Not...really....sure...what...to....do....here. A Stanley Cup preview? Am I high? Not that I'm cognizant of, anyways.
Hell, I didn't even give my yearly preview of the NBA Finals (you can consult my previous NBA Playoff previews to know who I will pick to win it all - Miami).
But with all my cool friends who say that the NHL playoffs are the best playoff season in sports, I felt, sure, get some cheap page views and try learning about a sport at the same time.
I posted a Facebook inquiry Monday evening to see who people thought would make the Stanley Cup, and it reminded me of similar sports where there seems to be a consensus pick for the final showdown of the season. In football, many people had Denver winning it all (couldn't even win a game). In college basketball, Louisville was the most popular pick to win it all, many brackets having them beat Indiana (they beat another Big Ten team instead).
If the people are right, the Stanley Cup will be hoisted by the winner of the Chicago Blackhawks & Pittsburgh Penguins.
Pick Your Friends, Pick Your Nose, But Don't Take Your Friend's Picks: Stanley Cup Predictions
Here are the predictions that my friends and I have made for the Cup, and what the odds (according to 5dimes) of these match-ups occurring):
(note: I picked NYR & StL based on some folks who I trust w/ their hockey knowledge. My thinking: In hockey more than any other sport, upsets in series seem to occur frequently. I was also looking for teams who had good goaltending numbers, since that seems to be a great way to make a run to the Cup)
Pitt vs. Chi - 4 people picked this match-up (odds of occurrence: +588 - overwhelming favorite - next closest is Boston/Chi at +1400)
Pitt vs. Anaheim - 1 person picked this match-up (odds of occurrence: +1895)
Pitt vs. Det - 1 person picked this match-up (odds of occurrence: +3800)
Pitt vs. Minnesota - 1 person picked this match-up (odds of occurrence: +4650)
NYR vs. StL - 2 people picked this match-up (odds of occurrence: +11100)
Fun with Numbers w/ current playoff teams
Head to Head Match-ups (first round)
Pitt vs NYI (Pitt won season series 4-1)
Mon vs. Ottawa (tied 2-2)
Wash vs. NYR (Rangers won 2-1)
Bos vs. Tor (Boston won 3-1)
Chi vs. Min (Chi won 2-1)
Ana vs. Det (Det won 2-1)
Van vs. SJ (SJ won 3-0)
StL vs. LA (LA won 3-0)
Last 10 Games (teams w/ highest/lowest differentials from each conference highlighted)
Wash 8-1-1 (36 goals, 22 allowed)
Pitt 8-2 (40 goals, 25 allowed)
Chi 7-2-1 (27 goals, 19 allowed)
St Louis 7-3 (22 goals, 17 allowed)
NYR 7-3 (35 goals, 22 allowed)
NYI 6-1-3 (30 goals, 22 allowed)
Ottawa 6-4 (22 goals, 19 allowed)
Det 5-2-3 (25 goals, 15 allowed)
LA 5-3-2 (22 goals, 26 allowed)
Van 5-4-1 (24 goals, 26 allowed)
Ana 5-4-1 (23 goals, 23 allowed)
Tor 5-4-1 (28 goals, 27 allowed)
SJ 5-5 (26 goals, 22 allowed)
Min 4-5-1 (19 goals, 30 allowed)
Mon 4-6 (29 goals, 35 allowed)
Bos 3-5-2 (21 goals, 28 allowed)
Personal Predictions/Bets
Bets:
Stl to win Cup 17/1 (bet this week)
SJ to win Cup 25/1 (bet in March)
NYR to win East 10/1 (bet this week)
StL to win West 8/1 (bet this week)
Stl over LA in R1 1.08/1
Det over Ana in R1 1.20/1
SJ over Van in R1 1.05/1
Round 1
1. Pitt over 8. NYI
7. Ottawa over 2. Montreal
6. NYR over 3. Wash
5. Tor over 4. Bost
1. Chi over 8. Min
7. Det over 2. Ana
6. SJ over 3. Van
4. Stl over 5. LA
Conference Semis (Reseeded)
1. Pitt over 7. Ottawa
6. NYR over 5. Toronto
7. Det over 1. Chi
4. Stl over 6. SJ
Conference Finals
6. NYR over 1. Pitt
4. Stl over 7. Det
Stanley Cup
4. Stl over 6. NYR
4/29/2013
If You Can't Beat Him: What NBA Contenders Should Fear Regarding Lebron
When Lebron James joined the Heat in the summer of 2010, he joined a stable headlined by Dwyane Wade (who had been with the Heat for his whole career) and Chris Bosh. All of these guys came from the same NBA Draft (2003 - one of the best NBA Draft classes of all time) and all were free agents at the same time.
The Heat filled out their roster with the likes of Mike Bibby, Mike Miller and Juwon Howard, among others. In total, their playoff roster in 2010-11 featured seven players (out of 13 guys who played at least one game in the playoffs) who signed with the Heat in that offseason. They failed to win the NBA title that year, losing to the Dallas Mavericks in 6 games. However, this model of "Let's Hitch Onto Lebron's Wagon" was just about to start.
Miami won the title in 2011-12 with two new free agent signings (Shane Battier & Ronnie Turiaf) and look poised to repeat while adding Ray Allen, Chris Andersen (aka Birdman) and Rashard Lewis to the roster.
Joining the King's Dynasty
There's a very interesting feature to almost of all these players who have become new to the Heat roster since Lebron signed - their willingness to play significantly less minutes than they are accustomed to in hopes of winning their first (or in some cases, their second) NBA titles.
In the 19 total seasons played by the 11 newly signed Heat in the past 3 years, a total of 14 of those seasons (over 70%) featured a player playing 15% less minutes than the player in question averaged in the previous five seasons before joining the Heat. The only season by a new Heat player where more minutes were played as a member of the Heat was Chris Bosh's first year with the team (seeing a slight bump from 36.3 minutes to 37.6). Otherwise, his other two seasons (and the other 16 combined seasons) featured a lower-than-average MPG total.
These 11 new players since Lebron joined have appeared in a total of six NBA Finals (3 titles), so many of them were willing to play less minutes in order to win their first (or second titles) championship largely on the back of Lebron.
For example, Shane Battier has prominently been a starter in the league, averaging 33.6 minutes per game in the 5 seasons before he became a member of the Heat for the 2010-11 season. In his two seasons with the Heat, he has averaged 23.1 and 24.8 minutes per game, or about an average of 30% less playing time than he was accustomed to before the Heat.
The 2012-13 additions (Allen, Andersen, Lewis) are all averaging more than a 20% decrease in minutes from their previous five seasons respectively, with Allen (from 35.7 minutes to 25.8) and Lewis (34.3 to 14.4) seeing the biggest drops in playing time.
So what do these numbers tell you below?
Once veteran players have reached that point in their career where playing for a team that has never won or even sniffed an NBA crown, the ones who worry less about playing time (and money) will be the first ones in line to play with Lebron while he is at the peak of his game. You might see veterans doing this (playing less minutes and making less) with some other contending teams right now (the Thunder come to mind) - all for the chance to win that NBA title that has eluded them for most or all of their extended careers. Out of the 11 newbies who have joined the Heat in the past 3 years, only one of them (Ronnie Turiaf) has been in the league for a shorter time than Lebron.
To make a short story long, what many NBA teams have to worry about is talented veteran players (guys who could still log starter minutes if they wanted to) choosing to forego larger contracts and instead play with the Heat as long as Lebron is there.
As the years progress (and as long as Lebron remains with the Heat), this trend should only continue. The Heat will be a very attractive destination for these title-starved players, who likely have made their share of money and will sacrifice a little money earned and court minutes to win their first/next ring.
The Heat filled out their roster with the likes of Mike Bibby, Mike Miller and Juwon Howard, among others. In total, their playoff roster in 2010-11 featured seven players (out of 13 guys who played at least one game in the playoffs) who signed with the Heat in that offseason. They failed to win the NBA title that year, losing to the Dallas Mavericks in 6 games. However, this model of "Let's Hitch Onto Lebron's Wagon" was just about to start.
Miami won the title in 2011-12 with two new free agent signings (Shane Battier & Ronnie Turiaf) and look poised to repeat while adding Ray Allen, Chris Andersen (aka Birdman) and Rashard Lewis to the roster.
Joining the King's Dynasty
There's a very interesting feature to almost of all these players who have become new to the Heat roster since Lebron signed - their willingness to play significantly less minutes than they are accustomed to in hopes of winning their first (or in some cases, their second) NBA titles.
In the 19 total seasons played by the 11 newly signed Heat in the past 3 years, a total of 14 of those seasons (over 70%) featured a player playing 15% less minutes than the player in question averaged in the previous five seasons before joining the Heat. The only season by a new Heat player where more minutes were played as a member of the Heat was Chris Bosh's first year with the team (seeing a slight bump from 36.3 minutes to 37.6). Otherwise, his other two seasons (and the other 16 combined seasons) featured a lower-than-average MPG total.
These 11 new players since Lebron joined have appeared in a total of six NBA Finals (3 titles), so many of them were willing to play less minutes in order to win their first (or second titles) championship largely on the back of Lebron.
For example, Shane Battier has prominently been a starter in the league, averaging 33.6 minutes per game in the 5 seasons before he became a member of the Heat for the 2010-11 season. In his two seasons with the Heat, he has averaged 23.1 and 24.8 minutes per game, or about an average of 30% less playing time than he was accustomed to before the Heat.
The 2012-13 additions (Allen, Andersen, Lewis) are all averaging more than a 20% decrease in minutes from their previous five seasons respectively, with Allen (from 35.7 minutes to 25.8) and Lewis (34.3 to 14.4) seeing the biggest drops in playing time.
So what do these numbers tell you below?
Once veteran players have reached that point in their career where playing for a team that has never won or even sniffed an NBA crown, the ones who worry less about playing time (and money) will be the first ones in line to play with Lebron while he is at the peak of his game. You might see veterans doing this (playing less minutes and making less) with some other contending teams right now (the Thunder come to mind) - all for the chance to win that NBA title that has eluded them for most or all of their extended careers. Out of the 11 newbies who have joined the Heat in the past 3 years, only one of them (Ronnie Turiaf) has been in the league for a shorter time than Lebron.
To make a short story long, what many NBA teams have to worry about is talented veteran players (guys who could still log starter minutes if they wanted to) choosing to forego larger contracts and instead play with the Heat as long as Lebron is there.
As the years progress (and as long as Lebron remains with the Heat), this trend should only continue. The Heat will be a very attractive destination for these title-starved players, who likely have made their share of money and will sacrifice a little money earned and court minutes to win their first/next ring.
| Averages | 5 seasons before Heat/James | 2010-11 | % Decrease in Mins | 2011-12 | % Diff | 2012-13 | % Diff |
| Wade | 37.89 | 37.14 | 0.02 | 33.2 | 0.12 | 34.7 | 0.08 |
| Bosh | 36.3 | 37.64 | -0.04 | 35.2 | 0.03 | 33.2 | 0.09 |
| Chalmers | 28.6 | 22.55 | 0.21 | 28.5 | 0.00 | 26.9 | 0.06 |
| Anthony | 16.97 | 19.51 | -0.15 | 21.1 | -0.24 | 9.1 | 0.46 |
| Bibby | 33.58 | 26.45 | 0.21 | ||||
| Miller | 34.14 | 20.44 | 0.40 | 19.3 | 0.43 | 15.3 | 0.55 |
| Jones | 19.5 | 19.12 | 0.02 | 13.1 | 0.33 | 5.8 | 0.70 |
| Haslem | 31.8 | 26.54 | 0.17 | 24.8 | 0.22 | 18.9 | 0.41 |
| Howard | 21.9 | 10.39 | 0.53 | 6.8 | 0.68 | 7.3 | 0.67 |
| Ilgauskas | 27.2 | 15.9 | 0.42 | ||||
| House | 17.98 | 17.46 | 0.03 | ||||
| Magloire | 19.38 | 8.78 | 0.55 | ||||
| Battier | 33.61 | 23.1 | 0.31 | 24.8 | 0.26 | ||
| Turiaf | 18.67 | 17 | 0.09 | ||||
| Allen | 35.68 | 25.8 | 0.28 | ||||
| Andersen | 19.24 | 14.9 | 0.23 | ||||
| Lewis | 34.25 | 14.4 | 0.58 |
4/28/2013
An Ordinary April Day, An Extraordinary Sports Day
When my weekend started with a hungry cat waking me up and basically begging me to go to Jewel in my gym shorts at around 11:30am, I didn't think that much could be made of this day. Sure, I had my plans for the day: watch parts of the NFL draft and the Bulls game. Yeah, a little action on the game didn't hurt, but I would have wanted to watch the game anyways - I love NBA playoff games.
However, between the two events, I could never have anticipated that the next 2-4 hours would present itself with a couple of great sports moments that came out of nowhere and reaffirmed why I have loved sports since raising myself on it since I was a 4 or 5 year old.
Faith Yes (Latti)More
At around the same time the Bulls game was starting, the San Francisco 49ers (my boys) were drafting in the fourth round of the NFL draft. I'm not even sure why I had the draft on. At that point in the draft, I'll usually just ignore the draft on TV and casually read a story about the picks later in the day, but something had me gravitating towards the 4th round. Who would the Niners pick?
I had heard Marcus Lattimore on the Dan Patrick Show earlier in the week mention that there were a few teams that were interested in drafting him in the mid-rounds, despite tearing nearly every important leg ligament back in October. One of those teams was the Niners, whose running back stable is pretty strong and also has a starting RB who had some bad leg injuries while in college (Frank Gore). And that guy didn't turn out so badly, did he?
You see where this story is going - the Niners went ahead and selected Lattimore with the 131st overall pick in this year's draft, about the halfway point of the draft. However, if he can overcome his injury, there's many who think he could be the best player in this draft class. Needless to say, I marked out and screamed for the first time for a fourth round pick in my lifetime.
Lattimore may not be able to overcome the several severe leg injuries that he has suffered throughout the years, but that's not the point today. The story from today is one of hope - the football equivalent of the part of Spring Training where pitchers and catchers report. As a sports fan, all you want is some hope for your team from time to time - especially during offseason moments when your next year's team is being built.
Consider me among the millions of many hopeful Niners fans who believe. For the first time since the Super Bowl ended with my boys on the wrong end of the Super Bowl, I can officially ask...is it NFL yet?
DAAAAAAA BULLS
And that Bulls games that I mentioned? At first, it was your average playoff game. Strong first half shooting by both teams had me thinking that it was going to be a close game. I had bet the Bulls to cover the 3 point spread for the game. They led by 3 at the half, but I wasn't feeling strong about the bet, so I "bought out of the bet" (bet the Nets to win the 2nd half), which essentially made it so it didn't matter what happened in the second half - I broke even.
My buying out bet looked smart for the majority of the second half, until Nate Robinson, NBA's version of Mighty Mouse, decided to turn in one of the best NBA Playoff performances in recent memory. The Bulls stormed back from a double digit deficit with just over 3 minutes left to force overtime thanks to the shooting exploits of Mr. Robinson.
The first overtime featured twists and turns that were befitting of an all-time classic game. Robinson's bank shot with 2 seconds put the Bulls ahead by two, only to be matched by Joe Johnson's buzzer shot that forced a second overtime.
At that time, I left my apartment in a frenetic fast-walking pace (I had to meet Jen at her work and thought with a fast walk and leaving early that I could catch the end of the second overtime). I missed the second overtime, but luckily got to the bar next to Jen's work to catch most of the third overtime.
As I sat there and enjoyed one of my first Summy Shandys of 2013, I overheard several groups of people saying that they left this game over an hour before (when they were trailing in the fourth quarter). What the hell - how can you leave any game early, especially a playoff game? I don't care about the traffic implications. If you're willing to buy tickets for a playoff game AND attend it, you have to see the game all the way through. A regular season game, I still think you sit through the entire game, but I'll at least excuse it a little bit, especially since it's only one of 82 (or w/ baseball, 162, etc.).
But leaving during a playoff game? It's only one of seven guaranteed games in a playoff series (if you're lucky enough to win some games in it). I couldn't imagine buying tickets to a Bulls game like that and leaving early because the game was "out of hand" or "I wanted to beat traffic". I wish the United Center took pictures of these people and never let them attend another playoff game again.
Anywho, I'm waaaaay off track. The Bulls ended up winning the game in the third overtime (my second bet on the Nets ended up being a loser). The game is an instant classic. A game which I am currently watching on replay.
I never thought that an ordinary day in sports could turn into one which reaffirmed why I love it so much. Thanks to Lattimore and Nate Robinson, I was able to remember what attracted me to sports in the first place - hope, drama, redemption, success.
Like the cat when I came home with food, my day's appetite was fulfilled.
However, between the two events, I could never have anticipated that the next 2-4 hours would present itself with a couple of great sports moments that came out of nowhere and reaffirmed why I have loved sports since raising myself on it since I was a 4 or 5 year old.
Faith Yes (Latti)More
At around the same time the Bulls game was starting, the San Francisco 49ers (my boys) were drafting in the fourth round of the NFL draft. I'm not even sure why I had the draft on. At that point in the draft, I'll usually just ignore the draft on TV and casually read a story about the picks later in the day, but something had me gravitating towards the 4th round. Who would the Niners pick?
I had heard Marcus Lattimore on the Dan Patrick Show earlier in the week mention that there were a few teams that were interested in drafting him in the mid-rounds, despite tearing nearly every important leg ligament back in October. One of those teams was the Niners, whose running back stable is pretty strong and also has a starting RB who had some bad leg injuries while in college (Frank Gore). And that guy didn't turn out so badly, did he?
You see where this story is going - the Niners went ahead and selected Lattimore with the 131st overall pick in this year's draft, about the halfway point of the draft. However, if he can overcome his injury, there's many who think he could be the best player in this draft class. Needless to say, I marked out and screamed for the first time for a fourth round pick in my lifetime.
Lattimore may not be able to overcome the several severe leg injuries that he has suffered throughout the years, but that's not the point today. The story from today is one of hope - the football equivalent of the part of Spring Training where pitchers and catchers report. As a sports fan, all you want is some hope for your team from time to time - especially during offseason moments when your next year's team is being built.
Consider me among the millions of many hopeful Niners fans who believe. For the first time since the Super Bowl ended with my boys on the wrong end of the Super Bowl, I can officially ask...is it NFL yet?
DAAAAAAA BULLS
And that Bulls games that I mentioned? At first, it was your average playoff game. Strong first half shooting by both teams had me thinking that it was going to be a close game. I had bet the Bulls to cover the 3 point spread for the game. They led by 3 at the half, but I wasn't feeling strong about the bet, so I "bought out of the bet" (bet the Nets to win the 2nd half), which essentially made it so it didn't matter what happened in the second half - I broke even.
My buying out bet looked smart for the majority of the second half, until Nate Robinson, NBA's version of Mighty Mouse, decided to turn in one of the best NBA Playoff performances in recent memory. The Bulls stormed back from a double digit deficit with just over 3 minutes left to force overtime thanks to the shooting exploits of Mr. Robinson.
The first overtime featured twists and turns that were befitting of an all-time classic game. Robinson's bank shot with 2 seconds put the Bulls ahead by two, only to be matched by Joe Johnson's buzzer shot that forced a second overtime.
At that time, I left my apartment in a frenetic fast-walking pace (I had to meet Jen at her work and thought with a fast walk and leaving early that I could catch the end of the second overtime). I missed the second overtime, but luckily got to the bar next to Jen's work to catch most of the third overtime.
As I sat there and enjoyed one of my first Summy Shandys of 2013, I overheard several groups of people saying that they left this game over an hour before (when they were trailing in the fourth quarter). What the hell - how can you leave any game early, especially a playoff game? I don't care about the traffic implications. If you're willing to buy tickets for a playoff game AND attend it, you have to see the game all the way through. A regular season game, I still think you sit through the entire game, but I'll at least excuse it a little bit, especially since it's only one of 82 (or w/ baseball, 162, etc.).
But leaving during a playoff game? It's only one of seven guaranteed games in a playoff series (if you're lucky enough to win some games in it). I couldn't imagine buying tickets to a Bulls game like that and leaving early because the game was "out of hand" or "I wanted to beat traffic". I wish the United Center took pictures of these people and never let them attend another playoff game again.
Anywho, I'm waaaaay off track. The Bulls ended up winning the game in the third overtime (my second bet on the Nets ended up being a loser). The game is an instant classic. A game which I am currently watching on replay.
I never thought that an ordinary day in sports could turn into one which reaffirmed why I love it so much. Thanks to Lattimore and Nate Robinson, I was able to remember what attracted me to sports in the first place - hope, drama, redemption, success.
Like the cat when I came home with food, my day's appetite was fulfilled.
4/24/2013
2013 NFL Mock Draft - The Coach's Edition
The NFL draft is less than two days away. This year doesn't present as many great names as last year's class did. The Lucks, RG3's and Richardsons will make way for Geno Smith and other players considered less talented than their elders a year older.
So instead of projecting who each team will draft, I decided to figure out who each team would draft as a coach, assuming all coaches were made free agents. For the purposes of this coach draft, I will not allow for drafting of coaches who are not already coaches. Otherwise, the Oakland Raiders may wreck the curve and draft a high school coach with a great 40 speed.
Without further ado...we have Kansas City on the clock. Many mock drafts have the Chiefs taking Jim Harbaugh, whose mere presence has overturned a proud 49ers franchise from the depths of mediocrity into what looks to be a perennial winner.
"With the first pick in the 2013 Coaches Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select...Jim Harbaugh from the University of Michigan".
Great pick. Many in the green room are shocked that Belichick wasn't the first off the board, but the Chiefs are going with the hot up-and-comer with the raw skills. In his couple stints as a coach on both the college and pro levels, Harbaugh has experience in getting the most out of his quarterbacks. And wouldn't you know, the Chiefs traded for Alex Smith this offseason. This coaching pick couldn't have worked out any better. In addition to his coaching experience with Smith, Harbaugh has a speedster in the form of Jamaal Charles to work with. We've seen the kind of turn-around the Niners had in his two seasons. Expect to see the Chiefs contending for a playoff spot next year.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are on the clock. This pick seems to be academic. Before Shad Khan can have anyone second guess themselves, he runs to hand the envelope to Goodell himself.
"With the second pick in the 2013 Coaches Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars select...Bill Belichick from Hoodie U."
Playing the best on the board card, the Jags are desperate for a coach who can lead them to consistent playoff berths. More than that, this team needs someone to save it from becoming a casualty of empty seat syndrome. He's going to need a lot of help gutting this roster, but trust that he will get the right offensive pieces in place to be competitive in 3-4 years. And if they don't, the hoodie he wears will become an easy way for him to hide.
Now, the draft room eagerly awaits the ghost of Al Davis, who has ascended from his suite in hell to make his annual April appearance in New York City. Will the Raiders disappoint? Let's find out.
"With the third pick in the 2013 Coaches Draft, the Oakland Raiders select....Jim Schwartz from Georgetown University."
And there is no disappointment here, except for Raiders fans (remember them, Al?). The Ghost of Davis was said to be in the market for a coach whose attributes the attitude of a Raider, and what better coach to draft than the one whose squads have led the world in penalties on and off the field in the past couple years. Davis felt shamed that his franchise was rising in the ranks of sportsmanship - hence the drafting of Schwartz. With his lack of NFL experience, Marc Trestman was considered to be a heavy favorite to be drafted here, but his successful background in Canada prevented The Ghost of Davis from making a move.
The Eagles have the fourth pick. With their cluster of likely-to-underachieve QBs, one pick makes perfect sense here. And no, it's not Andy Reid, nicknamed by some rude waiters as "Andy Feed" for his penchant of clearing all-you-can-eat buffets in 45 minutes from local restaurants.
Nope, the Eagles are likely going the route of another husky coach. Since we're not allowed to tip the picks on Twitter, I'll let you "figure" it out.
"With the fourth pick in the 2013 Coaches Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select...Rex Ryan from Southwestern Oklahoma State University."
Who knows better how to handle a stable of mediocre QBs than Ryan, as noted by last season's miserable Jets campaign. Whether it was a butt fumble or completely ignoring the cat calls for Tim Tebow, Ryan did all he could to campaign for a seat in a Lovie Smith presidency, basically telling naysayers to fuck off and saying "Sanchez is our quarterback." (did you just say 'fuck off?' We're on air!). Don't worry, everyone tuned me out anyways.
And for the cheese steak shops worried about profit margins going down with Reid out of town, you can breathe a sigh of relief. You still have a rotund man as the coach for the Eagles.
Back to the picks. The Lions are the first team to draft without their original coach at the helm. What to do, what to look for. Rod Marinelli isn't available, much to the dismay of Detroit paper bag manufacturers. And they can't draft another wide receiver (sorry Mike Williams and Charles Rodgers).
The Lions look to be hesitating on their pick. They might take the full 15 minutes to make it. And just in the nick of time, the Lions submit their pick to the commish.
"With the fifth pick in the 2013 Coaches Draft, the Detroit Lions select...Sean Payton from Eastern Illinois University"
Everyone is shocked at this pick - shocked that the Lions made a great pick! Fresh off of his year-long suspension for his role in the bounty scandal, Payton's value increased tremendously. The Saints' drop off was largely credited to the absence of Payton, who made New Orleans into a perennial playoff contender. Payton may look to bring with him Gregg Williams in an effort to set an unbreakable record for penalties and penalty yards in a season.
Since you probably stopped reading (or mainly because I can't see myself doing this for 27 other teams), I will simulate the rest of the coaching picks and give a little blurb on each.
1. Kansas City Chiefs - Jim Harbaugh
2. Jacksonville Jaguars - Bill Belichick
3. Oakland Raiders - Jim Schwartz
4. Philadelphia Eagles - Rex Ryan
5. Detroit Lions - Sean Payton
6. Cleveland Browns - Mike Tomlin (knows the AFC North better than anyone, will overtake Pittsburgh)
7. Arizona Cardinals - Jason Garrett (Cardinals thought they had to draft a former QB for coach. Simple misunderstanding)
8. Buffalo Bills - John Harbaugh (how did the SB winning coach slip this far? He's just glad to be picked up by Buffalo before the Jets swooped him up)
9. NY Jets - Tom Coughlin (in an unusual twist for the severely punctual coach, Coughlin shows up 20 minutes late to his press conference. The first of many signs that show that the more things change, the more the crazy shit stays the same).
10. Tennessee Titans - Jeff Fisher (the city where he started welcomes him back with open arms, now that the Titans are ready for another 12 year stretch of playing for second place to the Colts)
11. San Diego Chargers - Marvin Lewis (disappointed that Norv Turner wasn't available to keep around for another five years of underachieving, the Chargers went with the most tenured coach who hasn't accomplished as much as his resume may seem. San Diego is hoping Lewis can cut back on his playoff appearances to keep with the annual tradition of pretending to show a pulse in December to save the ass of their coach.
12. Miami Dolphins - Mike Shanahan (as Shanahan looks to make a stop at every team who drafted a QB in 2012. Tannehill - watch your knees: you're fucked)
13. NY Jets - Greg Schiano (the league is aware that the Jets have two coaches but believe it provides them no competitive advantage. In trading Revis to the Bucs, it was only fair to get their coach who knows a thing or two about how to play till the very end, even if the game has already been decided. Somehow, the Jets thought it'd be a good idea for Schiano to coach w/ Coughlin, who was furious at Schiano's bull rush when Eli kneeled down. In other news, Goodell ok'ed Revis being player/coach/perennial whiner of being underpaid for Tampa Bay)
14. Carolina Panthers - Ron Rivera (the first team to draft the same coach they already had. Whispers around the league suggest the Panthers were just too lazy to figure out the names of the other coaches remaining in the draft)
15. New Orleans Saints - Mike McCarthy (The Saints are looking to score and allow the most points in NFL history. They have a good shot w/ McCarthy at the helm).
16. St. Louis Rams - John Fox (They figured he had the same initials as Jeff Fisher, so all the legal documents that required a J.F. can remain in tact. One problem solved.)
17. Pittsburgh Steelers - Rob Chudzinski ("We showed you," Rooney says to Browns brass for taking their old coach. A world where the Browns have a better coach than Pittsburgh - now you know this is a fictional writing)
18. Dallas Cowboys - Gus Bradley (Jerry Jones needed to find the most likely guy to pin blame on when the free agents, draft picks and trades he makes go sour. Since Garrett was shockingly picked earlier in the round, Jones was scrambling for a scapegoat. A guy named Gus - sounds like a winner in Jerry's book.)
19. NY Giants - Chuck Pagano (W/ Pagano's defensive background, the move makes perfect sense. Not too often that sentence has been uttered in this grueling round of draft picks).
20. Chicago - Marc Trestman (C'est la vie! The Bears are tres excited to get their coach back in the draft.)
21. Cincinnati - Andy Reid (He lasted this long? Cincy wants another coach they can tenure to .500 stardom)
22. Washington - Pete Carroll (The Rams traded their draft pick back to the Skins, who were somehow able to get the rising coach this late. The only catch: the guy whose nasty injury came at the hands of his old team will not be behind center for a while. Revenge - a dish best served cold)
23. Minnesota - Bruce Arians (an overachieving coach unites w/ an overachieving team)
24. Indianapolis - Gary Kubiak (He has the experience to take an AFC South team to first place finishes as he desperately coaches for his job)
25. Seattle - Chip Kelly (Minnesota traded back the pick, and what a fitting pick for the Seahawks. A successful Pac-12 coach succeeding another former Pac-12 coach. With Wilson, Harvin & Lynch, the former Oregon coach invents offenses that can only be understood when looking from space.)
26. Green Bay - Joe Philbin (Phibin's old ties to Green Bay make this move a perfect fit).
27. Houston - Lezlie Frazier (For the Texans, their choices were a bunch of guys named Mike, or a guy with a girl's first name. They chose the latter)
28. Denver - Mike McCoy (His background with the Broncos helps w/ this picks. What also helps: there's like no one else available)
29. New England - Mike Munchak (Brady helps Munchak become the next "greatest coach in NFL history who sucked at his previous gig")
30. Atlanta - Mike Smith (could this guy be any more disrespected? falls all the way back to his old team)
31. San Francisco - Doug Marrone (the 49ers flipped a coin with the remaining two coaches. Marrone was tails)
32. Baltimore - Dennis Allen (hey, he was the only guy left. Not Flacco's fault)
So instead of projecting who each team will draft, I decided to figure out who each team would draft as a coach, assuming all coaches were made free agents. For the purposes of this coach draft, I will not allow for drafting of coaches who are not already coaches. Otherwise, the Oakland Raiders may wreck the curve and draft a high school coach with a great 40 speed.
Without further ado...we have Kansas City on the clock. Many mock drafts have the Chiefs taking Jim Harbaugh, whose mere presence has overturned a proud 49ers franchise from the depths of mediocrity into what looks to be a perennial winner.
"With the first pick in the 2013 Coaches Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select...Jim Harbaugh from the University of Michigan".
Great pick. Many in the green room are shocked that Belichick wasn't the first off the board, but the Chiefs are going with the hot up-and-comer with the raw skills. In his couple stints as a coach on both the college and pro levels, Harbaugh has experience in getting the most out of his quarterbacks. And wouldn't you know, the Chiefs traded for Alex Smith this offseason. This coaching pick couldn't have worked out any better. In addition to his coaching experience with Smith, Harbaugh has a speedster in the form of Jamaal Charles to work with. We've seen the kind of turn-around the Niners had in his two seasons. Expect to see the Chiefs contending for a playoff spot next year.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are on the clock. This pick seems to be academic. Before Shad Khan can have anyone second guess themselves, he runs to hand the envelope to Goodell himself.
"With the second pick in the 2013 Coaches Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars select...Bill Belichick from Hoodie U."
Playing the best on the board card, the Jags are desperate for a coach who can lead them to consistent playoff berths. More than that, this team needs someone to save it from becoming a casualty of empty seat syndrome. He's going to need a lot of help gutting this roster, but trust that he will get the right offensive pieces in place to be competitive in 3-4 years. And if they don't, the hoodie he wears will become an easy way for him to hide.
Now, the draft room eagerly awaits the ghost of Al Davis, who has ascended from his suite in hell to make his annual April appearance in New York City. Will the Raiders disappoint? Let's find out.
"With the third pick in the 2013 Coaches Draft, the Oakland Raiders select....Jim Schwartz from Georgetown University."
And there is no disappointment here, except for Raiders fans (remember them, Al?). The Ghost of Davis was said to be in the market for a coach whose attributes the attitude of a Raider, and what better coach to draft than the one whose squads have led the world in penalties on and off the field in the past couple years. Davis felt shamed that his franchise was rising in the ranks of sportsmanship - hence the drafting of Schwartz. With his lack of NFL experience, Marc Trestman was considered to be a heavy favorite to be drafted here, but his successful background in Canada prevented The Ghost of Davis from making a move.
The Eagles have the fourth pick. With their cluster of likely-to-underachieve QBs, one pick makes perfect sense here. And no, it's not Andy Reid, nicknamed by some rude waiters as "Andy Feed" for his penchant of clearing all-you-can-eat buffets in 45 minutes from local restaurants.
Nope, the Eagles are likely going the route of another husky coach. Since we're not allowed to tip the picks on Twitter, I'll let you "figure" it out.
"With the fourth pick in the 2013 Coaches Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select...Rex Ryan from Southwestern Oklahoma State University."
Who knows better how to handle a stable of mediocre QBs than Ryan, as noted by last season's miserable Jets campaign. Whether it was a butt fumble or completely ignoring the cat calls for Tim Tebow, Ryan did all he could to campaign for a seat in a Lovie Smith presidency, basically telling naysayers to fuck off and saying "Sanchez is our quarterback." (did you just say 'fuck off?' We're on air!). Don't worry, everyone tuned me out anyways.
And for the cheese steak shops worried about profit margins going down with Reid out of town, you can breathe a sigh of relief. You still have a rotund man as the coach for the Eagles.
Back to the picks. The Lions are the first team to draft without their original coach at the helm. What to do, what to look for. Rod Marinelli isn't available, much to the dismay of Detroit paper bag manufacturers. And they can't draft another wide receiver (sorry Mike Williams and Charles Rodgers).
The Lions look to be hesitating on their pick. They might take the full 15 minutes to make it. And just in the nick of time, the Lions submit their pick to the commish.
"With the fifth pick in the 2013 Coaches Draft, the Detroit Lions select...Sean Payton from Eastern Illinois University"
Everyone is shocked at this pick - shocked that the Lions made a great pick! Fresh off of his year-long suspension for his role in the bounty scandal, Payton's value increased tremendously. The Saints' drop off was largely credited to the absence of Payton, who made New Orleans into a perennial playoff contender. Payton may look to bring with him Gregg Williams in an effort to set an unbreakable record for penalties and penalty yards in a season.
Since you probably stopped reading (or mainly because I can't see myself doing this for 27 other teams), I will simulate the rest of the coaching picks and give a little blurb on each.
1. Kansas City Chiefs - Jim Harbaugh
2. Jacksonville Jaguars - Bill Belichick
3. Oakland Raiders - Jim Schwartz
4. Philadelphia Eagles - Rex Ryan
5. Detroit Lions - Sean Payton
6. Cleveland Browns - Mike Tomlin (knows the AFC North better than anyone, will overtake Pittsburgh)
7. Arizona Cardinals - Jason Garrett (Cardinals thought they had to draft a former QB for coach. Simple misunderstanding)
8. Buffalo Bills - John Harbaugh (how did the SB winning coach slip this far? He's just glad to be picked up by Buffalo before the Jets swooped him up)
9. NY Jets - Tom Coughlin (in an unusual twist for the severely punctual coach, Coughlin shows up 20 minutes late to his press conference. The first of many signs that show that the more things change, the more the crazy shit stays the same).
10. Tennessee Titans - Jeff Fisher (the city where he started welcomes him back with open arms, now that the Titans are ready for another 12 year stretch of playing for second place to the Colts)
11. San Diego Chargers - Marvin Lewis (disappointed that Norv Turner wasn't available to keep around for another five years of underachieving, the Chargers went with the most tenured coach who hasn't accomplished as much as his resume may seem. San Diego is hoping Lewis can cut back on his playoff appearances to keep with the annual tradition of pretending to show a pulse in December to save the ass of their coach.
12. Miami Dolphins - Mike Shanahan (as Shanahan looks to make a stop at every team who drafted a QB in 2012. Tannehill - watch your knees: you're fucked)
13. NY Jets - Greg Schiano (the league is aware that the Jets have two coaches but believe it provides them no competitive advantage. In trading Revis to the Bucs, it was only fair to get their coach who knows a thing or two about how to play till the very end, even if the game has already been decided. Somehow, the Jets thought it'd be a good idea for Schiano to coach w/ Coughlin, who was furious at Schiano's bull rush when Eli kneeled down. In other news, Goodell ok'ed Revis being player/coach/perennial whiner of being underpaid for Tampa Bay)
14. Carolina Panthers - Ron Rivera (the first team to draft the same coach they already had. Whispers around the league suggest the Panthers were just too lazy to figure out the names of the other coaches remaining in the draft)
15. New Orleans Saints - Mike McCarthy (The Saints are looking to score and allow the most points in NFL history. They have a good shot w/ McCarthy at the helm).
16. St. Louis Rams - John Fox (They figured he had the same initials as Jeff Fisher, so all the legal documents that required a J.F. can remain in tact. One problem solved.)
17. Pittsburgh Steelers - Rob Chudzinski ("We showed you," Rooney says to Browns brass for taking their old coach. A world where the Browns have a better coach than Pittsburgh - now you know this is a fictional writing)
18. Dallas Cowboys - Gus Bradley (Jerry Jones needed to find the most likely guy to pin blame on when the free agents, draft picks and trades he makes go sour. Since Garrett was shockingly picked earlier in the round, Jones was scrambling for a scapegoat. A guy named Gus - sounds like a winner in Jerry's book.)
19. NY Giants - Chuck Pagano (W/ Pagano's defensive background, the move makes perfect sense. Not too often that sentence has been uttered in this grueling round of draft picks).
20. Chicago - Marc Trestman (C'est la vie! The Bears are tres excited to get their coach back in the draft.)
21. Cincinnati - Andy Reid (He lasted this long? Cincy wants another coach they can tenure to .500 stardom)
22. Washington - Pete Carroll (The Rams traded their draft pick back to the Skins, who were somehow able to get the rising coach this late. The only catch: the guy whose nasty injury came at the hands of his old team will not be behind center for a while. Revenge - a dish best served cold)
23. Minnesota - Bruce Arians (an overachieving coach unites w/ an overachieving team)
24. Indianapolis - Gary Kubiak (He has the experience to take an AFC South team to first place finishes as he desperately coaches for his job)
25. Seattle - Chip Kelly (Minnesota traded back the pick, and what a fitting pick for the Seahawks. A successful Pac-12 coach succeeding another former Pac-12 coach. With Wilson, Harvin & Lynch, the former Oregon coach invents offenses that can only be understood when looking from space.)
26. Green Bay - Joe Philbin (Phibin's old ties to Green Bay make this move a perfect fit).
27. Houston - Lezlie Frazier (For the Texans, their choices were a bunch of guys named Mike, or a guy with a girl's first name. They chose the latter)
28. Denver - Mike McCoy (His background with the Broncos helps w/ this picks. What also helps: there's like no one else available)
29. New England - Mike Munchak (Brady helps Munchak become the next "greatest coach in NFL history who sucked at his previous gig")
30. Atlanta - Mike Smith (could this guy be any more disrespected? falls all the way back to his old team)
31. San Francisco - Doug Marrone (the 49ers flipped a coin with the remaining two coaches. Marrone was tails)
32. Baltimore - Dennis Allen (hey, he was the only guy left. Not Flacco's fault)
4/22/2013
Mel Kiper: ESPN's Weather Man
 |
| Hate him all you want, but Mel Kiper has earned his spot on NFL Draft coverages |
What's an NFL draft without Kiper? After all, he's been breaking down the draft since he was a college kid. He created a niche for himself at ESPN for an event that was previously untelevised. This year will be the 30th draft that he has analyzed. Which begs the question...
Does anyone have a better gig at ESPN than him? Think about it.
His only job for ESPN is to break down the current crop of college talent that are pro-level talents. That's it. Sure, he gives his mock drafts and updates them accordingly, based on how certain teams may be viewing a guy or how a guy might have done at a recent combine. But he doesn't even need to be right in his analysis to stay in his current gig!
Here are just a few clips/quotes of horrendous bits of analysis (hindsight being the decider in the word 'horrendous'). Quotes obtained through various websites (verified quotes through multiple websites):
Analysis of JaMarcus Russell: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ZubYpplmzVk#t=49s "Three years from now, you could be looking at a guy who's certainly one of the elite top 5 quarterbacks in this league...his skill level is John Elway-like".
Regarding Mike Williams, USC WR who the Lions picked early in the 2005 draft: "I'll see you at his Hall of Fame induction." He was out of football by 2008.
Regarding Akili Smith, a high pick for the Cincinnati Bengals in the QB-rich first round of the 1999 draft: "...will be a great NFL player and would finally provide the Cincinnati Bengals with the passer they'd lacked since Boomer Esiason." Smith would go on to start only 17 games for Cincy before bouncing around other NFL stops, NFL Europe & the CFL.
There are plenty of other bad breakdowns that he's had in his time as an analyst, which is bound to happen when you're analyzing over 250 picks a year for almost 30 years. In fact, when the 2013 version of the draft is done (which features 254 picks), here are Kiper's stats. Sorry I do not have a 40 time or what his standing squat reps are.
- 30 years of analysis
- 256 rounds (from 1984-92, there were 12 rounds; 1993 featured 8 rounds. Since then there have been 7 rounds).
- 8259 draft picks
- At least one draft pick, Kiper was able to analyze twice (Bo Jackson was drafted #1 overall by Tampa Bay in 1986, but since he never signed there, he was eligibile for the draft in 1987, when he went to the Raiders)
At the current rate of about 255 picks per draft, Kiper would reach the 10,000 pick mark in about the 6th round of the year 2020. Now I should note, I am not aware of how ESPN did the draft in the early days - whether Kiper analyzed just about every pick back in the day like he does now is unknown to me. All I know is, that's a lot of damn players, so error on his part is understandable.
There's no question he's one of the best at what he does - he was the draft analyst pioneer. That's not to say he doesn't have his faults, as noted above. And some skeptics (like a football fan who I spoke with at a friend's party last weekend) believe that his role in the draft now may be more to boost the draft status of certain agent's players rather than provide solid, hard-hitting analysis.
 |
| You might be able to outpick Kiper in a 1st round mock, but you'll never get his gig. |
I, like many other football fans, are a little jealous that Kiper has created the perfect niche for himself in the NFL, where his job consists solely of analyzing the draft prospects of pro-eligible college football players. I am even more jealous of a guy who doesn't even need to be right most of the time in order to keep his job, whether it be right with his analysis or his mock drafts (from memory, his mock drafts have been just as sporadic as the average sports reporter who fills one of these out).
The only other guy who can be this wrong is the ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi, but that's college basketball, so who cares - we're talking about the NFL here.
I may not like the guy, but I sure as hell respect him for getting this gig from the early days of ESPN through current time. Kudos to Kiper for being the NFL's version of a weather man.
4/16/2013
MLB 4-15 thru 4-21
For last week's bets and weekly totals, see here:
http://b-boknows.blogspot.com/2013/04/mlb-betting-4813-thru-41413.html
Hopefully turn this around this week.
YTD (thru 4/16/13): 34-42, -333.80
WTD: 5-5, 129.60
4/15/13 (2-3, -10.40)
Bos/TB - TB +133 first 5 innings (40/53.20) - ended in bottom 5th, HR by Boston.
Bos/TB - TB +126 game (70/88.20) - 9th inning tease by TB. Ended w/ Napoli walk-off double.
Chi/Tor - Over 5 first 5 innings (60/66) - big first inning sparks victory.
Chi +103 (70/72.10) - Floyd didn't recover from first inning as well as Buehrle did.
SD/LA - SD +148 (70/103.60) - Stults helps his own cause (3 run jack). Padres pull away late.
4/16/13 (3-2, 140)
NYM/Col G1 - Col -135 (Nicasio vs. Gee) (81/60) -
Phil/Cin - Cin -1 -108 (Bailey vs. Kendrick (75.60/70) - Suspended (bet voided)
KC/Atl - KC +164 (Guthrie vs. Medlen (60/98.40) - Atlanta uses the long ball in the 8th to break 2-2 tie.
Chi/Tor - Chi +137 (Axelrod vs. Johnson) (70/95.90) - Nice grind-it-out victory for the South Siders
SD/LA - SD +171 (Marquis vs. Capuano) (70/119.70) - Surprisingly a no-sweat. SD is money again as a big dog at LA.
Hou/Oak Over 7.5 (75.60/70) - Looked good after 5, but both teams struggled to score much against 'pens.
4/17/13 ( , )
KC/Atl Under 8 (76.80/60) -
Hou/Oak - Hou +166 (Norris vs. Colon) - (60/99.60)
Chi/Tor - Tor -127 (Quintana vs. Happ) (72.20/60)
TB/Balt Over 8 (72.10/70) -
http://b-boknows.blogspot.com/2013/04/mlb-betting-4813-thru-41413.html
Hopefully turn this around this week.
YTD (thru 4/16/13): 34-42, -333.80
WTD: 5-5, 129.60
4/15/13 (2-3, -10.40)
Bos/TB - TB +133 first 5 innings (40/53.20) - ended in bottom 5th, HR by Boston.
Bos/TB - TB +126 game (70/88.20) - 9th inning tease by TB. Ended w/ Napoli walk-off double.
Chi/Tor - Over 5 first 5 innings (60/66) - big first inning sparks victory.
Chi +103 (70/72.10) - Floyd didn't recover from first inning as well as Buehrle did.
SD/LA - SD +148 (70/103.60) - Stults helps his own cause (3 run jack). Padres pull away late.
4/16/13 (3-2, 140)
NYM/Col G1 - Col -135 (Nicasio vs. Gee) (81/60) -
Phil/Cin - Cin -1 -108 (Bailey vs. Kendrick (75.60/70) - Suspended (bet voided)
KC/Atl - KC +164 (Guthrie vs. Medlen (60/98.40) - Atlanta uses the long ball in the 8th to break 2-2 tie.
Chi/Tor - Chi +137 (Axelrod vs. Johnson) (70/95.90) - Nice grind-it-out victory for the South Siders
SD/LA - SD +171 (Marquis vs. Capuano) (70/119.70) - Surprisingly a no-sweat. SD is money again as a big dog at LA.
Hou/Oak Over 7.5 (75.60/70) - Looked good after 5, but both teams struggled to score much against 'pens.
4/17/13 ( , )
KC/Atl Under 8 (76.80/60) -
Hou/Oak - Hou +166 (Norris vs. Colon) - (60/99.60)
Chi/Tor - Tor -127 (Quintana vs. Happ) (72.20/60)
TB/Balt Over 8 (72.10/70) -
Keep On Running & How the Worst of Humanity Brings Out the Best in Many of Us
It's days like Monday, the day of the explosions at the Boston Marathon that took the lives of at least three people according to the most recent accounts, that make me realize the polarity of humans.
On one end, you have a cold calculated person or group of people whose actions abruptly and tragically ended human lives. Frankly, it doesn't matter to me if it was carried out by someone or a group of international or domestic descent - an attack on humanity to me has no color or no country affiliation.
 |
| Some of the quick responders helping at the scene of the explosions (From CNN.com) |
Which brings me to the other end. The brighter end of humanity. The one where first responders to such tragedies show no hesitation in trying to save the lives of strangers they have never met. Some of these heroes are law enforcement - firefighters, policemen, medical personnel. Some of them just happen to make themselves heroes, lending a hand to someone who may have been in the line of the tragedy. All the while, these folks have no clue if there's more explosions coming - whether it be out of bravery or just acting in the heat of the moment, these people run towards the danger as everyone else is encouraged to run away from it.
 |
| Former NFLer Joe Andruzzi helps an injured woman (Getty Images) |
To watch the scene that took place after the explosion, with medics using wheelchairs to hurry people who were near the explosion, with people who were helping to carry those who may not have been able to walk anymore, it really does show how the worst brings out the best in many people.
The best stories I've read as it relates to the tragedy and how our faith in humanity can be restored in the same instant we think it disappeared:
- As the marathon abruptly ended with the explosions, I caught a story of marathon runners who kept running past the finish line towards a local hospital to donate their blood. From what I heard, enough blood was donated to help those who were affected by the tragedy.
- Those marathoners who may not be able to leave the city at this time have been offered places to crash by local Boston residents. In the face of hardship, Boston is lending its helping hand to those whose plans of leaving after the marathon may have been affected.
- Joe Andruzzi, a former New England Patriot lineman whose family knows a little about being first in line of an American tragedy (his three brothers - all firefighters - were first responders on 9/11), was near the finish line of the marathon as he and his cancer research foundation were hosting a fundraising party when the explosions hit. Acting as his brothers would, Joe was seen helping many who were affected by the blasts, as seen in the picture above.
If you dig deeper, there's plenty of stories just like this. Stories that show you how a nation of 300 million can feel like a town of 1200, where everyone feels like family if only for a moment.
My Growing Faith in Humanity
Before today, I've learned of some of the generosity of mankind in the past couple weeks on a personal level. When signing up for a race called the Warrior Dash, the sign-up process asked if I would like to race and raise money on behalf of St. Jude. Yes, yes I will do this, I decided. My company, as charitable as they come, has done something for me that no other place of employment has ever done - it has opened my eyes to the effects that charity and charitable work can do for a person/community.
Not only will I do it, I will do it on behalf of my cousin Marilyn, who passed away before even reaching double digits in age, dying months after her 8th birthday in 1989. I was only 6 at the time, but the effects of her death have affected my extended family in ways I would never want to imagine. Even though she didn't use St. Jude, it is children's hospitals that help kids like my cousin (and even my brother, who had hip issues as a kid and had to wear leg braces for many years) and make it possible for families to survive financially without having to worry about the extensive hospital bills that may come from extended stays.
In my fundraising efforts for St. Jude, I have been even more amazed. The generosity of people from all walks of my life has been nothing short of spectacular: family, friends, co-workers, even complete strangers who may know a family member of mine who promoted my charitable efforts. All of these groups of people have done way more than I've expected, donated much more than I ever planned (which has made me increase my ambitious fundraising goal to $1,000).
Before the tragedy, I already knew of this giving spirit. I could say it's because I have a great group of people around me, perhaps greater than anyone else may have - and I wouldn't argue with you. All of those groups of people in my life have a special place in my heart, not only for their donations but who they are as people.
Keep on Running
On days like this, it's easy for us to question the tragedies that happen. In many cases, we never get straight answers. In all cases, we never get good answers.
But as time has shown, at least in my recent memory, humanity also rises in these tragedies. No matter what the tragedy (whether it be what happened in Boston or New York in 2001 or many other countless examples of tragedies), the best of humanity shows its face.
When next year's Boston Marathon comes around, I expect the race to go off without a hitch. I also expect people to run in dedication of what happened in 2013. It will be tough for many people to run the race with the explosions in their minds.
But we are a resilient humanity. 9/11 didn't scare most of us from ever flying again, nor should these explosions scare marathoners from ever running the race again.
We must keep on running.
4/14/2013
Chapter 10 Fit Happens: Large (Shirts) & In Charge
Yes, it's finally happened. About a month later than I expected.
It's the wall. Not as intimidating as China's or as musical as Pink Floyd's. But it's an inevitable part of a weight loss program.
It seems to be happening to all of us at the same time. Out of the 3 of us who have recorded our weights since April 1, we have lost a combined 1.8 pounds. At nearly the halfway point of April, that is 22 pounds less than we lost from the first 14 days of the New Year. Obviously, the main reason for that is the ease of the weight loss for all of us in the initial part of the contest.
It's difficult at times to be motivated by weight loss at this time of the contest when weight loss is at a minimum despite our improved dietary and exercise habits. But it's a natural process with this contest. We were all going to face a wall at some point. It's funny that we all hit it at the same time.
I know that we're trying to get through this, but I think it's a realization that we need to step things up. Increase the better habits: more intense workouts, different workouts, better diets than we've already been taking part of.
This month, I've been working out about 5 out of 7 days. My workout intensity has definitely increased. I have been stepping up my treadmill cardio to 45 minute sessions where I end up burning close to 800 calories by the time the workout ends.
I've managed to squeeze ahead in the weight loss this month, but it's not showing in the standings. And that's what we need to remember.
It's not always going to show up in the numbers. As long as the right mindset of continuing these good habits exists, everything will work out in the long term.
Oh yeah, and I can fit in large shirts again without looking six months pregnant. Go me!
Until next time, thanks for reading.
It's the wall. Not as intimidating as China's or as musical as Pink Floyd's. But it's an inevitable part of a weight loss program.
It seems to be happening to all of us at the same time. Out of the 3 of us who have recorded our weights since April 1, we have lost a combined 1.8 pounds. At nearly the halfway point of April, that is 22 pounds less than we lost from the first 14 days of the New Year. Obviously, the main reason for that is the ease of the weight loss for all of us in the initial part of the contest.
It's difficult at times to be motivated by weight loss at this time of the contest when weight loss is at a minimum despite our improved dietary and exercise habits. But it's a natural process with this contest. We were all going to face a wall at some point. It's funny that we all hit it at the same time.
I know that we're trying to get through this, but I think it's a realization that we need to step things up. Increase the better habits: more intense workouts, different workouts, better diets than we've already been taking part of.
This month, I've been working out about 5 out of 7 days. My workout intensity has definitely increased. I have been stepping up my treadmill cardio to 45 minute sessions where I end up burning close to 800 calories by the time the workout ends.
I've managed to squeeze ahead in the weight loss this month, but it's not showing in the standings. And that's what we need to remember.
It's not always going to show up in the numbers. As long as the right mindset of continuing these good habits exists, everything will work out in the long term.
Oh yeah, and I can fit in large shirts again without looking six months pregnant. Go me!
Until next time, thanks for reading.
4/08/2013
MLB Betting 4/8/13 thru 4/14/13
Last week's bets: http://b-boknows.blogspot.com/2013/03/b-bos-mlb-bets-futures-daily-bets.html
YTD: 29-37, -463.45 (Updated 4/15/13)
WTD: 13-17, -175.25
4/8 (1-4, -248.80)
Bos/Balt (Bucholtz/Chen) Over 9 - 66/60 - L - Never had a chance.
Garcia (StL) -111 vs. Cincy - 88.80/80 - L - Bad 2nd half of game for StL, even worse 9th inning (9 runs allowed)
NYM/Phil (Harvey/Halladay) Over 7.5 - 67.60/60 - Halladay is losing it. Sad
Hou +135 1st 5 innings - 70/94.50 - Dumb bet
Hou/Sea Over 7.5 - 84/80 - Dumb bet
4/9 (4-2, 185.25)
Det/Tor (Sanchez/Morrow) Under 8 - 70/70 - Morrow allowed too many hits. After mid-game tease, Detroit finished it off in 8th inning
Lee (Phil) -173 vs. NYM - 86.50/50 - Lee cruises to victory. Phils bats helped the cause
Richard (SD) +120 vs. LAD - 80/96 - Never trailed. SD opens up game in 8th.
Parker (Oak) +135 at LAA - 75/101.25 - After blowing 4-0 lead, big 5-run 7th seals it.
McDonald (Pitt) +130 at Ariz - 60/78 (first 5) - Pitt's big 4th inning seals the bet.
Colorado + 114 - 70/79.80 - Rockies couldn't muster any offense after a big 2nd.
4/10 (2-2, 54.20)
Cin/StL (Bailey/Westbrook) Under 8.5 - 65/66.30 - StL explosion in innings 5-7 ruin a great start toward the under
Moore (TB) +124 at Tex - 80/99.20 - Nice shutout Tampa.
Floyd (CWS) +151 at Wash 50/83.05 - Brief lead, but never had a chance.
Bos/Balt (Dempster/Arrieta) Over 9 - 74.90/70 - Looked like a loss, but Baltimore puked and rallied. Must remember that these good fortunes usually balance out the bad beats.
4/11 (0-2, -150.50 )
Axelrod (CWS) +144 at Wash - 70/100.80 - Plenty of chances, but no dice
Cle/NYY (McAllister/Hughes) Under 8.5 - 80.50/70 - rained out
LA Angels Over 4 runs - 80.50/70 - Never threatened to win this bet.
4/12 (4-1, 312.5)
Cubs +128 (Villanueva) vs. SF - 65/83.20 - Cubs BP tried to blow a fantastic outing from Villanueva. Luckily, Romo was just as giving.
Pitt/Cin (Burnett/Leake) Under 7.5 - 67.20/60 - doomed from start. Went way over.
Hou +175 (first 5 innings) at LA Angels - 60/105 - Dominant performance by Bud Norris
Hou +185 (game) 50/92.50 - Never a sweat on this one. 5-0 win. Hard to beat that non-sweat with a +185
Iwakuma (Sea) +132 vs. Tex - 75/99 - Iwakuma an early season surprise. Hopefully catch value for another start or two w/ him.
4/13 (1-3, -143.40 )
Atl/Wash (Hudson/Strasburg) Under 7 (96/80) -
Sale (CWS) -130 at Cle (78/60) - Sale got bombed today.
Det/Oak (Verlander/Anderson) Under 7 (85.40/70) - Hard to bet unders on Tigers games. Need to make a note of this.
Cin/Tex parlay - (60/121.24)
4/14 (1-3, -164.50)
KC -103 (Santana) vs. Toronto - 103/100 - walk-off single wins it. Santana was solid.
Phil/Mia Over 8 (Halladay/Slowey) - 84/80 - finished way under. Halladay finally pitched decent.
LA/Ariz Over 9 (Beckett/Cahill) - 80.50/70 - again, way under. Both guys acted like they were Cy Young winners for a day. 1-0 final.
Balt/NYY Over 8.5 (Chen/Kuroda) - 100/112) - third time's not a charm. Way under. Again. Might need to lay off the totals for a bit.
YTD: 29-37, -463.45 (Updated 4/15/13)
WTD: 13-17, -175.25
4/8 (1-4, -248.80)
Bos/Balt (Bucholtz/Chen) Over 9 - 66/60 - L - Never had a chance.
Garcia (StL) -111 vs. Cincy - 88.80/80 - L - Bad 2nd half of game for StL, even worse 9th inning (9 runs allowed)
NYM/Phil (Harvey/Halladay) Over 7.5 - 67.60/60 - Halladay is losing it. Sad
Hou +135 1st 5 innings - 70/94.50 - Dumb bet
Hou/Sea Over 7.5 - 84/80 - Dumb bet
4/9 (4-2, 185.25)
Det/Tor (Sanchez/Morrow) Under 8 - 70/70 - Morrow allowed too many hits. After mid-game tease, Detroit finished it off in 8th inning
Lee (Phil) -173 vs. NYM - 86.50/50 - Lee cruises to victory. Phils bats helped the cause
Richard (SD) +120 vs. LAD - 80/96 - Never trailed. SD opens up game in 8th.
Parker (Oak) +135 at LAA - 75/101.25 - After blowing 4-0 lead, big 5-run 7th seals it.
McDonald (Pitt) +130 at Ariz - 60/78 (first 5) - Pitt's big 4th inning seals the bet.
Colorado + 114 - 70/79.80 - Rockies couldn't muster any offense after a big 2nd.
4/10 (2-2, 54.20)
Cin/StL (Bailey/Westbrook) Under 8.5 - 65/66.30 - StL explosion in innings 5-7 ruin a great start toward the under
Moore (TB) +124 at Tex - 80/99.20 - Nice shutout Tampa.
Floyd (CWS) +151 at Wash 50/83.05 - Brief lead, but never had a chance.
Bos/Balt (Dempster/Arrieta) Over 9 - 74.90/70 - Looked like a loss, but Baltimore puked and rallied. Must remember that these good fortunes usually balance out the bad beats.
4/11 (0-2, -150.50 )
Axelrod (CWS) +144 at Wash - 70/100.80 - Plenty of chances, but no dice
Cle/NYY (McAllister/Hughes) Under 8.5 - 80.50/70 - rained out
LA Angels Over 4 runs - 80.50/70 - Never threatened to win this bet.
4/12 (4-1, 312.5)
Cubs +128 (Villanueva) vs. SF - 65/83.20 - Cubs BP tried to blow a fantastic outing from Villanueva. Luckily, Romo was just as giving.
Pitt/Cin (Burnett/Leake) Under 7.5 - 67.20/60 - doomed from start. Went way over.
Hou +175 (first 5 innings) at LA Angels - 60/105 - Dominant performance by Bud Norris
Hou +185 (game) 50/92.50 - Never a sweat on this one. 5-0 win. Hard to beat that non-sweat with a +185
Iwakuma (Sea) +132 vs. Tex - 75/99 - Iwakuma an early season surprise. Hopefully catch value for another start or two w/ him.
4/13 (1-3, -143.40 )
Atl/Wash (Hudson/Strasburg) Under 7 (96/80) -
Sale (CWS) -130 at Cle (78/60) - Sale got bombed today.
Det/Oak (Verlander/Anderson) Under 7 (85.40/70) - Hard to bet unders on Tigers games. Need to make a note of this.
Cin/Tex parlay - (60/121.24)
4/14 (1-3, -164.50)
KC -103 (Santana) vs. Toronto - 103/100 - walk-off single wins it. Santana was solid.
Phil/Mia Over 8 (Halladay/Slowey) - 84/80 - finished way under. Halladay finally pitched decent.
LA/Ariz Over 9 (Beckett/Cahill) - 80.50/70 - again, way under. Both guys acted like they were Cy Young winners for a day. 1-0 final.
Balt/NYY Over 8.5 (Chen/Kuroda) - 100/112) - third time's not a charm. Way under. Again. Might need to lay off the totals for a bit.
4/05/2013
America's Scummiest Home Videos & Other NCAA Musings
Who would have thought that the focus of Final Four week would be more so off the court than on it? Some items of note:
- Did you see the Louisville guy (Kevin Ware) break his leg on TV Sunday? I didn't - and I have no intention of ever seeing the video of it! If you try showing me the video, I will not watch it. I accidentally saw a picture of it when Jen had it up on the computer or phone. I heard how bad it was, and I saw enough of the reaction of the players on both Louisville and Duke to know that I don't want to see it. I'm glad CBS didn't do what the broadcasters did 30 years ago when Lawrence Taylor snapped Joe Theismann's leg, and the coverage apparently showed slow motion replays of it non-stop. I can go without seeing the Ware injury.
- And to think college video from the week couldn't get more ugly to watch, there was the Rutgers incident. The video of the former Rutgers basketball coach Mike Rice circulated, showing Rice basically playing a one-man game of dodgeball with the basketballs at practice (except he was only doing the throwing.) Even though this video has been in the hands of Rutgers personnel for months, it took world-wide exposure for them to fire Rice. Sadly, there is more psycho coaches out there that systematically mentally and physically abuse players from the lowest levels of sport all the way to the top. The more successful your team is, the more acceptable this abuse becomes (see Bob Knight). Unlike the others, Rice was caught on tape.
And to those who say the boys should have stuck up for themselves, it's always easy for us to say this. We say this about victims of all types of crimes in society, particularly physical abuse and rape. It becomes a case of blaming the victim ("I would have stuck up for myself," many say). Yet when people get put in that situation, they are often so mentally abused that they don't feel like they can get out of the situation by defending themselves from such abuse. Instead of implicitly blaming the victims, we should sympathize with them and realize their situation was not the easiest to deal with. Many of these guys have professional aspirations. If they lose their scholarship, the road to getting the seasoning required for attention from the professional ranks becomes a much more difficult one. It's easier for some of these guys to take the abuse and gut it out than it is to risk the chance of getting kicked off the team for ratting on their abusive coach.
It doesn't make it right for what coaches like that do - we just need to understand that it's not the easiest thing for these players to report their coach for such abusive behavior. It makes me think that all colleges, if they don't do so already, be required to film all of their practices for compliance purposes of player safety from abusive coaches. - Two Pac-12 teams hired coaches. One just finished a Cinderella run as a 15-seed in the NCAA tourney with Florida Gulf Coast and moved to USC for an incredible pay raise (Andy Enfield). The other didn't even have time for the ink to dry on his 10-year extension with New Mexico (Steve Alford) before bolting to UCLA. More on Alford later.
- Oh, and I almost forgot about the Auburn football scandal, which has a little bit of something for everybody - robbery, bribes, murder. Ok, not murder. Just wanted to see if you were still paying attention.
More college thoughts/rants
Sure, there are some college coaches that might have some shreds of morality, but I'm not sure who those guys are. When you hear a guy has signed an extension with a school, all that means is....well, nothing. It doesn't mean the guy is going to stay with your school for 10 more years. It doesn't mean anything.
Most (if not all) of these big money contracts these guys sign includes a buyout clause jusssssst in case they get a better offer or opportunity somewhere else.
Did you take a look at all the coaching changes that occurred this offseason in football? It was a domino effect that seemed to touch about a quarter of the BCS-based teams. Then there were some coaches like Les Miles who helped get himself an extension by "showing interest" in the Arkansas job. I put that in quotes because it's debatable whether there was any interest or if it was merely a ploy to get more money.
Going back to Alford, who the hell signs a 10-year contract with a team (which he was lucky to get to begin with, considering how little Alford has done to earn it in his NCAA tourney appearances) and then bolts days later? On the Dan Patrick Show, he said he gets a lot of calls, but the call from UCLA is different because it's UCLA. Like hundreds of college coaches in the major sports, this guy is going to preach loyalty and committing to a team when he's literally a phone call away from being wooed away from that locker room.
It's one of the main hypocritical things that bother me about college sports, right next to the free labor that the NCAA and coaches get from the players and the dumb transfer rules that cause players to sit a year when they want to transfer to a new school.
Argue all you want, but you'll never convince me that these players don't deserve at least some form of payment? You say their scholarship should be considered their payment, but how many of these guys even get their degrees? Most of these guys in basketball, especially the NBA-caliber guys, are 1-2 year rentals who
These unpaid servants of the NCAA are the ones whose talents create a product that is worth billions of dollars. And who reaps the benefits? The coaches who can bail to another school whenever they want. The NCAA administration folks, whose morals are even lower than the coaches.
And since when does a coach need a 10-year contract for a security blanket?
The most baffling thing about the Alford thing, outside of him getting an extension, was that he needed such a lengthy extension. Are these decade-long contracts really necessary for teams to show their "loyalty" to certain coaches or to prove to the coaches that they want them around for a while? Do you have any idea how many coaches in both college football and college basketball have been with their current schools for 10+ years?
Well, thanks to Wikipedia (and I know people can enter in information on that site at will, but to the best of my knowledge, the data looked accurate), I broke down both sports based on length of coaching tenure. Below are the percentage of coaches who have been with their current schools for a decade or longer.
College basketball: 52 of 347 (15%) - look at the top 10 list below. Unless you're a big time college basketball fan, good luck knowing more than two names on that list.
College football: 10 of 125 (8%)
And here are the numbers for new coaches to their respective teams entering the 2013 seasons of their sports:
College basketball: 35 of 347 (10%)
College football: 31!!! of 125 (25%) To think, I thought I was exaggerating with the quarter of NCAA teams changing coaches seemingly. Seemingly ended up being true...
I'm not sure if this data is consistent throughout the years, but that means if you picked a coach at random in college football, you're 3 times more likely to pick a team who hasn't coached a down at the current school as you were to identify a coach who's been at a school for a decade or longer.
Alford was at New Mexico for six years, so he was less than five years away from making it to 10. However, as is the case with many of these coaches, they get bored at certain jobs or get wooed by better ones.
No one is going to argue that UCLA basketball doesn't sound sexier than New Mexico basketball - no doubt, UCLA's history is hard to ignore. But you just signed a 10-year deal days before! You said you wanted to stay there and be there for years to come. Then you bolt at the first call you get from UCLA?
At the very least, if the NCAA isn't going to change its transfer rule with the athletes switching schools, they should make coaches sit out a year before transferring to a new school to at least show some consistency in its policy. However, that would require the NCAA to do something it is incapable of doing.
After all, if players who continue to get paid squat keep making these guys a collective billions, then why would they want to change anything? The system works best for those on the top of the food chain: the big conference adminstrations, athletic directors, coaches, and most importantly, the NCAA. Let the free labor reign.
4/01/2013
Fit Happens Chapter 9: Halfway There
In case you missed the individual profiles on each of the contestants from the past week, click the links below to read about our individual trials and tribulations:
Profile 1 (Chris)
Profile 2 (Hippo)
Profile 3 (Magic Bus)
Profile 4 (B-Bo)
We're halfway done with the Fit Happens Weight Loss Challenge sponsored by Papa Johns. Papa John did not sponsor us unfortunately, so we will not be able to give away two million free pizzas. April Fools!
And the good news? I'm still in the lead...but barely. Below are the standings at the halfway mark.
Other good news? I won the month of March, but barely. Thanks to my slightly less plump exterior compared to Hippo, who lost the same amount of weight but lost a less of a percentage.
That makes two victorious months and one second-place finish out of the three months of the contest. Can't complain with that. Hell, I'm shocked I have lost 27+ pounds so far. I figured to get about 20-22, but 27 is a nice cubed number.
So what's next?
For me personally, there's a lot going on in the next month that can help me continue going strong in the contest:
Profile 1 (Chris)
Profile 2 (Hippo)
Profile 3 (Magic Bus)
Profile 4 (B-Bo)
We're halfway done with the Fit Happens Weight Loss Challenge sponsored by Papa Johns. Papa John did not sponsor us unfortunately, so we will not be able to give away two million free pizzas. April Fools!
| Weight as of April 1: 208.4, a loss of 27.2 pounds. Currently leading in Fit Happens. |
And the good news? I'm still in the lead...but barely. Below are the standings at the halfway mark.
| User | lbs | % |
| Dave | -17.6 lbs | -6.1 % |
| Hippo | -27.4 lbs | -11.1 % |
| LionEsquire | -20.8 lbs | -8.52 % |
| B-Bo Knows Weight Loss | -27.2 lbs | -11.54 % |
Other good news? I won the month of March, but barely. Thanks to my slightly less plump exterior compared to Hippo, who lost the same amount of weight but lost a less of a percentage.
| User | lbs | % |
|---|---|---|
| Dave | -1.6 lbs | -0.59 % |
| Hippo | -7.2 lbs | -3.18 % |
| LionEsquire | -2.2 lbs | -0.98 % |
| B-Bo Knows Weight Loss | -7.2 lbs | -3.34 % |
That makes two victorious months and one second-place finish out of the three months of the contest. Can't complain with that. Hell, I'm shocked I have lost 27+ pounds so far. I figured to get about 20-22, but 27 is a nice cubed number.
So what's next?
For me personally, there's a lot going on in the next month that can help me continue going strong in the contest:
- Exercise bike - Thanks to a client of Jen's moving to Georgia, we inherited a free exercise bike for the apartment a week ago. It currently sits in our living room behind our couch facing the TV. I have used it three times and Jen has used it once or twice. I believe this will get used more than home exercise equipment that I've used in the past. Last year when I lived with my parents like a cool 29-year old, we inherited a machine of my grandma's that was covered in dust. After cleaning the dust for that and using it a little, it is currently gathering dust in the garage. The goal: use the exercise bike 4-5 times a week to ensure it does not turn into a coat rack with a plug.
- Warrior Dash - I signed up for the Warrior Dash on Friday, ensuring that I will continue to run on the machine (and hopefully some outside as the weather allows it) to get into better shape. I hope to be in the 190s when I'm racing in June.
- Zoo Run in June - I may be running this with fellow Fit Happens member Chris. It would be the day after me and Jen move into our yet-to-be-determined new apartment. It's a 5K, so I shouldn't have a problem running it at a decent pace (for my first 5K in a while, it'd be nice to have a 9 minute mile pace).
- Free Time - For reasons I'd rather not discuss right now or at least online, I may have some more time to myself coming up. If this is the case, I will focus on making sure to maximize this time to working out and getting into better shape.
Not sure when I'll update this again (maybe next month). Hope you've been enjoying this series so far.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)