The Sports Freak, Big Money Tony, and Dr Gonzo discuss the NFL Conference Championship Games, the Redskins draft possibilities, the NBA, and the Wizards.
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Welcome to the first installment of 'Pick n Pop,' a weekly/bi-weekly look at all things hardwood! A back-door pass of basketball coverage spanning, local NBA, College and other NBA news all brought to yours truly by Dr. Gonzo and The DC Sports Page. Lace up your sneaks, pound the floor and get ready for some up-tempo full court trapping coverage of the Wiz, Terps and everything else NBA.
Opening tip: The Wizards began their 66-game season this past Monday with a new red, white and blue jerseys and a brand new motto 'New Traditions.' Only someone forgot to tell the team that they had changed their motto, instead the Wiz blew a 21 point lead and fell to the underwhelming New Jersey Nets 90-84.
I was in attendance for this game and was hyped up after having a couple happy hour beers and half price apps at Bar Louie. From my perch in the 400 section, I had a great view spanning the entire stadium. After a spirited player introduction I was ready to start the season, ready for something fresh, ready for something to cheer about, and then it happened. Andre Blatche grabbed the mic before tip-off and thanked the fans in attendance and said that he was the Wizards new captain. WHAT? That was no typo. Is model citizen Andre Blatche is finally getting the respect he deserves?
After the Wiz choked away a sure thing, Blatche showed his real colors and blamed everyone but himself complaining about the play calling and the fact that he isn't getting the ball on the block enough. Great, one game in, already one collapse and the so-called 'Captain' was already creating problems. Are we in the twilight zone here? Can we just bring Gil back; at least he made game-winners.
John Wall must have been relived that Blatche spouted off. If not most of the focus would have been on the poor defense Wall played against Derron Williams and his decision to drive on four Nets in the final minute instead of feeding a wide-open Jordan Crawford for a three. Even more concerning is the fact that this Wizards team appear to have no one to go to when they needed any easy basket, Nick Young made some nice shots down the stretch, but you never felt like he could take over. Crowd favorite Kris Humphries, made matters worse by embarrassing the Wizards front court while registering 21 points and a game high 16 rebounds.
It seems that for now we're looking at the same ole same ole in Chinatown!
The Wizards get a chance to make good on their 'New Traditions' motto tonight as they take on the Hawks in Atlanta. Tip-off 7:30.
The Sports Freak and Big Money Tony are joined by Dr Gonzo to discuss the Capitals new regime, the Terps abysmal football season, and the return of the NBA.
You can find our podcast on iTunes. All the episodes are there and new ones will be published there. Subscribe so you automatically get it by clicking on the iTunes button on the top right. Please rate us in iTunes.
A vast majority of the Sporting fan landscape is dotted with miserable lemmings who are forced in to an inherited fandom. Not one of choice, because like myself, most of us are born in to our rooting interests. We latch on to the team that our fathers followed or the team that we grew up around. During one of our most naïve periods of life, we make a choice or a choice is made for us and the rest is history.
Growing up, and to this day, I'm a diehard Redskins, Terps (Hoops), Wizards and DC United fan. I love the Caps, but my family wasn't a hockey family, so to claim to be a fan of the Capitals leaves me feeling a little off. Baseball was a little more difficult, my father hated the Orioles. Something to do with the Senators moving away and the Orioles being the only show in town, this somehow made him a full-fledged Orioles hater. As you may have guessed, innocent, sponge like me soaked up this hatred and wanted nothing to do with anything from Baltimore (That hatred has spawned to include the Ravens).
Left without a baseball team to root for, a young impressionable seven year old me (Imaging shorter, but same large head, and a bowl cut) did what most misguided fans do, I picked a winner! The winners at the time were the Toronto Blue Jays, and I was hooked. I watched all of their playoff games, then World Series number one. I memorized the lineup from top to bottom, I knew the pitching staff like the inside of my catcher's mitt and I was there, well on my couch anyway, when Joe Carter snuck a World Series winning homer over the left-field wall. That was me, future Red Sox fan, unaware of the fandom laws I was breaking as I ran around my living room fist pumping in stride with Joe.
After a few season of bad Toronto baseball I began to forget about my love for our neighbors to the North. So having only one other option since proximity was out, I chose to follow my father's team once again, I became a fan of Red Sox nation in 1995.
From my early days as a Blue Jay junkie, up until 2003, I started to get burnt out on the games I loved as a child. It had to do with consuming the same type of stats, seeing the same type of highlights every night and being that I was starting College at the time, I craved a new experience. Enter the 'Beautiful Game.'
I must be attracted to blue or teams from outside the USA because I was once again enthralled with a winning team in blue, but this time it was a soccer team, Chelsea FC. Over the past eight years I denounced my pledge to Chelsea FC and moved across London to my beloved Gunners of Arsenal. I also follow Ajax FC of Amsterdam. (Took a trip to Amsterdam after College, fell in love with the City)
As we rapidly approach the dying hours of the NBA labor negotiations, the outlook is grim my friends. The reality is that it appears almost certain that the NBA will not take place this season. No backdoor passes, no alley oops, no final two minutes that last 45, no surprising rookies, no buzzer beaters, no LeBron hating, no Kobe worship and no hope of the Wizards 'Finally turning this thing around.'
It will truly be the winter of my discontent, just cold weather, piles of brown snow and no hoops. To most of America, this isn't a problem. Most people gave up on the NBA a long time ago. We've all encountered said cynics, the older gents who can't fathom why these players are paid so much, the same guys who think the players show boat too much and the same guys who pine for the days of yore. I will agree, players being paid too much is kind of how we go to this point in the first place, but it's not always their fault. I mean they have agents and those agents have a job, to get them paid. If the owners paid too much, that's on them. I paid too much for my car four years ago and guess what? I still have to pay for it, I can't lock out. I just have to suck it up.
Regardless of whose side you choose in these ridiculous labor negotiations, let's remember one thing, the fans suffer. Now as I sit here thinking about my first fall and winter without pro hoops since 1998-1999, I have become utterly depressed. Here's what I'm going to miss the most:
Posterizing: Nothing makes me happier than the humiliating sight of one man putting his testicles on another man's head and emphatically dunking a ball through a hoop. It's the same reaction we all get when you see a big hit in football, you know the one where you jump up from the couch and say 'OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, SH*T.'
To ease my pain I'm going to watch a clip of a young Shaq Diesel 'Posterizing' the legendary Bullets center Gheorghe Muresan, won't you join me.
Sorry Gheorghie boy, I'm a fan, but I just need something to take off the edge.
Surprise Teams: Marv Albert: 'Can you believe it, the Minnesota Timberwolves have defied the odds and erased an 11 game deficit to make the playoffs and are now on the verge of upsetting the Los Angeles Lakers."
Damn, I would pay to see that. Who can forget how the Grizzles captured our hearts last season or that time the Warriors upset the top seeded Mavs in the first round. Take a look at some of the teams that may have taken over the role of spoilers this season, but now are set back even further:
Minnesota: Great intangibles guy in Kevin Love, Crazy guy who could turn it around and be good in Michael Beasley, High draft pick with great talent and huge upside in Derrick Williams and total WILDCARD in point guard Ricky Rubio.
The Sports Freak and Big Money Tony talk Caps Fan Fest, the signing of Karl Alzner, Redskins wait list, and Unfinished Business regarding chasing foul balls. Plus, they talk about meeting Greivis Vasquez, current Memphis Grizzly and former Maryland Terrapin.
The picture above is from Caps Fan Fest. It was a fight about halfway through the second period.
As we mentioned, you can follow Greivis Vasquez on Twitter.
You can find our podcast on iTunes. All the episodes are there and new ones will be published there. Subscribe so you automatically get it by clicking on the iTunes button on the top right.
The Sports Freak and Big Money Tony talk about the resignation of Nationals Manager Jim Riggleman, Wizards in the NBA Draft and Capitals in the NHL Draft.
You can find our podcast on iTunes. All the episodes are there and new ones will be published there. Subscribe so you automatically get it by clicking on the iTunes button on the top right.
The Sports Freak and Big Money Tony talk about the Wizards upcoming draft and the Nationals recent success.
You can find our podcast on iTunes. All the episodes are there and new ones will be published there. Subscribe so you automatically get it by clicking on the iTunes button on the top right.
Big Money Tony, Q, and The Sports Freak discuss potential moves that General Manager George McPhee may make as the upcoming NHL Trade Deadline approaches, as well as identify some possible areas towards improving the slumping scoring for the Caps.
The trio also reflects back on the NBA, David Aldridge's article, and the group unveils a new topic during the podcast - "unfinished business" (tune it to see what unsettled business the group wants to resolve.)
Aldridge's article can be found here.
The article referenced by Q written by Andrew Tomlinson can be found on On Frozen Blog.
Dr. Gonzo reporting,
It's time to drop dimes all over THE DC SPORTS PAGE. Let us we begin with a tail of two of the worst teams in the NBA hurdling toward a probable matchup of futile proportions... Take it away Howard Finkle.
"In the corner to my right we have the Washington Wizards, coming in with a record of 13-37 and a putrid mark of 0-25 on the road."
"And their opponent limping out of the corner to my left the Cleveland Cavaliers, owners of an 8-44 mark and currently riding a 25 game wining streak."
I know I know. Riveting right?
If all falls in to place and the Cavaliers lose their next two games against the Pistons and the Clippers then we are set up for the toilet bowl. And guess who the NBA has to blame for all of this nonsense? Non other than Queen James.
Never has one man helped to turn two franchises from contender to pretender so quickly.
He left Cleveland to take his "talents to South Beach, and he routinely abused the Zards in the playoffs. Who can forget when he psyched out Gil at the free throw line or the insanity that was Deshawn Stevenson actually calling him out? James murder the Wiz in three consecutive playoff series. Each series would end the same way with James leaving with a smile watching the Wiz stumble around confused like a dog that's just been neutered.
Now is the time in the column when we all have a pity party for Antawn Jamison, ready? It's the right thing to do! One, two, three....AWWWW!!
Now let's be real, Jamison is trapped like a Chilean Minor, but don't feel bad for him. This is what he wanted and at least he has some road wins. I'll never forget when Jamison basically played 1 on 5 against the Cavs in the playoffs. He was the go to go, but he didn't have shit to work with that series. Now he's in NBA Siberia.
All I can say is that I hope that the Cavs don't pick up a win before this matchup on Sunday. I mean a 25 game road losing streak up against a potential 27 game losing streak overall, can you say CONTRACTION?
And while we're at it can we change the current slogan just in case Sunday's game does come to fruition, right now it reads "The NBA where amazing happens," but look here, we just change one word, "The NBA where embarrassing happens." It's interchangeable really.
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