Caps hire Trotz

Good hiring.  He is a veteran coach with proven success with limited talent. The Caps need a veteran coach that has that proven background.  He should be able to garner the team's trust and confidence.  Trotz is also a guy that listens to players but holds them accountable so I imagine things will be run a little tighter which should be good given that by all accounts, Oates had lost the locker room. 

Oates seems more of an assistant coach.  A guy that can handle a piece of the pie but not the whole thing.  He is a tactician.  With key players/leaders being veterans, the Caps need a guy that is proven and has a strong background and voice. 

Trotz is also a strong defensive minded guy that can hopefully get better production from the guys we have.  There is no question the defense was the weak link last season. Hopefully Trotz can improve that group.

The Caps also hired Brian MacLellan as the new GM.  It's a promotion for MacLellan.  He's been with the team since 2000 but has not had any GM experience although he has helped with most of the personnel decisions the last several years.  We'll see if he is up to the task.

In the end, these appear to be good hires for the Caps.  Trotz will be in a higher profile market with more talent than he has had in Nashville.  We'll see what he can accomplish. 

Mark Cuban "scandal"

This is such a non story it is bothersome.  The guy is under fire for an interview he gave where he said the following:

"I mean, we're all prejudiced in one way or another. If I see a black kid in a hoodie and it's late at night, I'm walking to the other side of the street. And if on that side of the street, there's a guy that has tattoos all over his face -- white guy, bald head, tattoos everywhere -- I'm walking back to the other side of the street. And the list goes on of stereotypes that we all live up to and are fearful of. So in my businesses, I try not to be hypocritical. I know that I'm not perfect. I know that I live in a glass house, and it's not appropriate for me to throw stones."

I agree with him.  Whether it is being prejudiced or cautious or whatever you want to call it, it's true.  I would like to find one person say that if they saw a black guy in a hoodie and it's late at night or a white guy, bald head, tattoos everywhere, that they would be totally comfortable.  Perhaps that is not being prejudiced.  Maybe it's just being cautious.  Maybe he used the wrong words.  The black guy in a hoodie does conjure up memories of Trayvon Martin which Cuban has already apologized for but this "story" is ridiculous and it's annoying that it gets this much air.  People/media LOVE to make a story. 

Look, I don't believe Cuban is a card carrying member of the KKK.  However, again, whether you want to call it stereotypes or prejudice or bias, I believe everyone has those to one degree or another and I don't think there is anything wrong with what he said.  Also, to compare his comments to what Sterling said is even more ridiculous. 

People need to grow up, get a life, and move on to more important things. 

I hope the Heat don't win the championship.

Would like to see OKC win it.  If not, would like to see the Spurs avenge their loss to the Heat last season.

Counting the days for football season to start.

No sports and I'm sad

Now that the Wizards have been eliminated, there are no sports for me.  I am not a big baseball fan (at least not until September and if the Cubs and/or Nats are still in the hunt). 

This is the dry season of sports for me.  There is the occasional Redskins news about OTAs and training camp but it's dry until August when preseason starts. 

The only thing of interest in the immediate future is who will be the Caps head coach and GM and who the Wizards resign.

It's always a long summer.  I'm sad. 

Wizards lose - the dream is over

Tough loss but great season.  If someone were to tell me at the beginning of the year that the Wizards would make it to Game 6 of the second round of the playoffs, I would not have thought it and I would absolutely have taken it.  Still, it sucks they were bounced out.  They very easily could have won this series.

Last night's game started out poorly for the Wiz.  Indy certainly looked like they had more energy and jumped out to a large early lead.  However, the Wiz started the fourth quarter on a tear and I thought the turning point was when Bradley Beal ripped a rebound out of the much taller Roy Hibbert's hand dribbled the ball down and hit a three that gave the Wizards a one point lead and sent the crowd into a frenzy.  I thought at that point the Wizards were going to pull this one out and we'd head to a Game 7.

However, it was not to be.  The last few minutes really showed Indy's experience and Washington's youth.  Indy took a small lead and it seemed like Washington panicked and Beal and Wall just started taking ill advised three pointers.  Those guys really showed their inexperience in that moment. The thing is they will grow from it and become better. 

In the end, it was tough to see the season end but it was a good season and there is good talent on this team and they should be better next season.  There are decisions that have to be made as there are a number of FAs on this team but I expect many of them to be back.  I believe there is good camarderie on this team and they can sense that it is a team on the rise and they will want to be a part of it. 

The list of FAs include:

Gortat - I expect him to stay
Ariza - Depending on the money he expects, he'll stay
Gooden - Stays
Miller - Stays
Harrington - Probably gone
Booker - Stays
Seraphin - Probably gone
Templeton - Stays
Singleton - Gone

The Wiz will probably add one or two other guys and I expect this team to be a top 4 team in the East next season.

DC RISING!!!

Skins draft

It's been a week since the draft and not sure what to think about the Skins picks.  It was a little interesting.  It seemed like their approach in many of the picks was to be a little aggressive and get guys that might be somewhat projects but had the potential for big upsides.  Here are my thoughts on each pick:

1. Trent Murphy outside LB from Stanford:  At first, seemed like a strange choice for me given that it did not seem to be a need.  The guy apparently has a great work ethic and motor but still we have Orakpo and Kerrigan at those spots this year.  The only thing I can think of is that both those guys will need to be paid next year and Allen may be willing/forced to let one of them go to protect the cap.  Should Orakpo have a year similar to the way he finished last season, he will want top dollar.  Kerrigan will want something slightly less.  Allen is known to let stars leave because of high price tags.  This will be an interesting development next offseason.

2. Morgan Moses OT from Virginia:  Great pick.  O line was a need and many had Moses as a first or second round guy and a top 5 O lineman in the draft.  He slipped to the Skins in the third round and he is a guy that should compete for a starting position this year and will most likely be a starter next year. 

3. Spencer Long OG from Nebraska:  Apparently this guy is a solid player but his stock was hurt because he suffered an ACL injury.  As mentioned, O line is a need and Long has potential.  Hopefully he can work his way up in a year or two.

4. Baushad Breeland CB from Clemson:  Many projected him as a late second-rounder. He came out of school early, and thought if he went back to school he could have been a late first rounder.  He is physical and secondary is a need for the Skins so this is a great pick for me.

5. Ryan Grant WR from Tulane:  Don't know much about the guy but we seem set at WR and he doesn't really seem to possess anything unique (size or speed) from anyone else on the roster.

6. Lache Seastrunk RB from Baylor:  Smaller guy with speed.  Could become a good change of pace back for Morris.  Didn't catch much in college but seems like the hope is that he will become that third down back in the mold of Darren Sproles.  He played with RG3 so there is some familiarity there.  Seems like a good later round pick.

7. Ted Bolser TE from Indiana:  I suppose he will be brought in for potential depth.  Jordan Reed is the starter and Logan Paulsen will be the backup.  We have Niles Paul but Bolser might be able to compete for a spot and could be a potential special teamer. 

8. Zach Hocker K from Arkansas:  Seems like the team is okay with Forbath.  Kai can kick FGs pretty well but he is terrible on kickoffs and given that our special teams coverage sucked last year, he is partially to blame for that mess for not being able to ever kick it out of the end zone.  Seems like today all kickers can at least kick it through the end zone a decent percentage of the time.  Kai's leg is just too weak.  Hocker apparently has a strong leg and should at least provide some competition for Forbath.

All in all a pretty good draft.  I'm not thrilled but I'm not thinking it is a disaster.  Frankly, it's hard to tell today whether the draft was good or bad.  We have to wait a couple of years and see how many, if any, of these guys pan out.  The best picks for me have to be Moses and Breeland and they appear to have the most upside and also they fill in positions of need. 

Wizards win - continue series/season

Tuesday night marked the re-emergence of John Wall.  He has looked tentative in much of this round of the playoffs but he certainly led in yesterday’s game.  He was told by the coaches and his teammates that he should be aggressive and they trust him and he responded.  A big game by him as well as Marcin Gortat who dominated in the first three quarters.  Honestly, throughout much of this series, the Wizards looks like the better team.  It seems their youth and inexperience has held them back at times.  It was a great win and it’s good to come back to Verizon Center for Game 6.  The hardest win in a series is that fourth win and Indy certainly looked like they struggled and didn’t bring the same intensity/energy as the Wiz.  I think the Wiz are comfortable with their backs against the wall and I expect another good game on Thursday.  Hopefully they can keep the season alive with another win and take it to a decisive Game 7 where anything can happen. 

On another note, the Penguins blew a 3-1 series lead and lost last night ending their season.  I don’t like the Pens so glad to see them out.  Problem is that I don’t like the Rangers either so hopefully they lose in the conference championship. 

NFL Draft continues - Redskins pick

Skins didn't have a first round pick but will be selecting the 34th pick tonight.  Will be interesting to see which direction they go.  I would imagine they will go either O line or Safety with the pick.  Tonight also marks the first draft with Allen in charge.  I think Shanny made a number of improvements on the team.  He drafted fairly well so I will give him credit but we'll see what Allen and Morocco Brown can put together. 

O line seems like the more obvious choice.  We need to do a better job of protecting Griffin.  If we can do that, we have the talent and weapons to make plays.  While there is also a need at safety, we have a temporary solution for that this season with Ryan Clark and Meriweather.  Also, Philip Thomas is coming back and will be in the mix for a job.  There will also be a need at LB and D line but we are okay there.  O line would appear to be the weakest spot. 

Series tied - Wiz back at home

So Game #2 marked the return of Roy Hibbert.  He said that he was going to come out and be aggressive and he backed it up.  Seemed like his teammates wanted to get him involved early and he delivered.  Good for him.  Bad for the Wiz.  Still, even with Hibbert's strong game, the Wiz had a chance to win Game #2 but couldn't come up with the baskets late and George and Stephenson came up with late big baskets to seal the victory for the Pacers.

Now comes Game #3 back at Verizon Center.  No doubt the crowd will be loud and hopefully the Wiz can feed off of that.  The Wizards have to feel good about almost winning Game #2 knowing they didn't play their best.  Wall struggled again from the field and they missed a number of free throws.  Hopefully they can bounce back tonight. 

Not sure about anyone else but the Wiz certainly look like the better/more confident team and I don't think the loss on Wednesday will change that.  Looking forward to it.

Nobody beats the Wiz!

So I said before the series it would be interesting to see how the first 10 minutes would go in Game 1.  It was clear the Wiz were prepared as they jumped out to a large early lead and never looked back.  One of the many reasons to like this team is that they have shown several times now when the opponent starts to make a run (even on their home court), the Wiz find a way to stop the momentum and continue to make shots or come up with a big defensive stop. 

The intensity, focus, and confidence this group is showing is not what you would expect from such a young team.  While there is intensity and focus, there is also a looseness that they play with so they don't ever seem to get flustered.

Just as the Wiz are playing with great confidence, the Pacers appear super fragile and no one exemplifies this more than the struggling Roy Hibbert.  What happened to this dude?  In Game 1, Hibbert had more fouls (five) than he had points, rebounds, assists and blocks combined (three) over 18 minutes.  This comes after more than a month of him struggling to find his game.  The performance apparently was enough for the Pacers as Hibbert was pulled aside by teammates David West and Rasual Butler and engaged in an intense discussion.

Game 2 is tonight and once again, it will be interesting to see how it starts.  Will be interesting to see if Hibbert gets the start and if he comes out and tries to be aggressive.  If his struggles continue, the temperamental and fragile Pacers might just implode.  Either way, if the Wiz play the way they have been playing, they have a great shot at taking a 2-0 series lead coming back to D.C.  I like the Wiz to take it tonight.  Should be fun.

Wizards vs. Pacers preview

Wizards and Pacers tip it off tonight in the first game of the second round series.  The Wiz are looking to get past the second round for the first time since the 1970s. They've reached Round 2 only twice since then -- getting swept by the Heat nine years ago and losing 4-1 to the Celtics in 1982 -- and haven't won a second-round game since April 28, 1982, when Frank Johnson and Spencer Haywood scored 26 points apiece in a 103-102 victory against Larry Bird and the Celtics when Washington was still the Bullets. If the Wizards advance, they would be the lowest seed in the conference finals since the Knicks in 1999.

That said, I like the Wizards chances.  Indiana has been struggling for the last month and a half and narrowly escaped the first round against the Atlanta Hawks.  However, often times we have seen a team like the Pacers struggle and barely escape an early series only to buckle down and go on a tear on their way to the finals.  Personally, I don’t see that happening here.  The Wizards have had five days off since their closeout game against Chicago while the Pacers will have had one day off.  Will be interesting to see how the game starts off and who is bringing the energy.  Despite their youth, I do think the Wizards are focused on this series and have some determination and resolve.  They are balanced inside and out and have a variety of scorers that can pick it up should one (or even two) guy(s) be having a poor shooting night. 

One interesting point of interest, while Washington won the last meeting between these teams, 91-78 on March 12, the Pacers have won 12 straight at Indy including twice this season. The Wizards last win at Bankers Life Fieldhouse came April 18, 2007.

At this point of the season, I feel the Wizards are the more focused, determined, confident, and sound team.  The Pacers look like a team trying to pull things together and struggling.  If the Wizards play the way they are capable of playing, they win this series in 6. 

New keg

Put in a new keg a week or so ago.  I am typically pretty conservative with my selections as I don't want to venture out and get a keg of beer that I end up not enjoying.  My go to is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.  It's a good beer with some taste and something that is typically enjoyed by many so guests are okay with it. 

However, when I went to pick up a new keg, I saw they had a much broader selection.  I ended up picking Devil's Backbone 8 point IPA.  Devil's Backbone is a Virginia based brewery that has a few award winning brews so it is a quality beer.  Their IPA has a bite to it but is not overly strong.  It has a nice aroma.  The description of the beer on the firm's website is as follows:  "This pale bronze beer is medium in body with intense hop flavor and aroma. Our IPA is brewed in the style of the “west coast” with robust hop character coming from American grown varieties of hops. IPA’s are amongst the most popular craft brewed beers as they have moderate strength and tons of flavor. This is not your Grandfathers beer!"

I have really enjoyed this beer.

Cheers and stay thirsty my friends!  

Donald Sterling

The whole story is screwy.  His comments are ridiculous.  The fact that they were recorded and apparently he wanted them recorded.  His mistress - V. Stiviano (what kind of name is V. STIVIANO?).  She claims she didn't release the tapes to the public.  I'm sure she gave it to a friend to release so technically she didn't release them.  The backlash.  And now the guy has cancer.

The comments are deplorable but we all say and do things that if were recorded and seen by the country would be seen as strange and/or deplorable.  I know I have said/done some things that if got out for the country to see/hear without knowing me and understanding the context for which my actions took place, would make me appear very strange.

I'm not excusing the guy.  He has a checkered past.  However, I'm sure he isn't the only owner in the major sports leagues that has those types of feelings.  It got out there and he may have even had friends/colleagues that shared some of his beliefs but they will turn on him because of the public backlash and they don't want the public to turn on them.

The public just needs stuff to jump on and complain about and someone to point fingers at.  Sterling will have to sell the Clippers.  He'll fade away and this will be forgotten soon enough as another celebrity will have a scandal that will garner the public's wrath.