The NBA All-Star game is a JOKE. Has been for years and the reason I haven't watched a single one in years. Where can I start. Is it the lack of Defense, the countless undefended whirlwind ducks, half court shorts, one on one plays, the hooting and hollering sideline antics from top NBA players who act like they haven't seen anything like this. There's plenty more and more.

The trouble as I see it, the NBA is actually marketing this sort of I don't know what you'd call it. ESPN years back televised a thing call "Streetball" which was a sort of combination of basketball skills centered around games tended to be characterized by isolation one-on-one ball handling moves and acrobatic slam dunks and alley-oops. If this is what Adam Silver, Commissioner of the NBA, is advocating, he's out of his freckling mind. Better to resurrect B.T. Barnum to run NBA operations. The NBA totally needs a re-set button. They need to take away the Hollywood type theatrics out of their showcase game. I can remember players playing for pride and using their god given talents to broadcast the greatest athletes playing the most skilled team game ever invented. Today, it's nothing more than come see what I can do, followed by I can do that better.

So until the NBA comes to its senses and brings back a high level skilled game, count me out. 

P.S. The Dunk Competition was won by a non-roster player. Maybe American Idol can furnish a country-wide search for next year's participants.

 

 

People will come, Ray.

The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball.

America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It’s been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time.

This field, this game — it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again.

Yahoooooooo...Pitchers and Catchers are reporting. Spring Training games are days away. 

Let the storylines and predictions begin. It's time for Sunshine, green grass, cracks of a bat, balls smacking gloves, dirty uniforms, young rookies challenging vets, and new rules. 

All these lead us to Opening Day and according to the great baseball writer Tom Boswell, "Why Time Begins on Opening Day"

 

It's the day after Super Bowl LVII and all sport talk shows and national sport networks are yacking about what they saw played out on the field in Glendale Arizona. I thought I would throw my two cents in just like the big boys on network do. 

First, I'm not into Super Bowl parties. Better stated, I hate those sort of parties that present nothing equating to the game. Food, drinks, betting and a gathering of I'm only interested in the commercials and the lame halftime over hyped entertainment I can do without. I've always been about the GAME. 

I came into Super Bowl Sunday convinced the Eagles would trounce and physically abuse the Chiefs. As an old-time football fan, it was my belief the power of the Eagles Offensive and Defensive lines would punish and wear down the Chiefs. Boy, was I surprised by their ineffective means to rush and limit Mahomes. Not one sack the entire game. Did the Eagles ever blitz? Not one turnover the entire game. On the offensive side, the running game was mostly controlled by the Chiefs as it never seemed to have the momentum needed that was evident against the 49'ers in the NFC Championship game. 

The key turning point was the Jalan Hurts fumble which was returned for a touchdown. Up to that point the Eagles were dominant and to go into halftime up only by ten made it any ones ball game. 

Toward the end of the first half, Mahomes looked to have suffered a reinjury to his ankle, hobbling off the field. But its the NFL and halftime at a Super Bowl means a longer break as the halftime spectacle does its thing. It gave Mahomes extra time to rest and gave Andy Reid the time and opportunity to make the necessary adjustments heading into the second half.

Those halftime adjustments were spot on and the Chiefs rolled throughout the final two quarters. I can't remember a single incomplete pass. Receivers were extra wide open and on two TD's it seemed the Eagles were completely baffled as the Chief receivers walked into the end zone.

Even with the Chiefs second half dominance, the game came down to the final possession and a call that could either have been ignored or was correctly flagged by the official. A 3rd down holding call put the Chiefs in position to run down the clock and kick a game winning FG with 8 seconds left on the scoreboard.

My interpretation of the flag is this. It's a play that can be called on every snap regardless of time and circumstance. It was a minor grab. The ball was overthrown by at least 10 yards, not catchable. But, this is what the NFL and all major sport leagues are now laid open to; referees are there to review plays under review. If you need perfection, then every play needs inspection to see if there to be rule infractions. 

So, let the players play and get out of the way of what now is two straight years of a Super Bowl being determined by a so-call minor defensive holding call.

The Chiefs are World Champs and in the end at some point in the future no one will remember but the date and score.