Wanna Trade?...

Ok, I DVRd the NBA Draft tonight...

Now, I'm speeding through it. As of right now, I'm blown away by the amount of trades tonight...And you know what?...I think it's great. Finally, we have teams and GMs shuffling players, picks, and salaries. Work the deal. Keep it going.

Kudos:

Bobcats - I still hate that nickname for Charlotte. Can't we dump the 'Bobcats', please?...Damn, you mean every Thursday night and Saturday night I have to think 'Go Bobcats' and that booty ass Orange...Yeech.

With that said, MJ made a great pick with Adam Morrison. I think he'll be a great 3 man, and he'll play off well with Raymond Felton, Gerald Wallace, Emeka Okafor, and Sean May. Especially with Felton...Both of those guys are gamers. This team is going could be quite nasty...No softies here.

More importantly, in Mike's vision! No Wes Unseld or "Dishonest" Abe Pollin around.

Grizzlies - What a fleece! They pick up Rudy Gay and Stromile Swift for Shane Battier. Watch out for the Rockets because they've also exchanged a pick for cash considerations. They're going to make a move on someone either this summer or next. There has to be more to this.

Now, back to the Grizzlies...It wasn't a couple of years ago that everyone was drooling over signing Swift, and now they want to dump him...hmmm....How about this comparsion...Tyrus Thomas & Stromile Swift. I think Gay will be a good player with some solid guys to develop him...Hello Eddie Jones.

They also picked up the career sleeper, James White. Not a bad pick-up at all...The kid will always have 'tremendous talent' right next to his name...Too bad it never has the disclaimer, 'ten cent head' or 'tremendous attitude'.

I also think that Swift knows that organization well enough that he could develop into a valuable veteran...Wow, did I just say that?

With that said, the Grizz also picked up Kyle Lowery, who has a game that I've adored since he was Cardinal Dougherty in Philadelphia. I love the kid's game, and I think he'll be a Bonzi Wells type scorer and slasher in the NBA. Great swipes by the All-Time Best GM...Jerry West...Yes, I said that.

Blazers - I'm still trying to track all of their moves, but I like some of these. They dumped Sebastian Telfair, who has been expendable with the development of Steve Blake and Jarret Jack...I knew that was going to happen. Besides, right now anyone could play point for more than 30 minutes in a game and get 12 points per game. I neither think that's a heavy loss for the Blazers, nor a nice gain for the Celts...I'll keep my bets on Telfair to France within five years.

Also, special kudos for grabbing Brandon Roy from the T-Wolves. The kid is from the Northwest, and he'll be a hometown favorite. I'm a little dicey on LaMarcus Aldridge...Reminds me of an athletic Acie Earl...Just my thoughts.

Nets - Jersey in the House...I like the 'sleeper' picks with Marcus Williams and Josh Boone with their firsts and Hassan Adams with their second round pick. Very athletic and there's a lot of game experience coming onto the bench. Good picks by the old-school dealer, Rod Thorn.

Hawks - I actually like the Shelden Williams pick. The guy with his size and mobility will play a long time in the league...I'm not saying dominating, but he will get ticks.

Brutalities:

Knicks - Right off the bat...Renaldo Balkman...My man, 'Gach-Man', hit me up with an immediate text simply stating "Renaldo Balkman?"...Hilarious.

Suns - Rajon Rando...Thank god for trading Rajon to the Celts. Now, what the hell is Danny Ainge throwing Rondo into his point guard pile? Maybe he'll convince Rondo to eat something...The kid should have stayed at Kentucky. Please feed him.

Lakers - You know the Draft is rough when a point guard like Jordan Farmer is drafted at the end of the first round. I know Greg Anthony loves this kid. Yet, I think he may be a little too overmatched in the league. The Lakers go the safe route and pick the local kid...Real gutsy move...Uh yeah.

Love Milwaukee's pick of David Noel...Something happened when the Warriors landed Patrick O'Bryant. Mully had to be pissy when Rudy Gay didn't fall to #9...Sean Carney, hmmm...shhhh...

Let's see what deals shake free because this Draft year gets a C. But I like the dealin'...Keep it up and bring more!

Back to my DVR,
IronDog

Still Stunned

I'm still stunned this morning over the Heels' 3-2 loss last night...

I'm speechless.

To the Bone,
IronDog

Dear Mr. Fantasy

New moves...And here are my mid-season opinions of the 2006 McCauley Street Diablos.

Right now, I'm in a fourteen team league that consists of about ten players who are very active and have nice game. I met these cats in NYC, and I shouldn't be stunned that the two team market and the knowledge for baseball has made it a helluva learning experience and a lot more fun for me.

Assessment:

I've been plagued by the DL this season. Yet, I'm in the middle of the pack. I also believe that I have a top five team. Right now, I'm in 8th place.

I started off with five week losses and then went on a five week tear that was due to patchwork waiver wire action.

I lost last week, and I'm currently in a dogfight this week with the 'Dock Ellis Flashback' who currently is in first place in one division and is one of the top three teams in the league.

Mid-Week Moves:

Players are getting scarce now...

Dropped Casey Jannsen of the Toronto Blue Jays for Mike O'Connor of the Nats...I'm keeping my fingers crossed on O'Connor. He had two great outings out of three, but he's prone to getting bombed.

I slept on a couple this week. I didn't jump on Anthony Reyes, Jon Lester, and Zach Miner, nor did I didn't think a cut was worth it from the staff. That was also until Jannsen blew apart.

Here's another reason...I'm saving a guy on the 'chop block' for Derrek Lee, who is coming back next week.

That broken wrist killed me...Where the hell is Rafael Furcal? MutherF*&<#@!...

Delights:

Nick Swisher - Have him at 1B for most of the season because of DLee's injury. Moving him to the OF when Lee returns. Very surprised with this pick. Especially, when I picked him up in the ninth round. I thought that I jumped a little high on him. I also thought he was a year or two away.

Michael Cuddyer - Picked him up on waivers...Pleasant surprise. He now is my starting second baseman with four available positions.

Carlos Zambrano - After a slow start, he's starting to turn it on...Big-time.

Ryan Zimmerman - Very pleasant surprise and very steady. Probably will become my perm utility man.

Jose Cantu - Fourth round pick, who is very steady when healthy.

Rocco Baldelli - Back a week and I'm in love with the guy...Great mid-season pick-up. Here's to following minor league ball in Durham. Please keep it up...

Corey Patterson - Became my starting CF during a mid-season pick-up...Was on a tear. Now, he's slowing down. The guy needs to start back up. I need to have a heart-to-heart meditation session with him. I may have to sub Eric Byrnes for him this week. Yet, I'm also thinking of subbing him for a slumping Aaron Rowand, who I think may be still adjusting to an injury.

Jason Schmidt - Stellar...Almost shipped him with Garret Anderson for Ichiro and Mark Mulder. Thinking about it now...Not a bad trade, but Mulder is horrible right now. I would have been screwed.

Hung Jury:

CoCo Crisp - Big part of a trade that I'll describe below....Busted his finger and then passed kidney stones. Killed me and was the start of a rash of injuries that forced me to make some serious Neosporin moves. He's starting to reach his first complete month back, and he should be on his roll now. Let's see how his breakout year with the BoSox goes.

Marcus Thames - Picked him three weeks ago when I saw him on Baseball Tonight...I like the kid's game. He's doing well now. What's up with him in four weeks? If he's a one-month wonder, I'm going to be pissy that I passed on Gary Matthews Jr.

Aaron Rowand - Before that catch...He was mad hot...Now, he has to come back. Let's just hope that he doesn't give me another April, which is highly likely. I still like the guy...On TV...Who knows on the Diablos?

Disappointments:

Khalil Greene - I shouldn't be so hard considering he saved my ass when I had Bobby Crosby out with a broken finger and Cantu with his broken foot. I obtained him with CoCo Crisp in a trade for Ken Griffey Jr. He's just not producing for me...Dude, he needs to rock the braids or chill out on PB or something. Just please give me a breakout month...Will ya!

Chad Cordero - He's starting to get hot, but he killed me through April and May. I don't know if I can forgive that. Watch...I'll ship his ass, and watch him deep fry hitters with his splitter to close out the year with a helluva tear....Bitch.

Bobby Crosby - I really like the way this guy plays, but he can't catch a break. The guy dislocates fingers, breaks thumbs...I don't get it. He plays so hard...Gets hurt and disturbs his roll. Watch him destroy the league...Next May.

Garret Anderson - Cut his ass...The dude is soft. He had some great years. Then in '04, he had the arthiritis thing going. Now, he has hamstring probs. I cut him for Baldelli and Anderson racks a few points...Screw it. He's gone. I expected more.

Current Staff: Necessary 5 Starting Pitchers, 3 Relief Pitchers, 1 Pitcher

Jason Schmidt - Scared me silly, now staff ace.
Carlos Zambrano - Beast, but who's coming to dinner.
Justin Verlander - Damn, he's nice...in '08.
Erwin Santana - Surprise
Eric Milton - 2 Great games then...Yeech
Francisco Rodriguez - Where the hell are you?!
Chad Cordero - Please get hot.
Ryan Dempster - Great...Then June came.
Sean Marshall - Great prospect...Typical youth..1 great game, 1 bad.
Franciso Rodney - Wild as his fro.
Mike O'Connor - Plug-IN

That's it...That may be even too much info for you.

By the way, Joe Crede is getting hot. I stretched on him in the draft, and after his back injury with a couple of shots he's getting hot. Joe Crede...He my boy.

Also, special kudos to YahooSports, they have a helluva lot of free information and solid statwork. Now, will they please include rankings on the gameday page like they used to do?!!

Work the numbers,
IronDog - GM/President, McCauley St. Diablos
Chapel Hill, NC


McCauley Street
Yahoo Fantasy Sports
Yahoo Fantasy Baseball
Fantasy Baseball 2006 Mid-Season
North Carolina Fantasy Baseball

GameNight

Yes, I thought about it...

A Saturday airline ticket to Omaha from RDU would have been $437 with tax, and it would sent me through Detroit...But I just couldn't do it. I like my chances in the Hill this weekend...;)

To make up for it. We have the Radiators in town tonight at the Cradle. If you want to catch the game with good convo, head to the West End Wine Bar on Saturday night, I'll be perched at the bar with a easy silver needle tea. Let's discuss the happs in the Hill, baseball, and life.

Baseball Fever...Catch it,
IronDog

Weekend in the Hill

Oh what to do...What to do...

Well, this summer in the Hill has been moving very well. Especially, with the College World Series activity taking place here. Can you believe that the North Carolina Baseball program has a serious shot at landing a national championship...Wow.

A funny note to add to all of this. I ran into Roy Williams outside of Carmichael a short while after Wednesday night's game. He was checking in on his campers, and he must have listened to the game on the radio. Because when I yelled at him "Huge W,
tonight," he responded with 'Tight one and 6-5" right away...He's a big fan and always on top of everything. I still think his showing up for the CWS last weekend was a very 'cool' and 'class' thing to do.

Let's see how Andrew Miller, Robert Woodard, and Daniel Bard pitch this weekend...Should be a special treat. This is like watching the Arizona Diamondbacks of 2001.

Mow 'em down,
IronDog

Franklin Street Doings...

Watched Game 1 of the College World Series last night at the West End...

Sloppy play, a helluva lot of excitement with a 13 inning game, Andrew Miller is a beast, and the Detroit Tigers who drafted him number 1 in last week's MLB draft last week are sweating bullets after 124 pitches. Despite giving up some long balls and 5 runs, I'm still very impressed with the kid, and I will always be stunned by the power of the aluminum bat.

Next game is against Clemson. Daniel Bard, who was drafted number one by the Boston Red Sox, goes up against a beast of a program that has emerged among the giants in ACC baseball. That'll be good one for early Sunday evening.

Aaight, here's some Hill news...They always make the changes that create conversation in the summer.

A new traffic light stop on Franklin is going to change up foot traffic...After Hector moved from it's original building to the old Henderson St. Bar & Grill address, a club/bar megaplex is taking over the whole property on the corner of Henderson and Franklin...Place is going to be wild.

Word now drops that the famed "Rat" is going to close. Town Councilman, Cam Hill blurts out the threat at last week's council meeting...Ouch...No more "Gambler"?

Golden Arms ,
IronDog

Join BarCamp RDU 2006

The new way of assembling a million thoughts...BarCamp. Yeah...Yeah...Ya' know it!



I'm signed up for BarCampRDU for July 22, 2006 on the campus of Red Hat Software in Raleigh, North Carolina. Special kudos to my peoples Fred Stutzman, Paul Jones, John Bachir, and the people of ibiblio.org for letting me know.

If you're either an online fanatic, a 'newbie', or want to make a difference in voicing your thoughts in the community, please sign up at BarCampRDU. Just click on the link to this wiki...Very cool stuff, and join in on the next wave of conversation with people who are utilzing the powers of online communication to make a difference in the world.

I hope to see you there, and it's good to be back in North Carolina with the people who are pushing in life...Keep it Running!

Campin',
IronDog

New Scoreboard at Wrigley...Say whaaa?

This sports conversation is a doozy...

Eric Benderoff of the Chicago Tribune has touched off a major conversation with "It's Time for a New Vision". By suggesting the replacement of the scoreboard at Wrigley Field, he's accomplished what he set off to do by ticking off a time bomb of a conversation in the circles of stadium design, baseball traditionalists, and stadium planners.

Don't slough this one off...This is the way the Millenials think...Damn tradition and the past and follow the corporation if it makes you're life easier.

I'll have more on this topic in the next day or two. My knee-jerk response is...If you ever replace the classic old-school scoreboard, why don't you just replace the whole damn field. Seriously, rip the whole damn thing down. Who wants mash-up design any way?

I'll have a response to this joke of a conversation when I get around to it.

You have to be kidding me...

Changin',
IronDog

Spreading like Snakes On A Plane

When will this movie ever drop?...

"Snakes on A Plane"...It seems as if I've heard about this movie over and over for the last year. I thought the movie had already dropped. Yet, what I didn't realize is that the same phenomeonon that surrounded "Blair Witch Project" is happening with "SoAP." The creation of the Meme.

What are memes? -- cultural ideas that replicate and spread like viruses.

That's what the marketers behind "Snakes on A Plane" have used to market this movie. They've used blogs, YouTube, and other online communities to generate a huge buzz.

Check out this article from Nava Chonin of SFGate...It's a great article upon better ways to promote your work.

Yet, don't forget...It's all about the message.

Swirlin',
IronDog

Why Not Both?...

I've always been intrigued by Track and Field...

Especially the speed events of the 100s through the 400s. Why you might ask?...Because it's the ultimate test of physical endurance and mental ability within a set time frame. The athletes are like powerful gazelles and wild lions running across savannahs. But enough of the flowery stuff.

Xavier Carter of LSU became the first person to win the 100 and 400 meters at the NCAA track and field championships Saturday. The sophomore added to his legendary Sacramento performance by running down the competition in races just 31 minutes apart. He's the that first athlete since Jesse Owens in 1936 to win four titles at a single NCAA Outdoor Championship and the first athlete ever to win both the 100m and 400m at an NCAA Championships.

Check out more of the feat here from USA Track and Field.

Carter plays football for LSU as well...Here's a shocker. At Wide Receiver, which leads to this question...



After the Track experiments of Renaldo Nememiah, Johnny Lam Jones, and countless others, why aren't more college football teams allowing sprinters run track these days?

Yes, I understand workouts and lifting may be different for football and the skilled positions that today's game demands. Yet, if the player continues to build strength for sprinting capabilities and explosiveness from a set position, then why wouldn't you allow a player at wide receiver, flanker, or a halfback to build his speed and strength through sprinting on the track? Aren't they the same types of movements?

Hell with as many shuttle runs and plyometric exercises players go through in the months leading up to fall football practice, why wouldn't you let him run on the oval? Let's watch how this kid develops on the gridiron this fall. This is a subject that I need to do a little more exploration with...

Stay tuned,
IronDog

Coming Soon to a View Near You

Knew this was coming since my first viewing of the Back to Future series...

My buddy sent this over to me. You know this will hit like a crack epidemic. Check out MyVu.



Is this the next stage of device coming our way...When will the device boom end?...Will we ever tire of dumping a couple of hundred bucks for a device that will change our life every two years? Stay tuned...

SuperView,
IronDog