Here are my 10 sports questions for the day and I’ve decided to throw in the answers for free.
1. Where’s Dirk? Seriously, where did he go? I commented after the last game that his performance in this series is making people look bad that jumped so quickly on his bandwagon and started making ridiculous comparisons to Larry Bird and such, but last night was shocking. I thought he’d bounce back or at least try to take the ball to the basket. Still, I’m guessing Dirk has a huge game Sunday night. If he doesn’t he’s going to have to give back his uberstar status that so many handed him before the series started and we’re going to have to start talking about him as a choke artist, which I just hope doesn’t happen. I’ve enjoyed watching the big German become great this year and I don’t to see it tainted. Come man, start taking it back inside.
2. Tiger back too soon? Looks like. I don’t blame the guy for coming back for a major or for being so bad, but it makes me sad. I imagine he felt pressure to play in the major from his sport and business associates whether he was ready or not and it just looks like he wasn’t. Now it seems he came back just to get slapped around by a tough course and good field. If Phil goes on to win, Tiger may have to start the mourning period all over again. I say we just leave the guy alone and let him take whatever time he needs away.
3. “On track” or “untracked”? Which do you say? To be honest I had never knowingly heard the expression “untracked” until I saw it in print several years ago. It could be that people were saying it for years and I just thought they were saying “on track.” For me, I never say “untracked,” as in “the Mavs just couldn’t get untracked last night.” I take this to mean they were locked going in a certain direction (bad) and couldn’t get themselves off those tracks. Instead, I say “on track” as in, Tiger just couldn’t get himself on track yesterday.” By this I mean, he could not get himself going in a certain direction (good). Which do you say? Do people really say “untracked” or is it only for sports writers? Either is fine, but I wonder if whether you think being on a track is good or bad points to some deep seeded psychological issue. After giving it a moments thought, I’m convinced that it does and if you say “untracked” you are probably also cruel to animals and may be a serial killer.
4. Can Dallas stop D Wade? No. I think that questions has been answered. He has it going like no one else and the defense appears completely helpless. That doesn’t mean he won’t have another bad game, but only Wade can stop Wade. Though I have to say I don’t care much for those tiger striped shoes he wears.
5. Did Stack help Shaq? Yes. That clothesline is going to renew Shaq’s interest in this series in a way that didn’t look possible. Shaq has been quite bad, but I’m guessing we get a throwback game next week. As much as he keeps pretending that he still cares about winning, I just don’t think he can get himself fired up anymore. Well, I think Stack did that for him. Still a heck of a gutsy play from the player who maybe suffered the most from the “next Jordan” label that has gone around the league since the early 90s.
6. Are the Giants any good? Yes. I think they are actually better than their record. If the kids play well, their pitching staff with Morris and Schmidt at the front end should be very tough. Feliz is finally beginning to show some of the promise people have been talking about for what seems like a decade and they play good D at just about every position. They have a hot young catching prospect and a good manager. Even though the Dodgers have played well, I still like the Giants to win that division. Here’s the thing though, they need Bonds in that lineup. If he can’t get to 100 games, they’re in trouble.
7. Is there a good reason to switch to a 2-3-2 format for the finals? Of course not. Does anyone think this is a good idea? No one I know. I don’t get it at all. To force a team to win 3 in a row to hold serve at home just isn’t right. I hate it. I also hate all these off days between games. It should be every other night with an extra day on traveling days. I almost forget about the Finals in between games. It kills the excitement. It must stop.
8. Is Gibson going to be a basketball star? Who knows? I will say this though, he loves to play. Gibson, my oldest son, is 5 and spends at least some part of every day in the driveway with a basketball working on his shooting and ball handling. I have never told him he should or must or any psycho dad things like that I swear. We shoot around together some when I’m home, but almost only at his prompting. Yesterday, unprompted, he came and asked my lovely and now concerned wife if she would take pictures of him shooting so he could make sure he was using the proper follow through. I am not making that up, though it does bring a tear to my eye. Either he has a natural love for the game and drive to get better or somewhere along the way I’ve turned him into a monster.
9. Does soccer have to be this bad? I know very little about soccer and try not to watch if I can help it, but I did see a bit of the world cup match between Sweden and Paraguay (I think) while I was waiting in line at my new favorite deli to get my sandwich. It was mostly a lot of boring back and forth with no one even contemplating taking an actual (gasp) shot on goal. Then something approaching a fast break happened and there was almost some sense that maybe something not mind numbingly boring might happen. The ball got behind the D a bit and suddenly Sweden had the advantage. Players were streaking downfield with the desperation that can only come from the knowledge that your home country might cut off your feet if you don’t perform well. I actually thought, “wow, we might even see a shot.” Then one of the defenders ran up and simply kicked the ball out of bounds. Everything reset and we went back to more kicking the ball around with no sign of actual progress being made by each team. Brutal. No wonder soccer fans are violent. I find myself wanting to punch my hand through the tv every time the game is on. How about a few rule changes like, if you intentionally kick the ball out of bounds to stop a fast break, the other team gets one of those free kicks at the goal, just the player against the goalie? Or maybe a shot clock? I think you have the foundation for a good game here, but my goodness it needs an overhaul.
10. Could America care less about the Stanley Cup? No. It is not possible. I did some research and the answer is unequivocally no.
1. Where’s Dirk? Seriously, where did he go? I commented after the last game that his performance in this series is making people look bad that jumped so quickly on his bandwagon and started making ridiculous comparisons to Larry Bird and such, but last night was shocking. I thought he’d bounce back or at least try to take the ball to the basket. Still, I’m guessing Dirk has a huge game Sunday night. If he doesn’t he’s going to have to give back his uberstar status that so many handed him before the series started and we’re going to have to start talking about him as a choke artist, which I just hope doesn’t happen. I’ve enjoyed watching the big German become great this year and I don’t to see it tainted. Come man, start taking it back inside.
2. Tiger back too soon? Looks like. I don’t blame the guy for coming back for a major or for being so bad, but it makes me sad. I imagine he felt pressure to play in the major from his sport and business associates whether he was ready or not and it just looks like he wasn’t. Now it seems he came back just to get slapped around by a tough course and good field. If Phil goes on to win, Tiger may have to start the mourning period all over again. I say we just leave the guy alone and let him take whatever time he needs away.
3. “On track” or “untracked”? Which do you say? To be honest I had never knowingly heard the expression “untracked” until I saw it in print several years ago. It could be that people were saying it for years and I just thought they were saying “on track.” For me, I never say “untracked,” as in “the Mavs just couldn’t get untracked last night.” I take this to mean they were locked going in a certain direction (bad) and couldn’t get themselves off those tracks. Instead, I say “on track” as in, Tiger just couldn’t get himself on track yesterday.” By this I mean, he could not get himself going in a certain direction (good). Which do you say? Do people really say “untracked” or is it only for sports writers? Either is fine, but I wonder if whether you think being on a track is good or bad points to some deep seeded psychological issue. After giving it a moments thought, I’m convinced that it does and if you say “untracked” you are probably also cruel to animals and may be a serial killer.
4. Can Dallas stop D Wade? No. I think that questions has been answered. He has it going like no one else and the defense appears completely helpless. That doesn’t mean he won’t have another bad game, but only Wade can stop Wade. Though I have to say I don’t care much for those tiger striped shoes he wears.
5. Did Stack help Shaq? Yes. That clothesline is going to renew Shaq’s interest in this series in a way that didn’t look possible. Shaq has been quite bad, but I’m guessing we get a throwback game next week. As much as he keeps pretending that he still cares about winning, I just don’t think he can get himself fired up anymore. Well, I think Stack did that for him. Still a heck of a gutsy play from the player who maybe suffered the most from the “next Jordan” label that has gone around the league since the early 90s.
6. Are the Giants any good? Yes. I think they are actually better than their record. If the kids play well, their pitching staff with Morris and Schmidt at the front end should be very tough. Feliz is finally beginning to show some of the promise people have been talking about for what seems like a decade and they play good D at just about every position. They have a hot young catching prospect and a good manager. Even though the Dodgers have played well, I still like the Giants to win that division. Here’s the thing though, they need Bonds in that lineup. If he can’t get to 100 games, they’re in trouble.
7. Is there a good reason to switch to a 2-3-2 format for the finals? Of course not. Does anyone think this is a good idea? No one I know. I don’t get it at all. To force a team to win 3 in a row to hold serve at home just isn’t right. I hate it. I also hate all these off days between games. It should be every other night with an extra day on traveling days. I almost forget about the Finals in between games. It kills the excitement. It must stop.
8. Is Gibson going to be a basketball star? Who knows? I will say this though, he loves to play. Gibson, my oldest son, is 5 and spends at least some part of every day in the driveway with a basketball working on his shooting and ball handling. I have never told him he should or must or any psycho dad things like that I swear. We shoot around together some when I’m home, but almost only at his prompting. Yesterday, unprompted, he came and asked my lovely and now concerned wife if she would take pictures of him shooting so he could make sure he was using the proper follow through. I am not making that up, though it does bring a tear to my eye. Either he has a natural love for the game and drive to get better or somewhere along the way I’ve turned him into a monster.
9. Does soccer have to be this bad? I know very little about soccer and try not to watch if I can help it, but I did see a bit of the world cup match between Sweden and Paraguay (I think) while I was waiting in line at my new favorite deli to get my sandwich. It was mostly a lot of boring back and forth with no one even contemplating taking an actual (gasp) shot on goal. Then something approaching a fast break happened and there was almost some sense that maybe something not mind numbingly boring might happen. The ball got behind the D a bit and suddenly Sweden had the advantage. Players were streaking downfield with the desperation that can only come from the knowledge that your home country might cut off your feet if you don’t perform well. I actually thought, “wow, we might even see a shot.” Then one of the defenders ran up and simply kicked the ball out of bounds. Everything reset and we went back to more kicking the ball around with no sign of actual progress being made by each team. Brutal. No wonder soccer fans are violent. I find myself wanting to punch my hand through the tv every time the game is on. How about a few rule changes like, if you intentionally kick the ball out of bounds to stop a fast break, the other team gets one of those free kicks at the goal, just the player against the goalie? Or maybe a shot clock? I think you have the foundation for a good game here, but my goodness it needs an overhaul.
10. Could America care less about the Stanley Cup? No. It is not possible. I did some research and the answer is unequivocally no.
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