Pick-Off Sports Talk

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2007-03-31T00:40:00.001-07:00

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Why the Kings Should Have Traded Mike Bibby

2007-02-23T16:38:00.000-08:00

After an off-season of change for the Sacramento Kings, one that was supposed to bring defense and intensity to an offensive minded squad, has brought nothing but inconsistency and poor offense. Trying to repeat the Rick Adelman-led Kings of the early decade was not feasible, but the results with new coach Eric Musselman are far from expectations. The main problem for Sactown has been the play of point guard Mike Bibby. Coming off a season when Bibby averaged a career-high in points, it was reasonable to expect him to have another solid season. Not so. Bibby is averaging 16.9 points a game (his career average) on a poor 39.3% from the field and an even worse 30.7% from behind-the-arc. Bibby has always been a scoring point guard. Never in his career before last year was he the main threat. The Kings had Webber, Divac, and Stojakovic to run the offense around, allowing Bibby many open looks as well as opportunities to penetrate the lane against an off-balance defense that would double Webber in the post and stay out on Peja to prevent the open trey. These scenarios allowed Bibby to thrive. Also, Webber and Divac were two of the greatest passing big-men in the game. Now, the Kings have a totally different lineup. There is no immediate threat down-low, allowing teams to stay on Bibby out on the perimeter. K-Mart is emerging as a solid player, but none worthy of a double-team, as well as Artest. This leaves Bibby on his own, having to create his own shots. Don't get me wrong, Bibby is a good player, but he doesn't fit with the new Kings. He is too slow to penetrate the lane and breakdown a defense. And with Martin becoming the Kings go-to-guy of the future, the last things the Kings need is a shoot-first point guard. The ideal move would have been to package Bibby for a pass-first point guard. Someone who can penetrate and dish to a bunch of shooters; Martin, Artest, Miller, Garcia, etc. You can only have so many players that want to shoot. With emerging talents such as Jose Calderon of Toronto, who averaged 9.5 assists over 8-starts filling in for the injured TJ Ford, the Kings could have made a three way deal sending some players to Toronto for Calderon while sending Bibby to a point-guard hungry team. Or what about to Miami and bring J-Will back to Sactown? At least we know he can pass.

New Top Score

2007-02-21T15:48:00.002-08:00

as i previously posted, i went bowling last nite at Sea Bowl. boy did the nicer lanes and balls really help me out. i ripped a 160, a new personal-best. that was without even getting one strike! if i bowl a couple strikes in there, im like at a 190/200. check it!

sorry no pics.

Bowling Fever!

2007-02-20T18:00:00.000-08:00

Here are some shots from a recent trip to Serra Bowl. I might add that i bowled a personal-best 141.

Caity the south paw

Fontes thinks he has skillz

Miller dominates

going bowling again tonite, this time to the much nicer Sea Bowl off of highway 1 in Pacifica. a little farther drive than to Serra Bowl, but nicer and unexpectedly cheaper. my spin is coming together and im looking for a 150+ tonite.

NBA All-Star Saturday

2007-02-17T21:29:00.000-08:00

well, the only good thing All-Star weekend gave me was a reason to cook some bomb quesadillas and drink. other than that, i was not impressed. thus, my post is going to be sub-par, i already know it. moving on, here are my quick- thoughts:

- 3 clock malfunctions during the co-ed shooting contest was sad. the scoreboard controller can't set the clock for 2 minutes? amateur!

- what a lame contest anyway, i almost fell asleep watching bill laimbeer and michael cooper trying to make a straight-away 3.

-lebron has no skillz. i should have never picked him first in my fantasy league.

- those commercials for Haier appliances are are a real hit. in everyone they open the drawer freezer and a meat & cheese tray (like the ones your parents get for your high school graduation party) appears. who the hell puts a meat & cheese tray in their freezer?

- i knew Barkley would win the race against Dick Bavetta. he may be fat and old, but once an athlete, always an athlete. that and the guy was 67 and ran like a woman.

- D-Wade won the skillz challenge. who cares?

- classic commentating moment when Reggie Miller made fun of Tony Parker for getting locked up with Eva Longoria. he's probably jealous.

- dwight howard is going to be a great. i believe he will lead a team to a championship. the kid is only 21.

- dunk contest was weak. the last round was poor. think of some new dunks!

- tyrus thomas is a piece.

- jason kapono with a nice win in the 3-point shootout. remember when he used to wear a headband at UCLA thinking he was the shit? he proved himself tonite.

- the entire event felt like watching those silly AND 1 street tapes. the commentator on the court yelling in a mic. the NBA has lost its class.

- how about Dick Bavetta's bloody knee after he dove for the finish line. a ballsy and determined 67 year old. fun to see.

- too many commercial breaks. of course.

- i wonder how hard those guys party. especially in Vegas. must be fun.

- nate robinson has got hops. too bad he sucks in a real game. the coolest thing i ever saw him do was fight carmelo anthony.

- you know the dunk contest has gone downhill when gerald green wins. he just doesn't compare to jordan, wilkins, carter, ceballos (for the hell of it). plus, green pulled his arm away early on the Dee Brown dunk to look at the rim. weak!

- penn & teller. those guys fucking suck.

- scottie pippen looked good in a Bulls uniform. too bad his shot looked like shaq shooting free-throws.

- jumping over a table and dunking isn't that cool. what happened to between-the-legs and spinning dunks?

NBA All-Star Weekend

2007-02-17T16:46:00.000-08:00

i am going to sit down with some wine and watch the NBA All-Star festivities. tune in for analysis later tonite.

i might add that i hate the All-Star weekend. all of the crappy music acts and dancers. nobody i know likes that crap. you tell me one person that likes all the performances besides your mom or little sister. there better be some nice dunks.

Oakland A's 2007 Season Preview Part II

2007-02-15T17:52:00.000-08:00

back.

lets jump into the busy outfield. ready...

OUTFIELD:
So with Swisher penciled in as the starting left fielder, no matter how long it stays that way, he is for now an outfielder. That makes 5 outfielders going for 3 spots. All of them are talented players, not doubt about it. Beane has built a strong outfield. Kotsay has center, that is a no-brainer. His glove and range is tops in the league. Can be a strong hitter, just streaky. I'd say after Milton Bradley's playoff dominance, they only guy who showed up at the plate in the ALCS, is a lock in right field. I like Bradley and I'm glad he is an Athletic. Baller. Left field is the tricky spot, with Swisher the starter, battling against Shannon Stewart and Bobby Kielty. I'm not sure if Kielty will get the nod, but he will still be a valuable backup. I mean, remember that 14-inning game against Texas when he walked off with a jack down right field? It's as if I was there, oh shit, I was. I hope Stewart comes out ballin', cause I think he can be a good player and I think he and Swisher are better than Johnson. That would make Geren have to put Swisher at 1B and Stewart at LF. Play the hot bat, right?

PITHCING STAFF:

STARTERS:
This is the young group on the team, and they need to grow up fast. Harden takes over as the ace. Please Rich, stay healthy. Don't go out partying in North Beach on a Monday nite. I just want to see the kid healthy for a full year and watch him dominate. I think Haren will improve this season. I say 17-10, 3.85 ERA. I think he is the key of the pitching staff, the A's need a solid #2, especially in the playoffs, and he seems most fit. Loaiza at #3 is solid, he had a great second half of the 2006 season and showed good work ethic and positive attitude. The A's put faith in him and he realizes he needs to focus. The partying can wait. Get the ring. Blanton returns as the #4 man. He had a great record and a poor ERA in 2006. He needs to find his fastball to go with his nasty change-up. Location, location, location. Joe Kennedy hops in as the lone lefty in the staff at #5. Personally, I'm not pleased with this, last year's staff was better. Either Kennedy/Haren/Blanton and co. step-up, or the A's offense will carry the load.

BULLPEN:
A great mix of veterans and youngsters makes this bullpen the best in the AL West and one of the tops in the league. Justin Duchscherer and Kiko Calero head the way as the top relievers. Kiko's slider was masterful at times in 2006, while All-Star Duchscherer is the stud set-up man, with the range to go 2-3 innings. Great pitches and strong focus. Chad Gaudin is a young pitcher with a prospective future. He appeared in 55 games in 2006, 9 more than his first 3 seasons combined. He posted a 3.09 ERA and finished the year pitching well. Throw in veterans Alan Embree and Jay Witasick, also lefty Brad Halsey, and the A's have depth with many pitchers that all have strengths different from one another.

CLOSER:
Huston Street will start his second season as the closer and upon an injury-free season is one of the best closers in the AL. He needs to stop giving up the big dong or blow a three run lead in the bottom 9 though. Those mistakes must go, and I think being injury-free is the key. He throws extremely hard and his body needs to be able to hold up and withstand the pounding. Duchscherer backs up and had 9 saves in 2006. He is capable of the position.

DESIGNATED HITTER:
The big off-season signing of Mike Piazza to replace Frank Thomas works, he is in no way as good as Thomas, but I think he will have an impact. My problem is that Piazza was a guy I never thought was good. Almost a poser. Like Karl Malone. Or John Elway. Not that good, but are somehow greats. And Malone is such an goof. Anyway, back to the A's. I think having him at the plate 3-4 times a games, hacking away at whatever he sees fit, is going to be effective. Erubiel Durazo, currently on a minor league contract but at spring training, could be healthy and effective as well. He batted .321 in '04, take it for what it's worth.

COACHING STAFF:
Bob Geren is the new head coach of the Oakland A's, replacing Ken Macha. Geren, former Sacramento River Cats (AAA) head coach, is groomed in Billy Beane's system. Geren understands the type of game Beane wants his players to play. Geren joined the A's organization in 1999 as manager of Single-A Modesto. A year later he was promoted up to manager of Triple-A Sacramento. The River Cats won two Southern Division PCL titles. Geren's overall minor league record is 452-390, a .537 winning pct. Seems liek a calm, focused manager. Technical. I think he will do just fine, he coached some of the guys in the minors.
The loss of Ron Washington as infield/3rd base coach will be significant, but as stated before, Chavez takes on a leadership to continue his teachings. Rene Lachemann moves from first base coach to third bas coach. Curt Young has a young group of pitchers to handle. I think he has done a fine job with the talent the A's have. Haren and Blanton improved in their second year with Young. He also turned Loaiza around after a drunken first half. New hitting coach Ty van Burkleo, a native of Oakland, played only two seasons in the majors with only 38 plate appearances. He did rip 1 homer, but from the looks of it this guy does not know how to hit.

What would be a preview without a prediction? Here it goes...

96-66. First place AL West.
Young bats lead the way. Harden All-Star.
A's will win the World Series over the San Francisco Giants. The Yankees have holes in the pitching staff and are not clutch anymore. Daisuke doesnt make up for a shitty offense. Minnesota will not be as good without Liriano. Chicago was a one-hit wonder. No, really, I think the AL is a toss-up and the A's are in the group of possible AL champions. As always, it depends on health and a young pitching staff. I love to gamble.

*off topic side note:
Tim Hardaway is a fucking idiot. Embarrassing, but in no way am I surprised. I hear people talk like that on MUNI. Sad, King Crossover. Then he gets banned from the NBA. You'll never see him on highlite videos again. I bet he was drunk at the time.

Sure, I'm a little Slow: Oakland A's 2007 Season Preview

2007-02-14T19:31:00.000-08:00

After a successful 2006 campaign, the A's of Oakland return in 2007 with some new faces, but the same moneyball. First off, I hope Ken Macha's unexplainable and often times ludicrous pitching substitutions left with him, and new coach Bob Geren manages with his gut and not by the numbers. Geren, a first time big-league manager, has grew up in the A's system and knows what Billy Beane expects and the game he likes to play. As for the players, losing Frank Thomas and Barry Zito to free-agency in the offseason doesn't help, but Beane has decided to make small deals that bring more depth to the A's lineup. The mix of young and veteran talent still exists and should play an important role in the success of the 2007 year. New additions Mike Piazza, Shannon Stewart, and Alan Embree provide veteran leadership, knowledge, and work ethic to the young A's talent. Following are my previews of each position, bench, and coach:

CATCHER:
Jason Kendall returns as the starting catcher in 2007 after a good year in 2006. Kendall improved in his second year in Oakland hitting .295, much improving from .271 the year before. He looks to be fully acclimated to American League pitching and expect him to hit over .300 this season, something he did 6 out of his 9 seasons in Pittsburgh. Defensively, Kendall had a solid year. His 31 caught steals was his career fourth best and his 71 steals given up was much better than 101 in 2006. In a fast AL West, Kendall's defense will prove to be a vital factor in 2007. Backup Adam Melhuse will not see much time in the field but supplies an offensive lift off the bench that has often times been clutch.

CORNER INFIELDERS:
Gold-glove winner Eric Chavez returns as the anchor of the A's infield and should receive his 7th straight Gold-glove at the end of the season. The concern with Chavez is his bat. After a career-low year in batting average and low marks in the power stats, A's fans must be worried about his production in 2007. Chavez success will be based upon his health (he was playing hurt most of last season) and desire (he comes off as slightly unmotivated, at least to the media). Chavez is a streaky hitter, if he can stay consistent he will be a big boost to the A's lineup. One positive from 2006 is his 84 base-on-balls, second most in his career.

First base is an open position to three or so players, with young sensation Nick Swisher leading the way as the starter. A converted outfielder, Swisher slowly worked his way into the starting role at first base last season with exceptional glove work and a passion to play. With 4 or 5 player capable playing outfield, expect Swisher to stay at 1B. Also, Swisher carries a powerful bat and is on track to have a break-out year at the plate in 2007. Backups Dan Johnson and newly acquired Erubiel Durazo (after a short layoff) will contend to play because of their strong bats, but Swisher has too much talent not to keep on the field. *As of February 15, 2007, the A's depth chart reads Johnson at 1B and Swisher in LF. This is Johnson's chance to prove himself. Perfect move by Beane to make the yougn kid step-up. I hope he does, I think he is talented. Swisher in left is backed by the veteran pick-up Shannon Stewar. This makes a perfect situation if Johnson fails to play well; Swisher can move to first and Stewart came come into left as an experienced starter. The A's depth covers the loss of talent in Johnson, if not improves the talent. Great job Billy Beane.

*edited 2/15

MIDDLE INFIELD:
Many people believe the question in the A's infield is whether or not Bobby Crosby will be healthy. I disagree. I ask; what should the A's do with Crosby? Crosby is fragile, too fragile. Shortstop is a physically demanding position, and I don't see Crosby's body holding up. He has been in the league 3 years and twice never played over 100 games. What is going to change? The A's have proven they can win with Marco Scutaro at SS, and Scutaro has proven he can be a clutch hitter (8 game winning hits in 3 seasons). Although his glove and range are not as great as Crosby's, Scutaro can still flash some leather and he makes the plays a starting SS in the MLB is expected to make.

Mark Ellis returns to start at second base after a year which ended in disappointment (breaking his hand in the divisional round) and getting screwed out of the gold-glove after committing only 2 errors. Ellis' bat was poor in 2006 and the A's need him to hit like he did in 2005 (.313 avg. and .861 ops.) If he does, the A's will have a formidable lineup, top to bottom.

OVERALL INFIELD EVALUATION:
The A's infield plays exceptional defense. They are in-sync (no, not the group), smart, and quick with the ball. The loss of infield coach Ron Washington to Texas sucks, but the players have soaked up all the knowledge from Ron they could over the years he was there, and Chavez will now to take over the role as mentor for young-ins Swisher and Crosby. The A's season relies mostly on the bats of the infield. If Swisher continues to get better, Chavez returns to old form, and Scutaro/Ellis/Crosby have high on-base-percentages and continue the timely hitting they have shown, than the A's lineup will pose a problem for most big league rotations.

Previews of the outfield, pitching staff, and coaches will be up tomorrow. Go A's!

Supa Bowl!!

2007-01-30T19:43:00.000-08:00

After complaints over not making a Super Bowl prediction, I felt it was time to let all my fans know my choice. The vaunted Bears' defense or the electric Colts' offense? What an epic matchup between arguably the best quarterback and linebacker to set foot on the field this century. For years, after every playoff loss Manning endured to the Patriots, I said that Peyton Manning would never win a championship for 2 reasons: 1) no defense in Indy, and 2) Manning is not clutch. I stick to my word folks, becasue defense wins championships, and the Bears defense will rise to the occasion. I expect Manning to come out firing and I don't doubt that he is on target all game long. The key will be the Bear's ability to keep Manning out of the end zone. He will get his completions but the Bears' will prevent the big play. Look for the Bears' D to tighten up in the red zone and make the short field tough for Manning to work with. The Bears' speedy linebackers will prevent the quick slant inside to Harrison and Wayne, leaving Manning to throw to the outside. The best team the Bear's played all year was New England in week 12. Although they lost 17-13, they kept the NE running game in check (91 yards total) and picked Brady twice. If not for a shit game by Grossman, the Bears would have won. I fully expect Grossman to be on his game. This is the Super Bowl, not week 12. The gun slinger from Florida has one of the most powerful arms in football, and when he is on, he is tough to stop. The Colts' defense gave up 20 and 34 points in two games to the Patriots this year. I compare these teams based on their play against NE because they are arguably the next best team after Indy and Chicago.

21-20 Chicago

more on Kiffin

2007-01-26T17:14:00.001-08:00

people dont understand that an assistant coach in college doesnt cant just fly thru 6 years at USC and not have had an impact on the players and progressed as a coach. he wouldnt be at USC if he sucked. he has been trained by elite coaches, chow and carroll. think about, they are the bosses. what do bosses do? they make their assistants do all the work. then they check on it and add their 10 cents. whether or not he has the capacity to coach at the pro level, i dont know, but you cant say he was not qualified. he also was the coordinator of talent at USC, meaning he evaluated all of the players' talents during recruiting. also, he would evaluate during spring practice and all of that to create the depth chart. so he knows football, he knows the talented players, and he knows that he needs to get his playmakers touches, meaning more plays ran specifically for Moss, etc. he wont be calling plays based on run/pas situations, but more towards who needs the ball at that time, and i think that is better. think about all of the great USC play actions to steve smith and how frickin wide open he was. kiffin's playbook reflects the style of football today; creative routes, lots of motioning players, play action, zone blocking. 2006 OC Tom Walsh had no deception, was very predictable, and a more traditional offense that was not suited for today's defenses of the NFL. kiffin practiced every day against a pro-style defense, one of the best in the nation, and run by a former pro coach. he has seen every blitz, stunt, coverage, and zone blitz (which is a popular strategy used in the NFL today). there is no doubt in my mind that Kiffin has the knowledge of the game to be a head coach, my only concern is his ability to communicate to the team and to be a leader. the raider's have a very voaltile roster, guys like moss, porter, sapp (although he was better last year, it because he is old). if kiffin cannot get those kind of players on track with his game, then there could be problems. but unlike shell and turner before, kiffin is new school and i think that the players relate better to a younger guy. lastly, his offense is exciting and gives the players many opportunities to make big plays, and thats what they want.

anyone need a sports writer?

Raiders Hire Kiffin

2007-01-23T17:34:00.000-08:00

After weeks of coaching rumors, Al Davis pulled a quick one on the Nation announcing 31 year old Lane Kiffin head coach. Kiffin, the former USC offensive coordinator, will step in and try to rebuild a very very broken Raider offense. I think the move is risky for Davis, but I think it is a risk worth taking.

The Raider defense was exceptional last season, and I fully expect the group to continue thir dominance into next season. Rob Ryan has great command of his players and gets them to perfom at a high level. With the defense under control, Kiffin only has to worry about the offense. After studying under guru Norm Chow for years at USC, Kiffin knows how to run a deceptive, explosive offense very suitable for the players currently on the Oakland roster. The creativity of Kiffin's offense will allow Randy Moss and his cohorts much better opportunities of getting open in space to make some plays. I think Andrew Walter will improve under Kiffin. A former college QB, Kiffin understands the position and has been around 2 Heisman Trophy winners along with QB guru Chow. I think Walter will be comfortable in the offense, which has similarities to the offense he ran at Arizona State where he set school and pac-10 records. My only concern is, how effective is Kiffin as a leader? Will he be able to get his players to believe in his gameplan and coaching techniques. With some volatile mouths on the team, I am not sure if he has the experience to handle media scrutiny, player complaints, and of course...Mt. Davis. If those aspects stay under control, I think the upside to this deal is tremendous.

Tom Brady's Career Should Have Never Happened

2007-01-18T22:04:00.000-08:00

To my disgust, the front page of cnnsi.com currently flaunts New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and how fuckin' great he is. Everyone's golden boy quarterback, Brady is a sure Hall of Famer after a short career consisting of 3 Super Bowl titles and the possibility of a 4th this season. Well, if not for some major bullshit, Tom Brady would be nothing more than a John Kitna. In the 2001 AFC Championship, aka "Snow Bowl", Tom Brady got blindsided by my favorite player, Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson. Brady got knocked out, fumbled the ball, and MLB Greg Biekert recovered. This would have sealed the game for the Raiders and sent them on to the Super Bowl to face the Rams who would have gotten slaughtered. Excellence was destined to be restored. But as we all know, instant replay had to fuck it all up. How shitty instant replay is will have to wait for another day. Brady got lucky, saved by some BS rule that noone has ever heard of. In the words of my father, "That is bullshit! Oh, I'm livid." That was the only time I ever saw my dad pissed over an athletic event. And he had good reason. So to Tom Brady...what was probably your worst and most non-clutch play of your career ended up making you the All-Pro that you are. I hope you relish the fact that you were not wearing the silver & black that day, as we all know the NFL is against the committment to excellence. But remember Tom, you suck so bad that you had to have 2 chances to win. Weak

2006 NCAA Track and Field Championships

2006-06-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

ARTICLE I WROTE FOR LOCAL SACRAMENTO NEWSPAPER:

When LSU’s Xavier Carter crossed the finish line of the 100-meter dash, his hands thrown in the air, track and field fans at Sacramento State’s Alex G. Spanos Complex knew it was going to be a special day.

Carter made history by winning four NCAA championships, the first athlete to do that since Jesse Owens in the 1930’s. After winning the 100, he went on to win the 400-meter dash and anchor the first place LSU 1600-meter relay team.

“I pretty much had a good day,” said Carter.

His 100/400 double wins is considered unprecedented in modern track and field and he is the first athlete to achieve this at any level.

Another big performance came from the lone hometown athlete at the meet.

Sacramento State Hornet shot putter Dave Nichols put a throw of 64’7” on his way to sixth place and earning All-American honors. Nichols threw 62’ 1.25” in the preliminaries to advance to the finals.

“I knew the competition was going to be a lot better today, and I knew I had to step it up,” Nichols said after the competition. “It was the best consistency I ever had in my throws.”

In 2005, Nichols finished ninth and earned All-American honors. He becomes the first back-to-back All-American and first athlete to score at the NCAA Championships in Sacramento State track and field history. Despite getting a new personal best and breaking his own school record again, Nichols is focusing on the future of his career.

“I know I can throw farther, I know I can be right there at the top.”

The most impressive woman’s performance came from Southern California’s Virginia Powell. Powell ran a world leading time of 12.48 in the 100-meter hurdles to easily claim first place. She ended her collegiate career with an undefeated senior season and her second NCAA Championship in a row.

“I honestly do not remember that race, that’s how much of a zone I was in,” said Powell. “I psyched myself out and ran. My focus came back after the finish line and I knew I was in the zone.”

At the NCAA Championships, the top 8 finishers of each event score a specific number of points. These points represent a team score. At the end of the meet, each team adds their points, and a team National Champion is declared. This year, the Auburn University Tigers claimed their first women’s team title scoring 15 points more than second place USC. On the men’s side, the Florida State Seminoles earned the school’s first team title. Led by 200-meter winner Walter Dix, the Seminoles beat LSU by 16 points.

Track and field, different from most mainstream sports, involves strong mental focus to allow the athlete to execute their event properly. Each event, whether it is the javelin throw or the 5,000-meter run, has a specific technique. The slightest mishaps in technique can cause the athlete’s marks to suffer. Unlike some basketball players who have poor shooting technique but are still successful, success in track comes once the technique is mastered. Many of the NCAA champions are future Olympians and National team members.

The meet was also a homecoming for many of the athletes. Martell Munguia, an 800-meter runner for UCLA, was a high school graduate of Woodcreek High School in Roseville. Now in his senior year, this was Munguia’s last collegiate race, and no better to have it on the track his career started.

“It means the world to me to come back to Sacramento,” said Munguia. I had my first high school invitational here and that’s where I grew my love for track and field.”

On the first day of the meet, Munguia ran a lifetime best 1:47.95 to qualify to the semifinals a day later. Unfortunately, in the semifinals he ran a 1:50.31 and did not make the top eight to move on to the finals. However, for Munguia it was not all about winning.

“I had my family watching, it’s just a blessing to be here.”

Brysun Stately, a freshman pole-vaulter at USC, attended Cordova High School only a year ago. The former high school state champion’s first trip to the NCAA Championships resulted in a 4-way tie for 6th place at a height of 13’ 3.5”. She scored 1.5 points in helping USC to a second place team finish. Being a freshman, the experience of a big meet will help her as her career continues.

“Now I know how to prepare and go into a big competition and know how it goes, and the process taken,” she said. “I can be relaxed more.”

Sacramento State will host the 2007 NCAA championships. This is the last year Sacramento is under contract to host the meet.

Detroit What?

2006-05-21T18:20:00.000-07:00

Game 7 of the Pistons-Cavs series had the makings of a doozy. Until Detoriot finally put their jocks back on and play some b-ball. The point is, there never should have been a Game 7. Sheed and Rip are jumping all over the court in celebration about being taken 7 games in the semi-finals by the Cavs. If they let Miami, San Antonio, Dallas, Pheonix, and L.A. thump 3 straight on them like Cleveland, there will not be a game 7. The Pistons need to forget about the Cavs series and worry about regaining their focus. Execute, be aggressive, clog the paint, and hit the 3.

Baseball Talk: The Oakland A's & the Media

2005-08-10T12:11:00.000-07:00

So I recently read an article on cnnsi.com about the 2005 Oakland A's. Jacob Luft's article, entitled Chatter Up, is a short write-up about the Oakland A's and Atlanta Braves. Luft predicts the A's will do "not much" come playoff time. After reading this, I had to catch my breath and grab a glass of water. How could anyone say the hottest team in baseball, on 47-16 tear through the majors, will fail to produce come playoff time. I looked for Luft's explanation, and what I found just about made me laugh. Luft preceded to support his hypothesis with the most inaccurate data, stating "history" as proof that the A's will lose. HE lists the A's 0-4 record from 200-2003. Well, it is 2005 now folks, and last time I checked, the A's have a much different team. None of the current A's starters were on the 2000 squad, and Barry Zito is the oldest A's veteran, playing since 2001. The 4 other starters are all new and young. The staffs that lost in the playoffs had guys like Mark Mulder, Tim Hudson, and Kevin Appier. Good players? Sure (maybe not Appier), but older and injury prone. The new young pitchers have not shown any injury problems through the first two-thirds of the season, and put up good numbers.
The bullpen has changed, instead of Jim Mecir and Chad Bradford (whom I remember giving up many a heart-breaking homeruns), the A's have young talent in All-Star Justin Duchscherer and stud rookie closer Huston Street who holds an intimidating 1.31 era and 13 saves in 17 chances. Think thats impressive, how about 50 strikeouts in 55 innings. As for the lineup, there is no more Terrence Long, Ramon Hernandez, Ray Durham, Jermaine Dye, Eric Byrnes, Esteban German, and Frank Menechino. I know, that sucks, J Dye used to watch some pretty called third strikes blow by him. Once again, young talent that won't break down at the end of the year (cough...Hatteberg...cough...Durazo...). Dan Johnson has emerged as a legit hitter, posting a .366 average and .448 obp. since the All-Star break. Nick Swisher leads AL rookies in home runs (18) and rbi's (65). With strong veterans in Eric Chavez, Jason Kendall, and Mark Kotsay, as well as suprise newcomer Jay Payton (acquired through trade), the A's look to be the perfect mix young and old players. Lastly, Luft states that if the A's do advance to the playoffs, they will struggle against the powerful AL teams. The A's have a better record and a more attractive pitching staff to compete with the Yankees or Red Sox in the first round. As for the juggernaut White Sox, the Oakland is 7-2 this year agains them, with a nice sweep of the Sox in Chi-town. So what seems more convincing, the stats, or history?

The NHL Born Again

2005-08-10T09:51:00.000-07:00

The players need more money, I'm sure they do, don't we all. With the nearly ten month strike ending so recently, the NHL has taken immediate steps to improve their destroyed image:

1. Wayne Gretzky gets a head coaching job. When I first saw this, I knew exactly what was going on, imagine this conversation:

Commissioner Bettman: Hi Great One. Hockey is dead, you need to come back. Jordan did it, so can you. Please.

The Great One: I cannot play anymore. I'm sorry.

Commissioner Bettman: If you do not come back, hockey will die, we need you to draw the fans back into the sport. The NHL needs money.

The Great One: I will coach the Coyotes.

Commissioner Bettman: Super!

After first reading the news, I knew that this move was purely marketing for the NHL. I feel bad for Gretzky, who looks to be used as the goat. If the Coyotes (a 22 game winner and last place in the Pacific in 2004) have another losing season, Gretzky loses face, but the NHL will have profited. It seems like too much to ask from one man, as Great as he is.

2. Tom Bertuzzi was reinstated today, August 9th 2005. For those who don't know him, the famed Bertuzzi skated behind Colorado Avalanche's Steve Moore, and threw a pinched that dropped Moore to the ice and broke his neck, oh yeah, and Bertuzzi landed on his head when the two hit the ice. Moore has yet to recover fully and most likely will never play again. Bertuzzi was suspended, a suspension lasting 17 months until today. So let me get this right, this dangerous man, a threat to all of the players' safety on the ice, is allowed to play again. Not only that, but the man he hurt still cannot play. I find this offensive to athletics, that a scumbag that cheap shots a fellow player (when Bertuzzi's Canucks were losing 8-2!) only sits out 17 months, and 10 of those months, the NHL was on lockout. Wow, you sure missed out on a lot there Bertuzzi. He should be banned from the sport, and never to be seen again for that completely asinine act of violence. Bertuzzi's reinstatement is a controversial move that will give the NHL more press and continue to draw in fans. Fans will watch to see what Bertuzzi will do next, or watch to see how hard the mother fucker gets checked everynite.

Well, I can't write much more on the NHL, its boring me, plus I'm hungry. Final thoughts; the NHL is making change to draw their lost fans back. Without the fan support, the NHL may as well call it quiis for good.

Au revoir-

mike

Pick-Off Sports Talk

2005-08-09T23:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome

Pick-Off Sports Talk, a new idea of mine, coming to me late in the nite. Pick-Off will post opinions on the world of athletics, from the perspective of a current collegiate athlete, and genius of sports. This site may only cover one sport, if i dont write about hockey, well, that is because I have no interest in the sport, so you may as well leave now. Hold that, I will probably write my two cents on the Gretzky news, so read that when it posts, then leave. If I don't cover your favorite team (Yankees, Red Sox, Chiefs, Broncos, Lakers, too name a few), that is because I despise all of those teams. Thank you for visiting, spread the word, and enjoy.

-mike