Great games, goofy time zones and other fun stuff

Totally random unrelated thoughts. Again.

But good ones.

Enjoy.

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Okay, is this a break, or what?

Suns go three overtimes and lose in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, they probably didn’t get back to Phoenix and their homes until the wee hours of the morning, it was a mentally draining loss and the Raptors had been sitting around all day relaxing and getting ready for them.

Know what that means?

Spurs by 12.

Seriously, I know there are those among you who now figure the Raptors have to be now somehow favoured because of the confluence of events on Tuesday but if there’s one thing we’ve learned this season it’s that you never know.

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What I do know, however, is that was a doozy in LA.

A handful of us were lucky enough to have been invited to dinner by a generous season ticket holder (Hello, Mike!) and sitting around the couches watching the three overtimes unfold was excellent.

And when HWSNBN kind of missed every significant shot he took all night, there were more than a few caustic comments being thrown about the room.

Vince went, what, 7-for-23? Not his greatest moment and I imagine a few of you were relishing in is failures, weren’t you?

But if you stayed up late and watched it all, didn’t you feel a twinge of regret that Captain Canada couldn’t pull that one out?

Oh, it is to be conflicted when you’re watching the Suns, isn’t it?

Kind of like being on the most exhilarating rollercoaster you can imagine; and I imagine more than a few of you love a good ride every now and then.

But that game was indeed one for the ages and put some juice into one of those end-of-the-year regular season nights that are so often so predictable.

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So what did the Raptors do Tuesday?

How about a lot of nothing, which is good and, I’m sure, was most welcome.

But before you think all they all did was sit around the pool or hang around the mall or sleep the day away (what a perfect thought that is) I’m told a few of them got up some shots, a couple of them spent some time with the trainers and it was a nice, slow, work day.

The kind we all like every now and then, right?

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There’s a lot to like about Arizona.

Nice weather. Good people. Cactus.

But the state’s dealing with time is, well, stupid.

I don’t know if it’s the only state that doesn’t change its clocks in March but it’s the only one that I’ve had to deal with and it now being three hours behind instead of two really throws a wrench into the my smooth-running clockwork that is my life.

And, truth be told, I had no idea it was like this until I got to the Denver airport yesterday, saw my 12:13 p.m. flight was about two hours long and got to Phoenix about 1:10 p.m.

Grr.

What’s it mean for me? And you?

Well, it’s a 10 p.m. Eastern time start, not 9 p.m. and it means there’s no way my game story makes the paper, only the web.

And it means a lot of you are going to have to stay up way late to be part of the IGBT shenanigans.

See you then.

Oh, and it makes the 7 a.m. flight back tomorrow a bit tougher, too.

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Harkening back, Irregulars will get the Spurs by 12 line; others need to know it came from a night San Antonio played without Duncan and Parker and were sure to be victims of the Raptors.

Yeah, right.

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You’re running out of days to get in on the big contest, the one with the six sets of two tickets to next week’s Bucks game.

Just click here to enter, we’ll close it off Friday morning and try to let the winners know that afternoon.

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Oh, no.

As I was typing this in the wee hours of my morning, news breaks that Elizabeth Taylor died.

Now there was a looker!

And a thespian.

And somewhere in some afterlife, if such a thing exists, she and Richard Burton are probably having some intense row right now.

I’ve probably got Cleopatra and National Velvet at the top of the Liz List, by the way.

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Speaking of last night’s Suns-Lakers classic, here’s how Paul wrote it up.

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Let’s get this one out of yesterday’s mail.

Q: Hey Doug. Do referees review some first half tape during halftime? Do they take a few moments to look over some calls that the crowd/player/coach thinks they may have really blown?

Colin C, Toronto

A: Yes, if there’s a call they want to look at, or a play they want to make sure they got right, or a situation they feel needs to be more fully explained to a coach they will review stuff at halftime.

I’ve heard refs say to coaches during first half discussions: “Yeah, I’ll take a look at it” and sometimes they’ve back and said, “Yeah, I missed that one.” Or “I looked, we got it right.”

Believe me, what refs want more than anything is to get calls right and if they blow one they feel bad and the good ones among them will admit it right away.

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So a guy sits down on a stool on a glorious afternoon at an outside joint to decompress and get the lay of the land.

Comely wench comes by with a cold, sweaty glass of sustenance and just before she sets it down on the paper napkin, she sprinkles some salt on it.

And a guy thinks: Wow, she’s a veteran!

Not sure how widely known this is – I first got it years ago from the one and only Frosty The Grizzlies PR Guy – but the salt on a napkin assures it won’t stick to the bottom of the glass when you pick it up to have sip.

There, public service done.

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When worlds collide.

As I mentioned, a few of us were lucky enough to have been invited to a wonderful soiree last night and a few of the usual suspects – hello, broadcast crews! – were there.

But there were some outsiders to and it was an honour for an old seamhead to finally be introduced to the one and only Mel Didier.

And if you don’t know who that is, you don’t read The Legendary Boxing Bob Elliott over in the other paper because Mel’s one of those all-time great baseball scouts/advisers/guys who makes talking about the game such a joy.

Anyway …

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No, there was no word on Amir Johnson yesterday; they had the day off as I mentioned and I didn’t spend a lot of time tracking people down.

But if I’m the Raptors, I have to err on the side of caution. Why trot him out there if he’s not 100 per cent? I know he’ll want to play because that’s what he does and he might be the toughest kid on the roster but he’s got to be almost healthier than healthy to be given the green light to go.

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All right, late morning shootaround here and then I believe it’s time to sit out and soak up some sun before heading back to what I hear is some snow.

Ugh.

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Oh, yeah. Long flight back home Thursday, I'd like to get started on the mail so, please, do your part. Click here, write something down and tell me what you're thinking.

Thanks.

 

Comments

[sb]

"I’ve probably got Cleopatra and National Velvet at the top of the list, b the way."

I sense a list coming on...if it hasn't already been done? "Doug's Cinema Favourites"?

[Snizzoop]

SPURS by 12...over the Nuggets?

Blogger's note: Inside joke; went in and explained it.

[Snizzoop]

Damn it! You did it on purpose...I guess I should have read to the end before posting. Now I'm the tool. :(

[LeeZ]

Celopatra and National Velvet? Pashaw. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof!

[Lawrence]

Who's afraid of Virginia Woolfe?
- This is not a question.

[sherry]

RMR: Rick Mercer transforms the hockey rink for a Leafs' game into the basketball court for a Raptors' game overnight with the crew at the ACC.
:)
http://www.youtube.com/user/MercerReport

[james]

An interesting test for the young Raptors tonight in what could be a winnable game; that marvelous triple-overtime was like an extension of the conference finals last year but Nash played 49 minutes. How resilient are the Suns? They have to win to retain a prayer of the playoffs. Can the Raptors rise to the occasion after the Denver disaster? I also couldn't help reflecting last night that at one time Carter and Bryant almost seemed like the same player in terms of ability. What's between the ears, though, has made all the difference.

[Andrew Gregg]

Hi Doug:

A lot to like about Arizona? You mean legalized harassment of Latin Americans and people who shoot Congresswomen? Concealed weapons? Unconcealed weapons? The border wall? John McCain!?

Place is a nightmare...

AG, Toronto

[DMcCalgary]

That Suns-Lakers game was a joy to behold. Would have been better if the Suns had won, but if you're a Nash fan (aren't we all?), what great stuff! They were down 17 late in the 3rd I think, when Nash takes the team on his back, as he's done a thousand times. What a difference it makes to a team when the PG drains 2 3s in 23 seconds: boys, we're not out of this, see. The look on Phil Jackson's face, when Steve made one of those passes that only he does, was damn I'd like to coach a team with him on it. As much as I like to see the Raps play well, I sure hope the Suns make the playoffs so we can see more of Captain Canada.

[Richard]

Hey Doug,

Point well taken - about the Irregulars not getting their hopes up of catching a fatigued Suns team on a back-to-back after what is sure to have been an emotionally draining triple overtime loss to the Lakers.

Let's hope the players take heed as well...

[Ryan Smyth]

I think its very important for people to watch this, and find a new prespective on what Jay Triano means to this team, to this city and to this country.

http://watch.tsn.ca/featured/#clip437351

[Kent]

If the raptors still manage to come out with less energy and effort than the suns tonight, I can only conclude that the players have stopped listening to JT or that he doesn't say anything to motivate them anymore. Can't expect an 8-point underdog in any game to win but I can expect them to show more effort than another team coming off a 3-OT heartbreaker.

[Peter]

I was going to post a link to the Jay Triano/Terry Fox story from TSN, but I saw another poster (Ryan Smyth) already did. I think it's definitely worth watching.

Thanks for the blog Doug.

[m]

"I think its very important for people to watch this, and find a new prespective on what Jay Triano means to this team, to this city and to this country.
http://watch.tsn.ca/featured/#clip437351"
Thanks. Beautiful and inspiring all over again.

[Penguin]

As usual, Doug, I really appreciate the links to stories from other papers. Paul's story on the Suns-Lakers made me wish I'd been able to watch the game. Really exciting. However, the best part of this link wasn't the story itself, but the comments from readers that followed it, ripping the hell out of VC with many noticing the same things that drove us crazy in Toronto, even before his leaving town.

[Peter G]

Hi Doug,
One other state that doesn't change its clocks is Hawaii.