An interesting season is ahead; big games in the fall?

We’re a bit off-kilter this morning, hope you don’t mind.

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Now, I’m no expert nor do I play one on TV and I didn’t sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night but …

The Blue Jays?

I’ve got ‘em for 89 wins and I don’t imagine that’s enough to make the post-season but it’s sure enough to make things interesting around here for most of the summer and there’s nothing wrong with that.

I was a bit floored by the demotion of Brett Cecil yesterday -- not sure too many saw that coming, even with his spring struggles – and that lays bare the biggest deficiency on this team, in my humble opinion.

I think they’ll score enough runs, I think they’ll catch the ball pretty well (they tell me Eric Thames is far more comfortable in left and that was the true question mark) and I’m okay with the bullpen because I think Casey Janssen morphs into an excellent set up guy and a cab driver in Chicago the last time I was there says Sergio Santos is for real and if cab drivers don’t know, who does?

But can they throw the ball well enough to start games?

Huge question.

There’s no doubting the bonafides of Ricky Romero and Brandon Morrow has lights-out stuff but after that? It’s not quite Spahn and Sain and Pray For Rain (a poem penned by a sportswriter, I’ll have you know) but it’s close.

There is every chance Henderson Alvarez is good, he seems impervious to nerves and has some nasty stuff but Kyle Drabek and Joel Carreno? That doesn’t have a Palmer-Cuellar-McNally-Dobson ring to it, does it?

Who knows, maybe Dustin McGowan finds health, maybe Cecil finds location because I don’t know that he’ll find velocity and maybe they’ll win a lot of 8-5 games that are too taxing on the bullpen.

But if they don’t …

But you know what the best thing about this might be?

There’s a legitimate buzz about this team, and a genuine feeling of confidence among the players that’s been absent the last few years.

Sure, every year at this time everybody talks big, they set their sights on the post-season, ooze confidence even if it is unfounded.

Today? This team?

With Hobbs here all year at third, perhaps the best hitter in the game in Bautista and what I think is a very solid DH in Encarnacion, there’s every reason to think they might be able to stay in the hunt for the expanded post-season until the very end and that’s going to create an atmosphere we haven’t seen around here in a very, very long time.

So I’m going with 89 wins and important games in September and, who knows, if things break just right those important games might slide over to October.

Wouldn’t that be something?

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More?

Always more in this crazy mixed-up, upside-down blog day.

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So this is Why I Love Dave D, Part I.

E-mail arrives about mid-game, he must have been catching up on his reading and he’s not exactly ragging on me about the Canadian music a few days ago – I tell ya, he wants to be one of us; only former Grunt I know who watches CBC on his computer – but he offers this as one of the quintessential Canadian songs.

(The e-mail includes this: I will never talk to Scorcese again for leaving it on the cutting room floor...tell him to stop calling me.)

Agree?

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Anyway … remember these?

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THREE POINTERS

Every play counts

You don’t think Dwane Casey doesn’t take every possession seriously?

Less than two seconds left in the first half, team up, Bobcats shooting free throws to wrap up another desultory half in a nothing game against a nondescript opponent on ho-hum night at the end of a tough season.

Ride out the half?

No way.

Casey calls timeout in between the free throws ‘cause it’s a teaching moment and they come out with something we haven’t seen all year.

They run what only can be called the Laettner play – and you Dwane’s gonna hate that because it was Duke over Kentucky in what might be the best college basketball game of the last quarter century – and after a couple of cross screens, Andrea takes a three-quarter court pass and gets off a good shot.

Never mind that it didn’t go in, it was a great call at a rather nothing moment that should cement even more the fact the coach is not giving up on this season at all. Ever.

Love it.

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A post-up?

For Bargnani? With the game in the balance down stretch?

Another excellent call, well executed because if there’s one thing we’ve seen from Andrea at times this year, it’s a nice little post game when he’s confident he can get off a shot against whoever’s guarding him.

This time it was Byron Mullens and Bargnani calmly made what was the game-sealing basket. Since the HOTH don’t have a break-down wing, they gotta get big buckets where they can and Bargnani on the block’s as good as anything they could have come up with.

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A calming influence

Game’s getting a bit close for comfort in the fourth quarter; things are going sideways, DeMar picks up a technical and you can almost feel the wheels coming off.

Time for some calm leadership, Ben Uzoh’s time is over; Jose and Andrea come back, they get two solid offensive possessions in a row and things get back to quasi-normal.

Kind of what you want from your two most veteran players, no? I get the whole “we have to get young people with amazing athleticism in there” but I want men on my team who know when it’s time for a steadying influence. And that’s what you get with Jose and I know all the detractors out there may not want to hear this but I’m thisclose to anointing him as the best point guard in franchise history.

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Why I Love Dave D, Part II

Okay, so my man and I share an affinity for The Band – as well we should, as should you – and I know his Canadian bent because he asked about living in our basement had a US election turned out differently but even I don’t know that I could find this.

(I did get props for the Ian and Sylvia clip)

Tell me, do I know cool people, or what?

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Okay, have an early-ish flight to Philly and the plan is to land, check-in and hit the Reading Market for lunch so I’ll see comments when I can.

But I will have some room time in the afternoon so another plea for mail, if you will.

Here. And thanks.

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One last point:

Way to go, Baylor.

That’s a helluva year.

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The Goods On The Game, Bobcats at Raptors

Good evening.

Here we go again

Snubs are just part of the Hall's issues

Okay, I can understand Reggie Miller and I certainly get Don Nelson and the others going into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this year can be argued as legitimate choices.

Now, some of you know I’m a bit of a Hall of Fame Hard-ass; I think all of ‘em are basically too easy to get into and too full. There has been a consistent lowering of the bar over the years, in part, I’d surmise, because Halls want the publicity of having significant “classes” in each and in part because I’m not sure voters have enough historical context (I’ll give baseball a pass on that one) and want to be electing people, not denying them.

Which brings me to a couple of timeworn issues with the basketball people and one specific snub this year.

Not only don’t we know who is on the committees that do the electing – and, most important, which inherent biases they may have – we don’t ever know the vote totals, who made it by how much and who missed by what number.

Jerry Colangelo, who heads the Hall and is a hard-working sort who wants to improve its place in the sporting world, has told us he’d like the open the process more but until it’s totally transparent – who comprises the committee, what the votes were – it is going to hold itself open to far harsher criticism than it probably deserves.

In the whole grand scheme of things, the Basketball Hall of Fame and the problem with its selection process isn’t that big a thing; the Hall is too all-encompassing with its different categories – men, women, builders, old-timers, international – and I don’t think it really has all that glowing a reputation even among the most diehard fans. A more open selection/election process would at least help.

Oh, and the snub?

Jamaal Wilkes was a good player, let’s get that straight. Excellent defender, key cog on some great Laker teams and a multiple NBA all-star.

But that Jamaal Wllkes got in the Hall of Fame on the same ballot that denied Bernard King a spot is a ludicrous; in my opinion.

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So I’m sure you’ve all raced the Emergence of DeMar off-day piece somewhere on this site but here’s a quote that didn’t make it that pretty much sums it up:

I just go in there hoping I get a call, to be honest with you. Just go in there, try to make it, draw contact and praying I get a call.

Solid thought process, can always use the power of prayer.

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I know there is no one standard by which you can measure greatness; it has to do with the competition, the context; a whole raft of factors. It is truly a nebulous concept, isn’t it?

Does it need to come with time? Can true ‘greatness’ be achieved in one season or one game?

Sure, you can have great games, like when a guy or gal goes for 40 and makes some amazing play that makes us go “wow” or a team just has everything click on some specific evening.

But it would seem to me to be one of those descriptions that’s thrown around willy-nilly; things that used to be good are now great, people who were once stars are now superstars,, teams that were okay are now great.

Which brings me to …

If you’re a women’s basketball fan – and I’m not sure there are a whole lot here but there might be some – you’re seeing something hugely special in the NCAA this year.

Something great and if you’re tossing around superlatives, here’s one case where it’s apt.

The Baylor Bears are now 39-0, seldom threatened, often dominant, and they can cap an unbeaten season by taking down the Notre Dame Fighting Irish tonight.

Now, I know there can be questions about the depth of talent and level of some competition over the course of a season but if you win every game you play, you are great.

I am as guilty as anyone with throwing around over-the-top adjectives and descriptions far too often and far too easily.

Some things aren’t great, they are good; some people aren’t superstars, they’re good.

That basketball team? It’s got a chance to be great.

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Oh yeah, I’d be quite chuffed if you all sent some mail this week; with the holiday weekend coming I’m actually thinking of getting stuff done well ahead of time.

Do it here.

And yes, now I got chuffed correct. Thanks.

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All right, all right.

Cathal had Kentucky, I had Kansas; Wildcats win, I’m suitably chastised.

And I’m sure Dwane loved sitting around with his pom-poms cheering on the old alma mater.

Me? I’ve got some stupid debilitating bug thing and slept through almost the entire game; missed the One Shining Moment thing at the end, too.

What’d I miss?

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Let me get this straight:

Right-handed pitcher Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants is going to get a six-year, $127.5 million contract that could grow to seven and $141 million?

And Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds is going to get a 10-year, $225-million extension.

(That sound you hear is the dreams of TOD fans being shattered like a piece of fine crystal).

Must be nice to run a team in league with no salary cap, mustn’t it?

Oh yeah, have to spend a lot of today and maybe tomorrow ciphering how many wins the Blue Jays are gonna get this year; not sure how much I’ll get to write about them, maybe I’ll become a fan.

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No, it wasn't great but at least it's over and time to move on

Oh, no, it wasn’t pretty at all.

A quick recap of the start of the post-game chat:

Grunt: That wasn’t a particularly tidy game.

Coach: Tidy? That’s a good word. Okay

Grunt: How about ugly?

Coach: Yeah that’s probably a better word.

But everything isn’t always going to be rainbows and puppies and lollypops; sometimes you play and move on.

Sounds like a good idea.

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THREE POINTERS

Getting some job security

Alan Anderson was a pretty good story a week ago; turns out he can help on the court, too.

Anderson made at least three plays I know the coaches were impressed with last night and there’s no reason to think they didn’t cement his employment for at least another 10 days.

First came at the third quarter buzzer when he beat the clock with a jumper to give the HOTH a comfy 10-point advantage; the second came on the first possession of the fourth quarter when he drained a three-pointer.

But the big one – and the one that was pointed out to me in a private post-game conversation – was when he went to the line with 19 seconds left and made two free throws to push a three-point lead to five, a nice little cushion.

Toss in some solid defence and Anderson’s doing exactly what you want from a guy on a 10-day deal: He’s not trying too hard or attempting to do too much; he’s, as they say, staying within himself, and that’s a surefire way to remain gainfully employed.

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Stern talking to

It was as if Dwane had just had enough.

About five minutes into the third quarter quarter, Andrea Bargnani absolutely forgets to box out – or even pay attention to – Jan Vesely, who follows a miss with an easy dunk to pull the Wizards within two.

The ball had barely been inbounded before Dwane’s got Ed Davis up to take Bargnani out and when Bargnani leaves the game, he’s stopped for a little chat with a rather chuffed head coach.

There were probably have a dozen occasions of that kind of lax Bargnani defence in the game and the Vesely dunk was like the last straw.

And true to his word, Casey hooked Bargnani far earlier than normal, left him on the bench for the final seven minutes of the third quarter and first three minutes of the fourth as some kind of harsh lesson in what is acceptable defensive behaviour.

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Safety, first

How many times have we seen it?

Jose’s on a break, ahead of the pack but with defenders closing, and instead of going hard to the rim and seeing what happens, he looks for someone to dish the ball off to.

He found Amir with a tough little drop pass on a play late in the second quarter and while Amir dunked the ball and got everyone kind of excited, sometimes it’d be a bit wiser for Jose to keep going to the basket, draw some contact, and perhaps get an and-one.

Can’t say it’s trepidation – we’ve seen him initiate contact at the rim and go flying into the first row of the seats countless times – and it’s probably just a knee-jerk reaction to wanting to see a play with a big finish.

Whatever; sometimes it’s the layup that counts rather than making a somewhat dangerous pass that could lead to a turnover.

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Sure, there’s more.

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Hey, did you notice that Kansas and Kentucky are in tonight’s NCAA final?

Now, I’m not one to brag and I blew all kinds of stuff early but …

Yeah, I do have that as my NCAA final and if the Jayhawks win, I’m going all “nyah, nyah, nyan” on you in the morning.

And if they lose, well, if they lose I’ll probably not mention it at all.

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We’ve talked a few times about sports, and sports events, that seem to have lost their lustre over the years and I bring this up for one very specific reason:

I hear The Rock won at Wrestlemania or something like that?

Now, Super Son has some marginal interest in it so I can slag it all together but there was a time when that was a spectacle not to be missed.

Heck, I can remember working at Another Toronto Paper back in the heyday and I’m sure we chartered an airplane one time to send a reporter and photographer to “cover” the event in, I believe, Jersey.

But as for an “event” it’s nowhere near where it was and while I don’t really care an awful lot, I’m sitting here kind of remembering Haystack Calhoun, Dory Funk Jr. The Shiek and the nefarious Abdullah Farouk, Tony Parisi, Tiger Jeet Singh, Fabulous Moolah and, of course, Captain Lou Albano.

And, really, you can’t think of Captain Lou Albano without thinking of Cyndi Lauper, can you?

Well, I can’t.

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Presume you've all seen this but take a look at Gary Forbes from another angle.

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I think Sunday was a perfect, high-profile example of the abomination of an NBA season we’re experiencing.

For reasons to do with travel – Heat was playing its third game in four days – or injury – Derrick Rose may end up missing a third of the regular season – two games that should have been good were dogs.

Now, I’m not saying there aren’t some awful games in a typical regular season but I’m sure that if things were normal, the Bulls, Thunder, Celtics and Heat would have combined to at least give fans one good game on a marquee Sunday afternoon.

Instead, it was about five hours of lopsided basketball and the regular season can’t get over with quickly enough for me because the post-season will afford teams legitimate rest, give them time to prepare and should – hopefully – be exponentially better.

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Okay, so we’ve got Opening Day this week and The Masters on the weekend and if you’re at all interested in the pucks that season’s apparently drawing to a close and if this isn’t the best weekend of the sports year, there aren’t too many that are better.

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The Goods On The Game, Wizards at Raptors

Hello, folks.

Everyone doing well?

The end of the weekend mail

Okay, folks.

Far from the largest mailbag we’ve had but that’s okay. Some solid stuff here and it’ll be a quick read before we get going about 6 p.m. for the titanic struggle with the Washingtons.

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Q: Hi Doug. Just a follow up on the booing question from yesterday. I'm also not inclined to boo players, but referees are another kettle of fish! In your personal life, are you ever inclined to boo the ref or his call? In last night's game Jose takes the ball in the face from Wade with no call but when JJ does it to Wade, he gets the foul. Seems like the stars got the better of the calls last night and the Raps could get mugged under the basket and nobody would see it.

Keep up the good work!

Dave M, Puslinch

A: Was a poorly officiated game Friday, for sure. A few very odd calls with little consistency. It happens, sadly.

Personally, I don’t ever recall booing an official, although it may very well have happened in my youth. Sure, disappointed when a team I was cheering for lost but not to the point of outbursts directed at them or officials.

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Q: Doug, I have seen the halftime show 'quick change' twice now and love it. What are your favourite and least favourite half time shows?

Alex G, Toronto

A: I usually flee courtside at halftime so I might not be the best expert on this.

I am cool with Quick Change, though, and for some odd reason the zany acrobats make me a bit uncomfortable.

Oh, and Fire Guy was silly with the whole ‘spill liquid on the floor’ thing the one time he was here.

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Q: Hello again...Since the Flyers asked Lindros to practice with the team, could you see the Dinos inviting someone back for a day? Who would you want to be asked first? Keon Clark? Dell Curry? I would bet he could shoot better than 6 for 20. Maybe Mighty Mouse could teach some of his moves to Alan Anderson.

How about some Bobby Darin?

Bob E, Kanata

A: I’d probably like Oak to come in and show ‘em some interior toughness, maybe Doug Christie could come and show ‘em how to get up in guys on the perimeter and, yes, Dell or maybe Mo Pete.

Bobby Darin?

Only one song, right?

Good late-night, kitchen-warbling-at-the-party tune

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Q: About salaries in this short version of a season. Are players being paid the same amount they would have got for an 82 game season or is their salary prorated. Also, is the 10 day salary a league mandated amount or is it negotiated between the team and the player. If league mandated, is it based on a percentage of an average salary or just some number that seems fair.

Gerry T, Halifax

A: The salary for players has been prorated to take into account the days lost to the lockout and a 10-day guy still gets a relative windfall.

It depends on the length of service – if any – in the NBA and what a player’s minimum salary might be but word is that Uzoh will get somewhere north of $50,000 and Anderson gets somewhere in the neighbourhood of $80,000.

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Q: Doug, I know you have covered questions like this in the past, but in today's sports, it should be asked once and a while. You mentioned TJ being a good guy, and a Star story included Jose as a true good guy, so, who are the nicest (as in, the kind of person you would want SuperSon to become) people that you have encountered in your career?

Bruce M, Winnipeg

A: I’m telling you, for a guy who’s grounded, a family man with very little pretense or sense of self-importance and entitlement, I’d go with Jose; or Dell Curry. Two just genuinely good people. Not that this franchise has been chock full of idiot and knuckleheads, that’s the furthest thing from the truth, but those two stand out in my mind.

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Q: Hi Doug. I was wondering if you had ever explored the martial arts training angle in a story about James Johnson.

While I'm not an MMA fan (unlike most of the rest of the universe), I'm most curious to know if any of his fighting skill set translates on the court. Judging from some of his quick reactions on defense and his shot-blocking abilities, there could be a decent story you can use to inform and entertain us.

Thanks,

Jeff R, Toronto

A: We did early in his tenure here and it’s as much balance and awareness as fast-twitch fibers where martial arts training helps.

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Q: Hi Doug. Great work as always.

Have you noticed any drop in fan support or people turning-away from the NBA after the lockout? Or from what you have seen, does it seem to be business as usual?

Thanks!

Kevin T, Toronto

A: Haven’t seen a thing, actually. Attendance is actually up marginally here – about 16,900 this season, about 16,500 a year ago – and there’s been no noticeable dropoff in any city I’ve travelled to this year.

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Q: Hello Doug! I didn't realize that 'The Third Man' was set in Post-World War II Vienna. That's because I've never seen this classic film. But thanks to your blog and the recommendations of Irregulars, I'll be viewing it soon. So, I mentioned to a friend that I hadn't seen this masterpiece of film noir and she confided that she'd never seen 'Dr. Strangelove'; and then I admitted to her I've yet to watch 'Blade Runner', and neither one of us has seen 'The Lion King'. So, Doug, what films might we be surprised to learn that you've never seen? Do you have a "TBW" (To Be Watched) list of movies similar to the "TBR" (To Be Read) pile of books that many of us have teetering on the night table? And, once again, thank you for your blog. I never ceased to be both amazed and delighted (and sometimes just baffled) by the things you can learn here! Cheers.

Lorie P, London

A: Truth be told, I’ve never seen The Third Man, either, so that has to be top of the list given Super Son’s impending journey. Dr. Strangelove would be another, along with Moneyball and Sea Biscuit, both I probably should have seen.

Books?

Glanced at the nightstand and aside from a few dog-eared recent New Yorkers than I tend to re-read, there are biographies of Jerry West and Pete Maravich that need to be taken care of soon.

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