Tuesday, May 18, 2010

More Definitive World Cup Analysis: The Inside Track

So you read Sometimes the World Explains Soccer: The Definitive World Cup Preview but you yearn for more expert analysis. And the World Cup is even closer now! It's less than a month away! You feel the stress. Who will you root for? How are you going to fill out your brackets?

Here at G:TB we assume you will be betting on some aspect of the tournament, especially considering one of our staff members was recently betting on hockey-- which is akin to betting on which way a marble will bounce if you drop it off the Sears Tower-- and so here is some insight to help in your World Cup handicapping.

Now, like a good lad, I tried me best to do some research for this post, but I didn't have much luck. All I wanted to know was this: for any particular sport, how often does the favorite win? There's not much information on the intra-web on this topic. Maybe, the favorite wins 65% of the time in the NFL, 75% of the time in college basketball, and 58% of the time in major league baseball. These are the numbers I found, but they weren't particularly well documented. If anyone has information about this, please enlighten me in the comments.

I could find nothing about how often the favorite wins in soccer, but I'm guessing it might be on the low side. Soccer is a low scoring game, and so there's less chances for superiority to win out over mediocrity . . . and there's a greater chance for a statistical anomaly. I have a better chance to beat Tiger Woods if I play him in a one hole match rather than if I play him in a hundred hole match. And in soccer, sometimes you only get one or two clear shots on goal. This is probably why the favorite wins more often in basketball than baseball. Also, soccer relies less on actual physical dominance-- you can't just run a smaller team over, or jump higher than them, and or push the goalie out of the way . . . you still need a little luck to get it into the back of the net.

Soccer also has more variability because of the penalty kick. The penalty kick has a payout problem-- it can be awarded for something rather trivial, any contact foul in the box, but it usually results in a goal, which is worth a tremendous amount in a soccer match. This needs to be remedied, but until it is, one bad call can propel an underdog to victory.

These are my thoughts on the difficulty of handicapping soccer, but I'm not certain how logical they are (and I will admit that they called me "The Poor Man's Galileo" in college). But the lack of information has led me to do a little "out of the box thinking." Or perhaps you might call it "about the box" thinking. Or even "thinking about box."

And I have a theory.

Now, the World Cup is huge. To win, is to be venerated. This isn't the Super Bowl, which comes every year. Honestly, without the aid of the internet, I can't remember who won the last five Super Bowls. They blend together. And it's not the Olympics, which is special because it doesn't happen every year, but is also ridiculous, because they let people have medals for curling and team handball. Not that I don't like team handball, but when you've just won the Decathlon and the rube next to you has the same medal for chucking a volleyball around, it's kind of demeaning.

The World Cup only comes once every four years and if you win, then you are the undisputed king of the world. And you reign for four years. And you don't have to share. It's not like when you are awarded the medal for being the fastest man in the world-- the hundred meter champion-- and there's some fat dude next you wearing his gold medal because he was the quimby in the bob sled. It's not like that at all. You are it.

So the X factor . . . the thing that will alter your betting strategy is this: girls. When you return to your home country with that World Cup victory, you are going to get some major box. Without any effort. The women will be throwing themselves at you. You will have your choice of the entire female population of your nation. Thus, the country with the hottest women will offer the most motivation for its players.

Let's test the theory. Brazil has won the most World Cups. Five. Brazil is known for really hot women, really hot women in thongs parading around on the beach. Just thinking about this is making me dizzy. Brazil actually needed to invent the Brazilian wax. Here is an example of what these Brazilian players have to gain:

Italy is second in World Cup victories with four. And they are also known for their beautiful women . . . and they are known for their beautiful men. Perhaps the added incentive of being able to parade around and be the envy of the men and women of Italy has fueled their success in the Cup.

I can't quite figure out how Germany has won three World Cups. From what I've heard, their women are big, strong, hairy, and good at the clean and jerk. But maybe, just maybe, that's what German men like. And if that's true, then the German female stock offers unbelievable motivation-- because there's nowhere else in the world where you can find a hefty Bavarian beer maid, except Germany. Those Czech girls are too tall and skinny and the Russian girls have funny teeth. And honestly, when I started Googling German beer maids, most of them were pretty damn cute, and all of them were busty and fertile looking. Maybe I've got a little German in me.

So now let's take a look at a few of the teams in this years World Cup and make some determinations.

The Netherlands

I've been to Holland a few times, and I will say this: the women are beautiful there. Tall, often blond, with the coveted "peaches and cream" complexion. It rains a lot there, which is depressing, but great for the ladies' skin. And these beautiful women ride around on bicycles, and ring the little bell to get the stoned tourists out of the way. Definitely some of the finest women I've ever seen-- so this should offer the Dutch team incredible motivation to win the Cup.

EXCEPT, and this is a big except, you don't need to win anything to get laid in Holland. All you need is fifty Euros. Legalized prostitution is a major problem for the Brilliant Orange. It's late in the game and Durval of Brazil is getting tired, but he remembers those long legged brown skinned beauties that will be waiting for him if he wins it all, while his Dutch counterpart Rafael van der Vaart thinks about the lovely women of Holland, but then remembers that if he loses, there is no problem: he can visit a unionized and healthy sex worker, or if he's not so inclined, he can get legally high.

Advantage: Brazil.

Denmark

I've never really heard much about Danish girls, and I'm thinking they are rather large, considering that they probably eats lots of Danish, BUT, and I'm no expert in geography (I had to look on a map) Denmark is relatively close to Iceland, and Iceland is renowned for its hot women. And no other country participating in the World Cup is anywhere near that region of the world, and the girls from Iceland can't escape because the entire country has gone broke, so watch out for the Danes! Here are some Icelandic girls to aid you in your World Cup handicapping.

Greece

Helen of Troy is actually from Sparta, so Greece was once known for producing unparalleled beauty, but I'm not so sure about recently. The Greek girl I knew from high school had one eye-brow like that scary baby that always gives Maggie the evil eye on The Simpsons. And I don't know how true this is, but someone once asked me, "How do you separate the men from the boys in Greece?"

Answer: With a crowbar.

The United States

Soccer just isn't as big here as it is in the rest of the World. So you don't have to WIN the World Cup to score in the US. You actually don't even have to play soccer. All you have to do is pretend you play soccer, and pretend that your team won the World Cup. American girls are pretty easy, and they rarely know anything about soccer, so this may be the reason the US has never won a Cup. No incentive. I've seen this trick work first hand with hockey as well.

Slovenia, Serbia, Slovakia

Like Romania, all these countries with similar sounding final phonemes have the same "problem." Loads of hookers. Maybe they're not as clean as the ones from Holland, but they are cheap and easy. You might not even need to pay them.

Science joke: how do you make a hormone?

Answer: Don't pay her.

So this is a problem for these players. They might be so tired from sexual intercourse that they won't be able to play well, or they might not be able to focus, because-- win or lose-- they are going to be getting some. In fact, they are going to be getting plenty, in positions and permutations that we can't even imagine. They are also probably going to get plenty of venereal diseases, and it's difficult to play soccer when your crotch itches, because your legs need to move fluidly and without friction. There can't be any resistance down there if you're going to pull off a half volley or a nutmeg.

Ghana and Cameroon

You might be a narrow minded racist and think that everyone in Africa has AIDS, but that's not the case. The incidence of AIDS in Africa is quite variable from country to country. After some statistical analysis, I will say this: the Ghanaian team is nearly three times more motivated than the Cameroonian team, because the incidence of AIDS in Cameroon is three times higher than in Ghana. One person out of twenty has AIDS in Cameroon. So if Cameroon wins the Cup, and the entire twenty three man roster gets laid-- which is a given-- then it is likely that at least one of those players will come into contact with a woman who has HIV. Scary.

North Korea

Haven't heard much about the women, but the team will certainly receive the adulation and favors of Kim Jong Il. And he's pretty sexy.

Paraguay

Don't know much about these women either, but I do remember the lyrics to the song. "Paraguayan women stay away from me . . . Paraguayan woman, mama, let me be."

But don't let my subjective ramblings influence you. Do your own research! There are plenty of countries I haven't touched on . . . France, Japan, Spain, etc. . . . and this gives you an excuse to Google them all, and check out their ladies. If anyone accuses you of being a pervert, tell them you are doing serious World Cup handicapping, and if anyone questions your source, tell them it is Gheorghe:The Blog.

Or just say, "Uruguay."

125 comments:

T.J. said...

How strict are the kidnapping laws in Germany?

Clarence said...

Ask Charles Lindbergh.

Dave said...

that's funny.

igor-- who pretended to be a pro hockey player in college? i referred to the incident but i can't remember the specifics.

Clarence said...

Me. Columbia, SC, en route to Daytona. Cliff and I pretended to be Olympic hockey players, and the Gamecock girls were actually listening to us. Ah, easy women and the W&M dorks who long for them and have to go several states away to find them.

Later, after some sultry minx informed me that I would be going home with her, I opted out of adventurous sex for the allure of pizza with the guys. Uraguay, I believe you said at the time.

T.J. said...

I hope it was at least Colt .45s...http://bit.ly/b7r6Zz

Clarence said...

Here's a related question: it's a given that the girls are hotter the further south you get, but are they always easier as well? In my humble experience, just speaking from the eastern seaboard and points south, I fared exponentially better with my winsome brand of charm -- with better looking women -- the further into the Bible Belt I got. I am starting to feel even sorrier for my cousin who went to Bates College.

(New Jersey is the exception. It's a free-for-all like Holland, but free and hairier.)

rob said...

per wikipedia, 'thriller' is the top-selling album of all time. what's number two? no cheating.

Dave said...

dark side of the moon.

because the people who like it do a lot of drugs and lose it all the time. then they buy another copy.

Dave said...

i was so close! i won't reveal number two, but it's equally obvious and impossible to guess.

zman said...

Paul's Boutique?

Clarence said...

Do Greatest Hits albums count? Because the Eagles' Greatest (the 1st one) is always on top of those lists. Don Henley's ego will tell you.

Clarence said...

I looked it up. Eagles now come in 6th. Don Henley is going to sue.

And I am psyched to see Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell at #5. That is awesome. I have heard tell from several folks who have met the Loaf that he is an extremely decent fellow, plus his name is Robert Paulson. And that his relatively obscure -- but truly classic -- record can rack up that many sales is very cool. F U Henley, Mojo Nixon was right.

Clarence said...

Led Zeppelin IV has sold 37 million copies. How many were purchased by horny teenaged guys in the 1980's who wore out Side 1?

zman said...

Turns out the US list and the world-wide list are a little different but both include some terrible music.

d-train said...

so is zeppelin IV #2

Clarence said...

Backstreet Boys have a couple of spots on the list, which is wince-inducing. Odds are someone you know plunked down $14.99 for that crap. I'm looking at you, Teejay.

Of course, I plunked down $12.99 for Adam & The Ants. On cassette.

zman said...

The Linkin Park/ Ace of Bass/ Spice Girls/ Dido/ Billy Ray Cyrus stretch isn't cool.

Clarence said...

That's Ace of Base, asehole. The Ace of Bass is Lemmy Kilmister.

Dave said...

okay-- i don't want to reveal the #2 best selling international album, but i will say this-- you can click on individual countries on the bottom of the wikipedia article, and this album, oddly, DOES NOT APPEAR on australia's list. at all. and the number one australian album is called "whispering jack" by john farnham.

argentina's best selling albums ever are "use your illusion I and II"

also strange.

zman said...

What about "Simple Jack"?

rob said...

finally ready to talk about last night's debacle. teej - i think the rumors of papelbon's shitty '09 season are exaggerated. he blew 3 saves and had a 1.85 era and a 1.15 whip. that said, i think he's worth more in a trade than on the field right now, especially given the increasingly obvious fact that the sox aren't gonna catch the rays and yankees.

T.J. said...

Yeah, his numbers were much better than I expected overall, but I still definitely think Theo should deal him before July 31.

d-train said...

whit - was it adam & the ants or adam ant?
i've got one of those.
abba or kiss at #2?
(i know they aren't from australia)

rob said...

the wiggles are from australia

T.J. said...

I figured they were from Cameroon.

zman said...

This is why I don't miss Boston sports talk radio. It would be very short-sighted to trade Papelbon. The Sox have plenty of money to buy talent in the off-season. He has 160 saves, 15 wins, and 13 losses in 284 apperances. No need to trade away an All Star closer just because you're 19-19 in a 162 game season.

Clarence said...

England is a country that somewhat defies Dave's World Cup theory. They're always a strong side, and there are way more Maggie Thatchers and Amy Winehouses running around that country than there are Patsy Kensits and Sienna Millers.

Dave said...

i agree with igor-- that's why i had to leave england out. i guess there is the advantage that they speak english, and can thus parlay their renown to score american babes-- but again, you wouldn't need much more than the accent and a good story-- you don't actually need to win the cup (i mean, if igor could convince someone that he was a pro hockey player . . .).

rob said...

zman, it's not a 'papelbon sucks, let's trade him' discussion - i think he's a way above average closer. it's a question of relative value. the sox are paying him $9m this year and could probably get some gm to give them a pair of high level prospects for him. bard makes considerably less and will for a few more years, and is arguably as good as papelbon. in that scenario, it makes economic sense to trade him.

d-train said...

i think he meant "field hockey"...i'd believe him.

zman said...

rob, I think your analysis is good for a small- to mid-market team. But the Sox don't really need the money. If they did they wouldn't pay Beltre $9MM or Drew $14MM. Let alone $8MM to Dice-K and $12.5MM to Lowell.

Papelbon has value despite his $9MM salary because he's good. No need to mortgage your future when you have the money to reload in a hurry. And when they do reload you'll want a good bullpen. Life without a good bullpen sucks. Just ask the 2007 Mets.

Geoff said...

When women use the word "preggers" or preggo" to refer to being pregnant, it fills me a level of annoyance and rage that I am not comfortable with.

That is all. Please proceed with your day, as you deem appropriate.

zman said...

Dennis Green is a coach in the UFL? And he signed Daunte Culpepper? I guess a lot changes in 10 years.

d-train said...

what about when guys use the words geoff? still pretty annoying? or not as much?

Clarence said...

Geoff do you prefer "with child" or "in the family way" or "has a bun in the oven" or "gestating" or "knocked up" or "up the duff" or "went up a cup -- the fun way" or "has been smiled upon by Jesus" or "inseminated"? Inquiring minds want to know.

Geoff said...

If a man has ever used one of those terms, I certainly hope he dies soon.

When my wife was in said state, I liked to use the term "in trouble." But I was also okay with "pregnant."

d-train said...

we're in trouble in the casa de danimal. i used to say preggo. not anymore.

Geoff said...

Dan, please do the right thing and immediately jam yourself.

Geoff said...

Dan...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYJjD7UF-6k

zman said...

I always thought the phrase was "In a fambly way" but now it makes more sense.

Clarence said...

Zman, 10 years ago Bill Clinton was president, the twin towers were still standing, the Red Sox hadn't won dick in 82 years, I was working for the Federal Government and living in downtown DC with no kids, Tiger Woods was on the major upswing, Wilco was still with Warner Records, the Astros played on Enron Field, Barack Obama was a state senator mounting a campaign for the House of Representatives that he would lose, Dale Earnhardt was winning at Talledega, the Mets were in the World Series, Dave was living in Syria, and all my friends were still alive.

Yes, indeed. A lot does change in 10 years.

Geoff said...

And ten years ago, The Fambly Guy wasn't even on the air yet.

rob said...

igor was balding ten years ago, though. the more things change...

rob said...

z, i suspect the folks responsible for p&l for the boston american league baseball club might dispute your contention that they 'don't need the money'. any team, given the option to get comparable performance for substantially less cost, would at least consider the option. if you believe bard = papelbon (and i do, despite the fact that i very much like papelbon), then this really isn't that complicated from a business perspective.

Clarence said...

The folks responsible for p&l for the Boston National League baseball club are wondering what the hell they're doing in Atlanta.

It's too bad the "Beaneaters" moniker never stuck. "Braves" is comparatively very dull.

zman said...

Perhaps you're right. I'm responsible for nothing except my own profits and losses. It just seems like they make $9 million per game just from their miserable Papa Gino's pizzas alone. And if Bard = Papelbon then Bard + Papelbon = 2 X (Papelbon), and 2 X (Papelbon) > Papelbon.

zman said...

And 2 X (Papelbon) > Bard.

Dave said...

wow-- that ten years thing really hit home. what will be going on ten years from now?

hopefully, gheorghe will still be going strong.

to further this effort, next week, "greasetruck" is going to have a VERY SPECIAL episode. like "the who trampling" WKRP episode. or the tom hanks family ties drunk episode (that thread got me working on this song.)

all the "preggo" talk foreshadows the topic, and i bought some magic hat #9 so that i can record tonight. but the best thing of all, is i listed a couple of artistic females in my department to draw pictures for the song and they finished them today and they are fantastic. i just have to scan them in. it was pretty cool walking into the office last period and seeing two people working on material for gheorghe in their spare time-- almost as cool as my time as a producer last summer . . .

Dave said...

and by "listed" i mean "enlisted." still not good at the whole typing thing, but from the length of today's post, you can see that i'm getting better. the more chris christie threatens to fuck the teachers, the more i seem to type during the school day for gheorghe.

rob said...

gheorghe will still be going strong, but all of us will have adopted pseudonymns. mostly because geoff will have been elected senator and he'll make us. and because of the unfortunate situation with dan.

rob said...

and because dave just sorta threatened the governor.

Dave said...

what were the best very special sitcom episodes? i want to mention them in the intro. of my post.

family ties had a few, which we mentioned. the brady bunch had the "bobby! cindy!" grand canyon one.

did alf have one?

zman said...

MASH had tons. Seinfeld had none. Which is just one of a myriad of things that make Seinfeld fun.

TR said...

Alf was never the same for me after I watched Permanent Midnight.

Dave said...

we once had a drunken naked race in my apartment, and you had to squeeze a book between your ass cheeks and not let it fall-- my friend carried "canterbury tales" and i chose the most appropriate title on my shelf-- "permanent midnight."

T.J. said...

Quantum Leap had a pedophile two-parter.

And don't forget the epic bike shop Gordon Jump episode of D'ffrent Stroles.

T.J. said...

Or Strokes.

Clarence said...

Here's a list of very special episodes.

Among them, Matthew Perry drinks and drives and dies on Growing Pains, Arnold Drummond says, "Whatchoo talkin bout, Mr. Carlson, who's touching me inappropriately?", and yes, The Who.

rob said...

nobody batted an eye at dave's comment? the fuck?

zman said...

I assumed you were the Chaucer fan rob.

T.J. said...

It's not like he said the Bible. I feel bad for the individual who got Tolstoy.

Dave said...

this was in jersey. i won't implicate the other three people in the race, but it was the usual suspects, and people i work with who happened to come to the party and mix with my high school friends still talk about the incident to this day.

was their really an inappropriate touching different strokes? i don't remember that-- i must have blocked it out.

zman said...

Bible schmeibel. Try carrying a Torah scroll in your tokhes!

T.J. said...

That Jesse Spano diet pills episode of SBTB is still one of my favorite youtubes of all time.

Dave said...

nice list, igor, that should do it for my research.

T.J. said...

rob's being coy. He was there. Dave gave him "Famous Jewish Sports Stares" pamphlet to carry.

Clarence said...

Hank Greenberg had the baddest assed sports stare ever. He looked at you, you wet your stirrups.

T.J. said...

Koufax could melt your face "Raiders of the Ark"-style

rob said...

sandy koufax had a particularly strong evil eye

Clarence said...

Somehow I was not at the butt-book party. I may have been banned for a while after the cookout where I stripped down, tried on all of the small person clothing at the yard sale, and filmed an inappropriate video with Dave's camera and one of his female colleagues.


That's IGOR!!!

rob said...

dammit

T.J. said...

That's also Roman Polanski.

zman said...

rob was selling his stuff at a yard sale?

Geoff said...

This thread not only has the butt book competition, but also the overlooked anecdote where Whitney brags about passing up intercourse with a willing female to go play grabass with a bunch of boozy dudes.

zman said...

"passing up intercourse with a willing female to go play grabass with a bunch of boozy dudes"

Sounds like the Unit M rush video.

Dave said...

g:tb officially supports "uruguay" in the 2010 world cup.

T.J. said...

Narrated by Daniel Stern.

Clarence said...

Geoff, that's not bragging. It was the dumbest thing I did all year. The girl was hotter than than most any girl in Williamsburg, and I wasn't doing well at all with the W&M girls. At all. I thought that because I was going to get laid every night in Daytona, it was no big deal. Then I was like a disease to the Spring Break females. Not even a peck on the cheek. And my scoreless streak went on for months, only broken by a desperate trip to Winchester for Apple Blossom. No sir, that wasn't a boast. It was sad self-reflection of stupid, stupid mistakes of the past.

T.J. said...

That was Whitney's "Marino in '84" spring break wk.

Geoff said...

"The girl was hotter than than most any girl in Williamsburg"

Boy, that could really mean anything on the attractiveness spectrum.

zman said...

This kid will never stop getting tooled on unless he moves.

http://tinyurl.com/2vpkryu

Dave said...

that was a school? that was a teacher? the decor of that classroom is "spartan penitentiary chic." and was it casual hip hop friday?

zman said...

Looked like a typical NJ middle school to me.

zman said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mark said...

I'm sure it's on the list but one of my all time fave "very special episodes" (right after Spano's diet pills/"I'm so excited") episode was the Growing Pains where some hot chick Kirk Cameron was trying to bang wanted him to do coke. Which, of course, he didn't. That was pretty much it for me in terms of thinking Mike Seaver was cool.

When a hot chick offers you free blow, you ALWAYS say yes. I don't care if it's in the middle of Sunday service.

T.J. said...

The Wiz will lose the lottery and pick 8th as expected. They will draft Ed Davis. He will end up being a disaster.

T.J. said...

The Pacers will draft Heyward from Butler. Jim O'Brien will be able to whitewash NBA arenas night after night next season, to middling results of course.

Mark said...

I'm fully aware that I love the NBA Draft way too much, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm excited for tonight's draft lottery (and all the mock drafts to soon follow).

I don't care about Utah as a franchise but I'm kind of hoping they win the #1 pick so the West will have another power (Evan Turner would fit nicely) and to further cement Isiah Thomas as the worst GM in NBA history.

Mark said...

I'll be shocked if Hayward still ends up going in the lottery once workouts get going. Also, I still like Ed Davis. That UNC team had terrible chemistry and even worse guards.

T.J. said...

I want the Twolves to win so they can draft another PG

T.J. said...

DJ Mbenga has better post moves than Derrick Favors. I'm just saying, you can take him fourth, but someone might want to teach him a move or two.

Mark said...

That would be fun.

I agree on Favors but you could've said that same thing about McDyess early in his career (before he blew out his knee 6 times) and well as Amar'e Stoudemire and they were both pretty damn good players early on. Point taken though. He has elite athleticism and size though and that goes a long way in today's NBA.

T.J. said...

Good to see that Glen Davis and I share the same test in ugly short sleeve polos.

T.J. said...

I cannot fucking spell today.

rob said...

michael heisley's got a 'why the fuck am i here' look

T.J. said...

Leonsis doesn't trust the old bag

rob said...

they could have asked tyreke evans anything and he would've given that answer

T.J. said...

Excellent non-answer Tyreke.

rob said...

i'll splash the pot any. time. i. want.

T.J. said...

I love this Russian owner.

T.J. said...

Aaron Brooks is late for his De La Soul cover band practice.

rob said...

they should have to draft immediately after the lottery.

T.J. said...

The Wiz!

Shlara said...

Prokhorov is going to be awesome for the NBA

Shlara said...

OMG, the Wiz might get a break!!

rob said...

let's not kid ourselves. the wiz will fuck it up.

T.J. said...

This impending Wiz fuck-up is spelled d-e-m-a-r-c-u-s

Shlara said...

oh, and I'm just catching up on the previous comments.

Igor and Geoff, you are clearly not speaking about me when you disparage the W&M girls.

or my friends.

Right?

Geoff said...

I want them to get the #2 pick--get Evan Turner.

T.J. said...

Leonsis just called LeBron and asked if he took Wall would the King come to DC.

T.J. said...

Holy fuck.

Geoff said...

Whoa!!!!!!

Mark said...

Wow...The Wiz! That should make for an interesting summer.

rob said...

geoff isn't, shlara, as he wasn't there while you were. i'll let igor speak for himself.

T.J. said...

Tell Abe to get his finger out of the pie!
Disgusting.

Mark said...

By the way, I just threw up a new post to make commenting easier for tonight's game.

Ted Leonsis pronounces "idea" as "I dear". I fucking hate that.

T.J. said...

Let's get Dr Venkman in there to confirm Abe's presence.

Shlara said...

Unbelievable. I'm so excited about John Wall.
I seriously have tears in my eyes.
I have been watching this draft for like 20 years. and we NEVER end up on top

T.J. said...

Um...Kwame?

Mark said...

Can the Wiz get Gilbert out of Dc fast enough? Doesn't seem like somebody you want influencing young Mr. Wall (who are already have some doubts about character wise).

Shlara said...

Yes, but this GM won't screw up the pick this time.

Shlara said...

Mark, Gilbert isn't a bad guy.
A goofball that took things too far, yes.
But I think Ted will find someone to sit on Gil.
We still need an MFer
And we need an adult to be the captain.

But I'm feeling A LOT better about spending the cash on tickets for the 2011 season...

Mark said...

I didn't say Gilbert was a bad guy. He is a bad influence on young players though. Not dedicated enough to what it takes to win (as a team) at the highest level. I like Gilbert but you can't have him around a young guy. Gilbert's talent and work ethic are tremendous but he's able to get away with things others can't because many of them can't grasp all the time he puts into his craft when they aren't around.

They needed to get rid of him before tonight. They HAVE to get rid of him now.

Mark said...

Here's my take on what the Magic must do offensively (besides not turn the ball over as much and shoot it better):

Push the ball more and get Howard chances in transition. In the halfcourt, they need to spread the floor more and use Howard in P&R situations as well as a screener. Don't just dump it in to him. He's not skilled enough one on one and not a good enough passer. It slows down the pace which favors the Celtics. They can penetrate against this team and get good looks from 3 on the kickout. Make the Celtics adjust to that style of play. I also think Reddick needs to play more and, surprisingly, that more about defense. He does the best job of anyone on Orlando of covering Allen off of screens. Carter isn't dedicated enough to do it consistently.

Mark said...

Wrong post...whoops.