The Sixers just got their first win of 2008, and yeah it was against dysfunctional, T-Mac-less Houston, but still. And now - what are the odds? - I’m watching the transcendent, “I’m into Nuggets y’all, I’m into Nuggets y’all..”
Now if they’d won at Denver, that would have been perfect. Think about it.
In other news…
*The question must be asked: Does Jeff Garcia now think TO is gay?
Friend Of BPR Gordie Jones points out that the Tearful One hasn’t played on the winning side in a playoff game since 2002. He’s also 1-6 overall in the playoffs. For whatever you think it’s worth. Of course, if TO was a quarterback, it would supposedly be worth everything.
*If someone had predicted that the Colts would pass the ball almost at will and Rivers and LT would leave the game with injuries and Antonio Gates would be a non-factor and the Chargers would win anyway, well, anyone who made that prediction would be a moron or an insane person. They would also, of course, have been right.
Moral of our story: Anyone who thinks sports analysis is mostly or even largely about making predictions is a moron or an insane person. Sometimes the smartest thing that can be said about a game is you have no idea what’s going to happen.
*The web site Vegas Watch did a nice job with this list of the “Worst hall of fame arguments 2008.”
My personal faves are #2, from Tracy Ringolsby of the Rocky Mountain News:
“The biggest debates for me were Tim Raines, who obviously was overshadowed by Rickey Henderson, but also if you take Vince Coleman’s five top years, I would say he outperformed Raines, too, and I don’t see Coleman as a Hall of Famer.”
Ringolsby’s right about one thing- Nobody sees Coleman as a hall of famer. Why he chooses Coleman as a comparable to Raines - other than that they were both fast - is anybody’s guess. They are in no important way comparable, unless by comparable you mean Tim Raines is - comparatively speaking - a much, much, much better ballplayer than Vince Coleman.
Tim Raines has Coleman by 22 points of career batting average, 55 points of on-base and 75 points of slugging. Raines was better every single year of his career than Vince Coleman was in any year. Raines’ five worst years were better than Coleman’s five best. Raines is a better player right now, at the age of 48, than Vince Coleman ever was.
Raines, overqualified, is likely to struggle to get in Cooperstown because of this sort of dumbness. Already in the hall of fame, the writer’s wing, is Tracy Ringolsby.
(Postscript - I found a related one on Raines that is, if anything, even dumber. This is from Gerry Fraley:
“Raines’ case was hurt by his reluctance to run in all situations, as Rickey Henderson did. Raines seemed at times too concerned about preserving his stolen-base percentage.”
This is like saying Ted Williams’ case was hurt by not swinging at bad pitches, because at times he seemed too concerned about preserving his on-base percentage.
Running in all situations is not a good thing. Being wary of costing one’s team a baserunner and an out is not a bad thing. Rickey was a phenomenal player, one of my all-time favorites, but his “willingness to run in all situations,” was the worst thing about him.
Raines was successful on 85 percent of his career steal attempts. Ricky Henderson was successful 81 percent. I guess if Raines had gotten thrown out a few more times Fraley would like him better.
And why are these guys judging Raines so heavily [exclusively?] on SBs, a part of the game of relatively small importance?
That’s not a rhetorical question. It has an answer, which is they don’t understand the sport they cover.)
And my No. 1 fave, Woody Paige for Goose Gossage
“During a visit to Yankee Stadium in the late 1970s, I wanted to talk to Goose but was told he was cruel and gruff to reporters. I sheepishly introduced myself and said I was from Colorado, his home state, and he talked pleasantly for 30 minutes. We’ve been good friends since. I would vote for him even if he wasn’t deserving.”
I stand in slobbering awe of that last sentence.
Yes, Paige is the self-styled vaudevillian you may have seen on ESPN’s “Around the Horn,” assuming you can stomach that show, in which case you have a heartier constitution than your correspondent.
And yes, Paige has a hall of fame vote. And Pac Man Jones has a driver’s license. Good night, and may God bless America.
