Waldini:
Andrew f**************IN Bynum?!?!?! Please tell me I am missing somethingthat the Lakers' brass are seeing. Folks like May, Granger, Green were allavailable. They get Turiaf but isnt that like picking Brian Cook WHOM YOUJUST PICKED 2 YEARS AGO?!?!?I am hoping these cats prove me wrong but dayum :-)
Gangsta D:
Nah, Turiaf is a great pick cause he's a banger. He'll rebound and play interior defense, things the Lakers need.
Bynum is a big question mark. In 2-3 years, he could be beasting and he and Kobe could be running the league...or he could be a bust. You just don't know. I was hoping for more help for right now, as opposed to 2-3 years from now. But at the very least, he's 7'0 295 lbs, so Phil should tell him to just go in there and bang. Don't worry about offense, just rebound and play defense.
Don't know anything about the guard they got, probably won't make the team. They still have trade bait with Slava, Jumaine, Devean, Walton, and Cook. They still need a point guard, who they can pick up in free agency. It's not as bad as it seems, but it could be better...
Waldini:
Those 5 guys you just named as trade bait, who is going to take them? The only one who draws some interest is George and I'm being generous. I liked the Turiaf pick, I'm just not sure how he will fit in.
Never heard of VonWafer prbly b/c he played bball at a football school :-). I'm optimistic as the next person but to hear you take a high schooler b/c he "was awesome" in workouts doesnt cut it. It be different had they been pumping this cat up like Lebron, Amare, Garnett, etc but they didn't. I never heard of him until a month ago when UConn announced this dude was considering the NBA. And then I'm reading reports that folks are comparing him to a young Shaq. Sorry folks, a young Shaq doesnt go #10 in the draft, he goes #1. EVERY. FRIGGIN. TIME.
You're right the jury is out but Kupchak is no Jerry West. Sigh, maybe, Ijust need to stop livin in da past :-)
Da Realist:
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!
i got two words for you...STACEY KING.
Read more!
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Monday, June 27, 2005
wait till next year!
Da Realist:
as presently constituted, who in the west is gonnaRead more!
beat the spurs next year? i don't see anybody out
there.
Waldini:
Right now...no one. I broke down the top contenders to
overtake them.
Phoenix
I know folks are savoring Kurt Thomas going to Phoenix for
Quentin Richardson but do you think that will be enough to
unseat the Spurs. They need to add depth to the bench to
make me a believer.
Dallas
Folks talk about how much better they are on defense but
I still think this team is a pretender and not contender.
Can you honestly say Dirk will put a team on his back and
carry them to glory when needed? They got lucky when he
nutted up against Houston and Terry bailed him out.
But against the Spurs, I dont think they can win with
his inferior play.
Houston
People are waiting for T-Mac and Yao to be the latest
version of Shaq and Kobe. Sorry folks it aint happening.
Not with Bobby Sura, Juwan Howard, and David Wesley as
your additional starters. Plus Tracy has yet to show me
the same hunger as his counterpart, Kobe, and will his
team to victory. And did I mention Van Gundy is OVERRATED :-)
Minnesota
This was the team that was supposed to challenge San
Antonio but we all know what happened at the end of
this movie. And to make matters worse, Sam I am and
Spree are gone leaving the team with an horrible center
(Kandy man), a slow shooting guard that should be a small
forward (Wally Z) and point guard who is injury prone
(Troy Hudson). Garnett is one of the top 5 players in
the league but he can't beat the odds with a team like
this.
Sadly, the other teams would go down quicker than the
4 listed above and that's not a good thing. Some people
believe Golden State will make the move to decent squad
next yr but I dont buy it.
Da Realist:
no one to push the slightly-better-than-average spurs,
huh? except maybe the slightly-better-than-average
pistons. where's the competition? oh well, i'll
worry about that next year.
Waldini:
Sadly my friend, you are right, the league is in decline.
I think both teams get put out in 5 by the top teams of past.
But that's the state of the NBA and its hard to see the other
teams beating the 2 finalists.
R. Fed The Great?
Da Realist:
who is going to come out and be federer's rival? is he too good? none ofthe top players can consistently beat him. he's the favorite on every surface except clay. and he just got to the semifinals there, losing to the eventual champion.
when people talk about tiger chasing the golden bear for all-time tour wins, they always say jack's 18 majors is going to be tough to beat. but theyalso say, jack's 19 SECOND place finishes may be his most incredible record. because this means he won 18 and was in the final 2 for 19 more. in hiscareer, he was first or second in 37 majors!
well, i feel the same way about federer. it isn't the ease with which he dispatches top players that impress me. it's how he loses. he forces the other player to play on such a high level to beat him. if you're sloppy, you will get embarrassed. if you're good, you lose. if you're really good, you make him sweat before you lose. if you're incredible, you MIGHT win.
go back and look at safin-federer in this year's australian open final. safin played out of his mind tennis and almost lost (he faced a couple of match points). it lasted for 5 sets. i'm telling you, unless someone stepsup and assumes the matrix of leadership and battles federer for the next 10 years he will have tennis LOCKED UP! he is 24 years old.
Waldini:
It's a shame right now there are no main rivals to Federer b/c he has been doing his thing for years. But unlike Connors who had Borg and MacEnroe to push him, Unlike Lendl who have Edberg and Beckerto push him, Unlike Sampars who had Agassi to push him, Rog has no one to currently push him. As you said the list of contenders are actually pretenders. It;s like Big Mac taking on Mike Tyson in Mike Tyson Punchout. To beat him, you have to be near perfect. Not just good, near perfect. I was hoping James Blake, Marat Safin, hell even Nadal could challenge him. But right now he is an unstoppable machine.
Gangsta D:
His only competition is focus. When you dominate and the game becomes easy, you lose focus (hello Serena and Tiger). He could be an all time great if he keeps his head on. Focus seems to be the weakness du jure for tennis players. Remember when Hewitt was "unstoppable" a couple years ago. He got engaged to Alicia Molik and his game went south. Speaking of Alicia, I met her and her thighs could probably crush walnuts, but i digress...
No one dominates forever. Maybe Donald Young can do something in a couple years.
Da Realist:
donald young...yeah i heard of that guy. young kid from atlanta by way ofchicago, right? i heard good things about him...yeah, i remember hewitt was dominating a couple of years ago. but i thinkhe came along at the right time. kind of like the '99 spurs...just afterthe domination of the chicago bulls, just before the domination of the 00's lakers. hewitt came along after sampras' prime and just before roger federer figured things out.
Waldini:
That's his name! Man, I could not remember it. I know it was him and theFrench bruh (cant remember his name either) that folks are raving about. Aww, Hewitt, see how quickly I forgot he was handling his business. Kinda like the 75 Warriors, 78 Bullets, or 79 Sonics...no one remembers they won,lol. Although in Hewitt's case, it appears marriage hindered him, I know it helped folks like Agassi.
Oh yea is Capriati milkbox material again :-) Read more!
who is going to come out and be federer's rival? is he too good? none ofthe top players can consistently beat him. he's the favorite on every surface except clay. and he just got to the semifinals there, losing to the eventual champion.
when people talk about tiger chasing the golden bear for all-time tour wins, they always say jack's 18 majors is going to be tough to beat. but theyalso say, jack's 19 SECOND place finishes may be his most incredible record. because this means he won 18 and was in the final 2 for 19 more. in hiscareer, he was first or second in 37 majors!
well, i feel the same way about federer. it isn't the ease with which he dispatches top players that impress me. it's how he loses. he forces the other player to play on such a high level to beat him. if you're sloppy, you will get embarrassed. if you're good, you lose. if you're really good, you make him sweat before you lose. if you're incredible, you MIGHT win.
go back and look at safin-federer in this year's australian open final. safin played out of his mind tennis and almost lost (he faced a couple of match points). it lasted for 5 sets. i'm telling you, unless someone stepsup and assumes the matrix of leadership and battles federer for the next 10 years he will have tennis LOCKED UP! he is 24 years old.
Waldini:
It's a shame right now there are no main rivals to Federer b/c he has been doing his thing for years. But unlike Connors who had Borg and MacEnroe to push him, Unlike Lendl who have Edberg and Beckerto push him, Unlike Sampars who had Agassi to push him, Rog has no one to currently push him. As you said the list of contenders are actually pretenders. It;s like Big Mac taking on Mike Tyson in Mike Tyson Punchout. To beat him, you have to be near perfect. Not just good, near perfect. I was hoping James Blake, Marat Safin, hell even Nadal could challenge him. But right now he is an unstoppable machine.
Gangsta D:
His only competition is focus. When you dominate and the game becomes easy, you lose focus (hello Serena and Tiger). He could be an all time great if he keeps his head on. Focus seems to be the weakness du jure for tennis players. Remember when Hewitt was "unstoppable" a couple years ago. He got engaged to Alicia Molik and his game went south. Speaking of Alicia, I met her and her thighs could probably crush walnuts, but i digress...
No one dominates forever. Maybe Donald Young can do something in a couple years.
Da Realist:
donald young...yeah i heard of that guy. young kid from atlanta by way ofchicago, right? i heard good things about him...yeah, i remember hewitt was dominating a couple of years ago. but i thinkhe came along at the right time. kind of like the '99 spurs...just afterthe domination of the chicago bulls, just before the domination of the 00's lakers. hewitt came along after sampras' prime and just before roger federer figured things out.
Waldini:
That's his name! Man, I could not remember it. I know it was him and theFrench bruh (cant remember his name either) that folks are raving about. Aww, Hewitt, see how quickly I forgot he was handling his business. Kinda like the 75 Warriors, 78 Bullets, or 79 Sonics...no one remembers they won,lol. Although in Hewitt's case, it appears marriage hindered him, I know it helped folks like Agassi.
Oh yea is Capriati milkbox material again :-) Read more!
Where Were Wie?
Waldini:
People can stop saying that all we talk about is football and basketball :-)
I would break out the discussion on Michelle Wie but I dont think you cats were watching the US Open. Congrats to Birdie Kim
Gangsta D:
I wasn't watching but I saw the final scores. I know she's only 15, but that was a gag job for the ages. You CANNOT shoot an 82 on Sunday when you start the day 1 off the lead. Hopefully, this will be a good lesson for her and she'll grow. She. Ain't. Ready. Eventually, she will dominate. But she needs to learn how to handle pressure.
Waldini:
Aight, aight so I know at least one other person besides me was checking the scoreboard. Yep everyone was pumpin Wie on Sat night/Sun morning, thinking it was a wrap. But low and behold, a few really, really bad holes(that shot where her ball didnt move was atrocious). I'm a lil more forgiving b/c she is only 15. I know Annika is the bar by which women golfers set themselves today but Wie is starting to gather hype like NancyLopez back in the day Read more!
People can stop saying that all we talk about is football and basketball :-)
I would break out the discussion on Michelle Wie but I dont think you cats were watching the US Open. Congrats to Birdie Kim
Gangsta D:
I wasn't watching but I saw the final scores. I know she's only 15, but that was a gag job for the ages. You CANNOT shoot an 82 on Sunday when you start the day 1 off the lead. Hopefully, this will be a good lesson for her and she'll grow. She. Ain't. Ready. Eventually, she will dominate. But she needs to learn how to handle pressure.
Waldini:
Aight, aight so I know at least one other person besides me was checking the scoreboard. Yep everyone was pumpin Wie on Sat night/Sun morning, thinking it was a wrap. But low and behold, a few really, really bad holes(that shot where her ball didnt move was atrocious). I'm a lil more forgiving b/c she is only 15. I know Annika is the bar by which women golfers set themselves today but Wie is starting to gather hype like NancyLopez back in the day Read more!
Has Serena Lost It?
Waldini:
She looked pretty bad in her lost, then broke down. I understand that your ankle was jacked up and all, but if that's the case, sit yo a** as at home. She said that she is going to refocus and workon her game. What'chu think? Is the Williams' aura over their rivals gone now?
Gangsta D:
Of course she still has the talent to dominate. She just has to want it.The aura is definitely gone, but that doesn't meanthey're done. Their skills haven't eroded, just their focus.
Da Realist:
venus is done. D.O.N.E. her game is erratic AT BEST. when she firststepped into the game, no one had seen such a combination of speed, powerand wingspan. she won off of intimidation. but through the years (and ironically, the help of her sister serena) players started to see her weaknesses: weak serve, weak backhand, can lose focus. players started to pick at them until now she has no confidence in her game at all. now, the lack of polish in her game is exposed. she needs to start over and hire a new coach and re-focus on smoothing out the rough edges of her game to be a top-quality player again.
now i say this knowing that A) some of the top players have been knocked outalready (namely, serena williams and justine henin-hardenne) and B) wimbledon is the easiest major to win because the points can be too short toexpose the weakness in one's game. i don't think she can beat sharapova atwimbledon, but if sharapova loses before meeting venus, then the fieldis WIDE OPEN.
as far as serena, she will be fine. she just realized that she needs topull out a racket every once in a while to practice or she'll can be beaten.once she re-focuses herself, she'll be fine.
now, the REAL question is...can anyone beat ROGER FEDERER? i've never seena player make tennis look so easy. that guy is good. on his worst day, hecan be beaten by 3 or 4 people (depending on the surface). on his best day,no one can touch him. and wimbledon just happens to be his best surface.
Waldini:
Speaking of Federer, is anyone hoping he meets Andy Roddick AND whups his a%% like me. Yea, I know it's Anti-American but if people can root against Team USA during the 2004 Olympics in bball, then Ican hate on Roddick. He already drew my ire with his remark about James Blake and minorities a coupla yrs ago. Then he went gonzo this past weekend after a foreign reporter questioned him on his request to postpone his match due to darkness. Am I wrong to want him to lose :-)?
As for the Williams' girls, I don't know man. My wife gets mad at me when I say they wont recapture the magic like they had from 1999-2002 when NO ONE wanted to see them in a match. Stop focusing on designing clothes and workon yo craft.,
Da Realist:
i don't like players because their american or black or whatever, so i don't get into thinking it's american to be andy roddick's biggest fan (i'm not) or you're supporting your race if you only like the williams sisters (inever liked venus and i used to like serena a lot more than i do now). ilike tennis players for a myriad of different reasons that don't include ethnicity or nationality. so the bottom line is, i don't feel bad about rooting against someone who happens to be american or who happens to be black.
now, as far as andy roddick goes... he's too one-dimensional. he can beat most players, but not the top players. he has a huge first serve and his forehand may be the best in the business. but his second serve is weak, his backhand is weak and he can't consistently create passing shots. a player like hewitt can outlast him and a player like federer can embarrass him. he needs to work on becoming a more all-around player. but he doesn't seem interested. Read more!
She looked pretty bad in her lost, then broke down. I understand that your ankle was jacked up and all, but if that's the case, sit yo a** as at home. She said that she is going to refocus and workon her game. What'chu think? Is the Williams' aura over their rivals gone now?
Gangsta D:
Of course she still has the talent to dominate. She just has to want it.The aura is definitely gone, but that doesn't meanthey're done. Their skills haven't eroded, just their focus.
Da Realist:
venus is done. D.O.N.E. her game is erratic AT BEST. when she firststepped into the game, no one had seen such a combination of speed, powerand wingspan. she won off of intimidation. but through the years (and ironically, the help of her sister serena) players started to see her weaknesses: weak serve, weak backhand, can lose focus. players started to pick at them until now she has no confidence in her game at all. now, the lack of polish in her game is exposed. she needs to start over and hire a new coach and re-focus on smoothing out the rough edges of her game to be a top-quality player again.
now i say this knowing that A) some of the top players have been knocked outalready (namely, serena williams and justine henin-hardenne) and B) wimbledon is the easiest major to win because the points can be too short toexpose the weakness in one's game. i don't think she can beat sharapova atwimbledon, but if sharapova loses before meeting venus, then the fieldis WIDE OPEN.
as far as serena, she will be fine. she just realized that she needs topull out a racket every once in a while to practice or she'll can be beaten.once she re-focuses herself, she'll be fine.
now, the REAL question is...can anyone beat ROGER FEDERER? i've never seena player make tennis look so easy. that guy is good. on his worst day, hecan be beaten by 3 or 4 people (depending on the surface). on his best day,no one can touch him. and wimbledon just happens to be his best surface.
Waldini:
Speaking of Federer, is anyone hoping he meets Andy Roddick AND whups his a%% like me. Yea, I know it's Anti-American but if people can root against Team USA during the 2004 Olympics in bball, then Ican hate on Roddick. He already drew my ire with his remark about James Blake and minorities a coupla yrs ago. Then he went gonzo this past weekend after a foreign reporter questioned him on his request to postpone his match due to darkness. Am I wrong to want him to lose :-)?
As for the Williams' girls, I don't know man. My wife gets mad at me when I say they wont recapture the magic like they had from 1999-2002 when NO ONE wanted to see them in a match. Stop focusing on designing clothes and workon yo craft.,
Da Realist:
i don't like players because their american or black or whatever, so i don't get into thinking it's american to be andy roddick's biggest fan (i'm not) or you're supporting your race if you only like the williams sisters (inever liked venus and i used to like serena a lot more than i do now). ilike tennis players for a myriad of different reasons that don't include ethnicity or nationality. so the bottom line is, i don't feel bad about rooting against someone who happens to be american or who happens to be black.
now, as far as andy roddick goes... he's too one-dimensional. he can beat most players, but not the top players. he has a huge first serve and his forehand may be the best in the business. but his second serve is weak, his backhand is weak and he can't consistently create passing shots. a player like hewitt can outlast him and a player like federer can embarrass him. he needs to work on becoming a more all-around player. but he doesn't seem interested. Read more!
Friday, June 24, 2005
Dynasty?
Da Realist:
did you guys hear tim legler on sportscenter this morning? he said the spurs winning 3 championships in the last 7 years and being competitive through all 7 is more impressive than the lakers winning 3 years straight and (in his words) flaming out. greg anthony vehemently disagreed. what do you guys think?
Gangsta D:
Legs is an idiot. Like I said before, you can't call that streak more impressive. The Lakers went to the Finals 4 times in five years, winning three straight. The Spurs went to the Finals three times and made one more trip to the Conference Finals, where they were destroyed. Not to mention they lost to those flaming out Lakers THREE times, WITH homecourt
advantage. If you wanna call it even, cool. But don't put the Spurs on a pedestal. If they win again next year, then fine their run is better but not yet.
Waldini:
I think Tim Legler has been hangin with Bill Walton too long.
Define competitive. The Spurs only beat the Lakers in their prime ONCE (2003). When the stakes were on the line (2001, 2002), they flamed out and badly I might add. In today's sports, everything is based on what have you done for me lately. Last year this same Spurs team was deemed underachievers and now they are a dynasty. Amazing. So if Detroit meets SA next year and beats them, does that mean Detroit is now more impressive for winning 2 titles in 3 yrs and being competitive for this decade.
Da Realist:
i thought it was funny how every analyst said the spurs would be a dynasty if they won. 3 in 7 is good, but they've never successfully defended their title. and i heard the pistons were just as good and just as tough as the 88-90 pistons team. and dumars said that chauncey billups is just as talented and more clutch than isiah thomas. et tu, joe?
Waldini:
Yesterday on sports talk, a Pistons called in and said that:
a) Rasheed's points in the 4th of Game 6 were the biggest points ever in a half
b) These Pistons would lose a close series to the late 80s Pistons teams
Wrong on both accounts jabroni. And it appears Joe D put him up to saying something that stupid. I think both these teams are good but great. Gimme a break jabroni. I want San Antonio to beat a legitimate team (not Phx) that has homecourt. That something that I think folks like Legs keeps forgetting. Say what you want but the Lakers 00-02 teams didnt need
homecourt advantage to win. They didnt give an eff if it was yo place, they place, yo mama's place, etc. They just wanted to win. That's what I want San Antone to do, play Detroit as the road team and beat them w/o the crowd as the 6th fan.
Gangsta D:
We can actually take it a step further if we want to split hairs. The Lakers were competitive from '98 - '04, a 7 year time span. In that time, 5 conference finals, 4 finals, and 3 championships. They were competitive in every year, making it at least to the conference semis. Does the Spurs run top that over their 7 year run? Don't think so: 4 conference finals, 3 finals, and 3 championships. In 2000, they didn't get out of the 1st round (OK Tim was hurt, but facts are facts!) Read more!
did you guys hear tim legler on sportscenter this morning? he said the spurs winning 3 championships in the last 7 years and being competitive through all 7 is more impressive than the lakers winning 3 years straight and (in his words) flaming out. greg anthony vehemently disagreed. what do you guys think?
Gangsta D:
Legs is an idiot. Like I said before, you can't call that streak more impressive. The Lakers went to the Finals 4 times in five years, winning three straight. The Spurs went to the Finals three times and made one more trip to the Conference Finals, where they were destroyed. Not to mention they lost to those flaming out Lakers THREE times, WITH homecourt
advantage. If you wanna call it even, cool. But don't put the Spurs on a pedestal. If they win again next year, then fine their run is better but not yet.
Waldini:
I think Tim Legler has been hangin with Bill Walton too long.
Define competitive. The Spurs only beat the Lakers in their prime ONCE (2003). When the stakes were on the line (2001, 2002), they flamed out and badly I might add. In today's sports, everything is based on what have you done for me lately. Last year this same Spurs team was deemed underachievers and now they are a dynasty. Amazing. So if Detroit meets SA next year and beats them, does that mean Detroit is now more impressive for winning 2 titles in 3 yrs and being competitive for this decade.
Da Realist:
i thought it was funny how every analyst said the spurs would be a dynasty if they won. 3 in 7 is good, but they've never successfully defended their title. and i heard the pistons were just as good and just as tough as the 88-90 pistons team. and dumars said that chauncey billups is just as talented and more clutch than isiah thomas. et tu, joe?
Waldini:
Yesterday on sports talk, a Pistons called in and said that:
a) Rasheed's points in the 4th of Game 6 were the biggest points ever in a half
b) These Pistons would lose a close series to the late 80s Pistons teams
Wrong on both accounts jabroni. And it appears Joe D put him up to saying something that stupid. I think both these teams are good but great. Gimme a break jabroni. I want San Antonio to beat a legitimate team (not Phx) that has homecourt. That something that I think folks like Legs keeps forgetting. Say what you want but the Lakers 00-02 teams didnt need
homecourt advantage to win. They didnt give an eff if it was yo place, they place, yo mama's place, etc. They just wanted to win. That's what I want San Antone to do, play Detroit as the road team and beat them w/o the crowd as the 6th fan.
Gangsta D:
We can actually take it a step further if we want to split hairs. The Lakers were competitive from '98 - '04, a 7 year time span. In that time, 5 conference finals, 4 finals, and 3 championships. They were competitive in every year, making it at least to the conference semis. Does the Spurs run top that over their 7 year run? Don't think so: 4 conference finals, 3 finals, and 3 championships. In 2000, they didn't get out of the 1st round (OK Tim was hurt, but facts are facts!) Read more!
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Best moment in sports
Gangsta D:
Too many to name:
1985 Finals
2000 Finals
2002 Conference Finals
1989 Miami vs Norte Dame
Wide Right I
1992 NFC Championship
Da Realist:
i have a tie for this one too.
1A. michael hitting the last second shot over byron
russell in 1998 finals. no description needed.
1B. pete sampras beating andre agassi to win his
final major championship. this really hit home with
me because of all the struggles he had gone through in
the previous years. he got drubbed by marat safin at
US OPEN 2000. this seemed to push him into this long
spiral where he wasn't really pete sampras anymore.
he was getting beat by EVERYBODY.
he got close again in 2001 by edging andre agassi in
the quarterfinals (7-6 6-7 7-6 7-6, no breaks of
serve). when he won this match i knew it was destiny.
he then beat marat safin in the semifinals and all
that stood in his way was lleyton hewitt. lleyton
beat him worse than marat safin did the year before.
this pushes him even deeper into his funk and now
people are telling him (including me) to retire
because now he was just embarrassing himself. i lost
faith. i didn't think he had it in him to win another
big match. he looked pathetic out there.
then came 2002 US OPEN. he beats the upstart andy
roddick when no one thought he could and set up the
perfect match against the perfect rival. pete sampras
vs andre agassi. everyone knew this was probably the
last time these two greats would share the final stage
together again. at the US OPEN, no less! the
championship was at stake. their egos were at stake.
their LEGACIES were at stake! no one wanted to lose
the last big time match between the two.
pete sampras came out blazing. winning the first two
sets. it felt like a dream because it seemed like
this was going to be easy. but when agassi won the
third set, i started to feel uneasy. i knew sampras
was a great player, but fitness was never his strong
point. agassi's strategy has always been tohang in
there long enough to wear him down. between the two,
3-set matches always went to sampras, 4-set matches
were a toss up and 5-set matches almost always went to
agassi. so by agassi winning the 3rd set, i started
to get so unnerved that i hit the wall in
frustration...HARD. i didn't want another situation
like the AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2000 where sampras controlled
the match until the 5th set when agassi beat him 6-1
(it didn't help that i got up at 3am to watch that 3
1/2 hour match only to be depressed AND TIRED the next
day at work). not today. not this match. sampras
just hold on a little longer...
no break of serve in the 4th set so far with score
tied 4-4. but all of a sudden, agassi has a lapse and
is trailing 0-30. okay, pete here's your chance
buddy. you don't want to go into the 5th. you are
already looking tired. give me 2 more points!
when sampras finally broke and they went to a
commercial break, i was so nervous my feet were
sweating and my hands were shaking. all i could think
about was the next day's headlines, "SAMPRAS chokes
away 4th set lead and loses title to AGASSI". when
sampras finally won that last point, i collapsed. i
felt a tear come to my eye as i saw sampras celebrate
and hug agassi at the net. i felt absolutely
EXHAUSTED! that day, that moment, i told pete from my
1-bedroom apartment in marietta to retire. retire and
allow this to be my last memory of you. just ride
away into the sunset. and that's what he did. too
bad that OTHER guy (in 1A) didn't heed my advice!
Waldini:Hmmm, this is difficult but I think my favorite was
2001 Game 7 Western Conference Finals - There was
SOOO much hate during the season (and prior) about
how the Lakers would not win the title ever,
Shaq was overrated, Kobe was garbage, etc, etc,
Then when Portland locked up the series everyone
said it was over for LA. Even said it when they were
down 15 at the end of 3. But not me, just kept hoping,
a miracle would happen....It did, the middle finga to
the hatas soon followed and it jumpstarted some of the
best smack talk from myself and D. EVER!
Others
1999 Fiesta Bowl
2002 Game 4 Western Conf Finals
2002 Game 7 Western Conf Finals
2001 Game 1 Western Conf Finals
1999 AFC Championship
1997 Western Conf Semis
Read more!
Worst moment in sports
The Great Waldini:Read more!
The worst sports moment was the '92 playoff
when my Houston Oilers lost to the Buffalo Bills.
I am still traumatized to this day by the biggest
NFL playoff collapse in history (and ultimately why
I never believe any game is over until the final
whistle. Remember when you (Da Realist)
called me during the Cotton Bowl this yr and
asked why I was still watching...now you know why)
It was the perfect setup. The previous week the
Oilers played the Bills, knocked Jim Kelly out
of the game, and whupped dey ass in the regular
season finale. Fate would have it that I would
go to high school with the biggest Bills fan ever
so we were trading smack back and forth all
week. I remember going to Nashville that weekend
to visit family. I watched the first half at my
Aunt's house where Warren Moon, Drew Hill, Curtis
Duncan, Haywood Jeffries and the Infamous House of
Pain went up 28-7 at half. Caught the first score
in the 2nd half to push it to 35-7, then my pops
is like it's time to go to the airport to go home.
We get to the airport, the flight is delayed
(keep in mind TV was not all over the airports like
today) so I am blown. We sittin on the plane, this
cat says the Bills just beat the Oilers and I'm like
NO FRIGGIN WAY. They were up 35-7 when I left....
Low and behold, I get home, immediately rush to the
TV, turn on ESPN, and hear Berman saying "In what
is being called the greatest comeback ever...."
My heart immediately sank. I remember Ernest Givins
just holding a cup of Gatorade with a blank look on
his face, not saying a word. I was near tears
sittin on the floor like a close friend or family
member had died. My dad and mom asked me what was
wrong and I just sat there looking sad....
It got worse as I got to school the next day,
praying that God would take pity on me and not
let this boy come to class. The setup was classic.
The first homeroom alarm rang, no sign of ole
boy...the second one rang, still no sign,
then right as that last one went off, all I
hear is "Where is he, where is he!!!!", he sees
me, shows the front page of USA Today with
the score and victory pic, then says "GREATEST
COMEBACK EVER.....TO A BACKUUUUUPPP".
I'm like "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"
Sorry it still bothers me to this day. I'm tearing
up now as I write this. (sigh) :-)
Gangsta D:
The '94 game (NFC Championship Dallas Cowboys
vs San Francisco 49ers) was painful because I
still think the 'Boys were the better team.
If Jimmy was coaching instead of Barry, they
would've won four straight. We outscored
them 28-17 after being down 21-0.
If Switzer had've kicked the field
goal at the end of the 1st half instead of
going on 4th, the 49er's wouldn't have
taken over and thrown that TD to Rice.
Bam that's 10 points right there and
the game is tied in the 4th qtr. But really,
I'm over it now...
Da Realist:
i don't think i've ever been as dispirited as when fsu
lost at miami in 2002. i knew miami was the better
team that year. that's what made things so sweet.
upset them at the orange bowl? the ORIGINAL orange
bowl??? too sweet! we led by 13 points with 5 mins
to go. 13! we somehow gave up 2 quick touchdowns in
the next 3 minutes! but somehow, someway we have a
chance to win the thing with a field goal. Xavier
Beitia had bragged the whole offseason that he would
LOVE to have the game riding on his foot. he lived
for these moments, blah, blah, blah...
when he missed, all i could scream was, "he MISSED it!
he MISSED IT! HE MISSED IT!!!!" this loss is when i
started to become disenchanted with the team. i
started to wonder if the team is full of losers run by
an even bigger loser. why can't we beat miami? it
gets worse every year as the team loses it's footing.
i guess you can say that loss helped me to see the
cracks in fsu's armor. all i can think about is that
if we can find a way to beat miami again, we'll start
to get our mojo back.
Gangsta D:
That was one of my all time greatest moments.
I was PISSED for most of the game. We just couldn't
get anything going. When we went down 27-13,
it was looking bad. Then Dorsey hit Magahee for
the big screen pass, and I knew we'd win. When
we went up by one I thought it was a wrap. Then Rix
inexplicably leads FSU down the field. When Beitia
walked onto the field, I was just like "no way they
miss a 4th field goal at the end of the game. no
way." HOLY SH*T! HE MISSED IT! Needless to say
I was smiling for the rest of the weekend. But you
guys should've known you were in trouble. In the
1st qtr Beitia was talking trash to a Miami defender.
An FSU kicker should never, EVER open his mouth on
the field against Miami. Unless he's telling
the holder "good hold." It was a glorious day.
Truly glorious...
Sage Advice
Da Realist:
The Great Smalldini and Wanksta D are bitter, delusional haters. Take their opinions with a grain of salt. You have been warned. Read more!
The Great Smalldini and Wanksta D are bitter, delusional haters. Take their opinions with a grain of salt. You have been warned. Read more!
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Game 6 Analysis
Gangsta D:
Yesterday the Great Waldini spake:
"Gentlemen, this is series is OVA (In Screamin A tone). I do expect 2nite's game to be close but I think the Spurs win a close one."
Well it appears the Great One was wronger than two left shoes. So what you gotta say about that HAMMER?!?!?
Waldini:
What can I say, even Magic and his Airness had bad games every now and then :-)
I actually stayed up to watch the entire game and have some post game analysis
- Manu Manu and Duncan Donuts blew it in the 4th qtr w/their turnovers and missed free throws. The rest of the team didn't help either with airballs, bad passing and inability to hit jumpers
- Sheed actually stepped up in the 4th last night with 7 huge points.
- Detroit still whines too much after each possesion BUT they did have some legitmate beef last night. I think the refs were making some bad calls last night
- The big question is how will San Antonio respond? It goes back to when TJ brought this up if the Spurs were pushed to a Game 7. They have never been in this position before and their confidence has to be shaken knowing they blew Game 6 on their homecourt.
I'm done predicting...I got lucky with the Spurs-Sonics, Heat-Pistons, Spurs-Suns, but for this one, I cant call it anymore. I will let my quarter decide tomorrow who wins. lol
Da Realist:
his airness had a bad game...??? (smile)
i think the spurs are in trouble. if they couldn't beat the pistons after they were begging to get knocked out in a second quarter meltdown, if they couldn't beat the pistons after getting quality minutes from brent barry and offensive production from bruce bowen, they are not going to beat them in game 7. game 7 is going to be physical, which means free throws are going to be very important. who's gonna be money at the line?
those wide open shots that were falling for bruce bowen won't fall tomorrow night. those aggresive moves by brent barry won't happen tomorrow night. tim is going to be his dominant self the first 3 quarters only to fade in the last. tony parker will disappear. the only person that could possibly lead them to the promised land (if the pistons are dumb enough to let him do it) is manu ginobli. if the pistons find a way to lock him up with an injured lindsey hunter, this game will be over quick.
the spurs are a good team...that's susceptible to pressure. they are at their worst when they are expected to win and the game is at home. no team has coughed up a 3-2 lead with 2 games at home. they are regarded as the better team. all the pressure will be on them to not "choke" away this series. how they handle this pressure will be key. i can only go by
their recent history in dealing with these types of situations and it ain't good.
regardless, whoever wins this next game will deserve the title.
Waldini:
I agree with the last comment (whoever wins deserves to win the title). I honestly do not know how this game will go as I am not as confident in San Antonio winning Game 7 as say I was in LA in '88, Houston in '94, etc. So many factors will decide this (will the Games 1-2 Manu show up, will Game 6 Rasheed show up, Will Games 3-4 Ben Wallace show up, will Game 6 Rip
Hamilton show up, will Game 5 Fresh Prince show up, etc).
Duncan definitely has faded in crunch time and I wonder if the panel experts would like to reevaluate his position as the best PF in the game. Of course, if the Spurs win, then he will be seen as that but if they lose, I wonder if their opinion will change. Keep in mind, since 2003, they have repeatedly said the Spurs have the pieces in place with Duncan, Parker, and
Ginobli to have a dynasty.
I do think both teams are good NOT great. I hesistate to put them in the great category b/c I always reflect on the old school teams like the 80s Lakes, Sixers, Celtics, Pistons, 90s Bulls, and believe that both of these teams would get the floor mopped up by ANY of these squads. BUT that doesnt mean they are not good enough to win titles. Bottom-line, they earned the right to be here and somebody's walkin away with the trophy
Da Realist:
i'm just glad that everybody can stop whining about how boring this series is. sure, the first four games were blowouts, but they can be used as a teaching tool to how these two teams deal with certain situations.
despite the lack of stars, the late start times and no marv albert, this has turned into the most intriguing (though not best played) finals since '94. just sit back and enjoy a potentially great game 7 and look forward to next year when the winner will defend the championship and the loser will look once again to defeat them. both of these teams will be back next year, strengthened by the struggle and better than ever. nba watch out.
Gangsta D:
What are you smoking? This hasn't been intriguing. OK, intriguing like I wonder how mold grows. But this hasn't been entertaining, interesting, or anything close. I will give you that it has been interesting watching Duncan gag in the 4th the last two games. That may be the most revealing thing in the whole series. And yes the series is still boring. One nail biter and one game decided by less than 10 points doesn't make up for the travesty that was the first 4 games. My opinion may change if game 7 is a double overtime classic decided by the last shot...but i doubt it.
Da Realist:
well, i don't think so. duncan gagging in the 4th quarter is anything BUT revealing when he did it over and over again against the lakers in big games. i've watched every game all the way through and have enjoyed it. i thought the last 2 games were very competitive and worth watching. even the first 4 games were providing a blue print for how these teams
react to certain situations.
it's too soon for you. you're used to the lakers being a dominant figure this late in the game with shaq's dominance, kobe's brilliance, phil's arrogance and everyone else's clutch shots. you've been on cloud nine the last few years and it's hard for you to appreciate two teams that are obviously not on that level. i can understand because it took me a long time to appreciate things after my bulls were broken up. a LONG time. after watching the lakers dominate, why would you get up for rip hamilton and manu ginobli? but for true basketball fans (not laker fans still smarting from not making the playoffs and definitely not "casual" fans) this was an interesting series.
Gansta D:
I don't think the Lakers not being in it has everything to do with it, although it does play a part. I just want to see great basketball. Maybe you're right I am used to teams executing at a high level on the highest stage. But I don't think these teams should be cut slack. All year they've been called the two best teams in the league. All right, now prove it. But they've failed miserably. Even the great teams in the 80's laid an occasional egg, but they didn't take turns in the seires. I think they should be held to a higher standard. Both these teams have won championships. Make a free throw! Hit clutch shots! Play defense! Not for just one game but for the entire series!
Da Realist:
it is my opinion that, in general, the quality of the nba goes down every year. and because of this, whoever wins the championship will have had to do less to win it than the previous year's champs, in general. what it takes to win a championship this year is less than what it took 5 years ago, 10 years ago...
to appreciate what you can get RIGHT NOW, you have to forget about the past. forget about how great those teams were and what obstacles they had to overcome to get to the top of the mountaintop. forget about it and appreciate what is going on right now or you will be regarded as an "old fogey" who can't seem to get out of the past.
on second thought, come join the party! we old fogeys are replaying the 1988 finals tonight at my crib. barbeque with some sides from the missus will help us reminisce about the good ole days!
Waldini:
I do not think it goes down every year but more over a time period (let's say every 2-3 yrs). Before the series kicked off, I was anticipating games like 5 and 6 every game b/c the teams were so evenly matched. However, both teams took a LOOONNNG time to adjust to each other's styles to make it a competitive series. Honestly the main reason I have been down on the series is the presentation. Long pre-game ramblings, longer intros, late start times, this is basketball...just play. Has nothing to do with the past. Who wants to see Kid Rock sing the National Anthem :-)
In terms of play, while I like Detroit;s heart and ability to hang in the series, their constant whining prevents me from truly rooting for them. They were designated as one of the teams that "plays basketball the right way." Well stop ur bitchin and keep playin then instead of running to half court after a call is made. I like San Antonio's ability to adapt to it's
opponents style but hate that they wilt under pressure (see Game 6). I don't know the unknown makes this a much better series than say when the Spurs met the Nets in 2003. Read more!
Yesterday the Great Waldini spake:
"Gentlemen, this is series is OVA (In Screamin A tone). I do expect 2nite's game to be close but I think the Spurs win a close one."
Well it appears the Great One was wronger than two left shoes. So what you gotta say about that HAMMER?!?!?
Waldini:
What can I say, even Magic and his Airness had bad games every now and then :-)
I actually stayed up to watch the entire game and have some post game analysis
- Manu Manu and Duncan Donuts blew it in the 4th qtr w/their turnovers and missed free throws. The rest of the team didn't help either with airballs, bad passing and inability to hit jumpers
- Sheed actually stepped up in the 4th last night with 7 huge points.
- Detroit still whines too much after each possesion BUT they did have some legitmate beef last night. I think the refs were making some bad calls last night
- The big question is how will San Antonio respond? It goes back to when TJ brought this up if the Spurs were pushed to a Game 7. They have never been in this position before and their confidence has to be shaken knowing they blew Game 6 on their homecourt.
I'm done predicting...I got lucky with the Spurs-Sonics, Heat-Pistons, Spurs-Suns, but for this one, I cant call it anymore. I will let my quarter decide tomorrow who wins. lol
Da Realist:
his airness had a bad game...??? (smile)
i think the spurs are in trouble. if they couldn't beat the pistons after they were begging to get knocked out in a second quarter meltdown, if they couldn't beat the pistons after getting quality minutes from brent barry and offensive production from bruce bowen, they are not going to beat them in game 7. game 7 is going to be physical, which means free throws are going to be very important. who's gonna be money at the line?
those wide open shots that were falling for bruce bowen won't fall tomorrow night. those aggresive moves by brent barry won't happen tomorrow night. tim is going to be his dominant self the first 3 quarters only to fade in the last. tony parker will disappear. the only person that could possibly lead them to the promised land (if the pistons are dumb enough to let him do it) is manu ginobli. if the pistons find a way to lock him up with an injured lindsey hunter, this game will be over quick.
the spurs are a good team...that's susceptible to pressure. they are at their worst when they are expected to win and the game is at home. no team has coughed up a 3-2 lead with 2 games at home. they are regarded as the better team. all the pressure will be on them to not "choke" away this series. how they handle this pressure will be key. i can only go by
their recent history in dealing with these types of situations and it ain't good.
regardless, whoever wins this next game will deserve the title.
Waldini:
I agree with the last comment (whoever wins deserves to win the title). I honestly do not know how this game will go as I am not as confident in San Antonio winning Game 7 as say I was in LA in '88, Houston in '94, etc. So many factors will decide this (will the Games 1-2 Manu show up, will Game 6 Rasheed show up, Will Games 3-4 Ben Wallace show up, will Game 6 Rip
Hamilton show up, will Game 5 Fresh Prince show up, etc).
Duncan definitely has faded in crunch time and I wonder if the panel experts would like to reevaluate his position as the best PF in the game. Of course, if the Spurs win, then he will be seen as that but if they lose, I wonder if their opinion will change. Keep in mind, since 2003, they have repeatedly said the Spurs have the pieces in place with Duncan, Parker, and
Ginobli to have a dynasty.
I do think both teams are good NOT great. I hesistate to put them in the great category b/c I always reflect on the old school teams like the 80s Lakes, Sixers, Celtics, Pistons, 90s Bulls, and believe that both of these teams would get the floor mopped up by ANY of these squads. BUT that doesnt mean they are not good enough to win titles. Bottom-line, they earned the right to be here and somebody's walkin away with the trophy
Da Realist:
i'm just glad that everybody can stop whining about how boring this series is. sure, the first four games were blowouts, but they can be used as a teaching tool to how these two teams deal with certain situations.
despite the lack of stars, the late start times and no marv albert, this has turned into the most intriguing (though not best played) finals since '94. just sit back and enjoy a potentially great game 7 and look forward to next year when the winner will defend the championship and the loser will look once again to defeat them. both of these teams will be back next year, strengthened by the struggle and better than ever. nba watch out.
Gangsta D:
What are you smoking? This hasn't been intriguing. OK, intriguing like I wonder how mold grows. But this hasn't been entertaining, interesting, or anything close. I will give you that it has been interesting watching Duncan gag in the 4th the last two games. That may be the most revealing thing in the whole series. And yes the series is still boring. One nail biter and one game decided by less than 10 points doesn't make up for the travesty that was the first 4 games. My opinion may change if game 7 is a double overtime classic decided by the last shot...but i doubt it.
Da Realist:
well, i don't think so. duncan gagging in the 4th quarter is anything BUT revealing when he did it over and over again against the lakers in big games. i've watched every game all the way through and have enjoyed it. i thought the last 2 games were very competitive and worth watching. even the first 4 games were providing a blue print for how these teams
react to certain situations.
it's too soon for you. you're used to the lakers being a dominant figure this late in the game with shaq's dominance, kobe's brilliance, phil's arrogance and everyone else's clutch shots. you've been on cloud nine the last few years and it's hard for you to appreciate two teams that are obviously not on that level. i can understand because it took me a long time to appreciate things after my bulls were broken up. a LONG time. after watching the lakers dominate, why would you get up for rip hamilton and manu ginobli? but for true basketball fans (not laker fans still smarting from not making the playoffs and definitely not "casual" fans) this was an interesting series.
Gansta D:
I don't think the Lakers not being in it has everything to do with it, although it does play a part. I just want to see great basketball. Maybe you're right I am used to teams executing at a high level on the highest stage. But I don't think these teams should be cut slack. All year they've been called the two best teams in the league. All right, now prove it. But they've failed miserably. Even the great teams in the 80's laid an occasional egg, but they didn't take turns in the seires. I think they should be held to a higher standard. Both these teams have won championships. Make a free throw! Hit clutch shots! Play defense! Not for just one game but for the entire series!
Da Realist:
it is my opinion that, in general, the quality of the nba goes down every year. and because of this, whoever wins the championship will have had to do less to win it than the previous year's champs, in general. what it takes to win a championship this year is less than what it took 5 years ago, 10 years ago...
to appreciate what you can get RIGHT NOW, you have to forget about the past. forget about how great those teams were and what obstacles they had to overcome to get to the top of the mountaintop. forget about it and appreciate what is going on right now or you will be regarded as an "old fogey" who can't seem to get out of the past.
on second thought, come join the party! we old fogeys are replaying the 1988 finals tonight at my crib. barbeque with some sides from the missus will help us reminisce about the good ole days!
Waldini:
I do not think it goes down every year but more over a time period (let's say every 2-3 yrs). Before the series kicked off, I was anticipating games like 5 and 6 every game b/c the teams were so evenly matched. However, both teams took a LOOONNNG time to adjust to each other's styles to make it a competitive series. Honestly the main reason I have been down on the series is the presentation. Long pre-game ramblings, longer intros, late start times, this is basketball...just play. Has nothing to do with the past. Who wants to see Kid Rock sing the National Anthem :-)
In terms of play, while I like Detroit;s heart and ability to hang in the series, their constant whining prevents me from truly rooting for them. They were designated as one of the teams that "plays basketball the right way." Well stop ur bitchin and keep playin then instead of running to half court after a call is made. I like San Antonio's ability to adapt to it's
opponents style but hate that they wilt under pressure (see Game 6). I don't know the unknown makes this a much better series than say when the Spurs met the Nets in 2003. Read more!
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Mr. Big Shot
Da Realist:
"Horry's Game 5 ranks alongside MJ's Game 6 in 1998, Worthy's Game 7 in 1988, Frazier's Game 7 in 1970 and every other clutch Finals performance over the years."-- Bill Simmons
WHAT?!!!
Waldini:
Ok, now I did not agree with that comment. I think it ranks with John Paxson's Game 6 in '93, Vinnie Johnson's Game 5 in '90, Robert Horry's Game 4 in '01, etc. The difference btw Simmon's references and Horry's game is that those guys did damage the ENTIRE game, not just a half.
Da Realist:
i would say it's better than those games you mentioned because those games were based on one shot. horry did more than that last night. BUT...it was not on the level that my man tried to put it on. jordan carried a weary team on the road against a team hell bent against losing two finals in a row while his sidekick had a back injury. Worthy had a monstrous triple double in pushing back the pistons in game 7. and i think frazier also had a triple double (or close to it) in 1970 without their best player, willis reed. Read more!
"Horry's Game 5 ranks alongside MJ's Game 6 in 1998, Worthy's Game 7 in 1988, Frazier's Game 7 in 1970 and every other clutch Finals performance over the years."-- Bill Simmons
WHAT?!!!
Waldini:
Ok, now I did not agree with that comment. I think it ranks with John Paxson's Game 6 in '93, Vinnie Johnson's Game 5 in '90, Robert Horry's Game 4 in '01, etc. The difference btw Simmon's references and Horry's game is that those guys did damage the ENTIRE game, not just a half.
Da Realist:
i would say it's better than those games you mentioned because those games were based on one shot. horry did more than that last night. BUT...it was not on the level that my man tried to put it on. jordan carried a weary team on the road against a team hell bent against losing two finals in a row while his sidekick had a back injury. Worthy had a monstrous triple double in pushing back the pistons in game 7. and i think frazier also had a triple double (or close to it) in 1970 without their best player, willis reed. Read more!
Between Games 5 & 6
Da Realist:
i think if the spurs are gonna win, they better doRead more!
it tonight in game 6. if they allow the pistons to win
tonight, the pistons will win game 7.
Gangsta D:
I know one thing, they can't count on Horry to score
21 of their 35 again. Where's Ginobili, the best 2-guard in
the league?
Da Realist:
the excuse...i mean, reason is that he's hurt.
Gangsta D:
How many extraordinary performances have we seen in
the Finals while the player was hurt? Too many to
rattle off right now. Unless 4 of your starting 5
goes down with injuries, there are no excuses.
Waldini:
Gentlemen, this is series is OVA (In Screamin A tone). I do expect
2nite's game to be close but I think the Spurs win a close one.
Da Realist:
the spurs still haven't proven to me that they can
handle their nerves in a big game. they were bailed
out by robert horry that night. manu didn't do a damn
thing. tony parker didn't do a damn thing. timmy
missing critical free throws like i predicted he
would. the spurs have shown me they are good, but can
still get rattled.
the pistons on the other hand have shown me nothing
BUT heart the last couple of years. if the spurs
relax EVEN A LITTLE BIT and allow the pistons to push
this thing to seven...THE PISTONS WILL WIN THE SERIES.
Monday, June 20, 2005
Waldini Goes off!
D brought it out of me so I will explain my hate
My favorite teams
Tenn (since '91) - It's funny how I became a fan. A high school acquitance learned I was going to Nashville to visit family and automatically assumed I was a Vols fan. He was a big Notre Dame fan and kept running his mouth about what happened to Tenn the year before. Then all of a sudden, the miracle in Fort Bend happened and I was "baptized" into the Volunteer family....
Clemson (since '88) - In South Carolina, you either go for South Carolina or Clemson, there is NO in-between. I loved Danny Ford and how Clemson would dominate the ACC, then win a major bowl at the end of the year. Too bad they could never beat FSU. And it only got worse when FSU joined the conference :-)
The only other teams that will spark me to watch are Oregon (don't askwhy), Miami (always loved that swagger but not fully like D)
My hated teams
SEC - Florida and Georgia. Florida for the Spurrier factor but that since has changed since he is no longer there. That UT-Citrus comment still burns me to this day. And then of course having to listen to AY ramble on and on about it would turn any casual fan against Florida. Georgia just b/c
Big 12 - I cannot stand the Big 12. If you lived down here you would understand. During football season, unless CBS or ESPN show it, I hardly get any SEC games. I get the Baylor-Colorado games which drive me crazy. And then the people here who support these teams :-). I argue EVERY season about how the players from these schools are usually overrated, especially at the money position
A good mini-story - A few yrs ago, Arkansas played Texas in UT, which Arkansas won handily. A classmate of mine was a big UT fan and had been running his mouth that morning up until the game was over. I harassed him and we had the following exchange
ME: I guess the SEC is better than the Big 12 huh. One of our bottom feeders just beat one of your elite teams
HIM: When's the last time Tenn won anything important?
ME: How many titles does Texas have in the past 5 years? And how many times have they had the top recruiting class in the country? Wow, it must be good to be a longhorn fan
HIM: Does Morehouse even have a football team (prompting OOOOs from the other cats in my class)
ME: When someone from your school gets a holiday named after them, you come holla at me HIM: Who from your school has a day named after them?
ME: I call him Dr King but you know him as Martin Luther. You know he's pretty much responsible for your team's success considering the number of bruhs on your squad
HIM: (nothing but a silent, irritated look on his face)
Big 10 - Shelley turned me against them with his constant Big 10 is sooo much better than SEC comments. Read more!
My favorite teams
Tenn (since '91) - It's funny how I became a fan. A high school acquitance learned I was going to Nashville to visit family and automatically assumed I was a Vols fan. He was a big Notre Dame fan and kept running his mouth about what happened to Tenn the year before. Then all of a sudden, the miracle in Fort Bend happened and I was "baptized" into the Volunteer family....
Clemson (since '88) - In South Carolina, you either go for South Carolina or Clemson, there is NO in-between. I loved Danny Ford and how Clemson would dominate the ACC, then win a major bowl at the end of the year. Too bad they could never beat FSU. And it only got worse when FSU joined the conference :-)
The only other teams that will spark me to watch are Oregon (don't askwhy), Miami (always loved that swagger but not fully like D)
My hated teams
SEC - Florida and Georgia. Florida for the Spurrier factor but that since has changed since he is no longer there. That UT-Citrus comment still burns me to this day. And then of course having to listen to AY ramble on and on about it would turn any casual fan against Florida. Georgia just b/c
Big 12 - I cannot stand the Big 12. If you lived down here you would understand. During football season, unless CBS or ESPN show it, I hardly get any SEC games. I get the Baylor-Colorado games which drive me crazy. And then the people here who support these teams :-). I argue EVERY season about how the players from these schools are usually overrated, especially at the money position
A good mini-story - A few yrs ago, Arkansas played Texas in UT, which Arkansas won handily. A classmate of mine was a big UT fan and had been running his mouth that morning up until the game was over. I harassed him and we had the following exchange
ME: I guess the SEC is better than the Big 12 huh. One of our bottom feeders just beat one of your elite teams
HIM: When's the last time Tenn won anything important?
ME: How many titles does Texas have in the past 5 years? And how many times have they had the top recruiting class in the country? Wow, it must be good to be a longhorn fan
HIM: Does Morehouse even have a football team (prompting OOOOs from the other cats in my class)
ME: When someone from your school gets a holiday named after them, you come holla at me HIM: Who from your school has a day named after them?
ME: I call him Dr King but you know him as Martin Luther. You know he's pretty much responsible for your team's success considering the number of bruhs on your squad
HIM: (nothing but a silent, irritated look on his face)
Big 10 - Shelley turned me against them with his constant Big 10 is sooo much better than SEC comments. Read more!
Where's Bobby
Da Realist:
this team has no discipline and no leadership. pa-THET-ic. FIRE bobby bowden! FIRE bobby bowden! FIRE bobby bowden!
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/football/ncaa/06/18/bc.fbc.floridasttrouble.ap/index.html
Waldini:
Usually I would jump on you about your team's trouble (Sexton calling himself God is definitely a setup for getting ragged) but considering Tenn's offseason troubles I cannot say anything. And considering that my pro team (titans) will be absolute trash this year, I am banking on my Vols to make strides this season.
Gangsta D:
Funny how Bowden has been "on vacation" during these recent troubles. Is Bobby no longer Mr. Teflon in Tallahassee?
Da Realist:
unfortunately, that man is god down there. they are not going to fire him even though everyone can see he's going the way of joe paterno. he lost his best coaches and replaced them with twits (one of which is his son), yet no one holds him accountable.
(sigh) i guess i'll be a hater AGAIN this year. my favorite teams are as follows...
1. whoever plays miami for each given week
2. whoever plays oklahoma for each given week
3. tennessee (because i would love to take my wife to see them in the sugar bowl this year)
4. any underdogs, unless their winning helps miami and/or oklahoma.
Gangsta D:
I bet if he has a major scandal coupled with another so-so year, people's attitudes will change. There are no more sacred cows. Bobby can get got too:)
Da Realist:
i don't know about bobby, but his son jeff will be burned at the stake if the offense looks as bad as it did last year.
Waldini:
If Tenn makes it to the Sugar Bowl, I will put my wife in the SUV and we make a impromptu to Nawlins. Then I will find a way to get inside so I can sing "Good Ole Rocky Top.....:-)"
The only teams I care about losing are pretty much anyone in the Big 12, Florida, Georgia, and most Big 10 teams (really only Michigan and Ohio St). And yes I can explain a reason for everyone one of them, lol
Gangsta D:
All right, it's time to get everyone's loyalties down BEFORE the season starts:
My 5 favorite teams
Miami (since '89)
Georgia (since '80)
USC (since '88)
Michigan (since ('91)
Washington (since they hired Ty)
5 hated teams
Florida (since '80)
FSU (since '89)
Notre Dame (since forever)
Ohio State (since '03 Fiesta Bowl)
Oklahoma (since they've been overhyped)
Da Realist:
you like GEORGIA???
5 favorites
1. FSU
2. anybody else i like is just on a temporary basis determined by whatever purpose i fancy that particular week. but two teams that may take up permanent residence on this list is tennessee (i like their song) and notre dame (history) in the near future.
Hated Teams
1. Miami
2. Oklahoma
3. any dominant team not named FSU. (this year it's USC)
the absolute WORST championship matchup for me in any given year is MIAMI vs OKLAHOMA, because then one of those bastards would have to win.
Gangsta D:
I've lived only five years of my life outside of Georgia. In the '80s, if you lived in Georgia you liked the Bulldogs or they took you away from your parents...
Da Realist:
what part of georgia are you from? and why georgia over georgia tech?
Gangsta D:
Camden. Southeast corner. There was no debate when it came to football. It was Bulldogs or get the Hell out of the state. But this is the funny thing. I'd rather watch G-Tech basketball over bulldog basketball. This is just bulldog football country.
Da Realist:
i guess g-tech is for those snooty atlantan elitists, huh?
Waldini:
I think the only people in Georgia that root for G. Tech in football are the ones who go to school there.... Read more!
this team has no discipline and no leadership. pa-THET-ic. FIRE bobby bowden! FIRE bobby bowden! FIRE bobby bowden!
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/football/ncaa/06/18/bc.fbc.floridasttrouble.ap/index.html
Waldini:
Usually I would jump on you about your team's trouble (Sexton calling himself God is definitely a setup for getting ragged) but considering Tenn's offseason troubles I cannot say anything. And considering that my pro team (titans) will be absolute trash this year, I am banking on my Vols to make strides this season.
Gangsta D:
Funny how Bowden has been "on vacation" during these recent troubles. Is Bobby no longer Mr. Teflon in Tallahassee?
Da Realist:
unfortunately, that man is god down there. they are not going to fire him even though everyone can see he's going the way of joe paterno. he lost his best coaches and replaced them with twits (one of which is his son), yet no one holds him accountable.
(sigh) i guess i'll be a hater AGAIN this year. my favorite teams are as follows...
1. whoever plays miami for each given week
2. whoever plays oklahoma for each given week
3. tennessee (because i would love to take my wife to see them in the sugar bowl this year)
4. any underdogs, unless their winning helps miami and/or oklahoma.
Gangsta D:
I bet if he has a major scandal coupled with another so-so year, people's attitudes will change. There are no more sacred cows. Bobby can get got too:)
Da Realist:
i don't know about bobby, but his son jeff will be burned at the stake if the offense looks as bad as it did last year.
Waldini:
If Tenn makes it to the Sugar Bowl, I will put my wife in the SUV and we make a impromptu to Nawlins. Then I will find a way to get inside so I can sing "Good Ole Rocky Top.....:-)"
The only teams I care about losing are pretty much anyone in the Big 12, Florida, Georgia, and most Big 10 teams (really only Michigan and Ohio St). And yes I can explain a reason for everyone one of them, lol
Gangsta D:
All right, it's time to get everyone's loyalties down BEFORE the season starts:
My 5 favorite teams
Miami (since '89)
Georgia (since '80)
USC (since '88)
Michigan (since ('91)
Washington (since they hired Ty)
5 hated teams
Florida (since '80)
FSU (since '89)
Notre Dame (since forever)
Ohio State (since '03 Fiesta Bowl)
Oklahoma (since they've been overhyped)
Da Realist:
you like GEORGIA???
5 favorites
1. FSU
2. anybody else i like is just on a temporary basis determined by whatever purpose i fancy that particular week. but two teams that may take up permanent residence on this list is tennessee (i like their song) and notre dame (history) in the near future.
Hated Teams
1. Miami
2. Oklahoma
3. any dominant team not named FSU. (this year it's USC)
the absolute WORST championship matchup for me in any given year is MIAMI vs OKLAHOMA, because then one of those bastards would have to win.
Gangsta D:
I've lived only five years of my life outside of Georgia. In the '80s, if you lived in Georgia you liked the Bulldogs or they took you away from your parents...
Da Realist:
what part of georgia are you from? and why georgia over georgia tech?
Gangsta D:
Camden. Southeast corner. There was no debate when it came to football. It was Bulldogs or get the Hell out of the state. But this is the funny thing. I'd rather watch G-Tech basketball over bulldog basketball. This is just bulldog football country.
Da Realist:
i guess g-tech is for those snooty atlantan elitists, huh?
Waldini:
I think the only people in Georgia that root for G. Tech in football are the ones who go to school there.... Read more!
Speed Round - Other Stuff
Waldini:
How come we are not talking about Retief Goosen choking during the final 18 at the US Open yesterday? Or Matt Campbell aka the Wild Samoan doing his thang? Or Tiger having a GREAT chance of winning but nutting up on holes> 15-17? How come we are not talking about the Batman Begins 400? Or Michael> Schumaker winning a controversial F1 grand prix open this wknd (15 drivers> protested over safety issues, didnt race)
Da Realist:
i don't watch racing so i can't comment on that.
as far as golf goes, i'm as much of a novice as there is. i only watch when tiger plays well and only in majors so i don't feel i have the knowledge to make intelligent comments.
i did see batman begins. it was a bit cliched, but it was a good start. they have a foundation to buildon and improve the franchise. although this particular movie was average, i would still be interested in seeing the next installment because of the potential.
Gangsta D:
Retief had one of the all-time chokes. Dude was 3 under at the start of the day and was 2 over after six holes. Holy Gag Job Batman! Tiger could've won but his putter failed him. He had several birdy chances but blew them. You can't hate on Campbell though. Dude was consistent the whole day. He just hit fairway after fairway and green after green. Not spectacular, but solid as Hell.
Only thing I know about Schumaker is that he's paid as Hell. Formula 1 is where the real money is. Dude damn near pulls down a hundred mil a year.
Haven't seen Batman Begins, but I will. I've heard rave reviews and badreviews. I don't have that much faith in Chris Nolan, but I do like Christian Bale. Nevertheless, the new Batmobile sucks major gluteous...
Waldini:
Speaking of F1, did anyone hear about Big Bernie Ecclestone (sp.?) comments on Danica Patrick last weekend. I heard that he was saying women belong in the kitchen instead of the race track :-). I wonder if anyone will penalize him since he's the one responsible for generating all that cash for F1 racing :-)
Yea, Retief laid down big time Read more!
How come we are not talking about Retief Goosen choking during the final 18 at the US Open yesterday? Or Matt Campbell aka the Wild Samoan doing his thang? Or Tiger having a GREAT chance of winning but nutting up on holes> 15-17? How come we are not talking about the Batman Begins 400? Or Michael> Schumaker winning a controversial F1 grand prix open this wknd (15 drivers> protested over safety issues, didnt race)
Da Realist:
i don't watch racing so i can't comment on that.
as far as golf goes, i'm as much of a novice as there is. i only watch when tiger plays well and only in majors so i don't feel i have the knowledge to make intelligent comments.
i did see batman begins. it was a bit cliched, but it was a good start. they have a foundation to buildon and improve the franchise. although this particular movie was average, i would still be interested in seeing the next installment because of the potential.
Gangsta D:
Retief had one of the all-time chokes. Dude was 3 under at the start of the day and was 2 over after six holes. Holy Gag Job Batman! Tiger could've won but his putter failed him. He had several birdy chances but blew them. You can't hate on Campbell though. Dude was consistent the whole day. He just hit fairway after fairway and green after green. Not spectacular, but solid as Hell.
Only thing I know about Schumaker is that he's paid as Hell. Formula 1 is where the real money is. Dude damn near pulls down a hundred mil a year.
Haven't seen Batman Begins, but I will. I've heard rave reviews and badreviews. I don't have that much faith in Chris Nolan, but I do like Christian Bale. Nevertheless, the new Batmobile sucks major gluteous...
Waldini:
Speaking of F1, did anyone hear about Big Bernie Ecclestone (sp.?) comments on Danica Patrick last weekend. I heard that he was saying women belong in the kitchen instead of the race track :-). I wonder if anyone will penalize him since he's the one responsible for generating all that cash for F1 racing :-)
Yea, Retief laid down big time Read more!
Shaq Fu!
Da Realist:
looks like you guys were right. i heard pat riley has promised to make shaq the highest paid in the game. if this is true, then it's over for miami. shaq's ego has gotten the best of him. there is no way (no matter how close he got this year) that miami is going to win with eddie jones as a third option. but since shaq won't lower his demand, miami won't be able to> afford anybody to replace eddie in the starting lineup. i seem to remember the lakers winning because of shaq, kobe and um...robert horry, derek fisher, brian shaw and rick fox. they were just as important. shaq has forgotten all of this. did you hear his "sunday conversation"? miami would have lost to san antonio in 5.
Gangsta D:
Damn it feels good that if only for a second, Da Realist has turned to the light side. If they give him the contract this summer, what motivation does he have to come to camp in shape? He'll be content instead of hungry with something to prove. This is the beginning of the end. It'll be interesting to see how he and Dwyane co-exist. I know he's the anti-Kobe and all, but that was before people started calling him the best player in the league under 6'10". I can't wait to see how that relationship comes to grip with the pressure of expectations and newfound fame...
Waldini:
What is going on here? Realist, you have agreed twice with Gangsta in one day(it's not even lunch yet) and Gangsta D you are open to TJ's comments?!?! I dont know what you ate for father's day dinner yesterday but obviously ya'll ate the same thing, lol
Da Realist:
if you remember correctly, there were a couple of times that megatron and optimus prime had to work together for the greater good. this is one of those times. but as soon as this passes, we are enemies once again prime.
Waldini:
I didn't see the Sunday conversation but I read it online yesterday. And then I read Riles' comments too. They say they are committed to winning, evident by the comment about no probs with Shaq being the highest paid player. That's fine but what happens in year 3, when he starts breaking down and they have no money to get anyone. They also said they are picking up D Jones option and will try to pay Haslem as well. Factor in D Wade getting the max next year and your starting 5 goes like this:
Haslem - 5-6 mil a yr
E Jones - max contract
O'Neal - max contract
Wade - max contract
D Jones - 5-6 mil a yr
Call me crazy but this team is built to win in the short term and unless Detroit or Indiana get weaker, I don't see Mia beating those teams at full strength in the next 2-3 years. Now I wonder if the Lakers succeed during this time span and the Heat get worse, if Sportscenter will run a "Maybe wewere wrong about Buss' decision" feature :-) Read more!
looks like you guys were right. i heard pat riley has promised to make shaq the highest paid in the game. if this is true, then it's over for miami. shaq's ego has gotten the best of him. there is no way (no matter how close he got this year) that miami is going to win with eddie jones as a third option. but since shaq won't lower his demand, miami won't be able to> afford anybody to replace eddie in the starting lineup. i seem to remember the lakers winning because of shaq, kobe and um...robert horry, derek fisher, brian shaw and rick fox. they were just as important. shaq has forgotten all of this. did you hear his "sunday conversation"? miami would have lost to san antonio in 5.
Gangsta D:
Damn it feels good that if only for a second, Da Realist has turned to the light side. If they give him the contract this summer, what motivation does he have to come to camp in shape? He'll be content instead of hungry with something to prove. This is the beginning of the end. It'll be interesting to see how he and Dwyane co-exist. I know he's the anti-Kobe and all, but that was before people started calling him the best player in the league under 6'10". I can't wait to see how that relationship comes to grip with the pressure of expectations and newfound fame...
Waldini:
What is going on here? Realist, you have agreed twice with Gangsta in one day(it's not even lunch yet) and Gangsta D you are open to TJ's comments?!?! I dont know what you ate for father's day dinner yesterday but obviously ya'll ate the same thing, lol
Da Realist:
if you remember correctly, there were a couple of times that megatron and optimus prime had to work together for the greater good. this is one of those times. but as soon as this passes, we are enemies once again prime.
Waldini:
I didn't see the Sunday conversation but I read it online yesterday. And then I read Riles' comments too. They say they are committed to winning, evident by the comment about no probs with Shaq being the highest paid player. That's fine but what happens in year 3, when he starts breaking down and they have no money to get anyone. They also said they are picking up D Jones option and will try to pay Haslem as well. Factor in D Wade getting the max next year and your starting 5 goes like this:
Haslem - 5-6 mil a yr
E Jones - max contract
O'Neal - max contract
Wade - max contract
D Jones - 5-6 mil a yr
Call me crazy but this team is built to win in the short term and unless Detroit or Indiana get weaker, I don't see Mia beating those teams at full strength in the next 2-3 years. Now I wonder if the Lakers succeed during this time span and the Heat get worse, if Sportscenter will run a "Maybe wewere wrong about Buss' decision" feature :-) Read more!
Speed Round - Game 5 Analysis
Gangsta D:
First off, this guy is an idiot http://www.slate.com/id/2121018/. Second, Iknew this game would be a good one. The first 4 were skunk bombs and I was driving home from ATL last night so I missed it. Of course I would miss the only redeemable game of the series. At any rate:
- One of these days people are gonna stop leaving Horry open for threes. Itdoesn't matter if he hasn't scored in 3 games, this is what he does people. And he's been doing it forever.
- Yeah I saw the highlights of Duncan's put back and he fufilled his quota for one emotional outburst a season. But 1-7 from the free throw line in crunch time and an almost costly turnover? I hate to be picky, but when people start talking G.O.A.T, you HAVE TO BE PICKY.
- I can't count the Pistons out because they are defending champions, but I can't beleive they'll go into San Antonio and win two straight. MAYBE they get it to game 7, and that's gonna take a monumental effort. They're capable, but only if they want it bad enough.
- The NBA can NOT miss any games next year due to a lockout. They don'twant this series to be the last memory fans have of the NBA. They'll neverget the casual fan back...
Da Realist:
i agree with this statement 100%.
Waldini:
Yea, I was exhausted from TOO many activities over the weekend so I onlysaw the first half. I was pretty steamed this morning when I woke up, checked the scoreboard and saw Big Shot Rob hit anotha big shot.
- This series is over. I said Spurs in 6 and I stand by that statement. Nowwould have I said that after the Game 4 blowout...but of course :-)
- Is Horry the greatest role player ever? I'm sure he will be the topic ofdiscussion on every sportstalk, tv, radio show possible but keep in mind, he was pretty much a non-factor for any team btw 2003 and 2004. But I am happy to see he's "rediscovered" himself
- I wonder if the experts want to retract the greatest PF title attached toDuncan when this series is over. At best he has been decent but definitelynot Hall of Fame/Elite consistently in this series
- Will RASHOOO NEsterovic prove Stephen A wrong (Last year he said you can't win w/RASSHOOOO Nesterovic) and get that ring? :-0
Oh yea, the dude that wrote that article is indeed an idiot.
Gangsta D:
See Realist, we have respect and admiration for an ex-Laker. Even one who plays for the Spurs. You know why? He kept his mouth shut. I haven't heard of him saying anything derogatory about the Lakers. Although I am kind of pissed, cause if he had done the same thing in Game 5 of the 2003 series, we'd have won 4 straight titles. But I'm over that...
Waldini:
Why did I think the exact same thing this morning :-)...Sheeyat I wouldhave told Jerry to pay him the 4.9 mil in 04 if he had done this
Da Realist:
rasheed wallace OWES the pistons a win in game 6. what a brain lock! the only way to redeem himself for such stupidity would be if he put the pistons on his back for game 6. but does he have this much heart?
this series is not over. i'm not counting out the champs. i still think they can win in san antonio, maybe even two.
richard hamilton has been reading too many of his press clippings. because of the run last year, he was elevated to "superstar" status when he was really just a good role player. now he's been hearing that he's the second coming of reggie miller so much that he tries to pull a miracle everytime he touches the ball. richard, stop trying so hard...that's not your game.
Waldini:
What'chu talkin bout Willis?!? Rip is a superstar, so is Chauncey, TonyParker, Manu, Wade, and all other guards that made the playoffs this year:-) I mean if I were building a team, any of these guys would be my first pick over players such as Garnett, Duncan, Kobe, O'Neal, AI and those other guys. These superstars play the game the RIGHT way
Simmons said it best last week, Sportstalk radio is killin sports. It onlytakes one game, one play, whateva and someone immediately is christened a superstar. Gimme a break. And I think they pay Hubie Brown extra to elevate the skills of all the players. Btw him promoting Rasho as a great defensive player and Sheed as an excellent defender, I think he's earned himself at least a cool mil in retirement fund, lol Read more!
First off, this guy is an idiot http://www.slate.com/id/2121018/. Second, Iknew this game would be a good one. The first 4 were skunk bombs and I was driving home from ATL last night so I missed it. Of course I would miss the only redeemable game of the series. At any rate:
- One of these days people are gonna stop leaving Horry open for threes. Itdoesn't matter if he hasn't scored in 3 games, this is what he does people. And he's been doing it forever.
- Yeah I saw the highlights of Duncan's put back and he fufilled his quota for one emotional outburst a season. But 1-7 from the free throw line in crunch time and an almost costly turnover? I hate to be picky, but when people start talking G.O.A.T, you HAVE TO BE PICKY.
- I can't count the Pistons out because they are defending champions, but I can't beleive they'll go into San Antonio and win two straight. MAYBE they get it to game 7, and that's gonna take a monumental effort. They're capable, but only if they want it bad enough.
- The NBA can NOT miss any games next year due to a lockout. They don'twant this series to be the last memory fans have of the NBA. They'll neverget the casual fan back...
Da Realist:
i agree with this statement 100%.
Waldini:
Yea, I was exhausted from TOO many activities over the weekend so I onlysaw the first half. I was pretty steamed this morning when I woke up, checked the scoreboard and saw Big Shot Rob hit anotha big shot.
- This series is over. I said Spurs in 6 and I stand by that statement. Nowwould have I said that after the Game 4 blowout...but of course :-)
- Is Horry the greatest role player ever? I'm sure he will be the topic ofdiscussion on every sportstalk, tv, radio show possible but keep in mind, he was pretty much a non-factor for any team btw 2003 and 2004. But I am happy to see he's "rediscovered" himself
- I wonder if the experts want to retract the greatest PF title attached toDuncan when this series is over. At best he has been decent but definitelynot Hall of Fame/Elite consistently in this series
- Will RASHOOO NEsterovic prove Stephen A wrong (Last year he said you can't win w/RASSHOOOO Nesterovic) and get that ring? :-0
Oh yea, the dude that wrote that article is indeed an idiot.
Gangsta D:
See Realist, we have respect and admiration for an ex-Laker. Even one who plays for the Spurs. You know why? He kept his mouth shut. I haven't heard of him saying anything derogatory about the Lakers. Although I am kind of pissed, cause if he had done the same thing in Game 5 of the 2003 series, we'd have won 4 straight titles. But I'm over that...
Waldini:
Why did I think the exact same thing this morning :-)...Sheeyat I wouldhave told Jerry to pay him the 4.9 mil in 04 if he had done this
Da Realist:
rasheed wallace OWES the pistons a win in game 6. what a brain lock! the only way to redeem himself for such stupidity would be if he put the pistons on his back for game 6. but does he have this much heart?
this series is not over. i'm not counting out the champs. i still think they can win in san antonio, maybe even two.
richard hamilton has been reading too many of his press clippings. because of the run last year, he was elevated to "superstar" status when he was really just a good role player. now he's been hearing that he's the second coming of reggie miller so much that he tries to pull a miracle everytime he touches the ball. richard, stop trying so hard...that's not your game.
Waldini:
What'chu talkin bout Willis?!? Rip is a superstar, so is Chauncey, TonyParker, Manu, Wade, and all other guards that made the playoffs this year:-) I mean if I were building a team, any of these guys would be my first pick over players such as Garnett, Duncan, Kobe, O'Neal, AI and those other guys. These superstars play the game the RIGHT way
Simmons said it best last week, Sportstalk radio is killin sports. It onlytakes one game, one play, whateva and someone immediately is christened a superstar. Gimme a break. And I think they pay Hubie Brown extra to elevate the skills of all the players. Btw him promoting Rasho as a great defensive player and Sheed as an excellent defender, I think he's earned himself at least a cool mil in retirement fund, lol Read more!
Speed Round - College Football II
Waldini:
See there you go bringin up the past. But I can go Back to the Future too :-). When was the last time FSU and Tenn met in a game? Oh that's right, that was the Fiesta Bowl in Jan '99. And what happened...When was the last time Miami and Tenn met in a game? Oh that's right, that was a regular season game in the Orange Bowl in '03. And what happened... Anytime you mention a Spurrier anti-Vol comment, I immediately switch to Darth Waldo :-)
Da Realist:
you know, i remember our starting quarterback not even playing that game! but that's ok, you can have your one championship.
Waldini:
we got the same amount as you hombre....2 I love that "our starting QB" didnt play comment every time we bring up this comment. But your Defense let you down (Rolle getting burned repeatedly by Price) as much as the offense.
Da Realist:
you beat a team run by marcus outzen. and when was the first championship? 1972?
Waldini:
Doesn't matter bottom line they won the same amount. And like I told D about Miami, I will tell you the same thing, Tenn won the same amount of national championships as FSU in the past ten yrs...ONE.
Now if we are talking 15-20 yrs, you have a good argument :-) And it's not my fault Outzen never developed as QB, Weinke got hurt, etc, etc. All I know is two teams walked into the Fiesta Bowl looking for titles, and one team walked out with the right to be called champion. And that my friend was WHOOOOOO, that Tenn Volunteers. Schiavone, winners win and WOOOOOO losers lose. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm headed to the limo to show 60 women why they call me the 60 min man :-)
Da Realist:
HILARIOUS! :-D the nature boy! Read more!
See there you go bringin up the past. But I can go Back to the Future too :-). When was the last time FSU and Tenn met in a game? Oh that's right, that was the Fiesta Bowl in Jan '99. And what happened...When was the last time Miami and Tenn met in a game? Oh that's right, that was a regular season game in the Orange Bowl in '03. And what happened... Anytime you mention a Spurrier anti-Vol comment, I immediately switch to Darth Waldo :-)
Da Realist:
you know, i remember our starting quarterback not even playing that game! but that's ok, you can have your one championship.
Waldini:
we got the same amount as you hombre....2 I love that "our starting QB" didnt play comment every time we bring up this comment. But your Defense let you down (Rolle getting burned repeatedly by Price) as much as the offense.
Da Realist:
you beat a team run by marcus outzen. and when was the first championship? 1972?
Waldini:
Doesn't matter bottom line they won the same amount. And like I told D about Miami, I will tell you the same thing, Tenn won the same amount of national championships as FSU in the past ten yrs...ONE.
Now if we are talking 15-20 yrs, you have a good argument :-) And it's not my fault Outzen never developed as QB, Weinke got hurt, etc, etc. All I know is two teams walked into the Fiesta Bowl looking for titles, and one team walked out with the right to be called champion. And that my friend was WHOOOOOO, that Tenn Volunteers. Schiavone, winners win and WOOOOOO losers lose. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm headed to the limo to show 60 women why they call me the 60 min man :-)
Da Realist:
HILARIOUS! :-D the nature boy! Read more!
Speed Round - College Football I
Da Realist:
i don't remember reading any comments about this article. where is that fan of the team heading to the gator bowl? http://www.sportingnews.com/cfootball/
Gangsta D:
What the f*ck does this guy know...
Da Realist:
don't worry...behind the rose bowl, sugar bowl, fiestabowl, orange bowl, the "and-1" bowl and the cotton bowl, the gator bowl is the most prestigious bowl out there. certainly more prestigious than the "youcan't spell citrus without U-T" bowl, right Waldini? :-) (i can't wait until college football season!)
Gangsta D:
That's cool, so when FSU goes there you'll be happy right? Oh, that's if you can even make it to such a prestigious bowl game with a freshman starting at QB... The morning of September 6th, I wanna hear ZERO excuses! I mean, not a single one...
Da Realist:
does miami not have a freshman quarterback this year? i thought i saw a bunch of scrubs on the depth chart. maybe i was wrong. we'll see in tallahassee. (and if they fire jeff bowden by then i'll be guaranteeing a win.)
Gangsta D:
Uh yeah, he's our backup. Our STARTER is a third year sophmore. Oh yeah, the freshman was High School Player of the year, as was our starter. Why do you FSU fans continue to even open your mouths? You haven't a leg to standon. Shut your mouths, do your stupid chant, and wait for the inevitable meltdown by your QB. Holla...
Da Realist:
i haven't had this much fun since the lakers were losing. :-D i'll have even more fun this fall when the big, bad canes get dropped. your best player (antrell) just graduated, patna. you're no longer afactory after ceding that distinction to usc. and as far as our chances on september 5, i feel confident as long as our quarterback isn't named "chris rix". but since jeff bowden is still employed as the OC, you still have a shot. but you're NOT a powerhouse this year.
Gangsta D:
YOU are telling us that WE still have a shot? To beat FSU?!? I can't even have a rational conversation after hearing that... Read more!
i don't remember reading any comments about this article. where is that fan of the team heading to the gator bowl? http://www.sportingnews.com/cfootball/
Gangsta D:
What the f*ck does this guy know...
Da Realist:
don't worry...behind the rose bowl, sugar bowl, fiestabowl, orange bowl, the "and-1" bowl and the cotton bowl, the gator bowl is the most prestigious bowl out there. certainly more prestigious than the "youcan't spell citrus without U-T" bowl, right Waldini? :-) (i can't wait until college football season!)
Gangsta D:
That's cool, so when FSU goes there you'll be happy right? Oh, that's if you can even make it to such a prestigious bowl game with a freshman starting at QB... The morning of September 6th, I wanna hear ZERO excuses! I mean, not a single one...
Da Realist:
does miami not have a freshman quarterback this year? i thought i saw a bunch of scrubs on the depth chart. maybe i was wrong. we'll see in tallahassee. (and if they fire jeff bowden by then i'll be guaranteeing a win.)
Gangsta D:
Uh yeah, he's our backup. Our STARTER is a third year sophmore. Oh yeah, the freshman was High School Player of the year, as was our starter. Why do you FSU fans continue to even open your mouths? You haven't a leg to standon. Shut your mouths, do your stupid chant, and wait for the inevitable meltdown by your QB. Holla...
Da Realist:
i haven't had this much fun since the lakers were losing. :-D i'll have even more fun this fall when the big, bad canes get dropped. your best player (antrell) just graduated, patna. you're no longer afactory after ceding that distinction to usc. and as far as our chances on september 5, i feel confident as long as our quarterback isn't named "chris rix". but since jeff bowden is still employed as the OC, you still have a shot. but you're NOT a powerhouse this year.
Gangsta D:
YOU are telling us that WE still have a shot? To beat FSU?!? I can't even have a rational conversation after hearing that... Read more!
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Tom Joyner Skyshow recap
I had the pleasure of attending my first Tom Joyner SkyShow courtesy of my company. Keep in mind, I was up at 3amish on a Friday morning just so I could get decent seating at 4:3oam in the morning (and you wouldn't believe how long that line was when I first passed near the arena). The night before I learned who would be performing...Faith Evans, Tommy Davidson, and Gerald Levert. Going in, I wasn't too thrilled with any of the acts but as long as I didnt have to go to work, friggin Bert and Ernie coulda been on stage and I woulda been aight
The show started at on-time at 5am (I only mention this b/c on-time and black people usually dont go in the same sentence). Faith opened and I mentioned to my co-worker that if she didn't sing the hook from One More Chance (the remix), then it was a waste of a concert. Low and behold after two tracks, she did indeed do a 2 min mix and sing the hook. So I immediately upgraded her from a C to a A++ just on GP :-). She ended with some song I didnt know but eff it she sang what she was known 4 in '95 so I'm good
Tommy Davidson was the next act and I thought he was living in Europe or something. I mean I had not seen ANYTHING from this cat since In Living Color (For you youngstas that's old school for me). He opened up with the traditional diff between black folks, white folks stuff. Usually this signals a dry, same ole, same ole routine but he actually wasnt' that bad. However, he ended with how he missed old school songs (actually sang those joints, sigh) and how he cant relate to the songs today. Funny but not Chris Rock, Eddie Murhpy, Martin Lawrence funny. More like BET Comicview in the 2000s funny. And that my friends gets you no higher than a B.
The main attraction was Gerald Levert and let me just say after seeing him live....dude tore the house down. I did not know how much females loved this cat as they were fallin' all over themselves with every song he sang (You got that love, Funny, Casanova --- yea playa he broke that out). He started throwing teddy bears to the crowd during one song and these two chicks were about to throw blows over it. Anotha chick bumrushed security, got on to stage to touch Gerald, then promptly met the forearm of Houston's finest b4 being escorted off stage. What I dont understand is how females can hate on the big bone brothas but then fiend ova Gerald Levert. Guess if you got some pipes then all is forgotten, lol. Regardless, I thought Eddie was in concert the way Gerald was singin...A+++++++
Keep in mind the show had takes in between each artists so we were there for a minute. During the takes, Tom Joyner and crew were playin with the crowd. A few random thoughts from yours truly
- Sistas act like you aint starstruck. Just b/c J Anthony Brown asks a ladies with tatoos on they chest to come up to him and get a T-shirt, dont mean you need to take OFF your shirt to get a t-shirt. The sadder part was ole girl was built like the Kool Aid Man but I definitely wasnt sayin Oh Yeah when she showed her goodies
- Folks I can understand getting early to a spot so you can get the best spot. But btw the bruh who was in line at 6pm the PREVIOUS night and ole girl who brought her two kids with her at 1am that morning, I was through. 6pm...sheeyat I'm sending you home cuz you know you smell like a combo of feet, ass, and outside at 4amish in the morning.
- Dont get on stage if you are not talented. I'm talking about the man who said he could ride upside down on a bike, ole boy who said he could dance like the King of Pop, and the Ike turner lookalike who said he could sing. Man on a bike did flip upside down on the bike but he just turned the wheel. Ole boy didnt do ONE single MJ move, he kept popblockin like Omarion in the Touch video. And my favorite, Ike Turner, got up there tryin to sing and sounded like Jackson Heights' own MIIISSSSSTTAAA RANDY....WATSON (See Coming to America). And then got mad when Tom forced him off stage.
- I know its a free event but dayum cant ya'll provide some snacks for a bruh during this show. We already up early but they aint no coffee, no juice, no pastries, no cookies, nada...I know they made enough loot from the cruise...hook it up man!
That's it man, my overall experience was a good one...Had a good time watchin the acts and laughin at folks that morning. This is your reporter givin you the facts....
Great Waldini Read more!
The show started at on-time at 5am (I only mention this b/c on-time and black people usually dont go in the same sentence). Faith opened and I mentioned to my co-worker that if she didn't sing the hook from One More Chance (the remix), then it was a waste of a concert. Low and behold after two tracks, she did indeed do a 2 min mix and sing the hook. So I immediately upgraded her from a C to a A++ just on GP :-). She ended with some song I didnt know but eff it she sang what she was known 4 in '95 so I'm good
Tommy Davidson was the next act and I thought he was living in Europe or something. I mean I had not seen ANYTHING from this cat since In Living Color (For you youngstas that's old school for me). He opened up with the traditional diff between black folks, white folks stuff. Usually this signals a dry, same ole, same ole routine but he actually wasnt' that bad. However, he ended with how he missed old school songs (actually sang those joints, sigh) and how he cant relate to the songs today. Funny but not Chris Rock, Eddie Murhpy, Martin Lawrence funny. More like BET Comicview in the 2000s funny. And that my friends gets you no higher than a B.
The main attraction was Gerald Levert and let me just say after seeing him live....dude tore the house down. I did not know how much females loved this cat as they were fallin' all over themselves with every song he sang (You got that love, Funny, Casanova --- yea playa he broke that out). He started throwing teddy bears to the crowd during one song and these two chicks were about to throw blows over it. Anotha chick bumrushed security, got on to stage to touch Gerald, then promptly met the forearm of Houston's finest b4 being escorted off stage. What I dont understand is how females can hate on the big bone brothas but then fiend ova Gerald Levert. Guess if you got some pipes then all is forgotten, lol. Regardless, I thought Eddie was in concert the way Gerald was singin...A+++++++
Keep in mind the show had takes in between each artists so we were there for a minute. During the takes, Tom Joyner and crew were playin with the crowd. A few random thoughts from yours truly
- Sistas act like you aint starstruck. Just b/c J Anthony Brown asks a ladies with tatoos on they chest to come up to him and get a T-shirt, dont mean you need to take OFF your shirt to get a t-shirt. The sadder part was ole girl was built like the Kool Aid Man but I definitely wasnt sayin Oh Yeah when she showed her goodies
- Folks I can understand getting early to a spot so you can get the best spot. But btw the bruh who was in line at 6pm the PREVIOUS night and ole girl who brought her two kids with her at 1am that morning, I was through. 6pm...sheeyat I'm sending you home cuz you know you smell like a combo of feet, ass, and outside at 4amish in the morning.
- Dont get on stage if you are not talented. I'm talking about the man who said he could ride upside down on a bike, ole boy who said he could dance like the King of Pop, and the Ike turner lookalike who said he could sing. Man on a bike did flip upside down on the bike but he just turned the wheel. Ole boy didnt do ONE single MJ move, he kept popblockin like Omarion in the Touch video. And my favorite, Ike Turner, got up there tryin to sing and sounded like Jackson Heights' own MIIISSSSSTTAAA RANDY....WATSON (See Coming to America). And then got mad when Tom forced him off stage.
- I know its a free event but dayum cant ya'll provide some snacks for a bruh during this show. We already up early but they aint no coffee, no juice, no pastries, no cookies, nada...I know they made enough loot from the cruise...hook it up man!
That's it man, my overall experience was a good one...Had a good time watchin the acts and laughin at folks that morning. This is your reporter givin you the facts....
Great Waldini Read more!
Friday, June 17, 2005
Laker Hatin
Da Realist:
i swear it seems like your better teams are really the chicago bulls lite. first phil and the whole damn coaching staff, then ron harper, then horace grant, now this?!! throw in a wannabe mike and it...makes...me...sick!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8233954/
Gangsta D:
Quit your whining. Just cause your team's sucked 6 out of the last 7 years, doesn't mean you have to hate on mine:) Plus Luc Longley and Will Perdo ain't quite on Shaq's level...combined times 3...and I hate Shaq so it's not exactly Bull lite...
Waldini:
I guess you would be upset if MJ accepted a front office position within the Lakers' organization :-)
Gangsta D:
Oh God! He'd go on a kill-crazy rampage. He'd make the Unabomber look likeMother Teresa...
Da Realist:
AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! Read more!
i swear it seems like your better teams are really the chicago bulls lite. first phil and the whole damn coaching staff, then ron harper, then horace grant, now this?!! throw in a wannabe mike and it...makes...me...sick!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8233954/
Gangsta D:
Quit your whining. Just cause your team's sucked 6 out of the last 7 years, doesn't mean you have to hate on mine:) Plus Luc Longley and Will Perdo ain't quite on Shaq's level...combined times 3...and I hate Shaq so it's not exactly Bull lite...
Waldini:
I guess you would be upset if MJ accepted a front office position within the Lakers' organization :-)
Gangsta D:
Oh God! He'd go on a kill-crazy rampage. He'd make the Unabomber look likeMother Teresa...
Da Realist:
AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! Read more!
The Worstest?
Gangsta D:
Worst Finals of your lifetime? Anyone?
Da Realist:
worst? gotta be san antonio-new jersey. this hasn'tbeen compelling yet. but there are at least 2 gamesto go. let's see what happens.
Waldini:
Naw aint the worst...the Spurs-Knicks in '99 was a deathknell for the league. Also thought the Spurs-NJ two years ago was dry as well as theLakers-NJ.
Gangsta D:
There's a common theme in there somewhere. If I were only smart enough tofigure it out... Read more!
Worst Finals of your lifetime? Anyone?
Da Realist:
worst? gotta be san antonio-new jersey. this hasn'tbeen compelling yet. but there are at least 2 gamesto go. let's see what happens.
Waldini:
Naw aint the worst...the Spurs-Knicks in '99 was a deathknell for the league. Also thought the Spurs-NJ two years ago was dry as well as theLakers-NJ.
Gangsta D:
There's a common theme in there somewhere. If I were only smart enough tofigure it out... Read more!
Speed Round - Game 4
Da Realist:
so many people were ready to annoint tim duncan as thegreatest power forward of all time. where are those people now?
about the spurs... you know, there is a such thing as being too nice, in sports and life (i usually use sports as a metaphor for life). the pistons hit the spurs and the spurs were too nice to hit back. they didn't even show up last night. they have a history of this. they'll jump up 2 games to 0 and then allow the other team to get two quick easy games to tie itup. look at how they were with the lakers the last 2 years and in the finals against new jersey and you'll see a trend. this is because the spurs take alifetime to adjust. once the other team adjusts to what the spurs do in games 1 and 2, the spurs take agame or 2 (or 4, in the lakers series last year) to recover. sometimes it's too late. also, they need some attitude. i'm tired of hearing how nice these guys are. i'm tired of hearing bruce bowen's sob story (belongs on lifetime, not nba finals). i'm tired of tim's stoic sulk after another bad performance by himself and his team. and i'm tired of tony parker and eva longoria. when are these guys gonna wake up and TAKE it? put a couple of pistons on their a$$! hey spurs! it's okay to get alittle emotional sometimes. can give you an edge ingetting that championship.
this is why i didn't panic when the spurs looked likeworld beaters after game 2. because i know their history.
Gangsta D:
Your superstar player cannot look like a sulken 8 year old who didn't getwhat he wanted for Christmas. That was the same look LA gave him four years ago in game 3. They promised to come out more intense and play with heart. They promptly lost by 30 AGAIN in game 4. Somebody needs to commit aflagrant foul in the first minute of the game. Otherwise, Detroit is gonna continue to manhandle them.
Waldini:
Saw the highlights and Coach Pop was strokin Timmy D's knee like he was a10 yr old. That image pretty much sums up how tough the Spurs are. Like I said before, the media does a GREAT job of painting a picture for which ever team wins. I'm sure I'll read how great Brown adapted to coaching or BigBen has so much to overcome and he's playing like the warrior he is or Billups is leading by example or Prince is the greatest late 1st rd pickever...whateva
And if da Spurs win, then it's back to Tim is the greatest PF ever, Manu is the best 2 guard in the league, Bowen is the best defender ever....whateva Read more!
so many people were ready to annoint tim duncan as thegreatest power forward of all time. where are those people now?
about the spurs... you know, there is a such thing as being too nice, in sports and life (i usually use sports as a metaphor for life). the pistons hit the spurs and the spurs were too nice to hit back. they didn't even show up last night. they have a history of this. they'll jump up 2 games to 0 and then allow the other team to get two quick easy games to tie itup. look at how they were with the lakers the last 2 years and in the finals against new jersey and you'll see a trend. this is because the spurs take alifetime to adjust. once the other team adjusts to what the spurs do in games 1 and 2, the spurs take agame or 2 (or 4, in the lakers series last year) to recover. sometimes it's too late. also, they need some attitude. i'm tired of hearing how nice these guys are. i'm tired of hearing bruce bowen's sob story (belongs on lifetime, not nba finals). i'm tired of tim's stoic sulk after another bad performance by himself and his team. and i'm tired of tony parker and eva longoria. when are these guys gonna wake up and TAKE it? put a couple of pistons on their a$$! hey spurs! it's okay to get alittle emotional sometimes. can give you an edge ingetting that championship.
this is why i didn't panic when the spurs looked likeworld beaters after game 2. because i know their history.
Gangsta D:
Your superstar player cannot look like a sulken 8 year old who didn't getwhat he wanted for Christmas. That was the same look LA gave him four years ago in game 3. They promised to come out more intense and play with heart. They promptly lost by 30 AGAIN in game 4. Somebody needs to commit aflagrant foul in the first minute of the game. Otherwise, Detroit is gonna continue to manhandle them.
Waldini:
Saw the highlights and Coach Pop was strokin Timmy D's knee like he was a10 yr old. That image pretty much sums up how tough the Spurs are. Like I said before, the media does a GREAT job of painting a picture for which ever team wins. I'm sure I'll read how great Brown adapted to coaching or BigBen has so much to overcome and he's playing like the warrior he is or Billups is leading by example or Prince is the greatest late 1st rd pickever...whateva
And if da Spurs win, then it's back to Tim is the greatest PF ever, Manu is the best 2 guard in the league, Bowen is the best defender ever....whateva Read more!
The Bestest?
Da Realist:
who's the best player in the nba right now? this guy just asked that on sports radio and i gotta admit i'm stumped.
tim duncan? show me an all world player that looked like tim has the last 2 games. and besides, he racks up nice numbers, but when does he CHANGE THE GAME?
kobe bryant? after last year?
shaq? on the downside of career. allen iverson? 40% from the field doesn't cut it.
t-mac? no heart. no second round appearance.
dwayne wade? not this year.
kevin garnett? see kobe bryant.
Gangsta D:
It's Steve Nash of course...
I don't know, whoever it is it's by default. I don't know if there is a definitive best player. Here's my top 5:
Duncan (Lock)
Garnett (Lock)
Kobe (Lock)
A.I. (Lock)
Amare (Conditional)
Waldini:
Yes, I have to agree with both of you...I do not think it's that simple. I agree with D on the first 4, and would replace Amare with Shaq...only b/c of his impact to other players.
Gangsta D:
Shaq sucks... Read more!
who's the best player in the nba right now? this guy just asked that on sports radio and i gotta admit i'm stumped.
tim duncan? show me an all world player that looked like tim has the last 2 games. and besides, he racks up nice numbers, but when does he CHANGE THE GAME?
kobe bryant? after last year?
shaq? on the downside of career. allen iverson? 40% from the field doesn't cut it.
t-mac? no heart. no second round appearance.
dwayne wade? not this year.
kevin garnett? see kobe bryant.
Gangsta D:
It's Steve Nash of course...
I don't know, whoever it is it's by default. I don't know if there is a definitive best player. Here's my top 5:
Duncan (Lock)
Garnett (Lock)
Kobe (Lock)
A.I. (Lock)
Amare (Conditional)
Waldini:
Yes, I have to agree with both of you...I do not think it's that simple. I agree with D on the first 4, and would replace Amare with Shaq...only b/c of his impact to other players.
Gangsta D:
Shaq sucks... Read more!
Transformers
Da Realist:
can you believe this?Gangsta D:
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/art-main.html?2004-11/24/08.00.film
Yeah, I've known for the last year or so. I don'tDa Realist:
know. Michael Bay does outrageous well, but I don't
know. The characters are gonna have to be
hella realistic, but ILM is doing the FX so it
should be tight. But I think they're making a BIG
mistake by not using the Cybertron origin story. I
don't know. I never thought I'd see a live action
Transformer movie, and I'm not sure that was a bad thing...
Da Realist:
being that this is one of my favorite stories, i'm
unfortunately going to be highly critical. it's
going to have to be dat bomb $hit for me to give it
grudging praise. but this is my fault. i would love
if they just remade the '86 movie using live-action.
don't recreate the story because true TF fans know what
happened. and besides, how can you improve the
storyline? that was the most emotional cartoon made
until lion king. EXTRA BONUS: if they can find a
way to bring back the voices of Megatron, Optimus Prime
and Soundwave, i'm good!
i was looking after my wife's co-worker's son 2 days
ago and he picked up my Megatron toy. after fooling
around with it (and almost breaking it! after which
i would have broken his neck...), i decided to school
the young fella. i brought out season 1 of the
cartoons. you should have seen his eyes when
megatron turned to a gun! that cartoon is still
interesting today, 20 years later.
Gangsta D:
Dude I just watched the movie the other day and it's
still better than 90% of the stuff out now. I'm like
you, they HAVE to come with it. No shorts.
Nothing but greatness. I don't know if Speilberg
and Bay realize how important the Transformers are
to our generation. One of the names being
bandied about for Prime's voice...George Clooney.
This is not a good start...
george clooney? i see they are not serious about thisGangsta D:
thing.
that megatron-optimus prime fight from the movie still
gets me because i loved and respected them both and
didn't want either one of them to die. but this was
necessary and made TF the movie the most compelling
cartoon. i understand that now, i didn't then.
i don't know, man. i don't want to see them turn this
into garbage. i've been known to skip out on favorite
characters of mine when i feel they aren't done
justice. for example, the incredible hulk is my
favorite superhero. but to me, bill bixby is the only
david banner and lou ferigno is the only hulk. and
since bill bixby is dead, the hulk franchise died with
him. watching that bull**** movie that came out a
little while ago was not an option. i may have to
skip out on this and re-watch the original.
I still get choked up when Prime dies. It was like theWaldini:
end of innocence. Honestly, I think that's the first time
I ever saw a superhero die onscreen, a major when at least.
It's like the illusion disappeared. I think I became
hardened and cynical after that moment.
Yea, like D, I knew about the Transformers live movieDa Realist:
last year and I just rolled my eyes. This is my favorite
cartoon of all time and I dont want to see its' image or
legacy tarnished by a bad script and/or bad visuals. I
dont know, it has the potential to be really, really
hot or a really really bad idea. TJ, I am still rollin
ova your story about watching your friend's kid :-).
Was LMAO for a good 5 min ("I woulda broke his neck,
hahahahahaha).
Oh yea dont care what anyone says, the Hulk movie was pure,
unadulterated boredom and bull****.
it's kinda funny looking back on it because his mom was onRead more!
her way out and hadn't left yet. he picked it up and
started yanking all the parts around trying to change
it to a gun. as you two probably know, megatron is
the most delicate transformer because of all his
unorthodox transforming methods. one wrong move and
no more megatron. well, anyway, i felt myself getting
tense. (now, this boy is only 7!) his mom was
completely oblivious, but athena saw... she saw me
sizing that little boy up like a hawk and she started
laughing. :-) his mom kept asking what was so funny!
WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's a very crucial Game 4 for both teams. If Detroit wins, they have momentum AND another home game. If the Spurs win, the series is over. So one would expect BOTH teams to play high caliber basketball, wouldn't one? Well, somebody forgot to tell the Spurs. Ten minutes to go in the 4th qtr and you're down by 20?!?! By 20?!?! And I still haven't got a close game in this series. Unbelievable. Does anyone remember what happened last year against the Lakers? I had the Spurs in five after the first two games. Am I an idiot or are the Spurs suspect? Probably a bit of both, but can we PLEASE, for the love of God get a close game in this series. I don't care if it's 85-81. Just ONE close game...
Read more!
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Speed Round - Game 3
Waldini:
I guess Manu isnt the best 2 guard in the league is he (2 of 6, 7 points). Like I said yesterday, these young cats including Kobe (that was for you Da Realist, lol) do NOT compare to Mike. A bad game for Jordan in his prime was 20 points (I usa ta love the classic Albert line> "Jordan was limited to 22 points today). 20 friggin points??? Not single digits I still say Spurs in 6
Gangsta D:
This series sucks. And I'm not just hating. I don't mind defense and I can appreciate good defensive series, so this series had potential to have at least ONE intriguing game. All three games have been blowouts. This is not compelling. I literally watched like 5 minutes last night, so I don't know, but were the Pistons still complaining. I did see Tony Parker hitting the deck, so I guess Detroit stepped it up defensively.
Waldini:
You watched 3 more mins than me....I was finishing my work then turned on PS2 for a change. Caugh the halftime score and went to bed. My wife told me this morning that the Spurs got blown out. I read the part about Manu this morning. I do know the intros were long as hell, prbly why I did not watch the game
Da Realist:
not only do they not start the game until 9:30 est, but the halftime show is longer than a quarter! they treat these games like they are all on sunday at 6pm. they should have at least have one game on the weekend that starts early enough so little kids can grow up watching like we did back in the day. and on that day, you can show the sob story of bruce bowen in a halftime feature. but NOT AT 10:30 AT NIGHT when i have to go to work the next day! the nba is alienating the future audience by coming on so late that kid's can't stay up to watch. even the adults can't last. did you know that half of the nation's population resides in the eastern time zone? why alienate that many people? i understand that 9pm est is 6pm pst, but can you give us an hour? come on at 8, at least. and quit treating each game like it's monday night football!
Gangsta D
Stern wants to make the Finals a spectacle like the Super Bowl, but it never will. The Super Bowl's a one time event, the Finals comprise a series. It's not going to have the same effect. Why do we need a 30 minute pregame before EVERY game? What the Hell are they talking about? Give us 15 minutes and start the game at 8:45!
Waldini:
They need to go back to the old days when the games pregame started at 8pmEST and the game started at 8:13pm EST. Cut the halftime down to the normal time and roll w/it Read more!
I guess Manu isnt the best 2 guard in the league is he (2 of 6, 7 points). Like I said yesterday, these young cats including Kobe (that was for you Da Realist, lol) do NOT compare to Mike. A bad game for Jordan in his prime was 20 points (I usa ta love the classic Albert line> "Jordan was limited to 22 points today). 20 friggin points??? Not single digits I still say Spurs in 6
Gangsta D:
This series sucks. And I'm not just hating. I don't mind defense and I can appreciate good defensive series, so this series had potential to have at least ONE intriguing game. All three games have been blowouts. This is not compelling. I literally watched like 5 minutes last night, so I don't know, but were the Pistons still complaining. I did see Tony Parker hitting the deck, so I guess Detroit stepped it up defensively.
Waldini:
You watched 3 more mins than me....I was finishing my work then turned on PS2 for a change. Caugh the halftime score and went to bed. My wife told me this morning that the Spurs got blown out. I read the part about Manu this morning. I do know the intros were long as hell, prbly why I did not watch the game
Da Realist:
not only do they not start the game until 9:30 est, but the halftime show is longer than a quarter! they treat these games like they are all on sunday at 6pm. they should have at least have one game on the weekend that starts early enough so little kids can grow up watching like we did back in the day. and on that day, you can show the sob story of bruce bowen in a halftime feature. but NOT AT 10:30 AT NIGHT when i have to go to work the next day! the nba is alienating the future audience by coming on so late that kid's can't stay up to watch. even the adults can't last. did you know that half of the nation's population resides in the eastern time zone? why alienate that many people? i understand that 9pm est is 6pm pst, but can you give us an hour? come on at 8, at least. and quit treating each game like it's monday night football!
Gangsta D
Stern wants to make the Finals a spectacle like the Super Bowl, but it never will. The Super Bowl's a one time event, the Finals comprise a series. It's not going to have the same effect. Why do we need a 30 minute pregame before EVERY game? What the Hell are they talking about? Give us 15 minutes and start the game at 8:45!
Waldini:
They need to go back to the old days when the games pregame started at 8pmEST and the game started at 8:13pm EST. Cut the halftime down to the normal time and roll w/it Read more!
Vader's got mad handle
From the Great Waldini:
You know I was thinking about that writer who stated that this Spurs teamis the best team since the '97 Bulls, which of course is an ultimate slapin the face to the '98 Bulls and '00-02 Lakers. If you think really hardabout it, the guy is basically pulling a Star Wars (trying to compare aclassic to something that will never be a classic)
The '90 Bulls are like the original Star Wars Trilogy -
Star Wars aka 1991 - 1993 Bulls - This team was new to advancing past the conf finals, new to winning championships, new to posting back to back to back, etc. They were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed until Obi Wan aka Phil Jackson started to mentor them and then Luke aka MJ learned the ways of the force. He had help from Han Solo aka Scottie Pippen and Chewbacca aka Horance Grant along with the other rebels. They destroy the dark side on their way to establishing dominance in the Galaxy
Empire Strikes Back - Summer of '93 to Summer '95 - Luke gets his hand cut or retires from the sport, Chewbacca grows tired of the rebels, and Han Solo might as well have been frozen in carbon freeze since he was lost w/o his bandmates. The Dark Side gets stronger as the West takes the title in the absence of the Rebel Alliance being down
Return of the Jedi - '96 Bulls - '98 Bulls - Luke returns with a vengeance and serves notice to everyone he is back. No matter which Sith he faces Darth Kemp, Darth Malone, or Darth Stockton, he thwarts them all and restores peace in the galaxy. Han is thawed out and he picks up Chewie's lil brother Rodbacca for new adventures
The Spurs are like the new Star Wars Trilogy -
Phantom Menace aka '99 Spurs - New characters, new stories but something just doesnt' feel right. This team doesn't match up to the original Star wars movies but yet everyone says they are a great team. Anakin Skywalker aka Tim Duncan is befriended by a young Obi Wan aka David Robinson. They are both trained by Qui Jong Jinn aka Gregg Popovich. They have annoying characters like Jar Jar Johnson and Elliot 3P0 but it still feels like they benefit from a strike season. Throw in their dominance against the Sith Lord Knicks team, which is guided by Emperor Van Gundy and you walk away like "This could have been soooo much better
Attack of the Clones aka '03 Spurs - Determined to make up for the '99 team, this squad has been training more and young Anakin has rapidly gotten better. So much that he is deemed the chosen one by the NBA. Although this movie or team is better than Menace, it's still missing something. The ending was so-so, even though people did enjoy that lightsaber duel between LA and SA in the semifinals. I don't know, let's just hope the 3rd one is better than the first two :-)
Revenge of the Sith aka '05 Spurs - ??? The final script has not been written but there is great anticipation that this team is waaay better than the previous two movies/teams. We'll see as fans are lining up outside SBC Center to see if this product is the real deal. Or will the Dark Side aka the Pistons led by Count Wallace, General Billups, and Senator Brown destroy the Jedi temple as we know it Read more!
You know I was thinking about that writer who stated that this Spurs teamis the best team since the '97 Bulls, which of course is an ultimate slapin the face to the '98 Bulls and '00-02 Lakers. If you think really hardabout it, the guy is basically pulling a Star Wars (trying to compare aclassic to something that will never be a classic)
The '90 Bulls are like the original Star Wars Trilogy -
Star Wars aka 1991 - 1993 Bulls - This team was new to advancing past the conf finals, new to winning championships, new to posting back to back to back, etc. They were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed until Obi Wan aka Phil Jackson started to mentor them and then Luke aka MJ learned the ways of the force. He had help from Han Solo aka Scottie Pippen and Chewbacca aka Horance Grant along with the other rebels. They destroy the dark side on their way to establishing dominance in the Galaxy
Empire Strikes Back - Summer of '93 to Summer '95 - Luke gets his hand cut or retires from the sport, Chewbacca grows tired of the rebels, and Han Solo might as well have been frozen in carbon freeze since he was lost w/o his bandmates. The Dark Side gets stronger as the West takes the title in the absence of the Rebel Alliance being down
Return of the Jedi - '96 Bulls - '98 Bulls - Luke returns with a vengeance and serves notice to everyone he is back. No matter which Sith he faces Darth Kemp, Darth Malone, or Darth Stockton, he thwarts them all and restores peace in the galaxy. Han is thawed out and he picks up Chewie's lil brother Rodbacca for new adventures
The Spurs are like the new Star Wars Trilogy -
Phantom Menace aka '99 Spurs - New characters, new stories but something just doesnt' feel right. This team doesn't match up to the original Star wars movies but yet everyone says they are a great team. Anakin Skywalker aka Tim Duncan is befriended by a young Obi Wan aka David Robinson. They are both trained by Qui Jong Jinn aka Gregg Popovich. They have annoying characters like Jar Jar Johnson and Elliot 3P0 but it still feels like they benefit from a strike season. Throw in their dominance against the Sith Lord Knicks team, which is guided by Emperor Van Gundy and you walk away like "This could have been soooo much better
Attack of the Clones aka '03 Spurs - Determined to make up for the '99 team, this squad has been training more and young Anakin has rapidly gotten better. So much that he is deemed the chosen one by the NBA. Although this movie or team is better than Menace, it's still missing something. The ending was so-so, even though people did enjoy that lightsaber duel between LA and SA in the semifinals. I don't know, let's just hope the 3rd one is better than the first two :-)
Revenge of the Sith aka '05 Spurs - ??? The final script has not been written but there is great anticipation that this team is waaay better than the previous two movies/teams. We'll see as fans are lining up outside SBC Center to see if this product is the real deal. Or will the Dark Side aka the Pistons led by Count Wallace, General Billups, and Senator Brown destroy the Jedi temple as we know it Read more!
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