It wasn’t difficult, but you could see this coming a few weeks ago. The New Jersey Nets are about to break the NBA record for consecutive losses to start a season at 18 (this should happen after tonight’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks, but you never know). Since the last post on the matter, I did some research and it’s crazy how bad a team can get so fast in the NBA.

The Nets were in the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003 losing to the Kobe/Shaq era Lakers.  While that feels like a lifetime ago, the Nets also won Atlantic Division in 2004 and 2006 and went to the playoffs in 2005.  Granted they didn’t win the Eastern Conference Championship those seasons, but until Boston got Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen they were a top conference playoff team.

Lots of personnel changes will also drastically change a team’s fortunes as Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter are all gone from the roster.  Looking at who’s still in town, there’s no indication that things are going to change anytime soon. The Nets might be a part of the LeBron Lottery after this season, but why would he want to come to the team at this point?  Move to Brooklyn or not, this team could be in long term trouble. Like Knicks-level trouble.

In the interest of fairness, it’s also worth looking at some other NBA teams that have already distinguished themselves so far this season:

Minnesota Timberwolves, 2-15.  If not for an opening night win against The Nets, this team could have been the Nets.

New York Knicks, 4-14.  No matter how hard this team tries, they just can’t seem to get it together.  One of those wins is against the Nets and one is against the 14-4 Phoenix Suns.

Philadelphia 76ers, 5-13.  The best part of this season is that it’s highly unlikely that the Sixers will be the team the Nets finally beat.  They’d have to go 0-41 through January 31st for that to happen.  They can’t be that bad…

Now that baseball season has passed for another year, my attention has been drawn back to the NBA.  While my beloved Sixers will be in another battle for 4th place in the Eastern Conference, I couldn’t help but notice a remarkable statistic in their division: New Jersey Nets 0-12 to start the season.

The Nets are on pace to pass both their franchise losing streak of 16 games and the record for most losses to start an NBA season at 17 games (shared by the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Clippers).  We may be seeing something special happening in New Jersey.

Keeping pace with the Nets in the Atlantic Division are the lowly New York Knicks (who were rumored to be interested in the recently available Allen Iverson).  Combined 2 and 21 for the season, these teams just really couldn’t be worse.  They meet for the first time this season Saturday at 1PM where the Nets may take one more step toward infamy.

Everything I write here would be completely meaningless if I didn’t mention the hours I’ve spent watching the Phillies this Fall.  I’m beginning this post 1.5 innings into Game 5 with the Phillies up 3 to1 in the game, down 3 to 1 in the series.  We’ll see how things change as the night progresses.

The schedule for the post-season is atrocious.  I understand Major League Baseball wants to make money, but this is ridiculous.  If you’re willing to have a game start at 2:30 in the afternoon, why not have a game start at 1PM?  This would allow all the games to start earlier and end at a time when everyone could stay awake to watch the late games end (barring extra innings).  And if a game is scheduled for the middle of a work day, it’s pretty clear that MLB is not concerned if anyone can see it (same goes for putting it on TBS, more on that later).  With this in mind, why can’t first and second round games go on simultaneously?  Also, while I can appreciate that Yankees and Red Sox fans are legion and spread all over the country, I don’t know that having your prime time games reserved for these franchises is worth marginalizing fans of other teams.

Baseball in November is just asking for trouble.  In 2001, the World Series was played in November for the first time as a result of the tragedy of 9/11.  Eight years later, it’s scheduled to go into November.  The days off are another cash grab for MLB and the networks so that they can have a prime time weeknight game as often as possible.  The ad dollars are so important, that there was nearly a week off between the end of the NLCS and the World Series so they could start on a Wednesday.  As we get deeper into the Fall, the weather in cities like Denver and Minneapolis are going to make it impossible for them to host games without delays.  This year’s post-season even featured a “snow-out” during the NLDS in Colorado.  Of course, the postponed games this year all happened to fall on Saturdays, the lowest night for ratings, and therefore, ad revenue.

The FOX and TBS broadcasts are awful for the most part.  Enough has been said about Joe Buck and Tim McCarver to fill a book, but TBS employed commentators that were unlistenable.  I don’t want cheerleaders for the big market teams, and I don’t want people that are showing that they don’t really know the game.  At the conclusion of NLCS Game 5, the play by play announcer called out “here’s the throw to the plate, not in time.” There was no throw.  I can understand getting caught up in a moment and missing something, but calling something that didn’t happen is borderline insane.

I’m not writing all this because I’m cranky that the Phillies are down in the series.  In fact, they’re up 8 to 1 and I’m still annoyed at MLB. I’m even annoyed that it’s so close to MLD.

You’ve seen this movie before. Over and over again.

You know that movie where the kid finds that thing they really love but their parents won’t approve so they hide it from them and do the thing they love anyway even though it’s definitely going to end badly when their parents find out and someone inevitable gets arrested and then the kid runs away but something bad happens so they go home and the whole family makes nice with each other and the kid goes to do the thing they love again and the parents come along begrudgingly but in the end the parents are proud of the kid and in the middle there is some female bonding and almost a few laughs but not quite and the girl from death proof is in it but just a little.

Yeah. Whip It is like that sentence only longer. There’s some good music in it though. Oh and they gave me a free t-shirt when I went in… so that was nice I guess.

Also there were real roller derby girls at the screening I was at and they were handing out flyers for a roller derby event at the 23rd Street Armory in Philly on Saturday. Doors open at 5 and it’s $25 at the door though there are some sort of VIP tickets available for $30. End of free plug.

So I should have started this ninety minutes ago. We join the game in progress, it’s the bottom of the 4th. The based are loaded. Shane Victorino is up. Pete is dancing vaguely like a robot. There are two outs. The phils lead 4-3.

It’s also worth noting that tonight is Jewish Heritage Night at Citizen’s Bank Park. We’re being treated to some traditional music every time the Phillies fly out to end the inning with the bases loaded.

Top of the 5th went by quickly with Shane Victorino giving Ben Francisco a lesson in catching fly balls and Blanton pitching out of some trouble.

After some criticism for live blogging instead of watching the game, we’ll be back later as we watch the bottom of the 5th.

It’s a good we paid attention, otherwise we’d have missed Jason Werth’s two-run, 421 foot home run. The inning was followed by a little hora action in front of the D’backs’ dugout.

Top 6th went quickly featuring a great catch by Jimmy Rollins. For those keeping track at home, the baseball was in ice cream container 1.

Panamania is runnin’ wild! Solo home run by Carlos Ruiz! Blanton and Rollins each single with no outs. Victorino flies out, pitching change D’backs.

Utley drives in Blanton. Three run home run Ryan Howard! All while we’re on an ice cream run.

Blanton tears through the 7th. Yiddish “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”

Blanton picks up his second hit of the game and the Phillies tack on another run in the bottom of the 7th. The inning ends on a Howard fly out preceded by a disturbing shout of “101” by a guy in our row. Pretty sure he couldn’t be heard at the plate. 12-3 Phils.

Blanton makes quick work of the top of the 8th on two pop ups and a strikeout. Tonight’s attendance: C 45,172.

In the bobblehead race, Kevin had Red, Pete had gray… Red takes it. Kevin 1, Pete 0. The drunk people in front of us have let the right fielder for the D’backs, Romero, know that they hate him and that he sucks.

There was NO reason to replace Blanton with Durbin in the ninth. It’s 12-3. Let the guy finish the game.

Many people in the crowd are dumb and think Durbin is Lidge.

Ryan is forcing us all to high five as the D’Backs lose again. Why don’t we play them EVERYDAY?