Sporting Fools
Sporting Fools
Sporting Fools
Sporting Fools
The frequent and occasional humorous musings behind two of the World's greatest underappreciated sports minds.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
NBA Playoffs, Mets, YankeesHave to make this short because I'm headed to the Rays-White Sox game and I have to hit the gym before I do that.
NBA 3-Man Weave
I'm actually going to skip LeBron because...well he's LeBron and nothing short of 40-12-9 will get him on the weave this early in the playoffs. I will say that Cleveland's victory over Detroit was very 1992 Bulls-esque. It was too easy and it could have been a 40-point victory if they wanted it to be one. So onto the weave.
Derrick Rose: This goes without saying. Only second played in league history to go 35 points, 10 assists in playoff debut and equalled the highest point total in an opening playoff game by a rookie. Just an amazing performance with with the only downfall is that he fouled out. Special mention to Joakim Noah's 11 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks. He was a presence and someone's the Celtics really never got a grasp on.
Brandon Bass: The only way to beat a team like the Spurs in the playoffs is with strong bench performances (or Kobe Bryant) and the Mavericks had several but none stood out more than Bass' 14 points and four rebounds in 18 minutes. The Spurs look all but dead without Ginobili's energy to carry them through the second half.
Yao Ming: YAO-SERS! I could have easily given this to Aaron Brooks for 27 points and seven dimes, but Houston's in-out game is focused around Yao hitting shots and that's what he did. 24 points, nine boards in 24 minutes and going 9-for-9 from the floor. This should be a competitive series but Saturday night's game was a laugher. Hey Portland, time to put Greg Oden in the starting lineup (those 15 points, five boards didn't go unnoticed by me).
Mets: I love Johan Santana, that's all I need to say.
Yankees: Remember what I saw about the new stadium and how difficult it is to win games initially? Well Cleveland has won 2-of-3 and scored 37 runs going into Sunday's finale. Here's the deal: During those first month's worth of games in the new stadium it's like an experiment for the home team and they are trying to figure out different things because the key for them is long-term success, not one series. So they have questions:
"Will the ball carry to the opposite field better than the old stadium?"
"Does the Bronx wind affect balls in straight center?"
"Will Chien-Ming Wang make it to the third inning this season?"
Anyway for the road team it's just another game in another stadium although I'm sure Eric Wedge is going to be talking to his bosses about adding some of those New Yankee Stadium dimensions at the Jake.
NBA 3-Man Weave
I'm actually going to skip LeBron because...well he's LeBron and nothing short of 40-12-9 will get him on the weave this early in the playoffs. I will say that Cleveland's victory over Detroit was very 1992 Bulls-esque. It was too easy and it could have been a 40-point victory if they wanted it to be one. So onto the weave.
Derrick Rose: This goes without saying. Only second played in league history to go 35 points, 10 assists in playoff debut and equalled the highest point total in an opening playoff game by a rookie. Just an amazing performance with with the only downfall is that he fouled out. Special mention to Joakim Noah's 11 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks. He was a presence and someone's the Celtics really never got a grasp on.
Brandon Bass: The only way to beat a team like the Spurs in the playoffs is with strong bench performances (or Kobe Bryant) and the Mavericks had several but none stood out more than Bass' 14 points and four rebounds in 18 minutes. The Spurs look all but dead without Ginobili's energy to carry them through the second half.
Yao Ming: YAO-SERS! I could have easily given this to Aaron Brooks for 27 points and seven dimes, but Houston's in-out game is focused around Yao hitting shots and that's what he did. 24 points, nine boards in 24 minutes and going 9-for-9 from the floor. This should be a competitive series but Saturday night's game was a laugher. Hey Portland, time to put Greg Oden in the starting lineup (those 15 points, five boards didn't go unnoticed by me).
Mets: I love Johan Santana, that's all I need to say.
Yankees: Remember what I saw about the new stadium and how difficult it is to win games initially? Well Cleveland has won 2-of-3 and scored 37 runs going into Sunday's finale. Here's the deal: During those first month's worth of games in the new stadium it's like an experiment for the home team and they are trying to figure out different things because the key for them is long-term success, not one series. So they have questions:
"Will the ball carry to the opposite field better than the old stadium?"
"Does the Bronx wind affect balls in straight center?"
"Will Chien-Ming Wang make it to the third inning this season?"
Anyway for the road team it's just another game in another stadium although I'm sure Eric Wedge is going to be talking to his bosses about adding some of those New Yankee Stadium dimensions at the Jake.
Labels: Baseball, LeBron James, NBA Playoffs, New York Mets, New York Yankees
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Masters & Mets......I gotta blog more, especially since my radio days have all but run out.
The Masters: Sorry to say for the golf purists who read this blog or any all-sports fan blog but the Masters began and ended when Tiger and Phil butchered the final two holes. I felt like if one or both guys posted an -11, the field would come back to them. I like Angel Cabrera, nice guy...don't care to watch him and once Phil did his "Phil favorites" at 15 and 17 and Tiger hit a tree, I turned to the Cavaliers beatdown of the Celtics.
On the good side it made for great television. I'm not a Phil Mickelson fan, at all. I think he's a smiley fake, the guy who'll smile at you during dinner while feeling up your wife's leg. But he makes great television, even more so than Tiger. And watching Phil on the front and back nine was mesmerizing along with watching Tiger keep pace but keep his distance until they were both at -10.
And thank you Augusta for giving the drama of The Masters back to us after sitting through Trevor Immelman's boring victory march last year. Now that Hootie is done pulling the strings I hope we won't have to worry about "Tiger proofing" anymore.
The Mets: Not surprised my beloved Mets lost the opener of Citi Field, it's hard to win those things. I remember a while back when the ChiSox opened New Comiskey with a 16-0 loss to Detroit. These things happen and especially when the enigmatic Mike Pelfrey on the mound. I didn't think Pelfrey was going to be effective but I didn't think he'd let Jody Gerut take him deep either.
But 3-4, I'm not worried. It's a 162 games and the Mets will win more than they lose as long as Daniel Murphy can catch those sun balls in left field. BTW, I was never a fan of dumping Duaner Sanchez but anyone who thinks the Mets made a mistake by dumping Heath Bell needs to be slapped with a frozen grouper. I don't care how he pitched last night, I don't care if he pitches well tomorrow and Thursday, he's terrible.
The irony of the night was that I read an ESPN Insider report on how the new Citi Field would lower David Wright's HR totals only to watch him hit a game-tying three-run shot last night.
The Masters: Sorry to say for the golf purists who read this blog or any all-sports fan blog but the Masters began and ended when Tiger and Phil butchered the final two holes. I felt like if one or both guys posted an -11, the field would come back to them. I like Angel Cabrera, nice guy...don't care to watch him and once Phil did his "Phil favorites" at 15 and 17 and Tiger hit a tree, I turned to the Cavaliers beatdown of the Celtics.
On the good side it made for great television. I'm not a Phil Mickelson fan, at all. I think he's a smiley fake, the guy who'll smile at you during dinner while feeling up your wife's leg. But he makes great television, even more so than Tiger. And watching Phil on the front and back nine was mesmerizing along with watching Tiger keep pace but keep his distance until they were both at -10.
And thank you Augusta for giving the drama of The Masters back to us after sitting through Trevor Immelman's boring victory march last year. Now that Hootie is done pulling the strings I hope we won't have to worry about "Tiger proofing" anymore.
The Mets: Not surprised my beloved Mets lost the opener of Citi Field, it's hard to win those things. I remember a while back when the ChiSox opened New Comiskey with a 16-0 loss to Detroit. These things happen and especially when the enigmatic Mike Pelfrey on the mound. I didn't think Pelfrey was going to be effective but I didn't think he'd let Jody Gerut take him deep either.
But 3-4, I'm not worried. It's a 162 games and the Mets will win more than they lose as long as Daniel Murphy can catch those sun balls in left field. BTW, I was never a fan of dumping Duaner Sanchez but anyone who thinks the Mets made a mistake by dumping Heath Bell needs to be slapped with a frozen grouper. I don't care how he pitched last night, I don't care if he pitches well tomorrow and Thursday, he's terrible.
The irony of the night was that I read an ESPN Insider report on how the new Citi Field would lower David Wright's HR totals only to watch him hit a game-tying three-run shot last night.
Labels: Citi Field, Golf, New York Mets, Phil Mickleson, Tiger Woods
Monday, April 06, 2009
MLB 2009 PredictionsMLB Predictions
DH League
AL East
1) Red Sox
2) Rays *
3) Yankees
4) Blue Jays
5) Orioles
I like the Red Sox rotation. It's deep and if Jon Lester is as good as he can be and John Smoltz gives them something in the second half of the season. I like the Rays more than the Yankees because the Yankees are notorious slow starters and they will deal with blocks of significant injuries. The Blue Jays might get to 75+ wins behind a monster year from Roy Halladay
AL Central
1) Indians
2) Chi White Sox
3) Royals
4) Twins
5) Tigers
Cleveland is going to have the most, but don't be surprised if Kansas City finishes above .500 and gets the tag as the next up-and-coming team.
1) Angels
2) Athletics
3) Rangers
4) Mariners
Hard to fathom anyone but L.Anaheim winning. That being said the battle for the wild card between Oakland Tampa Bay along with the AL Central squads could be exciting.
AL MVP: Grady Sizemore
AL Cy Young: Roy Halladay
Division Series: Red Sox over Angels; Rays over Indians
ALCS: Red Sox over Rays in 6
Old School League
NL East
1) Mets
2) Phillies *
3) Marlins
4) Braves
5) Nationals
The Mets have effectively made their lives much easier with the revamped bullpen. I expect the Phillies to rally in September and get the Wild Card but Cole Hamels' status is worth watching. The Marlins should be very tough in the second half of the season as the Braves tail off.
NL Central
1) Cubs
2) Reds
3) Cardinals
4) Brewers
5) Pirates
6) Astros
Tough sledding here. I like the Cubs but after that it's a pretty good logjam. The Reds can rise up to be the next best...if Aaron Harang shows the 2006 and 2007 form. Everyone else in this division is treading water.
NL West
1) Dodgers
2) Giants
3) Diamondbacks
4) Rockies
5) Padres
My guess is the Phillies will slightly edge out the Giants for the wild card slot but the Dodgers should win the west comfortably. The Padres' most interesting situation will be where they unload Jake Peavy.
NL MVP: Manny Ramirez
NL Cy Young: Johan Santana
Division Series: Mets over Dodgers; Cubs over Phillies
NLCS: Mets over Cubs in 7.
DH League
AL East
1) Red Sox
2) Rays *
3) Yankees
4) Blue Jays
5) Orioles
I like the Red Sox rotation. It's deep and if Jon Lester is as good as he can be and John Smoltz gives them something in the second half of the season. I like the Rays more than the Yankees because the Yankees are notorious slow starters and they will deal with blocks of significant injuries. The Blue Jays might get to 75+ wins behind a monster year from Roy Halladay
AL Central
1) Indians
2) Chi White Sox
3) Royals
4) Twins
5) Tigers
Cleveland is going to have the most, but don't be surprised if Kansas City finishes above .500 and gets the tag as the next up-and-coming team.
1) Angels
2) Athletics
3) Rangers
4) Mariners
Hard to fathom anyone but L.Anaheim winning. That being said the battle for the wild card between Oakland Tampa Bay along with the AL Central squads could be exciting.
AL MVP: Grady Sizemore
AL Cy Young: Roy Halladay
Division Series: Red Sox over Angels; Rays over Indians
ALCS: Red Sox over Rays in 6
Old School League
NL East
1) Mets
2) Phillies *
3) Marlins
4) Braves
5) Nationals
The Mets have effectively made their lives much easier with the revamped bullpen. I expect the Phillies to rally in September and get the Wild Card but Cole Hamels' status is worth watching. The Marlins should be very tough in the second half of the season as the Braves tail off.
NL Central
1) Cubs
2) Reds
3) Cardinals
4) Brewers
5) Pirates
6) Astros
Tough sledding here. I like the Cubs but after that it's a pretty good logjam. The Reds can rise up to be the next best...if Aaron Harang shows the 2006 and 2007 form. Everyone else in this division is treading water.
NL West
1) Dodgers
2) Giants
3) Diamondbacks
4) Rockies
5) Padres
My guess is the Phillies will slightly edge out the Giants for the wild card slot but the Dodgers should win the west comfortably. The Padres' most interesting situation will be where they unload Jake Peavy.
NL MVP: Manny Ramirez
NL Cy Young: Johan Santana
Division Series: Mets over Dodgers; Cubs over Phillies
NLCS: Mets over Cubs in 7.
Friday, April 03, 2009
Crazy Day for NYC Sporting Transactions......Gary Sheffield signs with the Mets, thus putting their clubhouse on alert for his eventual blowups.
...According to Mike Francesa the Giants released Plaxico Burress.
...According to Mike Francesa the Giants released Plaxico Burress.
Labels: Gary Sheffield, New York Giants, New York Mets, Plaxico Burress
Monday, February 16, 2009
Nice Stadium Ass ClownsHAHAHAHA
http://sportsbybrooks.com/new-yankee-stad-same-awful-obstructed-view-22313
http://sportsbybrooks.com/new-yankee-stad-same-awful-obstructed-view-22313
Labels: Baseball
Thursday, February 05, 2009
One Thing Missing From This Super Bowl.......The game was great, I wish I would have had a post-game analysis post but I didn't. Oh well it was a damn good game, not the best ever, but not "boring with a great fourth quarter" either. Somewhere in the middle -- with a great fourth quarter.
One thing that's missing from my post Super Bowl readings is the writings of the great SI personality Paul Zimmerman.
Now Dr. Z isn't for everyone, but for a football lover he put the intricacies of the game into written form better than most.
His book, "The Thinking Man's Guide to Pro Football" is probably the best ever written on the subject. [Amazon.com]
He picked the Giants to win last season...and more importantly than that he had a wide assortment of breakdowns to explain why he thought the Giants were going to pull a 24-20 upset (here, here and here)
And of course there was my annual favorite column that ripped the current NFL announcers to shreds (or complimented them if they deserved it).
And there's more -- his early prediction that Tony Romo's romantic escapades would sabotage the Cowboys among others. Dr. Z wasn't just a fan of the game, he played the game in college and at the semi-pro level and he played up front -- where the smartest football players exist.
According to his Wikipedia page the stroke that Dr. Z suffered in November has left him in real bad shape and I'm resigned to the fact that he may never write or communicate with anyone about football again. Surely SI will try to find someone that can step into his shoes but they will never be him and probably won't be allowed to do some of the daring things he's done in his life, including give every reader a look into the NFL's Hall of Fame vetting process.
So as great as Super Bowl XLIII was it has also lost a lot of luster because it missed out on the one man that could put the game in words.
One thing that's missing from my post Super Bowl readings is the writings of the great SI personality Paul Zimmerman.
Now Dr. Z isn't for everyone, but for a football lover he put the intricacies of the game into written form better than most.
His book, "The Thinking Man's Guide to Pro Football" is probably the best ever written on the subject. [Amazon.com]
He picked the Giants to win last season...and more importantly than that he had a wide assortment of breakdowns to explain why he thought the Giants were going to pull a 24-20 upset (here, here and here)
And of course there was my annual favorite column that ripped the current NFL announcers to shreds (or complimented them if they deserved it).
And there's more -- his early prediction that Tony Romo's romantic escapades would sabotage the Cowboys among others. Dr. Z wasn't just a fan of the game, he played the game in college and at the semi-pro level and he played up front -- where the smartest football players exist.
According to his Wikipedia page the stroke that Dr. Z suffered in November has left him in real bad shape and I'm resigned to the fact that he may never write or communicate with anyone about football again. Surely SI will try to find someone that can step into his shoes but they will never be him and probably won't be allowed to do some of the daring things he's done in his life, including give every reader a look into the NFL's Hall of Fame vetting process.
So as great as Super Bowl XLIII was it has also lost a lot of luster because it missed out on the one man that could put the game in words.
Labels: NFL, Super Bowl XLIII
Sunday, January 18, 2009
I'm Saying It.......it's an All-Pennsylvania Super Bowl.
At least that's what I think. I would really like to say that I believe Arizona has a great opportunity to win this game and possibly face the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII which would set up the great "former employee gets revenge on employer" storyline we all want to follow (at least all of us who track such things), but I'm not ever going to be on the "Arizona in a Super Bowl" train until it leaves the station.
Meanwhile my choice for Pittsburgh is much easier. I think Baltimore is still very much worn down from last week's and once the emotional high wears off you're going to see a very game, but very tired defense having trouble stopping Willie Parker on the second half of the 30 carries he's sure to receive.
We'll see if I'm right.
At least that's what I think. I would really like to say that I believe Arizona has a great opportunity to win this game and possibly face the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII which would set up the great "former employee gets revenge on employer" storyline we all want to follow (at least all of us who track such things), but I'm not ever going to be on the "Arizona in a Super Bowl" train until it leaves the station.
Meanwhile my choice for Pittsburgh is much easier. I think Baltimore is still very much worn down from last week's and once the emotional high wears off you're going to see a very game, but very tired defense having trouble stopping Willie Parker on the second half of the 30 carries he's sure to receive.
We'll see if I'm right.
Labels: Super Bowl XLIII
