Random Thoughts

I was going to live blog the MLB Draft, but then decided that would be a waste of time since I don't follow the players until they make it into my favorite team's farm system. So if anyone reads this, you are stuck with random thoughts from me.

-Bill Simmons did a Finals preview and I did not read it.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/080605

I went to the end, saw he had 33 quotes (because he is not superstitious or anything) he commented on and picked the Celtics in 7 games. When has he ever picked against his favorite team? Ever? In his chat the other day he got a little defensive when a reader/critic accused him of only talking about Boston sports and he responded by naming everything Boston teams have been in and done over the past couple years and asked what else he was supposed to talk about. That's true but he can't act as of there is nothing else going on in the sports world and his admitted inability to pay attention to the National League and the NFC makes it hard to even dream he has a point.

-I agree. I think people get too excited about him. I would like to see him make the HoF because I have his jersey shirt and wear it to bed but still.

http://158point3.blogspot.com/2008/06/hold-your-horses-jason-stark-or-why.html

-I did not read Fire Joe Morgan's new posts for the first time in a year today. It does not interest me, just like an open letter about any other team other than my favorite would not interest me. I think that is the entire point those who were surprised by the open letter to Theo Epstein have. It read more as a fan blog than a critique of other writers.

-I love it when Jason Whitlock stretches so hard to make an argument because sometimes he makes a good point. In this case his argument can be negated with one comment.

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/8213226/College-baseball-shares-many-of-college-hoops
The reason OJ Mayo got more press is because he has actively looked for publicity since he was 14 years old, played in a college sport that received more publicity, and had most of his games nationally televised. It's the same reason no one cared when Jodie Sweetin got divorced but the Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston split was all over the news.

-Michael Beasley is going to find out really quickly that the NBA Draft is a game of inches. 6 foot 10 inches looks good, 6 foot 8 inches does not for a power forward. It should not really matter, but these idiots who scout think this is a huge deal.

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/8210192

I am not going to warn anyone against DeAndre Jordan again. He did 8 reps in the bench press. The bench press is no big deal for Kevin Durant because he is a wingman but Jordan is a post player Even though he is 20, Jordan needs to get stronger AND I watched him play multiple times and I think he is lazy.

-Remember, I am a professional and know what I am talking about.

-You know what story does not get enough play? The Jason Taylor-Bill Parcells saga. I need to know more about the situation down there in Florida. I honestly don't care if Bill Parcells wants Taylor back and I don't see how anyone else does either.

-I can't speak enough about Bill Parcells and what an asshole I believe he is. He stands up the Tampa Bay Bucs 6 years ago, instead goes to Dallas and never wins a playoff game. This year he goes back on his word to the Atlanta Falcons and ends up in Miami. Not to mention he was openly looking for a new job with the Jets when he was with the Patriots. He is basically a gun for hire until he cons another team into letting him have control over their roster. I don't get how this is any different than what Nick Saban and Bobby Petrino did. There's no difference in my mind.

The worst part is no one calls him out on this. I remember when he went face to face with Chris Mortensen before he took the Cowboys job on ESPN and absolutely denied he would be the Cowboys head coach. Three days later, he was announced as head coach. Not to mention he has not had that much success with each team he has coached since leaving the Giants and the main reason is completely his fault. That main reason is that he leaves before the team can make it back to the playoffs a couple years in a row, so that leaves the team with a new head coach and a new system. I guess that worked out well eventually for the Patriots. I would absolutely never hire him as my head coach if I was an owner.

-I think Bobby Cox is by far the most overrated game manager of the last 20 years. His in-game decisions are horrible. I have also come to the conclusion Dusty Baker wishes Jay Bruce was a pitcher so he could ruin his career ASAP.

-The Cowboys are my football version of the Boston Red Sox. I don't care about Pacman Jones, TO, Tony Romo or even give a shit about the team as a whole. Win a playoff game and then you will get my attention. Not that you really want it but still...

-Ok, only one more Boston bashing post...

http://thebiglead.com/?p=6119#more-6119

Martin Bell (NYC): There’s no way to put this gently, so I’ll be blunt: Are you and Bill Simmons going to get along?

SportsNation Rick Reilly: We’re already getting along. The guy is routinely hilarious.

Not really, really funny, but just routinely funny. He is the "According to Jim" of the ESPN world. Congrats Bill!

He’s new school, I’m old school, but we still want the same thing: entertaining, compelling columns.

I've got an idea! Let's see which one of these puts out an entertaining, compelling column first and they will win free tickets to kiss my ass. Good luck men!

Also in this post I get a FREE Simmons rebuttal to Bob Ryan. Say it ain't so.

“That’s right, someone writing a serious rebuttal to an intentionally ridiculous column. I never thought it could happen, but if it DID ever happen, I knew it was going to be a Boston College grad who did it."

Bill, it is hard to keep up, all of your columns are really fucking ridiculous. Please tell me when it is intentional and when you are just be a stuck up asshole. Please? Are intentionally ridiculous columns a part of your goal to make entertaining and compelling columns? Can't you see you are a joke and have no business being a national sportswriter?

Both sides need to win for them to have a rivalry; if only one side is winning, then it’s a feud and that’s all. I covered this in pages 183-186 of my book in the chapter about the Yankees-Red Sox feud — complete with analysis of Webster’s official definition of the word “rivalry” — a feud that never achieved “rivalry” status until Oct. 21, 2004.

Wrong. Not right. You will not get any points for that answer. I have chunks of stool that are smarter than you. I don't give a shit about your book where you just make up definitions. Only one side is still winning in the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. When the Red Sox get to 1/4 of the titles that the Yankees have, then and only then, will it be a rivalry. How can one win make it a rivalry? Maybe it is a current rivalry, but in the long term you have a long way to go to compete Billy Boy.

I am leaving the attic and heading up to Yankees Stadium to take in the Brian Bannister and Andy Pettittittte duel on Saturday, so I will be sure to ask a few Yankees fans what they think of the current 26-3 deficit for the Red Sox and get back to you all. I hate the Yankees but I am still pretty pumped to attend a game in Yankee Stadium. Flying into New Jersey and a two hour car ride from there? Not so much.