Month: January 2017

Putting the Christmas collapse versus Cleveland aside, the Warriors are 30-5 with the best record in the NBA to date. San Antonio, Toronto, and maybe Houston are somewhat in the discussion, but unless there’s some key injuries, we’re marking time to a Warrior-Cavalier final for the third season in a row.

For those not fully aware Kevin Durant now resides in the Bay area, this January could be your winter of discontent. This won’t possibly be tough, it will be the toughest month the Thunder has experienced since that first 23-59 season way back when. Durant is gone, but more to the point the Thunder schedule in January is sadistic. Of OKC’s fifteen games in the month, twelve of these games will be played away from home. OKC lost 98-94 to the Milwaukee Bucks on the road on Rose Bowl Monday. It doesn’t get easier, instead it gets incrementally tougher as each week in January is peeled off the calendar.

Tonight marks the first night of a road back to back in Charlotte. Tomorrow night it’s Houston where James Harden and his new coach Mike D’Antoni have the Rockets surging as the third best team in the West and possibly the best surprise story in the entire NBA so far. This could be the month James Harden passes Russell Westbrook as the MVP frontrunner.

Of OKC’s fifteen games games in January, ten will be played on the road against teams which if you include the 8th place Sacramento Kings will be participating in the NBA Playoffs. Of OKC’s fifteen opponents in January, only the Minnesota Timberwolves aren’t trending upwards post New Years. And consider this, OKC plays Golden State, Cleveland, and San Antonio all on the road in the final two weeks of the month. Yikes.

If Durant were still here with Ibaka, you might look at that schedule and think to yourself either 10-5 or 9-6 depending on the urgency meter of Durant and Westbrook. With this young group, you hold breath, whisper a prayer, and wish for the best.

Tonight’s it’s Charlotte after the Thunder lost at Milwaukee on Monday night after Westbrook struggled late in the game. OKC is now 21-14 and the 6th seed in the West and the Thunder need to squeeze out wins anyway possible in January. If you’re one of those fans who can’t handle tough games, tough endings, and probably an overall tough month—-you might be better off seeing movies or reading books till February when the Thunder’s schedule inverts where the Thunder play nine of eleven at home.

If you told me right now the Thunder could go 7-8 or even 6-9 this January…I’d take it.

I didn’t even watch the Thunder game last night as college football was center stage for me. Wisconsin beat Western Michigan in the Cotton Bowl as expected to somewhat give the battered Big 10 some semblance of a consolation prize as Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State all lost their bowl games.

The Rose Bowl was expected to be a great game and it was as USC won at the horn with a field goal to survive Penn State by a 52-49 score in one of the greatest Rose Bowl games ever. Just a great game by two teams who came into the bowl season on a run and who both would have been fun to watch if the playoff field had eight teams instead of four. Neither is on a par with Clemson or Alabama, but Penn State did beat Ohio State and USC did beat Washington so there’s that to consider in hindsight.

The two semifinal games on Saturday were horrible as both Alabama and Clemson easily won to advance to the national championship game. The same thing happened last season as Alabama crushed Michigan State and Clemson crushed OU to easily advance. The field needs to expand to eight teams or else there’s no reason for a non Power 5 non-champion like Ohio State to be included in the field of four.

OU beat Auburn in the Sugar Bowl by a 35-19 score in a game in which none of Auburn’s three quarterbacks showed much of anything doing anything of consequence. Auburn became one dimensional and OU can defend one dimensional teams. Two dimensional quarterbacks not so much. Where OU has trouble is in defending teams with QBs who can get on the corner and run as well as throw the ball. Fortunately for Auburn and Gus Malzahn, Baylor transfer Jarrett Stidham from this point forward is Auburn’s quarterback.

Baker Mayfield, Joe Mixon, Lincoln Riley, and Brent Musberger all had nice games for OU. I had no idea Brent was on payroll in OU media relations, but now I know. Joe Mixon as usual was good catching the football as something of a hybrid back coming out of different Lincoln Riley alignments as a wide receiver inside of a running back’s body. Think about what Green Bay is currently doing with Ty Montgomery and it doesn’t take much imagination to see a coach like say Pete Carroll in Seattle doing the same type of thing with Joe Mixon for a very cheap price tag since Mixon has devalued himself with the assault video. Anyway, Mixon should move on to the NFL as Tyreek Hill did and get on with his life as a pro.

Putting aside the score and the horrid Auburn quarterback play, it was a dark night for college football at the Sugar Bowl. Brent Musberger appeared clueless and was bombarded on social media for his stupid comments regarding Joe Mixon. OU players further embarrassed themselves by jokingly punching Mixon on the sidelines after a scoring drive. And the perfect touch for a dismal evening was climaxed by Auburn fans chanting ‘He hits women.’ I’m fairly certain David Boren doesn’t want that Auburn chant included in his next OU ad where he waxes of national merit scholars at OU.

So, basically, one entire year has passed and nothing changed in college football from last season when Alabama outlasted Deshaun Watson in a 45-40 thriller in the national championship game. The two best teams in college ball will be playing each other once again next Monday night in Atlanta for the trophy. Hope the Thunder aren’t playing on Monday night or I’ll be missing my second Thunder game of the season.

My wife went to Auburn and over the years and they’ve become my second favorite college football team. I’m wearing orange tonight and have my orange Styrofoam Auburn No. 1 hand with me for the watch party I’m heading off to in just a bit. We’ll see how physical bad ass Joe Mixon truly is or if he just beats little women in Norman bars. I’ll do my best on the Thunder recap, but tonight college football gets my primary focus.

War Eagle!

Tonight should be a very challenging game for the Thunder in Milwaukee tonight. The Bucks showcase two of the most exciting young players in the game today in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker. Should be a highlight reel game on both ends and a tough game for the Thunder if they don’t come of the gates ready to play forty-eight minutes.

If I’m going to play Gloria Gaynor then there’s no way I can’t play Anita Ward. Big day of football for me tomorrow as the Sooners play my wife’s Auburn Tigers in the Sugar Bowl, while my favorite NFL team the Green Bay Packers play the Detroit Lions with the NFC North on the line.

If you didn’t catch James Harden’s 53 point, 16 rebound, 17 assist triple double on New Year’s Eve against the Knicks—here’s the highlights. I would say the MVP race is pretty much a dead heat or maybe even has Harden slightly ahead of Russell Westbrook as the Rockets continue to surge.

Nothing wrong with doing a little strut to kick the year off. Just be smart about it.

No Chris Paul. No Blake Griffin. Clippers on the second night of a road back to back and no problem for the Thunder as they frolicked over the reeling Clippers by a 114-88 count on New Years Eve inside Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Russell Westbrook recorded an extremely quick triple double with 17 points, 12 rebounds, and 14 assists. It was Westbrook’s 16th triple double of the season and it came so easily it kind of undermines the concept that getting a triple double is all that much.

Vic Oladipo returned and was splendid with his usual overall balanced game on both ends, plus 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists.

Enes Kanter led the Thunder in scoring with 23 points and added 8 rebounds. Steven Adams went for 11 points and 5 rebounds. Both Roberson and Sabonis made offensive contributions as each finished with nine points. Alex Abrines scoring 12 points on 4-5 shooting threes, but could have possibly suffered a concussion. Thunder will know more on that Sunday morning.

Not much you can really say other than unlike in Memphis the ball moved tonight for the Thunder which resulted in 25 assists and some watchable basketball to enjoy in between enjoying Clemson beating Ohio State 31-0. Nice night for the Thunder, but an even better night for Brent Venables. Bet he would make some Super Power 5 team a great defensive coordinator…. oh, wait.

Thunder improve to 21-13 and now start their treacherous January where they will only play three games during the month.

OKC off to play the Bucks in Milwaukee on Monday night. Hope the Sooners can beat Auburn or else it will be a long year for me.

Be positive. It could be worse. Ted Cruz could be president and Ann Coulter could be Secretary of State. We’ll survive 2017–I almost certain.

Seriously. We can survive the Year of Trump. With his pet dead rat, Little Marco, nailed to his head. The Tic Tac bus trips with Billy Bush. The idiotic tweets which makes us all wonder why Charlie Sheen never became POTUS. We’re better than this and WE WILL SURVIVE!!!!