Carmichael Dave: Friday Night Blogalog
Its Friiiiiiiiidayyyyyyyyyyy!!!
What did we learn this week?
The Kings hire nerds
Ok not really nerds. Luke Bornn and Scott Perry just happen to be pretty well regarded NBA minds and I'm jealous, especially of Bornn, who's all of 31 and also a visiting scholar at Harvard. What is that? Is that someone who reads a lot and gets a bunk bed in the Crimson Dorms? "Hi, I'm Luke. I'll be visiting today. Please stand by while I learn".
I could list off their credentials, but that stuff is everywhere. Here's all you should care about: basketball people around the country that usually crap all over the Kings for getting up in the morning love these moves, so that's enough for me. For now.
Cubs championship rings are going fast
Normally when a team starts winning, they get a group of bandwagon fans that become insufferable. I've even heard rumors that some of my fellow Giants fans fall into this category (though I have trouble believing it). But in the case of the Cubs, I can actually excuse it. If the last time your team won a title, horse and buggy were the preferred modes of transportation? You get a pass.
Jostens has the task of making the World Series rings, and demand has outranked supply. The high-end ring goes for a whopping 10,800 dollars, or 11,599.03 all in all. In fact that tax ALONE is 784.08. But with the fact that only 108 will be made, all have now sold out, and I would imagine the secondary market on those will be pretty intense over the next few years.
Ballplayers need to stop doing anything
Years ago, Jeff Kent hurt himself "washing his car", which ended up being BS. Fast forward, and Madison Bumgarner is out with a hurt pitching shoulder while dirt biking. While that sucks for Giants fans, can't say I'm mad at Bum- they weren't getting him any run support anyway. In fact, he's pitched so well this year its a total joke. Now they'll have a few weeks to figure it out, and hopefully the big country ace is no worse for the wear when he returns.
Rajon Rondo was ridiculously important to the Bulls
After sweeping the first two in Boston, the Rondo-less Bulls returned home to get smoked by the Celtics. Its not that often you can see on full display how much one player is worth (not named Lebron), but today you did. Playoff Rondo, Primetime Rondo, was the X-factor in leading Chicago to what would have been a surprisingly easy series win over the one-seed Celtics. Kiss that goodbye. Could the Bulls still find a way to win the series? The fact that they're up 2-1 still bodes well, and Boston has very little margin for error. But that facts are the facts- the Bulls still out rebounded Boston 52-34, and Isaiah Thomas had 16 points on only 7 of 18 shooting.....and still the Celtics dominated. The lesson: Jerian Grant can't replace Playoff Rondo, to be honest maybe nobody could.
The Raiders organization is trashy
Bad enough that one of the prized remaining home games for Oakland is going to Mexico City for a second straight year. Worse that the team playing in Mexico instead of Oakland are the defending champion New England Patriots. But to have a draft party at the famous Las Vegas sign? That's just trash. As Bryce Harper would say-
"Clown Move Bro".
I get the loyalty of Raider fan, and respect the hell out of it. But they're getting crapped on repeatedly, and they don't deserve any of this. Raider fan should be focused on the draft and whether or not they sign Marshawn Lynch, who's negotiations have weirdly stalled. Instead, they have to deal with the ineptitude of The Great Bowl Cut. One thing to me is clear: never say never, but if I was a betting man I'd say this is the last year the Raiders play in Oakland.
Its going to be a circus.