NBA RENAISSANCE?

It’s been quite a few years since I’ve really followed professional basketball.  I guess after the Celtics fall from greatness, I became nonplussed.  Recently, however, my interest has started to slowly creep back.  It started a few years ago as I would occasionally catch a Golden State Warriors game on TV.  They were struggling to compete then, but the lack of any “superstars” made their team interesting.  Brian Cardinal was my favorite player on the team.  The team has changed much since then with the loss of a few good players and a host of underachievers.   Now, Baron Davis and Monta Ellis lead one of the most exciting teams I’ve ever seen!  The whole thing took off last year with the first round win against Dallas.  Now, the team is actually good, and let me tell you, they are fun to watch!

They play basketball.  They run and pass and steal and block and shoot.  Oh boy, do they shoot!  Their brand of high scoring, high intensity ball is what makes it fun.  So, if you haven’t watched an NBA game in years, (Steve, this means you) do yourself a favor and watch for a Warriors game on TV.  The Warriors/Celtics game last night was a prime example.  That Oracle Arena is just electric at times!

THE ROCKET IN FULL DENIAL

Well, it appears as if Roger Clemens is in full denial mode.  He is certainly denying he ever used steroids or HGH, and I think he might be in psychological denial as well.  I don’t blame him.  Like every other elite level athlete, he is a fierce competitor.  He worked damn hard to have such a long and illustrious career.  Steroids and HGH were only a small part of the recipe to success.  I just wish he would have the balls to admit it.  See what Barry Bonds was up against?  Barry had to take steroids just to level the playing field with all the juiced-up pitchers on the mound!

OK, now it comes out that Clemens’s wife took HGH and so did Pettitte’s Dad?  WTF?  Who isn’t on the juice?

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Pat’s had a great season.  A phenomenal season, really, in terms of wins and losses.  However, they got very lucky posting a few of those wins.  They came up with huge plays and also got lucky breaks along the way.  Despite all of this, they had a chance to do what had never been done before.  (With a 16 game regular season schedule)  It just wasn’t to be.  The Giants defense stood tall.  And Eli Manning had a good game and great drive to win the game.

Of course, it could have turned out differently.  The Pat’s just needed one more big play to make the difference.  Any one of their stalled drives, if a play had been made to score a touchdown instead, would have made the difference.  But I also feel that, strangely, coaching was the Pat’s downfall.  I think the play calling on offense could have been better.  Faking a reverse and taking a sack on the first play from scrimmage?  Not attempting a field goal on fourth and forever?  And why no adjustments as the Giants continued to pressure Brady?  Why didn’t they line up four or five wide and throw quick slants and screens?  Or go with a two back set for added blocking?

Oh well, maybe it’s better that they lost.  We never would have heard the end of it from all the Spygate whiners anyway.