The Drubbing

Did anyone see the Detroit Pistons play the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2009 NBA playoffs? Don’t answer that, it’s a trick question. Because the Pistons never showed up. They were on summer vacation before the series even began. The Pistons looked like the playoffs were nothing more than an inconvenience.

The series was so bad that Cavaliers fans had no problems getting tickets for the games in Detroit. And this isn’t an indictment of the fans in Detroit. We all know that city has been hit pretty hard, and when a local team shows up and plays hard like the Red Wings, Detroit fans will pack a stadium to cheer them on.
Continue reading “The Detroit Pistons quit a long time ago” →

7:32 p.m.: ESPN shows Blake Griffin wearing a pastel purple shirt underneath his suit, but what stands out is his acne.

7:37 p.m.: Mark Jackson calls going to the Clippers a “great situation” for Blake Griffin.  That might be the first time in history that “great situation” and “Clippers” have been used in the same sentence.

7:39 p.m.: Approximately 3 minutes and 45 seconds into the allotted 5 minutes the Clippers finally select Blake Griffin.  How exciting!  The Clippers just selected Chris Wilcox with the Number 1 pick.  They should have taken Rubio and shipped Baron Davis out.  As stated in my mock draft, the Clippers will be regretting this pick soon.  The Draft now begins.
Continue reading “2009 NBA Draft Diary” →

NBA Draft time, check out our diary and mock draft:

The best thing on NBA.com right now.

Dave Chappelle’s thoughts on the King of Pop (RIP Michael Jackson).

Your Weekly Chuck Norris Fact:

Chuck Norris has 3 birthdays a year.

* Please note that Chuck Norris is in no way affiliated with The Drubbing or its writers. If he did find out we were using his name in a gimmick he would roundhouse kick all of us to death.

Who Teams will Select? Who will those Selections Become?

1. Los Angeles Clippers – Blake Griffin, PF Oklahoma
The consensus number one pick here is Blake Griffin. He has elite level athleticism, but I question his small hands. You can’t keep him out of the weight room, but I question his height, length, and the size of his hands. Going to the Clippers sounds like a death sentence but it could be worse for Griffin (e.g. Memphis, Sacramento, or Milwaukee).

I have a hard time believing that he lives up to the hype. My prediction is that at worst Griffin becomes a more athletic Clarence Weatherspoon. Griffin will make an all star team, but I am not sure he is a perennial all star. His upside reminds me of Carlos Boozer, with a less refined post game. If the Clippers had stones, they would take Ricky Rubio, the one player in this draft that I am willing to guarantee is a perennial all star.
Continue reading “The 2009 NBA Mock Draft Preview: Where overreaching happens” →

Now that the 2009 NBA All-Star Weekend is behind us, and the 2009 NBA Draft is upon us, we can take an early look at the 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend, specifically at the rising stars in the NCAA that could be participants in next years festivities.
Continue reading “Stars of the 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend” →

Let me be the first to admit that the United States Men’s Soccer Team looked outstanding today against a Spain side who were blind-sided by the Yank onslaught.  Contrary to my gloom and doom post yesterday, the US played with piss and vinegar making Spain seem incredibly ordinary at times.

Was it a case of Spain coming out flat and underestimating the Americans?  Was it the Americans finally playing a flowing game of soccer that we’ve all been looking for since their pre-2006 World Cup days?  Perhaps a bit of both.  
Continue reading “Slaying Goliath… US 2 – Spain 0″ →

With all of the pre-draft trades going on and the upcoming draft itself, some of the greatest NBA news, as far as I’m concerned, went largely unnoticed the other day. The 76ers are bring back an updated version of an older logo. A slightly altered version of their circa 1997 branding will be replacing the horrific black and gold nightmare we’ve been putting up with.
Continue reading “Bringing Sixers back” →

Dear US, prepare to be dismantled. Love, David Villa.

The United States Men’s National Soccer Team find themselves in the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup in South Africa.  However, when they meet Spain on Wednesday in Bloemfontein (a completely real city, despite its seemingly fictitious name) they will not subsequently find themselves advancing to the finals.  Anything can happen in sports, but the fact that the US are in the semi-finals is a bit of a false indicator to the lay soccer fan.  In all honesty, they made it here by mistake.
Continue reading “Fumbling, Bumbling, Tumbling… Into the Semis.” →

My name is Denard Span. I deserve to play more than the guy I am cutting in front of. FREE DENARD SPAN!

Before the season, I did a piece on some hitters that made their debuts last year that might make a mark with their teams this year. You can find the link here. Although it isn’t the All-Star break yet, I figured it might be time to check in with the 9 guys we looked at then:

Chris Dickerson, Reds: He had an OPS of 1.021 in 102 AB’s for the Reds last year. As a result of that, the Reds penciled him in as their starting LF. Most projection systems were pessimistic on him, and while he has not held up to his stats from last year, he has not completely embarrassed himself. His batting average is .265, which can be mostly explained by the fact that his batting average on balls in play is (BABIP) is .340. That is .70 points less than it was last year. Historically, most hitters will be between .290-.300 on BABIP, so the fact that these numbers are so high is quite disturbing. His SLG% is also .222 points lower than last year. Summary: Chris needs to pick it up, especially since he is now 27.
Continue reading “A look back at last year’s rookies so far…” →

College World Series heats up this week:

Duke fans, or hell any NCAA bball fan, want to own a the floor where arguably the most memorable NCAA shot ever was taken? you will need at least $2,500.

Some one on the Cubs needs to help Sweet Lou out.

Your Weekly Chuck Norris Fact:

Chuck Norris’s family crest is a picture of a barracuda eating Neil Armstrong.

* Please note that Chuck Norris is in no way affiliated with The Drubbing or its writers. If he did find out we were using his name in a gimmick he would roundhouse kick all of us to death.