As we come upon Christmas I thought I'd put up a new blog to close out the week. I like bullet style even when I ramble on in long paragraphs so we're going to continue to roll with it.
-Words cannot describe how proud I am of the Wachusett Mountaineers for rolling through Cambridge to get to 5-0 on the season. As a coach I get caught up in the missed layups, missed free throws and our general ugly style of play, but I missed the boat on this team. Through all our many summer loses we endured together I was blind to the fact that our team chemistry was great, our competitiveness was growing and we were building a will to win. I've told many people this is the least talent team we've ever had and now I'm telling you it's the most unified team we've ever had and that sometimes matters more. We have a very long way to go, but I'm done selling this team short and I'm excited for what the rest of the season may bring.
-With the Texans lost last night the Patriots can clinch a bye tomorrow with a win over the Dolphins. I see them winning out and am hoping for a primetime game against the Jets in the divisional playoffs. While the game scares me to to death I cannot imagine a more enjoyable scenario then a revenge game on a Saturday night with a touch of snow in the air.
-Excuse me for being excited by the 10-3 start of my UMASS Minutemen. They may fail in comparison to the #1 ranked Syracuse Orange of Matt O'Donnell but things finally seem to moving in the right direction. I'm really hoping to get back to the Mullins Center sometimes during conference play and the hot start combined with the football team moving to Division 1 makes this a rare enjoyable time to be a UMASS alumni.
-My quick take on Sherlock Holmes 2 from last night is that Jared Harris steals the movies as Professor Moriarty. I've always loved his work on "Mad Men" and found him even more enjoyable here in his first real starring role in a big budget film. People may pay to see Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law but Jared Harris was the best actor on the screen. The movie itself was highly enjoyable and far better then the first film but loses points for a real lack of Rachel McAdams who has always been a personal favorite for obvious reasons.
-Bruins keep doing what you do I'm not going to jinx you. HBO's 24/7 series on the Flyers-Rangers is awesome. If they did a show like this all year long hockey would be more popular. I wish I could swear as much as NHL coaches and the shit hockey refs talk is great.
-This is a great sports weekend with the NFL playing the bulk of its schedule on Saturday and the NBA starting on Sunday. Here is my quick NBA preview:
The Celtics will struggle but finish with 40 wins and pull down the #4 seed in the East. E'taun Moore the rookie from Purdue will be the team's unsung hero and they will shock the #1 seeded Bulls in the playoffs before losing to Miami in the Conference finals. The Knicks vs Heat in the second round will be the best playoff series in the last five years. Here's my full breakdown of the East:
1.Bulls (50-16)
2.Heat (49-17)
3.Knicks (42-24)
4.Celtics (40-26)
5.Pacers (38-28)
6.Sixers (36-30)
7.Magic (34-32
8.Atlanta (31-33)
Like I said above the Celtics will make a run but Miami will win the Conference Finals.
-The West is where the real fun is this year and anyone that makes the playoffs can make the NBA finals. The Clippers, Thunder and Nuggets are most watch TV this season and the Lakers are the biggest unknown as I see them getting Dwight Howard at the trade deadline. Here's my Full West breakdown:
1.Thunder (47-19)
2.Mavericks (44-22)
3.Clippers (42-24)
4.Grizzles (42-24)
5.Nuggets (41-25)
6.Lakers (39-27)
7.Spurs (38-28)
8.Blazers (36-30)
The Lakers-Clippers first round series may bring riots to LA and I see the Clippers taking them down in 7 games. Ultimately though I see the Thunder making the Finals over squeaking by the Grizzles in seven in round 2 and taking out the Mavs in five games in the Conference Finals.
-Sadly I see the Heat winning the title in six games and Lebron finally getting his ring. I hope I'm wrong but I don't think I will be.
-I end this always rambling blog by wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. I hope everyone gets everything they want no matter how far fetched. I won't be posting links on Facebook anymore since their are too many random people on there so save this site to your favorites and i'll update it every couple of days. Thanks again to my friends/readers you may be few but I love you all. Merry Christmas!!!!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
I Miss Santa Claus
I have grown into a cynical Grinch when it comes to Christmas. Throwing myself on the floor and rolling myself out of my room at 4am to look at presents has been replaced by sleeping until 11am on Christmas morning. The opening of gifts that once lead to big smiles and great fantasies has been reduced to a polite thank you and shoulder shrug. This transformation was not a conscious decision on my part but rather another humbling side effect of growing up. When we were young we could go to the local mall sit on the lap of Santa and ask for the world. The sky was the limit you could ask for dogs, brothers, sisters super powers and a vast array of toys. While most of those things never arrived on Christmas morning, there was always that sense of hope when you went to bed on Christmas Eve that everything you ever wanted would be under that tree. As we grow older and gain common sense we are forced to deal with the harsh reality that Santa is nothing more then our parents.
This puts a whole new spin on Christmas that I've never been able to get over. Parents have budgets and limits and credit card bills. Your lists no longer consist of dreams and fantasies but practical gifts and hand picked items. I still get gifts from Santa far into my 20s and I love my parents for that but the knowledge that their are no cars, houses, jobs or walking ability coming on Christmas morning has forever changed Christmas for me. Even as a kid I knew those things were probably not coming but there was at least the idea and the tiniest bit of hope that magical things did exist in the world and a determined old man could circle the world in a sleigh. Now I can't be bother to wake up for a collection of sweaters, gift cards and flash in the pan electronics. I certainly can't sing the terrible songs and watch the some collection of specials.
As adults Christmas becomes much more about gift giving. This creates a whole new set of problems as I am quite terrible at giving gifts. I just don't see the point of giving someone something of a token variety which is all I can really afford. I wish I could buy my parents retirement and great vacations, my siblings happiness and my friends the highest level of prosperity. Instead they get a slew of retail gift cards and gag gifts and I feel like a bigger loser then I did the year before.
I can't wait for some young kids to come into the family and bring some magic and sense of wonderment back into Christmas. My parents are great but I need Santa Claus back in my life. I never ask for anything for Christmas so that I can keep a sense of wonder for ten brief minutes open gifts. Even at 27, I still hold hope for magic under the tree on Christmas. One day that million dollar briefcase, leg transplant new van or job will be there. Until then I will have that same disappointed look on Christmas and hope that it ends quickly so the month of December can give way to a new year that is better than the last. (Thanks Counting Crows) I miss you Santa Claus and will be the oldest little boy waiting up for you Christmas Eve hoping to discover that magic still exists in the world.
This puts a whole new spin on Christmas that I've never been able to get over. Parents have budgets and limits and credit card bills. Your lists no longer consist of dreams and fantasies but practical gifts and hand picked items. I still get gifts from Santa far into my 20s and I love my parents for that but the knowledge that their are no cars, houses, jobs or walking ability coming on Christmas morning has forever changed Christmas for me. Even as a kid I knew those things were probably not coming but there was at least the idea and the tiniest bit of hope that magical things did exist in the world and a determined old man could circle the world in a sleigh. Now I can't be bother to wake up for a collection of sweaters, gift cards and flash in the pan electronics. I certainly can't sing the terrible songs and watch the some collection of specials.
As adults Christmas becomes much more about gift giving. This creates a whole new set of problems as I am quite terrible at giving gifts. I just don't see the point of giving someone something of a token variety which is all I can really afford. I wish I could buy my parents retirement and great vacations, my siblings happiness and my friends the highest level of prosperity. Instead they get a slew of retail gift cards and gag gifts and I feel like a bigger loser then I did the year before.
I can't wait for some young kids to come into the family and bring some magic and sense of wonderment back into Christmas. My parents are great but I need Santa Claus back in my life. I never ask for anything for Christmas so that I can keep a sense of wonder for ten brief minutes open gifts. Even at 27, I still hold hope for magic under the tree on Christmas. One day that million dollar briefcase, leg transplant new van or job will be there. Until then I will have that same disappointed look on Christmas and hope that it ends quickly so the month of December can give way to a new year that is better than the last. (Thanks Counting Crows) I miss you Santa Claus and will be the oldest little boy waiting up for you Christmas Eve hoping to discover that magic still exists in the world.
Weekend Wrap 2
Welcome to the second installment of the "Weekend Wrap" on to the show
*The Patriots crushed the Broncos 41-23 halting the momentum of "TebowMania". A slew of second quarter Broncos fumbles but the game out reach early and the game did not live up to the hype. The win clinched the AFC East division title for the 9th time in 11 seasons and gives the Pats the inside track for the #1 playoff seed.
*Defensive End Andre Carter was lost for the season with a quad injury. This would normally be a major injury as Carter leads the team with 10 sacks but it's not like the Patriots defense can get any worse. This could also lead to more playing time for Burncoat alumni Ron Brace who forced his career fumble yesterday.
*The Packers were stunned by the Chiefs 19-14 ending there bid for a 16-0 regular season. Former Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel coached the Chiefs to the win in his first game as interim head coach. The loss combined with injuries to two starting offensive lineman has the Packers looking vulnerable for the first team all season with the playoffs right around the corner. The loss also ensures the 2007 Patriots place in the record books for another season and that's a good thing.
*The good news for Patriots fans continued around the NFL yesterday as both New York teams were blown out. Eli "elite" Manning threw 3 interceptions in a 23-10 home loss to the Redskins. This was the team's fifth loss in six games and has them on the brink of playoff elimination. Not to be outdone the Jets were taken to the woodshed 45-19 by the Eagles. The Jets stand at 8-6 and face the Giants next week in a virtual playoff eliminator. It is now looking very realistic that both New York teams will miss the playoffs.
*The Bruins dominated the Flyers 6-0 on Saturday to take over first place in the Eastern Conference. I will not say anything more to avoid jinx and injury.
*The Celtics did nothing to ease my concerns in a 76-75 preseason over the Raptors. Rajon Rondo has not improved his jumper over the season going 2 for 9 from the field. Paul Pierce missed the game with a heel injury and the bench continues to the look like the weakest in the NBA.
*Syracuse will reign at #1 in the college basketball poll will continue another week after blasting N.C. State on the road. Most disappointing was #9 Xavier getting crushed 61-42 by Oral Roberts. Xavier was missing their three top players because of suspensions stemming from the brawl with Cincinnati. That does not ease my pain of buying Umass-Xavier tickets four days earlier hoping to see the Minutemen playing a top five team.
*The Wachusett Mountaineers moved to 3-0 after beating Xavieran of Westwood yesterday. I missed the game due to a family obligation but it's nice to see the team off to a great start. An injury during the game to starting point guard Zach Berman will make for a tough week, but the team is shaping into a playoff quality team.
*After two tough loses in fantasy football semifinals, I am shifting my full attention to fantasy basketball. My auction draft Saturday netted me a team that includes Lebron, Kobe, Dirk and Carmelo. If that powerhouse team can't end my five year fantasy sports title drought it may last forever.
Check back Wednesday for a new column
*The Patriots crushed the Broncos 41-23 halting the momentum of "TebowMania". A slew of second quarter Broncos fumbles but the game out reach early and the game did not live up to the hype. The win clinched the AFC East division title for the 9th time in 11 seasons and gives the Pats the inside track for the #1 playoff seed.
*Defensive End Andre Carter was lost for the season with a quad injury. This would normally be a major injury as Carter leads the team with 10 sacks but it's not like the Patriots defense can get any worse. This could also lead to more playing time for Burncoat alumni Ron Brace who forced his career fumble yesterday.
*The Packers were stunned by the Chiefs 19-14 ending there bid for a 16-0 regular season. Former Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel coached the Chiefs to the win in his first game as interim head coach. The loss combined with injuries to two starting offensive lineman has the Packers looking vulnerable for the first team all season with the playoffs right around the corner. The loss also ensures the 2007 Patriots place in the record books for another season and that's a good thing.
*The good news for Patriots fans continued around the NFL yesterday as both New York teams were blown out. Eli "elite" Manning threw 3 interceptions in a 23-10 home loss to the Redskins. This was the team's fifth loss in six games and has them on the brink of playoff elimination. Not to be outdone the Jets were taken to the woodshed 45-19 by the Eagles. The Jets stand at 8-6 and face the Giants next week in a virtual playoff eliminator. It is now looking very realistic that both New York teams will miss the playoffs.
*The Bruins dominated the Flyers 6-0 on Saturday to take over first place in the Eastern Conference. I will not say anything more to avoid jinx and injury.
*The Celtics did nothing to ease my concerns in a 76-75 preseason over the Raptors. Rajon Rondo has not improved his jumper over the season going 2 for 9 from the field. Paul Pierce missed the game with a heel injury and the bench continues to the look like the weakest in the NBA.
*Syracuse will reign at #1 in the college basketball poll will continue another week after blasting N.C. State on the road. Most disappointing was #9 Xavier getting crushed 61-42 by Oral Roberts. Xavier was missing their three top players because of suspensions stemming from the brawl with Cincinnati. That does not ease my pain of buying Umass-Xavier tickets four days earlier hoping to see the Minutemen playing a top five team.
*The Wachusett Mountaineers moved to 3-0 after beating Xavieran of Westwood yesterday. I missed the game due to a family obligation but it's nice to see the team off to a great start. An injury during the game to starting point guard Zach Berman will make for a tough week, but the team is shaping into a playoff quality team.
*After two tough loses in fantasy football semifinals, I am shifting my full attention to fantasy basketball. My auction draft Saturday netted me a team that includes Lebron, Kobe, Dirk and Carmelo. If that powerhouse team can't end my five year fantasy sports title drought it may last forever.
Check back Wednesday for a new column
Friday, December 16, 2011
Call it a Comeback
Just a few quick thoughts as we finish out a fairly quiet week here at headquarters (15 Inman Ave.)
-As I continue my stint is coaching purgatory I was treated to quite the game last night as the Wachusett Mountaineers rallied from eleven down at halftime to beat Doherty 61-57. The one thing I stressed during Wednesday's practice was how we had to play zone to win and coach wanted to save it until the second half. We played it in the second half and came back to win. I contest we should have started the game and blown them out but other way I need to start holding up flash cards at these games.
-Call me a Grinch but I can't wait for December and Christmas to be over. I suck at gift giving and receiving and even at the highly advance age of 27 I still find a way to be disappointed every Christmas morning.
-The NFL moved their entire Week 16 schedule to Saturday to avoid playing on Christmas Day. This combined with the NBA will drastically cut the over under on my "Christmas Story" viewing from the usual 6.5 to somewhere around 1.5
-The TD Garden ADA line is an epic fail as their inability to return calls or emails left be with midweek games against the Raptors and Bobcats this year. Jackson Crockett was going to the box office the same day I was on the phone with these idiots all afternoon. It's worth mentioning we talk on the phone every day and this never came up in any of our conversations. I think I need to attend a communication workshop in the near future.
-I'll be doing a NBA preview next week but my expectations for the Celtics are very low
-I will try and fail not to follow the Pats Game during my drive back from Plymouth and I may have to hide the remote to keep from using the fast forward button. This is a game I want to watch every play of
-Pumped for the season finale of "Homeland" Sunday its the best new show on TV if you don't have Showtime go out of your way to find it
-No one should ever got upset about award shows but the fact Brad Pitt and Moneyball has been nominated from everything so far makes me want to puke. It was the worst movie I saw in 2011 and the most overrated acting performance of all-time.
-Check back Monday for a weekend wrap and Pats-Broncos review
-As I continue my stint is coaching purgatory I was treated to quite the game last night as the Wachusett Mountaineers rallied from eleven down at halftime to beat Doherty 61-57. The one thing I stressed during Wednesday's practice was how we had to play zone to win and coach wanted to save it until the second half. We played it in the second half and came back to win. I contest we should have started the game and blown them out but other way I need to start holding up flash cards at these games.
-Call me a Grinch but I can't wait for December and Christmas to be over. I suck at gift giving and receiving and even at the highly advance age of 27 I still find a way to be disappointed every Christmas morning.
-The NFL moved their entire Week 16 schedule to Saturday to avoid playing on Christmas Day. This combined with the NBA will drastically cut the over under on my "Christmas Story" viewing from the usual 6.5 to somewhere around 1.5
-The TD Garden ADA line is an epic fail as their inability to return calls or emails left be with midweek games against the Raptors and Bobcats this year. Jackson Crockett was going to the box office the same day I was on the phone with these idiots all afternoon. It's worth mentioning we talk on the phone every day and this never came up in any of our conversations. I think I need to attend a communication workshop in the near future.
-I'll be doing a NBA preview next week but my expectations for the Celtics are very low
-I will try and fail not to follow the Pats Game during my drive back from Plymouth and I may have to hide the remote to keep from using the fast forward button. This is a game I want to watch every play of
-Pumped for the season finale of "Homeland" Sunday its the best new show on TV if you don't have Showtime go out of your way to find it
-No one should ever got upset about award shows but the fact Brad Pitt and Moneyball has been nominated from everything so far makes me want to puke. It was the worst movie I saw in 2011 and the most overrated acting performance of all-time.
-Check back Monday for a weekend wrap and Pats-Broncos review
Monday, December 12, 2011
Quick Weekend Wrap
The weekend wrap is going to be a weekly segment on the blog. Here's my quick take aways from another wild weekend in the world of sports.
-It's getting hard for me to even watch Patriots games anymore. The pass defense is so bad I have been setting myself up for another first round playoff flame out for weeks now. I don't know what happened to Devin McCourty, but he is taking the term sophomore slump to an all new level. The only joy I take from these games is watching "Gronk" drag defenders into the end zone and redefine the tight end position every week. It is a long shot, but if he can catch 5 touchdowns in the last three games he will tie Randy Moss for the single season receiving touchdown record. (20 in 2007) If the season ended today the Pats would host the Jets in the first round of playoffs and if that doesn't scare you it should.
-Tebow Magic is real and I don't think I've ever been more excited for a regular season game then the Pats at the Broncos next week. If you think this is going to be an easy game, you just haven't been paying attention the last eight weeks. With his latest fourth quarter comeback and the help of the stupidity of Marion Barber the Broncos are on the verge of clinching the AFC West. It seems likely that the Broncos will host the Steelers in the first of the playoffs and that will set ratings records.
-Five NFL games were decided on the final play yesterday and from those we learned the following: Eli Manning is an elite QB, Dallas still can't win in December, Houston is not going away and the Bengals are who we thought they were.
-Green Bay is going 16-0 and there's nothing we can do about it. They might be favored by 30 over Kansas City this week and barring a miracle or a Rogers injury will win the Super Bowl and erase the 2007 Patriots from memory. (Trying our first reverse jinx)
-I think I cursed the Bruins. Ever since proclaiming the most enjoyable local team to follow since 2007, they've lost 2 of 3 and Zedeno Chara got injured. I will not be commenting on the Bruins anytime soon.
-The Celtics lost the opportunity to land Hornets F David West when the Chris Paul trade fell through. Getting someone to take Jermaine O'Neal would have been one of the best trades of the Danny Ainge era. As presently constructed the Celtics are ultra thin in the front court and looks like a .500 team. This version of the "Big Three" should have won at least two titles, but I am ready to see the rebuilding effort begin.
-Indiana's buzzer beater over Kentucky was my favorite moment of the weekend. A storied program is back and looks to be a contender. Meanwhile John Calipari is still trying to figure out how to foul at the end of games and continues to learn how hard it is to win a title with freshmen. Kentucky's loss combined with Kansas knocking off Ohio State will move Syracuse to #1 in the polls. As someone who has followed that program very closely the last six years I never thought I'd see the day. They are not the most talent team in the country but I'm very excited to see what they can do in their final year of Big East play. (shame)
-Slow sports week this week with all the good college teams off for Finals if anyone has any blog ideas feel free to send them to me. Will post as new dictates and if your like one of my readers (Matt O'Donnell) who is bothered by grammar you have way too much time on your hands
-It's getting hard for me to even watch Patriots games anymore. The pass defense is so bad I have been setting myself up for another first round playoff flame out for weeks now. I don't know what happened to Devin McCourty, but he is taking the term sophomore slump to an all new level. The only joy I take from these games is watching "Gronk" drag defenders into the end zone and redefine the tight end position every week. It is a long shot, but if he can catch 5 touchdowns in the last three games he will tie Randy Moss for the single season receiving touchdown record. (20 in 2007) If the season ended today the Pats would host the Jets in the first round of playoffs and if that doesn't scare you it should.
-Tebow Magic is real and I don't think I've ever been more excited for a regular season game then the Pats at the Broncos next week. If you think this is going to be an easy game, you just haven't been paying attention the last eight weeks. With his latest fourth quarter comeback and the help of the stupidity of Marion Barber the Broncos are on the verge of clinching the AFC West. It seems likely that the Broncos will host the Steelers in the first of the playoffs and that will set ratings records.
-Five NFL games were decided on the final play yesterday and from those we learned the following: Eli Manning is an elite QB, Dallas still can't win in December, Houston is not going away and the Bengals are who we thought they were.
-Green Bay is going 16-0 and there's nothing we can do about it. They might be favored by 30 over Kansas City this week and barring a miracle or a Rogers injury will win the Super Bowl and erase the 2007 Patriots from memory. (Trying our first reverse jinx)
-I think I cursed the Bruins. Ever since proclaiming the most enjoyable local team to follow since 2007, they've lost 2 of 3 and Zedeno Chara got injured. I will not be commenting on the Bruins anytime soon.
-The Celtics lost the opportunity to land Hornets F David West when the Chris Paul trade fell through. Getting someone to take Jermaine O'Neal would have been one of the best trades of the Danny Ainge era. As presently constructed the Celtics are ultra thin in the front court and looks like a .500 team. This version of the "Big Three" should have won at least two titles, but I am ready to see the rebuilding effort begin.
-Indiana's buzzer beater over Kentucky was my favorite moment of the weekend. A storied program is back and looks to be a contender. Meanwhile John Calipari is still trying to figure out how to foul at the end of games and continues to learn how hard it is to win a title with freshmen. Kentucky's loss combined with Kansas knocking off Ohio State will move Syracuse to #1 in the polls. As someone who has followed that program very closely the last six years I never thought I'd see the day. They are not the most talent team in the country but I'm very excited to see what they can do in their final year of Big East play. (shame)
-Slow sports week this week with all the good college teams off for Finals if anyone has any blog ideas feel free to send them to me. Will post as new dictates and if your like one of my readers (Matt O'Donnell) who is bothered by grammar you have way too much time on your hands
Friday, December 9, 2011
Quick Thoughts on NBA Mess
I thought I'd post some of my thoughts on the mess the NBA made of the Chris Paul trade and why it's important. The NBA just went through a six month lockout during which the owners fought for and achieved a larger percentage of basketball related income. This in its simplest form allows them to keep more money from television contracts and sponsorships and spend less on player salary. What the owners failed to achieve during the lockout was a hard salary cap like they have in the NFL and NHL. A hard salary cap is a set amount that teams can spend on players. The NBA kept in place a soft cap or set amount that can give over by using a series of exceptions and by paying a tax for going over the cap that gets divided among all the other teams. What league owners fail to release is even in hard salary cap leagues players can use free agency to decide where they want to play and we are long past the point where we are going to turn the clock back sixty years to the days of the reserve clause where professional athletes were forced to stay their entire careers with the team that drafted them unless they were traded.
Chris Paul is arguably the best point guard in the NBA. He is a free agent after the season and has no interest in returning to the Hornets when his contract expires after the season. Although he has only played for one franchise during his entire career, Paul has played in three cities. He was drafted in 2005 when the Hornets were in Charlotte, then the team was moved to New Orleans forced to spend a year in Oklahoma City after Hurricane Katrina before ultimately returning to New Orleans. It is a horribly unstable franchise that is struggling to find a fan base in a rebuilding city. The owner bailed on the franchise early last year and sold the team back to the league. The NBA still feeling compassion towards impoverished New Orleans agreed to talk over control of the team until a local buyer could be found to keep the franchise in the city.
These two circumstances served as the back drop to the madness of yesterday. Not wanted to lose his best player in Chris Paul for nothing after the season, Hornets GM Dell Demps pulled off a brilliant trade. Chris Paul would be send to the Lakers for All-Star Pau Gasol and sixth man of the year Lamar Odom. The Hornets would hold on to Odom and trade Gasol to the Houston Rockets for Kevin Martin, Luis Sciola, Goran Dragic and a 2012 first round draft pick. The Hornets instead of losing Paul for nothing after the season had picked up four new starters and a draft pick, putting them in good shape to make the playoffs and better off for years to come. All league owners saw was the Lakers getting another star players and demanded NBA commissioner David Stern veto the trade. Stern who is paid by the owners and serving as proxy owner of the Hornets caved to pressure and called the trade off light last night. In doing so the league was not looking out for the Hornets who will not getting nothing for Paul and will be in far worst shape going forward. Poor Dell Demps is now powerless and no team will want to make trades with him. Having only six players under contract the Hornets will struggle to even field a team. The league needs to sell the team immediately, to prevent this conflict of interest no matter where a new owner would move the team. The league's action also represents a basic lack of understanding of professional sports and shows that many owners have no idea what they bought into and what they were negotiating for.
The leader of the group of idiot owners is Cleveland Cavaliers Dan Gilbert. He bought the team when it was at the top of the league with Lebron James was too dumb to see the writing on the wall and lost his best player for nothing. He emailed David Stern to block the trade so "25 teams don't turn into the Washington Generals". (Generals being teams that always loses to Harlem Globetrotters) Funny how Gilbert did not feel this way when he had Lebron and would not be whining if he had resigned him. The Hornets were trading Paul specifically have learned from Gilbert's mistake and to prevent themselves from turning into a whinny bitch like Gilbert and something more then a last place. Gilbert went on to complain something along the lines of "what was the lockout for". NBA owners fail to understand that the only purpose of the lockout was to put a business plan in place that allow owners to have more of a chance to make a profit. It was not done to ensure competitive balance no salary cap can do that. If young stars want to take less money to play together they will and you can't stop them. Free Agency is here to stay and the NBA has always been built on stars. Teams are built by acquiring stars and getting as much as you can for them if you choose to leave. Preventing the Hornets from working within this system shows a basic lack of understanding of professional sports.
If your ultimate goal as a group of owners is to prevent players from changing teams then there is no point of having a league. Even the Washington Generals serve a purpose, fans want to watch stars play and they need teams to play again. Basketball with its small roster sizes can have the fortunes of a team turned around by one or two players. If players want to take less money to create star teams in big markets small market teams have to be creative. That's exactly what the Hornets did they worked the system to the fullest and said themselves up to be in the best position to reach the top of the league and they didn't need an owner to do it. The lockout was pointless and the league is in trouble because teams are owned by people who don't understand the business and think they can take a time machine fifty years into the past. Players are going to change teams and you have to work within that framework. If owners thought a hard salary cap was the best way to do that they should have hold out for that instead of focusing on a money grab. This is not fantasy sports you don't get to ruin a franchise you were put in charge of protecting because you don't like it. The Hornets and the NBA are doomed if David Stern doesn't man up and stop giving in to clueless whiners like Dan Gilbert who just don't get it.
Chris Paul is arguably the best point guard in the NBA. He is a free agent after the season and has no interest in returning to the Hornets when his contract expires after the season. Although he has only played for one franchise during his entire career, Paul has played in three cities. He was drafted in 2005 when the Hornets were in Charlotte, then the team was moved to New Orleans forced to spend a year in Oklahoma City after Hurricane Katrina before ultimately returning to New Orleans. It is a horribly unstable franchise that is struggling to find a fan base in a rebuilding city. The owner bailed on the franchise early last year and sold the team back to the league. The NBA still feeling compassion towards impoverished New Orleans agreed to talk over control of the team until a local buyer could be found to keep the franchise in the city.
These two circumstances served as the back drop to the madness of yesterday. Not wanted to lose his best player in Chris Paul for nothing after the season, Hornets GM Dell Demps pulled off a brilliant trade. Chris Paul would be send to the Lakers for All-Star Pau Gasol and sixth man of the year Lamar Odom. The Hornets would hold on to Odom and trade Gasol to the Houston Rockets for Kevin Martin, Luis Sciola, Goran Dragic and a 2012 first round draft pick. The Hornets instead of losing Paul for nothing after the season had picked up four new starters and a draft pick, putting them in good shape to make the playoffs and better off for years to come. All league owners saw was the Lakers getting another star players and demanded NBA commissioner David Stern veto the trade. Stern who is paid by the owners and serving as proxy owner of the Hornets caved to pressure and called the trade off light last night. In doing so the league was not looking out for the Hornets who will not getting nothing for Paul and will be in far worst shape going forward. Poor Dell Demps is now powerless and no team will want to make trades with him. Having only six players under contract the Hornets will struggle to even field a team. The league needs to sell the team immediately, to prevent this conflict of interest no matter where a new owner would move the team. The league's action also represents a basic lack of understanding of professional sports and shows that many owners have no idea what they bought into and what they were negotiating for.
The leader of the group of idiot owners is Cleveland Cavaliers Dan Gilbert. He bought the team when it was at the top of the league with Lebron James was too dumb to see the writing on the wall and lost his best player for nothing. He emailed David Stern to block the trade so "25 teams don't turn into the Washington Generals". (Generals being teams that always loses to Harlem Globetrotters) Funny how Gilbert did not feel this way when he had Lebron and would not be whining if he had resigned him. The Hornets were trading Paul specifically have learned from Gilbert's mistake and to prevent themselves from turning into a whinny bitch like Gilbert and something more then a last place. Gilbert went on to complain something along the lines of "what was the lockout for". NBA owners fail to understand that the only purpose of the lockout was to put a business plan in place that allow owners to have more of a chance to make a profit. It was not done to ensure competitive balance no salary cap can do that. If young stars want to take less money to play together they will and you can't stop them. Free Agency is here to stay and the NBA has always been built on stars. Teams are built by acquiring stars and getting as much as you can for them if you choose to leave. Preventing the Hornets from working within this system shows a basic lack of understanding of professional sports.
If your ultimate goal as a group of owners is to prevent players from changing teams then there is no point of having a league. Even the Washington Generals serve a purpose, fans want to watch stars play and they need teams to play again. Basketball with its small roster sizes can have the fortunes of a team turned around by one or two players. If players want to take less money to create star teams in big markets small market teams have to be creative. That's exactly what the Hornets did they worked the system to the fullest and said themselves up to be in the best position to reach the top of the league and they didn't need an owner to do it. The lockout was pointless and the league is in trouble because teams are owned by people who don't understand the business and think they can take a time machine fifty years into the past. Players are going to change teams and you have to work within that framework. If owners thought a hard salary cap was the best way to do that they should have hold out for that instead of focusing on a money grab. This is not fantasy sports you don't get to ruin a franchise you were put in charge of protecting because you don't like it. The Hornets and the NBA are doomed if David Stern doesn't man up and stop giving in to clueless whiners like Dan Gilbert who just don't get it.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Four Feet From Glory
Four feet does not seem like a very great distance to cover. It can be traveled my any and all means of transportation up to and including a large disabled man crawling on his stomach. On the basketball sidelines four feet is the estimated distance between three folding chairs setup on the end of the bench chairs for the members of the coaching staff. If you are lucky enough to sit in the far right or far left chair you will have more than a few good stories to tell, loads of great memories, and a lot of respect and admiration. There are many worst places to the far right and left chairs, but as far greater men then me have learned it's not the center chair.
My coaching career has been covered numerous times by writers far greater then myself. I held down the outside chair positions from the ages of 16-22 and observed thrilling wins and crushing defeats. I was part of a championship and coached on the same bench were my coaching idol John Calipari worked his magic at UMASS. Six years in to my coaching I still had no idea of I was a mere novelty or prodigy I just knew that I wanted to move over four feet to the center chair. That seat which is occupied by only the head represented everything to me. It represented success, power, influence accomplishment self-worth and happiness. It was only place I really wanted to be. Calling out plays, screaming at officials, barking out substitutions brought more joy then anything I had ever done in my life. With stars in my eyes and great dreams of what was to come I left the left and right chairs of the varsity team in 2006 for more practice time in the center chair by heading up the offseason programs.
The sparsely attended outdoor summer league at Crompton Park is a far cry from the packed gyms of February and March. Playing on asphalt on hot nights, shooting on old rims and torn nets the basketball can is often terrible and the players apathetic. During busy vacation and camp weeks it can be hard to even find five guys to play. It is here that I honed my skills in the "practice" center chair for the past five years. During that time I complied many many loses in the league's regular season, but when my first string is back for the playoffs I have managed to make to three finals and two semi-finals. Upon making the Finals in 2007 I was profiled once again in the Worcester Telegram called a "coach on the rise" and deemed ready to take over a program my several area coaches. My plan had worked, the elusive four feet seemed closer than ever.
Calls were made, resumes were emailed and nothing was returned. In 2008, I took on a baseball assistant coaching position to further develop my coaching abilities. Following another summer league final and a win in the annual tournament at Assumption College Tournament I finally had the momentum necessary to make the move to the center chair. The head coaching job at Burncoat had finally come open and I was sure to be considered for the job. As luck would have it an assistant coach from Harvard University had moved into the area and was swooped up before any other candidates were even considered. I was lost and decided the best move was to go back to the left and right chairs of the varsity team. An influx of former players and new hires had left me without a position on the varsity staff. I was told to wait it out in the summer league and trust that my time would come.
Fast forward to today where I am currently a consultant on the Wachusett Basketball staff. The Burncoat job had come open for the third time in three years and was given to one of the people who had replaced me in the outside chairs after I left. I was asked to return to where I started and help get the old crew back together. An absurd MIAA rule (governing body of Mass HS Athletics) has barred me from the bench. By being a company man and continuing my summer coaching I can only watch games from the bleachers. I have thought about challenging the rule, but determined it would do more harm then good. As I watched from the bleachers Tuesday night during across from the bench I started my journey on twelve years ago, tears welled up in my eyes. I bit my lip hard to keep myself from the public embarrassment of being a grown man sobbing at a meaningless scrimmage. I never felt further away from that four feet in my life.
I have never made a dime coaching basketball and likely never will. The past twelve years have been a long winding journey. High school times were lost, college time lost, events missed and family sacrifices made. As I stand here today I would change nothing, my story is not that unique. Coaches in all sports often travel the world to move the four feet that separates an assistant coach from a head coach. It is not silly to continue to try to navigate the longest four feet on Earth, what it took me til last night to realize is just how silly it is to let four feet determine happiness and self worth. I do not know if I can handle "consulting", but I sure as hell won't let it get me to the place I got to Tuesday night. I will make it the four feet to the center chair someday and even if it's at the smallest elementary school in the world I'll be ready to run with it. I'm done worrying about the kid in the newspapers and focusing on where I should have been and instead choosing to focus all my energy only on where I'm Going.
P.S. Thanks for putting up with a personal blog, I promise to keep it fun moving forward just needed to vent.
My coaching career has been covered numerous times by writers far greater then myself. I held down the outside chair positions from the ages of 16-22 and observed thrilling wins and crushing defeats. I was part of a championship and coached on the same bench were my coaching idol John Calipari worked his magic at UMASS. Six years in to my coaching I still had no idea of I was a mere novelty or prodigy I just knew that I wanted to move over four feet to the center chair. That seat which is occupied by only the head represented everything to me. It represented success, power, influence accomplishment self-worth and happiness. It was only place I really wanted to be. Calling out plays, screaming at officials, barking out substitutions brought more joy then anything I had ever done in my life. With stars in my eyes and great dreams of what was to come I left the left and right chairs of the varsity team in 2006 for more practice time in the center chair by heading up the offseason programs.
The sparsely attended outdoor summer league at Crompton Park is a far cry from the packed gyms of February and March. Playing on asphalt on hot nights, shooting on old rims and torn nets the basketball can is often terrible and the players apathetic. During busy vacation and camp weeks it can be hard to even find five guys to play. It is here that I honed my skills in the "practice" center chair for the past five years. During that time I complied many many loses in the league's regular season, but when my first string is back for the playoffs I have managed to make to three finals and two semi-finals. Upon making the Finals in 2007 I was profiled once again in the Worcester Telegram called a "coach on the rise" and deemed ready to take over a program my several area coaches. My plan had worked, the elusive four feet seemed closer than ever.
Calls were made, resumes were emailed and nothing was returned. In 2008, I took on a baseball assistant coaching position to further develop my coaching abilities. Following another summer league final and a win in the annual tournament at Assumption College Tournament I finally had the momentum necessary to make the move to the center chair. The head coaching job at Burncoat had finally come open and I was sure to be considered for the job. As luck would have it an assistant coach from Harvard University had moved into the area and was swooped up before any other candidates were even considered. I was lost and decided the best move was to go back to the left and right chairs of the varsity team. An influx of former players and new hires had left me without a position on the varsity staff. I was told to wait it out in the summer league and trust that my time would come.
Fast forward to today where I am currently a consultant on the Wachusett Basketball staff. The Burncoat job had come open for the third time in three years and was given to one of the people who had replaced me in the outside chairs after I left. I was asked to return to where I started and help get the old crew back together. An absurd MIAA rule (governing body of Mass HS Athletics) has barred me from the bench. By being a company man and continuing my summer coaching I can only watch games from the bleachers. I have thought about challenging the rule, but determined it would do more harm then good. As I watched from the bleachers Tuesday night during across from the bench I started my journey on twelve years ago, tears welled up in my eyes. I bit my lip hard to keep myself from the public embarrassment of being a grown man sobbing at a meaningless scrimmage. I never felt further away from that four feet in my life.
I have never made a dime coaching basketball and likely never will. The past twelve years have been a long winding journey. High school times were lost, college time lost, events missed and family sacrifices made. As I stand here today I would change nothing, my story is not that unique. Coaches in all sports often travel the world to move the four feet that separates an assistant coach from a head coach. It is not silly to continue to try to navigate the longest four feet on Earth, what it took me til last night to realize is just how silly it is to let four feet determine happiness and self worth. I do not know if I can handle "consulting", but I sure as hell won't let it get me to the place I got to Tuesday night. I will make it the four feet to the center chair someday and even if it's at the smallest elementary school in the world I'll be ready to run with it. I'm done worrying about the kid in the newspapers and focusing on where I should have been and instead choosing to focus all my energy only on where I'm Going.
P.S. Thanks for putting up with a personal blog, I promise to keep it fun moving forward just needed to vent.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Tim Tebow Greater Then The Hype
There has been not been a more debated athlete in 2011 then Tim Tebow. I can totally understand how the hours devoted to talking about him on the ESPN talking head shows drive people crazy. His detractors see him as a hype machine and a brand creation of the Christian faith. It annoys them that all of his interviews start with the same "I'd like give thanks to my lord and savior Jesus Christ and to my teammates." We live in a society that teaches us not to trust people who say and do all the right things and for that reason many don't want to buy in to Tim Tebow even though he has compelled a 6-1 record this season. Count me among the many fans who have bought into Tim Tebow and allow me to explain why he is the most important and influential athlete to come along in the young 21st century.
Tim Tebow has very limited physical ability for a professional quarterback. No one would call him a greater passer of the football. At a position in which accuracy is the most important characteristic, he is often horrible inaccurate. His most celebrated physical attribute is his running ability, but with a 4.8 forty time he is actually one of the slowest players on the field. This skill set should not make someone a professional quarterback at all let alone winning one, but Tim Tebow is a winner and in doing so has proven everything we have ever wanted to be true about sports.
Take it from someone who teaches young and mostly untalented athletes. We spend all our hours in a week trying to convince them that effort, will, competitiveness and team chemistry can overcome a difference in talent level. By simply giving 100% on every play and being the most competitive guy in the sport Tebow has unified his team and made them better then their individual talents. The dirty little secret about sports is there are very few players in any level of sports that give 100% all the time and even if you find a player who does they don't always have the leadership abilities to rally a team around them. Unified teams who belief in each other can overcome a large disparity in talent and are an opposing coach's worst nightmare. Looking far beyond the hype machine and his capabilities as a role model for his faith, Tim Tebow has a chance to prove everything we have ever taught our kids about sports that effort, will, courage and leadership can turn the most marginal players into winners at the highest level.
Anyone rooting for Tebow to fail because of his shortcomings in talent or personal beliefs is missing the bigger picture. Tim Tebow represents all former athletes who wish that their effort and hustle would be rewarded with playing time. He represents every coach who begged his best player to be his best leader and wished for team chemistry. He is everything we want from our athletes and is willing to be a role model. If he succeeds there is an opportunity that an entire generation of athletes can have a similar work ethic and competitive desire. Anyone who would actively root against all this to happen because they don't like his lack of physical talent or his faith annoys them does not truly understand sports. There is no doubt in my mind Tim Tebow is the most important athlete to come along so far in the 21st century. We can only hope that there will be many more athletes like him coming on the scene in the near future.
Tim Tebow has very limited physical ability for a professional quarterback. No one would call him a greater passer of the football. At a position in which accuracy is the most important characteristic, he is often horrible inaccurate. His most celebrated physical attribute is his running ability, but with a 4.8 forty time he is actually one of the slowest players on the field. This skill set should not make someone a professional quarterback at all let alone winning one, but Tim Tebow is a winner and in doing so has proven everything we have ever wanted to be true about sports.
Take it from someone who teaches young and mostly untalented athletes. We spend all our hours in a week trying to convince them that effort, will, competitiveness and team chemistry can overcome a difference in talent level. By simply giving 100% on every play and being the most competitive guy in the sport Tebow has unified his team and made them better then their individual talents. The dirty little secret about sports is there are very few players in any level of sports that give 100% all the time and even if you find a player who does they don't always have the leadership abilities to rally a team around them. Unified teams who belief in each other can overcome a large disparity in talent and are an opposing coach's worst nightmare. Looking far beyond the hype machine and his capabilities as a role model for his faith, Tim Tebow has a chance to prove everything we have ever taught our kids about sports that effort, will, courage and leadership can turn the most marginal players into winners at the highest level.
Anyone rooting for Tebow to fail because of his shortcomings in talent or personal beliefs is missing the bigger picture. Tim Tebow represents all former athletes who wish that their effort and hustle would be rewarded with playing time. He represents every coach who begged his best player to be his best leader and wished for team chemistry. He is everything we want from our athletes and is willing to be a role model. If he succeeds there is an opportunity that an entire generation of athletes can have a similar work ethic and competitive desire. Anyone who would actively root against all this to happen because they don't like his lack of physical talent or his faith annoys them does not truly understand sports. There is no doubt in my mind Tim Tebow is the most important athlete to come along so far in the 21st century. We can only hope that there will be many more athletes like him coming on the scene in the near future.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Weekend Notes
By request a quick preview of Pats-Colts and some other weekend thoughts. I expect the Pats to be in cruise control tomorrow and coast to a 38-14 win. It's crazy to believe but Bill Belichick is actually underrated. Based on talent alone from man 1-53 the Pats are probably the 18th best team in the league and they're still going to be the #1 seed in the AFC this year. Tomorrow they'll be starting three backup offensive lineman, including a fourth string center and still favored by 20 points. The Colts are 0-12 without Peyton Manning, the Pats went 11-15 without Brady. Manning is not eleven games more valuable then Brady, Belichick is just that much better then other coaching staffs, especially the utterly pathetic Jim Caldwell.
Quick Hitters
*Rematch I want to see Kentucky-North Carolina basketball. Rematch I don't want to see LSU-Alabama football.
*The four teams in college football right now are Wisconsin, USC, Alabama and LSU. Stop fooling yourselves college presidents, this sport needs a playoff.
*The entire state has enjoyed following a local sports team as much as the 2011 Bruins since the 2007 Patriots and Celtics. That year the Pats had an undefeated season and the newly created big three won 66 games and an NBA title. Watching your team play at the highest possible level of their sport is amazing to watch. As a basketball guy, I never thought hockey would be appointment viewing. Now I wouldn't think of missing a Bruins game, they're that good.
*To anyone with a Netflix account, Terriers is now available on instant viewing. It was the best new show of 2010 and was canceled because me and Jackson Crockett might have been the only two people in America who watched it. With all the crap on TV this season it's a shame we won't see this brilliantly acted underdog story on the air ever again. (It's a buddy show about 2 PIs in over their heads)
*Derek Kellog was one of my favorite Umass players growing up, unfortunately that hasn't translated to the sidelines. The talent level may be improving, but the same mistakes are repeated every year. Missing free throws, turning the ball over and fouling is not winning basketball. I fear I will deep into my 30's before the Minutemen make the NCAAs again.
*Paging Ron Brace, do something man. You are no Mike Bradley Burncoat's greatest pro athletes.
*R.E.D. Steamrollers AKA team Mars WTF hopefully my Motley Crue of wheelchair soccer players play far better then they pick team names.
*I would have drove Rondo to the airport for Chris Paul
*If not in Kentucky, dont drink mint juelps
My rambling is over goodnight off to Gillette Stadium home of the greatest broken elevator ever created!
Quick Hitters
*Rematch I want to see Kentucky-North Carolina basketball. Rematch I don't want to see LSU-Alabama football.
*The four teams in college football right now are Wisconsin, USC, Alabama and LSU. Stop fooling yourselves college presidents, this sport needs a playoff.
*The entire state has enjoyed following a local sports team as much as the 2011 Bruins since the 2007 Patriots and Celtics. That year the Pats had an undefeated season and the newly created big three won 66 games and an NBA title. Watching your team play at the highest possible level of their sport is amazing to watch. As a basketball guy, I never thought hockey would be appointment viewing. Now I wouldn't think of missing a Bruins game, they're that good.
*To anyone with a Netflix account, Terriers is now available on instant viewing. It was the best new show of 2010 and was canceled because me and Jackson Crockett might have been the only two people in America who watched it. With all the crap on TV this season it's a shame we won't see this brilliantly acted underdog story on the air ever again. (It's a buddy show about 2 PIs in over their heads)
*Derek Kellog was one of my favorite Umass players growing up, unfortunately that hasn't translated to the sidelines. The talent level may be improving, but the same mistakes are repeated every year. Missing free throws, turning the ball over and fouling is not winning basketball. I fear I will deep into my 30's before the Minutemen make the NCAAs again.
*Paging Ron Brace, do something man. You are no Mike Bradley Burncoat's greatest pro athletes.
*R.E.D. Steamrollers AKA team Mars WTF hopefully my Motley Crue of wheelchair soccer players play far better then they pick team names.
*I would have drove Rondo to the airport for Chris Paul
*If not in Kentucky, dont drink mint juelps
My rambling is over goodnight off to Gillette Stadium home of the greatest broken elevator ever created!
Friday, December 2, 2011
Jimmy V and Never Give Up 2011
One of my coaching idols growing up was Jimmy Valvano. I never saw him coach live, but the image of him running around the court after upsetting Houston was burned into my brain from a young age. Every highlight show and re-airing of that game I ever watched, Jim Valvano always had the biggest smile on his face of any coach I every watched. While I have watched and read about many better coaches, it was clear to me that very few if any coaches ever enjoyed what they did more then Jim Valvano.
These days Jimmy V is remembered most for his famous 1993 ESPY speech culminating in the formation of the Jimmy V foundation. Gravely ill from cancer and there to collect the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, it would serve as the last locker room speech of the great coach. He soaked up every moment and had them eating out the palm of his hands as he laughed off the absurdity of the blinking red light and told the story of the first game he ever coached. It was a truly iconic moment and one that I enjoyed viewing again Wednesday night when the great coach delivered his famous last public words "Don't Give Up. Don't Ever Give Up"
Those words are the motto of the Jimmy V foundation and serve as a great way to go about life. They apply not just to the fight against cancer, but to all aspects of ones life and dreams. I have come to learn these words are harder to live up to then they appear. As someone who has been disabled my entire life and struggle daily to overcome gambling addiction and depression I know how easy it can be to give up. Everyone has obstacles and adversity and often give up without even realizing it. Giving up doesn't mean dying, it means not chasing your dream as passionately and not approaching each day enthusiastically.
Not every day can be exciting and things don't always turn out the way we plan, but heeding Jimmy V's idea of trying to laugh, cry and think every day we can be even the most boring day tolerable. At a time in my life when I find my professional passion waning and continue to question where I am headed, Jimmy V picked me up again. Eighteen years after his death the great coach is still coaching. There are lots of wonderful local charities that help in the fight against cancer, but I give my money to the Jimmy V foundation this week for the coaching he continues to give me. He may not have the best record or most titles, but I will always consider Jimmy Valvano the greatest coach of all time.
These days Jimmy V is remembered most for his famous 1993 ESPY speech culminating in the formation of the Jimmy V foundation. Gravely ill from cancer and there to collect the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, it would serve as the last locker room speech of the great coach. He soaked up every moment and had them eating out the palm of his hands as he laughed off the absurdity of the blinking red light and told the story of the first game he ever coached. It was a truly iconic moment and one that I enjoyed viewing again Wednesday night when the great coach delivered his famous last public words "Don't Give Up. Don't Ever Give Up"
Those words are the motto of the Jimmy V foundation and serve as a great way to go about life. They apply not just to the fight against cancer, but to all aspects of ones life and dreams. I have come to learn these words are harder to live up to then they appear. As someone who has been disabled my entire life and struggle daily to overcome gambling addiction and depression I know how easy it can be to give up. Everyone has obstacles and adversity and often give up without even realizing it. Giving up doesn't mean dying, it means not chasing your dream as passionately and not approaching each day enthusiastically.
Not every day can be exciting and things don't always turn out the way we plan, but heeding Jimmy V's idea of trying to laugh, cry and think every day we can be even the most boring day tolerable. At a time in my life when I find my professional passion waning and continue to question where I am headed, Jimmy V picked me up again. Eighteen years after his death the great coach is still coaching. There are lots of wonderful local charities that help in the fight against cancer, but I give my money to the Jimmy V foundation this week for the coaching he continues to give me. He may not have the best record or most titles, but I will always consider Jimmy Valvano the greatest coach of all time.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Where Have You Gone High School Athlete?
This week I returned to the Wachusett Basketball coaching staff (sort of) for the first time since 2006.
While I have been around the program as the Summer League coach the past several seasons, I was as excited as a kid on Christmas for my first tryouts since 2006. The past two nights I have witnessed what I have known for some time, the high school athlete is gone and may not be seen again.
Gone are the days of kids running through walls to make teams, shoving matches in rebounding drills, fighting to beat the person beside you in laps and all other forms of competitive behavior. Blame it on technology, modern parenting or the overall wussification of sports making a high school team doesn't seem to matter anymore. Tonight's cut down day used to be an important day in kids lives and now it seems to bring them a mere 30 seconds of relief or ten seconds of disappointment.
I am aware that most people don't see the world through my coaching eyes, but I long for the days of the competitive athlete. Uniforms used to treated like gold and seen as the reward of years of hard work. Friends used to talk about what it would be like to play together and win championships, now we are just the after school activity of the season and something to put on a college resume. I don't think there's a single player trying out who actually knows what the team's record was last season because no one cares and team achievements are not a topic of school conversation.
High school have divided in two very different groups: Professional level travel teams with top prospects garnering national attention and a bunch of recreational leagues. Your average public high school team plays with the same intensity as the over 30 league at the YMCA. Any player with talent runs to the nearest prep or catholic school and I can't blame them. High school coaching now resembles my days coaching the neighborhood Little League team.
This is the new world am fighting against as I return to the bench. Excuse me if I'm rooting for a tear or two tonight, a few scrapped knees, a bloody lip or any indication that someone still cares about something I've spent half my living doing.
WHERE HAVE YOU GONE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE?
THIS COACH TURNS HIS LONELY EYES TO YOU!
While I have been around the program as the Summer League coach the past several seasons, I was as excited as a kid on Christmas for my first tryouts since 2006. The past two nights I have witnessed what I have known for some time, the high school athlete is gone and may not be seen again.
Gone are the days of kids running through walls to make teams, shoving matches in rebounding drills, fighting to beat the person beside you in laps and all other forms of competitive behavior. Blame it on technology, modern parenting or the overall wussification of sports making a high school team doesn't seem to matter anymore. Tonight's cut down day used to be an important day in kids lives and now it seems to bring them a mere 30 seconds of relief or ten seconds of disappointment.
I am aware that most people don't see the world through my coaching eyes, but I long for the days of the competitive athlete. Uniforms used to treated like gold and seen as the reward of years of hard work. Friends used to talk about what it would be like to play together and win championships, now we are just the after school activity of the season and something to put on a college resume. I don't think there's a single player trying out who actually knows what the team's record was last season because no one cares and team achievements are not a topic of school conversation.
High school have divided in two very different groups: Professional level travel teams with top prospects garnering national attention and a bunch of recreational leagues. Your average public high school team plays with the same intensity as the over 30 league at the YMCA. Any player with talent runs to the nearest prep or catholic school and I can't blame them. High school coaching now resembles my days coaching the neighborhood Little League team.
This is the new world am fighting against as I return to the bench. Excuse me if I'm rooting for a tear or two tonight, a few scrapped knees, a bloody lip or any indication that someone still cares about something I've spent half my living doing.
WHERE HAVE YOU GONE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE?
THIS COACH TURNS HIS LONELY EYES TO YOU!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Relaunch
I decided to restart what had to be the worst, lowest tech blog ever assembled in 2003. I make no promises that it will be any less horrible in 2011. The goal for the first month is to get up to one follower (we set really lofty goals here.)
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