Purple Passion Prevails, Baby! by VC

It feels like the old days now that the NBA Finals are upon us. Boston vs. Los Angeles. Magic vs. Bird, Russell vs. West and now it's Kobe vs. Pierce.

Eleven times these storied franchises have hooked up in the best-of-seven title bout. While the Celtics have gotten the upper hand most of the time, not this year! Purple Reigns! Purple Plasma Prevails, Baby!

The 12th Chapter in this Finals Series now stands alone as the most meetings ever between two teams in a final series among the four major sports leagues. No. 2 on the list was the great Yankees-Dodgers World Series tussels, which number 11.

After a season that saw over 1,300 games (you have to be kidding me...1,300!!! WOW!), the only two teams left are those that helped shape this league.

Thursday night, the Finals get under way at Staples Center. The last three times these teams have met on this stage, the Series has ended in six games. Boston prevailed in 2008, the Lakers in 1987 and 1985. The reason I bring this up, keep reading my friend. I'll give my reasoning at the end.

A quick look back at the 11 previous series:

2008 - Boston 4, Lakers 2
1987 - Lakers 4, Boston 2
1985 - Lakers 4, Boston 2
1984 - Boston 4, Lakers 3
1969 - Boston 4, Lakers 3
1968 - Boston 4, Lakers 2
1966 - Boston 4, Lakers 3
1965 - Boston 4, Lakers 1
1963 - Boston 4, Lakers 2
1962 - Boston 4, Lakers 3
1959 - Boston 4, Minneapolis Lakers 0

In a way, it's amazing these teams are still playing. Think about it, the Celtics were 27-27 after Christmas. LA wasn't much better, the eighth best team in the West after the All-Star Break. Then came the playoffs, and all they're doing is winning.

Why do I think the Lakers win their 16th championship? Two words! Kobe Bryant. Well, maybe four words. Add the best coach in the modern era, Phil Jackson.

Kobe has been on fi-uh! this postseason. The 2009 Finals MVP has put this team on his back as they try to become the first team to repeat since the Lakers three-peated from 2000-02.

In order to rest his sore right knee, Bryant sat out four of LA's final five regular-season games. Against Oklahoma City, he struggled mightily the first four games. Then he got his knee drained and Superman was back! He scored 30 points in six straight games - all wins. Then came a 21-point, 13-assist Game 2 performance against Phoenix in which his assists were a playoff career high and a near triple-double (36 points, 11 assists, 9 rebounds) one game later.

Before he had his knee drained, he was averaging 24 points per game on just 38 percent shooting; post-knee drain: 31 PPG, 53 percent shooting. And my man Patterson says he's losing a step? Hardly! Oh, ask Suns' coach Alvin Gentry who the best player in the NBA is.

"I've always thought he was the best player in basketball," Gentry said after his Suns were eliminated by the Lakers in the Western Finals. "I don't think it's even close."

Bryant has scored over 4,800 all-time playoff points. Only Shaquille O'Neal, former Laker Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan have tallied more points in the playoffs. Not bad company!

Ron Artest will be remembered for his heroic buzzer-beating layup in Game 5 against Phoenix. But look in the box score and who had 30 points? Yea, No. 24 himself!

When (notice I said when, not if) the Lakers win, coach Jackson will have a ring for each finger including his thumbs.

"The challenge is to win a championship," Bryant said. "The Celtics are in the way."

The Finals go to a 2-3-2 format so that means Games 1-2-6-7 will be in LA. I say the Lakers take the first two on the West Coast, get one in Boston and finish them out with a Game 6 win in LA. And oh yea, Kobe wins another (ho-hum) Finals MVP Award.

Of course, think about it. The Lakers' colors are purple. Remember who my favorite collegiate team is? Just makes sense to like the Lakers

This NBA Fan's Dream! by MP

You wanna know some of the reasons why the Celtics are gonna beat the Lakers again? Here are a few: guile, guts, seasoning, veteran toughness, experience and savvy. The Celts have all of 'em and these are the fabric of a Championship team and exactly why I like Boston to win all the beans and the 2010 NBA Championship! More than that I am just totally geeked to watch the Lakers and Celtics again in Finals! How can someone not be?

Oh wait a second you forgot about Boston because they weren't the prohibitive favorite? Let me guess you like what teams look like on paper, not what comprises a team and the qualities of a champion? You are surprised the Celts are in the Finals, the Cavs and LeBron were the team right? Wrong! The Celts did what all savvy vets do, they paced themselves. They came into the playoffs as a 4 seed. They didn't kill themselves to get a top seed and not have the juice to finish it off. They handled LeBron and the boys with ease and took care of the heartless Magic in 6. Who do they remind you of? Well how about the aging Spurs who came in the playoffs as a 7 seed and beat number 2 Dallas. The same Spurs have done it in years past, resting Duncan, Ginobili and squad in the meaningless regular season for a deep run in the playoffs. A little mix of Rajon Rondo and no matchup for him, some good health, plenty of Ben Gay, some time in the whirlpool and the Boston Celtics are positioned right where they need to be to win this whole shootin' match.

Let's talk about matchups. Ask anyone who knows anything about the Association and they will tell you that is the key to any series. Who exactly is going to check Rajon Rondo? Derek Fisher? I hope not Laker fans. You saw him get shredded by Russell Westbrook and Deron Williams. I would argue that Rondo is an even tougher cover than those two. That means you have to use Kobe on him which does what? It frees up Ray Ray and Pierce to wreak havoc on the Laker D. I am talkin lots of 3 balls if Pierce continues the way he played in the Magic series. Further
on matchups, the Lakers have benefited as well by basically outsizing their opponents in the playoffs. LA has gone over the top all playoffs long to Gasol and his ridiculous wingspan. LA now has to deal with comparable size in Boston. Gasol is tough and very long, but Bynum is just pathetic. Outside of size what does Andrew Bynum give you besides the reason to carry extra trainers on your staff? KG and Pierce are healthy from nagging knee troubles and Perkins is a wide body that can match up with the Laker bigs. Kobe is Kobe and he may average 35 in the series, but he is slowly moving past it. Has anyone noticed he is not getting off the ground like he used to? Honestly it really it is tough to argue with Kobe or Gasol, they are both great players and Kobe is an all-timer. The J's Kobe reigned on Phoenix in Game 6 tells you all you need to know about that guy! The supporting cast and matchup trouble is where the issue lies. Artest is a great defender but doesn't know how to run the triangle and you can't depend on his J. He won't be making a living on garbage hoops in this series! Odom is THE most inconsistent player in the NBA period. Fisher is old and Bynum is a waste of time.

Age is obviously the knock on this Boston team but they may have the best YOUNG player in the playoffs in Rondo. He has brought youth and spirit to the elderly Big 3. Big Baby is a nice role player, who hopefully recovers from the bell ringing he got at the hands of Dwight Howard, and Doc can get em to play one more series. A relatively easy series with Orlando helps the legs and that goes a long way for a group of vets. Speaking of Orlando, has anyone seen a weaker playoff player than Vince Carter? He is tissue soft and had one of the worst performances I have ever seen for a guy that is talked about as good.

My main man VC will probably take the Lake Show, and probably for no better reason than the fact he hates the Jayhawks and Paul Pierce. I think he likes arguing with me too. He certainly won't be able to argue with what I have here. The Lakers will be favored, but weren't Cleveland and "Mr. Hype" Lebron James favored too? Both Boston and LA had conference finals go 6 games, but Phoenix was much tougher than the disappointing Magic. Don't forget a little internal strife on my side as their man at the helm Phil Jackson is being courted by other teams in the league most notably Chicago. I really can't say I blame him as Dr. Buss has asked the winningest Coach ever to take a pay cut? Wow, bad play LA!

This is the 12th time the Celts and Lakers meet in the Finals with Boston having a stranglehold on the series lead at 9-2. This is what it is all about! I love it, take me back to the 80's with Magic and Bird dominating the NBA. You are talkin about two of the starters on the All-Time All-Anything squad. And those supporting casts? The Slippery eel Kevin McHale, and the Chief Robert Parish? Big Game James Worthy and Kareem? Throw in DJ and Cooper? Forget about it! This is a rare opportunity to view the beauty of pro hoop and the world's greatest athletes. You get to watch two of the most storied franchises in sports history and it is the second time since 2008 you get to see it!

Hoop fans sit back and enjoy this one. And for the record you can put it in the books, you read it here first, the Boston Celtics in a great 7 gamer and another all-time classic! And if you are a gambler, the Celtics as an underdog is as good as it gets!

Looking back at some of VC's best

With this week leading up to Memorial Day, we remember those who have gone on before us. And I want to thank all of the men and women overseas who are putting their lives on the line so we can Celebrate Life Through Sports like we do on this Blog!

I have been blessed in my 48 years to witness a lot of good and bad moments in sports. So grab your favorite refreshment, prop your feet up for a few minutes as we go back in time. These are some of my favorite memories witnessed first-hand in sports.

Kemper Arena, Kansas City, April, 1988. Kansas vs. Oklahoma in the 50th year of the NCAA championship game and would you believe, the halftime score was 50-50? KU coach Larry Brown let Danny and the Miracles play OU ball the first half. But the second half, coach Brown told his Jayhawks they were playing KU ball and did they ever! The Jayhawks win their first national title in 36 years. Upon leaving Kemper that night, I'll never forget the BMA Building to the east of Kemper lit up with "KU 1".

Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, December, 1986. Chiefs vs. Steelers. Chiefs must win to make the AFC Playoffs. I'm in the top row, far left end of the open-air pressbox. Twenty minutes before kickoff, in walks Mr. Art Rooney, the original owner of the Steelers. He looks at a 24-year-old kid, shakes my hand and says "How are you doing, young man?" I said "much better now, sir." We talk for a minute, he signs my Steelers' media guide and then says "you have a Merry Christmas". I said you, too. Wow, neat stuff, huh? Oh yea, Chiefs win 21-17 by scoring zero offensive touchdowns. Chiefs did all of their damage off special teams (blocked punt, kickoff return and punt return for TDs).

Kansas City Kansan, sports desk, Jan. 16, 1993. Getting a phone call from Scott Paske that Dev Nelson, longtime voice of the K-State Wildcats and 5-time Kansas Sportscaster of the Year, had died. After a brief cry at my desk, I wrote a column for next day's paper, a tribute to the man I admired and loved. I can still hear Dev on the radio: "It's a rip-snortin', hoot-enang, double-barrell, deeeeeeep-dish of a dilly!" We used to play computer baseball games with 6 other friends in Manhattan while I was in college. It would be today's version of Fantasy League. Dev's team was the Half Nelson's and mine the Van Cleave-land Indians. We'd play in each other's homes, but our favorite was the Flush Bar, a little town east of Manhattan.

CiCo Park, Bishop Stadium, Manhattan, November, 1982. Luckey High Cardinals vs. Clifton-Clyde Eagles. First round of football playoffs. Clifton-Clyde is coached by legendary one Ed Buller, who today ranks in the top five in all-time victories in Kansas. My first-ever playoff game as a scribe and it showed afterward. The Eagles beat the Cardinals that night. I went to get some quotes from Coach Buller, about as stoic as they'll ever come. My question to him: "Is this your biggest win ever?" Nice, you big goof-ball! But instead of laughing in my face, he was first class in his response.

Bellerive Country Club, St. Louis, 1992. PGA officials invite area media to play the course that will host that year's PGA Championship that would be won by Nick Price, whose win was his first Major. John Daly, the 1991 PGA champ, was on hand to play one hole with each team. I'll never forget his tee shot when he joined my group. He hit it so high and long. Last I heard, it's still in orbit circling the globe!

Los Angeles, 1987. On hand for Chiefs-Raiders game at the Coliseum. It's called the Scab game as NFL players are on strike. What I remember most, though, is the night before. Rick Dean from the Topeka paper, guy from Independence (Mo.) paper and I go out. We eat at George Brett's parents' restaurant and then go driving around LA (Dodgers Stadium, UCLA campus and a couple spots for a refreshment). We get back to our rooms around 2 a.m. At 4, we are awakened by a 5.something earthquake. To this day, this ole boy from Kansas has witnessed an earthquake but has never actually seen a tornado! Go figure!

Independence Stadium, Shreveport, La., December, 1982. K-State vs. Wisconsin in K-State's first-ever postseason football game, the Independence Bowl. One of the rainiest, coldest games ever played. To the west, though, it was a blizzard in Dallas! Badgers win 14-3, but Cat fans partied like it was 1999! No computer for me. Manhattan Mercury only had one and it was for my boss. I wrote my story the old-fashioned way, by longhand, then dictated it over the phone around 1 a.m. the following day! Trust me, don't want to do that again!

Facebook, May, 2010. Getting re-hooked with ole buddy Matt after 17-year hiatus. We covered a lot of games in our day at the Kansas City Kansan. Probably the most memorable was around 1989 or 1990 when he had Piper-Basehor and me Wyandotte-Harmon in football. Wyandotte won 4-0 on, you guessed it, two safeties. I knew I'd be able to top his game! Then he showed up to tell me all about a last-second TD that propelled Piper past its Kaw Valley League rivals.

Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, Nov. 2, 2002. KU-KSU football game. You knew it was the Purple's Day when on the first play from scrimmage, KU QB is sacked in the end zone for a safety. Final score that day: KSU 64, Beakers 0. Better yet, four days later, my life changed for the better when daughters Hannah, Hope and Addison were born. Wow, Wildcats throw a shutout at their rival and four days later you become a daddy! How cool is that!

Lastly, my wedding day, Feb. 8, 1997. Sporting events never start at the top of the hour. Our wedding didn't, either. My wife is seen walking down the aisle with her dad. The clock on the wall in a particular picture is living proof, 3:08 p.m. Look it up, most sporting events start at approximately eight minutes after the top or bottom of the hour. Oh yea, Wildcat basketball team beat nationally ranked Oklahoma that day as well. Nice! Oh yea Part II, thanks babe for putting up with my sports passion!

Thanks for recalling some of my favorite memories. There are more, oh trust me, man, there are lotsa more, as we Celebrate Life Through Sports! Happy Memorial Day all!

Memorial Days by MP

MasterCard had it right with the "Priceless" commercials. As we observe Memorial Day 2010, let me take you down my memory lane and back to a few priceless moments I have had that include sports in my life. What could be more priceless than seeing the Royals back in the late 70's on a hot summer night? I mean they were competitive back then folks! This particular night must have been especially hot, because the memories are of my sweet Mom pouring cup after cup of cold water over my head and body. How can I not lead with a moment that included my Mom who could not care less about sports but has devoted nearly a lifetime to going to games, listening to conversations, hearing the TV, going to sporting goods stores on vacations, on and on and on. Thanks a million Mom.
A lot of the rest of my sports memories involve my Dad. We watched a whole lot of Coffeyville Red Raven football games. The Ravens are a junior college national powerhouse. I especially remember when Dad took me on the bus with the team to the Coca Cola Bowl in Iowa. I had gone to one other bowl, but was old enough to remember the trip to Iowa. It was a blast being on the field and meeting the Team. You have to throw in a game in Coffeyville where Dad and I sat in a driving rain storm for the entire time! I loved it. Then certainly a mention goes to a Chiefs game years ago. We drove all the way to KC to watch Joe Delaney have a huge game against the hated Raiders!! Dad said we used to save all year to go to one Chiefs game. It is hard to single things out, but a whole lifetime of stuff is flooding my mind. The NAIA tourney, the parade in '88 in Lawrence after the 'Hawks won it all, Midnight Madness, a few nice NBA trips, a McDonald's HS All America game, a complete lifetime of wonderful, priceless memories!
My Brother and I have some great times too. We drove to Dallas to see the Mavs in a 2 game in 3 night homestand. The Mavs had the Triple J Ranch of Jimmy Jackson, Jason Kidd, and Jamal Mashburn. We loved it, we had never driven in a city like that or been on our own for a road trip that long. There are so many I hate to leave any out, how about Dad, Tony and I at the Royals game sitting next to the fair pole in Right at Royals Stadium. Rich Gedman for the Red Sox crushes a blue darter right down the line that actually hits the pole and then my Dad's hand (he made a great play on the ball), it dents the pole and they call it a FOUL BALL!! Awesome!! We made George Michael's Sports Machine for that one. We drove to a Grizzlies game a few years ago, and the memory of that one was leaving Tony in control of monitoring the gas situation. We almost ran out somewhere around Russellville Arkansas! Not a PRICELESS moment there. We were in Walton Arena to see some good Hogs games. We saw the Joe Johnson led Hogs against Kentucky and Tayshaun Prince in a one of the best ones. Again, so many great ones to think about how can I list them all.
Next up is the my special wife. She would tell you she is a sports fan, but I am not real sure. Certainly I do not think she was ready for what she got herself into. Right now I want to say thank you for not only crafting our "family" vacations around sporting events, but getting to every game at least an hour early (she knows I HAVE to be there at least that early), spending our extra money on Chiefs tickets, all of my moods that change when my teams are losing, all of it. We have seen some great stuff together and had some fantastic sports moments. To this day she is my number one tailgating buddy and we love doin the 530 am down and backs to Arrowhead. We saw Cal Ripken's last game in KC, some great stuff with the McGwire and Pujols led Cards. We went to Chicago and sat in Wrigley for a day game. We saw Big Mac put on one of the most incredible performances ever in BP at KC in '98. I mean he hit BOMBS to places I have never seen hit in that stadium! We went to see the Razorbacks with no tickets and SHE came up with 2 and came running from blocks away waving the tickets up in the air on a freezing day in Fayetteville. She stood in a mile long line so that I could meet John McEnroe (one of my all-time faves). After a St. Louis Cards game one time I told Andy Benes that my wife thought he was cool, he scowled at me. Great great memories that will never be forgotten.
Over the years I have seen 3 or 4 Sweet 16 and Elite 8 tournaments. I saw Michael Jordan play his last year for the Wizards (he had 16 in that game). I have seen Barkley, Olajuwon, Drexler, Kobe, Shaq, Durant, Mullin, Ripken, Griffey Jr, Gwynn, Ozzie, Molitor, Yount, Carew, Pujols, Sosa, McGwire, and of course Brett. I saw Bonds put on a great BP too in the old Busch Stadium one time. It was the year he hit 73 and he was impressive for sure. Do not forget when I saw Favre when it was his supposed last year with the Pack. I saw Montana (my buddy JC and I paid more than we had to see him play in a pre-season game in Arrowhead, he played like 2 series), Elway, Tomlinson, Delaney, Allen and Priest. Unbelievably great stuff.
You can see that my memories are not of seeing a Super Bowl or Final Fours or World Series games. The games and people I have seen are like this blog, important to me! For me it is not just the game it is sharing the moment with ones who mean the most to you. Please take a moment this weekend to reflect on the ones who are important to you and the things that make life special. I know I have enjoyed thinking about the great sports moments and those who I have shared them with. I am thankful for my family and friends for all of the memories and a wonderful life!

Purple Passion in 2010-11 by VC

My countdown to the NCAA Tournament has begun, baby. We're T-minus 300 days and counting until the 68 teams are announced for the 2011 NCAA Tournament. The Road to the Final Four culminates on April 4, 2011 in Reliant Stadium in Houston.One of the 68 teams should be the K-State Wildcats, who I think have an excellent shot at de-throning Kansas for supremacy in the Big XII. I'm on record now that K-State WILL win the Big XII in 10-11!Two pre-season polls -- CBS and Fox Sports -- have the Cats No. 5 in their polls. Perhaps a little high in my books as if I had a say, I'd pencil them in around the 8 or 9 slot.Main Man Matt can talk all he wants about KU's tradition, best venue in college basketball, best coach. AFH is great and Bill Self is a dandy, but the Little Apple boasts some excitement now as well.2010-11 is the year of the Cat, baby. With 76 percent of their scoring back, the Cats look to better what was a record-setting 29-win season in 09-10 which ended with the Elite Eight loss in the West Regionals.Abe Lincoln look-alike Jacob Pullen brings his 19.3 points per game back for his senior season. Curtis Kelly and Jamar Samuels combined for 22 points ppg. And if Wally Judge continues to improve inside as he did toward the end of the year, wow how good is that?It will be tough to replace the shoes of Denis Clemente, whose give-it-all attitude helped carry the Cats in the 2OT thriller over Xavier in the Sweet Sixteen. Luis Colon...gone but in steps Freddy Asprilla, who hopefully matured some this year at Cloud County CC.The Bram is no longer called Bramlage Mausoleum. Purple passion is back as evidenced by the nation's largest average attendance increase among Division I teams in 09-10. They flocked to the Bram in numbers not seen since the building opened 22 years ago. An early January game this year against North Dakota was at high noon on a Sunday. Students were on break, high noon? Hello, the church crowd hasn't gotten home yet! And they still sold out and every seat had a fanny in it!They're winning away from home, too. Frank Martin's Cats were 15-5 in away/neutral site games this past year. In years past, that record would have been reversed.The Cats will be tested in their schedule. Their conference road swing among Southern schools include A&M, Texas (oh wait a minute, K-State owns UT don't they?) and Oklahoma State. The positive is Baylor plays at Manhattan this year.Add that to a non-conference slate that includes Duke at the Sprint Center, Florida on a neutral court in the Sunshine State and a return trip to Washington State and the Cats will be tested early and often.Talk all you want about the Frank Martin Stare! Hey, this is what the Cats have needed. The Hawks have had their way with K-State winning, I don't know, 400 of the last 405 or some ridiculous figure, in this series.Mental toughness is what K-State's needed. Martin's brought that to Manhattan. Just remember, Jack Hartman was known for some pretty vicious looks in his day 20-30 years ago. All he did, baby, was win!Should be a fun year for hoops in these parts. Every Man a Wildcat, baby!

2010-11 Year of the Jayhawk! by MP

Get ready Hoop Junkies! Only about four months left until the 2010-2011 season! I am ready to rock and hoop season means time to watch my KU Jayhawks and their journey to cut down the nets in Houston at Reliant Stadium!

Forget all the talk about screwed up brackets and UNI, forget the past against Bradley and forget Bucknell!! This is a better Hawks team. This may even be as good a year as '08 when our man Mario Chalmers hit one of the most clutch J's ever against Calipari, super frosh Derrick Rose and the favored Memphis Tigers to win the whole thing!

The reasons for why we will be improved, strangely are the same as why many "experts" think KU may struggle some this year.

Sherron Collins is gone and while the winningest KU player ever, was a pass second, small and sometimes out of control point guard. We were better when he was in and Sherron will always be a fan favorite and KU great. The fact is he still periodically hurt us with decision making and long droughts of poor or no offense. Cole Aldrich declared early for the draft. He was another really good player but very inconsistent. I know many loved Cole and he could definitely change the game on the boards and by swatting shots, but he rarely hit on all cylinders. When all was said and done he was a 10, 10 and 2 guy, a nice but replaceable player. The last factor that the "experts"are citing for why KU will not be as good is the X one, Xavier Henry. X recently declared for the NBA draft, becoming the first Kansas freshman to ever do so, and definitely is not ready. He would have been a solid soph, but whoever gave him the advice to go pro is not looking after X's interest. His mid-range game is weak, he can shoot the 3 but only if his feet are set, and he has no idea when to get his own shot. I predict D League!

Why do I like this year better? Well in short, less mistakes and more stability without Collins. The ability to play quickly and not have to change styles without Aldrich. No need to give Henry looks in the half court and less empty possessions. Bill Self is back and do not forget he will always be a reason for KU's success and I also think Self is better with a little less talent. Remember Tulsa with Shea Seals to the Great 8? A 7 man rotation and one go-to player or two, not a McDonald's All-American squad on the bench and the need to play 10 guys.

The biggest reason for this being a better year? One of those McDonald's guys is coming to Larry and he is a BIG-TIMER. His name is Josh Selby and is the number one rated player coming out. People, he is the real deal, the truth! Watching tape of him reminds you of John Wall. Similar in size at 6' 3" and a slasher type and also a far better athlete than Henry was billed as coming to Lawrence. Not a great shooter but the type of athlete that is very rare. You throw in the best player from last year Marcus Morris to go with his brother Markieff, and red-shirts like Mario Little and Travis Releford and a guy I really like named Thomas Robinson and you have contenders baby!

These Hawks are gonna be nails tough next year. Self got hammered for losing to UNI and is not happy. I guarantee he will be all over these guys for redemption. All the talk about busted brackets and the Bradley and Bucknell references were embarrassing. Anyone doubt what kind of competitor Bill Self is?

My prediction? I like somewhere around 8 losses and a maybe a 2 seed for 2011. This Team will make a deep run in March Madness. I also predict at least a share of another Big 12 title. I am glad K-State is better and hope MU is improving so they can maybe help sharpen us up for the real postseason this year. VC actually believes the Cats will be a better team than the Hawks. I hate to say it VC but you are dreaming. Denis Clemente is gone and so are your hopes. The Hawks will not be fearing the beard!

I can't wait. I mean who else writes a hoop preview in May? Only here!!! We love it!!

Thanks for the memories Sherron and Cole, and thanks for a year X, but get ready to watch a true one and done'r in Selby. Before you "experts" out there start talking about relying on a frosh floor general and all of the usual stuff, remember the last three years and three freshman point guards by the name of Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans and John Wall.

While saying goodbye is difficult, saying hello sure can help ease the pain. Hello Houston and home of the Final Four! Hello Josh Selby! 2011 is the year of the Jayhawk.

By Ty...our NFL reporter and man on the street

I confess to being completely biased in my views about the NFL, lesser sports, and well, everything for that matter. This certainly applies to the recent NFL draft.

Let’s start with observation numero uno of that prime time gig…everyone’s predicted choice of Sam “the sling” Bradford by the Rams. BAD! C’mon Spags you should have traded down and used the added pix for the holes that need filling uh…everywhere. Taking Bradford, a west coaster with a history of wing dings, was a reach you didn’t need. Play him from the gitgo with your O line and how long will he last; bring him along slowly and who keeps the wolf away from the door this year? To quote the guy opposite VC on this blog…TROUBLE! Nobody wants the first pick so moving it would’ve been tough, but if the Rams could not find someone willing to deal, why not go with Suh? You get him a little cheaper as a D lineman and he has no downside. There’s no history of injuries. The dude is uber ready to play now and will do so for years, it says here! You could have used some of the cash you would have saved to go get a QB who already knows how to play under center like McNabb or Campbell. Let’s face it you paid way too much for a rookie west coaster with an aversion to self preservation! And they haven’t invented a color for threat level to NFL QB’s!

So, what pick did I like? In my view Jerry’s new kid Dez Bryant is the clear (or is it the cream) winner. I mean look what the ‘Boys managed with that pick at #24 well below the likes of Joe Haden, Demaryius Thomas and Sean freaking Weatherspoon? C’mon! Dallas all but purged themselves of that other Roy Williams, you know the one who makes every all airport team but has the heart of…oh say, the Lion in the Wizard of Oz. And I was all over this pick long before Jerry’s media machine started cranking out the kudos for Dez’s scintillating pre pre season rookie camp! I mean you put Bryant with Austin and Witten along with the running game courtesy of the “Taz” and Felix the “scat” and Ivy Leaguer Jason Garrett will be able express his feelings in iambic pentameter!

There are a couple of other first round pix that haven’t got the press they deserve nationally. The Big Green Eag’s choice of Brandon Graham at #13 is huge! Having the 6’ 2” 268 lb. Wolverine whirling dervish opposite pro bowler Trent Cole will add to their already frightening pass rush. And with Sean McDermott settled in after succeeding the dearly departed Jim Johnson, one of the best D coordinators ever, the Eagles are my pick from the old boy conference for the Super Bowl. Yep, you heard me fantasy freaks-that means good numbers for Kolb! And they’ll get better production out of Vick in spots. They’ve helped their depth at RB with Bell and their receiver corps is solid with Jackson, Maclin, Avant and Celek. But it will be their youthful and deep defense, with the return from injury of Stewart Bradley, carryovers Cole, Bunkley, Patterson, Samuel, Hobbs and featuring defensive rookie of the year candidate Graham along with #2 pick Nate Allen at Free Safety replacing Dawkins that will carry the Eagles past the ‘Boys, with their offensive rookie of the year candidate Bryant, in a killer NFC Championship game and on to the Super Bowl XLV!

I am all in on the Chiefs pick of Eric Berry at #5, but that is too easy. My next favorite pick is Carolina’s second round choice of Jimmy Clausen at #48. Fox didn’t get a contract extension but he got the next best thing, a guy who knows how to play QB under center and will do so from day 1. Look at the situation Clausen finds himself in: great running game featuring the elusive Williams and hard yarder Stewart with one of the best O lines in the league. JC’s cards are far superior to the hand dealt Bradford. As I see it, barring a bad flop, like say…training camp fisticuffs, the Panthers will go into the Meadowlands and defeat the G-Men in the season opener on September 12 with Clausen throwing two TD’s to that “other” Steve Smith! Is it me? What are people NOT getting about Clausen? The guy played super for Cholly, one of the most respected offensive coaches ever. Last year he carried the Domers with a turf toe that would have sidelined a lot of guys. He has the arm. He’s a leader. He comes into the league with a complete understanding of the Panther’s offense. And his only competition is Matt Moore who has but 8 pro starts to his credit. What could be finer?

That’s it for this time out. But, look for more pronouncements and prognostications (including the Eagle’s opponent in Super Bowl XLV) when you least expect it! And if you have anything you wanna say, in the immortal words of the original Bay City roller, and renowned ass kicker, Janis Joplin: “go ahead, take another piece of my heart baby!” There’s a lot more where this came from!

Is Glass Half Full or Half Empty? by GVC

Would you please put a sock in this fire Trey Hillman thing!
Hillman's not the problem! OK, he's part of the problem but not all of it.
My solution? It starts at the top, baby, and his name is David Glass! The Royals Board of Directors needs to address the issue head-on. Attention Wal-Mart shoppers, that's Mr. Glass in case you didn't know who was being referenced.
You wanna fire Trey? Go ahead. Five years from now we'll have this same discussion. In 2015 it'll be time to say hasta la vista baby to the next guy. Guess what, Mr. Glass will still be here counting his money. The Royals will bring in someone else and now let's fast-forward to 2020, guess what? Let's fire the skipper! Who's the common denominator here if Glass stays and the merry-go-round of managers continues?
That's my point!
No, everything is not up to date in Kansas City and won't be until a change is made at the top of the Royals' pecking order.
Ewing Kauffman was a shrewd businessman, but he did what he had to do to bring a winning baseball team to Kansas City. He started the Royals Baseball Academy which produced Frank White, the best second baseman in Royals history. He oversaw the signing of a brash Southern California kid named George Brett, who flirted with the .400 mark in 1980 and ended his playing career in Cooperstown, N.Y.
Just seven years after the Royals were born, they were champions of the AL West. Four years later when the Royals won their initial pennant in 1980, only the Yankees had a higher payroll.
Are we asking the Royals to compete with the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers and Mets in the payroll department? No, but good grief the Minnesota Twins - another small-market team similar to Kansas City - are perennial challengers in the AL Central. Ditto with Colorado, which has played in a recent World Series. I'm asking myself here, what's wrong with this picture?
What picture do I want to envision? I want Al Michaels telling the nation that "Darryl Motley is there and the Royals are the champions of Baseball" as fireworks go off and George Brett and Bret Saberhagen embrace near the pitcher's mound. I want to relive George Brett hitting that mammoth home run off Goose Gossage in Game 3 of the 1980 ALCS in Yankee Stadium. "I've never heard 50,000 people be so quiet," Brett said afterward.
Oh baby, I've got goosebumps now.
There's another Ewing Kauffman out there. Let's find him, get him in here and then let's find that next Frank White and George Brett.
Royals fans deserve better! They deserve that owner who could be found waving to the fans from his box at then-called Royals Stadium. They deserve that passion that made this franchise one to follow proudly on a nightly basis. That passion that rubbed off from owner to manager to player.
So how about giving Glass the walking papers now. Bring in someone who knows baseball. Perhaps George Brett and his brothers might step up to the plate and make an offer!
Perhaps it's time to give Miles Prentice, who at one time worked for the Big Eight Conference when it was located in KC, the shot. Heck, he offered 25 percent more ($120 million) to buy the Royals than Glass ($96 mill).
Glass' results? They are averaging around 97 losses a year under his ownership! Sorry, Tony LaRussa probably couldn't revive this team.
Mr. Glass, better yet, just resign. Go back to Springfield, Mo., and teach some business and management classes in Glass Hall on the Missouri State University campus. You're great at business, I'll give you that. But you've had your chance at the big league baseball level. It's time for a change.
So Royals' fans what do you think?

Hillman Hit the Showers by MP

Why should KC Royals Manager Trey Hillman get the terminal hook? VC blames the deal on the ownership so I will tell you why it is Hillman and not ownership that needs to go.
Let's talk for a minute about "Glassholes". Yeah I said it, but didn't come up with the term. The handle refers to what the loyal Royal blue followers call David Glass and his ownership team. The Glassholes of Wal-Mart wealth have made the Royals bargain basement. Everyone can talk of how cheap the Royals have been. Do everyday low prices sound familiar? They talk of how they have gotten rid of all of their young talent and quality players, it is a running joke. It is very hard to defend Glass and sure Dayton Moore the boy genius GM is a target too, but ultimately anyone who thinks Trey Hillman should last another day is out of his mind.
Here are some things to think about. For the longest time Glass has been blamed for what he pays his players, but now his market is smaller proportionately than his payroll. From 2008 to 2009 the payroll went up 25% and from 21st in the league and up to 20th in this year. Not great but getting better. He was and is criticized for his front office so he went out and got Moore who was widely revered throughout all of MLB. He was also hammered for lack of updates to the "K" and then last year spent the cheese to renovate Kaufmann Stadium. This now puts Kansas City back in the conversation for best place to see a baseball game anywhere.
That said, Glass is a cheap owner and the Royals are low quality. The feel is very Carl Peterson"esque". Kansas Citians are very familiar with Peterson and Lamar Hunt who were famous for staying competitive but keeping a close eye on the bottom line. In other words lets try to be competitive but not pay too much in salary. We wouldn't want to get carried away but few fans would look at these lineups the last ten years and think the Royals are trying to win a pennant. A whole lot of money for Jose "am I the worst fielding right fielder ever" Guillen and 4.5 mil for Mark Grudzielanek?
Dayton Moore is the next in the line of scapegoats. Forget the 12 million tacos for Guillen or the 4 big ones for Grudzielanek, there have been other issues. Yuniesky Betancourt? What in the heck? Scouts say he is the worst SS in baseball and he and Rick Ankiel are our big pickups for 2010? Maybe we can get Ankiel to go back to the mound and help our pathetic bullpen? I mean throwing it 60 feet 6 inches is not that important right? Please do not let me forget Scott Podsednik. It is hard to argue as he is hitting .340 as this is written but certainly not the jackpot, prize pickup of the offseason. This may sound familiar, but again, few would look at these lineups and think the Royals are trying to win anything! Dayton is a Wichita boy and I suppose that is a positive to go along with growing up a Royals fan. He has to have our best interest at heart right?
I have to be honest. As I am writing this I have come to a conclusion. Dayton has to go too! I cannot come up with much at all to validate what his argument would be to stay. What has he done besides being a fan? What am I next in line to be the GM? Talk about train wrecks!! What would it be that he can hang his hat on? Being a Wichitard as Jim Rome calls them certainly does not make you a great GM.
It is a fact that Dayton must go, but he must take his buddy with him.
Why send Hillman packing with Moore? I mean he is just playing the hand dealt to him right? He is just playing the Doyle Brunson ten deuce off suit and everyone knows Doyle is the only one who can win with those rags. Wrong!
Worse results in 09 from 08.
Worse offense in 09 from 08.
Worse defense in 09 from 08.
Basically no visible improvement in anything since he has been here.
Horrible start this year.
If the above statements are factually correct is the Manager exempt from blame?
VC says our man George Brett was quoted as saying coming in to this year this was the best defensive team we have fielded and here we are in early May ten games under .500. I am so thankful George felt we had improved in the defensive category as I was not going to forget that last year we were first in something.Talk about dubious honors but in 2009 we were first in all of MLB with 117 errors committed. Sorry George not hard to look a whole lot better on D than that!
Outside of Zack and thank goodness his meds were right, there is nothing at all to say good about last year.
The upshot is that I am not sure what you are looking for in a Manager, but I look at improvement in something outside of increases in errors committed as a necessary evil in keeping your job. I mean we are talking professional sports where the lifespan of a Manager or Coach is close to that of a mayfly.
Hillman will probably go soon and Moore at the end of the year. But is that going to alone solve our troubles?
The fans or "consumers" as Glass thinks of us need to speak up. An empty Kaufmann Stadium, while sad, may make Glass go get some talent, a GM and a Manager that will make us more competitive. Argue all you want but everyone will agree that all we want is to somehow get what Kansas City deserves, a winner!!!
Attention Wal-Mart shoppers Clark Hunt to the front of the store please!!!

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