I had to update this and give Jeff credit...he responded to my email and was very nice and explained his views to me regarding Paulus. I still don't agree with him and wish he would have said more of what he said in his article, but I'm not going to bash him in this post anymore.
Jeff Goodman recently wrote an article on the top college point guards in the nation. Much to my dissatisfaction, Greg Paulus of Duke was ranked 15th while Grevious Vasquez of Maryland was ranked 26th and Eric Hayes was unranked. Both of the latter had much better assist-to-turnover rations. I've copied my email rant to Mr. Goodman below for all of you to get a laugh.
Subject: Why is Greg Paulus ranked so high?
Seriously, he's not a good point guard! He'd be a much better shooting guard, I'd agree with that. Assists per game mean nothing when compared to assist to turnover ratio! You could average 10 assists per game yet if you turn the ball over 20 times, who cares?!?
Paulus had 124 assists last year and 101 turnovers! a 1.23 assist to turnover ratio is not good!
Compare his stats to Vasquez of Maryland, 1.71 assist-to-turnover ratio, averaged 9.8 pts and 3.3 rebounds / game or Eric Hayes who averaged a 1.83 assist-to-turnover ratio.
You say Paulus's assists need to go up this year, as he averaged 11.8 pts. and 3.8 assists. SMART GUY, Vasquez averaged almost as many points and did a WAY better job then Paulus! Why have someone ranked 11 spots below him who was statically better then him in most categories, doing all of this as a FRESHMAN, and without starting part of the season.
Oh, and check the final records for Duke and Maryland last season....not how Maryland finished 10-6 in the ACC and Duke was 8-8 and lost to Maryland twice.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Friday, October 26, 2007
Duke sucks, Red Sox, Red Sox Red Sox, World Series, Sox sweep
Taking some advice from my friend C-Stone, I just put Red Sox in the title a lot to get people to read this, as it will get picked up by search engines.
Most of my hatred lately has been focused on Red Sox Nation and naturally that is justifiable. Just imagine what Fair-weather Sox Nation is going to be like if they win another title. That dooms day scenario is actually highlighted in my friend C-Stone’s blog (http://beltwaysports.blogspot.com/). Check him out if you like Baltimore/Washington area sports. Also check him out at dcsportsbox.com.
But I digress…
I write to you today, my loyal readers who love to see/read my sports rage, about college basketball. With the season starting in a few weeks, today marks the release of the ESPN/USA Today Poll. A quick breakdown of the Top 10, and then some ranting about one of my most hated teams, Duke.
1. North Carolina (10) 0-0 739
UNC was the unanimous pick to win the ACC; they’re returning a lot of good players, especially Tyler Hansbrough. If I had to do my own top 10, they’d probably be #1.
2. UCLA (12) 0-0 734
Another good team, no problem with them starting #2. Actually got more 1st place votes then UNC.
3. Memphis (8) 0-0 731
Remember when people didn’t want to rank Memphis high because they played in a mid-major conference? Those days are long gone…going gaga over mid-majors is the college basketball equivalent of rooting for the Red Sox…it’s the latest popular trend.
4. Kansas (1) 0-0 669
Had a great year last year, finishing 14-2 in Big 12 play. Look for more of the same this year.
5. Georgetown 0-0 625
I hate Georgetown and their fans (especially if they’re members of Late Night Shots – more on all of that in a future post). I think it will be hard for Georgetown to repeat the run they had last year, especially with some of the players they lost, but when you have a go to center like 7’ 2” Roy Hibbert, you’re going to be a good team. Probably a top 15 team when all is said and done and starting off rated a little high.
6. Louisville 0-0 620
Not too sure why Louisville is rated so high. They have 3 seniors this year, all of which averaged less than 10 ppg last season. They only have a few players who averaged over 10 ppg at all, so I worry who their “leader, take over the game” person is going to be. They also play in the overrated Big East, so expect these guys to fall, maybe an early loss at UNLV or in January at Kentucky.
7. Tennessee 0-0 598
How far will Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith carry this team? Can they repeat their excellent season from last year?
8. Michigan State 0-0 503 9.
A very young team guided by Drew Neitzel. Can he get others around him to play the same way? They have a big test early against NC State who is picked to finish 3rd in the much more competitive ACC. Very overrated in my opinion. Only finished 8-8 in conference play last year in the Big 10.
9. Indiana 0-0 479
I don’t know how folks see this team starting as a top ten team. D.J. White is the only good player on this team. I’m very much against people rating teams high based on new recruits from high school. NEWS FLASH MEDIA – these kids haven’t proven shit at the College Level yet, so don’t rank them high until they prove they can handle it.
10. Washington State 0-0 464
Could be a good team this year. This group could actually play like a “team” with different people stepping up at different times. Derrick Low and Kyle Weaver are both good guards.
So there you go. My top 10 reviews. I wasn’t really mad with any of the top 10 teams (well, maybe Michigan State). I did however flip off the handle when I saw who was ranked #11.
YOU GUESSED IT, from Durham, North Carolina, a team that people love to overrate, the Duke Blue Devils. ARE YOU SERIOUS? ARE YOU SERIOUS? I’m not just saying this as a Maryland fan who hates Duke; I’m saying this as a fan of College Basketball – HOW IS DUKE #11?
The rest of this post is devoted to how STUPID this poll is and why Duke got this ranking for no reason whatsoever. Any decent team needs a few things, most importantly a GOOD point guard to run the offense. Duke does not have a good point guard. Greg Paulus is terrible! And don’t give me any of this “he was just a sophomore” crap. Maryland had 2 freshmen who both played point guard and could run circles around this clown. Paulus is not a good point guard. Period. His assists to turnover ratio went DOWN from his freshman year to his sophomore year, as did his assists per game! You only have a few people who are capable of scoring. Paulus can do that, but is extremely streaky (see Mike Jones). The only senior on the team is DeMarcus Nelson and he is also their best player. Jon Scheyer can score, between crying fits when Duke is doing bad.
Duke has only 2 proven players and has no business being even in the top 25. They went 8-8 in ACC play last year, were knocked out of the NCAA tourney in the first round, and have NO PROVEN PLAYERS!
THIS my friends is why Duke sucks. I don’t know how they get the pollsters to vote like this for them every year, but some how they do. I predict that Duke will finish, at BEST, 9-7 in the ACC this year. Mark my words…
Most of my hatred lately has been focused on Red Sox Nation and naturally that is justifiable. Just imagine what Fair-weather Sox Nation is going to be like if they win another title. That dooms day scenario is actually highlighted in my friend C-Stone’s blog (http://beltwaysports.blogspot.com/). Check him out if you like Baltimore/Washington area sports. Also check him out at dcsportsbox.com.
But I digress…
I write to you today, my loyal readers who love to see/read my sports rage, about college basketball. With the season starting in a few weeks, today marks the release of the ESPN/USA Today Poll. A quick breakdown of the Top 10, and then some ranting about one of my most hated teams, Duke.
1. North Carolina (10) 0-0 739
UNC was the unanimous pick to win the ACC; they’re returning a lot of good players, especially Tyler Hansbrough. If I had to do my own top 10, they’d probably be #1.
2. UCLA (12) 0-0 734
Another good team, no problem with them starting #2. Actually got more 1st place votes then UNC.
3. Memphis (8) 0-0 731
Remember when people didn’t want to rank Memphis high because they played in a mid-major conference? Those days are long gone…going gaga over mid-majors is the college basketball equivalent of rooting for the Red Sox…it’s the latest popular trend.
4. Kansas (1) 0-0 669
Had a great year last year, finishing 14-2 in Big 12 play. Look for more of the same this year.
5. Georgetown 0-0 625
I hate Georgetown and their fans (especially if they’re members of Late Night Shots – more on all of that in a future post). I think it will be hard for Georgetown to repeat the run they had last year, especially with some of the players they lost, but when you have a go to center like 7’ 2” Roy Hibbert, you’re going to be a good team. Probably a top 15 team when all is said and done and starting off rated a little high.
6. Louisville 0-0 620
Not too sure why Louisville is rated so high. They have 3 seniors this year, all of which averaged less than 10 ppg last season. They only have a few players who averaged over 10 ppg at all, so I worry who their “leader, take over the game” person is going to be. They also play in the overrated Big East, so expect these guys to fall, maybe an early loss at UNLV or in January at Kentucky.
7. Tennessee 0-0 598
How far will Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith carry this team? Can they repeat their excellent season from last year?
8. Michigan State 0-0 503 9.
A very young team guided by Drew Neitzel. Can he get others around him to play the same way? They have a big test early against NC State who is picked to finish 3rd in the much more competitive ACC. Very overrated in my opinion. Only finished 8-8 in conference play last year in the Big 10.
9. Indiana 0-0 479
I don’t know how folks see this team starting as a top ten team. D.J. White is the only good player on this team. I’m very much against people rating teams high based on new recruits from high school. NEWS FLASH MEDIA – these kids haven’t proven shit at the College Level yet, so don’t rank them high until they prove they can handle it.
10. Washington State 0-0 464
Could be a good team this year. This group could actually play like a “team” with different people stepping up at different times. Derrick Low and Kyle Weaver are both good guards.
So there you go. My top 10 reviews. I wasn’t really mad with any of the top 10 teams (well, maybe Michigan State). I did however flip off the handle when I saw who was ranked #11.
YOU GUESSED IT, from Durham, North Carolina, a team that people love to overrate, the Duke Blue Devils. ARE YOU SERIOUS? ARE YOU SERIOUS? I’m not just saying this as a Maryland fan who hates Duke; I’m saying this as a fan of College Basketball – HOW IS DUKE #11?
The rest of this post is devoted to how STUPID this poll is and why Duke got this ranking for no reason whatsoever. Any decent team needs a few things, most importantly a GOOD point guard to run the offense. Duke does not have a good point guard. Greg Paulus is terrible! And don’t give me any of this “he was just a sophomore” crap. Maryland had 2 freshmen who both played point guard and could run circles around this clown. Paulus is not a good point guard. Period. His assists to turnover ratio went DOWN from his freshman year to his sophomore year, as did his assists per game! You only have a few people who are capable of scoring. Paulus can do that, but is extremely streaky (see Mike Jones). The only senior on the team is DeMarcus Nelson and he is also their best player. Jon Scheyer can score, between crying fits when Duke is doing bad.
Duke has only 2 proven players and has no business being even in the top 25. They went 8-8 in ACC play last year, were knocked out of the NCAA tourney in the first round, and have NO PROVEN PLAYERS!
THIS my friends is why Duke sucks. I don’t know how they get the pollsters to vote like this for them every year, but some how they do. I predict that Duke will finish, at BEST, 9-7 in the ACC this year. Mark my words…
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
And for my first post...I'll take Red Sox for $500
Ah, the first posting for my new blog....I'm so pumped. I've decided to focus my energy for this inaugural blog on my most hated team of the moment, the Boston Red Sox. The inspiration for this blog was sparked by a recent posting on a friends blog, "Scotch & Politics" (http://scotchandpolitics.com/) in a post titled "Boston, City of Villains." Although the majority of the post revolves around the Pats, there is some good Red Sox bashing as well, which reminded me of how much I loved to rant about things, specifically sports, hence this blog was born.
Why do I (we) hate the Red Sox so much? Maybe its because so many people got behind them in 2004 because of the media circus surrounding the "curse." A quick side note on the "curse" - in my first visit to Yankee Stadium to see the Yankees eventually lose to the Indians in the ALDS, I did see a shirt that was selling outside of the stadium that made me laugh..."Red Sox fans...there was no curse....your teams just sucked." One of the few times I'll ever give props to anything that is Yankee. Back to my Red Sox bashing...
The media went nuts with the Red Sox in 2004...they were taking on the evil Yankees of New York, the last time they won the world series Woodrow Wilson was President, the Red Sox didn't buy their team like the Yankees, feel sorry for poor Boston....blah blah blah. Now, thanks to the media, there is a "Red Sox Nation," a red plague that is second only to the former USSR, and one that many Americans equally hate.
I for one NEVER wanted the Red Sox to win the A.L. Pennant, yet alone the World Series. Red Sox fans were obnoxious enough, and before 2004 at least when they pissed you off you could just say "1918" and they'd shut up. Oh, how times have changed.
Now the "feel good" Red Sox are just as bad as the Yankees, having the second highest payroll in the majors at $143,526,214. If a Red Sox fan tries to tell you the Yankees are the "Evil Empire", just calmly remind them that they're the New England version of the Evil Empire - same empire taste, but with an annoying accent to boot!
Has God ever created a more obnoxious fan then a Red Sox fan? I hate going to Oriole Park now when the O's are playing the Sox...not so much because it annoys me that 65% of the stadium are fair-weather Red Sox fans, who act like rooting for the Red Sox is the latest fashion trend, but because when you see a Red Sox fan, you'd think they'd won the past 100 World Series titles based on the way they talk and act. At least a Yankee fan can be obnoxious and back it up with 26 World Series titles...here are a few stats for you Sox Fans -
Since the Orioles became a team in Baltimore in 1954, they've won 6 A.L. Pennants and 3 World Series Titles.
Since 1918, an additional 36 years, the Sox only have 1 World Series title (2004) and 6 A.L. titles. The moral of the story is, even including World Series titles throughout your entire history (6 since 1903), your team averages 1 World Series title every 17.33 years. The Orioles currently average one title every 17.66 years. Ah, but you forget that when the Red Sox won the majority of their titles, there we half as many teams in baseball, making it that much easier to win!
Take out titles before 1918 and you're averaging 1 title every 89 years....something to be proud of Sox Fans! And if you look from 1954 onward, The Orioles are much better than the Sox, having 6 A.L titles to your 4, and 3 World Series titles to your 1. Clearly we're 3 x's better than you, but why is it you don't hear anything about those "obnoxious Orioles fans." And don't pull this 10 straight losing seasons for the Orioles card. Even when we were good back in 1996-1997, people still didn't complain.
Red Sox fans think they live in the greatest city on earth (which is wrong, because according to Baltimore's motto, Baltimore is "The Greatest City in America." All jokes aside, Red Sox fans need to learn that your team history isn't that great. Maybe if you win this year and again in the 2000s, you can start throwing your weight around.
Until then, do us all a favor - stop acting like you're the best sports team to ever walk the face of the earth.
Why do I (we) hate the Red Sox so much? Maybe its because so many people got behind them in 2004 because of the media circus surrounding the "curse." A quick side note on the "curse" - in my first visit to Yankee Stadium to see the Yankees eventually lose to the Indians in the ALDS, I did see a shirt that was selling outside of the stadium that made me laugh..."Red Sox fans...there was no curse....your teams just sucked." One of the few times I'll ever give props to anything that is Yankee. Back to my Red Sox bashing...
The media went nuts with the Red Sox in 2004...they were taking on the evil Yankees of New York, the last time they won the world series Woodrow Wilson was President, the Red Sox didn't buy their team like the Yankees, feel sorry for poor Boston....blah blah blah. Now, thanks to the media, there is a "Red Sox Nation," a red plague that is second only to the former USSR, and one that many Americans equally hate.
I for one NEVER wanted the Red Sox to win the A.L. Pennant, yet alone the World Series. Red Sox fans were obnoxious enough, and before 2004 at least when they pissed you off you could just say "1918" and they'd shut up. Oh, how times have changed.
Now the "feel good" Red Sox are just as bad as the Yankees, having the second highest payroll in the majors at $143,526,214. If a Red Sox fan tries to tell you the Yankees are the "Evil Empire", just calmly remind them that they're the New England version of the Evil Empire - same empire taste, but with an annoying accent to boot!
Has God ever created a more obnoxious fan then a Red Sox fan? I hate going to Oriole Park now when the O's are playing the Sox...not so much because it annoys me that 65% of the stadium are fair-weather Red Sox fans, who act like rooting for the Red Sox is the latest fashion trend, but because when you see a Red Sox fan, you'd think they'd won the past 100 World Series titles based on the way they talk and act. At least a Yankee fan can be obnoxious and back it up with 26 World Series titles...here are a few stats for you Sox Fans -
Since the Orioles became a team in Baltimore in 1954, they've won 6 A.L. Pennants and 3 World Series Titles.
Since 1918, an additional 36 years, the Sox only have 1 World Series title (2004) and 6 A.L. titles. The moral of the story is, even including World Series titles throughout your entire history (6 since 1903), your team averages 1 World Series title every 17.33 years. The Orioles currently average one title every 17.66 years. Ah, but you forget that when the Red Sox won the majority of their titles, there we half as many teams in baseball, making it that much easier to win!
Take out titles before 1918 and you're averaging 1 title every 89 years....something to be proud of Sox Fans! And if you look from 1954 onward, The Orioles are much better than the Sox, having 6 A.L titles to your 4, and 3 World Series titles to your 1. Clearly we're 3 x's better than you, but why is it you don't hear anything about those "obnoxious Orioles fans." And don't pull this 10 straight losing seasons for the Orioles card. Even when we were good back in 1996-1997, people still didn't complain.
Red Sox fans think they live in the greatest city on earth (which is wrong, because according to Baltimore's motto, Baltimore is "The Greatest City in America." All jokes aside, Red Sox fans need to learn that your team history isn't that great. Maybe if you win this year and again in the 2000s, you can start throwing your weight around.
Until then, do us all a favor - stop acting like you're the best sports team to ever walk the face of the earth.
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