An old friend helps out at home and TV commercial memories

How bizarre is this.

In search of wireless and morning respite, a bedraggled grunt makes his way to Starbuck on the Lane in Niagara for an hour or so of peace and quiet and a wee bit of work.

First guy he sees when he walks in the door: Another Niagara Falls guy, former NBA head coach and it turns into a couple of old friends chatting.

Yeah, Jay’s doing all right, actually.

It is, as we all know, a very quiet time around the NBA – even if there wasn’t a lockout – but it doesn’t mean there aren’t things to do.

One of the very best programs the NBA runs is its Basketball Without Borders events each summer and Jay’s off this weekend to Ljubljana, Slovenia for a week or so to help celebrate the 10th anniversary of the camps that bring together the best young players in Europe for basketball- and life-skill lessons.

The fact it’s on in Slovenia is rather significant.

It’s the first time a camp’s been held in one of the former Yugoslav republics, which was the site of the very first one and was for young kids from that former country.

It’s an excellent program and it’s good that the NBA and FIBA kept it going (they’ve been in Rio and are going to Johannesburg next month) in this odd summer.

Of course, because of the lockout, no current players can take part as they do every other summer.

So, the NBA has invited a handful of former players to each camp and, yes, he will be there.

Ah, I miss the big lug.

-

Senior men beat Czech Republic yesterday.

Feel better?

Took ‘em overtime to get the 89-83 win (there’s a brief story here courtesy of Canada Basketball) but a win’s a win’s a win.

Beats the alternative and if they get the one today, the finish to the trip will be far better than the start.

-

RIP Bubba.

I cannot believe he never won an Emmy.

-

Because, as we know, it’s all about me …

Q: Good morning Doug. I was just wondering why you write your blog so early in the morning? Since your beat job mostly has you working at night and sometimes into the early hours why not write it then so you can actually get a good nights rest?

Richard H, Whitby

A: Good question, one I’ve actually asked myself, too.

And the answer always goes like this:

“Self, what in tarnation doing getting up so early to get that blog up by 8 or 8:30 in the morning?”

“You know why. That’s when the Irregulars in this neck of the woods are getting to work, high traffic time on the interweb before they start their jobs.”

“Self, you’re a dope. Why not do it after the game, get it done by 2 or 3 a.m. and get some sleep?”

“Who are you calling a dope? You know how it is. There’s a bit of an adrenaline rush when the night’s finally over and you need to decompress. Plus, a guy really likes decompressing most nights. Just as easy to get a few hours sleep and start quasi-fresh. Besides, some days I have germs of ideas done in the afternoon or early evening and it’s not that hard to simply expand on them.”

“Self, you are wise old soul. Sorry I asked.”

-

Traffic thing of the day

(And, yes, I’ll move on to something else soon, I promise)

I’ve been lucky enough to have been in Athens, Istanbul, Rome, Madrid, Beijing, London and Barcelona over the course of a career and have seen first hand some of the zaniest traffic known to man.

Scooters, buses, roundabouts, pedestrians, guys waving arms out windows, horns honking and, frankly, chaos.

You know how it is: Six cars come to one corner, six are at the other, people walking and gesticulating like crazy.

Know what I don’t remember seeing?

A fender-bender.

I don’t know it is but, man, those people can drive. A little crazily, sure, but no one seems to get hurt.

-

So a guy’s searching for the right Bubba Smith video (because that’s what we do here at a Raptors blog, search for video of now-deceased ex-football players and thespians) and, of course, these all pop up.

If there was a series of TV commercials better than Tastes Great, Less Filling, I’m not sure what they were.

-

Mail?

Please.

I have a Sopwith Camel flight to Baltimore today and while I’m sure it’ll be bumpy and cramped, could use some work to keep my mind occupied.

And, have an entire night of crabcakes and stools so …

Click. Write. Send.

-

So Billy Hunter does a speaking engagement yesterday and says it’s likely the entire 2011-12 NBA season will be cancelled, the league filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board the other day while suing the players association in federal court as pre-emptive strike against decertification and, as a friend said the other day:

NBA.

Nothing.

But.

Attorneys.

-

 

 

Senior men wrapping up and a drive down memory lane

 

We’ve come to almost the end of a rather inglorious European tour for Canadian senior men’s team with games today and tomorrow in the Czech Republic.

Seeing how they’ve gone winless so far – two dropped in France, rather disheartening losses to minnows Bulgaria and Macedonia in Italy – not sure there’s a lot for optimism n these last two games. Teams not going so well have a tendency to want things over quickly, I imagine some of them will play with visions of airplanes in their heads, which is in some ways quite understandable.

But what’s it all mean?

Less than some of you think.

Yes, losing four in row, and to teams not considered basketball giants at all in Bulgaria and Macedonia, is not a good thing in any way, shape or form.

You want teams – even teams that will change significantly before a season starts for real – to learn to win rather than suffer unexpected losses.

But now the real work starts, or at least it starts after they take a week off following the Czech games.

As we’ve pointed out, this team in Europe is not the team that will play in Argentina with the Olympics in mind. Cory Joseph and Joel Anthony, who are going to play central roles in whatever transpires, weren’t in Europe; the trickle down effect of their absence meant guys who probably couldn’t handle the game had to play. They won’t when things are truly on the line.

This is not meant in any way to excuse what went on over there, two losses to France are entirely understandable, the other two are worrisome, but I’m willing to wait and see what they’ve got when they depart for the tournament rather than a month or so before it starts.

There are still a handful of games left, the ones against Belgium in Toronto and Hamilton in a couple of weeks and a tournament in Brazil immediately before the Olympic qualifier.

I think there’s one thing a few are losing sight of: The last time this team – and a lot of it is the same – had to win something of significance, they beat Dominican Republic to earn a berth in the world championships, getting back on the global stage for the first time in a while.

We said then that it was a good step, a baby step, back to international relevance. That journey is not going to be easy and it is going to be long but they are indeed on it.

And as we’ve seen, it’s going to be bumpy. But bumpy rides are sometimes fun if they end smoothly.

-

Hoo!

And

Boy!

Q: Hi Doug. It thrills me whenever I see a correct usage of a semi-colon, such as your sentence below from today's post:

"In the basketball, we stand around at lockers and wait for guys; in the baseball, they bring whoever we need to a central location."

You seem like a guy who appreciates good writing, so are there any particular problems in bad writing, perhaps from readers who write to ask you questions, that annoy you more than others?

Daniel M, Calgary

A: Now, I are not as smrt as the average bare, fore suur.

But when it comes to matter of English language, I do appreciate correct usage and there are moments when I fear for the future of written communication.

It’s not one thing, though. It’s spelling, it’s “there” “their” and “they’re” and “to” and “too” and don’t even get me started on “than” and “then.”

I will fully admit to having too many typographical errors here (and it truly is mainly because of wrong keys hit rather than not knowing the correct spelling) but that the basic tenets of grammar and punctuation, stuff we used to learn in grade school, are so forgotten it saddens me sometimes.

Than I right sumpin stoopid and I is feeling better about other peeples.

-

I Am A Dope, V. 2.0 (or, actually, about V. 2,000,000)

So after the radio gig Monday, I head to Niagara to tend to matters, rise about 6 a.m. Tuesday to entertain you, deal with Super Grandpa at breakfast and plan relaxing Starbucks post-breakfast time puttering away on work before dealing with Super Grandpa at lunch and heading back to work out Mighty Rockies ‘til they drop.

Check on the 6 a.m.

Check on breakfast.

Check on blog done while operating off battery power at table.

Putting computer back in bag and about to head for coffee and, oops, no power cord.

Frantic call home and, yep, it’s still on the desk.

Race from Niagara to Hazeville at 9, turn around at 10:15, back for lunch at noon, back to Hazelville for Rockies, back to Niagara.

Yes, I am more familiar with that stretch of the QEW than maybe anyone in history.

And how was your day?

-

Man, I’m pretty glad the United States is solvent since I’m going to be there tomorrow.

Hope they didn’t close the libraries to keep the country afloat.

-

Speaking of the QEW to Niagara (a six-lane highway to those unfamiliar) does anyone remember these?

Used to be one at Stoney Creek, one at Hwy. 10 and QEW and, if memory serves, one at the Hwy. 427 and QEW.

I’d love – LOVE – to see ‘em back just so I could go sit by them and watch the carnage.

And aren’t roundabouts something that top the list of vehicular things Europeans do better than us?

-

Okay, one more on traffic and, really, I’m done.

For now.

Someone has to explain to me how the first car in a regular, run-of-the-mill volume-created traffic jam come to a complete stop?

Seriously. Shouldn’t traffic flow like water? Sure, it might be trickle sometimes but to come to a dead stop?

I don’t get it.

-

 

No one to cheer for and drivers who are goofs

Okay, we’re really reaching here today; that was as boring a holiday Monday as you’ll get.

But still … we soldier on.

Somehow.

-

Hmm.

David Stern doesn’t “feel optimistic about the players’ willingness to engage in a serious way.”

Derek Fisher says the sides are “still very, very far apart.”

Sounds like a typical day at the bargaining table to me.

No, nothing really good happened when the CBA talks resumed Monday in New York but – most important – nothing really bad happened, either.

It was a step, a baby one for sure, but a step nonetheless.

But you know what?

I wonder if anyone really cares.

This is one of those fights without a true favourite or a villain, isn’t it?

I can see the owners side – they have to have a system that allows them to make a profit on their business and there can be no doubt that some of the clubs are hemorrhaging money.

I can see the players side – they shouldn’t be asked to give away all that they’ve collectively bargained for in the past just to make sure that the weaker teams can make it.

I suppose, philosophically, I’d side with the workers, who are going to get screwed somehow no matter what. The players have already conceded money, length of contract, the guarantees that go with those deals and, eventually, don’t they have to say: “enough is enough?”

But it truly is difficult for me to get too worked up either way.

The money totals are astronomical and that’s hardly worth thinking about. Total revenues of more than $4 billion are entirely abstract, it’s impossible to even imagine how much money that really is.

I do know that – eventually – the NBA will be back, it’s too lucrative a business for some and too ingrained in sporting society to go away forever. But this is turning into one of the most boring work stoppages I can remember.

-

Well, another first.

Am doing the Prime Time radio gig Monday night (not too much pucks and acquitted myself not too badly, I believe) and an out for a breath of fresh air with Mr. McCown during one of the breaks.

Here comes this rather large fellow walking down the street, Bob says, “oh, no, it’s Belli” and, sure enough, it’s the big old ex-CFL lineman.

You know the one, Adriano, the guy who likes to kiss people on the cheeks as a way of saying hello.

Yep, he gets Bob, I stick out my hand and say, “Hi, not sure we’ve met, I’m Doug Smith of The Star” and … bam!

A smooch on each cheek.

Pretty sure that’s the first time I’ve had a peck from a pro athlete while standing on a major Toronto downtown thoroughfare.

Or anywhere, for that matter.

-

Thinking caps, kids.

Have a trip to Baltimore coming and while I have one great recommendation already, I could use some help.

Two night games so there’s not a lot of time but am staying at Camden Yards area and have lunches to kill.

Maybe I’ll go check out this guy’s birthplace.

-

Couple of questions over the weekend about the differences between the TOD and HOTH.

Biggest one:

The ball players are ready more quickly to talk after games and the guys and gals who might be approaching deadline like that a lot.

The drill’s the same as with the basketball, we all convene in a room to talk to the coach, er, manager, and after he’s done, we toddle off to the locker room, er, clubhouse, to get the players.

In the basketball, we stand around at lockers and wait for guys; in the baseball, they bring whoever we need to a central location. Much easier. Of course, the clubhouse is about four times the size of the Raptor locker room and that helps.

But the speed with which the various players come out really struck me. I’ve seen instances in the past where pitchers iced their arms forever, position players went to lift weights before doing post-game media and we’ve had to stand around bored for half an hour.

Not now. At least not with this team or any of the guys we’ve needed to talk to at games I’ve been at.

It’s interesting, too, in one other regard.

John Farrell comes in, plops himself down at the microphone – not standing at a podium like with the Raptors – and immediately launches into his impressions of the game.

With the Raptors, it’s always been a question-first kind of thing and I think I like the Farrell way better, his comments might give us fodder for a line of questioning.

Anyway, hope that helps those who wondered.

-

Things I Hate, Vol. 2,502,476

So, I’ve been spending a fair amount of time in The Smelly Ford Focus betwixt Hazelville and the peninsula of late (Hello, Mick and Angelo’s) and here’s a Top Two Irksome Things From Idiot Drivers On The QEW

Move over!

Seriously. There are three lanes. Right one for slowpokes, middle one for regulars, left on for speedsters. Know where you should be and get there.

Thank you.

Listen!

You hear that little “click, click, click, click” sound that’s driving you crazy?

It’s your directional signal and because I’m the guy behind you entirely confused as to your intentions, please, for the love of all that’s good in the world, turn it of.

Thank you.

What’s on your list?

-

Oh yeah, Mighty Rockies are tomorrow night.

I’ll alert the scalpers that you’ll all be around.

-

 

 

 

 

Of bright futures, not talking Turkey and thanks, Mr. Simcoe

How the heck did it get to be August already?

Man, time does fly, no?

-

Let me get this straight.

The Canadian junior women win eight of nine games, beat the FIBA Americas champion (United States), the FIBA Europe champion (Italy), the FIBA Asia champion (Japan) at some point in the tournament and finish fifth at the world championships?

Something’s wrong here.

But, as a wise man once said of international basketball (and I honestly don’t remember who it was, maybe Steve Konchalski?):

"It’s not if you lose, it’s when you lose that counts."

Does it ever. Kind of reminds me of the 2000 Olympic men’s tournament, where Canada had the second-best record at 5-2 and finished seventh.

I’m not sure what can be done to correct the injustice of that final result, though. The format is what the format is and I guess aside from finding a way to do away with sudden-death quarter-finals to let four teams fight it out for three medals, there isn’t much to be done.

Stinks, sometimes, but what can you do?

I do know this, though:

This is a very, very good young team and it did reaffirm that the Canadian program – at the younger ages and especially on the distaff side right now – is on the right track.

The women who played and played so well – the Plouffe sisters from Edmonton, Nirra Fields of Lachine, Que., and LA, Korrisa Williams of Amhertsburg, Ont., Wumi Agunbiade of Pickering – may not be household names right now but I have a feeling we’ll be hearing more about them as the years progress.

Of course, that’ll be up to guys like me to make sure they don’t get lost over the course of the winter because the international season for them is now over and the next time we write about them in that context will be at the world qualifier next year.

But I cannot tell you how significant it is for these young women to have gained the experience they just did. Of course, the loss to Spain was a huge disappointment but when it comes time to compete on the senior stage – and we’re looking at the 2012 worlds and 2014 Olympics and perhaps beyond – they will have all kinds of confidence to draw from. There will be some players, of course, who fall by the wayside for reasons running from skill development to injury to the tug of growing up and getting on with life but there is a core group that provides as promising a future as there’s been in decades.

We’ll get into the men’s side in more depth later in the week (the senior team finishes its first phase of training with games in the Czech Republic on Wednesday and Thursday before taking a week off) but with the junior women having played so well and the senior women off to Asia for a couple of games to get ready for their Olympic qualifier, that side of the program should be on the minds of basketball fans at the moment. And in a good way, too.

-

Sometimes kids are just raised right.

Super Son’s at the Alomar game soaking up the baseball and the sun and along about the eighth inning he gets all traditional, looks at Super Wife and starts warbling.

Real cheesy song but sounds cool when a ballyard full of Sox fans is singing it; highlight of the work part of a guy’s trip to Boston, as a matter of fact.

We’ve got to find one for HOTH.

-

News item

Kobe Bryant says he hasn’t talked to that Turkish team in weeks and one report says there’s “zero” chance he goes to play there.

Reaction:

Yawn.

-

So, talks today?

Stern, Hunter, associates, deputies and a whole gaggle of lawyers are getting together in New York, a month into the lockout.

About time.

Now, as has been mentioned more than a couple of times, it’s going to be a long slog to get a deal done, nothing is likely to happen this week, or even next week, or even perhaps the week after that.

The best thing that can come out of today?

That the rhetoric doesn’t get all crazy and they decide they’ve done enough in this session to warrant scheduling more bargaining.

But, if memory serves from other pro sports labour negotiations, this would be about the day where one of the sides – and it really doesn’t matter which one, actually – walks out of the meeting and someone pronounces:

“They don’t want to negotiate, there’s nothing new from the last time we met. We’re done and told them to call us when they want to get serious about things.”

That, while predictable, would be bad.

-

If you’re lollygagging around the house today thankful for not having to work, think of this dude.

-

Scorekeeping time and, overall, don’t think I did too badly.

Remember this story from a week or so ago? Tried to figure out which big name ballplayers might get traded and which teams might do buying and selling as the deadline.

Looks like I had a few right.

Got two of the six players moved – damn those Tampa Rays for not doing anything – and hit on four of five teams that added significant pieces and two of five that divested themselves of players.

Overall, that’d be an average that’ll keep me in the majors another year.

Can’t wait for February to see how I might do in a sport I actually seem to know something about.

-

I chalk this entirely up to it being a holiday Monday and other people having other things to do but somehow they’ve gone way down the list of possibilities and I’ll be on the McCown show on FAN590 this evening 5-7.

Hope we talk a lot of pucks.

-