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Game 2 thoughts
May 25, 2006The Mavericks may actually be on edge tonight. They know they don't want to be in a 2-0 hole the way they were against Houston last year.
There didn't seem to be that sense of urgency on Wednesday night in Game 1. And the crowd wasn't much of a factor, either.
Even though the Suns knocked the Mavericks out last year, I don't sense the same hatred for them that the Spurs or Kings generate. Or even last year's Rockets who had Jeff Van Gundy and Jon Barry that are easier for fans to dislike.
There's not a lot for anyone to hate about the Suns. They're playing short-handed. They play fun basketball. I would have loved to play hoops in that style.
You run, you shoot and if you get beat on defense just run down to the offensive end and wait for the world's best point guard to give you the ball. Sounds fun.
Some may think Mike D'Antoni is too smug. But I find him honest and refreshing from the general coachspeak.
It's a series where it's useless to scoreboard watch until the final moments.
I still think Dallas will win the series, but the Suns could easily be America's Team for their fun style. Even if they're led by a Canadian.
Posted by Andy Newberry at 10:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
NL Worst becomes best in West
May 24, 2006A year ago the NL West was the joke of baseball. It went down to the final week of the season before it was assured the division would produce even one team with more wins than losses.
Most assumed the division would be terrible once again, while different experts felt the AL West was pretty good with the Angels, Athletics and Rangers.
How wrong they are, at least so far.
The Angels were my pick as the best in the AL West and they're in last place. And that's not because the other three have been any good.
Texas leads the division at 23-23 going into Wednesday night's play. And the division as a whole is 15 games south of the .500 mark.
Meanwhile, the NL West is home to several pleasant surprises like Arizona, Colorado and the L.A. Dodgers. All of the teams are above .500 and the division as a whole has 20 more wins than losses.
If sports were too predictable, I guess we wouldn't enjoy following them as much.
Posted by Andy Newberry at 7:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Worth the drive
May 16, 2006When you like to see pro sports and live in Wichita Falls.... well, you better like U.S. 287. ... I enjoy sports enough that a chance to cover a Rangers game or the Mavericks in the playoffs is worth the drive.
It definitely was on Monday night. One could complain about the two-hour drive, I-35 traffic or an 8:45 p.m. tip-off. But the the game is as good as Mavs 123, Spurs 118 in overtime, it doesn't seem all that bad.
I never had a clue who was going to win the whole way through. And neither did the crowd. It was a tense final six minutes at the AAC. The Mavericks may have been the most relaxed guys in the gym. Sportswriters are always tense after 10 p.m. Not over the outcome, but about their deadline.
But I'm in no mood to complain. I love basketball, always have from the first time I hoisted a full-body hook shot up to a 10-foot rim. I loved it even more when my back allowed me to shoot hundreds of jumpers per day, but watching it played as well as it was on Monday night was indeed a blessing. I'll have to add a few smiley faces to the Christmas cards for my bosses this year.
Posted by Andy Newberry at 12:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
No Tennis for You, Lakeway
May 10, 2006I spent two days watching tennis at the Lakeway World of Tennis. There's lots of pretty country around this rich man's center, and in its day I bet it was one of the nicest places to play the sport.
But it should not be allowed to play host to any more UIL events. There is very little organization to this event, causing hours and hours of delay on a rain-free Monday.
The court surfaces don't match up well with what you'd see at Hamilton Park in Wichita Falls, let alone what you'd get at UT.
No concession area, no place for working media to use their computers, no sign anywhere that the UIL tournament is welcome there.
They are just allowed to show up and then told to deal with it.
The UIL must have some inside deal with Lakeway to put up with this weak effort.
Some board member knows somebody.
Because down below that decision nothing is being done to make this a people-friendly event.
The solution is simple, turn this into a 3-day event at Pencik-Allison courts. Two classes begin Monday and finish Tuesday and the other three classes begin on Tuesday and finish on Wednesday.
It may be too simple of a solution for the UIL to take it. But for now, Lakeway is just taking money. And not giving much that can be seen by the naked eye.
Posted by Andy Newberry at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Harris helps out
The Mavericks looked like a new team on Tuesday night as they destroyed the San Antonio Spurs. An old point guard, Avery Johnson, decided his team needed a new point guard, Devin Harris, in the lineup.
Harris blew by the Spurs at every turn and made several layups. I've written all year that Dallas can beat every team except Detroit and San Antonio even without Harris. But against the other two superpowers, they need every weapon they've got.
Especially the speed and excitement of Harris, the team's No. 1 pick in 2004. Harris' shining moment was a blow he delivered to wild man Manu Ginobili, who correctly picked up a foul along with a bloody mouth for his blocking foul on Harris. Manu is always reckless, causing injuries and a Ron Artest suspension. He got some of his own medicine this time.
Now Coach Pop has something he must deal with.
Posted by Andy Newberry at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
3-year-old boys
May 3, 2006I was a 3-year-old boy once, but can't remember it. I guess that's why we have kids so we can enjoy all the cute things they do that we can't remember doing.
My daughter, now almost 6, probably made some messes at 3, but I can't recall it being near what Jacob does. He's a terror if left alone for any time at all.
And it's usually not his toys that get broken or messed up. It's something of mine or my wife's, a project or a computer bag. Or my discs.
Last week I brought an Angel food cake home that was part of a recipe for my wife. It never made it that far as Jacob dug his fingers into it as soon as my back was turned. That time I laughed it off and dug in myself for an afternoon snack.
Other times my first reaction isn't quite as forgiving. Like when he got mud on me just as I was leaving for work yesterday. I'm not trying to be a complainer. I couldn't imagine life without boys now. But once in a while I could imagine a nap without waking up to a big mess. Boys, boys, boys!
Posted by Andy Newberry at 1:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Waiting Game
The Dallas Mavericks can lay low for a few days. Outside of DFW, no one will have any reason to discuss the Mavs as the focus has shifted to California where the Lakers are one win from an upset, the Clippers won a playoff series and Sacramento is testing the defending champion Spurs.
I think the Suns have a good chance at rallying from this 3-1 deficit, although it'll be tough in Game 6 at L.A.
And I favor the Clippers over the Lakers or Suns in the next round.
The Spurs will probably win a 10-point game on Friday night and open at home against Dallas. Even a slowed down version of Tim Duncan is better than almost anyone else. And the Spurs didn't win 62 games by accident.
Bonzi Wells is doing some serious damage to the Spurs, which leads me to believe they'll have their hands full with Dallas' Josh Howard. Howard ate their lunch in the last meeting in SA.
Posted by Andy Newberry at 1:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
