Author Danny Vinik

The A-Rod Saga Continues

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It doesn’t end. The New York Daily News reported today that in Selena Roberts’s upcoming book, Roberts reveals that Rodriguez took steroids while he was with the Yankees and in high school. Shocking news? Not really. None of that surprises me. His news conference a couple months ago was filled with contradictions so finding out that he lied doesn’t exactly blow my mind. What surprises me is that it is no longer my personal opinion, but is now an fact-based report. Roberts’s book, entitled “A-Rod”, is scheduled to be released on May 4th and I am looking forward to reading it.

A-Rod may have the most fragile ego in the world, as he constantly needs to be reminded of his skill. How’s he going to feel being scorned by every fan in baseball? Will Yankee fans even accept him back? The guy has given “heart felt” interviews with Katie Couric and Peter Gammons and LIED in both of them. He gave an emotional press conference while surrounded by his teammates and LIED to the world. He can’t refute these claims, because his name is so tarnished. Roberts original report about A-Rod using steroids was true so why should I not believe these new allegations? There are quotes from former high school teammates and statistics of his workout regimen. The evidence adds up and I trust Roberts. I am amongst many. I do want to read the full book before making a final decision on who to believe, but as of now, these allegations seem awfully truthful. So how can A-Rod rebound from this? Continue reading “The A-Rod Saga Continues” →

Howard Deserves The Suspension

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Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard was suspended by the NBA for game 6 of the series between the Magic and Philadelphia 76ers after Howard delivered a forearm/elbow to the head of Samuel Dalembert. It was a vicious swing, instigated by Dalembert’s push in the back on Howard, but either way, Howard’s was much more dangerous.

Dalembert delivered a slight push on Howard while the two fought for a rebound, but after the play had ended, the Magic center reacted violently. He smacked Dalembert across the head and trotted up the court as if nothing was happened. The refs assessed him a technical foul for which he should be thankful, because replays show it as a clear flagrant-two foul, an automatic ejection.

Unfortunately for Magic fans, that means that they will be without their superstar for game 6 and will almost certainly be heading home for a game seven. Without Howard, Orlando has no hopes of beating the 76ers on their home court. Howard brought it upon himself though and has no one else to blame. The NBA made the right call. He should be thankful that the officials in game five didn’t. Continue reading “Howard Deserves The Suspension” →

Spurs Season Over

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The San Antonio Spurs’ season came to an end yesterdayMavericks Spurs Basketball with a 106-93 defeat at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks, the 6-seed in the series, took four of the five games to win the best-of-seven series and advance to the second round of the NBA Playoffs.

Here’s my question: How did the Spurs let this happen?

How did a team with Tim Duncan and Tony Parker fall so easily. Duncan and Parker were thought to be two of the best players in the league but this pitiful defeat shows otherwise. If you have a point guard and a big man of that caliber, you shouldn’t lose in the first round, especially playing a Mavericks team that just isn’t very good.

Tony Parker averaged 28.6 points per game, 6.8 assists per game, and shot 54.6% from the field. However, he also averaged 4.2 turnovers per game and mad just 3 of 14 3-pointers throughout the series. Turnovers are the most critical aspect of a basketball game, because they swing momentum. Those 4+ turnovers per game cost the Spurs more than just the 2 points the other team gets. They cost them the 10-2 run the Mavericks go on, because of the momentum they gain from those turnovers. Obviously, that run doesn’t always occur, but a lot of the time it does and it can be traced directly back to Parker. Continue reading “Spurs Season Over” →