Up High on a Thursday

So, with a couple inches of snow now coating the ground, it’s starting to slightly look Christmas.  But I’m still waiting for our first “real” snow fall.  The local hockey team is insisting that we go…..

UP HIGH!

5. Jumping back into the Carmelo Anthony contract saga, let’s take a rational look at the actual likelihoods of the moves.  Yesterday’s trade by New Jersey does allow them to put together a package that could entice the Nuggets into making a deal.  The question here is just whether Melo would sign his extension to remain a Net beyond this season.  Like a lot of other possible deals, if Melo won’t sign the extension, the partnering team would likely shy away from mortgaging off their future for just a few months of Melo’s service. 

Now, the Knicks situation is entirely different.  Any possible in-season discussion is really a moot point, as an actual trade with them is not possible.  They Knicks still don’t have the draft picks or the desirable existing players that would move the Nuggets to make the deal.  The ONLY way that Melo becomes a Knick is if he waits out the year, then becomes an unrestricted free agent (when he can sign with anyone).  The catch there, however, is with a new collective bargaining agreement to be done this off-season, Melo could stand to lose out on a large chunk of the $65 million that the Nuggets currently have on the table. 

Interesting to say the least…..  Like I’ve always said, my thoughts change on a daily basis.  STAY MELO, STAY!  That’s where I’m at today.  Hey, maybe we move him and JR Smith?

The suddenly rejuvenated San Antonio Spurs are in town tonight for a late (8:30 MST) national game.

4. Two days after stealing a win over the Stanley Cup champion, Chicago Blackhawks, with a 3^rd period flurry, the Colorado Avalanche did it again.  While not as “edge-of-your-seat” exciting as the previous game, it did provide plenty of on-ice fireworks.  Newly acquired, Tomas “Flash” Fleishman turned a deadlocked 1-1 game into his own personal shooting gallery, as the Czech-native poured in three 3^rd period goals to secure the 4-3 victory.  Matty Duchene set up two of those goals and continues to impress on both ends of the sheet.  The one downer was the late-game injury suffered by assistant captain, Paul Stasny (who again, played brilliantly last night) when he was boarded head-first by a semi-dirty hit.  He walked off on his own, was reported to have a stiff neck as he boarded the team plane and hopefully will have more (positive) information later today.

3. A college basketball team that I was very high on coming into the season has dropped its 2^nd straight game, as the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels were defeated at home by the mighty Guachos of UC-Santa Barbara.  A battle between old conference rivals (my wife often speaks of going to her first basketball game at the Thunderdome and seeing UNLV with the likes of Gerald Paddio in a mid-80’s Pacific Coast Athletic Association game), this was actually UCSB’s 3^rd win in a row in the series.  With in-state victories already this year over Fresno State, Loyola-Marymount and Santa Clara, the Guachos up that Golden State-ante about twenty-fold this weekend when they travel down south to meet the best team in the west from San Diego State.  **For the record, there is some NBA potential on this year’s Guacho side.  We will have more information, in the near future, on junior guards, James Nunnelly and Orlando Johnson.**

2. US National Team soccer player, Charlie Davies looks to make his highly anticipated return to real action this weekend, 14 months after a car accident almost ended his career.  Many casual soccer fans probably aren’t real familiar with the 24-year-old as the accident kept him out of this past summer’s World Cup.  However, this kid was a big reason that the Nats looked so impressive in qualifying.  Honestly, his absence (and that of Rapid forward, Conor Casey) was glaring through out the tournament as the US struggled to score goals.  Currently playing professionally in France, Davies might be trying to force a future move to England for a chance to play in the Premier League.

1. And we thought that we had some shady underlings working for the Broncos down at Dove Valley (see, “McSpygate”).  But the Jets may have out-slimed us with their strength coach’s antics from last week.  Tripping opponent’s gunners from the sideline?  Somewhere, Woody Hayes is smiling down on this goon.

PS-I encourage all to take a look at an Avalanche podcast-blog operated by our good friend (and sweet swinging Das Booter), Jay Vean.  www.avshockeypodcast.com is the site and is full of great material.  Needless to say, that in addition to the man’s Herculean base/soft-ball skills and that basically scratch-golfer thing, the man loves and knows him some hockey.

ONE LOVE TO ALL