management and Ellis, Biedrins and Randolph suggest that the trend isn’t likely to end soon.

I became a basketball fan because of the thrilling things players do on the court, the beauty of a team plan well executed, and the joy of watching young players grow into their natural talent. But Cohan’s management has left Warriors fans asking business — not basketball — questions after every team move. Why did we pass up adding a veteran with a huge trade exception in the midst of 07-08’s frantic playoff chase? Why did we swap Jamal Crawford, who scored 50 points for us a year before, for Speedy Claxton, who the team never expected to set foot on the court, and Acie Law, who the team immediately converted into an expiring deal by not picking up his option? Why did we give away Marco Belinelli, a player with at least some future potential, for Devean George, a player limping through the last days on likely his final contract? The answer is the same every time: to save money. Faced with the question of whether to renew my season tickets, I can’t help now but approach the question with the same mindset Cohan has imposed on the team. Why should I spend money on this team when Chris Cohan won’t?

I’ve wrestled for the last few months with the question of whether I want to give Cohan’s Warriors another chance. There’s a possibility the team gets marginally better next year, with some healthy players returning, another high draft pick, and Curry improving. That dream is tempting, but I’ve entertained it too many times before. So long as Cohan owns the team, the values emanating from the top are unlikely to change. I have no faith that the franchise will have a sufficient commitment to winning to ever be more than “exciting.” That “excitement” — defined down from winning against good teams, to winning against any team, to losing with our youngsters showing promise, to losing with our youngsters just getting minutes — is no longer enough to justify the expense. No number of launched t-shirts, drum squads, free pizzas or dunk teams can compensate for the lack of excitement where it really matters: on the court.

Ultimately, my decision not to renew is a personal one. If you still think Cohan’s product is worth your money, that’s your decision. I’m not convinced a boycott will force Cohan into selling — if he can get enough Lakers fans to buy four-packs and show enough Curry highlights to draw in a few casual fans, the team payroll will soon be low enough that he won’t be hurting too badly. But boycott or not, I’ve been unable to avoid the sinking feeling this entire season that as one of the 70% or so of season ticket holders that renewed, I was part of the problem. Season ticket holders walking away may not force Cohan to sell, but it certainly won’t make it easier for him to turn a profit.

So starting next fall, I will still be a long-suffering Warriors fan and hacking away at this Warriors fan blog, but I’ll be watching the team I love — through good times and bad — from the comfort of my own home. I’ll have my phone close at hand, however. When Larry Ellison or someone else finally manages to pry my team from Chris Cohan’s grasp, I’ll be the first person calling the ticket office.

J-Hey Kid

2010-03-08T14:16:00.001-08:00

Jason Heyward is going to be an absolute stud. Enough said.

Fantasy Baseball

2010-03-08T12:38:00.000-08:00

Spring Training has started and that means fantasy baseball leagues are back. I find the competition with friends and the challenge to put together a winning team very entertaining. I also find the draft room to be addicting.

After much anticipation, I completed my first fantasy baseball draft last night. It was a long two-hour draft, but everybody showed up, which is always a good sign for an active, competitive league. My baseball teams last year were very average so I decided to switch things up a little bit and institute a new strategy. Previously I used to try to stock up on aces and fill in the rest of my position players later in the draft.

Reasoning: There are always players that come out of nowhere to have huge years. These players can often be picked up out of the free agent pool. One example from last year was Mark Reynolds who hit 44 HRs, drove in 102 runs, and stole 24 bases. He produced first round numbers, but wasn't drafted in the majority of leagues. Another example was Adam Lind who batted .305 with 35 HRs and drove in 114 runs. Previously, he had never hit more than 11 HRs. There are always gems that can be picked up after the draft that can be huge additions to any lineup.

Problem: I have to be quick to pick these guys up, which is the case for all fantasy sports. I missed out on the likes of Darren Collison and Andray Blatche this year in basketball because I was hooping at the ARC (Damn you, Grant). Another problem is that the aces I used early round picks on only play one out of five days. Maybe it has worked for others, but this has not been a winning formula for me.

Instead I decided to draft hitters, hitters, and more hitters. I know this is a complete 180 from last year's strategy, but I feel like I can stock up on hitting and be strong in those categories and then try to find some pitching talent later in the draft. I would post my lineup from the draft I just completed, but you guys are going to steal my sleepers!

I feel like I'm going to find my strategy needs to be a happy medium between the two, but we'll see. If all else fails, there's always next year!

Prince Fielder on the Cheeseburger Diet

2010-03-04T22:49:00.001-08:00

In light of the Prince Fielder incident that happened today, I thought this was absolutely hilarious.

Prince Fielder in a McDonald's commercial. How fitting.

UC Davis in ESPN The Magazine

2010-03-04T14:32:00.000-08:00

UC Davis basketball has finally made it big time. If you subscribe to ESPN The Magazine, check out the bottom of page 65 in the latest issue that has Albert Pujols on the cover.

This is just the beginning. First the bottom of page 65 in ESPN The Magazine and then the cover of Sports Illustrated after we beat Kentucky in the National Championship. *John Wall dance*

Prince Fielder Speaks

2010-03-04T14:08:00.000-08:00

Via Extra Baggs

Brewers scribes just talked to Prince Fielder after he exited today’s game. Fielder has been unapologetic for his home run stunt the entire time, and he isn’t backing down now.

“They gotta do what they gotta do,” Fielder said. “But it’s not going to take it away. It’s chronicled. … I hit the home run and they gotta hit me. That’s what they gotta do.”

Anthony Witrado of the Journal-Sentinel asked Fielder if the celebration was worth the ball in the back.

“Hell yeah,” Fielder said. “That’s something I did with me and my teammates. It has nothing to do with them.”

“You’re damn right it was worth it.”

Baseball is Back!

2010-03-04T12:29:00.000-08:00

Going into today's game between the Giants and Brewers, I was wondering if anything was going to happen after what Prince Fielder did last year after hitting a walk-off against the Giants.

For those that don't remember:

Apparently there is still animosity. The first pitch that Barry Zito threw to Fielder hit him in the back. Andrew Baggarly recounted the retaliation on Twitter:

extrabaggs First pitch to Prince Fielder ... hits him. And Prince flips the ball back to Zito.

extrabaggs It was up and in, got Prince in the back. He's standing on first base and applauding right now.

extrabaggs Umpire Ted Barrett came out in front of the plate and said something to Zito. Doesn't look like he issued any official warnings.

extrabaggs Inning over. Zito walks in front of Fielder coming off the field. No words, no eye contact. Will Suppan retaliate? I'm guessing it's over.

At least Zito didn't pull a Shawn Estes when he threw it behind Roger Clemens in retaliation. It is pretty tough to miss Prince Fielder though...

It's nothing big, but it got my juices flowing. Baseball is back!

2010-03-03T22:19:00.000-08:00

via http://realgmiz.blogspot.com/

So here’s the deal, picture this, Choose your dream girl. Now think of spending a week with this girl. And in this week, she is in love with you and you guys could do anything. For example, you can stay up all night talking sports, playing poker, or even watching youtube videos of people opening cases of 09-10 exquisite basketball. But hey, in this week, she is all yours. She will do almost Anything. How much time (days, weeks, years) would you take off the end of your life in order to get this week with your dream girl.

Always a fun game to play. The O/U game is fun too. Let's hear some answers.

Off the Top

2010-03-03T22:03:00.001-08:00

Which crowd is more pathetic?

Yes, there are actual regular season games going on in those pictures.

Speaking of sparse crowds, what is going on at Arco? Last year the Kings had the worst home attendance in the league averaging 12,571 per game, but they also had the worst record in the league. This season they're actually competitive. Oh, and they have the Rookie of the Year on the roster. Yeah, I admit it. Tyreke Evans is the Rookie of the Year. So why does Arco have the third worst attendance in the league averaging only 13,389?

Forge my signature. It's going to be worth something some day

The other day I was perusing through some of my daily eBay searches and came across some completed auctions of signed Stephen Curry jerseys that sold in the $200-$300 dollar price range. This is absolutely ridiculous considering those jerseys were knockoffs from China with the shiny numbers and everything, but also because I bought a Dwyane Wade signed authentic for only $150. I guess it makes a little bit of sense though since Curry's hype is at an all-time high.

As I looked some more, I noticed a signed jersey that looked a little off. I looked more closely and realized that the signature was fake.

I then thought to myself, you know you've made it when someone forges your signature; people don't forge the signature of a nobody. This is now one of my goals in life. That's when I've made it.

Oh my

2010-03-02T09:07:00.000-08:00

Four Eastern Conference Player of the Month awards in four months. Is there any doubt LeBron is the best player in the world? Truth hurts, Lakers fans.

Tyreke Evans Signing

2010-03-01T10:43:00.000-08:00

I went to the Tyreke Evans signing last Saturday at Carl's Jr in Dixon. We got out there at about 1:30 for a 4 o'clock signing. To my surprise there were already quite a few people there. If I were to guess, I would say we were about 100th in line. I figured since the signing was in Dixon there wouldn't be a huge turnout, but I was completely wrong. According to the Kings website, Tyreke signed for 600 people. I mentioned to Jill that there were noticeably more people at the Tyreke signing than at the Curry signing. I thought the difference was because Curry's signing was on a Monday, while Tyreke's signing was on a Saturday. Jill thought it was because everybody knows that Tyreke is the Rookie of the Year. I can understand both points though.

The person running the signing was kind of rude. She was moving people through the line as fast as possible so there wasn't much of an opportunity to say anything to Tyreke. They didn't allow any posed pictures like the Curry signing, which is why sometimes it's better just to pay a little bit of money and see them at a paid signing. You're not rushed through the line so you can have a short conversation and take a picture as well. It's just a better experience overall.

Since we couldn't take pictures with Tyreke, Steven went outside to take a picture behind him since Tyreke was sitting by a window.

(via Kim's Facebook)

Luckily I met Tyreke before the season started when he did a signing at Dairy Queen in Sacramento. Apparently nobody knew or cared about Tyreke Evans at the time because I could've gone through the line countless times to get more and more autographs. Since there weren't many people (75-100 max) I was able to get an autograph, have a short conversation, and take a picture with him.

He's a quiet dude, but he seemed cool. I think meeting him then is what made me a fan now. Also, I forgot who brought it up, but I should've worn my Curry jersey on Saturday. It would've been interesting to see how all the Kings fans would've reacted to the lone threat standing between Tyreke and the Rookie of the Year award.

Here's what we got signed:

Charlotte Observer: Stephen Curry not done growing?

2010-02-23T15:43:00.000-08:00

Interesting article written in February '09.

Stephen Curry not done growing?

Davidson guard Stephen Curry is not done growing.

That was one good thing that came out of Saturday’s sprained ankle; the doctor reading his X-rays told him that his bone growth plates show that he will get taller.

“I’m actually still growing,” said Curry, a junior and the nation’s leading scorer. “I’ve got at least an inch to go so we’ll see how that works out.”

Curry has been a late bloomer in the height category. As a prep junior, he was lightly recruited because he was 5-foot-8. Then he took off.

“As a senior I was about 5-11, closing in on 6 feet,” he said. “I’ve grown every year since then and obviously am still growing. That’s good news. I was about 6-1 as a freshman and have grown an inch a year, so I’m a solid 6-3 now.”

Curry has good genes in that category. Dad Dell, the former NBA player, is 6-5, and mother Sonya is 5-8.

Brother Seth, a freshman at Liberty, also sprouted in high school and is already 6-3. And younger sister Sydel is tall for her age, according to Stephen.

And rumor has it that Curry was high-fiving the folks in the doctor’s office after his X-rays.

“(The doctor) said he would have to get an X-ray on my hand, but he predicted at least one inch, and who knows after that? So I’m trying to catch my dad,” Curry said.

—Stan Olson

Stephen Curry Signing

2010-02-22T22:17:00.000-08:00

Stephen CurROY had an autograph signing today in Oakland. Even though I’ve gotten his autograph before, I wanted to see him again in a more structured environment. He’s quickly become one of my favorite players along with Jason Richardson and Kevin Durant. He seems like a good dude, he’s a good player, and he’s a damn good golfer. 5 handicap? Ridiculous.

Luckily I got done with class at 10:00 so I had plenty of time to get over to Oakland. I had my folding chair and notes to study so the wait wasn’t too bad. I actually think I was more productive while waiting than I would have been if I was at home. I had a 16x20 of all the rookies that participated in the Rookie/Sophomore game to get signed. A lot of people asked me where I got it, and I just gave them the typical “Internet” answer. If you know anything about getty images, it’s much easier to say that I just got it off the internet. The rookie 16x20 is something I just got. It looks pretty cool and this rookie class looks like it's going to be solid so I thought it would be a nice project to start.

These signings typically get pretty crowded, and today was no exception. To put it in perspective, I don't think there were that many more people at the LeBron James book signing my cousin and I went to in New York. We got in line at 2 AM for a noon signing because we figured LeBron in New York would be a zoo, but it really wasn’t. The line was probably 400-500 people, but I imagined it would be something closer to 1,000.

Today’s turnout was probably around 250 (rough estimate). I was about 15th in line. I started walking down the line just to see how many people were there. There were about 100 more behind me, and then I turned the corner to see this:

Apparently the line wrapped around even more, but I didn't go down to check it out.

Curry’s signing was scheduled for 5:00 and he was actually on time, which is pretty rare for one of these things. As I got to the front of the line, I put my 16x20 on the table in front of Steph and he said, “Man this is nice. Where did you get this?” Out of habit, I gave him the standard “internet” answer. Then I just told him that I like his game. He thanked me for being a fan and then I shook his hand.

Overall, it was a good day. I got a lot of schoolwork done and I got Curry’s autograph. Tyreke Evans is having a signing on Saturday and my boy Steven Pocoroba will be in town for that so I’ll have a nice start on my rookie project with the top two rookies done. Yes, top two. Don't even hit me with that Brandon Jennings nonsense.

"We Want T-Mac!"

2010-02-21T02:39:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Tracy McGrady's New York debut, here are a couple of my favorite T-Mac moments besides the 13 points in 33 seconds.

The atmosphere at MSG was electric with the "We Want T-Mac" chant in the 4th quarter, but my boy KD came through at the end putting the Thunder 11 games over .500. Does T-Mac still have some left in the tank?

Ughhh

2010-02-20T11:04:00.000-08:00

Jeans and Uggs. Tights and Uggs. Skirts and Uggs. Uggs in general just need to go.

It's a Great Time Out. Not!

2010-02-20T10:44:00.002-08:00

I wrote an entry over two years ago saying, "Like Damon Bruce said on KNBR, there isn't more bang for your buck in professional sports right now than Warriors basketball." At the time it was the truth; it couldn't be argued. Now this statement is absolutely laughable. Injuries? Sure, the roster has been absolutely decimated by injuries. However, in my opinion the W/L total is not the reason everybody is so down on this team. It's the front office. Chris Cohan and Co. ran a special (special being used as a relative term since the playoffs are special for Warriors fans)team into the ground with it's lack of direction, or should I say direction by a complete and incompetent fool. Yes, I'm talking about you, Robert Rowell.

Just think about the main contributors to that playoff team in '07. In a 2.5 year span, Jason Richardson, Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, Matt Barnes, Mickael Pietrus, Al Harrington, and Sarunas Jasikevicius (jk) are all gone. Yep, only the Warriors. Quite a few people have asked me what I thought about the Warriors turning down the OJ Mayo and Hasheem Thabeet for Monta Ellis deal. In one word, typical.

And just for kicks:

2010-02-19T15:40:00.000-08:00

This is what the 18,000 at Oracle and every Warriors fan around the country does while watching games:

Larry Ellison, please buy this team and clear house of all these incompetent fools.

Steph Curry Update

2010-02-17T23:02:00.000-08:00

In the five games that Monta has missed this season, Curry is averaging 24.6 pts, 8 reb. and 8.8 asts. Feel free to rest that knee a little longer, Monta.

Oh, and thank you Minnesota for blowing the two lottery picks right before Curry. David Kahn, you will be getting a thank you card in the mail.

Happy Pitchers & Catchers Day!

2010-02-17T14:14:00.002-08:00

Today officially marks the first day of the baseball season. With each passing year, I feel like I miss baseball season more and more during the offseason. I'm sure there is a correlation between my increased excitement for baseball season and the horrible state the Warriors franchise is currently in. Serious question: Will Barry Zito and Jonathan Sanchez combine for more wins this year than the Warriors? With that said, it should be no surprise that I've never been more excited for baseball season.

Coming into Spring Training, there are a few position battles that should be interesting. The most interesting battle is probably the 5th starter spot between Madison Bumgarner and Todd Wellemeyer. Bumgarner may or may not be ready, but I definitely would rather see Bumgarner on the mound every fifth day. I mean, the kid is only one of the best pitching prospects in the game.

I have mixed feelings about the Bengie Molina signing. He handles the staff pretty well (even though I think he is a below average defensive catcher), and you can pretty much write him in for 20 HRs and 80 RBI's. However, I had already turned the page on the Molina era and was excited to see Buster Posey get his shot. Like Bumgarner, I'm not sure if Posey is ready, but everybody was excited to see the future. Now the future may have to wait. I've heard the hype, followed them through the minor league system, and even went to a handful of San Jose Giants games last year to check out the future of the Giants, which is now sans Angel Villalona.

Side note: I've met Villalona a few times and every time he seemed like a gentle giant. I now find it kind of funny that I took a picture with a murderer. If I can find that picture, I'll post it up here.

Hopefully Bumgarner earns that 5th starter spot, and Posey ends up in the Bigs sooner rather than later.

People have been asking me what I think about the offseason moves and if I have any predictions for the upcoming season. In regards to the free agent signings, I see them as minor upgrades. They will still struggle offensively this year, but the question is, how much less will struggle? Maybe all they needed was minor upgrades to win the NL West considering the Dodgers didn't do much of anything to improve the team given their owners' current situation. If they scored a few more runs per week last year, maybe that's five more wins putting them at around 93 wins, which would have won the Wild Card by one game. The additions of DeRosa and Huff may be able to give them those few extra runs per week.

I'm going to remain optimistic, but realistic as well. In my opinion, the Giants overachieved last year to win 88 games. I can see them putting up close to the same win total again this year with the additions of DeRosa and Huff.

Regardless, I'm excited for baseball season. Opening Day couldn't get here soon enough. Do I hear a three-peat, 55?

No Worry, Steph Curry

2010-02-16T14:14:00.001-08:00

For the sake of memories I typed ScottMizuno.com into my address bar just to reminisce a little bit by reading some of my past entries. Little did I realize the domain ScottMizuno.com had expired. GoDaddy email? Delete. I guess they were trying to tell me to pony up the dough to extend the domain name. After I realized the domain expired, I went to GoDaddy and bought it again, ya know just in case I get famous. I don't know if I'm going to be writing frequently like I used to, but what the hell. Here it goes.

I might as well start it off with what I used to always write about, the Warriors. If you follow me on Twitter, you know I've been harping on this for a while. Stephen Curry is better than Brandon Jennings. Before the draft I wanted the Warriors to draft Jennings. I loved the swag, the arrogance, the haircut, and the fact that he was a point guard, but mostly because of the haircut. If I was black, I'd definitely rock it.

I watched a little bit of Curry when he was at Davidson, but I wasn't convinced that he could run the show in the NBA. When David Stern announced the Warriors picked Stephen Curry, I was both confused and skeptical. Another scorer? Why did the Warriors need Curry and Monta when the point guard position was the glaring need? The Warriors' front office had done it again, I thought.

After the first preseason game, however, I was made a believer. Curry was more than just a shooter. I even called my dad on my way home to tell him that I thought Stephen Curry was going to be a player. He was a much better ball handler and passer than I ever imagined.

Curry got off to a slow start in the regular season, while Jennings lit it up, especially against the Warriors when he dropped 55 (word to Timmy). Since that game, I've been saying Curry > Jennings almost daily on Twitter. At first I was half-joking because I actually felt that Curry would be a better player, but I didn't have anything to support that claim. Now I do.

Looking at Brandon Jennings' overall numbers, they are better than Curry's. However, if you dig deeper one would find that Jennings has completely fallen apart since his hot start. In every month of his short career, his FG% has dropped starting at 51.6%, dropping to 42%, 37.5%, 32.4%, and 31%, respectively. Since the New Year (Happy Chinese New Year, by the way), Jennings is averaging 13.1 pts, 3.5 reb, 6.4 ast, 1.6 stl, and 1.5 3's made while shooting 31.8% from the field, and 30% from behind the arc. Conversely, Curry is getting better every month. Since the New Year he is averaging 19.6 pts, 4.1 reb, 5.5 ast, 1.9 stl, and 2.4 3's made while shooting 47% from the field and 47% from behind the arc. What rookie wall? It took Curry some time to find his stroke, but once he did, like we all knew he would, his game took off.

Just imagine if Curry was the primary ball handler like Jennings or Tyreke Evans. In the three games that Monta Ellis has missed, Curry is averaging 29.3 pts, 8 reb, and 7 ast. Oh, and don't forget about the triple double.

I never thought I'd be saying this, but Larry Riley and Co. made the right decision.

2009-02-16T15:42:00.000-08:00

IP Autographs

Since about December Jill and I started to do quite a bit of in person autographing at various signings and sporting events. I've always collected sports memorabilia, but a lot of my collection was from purchases on eBay, at card shows, and a few things from signings. Once I started getting more autographs in person, it kind of became an obsession. Over the last few months I've gone to many Warriors games, a few Kings games, a Tim Lincecum signing, a CC Sabathia signing, and an event preceding Giants fan fest in San Jose where about half of the Giants team was there.

For me, I don't really get the autographs because of what they're worth (although it's nice to know that if I ever need money I have things of value). It's fun for me not only because I get to meet and sometimes shake hands with some of my favorite athletes, but it's the challenge of getting the autographs. If every player's autograph was obtainable all the time at any time, I don't think getting autographs would be as enjoyable. There are plenty of disappointments when players blow you off or when players lie to you (Andray Blatche), but when players take the time to sign your item and maybe even have a short conversation with you, it makes it all worthwhile. For every moment like when Danny Granger looked at my 8x10 and ignored it there is the excitement of when I got J-Rich to sign my 16x20 or when I got to shake Dwight Howard's hand. It doesn't matter if I get blown off or have an unexpected success, there are stories and memories from each experience, and doing it with Jill just makes it that much better.

Some of the notable autographs I have gotten include: Tim Lincecum, CC Sabathia, Brian Wilson, Barry Zito, Dwight Howard, Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green, Brandon Roy, Kevin Durant, Amare Stoudemire, Kevin Martin, pretty much the entire Warriors team, and my boy J-Rich.

(Tim Lincecum signing at Lefty's Sports Cards)

(Tim Lincecum at Britannia Arms)

(CC Sabathia at Vallejo Toyota - check out the beer belly behind CC)

Junior Griffey

The latest news about Ken Griffey Jr. is that a deal is imminent. It has been reported that he is going to sign a contract in the next day or so, but whether it is with the Seattle Mariners or Atlanta Braves is still unknown.

Here is my take on it. Griffey has been on 3 teams, and worn 4 different numbers. If he were to sign with the Braves then that would be 4 different teams and a possibility of a 5th number. For one of the best players of this generation, possibly THE best after the A-Fraud news, he has already been on enough teams. People respect guys like Cal Ripken Jr (even though I think he's overrated) and Tony Gwynn because they played for one team their entire career. By going from team to team to close out a career, it dilutes his accomplishments and in my opinion, ruins his legacy.

If he were to sign with Seattle it would be a great way to close out his Hall of Fame career. If he were to sign with Atlanta, he'll be like Patrick Ewing or any other athlete that didn't retire with the team in which they were great. He should retire with the team that he was drafted by, where he became one of the league's top players, where he became a part of pop culture, where he won an MVP, 10 Gold Gloves, and was named to the All-Century Team. Go out wearing the 2-4, Junior.

7 Months

I just realized that it's been about 7 months since my last entry. I don't really know why it has been such a long time since I last wrote because I used to have a lot of fun doing this once in a while. Maybe it's because the Warriors have been horrible and I haven't had anything to say. I don't know. I've just been reading other people's blogs and it made me feel like writing something again.

According to the page hit counter on this, there have been about 15,000 hits, which is crazy to me. I guess it helps a lot when you Google something like "Monta Ellis signing" this is the first thing that comes up.

Anyways, if I get on a roll, maybe I'll start punching (word to Chris Brown) these entries out like I used to.

2008-07-25T19:25:00.000-07:00

Warriors Offseason

People have been asking me what I thought about the latest Warriors moves so I'll go through them one by one.

Corey Maggette
Of all the moves, I like this one the least. After Baron opted out and eventually left, it seemed like the Warriors went into panic mode and just started throwing major cash at Gilbert Arenas and Elton Brand. As much as I like Arenas, there is no way he is worth 100 million, knee surgery or not. After Arenas resigned with Washington and Brand decided to pull a Boozer and go to Philly, the Warriors acted quickly and reached an agreement with Maggette. I don't mind the acquisition of Maggette per se, it's just that I don't think he is worth 10 million per year over the next 5 years. He is a good player, but not a 10 mill player. To me it looked like the front office was trying to save face and do SOMETHING to appease the fan base, even if it meant overpaying. Warriors fans were in a state of shock after the Baron situation and needed some hope to hold onto. The front office hoped Maggette was the answer.

When the signing first went down I was completely against it, but after reading other fans' thoughts my feelings have changed a bit. If someone asked me if I would trade Mickael Pietrus and Matt Barnes (3.5M and 3.0M, respectively) for Maggette (~8 million in the first year of the contract if it is structured with the standard 10% increase per year), I would've done the trade without hesitation.

Ronny Turiaf
The general consensus among Warriors fans are that they overpaid for Turiaf. Of course they overpaid a little bit; it was absolutely necessary that they did. Because Turiaf was a restricted free agent, the Warriors had to pay a little bit more than the Lakers were willing to pay. If the contract was for say 3 million/year the Lakers might be able to afford that, match, and then he's back on the Lakers.

Many people also think Turiaf is annoying. Personally, I find his antics entertaining. If you don't know what I am talking about then here are a couple videos.

The bottom line is that Turiaf is what the Warriors needed. He is a solid rebounder/shot blocker that will bring a ton of energy off the bench.

Marcus Williams
I loved him in college. He was hyped up as the best point guard in the draft, but fell to the 22nd pick for whatever reason. He's never really gotten a real shot or even consistent playing time in New Jersey playing behind Jason Kidd and Devin Harris, but the games he started last year he averaged 11.1 pts, 6.3 assists, and 4 rebounds. He did turn the ball over 3 times per game, but he is a 22 year old pass first point guard with potential. The pick that the Warriors traded doesn't affect them for a few seasons so hopefully by then they will be a perennial playoff team. Also, if this year's draft was any indication, it doesn't take too much to obtain a late first round pick. (I believe the Hornets and Nuggets traded their first rounders for cash) Overall I see it as a low risk/high reward deal for the Warriors.

Kelenna Azubuike
I wanted the Warriors to match, but I wasn't devastated when there were reports saying the Warriors reached an agreement with Maurice Evans, virtually ending any chance the Azubuike offer sheet would be matched. However, when Evans backed out and wanted more money, I'm glad Mullin just decided to match Azubuike's offer sheet. Azubuike and Evans are similar players, but Azubuike is 5 years younger and has bigger guns. Haha.

Monta Ellis
I expected the Warriors to sign Monta for at least Kevin Martin money 5/55, so I was happy when I heard the agreement was for 6/67. Now that he got paid, don't expect to see any more posts about me meeting Monta at an autograph signing. I can pretty much guarantee he doesn't do any signings this year.

In an earlier interview Nelson said something like "Monta fell in love with the tattoo lady" over the summer and got like 10 new tattoos. Here are some pictures.

All I can say is Wow.

Speaking of Monta, I really dislike Ralph Barbieri. He keeps saying things like, "It's Monta's team now. I've been driving the Monta Ellis bandwagon for the past two years! I've been saying it's going to be Monta's team, but nooooooooooo people scoffed." Ralph, shut up. Seriously. He acts like he was the only person that knew Monta was going to be good. Whatever. He shows his lack of knowledge about sports, especially basketball on a daily basis. Last week he showed he didn't know the difference between the mid level exception and the trade exemption. He said that Ray Ratto was wrong in his column today because Ratto wrote about how Monta had no other offers. It never crossed his mind to think about salary situations and the fact that he's a restricted free agent. Teams, other than Memphis who have Mayo, don't have the cap room to offer Monta a lucrative offer, and teams that are over the cap aren't going to offer Monta their mid level exception because firstly Monta wouldn't sign it, and secondly, the Warriors would match without hesitation. I want to call KNBR and tell Ralph how I feel, but he'd just get mad and call me a jerk off like he usually does to critical callers.

Hopefully Biedrins resigns soon. There are reports that a Euro team is interested in him. I'm hoping that Biedrins' camp is just using that as leverage to get more money from the Warriors. That's what I thought Josh Childress was doing, but I was way off on that one so who knows.

2008-05-27T23:21:00.000-07:00

The eBay scam

I've been in the market for a new laptop since my 17" monster is impractical because of transportation reasons and the insufficient battery life. I've been watching a lot of auctions on eBay looking around for the best deal.

A few days ago I came across what I felt was a great deal. The specs of the laptop were everything I wanted, plus more (Blu ray, 250 GB HD, etc.) In the auction information there was a notice informing potential bidders to email the address given in the listing before bidding for a low "buy it now" offer. Interested, I sent the email. I received a prompt reply telling me that the price was $900 and told me to email me back if I was still interested. The email also said that we should go through Paypal so that both the seller and I were protected from any sort of fraud. Everything pointed to a legit transaction.

I then went to the Sony website and built the laptop I was interested in with the same specs and upgrades. The total came out to $1800+ before tax and shipping. This is when I began to get skeptical. Why would someone sell a $2,000 laptop for $900? Was it stolen? A scam? Or just a really great deal? I wanted to do more research.

I placed a bid on the computer, a small bid, so that I could access the seller's information (Name, location, etc.) I learned that his name was Tyler Bauman from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Tyler Bauman, eh? The name linked to the emails I had been receiving was from a Sarah Parker. I decided that I was not going to go through with the transaction, but wanted to go along with what the seller wanted me to do just out of curiosity.

I was told to give my name and shipping address so that he or she (I don't even know) can inform eBay of our transaction and that I would be receiving an invoice from eBay shortly. I did receive an email that did resemble an invoice that was sent from eBay's Standard Purchase Protection Program. I looked this program up since I never heard of it and found that this program was ended by eBay in January 2007. The directions were for me to pay for the laptop through Western Union Money Transfer when the auction listing says "Paypal Preferred." Paypal offers protection to buyers for up to $2,000. Going through Western Union Money Transfer would void my protection. Also attached to this email was a NEW name, Diane Preston with an address in London!

So I have three different names with addresses in two different countries. I informed the seller that I would not be paying for this item and to his/her dismay, threatened to leave me a negative feedback. I then responded saying that the threat is ridiculous since I never officially won an auction according to eBay so there is no way of leaving feedback, plus eBay just instituted a new policy in which sellers are no longer able to leave buyers negative feedback.

The result: No response from the seller and I am still in the market for a new laptop. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that a good deal comes my way!

Face Guarding

I can't stand playing against people that don't know the rules. I'm not one to call three seconds or hand checks or anything like that, but there was this one guy who was face guarding me. I told him that you can't face guard, and of course him being an ignorant basketball fan told me that you can do whatever you want as long as you don't touch the person. We argued, he thought he was right, I KNEW I was right, so I ended the game with two quick 3's and left the gym somewhat laughing at his ignorance, but glad I was able to stick a couple 20 footers in his face to end the game.

In the slightest chance that that dude is reading:

Face guarding has been illegal in all levels of basketball since 1913. In the rule books, face guarding is found under “Unsportsmanlike Acts,” and a technical foul is supposed to be assessed for it. Face guarding is explicitly mentioned in the high school rule book, the NCAA rule book, the FIBA rule book, and the NBA rule book. Face guarding is and always has been illegal in all levels of basketball, from high school, to college to the pros.

I guess your ignorance is acceptable since the highest level of organized basketball you probably played was Boys and Girls Club on those 7 foot hoops where the only burn you ever got was because the rules stated that all players must play.

Yes, I'm mad. Lol.

24

I'm going to playing in a basketball tournament this weekend in Santa Barbara with the Original Six (Steven, Steven, Scott, Grant, and Mick. It's the first time I've played with them since 8th grade because of high school basketball so it should be fun.

We had to get uniforms to play in so we got to choose our number. I chose number 24 after my favorite athlete, Ken Griffey Jr. Jill then reminded me that Kobe is number 24. God, that's all bad. It gets even worse. Most of my basketball shoes are Kobe's so I can't wear Kobe shoes with Kobe's number because it will look like I'm an adultery supporter or something. Now, I'm in the market for some new basketball shoes as well.

I have a hater...

Here is a comment I received since my last entry:

"just because somebody writes differently doesnt mean that they werent educated! thats kinda a bitch thing to say! monta ellis could have gone to college and probably would have made some money someplace else but hes got some skill. your just jealous of him. get over yourself wanna be basketball player. dont diss monta just cause he has more money than you. just because hes a second round pick doesnt mean shit! he could have been sixth or even eigth if thats even possible. look at him now!!!! hes a BEAST!!!! hes going to be the next MICHAEL JORDAN!!!! LOOK OUT CUZ MONTA ELLIS IS COMING!!"

I don't even know what to say to this. It gave me a pretty good laugh.

Aggie Baseball

The Aggies are in the playoffs this weekend at Sunken Diamond. I wish I could go. Look out for my boy Ty Kelly. He's doing big things.

2008-02-21T12:36:00.000-08:00

I'm exhausted. Last night I read a book called An Unquiet Mind (I don't see an underline tool, oh well) for my abnormal psychology class. 219 pages! Yeah I know, that isn't that many pages considering some of you crazy people pick up the new Harry Potter book at midnight and finish it before the sun rises. This is the first time in a long time, if ever, I've read a book cover to cover. It's sad, but Spark Notes really did get me through IB English.

I woke up this morning with no classes to go to. Thursdays are usually my stress-free, kick back and watch some NBA on TNT days, but today was an exception. I decided to wake up early and get some studying done. I set up a schedule of things I have accomplish each day to be ready for my midterm next week, so I had to wake up early and get things done especially since I'm going to the Warriors game tomorrow and might not be able to finish studying what I have planned tomorrow. Here I was at 9am staring at my abnormal psychology text book. My eyes were going crazy on me with some of the letters popping off the page and the paper shining as if I was looking straight at the sun. My eyes were probably still tired from all the reading last night. I guess it's like playing a day game after a night game. Oh well, I'll just pop a couple of greenies, take a shot of B12 and Lidocaine and I should be good to go. But then again, I might misremember everything for my midterm...

CP3
Before the season started i wrote an entry about Chris Paul and the odds that sportsbook.com gave him to win MVP. If I recall, the odds were 25:1. This only caught my attention because the odds for Baron to win MVP was 60:1 and thought it was ridiculous that oddsmakers thought CP3 had a over a 2x greater chance of winning MVP than Baron. I even went on to say that I think that Chris Paul is starting to be overrated. Boy was I wrong. In my opinion, he is the best point guard in the league. Yes, even better than Nash and Baron.

This got me thinking, who are some of the most overrated players in the NBA?

The List

Jason Kidd
I know my boys Scott Neishi and Kyle Smith aren't going to like this, but he is no longer a top 5 point guard in this league. I know he almost averages a triple double, but still...he is not that good. He is a good passer, he is a good rebounder, pretty good defender, but his 11.3 ppg on 36.8% shooting just doesn't cut it. You can't be considered one of the top point guards in the league with a shooting percentage like that and to anybody that says his passing makes up for it, it doesn't. How can somebody that handles the ball that much and shoots a percentage that low not be a detriment to the team?

The trade: I understand them trying to shake up their roster because they were not going to win a title with what they had, but it's how much they gave up for him that is shocking to me. They gave up Devin Harris, and if you guys know me then you know I'm the biggest Devin Harris hater there is, but he was still pretty solid and young. He could keep up with the guards of the West like Tony Parker, Leandro Barbosa, and, and Monta Ellis, albeit my flopping, but i guess it's better to get in the way rather than have them blowing by you. Diop, they're backup center. Ager, their first round pick two years ago, and then two additional first round picks. All of that for an aging point guard that I don't think makes them any better than other teams in the West.

Rashard Lewis
Yes, he benefited from being the best player in a thin free agent market, but still, 118 million over 6 years for a 6'10" 3-point shooter that averages 18.3 pointts and 5.1 rebounds/game? In the least three years of his contract he will be making 20.5, 22.1, and 23.8 million dollars, respectively. I don't know if he is the most overrated player by NBA fans, but definitely by the Orlando Magic front office.

Shawn Marion
When you watch a Miami Heat game, just watch him. It makes me laugh when I watch him play and think that he wanted more respect and recognition. Watch him on the perimeter, he'll dribble a couple times, maybe even go through the legs acting as if he is going to take it to the hole, just to pass it back out. Can he dunk? Yes. Is he a good defender? Yes. Can he create his own shot? Nope. Was he the MVP of the Suns while Nash was the MVP of the league like he said in his ESPN article? Give me a break.

Other players: Vince Carter, Ben Gordon (turning down that 60 million is going to bite him in the ass), Michael Redd

Other thoughts
- Trade deadline: Mullin, please don't mortgage the future, especially Brandan Wright
- Verizon signings: I saw Biedrins and Azubuike and got their autographs on a team ball that I'm working on. Verizon signings are garbage because they don't allow pictures with players. I would post the pictures that I did take, but it's not even worth it.
- How do you lose to Indiana, Minnesota, and the Bulls without Deng, Gordon, and Hinrich at home and then go out and beat the Celtics without Stack Jack? Booooom baby!
- Warriors/Hawks tomorrow. My two favorite teams going at it, with the Hawks being a DISTANT second favorite. I should hate them though because whenever I bet on them, they screw me, and whenever I bet against them, they screw me.

Man, that was a long one...

2008-01-14T13:43:00.000-08:00

Booooooooooo!

Well wasn't last night's game just the epitome of the Warriors season thus far? An incredibly slow beginning to come roaring back led by the blur that is known as Monta Ellis. Is there any doubt he's the fastest player in the league? Leandro Barbosa? Ha! Give me a break!

This guy is amazing. I can't believe there are so many people out there that are willing to give this guy up any time a big name appears in the Rumor Mill. The latest example being Michael Redd. Michael Redd? Are you kidding? Yeah, he can shoot, but what else can he do? He isn't above average in any other facet of the game. Throw in their age difference and the fact that Redd is due 51+ million over the next 3 years, I think I'll pass.

Back to the game...if you were at the game, would you have booed Dunleavy? I guess I'm in the minority here after watching the game, but I wouldn't have. He was terrible with the Warriors. There's no doubt about that, but what are the reasons we hated the guy so much?

1. "Underachiever" He was drafted 3rd overall and was slated to be the second coming of Larry Bird. There lies problem number one. Unrealistic expectations. He was just never good enough to warrant the 3rd pick in the draft, but is that his fault? Dunleavy didn't choose to be drafted that high, the Warriors did. Therefore, it's Garry St. Jean who we should all boo, correct?

2. Contract. His production did not warrant his huge contract. Dunleavy had a couple of games that made all Warriors fans ponder the thought, "Why can't this guy do this every night?" Mullin saw the potential and thought 5 years/44 million was his fair market value in comparison to the 5 year/47 million dollar contract Tayshaun Prince signed just a few hours prior. Again, is it Dunleavy's fault that Mullin probably had a setback in his battle against alcoholism when he offered Dunleavy the contract? (Mullin must've right? Who in their right mind would give this guy 44 million?) Mullin should be booed.

Why boo Dunleavy? Because he was bad? Latrell Sprewell should get booed. Chris Webber should get booed. A player should get booed if he did something wrong like Sprewell or if the player doesn't give it his all, but because they suck? Hell if that were the case Warriors fans would be booing all season long every time an ex-Warrior makes an appearance. When Larry Hughes comes back to Oakland, how come people don't boo him? In many ways he was like Dunleavy. High expectations, with flashes of excellence just to be let down once again. See www.heylarryhughespleasestoptakingsomanybadshots.com

Who knows. Maybe I just have a little less hatred towards Dunleavy than I used to because of how the trade worked out.

2008-01-11T11:12:00.000-08:00

9-0
It's unbelievable how good the Western Conference is. There are 10 legitimate teams vying for 8 spots. The two teams that don't make it to the playoffs, whether it be Houston, Utah, Portland, the Warriors, or some other team, could be the 3rd, but no worse than the 4th best team in the Eastern Conference. To put it into perspective, the 4th seed Washington Wizards would be 11th in the West. Amazing. With that said, are the Warriors going to make the playoffs?

The Warriors just finished one of their toughest portions of the season playing the likes of Denver twice, Houston, Dallas, New Orleans, San Antonio and Portland going 3-4 in that stretch. They are currently 20-16 and the 8th seed in the Conference, but with their upcoming schedule, it's time to start passing some teams. I'm going to predict that the Warriors are going to win their next 9 games. Wait, what?? 9 game winning streak??

Yeah, I said it. Look who the Warriors play in their next 9 games:

vs. Memphis
vs. Indiana
@ Minnesota
@ Indiana
@ Chicago
@ Milwaukee
vs. Minnesota
vs. New Jersey
vs. New York

@Minnesota through @ Milwaukee is 4 games in 5 nights on the road, but if the Warriors are going to make the playoffs, they have to beat the teams that they should beat. Anything less than 7-2 during this stretch is a failure in my opinion.

After the Warriors close out January against Houston and New Orleans, they only have ONE road game in the month of February. It's time to clean up against these weak Eastern Conference teams and take care of business at home so they can put some distance between themselves and the 8th seed.

Sportsbook
I've stopped betting on sports for the time being. No, it's not because I was losing money. Actually, I was in the midst of a 15-4 hot streak.

So why am i quitting then?

I just feel like I need to concentrate on school right now. When I bet on games I would spend too much time analyzing each game to help make my picks for the day. Although i feel like I'm pretty good at capping the NBA, I just don't feel like it's worth the time right now when I need to be getting better grades. However, feel free to ask for my opinion about any games you're thinking about.

Any bets on the over/under of days my abstaining from betting lasts? :P

Monta Ellis Signing Part Deux

2008-01-05T22:39:00.000-08:00

Monta Ellis signing at T-Mobile in Oakland
- Jill and I waited in line for 3 hours (at least we got to wait inside while others behind us had to wait outside in the rain).
- We walk up to get his autograph on our 16x20s and he gives me the hip-hop handshake.
- I lay the 16x20 on the table and he chuckles at it...
- Me: "You should've won MVP of that game" (it is a picture of him dunking in the Rookie All Star game).
- Monta: "Yuup. That's what I was thinking."

You can tell in the picture I'm nervous and a little star-struck.

Here's how Jill experienced the day. It's probably a lot more interesting to read than what I just wrote.

So... Second time meeting Monta Ellis. I can't believe how nervous I was!! I went up there with Scott and I was all fidgety, it was pretty embarrassing. Then the 106kmel lady asked if we wanted a picture with Monta for their website (of course we did!). I doubt that it'll come out to be a good picture, but whatever... Anyway, here comes the good part. Scott wanted to stick around to take more pictures of him, so I just stood there, with nothing else to do but stare at Monta. But that was okay. He smiled at me! So I smiled back : ) Then a little later he gave me a little wave. So I shyly waved back... I felt silly. I was definitely starstruck. He obviously knew it. But who cares! That just made this second time a looot better than the first. Three hours of waiting for him was so worth it.

Matt Barnes signing on Saturday. Still thinking about whether I'm going or not...

Aaron Rowand

2007-12-12T23:02:00.001-08:00

A lot of people have been asking me what I thought about the Aaron Rowand signing. Honestly, it doesn't get me excited, but I don't object to it like others do either. People have been saying that Sabean has lost it, he has no idea what he's doing, and that Rowand isn't worth the 5 year/60 million dollar contract that the Giants gave him.

The question I have for those people is who IS worth the money that GMs are handing out? Here is a list of some of the contracts that were given out in the past couple of years:

- Gil Meche: 5 years/55 million
- Ted Lilly: 4 years/40 million
- AJ Burnett: 5 years/55 million
- Jeff Suppan: 4 years/42 million
- Jason Marquis: 3 years/21 million
- Miguel Batista: 3 years/25 million
- Jason Schmidt: 3 years/46 million

But those are all pitchers...

Well here are some position players:
- JD Drew: 5 years/55 million
- Gary Matthews Jr: 5 years/50 million
- Vernon Wells: 7 years/126 million
- Juan Pierre: 5 years/44 million
- Julio Lugo: 4 years/36 million
- Andruw Jones: 2 years/36 million

What does this all mean? Check the production of these players last year. Are any of them worth the money that they are getting? The fact of the matter is is that the outrageous contracts that players are getting are no longer outrageous. 10 million/year now is not what 10 million was say 5 years ago. Coming off a career year when Rowand made the all star team and won a Gold Glove, isn't he just getting his fair market value?

Another argument against the signing is that Aaron Rowand just isn't that good. People have said that Citizens Bank Park had a large influence on Rowand's production. I'm not denying this at all; I don't expect him to put up the same .309 BA /27 HRs/ 89 RBI from a year ago.

I don't object to this signing because the Giants finally did SOMETHING!

For those bashing the contract, what was Sabean supposed to do with the small remaining free agent pool and minimal trade possibilities? Did you really want the Giants to go into Spring Training with a lineup looking like this:

Outfield: Davis, Roberts, Winn
Infield: Frandsen, Vizquel, Durham, Aurilia, and Molina behind the dish

...with Schierholtz, Lewis, and Ortmeier possibly being in there somewhere.

That lineup would definitely be the worst in the league. I'm not saying that Rowand is going to be the answer for the Giants offensive woes, but he is a piece. Add a free agent hitter or two next year (i.e. Vladimir Guerrero *crosses fingers*) while maintaining the pitching staff headed by Lincecum and Cain, and the Giants could start to turn things around. Remember, Angel Villalona will be on the 40 man roster before we know it!

There isn't a quick fix for this offense. It's a long process especially because of their lack of talented position player prospects. Even if A-Rod were in this lineup the offense would be putrid, so obviously Rowand is not going to be the answer either. However, he is a decent piece in the start of the rebuilding mode of this franchise, and they got him at fair market value.

Boom Dizzle > D-Whistle

2007-12-08T03:20:00.000-08:00

I became jealous of my brother and my parents. They've attended a Warriors game already this year while I have been stuck with NBA League Pass. There is nothing wrong with that, but I've been having withdrawals since Brad and I attended Game 6 in the playoffs against Dallas. I needed to feel the atmosphere of The Roaracle. Like Damon Bruce said on KNBR, there isn't more bang for your buck in professional sports right now than Warriors basketball.

So what did I do? I bought tickets for the Warriors/Heat game off eBay. I was kind of pissed because I bid on another pair of tickets earlier, but I ended up losing to some damn sniper. They were in the upper level since I didn't want to give season ticket holders the satisfaction of gouging me in the lower level. What is up with that anyway? I understand that people can't make it to all of the games because of other priorities and whatnot, but why do you have to charge me up the ass for your tickets? Just sell them at face value to get them off your hands. But no, people insist on making a profit. Actually now that I think about it, I think, check that, I KNOW I would be trying to maximize profits as well. Nevermind. Who am I trying to kid...

Anyways, I ended up getting very similar tickets to the auction I lost for a cheaper price, so it all worked out. However, it didn't even matter where my tickets were because my brother ended up going to the game and he was in a luxury box. At halftime, he brought Jill and I a couple of tickets to witness the amazing 4th quarter comeback with complimentary beer and hot wings in hand. Thanks Brad for coming through in the clutch kind of like Baron, and Monta, and Harrington, and 'Buike, hell pretty much everyone was huge in the 4th except Troy Hudson. He shouldn't be allowed to suit up. T-Hud, if you want to help the team, the only way to do that is for you to be in street clothes on the bench. Sorry, you're just that bad.

Boom Dizzle, Stack Jack, and Mississippi Bullet were so happy after the incredible 4th quarter comeback win that they decided to get in the Christmas spirit and dance with me. Click here to watch.

DPOY

2007-12-01T22:42:00.000-08:00

Some have asked why I don't write about the Warriors like I did last year. The answer is is that I have. I have started writing about 5 times, most of them along the lines of "It's still early in the season, just wait for Jackson to come back" and "Pat Kelly doesn't know what he's talking about. There is no way the Lakers and/or Clippers are better than the Warriors." (Just kidding Pat; I know you know what you're talking about, however I'd like to get your thoughts about the Warriors playoff chances now)

Here it goes...

Stack Jack = DPOY

It may sound ridiculous, but I think that Stephen Jackson has to be at least mentioned for the Defensive Player of the Year award. I know the award usually goes to a big rebounding/shot blocker type like Marcus Camby, Ben Wallace, Dikembe Mutumbo, Alonzo Mourning, Hakeem Olajuwon, or David Robinson with Ron Artest and Gary Payton being the only exceptions in the last 15 years.

Jackson doesn't dominate the glass like Dwight Howard, get the steals like Chris Paul, or block shots like Josh Smith (Jackson's stats: 5.6/1.8/0.8, respectively). The stats aren't there, how can he even be considered?

Those stats might not be there, but HERE are some stats:

Since his return he has pretty much shut down the opponents' best player.

- Chris Bosh: 4-12 from the field, 10 points (Please don't tell me Jack didn't guard Bosh like some others have told me because that just proves your lack of knowledge)
- Shawn Marion: 5-14 from the field, 10 points
- Ron Artest: 7-24 from the field, 21 points
- Tracy McGrady: 5-14 from the field, 11 points

...with Andre Iguodala, Caron Butler, and Ray Allen having average nights.

I didn't mention the Knicks because honestly, there is nobody even worth mentioning on that team.

But how can the DPOY come from a team that allows 108.6 points/game?

During Jackson's suspension the Warriors were giving up a league worst (by a large margin) 116.3 points per game on 49.5% shooting. Since his return opponents have averaged 100.5 on 44% shooting, which would put them 13th in the league in defense. The first 7 games the Warriors averaged 6.5 steals/game, since his return they've averaged 10.1

How big of a difference is that? I'd say the difference between their 1-6 start and their recent 7-1 run. DPOY? The hell with that, Stack Jack for MVP! Haha. David $tern would shit a brick if that ever happened. Check that, he would NEVER let that happen.

Looking forward to Jack dominating that rook from Texas tomorrow...

EDIT: Kevin Durant: 2-12 from the field, 6 points

EDIT: Stephen Jackson has been named Western Conference Player of the Week

2007-11-16T12:26:00.000-08:00

1-6. Please?
I guaranteed a win last game against Detroit. I thought they would run them out of the gym like they did against them last year beating them by 20+ both meetings. I was looking pretty good on my guarantee for the first 24 minutes, but then Detroit throws a zone at the Warriors and then they decide to put up a 3 EVERY possession. I understand that's their style of play, but damn, can I get a cutter every once in a while? Some dribble penetration? (I had to add the dribble in there just in case there is a smart-ass Phil Jackson type reading ready to make a Brokeback Mountain reference).

What's up with Biedrins this year? All of the sudden he can't catch the ball? He better step his game up if he wants those stacks once the offseason comes. If Biedrins wants that Chris Kaman money, he better not let Kaman dominate tonight like he has been all season.

Stack Jack comes back from his suspension on Sunday in Toronto. FINALLY. A lot of people have been saying that they don't think he will make much difference when he comes back. I disagree. He is their second best playmaker, another threat from outside, and maybe their best defender. I read somewhere online where someone wrote, "These ain't the confident, cocky-ass bastards I knew last season!" That's completely true. Jackson gives them that toughness, that intensity, and most importantly, that swagger. Once they get that swag back, 8th seed here they come!

J-Rich Player Exclusives
For my birthday Jill bought me some game used J-Rich shoes. Sweeet! I'm too lazy to take pictures so here is one from the eBay listing. Size 15.5!

Maybe he's lacing up the exact ones I have!

The plan is to take them to a Warriors/Bobcats or Kings/Bobcats game to try to get them signed. That would be pretty sweet.

Here are a couple of pictures of J-Rich game used autographed rookie PEs that I got last year.

On a mission to find some AF25s now.

2007-11-07T17:45:00.001-08:00

0-4

The Mavericks started out 0-4 last year and went on to win 67 games, so there is still hope!

2007-10-15T12:25:00.000-07:00

MVP

The odds according to Sportsbook.com for Chris Paul to win the MVP is 25-1. Okay, looking further into the other odds I see Baron Davis' name. Guess what the odds are for Baron to win MVP? 60-1. Are you serious? Chris Paul has more than a 2x greater chance to win MVP than Baron? Wow. To put this in perspective, the odds for Mike Bibby to win MVP is ALSO 60-1. Mike Freakin Bibby. No respect at all. I understand Baron has an injury-prone track record blah blah blah, but still. The same odds as Mike Bibby?

I'm starting to think that Chris Paul is overrated. Don't get me wrong, he's good, but 25-1 when Baron is at 60-1? They might as well give him the cover of NBA 2k8 or something. Oh wait, they already did.

Possible Wagers

I don't usually like placing "future" bets just because it isn't a same-day payout. I would have to wait all year to win or lose my money. However, the Over/Under for team wins has been posted and here are some of the lines that interest me.

Washington Wizards O/U 39.5
At first when I saw this I thought over for sure. They won 41 games last year, but were hit by injuries to Caron Butler and Arenas late in the season. Arenas seems to be healthy after his knee surgery so I would think that they would be poised for at least a .500 season right? I would think so, not to mention that both Arenas and Jamison are in contract years. The Eastern Conference has gotten a little bit better though with KG switching conferences along with other teams getting some new key pieces like Rashard Lewis in Orlando and my boy J-Rich in Charlotte.

Los Angeles Lakers O/U 44.5
The Western Conference is only getting stronger and they haven't done anything to improve their roster coming off their 42 win campaign, although Smush Parker leaving could be seen as addition by subtraction. They were killed with injuries last year, but I don't really think Chris Mihm and Kwame Brown being healthy for a whole year will affect much. Lamar Odom, well he's Odom. If this year is anything like the last couple years, he'll play well when healthy, but will miss a significant portion of the season. Although I hate the Lakers and don't think they're going to win 45 games, it's hard for me to bet against Kobe.

New Orleans Hornets O/U 37.5
A healthy Chris Paul and Peja Stojakovic with David West and Tyson Chandler seems like a team that has a legitimate shot at making the playoffs and I don't see the 8th seed being any lower than .500. They were also on a ridiculous run last year fighting for the last playoff spot with the Clippers and Warriors. Will the success carry over?

Seattle Sonics O/U 27.5
I told my dad the other day that I don't see Seattle winning much more than 20 games this year so when I saw the Over/Under of 27.5, it caught my eye. The team, to say the least is garbage. My guess is that there starting lineup will look like this:

PG: Luke Ridnour
SG: Kevin Durant
SF: Jeff Green
PF: Chris Wilcox
C: Robert Swift

...with Earl Watson, Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, and Nick Collison being their main bench players. To me, especially in the Western Conference, I don't see how that roster can win 28 games. Even with Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis they only won 31 games. Memphis is better, the Kings (unfortunately) will probably be better, and Portland will be better. With the exception of Minnesota, there won't be any easy nights in the Western Conference for Seattle. Under 28 wins, book it.

What do you guys think about these lines? Should I put some money on any of these?

Edit: I just read John Hollinger's prediciton on ESPN.com for the Wizards and he has them at 33 wins and the Sonics at 35 wins. He also added, "If [the Sonics} get really lucky in close games, they might even slip into the No. 8 spot." Wow, I just lost all respect for his opinions. Get lucky and make the playoffs? I guess if getting lucky consists of Baron Davis getting killed by a Stephen Jackson bullet, Kobe deciding to have sex with more white girls and gets thrown in the slammer, and Chris Paul's career being over because he has gone blind from playing too much of his 2k8 game, then MAYBE they have an OUTSIDE shot at making the playoffs. I guess they let anybody write for ESPN nowadays.

ScottMizuno.com

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Andray Blatche > Ricky Davis

What. A. Game.

.000

It's Baseball Season!

A Post for Steven Pocoroba

Freshwater

Monta > LeBron

Reggie Williams

Nine Years of Misery

Travel

One and One

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Rookie Project Update

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Sorry Kings Fans

Get Ahead

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YUNGBUCK3

Reflective

Durantula

A Season Ticket Holder's Perspective

J-Hey Kid

Fantasy Baseball

Prince Fielder on the Cheeseburger Diet

UC Davis in ESPN The Magazine

Prince Fielder Speaks

Baseball is Back!

Off the Top

Oh my

Tyreke Evans Signing

Charlotte Observer: Stephen Curry not done growing?

Stephen Curry Signing

"We Want T-Mac!"

Ughhh

It's a Great Time Out. Not!

Steph Curry Update

Happy Pitchers & Catchers Day!

No Worry, Steph Curry

Monta Ellis Signing Part Deux

Aaron Rowand

Boom Dizzle > D-Whistle

DPOY