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NBA Discussion / OT- The World Cup

« on: June 18, 2010, 04:30:13 PM »

Now that the Basketball season is over, all but for the draft, it's time for Basketball fans to find other diversions.  In Phila. it's easy since we have the Phillies. But for all Americans this is a chance to root together- the USA against the world in a game that others regard as a religion, but in America only draws athletes not able to play Basketball, Baseball, Football and Hockey. (Various ethnic groups aside)

I don't know how much of you have an interest in Futbol, so I'm not going to start a discussion unless anyone cares.  I got into Futbol, years ago when I lived in the UK. It takes a little getting used to the rules, which seem very unrefined in comparison the our professional sports.

If you don't care then in this case ignorance is bliss. Since the US team almost made world cup history today, and was denied by an inexplicable call from the referee.  The Americans were playing a match against Slovenia, going in heavily favored. But Slovenia, is a technically sound team and  while not as athletically gifted still knew how to play the game the right way.

By halftime the score was 2-0 in favor of Slovenia. That's normally a game over score, teams just don't come back down 2-0. If you watch Hockey, you understand the strategy, just keep control of the ball and play keep away. If you don't try to score, but keep passing the ball around you can sit on a lead in Futbol.

Here you have to give credit to the US which came out like a team possessed. Their star, Landon Donovan started with a quick goal a few minutes into the 2nd half and the complexion of the game changed. You could see the momentum shift, and while Slovenia tried to stay with them as the game went on the Americans got more and more chances.

With a mere 8 minutes left Mike Bradley put in another goal to tie the score, and the pressure ramped up even more.

The Slovenians were getting a little rough at the end, desperate to hang on for a tie, and hoping for a counterattack to win. One of them tripped up one of our strikers just outside the box, and we were awarded a free kick. The play that will be talked out for weeks is a black mark on FIFA and the World Cup, occurred next as the US made a great play and put the ball into the goal. The referee waived off the goal, but DID NOT MAKE A CALL.

Remember how I said Futbol has it's quirks, well, this is one of them. The ref didn't have to explain his decision or why he disallowed the goal. So one of the greatest comebacks in World Cup football, was denied just as that no-hitter was taken away by an ump last week. But there at least fans knew the ump thought the guy was safe. Here we have no idea why the goal was disallowed! No explanation by the ref, and nothing that anyone any commentator anywhere could see on the video to justify the call.

The only explanation I can come up with is that the ref, from Mali, just didn't like Americans.  This will probably be the last match he ever refs on a world stage, but the damage is done. You have a sport where they get together every 4 years to see who's the best in the world. Players and Coaches make their living doing this, the best of the best, and then they get a ref from a country without a World Cup team and he gets to rip off the US, because that's more important to him than his integrity as an official.

So you can watch and enjoy the World Cup, but understand that there's a lot of irrational thinking out there in the world and although they try to make it fair there's always a couple of twerps to screw it up!

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General Discussion / Breakout in Gold is starting now!

« on: June 18, 2010, 12:53:57 PM »

June 18. Gold got up to 1260 earlier today before falling back to 1257.90.  Summertime is historically weak for gold, which is part of the jewelry cycle. Gold, however, is now trading as a currency and a store of value, since neither the Euro or the US dollar has any credibility that they are.

$1600 probably before the end of this year. Nothing has changed, the economy is a long way from recovering and Europe is in real trouble.  The big secret is that US states are in a similar debt situation and are crying to Uncle Sam.

These governments are out of control, as they insist on spending what they don't have to satisfy special interests. The consequence of spending without revenue is a growth in the money supply in excess of value being created. AKA inflation.

Until now, the US has enjoyed the cover of Europe's bad news. Currency traders will start taking shots at the Dollar before long.

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NBA Discussion / Re: Dalembert gets his wish

« on: June 18, 2010, 12:42:18 PM »

Good riddance to an overpaid back-up Center.  I do think he's better than Hawes, but that's not saying much.

Dalembert was in the way of the Sixers getting better, their lack of an inside post game was due to Sam's own limited abilities.

It's good for Phila. to be rid of him, but I'm not sure where Nocioni fits in.  I suspect the Sixers will draft another Center or acquire one through a trade. Collins isn't going through the season depending on Hawes, Smith or Speights to control the middle.

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NBA Discussion / Re: Congrats Laker friends!

« on: June 18, 2010, 12:37:37 PM »

Congratulations to the Lakers for winning back to back!  #5 for Kobe now getting closer to MJ's record.  I  have to say Kobe is still the best player in the game and he comes through under pressure. In this regard, Lebron isn't even close.

The Lakers played a good game and were able to take back the lead from Boston. For a while I thought Ray Allen was going to save them, but the real key was Boston's inability to stop the Lakers from scoring.

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NBA Discussion / Re: How can you figure out who will win, when there's no consistency?

« on: June 17, 2010, 08:22:10 AM »

Found out that Perkins will NOT play, which IMO gives a strong edge to LA.  Still it's not like Boston will run out of bodies with Davis and Wallace ready to go. 

I still like Boston, but only if they get a spine as you say, and play like we've seen them do.  Pierce hasn't really had a dominate game in this series. Ray Allen had one, but 4 games off and 2 on isn't going to get it done.  Garnet should be doing more, as well.  Chances are, this is the last hurrah for the Celtics, these guys don't loo old,. but they are playing that way!

It seems silly to bring this up,but you really have to want to win as well as have the ability. You can't be content to trade baskets ad you can't be satisfied unless your team is outscoring the other. These players now how to win, but I've yet to see a game this series where both teams put out the same effort and it was their absolute best.

It makes me sick when they compare this series with other Boston-LA championships.  Fewer people are watched game 6 this  series than the last time the two met.  I think part of the reason is the performance on the floor. Not very entertaining basketball.

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NBA Discussion / How can you figure out who will win, when there's no consistency?

« on: June 16, 2010, 10:15:15 AM »

The games in this series have been so different from one another, that it has been difficult to discern any trends.  The only constant has been Kobe playing spectacular basketball, but everything else is in flux.  Particularly with the Lakers, the performance of Odom. Gasol and the injured Bynum have been like night and day from game to game.

The last two games have been pretty one-sided, One team builds the lead and holds it by continuing to play.  Not very exciting when the game isn't close. Thing is, who knows which team will show up. For a while it appeared like Boston could do whatever it wanted, but last night LA's defense clearly bothered them and made the difference in the game. This is the exact opposite of what happened in the previous game, where Boston's defense kept LA off balance, and this enabled them to run down the court and get easier baskets in transition.

The defensive effort isn't consistent from game to game, and I think the defense is determining the offense. One team is running down hill, forcing turnovers and bad shots. It's harder to stop a team in transition, and the best way to stop that is with good offensive execution. 

A big factor will be Kendrik Perkins, who's early injury was probably the biggest factor in Boston's collapse and inability to climb back in.  He provides interior defense, rebounding and garbage scoring, and all of those things influence the pace and therefore the control over the game.  If he can't play in game 7, this gives LA an edge.

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NBA Discussion / Re: Max contracts

« on: June 15, 2010, 12:01:55 PM »

LeBron, Kobe, and possibly Wade.  Howard, only because at the moment he's the best, but he's obviously not a complete Center, lacking any real post-up game. To me these are the best value for the money players in the game,

No one else is currently playing at that level.  They are good players in relative terms but are not, IMO, complete players.

To me a max money player is a top 5 player at a given position, and will continue to be so for two-three additional seasons.  By that standard Bosh, Dirk, Derron and Paul all belong and so do most of the players on the list, including Carmello and Joe Johnson.  I would say that they are top 5 players now at their positions, but none of them are complete players at those spots. Dirk doesn't rebound enough or play defense well enough. Bosh can't do it against bigger players. Neither Paul or Derron score enough to be elite. Nonetheless, all these players are by definition max money players because they put up better numbers than their peers.

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Philadelphia 76ers / Re: zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

« on: June 15, 2010, 10:21:14 AM »

I'm happy with Collins, I think he is like Brown, but without all the weird quirks.  Besides both Brown and Phil are too old to be on the sideline for much longer.  Phila. needs someone in the front office to drive the decisions to make the team  successful. The coach needs to be on par with the GM when it comes to personnel decisions, so that there is more than one architect behind the team.  I don't think Phila. has had that since Brown left. Collins is the kind of guy that no one questions that he understands the game. He has the credibility to be a strong coach with both the front office, the fans and the players.

Even if he does seem to think Andre Iguodala should play forward.

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NBA Discussion / Re: Max contracts

« on: June 15, 2010, 10:15:37 AM »

No one deserves a max contract! These guys aren't productive members of society, they're entertainers.  For what they do, they make way too much money.  At a time when the US is in a recession and their clients are getting strapped for cash, the NBA should be lowering ticket prices and salaries across the board.  All of the sports leagues are facing a real problem, they are driven by kids who make heroes out of the players and the little boy still in all men who watch the game.  All of these people who love watching the sport have to live in the real world and scrape to make a living.  How much should a person who provides a distraction to life be paid?

IF there was no basketball, the world would continue to turn and life would still be wonderful. It's not an essential thing like a Doctor a Dentist or a Plumber or an Electrician.  Those who provide the things you need should be paid more than those who don't! 

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NBA Discussion / Re: Is Donaghy really 15-2 at picking playoff games due to refs?

« on: June 15, 2010, 10:06:44 AM »

NBA referee's have been consistently bad for years, but when I see how the officials in other sports are, I think they're the best at getting the calls right. It's just that with all the video tools we have now we can SEE how bad they are, but recognize that they have to make more calls per minute than in any other sport! They are human and they do make mistakes and they also get angry at the players which causes biased officiating.

Donaghy analyzing the game after the fact is garbage.  If there's a bias, then Donaghy should be able to know the outcome BEFOREHAND.

In other words, it's not really a conspiracy for or against anyone, the refs are doing as well as they can, and the more they rely on video replay the more correct the calls will be. I think you'd have to be a saint to not take certain things personally, and if  player flips you off 'cause he mouths off looking all wild-eyed like Rasheed Wallace, you're going to want to give him a technical and you'll feel good about doing it. 

If the refs are altering the outcome of a game,. it's because a player or a group of players are pissing them off, there is no conspiracy. When a player questions a call, he's questioning your integrity. Hardly any player admits that they fouled the other player. They all throw up their hands in protest and put a sad look on their face and say, "who me!?" when the replay shows that he has the other player wrapped in a bear hug!  I have yet to see a ref give a player a technical foul for flopping, but isn't that the epitome of unsportsmanlike conduct?  The rules of the game demand respect, and trying to get the officials to call something on the other player shows a lack of respect for the game.

If anything, I think the onus is on the players to be more respectful of the game and more honest. Maybe if players were thrown out for flopping, or given a technical for throwing up the ball after a whistle to get a shooting foul, the game would be played more cleanly. After all, the refs can't call a foul if there isn't one!  The easiest game for a ref is one where all they do is see a game where there are no fouls.

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NBA Discussion / Re: Nice 3rd qtr, Kobes and Laker posters

« on: June 15, 2010, 09:47:13 AM »

I think that harping on the refs bad calls misses the point, which is that Boston outplayed the Lakers and beat them soundly. Sure the refs made bad calls, they make them every game and all anyone can do is try to play the game more cleanly.  I don't think the refs calls were a major distraction, or the main reason for the Lakers failure to win.

Bottom line- the Lakers couldn't defend the Celtics and could not get stops. No matter how good Kobe was (Clearly the best clutch player in the game today, and the best MJ imitation I have ever seen) he couldn't get the Lakers any closer, because some Celtic would always find the basket.  The score wouldn't have been much different if it was just Kobe playing the Celtics one on five!

No defense from the Lakers, no reliable scoring from anyone on the Lakers except Kobe, tells me that Gasol and Odom are punks.  The Lakers other stars needed to step up and play, because in game 5 it looked like there was only one team playing together and working hard and that team was the Celtics.  That they didn't stand up or even try to put up a fight suggests that LA has a real problem. They aren't winners who lay it all on the line, If another team comes along and outplays them they just give up.

Kobe made the game look closer than it was. But if I was a Laker fan I would have been very disappointed with the rest of the team.  As an NBA fan I was hoping for a more tightly contested game.

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NBA Discussion / Re: Gm 4 Celtics bench Owns!!

« on: June 11, 2010, 10:13:50 AM »

The Celtics themselves weren't thrilled with Davis and it wasn't automatic that they signed him.  They're not happy with his work ethic or maturity.  I've always had a thing against Nate, but what he did last night deserves mention. Other than his histrionics in regard to a call, he played nearly flawless basketball, no turnovers and 12 pts. 2 dimes and 2 boards.  He didn't hurt Boston on defense, and he penetrated LA's interior defense multiple times.

Neither of these players are starters in the NBA, IMO, but both of them outperformed in arguably the greatest pressure situation in all of sports. Unlike other sports, in the NBA it's not just one play, but a series of good plays in succession, that determines the outcome.

The last three minutes of the game when the reserves went out was basically garbage time. The Celtics protected the ball, wasted the clock and made free throws.

Both teams shot lousy and couldn't perform very well early in the game.  It was an exceptionally low-scoring game into the third quarter.  I don't know what anyone else was expecting, but 45-42 isn't what I was looking for.  It was a pretty boring game until Bostons' reserves came in and started making shots.

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NBA Discussion / Re: Colorado bolts to Pac-10, Nebraska soon to Big 10

« on: June 11, 2010, 09:10:59 AM »

I went to Penn State, which used to be independent and found itself squeezed out of championships and the like because of the political influence of the conferences.  It became tougher and tougher for Penn State to be able to put together a schedule because of conference conflicts and rules.

Also, Penn States other athletic programs, like Basketball and Baseball, which didn't garner much interest, became stronger as a result of having to compete as part of the Big 10.

Penn State's football program has not been hurt, and in some instances helped by it's association with the Big 10.  They don't appear to win quite as much, but it's hard to say why as every season there were always other programs that were putting out excellent football teams, even when they weren't part of the conference, and they never ducked a good team while trying to get the national title.

The main benefit for Penn State, is that when they are good enough to compete for a title, the entire Big 10 is behind them, and their political clout ensures that they get consideration.

I think that other programs are running into the same problem, or are in conferences that are too small or weak for the school. The Big 10 has 11 teams, now it will have to be renamed if Nebraska joins. I also wonder what will happen to Notre Dame, they too run an independent program, and used to have a fan base that enabled them to get away with it. Not anymore, that program is dying and needs to be a part of a bigger group to keep it going through the lean years.

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NBA Discussion / Re: Gm 4 Celtics bench Owns!!

« on: June 11, 2010, 08:58:28 AM »

Who would have thought that Glenn Big Baby Davis and Nate Robinson would be big stars and would outplay the Lakers starters and Odom to tie the series.

Amazing that the Celtics did this with Pierce, KG and Rondo on the bench.


That's a good pick of the two of them, with a little drool from the baby!

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General Discussion / Re: Gold is about to go over $1200 an ounce.

« on: June 07, 2010, 08:43:32 PM »

Gold got perky today, June 7. It was up over $1240 today before falling back, the top of the range that's been established. Watch carefully here, because this is the line in the sand in Dollar terms for Gold. If you were holding Euro's that battle is already over, Gold is establishing new historical highs there.

There is no guarantee that Gold will go higher here, but my instincts tell me that the demand is too much for the bears to try shorting here. Gold should now start taking off on it's way to the $1600 price level. That does mean dollar inflation folks, so get ready.