The first daughter of the Yard could probably provide valuable skills to the Obama administration in these turbulent times. The way that she negotiates the terms and conditions of all of our deals are truly remarkable. For example, she celebrated her 21st birthday this past March. To honor her first beer and the passing on of her fake ID, she felt a party bus was in order for 30 of her closest friends. She consulted with finance and indicated that her mother, brother and this author could each pitch in a “couple of hundred” towards the cost of the bus. Friday, the Yard was notified that our “couple of hundred” to be pitched in was actually $400. Daughter let us know that “a couple of hundred” was actually $300 and she needed an extra hundred to cover a motherly shortfall. It sounded like the way the AIG deal had been negotiated behind closed doors. The Yard did have a Party Bus stimulus package earmarked on one bill before finance. So this deal should get funded but damn, she could provide counsel to GM. They may still go down but not without a party bus!
This is the season the Dodgers make it back to the World Series for the first time since the magical year of 1988. This Yard prognostication might be a bit premature and injuries to pitching arms and Manny’s psyche could derail this team before the October sun shines. Manny on a one year deal and Orlando Hudson on similar terms will help carry this team for the summer and post season. The young pitching that had been a question mark has been outstanding with Chad Billingsley emerging as the ace. Winning eight in a row against their western division opponents, closing out a 6-0 first home stand and out scoring the opposition 50-17 during that home stand have band wagons shined, polished and ready for a long ride this summer. It always is amazing in baseball how it seems like the teams with the most potential free agents have the best years.
Orlando Hudson at second base was a significant upgrade over Officer Kent. The Yard loved future Hall of Famer Jeff Kent’s work ethic, grit and porn star mustache. We loved that he stood up to Barry Bonds while with the Giants. Kent would never again hit 20 homeruns in a season and he had the defensive range of the Lincoln Memorial. Hudson makes the pitching better with his defensive prowess. He is penciled in the batting order in the #2 spot and he hit .542 for the home stand.
The $25 million the Dodgers the Dodgers are paying Manny Ramirez this year were earned from the on deck circle on Saturday afternoon. Manny had already homered in his first two at bats against Rockie “Ace” Aaron Cook. Andre Ethier was working a 3-1count with two out and two and the dreaded one on deck this afternoon. Mr. Cook did not want to see Manram in the box with the based jacked. So he reared back and threw when he needed to pitch. His throw to Andre was parked in the right field seats while Manny smiled his way to the batters box.
The best part of this Dodger opening week was sweeping the San Francisco Giants. Walter O’Malley convinced Giant owner Howard Stoneman to follow the Dodgers west in 1958. The Giants had won their 5th World Championship in 1954. The Dodgers won their first in 1955. The National League needed at least two teams in the west and no team but the Yankees were ever going to garner the heart of NYC. Who knew that the Dodgers would win five championships and the Giants would never win another since their moves in 1958?
The Yard despises all sports that have San Francisco somewhere in their nomenclature. When the discussion is about the moribund Giants, Giant Fan’s first response is to remind us all of the football 49ers history. San Francisco Green Bloods wax and wane about the miracle years of the 49ers under Bill Walsh, Joe Montana and Steve Young. The next argument about their baseball malfeasance is the lack of professional football in Los Angeles. SF Fan, stop, we know there is no professional football in Los Angeles. This is baseball season and yours is almost over.
If you all want to go down that rat hole, show us evidence of professional football in the Bay Area?! Los Angeles has won as many Super Bowls as San Francisco or Oakland since 1996 and LA does not have or need an NFL team to accomplish that. This is a world of what have you done for me lately and the city by the bay is living on borrowed legends. The last football championship was fifteen years ago and the last playoff appearance was seven years ago. The Giants have never won a Championship since they have been in the City. The Giants uniform colors are made for October but they will be mathematically eliminated from the pennant race by the end of May. It will be another year of fine Cabernet, garlic fries and blown leads in the China Basin.
"The coldest winter I ever saw was the summer I spent in San Francisco." Mark Twain
Monday, April 20, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Running shotgun with Jim Nance.
The Yard would have loved to have been running shot gun with Jim Nance this week. The venerable sportscaster from CBS called the NCAA Basketball Championship on Monday night in Detroit. Then he high tailed it to Augusta, Georgia to anchor CBS’s coverage of the Masters Golf tournament. Gentleman Jim is among the best in business with a story to tell that never interferes with the one that we read with our eyes.
The Michigan State Spartans played the North Carolina Tar Heels last Monday night with the hopes on an entire state pining for an escape. On a cold dreary night in Detroit, with 60,000 State fans among the record 72,000, the Spartans hoped to lead this city, even for just one night, away from the other story being lived outside the stadium.
The Spartans were an excellent story radiating the hard scrabble veneer of their coach Tim Izzo and the hopes of their state. They grinded down USC and then boat raced #1 Louisville back to Lou’a’ville or so the name goes in Kentucky. With cautious hope, the Spartans faced the heavily favored UNC Tar heels. On this night, the Spartan would cave like a car executive before a senate sub-committee. They were down 14 with five minutes gone. It was the last game of this outstanding tournament and possibly the worst. The Yard takes no solace in choosing the dastardly Tar Heels to win. But finishing in the chips for the first time in our brief pool history was kind of nice.
We lost out to Spuddy in the Yard pool. We would have felt better if Spuddy had not signed up for the pool nine minutes before the cut off. The last person to join the Yard pool wins?! The first guy to join the pool finished 52nd. This is just another tidbit from the Yard. You can add it to the mix while co-relating your Ouija Boards, tea leaves, and tournament blogs to make those picks. Spuddy also picked Angel Cabrera and Kenny Perry in the Masters so we are going to Vegas with him in the near term.
Masters coverage dominates the weekend at the Yard. The pageantry, the bigotry, and the Azalea’s make the Masters a unique blend of historic golf played under the canopy of southern discrimination. Augusta National is happily ensconced in the south of the 1800’s while hosting the most prestigious golf event of this or any era. The Yard does not support Augusta National Country Club’s social mores but we watch this golf event every year with vigilance and hope to attend the event before the dirt nap.
This event has melted many hopes and dreams during the back nine on Sunday. There are no other nine holes of television viewing that will define a career with the outcome. Larry Mize holed out from 140 ft on the second play off hole to beat Norman in the 1987 Masters. Larry Mize never made another shot like that or won another Major but every golfer remembers that shot. Raymond Floyd was cruising towards golf history in 1990. Raymond was trying to become the only golfer to win a major in four decades. With the ghosts of Amen corner holding services, Floyd faded and lost in the playoff to Nick Faldo. History called on Ray that day but Nick answered. Greg Norman’s melt down in the 1996 will be studied by sports psychologists for decades more. Many will not remember that Nick Faldo won his second green jacket that afternoon in Georgia. We all knew remember who lost in his last real chance. Easter Sunday was no exception as everyone tried to lose the event everyone wants to win.
College Basketball is over except for the early declarations to the NBA. This is the NCAA Sanction period in College football. College football between the end spring football and August 1 is really quiet. If your school is in the news at this time, it is never good news and will usually include the words “alleged violation” and “We can not comment at this time”. The NCAA gave USC a two-fer when they combined the Reggie Bush and OJ Mayo’s investigations into one circus this past week. It should be an interesting off-season at the U in the hood.
With four games left in the regular season, NBA hoops is still six weeks from being relevant. The Lakers will not earn the best record, it does not matter. The Cavaliers should clinch home court throughout the playoffs this weekend. The Lakers need home court against the Celtics which they have already earned if they were to meet them in the finals. The Cavaliers are 38-1 at home but that one loss was Kobe and Company during the last game of a 6-0 road trip. Possible MVP LeBron James was 5 for 20 in that game at home. Boston Garden has enough demons from our youths that it can suffocate the entire Laker nation. Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, not so much.
Manny Ramirez is the most exciting personality in Los Angeles. Every one stops what they are doing when they are able to watch him hit. The intensity that Manny displays at the plate is completely invisible in most other aspects of his game. He is a hitter pure and simple. Manny’s practice habits are amazing and well documented. It is all about hitting. We have never heard of Manny shagging extra fly balls or practicing hitting cut off throws. LA needs a sports personality that has a real personality. Whatever personality Kobe had, was sodomized in a hotel room in Denver several years back. Manny has captured our attention. Manny could be a car crash waiting to happen but in LA, we watch car crashes like no other city in the nation. Manny being Manny is way more fun than Kobe being Kobe.
The Yard is trying to find a ticket stub from the Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Clippers game last Friday in Sacramento. It was the Blake Griffin sweepstakes. Score one for the Kings losing to the Clips by 31 at home.
If at first you don’t succeed, find out if the loser gets anything. William Lyon Phelps
The Michigan State Spartans played the North Carolina Tar Heels last Monday night with the hopes on an entire state pining for an escape. On a cold dreary night in Detroit, with 60,000 State fans among the record 72,000, the Spartans hoped to lead this city, even for just one night, away from the other story being lived outside the stadium.
The Spartans were an excellent story radiating the hard scrabble veneer of their coach Tim Izzo and the hopes of their state. They grinded down USC and then boat raced #1 Louisville back to Lou’a’ville or so the name goes in Kentucky. With cautious hope, the Spartans faced the heavily favored UNC Tar heels. On this night, the Spartan would cave like a car executive before a senate sub-committee. They were down 14 with five minutes gone. It was the last game of this outstanding tournament and possibly the worst. The Yard takes no solace in choosing the dastardly Tar Heels to win. But finishing in the chips for the first time in our brief pool history was kind of nice.
We lost out to Spuddy in the Yard pool. We would have felt better if Spuddy had not signed up for the pool nine minutes before the cut off. The last person to join the Yard pool wins?! The first guy to join the pool finished 52nd. This is just another tidbit from the Yard. You can add it to the mix while co-relating your Ouija Boards, tea leaves, and tournament blogs to make those picks. Spuddy also picked Angel Cabrera and Kenny Perry in the Masters so we are going to Vegas with him in the near term.
Masters coverage dominates the weekend at the Yard. The pageantry, the bigotry, and the Azalea’s make the Masters a unique blend of historic golf played under the canopy of southern discrimination. Augusta National is happily ensconced in the south of the 1800’s while hosting the most prestigious golf event of this or any era. The Yard does not support Augusta National Country Club’s social mores but we watch this golf event every year with vigilance and hope to attend the event before the dirt nap.
This event has melted many hopes and dreams during the back nine on Sunday. There are no other nine holes of television viewing that will define a career with the outcome. Larry Mize holed out from 140 ft on the second play off hole to beat Norman in the 1987 Masters. Larry Mize never made another shot like that or won another Major but every golfer remembers that shot. Raymond Floyd was cruising towards golf history in 1990. Raymond was trying to become the only golfer to win a major in four decades. With the ghosts of Amen corner holding services, Floyd faded and lost in the playoff to Nick Faldo. History called on Ray that day but Nick answered. Greg Norman’s melt down in the 1996 will be studied by sports psychologists for decades more. Many will not remember that Nick Faldo won his second green jacket that afternoon in Georgia. We all knew remember who lost in his last real chance. Easter Sunday was no exception as everyone tried to lose the event everyone wants to win.
College Basketball is over except for the early declarations to the NBA. This is the NCAA Sanction period in College football. College football between the end spring football and August 1 is really quiet. If your school is in the news at this time, it is never good news and will usually include the words “alleged violation” and “We can not comment at this time”. The NCAA gave USC a two-fer when they combined the Reggie Bush and OJ Mayo’s investigations into one circus this past week. It should be an interesting off-season at the U in the hood.
With four games left in the regular season, NBA hoops is still six weeks from being relevant. The Lakers will not earn the best record, it does not matter. The Cavaliers should clinch home court throughout the playoffs this weekend. The Lakers need home court against the Celtics which they have already earned if they were to meet them in the finals. The Cavaliers are 38-1 at home but that one loss was Kobe and Company during the last game of a 6-0 road trip. Possible MVP LeBron James was 5 for 20 in that game at home. Boston Garden has enough demons from our youths that it can suffocate the entire Laker nation. Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, not so much.
Manny Ramirez is the most exciting personality in Los Angeles. Every one stops what they are doing when they are able to watch him hit. The intensity that Manny displays at the plate is completely invisible in most other aspects of his game. He is a hitter pure and simple. Manny’s practice habits are amazing and well documented. It is all about hitting. We have never heard of Manny shagging extra fly balls or practicing hitting cut off throws. LA needs a sports personality that has a real personality. Whatever personality Kobe had, was sodomized in a hotel room in Denver several years back. Manny has captured our attention. Manny could be a car crash waiting to happen but in LA, we watch car crashes like no other city in the nation. Manny being Manny is way more fun than Kobe being Kobe.
The Yard is trying to find a ticket stub from the Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Clippers game last Friday in Sacramento. It was the Blake Griffin sweepstakes. Score one for the Kings losing to the Clips by 31 at home.
If at first you don’t succeed, find out if the loser gets anything. William Lyon Phelps
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Mr. Floyd should have gone to Tucson and other stories.
The Yard was fortunate enough to cover the last three Final Fours. We did not exactly have a Press Pass last year while we watched the game through the Hubble Telescope in Section 324 of the Alamodome. It was great Final Four and the Memphis Kansas game was one for the ages. We did question Memphis’ 64% Free throw shooting all year. It really never mattered until the last 75 seconds of the National Championship Game. Tigers make 3 of 5 and Memphis raises the flag and Johnny C might still be there this AM. Los Tigres clanked 4 of 5 and let Kansas tie the game and beat them in OT.
The Bruins did not make a 4th consecutive trip to the finals. That would have been glorious and unprecedented in recent history. But after Indie, Atlanta and San Antonio, Detroit in early April did not sound like a great destination for us anyway. It is 45 degrees with a chance of showers today. Detroit is not just the murder capital of the nation any longer, it is the swirling vortex of bailed out dreams and stimulus package nightmares.
The Yard likes Michigan State into the Finals. Tom Izzo is a great story for another blog. He has coached every senior he has ever graduated to the Final Four. That is more amazing than the title he won in 2000. UCONN has the 7’3” Thabeet that Jim Calhoun recruited out of a village in Africa. Some people ask about Calhoun’s salary, the Yard questions their recruiting budget! Get Thabeet in foul trouble and the Huskies are a far different team. The Yard despises UNC but we have them winning the dance. Villanova is a great story and they took down the Bruins, so we are glad they went this far. Nova Coach Jay Wright idolizes UNC Coach Roy Williams. That usually spells defeat for the star struck at their first dance. Of course, that and a veteran UNC team that was in the Finals last year.
Tim Floyd considering the University of Arizona job was a shocker to the Yard on several levels. This is the second straight season where Floyd has pledged his allegiance to the Cardinal and Gold stating that this “is my last job” only to entertain another job as he did with LSU last year. Floyd was pleading with his underclassmen to remain at the university so they could do something special. His remarks were made at the team sports banquet earlier this week. Nice words from Timmy, funny thing though the LA times reported he was considering the Wildcat job in the morning paper the very next day. Once again when it comes to Floyd, nothing illegal but it is best to be up wind from his activities.
When did the UofA job become such a big deal? Lute Olsen was a big deal and he shepherded that program for 67 years or something. Arizona was not on any radar screen before he arrived and what he accomplished is nothing short of remarkable. His exit strategy these past three years has been a bit messy but it does not diminish his resume. But once Lute is gone, so is the only face this program has ever had. Wildcat Fan, Rick Pitino is not coming. Tim Floyd is not coming. Steve Lavin is available.
Of course, the Yard can not blame Coach Floyd. USC will always be a football school. Basketball has never been embraced by the Myopians who can be found on fall Saturdays at the Coliseum in garish colors. 92,000 show up for every USC home game. In the sparkling new Galen Center that had to be built for USC to be competitive in basketball or so the story goes, 5400 on average attended the basketball games this year. UCLA averages 10,000+ in ancient Pauley Pavilion and 65,000 still go to the football games at this basketball school.
Trying to gain mind share at this football school causes Tim to take chances. Being the underdog every year to your legendary cross town rival has Tim trolling in murky waters as well. The OJ Mayo’s and Demar DeRozan’s of one and done fame at USC were never recruited anywhere significant because of their baggage and potential liability. What elite school lets a player tell them that they will only come if their best friend can be on the team also? USC did for DeRozan. Elite programs will not waste their time with these Kwame Brown starter kits who will give their compliance department heart burn long after they are gone.
Renardo Sydney from Fairfax High School is the next one of those problem children. USC is awaiting his taking of the SAT test. The Yard does not know many high school seniors who had not taken the SAT test by April 2?! We are confident Renardo is pulling all nighters for the test so he will get that one year at USC completed before he is 23 like his predecessor Taj Gibson. Mr. Sydney showed his USC colors wearing 2 carat diamond stud earrings when he announced his intention to enroll at USC.
Tim, you should have taken the Arizona job. Arizona is a basketball school. Arizona draws over 14,000 a game for hoops and is usually amongst the leaders every year in attendance and performance. The McHale center is one of the toughest places to play in the conference and in the nation. With Lute’s stumbling out the door the past two seasons, the bar has been lowered below the replacing a legend rung. The legend took a hit and the job did as well. And every athlete who wants to can get into school and can stay in school until the NBA calls. Tim, have fun winning 20 games in front of 5000 people and being a six seed in the dance every couple of years. Mr. Renardo’s agent is on the other line, got to run…
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.- Mark Twain
The Bruins did not make a 4th consecutive trip to the finals. That would have been glorious and unprecedented in recent history. But after Indie, Atlanta and San Antonio, Detroit in early April did not sound like a great destination for us anyway. It is 45 degrees with a chance of showers today. Detroit is not just the murder capital of the nation any longer, it is the swirling vortex of bailed out dreams and stimulus package nightmares.
The Yard likes Michigan State into the Finals. Tom Izzo is a great story for another blog. He has coached every senior he has ever graduated to the Final Four. That is more amazing than the title he won in 2000. UCONN has the 7’3” Thabeet that Jim Calhoun recruited out of a village in Africa. Some people ask about Calhoun’s salary, the Yard questions their recruiting budget! Get Thabeet in foul trouble and the Huskies are a far different team. The Yard despises UNC but we have them winning the dance. Villanova is a great story and they took down the Bruins, so we are glad they went this far. Nova Coach Jay Wright idolizes UNC Coach Roy Williams. That usually spells defeat for the star struck at their first dance. Of course, that and a veteran UNC team that was in the Finals last year.
Tim Floyd considering the University of Arizona job was a shocker to the Yard on several levels. This is the second straight season where Floyd has pledged his allegiance to the Cardinal and Gold stating that this “is my last job” only to entertain another job as he did with LSU last year. Floyd was pleading with his underclassmen to remain at the university so they could do something special. His remarks were made at the team sports banquet earlier this week. Nice words from Timmy, funny thing though the LA times reported he was considering the Wildcat job in the morning paper the very next day. Once again when it comes to Floyd, nothing illegal but it is best to be up wind from his activities.
When did the UofA job become such a big deal? Lute Olsen was a big deal and he shepherded that program for 67 years or something. Arizona was not on any radar screen before he arrived and what he accomplished is nothing short of remarkable. His exit strategy these past three years has been a bit messy but it does not diminish his resume. But once Lute is gone, so is the only face this program has ever had. Wildcat Fan, Rick Pitino is not coming. Tim Floyd is not coming. Steve Lavin is available.
Of course, the Yard can not blame Coach Floyd. USC will always be a football school. Basketball has never been embraced by the Myopians who can be found on fall Saturdays at the Coliseum in garish colors. 92,000 show up for every USC home game. In the sparkling new Galen Center that had to be built for USC to be competitive in basketball or so the story goes, 5400 on average attended the basketball games this year. UCLA averages 10,000+ in ancient Pauley Pavilion and 65,000 still go to the football games at this basketball school.
Trying to gain mind share at this football school causes Tim to take chances. Being the underdog every year to your legendary cross town rival has Tim trolling in murky waters as well. The OJ Mayo’s and Demar DeRozan’s of one and done fame at USC were never recruited anywhere significant because of their baggage and potential liability. What elite school lets a player tell them that they will only come if their best friend can be on the team also? USC did for DeRozan. Elite programs will not waste their time with these Kwame Brown starter kits who will give their compliance department heart burn long after they are gone.
Renardo Sydney from Fairfax High School is the next one of those problem children. USC is awaiting his taking of the SAT test. The Yard does not know many high school seniors who had not taken the SAT test by April 2?! We are confident Renardo is pulling all nighters for the test so he will get that one year at USC completed before he is 23 like his predecessor Taj Gibson. Mr. Sydney showed his USC colors wearing 2 carat diamond stud earrings when he announced his intention to enroll at USC.
Tim, you should have taken the Arizona job. Arizona is a basketball school. Arizona draws over 14,000 a game for hoops and is usually amongst the leaders every year in attendance and performance. The McHale center is one of the toughest places to play in the conference and in the nation. With Lute’s stumbling out the door the past two seasons, the bar has been lowered below the replacing a legend rung. The legend took a hit and the job did as well. And every athlete who wants to can get into school and can stay in school until the NBA calls. Tim, have fun winning 20 games in front of 5000 people and being a six seed in the dance every couple of years. Mr. Renardo’s agent is on the other line, got to run…
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.- Mark Twain
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