If you were granted a wish that you could have tonight's game go exactly how you drew it up, what would you call for?

I know my first choice would be for a total blowout because I am tired of the game-long agony this team has been putting me through; However, if I really could call the shots, here is how I would like it to go: 

Angels look miserable all night--maybe even no hits--and trail, say, 3-0 because Lackey is doing a decent job. Top of the ninth, I want to see Papplebon (I know he might not play, but this is fantasy) get ripped for back-to-back-to-back-to-back homeruns by Garrett, Tex, Vlad, and Hunter--all with two outs and two strikes.

Then I want our closer Frankie to serve up three straight gopher balls that each outfielder goes over the wall to catch. 

Top that! 

 

On the way to work this morning, Colin Cowheard (sp?) of ESPN Radio led off his show with something like this:

There has never been a more insignificant 12-inning playoff game in history. The Angels are going down in flames because Lester does not lose in Boston. It was a "fun little" game, but it is over tonight.

Here's hoping that we can shut that stuff up right away. I know I will be listening the same time tomorrow to see what he has to say after we win. 

I am involved in a good-natured debate with a USC fan about the type of players USC is able to recruit versus the ones our Bruins can pursue due to academic standards.

You all saw the Times article this weekend about Pete Carrol, right? Well, our discussion started out when I questioned (only a tad seriously) the real reason that Pete Carrol trolls the streets of South Central at midnight: he is selling the USC brand and building good will to see that the athletes from L.A. come to USC when that time comes.

I explained that UCLA can't touch many of those players due to our academics and my friend acted like she never heard of such a thing, and accused me of sour grapes (as would I her, if it were the other way around).

She said that it is harder to get into USC than UCLA and that the playing field was surely "even" in regards to admissions for athletes, with both schools having to meet the same standards.  

Now we know that is not true, but how do I prove that to her?  

Other than the anecdotal evidence, I can't think of what sources I have to win this debate. Can any of you help me?

UCLA signee Reeves Nelson out of Modesto just set a playoff record in the NorCal Division Playoffs Wednesday. Nelson is just a junior and has a year of seasoning before he hits the floor for the Bruins. From Richard T. Estrada of the Modesto Bee:

After running its first two playoff foes out of the gym, the Crusaders ran into a team willing to play their urban-style game -- both the balling and bravado.

"We knew they'd come out and run with us and shoot 3s, and we were excited," Nelson said. "It's the playoffs now and everything is getting a little more intense."

No one could match Nelson's intensity, as he scored a playoff-record 53 points to lead MC past Encina 122-100 in a Sac-Joaquin Section semifinal at Tokay High.

53 points in a high school game! Not only did he score, but the Bee also reports that he showed some real competitive fire:
Reeves put his personal stamp on this game in the third period.

With MC up by 20 points, Nelson broke from the pack and went up to slam. Knaules, though, rose up and tipped the ball from behind.

Moments later, Nelson was in the open again. Knaules didn't try for a block this time, instead slamming his body into Nelson as he was up in the air.

He crashed to the ground with a thud -- but bounced up just as quickly and thumped his chest against Knaules in a bit of bravado common for the playground.

It earned Nelson a technical, but it also earned him respect -- and showed the fiery side of a player whose playful personality has been misconstrued as lethargic.

"It should have been an intentional foul, the way he went into Reeves," said coach Gary Porter, whose UCLA-committed star scored 30 in the first half to help MC to a 60-40 halftime lead. "It was an emotional moment and he got right into the guy. I understood why he got a technical.

"He has emotion, it's just that he isn't the type of player who goes out to do that every time."

While Nelson kept the crowd entertained with his dunks, 3-pointers and open-court dribbling, guard D.J. Seeley celebrated a homecoming of sorts.

Wow, let's hope he keeps on getting better in the next year and saves some of that for the college game.

Is K-Love good for more than one and done?

There are people who think so because they are of the opinion that he will not be such a success in the NBA.

In fact, I know a long-time basketball observer who is a personal friend of Pete Newell and has helped at his Big Man Camps who thinks Love is not a first rounder.

Not only does he think he is not going in the first round, but he thinks that he will stick around for three years.

Whoo Hoo! I sure hope he is right, but I don't know.

Here are the observations that I would love to hear your takes on:

*Love is not 6-10, but only 6-8 and a half. He is huge, but not strong and needs to replace some bulk with muscle.

*While Love has dominated many inside players in the Pac-10, my friend said he would not have similar success against real NBA centers who can actually jump and have some athleticism. The Lopez twins and Brockman are not very athletic and don't jump well either.

*Said friend says he would play forward in the NBA and challenged me to think about what would happen if he tried to guard, say, Lamar Odom.  

*He asked me to name a big white guy who was ever drafted highly who turned out to be a huge star.

*He said Love lacks the impeccable timing to block shots that Walton had, even though he is often compared to him.

*Finally, he says he needs to lose 10 pounds of fat and add 10 pounds of muscle and then he could be a middle second rounder in a couple years.

What do you think? Is my friend full of it or does he have some good points? I sure hope some NBA people share his opinion so that Love will stick around and play for us a while longer.

Ok, it will probably end up being an insignificant--albeit ugly--wart on the face of what will probably be a wonderful season, but man, do I HATE to lose.

Figuring most of us here despise a loss to SC as much as we hate male pattern baldness, I was wondering what you would trade if it were possible to trade for a victory today.

Now I'm not talking about engaging in a I'll-see-you-fifty-and-raise-you fifty male macho contest of hyperbole to see who is the biggest fan; I am talking about what you would really swap for a different result in today's disaster.

If you have to buy the win, I guess that is OK, but it would be a lot more interesting (and maybe even funny) if we think of other, less conventional things to barter.

This came up because I was so excited about this weekend: I get Monday off, I have nothing pressing that I HAVE to do, and my Bruins are on TV!

Obviously my weekend is now completely ruined, so I was wondering what deal I could make with the basketball gods if things could be put right.

I decided that I would trade my highly anticipated 3-day weekend for a different result in today's game.

What would you sacrifice?

After seeing how much Oakland moans and groans about injuries doing them in this year, I decided to mentally (always a dangerous thing) chart the Angel injuries. I really think we have had more than our share too, it's just that others have picked up the slack. Feel free to help me out because I am sure I will miss some.

Garrett Anderson (multiple visits to the DL)
Kotchman (current injury at least and one other?)
Kendrick (out for at least a month at one point)
Figgins (ditto)
McPherson (gone for the season)
Rivera (almost all season)
Izturis (still out)
Hillenbrand (couple of weeks, right?)
GMJ (today)
Spier (man we miss that dude)
Colon (still not right?)
Weaver (missed most of first month)

Who did I miss? Can the A's top that?

Apparently I am about as out of touch as a fan can be. Tim Miller of the Orange County Register was talking about Evans' home run the other day and how it as an incredible moment as FSN showed his father shooting a video and Evans hitting the HR on a split screen. I just heard about it. Does anybody know where I can see that video? I couldn't find it on youtube. I know, I should watch Sportscenter. I don't have cable because I would do nothing all day except watch Sportcenter; that's why I don't have cable.

I am in need of a little help from this community. Where better can a man go than to a group of like-minded individuals, right?

I have two tickets to The Police show at the Honda Center (Arrowhead Pond) Thursday night. I can't use them because I am in Northern California (long story) and I need to sell them because I am not a rich man who thinks nothing of eating $200 worth of tickets.

Face value is 95 bucks and I would like to get that, even though they cost me more with the "service charge." Obviously, I am not in a position to drive a hard bargain.

Who wants to go? There is no game that night.  

I am not a pessimist. Really, I'm not. But compared to the posters on this blog I am a regular Eeyore!

Other than the D, we stunk--can't even make lay-ups/put backs. I have zero expectations of future tourney success after the way we have played in three of the four last games. This team is not playing well.

I'm amazed at how people here manage to stay so positive about Ben Ball in the midst of such a colossal near-choke job.

If the Bruins were so mentally tough and prepared--as some asserted in the game thread as reason for their victory--they would have won by 10. At least.

It cracks me up that after all the cussing and fussing during the game that now people are happy campers.

Yes, it is good to win, but it is better to win  and be good and the Bruins are anything BUT right now.

I am sorry to be so real, but it defies logic that a team can play so poorly and still make its patrons happy. I don't get it.

I know, I am a sad case: not happy when they win, not happier when they lose. Such is the life of a realistic fan.