SB Nation User Blog: JeffD

Kirk was loose, he had been playing really well and we just wanted to go that way. It's one of...

JeffD — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 05:03:53 -0000

Kirk was loose, he had been playing really well and we just wanted to go that way. It's one of those things where if you execute the play and you make it, it was the right way. That's part of the decision-making process.

[Commandeered, edited, and bumped as a post-game stub -ed.]

VDN on his lineup with 6 seconds left and the game tied, one that resulted in a TO.

As pointed out in the comments, it doesn't explain why Rose wasn't on the floor. I didn't even notice it when I watched it, I couldn't even fathom that Derrick Rose wouldn't be out there. I was actually starting to fume at Vinny for going 3-guards for the final 5 minutes, but Hinrich did a decent job against Wade (more decent than Rose or Gordon was, anyway) and as much as I figure you play your best, clearly Luol Deng's back on vacation.

But sitting Rose on the final play? Inserting an ice-cold Thabo to do the inbounds?

Too bad, despite some heavy 3-guard time and liquid hot death from the bench for most of the game, the Bulls surged back into it with Rose and Gordon on offense, and Thomas/Noah igniting that offense from the other end.

Thought it'd be the second great finish I'd see tonight, I was in person for this one.

-yfbb

It was revealed that the league office had foiled an attempt by Portland to claim Miles off waivers...

JeffD — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 04:25:27 -0000

It was revealed that the league office had foiled an attempt by Portland to claim Miles off waivers with the intent of stashing him on their inactive roster for the rest of the season.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3831137

Consistency is going to come with consistent minutes,'' he said. ''You can't play 30 minutes three...

JeffD — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:44:34 -0000

Consistency is going to come with consistent minutes,'' he said. ''You can't play 30 minutes three nights in a row, then play five minutes and say, 'He's inconsistent.' I feel like if I get the opportunity, I can show it for long stretches. You've seen me come into the United Center and do it for five, six games in a row. Then I don't play for five or six games. To me, that's not inconsistency, it's just a lack of opportunity.

Tyrus Thomas

World Championships on TV

JeffD — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:22:14 -0000

World Championships on TV

This may already be well known, but I hadn't seen anything about it. I happened to come across the TT on Universal Sports today. I don't think its a widely distributed channel... here in Chicago, it is a subchannel of NBC... I didn't realize I had it until tivo told me this was on. They will also have 3.5 hours of the women's road race live tomorrow and 3.5 hours of the men's live on sunday.

Edit: I see it was discussed in the TT thread, but here is the schedule for the weekend, anyway. :)

Hanley calls out anonymous Bulls

JeffD — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:20:16 -0000

It was just a few minutes after Bulls coach Jim Boylan had accused some of his players of going ''into their own little worlds, acting kind of childish at times'' in an 83-67 loss Wednesday to the NBA basement-dwelling Minnesota Timberwolves. In the locker room, a few Bulls were sharing a hearty laugh over a teammate's supposed style when it came to street clothes.

While good-natured teasing is a healthy staple of any team, these yuks seemed only to serve as Exhibit A in Boylan's case.

...

Given those numbers, one reporter skipped the postgame softball toss and asked captain Kirk Hinrich, ''What was that all about?''

At least one of the chucklers was heard to mimic the question. Imagine if he had heard what some fans were saying after the supposed effort.

The only players he says or implies it wasn't are Wallace & Kirk. Any guesses? Think this will become a story like the Noah/Wallace altercation?

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/basketball/bulls/770804,CST-SPT-bull01.article

Non-cycling EPO

JeffD — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 23:53:58 -0000

Bit off the cycling topic, but I was reading the ESPN article this afternoon about former NFL player Dana Stubblefield pleading guilty to lying to investigators in the BALCO case. What caught my eye was this section:

'The records state Stubblefield lied when he said:

He had neither seen nor ingested the designer steroid known in the case as "the clear."
He had neither seen nor injected the oxygen-boosting drug EPO.
He had never received either item through BALCO.

Stubblefield was suspended by the NFL in 2003 while playing for the Oakland Raiders, after testing positive for THG, also known as "the clear." Also, according to the documents, he tested positive in 2002 for EPO, as part of BALCO's screening process to research whether performance-enhancing substances would be detected. The NFL, which has come through the past several years largely unscathed by a stream of steroid scandals in other sports, did not test for EPO at the time.

This year, the league announced it was adding EPO to its list of banned substances.'

Maybe I've missed some, but this is one of the first times I've seen EPO connected to any of the major american pro sports.

Do the leagues test for EPO? If not, this could be the tip of the iceberg. If a defensive lineman is using it, who else is?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3202950