Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Good night news and years

“There’s something happening around this Miami team”

Brad Botkin is an NBA writer for CBS and co-author with Dan O’Brien, 1996 Olympic Decathlon Champion, of O’Brien’s memoir “Clearing Hurdles.” In his Twitter profile Botkin writes “...there isn’t much better than a good story” and he finds a good story in this season’s Miami “Heat.”

With every heart-attack victory, the Miami Heat are forcing us to put them in the contender conversation



MIAMI -- When 76ers big man Joel Embiid drilled a 26-foot step-back three with just over a minute remaining on Saturday night, the Heat appeared to be sunk. They'd battled, as always, but it just wasn't their night.
...
Yet somehow, Miami won the game.

It took a minor miracle to get there...Tyler Herro 3-pointer on the other end that sent the Miami crowd through the roof.

... It was Miami's sixth overtime game of the season. They're 6-0. A few more numbers to consider: The Heat are 11-3 in four-point games in the final four minutes, 10-2 in three-point games in the final three minutes, 9-1 in two-point games in the final two minutes, and 8-1 in one-point games in the final minute.
...
Indeed, games at American Airlines Arena are becoming more than just games this season. They're events. Fifteen minutes after the Philly win, thousands of fans were chanting "Let’s go Heat!" as they made their way through the concourse. There's something happening around this Miami team. It's been happening all season, really, but it's perhaps been more of a "nice story" for a team that wasn't necessarily expected to register in the contender conversation. At this point, there's almost no way to keep them out.

[Brad’s comments on the Miami crowd is especially gratifying for me, a one-time charter season ticket holder, to hear. The old Miami Arena, the “Heat’s” original home was a bandbox that trapped sound. Many times I left the Arena with my ears ringing.]

"Hell yeah we're for real," Meyers Leonard told CBS Sports. "Look around this locker room. We've got players, man... I think, too, this is an organization that brings the best out of people. Call it culture. Call it what you want. But this organization is one that expects discipline, work ethic, character, and competition.
...
... Again, look around. Tell me what this team doesn't have."
...
[There] are telltale markers of a contending team, top-10s all the way around the stat page, highly versatile on both ends... with a superstar leading a balanced, inclusive attack that can strike from anywhere. If predictability is the death of a basketball team...Any one of six or seven guys can be Butler's wingman on any given night.

There are no set lineup deployments, especially in crunch time. Spoelstra will sometimes play the matchups and sometimes play the hot hand. He'll throw a zone defense at you, and he'll invert the positioning with the longer defenders up top and the guards stunting from the block. [Even with] an MVP candidate in Butler and a former All-Star in Goran Dragic on the court, Spoelstra will, and recently has, run crunch-time offense through 19-year-old Herro, who is a budding star.

The same can obviously be said for Adebayo, who should be an All-Star lock this season.
...
... When Winslow gets back, this defense could go from versatile to downright scary.

In the playoffs, it's about matchups...Are you telling me the Heat couldn't beat the Sixers in a conference finals? They've beaten them twice in their past five games.

Monday, December 30, 2019

Sometimes you're the windshield and sometimes you're the bug

And the "Heat" got splattered tonight in DC 123-105. It happens.
Wow. I just looked at the score by quarters. The "Heat" jumped all over DC in the first quarter, led by 10 at the end. And then, I don't know what the hell happened because I haven't looked beyond that but DC in the second quarter outscored Miami 42-24. 42-24! It's now 108-93 with 5:10 left in the game. DC has outscored Miami again in the fourth. Obviously, the "Heat" defense decided to take a night off.

"Bullets" 90 "Heat" 81 End 3

That's a pretty large deficit heading into the last quarter. You know...I get feelings about "Heat" games and despite the records I didn't have a good feeling about this game. That's why I didn't post a Bugs Bunny cartoon or whatever. Why? Well, DC is not as, no, DC is as bad as its record, you are what your record says you are, better stated,  DC has more talent than their record. I don't know why they're so bad but it's not because they're Cleveland or Charlotte, bereft of talent. Too, I figured the "Heat" has to lose to a team with a bad record at some point--you just can't go 82 games without having one of those bird pumps and a talented team with a shitty record is more likely to cause you to bird pump than a shitty team with a shitty record. More upside shit. Then, I had the feeling that the "Heat" cheated the basketball gods the last two games, both very good opponents, both one point "Heat" wins. That has a way of evening out, again over a long season. I never, ever doubt that Miami could still pull this game out, but not doubting is not the same as it happening. At some point Miami is going to lose a game "like this;" tonight looks like the night.
Trap game. Prudence, my lads, prudence. Beware of rashness. And now, with prudence, Get on my lads!

Sunday, December 29, 2019

That's What We've Been Saying for Over Three Years!

A giant red star is acting weird and scientists think it may be about to explode

Involuntary commitment and evaluation!
https://publicoccurrenc.blogspot.com/search?q=dr+lee,  https://publicoccurrenc.blogspot.com/2019/12/involuntary-evaluation-of-trump.html.

Dr Lee has been all over this!


Freddie Got Fired

im sad freddie was perfect for cleveland
This is weirder: unfuckingbelievable is what this is: the Miami "Dolphin Tankers" BEAT the New England "Patriots" in Foxborough, Massachusetts. :o
this is weird but the cleveland browns are worse at football than the bengals
This is Port Vale F.C.:

Founded 1876; 143 years ago (disputed)[2][b]
1879; 140 years ago (speculated)[4]
1907; 112 years ago (reestablished)[3]
Oh my God.

Port Vale Football Club is a professional association football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England. The team compete in League Two, the fourth [and lowest] tier of the English football league system. Port Vale is one of the few English league clubs not to be named after a geographical location, [Sounds like a good idea] their name being a reference to the valley of ports on the Trent and Mersey Canal. They have never played top-flight football, and hold the records for the most seasons in the English Football League (108) and in the second tier (41) without reaching the first tier.[6] [Something to be proud of]...Outside [Vale Park] is a statue to Roy Sproson, who played 842 competitive games for the club.

842? Let's say the Valey Girls played an average of 40 matches a season, that's over twenty fucking seasons! You sure that statue of Roy is not his embalmed corpse?
City played December 21st, the 27th, today, the 29th, they play New Year's Day, Everton at home. Those are all EPL matches. Know who they have January 4? Port Vale. Who the fuck is Port Vale? Some lower division club in the FA Cup. And then on January 7 they play the second leg of the derby at ManU. God damn it.

City 2 Sheffield United 0

KDB gives City the insurance second goal in the 82'.
Kun is back and City lead the "Blades" 1-0, 52'. Man, City doesn't score until the second half. Just not themselves this season.

Arsenal Agony

Chelsea scored again in the 87'. 2-1.
Just like I predicted, Arsenal spit the bit. Chelsea tied it in the 83'.
I can't keep up with all the sports going on. I didn't know the CFP semi-finals were last night until yesterday afternoon. I had no idea that the Premier League was playing. And that City plays again today. So: Norwich and Spurs drew 2-2 yesterday at Norwich; Lester won 2-1 at West Ham; ManU beat Burnley 2-0 at Burnley, and Arsenal got its first win under Mikel Arteta 1-0 over Chelsea at Emirates. Liverpool plays at Fenway today at 11:30 a.m. (NPT) against Wolves, conquerors of City last time out, and City play at Etihad against SheffU at 1 p.m. This will be City's third league match in one week. It's just too much man....No, sorry. Arsenal and Chelsea are playing today and it's 1-0, 73'. Toldja I couldn't keep up. Betcha Arsenal spits the bit.

FT Clemson 29 Ohio State 23

A 94-yard drive with 3’ left capped off by a Trevor Lawrence pass to Travis Etienne who again was too fast for OSU’s s-l-o-w secondary, particularly # 41.

Ohio State still had a chance and made it damn near good. They got down to the Clemson 23. On a second and seven Justin Fields threw into the end zone for the winning score but the pass was picked off.

This was a thrilling game. Ohio State was exposed. Is Clemson up to LSU? No. 
Here we go. The final 6.9” of regulation.

                                          Jimmy pokes the ball away from Ben Simmons. Tyler is at far right in Man City’s Champions League uni.

There’s a bug loose on the rug!
Tyler sees it.

Simmons and that other “Sixer” be like “O shit O shit”

You don’t see it here but Tyler got inside the three point arc heading for the basket and then deliberately stepped back over the line to shoot the three. THE CONFIDENCE IN THIS 19 YEAR-OLD!

From the EXACT SPOT that Ray Allen hit the most famous three in NBA history!


Nothin’ but net.

The Herro after the shot.

Saturday, December 28, 2019

Clemson with one last chance. At their own 6, 1st and 10, 3:07 left trailing 23-21. For the right to get massacred by LSU in the national championship game, this is it.
They missed! They missed! Heat Win! Heat Win! 117-116 the final in OT. I'm not talking about Jimmy.
Jimmy made the second FT. "Heat" 117-116, :2.3. "Sixers" TO. I don't like this...
Jimmy just missed another FT
Jimmy just missed a shot. "Sixers" rebounded but fortunately Richardson threw a pass away. "Heat" 116-114, :25 left OT. "Sixers" TO.
The longest three-tenths of a second in history. Tyler Herro seemingly hit the game winning shot, a three, with 6.9" to go and then some birds flew into the air pump. Jimmy Butler missed one of two FT's. A foul was called the other way. Spo used a coaches challenge, to review it; the call was upheld, Josh Richardson missed both FT's, then something happened and Ben Simmons made a basket with six-tenths of a second remaining to tie it 108-108. We're now in overtime Philadelphia 112-111 2:56. Philadelphia showed tremendous mental toughness in the fourth quarter, outscoring Miami 29-23. More than I thought they had.
Now, Trevor Lawrence is not Bo Jackson. And Trevor Lawrence had a huge, gaping hole to run through. But Trevor Lawrence broke Ohio State #41's ankles on a cut back. And Trevor Lawrence then outran #5 for Ohio State and some other "Buckeye" to the end zone. Trevor Lawrence does not have the speed to do that. Ohio State's secondary was shockingly slow on that touchdown. Ohio State: If you win this game you are going to get crushed by LSU.
Well...Clemson held Ohio State on the ensuing possession. Ohio State punted. And then Trevor Lawrence, the QB, made like fucking JK Dobbins 67 yards for the TD! Burning barns in Tempe!
Excuse me? 16-14. Wha hoppen?

Miami 85 Philadelphia 79 End 3Q

Beeg 3Q for the "Heat"! Outscored them Seven Foot Sixers 31-20. Go Heat!

Ohio State 16 Clemson 7, 2:45 HT

Man, did Clemson need that. College football needed that.

Ohio State 10 Clemson 0 End 1Q

But...Ohio State punted, Clemson got the ball in excellent field position, didn't move it much, punted and then on the third play from the OSU 28 JK Dobbins ran 64 yards down to the Clemson 8. First and goal.
Oh. That didn’t take long. JK Dobbins ran the first play from scrimmage after the missed FG 68 yards for a TD. 10-0 Ohio State, 8:35 1Q.
Clemson did not go for it on 4th and 7 from the OSU 32. They tried a field goal and missed. 3-0 OSU, 8: 44 1Q.

Ohio State 3 Clemson 0, 12:03 1Q

OSU drove 76 yards on their opening possession, down to the Clemson 4 yard line before stalling. 
mark thompson
@MarkTLive

Fans of Oklahoma !! It ain’t over!! TD, onside kick, TD, onside kick, TD, onside kick, TD, onside kick, TD, onside kick, TD and we’re all tied up!!!

#LSU #OK
#PeachBowl

Oh that is beautiful.
Oklahoma with one loss...Man, I’ll ya. Hindsight is 20-20 but off the performance—they shouldn’t be playing in this game. Georgia, who I argued vociferously against, should have been one of the four teams selected.
Ed Orgeron should take Burrow out of the game. What if he got hurt, God forbid, playing in a 56-14 game and missed the national championship game?
Joe Burrow, Ohio State transfer, Joe, is 24/33 with seven TDs passing, and one running. So eight TDs in all. Pretty fair performance.
It was 49-14 at half time. LSU took the second half kickoff and has it first and goal at the OU 1.
That sound you just heard was 10 million TV sets in America clicking off simultaneously.
This game is fucking over and the 2Q has barely started. The College Football Playoff has had some dog games. Clemson plays Ohio State tonight and is -2.5. Hope that's a better game.
Joe Burrow, the Heisman Trophy winner, is 12/18 passing and 4 TD's. Jalen Hurts, the Heisman runner-up, is 2/11 and just threw an INT. *ouch*
Oooh, boy. LSU was, I think, a 13 point fave over Oklahoma. They lead 21-7 after 1Q. One of LSU's players said, after watching film, that he thought LSU would blow OU out. Looks like he was right.
The scholarly tackle football playoffs are at 8 pm? Is that tonight? It appears so. Man, they really promoted the hell out of that, didn’t they? I had no idea.
City led 2-0 in the second half. Gave up three goals. My goodness, City.
I thought City played today. I checked to see if it was maybe an early game. It was yesterday. City lost. Again. To Wolves. City does not bring me much joy this season.

Friday, December 27, 2019

I'll be jiggered. Texas A&M came back to beat Okie State 24-21 in that absurdly named bowl. It's only just deserts for an "Aggies" team who must have PTSD after the gauntlet they had to run this season. Congratulations and much respect to Texas A&M.

Michigan State (6-6) further embarrassed the ACC by beating one of the latter's best teams, 8-4, now 8-5 Wake.

One final comment on scholarly tackle football here tonight. The college game is diminished by the year long sidelining of offensive genius Matt Canada. Coaching openings have come, coaching openings have gone, and Matt has not gotten one. If Matt was black you could not convince me that this enforced absence is not racism but Matt is white as all Canada. I truly grieve for Matt Canada the man, this is just so unfair, and the college game is missing out on a man who is a genius; listen to me here, please: Matt Canada is an offensive genius. And he has head coaching experience now; he got high marks for holding together a Maryland Department of Pigskin in a crisis frisson. He didn't get the full-time job and has been idle for a full year now. I grieve for him, and for what  the college game is missing in his absence. Good night.
I removed the sidebar gadget listing the all-time ten most Popular Posts. There was one post in particular that just got hit after hit after hit--after seven years; it was written back in the days of the old, mourned U.S.A. That post is obsolete now.
The "Heat" host the Seven Foot Sixers tomorrow. 7'6"ers are not a mature, mentally strong team. They are capable of blowing anybody in the world out, as they did Miami earlier, as they did Milwaukee on Christmas, and then will lose to Miami, lose to Borelando as they did today, get blown out at home by the Dallas "Cubans", by the fucking "Nets" in New Jersey, again to the "Magic," and so on. They have lost 11 times. They've won 23 times. They're very good and have the talent to win the East but they're fifth in the conference. Miami is third. "Heat" have lost one game (LAL) at home this year. Who can be sure which Philly team will show up in Miami tomorrow night? Are they going to be moping over their second of two losses to Orlando? Or are they going to be motivated by revenge at their last lost to the "Heat"? When they want to play and take their adderall they can easily beat Miami. Regrettably, that is what I predict tomorrow night. The "Process Cheeses" will give Miami its second loss at home.

The "Heat" have replaced Manchester City for me as the club I root for that brings me the most joy. The Centurions were breathtaking, they made you see God; last year's team made me change my underwear. The "Heat" are not that. But the "Heat" are something else, surprising. 23-8, blink, refocus, yes 23-8 with this lineup. You could see City coming, no, you didn't see the Centurions but you could see a league title. Nobody in the known universe saw this "Heat" team coming. They have been a revelation and revelations bring unexpected joy, which gives a considerable extra electrical charge to the emotion. Is not Revelation the most dramatic, compelling chapter of the Good Book?
There's a third Holiday. Jrue is the third, he plays for Nawlins which Indiana plays tomorrow night. If Aaron, Justin (the "J" duh) play for Ind and Jrue for the "Pecans" it will be the first time in NBA history three bros have played in the same game I don't doubt it.
Jimmy...Jimmy...Did you see how Spo gave Jimmy the shot on the last two Myami possessions? Did you see how he missed both opportunities? Did you see that Indiana did not foul Jimmy on those last two shots? Teams outta do more of that, letting Jimmy shoot, do less of fouling Jimmy. Know why? 'CAUSE JIMMY CAN'T FUCKING SHOOT! His stat line for tonight:

20 points on
3/11 shooting...2x3=...une momento por favor...6! Jimmy got six of his 20 points shooting,
14/15 FT's.
Dudes: let this be a lesson to yinz.
9 rebounds
6 assists
4 turnovers
1 steal
Spo, put the fucking ball in someone else's hands for the last shots puhleaze!

I don't know because I have not checked yet but I betcha Bam won this game for Miami. He got the last rebound to save the game!

18 points
8/10
15 rebounds
6 assists
1 TO
So Bam had two fewer points on like 50% better shooting, the same number of rebounds and 75% fewer TO's than Jimmy.

Duncan weren't dunkin' Duncan doesn't do dunkin' Duncan do barrang from behind a tree over the next ridge.

18 points
6/11 (6/10) so Duncan took one shot inside the arc, missed, probably a dunk, and sniped six times from behind the arc, hitting all six :)

"Heat" did not play good D all night. Indiana outshot them 48.9%-44.9%. That is not Miami "Heat" basketball. Spo will not be pleased.

SensaNUNN had a good game.

17 points
7/14 (3/7)
4 rebounds
4 assists

Goran made the last shot. Off a Bam rebound. Off a Bam assist. Spo, Goran has been Mr Clutch for the "Heat" when he has played. Jimmy has been Mr Clunk. Why don't you draw up last plays for Goran? Or Duncan? Or Nunn? Somebody who is not shooting 3/11. Goran:

14 points
6/14 (2/5)
3 rebounds
6 assists
3 TO's
1 steal.

Man, fucking 19 year-old Tyler Herro.

9 rebounds tonight
10 points
4/11 (2/6)
4 assists
3 TO's

Game ball goes to Bam. Again. Jimmy answered right when he was asked recently how it feels to be playing on a team with just one star. Jimmy: "We're a team of one star? Who's that, Bam?"
There are two holidays? Well yeah, moron, Christmas and New Years. No! Indiana has two Holidays? They've got Aaron Holiday and J. Holiday. Well, I don't recognize Indiana holidays.
HEAT WIN! HEAT WIN! HEAT WIN!

Aaron Holiday missed on a "driving, floating jump shot," Ind got the 'bound as time expired.

FT Myami 113 Indianoplace 112!

"Heat" go to 23-8.
...they missed
Jimmy missed, Jimmy got the rebound, Nunn missed, Bam got the rebound, Goran scored 113-112 Mia :06.8. "Pacers" TO.
Lamb missed, Bam rebounded, Jimmy missed, Lamb scored, 112-111 Ind :30.8. Every fucking time I check in a close game down the stretch Jimmy has fucked up. Every fucking time.

111-110 Miami, 1:10 4Q Ind FTO

Jimmy just turned it over on a charge. 

58-53 Miami HT

Weird stat line. Ind: 51.2%,  53.3% from range. Mia: 47.8, 42.1. (?)
HEAT! HEAT!HEAT!

Myami came back int the 2Q, outscored ‘em 33-28 to take a 58-55 HT lead.
Oh my goodness, the "Pacers" led my "Heaters" 27-25 at the end 1Q and now lead 41-36 half way home 2Q.
Stayin' Alive, Bee Gees (1977)

Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk
I'm a woman's man, no time to talk
Music loud and women warm, I've been kicked around
Since I was born
And now it's alright, it's okay
And you may look the other way
We can try to understand
The New York Times' effect on man










Do NOT tell me you knew that....NO YOU DID NOT! LIAR LIAR YOUR UNDERPANTS ARE IN FLAMES. SHUT UP!

Did you know this? I did...I DID!...Don't fucking start on me I
                                                                                                     Did.

Levon, Elton John (1971)

Levon bears his war wound like a crown
He calls his child Jesus
'Cause he likes the name
And he sends him to the finest school in town
Levon, Levon likes his money
He makes a lot, they say
Spends his days countin'
In a garage by the motorway

He was born a pauper to a pawn
On a Christmas day
When the New York Times said
"God is dead and the War's begun"
Alvin Tostig has a son today


are there any other pop songs that have the New York Times in their lyrics just curious
Texas A&M is renewing acquaintances with their old Big 8/Big XII rival #25 Oklahoma State in the "Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl." 'Pokes lead 14-0 halfway through 1Q. "Aggies" on the State 1 yard line right now. Nobody has ever, ever-ever-ever played a schedule like A&M has this season, including three different teams ranked #1 at the time of playing. Oh, and then #8 Auburn and then #4 Georgia. It's unbelievable.
"Heat" (22-8) tip off at the top of the hour against another strong team at the 3A, Indiana (21-10).
Macky old Brown, Brown, Brown,
He flushed them down, down, down,
Laid a double nickel, nickel, nickle
On poor old Temple, Temple, Temple,
Flushed the Bowels down, down, down
55-13, good bye

That is very surprising. North Carolina was 6-6 playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference and Temple was 8-4 in the American Athletic Conference. Pretty good league, the AAC. Fact, if you switch two initials and take out Clemson the ACC and AAC are pretty similar. Football quality-wise. They should merge to form the Almost Competitive Conference. But Temple was not competitive today, hoo doggie! This is the second blow-out loss for the AAC. SMU, who were ranked fifteenth at one time this season, were humiliated 52-28 in the "Boca Raton Bowl" by Florida Atlantic. Those are two bad looks by the AAC which aspires to Power-5 status.
Pitt won 34-30 so miamis loss is definitely worse

Thursday, December 26, 2019

The University of Miami Gardens (6-6) played a bowl game today. They played Louisiana Tech (10-3). UMG lost 14-0. The UMG beat writers are going bat shit. And they should be!

But if Pitt (7-5) loses to Eastern Michigan (6-6)--and the Panthers have never led in this game--is that worse than UMG's loss?  Look at Tech's record. Look at UMG's record; Look at EMU's record. Then look at Pitt's record. Louisiana Tech was a good team this year playing in a shit conference. EMU was a .500 team playing in a shit conference. On that metric alone a Pitt loss would be more embarrassing, more completely fucking unacceptable. But outside two Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writers and the brain-damaged message board lurkers, and Sports Illustrated--aside from them!...Alright, I can't make the case based on "informed opinion" for the UMG loss being worse because of the OBVIOUS talent disparity between 4-star UMG and 3-star Pitt. (I saw a graphic that UMG has 33 4- and 5-star athaleets on its roster and LaTech has 1. If Pitt has had 33 4’s and 5’s in the last five years combined, then I am a motherfucker. But no matter. Pat Narduzzi turned all of his 3’s into at least 4’s and prolly some 5’s like he was Pat Fucking Riley and these rough-born diamonds have been polished and they glitter and they litter the All-American teams, crowded the Heisman dais and will dominate the first round of the NFL draft. According to those DUMB ASSES.) I can only make the case that one idiot blogger who shall go unnamed thought those cognoscenti MOTHERFUCKERS WERE SMOKING CRACK when they had Pitt going 10-2 and playing in the Orange Bowl. But, modesty is becoming and I therefore defer to my betters. A Pitt loss to Eastern Michigan would be WORSE THAN MIAMI'S LOSS TO LATECH!...And as I finish and say good night sweet princes and princesses, EMU leads Pitt 27-20, 10:45 left in the game.

The Orange Bowl Sponsored by Quick Lane Tire and Auto Center

Pitt just tied Eastern Michigan 17-17 in this must-watch TV if you smoked too much weed. But aside from that, I say, my point is I was following Pitt’s drive on ESPN and these are snapshots of the win % on each play.
Why would Pitt be a 51.2% favorite trailing 17-10 half way through the 2Q. Oh, because ESPN is brain dead.

Pitt’s odds increase the closer they get to...tying it (?)


Touchdown Panthers! And their win % zooms to 60.8%!


The extra point is UP, it’s GOOD!...And Eastern Michigan is a 54.4% fave to win

ESPN, for all you do, this is for you.


A League of Their Own

Liverpool routed second-place Lester 4-0 today--at Lester! They are now thirteen points top of the league on Boxing Day! My goodness.

Boxing Day is the day in the Premier League, not for City of course, they play at Wolves tomorrow. ManU continued their schizophrenia at RayJay with a 4-1 win over the Prisoners. Swine Chelsea lost in London 2-0 to Southie. Chelsea is fourth in the table; Southampton fourteenth. Mou's Spurs beat Brighton 2-1 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Spurs are fifth, Brighton fifteenth. And Bournemouth, sixteenth, drew with eleventh-place Arsenal 1-1 in the Martini Glass. Two draws to start Mikel Artega's stint at Emirates.

The difference between Liverpool and Arsenal is in their owners. John Henry brought a World Series championship to Boston "Red Sox" for the first time in eighty-six years in 2004 and has done it three more times since. Now, he will deliver Liverpool its first ever Premier League title and their first in the top flight since 1990. Stan Kroenke brought the NFL back to the only city in America that doesn't want it and sunk $5 billion in a big hole-in-the-ground.

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

FT "Clippers" 111 "Lakers" lol 106

For the second time this season Steve Ballmer's LA team (22-10) got the best of the "other" LA team (24-6), the one with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But not the one with Kawhi Leonard with Doc Rivers coaching.

It reads like a great game and it certainly was Kawhi who won the battle of the superstars. Leonard had a game high 35 points on a stellar 11/19 including 5/7 from range and 8/8 from the line.12 rebounds and 5 assists. But it was more of a team win for LAC. Montrezl Harrell had 18 (8/12) and 6 boards; Paul George had 17 and 5 and Ivica Zubac had 11 and 8. Four "Clips" in double figures.

Also playing were the aforementioned LBJ who had 23, but on poor shooting, and 10 'bounds, and 9 assists, just missing a 3W; The Brow finished  with 24 and 6 but for some reason attempted six treys and made uno. LeBron exactly doubled those long 'uns at 2/12. "Non Existent Inland Bodies of Water" shot a putrid 26.7% from Orange County.

There is yet another goddamned game going on now, an NBA quintuple header on Christmas Day. 
The action in the NBA often seems ballet-like. You hear that often. Sometimes a cameraman captures a split second where it appears choreographed ballet as in the screenshot above of Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard. "The beautiful game" is not soccer; The beautiful game is NBA basketball.
Man oh man. "Cows" led "Golden Showers" 97-96, 7:59 4Q. "Dubs" scored ten in a row over the next three and a half mins, then nine of the next eleven and just now closed out the game 116-104. MAN, some cows couldn't shoot.

FT Philadelphia 121 Milwaukee 109

PHILADELPHIA -- Joel Embiid outplayed Giannis Antetokounmpo in Philadelphia's first home Christmas game in 31 years...

There was a charged atmosphere for the anticipated matchup featuring Embiid and Ben Simmons taking on Khris Middleton and Antetokounmpo. Fans...held signs that said all they wanted for Christmas was a Sixers win.

They got it, with Embiid using the national showcase to play like an MVP...
...
The Sixers hit 11 3s in the half and made the NBA-best Bucks (27-5) look like anything but Eastern Conference contenders.
(ESPN)

That's just a bad look by Milwaukee is all that is.

END 3Q Philadelphia 100 Milwaukee 73

Man, that is strange. The team with the best record in the entire NBA getting treated like a fat girl. A Christmas Day NBA telecast is highly prestigious; Giannis is playing...I just don't understand a humiliating blow-out in a nationally showcased game between two elite teams.
Whoa, the 7’6”ers (22-10) lead the Milwaukee “Male Deer” (27-4!) 69-48 at halftime. 

Life of Brian USA

What did the British ever do for us?!


REG: They've bled us white, the bastards. They've taken everything we had, and not just from us, from our fathers, and from our fathers' fathers.

LORETTA: And from our fathers' fathers' fathers.

REG: Yeah.

LORETTA: And from our fathers' fathers' fathers' fathers.

REG: Yeah. All right, Stan. Don't labour the point. And what have they ever given us in return?!

XERXES: The aqueduct?

REG: What?

XERXES: The aqueduct.

REG: Oh. Yeah, yeah. They did give us that. Uh, that's true. Yeah.

COMMANDO #3: And the sanitation.

LORETTA: Oh, yeah, the sanitation, Reg. Remember what the city used to be like?

REG: Yeah. All right. I'll grant you the aqueduct and the sanitation are two things that the Romans have done.

MATTHIAS: And the roads.

REG: Well, yeah. Obviously the roads. I mean, the roads go without saying, don't they? But apart from the sanitation, the aqueduct, and the roads--

COMMANDO: Irrigation.

XERXES: Medicine.

COMMANDOS: Huh? Heh? Huh...

COMMANDO #2: Education.

COMMANDOS: Ohh...

REG: Yeah, yeah. All right. Fair enough.

COMMANDO #1: And the wine.

COMMANDOS: Oh, yes. Yeah...

FRANCIS: Yeah. Yeah, that's something we'd really miss, Reg, if the Romans left. Huh.

COMMANDO: Public baths.

LORETTA: And it's safe to walk in the streets at night now, Reg.

FRANCIS: Yeah, they certainly know how to keep order. Let's face it. They're the only ones who could in a place like this.

COMMANDOS: Hehh, heh. Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh.

REG: All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?

XERXES: Brought peace.

Monday, December 23, 2019

FT "Heat" 107 "Gospelzz" 104

Huge 4Q for Miami, Big Time win. The "Heat" outscored Utah 31-21 in the 4th. Jimmy iced it with two free throws (Why do teams foul Jimmy?) with five seconds left. Utah is seemingly always good (18-11 coming in); they always have been good. They are a quality organization with an elite history. Since East and West only meet twice a year there are only those opportunities to measure yourself against such an opponent.

Jimmy was the difference tonight, 20 points, 7/15, and 8 rebounds but of course this is Miami, it's always a team thing. Meyers Leonard had perhaps his best game with the "Heat" with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Bam had a complete game. Look at this stat line: 18 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks. My of my. That is the positionless basketball Eric Spoelstra envisioned.

The "Heat" killed Utah on the glass, 55-46, despite, and this is typical of the discouragement the "Heat" cause other teams, Rudy Gobert's monster game of 18 points, 20 rebounds, and five blocks: They still got their glass cleaned by Miami. Tyler Herro had a very good game, also positionless, 17 points on 7/13 and six rebounds.

If you get outrebounded with your Big getting 20, what can you do?

What are you supposed to do when your Big gets 20 boards and you still get outrebounded?  When your opponent's most lethal outside shooters go 6/18 (1/7) and you still get outscored? If it's not Nunn, it's Robinson and if it's not Robinson it's Tyler and there's always Jimmy and Bam. Bam, has he had one off game? I don't think so. The overriding point however, is that Miami can now get points--and rebounds and assists--from so many different players and positions on the floor. They seem to be everywhere and nowhere--because they have no fixed position. Playing the "Heat" is like fighting a war symmetrically against an asymmetric opponent."Okay, SHUT DOWN NUNN!" Barrang, it's Duncan Robinson from behind a tree over the next ridge. "Okay, GUARD THE THREE!" and then Jimmy and Bam play close up and you spend the rest of the game grabbing your shorts while they hit a dozen or so free throws."Okay, don't give them second chances!" "Duh, I did coach": Rudy. But Jimmy and Meyers and Bam and Tyler gang outrebound you. Team outrebound. Team outscore.

This Miami team presents an opponent with, I won't say a unique but such a difficult, constellation of challenges. They can beat you from so many different angles and in so many different ways. What are you going to do when your opponent's playmaker gets 8 boards? When their long-range sniper gets 6? How do you defend a Big who plays so close to the basket most of the time that he sweeps up 12 boards and blocks three shots who can also bring the ball up the floor and dish six times and pick your pocket three times? The NBA is trying to answer those questions. 
Oh man, "Heat" cannot shoot tonight. 38%. Utah 44%. You'd figure that with such a low scoring game through three. That looks like a score from last year. Don't remember a game this season where everybody for Miami is bricking it...Well, except Jimmy,; Jimmy's 7/13.
Goo' ballgame tonight at the 3A. Utah "Gospelzz," 18-11.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

good night cowboys and cowgirls

Cat's Out of the Bag

The Dallas "Cowboys" lost another tackle football game today, in Philadelphia to the "Pigeons." It has been a surpassingly disappointing season for the '"Boys" who really do have tons of talent and a very active, knowledgeable owner, similar to what Arsenal have in Stan Kroenke and Man United have in the Glazer brothers. But anyway. Jerry Jones, '"Pokes" owner, for some reason has employed "Jason" "Garrett" as his head coach for like ten years. Dallas has not done shit in longer than ten years but specifically they have not done shit in Jason Garrett's ten years. Every year brings a chorus of "Garrett Out" demands from Jerry World and every year Jerry has stuck with him.

The consensus however is that today was the real final straw for Jones and that his long overdue cashiering of Garrett will finally occur after next week's game, the last in this miserable season in Big D, against Washington. The candidates Jones has in mind to replace Garrett are not known definitively. There was a report that Dallas had sounded New Orleans "Saints" head man Sean Payton out before this season. The ubiquitous Urban Meyer and Greg Schiano are thought to be high on Jones' list. But Jones has always thought Big and thought outside the box and today he may have given away who the real new man is going to be.
That is former University of Michigan head coach Brady Hoke with Jones before today's game. Hoke sat with Jones in the owner's box in Philly. Hoke has no NFL head coaching experience; either does Urban Meyer; neither did Jimmy Johnson. Schiano does, and was a dumpster fire with Tampa Bay (also owned by the Glazers, btw). Schiano is also a control freak who would chafe under Jones. A well-respected Yahoo sportswriter, whose name I done forgot thought Meyer also would find it difficult to work under Jones. (The unrespected proprietor of this here blog, on the other hand, thinks Meyer would thrive under Jones and deliver Dallas a Super Bowl. So take your pick.) But Brady Hoke knows Jerry Jones, Jerry Jones is a friend of his, Senator you're if working under Jones would be a problem for Meyer and Schiano it would NOT for Hoke. You heard it hear first: Brady Hoke, Dallas "Cowboys" new head coach.
more than when you asked last season
It's bowl season in college tackle football and there's a dinghummer going on in the Tony the Tiger Gasparilla Bowl. Cincinnati of Conference USA scored 23 points in the 4th quarter to tie Miami of the Sunbelt Conference 35-35 to send it to overtime.
this is weird but the cleveland browns are still bad at football
Oh my goodness gracious. 'Arry the Elk 'Ornet, DEAD LAST IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE, beat Manchester United 2-0 today at the DenHive. United are eighth, they're still eighth. This is so surprising. Obviously, but on many levels. United had been unbeaten in all competitions in its last six matches. In the league they had been unbeaten in six, as well including back-to-back wins over Spurs and at City.  We have seen this before from United under Ole Gunnar Solskjær. They will win what seems at the time to be a turning point match. And then fall back. Solskjær cannot get them to play consistently. This syndrome is not down to lack of talent. If you beat Spurs and City you have the talent. If you then lose to fucking WATFORD that's down to the manager not motivating you. DAMN, that is just inexcusable. If I was a United supporter I would be absolutely FURIOUS today. 

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Well, Mikel Arteta's switch from Etihad to Emirates got off to a blah start. Arsenal drew at Everton 0-0.

FT City 3 Lester 1

Well, okay! I have not been nearly as devoted to City for almost all of this season as I have in past seasons--14 points behind Liverpool, the derby loss at home to United--and I didn't have expectations for this match. Lester has crushed me in the past and when I saw that that swine Vardy had given them the lead I was like "whatever," here we go again. And this was a big match for this season's City. Four points out of second place, City needed to win this one at home (but as they also needed to win the derby match at home). So when I went back to check the final just now I thought "Lester tied it." Instead, I saw a City win. 

CITY FOREVER!

HT City 2 Lester 1

That swine Jamie Vardy got the first goal of the match, in the 22’, to give them the lead, but ex-Lester-ite Riyad Mahrez leveled for the Angels in the 30’ and Ilkay Gundogan converted a PK in the 43.
"They did indeed weave and flitter, dip and soar, and they did indeed correct the cave of the ideological origins."

Professor Bailyn is too correct the scholar to completely omit, that would result in hagiography and this is history, and so he elides, he elides like that fucking bat in that mindless cave flitting over mental illness (sixteen pages) dipping and soaring around, under and over slavery (fifteen pages), weaving into the fabric, as in the finest Persian carpet, the minute error that only demonstrates the perfection of the whole:

"6...On the successful opposition to the clause condemning the slave trade in the first draft of the Declaration of Independence, see..."(footnote page 237)1

1 Let us not footnote that as Professor Bailyn does. Let us not minimize that in small print. Let us not elide over it. Let us put that in the text proper of this here post and in a font size that attracts, rather than distracts, attention, rather as John Hancock affixed his signature to that document in a size that he was sure King George III could read. It is this which was successfully opposed in "the Original Rough Draught" of the Declaration of Independence, thus omitted entirely from the Declaration to which John affixed his Hancock. King George III:

has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating it's most sacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating and carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither. this piratical warfare, the opprobrium of infidel powers, is the warfare of the CHRISTIAN king of Great Britain. determined to keep open a market where MEN should be bought and sold, he has prostituted his negative for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or to restrain this execrable commerce: and that this assemblage of horrors might want no fact of distinguished die, he is now exciting those very people to rise in arms among us, and to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, and murdering the people upon whom he also obtruded them; thus paying off former crimes committed against the liberties of one people, with crimes which he urges them to commit against the lives of another.

Tom, take that shit out.























Oh okay.
Professor Bailyn is too correct the scholar ever to make the discrediting error of omission. He does write sixteen pages on the colonists' conspiratorial bent of mind. "Mind" is also the title of the poem which he includes in his Postscript. "Mind," the poem, is "Perhaps the most subtle and penetrating" commentary on the Constitution.

Mind

Mind in its purest play is like some bat
That beats about in caverns all alone,
Contriving by a kind of senseless wit
Not to conclude against a wall of stone

It has no need to falter or explore;
Darkly it knows what obstacles are there,
And so may weave and flitter, dip and soar
In perfect courses through the blackest air.

And has this simile a like perfection?
The mind is like a bat. Precisely. Save
That in the very happiest intellection
A graceful error may correct the cave.


The undersigned confesses the significant negligence of not reading, ever, the Postscript to The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution. In "Fulfillment: A Commentary on the Constitution," Professor Bailyn is at his writerly best in the Prostscript, he writes almost lyrically for a scholar in a scholarly work. He uses repetition for emphasis, the short or sentence fragment for boldness, he reprints a short poem. Professor Bailyn venerates the Constitution, it is clear. And the men who made it. The Constitution is nearly a miracle creation of god-like men.

more...scrutiny and commentary than has been given to any document except the Bible. No one has mastered [it]... no on ever will. There is too much...The subject matters too much...

It is as nearly moving as a scholar is permitted to be.

No, I do not now think that Professor Bailyn endured crisis in confronting the pamphlets of the Revolution, whatever he meant by writing the book "during a difficult time." Or if he did he fucking got over it, so you see where this is going with me.
Second place Leicester is at third place Manchester City at 12:30 p.m. today.  I am so heated up I haven't been able to turn my mind to that one.
My God. Bam brought the goddamn ball up like a frigging point guard, stutter-stepped at the top of the key, raced by his defender and drove to the basket for a lay-up and one. Jesus Christ.

What fucking kryptonite is Derrick Jones, Jr. on? Mother-fucker SKY-walks. Three times in six minutes of highlights so far Miami's exquisite passers made eye contact with DJJ who presently was airborne and slamming the lob through. I mean...I can't do that.

Friday, December 20, 2019

Good night apples and oranges
The best thing about playing New York, of course, is the easy win, but the other benefit, maybe more important than just one game, is r-e-s-t. The game immediately was out of hand and remained that way and so Miami got to play nearly everybody and rest its starters. No "Heat" starter played more than 30 minutes, that was Bam of course, who's probably pissed, probably went into the "Knicks" locker after the regular game, "Hey, y'all wanna play another one, me against y'all?," Bam is probably sad that he only played 30, probably will offer to give back a portion of his salary; Jimmy only played 28, Kendrick 24, Duncan (Duncan took 10 shots, they were all from three, made 6 of them. Which is good.) played 23 and Meyers 22. That's the starters. Four of Miami's five subs played more minutes than three of the starters :) And among them the Dragon! The Dragon is back! Goran played 24 ', 18 points, 6/12 (4/9), and 8 assists which isn't bad except it was against the "Bockers."  Chris Silva saw 12". Chris is on a leash that the G-League holds the reigns to, no lie that, if he plays over a certain number of games, he turns into a Rapid City "Thriller," no lie, so that Chris got in the game is persuasive of Miami's intent not to go to its next-up which was Andy Elisburg I think I said I think.
129-110, 1:08 left. Knicks still have timeouts!
And this jackass! This is the guy who had the crack hallucination. Put the pipe DOWN bruh!

Posting and Toasting
@ptknicksblog

Props to the Knicks, they have been at least playing hard against the Heat backups here
10:16 PM · Dec 20, 2019·Twitter for Android



This is like reading the Echo or watching 🦊. I am stunned that New York City’s collective IQ is that of the average Trump supporter. 

Pat O'Keefe
@patokeefe12


The #Knicks bench has been highly productive for the second straight game. Tuesday vs. Atlanta, they scored 72 Points. Tonight, they have scored 60 points with 7:30 remaining. Bobby Portis and Mitchell Robinson are a combined 17 for 21 shooting from the field.
10:07 PM · Dec 20, 2019·

Is this a parody account? This is the second idiotic tweet from this guy on this game. What world, sir?
Mike Vorkunov
Verified account
@MikeVorkunov

The Knicks scored 143 Tuesday night and might not hit 100 tonight. I don't know what the biggest swing from one game to another is but playing the Hawks and Heat back-to-back will do it.

6:44 PM - 20 Dec 2019

What Mike, who writes for The Athletic, means there is...but it still doesn't make too much sense, going from playing a shit team like Atlanta (6-23, worst in conference) on Thursday night to playing Miami (20-8) accounts for how the "Knicks" scored 143 last night and might not hit 100 tonight. It doesn't make complete sense because the "Knicks" themselves are a shit team (7-21, the second-worst in the conference). That is, the second shittiest team should not be beating the shittiest by 23. Either of those two shits playing Miami on the second of a back-to-back, however, will get the shit kicked out of them...That was a needless explanation sorry.

"Not willing to rule out a mike miller-fueled comeback"

not willing to rule out a cocaine-fueled psychosis
Posting and Toasting
@ptknicksblog

Knicks down 20. Not willing to rule out a Mike Miller-fueled comeback but this feels like one of those nights where the Knicks just don't have it

5:35 PM - 20 Dec 2019

im willing to rule it out also 21 out of 28 times they haven't
Tim Reynolds
Verified account
@ByTimReynolds

Heat 39, Knicks 20 after one quarter. It matches the second-largest after-one-quarter lead that Miami has had over New York in the history of creation.

5:36 PM - 20 Dec 2019

long
Pat O'Keefe
Verified account
@patokeefe12

The #Heat offense looked like the #Knicks from Tuesday in the first quarter. A few troubling numbers... 3-Pointers: Miami (5-10), Knicks (0-5)... Free Throws: Miami (4-4), Knicks (0-0)... Assists: Miami (14), Knicks (3)


also 49-29 in points which is the big kahuna trouble-wise
28-14, 2:57 1Q.
Early, the "Heats" have more than doubled up the "Bockers," 17-8, 5:54 1Q.

Mikel Arteta Named Arsenal Manager

Mikel, former Arsenal captain and Pep Guardiola's top assistant the last three and one-half years at City takes over after "a frantic search" by the club for a replacement for interim head guy Freddie Ljungberg who was appointed after Unai Emery was fired earlier this year.

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Oh please