We Don't Walk Slow

Basketball Stars Needed In Philly

No other sport needs a star player as much as in basketball. With 5 players on the court at one time, a single player has a huge effect on the game. This isn’t as noticeable in football, baseball, or soccer where a strategic team game can overcome a superstar. In basketball though, a star is necessary and I hope to cement this point with this post.

I watched the Jordan 1v1 with Ahmad Rashad, taped earlier this year, and it’s what led to this post. In the hour long interview, MJ went through each point of his career and the different competition he faced and the challenges along the way. His take on various players and what he was like in practice was fascinating. His intensity was unrivaled and what lead to his enormous success. His 6 championships put him right near the top and it could have been even more if he didn’t quit for baseball somewhere in between. ALSO, he retired after winning his 6th championship! Talk about leaving on top. MJ will always be considered a legend.

To go hand in hand with this post is the Philadelphia 76ers and their 2013 season. This season was one of the worst I can remember because it was majorly hyped up prior to the season. The 76ers were hoping to work Bynum into the rotation after a month or two and basically conned the fans into buying tickets to see their new superstar. I’d bet my life ownership knew the whole time he wasn’t going to play a single game. So this season the Sixers put a mediocre squad on the court with absolutely no key player to take control of the games. They proved to me that basketball can’t be won without a player to turn to who can make a key bucket. Jrue isn’t that player yet. The rest of the team are only role players. This type of team finished exactly how good they were with a record well below 500. This team was an injustice to our basketball fans. Evan Turner will never be a superstar! Now, let’s take a look at the current elite teams who actually try to win championships:

Heat – Lebron
Knicks – Melo
Thunder – Durant
Spurs – Parker

I’d bet my bottom dollar that one of those teams wins the championship this year. Spurs are the only team without a legit superstar but they do the most with the less. Lebron vs Durant rematch is most likely going to take place which will hopefully be a better challenge than last year.

In the past 22 years there have only been 9 teams to win championships.
Bulls – Jordan – 91′-93′, 96′-98′
Rockets – Olajuwon – 94′-95′
Spurs – Duncan – 99′, 03′, 05′, 07′
Lakers – Bryant – 00′-02′, 09′-10′

The Heat (LeBron), Mavericks (Nowitzki), Pistons (6 teammates), and Celtics (Garnett, Piece, and Allen) round out the list. You can keep going back but history continues to repeat itself and my point with Bird, Magic, Kareem, Russell… Basketball isn’t as much a team game as needing that one guy to take over the game when your team needs it the most. AI took a bunch of role players to the finals in 01′ which should prove the point even further. This is why I’m unbelievably upset at the Sixers and all the other shitty teams in the league who put out piss poor products. Do they know they have a poop product? Do they think the public is so stupid that we just buy into their marketing of bullshit? No star = No championship = No fans. You can sell the Eagles as a collective group and it’s harder to see but I’m not buying into shitty basketball products anymore unless ownership tries a bit harder.

By Tom Stortz|2013-04-15T23:03:16-04:00April 15th, 2013|Sports|1 Comment

Severity of Boston

Sick world we live in sometimes. I don’t post this to glamorize anything but to show the reality of the aftermath of this attack.

By Tom Stortz|2013-04-15T20:57:27-04:00April 15th, 2013|Sports|0 Comments

Origins of Sports Titles

I was watching the Masters today and the leaderboard had about 4 Americans out of the top 7. This got me thinking, why are 3 of the 4 majors hosted in the United States, why are mostly Americans on the leaderboard, and when did this start? It was only in 1776 that the US declared independence and now our sports leagues and athletes hold extreme clout worldwide. With this post I’ve decided to research when a few esteemed events began and how they’ve evolved throughout time.

The Masters – 1934

A golf tournament tradition since 34′ always held at Augusta National Golf Club. This tournament differs from other majors because it is invitation only. The field is usually around 90 players and includes several amateurs. This year, 2013, 14 year old Guan Tianlang was the youngest player to ever make the cut in history. Known for the green jacket delivered to its champion, the winner becomes an honorary member of Augusta. Past Master’s champions are also invited to the other majors for the next 5 years and have a lifetime invitation to the Masters. Nicklaus holds the record with 6 Masters titles but Woods is close behind with 4. Someone from the US has been a winner 8 of the last 12 years.

Wimbledon – 1877

Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, and widely considered to be the biggest and the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. Wimbledon traditions include a strict dress code for competitors (all white), the eating of strawberries and cream by the spectators, and Royal patronage. In the championship games, ball boys and girls, known as BBGs, play a crucial role in the smooth running of the tournament, with a brief that a good BBG “should not be seen”. They should blend into the background and get on with their jobs quietly. Sampras and Federer both have 7 Wimbledon titles setting the high mark. Martina Navratilova holds 9 for the women.

World Cup – 1930

The current format of the tournament involves 32 teams competing for the title at venues within the host nations over a period of about a month; this phase is often called the World Cup Finals. The 19 World Cup tournaments have been won by eight different national teams. Brazil have won five times, and they are the only team to have played in every tournament. The other World Cup winners are Italy, with four titles; Germany, with three titles; Argentina and inaugural winners Uruguay, with two titles each; and England, France, and Spain, with one title each. Let’s note the US has 0. The World Cup is the world’s most widely viewed sporting event; an estimated 715.1 million people watched the final match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup held in Germany.

World Series – 1903

The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and the winning team is awarded the Commissioner’s Trophy. As the series is played in October, which falls during autumn in North America, MLB also refers to it as the Fall Classic. The New York Yankees purchased Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox after the 1919 season, appeared in their first World Series two years later in 1921, and became frequent participants thereafter. Over a period of 45 years from 1920 to 1964, the Yankees played in 29 World Series championships, winning 20. The Cardinals are the next closet team with 11 World Series wins.

By Tom Stortz|2013-04-13T07:31:54-04:00April 12th, 2013|Sports|0 Comments

Lingerie Football Coach Tirade

I always credit barstool when I find a story by them just so you know I don’t steal anything without telling you. I liked this because the actual story was that it was wrong of him to ask if the girls were “fucking retarded”. I think we can all agree that this guy deserves accolades for caring enough about the LFL (Legends Football League) to get this psyched. You have to watch the full video to get the understanding of why he’s so angry. With 4 ticks left the “bitch” (hilarious terminology by the coach) chucks one deep in the end zone to a wide open receiver for a last second score. I fully expected to girls to start crying just like a League of Their Own but I guess there is no crying in Lingerie Football. I do believe this video has a bigger purpose though than calling girls retarded which is the given in any proof. I also know some girls probably read this and have to have a little sense of humor about this post.

When a coach takes this much of an attitude over a play like this in a league as unknown as the LFL, it only brings a competitive edge to the league which is needed for any sport to be taken seriously. Isn’t this why football reigns supreme and 13,000 fans show up to see the Marlins? With only 16 games in the regular season, the players (at least most of them) give it their utmost every single week. A baseball season has 162 games and you can skirt by at 80% without anyone saying a word. This is why, at least for me, I will always prefer football or college basketball over everything else. I even started to like rugby and soccer a bit because there is an intensity about the game. I promise you that when these girls started the 3rd quarter, they had a fire lit under their behinds. *FYI — Coach Michaelson’s offensive speech seemed to work … because the Mist dominated the Chill in the 2nd half to win the game 55-36. *Laura Creel looks nice to me as a further reason to watch the LFL.

What this maniac did in the locker room is far superior than any other way to handle a bumbling team. It makes fans care about what’s going on because they know the coach cares. It’s not an original thought that when management cares about their product, not only will the players play harder but the fans will care. It’s why Philly can’t stand the Sixers. They dicked us on Bynum and we won’t forget it quickly. Chris Michaelson should be commended, not punished. He called his girls retarded, big deal. There’s the right way to handle situations and then there is this guy’s in your face approach. He got results from this tirade and I think it’s important to note how someone like me felt compelled to re-tell this story because I think there’s a message behind it. Does this work all the time? Did Mike Rice get the same results? I’m not sure this works 100% of the time but I do believe it’s a better than an apathetic approach.

By Tom Stortz|2013-04-12T18:10:10-04:00April 12th, 2013|Sports|0 Comments

I’ll Have Another Round

This was a pretty fun weekend. Ck4 came down on Friday afternoon to hang out because he had to catch a plane on Saturday morning and we are close to the airport. We taxied to Xfinity Live to watch the Phillies home opener. We met up with some people and it was an enjoyable experience. I will add that after securing a table after a ballgame, it was a bad idea to get up and leave because there is no returning. The night was fairly standard with us going out in Philly although sending CK4 to the Stortz building without the alarm code was moronic by me. Alcohol and planning don’t go together.

I woke up on Saturday feeling pretty out of it. Jeff and a few others were looking to play basketball at noon which was too early and I passed on that opportunity. The rest of the day was spent playing N64 and watching the basketball games with Shee and Evan. Jkash spent the night and I’m sure he’ll read this with approval because the only time he says I write a good entry is when his name appears. I woke up on Sunday and drove him back and slept for 2 more hours until Jeff and Steve got back. Pat showed up later and we were preparing for our golf round which proved to be the highlight of the weekend.

Jeff booked a tee time for 3:09 at Riverwinds which is only 20 minutes away from where we live and probably the nearest, best, public course. None of us had hit a golf ball this season so we wanted to arrive early and shag a few balls. There was no driving range so we hit a few balls into a net and wearily made out way to the first tee box. The wind was pretty severe and the first hole is a long par 5 that was intimidating to say the least. I rocketed one down the middle, Pat shanked one left, Steve hit a missile which shocked everyone, and Jeff duck hooked one in the drink. I think we were all pretty pleased for at least making contact. The odd thing about the day is that neither Jeff or Steve had eaten anything all day and I only had a bowl of chicken noodle soup. The cart girl ran out of hot dogs and we didn’t see her for the entire round. Even with everyone not feeling great physically, we trudged through the round and had a good time. By 18 we were complete spent and eagerly anticipated a luxurious meal at the Riverwinds restaurant. We were a bit out of place in the restaurant but it hit the spot and that concluded our Sunday.

I know most people don’t care but here is my review of The Riverwinds course. First of all, it didn’t look like this which was to be expected in early April.

The course was really dry when we played and the wind was absolutely noticeable. We played from the whites and I found it to be relatively short under the conditions. I was going driver, high iron most of the time into the greens but from the blues I’m sure this would be different. I hit the ball pretty good all day but even my bad drives were making it able to get the green in regulation. The greens were slick but ran true. I putted extremely well for the first round out and only gave away 2 strokes on short putts. I lost a total of 3 balls which should give some indication of how open the course is. Hole 17 is a tricky little hole that was marked at 115. It is downhill and the wind was really gusting in our face. I assumed the downhill would compensate for the wind so I hit my sand wedge and it popped up in the air and probably went a total of 60 yards plopping into the shit. I think this course would be much nicer once it flushes out because the ball was rolling like crazy in this condition. All in all I think the course played well. I’d give it a 7 out of 10.

By Tom Stortz|2013-04-09T11:26:13-04:00April 8th, 2013|Golf Course Reviews|0 Comments

BBall Clips

I threw two passes and both bounced off our players. Aside from Bud and I, I’m not sure anyone else was putting the ball through the basket. I look like a complete ball hog but reference sentence 1.

By Tom Stortz|2013-04-03T21:19:36-04:00April 3rd, 2013|Sports, Videos|3 Comments

Tragic Sports Car Accidents

Here is a list of sports stars who died in auto accidents. Not necessarily in sports cars which could be confusing by the title. I bring this list to reveal the dangers of automobile accidents.

Steve Prefontaine
Pre’s Rock is a memorial at the site of the roadside boulder where Prefontaine died. The memorial features a plaque with a picture of Prefontaine that reads:
“ For your dedication and loyalty
To your principles and beliefs…
For your love, warmth, and friendship
For your family and friends…
You are missed by so many
And you will never be forgotten…”

Derrick Thomas

Probably best known for being one of the fastest linebackers in Tecmo Super Bowl, kidding. Things that you probably don’t know is that in 1990 against the Seattle Seahawks, he set an NFL record with seven sacks in a single game. The story of his death is also quite fascinating.
“On January 23, 2000, Thomas’ 1999 Chevrolet Suburban went off Interstate 435 as he and two passengers were driving to Kansas City International Airport during a snowstorm, where he was going to fly to St. Louis to watch the NFC Championship game. Police reports indicate that Thomas, who was driving, was speeding at approximately 100 m.p.h. even though snow and ice were accumulating on the roadway. Thomas continued weaving erratically through traffic until the time of the accident. Thomas and one of the passengers were not wearing seat belts and both were thrown from the car; the passenger was killed instantly. A few days later Thomas died from a massive blood clot that developed in his paralyzed lower extremities and traveled to his lungs”.

Drazen Petrovic

In the 1991–92 season, his first full season with the Nets, Petro, as the Americans had dubbed him, averaged 20.6 points in 36.9 minutes on the floor, nearly leading all NBA guards in field goal percentage (51%). Here are the details on his death:
“Petrović died in a traffic accident at approximately 17:20 on June 7, 1993, four and a half months before his 29th birthday. On the rain-drenched Autobahn 9, he was a passenger in a car that was cut off by a semi truck at Denkendorf, near Ingolstadt, in the German state of Bavaria. According to the report of the Ingolstadt police, that afternoon a truck broke through the Autobahn median; the truck driver was trying to avoid a collision with a personal vehicle in his own lane and lost control of the truck, crashing through the median barrier and finally coming to a stop blocking all three lanes of traffic in the opposite direction (Munich). Seconds later, the VW Golf carrying a sleeping Petrović in the passenger seat crashed into the truck, killing him and leaving the driver – Klara Szalantzy, a German model and female basketball player with whom Petrović was romantically involved – and Hilal Edebal, a female Turkish basketball player, with grave injuries. It was established that visibility on the road was very poor and that Petrović was not buckled with a seatbelt”

Eddie Griffin

Eddie Griffin hailed from the Philadelphia area and went to Roman Catholic High School. He attended Seton Hall University for one year before being drafted 7th by the Nets before being immediately traded to the Rockets.
“Eddie Griffin died as a result of a car crash on August 17, 2007 at about 1:30 a.m.[6] Houston police said in a report that Griffin ignored a railroad warning and went through a barrier before striking a moving train. The resulting fire burned Griffin’s SUV and the side of a railcar carrying plastic granules.[6] Griffin’s body was badly burned and there was no initial identification. Dental records later revealed the man was Griffin. He had more than three times the legal alcohol limit in his system when he crashed, according to an autopsy report. The Harris County Medical Examiner’s office said the 25-year-old Griffin died of “multiple blunt force injuries.” The medical examiner’s office performed tests on Griffin’s bile and blood from his heart and liver and determined his blood-alcohol level was 0.26. The legal limit in Texas is 0.08. Tests found no traces of cocaine, barbiturates or any other narcotics.”

Dale Earnhardt Sr.

I can’t believe it’s already been 12 years since Dale Sr. has been gone. While driving in the 2001 Daytona 500, Earnhardt died of basilar skull fracture in a last-lap crash at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2001. He has been inducted into numerous halls of fame, including the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The last lap…

Bobby Phills

On January 12, 2000, while a member of the Charlotte Hornets, Phills was killed in an automobile accident in Charlotte, North Carolina. Phills was traveling behind teammate David Wesley at over 75 mph (121 km/h) when his Porsche spun and crossed into oncoming traffic. It hit another car, which in turn was struck in the rear by a minivan. The drivers of the other two vehicles recovered, while Phills was pronounced dead at the scene. A police report said Phills and Wesley were driving “in an erratic, reckless, careless, in a negligent or aggressive manner.” Wesley later was convicted of reckless driving after being cleared of a racing charge.

Jerome Brown
Brown died on June 25, 1992, at the age of 27, following an automobile accident in Brooksville, Florida, in which both he and his nephew, Gus, were killed when Brown lost control of his ZR1 Chevrolet Corvette at high speed and crashed into a utility pole. After his death, Eagles players and fans started the unofficial motto, “Bring it home for Jerome,” an indirect reference among Eagles fans to bringing a Super Bowl title to the city in Brown’s honor.

By Tom Stortz|2016-10-29T13:27:48-04:00March 18th, 2013|Sports|0 Comments

Studying Bracketology

There is no doubt this is an exciting time of the year for basketball fans. On a scale of 1-10, I give the first 4 days of the tournament a solid 9.5. There is just nothing else like it. There is even a feeling of depression when it comes to an end. For me the combination of thrilling basketball, the tournament aspect and choosing brackets, and constant action all make this time of year joyful. There is a huge level of difference in watching collegiate athletes put their hearts on the line compared to NBA players who go home with fat paychecks. That is what truly makes this tournament the best basketball there is.

With that little build up, we find ourselves amidst the few days you have to study and do some research for the brackets. My first thought it that no matter how much research you do, games won’t play out like you think. There is just too much unpredictability in this environment. However, I believe there are a few things to look for when choosing teams to make deep runs. I also want to point out that in no way to I consider myself a master, just a gambler.

How did the team fair in it’s conference tournament? I like picking teams that are winning games late in the season. Records mean nothing, it’s how well is the team gelling towards the end. People can argue that players can be tired after playing all these games but I just don’t buy it. These are collegiate athletes, not over the hill veterans.

What is the team’s seniority level? Seniors tend to lay it all on the line because it’s their last shot. They will also have more experience which can come in handy.

Are they a good Free Throw shooting team? I was watching the 30 on 30 last night on NC States improbable run to the title in 1983 and every team they faced blew foul shots at the end of the game. One easy way to let teams back in the game in missing foul shots.

Does the team have a superstar? Big players step up in these types of tournaments. I think it’s fine to have a well rounded team but when it comes down to crunch time, you need a player to make some shots.

Pick against the herd. If you are in a group with 100+ entries, it’s too hard to pick a perfect bracket while choosing the odds on favorite to win it all. It can be better to stray off the beaten path and choose a team like Florida or Miami to win it all. This way if it happens, you lock it up instead of getting nicked out at the end by others who chose the favorite.

I’m sure I’ll make another post after putting some time looking at the teams but this is my general guideline for what to look for. Bracket can be found here.

By Tom Stortz|2016-10-29T13:30:21-04:00March 18th, 2013|Sports|5 Comments

Rory McIlroy is a Quitter

I read an article that Rory McIlroy dropped out of a tournament due to severe wisdom tooth pain. He was 7 over after 8 holes at the time of quitting. I’m not a big Rory fan to begin with but this reeks of having a bad day and being a quitter. You already played half the course and you have to tough it out for 2 more hours to keep your integrity. Some people can’t handle failure and I believe that is an important attribute to have. People who can still have a good time doing something even if they aren’t doing it well know how to enjoy life. This story makes me think that Rory is a complete puss and when things don’t go his way, he quits. What shocks me also is that, “withdrawing from a golf tournament on the PGA Tour has lasting consequences. It means you’re not eligible for the Vardon Trophy, awarded to the player with the lowest stroke average at the end of the season and something McIlroy won a season ago. McIlroy will not be repeating this feat in 2013.” Moves like this make me dislike “athletes” who make millions of dollars and are out of touch with reality. Shoot a bad score and have a good time doing it to have a likeable image.

By Tom Stortz|2013-03-02T12:12:07-05:00March 2nd, 2013|Sports|0 Comments

Alex Smith Sucks

There is really no need to read anything further than the title because it says it all. Just for the fun of it though, I’m going to dissect the man, Alex Smith, and the bone heads in KC management who want him on their team. I obviously don’t know how much Andy Reid wants Alex Smith on the Chiefs but I have to assume he has some say in the QB decision. Andy has seen better coaching days and I feel that there are intangibles in his life which are affecting his coaching decisions. Andy had a rough season this year starting with the death of his son Garrett due to an overdose. The other thing that shocks me is that there was hardly ever a story about steroids being found in his locker. With Garrett’s death and the possibility of your son distributing steroids, I have a hard time thinking you can forget about this overnight and have a keen mind on coaching no matter what comes out of Andy’s mouth to the public. Where Andy’s head is at aside, I can’t understand why the Chiefs want Alex Smith.

This line would make you think highly of Alex Smith, “According to the N.F.L.’s statistics, in his last 26 regular-season starts, Smith had a 20-5-1 record with 32 touchdown passes, 10 interceptions and a 95.6 passer rating. He was the N.F.L.’s top-rated passer when he was knocked out of a November game with a concussion, and he was replaced by Kaepernick.” If you are a believer of recent results being more important than past, then I can see why you might have faith in Smith. However, I don’t believe this to be the case. My entire point of this post is to explain why Alex Smith is a below average QB who is a terrible fit for the Chiefs.

Looking at Alex Smith’s past is important to gauge what type of player he is. In his rookie year Smith threw 1 TD vs 11 INT’s. The next year he improved a bit throwing 16 TD’s against 16 picks but the team still had a 7-9 losing season. In 2007 he got injured mid-season but this little tidbit should give an understanding of the year he was having, “among all NFL quarterbacks who qualify for league statistics, only the Jets’ Kellen Clemens had a poorer passer rating than Smith (57.2), Smith completed under 50% of his passes, far below the league average of 60%. He missed the entire ’08 season because of injury. The ’09 season should be noted that he lost his starting job to SHAUN HILL. In 2010 he was starter again and lost his first 5 games as starting Q while succumbing to back up Troy Smith in week 7 due to injury. Smith had won just 19 games in 50 career starts through 2010. This quick summary of his career is how Alex Smith should be viewed and not the magic that happened in 2011.

2011, presto Jim Harbaugh, Alex Smith’s lifeline and why he is even relevant. The Niners finished 13-3 this year and went to the AFC championship but his play was probably not the main reason. “While the 49ers finished with their most wins since 1997, they did it while ranked 29th of 32 teams in the NFL in total passing yardage for 2011 and Smith was often cynically referred to as a game manager.” He threw 17 TD passes against 5 picks which is proving that his job is to not lose the game for his team. There is nothing wrong with having a QB like that on a solid team with a superior defense. This past year, 2012, was more of the same for Smith who led his team to a 6-2 mark before being replaced by Kapernick due to injury. Not surprisingly, with a better QB than Smith, the Niners were able to get to the Superbowl and have shots at winning the championship. Colin Kapernick coming in for Smith was once again a lifesaver to Smith’s injury plagued career.

I hope those background paragraphs should give a clear idea to what kind of QB Smith is. Alex Smith = Trent Dilfer. I’m only a fantasy manager but I know that if I were the Chief’s, I’d put my Superbowl chances at 0.0 if Alex Smith were my QB. Is Alex Smith an upgrade over Matt Cassel (a guy who benefited from a Belichick/Patriot team and would fit perfectly in this post)? Probably but you don’t want Alex Smith on your team as a QB. Teams win Superbowl’s with great quarterbacks. Alex Smith can win some football teams on a team that has brilliant coaching, stout defense, and supporting players up to wazoo. The Chiefs can hand the ball off to Jamaal and that’s it. The only hope they have for a Superbowl is a better QB who isn’t named Alex Smith. Why do you think teams are so big on experimenting with rookie QB’s? It’s the hardest position to find and maintain. Never forget that Kurt Warner took the ARIZONA CARDINALS to the Superbowl and this post is more backup. I know this post is long winded but what are these people in management thinking when they make moves like this. They obviously aren’t reading rnningfool.com.

By Tom Stortz|2013-02-27T23:35:19-05:00February 27th, 2013|Sports|1 Comment