|
Post by volleyballjim on Jun 2, 2014 1:49:15 GMT -5
Well, my favorite player WINS. . . Yeah, I know its his 2nd win, but not sure I was born when the first one occured....Regardless, WHEN is someone going to switch out Brad, bless-his-heart-Keenan, and pick up John for a "run to Rio"? I mean John's arm and D is what made St. Pete happen. They BOTH, though emphasis on Keenan, made serving faults a new approach to "winning"...Really, like 50 in the FINALS? OK, not 50, but, well, you get the dwift.... Congrats John and Brad, BUT when the opponents serve the 6' 8" guy, you HAVE to start wondering why....I don't...
|
|
|
Post by vballjj on Jun 2, 2014 7:25:30 GMT -5
There was a reason why Brad has choked in the finals. Glad he finally won one despite the mistakes
|
|
|
Post by guest2 on Jun 2, 2014 8:27:14 GMT -5
think Theo/Mayer would make a great team but FIVB points, and an unwillingness to dump a player he just won with, probably keeps those two apart for at least another year, although if Todd/Theo arent in the FIVB qualifiers now I imagine they soon will be.
|
|
|
Post by haze on Jun 2, 2014 11:37:54 GMT -5
Brad serving Phil off the court in the crossover and key aces in the final is what happened in St Pete's, not John's arm and swing.
|
|
|
Post by volleyballjim on Jun 2, 2014 12:28:04 GMT -5
haze....interesting....BUT, Brad has ALWAYS been "left at the altar" in previous finals and John, IMHO, got him through...I attribute Mayers EXCESSIVE service errors due to "osmosis" of training around Keenan (Just kidding, not sure what got John doing THAT many unforced errors....but they were there...wind, of course, MAJOR factor). But haze, you have to address why the #1 team (Gibb/Patt) would regularly (did I see that many?) go to Brad at 6' 8" during a final...
|
|
|
Post by guest2 on Jun 2, 2014 13:56:38 GMT -5
haze....interesting....BUT, Brad has ALWAYS been "left at the altar" in previous finals and John, IMHO, got him through...I attribute Mayers EXCESSIVE service errors due to "osmosis" of training around Keenan (Just kidding, not sure what got John doing THAT many unforced errors....but they were there...wind, of course, MAJOR factor). But haze, you have to address why the #1 team (Gibb/Patt) would regularly (did I see that many?) go to Brad at 6' 8" during a final... People always go to Brad. He is a much inferior passer, a predictable hitter, and not that dynamic. I've watched Brad for years and with the exception of his jump serve (which was a terror in the games I saw this weekend) he has not improved much at all. He should be married to Summer Ross not April Ross, then they could have a giant volleyball playing kid that could run the 40 in six and a half minutes.
|
|
|
Post by stevek on Jun 2, 2014 16:52:25 GMT -5
haze....interesting....BUT, Brad has ALWAYS been "left at the altar" in previous finals and John, IMHO, got him through...I attribute Mayers EXCESSIVE service errors due to "osmosis" of training around Keenan (Just kidding, not sure what got John doing THAT many unforced errors....but they were there...wind, of course, MAJOR factor). But haze, you have to address why the #1 team (Gibb/Patt) would regularly (did I see that many?) go to Brad at 6' 8" during a final... People always go to Brad. He is a much inferior passer, a predictable hitter, and not that dynamic. I've watched Brad for years and with the exception of his jump serve (which was a terror in the games I saw this weekend) he has not improved much at all. He should be married to Summer Ross not April Ross, then they could have a giant volleyball playing kid that could run the 40 in six and a half minutes. Guest2, you must have the most ridiculous standards ever. I feel sorry for anyone who works for you. Summer comes in as the #1 seed and gets 3rd, while Brad gets his first victory playing great and you, representing the fans of volleyball, unleash something like that. I get it - kinda - when people go off on multi-million dollar salary players from major sports. But we're talking about a sport where right now most players barely make more than the poverty level, and as a reward, they get fans like you. Not exactly ideal.
|
|
|
Post by volleyballjim on Jun 2, 2014 17:15:34 GMT -5
...uh, I thought the reference to the 40 in 6 1/2 minutes was actually funny. I think guest2 was "saying it like it is", actually. This, though small a venue as maybe a celebrity can have, is the the "big time" and as the saying about the "heat in the kitchen being too hot"...Better to address Brad's passing (Is it on equal merit with Mayer?, Predictability in hitting (probably a bit too subjective there), dynamic? Well, he made some dynamic shots at the end, but his in-the-net serves are CERTAINLY dynamic. He genuinely seems like a really nice guy, I have seen him numerous times and I think he's great, but the unforced errors seem problematic. What else is new though in beach volleyball, frustration with players unforced errors....oh well...
|
|
|
Post by guest2 on Jun 2, 2014 17:46:48 GMT -5
People always go to Brad. He is a much inferior passer, a predictable hitter, and not that dynamic. I've watched Brad for years and with the exception of his jump serve (which was a terror in the games I saw this weekend) he has not improved much at all. He should be married to Summer Ross not April Ross, then they could have a giant volleyball playing kid that could run the 40 in six and a half minutes. Guest2, you must have the most ridiculous standards ever. I feel sorry for anyone who works for you. Summer comes in as the #1 seed and gets 3rd, while Brad gets his first victory playing great and you, representing the fans of volleyball, unleash something like that. I get it - kinda - when people go off on multi-million dollar salary players from major sports. But we're talking about a sport where right now most players barely make more than the poverty level, and as a reward, they get fans like you. Not exactly ideal. Why should how much money Brad makes be determinative of whether I can comment in how well he performs. He is an entertainer, all pro athletes are, and rather than supporting them like they are six year olds at a "we don't keep score" soccer game, fans of the show have a right to criticize it. if the AVP athletes dont want to be criticized they shouldnt ask us to watch and support them financially. I also openly admit I am not a fan of Brad's. He is a professional athlete and should conduct himself as such. He has a great deal of natural talent and yet he has actually seemed to get worse over the years. He has gotten to play with great players for years because of his potential (Hyden, Lucena, now John) but he doesn't seem to work on the holes in his game and that annoys me. As someone who grew up watching great all around players, it also irks me that Brad has made a career out of being really tall and not much else.
|
|
|
Post by guest2 on Jun 2, 2014 17:50:35 GMT -5
People always go to Brad. He is a much inferior passer, a predictable hitter, and not that dynamic. I've watched Brad for years and with the exception of his jump serve (which was a terror in the games I saw this weekend) he has not improved much at all. He should be married to Summer Ross not April Ross, then they could have a giant volleyball playing kid that could run the 40 in six and a half minutes. Guest2, you must have the most ridiculous standards ever. I feel sorry for anyone who works for you. Summer comes in as the #1 seed and gets 3rd, while Brad gets his first victory playing great and you, representing the fans of volleyball, unleash something like that. I get it - kinda - when people go off on multi-million dollar salary players from major sports. But we're talking about a sport where right now most players barely make more than the poverty level, and as a reward, they get fans like you. Not exactly ideal. Sorry as for Summer, I am a huge fan of hers and want to see her do well. Your statement that she came in as the 1 seed and finished third could also read, she finished third because she was the one seed. Day/Ross beat no one. I love Raquel Ferreira but her career best finish is 5th and her partner's is 9th. Anyone that watched Emily/Summer play knows that they played lousy, and that Summer does not seem to have addressed the two biggest holes in her game (footspeed and hitting hard). As a Summer fan I was dissapointed in that and expressed as much.
|
|
|
Post by haze on Jun 2, 2014 20:48:08 GMT -5
This weekend was the first weekend I got a look at Summer. I can see her potential and her ability athletically.
I'm not a particular fan of her game though, she doesn't seem to play with much emotion (could be her youth) and she doesn't seem to work partciularly hard in the sand. That could be that she is slow of foot like what was broughtup.
|
|
|
Post by volleyballjim on Jun 2, 2014 22:06:30 GMT -5
Critique of Brad is pretty harsh. Looking "into" motivation/determination is a pretty sketchy art. Someone might "look" like they are not giving 100%, but not so sure you can see that from the sidelines...Remember the old adage: "People judge others on their behavior, themselves on their intentions"....Maybe it just LOOKS that way...Dexterity, synapses firing a bit quicker, muscle memory etc. may ALSO play a part....
|
|
|
Post by tinman2 on Jun 2, 2014 22:11:15 GMT -5
You can judge Brad's motivation/determination by how conditioned he is (or isn't)for beach volleyball. Have you seen play him with his shirt off at a tournament?
|
|
|
Post by volleyballjim on Jun 2, 2014 22:35:06 GMT -5
If conditioning WERE the factor, would Furby/Jenning's have won Manhattan in '13? Just say'n.... (only referenced because Matt was a coach at the time; hardly fair to him if "Conditioning" were as important as one would think)...
|
|
|
Post by guest2 on Jun 3, 2014 6:05:19 GMT -5
Other than East Coast super heat/humidity conditions, there is no excuse for players to run out of gas in modern, rally score time limited tournaments. Even running to the net to block is easier now.
I think the critiques of Brad are very fair. Look back to when he came on tour. He made a huge impact right away, then in his second year he had basically the same season he has had every year since then. Comparing his career arc to someone like Jake Gibb, who I think started with less potential than Brad, really illustrates how little Brad has improved, whereas Jake has at times had a solid claim to be one of the five best players in the world
|
|