This is an absolutely outstanding hire. I can't say enough good things about Felton, but I'll just let the record speak: 100-54 in five seasons at Western Kentucky. He's built a real program there, and I'm sure he'll do an outstanding job at Georgia.
posted by Poseur 4/10/2003 12:12:00 PM email
OK, what's up? Anyone can have a bad outing, but Maddux has now been absolutely hammered in three starts. He hasn't just lost, he's lost huge. 10 runs in 5 2/3 innings? Maddux currently sports an ERA of 11.05. In three starts, he's only managed 14.2 innings pitched. He's already given up 6 homers, that's almost one every other inning.
It started, like so many playoff games have started before in Dallas, with a Stars' goal. And it ended like so many other games between these two teams, with nothing more than a goal separating the vanquishers from the vanquished.
In the second period of Wednesday's playoff contest between the Stars and Oilers, Edmonton wrestled away first the momentum, then the lead, and wound up with a 2-1 victory and a 1-0 advantage in the best-of-seven series. Never have the Oilers won the opening game in this long-standing spring showdown.
How do these teams always end up playing each other? Seriously, it's been six of the last seven years. The only time they didn't play each other in the playoffs was when neither qualified. Is it written into the NHL rules that these two teams have to play each other?
This might be one of the quirkiest rivalries in hockey. They shouldn't play each other this much. But they do.
posted by Poseur 4/10/2003 12:04:00 PM email
"We have to play this way to beat them," said Flyers' coach Ken Hitchcock, talking in a general sense, of course.
He certainly doesn't want to see the numerous 2-on-1 chances and the inability to lose key battles for the puck. But most of all, he needs to see his fragile goalie Roman Cechmanek play better. The Flyers can talk all they want about how unfortunate some of the goals were and how they abandoned him on others, but Cechmanek simply didn't provide the kind of playoff goaltending a successful team needs.
The fact that the Flyers somehow managed to lose last night was mind-boggling. They took almost as many shots in the first period as the Leafs did in the entire game, dominated the second and held an overall physical edge. And the Flyers were quick to rally around Cechmanek, but anytime your goalie posts a .714 save percentage when his team needs him most, it's not a good thing.
Goaltending wins in the playoffs. It's as simple as that. Underdogs can pull off upsets with great goaltending, and favorites need their golaies to at least play above average. Chechmanek didn't even reach average. This isn't the first time Cechmanek hasn't come to play in the playoffs, he's 3-8 in the second season. Say what you will about Ed Belfour, the Leafs aren't worried about their netminder.
posted by Poseur 4/10/2003 11:59:00 AM email
You know, it's never a good sign when the eighth seeded team wins the first game of a series. It gives them hope, something a heavy favorite doesn't want to do. It's even worse that the Isles' best player is former Senator Alexei Yashin.
It's a really bad sign that the Sens decided to change their style of play for the playoffs. They spent the night playing some pretty chippy hockey, throwing checks around with impunity. Guys, you're good because of your offense. It's one thing to lose, it's another to lose by not playing the brand of hockey which got you this far. If the Sens are going to throw out what worked for 82 games, why did they even bother playing their open style in the first place?
posted by Poseur 4/10/2003 11:52:00 AM email
The Big Orange probably had more talent. Certainly, it had more size and athleticism (hence a 40-22 advantage on the backboards). The Lady Vols definitely had more experience. They even had something of a homefloor advantage at The Georgia Dome in Atlanta. But all of these things take a backseat to execution.
The Huskies ran their offense skillfully and usually generated good shots. The fact they hit 51 percent from the floor underscores the point. The Lady Vols got some good looks but also jacked up some off-balance shots that Michael Jordan couldn't make in his prime.
I said really nice things about Pat Summit when she became the winningest coach ever, so let's take a few potshots now. It's my perogative. she got outcoached, pure and simple. The Vols are a better team than UConn, but it didn't matter, the Huskies whipped them. Don't be fooled by the score, UConn won this game handily. Move over, Pat Summit.
posted by Poseur 4/09/2003 03:31:00 PM email
In related news, a tree fell in the woods and no one heard it.
I do think this instructive to see how the owners would like to treat the players, just acting unilaterally with no fear of a fan uprising. It's not like WNBA players are asking for the world. The league is losing money, so I understand, but come on, give the girls a raise. It's a ncie PR move for the NBA to keep the WNBA alive.
posted by Poseur 4/09/2003 03:27:00 PM email
How often do I get the chance to link to the Daily Yomuri? First Yankee to ever hit a grand slam in his Yankee debut on the home opener. Wow, that's a lot of qualifiers, meaning it's a pretty worthless mark. But still, a good day for Matsui.
posted by Poseur 4/09/2003 03:11:00 PM email
OK, since I haven't gotten hate mail in a while for my stance on Title IX, I thought I'd weigh in on Marth Burke. Now, I am shocked, SHOCKED, that a golf club might disriminate. What's next? Yacht clubs? OK, are we clear that these places are full of elitist bastards and I could give a rat's ass whether they let in other elitist bastards.
But don't tell me that your right to discriminate is somehow noble. Augusta is run by narrow-minded bigots. The public smear campaign against Martha burke is dispicable and while I don't care about her in the slightest, Augusta National is clearly in the wrong. Stop treating women like inferior beings, you goddamn rednecks. Yeah, there are institutions which still discriminate, it's called the Klan.
The Cuse was awesome throughout the tourney. not only Anthony, who is now a lock to go pro, but fellow freshman McNamara really drove this team to its first title. Jim Boeheim finally gets his ring, and that's pretty cool. He's not as irritating as he was in the 1980s.
That said, watching that game was downright painful. It just wasn't a good game. The teams combined for 35 turnovers. Kansas shot 40% from the line, not much better than Syracuse's 58%. The Jayhwaks also shot 20% from three. Neither team brought their A-game, and the Orangemen battled it out.
It's fitting this tournament ends on a missed shot. this tourney was not defined by buzzer beaters and clutch shots, but by last second misses and failed last gasps. Aside from Drew Nicholas' heave, almost every close game was decided by a missed shot, not a clutch basket. The title game was no different, as Kansas missed three threes in the final 15 seconds, and Syracuse missed two free throws.
