USA Basketball

Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.  -JFK

Public Service Announcement:  Ok, here we go!  I love it.  It’s about time.  About time USA Basketball takes itself seriously.  About time we go out and punch somebody in the mouth, Dream Team style.  Restore some order back.  I know, I know,  just a warm-up.  But if things go the way I think they will, the good ole USA will take the Gold at the World Championships in Sapporo, Japan this summer.  All will be right in the world once again.

This was a sign of things to come.  Team USA thwarted any hopes Puerto Rico had for another upset.  Team USA played smash mouth defense, long absent from their game.  Team USA held a gigantic 21-1 edge in points off turnovers at the half.  Team USA is good.  Lebron.  Wade.  Chris Paul.  Melo.  Antoine Jamison.  Joe Johnson.  Young and hungry.  They played the second half no differently. 

They easily capitalized after turnovers.  They opened the second with a 12-0 run, capped by a tenacious dunk (and one) by King James after a steal by Joe Johnson, to blow the game wide open in the third. A minute or two later D-Wade got a highlight dunk of his own and saluted the fans.  The biggest salute goes out to Coach K.  He has this team playing hard, something that’s been sorely lacking from past Team USA’s.  So bring on the world, this time we’re ready.

Public Knowledge:

• Maddux pitches 6 innings of no-hit baseball before he gets rained out.  Is this a sign of things to come?  I think so.  If he keeps this up it could be the Dodgers in the World Series.
• Sox lose 7-6.  No late inning heroics.  Boom Boom Beckett gets killed.  Lose first place to Yankees.  No worries, Javy Lopez is here to save the day.
• Football is here.  This weekend, the 1st game.  Raiders vs. Eagles in the Hall of Fame Game.
• This is it for Rex Grossman.  Make or break time.  He’s given the best defense in the NFL.  Plenty of offensive weapons.  If the Bears go nowhere, its clearly Sexy Rexy’s fault.
• Chase Utley watch:  Utley singled early to extend his streak to 35.  As for the Cardinals in that game, well they lost, again.  In fact, they have lost a season-high eight in a row. La Russa:  “It’d be hard to do worse than we’re doing right now.  We’re not even getting to the ninth inning with a chance to win.”
• Kansas City Chief lineman Willie Roaf retires.  Look out fantasy football owners.  Larry Johnson’s stock just went down a notch.
• I like that snowboarder/skateboarder kid Shaun White.  He’s a funny guy.  Shaun talks with a local TV station. The questions are a series of softballs.  What’s on your iPod?  What kind of car do you drive?  Favorite websites?  Boxers or briefs?  It turns out, Shaun prefers to go commando. Me too.
• Wearing an oversized brown sombrero and a bright yellow shirt emblazoned with the No. 5, Chorizo became the fifth pork product to join the famed sausage races at every Milwaukee Brewers home game.  Sadly, it was short-lived.  The Brewers said they were sending the Chorizo down to the minors for more “seasoning.”   As the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal writes: “According to Susan Goodenow, an MLB spokesman, baseball wants to be sure that fans tie into new characters or promotions from a marketing and licensing standpoint. She was being nice. She meant to say baseball wants to be sure the Chorizo will make the Brewers, Klement’s and anyone else connected with the promotion a lot of money.”
• Landis:  Will you just knock it off already.  For cripes sakes.  Let’s go through the excuses: 1)  Thyroid  2)  Too much Jack Daniels  3)  The testing process is flawed  4)  Dehydration  5) Cortizone in the hip….. How ’bout this, steroids.
• Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said Thursday that the school acted quickly when it found out that starting quarterback Rhett Bomar broke NCAA rules through his employment at a car dealership.  The school had to cut him to protect themselves.  No arguement there.  But shouldn’t they have seen this coming.  Shouldn’t somebody be looking out for their #1 QB.  Stupid.  My money has this kid turning up at another school.
• Mario Williams is going to be a bust.  I see it coming, Tony Mandarich style, Ryan Leaf style.
• Little League World Series right around the corner.  here are some particpants who made it to the Majors.  Sean “Englebert” Burroughs.  Torii Hunter.  Gary Sheffield.  Pierre Turgeon (NHL).  Guillermo Quiroz (Blue Jays).  Adam Vinatieri.  George W. Bush.  Cal Ripken, Jr.  Chris Drury (NHL).  Jason Marquis.  Lastings Milledge.  Boog Powell.  Carney Lansford.  Charlie Hayes.  Dwight Gooden.  Derek Bell.  Wilson Alvarez.

Who is the fiirst person to play in the Little League World Series, the College Baseball World Series, and the Major League Baseball World Series? 

Ed Vosberg. He was the first baseman for Cactus Little League of Tucson, Ariz., in the 1973 Little League Baseball World Series final, after pitching a one-hitter against Birmingham, Michigan, in the semifinals. He earned a baseball scholarship to the University of Arizona, where he played on the NCAA national championship team in 1980. Ed eventually made it to the Major Leagues, and played for the Florida Marlins in the 1997 Major League World Series.

Jason Varitek became the second player to accomplish the rare triple.  Little League World Series – 1984 Altamonte  Springs, Florida  NCAA Runner-up – Georgia Tech  MLB World Series Champion – 2004 Boston Red Sox.

• Newly crowned NABO Light Heavyweight Champeen Roy Jones Jr., wants to fight undefeated Middleweight Champ Joe “The Pride of Whales”  Calzaghe.  I saw that kid totally dismantle Jeff “Left Hook” Lacey.  I hope he beats Jones.  But I have to ask, what is the NABO? When will boxing get its act together and just have one championship.  No one cares anymore.  i still don’t know who the heavyweight champ is.
• When is The Shield coming back?  I’m dying over here.
• Remember all the crazy get-ups Clinton Portis wore to press conferences.  Well now you get them all on a tee shirt at Redskins.Com. 

Peace out homies.  Six Two and Even!

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