...let me send you a tape of tonight's St. Mary's-Gonzaga game. It's a microcosm of what type of guard he is, which is an awful guard.
If you want a headstrong (that's not a compliment), spotty, poor-shooting, out-of-control, irresponsible guy running your team, draft Pargo. If you want a player who takes over the game (again, not a compliment), who can lead by example and who makes good decisions, do the right thing and stay away.
Jeremy Pargo, in one offseason, has gone from a potential first-round draft pick who had NBA scouts ogling over his gritty, Chicago background to a guy who single-handedly blew the game against Connecticut, was the primary catalyst in the loss to Portland State, is in the midst of screwing over the Zags against WCC rival St. Mary's and has zero tools that would make a good point at the highest level (he's kind of like Stephon Marbury, except worse and without his own stupid trademark).
The stats at halftime (5 points, 2 turnovers, no assists) don't do it justice... you need to watch the game to understand. Just when Gonzaga has a chance to gain some momentum, Pargo takes over and crushes it. Or, in a 37-33 game with 40 seconds remaining in the half, Pargo has a chance to run the clock down to about 10 seconds and still get a quality shot off for someone. Instead, he drives in the lane against two people, trying to simply draw a foul (oh, he's a 65.8% FT shooter), gets no call and rightfully so, all while taking 10 seconds off the clock, allowing the Gaels to add another couple of points and take a 39-33 halftime lead.
If there's one thing worse than his offense, it's his defense. His counterpart, Patty Mills, has 18 points on six threes (a career high) and has made Pargo look bad for 20 minutes.
Oh, and he has the worst haircut in the NCAA. That's a fact.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
The Streak (1/29)
Having run my streak to three for the fifth time and reaching four wins only once, I'm starting to develop a set of guidelines for the game, which would probably be publishable if, well, I could get to four games. Or 27.
Nevertheless, some rules to remember when you're going streaking:
Stick to the sports you know. I like to think my forte is MLB, NCB and NHL and, save for MLB (since they are in the offseason) and the NHL (where my record is surprisingly awful), I've had success. Yes, I realize this only leaves college basketball. But I'm solid there! Except for Clemson, who is trying to sabotage my streak...again.
Records and rankings don't mean much. The teams with the advantage in the streak game is usually the home team. I'm watching my streak crumble to a prime example of this. Virginia Tech, at home, is crushing #11 Clemson 45-31 with 4:38 left in the first half. It's too bad too, because I thought I had virtual locks at 6 p.m. with #20 Illinois at #24 Minnesota and at 8 p.m. with #25 Gonzaga at home against #18 St. Mary's. If Clemson rallies, I can almost assure my streak will be at six by the end of the day.
Finally, when in doubt, take the underdog. This usually falls in accordance with the obvious game that ESPN usually throws out there. If something looks too good to be true, it probably is. If you must pick that game, I strongly recommend the side that 4% of the picks are taking.
Good luck, though you probably don't need it as much as I do.
Nevertheless, some rules to remember when you're going streaking:
Stick to the sports you know. I like to think my forte is MLB, NCB and NHL and, save for MLB (since they are in the offseason) and the NHL (where my record is surprisingly awful), I've had success. Yes, I realize this only leaves college basketball. But I'm solid there! Except for Clemson, who is trying to sabotage my streak...again.
Records and rankings don't mean much. The teams with the advantage in the streak game is usually the home team. I'm watching my streak crumble to a prime example of this. Virginia Tech, at home, is crushing #11 Clemson 45-31 with 4:38 left in the first half. It's too bad too, because I thought I had virtual locks at 6 p.m. with #20 Illinois at #24 Minnesota and at 8 p.m. with #25 Gonzaga at home against #18 St. Mary's. If Clemson rallies, I can almost assure my streak will be at six by the end of the day.
Finally, when in doubt, take the underdog. This usually falls in accordance with the obvious game that ESPN usually throws out there. If something looks too good to be true, it probably is. If you must pick that game, I strongly recommend the side that 4% of the picks are taking.
Good luck, though you probably don't need it as much as I do.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
The Streak (1/26) and other thoughts...
Yet again, I run my streak to three... the problem in 2009 has been getting to four. The good news, however, is that I'm staring at a plethora of matchups that I like on Monday. These, for your benefit, include:
Notre Dame over Marquette
Miami over Atlanta
Oklahoma over Oklahoma State
Eric Gordon to outscore Brandon Roy
The two I like most, since the first two are 4pm games and the last two are at 6 and 7pm, respectively, are the college basketball contests, obviously. Not to toot my own horn (beep beep) but I'm sporting an 11-3 NCB mark, compared to a 3-4 record in the NBA. I like my chances of being spot on on those picks, though.
A couple other things to ponder...
The East All-Stars knocked off the West in the NHL All-Star Game tonight, 12-11 in a shootoot. Sure, this is how a regular-season game would have been decided, but perhaps Bud Selig could learn something from Canada's Pastime.
Here's an idea that's probably been kicked around by someone at some point: After the ninth inning, if a game is tied, send out three hitters against a BP thrower of their choice for an abbreviated home run derby. Each hitter gets one swing. If the three hitters tie, send out hitters one at a time until the tie is broken. Sounds like fun, eh?
What's not fun is the latest trend to sweep America's sporting events: singers who turn the National Anthem into their own personal American Idol tryout. Listen, 16-year-old singing at a Spokane Chiefs game... if you want to put cute wavy notes on words in which they don't belong, do it to your favorite Britney Spears track. Don't screw with the National Anthem. You're supposed to be singing it out of respect for your country, not to impress Simon Cowell, who will undoubtedly not be listening to you anytime soon.
Notre Dame over Marquette
Miami over Atlanta
Oklahoma over Oklahoma State
Eric Gordon to outscore Brandon Roy
The two I like most, since the first two are 4pm games and the last two are at 6 and 7pm, respectively, are the college basketball contests, obviously. Not to toot my own horn (beep beep) but I'm sporting an 11-3 NCB mark, compared to a 3-4 record in the NBA. I like my chances of being spot on on those picks, though.
A couple other things to ponder...
The East All-Stars knocked off the West in the NHL All-Star Game tonight, 12-11 in a shootoot. Sure, this is how a regular-season game would have been decided, but perhaps Bud Selig could learn something from Canada's Pastime.
Here's an idea that's probably been kicked around by someone at some point: After the ninth inning, if a game is tied, send out three hitters against a BP thrower of their choice for an abbreviated home run derby. Each hitter gets one swing. If the three hitters tie, send out hitters one at a time until the tie is broken. Sounds like fun, eh?
What's not fun is the latest trend to sweep America's sporting events: singers who turn the National Anthem into their own personal American Idol tryout. Listen, 16-year-old singing at a Spokane Chiefs game... if you want to put cute wavy notes on words in which they don't belong, do it to your favorite Britney Spears track. Don't screw with the National Anthem. You're supposed to be singing it out of respect for your country, not to impress Simon Cowell, who will undoubtedly not be listening to you anytime soon.
Friday, January 23, 2009
The Streak (1/23)
Unfortunately, West Virginia couldn't hustle a bit in their victory over Georgetown, so I wasn't able to squeeze in St. Mary's and San Diego under 130. With the streak at 3, Friday's slate is gross... tennis, soccer, golf and the NBA.
I hate all the matchups on the board, but my streak has a long way to go, so I'm taking a stab in the dark by picking the Oklahoma City Thunder (formerly, the.... well... you know) to go to Staples Center and knock off the Los Angeles... Clippers. Hopefully, I can steal one here by not picking the slightly too obvious games (Houston @ Indiana, New Orleans @ Minnesota).
I hate all the matchups on the board, but my streak has a long way to go, so I'm taking a stab in the dark by picking the Oklahoma City Thunder (formerly, the.... well... you know) to go to Staples Center and knock off the Los Angeles... Clippers. Hopefully, I can steal one here by not picking the slightly too obvious games (Houston @ Indiana, New Orleans @ Minnesota).
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The Streak (1/22)
Thanks to a cheap soccer win and 'Nova hitting more from the perimeter than UCONN, I ran my streak back up to two. Awesome.
Unfortunately, Thursday's slate is gross. Nothing on the board is particularly appealing, unless you like soccer, golf or tennis.
Since I have no grasp on any of these, here are the matchups I like in the other sports.
My 7 p.m. pick: Ruoff (WVU) outscoring Freeman (Georgetown). Freeman has had trouble scoring against tougher competition, whereas Ruoff has been far more consistent. Seeing as the Hoyas also have an abundance of scoring in other areas, I like Ruoff in this matchup.
In fact, that right there is the only contest I like out of the 11 for tomorrow. To be fair, I didn't do a bunch of research on 3-point shooting in the WAC.
In the late games, if I had to pick something, which I do, I'll go with St. Mary's and San Diego scoring below 130 points. The defenses combine to allow roughly 122 points per game and USD hasn't been strong on offense this season. I'm concerned this game could go to OT and affect the outcome. My prediction: St. Mary's- 65, San Diego- 56. 121 points...perfect.
Unfortunately, Thursday's slate is gross. Nothing on the board is particularly appealing, unless you like soccer, golf or tennis.
Since I have no grasp on any of these, here are the matchups I like in the other sports.
My 7 p.m. pick: Ruoff (WVU) outscoring Freeman (Georgetown). Freeman has had trouble scoring against tougher competition, whereas Ruoff has been far more consistent. Seeing as the Hoyas also have an abundance of scoring in other areas, I like Ruoff in this matchup.
In fact, that right there is the only contest I like out of the 11 for tomorrow. To be fair, I didn't do a bunch of research on 3-point shooting in the WAC.
In the late games, if I had to pick something, which I do, I'll go with St. Mary's and San Diego scoring below 130 points. The defenses combine to allow roughly 122 points per game and USD hasn't been strong on offense this season. I'm concerned this game could go to OT and affect the outcome. My prediction: St. Mary's- 65, San Diego- 56. 121 points...perfect.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The Streak (1/21)
For claiming to know a bit about the NHL, I'm terrible with the picks. I love that ESPN has a tool which shows each individual's win-loss record by sport. This is mine, since the game reset with the New Year.
College Football: 1-0
Tennis: 1-0
College Basketball: 7-2
Soccer: 4-2
NFL: 2-2
NBA: 1-3
NHL: 2-7
Golf: 0-1
Now, if I had any patience, the smart thing would be to fall in line with the stats and stick to college sports. I'm neither patient, nor smart.
My soccer record is pure luck... I do little to no research and go with my gut. For today, my gut says to take 4 goals or more in the early afternoon. When ESPN puts a game up that seems a little too obvious, go with the underdog. Since soccer games are typically low scoring, I think ESPN knows something the casual fan doesn't.
In the early evening set, I like Illinois over Ohio State. It's a home game, and the Illini are notoriously tough in their own building. All things being even, gimme the edge at home.
Finally, in the late contests, I'm taking Vancouver and San Jose to score six or more goals. Roberto Luongo is a great goaltender, but since returning from injury has been terrible. The Sharks have given Vancouver fits and if Lu isn't back to full strength, San Jose could put up six themselves.
College Football: 1-0
Tennis: 1-0
College Basketball: 7-2
Soccer: 4-2
NFL: 2-2
NBA: 1-3
NHL: 2-7
Golf: 0-1
Now, if I had any patience, the smart thing would be to fall in line with the stats and stick to college sports. I'm neither patient, nor smart.
My soccer record is pure luck... I do little to no research and go with my gut. For today, my gut says to take 4 goals or more in the early afternoon. When ESPN puts a game up that seems a little too obvious, go with the underdog. Since soccer games are typically low scoring, I think ESPN knows something the casual fan doesn't.
In the early evening set, I like Illinois over Ohio State. It's a home game, and the Illini are notoriously tough in their own building. All things being even, gimme the edge at home.
Finally, in the late contests, I'm taking Vancouver and San Jose to score six or more goals. Roberto Luongo is a great goaltender, but since returning from injury has been terrible. The Sharks have given Vancouver fits and if Lu isn't back to full strength, San Jose could put up six themselves.
Friday, January 16, 2009
The Streak (1/16)
Well yesterday, I finally broke my 4-game losing streak and netted back to back wins with UCONN and St. John's below 140 and USC over Arizona State. Apparently, college basketball is my bread and butter... soccer has been rough for me, I know nothing about the NBA and I haven't had any luck on the ice.
Tonight, looking to extend my streak, I like the Knicks over the Wizards. New York is 3-0 versus Washington this season and has been playing good ball lately. After checking the score, the Wiz have an early 18-12 edge. I wasn't lying about the NBA thing...
Either way, tonight in the nightcap, I'm going with the Lake Show at home against the torrid Orlando Magic. Until I get to five consecutive wins, I'm not going to be too picky. I don't really like this matchup for streak purposes (nor do I the other NBA game at 7 p.m., Milwaukee at Sacramento), so until I tie my longest streak, I'm just trying to get lucky.
Tonight, looking to extend my streak, I like the Knicks over the Wizards. New York is 3-0 versus Washington this season and has been playing good ball lately. After checking the score, the Wiz have an early 18-12 edge. I wasn't lying about the NBA thing...
Either way, tonight in the nightcap, I'm going with the Lake Show at home against the torrid Orlando Magic. Until I get to five consecutive wins, I'm not going to be too picky. I don't really like this matchup for streak purposes (nor do I the other NBA game at 7 p.m., Milwaukee at Sacramento), so until I tie my longest streak, I'm just trying to get lucky.
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