Archive for the ‘nba’ Category

5 Fun Sports Thoughts Under the Fedora RedSox Move Big, 2 players away from Judging Mayo, It’s the 80’s Celtics Again, An Icy Reality for the Bruins and Pete Rose Colored Glasses

Posted: December 15, 2024 by datechguy in baseball, dynasty baseball, gaming, nba, nfl, nhl, online gaming, Sports
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The Redsox have since the Chiam Bloom Era have hoarded prospects the way Scrooge hoarded cash. This week they spent four of them including two very high ranking ones for a legit ace Garrett Crochet. The White Sox need everything and the Redsox got exactly what they needed the most.

This automatically makes the rest of the rotation better as they move down a slot and is a strong signal that will all the young talent that broke through last year they are ready to roll. It’s going to be a great three years for Boston fans. The front office was wise to ignore the press and wait till now to strike.

It will be fun

I do not understand all the calls for the head of 1st year coach Jerad Mayo over the Patriots 3-10 start. Does anyone really think a different coach with this team was going to do better?

Their biggest problem is that with so many bad teams (8 teams are 3-10 or worse coming into this week) the best they will manage is a top 10 rather than a top 5 draft pick.

If they can draft a solid lineman or two and pick up a #2 or better wide receiver either via the draft or as they have a ton of cap space through free agency this team will be a playoff team in less than a season.

If he can’t get it done with those additions, THEN we can talk about the coaching

It will be fun

If you’re a Celtics fan if this isn’t the 2nd Bird/McHale/Parish golden age it’s pretty damn close.

While they don’t have the best record in the NBA the C’s are a devastating team with at least 2 to 3 players coming off the bench who would be starting on any other team and starters who despite last year’s championship still have a Tom Brady class chip on their shoulder.

I strongly suggest the Bucks enjoy their NBA cup final as barring massive injuries that’s the closest their team will get to the final this year.

To be sure Cleveland will be no pushover in the east and Dallas, Houston, Memphis and OKC are going to be tough but in a seven game series depth and experience will be hard to match.

It will be fun

Alone among the Boston sports teams the future doesn’t seem bright for the Bruins.

Despite yesterday’s win they are still 1-2 on their latest road trip and seem to have settled down as an average team that if lucky might win a playoff series and frankly there is no reason to believe that the ceiling will get any higher over the next few years.

Their off season signings just don’t seem to have panned out and frankly I see no sign that it will get better.

Finally we are deep into my 1973 league draft and it’s getting interesting. My own team looks pretty good but I see myself with a B+ ace instead of an A+ Ace but I’ve also added Billy Williams to support Pete Rose and Darryl Porter is now of age to make a different.

I mention Pete Rose because I’ve been watching the HBO special on him made just before he died and there is one conclusion I’ve come to.

There is a legit debate on the HOF, Rose’s numbers clearly warrant it & his gambling on Baseball as a manager clearly warrants his banning and there is was also the mercy after 30 years argument.

But it also appears to me at a time when interest in baseball is down Rose’s situation made sure he was news for thirty years and made him the single most discussed great player in the game. More people know just how incredible a player Rose was BECAUSE of his banning and the scandals are the reason why 30+ years after the fact HBO is did a special, not on Bench, not on Joe Morgan, Not on Reggie Jackson or the Beloved Brooks Robinson, or Big Papi or A-Rod or Clemens and Bonds, but on Pete Rose.

While it must have torn his guts out to be left out of the HOF the one thing all of this has established is that while you might not like him, or what he did or trust him at his word, the one thing firmly established in any person’s mind is that if you wanted to build a team to win, Pete Rose is the guy you start with, Period!

That’s a hell of a legacy!

Five Fast Thoughts Under the Fedora: Curry Nails it but it’s a matter of time, Will the Dem Ticket be the Same? Ukraine Jackson, Stewart or Bragg? Will Maduro Stay or Go? The Money Keeps Coming

Posted: August 12, 2024 by datechguy in business, election 2024, nba, under the fedora, war
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Stephan Curry’s impossible three point shot was the talk of twitter as team USA won gold again in basketball and is rightly considered a huge moment for the team in the Olympics.

But the real story is European basketball has progressed so far since the days of the original dream team of Bird, Jordan, Magic and Barkley that both France and Serbia are making these games, GAMES.

I may live to see another country win the Gold vs a dream team.

Between Walz’s issues with Stolen Valor and Kamala’s fake crowds I’m really wondering if the Democrats won’t be changing one or more horses in next week’s convention.

Given the coup against Biden it’s very possible. I think they just should have done the 25th Amendment but they don’t want to risk a 50-50 senate for the next 100 days or more.

Eventually reality wins out and the reality of the same Kamala that the were saying was a weakness for Biden remains.

The real question in Russia right now is what will the Ukrainians do with the initiative they have seized.

Will they like Stonewall Jackson in the valley use this initiative to try to turn Russian forces out of the Donbas region or will this like Jeb Stewart try to wreak havoc on a wider area or will they like Braxton Bragg that Lookout Mountain await the Russian response.

This decision might decide the war or at least as much of the war that takes place before the election.

In Venezuela Maduro fresh from stealing an election is getting all kinds of offers for amnesty if he leaves the country rather than continuing his crackdown to suppress the people after the steal.

What it really comes down to is does he want to spend his stolen money there or somewhere else? Of course if he leaves a lot of those folks who are doing the grunt work of Murder and oppression will have their days numbers so even if he wants to go they might not allow it.

I’m sure there are more than a few Democrats in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin watching what happens there.

Finally can someone explain to me how Boeing gets a new giant defense contract given their massive problems lately?

I don’t know how much they’re paying their lobbyists in DC but apparently they’re worth every penny and more.

The Celtics Remind us Why Brady is as good as Russell or Berra

Posted: June 16, 2024 by datechguy in nba, nfl, Sports
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One of the side effects of the Boston Celtics being blown out in game four vs the Mavericks after winning the first three is to remind us just how Great Tom Brady is and why he deserves a place in the Pantheon with Bill Russell (11 rings) and Yogi Berra (13 Rings) or maybe even beyond them.

Both Yogi and Bill had an advantage that Tom did not, the ability to either:

  1. Have a bad game
  2. Have your opponent have a great game

This advantage is inherent to a playoff series. You can lose a single game or multiple games, you can have a bad night, your team can have a bad night, you can make a huge mistake in a game, and you can still win because it’s a best of seven series.

Not Tom Brady.

In football it’s one and done, if you have a bad day, tough luck, you’re out.

If your opponent has an incredible game (think Pats Eagles) even if you played great, tough luck you’re out.

If your opponent has a lucky break (Think Pats Giants and the Helmet catch) tough luck your out.

That’s why it’s so hard to win at that level in football and that’s why Tom Brady is and will remain the GOAT until someone matches his level.

Brady’s Pats were not allowed a game like the Celts had that why even if the green raise the trophy over their heads in the Garden Tomorrow, they will not be anywhere near Brady level great.

Bill Russell is in my opinion the greatest basketball player who ever lived and no man is more valuable in a world series that Yogi Berra, but when it comes to greatness Tom Brady is right there if not higher.

Period!

Sports Under the Fedora: A Must win for Who, Who lets the Goalies Out?, Loaded DL No problem, Who was that 6th Round QB the Pats Pickup up and the Good times are rolling for my 1972 & 1997 Dynasty teams & 2023 looks promising too

Posted: April 29, 2024 by datechguy in baseball, gaming, nba, nfl, nhl, online gaming, Sable Baseball, Sports
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Tonight is game three of the series between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat which is a rematch of the Eastern Conference Final.

The Celtics were widely expected to sweep but after an embarrassing loss at home in game 2 they shut down the depleted heat in a defensive clinic that was a sight to behold. One might thing this would make tonight’s game a must win for Miami but I’m thinking it’s a must win for Boston.

On paper these two teams aren’t on the same planet but the Heat are one of the best coached teams in the game and have a never say die attitude. If they manage to steal game 4 at home all those old questions about the Celtics heart will return and it will mean that the Celtics will need to win at least one more at home where the Heat dominated them last year in the playoffs.

As they say, that’s why they play the games.

Speaking of playing the game the Boston Bruins are in almost every measurable sense worse than last year. Last year they set a record for regular season points, this year they finished 2nd in their division two Bruins greats retired.

Yet they now have a 3-1 advantage going into game 5 on Tuesday.

It would be quite an irony if their lesser team made the greater run this season. The real question however is will they return to their rotation at Goalie or will Swayman who has played in all of Boston’s wins get the call and Ullmark who lost game 2 remain on bench?

The media have a whole day to discuss it.

To say this young Boston Red Sox team has been a surprise is a understatement and a half

Despite trouble vs a good Cleveland team they managed to not only sweep a decent Pirates team in Pittsburgh but take two of three from a first place Cubs team even going so far as to put a 17-0 drubbing on them.

And this from a team whose disabled list is a who’s who of their opening day roster.

The young kids have delivered and now sit in 3rd place just 3 out of first and a 1/2 game behind in the wild card. All without spending tens of millions on free agents

Off in St. Louis I suspect Chaim Bloom is watching the team he built win and smiling.

There is a ton of talk about the Patriots drafting Drake May with the 3rd pick of the draft, and a lot will be written about him, but did you know the Pats picked up a second QB in round 6?

New England picked up QB Joe Milton III from Tennessee with the 193rd pick of the draft which they picked up from the Jaguars.

Jordan Schultz says this about the pick:

Milton checks in at an impressive 6-5, 235 pounds with an incredibly strong arm. Big time sleeper for me in this draft.

It may be insurance with their current crop of QB (except May) all free agents after this year, he may be converted to another position by the time he hits the field but historically New England has had a lot of luck with 6th round quarterbacks who had six or more QB’s picked ahead of him.

Finally my Dynasty face to face league opens up this weekend.

I should be more excited by this team. I have both Othani & Acuna Jr and more importantly an infield of Christian Walker, Jose Altuve, Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez not only all returning from last season but all with A ratings for durability meaning that none can be injured for more than 3 games at a shot.

Yet for some reason I’m ambivalent about them.

I have no such qualms about my online squads. My 1997 Reds who just missed a playoff spot last year are running wild on the bases, which is to be expected on a team with Rickey Henderson and Lance Johnson in the outfield and despite Wade Boggs spending three series on the DL are tied for 1st place.

Meanwhile in 1972 my judicious trades for both draft picks and prospects has paid off big. Doug Rader my 1st pick in round one may have been my third choice to fill my 3B slot but he leads the team in HR & RBI and is fielding up a storm. Much to my shock my late first round picks turned into last year’s Cy Young winner Don Wilson (15th pick) and Blue Moon Odem (18th pick) and together with Ken Holtzman, Al Downing and Mike Torrez who retuned from last year have been putting up numbers to be proud of. Meanwhile Ken Berry is catching anything near him in center with 2nd year man Caesar Geronimo doing the same in right while Pete Rose is hitting anything that comes near him and old friend Ron Fairly his playing like there is someone out to take his job (Mike Jorgenson). All that adds up to first place.

A seven game lead with 123 games to go doesn’t mean a lot but it beats trailing the pack.

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