Beef

My love affair with hockey started in high school. I was playing intramural floor hockey when I, just imitating what I had seen on TV, hip checked a guy into the bleachers. Hard. Thinking that I would be penalized (or for that matter thrown out of gym class), play just continued. It was actually a legal play.

I remember thinking to this day that I knew that I would like this sport. I still wish that I knew how to ice skate. In my mind I thought that I would have made a great defensemen.

Fast forward to now. To this day, I am still amazed that aside from boxing, hockey is the only major sport that let’s players who have beef with each other allow them to settle their differences in the game physically. They will suspend the game to allow the players (sometime entire teams) go at it. No getting back at the player by making a great play like scoring a goal or making a great save. Just get it on like the former boxing referee Mills Lane used to say before every championship match.

Now in these cases, the players are penalized for these infractions. Paraphrasing Don Cuneo from the Godfather movie, “…after all, we are not communists.”

This sanction was created back in 1922. Instead of ejecting or suspending players for brawls (referred to as "fisticuffs"), the NHL introduced a five-minute major penalty. This allowed games to keep playing while self-policing. The fans loved it.

Part of the winning formula for today’s teams include having at least one player who represented the “enforcer” of the team. Basically, if you harass the star player, you will deal with the team enforcer.

This concept has transcended to other team sports like basketball. See hoop guys like Rick Mahorn or Dennis Rodman as examples.

Full disclosure time. While I consider myself a peaceful guy, I like it too. I understand the fan appeal. For some fans, anything else would be uncivilized.

Fantasy

Today I awaken (thanking the creator), a day after starting my fourth decade into the madness that is fantasy football. In a day that I totally dedicate this virtual interactive game to, I am one of the 42 million (roughly one out of ten Americans and Canadians – who I still consider our friends) people who participate for both fun and profit.

I isolate myself from everyone on draft day. I don’t watch TV. I don’t go outside. Fortunately, my better half does feed me. She just throws the food in and quickly closes the door.

It is one of the things that I am truly passionate about. While I stream movies at home, I don’t do movies, concerts or go anywhere on a regular basis. And before you ask, yes, I do have friends that do not participate at all with this “thing of mines” and could care less. Why the passion? On the one hand it’s obvious. I like football. I like competing. I enjoy socializing, despite what I just said.

It started innocently enough at work. I joined a group of co-workers. In my first ever draft that I did with my co-owner (KG – shout out to him), We took quarterbacks with our first two picks. Regular players understand the foolishness of that. Yet, despite that inauspicious start, we actually finished the season 6-10.

From there, a couple of things in me developed. My competitive gene developed. Combined with my “Trekian” desire to continually attempt to improve helped as well. From there, we won three championships over the next five years.

To take the phrase from one of my favorite comics, “I’m not looking for any applause, I’m just trying to tell you a story.”

Thirty years later, I’m still doing it. I am the Commissioner of the league that I originally joined as well as running two other leagues. In fact, all of my leagues have both men and women. Aside from the reasons that I mentioned earlier, I am still not sure why I’m still caught up in it like a one-night love affair.

I guess part of it goes back to my love of sports in general that I cited in my first blog post more than 16 years ago: It beats the heck out of heroin.

Tomorrow

There I go, getting hyped again about my Nats. Just when I thought maybe, just maybe, we would have a chance to have a playoff game. Now I understand we were four games out of the wild card spot, and we were just one game above .500 at the All-Star break.

But it wasn’t just wishful thinking. Our offence leads the league in both home runs and RBI’s, led by James Wood (currently 7^th in HR’s) and our super shortstop C.J. Abrams, who leads the league with 88 runs batted in. Even though our overall pitching hasn’t been anything to brag about, we still had an All-Star in starter Foster Griffin, who is still in the top five with his twelve wins.

Then tomorrow came. What do I mean by this? Since our World Series win seven years ago, we have developed a habit of moving our star players today with the hope of getting better players tomorrow.

This year’s go-around began with the moving of our first baseman Luis Garcia (.283 batting average, 24 HR’s and 78 RBI’s). To add insult to injury, he actually started his career with the Nats. Next, we moved our best pitcher to the Guardians. The total return for our top players are for players in the hope they will get better…tomorrow.

For me, it’s not a coincidence that Griffin was let go in his contract year. The Nats have to learn that you have to pay to play to compete. I’m not even talking about spending on the Dodgers level. Even though they are currently working on their third straight title.

In either case, as a Nats fan, I have just one question: When is tomorrow?

 

Nats

Going into today’s game, the Washington Nations are playing .500 ball (51-51). They are just a game and a half out of the wild card spot. And I couldn’t be more excited.

Why do you ask? Read on.

Despite having the second worse team pitching record in the National League, the Nats have a top five league leading pitcher in NL All-Star Foster Griffin. Griffin, a former first round pick of the KC Royals, has won 11 (against two losses) of his twenty starts this season. This is the first major pickup from our new President of Operations Paul Toboni.

Now to pour some more water in my glass. Today’s Nats fun fact: Washington leads Major League Baseball in home runs, RBI’s and runs scored. Not just the National League. Major League Baseball. For those of you where math is your friend, 17% of their 884 hits (currently fourth in the league) are “taters”.

I have always wanted to use the word “taters” in a sentence since I started blogging. Crossing this off my communicational bucket list.

While I didn’t want to trade Juan Soto at the time, the trade has worked out. From it we got right fielder James Wood and shortstop C.J. Abrams, both All-Stars this year. Abrams currently leads the league with 76 RBI’s and Wood is just outside of the top five in home runs with 28.

While I think that I’m all-in with my home teams in general, there is one word that’s keeping me from really going all-in... Tanking. My question: Will the Nats be buyers or sellers coming up to the trading deadline?

Excuse the DC Fan in me, but my position is clear. Try to make the playoffs every year. In any sport. Not going to get into a debate about who to add or trade for except to say that they shouldn’t touch our current nucleus of stars. For me, I’m fine with seeing what happens with what we got.

Seven years from our World Series championship, I think it is time for another title run.

By the way, correction on the team record. After today, the Nats are now 52-51 on the year.

Draft

This upcoming Tuesday is the NBA draft. This year’s crop has a group of players that has the potential to make an immediate impact on next season’s squads.

At the top of this years hit parade are my Washington Wizards, who admittedly did not give their best effort to win games these past few seasons as a franchise.

In other words, they tanked.

Well, this year they have nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. They got what they wanted: this year’s #1 pick.

In reviewing the Wiz recent 1^st round picks, they have been not that bad. Last year’s first rounder Tre Johnson (#6) from Texas played 60 games, averaged 12 points per game while shooting just under the league 3-pt percentage of 36% (35.8%). 2024 pick Will Riley (Illinois) averaged double digits this past season as well, shooting 44% from the field overall in 74 games this year. The previous picks before them, big man Alex Sarr (averaging 14pts and 7 rebounds in his 115 game Wizards career) and Baltimore native Bub Carrington both made All-Rookie teams.

Now we come to this year’s pick…our first #1 pick since John Wall in the 2010 draft. Full transparency, I did not have a problem with that pick.

The consensus selection is Brigham Young player A.J. Dybantsa, who was the leading D-1 player in scoring, shooting 51% from the field. Also on the short list is Kansas guard Darryn Peterson who averaged 20 a game in (only) 24 games this past year for the Jayhawks. As of this post, ESPN just moved Peterson past A.J. on their big board. Something else to note: the only team that Peterson worked out for was Washington.

Now for my choice.

First, I would trade (that’s right, I said it trade) the pick to Utah, who has the #2 pick. He wants to go to Utah (see Brigham Young) and Utah wants him. And I think that Utah is willing to pay big for him. Aside from their #2 pick, I would want at least one player (someone like maybe Ace Bailey) or for me Brice Sensabaugh who is a 38% career 3pt shooter who averaged just under 15 a game this past season. And next year’s picks (Utah has only the one pick in this year’s draft) to continue the rebuild.

My selection is 6’ 10” big man Caleb Wilson from North Carolina. While I can blog for myself, Here’s ESPN’s take: Athletic frontcourt players who compete the way Wilson does are always in high demand. He's exceptionally quick off the floor and should contribute in several areas other than scoring. The midrange touch and passing instincts he has shown point to his underlying talent. Although injuries ended his season early, his transition to college was impressively smooth. He has excellent potential to tap into long-term, with his competitiveness inspiring confidence that he'll reach it.

In the 24 games that he played this past season(limited by breaking both of his hands), he averaged 19.8 points and 9.4 boards for the season.

And to be clear, if Utah doesn’t want to deal, I still want him.

This upcoming pick for the Wizards will be franchise changing. One way or another.

Tanking

It has been rough for Washington D.C. sports teams the last few years. Aside from the flash of lightning that left us one game from the Super Bowl a little more than a year ago, we as DC fans don’t have too much to stick our chests out about. But there is one thing that I can hang my hat on in the case of the Commanders, Capitals and Nationals: they try to win the game.

Sure, we have had it rough the last few seasons, but in my football, hockey and baseball worlds, I have no problem putting down a couple of bucks to see my home teams compete and making a sincere effort to win the game. In one of my favorite lines from the movie Casino, “otherwise, what’s the point?” Even my Washington Capitals have made the playoffs in the last two years.

Then we come to the Washington Wizards. For the last three years, they have done the complete opposite. Not only do they lose regularly, the wear the label like a badge of honor. As of this post, the Wizards have won a total of fifty out of 241 games in the last three seasons.

Fifty. Total. With math being my friend, they have just won one out of every five games.

Their reason? They want to better position themselves to get quality players from the annual NBA drafts. Now, while I’m just a blogger, I thought that you just scout and evaluate players and just select them, regardless of when you pick them. Some players take years to develop. In fact, during the last three seasons, only three players from the last three draft classes have played in the All-Star game. Our last player to play was Bradley Beal who was our third overall pick in the 2012 draft.

In speaking to ticket holders, their frustration comes from both the product on the court as well as the annual price increases.

It is a disservice to the fans to promote losing in the league. It also defeats the purpose of why we play (and watch) the games…hello?

Madness

As a U.S. President once said, “…well my fellow Americans, it’s that time again.” March Madness has begun to determine this year’s Men’s and Women’s Division I Basketball champions. As I do each year, the following are my annual picks on the men’s side of the coin. Don’t look for any incredible analysis on my part, other my personal POV and eye test. So, without further adieu:

East Region: This region has the overall #1 seed in the Duke Blue Devils. They come into the tournament with two starters probably out. It’s a region of haves and have nots. While I see the usual suspects advancing, for me, Tom Izzo’s Michigan State teams always play their best this time of year. They are my final four pick from this region defeating a strong St. Johns team in the regional final.

South Region: This region has the defending champions in the Florida Gators. Aside from the second seeded Houston Cougars (another final four team from last year’s tourney), nobody really sticks out. But that also means that this division is up for grabs with teams who have had solid seasons, such as Vanderbilt and Illinois. At the end of this day, Houston will beat Illinois and Florida will beat the Commodores to reach the regional final with Florida making a return trip to the Final Four.

Midwest: This region is also a mixed bag of teams that can win it with a hot streak. For me, teams that fit this bill include fourth seed Alabama, Tennessee, and Texas Tech. While I am very tempted to pick my upset special here, I’m staying “chalky” with a Michigan/Iowa St. regional final. For Iowa St., this will be their furthest advance since their sweet sixteen appearance in 2024. More on this Final Four pick later.

West: I call this region the Blue Blood division. From Villanova to Gonzaga to Purdue, some think that the champion will come from this region. While it looks like a wild card region, I still think (?) that the cream will rise to the top with an Arizona vs. Gonzaga regional final. While I would not be surprised by a different outcome, I am still going with the Wildcats in the Final Four.

As for the Final Four, I’ll make it plain: Iowa State will defeat Michigan State in the title game to win their first national championship in their school’s history.

As always, this is for entertainment purposes only, so please, no wagering.