I had a huge fantasy draft last night. 12 teams. Big money. Good times. Im not really a big fantasy guy. I have never really gotten into it. The over/under on how long I stay interested in my team is 14 days. But after last night, I might not have to fool around with my lineup the whole year cause I had a great draft. I got everyone I wanted to some extent. There is only really one or two guys that I missed on cause I thought I could get them late. Anyway, I am willing to take you inside my war room for a minute and give you some insight into why I picked who I did. I lucked out and started to the draft in the 3 hole.
1. CP3--LeBron and Kobe went 1-2 so it was on me in the 3 hole. I was set to take D Wade after his 28 8 8 debut the previous night. Then I was gonna go Amare. With about 30 seconds later I settled on CP3. I couldnt let him get by me. I think hes the hungriest guy in the league by far. The Hornets are getting serious run from all the experts. They have a lot on the line. A lot of people like them in the finals. Assists are at a premium in these fantasy leagues. I figure hes gonna go 19, 11, 6 minimum. Hes gonna have some huge scoring games too. And they are gonna be grinding to finish number 1 in the west so there gonna play every game hard. So CP3 goes to me.
2. Melo--It wrapped around back to me and I went scoring and rebounding. Carmelo is gonna have a big year. Scores and rebounds and gets some assists. Great FT%. Makes some 3s. AI is slowing down a little. The Nuggets are right on the cut line to make the playoffs in the west so every game is gonna matter. He is a little nicked up right now. I am not sure whats wrong with him. Im sure hell be in the lineup next week. But Melo scores the ball probably easier than anyone on the planet. Hoping he has a nice year.
3. Al Jefferson--Had a big fantasy year last year for the Wolves. Just a consumate 18 and 11 guy who is hopefully gonna go 22 and 12 this year. Gets you some blocks. Shoots a high percentage. Gonna be a good numbers/bad team (GNBT) but this is fantasy. Its a numbers thing not an integrity of a player thing. And this guy gives you some stats. K Love is gonna be a solid pro, but I dont think hes gonna take touches away from Al Jeff until next year. Almost went Chris Bosh here, but settled on Al Jeff.
4. Corey Maggette--Went off the board here a little. In hindsight, coulda got him A LOT later cause people were asleep on him. But I had to make sure I got him. I know he just got paid, but its gonna be hard for him not to average less than 25 a game in Nelly's system. He gets you some boards and his assists are gonna up a little cause theyll be flying up and down. Hes gonna get you some steals too. Moped Ellis is gonna be out til January at the earliest and Captain Jack isnt a volume shooter. Maggette gets to the line like crazy and shoots a great percentage. A little bit of a reach at round 4 but I couldnt take the chance of him getting auto-picked. I wasnt sure about the skill level of my peers. But this was a pick I had circled. I was getting Maggette no matter what.
5. Jamal Crawford--SLEEPER ALERT. I coveted this guy because I think he's gonna have a MONSTER YEAR. He went 29, 4, 4 in their debut win against the Heat the other night. Gets a lot of steals. Hes gonna thrive with D'Antoni. Crawford is nuts. He can easily score 50 points in a game any given night. I think hes gonna have at least 5 40 point games. He gives me 3s at a high clip too. He sneakily made 170 3s last year. That might go up this year cause hes gonna be shooting more. The Knicks are gonna be improved, but they are also gonna be getting killed some nights and hell get buckets in mop up time. He was another guy that I had to have and probably drafted too early cause no one drafting had a clue. But I know who I wanted so I grabbed him here.
6. John Salmons--This guy has been getting a lot of buzz by the experts. Hes a sneaky fantasy guy. Went 24, 8, 5 in the first game. No one ever gets to see the Kings. But hes a 17, 7, 5 guy who gets a lot of steals. Hes pretty consistent too. I had him high on my big board. I think hes gonna have a pretty good year. Probably could have gone big but this was a good value here. The Kings are another team that can never win but can almost win a lotta games. So they will be playing their main guys big minutes. Salmons is another guy that I am taking a gamble on to have GTBT.
7. Andrew Bogut--I went big here, with a guy that a lot of fantasy dorks like. Bogut gives you a double double, but more importantly is gonna give you some blocks and shoot a high percentage. Another guy who just got paid, and is a pussy who gets hurt a lot. But hopefully he stays healthy and has a productive year. So far I think Scott Skiles hasnt totally burnt them out yet. They seem to be playing hard for him. The Bucks are a lot better than they were last year despite losing Mo Money. R Jeff is still pretty good. Michael Redd is solid, and Villanueva is coming on like a freight train. But off the subject for a minute: How is Luke Ridnour still in the NBA? What championship are you winning with Luke Ridnour starting for your team? I have a list of guys that I just cant figure out how they stick in the league. Its amazing. Whats the case for Ridnour other than hes a safe bet not to get in trouble and make the organization look bad, hes cheap at only about $2 mil a year, and he can run an offense in a somewhat productive matter. Other than that he gets abused on D, cant really shoot anymore, and cant make anything happen for anybody. But back to Bogut, I addressed my need at big and got a decent fantasy guy. Almost went Andrew Bynum here.
I JUST WANTED TO STOP MY ANALYSIS OF THE FANTASY DRAFT TO SHARE SOME DISHEARTENING NEWS. I JUST LOOKED IT UP. LUKE RIDNOUR IS ON THE BOOKS FOR $7 MILLION THIS YEAR AND $7 MILLION NEXT YEAR. ONLY IN THE FUCKING NBA! UNBELIEVABLE.
8. Troy Murphy--Drank the Murphy Kool Aid after a big first game for the Pacers. Went 14, 15,5,2 with a couple 3s. He plays hard every night. Makes more 3s than you think. Rebounds the ball hard. Good guy to have.
9. Z BO--Stole Zach Randolph here, who has had a good pre-season and had an easy 20, 10 in the first game. Seems to be the big that is gonna get the touches for the Knicks. Hes relentless, tough, shoots FTs pretty well and cleans the glass. This was a definite steal here. It made up for the Troy Murphy pick a round ago. Him and Crawford could have huge years and keep the Knicks relevant.
10. Thaddeus Young--Picked him way too high here. Sentimental pick here based on the fact that he came onto the scene in a big way last year helping the Phillies go on a run and make the playoffs. But you know what youre gonna get with him--12 and 8 with a couple blocks and steals mixed in. Brand could help him cause Thad can go get some of his bricks and dunk um back in. But EB will most likely hurt him cause he demands the ball and holds it on the box for so long. But sidenote here--the 76ers are a joke. I mean are you kidding me? Anybody who thinks they are a contender in the east is an idiot. My man Jalen Rose made a big blunder putting them at #3 in his east rankings. Marc Stein has been drinkin the Sixers kool aid but I expect him to start to backpeddle a little bit cause hes pretty smart. But they are in a no way a threat to the Cavs or Celtics or Stons. That Elton Brand deal is BAD. He was good 3 years ago Ed Stefanski. Sure hes a good fantasy cause he gets 12 rebounds a game, but he cant hack it against good guys. He beats up on bad guys. I just hate that contract.
11. Marc Gasol--Drank the kool aid here after a productive double double the first game. Hes gonna be productive. Hes gonna have a lot of double doubles. He shoots FTs well. Theyre gonna be horrible so hell log a lot of minutes and put up decent numbers.
12. Mario Chalmers--Kind of a steal here no pun intended. He had a big first game albeit against the Knicks. Hopefully he gives me some 3s and steals.
13. Jason Thompson--Not the John Carroll Jason Thompson. The Rider Jason Thompson. On the night he got drafted 25 spots too early at #12, Coach Joe Mihalich, one of the most prominent minds in the college game today sent his son Matthew a funny text--"Pretty high pick for a pussy." Nevertheless, he had a nice 18,11 in his NBA debut. Hes gonna have to work hard to get into my rotation.
14. CDR--I picked him simply cause he has the best nickname going in my opinion. Simple. Sounds great. Fun to say. No other reason. Steals maybe. And plenty of two handed dunks off the wrong foot.
15. Aaron Brooks--This guy is pretty good off the Rockets bench. Hoping that Skip to my Lou gets in trouble which he has a custom of doing, and Brooks gets major minutes. Last night he had 14,5,5 in 20 minutes. Good 3 point shooter. Plays aggressive when he gets minutes.
GUYS I WANTED THAT I MISSED ON--Devin Harris (went right before I picked), Derrick Rose (gonna have some crazy games 8 steals maybe), Charles Villanueva (coming on nicely, gonna have nice numbers) Wilson Chandler (Mike D'Antoni loves him, thinks hes the next Matrix Marion), Jason Terry (3s), Nick Collison (pencil in 10 and 13 every night with a block), Mehmet Okur(great percentages, great shooter, jazz are good), Matt Barnes (gonna get a lot of Grant Hills minutes, gets steals and 3s) AND MOST OF ALL--David Lee (born to play for Mike D'Antoni, one of my favorite players in the league).
jc3
Friday, October 31, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Week 7 Picks
Browns +7
Giants +3
Frisco -5.5
Texans -9
Ravens -7
Saints +3
Chiefs +14
Dolphins PK
Bucs +1
Falcons +9.5
Pats -9
Panthers -5
Skins -8
Titans -4
Season Record: 33-26
Giants +3
Frisco -5.5
Texans -9
Ravens -7
Saints +3
Chiefs +14
Dolphins PK
Bucs +1
Falcons +9.5
Pats -9
Panthers -5
Skins -8
Titans -4
Season Record: 33-26
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
A Hilarious Letter to the Editor
"I dont agree with the number one oac club of all time. Obviously you picked your alma mater on a clearly biased impulse selection. BW's 05 06 most def. belongs in that spot. One, we ran the through the league like mount does consistently in the fall, winning both regular season and tournament championships advancing to the NCAA tournament where we defeated a solid Carnegie Melon team. None of this cakes, pies and pastries Westminster, and Lake Erie inferior teams. We could of combined our managers of the time and they would have beat them. (Sticks D. and Greg Fitzsimmons) Then we had to go to Wittenberg where we had no business being there with a 24-4 record. We were clearly out matched with two dues 6 9 splashing threes having no business being at the division three level. They go on to lose a national championship by a miracle three. Terrible selection JC"
This was a letter I received late last night from an obviously drunk, retarded BW honk. He tried to make somewhat of a case for the yellow jackets 05-06 but was obviously hamstrung by intoxication and bad rationale. However, I felt like I should sort through this paragraph of hyperbole and false notions in order to appease several of my loyal readers.
First of all, lets talk about the statement "tough Carnegie Mellon" team. If there was ever a more fitting oxymoron, I would like to see it. I guess "clutch Ohio Northern team" would work or "cool Capital team." But to throw the likes of Bethany and Westminister and Lake Erie, solid organizations under the bus is just unacceptable and silly. ANY team you play in the NCAA tourney is gonna pose somewhat of a threat to your team. And those 3 teams were no different. Carnegie Mellon would have had a tough time with Bethany and vice versa.
And if I recall correctly, I think ONU had you guys on the ropes in the OAC tourney, and there was a combination of them playing with both hands on their throats and the refs having money on the game and giving you guys a couple calls down the stretch (the OAC ref bias toward BW and the complete hatred for JCU is another article altogether.) Anyway, that is worth noting in my response.
And the bottom line still remains that both teams went into Wittenberg in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Both teams probably had the same record. We might have had one more loss than BW. Two games were played at a high level. One team beat Wittenberg. One team lost to Wittenberg. John Carroll beat Wittenberg in overtime. So, SCOREBOARD BW fans. The bottom line is scoreboard. We beat probably the same team as you guys lost to, only a year younger. And they were studs, no question about that. We were just a little tougher. Maybe we worked out a little harder in the summer that year. We definitely drank at a much higher level than that BW team. That's for sure.
And we are not even having this conversation if the most shocking basketball moment in history happened a week later. If that doesnt happen. We win the next night and go to the final four D3 which would have been very fun. Anything could have happened. That's just the kinda club we had.
As always, I welcome constructive criticism about my blog and look forward to further discussions about OAC legends, journeymen and ball clubs. Out.
JC III
This was a letter I received late last night from an obviously drunk, retarded BW honk. He tried to make somewhat of a case for the yellow jackets 05-06 but was obviously hamstrung by intoxication and bad rationale. However, I felt like I should sort through this paragraph of hyperbole and false notions in order to appease several of my loyal readers.
First of all, lets talk about the statement "tough Carnegie Mellon" team. If there was ever a more fitting oxymoron, I would like to see it. I guess "clutch Ohio Northern team" would work or "cool Capital team." But to throw the likes of Bethany and Westminister and Lake Erie, solid organizations under the bus is just unacceptable and silly. ANY team you play in the NCAA tourney is gonna pose somewhat of a threat to your team. And those 3 teams were no different. Carnegie Mellon would have had a tough time with Bethany and vice versa.
And if I recall correctly, I think ONU had you guys on the ropes in the OAC tourney, and there was a combination of them playing with both hands on their throats and the refs having money on the game and giving you guys a couple calls down the stretch (the OAC ref bias toward BW and the complete hatred for JCU is another article altogether.) Anyway, that is worth noting in my response.
And the bottom line still remains that both teams went into Wittenberg in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Both teams probably had the same record. We might have had one more loss than BW. Two games were played at a high level. One team beat Wittenberg. One team lost to Wittenberg. John Carroll beat Wittenberg in overtime. So, SCOREBOARD BW fans. The bottom line is scoreboard. We beat probably the same team as you guys lost to, only a year younger. And they were studs, no question about that. We were just a little tougher. Maybe we worked out a little harder in the summer that year. We definitely drank at a much higher level than that BW team. That's for sure.
And we are not even having this conversation if the most shocking basketball moment in history happened a week later. If that doesnt happen. We win the next night and go to the final four D3 which would have been very fun. Anything could have happened. That's just the kinda club we had.
As always, I welcome constructive criticism about my blog and look forward to further discussions about OAC legends, journeymen and ball clubs. Out.
JC III
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
TOP 10 OAC TEAMS OF THE JCIII ERA
To appease some of my loyal readers, who had no interest in my takes about Mad Men and the Pickup Artist 2, I offer a very fun list of the best clubs in the OAC over my career. Real quick, must have been very cool to be at the game last night. It had to be the best Browns game to be at in the last 10 years. The bye week is such a huge asset in the NFL. You got the feeling when the Browns came out in the Wildcat set that they werent fucking around. I mean they had to really establish some offense early and they did. When Derek Anderson makes good deep throws, he is a very effective NFL player. When Braylon Edwards makes deep plays down the field, the Browns and Chud look innovative and creative. It was as simple as this conversation: DA--Look Chud, you gotta give me some plays that are gonna fucking work. You're making me look like an asshole. I'm a pro-bowler. Chud--Alright dickhead, why don't you make some big plays downfield. You're fucking me too. I'm an innovater who might be in line for a head job if we get our shit together.
So OBVIOUSLY, this list is highly highly arguable. It is very subjective, yet at the same time, its somewhat true. You can shuffle the order around quite a bit but I think the top 5 are pretty solid picks. I dunno I am just gonna start writing it and see where I go.
10. Otterbein 2006-2007: These guys make the list for a lotta reasons, mostly sentimental. These guys beat Capital, which made us OAC champs. SO thanks for that. We had a nice win with them at home to start the season. And we played one of the funnest games of my life with them at Otterbein. OAC legend Tyler Ousely had a nice night--somewhere along the line of 25,18,6 blocks. Mimesy fouls out with about 9 minutes left. We're getting killed the whole game. And we win. We got fucked by the refs more than anything I have ever seen on a basketball court. And we win. Joe Kimener goes legend with his tip. Insane tip. His nuts were on Ousley's chin, and he could have tip dunked it, but he made sure with a layup. That was the kind of player Joe was. No flash, all business. So we play out of our asses to get up two, and we end up fouling some neck whose shooting a 3. How can you ever make that call first of all? Some ass clown is taking a 35 footer, and you call a shooting foul on the best player on the court (t walsh)? Long story short, he chokes the ft, time runs out, hysteria and euphoria on the court. Hysteria and euphoria continues in the locker room and throughout the course of the evening. These guys ended up making the final four of the OAC tourney. Decent team. Might notice that a lot of these teams are gonna be teams that I played well against and had nice games against.
9. Muskingum 2004-2005: This was a team of complete badasses that featured several stout OAC journeymen. It featured a much skinnier Jeremy Ady, who was very good when he was a freshman, and got progressively worse as the years went on(reminds me of a lotta guys including myself). They had this guy named Zach Ross, who got kicked off the team for weed the previous year. This guy was a strong build guy who could stroke and get to the line. Really good player. They had these great posts who were just tough led by Cole Pittis. These guys handed us our first loss of the season with a tip at the buzzer by Jeremy Ady(sending us reeling to 13-1) and then came back and beat us at Musky when we were up possibly 20 in the second half. These guys were tough as hell. Really strong kids. Then they had us in the final four game of the OAC tourney at Carroll, but the crowd and big efforts carried us home. Very respected team in my eyes.
8. Baldwin Wallace 2004-2005: These guys are slotted a little high for several reasons. They were supposed to be better than they really were. I think the OAC ranked them higher than us in the preseason and guys on our team were pissed about it. Then we went to BW and kicked their ass. Then they spiraled into the middle of the OAC and finished middle of the pack. Nevertheless, they got HOT and ripped the OAC tourney from us, and beat us at home during the season. They were good definitely. They lost in the first round of the NCAA. We didnt. A middle of the pack regular season and quick exit in the postseason gets you #8.
7. Ohio Northern 2006-2007: There had to be an ONU team on this list because they were a pretty good group of players. That pretty much covers it though. Good players. Great numbers. Nice individual accolades. So so team. The streaks owe them a bit of graditude though for beating Wittenberg and Wooster in the preseason. If Witt beats them, the Streaks arent dancing in 07. Plain and simple.
6. Capital 2006-2007: Picked 5th in the preseason poll. Beat us in the tourney chip. They were a good team. You have to give them their due. But we lost that chip game much more than they won it. We got a couple bad calls and a couple bad breaks. O well. Woulda, shoulda, coulda. They got wacked in the first round of the postseason. We didnt. Really really really wish I could have seen my colleague Chris Day get into a full out scuffle with Damon Goodwin. There was definite possibilities in the hand shaking line. Cap guys and our guys and Mikey Miracle should have let that go. That would have rivaled Ali-Frazier, Ryan v. his brother in the OC episode where Marissa Cooper ended up shooting Ryan's brother, New York v. Peanut in Flavor of Love 1, the list goes on. Personally, I think Goodwin was favored, but he didnt have a sweat going, or as much adrenaline as Day did at the time. Plus Day is likes-to-fight-guy. In terms of backup, Casey Brown would have caused some problems, but I would have liked Hamrick against him. If I had to get into it with someone, I would probably have gone at Ben Gunn and just gotten into his body and negated his reach advantage. I think Joe K would have mopped the floor with Stahl.
5. Heidelberg 2007-2008: These guys shot the lights out. Hibatchi. After four years of deep deep mediocrity, broke through and won an OAC tournament. Got blasted in the playoffs. Didnt have the experience. The hot shooting went cold. These guys had a lotta nice skill. They really played well when they started to play 9 guys like we do. All 9 guys were really good, but more than anything they played without fear. And thats the only way D3 players play well. When they have no fear and are just playing and having fun. No worries. Was very very pumped when I heard they beat Capital in the finals.
4. Capital 2007-2008: Ran through the league. Solid national ranking all year. Very good players. Nice team. Won a game in the NCAAs. Congrats.
3. Baldwin Wallace 2005-2006: Had a really solid year. Really crossed the league and clinched it early. Won the tourney on their home court. Must have been a fun feeling. Who did they beat? O ya, Ohio Northern. I forgot they ever made it to the Friday-Saturday of an OAC. Tori Davis one his first of two POY's. The emergence of two of my readers, one as a stopper/slasher finisher, the other as floor leader/great shooter really set them apart from the rest of the league. Won a game in the NCAAs.
2. John Carroll 2006-2007: The Kings of the OAC returned after a year absence. The acquisition of Terry Walsh, the re-signing of Brandon Mimes, a 28 year old point guard, a bad ass winner, the explosive scoring and defense of a Journeyman, and solid contributions from several rookies in their first campaign led us to the OAC supremacy we enjoyed. The season flipped when we got an emotional home win against the always tough yet alway choke ONU Polar Bears early in the season, and we didnt look back. Woulda shoulda coulda against Cap in the chip. Surged into the NCAAs, had a very fun home victory against Westminster. Great game against Lake Erie. Couldnt get it going against Wooster. It was a season of great playing, high level drinking, low level picking up girls, high level traveling, and high level Pizzazz visits.
1. John Carroll 2004-2005: Won our first 13 games. 25-6. Got as high as #3 in the country behind Wittenberg and Wisconsin Stevens Point. Win the league. Host the tourney. Take a tough loss to an inferior BW team. Put it behind us and crush Bethany by 40 in the first round of the NCAAs at home. Then we do what separates us from this entire list. We go into Witt, rip their hearts out and beat them. Not an easy task. Probably the best game I was a part of at John Carroll. Would been dancing in fucking Salem if one of the most unlucky things ever to happen in basketball history doesnt happen. I cant even describe what happened. You had to be there. It was sick. Really enjoyed that year. Was fortunate enough to play right away. Play pretty consistently with a couple highlights (11 pts in the Witt win). Got to play with some of the legends of the OAC. The Mike Grogans. The Drew Salatas. The Pete Kochs. The Kyle Roggenburkes. Met Rory O'Neil and saw him celebrate wins at bars like The Pub, and Parnells. Great experience for me. Something that I take a lot of pride in.
THATS THE LIST. PRETTY SWEET HUH? We were the only two teams to get to the sweet 16 of the NCAA. Plain and simple. No one else did, and that's why were the two best teams over the JC III era. We should have fucking gone to the Final Four in 2004-2005 for God's sakes. I mean shit. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that piece of literature, and any comments are appreciated.
So OBVIOUSLY, this list is highly highly arguable. It is very subjective, yet at the same time, its somewhat true. You can shuffle the order around quite a bit but I think the top 5 are pretty solid picks. I dunno I am just gonna start writing it and see where I go.
10. Otterbein 2006-2007: These guys make the list for a lotta reasons, mostly sentimental. These guys beat Capital, which made us OAC champs. SO thanks for that. We had a nice win with them at home to start the season. And we played one of the funnest games of my life with them at Otterbein. OAC legend Tyler Ousely had a nice night--somewhere along the line of 25,18,6 blocks. Mimesy fouls out with about 9 minutes left. We're getting killed the whole game. And we win. We got fucked by the refs more than anything I have ever seen on a basketball court. And we win. Joe Kimener goes legend with his tip. Insane tip. His nuts were on Ousley's chin, and he could have tip dunked it, but he made sure with a layup. That was the kind of player Joe was. No flash, all business. So we play out of our asses to get up two, and we end up fouling some neck whose shooting a 3. How can you ever make that call first of all? Some ass clown is taking a 35 footer, and you call a shooting foul on the best player on the court (t walsh)? Long story short, he chokes the ft, time runs out, hysteria and euphoria on the court. Hysteria and euphoria continues in the locker room and throughout the course of the evening. These guys ended up making the final four of the OAC tourney. Decent team. Might notice that a lot of these teams are gonna be teams that I played well against and had nice games against.
9. Muskingum 2004-2005: This was a team of complete badasses that featured several stout OAC journeymen. It featured a much skinnier Jeremy Ady, who was very good when he was a freshman, and got progressively worse as the years went on(reminds me of a lotta guys including myself). They had this guy named Zach Ross, who got kicked off the team for weed the previous year. This guy was a strong build guy who could stroke and get to the line. Really good player. They had these great posts who were just tough led by Cole Pittis. These guys handed us our first loss of the season with a tip at the buzzer by Jeremy Ady(sending us reeling to 13-1) and then came back and beat us at Musky when we were up possibly 20 in the second half. These guys were tough as hell. Really strong kids. Then they had us in the final four game of the OAC tourney at Carroll, but the crowd and big efforts carried us home. Very respected team in my eyes.
8. Baldwin Wallace 2004-2005: These guys are slotted a little high for several reasons. They were supposed to be better than they really were. I think the OAC ranked them higher than us in the preseason and guys on our team were pissed about it. Then we went to BW and kicked their ass. Then they spiraled into the middle of the OAC and finished middle of the pack. Nevertheless, they got HOT and ripped the OAC tourney from us, and beat us at home during the season. They were good definitely. They lost in the first round of the NCAA. We didnt. A middle of the pack regular season and quick exit in the postseason gets you #8.
7. Ohio Northern 2006-2007: There had to be an ONU team on this list because they were a pretty good group of players. That pretty much covers it though. Good players. Great numbers. Nice individual accolades. So so team. The streaks owe them a bit of graditude though for beating Wittenberg and Wooster in the preseason. If Witt beats them, the Streaks arent dancing in 07. Plain and simple.
6. Capital 2006-2007: Picked 5th in the preseason poll. Beat us in the tourney chip. They were a good team. You have to give them their due. But we lost that chip game much more than they won it. We got a couple bad calls and a couple bad breaks. O well. Woulda, shoulda, coulda. They got wacked in the first round of the postseason. We didnt. Really really really wish I could have seen my colleague Chris Day get into a full out scuffle with Damon Goodwin. There was definite possibilities in the hand shaking line. Cap guys and our guys and Mikey Miracle should have let that go. That would have rivaled Ali-Frazier, Ryan v. his brother in the OC episode where Marissa Cooper ended up shooting Ryan's brother, New York v. Peanut in Flavor of Love 1, the list goes on. Personally, I think Goodwin was favored, but he didnt have a sweat going, or as much adrenaline as Day did at the time. Plus Day is likes-to-fight-guy. In terms of backup, Casey Brown would have caused some problems, but I would have liked Hamrick against him. If I had to get into it with someone, I would probably have gone at Ben Gunn and just gotten into his body and negated his reach advantage. I think Joe K would have mopped the floor with Stahl.
5. Heidelberg 2007-2008: These guys shot the lights out. Hibatchi. After four years of deep deep mediocrity, broke through and won an OAC tournament. Got blasted in the playoffs. Didnt have the experience. The hot shooting went cold. These guys had a lotta nice skill. They really played well when they started to play 9 guys like we do. All 9 guys were really good, but more than anything they played without fear. And thats the only way D3 players play well. When they have no fear and are just playing and having fun. No worries. Was very very pumped when I heard they beat Capital in the finals.
4. Capital 2007-2008: Ran through the league. Solid national ranking all year. Very good players. Nice team. Won a game in the NCAAs. Congrats.
3. Baldwin Wallace 2005-2006: Had a really solid year. Really crossed the league and clinched it early. Won the tourney on their home court. Must have been a fun feeling. Who did they beat? O ya, Ohio Northern. I forgot they ever made it to the Friday-Saturday of an OAC. Tori Davis one his first of two POY's. The emergence of two of my readers, one as a stopper/slasher finisher, the other as floor leader/great shooter really set them apart from the rest of the league. Won a game in the NCAAs.
2. John Carroll 2006-2007: The Kings of the OAC returned after a year absence. The acquisition of Terry Walsh, the re-signing of Brandon Mimes, a 28 year old point guard, a bad ass winner, the explosive scoring and defense of a Journeyman, and solid contributions from several rookies in their first campaign led us to the OAC supremacy we enjoyed. The season flipped when we got an emotional home win against the always tough yet alway choke ONU Polar Bears early in the season, and we didnt look back. Woulda shoulda coulda against Cap in the chip. Surged into the NCAAs, had a very fun home victory against Westminster. Great game against Lake Erie. Couldnt get it going against Wooster. It was a season of great playing, high level drinking, low level picking up girls, high level traveling, and high level Pizzazz visits.
1. John Carroll 2004-2005: Won our first 13 games. 25-6. Got as high as #3 in the country behind Wittenberg and Wisconsin Stevens Point. Win the league. Host the tourney. Take a tough loss to an inferior BW team. Put it behind us and crush Bethany by 40 in the first round of the NCAAs at home. Then we do what separates us from this entire list. We go into Witt, rip their hearts out and beat them. Not an easy task. Probably the best game I was a part of at John Carroll. Would been dancing in fucking Salem if one of the most unlucky things ever to happen in basketball history doesnt happen. I cant even describe what happened. You had to be there. It was sick. Really enjoyed that year. Was fortunate enough to play right away. Play pretty consistently with a couple highlights (11 pts in the Witt win). Got to play with some of the legends of the OAC. The Mike Grogans. The Drew Salatas. The Pete Kochs. The Kyle Roggenburkes. Met Rory O'Neil and saw him celebrate wins at bars like The Pub, and Parnells. Great experience for me. Something that I take a lot of pride in.
THATS THE LIST. PRETTY SWEET HUH? We were the only two teams to get to the sweet 16 of the NCAA. Plain and simple. No one else did, and that's why were the two best teams over the JC III era. We should have fucking gone to the Final Four in 2004-2005 for God's sakes. I mean shit. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that piece of literature, and any comments are appreciated.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Kevin Eastman, Mad Men, Pickup Artist 2, and Observations
I wanted to start this blog off with a joke about how pathetic the people are that have been tailgating in the muni lot since 7am this morning, but then I realized that several of my readers (king zaj, stanley barret, tdis, rudy, josh) would die for such an opportunity and/or are drinking and playing cornhole as I write this. So I am going to refrain from any such jokes. And for the record, I wish I had that in me. I wish that was part of who I was. I take some criticism for my cynicism about the Browns and the Cavs, and rightly so in some instances. But as Howard Zinn, author of The People's History of the United States put it: "dissent is the highest form of patriotism." So, in that respect I care very deeply for Cleveland sports teams, but my passion calls for accountability and intelligence from the front offices all the way down to the coaches and players. Having said all that, I think the Browns have a very nice chance of winning the game tonight, and hopefully getting on a role and getting back into the playoff picture. Romeo and Chud have had a nice bye week to establish some things and hopefully guys have gotten healthy. More than anything though, the way the NFL season has gone so far, THE TEAMS THAT NEED THE GAME MORE DESPERATELY HAVE WON THE GAME. I think if we would have played the Giants yesterday we would have knocked them off. Playing on Monday night hurts us because the Giants players are motivated by that factor. And probably only that factor. They have been watching this shitty Browns team on film all week and are probably bored to tears. The game could go a lot of ways, I have no idea. The Giants might mail it in until winning time and steal it, or the Browns could play well and win. Well see. Speaking of pathetic, lets get to my takes on tv shows and basketball clinics....
Kevin Eastman:
Got to spend a couple hours listening to Kevin Eastman talk about basketball yesterday. He is the top assistant for the Boston Celtics, lead player development trainer for Nike, a successful college coach, and has recently started to dabble into leadership speaking. The guy is a worker, and for all intents and purposes, probably one of the 20 smartest basketball minds walking this planet right now. He talked for an easy 4 hours, everything from why the Celtics won it, to individual skill development, to overcoming the mental hurdles that plague not only hoopers but businessmen and the like. He had a really interesting perspective about a lot of things. A lotta great mantras and quotes, and a very analytical approach to the game. He touched on a lotta cool tid bits, some of which I had already heard from his protege Ganon Baker. Stuff like Kobe Bryant doesnt work out anymore cause that's what all players do. He blacks out when he works out now. Kobe kill boxes--the places on the floor Kobe wants to get to to dominate a game. Shoulders to hips on the dribble drive. "Eyes make layup, feet make shots." Improving vs. Proving. He was VERY high on KG. What was interesting to me was the fact that he really didnt talk about BRON much. He almost went out of his way to not talk about him. Which is interesting considering he's the best guy in the world. He kept the focus much more on Kobe and KG. Interesting. But Kevin Eastman was superb, and I would love to sit down and talk to him one on one, or watch him work with pros in an intimate setting. I can go on all day about how sharp he was but let's get to Mad Men.
Mad Men:
This is the best show on TV, and no one watches it. I am telling you, this is a show that you have to stick out for a couple episodes and watch because it is worth it. It is kinda too late now, cause were 8 episodes into season 2, but its a great show to get into while you have all this downtime in college. And I say all this, and I believe it, but I know that I am a little weird. I love character piece TV shows, and have the patience to stick them out and get into them. A lotta people dont like that, and that's fine. This show is written by the right hand man of David Chase. David Chase created the Sopranos. Matthew Weiner wrote a lot of Sopranos episodes and now writes Mad Men. He is very good. But it's a very unique show. It takes you into the 1960s, at a marketing/advertising firm called Sterling Cooper. The main character, Don Draper, is the man. A Tony Soprano like giant of a role. The women on this show are off the charts. It really is incredible. These girls in season 2 have been phenomenal. And this is not the kind of hot that you see with the extras from Entourage. There is an unique elegance to their hotness that is just spectacular. If you dont believe me, google January Jones and you will start to change your mind a little bit.
Pickup Artist 2:
Probably never been more excited for a second season of a TV show ever. This show takes us into the mind of Mystery, the most innovative pickup artist in the whole world. He is an expert on social dynamics, dating science and seduction. And this show focuses on transforming 12 trainwreck guys who have never gotten their shit together into novice pickup artists. A couple of my buddies introduced me to this right about this time last year, and I have just become entrenched in reading about this and learning about it. Now I covet every article that discusses social dynamics, female dynamics and the like. And every aspiring article and method digs deeper and better. If you have no clue about the MM, it is predicated on building value with everything you do and say. It is about maximizing your social value, your survival value, and your replication value. Here is an easy thing to do, its called the 3 second rule: if you see a girl that you think is interesting and you wanna talk to her, approach her in 3 seconds or faster. Pretty good rule. Eliminates approach anxiety. Shows you have guts and confidence. Etc. I am very excited that I have convinced a couple of my friends to watch this show and look into some articles about it, because their lives are about to change for the better. And make no mistake, this is a facet of interest that will help you establish and build the life that you have always wanted. And I still have friends that feel weird or are just scared to look into it, and I think that is just so silly. All this stuff is a great base and guideline for your life. Your not fuckin going to a bar and reading off a script. Very much not so. It is more about carrying yourself in a confident way, and improving your social value in all phases of your life. So there is my pitch on that, and I look forward to a great season.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
WEEK 5 LINES
Colts -4
Titans -3
Chargers -7
Panthers -10
Skins +7
Bears +4
Packers -5.5
Giants +8
Broncos -4
49ers +3
Bengals +17
Jags -6
Bills +2
Vikes +3
Week 4 Record: 7-5
Season Record: 33-26
Titans -3
Chargers -7
Panthers -10
Skins +7
Bears +4
Packers -5.5
Giants +8
Broncos -4
49ers +3
Bengals +17
Jags -6
Bills +2
Vikes +3
Week 4 Record: 7-5
Season Record: 33-26
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