Sports

Ten Piece Nuggets-Sports

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Leftovers from the NFL Draft, a few appetizers from the NBA, MLB is cooking, and even a bite from a game show highlight today’s ten piece nuggets.  Commence consuming if you wish.

  1. The  NFL threw an NFL Draft party and everyone was invited.  Quite a few showed up too.  It’s TV ratings were the highest ever as 47.5 million watched.  Over 600k attended in Nashville.  Crazy.  Nashville knows how to do it.   Remember when the NFL TV ratings were down and out and never to return because of Kaepernick, kneeling during the anthem, and disrespecting the flag?
  2. Tampa Bay drafted kicker Matt Gay in the fifth round.  This comes just a couple of years after they drafted their current kicker Cairo Santos.  Apparently they lost confidence in Santos.  Gay said that he was surprised that TB took him so early in the draft.    The one thing you need in a kicker is confidence.  Apparently Gay isn’t too confident either.
  3. The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Toronto Raptors last night in Toronto, taking the home court advantage away.   That evened the series at one game a piece.  Doesn’t this one already smell like a game seven will be needed?
  4. The Portland Trailblazers got worked over by the Denver Nuggets as well.  Damian Lillard complained in-game about the officiating.  After the game he commented that his team complained too much during the game about the officiating.  The Trailblazers trail in the series one game to none.  Doesn’t this one smell already like a game seven will be needed?
  5. Boston shocked and rocked Milwaukee Sunday.  Game two is tonight.  Isn’t this already a must win for Milwaukee?  You bet it is.
  6. Golden State slid by Houston, and all of their complaining about the refereeing, Sunday.  Isn’t this a must win for Houston?  You bet it is.
  7. Suspended and reinstated LSU head basketball coach Will Wade might be in the proverbial soup again.  Late yesterday a video surfaced (which he was not in) that had former Arizona assistant coach Emanuel “Book” Richardson discussing Wade having made a $300k offer to lure incoming freshman Naz Reid to LSU for his now one and done season.  Whether he did, or did not, we don’t know.  If he did, however, we think he grossly overpaid.  Reid has declared for the NBA draft.  He might get his passport stamped for Europe instead.
  8. Who has the best record in baseball one month in?  It’s the Tampa Bay Rays of course at 19-9.  Second?  It’s the Minnesota Twins of course at 17-9.  Third?  It’s the St. Louis Cardinals of course at 18-10.  Who did ESPN broadcast for their national game last night?  It was the 14-17 Oakland A’s at the 12-17 Boston Red Sox of course.
  9. If you like 3 point bombs, watch the NBA these days. If you like home runs, watch MLB these days.  In 2017 a season record 6105 home runs were smashed.  One month in, 2019’s pace is 1.33 dingers a game v. the 2017 pace of 1.26.  Keep up this pace and they shatter 6105 by an additional 358 taters.  Sure, it’s only one month in.  But, the “new” swing that’s being taught through the minor leagues for the last five years is to lift the ball.  Lift it they have so far.
  10. Alex Trebek has never seen anything like this. James Holzhauer’s 18th appearance on Jeopardy was  a rather close call.  But, it was another winning one with $54,017, or $18 dollars more than Adam Levin who amassed $53,999.  This brings Holzhauer’s total take to $1,329,604.  He’s the fastest ever to one cool million in the show’s history.  The per game rake is unlike any previous.  All time money winner Ken Jennings needed 74 wins to get to $2.5 million way back in 2004.

Remember to stay out of the pool for 30 minutes after you eat.

 

Harden’s Safe Space

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

James Harden just wants a fair chance.  In fact he said so himself after his Houston Rockets lost game one of the Western Conference Semifinals 104-100 to the Golden State Warriors.

“I mean, I just want a fair chance, man,” said Harden, who scored 35 points but was 9-of-28 from the floor and 4-of-16 from behind the 3-point line. “Call the game how it’s supposed to be called, and that’s it. And I’ll live with the results.”

Harden, who has led the league in free throws attempted and made in each of the past five seasons, gets fouled while shooting his three’s more, far more, than any other player.  It’s largely because his step-back jump shot is so difficult to contest.

Rockets head coach, Mike D’Antoni walked a fine line after the game.  He wanted the world to know that the referees told him that they missed some first half calls.  He faces a potential fine for criticizing officiating. “So, I mean, the response was they came in halftime and said they missed them. That’s what they told me. They missed four of them. That’s 12 foul shots. So be it. They’re trying to do the best they can do.”

Hopefully both Harden and D’Antoni realize that all of the calls that they are referencing above are “after the shot, safe landing space calls.”  The new foul rule is indeed a rule.  However, it doesn’t affect the accuracy of the shot.  The non calls certainly could have resulted in free throws for the career 86% free throw shooter.  Heck, maybe they would have been enough for the Rockets to win.

We wonder more, much more, about the 19 shots from the field that he missed.   And, 12 of those were either from or beyond the three-point line.  Make one more two point attempt and one more three point attempt and you win the game for sure, refs be damned.  Nine for 28 is 32% overall.  Four for 16 is 25% from three.  Phew.

So now the Rockets are down 1-0.  They’ve never beaten the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs during the Harden era.  Make no mistake about it, Harden feels the heat from that.  Now he feels like he needs to beat them and the referees.

And, its going to be tougher for him now.  After all, the refs are taking away his “safe space.”

 

Ten Piece Nuggets-NFL Draft

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Draft Day one is in the books.  It’s Friday and rounds two and three are on tonight’s happy hour menu.  The restaurant business is tough.   We are a competitive bunch.  So we offer you a buy ten nuggets get ten free below.  Enjoy and TGIF.

  1.  Too bad it rained on Nashville’s party as the evening wore on.  The only thing that looked better than the setting was the size of the crowd.  Estimated at 150k by most, Commish Roger Goodell thanked the over 200k who attended.  Regardless, that’s one hell of a block party.  NashVegas was in full swing.
  2. The Kliff Klingsbury era is in full swing in Arizona as well.  Taking QB Kyler Murray is King Kliff’s statement.  He chased him and chased him as a high schooler when Kliff was coaching college.  He caught up to him as each advanced to the next level.
  3.  When Goodell read Murray’s name, King Kliff’s lost what little leverage he had in attempting to trade Josh Rosen, the Cardinal’s answer at QB just 12 short months ago.  We wonder if on one level Kliff really cares that much.  Call Rosen a sunk cost.  Arizona is moving forward and will hold a Josh Rosen fire sale today or tomorrow.  Rosen was a polarizing pick last year.  Knocks on him are plenty, with the most damaging being his indifference to his occupation.  A burning desire to compete and win at a leadership position is a must.
  4.  San Francisco said thank you very much, and picked Nick Bosa, pass rusher extraordinaire from THE Ohio St U.   More than a few NFL “insiders” gave him the highest draft grade this year.
  5. Those who did not have their highest grade on Bosa did on Quinnen Williams, the latest interior defensive line disruptive force to come out of Saban’s Alabama based NFL training grounds.  The J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets wisely pounced.  In baseball having a strong up the middle defense (C, 2B, SS, and CF) is a must. NY has Jamal Adams at safety and Williams now plugging the middle.  It is crowded up front on the Jets DL though.
  6.  Then the fun started.  Longtime NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock, turned Raiders GM, selected Clelin Ferrell, DE Clemson.  Ferrell very likely could have been had 5-10 picks lower.  Good player, high motor, high football IQ guys are wonderful but so are more draft picks.  Jon Gruden probably snarled.  He always does.
  7. Tampa Bay at 5 picked LSU LB Devin White.  In today’s NFL LB’s don’t  litter the first round landscape.  However, he was one of two LB’s taken in the top 10 this year.  And he was one of  two LB’s taken this year named Devin.  Devin Bush went at no. 10.  Pittsburgh, who never trades up, traded up to take the Michigan product.
  8. And then the fun really started.  The New York “Football” Giants took Daniel Jones, Duke QB.  Embattled Giants GM Dave Gettleman tied his future Big Apple based employment to this pick.  Around the NFL opinions on Jones vary greatly.  One scout labeled his ceiling as a “backup with pedestrian talent.” Is he Eli II, or is JAG (just a guy)?  Eli I is 38.  We’ll find out soon enough.
  9. At no. 8 Detroit broke the seal on a deep tight end class.  Iowa’s T.J. Hockenson joined a team who now is labeled as the New England of the west.  Detroit is in the east, but it matters not.  Labels are labels.  Head coach Matt Patricia even dons the ever-present pencil behind his ear like his teacher Bill Belicheck.   Is Patricia the next Belicheck?  Is Hockenson the next Gronk?  The answers likely are “hell no” and “hell no.”
  10. Ed Oliver, DL Houston, fell into Buffalo’s lap with the Ferrell and Jones picks coming before them.  Oliver could dominate at the next level.  He’s that good.  But, going to Buffalo from H Town is a bit of a change.  Oh, and Buffalo finished 30th in offense last year.
  11. Pittsburgh jumped, as mentioned earlier, into the 10 hole to grab their coveted LB.  They moved one ahead of Cincinnati who picked 11th.  Cincinnati is used to looking up at Pittsburgh. They’ve had to do so in the same division for decades now.  They took Jonah Williams, OT Alabama.  The Bengals have struck out with three recent high round OL picks.  Is Williams the game changer.  The answer is likely “no.”  But, he is a safe pick as a versatile lineman.
  12. Green Bay followed with the first of their two first round picks.  They worked New Orleans over last year when the Saints moved up a dozen spots and gave up this year’s first rounder that GB used later.  With the 12th pick they took Rashan Gary, DE, Michigan.  Rashan looks the part.  Rashan has the potential.  Potential means you haven’t done anything yet.  Three and 1/2 sacks last year at Michigan isn’t anything.  Rashan might need surgery for a torn labrum at some point as well.  Hmm.  Boom or bust are both in play here we think.
  13. With two QB’s sitting on the board, Miami took the highest player on their board, period.  It wasn’t the highest available. It was the highest coming into the draft. Christian Wilkens, DT, Clemson heads to Miami.
  14. The Atlanta Falcons took two offensive lineman in the first round.  The first of the two is Chris Lindstrom who played guard at Boston College.  The second was Kaleb McGary from Washington at pick 31 via trade.   Both have mean streaks and need them to keep Matt Ryan upright.  Atlanta seems soft to us.  Good moves we think.   GM Thomas Dimitroff needs to better coordinate high fives and hand shakes in the Atlanta war room though.  Owner Arthur Blank dressed in style but lacked style on the bromance moves.
  15. Washington picked a QB, Dwayne Haskins from THE at 15.  The Redskins already have Colt McCoy, Case Keenum, and Alex Smith.  They already had Kirk Cousins, RG III, Rex Grossman, Jason Campbell, Mark Brunell, and Brad Johnson.  Are you picking up what we are putting down?
  16. The NY Giants made Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson the third Dabo Sweeney coached defensive lineman taken in the top 17 picks.  Impressive Dabo.  Very impressive.  It’s no wonder Nick Saban was back in his office this week a mere 36 hours after hip surgery.  You have to keep up with the Dabo’s.
  17.  The Packers continued to add defense picking Darnell Savaage at safety with pick 21.  It was somewhat costly for a team that had a lot of draft capital to spend though.  They packaged the Saints pick from a year prior and two early fourth rounders to get him.  Like the Saints Marcus Davenport in reverse of a year ago, it’s not sometimes what you gain (either might turn out to be very good picks) it’s the potential of what you give to get.  Time will tell.
  18. Oakland took the first RB in the draft, Josh Jacobs, from the football factory known as Alabama.  His pedestrian stats in college aside, he runs hard.  Gruden just snarled smiled so it must be a good pick.  We are underwhelmed.
  19. The Redskins might have struck gold with top ten talent Montez Sweat, DE Mississippi St .  His injured past and somewhat troubled past raised his risk.  The reward might be well worth it.  The run on defensive line talent in this draft was impressive.  Getting to the QB and protecting the QB is what makes this league what it is these days.
  20. The NE Pats stood pat and used the final pick in the first round on N’Keal Harry, WR Arizona St.  Belicheck always trades down and around.  Last night he didn’t.  N’Keal rhymes with Shaquille which isn’t easy to do.  The pick seems quite underwhelming to us.  However, Belicheck drafts last every year for a reason.

Round two starts in 10 hours.  It might take that long to digest the above.

 

 

 

Ten Piece Nuggets-NFL Draft

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

In two days the NFL Draft extravaganza begins in Nashville, TN.  However, there was a problem  The original indoor/outdoor event plans needed a few cherry blossom trees cut down moved.  When this became public knowledge, the locals weren’t happy.  The league altered its plans to work around the problem, in essence passing the political football.   All is well again.  The league that prints George Washington’s can politically correctly have their annual draft.  And, the Washington Redskins can have their annual bad draft as well.  What about that nickname though?

The draft is but sixty hours away.  Here are ten draft nuggets to tide you over.

  1.  Speaking of the Tide, Alabama leads the NFL in total players drafted since 2010 with 73.  That’s not a surprise.  The SEC has had the most players drafted in each and every year since 2010 as well.  That’s not really a big surprise either.  LSU is second and Florida is third.  THE Ohio State University breaks the SEC run with a close fourth place.
  2. In 1975, the draft consisted of seventeen rounds. In 1977 it was dropped to twelve rounds.  And, in 1994 it was skinned to seven rounds.  This may surprise some politically correct millennials.   A seventh round pick was once considered pretty good.  It’s really not a wonder why so many free agents stick is it?  Less rounds means cheaper labor for the NFL.
  3. Until 2014’s draft each team had 15 minutes to make their first round selection.  If they traded the pick, the clock started anew.  Yawn.  It’s now 10 minutes per.
  4. Who has the most picks in this draft?  A team that desperately needs them, the New York “Football” Giants have 12 selections.  Tied with them is a team that does not desperately need them.  The Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots have 12 as well.
  5. How does Bill Belicheck do it?  Several of his extra picks are compensatory.  That means the league awarded them an extra pick in a certain round based on other teams grabbing their players in free agency under certain “non match of offer” guidelines.  He coaches them up, others take them.  He drafts newbies.  He coaches them up.  He wins it all.  Having Tom Brady is a big head start.  But others have franchise QB’s too.
  6. If you have the number one pick overall you can pick anyone you want. Anyone.  College scouting, combines, film study, pro workout days, individual interviews, Wonderlic tests, and countless other interviews should make the pick a sure-fire bet shouldn’t it?  The “modern”‘ NFL draft has been taking place yearly since 1960.  Of all of those first pick first rounders, only 15 (including Peyton Manning being a soon to be shoo in) have made it to the Hall of Fame.
  7.  In modern NFL history, there have only been two drafts without a Hall of Famer selected.  The years were 1984 and 1992.  Obviously recent drafts could fall into this category.  Time will tell us.  The 1984 draft gets a pass though.  In June of that year, the NFL held a special supplemental draft for players who had already signed with either the USFL or the CFL.   From that unique draft, Steve Young, Gary Zimmerman and Reggie White were wisely taken.  The 1992 draft has no excuse at all.  The top five picks that year were Steve Emtman, Quentin Coryatt, Sean Gilbert, Desmond Howard and Terrell Buckley.  Phew.
  8. The lowest drafted quarterback to win a Super Bowl is Bart Starr, who was taken at no. 200 way back in 1956. That’s but one spot lower than Tom Brady.  He went No. 199 in the 2000 draft. Finally, there’s Kurt Warner.  He wasn’t taken at all in 1994, and won a memorable Super Bowl six years later.
  9. Has one team ever had four first round picks in one draft?  Yes they have, and only once.  The New York “Not Football” Jets had four picks in round one of the 2000 draft.  Shaun Ellis, John Abraham, Chad Pennington and Anthony Becht were all hand-picked by the Big Apple team.  That was a pretty good one day harvest.
  10.  Way back in 1944, the Philadelphia Eagles picked Syracuse fullback Norm Michael in the way later rounds.  They were unable to contact him because he had enlisted in the Army right after college.  Fifty five years later an elderly Michael saw a list of Syracuse players selected by the NFL and learned that he had once been drafted.   We guess he thought it was better to enlist with the Army who could draft you than to be listed as drafted by the Eagles back then.

Arizona, you’re on the clock.

Ten Piece Nuggets-Sports

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Didn’t get enough protein on your three-day Easter weekend?  We have some early morning nuggets to help.  No dyed eggs though.  We’ve had enough already till next year.  Ten nuggets to add to your basket are below.

  1.  The San Jose Sharks scored a goal in a second overtime over the Vegas Golden Knights in the sixth game of their very entertaining, road to the Stanley Cup playoff match up.  Sharks win 2-1.  It forces a game seven.  There are few more energetic, frenetic, and passionate sporting events than an NHL game seven playoff final.  Perhaps it’ll go to overtime to put it further in overdrive.  We can’t name a player on either team, but it won’t stop us from watching.
  2.  Note to self.  Don’t fight with Alex Ovechkin.  The 33-year-old Alex and 19-year-old Andrei Svechnikov decided to drop the gloves last week.  You can see the quick work Alex made of Andrei here.  The Washington Capitals team captain, multi time all-star, and HOF first ballot lock showed the youngster a thing, not two.  Respect your elders must have been the message.  The Carolina Hurricane must have felt like a, well, hurricane hit him.  If you don’t like violent knockouts, don’t hit the link.  Game six is tonight. The Caps lead 3 games to 2, and 1 TKO to zero.
  3. The Tampa Bay Lightning, an NHL record-tying 62-win team, became the first Presidents’ Trophy winner to be swept in the first round. The Columbus Blue Jackets, the last wild-card qualifier to get in the Eastern Conference, flat-out shocked the Lightning.  Defense, defense, defense.  We guess it’s why we watch sports.  We never failed to be amazed.  Competition produces outcomes that make us shake our heads on a near daily basis.
  4. Charles Barkley tripled down last evening on his pronouncement that the Portland Trailblazers are headed to the NBA finals.  They lead the Oklahoma City Thunder 3-1 and can wrap up the first round matchup on Tuesday at home.  Damian Lillard might be on the verge of taking his game and his team to yet another level.
  5. Is there a better pregame or post game or sports studio show than the NBA on TNT in any sport?  Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Sir Charles know the game, like to jab at each other, enjoy what they are doing, and are downright hilarious.   Ernie Johnson is masterful at setting the stage and pressing go.  How can you not like Barkley?  What you see is what you get.   Ask a question and you get an answer.  Research is optional.
  6. We fully admit that the NBA regular season isn’t must see TV for this writer.  However, the brief view of these playoffs make us wonder if there is finally balance in the top four accross the  conferences.  For years, Lebron aside, the East hasn’t been all that.  It seems very legitimately four deep now.  Boston, Philly, Toronto, and Milwaukee are the top four.  Boston swept and is in.  The three others lead their respective series 3-1.  Two of those will go home in the next round.   It says here that they will be two good teams watching from home like we are now.
  7. Here is your PGA golf quick quiz.  Two parts.  Part one.  Who won the tournament last week, and on what course, and in what tournament?  If you said Tiger, Augusta National, and The Masters we aren’t impressed.  Part two.  Who won the tournament that ended yesterday, and on what course, and in what tournament?  If you said C T Pan, Harbour Town Golf Links, and the RBC Heritage we are impressed.  It’s a beauty of a course, but on Easter Sunday, and a week after the Masters, it had a tough, tough act to follow.
  8.  The sample size admittedly is small, but the surprising Seattle Mariners lead all of baseball in runs scored.  They’ve crossed home 160 times or 24 more than the second highest (Dodgers, 136) team.   That’s an average of 6.4 runs per game and about one more run a game than LA.  You can win a lot of games scoring like that.  They’ve given up 128 runs. That’s fourth worst in the league.  It’s an average of 5.1 runs allowed per game.  You can lose a lot of games getting scored on like that.
  9.  The Miami Marlins have scored an anemic 60 runs in 22 contests.  That’s a pitiful 2.3 runs a game.  You can lose A LOT of games scoring like that.  Does CEO Derek Jeter have a clue?  Apparently so.  His rather newly assembled front office is teeming with talent that knows how to spot, draft, and develop talent.  Four folks that are over personnel are ones that he poached from his former team, the Yankees.  Two are from the Bahstan Sox, and one is from the Golden State Warriors.  Coming from winning franchises all of them, they must now rebuild an organization that has to be close to rock bottom.  The Astros were there six years ago and the Braves were there three years ago.  Still, it’s a steep hill.
  10.  With about 12 percent of the MLB season gone, you knew that Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Seattle, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Los Angeles (Dodgers) would be leading their divisions didn’t you?  Advanced analytics will tell you that at least four of these teams won’t get to the wire.  They may not, but this spring hope springs eternal for a quite a few surprised fans in a few cities that have started out well.  If they get to the quarter pole the chatter will grow an octave.

It’s Monday.  You’ve been off for three or four days.  Get back to work.

 

Judging Baseball’s Approach

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Last night the injured, but still proud, New York Yankees beat the uninjured, but not so proud anymore, Boston Red Sox.  The 5-3 final completed a three game sweep over the listing 2018 World Series Champions.  “Get out da broomz and swept out da trash” in a heavy “New Yawk” accent could be heard from coast to coast.  You could have watched it from coast to coast too, if you chose.

But did you?  Did you watch?  Or did you watch an NHL or NBA playoff game last night?  ESPN (the worldwide leader in hype and chasing ratings) chose the Yanks v. Sox for their national broadcast last evening.  And they will again and again this year.  The combined win percentage last night entering the game of the two teams was 38%.

Many, many seasons ago, when there were but three TV channels and one game only shown in a week every Saturday that contest would not have seen the light of the afternoon day.  Tony Kubek is shaking his head, and Curt Gowdy would be if he were still alive today.

So, why then this game?  Simple.  Always follow the money.  The only way to sell Anhueser Busch on advertising Bud Light is to grab the best ratings that you can so as to have as many fans watch as you can so as to charge as much as you can for the spot.

But is it the best route for MLB?  Local money drives TV and radio which is why all MLB teams show and tell via that route throughout the season.  So, for ESPN, the best route is to get a blackout in the combined two biggest markets that evening to sell more beer.  So, why then this way? Simple.  Always follow the money.

But, we ask again.  Is it the best route for baseball and its national branding?  Perhaps.  Its 162 game schedule and summertime slot might dictate selling the local team story to locals and hope that the playoff matchups and teams whet the appetite to a greater audience.  But, would MLB have a greater audience if it told you and sold to you the upstart teams and their starts and year-long stories?

We wonder.  Tampa, Cleveland, and Houston lead the American League three weeks in.  Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and Los Angeles (Dodgers) lead the National League.  Throw out Houston (who won the WS in 2017) and Los Angeles (who won the NL pennant in 2017 and 2018).  Can the casual fan name two names off of the four remaining teams?

If you asked the same three weeks into the NFL season we bet you could name five or six Buccaneers, Browns, Eagles, or Packers per team.  The NFL released its schedule just last night.  The Browns drew four prime time national spotlight games.  Their record in the last ten years combined is the 2nd worst in the league.  But suddenly, due to an improving defense, and a strong off-season free agent acquisition plan they are a coming national story.  Oh, and there is OBJ too.

The NFL sells what might be, not what was.  The NFL sells teams, their players, their coaches, and their strategies.  They sell the thought that parity gives non contenders a real good chance to contend. The NFL is making A LOT of money. It made $13.8 billion in 2017.

MLB sells beer to the two biggest markets on a given week night.  MLB is making a lot of money too.  It’s revenue, with way more games played, was $10.1 in 2017 in comparison.  It’s expenses are far greater to get there as well.

NFL regular season games, when pitted against MLB playoff games, amazingly out draw them in the most important game; the ratings game.

We fully understand that the two business models have their own benefits and challenges.  We just think one could learn A LOT from the other.

Ten Piece Nuggets-Multiple Sports

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

It’s tasty Tuesday.  You’re hungry.  With the NBA playoffs, MLB off to a fine start, the Masters, and the NFL draft upcoming there is plenty to chew on.  Ten Nuggets await your consumption below.

  1. If you like Tiger or if not (and most do) you have to tip your golf visor his way.  Four back surgeries and two knee surgeries would derail anyone who is less than very determined to get to the top again.   One dozen or more affairs which drove one expensive divorce combined with those medical issues should derail anyone else.  Sunday, for 13 years, seemed so far away we’re sure.  It seems in America we love success stories.  We love to watch them fall hard.  And most of all we like a great comeback story.  Tiger provided all three and maybe there is more.
  2.  Some books have now posted odds on Tiger catching Jack’s 18 majors.  Tiger has 15.  Get your dollar out and win twenty back if you like his chances.  Many books took a bath in Tiger blood (where is Charley Sheen these days?) on Sunday.
  3. One dude, James Adducci, liked the action so much that he plunked down $85,000 on Tiger in the Masters.  He won over $1.2 million.  He claims that he’s never bet on ANY sports before.  His short story is linked here.  You ever heard of beginners luck?
  4. You might have already been night night on the east coast last evening when the west coast LA Clippers poured in 85 second half points on the Golden State Warriors in Oakland.  Trailing by 23 at halftime, and by as much as 31 in the third, the eighth seeded Doc Rivers led team won 135-131.  The 31 point comeback is the largest margin ever overcome in an NBA playoff game.  Doc was asked what he told his team at halftime. “That we were going to win.”  “I don’t know how.”  I guess “win one for the Gipper” was already taken.
  5. Rivers concluded his press conference by telling a story that happened on the streets of San Francisco (where is Karl Malden these days?) earlier that Monday. Reaching in his pocket to grab his phone he dropped $2,000 (don’t you carry that kind of walking around money?) out onto the street unknowingly.   A block further into his walk a man tapped him on the shoulder and said “I think this money is yours, you dropped it.”  If Doc plays the lotto this week and you can peek over that same shoulder to see the numbers, you should.
  6. Kevin Durant did his part in helping LA comeback recording a fat nine turnovers in the game.  All Star center DeMarcus Cousins very likely suffered a torn left quad early in quarter one for the Warriors as well.  It wasn’t a good night for the two soon to be free agents.  Given all of the turnovers, injury, and no defense played, it wasn’t a good night for Steve Kerr, Warriors coach, either.  If Steve plays the lotto this week, don’t peak over his shoulder.
  7.  The NFL draft is nine days away and counting.   The rumor mill of who, when, and where is heating up like the spring sun.  Expect one player to get attached to a false rumor about his off of the field behavior, or his terrible team interviews, or his drug use. Or, all three.  It happens every year.  When the inevitable happens he and his entourage (where is Jeremy Piven these days?) get to sit there and watch.  And watch.
  8. ESPN (the worldwide leader in hype) announced that Peyton Manning will be doing a multitude of historical, and slightly off beat features that shape the stories behind the stories that have made the NFL into the 100 year success story that it is.  One segment goes back to the breakfast table of the home where a box of Wheaties(where is Bruce Jenner these days?) is shaped into a prototype of what eventually became the Lombardi Trophy.  Peyton’s Places is the show’s name.  Sounds like it’ll be fun to watch.
  9.  In Little League you were taught to run every hit of every at bat out.  Let the umpire make the call.  Cincinnati Reds batter (Luis we think) Castillo stroked a clean single to right field.  Apparently he did not know it.  He was thrown out at first from RF.  The embarrassing video is right here.  We think it was Luis, but his jersey was #42.  He is listed on the official MLB roster as #58.  Maybe he put on the wrong uniform as well?
  10. One season ago The Boston Red Sox won it all.  Today they are 6.5 games behind the Tampa Rays.  The Tea Party(where is Lil Marco these days?) is forming in Boston.  At  six wins and eleven losses they are looking up at Tampa’s MLB best record of 12-4.  Tampa has already taken three of four from Houston among other early season trophies.  No need to panic yet Beantown.  But if the Rays pitching stays healthy, you might start soon.  Oh, and Tampa’s payroll is about 1/4th of the Sox’s.

Chow.

 

Crush is No Longer a Hit in Baltimore

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

As we wrote Wednesday, the Washington Generals are off to a rough start with a won/loss record of 1-17,000.  It’s a winning percentage of roughly 0.0001 or one one hundredth of one percent.  But there is a certain 2019 major league baseball player who is actually off to a worse start.  Chris Davis, of the Baltimore Orioles is ohhh for his last 53 at bats.

Davis is nicknamed “Crush” Davis.  His 0-53 has now crushed the previous record for ineptness.  Earlier this week, Davis passed Eugenio Velez’s record of 46 straight hitless at bats, which had stood since 2011.  Dave Campbell, who parlayed his slump and playing career into a broadcasting career, went 0-45 many moons ago for three separate teams all in one season.   He and Craig Counsell are now tied for third in streaks you want no part of.  Counsell, who parlayed his slump and playing career into a managerial career (currently managing the Brewers) equaled that 0-45 in 2011.

Davis’ bat seems hopelessly broken.

If only 0-53 was the worst of his problems.  Davis set the record last year for the lowest average ever by a qualified hitter, crushing(not) it at .168. That’s one hit for every six at bats.    Under current rules, a player must have 3.1 plate appearances per team game for a total of 502 over a 162-game season to “qualify.”  One hit every three at bats, or twice as good, usually is at or near the league lead.  Davis hardly seems qualified to be called a qualified hitter.

In three-plus seasons since signing a seven-year, $161 million contract with the Orioles in 2016, his .199 average is the worst in baseball among players with at least 1,000 at-bats. His strikeout rate is a quite high 36%.  It all might be overlooked if he had game-changing power.  Davis doesn’t seem to have that anymore either.  His homer totals the last four years are a precipitously declining 47, 38, 26 and 16.

Shouldn’t this utter ineptness earn Crush a pink slip?  Yes.  There is but one problem.  Davis is still owed $23 million a year for the four years that remain. Every penny is guaranteed.

Perhaps he could be sent to the minors to work out the kinks?  He could be claimed him on the way down there.  If only the O’s could be so lucky. The percentage that anyone would claim him likely equals his 2019 average to date though.  That’s zero point zero zero zero.

Maybe he could be put in timeout?  He was iced down last year for 10 straight games.  How did that work out?

Crush says that he is open to anything to help him or his team.  One option is his outright release.  As crazy as that seems, it’s not unprecedented in today’s baseball.

However, in any day’s baseball, eating a $92 million Oriole contract is still a lot of crow.  Daily, the boo birds were feasting.  Even they have stopped picking at the carcass.  Encouraging standing ovations have replaced the howling.  Witchcraft anyone?

Poor Crush.

 

 

Ten Piece Nuggets-The Masters

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Hello friends.  Ten very quick thoughts on The Masters which begins its annual walk among the azaleas today.

  1.  It’s the most anticipated week of the year for golf purists.  Second place isn’t close.
  2. Anyone and everyone that has been shouts to those who have not, “you HAVE to go!”
  3. If Tiger is threatening on Sunday, the ratings will break a record.
  4. The field is deep and talented.  Pundits usually speak to a handful of possible winners.  This field is likely twenty plus deep in that regard this year.
  5. McIlroy is firing on all cylinders coming in.  He has to be the favorite.  If he closes the deal, he will be a quite young grand slam champion.
  6. Yesterday’s par three tournament is unique to golf like so many other Master’s traditions.  It never disappoints.
  7. Spieth, Watson, Fowler, and Reed are all VERY interesting stories for VERY different reasons this week.  Oh, the drama is thick.
  8. Will Fred Couples hit the leaderboard today and stay there till early Saturday?  Will the azaleas be in full bloom?
  9. Will his college roommate at the U of Houston, Jim Nantz, say “hello friends”  when he launches the broadcast?  Does a bear walk in the woods?
  10. How many hours will you watch?  Even if you aren’t a golf fan, this almost transcends golf.  One of our staff writers anticipates watching about 16 hours minimally.

Enjoy “friends.”

One Win and 17,000 Losses Makes Them Winners

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Yesterday, the disappointing, no playoff Los Angeles Lakers lost team president Magic Johnson, as he abruptly resigned.  Meanwhile, the perennially disappointing New York Knicks won their 17th regular season game to insure that they won’t set a single season record for futility even if they lose tonight’s season ending game.  But, if you are really talking about losses and futility, look no further than the Washington Generals.

Also known as the Boston Shamrocks(1971–1972), New Jersey Reds(1971–1972), Baltimore Rockets(1971–1972), Atlantic City Seagulls(1971–1972), New York Nationals(1995–2006), International Elite(2011–2012),  Global Select(2011–2012) , and the World All-Stars (2013–2014), the Generals are the all time losers.  To give the illusion that the Globetrotters play different teams they changed names and uniforms to be the best foil that they can be.

Depending on which version of history you believe they have only won one, or three, or six games while losing over 17,000.  The Generals exist primarily as a part of the Harlem Globetrotters’ act, effectively being stooges for them. While the Globetrotters play tricks and spectacular displays of skill for the crowd, the Generals appear to attempt to play a “normal” game of basketball.

Below are ten fun facts (their history isn’t perfectly nor completely documented) about the multi decade traveling show.

  1.  The Washington Generals were named so to honor Dwight D. Eisenhower.
  2. The Generals would rarely, but occasionally, play teams other than the Globetrotters. They beat the Taiwanese national team and a low-level Red Army team along the way.
  3. The Globetrotters official website only recognizes one loss.  That loss came in Tennessee at Tennessee Martin in 1971.  Even the date of the loss is disputed as either January 5th or 25th.
  4. The loss was mostly the result of an incorrect scoreboard that showed the Globetrotters winning by four with three minutes to play.  Thinking they had the game in hand, the Trotters were mostly running out the clock.  When they realized that they were behind, the clock operator stopped the clock to allow them one final shot as they now trailed by one.  The Generals allowed Meadowlark Lemon to dribble straight to redemption, but he missed the final shot.
  5. Some say that a pregame dispute between the two caused the Generals to play to win that evening vs “play along.”  Neither team has ever spoken in support or denial of that accusation.
  6. There have been a scant few, but still a few players who were once Generals that became Trotters and vice versa.
  7. One of the few was Paul Sturgess who made the opposite transition. The former Globetrotter, after a few seasons playing for other teams, transferred back into the setup as part of the arranged opposition. The 7 ft 8 in. Sturgess adopts the persona of “Cager”, a masked adversary who adopts a villainous role.
  8.  The Generals were created in 1952 by their owner, GM, coach, and player Red Klotz.  Klotz played into his fifties.  They were a part of the staged act until 2015 when the Globetrotters decided to end their long, long relationship.   Fans actually objected to not seeing the Generals.
  9. So, in 2017, Herschend Family Entertainment, the owners of the Harlem Globetrotters, bought the Washington Generals from the Klotz family and revived them as an active team with Kenny Smith as general manager.  Yep, that Kenny Smith.
  10. The night of the lone recognized loss it’s reported that many children in the crowd cried in disbelief.  Meadowlark Lemon, ever the showman, was furious about the loss.  It wasn’t the game loss that concerned him in all likelihood.  It was the loss of a cornerstone of the brand.  The brand never lost.

One game tears aside, the Generals have won for a long time by losing to the beloved Globetrotters.  Creating a winning show that has prospered for 65 years is no easy task.  Ask the Knicks who are way, way off-Broadway, thankfully.  Or, ask Magic who couldn’t work his magic where he was once the lead actor in the hit play Showtime.