SportsHoncho

Grading the SportsHoncho's NBA Playoff Predictions:

Below are my predictions and my self-grading system in red, which is arbitrary and really just a relative percentage.  If Boston can beat the Lakers, giving me 0% on that series, I will come out of the playoffs with a... carry the 2.... 60% grade.  WHAT, I FAILED!?!  (Lakers winning in 6, will give me 67%, sweet a D+).

I really thought I had done better than that on these predictions and this post was going to prove my NBA genius...  I will publish this anyway, even if it shows that I can't guess how the NBA or Stern orchestrate playoffs to their liking.  No, I don't think the NBA or Stern tell refs to change games, but Yes, I do believe NBA refs collectively suck at their jobs.  

Round 1
Lakers over Nuggets in 4 (100%)
Mavericks over Hornets in 6 (0%, Hornets won in 5)
Suns over Spurs in 7 (0%, Spurs won in 5)
Jazz over Rockets in 6  (100%)

Celtics over Hawks in 4 (70%, in 7)
Pistons over 76ers in 6 (100%)
Magic over Raptors in 7 (75%, in 5)
Cavaliers over Wizards in 5 (80%, in 6)

Round 2
Lakers over Utah in 7 (80%, in 6)
Suns over Mavericks in 5 (0%)

Celtics over Cavaliers in 5 (75%, in 7)
Pistons over Magic in 4 (80%, in 5)

Conference Finals
Lakers over Suns in 7 (50%, Lakers over Spurs in 5)
Celtics over Pistons in 6 (100%)

NBA Championship Finals
Lakers over Celtics in 6 (Come on Celtics, make me 0% for this series)

Update to ZipCodeSports.com database:

The following schedules have been uploaded to the website for the 2008 season (See the "Leagues Gathered" page for all schedules uploaded to the database):

• Northern League (Baseball)
• WNBA
• Canadian Football League
• Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
• United League (Baseball)
• American Association of Independent Professional Baseball

Playoffs:

• NBA
• NBA Development League
• National League Lacrosse

Cheering for the Lakers....

So easy a Caveman can do it. 

My wife, yes my wife, wanted to go to Game 3 of the Jazz/Laker's series, mostly to see American Idol finalist David Archuleta sing the National Anthem.  As always I was eager to please my wife and got tickets quickly before she changed her mind.

This was the annoying Laker fan that sat near us and he is the closest real life caveman I have seen.  Seriously he might be that guys twin.

NBA Playoff Predictions:

Here are my predictions for the NBA playoffs, in case you were wondering.  As a Jazz homer, I would love to put them into the finals (I have read/heard a couple experts do it).  However I think the western conference is too strong and contains the two teams I don't think the Jazz can beat in a series; San Antonio and Los Angeles.   

Round 1
Lakers over Nuggets in 4
Mavericks over Hornets in 6
Suns over Spurs in 7
Jazz over Rockets in 6

Celtics over Hawks in 4
Pistons over 76ers in 6
Magic over Raptors in 7
Cavaliers over Wizards in 5

Round 2
Lakers over Utah in 7
Suns over Mavericks in 5

Celtics over Cavaliers in 5
Pistons over Magic in 4

Conference Finals
Lakers over Suns in 7
Celtics over Pistons in 6

NBA Championship Finals
Lakers over Celtics in 6

Uuuggh, the Lakers and Kobe win the title.?  I can't imagine a worse scenario.  Kobe will get more arrogant and prickish. 

The Western Conference champion should win the title, so if the Jazz do get through the Western Conference playoffs, they will raise the trophy.  The Western Conference champion will have come through a tough Western conference season and playoffs, hardened and ready to dispatch whoever the East gives them, even the Celtics who are definitely good and by far the best from the East.

A Vicious Circle

Since I have never been a big baseball fan, this post is rare.  I average one minor league game per year, the Salt Lake Bees.  We attend the July 24th game, a state holiday in Utah, with the largest draw being the post game fireworks, both my wife and boys love 'em.  A New York Yankees game last year was my first ever major league game.  The Dodger game a couple of weeks ago was my second.  Major League games in my first 32 years: 0.  Major League games in the last year: 2.  My interest in baseball is obviously skyrocketing.  Who is my favorite team, then?

It starts with my brother-in-law, Darren.  I have been in my wife's family for almost 11 years now and at a minimum, I talk to Darren weekly.  We golf together, go to Jazz games together, Holly and I go out with him and his dates regularly.  I had no idea he was a Red Sox fan until about 3 years ago.  He  will argue to death that he has always been a Red Sox fan, but cannot explain how I failed to notice or know this until 3 years ago.  Is it coincidence that this came out when they started to be good again?  Another annoying factor is that Darren is the only boy, with 4 sisters who cherish, love, No... they outright worship him, including my wife, and they defend and agree that he has been a lifelong Red Sox fan.  In fact, most of them claim Red Sox Nation as their own.

Who is my Team?  The New York Yankees.  Thats right, Jeter, Posada, Matsui, Alex,... THE New York Yankees.  Now I could lie and say that I have been a long time Yankee fan.  I could lie and say,... uggh I love the Steinbrenner's.  I could continue the lies and say I have followed them since I was knee-high.  But I won't.  I am a Yankee fan to bring balance to my family and mostly play a devils-advicote Yankee fan to this family of band wagon Red Sox fans.  Stupid reason? Yes!  I HAVE, however, always liked Jeter, and what other team out there is a bigger thorn in the Red Sox' side?  That's why I am a Yankees fan.

Darren's explanation of the recent resurgence of his fandom, is that a couple of high school buddies who are Yankee fans, have always been overbearing in their dominance and now that the Red Sox has immerged, he has gained interest again.  Annoying Yankee fans (high school buddies) bred an annoying Red Sox fan (Darren), which bred a new NOT annoying Yankee fan, me... thus a Vicious Circle.

"Vicious Circle" was stolen from the latest book from Robert Littell, one of my favorite author's.  The book is about the unrest in the Middle East and Israel, based on that magnitude, I think it applies.

Update to ZipCodeSports.com database:

The following schedules have been uploaded to the website for the 2008 season (See the 'Leagues Gathered'  page for all schedules uploaded to the database):

• WLA - Western Lacrosse Association
• MLL (Major League Lacrosse)
• USL Premier Development League (PDL)
• Seniors Professional Bowlers Association
• MSL (Major Series Lacrosse)
• Women’s LEGENDS Tour
• AMA Motocross
• National Premier Soccer League (NPSL)
• Pacific Coast Soccer League (PCSL)

Playoffs:

• American Hockey League
• International Hockey League

The following schedules have been uploaded to the website for the 2008 season (See the 'Leagues Gathered'  page for all schedules uploaded to the database):

• WLA - Western Lacrosse Association
• MLL (Major League Lacrosse)
• USL Premier Development League (PDL)
• Seniors Professional Bowlers Association
• MSL (Major Series Lacrosse)
• Women’s LEGENDS Tour
• AMA Motocross
• National Premier Soccer League (NPSL)
• Pacific Coast Soccer League (PCSL)

Playoffs:

• American Hockey League
• International Hockey League

The following schedules have been uploaded to the website for the 2008 season (See the 'Leagues Gathered'  page for all schedules uploaded to the database):

• WLA - Western Lacrosse Association
• MLL (Major League Lacrosse)
• USL Premier Development League (PDL)
• Seniors Professional Bowlers Association
• MSL (Major Series Lacrosse)
• Women’s LEGENDS Tour
• AMA Motocross
• National Premier Soccer League (NPSL)
• Pacific Coast Soccer League (PCSL)

Playoffs:

• American Hockey League
• International Hockey League

Update to ZipCodeSports.com database:

The following schedules have been uploaded to the website for the 2008 season (See the 'League Pages' for all schedules uploaded to the database):

Playoffs:

• Central Hockey League
• Southern Professional Hockey League
• Major Indoor Soccer League
• NHL (National Hockey League)
• East Coast Hockey League

The following schedules have been uploaded to the website for the 2008 season (See the 'League Pages' for all schedules uploaded to the database):

Playoffs:

• Central Hockey League
• Southern Professional Hockey League
• Major Indoor Soccer League
• NHL (National Hockey League)
• East Coast Hockey League

Back from vacation...

and although I did update the schedule database for several leagues in the middle of playoffs (CBA, SPHL, CHL), I did not update the Leagues page of the website to reflect these changes.  I am also a little behind in uploading new season schedules (I try to upload the information 45 days before the season starts; so I am still ahead of the ball, just behind with my schedule), and less importantly babbling in blog posts.   With that said, we had a great vacation and I should be up-to-date with the season schedules, website modifications and posts by this weekend.

Here are a couple of pictures from the weekend, including the Dodger game I went to.

The CBI? and why I like it!

Its the CBI, and to clarify, it stands for College Basketball Invitational.  Haven't heard of it?  You are not alone.  But let me tell you why I already like it.

It gives my Utah Runnin' Utes an opportunity to play in the post season.  You see... Utah didn't have the best year.  New coach and new system didn't produce the results that we are use to at Utah.  Under Majerus, Utah became a powerful program, during the 1990's Utah was in the top 10 winning-est programs.  The Majerus-era spoiled us and the programs has slipped since.  I am looking forward to the Jim Boylen era and think this year was more a product of the last coach, Gaci-something.   So for Utah to get the chance to play in a post season tournament, at any level is good.  It gives this young team more practice time and competition from around the country.

Looking into the CBI, and this opinion is skewed by my teams chance to play in it, seems well organized and is trying hard to keep fans informed, with their website.  The website has information on each team, news stories about each game and it is updated soon after the games end.

The best thing about the CBI?  It has a tournament ending best-of-3 series.  One draw back to the tournament is that only 11 of the 17 games will be televised and on Fox College Sports, which I don't even get under my expanded sports package.  So unless Utah gets to play a lower seed along the way, I won't see them play.

Utah beat UTEP on their home court, and will face Tulsa on Monday.

GO UTES!

A couple of negative thoughts, before March Madness

Here are my issues with Conference Tournaments, specifically the Mountain West Conference (MWC) Championship:

• Conference seasons are easily enough to determine who should go to the post-season.  Period.  After a 16 or 18 game conference season, the teams have proven where they rank.  Taking into account the non-conference games they play, this should be enough to place them in the 'Dance.' 
• Several tournaments, including the Mountain West Conference (MWC), are played on the home court of a conference team. I don't have a problem with this, IF THAT TEAM EARNS that privilege.  The MWC has played on UNLV's home court for several years and created an unfair home court advantage for them, they have won the tournament 2 straight years.  The conference tournaments need to be played on: 1) Major neutral arena, 2) Rotated arbitrarily through the league, or 3) Played on the home court of the Conference's Season Champion.

Is this whining?  Yes!  Is it going to change?  No!  Its just my thoughts and issues with conference tournaments. 

Now lets talk March Madness.  I know this tournament isn't perfect either;  Legitimate teams get left out (ASU, Virginia Tech), Unworthy teams are allowed in (Baylor, American), and Some bad/lopsided games in the first round.  However, even with these flaws, I can't complain.  I love this tournament, watch all the games I can, cheer for the underdogs, cheer for everyone Duke plays, and come up with creative reasons to miss work on Thursday and Friday. 

We have one day before the tournament starts, I have filled out 12 different brackets and looking for more groups to join, I still don't have my 'illness' lined up for Thursday, but working on it and am stocking the fridge for the weekend... Its March Madness!

ENJOY THE TOURNAMENT!