Sacrebleu shaka laka « The New Enthusiast

Sacrebleu shaka laka

March 13, 2009 · 1 Comment

Today, instead of my normal Friday morning routine of reading picture books to 5 year olds in an elementary school library (yes it’s my job), I, Daniel Woytek, am presenting my second humble guest post for the New Enthusiast. Please enjoy!

Much has been written on this weblog about a particular rookie from Old Europe who plays basketball for the Portland Trail Blazers. Now I do not want to alienate the national readership of this website and ardent Fernandezophiles, but there happens to be another continental Blazer rookie who deserves mention by Enthusiasts of all kinds for a particular skill he has exhibited during his first year in the Association. Unlikely starter and long, small forward Nicolas Batum has given Blazers fans and NBA fans that pay way too close attention, demonstrations during the season of his uncanny ability to block transition layups.

This very particular skill has also garnered him comparison to Detroit Piston, NBA Champion, All-Defensive Teamer, U.S. National Teamer/Gold Medalist and former Compton resident, Tayshaun Prince. I list Prince’s many accomplishments in part because I am one of those who feels that Batum has a long way to go to deserve such comparisons in relation to his overall game.

This having been written, there was a particular incident in the March 11^th matchup between Portland and Dallas when Nicolas Batum did what he does. He blocked a transition layup attempt by Antoine Wright. As soon as I saw the play on my television (Sorry, no video avail.) it brought to mind a certain west coast transplant from Philadelphia (no not Ross McSweeney). Well, the proper synapses fired in my brain and I uttered to myself, “That’s the French Prince”. So henceforth when Nic Batum stretches his long arm after having run the length of the court to swat a would be score away from the basketball goal I will bellow with unburdened enthusiasm, “That there was the French Prince”.

Categories: Uncategorized
Tagged: D-Nasty, Dee Troit Basket Ball, Nic Batum, transitions, Will Smith

1 response so far ↓

Eamon ffitch // March 14, 2009 at 9:05 pm | Reply

Last night, during the first quarter of the Trailblazers handling of the NJ Nets, I looked to my barroom colleagues and said, stupidly, “Nic Batum is the best player on the team. Better than Roy, better than Aldridge.” The editors of this website will recognize that as typical ffitch tongue shaking (baseless, reactionary) and the only reason I bring it up now is because a) it was prophetic and b) at halftime of last night’s game I was joined at the bar by the author of this post who, noticeably drunk upon arrival, only paused from further boozing to scream “Batum” in my ear–suggesting a similar sentiment to my own. Later, as without a purpose in life becomes without a purpose on a Friday night, I was wooed to the home of the author who plied me with Bourbon so sour and forced me against my will to read the above post. So I say to the editors of The New Enthusiast, “Congratulations are due to you who have enlisted the aid of dangerous drunks, and for the direct method used to achieve that Holy Grail of weblogging: ‘readership.’”

Moneyballs

"Shane Battier’s game," writes Michael Lewis in this article from today's Times, "is a weird combination of obvious weaknesses and nearly invisible strengths." First in baseball (using Billy Beane as his entree), and then in football (both with Mike Leach and Michael Oher), that "weird combination" has been at the center of Lewis's concerns. Now basketball is the sport in question and Duke man Shane Battier and Rockets' GM Daryl Morey are the gentlemen of interest. Also of interest is Michael Lewis's prose style, which is about as smoove as a Jason Williams crossover.

By Popular Demand

Alot of people—and I mean alot of people—have been asking about how they can get tickets to the very competitive, very grueling Wiffleball games that Ross and I play. Unfortunately, on account of all sorts of contract issues and anxiety disorders, actually attending a game isn't really a possibility. However, I thought I'd throw some of ya'll a bone, and so I put together this highlight reel of our latest game against each other. FYI, Carson Cistulli is the one with the number 34 on his back. Ross is everyone else.

Quizz Redux

What alot of people say about me, Carson Cistulli, is that I demonstrate beaucoup de sticktoitiveness. As if I had to prove myself any further, here are the highlights from the OSU v USC game that I was eulogizing yesternight. In particular, there are two runs and a little screen-y type pass with the Quizz (between, like, 2:02 and 3:30) that defy expectations. Listen, all people want these days is to have their expectations defied a little bit. And that's how we do here, at L'enthousiaste nouvelle.

Jan SchlGODraff

Two years ago, while playing for Alemania Aachen, Jan Schlaudraff scored the goal which compelled me to hail him—perhaps somewhat prematurely, I admit—as the best ever footballer of all time, no questions asked, don't even talk to me about it, shut up. This past weekend, two clubs later, Schlaudraff scored almost the exact same goal in Hannover's drubbing of Borussia Monchengladbach (which I just said five times fast, by the way, and it was amazing). Oh, this one, from the same game, is also great and would suffice.

Tagline Debacle

The big recent change in our design template from Contempt ("a more professional version of Kubrick, sporting hard lines and 2-columns") to Cutline ("a squeaky clean, minimalistic two-column wonder") has everyone here at The New Enthusiast pretty excited. One problem has arisen, however—namely, the lack of a tagline, the possibilities of which I'd already considered with some enthusiasm. No matter. We'll get through it. It's just sometimes you wonder how much of the bad you'll have to wade through before you get to the good. -CC

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