Brook Lopez is Awesome

So amidst a SportsCenter top 10 the other night, I see Devin Harris' glorious half-court heave. The heave is sure to go down in history, not simply as an amazing shot, but as the catalyst to this interview with Brook Lopez (his part starts at 0:20). Upon seeing this interview, I decided to look into just what else I could find out about this Brook Lopez fella beyond the two facts I already knew:

1. He is tall.

2. He somehow appears to be less strange than his identical twin.

Even professional photographers can't make them look normal.

As it turns out, for Brook Lopez, normal must be an incredibly relative term. As if the interview that spawned my interest didn't completely give it away, Brook Lopez is a bit of a meathead. Not an annoying, stupid, full-of-himself meathead (think this guy), but more of a pleasantly slow meathead (think this guy).

A Google video search of Brook Lopez turns up some gems (though, disappointingly, not very much porn despite his androgynous name). In a pre-draft interview, the guy who has been playing basketball since a young age (his Wikipedia entry says he was "born into a life of basketball and art." Am I surprised? No.) stated that the skill he needs to work on the most is "shooting." Not a particular kind of shooting. Not a baby hook. Not his free throws. Not his mid-range jumper. Just shooting.

In another pre-draft interview, Brook reveals that he needs to work on his defense and rebounding. So, to recap, Brook Lopez views his areas of weakness as:

1. Shooting.

2. Defense.

3. Rebounding.

Brook also was mic'd up during the NBA Draft. This reveals his true colors, and why I am now a fan. Brook makes fun of Brady Quinn. Therefore, Brook Lopez is a good judge of character. Brook emphatically proclaims "This is boring!!!" despite the fact that he is at the draft because teams are fighting for the right to make him a millionaire. Therefore, Brook Lopez is cool under pressure. Brook reveals that he didn't know that Lawrence Frank was the coach of the Nets, who drafted Brook. This Frank-related confusion is understandable, since Frank looks even younger than Brook acts. Therefore, Brook calls 'em like he sees 'em. A good judge of character, cool under pressure, and a straight shooter. You, Brook Lopez, are awesome.

Binge Redeems Himself

I don't think I'm making an overstatement when I say that Spring Training is perhaps the most important part of the season. With that in mind, imagine my excitement when I saw that Binge went 2-for-2 today, thus vindicating himself vis-a-vis the last post.

The pinnacle of greatness

Then I read the rest of the box score. Binge's throwing error, the only Tigers' error of the game, led to three unearned runs.

Jackass

This may come as a surprise to some, but Binge is only on the team because of his fielding. I know, it's shocking. But when you hit .205/11/51, you better be a damn good fielder. In fact, you better be Rey Fucking Ordonez. There's two major differences between Rey Ordonez and Inge, however.

1. Rey Ordonez's lifetime BA was .246 to Inge's .237
2. Ordonez was a shortstop.

I can't for the life of me figure out why Inge is an option at third base. His numbers were acceptable when he was catcher, but barely. But there's a reason why some the greatest hitters in recent history (e.g., Brett, Schmidt, Boggs, Jones) have played third base: it's the easiest position to play except for first base. Even left field requires you to be able run fast. The Tigers need to bring up Mike Hessman. He can't hit for average, but neither can Inge. Plus, Hessman will put up 25+ homers per year. He's nowhere near the fielder Inge is, but who cares. We're talking about third base.

Big Z's Key to Success: Tamales

No Guitar Hero as well, obviously.

Rock on Joel... Wait, actually don't.

Joel Zumaya, by all accounts, has been dominant throwing BP so far this spring training. To what does he credit his return to form? The doctors that surgically repaired his shoulder? Pitching coach Rick Knapp? An intense offseason conditioning and rehabilitation program? Nope, none of the above. Tamales are his muse apparently.

Only in baseball can an athlete (and I use that term loosely for a lot of baseball players) put on 40 pounds of pure fat and have the coach think this is a good thing.

"'I thought he lost too much [last year],' manager Jim Leyland has said."

I love you baseball.

Since when is The Detroit News going to Brandon Inge to assess pitching talent though?

"Brandon Inge, one of the hitters who faced Zumaya, called the session 'pretty dominating. He had an incredible curveball.'"

This Brandon Inge is still the one playing for the Tigers... right? The same guy who hit .205 last year and had 94 strikeouts in 347 at bats. No offense Binge, but I'll wait for the verdict on Zumaya until I hear it from someone a little more skilled at hitting the ball. I bet every curveball looks "incredible" to you.

This is Binge striking out. You will see it approximately 140 times next year.

Nonetheless, perhaps I am just a glutton for punishment but I am excited for the upcoming baseball season. The Tigers aren't expected to be great by any means, but just having baseball back always feels good. Plus Big Z is healthy again - let's just hope he can stay that way. Todd Jones is gone. I just hope Brandon Lyon can capture some of that magic he had at the beginning of last season with the Dbacks. Cabrera now has a full year under his belt at first base. Rick Porcello, the Tigers' 2007 1st round draft choice, is looking good and has a shot to make the team. Also, while the Tigers didn't make any huge moves in the offseason, neither did the rest of the AL Central. Okay, so the Twins got Joe Crede. The guy has missed 180 games in the last 2 seasons... let's temper our expectations here people.

Another year?

Tomorrow is one of the best days of the year. At 1:05 p.m. EST (6:05 p.m. GMT), spring training games begin. With any luck, this means we can stop hearing about A-Rod being a cheater and start hearing about the retarded injuries that for some reason only happen to baseball players. Unfortunately, despite my repeated offseason letters to Bud Selig, the Red Sox will be one of the teams playing. Adding to my crushing disappointment is the fact that the Red Sox are the only team playing twice.

"But Dad, I don't want to play baseball. I want to dance."

In what will undoubtedly be an extremely interesting game, the Sox will open against Boston College. For the nightcap, they will play against the Twins. What does this mean for baseball fans everywhere? I have no idea. The answer to the only important question—what does this mean for me?—is painfully obvious. Starting tomorrow, I will be forced to listen to the obnoxious, ill-informed, and incessant blathering of Red Sox fans.

These guys.

Friday Night Lights....One of the best shows on television and no one knows it

I have to admit that until recently, I was one of those people that didn't know the greatness of Friday Night Lights. After quickly watching every episode available on Hulu (around 40 episodes), I'll admit that the show is highly addicting. I guess the fact that I watched over 30 hours of the show in less than a week proves how addicting it can be. While its faults are numerous (the realism, Jason Street's character, the first half of season 2, how every game is decided by the final play), the show provides a highly entertaining look at high school football in Texas. The character development and personal relationships are where FNL really shines while mixing in plenty of situational humor. Tim Riggins has quickly become one of my favorite TV characters of all time. At the risk of providing any spoilers, I will refrain from any further details or opinions. Season 3 is currently premiering on NBC every friday night and is available online immediately after (NBC or Hulu are two of your viewing options). The main message is simply this: Watch this show.

The NFL Draft: Kinda Gay

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