-Arkansas's college baseball team can't possibly make the 2008 NCAA Baseball Tournament now, right? Already on the bubble, the Hogs missed out on the SEC Tournament by losing 2 of 3 games to last-place Mississippi State in the season's final weekend. The Razorbacks' year-end league record was 14-15---straight yuck in a conference that's clearly down this year. I just hope Razorback fans don't overract and start blaming skipper Dave Van Horn or any of his coaches. Injuries were a major problem all year long, but frankly, this year's team just wasn't very good. No doubt they'll be back with a vengeance next year.
-Last Crusade was the best of the first three Indiana Jones movies, if only because of Sean Connery's top-notch performance as Indy's dad. But after going back and watching all three Indy flicks again, it's clear that Raiders of the Lost Ark and Temple of Doom were influential adventure movies as well . . . The special effects in those films come across as dated now, but the influence is obvious. 19 years later and we've got Indy 4: Crystal Skull. I'll check out a matinee showing this holiday weekend and I'll let you know what I think on Monday morning's show.
-The NBA Playoffs are rolling toward the Finals, and it's bound to be an exciting matchup, regardless of who gets there. Out West, it seems like Los Angeles is the best team in the conference, but the Spurs have won 4 of the last 9 league titles because of their resiliency. Down 2-0 to New Orleans, it looked like San Antonio was done, but Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobli upped their games and rallied to win that series in seven. Taking on Kobe Bryant and the Lake Show is a different challenge entirely, but I still think the Spurs are up to the task. However, they've got to find a better way to bottle up Kobe Bryant when he ups his energy level. I realize Kobe's the best player in the world today, but that doesn't mean you can't knock him on his behind every time he drives the lane. The only way to beat Kobe is to rattle him physically; he's too mentally tough.
Back in the East, the Celtics and Pistons are relying on defense to decide their matchup. Both teams have star players, but neither club is as offensively potent as some people make them out to be. The bottom line is that Ray Allen needs to get hot and stay hot if Boston is going to outgrudge Detroit in an all-out grudge match. And winning a road game might help there too. Speaking of which, how clutch is Chauncey Billups? The guy pulled his hamstring early in last night's Game 2, a highly debilitating injury, but still gutted it out and finished the game. Chauncey's final line: nothing short of a highly respectable 19 points on 5 of 10 shooting from the floor with 7 assists and no turnovers. If there's a star player on the Pistons, it's definitely Billups. He's probably the best overlooked player in the league.
-What's wrong my Mets? I wish I had the answers right now, but probably not as badly as manager Willie Randolph wants them. Starting pitcher Johan Santana was supposed to be a sure thing ace, but even he has struggled to meet his average career numbers. You could say Pedro Martinez's leg injury in the first week of April has really revealed New York's glaring lack of quality starting pitching depth, but I feel like the Mazins' problems go a lot deeper than that . . . Supposed superstar shortstop Jose Reyes has been in a terrible offensive funk ever since the middle of last year (nobody seems to know why), and his lack of production in the leadoff slot has had a trickle down effect on the rest of the lineup. All-Star 3B David Wright is swinging a decent bat so far this year, but outside of Ryan Church's surprising start (9 HRs already), the lineup doesn't have a lot of pop. Carloses Beltran and Delgado are performing well below what Mets fans have grown accustomed to (maybe Delgado's just past his prime, but Beltran shouldn't be), and Moises Alou just qualified for Social Security. Throw in skipper Randolph's recent struggles in dealing with the fierce New York media and karma just doesn't appear to be on New York's side this year. I hope I'm wrong.
-JAB
Friday, May 23, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
Watch Out Now: Marlins Have MLB's Best Record
The Marlins are ridiculous. A combined payroll of $22 million and there they are, at 9 games over .500, sitting in first place in the NL East with the best record in baseball . . . In mid-May no less! Straight wow factor right there. It's surprising they're scoring runs, let alone winning baseball games. But that's Florida for you: every year the management tears it all down, and just about every year the Marlins overachieve and hang in the race far longer than anyone expects. It feels like it's right out of Major League or something.
If only Marlins' fans would just wake up to this team already . . . Attendance has never been good for baseball in South Florida, but this is the kind of scrappy, exciting team that could maybe change that.
Skipper Fredi Gonzalez is managing out of his mind right now, getting a talented young core to buy into the concepts of selflessness and teamwork. Go around the infield right now. Can you name a single Marlin? Well, everyone should know SS Hanley Ramirez. A rare mix of speed and power, he's as talented as anyone playing the game today. (It looks like Florida is actually serious about keeping him too.) 2B Dan Uggla is off to a career-best start with 11 HRs already on the season, while 1B Mike Jacobs has smacked 11 of his own.
Sprinkle in a no-name pitching staff---Scott Olsen and Mark Hendrickson, to name a couple---and it's nothing short of mind-blowing to see this team contending as it is right now.
If only Marlins' fans would just wake up to this team already . . . Attendance has never been good for baseball in South Florida, but this is the kind of scrappy, exciting team that could maybe change that.
Skipper Fredi Gonzalez is managing out of his mind right now, getting a talented young core to buy into the concepts of selflessness and teamwork. Go around the infield right now. Can you name a single Marlin? Well, everyone should know SS Hanley Ramirez. A rare mix of speed and power, he's as talented as anyone playing the game today. (It looks like Florida is actually serious about keeping him too.) 2B Dan Uggla is off to a career-best start with 11 HRs already on the season, while 1B Mike Jacobs has smacked 11 of his own.
Sprinkle in a no-name pitching staff---Scott Olsen and Mark Hendrickson, to name a couple---and it's nothing short of mind-blowing to see this team contending as it is right now.
If it all boils down to the bottom line, here's how I see it: Florida's payroll comes in at $22 million when you throw the whole team into the mix. And that's just 1/10 of the combined salaries for the New York Yankees, who clock in at just under $230 million.
-JAB
Friday, May 02, 2008
The 75 Biggest Pariahs in Sports
From today's "Morning Rush" show . . . fifty callers (exactly) weighed in with their votes; the ones below are the candidates I consider reasonable. Remember again the definition of the word 'pariah.'
"pariah": an outcast, a malcontent, one who's been shunned or shown scorn by others, a negative term
With that in mind, in the context of the modern sports world, here are my rankings:
1) O.J. Simpson
2) Mike Tyson
3) Pete Rose
4) Michael Vick
5) Jose Canseco
6) Barry Bonds
7) Roger Clemens
8) Pac-Man Jones
9) Marion Jones
10) Ron Artest
11) Rafael Palmeiro
12) Mark McGwire
13) Dennis Rodman
14) Ricky Williams
15) John Daly
16) Rae Carruth
17) Buddy Ryan
18) Woody Hayes
19) Tim Montgomery
20) Ray Lewis
21) Billy Martin
22) Denny McElwain
23) Don King
24) Ryan Leaf
25) Ty Cobb
26) Shoeless Joe Jackson
27) John McEnroe
28) Todd Bertuzzi
29) Marty McSorley
30) Diego Maradona
31) Terrell Owens
32) Allen Iverson
33) Randy Moss
34) Bobby Knight
35) Brian McNamee
36) Victor Conte
37) Marv Albert
38) Tony Stewart
39) George Steinbrenner
40) Mark Cuban
41) Al Davis
42) Steve Howe
43) Danny Heatley
44) Isiah Thomas
45) Stephon Marbury
46) J.R. Rider
47) Rasheed Wallace
48) Tonya Harding
49) Floyd Landis
50) Kobe Bryant
51) Bill Buckner
52) Scott Norwood
53) Ben Johnson
54) John Rocker
55) Mitch Williams
56) Art Schlicter
57) Kermit Washington
58) Greg Norman
59) Tim Hardaway
60) Latrell Sprewell
61) Tim Donaghy
62) Nolan Richardson
63) Daniel Snyder
64) Lawrence Phillips
65) Bill Romanowski
66) Roberto Alomar
67) Steve Bartman
68) Daryl Strawberry
69) Dwight Gooden
70) Maurice Clarett
71) Howard Cosell
72) Roy Tarpley
73) Jason Giambi
74) Bill Laimbeer
75) Nate Newton
_______________________________
-JAB
"pariah": an outcast, a malcontent, one who's been shunned or shown scorn by others, a negative term
With that in mind, in the context of the modern sports world, here are my rankings:
1) O.J. Simpson
2) Mike Tyson
3) Pete Rose
4) Michael Vick
5) Jose Canseco
6) Barry Bonds
7) Roger Clemens
8) Pac-Man Jones
9) Marion Jones
10) Ron Artest
11) Rafael Palmeiro
12) Mark McGwire
13) Dennis Rodman
14) Ricky Williams
15) John Daly
16) Rae Carruth
17) Buddy Ryan
18) Woody Hayes
19) Tim Montgomery
20) Ray Lewis
21) Billy Martin
22) Denny McElwain
23) Don King
24) Ryan Leaf
25) Ty Cobb
26) Shoeless Joe Jackson
27) John McEnroe
28) Todd Bertuzzi
29) Marty McSorley
30) Diego Maradona
31) Terrell Owens
32) Allen Iverson
33) Randy Moss
34) Bobby Knight
35) Brian McNamee
36) Victor Conte
37) Marv Albert
38) Tony Stewart
39) George Steinbrenner
40) Mark Cuban
41) Al Davis
42) Steve Howe
43) Danny Heatley
44) Isiah Thomas
45) Stephon Marbury
46) J.R. Rider
47) Rasheed Wallace
48) Tonya Harding
49) Floyd Landis
50) Kobe Bryant
51) Bill Buckner
52) Scott Norwood
53) Ben Johnson
54) John Rocker
55) Mitch Williams
56) Art Schlicter
57) Kermit Washington
58) Greg Norman
59) Tim Hardaway
60) Latrell Sprewell
61) Tim Donaghy
62) Nolan Richardson
63) Daniel Snyder
64) Lawrence Phillips
65) Bill Romanowski
66) Roberto Alomar
67) Steve Bartman
68) Daryl Strawberry
69) Dwight Gooden
70) Maurice Clarett
71) Howard Cosell
72) Roy Tarpley
73) Jason Giambi
74) Bill Laimbeer
75) Nate Newton
_______________________________
-JAB
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Music Reviews: The Roots Drop Thinking Man's Rising Down
The Roots' new album Rising Down is really strong. It's the tenth studio release from Philly's hip-hop band and their best since 2002's masterpiece Phrenology. Fifteen years deep, and MC Black Thought still deliver rhymes that rattle---and make you think. Co-group founder Questlove (the drummer, in case you didn't know) is steady and rhythmic as always, and there are plenty of guests who check in over the course of the disc. In direct response to critics who say the group has wandered from its musical center of gravity of late, Down is a more focused effort to say the least.
Take out the intros, outros and inbetweens; the album has ten real tracks to it, and that's enough. Rapper Mos Def kicks it off with a riff on the struggle of today's youth on title track "Rising Down." Over a howling funk beat, The Roots slice up everything from economics to global warming on the cut, setting the tone for the rest of the album. (Yes, rhyming about the earth's environmental issues can be cool too.) It is interesting to note that a non-group member has first say on the album; Def is just that good:
"Tonight at noon watch a bad moon rising
Identities in crisis and conflict diamonds
Blindin', staring at lights till they crying
Bone gristle poppin' from continuous grindin."
Lead single "Get Busy" follows. The video is hilarious, with the group hanging out in an office as they get down to "business." A party track, it lifts the mood a bit before Black Thought ups the ante with freestyle "75 Bars." While not quite up to the stream-of-consciousness riffs like "Thought at Work" off of Phrenology or "Boom!" off of Tipping Point, the message is Black Thought's gift for gab and flow is second to few rappers working today:
"My hustle is long, my muscle is strong
My man put the paper in the duffle I'm gone
Y'all still a light year from the level I'm on
Just a pawn stepping right into the head of the storm."
The next song, "Criminal" is probably my favorite track off the album so far. Falling halfway through the disc, it features a guest spot from up-and-coming rapper Saigon (of Entourage renown) over a guitar sample that would suit a Jack Johnson album just fine---that's how mellow it is. The subject matter is complex: young rappers from the "hood" trying to get along with rich suits from the "burbs" just to keep the music (and the money) spinning round and round.
Rappers Common and Talib Kweli make guest appearances on the second half of the album, while former group member Malik B. shows up on tracks "I Can't Help It" and "Lost Desire" (with Kweli). His opening lyrical riff on "Can't Help It" is so hard-hitting it sounds like it could've been ripped straight from an Illadelph Halflife B-Side. R&B singer Chrissette Michael lends her vocal cords to album closer "Rising Up", chastising today's radio stations for their repetitious playlists.
Civil unrest, the struggling economy, a misguided war in Iraq, global warming, distrust of the government and the collapsing music industry are just several of the many major themes tackled on the album. The Roots have never been an easy band to digest on record (in concert, it's a different story) and that song remains the same here.
Frequently unsettling, usually provocative, with a diverse sonic pallette as the backbone holding it all together, Rising Down shows the The Roots back in command of their abilities in a rare hip-hop career that's now ten albums deep.
Josh's Rising Down Grade: **** of five (4 stars out of 5)
-JAB
Take out the intros, outros and inbetweens; the album has ten real tracks to it, and that's enough. Rapper Mos Def kicks it off with a riff on the struggle of today's youth on title track "Rising Down." Over a howling funk beat, The Roots slice up everything from economics to global warming on the cut, setting the tone for the rest of the album. (Yes, rhyming about the earth's environmental issues can be cool too.) It is interesting to note that a non-group member has first say on the album; Def is just that good:
"Tonight at noon watch a bad moon rising
Identities in crisis and conflict diamonds
Blindin', staring at lights till they crying
Bone gristle poppin' from continuous grindin."
Lead single "Get Busy" follows. The video is hilarious, with the group hanging out in an office as they get down to "business." A party track, it lifts the mood a bit before Black Thought ups the ante with freestyle "75 Bars." While not quite up to the stream-of-consciousness riffs like "Thought at Work" off of Phrenology or "Boom!" off of Tipping Point, the message is Black Thought's gift for gab and flow is second to few rappers working today:
"My hustle is long, my muscle is strong
My man put the paper in the duffle I'm gone
Y'all still a light year from the level I'm on
Just a pawn stepping right into the head of the storm."
The next song, "Criminal" is probably my favorite track off the album so far. Falling halfway through the disc, it features a guest spot from up-and-coming rapper Saigon (of Entourage renown) over a guitar sample that would suit a Jack Johnson album just fine---that's how mellow it is. The subject matter is complex: young rappers from the "hood" trying to get along with rich suits from the "burbs" just to keep the music (and the money) spinning round and round.
Rappers Common and Talib Kweli make guest appearances on the second half of the album, while former group member Malik B. shows up on tracks "I Can't Help It" and "Lost Desire" (with Kweli). His opening lyrical riff on "Can't Help It" is so hard-hitting it sounds like it could've been ripped straight from an Illadelph Halflife B-Side. R&B singer Chrissette Michael lends her vocal cords to album closer "Rising Up", chastising today's radio stations for their repetitious playlists.
Civil unrest, the struggling economy, a misguided war in Iraq, global warming, distrust of the government and the collapsing music industry are just several of the many major themes tackled on the album. The Roots have never been an easy band to digest on record (in concert, it's a different story) and that song remains the same here.
Frequently unsettling, usually provocative, with a diverse sonic pallette as the backbone holding it all together, Rising Down shows the The Roots back in command of their abilities in a rare hip-hop career that's now ten albums deep.
Josh's Rising Down Grade: **** of five (4 stars out of 5)
-JAB
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