Just a kind of short one today.
Con Constantine hired Branko Culina to take over as the new head coach of his Newcastle Jets team.
Something about this doesn't quite seem like it's destined for success.
Is it that Branko Culina was an absolute bust at Sydney FC getting only 2 league wins in 9 matches before getting fired? No that's not it.
Is it that Branko Culina said only 24 hours ago that he didn't want the job? No that's not it.
Is it the eerily similar career path that he has had to a certain Nick Theodorakopoulos? Yeah! That's it!
And how did that work out for you last time Con?
Richard Money who was an experienced manager left for a better job (sound familiar?)and you decided to go for a manager with a proven record in Australia (The only limited success of both Culina and Theo is in the Mickey Mouse NSL. Yes it was a Mickey Mouse competition. I loved it, but it was).
How did he go Con?
Did he win any games? None? Really?
What about in the pre season, surely he won a pre season game or two? None? REALLY!?!?
So I have to ask Con, what are you thinking??
Fool me once shame on you, be a ridiculous fool twice, not my problem.
And just as a side note, Branko, if you had a bad taste in your mouth after coaching in Sydney, I wouldn't use all of the mouthwash just yet. You're going to need it again soon.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
2009 NBA Draft - What it means!?
So the NBA Draft has come and gone again. Will this be a great draft year or not, only time will tell. The early mail is that it is a shallow draft but the same thing was said about the 2001 draft and we've since got 3 all stars from the 28th pick or later!
There were some interesting picks and some interesting deals done, not the least of which saw the Timberwolves with 4 first round picks and 2 second round picks. They'll be hoping it's a good draft year.
We'll start at the beginning -
Clippers - Blake Griffin
Everyone thought this was a lock for weeks, but with the Clippers you just never know (after all this is the franchise that took Michael Olowakandi with the first pick in 98 over Mike Bibby, Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter, Jason Williams, Dirk Nowitski, Paul Pierce, the list goes on. They also took Lorenzen Wright at number 7 in 1996 while Kobe Bryant, Peja Stojakovic, Steve Nash and Jermaine O'Neal were still available)
Suffice it to say, they've had some talent idnetification problems as well as some bad luck. In 96 they needed a centre, so left the players I mentioned behind and in 98, due to the poor choice in 96, they still needed a Centre, and there simply were none that year.
Which brings me to this year. Blake Griffin is by far the most NBA ready player in the draft, but he is Power Forward, and they've already got players that fill that role - Chris Kaman and Zach Randolph. But as just mentioned, that type of thinking has not worked for them in the past. They did the right thing, take the best player available and sort it out later.
Grizzlies - Hasheem Thabeet
Really could have used a Ricky Rubio, but he was just flat out not going to Memphis after their poor treatment of the Spanish in the past. So the next best player is Thabeet. Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, they need scoring. But Thabeet is a REALLY good defender and will only get better.
Thunder - James Harden
They have a good point guard of the future and they were better off just taking a player they can fit in now and start building a franchise. Harden was the right man in this situation
Kings - Tyreke Evans
Short sighted from the Kings. Tyreke Evans will help them sooner than Ricky Rubio would have, and he will be a solid player for a long time if he stays injury free, but the Kings are a franchise that have gone close to greatness and lacked that killer punch. In 5 years time Ricky Rubio is more likely to be the killer punch than Tyreke Evans.
Timberwolves - Ricky Rubio/Johnny Flynn
I don't care what any expert tells you, the Timberwolves can not lose by making these 2 picks. They will not play together, at least not for long anyway. Flynn is too small to be a 2 guard. If Rubio goes back to Spain they have Johnny Flynn. If Flynn doesn't live up to his potential, they have Rubio to fall back on. If he becomes a superstar in a year or 2, they can offload Rubio who would still have the unknown quantity, would be a bit older and less of a gamble so they could get a good trade for him. Or if they decide that they still want to keep Rubio after a top season or 2 from Flynn, I'm sure they'd get a great deal for a player that is young and has had 2 geat NBA seasons! As it seems to be playing out at the moment, Rubio may be traded soon, and they still have Johnny Flynn. They just can't lose. Too many people have underrated their strategy here.
That's the top 5 (6 really) and her are some other intersting ones
Raptors - DeMar DeRozan
They took a risk and went for potential, but when you're the Raptors you have to take those risks. He had a great year for a freshman playing at the 2 and if this gamble comes off, it will look alot smarter in a few years. But that's if they can keep him, which they've had trouble with in the past. I wish them luck!
Bucks - Brandon Jennings
I have to say, I already hate Brandon Jennings. He comes across as an arrogant spoilt brat before he has even gone into training camp. He has trash talked other players in the draft (Rubio in particular), he didn't turn up to the draft because he wasn't guaranteed to go in the top 14. It's an honour and a privelege to be drafted at all. You need to pull your head in and get over yourself Jennings. Having said that, most of the NBA's best players have this attitude, so he could end up being a big star and with Andrew Bogut due to have a breakout year in the next year or two, the Bucks may have done well.
Nets - Terrence Williams
An interesting pick considering who was still on the board and it was a bit of a surprise for a player that was expected to go late first round, but he has 4 years college experience on what is now a fairly young team, so that will help. The Nets are rebuilding on a young backcourt now with Courtney Lee joining and are another team that will struggle for now but it will pay dividends in seasons to come
Spurs - DeJuan Blair
How the Spurs manage to get amazing late picks so often astounds me. not only have they got Ginobli and Parker later than 25th picks, now they have DeJaun Blair who was unbelievably still available at number 37! He is a great power forward that was unlucky not to go top 15, after a Sophmore season averaging a double double (15.7 points and 12.3 rebounds) He's only 6'7" but Barkley wasn't big either. Yet again the Spurs have got the steal of the draft
Trail Blazers - Patrick Mills
Patty is going to have to fight for his spot on the roster, but he will genuinely work his ass off and once given the chance to improve and then prove himself he will make teams wish they had taken him earlier. There's alot of talk that his passing isn't good enough, and he's too small to play the 2 guard. So teach him to pass better. Tony Parker still isn't a great passer, but he's a fast slashing player. Mills is as fast and once he does some work on his pull up jumper he'll be a worthy NBA Point Guard. And Portland is a great place for him to learn to play with this amazing young squad.
Overall it may be a shallow draft, but only time will tell us that...
There were some interesting picks and some interesting deals done, not the least of which saw the Timberwolves with 4 first round picks and 2 second round picks. They'll be hoping it's a good draft year.
We'll start at the beginning -
Clippers - Blake Griffin
Everyone thought this was a lock for weeks, but with the Clippers you just never know (after all this is the franchise that took Michael Olowakandi with the first pick in 98 over Mike Bibby, Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter, Jason Williams, Dirk Nowitski, Paul Pierce, the list goes on. They also took Lorenzen Wright at number 7 in 1996 while Kobe Bryant, Peja Stojakovic, Steve Nash and Jermaine O'Neal were still available)
Suffice it to say, they've had some talent idnetification problems as well as some bad luck. In 96 they needed a centre, so left the players I mentioned behind and in 98, due to the poor choice in 96, they still needed a Centre, and there simply were none that year.
Which brings me to this year. Blake Griffin is by far the most NBA ready player in the draft, but he is Power Forward, and they've already got players that fill that role - Chris Kaman and Zach Randolph. But as just mentioned, that type of thinking has not worked for them in the past. They did the right thing, take the best player available and sort it out later.
Grizzlies - Hasheem Thabeet
Really could have used a Ricky Rubio, but he was just flat out not going to Memphis after their poor treatment of the Spanish in the past. So the next best player is Thabeet. Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, they need scoring. But Thabeet is a REALLY good defender and will only get better.
Thunder - James Harden
They have a good point guard of the future and they were better off just taking a player they can fit in now and start building a franchise. Harden was the right man in this situation
Kings - Tyreke Evans
Short sighted from the Kings. Tyreke Evans will help them sooner than Ricky Rubio would have, and he will be a solid player for a long time if he stays injury free, but the Kings are a franchise that have gone close to greatness and lacked that killer punch. In 5 years time Ricky Rubio is more likely to be the killer punch than Tyreke Evans.
Timberwolves - Ricky Rubio/Johnny Flynn
I don't care what any expert tells you, the Timberwolves can not lose by making these 2 picks. They will not play together, at least not for long anyway. Flynn is too small to be a 2 guard. If Rubio goes back to Spain they have Johnny Flynn. If Flynn doesn't live up to his potential, they have Rubio to fall back on. If he becomes a superstar in a year or 2, they can offload Rubio who would still have the unknown quantity, would be a bit older and less of a gamble so they could get a good trade for him. Or if they decide that they still want to keep Rubio after a top season or 2 from Flynn, I'm sure they'd get a great deal for a player that is young and has had 2 geat NBA seasons! As it seems to be playing out at the moment, Rubio may be traded soon, and they still have Johnny Flynn. They just can't lose. Too many people have underrated their strategy here.
That's the top 5 (6 really) and her are some other intersting ones
Raptors - DeMar DeRozan
They took a risk and went for potential, but when you're the Raptors you have to take those risks. He had a great year for a freshman playing at the 2 and if this gamble comes off, it will look alot smarter in a few years. But that's if they can keep him, which they've had trouble with in the past. I wish them luck!
Bucks - Brandon Jennings
I have to say, I already hate Brandon Jennings. He comes across as an arrogant spoilt brat before he has even gone into training camp. He has trash talked other players in the draft (Rubio in particular), he didn't turn up to the draft because he wasn't guaranteed to go in the top 14. It's an honour and a privelege to be drafted at all. You need to pull your head in and get over yourself Jennings. Having said that, most of the NBA's best players have this attitude, so he could end up being a big star and with Andrew Bogut due to have a breakout year in the next year or two, the Bucks may have done well.
Nets - Terrence Williams
An interesting pick considering who was still on the board and it was a bit of a surprise for a player that was expected to go late first round, but he has 4 years college experience on what is now a fairly young team, so that will help. The Nets are rebuilding on a young backcourt now with Courtney Lee joining and are another team that will struggle for now but it will pay dividends in seasons to come
Spurs - DeJuan Blair
How the Spurs manage to get amazing late picks so often astounds me. not only have they got Ginobli and Parker later than 25th picks, now they have DeJaun Blair who was unbelievably still available at number 37! He is a great power forward that was unlucky not to go top 15, after a Sophmore season averaging a double double (15.7 points and 12.3 rebounds) He's only 6'7" but Barkley wasn't big either. Yet again the Spurs have got the steal of the draft
Trail Blazers - Patrick Mills
Patty is going to have to fight for his spot on the roster, but he will genuinely work his ass off and once given the chance to improve and then prove himself he will make teams wish they had taken him earlier. There's alot of talk that his passing isn't good enough, and he's too small to play the 2 guard. So teach him to pass better. Tony Parker still isn't a great passer, but he's a fast slashing player. Mills is as fast and once he does some work on his pull up jumper he'll be a worthy NBA Point Guard. And Portland is a great place for him to learn to play with this amazing young squad.
Overall it may be a shallow draft, but only time will tell us that...
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Craig Foster - You don't make the cut
Over the last week the Pim Verbeek critics have come out of the woodwork jumping on the Craig Foster bandwagon that states unless you have 8 one touch passes followed by a 30 yard screamer it's not worth wiping your arse with.
Unsurprisingly, most of the criticism has come from people who wouldn't know Lionel Messi from Terry McFlynn, and many wouldn't be able to tell the difference in their style of play.
I expect ignorant criticism from people who don't understand the game. They haven't spent years at the top of the game- playing or coaching or even analysing - to understand why their criticism of the Socceroos style is so ridiculous.
It got me thinking.
Craig Foster should know better right? I mean he's supposed to be a leading anayst of the game in this country so surely he can see how flawed his constant "Beautiful Football" argument is. Besides his long running agenda to get Socceroos coaches not named Guus sacked, his articles are fairly poor, at least from a journalistic point of view, so he can't have his job based on his journalistic merit's
He's very rarely fair and balanced. He tells us why beautiful football is the greatest and can never be beaten without explaining why it often fails (see Arsenal's last few season)
His articles contradict each other (on the rare occasions that he's not rehashing his beautiful football argument). He says in one argument that Guus had this same team playing a great brand of football, then in another article tells us that the current team has had alot of changes from the 2006 version and will struggle to make an impact on the world stage because of it.
So I thought, if an average football fan like myself can see this and Craig Foster can't, maybe he's not as qualified as we're all lead to believe.
I wondered if he'd make the current Socceroos team. I wondered if he'd even make the squad!
As a player Foster was an attacking midfielder, our current first choice attacking midfielders are Tim Cahill, Harry Kewell and Brett Emerton.
At his peak Foster managed to play 30 games (over 4 years!!!) for 5 goals in the second tier of English football. By that standard he'd be lucky to be an A League marquee signing!
Tim Cahill has currently played 131 games (37 goals) for Everton who are one of the best teams in the top tier of English football, he's been nominated for the ballon d'or, he scored Australia's first ever world cup finals goal and has even been described by one of Foster's peers Rale Rasic as the best Australian footballer he has seen in his lifetime. You're not threatening his spot Craig.
Kewell played 275 games (57 goals) in the English top flight, is currently in great form playing in the strong Turkish league, and is arguably the most high profile Socceroo ever. His spot is safe too.
Brett Emerton has played 190 games for Blackburn in England's top flight after 92 for Feyenoord in the Dutch top flight. He's a versatile player and has spent alot of time playing as a right back, he has been possibly the most consistent player for the Socceroos over his 69 caps and you couldn't find a player more willing to bleed for the jersey. Not many players in Australia's history could take his Socceroos spot.
Our next best options are Mark Bresciano and Mile Sterjovski
You could argue that Bresciano would be in any starting Socceroos team if fit after his past 10 years playing against the worlds best in Italy's premier competition.
Sterjovski has played in the top flight of leagues all over Europe including France, Switzerland, Turkey and England. He takes his place in the squad.
Jason Culina plays primarily as a defensive midfielder for the national team, but is equally good as an attacking midfielder and his years playing in Holland and in the UEFA Champions League give him his credentials.
In the Current Aussie squad, the other attacking midfielders are Richard Garcia and Nick Carle.
Richard Garcia made it to the English top flight this season, and has now been taken into the last few squads as Pim Verbeek seems to be impressed by him.
Nick Carle has had a very simlilar career to Craig Foster.
Both spent alot of time spent playing in Australia after short term early moves overseas, and Carle is currently in the English second tier, where Foster's career peaked. Carle is only 27 and his career can still see him reach greater heights, but for whatever reason, Pim Verbeek doesn't seem to be a fan. Maybe that's why Foster seems to have a problem with Verbeek, who knows.
But at this point Australia has 7 or 8 attacking midfielders that make the team before Foster comes into consideration.
So ultimately this man that seems to have such strong opinions on everything, this man who is meant to be one of our leading pundit's, this man who influences (or at least tries to influence) our opinions on football, if he was born into the current generation of players, may not have gotten a cap for the Socceroos. Would we take his opinion as seriously if that was the case?
I don't think so.
Free Counter
Unsurprisingly, most of the criticism has come from people who wouldn't know Lionel Messi from Terry McFlynn, and many wouldn't be able to tell the difference in their style of play.
I expect ignorant criticism from people who don't understand the game. They haven't spent years at the top of the game- playing or coaching or even analysing - to understand why their criticism of the Socceroos style is so ridiculous.
It got me thinking.
Craig Foster should know better right? I mean he's supposed to be a leading anayst of the game in this country so surely he can see how flawed his constant "Beautiful Football" argument is. Besides his long running agenda to get Socceroos coaches not named Guus sacked, his articles are fairly poor, at least from a journalistic point of view, so he can't have his job based on his journalistic merit's
He's very rarely fair and balanced. He tells us why beautiful football is the greatest and can never be beaten without explaining why it often fails (see Arsenal's last few season)
His articles contradict each other (on the rare occasions that he's not rehashing his beautiful football argument). He says in one argument that Guus had this same team playing a great brand of football, then in another article tells us that the current team has had alot of changes from the 2006 version and will struggle to make an impact on the world stage because of it.
So I thought, if an average football fan like myself can see this and Craig Foster can't, maybe he's not as qualified as we're all lead to believe.
I wondered if he'd make the current Socceroos team. I wondered if he'd even make the squad!
As a player Foster was an attacking midfielder, our current first choice attacking midfielders are Tim Cahill, Harry Kewell and Brett Emerton.
At his peak Foster managed to play 30 games (over 4 years!!!) for 5 goals in the second tier of English football. By that standard he'd be lucky to be an A League marquee signing!
Tim Cahill has currently played 131 games (37 goals) for Everton who are one of the best teams in the top tier of English football, he's been nominated for the ballon d'or, he scored Australia's first ever world cup finals goal and has even been described by one of Foster's peers Rale Rasic as the best Australian footballer he has seen in his lifetime. You're not threatening his spot Craig.
Kewell played 275 games (57 goals) in the English top flight, is currently in great form playing in the strong Turkish league, and is arguably the most high profile Socceroo ever. His spot is safe too.
Brett Emerton has played 190 games for Blackburn in England's top flight after 92 for Feyenoord in the Dutch top flight. He's a versatile player and has spent alot of time playing as a right back, he has been possibly the most consistent player for the Socceroos over his 69 caps and you couldn't find a player more willing to bleed for the jersey. Not many players in Australia's history could take his Socceroos spot.
Our next best options are Mark Bresciano and Mile Sterjovski
You could argue that Bresciano would be in any starting Socceroos team if fit after his past 10 years playing against the worlds best in Italy's premier competition.
Sterjovski has played in the top flight of leagues all over Europe including France, Switzerland, Turkey and England. He takes his place in the squad.
Jason Culina plays primarily as a defensive midfielder for the national team, but is equally good as an attacking midfielder and his years playing in Holland and in the UEFA Champions League give him his credentials.
In the Current Aussie squad, the other attacking midfielders are Richard Garcia and Nick Carle.
Richard Garcia made it to the English top flight this season, and has now been taken into the last few squads as Pim Verbeek seems to be impressed by him.
Nick Carle has had a very simlilar career to Craig Foster.
Both spent alot of time spent playing in Australia after short term early moves overseas, and Carle is currently in the English second tier, where Foster's career peaked. Carle is only 27 and his career can still see him reach greater heights, but for whatever reason, Pim Verbeek doesn't seem to be a fan. Maybe that's why Foster seems to have a problem with Verbeek, who knows.
But at this point Australia has 7 or 8 attacking midfielders that make the team before Foster comes into consideration.
So ultimately this man that seems to have such strong opinions on everything, this man who is meant to be one of our leading pundit's, this man who influences (or at least tries to influence) our opinions on football, if he was born into the current generation of players, may not have gotten a cap for the Socceroos. Would we take his opinion as seriously if that was the case?
I don't think so.
Free Counter
Thursday, June 4, 2009
How can NSW win State of Origin II?
Another game, another refereeing controversy!
For the record, my opinion is that Hayne's foot didn't go into touch, which changes the entire game. Not to mention the penalty against him for taking out Folau that was also wrong, which led to another try for the Queenslanders. So assuming those decisions went the way I think they should have (and that magically everything else played out the exact same way!) the final score ends up NSW 24 QLD 16.
That aside, I think that NSW gambled in their team selection, and if they had won the game everyone would say that the gamble came off and the team would stay the same. As it stands, they lost and there will be talk of change for the line up. The truth of the matter is that some gambles came off and others didn't and win or lose, some changes are necessary.
Lyon looked disinterested (no real surprise given he said that he wasn't interested). McManus was anonymous (no real surprise either as alot of people had no idea who he was going into the match). Campese tried to score off every play, which he does, and needs to do, at the Raiders. However it's not the way Origin is played. He'll learn that as he matures as a player and I have no doubt he will be back at Origin level in the next season or two after what he learnt at Etihad Stadium, but his run this year is over.
Gidley was flat out bad. In his chance to step up to the plate and live up to all the media hype, he failed dismally. But he is a better and more experienced player than that and he still warrants a spot in the team (especially since he's the captain)
The forward pack was largely effective, and relatively error free, but outside of Creagh and Farrah, nobody really stood out. I can handle that, and I think the pack should stay the same for game II. They'll be better for it.
But the backline definitely needs fine tuning.
The backline should be as follows -
Fullback - Jarryd Hayne - He was easily the best player on the park for NSW and that's no easy feat as a left winger. His best club form has been at fullback, and Gidley struggled at the back so it makes sense.
Left Wing - Joel Monaghan - His size and quality under the high ball makes him an automatic selection to play up against Folau. Knows how to finish too.
Left Centre - Michael Jennings - Was fairly quiet last night after all the hype but was error free and showed enough for me to give him the spot for the rest of the series, he'll just keep getting better.
Right Centre - Josh Morris - He is an attacking machine and big to boot. Full of confidence after a great start to this season and seems to have learnt how to tackle. Has been a slight step off this level for about 12 months, this year it's his turn. Does have a few errors in his game, if we can get that out of him, he'll make this spot his own for a long time.
Right Wing - David Williams - He has rep experience, and to be perfectly honest, NSW aren't exactly plump with wingers, so I'll give him the nod.
Five Eighth - Kurt Gidley/Craig Wing - Whichever one you DON'T give the starting spot to, will come off the bench. There are arguments for and against having either in the starting side. Chances are Gidley would get the nod as he is the captain, but Wing could easily take that role on too. I will say this though, if Wing is on the bench, you've got to give him more game time than he saw last night, I don't care how you do it, but you have to do it.
Halfback - Peter Wallace - He's our best option, and is a much better kicker than he showed in game 1. He won't have another match like that. A bit of variety in the kicking stakes between Farrah, Gidley/Wing and Wallace will relieve some pressure and put Steve Price in 2 minds allowing an overall better kicking game.
All in all the backline has had a fairly drastic change, but in my opinion this is the core of a backline that can take us forward for the next few years.
The line up picked for game 1 was never going to be a long term solution. Really, did anyone think that McManus was going to have a sparkling Origin career? Or that Lyon would play rep footy again next year after he's met the 10 year requirements of the league to declare himself exempt? Campese still has a future, when he gets composure in his game, but he's a back up at best for next 12 months or so.
This series isn't over yet. Far from it!
For the record, my opinion is that Hayne's foot didn't go into touch, which changes the entire game. Not to mention the penalty against him for taking out Folau that was also wrong, which led to another try for the Queenslanders. So assuming those decisions went the way I think they should have (and that magically everything else played out the exact same way!) the final score ends up NSW 24 QLD 16.
That aside, I think that NSW gambled in their team selection, and if they had won the game everyone would say that the gamble came off and the team would stay the same. As it stands, they lost and there will be talk of change for the line up. The truth of the matter is that some gambles came off and others didn't and win or lose, some changes are necessary.
Lyon looked disinterested (no real surprise given he said that he wasn't interested). McManus was anonymous (no real surprise either as alot of people had no idea who he was going into the match). Campese tried to score off every play, which he does, and needs to do, at the Raiders. However it's not the way Origin is played. He'll learn that as he matures as a player and I have no doubt he will be back at Origin level in the next season or two after what he learnt at Etihad Stadium, but his run this year is over.
Gidley was flat out bad. In his chance to step up to the plate and live up to all the media hype, he failed dismally. But he is a better and more experienced player than that and he still warrants a spot in the team (especially since he's the captain)
The forward pack was largely effective, and relatively error free, but outside of Creagh and Farrah, nobody really stood out. I can handle that, and I think the pack should stay the same for game II. They'll be better for it.
But the backline definitely needs fine tuning.
The backline should be as follows -
Fullback - Jarryd Hayne - He was easily the best player on the park for NSW and that's no easy feat as a left winger. His best club form has been at fullback, and Gidley struggled at the back so it makes sense.
Left Wing - Joel Monaghan - His size and quality under the high ball makes him an automatic selection to play up against Folau. Knows how to finish too.
Left Centre - Michael Jennings - Was fairly quiet last night after all the hype but was error free and showed enough for me to give him the spot for the rest of the series, he'll just keep getting better.
Right Centre - Josh Morris - He is an attacking machine and big to boot. Full of confidence after a great start to this season and seems to have learnt how to tackle. Has been a slight step off this level for about 12 months, this year it's his turn. Does have a few errors in his game, if we can get that out of him, he'll make this spot his own for a long time.
Right Wing - David Williams - He has rep experience, and to be perfectly honest, NSW aren't exactly plump with wingers, so I'll give him the nod.
Five Eighth - Kurt Gidley/Craig Wing - Whichever one you DON'T give the starting spot to, will come off the bench. There are arguments for and against having either in the starting side. Chances are Gidley would get the nod as he is the captain, but Wing could easily take that role on too. I will say this though, if Wing is on the bench, you've got to give him more game time than he saw last night, I don't care how you do it, but you have to do it.
Halfback - Peter Wallace - He's our best option, and is a much better kicker than he showed in game 1. He won't have another match like that. A bit of variety in the kicking stakes between Farrah, Gidley/Wing and Wallace will relieve some pressure and put Steve Price in 2 minds allowing an overall better kicking game.
All in all the backline has had a fairly drastic change, but in my opinion this is the core of a backline that can take us forward for the next few years.
The line up picked for game 1 was never going to be a long term solution. Really, did anyone think that McManus was going to have a sparkling Origin career? Or that Lyon would play rep footy again next year after he's met the 10 year requirements of the league to declare himself exempt? Campese still has a future, when he gets composure in his game, but he's a back up at best for next 12 months or so.
This series isn't over yet. Far from it!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Humility? LeBron? Have you met?
A friend of mine suggested to me today that I should get a job as a sports agent. It was due to a conversation we were having about LeBron James and his response to being knocked out of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals by the Orlando Magic. After having the league's best record for the regular season and sweeping through the first 2 rounds of the playoffs without really being challenged, LeBron and his Cleveland team mates were expected to advance to the finals on the back of the superstar himself. However due to a superior team display by Orlando and a lack of help for King James, The Cavs were knocked out in game 6 in Florida.
LeBron's reaction has been a talking point ever since.
He walked straight off the court. He went to the locker room, had a shower, put on his headphones and got out of Amway Arena.
He didn't do what is expected of a king. He didn't congratulate Team USA team mate Dwight Howard on the win. He didn't talk to the media about the loss. He didn't provide jornalists with a soundbite for the morning news. Essentially, he didn't play the game, and for most of that I don't really blame him.
I can understand not wanting to talk to the media and tell them what they want to hear, and lets face it, with his profile, all he could really say at the press conference is the standard cliched answers to the same old questions. Also, to be fair, sources in the media say he is the most accessible superstar in the NBA so missing one post game press conference can be forgiven, even if it was the elimination game of the Eastern Conference Finals, but his response to leaving the court immediately after the game when eventually fronting the media was this - "It's hard for me to congratulate somebody after you just lose to them, I'm a winner. It's not being a poor sport or anything like that. If somebody beats you up, you're not going to congratulate them. That doesn't make sense to me. I'm a competitor. That's what I do. It doesn't make sense for me to go over and shake somebody's hand."
This is what I have a problem with -
It's hard for me to congratulate somebody after you just lose to them
It's not just hard for you, it's hard for everyone. That's what makes it a noble thing to do.
I'm a winner
Not this time you're not, and you're not always going to be. Get used to it.
It's not being a poor sport or anything like that
I'm not Robert Cawdrey (credited with writing the first english dictionary) but I think that your action and this response may in fact be the new definition of being a poor sport.
If somebody beats you up, you're not going to congratulate them
If you're a fighter you do. And if you're a professional basketball player then you do it when you get beaten in a game of basketball.
That doesn't make sense to me. I'm a competitor. That's what I do. It doesn't make sense for me to go over and shake somebody's hand
I don't even know what to say to this part. I mean, how does that excuse anything? It doesn't make sense to me that a true competitor wouldn't appreciate the performance of his opponent and congrtulate him on it.
The more I read or hear his quote, it almost seems like he's trying to dig his way out of a mistake that he made, but he is failing.
It sounds like he is getting bad advice, which brings me back to my potential career as a sports agent.
There are 2 simple ways that he could have handled this that would have been alot better. If he wanted to try and save pride, he could have simply said he didn't want to take away from Dwight's moment and if he was to go and congratulate him on the court, the focus would have been on that rather than allowing Dwight to enjoy his moment, and that he would congratulate Dwight and the Magic privately in his own way
Or he could have simply admitted that he made a mistake. Admit that he should have handled the situation better and if he had his time again, he would have done things differently.
I would have thought those 2 options were obvious.
If his minders couldn't see this, then they are lucky to have their jobs, because they have grossly misjudged public opinion on the situation.
If my worst fears are true and LeBron James TRULY believes that he has nothing to answer for and that explanation is his real opinion, then I'm afraid you've just lost at least one of your fans, most likely more.
Ed
LeBron's reaction has been a talking point ever since.
He walked straight off the court. He went to the locker room, had a shower, put on his headphones and got out of Amway Arena.
He didn't do what is expected of a king. He didn't congratulate Team USA team mate Dwight Howard on the win. He didn't talk to the media about the loss. He didn't provide jornalists with a soundbite for the morning news. Essentially, he didn't play the game, and for most of that I don't really blame him.
I can understand not wanting to talk to the media and tell them what they want to hear, and lets face it, with his profile, all he could really say at the press conference is the standard cliched answers to the same old questions. Also, to be fair, sources in the media say he is the most accessible superstar in the NBA so missing one post game press conference can be forgiven, even if it was the elimination game of the Eastern Conference Finals, but his response to leaving the court immediately after the game when eventually fronting the media was this - "It's hard for me to congratulate somebody after you just lose to them, I'm a winner. It's not being a poor sport or anything like that. If somebody beats you up, you're not going to congratulate them. That doesn't make sense to me. I'm a competitor. That's what I do. It doesn't make sense for me to go over and shake somebody's hand."
This is what I have a problem with -
It's hard for me to congratulate somebody after you just lose to them
It's not just hard for you, it's hard for everyone. That's what makes it a noble thing to do.
I'm a winner
Not this time you're not, and you're not always going to be. Get used to it.
It's not being a poor sport or anything like that
I'm not Robert Cawdrey (credited with writing the first english dictionary) but I think that your action and this response may in fact be the new definition of being a poor sport.
If somebody beats you up, you're not going to congratulate them
If you're a fighter you do. And if you're a professional basketball player then you do it when you get beaten in a game of basketball.
That doesn't make sense to me. I'm a competitor. That's what I do. It doesn't make sense for me to go over and shake somebody's hand
I don't even know what to say to this part. I mean, how does that excuse anything? It doesn't make sense to me that a true competitor wouldn't appreciate the performance of his opponent and congrtulate him on it.
The more I read or hear his quote, it almost seems like he's trying to dig his way out of a mistake that he made, but he is failing.
It sounds like he is getting bad advice, which brings me back to my potential career as a sports agent.
There are 2 simple ways that he could have handled this that would have been alot better. If he wanted to try and save pride, he could have simply said he didn't want to take away from Dwight's moment and if he was to go and congratulate him on the court, the focus would have been on that rather than allowing Dwight to enjoy his moment, and that he would congratulate Dwight and the Magic privately in his own way
Or he could have simply admitted that he made a mistake. Admit that he should have handled the situation better and if he had his time again, he would have done things differently.
I would have thought those 2 options were obvious.
If his minders couldn't see this, then they are lucky to have their jobs, because they have grossly misjudged public opinion on the situation.
If my worst fears are true and LeBron James TRULY believes that he has nothing to answer for and that explanation is his real opinion, then I'm afraid you've just lost at least one of your fans, most likely more.
Ed
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
