TheLounge
03-14-2007, 09:08 PM
Just because I’m a sports writer, I become the automatic college basketball expert for family and friends as they fill out their NCAA tournament brackets. I must admit, other than having a general knowledge of college hoops, I am far from an expert.
That doesn’t stop me from filling out a bracket, even though I know I don’t have a built in advantage by being a sports writer. Honestly, I spend most of my time following the local high school scene and don’t have time to get into the minutia of the “March Madness” tournament.
Yet the siren song of the brackets call and it is hard to steer clear of them. Heck, there were years when I filled out a couple different brackets —*with nothing on the line, if you get my drift.
So it came as no surprise that the words “office” and “pool” were bandied about and lo and behold, the brackets appeared — with a $10 fee to cover, ahem, administrative costs.
My boss tried to withstand the brackets’ call, saying (in all seriousness), he never wins these things and he would be better served placing his money elsewhere.
He picked up a bracket Wednesday afternoon.
***
I can’t believe I’m doing this.
A week ago, I said in this space that the Golden State Warriors were completely pathetic and didn’t deserve to be in the playoffs. A week later, the Ws find themselves a half-game out of the final playoff spot.
The Warriors have a golden opportunity to snap their playoff drought but it is dependent on one thing and one thing only: The health of point guard Baron Davis. Never have I seen one player make the difference for a team but the Warriors are that squad —*just adding to the enigma that is the Golden State Warriors.
They won three games in a row with Davis in the lineup, including a thumping of Eastern Conference leader Detroit. Davis couldn’t go the next game against Portland, but even the Warriors, without Davis, could take care of business, right? Wrong. The Warriors got drilled by the Blazers. Davis comes back for the next game and Golden State annihilates Dallas, which had won 17 straight games going in.
The key is not only having Davis playing, but having him playing through pain if necessary. Now is not the time to baby Davis and his balky knee, or hamstring or whatever else is afflicting Davis. He needs to be on the court —*whether it’s for five minutes or 20 minutes a game. There is just something about him that elevates the entire team.
But he needs to play. No more three games on, one game off stuff. The Warriors are essentially in the playoffs right now and it’s all hands on deck —*healthy or not.
***
I can understand the San Francisco Giants operating procedure of hiring veterans instead of going with younger guys from the system.
Look at the Giants’ farm system. There was some outcry about re-signing second baseman Ray Durham for another two years, to the detriment of second baseman-in-waiting Kevin Frandsen. But does anyone really think Frandsen is the long-term answer at second? I don’t.
That’s what makes the bubbling saga of Omar Vizquel’s desire to extend his stay with the Giants all the more intriguing. He has already said he wants to play a couple more years and would like to do it in San Francisco. So what’s the holdup? The Giants are notorious for signing aging, over-the-hill players (Steve Finley, Moises Alou anyone?). Vizquel may be getting older —*he’ll be 41 this year —*but is there anyone much better at shortstop right now? How often do you come across a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop who can also handle the bat? Vizquel batted nearly .300 and won his 13th Gold Glove last year and was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise ugly 2006 season.
The man has done everything expected of him. It’s time for Giants’ management to step up and do right by Omar. If they can do it be Barry Bonds and Ray Durham, why not a player who arguably had a better season than both of them last year?
Nathan Mollat can be reached by e-mail: nathan@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 117. What do you think of this column? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.
That doesn’t stop me from filling out a bracket, even though I know I don’t have a built in advantage by being a sports writer. Honestly, I spend most of my time following the local high school scene and don’t have time to get into the minutia of the “March Madness” tournament.
Yet the siren song of the brackets call and it is hard to steer clear of them. Heck, there were years when I filled out a couple different brackets —*with nothing on the line, if you get my drift.
So it came as no surprise that the words “office” and “pool” were bandied about and lo and behold, the brackets appeared — with a $10 fee to cover, ahem, administrative costs.
My boss tried to withstand the brackets’ call, saying (in all seriousness), he never wins these things and he would be better served placing his money elsewhere.
He picked up a bracket Wednesday afternoon.
***
I can’t believe I’m doing this.
A week ago, I said in this space that the Golden State Warriors were completely pathetic and didn’t deserve to be in the playoffs. A week later, the Ws find themselves a half-game out of the final playoff spot.
The Warriors have a golden opportunity to snap their playoff drought but it is dependent on one thing and one thing only: The health of point guard Baron Davis. Never have I seen one player make the difference for a team but the Warriors are that squad —*just adding to the enigma that is the Golden State Warriors.
They won three games in a row with Davis in the lineup, including a thumping of Eastern Conference leader Detroit. Davis couldn’t go the next game against Portland, but even the Warriors, without Davis, could take care of business, right? Wrong. The Warriors got drilled by the Blazers. Davis comes back for the next game and Golden State annihilates Dallas, which had won 17 straight games going in.
The key is not only having Davis playing, but having him playing through pain if necessary. Now is not the time to baby Davis and his balky knee, or hamstring or whatever else is afflicting Davis. He needs to be on the court —*whether it’s for five minutes or 20 minutes a game. There is just something about him that elevates the entire team.
But he needs to play. No more three games on, one game off stuff. The Warriors are essentially in the playoffs right now and it’s all hands on deck —*healthy or not.
***
I can understand the San Francisco Giants operating procedure of hiring veterans instead of going with younger guys from the system.
Look at the Giants’ farm system. There was some outcry about re-signing second baseman Ray Durham for another two years, to the detriment of second baseman-in-waiting Kevin Frandsen. But does anyone really think Frandsen is the long-term answer at second? I don’t.
That’s what makes the bubbling saga of Omar Vizquel’s desire to extend his stay with the Giants all the more intriguing. He has already said he wants to play a couple more years and would like to do it in San Francisco. So what’s the holdup? The Giants are notorious for signing aging, over-the-hill players (Steve Finley, Moises Alou anyone?). Vizquel may be getting older —*he’ll be 41 this year —*but is there anyone much better at shortstop right now? How often do you come across a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop who can also handle the bat? Vizquel batted nearly .300 and won his 13th Gold Glove last year and was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise ugly 2006 season.
The man has done everything expected of him. It’s time for Giants’ management to step up and do right by Omar. If they can do it be Barry Bonds and Ray Durham, why not a player who arguably had a better season than both of them last year?
Nathan Mollat can be reached by e-mail: nathan@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 117. What do you think of this column? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.