Coach of the Year / MVP

Coach of the Year and Most Valuable Player. What exactly does that mean and what is the criteria? Of all the awards of all the sports these two awards seem to be more of a popularity contest or political in nature. Maybe I am a homer, or a hater. Byron Scott. I can't exactly disagree with this decision, but what exactly has he done that Jerry Sloan didn't do this year or in years past? In the 1997 or 1998 seasons when the Jazz had the best record in the NBA, why did he not get it? Or in 2002 when the Jazz went 500 on the season with ZERO superstars after coming off of a season with only 23 wins. How about last year. Carlos Boozer and Darren Williams were not yet "SuperStars" and the Jazz had over 50 wins. This was the criteria when Hugh Brown won the award - 50 wins. This then brings me to Kobe Bryant. He has been labeled the "Best Player" in the NBA. By what standard? He is surrounded by a veteran and All Star Cast. Pau Gasol, Derrick Fisher, Lamar Odon, and a very above average bench. His stats in every catagory are below that of Labron James, who is surrounded with who??? National media say it is because of what was done this year with all of the turmoil at the beginning of the season. Well shouldn't that credit go to Phil Jackson - the Zen Master? Kobe was the one that didn't want to play nice and wanted to be traded. Phil Jackson said it wasn't going to happen and he got Kobe to buy in to his philosophy and was able to get great talent, like Lamar Odon, that hadn't played up to his talent, to play like a superstar. He was able to get Kobe Bryant to do what no one thought was possible - PASS THE BALL. This was Phil Jackson, not Kobe, so shouldn't Phil Jackson get coach of the year. Oh wait, that's right he has already received that award, so he is not allow to be considered (unspoken rule), even if he is most deserving. This brings us back to Kobe. ESPN announcers and MVP voters have openly said that THIS year it is more of a "life time" achievement award. Saying that Kobe might not be the most deserving this year, but if you look over the last 8 years at who hasn't received it, Kobe is most deserving. Okay, so we now have a criteria set by the voters for this year. Based on this criteria. The "Life Time" achievement award. Which active coach in the NBA that is having a good year is more deserving than Jerry Sloan???

Giving the award based solely on #'s the Doc River and King James should get the award. Based on what was accomplished with the least talent or supporting cast, Byron Scott and King James / Chris Paul. Based on what was done based on the turmoil or status of the team on opening day. Phil Jackson and Chris Paul.

Let's have an award that has a set criteria, even if some of that criteria is subjective it will atleast give a standard.

Back to the glory days

It seems tha tthere is a common theme spreading through two of our favorite teams in the west. BYU made the statement when coach Mendenhall replaced Croten, that they would be returning to the glory days. Although this undoubtedly means a revival of stomache ulcers, and anxiety filled Saturdays, still it means more wins. It also brings back images of dad watching nervously with his jar of M&M's, or jelly beans during his non-chocolate streak, popping candy faster and faster as the game progresses.
As I have talked to the coaches at Jordan High it seems that there is a similar occurance. Nobody is calling it a "return to the glory days", but there are a lot of similarities that I have observed. In past years Jordan has not always had the most talented team, but they have generally had the strongest hardest hitting !@*#%@# players in the state. Yes, many scoffed at the beetdigger mascot and name, but they only laughed once, then they found themselves looking up from their back at the beetdigger that plowed them as he walks away. then the fear sets in. Even if we never made it to the finals, or even the playoffs for that matter, we still remained, year after year, the team to beat. The difference between teams of the past and the current team and teams of the future is that they will not likely be the smallest team out there, but they will still be one of the hardest hitting teams and are once again becoming the team to beat. coach Jacobsen reads all the latest studies in excercise and player training and conditioning and impliments it with the team. The result has been a steady upward slide in the teams performance. They were also invited to a national invitational in Ohio for this summer. There is a long list of teams that want to be there, but Jordan was jumped up to the upper end of the list. This pleased coach Jacobsen, especially because, as he put it, "Alta was all butt hurt about it". Rock it to the house coach. We will see this year if the upward slide continues.

American Idol Final 6 Vote Off

Smithson Deported!

Okay. So American Idol isn't a sport but commentating on it should be considered one. Thanks to the ingenuity of DVR, I finished watching last night's episode about the time Adam started. I must say that Adam was in rare form. Coming up with such nicknames for Jason Dreadlocks as "Kermit the Frog poo hair" and giving a perfect written narative that described Paula to a T, I was laughing to the point of tears. The fact that it was almost midnight and I had earlier that afternoon taken a Lortab for back pain may have added to the hilarity of the situation. Nevertheless, I felt that our purpose as a whole is to commentate and if Charlse Barkley can commentate on the NFL having never played the sport, we, as singers, howbeit not professional, but singers none the less will take license and commentate when the occasion necessitates. This week is such an occasion. Last nights show was a bombshell with the exception of the Davids and Sayesha. She lit up the stage and for the first time really found herself in her element. Unfortunately, the two worst performances of the night found themselves safe from elimination. Although I can not deny that I have wanted to see Carly voted off for a while now and I was sure that her song choice would put her in the bottom two, her deportification from American Idol wasn't as satisfying as I expected it to be. I was so disappointed that Brooke didn't even end up in the bottom two, that, for now, it is overshadowing my satisfaction. The more I think about it I actually think she planned the stop and start ahead of time. For the last couple of weeks her performances have been less than memorable. Even when the judges liked her perforamances, she repeatedly found herself in the bottom three facing elimination. She finally did something to make herself memorable and swing an enormous amount of sympathy votes her way. Not that I can blame her, I would almost stoop that low to be able to stay on another week to be able to work with Neil Diamond. Performance on the Rocks. Aint no big suprise!

OFFICIATING

So a lot of buzz and talk about the officiating in the first few games of the playoffs. Houston fans were claiming they were robbed when Kirilenko "flopped" on a Scola push off siting a foul that negated a Rocket 3 point basket. Was this a foul? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe it was retribution. Overall it seems that the officials are letting the players play. If a penalty didn't negatively impact a play, ie: contact while running an out of bounds play, if the ball has not been thrown in, a foul will not be called. The officials have been great with allowing the players to express their distain for the no call without being quick to whistle a "T". But I believe the officials take note. The boobing and belly aching is not falling on deaf ears. Scola is a victum of countless push offs, take downs, hard fouls that he was not called for, but noted, and then made up for later. Many of these "fouls" that were not called you can bet were discussed. Do you think the teams are the only ones discussing the game at breaks or time outs? I am certain that the officials get together and review calls, missed calls, etc. "Hey Jim, I think we let Mcgrady get away with a few push off's." or "We missed Boozer push Hayes in the back. Let's keep our eyes on it." So Scola gets called for AK's flop. Darren Williams gets plowed and no call. This was right in front of the official. Frustrating as that one call or miss call was, these things have a way of evening out over the course of the game.

My over all opinion is that the # of flops that are called have decreased. The refs are letting the players play. For the most part the "Stars" aren't getting special treatment and the game, at the end of the game, is being called even for both teams. I think the teams that will do the best in the first round are the ones that adjust the quickest to how the officials are going to allow the game to be played. It isn't ONE call that is changing the momentum or outcome of a game, but the teams or players response to that call that particular call or collection of calls or no calls that is dictating a swing in momentum or final outcome of the game.

Posted by Adam

Jazz vs. Rockets game 2

Jazz take a 2-0 Lead

Weapons! Weapons! Weapons! From start to finish the Jazz controlled the Rockets in game two of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. It seemed like everytime the Rockets would put a run together and get the crowd on their feet, a Jazz bench player would make a shot to put the Houston faithful back in their seats. The most notable for me was at the end of the third quarter. The Rockets put a run together to take a one point lead with seconds left on the clock. The crowd was up and there was a feeling that maybe the Rockets could sustain the momentum into the fourth quarter......until Price hit a three at the buzzer that silenced the crowd and robbed Houston of all the momentum. Ultimately, the Rockets just don't have an answer for the Jazz. If one player is off, another one steps up and gives a lift not to mention, the Jazz are playing the most lights-out, suffocating defense that they've played in a decade. With the next two games at home, I pick the Jazz to sweep the series which would be an accomplishment acheived by only two other teams in NBA playoff history.

By Pheo