In what could be the largest and most shocking sports scandal I've ever witnessed, reports have come out indicating an NBA official in a points shaving scandal that will probably rock the NBA to its foundation. If this is true, the ramifications are going to be an enormous headache for a league already under siege for the quality of its officiating. To be honest, I think Stern is going to have to take some drastic measures to calm the mob after this one. People have already been suspicious of NBA officials of fixing games, and here's all the evidence they'll need to draw far reaching conclusions.
Its going to be a painful couple of weeks for the NBA brass.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
The Rest of the NHL Frenzy
I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the new NHL. It, as always, will be impossible to determine who will truly be winners and losers out of the flurry of movement that free agency provided. Some early musings:
*Everyone is really high on the Rangers new additions right now. To me, this smacks of the old school Rangers, who threw money around like it was going out of style and never got so much as a playoff berth out of it. Yes, they now have two really good players, but they paid an absurd price for both of them. Its hard to suggest either Drury or Gomez isn't an upgrade over the departed Nylander, but one wonders how the new chemistry on the Rangers will operate now that there are essentially 4 "superstars" to share the puck, none of whom has much experience playing with one another. All 4 have been in similar situations before and done fine, which is why I can't dimisss the moves off hand, but I'm still leery anytime a team comes out of free agency with big, expensive scalps like this.
*What do you make out of the NY Isles? They essentially replaced their old lineup with a brand spanking new one. It was more of a downgrade than a positive move, to be honest. It'll be interesting to see how all the new pieces gel.
*Have you ever seen a team go from such a positive to such a negative as the Nashville Predators? Murphy must not like country...
*Two teams that I think have made very solid moves and not gotten much press: the LA Kings and the Washington Capitals. Keep an eye on both for next season.
Its poker night, so that's all for now.
*Everyone is really high on the Rangers new additions right now. To me, this smacks of the old school Rangers, who threw money around like it was going out of style and never got so much as a playoff berth out of it. Yes, they now have two really good players, but they paid an absurd price for both of them. Its hard to suggest either Drury or Gomez isn't an upgrade over the departed Nylander, but one wonders how the new chemistry on the Rangers will operate now that there are essentially 4 "superstars" to share the puck, none of whom has much experience playing with one another. All 4 have been in similar situations before and done fine, which is why I can't dimisss the moves off hand, but I'm still leery anytime a team comes out of free agency with big, expensive scalps like this.
*What do you make out of the NY Isles? They essentially replaced their old lineup with a brand spanking new one. It was more of a downgrade than a positive move, to be honest. It'll be interesting to see how all the new pieces gel.
*Have you ever seen a team go from such a positive to such a negative as the Nashville Predators? Murphy must not like country...
*Two teams that I think have made very solid moves and not gotten much press: the LA Kings and the Washington Capitals. Keep an eye on both for next season.
Its poker night, so that's all for now.
Buffalo's Not Dead
Everyone's talking about how Buffalo got screwed. Some have gone so far to suggest that they'll miss the playoffs this upcoming season. I think these claims are a bit farfetched and exaggerated.
Yes, they lost their #1 and #2 centers. That's not going to be easy to replace. However, its not like they were a two man team. Buffalo rolled 4 lines that could score last year; losing 2 players, even players as key as Drury and Briere, is not going to cripple their offense. They're bringing back Vanek, Afinogenov, Pominville, Roy (who should flourish with an expanded role in the offense), Hect, and Kotalik. That's a solid 2+ lines, especially in the fast paced, run and gun offense that Buffalo plays. To be honest, I highly doubt Briere will repeat his 95 point performance out of the super charged Buffalo offense, and I wouldn't bet against either Vanek, Pominville, or Roy stepping up to fill that role in the coming season. They still have the unflappable Ryan Miller in net (Go Green!), who I will forever have an enormous man crush on and the attitude and attacking philosophy of a winning organization.
The important thing to take away from this is that Buffalo didn't fall into the trap of making a panic signing. Both Briere and Drury signed absurd contracts that far outstripped their actual value. In five years, when both players are on the downside of their careers, the Flyers and Rangers will likely regret those deals. Meanwhile, Buffalo will still be on the attack, perhaps with slightly less firepower than the absurd lineup they featured last year, but still doing just fine.
Yes, they lost their #1 and #2 centers. That's not going to be easy to replace. However, its not like they were a two man team. Buffalo rolled 4 lines that could score last year; losing 2 players, even players as key as Drury and Briere, is not going to cripple their offense. They're bringing back Vanek, Afinogenov, Pominville, Roy (who should flourish with an expanded role in the offense), Hect, and Kotalik. That's a solid 2+ lines, especially in the fast paced, run and gun offense that Buffalo plays. To be honest, I highly doubt Briere will repeat his 95 point performance out of the super charged Buffalo offense, and I wouldn't bet against either Vanek, Pominville, or Roy stepping up to fill that role in the coming season. They still have the unflappable Ryan Miller in net (Go Green!), who I will forever have an enormous man crush on and the attitude and attacking philosophy of a winning organization.
The important thing to take away from this is that Buffalo didn't fall into the trap of making a panic signing. Both Briere and Drury signed absurd contracts that far outstripped their actual value. In five years, when both players are on the downside of their careers, the Flyers and Rangers will likely regret those deals. Meanwhile, Buffalo will still be on the attack, perhaps with slightly less firepower than the absurd lineup they featured last year, but still doing just fine.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Actual Sports Related Material!
I figured I should talk about some sports on my sports blog. Its the slowest time of the year, but I thought I'd chime in on some of what's going on in the sports world recently:
The NBA Draft
As any NBA fan knows, this year's freshman class is particularly strong. At the end of the day, many All Stars and multiple championship winners are probably going to emerge from the deepest draft class since 2003 (the one that gave us LeBron, Melo, Bosh, D-Wade, and of course, this summer's most sought after free agent *sic*, Darko...thank you for that Dumars). My take on the field:
Winners:
Greg Oden- Last night's 10 foul, 6 point display aside, I fully expect Greg Oden to develop into the NBA beast in four or five years. If Portland doesn't win multiple championships with the core of Oden, Aldridge, and Roy, I would be shocked.
Kevin Durant- He's one of the best scorers college ball ever saw. I honestly think he's going to disappoint on some level on the NBA level, but only because expectations are at Jordanesque levels. The problem with Durant is he's a scorer and a scorer only...and there are plenty of people who can score in the NBA. Durant could be the next Jordan, true, but I think its far more likely he follows in the less prestigious footsteps of Carter, McGrady, Arenas, etc...great scorers who can't finish the job in the playoffs.
Mike Conley- He's fast and he makes good decisions. Its easier to make good decisions when Oden is on your team, true, but I think Memphis got a gem in Conley.
Al Horford- He'll be an All Star for years to come.
Losers:
Brandon Wright- He fell far enough for the pick to be worth it, but its never a good sign when you were essentially the 3rd fiddle on your college team, and neither of the guys ahead of you are in the draft.
Spencer Hawes- The tall white guy in the NBA went out of style with the Bird Celtics.
Jury's Out:
Noah- I think he's a lynchpin style player in a championship team. But he could as easily bust out entirely.
Brewer and Green- Two players with the right mindset, but do they have the skill set to survive in the NBA? That I'm not quite sold on yet. Neither does one thing particularly well, and jacks of all trades tend to flounder in the NBA.
Yi Jianlian- He supposedly can play, but will Milwaukee even be able to sign him?
NHL Free Agency
I'm still trying to sort the flurry of activity out in my mind. Amid the chaos of the first day of free agency, the most significant news may have been that Scott Niedermayer is considering retirement. I'll devote a whole post to this later once the dust settles a bit.
NFL
As far as I can tell, there's nothing of real critical note happening in the NFL right now, but you could never tell by watching ESPN. (my favorite NFL offseason story had to be when Jaworski announced that the suspense was over about the Jets starting QB for 2007!......in February).
One thing that is going on in the NFL is the ongoing Michael Vick dog fighting investigation. A disgusting story all around, and I only hope (though doubt) that Vick recieves a fair trial in this mess...because a fair trial would put him in jail.
That's about it for now. Stay tuned for more comments on the NBA and NHL free agency extraganza!
The NBA Draft
As any NBA fan knows, this year's freshman class is particularly strong. At the end of the day, many All Stars and multiple championship winners are probably going to emerge from the deepest draft class since 2003 (the one that gave us LeBron, Melo, Bosh, D-Wade, and of course, this summer's most sought after free agent *sic*, Darko...thank you for that Dumars). My take on the field:
Winners:
Greg Oden- Last night's 10 foul, 6 point display aside, I fully expect Greg Oden to develop into the NBA beast in four or five years. If Portland doesn't win multiple championships with the core of Oden, Aldridge, and Roy, I would be shocked.
Kevin Durant- He's one of the best scorers college ball ever saw. I honestly think he's going to disappoint on some level on the NBA level, but only because expectations are at Jordanesque levels. The problem with Durant is he's a scorer and a scorer only...and there are plenty of people who can score in the NBA. Durant could be the next Jordan, true, but I think its far more likely he follows in the less prestigious footsteps of Carter, McGrady, Arenas, etc...great scorers who can't finish the job in the playoffs.
Mike Conley- He's fast and he makes good decisions. Its easier to make good decisions when Oden is on your team, true, but I think Memphis got a gem in Conley.
Al Horford- He'll be an All Star for years to come.
Losers:
Brandon Wright- He fell far enough for the pick to be worth it, but its never a good sign when you were essentially the 3rd fiddle on your college team, and neither of the guys ahead of you are in the draft.
Spencer Hawes- The tall white guy in the NBA went out of style with the Bird Celtics.
Jury's Out:
Noah- I think he's a lynchpin style player in a championship team. But he could as easily bust out entirely.
Brewer and Green- Two players with the right mindset, but do they have the skill set to survive in the NBA? That I'm not quite sold on yet. Neither does one thing particularly well, and jacks of all trades tend to flounder in the NBA.
Yi Jianlian- He supposedly can play, but will Milwaukee even be able to sign him?
NHL Free Agency
I'm still trying to sort the flurry of activity out in my mind. Amid the chaos of the first day of free agency, the most significant news may have been that Scott Niedermayer is considering retirement. I'll devote a whole post to this later once the dust settles a bit.
NFL
As far as I can tell, there's nothing of real critical note happening in the NFL right now, but you could never tell by watching ESPN. (my favorite NFL offseason story had to be when Jaworski announced that the suspense was over about the Jets starting QB for 2007!......in February).
One thing that is going on in the NFL is the ongoing Michael Vick dog fighting investigation. A disgusting story all around, and I only hope (though doubt) that Vick recieves a fair trial in this mess...because a fair trial would put him in jail.
That's about it for now. Stay tuned for more comments on the NBA and NHL free agency extraganza!
Welcome to You Got Lerged!
Hi all,
I've been wanting to give this sports blog thing a try for a while, so we'll see how it goes and if it takes off. Naturally, being the practical guy I am, I'm starting it in the middle of the deadest time of the year for sports, but I figure that gives me time to get in the full swing of things before the proverbial brown material has an unfortunate encounter with the fan. I guess to start, I'll introduce myself and say what this blog is about.
My name's Aaron, and I'm a senior at Michigan State University. I'm entering my fourth year of being in Slapshots and the Izzone, and my third year of Corner Blitz, so I feel at least mildly qualified to write about the teams. On top of the home games, I try to get on the road when my budget allows; I've been to the Final Four for basketball, the CCHA championship twice for hockey, Notre Dame for football, as well as numerous road hockey games at the Joe, Yost, Lawson, and even the Lefty McFadden tournament in Dayton, Ohio.
As far as what I hope to cover, this is going to be first and foremost a Spartans blog, following basketball and hockey primarily. However, expect plenty of universal sports coverage, especially when it comes to the NBA, NFL, and my first and trueist love, the NHL. What you WON'T find is much coverage of baseball. I'll probably tune in when October rolls around, but until then I frankly just don't care.
That's enough to start off, I think. This blog should really pick up in August as the NFL and college football seasons approach.
Until then, enjoy the summer.
I've been wanting to give this sports blog thing a try for a while, so we'll see how it goes and if it takes off. Naturally, being the practical guy I am, I'm starting it in the middle of the deadest time of the year for sports, but I figure that gives me time to get in the full swing of things before the proverbial brown material has an unfortunate encounter with the fan. I guess to start, I'll introduce myself and say what this blog is about.
My name's Aaron, and I'm a senior at Michigan State University. I'm entering my fourth year of being in Slapshots and the Izzone, and my third year of Corner Blitz, so I feel at least mildly qualified to write about the teams. On top of the home games, I try to get on the road when my budget allows; I've been to the Final Four for basketball, the CCHA championship twice for hockey, Notre Dame for football, as well as numerous road hockey games at the Joe, Yost, Lawson, and even the Lefty McFadden tournament in Dayton, Ohio.
As far as what I hope to cover, this is going to be first and foremost a Spartans blog, following basketball and hockey primarily. However, expect plenty of universal sports coverage, especially when it comes to the NBA, NFL, and my first and trueist love, the NHL. What you WON'T find is much coverage of baseball. I'll probably tune in when October rolls around, but until then I frankly just don't care.
That's enough to start off, I think. This blog should really pick up in August as the NFL and college football seasons approach.
Until then, enjoy the summer.
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