Josh Q. Public:Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it. -Andre Gide
Public Knowledge:
1. Yankees first baseman’s SandyShelly Duncan, slides into second base with his Takeo Spikes raised. Bench-clearing donnybrook ensues. Two players and two coaches ejected. If this happens in the NBA, it’s a thug league. NBA teams should be referred to as gangs. Blah, blah, blah. It happens in baseball, it’s part of the game. It’s a travesty. It’s a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham.
2. On the other hand:
3. Everybody loves the Spurs. Me too. But this stat may be telling in how far they go. With their loss to the Hornets last night, the Spurs record dropped to 9-11 this season in games against the top eight teams in the Western Conference. Not so jingly. Not so jangly. In games between teams from the West that would qualify for the playoffs if the season ended today, only Phoenix has a worse record than San Antonio.
4. Chris Paul is good. Real good. How good? Consider this. Consider CP3 made twelve of the Hornets’ forty-four field goals last night. Consider CP3 assisted on seventeen others. Consider CP3 has either made or assisted 48.3 percent of his team’s field goals this season. No NBA player has finished a season having a hand in such a high percentage of his team’s field goals since your boy, John Stockton in 1990-91. Yowza! That’s good. Just so you know. Tiny Archibald has the record. 1973. Kansas City Kings. Tiny led the NBA in scoring and dimes, becoming the first and so far only player ever to win the titles in both categories in the same season. 53.5%. Goodness!
5. He shoots. He scores! My man. Alexander Ovechkin. My man, Alexander Ovechken had two goals last night. Wait, that’s not the good part. This is the good part. Alexander Ovechkin had two goals last night on eleven shots. Eleven shots. What can I say? The guy takes a lot of shots. How many shots? That was the 17th time that Ovechkin had 10-or-more shots on goal in a game in his three seasons in the league. That matches the number of double-digit-shot games over the last three seasons by the next four players on the list combined. That matches Olli Jokinen, Jaromir Jagr, Ilya Kovalchuk and Mats Sundin combined. That’s a lot of shots. Who else is gonna take ‘em? Quintin Lainge?
6. I love Josh Hamilton. First pick in the draft. Four million dollar bonus baby. Drafted ahead of Boom Boom Beckett with the overall top pick. Played some minor league ball. Got hurt. Got hooked on the horse. Lost three years of his life. Lost three years waiting for his man. Lost three years and the twenty-six dollars in his hand. Lost three years up to Lexington, 1-2-5. Lost three years feeling sick and dirty, more dead than alive. Lost three years waiting for his man. But like Jack Torrance, he’s baaack. Back and as good as ever. Back with the Texas Rangers. First in Ribbies this spring with the Texas Rangers. Second in batting this spring with the Texas Rangers. Smashing it with the Texas Rangers. Mashing it with the Texas Rangers. Taking a hammer and bashing it with the Texas Rangers. Old Teammate Ryan Freel: “He’s a great story.” He certainly is Ryan, he certainly is.
7. Uh oh. What’s this? A Greg Oden sighting? Greg Oden went through the drills at about half speed and reportedly looked much like he did before his surgery. Good news for Blazers fans. Real good news. Greg Oden will take Brandon Roy and the rest Trail Blazers straight to the Promised Land. Mister I ain’t a boy, no I’m a man. And I believe in a promised land. I believe in Greg Oden.
8. Phat Albert Winnie the Pujols is confident he can make it through another season. Phat Albert Winnie the Pujols is confident he can make it through the rest of his career. Make it without needing reconstructive surgery. Love is all around, no need to waste it. You can have a town, why don’t you take it. You’re gonna make it after all. I sure hope so. I took him in the first round (9th overall) on my fantasy team.
9. I can’t do this without talking about my Celtics, can I? My streaking Celtics. My peaking Celtics. My freaking Celtics. Ah, freak out! Le freak, c’est chic. Freak out! The Celtics are in the middle of their longest winning streak in nearly 22 years. The Boston Celtics‘ confidence continues to grow. Their confidence continues to grow just in the nick of time. Just in the nick of time as they eye their toughest road trip of the season. It’s the eye of the tiger, it’s the cream of the fight. Roll Celtics, roll!
Wherever I am at the time, I still laugh out loud when seeing the Pedro-Zimmer video/picture. God, what was that stupid old coot thinking?!!!.
It's too bad Ovy will be watching the playoffs at home, again, this year. You'd think the "Fat Man" (not William Conrad), Ted Leonsis would shell out some of that AOL dough for a couple of defensemen. Green is going to be a star, but they need a stay-at-home guy. Think Ulf is available?
1. im lost, is it a sham, travesty or mockery? Mr. Kotter, im sooo confused
3. i dont like the spurs
5. you would think this guy played in boston, the way he keeps appearing here, whats with all the O. love
6. redrum, i love it
8. 9th ? you fool
9. thats 3 for the week, im counting
10. although its been said, many times, many ways,yes they do
sid missed some games here, i like em both, and i like hockey. want to talk about elias, broduer,parise, gionta and my personal favorite john madden, no , not that madden. and the fact lord stanleys cup is comming to newark this year
9. "Hoooo, Hoooo!" I can cheer for one team in the East and a few in the West.
Unless it's Dallas or San An, I'm leasing my cheers to Boston in the Finals.
Greg Oden. We're talking about practice, man, practice, but at least it's some positive news.
NEWSFLASH! Bruce Bowen is a dirty player. Championship rings equal getting bogus calls, just ask Shaq and MJ. Don't really see how Bowen qualifies for that kind of favoritism.
I noticed you have the pic of the day I lost all respect I had for Pedro. Way to beat down an old man, Pedro.
Bowen should have technicaled for that. If the NFL won't let Haynesworth get away with stomping on someone without a fine and suspension, David Stern needs to grow some balls, do his best Mutumbo impression and say, "No, no, no! You ain't getting away with that!"
JoshQ
There's going to be allout carnage this postseason within the Western Conference.
We'll not see this much blood being splattered in an athletic endeavor since Tyson decided that he wanted to make Holfyield his main course some years back.
As for the Spurs I for am hoping that they'll refocus and get their game back on track in time for the playoffs. They'll definately need to if they're to survive the postseason.
JoshQ
Prior to the start of the season I'd have had the Spurs as favorites to come out of the West . Now I'm not so sure as things have become ever so unclear. There are teams in the West that no one really thought'd be in with a chance . Look at how well the Hornets , Lakers and Rockets have been playing ? You'd be an instant fool to better against any of the three at this juncture.
josh q. public. For the public, by The Public. Irreverent sports opinion from a Bostonian in New York. The one blog to read, when you’re reading more than one. Good to the last drop!