Do or Die for Ellas

Tomorrow's game versus Nigeria - Thursday at 10 am eastern time - is a do or die game for Ellas.  It will be interesting to see how Greece responds after a lackluster performance versus Korea.  Hopefully Rehagel will make some long overdue changes to our line up, and Greece shows some thrasos versus Nigeria.


Specifically, I hope King Otto inserts Sotiris Ninis, the young and speedy Panathinaikos player and Liverpool's Sotiris Kyrgiakos, neither of whom got off the bench versus South Korea, into the starting lineup.  Greece could really use Ninis' energy and creativity and Kyrgiakos' presence (anyone is better than Louis Vyntra who really stunk versus Korea).  Finally, Rangers's Antonis Samaras needs to play as energetically as Fanis Gekas did.  Those two, along with Ninis, need to pace the Hellenic offense against Nigeria.


And we desperately need offense.  In four World Cup games Greece has yet to score, let alone lead or sniff a win.  But it's still doable.  Nigeria is no big deal, played a lackluster game versus Argentina, and are without their leading scorer.


But the real Greek key is if Ellas fights rather than display the annoying fatalism that has held us back, at least in Europe but not in the United States, since the fourth Crusade of 1204. Seven minutes into the game versus South Korea the fatalism took hold, and the game was over despite 83 minutes being left on the clock.  I think Ninis and Kyrgiakos can help hold the fatalism at bay, at least long enough to pick up 3 points.


Greece has to win versus Africa's largest country if they hope to even think about advancing out of their group.  Best case for Ellas is to defeat Nigeria and somehow tie Argentina next week, and finish with four points.  Even then, Greece needs lots of help to advance.  Korea has to lose to both Nigeria and Argentina.  If that happens Argentina will finish with 7 points (2 wins and a tie versus Greece), Greece with 4, Korea with 3, and Nigeria with 3 (their win over Korea).  


Of course, if Greece manages to defeat Nigeria AND upsets Argentina they should be home free with six points.  Looking at that scenario leads me to one logical conclusion: GO USA!

• If our goalkeeper, Tim Howard, is healthy I like the US's chances to make a deep run in the World Cup. A hot goalie can take a team a long way.
• A couple of Slovenian players have been talking a little smack prior to the game versus the U.S.  Note to Slovenians: I know we don't care about soccer, but invent rock and roll, jazz, baseball and basketball; have a Bill of Rights like ours; and develop TV shows like The Simpsons and Seinfeld before talking smack to the United States. 

Speaking of the United States, the baseball team representing our nation's capital seems to have hit a wall.  Prior to Straburg's call up, starting pitching was a strength of the Nationals.  But Lannan, Livo, and Atilano are in a collective funk, and J.D. Martin has not make anyone forget Scott Olson (how damning is that?).  The only good news is that after leaving Detroit the Nats host the White Sox and Royals, so a 6-game winning streak, potentially kicked off by Strasburg on Friday night, could be around the corner.

In addition to improved starting pitching I'd feel better about the Nats if Manager Jim Riggleman dropped Guzman and Morgan down in the order (to seventh and eighth, respectively).  Neither get on base enough - a real problem when you consider that Zimmerman, Dunn and Willingham have great on-base-plus-slugging numbers in the 3, 4 and 5 spots on the order. 

I say give Desmond and Bernardina a chance at the top of the order. 

Simply terrible game from Ellas

Greece's 2004 European championship has to be one of greatest upsets in sports history.  That unlikeliest of championships raised expectations, expectations that were once again dashed this morning against South Korea.

Greece's defense is supposed to our strength; the Greek strategy is to bottle up the other team and score off of set pieces. But seven minutes in, Greece's defense committed a silly foul deep in their end and gave up a goal on a sloppily defended corner kick from Korea.

Then, seven minutes into the second half Greece's Louis Vyntra got beat twice on the same play, resulting in a 0-2 deficit and effectively ending the game with 38 minutes left to play.

Actually, it looked like the game ended after Greece got down 0-1.  Ellas was incredibly passive in the first 45 minutes, and played with no passion or urgency - played very unHellenic.   

At halftime Greece's German coach, Otto Rehagel, substituted liberally and replaced arguably his three best players: Karagounis, Charisteas, and Samaras.  The tactic worked in that Greece was much more aggressive and at least took a number of shots in the second half, primarily due to the play of reserve Dimitri Salpingidis, whose goal against Ukraine sent Greece to South Africa. Leading scorer Fanis Gekas got some shots, too.

But despite the improved play Greece could not score - they have yet to score in the World Cup, ever - and are now in serious trouble of advancing out of the group.

As bad as losing, there are two more disturbing take-aways from this game. 

One, the lack of fight in the Hellenic squad after they fell behind 0-1. One essential trait of American teams, people, anything really, is the willingness and determination to fight back. Greece is the opposite; when things get bad too often the initial Greek reaction is to give up. That happened in the first half of today's game. 


Rehagel is the greatest coach in Greek history, but one wonders if he has sacrificed too much Greek passion in exchange for not enough German precision.  Both were lacking today.

Two, as it did in the 1994 World Cup, Greece played as if it was simply happy to be here. I shouldn't take for granted that this is the golden age of Greek football. For a team that rarely qualified for international competitions, in Europe or worldwide, to appear in the 2004 and 2008 Euros and the 2010 World Cup is a huge accomplishment. You would think after winning the European championship in 2004 Greece would strive for more than simply showing up. But in the first half it appeared that they were simply happy to be in South Africa.

Another American trait that Greeks do not often possess is looking on the bright side, and looking forward instead of backwards (to the fourth Crusade, to the catastrophe in Asia Minor, etc.). There ARE some positives for Greece:

• at least we lost to a democracy! Koreans are often compared to Americans in their temperament and fought like Americans and won the game;*
• the reserves played well in the second half, especially Salpingidis; he should start so perhaps it's time to bench Charisteas, the hero of 2004;
• Fanis Gekas was active; his energy was high and he'll hopefully break through against Nigeria;
• defender Sotiris Kyrgiakos, coming off a great season at Liverpool, should be back for the next game against Nigeria; no news on if he's injured but he did not even get off the bench;
• Nigeria's best player is hurt, so getting 3 points is NOT impossible, and if, IF, Argentina has six points after 2 games they could rest their stars and Greece can eek out a tie; that would give Ellas 4 points and a chance to qualify.

It takes a Greek-AMERICAN to write that last bullet. A lot has to go right for Ellas to advance, but it is still doable. The key will be if Greece fights, and resists the urge to resort to the infamous Hellenic fatalism that was on display seven minutes into the game.

Elate tora pedia!

The other good news for today will hopefully be supplied by Evan in his baseball game, and by the US versus England. A US tie or win would wash the bad, stale frappe taste out of my mouth from this morning's 0-2 loss. 

* Coincidentally enough, Korean-Americans are often compared to Greek-Americans, not just Americans.  Not to dwell in stereotypes, but some of the parallels are interesting:   

• in New York City, Greek immigrants were famous for owning flower shops; now Korean-Americans predominate;
• until recently Greek-American shops could be found in most inner cities; in many US cities Korean-Americans have replaced those formerly Greek-owned inner city businesses and grocery stores;
• we're both supposed to hot heads, a trait that could have come in handy this morning in Greece's 0-2 loss to Korea.

Big sports weekend

A good sports week keep rolling this weekend, with Greece playing South Korea and the US taking on England in the World Cup tomorrow, Evan's Tigers playing for third place (unfortunately at the same time the US is playing), topped off with Strasburg's second start of the season. Oh yeah, game 5 of the NBA Finals, too.

I'm excited about the World Cup.  If Greece hopes to advance out of their group they have to beat South Korea.  Getting 3 points in the biggest meeting of Greece and Korea since the Private Charles Lamb episode of M*A*S*H is a must for Ellas.  Well, not really a must - a win over Nigeria is doable, too - but getting points tomorrow certainly is.  If Greece loses advancing will be very difficult.  Either, it's a mega game for Ellas.


The game is on the big screen in DuPont Circle, but a 7:30 kickoff likely means I will watch it from home (of course, if anyone is definitely going to DuPont tomorrow let me know).


But Greece Korea pales compared to US v. England.  I think we've got a chance of tying the Knights of Saint George, primarily due to our better goal keeping.  Tim Howard plays in the EPL so that should help.  


The US can lose and still advance out of their group; we're better than Algeria and Slovakia. The tilt versus the 3 Lions will be a great measuring stick for the US team even if we don't pick up points.  But here's betting that we pick up a point in a very exciting tie.


I didn't see much of the two ties today, between South Africa and Mexico, and France versus Uruguay, but the first one was a good game to watch and the second one made me a fan of Uruguay. Really hard to root for France this year despite their excellent national anthem.


Evan's last game of the season is tomorrow.  We thought his Tigers could win the Minor League title this year, but the team really stunk up the joint on Wednesday night so it's on to the consolation game.  The good news is that Evan had fun playing baseball this season, and was called up to the Majors twice.  


Finally, can't wait for Strasburg's next start on Sunday versus the Indians.  And now, after tonight's humbling loss to Manny Acta's Indians, taking the next 2 games of the series is even more important.  Adding insult to injury tonight was Austin Kearn's two homers against the Nats.  When a Jim Bowden Reds reject beats you it's a tough night.


On to the World Cup!

Best Nats Night Ever

I don't think it's a stretch to call tonight's 5-2 win over the Pirates - behind Steven Strasburg's 14 strikeouts - the best Nats game ever. 

The only comparable games are probably the first game in 2005. Or perhaps the first game in Nats Park, won by Ryan Zimmerman's walk off homer.  

But after both of those games the horizon for Washington baseball did not look as promising as the one you could see from this game.

Strasburg was almost better than advertised.  It's hard to imagine how you keep your emotions in check and stay in control on a night like tonight.  Not only is it your major league debut, which is intimidating enough for many players.  But to debut with so much hype, attention and hope - and still excel - is very impressive.  

Strasburg was as emotionally cool as his pitching was hot. And he was very hot.  His fast ball was clocked at 101 miles an hour.  His change up was clutch, and his pitches had so much late movement.  Tonight Strasburg was like a cross between Nolan Ryan's speed and aggressiveness with Greg Maddux's late movement and command.  Heck of a combo.

Finally, his numbers tell the story: 14 strikeouts, 0 walks, 2 runs in 7 innings; one win.

How cool was it to see the Nats best young hitter, Zimmerman, remind folks that he's still the teams best (position) player, getting 3 hits, scoring 3 runs and going deep in his first at bat.

It was a great win and a great night.  Strasburg dealing, and 3 bombs from the Nats bats.

But more importantly, it was tangible proof that we may actually have a real baseball team in town.  How cool is that?

Suprisingly and not so surprisely emotional weekend

It was an oddly emotional weekend for me.  

Friday was Evan's birthday, with his party at Nationals Park before we hosted a sleepover that night.  The party was fun, Evan had a great time with his buddies, the Nats, we were able to post a 'Happy 11th Birthday Evan Manuel' on the scoreboard, AND it was fireworks night.

All day Friday I kept thinking how lucky I am to have a son like him.  I'm obviously quite biased, but Evan is an outstanding dude (now know, by the way, by a new nickname 'K Smooth' which I think is short for Karagounis).  It was great to celebrate him on his birthday, but everyday with him is great.

We justifiably have celebrated Ariadne for handling her diabetes, making the honor roll at her new school, etc.  But we need to also celebrate Evan. He's fantastic. I'm equally proud of him and equally lucky to have him as my son.

But I got oddly emotional thinking about John Wooden's death.  I've always been pretty ambivalent about UCLA, but I'm old enough to remember how dominant they were and still remember when NC State beat them in the final four in 1974, and when Notre Dame ended their winning streak early that season.

I think Wooden resonated not just because he was successful, but that he was humble and decent AND successful.  He was a model American, and a reminder that if you excel the accolades will come to you even if you don't beat your chest or speak in the third person or whatever.

The morning of Wooden's death - and the morning after the sleepover - I woke up early to catch the US-Australia football game, the final tune up prior to the World Cup next weekend. I watched most of it taped, but right after the match ESPN broadcast an episode of 'Outside the Lines' entitled 'Robben Island: A Greater Goal.'

Robben Island is the infamous site of the apartheid-era prison that housed Nelson Mandela among others. The amazing part of the story is that in a place where TVs, newspapers, and radios were prohibited prisoners were allowed to play football (the black sport in South Africa, with rugby the white sport, as depicted in the film "Invictus.").

The political prisoners eventually organized the Makana Football Association, complete with a schedule, player stats, uniforms, and even a written constitution. The prisoners never lost hope that they would one day get out, and more importantly that apartheid would eventually crumble - and when it did it was up to people like them to build a new, multi-racial South Africa based on reason, justice and fair play.

The constitutionally-guided football league worked so well - in a prison - that when Mandela and his fellow political prisoners were freed they consciously used it to inform the drafting of the new South African constitution.  In fact, the drafter of the MFA constitution drafted the national version, and he is now the chief justice of the multi-racial nation's Supreme Court.

As you can tell, it's an incredible story, one that made we tear up as I reflected on what these men had endured and accomplished. They never game up, never let prison make them cynical or feel defeated. Instead, they defeated apartheid.

Persistence, whether you are the Colorado River making the Grand Canyon, or a political prisoner fighting apartheid, always wins. It's the only thing that does.

Finally, in my last blog I questioned whether holding the World Cup in a nation built by an apartheid regime is really a celebration of Africa.  I was obviously quite wrong. Men like Nelson Mandela built South Africa, a feat worth celebrating when the World Cup starts on Friday. 

Anyway, Evan, Wooden and Mandela kept me weepy all weekend.

Completely random notes:

• On a more ridiculous topic I also stand corrected on Rob Dibble, who I criticized in my last blog post.  I've changed my tune after hearing him rag on Joe West all weekend. Dibble and others like Ozzie Guillen are correct - West acts as if fans pay to see him umpire. At Friday's game West, who was the first base umpire, came all the way across the field to call Ian Desmond out at third. And when Desmond apparently complained West threw him out of the game to boot.
• Terrible loss for the Nats today, who now stand a season-worst four games under 500. But this will likely be the biggest week in Washington baseball in a long, long, very very long time. Steven Strasburg makes his major league debut on Tuesday. And the day before, the Nats are expected to draft Bryce "Baseball's LaBron James" Harper with the number pick. Pencil the Nationals in for the 2012 World Series. Great article on Harper, from the perspective of former bonus baby Matt White, by brother John Manuel here.
• Instate replay is not the solution to the spate of bad umpiring lately.  They need better trained, less-arrogant umpires who are held accountable when they display a pattern of bad calls. 
• Obviously very tough to lose a perfect game, but did anyone have a better week than Armando Gallaraga? He pitched a perfect game, and when it was officially taken away from him he handled himself with class, dignity, and incredible grace. He would have been a baseball legend with a perfect game, but now he's a folk hero. Congrats to him for pitching a great game and being a great guy. 
• And congrats to the Detroit fans who cheered empire Jim Joyce the next day. Classy displays all the way around. Perhaps some fans had screened 'Robben Island?'

Blogging Locally AND Globally

This summer is shaping up to be a good one, at least in the non-oil spill world.  
I'm not talking about the NBA Finals, which features two unlikable teams.  How unlikable is the Celtics franchise?  Even with Ra playing a prominent role I STILL can't root for the Cs.  


But can I really root 'for' the Lakers?  No.  

James Worthy played for the Lakers, so I guess I'd rather see the Cs lose.


But my summer will be spent following our resurgent Nats - with Steven Strasburg in town next week - and the World Cup - with my two favorite countries playing.


Nats Notes


How nice to have a real baseball team.  A 26-26 record one-third of the way into the season is cause for celebration enough, even better with Strasburg on the horizon.


For comparison, the Nats were 26-61 last year.  61 losses! 


The irony of Strasburg charging up this season is that the Nats' pitching has been pretty good. Livan Hernandez has been rejuvenated, John Lannan and Scott Olson (though his is currently fighting off shoulder problems) have turned their seasons around, and unheralded Luis Atalano has been above average.  Strasburg will likely take Craig Stammen's place, giving the Nats a pretty impressive starting rotation.


The bullpen, at least Burnett, Clippard and especially Matt Capps, has been excellent.  


The Nats' offense and defense have been bigger issues.  The middle of the order has been solid offensively, but Nyjer Morgan has been pretty weak at the top of the order, and has been equally bad in the field of late.


Manager Jim Riggleman dropped Morgan to second last night - with Guzman leading off - and the Nationals scored 14 runs, so maybe the batting order reordering will get the offense on track. 

But I'm not crazy about either of those guys, neither of whom walk much, at the top of the order. Instead of just flip flopping Guzman and Morgan, I'd move rookies Roger Bernandina and Ian Desmond to the top of the order and see how that works.

Finally, look for the Nats to go on a few more mini-winning streaks once Ivan Rodriguez returns from the DL. As great as Strasburg's arrival will be, getting Pudge back will probably be a bigger deal in the won-loss column. 


A few more Nats notes:

• I like the Nats' radio guys a lot.  Both Charlie Sloss and Dave Jaegler do a nice job.  On TV, Rob Dibble is not good; he doesn't do his homework and talks about himself a lot.  Rob Carpenter is a competent play-by-play man.  He's a little clichéd, but did make a surprising Simpsons reference the other night.
• The dude I love listening to is Ray Knight. He mainly does the pre- and post-game shows, but when he's in the booth as the color man he's excellent.  He doesn't hold back on the praise or the criticism.
• One snarky comment:  Manny Acta, who led the Nats to their 26-61 mark last year, is currently managing the Indians to a 19-31 record. So he's 45 and 92 in the last two seasons, a year after a 102-loss season for the Nats.  He must be really charming in the interview.

World Cup Fever 

I'm surprisingly geeked up about the pending World Cup. Maybe it's the fact that both the US and Greece are in, the spectacle, the event being in Africa, or the cool Bono-narrated ads, but either way I'm excited.


Both America and Ellas should advance out their group.  We have a very doable and exciting group.  The US kicks off with a potentially intriguing match versus England.  If we can hang with Knights of St. George it should give the US squad quite a bit of confidence.  But no matter what happens versus England the US should handle Slovenia and Algeria, and advance to the round of 16.


Greece has a tougher group, with Argentina the favorite.  Greece has been pretty uninspiring since running the table and winning the 2004 European Championship in one of the biggest upsets in sports.  Greece will get outclassed by Argentina, but I bet Ellas will defeat both Nigeria and South Korea (or at least win one and tie one) to advance out of their group.  

Neither of those nations play an attacking style of football, so look for Greece's defense to keep both Nigeria and South Korea from scoring.  Conversely, as we did in 2004, Greece will do enough from set pieces to win/ties, and pick up 4 to 6 points and advance.


One cynical note. Having the World Cup in Africa, especially South Africa, is a tribute to Nelson Mandela.  And holding the event in Africa for the first time is also recognition that the continent is making strides towards stability and progress. 


But is it really a celebration of Africa when the World Cup is held in one of the two countries that used to be ruled, and an infrastructure built, by a racist, apartheid regime? On the other hand, South Africa has faired much, much better since majority rule was established than Zimbabwe has, a testament to the confident, wise, and strong leadership of Mandela.  

However, an event like the World Cup will truly be a celebration for Africa if it's held in Addis Ababa (my favorite since Ethiopia is the only African nation never to be have colonized by Europeans) or Abidjan (home of Didier Drogba and probably the most prosperous city in west Africa) or Lagos (largest city in what should be the wealthiest country in west Africa) - or Harare - rather than South Africa.

Drilling and the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy

In the the late-80s/early 90s, Michael Franti fronted a rap group called the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy.  One of their best songs was "Music and Politics."  In that vein, it's back to the internet!


DRILLING


Depressing news on the spill, as the top kill failed to cap the well this weekend.  Don’t expect anything to work until BP drills a relief well in August. This is the second major oil spill in the last 10 months. In both the Gulf of Mexico and the East Timor Sea last year, the companies that drilled the wells made things worse by NOT having a back up plan in place in case of a blow out.  And in both cases, neither company had a relief well handy; in both spills it seems to take 3 months to get a relief well in place.


There are many tragedies to this spill, and it will likely get worse as the oil keeps flowing towards Florida’s coast. Or worst of all, if a hurricane develops between now and August and brings oil on shore. If that occurs we could see a biblical catastrophe – an ON shore oil spill caused by OFF shore drilling. 


POLITICS


Since this is a Carolina-Hellenic blue blog, I’d like to point out that Rand Paul is a Dukie and J.D. Hayworth is an NC State grad.  Makes sense that two of the tea bag standard bearers are barbarians trying to destroy civilization nurtured and advanced in places like Chapel Hill and Greece.


In the wake of the spill plenty of tea bag types are whining about the Obama Administration. Of course, there’s no federal role for oil spill clean up.  If tea baggers want the government to clean up this corporate-created catastrophe they need to fund a new federal agency, or expand the authority and training of existing entities like the Coast Guard.


Expecting intellectual – or ideological – consistency from the tea baggers is a waste of time.  I’ve said before, will say again: you cannot be anti-government/anti-taxes and pro-military/pro-social security.


But I think there are bigger problems with tea baggers like Paul. His complaints about the Civil Rights Act forcing private businesses to serve customers they don’t like, for instance, makes me wonder if he actually understands democracy. 


Democracy doesn’t simply mean elections. Democracy, at least the way we envision it, is THE corner stone of a civilized society that values each citizens’ rights.  In fact, democracy is a human right as much as a system of government.


Unfortunately, Ron Paul and his fellow tea baggers don’t trust the public so they don’t trust democracy. They are right wing nuts first, small d democrats second.  Their distrust of the public, of their fellow citizens considered equal by a democratic society, is one reason why they don’t believe in choice (either reproductive or sexual or whatever), and why they love guns – they’re surrounded by potential killers! How can you build a real democracy – trusting the public with the right to vote – when you don’t trust them with your life, and need to carry a gun?  


Again, expecting them to be consistent is unrealistic, but you would think tea baggers and other wing nuts would at least believe in the concept as well as the practice of democracy.


MUSIC 


For the record, I picked Lee DeWyze as the next American Idol three months ago.  Though we were rooting for fellow diabetic Chrystal Bowersox it was fitting to see Lee win.  


For a little more than a year and a half - roughly coinciding with the election – there was (for me) a lot of great new music. I particularly enjoyed records from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, U2, TV on the Radio, Santogold, and singles from MGMT and others.  But then a drought (at least for me) set in.  


That new music drought has happily ended with new releases from Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, and especially LCD Soundsystem.  Like most really good records, it has taken a few listenings to really get into it, but I am weary the figurative grooves of the new disc “This is Happening.” 


Finally, I also downloaded “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys.  I like a little Jay-Z, though he’s way too boastful and apolitical for my tastes.  The funny part of downloading the song was my kids saying YOU like hip hop? I had to remind them that hip hop and I go way back, and that the genre wasn’t invented by Jay-Z.  So the download resulted in a good song on my iPod AND a teachable moment.

Of course, everyone knows once you stop thinking about music and politics you go to sports.  Look for that blog post soon.

American Idol, American Poverty

So tonight was the annual 'Idol Gives Back,' a kind of telethon. According to Simon Cowell, 'IGB' raised $15 million for a number of worthy causes, mainly projects sponsored by Save the Children.  


For me - and Ariadne - the show was half impressive - $15 million is a lot of cheese - but half embarrassing.  Tonight's show focused on Kenya, Congo and other third world places that lack everything.  But IGB also focused on Appalachia, the inner city, and rural parts of Mississippi and Arizona.  It was an embarrassing display of poverty and neglect in the wealthiest country the world has ever seen.   


The low point had to be the teacher in southern California - a married public school teacher with a house, mortgage and two kids - who has to depend on a local food bank.  A working American serving his community that has to rely on a hand out, on free food, to fight off hunger.  Is there anything more embarrassing - or damning - than that?


The plight of these Americans looks even more stark when compared to a glitzy show - on Fox no less - like 'American Idol.'  But at least they are giving back, buying thousands of bed nets to fight Malaria in Africa, books in Appalachia, and sponsoring mobil health clinics in rural parts of the United States.


It also makes one wonder how we as Americans can put up with so much poverty?  The tea baggers whine about being taxed too much when we have teachers - whose salary is paid by taxes - dependent on free food in order to teach our children.  


Want to complain about taxes - complain about them being so low that a teacher can't afford to feed his family.


More Idol

• One odd sight and sound was Mary J. Blige singing 'Stairway to Heaven.' She did a pretty good job with that song, as she did with 'One' by U2.  She usually oversings when performing her trademark shlocky and overproduced modern R&B but Blige shows some restraint and more range when singing rock and roll.  
• Ellen Degeneres is funny.

NBA Playoffs

Hard to get that excited about the NBA playoffs.  The Wizards demise caused me to stop paying attention to the league months ago. And unlike the NCAAs, with a one-and-done format guaranteed to produce upsets, the NBA playoffs are the opposite. Hard to hide flaws in a seven-game series, and harder to find upsets.


As usual, the east playoffs look unappealing as we wait for the inevitable match up of Vince Carter's Orlando Magic and Antawn Jamison's Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference finals. The other six teams in the east playoffs each have serious problems: Boston is too old, Atlanta very weak at the point and a few years away in terms of maturity; Milwaukee could have made some noise if Bogut was healthy but he's not and they won't; Charlotte is a less-talented version of the Hawks but with even less playoff experience and a big whole in the paint; Miami has one great player and no one else.  


The one intriguing team outside of Orlando and Cleveland is Chicago.  When healthy they feature some great young talent.  Injuries caused them to settle for the 8th spot opposite Cleveland so their trip to the playoffs will be short, this year.


The conference final will go seven, but it's hard to pick against LaBron James - especially with help from Antawn Jamison - so expect Cleveland to make the NBA Finals.


The west will be a slightly different story with at least 2 teams, Brendan Haywood's Dallas Mavericks and George Karl's Denver Nuggets, and perhaps everyone's sleeper team the Phoenix Suns, capable of giving the Lakers an honest run for their money.   


Like the east, don't expect any early upsets.  But unlike the east, the west WILL feature some compelling first round match ups such as the Spurs-Mavs and Nuggets-Jazz, and an entertaining one in the Lakers versus Kevin Durant's Oklahoma City Thunder.  


The conference semi-finals will be even more entertaining featuring a final four of the Lakers vs the Nuggets and the Mavericks taking on the Suns.  Every one of those games will be worth watching.  


I like Chauncey Billups taking down the erratic Lakers and go with Haywood and Caron Butler over the Suns.  Like all lefties I want to root for Steve Nash but the Mavs are too deep; that team features Nowitzki, Kidd, Marion, and Butler. 


I'm sticking with the Mavs to win the conference final, too, so it will be a Tar Heels AND Wizards reunion as the Cavs meet the Mavs in the Finals.


Break Up The Nats 


These are the glory days for our hometown Nationals.  At 7-6 it like 2005 again!  Except for Jason Marquis the Nats have actually gotten good starting pitching lately, especially from Livan Hernandez but also from John Lannan and tonight from Craig Stammen.  Only 83 more wins this season and it's on to the playoffs! 

Accountability

Lots of things to mull over regarding accountability in today's Sunday papers, both in Greece and here in the US.


Regarding Greece, accountability has never been a virtue at least in modern times.  Ancient Athens did hold folks accountable. Every year they would vote on among other things who they wanted to expel from the city.  Names were written on a broken piece of pottery - that's what 'ostracism' means, broken pottery - and who ever got the most votes had to leave Athens.


But in modern Greece accountability is very weak.  After the doomed invasion of central Asia Minor after World War I - Greece was given northwestern Asia Minor including Smyrna in recognition of ethnic Greek majorities there and for being on the winning side of that war, but overdid it by invading central Turkey and getting their butts kicked and expelled, with many civilians massacred - members of the military were held accountable but not the royalist rulers who ordered the invasion.


After the Nazi's withdrew from Greece at the end of World War II, the collaborators who governed the nation were never prosecuted or even fired.  The Greek resistance was led by the left, including many Communists.  The collaborators who worked with the Nazi's told the Brits and Americans who entered the newly liberated Greece that they should be kept in place to fight the Communists.  The US and UK said okay, and a civil war took place when the left (resistance) and right (collaborators) could not work out a political agreement.


I think Greece is the only country in Nazi-occupied Europe that did not prosecute or at least disqualify from running for office Greek quislings.


That legacy is alive in well in Greece, and you see it in everything from the comical way Greeks park on the side walk, knowing that they can't get towed (the streets are too narrow) and there are no consequences for not paying a ticket. 


And there are serious problems for the state when thousands if not millions of Greeks fail to pay income taxes. The low payment of income taxes - some estimate that 40 percent of Greeks do not file income tax returns - severely hurts a country famously trying to solve a serious economic crisis and pay their bills, obligations and fund their generous pensions.


That lack of accountability and the belief that not everyone is playing by the rules is one reason Greeks are so cynical about their own nation, and why Greece is in serious financial trouble.


Here in the US we face some similar issues with Wall Street. Frank Rich talked about the need for more accountability for Wall Street and the Fed today in the NY Times.  In his column Rich does not relate the problems with both to Hellenism, but he does point out that guys like Alan Greenspan sound very Greek: none of this is my fault!


One reason accountability is important is to get history right.  If no one is held accountable for their actions the bad guys will try to spin their way out of the blame, witness what Greenspan and Robert Rubin told investigators last week.


And look at Virginia declaring April 'Confederate History Month' without talking about slavery.  The apologists for the Civil War keep talking about states rights instead of slavery - or the more elemental fact that the south did not want to be part of the US, the nation of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. They chose to defend and fight for slavery and reject the two greatest documents and ideals ever put to paper, the ideals that define the United States.


But even if slavery never existed, does it make sense to celebrate taking up arms against the American flag and Constitution?  No matter what you were defending, doing that makes you one thing, a traitor.  Why does Virginia (and other states like South Carolina) want to celebrate that?


During Reconstruction the U.S. did hold ex-Confederates accountable; Jefferson Davis for instance was arrested and served two years in prison.  He and other former Confederates where prohibited from running for office or joining the US military.  After 12 years Reconstruction ended (in part to settle the deadlocked presidential election of 1876).  Once Reconstruction ended - and US troops left - the south quickly moved to enact Jim Crow laws and disenfranchise ex-slaves.  Public sentiment in the north was indifferent, so they got away with it.  The U.S. government just gave up on Reconstruction, so I guess in addition to accountability you need persistence.

Planes, Trains, but Mainly Airports

So after weeks of not blogging – too much drill baby drill work, Easter and holy week, spring break, my aunt’s funeral, college basketball, opening day, etc. – my recent odyssey in Chicago has prompted me to post again.

It was a weird 24 hours. I arrived at Washington’s National Airport – ironically our most convenient airport – at 2 pm Eastern Time to catch a 4:30 flight to Chicago on my way to the Bay Area for the Western Wilderness Conference. I will finally arrive (I’m typing this on my flight from Chicago) at the airport in San Francisco 29 hours later.

Here’s my itinerary.

I arrived at National early to do a conference call at 3 pm. But even before getting to the airport my ridiculous trip was interrupted by something serious. While waiting for a Yellow Line train at the Gallery Place Metro stop I learned that a women had been stuck by a train at Mount Vernon Square station in an apparent suicide attempt. She survived and was pulled out from under the train (last I heard) but of course trains were not moving through Gallery Place.

I decided to grab a cab to the airport, and was reminded once again how easy it is to get to National. From Gallery Place it took 11 minutes, so I had plenty of time to go through security – which was hassle free - with time to make my conference call.

The call ended at 4 and boarding for my 4:45 United flight was supposed to start at 4:15 but when I went to the gate it was a mob scene. Due to thunderstorms and winds in Chicago, United’s hub, everything was backed up. We finally boarded our flight around 6 pm, taxied onto the apron of the runway then waited another hour and a half for skies to clear in Chicago. Yadda yadda yadda, I didn’t arrive in Chicago until 9 pm central time, 10 minutes after the last flight from O’Hare had left for San Francisco. Our Sierra Club travel agent rebooked me onto a 6:40 am flight – that I changed to an 8:30 flight - and recommended the airport Hilton. 

But as I tried to change my seat assignment at 7:30 am this morning I learned that that flight was cancelled. After calling United I found out the next direct flight to SFO that had seats was at 2:00.  I was given another center seat, but after saying ‘after all I’ve been through I have to sit in the center?’ the United staffer gave me an aisle seat.

She also gave me a ticket to stand by on a noon flight, a flight I later found out was so overbooked I was 72^nd on the stand by list even though I had checked in almost 5 hours ahead of time.

But the 2 pm flight is working out great. In addition to an aisle seat I was given a ‘Premier’ boarding pass so was able to board with Zone 1 right after first class, and I got to watch ‘Crazy Heart’ as my movie.

Here are some more random musings about this trip:

• On par, O’Hare is not a bad airport to be stuck in. The one huge downside, both of the airport and the airport Hilton, is no free Wi-Fi! Having to pay for Wi-Fi in an airport or hotel is simply an injustice (speaking of injustice, Duke winning the national championship in another one.  Butler deserved to win that game and close out a storybook NCAA tournament, but instead the big, bad right-wing school killed Little Red Riding Hood).

• My iPhone made the lack of Wi-Fi doable. As for O’Hare, some of the terminals themselves are interesting; I like the neon light show in the tunnel between terminals B and C, and there is some nice public art between the United and American terminals, too. There’s also a children’s museum and a nice display about Medal of Honor winner and pilot John O’Hare, the airport’s namesake.  As you can tell, I killed time between breakfast with four works calls and a very long walk around O’Hare.

• Food wise I did okay, too.  Last night there was only a Starbucks open but I found a nice chicken-cheddar sandwich and an excellent granola-blueberry-strawberry yogurt parfait there for dinner. This morning I had an egg and cheese sandwich with hash browns from the Billy Goat Tavern in the ‘Jazz Food Court.’  The Billy Goat is the Greek-owned establishment made famous by John Belushi (cheeburger cheeburger cheeburger, no coke Pepsi), and I got to eat while listening to Miles Davis’ ‘Kind of Blue’ in the background.

• I went back to the ‘Jazz Food Court’ for lunch at the Zoot Diner. I had a decent turkey sandwich but enjoyed my desert of chocolate covered raisins from ‘Nuts on Clark’ better. I’m hoping that both Zoot and Nuts are local, Chicago businesses.

• Oddly enough, when I asked for peanuts or pretzels on the flight to San Francisco they said ‘no.’ Are you allowed to take off without those two foods? Does the FAA know that?

• It’s the midwest so it makes sense, but everyone I talked to at the airport, particularly the United employee who gave me the aisle seat but also the security people to the cashier at Zoot who happily gave me another copy of my receipt, were incredibly nice.

• This may be especially true at a large facility like O’Hare but you seem to run into every single type of human being at the airport. Every continent is represented, you hear dozens of languages, you bump into the abled and disabled, young and old, etc.  The only people I didn’t run into were assholes. 

• One thing that struck me at the ‘Jazz Food Court’ was how many ethnic Chinese were eating the Chinese food. There was a flight leaving for Beijing near by, so by Chinese I don’t mean Chinese-Americans. I kind of assumed Chinese food in the U.S. is a little dumbed down but at least today real Chinese were loving it; maybe it’s more authentic here than I thought.

• As I mentioned I had a ‘Premier’ boarding pass but I still had to board after first and business class.  First class passengers get to walk on an actual red carpet when they board, which seems a little excessive.  First class on a westbound flight seems different. On the east coast, first class is full of serious folks in suits. On this flight there are a number of fat dudes in jeans and sweat pants in first class, many sporting van dykes and sloppy hair cuts.

This trip, along with our problematic flights to and from Athens via Paris last summer, is another reminder to avoid connecting flights whenever possible (which I’m doing on my return flight). So even though National is our most convenient airport I think next time I fly to the ‘fat-guys in first class’ coast I’ll use Dulles (BTW, Alaska Airline has a non-stop to Seattle from National, the Ted Stevens Memorial flight).

Despite all the delays and hassles, I still like to travel. I also finished watching ‘Up in the Air’ on this trip.  At one point George Clooney opines that things like family and responsibility slows you down, and if you slow down you die faster.  Of course, that is completely wrong.  Family, and especially kids, speed up time. And as I found out today traveling like he does in that movie can make time stand still.

One more time

For what it's worth, I do not think Gilbert Arenas should go to jail for a momentary lapse into knuckleheadedness.  Arenas is not a thug, just someone who made a terrible decision.  Today's accusations of a cover up, while unsavory, do not change my opinion.

If anything, Arenas has shown a consistent pattern of being foolish and immature, but not violent or bad.  A jail sentence is not merited.

I also think it's worth ready today "DC Sports Bog" about Arenas' support for area teams and families.   

His donations and immaturity are the yin-yang that define Arenas, not thuggery or conspiracies.

Socrates and March Madness

Socrates famously said "Why do you think I should drink hemlock?"  


He also said 'all I know is I know nothing.'  That is certainly appropo for me and the NCAA Tournament.  I thought this would be a pretty boring tournament but Thursday was anything but (of course, since Carolina is not in this year I didn't watch much of it, but I read it was a terrific day).  


Friday, yes, was boring, with the inevitable wins by number 1 seeds and the continued frustrations of Clemson and Florida State.  Oliver Purnell has yet to win an NCAA tournament game at Clemson, and they should have defeated a mediocre Missouri team.  And FSU is FSU, and perhaps always will.


For me the biggest upset - bigger than Murray State beating Vanderbilt, a game Obama called on ESPN - was the ninth best team in the MAC dominating Georgetown.  The Hoyas, who's system has been predicated on tough defense since John Thompson built the program in the late 1970s, gave up 97 points in 40 minutes to Ohio, a team that had a losing record in the Mid America Conference.


As a whole the Big East took a beating in the first round, and it should have been worse since Villanova did NOT deserved to defeat Robert Morris. 


But enough looking back.  Here is my quick look at this weekend's games (these picks are not intended to be the basis for any wagering; but if you remember Socrates' take on my picks why would you?):



Kansas will get a very tough game from UNI and everyone's favorite Iowa-born Iranian-American Ali Faroukmanesh. 


Michigan State should have lost in round one, and Maryland looked good but not flashy against Houston and will take down the Spartans.


Ohio vs. Tennessee is a toss up, but I don't think Ohio will play as well and Tennessee will not play as bad as in round one so I'm picking the Vols.


Ohio State looks Final Four worthy with the kind of dynamic leader in Evan Turner that often leads to good runs in the NCAA tournament.  Georgia Tech has it's hands full, but at least Paul Hewitt won an NCAA tournament game.


Syracuse will swamp Gonzaga.


This will be an interesting game as methodical Butler takes on athletic Murray State.  Butler handled a similarly athletic UTEP in the first round  and I think they will do the same and advance to their second sweet 16 in three years.


A semi-upset as the A-10s Xavier knocks off a Pitt team that limped into the post season.  That said, Jamie Dixon may be the coach of the year; Panthers lost almost as much talent as Carolina did but recovered to have a very good season. 


BYU over K-State is a real upset, but I'm not impressed by the Wildcats but am by Jimmer Whatshisname.  Any other year he would have the best name in the field but Jimmer has the unfortunate luck of playing in Faroukmanesh's shadow.


Why some, including my main man Hubert Davis, think a Dino Gaudio-coached team can upset Kentucky is beyond me.  If Wake Forest upsets the Cats I will eat my hat (note: I am not wearing a hat; offer not valid in areas without Congressional representation).


I wanted to pick Cornell over Temple but went with the A-10 for some reason.  This is a legit team that barely lost to Kansas in Lawrence this season.  Plus, Wisconsin plays at Cornell's pace so look for them to out badger the Badgers. 


My new dark horse is Washington and their dude Poindexter. Look for an easy win over an overrated New Mexico.


Can't believe Missouri beat Clemson, but West Virginia will send them home a day later than expected.


Duke should avenge their 1993 lose to Jason Kidd's Golden Bears but this will be tight game for the Devils.


Texas A&M will win a game no one cares about.


My sleeper final four team, Baylor, will have an easier time with the Monarchs than they did with Sam Houston State.


I compete my upset picks with taking St. Mary's over an overrated Villanova team.  The Gaels, despite have TWO girls names, are big inside - a weakness of the Wildcats.


So there you have it - either you heard it here first or 'all I know is I know nothing.'

Not very satisfying

To say the least, today was NOT a very satisfying day of basketball.  

The 'best' news of the day - and boy is THAT a relative term - was Carolina qualifying for the NIT.  The Heels play William and Mary on Tuesday night.  Hard to get excited about that, even with the nostalgic return to Carmichael. Pretty interesting imagery; Carmichael signifies a return to an era of less hoopla and hype, but also is an acknowledgement that though not actually going back in time the 2010 season was a step back for the program. 

Speaking of going back in time, interesting to juxtapose Carolina's recent national success with Duke's recent run at the ACC tournament.  Their win today gave Duke 18 ACC titles, one more than Carolina; the Devils really piled up the wins during the Guthridge-Doherty era but have also won the last two championships.  I think it is the only major hoops category where the Heels trail the Devils.  

That's not the only role reversal.  In the late 1980s and early 1990s, when Duke went to 7 Final Fours in 9 years, many commentators and fans opined that Krzyzewski and Duke had broken with tradition and were emphasizing national success over ACC success.  I remember Dean complaining at the time that though the Heels were winning 3 ACC championships during that span everyone thought Carolina was slumping.  

But as you know, that has now flip-flopped.  Duke has won 9 out of the last 12 ACC tournaments but has only been to the Final Four three times in that span (not counting this year), and have not made the Final Four since 2004 (haven't made it past the sweet 16 actually). Carolina has been to the Final Four three times just since 2004, and has won two National Championships in the last 5 years. And during that 12-year ACC run Carolina has been to more Final Fours, 5 to 3, than Duke.

So Duke has done well regionally but Carolina much better nationally, with more Final Fours and National Championships - both in the last 12 years and overall - than the right-wingers from Duke.

Duke's lack of success in the NCAA tournament - despite nice runs in the ACC tournament - may also be a testament to how weak the conference has been since coaches like Dean Smith, Bobby Cremins, Jim Valvano and even Jeff Jones have left, and since football expansion.  Except for Gary Williams, the ACC has been an easy conference to dominate post-Dean - that is until Roy showed up. 

Pretty lackluster day for the NCAA tournament, too.  It looks like a fairly boring bracket; there are too many weak teams like Utah State, Minnesota, and Florida in this year's field, and it would NOT be a big surprise to see the top 2 seeds in each regional advance to the elite eight.

And not to sound too Duke obsessed, but they got a very easy bracket.  A second-round game versus Louisville could be difficult, and Baylor is supposed to be tough. But the Waco-based hoopsters might not make that far, having to play Notre Dame and Villanova for the right to take down the Devils (an enticing prospect for a Baptist school).  That said, I expect Duke to lose in the second or fourth round due to fatigue.

The bad news for Syracuse is they will have to go west, through Salt Lake City, to reach the Final Four.  The good news is the long flight to Utah may be their biggest inconvenience.   The west regional looks pretty tame, with an overrated 2 seed, Kansas State, and slumping 3 and 4 seeds (Pitt and Vanderbilt, respectively).  Perhaps Butler will give the Cuse a game, but that may be it.

The other brackets are much tougher, especially the midwest. Kansas should advance in the Midwest, but could be tested by UNLV in the second round and by either Ohio State or the winner of Georgetown-Tennessee.  To me, Tennessee if one of the few intriguing teams in the tournament, and I'll be rooting for ACC/neighbor Maryland to make some noise in that region.

Kentucky may have the toughest bracket.  They have to deal with either Temple or Wisconsin, both potential giant killers in the round of 16, then may have to take on West Virginia in the battle of "States that want the US to continue with our 19th century energy policy." 

So my final four are: Kansas, Syracuse, West Virginia, and my crazy wild card pick, Baylor.

Random NCAA Notes:

• Virginia Tech got hosed. The third-place team in the ACC is one of the best 65 best teams in the country - period.  Case closed.  But especially when compared to moops like Utah State and Florida.
• A sentimental favorite is Notre Dame, with Ben Hansbrough at the two guard spot.  Can the Hansbroughs make it back-to-back Final Fours?
• Temple is one dark horse pick for the sweet 16.  The A-10 is a quality mid-major, and the Owls defeated Villanova this year and have a good draw (though Cornell is a tough out). 
• Besides Duke the ACC teams have challenging draws.  Maryland will likely get Michigan State in the second round, with Kansas waiting.  
• Tech will probably defeat Oklahoma State but gets Ohio State as a reward.  The Yellow Jackets match up well with the Buckeyes but that will be a tough foe.
• Florida State gets Gonzaga then perhaps Syracuse.  No way the Noles win more than one game in the tournament.  
• Texas and Wake Forest meet in a 'man are we in a slump' first-round game.  Texas finished 7-9, with Wake one game better in their last 16 games at 8-8.  Hard to have any faith in Wake, but luckily they play a team playing just as bad as they are.  Either team will likely get run over my Kentucky in the second round.
• Clemson should give Oliver Purnell his first NCAA win over Missouri (another undeserving team) before probably bowing out to West Virginia though the Tigers will give the Mountaineers a game.  That will be in interesting second round match up.

Have To is better than Want To

This morning in church, Father Steve’s sermon focused on the cross. I won’t give a complete review of his homily, but one of his core messages was “often times we need to do what we have to do rather than what we want to do.” And by doing so, we will be more fulfilled and happy and accomplished. 


A good lesson for our entire congregation, but of course I can think of three other bloggable topics from Father Steve’s sermon.


First of all, that old Hellenic bugaboo – Turkey. I have no patience for Greeks who reflexively blame or condemn Turkey. I’m not happy that they have Constantinople, but history is history. And like most Greeks, at least Greeks in Greece, I hope that one day Turkey joins the European Union.  


But if they want to join the EU, Turkey has to admit that the Armenian genocide happened, guarantee religious freedom, recognize the government of Cyprus and withdraw Turkish troops, among other things. 


I’m picking on the Turks because this week the Turkish government officially protested the House Foreign Relations committee passing a resolution condemning the Armenian genocide. The official Turkish government policy is that the genocide never happened. Of course, there is no legitimate debate on the first genocide of the 20th century, one the dissolving Ottoman Empire got away with. 
  
Implicit to joining a union of European states is that you give up some of your sovereignty in order to conform to the European – and western - standards.  But Turkey’s ultra-nationalism (to say nothing of European misgivings about including a Muslim country in its ranks) seems to make EU membership impossible. 


A few months ago 60 Minutes profiled the petty and mean-spirited restrictions on the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch in Istanbul. The EU charter prohibits that kind of religious persecution, but the Turkish government continues to keep the Patriarchate under its thumb despite the consequences for EU membership.


They want to keep acting like blind nationalists, but to make Turkey better they have to acknowledge the genocide, appreciate the history of the Patriarchate in Constantinople and guarantee religious freedom for non-Muslims, and recognize the government of Cyprus (which, after all, is an E.U. member).


Two, the elected officials and others who keep harping on the size of the deficit, if they are serious about this issue, need to either raise taxes to increase revenue or stop talking about this issue.  


I’ve blogged this before, but discretionary spending on so-called big government programs is only 3 percent of federal spending.  A catch phrase for hypocritical deficit hawks is “I want a government small enough to drown in a bath tub.”  Well, unless the bathtub is the Pacific Ocean that’s not happening. The only way to fit our government into a metaphorical bathtub is to undertake unrealistic and dramatic cuts in defense spending and Social Security/Medicare, or stop paying interest on the debt.  


Getting people back to work – and paying them unemployment insurance – is more important than deficit reduction. It’s also a way to shrink the debt long term since unemployment insurance spurs spending, and in America’s service economy consumer spending leads to jobs.  Jobs lead to more taxes and revenue, and revenue leads to deficit reduction.  


Deficit hawks want to shrink government, but to really reduce the deficit they have to support more government spending on job creation. 


Finally, as the entire world knows Greece’s economy is in crisis. But despite some protests in the streets – and let’s face it, Greeks will protest anything; when Jesus comes back they’ll protest that – polls show more than 70 percent of the public supports the long-overdue cuts to Greek government spending (FYI, the Greek government sold $7 billion worth of bonds last week, so others seem to support what the government is doing, too). 


So it appears Greece, of all people, is doing what they have to as opposed to what they want to.