The NBA Draft Live Blog/Chat

In a week where we have an epic soccer ending and the world's longest tennis match (seriously, that thing defies all reasonable rules of reality), my world is still revolving out of my greatest guilty pleasure in sports, and an opportunity for me to totally nerd out: The NBA Draft!!!

It is seriously awesome. The best draft of all the sports for a number of reasons:

1) Unlike the NFL, picks happen with good flow (5 minutes in between)

2) Unlike the NFL, there is a rookie salary scale that allows for more trades

3) Unlike MLB, you know who the players are

4) Unlike hockey, well....... is there a draft on TV for that?

5) And you get ginormous men in ridiculous suits shaking hands with David Stern

The live chat was derailed by an evening of lackluster drama and few moves, not to mention a poorly thought-out ESPN broadcasting crew that could not keep the energy up. So, after the dust settles, expect a meaningless post grading the draft picks. I need to grade all of the upside potential before I get to it though. Oh, and start shopping for Gordon Hayward Jazz jerseys.

Selling Soccer

I played soccer for one season as a kid. We ran around, got some grass stains and a nice little participation trophy (don't get me started; ruining this country), but there just wasn't enough action. It also wasn't the niche, cool sport to play. I just didn't get it.

But, I can't be a hypocrite and sit here bashing soccer. I like sports. I like them so much that I can watch 3 hours of the St. Jude PGA tournament, flip over to catch a little beach volleyball and also check out 24 hours of sport car racing. All of this without an intervention or professional help. So, I respect and enjoy international soccer. It takes endurance, impeccable timing, some serious flopping (hey, it happens everywhere) and a little strategy.

Soccer also has the largest, most faithful fanbases in all of sports. Who am I to argue with that? You have people who will make less in their lives than what Darrelle Revis isn't making enough of now, who will mortgage everything to paint their face, blow on a horn for 90+ minutes for a nil-nil draw. I'll admit, as much as the action on the field makes me want to mainline horse steroids, the drama of who will score next is captivating. So we have the World Cup, the ultimate bragging rights for a country. Where Switzerland can sneak one goal past the Spaniards and spark riots and suicidal thoughts from Malaga to Pamplona. This doesn't happen in an NFL game. Last I checked, I made it to work the day after Tracy Porter pick-sixed Peyton.

So, everybody set your DVRs and don't forget to factor in stoppage time. Pick a third-world country that couldn't afford the sales tax in Oregon and root, root, root for the underdog. Or just hope that the USA can finally find a way to conquer an unchartered mountain.

Now, as an American, of course I have some ideas to make soccer a little more US friendly. Why? Because we're American, which means we value our opinions and have the attention span of a toddler...

1) Steal from Hockey - The Stanley Cup Finals was amazing, with some bad blood, drama, constant offense and high scoring. So, what can we learn from hockey? How about icing?! Why can't this rule exist on the pitch? If a defender or goalie gets the ball and boots it deep during the course of action, and the ball makes it to midfield and is touched by the other team, that team should get a free kick from 30 yards out. Why wouldn't this be interesting? You'd be forcing defenses to work to gain possession. It would make sprints to deep balls even more important. And how many more shots on goals would it create, at the same time not really making it a free-for-all on goals, unless you can bend it like Beckham. I think this is genius. (patting on back)

2) Replay - In most cases, I am not in favor of excessive instant replay. Anybody watching the NBA Finals this year should agree with that. (Side note: Checking every loose ball deflection ruined the NBA Finals experience for me. The officials awarded a ball to the Celtics because it technically touched a Laker last, but he was mauled by Rajon Rondo. Just not a good situation) BUT... replay in soccer could really help it out. I only say this because of the technology available and how important a goal is. Give each coach two challenges and the ability to look at offside calls (that aren't) and handballs (I am looking at you, Thierry Henry). It would certainly make the results a bit more assured, and probably cut back on riots and dead officials. Everybody wins!

3) Evolve the Vevuzela - The biggest storyline of the World Cup up to today were those stinkin horns. I still don't know how people keep those suckers humming for the entire match. But, I'll agree slightly with the casual fans at home, it is slightly annoying. However, it isn't much worse than hip-hop during the middle of action at NBA games, or the chicken dance on a baseball organ. Let's keep the horn, but add a little flavor. Make them sound a little more like kazoos and have whole fanbases perform songs. But, there needs to be a czar of approved music, to avoid 'Who Let the Dogs Out' or Soulja Boy.

4) In Americanized soccer (college), we allow unlimited substitutions and players to come back in after leaving the match once. What is wrong with that. International soccer guarantees that at least 8 players are on the field for the duration. Could you imagine the quicksand the NBA Finals would be played on right now if Andrew Bynum had to bust his broken wheel up and down the court each night? No thank you.

There, four simple solutions. You'd have folks in this country pushing soccer right past the PBA in terms of popularity. Those poor bowlers; I'll have to save that sport next.

- Will

The Little Things

The month of May flew by, and I never found myself in the mood to blog about the Indianapolis 500 (a local institution). I think that is symptomatic of a larger problem. The TV ratings were horrendous for the "greatest spectacle in racing," and the biggest storyline from the month was Danica Patrick pulling her best eight-year-old impression. Hissy fits and racing just don't mesh well.

Outside of the NHL Playoffs (seriously, watch every second of the Flyers-Blackhawks if you can; it's on Versus during the week; you need to know that), what is going on in the world of sports to make people excited? I saw Tiger smile on the golf course yesterday during the Memorial Skins Game. He wasn't wearing sunglasses while making his fifth attempt at a molester goatee. Step in the right direction.

I find myself tucked in the hills of SE Tennessee, broadcasting the 2010 NCAA Men's Golf Championships, and thinking back to a week where only the most loyal sports fan could be really excited. So, without further ado, here is why the world of sports is so great:

#1 - The power of the bounce back - Shameless shout out to my current work this week. But in round 1 of this championship, Virginia Junior Henry Smart started his championship with double bogeys on his first two holes. He limped it home to shoot 82 and not count for his Cavaliers team. His highest round this season so far: 76 (he came in off of back-to-back 68s in the NCAA Regional). Let's put it in perspective... He royally stunk up the Honors Course. Put me on the course with my 1.9 handicap (trending higher, beware!) and I've got a good chance of beating him. This is NOT a blog to blast Henry Smart. Why? Because he is an athlete with pride. Showed up yesterday in round 2 and owned the place. Finishing in near darkness, he calmly drained an 8-footer for par on the last, shooting 66, tying the competitive course record (set just minutes earlier) and breaking the 67 that Tiger Woods shot back when he was laying college girls in 1996 (oh, and winning an NCAA title) on the same course. Smart knocked 16 shots off his first-round score. You just can't write this stuff. Well, I guess you can. While standing just off of the 18th green watching this happen, a writer next to me said, "I never would have guessed that I'd be interviewing a kid from Virginia today who shot 82 to open the tourney." I hope he gets the Tiger treatment back on campus.

[Silent shout out to Alex Ching who also fired a record-setting 66. But, he had also shot 69 in the first round.]

#2 - A national championship decided in 5 seconds - No, not golf, but please tell me you watched the lacrosse national championship on Memorial Day. Duke won their first national championship and came all the way back from the scandal that marred the program and completely elevated the perception of "The Man" to the most sinister of heights. I got up as soon as regulation was over, went to grab a drink, and sit back down for sudden death. Then, CJ Costabile won the opening faceoff and owned some fools. It wasn't anti-climatic or too fast. It was Bad Ass! A long pole sprinted through everybody and busted a Joel Zumaya fastball passed a stunned goalie. I think the net in the cage is still vibrating. Lacrosse is coming on fast in this country, and that goal was the explosive play that may do more to advance the sport. It had everything: power, speed, suddenness, drama, despair and the most-needed characteristic of an epic moment... the 10-second afterthought where you stare at the TV stunned and say, "What the f*@$ just happened?!?"

I hope the Dukies got to party hard after that one, with some high-end talent funded by one disbarred Mike Nifong.

#3 - My retirement savings are still in a shoebox - Ken Griffey Jr. retired yesterday. Guess he needed a nap after all! (Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all night. Try the veal) Do you know what my first thought was about him. Nope, not the catch in the old Kingdome. Or all of the home runs. I will always think of his rookie baseball card for Upper Deck. It is THE card of my generation (anybody who is between the ages of 26-34 and collected baseball cards as a kid, before the mass production and internet ruined much of the business). Honestly, I would rather have that card than the mysterious Honus Wagner golden ticket. Why? I don't know. I just know that, for a period of my life, baseball cards were the greatest thing. I go back through what is left of my collection and can tell you that I idolized Andrew Dawson and Ryne Sandberg, and apparently Benito Santiago had a really good season. I had a subscription to Beckett, and actually thought that my thousands of cards would appreciate into millions of dollars. Only true sports fans, raised with this obsession understand this. And it is glorious.

[Epilogue - I did a basic Google search after writing this and came across this Amazon link to buy the card. I am pissed. This is what has ruined card collecting! I don't have to find a collector the old-fashioned way. And think what $99.99 was to a 10-year-old back in 1991!!! I may blow some savings just to buy this card out of principle.]

So, today, as you watch the minutes tick away towards the start of the NBA Finals (yawn, but I'll watch), remember all of the little things that keep sports great. Forget Jim Joyce and his blunder last night costing all of us another perfect game. Instead, go grab a beer at a minor league game and watch a player try to stretch a double into a triple, just because he is trying hard. (Don't hate on that suggestion... I gave you a beer at the start)

-Will