Wild American Gooner

When Sports Are More Than Just Sports


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Farewell to Mr. Excitement – Saying Goodbye to Rajon Rondo

Just last night, I was at my first Celtics game of the year, watching the mercurial Rajon Rondo lead the sorry-looking 2014-15 Celtics to a win over the Magic. Rondo appeared uninterested from the start, turning the ball over at an alarming rate in the first quarter. But then, like in so many other games, he started playing with an intensity that few can match. Suddenly, midway through the third quarter, he was just three rebounds away from a triple-double. He was streaking down the court to create shots left and right. He was fighting on the offensive glass. And he was attacking the rim.

But now, Rondo is packing up and headed to Dallas, traded today for Brandan Wright, Jae Crowder, Jameer Nelson and a future 1st and 2nd round pick. What is surprising is not that Rondo was traded, but the swiftness in which this move happened. I’m left stunned at the fact that he’s gone, that I had a chance to say goodbye, but didn’t even know it was going to be necessary. In many ways, this trade was inevitable, but it still comes as a surprise after so many years of seeing him take the floor.

Rondo did a lot of spectacular things on the basketball court. He also did a lot of agonizingly stupid things. But on the whole, he was a player worth watching on a nightly basis. And he was an absolute competitor, one right up there with Kevin Garnett as the type of player you could guarantee hated losing more than you hated sitting in traffic. Rondo played through all sorts of injuries, and routinely put his body on the line.

Watching Rondo play the last two years has been tough. He was put in an environment where he simply wasn’t going to win based on the roster around him. Because of that, I believe he started playing games with himself, trying to keep his assist-streaks going and going for triple-doubles because he wasn’t getting the necessary competition on the court. He was so competitive that he needed to avoid losing, even if that meant beating challenges he set for himself. It was almost like he had to detach himself from the reality of the losses in order to stay motivated and engaged.

Many people like to criticize Rondo for all sorts of things. But I’ve always given him the benefit of the doubt. Regardless of what his motivation was every night, he put on a show, which helped the team way more often than it hurt. Sure, it would have been nice had he learned to shoot free-throws, but he helped the team in so many other ways.

Rondo was never going to be the superstar that so many people wanted him to be. Whether it was his inability to accept coaching or his refusal to redevelop shooting mechanics, most true Celtics fans have always known Rondo needed a running mate to be successful. He may have been the official team captain, but he was not Paul Pierce by any means. He was Rondo, the player capable of anything. He was not Rondo, the player capable of leading the Celtics to a championship by himself.

The moment I knew a trade was coming was when Kevin Love went to the Cavaliers. After two seasons of rebuilding and losing, the Celtics were not going to be able to convince Rondo to come back in free agency. I don’t think he would have accepted even a max deal from the Celtics knowing more losing was on the immediate horizon. So while the return from this trade isn’t what you’d expect for a player of Rondo’s potential, it was a deal the Celtics had to make if it was truly the best offer out there. It was either this or losing him for nothing in the summer.

I’m going to miss Rondo on a number of levels. I’ll miss the competitor who wouldn’t even lose Connect-4 at charity events.  I’ll miss the fiery, grudge-holding Rondo, going against top point guards on national TV and relentlessly attacking their pride. I’ll miss triple-double seeking Rondo cleverly getting his shooters open looks as I saw one final time last night. And finally, I’ll miss playoff Rondo more than anything, but the circumstances suggested we weren’t going to see that any time soon.

Like Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Doc Rivers, and Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo did spectacular things in Boston that made the city a basketball town for a number of years amidst tremendous sporting success across the board. Rondo brought excitement to the Garden night after night and produced some unforgettable moments.

Think about the dunk on Jason Maxiell. Think about Game 2 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals when Rondo poured in 44 points, while adding 8 rebounds and 10 assists. Think about his 29 point, 18 rebound, 13 assist game vs. the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2010. Think about all the times he faked the behind-the-back pass. Think about that championship.

The Celtics have a long way to go before they will return to the era that Rajon Rondo helped define. But this trade is a necessary step towards that next era, a move made without a trace of nostalgia, as Danny Ainge has avoided doing in a big way. Rondo’s exit marks the official end of a remarkable era to be a Celtics fan. I’m going to miss these guys a whole lot in the years to come, but ultimately, I have faith in what Ainge is doing.

One final question I’d like to pose is whether Rondo deserves a place in the rafters. Pierce will be there for sure. Garnett will probably be there. But will Rondo’s number 9 join them? He was not dominant on the 2008 team, but in the years and playoff runs that followed, it can be argued that Rondo was the catalyst of everything that went right or wrong. And more often than not, it went right. For all his critics, Rondo was one heck of a Celtic.

It is with a great deal of sadness that I bid farewell to Rajon Rondo as a Celtic. It’s been a fun 9 years.

Do you think Rondo deserves a place in the rafters? What are your thoughts on the trade overall? Please comment below. 


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Davidson Cruises Past Stetson

(Written for The Davidsonian in my capacity as sports editor. I will post everything I write on this blog as well as on Davidsonian.com)

Davidson handily beat a young Stetson squad 90-59 before a smaller crowd of 3,132 inside Belk Arena Saturday afternoon in non-conference action. The win, Davidson’s 4th in a row, moves the Wildcats to 6-1 on the season.

Coming off of an emotional victory over Charlotte on Wednesday, there was always a chance for a let-down. But the Wildcats were focused and used a balance attack to build a large lead. Defensively, the Wildcats limited Stetson to 32.2% shooting, including holding them without a field goal for over ten minutes in one stretch that spanned across the halves. It was sustained pressure for forty minutes that manifested itself in a large margin of victory.

Tyler Kalinoski ’15 once again led the way for Davidson with an efficient showing now typical from the senior captain. He matched his career-high 25 points (including a career-high 7-9 from deep), breaking the 20 point mark for the second time this season and third time in his career. He also had 4 assists, but perhaps most impressively, he grabbed a season high 9 rebounds. With starting center Jake Belford ’16 sitting this one out due to a foot injury, the Wildcats needed the help on the boards.

“[Kalinoski] just continues to get better and better and better,” Coach Bob McKillop said after the game. “He’s the heart and soul of this team. He was the catalyst for why our guys were ready to compete today and I thought we competed the entire game.”

Brian Sullivan ’16 also had an effective game, dishing out a career-high 8 assists while adding 14 points. When Jack Gibbs ’17 went to the locker room for a few minutes late in the first half, Sullivan calmly took the reigns and helped settle the Wildcats in the half court. Sullivan was only 2-8 from three today as his shooting woes continue, but he’s finding other valuable ways to contribute. As a team, the Wildcats dished out a season-high 25 assists.

“I’m still not really shooting as well as I’d like to, but I’m not really worried about it. I’m playing well and I’ve let [the worries about the shooting struggles] go,” Sullivan said. “I wasn’t getting too down on myself because I was still playing really good basketball.”

The highlights again came from Jordan Barham ’16, who’s carving himself a nice scoring role off the bench. These highlights involved a pair of high-flying dunks. The first, which was negated by an offensive foul, involved Barham posterizing a Stetson defender with a left-handed tomahawk. Nobody will remember that he was called for a foul on it. The second came off an inbounds pass below the basket. Barham cut across the lane and soared above a Hatters defender to catch the Kalinoski pass well above the basket. His two-handed alley-oop slam punctuated a perfectly designed out-of-bounds play. And this one counted.

Despite the final margin, the opening minutes were probably the sloppiest Davidson has played this season, with a few too many passes thrown to unsuspecting teammates. It wasn’t necessarily a ton of turnovers, but just a general lack of focus in the opening two or three minutes. Perhaps that could have been because the arena had none of the energy from Wednesday night, or perhaps it could have been a pre-exams lull, but credit the captains for getting their team going quickly. Coach McKillop talked about this being a trap game, but Davidson avoided all potential problems by keeping the throttle on.

Stetson is one of the most inexperienced teams in all of Division I basketball, starting three freshmen and playing another three significant minutes. But today they were also hindered by the fact that Brian Pegg, their leading scorer, didn’t play. They seemed inclined to push the pace in the early going, which was an odd choice. They were often out of control, and their shooters were simply awful (4 of their first 28 from deep).

In the first half, Davidson seemed content with running their half-court sets and getting good looks from three, while Stetson lacked any sort of offensive rhythm. The Wildcats built a double-digit lead in the opening minutes and gradually stretched it over twenty as the Hatters went the last nine minutes of the half without a field goal. Davidson led 48-24 at the break.

Oskar Michelsen ’18 scored 16 points off the bench. And Nathan Ekwu ’18, who got his first start in place of the injured Belford, chipped in 7 points and 10 rebounds. Belford’s injury is a muscular problem in his left foot which happened during the Charlotte game. But McKillop thinks it will only be a few days before he’s back in the starting lineup.

Davidson’s next game is on the road at Montana Wednesday night before returning home for a contest against Niagara next Saturday evening.


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Davidson Crowned Charlotte’s King of College Basketball

(Written for The Davidsonian in my capacity as sports editor. I will post everything I write on this blog as well as on Davidsonian.com)

Davidson took home the Hornets Nest Trophy for the second straight year by beating UNC-Charlotte 91-86 before a large crowd in what was certainly the best atmosphere at Belk Arena in the young season. Davidson led throughout, and impressively combated a substantial size differential with great post play and fantastic shooting. The game was not as close as the final score, as Charlotte scored a number of points in garbage time.

Charlotte was exactly the test Davidson needed at this point in the season. They presented substantial size up front and a veteran group of players that knows how to win. Mike Thorn Jr. is an NBA-quality center and his frontcourt partner Willie Clayton is one of the best offensive rebounders in the country. For a Davidson team that has struggled to rebound the ball this season, this was a big ask.

Despite an uncharacteristic 18 turnovers, Davidson passed the test with flying colors, shooting 58% on the day while out-rebounding Charlotte 37-31. Davidson’s bigs deserve tremendous credit for their work on the blocks today. They not only out-rebounded the 49ers, but they shut down Thorne Jr, limiting him to 10 points and 5 rebounds. Of the many highlights from today, that may be the most exciting for the future of this team.

“[This win] is huge for us,” Tyler Kalinoski ’15 said after the game, “We made some mistakes, but we kept fighting. The way we fought today shows a lot going forward.”

Davidson looked to attack the interior of the Charlotte defense with a vigor that hasn’t always been there, sending Clayton and two other 49er starters to the bench early in foul trouble. The ‘Cats hit the offensive glass and looked for cutters to beat the 49ers’ zone. Jordan Barham ’16 was especially effective against the zone in the first half, providing a huge spark off the bench for Davidson. Barham, who’d been averaging 9.0 points in just 12.8 minutes per game, hit his first 6 shots and had 13 first half points, finishing with 16 points on 7-8 shooting and 5 rebounds. In addition to his usual high-energy dunks, Barham impressed when he had the ball in his hands, facing up defenders and blowing by them.

Kalinoski caught fire in the second half, hitting five threes and making a wide variety of baskets when Davidson needed them most. All 19 of his points came after the break. The senior captain, who came into the game second in the Atlantic 10 in assist/turnover ratio, had another great overall performance, with 3 rebounds and 4 assists to go along with only 1 turnover.

“Tyler’s the heart of our team,” Coach Bob McKillop said of Kalinoski’s performance after the game, “Without doubt, he’s the one that makes us go. He’s got great courage, he’s got terrific tenacity, he’s a selfless teammate and he’s a winner.”

Davidson caught fire from behind the arc at the start of the second half, sending Charlotte back to man-to-man defense as they made their first 4 threes in the opening minutes to extend the lead up to 12 soon after the break. However, Charlotte found a lot of success getting the ball inside to Clayton as the second half wore on and kept the game close as Davidson’s fouls piled up. But Clayton’s 4th foul, which came with 12:22 left and the 49ers trailing by seven after he’d already scored 10 second half points, saw the Wildcats regain the momentum. A Kalinoski three followed by a Barham three gave Davidson a 75-62 lead with 8:32 to play.

Clayton soon returned only to foul out with more than 5 and a half minutes remaining. That was the final nail in the coffin. Charlotte was unable to get back into the game in the final minutes as Davidson kept making shots. Whenever the 49ers made a basket, Davidson would respond with a big one of their own deep in the shot clock. But to their credit Charlotte never quit, and made a few baskets right at the end to make the score as close as it was.

Davidson needed to play tougher today to combat Charlotte’s size advantage, and they got a boost from Andrew McAuliffe ’17. McAuliffe bodied up the 6-11, 270 pound Thorne Jr on the defensive end to aid Jake Belford ’16, Nathan Ekwu ’18 and Peyton Aldridge ’18, who were all in a lot of foul trouble. McAuliffe, whose action has been limited this year, stepped up in a big way. In addition to his defensive efforts, he also found ways to contribute offensively, tipping in one basket and dunking another, while occupying defenders down low.

That presence inside the arc helped get Brian Sullivan ’16 some better looks behind the arc. Sullivan, Davidson’s marksman who came into the game only 5-30 from three for the year, knocked down a triple on the first possession and made two more before the 10 minute mark of the first half, finishing with 13 first half points and 15 overall. It was a solid response from the captain, and one which will hopefully get his season going.

Davidson had used a 9-0 run to take an early 17-9 lead, but both teams shot the ball incredibly well and traded buckets for much of the first half. However, Davidson took a 45-38 lead into the break. With Clayton and Pierria Henry, the 49ers top perimeter defender, on the bench for much of the first half in foul trouble, Davidson found a way to out-rebound Charlotte 20-12 in the first half. Thorne was limited on the offensive end, more helpful as a means of drawing the Davidson defense into the paint and opening up lanes for Charlotte guards to attack.

Jack Gibbs ’17, coming off the Atlantic 10 player of the week award, chipped in 12 points and 5 assists for the Wildcats. For Charlotte, Clayton led the way with 17 points despite playing only 16 minutes. 5 others finished in double figures for the 49ers.

The annual “Battle for the Hornet’s Nest Trophy” has been contested each of the last 34 years. The Mecklenburg County rivalry has taken on added heat in recent years. Among Charlotte fans, there is a bit of a grudge held as recent conference changes for both schools have seen Davidson take Charlotte’s place in the Atlantic 10. (A year ago, Charlotte moved to Conference USA, a worse basketball conference in recent years, for the betterment of their football program). It must hurt that Davidson has now won two straight.

“Let’s face it, this is a game for the rights in the city,” McKillop said after the game, in which students wore shirts emblazoned with his nickname ‘The Silver Fox’ and his face, “And this is a terrific city, so it’s nice to get the victory this year.”

After lifting the trophy, Davidson’s next game is at home against Stetson at 4 pm on Saturday.


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Finally a Win for The Arsenal

Arsenal won 1-0 at The Hawthorns today, beating West Brom on a majestic Danny Welbeck header that came midway through the second half. While beating West Brom should never be a massive cause of celebration, it sure comes as a relief for Arsenal, who hadn’t won a Premier League game since the first day of the month.

In many ways, this was the typical Arsenal game of the current campaign. Arsenal dominated the first half, but hardly managed to get the ball anywhere near Ben Foster in net. The goal came, but soon after, Wenger’s men sat back unable to get a second, and nervily watched as the opponent took siege on the goal. The only difference this time was that Saido Berahino hit the bar, whereas most opponents have been scoring the tying goals.

But why am I complaining? Arsenal are back to their winning ways and have now won a couple in a row. A win against in-form Southampton on Wednesday would give the Gunners a wonderful boost of momentum heading into the holidays. It doesn’t seem far fetched for this team to be comfortably back on firm ground in a few weeks.

Today’s offensive stars were Santi Cazorla and Danny Welbeck, who combined wonderfully for the lone goal. The two had combined well on a few occasions in the first half, with Welbeck enjoying a little more freedom in his role on the left today. Saying he played on the left would be a misnomer though, as he was operating all across the front. Instead of pouting about Olivier Giroud starting up top, Welbeck put in a terrific shift and showed his quality.

Cazorla has been struggling this year, especially in front of goal. You can see that every time he hits a shot straight at the keeper, or when a defender dives in the way of his shots, his head falls in resignation. For a typically fun-loving little player, he looks noticeably downcast this year. Before his assist, he’d had three or four of those moments when it seemed like he couldn’t buy a goal. But to his credit, he did all the other work in midfield, and he was rewarded with an assist through a driving run down the left and a beautiful little chip. Hopefully that will get him going.

Defensively, Per Mertesacker had his best game of the season. A lot of that had to do with Laurent Koscielny returning to the lineup beside him, as Mertesacker appeared more confident. With Koscielny to cover him, he can take more risks on reading passes, which is his strength as a defender.

I’m still not sold on Calum Chambers. People talk about how he has fit into the side seamlessly, but he routinely gets beat, both on the flank and in the air. He doesn’t venture forward that often, yet at least once or twice a game, he gets caught way too far up field. I miss Bacary Sagna because I could trust him completely. Chambers on the other hand is a constant source of worry.

My other dose of criticism for today is for Aaron Ramsey. The bush has already been beaten about how he is nowhere near the player he was a year ago, that he is trying too hard for goals. But what annoys me is the selfishness of his game right now. For every touch he takes in the box, he has to have a shot, regardless of what’s happening around him. Some of them are good shots, like the one he pulled just wide. But some of them are awful. Think about the volley he tried to hit from a lofted pass over his head, or about the shot he took on the rebound with a bunch of bodies around him when he had a teammate in space to his right. He needs to stop wanting to score so much, and just play. The goals will come when he focuses on being in the right spots and making the right decisions.

I hope Tomas Rosicky gets a chance to start in midweek, if only to provide a bit of squad rotation while the fixture list ramps up. Arsene Wenger will have to be more proactive about resting players if he wants to avoid muscle injuries in the next month. He can’t stop the contact injuries like Jack Wilshere’s, but he can prevent others with squad rotation.

This afternoon, I’m getting a chance to see Thierry Henry play in what could be the final game of his illustrious career. While I’ll be rooting for my hometown Revolution in the MLS Eastern Conference Finals, I will relish this opportunity to see Henry play. I don’t know what to expect from the King today on the artificial turf, but I’m eager to pay my respects to the ultimate Gooner. With the Revs up 2-1 on aggregate, I predict another 2-1 win, with the goals coming as the Red Bulls push forward for the second away goal. Go Revs!


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Oh, How Outsiders Must Hate Boston Right Now

Sports fans around the country must really hate Boston right now. I’ll be the first the admit that I’ve been seriously spoiled in my professional sports fandom. Not only do we win more often than not and possess money to dump on free agents, but we are wonderfully obnoxious about it all – think Bill Belichick deciding to get an extra touchdown rather than kneeling the ball. The last two days have been a spectacular microcosm for the relative power and arrogance of Boston sports that I hope never ends.

To recap, the Patriots routed the NFC North-leading Lions 34-9, doing Patriots things like sitting Sports Illustrated cover boy Jonas Gray for being late to a practice with no consequence at all and running up the score with a needless touchdown. I love that Bill Belichick left Gray active for the game even though he had absolutely no intention of playing him. It may have left the Patriots with one fewer player, but he made the Lions, TV announcers, and millions of fantasy owners wait the whole game to see how long the in-house suspension would last. And how annoyed must Steelers fans be, not to mention fans of any team needing a good running back, that LaGarrette Blount wryly worked his way back onto the Patriots with a serious of childish acts that ultimately will carry no consequences?

At the same time, we had our much overlooked New England Revolution playing in the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Red Bulls and taking the first leg 2-1 on the road on a dubious Jermaine Jones goal. Hate us for scoring goals like that. Hate us for acquiring World Cup star Jones on a literal coin flip. And hate us for not caring one bit that we have a legitimately great soccer team right now – even the owners of the team, the Krafts, couldn’t be bothered to watch the Conference Finals.

There was a Celtics loss in the evening – we have to have one bad team, right? – but before the night was over there was news that the Red Sox had landed Hanley Ramirez for 5 years and 90 million dollars. Given their pursuit of Pablo Sandoval, the move was surprising, but maybe they’d gotten impatient with Sandoval, or believed his price was too high.

Wrong. We all woke to the news that Sandoval too was headed to Boston, for 5 years and roughly 98 million. Wow. The Red Sox spent almost $200 million in twelve hours on a pair of third basemen when the biggest need on the team is very clearly pitching. Somehow, Ben Cherington went in and stole the two best hitters on the market before everyone’s eyes. And it can be argued that he didn’t need to. You can sure hate us for that.

Cherington seemingly sold Ramirez on playing left field, a position he has never played in his big-league career. This is the same player who put up a stink for having to move from shortstop to third base not too long ago. Ramirez also will join an absurdly crowded outfield, although he won’t be the one worried about that. So what convinced him then that this was the place for him? The answer has to be money. Most teams can’t afford to spend money on superstars they need, but the Red Sox do it for players they want.

Sandoval on the other hand chose Boston over similar offers from two other teams, including the Giants, for whom he’d won three World Series titles and become a cult hero. He chose a worse team in a city with notoriously harsh critics in a more challenging league over his home team that didn’t try to undercut him. I can’t begin to understand why he’d make that decision, but I’m sure glad to have his switch-handed hitting bat in the lineup.

On a quick tangent, the Red Sox now have to sort out the mess in the outfield and acquire frontline starting pitching. I think it has to start with Jon Lester. Wouldn’t that be the cherry on top of this month if he signed? And then go after Cole Hamels with a package that includes Deven Marrero (whose path is now blocked for at least two years) and a couple other top prospects. Yoenis Cespedes probably has to go somewhere, so if the Phillies want him, he could be a chip. Next, trade some combination of outfielders for a second-tier pitcher.

I think out of the outfielders left, I want to keep Betts, Victorino, Nava and Castillo. We can’t bank on Victorino being healthy, but if he turns out to be anywhere near what he was two years ago, he’d be a valuable piece in right. And Nava’s left-handed bat and versatility could come in handy as a fourth or fifth outfielder. That leaves Craig, Holt, Bradley Jr., and Cespedes on the outside looking in.

At one point early Monday morning, 4 of ESPN’s top 6 headlines were Boston related. And frankly, although it was a pretty great day to be a fan, it wasn’t particularly out of the norm. We’ve had many days like that in years past. You should hate us for being obnoxious and arrogant. But I hope this run of excellence across the Boston sports never ends.

I don’t know if I necessarily believe that a culture of winning breeds winning, but I believe that a culture that expects winning demands winning. And as fans, we more than any other fan group won’t put up with losing at this point. Lose and we won’t accept it.