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End of an Era?

Published
by
Chris Iafolla
on May 30, 2008
in NBA
. 0 Comments

As my brother so astutely pointed out in the previous post, what seemed a forgone conclusion in recent days came to fruition last night when Kobe and the Lakers put the proverbial nail in the coffin.  In the end, youth and energy trumped savvy and experience.  Bellyache all you want about non-calls, conspiracy theories and injury problems–it doesn’t change the fact that the Lakers simply were the better team and proved it emphatically.

So for the first time in eight years, we will watch an NBA championship that does not contain men by the name of Duncan or O’Neal.  So the question then becomes, did we just witness the end of an era–both in the sense of the closing of the window on the Spurs dynasty and the era of big men dominance in the NBA?

Each point warrants its own examination (and potentially its own post) so let’s take them one at a time.

The Spurs:

Call it what you want: dynasty, prolonged success, it really doesn’t matter, it’s impossible to deny the success of the Spurs over the last decade.  This is a team that has won four championships during that time and has been a legitimate contender every year.  But their demise this year felt a bit different didn’t it?  This is a team that has never been shy about finishing games that seem to be out of reach–something they failed to do twice in this series with the Lakers.  More than that, the Spurs seemed to be outworked and out willed, something I have never seen happen in my time watching the current variation of the Spurs.  Part of that is a result of simply running up against Kobe Bryant.  Say what you want about him, but the man can play.  He wasn’t going to let his team leave the Staples Center without a Western conference title.

So was this the end of the Spurs?  Are they finally too old?  Is Tim Duncan no longer able to carry a team?  Has the wear of a decade’s worth of extended seasons finally taken its toll?  If you looked at this past series in a vacuum, the temptation would be to write off the Spurs next year.  That would be a mistake.  This is a team that has its entire core group of players signed for at least the next two seasons.  Sure, Tim Duncan might be on the decline, but he isn’t finished yet.  A quick injection of youth and athleticism will have the Spurs right back in the thick of the race next season and possibly one more beyond that.  Let’s not  make this one series out to be more than it is for the sake of manufacturing some drama.

The Fall of the Big Man:

This question is a little bit tougher to answer.  Slowly but surely over the past decade, the NBA has been methodically moving to a different brand of basketball that favors athleticism and agility over size and strength.  It started with the European invasion.

When Europeans began entering this league in bunches, they brought with them a brand of basketball that favored a broad set of skills over specialty players.  Players like Toni Kukoc, Detlef Shrempf, Arvydas Sabonis and Sarunas Marciulionis typified this brand of basketball.  Over time, this philosophy had a trickle effect across the league and as players like Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing and David Robinson retired–the face of the game looked quite different.

But even in recent years, teams with dominant big men have gone on to win titles (with the notable exception of the Detroit Pistons).  This is probably why teams continue to put a premium on size by drafting Greg Oden and Andrew Bynum with number one picks.  This year is different.  Whatever team wins this year will do so without a traditional dominant big man (apologies to Gasol and Garnett).

I would contend that this year’s NBA playoffs have been a microcosm of the shift that has been taking place over the past few years-the game is moving toward a more guard-dominated league.

Now I know the next argument: the Suns tried the small ball approach and abandoned it in favor of adding the traditional big man to the mix.  To that I would say: “yea, how’d that turn out?”  The Suns abandoned the small ball approach–not the guard dominated approach.  There is a significant difference.  The Suns’ offense was based on the premise that a shot had to go up in seven seconds or less.  Ultimately, this created a tempo of basketball ill-suited for the playoffs and for teams that could impost a physical presence.

As players like Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and next year, Derek Rose continue to emerge, you will see teams grow more comfortable with the idea of a guard dominated team.  If this most recent playoffs was any indication, you better get used to the idea, because it’s already here.

Spurs/Lakers Series Over: A Little Whining From the Writer (Maybe a Conspiracy Theory Too)

Published
by
Anthony Iafolla
on May 29, 2008
in NBA
. 6 Comments

Contrary to what my brother has previously reported (see below), the Spurs are definitely dead.  This is a painful time for me, as I work in an office filled with annoying Lakers fans.  Now I understand the pain, although nowhere near the magnitude, that my buddy Zamp was trying to convey to me after the Giants won the Super Bowl.  He had to go to work everyday in Jersey surrounded by Giants fans, and being a die hard Eagles fan, that is painful.  Either way, the Spurs and Lakers will meet tonight in Game 5 at the Staples Center, and Kobe Bryant will most likely see to it that he and his Lakers teammates do not have to board another plan en route to San Antonio. 

I had been holding out hope that I would not have to see the freakin’ Lakers and Kobe Bryant much more, but it looks like I was wrong.  The worst part about this series is that it has left me with a lot of “what ifs?”  I watched Game 4 in anguish as the veteran Spurs seemed to be allergic to ACTUALLY taking the lead.  They must have tied that game up 6 different times, only to miss wide open looks to take the lead for the first time.  The Spurs have no one to blame but themselves for being in this position.  They have not earned themselves a spot in the NBA Finals. They let the Lakers off the hook.  There is no chance now that the Spurs can win 3 games in a row, two of which would be in Los Angeles.  What this means is I need to spend a few minutes whining and complaining about things that matter very little.  So the pain continues for me. 

Do I think this series would have played out differently if Manu Ginobili could actually move?  Absolutely.  Do I think that the spoiled brat Kobe would be MVP or the Lakers would have even gotten out of the first round if they never were handed Pau Gasol on a shiny platter?  No I do not.  Is it a damn travesty that Joe Crawford, who was basically suspended for his feud with Tim Duncan and the Spurs was allowed to ref a pivotal playoff game?  You’re damn right it is.  Don’t even get me started on that one.  Can you say conspiracy theory? 

Then there is the Brent Barry last second non foul call.  It’s like the NBA welcomes the conspiracy theories.  I am not saying the NBA has instructed officials to help the Lakers reach the finals, or better yet just stop the Spurs from getting back.  But, that doesn’t mean it looks good.  All those who refuse to admit that are just fooling themselves.  No way Crawford should have been anywhere near that arena.  None.  Not in the era of the Tim Donaghy scandal. Who was the official closest to that play?  Oh, that would be Joe Crawford. 

Yesterday the NBA announced that a 2 shot foul should have been called on Derek Fisher.  Sweet!  Thank you David Stern.  Brent Barry definitely should have gone into the air when he had Fisher off balance and forced a foul call, but somehow I doubt that even that would have mattered.  I realize this is all just spilt milk.  I needed to vent, and it would have been much more entertaining if my editor would let me use the words that I really wanted to.  I have to work tonight, and I will be recording Game 5, but I am sure one of the stupid ass Laker fans in my office will let me know the result long before I have watched the game.  I still cling to a sliver of hope that a miracle can happen, but I am not going to hold my breath.  It sure looks like we are headed towards EXACTLY what the NBA wanted all along:  A Celtics versus Lakers NBA Finals.  I will have to sedate myself to get through those two agonizing weeks.

Spurs Not Dead Yet

Published
by
Chris Iafolla
on May 26, 2008
in NBA
. 0 Comments

Too old.  Too slow.  Not enough offensive firepower.  Play an ugly brand of basketball.  Their time has passed.

Sound familiar?  It should.

These are the standard descriptors most often used when discussing the San Antonio Spurs.  It’s a time-honored tradition of the NBA playoffs–write off the Spurs as a team that can’t possibly get it done one more time.  It’s astonishing really when you put it into perspective.

This is a team that has won four titles in the last decade…a team with probably the greatest power forward to play this game as its anchor.  This is a team that plays at the defensive end of the floor the way the game was meant to be played.  Yet we somehow continue to question the ability of the Spurs to advance in the playoffs for any reason we manage to conjure out of thin air.

I’m not throwing stones here–I am guilty of this as well as evidenced by my prediction of the Spurs’ first round demise.  But since that point, I won’t count the Spurs out of this series or any other from here on out.  This team has a level of mental toughness that no other team remaining in the playoffs can claim with the possible exception of the Detroit Pistons.

This is not a team that is rattled by a 2-0 deficit.  No.  Where some teams make the mistake of believing that the NBA playoffs are about bursts of intensity, the Spurs realize that in order to be the one left standing when all is said and done it is about a consistently high level of intensity.

Just like the Hornets series, last night was a shining example of why the Spurs are never quite dead.  Last night, instead of their marquee player leading them to victory, it was Manu Ginobili leading the charge.  Publicly critical of his own play thus far in the series, Manu answered the call by pouring in 30 points against the vaunted Lakers.

And that is the difference with these Spurs.  Never rattled, the Spurs turned to their second offensive weapon to lead them to victory when the season was on the line.  So like I said, before, until the Spurs lose a game on their home floor, I won’t count them out of any series.  And if it gets to a game 7, old, slow, lack of offensive firepower and ugly basketball will suddenly translate to battle-tested, crafty, controls the tempo of the game and plays lock down defense.  Sounds like a winning formula to me.

Interleague Play: NL Rising?

Published
by
Anthony Iafolla
on May 22, 2008
in MLB
. 0 Comments

The first round of interleague play wrapped up over the weekend.  There were a total of 42 games played between the American and National Leagues.  The American League ended up on top with a 23-19 record.  In the month of June, three straight weeks of interleague play will take place.  Since 2000, the American League has won 6 out of the 8 years of interleague play, mostly by wide margins.  From 2005-2007, the American League compiled a 427-329 edge in interleague games.  In the last four years, an American League team has won the World Series three times, all three coming by dominating sweeps.  Every All-Star game since 1997 has been won by the American League, except for the infamous tie in 2002.  This has been more one sided than a sing-off between Britney Spears and Mariah Carey. 

Before this season began, most experts predicted more of the same.  Teams like the Tigers, Red Sox, Angels, and Yankees were expected to be not only the best teams in the AL, but in all of MLB.  I’m here to say that the experts were wrong. Forget about the 23-19 edge so far for the AL.  By the end of June, I am predicting the National League will come out on top.  Predicting the All-Star game and World Series winners is pointless right now.  What I believe is that the National League has finally ended the dominance of power by the American League.  Yes, it’s still early.  I’m aware of that.  However, I think there are just more quality teams in the National League.  Two of the so-called powers in the AL (Tigers and Yankees), have played terrible baseball most of the year.  Will it stay that way?  I doubt it. But, let’s look at this for a second.  The AL has 6 teams currently above .500, and the NL boasts 8. 

Forget records though, the NL is filled with teams playing good baseball, and getting it done with a young core of players.  In the AL, the Indians, Angels, and Rays fit into that category, and the Red Sox have some young arms and Ellsbury and Pedroia, but mostly these are veteran clubs.  The National League has teams like the Marlins, Diamondbacks, Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers, and even the Braves (led by Chipper Jones, but filled with young up and coming stars).  This is the main trend that I think will be responsible for a shift in power back to the National League.  The young stars in baseball, the ones who you see already putting up the numbers, mostly reside in the NL.  You can throw names at me from the American League, and they absolutely exist, but just look at the stats.  Seriously, just study them for awhile.  If you go by pure numbers, the NL has not only way more young stars, but just better players overall for a change. 

There are currently 30 players hitting above .300 in the NL, compared to 14 in the AL.  Traditionally, offensive numbers in the AL are higher because there is no luxury of having the pitcher come to bat.  Even more telling though is the fact that 20 of those 30 are under the age of thirty, compared to 6 players under 30 in the AL.  The NL has 24 of the top 32 home run hitters in baseball so far.  They have a guy in Chipper Jones still hitting over .400 and another in Lance Berkman receiving talk of a possible triple crown.  So you might think all this just means that the pitching in the AL is better.  Wrong again. 

The top 10 ERA’s in baseball are split right down the middle between the leagues, and that does not even include Johan Santana, Brandon Webb, or Jake Peavy in the NL.  The top 5 in the NL are all under the age of 27, too.  Numbers are not everything, I realize.  So, let’s take it a step further.

Break down position by position, and the NL for the first time in awhile has a decided advantage.  I’m not going to run through every single name, you can look at it yourself but I’ll do some of the work for you.  If a true all-star team was picked, it wouldn’t even be close.

 1st Base- Even to be fair I will include all those DH’s in the AL that are listed as first basemen.  In the NL there is Berkman with a possible triple crown, Pujols crushing it again, Ryan Howard is the best young power hitter in the game, Derek Lee is always hitting and fielding at a high level, a Mark Teixeira, Prince Fielder, James Loney and on and on. In the AL there is Youkilis, Ortiz(shouldn’t count), Kotchman, Morneau and not much else.  Huge edge to the NL.

2nd Base- Uggla and Utley are the class of the NL here and I would say Pedroia and Polanco are the same in the AL.  You can go through the list. There are some pretty good players in both leagues.  I give a slight edge to the NL because no one is better than Utley.

3rd Base- The future hall of famer Chipper Jones leads the NL here along with David Wright, Aramis Ramirez, and Garret Atkins.  In the AL you have Chone Figgins, an out of shape Miguel Cabrera, A-Rod, Mike Lowell, and Alex Gordon.  Chalk another one up for the National League.

Shortstop- There are 7 shortstops in the NL currently hitting above .300 compared to one in the AL.  That one is Jeter so that helps the AL’s cause.  But, with Escobar, Rollins, Ramirez, Furcal, Tulowitski, Reyes, Tejada, etc. there are way too many quality shortstops in the NL to not give them the edge

.Outfield- I really don’t feel like running through every outfielder, so let’s just say that there are great outfielders in both leagues and call it draw.  Fair enough?  Too bad, that’s what we’re doing.

Catcher- The AL has young guys like Martinez and Mauer along with trusty veterans Pierzynski, Varitek, and Pudge.  The NL is led by mostly young catchers like Molina, McCann, Martin, and Soto.  I give a slight edge right now to the AL, but that will change in the next couple years.

Starting Pitcher- I will argue that the NL has way more pitching depth at this point.  If we go by this year, and in case you haven’t noticed that’s what I am doing, the advantage goes to the NL.  The American League so far has been led by Cliff Lee, Dice-K, Wang, Carmona, Grienke, and Saunders.  There are obviously other very good ones like Lackey (who has just returned), Halladay, Beckett, and Sabathia. Over in the NL, rookie phenom Volquez looks to be the real deal, along with, Webb, Peavy, Hudson, Santana, Hamels, Zambrano, Haren, Sheets, and on and on.  I will take the NL’s list over the AL any day.

Closer- I am not going to break down entire bullpens, so deal with it.  I will stick to the guys who get the limelight.  In the AL we have K-Rod, Papelbon, Rivera, Nathan, Percival, Jenks, and many other pretty damn good closers.  That is an impressive list.  A lot of World Series rings there also, so that helps.  Forget about the amount of saves, to me the 3 best closers in the NL are Wagner, Lidge, Kerry Wood.  Yes, that Kerry Wood.  Possibly joining them will be John Smoltz if he can stay healthy, but either way the American League is stronger here.   

So there you have it.  After checking out the breakdown, it seems clear that we are seeing a shift towards some National League dominance in the coming years.  This stuff usually goes in cycles.  We will see how it plays out, but one gauge could end up being the interleague records when it all shakes out.  Hey, maybe an NL team might actually end up with home field advantage in the World Series! 

NBA Conference Finals Preview

Published
by
Anthony Iafolla
on May 20, 2008
in NBA
. 4 Comments

We’re down to the Final Four in the NBA Playoffs.  As far as my picks, I have so far done well in the Eastern Conference, and not too well in the Western Conference (some of that due to my desire to see the Lakers go down).  Although I did say a couple weeks ago that I felt the Spurs would replace the Suns and go to the Finals.  I think we have two great match-ups here, so let’s break it all down. 

Pistons vs Celtics

This is the match-up that has been expected pretty much since the beginning of the season.  You can throw the regular season games out the window.  The playoffs are here.  This should be an awesome series to watch.  It won’t always be pretty, but it will be physical, intense, and most likely come down to execution in the fourth quarter.  These are probably the two best defensive teams in the NBA.  What I love about this series is that these two teams do not like each other and it is filled with some great individual match-ups.  The Pistons are seasoned and rested.  They have been here before.  Many of the Celtics have not.  The Celtics have gone through two grueling seven game series, but have not faced the type of test they will get from the Pistons.  How will they respond?  Let’s look at the match-ups: 

1)       Point Guard- If Chauncey Billups’ hamstring is healthy, then this is one sided.  Rajon Rondo has made strides in these playoffs and he hit some big shots against the Cavs, but he has not proven that he can do it consistently.  Chauncey?  Been there, done that.  With his size and strength advantage over Rondo, I look for the Pistons to use Billups in the post more often.  I am curious to see how Rondo reacts under the pressure of getting the Celtics back to the Finals.  I have a feeling he might look like a deer in headlights.

2)       Shooting Guard- I’ve always loved Rip.  Although the whole mask thing has dropped him a couple notches for me.  I remember seeing his Coatesville team go up against Kobe Bryant’s Lower Merion team back in high school.  Ray Allen has looked like he aged 40 years since the end of the regular season.  The Celtics need Allen to step up and they should make a conscious effort to run him off screens and get him in a rhythm early.  I think both these guys will have a good series.  With the great team defense played by both teams, no one will blow you away with their high field goal percentage.  I still give a slight advantage to the Pistons in this match-up.

3)       Small Forward- This is a great match-up.  For most of the Cavs series, I though Paul Pierce did a great job defending LeBron James.  His offense suffered because of it.  Until, of course, Game 7.  Pierce impressed the hell out of me, and it’s a good thing, too.  The player previously known as Ray Allen was not helping much, and KG certainly wasn’t going to carry the Celtics in a tight Game 7.  I look for Tayshaun Prince to play the role of Paul Pierce here.  Prince probably will not contribute much offensively, save a few threes, but his main focus will be on stopping Pierce.  We all know that Prince can defend anybody.  He has about a 94 foot wingspan.  Prince should do a great job on Pierce, putting more pressure on Garnett and Allen.  I still think Pierce will have a few games where he is just on.  So offensively, Pierce will certainly contribute more, but this is still a close one.  Slight edge to the Celtics.

4)       Power Forward- You are not going to find too many match-ups better than this one.  I could go on and on about it, but I wouldn’t do that to you.  Both are great defenders, and both are important offensively as well.  They probably will not spend the entire time guarding each other, but when they do it will be physical and fun.  Wallace has way more big game experience, but Garnett is hungry.  Maybe he will finally shake the reputation of not taking over big games when his team needs it.  I doubt it, but maybe.  Wallace will mix in his three point shooting, post moves, and great defense.  Same for Garnett, except his outside shooting will be a little closer to the basket.  Both guys are great competitors and I think both will play well.  I am sure I will get some crap for this but I see this one as a draw.  Garnett is great, but Wallace will be great at the exact moments his team needs him to be.  Will Garnett?

5)       Center- Both Kendrick Perkins and Antonio McDyess are responsible for doing the little things.  Defend, rebound, get easy put-backs, keeping plays alive.  McDyess does possess the ability to hit the open 14-18 footer.  I don’t see any clear edge in this match-up.  I’ll call this a draw.

6)       Bench- Detroit and Boston have excellent benches.  Typically, teams do not get this far in the playoffs with weak benches.  Bench play usually just comes down to who is going to step up from game to game and make an imprint.  There are plenty of guys capable on both sides.  Even Sam “The Alien” Cassell.  Guys like Posey, Powe, and House for the Celtics, and Hunter, Maxiell, and Stuckey, will go far in determining who comes out on top in this grudge match. If fouls become an issue, the benches will have an even greater impact.  It’s hard to really call a favorite here.  We’ll see how they react once the pressure is on.I have already written that I think the Pistons win in seven.  I actually think it could be six, but I will stick with seven.  Yes, seven.  The Pistons can win on the road.  There’s a novel idea!  I think it is important for the Pistons to win game 1 and put the pressure on Boston.  Either way, this is going to be closely contested, physical, and fun to watch. 

Spurs vs Lakers

Everybody at this point knows what I want to see happen.  Especially so that I do not have to pay out some bets that I made with friends of mine who are Lakers fans.  I previously picked the Suns to be here, and then, using a mulligan, said that the Spurs would be here.  I was hoping the Jazz would take the Lakers out, but that turned out to be wishful thinking.  Now, I worry that with Kobe Bryant able to smell the Finals, it’s too late to stop the Lakers.  Ahhh… But of course, they are playing the defending world champions.  A team that already has 4 rings to boast about.  Will the Spurs end my misery of watching the Lakers cruise to the NBA Finals?  Man, I hope so.  This promises to be another hard fought, tightly contested series. 

1)       Point Guard- The more I watch Derek Fisher, the more respect I gain for him.  He plays hard and physical defense.  He almost never misses an open jumper.  He hits clutch shots in almost every game.  His counterpart, Tony Parker, is one of the fastest and quickest players in the NBA.  Not an easy match-up for Fisher.  Parker will try to get in the lane and set up easy baskets for teammates as well as run the break when it is open.  I will give a slight edge to Parker in this battle.

2)       Shooting Guard- The interesting thing in this series is the defensive match-ups.  Ginobili will not be guarding Kobe.  Bruce Bowen and Kobe Bryant will renew their long lasting love fest.  I don’t think I even need to go into either Manu or Kobe’s credentials at this point.  They are both great. Kobe, of course, is all time great.  What is great about this series is that it is filled with players that will step up in the clutch.  I am not enough of a hater to give the edge to the Spurs here.  Edge to the Lakers.

3)       Small Forward- Bruce Bowen’s main job will be to try and slow down, frustrate, elbow, scratch, kick and do whatever else is necessary to Kobe Bryant.  He will find himself open for the corner three from time to time, and he needs to knock those down.  Lamar Odom almost always poses match-up problems with his ability to handle and shoot.  Again, I reiterate that match-ups will be key in this series.  Both team will be moving different defenders around, so it’s hard to talk about head to head, but I give the edge to Odom and the Lakers here.

4)       Power Forward- The Lakers have absolutely no one that can guard Tim Duncan, so I look for a huge series from him.  I’m sure Phil Jackson will throw double teams and different bodies at Duncan, but Gasol, or Turiaf, and whoever else do not stand a chance.  Radmanovic is mainly just an outside shooter and to be effective and even have an impact he must hit shots.  Huge edge to the Spurs.

5)       Center- Oberto is another dirty work guy.  Gasol is another case of a guy who will create match-up problems for the Spurs.  He can inside and out with great efficiency.  What bothers me about Gasol is that he’s so soft.  That being said he and the Lakers have a huge advantage here.

6)       Bench- Both teams have great benches, but I do think that the Lakers have a younger and fresher bench.  It seems that everyone that comes off the bench of both team has the ability to play well and hit shots.  The Spurs bench is experienced, and it remains to be seen how the Lakers bench will perform as the series rolls on.  I call this one even. There are so many great match-ups and players in this series that you just know its going to be great.  Two great coaches involved in a chess match.  The Spurs have the experience, but they might have tired legs.  The Lakers have Kobe Bryant.  This is a tough one to call, and it will come down to defense and execution.  I just feel that at the end of the day, the Spurs have enough in them to take down the Lakers in seven.  Again, the Spurs need to steal one of the first two, or else Kobe will smell blood and drop 50 in San Antonio to put the Spurs against the wall.  

I don’t care what anybody says about the Spurs being boring and all that crap.  Both these series are going to be entertaining and great for the NBA.  These are the four teams that should be here.  It will be a great couple weeks in the NBA, and I can’t wait to see how it plays out.  Let’s all kick back and enjoy the games.

Specter Embodies Grandstanding at its Worst

Published
by
Chris Iafolla
on May 17, 2008
in NFL
. 0 Comments

As this whole Spygate saga unfolded, there was no shortage of opinions on the situation. Some held to the belief that this was an isolated incident, while others maintained that the Patriots took the fall for the entire league. We may never know the truth for certain, but my guess is the reality is probably somewhere in between.

In the days leading up to the Matt Walsh meeting with Commissioner Goodell, I watched in amazement as people crawled out of the woodwork to take the opportunity to rehash the entire Spygate scandal. As the meeting approached, it became increasingly evident that it would amount to little more than a ceremonial wiping of the slate for the league. Matt Walsh was after nothing more than his time in the limelight.

Well, he got that time and now we should all move on from the incident for the sake of the game. Unfortunately, people like Arlen Specter won’t let the situation die. Of course, Specter will tell you he is merely attempting to protect the sanctity of the game. Baloney.

Arlen Specter has no interest in protecting the sanctity of the game. His primary interest is grandstanding to a constituency that is fiercely loyal to the Eagles but has a waning trust in politics–especially Republican politics. Specter’s other primary motive is catering to the demands of Philadelphia-based cable giant Comcast.

There is no risk in his shameful grandstanding. If he is wrong, so what, we all were misled. If he is right, he looks like the watchdog he so desperately wants to be. Either way, he still has portrayed himself to the people as a politician willing to stand up to powerful money-making entities. Ironic, when what he is really doing is bending to the will of another, large money-making entity.

As an Eagles fan, you might expect that I appreciate the efforts of Specter. After all, the heartache from the Eagles loss in the Super Bowl to the Patriots is still fresh (especially living in Boston). But more than some sort of hallow vindication; I want attention shifted from some politician working for personal gain to the game. If Specter truly is protecting the sanctity of the game, he should do us all a favor and drop his charade.

OJ Mayo: Who’s to Blame?

Published
by
Anthony Iafolla
on May 14, 2008
in College Sports
. 1 Comment

As everyone already knows, there is another scandal involving a USC player receiving illegal benefits.  The only surprise is that the player is not from the storied football program, but from their basketball program that is trying to put themselves on the same map as conference and city rival UCLA. 

Unless you have been pulling a Rip Van Winkle, you now have heard that OJ Mayo has been accused of receiving thousands of dollars, a flat screen TV, hotel rooms for his friends, etc.  My guess is that not too much in the way of penalties comes out of this for USC.  Big shocker.  Although the NCAA has said they have “new information” on the case and an investigation will be forthcoming.  The school, athletic department, coaches, and anyone associated are playing dumb and denying any knowledge of any wrong doing.  Same thing they did in the Reggie Bush case. I, for one, do not buy a word of it.  Obviously, we have no concrete proof yet, and an investigation is underway, but this seems to be a growing problem in college sports today. 

I could sit here and rant about USC and all the shady things that seem to be going on, but I won’t.  We can easily lay blame on all sides here.  It’s easy to point fingers at OJ Mayo and USC, and I have no problem with anyone that does.  In my opinion, however, the main problem lies in the society and culture that has been created in amateur basketball.   All over the country, there are kids developing amazing talent, while at the same time being swarmed by money hungry agents and sponsors.  It starts for some of these kids as early as 12 years old.  This is a sickening trend that continues to get worse.  In the OJ mayo case, it has been obvious for years that he was going to become a millionaire in the NBA.  The only question was, who was going to win the race to latch onto his coattails and make millions. 

Allegedly, Louis Johnson and Rodney Guillory acted as “runners” for BDA, a sports agency.  This is an all too common practice in the world of high school basketball.  There have been discussions recently blaming the NBA’s age-limit.  Some might even say that the old argument of paying college athletes some sort of money would solve the problem.  None of these things are at the root of the problem.  The practice of scumbag agents and runners hanging around high school gyms has been going on well before the NBA instituted an age limit. 

I am not sure what the solution is.    Maybe someone needs to be made an example of.  We live in a society where money, power, and greed are center stage for many.  A society where, unfortunately, many people will do whatever it takes to get ahead, even if it means cheating, stealing, or just using someone else to benefit themselves.  So, we can blame kids like OJ Mayo for accepting money, gifts, and allowing these people into their circles.  We can blame schools like USC and coaches like Tim Floyd who seem to turn a blind eye in order to boost their program and save their jobs, even when it was obvious to many in the basketball world that OJ Mayo was already being paid for his talent.  We can blame ourselves for demanding so much out of a college program that it has become as high pressure as professional sports.  All of these are contributing factors.  But, we need to start looking at the society and culture we have created where kids can be taken advantage of.  Where agents, boosters, and runners have way too much to do with amateur sports.  A culture has been created that has taken the purity out of amateur athletics, and it continues to spiral downward.  Maybe we are all to blame.

Lakers vs. Jazz Game 2 Diary From the Cheap Seats

Published
by
Anthony Iafolla
on May 8, 2008
in NBA
. 1 Comment

Ok, so I have a few things that I am working on that I will be posting soon, but because of that, for this one I decided to steal a format from a writer that I admire, Bill Simmons.  I decided to write a real time blog on last night’s game between the Lakers and Jazz.  This is a first for me so you will have to cut me some slack.  It will probably end up being a bit of a confusing mess, but that’s what my mind is anyway.  Basically I just sat down and took notes as it was happening and what I was thinking from a fan’s perspective.  I must admit, however, that I am writing this as a resident of Los Angeles who cannot stand the Lakers.  I am not a Jazz fan either, but anything is better than seeing the Lakers win.  If you have been checking out this site, you should know that I picked the Lakers to lose to the Jazz, but admit that I will probably end up being wrong.  So, without further ado… 

Kobe is awarded the 2007-2008 MVP ( I still don’t agree), and he tells the crowd at the end of a brief speech “let’s get this party started”.  I am sure he is looking to show his MVP credentials tonight.  

1st Quarter

I think the Jazz really need to get off to a quick start to build some confidence.  They need to play this game from in front and not try and make a furious comeback like they did in Game 1.  Here’s the tip…Nice omen!…24 second violation on the first possession for the Jazz.  Pretty inexcusable, I think.  It seems that Kirilenko is aggressive here early.  It seems like he is aggressive once every five games.  Ronnie Brewer is starting the game guarding Kobe.  Good luck.  Both teams have started out this game trading baskets and hitting their shots.  The match-up with Okur guarding Odom is ugly.  Okur is in quicksand on the defensive end compared to Odom.  With 8 minutes left in the quarter Kirilenko makes a great defensive play on Kobe who was going in for a layup.  They cannot make it easy on Kobe.  Maybe Derek Fisher’s days spent guarding Deron Williams in practice last year are paying dividends because, just like in Game 1, Williams just cannot get going.

Lakers 15-13 at first timeout – 6:25 to go in the 1st

What the hell has happened to Carlos Boozer?  Has anyone seen him?  This seems to be a physical game, the way the Jazz like it, on both sides, yet it took 8 minutes and finally a whistle is blown against the Lakers.  I guess David Stern doesn’t want Kobe’s night ruined or the path of the Lakers to the finals impeded.  On cue, Sloan gets T’d up with 3:38 left and I don’t blame him.  To have a chance, the Jazz need to be physical.  Let ‘em play!  Sweet!…Lakers go on a 13-0 run here to take a 25-13 lead.  Not what the Jazz need.  Now I have to listen to Doug Collins wax poetic about Kobe.  I am sick of the Kobe love fest.  The dude would still be bitching if they hadn’t stolen Gasol.  Lakers fans should chant MVP for Chris Wallace, the Grizzlies GM.  Hey, what do ya know?  The Jazz go to the line for the first time in the quarter with 2:31 left.  The Jazz are occasionally switching to a 2-3 zone and the Lakers are killing it with ball movement.  Harpring gets called for  an offensive foul for doing the exact same thing in the post that Kobe does every time.  That being said, the Jazz all look scared to shoot the ball, especially Brewer.  He looks like he has a hot potato in his hand when he gets the ball.  The quarter ends badly for the Jazz.  The Lakers have 2 big runs.  So much for getting off to a good start for Utah.  The Lakers looked great shooting 66 % compared to 33 % for the Jazz.  Why does Utah suck on the road?Lakers 33-18 at end of the 1st quarter

Again in between quarters Jerry Sloan comments to David Aldridge that he feels like the refs are calling it way too close on the Jazz, saying, “We can’t touch ‘em”.  I agree. 

2nd Quarter

Another great sign: Boozer gets his 3rd foul on the first play and has to sit.  On a side note, I wish my name was Boozer.  The Lakers are just way more aggressive, including their bench.  Millsap is the only Jazz to go hard at the rack.  That should account for the free throw disparity, but I still don’t think its being called even.  Doug Collins just used the word “lucky” in describing the Gasol trade.  I finally agree with something!  Damn.  Matt Harpring has as much of a soft touch as I would after my hands were dipped into a bucket of cement and then dried.  The Jazz are actually playing better with Boozer and Williams out of the game which will not lead to a victory.  Ahh.  Okur is redefining the word slow as Gasol posterizes him.  He can’t guard anyone!

Lakers 45-34 at timeout- 5:46 left in the 2nd

The Jazz need to get some stops here to end the half.  Williams need to get in the lane and the Jazz must finish.  Its not happening though as the Lakers are owning every match up.  Gasol is crushing Okur and Fisher is dominating Williams.  Deron Williams just scored his first points of the game with 2:40 left.  Bad sign.  So the half is over and the Jazz went the opposite direction of what I said and did not close out strong.  Lakers shoot 61% for the half and the Jazz get 3 points between Williams and Boozer.  Freakin’ ugly!

Lakers 63-49- HALFTIME

Halftime may end up being the best part of the night for me.  That and the beef soft tacos I made and the Heineken I am drinking.  Charles Barkley says, “They don’t think they can beat the Lakers”.  I absolutely agree.  They have looked scared.  Barkley refers to himself as “the Chuckster”.  I love this guy.  I want to go drinking and gambling and then play a round of golf with him.  What the hell was that?  A bug in Barkley’s mug.  Was that real or fake?  TNT is way better than ESPN for these games. 

3rd Quarter

The Jazz need to get off to a quick start or this game is over.  Come on boys!  Make this interesting.  Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Carlos Boozer to the arena.  He gets an easy layup to start the half.  Maybe that will get him going.  Basketball is funny like that.  On his night, I am now looking for Kobe to take over.  On a side note, Boozer hits a jumper, but I decided he may have the ugliest in the league.  Deron Williams looks like a new man.  Where the hell has this aggressiveness been buddy?  It matters little though as the Jazz cannot guard the Lakers, and right on cue Kobe is taking over.  The Jazz are just trading buckets and can’t cut into the lead.

Lakers 80-66 at timeout- 5:21 left in the 3rd

Coming out of this timeout I think the Jazz need to get this thing to single digits by the end of the quarter to have a chance.  They need Mr. Mo Mentum to change his address.  Unfortunately, Kobe is showing the Jazz that he is the MVP.  Williams is getting into the lane on every possession, but it seems too little too late.  The Jazz look great offensively, but the problem remains their inability to even make it semi-difficult for the Lakers to score.  I think I would just aggressively double team Kobe and get it out of his hands as much as possible and pray the Lakers miss a few open shots.  What the hell else should they do?  Nothing has worked yet.  Wow!  What a drive and dunk by Williams, but it was followed by Fisher easily getting into the lane on the other end and Boozer picking up his 4th foul.  A microcosm of this game right there.

Lakers 86-76 at timeout- 2:15 left in the 3rd

Great defensive play there by Brewer leading to a dunk and the Jazz are down 8.  Get a stop!They get a stop but now both team are just turning it over back and forth.  Terrible possessions by the Jazz.  Harpring gets toasted by Kobe leading to a Fisher three.  Lakers are up 13, right back where the quarter started.  Huge shot by Williams from three to cut the lead to 10 to end the quarter!  Kobe had 15 in the quarter.  Here he comes.

Lakers 93-83 at end of the 3rd quarter 4th Quarter

The Jazz cannot trade baskets anymore.  The beginning of this quarter will be huge.  Lakers come out with their bench along side Pau Gasol.  I am saying BS on that!!!!  Williams was obviously hacked at the rim and no call which led to a Lakers break.  That call better go the other way in Utah.  Ok.  Harpring is destroying the Jazz.  He inexplicably doubles Jordan Farmar leaving Walton wide open for a three!  Jordan Farmar!  Then he airballs a three of his own.  Please put Boozer back in Jerry! 

Lakers 98-89 at timeout- 7:50 left in 4th

The Jazz have to score here out of the timeout.  I wonder if Phil Jackson will insert Kobe to close the deal.  Ummm…I am not a proven NBA coach like Jerry Sloan, but the I am in shock here!  Jazz come out of the timeout with Williams on the bench.  Phil has inserted Kobe like I thought, and the Jazz best player is on the bench just as they were building momentum with Williams as the catalyst.  It may be too late by the time he comes back in.  He’s 24 years old!  I think he can play the last 8 minutes of a huge playoff game for crying out loud!  Need a sip of Heineken.  Ok, I am better now.   Matt Harpring actually hits a big shot to make it 98-92!  Making him about 2 for 50 in the series.   Huge play there.  Jazz were down 6 on the break and Millsap misses a lay up to cut it to 4, followed by Kobe getting fouled on the other end.  Can’t miss easy ones on the road guys!  Williams Back in.  Thank God.  Can the Jazz stop letting Harpring touch the ball?  Seriously.

Lakers 99-92 at timeout- 5:58 left in the 4th

If the Jazz are going to actually steal this, the next 3 minutes are gigantic.  It has to start with defense.  I am figuring Kobe is going to take over.  Big jumper by “the Machine”.  Boozer sucks.  Gets blocked twice on the same possession.  Fisher hits a big three to make it 104-94 and I think that’s the beginning of the end.  Jazz made their run and the Lakers punched back.  They have hit every open shot tonight.  I give them credit.  After a great 3 point play by AK47 cuts it to 8, Kobe makes an amazing dish to Gasol.  That was ridiculous.  I’m not sure anyone else makes that play.

Lakers 109-99 at timeout- 2:24 left in the 4th

It’s not looking good for Utah.  Kobe will not allow the Lakers to lose this game.  The Jazz cannot hit a big shot.  I must say, I still do not agree with Sloan taking Williams out in the 4th.  It seems he has lost his rhythm since he returned.  Some meaningless threes here by the Jazz.  As the clock winds down I am thinking that the Jazz beter find a way to start faster by Friday or they will be going home for good.  They can’t defend Kobe Bryant, Boozer has been terrible, and the Lakers are doing whatever they want offensively.  Man I hate watching the Lakers win!  It makes me sick to my stomach.  Or is that the tacos?  Williams and Boozer need to be aggressive from the tip in Utah.

Lakers 120-110- FINAL

Just a little more bitching from me.  Just following Kobe’s lead.  Lakers shot 43 foul shots to the Jazz 16.  Come on!  Also, I just threw up in my mouth as Kenny and Chuck were talking about how scary the Lakers will be for the next 5 years.  I am moving to Alaska.  My night just ended well, though.  Charles Barkley was tricked into saying “I’m a dumbass”, as they put it on the teleprompter.  Let’s see if the Jazz can make some adjustments and play better in front of their home crowd.  If not the Lakers will be prepping for the Western Conference Finals.    

Baseball Players Abide by Unwritten Rules, Why Shouldn’t Umps?

Published
by
Chris Iafolla
on May 7, 2008
in MLB
. 2 Comments

Baseball is a sport full of unwritten rules–an undocumented code of conduct governs the game. Don’t bunt to break up a no-no. Don’t steal past the sixth inning of a game when your team is up by more than five runs. When throwing at a hitter, keep the ball below the shoulders. Don’t upstage the opposing team by taking a long look at your homerun.
The list goes on and on with the code of conduct a professional baseball player must follow. One additional rule the pro ballplayer will find in his fictional handbook is never show up the plate umpire, especially if you are a pitcher or catcher. At first blush, it feels like a reasonable rule. It certainly doesn’t help the cause of the pitcher to be continually bickering with the plate umpire. But more and more, I’ve been picking up on a trend that is simply ridiculous–umps showing up the player.

Point and case: I was watching the Braves play the Padres tonight. Tim Hudson had just been called for a balk that scored a run and Bobby Cox was thrown out of the game for arguing for his ace. In short, Hudon’s feathers were probably ruffled. In the following at bat, a Hudson fastball that was nearly identical to an earlier pitch called for a strike was called for a ball. In a fit of frustration, Hudson held out his arms in bewilderment, never uttering a single word. The home plate ump proceeded to remove his mask and walk half way to the mound barking at Hudson. To Hudson’s credit, he turned his back and walked away from the ump.

Granted, Hudson never should have expressed his disagreement for the entire stadium to see (after all, he must’ve received the handbook). But the nonsense with umpires riding their high horse has to stop. The ump took a simple shrug of the shoulders and attempted to make it into a full-blown argument. This is not an isolated incident. Too often, umps instigate when they should be diffusing the situation.

I am sick and tired of players having to abide by a certain code of conduct that doesn’t apply all around. Umps need to get in line and realize that just because they are behind a mask doesn’t mean they are hidden from the laws of baseball.

Since unwritten rules govern baseball, maybe it is time we unwrite a rule that says umps should never add more fuel to a potential fire.

Peering into the Crystal Ball: The Future of the Eastern Conference and a Few Lessons Learned

Published
by
Chris Iafolla
on May 6, 2008
in NBA
. 4 Comments

The first round of the NBA playoffs has provided a plethora of lessons learned and plenty of intrigue.

The two series that most proclaimed experts felt would be the least competitive in the Eastern Conference turned out to provide the most hotly-contested series in the Eastern Conference thus far. Both the Sixers and Hawks were written off as mere bystanders on the path to a Celtics/Pistons clash. But those experts forgot to tell the Sixers and Hawks, because they put up a fight that just may have provided a glimpse into the future of the Eastern Conference.

Sure, the Pistons and Celtics will likely have their inevitable showdown to determine Eastern Conference supremacy. But both of those teams have a veteran core whose window is rapidly closing with each passing day. On the other hand, the Sixers and Hawks are following a similar model: a young athletic core paired with an established, veteran point guard to direct the troops. Sound familiar? It should. This is a model the Detriot Pistons have been using for years. In Chauncey Billups, the team has a solid veteran presence at point guard coupled with versatility at the remaining four starting positions. Lump all of that together with a tough-minded approach to defense and you just might have concocted a GM’s cocktail for championships. Goes down smooth huh? Both the Sixers and Hawks are a couple of pieces and years away from seriously contending for a championship. But the current playoffs may have provided a glimpse into the future of the Eastern Conference–a world where the Sixers and Hawks reign supreme.

And now, on to the lessons learned:

  • Predictions Schmedictions: Chief among those lessons was that predictions are not my forte. Already, my Western conference champion has fallen victim to a team that simply understands how to win playoff basketball–the San Antonio Spurs. I still have a chance at my other prediction, albeit a bit of a cop out, that the Spurs come out of the West. I felt that the winner of that series would prevail in the conference, so at least that one is still alive (not looking too promising either). While the Spurs have looked old thus far, I won’t count out Tim Duncan and the gang until they are beaten on their own court.
  • Don’t overemphasize the value of experience: In some circumstances (see San Antonio Spurs) playoff experience equates to playoff success. Because of this, we have a tendency to place too much value on the ability of a veteran team to win a playoff series based solely on the fact that it has fought more battles than its opponent. I was a victim of this trap when I thought the savvy and physicality of the Mavericks would wear down the Hornets and Chris Paul. In reality, Chris Paul was so much better than any player on the courtthat he single-handedly propelled that team to victory.
  • The Nuggets are who we thought they were:In the infamous words of Denny Green, The Nuggest “are who we thought they were.” I’m pretty sure I could drop 30 on that defense. So while the Lakers won convincingly, I’ll jump on the bandwagon when they beat a team that actually believes in the concept of defense.
  • Celtics Lack Go-to Guy: All season long the media trumpeted the success and harmony of the Big Three. And while the success in the season is all well and good, it all amounts to nothing if you can’t get it done in the playoffs. The problem with this Celtics team is it lacks a scorer that is willing to step up and get it done in the clutch. Garnett refuses to attack the basket and becomes a passive participant in the game come crunch time , Ray Allen has trouble creating his own shot and Paul Pierce does not have enough proven late-game ability to solidify his position as a go-to-guy. All season, these three have coexisted as equal parts of the greater whole–now that it is playoff time, one of them needs to step up and become the most important cog in the wheel.
  • Dwight Howard is a Monster: We knew that Howard likes to pose as Superman, but I’m not sure many of us believed he actually had the ability to leap tall defenders in a single bound. Once Howard refines his offensive game to include a bit of finesse as opposed to pure power, he will be near impossible to stop. Not since a certain 7 foot 300-pound big man donned an Orlando Magic jersey have we seen a big man with this much upside.