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Option 3?

[RedKing]

Yeah, I can't watch basketball either. It's become: I run into other guy on purpose; other guy committed the foul. I get two 'relatively' easy points.

That said I probably couldn't shoot a free throw for my life so there is that.

But if the game is about free throws why not play the game (I've heard it called different names in different areas) with two basketballs instead, where if you make the basket before the guy in front of you (who gets his own rebounds and continues to shoot until they've made it or the next guy makes it) that guy is out until everyone is eliminated; and everyone starts by taking a free throw?

EDIT: It was called Lightning. Also heard it called Shoot Out.

That should be an Olympic sport I think. The problem is knowing what to call it. To be honest I've forgotten since High School but it was the most fun I'd had with a basketball; seeing as the main problem with basketball are the rules.

Also I liked standing at half court and whipping that ball at the net the entire gym period if we were able to choose from anything. (Hockey was not allowed for me as I hit a kid in the head with a hockey stick in the 6th grade because he kept hitting me in the leg painfully on blatant purpose when the gym teacher wasn't looking; which means I'll hit everyone in the head every time with a hockey stick if they let me near one obviously. True story. They literally never let me play the sport in gym class ever again after that. I don't know if only half the class was able to play hockey every year for the only required semester of gym in High School or not but it sure seems strange to skip hockey every year when you have the sticks and a plastic puck; and beyond that not allow me and the poor unfortunates in my class in particular anywhere near a hockey stick when I ask to use them when I glimpse them in the back of the storage room. Glinting ever so dangerously.) I literally had to go to an after hours floor hockey club in the next elementary over to get my hands on a hockey stick.

That sounds like a basketball version of a hockey shootout. Or some really boring version of Horse. (Horse, being of course, the fun cross-meld of basketball and Hangman)

[Duuvian]

It's actually quite a good game. The problem is that it requires two balls, and requisitioning that total from elsewhere where it also might be put to good use was sometimes difficult.

However since we played it nearly every day past 7th grade or so at lunchtime I'd say it was successful. It's probably best around 10 players or so; though team size is unlimited if the people waiting in line don't mind spectating most of the time until it's narrowed down a bit. Occasionally someone would kick the ball a hundred feet in the air and who knows where it would land (possibly inaccessible) but for the most part it was the best system involving a net and a ball. Usually it's over fast enough no one gets bored unless the people are absolutely terrible; then it becomes kind of funny in a pitiful way. You can also 'attack' the other guy's ball by throwing yours at it; though if you miss you have to run and get it. It's usually best done by using your ball to block the other guy's from going in the net. Quite often your opponent will score yours on accident with his shot due to miscalculating travel time while his rebounds out. If they both go it; both people are still in. It adds some strategy to shooting rather than being pure skill; because if you shoot at the right time you can kerplunk your ball right in front of the other guy's and their otherwise golden shot will bounce off your ball and out of the rim, while yours is forced through the net violently.

Also if you want to hear a sad game; in first grade we didn't even have a basket. Up till about third grade all we had was a pole we threw the ball as high as possible at and if you hit it, it was a 'basket' worth two points. Then they must have received some funding or something because the playground got better over time (then worse when someone decided they should put a bunch of tiny little rocks on the ground about calf deep. So many tiny rocks in shoes. You couldn't even run in the stuff more than two steps without stopping and dumping your shoes out. It was terrible. Although it made jumping off the swings possible without breaking your bones; I assume due to the properties of small rocks absorbing and spreading kinetic energy amongst themselves. I proudly admit I was the one who discovered this property of tiny stupid rocks. Then the dummies in charge noticed we were jumping twenty feet in the air when we were three point five foot tall; and scraped all the rocks off that area. Then kids started breaking bones (not me though, I figured that out pretty quick and didn't have to go more than 5 feet in the air to do it.) It's like even when I was 8 I knew I could run shit better than the people in charge of me. That's a pretty sad feeling to have for your entire life to be honest and continues to this day to some moderate amount. No offense to any individually excellent government people. After all it seems despite what certain brave founders of America may have wished politics has become a team sport of it's own. Which I'd like to change but that's a story for another thread.

This one is about baseball and then basketball and then maybe my childhood shenanigans and then baseball again (I hope.)

[Scoops Novel]

How much do your baseballers get paid over there by the way? With little hope, is it in much different from footballers?

[Jervill]

It varies, the top tier players make ludicrously high amounts, but I'm not sure about the rest.

Update: San Francisco Giants beat the Cincinnati Reds 6-4 in Game 5 to win the series, they'll advance to face either St. Louis or Washington in the National League Championship Series.
Buster Posey hit a Grand Slam (homerun with the bases loaded for those unaware), and the Giants held on through the game.

The other NLDS game is tied 1-1 in the Bottom of the Fourth (St. Louis vs. Washington).

UPDATE 2: Jason Werth hit a home run to win the game for the Nationals in the Bottom of the Ninth 2-1 after fouling off ten pitches.  It was one hell of an at bat.  Series tied at 2-2.

[Cthulhu]

oh my god reds

so embarrassing

why did you do this

[Duuvian]

Tigers are up 6-0, despite the starters on both teams having good games. Verlander was still pitching last inning in the bottom of the 7th, and he was pitching (another) gem. I as hoping to see Prince Fielder hit a grand slam like I most remember about his father in a Tiger's uniform before him  but I suppose.

Also I saw this guy in the front row over there in California: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Dombrowski

I realized I forgot to mention the guys in the big office upstairs when I was congratulating and thanking the Tigers for such a great season this year. That's not right and I thank Dave and Al Kaline and Mike Illitch and any and all the others who've done well for Detroit who I, with some shame and regret due to this post's imperfection have failed to mention by name, believe deserve a hefty pat on the back. Thank you for doing what you can, and doing it well, thanks for doing good for the community.

EDIT: Tigers win 6-0! Verlander pitches a complete game shutout! Verlander sets a strikeout MLB record for the American League Division Series at twenty two strikeouts! First time a Tiger's pitcher has pitched two complete games in the same play offs series since the 1984 World Series! Oakland gives it's team an excellent round of applause as well which is very nice to see and well deserved.

[Jervill]

Baltimore beat the New York Yankees 2-1 in 13 innings last night, second game that series that went to extras, to force a game 5.

Every Division Series this year has gone to 5 games, that is impressive.
Today:
ALDS Game 5 (Series tied 2-2)
Baltimore at New York 5:07 EST  Winner of the game goes on to face Detroit.

NLDS Game 5 (Series tied 2-2)
St. Louis at Washington 8:37 EST  Winner of the game goes on to face San Francisco.

[Duuvian]

Who won the Baltimore and New York game?

[Jervill]

New York won 3-1.

[Duuvian]

Thanks for the info Jervill.

Tigers beat the Yankees in New York 6-4 in a very out of the ordinary game. Delmon Young hit his 6th career  postseason homerun in the 8th which now leads the Tigers, though I'm not sure if that's all time or just the current roster. Austin Jackson of the Tigers made a great catch in Center Field. Tigers were leading 4-0 until the Yankee's last chance to bat in the bottom of the 9th. Ichiro Suzuki, who went 4 out of 6, hit a two run home run while Valverde, the Tiger's closer was pitching. After this the next batter, Texeira, was at 0 balls and 2 strikes. Texeira was then walked and the next hitter who was also the Yankee's hero of the previous series, Ibanez, batted in a 2 run home run also on Valverde and tied the game at 4 in the bottom of the 9th inning.

Valverde was replaced with Dotel, and Dotel then pitched well. Dotel was then relieved by Smyly, who also pitched extremely well. The most shocking and disappointing thing to happen next was that the extremely talented Derek Jeter, star shortstop and captain of the Yankees shattered his ankle and was carried off the field and will not return for the rest of the playoffs, no matter how far New York goes. It's extremely sad to see any player fall down and be unable to get back up, but that is an absolutely devastating blow to the Yankees and even a baseball fan such as myself, who would prefer to see Detroit win, was shocked by the loss of a player at such a time in such a way, and a player like Jeter nonetheless. The announcers on TBS thought he was only taking his time to get up at first but it quickly became obvious he was considering his left leg too closely to seem normal and close examination of replays showed his ankle going way out of position at the start of his tumble. He tried to refuse help walking off the field but the coach insisted and he put no weight whatsoever on the leg on the way back to the dugout. Instead of leaving the game he stayed on the bench with his teammates and watched the rest of the game eating sunflower seeds rather messily despite the pain he may have been in. I was hoping he would be able to come back next game but after the game Girardi told the press his ankle was shattered.

During the same inning the Tigers scored two more runs, one of which was scored by Miguel Cabrera on a Delmon Young RBI. That hit was a strange one as Nick Swisher of the Yankees might have been able to catch it but possibly lost it in the lights. Either way it seemed he was planning to make a dive then realized he did not have to, and he missed the ball completely. After that Smyly pitched another excellent inning for the Tigers, and the game was over.

All in all it was an extremely turbulent game. The loss of Jeter is a big hit to the MLB in my opinion and it's a real disappointment he was injured. I hope he is able to return at full performance next year. As much as I like to despmire the Yankees I wouldn't wish injury on them or else I'll have to find another team to especially hope Detroit beats every time.

The game ended at about 1AM Michigan time after 12 innings.

[Jervill]

Shame I missed that game, sounded like a blast.

ALCS Game 2 is today at 4:00 EST, and NLCS Game 1 is on at 8:00 EST.

[Duuvian]

Last game the Tigers won, but I was too tired to make a post about it. Next game is in Detroit, technically today.

[Duuvian]

Tigers won again tonight, 2-1. Verlander had another great game. Before a home run was hit tonight he went 23 consecutive innings with no runs scored on him. That means one way to consider that stat is that with the help of a bit of offense he won two and a half games for the Tigers in the playoffs. Tigers pitching set an MLB record, which ended after the home run on Verlander, for most consecutive innings in the playoffs with no earned runs, at 37 and a half I believe the announcer said.

Jim pulled Verlander because his pitch count was around I think 130 pitches. Phil Coke went in as relief despite being in the bullpen and not closing games all year long. Phil did very well, though after the second out in the top of the 9th, the Yankees, who can never be counted out of a game, hit two consecutive singles to put men on first and second. Ibanez, who has already hit two game-tying hits and 2 game winning home runs this playoffs, was up to bat next. Phil Coke fell behind 3-1, then had some pitches against Ibanez due to foul balls, but finally he threw a GREAT slider and Ibanez swung above and past it to end the game, which had me worried before that pitch. I believe every Tiger fan watching the game, at home or at the game or elsewhere all spontaneously did some kind of victory movement at once in celebration, because to have the Yankees down 3-0 in the playoffs isn't something that happens to your team very often no matter who you are.

Delmon Young hit another home run to extend his franchise record in playoff homeruns, which my dad was very happy to know. Delmon is having a great playoffs this year and I hope it continues. Cabrera hit a double scoring a run for the other Tiger point, scoring the speedy, determined, talented and enthusiastic Quentin Berry, who also made the best commercial aimed at other teams I saw all year which along with the above adjectives made him a fan favorite in Detroit this year.

Game 4 is tomorrow. Tigers are currently one win away from the World Series while the Yankees are four away. Cici Sabathia starts for the Yankees tomorrow, and Max Scherzer for the Tigers, both excellent pitchers.

Now it's time to wind down and watch Conan O'brien, who just came on after the game. Excellent lineup choice by the network, picking a show I won't want to turn unless Adult Swim is showing something I haven't seen yet.

[Jervill]

Also, for the National League, the teams didn't play yesterday but will play today.  San Francisco and St. Louis are tied at one game a piece.  NLCS game 3 is at 4:00 EST today in St. Louis.

[Duuvian]

In case you didn't hear, Tigers are going to the world series! I was busy abiding by Jim's good advice and then sleeping it off to let you all know immediately; thanks Jim!