Covering University of Colorado sports, mostly basketball, since 2010

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Site News: Time-out!

So yeah.... there's been a change in my work schedule.... At least for the foreseeable future, I wont be able to blog-'n-stuff.

I may be back....

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Don't tase me br..bbzzzzzzzzzzzz

When I was a sophomore in college, attending every football game of course, rushing the field was cool. Even when it was simply an individual rushing the field, I was acceptant. If there was a lull in the game, I would often wish that someone would rush the field just to break up the monotony. I even wrote earlier this year of my defense of collegiate student fan bases rushing the field/court after important victories. As that great philosopher Chef says "there's a time and place for everything; and it's called college." When you're young, you should be able to do stupid things. Of course, there are always consequences.

Which brings me to last night. During the Cardinals vs Phillies in Philadelphia last night, some amped up teenager decided it was his "once-in-a-lifetime" chance to run onto a major league field. The on-duty police officer, however, disagreed with his assessment and proceeded to chase the 17-yr old down, and tase him for his efforts.

(BOOYAKASHA)

Being a member of a fan base that has been collectively branded as miscreants because of the actions of a smack-head and his son, I think I ought to at least have an opinion on the matter; so here goes. There is an inherent, specific danger in the actions of an individual. One individual poses a security threat, which is why sports management takes field trespassing so seriously. There's really no way to determine whether an individual rushing onto the field is intending frivolity or harm. Compare this to a mass of students rushing onto the playing field. Obviously there is the risk of injury, both to the rushers and to the players on the field, but there is an obvious motive for the field invasion. We know why they are there, and what their purpose is. They just want to celebrate.

To simplify: Mob rushing is cool, individual rushing is dangerous.
(Totally Acceptable)


(Douche-tard)

Yes, tasing the kid may have been excessive, but it is unlawful trespassing to enter the playing field. At that point, it's up to the responding officers to determine how to best subdue the suspect. When you're in Philly, I wouldn't bet on the soft handed treatment that rushers at CU football games receive (It's a city that loves to throw batteries, after all). Of course, it is, shall I say, uncouth to tase a guy on national television (which is why the Phillies have asked to talk to police representative to discuss the use of tasers in the future), but the kid should've understood the potential consequences of his actions; and if he didn't, he certainly does now. Much like fear of fire only coming after you first get burned, I bet this kid won't make that mistake again.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Monday Grab Bag: Moving sucks

Yeah, so I spent the whole weekend moving. Total Bullshit. Anyways... on with the bag.

Blackhawks, Niemi, pounded in game 1: Antti Niemi, who many questioned because of his lack of playoff experience, was shelled in two periods against the hated Canucks Saturday night. He gave up 5 goals. 5... on only 25 shots in two periods! (It's just glaring to see the difference between Niemi and Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo.) It's not like this was the first chink in his playoff armor, either. He's just been giving up too many easy goals early in games (Remember back to those junior-league-level goals he gave up in game 1 of the first round). But, despite all the trouble Antti's been having, Coach Quenneville is sticking with him... for now.

(Niemi riding the pine.... if only he'd stay there. From: The Trib)

Sox continue their struggles on the road: Margalus has a good writeup. (That BABIP is awful. After a month it stops being a stat based on luck and become reality) Everyone was all excited to see Pierre get dropped in the order.... only to see Mark Kotsay lead off on Sunday. Ughhhh. Yeah, Juan is terrible and all, but Mark Kotsay isn't a viable replacement for anything other than my fat ass sitting on a couch. I'm starting to believe that there is little to no hope of seeing .500 this season, let alone playoff contention. Bad lineup construction, bad player choices, bad performance. That a trifecta of what Charles Barkley calls "Turrbul." Now what am I going to do all Summer?

(Ozzie, in order to tell someone to "talk to the hand," you actually have to put it in their face... From: The Sox Machine)

Buffs add two players: Tad Boyle didn't let the month end without adding two players that will secure the post Higgins/Burks year.
  • Carlon Brown is heading to Boulder after transferring from Utah. He was Utah's best player the last few years; yet, weirdly, they had him coming off of the bench (his reason for transferring). He even went as far as to declare for the NBA draft, before deciding to become a Buff. Unfortunately, he only has one year of eligibility remaining (after he sits out this next year due to transfer rules). There's a good write-up on him here. Sounds like he'll be a good replacement for Higgins/Burks; a big guard with the ability to attack the rim.
  • Andre Roberson will be coming to Boulder from deep in the heart of Texas. A 6-8 swing forward (I love me some swing forwards), Roberson will add much needed size and athleticism. Lot of good reports on him, and his "also considering" list included UCLA, UNLV, and Clemson. I see him as a replacement for Keegan; a tall lanky swing forward who may be able to show some position versatility. Since he'll be a true freshman next year I wouldn't expect him to play too many minutes right away, but I never look a 6-8 freshman in the mouth. The only holdover from the old staff, Tom Abedemarco, stayed on Andre and was able to lock down his commitment.
Now all we need is a JuCo big man to come in and grab some boards late in the game. Too bad one of our targets (who wouldn't have come anyway because of the same-old credit transfer bullshit) is now looking at Indiana.... where Steve McClain ended up. Sigh.

Mayweather fight: My new roommates are luckily boxing fans. Saturday night after 3 straight days of moving, I was afforded the opportunity to sit down, have a beer, and watch the fight. Too bad Mosely only showed up for one round. Everyone got all excited when Shane popped "Money" in the 2nd. What I saw was Mayweather take the punch, get that smirk back on his face, and regroup before anyone else noticed. When I saw him sitting in his corner between rounds 3 and 4 looking bored as hell, I knew the fight was over. While it went the distance, come the 12th round, even Mosely's trainer was admitting defeat. Oh well, at least I didn't have to pay to see the fight.

This just in - Vinny Del Negro will probably be fired: As I've talked about repeatedly (I've devoted far more attention to this than the Bulls deserve), Vinny Del Negro is on the verge of the unemployment line. He met with Jerry Reinsdorf this past weekend, in an apparent attempt to beg for his job. Fat load of good that'll do him. Looks like his head gets chopped off tomorrow. The word is that former Bulls coach Doug Collins, who started the Jordan years off, may be the front runner. I'd be down with that.
(Save your breath Vinny; it's already too late. From: the Trib)

LeBron got jobbed: 7 idiots, 3 from Orlando, voted for someone other than LeBron James to win the NBA MVP award. WTF? The NBA is usually a joke, but this is garbage. No, it's not as bad as Karl Malone winning the MVP over MJ in '97, but LeBron was far and away the MVP, and should've been the unanimous choice. Kobe? He's starting to put in inconsistent outings as he desperately tries to save his legs. The Durantula? His season was impressive, but LeBron brought the whole package in a more dominating way. Howard? Don't make me laugh. One asshole even put Steven Jackson on his ballot. I think I may have even gotten an "honorable mention" somewhere. I know that no one takes this shit seriously, but that's the problem. For an honor to mean anything, the people bestowing it must at least pay attention.

(If LeBron was anything like MJ, he'd be plotting his revenge right now.... From: ESPN)

Cal Borel is really good at being small: Calvin Borel won his 3rd Kentucky Derby in 4 years this past weekend on the muddy track of Churchill Downs. I may not follow horse racing too closely, but even I can see that's a pretty impressive feat. There's a good wrap here. I always like watching the Kentucky Derby; it seems like a spectacle worth watching, if only for the history involved in the event.
(How can they see through all the mud? From: ESPN)

Happy Monday!