The NBA draft is this Thursday and although I'm not nearly as excited about this draft compared to the NFL draft, I am looking forward to it. After all, there have been some awfully important hires lately, particularly in Jerry West and new head coach Mark Jackson. The new ownership has been making big, decisive changes to the team and I can't help but look forward to big improvements.
To my knowledge, the NBA draft only goes for two rounds; I don't know if it's always been this way or for how long. As opposed to the NFL draft which lasts seven rounds (way, way down from years ago where it lasted more than ten rounds), and the MLB draft, which I hardly follow at all - draftees head to the minors first in a process that is completely different than for basketball and football. Anyway, the Warriors as it stands have the eleventh pick in the first round going in and I've only read about a handful of possibilities that are likely to be chosen. Hey, they all sound good to me. The difference this year is I expect the decision to be more spot-on than in previous years, precisely because of the new ownership and management team.
And as usual, only time will tell...
Monday, June 20, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
simply huckabee
There is a politician named Mike Huckabee. For the longest time, whenever I heard his name, I would think to myself that his name would sound better if it was Mick Huckabee. I didn't know why I would have that reaction. What I eventually settled on is both 'Mick' and 'Huckabee' have first vowels that are 'short.' As opposed to sounding like 'Mike' and 'Hewkabee' or 'Hughkabee,' if that makes any sense.
Then it finally occurred to me when I either heard a song by the band Simply Red, or they otherwise popped into my head. Their lead singer is named Mick Hucknall. That's it!
Perplexing, how the mind works.
Then it finally occurred to me when I either heard a song by the band Simply Red, or they otherwise popped into my head. Their lead singer is named Mick Hucknall. That's it!
Perplexing, how the mind works.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
the bench coach
In baseball, most of the coaches' titles are self-explanatory: the Hitting Coach coaches hitting; the Pitching Coach coaches pitching; the Bullpen Coach is in charge of the bullpen; etc.
Then there's the Bench Coach... ?? I could look it up, but until then I can only imagine what a Bench Coach does, and this is what I imagine a Bench Coach typically says:
"Hey, are you done sitting there? Then clean up after yourself! My bench... what a mess... were you eating sunflower seeds?"
"You two - sit up straight! Show some respect for the game."
"How rude! Now that's a disgusting habit."
"Hey, if it's so funny, then why don't you say it loud enough so everyone can hear it?"
"We'll have none of that. Go to the clubhouse... go to the clubhouse!"
Then there's the Bench Coach... ?? I could look it up, but until then I can only imagine what a Bench Coach does, and this is what I imagine a Bench Coach typically says:
"Hey, are you done sitting there? Then clean up after yourself! My bench... what a mess... were you eating sunflower seeds?"
"You two - sit up straight! Show some respect for the game."
"How rude! Now that's a disgusting habit."
"Hey, if it's so funny, then why don't you say it loud enough so everyone can hear it?"
"We'll have none of that. Go to the clubhouse... go to the clubhouse!"
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
acronyms
Tony LaRussa's Animal Rescue Foundation is nearby to where I live. And it's rather obvious that the acronym for that name was taken into account: ARF. I think it's perfect! Whenever I hear it, I imagine little puppies yelping arf! arf! arf!
Having a good acronym is important, as important as naming the business itself. Because if a business is carelessly named, the resulting acronym can be a source of embarrassment. Case in point: let's hope no one comes up with Bay Area Rescue Foundation.
I know, I know, it's a juvenile thought, but something to keep in mind nonetheless!
Having a good acronym is important, as important as naming the business itself. Because if a business is carelessly named, the resulting acronym can be a source of embarrassment. Case in point: let's hope no one comes up with Bay Area Rescue Foundation.
I know, I know, it's a juvenile thought, but something to keep in mind nonetheless!
Friday, May 27, 2011
play at the plate
I've been putting off writing about the horrific injury to San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey on Wednesday night, listening to various thoughts about what happened and what can be done (if anything) to prevent such awful outcomes in the future. And there have been lots of opinions thrown around.
There is the school of thought that says it's just an unfortunate part of the game, but it's always been a hazard and nothing should or can be done to change it (that is, crashing shoulder first into the catcher while trying to score). That way of thinking swirled in my mind for a little awhile, but then I learned on the radio that such crashes have somehow been regulated at the high school and collegiate levels of baseball, so as to prevent injuries. Just because collisions at the plate have been done since the beginning of major league baseball doesn't mean changes can't be made now.
Others are saying it's only an issue this time around because the injury happened to one of the game's biggest stars. Well, yes, greater publicity is allotted to the biggest celebrities, so there's really no argument there. What if it was a backup catcher that was injured? I would hope that the issue would still be important enough to seriously weigh the different options, because this kind of incident can certainly happen to any baseball player... although I'm sure people would probably think to themselves that it could be put off until later when it happens to 'somebody important.' But if something good can come out of Posey's injury, maybe it will be to prevent it from happening again to another athlete.
What if there is an instance where the catcher dwarfs the runner? The catcher is blocking the plate and the runner decides that the best option is to try to knock the ball loose and go in hard, shoulder first? It's likely the runner would be the one seriously injured and out for part of the season. That's not baseball to me. I don't watch for the specter of such violence. The league changed the rules so big collisions were less likely to occur at the other bases; there must be a way to stop them from happening at home plate.
It's all too easy to vilify the player that crashed into Posey, but it could have been any hard-nosed player that crashed and injured an opponent's catcher. It could have been a Giant that was trying to score. If Posey had simply absorbed the force and been thrown backwards, instead of having his left foot planted and caught in the ground, he wouldn't have been so hurt and probably not broken anything. In any case, in the rules and spirit of the game, the Marlins player was not conducting himself in a 'dirty' manner - from what I've read, he is a real stand-up guy. Moreover, if he didn't crash into Posey, he may have been painted as a wimp and perhaps even put his spot on the roster in jeopardy (he is a backup outfielder).
Buster Posey is one of the absolutely most popular players on the Giants, the reigning National League Rookie of the Year, and one of baseball's brightest young stars. It is bad for the sport to lose someone like him for the better part of the 2011 season, if not all of it, and it's been particularly difficult to hear how young children have reacted to his injury. Many even dressed as him for their Halloween costumes last year. Enjoying the game of baseball doesn't require collisions at the plate - that's not what the game is about. And to reiterate, if such violence has somehow been regulated at other levels of the game, then there must be a way to do the same at the Major League level.
There is the school of thought that says it's just an unfortunate part of the game, but it's always been a hazard and nothing should or can be done to change it (that is, crashing shoulder first into the catcher while trying to score). That way of thinking swirled in my mind for a little awhile, but then I learned on the radio that such crashes have somehow been regulated at the high school and collegiate levels of baseball, so as to prevent injuries. Just because collisions at the plate have been done since the beginning of major league baseball doesn't mean changes can't be made now.
Others are saying it's only an issue this time around because the injury happened to one of the game's biggest stars. Well, yes, greater publicity is allotted to the biggest celebrities, so there's really no argument there. What if it was a backup catcher that was injured? I would hope that the issue would still be important enough to seriously weigh the different options, because this kind of incident can certainly happen to any baseball player... although I'm sure people would probably think to themselves that it could be put off until later when it happens to 'somebody important.' But if something good can come out of Posey's injury, maybe it will be to prevent it from happening again to another athlete.
What if there is an instance where the catcher dwarfs the runner? The catcher is blocking the plate and the runner decides that the best option is to try to knock the ball loose and go in hard, shoulder first? It's likely the runner would be the one seriously injured and out for part of the season. That's not baseball to me. I don't watch for the specter of such violence. The league changed the rules so big collisions were less likely to occur at the other bases; there must be a way to stop them from happening at home plate.
It's all too easy to vilify the player that crashed into Posey, but it could have been any hard-nosed player that crashed and injured an opponent's catcher. It could have been a Giant that was trying to score. If Posey had simply absorbed the force and been thrown backwards, instead of having his left foot planted and caught in the ground, he wouldn't have been so hurt and probably not broken anything. In any case, in the rules and spirit of the game, the Marlins player was not conducting himself in a 'dirty' manner - from what I've read, he is a real stand-up guy. Moreover, if he didn't crash into Posey, he may have been painted as a wimp and perhaps even put his spot on the roster in jeopardy (he is a backup outfielder).
Buster Posey is one of the absolutely most popular players on the Giants, the reigning National League Rookie of the Year, and one of baseball's brightest young stars. It is bad for the sport to lose someone like him for the better part of the 2011 season, if not all of it, and it's been particularly difficult to hear how young children have reacted to his injury. Many even dressed as him for their Halloween costumes last year. Enjoying the game of baseball doesn't require collisions at the plate - that's not what the game is about. And to reiterate, if such violence has somehow been regulated at other levels of the game, then there must be a way to do the same at the Major League level.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
the Logo
Or should I say, Mr. Logo?
The Golden State Warriors held a press conference today to announce the hiring of Jerry West to their organization. Jerry West is an NBA icon as both a player and his work in the front office of two organizations, most notable the Los Angeles Lakers. He has known championships throughout his illustrious career. And now he is a part of the Warriors! And when I say icon, that also includes how his likeness was the inspiration for the current NBA logo - in a way, one could say that it is Jerry West, which is why his nickname is 'The Logo.'
As I watched the press conference, I got increasingly excited. All these years, I've had to wonder what was the secret to the continuous success of the Los Angeles Lakers: was it good karma? positive particles? a deal with a nefarious sort with horns and a pitchfork? What was it? And now, I believe it could be simply solid visionary ownership plus a guy like Jerry West. Well, now the Warriors have what could be just such an ownership group, and they have The Logo. Whatever knowledge he could impart would be invaluable, not only in the present but for the eventuality that he leaves the organization sometime in the distant future; I want the Warriors to be competitive for decades to come.
But for now, it is imperative that the very best decisions are made in the hiring of the new Warriors head coach, his new staff, and of course, the roster including what happens with the upcoming draft. His voice won't be the only one heard, but it should speak volumes. Things are certainly looking up, and I hope someday, the Warriors will be mentioned in the same breath and reverence as the Lakers and the Celtics. A storied franchise... !
Saturday, May 21, 2011
my happy place is in... Croatia?
Have you heard of that meditative exercise of going to your 'happy place' whenever you feel stressed or otherwise need to get away from reality? There was a link on Yahoo! recently that pointed readers towards the most beautiful places on Earth and I was swept away by a place called Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia.
From the very first photograph, I was reminded of my idea of what paradise must look like, the kind of visuals that I've tried imagining in the past. A place like this actually exists! Of course, in my mind at least, I would add to it: magically natural lighting for the nights; water temperatures to suit whatever mood I'm; and hummingbirds, lots and lots of hummingbirds. Plus I can fly, swim like a dolphin - I could go on, but you should take a look and maybe dream of your own world!
Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
From the very first photograph, I was reminded of my idea of what paradise must look like, the kind of visuals that I've tried imagining in the past. A place like this actually exists! Of course, in my mind at least, I would add to it: magically natural lighting for the nights; water temperatures to suit whatever mood I'm; and hummingbirds, lots and lots of hummingbirds. Plus I can fly, swim like a dolphin - I could go on, but you should take a look and maybe dream of your own world!
Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)