iPhone Apps for Sports News (Part I)

Yesteday I was at my niece's soccer game I tried checking the score of the Nuggets game. Well doing that on a web site, or even most of the mobile optimized websites, can be a bit clunky. So this morning, I thought I should check and see if there were any iPhone apps for showing scores. Boy was I suprised! There are several choices and evern a few apps by the sports leagues themselves

NBA Game Time

This official app from the NBA shows the scores for today's games. In addition, it provides live scores and stats for games in progress. Nice little box scores by team. It also includes the current schedule and standings. Really nice.

mlb.com lite

Similar to the NBA app, but it provides less stats. It still shows the live scores and schedules, who's hitting, pitching, and who is on base. However, it does not provide a box score.

However, they do provide a paid version of the application that provides a lot more detailed information. Stuff like live pitch locations, pitch by pitch commentary, etc... It looks really cool.

Ginobli Out for the year

The Spurs have lost Manu Ginobli for the year due to a stress fracture in his ankle. You can take the Spurs off your list of title contenders this year. If they are missing any of the big three, they aren't the same team.

Big Phil Fired by Chelsea

Wow. What can one say about this. You can win the world cup. Come very close to winning the European Cup. But, in England if you aren't in first place after 6 months you can't coach.

Chelsea does not seem to be setting itself up for long team success. They have no players coming through their youth system. No purchases of promising young players. When the owner runs out of money, they are gonna be in trouble.

ARod Steroids

ARod tested positive for a forbidden substance in 2003. I'm shocked, shocked to learn a baseball player may have taken 'roids! He took an anonymous test and at the time broke no rules. For all we know, he could have tested positive for ephedrine or something silly like that.

Anyway, the media hype over this has been ridiculous. To listen to sports talk radio, no player from the '90s will even be considered for the Hall of Fame. They are all tainted. I think we need to start drug testing sports writers. If they have taken any illegal substances, they can't be hall of fame voters. :)

AI for Chancey Billups and Antonio McDyess

The Rocky Mountain News is reporting the Nuggets are looking to trade Allen Iverson to Detroit for Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess. Initial reaction. This would be a great trade for the Nuggets. They get a real point guard and a solid backup at the 4 for KMart which is needed given his history of injuries.

The Numbers
AI is making $20M in the last year of his contract. McDyess will make $6.9M this year and $7.5M next year. Billups will make $12M for this year and the next two years. Salary cap wise, the Nuggets would still be a little tight the next 2 years if the deal goes through.

I still think AI is great. But I don't think you can win in the NBA with a 6 foot tall 2 guard unless you have a large point guard to match him with. The Pistons have such a person. Rodney Stucky is a 6'5" point guard. The Nuggets have no such player.

The Nuggets really, really need someone who can run the team. The last 5 minutes vs the Lakers made that painfully obvious. In addition, this would allow the Nuggets to move Balkman or Dantay Jones into the starting lineup to guard the 2 or 3 from the opposing team. JR and Klieza would score off the bench and have a little help from McDyess.

It works for me.
Update
Sounds like its a done deal. Also, Stephen A Smith is reporting that the Nuggets plan to waive McDyess after the deal is complete.

Weekend Update 11/02/2008

Well two games in the books this weekend against LA teams. One game shows how good the Nuggets can be, the other how bad.

The good was against the Clippers. The Nuggets played a swarming defense, shared the ball and pretty much owned the second half as they came back from a big halftime deficit to win. It was a real team effort with special kudos to Dantay Jones who had a great game. If they play this kind of team ball all year, they are gonna win a lot of games.

The bad, the final minutes vs the LA Lakers. I tuned into the game in the late 3rd quarter and the Nuggets were keeping a steady lead. As it got to crunch time the Lakers went to Kobe Bryant. He played good but the Nuggets did get a few good stops along the way.

However, the problem was not their defense, it was their offense. The same old 1 on 5 isolation crap from last year. Throw Mello the ball, run to the opposite side of the court and stand there. Mello takes on 2 or 3 guys, then the ball is passed around the perimeter and a desparation 3 goes up late in the shot clock. When are they gonna learn? As the game wore on, Kobe settled for fewer and fewer jumpers and took the ball to the hole. Did the Nuggets go inside to Mello? To Nene? Nope. Just long difficult outside jumpers. Totally different than the Clipper game.