A rather inexplicable weekend, wasn't it? In a lot of ways

Well, that was some weekend, wasn’t it?

Unexpected wins, good games, solid performances from unlikely sources and I don’t really care what anyone says or thinks, winning games is far better than losing them.

And only five to go – four if you’re a fellow who’s going to chill in Miami today and wait for the lads to show up rather than sit through the nightcap of the two-day doubleheader.

So …

-

THREE POINTERS

Yet another reason …

To like Dwane Casey.

Yes, he’s a genuinely nice man and a very, very good basketball coach, of that there can be no question.

Yes, they should probably pick up his third-year option today after what’s happened so far this year but that’s a foregone conclusion and will unquestionably happen in the course of time.

But when the dude can come up with a baseball analogy discussing basketball strategy he goes way, way up, no?

We’re talking about the Raptors zone and how it befuddled the Hawks as much as it befuddled the Celtics and how it’s not something he thinks should be permanent.

“It’s kind of disguised, sometimes teams don’t know if it’s a man-to-man or a zone and it helps. You can’t win a championship with it but it’s a good thing to have in our pocket.”

This, lf course, after he dropped the baseball thing on us and I didn’t scratch my head but I bet a few others did.

“It’s an Eephus pitch.”

(Off to google, young 'uns)

-

Welcome back

James Johnson was in control and not too fancy and entirely effective and back to what he was in the middle of the season; he made six of eight shots, didn’t try to do too much and was solid defensively.

No, I have no idea why all of a sudden but he kind of summed up the weekend after the game.

“Our season has been up and down but we’re not just going to lay down each night. We still have pride, we’re still men, and this is our job.”

Solid approach.

-

Wrestling time

Ed Davis is, frankly, physically over-matched most nights. That’s not totally unexpected given his still-slight frame and his youth but saw something last night that may bode well for the future.

Yes, he was pushed around a wee bit by the bigger, stronger, far-less-fit Ivan Johnson of the Hawks but as the game went on, Davis’s confidence went up and he gave as good as he got.

It didn’t go unnoticed by his coach.

“They tried to put Ivan on him to body him up, Ed did a good job in the post of really being aggressive, paling with confidence, passing the ball and quarterbacking because his guy was going to trap.”

-

More? There’s always more.

-

Man, we missed a big day Sunday by not being here, didn’t we?

Check this out:

On April 15 …

The Titanic sunk.

Abraham Lincoln died.

Jackie Robinson made his debut.

And …

Joey Ramone passed away.

And there’s nothing like a little Ramones to get the week started, is there?

-

I remember way back in 2000, as part of our millennium package, I was given the assignment of writing an essay – and I’m talking about a four- or eight-page many thousands of works – about the 100 years in sports.

Yes, a daunting task and we decided to break it down into four significant turning points and type about them. We settled on, as I recall, the emergence of women athletes, the evolution of television, the globalization of athletics and …

Jackie Robinson.

That’s how important and significant his arrival was, it totally changed the sporting landscape not only in North America but I would suggest the world, too.

And that’s why one of the best things major league baseball has ever done is get its players to all wear No. 42 on April 15 each year, to keep alive the memory of Robinson and what he did for the game, and the world.

I know there are kids – and young adults – out there who don’t know about Robinson, what he went through, what he did and the role he played in getting North American professional sports where it is today.

I’m hope some of them saw players wearing 42 yesterday and asked someone of a Certain Vintage what it was all about and that they learned something. That’s what those days are supposed to be about and kudos to baseball for doing it.

There is no comparison to Robinson in any other sport, really, because he was the first. He led the way for basketball and football and hockey and golf and everything else.

No, things are not perfect today by any means; there remain issues of race and discrimination on the games we watch and the society we live in; but Robinson did something to change that when it was at its worst and that cannot ever be forgotten.

And this? This is perfect.

-

Dang.

The WNBA draft is this afternoon and I haven’t done a mock one yet.

Oops.

Sorry.

-

How about the pucks, eh?

I have friends who only watch hockey during the Olympics and playoffs because that’s when there’s no fighting.

Riiiiight.

Now, I’m sure there’s flack to be caught for this but Sunday – in particular the Flyers-Penguins game I saw a wee bit of in a hotel room – was despicable.

I’m not sure if the worst was the Philly dude who cross-checked the guy under the chin and then punched him in the back of the head while he was lying prone on the ice; or the various guys who got beaten on after delivering entirely clean hits.

Seriously.

It’s a joke and why to very, very, very many people a prime reason the game will never truly catch on. It will be a nice regional sports league – Canada and the upper half of the United States – because the implicit tolerance of such ridiculousness by a league office that does nothing, really, to stem the tide of senseless violence sends a message that they don’t care an awful lot about what some people think.

-

 

The Goods On The Game, Raptors at Hawks

Hello, folks.

Getting close to the end, aren't we?

The end of the weekend mail

Okay, so I took a gamble and stayed last night at the old Downtown Marriott in Atlanta rather than the Marriott Marquis because I thought I’d change things up.

Wrong.

Restaurant didn’t even open, bar was so-so and the wireless kept going in and out.

Live and learn.

But I did get this done, you all have fun with it and don’t forget we’ve got the odd Sunday 6 p.m. start time for the IGBT.

See you then, right?

-

Q: Dear mild mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper.

Whatever happened to phone booths? How does Alan Anderson get into his outfit each game?

Which Lois Lane would be your kryptonite? Phyllis Coates( TV series), or that Kidder babe?

Superman Song?

Bob E, Kanata

A: Great Caesar’s ghost, Bob. Do you have to ask? The Kidder babe I saw a few times ‘cause she used to hang out with the Argo glitterati back in the McNall, Gretzky, Candy era but I’m old school.

Phone booths? I’m stunned they even still have pay phones, let alone phone booths. When was the last time you saw anyone in a phone booth, changing or otherwise?

And if you’re talking about whatever happened to, I have a t-shirt – found and purchased by Super Wife at the Pike Market while we were on a vacation in Seattle – that has this on it.

Oh, yeah, it draws stares.

-

Q: Doug: Ozzie Guillen? What do you think? Here he is with an unpopular pro-Castro opinion. The players don't seem to care.

But ownership sure does: many fans in Miami hate Castro and this threatens fan support for the team. So what does this mean?

Should teams "vet" the political opinions of their coaches and managers? Muzzle them? The line between sport and society; the line between sport and politics is a blurry one, especially pro sport -- this incident brings the connection between sport and society into sharp view.

Some will say: "Just watch the game between the white lines". Hardly realistic now in a n era when we are hungry to "know" the players-managers in greater depth.

Charles N, Toronto

A: My thoughts on Ozzie came out earlier but you bring up an interesting point on what management should, or shouldn’t do, when it comes to vetting the opinions of key hires.

I’m not sure anyone would expect even a Miami owner to ask a prospective baseball manager about his opinion on Fidel Castro because, really, who would imagine it’d ever come up? They had to know Ozzie was a bit of a loose cannon – that’s known throughout baseball – but as for asking him a series of away-from-the-game questions as part of the interview process, not sure that’s something that will ever happen. I will give the writer credit, though, he found a unique angle and a good question and evoked an extraordinary and contentious reply. Good for him.

But since we’re here, I’m going to echo an opinion offered by more than a few people on the Guillen thing. This is no a “free speech” issue at any level. No one is disputing Ozzie’s right to say whatever in the world he wants; what people – including me – are suggesting is that with free speech comes consequences. You can say what you want, it’s not the government that’s coming after you to nail you, it’s the simple fact there are, and should be, repercussions to what you say.

Say it, pay the price. It’s all cool with me.

-

Q: Hi Doug! There were so many remarkable parts that made up the Raptors' surprising win over the Celtics - but two things stay with me. First, Coach Casey admitting post-game that he hadn't slept the night before worried about his team (chiefly Uzoh and Dentmon?) being able to get the ball over halfcourt against Boston. Well, I hope he slept well Friday night because they did that and more. But doesn't this kind of sum up Dwane Casey for us? That he would literally lose sleep over a game against the Celtics, at the end of the season, with nothing on the line. But he's got this team believing. And he's got them playing for pride, and culture, and yes, jobs. And those two 10-day-contract PG's he was so worried about had a combined 8 assists and 1 turnover. Against. The. Celtics. And, the other thing that stayed with me, was that I'd perhaps just watched some D-League guys play the games of their lives. And that felt good. Now (finally!) my question: Dwane Casey signed a two-year deal with a club option for a third year. Has this third year option been dealt with, or picked up, or whatever the terminology is, to ensure another team doesn't lure this terrific coach away from us?! Thank you.

Lorie P, London

A: It hasn’t, it most likely will be, and should be, early next season but if they let this guy get away away, they need to fold up the franchise after firing everyone in a decision-making position and let us all become fans of the Lightning.

-

Q: Here's a question that that belongs in the better late than never category. With the condensed schedule this year did all teams have similar (eg balanced) schedules? I just keep seeing New Jersey win games and wonder who the heck they are beating. And if the schedules weren't balanced which team may have been given the easier ride during the year?

Bo B, Toronto

A: No, they didn’t. Some teams missed good teams in the other conference and there was no balance even within the conference. It was an abomination of a season.

-

Q: Hello Doug. A bit of an off-basketball question here. After watching Bubba Watson win the Masters last weekend, I got to wondering, what is tougher, winning an individual championship like the Masters or Wimbledon or winning a team championship after going through a grueling 3-4 round playoff as an NBA, NFL, MLB, or NHL team would?

What are your thoughts Doug?

Thank You

Joe D, Mississauga

A: That’s really too much apples vs. oranges to even do, isn’t it?

Guess it might be an interesting debate, although there is certainly no “right” answer so I’ll give you this:

I think it’s probably harder to win 16 games over two months than it is to win a two-week, or one-weekend individual event.

But that’s just me.

-

Q: Well this season is almost over for the Raptors. They have performed worst than I had expected. I had expected them to be between 25 and 30 wins. I expect if Andre had been healthy, I may have been close.

Now we are all looking forward to next year with more re-building. I don't think this team is anywhere close to competing in a playoff round. Do you see any player on this team (outside of Andre and Jose) who will be /would be a starter on a good team? I see some bench players, but no starters.

Dave B, Cornwall

A: You don’t? I disagree. But that’s why they have different flavours of ice cream, too.

Starters? Probably not outside of those two but even that’s impossible to tell and, really, doesn’t mean squat. First, you have to define “good” team and then you have to decide whether the skillset of a DeMar DeRozan would fit on that team. Entirely difficult to say, isn’t it?

And since you’ve got two Raptors who you think would start on a “good” team and there are going to be probably two new starters to come – a centre and a three – why couldn’t they be competitive in a playoff series a year from now. Who are they playing? Who’s playing well? Who’s injured? What are the matchups?

That’s one of those throwaway blanket statements that are, frankly, ridiculous.

The start of the weekend mail; and some Hall of Fame tunes

Hey, way to go, folks.

Late rally got us this, there are a few left over for tomorrow and we’re always open for last-minute selections.

Do it here now because I’m not a big fan of Atlanta and see a hotel lobby stool in my future, leaving me time to mess around tonight.

Thanks

-

Q: Hi Doug. I'm hoping you'd respond to Raptors related question for once. I believe this season was a complete waste with no progress at all. Amir johnson was non existent, Ed Davis hasn't really developed at all (same as last year) and...nothing else really. The only way I'd see this season not being fully wasted is if they finish in the bottom 5 to have a chance for a number 1 pick. Your thoughts and analysis?

Thank you

Kam H, Richmond Hill

A: For once? You new here? See the stuff I deal with?

Well, I’m not sure I can convince you otherwise but the last thing this season was was a complete waste. Ed Davis is far better than he was, as a group they are significantly better defensively and they accomplished almost all the realistic goals that they set for themselves. They might not be playing the post-season or for a championship, but they moved ahead, which -- in case you haven’t been paying attention since Christmas – was what the season was all about.

Now, I’m pretty you don’t actually want “thoughts and analysis” rather than validation for your opinion. In my opinion, they are far ahead now than they were a year ago.

And, not sure if you’ve paid too much attention to the pucks lottery or what but it doesn’t matter where they finish, they have a chance at the top 3 picks.

But thanks for playing.

-

Q: Hi Doug. I'm from a small town called Perth city in West Australia. Huge Raptors supporter, I even traveled to Toronto to live and breathe the boys a couple of years ago. Is it just me or do I not see that Amir Johnson is overlooked as being a great trade this year? I never seem to see his value and find him awkward to watch? Am I the only one?? I feel there would be a hundred other plays his size that could fill his shoes???? Love the blog I read it everyday and am a true fan of your work. I would appreciate to hear back!!! Keep up the awesome blogging! Love all the way from Down Under!

Jeff W, Perth

A: By almost anyone’s standards, I think the consensus would be that Amir has not had a particularly good year. His numbers aren’t off that much but his impact on games has been far less this year than it was last. That said, I still think he can be a valuable contributor to an NBA rotation.

However, I do think that, depending on how the lottery shakes out, Bryan should at least explore what he might bring in a trade. Not sure what that will be but it’s a conversation the GM has to have with his counterparts.

-

Musical interlude? Why not.

Hall of Fame weekend down in Cleveland, wonder if the dudes from Faces regret these hair-dos.

-

Q: Hi Doug, I don't know if you had heard this but around a month or so ago a premier league footballer (Fabrice Muamba) suffered from a heart attack at just 23 years old (he's now 24). He's recovered now but it was devastating and unexpected considering his young age.

My question is in the NBA has someone ever suffered from a heart attack Or has any other condition mid game? Final question is how thorough and frequent are the health check-ups for NBA players to make sure this doesn't happen?

Thanks

Chinaza E, London

A: Mentioned this a week or so ago but, no, I don’t recall an instance of any NBA player having a heart attack during a game. They are given extensive physicals before each season and deal with trainers and medical staffs daily but it’s my understanding that heart attacks can, sadly, just happen and there may sometimes be no preventative measures that can be taken.

Glad Muamba’s doing better, too.

-

Q: Two unrelated questions:

How likely is it that Jamaal Magloire is a Raptor next year? Or a Leave (would certainly bring Truculence if he can stand on skates)?

And, if you are coerced/forced to be a TOD beat writer for a day/week/whatever, will your cheering stop? Or will you become like Vinay Menon, blogging as TOD fan? Just curious.

Jim S, Thornhill

A: I’m beginning to think it’s more likely than not that Jamaal will be back, they love the way he mentors young players and the commitment he brings at practice. So it wouldn’t surprise me at all if there was another one-year, non-guaranteed, veteran-minimum contract in his future.

And I do think that if I get assigned to a Jays series or two that I can separate myself from liking them to reporting on the games objectively. Probably been around long enough to be able to do that well for a series or a week or whatever.

And Vinay did such a good job, I wouldn’t want to take a shot at anything like that, lest I fail miserably.

-

Q: Hey Doug, before the season started I thought my raptors would only win 7 games. so I really focused my attention on college basketball, to see who could be the team changer for us. Unfortunately, I'm not sold on any 1 player. It was supposed to be a good draft but I don't see any James, Howard, wade or Durant in that draft. Anthony Davis? Looks more like Camby than Duncan. WHO COULD CHANGE OUR TEAM DOUG?

Patrick B, Ottawa

A: NO ONE PLAYER, REALLY!

It’s not about one guy, the James, Howards and Durants don’t come around all that often. So it’s about pieces and if they get a good one to go along with what they’ve got and got coming, it’s all part of the growth.

Now, I hope you’re not trying to denigrate Camby, are you? Dude’s had a pretty darn good career.

The Goods On The Game, Celtics at Raptors

Hi, folks.

Last Friday night home game, everyone feeling nostalgic?

Pay for Olympic play comes in all different forms

This might have been one of the great backtracks of all time.

A couple of days ago, Dwyane Wade suggests that perhaps it’d be a good idea that NBAers who play in the Olympics be compensated for their time; a few waves of discontent from the masses and he was a bit contrite yesterday.

As he probably should have been.

He already is as “compensated” as the rest of the Olympians who’ll be in London and have been in Games for about the last half century.

He, and the rest of the NBAers, are paid by their “sponsors” in almost the same way the hurdlers, rowers, jumpers and throwers are.

They get money to perform in a season – World Cup, world championship, NBA – by companies (sometimes it’s shoe or equipment companies taking care of athletes; sometimes it’s multi-millionaire owners of NBA teams) that allow them to play their games and ply their crafts to become the best in the world.

Look, I know it’s a shame that some of the Olympic athletes who dedicate themselves to training and competition subsist on a barely livable wage; I think more individuals and companies should help defray those costs, I do not think it’s the government’s job given the economic realities of the day.

I also think the fallacy that Olympic athletes are in any way amateur has been so blown out of the water it’s hardly worth bringing up. I would even suggest that some of the great Olympians – think Usain Bolt – might make more money in a year than a large percentage of professional basketball players.

But, sure, if there’s a bonus system in place where Olympic national committees or even governments or sport governing bodies reward medals with cash, by all means let the NBA guys get in it. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

But extra pay for the few weeks it takes to training and play in the Games? I don’t think so. I think the lifestyle they are afforded – and you can’t begin to imagine the luxury – while they prepare is good enough.

I’m sure someone might have gotten to Wade after his first comment and played either on the patriotism angle – you should be happy to represent your country – or the business angle – look, you make hundreds of thousands of dollars in ancillary salary for simply being on the team – and he wisely had a change of heart.

-

I don’t even like the pucks all that much and couldn’t name four players on the team – two Sedins and the Luongo dude I could get – yet I hate the Vancouver Canucks, too.

-

Hey.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame weekend, I hear.

And since I don’t know what a Hurdy Gurdy Man is, and Mellow Yellow’s too cliché …

-

Wanna know what Jonas Valunciunas is up to?

FIBA’s got a little piece on the EuroCup finals that go this weekend in Russia and the soon-to-be Raptor is in there, as he usually is.

There are no real plans for Valanciunas with the Raptors this year; I do know they plan to bring him over for a little orientation time in the next couple of months where he can meet some people, catch up with his coaches, get used to the surroundings. But then he’s all Lithuania’s as they get ready to try and qualify for the London Games.

Since the kid’s been going almost non-stop for more than a year with the under-19 worlds, the Eurobasket, the Lithuanian domestic league, a handful of Cup competitions and the final Olympic qualifier and perhaps the Games themselves, I’m thinking he’s going to need a nice, long rest in late August and September before camp.

-

Didn’t we just have a Friday The 13th?

And, no, I’ve never seen one of the installments in that movie franchise; if there’s a cinematic form I care less about than the horror genre, I can’t think what it is.

I don’t know Freddy from Jason from some other ax-wielding murderer; heck, I don’t even think I saw the Texas Chainsaw Massacre when it was originally released in my youth.

Anyway, if you see a black cat today, pick it up, step on a crack in the sidewalk on your way to walk under a ladder.

Go ahead, tempt Fate. Fate’s cool with that.

-

Mail? Please. Final plea. Have this afternoon free so time to answer questions.

Do. It. Here.

Thanks.

-

So, 59 down and seven to go. Fourteen halves. Twenty-eight quarters. If I could do math or find the calculator on here I’d tell you how many minutes.

So, what to expect?

Well, since we have no idea who’s playing – I’m betting no Bargnani or Kleiza tonight, can’t guess on Jose – the word we’re getting from Dwane is what he wants to see is effort, and the results aren’t nearly as important.

Sure, it’s been that way all year but now it’s even more telling. If guys loaf during the final few games, if they go off half-cocked and try to get theirs at the expense of doing what’s right and needed at any point in a game, it tells the coaches – and us – all about them.

This is the time when professionals have to be professional, there are ticket buyers in the stands who are deserving of the best effort they can get.

One other point Dwane brought up yesterday is really worth remembering.

For guys with uncertain futures, the auditions that are going on aren’t just for the Raptors, they are being held for 29 other general managers.

Trust me, teams are looking all around the league now, even at teams with nothing truly to play for, as they try to find out who’s got what as the summer approaches.

-

 

 

Some places where owners shouldn't go

We all know the Lamar Odom story, right?

Inactive for the rest of the season, by mutual decision we’re told, after, apparently, he had some kind of confrontation or argument with owner Mark Cuban in the locker room at halftime of a game

At least that’s what the stories are saying and I believe them and I have a huge issue with that.

I don’t care who the owner is or what the team is or what the sport is, there is no way an owner needs to be anywhere near a locker room at halftime of any game.

That’s a coach’s time and a coach’s place and it doesn’t’ matter how “hands-on” an owner may be, there’s a time and place for him to get involved and halftime of a game is not it.

That undercuts the coach, it undercuts the general manager or vice-president or whoever the titular head of basketball operations is and flies in the face of all logic.

You’re an owner and you’ve got a problem with a player? Deal with it in the office, have the GM deal with it, tell the coach to deal with it, do something remotely professional; do not go into a locker room during a game to say anything to a player.

Now, I know there is all kinds of love for Cuban out there, he spends money, is involved in every aspect of the game, cares passionately about his team. Unless, of course, you ignore the fact he gutted a championship team solely for financial reasons last summer by letting Tyson Chandler get away, allowing JJ Barea to leave and only doing the original Odom deal because he knew he’d have him for one year and reap the financial benefits of that – but that’s a part of the story few pay attention to.

Anyway …

Now, Odom is not blameless in the least for this mess. I know he’s had issues and troubles in his personal life and that’s a true shame but he coasted through too many games too many times; he cheated himself, his teammates and the fans with an effort that, at best, was half-hearted. That’s stealing money and he should be called on it.

But he should be called on it in some kind of professional manner; face to face in the sober light of day, not by an overly-emotional owner in the middle of a game.

There are no good guys in this story, only differing levels of bad.

-

More

Right, the game.

In a sec.

This guy was born this day and, yes, there are some weird people out there in the world of entertainment today but you’ve got to go a long, long way to top this fellow.

Remember when he married Miss Vicki?

I do.

And I remember the nights when he was on Carson; my first introduction to odd. And there won't ever be much odder than Tiny Tim. And I'm not talking the Dickens character.

-

Right, the game.

-

THREE POINTERS

Another nice night …

For Ed Davis, that is.

Only guy who really played with energy, another double-double and somehow I missed the fact he led the team in assists with five, which surely is the first time that’s ever happened.

Good to see him finish strong, I know his coaches appreciate it and it was nice that he made three of four free throws.

But …

“We have to break his free throw shot down and start over from scratch.”

That was Dwane, before the game, and he’s right.

But give Davis credit where it’s due; he’s playing hard. And well.

-

Head on straight

I think we can all agree that Alan Anderson’s had a somewhat big impact on these guys since he’s been here,, although I warn again about “falling in love with your guys” and especially with guys on teams that aren’t going too well.

Anyway, I think the most impressive thing is that he’s provided a sense of calm and consistency to the small forward spot that James Johnson hasn’t had of late.

(There’s some JJ in the game story and the fellas on the desk did a tremendous job with a couple of links).

Anyway, Anderson may or may not get a longer look next fall off his play this spring but he told us yesterday morning that’s not what’s driving him.

“I learned that when you try to look too far ahead, you forget about the time at hand and you forget about tomorrow, you forget about now.

“You take care of now and you take care of things today and tomorrow and the next week will be there.

“It’s too much pressure to try to overlook now and worry about the next week. That’s too much pressure you’re putting on yourself.”

Makes entire sense, doesn’t it?

-

We can safely assume …

That there won’t be a lot of stories – or any stories – out of training camp next fall on the pluckiness of Justin Dentmon or Ben Uzoh and their fight to make the team off solid showings under 10-day deals this spring.

Now, both of ‘em seem to be good kids who are just trying to make a buck and an impression and while they are earning money, they aren’t doing anything to guarantee further Toronto employment.

Sometimes you get 10-day guys who can make a mark, sometimes you get guys who are placeholders.

Which is what they got. Nothing against either of them but we’re finding out just how big the chasm between the minors and the majors is.

-

And …

(First, a plea for mail. Here, thank you very much)

-

TOD plays gems like yesterday and we’re gonna love ‘em to death.

Great pitching, spectacular defence (the Lawrie play was wonderful and the kid is Hobbs, I swear) and a big win over a tough lefty.

Sure, I know some you held your breath when Santos walked out of the bullpen in the ninth but there wasn’t any reason to boo as it turned out, was there?

I tell ya’, you’re really gonna like this team. Get on the bandwagon now, it’s going to be crowded come September, trust me.

Just wait ‘til Baustista starts to hit.

-

 

 

 

The Goods On The Game, Sixers at Raptors

Hello, all.

Things good?

Sometimes, being sorry isn't necessary

Man, everyone’s sorry, aren’t they?

Larry Tanenbaum’s sorry, Brian Burke’s sorry, My Man Kelly’s sorry a year in advance in a fine piece of pre-emptive apologizing.

Me?

I’m not sorry in the least.

Not sure what these public displays of contrition actually do, though. They don’t seem to calm the masses, they really don’t mean anything except an acknowledgment of what we all already knew, and that’s that things didn’t exactly go to according to Hoyle in the season just concluded.

Someone asked me in the comments, or maybe it was the mail (and I need some to start the whole weekly process so please go here and do it), whether I thought Bryan Colangelo would offer to fall on his sword in some public apology after this season finally ends.

No. No. A thousand times no.

Look, I’m not entirely up to snuff on the pucks plans, at least not as much as my learned colleagues, but it would appear what they wanted to happen this year didn’t. No playoffs, no truculence, very little belligerence and shoddy goaltending; a freefall from the middle of the season that was shocking.

The HOTH?

They did exactly what they said they would do.

They looked for – and I love this phrase – “organic growth” of their young kids; they had a new coach who truly has accomplished a major task by getting this group to be a passable defensive unit and they not only didn’t screw up any future financial flexibility, they actually enhanced it with the Barbosa move, which will allow them to trade into significant cap space around the draft if they want to, instead of having to wait to woo free agents when LB’s contract would have expired in July.

Now, it didn’t sit too well with too many of you at points during the season, and I’m sure it frustrated the heck out of Dwane and his staff at times. I’m sure Bryan wanted to do something – anything – at some points in the season but he didn’t.

Look, I would presume that all right-thinking people knew this would be a tough season and that the answers they were seeking about some of their young players might not be great; maybe in discovering whether people could handle enhanced roles they would find out they couldn’t. And that’s as important as finding out whether people could.

So, sorry?

Not in the least.

Leave that the pucks and maybe the soccer whenever that season comes to a disappointing end.

Of course, there’s always this about ‘sorry.

-

So I get this e-mail from my good friends at my local (Hi, BP Square 1) touting some new menu item: “all meat wings.”

Now, I’m not a true connoisseur by any stretch of anyone’s imagination but I do know bar food and aren’t “all meat wings” just chicken?

-

Yes, I believe a five-game, team-imposed suspension on Ozzie Guillen is punishment enough for his Castro comments and I do admire a guy who'll sit there and take the heat when he knows it's deserved.

Now, wonder what faux pas will come next from him?

-

Now, this is great news.

And by great, I mean “boy, can’t wait to stick pins in my eyes instead” great.

Yes, there will be a summer league this season, in Vegas in mid-July and featuring whatever group of disparate talents the local heroes can put together.

Yep, bad play, horrible officiating, oppressive summer Vegas heat, cacophony of casino noise and, perchance, the opportunity to see cheesy lounge acts.

Seriously, the only guys that summer league means anything to for the Raptors will be Ed Davis – if he’s still with them – and whichever kid they take in the draft – if they don’t trade the pick.

Davis can be forcefed the ball in the post to see if he can work on developing some go-to move and even against inferior opposition that’s a got to be part of his development.

Now, that’s all predicated on Davis agreeing to go play – the team can ask and cajole and suggest he does but he’s under no contractual obligation to do it – but if he’s serious about developing his game, he’ll do it.

Same with the pick, they can’t force him but if he doesn’t, it’s foolishness. He, too, can get a steady dose of plays called for him and the coaches will get a chance to see what he’s got, even if almost every possession is halted by over-zealous young refs trying to impress the bosses sitting on the sidelines.

And, no, Jonas Valanciunas won’t be there. He’ll be with the Lithuanian national team trying to qualify for the London Olympics, or getting ready for the Games themselves, and that’s exponentially better experience than anything he’d get in a couple of weeks of summer league.

Me? I’ll go if they want but for one reason only: The league begins about the same time teams will be in a free agent feeding frenzy and it’s the best place to corral general managers who are making the moves.

Because, believe it or not, bad play, horrible officiating, oppressive summer Vegas heat, cacophony of casino noise and, perchance, the opportunity to cheesy lounge acts is really not my cup of tea.

Of course, nothing can top the first Vegas trip of my life, eons ago with Super Dad when we saw Sinatra at the old Sands before they tore it down. Now, he spoke more than he sang but it was Sinatra!

-

Okay, this concussion stuff is getting a little ridiculous.

It’s the biggest issue in the pucks, it’s still a problem with the football and, now, it’s reached DWTS??????

Yikes.

If the woman from Little House On The Prairie can’t even stand there and listen to Bruno, Len and The Lovely Carrie Ann do their thing, concussions are a huge issue and we need to deal with them.

-

I would say if you’re going to have two hits in five games, having a game-winning three-run homer and a game-breaking two-run single are two good ones to have.

And since JP Arencibia seems to have a bit of a flair for the dramatic at this early stage of the season, it’s a good thing for the TOD.

Imagine when Bautista finds his stroke. Things might get interesting.

-

 

 

Decision time is coming and Ozzie isn't so funny any more

Eight to go and, yes, it’s gone by fast and in many respects we can’t wait for it to be over to get the most important part of the season but, truth be told, gonna miss games when they’re gone, right?

Right?

-

THREE POINTERS

Tough decisions ahead

Dwane knows what’s coming this summer and last night acknowledged it publicly for maybe the first time.

Knowing that Valanciunas is coming, and with a group of bigs already here, he understands that there might be some movement when Bryan and The Henchmen sit down to chat.

The conversation was about the fact he hasn’t had much chance this year to coach his full team – Bargnani’s on the way to perhaps missing half the season with the calf – and that means he hasn’t truly seen how Bargnani and DeRozan truly fit; and, more important, he’s not sure how the whole bigs thing is going to work out.

He said:

“I know Bryan’s got some ideas but Andrea and DeMar are really big, huge pieces of our core, with Ed and Amir, we’ve got some good pieces that we have, but we’ve got to determine where they fit it, how they fit and what we want add to that.”

The fit of the bigs is the most interesting thing, by far. I cannot fathom a scenario by which they move Bargnani – and after the way he’s played when he’s played – nor should they.

But I imagine they know what I know: There might not be room for both Davis and Amir Johnson here next fall.

It’s going to make for an intriguing summer indeed.

-

Speaking of …

No one really knows what Ed Davis is but with the really good seat we had last night – right next to the bench, as close to the court as we are anywhere in the league – got to see some things we don’t often get to see that closely.

Davis may not be physically strong yet but he battled David West impressively in the post on a handful of possessions, so much so that his teammates were up and cheering.

I’m not saying he’s a finished product by any stretch of the imagination – not having a training camp yet and only one summer league and an abbreviated practice-free season has left him woefully behind – but we’re starting to see a bit of promise there.

He had a double-double last against a big front line, was active at both ends and it was perhaps his best game in a month.

-

Same seat, different view

If there is one thing DeMar still needs to work on, it’s setting his man up when he’s curling off screens.

It’s a subtle move that may come with experience or watching other guys but almost every time, on the second most effective play they run, he simply goes straight line around the big. What he needs to do is perhaps make a jab step to the baseline and then come back, take a stutter step to set up his man and give the big time to set the screen.

It’s a little, tiny thing and it could very well come with age but right now, it’s one of those Learning Opportunities the coaches are talking incessantly about.

-

More?

How about a wee bit before You Can’t Get There From Here Tour ends.

-

Oh, boy.

Ozzie Guillen is in the soup. Big time. Like you cannot believe and I don’t know if the loose cannon Miami Marlins manager can get out of this one.

In case you haven’t heard, Guillen, a Venezuelan who has become the face and voice of the Marlins as they try to recapture the interest of the fan, is quoted in Time magazine as praising Fidel Castro.

Yes. Praising the Cuban dictator so reviled in South Florida it cannot truly be explained by a guy like me.

Now, maybe it was some flippant remark by a guy with no filter but I don’t know how he gets past this. I’ve heard the well-respected Miami commentator Dan LaBatard, a second-generation Cuban, liken Castro to Hitler in the context of how much hated and loathing – and it is pure, unadulterated hatred – that Cuban-Americans hold for Castro.

It’s so bad that Guillen is flying back to Miami today on a Marlins off-day to hold a news conference to try to explain his remarks and it might be one of the most anticipated sports news conferences I can remember.

Look, there is some love for Guillen when he’s been all goofy and funny and making light of himself and his team and we tend to laugh it off. He’s Ozzie being Ozzie and we giggle and roll our eyes and move on to the next day. He insults gays and people who work for him and people he works for and somehow, we let it slide. Maybe we should have ignored his blathering a long time ago, and hoped he’d just go away.

As always, with all loose cannons, sometimes he’s going to fire in the wrong direction and this seems so incredibly wrong, I’m not sure there’s enough contrition in the Miami world to make this right.

The Marlins are one of the most intriguing teams in baseball this year, new stadium, new look, new team, gigantic payroll and all kinds of expectations and pressure and attention.

And now this?

Good luck to Ozzie; it’ll be interesting to see just how apologetic he can be, and whether the people will accept it.

-

Note to airport operators all over the world.

Early-morning travellers need coffee, like almost as much as they need their next breath. Trust me on this. We do.

And sure, we get that most restaurants aren’t going to be open at 4:30 or 5 a.m. but if you do what the nice folks at the OKC airport do, I – and hundreds of others – will be eternally grateful.

Bleary-eyed, wandering a concourse at 4:45 a.m. the other morning, desperately hoping something would be open, I stumbled upon an honour cart – fresh hot coffee brewed by the people getting ready to open the restaurant at 6. Drop a couple of bucks in a lock-box on the honour system, pour yourself a big hot cup of coffee and off you toddle, happily, back to the gate.

How civilized.

-

They did not boo the guy off the mound after the Opening Day blown save, did they?

Like, really loud boos from everyone? Or just boos from the drunken louts who’ll come back next year for the first home game?

If was the latter, I shake my head and sigh.

If it’s the former, that’s cold. Really cold.

I know, two blown saves to start the season is hardly spectacular, even if they won the one game, man, that’s getting on a guy awfully quick, isn’t it?

Too bad I missed seeing it live or on TV, sounds like a heckuva night.

-

Okay, let me get this straight.

The pucks are having their big lottery tonight except that if you win the lottery you might not actually “win” the lottery because you can only move up four places and if you’re 10th and you “win” you actually kind of lose.

Makes entire sense to me.

-