Random thoughts from a cluttered mind...
One of the more noteworthy situations so far in these first few weeks, other than the games being postponed because of cold weather, is how many players are on the shelf with slight injuries, especially ‘name’ players.
As an example, we see Cubs OF Alfonso Soriano and Dodgers P Jason Schmidt, two key free agents signed to big contracts in the off-season, are nursing injuries, and their teams aren’t happy about it.
There are plenty of other deals out there. The Yankees entire starting pitching rotation has missed a start or two. Braves P Mike Hampton is out for the season. Diamondbacks P Randy Johnson hasn’t pitched yet this season. Cardinals P Chris Carpenter is out until May. The list seems endless.
Of course, this is the deal every season, but it is more pronounced when the marquee names are the ones that are on the shelf. Hopefully they can all get back into the flow of play so their teams and fans can see what they got in the tank.
The NBA Playoffs will crank up, now with the regular season completed. The obvious favorites seem to be the Dallas Mavericks, having the best record overall in the league. The Phoenix Suns are another squad to be given serious consideration. In the Eastern Conference, all eyes are on the Detroit Pistons, with their veteran-laden group.
Interesting how the Lakers, with Kobe Bryant scoring 50 points a game, and the Cavaliers, with superstar LeBron James taking over games, simply don’t have all the pieces in place to make it all happen. That’s not to say they can’t do so. But a lot of people are looking towards teams that have the talent and depth to go the distance.
I think a lot of people would give consideration to the Miami Heat, if it were not for Dwayne Wade continuing to show his physical abilities as being below 100%, and Shaquille O’Neal is not what we all are used to seeing, either.
So, look for Dallas and Phoenix to be the teams to beat, as we begin the long, winding road towards the Championship.
The situation involving Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs and NBA referee Joey Crawford is certainly interesting in a number of ways.
Last weekend, Crawford was officiating a game involving Duncan and the Spurs. Crawford hit Duncan with a technical foul. Duncan then sat down on the bench. After a play occurred, Duncan was seen laughing over the action, which Crawford didn’t like at all, and hit Duncan with another technical, which in effect put Duncan out of the game.
NBA Commissioner David Stern has suspended Joey Crawford from working any more games thru the playoffs, which is a rather harsh hit. Duncan and Crawford have had altercations in the past, and so this is not an unusual situation, pre se. Crawford is highly regarded as one of the better refs in the league, and so for this to come down as it has is making some waves. It is possible that Joey Crawford may not officiate a game again and retire.
It is very fair to state that, for a referee to give a player a ‘T’ while he’s sitting on the bench, is rather outlandish. Stern certainly felt that was the case, and so Crawford is no longer on the court blowing whistles.
I am assuming you are certainly aware of the awful incidents at Virginia Tech. Without question, this kind of situation will stay in the conscious of Americans for a long, long time.
Unfortunately, that will most certainly be the case when collegiate sports enter the picture. My feeling is that a lot of people from now on are going to think of this incident and these killings every single time a Virginia Tech team plays a collegiate sport, whether its football, basketball, baseball, etc. While the games will continue to be played, everyone attending or watching a Virginia Tech Hokie team on TV will be thinking about what happened this past week, wondering how the student/athletes are dealing with the events from the past, and how it will now follow them wherever they go.
Even those that have attended and/or graduated from Virginia Tech are hearing about it. They are being asked about the situation, as if they were there covering it. People need to think before they speak and realize that just because someone graduated from the school, doesn’t mean they know all the details of this horrible incident.
I grew up in Virginia, living about two hours north of the Va. Tech campus. I had a lot of friends from high school that went to that university. I am very aware of the campus and its surroundings, and people are correct in stating that Virginia Tech is a fairly quiet community, and certainly a college town, without question. For this kind of incident to emerge out of that region of our country is certainly a sad state that will linger in the air for a long time. Hopefully, those that are directly affected by the actions will be able to move forward with their lives in a positive manner. My thoughts are with those that were killed.
Tom Weppel talks trash with Greg Larson, Ron Duguay, and Lonnie Marts on SportsAvengers.com 24/7.
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