Let's Get Real

Ime Idoka has been suspeded by the Boston Celtic's organization, that owns the team he coaches for one year for a consentual sexual relationship with a fellow female employee that breaks company policy. 

Deshaun Watson gets suspended for 11 games for inappropriate sexual misconduct with 20 (Let me repeat, 20) underpaidm poor possibly immigrant massage parlor women. So, he gets fined 5 mil and losses chump change for the 11 games he'll miss. No mention of his 44 million signing bonus. The Browns signed him to a massive $230 million deal.

I'm not condoning what Idoka did. It's lowbrow, particularly since he's in a long term relastionship with the mother of his child. 

Yeah, that's pretty putrid But hey, our recently past president was getting in on with a couple of woemn while his wife was pregnant with his baby. I think that takes the word putrid to another level of putridness. 

So let's get real.

Chnage of subjec. (thank goodness) Kansas State Wildcats upseting the Oklahoma Sooners was fun. I love underdog victories. 

More fun. Andre Igudala will be back playing for the Warriors for his 19th season. How about making it an even 20 seasons?

Susan Bird retires. One of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game. With great admiration. Now let's see the NBA begin figuring out how to pay the WNBA women so they don't have to go play in other countries to make a living playing hoops. The league just needs to take a long term approach about the women's league. Anyone who knows basketball will tell you the WNBA is looking more and more interesting and exciting with each season. Lots more athleticism going on. Except for the power dunking, and a touch more speed, the WNBA is looking a lot more like the male league. 

I'm not a baseball enthusiast, but Aaron Judge hitting 60 homeruns derseves an attaboy. 

Two more days to NBA training camp. HooWah!

A little self interest note: The first novel in my Brovelli Brothers Mysteries: The Case of the '61 Chevy Impals is being launched on October 11. Future Brobewlli Brothers Mysteries will follow every October from Epicenter/Camel Press You can preorder at your local bookstore or through Amazon. My website is tom meschery.com for information about my books of poetry and about the mystery series. 

Here's a short poem written in the voice of Walt Whitman in honor of baseball.

Walt Whitman from 4 Quatrains   by Tom Meschery

I mark'd, where, isolated
On a little mound of earth, he rubberd
The ball, tenderly, 'till he felt its worth
Between split fingers, launch'd it forth.

  

 

   

U.S. Open

 It's a surprisingly interesting new-look U.S. Open this year. Sernea was defeated by the Aussie, Tomjanivich; Nadal was defeated by Francis Taifoe. (I'll get to discussingTiafoe later). Medvedev and Rublev from Russia lost. Djokovic refused to get vaccinated, so he' was not playing. Probably he's somewhere pouting as most unvaccinated persons tend to be, pouters, even while decalaring themselves indvidualists. Give me a break! On the women's side, No Halep, no Azarenka. The only top ten ranked female tennis player left is Iga Swiatek from Poland. It appears that there is a changing of the guard. Lots of new faces. 

 Tonight, in the women's semifinals, I'll be cheering for the Tunisian, Ons Jabeur, even though I love France's Carolina Garcia's game. I just think that any woman from a Muslim country who achieves greatness while living in a society that does not value women except in their maternal roles deserves our support. And I'll be cheering for Swiateek against the Belarussian Sabalenka. I know it's not her fault she's from Belarus, but that country assisted and suported crazy Putin's invasion of Ukranine. 

That said, I think the U.S. Open is being fair allowing players from Russia and Belarus to play. The  solution is let the players play, but do not acknowledge their countries in any way. On TV where a player's names and scores are shown with the flags of their country, the players from Belarus and Russian have blank spaces. 

And now that the dust has settled from last night, if you out there did not witness five and a half hours of record breaking and brilliant tennis by two young men, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, shame on you. I condemn you to watching reruns of the recent LIV golf tournament for the rest of your lives. The 19 year old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz finally won. But what a courageous battle by Sinner. At one point in a rally came one of the most astonishing returns in tennis I've ever seen. Acaraz, during a sustained rally, having over run the ball delivered by Sinner's crushing forehand, returned it by swinging his racquet behind his back for the return in play and the rally continued. The crowd went nuts.   

TENNIS TOURNENT IN CHINATOWN    by Tom Meschery

                      For Peter Sears

His first serve slices pencil thin,
over the net and drops like a broken elbow
skittering to the side out of my reach,
and after his next serve curves like a new moon
to my forehand, then changes direction
like scythe to my back-hand, I know
I'm in trouble. Forty love, the first game
his, won on a squirrelly shot that, were it not
a ball, might well have been a squirrel.

My service, a hard one with top spin

comes just in time to save me from disgrace,

or so I think, in the split second I see it

catch the corner, a certain winner, it returns

to me as a butterfly attaching itself to the silk

thread of the net, as delicate as a brushstroke

before fluttering off where I can't touch it.

I'm thinking this is not tennis but an ancient

form of art, disguised as tennis for the purpose

of torture, invented in the court of the Sung

Dynasty, and it is the sly Emperor Hui-Tang

himself on the other side of the net.

He is staring at me, crouched, his whites

gleaming in the sun, racquet spinning in his hand,

waiting for me to decide how to paint

the rising peacock. Will I paint the left leg

or he right leg first? Meanwhile, I've two balls

in my hand, confused, wondering which one

to serve and which one to place in my pocket. 

It's Not the Same as the ABA vs the NBA

 As far as I can remember, in 1967 no executive of the fledgling American Basketball Association ever had a member of the NBA assassinated and chopped into little pieces the way the leader of Saudia Arabia that sponsers the fledgling LIV golf tour did to fellow Arab, reporter Jamal Khashoggi. Nor did the ABA or people associated with the new ABA ever mistreat women, or financially support Islamist terrorists. Not there were any Islamist back then in the "70's to support. But you get my meaning. This is not about a competitive league. The ABA had every right under our country's laws to compete with the NBA. We are, for better or worse, a capitalist country. That means competition is encouraged, even while it often seems in 2022 that competion is dwindling and mega companies dominating the market. However, that is not my point. Competition is fair under the law in our country and most civilized countries. But if a start-up company is owned by criminaels it should NEVER be supported. The LIV is owned by Saudi Arabians living in Saudi Arabia (Read Saudi Government, a criminal organization, make no mistake about it.) The Arab government is a lawless state with great buckets of blood on its hands. Yet many of our top, even iconic, golfers like Phil Michelson and Dustin Johnston, have decided to play for them - the LIV. Now they too, by association, have blood on their hands. They and all the golfers signed up to play for the LIV should remember what happened to Lady McBeth. Blood can not be washed away. No amount of money will wash the stains away. 

On to a happier subjects. Word is out that the NBA is seriously discussing expanding to Seattle and Las Vegas in the near future. I've heard for the 2024/25 season The talking heads are saying Las Vegas will be owned by LeBron James. Good for LeBron. And, Seattle cerainainly deseerves their Sonics back they way the city was bamboozled by the owner of the Oklahoma Thunder who bought the Sonics and vowed he would not move the franchise. Two more real western teams in the West will allow the TWolves and the Memphis Griz both teams on the east side of the Mississippi to join the Eastern Conference. 

And, by the way, Go Seattle Storm. Win the WNBA!

The Sacramento Bee might be the worst newspaper in America. Let's have a contest. This mornings paper Monday the 29 of August read: Scheffler Takes 6-shot lead at Championship. Really, and what about Rory Mcllroy winning it, for a victory in a major he had not won since 2014, albeit he's one of the best golfers in the biz. Is a newspaper really a newspaper when it contains no up to date news? Why do my wife and I keep our subscription? Sentimental reasons, I guess. We both love to read real print. I like to feel the crackle of paper in my hands. My wife likes the funnies and Dearr Abby. But this is getting ridiculous. This city purports itself to be Big League. Not with a bush league newspaper. 

Got to get this gripe out of my system. How many people watching the PGA hate it on the split screen that the ads get the larger portion of the screen????Cameron Smith made a fabulous 45 foot putt, putt of the day on the smaller screen, while on the bigger screen I was treated to a Rolex ad for a watch I'll never be able to afford. Big screen for the sport, don't you think?

Back to the LIV. Sayonara LIV golfers. The young up-and-coming golfers along with some still youn stalworths, like Mcllroy, Speith, Thomas, Scotty, Rham, Om, Morikawa, Cantlay, Camernon Smith Young, Xander Shauffele, etc, are going to eclipse your memory in no time. You made t a pact with the devil, now you LIV guys must LIV with the devil. 

From my new collection of poetry, just out, from Random Lane Press, a poem called

CHAIN

The ball rose into the air and fell
dead center. Someone yelled, "Chain!"

"Chain," someone yelled, his shot in mid flight.
We called him, Chain. He never missed.

Chain link net, two links missing.
Charlie was a poet
He said she had a hole in her skirt

KD or Nash

 KD has demanded his Net's coach, Steve Nash, and GM Sean Marks go or he goes. The controversy is on, talking heads yapping, and clapping back. All kinds of opinions. Nets holding out for a huge trade package. Doing a Danny Ainge, asking for the moon. I love KD's game and no one doubts Kyrie Irivng is as good as it gets on offense, while being very unenthusiastic on D. If the two stars could mend fences, get it together and ball like they're capable of, with the roster of quality secondary players Sean Marks has put together, the Nets could compete for a championship in the East. But it would require the two superstars to be TRULY on the same page. Moi, I don't see that happening. Sooo, UNCOMMIETED DUO, as good as they are and as decent as the supporting cast is, can NOT get past the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

That said, what's left for the Nets to do? Again, lots of opinions: Trade one, trade both, keep both for a year, since they're on contracts, see what happens, etc, etc. I'm on the side of trade them both. But I have a different take on what the trades should look like from what. I'm not buying in to this value for value nonsense. Define value. Frankly, I don't see a lot of value in either KD or Kyrie the way things are playing out and I don't see teams willing to forfeit their futures to get either of these players. They want them, but not for the MOON. The moon is a long way off as any amateur astronomer will tell you. 

Here's my take on what the Nets should do. Don't shoot for the moon. Stay firmly rooted to the earth. Get rid of these two flacks as fast as you can. Not a fire sale, mind you, but take an offer that provides you with rising young stars and first and sccond round draft choices. But make your asking price that a team would really consider.  

Let's take one trade scenario for example that is probabably still on the table. The Boston Celtics have offered Jaylen Brown, a true rising star, along with Derrick White, a solid mid-age two way guard and an unprotected first round draft choice. The Nets countered that they wanted Marcus Smart too. No, said the Celts. I don't blame them. However, a dynamic duo of KD and Jayson Tatum is far too great an enticement that the Celtics would not entertain a counter offer. How about forgoing Smart and asking for Grant Williams and a second to go along with the 2023 first round unprotected draft choice? The Celts would be nuts not to go for it. Sure, I admit, for the Nets, it would not be value for value, But this is not the point. The Nets need to get rid of the two head-cases and get younger, more stable and more mature. There is a ton of value in Jaylen Brown. And lot's of value in a two-way young wing like Williams. It's reasonable to think that the Nets might be handing the Celtics an NBA Championship, but that's okay. The Nets' only concern at this moment in time is moving on from insanity. 

While the KD trade is going on, the Nets should also be seeking to trade Kyrie Irving. As long as the Nets ignore that silly ass value for value idea, they ought to find a couple of young rising stars and more draft choices that teams would be willing to give up for Kyrie's instant offense. The way the game is being played today, I'm all for finding tall, long two-way players. HERE'S THE DEAL, as President Biden says. Nets, you need to shed the nutjobs, get YOUNG, accumulate FIRST AND SECOND ROUND DRAFT CHOICES. You need to THINK BROOLYN. If players don't want to play in one of the best hoop meccas in the NBA, screw 'em. Let 'em go! Build a team of men, not cry babies. It's ok to pay big $ to grown ups, but not to spoiled children. Right now, for example, if I was Sean Marks I'd much prefer to build my team around Jaylen Brown than KD. And I'd take Jaylen Suggs with Franz Wagner as part of the deal from Orlando for Kyrie in a heart beat. I can think of a bunch more young up-and-comers I'd rather have than Kyrie. 

ZEN OF BASKETBALL    by Tom Meschery

The game is still the game,
round ball, round hoop, glass
through which fans wave to you
to score free points or wave for you to miss. 
What's on your mind is a kind of nothingness.
You crouch, you shoot. The ball will enter or it won't.

Durant to the Warriors???

 This morning I read an article written by Dieter Kalltenbach of the Mercury News about Durant returning to the Warriors that made some sense. Whether the Dubs would entertain such a trade is the question. In terms of solving the Warriors massive tax problem, it seems to be a solution of sorts since Durant is already signed and would be a known financial entity. It also makes some sense because it does not force the Warriors to entirely give up their future team. The writer, Kalltenbach, predicts that the Nets would definetly entertain a package of Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathon Kuminga and a 2023 first and second round draft choices. It's possible. Say they do agree to this package and the  Curry led team and KD would say no hard feelings and the reunite would happen, what would be the result? Pretty amazing stuff, I imagine. For the next 3 or 4 years the Warriors win the NBA Championshiip. While that is happening, the weriter believes those years would see James Wiseman and Moses Moody (I'm a huge fan of Moody's potential) develop their game. Both have a chance to be excellent, even NBA All Stars. 

Granted, losing Poole and Wiggens are significant losses, Kaltenback writes, but Durant is Durant. As much as Wiggins is a fabulous wing scorer and defender, he is not KD. Poole is a future star, and his presence in the post Curry era would be missed, but for a player like Durant a team must be willing to give up a great young player. With that deal with the Nets made and Durant back in the linewup, the writer suggests the Warriors would still have part of their strategy of growing a future dynasty in place and time during the championship years to keep building on the Wiseman, Moody core. A still young Divenzenzo could remain. The Warriors would still have their two draft choices: Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Ryan Rollins. Throw in a fiesty young Mac McClung and whomever the ever creative Warrior GM Bob Myers could discover, hey, worth thinking about seriously?

What do I think of this scenario? Well, according to the writer, it would help the Warriors tax situation, and God knows, Joe Lacob has been totaly generous, and could use a break. That said, Warrior ownership is very smart and determined. I suspect they'll give it some  consideration. But will they go for it? I think a lot would depend on KD. According to the Kalltenback article, KD admitted he made a mistake leaving the Warriors. I checked all through the internet and found no such public admission. Lots of ex-players-talking-heads are saying it, but not from the horse's mouth. Another thing to consider and it's Big, The Warriors think-tank believe in its present old and young core. They feel they have the players in place NOW. Why reinvent the wheel, even for KD? In addition, and the writer did not point this out, there's going to be a huge uptick in the cap-space with the new TV contract the NBA is about to sign. So, perhaps solving the luxury tax problem is not so crucial. 

Okay, Meschery, we're getting old out here. Yes to this scenario or no? Oh, I dearly love KD's game, but here's my answer, Drum roll please! This old Warrior predicts there would be lots of discussion, but in the end the Warriors would stick to their plan.  

Next, one of the top ten funniest sport's poem I've read:

I TRY TO TURN IN MY JOCK   By David Hilton

     The way I see it, is when I step out on the court
      and feel inside that I can't make the plays,
      it'll be time to call it quits - Elgin Baylor

Going up for the jump shot,
Giving the kid the head fakes and all
'Till he's jocked right out of the door of the gym
And I'm free at the top with the ball and my touch
Lofting the arc off my fingertips,
I feel my left calf turn to stone
And my ankle warp inward to form when i land
A neat right angle with my leg,
And i'm on he floor,
A pile of sweat and sick muscles,
Saying,
Hilton,
You're 29, getting fat,
Can't drive to your right anymore,
You can think of better things to do
On Saturday aaafternoons than be a chump
For a bunch of sophomore third-stringers;
Join the Y, steam and martinis and muscletone.
But, shit,
The shot goes in.