- 03:47 PM
- 05/19/12
| Member since: | January 29, 2002 |
|---|---|
| Last visit: | May 02, 2012 |
jeremias has posted 5 links and 44 comments to SportsFilter and 0 links and 0 comments to the Locker Room.
Boston Red Sox off to worst start since World War II: This might not be such a big deal but it comes after an off-season where the team owners came in third in the league for payroll ($160 million). Some of that hefty payroll is heading into prize free agents Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford's pockets. These two additions led many to anoint the Sox as favorites to win 100 games and/or the World Series. So are they feeling the pressure? Are their high paid pitchers too fat and happy? Or maybe they just need a boost from good old Fenway Park where they have their first home game of the season on Friday against old pals: the New York Yankees.
posted by jeremias to baseball at 06:46 PM on April 07 - 29 comments
Dock Ellis & the LSD No No: Somewhere in the archives of Sportsfilter must be some mention of June 1970 when Dock Ellis threw a no-hitter while under the influence of LSD. Even if you know the story, this is a great 4:30 animated recounting of the feat.
posted by jeremias to baseball at 04:51 PM on November 13 - 7 comments
Rasheed Wallace wants to be a team player in Boston next season.: In what will be an interesting test of chemistry, the Celtics will have Rasheed Wallace on the floor for them next season. Does this create a Fantastic Four? A permanent sub for Kevin Garnett? What is undeniable are the stats. The Celts had two of the top 30 3-point shooters last season (House and Allen), a top 20 scoring leader (Pierce) a top 20 rebounder (Garnett when he's healthy) a top 10 assist and steals leader (Rondo). So how will Wallace fit in? His famous temper aside, is his body simply breaking down, and is this why the Celts could get him for roughly $8mil less than his last year in Detroit?
posted by jeremias to basketball at 07:02 PM on July 19 - 4 comments
Michael Jord . . .ahh, forget it.: Yeah, he's coming back, but more importantly, the Jerry Stackhouse trade slipped by me. Reading this story you have to wonder if Jordan has taken his game to a different level, it seems that there's been a real push to clear the salary cap for next year. So what's going on?
posted by jeremias to basketball at 10:06 PM on September 26 - 0 comments
Instant Replay In the NBA?: It's an ESPN link but the idea of more stoppages during a b-ball game sends shudders down my spine. If there was a way to make me watch less pro basketball this would be it.
posted by jeremias to basketball at 08:12 AM on April 30 - 5 comments
grum, your jeremiad was lindefensible.
posted by jeremias at 08:04 PM on February 22
I watched most of this game and I'm no Knick fan, when Kobe got dialed in during the second half, I thought it was all over. As trite as it comes off in the media reports, it really did feel like a battle between Lin and Kobe in the fourth quarter. I kept thinking to myself "Kobe is not going to let Lin be the highest scorer". The fact that Lin could make those clutch plays and passes is remarkable. It was the most exciting pro basketball I've seen in quite a while.
Nate Silver from 538, ran a great statistical piece on Lin a few days ago. In the last 25 years only 41 players have scored at least 20 points, had at least six assists and shot 50 percent over a period of four consecutive N.B.A. regular season games. (I don't know what his shot % was in the Minnesota, but he scored 20 and had 8 assists).
About a dozen of those players were "All-time greats", and the rest are then broken down into "Franchise Players", "All Stars", "Above-Average Players", etc.
Only 3 of those 41 could be considered "Mediocre" players, meaning their stats were a fluke. Silver's conclusion is that Lin is highly unlikely to be in that category.
posted by jeremias at 03:28 PM on February 12
Yeah, and why? It makes no sense to me. Of course when they had the downs and the time on the clock, they went for the touchdown, but why were they (apparently) taken by surprise and flustered when they ended up in a field goal situation? Makes no sense.
This Slate article attempts to break it all down, blame the scoreboard!
posted by jeremias at 10:47 PM on January 23
"According to TMZ.com, two Ravens players said that Cundiff was being yelled at by coaches immediately prior to missing the 32-yard kick that essentially ended Baltimore's season."
Yes, Cundiff pooched the kick, but some of the blame should fall upon the Ravens coaching staff.Seems *they* were distracted after those last two plays fell apart and were not looking far enough ahead. Whatever the case may be, the kick was rushed and a time-out should have been called.
There have also been reports here on Boston sports radio that Belichick observed the confusion and the rush to get the kick off and let it happen rather than calling a time-out (in an attempt to "ice" the kicker). If so, then those coaching decisions count for something.
posted by jeremias at 09:09 PM on January 23
I know there's two very important games to go before I start thinking this way: but a Giants v. Patriots rematch of Superbowl 42 is NBC's wet dream.
posted by jeremias at 02:10 PM on January 16
This seems very appropriate at the moment.
posted by jeremias at 10:22 PM on January 14
End of 2nd quarter and SF is doing everything they can to let New Orleans back in.
posted by jeremias at 05:58 PM on January 14
Yeah, end of 2nd quarter and SF is doing everything they can to let New Orleans back in.
posted by jeremias at 05:57 PM on January 14
>>The Pats currently do not have enough veteran leadership in the locker room to allow them to keep taking on unwanted high baggage players and spinning them into valuable contributors.
>What did I miss? What is Ochocinco doing that makes him a high baggage player. Haynesworth is notorious, but I don't recall Ocho doing anything that should put him in that league (or even remotely close to that league).
Well, it's true Ochocinco isn't high baggage in terms of having a negative attitude or bringing down the team morale, but he's expensive baggage. He is way overpaid considering his lack of production. Tom Brady is throwing away valuable downs whenever Ochocinco is being targeted and misses a route or drops the ball. I think I saw that 4 or 5 times in the Giants game. It feels a bit like Randy Moss toward the end without all the sideline and locker room drama.
posted by jeremias at 08:45 PM on November 08
Well yes, sloppy on both sides though. Some of those errors in the middle of the game by the Cardinals were ridiculous and if they had lost we could be talking about them.
I have no dog in this fight, but I watched nearly every minute of that game and it will have to rank up there as one of the most exciting I've ever seen. I can't imagine would it would have felt like if I was either a Rangers or Cardinals fan.
posted by jeremias at 07:32 AM on October 28
Whether he is out or not, my guess is the main issues have to do with the questions of collaboration on the part of Tito and the management. Take, for example, John Lackey and Carl Crawford. The two most glaring examples of high paid and under performing players. It seems pretty clear that in Lackey's case that Francona never wanted him and/or thought that his effect on the clubhouse was not worth his pitching. In Crawford's case it's not even clear that *Theo* wanted him on the team, he never really fit in the lineup and the rumors are that the owners wanted a high profile name to help boost ratings or at least to show fans that they were doing something.
So it seems like Francona was not on board with these decisions yet was forced to manage the outcome. That's got to be a crappy situation and you could imagine that a.) If he leaves, it's because he doesn't want to deal with the long-term suck that these 2 players (and others) have brought in or b.) If he stays he will want a guarantee of greater decision-making power in the organization.
posted by jeremias at 12:55 PM on September 30
Randy Moss once made me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but he spread the jelly on first.
posted by jeremias at 09:31 PM on August 02
LeChoke is living up to his reputation. Actually I am not sure he is this bad in the playoffs or if the NBA's credibility should be called into question. I mean obviously the Heat have the talent, and in some ways they remind me (I don't believe I am going to say this) of the Lakers, (clears throat). Many times during Laker playoff runs, when they were clearly the best team, they would have games that appeared to be lost on purpose, only to later turn it on and look unbeatable with stifling defense and the ability to score at will. It appeared it was all about stretching series, building up ratings, creating drama and promoting the league.
NBA officiating is incredibly suspect and I have no problem imagining scenarios that involve David Stern pulling strings behind the scenes by choosing specific referees. However do you really think there is corruption in the ranks of players and coaches? I have a hard time believing that scenario. The NBA isn't the WWF yet.
posted by jeremias at 02:00 PM on June 08
I think it's just another effect of the 24 hour news cycle. With Espn1, 2, 3 and who knows what else, at some point they need to fill all those hours of programming with something. What better way than pseudo-comparisons of skill that allow you to play old sports clips?
posted by jeremias at 07:42 AM on May 29
Kentucky Will Face Kansas
Kentucky is playing lights out, they weren't even playing their best against Louisville and the game never felt in doubt.
This is a total cliché, but the only way they lose is if they beat themselves.