Statistical anomalies and cops and lawyer all-stars

 

We truly have a series of short, unrelated items here this morning for your reading and listening pleasure, mostly because there’s not an awful lot going on and I didn’t have a lot of time either last night or this morning to sit around dream stuff up.

Better tomorrow, promise.

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Yes, I did hear that Andrea Bargnani had 19 rebounds – yes, in ONE GAME! – as the Italian national team beat Brigham Young in an exhibition game yesterday.

All I can say is that never would have happened if Hoffa had been there.

But it does sort of go to show you that anyone can do anything one time and all we really need to do when we hear that kind of news or those kinds of stats is roll our eyes, smirk and get ready for the next report.

I did find it kind of interesting that with less than a week before EuroBasket 2011 that Italy is playing games against an obviously over-matched American college team. The other teams, I’m hearing, have finished their exhibition games and are now in final training camps before the tournament begins next Tuesday.

Am also trying to piece together some big preview for the weekend paper – that’ll be this morning’s task while sipping the quad vente latte here at Starbucks The Lane – and it’s hard to get my head around just how good this tournament will be.

I know we’ll have to pay particular attention to the one in Argentina because Canada’s in it and there’s so much on the line, but EuorBasket in Lithuania is shaping up as maybe the best basketball tournament ever.

Wish I was there but can’t wait to at least see some of it and have my spies report in on how intense it is.

I still contend the two best basketball games I ever saw were the 1998 world championships final between Russia and Yugoslavia and the ’02 words between Yugoslavia and Argentina and the level of intensity and competition in Lithuania starting next week – with two Olympic berths on the line, not to mention bragging rights – will be off the charts.

Too bad we’re not that good as a country, I’d love to see the day when our national team creates the furor and ignites the passion that others get to live every year or so.

I don’t imagine we’ll ever get there, but it’s a good dream to have.

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Holy crap.

It wasn’t three weeks ago that I was sitting in the Rogers Centre media dining room eating with and listening to Mike Flanagan tell stories.

And now he’s dead.

Man, it hits hard.

I know we hear all the time about former athletes passing away long before their time but this guy was only a few years older than I am and sat there telling tales without a care in the world.

I didn’t cover the Jays when he played in Toronto but all of my friends in the business tell me there might not have been a better quote in the business. Funny, understood it was a game first an foremost and always had time to share a story and provide a quip.

They don’t make ‘em like that any more.

Sucks.

Big time.

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So, not sure if you’ve heard but apparently Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony are going to make guest appearances on Law and Order, SVU next month.

Now, if I had to rank the Law and Orders, it’d go:

The real one.

SVU

Criminal Intent

The aberration that is Law and Order, Los Angeles.

Anyway, the news that those two athletes are going to be on there gets a guy to thinking …

A Law And Order All-star Team

Adam Schiff

Ben Stone

Abby Carmichael

Lenny Briscoe

Anita Van Buren.

That’s a Murderer’s Row of cops and lawyers, isn’t it?

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Okay, a tornado, apocalyptic rain, lightning and thunder and they traded Johnny Mac?

Where are the locusts?

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Holy smokes.

A friend reports – and it’s good to have friends with similar music tastes and radio listening talents – that there’s a plethora of birthdays today.

You’ve got Gene Simmons (who didn’t marvel at Kiss back in the day) and you’ve got Billy Ray Cyrus (who didn’t mock him back in the day) and you’ve got …

Who doesn’t love a little Elvis Costello.

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Mail?

Got some?

Get it in here.

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Hey, how’d I miss Hobbs going triple/game-winning homer?

I can only imagine what that was like in the ballpark.

I tell you, there’s just something about that Lawrie kid that’s got greatness – or at least great moments – written all over it.

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Canada’s beaten by 18 by Brazil down at the Marchand Cup yesterday and it’s no big deal, really.

As we’ve said all along, nothing matters until the Olympic qualifying tournament begins next week so an 88-70 loss should probably do little more than evoke shrugs today.

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Comments

[RyanS]

Ben Stone, contentious choice, it appears

Blogger's note: That's what you get when you let fans vote for all-star teams

[doug]

this is a interesting tidbit I just read on Flanagan...

"Mike Flanagan, by all accounts, was a wonderful man. He played basketball with Julius Erving in college and said it was defending Erving in practice that taught him that he would be better off pitching."

the things you learn and smart decision by Flanagan...

[Boko]

You wrote "Too bad we’re not that good as a country, I’d love to see the day when our national team creates the furor and ignites the passion that others get to live every year or so." and I thought ... Canada ... Hockey ... Leafs.

GO RAPTORS!!!!!!!!!!!

[Peter]

Wow. The Star is reporting suicide for Flanagan. Crazy.

[Richard Y]

@Doug re: wikipedia article

But doesn't the footnote to some other source mean that it MUST be true? ;o)

[Penguin]

I have never experienced serious depression or whatever it is that caused recent suicides, so perhaps I am speaking out of turn here. Nevertheless, I am having difficulty accepting all of the accolades pouring in for athletes who dies too soon because they chose to take their own lives. Suicide is at least in part a selfish act where the individual is evidently unconcerned about the impact that it may have on his family and others. Sorry, but while I may recall them as athletes, I can't mourn their passing when they chose that route themselves as others are fighting to save their lives.

[Joe]

Hey Doug,

If I'm not mistaken didn't Andrea get 17 rebounds in a game against the Pacers, in Indy, in January of 2010. So, his 19 rebounds might be a career high for him.

[Blake Kennedy]

Nice to see Angie Harmon getting some well-deserved love.

[Eric]

Lenny Briscoe is a funny man. Great list.