Ball is tipped
I watched a fair amount of college hoops last night.
Yes, we had youth hoops practice. (Side note: We run sprints – almost wrote suicides there, but we’ll call them sprints from now on – for every missed free throw. Our team missed five, so that’s five to half court and back to the end line and back while dribbling. After three, I gave them a double or nothing chance on me making one from half court. Nothing but net, and four more sprints.)
So we missed the first half of the Kansas win. We did get to hear Bert Bertelkamp bemoan the referees on the UT radio network on the drive home. I love that guy.
Anywell, I’m going to enjoy college basketball this season for a few reasons.
First, the nightly gambling tangent is real and it’s spectacular. Anyone else get the Mocs at plus-260 (bet $100 win $260) on the money line last night? Early hunch: Ride the Mocs until the folks in Vegas catch up. More on that in a moment. Also, one of the sites had a Kansas and Duke straight up parlay for plus-230. Yes, and yes.
Second, the game with fans back in the stands was such a joy last night.
Third, every team that I’m even remotely concerned with is going to be fun this year.
Auburn? Check. UT? Check. UTC? Check. Even UK? Check. (Side note: For more than a year at Auburn, I lived with a guy named Griggs Powell, who grew up in Lexington. Biggest UK fan I’ve ever met, and it’s not really close. Heck, his over-the-top love for the Wildcats made me keenly interested in the Wildcats – especially back then because Pitino was just rebuilding a broken program and Auburn was terrible. Add in how much our buddy Weeds loves the Wildcats – he’s a contender for the No. 2 spot behind Griggs – and there’s a fascination with UK for sure. Now, I would never count myself as a UK fan. That’s too easy. And you can’t sling a deadbeat across the South and not find a “I root for Alabama football and UK basketball” fan. So there’s that.)
And while we’re here, the Blue Bloods that are Duke, UK and Kansas are going to be fine. That kid UK got from Davidson can really shoot it, and Duke’s freshman Paulo Banchero can really play.
Anywell, now expand those college hoops ripples, be them locally – there’s plenty of room on the Mocs wagon, friends – or nationally with the storylines. Seriously, this UTC crew is ready to roll.
Call it the Lamont Limo. The Paris Porsche. The Mocs Mobile or the Blue Bandwagon, I don’t care. Just get ready to be impressed – and to cash some tickets.
And know that I’ll be watching a lot more college basketball this year.
You can bet on that.
Baseball not completely done
Yes, the postseason awards are starting to trickle in.
Side question: Postseason awards being voted on before the playoffs begin, friend or foe? For me, 96 times out of 100, that’s a friend. So this is not a call for a change. But there are two instances that occasionally pop up that make the postseason awards feel hollow by turning in the ballots before the first playoff pitch is hurled.
First, is manager of the year. And in truth, the manager and coach of the year awards have all too frequently turned into a “Who did more with less” tribute, which actually is a media CYA because it’s actually, “Who did more with what the media perceived to be less in the preseason?” So the NL manager of the year will almost assuredly be Gabe Kapler, who led the Giants to the most wins in baseball despite being picked no better than third by almost everyone in the NL West.
He had a great year, sure. Was it better than Brian Snitker’s year, though? And the timing on this matters because the Giants were bounced quickly, and the Braves – not sure if you heard – won it all. And they won it all because in a lot of ways the groundwork and trust Snitker put in and earned before the ‘er’ months. That’s managing over the long haul and that should deserve points too, but it can’t if the ballots are due Oct. 1.
Second, that Alex Anthopoulos was not even a finalist for executive of the year – front office types for the Rays, Brewers and the aforementioned Giants filled the final three spots – calls for examination of the process.
Again, this is a spin job of which GM did the most with the least, be those expectations or payroll.
But AA delivered the pieces that lifted the Braves to a title, and made the moves to energize a listless clubhouse for a stretch drive for the ages.
OK, rant over.
Yes more baseball in November
It’s still the ‘er’ months after all.
As for the other current baseball storyline that has grabbed my interest, I find this to be an extremely intriguing 5-at-10 Bracket Challenge.
Who, do you think, is the fans’ favorite among a litany of favored sons of the South who suited up for the Atlanta Braves? Nominations go here, and we’ll vote on it next week.