The Suarez Play (And Other WC Thoughts)
Jul 6th
So if you haven’t heard already, Uruguay made it into the semifinals, where they’re playing in less than 8 hours from now. However, how they got there is considered by some as “controversial”, others “unethical”, and few as “what just happened, but absolutely genius and awesome”. I’ll explain exactly what happened, as well as other thoughts (in a different format than what I usually do).
The Harsh Reality of the World Cup
Jun 28th
World Cup is something I look forward to whenever it comes around. But at the same time, I hate it too. It’s by far one of the most heartbreaking events out there. I came into the tournament rooting for the French (who was one of the most underachieving teams of the finals), the U.S. (one of the most overachieving teams thus far), and the Spanish (who are just fun to watch). But more on this later… But just how hard is it to watch these games? And how hard is it to really win the World Cup?
Will
Jun 1st
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. –Matthew 6:9-13
I am an analytical person. I think about all the possibilities, the permutations, the psychology, the mentality, the strategies, the tactics in the things I take part in. Thinking about what happened that Saturday, I couldn’t really get it out of my head. Always thinking about all the possible options that I could have taken. The plays that I could have made. The mistakes I made. The error that sealed up what could have been. When you’re so close to doing something incredible, only to suffer and fall to the hands of defeat. It’s that feeling that you really never want to feel. More >
Nike’s Write the Future Commercial
May 22nd
I think this commercial is both awesome… and horrible:
Awesome: The first segment with Didier Drogba and all of the Ivory Coast cheering as he’s about to score…
Horrible: … except for the fact that Cannavaro (well, more of Italy) not being scored on.
Awesome: The part with Rooney being the scapegoat one moment and then hero the next. Oh, and hugging the Queen of England and schooling Federer in table tennis.
Horrible: Kobe Bryant in a commercial about the World Cup. Obviously, Lakers in such commercials is an automatic lame.
Double horrible: Ronaldinho isn’t going to be playing in the World Cup, yet Nike publicize him as playing. Way to get the soccer newbies’ hopes up.
Awesome: Cristiano Ronaldo megging Homer Simpson… And Homer actually realizing what just happened.
Horrible: Cristiano Ronaldo in a Nike commercial.
But yeah, in the words of Aaron Cohen (guest writer on Kottke.org) on the commercial: “If this doesn’t make you feel a little tingly, you’re probably going to want to go on vacation from June 11 – July 11.” So true.
2010 NBA Draft Lottery
May 18th
This is going to be brief, but I wasn’t surprised to see that the team with the worst record in the NBA didn’t win the lottery. However, despite the Nets not winning it, I think they’ll still be alright. It just means that between Wall and Turner, they pick whoever the Wizards don’t pick.
Wait… What about the Sixers? Don’t they decide the fate of the Nets’ pick since they’re second and all? It means draft the second best player, which would likely be whoever the Wizards don’t pick between John Wall and Evan Turner, right? Well, the problem is that they have Jrue Holiday and Andre Igoudala already. The only thing that I could see is Turner gets picked by the Sixers, but Igoudala playing as a SF? It doesn’t seem right. It would be a scary backcourt though. Their need seems to be at finding a dominant big man anyway, as Dalembert and Speights don’t exactly seem all too scary. I could see the Sixers trading down if they don’t feel they need either Wall or Turner.
Assuming this is true and Sixers don’t pick either, that means the Nets aren’t in too bad of a situation. Drafting one of them third overall means that they get Wall or Turner at a discount, which to be honest, is pretty good. Nothing else in the lottery seems to be much of a surprise there. Everyone else was in order for the most part, minus the Sixers/Nets/Wizards mix-up.
Portland is 22nd, one after the OKC Thunder. But what are the Blazers’ needs? Big man seems bad with Camby and Oden available at the start of next season, but could think about long-term since Camby won’t be with Portland for more than a season. Someone to back-up LaMarcus wouldn’t be bad. Portland’s problem is that they’d be drafting someone that would likely be a bench player, which seems mighty expensive. Miller, Roy, Batum, LA, Camby (or Oden eventually), is a pretty solid starting line-up. Miller would eventually be replaced by Bayless. The first round pick would likely be a project or a long-term investment. I don’t think it’s worth it. SG perhaps given Roy’s injury battles as of late?
What do you think?