Some thoughts after watching the Dallas Cowboys beat the previously unbeaten New Orleans Saints:
- Tony Romo has been playing well in all three games this December. It was the defense and the kicking game that were the main culprits for their 1-2 record in the month so far.
- The Jekyll and Hyde nature of the Cowboys will continue. After overcoming the Saints away, they will lose their final two games and miss the playoff again.
- As I have talked about before, Orlando Scandrick is their weak link in the secondary and the Cowboys almost lost because of it. Who could forgive him for senselessly putting a hand in the face of a Saints receiver that wiped out a crucial sack by Anthony Spencer on a third down play? Luckily for the Cowboys, Spencer came up with another sack on Drew Brees on the very next play.
- Nick Folk's days as a Dallas Cowboys is limited. So don't be surprised to see David Buehler to take over Folk as the field goal kicker in the coming games. Folk's inexcusable miss from 24 yards almost proved costly.
- And DeMarcus Ware showed up big time in one of the most important games of his life, after almost suffering a career-ending injury less than a week ago. He had two sacks and two forced fumbles, the last of which thwarted a spirited comeback by the Saints with just 6 seconds to play.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Q&A of the Day
Answer: Not a chance.
Question: Now that France has qualified for next year's World Cup Finals in South Africa, when William Gallas' goal against Ireland (video here) was allowed to stand, despite Thierry Henry clearly handling the ball (which he also admitted), would the FIFA have the guts to demand for a one-off playoff between the two teams?
Question: Now that France has qualified for next year's World Cup Finals in South Africa, when William Gallas' goal against Ireland (video here) was allowed to stand, despite Thierry Henry clearly handling the ball (which he also admitted), would the FIFA have the guts to demand for a one-off playoff between the two teams?
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Cowboys Corner
A couple of days ago I stayed awake for the whole night watching my beloved Dallas Cowboys host the Atlanta Falcons. While they played well in the 37-21 win, there are a couple of things I would like to talk about.
Small School, Big Players - A couple of years ago, a young undrafted Cowboy coming from a small school made his mark by outperforming the incumbents when the opportunity came. While that path was treaded by Tony Romo, it is now followed by wide receiver Miles Austin. Following the injury to starting receiver Roy Williams, Austin started the last two games and had 16 catches, 421 yards and 4 TDs. While many believe that Austin should start opposing Williams now that the latter has returned from injury, in my humblest of opinion, Austin should start in place of Williams, who is having lots of troubles catching passes from Romo. Against the Falcons, Williams only had one catch for 16 yards, but also a couple of easy drops. To make matters worse, when he wasn't dropping the ball, Romo somehow couldn't throw proper passes to him, the throws either being too low or too high. At a hefty price of three draft picks (1st-, 3rd- and 6th-rounder) plus a huge contract, Williams definitely looks like a bust.
Triple Trouble - With the Cowboys having one of the best running back groups (Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice) in the league, why not put them all on the field at the same time, as a Cowboy-version of the "Wildcat Offense"? Just put them all in the backfield and let the linebackers cover them, and I'm sure that they can beat them at least nine times out of ten.
Late Boomer - For some reason, the Cowboys defense did not play well at the start of either half. In the Falcons' first drive, it marched some 80 yards for a TD to take an early lead. At the second half, the Falcons also scored a TD in their first drive. Were they still sleeping?
Lethal Lapses - Mental mistakes are still killing the Cowboys. Reserve defensive lineman Stephen Bowen jumped offside on a third down play which they had stopped, gifting the Falcons a first down when the game was still close. And when they shifted their defensive alignment on a third-and-long late in the game, they somehow forgot to cover receiver Eric Weems for the game's final score.
Help Needed - Opposing teams would love to put three receivers in the game and have Orlando Scandrick covering any of them. The second-year player is just not good enough and always gives opposing players too much room, while not possessing the speed to recover the lost ground. Of course they do need more young offensive linemen and receivers in next year's draft, they also need to find more quality corners too just to give Scandrick some competition.
Small School, Big Players - A couple of years ago, a young undrafted Cowboy coming from a small school made his mark by outperforming the incumbents when the opportunity came. While that path was treaded by Tony Romo, it is now followed by wide receiver Miles Austin. Following the injury to starting receiver Roy Williams, Austin started the last two games and had 16 catches, 421 yards and 4 TDs. While many believe that Austin should start opposing Williams now that the latter has returned from injury, in my humblest of opinion, Austin should start in place of Williams, who is having lots of troubles catching passes from Romo. Against the Falcons, Williams only had one catch for 16 yards, but also a couple of easy drops. To make matters worse, when he wasn't dropping the ball, Romo somehow couldn't throw proper passes to him, the throws either being too low or too high. At a hefty price of three draft picks (1st-, 3rd- and 6th-rounder) plus a huge contract, Williams definitely looks like a bust.
Triple Trouble - With the Cowboys having one of the best running back groups (Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice) in the league, why not put them all on the field at the same time, as a Cowboy-version of the "Wildcat Offense"? Just put them all in the backfield and let the linebackers cover them, and I'm sure that they can beat them at least nine times out of ten.
Late Boomer - For some reason, the Cowboys defense did not play well at the start of either half. In the Falcons' first drive, it marched some 80 yards for a TD to take an early lead. At the second half, the Falcons also scored a TD in their first drive. Were they still sleeping?
Lethal Lapses - Mental mistakes are still killing the Cowboys. Reserve defensive lineman Stephen Bowen jumped offside on a third down play which they had stopped, gifting the Falcons a first down when the game was still close. And when they shifted their defensive alignment on a third-and-long late in the game, they somehow forgot to cover receiver Eric Weems for the game's final score.
Help Needed - Opposing teams would love to put three receivers in the game and have Orlando Scandrick covering any of them. The second-year player is just not good enough and always gives opposing players too much room, while not possessing the speed to recover the lost ground. Of course they do need more young offensive linemen and receivers in next year's draft, they also need to find more quality corners too just to give Scandrick some competition.
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Be Careful of What You Say
"I really think that Ferrari will be my last team," said two-time Formula One World Champion Fernando Alonso, upon being confirmed as Kimi Raikkonen's replacement with the Ferrari team from the 2010 season onwards.
If you ply your trade in a potentially life-threatening sport, the last thing you want to do is to make an innocuous prediction that you might have a career-ending, or even fatal accident in the shortcoming future.
It has happened to Ferrari before. Remember shortly after the San Marino Grand Prix in 1982, when an angry Gilles Villeneuve vowed that he would never speak to his teammate Didier Pironi again "for the rest of his life," after the latter disobeyed team orders and stole victory from him? His words turned out to be prophetic as less than two weeks later, the French-Canadian died in a violent crash at Zolder.
Good luck and take care, Fernando.
If you ply your trade in a potentially life-threatening sport, the last thing you want to do is to make an innocuous prediction that you might have a career-ending, or even fatal accident in the shortcoming future.
It has happened to Ferrari before. Remember shortly after the San Marino Grand Prix in 1982, when an angry Gilles Villeneuve vowed that he would never speak to his teammate Didier Pironi again "for the rest of his life," after the latter disobeyed team orders and stole victory from him? His words turned out to be prophetic as less than two weeks later, the French-Canadian died in a violent crash at Zolder.
Good luck and take care, Fernando.
Friday, October 02, 2009
Backup Rules
A couple of days ago I talked about the absurd statistics of Dallas Cowboys running back Felix Jones. In fact we only have to look no further than the NFC East to find another running back with similarly absurd statistics.
Here are the career statistics of Ahmad Bradshaw of the New York Giants so far:
2007: 23 rushes, 190 yards, 8.3 average, 1 TD.
2008: 67 rushes, 355 yards, 5.3 average, 1 TD.
2009: 35 rushes, 201 yards, 5.7 average, 0 TD.
Career: 125 rushes, 746 yards, 6.0 average, 2 TDs.
What's up with the rushing defence in the NFC East, especially against the backup running backs?
Here are the career statistics of Ahmad Bradshaw of the New York Giants so far:
2007: 23 rushes, 190 yards, 8.3 average, 1 TD.
2008: 67 rushes, 355 yards, 5.3 average, 1 TD.
2009: 35 rushes, 201 yards, 5.7 average, 0 TD.
Career: 125 rushes, 746 yards, 6.0 average, 2 TDs.
What's up with the rushing defence in the NFC East, especially against the backup running backs?
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Stat of the Week
Up to the end of Week 3 of the 2009 NFL season, Dallas Cowboys running back Felix Jones has compiled the career stats as follows:
2008: 30 rushes, 266 yards, 8.9 average, 3 TDs.
2009: 21 rushes, 212 yards, 10.1 average, 1 TD.
Career: 51 rushes, 478 yards, 9.4 average, 4 TDs.
An average of over 9 yards per carry? Is that a typo?
Too bad that Jones doesn't seem to be able to stay healthy. If he does, who needs Tony Romo?
2008: 30 rushes, 266 yards, 8.9 average, 3 TDs.
2009: 21 rushes, 212 yards, 10.1 average, 1 TD.
Career: 51 rushes, 478 yards, 9.4 average, 4 TDs.
An average of over 9 yards per carry? Is that a typo?
Too bad that Jones doesn't seem to be able to stay healthy. If he does, who needs Tony Romo?
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Look How Bad You Are
That's the nickname of long-time Ferrari test driver Luca Badoer, picked up after his two appalling races in place of the injured Felipe Massa at Valencia and Spa-Francorchamps.
And I really feel sorry for him.
Perhaps I always have a soft spot for underdogs (and being a Michael Schumacher-hater), I was thrilled to see Schumi decided not to make a comeback and instead let Badoer fill Massa's seat.
It was in 1999 when Badoer last raced in Formula One, with the (un)forgettable Minardi team. When he retired from a strong fourth place during the final laps of the European Grand Prix at Nürburgring that year, racing fans all over the world remember how he sobbed inconsolably at the side of his car, knowing that his best chance of scoring his first ever point in Formula One was gone.
But then it wasn't.
His second chance came 10 years later, as a replacement for the injured Massa at this year's European Grand Prix at Valencia, a street circuit where he had never raced before. This, however, proved to be an inopportune moment for him. Before the race, many thought that Badoer, mostly because of Ferrari's strong performance in recent races, would at least bring the car near the top of the grid or even finish in the points. However, he managed to qualify last (nearly two seconds adrift of the second-to-last driver Jaime Alguersuari, a rookie himself in just his second race) and went on to spin a handful of times during the race. A 17th-placed finish was the best he could muster.
With the next race at Spa just seven days away, Ferrari decided to stay put and give Badoer one more chance to prove his worth. But he once again qualified last (half a second slower than another rookie, Romain Grosjean, also in his second race) and was the last car on the lead lap in the race. His teammate, Kimi Raikkonen, fared just a little better by getting to celebrate on the top step of the podium ...
Not surprisingly, Badoer got the axe after the race, and was replaced by Giancarlo Fisichella, the hero at Spa. While Badoer complained that the negative reports by the press (plus the nickname) was the main reason behind his dismissal, and vowed that he would do better on the third race back, sadly this would likely be the last we would hear from him, as he has just started his journey into oblivion.
Sometimes fate can be unforgivingly cruel to the nicest people. Had Badoer not made a comeback and had these two nightmarish races, the thing we all will remember about him is his crying on that rainy day in Nürburgring in 1999.
Now, he's got a nickname that will stick with him forever.
And I really feel sorry for him.
Perhaps I always have a soft spot for underdogs (and being a Michael Schumacher-hater), I was thrilled to see Schumi decided not to make a comeback and instead let Badoer fill Massa's seat.
It was in 1999 when Badoer last raced in Formula One, with the (un)forgettable Minardi team. When he retired from a strong fourth place during the final laps of the European Grand Prix at Nürburgring that year, racing fans all over the world remember how he sobbed inconsolably at the side of his car, knowing that his best chance of scoring his first ever point in Formula One was gone.
But then it wasn't.
His second chance came 10 years later, as a replacement for the injured Massa at this year's European Grand Prix at Valencia, a street circuit where he had never raced before. This, however, proved to be an inopportune moment for him. Before the race, many thought that Badoer, mostly because of Ferrari's strong performance in recent races, would at least bring the car near the top of the grid or even finish in the points. However, he managed to qualify last (nearly two seconds adrift of the second-to-last driver Jaime Alguersuari, a rookie himself in just his second race) and went on to spin a handful of times during the race. A 17th-placed finish was the best he could muster.
With the next race at Spa just seven days away, Ferrari decided to stay put and give Badoer one more chance to prove his worth. But he once again qualified last (half a second slower than another rookie, Romain Grosjean, also in his second race) and was the last car on the lead lap in the race. His teammate, Kimi Raikkonen, fared just a little better by getting to celebrate on the top step of the podium ...
Not surprisingly, Badoer got the axe after the race, and was replaced by Giancarlo Fisichella, the hero at Spa. While Badoer complained that the negative reports by the press (plus the nickname) was the main reason behind his dismissal, and vowed that he would do better on the third race back, sadly this would likely be the last we would hear from him, as he has just started his journey into oblivion.
Sometimes fate can be unforgivingly cruel to the nicest people. Had Badoer not made a comeback and had these two nightmarish races, the thing we all will remember about him is his crying on that rainy day in Nürburgring in 1999.
Now, he's got a nickname that will stick with him forever.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Quick Thoughts on NFL Week 1
Jake Delhomme's days as a premier quarterback in the NFL are over. But if you think the Carolina Panthers had suffered enough for his 9 picks and 11 turnovers in the last two games, think about this: Their top backup in Week 1 was Josh McCown, who was put on the injured reserve after the game due to foot and knee injury. They should have drafted a QB in the last couple of years. They should also have given Jeff Garcia a call ...
But the Philadelphia Eagles snapped up Garcia after their QB Donovan McNabb broke a rib in a meaningless touchdown run late in their blowout against the Panthers. Good news is, Garcia will probably start next week. Bad news is, when Michael Vick is finally reinstated in Week 3, the Eagles will have four good QBs on their roster. One of them has to go, and that would likely be Kevin Kolb, a former top (second-round) pick.
The Oakland Raiders played better than many expected. Their running game was strong, and their passing game was effective as well. And the player who stood out in their close loss against the San Diego Chargers was rookie receiver Louis Murphy, who had outplayed first-round pick Darrius Heyward-Bey by grabbing a long touchdown. However, he should have had two but he just couldn't hang on to the ball when he fell down in the endzone in the second quarter. The mistake cost Raiders four points which turned out to be their margin of defeat. With the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs struggling, the Raiders could be a big surprise this season.
The other Bay Area team, the San Francisco 49ers, could be another surprise this season. I like Mike Singletary as a player, and I like him as a coach too for his no-nonsense style of play. Their QB, Shaun Hill (whom I had criticised before), may not be the flashiest player you'll ever see, but what he does is keep winning games. And if they start their season well, don't be surprised to see Michael Crabtree, their first-round pick this year who is still holding out, to report to camp immediately.
But the Philadelphia Eagles snapped up Garcia after their QB Donovan McNabb broke a rib in a meaningless touchdown run late in their blowout against the Panthers. Good news is, Garcia will probably start next week. Bad news is, when Michael Vick is finally reinstated in Week 3, the Eagles will have four good QBs on their roster. One of them has to go, and that would likely be Kevin Kolb, a former top (second-round) pick.
The Oakland Raiders played better than many expected. Their running game was strong, and their passing game was effective as well. And the player who stood out in their close loss against the San Diego Chargers was rookie receiver Louis Murphy, who had outplayed first-round pick Darrius Heyward-Bey by grabbing a long touchdown. However, he should have had two but he just couldn't hang on to the ball when he fell down in the endzone in the second quarter. The mistake cost Raiders four points which turned out to be their margin of defeat. With the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs struggling, the Raiders could be a big surprise this season.
The other Bay Area team, the San Francisco 49ers, could be another surprise this season. I like Mike Singletary as a player, and I like him as a coach too for his no-nonsense style of play. Their QB, Shaun Hill (whom I had criticised before), may not be the flashiest player you'll ever see, but what he does is keep winning games. And if they start their season well, don't be surprised to see Michael Crabtree, their first-round pick this year who is still holding out, to report to camp immediately.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Deadly Deadball Situation
Three games into the 2009-10 English Premiership Season, Liverpool has suffered two defeats.
Or the same number of defeats they had all of last season.
Many people pointed at the departure of Xabi Alonso as the main reason for their slow start this season, but Yours Truly thinks otherwise.
While Xabi Alonso is an excellent player who can provide deadly passes and shots from midfield, his effectiveness has in fact been limited by Liverpool's deliberate passing game under Rafa Benitez.
Now imagine Xabi Alonso in an Arsenal uniform and the sparks he will ignite.
Without him, Liverpool has been playing in the same deliberate style this season so far. With or without him, the only real trump card for them has always been Steven Gerrard, like forever.
The main reason for Liverpool's slow start, in fact, is their failure to deal with deadball situations. In their 1-2 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur, they conceded two goals when they gave away two free kicks at the similar area of the field. And when they lost 1-3 to Aston Villa at home, the three goals came via a free kick, a corner and a penalty respectively.
Remarkably, they had yet conceded a goal from open play this season.
And that has been a major problem for them for quite a while, as their zone defending in deadball situations has left them extremely vulnerable to attackers coming up to meet the ball.
To rub salt into their wounds, the two players instrumental in their defeats so far, Robbie Keane and Brad Friedel, are both former Liverpool players. Just when everyone says that they need more quality strikers and goalkeeping help, bear in mind that the Reds gave up Keane for the likes of Andriy Voronin and David N'Gog last season, and they let Friedel leave on a free transfer in favour of Sander Westerveld back in 2000.
For diehard Reds fans like Yours Truly, we could only hope that the new signing, Alberto Aquilani, is worth the wait.
Or the same number of defeats they had all of last season.
Many people pointed at the departure of Xabi Alonso as the main reason for their slow start this season, but Yours Truly thinks otherwise.
While Xabi Alonso is an excellent player who can provide deadly passes and shots from midfield, his effectiveness has in fact been limited by Liverpool's deliberate passing game under Rafa Benitez.
Now imagine Xabi Alonso in an Arsenal uniform and the sparks he will ignite.
Without him, Liverpool has been playing in the same deliberate style this season so far. With or without him, the only real trump card for them has always been Steven Gerrard, like forever.
The main reason for Liverpool's slow start, in fact, is their failure to deal with deadball situations. In their 1-2 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur, they conceded two goals when they gave away two free kicks at the similar area of the field. And when they lost 1-3 to Aston Villa at home, the three goals came via a free kick, a corner and a penalty respectively.
Remarkably, they had yet conceded a goal from open play this season.
And that has been a major problem for them for quite a while, as their zone defending in deadball situations has left them extremely vulnerable to attackers coming up to meet the ball.
To rub salt into their wounds, the two players instrumental in their defeats so far, Robbie Keane and Brad Friedel, are both former Liverpool players. Just when everyone says that they need more quality strikers and goalkeeping help, bear in mind that the Reds gave up Keane for the likes of Andriy Voronin and David N'Gog last season, and they let Friedel leave on a free transfer in favour of Sander Westerveld back in 2000.
For diehard Reds fans like Yours Truly, we could only hope that the new signing, Alberto Aquilani, is worth the wait.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Where is Q?
Some (not so latest) NBA news:
On June 25, the New York Knicks traded for the hugely disappointing Darko Miličić by sending Quentin Richardson and cash considerations to the Memphis Grizzlies.
With too many swingmen but not enough big bodies on the roster, the Grizzlies acquired Zach Randolph from the Los Angeles Clippers, with Quentin Richardson going in the other direction on July 17.
And thanks to the huge trade of Kevin Garnett to the Boston Celtics a year ago, the Minnesota Timberwolves simply had too many (useless) players. So on July 20, they decided to send a package including Sebastian Telfair, Mark Madsen, and Craig Smith to the Clippers for Quentin Richardson.
To recap, in a matter of 26 days, Quentin Richardson had been traded three times, where his journey began in New York, then to Memphis, Los Angeles and finally (?) Minnesota.
Just wondering when his next move will be.
P.S. On August 13, Richardson was traded to the Miami Heat for Mark Blount, biding farewell to Minnesota after a total of just 24 days.
On June 25, the New York Knicks traded for the hugely disappointing Darko Miličić by sending Quentin Richardson and cash considerations to the Memphis Grizzlies.
With too many swingmen but not enough big bodies on the roster, the Grizzlies acquired Zach Randolph from the Los Angeles Clippers, with Quentin Richardson going in the other direction on July 17.
And thanks to the huge trade of Kevin Garnett to the Boston Celtics a year ago, the Minnesota Timberwolves simply had too many (useless) players. So on July 20, they decided to send a package including Sebastian Telfair, Mark Madsen, and Craig Smith to the Clippers for Quentin Richardson.
To recap, in a matter of 26 days, Quentin Richardson had been traded three times, where his journey began in New York, then to Memphis, Los Angeles and finally (?) Minnesota.
Just wondering when his next move will be.
P.S. On August 13, Richardson was traded to the Miami Heat for Mark Blount, biding farewell to Minnesota after a total of just 24 days.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Questionable Move of the Day
Forgive me for being cynical, but I just have a gut feeling that the Minnesota Timberwolves, despite having selected a whopping FIVE guards in the 2009 NBA Draft, have just let go of the best one in the ENTIRE draft, when they traded Ty Lawson to the Denver Nuggets for a future first-round pick. They have done that before. Remember trading Brandon Roy for Randy Foye? Or sending away O.J Mayo for Kevin Love?
Question of the Day
With Stephen Curry still on the board at number 6 in the 2009 NBA Draft, why on earth didn't the New York Knicks trade up with the Minnesota Timberwolves, to get the player they and every Knick fan have been coveting for so long? The result? The Golden State Warriors nabbed the Davidson guard at number 7, just one spot before the Knicks.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Crying Wolves
For some reason, the Minnesota Timberwolves always suck at the NBA Draft, especially when they are trading up and down at the top of the draft. They just have a knack of getting it all wrong.
In 1996, that is, one year after they had selected Kevin Garnett, they decided that they needed point guard help instead of a shooting guard. After taking Ray Allen with the fifth pick, they decided to trade with the Milwaukee Bucks for Stephon Marbury, the fourth pick, by throwing in a future first-round pick for good measure. While Allen is still going strong at the age of 34, and was an integral part (with Garnett) for the Boston Celtics' title-winning run last year, Marbury, a shoot-first, shoot-second and shoot-third point guard, has long been regarded as a destructive force for teams who, ironically, won a ring last year while riding on the Celtics' bench.
If you think that they suck at trading up, think again, as they suck at trading down as well. In 2006, they selected Brandon Roy with the sixth pick. Shortly afterwards, they traded him away for Randy Foye, the seventh pick plus cash considerations. It didn't take long for them to realize their mistake as Roy went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award, while Foye never really develops into a top-flight point guard, and they finally give up on him by sending him to the Washington Wizards.
Last year, they did it again. As Yours truly has mentioned before, they traded away O.J. Mayo, the third pick, for the immortal Kevin Love, the fifth pick. While Mayo finished second in the Rookie of the Year Award, Love has still yet materialized into a force in the middle.
This year, it doesn't look good for them again. Thanks to the aforementioned Foye's trade to the Wizards, the Timberwolves now have four picks in the first round in this year's NBA Draft, one of the weakest in recent years. Rumours had it that they are trying to package some or all of the picks to move up to select Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet, a bust in the making.
Just mark my words: Don't do it.
In 1996, that is, one year after they had selected Kevin Garnett, they decided that they needed point guard help instead of a shooting guard. After taking Ray Allen with the fifth pick, they decided to trade with the Milwaukee Bucks for Stephon Marbury, the fourth pick, by throwing in a future first-round pick for good measure. While Allen is still going strong at the age of 34, and was an integral part (with Garnett) for the Boston Celtics' title-winning run last year, Marbury, a shoot-first, shoot-second and shoot-third point guard, has long been regarded as a destructive force for teams who, ironically, won a ring last year while riding on the Celtics' bench.
If you think that they suck at trading up, think again, as they suck at trading down as well. In 2006, they selected Brandon Roy with the sixth pick. Shortly afterwards, they traded him away for Randy Foye, the seventh pick plus cash considerations. It didn't take long for them to realize their mistake as Roy went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award, while Foye never really develops into a top-flight point guard, and they finally give up on him by sending him to the Washington Wizards.
Last year, they did it again. As Yours truly has mentioned before, they traded away O.J. Mayo, the third pick, for the immortal Kevin Love, the fifth pick. While Mayo finished second in the Rookie of the Year Award, Love has still yet materialized into a force in the middle.
This year, it doesn't look good for them again. Thanks to the aforementioned Foye's trade to the Wizards, the Timberwolves now have four picks in the first round in this year's NBA Draft, one of the weakest in recent years. Rumours had it that they are trying to package some or all of the picks to move up to select Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet, a bust in the making.
Just mark my words: Don't do it.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Draft Thoughts 2009
- Being a huge Dallas Cowboys fan, I was once again bitterly disappointed by the way Jerry Jones conducted the draft. I am perfectly okay for them trading out of the first two rounds to stockpile draft picks, especially when all the guys he liked had just been taken ahead of the Cowboys' turn. But when they did pick, they never address their obvious need in wide receiver and safety, and instead took a small-school prospect in Jason Williams as their first selection. And for a head-scratcher, why did Jerry draft David Buehler, when you already have one of the best kickers in the league, Nick Folk, on your team?
- I have never been so sure about a prospect. But mark my words: Mark Sanchez is going to be a BIG STAR in the league. And so my hat is off for Mike Tannenbaum of the New York Jets for trading up take the quarterback from USC at number five. For the second year in a row, Tannenbaum has made a bold move for a top QB.
- The unfortunate Detroit Lions just couldn't catch a break. The tried to send the first overall pick to the Denver Broncos for Jay Cutler, but the Broncos were not willing to bite, mainly (or solely) because of the huge salary it's attached to. As they are stuck at number one and with a glaring need at QB, they rolled the dice on Matthew Stafford, a player who has a big arm but lacks consistency. If I were their GM Martin Mayhew, I would have taken Sanchez at number one, in a heartbeat.
- It's a joke for Michael Crabtree, the consensus top wide receiver, to fall to number ten to the San Francisco 49ers. And it's an even bigger joke for the Oakland Raiders to pick Darrius Heyward-Bey at number seven, despite him being a much inferior player to Crabtree. Just like what Todd McShay has said, the Raiders seem to be drafting by their own rules, and you just have to live with that.
- I have never been so sure about a prospect. But mark my words: Mark Sanchez is going to be a BIG STAR in the league. And so my hat is off for Mike Tannenbaum of the New York Jets for trading up take the quarterback from USC at number five. For the second year in a row, Tannenbaum has made a bold move for a top QB.
- The unfortunate Detroit Lions just couldn't catch a break. The tried to send the first overall pick to the Denver Broncos for Jay Cutler, but the Broncos were not willing to bite, mainly (or solely) because of the huge salary it's attached to. As they are stuck at number one and with a glaring need at QB, they rolled the dice on Matthew Stafford, a player who has a big arm but lacks consistency. If I were their GM Martin Mayhew, I would have taken Sanchez at number one, in a heartbeat.
- It's a joke for Michael Crabtree, the consensus top wide receiver, to fall to number ten to the San Francisco 49ers. And it's an even bigger joke for the Oakland Raiders to pick Darrius Heyward-Bey at number seven, despite him being a much inferior player to Crabtree. Just like what Todd McShay has said, the Raiders seem to be drafting by their own rules, and you just have to live with that.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Numbers Game 2009
I know I have done it before, and so I am going to do it again.
I am really crazy for the Dallas Cowboys, and the NFL Draft too.
After spending two full nights listening to the webcast of the draft, I have once again finished typing the information of all draftees into a neatly-prepared Word file.
Thanks to the Wikipedia and the internet, I no longer have to wait for months to find out what the jersey numbers of the draftees are.
So please indulge me for listing the jersey numbers of their draft class of 2009:
58 LB Jason Williams
79 OT Robert Brewster
7 QB Stephen McGee
57 LB Victor Butler
59 LB Brandon Williams
31 CB DeAngelo Smith
36 S Michael Hamlin
18 PK David Buehler
55 LB Stephen Hodge
89 TE John Phillips
33 CB Mike Mickens
87 WR Manuel Johnson
Now there is one more happy man in the world.
I am really crazy for the Dallas Cowboys, and the NFL Draft too.
After spending two full nights listening to the webcast of the draft, I have once again finished typing the information of all draftees into a neatly-prepared Word file.
Thanks to the Wikipedia and the internet, I no longer have to wait for months to find out what the jersey numbers of the draftees are.
So please indulge me for listing the jersey numbers of their draft class of 2009:
58 LB Jason Williams
79 OT Robert Brewster
7 QB Stephen McGee
57 LB Victor Butler
59 LB Brandon Williams
31 CB DeAngelo Smith
36 S Michael Hamlin
18 PK David Buehler
55 LB Stephen Hodge
89 TE John Phillips
33 CB Mike Mickens
87 WR Manuel Johnson
Now there is one more happy man in the world.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Chandhok Speaks
I don't really know much about Karun Chandhok the racer, but I am pretty impressed by Karun Chandhok the commentator.
There are many talking points in the Australian Grand Prix, from Brawn GP being the first team since 1954 to achieve a one-two finish on its debut, to the double non-scoring finishes for Ferrari, which happened only once last season. Since everyone is talking about them, I am not going to get into details here.
While it was a fascinating race, there was nothing noteworthy in the commentary during the early part of the race. But it all changed when the safety car came out following Kazuki Nakajima's crash. Amidst the chaos, the safety car somehow picked up Sebastian Vettel as the leader, with the real leader Jenson Button having left the pits just seconds before the safety car did. When his over-anxious partner Steve Slater said that the safety car has just picked up "Vettel, the race leader", Chandhok's response was a swift "No", and immediately pointed out that the safety car had made a mistake by picking up the wrong leader. Spot on.
Later on, when Vettel and Robert Kubica collided with each other while fighting for second, he commented that there was nothing else Vettel could do as he had no way to go to avoid the collision, as proven by the helicopter footage. Ironically, Vettel would later be penalized by the FIA due to this incident, a decision which I totally disagree with.
I didn't stick to my TV for the entire race, but these two incidents have given me a lasting impression about Chandhok. In a world of "Political Correctness", people tend to distance themselves from their own thoughts by uttering phrases like "I think" and "it appears that". Chandhok was right to the point without using these semantically meaningless phrases while telling us clearly what has happened on the track and what he really believes.
I think I'd better go remove these phrases from my vocabulary, as it appears that I am using them a lot.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
World Farcical One Championship
The FIA has made a huge mistake.
From the 2009 season on, the Formula One World Champion will be decided by the number of wins a driver has in a season, while the old point-scoring system will still be used to decide the rest of the standings.
In other words, Nick Heidfeld can forget his dream of becoming a World Champion.
It just doesn't make any sense.
When I learned of it this morning, I thought it was just another whimsical recommendation by the likes of Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley. But to my horror, I soon realised that it IS the final decision.
It's been commonly accepted for ages that the driver who has accumulated the most number of points will be crowned the World Champion. Yet under the new scoring system, some ridiculous scenarios might happen, including:
- Driver A has won the first 9 races of a 17-race reason. He can go home, grab some popcorn and watch the remaining 8 races on TV and still be crowned the World Champion.
- Driver B only enters the races he is confident of winning. Sure enough, he wins all four races he's entered, and then he can go home, grab some popcorn and watch the remaining 13 races on TV and still be crowned the World Champion.
In both scenarios, spectators and TV audience will definitely lose interest, as the suspense of "Who's going to be the World Champion" is long gone.
- A consistent Driver C (most likely Heidfeld) finishes all 17 races in second place, but never manages to win any of them. Still, Driver D, who has been erratic all seasons, somehow manages to win a couple of races with a stroke of luck, and be crowned the World Champion.
- Driver D, who has World Champion ambition, will choose to retire his perfectly-fine car when he knows he's not going to win the race, with the hope of getting a new and better engine, thereby exploiting a loophole under the current engine rule.
I know these are all extreme cases, but these are all possible.
My hope is that one or more of the above will happen this season, which will force the FIA to shelf this stupid decision.
From the 2009 season on, the Formula One World Champion will be decided by the number of wins a driver has in a season, while the old point-scoring system will still be used to decide the rest of the standings.
In other words, Nick Heidfeld can forget his dream of becoming a World Champion.
It just doesn't make any sense.
When I learned of it this morning, I thought it was just another whimsical recommendation by the likes of Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley. But to my horror, I soon realised that it IS the final decision.
It's been commonly accepted for ages that the driver who has accumulated the most number of points will be crowned the World Champion. Yet under the new scoring system, some ridiculous scenarios might happen, including:
- Driver A has won the first 9 races of a 17-race reason. He can go home, grab some popcorn and watch the remaining 8 races on TV and still be crowned the World Champion.
- Driver B only enters the races he is confident of winning. Sure enough, he wins all four races he's entered, and then he can go home, grab some popcorn and watch the remaining 13 races on TV and still be crowned the World Champion.
In both scenarios, spectators and TV audience will definitely lose interest, as the suspense of "Who's going to be the World Champion" is long gone.
- A consistent Driver C (most likely Heidfeld) finishes all 17 races in second place, but never manages to win any of them. Still, Driver D, who has been erratic all seasons, somehow manages to win a couple of races with a stroke of luck, and be crowned the World Champion.
- Driver D, who has World Champion ambition, will choose to retire his perfectly-fine car when he knows he's not going to win the race, with the hope of getting a new and better engine, thereby exploiting a loophole under the current engine rule.
I know these are all extreme cases, but these are all possible.
My hope is that one or more of the above will happen this season, which will force the FIA to shelf this stupid decision.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Better Than Shaq
Yet another great article by Rick Reilly, one of my favourite sports writers of all time. Check out his story on a blind basketball player named Matt Steven by clicking here.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
They Said It
"I wonder if his cousin even existed. Is his cousin made up?" Said Kansas City Royals pitcher John Bale, on Alex Rodriguez's claim that a cousin of his injected him with "Boli", a banned performance-enhancing drug better known as Primobolan.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
A Keane Disappointment
When Robbie Keane joined Liverpool in the pre-season, I was so delighted that the Reds have finally found a capable partner for Fernando Torres.
And when Keane was struggling mightily early on, I always told myself that he would be alright, and what he needed was time.
Sure enough, Keane gradually picked up his form, and his ability to maintain possession started to pay dividends, as Liverpool sat atop the Premiership at the turn of the year.
But suddenly, Keane started to be left off the substitutes list and rumours said that his return to Tottenham Hotspur was imminent.
Then came the disappointing news that Keane had indeed been sold back to the Spur and his spell with the Reds, his favourite team since childhood, lasted less than half a season.
And I am not pleased about it.
With Keane gone, the only true striker the Reds have apart from Torres is David N'Gog, a teenager so young and inexperienced that he always seems clueless whenever he's on the pitch. So I won't be surprised to see manager Rafael Benitez sending N'Gog on loan to somewhere else after the season (and possibly making the move permanent shortly afterwards), meaning that the Reds' search for Torres' partner will continue next season.
I always like Keane, a hard-working player on the pitch. With Dirk Kuyt in the side, Liverpool had two of the hardest-working players in the Premiership. Yet somehow that wasn't enough to guarantee Keane a spot in the starting line-up, as Rafa, most atypically, quickly came to the conclusion that the addition of Keane was a mistake.
Who will be brought in next season? Judging from Rafa's poor track record, whoever brought in will more than likely be a disappointment again.
And when Keane was struggling mightily early on, I always told myself that he would be alright, and what he needed was time.
Sure enough, Keane gradually picked up his form, and his ability to maintain possession started to pay dividends, as Liverpool sat atop the Premiership at the turn of the year.
But suddenly, Keane started to be left off the substitutes list and rumours said that his return to Tottenham Hotspur was imminent.
Then came the disappointing news that Keane had indeed been sold back to the Spur and his spell with the Reds, his favourite team since childhood, lasted less than half a season.
And I am not pleased about it.
With Keane gone, the only true striker the Reds have apart from Torres is David N'Gog, a teenager so young and inexperienced that he always seems clueless whenever he's on the pitch. So I won't be surprised to see manager Rafael Benitez sending N'Gog on loan to somewhere else after the season (and possibly making the move permanent shortly afterwards), meaning that the Reds' search for Torres' partner will continue next season.
I always like Keane, a hard-working player on the pitch. With Dirk Kuyt in the side, Liverpool had two of the hardest-working players in the Premiership. Yet somehow that wasn't enough to guarantee Keane a spot in the starting line-up, as Rafa, most atypically, quickly came to the conclusion that the addition of Keane was a mistake.
Who will be brought in next season? Judging from Rafa's poor track record, whoever brought in will more than likely be a disappointment again.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Everything Must Go
The financial tsunami is affecting every walk of life, even motor-racing is not immune to it.
Two major Japanese manufacturers, Honda and Kawasaki, have pulled out of the Formula One and MotoGP World Championship respectively. Many fear that other teams may soon follow suit.
It is only natural for manufacturers to pull out in light of the financial situation. But would Charles Darwin be happy to see these two Japanese giants to go?
As you may recall, our Mr Darwin proposed the famous "Natural Selection" theory which, in layman terms, suggests that the strong will stay, while the weak will go.
If the theory holds true, Kawasaki would have no complaint as is definitely the weakest team in MotoGP. But is Honda the weakest team in Formula One? Definitely not if you consider that they won a race in 2006 in Hungary, and had a podium finish last season at Silverstone.
In a perfect world, Honda should have stayed. But since this is not a perfect world, the following teams survive despite their inexcusable ineptitude:
Detroit Lions (NFL) - The only 0-16 team in NFL history. Once proud franchise left in tatters thanks to the great Matt Millen. Once drafted four wide receivers with top-ten picks in a five-year stretch, and only one of them is not a bust. Need I say more?
Oakland Raiders (NFL) - Commitment to Excellence? Excel in what? Finding promising young coaches, getting into a messy feud with them, dismissing them while withholding compensation, only to see them succeed after joining your arch-rival?
Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB) - 16 consecutive losing seasons? Now they are signing not one, but two pitchers from India, of all places? What's next? An outfielder from Mars?
Toyota (Formula One) - Boasting one of the biggest budgets of all teams, but still looking for its first victory? Come on! Even the supposedly second-fiddle Toro Rosso has won a race!
And finally ...
Dallas Cowboys (NFL) - My beloved Cowboys are without a post-season win since 1996, and have been playing extremely poorly in the month of December. They should be barred from playing any games after the end of November each year.
Two major Japanese manufacturers, Honda and Kawasaki, have pulled out of the Formula One and MotoGP World Championship respectively. Many fear that other teams may soon follow suit.
It is only natural for manufacturers to pull out in light of the financial situation. But would Charles Darwin be happy to see these two Japanese giants to go?
As you may recall, our Mr Darwin proposed the famous "Natural Selection" theory which, in layman terms, suggests that the strong will stay, while the weak will go.
If the theory holds true, Kawasaki would have no complaint as is definitely the weakest team in MotoGP. But is Honda the weakest team in Formula One? Definitely not if you consider that they won a race in 2006 in Hungary, and had a podium finish last season at Silverstone.
In a perfect world, Honda should have stayed. But since this is not a perfect world, the following teams survive despite their inexcusable ineptitude:
Detroit Lions (NFL) - The only 0-16 team in NFL history. Once proud franchise left in tatters thanks to the great Matt Millen. Once drafted four wide receivers with top-ten picks in a five-year stretch, and only one of them is not a bust. Need I say more?
Oakland Raiders (NFL) - Commitment to Excellence? Excel in what? Finding promising young coaches, getting into a messy feud with them, dismissing them while withholding compensation, only to see them succeed after joining your arch-rival?
Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB) - 16 consecutive losing seasons? Now they are signing not one, but two pitchers from India, of all places? What's next? An outfielder from Mars?
Toyota (Formula One) - Boasting one of the biggest budgets of all teams, but still looking for its first victory? Come on! Even the supposedly second-fiddle Toro Rosso has won a race!
And finally ...
Dallas Cowboys (NFL) - My beloved Cowboys are without a post-season win since 1996, and have been playing extremely poorly in the month of December. They should be barred from playing any games after the end of November each year.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Showing Your Cards
Who would have guessed that the Arizona Cardinals will host the NFC Championship Game next week?
Before last week's victory over the Atlanta Falcons, the Cardinals haven't won a playoff game since 1998 (against my beloved Dallas Cowboys, FYI), and haven't hosted a home playoff game since 1947. In fact, since the expansion of the NFL in the 1970s', they were the only NFC team that had not advanced to the NFC Championship Game.
Until this year.
The Cardinals have been plagued by their inability to play decently anywhere far away from home, and were trounced by the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles at the east coast this season. They advanced to the playoff as the fourth seed thanks to winning the mediocre NFC West, and got to host next week's NFC Championship Game only because the sixth-seeded Eagles' upset the top-seeded New York Giants away from home.
The Cardinals' success this season has long been overdue. With their so-and-so regular season record the past seasons, they have secured good draft positions and, to their credit, have made excellent uses of it. Their solid draft choices include star receiving tandem of Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, running back Tim Hightower, defensive lineman Darnell Dockett, linebacker Karlos Dansby, as well as cornerbacks Antrel Rolle and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. With such a solid draft record, it's only a matter of time for them to have a breakout season.
Up next? A re-match against the Eagles, probably the hottest team right now led by Donovan McNabb who has been rejuvenated since his benching against the Baltimore Ravens a month or so ago. Many predict that the Eagles would emulate the Giants' feat last season by riding on a hot streak all the way to the Superbowl victory as the ultimate "Road Warrior".
But I would put my money on the Cardinals, who have so many talented receivers and a veteran quarterback in Kurt Warner to do some serious damage. And with their running game starting to gather momentum in their two playoff victories thus far, they would go on to beat the Ravens in Superbowl XLIII, in a battle of the birds.
Before last week's victory over the Atlanta Falcons, the Cardinals haven't won a playoff game since 1998 (against my beloved Dallas Cowboys, FYI), and haven't hosted a home playoff game since 1947. In fact, since the expansion of the NFL in the 1970s', they were the only NFC team that had not advanced to the NFC Championship Game.
Until this year.
The Cardinals have been plagued by their inability to play decently anywhere far away from home, and were trounced by the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles at the east coast this season. They advanced to the playoff as the fourth seed thanks to winning the mediocre NFC West, and got to host next week's NFC Championship Game only because the sixth-seeded Eagles' upset the top-seeded New York Giants away from home.
The Cardinals' success this season has long been overdue. With their so-and-so regular season record the past seasons, they have secured good draft positions and, to their credit, have made excellent uses of it. Their solid draft choices include star receiving tandem of Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, running back Tim Hightower, defensive lineman Darnell Dockett, linebacker Karlos Dansby, as well as cornerbacks Antrel Rolle and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. With such a solid draft record, it's only a matter of time for them to have a breakout season.
Up next? A re-match against the Eagles, probably the hottest team right now led by Donovan McNabb who has been rejuvenated since his benching against the Baltimore Ravens a month or so ago. Many predict that the Eagles would emulate the Giants' feat last season by riding on a hot streak all the way to the Superbowl victory as the ultimate "Road Warrior".
But I would put my money on the Cardinals, who have so many talented receivers and a veteran quarterback in Kurt Warner to do some serious damage. And with their running game starting to gather momentum in their two playoff victories thus far, they would go on to beat the Ravens in Superbowl XLIII, in a battle of the birds.
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