I haven't had the chance to post lately because I've been busy working afternoon shifts almost everyday now, but I need to mention that I'm somewhat surprised/intrigued by the fact that the readers for this blog have actually gone up by a significant amount, according to the counter at least. So, to whoever reads my blog, thank you. For all I know, it could be just two of you revisiting my site over and over again, but let's hope the following is a little stronger than that. If you guys want me to cover something specific on the next post or have some criticisms for me, whatever it may be, feel free to direct them to me through the comments. Obviously, I have a long way to go before this blog is perfect both aesthetically and in terms of writing, but any suggestions at the moment for improvement or encouragement would greatly help.
Anyways, I know I've been out of it for a while, but I just thought I would post some random ramblings about the league (or sports, or pop culture if need be) and just enlighten your days with my opinion concerning various issues.
- First and foremost,congratulations to Spain for winning Euro 2008. I know this is a basketball blog, but I'm a football fan (yes, football) and especially living where I do, it's almost impossible not to see football fans wildly representing their countries during tournaments like these, especially using car flags and what not. I was actually working when Spain and Germany squared off, but I could tell who won just by seeing the cars with the flag of Spain hanging on them honking like crazy when the match finished. Not to mention a bunch of customers telling me that Spain won.
- Sam Rubenstein is leaving SLAM. I know a lot of people are really saddened by Will leaving Deadspin, and I enjoy Deadspin as well, but I've honestly only been reading that site for a month or two now. To compare, I've been reading Slam Online since around 2004 or so, and I've loved Sam's works since the days when he was still known as "Sam The Intern" (way back playback!). He was by far my favourite writer on SO (along with Holly) and I will undoubtedly miss his posts. Best of luck to you, Sam.
- Rose to the Bulls. I'll be honest, I don't watch ANY college hoops, nor will I pretend to know anything about these draft picks other than the occasional draft analysis that I've read on the net. However, from what I've read, everyone is cool with this pick, and everyone loves the fact that the Italian kid got booed in New York. I love Andrea Bargnani, and I hope this kid is just as good as he is. By the way, I expect Bargs to fully bounce back this upcoming season. He's a real threat, and he proved it his rookie year. He's just inconsistent, that's all. Bargs will be a legit player in this league for years to come, mark my words.
- JO to the Raptors! Personally, I love the trade. I never ever liked TJ Ford much, he has a serious case of Milt Palacio-syndrome, which is basically a tendency to continually drive the ball recklessly to the hoop, only to turn it over or attempt some wild layup that has no chance of going in. Furthermore, Jose Calderon is not only a better point guard, but he's also much more beloved in the T-Dot. So yeah, good trade. Only problem? JO's injuries! But you know what, I think the change of scenery will do him good. I'm praying that his knees hold up, but considering the fact that he took most of last year off, I think he'll be fine. Seriously, we need him for like 60-70 games maximum, and even with him being hobbled and just Bosh running the show, we're a legitimate playoff team in the East anyway. IF both of them are healthy, we are undoubtedly contenders in the East. Who are we supposed to be scared of other than Boston? Cleveland? Ha.
- I don't understand why free agents don't want to come to a city like Toronto. Like seriously, have these players ever stayed at Toronto for more than a night or two? It's a gorgeous city, with gorgeous women, great nightclubs, and all the multiculturalism you'll ever need. The winters are harsh, okay, but looking back, I haven't heard ONE player who used to play for the Raptors that ever stated that they disliked Toronto as a city. Not one. And isn't that the problem that the players have in the first place? Being in a "foreign" country. It's only Canada for god's sake!
- You want to see NBA players being themselves (and Lebron James being arrogant as usual)? Watch this. To all those not Canadian, this is our man Cabbie. He's probably the best interviewer you'll ever see, and he gets MANY of the players to actually open up and be themselves. Watch how most of the players interact with him; all these players know him, and most of them love him. He specifically has a great rapport with Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett. Allen Iverson is hilarious as well, as is Nash. Great video, you guys will love it I promise.
