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| On the field at the end of the Raiders vs Dolphins game yesterday. |
One who criticizes or passes judgment from a position of hindsight
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Juan Uribe is going to the enemy.
Pending a physical tomorrow, Uribe will become a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, agreeing to a 3-year, $21 million dollar contract earlier today.
Uribe was a big part of the Giants World Series championship team, as he had many hits throughout the post-season. Game 4 of the NLCS against the Phillies, he hit a sacrifice fly to win the game. In Game 6, he hit the opposite field shot to give the Giants the 3-2 lead, and eventually the series. And he had a massive home run in Game 1 of the World Series that broke the game open. But he's a Dodger now so get the boo birds ready.
Now onto the greatness that is St. Mary's Athletics as we look at the teams.
5th grade
Despite losing their first two games, this team is getting close to getting over the hump. Both of their losses were in single digits and both pretty close games. Their defense is decent but what really hurts them is their offense. Besides Raymond, nobody on the team is a consistent scorer. Other people will need to chip in and have confidence to take the shot for this team to pick up some wins and be in the playoff hunt.
6th grade
Two very difficult losses for the 6th grade over the weekend, and both games mirrored each other. It was the same mistakes that hurt them. But one glaring problem that was evident yesterday and at times Friday was their inability to get back on defense. Once they miss a shot, the other teams always beat them down the court, which is usually a sign that the team is tired. With seven players on the team, and six of them having played soccer, they shouldn't be getting tired this easily.
Most of the points they give up are the easy bucket lay-ups. Another handful come from not boxing out and that's a whole other story.
Offensively, they run too much of the same play, with Justin calling a screen and then eventually firing off a shot. Justin is a good shooter, but what happens when he gets cold like he did on Sunday? Other people need to step up and put some points in the basket. Daniel has been the most consistent of the team, but sometimes he tries and works so hard offensively, he is late getting back on defense.
This team is not working together as a cohesive unit and will need to do so quick as their first game is Friday.
7th Grade
This team got a much needed lift when the St. Mary's six got the benefit of four DeMarillac players. None bigger so far than Pablo, who averaged 9 points in the final two games of the CYO tournament.
Their biggest problem right now is taking care of the ball as many of the players are sloppy either with their dribbling or passing. But their upside is a lot higher than last year after a full season's worth of play. Couple that with the depth that they have, this team could be a sleeper and make a run at the playoffs.
8th Grade White
Turnovers, turnovers and turnovers. And oh yeah, it would help if a full team showed up to practice on Sunday.
Individually, Mark is a pretty solid player. As a team player, the jury is still out on what he can do. The great players make their teammates better and Mark is faced with that challenge this year.
Gavin C. is a good shooter but he has trouble getting open and is afraid of taking the shot. He needs to shoot more. Gavin L. on the other hand lacks explosiveness and energy a lot of times, and he needs to be more alert on the court. He needs to want it more. Same could be said for Calson.
This team is not in a difficult division and anything other than a playoff berth will be a disappointment.
8th Grade Red
After a shaky start to their tournament game, the Red Team pulled it together for another impressive win. Despite one of Justin's worse performances to date, they still managed to win.
Two of the biggest flaws right now come on the defensive end, starting with their poor positioning on rebounds. Michael Ng needs to stay inside on his zone defense and be on the inside to grab boards. Too many times, the other team is planted in front of Michael, leading to an easy put back lay-up. Also, Miles is very prone to picking up fouls (See: Andris Biedrins). When Miles picks up fouls, he tends to just stand there and not move his feet. Miles needs to be able to play defense, where he doesn't foul, but also changes shots. Good teams will exploit a statue in the middle.
That's all folks. Check back later tonight or some time tomorrow for a BRAND NEW video.
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