1. OK, so I am as critical as anybody of Carmelo Anthony when it comes to his defensive play. I'll just say this: Knicks fans are about to learn why we Nuggets fans got so fed up with him.
Yes, he and the Knicks played good defense to end last night's game with the Heat. So you know he can do it, and chooses not to (similar to Amare). He played good defense in his other showdowns with LeBron James (when he was a Nugget and 'Bron was a Cav). He played hard on defense against Kobe Bryant in the Western Conference Finals.
But nobody should get ahead of themselves on this issue. Knicks fans can get back to me when their team is not in the mood to D up and does something silly, like give up 115 points to the Cavaliers (wait, that already happened? oops)
Sorry if readers feel overloaded with Carmelo Anthony comments in this blog. We just never seize to be interested in his career.
2. The next couple weeks should be interesting for men's college hoops fans in the state of Colorado, but also potentially heartbreaking. The CU Buffs and the CSU Rams have been pleasant surprises this year, but both look to be on the wrong side of the NCAA bubble, barring a run in their respective conference tournaments.
3. The Colorado Rockies play their second Cactus League game this afternoon. Life is good.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Thursday tidbits 2/24/11
A Quote
Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington had the following to say after watching starting pitcher Brandon Webb complete a throwing session.
"Wow."
Ok, so he said a little more than that. Webb could provide a much needed boost to a team that missed out on Cliff Lee and Zach Greinke this offseason. It can be easy to forget that Webb is a former Cy Young winner who can flat out dominate. Example: remember when the Colorado Rockies won 21 of 22 games on their way to the World Series in 2007? Do you remember the one pitcher who beat them during that streak? Brandon Webb. On a Friday night. In Coors Field.
Clearly he won't be that kind of pitcher now, but if he's close to right he could make a big difference for the defending AL champs, as they deal with the always relevant Angels and the potential emergence of the Oakland Athletics with their stock of pitching.
A Video
Check out high school basketball star Jordan Green dunking over an opponent. Impressive.
A Photo (and a video!)
I like to play golf. People who know me might say, "One of the main reasons you golf is because you like the clothes." And they would be absolutely correct.
Check out this photo of Rickie Fowler's outfit in the first round of the Accenture Match Play Championship, and then check out this link with highlights of him in a pink shirt and matching shoes as he defeated Phil Mickelson. As far as this tournament goes, Fowler's accomplishment in fashion rivals the accomplishment of beating Mickelson. They are 1 and 1A, really.
A Tweet
@carmeloanthony: Damn, are u serious. Some people never seize to amaze me. Unbelievable
This was directed at George Karl after he criticized Anthony's lack of defensive focus while a member of the Nuggets (in an interview on TNT). Let's just say that this tweet will never seize to make me laugh.
An Announcement!
After the fact, since he already posted his first contribution, but nevertheless, here is a hearty welcome to Michael R. Mason! Warning Track Power is now three strong.
I am confident that Mike will never seize to impress you with his insights and commentary.
Rick Reilly writes about the amount of control NBA players currently hold http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=6150136
Bill Simmons hands out NBA trade deadline grades http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/110225/part1&sportCat=nba
Mark Kiszla thinks the Denver Nuggets have a point guard dilemma http://www.denverpost.com/kiszla
Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington had the following to say after watching starting pitcher Brandon Webb complete a throwing session.
"Wow."
Ok, so he said a little more than that. Webb could provide a much needed boost to a team that missed out on Cliff Lee and Zach Greinke this offseason. It can be easy to forget that Webb is a former Cy Young winner who can flat out dominate. Example: remember when the Colorado Rockies won 21 of 22 games on their way to the World Series in 2007? Do you remember the one pitcher who beat them during that streak? Brandon Webb. On a Friday night. In Coors Field.
Clearly he won't be that kind of pitcher now, but if he's close to right he could make a big difference for the defending AL champs, as they deal with the always relevant Angels and the potential emergence of the Oakland Athletics with their stock of pitching.
A Video
Check out high school basketball star Jordan Green dunking over an opponent. Impressive.
A Photo (and a video!)
I like to play golf. People who know me might say, "One of the main reasons you golf is because you like the clothes." And they would be absolutely correct.
Check out this photo of Rickie Fowler's outfit in the first round of the Accenture Match Play Championship, and then check out this link with highlights of him in a pink shirt and matching shoes as he defeated Phil Mickelson. As far as this tournament goes, Fowler's accomplishment in fashion rivals the accomplishment of beating Mickelson. They are 1 and 1A, really.
A Tweet
@carmeloanthony: Damn, are u serious. Some people never seize to amaze me. Unbelievable
This was directed at George Karl after he criticized Anthony's lack of defensive focus while a member of the Nuggets (in an interview on TNT). Let's just say that this tweet will never seize to make me laugh.
 |
| Thanks for the picture, Aaron. Please stay healthy and keep the ball down. |
An Announcement!
After the fact, since he already posted his first contribution, but nevertheless, here is a hearty welcome to Michael R. Mason! Warning Track Power is now three strong.
I am confident that Mike will never seize to impress you with his insights and commentary.
An Early Thought...
...on the Colorado Rockies. Their most important pitcher might be Aaron Cook. Their most important hitter might be Jose Lopez. There are lots of candidates for both of these statements, though.
A Suggestion
Watch San Diego State host BYU tomorrow at 12:00 P.M. MST. Two top ten teams out of the Mountain West should provide for an entertaining game. And it's Jimmer mania!
Links
Nobody covers the Kansas City Royals like we do! Albert Chen writes about their young prospects http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/albert_chen/02/23/royals.prospects/index.html
Dan Wetzel writes about Cam Newton's decision at the NFL combine http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AgGjOr3m7jDEU2oDU3xiqaI5nYcB?slug=dw-camnewtoncombine022411
Rick Reilly writes about the amount of control NBA players currently hold http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=6150136
Bill Simmons hands out NBA trade deadline grades http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/110225/part1&sportCat=nba
Mark Kiszla thinks the Denver Nuggets have a point guard dilemma http://www.denverpost.com/kiszla
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Carmelo: You WERE our guy
Just to start off here is the image off of a shirt that I spent 28 bucks on a little over a year ago that I will no longer be wearing. While yes this was only a T-Shirt it embodied what Melo meant to the people of Colorado and Denver Nuggets fans. As Hayden noted in an earlier post we let all those "lack of character" issues slide a little bit because of the excitement and hope you brought to a once perennial cellar dweller. For one time we were being mentioned with the likes of the Lakers and Spurs and other potential western conference foes. This is why in the last few weeks Carmelo has gone from being our guy to just another default NBA personality who does not want to be trapped in our so-called "small market". Since he was drafted Carmelo was given the freedom to do anything he wanted, on and off the court, not only by the front office of the Nuggets but by us the fans as well. This where we get into the who is accountable for this whole situation.Suspect number one has to be Carmelo Anthony. Denver was nothing but outstanding to Melo point blank. The biggest issue in my book was that even though Melo basically ran the Nuggets and the city of Denver it was never enough. Melo never could handle what the city asked of him, and that was to LEAD the Nuggets, not necessarily to a championship, but to be a competitive team on a nightly basis. I understand the season is long but you only play the Lakers three times a year and only getting up for those types of games gets you a seven seed in the playoffs because you lose to the likes of the Sixers and Bucks with decent regularity. So after the front office realized you and A.I. couldn't get the team going every night they managed one of the great steals in NBA trade history and brought someone in who actually wants to be here in Chauncey Billups. Though Chauncey's career was and is on the decline he was still able to come in immediately and make a difference from a team standpoint. He got us playing defense and slowing everything down towards the end of games when Carmelo was not able to handle that on his own. I appreciate that Melo didn't "take his talents to New York City" Lebron James style and allowed the Nuggets to work a little bit, but this decision shows that Denver and the fans never really meant that much to Melo and never really where he wanted to be which is disappointing. Hopefully Melo enjoys apologizing to Chauncey Billups for dragging him all over the league for his last few years, when he could have signed the extension and Chauncey could have retired down the road in his hometown.
The second place to point the finger is at the Nuggets front office. While Melo thought he was never treated like a franchise player(which is debatable), the owners and managers needed to cater to Melo and get his input on players that he would want to play with and surround him with guys that he was comfortable playing with that were also proven winners in the league. The front office succeeded in that ONE TIME. And that was with Chauncey who was near the end of his career when he came in. Why are we paying Kenyon Martin close to the max when he is known for playing strong defense, getting more technicals than can be counted and taking bad shots along with creating locker room tension? There were plenty of shots to go around to have Billups and Melo, but when you bring in a sixth man who chucks threes from anywhere at bad times and have a big man in Kenyon who takes his fair share of ill advised shots you have a problem. The Nuggets, from a player to player standpoint with the exception of a few guys(Afflalo) have to be the most self centered group of individuals around in the entire league. And I know the George Karl topic is a little sore because of what he has been through, and I have nothing but respect for that, but he is a problem in my book as well. While Karl is known around the league for being a "player's coach" sometimes that has to go out the window. Guys like JR Smith and Kenyon are the last guys that need a coach catering to their ridiculous behavior. The biggest problem is that our guys never learned how to win even when they were winning. They were always more concerned about themselves and were in nonstop spats with coaches and management. When Phil Jackson calls out Kobe on what seems to be a weekly basis, you never see Kobe go out and fire shots back. He either goes out and drops 45 or takes fewer shots and facilitates for his team, but either way it almost always betters the TEAM. Moving away from the negative aspects of losing Melo I do have to say the front office saved themselves towards the end of this whole thing. I was convinced that he was going to walk away for nothing in 4 months. While I do blame them for the way they procrastinated on this whole thing and in some ways they handled the extension talk, credit is due for pitting the Nets and Knicks against one another as the clock began to tick down. While there is no realm in which the Nuggets are better out of this the whole thing, they got the Knicks to overpay, they did get three starters out of the deal and three guys who have been mentioned through this whole thing and kept one thing high, their character level.
It is going to be exciting to see some new faces while at the same time I feel terrible for Chauncey. But to wrap up lets be serious about the best thing that happened to the Nuggets throughout this whole thing. Anthony Carter in no longer in a baby blue jersey. My level of frustration watching this guy play was at an all time high last year until Ty Lawson started coming off the bench instead of him. It was to the point I found myself yelling at the TV if I saw AC talk to or touch any of our good players for fear that his lack of talent or brain power would somehow rub off on Melo or Chauncey. Somehow those things did rub off on George Karl because for some reason he was consistently on the floor at critical moments of games, especially playoff games. For those of you who are unfamiliar with AC or "The Doctor" let me put it this way, if your NBA team needs someone to turn the ball over, give up career games to opposing point guards and to absolutely destroy the side of the backboard with attempted jumpshots, he is your guy.
While I am trying to keep my head up for the rest of this basketball season I'd be lying if I said baseball wasn't on my mind. While this is my first blog I'm going to try and keep it a little more lighthearted from now on, but I came until the blog game at a bad time for Nuggets fans. Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Three things to think about this week of February 21
1. Why do I feel particularly attached to the current Colorado Rockies team? On Sports Reporters this morning, host John Saunders was lamenting about the days when fans had the opportunity to cheer for a core group of players year after year. Christopher Gasper from the Boston Globe then observed that our generation of fans has grown accustomed to "cheering for laundry" because players never seem attached to any one franchise and move on so frequently.
This is a great point. How about Cardinals fans if Albert Pujols does leave? Take Colorado fans for another example. Who's the face of the Denver Broncos? Even if you buy that it is now Tim Tebow, that answer has changed every year. When Carmelo Anthony leaves this Denver Nuggets core of players is as good as gone, leaving us, as Gasper put it, cheering for laundry. That is what makes this group of Rockies, headed by CarGo and Tulo, especially exciting.
2. Give credit to LeBron James for raising the intensity in the 2011 All Star Game. Starting in the second half, he sprinted up and down the floor in transition and played like the game meant something. Of course it didn't, but it still made for a very entertaining 4th quarter when both sides played with some fire.
3. One other thing about the last few minutes of the NBA All Star Game. Two similar plays embodied why the Heat will not win the championship this year and why the Lakers are never really "in trouble:" Pau Gasol boxing Chris Bosh out twice for offensive rebounds.
P.S. - Note how I did not mention the Carmelo Anthony situation....yet. He will be a Net by Tuesday.
P.P.S (2/21/11) - Did I say Net? I meant Knick, of course.
This is a great point. How about Cardinals fans if Albert Pujols does leave? Take Colorado fans for another example. Who's the face of the Denver Broncos? Even if you buy that it is now Tim Tebow, that answer has changed every year. When Carmelo Anthony leaves this Denver Nuggets core of players is as good as gone, leaving us, as Gasper put it, cheering for laundry. That is what makes this group of Rockies, headed by CarGo and Tulo, especially exciting.
2. Give credit to LeBron James for raising the intensity in the 2011 All Star Game. Starting in the second half, he sprinted up and down the floor in transition and played like the game meant something. Of course it didn't, but it still made for a very entertaining 4th quarter when both sides played with some fire.
3. One other thing about the last few minutes of the NBA All Star Game. Two similar plays embodied why the Heat will not win the championship this year and why the Lakers are never really "in trouble:" Pau Gasol boxing Chris Bosh out twice for offensive rebounds.
P.S. - Note how I did not mention the Carmelo Anthony situation....yet. He will be a Net by Tuesday.
P.P.S (2/21/11) - Did I say Net? I meant Knick, of course.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Thursday tidbits 2/17/11
A Quote
One of my favorite basketball players, Chris Bosh, had this to say about his return to Toronto (from the Miami Herald):
"I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Pretty much every arena that we've been at -- [players] have been extra motivated, fans have extra motivated to either talk crap or cheer a little louder, but I'm ready as I'll ever be, so bring it on."
Wait...what? Bosh went on to say that he marked this game on his calendar as soon as he saw the schedule. Ok? Because the Raptors fans have been so nasty, so vitriolic since you left? Huh?
By saying this, Bosh comes off as extra desperate to be regarded as equal to Dwayne Wade and LeBron James, both in terms of game and in terms of attention. Give it up, man. None of us ever heard one thing about Toronto fans burning your jerseys or rampaging through the streets angrily, shattering store windows and flipping police cars. They pretty much took it on the chin when you strung them along, hinted all along that you definitely might return as a free agent, and then departed for Miami. This attempt to manufacture venom is, frankly, kind of pathetic.
P.S. - General manager Brian Coangelo's comments (that Bosh's 2nd half effort last season was sub-par) don't count, because you were talking about the fans, not management. SO THERE.
A Video
The highlight of my week was the beginning of a series of videos from Colorado Rockies spring training (courtesy of the Denver Post). Here is a video with a catcher's view of batting practice. While it is not exactly professional video, the fact that the crack of the bat is pretty much the only sound is excellent.
A Photo
From ESPN.com, here are some photos of former Colorado Avalanche goaltender Craig Anderson. Hot off the lukewarm NHL wire, he has been traded to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for another goalie, Brian Elliott. Early in the season it looked as if the Avalanche were poised for a fun season. Not so much. In the midst of an altogether underwhelming stretch in Colorado sports, those who noticed will tell you that this stretch by the Avs may be the worst yet: eight straight losses, Peter Forsberg's return and then instant retirement, and finally culminating with a 9-1 loss to the Calgary Flames.
Less than a year removed from being the hero going into the playoffs and the goalie of the future, Anderson is gone. He has only been one of many huge disappointments this year.
So now the goalies are Peter Budaj and Brian Elliott...I have an idea for a Pepsi Center campaign: "COME SEE THE AVALANCHE! You're guaranteed to see a lot of goals!"
A Tweet
@jimrome: Can't wait for Albert Pujols to scratch a check for the kids, say "I'm taking my talents to Chicago!"and fire up the smoke machine WWE style
We can only hope that this season does not turn into baseball's version of the LeBron pre-free agency season. Albert is off to a good start though, as his self-imposed deadline passed for a new deal with the Cardinals (he wants 10 years and $30 million a year). Oof. That would mean that he would be paid that much when he is 40, 41, and 42. Even if Albert shatters every hitting record there is, that contract would inevitably be a franchise-crushing anchor for whichever team took it on...the Chicago Cubs or anybody else.
I am definitely troubled by the way Albert has dug in, if only because his main goal in seeking a new contract is that it is bigger than Alex Rodriguez's. I cannot really explain why this is bothersome otherwise, but it just does not feel right, and if he does ultimately leave at the end of the season, he'll disappoint the best fans in baseball. And they definitely deserve better.
A Week...
...until the NBA trade deadline. And until a potential flip-flop by this blogger. As of this morning (Friday, not Thursday) reports are that the Nuggets are close (again) to dealing Carmelo Anthony to the Nets. And I stand by my shouting that they should trade him. But it is also looking like management may wait him out and call his bluff as far as whether he would really leave millions of dollars on the table to leave as a free agent.
My flip-flop has to do with my comparisons to what happened to the Cavaliers and Raptors last year, which really come up short here. With the NBA's collective bargaining agreement about to expire, there are no real comparisons to the rather unique 'Melo drama. The extension currently offered by the Nuggets would pay Anthony significantly more than anything he can ever get if he walked in free agency. It also may be more than any player can get under a new CBA, which means he has to sign before the current one runs out to be "grandfathered in" with a larger deal. The new CBA might also include the implementation of a franchise tag, which would further protect the team. So they do not run the same risk as the teams last year (potentially) by letting this play out.
If the deadline passes with no trade, it becomes a game of chicken, and at this point I am more inclined to believe that Carmelo will not leave that money on the table. I still prefer the plan that guarantees that the Nuggets get value for a franchise player...but...
...I understand the method to management's madness if no trade happens. It also explains why the trade rumors of late have had the Nuggets asking for a king's ransom, whether the proposal to the Knicks that would have landed them three starters or this one with the Nets that would get them multiple players and four (!) first round picks.
A Question
How inflated/fat/bloated is Bengie Molina's ego (see what I did there)? In this article about veteran players who are still available, Bengie says he wants starting catcher money and guaranteed playing time or he might retire. I know Bengie has remained relatively productive, but I can't imagine this threat of retirement is going to scare any team into thinking, "OH MY GOSH! We HAVE to sign Bengie Molina....before he retires!"
Links
Tom Verducci writes about the Albert Pujols situation http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/tom_verducci/02/18/pujols.chapman/index.html?eref=sihp
Bill Simmons ranks the trade value of NBA players http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/110217
Tracy Ringolsby provides his potential sleeper teams for the upcoming season http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/MLB-sleeper-teams-may-surprise-fans-and-oddsmakers-021711
One of my favorite basketball players, Chris Bosh, had this to say about his return to Toronto (from the Miami Herald):
"I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Pretty much every arena that we've been at -- [players] have been extra motivated, fans have extra motivated to either talk crap or cheer a little louder, but I'm ready as I'll ever be, so bring it on."
Wait...what? Bosh went on to say that he marked this game on his calendar as soon as he saw the schedule. Ok? Because the Raptors fans have been so nasty, so vitriolic since you left? Huh?
By saying this, Bosh comes off as extra desperate to be regarded as equal to Dwayne Wade and LeBron James, both in terms of game and in terms of attention. Give it up, man. None of us ever heard one thing about Toronto fans burning your jerseys or rampaging through the streets angrily, shattering store windows and flipping police cars. They pretty much took it on the chin when you strung them along, hinted all along that you definitely might return as a free agent, and then departed for Miami. This attempt to manufacture venom is, frankly, kind of pathetic.
P.S. - General manager Brian Coangelo's comments (that Bosh's 2nd half effort last season was sub-par) don't count, because you were talking about the fans, not management. SO THERE.
A Video
The highlight of my week was the beginning of a series of videos from Colorado Rockies spring training (courtesy of the Denver Post). Here is a video with a catcher's view of batting practice. While it is not exactly professional video, the fact that the crack of the bat is pretty much the only sound is excellent.
A Photo
From ESPN.com, here are some photos of former Colorado Avalanche goaltender Craig Anderson. Hot off the lukewarm NHL wire, he has been traded to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for another goalie, Brian Elliott. Early in the season it looked as if the Avalanche were poised for a fun season. Not so much. In the midst of an altogether underwhelming stretch in Colorado sports, those who noticed will tell you that this stretch by the Avs may be the worst yet: eight straight losses, Peter Forsberg's return and then instant retirement, and finally culminating with a 9-1 loss to the Calgary Flames.
Less than a year removed from being the hero going into the playoffs and the goalie of the future, Anderson is gone. He has only been one of many huge disappointments this year.
So now the goalies are Peter Budaj and Brian Elliott...I have an idea for a Pepsi Center campaign: "COME SEE THE AVALANCHE! You're guaranteed to see a lot of goals!"
A Tweet
@jimrome: Can't wait for Albert Pujols to scratch a check for the kids, say "I'm taking my talents to Chicago!"and fire up the smoke machine WWE style
We can only hope that this season does not turn into baseball's version of the LeBron pre-free agency season. Albert is off to a good start though, as his self-imposed deadline passed for a new deal with the Cardinals (he wants 10 years and $30 million a year). Oof. That would mean that he would be paid that much when he is 40, 41, and 42. Even if Albert shatters every hitting record there is, that contract would inevitably be a franchise-crushing anchor for whichever team took it on...the Chicago Cubs or anybody else.
I am definitely troubled by the way Albert has dug in, if only because his main goal in seeking a new contract is that it is bigger than Alex Rodriguez's. I cannot really explain why this is bothersome otherwise, but it just does not feel right, and if he does ultimately leave at the end of the season, he'll disappoint the best fans in baseball. And they definitely deserve better.
A Week...
...until the NBA trade deadline. And until a potential flip-flop by this blogger. As of this morning (Friday, not Thursday) reports are that the Nuggets are close (again) to dealing Carmelo Anthony to the Nets. And I stand by my shouting that they should trade him. But it is also looking like management may wait him out and call his bluff as far as whether he would really leave millions of dollars on the table to leave as a free agent.
My flip-flop has to do with my comparisons to what happened to the Cavaliers and Raptors last year, which really come up short here. With the NBA's collective bargaining agreement about to expire, there are no real comparisons to the rather unique 'Melo drama. The extension currently offered by the Nuggets would pay Anthony significantly more than anything he can ever get if he walked in free agency. It also may be more than any player can get under a new CBA, which means he has to sign before the current one runs out to be "grandfathered in" with a larger deal. The new CBA might also include the implementation of a franchise tag, which would further protect the team. So they do not run the same risk as the teams last year (potentially) by letting this play out.
If the deadline passes with no trade, it becomes a game of chicken, and at this point I am more inclined to believe that Carmelo will not leave that money on the table. I still prefer the plan that guarantees that the Nuggets get value for a franchise player...but...
...I understand the method to management's madness if no trade happens. It also explains why the trade rumors of late have had the Nuggets asking for a king's ransom, whether the proposal to the Knicks that would have landed them three starters or this one with the Nets that would get them multiple players and four (!) first round picks.
A Question
How inflated/fat/bloated is Bengie Molina's ego (see what I did there)? In this article about veteran players who are still available, Bengie says he wants starting catcher money and guaranteed playing time or he might retire. I know Bengie has remained relatively productive, but I can't imagine this threat of retirement is going to scare any team into thinking, "OH MY GOSH! We HAVE to sign Bengie Molina....before he retires!"
Links
Tom Verducci writes about the Albert Pujols situation http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/tom_verducci/02/18/pujols.chapman/index.html?eref=sihp
Bill Simmons ranks the trade value of NBA players http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/110217
Tracy Ringolsby provides his potential sleeper teams for the upcoming season http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/MLB-sleeper-teams-may-surprise-fans-and-oddsmakers-021711
Monday, February 14, 2011
Jeff Conine: Man... Ball Player... Actor(s)?
Riveting title, I know. That's how you hook your audience. I won't bore you with my knowledge of great writing.
Now, there are many, many things that Hayden and I find hilarious and no one else cares about (see: the TV show Beastmaster, Maryland basketball players from the late 90s/early 2000s and former MLB pitcher and all around ass Jeff Nelson). However, in over twelve years of knowing HWKane or as I like to call him, The Magenta Manatee, there is one obscure sports mystery that has haunted us...
In 2003, Hayden and I were seniors in High School and the Florida Marlins were marching their way to a world series title (a series in which Jeff Nelson played by the way). Being obligated by the code of the Baseball Super fan, Hayden and I were forced to watch all 6 games even though we didn't care about either team. It was then that we realized that there was a familiar face on the field. Jeff Conine, veteran first baseman and one of our favorite obscure athletes, looked like someone and we didn't know who. Being seventeen year olds we literally had nothing better to do but spend the entire night trying to figure it out. No luck. In fact, we had no luck for weeks, maybe even months.
At this point you could be thinking to yourself "I could really use a fresca" or more likely "where is this going and why isn't this funny?" Stay with me here, things are about to make less sense and get even less funny.
At some point, one of us happened to catch the movie version of "Les Miserables" starring Liam Neeson and Jeff Conine. We had solved the mystery, Jeff Conine was Jean Valjean and would be for several years to come. Any time we saw him and his gigantic nose we laughed hysterically and said "Jean Valjean" in a ridiculous and COMPLETELY accurate french accent.
The unknown actor who looks like Jeff Conine didn't even freaking play Jean Valjean (the plot thickens) but hey, I didn't invent acting so I don't know these things. Eventually, Hayden aka the Alaskan Albatross, pointed out that the Jeff Conine look alike was actually Javert, the police inspector. Oops. I wonder if anyone else has put this kind of effort into something so pointless? Probably not because this story is far from over.
We continued with our COMPLETELY accurate and FAIR french accents and relentless fun poking of Mr. Conine for you know, another half dozen years. I have to imagine that if he were to somehow become aware of this he would likely 1. hurt himself and everyone around him 2. enter intense therapy 3. put a bounty on our heads.
* Intermission *
Eventually, we found a problem in our on going Conine Theory. There was an actor who looked exactly like him and we needed to know who this person was. We had to take it to the next level. This became an extremely important issue in our lives for like 4-5 minutes before I recalled the movie in my memory and decided that actor was James Woods. This was an important issue? Couldn't you have done some research instead of just taking a shot in the dark? Don't question the process.
So Jeff Conine aka Jean Valjean (insert accent) aka Javert (insert accent) aka James Woods at this point had become a legend in our lives. Someone we would tell our wives and children about to blank stares and dropped jaws. We had finally won the battle of Conine and we wore our medals proudly. But of course, like any good horror story or in the career of Brett Fav-re there was another twist. The killer came back sending inappropriate pictures via text message. The nightmare had a final chapter.
Last week, I attended a showing of the film "The King's Speech" (fabulous movie by the way). I was really impressed with the acting of the main characters, specifically Geoffrey Rush. I came home and hopped right on wikipedia to look up some other movies he had been in. I scrolled down, down and down farther. What did I see?
GEOFFREY RUSH PLAYED JAVERT IN LES MISERABLES!!! HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?!? WHERE DID WE GO WRONG?!? IS MY LIFE A LIE?!? DO I HAVE A GROWING PROBLEM AND NOT A GOING PROBLEM LIKE I HAD BEEN LED TO BELIEVE?!?
I immediately text messaged the Tanzanian Terror (Sorry, that's Hayden) with this shocking (kind of) news. Finally, we had done it. It was over and frankly I think Jeff Conine has beaten us several times over. We have both since tried to explain this astounding waste of our time to friends and family but no one gets it.
This story will always have a special place in our heart of hearts and we are both beyond confident that no one will ever understand our journey. You say it's a waste of time, we say it's a commitment to obscure hilarity.
We both sincerely apologize to anyone who read this whether it be family, friends, girlfriends/fiances, or those who are in foreign countries being forced to read this by the people who are holding them.
- RDP
PS - I've never seen these three men in the same room at the same time. Have you? No. Think about it.
Now, there are many, many things that Hayden and I find hilarious and no one else cares about (see: the TV show Beastmaster, Maryland basketball players from the late 90s/early 2000s and former MLB pitcher and all around ass Jeff Nelson). However, in over twelve years of knowing HWKane or as I like to call him, The Magenta Manatee, there is one obscure sports mystery that has haunted us...
In 2003, Hayden and I were seniors in High School and the Florida Marlins were marching their way to a world series title (a series in which Jeff Nelson played by the way). Being obligated by the code of the Baseball Super fan, Hayden and I were forced to watch all 6 games even though we didn't care about either team. It was then that we realized that there was a familiar face on the field. Jeff Conine, veteran first baseman and one of our favorite obscure athletes, looked like someone and we didn't know who. Being seventeen year olds we literally had nothing better to do but spend the entire night trying to figure it out. No luck. In fact, we had no luck for weeks, maybe even months.
At this point you could be thinking to yourself "I could really use a fresca" or more likely "where is this going and why isn't this funny?" Stay with me here, things are about to make less sense and get even less funny.
At some point, one of us happened to catch the movie version of "Les Miserables" starring Liam Neeson and Jeff Conine. We had solved the mystery, Jeff Conine was Jean Valjean and would be for several years to come. Any time we saw him and his gigantic nose we laughed hysterically and said "Jean Valjean" in a ridiculous and COMPLETELY accurate french accent.
The unknown actor who looks like Jeff Conine didn't even freaking play Jean Valjean (the plot thickens) but hey, I didn't invent acting so I don't know these things. Eventually, Hayden aka the Alaskan Albatross, pointed out that the Jeff Conine look alike was actually Javert, the police inspector. Oops. I wonder if anyone else has put this kind of effort into something so pointless? Probably not because this story is far from over.
We continued with our COMPLETELY accurate and FAIR french accents and relentless fun poking of Mr. Conine for you know, another half dozen years. I have to imagine that if he were to somehow become aware of this he would likely 1. hurt himself and everyone around him 2. enter intense therapy 3. put a bounty on our heads.
* Intermission *
Eventually, we found a problem in our on going Conine Theory. There was an actor who looked exactly like him and we needed to know who this person was. We had to take it to the next level. This became an extremely important issue in our lives for like 4-5 minutes before I recalled the movie in my memory and decided that actor was James Woods. This was an important issue? Couldn't you have done some research instead of just taking a shot in the dark? Don't question the process.
So Jeff Conine aka Jean Valjean (insert accent) aka Javert (insert accent) aka James Woods at this point had become a legend in our lives. Someone we would tell our wives and children about to blank stares and dropped jaws. We had finally won the battle of Conine and we wore our medals proudly. But of course, like any good horror story or in the career of Brett Fav-re there was another twist. The killer came back sending inappropriate pictures via text message. The nightmare had a final chapter.
Last week, I attended a showing of the film "The King's Speech" (fabulous movie by the way). I was really impressed with the acting of the main characters, specifically Geoffrey Rush. I came home and hopped right on wikipedia to look up some other movies he had been in. I scrolled down, down and down farther. What did I see?
GEOFFREY RUSH PLAYED JAVERT IN LES MISERABLES!!! HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?!? WHERE DID WE GO WRONG?!? IS MY LIFE A LIE?!? DO I HAVE A GROWING PROBLEM AND NOT A GOING PROBLEM LIKE I HAD BEEN LED TO BELIEVE?!?
I immediately text messaged the Tanzanian Terror (Sorry, that's Hayden) with this shocking (kind of) news. Finally, we had done it. It was over and frankly I think Jeff Conine has beaten us several times over. We have both since tried to explain this astounding waste of our time to friends and family but no one gets it.
This story will always have a special place in our heart of hearts and we are both beyond confident that no one will ever understand our journey. You say it's a waste of time, we say it's a commitment to obscure hilarity.
We both sincerely apologize to anyone who read this whether it be family, friends, girlfriends/fiances, or those who are in foreign countries being forced to read this by the people who are holding them.
- RDP
PS - I've never seen these three men in the same room at the same time. Have you? No. Think about it.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Thursday tidbits 2/10/11
A Quote
Jerry Sloan shocked the world when he stepped down as Utah Jazz head coach:
"I had a feeling this time was the time to move on."
This is the latest example of the disgusting amount of control that NBA players currently hold. Thanks to Carmelo, there has been minimal coverage of star point guard Deron Williams's disruptive behavior in Utah. Williams is a free agent following next season, and he has already taken over the franchise with implied threats to leave. It is not unreasonable to speculate that Sloan's sudden resignation was urged by attempts to keep Williams happy. It has been rumored that he was unhappy with Sloan's offensive scheme, presumably because he is jealous when he watches Derrick Rose play. You know, that annoying offense that a hall-of-famer built and kept in place for 23 years.
Being a players' league is one thing, but this is too extreme. The players have far too much power as soon as they can threaten free agency, as franchises lose seasons at a time trying to "please" them. Something has got to give. Mark Kizla wrote an interesting take on this issue as it concerns the Denver Nuggets.
A Video
Filling in for Mike and Mike (espnradio.com), Doug Gottlieb and Marcellus Wiley discuss the NFL's labor dispute. There are a lot of issues at play: rookie salaries, 18 game schedule, health coverage for former players. I am not mentioning this to touch on any of those items.
I just want to encourage fans of other sports, say baseball or basketball, to find another station to keep up with the latest news starting March 3rd. Because that's when the NFL lockout likely will start, and that is when ESPN will spin into super-hyper-NFL-coverage mode. In the offseason.
A Photo
Nuggets guard Arron Afflalo reacts (shouts!) after making a game winning jumper against the Dallas Mavericks. At times this season, any success has been difficult for us fans to enjoy. This was an exception, as Afflalo has been steady, classy, and easy to cheer for from the moment he joined the team.
A Tweet
@TroyRenck: My latest blog on Why Michael Young is not a Rockie: http://dpo.st/e8K1Ix
It sounds like Michael Young to the Rockies has become a long-shot, but I am optimistic it still might happen. To my eye, the Rangers cannot keep Young after he blasted management, calling them "manipulative." Unless a suitor emerges that has not been mentioned in the rumors so far, it looks like the Rangers will be faced with two choices: keep the unhappy Young and count on his professionalism as the season approaches, or eat money to get rid of an openly unhappy player.
Renck thinks that the Rangers are in the driver's seat of any potential trade. I disagree. I think as Spring Training approaches, the prospect of Young staying on the team whose management he publicly criticized will be too distracting, and they will be forced to trade him (perhaps for a less than desirable package). And maybe if the Rockies wait, they can get him for a package with which they are comfortable.
One more thing: if you're the Rangers, how do you phase out Michael Young? I understand Elvis Andrus and Ian Kinsler are big time players up the middle, but the Adrian Beltre signing looked desperate to me. Check out Beltre's career statistics - he showed up big in his two contract years. That's it. And in the first of those contract years, his performance would seem....ahem....enhanced (21 HR, 23 HR, 48 HR, 19 HR, 25 HR. get serious). When Beltre is pedestrian in the third year of his long term deal, here's thinking the Rangers will regret phasing out the steady Young.
An Announcement
Warning Track Power has expanded! Look forward to the lively opinions of Ryan Presley ( @RockiesBBall24). You may know him from the well-read and well-established Pain Train blogs and podcasts.
Teaser: his first entry is about Jeff Conine. I know that peaked your attention...
Almost Forgot...
I'm excited that the Packers won the Super Bowl just because I like the individual personalities on that team, especially Aaron Rodgers. And I am very happy to see that the championship belt celebration is getting the play it deserves.
Links
Tom Friend on William Perry's life after the NFL http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2010/news/story?id=6091766
Jeff Goodman on stories to watch in NCAA men's basketball http://msn.foxsports.com/collegebasketball/story/College-basketball-stories-to-watch-021011
Marc Lancaster writes about the challenge of trading Michael Young http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2011/02/09/finding-michael-young-trade-partner-a-tough-task-for-rangers/
Sarah Kwak presents some thoughts on the state of the NHL http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/sarah_kwak/01/28/ASG.strawpoll/index.html
Jerry Sloan shocked the world when he stepped down as Utah Jazz head coach:
"I had a feeling this time was the time to move on."
This is the latest example of the disgusting amount of control that NBA players currently hold. Thanks to Carmelo, there has been minimal coverage of star point guard Deron Williams's disruptive behavior in Utah. Williams is a free agent following next season, and he has already taken over the franchise with implied threats to leave. It is not unreasonable to speculate that Sloan's sudden resignation was urged by attempts to keep Williams happy. It has been rumored that he was unhappy with Sloan's offensive scheme, presumably because he is jealous when he watches Derrick Rose play. You know, that annoying offense that a hall-of-famer built and kept in place for 23 years.
Being a players' league is one thing, but this is too extreme. The players have far too much power as soon as they can threaten free agency, as franchises lose seasons at a time trying to "please" them. Something has got to give. Mark Kizla wrote an interesting take on this issue as it concerns the Denver Nuggets.
A Video
Filling in for Mike and Mike (espnradio.com), Doug Gottlieb and Marcellus Wiley discuss the NFL's labor dispute. There are a lot of issues at play: rookie salaries, 18 game schedule, health coverage for former players. I am not mentioning this to touch on any of those items.
I just want to encourage fans of other sports, say baseball or basketball, to find another station to keep up with the latest news starting March 3rd. Because that's when the NFL lockout likely will start, and that is when ESPN will spin into super-hyper-NFL-coverage mode. In the offseason.
A Photo
Nuggets guard Arron Afflalo reacts (shouts!) after making a game winning jumper against the Dallas Mavericks. At times this season, any success has been difficult for us fans to enjoy. This was an exception, as Afflalo has been steady, classy, and easy to cheer for from the moment he joined the team.
A Tweet
@TroyRenck: My latest blog on Why Michael Young is not a Rockie: http://dpo.st/e8K1Ix
It sounds like Michael Young to the Rockies has become a long-shot, but I am optimistic it still might happen. To my eye, the Rangers cannot keep Young after he blasted management, calling them "manipulative." Unless a suitor emerges that has not been mentioned in the rumors so far, it looks like the Rangers will be faced with two choices: keep the unhappy Young and count on his professionalism as the season approaches, or eat money to get rid of an openly unhappy player.
Renck thinks that the Rangers are in the driver's seat of any potential trade. I disagree. I think as Spring Training approaches, the prospect of Young staying on the team whose management he publicly criticized will be too distracting, and they will be forced to trade him (perhaps for a less than desirable package). And maybe if the Rockies wait, they can get him for a package with which they are comfortable.
One more thing: if you're the Rangers, how do you phase out Michael Young? I understand Elvis Andrus and Ian Kinsler are big time players up the middle, but the Adrian Beltre signing looked desperate to me. Check out Beltre's career statistics - he showed up big in his two contract years. That's it. And in the first of those contract years, his performance would seem....ahem....enhanced (21 HR, 23 HR, 48 HR, 19 HR, 25 HR. get serious). When Beltre is pedestrian in the third year of his long term deal, here's thinking the Rangers will regret phasing out the steady Young.
An Announcement
Warning Track Power has expanded! Look forward to the lively opinions of Ryan Presley ( @RockiesBBall24). You may know him from the well-read and well-established Pain Train blogs and podcasts.
Teaser: his first entry is about Jeff Conine. I know that peaked your attention...
Almost Forgot...
I'm excited that the Packers won the Super Bowl just because I like the individual personalities on that team, especially Aaron Rodgers. And I am very happy to see that the championship belt celebration is getting the play it deserves.
Links
Tom Friend on William Perry's life after the NFL http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2010/news/story?id=6091766
Jeff Goodman on stories to watch in NCAA men's basketball http://msn.foxsports.com/collegebasketball/story/College-basketball-stories-to-watch-021011
Marc Lancaster writes about the challenge of trading Michael Young http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2011/02/09/finding-michael-young-trade-partner-a-tough-task-for-rangers/
Sarah Kwak presents some thoughts on the state of the NHL http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/sarah_kwak/01/28/ASG.strawpoll/index.html
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