Ignore all the references. This was a paper I wrote for school as well, so I had to document. Thanks!
The one holds the record for most steals and assists in a career. The other has won two MVP trophies.
One played with arguably the greatest power forward to ever bounce a basketball. The other has been teammates of Shaquille O’Neal, Amare Stoudemire, and Dirk Nowitzki, a few of the greatest players at their respective positions.
He made basketball relevant in an irrelevant state, while he turned a nation’s attention from hockey to hoops.
The older one has two Olympic Gold medals, while the younger recently lit the Olympic cauldron for the Vancouver Winter games.
The one has been inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame. The other? Someday soon.
Neither of them have won an NBA championship. One of them still has a chance.
The comparisons between point guards John Stockton and Steve Nash have been well documented and reiterated time and again, and that will probably never change. Ever. They are both very similar to one another, from their playing technique right down to their physical attributes and nice-guy demeanor. Many a sports columnist has tried to separate the two and convince the masses that one is better than the other. At first glance, this seems to be an insurmountable task. How can you choose between the two best point guards of all-time and list one above the other?
It’s easy, actually. The numbers don’t lie…….
John Stockton was born in Spokane, WA. His father owned a local sports bar and raised him with a blue-collar work ethic and tough-as-nails, never-say-die attitude. This didn’t only apply on the basketball court, but in the classroom and at home as well. He attended Gonzaga Prep High School, and later played college ball at Gonzaga University. In 1984, Stockton was selected 16th overall in the NBA draft by the Utah Jazz.
What first comes to mind about John Stockton are three unlikely attributes you usually don’t find in an NBA legend. His height (or lack thereof): He was listed as 6’1”-though he was more likely just over six feet-and played in a league stacked with giants. (the average height of an NBA player is 6’7”) (NBA.com, 2006-07 Player Survey) After this you’ll notice he didn’t really include fancy or flashy technique in his game play. Sam Smith of EPSN.com put it this way: “He doesn't dribble behind his back or through his legs. He doesn't crossover. His highlight reel features primarily bounce passes and layups. Despite evidence to the contrary these days, that's basketball.”(NBA.com, Encyclopedia) Finally, unlike most basketball stars, John Stockton never dunked the ball. He preferred the fundamental, ordinary lay up shot off the glass to the high flying rim rockers one would see multiple times in a game today.
Despite these shortcomings, John Stockton was able to amass enough assists (15,806) and steals (315) over his career to hold the NBA record for both statistics. He led the Utah Jazz to two NBA Finals championship runs (1997 and 1998), where they lost, both times, to Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. Stockton helped both teammate Karl Malone and coach Jerry Sloan further their careers and reach Hall of Fame honors (Sloan last summer; Malone this coming June). He made everyone around him better, by sharing the ball and picking apart defenses.
On the world stage, Stockton joined the USA Olympic Basketball team and earned two Gold Medals: 1992 and 1996. These teams came to be widely known as the “Dream Team,” because there were eleven of the Top 50 Greatest NBA Players of All Time on the team, including Stockton and Malone. (Hoopedia.com, NBA 50 Greatest Players) This team beat every opponent they played by an average of 44 points, just to give you an idea of how good they really were.
Stockton was also named to ten All-Star games, and won the All-Star MVP award in 1993 (co-MVP with teammate Karl Malone). (Basketball-Reference.com, Players)
As mentioned earlier, even if you were not privileged to have witnessed John Stockton play the game of basketball in your lifetime, all you need to do is look at his career statistics, and you’ll have a firm grasp of what kind of player he was. According to Basketball-Reference.com, Stockton made 52% of his field goals, 83% of his free throws, had 15,806 assists (#1 all time leader), and 315 steals (#1 all time leader) over his 19 year career. These are astonishing numbers, and have vaulted him into the argument that he is the best point guard to ever play the game.
Then there’s Steve Nash. A player who can give Stockton some competition for this grand title…..
Nash was born in South Africa, and later moved to and became a citizen of Canada, where he grew up in Vancouver, B.C. (Steve recently was chosen to light the Olympic cauldron during the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver). His father was a professional soccer player, and gave Steve his natural athletic ability and hard-nosed toughness.
While most kids coming from Canada play hockey and soccer, Steve found he had a true joy for basketball (though he is also well known as a very skilled soccer player), and played for Santa Clara college. He was drafted 15th overall in the 1996 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns. He has spent his career with both the Suns and the Dallas Mavericks.
Something that often goes unnoticed when comparing Steve Nash and John Stockton is that they both played college basketball in the West Coast Conference, where each of them became two of only four players in history to lead the conference in scoring and assists in the same season. (NBA.com, Player Files/Basketball-Reference.com, Players)
In two different seasons (2004-05, 2005-06) Nash was named the Most Valuable Player of the NBA. In those years he made, on average, 51% of his field goals, 90% of his free throws, had 1,687 assists, and amassed 137 steals. Nash has been named to seven All-Star games.
He was, at one time or another, teammates of NBA greats Shaquille O’Neal, Dirk Nowitzki, and Amare Stoudemire. Also, in each of the last five years, Nash has been one of the top three assists leaders in the NBA. (ESPN.com, NBA Statistics)
Finally, while he hasn’t been to the NBA Finals yet, every year his team is considered to be contenders to win the Western Conference title and change that statistic.
As you can see, both Nash and Stockton are very well fit and skilled as point guards in the NBA. They are about the same height and weight. They have both played with great teammates who have helped elevate their own personal games. Neither player has won a championship, nor do they ever dunk the basketball. At this moment, things may seem too evenly matched to make a decision between the two. However, there are a few key arguments that need to be made here, and they are in favor of John Stockton.
First of all, while Nash may have a better career free throw percentage and has won two MVP awards, neither of these statistics compare with the record setting performance Stockton displayed in his career in regards to assists and steals.
As a point guard, your job is to get the team to work together in the offensive game-plan, smoothly and collectively. Your goal is not to score a lot of points yourself, but to make smart and timely passes to teammates who can then have a higher probability of scoring, as they will most likely be closer to the basket. That is to say, the point guard will usually stay farther away from the basket, and thus his chances of making a shot are drastically lower than that of his teammates’ who usually are closer in proximity to the hoop. That being said, the assist statistic is the one area that defines the duty of a point guard. Get the ball to the best player, at the right time, who will give your team the best opportunity to score. Having done this 15,806 times in his career, Stockton has clearly left no room for comparison in regards to assists (the next closest player behind Stockton on the career assists chart is Jason Kidd with 10,742. Nash is 8th all time with 8,167.) (Basketball-Reference.com, Leaders)
The second point that needs to be made in arguing Stockton as the better of the two point guards is that he statistically made everyone around him better than they had been previous to being his teammate. One of many examples of this would be Bryon Russell.
Bryon Russell was a fine basketball player at California State University, Long Beach. After being drafted by the Jazz, he enjoyed nine full seasons in Utah with John Stockton as his point guard. While on the team, Russell averaged 497 shots per season, and made an average of 47% of those shots. After leaving Utah and playing for three other teams, Russell averaged only 267 shots per season, and was successful on only 37% of them. With Stockton as his point guard, Russell was taking more shots per season, which shows that Stockton was able to create more open shots for him. This is backed by the shooting percentage statistic which shows Russell made 47% of his shots while in Utah; a direct result of his being wide open because of Stockton’s ability to draw defenders in close to him, and then pass it to the unguarded Russell. The statistics show that once Russell left Utah and had point guard other than Stockton passing him the ball and running his team’s offense, Russell was no longer shooting the ball as well, or as often. This was undoubtedly due to the fact that the guards he was then playing with were unable to create as many open shots for him as Stockton had earlier in Bryon’s career. (Basketball-Reference.com, Players)
As stated earlier, the numbers do not lie. Yes, Steve Nash is a fantastic point guard in his own right. He does even have very similar game techniques and statistics comparable to those of John Stockton. However, the assists record Stockton holds, and the statistics which show Stockton actually made other players around him better, prove that John Stockton was indeed the better point guard between the two. He is a legend, and will forever be etched in the history books as one of the greatest players to ever enter the NBA. While Nash will surely retire with grand accolades of his own and a spot in the Hall of Fame, he will never be able to statistically conquer the great John Stockton.
Austin's Sports Blog (the one place where he is ALWAYS right)
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
ESPN.com's Mock NBA Lottery Draft 2010
ESPN.com (Chad Ford) has a page where you can simulate the lottery picks for the upcoming NBA draft. I ran it ten times, and here are the results the Utah Jazz came out with:
PICK #
#6: 70%
#7: 20%
#3: 10%
PLAYER
Wes Johnson (Syracuse, SF): 50%
Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest, SF): 40%
DeMarcus Cousins (Kentucky, PF): 10%
Wes Johnson's career stats:
http://stats.syracuse.com/cbk/players.asp?id=60093&team=553
Al-Farouq Aminu's career stats:
http://wakeforestsports.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/wake/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/career-stats0809
DeMarcus Cousin's career stats:
http://bigbluehistory.net/bb/Statistics/Cousins_DeMarcus.html
-By the looks of this system, the Jazz are thought to be looking for a small forward; this thought process is most likely driven by the recent departure of Ronnie Brewer, Andrei Kirilenko's contract expires in 2012, and past AK on the depth chart there really isn't another TRUE small forward on the roster.
-Stating the Obvious: Don't get your hopes up about Cousins; he'll be gone LONG before the Jazz make it to the podium
-Previous to this season, I would have thought the Jazz would be looing for a shooting guard this draft, with Korver going elsewhere, CJ Miles is not working out, and there was no such thing as a Wesley Mathews. However, Korver has certainly proven he's vital to the team's success (I think the Jazz will resign him), and Mathews came out of nowhere and made a name for himself as well. And then there's Miles, who for whatever reason, seems to be a favorite of Jerry Sloan, so.....
-Whatever happens, it's still a long way off in the future. But still kind of fun to play around with......
INTERESTING NOTES:
-In all ten mock drafts, the New Jersey Nets had the #1 pick, and all ten times selected PG John Wall of Kentucky.
-In all ten mock drafts, PG Evan Turner of Ohio State was selected #2 overall, and DeMarcus Cousins (see above) #3 overall.
PICK #
#6: 70%
#7: 20%
#3: 10%
PLAYER
Wes Johnson (Syracuse, SF): 50%
Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest, SF): 40%
DeMarcus Cousins (Kentucky, PF): 10%
Wes Johnson's career stats:
http://stats.syracuse.com/cbk/players.asp?id=60093&team=553
Al-Farouq Aminu's career stats:
http://wakeforestsports.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/wake/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/career-stats0809
DeMarcus Cousin's career stats:
http://bigbluehistory.net/bb/Statistics/Cousins_DeMarcus.html
-By the looks of this system, the Jazz are thought to be looking for a small forward; this thought process is most likely driven by the recent departure of Ronnie Brewer, Andrei Kirilenko's contract expires in 2012, and past AK on the depth chart there really isn't another TRUE small forward on the roster.
-Stating the Obvious: Don't get your hopes up about Cousins; he'll be gone LONG before the Jazz make it to the podium
-Previous to this season, I would have thought the Jazz would be looing for a shooting guard this draft, with Korver going elsewhere, CJ Miles is not working out, and there was no such thing as a Wesley Mathews. However, Korver has certainly proven he's vital to the team's success (I think the Jazz will resign him), and Mathews came out of nowhere and made a name for himself as well. And then there's Miles, who for whatever reason, seems to be a favorite of Jerry Sloan, so.....
-Whatever happens, it's still a long way off in the future. But still kind of fun to play around with......
INTERESTING NOTES:
-In all ten mock drafts, the New Jersey Nets had the #1 pick, and all ten times selected PG John Wall of Kentucky.
-In all ten mock drafts, PG Evan Turner of Ohio State was selected #2 overall, and DeMarcus Cousins (see above) #3 overall.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Hot Rod Hundley: The Pro, The Man, The Friend We All Love
SALT LAKE CITY, UT-
"Hot" Rod Hundley has been one of the biggest inspirations to me and my career choice of play by play announcer. While I'm just starting out, I have an absolute knowledge that his techniques and catch-phrases gave me my love for sports announcing, and they will follow me throughout both my professional and personal life. There are many things that could be said about him, but to me, these are the reasons why I hold him in such reverence:
When I think of Hundley, I think of one of the greatest friends I've ever had. He was in my life from the day I was born (as I'm sure my dad had the game on the radio or TV). Every night I'd fall asleep listening to his velvet, gravelly tones paint a beautiful picture of an amazing sport, straining to stay awake so I could hear his every word. When I was playing basketball in the driveway, I was John Stockton, and provided my every move with poorly mimicked "Hot" Rod announcing.
He was always there for me, during both the good and the bad times. Anytime I did something right or accomplished a goal, he was there that night to "congratulate" me with his West Virginian drawl. He was there (in one way or another) when I drove a car by myself for the first time; on my first date; my first kiss; my first heartbreak; every illness I ever had; the night my grandmother died, he helped make everything a little better; when I just had a plain, bad day, "Hots" was there to remind me life was good.
Point is, Larry H. Miller, John Stockton, Karl Malone, (even Jeff Hornacek), they all helped provide me with an excellent NBA team to love and cheer for. But "Hot" Rod Hundley made sure that I was able to KNOW about that team. To be a PART of that team, and every game that team played for 35 YEARS!! (23 of those during my lifetime)For that, he IS the Utah Jazz to me. And he will always be the broadcaster I try to emulate (though not replicate, as you cannot replicate a legend) through my career. If I'm ever blessed enough to be even HALF the broadcaster Hundley was, I will count it as a full life. And I'll owe it to the man whose words, voice and pure love for the game have been right there with me, through it all. "Hot" Rod... I love ya baby!
________________________________________________________________________________
"You're lookin' live on a ____ night, coming to you from the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, as the Utah Jazz match up with the _________. NBA basketball is coming up next, and YOU GOTTA LOVE IT BABY!"
"With a gentle push, and a mild arc, the ol' cowhide globe hits home.”
“Stock, yo-yos, top of the key...”
“Leapin’ leaner”
“Hippity-hop”
“Good if it goes!”
“Frozen rope”
“Belt-high dribble”
“It’s in the ol’ refrigerator.”
“Looking down the barrel”
"Unbelievable."
"I cannot believe he just did that."
"Stockton to Malone."
"Russell to Stockton, Stock for 3! Stock, got it! Unbelievable!!! JOHN STOCKTON!It's over! The Jazz win it! Utah goes to Chicago! Stockton hits the 3, it's over! The Jazz are coming to Chicago! They've won the West!!!"
"Hot" Rod Hundley has been one of the biggest inspirations to me and my career choice of play by play announcer. While I'm just starting out, I have an absolute knowledge that his techniques and catch-phrases gave me my love for sports announcing, and they will follow me throughout both my professional and personal life. There are many things that could be said about him, but to me, these are the reasons why I hold him in such reverence:
When I think of Hundley, I think of one of the greatest friends I've ever had. He was in my life from the day I was born (as I'm sure my dad had the game on the radio or TV). Every night I'd fall asleep listening to his velvet, gravelly tones paint a beautiful picture of an amazing sport, straining to stay awake so I could hear his every word. When I was playing basketball in the driveway, I was John Stockton, and provided my every move with poorly mimicked "Hot" Rod announcing.
He was always there for me, during both the good and the bad times. Anytime I did something right or accomplished a goal, he was there that night to "congratulate" me with his West Virginian drawl. He was there (in one way or another) when I drove a car by myself for the first time; on my first date; my first kiss; my first heartbreak; every illness I ever had; the night my grandmother died, he helped make everything a little better; when I just had a plain, bad day, "Hots" was there to remind me life was good.
Point is, Larry H. Miller, John Stockton, Karl Malone, (even Jeff Hornacek), they all helped provide me with an excellent NBA team to love and cheer for. But "Hot" Rod Hundley made sure that I was able to KNOW about that team. To be a PART of that team, and every game that team played for 35 YEARS!! (23 of those during my lifetime)For that, he IS the Utah Jazz to me. And he will always be the broadcaster I try to emulate (though not replicate, as you cannot replicate a legend) through my career. If I'm ever blessed enough to be even HALF the broadcaster Hundley was, I will count it as a full life. And I'll owe it to the man whose words, voice and pure love for the game have been right there with me, through it all. "Hot" Rod... I love ya baby!
________________________________________________________________________________
"You're lookin' live on a ____ night, coming to you from the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, as the Utah Jazz match up with the _________. NBA basketball is coming up next, and YOU GOTTA LOVE IT BABY!"
"With a gentle push, and a mild arc, the ol' cowhide globe hits home.”
“Stock, yo-yos, top of the key...”
“Leapin’ leaner”
“Hippity-hop”
“Good if it goes!”
“Frozen rope”
“Belt-high dribble”
“It’s in the ol’ refrigerator.”
“Looking down the barrel”
"Unbelievable."
"I cannot believe he just did that."
"Stockton to Malone."
"Russell to Stockton, Stock for 3! Stock, got it! Unbelievable!!! JOHN STOCKTON!It's over! The Jazz win it! Utah goes to Chicago! Stockton hits the 3, it's over! The Jazz are coming to Chicago! They've won the West!!!"
Friday, December 4, 2009
Grizzlies Dethrone the Reign
West Valley, UT- “We don’t see things the way they are. We see things the way WE are.”- The Talmund
Although the Grizzlies were 13-6 coming into their Friday night matchup with the Ontario Reign, you would think they were 0-19 judging by the gloom that has seemed to be hanging over the team as of late. Granted, Utah did give up six goals last time out, escaping with a narrow 7-6 win over the Reign. And head coach Kevin Colley hasn't exactly been silent about his feelings that some members of the team have been playing "soft and scared." But shouldn't they be encouraged by the overall record to this point?
Perhaps a big home win could prove to be enough to allow Utah to shake their current Eeyore-like demeanor. But just 19 seconds into the first period, those rain clouds looked as though they would grow into a monsoon.
Ontario took the opening faceoff quickly down the ice, and before the Utah defense could even get back in the zone, James McEwan scored his first goal of the season, slapping the first shot of the game past Grizzlies goalie Mitch O'Keefe, giving the Reign a very early 1-0 lead. O'Keefe got the start between the pipes, despite giving up the afore mentioned six goals on Wednesday night to the same Ontario team.
Luckily, Utah did not panic.
The Grizzlies responded well, outshooting the Reign 6-3 over the next six minutes. And at 6:31, the offensive push paid off. Wingman Jadran Beljo scored his 8th goal of the season off passes from May and Kotsopoulos, tying the game at 1-1.
Kinasewich then added to his 17 shots in his first two games back with Utah by continuously pounding slap shots on goal throughout the first period. Fellow forward Vlady Nikiforov also refused to let Ontario get comfortable, putting two big shots on goal and keeping the Reign's defense on their heels. A direct result of challenging the defense usually is the creation of power plays, and that's exactly what the Grizzlies were able to do for the rest of the first period.
With 3:13 left in the frame, Ontario was called for a tripping minor, giving the ECHL's power play scoring leader Grizzlies a chance to display their strengths. And while it took the Reign just 19 seconds off the opening drop to score their first goal of the game, it took Utah a mere 17 seconds into their first power play to get goal number two of the night, as RW Shea Guthrie scored off passes from Dustin Friesen and May, giving May his second assist of the game. And at the first intermission, the Grizzlies took a 2-1 lead into the locker room.
Going into the second period, Utah picked up right where they left off when Tom May added a goal to his two assists just 2:31 into the period. And the Grizzlies weren't about to stop there. Not after seeing the Reign score 3 goals in 1:41 Wednesday night.
Sticking with their game plan, Utah forced Ontario to committ a hooking minor at 5:43, givng the Grizzlies another five-on four advantage. Moving quickly down the ice, darting in and out of defenders, Shea Guthrie took the puck coast to coast and buried it in the back of the net for an unassisted second goal of the game. Now leading 4-1, Utah fans in the E-Center were still hesitant to feel satisfied, no doubt remembering the previously noted six goals the Reign put on the board Wednesday night.
With a few minutes left in the period, Ontario proved that uneasy feeling to be well merited, as they were able to add another pelt to their collection of goals in West Valley, closing the gap to 4-2, and closing out the second period with the momentum now in their favor.
But if the Reign thought they were going to mount another stunning comeback against the Grizzlies, they would soon have those plans dashed to pieces, as the third period proved to be all-Grizzlies. Capped off with a goal by Nikiforov (his 20th of the year) and another assist for May (giving him a four point night). Forward A.J. Perry was also able to add an empty-netter, and Utah poured the rain out on the Reign, finding the morale-boosting victory they had been looking for.
Though he wasn't whistling Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah in his post game interview, Grizzlies head coach Kevin Colley certainly was in better spirits than he had been in recent days. "This is definitely a better feeling than we've had for the last while.
Anytime guys had an opportunity they made the most of it, and that's all you can ask out of them."
Utah will next welcome Idaho, their neighbors to the north, into the E-Center Saturday night. The Steelheads lost 6-1 to the Alaska Aces on Friday, and after a quick trip down I-15 are not likely to be in the cheeriest of moods. If you like physical, hard-hitting, short tempered hockey, this will be the game to watch.
Notice to the Steelheads: Grizzlies enjoy the taste of fish.
Austin Horton
1230 KFAN-2 (KJQS)
Although the Grizzlies were 13-6 coming into their Friday night matchup with the Ontario Reign, you would think they were 0-19 judging by the gloom that has seemed to be hanging over the team as of late. Granted, Utah did give up six goals last time out, escaping with a narrow 7-6 win over the Reign. And head coach Kevin Colley hasn't exactly been silent about his feelings that some members of the team have been playing "soft and scared." But shouldn't they be encouraged by the overall record to this point?
Perhaps a big home win could prove to be enough to allow Utah to shake their current Eeyore-like demeanor. But just 19 seconds into the first period, those rain clouds looked as though they would grow into a monsoon.
Ontario took the opening faceoff quickly down the ice, and before the Utah defense could even get back in the zone, James McEwan scored his first goal of the season, slapping the first shot of the game past Grizzlies goalie Mitch O'Keefe, giving the Reign a very early 1-0 lead. O'Keefe got the start between the pipes, despite giving up the afore mentioned six goals on Wednesday night to the same Ontario team.
Luckily, Utah did not panic.
The Grizzlies responded well, outshooting the Reign 6-3 over the next six minutes. And at 6:31, the offensive push paid off. Wingman Jadran Beljo scored his 8th goal of the season off passes from May and Kotsopoulos, tying the game at 1-1.
Kinasewich then added to his 17 shots in his first two games back with Utah by continuously pounding slap shots on goal throughout the first period. Fellow forward Vlady Nikiforov also refused to let Ontario get comfortable, putting two big shots on goal and keeping the Reign's defense on their heels. A direct result of challenging the defense usually is the creation of power plays, and that's exactly what the Grizzlies were able to do for the rest of the first period.
With 3:13 left in the frame, Ontario was called for a tripping minor, giving the ECHL's power play scoring leader Grizzlies a chance to display their strengths. And while it took the Reign just 19 seconds off the opening drop to score their first goal of the game, it took Utah a mere 17 seconds into their first power play to get goal number two of the night, as RW Shea Guthrie scored off passes from Dustin Friesen and May, giving May his second assist of the game. And at the first intermission, the Grizzlies took a 2-1 lead into the locker room.
Going into the second period, Utah picked up right where they left off when Tom May added a goal to his two assists just 2:31 into the period. And the Grizzlies weren't about to stop there. Not after seeing the Reign score 3 goals in 1:41 Wednesday night.
Sticking with their game plan, Utah forced Ontario to committ a hooking minor at 5:43, givng the Grizzlies another five-on four advantage. Moving quickly down the ice, darting in and out of defenders, Shea Guthrie took the puck coast to coast and buried it in the back of the net for an unassisted second goal of the game. Now leading 4-1, Utah fans in the E-Center were still hesitant to feel satisfied, no doubt remembering the previously noted six goals the Reign put on the board Wednesday night.
With a few minutes left in the period, Ontario proved that uneasy feeling to be well merited, as they were able to add another pelt to their collection of goals in West Valley, closing the gap to 4-2, and closing out the second period with the momentum now in their favor.
But if the Reign thought they were going to mount another stunning comeback against the Grizzlies, they would soon have those plans dashed to pieces, as the third period proved to be all-Grizzlies. Capped off with a goal by Nikiforov (his 20th of the year) and another assist for May (giving him a four point night). Forward A.J. Perry was also able to add an empty-netter, and Utah poured the rain out on the Reign, finding the morale-boosting victory they had been looking for.
Though he wasn't whistling Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah in his post game interview, Grizzlies head coach Kevin Colley certainly was in better spirits than he had been in recent days. "This is definitely a better feeling than we've had for the last while.
Anytime guys had an opportunity they made the most of it, and that's all you can ask out of them."
Utah will next welcome Idaho, their neighbors to the north, into the E-Center Saturday night. The Steelheads lost 6-1 to the Alaska Aces on Friday, and after a quick trip down I-15 are not likely to be in the cheeriest of moods. If you like physical, hard-hitting, short tempered hockey, this will be the game to watch.
Notice to the Steelheads: Grizzlies enjoy the taste of fish.
Austin Horton
1230 KFAN-2 (KJQS)
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Aces Run Wild Over Grizzlies
WEST VALLEY, UT- The puck had barely been dropped to the ice when the Alaska Aces scored the first goal of the night, taking the opening faceoff into the Grizzlies’ zone and driving a slap shot past goalie Parker Van Buskirk. This was not exactly the “rebound start” Utah’s coaching staff had been hoping to see from the Grizzlies after a disappointing loss the night prior to the same Aces team.
Utah did welcome back forward Ryan Kinasewich after he spent the majority of his two weeks in the AHL on the Hamilton Bulldogs’ bench. Kinasewich reassumed his position as team captain, and brought with him a ray of hope to a Utah scoring campaign that had decreased significantly since his departure. Kinasewich leads the ECHL in both goals and game-winning goals, and while most around the team are puzzled as to why Hamilton would have called Kinasewich up only to have him ride the pine, they are certainly happy to have him and his hot stick back in West Valley and in a Grizzlies’ uniform.
However, Friday night’s game proved to be an ugly homecoming.
Following the early strike by the Aces, Kinasewich wasted no time firing the puck back at Alaska’s net, as he had five of Utah’s eleven shots on goal in the first period. Problem was, none of the Grizzlies’ shots landed home, and Alaska (who came into West Valley as a below .500 team) added another goal. After the quick first period, the Aces led 2-0.
And things didn’t start off any better in the second period than they did in the first, as Alaska put a third goal past Van Buskirk less than one minute after play had resumed. That forced Utah coach Kevin Colley to replace Van Buskirk with Mitch O’Keefe, who had an eight game win streak snapped by the Aces in the loss the night prior.
Not even two minutes after the change, Alaska was called for a slashing minor, and Utah went on the 5-4 man advantage. The ensuing face off was won by the Grizzlies, and Tom May followed a rebound shot for Utah’s first goal of the game, cutting the Aces lead to two. But the sparkling momentum proved to be merely fools’ gold, as the Grizzlies would fail to score another goal until late in the third period.
Behind the outstanding play of goalie Scott Reed (who entered the game having stopped 82 of Utah’s last 86 shots on goal in their previous three meetings, and ended the night with 42 saves) the Aces began to run wild. They even managed to pour in a five-on-three short handed goal as part of their three goal second period. As the horn ending the frame sounded, Alaska headed to the locker room leading 6-1, and most of the spectators at the E-Center headed to the parking lot, perhaps finding refuge in a big Jazz win over the visiting Trail Blazers in Salt Lake City.
With both teams having seemingly decided this particular hockey game had ended in the second period with the Aces’ sixth goal of the contest, the third period panned out to be a relatively quite one. Aside from a few scuffles and a meaningless second feel-good goal by the Grizzlies, the game ended without any momentum swings or pushing drives for Utah, and the Aces left the state for the last time in ’09 with a 6-2 victory.
The Grizzlies will now have to find a way to bounce back quickly from such an ugly loss, as they head into a December schedule that has Utah playing feared Idaho Steelheads three times (once on the road), a team that is far and beyond the favorite to win the ECHL championship. Also, coach Kevin Colley mentioned in his post game interview that changes would need to be made to the team, as he didn’t see “more than a few players who were willing to stick up for their teammates.” Whether he meant line adjustments or flat out trades, either way this Utah team has their work cut out for them, and not knowing who will be playing and when may prove to be a major road bump in their season.
But then again, if they can pick it back up quickly, this stretch may be less grisly for the Grizzlies than Friday night’s outcome.
Austin Horton
860 AM/1230 KFAN-2/1320 KFAN
Utah did welcome back forward Ryan Kinasewich after he spent the majority of his two weeks in the AHL on the Hamilton Bulldogs’ bench. Kinasewich reassumed his position as team captain, and brought with him a ray of hope to a Utah scoring campaign that had decreased significantly since his departure. Kinasewich leads the ECHL in both goals and game-winning goals, and while most around the team are puzzled as to why Hamilton would have called Kinasewich up only to have him ride the pine, they are certainly happy to have him and his hot stick back in West Valley and in a Grizzlies’ uniform.
However, Friday night’s game proved to be an ugly homecoming.
Following the early strike by the Aces, Kinasewich wasted no time firing the puck back at Alaska’s net, as he had five of Utah’s eleven shots on goal in the first period. Problem was, none of the Grizzlies’ shots landed home, and Alaska (who came into West Valley as a below .500 team) added another goal. After the quick first period, the Aces led 2-0.
And things didn’t start off any better in the second period than they did in the first, as Alaska put a third goal past Van Buskirk less than one minute after play had resumed. That forced Utah coach Kevin Colley to replace Van Buskirk with Mitch O’Keefe, who had an eight game win streak snapped by the Aces in the loss the night prior.
Not even two minutes after the change, Alaska was called for a slashing minor, and Utah went on the 5-4 man advantage. The ensuing face off was won by the Grizzlies, and Tom May followed a rebound shot for Utah’s first goal of the game, cutting the Aces lead to two. But the sparkling momentum proved to be merely fools’ gold, as the Grizzlies would fail to score another goal until late in the third period.
Behind the outstanding play of goalie Scott Reed (who entered the game having stopped 82 of Utah’s last 86 shots on goal in their previous three meetings, and ended the night with 42 saves) the Aces began to run wild. They even managed to pour in a five-on-three short handed goal as part of their three goal second period. As the horn ending the frame sounded, Alaska headed to the locker room leading 6-1, and most of the spectators at the E-Center headed to the parking lot, perhaps finding refuge in a big Jazz win over the visiting Trail Blazers in Salt Lake City.
With both teams having seemingly decided this particular hockey game had ended in the second period with the Aces’ sixth goal of the contest, the third period panned out to be a relatively quite one. Aside from a few scuffles and a meaningless second feel-good goal by the Grizzlies, the game ended without any momentum swings or pushing drives for Utah, and the Aces left the state for the last time in ’09 with a 6-2 victory.
The Grizzlies will now have to find a way to bounce back quickly from such an ugly loss, as they head into a December schedule that has Utah playing feared Idaho Steelheads three times (once on the road), a team that is far and beyond the favorite to win the ECHL championship. Also, coach Kevin Colley mentioned in his post game interview that changes would need to be made to the team, as he didn’t see “more than a few players who were willing to stick up for their teammates.” Whether he meant line adjustments or flat out trades, either way this Utah team has their work cut out for them, and not knowing who will be playing and when may prove to be a major road bump in their season.
But then again, if they can pick it back up quickly, this stretch may be less grisly for the Grizzlies than Friday night’s outcome.
Austin Horton
860 AM/1230 KFAN-2/1320 KFAN
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Giants-Broncos, Thanksgiving night 2009
DENVER, CO-As far as tryptophan is concerned, there was not an adequate dosage available for New York Giants fans on Thanksgiving night, as their team lossed badly to the surprisingly competitive Denver Broncos, 26-6.
Both squads came into the final game of the holiday with 6-4 records (the Broncos having lost 4 in a row). While that many wins was more than any of Denver's followers might have expected even by the end of the season, no one figured the Giants, just one season removed from becoming Super Bowl champs, would be struggling this badly on both sides of the ball. Especially with Eli Manning (whom they gave an astoundingly large amount of money in a new contract extension last summer) at the helm. But when you score more field goals than touchdowns-or when you fail to score even ONE touchdown- in a game, history says you'll most likely lose.
Behind Kyle Orton's arm (yes, THAT Kyle Orton) and a strong defensive outing, the Broncos looked as though they had made a deal with the devil and switched lives with New York. Denver flat out dominated the Giants in every statistical area of the game, both offensively and defensively. And halfway through the fourth quarter, after Denver went up by twenty, it was evident that on this Thanksgiving night, the G in G-men stood for Garbage.
Elvis Dumervil, Denver's fourth year defensive end, wrapped up the evening addressing the story that the team had held a players-only meeting previously in the week by offering a huge grin to the reporter and stating, "...I'm just grateful for everything tonight; especially a win over the Giants." Clearly, whatever was ailing the Broncos, Mr. Dumervil believes it has gone the way of Thanksgivings past.
For those Giants fans who were listening to the game over the radio waves, some escape from the torture was provided when the broadcast was momentarily knocked off the air shortly following Eli Manning's game-icing interception. However, for those fans who were unfortunate enough to have been viewing the game on television, perhaps a healthy helping of leftover turkey, coupled with a glass of warm milk, would have been the route to take.
All in all, the Broncos kept their playoff hopes alive (at least for this week), while helping themselves to a Giant(s) holiday feast.
Austin Horton
1230 KFAN-2
Both squads came into the final game of the holiday with 6-4 records (the Broncos having lost 4 in a row). While that many wins was more than any of Denver's followers might have expected even by the end of the season, no one figured the Giants, just one season removed from becoming Super Bowl champs, would be struggling this badly on both sides of the ball. Especially with Eli Manning (whom they gave an astoundingly large amount of money in a new contract extension last summer) at the helm. But when you score more field goals than touchdowns-or when you fail to score even ONE touchdown- in a game, history says you'll most likely lose.
Behind Kyle Orton's arm (yes, THAT Kyle Orton) and a strong defensive outing, the Broncos looked as though they had made a deal with the devil and switched lives with New York. Denver flat out dominated the Giants in every statistical area of the game, both offensively and defensively. And halfway through the fourth quarter, after Denver went up by twenty, it was evident that on this Thanksgiving night, the G in G-men stood for Garbage.
Elvis Dumervil, Denver's fourth year defensive end, wrapped up the evening addressing the story that the team had held a players-only meeting previously in the week by offering a huge grin to the reporter and stating, "...I'm just grateful for everything tonight; especially a win over the Giants." Clearly, whatever was ailing the Broncos, Mr. Dumervil believes it has gone the way of Thanksgivings past.
For those Giants fans who were listening to the game over the radio waves, some escape from the torture was provided when the broadcast was momentarily knocked off the air shortly following Eli Manning's game-icing interception. However, for those fans who were unfortunate enough to have been viewing the game on television, perhaps a healthy helping of leftover turkey, coupled with a glass of warm milk, would have been the route to take.
All in all, the Broncos kept their playoff hopes alive (at least for this week), while helping themselves to a Giant(s) holiday feast.
Austin Horton
1230 KFAN-2
Friday, November 20, 2009
NFL Thursday on Fox Radio: Carolina vs Miami, 11-19-09
I decided to start blogging some of the games that I get to produce for the radio station I've been moonlighting at. It's a sports station in Salt Lake called KFAN. It's actually the highest rated station in the state, and the flagship station for the Utah Jazz (this really is quite a big deal; I'm very lucky to start my career off at such a great launching pad). Anyway, here's the first entry: The Thursday night game in the NFL between the Dolphins and Panthers, which I produced on the air (1230 AM KFAN-2)
CHARLOTTE, NC- The Miami Dolphins swam into North Carolina Thursday night weathering the tidal wave that was caused by the news that star running back Ronnie Brown would require season ending surgery to repair an injured ankle. Not only that, but they also have been going at it with a rookie at quarterback and a kick returner as their main receiver. The Panthers, who have been bogged down by the less than stellar play of quarterback Jake Delhomme, were all but salivating in anticipation of what could have been a strong, rallying win for their team. However, the Dolphins' once-retired RB Ricky Williams had other plans in mind....
The starting kickoff resulted in great field position for the Panthers after the Dolphins' Dan Carpenter slipped as he connected with the ball. Carolina then drove far enough for a John Kasay field goal, and the score at the end of the first quarter was 3-0 Panthers.
But that was about all the good that occurred for Carolina in the entire first half of play (they did knock in a second field goal). Ricky Williams took a handoff and a pass from Chad Henne all the way for scores, and the Dolphin defense sacked Delhomme twice in the first and once more in the second quarter. The Dolphins went into the locker room leading 14-3.
In the second half Carolina seemed to wake up a bit, no doubt spurned by their home crowd fans' boos and criticisms in reaction to the poor effort the Panthers had displayed to that point. After holding Miami to a field goal on their first posession in the third, the Panthers took control of the momentum. DeAngelo Williams took a delayed handoff up the middle for 39 yards. Two plays later, Delhomme connected with Smith in the end zone for six. With the score now 17-12, head coach John Fox kept his offense on the field, opting to go for two rather than kick the extra point. It proved to be the right decision, as Williams dove across the goal line to convert the try. The crowd was alive, the players were walking with swagger, and Carolina seemed to have turned the corner on the way to a home victory. But, as mentioned before, the former Heisman Trophy winner from Texas knew just how to spoil the party.
The Panthers defense forced Miami into an almost must-convert third down with six minutes left in the game. Chad Henne dropped back in the pocket, avoided one tackler and threw a laser to the tight end Hartline for a gain of 13 and the first down conversion. As Miami ran to the line, Henne went to the sidelines, leaving Williams in the slot for the snap. Out of that Wildcat formation, Williams took the ball and scampered 46 yards for his third touchdown of the game, and completely deflated the hopes of a comeback win for Carolina.
Although the Panthers tried to make it a game late in the fourth, making another field goal and closing the gap to a score, they were unable to come up with the onside kick. Not that the game was over then by any stretch. Miami failed to convert a first down, and Carolina took the ball back with 54 seconds left. After Delhomme connected with Smith over the middle to the Miami 45, Carolina spiked the ball and set up for one last end zone heave. Delhomme's desperation throw had the distance it needed, but Miami's defense knocked it down, and time expired. The Dolphins escaped Carolina with a 24-17 win.
Following the game, Miami linebacker Joey Porter mused over the affects Ricky Williams' performance had on the outcome of the game. With a chuckle in his voice, Porter said, "Ricky ran the ball like he was 25 again."
-Austin Horton
1230 AM
KFAN 2
****Let me know if you like it, please. Thanks*****
CHARLOTTE, NC- The Miami Dolphins swam into North Carolina Thursday night weathering the tidal wave that was caused by the news that star running back Ronnie Brown would require season ending surgery to repair an injured ankle. Not only that, but they also have been going at it with a rookie at quarterback and a kick returner as their main receiver. The Panthers, who have been bogged down by the less than stellar play of quarterback Jake Delhomme, were all but salivating in anticipation of what could have been a strong, rallying win for their team. However, the Dolphins' once-retired RB Ricky Williams had other plans in mind....
The starting kickoff resulted in great field position for the Panthers after the Dolphins' Dan Carpenter slipped as he connected with the ball. Carolina then drove far enough for a John Kasay field goal, and the score at the end of the first quarter was 3-0 Panthers.
But that was about all the good that occurred for Carolina in the entire first half of play (they did knock in a second field goal). Ricky Williams took a handoff and a pass from Chad Henne all the way for scores, and the Dolphin defense sacked Delhomme twice in the first and once more in the second quarter. The Dolphins went into the locker room leading 14-3.
In the second half Carolina seemed to wake up a bit, no doubt spurned by their home crowd fans' boos and criticisms in reaction to the poor effort the Panthers had displayed to that point. After holding Miami to a field goal on their first posession in the third, the Panthers took control of the momentum. DeAngelo Williams took a delayed handoff up the middle for 39 yards. Two plays later, Delhomme connected with Smith in the end zone for six. With the score now 17-12, head coach John Fox kept his offense on the field, opting to go for two rather than kick the extra point. It proved to be the right decision, as Williams dove across the goal line to convert the try. The crowd was alive, the players were walking with swagger, and Carolina seemed to have turned the corner on the way to a home victory. But, as mentioned before, the former Heisman Trophy winner from Texas knew just how to spoil the party.
The Panthers defense forced Miami into an almost must-convert third down with six minutes left in the game. Chad Henne dropped back in the pocket, avoided one tackler and threw a laser to the tight end Hartline for a gain of 13 and the first down conversion. As Miami ran to the line, Henne went to the sidelines, leaving Williams in the slot for the snap. Out of that Wildcat formation, Williams took the ball and scampered 46 yards for his third touchdown of the game, and completely deflated the hopes of a comeback win for Carolina.
Although the Panthers tried to make it a game late in the fourth, making another field goal and closing the gap to a score, they were unable to come up with the onside kick. Not that the game was over then by any stretch. Miami failed to convert a first down, and Carolina took the ball back with 54 seconds left. After Delhomme connected with Smith over the middle to the Miami 45, Carolina spiked the ball and set up for one last end zone heave. Delhomme's desperation throw had the distance it needed, but Miami's defense knocked it down, and time expired. The Dolphins escaped Carolina with a 24-17 win.
Following the game, Miami linebacker Joey Porter mused over the affects Ricky Williams' performance had on the outcome of the game. With a chuckle in his voice, Porter said, "Ricky ran the ball like he was 25 again."
-Austin Horton
1230 AM
KFAN 2
****Let me know if you like it, please. Thanks*****
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