In the first half of Wednesday night's "epic" (as much as any December NBA game can be "epic) battle between the 20-2 Bostont Celtics and the Detroit Pistons, it was pretty clear that this was the same Pistons team that we've seen in the playoffs the past couple of years. It was an ugly half marked with bad defense leading to lots of uncontested shots and open driving lanes, too many jumpshots, and overall poor execution. The Pistons were playing hard, but it looked like they didn't have enough talent to contain the explosive Celtics nor the desire to shut them down defensively.
I don't know what happened at halftime, but a different Pistons team showed up for the second half. They played with intensity and desire, and they brought their defense. The Pistons disrupted the Celtics offensive flow. Chauncey Billups really got into a flow, and he brought his team with him. Rasheed Wallace stepped up and made some huge plays. Give the Celtics credit though, they didn't give up and tied the game on some monster 3's by House and Allen. It was very exciting, right to the finish!
In the end, it was the cagey veteran, Billups, who remembered the advice from teammate Tayshaun Prince as they left the huddle to draw the foul on the pump fake. Two free throws later from Mr. Big Shot, and the Pistons had their biggest road win of the season! Excellent!
As an additional footnote on the Celtics game, the Memphis game last night was important. In years past, after a big game like the one on Wednesday night, the Pistons would typically come out against a subpar team like the Grizzlies and lay an egg. I give the Pistons credit for not just stepping up to beat Boston - they are expected to compete for the east, so they should give Boston a battle - but for maintaining enough intensity to beat a subpar team in their next game rather than letting down.
Nice job on both games!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Congratulations, NetSuite!
Just a quick congratulations to NetSuite on their successful IPO this week! The 20:1 reverse split certaintly didn't help my personal cause, but I'm happy to see a company I worked for enjoy some success! Congratulations to everyone!
How about Larry Ellison, eh? Love him or hate him, you have to respect him. He certainly is on a roll right now. Oracle is doing extremely well, his much criticized acquisition strategy is really paying off, and he hits a home run with NetSuite (approx. $1B to Larry's worth after the IPO).
I'm not surprised to see NetSuite succeed as I always thought it was a brilliant idea! It has taken longer for the concept to gain acceptance and proliferate, but as people become more comfortable with their critical data being housed outside their own walls, they should continue to accelerate their growth.
NetSuite truly fills an open market segment between Intuit's QuickBooks and "enterprise" software from Oracle, SAP, etc. Where else can a small, growing company turn for a complete business software solution?
The added benefits to NetSuite's offering is that the customer's don't have to invest or manage the computing infrastructure. For a small company, this can really help take a lot of cost out of supporting the business. Not to mention doing a tech refresh every couple of years to "keep up" with technology advancements. All the upgrades are on NetSuite to manage, the customer just pays their subscription fees. And no more messy, complicated software upgrades. Done for you. Brilliant!
Some ideas take a while to mature, and NetSuite is the right company with the right idea, so their much anticipated success is well deserved.
How about Larry Ellison, eh? Love him or hate him, you have to respect him. He certainly is on a roll right now. Oracle is doing extremely well, his much criticized acquisition strategy is really paying off, and he hits a home run with NetSuite (approx. $1B to Larry's worth after the IPO).
I'm not surprised to see NetSuite succeed as I always thought it was a brilliant idea! It has taken longer for the concept to gain acceptance and proliferate, but as people become more comfortable with their critical data being housed outside their own walls, they should continue to accelerate their growth.
NetSuite truly fills an open market segment between Intuit's QuickBooks and "enterprise" software from Oracle, SAP, etc. Where else can a small, growing company turn for a complete business software solution?
The added benefits to NetSuite's offering is that the customer's don't have to invest or manage the computing infrastructure. For a small company, this can really help take a lot of cost out of supporting the business. Not to mention doing a tech refresh every couple of years to "keep up" with technology advancements. All the upgrades are on NetSuite to manage, the customer just pays their subscription fees. And no more messy, complicated software upgrades. Done for you. Brilliant!
Some ideas take a while to mature, and NetSuite is the right company with the right idea, so their much anticipated success is well deserved.
The Third Degree should be The First Book In The Trash!
A few comments on Greg Isles' new book "The Third Degree"...
I'm a Greg Isles fan - he usually writes a mean page turner. Good suspense, lots of twists and turns, and people who aren't as they seem. In short, a lot of fun! Nothing intellectual, but a good read.
It's a tragedy to call "The Third Degree" a book. It reads like something you'd expect to see scribbled on a bathroom wall at O'Hare.
To my own shame, I actually finished the entire (so called) book. The only reason for this is that I kept waiting for the "real" Greg Isles to show up. It didn't happen. He didn't make an appearance. When I finished the book, I literally threw it in the trash (in a hotel in Reno, NV where I was at the time).
I wasn't just disappointed in the book, I was angry. I felt ripped off for buying the book, and I felt cheated out of (what I had expected to be) a good story. I find it difficult to imaging anyone liking the book as it was truly repugnant. Every character in the book was hateful, and it was impossible to root for them. As I read the book, I was hoping the next page would bring a character's death - regardless of who - because they all deserved it. The main characters consisted of two people who had a Harlequin romance novel type affair, both cheating on their absolutely repulsive spouses. Nobody in the book was sympathetic. The man's wife was a horrible person who only wanted money. The wife's husband was a psycho who took his family hostage to prove how bad they were. Ok, great! This sounds like the makings of a great tale. Add in all the other sub-characters who were just as disgusting, and there you go...
I truly believe this is one of the worst books I have ever read. I guess I learned my lesson about pre-buying books & having them ship automatically when they are available. There are some authors who can stay on that list.
Greg Isles has been permanently removed, and I don't know if I will ever read one of his books again.
I'm a Greg Isles fan - he usually writes a mean page turner. Good suspense, lots of twists and turns, and people who aren't as they seem. In short, a lot of fun! Nothing intellectual, but a good read.
It's a tragedy to call "The Third Degree" a book. It reads like something you'd expect to see scribbled on a bathroom wall at O'Hare.
To my own shame, I actually finished the entire (so called) book. The only reason for this is that I kept waiting for the "real" Greg Isles to show up. It didn't happen. He didn't make an appearance. When I finished the book, I literally threw it in the trash (in a hotel in Reno, NV where I was at the time).
I wasn't just disappointed in the book, I was angry. I felt ripped off for buying the book, and I felt cheated out of (what I had expected to be) a good story. I find it difficult to imaging anyone liking the book as it was truly repugnant. Every character in the book was hateful, and it was impossible to root for them. As I read the book, I was hoping the next page would bring a character's death - regardless of who - because they all deserved it. The main characters consisted of two people who had a Harlequin romance novel type affair, both cheating on their absolutely repulsive spouses. Nobody in the book was sympathetic. The man's wife was a horrible person who only wanted money. The wife's husband was a psycho who took his family hostage to prove how bad they were. Ok, great! This sounds like the makings of a great tale. Add in all the other sub-characters who were just as disgusting, and there you go...
I truly believe this is one of the worst books I have ever read. I guess I learned my lesson about pre-buying books & having them ship automatically when they are available. There are some authors who can stay on that list.
Greg Isles has been permanently removed, and I don't know if I will ever read one of his books again.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Tigers Blockbuster Trade!
You have to hand it to Dave Dombrowski, Jim Leyland, and Mike Illitch - they are certainly willing to make BOLD moves to try to improve the team! After pulling off a trade for Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis, there's no doubt that the Detroit Tigers are doing everything they can to win the World Series in 2008.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the Tigers are now willing to consider trading Marcus Thames, Brandon Inge, and Chad Durbin due to the revamped roster. Hopefully, they can replace some of the prospects that they had to include to land Cabrera and D-Train. The Tigers are also looking to move Chris Shelton and Timo Perez after designating them for assignment earlier in the week.
The Tigers also traded Jose Capellan to the Rockies for Denny Bautista. It is sad to see how little the Wilfredo Ledezma trade garnered for the Tigers. Wilfredo was a valuable part of the team, and they basically lost him for nothing. Hopefully, Bautista will be able to make more of a consistent contribution than Capellan did in 2007.
Busy week! And the Tigers are apparently still interested in LaTroy Hawkins.
Ultimately, wins and losses will determine if the heavy price generates big returns, but you have to admire the fact that the team is willing to pull the trigger to improve the team. Giving up 6 prospects, including Cameron Maybin, Andrew Miller, Mike Rabelo, and Eulogio DeLaCruz, is a very heavy, heavy price. However, the keyword here is prospect. Nothing excites fans like "potential", but Cabrera and Willis are proven. The question remains how well they'll perform in Detroit uniforms. The 2008 club has the potential to be a powerhouse - and bear little resemblance to the 2007 team.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the Tigers are now willing to consider trading Marcus Thames, Brandon Inge, and Chad Durbin due to the revamped roster. Hopefully, they can replace some of the prospects that they had to include to land Cabrera and D-Train. The Tigers are also looking to move Chris Shelton and Timo Perez after designating them for assignment earlier in the week.
The Tigers also traded Jose Capellan to the Rockies for Denny Bautista. It is sad to see how little the Wilfredo Ledezma trade garnered for the Tigers. Wilfredo was a valuable part of the team, and they basically lost him for nothing. Hopefully, Bautista will be able to make more of a consistent contribution than Capellan did in 2007.
Busy week! And the Tigers are apparently still interested in LaTroy Hawkins.
Ultimately, wins and losses will determine if the heavy price generates big returns, but you have to admire the fact that the team is willing to pull the trigger to improve the team. Giving up 6 prospects, including Cameron Maybin, Andrew Miller, Mike Rabelo, and Eulogio DeLaCruz, is a very heavy, heavy price. However, the keyword here is prospect. Nothing excites fans like "potential", but Cabrera and Willis are proven. The question remains how well they'll perform in Detroit uniforms. The 2008 club has the potential to be a powerhouse - and bear little resemblance to the 2007 team.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Lions - Season is Over!
It's amazing how 6-2 and a feeling of optimism and progress can suddenly turn into 6-6 and a knowing sense of football dread. Will anyone be surprised if the Lions end the season at 6-10?
Regardless of the final outcome, the Lions did make some progress this season. The remaining question for 2007, is how far will they regress?
The Lions need some help on the offensive line. That's been a clear weakness this season. The running game is not effective - part of that is scheme (Martz), part of that is execution - and the pass protection is not providing Kitna enough time to be consistently productive when defenses only have to prepare to stop the pass. Kitna is holding the ball too long which doesn't help matters, but, ultimately, the o-line is bad which leads to complete offensive breakdown. The wide receivers are obviously frustrated which is also a funny thing in a Mike Martz offense.
The Lions also need to focus on the defensive secondary. Injuries and overall lack of depth have really hurt the defense. Improving this area will help the overall defense improve dramatically.
Lastly, the Lions really need to improve their coverage and tackling on special teams. They are truly pathetic this year! Minnesota, Chicago, and Arizona have all hurt the Lions badly on special teams.
Let's hope the Lions finish the season with some pride (and some wins!), not an 8 game losing streak that sends the team and the fans back to the depths of despair.
Regardless of the final outcome, the Lions did make some progress this season. The remaining question for 2007, is how far will they regress?
The Lions need some help on the offensive line. That's been a clear weakness this season. The running game is not effective - part of that is scheme (Martz), part of that is execution - and the pass protection is not providing Kitna enough time to be consistently productive when defenses only have to prepare to stop the pass. Kitna is holding the ball too long which doesn't help matters, but, ultimately, the o-line is bad which leads to complete offensive breakdown. The wide receivers are obviously frustrated which is also a funny thing in a Mike Martz offense.
The Lions also need to focus on the defensive secondary. Injuries and overall lack of depth have really hurt the defense. Improving this area will help the overall defense improve dramatically.
Lastly, the Lions really need to improve their coverage and tackling on special teams. They are truly pathetic this year! Minnesota, Chicago, and Arizona have all hurt the Lions badly on special teams.
Let's hope the Lions finish the season with some pride (and some wins!), not an 8 game losing streak that sends the team and the fans back to the depths of despair.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Go BLUE!
Posting this just before the Michigan vs. Ohio State annual clash of the titans! I am a Michigan man through and through, but I'm concerned about this game. OSU has had the Wolverines number over the past several seasons. I know Henne, Hart, and Long desperately want to win this game, not to mention Lloyd Carr, but injuries and inconsistency are plaguing this team. It would be a HUGE win in the Big House!
Smile down on the Wolverines today, Bo! We miss you!
Go BLUE!
Smile down on the Wolverines today, Bo! We miss you!
Go BLUE!
Sports Update
Crazy week. Not a good week if you're a sports fan in general or a Detroit sports fan. The Pistons and Wings are spinning their wheels right now. It's early, so there's no need to panic, but it's frustrating to watch your teams flail about.
Rod Marinelli is absolutely right when he says that it comes down to "execution". Players who want to win find a way to dig down deep and execute - even if the circumstances are against them. Desire can and should fuel execution. As much as I love watching Rip Hamilton play, his ability to put the team on his back and carry them to victory is limited. Rip gets frustrated when the calls don't go his way, and he loses focus on the job at hand. Opponents have learned this, and they realize they can take his head, and therefore his game, out of the game. He's only human, but he needs to work on rising above the pettiness or finding a way to use it as further fuel for his desire (like Rasheed Wallace).
Extremely good news on the Kenny Rogers front! Looks like The Gambler may be returning to the Tigers after all! It was shocking and disappointing to see all of the posturing coming from Kenny Rogers' camp over the past 2 weeks. Now it appears that a lot of this was due to Kenny's agent, Scott Boras. After firing Scott Boras, Kenny is now representing himself, and he has given every indication that he would like to pitch for the Detroit Tigers in 2008. If Kenny is healthy, that is terrific news!
And speaking of rough weeks, big turn of events for Scott Boras. After the recent article in ESPN The Magazine basically labelled him a sports agent genius, it appears that Scott is being put back in his place. The Yankees refuse to deal with him on the A-Rod deal, and Kenny Rogers fires him publicly. GMs are commenting in the media on the difficulty of working with Boras. Clearly, a message is being sent to Boras that his schtick is getting tired, and he needs to change his approach. Over time trends develop and the trend with Boras is that he manipulates markets and people. After a while, this comes across as viscious and lacking integrity. There's nothing wrong with getting top dollar for your players, but not if it destroys the team where the player lands. This is a lesson to everyone that even in today's society of "me" that there is accountability for one's actions at the end of the day.
Rod Marinelli is absolutely right when he says that it comes down to "execution". Players who want to win find a way to dig down deep and execute - even if the circumstances are against them. Desire can and should fuel execution. As much as I love watching Rip Hamilton play, his ability to put the team on his back and carry them to victory is limited. Rip gets frustrated when the calls don't go his way, and he loses focus on the job at hand. Opponents have learned this, and they realize they can take his head, and therefore his game, out of the game. He's only human, but he needs to work on rising above the pettiness or finding a way to use it as further fuel for his desire (like Rasheed Wallace).
Extremely good news on the Kenny Rogers front! Looks like The Gambler may be returning to the Tigers after all! It was shocking and disappointing to see all of the posturing coming from Kenny Rogers' camp over the past 2 weeks. Now it appears that a lot of this was due to Kenny's agent, Scott Boras. After firing Scott Boras, Kenny is now representing himself, and he has given every indication that he would like to pitch for the Detroit Tigers in 2008. If Kenny is healthy, that is terrific news!
And speaking of rough weeks, big turn of events for Scott Boras. After the recent article in ESPN The Magazine basically labelled him a sports agent genius, it appears that Scott is being put back in his place. The Yankees refuse to deal with him on the A-Rod deal, and Kenny Rogers fires him publicly. GMs are commenting in the media on the difficulty of working with Boras. Clearly, a message is being sent to Boras that his schtick is getting tired, and he needs to change his approach. Over time trends develop and the trend with Boras is that he manipulates markets and people. After a while, this comes across as viscious and lacking integrity. There's nothing wrong with getting top dollar for your players, but not if it destroys the team where the player lands. This is a lesson to everyone that even in today's society of "me" that there is accountability for one's actions at the end of the day.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Deflated, Dejected, Destroyed!
Dismal! I'm too distraught to dwell on the way the Detroit Lions and the University of Michigan Wolverines were dismantled and dominated this weekend, but it was very depressing!
Michigan had a chance to put themselves in the drivers seat for the Big 10 title with Ohio State falling to Illinois. It was a bad game for UM, and one that they could have won. Too many mistakes, too little execution. No offensive line protection and absolutely no running game.
Speaking of no running game, what the heck happened to the Lions? At one point near the end of the game, the Lions had turned the ball over 5 times and only rushed for -19 yards. Yes, negative 19 yards. Talk about going the wrong way! For a 6-2 team trying to make a push for the playoffs, this was a frightening blast of the old Lions. They were unable to establish any offensive rhythym or any protection for Kitna or the running game. They gave the ball away time and time again. Not only could they not stop Arizona, they couldn't even tackle when they had opportunities.
An utterly forgettable weekend for both teams! Sadly, after this weekend's performances, it looks like the same statement may apply next weekend as UM squares off with Ohio State for the Big 10 title, and the Lions host the New York Giants (who will be angry after getting spanked by the Cowboys).
Michigan had a chance to put themselves in the drivers seat for the Big 10 title with Ohio State falling to Illinois. It was a bad game for UM, and one that they could have won. Too many mistakes, too little execution. No offensive line protection and absolutely no running game.
Speaking of no running game, what the heck happened to the Lions? At one point near the end of the game, the Lions had turned the ball over 5 times and only rushed for -19 yards. Yes, negative 19 yards. Talk about going the wrong way! For a 6-2 team trying to make a push for the playoffs, this was a frightening blast of the old Lions. They were unable to establish any offensive rhythym or any protection for Kitna or the running game. They gave the ball away time and time again. Not only could they not stop Arizona, they couldn't even tackle when they had opportunities.
An utterly forgettable weekend for both teams! Sadly, after this weekend's performances, it looks like the same statement may apply next weekend as UM squares off with Ohio State for the Big 10 title, and the Lions host the New York Giants (who will be angry after getting spanked by the Cowboys).
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