SportsHoncho

The CBI? and why I like it!

Its the CBI, and to clarify, it stands for College Basketball Invitational.  Haven't heard of it?  You are not alone.  But let me tell you why I already like it.

It gives my Utah Runnin' Utes an opportunity to play in the post season.  You see... Utah didn't have the best year.  New coach and new system didn't produce the results that we are use to at Utah.  Under Majerus, Utah became a powerful program, during the 1990's Utah was in the top 10 winning-est programs.  The Majerus-era spoiled us and the programs has slipped since.  I am looking forward to the Jim Boylen era and think this year was more a product of the last coach, Gaci-something.   So for Utah to get the chance to play in a post season tournament, at any level is good.  It gives this young team more practice time and competition from around the country.

Looking into the CBI, and this opinion is skewed by my teams chance to play in it, seems well organized and is trying hard to keep fans informed, with their website.  The website has information on each team, news stories about each game and it is updated soon after the games end.

The best thing about the CBI?  It has a tournament ending best-of-3 series.  One draw back to the tournament is that only 11 of the 17 games will be televised and on Fox College Sports, which I don't even get under my expanded sports package.  So unless Utah gets to play a lower seed along the way, I won't see them play.

Utah beat UTEP on their home court, and will face Tulsa on Monday.

GO UTES!

General thoughts on the NBA (2/7/08)

The Utah Jazz are awesome to watch.  I am finally becoming a fan of the NBA, due to the Jazz molding into a great team, with a great style to watch.  I hated watching Stockton-to-Malone-Ball that the Jazz provided for years.  Now that era is over and Sloan has re-invented himself, I admit it... "I love this Game!"  The Jazz are on a 10 game winning streak and due to their schedule, could easily stretch that out to 13.

Gasol to Lakers.  Pau Gasol to the Lakers is a great move for the Lakers.  As far as the "Poo-Poo Platter" Memphis got back?  Memphis had their reasons which aren't clear to anyone (I hope they had good reasons, but I am doubting it), but this trade is not going to help them win more games this year.  Personally I think it was a trade orchestrated by Jerry West, secretly running both clubs.  This makes LA an even stronger contender and will give the Western Conference teams troubles for the second half of the season. 

Shaq to Suns.  I think this is a horrible move for the Suns.  They traded Marion, a productive 3/4, for a backup 5.  Explain how that makes sense, taking production every night and trading it for a backup center, who hasn't been healthy for 2 years?  Shaq will get rejuvenated for a while, but the Suns will not win their division over the Lakers and will not get to the Championship this year.  They are causing problems with their style and team by inserting Shaq, who doesn't play run-and-gun anymore (he now plays more of a slow-and-run-over-people) and will demand a large portion of the attention. 

SportsHoncho Prediction (ooooh!): This trade hurts the Suns team and will be detrimental to there run for the championship this year.

Find NBA Games and Schedules at ZipCodeSports.com.

Fans HATE that guy! Unless, of course, he's on your team

You know who I am talking about. Those players that the entire league's fan base hates, except the fans from the team he plays for. This came up recently as the Jazz were playing the Spurs. I am guessing 90% of you already know who I am talking about… Manu Ginobili.  Watching him play your team is very frustrating, and I am guessing playing against him is extremely frustrating. He is an amazing player; guards well, drives well, finishes tough shots, makes amazing lay-ups in traffic, just plain hustles (he had 10 points in 9 minutes, off the bench in the first half) etc…, but there is just something you hate about him, unless of course, you are a Spurs fan.  (I don't condone Mehmut's behavior, but it is only Ginobili... and he probably made that shot anyway.)

He creates contact and he draws the foul, he draws non-fouls, he sweeps potential shot blockers' body and arms, recklessly goes into the lane and will eventually hurt someone, and just annoys players throughout the game. It also doesn't help that he has reached "star" status with referees and 'gets' calls that other don't. Two instances in the Jazz game that epitomizes his play:

1. Ginobili was defending Korver, following him around a screen, which was completely stationary and Ginobili instigated a little contact with the screener and fell dramatically down to the ground. The play was away from the ball and the referees attention, so as soon as he hit the floor a foul was called. As a Spur fan you laugh and think, 'Ginobili drew another non-foul, he is soooo good at that! Awesome we get the ball.' As a Jazz fan you are screaming and cursing the ref's family.
2. Against Korver, Ginobili was driving baseline and drew a blocking foul on Korver and made a shot, which at first looked like a good call, until I saw the replay. Korver was guarding him parallel to the baseline, forcing him deep under the basket and Ginobili jumped into Korver to get a better position to shoot and made a shot. Korver didn't move or jump and it should have been called a charge, and other players would have been given the charge, but not Ginobili. Again the ref's family felt a little sharp pain from my curses.

These are just two of the things I remember, but I know I was pissed at him, cursing him and cursing the refs because of Ginobili (and their families) throughout the game. However if I were a Spurs fan, I would 'LOVE HIM,' and probably for pretty much the same reasons I hate him as a Jazz fan.

That made me wonder whose 'Game' I hate the worst. I am not talking about them personally or politically or anything else, I am talking about their 'Game.' For example… Bill Laimbeer, I mean who didn't hate that guy on the court, except of course Pistons fans. I think you get what I mean, and looking through the current rosters here is my short list and why:

1. Manu Ginobili.  See my novella above.
2. Bruce Bowen. I admit he is a great defender, however he gets away with a lot in that defending. He is strong and without making it look like a foul, can push a player from what they want to do. He is also reachy, always quickly swiping at the ball and most often getting a little arm with it.
3. Baron Davis. I loved watching him at UCLA, and love his game, when he shuts up. I am pretty sure that he goes through 12 kleenex boxes a game. He cries more than anybody in the league and about everything. He is that older dude you play with at the gym, who has lost 4-5 steps and makes up for it by grabbing people and crying at every call, for or against him.
4. Sam Cassell, see explanation for Baron Davis, they are twins separated at birth.
5. Kobe Bryant, for the sheer fact that no matter what the reality is, he 'gets' the call.

Wow, it looks like only the Western Conference produce annoying players, or it may be that I never see the Eastern Conference guys play. Its also strange that the Spurs have #1 and #2. I never said this was going to be unbiased… I am a Jazz fan after all. Who did I miss?

I don't really want to talk about it...

but, yes I went to the Utah/BYU Men's Basketball (rivalry) game on Saturday.  It was an ugly game, with only one player, Lee Cummard from BYU, actually performing well (ESPN Box score).  Everyone else stunk it up and tried to give the game to the other team.  I was hoping Coach Boylen could win his first rivalry game. 

(Don't take the following as questioning Coach Boylen's decision, I personally love his style and what he is doing at the U).  Utah had the ball, down by 1 with 33 seconds left, and held for the last shot.  I personally, and maybe thats why I am writing this blog rather than coaching Div. I basketball, do not like holding for the last shot when losing.  If the score is tied, yes, but not when losing.  It ended up Utah couldn't get the desired setup or shot, so Kepkay had to improvise and threw up a prayer as the shot-clock expired.  On a brighter side, the Utah women's team took it to BYU later in the afternoon, starting the game 22-0.  Yeah, it is 'grasping for straws,' but when it comes to losing to BYU, I look for anything to cheer me up, even women's basketball.

7 straight for Utah!

Utah beat Navy last night in the Poinsettia Bowl, for their 7th straight bowl win.  That is tied for the longest consecutive bowl wins in the nation.  Other awesome facts about Utah's bowl season:

• 6 straight bowl games appearances,
• 7 straight bowl wins,
• Utah is 10-3 in bowl games (.769)

A couple of strange things about the game: 

1. They gave Joe Dale the defensive MVP for the game... and as a Ute fan watching the game, we noticed how many times he screwed up on his assignment.  He got worked over several times by Navy's option offense, so I was a little surprised that he got MVP.  With that said, other than Martell Burnett, I can't think of anyone on Utah's defense that deserves it for a bigger play than the interception to end the game. 
2. The offensive MVP went to Brian Johnson, WHAT?  Darrell Mack had a much bigger game and performed consistently through the entire game.  Johnson struggled off and on throughout the game.  Alas, he is the QB so he gets the trophy.
3. The STRANGEST thing was the No-Call near the end of the game, when Utah's Brooks fumbles the ball, which hits the pylon and they do not call it a touchback for Navy.  They even reviewed it and didn't give the ball to Navy.  That was a bad call, and the refs are now admitting it.
4. I couldn't believe how many times the commentator with marbles in his mouth (Lou Holtz), said that Utah was probably the best of the Non-BCS schools.  Fact is we are better than some of the BCS programs, but that is great thing to hear from a nationally recognized expert.

Not the best game from the standpoint of consistency and winning in style, but it was a win, so its a great start to the Christmas weekend.

College Basketball and Database update.

Me and my brother-in-law, Wayne, went to the Utah basketball game today.   We both are having college football withdrawals, but are trying to fill it with college basketball.  Its hard to get into the basketball season with some football remaining (Poinsettia Bowl).  Good win for the Utes, they played very well the first half and kind of stalled in the second, they really need to work on finishing games and opponents.

ZipCodeSports.com database update:  The following schedules have been uploaded to the website for the 2008 season (Click here to see all schedules uploaded to the database):

• AMA Supercross
• Freestyle Motocross
• Toyota AMA Arenacross
• NHRA POWERade Series
• NHRA Lucas Oil Series
• NASCAR Sprint Cup
• NASCAR Craftsmen Truck
• NASCAR Nationwide Series
• Men's Champions Tour
• Men's PGA Tour
• Women's LPGA Tour

Tonight's Utah Jazz game, from the 8th row

Holly and I were fortunate enough to get some free tickets for tonight's Utah Jazz/Portland Blazers game.... and to top that, they were on the 8th row.  This is the closest I have sat at a Jazz game.  It is a much more intense game, as a fan, when sitting this close.  I generally enjoy college basketball more than the NBA, because the games are intense at any game, sitting anywhere in the arena.  But, I now know, an NBA can be just as intense, you just need to sit close enough to see beads of sweat.   We got the tickets from (stay with me) my brother-in-law's, high school friend's, brother's medical practice pool of tickets.  I will lobby for those tickets from now on. 

I was annoyed by the officiating.  Throughout the night there were bad calls going both ways.  After thinking about it for a while, that wasn't the problem, cause most of the calls were fouls or infractions.  The problem was the inconsistency shown by the officials.  Carrying the ball was called on one play (and it was carrying the ball), but the ball is carried all the time, they just don't call it.... same for traveling, and for personal fouls.  I heard a slap on skin, as someone took a shot, that shocked me (and the two players involved) there wasn't a call, and the ref was right in front of me.  I think if the officiating became more consistent, fans would complain less.  Yes, even I will not stop complaining, but as long as it is consistent, we won't complain that the refs are trying to fix the game, making makeup calls, or giving calls to the stars.  Just my thoughts about the officiating.

Unfortunately the Jazz lost, because they played horribly and couldn't buy a basket most of the game.  Portland's Martell Webster killed us with 25 points.  WHO, you ask?  Yeah me too!, WHO?  I texted a buddy at home and asked him "Who the he'll is Webster for Portland?" ('he'll' because, thats what the iPhone puts as a default entry when you type 'h e l l').  The Blazers were also killing us by playing zone defense.  The Jazz are in a slump, 4 straight losses, and need to figure out a zone offense, but should be fine.   

For those who don't get to see the Jazz on TV much, check out Deron Williams, he is AWESOME!.  Watch him sometime, he is fun to watch, can run the team, give out assists and score when needed.  He is one of the top five PG's in the league right now.

Another 180 by Utah?

Utah played UNLV tonight, who we have not lost to since 1979, yes... that's last century... almost 30 years ago... I was 5!  Not only did we loose, but we were embarrassed, 27-0.  Utah goes from destroying #11 UCLA a week ago to embarrassing ourselves this week.  We now have a 1-3 record, 0-2 in conference.  I can't even type anything else, it was such a horrible performance, I should have stayed in the rain at the AST Dew Tour.

AST Dew Tour in SLC

The Dew Tour included SLC on the tour this year, with the Toyota Challenge.  I think it helps that the governor of Utah, Jon Huntsman, Jr., rides motocross; in fact he handed out some of the medals to the FMX finalists.  My buddy Alan hooked us up with some tickets, so Me, Holly and the boys went.  We saw the FMX finals, which of course, were amazing.  Its amazing that it was only a year ago that the backflip was introduced in motocross and now every competitor has several tricks that incorporate it. 

We also were able to get great seats in the Energy Solutions Arena for the BMX preliminaries.  Those guys  are crazy/amazing.  One guy spent his entire 60 seconds trying to land a huge flip transfer trick, which got the crowd pumped and he did finally land it. 

(I looked into my ZipCodeSports.com database, and found that the AST Dew Tour was not included.  This has been changed and the remaining event, the PlayStation Pro Event in Orlando, Oct.18-21, has been added.  We will also include the full schedule for next year.)

We left the BMX preliminaries to find it raining pretty hard.  Unfortunately the rain will probably cancel the remaining outside events for the day.  However, we were leaving anyway, time to take in some college football games, including Utah vs. UNLV.

Utah Football does a complete 180!

I planned to write this entry no matter what happened this afternoon at the Utah game.  I was prepared to defend the Utah football team and remind you all that they were without the starting QB, RB, WR, TE, and that is only the offensive side.  However, Utah dominated UCLA this afternoon, winning 44-6.  On offense, on defense, on special teams; in every aspect of the game.  If we had had one quarter of this team in our two previous games, we would have won both.  This was a completely different team.

Utah did an amazing job preparing for this game.  The offense was ready, confident and had only one mistake, a fumble.  The defense played well and stopped them when required.  One of the biggest changes however, was in the running game.  Darrell Mack had 107 yards, and established the running threat early.  We had no running offense in the previous two games, and all of last year.

We destroyed this team, and it felt great after two loses, oh and did I mention that UCLA was ranked #11?  Man, it was sweet!