Baseball's first half has provided a lot of surprise teams, and a lot of disappointments. We are seeing a lot of teams that weren't expected to compete, remain in the race and at the same time some teams that should be in the race are falling flat on their face.
Here's a first half analysis of each team now that we are at or around 81 games:
After months of waiting and speculation, the NBA draft concluded in spectacular fashion. While, gratefully, no one was shot, there were some highs and lows. In fact, this year, supplied us with more activity than usual, with players being moved, picks being traded, and more mystery than what Brad and Angelina are going to name their twins. How about Billy and Bob if they are boys, I think Pitt would enjoy the irony.
As for the draft itself, it once again managed to capture my attention as well as my ire. As in the years past it is now turning into a glorified baseball draft. Half of the top ten turn out to be good players, and the rest of the draft is a complete crapshoot.
In an attempt to revive the interest in Major League Baseball following the strike season of 1994, the powers that be finally decided that giving Interleague Play a try in 1997 was an experiment that they were willing to try.
Twelve seasons later, the stands are still filling up, the televisions are still tuning in and Interleague Play appears that it is here to stay.
Thirteen months ago when my beloved Warriors were literally shoved out of the playoffs by the Utah Jazz, I remember being outraged. I watched the entire series and I remember screaming about how bad the officiating was.
The Jazz were manhandling the Warriors down low, pushing, shoving, pulling, anything to get rebounds and loose balls. I was inconsolable. After watching the Finals from this year from a more objective view point, my entire opinion has been changed permanently.
Coaches and analysts always talk about how teams need to be more aggressive and more assertive. Players often say how they need to play their game and not let defenses take them out of their game.
There are two parts to the Major League Baseball season: the regular season which does not matter whatsoever and the post-season which is where you hope to be playing your best baseball.
Teams that load up to win a division or make the playoffs sometimes don't think about tooling a team that is built to succeed in the post-season.
There are certain teams that are perfectly designed to be very dominant over the course of 162 games, but when the season gets shrunk wrapped into a micro version of itself and the pressure increases, these teams have been known to wilt.
When the 2008 Major League First-Year player draft didn't come calling for Jordan Remer on June 5-6, the left-hander from Piedmont High School in California's Bay Area didn't get down on himself.
And why should he?
For guys in their mid to late twenties such as myself, the Lakers and the Celtics made us gravitate towards the NBA. These two franchises are number one and number two in championships (Celtics 16, Lakers 14). When Michael Jordan was coming of age, he had his breakout 63-point game against the Celtics. When Jordan won his first title, it was against the Lakers. And when EA sports decided to make a five on five NBA game, they named it, "Lakers vs. Celtics: and the NBA playoffs". That title pretty much says it all. There are the Lakers and the Celtics...and then there's everyone else.
