Today after class ended at 1, I decided I wanted to get some pizza, so I headed over to Allegro's, the best place at Penn. They have a plasma with sports on all the time, and the place was packed (probably for the air cconditioning since it's hot outside). Turns on ESPN was showing last year's Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee, and everyone there was riveted (except for 2 delivery guys debating which escort service is the best). It was truly amazing to watch. Heads turned to that one TV just to see if Rajiv could nail the coffin on Yizkor (absolutely, 100% politically incorrect pun...but effective). And it wasn't just Penn kids sitting at tables. The guy taking slice orders and the manager were providing color commentary too. At commercials, everyone talked amongst themselves. But right when the action came back on, BOOM! every head there turned to watch. Really amazing to be there.
Also, Robin Roberts and Chris Connelly? Could they get two more people who share alliteration and the penchant for awkward banter? I think not. And that's probably why ESPN gets away with showing reruns of the Bee.
May 23, 2007
DA CHAMP-YONS!
Never seen a UEFA Champion's League running blog, and I happen to have the free time, so here it goes:
2:45PM: Liverpool and AC Milan come out onto the field to begin their (hopefully) epic rematch of the 2004 Final in Istanbul, where Milan squandered a 3-goal halftime lead in 15 minutes and ended up losing on penalty kicks. Also, today's referee, Herbert Fandel, is the 1st referee of a Champion's League Final who is also a classically trained pianist.
2:46PM: Liverpool actually had a chance in the first minute...seriously. I thought we were going to see them hold the ball like Hoosiers for 90 minutes. The cross was too far ahead, and Dida got a goal kick.
2:48PM: The ball has been in Milan's end for all but 30 seconds so far (3:15 in).
2:50PM: Pepe Reina kicks a goal kick. I wonder what type of security he got at his house back in England tonight after the last Liverpool Champion's League game, where his house got robbed and his Porsche Cayenne wasfound burnt out on the side of the road.
2:52PM: This game is moving really really really really slow (http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1f4_1179038976).
2:53PM: Milan is playing likee they got castrated last night...or Steven Gerrard pulled a Lawrence Taylor and sent some Turkish crackwhores to a bunch of Milan players.
2:56PM: Liverpool gets a good chance, and Dida makes a good save that Maldini cleared from danger. Finally, someone tries to shoot at the goal!
2:58PM: Another Liverpool chance, and Jermaine Pennant's pass is a second too late.
2:59PM: Filippo Inzaghi manages to not be called for offsides (a trademark of his is to walk the line), but the long ball is just a bit too long. Usually Inzaghi gets 5 offsides a game, so the watch is on.
3:03PM: Kaka's first attempt of the game from 10 yards outside the box, and Reina makes an easy save.
3:04PM: Gerrard is fouled near the sideline outside the box. Time for some Gerrard magic...or not. Pennant and Bolo Zenden...and it's sent way too long.
3:06PM: Tommy Smyth (with a y) gives his first shoutout of the day to who else but the Irish National team, who are in the US playing Ecuador at Giants Stadium.
3:07PM: Sounds like a lost child announcement that stops our announcers. That's how we know it should be a classic
3:08PM: Kaka pulls a Ginobili (it should be the other way around)
3:10PM: Derek Rae mentions Gattuso calling Liverpool outdated ("like an Italian team from 10 years ago.") after Gattuso fouls John Arne Riise pretty hard.
3:13PM: Xavi Alonso shoots just wide. Pretty lucky there, Dida.
3:15PM: Bolo Zenden mounts Andrea Pirlo (sounds straight, but this isn't 90210). Pirlo gets a free kick attempt (Rae calls him the best in the world, and I agree because I play a lot of FIFA). Pirlo's kick looks good, but it goes straight to Reina.
3:16PM: Liverpool wins a corner and gets nothing out of it.
3:18PM: Riise shoots it way too high, putting shots at 4-1 Liverpool...and shots on goal is tied at 1-1. This state makes me think Milan has a very good chnce to win.
3:19PM: Massimo Oddo crosses right to Reina. Milan needs to improve the crosses if they want to win this
3:22PM: Marek Jankulovski trips, and Liverpool squanders the chance.
3:24PM: A little water break and Gattuso got hit in the nose by Zenden...accidentally. I prefer brawls, but whatever, let's see some football.
3:25PM: Jankulovski has the potential to pull a Claudio Reyna vs. Ghana. Hopefully he doesn't get the injury too.
3:26PM: Pennant gets called offsides, Inzaghi still has not. Probably because Milan just isn't aggressive right now. Milan is still playing quietly
3:27PM: Gattuso gets a yellow card for, as Smyth puts it, "walking right through Xavi Alonso."
3:30PM: Has anyone seen Curtis Pennant's uncles? I was right, a lost child announcement! Derek and Tommy, you guys need to play through the announcement (by...announcing.)
3:31PM: Andrea Pirlo is nasty at free kicks. 45th minute, Inzaghi semi-"Hand of God"s it into the net (it was off the chest, so it's legit). It's his 37th career Champion's League goal. Gattuso kind of looks like a hypocrite now, with his team scoring on free kicks.
3:33PM: Halftime, be back in a few.
3:47PM: Halftime is almost done, and while looking up Massimo Oddo, I found this gem: Oddo has been tricked twice on the Italian Candid Camera type show "Scherzi a Parte." If you're a celebrity, aren't you supposed to get a security detail to make sure that doesn't happen again? I think this makes Oddo the Johnny Drama of footballers.
3:49PM: And we are under way!
3:50PM: The ball is somehow still in Milan's end...and
3:51PM: Streaker! Carrying a Greek flag and easily dealt with by security, and Liverpool can't execute the corner. And Curtis Pennant's uncles are proably still drunk and not willing to go find Curtis.
3:53PM: Gerrard is not passing well as an attacking midfielder, so Liverpool should be getting Crouch in to play up front and moving Gerrard back to midfield.
3:56PM: Reina almost gives up an empty-netter but Liverpool manages to clear the ball before Seedorf can get a foot on it.
3:57PM: Marek Jankulovski is having a bad day. Yellow card.
3:59PM: Inzaghi goes offside, and that makes the count 1.
4:01PM: Kaka gets tackled from behind by Javi Mascherano and Kaka pulls a Sheed and complains.
4:02PM: Mascherano gets a yellow. Fandel "could have mailed him the card it took him so long to pull it out." Tommy Smyth is hilarious.
4:02PM: Zenden, who has just played like a Divac-Stojackovic King dump, is replaced by Harry Kewell.
4:04PM: Jamie Carragher is given a yellow for a tackle on Kaka (makeup call?) and Pirlo misses. Olivia Matthews, contact the steward!
4:05PM: Kewell takes a dive, saving Gattuso's ass from a red.
4:06PM: Gerrard gets past Nesta on an errant pass and Dida stops it and gets control.
4:06PM: Inzaghi is offside again. Make it 2.
4:09PM: Johnny Drama gives Liverpool a free kick chance on a foul. Free kick is not played well, and Jankulovski gets rid of it.
4:10PM: Milan is playing plain good defense.
4:11PM: Steven Gerrard is having a bad day. He just got a cross with no one near him, and he gets called for a handball.
4:16PM: After 5 minutes of nothing, Gerrard finally takes a goos shot and barely misses.
4:21PM: Finally, Mascherano is taken out and replaced by Peter Crouch...which is what Rafael Benitez should have done 20 minutes ago.
4:23PM: Carlo Ancelloti obviously wants some security in the defense, so Kahka Kaladze replaces Jankulovski.
4:24PM: Inzaghi isn't offsides, but he lets the ball right between his legs. And Derek Rae talks up the Indianapolis 500 talking about how special it is. Kind of like having Joe Morgan talk about the World Cup of Cricket during Sunday Night Baseball.
4:26PM: Inzaghi plays the line just right and beats Reina with a dribbler. Liverpool needs a miracle now. An 82nd minute goal for Pippo.
4:28PM: Inzaghi takes a ball to the stomach and refuses Harry Kewell's help up. Kewell is PISSED.
4:29PM: Peter Crouch tries to make things interesting, but Dida taps the ball over the crossbar. Liverpool fucks up the corner again.
4:30PM: Inzaghi is offside by a mile. That is 3 and will probably be his last with Gilardino ready to come in.
4:31PM: Inazghi comes off for Gilardino and a standing ovation. Xavi Alonso comes off for Alvaro Arbeloa.
4:33PM: Dirk Kuyt heads in the ball in the aftermath of the corner right after the substitution to make things interesting in the 89th minute. 3 minutes are added on. And Rae calls Gattuso "a cat on a hot tin roof" as he tries to avoid another card.
4:35PM: Seedorf comes off for Giuseppe Favalli in the 2nd minute of extra time.
4:37PM: Time is called, Milan are the champions of Champions! And Benitez is running down officials like JoePa while Gattuso is pulling a Joakim Noah ("That girl just dunked.") and running to the fans. Kaka belongs to Jesus. And Oddo yells "VICTORY!" Inzaghi is my player of the game.
4:42PM: Sore losers? AC Milan's wikipedia page reads like this: GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY
Real original.
4:51PM: Maldini raises the trophy, and a terrible Sarah McLachlan cover band begins playing. I really cannot understand European taste for American music, can someone speed them up 12 years? There'd probably be world peace if a program could be implemented to do that. And this "One Shining Moment" ripoff to end the game is terrible. Better music is necessary. Okay, I'm out, can't wait for next year's Champion's League. Thanks for making this possible, Sony and Heineken. Peace.
2:45PM: Liverpool and AC Milan come out onto the field to begin their (hopefully) epic rematch of the 2004 Final in Istanbul, where Milan squandered a 3-goal halftime lead in 15 minutes and ended up losing on penalty kicks. Also, today's referee, Herbert Fandel, is the 1st referee of a Champion's League Final who is also a classically trained pianist.
2:46PM: Liverpool actually had a chance in the first minute...seriously. I thought we were going to see them hold the ball like Hoosiers for 90 minutes. The cross was too far ahead, and Dida got a goal kick.
2:48PM: The ball has been in Milan's end for all but 30 seconds so far (3:15 in).
2:50PM: Pepe Reina kicks a goal kick. I wonder what type of security he got at his house back in England tonight after the last Liverpool Champion's League game, where his house got robbed and his Porsche Cayenne wasfound burnt out on the side of the road.
2:52PM: This game is moving really really really really slow (http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1f4_1179038976).
2:53PM: Milan is playing likee they got castrated last night...or Steven Gerrard pulled a Lawrence Taylor and sent some Turkish crackwhores to a bunch of Milan players.
2:56PM: Liverpool gets a good chance, and Dida makes a good save that Maldini cleared from danger. Finally, someone tries to shoot at the goal!
2:58PM: Another Liverpool chance, and Jermaine Pennant's pass is a second too late.
2:59PM: Filippo Inzaghi manages to not be called for offsides (a trademark of his is to walk the line), but the long ball is just a bit too long. Usually Inzaghi gets 5 offsides a game, so the watch is on.
3:03PM: Kaka's first attempt of the game from 10 yards outside the box, and Reina makes an easy save.
3:04PM: Gerrard is fouled near the sideline outside the box. Time for some Gerrard magic...or not. Pennant and Bolo Zenden...and it's sent way too long.
3:06PM: Tommy Smyth (with a y) gives his first shoutout of the day to who else but the Irish National team, who are in the US playing Ecuador at Giants Stadium.
3:07PM: Sounds like a lost child announcement that stops our announcers. That's how we know it should be a classic
3:08PM: Kaka pulls a Ginobili (it should be the other way around)
3:10PM: Derek Rae mentions Gattuso calling Liverpool outdated ("like an Italian team from 10 years ago.") after Gattuso fouls John Arne Riise pretty hard.
3:13PM: Xavi Alonso shoots just wide. Pretty lucky there, Dida.
3:15PM: Bolo Zenden mounts Andrea Pirlo (sounds straight, but this isn't 90210). Pirlo gets a free kick attempt (Rae calls him the best in the world, and I agree because I play a lot of FIFA). Pirlo's kick looks good, but it goes straight to Reina.
3:16PM: Liverpool wins a corner and gets nothing out of it.
3:18PM: Riise shoots it way too high, putting shots at 4-1 Liverpool...and shots on goal is tied at 1-1. This state makes me think Milan has a very good chnce to win.
3:19PM: Massimo Oddo crosses right to Reina. Milan needs to improve the crosses if they want to win this
3:22PM: Marek Jankulovski trips, and Liverpool squanders the chance.
3:24PM: A little water break and Gattuso got hit in the nose by Zenden...accidentally. I prefer brawls, but whatever, let's see some football.
3:25PM: Jankulovski has the potential to pull a Claudio Reyna vs. Ghana. Hopefully he doesn't get the injury too.
3:26PM: Pennant gets called offsides, Inzaghi still has not. Probably because Milan just isn't aggressive right now. Milan is still playing quietly
3:27PM: Gattuso gets a yellow card for, as Smyth puts it, "walking right through Xavi Alonso."
3:30PM: Has anyone seen Curtis Pennant's uncles? I was right, a lost child announcement! Derek and Tommy, you guys need to play through the announcement (by...announcing.)
3:31PM: Andrea Pirlo is nasty at free kicks. 45th minute, Inzaghi semi-"Hand of God"s it into the net (it was off the chest, so it's legit). It's his 37th career Champion's League goal. Gattuso kind of looks like a hypocrite now, with his team scoring on free kicks.
3:33PM: Halftime, be back in a few.
3:47PM: Halftime is almost done, and while looking up Massimo Oddo, I found this gem: Oddo has been tricked twice on the Italian Candid Camera type show "Scherzi a Parte." If you're a celebrity, aren't you supposed to get a security detail to make sure that doesn't happen again? I think this makes Oddo the Johnny Drama of footballers.
3:49PM: And we are under way!
3:50PM: The ball is somehow still in Milan's end...and
3:51PM: Streaker! Carrying a Greek flag and easily dealt with by security, and Liverpool can't execute the corner. And Curtis Pennant's uncles are proably still drunk and not willing to go find Curtis.
3:53PM: Gerrard is not passing well as an attacking midfielder, so Liverpool should be getting Crouch in to play up front and moving Gerrard back to midfield.
3:56PM: Reina almost gives up an empty-netter but Liverpool manages to clear the ball before Seedorf can get a foot on it.
3:57PM: Marek Jankulovski is having a bad day. Yellow card.
3:59PM: Inzaghi goes offside, and that makes the count 1.
4:01PM: Kaka gets tackled from behind by Javi Mascherano and Kaka pulls a Sheed and complains.
4:02PM: Mascherano gets a yellow. Fandel "could have mailed him the card it took him so long to pull it out." Tommy Smyth is hilarious.
4:02PM: Zenden, who has just played like a Divac-Stojackovic King dump, is replaced by Harry Kewell.
4:04PM: Jamie Carragher is given a yellow for a tackle on Kaka (makeup call?) and Pirlo misses. Olivia Matthews, contact the steward!
4:05PM: Kewell takes a dive, saving Gattuso's ass from a red.
4:06PM: Gerrard gets past Nesta on an errant pass and Dida stops it and gets control.
4:06PM: Inzaghi is offside again. Make it 2.
4:09PM: Johnny Drama gives Liverpool a free kick chance on a foul. Free kick is not played well, and Jankulovski gets rid of it.
4:10PM: Milan is playing plain good defense.
4:11PM: Steven Gerrard is having a bad day. He just got a cross with no one near him, and he gets called for a handball.
4:16PM: After 5 minutes of nothing, Gerrard finally takes a goos shot and barely misses.
4:21PM: Finally, Mascherano is taken out and replaced by Peter Crouch...which is what Rafael Benitez should have done 20 minutes ago.
4:23PM: Carlo Ancelloti obviously wants some security in the defense, so Kahka Kaladze replaces Jankulovski.
4:24PM: Inzaghi isn't offsides, but he lets the ball right between his legs. And Derek Rae talks up the Indianapolis 500 talking about how special it is. Kind of like having Joe Morgan talk about the World Cup of Cricket during Sunday Night Baseball.
4:26PM: Inzaghi plays the line just right and beats Reina with a dribbler. Liverpool needs a miracle now. An 82nd minute goal for Pippo.
4:28PM: Inzaghi takes a ball to the stomach and refuses Harry Kewell's help up. Kewell is PISSED.
4:29PM: Peter Crouch tries to make things interesting, but Dida taps the ball over the crossbar. Liverpool fucks up the corner again.
4:30PM: Inzaghi is offside by a mile. That is 3 and will probably be his last with Gilardino ready to come in.
4:31PM: Inazghi comes off for Gilardino and a standing ovation. Xavi Alonso comes off for Alvaro Arbeloa.
4:33PM: Dirk Kuyt heads in the ball in the aftermath of the corner right after the substitution to make things interesting in the 89th minute. 3 minutes are added on. And Rae calls Gattuso "a cat on a hot tin roof" as he tries to avoid another card.
4:35PM: Seedorf comes off for Giuseppe Favalli in the 2nd minute of extra time.
4:37PM: Time is called, Milan are the champions of Champions! And Benitez is running down officials like JoePa while Gattuso is pulling a Joakim Noah ("That girl just dunked.") and running to the fans. Kaka belongs to Jesus. And Oddo yells "VICTORY!" Inzaghi is my player of the game.
4:42PM: Sore losers? AC Milan's wikipedia page reads like this: GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY
Real original.
4:51PM: Maldini raises the trophy, and a terrible Sarah McLachlan cover band begins playing. I really cannot understand European taste for American music, can someone speed them up 12 years? There'd probably be world peace if a program could be implemented to do that. And this "One Shining Moment" ripoff to end the game is terrible. Better music is necessary. Okay, I'm out, can't wait for next year's Champion's League. Thanks for making this possible, Sony and Heineken. Peace.
May 19, 2007
Well, the Yankees' pitching woes continue, as Darryl Rasner got taken out of the game this afternoon after he got struck in the pitching hand with a line drive. He has a fractured index finger and will probably be on the DL as of tomorrow. I know that the shoddy pitching has been a big reason for the Yanks' awful start, but that's not it. This is the first year that I really believe the media's talk about a lack of chemistry in the Yankee clubhouse and that contributing to their decline. They just don't look loose, they look like they're playing tense and uneasy. I don't have too much evidence for this besides just watching them compared to the Mets and Johnny Damon's awful pregame introduction, but the losing, injuries, and now the Giambi steroids thing don't help.
This just hasn't been a fun team to watch the last couple of weeks and I say this as the most diehard of diehard Yanks fans.
A quick headline: Lazy Tom Glavine adds to all-tme record for sacrifice bunts rather than be beleaguered to hit, run bases.
This just hasn't been a fun team to watch the last couple of weeks and I say this as the most diehard of diehard Yanks fans.
A quick headline: Lazy Tom Glavine adds to all-tme record for sacrifice bunts rather than be beleaguered to hit, run bases.
Andy Katz Has "Inside" Info
Dear Andy Katz,
I read this story of yours (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2871275), and I just wanted to say that EVERYONE IN SYRACUSE KNEW THIS IN DECEMBER.
Thanks for your concern,
Dubroff
I read this story of yours (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2871275), and I just wanted to say that EVERYONE IN SYRACUSE KNEW THIS IN DECEMBER.
Thanks for your concern,
Dubroff
May 17, 2007
Suns-Spurs is Making the NBA Into a Joke
I don't like the Spurs. They play the type of basketball that makes people throw up from seasickness, rocking you to sleep until there's five seconds left on the shot clock and someone is magically open. Their titles are the reason that the NBA was stuck in a funk and their style of play continues to hold the League back. But Game 5 was a joke. Let's go back to 1997 for a second: The Knicks had it bad with John Wallace (a great Syracuse player, but a terrible NBA player) starting in place of the suspended Patrick Ewing in the deciding Game 7 in 1997 against the Heat. The worse team kneeled before the Bulls with nearly no resistance while the Knicks went home for the summer. This might be considered a milestone in the history of the Heat, but the win was completely illegitimate. When Alonzo Mourning is being guarded by Herb Williams and John Wallace the whole game, there is quite an advantage for the team with 'Zo. And who started the fight? PJ Brown body-slammed Charlie Ward after a free throw. The same applies here: Duncan had 4, 4, and 5 personal fouls in the 3 games against the Suns before Game 5, because he had to guard Amare. It makes the game an illegitimate win for the Spurs. If both teams were on even strength, Suns in 6 would have been the result. But Horry's forearm shiver on Nash gave his team a distinct advantage, and this series should be seen as tainted for his actions.
May 15, 2007
Welcome
Hey guys, welcome to the new ManualBuzzer. Props to Dubroff for the idea of the blog. I'm sure it will be updated much more often than the old website; anytime I have something quick, or substantial, to say about sports, I'll say it here.
I'm out for now though.
--bj
I'm out for now though.
--bj
Taking This Here Blog's V-Card
Welcome to the Manual Buzzer blog, which should be updated a tad more than the website. In the tradition of Jim Rome, I'm burning on something, and that would be Dirk Nowitzki reportedly taking home the NBA MVP this year. There are three reasons for this:
1.) Nash was just better
Simply, Steve should be tied with Moses, Magic, and Larry for 4th all-time with 3 Maurice Podoloffs. Steve was great the past two years ('04-'05: 15.5 PPG, 11.5 APG, 50.2% FG, 43.1% 3FG; '05-'06: 18.8 PPG, 10.5 APG, 51.2% FG, 43.9% 3FG), but he improved everything but scoring this year, coming up with 18.6 PPG and 11.6 APG (career high) on 53.2% FG (career high) and 45.5% 3FG (ties career high). He's a point guard who set career highs in accuracy and assists. Dirk did nothing notable this year besides shoot over 50% for the first time in his career. Are people taking Nash's yearly improvement for granted? Can this guy step up his game more? What are voters expecting from him? Nash really should have that award, and his numbers are amazing enough to merit the award.
2.) Was Dirk Really That Valuable?
Without Dirk, the Mavs were 3-1. Without Nash, the Mavs were 2-4. In '04-'05, the Suns were 2-5 without Nash and 0-3 in '05-'06 when he didn't play. While Nash is integral to the Suns' success, Dirk is just something extra that makes the Mavs a bit better. The Mavs are the Pistons of the West, minus the killer instinct, which brings us to...3.) Dirk's Award CeremonyNever in my lifetime has there been an MVP like Dirk. The reason: Dirk is the 1st MVP in a very long time (we're talking '70's being the last time...maybe) to not receive his award before a home playoff game...BECAUSE HE LOST IN THE 1ST ROUND...AND HE CHOKED. A 5 POINT DIP in scoring average from the postseason to the playoffs? 12% drop in FG%? Give me a break. MVPs should be stepping up in the playoffs, and as almost every analyst is saying after the fact, he shouldn't be the MVP.
And one more thing: the whole European invasion thing in the League...and the 1st MVP they give us chokes like this in the playoffs? We could be looking at the beginning of the fall of the European white guy in the NBA.
I leave you with the dunk of the year, to which Hubie Brown physically cannot show an excited reaction using his vocal chords: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGH3OuP9Sek
(Bonus appearance from Colgate alum and Warriors benchwarmer Adonal Foyle (known in the Jewish community as Adonalam) making a DIIIIISGUSTING face)
1.) Nash was just better
Simply, Steve should be tied with Moses, Magic, and Larry for 4th all-time with 3 Maurice Podoloffs. Steve was great the past two years ('04-'05: 15.5 PPG, 11.5 APG, 50.2% FG, 43.1% 3FG; '05-'06: 18.8 PPG, 10.5 APG, 51.2% FG, 43.9% 3FG), but he improved everything but scoring this year, coming up with 18.6 PPG and 11.6 APG (career high) on 53.2% FG (career high) and 45.5% 3FG (ties career high). He's a point guard who set career highs in accuracy and assists. Dirk did nothing notable this year besides shoot over 50% for the first time in his career. Are people taking Nash's yearly improvement for granted? Can this guy step up his game more? What are voters expecting from him? Nash really should have that award, and his numbers are amazing enough to merit the award.
2.) Was Dirk Really That Valuable?
Without Dirk, the Mavs were 3-1. Without Nash, the Mavs were 2-4. In '04-'05, the Suns were 2-5 without Nash and 0-3 in '05-'06 when he didn't play. While Nash is integral to the Suns' success, Dirk is just something extra that makes the Mavs a bit better. The Mavs are the Pistons of the West, minus the killer instinct, which brings us to...3.) Dirk's Award CeremonyNever in my lifetime has there been an MVP like Dirk. The reason: Dirk is the 1st MVP in a very long time (we're talking '70's being the last time...maybe) to not receive his award before a home playoff game...BECAUSE HE LOST IN THE 1ST ROUND...AND HE CHOKED. A 5 POINT DIP in scoring average from the postseason to the playoffs? 12% drop in FG%? Give me a break. MVPs should be stepping up in the playoffs, and as almost every analyst is saying after the fact, he shouldn't be the MVP.
And one more thing: the whole European invasion thing in the League...and the 1st MVP they give us chokes like this in the playoffs? We could be looking at the beginning of the fall of the European white guy in the NBA.
I leave you with the dunk of the year, to which Hubie Brown physically cannot show an excited reaction using his vocal chords: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGH3OuP9Sek
(Bonus appearance from Colgate alum and Warriors benchwarmer Adonal Foyle (known in the Jewish community as Adonalam) making a DIIIIISGUSTING face)
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