Random Thoughts
Two things today:
1. A lot of people have been asking me whether I was rooting for the A's to get to win the World Series or whatever. The answer is plain and simple. NO! I really don't give a shit about the A's. I think part of why the nation and the national media looks down on the west coast, and on the Bay Area is that people out here are soft, and too wisheeee washy.
I'm from San Francisco, so hence I root for the Giants, the 49ers the Warriors and the Sharks. If SF had a basketball and hockey team, I would root for them as well. Please do remember however, that the Dubs first played in San Francisco after their move west. But basically, I don't root for the Oakland teams, as I am not from Oakland or the East Bay. The simplest way for me to describe this, and or compare the situations is this: If you were from Queens and you were a Mets fan, would you also root for the Yankees? NO, you would not. Nor would you root for the Cubs if you were a Chicago native from the South Side. So, please don't talk to me about the A's, the Raiders or any of those East Bay teams, cause well, I just don't care.
I might add that this post would have been more relavent prior to Oakland getting swept in such embarrasing fashion.
Point 2.
I was thinking about he plight of Matt Barnes, and Anthony Roberson battling it out for the final roster spot on the Dubs. It got me thinking. With the waiver last week of Dijon Thompson (a former Bruin) I began to drum up a mental list of UCLA alums that have done anything in the recent past in the Association. In the past 10 years or so, UCLA hasn't produced much in terms of NBA talent. Of course there is our fearless leader Baron Davis, but besides him, the list of guys who are currently employed is hardly something to write home about.
Jason Kapono, Earl Watson, Dan Gadzurick (sp?).
There was Jalani (Blunt smoke) McCoy, Ed and Charles O'Bannon, Tyus Edney. Not many all- star appearence on that list.
UCLA used to be a place where the nation's top recruits went to hone their games under John Wodden before making the sucessful jump to the NBA. Now however, UCLA can still land the top recruit, but what is happening once they arrive in campus in Westwood?
I have always found UCLA football and basketball players to be soft. Afterall, these are guys who like the idea of playing games in powder blue. Mind you, not Carolina Blue which commands much greater respect. I just think that the type of player that wants to go to westwood to play basketball is more enamored with the sun, the bling and quite probably, the white girls and LA scene, than with getting better at basketball.
USC, another LA school, but in the ghetto, rather than in a plush neighborhood, does not seem to have the same type of problem with the type of player they recruit.
So if Matt Barnes ends up making that final roster spot and helping out the Dubs in some way this season...... then I'm all for it. But I don't think the recent history is on his side.
1. A lot of people have been asking me whether I was rooting for the A's to get to win the World Series or whatever. The answer is plain and simple. NO! I really don't give a shit about the A's. I think part of why the nation and the national media looks down on the west coast, and on the Bay Area is that people out here are soft, and too wisheeee washy.
I'm from San Francisco, so hence I root for the Giants, the 49ers the Warriors and the Sharks. If SF had a basketball and hockey team, I would root for them as well. Please do remember however, that the Dubs first played in San Francisco after their move west. But basically, I don't root for the Oakland teams, as I am not from Oakland or the East Bay. The simplest way for me to describe this, and or compare the situations is this: If you were from Queens and you were a Mets fan, would you also root for the Yankees? NO, you would not. Nor would you root for the Cubs if you were a Chicago native from the South Side. So, please don't talk to me about the A's, the Raiders or any of those East Bay teams, cause well, I just don't care.
I might add that this post would have been more relavent prior to Oakland getting swept in such embarrasing fashion.
Point 2.
I was thinking about he plight of Matt Barnes, and Anthony Roberson battling it out for the final roster spot on the Dubs. It got me thinking. With the waiver last week of Dijon Thompson (a former Bruin) I began to drum up a mental list of UCLA alums that have done anything in the recent past in the Association. In the past 10 years or so, UCLA hasn't produced much in terms of NBA talent. Of course there is our fearless leader Baron Davis, but besides him, the list of guys who are currently employed is hardly something to write home about.
Jason Kapono, Earl Watson, Dan Gadzurick (sp?).
There was Jalani (Blunt smoke) McCoy, Ed and Charles O'Bannon, Tyus Edney. Not many all- star appearence on that list.
UCLA used to be a place where the nation's top recruits went to hone their games under John Wodden before making the sucessful jump to the NBA. Now however, UCLA can still land the top recruit, but what is happening once they arrive in campus in Westwood?
I have always found UCLA football and basketball players to be soft. Afterall, these are guys who like the idea of playing games in powder blue. Mind you, not Carolina Blue which commands much greater respect. I just think that the type of player that wants to go to westwood to play basketball is more enamored with the sun, the bling and quite probably, the white girls and LA scene, than with getting better at basketball.
USC, another LA school, but in the ghetto, rather than in a plush neighborhood, does not seem to have the same type of problem with the type of player they recruit.
So if Matt Barnes ends up making that final roster spot and helping out the Dubs in some way this season...... then I'm all for it. But I don't think the recent history is on his side.
posted by DailyDub at 1:17 PM
3 Comments:
Reggie Miller?
Guy your Mets/Yankees/A's/Gyros corollary does not fly. Do the Knicks play right next door to Shea? Do the NY Giants play at Yankee stadium? What separates the coasts is the cohesive community we enjoy here in the bay. You should stick to things more on par with your intellect, like coloring books. And my roommate claims to be a mets fan, and he WAS rooting for the yankees as well. They are in different leagues. Sweet blog though
Casey,
Certainly Reggie Miller was one of the best to come out of Westwood, but I was more aluding to the recent grads of the last decade anyway.
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