Bends Toward Justice

I just read some posts at Shamrock Headband (follow the link to the right; it's worth the time). One connected to a great interview with the Celtics' new-this-year defensive assistant coach. Good Reading! http://basketballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=235

This year, if gambling were legal, I would have wagered on the tournament three different ways. One was an auction of teams at which I would have quickly been outbid on any team I really thought could win. At this point I'm hoping that West Virginia and Washington State can somehow win two more games. If I had bet on them and they went to the final four it would be an incredible payday if gambling were legal. In another pool I play just for fun, with no money changing hands, I picked eight teams, each with a different seed # and only two from each region: UCLA, Georgetown, Stanford, Washington State, Marquette, West Virginia, Arkansas, and Davidson. I got through the first round happy, happy, happy. There's been other years when I tried to pick so that my teams wouldn't be knocking each other off until late in the tourney, but they got knocked off by other teams anyhow. This year Davidson knocked off Georgetown, and Stanford put Marquette out. Oh well. Finally, you h

And I'm slower than ever... Last Sunday I ran the Brian Boru Irish Road Rover in 27:51 (Results) Compare to last year's results here This Sunday I ran the Kerryman Pub 5K in 27:02 (Results ) Compare to last year's results here .

Bill Simmons' links this week include a piece he wrote in April '06 . Most of what he says about Sam Cassell is quoted below. I know Sam won't be there tonight, and P.J. Brown won't play, but I'm psyched through the roof for tonight's game against Detroit. Say what you want about Elgin Baylor (and I have), but the longtime Clippers GM swung the single most important trade of the summer: a sign-and-trade where Minnesota ended up with the incompetent Jaric and the Clips ended up with a No. 1 pick and Sam Cassell. It was a calculated gamble for a team that desperately needed leadership, experience, someone who wasn't afraid to take big shots, and someone who looked like E.T. Sure, Sam is a little crazy (or so they said), and he wore out his welcome a few times, but what's more reliable than a good player trying to prove himself in a contract year? In the words of Val Kilmer in "Heat," the bank was worth the risk. Sensing one final chance at a b