What's New With Mick » basketball http://www.rynosoft.com/blog Personal news, commentary and ramblings Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:48:34 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Vital Statistics http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2010/11/vital-statistics-202 http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2010/11/vital-statistics-202#comments Mon, 29 Nov 2010 01:01:00 +0000 Mitchell Laurren-Ring http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/?p=2395 Aches & pains: ankles
Current reading: Little Heathens by Mildred Armstrong Kalish
Recent listening: Les Paul & Mary Ford, The Mothers of Invention, Slick Rick, Gershwin, Jane Siberry, Glenn Miller, Brave Combo, Buckethead, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, King Crimson, Neil Young, Steve Goodman, Woody Guthrie
Recent viewing: Young & Innocent, Stage Fright, Rockford Files, Murphy’s Romance, Disturbing the Universe, Nova, WWII in HD, Alice in Wonderland, Long Day’s Journey Into the Night (aborted), More Than a Game, NBA Basketball, Hawkeye Football
Recent playing: Words with Friends, Fieldrunners, Pinball HD
Recently accomplished: Played “adult in charge” at recent Troop 820 campout, fixed broken gate, fixed leaky toilet, winterization
Imperative To Do: Resume biking, lingering Troop 820 issues, desk cleanup, Xmas shopping

]]> http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2010/11/vital-statistics-202/feed 0 Vital Statistics http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2009/07/vital-statistics-186 http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2009/07/vital-statistics-186#comments Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:18:29 +0000 Mitchell Laurren-Ring http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/?p=1520 Bike odometer: 2529
Van odometer: 155627
Aches & pains: mosquito bites
Current reading: My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk
Recent listening: Collected Works by Simon and Garfunkel, Red Hot + Rhapsody by various artists, Bachbusters by Don Dorsey, The Story by Brandi Carlile, Musique Vol 1 by Daft Punk, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway by Genesis
Recent viewing: The Prestige, Terminator: Salvation, Rescue Dawn, Star Trek, Rocky Balboa, NBA Conference Playoffs, Witness for the Prosecution, Up, Call of the Wild, The Third Man, The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill
Recent playing: Galcon, Peggle (for iPhone)
Recently accomplished: pulled blackberries, haircut, weed and feed lawn, turned compost, cat boxes, took Ming to vet
Imperative To Do: Read Sam’s script, return cans, put antenna in the attic, clean office, finish Best of 2008

]]> http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2009/07/vital-statistics-186/feed 0 Unsportsmanlike Foul http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2009/06/unsportsmanlike-foul http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2009/06/unsportsmanlike-foul#comments Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:17:13 +0000 Mitchell Laurren-Ring http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/?p=1564 After NBA Finals Game 4 had already been decided in overtime, the Lakers’ Pau Gasol was open for a second consecutive dunk. With less than 24 seconds left on the shot clock, conventional wisdom says that you merely hold the ball and let the clock run out. Gasol, who is considered by most to be a standup guy, made a poor decision and decided to dunk the ball. The Orlando Magic’s Mickael Pietrus, a player that I have liked since he helped Golden State knock Dallas out of the playoffs a couple of years ago, likely took umbrage to Gasol’s decision and decided to take it out on Gasol. Watching the replay below, it is obvious that Pietrus made no play on the ball and intended to hit Gasol as hard as he could. Even worse, he chose to hit Gasol when he was in the air, another violation of conventional wisdom in the NBA since knocking a guy off-balance while they are in the air can easily lead to great injury. Finally, watching carefully, you’ll notice that Pietrus’ follow-thru results in his sharp elbows digging into Gasol’s ribs from the back.

(Updated video below with “official” video from ESPN. Foul action starts at about 0:55.)

You can see why Gasol was upset. He was smart enough to grab the rim before dropping to the floor. Pietrus further inflamed the situation by trash-talking Gasol after the play was over. In my opinion, the foul should be upgraded from Flagrant 1 to Flagrant 2 and Pietrus should be suspended for a game. I understand the arguments against doing so (Pietrus has a clean record and it would inordinately affect the Magic’s chances of winning Game 5) but the rules are there for a reason and should be enforced. In addition to the unsportsmanlike aspect, the league also has strict rules about hitting someone with a closed fist. There is no exception for hitting in the back.

]]> http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2009/06/unsportsmanlike-foul/feed 1 Lebron James Ties Series at 1-1 http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2009/05/lebron-james-ties-series-at-1-1 http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2009/05/lebron-james-ties-series-at-1-1#comments Sun, 24 May 2009 03:59:54 +0000 Mitchell Laurren-Ring http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/?p=1522 My Tivo missed recording the last second of this game but the Internets saved me:

]]> http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2009/05/lebron-james-ties-series-at-1-1/feed 0 Vital Statistics http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2009/05/vital-statistics-185 http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2009/05/vital-statistics-185#comments Sat, 02 May 2009 04:30:55 +0000 Mitchell Laurren-Ring http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/?p=1507 Bike odometer: 2529
Van odometer: 155015
Aches & pains: lower back, muscles (moving)
Current reading: My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk, Cross-platform GUI Programming with wxWidgets, The Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Recent listening: No Line on the Horizon by U2, Final Boss by MC Frontalot
Recent viewing: Lost (Seasons 2-5), Medium, Hardball, NBA Playoffs, Rachel Maddow Show
Recent playing: Galcon
Recently accomplished: working in Vancouver, cleaned cat boxes, cleaned van, cardboard recycling, showed Thomas how to mow lawn, showed Graham how to use the edger, equipment salvage in Vancouver office
Imperative To Do: Scouts accounting, turn compost, read Sam’s script, return cans

]]> http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2009/05/vital-statistics-185/feed 0 Join the Ring Family 2009 Bracket Challenge http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2009/03/join-the-ring-family-2009-bracket-challenge http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2009/03/join-the-ring-family-2009-bracket-challenge#comments Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:58:42 +0000 Mitchell Laurren-Ring http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/?p=1403 As in last year, I’ve created a group for anyone who wants to join us in predicting the winners of the 2009 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Participation requires a free membership at ESPN.com. Brackets must be completed by Wednesday, March 16, 2009. Even if you know nothing about college basketball, it’s still fun to see how well you do as the tournament progresses. It’s even more fun when you beat the pants off of Thomas!

]]> http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2009/03/join-the-ring-family-2009-bracket-challenge/feed 0 Vital Statistics http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/06/vital-statistics-169 http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/06/vital-statistics-169#comments Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:15:50 +0000 Mitchell Laurren-Ring http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/?p=668 Bike odometer: 2443
Van odometer: 152791
Weight lost (in pounds): 5
Aches & pains: Left wrist, right ankle, left knee
Current reading: The Book of Totally Useless Information by Don Voorhees, My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk, CSS: The Definitive Guide (O’Reilly) by Eric A. Meyer, Profiles In Courage by John F. Kennedy
Recent listening: This American Life, Jimmy Buffett
Recent viewing: The Borrowers, Celtics at Lakers, U.S. Open (golf)
Recent playing: Chain Factor, Sporcle
Recently accomplished: Mowed and trimmed lawn, assembled and mounted bike rack, paid bills, helped fix Thomas window, cat boxes
Imperative To Do: Sell G4, get rid of junk (couch, vacuum cleaner, mower, bed), buy trailer for van, activate new Tivo, oil change for van, weeds, clean garage, moss, new muxtape, re-assemble bathroom door frame

]]> http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/06/vital-statistics-169/feed 0 Vital Statistics http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/06/vital-statistics-168 http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/06/vital-statistics-168#comments Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:19:32 +0000 Mitchell Laurren-Ring http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/?p=659 Bike odometer: 2443
Van odometer: 152647
Weight lost (in pounds): 3
Aches & pains: none
Current reading: The Book of Totally Useless Information by Don Voorhees, My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk, CSS: The Definitive Guide (O’Reilly) by Eric A. Meyer
Recent listening: Chrome Dreams II by Neil Young, Jimmy Buffett, Fresh Air, This American Life
Recent viewing: Lakers vs. Spurs, Celtics vs. Pistons, Doctor Who, Face the Nation, Countdown, Hardball
Recent playing: Chain Factor, Fireflies
Recently accomplished: Voted, GPS rebate, cleaned cat boxes, cardboard recycling, new tires for Thomas, fixed flat on little bike, mowed lawn
Imperative To Do: Sell G4, get rid of junk (couch, vacuum cleaner, mower), buy trailer for van, activate new Tivo, oil change for van, weeds, clean garage, mow lawn, pay bills, fix Thomas’ window, moss, new muxtape

]]> http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/06/vital-statistics-168/feed 0 Vital Statistics http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/05/vital-statistics-167 http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/05/vital-statistics-167#comments Sat, 17 May 2008 19:41:37 +0000 Mitchell Laurren-Ring http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/?p=631 Bike odometer: 2423
Van odometer: 152328
Weight lost (in pounds): 4
Aches & pains: left achilles tendon, sciatic
Current reading: The Book of Totally Useless Information by Don Voorhees, The Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgman, My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk, CSS: The Definitive Guide (O’Reilly) by Eric A. Meyer
Recent listening: This American Life, Chrome Dreams II by Neil Young
Recent viewing: Medium, NBA Playoffs, The Colbert Report, Mary Poppins, The Simpsons, Doctor Who
Recent playing: Virus 2, Multitasking
Recently accomplished: Sent Xbox in for repairs, cleaned cat boxes, haircut, best Mother’s Day ever, mowed lawn
Imperative To Do: Sell G4, get rid of junk (couch, vacuum cleaner, mower), buy trailer for van, activate new Tivo, oil change for van, GPS rebate

]]> http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/05/vital-statistics-167/feed 0 Separated at birth? http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/05/separated-at-birth http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/05/separated-at-birth#comments Fri, 02 May 2008 19:00:32 +0000 Mitchell Laurren-Ring http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/?p=636 Jerry Buss Josef Fritzl

If I were Jerry Buss, I’d shave my mustache ASAP.

]]> http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/05/separated-at-birth/feed 0 Vital Statistics http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/04/vital-statistics-166 http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/04/vital-statistics-166#comments Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:08:57 +0000 Mitchell Laurren-Ring http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/?p=614 Bike odometer: 2395
Van odometer: 151992
Weight lost (in pounds): 8
Aches & pains: left achilles tendon, sciatic
Current reading: The Book of Totally Useless Information by Don Voorhees, The Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgman, My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk
Recent listening: Rage Against The Machine, This American Life, Bob Wills
Recent viewing: Doctor Who, Battlestar Galactica, Warren Miller’s Ride, Suns vs. Spurs, South Park, The Office, Numbers, Cavaliers vs. Wizards
Recent playing: TypeRacer (top speed about 75 wpm)
Recently accomplished: Cat boxes, recycling, clean and lube bikes, adjusted Thomas’ “old” bike for Graham, weed & feed, 401k loan, mowed lawn, changed voter registration, weed & feed
Imperative To Do: Sell G4, get rid of junk (couch, vacuum cleaner, mower), buy trailer for van, activate new Tivo, develop comprehensive reward/punishment plan for homework, oil change for van

]]> http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/04/vital-statistics-166/feed 0 Vital Statistics http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/04/vital-statistics-163 http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/04/vital-statistics-163#comments Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:54:14 +0000 Mitchell Laurren-Ring http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/?p=599 Van odometer: 151601
Weight lost (in pounds): 6
Aches & pains: sciatic, right ankle
Current reading: The Book of Totally Useless Information by Don Voorhees, The Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgman
Recent listening: News from Lake Wobegon, Go Tell It On The Mountain by The Blind Boys of Alabama, Fruitcakes by Jimmy Buffett
Recent viewing: Suns at Spurs, The Simpsons, Medium, Torchwood
Recent playing: Xbox 360, Guitar Hero III
Recently accomplished: Cleaning up missing rynosoft.com stuff, tagged existing blog entries, installed statistics plugin for WordPress, modified blog sidebar, entertained the Camps, cleaned cat box, reorganized entertainment center
Imperative To Do: Join gym, post office (Kent, Sue, Lala), phone calls, test bike commute, finish 401k rollover, sell G4, get rid of junk (couch, vacuum cleaner, mower), buy trailer for van, clean van, activate new Tivo, pay bills

]]> http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/04/vital-statistics-163/feed 0 Thomas wins the bracket challenge http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/04/thomas-wins-the-bracket-challenge http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/04/thomas-wins-the-bracket-challenge#comments Tue, 08 Apr 2008 04:17:08 +0000 Mitchell Laurren-Ring http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/?p=598 In our NCAA tournament pool, neither Graham nor I had a team make it out of the Final Four. Thomas had one finalist (Memphis) and even picked them to win. However, they did not win. The ultimate winner of ESPN’s pool scored 1560.  

Thomas: 1130
Mick: 800
Graham: 680

]]> http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/04/thomas-wins-the-bracket-challenge/feed 1 Bracket results before Final Four http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/04/bracket-results-before-final-four http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/04/bracket-results-before-final-four#comments Wed, 02 Apr 2008 05:59:09 +0000 Mitchell Laurren-Ring http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/?p=587

Thomas picked a good year to pick four #1 seeds and has pulled way ahead of Graham and I in our NCAA tournament pool. It seems unlikely that we’ll catch him now:

Mick: 800 (picked three of Final Four)
Thomas: 1010 (picked all Final Four)
Graham: 680 (picked two of Final Four)

]]> http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/04/bracket-results-before-final-four/feed 0 Bracket results after Round Two http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/03/bracket-results-after-round-two http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/03/bracket-results-after-round-two#comments Tue, 25 Mar 2008 03:55:09 +0000 Mitchell Laurren-Ring http://rynosoft.dreamhosters.com/blog/?p=557 I was only able to convince Thomas and Graham to join my NCAA tournament pool but we had fun this weekend tracking the results. After two rounds, Thomas is way ahead of Graham and I:

Mick: 360
Thomas: 450
Graham: 360

]]> http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/03/bracket-results-after-round-two/feed 0 Fun with Brackets http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/03/fun-with-brackets http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/03/fun-with-brackets#comments Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:56:32 +0000 Mitchell Laurren-Ring http://rynosoft.dreamhosters.com/blog/?p=552 Whether you are hard-core fan of college basketball or someone who knows (or cares) nothing about it, it’s always fun to compete with your friends. If you want to compete with me in ESPN’s contest to predict the winners in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, please join my group.

]]> http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/03/fun-with-brackets/feed 0 Kenny George is very tall http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/01/kenny-george-is-very-tall http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/01/kenny-george-is-very-tall#comments Fri, 11 Jan 2008 23:33:58 +0000 Mitchell Laurren-Ring http://rynosoft.dreamhosters.com/blog/?p=527 Seven feet, seven inches tall.

The “little guy” that dunked on him is 6′ 10″ tall.

]]> http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2008/01/kenny-george-is-very-tall/feed 0 I put a curse on Greg Oden http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2007/09/i-put-a-curse-on-greg-oden http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2007/09/i-put-a-curse-on-greg-oden#comments Wed, 19 Sep 2007 00:26:22 +0000 Mitchell Laurren-Ring http://rynosoft.dreamhosters.com/blog/?p=440 Last week Portland basketball collectively sighed when news broke that Greg Oden would miss his rookie season following knee surgery. Oden was the number one pick in the draft this year and Portland fans had all their hopes riding on him. It didn’t take long for pundits, local and national to begin making comparisons to Sam Bowie, the chronically injured center that the Blazers took ahead of Michael Jordan in the 1984 draft.

Funny thing is, I made that comparison on the day that Oden arrived in Portland, well before he had even injured his knee during summer league play. Was it a prediction or did I put the whammy on him?

]]> http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2007/09/i-put-a-curse-on-greg-oden/feed 0 Vital Statistics http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2007/08/vital-statistics-142 http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2007/08/vital-statistics-142#comments Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:40:49 +0000 Mitchell Laurren-Ring http://rynosoft.dreamhosters.com/blog/?p=422 Bike odometer: 1747
Weight lost: 42 lbs.
Hours of sleep last night: 6
Hours billed last week: 16.5
Aches & pains: none!
Current reading:: 2107 Curious Word Origins, Says & Expressions by Charles Earle Funk, The Book of Totally Useless Information by Don Voorhees, The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester
Recent listening: CSN (box set) by Crosby, Stills and Nash, Coverville, DrugMusic
Recent viewing: Tournament of the Americas, Countdown
Recent playing: Gimme Friction Baby, Guitar Hero II (XBox 360)
Recently accomplished: Paid bills, finished “Medium” level of Guitar Hero II, beach pictures
Imperative To Do: RMA old Tivo drive, sift through inbox, post office, fix Thomas’ computer, finish garage, freecycle gorilla shelf parts, Goodwill trip, doctor appointments

]]> http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2007/08/vital-statistics-142/feed 0 Vital Statistics http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2007/08/vital-statistics-141 http://www.rynosoft.com/blog/2007/08/vital-statistics-141#comments Mon, 27 Aug 2007 03:40:55 +0000 Mitchell Laurren-Ring http://rynosoft.dreamhosters.com/blog/?p=418 Bike odometer: 1690
Weight lost: 41 lbs.
Hours of sleep last night: 10
Hours billed last week: 16.5
Aches & pains: abrasion on right calf, back, shoulders, bruise on right forearm
Current reading:: 2107 Curious Word Origins, Says & Expressions by Charles Earle Funk, The Book of Totally Useless Information by Don Voorhees, The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester
Recent listening: Wolfmother, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Metallica
Recent viewing: Masters of Science Fiction, The Colbert Report, Gilmore Girls, Mindfreak, Tournament of the Americas
Recent playing: Pangea Arcade, Gimme Friction Baby, Guitar Hero II (XBox 360)
Recently accomplished: More garage re-organization, returned cans and bottles, cleaned cat box, foam recycling, cardboard recycling, mowed front yard, cleaned and lubed bike
Imperative To Do: RMA old Tivo drive, sift through inbox, post office, fix Thomas’ computer, finish garage, freecycling, Goodwill trip

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