Well, folks, it looks like The Joe’s days are officially numbered. PerSportsBusinessDaily, the Wings have hired an architect to start plans on the Wings new home:
The Detroit Red Wings have selected an architect to design a new NHL arena in downtown Detroit, a sign the team is moving ahead with the project.
HKS, co-designer of American Airlines Center, will team with Chan Krieger NBBJ, a Boston architect specializing in urban developments, according to three industry sources. . . .
Karen Cullen, a corporate spokeswoman for the Red Wings, said there was nothing new to report, adding “our organization has been on record saying we’d like to have a new arena in downtown Detroit.”
Pretty interesting stuff. More facts after the break:
I think more interesting is the fact that the new arena will likely be smaller:
The Red Wings intend to develop a new 18,000-seat facility to replace outdated Joe Louis Arena, sources said.
Now, with the current state of the economy, I understand why they want to slightly reduce the size of the arena from the monstrous 20,000 that is the Joe, but down to 18,000 seems a bit low. Detroit has had something like 71 consecutive sellouts even with the economy the way it is and I worry that the cheap seats available to students, etc. might go away with this change. I personally think around 19,000 makes a little more sense.
Anyways, here’s another interesting tidbit:
The responsibility of architect Alex Krieger, founding principal of Chan Krieger NBBJ and a Harvard professor of urban design, is to develop an entertainment district tied to a new arena in Detroit, similar to Nationwide Arena in Columbus and Staples Center in Los Angeles, sources said.
I live in Columbus right now and if they do anything in Detroit like they did here in the Arena District, that’s a great thing for the city. The Arena District in Columbus almost single handedly turned around the downtown area from a former, ominous prison, to a hip, place where young people go to hangout. I think with the multitude of teams in downtown Detroit, this can be only expanded on. Great thing.
Still, I’m sad to see the Joe unofficially go. The Joe is dead! Long live the Joe!
http://www.newolympia.blogspot.com/
College football can be predictable but at other times it can be very unpredictable. When I think about what teams need in order to win a National Championship, it almost always includes veteran leadership at the quarterback position. Tim Tebow, Vince Young and Matt Leinart are just a few of the recent veteran quarterbacks that have led their teams to National Titles. In the last three years a strange trend has started to rear it's head. The last three teams to win the BCS National Championship have done so despite having a first year starter at quarterback.
In 2009, it was Greg McElroy leading Alabama to the promise land. He was a junior but he'd only thrown twenty passes over the previous two years while backing up future Atlanta Falcons clipboard holder, John Parker Wilson. In 2010, Cam Newton took the world by storm. Will anybody remember that a guy named Chris Todd was the starter for Auburn in 2009? Finally in 2011, it was once again Alabama using a brand new signal caller as sophomore AJ McCarron led the Tide to it's second National title in three years after backing up McElroy in 2010.
Are there any teams out there who could possibly give the college football world a fourth straight National Title from a first-year starter? Here are a few candidates:
Zach Mettenberger, LSU: Zach steps into a perfect situation for a brand new quarterback. He's got an all-star defense and he's also got an army of running backs at his disposal. LSU made it to the National Championship game last year. Mettenberger should provide an upgrade at the QB position for LSU, will it translate into a Crystal Trophy?
Bryan Bennett or Marcus Mariota, Oregon: We got a glimpse of Bennett last year and I liked what I saw but Mariota might be the man that ends up with the starting job. Whoever Chip Kelly decides to trust as the starter will have some fantastic talent in the backfield to work with and Oregon will be in the thick of the Pac-12 title hunt and should have a chance to peak it's head into the National Title race if things go their way.
Andrew Maxwell, Michigan State: Outside of LSU and Oregon there really aren't any strong contenders but there are a few darkhorses and Michigan State is one of them. After getting throttled by Alabama in their 2010 bowl, the Spartans have gotten stronger and proved that by beating Georgia in the 2011 Capital One bowl game. Michigan State will need a lot to go it's way but they have a strong defense and return a good running back to help Maxwell out.
Danny O'Brien, Wisconsin: Wouldn't this be crazy? He loses his starting job at an ACC school that wins just two games and then goes to the Big Ten and wins a National Title? Crazier things have happened...wait...have they?
Whoever wins the starting job, Boise State: Kellen Moore dominated the Broncos QB position for so long, it's hard to remember who came before him. Now that Moore is gone (and a host of others) there are lessened expectations from the Nation for Boise. One thing to note is that with the exception of the opener against Michigan State, Boise has a really, really, really, really, really easy schedule. Ridiculously easy.
Wes Lunt, Oklahoma State: Brandon Weeden has moved on and Wes Lunt steps up in his place. The Pokes have gone 23-3 in the last two years. Sure they lost Weeden and Justin Blackmon but Gundy has created something in Stillwater and if Lunt is a plug and play kid then the Cowboys might be knocking on the door this year.
Andrew Luck's replacement, Stanford: Jim Harbaugh built Stanford into a wrecking ball and that's not going to change with Andrew Luck gone. Stanford will still be able to run the football. If Luck's replacement can grow into the position then the Cardinal could have a shot.
Tell me again, Mr. Tortorella. Is there time to be tired now? Because your team seems to have found some.
The Devils evened the Eastern Conference Finals at two games apiece tonight thanks to a thorough 4-1 whoopin' that lasted 60 New York minutes tonight at the Prudential Center. [tonightshealthyscratches]
No, this wasn't the first time New Jersey dominated the majority of the game in this series, but it certainly was the only time Henrik Lundqvist faltered enough to allow at least part of the lights to be shined on the underlying story of this series: the black n' Blueshirts are fading fast.
The conference's top seed showed no signs of fatigue just 48 hours after a grueling victory over the Capitals in Game 7, the second time they faced such a winner-take-all scenario in these playoffs. No, the Rangers bounced back just two days later and dispatched the Devils, who were so rusty after a terribly long five-day layoff, in Game 1 thanks to a trio of third-period goals, right?
Sure, that's what the majority of hockey writers (or as Colin Cowherd might prefer to consider it, the sports media C-team) would like for you to think. The fact is, the Rangers didn't win Game 1 as much as Henrik Lundqvist stole it. While they were unable to secure their first two-game series lead in these playoffs by dropping Game 2, the man they call The King did it again in Game 3, only this time, much more emphatically. Seriously, ask Ilya Kovalchuk.
The Rangers, using the same "hang on for dear life" defensive system that helped them get this far, weathered the storm for 40 minutes until Dan Girardi and Chris Kreider scored early in the third period. For arguably the best goalie on the planet, that was more than enough to take back their one-game edge. For the time being, that is.
So there New York stood, just two games away from playing for Lord Stanley's Cup for the first time since that magical 1994 season people seem to suddenly remember so well. What everyone seemed to omit heading into tonight's Game 4, though, was that they were damn lucky they didn't find themselves one loss away from elimination.
As with any team who makes a deep playoff run, there are sure to be some bumps and bruises along the way. Everyone's tired. Everyone's hurt. But nobody complains. That's the beauty of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Players suit up many times relying on adrenaline, and adrenaline alone, to get them through their next shift, even if it's coming with 17 minutes left in the first period. But it seems as though these Rangers, who have prided themselves all year on outworking and outhustling their opponents, are running low on fuel in the time they need it the most.
Their exhausting, painful, shot-blocking style of hockey has done a number on anyone watching the action, let alone those who participate in it. And the effects are finally starting to show.
In fact, you could argue that Peter DeBoer & co. are beating the Rangers at their own game, to an extent. The Devils, more recently known for the flashy highlight-reel goals produced by the likes of Kovalchuk, Adam Henrique and Zach Parise, are playing their own brand of hard-nosed hockey.
Tonight, the Rangers ran into an unweatherable storm of a relentless New Jersey forecheck, their own tired legs, and some guy in a mask named Brodeur. Oh, that's weird. Pretty sure I've heard that somewhere before:
Hate myself for saying this, but given #NYR fatigue, #Devils offense, I've got NJ in 6. Sticking w/ preseason prediction of NYR loss in ECF.
— Mike Salerno (@RealMikeSalerno) May 14, 2012
Oh, that's where. Moving on.
The Devils, who have punished Tortorella's four and a half defensemen throughout this series, imposed their will on a clearly defeated New York squad for three periods, as opposed to just the first two, in Game 4. It seemed like just the latest domino to fall in DeBoer's master plan. They smell blood in the Hudson River, and they're swarming.
New York needs a jolt of energy from somewhere to have a chance at turning the tide in this series. Fans will say they continue to come out flat. Well, it's not so much that they've come out flat as much as they've come out half-dead. If injured winger Brandon Dubinsky wasn't healthy enough to give it a go tonight in place of a suspended Brandon Prust, then it's tough to see him coming back at all in this series. And even though Dubinsky might help facilitate some pressure in New Jersey's end, his 30-goal form from a year ago remains M.I.A. So where else could the Rangers turn for a spark? At this point, your guess is as good as mine.
But Mike, couldn't Lundqvist conceivably outduel Brodeur in two of the next three games and steal the series all by himself? Oh, without a doubt. But at this point, without a gameplan other than "get it over the red line and change lines quick," it seems as though the 1-0/2-1 game is the only one New York can stand a chance to win.
That's right, a team featuring Marian Gaborik, Brad Richards, Ryan Callahan and offensive defensemen such as Marc Staal, Michael Del Zotto and Dan Girardi seems totally incapacitated by a two-goal deficit. Does that sound like a Stanley Cup champion to you?
Speaking of that big, beautiful trophy, make what you will of the past. But no Stanley Cup champion has ever needed the maximum 14 games to get through the first two rounds. It seems the Rangers are starting to find out why. Then again, who am I to say it will repeat itself for the 119th time?
[tonightshealthyscratches]]]>Today is a very sad day.
Bill Stewart, a man who loved West Virginia, the Mountaineers and college football, died at the age of 59 of a heart attack while playing golf in Morgantown. The news was simply shocking.
While he departed WVU in some disgrace, in the end he will be remembered as a good man, good father and the right man at the right time for WVU football.
West Virginia AD Oliver Luck, who helped escort Stewart out of Mountaineer Field, remembered the former coach fondly.
“Coach Stewart was a rock-solid West Virginian and a true Mountaineer. His enthusiasm and passion for his state’s flagship University was infectious. We join all Mountaineers in mourning his passing,” Luck said.
Even West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen, who had every reason to avoid commenting on Stewart, showed a lot of class.
"Like all of us in the West Virginia community, I am shocked and saddened by the passing of Coach Stewart. The State of West Virginia, our University and our football program has lost a true Mountaineer who gave his native state university a decade of coaching service and a lifetime of guidance and inspiration to thousands of young men over a 33-year career," Holgorsen said. "Though Coach Stewart achieved many great milestones on the field, we will most remember his kindness and compassion. Our football family expresses our deepest sympathy to Karen, Blaine and the extended Stewart family."
I was very critical of Stewart during his three years as head coach of my alma mater. I thought it was a mistake to hire him after the win in the Fiesta Bowl, and he showed he was not the right guy to take WVU to the next level.
Still, he was a good man and his players loved him like he was family. Just watch him in the video and you can feel his passion.
Bill Stewart was too young. He will be dearly missed.
The 2012 NFL Draft is now in the rear view mirror and training camp is still a couple of months away. We’re entering the most brutal time of year for football fans, as it feels like there’s hardly anything going on until August.
While there may not be any action on the field, NFL coaches and front office personnel will still be busy during June and July. Perhaps most importantly they’ll be prepping for the numerous position battles that will be taking place during the preseason.
No position battle is more crucial than the one that will decide who a team’s starting quarterback will be. The correct decision can propel a team on a long playoff run; the wrong one could be the end of a coach’s career. Where across the league will quarterbacks be battling to be a starter this summer?
Arizona Cardinals
Contenders: Kevin Kolb, John Skelton
Arizona has a heck of a decision to make. On the one hand they have Kevin Kolb, who in 2011 went 3-6 as a starter, but cost the Cardinals Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second round draft pick to acquire from the Eagles, and is signed to a 6 year, 65 million dollar contract. On the other hand, John Skelton went 5-2 as a starter (and also earned another win in relief that was credited to Kolb), and as a 2010 5th round pick, makes much less than Kolb.
Head coach Ken Whisenhunt has insisted Kolb is their guy, and has gone so far as to say there isn’t a competition for the starting quarterback spot at all. However, the confidence in Kolb can’t be overly strong, as the Cardinals tried their best to get into the Peyton Manning chase before he signed with Denver.
If the decision is based purely on their win-loss record, the choice would be a no brainer. However, Kolb put up better numbers, and Arizona has made a huge investment in him. He’ll likely be the starter because of that; but he’ll be on a very short leash in 2012.
Projected winner: Kevin Kolb
Cleveland Browns
Contenders: Colt McCoy, Brandon Weeden (R)
For Colt McCoy, the writing is on the wall. After two years watching McCoy struggle as a starting quarterback, Cleveladn passed on selecting a player in a bigger area of need to draft Brandon Weeden with the 22nd pick of the first round. By all accounts, McCoy is a guy who is a hard worker and well liked by his team mates. But he simply hasn’t gotten the job done on the field. He put up average numbers (2700 yards and 14 touchdowns) with a poor supporting cast in 2011, but he just hasn’t shown enough to inspire much confidence from Cleveland’s front office.
Mike Holmgren and the rest of the Browns have made it clear that they feel Weeden is a guy who can start much sooner than later in his career. And that’s probably a good thing. Weeden is already 28 years old, and for Cleveland to really get value out of the selection they’ll need to maximize his playing time. That mean’s barring an awful training camp and preseason, Weeden is almost certainly a lock to be the Browns’ starting QB in 2012.
Projected Winner: Brandon Weeden 
Jacksonville Jaguars
Contenders: Blaine Gabbert, Chad Henne
It’d be difficult to argue that Blaine Gabbert wasn’t the worst quarterback in the league last year. He barely completed 50% of his passes, averaged just over 5 yards per attempt and posted a QB rating of 65.4. He looked uncomfortable and ineffective, and was entirely unprepared to be a starting NFL QB.
Many Jacksonville fans (along with some Jaguars’ players, according to some reports) are hoping that Chad Henne beats out Gabbert during camp and enters week one as the starter. While Henne isn’t a top tier quarterback, it’s still easy to understand that sentiment. He’s never completed less than 57% of his passes in his four year career, and at 26 years old he it's possible he could still have some room to develop.
However, the fact is that Gabbert couldn’t have been in a worse situation for his rookie season. He was a rookie that needed time to develop, but instead he was thrown into the fire after a lockout shortened offseason by an apathetic coaching staff to play with no supporting cast whatsoever. The addition of Justin Blackmon should help Gabbert, as well as his first full offseason as an NFL quarterback. In many ways this could be considered to be Gabbert’s second rookie season, and he’ll again get a chance to prove he’s the Jaguars quarterback of the future.
Projected winner: Blaine Gabbert
Miami Dolphins
Contenders: David Garrard, Matt Moore, Ryan Tannehill (R)
As one of several losers in the Peyton Manning sweepstakes, the Dolphins were forced to go with plan B at quarterback, pursuing Ryan Tannehill in the draft. The rookie is widely considered to be the third best quarterback in his class, but he has a distinct advantage that his fellow rookie quarterbacks don’t have. Miami’s offensive coordinator Mike Sherman was Tannehill’s college coach, so Tannehill will arrive to his first training camp with most of the Dolphins’ playbook already mastered. That’s a huge boost to Tannehill’s chances and it’s a situation that a rookie quarterback very rarely walks in to.
Unfortunately, Tannehill’s knowledge of the playbook will only carry him so far. Rookie quarterbacks desperately need weapons to throw the ball to, and Miami is nearly entirely devoid of those. Trading Brandon Marshall to Chicago rid the 'Phins of a headache in the locker room, but also left the offense without a playmaker at wide receiver.
David Garrard has a bit of an advantage here, as he’s spent the majority of his career playing for a Jacksonville offense that too was without any playmakers. He’s shown he can get the job done in spite of having a sub par receiving corp.
After going 6-3 in his last nine starts in 2011, Matt Moore has to be wondering why GM Jeff Ireland felt that Miami needed to acquire two new quarterbacks during the offseason. Moore completed 60% of his passes, threw for nearly 2500 yards, 16 touchdowns and 9 interceptions in 2011. Hardly spectacular numbers, but he clearly wasn’t the reason the Dolphins had an underwhelming season. Moore may not be a Pro Bowl caliber quarterback, but he was solid for Miami and he’ll likely the starter in 2012 while Tannehill develops on the sideline.
Projected Winner: Matt Moore 
New York Jets
Contenders: Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow
Rex Ryan and the rest of the New York Jets insist that Mark Sanchez is the unquestioned starter. But as Kyle Orton found out, things aren’t nearly so cut and dry once the season begins and Tim Tebow is on the sideline.
Sanchez has struggled greatly over the first three seasons of his career. 2011 was actually his best season statistically, as he posted a 78.2 QB rating, throwing for 26 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He still was terribly inconsistent, and it was clear his biggest deficiency is a total lack of confidence. The Jets attempted to boost that by signing him to a token contract extension during the offseason; but any mental edge Sanchez gained there was quickly lost when New York added Tebow.
There’s hardly any question that Sanchez will be the week one starter for the Jets. But the opening schedule is brutal: they open a home against Buffalo, travel to Pittsburg and Miami before returning home to play San Francisco. An 0-4 or 1-3 start is a distinct possibility, and even without the added aspect of Tebow’s presence the New York media would have a feeding frenzy with such a story. Put Tebow in the mix, and a poor start by Sanchez will certainly cause a massive quarterback controversy. The question in New York will not be if Tebow will overtake Sanchez’s role as starter, but when.
Projected Winner: Mark Sanchez (initially)
Seattle Seahawks
Contenders: Matt Flynn, Tarvaris Jackson, Russell Wilson
When the Seahawks signed Matt Flynn, it was thought he and Tarvaris Jackson would be in a two way battle for the starting quarterback position. And that remains partially true, but a surprising third challenger has appeared in Seattle. Third round draft pick Russell Wilson put together several impressive performances during his first minicamp, and head coach Pete Carol was so impressed that he declared that the competition now included Wilson.
It’s unlikely that Seattle guaranteed Flynn 10 million dollars to hold a clipboard in 2012. He should be the favorite to win the competition, for that financial reason as well as the fact that Jackson didn’t do much to impress in 2011. The more interesting competition may be the one between Jackson and Wilson.
Jackson’s 2012 salary isn’t guaranteed, and drafting a quarterback in the third round when Flynn and Jackson were already on the roster was a high price to pay for Wilson. If he stays hot during training camp, it’s conceivable that he’d be Flynn’s back up. If that is the case, is there room on Seattle’s roster for a 4 million dollar third string quarterback? And would Wilson make a push to be a starter in 2013?
Projected Winner: Matt Flynn 
Tennessee Titans
Contenders: Matt Hasselbeck, Jake Locker
One of the best free agent acquisitions of last year’s offseason was the Titans’ push to bringMatt Hasselbeck to Tennessee. Hasselbeck was the first true team leader the Titans have had at the position since Steve McNair departed for Baltimore in 2005. The impact was immediately noticeable, as the Titans improved from an awful 2010 season to nearly earning a wildcard berth in 2011.
On the field, Hasselbeck started strong, but as the season progressed so did his production. To be fair, he lost his best weapon when Kenny Britt tore his ACL and MCL. That alone didn’t account for the sharp drop in Hasselbeck’s effectiveness however. Over the last half of the season, it became clear that Hasselbeck, age 36, simply just didn’t have the arm strength to stretch opposing defenses.
Jake Locker on the other hand, has a rocket for an arm. In limited action last season he put up impressive numbers, posting a 99.4 QB rating and nearly leading the Titans to a comeback victory over the New Orleans Saints. His accuracy is still a concern, as he only completed 52% of his passes.
However, the addition of wide receiver Kendall Wright in the first round signals Tennessee’s move to a more wide open, explosive offense. Locker is the quarterback with the arm to make that offense work, and it’s time for the Locker era to begin in earnest.
Projected Winner: Jake Locker
The Orlando Magic have fired Stan Van Gundy and have agreed to part ways with president of basketball operations Otis Smith.
For the first time in five years, the Magic will be without direction at general manager and at head coach, ending a tumultuous year for both. Ultimately, it appears, the team's struggles the last two years and the uncertainty it has caused surrounding franchise center Dwight Howard became too much for the two to keep their jobs.
Stan Van Gundy will go down as the most successful coach in the Magic's history, having guided the team to four 50-win seasons, two conference finals appearances and one amazing trip to the NBA Finals in 2009.
Otis Smith was a big part of that effort too. He brought in Van Gundy to be the team's head coach in 2007 and helped build two of the best teams in Magic history in 2009 and 2010. It is hard to argue against their contributions for the last five years in helping the Magic ascend to relevancy in the NBA.
"On behalf of the DeVos Family, we sincerely appreciate and thank Otis and Stan for all that they have done on and off the floor for the Orlando Magic," Magic CEO Alex Martins said in a press release. "These are the days you dread in this business, but we feel it's time for new leadership and new voices.
"They both brought die-hard dedication and an unmatched work ethic on a daily basis," added Martins. "Their success is well documented, as the Orlando Magic has had the fourth best record in the NBA over the last five years, and entering the playoffs this year the third most playoff wins over that period of time. The disappointment of getting eliminated in the first round of the playoffs these past two seasons played a primary role in our decision, as we feel our momentum towards winning a championship has paused. We wish Otis and Stan all the best and we look forward to taking the next step towards winning that championship."
Indeed, things seemed to be looking very up for the Magic after two straight years in the Eastern Conference Finals ending in 2010. The Magic opted not to make major tweaks to the roster that summer. But then things started to go wrong.
For whatever reason, Orlando decided to break up its 2010 team in December 2010 and shipped out Marcin Gortat, Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis for Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu in Gilbert Arenas. If there was a moment you could point to and say that the wheels fell off the Magic bandwagon, this was it.
Stan Van Gundy struggled to get the unit to mesh together and play consistently after the honeymoon phase of the trade wore off. Orlando was sent home by Atlanta in the first round and looked completely lost.
Worse still, the future of Dwight Howard hung in the balance.
The 2012 season was wacky because of all that uncertainty regarding Howard. It got wackier as reports came out of a rift between the star center and Otis Smith. It got wackier still when Van Gundy admitted that he had been told by someone within the franchise that Howard had asked that he be fired.
Whether this is true or not, and sources suggest that it was, that moment seemed to be the point of no return for Van Gundy. With management -- higher than Smith, at least -- wanting to keep Howard at all costs, this betrayal was probably the final straw.
When the Magic failed to advance out of the first round for the second straight year, it was a further indictment of the team Smith put together and how Van Gundy was using them.
It was clearly time to move in another direction.
Van Gundy posted a 259-135 record as the Magic's head coach on top of all the Playoff success. He got the best out of his teams and out of Dwight Howard. He did everything asked of him and his team found a lot of success.
Smith, too, had a great run as the team's general manager. Since being named general manager six years ago, Orlando has not missed the playoffs. He was part of the team that drafted Howard and Jameer Nelson. He selected J.J. Redick and came out of an uncertain summer in 2009 with a championship-caliber team.
Ultimately for Smith, the tinkering was probably too much and it left the Magic too hamstrung to make any significant improvements as age crept up on the roster.
With step one of the summer makeover completed, the next question becomes who replaces Van Gundy and Smith. And the ultimate question, now that these two are gone, is will that be enough to get Dwight Howard to stay.
The San Antonio Spurs are a professional basketball team. Yet on Sunday evening in Los Angeles against the Los Angeles Clippers, in a closeout game to advance to the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs looked like they were involved in football, soccer, and boxing all at the same time.
The boxing part, the way the Spurs and Clippers exchanged leads and made different runs throughout the game. The soccer part was the Spurs’ 28-assists on their 38-made baskets. And the football part, the way the Spurs made a commitment to defense and outscored the Clippers 15-7 in the final 5:10 minutes that resembled a football team closing the game with their running-grind it out approach, as the Spurs swept the Clippers 102-99.
Tim Duncan was the leading scorer for the Spurs with 21 points, but Danny Green was key in the Spurs’ win as he held the most important responsibility in defending and limiting Chris Paul (23 points) in the final game between the two teams.
The game was a game of runs, and the Clippers began with a 7-0 run four minutes into the first quarter, as they took a 9-4 lead. The Spurs responded with a 14-0 run by playing suffocating defense and moving the ball on offense. The Spurs led 18-9 with 5:19 left, but the Clippers struck back with a 10-2 run to cut Spurs’ lead to one point. The Spurs would close the first quarter on a 6-2 run. After one, the Spurs led 26-21, but didn’t help themselves with four turnovers.
Runs continued in the second quarter as the Spurs went on a 9-2 run four minutes into the quarter to lead by 11 points. The Clippers answered back with a 14-6 run late in the quarter due to more Spurs turnovers (5), and by halftime, the Spurs led 51-47. By halftime, the Spurs were at nine turnovers, they had just 12 total in game three.
The Clippers came out of halftime with an 11-5 surge to start the third quarter, as they took the lead by four points. The third resembled a boxing match as both teams exchanged blows with baskets. The Clippers, behind Paul, closed the quarter on an 8-2 run to lead 75-74 going into the final quarter of their season. The reason the Spurs lost their lead? Turnovers (4) were once again their downfall.
The Clippers started the final quarter strongly as they built a six-point lead. Gary Neal (14 points) would stop the bleeding for the Spurs with a three pointer. Eric Bledsoe (17 points) who had disappeared since game one, came to life in the fourth as he made a three and started getting into the paint once more.
With 4:34 remaining in the game, and the Spurs down 92-89, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich once again showed why he’s arguably the best active coach coaching today. Pop elected to foul Clippers forward Reggie Evans, and the move paid off. Evans missed both free throws and the end result was an open Green three pointer on the other side for the Spurs. The Spurs would pull away behind Tony Parker (17 points) and stifling defense in the final two minutes of the game. The Clippers had two chances to either tie or win the game, but Green’s defense on Paul was too much. The first time Paul turned the ball over, the second he missed a short-fall-away jumper. From the 5:10 mark in the fourth quarter, the Spurs, who were said to be a mediocre defense, held the Clippers to just seven points. The Spurs were also said to have been untested when the game gets close, well they responded by scoring 15-points in the last 5:10 minutes.
Blake Griffin was right behind Paul in scoring with 21 points, but he needed 20 shots to get those points. He was a non-factor down the stretch because of his inability to consistently score from the perimeter. Manu Ginobili and Tiago Splitter both had 11 points for the Spurs in the close out victory.
The Spurs have 18-wins in a row dating back to the regular season, and they now await the winner of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers to see who they’ll face in the Western Conference Finals.
The Spurs pass (soccer), they can slug it out (boxing), and they can grind it out (football), but in basketball, they continue to do what’s the most wanted outcome in all of sports, winning.
The Washington Nationals broke their three-game losing streak on Sunday with a 9-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. In the post-game presser, manager Davey Johnson broke news that Stephen Strasburg was pulled after five innings and just 90 pitches due to bicep tightness that started late in the first inning. Davey said, “it seemed to get tighter on him [as the game went on]. I talked to him later on in the game, and he said it relaxed a little bit, and he felt a lot better.”
Strasburg missed the end of the 2010 and most of the 2011 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, which is one reason for the increased concern for what seems like routine tightness. When asked about the tightness, Johnson said, “I’m not as concerned when I hear its in the bicep. That’s generally where you can have tightness that comes maybe from throwing a lot of pitches in an inning. It’s kinda borderline being a little tired.” While he seemed unconcerned, he didn’t directly answer a question from the Washington Times’ Amanda Comak about whether Strasburg would be evaluated further. When asked if he expected Strasburg to miss a start, Johnson said no.
In the game itself, Strasburg was hit extremely hard in the first and second innings. He got out of the first inning with a 5-4-3 double play after giving up just one run, but all four batters he faced made good contact. The second inning didn’t start out well when Bryce Harper dropped a routine fly ball to left center field to the first batter. A passed ball by Jesus Flores advanced two runners into scoring position, and a single by rookie Xavier Avery scored them both. Though they were unearned runs, it looked like Strasburg might be in for another rough outing.
But after giving up those three runs in the first two innings, the Nationals pitching staff was lights out. They didn’t allow a run for the rest of the game and didn’t allow hits from the third to the eighth inning. Tom Gorzelanny was lights out for two innings, and Tyler Clippard struck out two of the three batters he faced.
The real story of the game was an explosion of the Nationals bats. The offense scored nine or more runs for the first time this season, and just about everyone contributed in some way. Danny Espinosa, Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, Ian Desmond, and Stephen Strasburg all earned two hits in the contest, but Strasburg’s first career home run in the fourth inning was probably the biggest of them all as the Nats cruised to the 9-3 victory over their geographic rivals.
Some thoughts:
- The paid crowd of 41,918 is the second-largest crowd at Nationals Park this season, and you could feel it in the stands. There was thunderous applause each time a Nats hitter got a hit or when the team scored a run, and the place simply wouldn’t quiet down after Stephen Strasburg hit his first career home run until he came out for the curtain call. It’s the kind of thing you can look forward to as the Nats continue to win. Fans love a winner, and I think you could look forward to a lot more days like today in the near future.
- Danny Espinosa got a day off on Saturday, and it looks like it paid off on Sunday. He went 2-for-5 with a home run and a double. He did strike out twice, though, which still causes concern for Davey Johson. “He’s on a horrendous pace [for strikeouts],” said Davey. He has 50 strikeouts in just 40 games, which puts him on pace for about 200 strikeouts this season. That’s clearly an unacceptable number.
- Bryce Harper had a nice game, despite his atrocious fielding error in the second inning. He went 2-for-5 with a triple and a single. Harper continues to look uncomfortable in the outfield at times as he continues his on-the-job training out there, but remember, he’s just 19-years-old and has plenty of time to get better. And he will.
- Ian Desmond’s natural place in this line up is where he’s been for the last two games: fifth. He strikes out way too much and doesn’t see nearly enough pitches to be a lead off hitter, but his six home runs is good for second on the team. He has more total bases (83) than anyone on the team. Adam LaRoche is second with 80. Espinosa is third with a distant 51.
I'm just glad I'm not one of those people that proclaimed this series over at 2-1.
Lebron James showed why he was the MVP today with a dominating 40-18-9 stat line as the Heat vaporized a 10-point Pacers lead in the thrid quarter to take game 4,101-93. D-Wade wasn't bad either, shaking off a poor start to finish with 30 points. And just like that, the momentum has shifted back in Miami's favor, just as Pacers coach Frank Vogel warned after the ecstatic game 3 victory.
Make no mistake, the Heat are back in control, if only because that means the Pacers have to win once more on the Heat's home floor. Not to say it can't be done, of course. Just as it was unlikely for Lebron and Wade to continue having off games, it is almost equally unlikely for them to replicate this kind of performance again. And let's not forget, despite the two of them going off for 70 of the team's 101 points, the Pacers only lost by 8. Plus it was the first time in these playoffs they gave up 100 points to an opponent.
The Pacers did what they could, but foul trouble to Hibbert and West put the team in a hole they could not recover from. Once Lebron and Wade got going I just knew it was going to be a long night (here comes the refereeing conspiracy theories).
Granger had 20 points, Hibbert had 10, 9 and 3 blocks, Paul George had 13, 6, 5 and 3 steals, and Darren Collison was a spark plug off the bench with 16 points on 6-7 shooting in 20 minutes. But George Hill, who had just 8 points on 2-9 shooting, was the only Pacer with a positive plus-minus (+5).
Some points:
- The NBA has really become a league of exaggeration. The amount ofoverhyping after a single game is getting out of control because of how easy it is to express an opinion online (yes, I am included in that conversation). Before even a single game was played in this series the Pacers were either going to be sweep fodder or a tough but easily outclassed opponent. When they won game 2 it was suddenly anyone's series. When they won game 3 it was 'OVER' (how any series can be over at 2-1 is beyond me). When Lebron missed a free throw he became the biggest choke artist of all time. And now, with his video game-like performance in game 4, the Miami Heat are suddenly the favorites again. This is just stupid. All of it.
- Case in point: the assertion that D-Wade played like crap in game 3 because he was "injured." Give me a freaking break. Wade had his worst playoff performance in game 3 with just 5 points on 2-13 shooting, prompting Miami apologists to announce that Wade was "playing on one leg." He was not playing on one leg. He was not playing on one leg in games 1 or 2, and all of a sudden he's barely even walking? And he just proved in game 4 that it was, as usual, blown completely out of proportion. It's very annoying if you ask me.
- Lance Stephenson, who made naughty headlines again with his choke sign for Lebron's missed technical free throw in game 3, had a "confrontration" with Heat forward Juwan Howard before the game when Howard walked over the Pacers side during shootaround. Hilarious. Although he apologized for the gesture in yesterday's press conference, it was obvious that Lance, who may have made some strides in growing up, is still a punk-ass kid who was forced by the team to make the apology. People ridiculed him, a benchwarmer, for making such a disrespectful gesture towards the 3-time MVP, but to me, the fact that people took him so seriously was what was so funny about it. And for fellow benchwarmer Howard, who is a washed up ringchaser who hasn't gotten any minutes at all, to confront Stephenson on the Pacers' side of the court, is just as hilarious. Two guys no one cares about going at each other because they have nothing better to do.
- Granger got another tech for stepping in Wade's face after the latter slapped Hibbert's arm away after a hard foul late in the half. Danny, you gotta let it go. I like the never-back-down attitude and all, but overdoing it comes off as nothing more than being obnoxious. He was toeing that line tonight. Make your play do the talking next game.
- I may dislike Lebron for his flopping and self-entitled attitude and the way he took his talents to South Beach, but I am not one of those people that discounts all the great things he has done in his career. You're just not facing reality if you don't realize what a great player he is. He has choked, sure, but he has also stepped up in big games multiple times. You just have to look it up. And all this ringless talk is dumb too, because that's all they've got to downplay his career at this stage. Still, I don't want him to win. At least not this series anyway.
So just like those idiots who said it was over for Miami after game 3, it's just as dangerous to proclaim the Pacers done after game 4. I've questioned the Pacers' resiliency all year, and it's time for them to prove me wrong again.
Strikeforce Heavyweight World Grand Prix Final
Daniel Cormier (10-0) UD Josh Barnett (31-6)
Scores: 49-46, 50-45, 50-45
Conventional wisdom would have foretold a dominant submission victory for Josh Barnett over Daniel Cormier to win the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix finals. After all, Barnett has been in the fight game for over a decade whereas Cormier has just nine fights into his fledgling MMA career. Of course, conventional wisdom rarely is applicable in the sport of MMA, where anything can, and often does, happen.
With a career founded on his ability to get the fight to the ground where his catch wrestling leaves man an opponent tapping out, Barnett found himself being out-gunned throughout the fight by the crisp striking of the unheralded Cormier. Not that Cormier was ill-equipped for the biggest fight of this career. The former Olympic wrestler has honed his striking under the tutelage of the beasts at San Jose’s AKA fight team. Against Barnett, Cormier’s ever-improving striking was on full display as Cormier landed a plethora of crisp, straight punches that seemed to fluster Barnett, keeping the catch wrestler at bay. Barnett, who apparently had been training in the French form of kickboxing known as savat, was able to utilize some hard knees that caused some damage. But Barnett’s moments of success were few and far between as this fight was all Cormier.
As the fight entered the final rounds it was clear that Barnett was not going to be able to weather the tide that Cormier was bringing. It was a virtuoso performance for a fighter who has just begun his MMA career and now Cormier has leapfrogged up the rankings from highly touted prospect to a legitimate contender in the sport. Not only did he beat Barnett, he controlled him and for a fighter who wasn’t even in the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament at it’s inception, to know the winner of the whole tournament. With Strikeforce’s heavyweight division no longer in existence it will be interesting to see if the UFC come in and swoops up this exciting fighter. It was truly an outstanding performance by Cormier.
“It means everything for me to beat a guy like Josh Barnett,” said a clearly emotional Cormier after the fight. “This means the world to me.”
