Earlier today I discovered a very intriguing brand of softball while watching ESPN. The Worldwide Leader in Sports was showing the Men’s Amateur Softball Association (ASA) Border Battle between Canada and the United States this afternoon, and the game was played much different than the Major League Baseball we’re accustomed too. Here are some of the rules that makes the game unique and exciting:

- Games consist of 7 innings
- Batter starts with a 1-1 count
- Foul ball after one strike is an out
- Teams are allowed ten home runs; after the tenth, all home runs are considered out
- Base stealing is not allowed
- Bunting is not allowed
- A 15+ run lead after 3 innings or 10+ after 5 innings will end the game

The strategy of the game is what got me interested the most. The announcers talked all throughout the game about how it is important to manage your home runs. Losing them early will limit your options in the end, so you want to save some of them up and only go yard when you’ve got some runners on base. At times, a home run is unavoidable, such as when a batter is trying to hit a line drive but gets just under the ball. A lot of “accidental” homers occur this way.

For fans that like to see lots of scoring, ASA softball provides a nice alternative to baseball. Teams can score 20, 30, possibly even 40+ runs in a game; the one I watched today was about 30-22. The fact that some home runs are considered bad gives the game some humorous irony. It’s a very exciting sport to watch, and doesn’t last too long, either. Pitchers don’t dominate, so you don’t have to worry about a boring 3-2 score like in the MLB.

The ASA has grown quite large. Based in Oklahoma City, the league consists of over 3 million players, 230,000 teams, and 60,000 umpires. The league is a good place for former minor leaguers that didn’t quite cut it, and the USA team even had a power-lifting champ on its roster. Canada’s best player Jeff Gare runs a pool table servicing business in London, Ontario. This sport gives many players the opportunity to continue playing the sport they love in a competitive, organized league.

Right now is a great opportunity to witness some slow pitch softball. July 16-20th is the date of the KFC World Cup of Softball, and there are still a couple days left of action. The championship game will be played on the 20th, at 8 P.M. Central on ESPN2. Even if you’re not a baseball fan (I’m not), this is a very fun sport to watch, you won’t regret it!

Marquis Daniels to sign with the Celtics

Indiana Pacers guard Marquis Daniels has agreed to sign with the Boston Celtics for their bi-annual exception (BAE), permitted the Pacers do not wish to do a sign-and-trade.

This is a terrific move for the Celtics. After missing out on Grant Hill, they have acquired a possibly better player for only $2 million. Daniels is a good defender that has experience playing point guard, shooting guard, and small forward. He posted a career high in scoring last year at 13.6 a game, along with a career high in rebounding (4.6). His versatility, scoring, and defensive ability will be a good addition to the Celtics' bench, and this only solidifies my preseason prediction of them winning the 2010 NBA Championship.

Rockets' season can be salvaged

I was shooting hoops a little bit ago, and the main thing on my mind was the Houston Rockets and what the upcoming season holds in store for them. If you haven't heard, Yao Ming will be having foot surgery and should be out for the upcoming season. This was expected, but now Houston's front office can start making their decisions knowing that Yao won't be suiting up this year.

I post at a sports forum called realsportstalk.net, and my friend htown11 posted a similar thread to the topic I'm going to be writing about. We've talked about the Rockets' situation quite a bit, and I've floated trade ideas to him a few times to see what he thinks. At first, he was extremely bummed, but he's been able to see some light in all of this, and now so have I. Let me explain.

First off, Houston's hopes of making the playoffs aren't over without Yao. Their hopes of contending for a title, however, are. You don't have to worry about them tanking or rebuilding now, they're going to remain competitive. Remember, this is a group that took the Lakers to 7 games even without their two star players. Aaron Brooks will be entering his third season in the NBA, and in the playoffs he showed he could be a very good scorer at this level. Brooks is small but quick, and is a very good penetrator. His three-ball is improving, and on offense I believe he is the playmaker this team needs.

Surrounding Brooks, you have a few very good role players. Shane Battier is one of the best perimeter defenders in the game, and can knock down an open shot. Trevor Ariza is similar in that he can shoot and defend, but he also adds a lot of athleticism. Some believe he could just be a product of the Triangle Offense, but in Houston I don't think that will be the case. Finally, Luis Scola is one of the best energy big men in the game. He's got a great motor, rebounds well, and can contribute with garbage buckets in the paint. Every coach in the NBA would love to have this guy on their team.

This isn't a very sexy supporting cast, but they've got great chemistry. Losing Ron Artest will hurt, and Trevor Ariza can't make up for the shot-creating ability that Artest has. Tracy McGrady could be that option, but he's getting older, and he could be worn down by injuries. I wouldn't bank on him being the scorer Houston needs with Aaron Brooks, and his reporting the injury to the media before the team pissed off coach Rick Adelman. I expect him to be traded, more on that after I talk about the remaining contributors on the Rockets' roster.

Houston lost shooting guard Von Wafer via free agency, and center Dikembe Mutombo called it quits in free agency. With a big hole at center, the Rockets traded for the draft rights to Australian center David Andersen. Andersen is athletic for a center, can shoot, and score in the post. The team is going to look to run more, so he would be a very good fit at center with his ability to run the floor. Could this possibly be Luis Scola v. 2.0?

Carl Landry, Chuck Hayes, and Joey Dorsey will all compete for minutes in the post off the bench. Landry is a solid scorer, Hayes is a premier post defender, and Dorsey is a monster rebounder (led the Summer League with around 14 a game). They all bring different things to the table, but also lack one thing: length. Without their 7'5" Chinese stud in Yao, Houston is suffering from dwarfism on their frontline. I personally believe size is underrated when it comes to big men, but Houston will have it's struggles with taller opponents.

At guard, the Rockets drafted Arizona's Chase Budinger and Jermaine Taylor of UCF. Both are solid shooters, but lack on the defensive end. James White is ultra-athletic, and he could make a splash off the bench this season. Expect some electrifying dunks in transition from him. Kyle Lowry is the current backup point guard. He's quick, but can't shoot. Houston would try to find a better reserve to Aaron Brooks, but with all their needs this can't be high on their list of priorities.

Losing Wafer off the bench will hurt, and with Yao, Artest, and possibly McGrady gone, some existing players will need to take on bigger roles, and younger players will be expected to jump in and get key minutes as reserves. If the Summer League is any indication (the Rockets went 5-0), then a few of these guys might be able to play right away. With very little money left and not many trading assets, they'll have to.

The best thing Houston can do at this point is try and trade forward Tracy McGrady. He's made some people angry in the past, and has seemed like an outsider on this team, not a core guy despite his talent. T-Mac could miss some time this year, and even when healthy I don't like him on the team. Houston is going to look to go up-tempo at times (albeit not as extreme as the Suns), which I think really suits their style of play. Aaron Brooks is a quick guard that I think can handle a big role this year, and they've got a ton of shooters around him. McGrady needs the ball in his hands to be effective, so I think a more off-ball-oriented wing would be a better fit.

Michael Redd would fit in perfectly. He's missed a lot of time in the past few years, but not too long ago he was averaging 25-26 PPG. With Aaron Brooks, Redd could focus on shooting as well as creating his own shot when he needs to. Adding in a former All-Star's presence elevates the talent level of this team, and solidifies the backcourt. To make the trade work financially, Milwaukee could throw in center Dan Gadzuric, who would provide some more length and depth to the frontline. He would quietly be a very good filler in this trade. The Bucks are looking to cut salary, so McGrady's expiring contract would help them achieve that more quickly. Not to mention if he comes back healthy he could be the All-Star playmaker to complement center Andrew Bogut.

This season can be salvaged. GM Daryl Morey made a good move in acquiring David Andersen, and Trevor Ariza will be a big help when the team decides to push the ball due to his athleticism. Now there is one final move, and that is to trade Tracy McGrady for Michael Redd or another All-Star caliber player. Houston has one of the best head coaches in the business, a great front office, and some of the best team chemistry in the NBA. Expect them to defy all odds, make it back to the playoffs, and overachieve as usual. And when Yao Ming returns in 2010-2011, watch out. The Rockets could very well be competing for an NBA title.

Bruno movie review

With some time to kill before finally going to sleep, I decided to sit down and watch Sacha Baron Cohen's new movie "Bruno," instead of paying that $7 to see it in theaters. I saw parts of Borat, and had the basic idea of what to expect going into the movie. It wasn't a surprise; lots of profanity, some nudity, racism, etc. R-rated, of course. But I enjoyed it nonetheless, I feel mature enough to handle that type of comedy, and rather enjoyed it. For those of you that find that kind of thing to be highly offensive, I suggest you don't watch it.

I wasn't hooked from the start, but as the movie wore on and I got a good idea of the plot it turned out to be pretty good. The storyline was about a homosexual Austrian 19-year-old named Bruno that moved to L.A. to become famous. He goes through many unsuccessful attempts to achieve fame, such as adopting an African baby he names "O.J." Bruno tries to change his sexual orientation, but not even a beautiful and busty blonde can change his sexuality.

I don't want to spoil anything, just give a basic idea of the plot and what to expect. I thought it was a very funny movie, I didn't enjoy trying to understand the excessive German, but overall it was funny and not too long of a movie. If you have a liberal sense of humor then I would recommend watching Bruno, if you don't like it you'll have only lost a little over an hour of your life. :)

My rating (out of a possible 5): 3 1/2

Welcome to my blog!

I've made a few attempts to join the Blogger community in the past, but I've never been able to get into it. Now, I'm going to try and make this a success. I enjoy writing, and what's a better tool to use than an Internet blog?

First off, here's a bit about myself. I'm a high school student on my way to junior year, gaining new responsibilities but also some great benefits. I landed my first part-time job in April as a grocery store carry-out, and I've also picked up a couple of mowing jobs on the side. Got my first car early in the summer, all I can really tell you is that it's a 2006 Chevy Cavalier. And I'm not even 100% sure on that, ha.

My main interest is basketball. I love to watch it, read about it, and discuss it with others. I'm the kind of person that when I like something, I follow it very closely; I'm definitely not a casual fan. I spent copious amounts of time on a website called realsportstalk.net, and I play every Sunday and Wednesday night with a group of guys. The San Antonio Spurs are my favorite team, mainly for their great chemistry as a team and their fundamentals on the court.

I don't watch very much television, but I've found three shows that I'm very much into: The OC, One Tree Hill, and The Office. I've watched almost every episode of each show, some on disk but mostly over the Internet. Not really the type to watch the weekly episode, I prefer to watch massive amounts of episodes on my time.

In this blog, most of the published content will be about basketball. Perhaps I'll delve into some of my favorite shows and give them reviews, and every once in a while I'll get into football and write about that. There are plenty of topics that I feel I can write about, some may have nothing to do with sports at all. We'll see how much I can contribute to this blog, I'm hoping it's something I use throughout high school and maybe it'll help me beyond that point.

Thanks for viewing my blog, I'll be sure to update it frequently! :)