Ryan Lochte's 1/100th of a Second

The New York Times got it right (can't remember the last time I said that!)... I happened to watch some Olympics while on the treadmill at the health club. Don't have cable but I might be able to walk or jog while these Olympic swimmers are busting it for 2 minutes, right?

Anyway, Phelps won another gold in the 200 I.M., and that was awesome, but there was another huge story in Ryan Lochte's bronze that NBC swept under the rug as if Lochte didn't even exist.

The dude swam the race just 20 minutes after winning the gold in the 200 meter backstroke by beating the heavily favored American, Aaron Peirsol, and while he wasn't able to challenge Phelps for 1st, he did battle for silver and lost that by 1/100th of a second. And the NBC studios in their lust for ratings, ignored that story completely, and rode the Phelps wave home.

Well, here's to Ryan Lochte, and it sucks you missed the silver by 1/100th of a second, and thanks to the NY Times for seeing
the story within the story.

NBA Playoffs Officially Over

There are still a few series to be played. Spurs and Jazz (as if that's a better matchup than the Spurs and Suns). Pistons and Cavs. Spurs, Pistons. Who cares?

What the NBA did to the Suns will remain the real story of the Playoffs, and the rest is a big yawn. Too late, doesn't matter. Spoiled by some bizarre application of rules that would suspend two key players from one team for their slight reaction to a body slam by the other team. Oh yeah, that other team happens to be the Spurs.

The Spurs are good, but their "win any way possible" approach is not much fun to watch. It's almost like you have to be a lawyer to win in the NBA - and the winning team knows the law a little better and knows the judge's tendencies, and that's just not what basketball should be about.

So I'm turning off the playoffs. Don't care who wins. I was impressed by the Nuggets and Suns though. I might go see either of those teams live, as long as they weren't playing the Spurs.

[Link - LA Times - Crimes and Punishment]

NBA Screwjob of Phoenix Now Complete

No players or coaches are allowed to say much against "the league" - the gestapo of NBA basketball, for fear of getting fined or benched (or deported?) but everyone hinted around the real issue tonight as a talented Phoenix Suns team finally ran out of gas and lost game 5, after having been forced to play without their 2 top centers Stoudemire and Diaw, who were suspended because of a mild reaction to a flagrant foul or two by Robert Horry in game 4. They left their bench area! Oh my! The Phoenix starters played 45-47 minutes each tonight and just didn't have the depth; nevertheless they almost had the game, but at crunch time a sneak play by Ginobli to pull Nash on top of him after a 3-point shot faked the referee into calling a foul. 3 made free throws later, San Antonio had almost caught up.

Could Phoenix feasibly go back to San Antonio and win game 6 and then go on to win the series? Yes, it's possible, but the damage is done and the unfair burden placed upon Phoenix boggles the mind and taints the '07 Playoffs for good. Only if Phoenix wins it all will there be any justice.

It's just a game I'm reminded, and so in the end there will be a "victor" and it could quite possibly be San Antonio, but it'll be an empty victory and pointless. The Suns are awesome!

[Scoreboard]

Spurs Make Mockery Of NBA Rules

NEW YORK, May 15 -- Robert Horry of the San Antonio Spurs has been suspended two games without pay and Amaré Stoudemire and Boris Diaw of the Phoenix Suns have each been suspended one game without pay for their actions in last night's game, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations. source - NBA.com

Suspending Stoudemire and Diaw only rewards the Spurs and encourages teams like the Spurs to do the same - provoke the other team on purpose to try to get THEM suspended. For all we know Horry's was a planned play, and his bench had the heads up to not take the bait.

The Sun's coaches did a fine job of containing their players, and suspending them is unconscionable.

The NBA is rewarding the wrong team... now the Spurs get the main benefit... a huge advantage in game 5 - why? Because Horry committed at least 2 flagrant fouls in a row, and possibly on purpose, in order to use the league's stupidest of all rules against the other team.

NBA: get a clue - the Spurs are using your rules against you making you look ridiculous and they'll win the series in the end, because perhaps they are just wise enough to push the league's buttons. If Horry had done his job right they could've also taken Nash out of game 5 as well due to injury and then they'd sacrifice just one player scoring less than 5 points a game, for the top 3 players of the other team: a huge win for them!

Based upon this event, I would encourage all teams to send out your lower level players late in games, and try to injure and provoke the other team's stars, on purpose. It's just good strategy.

What if Stoudemire or any other player did need to check in? Should they remain on the bench and not check in with 2 minutes left in a 3 point game in order to avoid the appearance of doing something wrong?

NBA: Wake up!

[link]

Joey Crawford was Right!

NBA - sore loser rant begins here >>

I was surprised to see Joey Crawford call 2 "T"s on Tim Duncan a few weeks ago, ejecting him from a game for essentially just laughing at the ref. But after watching game 4 of the Denver Nuggets vs. the San Antonio Spurs, I'm starting to see things from Joey Crawford's perspective. Good for him! I'm glad he had the guts to throw him out! And I apologize to Joey C. He was right!

In game 4 of the Denver S.A. game the referees did not have that kind of fortitude to stand up to Duncan. He starts out by giving the silent stare if he was touched in any way, as if to say "you moron how could you not call that foul?" Every time he gets the ball and shoots, he will go into a little childish dramatic acting if he doesn't get a call. He looks as if he is near tears, and is in such great disbelief that he doesn't get the call. This happens repeatedly, and I think Crawford had finally just had enough of his childish drama. Go play in your sandbox you little child!

Somehow, by the 4th quarter, Duncan had built up enough good will and ended up at the free throw at two crucial moments in the San Antonio "comeback." Carmelo Anthony on the other hand, who was the real star of the game and a better player than Duncan IMO, had to sit on the bench with 5 fouls in those crucial moments of the 4th quarter, after 2 mystery fouls were called against him in a row. AI was called for "pushing" Tim Duncan as he fell out of bounds, and he wasn't even in the play. If you're going to make a game-changing momentum-shifting call like that, could you at least look at the play? Just because Duncan is falling doesn't mean there was a foul - in fact he's very tough to push over at his size. If he falls, it's MORE likely to be a flop.

It was disgusting. Greg Popovich said he felt fortunate to come out of there with a win, and he knows what he's talking about. Denver was the better team, IS a better team, and they'll just have to learn how to be crybabys and manipulate referees the way Duncan does I guess in order to move to "that next level."

One thing I will say about the Spurs is that they have a very deep team and have a lot of guys they can bring in as designated foulers, so that their top guys don't end up on the bench with 5 or 6 fouls. In that way, I guess you could say that the Spurs are better. But the Nuggets were amazing - I love this team and I feel the referees robbed them blind out of game 4.

Game 4 was the Nuggets last chance to really compete for the series... this is why these "little things" matter so much. At 3-1 Spurs, this series is essentially over, and game 4 was a gift that San Antonio and Tim Duncan didn't really deserve. Even worse is, we'll have to watch the Tim Duncan whimpering act all over again through the next series, and the Nuggets are simply put, a lot more fun to watch.

>> end rant

Winner of 111th Boston Marathon Has Real Bragging Rights

To win any Boston Marathon would be a monumental achievement, but to win THIS year's race through one of the region's worst nor’easters in history, amidst cold rain, 40 degree temperatures, and high winds, would give a person bragging rights for decades.

Congratulations to repeat winner Robert K. Cheruiyot, of Kenya, and the women's champ Lidiya Grigoryeva, of Russia.

[Link: Cheruiyot and Grigoryeva Win Boston Marathon Titles]

Joey Crawford Ejects Player For Laughing At Him

"He was laughing at me and he hurt my wittle feelings. I work hard everyday and it's not easy to make those tough foul calls constantly, and Timmy Duncan was laughing at me. Wahhhhh." Joey Crawford, NBA Referee (author embellishment!!)

Joey Crawford called 2 technical fouls on Tim Duncan within a 3-minute time span, while Duncan was sitting on the bench. The second technical of course means the player is ejected (and pays a hefty fine). To earn the 2nd foul Duncan didn't actually speak, but was laughing, ostensibly at Joey Crawford's latest bad call. But it could also be that he was laughing because his bench mate had said something funny, and he wasn't even thinking about Joey Crawford at all at the time. It could actually be that Tim Duncan, unlike many Americans these days, actually still posseses a sense of humor.

Rocky Based in Truth

From the "in case you didn't know" department, the original story of Rocky was inspired by Chuck Wepner, a tough ex-marine who challenged Muhammad Ali for the heavyweight title in 1975, and in a losing effort became the only opponent to knock Ali down during his championship years.

"When a young, impressionable and unknown Philadelphia resident -- Sylvester Stallone -- saw the Wepner/Ali fight he was instantly inspired to write the blockbuster movie screenplay, Rocky. It became one of the 20th Century's greatest box office hits."

[Wikipedia]

[Chuck's Page]

Tim Hardaway Comes Out of the Closet

It was time for former NBA star Tim Hardaway to finally come out... and say it. He's a homophobe.

"You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people. I am homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States."

Hardaway should be thankful he's not running for political office.

[Link]

Dungy Makes History as First Bald Coach to Win Super Bowl

Although George Seifert(Super Bowl XXIV) and Mike Holmgren(Super Bowl XXXI) both came close, their comb-overs disqualified them from actually capturing the honor of being the first bald winning coach of an NFL Super Bowl. Congratulations to Tony Dungy, whose team fought tough to overcome an early deficit, difficult weather conditions, and one of the league's worst stadiums, to capture the title.

[Coach Bio]
[Victory page]

Peyton Manning Scores

"There's no greater honor for a major player in the endorsement game than to get to the Super Bowl," said Manning, a three-time AdWeek MVP who is attempting to prove once and for all that he can land the big campaign.

[Link]

Black Man Can Jump

I think the Arizona Cardinals have found their new field goal blocker! Here Adrian Wilson [bio], the Cardinals' strong safety for the last 5 years, jumps over a 66' pole straight on with just a few steps to prepare.