Thursday, October 7, 2010

Here Is Halladay, Hear Him Roy-ar




As you probably heard by now, Roy Halladay achieved something only done once before in the MLB's long storied postseason history, pitch a no-hitter. The first since Don Larsen's Perfect Game against the Brooklyn Dodgers nearly 54 years ago. Only fitting for a guy who's never tasted the postseason in his career make a debut that will etch the ink in history.

The Reds haven't played in an MLB Postseason game since 1995, I think they have a little bit of rust that rusty old Dusty Baker will have to fix if they stand a chance against these battle tested foes.

Let's take a look at the newspaper covers across the country with some usual Fairweather commentary.



Philadelphia Inquirer

An obvious place to start. Rightfully planted with the largest print for the title and appropriate picture. Slightly pushing the big key witness news on the Terror to the right.



The Cincinnati Enquirer

A fair warning to everyone this NLDS will have everyone seeing Red. Complete with a predictable story about visiting fans to the City of Brotherly Love. Apparently Phllies fans are a lot nicer than St. Louis or Chicago, who knew?

P.S. Don't forget to get your coupon for the highly collectible Rey Mausaluga Bengals pin on Page C10.



The New York Times

The paper barely has a sports section, but it's nice to see Halladay take front page glory away from that other baseball team in New York. That fiery explosion in Pakistan describes my Twins' fans hearts last night.



The Denver Post

Is it hockey season already? Anyway, you'd think Denver's local hero would a bigger nod, but at least he gets his moment near the bottom there.



Courier-Post

Nice to see South Jersey capture the excitement with that photo on front. If I were Halladay I'd sleep with that newspaper nailed on the ceiling.

By the time you read this, more than likely someone is already heading home or another picther thrown a no-hitter.

Can it be you, Roy Oswalt?

Thursday, July 15, 2010

We're All Stars Now (In the Doped Show)



It’s been awhile, I’m just scratching my itch to write again. Hope everyone survived the MLB All Star Break and the lack of professional sports on your television. If you’re a normal person, you probably did something fulfilling with your life, like a read a book. I have been working on the employment trail (very rewarding, or so I hope). But I also have been thinking about the “All Star” festivities offered by the major professional leagues in the USA.

I am once again reminded why the MLB All Star Game is my favorite exhibition with the “best” cherry picked athletes in its sport.

Typically, you’re not going to get much fluff with the MLB All Star Game. There’s no incentive to fill a non-baseball stadium to overbearing capacity and call it a worldwide event. Yes there is a great corporate presence at all of these events. But somehow, watching the game and fan reactions makes me think there are genuine baseball fans in attendance. Not your typical tools using the event for a photo op.

Location, location, location, baseball like basketball and hockey rotate yearly on where the exhibition will be held. Whereas football tried holding the Pro Bowl a week before the Super Bowl in the same venue and will be going back to Hawaii (for now). You can look forward to a rotating venue year after year which a unique location in baseball.

Now basketball last year, maybe it’s a big ego/Texas/Dallas thing, but overcrowding a football stadium to watch an exhibition basketball game where the majority can’t watch the action without the assistance of a microscope or giant television. It’s not my money to be spent, but where’s the sense in that? 108,713 people apparently don’t share my opinion and bought a ticket to join the crowd, it’s their prerogative.

Why I don’t like that idea you may wonder? It’s not genuine or pure to the game to play in a nontraditional venue. Baseball prides itself on tradition, and justifiably so with its reluctance to instill instant replay to correct obvious human errors. But the MLB All Star Game is a pure baseball game that goes beyond the exhibition feel. Sure, you can argue it doesn’t count in final statistics, and you can say the game COUNTS for World Series home field advantage. What I mean is the quality of the game does not change in the All Star setting. A pitcher faces a batter, the defense shags/fields balls, and everyone is able to play.

It’s fair for anyone to say, you can’t really give it your all in the Pro Bowl, because football is rough. You can break things easier in football. Exhibition hockey isn’t serious; you don’t fight in exhibition hockey. Baseball is a game that allows the player to give a solid effort or none at all (right 2010 Pittsburgh Pirates?).
Plus the timing and lack of other professional sports happening does not hurt the game. The MLB shares the dog days of summer with no one, except maybe the MLS or the WNBA (somehow I miss the Monarchs, how perverse). Yes the ratings reported everywhere will show ratings of the MLB All Star Game were higher than NBA (TNT) or NFL (ESPN), but as I said, nothing else going on and National TV (FOX) help those numbers a lot.

Sure, the game is still exhibitiony, managers try to use every player on the expanded roster, the MLB uses the game as leverage for teams to get new stadiums, and the pregame last Tuesday was a tad more flowery than recent memory (I blame Anaheim being close enough to Hollywood), but compare the game to the other ones in the professional leagues and you should see what I see: A game featuring the best athletes in the sport giving an effort for the entire frame and representing their league with some semblance of pride.

And if you don’t like that explanation of an exhibition game, you can go find a girl and talk about that Deadliest Catch episode and the dreamy Captain Phil.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Saving the Daylight in the Sunshine State


The San Jose Sharks may have lost more than an hour of sleep last night, dropping an elementary NHL game to the the Florida Panthers in Overtime 3-2. All this after they lead the freaking Saturday Matinee game by a score of 2-0 by the 1st Intermission.

But in all the commotion, I couldn't resist this opportunity to check out the smooth hockey radio announcing stlyings of Mr. Randy Moller. As many Fairweather hockey fans may be aware of, Moller has gotten a bit of attention on Youtube of his goal calls compiled by the Dan LeBatard show. Usually after a Florida Panthers' goal, Moller will exclaim a random pop culture reference submitted to him by listeners.

While many in the hockey circles or announcing purists may criticize his style, it is easy to find many of the calls over the top. It's not too often players score in hockey and we basically dissect the broadcasts to include only the definitive moments (which are usually goals).

In addition to the goal calls, I thought the broadcast was top notch, and easily followable through Moller's folksy charm. Not too often you have ex-professional hockey players handling the play by play duties all by themselves. Don't get me wrong, Dan Rusanowsky of your San Jose Sharks is in a class of his own. You have to credit the man working radio for South Florida's only hockey franchise, keeping things interesting and making you wonder what will he say next.

In the video, Moller brings out the Ice Cube and Hangover references in true West Coast form. It really was a good day for the Florida Panthers.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Do the Texas Two-Step


Visiting Texas in the NBA really hasn't been an easy task this last decade. But as the Kings have shown, record and youth aside, they can tough it out with the best of them. A 1-2 road trip is not always in the minds of the Fairweather fan, but if you watched any of the games, you can still appreciate the effort. Enjoy this edition of Purple Pain.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Orange You Glad?

Syracuse Orange Men's Basketball

1. They are #1 in the country right now (3/5/2010)
  • Hard to go against that logic in the Fairweather Realm.
2. Quality Conference, Quality Opponents
  • Normally I don't buy all the hype the big media can put into these power conferences, but this year in college basketball, the Big East does not disappoint the college basketball fan.
  • They've beaten the creme de la creme of the Big East, with some tough home losses to Louisville and Pittsburgh
3. Dome Court Advantage
  • Obviously this team knows how to win playing all of their home games in a football stadium, really has that NCAA Final Four and Regional feel every home game.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Temptation Sunday


The First Sunday of Lent, at least in Roman Catholic lore, is known as Temptation Sunday. How can I resist the temptation to create a comic that touches slightly on the latest trade between the Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, and the New York Knicks. The Knicks later entry to the fray made it one of the most interesting threeways at the NBA Trade Deadline. At least slightly more interesting than any of the threeways I've been involved in (there's always the one guy that doesn't do much). Things of note were the end of the Kevin Martin era in Sacramento, the beginning of the great Hot Carl Landry era, and whatever we can assume about Larry Hughes. Also, Hilton Armstrong, we hardly knew ye. All three teams involved were in action last night and the first game was rather rough so to say, but I touched on the happy moments.

So gather the kids, or don't if you have a conscience, boil some water, make hot cocoa, and enjoy this edition of "Purple Pain" chronicling the recent NBA Ménage à trois.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Viel Glück Deustchland!



Team Germany Ice Hockey

Why?
1. San Jose Sharks Backup Goalie Thomas Greiss is their guy
  • If you haven't gotten around to watching many San Jose Sharks games, Greiss comes in at the end of back to backs or when Nabokov and the defense is feeling generous. He has the same rallying effect as the veteran Brian Boucher
2. They also have ex-Sharks Christian Ehrhoff and Marcel Goc
  • These were great scrappy guys and they are going to be great scrappy Team German guys
3. Come on haters, World War II and Nazi Germany was nearly 65 years ago
  • There was a time when there was a German nation divided, but once again united by the power of democracy, Reaganomics, and Baywatch reruns
4. This Olympic team is Chris Kaman free
  • Real Germans, Real Effort
  • David Hasslehoff would be all about this team as much as this team is all about David Hasslehoff

clASH Wednesday

Tonight’s game between Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors from the luscious Oracle Arena has got me to once again think about the attendance disparity between the two teams.

As of today, February 17, 2010, on ESPN’s NBA Attendance report, the Golden State Warriors are 14th in the league at filling Oracle Arena with an average of 17,942 fans paying for tickets each game (91.6% to capacity). While the Sacramento Kings are near the bottom, 25th in the league, 13,489 paid tickets (77.9% of Arco Arena’s capacity). The percentage full is just barely better than the Pacers, T’Wolves, Grizzlies, Nets and 76ers.

Let’s take a Fairweather look at the many reasons why the Golden State Warriors outdraw the Sacramento Kings.

1. Arena


The Golden State Warriors play the majority of their games at the Oracle Arena. Constructed in 1966, renovated to the tune of 121 million in 1997, and now seats 19,596 people that want to call themselves Warrior fans. Okay on certain days about 30-50% of those fans are “Lakers, Celtics, and Cavs Fans”. For those not in the know, the basketball seating capacity is larger than Staples Center 18,997.Prior to the renovation, there were only 15,000 seats, now it contains two levels of luxury suites, state of the art electronic scoreboards and that old timey feeling you can get in a building originally built in the 60’s (Think Madison Square Garden West, except in Oakland).

Meanwhile in the capital city, there’s Arco Arena. Built in 1988 at the cost of 40 million to replace a renovated office building turned arena now turned office building (California Department of Consumer Affairs), it seats 17,317 and about as many luxury suites as most people have fingers. During the Kings’ heyday and even before that people came out to support in large numbers. I believe at one point they had a sellout streak of 300+ straight games.

Location wise, both arenas are miles from the center of town, Oracle about 6.5 miles from Downtown Oakland, same exit as the airport if you feel like you want to escape quickly. And adjacent to great nightspots such as Denny’s and GMC Truck Center, In-n-Out if you want to cross 880. Arco Arena also sits 6.5 miles from the State Capitol in sprawling Natomas, and stone’s throw away from the Sacramento International Airport if you feel like you want to escape quickly. At Oracle there are BART and Amtrak Stations nearby which means you can drive and park at the either lot. Arco Arena, much like Dodger Stadium, has parking as far as the eye can see and multiple freeway access.

If you want to base the attendance discrepancy between the Kings and Warriors on arena ambience and in-game experience, you will feel complete with the bells n’ whistles offered by the Warriors and Oracle. For Sacramento, the ease of getting into Arco Arena and getting home with the lack of Bay Area congestion is too easy it’s almost criminal.

2. Team Quality


The road numbers will indicate an opposite trend to the home numbers, the Kings are 16th in average attendance on the road, 16,864 (88.8% of road arenas filled) while the Warriors sit at 26th, 16,083 (84.8% of road arenas filled). Record wise, the Kings at 18-35 and Warriors at 14-38, you think you’re looking at identical teams. Well for the Fairweather fan, that’s as identical as they will get. Oh, also in the loveable rookies to watch category.

So far in the first half of the NBA season, I’ve seen the Kings lose a fair bit of their games with a young nucleus and a new coach. This includes a couple of buzzer beaters on both ends of the losing and winning spectrum, a couple of close overtimes to the Lakers and Cavs near Christmas time, an uninspiring 0-6 southern swing where Kevin Martin, like Stella, tried to get his groove back, and many more frustrating finishes that plagues many desperate housewives across America.

In the Warriors sphere, there’s been some quality wins early on against Portland, in Dallas, and at tough New Jersey. While at the same time, there are more head scratchers than slices of Wonder bread. Granted, I would say the Warriors quality of schedule has been likely less favorable than what the Kings have done so far. There’s an ongoing circus of injuries that has forced the Dubs to bring on D-League caliber talent and a head coach that just doesn’t look comfortable coaching. In fact, Don Nelson looks as comfortable coaching as I am riding on the bus when stuff like this happens. The players that aren’t injured seemingly are not interested in playing for the Warriors or Don Nelson, as Stephen Jackson was and perhaps as Corey Maggette claims to be. Monta Ellis has been hurt which has taken some wind if any in the sails. Davidson standout Steph Curry though has been a pleasure to watch.

Apart from the surprise 2006-2007 season, the Warriors haven’t really had a quality season since the late 80’s/early 90’s. So you got to credit the fans that actually continue to pay and watch. It should also be noted that the Kings prior to the Chris Webber and Lawrence Funderburke years had a healthy fan base to support the Mitch Richmond, Wayman Tisdale, and Tyus Edney era.

In addition to some other economical reasons we could divulge into, the median income in the Bay Area’s various districts is $65,052 with a population totaling somewhere in the neighborhood of 7 million. Let’s not forget the Warriors is the Bay Area’s professional only basketball team, isn’t it obvious as hinted by “Golden State”? Attendance does not struggle as fans are not divided between two baseball or football teams. Which coincidentally the Warriors’ neighbors, the Raiders and A’s have trouble bringing people out to the old ballgame (that’s another Fairweather Channel post and involves Al Davis somehow).

Sacramento can really only draw from 2 million people with a family’s median income of $57,112 of course all these numbers based on the 2000 Census which will probably be different in the 2010 census. Being the only professional sport in town, you’d think people would look to fill the joint like Snoop. But perhaps losing years after years of contention, an aging arena, and some civic resentment toward rich sports owners and construction of a new arena (this is common problem through California) will probably keep people at home watching Peaches (Grant Napear), and good old JR on TV for their basketball fix.

Just remember when you watch the Kings on CSN “California” and the Warriors on national TV (which you can do 7 more times this year BTW) that the economics of sport in Fairweather California, fan support, win-loss record, attendance numbers, and people’s well being just don’t go hand in hand anymore.



Thursday, February 11, 2010

2 Game Win Streak


The Kings may not be heading to the NBA Playoffs this year, but it is a pleasure to watch them give their best effort night after night. Sure they may have beaten the Knicks and Pistons who have not been the overachievers many been. But add the fact that it was a back to back after winning in overtime at Madison Square Garden, which has not been friendly to the Kings, even when they were good.

Perhaps it's just one of those anomalies or it was an off night for the Knicks and Pistons, let's enjoy the win streak heading into the All Star Break. While we wait for Omri and Tyreke's contributions to All Star Weekend in Dallas, enjoy this edition of Purple Pain, They're Trippin, Road Trippin'.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

A Royal Thursday Thumpin' Comic


I never meant to cause you any sorrow, I never meant to mess with your brain.
I only wanted to one time see you laughing, I only wanted to see you laughing at the Purple Pain.

Despite being somewhat Fairweather on the NBA these days, I can still appreciate the raw hustle and grit of these youthful Sacramento Kings. In this first edition of "Purple Pain", I tried to catch some of the Fairweather observations from last night's Spurs and Kings game. It was simply a fine competitive effort by the young Kings, complete with another faltering 4th quarter by the young guys that the veteran Spurs took advantage of. At least if the Kings are going down, they are not going quietly into the night, especially Tyreke Evans.

If you are hurtin' about this team now, just remember...

Honey I know, I know, I know times are changing.
It's time we all reach out for something new,
That means you too.
You say you want a leader,
But you can't seem to make up your mind.
I think you better close it,
And let me guide you to the Purple Pain.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

An Athletic Tuesday Tickler



The Oakland Athletics have had a busy winter keeping all the fans around the Hot Stove warm. Billy Beane sure has had somewhat of an interesting outfield fetish lately, but to most Fairweather Fans, moves like this ensures some ticket sales in the first few weeks.

Enjoy this Fairweather take on the latest moves by the A's in the first edition of the Oak-Town Quadruple A's.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Friday Night Funnies


Last night's behemoth of a matchup, the Chicago Blackhawks and the San Jose Sharks reminds us all that the NHL is capable of having its own drama on Thursday nights. Like with most drama in the Bay Area, this one seen on national TV, the end just did not have a picture perfect ending. Kudos to the Sharks for making this a competitive affair, get a point in the standings, etc...

Now enjoy this first edition of "Jumping the Shark", there will be more to come from The Fairweather Channel.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

First Edition of Golden Statements



It wasn't a pretty game to watch in the NBA, then again not many games in the Association today entertain Fairweather fans like they used to. But I am confident everyone local to the region can appreciate a few solid thoughts from last night's Warriors and Kings game.