At this rate, the Indianapolis Colts will have a very good chance of selecting first in next year's NFL Draft, for being one of the worst teams in the league so far.
Problem is, the next pick will definitely be Andrew Luck, the most NFL-ready quarterback coming out of college since Peyton Manning, whose very absence due to neck injury is the exact reason why the Colts are struggling so mightily now.
Not bad to have Luck to succeed Manning in the Colts uniform.
It would have been even better for two great players to play together. Remember in 1996, many suspected the San Antonio Spurs intentionally tanked games at the end of the season to increase the likelihood to pick first in the NBA Draft next year? The ping-pongs bounced their way and the prize was Tim Duncan, who teamed up with the incumbent David Robinson to become the formidable "Twin Towers".
In NBA, teams have been dying for a truly dominant centre, who does not come along very often. The Spurs had two in the same lineup.
In NFL, teams have been dying for a truly great quarterback, who does not come along very often. The Colts will likely have two in succession.
At least the NBA has the lottery to prevent teams from tanking games for higher draft picks. For a sure thing like Luck, Yours Truly would not be surprised to see NFL teams tank games for him, or "Suck for Luck", as they say.
Life is really not fair indeed.
Thursday, October 06, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Serie A Nostalgia
Getting a bit nostalgic this time around.
Yours Truly was once a Serie A geek.
In the early 1990s', Yours Truly's heart and mind were always on AC Milan. But in the 1990-91 season when he started tape-recording all the Serie A matches and jotting down all the scores and scorers (Back in those days, Yours Truly could tell you immediately the scores and scorers or each and every match!), they seemed not being able to score more than two goals in a game. That trend was finally buckled when they thrashed Juventus, of all teams, 3-0 away late in the season. They then went on to beat the bottom-dweller Bologna 6-0 at home, with Yours Truly's all-time favourite Marco van Basten bagging a hat-trick.
The 1991-92 season was an anomaly where all the stars were aligned in the right places. Not only did Milan go unbeaten all season, they also scored (and conceded) tons of goals and were involved in lots of amazing matches, the most spectacular of all was an 8-2 thrashing at newly-promoted Foggia (with budding stars like Giuseppe Signori and Francesco Baiano in the line-up coached by the attack-minded Czech Zdenek Zeman) on the final day of the season, a match which ended at least five minutes early because of pitch invasion. 10 goals in roughly 85 minutes of play, a truly astonishing rate indeed.
The following season Milan continued their magical scoring form. They won 5-4 at Pescara (after going 2-4 down at one point, with five goals in the first 23 minutes and a hat-trick by van Basten), humiliated Fiorentina 7-3 away and overcame Lazio 5-3 at home. In fact they were on their way to the record-breaking 58-match unbeaten streak and their second of three successive titles that season.
Although Milan won the title again in 1993-94, they did it in an astonishingly economic fashion.
-- 34 league matches played
-- 36 goals scored (just one more than the relegated duo of Udinese and Atalanta)
-- 15 goals conceded
Also worth mentioning is that they finally succeeded in what they didn't accomplish in 1990-91, when they didn't score more than 2 goals in any league game that season.
As Yours Truly got older, he could scarcely find time to indulge himself in the Serie A matches anymore. So his memory on AC Milan started to get sketchy. But Yours Truly does remember some special matches, like the day when Dejan Savicevic scored four goals away to Bari in the 1994-95 season.
From them on, it all went blank for Yours Truly. Every now and then Yours Truly would dig deep into his treasure chest to get those precious Serie A videotapes, and watch them for the zillionth time. Yours Truly's memory about these matches may have finally faded, but like the saying goes, it was the good old days for Yours Truly and something he will never forget.
Yours Truly was once a Serie A geek.
In the early 1990s', Yours Truly's heart and mind were always on AC Milan. But in the 1990-91 season when he started tape-recording all the Serie A matches and jotting down all the scores and scorers (Back in those days, Yours Truly could tell you immediately the scores and scorers or each and every match!), they seemed not being able to score more than two goals in a game. That trend was finally buckled when they thrashed Juventus, of all teams, 3-0 away late in the season. They then went on to beat the bottom-dweller Bologna 6-0 at home, with Yours Truly's all-time favourite Marco van Basten bagging a hat-trick.
The 1991-92 season was an anomaly where all the stars were aligned in the right places. Not only did Milan go unbeaten all season, they also scored (and conceded) tons of goals and were involved in lots of amazing matches, the most spectacular of all was an 8-2 thrashing at newly-promoted Foggia (with budding stars like Giuseppe Signori and Francesco Baiano in the line-up coached by the attack-minded Czech Zdenek Zeman) on the final day of the season, a match which ended at least five minutes early because of pitch invasion. 10 goals in roughly 85 minutes of play, a truly astonishing rate indeed.
The following season Milan continued their magical scoring form. They won 5-4 at Pescara (after going 2-4 down at one point, with five goals in the first 23 minutes and a hat-trick by van Basten), humiliated Fiorentina 7-3 away and overcame Lazio 5-3 at home. In fact they were on their way to the record-breaking 58-match unbeaten streak and their second of three successive titles that season.
Although Milan won the title again in 1993-94, they did it in an astonishingly economic fashion.
-- 34 league matches played
-- 36 goals scored (just one more than the relegated duo of Udinese and Atalanta)
-- 15 goals conceded
Also worth mentioning is that they finally succeeded in what they didn't accomplish in 1990-91, when they didn't score more than 2 goals in any league game that season.
As Yours Truly got older, he could scarcely find time to indulge himself in the Serie A matches anymore. So his memory on AC Milan started to get sketchy. But Yours Truly does remember some special matches, like the day when Dejan Savicevic scored four goals away to Bari in the 1994-95 season.
From them on, it all went blank for Yours Truly. Every now and then Yours Truly would dig deep into his treasure chest to get those precious Serie A videotapes, and watch them for the zillionth time. Yours Truly's memory about these matches may have finally faded, but like the saying goes, it was the good old days for Yours Truly and something he will never forget.
Friday, June 17, 2011
A Big Mountain to Climb
Yours Truly does not follow cycling that closely. But like what he has always done, he always wants the underdogs to do well.
And when a gangly Colombian climber broke away at the Col du Galibier on the way to win Stage 9 of the 2007 Tour de France, Yours Truly had found a new favourite rider.
Mauricio Soler.
And Yours Truly's mind is on this gangly climber after he had suffered serious head and brain injuries during Stage 6 of the Tour de Suisse yesterday.
Soler is definitely not the most elegant climber. Think of a giraffe crowding on an undersized bike and you will get the picture. But after becoming King of the Mountains in the 2007 Tour de France, bad luck always seemed not far away from him. A number of crashes subsequently meant that he has not competed in the Tour de France again since.
His win in Stage 2 of this year's Tour de Suisse was his first victory in four years. But bad luck struck again just four days later.
Just keep our fingers crossed hope that he would make a speedy recovery.
And when a gangly Colombian climber broke away at the Col du Galibier on the way to win Stage 9 of the 2007 Tour de France, Yours Truly had found a new favourite rider.
Mauricio Soler.
And Yours Truly's mind is on this gangly climber after he had suffered serious head and brain injuries during Stage 6 of the Tour de Suisse yesterday.
Soler is definitely not the most elegant climber. Think of a giraffe crowding on an undersized bike and you will get the picture. But after becoming King of the Mountains in the 2007 Tour de France, bad luck always seemed not far away from him. A number of crashes subsequently meant that he has not competed in the Tour de France again since.
His win in Stage 2 of this year's Tour de Suisse was his first victory in four years. But bad luck struck again just four days later.
Just keep our fingers crossed hope that he would make a speedy recovery.
Thursday, June 02, 2011
School's In
Latest entries into the sports lexicon:
If someone is going to win one of the most important races ever and all he has to do is to keep doing what he has been doing, but somehow makes a complete fool of himself by messing up big time and winds up losing the race, you can say that he has:
A) Pulled a Van de Velde;
B) Pulled a Jacobellis; or
C) Pulled a Hildebrand.
If someone is going to win one of the most important races ever and all he has to do is to keep doing what he has been doing, but somehow makes a complete fool of himself by messing up big time and winds up losing the race, you can say that he has:
A) Pulled a Van de Velde;
B) Pulled a Jacobellis; or
C) Pulled a Hildebrand.
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
Numbers Games 2011
I know I have done it before (here, here and here), and so I am going to do it again.
I am still really crazy for the Dallas Cowboys, and the NFL Draft too.
After spending three days 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 2011:
77 OT Tyron Smith
53 LB Bruce Carter
29 RB DeMarco Murray
62 OG David Arkin
26 CB Josh Thomas
14 WR Dwayne Harris
45 FB Shaun Chapas
61 OC Bill Nagy
Now there is one more happy man in the world.
I am still really crazy for the Dallas Cowboys, and the NFL Draft too.
After spending three days 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 2011:
77 OT Tyron Smith
53 LB Bruce Carter
29 RB DeMarco Murray
62 OG David Arkin
26 CB Josh Thomas
14 WR Dwayne Harris
45 FB Shaun Chapas
61 OC Bill Nagy
Now there is one more happy man in the world.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Feeling the Draft 2011
Some predictions for the upcoming NFL Draft:
- Patrick Peterson of LSU will be the first overall pick by the Carolina Panthers. While the Panthers may need a quarterback, neither Cam Newton nor Blaine Gabbert has proved worthy to be the top pick. The Panthers would be wise to make Peterson, the best overall player according to most scouts, as the first overall pick.
- Denver Broncos will not draft a quarterback at number two either, despite their rumoured interest in Newton and Gabbert. Instead they will address their defensive line need by selecting Marcell Dareus of Alabama.
- So will Newton and Gabbert's fall end at number three? No in Yours Truly's opinion. Instead the Buffalo Bills will draft Von Miller of Texas A&M and hope to draft a quarterback in round two, or by trading back into the bottom of round one.
- At number four, the Cincinnati Bengals has not been known as a wheeling and dealing team. Trading up and down in the draft is an anomaly for them. With the Carson Palmer situation still (and unlikely) to be resolved, they will have to take a quarterback at number four. Newton will be their choice.
- In dire need of a quarterback, the Arizona Cardinals will hardly be able to believe their luck with Gabbert falling onto their lap at number five. That pick should take no more than ten seconds to make.
So a recap:
1. Patrick Peterson DB Carolina Panthers
2. Marcell Dareus DE Denver Broncos
3. Von Miller LB Buffalo Bills
4. Cam Newton QB Cincinnati Bengals
5. Blaine Gabbert QB Arizona Cardinals
- Patrick Peterson of LSU will be the first overall pick by the Carolina Panthers. While the Panthers may need a quarterback, neither Cam Newton nor Blaine Gabbert has proved worthy to be the top pick. The Panthers would be wise to make Peterson, the best overall player according to most scouts, as the first overall pick.
- Denver Broncos will not draft a quarterback at number two either, despite their rumoured interest in Newton and Gabbert. Instead they will address their defensive line need by selecting Marcell Dareus of Alabama.
- So will Newton and Gabbert's fall end at number three? No in Yours Truly's opinion. Instead the Buffalo Bills will draft Von Miller of Texas A&M and hope to draft a quarterback in round two, or by trading back into the bottom of round one.
- At number four, the Cincinnati Bengals has not been known as a wheeling and dealing team. Trading up and down in the draft is an anomaly for them. With the Carson Palmer situation still (and unlikely) to be resolved, they will have to take a quarterback at number four. Newton will be their choice.
- In dire need of a quarterback, the Arizona Cardinals will hardly be able to believe their luck with Gabbert falling onto their lap at number five. That pick should take no more than ten seconds to make.
So a recap:
1. Patrick Peterson DB Carolina Panthers
2. Marcell Dareus DE Denver Broncos
3. Von Miller LB Buffalo Bills
4. Cam Newton QB Cincinnati Bengals
5. Blaine Gabbert QB Arizona Cardinals
Monday, March 28, 2011
Coming Back for More
Yours Truly is really happy for Marco Melandri, for winning Race One in the World Superbike Championship race at Donington Park over the weekend.
After years struggling in the MotoGP circuit, Melandri finally found his niche and nailed long-time race leader Jakub Smrž with two laps to go for a comfortable victory.
Melandri used to be one of the front-runners in MotoGP a not so long ago. Riding for Gresini Honda in 2005, he was runner-up to Valentino Rossi with two victories.
(One of the most poignant images that year was Rossi crashing into Melandri at Motegi and badly damaged Melandri's ankle. Rossi, knowing that the crash was completely his fault, came rushing over to his friend's rescue and to apologise.)
The following year he won three more races and finished fourth in the standings. But then things went downhill, fast. Switching to Ducati in 2008, he surprisingly struggled with pace and was resigned to the minor placings throughout the year, a stark contrast to teammate Casey Stoner, the defending world champion that year. In 2009 he had another bad year with Kawasaki and although he returned to Gresini Honda in 2010, he was never the same.
And so he was exiled to the World Superbike series and luckily for him, he was finally able to show how good a rider he still is, with three podium finishes in the first four races so far.
Yours Truly must be a lucky charm for him. Being an occasional follower of MotoGP and Superbike races, Yours Truly doesn't sit down and watch these races live very often.
One of the races Yours Truly remembers watching live on TV was the Australian Grand Prix in 2006 where, in changing weather conditions, Melandri mastered the weather and came from midfield to win the race.
And as Yours Truly watched the Superbike race on the couch, he always kept his eyes on Melandri, who was stuck in fourth place early on. But once he climbed up to second, Yours Truly just knew that he was going to catch Smrž for the win.
And for sure he did.
Just hope that there would be more to come for this likeable underdog.
After years struggling in the MotoGP circuit, Melandri finally found his niche and nailed long-time race leader Jakub Smrž with two laps to go for a comfortable victory.
Melandri used to be one of the front-runners in MotoGP a not so long ago. Riding for Gresini Honda in 2005, he was runner-up to Valentino Rossi with two victories.
(One of the most poignant images that year was Rossi crashing into Melandri at Motegi and badly damaged Melandri's ankle. Rossi, knowing that the crash was completely his fault, came rushing over to his friend's rescue and to apologise.)
The following year he won three more races and finished fourth in the standings. But then things went downhill, fast. Switching to Ducati in 2008, he surprisingly struggled with pace and was resigned to the minor placings throughout the year, a stark contrast to teammate Casey Stoner, the defending world champion that year. In 2009 he had another bad year with Kawasaki and although he returned to Gresini Honda in 2010, he was never the same.
And so he was exiled to the World Superbike series and luckily for him, he was finally able to show how good a rider he still is, with three podium finishes in the first four races so far.
Yours Truly must be a lucky charm for him. Being an occasional follower of MotoGP and Superbike races, Yours Truly doesn't sit down and watch these races live very often.
One of the races Yours Truly remembers watching live on TV was the Australian Grand Prix in 2006 where, in changing weather conditions, Melandri mastered the weather and came from midfield to win the race.
And as Yours Truly watched the Superbike race on the couch, he always kept his eyes on Melandri, who was stuck in fourth place early on. But once he climbed up to second, Yours Truly just knew that he was going to catch Smrž for the win.
And for sure he did.
Just hope that there would be more to come for this likeable underdog.
Saturday, March 05, 2011
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Not Exactly a Throw-in
While everyone was excited about where Carmelo Anthony would end up with during the NBA trade deadline last week, the move of another equally good player caught the attention of Yours Truly.
And if the New York Knicks make great strides in the coming seasons, they would look back at THAT trade which not only netted them Carmelo, but that equally good player as well.
Chauncey Billups.
Yours Truly has to admit that he does not follow the NBA really closely. But even though the Denver Nuggets ended up with some nice pieces like Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari and a couple of draft picks, on paper the Knicks ended up as the big winner in this lop-sided trade.
Everyone knows how good Carmelo is. Superstars like him do not become available very often, and the Knicks finally made the move to capture him. And in Billups, the Knicks also acquired a wily point guard who, if you remember, was the NBA Finals MVP in 2004 while with the Detroit Pistons.
Some may say that the Knicks have given up a lot of players with tremendous upside. The truth is, Chandler and Felton have been in the league for a few years and haven't actually done much. Gallinari may be a good shooting guard but still needs time to develop. For the draft picks, let's just say that they won't mean much unless they are the top-three picks in a very strong draft. The draft, people use to say, is just a crapshoot.
The departure of LeBron James has left the Cleveland Cavaliers in shambles. The Nuggets fare much better than the Cavs as they managed to salvage some valuable pieces in return. But their future, Yours Truly would say, look just as bleak, after losing not one, but two excellent players in a single trade.
And if the New York Knicks make great strides in the coming seasons, they would look back at THAT trade which not only netted them Carmelo, but that equally good player as well.
Chauncey Billups.
Yours Truly has to admit that he does not follow the NBA really closely. But even though the Denver Nuggets ended up with some nice pieces like Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari and a couple of draft picks, on paper the Knicks ended up as the big winner in this lop-sided trade.
Everyone knows how good Carmelo is. Superstars like him do not become available very often, and the Knicks finally made the move to capture him. And in Billups, the Knicks also acquired a wily point guard who, if you remember, was the NBA Finals MVP in 2004 while with the Detroit Pistons.
Some may say that the Knicks have given up a lot of players with tremendous upside. The truth is, Chandler and Felton have been in the league for a few years and haven't actually done much. Gallinari may be a good shooting guard but still needs time to develop. For the draft picks, let's just say that they won't mean much unless they are the top-three picks in a very strong draft. The draft, people use to say, is just a crapshoot.
The departure of LeBron James has left the Cleveland Cavaliers in shambles. The Nuggets fare much better than the Cavs as they managed to salvage some valuable pieces in return. But their future, Yours Truly would say, look just as bleak, after losing not one, but two excellent players in a single trade.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Cruel Sport
You really have to feel bad for Robert Kubica, who was badly injured in a rallying crash in Italy last weekend.
With the 2011 Formula One Season just over a month away, the Pole is likely to miss the entire season.
With Formula One success hugely dependant on the cars, Kubica is perhaps the only driver who can put up a good fight in an inferior car. Shortly before he was injured, he had just set the fastest time during the first official testing session in a Lotus-Renault for the new season.
Early reports reveal that the Pole suffered extensive damage to the right side of his body, particularly his right hand, when a piece of crash barrier pierced the foot well of his car and struck him. Despite fear of amputation of his right hand proved to be unfounded, his road to recovery would definitely not be an easy one.
Motor racing has always been a cruel sport. So many promising drivers have perished in their pursuit of speed. But it seems to be particularly cruel to the truly special ones, ones who never have the chance to show everyone how good they really are.
Ricardo Rodríguez. Gerry Birrell. François Cevert. Helmut Marko. Stefan Bellof.
Just hope that at the end of the day, Yours Truly won't have to add Kubica to the list.
With the 2011 Formula One Season just over a month away, the Pole is likely to miss the entire season.
With Formula One success hugely dependant on the cars, Kubica is perhaps the only driver who can put up a good fight in an inferior car. Shortly before he was injured, he had just set the fastest time during the first official testing session in a Lotus-Renault for the new season.
Early reports reveal that the Pole suffered extensive damage to the right side of his body, particularly his right hand, when a piece of crash barrier pierced the foot well of his car and struck him. Despite fear of amputation of his right hand proved to be unfounded, his road to recovery would definitely not be an easy one.
Motor racing has always been a cruel sport. So many promising drivers have perished in their pursuit of speed. But it seems to be particularly cruel to the truly special ones, ones who never have the chance to show everyone how good they really are.
Ricardo Rodríguez. Gerry Birrell. François Cevert. Helmut Marko. Stefan Bellof.
Just hope that at the end of the day, Yours Truly won't have to add Kubica to the list.
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Going to the Hall By-Leven
Congrats to Bert Blyleven for being selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Finally.
On his 14th attempt.
Many baseball experts have been arguing for his case over the years. Yours Truly will let you go through them here on Blyleven's website.
Yours Truly has always been rooting for the underdogs, and Blyleven is probably the best pitcher ever for not one, but A COUPLE OF "small market" teams, including the Pittsburgh Pirates and Minnesota Twins.
And he was also instrumental for the Pirates' and Twins' World Series victory in 1979 and 1987 respectively.
Many believe that his election to the Hall is a victory for Sabermetrics. For the traditionists, Blyleven would never have been selected due to his "modest" statistics, such as a "mere" 287 wins which falls short of the holy threshold of 300 in the eyes of many.
But for a pitcher on "small market," or poor teams like Blyleven, winning 287 games is quite a feat in itself.
Finally.
On his 14th attempt.
Many baseball experts have been arguing for his case over the years. Yours Truly will let you go through them here on Blyleven's website.
Yours Truly has always been rooting for the underdogs, and Blyleven is probably the best pitcher ever for not one, but A COUPLE OF "small market" teams, including the Pittsburgh Pirates and Minnesota Twins.
And he was also instrumental for the Pirates' and Twins' World Series victory in 1979 and 1987 respectively.
Many believe that his election to the Hall is a victory for Sabermetrics. For the traditionists, Blyleven would never have been selected due to his "modest" statistics, such as a "mere" 287 wins which falls short of the holy threshold of 300 in the eyes of many.
But for a pitcher on "small market," or poor teams like Blyleven, winning 287 games is quite a feat in itself.
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