Thursday, December 31, 2009

2009

There seems to be a consensus that 2009 was not that great of a year.  There are obvious things to point at: a struggling economy that had ripple effects from Wall St. to Main St. to the coffers of the Sierra Club; two wars that are still dragging the U.S. down in the muck; and terrorism still a major concern thanks mainly to all the great recruitment efforts initiated by George Bush.


But I feel compelled to rise to the defense 2009.  Most of that argument will come from my narrow self interested point of view, but not all of it.


First and foremost, we saw Barack Obama become president of the United States.  From electing the first African-American president, to Americans choosing serious grown-ups interested in governing over ideologues primarily concerned with wedge politics who think wars are easy, Obama's 2009 inauguration should not be taken for granted.


Remember, Obama's only been in office less than a year; in the run up to the election folks like Frank Rich opined that by the end of the summer, months before the actual election, many Americans acted - and reacted - as if Obama was already president.  I wonder if that sentiment it to blame for some of the impatience many on the left feel for the president.


Like many leftists, I'm not happy about his decision to stay in Afghanistan until 2011 or the final shape of the Senate health care bill (as most of you know, I support a single-payer, Medicare-for-all style plan or at least all kids 0-6 and folks above 55).  


However, as I blogged last month, the Obama Administration is poised for a good year. Hiring will pick up next year, Guantanamo will be shut down, and Congress will have passed both a health care bill and a climate and energy bill. Best of all, grown ups will be making these decisions.  


Finally, 2009 was not all bad politically.  Congress passed a stimulus bill that though too small, did stabilize the economy and has it poised for a come back in 2010.  Congress passed and the president signed a wilderness bill that protects more than 2 millions acres of public land.  Obama initiatives on clean cars and regulating global warming pollution will pay huge dividends.  And the House passed bills on climate change, financial reform and health care.


The fact that grown ups are in charge in the White House also gives me optimism about fighting terrorism, air line security, etc. (I would love Rs to try to run on national security; if they do it gives Ds a chance to talk about Bush again and what the previous administration did; do Rs really want voters thinking about Bush as they go to the polls in 2010?). 


Perhaps I am giving the administration too much credit, but I think there are real reasons to have faith in the Obama White House.


Now, on to my narrow self interest.  A little more than a year ago, prior to the election, I remember feeling a great deal of anxiety.  The election, the chants of 'drill baby drill' ringing in my head (and the demise of the drilling moratorium), and Ariadne graduating from Aidan and applying to new schools were the three main causes of that anxiety.  Oh, and Tyler Hansbrough was hurt.


But man, things turned out pretty well.
  • Ariadne did well on her admissions tests, was accepted at all three of the schools she applied to, and has had a fantastic first trimester at Edmund Burke School;
  • Obama won, and inauguration day was incredibly inspiring and fun;
  • We finally passed the wilderness bill after almost 18 months of work, and I got to go to the White House for the signing ceremony;
  • Evan made the jump to the majors division of Little League, and held his own against 13-year old pitchers;
  • Evan also won the AHEPA award for best student in the St. Sophia Greek School;
  • Carolina won it's 5th NCAA basketball championship behind perhaps the greatest Tar Heel of all time;
  • The women's soccer team continued its unequaled dynasty with another championship;
  • We went to Greece this summer;
  • The Nats signed Stephen Strasbourg;
  • Greece and the U.S. qualified for the 2010 World Cup;
That's a pretty good list heading into 2010, a year that frankly may have trouble matching up a 12 months from now.  


Then again, Ds gaining seats in Congress in the 2010 midterm elections, unemployment going down to 5-7 percent, and wars ending probably outweighs winning a national championship.  When all that comes to pass remember the groundwork was laid in 2009.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

ACC Preview

With Sierra Club closed for the holidays I've had time to make my fearless predictions for the upcoming ACC basketball season.  As it was last year, and really ever since 'ol Roy returned to Chapel Hill, it appears to be Carolina and Duke at the top, with as usual Clemson - joined this year by FSU - on the periphery.  


Looking back at last year's predictions I accurately predicted 4 out of 12 spots: UNC first; Duke tied for second (I predicted with Clemson but they tied with Wake); Virginia in 11th (at 4-12); Georgia Tech last (they finished 2-12; I predicted 3-13).  I was close with Virginia Tech, who finished at 7-9 and tied for 7th place after I predicted 8-8 and in 6th.


I really missed FSU; I thought they would finish at 6-10 and in 9th place but Leonard Hamilton surprised us all by going 10-6, finishing in 4th place, playing in the ACC tournament finals, and qualifying for the NCAA tournament.


It was kind of the same story with Wake Forest.  I predicted them to finish at 9-7 but their hot start to the ACC resulted in an upset of Carolina and a final record of 11-5.


I thought the U would do better than 7-9 (I picked 9-7).  I must have gotten them mixed up with BC, who I thought would go 7-9 but instead went 9-7.  I also missed Maryland by one game, which turned out to be their late-season upset of the eventual national champs.  The Terps ended up at 7-9 and qualified for the NCAA tournament, while I predicted 6-10


This year could very well mimic last season, with the biggest changes being a rising Georgia Tech and a sinking Boston College.  I underestimated BC last year, and their bad non-conference losses convinced me to do the same this year.  Before I get to my team-by-team break down, here is my predicted order of finish for the 2010 ACC:


Carolina 12-4
Duke 12-4
Clemson 9-7
FSU 9-7
Virginia Tech 8-8
Georgia Tech 8-8
Maryland 7-9
Miami 7-9
Wake 7-9
NCSU 6-10
Boston College 6-10
Virginia 5-11


One huge factor is the unbalanced schedule.  Virginia Tech in particular benefits, as does Wake Forest. Conversely, Georgia Tech and to a lesser degree BC suffer.   The teams that play Virginia and NC State four times are the lucky ones.


Teams


Carolina
Despite playing the toughest schedule in the country - let alone the ACC - Carolina is still a work in progress and has not answered many questions as it heads into conference play.  In Monday's win against Rutgers the Heels were still experimenting with line ups. At different points in the game Carolina featured a small line up: Drew-Strickland-Graves-Thompson-Davis; and a big/huge line up: Drew-Wear-Wear-Zeller-Davis as Roy continues to look for some flow and consistency.  



The good news is Will Graves has been a bit better from the outside, Dexter Strickland has had back-to-back great games, and Ed Davis and Tyler Zeller have developed.  Davis appears to be the key; if he demands the ball and gets a lot of shots, as he did in the nice win over Michigan State, the Heels thrive.  


But Larry Drew is still inconsistent and the entire team continues to be sloppier with the ball than one would expect 13 games into the season. Finally, Deon Thompson and Marcus Ginyard have been up and down, sometimes from half-to-half let alone game-to-game. Neither have been David Noel, an unrealistic expectation since in 100 years of Carolina hoops there has only been a handful of leaders like the athletic forward from Durham (George Lynch, James Worthy?).


The bright side is Carolina is talented enough, and most of the league mediocre enough, for the Heels to finish in first place at 12-4, at least 11-5.


Duke
I see Duke matching Carolina at 12-4 or 11-5.  Duke - and John Scheyer - has looked good in defeating Gonzaga in Cameron, but struggled against a mediocre Wisconsin team in Madison. Look for the Dukies to mimic that pattern this year as they lose on the road to upper echelon teams like Carolina, Georgia Tech, Clemson, and likely Maryland and perhaps even Miami, though I think Carolina's 4-game winning streak at Cameron may end this season.


Clemson
I always pick Clemson third, at least since Oliver Purnell established himself as the third-best coach in the ACC of late (though Gary Williams should be considered the third-best coach since he is one of three current ACC coaches with a national championship).  Trevor Booker is back and Demontez Stitt is more experienced at the point. It's hard to see this team winning less - or more - than 9 games this year.


Florida State
There appears to be talent in Tallahassee despite the graduation of Toney Douglas. The problem is it's sitting next to Leonard Hamilton. Solomon Alabi leads a fairly experienced squad, and the Noles have already stolen a road game at Georgia Tech. Like Clemson, they seem a lock for 9 wins, with winnable games at Maryland and at home versus Georgia Tech.  If they win those two they could finish third with 10 or 11 wins.


Virginia Tech
Perhaps the most intriguing team in the ACC.  A decent amount of talent returning, led by Malcolm Delaney and Jeff Allen. And the Hokies have actually won some tough games so far: at Penn State; at Iowa; and over Georgia on a neutral floor. I have them going 8-8 but they could finish 9-7 with a win at Virginia or at NC State or Boston College.  This team could move up in the standings if they have some luck.


Georgia Tech
Second most intriguing team in the ACC is the Yellow Jackets.  They feature super-freshman Derrick Favors and returnees like Gani Lawal.  The Jackets should finish 8-8 if they win one or two road games (Virginia, but the rematch with FSU in Tallahassee will be huge) and defeat Duke or Carolina in Atlanta.


Maryland
I can't wait for Greivis Vasquez to graduate so I can stop reading his endless variations on the 'us against them' quote in The Post.  Look for the Terps to underachieve again this year and repeat their 7-9 record of a season ago.  Problem for Maryland is they have lost all three of their important non-conference games, to Villanova, Cincinnati, and Wisconsin. Last year, wins over Michigan and Michigan State helped them qualify at 7-9 for the NCAA tournament. But I don't think they will be so lucky this season.


Miami
The Hurricanes lost Jack McClinton but have a slew of young players and surprisingly have already defeated Minnesota and South Carolina, two decent teams.  If the U beats Duke in the Gables and/or defeats a team like Virginia on the road they could finish with as many as 9 wins.  If they do - with wins over Duke, Minnesota, and the Gamecocks - the Hurricanes should return to the NCAA tournament.


Wake Forest
Hard to gauge the Deacons, who have lost at home to William and Mary but travelled to Spokane and defeated Gonzaga.  Chances are both Dino Gaudio and the Zags are overrated, so I have Wake going 7-9 without any road wins in the ACC, though if they somehow upset the Heels at home or Virginia on the road they could go 8-8.  A number of their road games are winnable - at NC State, at Miami - but I'm cynical about Wake's chances.


NC State
Looks like another down year for the Pack. Things have gotten so bad at State I actually feel sorry for their students and coach Sidney Lowe (well, not their students).  State has defeated Jeff Lebo's average Auburn Tigers and Marquette, but has also lost to Northwestern and a rebuilding Arizona squad.  Looks like another 6 win season for the Wolfpack.


Boston College
The Eagles surprised everyone by winning 9 games last year and defeating Carolina in Chapel Hill.  And they have beaten Michigan on the road this season. But they have also lost to Harvard for the second year in a row, St. Josephs, and to lesser teams like the University of Northern Iowa and Rhode Island (they did beat UMass, so are 1-2 vs. the Atlantic 10).  Like last year, I'm predicting a 6 (maybe 7) win season.


Virginia
The Cavaliers hired Tony Bennett, the defensive-minded coach of Washington State and son of legendary coach Dick Bennett, to clean up after Dave Leitao.  I have a feeling this guy will be severely overmatched in the ACC, especially regarding recruiting.  Virginia has already lost four times, to Penn State - at home - and to average teams like Auburn, South Florida and Johnny Dawkins' Stanford Cardinal.  So Bennett is already 0-2 vs. teams coached by former ACC point guards.  Five wins would be impressive this year for Virginia.


The good news is ACC play is right around the corner, so the speculation and predictions will yield to actual games.  My hope is that my prediction for the Heels comes true, but also that things go the right way for bubble teams such as Virginia Tech and Miami and the ACC gets six or seven teams into the NCAA tournament.  It would also be great if someone other than Carolina went deep into the tournament, especially teams like Clemson or Georgia Tech as a way of showing that the ACC is more than a two-team league.


I hope these predictions spark some commentary, and remember to vote in the www.carolina-hellenicblue.blogspot.com poll, too.


Go Heels!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Wizards Continue to Slide

Evan and I witnesses another terrible loss by our hometown Wizards tonight, to the suddenly respectable Oklahoma City Thunder, final score 98-110.  Losing to the Thunder is not as shameful as it used to be.  The terrible nature of this loss is that for 3 quarters the Zards led or controlled the game.

But with 52 seconds left in the third quarter, and with Washington nurturing a 76-73 lead, Brendan Haywood left the game for a breather.  With B-Hay resting the Thunder went on a 22-14 run, relentlessly attacking the rim in Haywood's absence. One drive was by Fayetteville native Eric Maynor, who had a nice game off the bench.

When Haywood returned the Wizards made it close again, but the versatile Thunder started hitting from outside, Arenas turned it over a few times, and the game was over.

I think it is safe to say the 10-20 Wizards officially stink (nonetheless, I still like going to the PhoneBooth, and love the Wizards Holiday Pack that I got for Christmas; 2 tickets to 3 games - OKC, New Orleans, and Sean May's Sacramento Kings - plus an XXL Arenas jersey).

It is probably time to admit that the Arenas-Jamison-Butler magic can not be recreated and that Arenas, who was fantastic for 3 quarters tonight, is still not the player he used to be before his multiple knee surgeries.  Perhaps he'll round into form after a few more games, or that he is still not in basketball shape.  

Gil's $110 million contract makes him untradeable but don't be surprised if Butler is packaged for Tracy McGrady or Kevin Martin.  McGrady to Washington is unlikely, though, since that would mean two, oft-injured, former all-star, highly-paid guys - who need to ball in their hands a lot - on one team.

Random Notes
  • You can text messages to the scoreboard at the Verizon Center, and tonight my 'It's Gilbert's World, We Just Live In It' message was posted.  My 'Oklahoma's Senators Are Crazy' message did not. 
  • I was really impressed by Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, and the Thunder in general.  In two years if their core stays together - those two, plus point guard Russell Westbrook - this team could really make some noise.  
  • Ditto the Wizards foes the night before, the Memphis Grizzlies, who feature maturing talents like Rudy Gay, Mike Conley, Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, and OJ Mayo.  If the NBA had an U-25 league those two teams would battle it out for the championship.  
  • It's hard to believe what Durant can do at 6'10 (though his legs are as skinny at 5'7' Earl Boykins').  Durant had no trouble generating a good shot, has a great midrange game and can take it to the rack despite his skinny frame.  He doesn't appear that interested in rebounding, but his offensive game is unmatched for a player of his size and age (only 21 years old).
  • I was almost more impressed by Jeff Green, and his versatility.  He hit two three-pointers mixed in with some very acrobatic drives and rebounds.  I remember him as almost a lunch-pail kind of forward at Georgetown but he looked like a developing All-Star tonight in his return to the Verizon Center.

Monday, December 28, 2009

Call Him Formosa

Because Dexter Strickland is the next Tywon.  


He was fantastic tonight, not just making a big three-pointer to seal the win over Rutgers but in playing fast but in control.  Stickland also had a nice steal late, too. 


Rutgers is a decent team, and came in at 9-2 and on a 6-game winning streak.  But the Rahway native put away his home state school tonight.  

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Hansbrough elbowing into role in NBA - The Boston Globe

Hansbrough elbowing into role in NBA - The Boston Globe

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Cure for Car Care Bowl Fever

What a bad loss for the Heels yesterday, or as Joey Pillow texted me "that was embarrassingly awful." 


There are three things to talk about when looking back at yesterday's game: embarrassingly awful mistakes; a failure to close out games; and finally questions about when is Carolina football going to finally turn the corner?


Embarrassingly awful mistakes: quarterback TJ Yates' interception at the goal line in the second quarter; Greg Little's stupid punt after a great and super-athletic touchdown catch; Barth's out-of-bounds squib kick at the end of the first half; 12 penalties; worst of all, the offsides that allowed Pitt to kick a 33-yard field goal instead of a 47 yarder.  


That is a long list of mistakes to overcome.


Closing out games: it seems that time after time, the Heels have a lead but can't finish.  Perhaps the Heels assume their excellent defense will always rise to the occasion, and maybe we need more depth on that side of the ball to keep guys fresh for four quarters.  Or the offense needs to stay on the field longer.  For whatever reason, the defense hasn't been able to close out games against Georgia Tech, at home vs. Florida State, at NC State, and the last 2 Meineke Car Care Bowls.


Finally, when will Carolina football turn the corner? Butch Davis has tantalizingly teed up expectations by regularly beating Miami, beating Notre Dame last year, defeating Virginia Tech in Blacksburg this season.  However, the Heels can't beat NC State or Virginia.  Those wins, and Davis' recruiting prowess, have made casual football fans like me -  I can't believe I've spent so much time blogging about Carolina football - really care again.  


To finally turn the corner the Heels will need to cut down on the mistakes, especially the mental ones like Yates bad interceptions and penalties, and get over the hump by defeating teams like Virginia and particularly NC State.  Heels fans will have high expectations for next year's team, a team that will feature a more experienced offensive line, a four-year starter at quarterback, and an experienced defense that hopefully will learn to close out games.


On the other hand, maybe Carolina football has turned the corner. The Heels have gone to back-to-back bowl games, and the fact that Carolina football matters and that fans have realistic and ambitious expectations is a testament to where Butch Davis has taken the program.  Let's hope for continued progress and at least 9 wins - including a win over NC State - next year.


A Few Random Notes


  • If the game had been on Dec. 26th, Evan and I would have seriously considered going. Having to travel so close to Christmas was a deal-breaker for us, and I guess for many North Carolinians as only 50,000 showed up yesterday.
  • Terrible basketball games to watch on Christmas.  I like the NBA-Christmas hoops tradition, but this year's games were terrible.  I've never liked the Celtics - even though Sheed plays for them now - and liked them even less after watching Boston spend 48 minutes swarming and hacking Dwight Howard.  Ditto for the Lakers-Cavaliers game, another inelegant wrestling match of a game.  Let the players play; I wish referees would call more fouls against physical defenses.  There are too many low-scoring scrums in the post-Pat Riley NBA.
  • The Wizards, in particular Gilbert Arenas, looked terrible yesterday.  I thought he was fully recovered from his knee problems and having not played basketball for two seasons, but he's not. The Wiz committed 18 turnovers in losing to Wayne Ellington's Minnesota Timberwolves.  
  • Tyler Hansbrough had a double-double last night, 19 and 11, in the Pacers' loss to Marvin Williams' Atlanta Hawks.  Hansbrough played a season-high 31+ minutes and was 7 for 20 from the field.  He's having a good season now that he appears to be fully back in basketball shape but his shooting percentage continues to be in the 30s (37 percent for the season).  One reason is Psycho T continues to have a lot of his shots blocked; against the Hawks last night 6 of his shots were blocked (4 by Al Horford). Once he figures that out . . .

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Dish Network (and Patti Smith)

As some of you know, upon returning from Greece I subscribed to the Dish Network for one of our TVs.  It's a self-indulgent purchase, but Dish Network allows you to subscribe to 3 Greek TV channels, one Greek music video channel, and 4 radio stations.  


The theory was that with the kids' appreciation for Greek things and heritage, and my desire to keep up with my Greek language skills, subscribing to Greek TV and therefore Dish Network made sense.


So far, it has.  The kids watch some, mainly 'Greece Has Talent" (H Elada Exi Talento) and some Greek news.  I've watched a decent amount of Greek news, especially in the run-up to the recent Greek elections (where I learned there is no Greek word for 'debate;' they use that word verbatim, not even spelling it out in Greek letters), the anniversary of last year's riots, and the recent worry about Greece's debt and economic challenges.


There is also a good show called 'Diaspora' about Greeks abroad.  There was a fascinating episode recently about Greeks who still live in Smyrna (Izmir), Turkey.  The show visited a Greek wedding where the 100 or so Greek-Turks said they live a good life and have never faced harassment for being Greek.  However, there is no church and they had to import the priest from Chios, and quite a few talked about moving to the Greek islands when they have kids.


An episode from Melbourne was striking in how unassimilated many Greeks were. Most of the Greek-Australians boasted about being Greek, not Greek-Australian, a sentiment you almost never hear in the United States.


I also record and watch a decent amount of Greek soccer, mainly Panathinaikos games but some others too.  Two thoughts on the Greek Super League (as it is with 'debate' they spell it in English and use the word 'Super.').  One, the play is okay but not that much better than MLS (the only other league I watch). I'm not a great soccer analyst so I'll leave it at that.  Two, the commentators always mention a player's ethnicity.  When Gibril Cisse is making a run it's always "the Frenchman this and the Frenchman that." Ditto for every Brazilian, Argentine, Mexican, Nigerian etc. in the Super League. 


Finally, a subscription to Setanta Sports allowed me to watch Greece's World Cup qualifying matches against Switzerland, Latvia and both playoff games versus Ukraine live or on two-hour tape delay.


But I feel like I'm burying the lead here.  Perhaps the best part of the Dish Network is my sports package that among others channels (like Setanta) allows me to watch Fox Sports South, and therefore regional broadcasts of Carolina games. So I was able to watch Carolina take on Gardner-Webb and Marshall, games not available via Comcast.  And on nights when the Wizards and NBA TV are not broadcasting games - which means a blackout, even with a dish - I can watch other regional Fox broadcasts of NBA games.  That's only happened once, but I got to watch Wayne Ellington's Minnesota Timberwolves take on Sean May's Sacramento Kings a few weeks ago.  As you can imagine, it was a terrible game and May did not get off the bench.


The other channel we receive via Dish that Comcast does not offer is Ovation TV, a music and entertainment channel that shows 'Later with Jools Holland.'  'Later' is a live-music show from the BBC, and recently featured folks like Adele, The Neal Cowley Trio, and Rokia Traoré, new acts - to me - that I liked so much I immediately downloaded songs they played on the show.  Acts I know, like the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, the re-formed Specials, and Wilco have also appeared.


But the best recent performance on that show was by Patti Smith.  She played with a band featuring Lenny Kaye, Tom Verlaine, and Flea, and they did an unbelievable version of 'Gloria.'  Ever since, I've only been listening to that song on my iPod and while rolling in the Highlander.  'Gloria' has some of the best and purest rock swagger of any song ever recorded, from the opening boast that 'Jesus died for someone's sins but not mine' to not one by two - TWO - fist-pumping choruses: the spelling and chanting of G-L-O-R-I-A, followed by 'the bells in my heart going ding-dong-ding-dong.'  


And, 'Gloria' passes the 'does it sound good on your car stereo while driving fast' test. 


So if you want to see if Greece has talent, watch even more basketball and live rock and roll music I recommend the Dish Network.  

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Big Snow, Big Blog

We’re kind of snowed in, though things are thawing a bit.  But it’s not just the weather that has me updating the blog.  From Copenhagen to Christmas to Carolina there is plenty to talk about.

Copenhagen

Like chicks, I guess reporters and many enviros dig the long ball. Expecting more than 190 countries – especially when one of them is China - to come together and formulate and sign a binding climate agreement was unrealistic from the start.  Yet, reporters and many activists expected world leaders to hit a home run in Copenhagen. That rarely ever happens in politics, and Obama and company did not hit one out of the (national) park. But the agreements and progress made in Copenhagen is clearly a hit, perhaps even extra bases.

To me, that was the goal of Copenhagen, to get a runner in scoring position. Now it’s up to citizens, enviros, and elected officials to drive that runner home and make progress on solving climate change. Or, more importantly, we need to string some hits together, have a big inning, and save the planet.   

Instead of sitting in the dugout content with a homer, it’s time for all of us to put on our rally caps! 

[Editors Note: I think the baseball thing held together until you closed with the rally cap paragraph.  Seems trite to me, especially the exclamation point.]

Selig Commission

Speaking of baseball, I was excited to hear the ‘used car salesman in charge of the national pastime,’ Bud Selig, announce the formation of a 14-person committee to make suggestions on ways to improve baseball games.

Credit to Selig for recognizing that though our best game, some things need to be improved about baseball.  My main concerns are umpiring and the strike zone, and pace of play. Tom Boswell suggested some good improvements in a column this week, and here is my semi-complete list of suggestions:

  • Codify then call the strike zone.  There is some debate as to where the strike zone starts – letters, arm bits, etc. – and ends – knees, mid-thigh, etc. Have a conference with players, owners, umpires and their union, baseball historians, journalists, and figure out where the zone is supposed to be.  Then make sure all umps call the zone consistently;
  • Only players already in the game can visit the mound, so no visits to the mound by managers or coaches unless they are changing pitchers.  Baseball stops every three outs; if a manager needs to strategize with a pitcher do it in the dug out between innings.
  • Each pitcher has to face a minimum of 3 batters before he can be replaced; end the specialization and the endless trips to the mound;
  • Two warm up throws per new pitcher. A reliever has already warmed up in the bull pen; why does he get to warm up again?;
  • End the designated hitter. Again, less specialization and there is no need for extra offense – the original reason the American League adopted the rule - in today’s baseball.  Letting pitchers hit would also shorten/speed up the game a bit, too.
Meaning of Christmas


Last Sunday, Father Steve gave an excellent sermon on the meaning of Christmas and the cosmic Christ (church was canceled today due to the snow).  In short, he said that the birth of Christ – when God became flesh and blood - was God’s way of connecting humanity with God’s love and all living things. 

Father Steve went on to mention that many peoples, specifically mentioning Native Americans, honor the notion that God’s love infuses all living things – a Cosmic Christ - but that Christians and Orthodox Christians often overlook this connection.

That statement made me wonder if Greeks and Hellenism are to blame for that spiritual oversight (I know, shocking to think about; to be Greek is to believe that whatever misfortune occurs it’s someone else’s fault).  The Socratic belief that humans carry a divine spark, an attribute that make us superior to other living things, clearly infused early Christian thought.  Then again, I’m not a theologian (two shocks in ONE paragraph! And another exclamation point.).

One manifestation of that thought can be seen the Post’s list of the ‘10 worst ideas of the decade,’ which includes the prosperity gospel (taught by Oral Roberts among others).  Others items on that list include: compassionate conservatism, endless sports seasons, grassroots opposition to vaccines, and torture memos. Actually a lot of good stuff in today’s Outlook section of the Post; ditto the Week in Review of the Times.

Carolina

Finally, from the Cosmic Christ to Carolina basketball (the obviously link – Dean Smith).

The Heels were manhandled by Texas inside and on the glass yesterday, especially my man Deon Thompson.  As hoped, Ed Davis looked good and held his own down low, but Deon was a no-show for much of the game.   Ditto Larry Drew, who for a point guard was oddly AWOL.  I admire his guts for taking, but unfortunately missing, an open three pointer when the Heels were down by 4.  Actually, besides Davis, Dexter Stickland and Tyler Zeller, no one on the Heels played well.  Despite some plays late, Marcus Ginyard had a number of miscues and sloppy turnovers that hurt the Heels.

In general, the Heels did the opposite of what I predicted – we looked good early and bad late in the first half, just like the loss to Syracuse. Carolina lost its focus on the glass and let a shorter Texas team push them around. So it wasn’t expected rust that hurt North Carolina yesterday, it was a lack of toughness down low. 

That should give Roy plenty to talk about at practice, so this loss could turn into a springboard for improved play by our bigs for the rest of the season.

Finally, yesterday’s game concludes the brutal part of Carolina’s schedule, a stretch that saw them take on Texas and Kentucky on the road, Syracuse and Ohio State on a neutral floor, and Michigan State (5 teams ranked in the top 20) and an NCAA-worthy Nevada in Chapel Hill.  

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Tough Out Tomorrow For Heels

To say it is dumping outside is an understatement.  The amount of snow is incredible, and it looks like we will get almost 2 feet.  The weather, plus a backlog, gives me a chance to catch up on some blogging.

Tar Heels

Today's Carolina game at Texas will be an interesting one to watch as the Heels take on yet another top 10 team, this time on the road in front of a Final Four-sized crowd at Cowboy Stadium.


Texas is a semi-legit Final Four team, the semi being the coaching of Rick Barnes.  Barnes is the Gerald Henderson of coaches, a light-weight who picked fights with Dean Smith when he coached at Clemson.  He's an excellent recruiter, but Barnes has only taken one team to a Final Four.


But my main cause of concern is not the talent of Texas, but that this is Carolina's first game in a week following final exams.  The Heels will likely be rusty after the layoff - both physical and mental - especially early in the game.  Of course, that doubles my concern as in each of Carolina's losses this year the team got off to a slow start.


So watch to see how the Heels fair early.  If Drew successfully navigates the first ten minutes, and get Deon and Davis lots of good touches early the Heels should be okay.  The worst that could happen is we get a little impatient and start jacking up threes.  


NBA Update


Last week I posted a new poll on the NBA.   And the response was unanimous; 100 percent of CHB blog readers care about the NBA.   The bad news - for my overall readership and the NBA - is that only 3 people voted: me, Evan and Michael Degnan.   So my blog is as popular as the NBA!


That it's for now, but blogs are pending on the cosmic Christ and the meaning of Christmas, and Bud Selig's new commission on improving baseball games.  But for now, Go Heels!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Terrible loss for Wizards, but good game for Hansbrough

Brutal loss tonight for our home town Wizards.  


It was like a Greek tragedy: the guy with the triple double, Gilbert Arenas, missed two free throws - for the second game in a row - that could have won the game.   Missed free throws and turnovers really hurt Washington.


And this team still stinks on defense.   The Wizards only have one real defender, Brendan Haywood.  He had 5 blocks and is the only guy who rotates.  Jamison and Blatche and Butler need to keep their men from driving to the rack with regularity.


It was fun to watch Hansbrough.  He finished with 19 points in 25 minutes, and played the entire fourth quarter.  Down the stretch it was like a Carolina game as Hansbrough scored 11 points in the final stanza, and 7 of the Pacers' last 11 points in the final 3 minutes.  


And they were running plays for him, too, plays that resulted in 2 lay-ups and one dunk.  Finally, in the last 3 minutes there were two classic Psycho T plays were he simply wanted the ball - once on an offensive rebound, and once on a lose ball - more than the other 9 guys on the floor.


This game was Hansbrough's third straight with double-figures.  He's coming on.  

Greece back in the news

For the the second December in a row, Greece made it on the front page of The Washington Post.  


A year ago, it was coverage of riots in response to the shooting of a 15-year by Greek police. The riots lasted for days, and among other things drew attention to the frustration many Greeks felt with their government and politics in general.


Today's story focuses on another problem challenging the modern Greek state, the amount of debt Ellas is carrying compared to gross national product.  Greece's new Socialist government announced a program to cut spending and increase tax collection, moves that reassured world markets and EU finance ministers.  Tax evasion is a huge problem in Greece, but what do you expect from a country that has valued treachery and cunning for more than 2,500 years, a trait that goes back to the Trojan horse.


It's interesting that Greece's economic woes are a front page story.  In reminds me again that Greece has evolved as a country and is wealthy enough that it's economic woes matter, at least matter to its European neighbors. 


A Few Random Notes

  • I am goofily excited about going to see the Wizards take on Tyler Hansbrough and the Indiana Pacers tonight.  We plan to go early to see if we can get at autograph, but I'll be satisfied to be in the same room as the second-greatest Tar Heel player (Dean is the greatest Tar Heel of all time) of all time.
  • Odd that tonight's Carolina game versus Presbyterian is NOT on television, at least not available in DC even with the Dish. So we have to settle for watching Hansbrough, Antawn Jamison and Brendan Haywood.
  • Psycho T scored a career-high 22 points last night in a Pacers win, and it seems that after missing the preseason he is getting his timing and hoops legs back.
  • One person who does not is Gilbert Arenas.  There is lots of hand wringing over the relatively slow start of our home town Wizards.  The 'Zards had three shots to tie or win their loss to the Celtics on Thursday but obviously failed each time. Arenas is still not in the flow yet after missing two full seasons with injuries, and Antawn Jamison is catching up after missing the start of the season with a shoulder injury. However, I fully expect this team to click in a few more weeks once everyone gets healthy and on floor together.  And if that happens this team could make some noise in the playoffs.
  • I'm getting tired or the Tiger Woods story; hopefully his announcement that he will stay off the PGA Tour for a while will quiet this story and unclutter the sports pages.  As many of you know, I've never liked Tiger due to his devotion to all things corporate. He's not an athlete but a walking billboard for the world's largest companies. Like Tracee Hamilton said yesterday in the Post, his main function in society is to sell us stuff.
  • Finally, regarding Tiger, it's one thing to cheat on your spouse - no one's perfect and people make mistakes - but where Tiger crossed the line is by cheating so often with so many women. If that's what you want to do, get a divorce. But a man, a real man, does not do what Tiger did to his wife or - almost more importantly - to his kids. In a few years his kids are going to Google the dad's name and 'scumbag' and find a million articles. How would like to explain that to your children? 
  • One more finally: the other outrage about Tiger should be over the oft-repeated refrain that he is the 'world's first billion-dollar athlete.'  I know he has a school in Orange County for underprivileged kids, a school whose mission he certainly tarnished, but tellingly Tiger no longer lives in California. Like many superstar athletes, he lives in Florida because there is no state income tax.  So for me the outrage is that his billions aren't taxed to fund schools, health insurance, two wars, the salaries of fire fighters and nurse, you know, non-golf things. 
  • I'll end this ranty blog with one final one: no one should make more money than the president of the United States.  The market should not be allowed to set the value of someone's salary, so the most important job should have the highest compensation.  We need a nationwide salary cap, an idea that actually passed the House of Representatives in the 1930s.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

On to Presbyterian

I never like to blog after a loss, especially a loss to a team like Kentucky and a coach like Calipari. Say what you will about Krzyzewski, but Calipari makes him look like John Wooden.  As obnoxious as Duke's students and players are at least they run a clean program and have some integrity - something you can't equate with a school that has featured coaches that range from racist - Adolph Rupp - to corrupt - Eddie Sutton - to scumbags - Rick Pitino and now John Calipari. I'm glad in the depths of the post-Dean wanderings Carolina never got that desperate. 


Give me 8-20 over Calipari or Pitino any day.


Anyway, back to the game. The Heels' 66-68 loss did have some silver linings.  For me, the best part of the game was Larry Drew. He didn't play a perfect game but he continues to improve, and looks more and more comfortable running this team.  His decision making and shooting continue to improve, so much so that at one point in the second half I asked Evan 'why does Roy still have Drew on the bench?"


The second-half defense was also a highlight.  Amazing that a Carolina squad that only scored 66 points almost won a road game, so kudos to the second-half effort especially on the defensive end.


As it was against Syracuse, the Heels looked young during parts of the game - and Kentucky and John Wall took advantage. Questionable shot selection, and a failure to get back on defense - more to the point, a failure to stop Wall - killed the Heels.


Shot selection especially hurt us during their run. Kentucky's defense of our second unit - plus their transition baskets - made us look unathletic. And for a while in the first half, Kentucky out-Heeled the Tar Heels as the Wildcats rebounded and fast-breaked to a 19-point lead.


As I blogged after losing to Syracuse, that kind of stuff happens to a young team. 


The loss means the Heels are 2-2 against quality opponents (Ohio State, Syracuse, Michigan State, Kentucky), with a December 19th game at Texas (in Cowboys Stadium) wrapping up the meat of their non-conference schedule.  Has anyone played a tougher non-conference schedule than the Tar Heels?  Carolina fans should appreciate what this young team has done so far, especially if the Heels go on the road and down number 2 Texas in two weeks.
  • Not many freshmen are as good as the hype, but John Wall is.  He was pretty impressive in the first half.
  • Carolina  hosts Presbyterian on December 12th.  They really stand out on the schedule: Ohio State, Syracuse, Nevada, Michigan State, Kentucky, Presbyterian, Texas.  Only one of those teams did not play in the NCAA tournament last year.
  • After a great game versus Michigan State, the freshmen really looked the part against Kentucky.  John Henson had two dunks blocked against the Wildcats, though Dexter Strickland had a nice dunk and overall good game.
Soccer Dynasty Continues


Carolina's womens soccer team won their 20th NCAA national championship (and 21st overall) on Sunday, 1-0 over Stanford. The Heels scored early,in the first 10 minutes, then clamped down on defense. Besides being their 21st overall, it is Carolina's third championship in the last four years, and the second year in a row they defeated an undefeated and untied team for the title.


As Dean once said, Carolina "is a women's soccer school."


World CUpdate


The U.S. got a great draw and should advance out of the group stage at next year's World Cup.  The U.S. is in the same group as England, Algeria, and Slovenia.  The U.S. and England should advance, and I'm going to predict a mild upset, picking the U.S. to tie England in their first game.


Greece got a tougher group but should still advance - a major accomplishment if they do.  Ellas is with Argentina but also with manageable foes South Korea and Nigeria (FIFA says Greece is ranked higher than both of those squads).  Look for Greece to lose to Argentina, tie Nigeria and defeat South Korea, and more importantly advance to the sweet 16 next summer.



More Good Nats News


Finally, I like the Pudge Rodriguez signing by the Nats.  A perfect mentor for Jesus Flores and our young pitching, and a more than adequate stop gap in case Flores is not ready for spring training.  It's not saying much when talking about a team that lost 103 games, but the Nats' off-season is going much better than their regular season did.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Bad Week For the ACC Gets Worse

First, the two best teams in the conference - Georgia Tech and Clemson - both lost to mediocre, in-state SEC rivals in football.

Then, for the first time in the 11 year history of the event, the conference lost the ACC-Big 10 challenge in basketball. 

Carolina did its part, handily dispatching Michigan State. And kudos to Maryland and especially Boston College for winning road games. The Eagles beat a ranked Michigan team, as did Miami in defeating Minnesota in Coral Gables. Virginia Tech also won a road game, but against a pretty bad Iowa squad.

But all six of the games the ACC lost were bad losses. Duke lost on the road to a good Wisconsin team. But the Badgers, not exactly a running team, looked quicker than the Blue Devils. What's up with that?

Sure, Virginia is rebuilding but how can you lose at home to Penn State. Terrible.

Northwestern is supposed to be decent this year but it's still a team NC State should  have  handled since the game was in Raleigh.

The only semi-legit losses - SEMI - were by FSU and Wake Forest.

Florida State lost to a good Ohio State team on the road. That's to be expected from FSU; no matter how talented the Seminoles NEVER ever seem to rise to the challenge (see last year's ACC tournament final, their loss in the first round of the NCAA tournament, etc.).

Considering that Wake Forest was coming off a home loss to William and Mary (a team of two players!), losing to a top-10 team like Purdue is almost a moral victory. Wake fans must be getting nervous. This team has stunk since February. The Dino Gaudio honeymoon is clearly over.

But the worst loss by far was by Clemson. The Tigers blew a 23-point second half lead at home in losing to half-way decent Illinois. Down the stretch Clemson did not do a good job of getting the ball to Trevor Booker, and generally panicked on their home court in the face of the Illini's press and urgent play. Horrible.

Losing the ACC-Big 10 challenge for the first time is not the end of the world but is disappointing nonetheless. With the Big East expected to have a down year the Big 10 now has the upper hand in the mythical battle for the title of the strongest conference in America.

But this year's challenge could have real consequences for ACC bubble teams.  Clemson in particular should make sure and win 9 or 10 ACC games; ditto for Florida State, who has lost both of its important non-conference games (Ohio State and Florida). 


On the other hand, Boston College and Miami really helped themselves so in the end it may even out. The ACC could still receive 6 and maybe 7 bids: Carolina, Duke, Maryland, Georgia Tech (who defeated Sienna last night), Clemson, and one or two from the group of FSU/UM/BC/Wake Forest).

World Cup Draw is Tomorrow (Dec. 4th)

The draw for the 2010 World Cup is tomorrow and will be shown live on ESPN.  Four pots will be used to determine the eight, four-team, groups.


Pot 1 consists of the seven highest-seeded teams (Brazil, Spain, Argentina, England, Germany, Netherlands, Italy) plus host South Africa. The US is in pot 2, a mix of Asian and North American teams, and Greece is in Pot 4, European teams. Pot 3 is Africa and South America.

To me, the best case scenario for the U.S. is: South Africa, the weakest team in Pot 1, by far; Uruguay or Algeria, the only two bad teams in Pot 2; and Slovakia from Pot 3. But according to the Washington Post and ESPN, Switzerland would be the best match up for us for the European pot.

I really hope that Greece and the US are in separate groups. I would love to see the U.S. play - and defeat - Greece in the final.  What are the odds of that?

Best case for Greece is to draw: South Africa; North Korea, arguably the worst team in the World Cup; and Algeria.

Worst case for both teams is to draw Brazil and a team like Ivory Coast from Pot 3.

Anyway, tune in tomorrow.




Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Pretty impressive win

Poor Tom Izzo.  His least favorite color has got to be Carolina blue.


I don't have time to blog about tonight's impressive win over Michigan State but want to quickly point out:


  • Larry Drew II has arrived.  He was excellent tonight, hitting a variety of shots and playing with loads of confidence.
  • Ditto Ed Davis, who benefitted mightily from Drew's excellent game. Whatever shell he was in early in the season is empty now as Ed and his talent have finally emerged.  He was a force on offense, where like Drew he looked very confident, and a terror on the boards.
  • Dexter Strickland was electric in the first half.  Wow.
  • How about the big plays by Will Graves in the last 5 minutes?  A nice take to help quell Michigan State's run, two big back-taps off missed free throws that led directly to 4 points, and a nice defensive rebound, too. He could have sulked during his long stretches on the bench but didn't - and made four big plays to help his team win.  Way to keep your head up, Will.
  • Deon Thompson was great for most of the game, again looking confident with his stroke.  Speaking of stroke, I and Roy almost had two - when Deon took and badly missed a three, and dropped a pass, late to keep the Spartans' hopes alive.
  • In addition to Strickland, John Henson had his best game as a Heel and the Wear twins produced, with Travis playing especially good defense in the second half when the Heels went with a Drew-Ginyard-Wear-Thompson-Davis lineup for an extended period.
A pretty good win over a serious and talented opponent, one who must be tired of playing the Heels.