Strasgasm

Just read this and had a mini-Strasgasm. I know he probably won't be right until late 2012 or 2013, but the fact that there is progress for Stephen Strasburg is amazing news for me.

Missed A Ton

So, I have been lazy and haven't written anything recently. Time to change. I have missed a ton, so let's play catch up!

- MY WASHINGTON NATIONALS have been playing great baseball recently. I don't know if they will still be in it in September, but I like that they are a real team now. Everyone (well almost... more on that in a bit) has been playing so well, the pitching has been great, it is wonderful. I love going to games and actually expecting to win sometimes. It is great. The Nats are great.

- Jim Riggleman is a punk. Why would you leave. If you follow my FB, you know my thoughts on this bum. He signed a contact, knew his situation, and tried to strong-arm Rizzo into an extension. Rizzo earned his 5-year deal by going out, signing players and creating a team that is now above .500. Who the hell does Riggleman think he is, when all he has accomplished has been getting us to 3rd place? You earn extensions for entire seasons, not for winning 11 through June. Davey Johnson will be just fine leading us and helping us grow, and some new guy will get one hell of a team to work with next year. Riggleman? He will be known for ruining Kerry Wood's arm and leaving a great young team on the rise.

- Now, I said almost everyone was carrying their weight on the team. There is a BIG exception to that, and his name happens to be Jayson Werth. He is paid $126 million to hit and field consistently. Instead, he strikes out looking more than anyone I have ever seen. He never swings at first pitch strikes (new Werth drinking game: 1 swig for looking at a strike, 2 if it is 1st pitch). He needs to start earning his money like the rest of the team, including...

- Danny Espinosa. He is the first rookie second baseman to ever have 15 home runs before the all-star break. He has an .800 OPS. He is a Gold Glove caliber 2nd baseman (he won't win it this year, just because everyone knows Brandon Phillips more). I love having him on the team.

- Congrats to the Bruins for winning the Stanley Cup. I now have no hope for my Caps to win one anytime soon, unless Neuvirth or Holtby magically becomes Tim Thomas.

- NBA Draft thoughts? Jan Vesely is a pimp/Casanova, and I think Rick Jackson should have gotten drafted. Other than that, nothing too special.

- Congrats Jonny Flynn on getting traded from the Timberwolves. Now, prove yourself in Houston.

- Rory McElroy had an insane US Open. I hope he becomes dominant, just cause it would be fun to have that dominant guy in the sport again.

- NASCAR still exists, and I don't know why.

- I think I need to get a guest column from University of Maryland starting defensive tackle, former Gonzaga actor and good friend AJ Francis. I would love to know his thoughts on the state of college football, the NCAA, the NFL Lockout, pro wrestling, and the DC sports scene. I also want him, a lifelong DC man (so I think) why his favorite NFL team is the Cowboys, why he referred to the Phoenix Suns as "we", if he cares about baseball at all, and who he roots for the in NBA.

- You should follow AJ on Twitter, The_Franchyze. You should follow me on Twitter, JFLANland.

- RE: The Matt Kemp for MVP talk- Yes, a 40-40 season is nice, and he is on pace for just that. He is still on a losing team (and franchise now). In 2006, Alfonso Soriano had the first 40-40-40 (HR, SB, 2B) season in baseball history for the losing Washington Nationals (Add in 20 OF Assists, the first to ever have that with 40-40 season). He finished 6th in the MVP voting. Don't expect the MVP just because you go 40-40.

- I really hope that my girlfriend Maria Sharapova (apologies to my actual girlfriend for finding out this way, and to Sasha Vujacic) wins Wimbledon. I have no other rooting interests.

- Anyone who ever liked pro wrestling should find CM Punk's shoot promo from last night's Raw. It felt real, raw, powerful and amazing. I wish wrestling was still like that.

- TO will be in the Hall of Fame, no doubt. But you have to think that his antagonistic attitude will cost him first ballot, right?

- I am sure the Women's World Cup is fun to watch, but without Tommy Smyth? Meh.



Ok, now that I am a bit caught up, I will try to stay on top of things. Have a good evening y'all.

Some Thoughts on the NBA Finals

Why hello there, true believers (Sorry Stan Lee, I had to steal that at least once). As you may know, the NBA Finals took place over the past 8 weeks. Ok, it wasn't that long, but it certainly seemed that way. Luckily, they were fun to watch, and the team that all of America was rooting for won. Anyway, I just wanted to share some thoughts on the series, the players, the coaches, the fans (I apologies in advance, Kevin Belt) and a quick look forward at the NBA going into next season... or the 2012-2013 season. Whichever comes first. Enjoy!

- I am thrilled for Dirk. He is fun to watch. A big, goofy looking German guy who shoots the lights out from 3, has the most polished mid-range game in the NBA, and can play with his back to the basket? Sounds like a blast. He needed this title after the collapse in 2006. He improved his own game, made a commitment to his team, and got the job done. A true Champion, the best European player ever in the NBA, and arguably one of the 25 best to ever play the game.

- For the 2nd time in recent history, an underdog team that played as one single unit beat a group of superstars. The last time, it was the Pistons beating the already-champion Lakers. This time, it is the Mavs beating the "without Wade, none of you have won anything at all" Heat. Similarities, other than their cohesiveness? They both had former Wizards. The Pistons had Rasheed Wallace, Rip Hamilton (DAMN YOU MICHAEL JORDAN FOR TRADING HIM FOR STUPID JERRY STACKHOUSE!), and Ben Wallace (traded for Bo Outlaw...). The Mavs had DeShawn "Soulja Boy" Stevenson, Brendon Haywood and the injured Caron Butler. I liked seeing the former Wizards win. Gave me another reason to root against the Heat. After the game, the three got together and chanted "Worst to First" as they celebrated. Thanks for reminding us... Also, if you want a title, just play for us for a bit then leave. Works wonders...

- Count me as a member of the Mark Cuban fan club. I love that man. He speaks his mind, knows his business, is amazingly entertaining, and is now a Champion. He also said "Shit" on Sportscenter, made fun of the Big 3 by saying Dirk took less cash so the Mavs could sign Jan Mahinmi and Brian Cardinel, and let the founding owner of the Mavericks accept the championship trophy. Thumbs up all around.

- Jason Terry, JJ Barrea and Jason Kidd = a championship backcourt. Who knew.

- In a footnote to his column on the finals, Bill Simmons makes a case for Shawn Marion being considered one of the 100 All Time best to play the game. I haven't researched it enough to make a decision, but doesn't that just seem weird to you. Anyway, congrats to The Matrix.

- How did the Mavericks stifle the Heat? How did they keep the Heat cold? Zone defense. Not just for college anymore. One has to wonder... If LeBron had gone to college and experienced, say, the Boeheim 2-3 zone, would he have known how to crack it better? I think so. Stay in school kids.

- The fans in Miami... Normally, I only rip on the Braves for not selling out World Series games. I just figure that everyone else, if they were in the Finals, would be able to pack their arena/stadium/park with rabid fans... But there were at least 4,000 Mavericks fans in an arena that seats 19,600. That is over 20% Mavs fans. What... The... Hell. Protect your house. It is bad enough that you never go to baseball games for a team that has won 2 titles in less than 20 years, but this was the NBA Finals. Did you just assume Game 7 was going to happen? Did you have somewhere else important to be on a Sunday night in mid-June? You don't sell your tickets to Mavericks fans! Your team is in the Finals! Go root for them! Mark Cuban was completely right- The Mavs fans punked the shit out of the Heat fans in Game 6.

- Coach Spo: Fired? Maybe. I say give him one more season, unless LeBron and Wade both say he has to go. Then, well, he has to go.

- Wade is a horse. He was going great until he tweaked his hip in Game 5. Just wasn't the same guy in Game 6. I don't blame him for the loss though. I don't blame Bosh either. Sure, he isn't the dominant inside presence, but he never has been. He is a finesse 4, not a power 5. So he is fine too. Even Mario Chalmers played well. The rest of the Heat? Not so much. Their bench was destroyed by the Mavs when it mattered most. But really, who gets blamed? LeBron!

- LeBron James came up small. Like, minute. Miniscule. A tiny iota of a clutch player in the Finals. Who is to blame? I like one of Simmons' arguments from his earlier post. LeBron has never been yelled at before. Like, who was the last guy to tell the next Great One that he had to shape up and fly right? Wade did it in this series. He yelled at him for 8 seconds straight, in front of everyone. That broke LeBron's spirit. He became a kid again, not knowing what to say. He shut down. Read Simmons' article for this part especially. It is true. All facts.

- Now, why is everyone happy that LeBron lost. Well, there are a few factors. First, it is because he broke Cleveland's heart on National TV and hasn't felt any remorse. Was it a business decision? Sure. But Melo got out of Denver and then thanked everyone in the city for helping him grow up and become a man. He didn't have a big special after the trade was finalized to announce to whom he waived his no-trade clause. He just went. LeBron made himself bigger than the game, and the city that made it possible, as Stephen Colbert said, for him to get paid millions for bouncing an inflatable ball.

Second, it is because he went to team up with his friends and try to own the NBA. That isn't fun. Super groups might be nice in music, or comic books, but in sports we want competition. Dynasties become more hated than beloved, and everyone expected the Heat to become one, so the hate came early and often.

Third, it is because of the crab dribble. That is a travel, Bron bron. Stop complaining.

Fourth, it is because you still don't understand the fans of America. Your post game comments were horrendous. Word for word, here is what the clueless king said:

“At the end of the day, all the people that were rooting on me to fail, at the end of the day, they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today. They have the same personal problems they had today. They can get a few days or a few months or whatever the case may be on being happy about not only myself, but the Miami Heat not accomplishing their goal. But they have to get back to the real world at some point."

Super, LeBron. Just super. You are a billionaire athlete, and you can't find it within yourself to ignore what the common man says about you. Instead, you actively remind them that they have to deal with real troubles, like the economy, putting food on their tables, providing for their families, and so forth. That's a great way to win over people. Belittling people always brings fans. You have no idea what the real world is like at all. You have been surrounded by enablers and yes men since you were 14. You are a pompous ass, no two ways around it. You have bragged and boasted about being great, and winning "not 4, not 5, not 6, not 7" titles, then you come out there in your designer suit, with your pocket square, after choking in the NBA Finals, and tell the average Joe watching at home that he isn't allowed to take any comfort in watching you go down, and really he is a sad, pathetic person with no impact on society because he isn't a 6'8 basketball playing billionaire. And you wonder why people hate you.

Furthermore, I have never heard a member of a team sport say the word "I" so much in a press conference. Wade talked about the failures of the team. Bosh said that the Mavericks were a better team, played as a team, and wanted it more as a team. What does Brony boy say? I will be back. I will be a champion. I did not choke. You want to watch me fail? I am a billionaire, and I am better than you. Again, you wonder why people hate you.

And finally, there was that peach of a post-game tweet:

"The Greater Man upstairs knows when it's my time. Right now isn't the time."

Oh, ok, that explains it all. God didn't want the Heat to win. That is why you averaged 3 points in the 4th Quarter all series. It is because the Holy Spirit descended down from Heaven, sat on the rim and knocked the ball away. That is why you played hot potato with the ball in the 4th, passing it off to everyone else, even when guarded by the 5'9 JJ Barrea. It isn't because you choked, it is because it wasn't in God's divine plan. Well, LeBron, I have a feeling that, if there is a big invisible man in the sky, he probably has more important things to worry about then you almost missing the backboard with a 15-foot jumper.

What kind of crazy cop-out excuse is that. Own up to how you played. You sucked. You were awful. LeBum, LeBrick. Not the chosen one, the choking one. If you accepted all the blame, then we wouldn't care. We might even like you more for it. You could take it, like Magic Johnson did in 1984 following his Tragic Magic labeling (even though he already had a ring) and have it drive you all summer to become a better player. Learn a post move. Work on your outside shot. Learn how to play without the ball so you and Wade can mesh together. You know, what Magic did following a loss. What Dirk did following a loss. What real champions do following a loss. But instead, you will probably be hanging out in your mansion, not worried about the NBA lockout cause, as you reminded all of us, you are better than us and don't give the real world the time of day. You will design a new shoe, do some commercials, and just hang out with your boys. And they will tell you everything is fine. So will your mother. And your agent. And Nike. All the while, Kevin Durant will be in the gym. So will D-Rose. Kobe too. And Dwight. And John Wall. And Melo. And Paul Pierce. Wade and Bosh will be there waiting for you. But you won't show up because it isn't your fault. You didn't choke. It was God's will. Your time will come. Just sit back and relax, and pretty soon you will show those commoners why you are King James... And you wonder why we smile that you lost. Why, for one series, everyone outside of Miami became Mavericks fans. You wonder why we hate you? That's why, LeBron.

RIP Macho Man Randy Savage

I am a wrestling fan. Been watching it all of my life. So I was very sad when I heard that Macho Man Randy Savage had passed away on Friday after a car accident, which they say was caused by a heart attack. Savage was an excellent wrestler and entertainer. He was okay with becoming a completely wild character that was so beloved in Americana that he appeared on talk shows, in movies, and was the spokesman for Slim Jim. He had not been on television much over the past decade, since he was happily retired and remarried to his now-widow, staying out of the limelight and enjoying his privacy.

At a time when the wrestling industry was booming, he was perhaps the 3rd biggest star, behind Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. He was far more athletic than both men, and his wrestling ability put many other performers to shame. Furthermore, he was a wonder on the microphone, giving many memorable promos like the following.




I will always remember him fondly, as the wrestling business today does not have as many men who can carry long story lines or even long, technical matches. Here is one of my personal favorites from Wrestlemania III.




Macho Man was one of the best of all time, and will be missed.




Ooooooooooo Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaaah.

And We're Back

Alrighty! Now that the thesis is done and my brain has been turned off for the summer, time to talk sports! Some thoughts to start:

- Dear Washington Nationals: HIT THE BALL! I know, they scored 17 runs on Friday, and I am not expecting them to be a playoff team or anything, but they have the worst offense in the majors. It doesn't help that Adam LaRoche is batting .170. I mean, Adam Dunn is having a terrible year, and it is STILL better than what LaRoche is doing. I am kind of happy he is getting his shoulder looked at again, just because it will get his bat out of the lineup. Will we miss his glove? Of course. But at some point his struggles at the plate outweigh his defensive prowess.

- The NHL is still going on. I will root for whoever wins the West, just because I don't want to see Tampa win after beating the Caps, nor do I want any team from Boston to win. Let's say I am pulling for the Canucks, just because.

- The NBA is still going on too. Again, rooting for whoever comes out of the West, especially the Mavericks. Would be nice for Dirk to get a ring, and would be a solid reminder if they do it with 3 former Wizards on the roster that we (once again) kept the wrong guy and got rid of the right ones when they decided Gilbert was more important than Heywood, Stevenson and Butler (who is injured) combined.

- Novak "Is Wayne Brady gonna have to" Djokovic is 38-0 to start out the year. I am a fan of all streaks, so I hope this one continues.

- The NFL lockout is still happening. It is getting old. I just want an end to it so that McNabb can leave Washington and go to a place that uses him the right way.

- Count me as the driver of the "Are the Skins really going to use John Beck as their starter?" bandwagon. A 30-year old QB who hasn't taken a meaningful snap in like 4 years and was traded for a guy I played high school football with? No sir, not starter material. Get used to these words Washington: "And with the first pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Washington Redskins select..." Of course, that is wishful thinking. Somehow we will find a way to win just enough not to finish last, and Andrew Luck will save another franchise while we gamble on Matt Barkley.

- The NBA draft lottery happened. good for Cleveland getting the #1 and #4 pick. Hopefully they can rebound. The Wizards got the #6 pick, which in a bad draft means nothing. I wouldn't mind, however, trying to pull of a trade for the #2 pick with Minnesota. They want to move it, and we have pieces and 2 first round picks to swap. Let's say, Andray Blatche and the #6 pick to move up to #2 and get Derrick Williams or Enes Kanter? I would do that in a heartbeat.



I think that is all I have for right now. Just happy to have the time to blog again. Woot!

New Uniforms!

Almost done with the thesis and we can get back to blogging every day. In the mean time, the Wizards unveiled a new look, with new logos and uniforms today. I like them. We aren't going back to the Bullets, but at least we can have the look. Now, the Caps, Wizards, Nats, and Mystics all have (roughly) the same color scheme. 1 town, 1 look. And the Skins have red too, just a different one.

In addition to the new colors, they have new logos with the old Bullets arm shooting a ball in a 'dc' logo, and the Washington Monument as the stick of the d in 'wizards', and of the h in 'washington'. They also have a red and blue basketball with a white star and the Monument again (as seen on the back neck of the uniforms).

Check them out below, and tell me what you think-








Dan Steinberg of the Post's DC Sports Bog is already going crazy over how much he likes them. I think the shorts might be the best part. You can read his response to it here.

This might actually make me buy a Wizards jersey. Nice ones. I look forward to seeing the team play better while looking better.

NFL Round 1 Thoughts

Here is my review on the 1st round of the 2011 NFL Draft:

Best Picks:

- Buffalo Bills: Marcel Dareus, DL, Alabama. Love this pick for so many reasons. He wasn't a one-year wonder, he fits into either the 4-3 or 3-4, the Bills were last in run defense, and THEY DIDN'T PICK A RUNNING BACK! They have a lot of holes and this was a good fit.

- Detroit Lions: Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn. Wasn't the biggest need, but no one thought he would be there at 13. Suh and Fairley on the same line? Yikes.

- Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins: This has less to do with who they picked and more to do with them trading back. Both teams have a ton of holes and needed to add more players. However, Phil Taylor and Ryan Kerrigan do fit needs, so they were solid picks.

- Baltimore Ravens: Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado. The last great corner the Ravens had was Chris McCallister. They have been looking for his replacement for almost 10 years. They might have found him in Smith, who has the body and skills to be great.


Picks I am not that fond of:

- Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton, QB, Auburn. Just not buying him yet. They have so many holes that Cam can't change the franchise himself.

- Atlanta Falcons: Julio Jones, WR, Alabama. It isn't the pick that I am not a fan of. I actually like it. It is the fact that they gave up so much for it. 5 picks, including next year's first rounder and a 2nd this year, is just a ton for one guy.

- Minnesota Vikings: Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State. Again, not really the pick, cause they do need a QB, but at 12? I think this was kind of a panic move. I know one Vikings fan. He hated the pick.


So far, not many picks that have been awful Most teams fit needs, no real surprises outside of Ponder and Locker at 8. So it has been fine. Day 2 starts at 6 pm ET. Who will land Andy Dalton, Colin Kaepernick (Skins...) and Ryan Mallet? We will find out. Enjoy