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      ECF Game 1: Celtics survive rusty Magic

      May 16, 2010 /

      Earlier in the postseason, Stan Van Gundy complained about how the NBA playoffs drag out, especially compared to the regular season, where teams usually play with no more than two days of rest. The Magic wrapped up their second round series against the Hawks almost a week ago, and they showed serious signs of rust in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

      But championship-caliber teams should be able to overcome a rusty start and begin to exert their will in the second quarter. That can be tough to do when you’re playing one of the top defenses in the league, like the Celtics. The Magic mustered just 14 points in the first quarter and 32 points in the first half and looked absolutely dreadful against a Boston team that is on a nice roll coming off its win over the Cavs.

      In the first quarter, the Magic shot just 4-for-20 and turned the ball over four times, and the second period wasn’t much better. Dwight Howard finished with 13-12 and five blocks, but he shot just 3-of-10 from the field and 7-of-12 from the free throw line, and turned the ball over seven times. Making matters worse, he had several opportunities for “and 1” plays but failed to convert, and then missed his free throws. He’s going to have to play a lot better if the Magic are going to advance. All of the post moves are there, but he’s very mechanical in the way he gets his shot off. He has very little touch even though it looks like he can shoot a jump hook with either hand.

      Looking at the box score, it would appear that Vince Carter (23 points, 9-of-18 from the field) played well, but here’s a great example of why I don’t like his game. Late in the third quarter, with his team down 18, Carter kept fighting on the offensive glass and made a putback. Great, good job, Vince. But then he made a bunch of faces and puffed his chest out as he ran down the court — keep in mind the Magic are down 16 now — and missed his defensive assignment. He was supposed to be guarding Paul Pierce, but Rashard Lewis had to get Carter’s attention to get him on Pierce. As that was happening, Rasheed Wallace (Lewis’s man) cut to the hole and the Magic had to foul to save the layup. Just like that, Orlando is down 18 again.

      The Celtics made a lot of big shots in the second half, but took their foot off the gas a little bit, which allowed the Magic to make a run (25-13 over the last 8:41). This was sparked in part by fine play by J.J. Redick, who along with Mickael Pietrus, may be a better option than the gimpy Matt Barnes. Redick is a smart player who covers Ray Allen pretty well and everyone knows he’s an outstanding shooter. He should get more minutes.

      Ray Allen (25-7-3) and Paul Pierce (22-9-5) led the Celtics, but the Magic can find some solace in the fact that even though they played horribly for three-quarters of the game, they still had a shot to win at the end.

      Game 2 is on Tuesday night at 8:30 PM ET. It’s a must-win for the Magic.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA, NBA Finals

      Roy Oswalt a Met? Not likely.

      May 16, 2010 /

      Starter Roy Oswalt recently said that he’d be willing to waive his no-trade clause if the Astros want to deal him. But given that he’s making $15 million this season, he’s not likely to wind up a Met says Mike Puma of the New York Post.

      Roy Oswalt’s name is out there as a potential reinforcement for a team in need of pitching help, but don’t expect the Mets to inquire.

      The team is reluctant to eat the $1.8 million remaining on Gary Matthews Jr., contract, making it unlikely that GM Omar Minaya would inquire about Oswalt – especially with Citi Field attendance down 6,852 fans from last season.

      The Astros may have to eat part of Oswalt’s salary if they expect to get anything of value in return for him in a trade. It might be worth it for them, seeing as how they’re so depleted offensively.

      It’s hard to imagine Oswalt and Lance Berkman in anything but Astro uniforms, but it’s a possibility that they could each be dealt if the club decides to hold a fire sale this year. We’ll see.

      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, MLB

      TV revenues would double if Big Ten expands

      May 16, 2010 /

      So says a report by the Chicago Tribune:

      Last year, schools received roughly $9 million each from the conference’s deal with ABC/ESPN and another $7 million to $8 million from the BTN. Add revenue from bowl games, the NCAA basketball tournament and licensing, and you arrive at the estimated $22 million-a-year distribution figure that’s the envy of every Division I school outside the Southeastern Conference.

      If the Big Ten expands and chooses the right schools, conference officials have seen estimates of television revenues doubling by 2015-16.

      If the conference could lock up the tri-state area (New York/New Jersey/Connecticut) by adding schools such as Rutgers, Syracuse and Connecticut — granted, a big “if” — it could add more than 9 million TV households. Rutgers is also an hour from Philadelphia and its 2.95 million households.

      “That’s a lot of homes,” one TV executive said, “and a lot of money.”

      As the article points out, if the Big Ten wants to maximize TV revenues, the conference could start scheduling more games during the weekday – specifically on Thursday nights. Ohio State and Indiana will host night games on Thursday, September 2, so maybe the conference is growing less apprehensive of scheduling weekday contests.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      College Football, External Sports

      General manager wants Revis to retire a Jet

      May 16, 2010 /

      General manager Mike Tannenbaum told ESPN radio that he expects Darrelle Revis to retire a Jet, indicating that a long-term contract could be coming for the cornerback soon.

      From the New York Post:

      “Our expectation is he’ll retire a Jet many years from now,” Tannenbaum told ESPN Radio.

      “We have reached out to his agents and we’ll see where that process goes,” Tannenbaum said.

      The Jets are saying all the right things, but until they draw up a contract and Revis signs it, then what Tannenbaum says means nothing. Things look good, but contract negotiations are always sticky, especially with the threat of a lockout coming in 2011.

      That said, it appears that a long-term deal is likely to be signed before the season, which is what Revis wants. The Jets really have no choice but to pony up for him, seeing as how he has established himself as the best cover corner in the game.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

      Snyder shows disappointment in Haynesworth

      May 16, 2010 /

      Redskins’ owner Daniel Snyder told the Washington Post on Saturday that he’s disappointed in defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, who has yet to show up to any workouts this offseason.

      “I’m disappointed he’s not here. Absolutely,” Snyder said. “We’re expecting our players to lead by example, and we’re expecting our players to understand that they’re Redskins and they need to be here.”

      If I paid someone $100 million to do a job and the person didn’t bother to show up to work, I’d be disappointed too. The workouts that Haynesworth has missed are voluntary, but Snyder and the Redskins feel as though they’re moving in the right direction and it would be nice if the team’s best defender would embrace a leadership role. Haynesworth’s situation puts a damper on what should be an encouraging time in D.C., especially after the team acquired Donovan McNabb in the offseason.

      External Sports, NFL

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