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Post by camkerr on Jul 13, 2014 5:22:31 GMT -5
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Post by JB Southpaw on Jul 13, 2014 6:04:51 GMT -5
Nice work Cam! Avatar is getting confident, believing he belongs! They beat some good teams this week.
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Post by camkerr on Jul 13, 2014 7:40:58 GMT -5
Avatar is getting confident, believing he belongs! Ya, his swing still looks weird. He must be going against a lot of muscle memory from his baseball days, but once he develops that into proper form, he could do some serious damage. It reminds me of that old sprinting metaphor:
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Post by ronnielott on Jul 13, 2014 11:32:16 GMT -5
Thanks for posting the interview. I'm thinking pro athlete look-alikes Nick Lucena and Clint Dempsey...
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Post by guest2 on Jul 13, 2014 12:03:15 GMT -5
Phil/Sean make it two in a row. What is remarkable is that with the exception of the Ryan/Nick semi, Phil/Sean were absolutely untouchable in this tournament. They spanked Allison/Bruno and absolutely embarrassed Ricardp/Filho. If those guys keep it up, it would be hard to see them not winning a couple more this year, particularly with the way the Italians have fallen off. Any insight there? Injuries maybe?
If you are Lupo or Nicolai, how does it affect the long term dynamic to be from such a small volleyball country? So Phil knows Sean is probably his best option, but he also knows that Casey, Nick, and Hyden all give him an excellent chance to win. How does it feel if you are one of the Italians, knowing you are basically locked in for five years or so
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Post by volleyballjim on Jul 13, 2014 13:51:22 GMT -5
2 1/2 weeks ago a Phil/Sean breakup was on the table if not "just a matter of time". Is that discussion over? Hey, I was in on the "lets get this done (breakup)". What happened?
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Post by klazk on Jul 13, 2014 19:51:06 GMT -5
2 1/2 weeks ago a Phil/Sean breakup was on the table if not "just a matter of time". Is that discussion over? Hey, I was in on the "lets get this done (breakup)". What happened? I have a feeling the only table a potential breakup was on was the volleytalk table. Just because people were talking about it here doesn't mean there was ANY discussion of it anywhere that could actually impact the team. This kind of thing drives me nuts. It is just like Rosenthal/Gibb a few years ago. No one knows what is really going on. Phil was sick in Berlin (at least according to the Universal broadcast). So throw that 17th out. They get a 9th, 5th, 3rd to start the year after switching sides from last year. I don't pretend to know, but if I had to guess I doubt they were as concerned as some on this board were.
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Post by guest2 on Jul 13, 2014 21:29:20 GMT -5
Phil and Sean are such a unique team that way. There is a legit argument to be made that they were the best team in the world last season, at least on the FIVB. There is an even better argument that they were the most disappointing team. I dont care how injured either guy was, if you can play, you should beat the Bomgrens and Steveo/Crabb. They won 1 of 7 AVPs.
This year they have absolutely underperformed several times, losing to Keenan/Mayer in the finals, the way they lost to Tri/John, getting whipped in the semis by an unaccomplished Polish team. They have also won 1/3 of the FIVB tournaments and seemed invincible in tournaments.
I personally have jumped off and on this bandwagon so many times I can't count and even now, when I am firmly on board again, I cant help but wonder whether Sean's feast or famine perfomances, doesnt keep Phil from winning as many as he could with someone else. When Sean is at his best, they are untouchable, but if he could always be at 90% I think they probably win more than they do now, only their wins wouldnt be as dominant.
Look at the run Phil/Jennings had in Brazil. Phil doesnt necessarily need a dynamic partner, he needs someone he can always count on. Phil can do the rest. That would mean more 21-18 games and fewer 21-12s, but I think it also may mean less disappointing losses. Who can say for sure with these guys though?
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Post by haze on Jul 13, 2014 23:46:38 GMT -5
Think it possiby goes back to Phil doesn't have a choice and would rather take his chances at Rosie.
Patterson - just a short while ago people were arguing that Phil needed to make the move to Patterson know. Patterson hasn't looked anything like he did last year would probably rival a healthy Rogers, and at this point be behind Bourne/Rosie/Nick as a defensive player. He is having times during games now where he can't even control the serve.
Lucena - I think if he was anything close o Phil's best option he would be playing with him considering the are great friends, Phil moved on as one of the worlds best players and Nick has progressed to be one of the best USA players.
Bourne - does he even have enough left for a run in Rio? PLaying at an elite level but he is old, man, and probably one minor injury from no longer being on that stage.
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Post by volleyballjim on Jul 14, 2014 1:11:51 GMT -5
Patterson was digging Ryan's "very EARLY trash" during the defunct AVP era and doing rather well with Doherty on the Cuervo which was actually unimaginable at that time. He brought Ryan to the forefront and JUST for that, he's the "real deal"...
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Post by turk182 on Jul 14, 2014 4:40:33 GMT -5
Bourne - does he even have enough left for a run in Rio? PLaying at an elite level but he is old, man, and probably one minor injury from no longer being on that stage. 25 is old? Do you have Bourne confused with somebody else? Also for now, he's a blocker. Are you actually referring to Hyden?
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Post by haze on Jul 14, 2014 20:31:23 GMT -5
Yea meant Hyden.
Patterson might be the "real deal", but not a chance in hell is Phil going to drop Rosie for him with the way he has played this year.
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Post by klazk on Jul 15, 2014 7:24:54 GMT -5
It is the 4th sport (behind Walsh/Ross, Fendrick/Sweat and Summer/Day). They've already lost it for The Hague, Long Beach and Klagenfurt. The last 2 slams take into account more tournaments than just Gstaad, so it isn't possible to calculate right now. Stare Jablonki will take into account Gstaad, Hague and Long Beach. Brazil (assuming it happens) will take into account those 3 + Klagenfurt and Stare Jablonki. Barring injuries, wildcards, team switches, etc. Fopma/Pavlik will be in Gstaad and Long Beach Carico/Hochevar will be in Hague, Long Beach and Klagenfurt. For Stare Jablonki, Carico/Hochevar are looking at approximately 1350 + points from their finishes in The Hague and Long Beach. For the same tournament Fopma/Pavlik are looking at approximately 820 + points from their finishes in Gstaad and Long Beach. So Fopma/Pavlik have to make up 530 points in two tournaments, which is a fairly tall order. For sake of illustration, let's say Hochevar/Carico get 25ths in both their tournaments. That would give them 1690 points. Fopma/Pavlik would need two 5ths in their 2 tournaments to pull back ahead of them. If Fopma/Pavlik get a 9th in Gstaad, they will need a 4th in Long Beach to even have a chance. A 17th, they will need a 3rd in Long Beach and a 25th and they will need a silver in Long Beach. I guess Hochevar/Carcio could lose in the qualifier in The Hague which would change the worst case scenarios for them a little, but you get the point. Bottom line, Fopma/Pavlik are going to have to play significantly better than they have all year plus Hochevar/Carico will need to lose early. Well, the combination of my making an error in the above calculations and Hochevar/Carico losing in the Hague qualifier have made this a lot tighter race for entry into Stare Jablonki. My mistake was that I did not apply the 365 day requirement on Hochevar's points, which makes a significant difference. Hochevar/Carico will have 1250 points + their finish in Long Beach. Fopma/Pavlik will have 1180 points + their finish in Long Beach. So Fopma/Pavlik needs to finish one spot above Hochevar/Carico in Long Beach to secure entry into Stare Jablonki.
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