Entries For: April 2007
04/30/2007
Baron Davis Halfcourt Shot
I almost feel sorry for Cuban, but then I remember his billions of dollars and I decide that I don't care if his team is pitted against the toughest eight-seed in years. An eight-seed that hasn't been to the playoffs since 1994 when they were swept. An eight-seed with fans that are starving for a playoff series victory. And most importantly, an eight-seed with Baron Davis.
Former UCLA star Davis has been amazing. His half court shot to tie the game going into halftime is the tip of the iceberg. If you missed the game last night, you also need to check him out as he steals an inbound pass from the Mavericks and goes coast to coast for a buzzer beater to tie it again at the end of the third. Baron Davis has been insane. Baron Davis is playing the way the Dallas Mavericks should be. Instead, the Mavericks are playing the mechanical basketball that earned them the regular season's best record--fundamentally sound, but lacking the passion to win an NBA championship.
While I don't want to count them out because of what happened to the Lakers last season when they put the Suns down 3-1, I also have to say that the Mavericks -- the number one team in the NBA, last year's Western Conference champs -- are looking like a long shot against the Warriors. Most notably, they are going to have to win one at Golden State, which I just can't see happening. These fans and Baron Davis are just too crazy to beat on the road. Especially when everything is going the Warriors way, including half court shots like this. You know, the type of shot that people like Cuban have nightmares about for the rest of their lives? Oh you don't know? Then watch this video and see what Cuban sees every time he tries to get some shuteye.
04/27/2007
The NFL Draft Sucks, And So Does Will Ferrell
Meanwhile, this latest "miss" in Will Ferrell's hit and miss career isn't sparking any excitement for me. Don't get me wrong, I like Ferrell, but a USC shirt isn't going to make me forget that this isn't funny. Luckily for Will, his die-hard fans will watch just about anything he makes.
Tyrus Thomas Playoff Dunk
With all of the attention that Brandon R.O.Y. Roy is getting, I don't feel as though Tyrus Thomas is getting his due credit. If you ask me, there are two reasons why everyone thinks that Roy is the rookie of the year:
1) Roy's playing for one of the crappiest teams in the league, so it's easier for him to stuff the stat sheet.
2) Everyone already decided he's the rookie of the year, and once the media gets snowballing, it's hard to stop the avalanche.
But quite frankly, Thomas seems to be the better, although possibly more raw, athlete. In the limited action I've seen him in, I have to say that his athleticism is phenomenal. I've seen him sky up for blocks that a 7-footer would have trouble reaching and this alley-oop seen here, against one of my least favorite teams in the league, is nothing short of spectacular.
04/11/2007
Baron Davis: Employee of the Month
Looks like former UCLA basketball star Baron Davis has been cut from the Golden State Warriors, and like Mr. Cooper, who, in the series Hangin' with Mr. Cooper suffered the same fate, has found a steady day job. Luckily for Davis, his day of earning minimum wage was only a joke, and a hilarious one at that.
While I may live to regret this statement because there is still a slim chance that the Warriors will leap-frog my Lakers for the 8th seed in the Western Conference playoff race, I can honestly say that for now, I like Baron Davis. He's doing a great job of continuing the legacy Kareem Abdul Jabbar started as athletes being wonderful straight men.
04/06/2007
Boston Red Sox's Daisuke Matsuzaka's Debut
After a fairly disappointing spring training and being booed for performing jumping jacks before his opening pitch, Daisuke Matsuzaka's regular season debut for the Sox was simply incredible. Granted, it was against the Kansas City Royals without two of their top bats, but nevertheless, 10 strikes in 7 innings pitched is no joke for a first game.
While it's still difficult to tell if Dice-K is excelling because his pitching style is still relatively unknown to the majors, early signs indicate that this is not the case. Initially, the hype around Matsuzaka was because he could supposedly throw the fabled Gyro ball. As it turns out, the the pitch doesn't exist -- at least, not in reality. If it does exist, Matsuzaka seems to be sandbagging that until the playoffs. What he does have is the ability to keep his hitters frustrated and guessing, masterfully switching between his 95 mph fastball, his off-speed pitch, and his breaking ball. This game may be one of his many wins this season.
In addition to his pitching, Matsuzaka even had a chance to display his fielding skills in this short clip. Pitching, fielding, and a gyroball mystique --after a rocky spring training, it's starting to look like Fenway Park's new Japanese food vendors aren't going to go out of business anytime soon.
