Monday Grab Bag: We're not last!

No time for chit-chat, right onto the bag!

Today in the bag, I'm talking Pac-12 media polls, Frank Thomas in Cooperstown, and a little site news.

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Monday Grab Bag: Mid-July sucks

We're just under 40 days away from the Rocky Mountain Showdown! I'll cop to being mildly excited, if only because there's nothing else to draw my attention between now and then.  Fuck CSU, and all of that.

Overall, I'm cautiously optimistic about the Buffs this year. Not enough to lose me head and starting making bowl trip plans, but I honestly enjoyed the measured improvement shown in 2013, and look forward to what Coach Mac and crew have in store for 2014. Another year like last, and I may actually be able to look my friends from other Pac-12 schools in the eye from August through October.

Media day isn't for another two weeks, and fall camp won't start until August 1st, but it's important to mention that football is right around the corner.  What else do we have to think about as July slowly melts away?

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Today in the bag, I got BREAKING NEWS and a little on the British Open... Woof, it's been a quiet week...

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Monday Grab Bag: The return of the worst week in sports

Welcome, once again, to the worst week in sports.  The Major League Baseball All-Star game, annually, announces itself as deserving of an entire week of focus, and then proceeds to bore the nation to tears through a glorified round of batting practice and a main event no more important than a random spring training game.  Even for me, a devout follower of the religion of baseball, this week is impossibly difficult to get through.

The question that I've been hearing more and more over the past few years is "how do we fix it?"  You can't, stop trying.  The reasons behind the existence of this non-event were: 1) to create a new source of revenue for the league during the Depression, which eventually evolved into 2) provide a showcase for out-of-town stars that fans rarely got to see.  80 years later, baseball no longer needs the revenue, and fans can see out-of-town stars whenever they want, thanks to nationalized television packages.  There's no longer a point. Just name a team, hand out some bonus checks, and keep the season moving.

But, that's too logical and forward thinking for baseball, so expect them continue to wring the stone in search of water.  Meanwhile, more and more fans of the game will stop watching, and the sport's infrastructure will become more and more irrelevant. *sigh*  Baseball, as always, is timeless to a fault.

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Today in the bag, I'm talking the conclusion of the World Cup, NBA free agency, and fundraising at CU.

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Monday Grab Bag: #TargetSale

Apologies for the lateness, but I'm a little distracted today.  The MLB All-Star rosters were announced over the weekend, which, in and of themselves, usually warrants little more than a yawn from yours truly.  This year, however, the AL has decided to wade into battle without their single greatest pitching asset: White Sox ace Chris Sale.

Yes, that Chris Sale.  He of the 8-1 record on a sub-.500 team, who just happens to lead the league in ERA+ (188) after posting a 96/16 K/BB ratio and a .87 WHIP over the first half. "Oh, but he missed a month on the DL!"  Who cares?  No one has been as dominant in the AL, even having missed five or so starts.  Chris Sale strikes FEAR into the hearts of AL hitters, in a way no one since Randy Johnson has. But, sure, let's make everyone vote to get him to Minneapolis.  *sigh*

This shit is so dumb.  The old line from pundits is always "well, who would you send home, then?" Anyone, everyone.  If Chris Sale is not a clear All-Star, then there is no longer a need to have an All-Star game.  The mere idea that this testament to all that is good with professional pitching is being forced to pander for votes is offensive.  The American League should be so lucky to have Chris Sale represent them. (Yes, I'm crafting the statue now.  It will be bronze, and no one will be able to get hits off of it, either).

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Today in the bag, I'm talking the USMNT's loss to Belgium, the quarter final results from Brazil, and the possible end of an era in the NBA.

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Josh Fortune is a Buff!

The news broke quickly yesterday afternoon: the herd is getting larger.  As CBS's Jon Rothstein first reported, Coach Boyle has decided to spend the open scholarship left in the wake of Spencer Dinwiddie's jump to the professional ranks by bringing in former Providence Friar swingman Josh Fortune.

The newest Buff: Josh Fortune!

A 6-5 two-guard, originally from Kecoughtan High School in Virginia, Fortune played a key role on a Providence squad that finished 3rd in the Big East this past season.  He started all 38 games as a sophomore, averaging 8/3/2 in the process.  Key to CU's purposes going forward, he's known as a shooter (check out this video from the Big East Tournament), and improved greatly on the defensive end as the season wore on.  By the time February and March came around, he was one of PC's better players, averaging over 12 points per game in the lead up to the NCAA Tournament.  He looked to continue to be an important part of the Friar rotation moving forward, which is why his decision to transfer raised a few eyebrows in Rhode Island.

Fortune reportedly chose CU over offers from other high major schools like Cal, Purdue, Minnesota, and Virginia.  Despite early rumors that he was interested in playing closer to home, it looks like Josh was particularly keen on moving for "professional reasons."  To that end, Fortune's mother told BuffStampede.com's Ryan Koenigsberg that her son was especially impressed with Colorado's recent reputation of developing guards. Certainly, with Coach Boyle's guard-oriented system, and an ongoing need for perimeter scoring, a player of Fortune's mold has a golden opportunity to thrive in Boulder.

Josh's message for the fanbase is "get ready, because I'm coming," but BuffNation won't see immediate dividends from this addition.  As a traditional transfer, Fortune will have to sit out the coming season due to NCAA rules. After that, however, the young guard will have two years of remaining eligibility. This is the long-term addition that Coach Boyle has always stressed that he's looking for, and it marks an important step in future roster construction.  With Askia Booker's graduation only a season away, look for the Virginia native to fill that soon-to-be-vacated shooter's role.

Uh oh, 3-goggles.

In the mean time, Fortune gets to play the Carlon Brown role from 2010-11 - back before the former guard earned his place in CU lore. Brown helped that famous Burks-Higgins-Relphorde-Knutson team excel through a strong work ethic in practice, and it paved the way for even greater success the following season when Carlon took the court. In that vein, I expect that Josh will be a behind-the-scenes practice dynamo who can help the roster by making his presence felt on the practice squad.  By the time he finally takes the court in 2015, he will already have made an impact on the roster, and be in a position to play a key role in the continued success of Colorado Basketball.

Welcome to Boulder, Josh!